Lifespan: the eldest wild, banded Blue Jay was 26 years old.
Description: The Blue Jay is a large blue songbird with a perky crest. Its underside is white, and its back is blue, white and black.
Fact 1 – Blue Jays rub ants on their feathers.
Yes, you read that correctly. The jays rub ants on their feathers, draining the ants of their formic acid before they gobble them up. This is known as "anting." Over the years, several theories have been proposed to explain this bizarre behaviour. One theory hypothesized the excreted acid served as a safeguard against parasites and bacteria, though testing the acid on bacteria cultures showed this to be unlikely. The most probable reason is simple: the ants taste better without the acid. Ornithologists tested this theory by exposing jays to ants with and without formic acid – the ants without acid were eaten immediately while the ones with it were treated to the rubbing ceremony.
Fact 2 – The pigment found in Blue Jay feathers is actually brown.
Melanin, the same pigment found in human hair and skin, is a brown pigment – and it is the pigment found in Blue Jay feathers. Why, then, do they appear blue? Bird colouration is produced in a variety of ways, of which pigmentation is just one. The blue appearance of many blue birds is due to refraction – a light scattering phenomenon. The barb structure of Blue Jay feathers is such that, when light hits them, the blue light is refracted while the other wavelength of visible light are absorbed by the melanin, making them look blue. If you come across a Blue Jay feather, try backlighting it. Without direct light, the blue is no longer reflected and the feather will look brown.
Fact 3 – Blue Jays mimic hawks.
Blue Jays can make a variety of sounds and it is common to hear them mimicking hawks, especially the Red-shouldered Hawk. Ornithologists suggest they do this for one of two reasons, or perhaps both. The first theory is the mimicry serves as a warning to other jays about any lurking hawks. The second is that jays are trying to fool other species into thinking there are hawks nearby.
Fact 4 – Blue Jays collect paint chips.
Blue Jays have been known to chip at and hoard light-coloured paint, probably to stockpile a source of calcium for the spring. If Blue Jays are chipping away at the paint on your house, try providing an alternate source of calcium like crushed egg shells – this usually stops the unwanted behaviour.
Fact 5 – Blue Jays are noisier in the fall than in the spring or summer.
Many notice that Blue Jays, who are fairly quiet during the spring and summer, are noisy little neighbours during the fall. In spring and early summer, when they are nesting, jays tend to be more secretive. Come fall, when they are scavenging for food and hawks are more present, they communicate a variety of information and warnings through their calls. Which of these facts are new to you? Which had you already observed? Let us know about the Blue Jays in your NatureHood in the comments, or connect with us on Twitter and Facebook.
[caption id="attachment_34904" align="alignleft" width="150"] Michelle Briere, Guest Blogger[/caption] This blog was written by guest blogger Michelle Briere. As the weather cools and the seasons change, it is time to think about how you can make better choices for the environment this fall!
My favorite part of autumn is absolutely the harvest. From pumpkins, to onions, to potatoes, most of us here in Canada have a variety of delicious vegetables come into season during the fall. A tip to acquire the most delicious and fresh vegetables around is to buy locally-grown produce. Not only does it help support the local economy, but it reduces the environmental impact associated with long-distance food transportation. Head to your local farmer's market, and the next time you're out in the country, keep your eye out for food stands where farmers often sell their freshly-picked produce. Another fun way to enjoy local produce is to pick it yourself! Grab some friends, family or your significant other and make a date of picking at a local apple orchard.
When the cold weather rolls around, some of us long to revamp our style and revel in the cozy big sweaters and earthy palette that fall fashion brings. Thankfully, there are several ways the environmentally-conscious fashionista can indulge during the fall. To reduce waste, avoid fast fashion, and even save a few bucks, visit thrift stores in your area. You may have to dig around a bit, but with some patience you're sure to find some gems hidden within the racks. If you have no luck at the thrift stores, seek out local and environmentally-conscious companies to shop from. My personal favorite eco-friendly Canadian brand is Matt & Nat, a Montréal-based company which uses recycled water bottles to make a wide variety of sophisticated purses, briefcases, backpacks, wallets and shoes.
Growing your own food is a fun and rewarding way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with large-scale food production. Whether you already have a vegetable garden or not, you can start parts of next year's garden this fall! Like tulips, certain vegetables are best planted before the winter. Depending on where you live, this usually includes garlic, onions, and shallots. 6-8 weeks before the expected last frost, start a new garden plot or prep your existing one. Remove any remaining plant material (excluding perennials), lightly fertilize and work your soil, plant your garlic, onion and shallots accordingly, and cover lightly or heavily with mulch (depending on how cold your winters are). Planting these foods in the fall will produce a bigger crop with fuller flavour, ready to be enjoyed late summer the following year.
Animal agriculture is one of the top sources of greenhouse gas emissions, and consumes extremely large volumes of water. One fun and festive way to reduce your environmental impact this fall is by hosting an entirely plant-based Thanksgiving! As recognition of the environmental, health and animal welfare benefits of a plant-based diet grows, it's easier than ever to find tasty alternatives to traditional meat and dairy-based recipes. There are several dishes you can make that will keep your Thanksgiving traditions alive, while keeping your environmental impact low; for example, stuff a butternut squash with your go-to stuffing recipe, and replace butter in your apple pie recipe with margarine. Find yourself short of ideas? Check out some plant-based cookbooks or online food blogs (my favorites are here and here). [one_half] [caption id="attachment_34619" align="alignnone" width="300"] Photo by Michelle Briere[/caption] [/one_half] [one_half_last] [caption id="attachment_34620" align="alignnone" width="300"] Photo by Michelle Briere[/caption] [/one_half_last] Recipes for plant-based versions of classic fall favourites are widely available online. Left: 3-bean chilli served in roasted pumpkin bowls. Right: dairy-free pumpkin spice "cheesecake".
Fall and winter are challenging seasons for our feathered friends. Many bird species make the long, difficult journey south during the fall, while others stay and endure Canada's sub-zero winter temperatures. Food scarcity is often a major challenge for both parties. The best thing you can do to help is avoid pruning your fruiting, flower and seed-bearing plants until the early spring. These plants provide an excellent food source for migrants to refuel on their way south, and help sustain the species who stick around for the winter. [caption id="attachment_34621" align="alignleft" width="300"] Photo by Michelle Briere[/caption] Fall is also great time to clean any bird feeders, bird baths and birdhouses you may have; this can help prevent the spread of disease. Birds benefit year-round from fruiting trees. Avoid trimming these plants in your yard until the spring to help keep more food sources available for birds.
Whether you'll be going door-to-door, giving out candy, or heading to a costume party, you can be festive this Halloween while staying environmentally-conscious. Dressing up? Dig out an old costume you wore years ago, swap with a friend, or head to a thrift store. Alternatively, if you're the creative type, make a DIY masterpiece using things you already have around the house. Decorating? Pinterest is your best friend. You can find countless DIY Halloween decoration ideas that don't require you to buy anything new, or that are free of plastic and other environmentally-harmful products. Giving out candy? Source out ones that uses the least amount of packaging (while remaining safe for kids, of course).
This is an easy tip to reduce your impact, but it may take a little adjustment time. If you own a home or rent a place where you can control the thermostat, try keeping the temperature a bit cooler than you normally do during the fall and winter months. Break out your cozy sweaters, bundle up in some blankets, and enjoy hot cups of tea. After a few days, you'll adjust to having your place a few degrees cooler. Plus, you'll save a few bucks on your energy bill! What are some things you do to enjoy an environmentally-friendly fall? Leave a comment below!
Director of Development[/caption] "We all need peace and quiet, beautiful natural places to be our touchstones and to replenish our souls. A walk in nature does that for me. Also, just knowing we have natural places and wildlife is satisfying". – Senator Diane Griffin Senator Diane Griffin is a lifelong and passionate environmentalist. She's had a stellar public service career including serving as PEI's Deputy Minister of Environment and Energy and as a Town Councillor in Stratford, PEI. She's also served as the President of our Board of Directors and received our Pimlott Award for her incredible dedication and work to protect nature. An accomplished writer, who published a book of Atlantic Wildflowers, she has also penned numerous articles on topics ranging from agricultural, eco-economics, national forest strategies, natural heritage and more. [caption id="attachment_34742" align="alignright" width="421"] Senator Diane Griffin[/caption] Senator Griffin encourages Canadians of all ages to explore nature, and take action in ways that make sense in our own homes and hearts, acknowledging recently that "what we do in our individual homes and communities is going to be significant for the conservation of Canada's natural resources." Today, she brings a strong voice for nature and conservation to Canada's Senate and is also the Honorary Chair of our Women for Nature program. Three Women for Nature projects are launching this year. Together with your gifts, we've supported six projects imagined by Young Women for Nature. As well, we'll launch 10 new mentorships empowering up and coming nature leaders. And the Women for Nature E-Dialogues series, moderated by Professor Ann Dale, will begin later this month. These real-time, online discussions will stimulate ideas, dialogue and local action around the critically important topic of Biodiversity. You can find out all the topics, and join the conversation here. By instilling a passionate commitment to nature within our young nature leaders, Women for Nature members are investing in the future of conservation in Canada. The Women for Nature mentorship program and E-Dialogue series will bring strong voices together for nature to support the future protection of nature and wildlife in Canada. "As the Honorary Chair of Nature Canada's Women for Nature initiative, I am delighted to see that Canada's nature is in good hands. These young women and their projects are a step in the right direction to help enable more young Canadians to connect with nature and assist in protecting our precious wildlife and habitats." You can find the latest news on Women for Nature here. And if you are interested in learning more about our initiative, I would love to connect with you! You can reach me at jjoy@naturecanada.ca or 1-800-267-4088 extension 239.
This post was written by BC-based guest blogger Sharon Bamber (www.sharonbamber.com). I live in a straw bale off-grid home. My husband Simon and I designed it and built it together from the ground up, with no special tools, no help from paid contractors (except for the final roofing) and no prior construction experience. It was a challenging, frustrating, exciting, demoralizing, enlightening, joyous and exhausting endeavour. I thoroughly recommend it! I was introduced to natural building 20 years ago when I lived in Cornwall, UK, and learned about the traditional cob buildings. Cob is a traditional building technique using hand-formed lumps of clay earth mixed with sand and straw which is laid wet. In England, there are tens of thousands of comfortable cob homes, many of which have been continuously inhabited for over 500 years. Building in this manner made sense to me as this ancient technology is aesthetically beautiful and doesn't contribute to environmental degradation, dwindling natural resources or chemical contamination. When I came to Canada, I wasn't sure if cob would provide the necessary insulation for the winter months. I still wanted that beautiful, unique, hand-built home that I'd dreamed of for so long, but didn't want to hurt the environment in the process. Conventional building materials are non-renewable, difficult and intimidating for novices to work with and the environmental cost is high. I needed an alternative solution. [caption id="attachment_34430" align="aligncenter" width="940"] Sharon and Simon building their straw bale house in British Columbia.[/caption] I asked myself a number of questions: Where do the materials come from, are they sustainable and how much damage is done to the land when they are extracted? The straw: I was able to source straw bales from a farm 148 kilometres away - further than I would have liked, but much closer than those conventional materials! The nearest oriented strand board (OSB) manufacturing plant is 650 kilometres away and the nearest fibreglass insulation manufacturing plant is 830 kilometres away. In comparison with other building materials, timber/lumber seems like a sustainable material, but it takes a long time to grow compared to straw. Straw is a renewable material, taking just one season before it is harvested. The earth plaster: The soil that we were going to extract as we dug the foundations contained enough clay to make a good plaster. So one of the major plaster ingredients was there on site. Using the soil extracted for the foundation as the basis of our plaster was much less damaging to the land than using cement or lime plaster and we minimised the physical footprint of our house as best we could. The other ingredients were chopped straw (sustainable), fresh horse manure (sustainable) and fresh cow manure (sustainable), both of which we collected daily from our neighbour's horses and cows, and sand (not sustainable). The sand came from a local quarry 26 kilometres away. All very local! What is the embodied energy of the materials? Embodied energy is a common measure used in comparing the environmental impact of different materials, products or services. In this case, it is the energy consumed by all of the processes associated with the production of a building, from the mining and processing of natural resources to manufacturing, transport and product delivery. Straw bale construction has extremely low measures of embodied energy when compared with conventional building materials. What are the costs of heating and cooling the completed house? Our house is extremely cool during the summer and very warm in the winter. Straw, when encased in earth plaster has a very high R-value. Other buildings can achieve the same R-value, but only by using more expensive materials and a more material-extensive system. It has been estimated that straw bale buildings are on average 20% more efficient than standard stick-built construction. What happens to the building materials eventually, when the home is no longer needed? At the end of its life, when the building is no longer needed, the walls can just compost into the ground. The walls and plaster are 100% biodegradable when the time comes. As an interesting side note, during the whole of the construction we only had to take two standard-sized black garbage bags to the dump. None of that came from the wall construction. [caption id="attachment_34425" align="alignright" width="409"] Baling with our family and friends.[/caption] I love that I know that the materials are natural, that I know where they come from and how they are made, that there are no glues, chemicals, toxins or off-gassing. I love that I collected, sieved and mixed the plaster with my own hands. I love that I built every inch of the house and that I felt safe and comfortable doing it. I adore the really thick, solid walls with their gentle undulations, soft curves, rounded edges and deep window seats at each window. Those characteristics add a special warm, welcoming feeling that is impossible to describe until you experience it for yourself. My home is powered by solar and has a composting toilet (a rather nice porcelain toilet with the nasty "working box" hidden away), and I have plans for a greywater system now that this is allowed under BC wastewater regulations. It is by no means the perfect environmentally friendly house. Except for the walls themselves, there were areas where we had to compromise because of budget, and I really hope that alternative sustainable green products eventually become more affordable and mainstream. It is however, the best that we could possibly do and we love it.
Description: Townsend's Chipmunks have dark brown and striped backs. They have five dark stripes alternating with four lighter stripes, and two grey and three brown stripes on their faces. Their underside varies from creamy white to grey, and their ears are black in front and grey behind. Their tail is bushy, dark brown and tipped with grey and brown.
Eat in Season: Fruits and Vegetables to Put on Your Plate During the Last Days of Summer!
This blog is written by guest blogger Leanne Lovsin.
Did you know that choosing to eat locally-grown fruits and vegetables is good for the environment? Local produce doesn't have to travel very far to arrive on your plate; this helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It's a win-win situation! You help support the local economy, eat fresh and delicious food, and improve your carbon footprint.
As the days begin to get shorter and the wind becomes a little brisker, you may catch yourself thinking about the upcoming fall season. But wait! There's still some summertime left. Next time you go grocery shopping, celebrate the late summer harvest with fruits and vegetables that are grown locally during this fleeting time of year.
Who doesn't love fresh blueberries? Packed to the brim with disease-fighting antioxidants, this indigo-hued fruit is a super healthy—and tasty—addition to your diet. You can find this fruit almost everywhere during this time of year: grocery stores, farmers markets, and pick-your-own fields!
If you do opt to pick your own blueberries (the more, the merrier!), they can be frozen and stored for later use. Amazingly versatile, add them to smoothies, desserts, and on top of salads, or make some jam!
Nectarines are a juicy stone-fruit that stay in season just a little bit longer than peaches, which they are closely related to. Unlike peaches, nectarines are smooth and have a smaller pit, which arguably makes them more enjoyable to eat! High in vitamin C, beta-carotene, and fiber, this is one fruit you want to get your hands on while you can!
Although they taste delicious as is, nectarines also make great additions to smoothies and cobblers. Next time you have guests over, try adding it to your dessert for a seasonal treat!
Artichokes are one of the coolest vegetables around! Well, it's not technically a vegetable—it's actually the bud of a flowering plant from the thistle family! Covered in a green armour-like exterior, we typically only eat the sweet-savoury tasting heart.
The options are endless with artichoke. Try it grilled on the BBQ with some herbs or roasted in the oven with other veggies. It also steams and sautés easily, so next time you need to add some nutrients to your meal, opt for artichokes!
A much-loved favourite of vegetarians and vegans, eggplant (or aubergine) has a naturally neutral taste which makes it ideal for soaking up other flavours! It's also really nutritious; it's full of fiber, folate, potassium, magnesium, as well as vitamins C, K, and B6.
A great substitute for traditional meat dishes, try making eggplant parmesan or veggie lasagna on your next Meatless Monday. Eggplant also roasts really well and tastes great with root vegetables like sweet potato!
Happy eating! Share your favourite summertime recipes in the comments below or on Facebook or Twitter!
[caption id="attachment_33210" align="alignleft" width="150"] Guest blogger Rebecca Kennedy[/caption] This post was written by guest blogger Rebecca Kennedy. Throughout the year, your yard and neighborhood are home to a plethora of nature sounds. They can be the pleasant and relaxing kind—a burbling stream, a gentle wind rustling through leafy trees, the avid chirps and splashing of bathing birds—of which spa music playlists are made. Or they can be perturbing and strange (always at night!)—haunting howls, screeches, and screams that bring a banshee to mind and seem better suited for a campfire ghost story. What curious, perhaps off-putting, noises are you hearing this summer? Your yard, whether in the country, the city, or somewhere in between, may be a prime destination for one of these furry creatures who are known for their sometimes disconcerting, but still fascinating, vocalizations.
Nocturnal by nature, this solitary member of the weasel family is rarely seen, though maybe you will hear one. Badgers have over 15 discrete sounds, ranging from the chirps, coos, and clucks of cubs to the soothing purr of a mother to her young and the growling and yelping sounds of threatened adults. Though they feed primarily on rodents, badgers are opportunistic eaters and will consume whatever is near and available to them—small birds, eggs, rabbits, mice, and squirrels. The American badger is found across Canada, from southern British Columbia to southern Ontario.
In this recording, the pine marten exhibits scolding behavior by producing squeaks and a low huffing noise. A member of the weasel family, it is about the size of a small cat with the characteristically long, slinky body and a small, fox-like face. This extremely active creature has a high metabolism and spends a lot of its time hunting. In addition to fruit and nuts, the American marten will prey on birds and larger animals like snowshoe hares and marmots. This boreal forest dweller is found throughout Canada, and the Newfoundland Marten (Martes americana atrata) is classified as threatened under the federal Species at Risk Act.
These backyard pests or pals, depending on your point of view, are highly intelligent, agile mammals who spend most of their time in trees and are masters of eating in season—maple buds in spring; berries, seeds, and apples in the summer; hickory nuts and acorns in autumn. They are also fast—moving up to 25 kilometres per hour when on the ground. Their alarm call is a series of rapid clicking sounds. This type of squirrel stands out for its bushy tail, parts of which it can sometimes lose in order to escape from a predator. Native to native to southern New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan, this tree squirrel is active year-round and found throughout Canada.


Martin is VP Beverage Marketing for Nestle Professional USA. An English native he has 30 years of sales and marketing experience in both B2C and B2B industries, across a variety of multi-national companies.
He holds an honors degree in French & Business from Leeds University in UK. He has been with the Nestle Foodservice division for 13 years with roles in UK as Marketing Director, Nestle HQ in Switzerland as Global Commercial Manager and for the last 4 years as Head of the Beverage division based in Solon, Ohio.
In his current role he is responsible for the strategic marketing and sales development of a portfolio including coffee, tea, creamers and cold beverages. Additionally, he leads an E-Business team leveraging new digital technologies to accelerate growth.


text:
21 years later: 2019's all-new edition of 'a way to garden,' plus my other books
I, MARGARET ROACH, am the creator of the book, website and companion public radio show and podcast "A Way to Garden," and also the author of other books, including "And I Shall Have Some Peace There" (2011, a memoir about dropping out of city and corporate life for a rural one) and "The Backyard Parables" (a garden memoir). More on each of those below–and autographed copies of all three can be had by mail-order from my local bookstore at this link. (Photo above by my friend Ali Stafford of Alexandra's Kitchen.)
'a way to garden' (2019)
IN 2017, when it occurred to me that my first book, the 1998 version of "A Way to Garden" (above left), was about to turn 20 but was terribly out of date and long out of print, I said to Andrew Beckman that we ought to fix that.
"I always loved that book," said Andrew, a longtime friend and former "Martha Stewart Living" colleague, now Publisher at garden book specialists Timber Press, a division of Workman. I always loved that old book of mine, too, and on April 30, 2019 I hope you will love its all-new incarnation that we have conjured together (above right), with help from Mick Hales, whose photos combine with mine in it.
reviews of the new 2019 edition
SO FAR THOSE who have seen an advance galley do, including "The New York Times Book Review," which said in part in a rave review that I am in this book, "sensitive, wise, deliberate, thoughtful and splendidly bossy." "Publisher's Weekly" (with a starred review), adds this:
"Roach… thoughtfully and thoroughly updates her 1998 guide to organic, year-round gardening. … Those with dirt already under their fingernails will treasure Roach's in-depth knowledge, wry humor, and reflective look at how seasons in gardening mirror the passage of time."
Order an autographed copy from Oblong Books (my local shop)
Order on Barnes & Noble
Order on IndieBound
Other garden names and sneak-peekers you may recognize–from both the U.S. and U.K., where the new edition will also be available–were likewise very kind:
"Unquestionably brilliant! I am so impressed with the wisdom of Margaret Roach's experience and the things she writes about that most garden books ignore."—Deborah Madison, author, "Vegetable Literacy" and "The New Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone"
"A gorgeous, helpful, and tenderly funny book for anyone who likes putting plants in the ground. I love the fact that it's 'A Way to Garden' not 'THE Way to Garden.' Less hubris, more mulch."—Ann Patchett, owner of Parnassus Books and international best-selling author of "Bel Canto," "State of Wonder," and "Commonwealth"
"Margaret has an intimate grasp of her subject, along with an appreciation of the microcosm of life within the spaces we garden. Her sparkling wit makes her a joy to read."—Fergus Garrett, Head Gardener, Great Dixter House and Gardens
"'A Way to Garden'—sensitive, wise, deliberate, thoughtful and splendidly bossy—prods us toward that ineffable place where we feel we belong; it's a guide to living both in and out of the garden."—Dominique Browning, "The New York Times Book Review"
"For more than two decades, A Way to Garden has provided a friendly invitation to the garden. As real, gritty, and funny as the first time around, this blueprint of how to garden, why we garden, the joys of gardening, is a prerequisite to lifting a spade."—Dan Hinkley, award-winning author, "The Explorer's Garden," and Heronswood founder
"An indefatigable researcher, Margaret Roach is a whirlwind of enthusiasm for and knowledge of the natural world. This update gives us the benefit of so much new information. Thank you, Margaret."—Marco Polo Stufano, founding Director of Horticulture, Wave Hill
"Margaret is the knowledgeable, encouraging, and often humorous best friend we all need when we grow a garden. We get to peer over her shoulder as she sows every seed, plants every shrub, harvests every tomato."—Niki Jabbour, food gardening author, writer, and radio host
"Her voracious curiosity has kept Margaret on the leading edge. This updated classic distills decades of learning from one of gardening's keenest minds. It is delightfully free of ideology but brimming with ideas and inspirations."—Thomas Rainer, author, "Planting in a Post-Wild World;" principal, Phyto Studio
"America's favorite garden communicator shares her wisdom, and through her superb writing, helps us discover 'a lifetime supply of wonder.'"—Ken Druse, photographer, lecturer, and award-winning author
"If I could keep just one gardening book, the beautifully written A Way to Garden would be the treasured title. This is Margaret's finest work to date and why she is my gardening superhero!"—Joe Lamp'l, Emmy Award–winning creator and host, "Growing a Greener World," PBS
"A great book to curl up with … Margaret shares insight from her decades of gardening: the ups and downs are laid bare for gardeners to learn, empathize, and find inspiration."—Tony Avent, garden writer and founder, Plant Delights Nursery
"The perfect reading companion for those of us who feel that gardening is an unstoppable addiction. It will draw you even further in, while confirming what you've always known in your heart: you must have more plants!"—Jane Perrone, host, "On The Ledge" podcast; former gardening editor, "The Guardian"
"Now that I am starting to dig into my own land, I have found a trusted manual to create interest in every season."—Joshua McFadden, executive chef and author, "Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables"
'the backyard parables' (2013)
'THE BACKYARD PARABLES" (my third book), released in January 2013, has been called "a blessing" by "Eat, Pray, Love" author Liz Gilbert, and "a love story" by "The Vegetarian Epicure" author Anna Thomas, among other tender feedback. The book was featured in places from "People" magazine to "Good Housekeeping" and "The New York Times." The book is a mix of garden and nature memoir, with how-to layered in between.
Order on Barnes and Noble
'and i shall have some peace there' (2011)
A MEMOIR I WROTE about the big decision to drop out of my city and corporate life of "success" to start over in rural Nowheresville–a.k.a. my former weekend garden that is now my happy home. This is a good book for anyone pondering a life change of any kind (or so I am told by readers who continue to write to me after reading it). The garden, and nature, play a big part in "Peace," as I refer to it, but it's not a gardening book.
Gayle Latham says:
I would love to have a poster of the cover for 'and i shall have some peace there' for my greenhouse door! I have all your books, but that is my favorite because it meant so much to me the year I retired.
So sweet of you to write and say so, Gayle.
And I agree with J B!! I even wish Oblong Books, my local bookstore, was listed first above the "lawn" of online shopping.
Thank you for helping me to start gardening. You were introduced to me by several different gardening friends. You're beloved.
Kathleen Brandt says:
I agree with Gayle, please consider this.
J B says:
Thank you for having links to someplace other than Amazon. They are the ubiquitous "lawn" of online shopping, and I prefer to go native…. ;-)
Maryann van Buuren says:
Dividing my perennials to share with friends🙂
Konrad says:
Very interesting list of books, great job. I'm planning to get myself on of these.
Meredith Raffel says:
My latest purchased cookbook is Snacking Cakes! If I win, I'll certainly pass the new copy onto my Snacking friend!
I love snacking cakes. I bake a lot for my friends. Food is just love and I drop of snack cakes to people…just 'cause! I made the chocolate cake from the book…OMG!! And the best thing about a snacking cake is that it just gets better every day!
OF COURSE…Bread, Toast, Crumbs is my go to. I've learned so about about the simplicity of food from watching Alexandra and she's also taken eliminated the intimidation factor of bread making, making that process fun and delicious!
paul manhart says:
GREAT BOOKS!
Thank you, Paul.
I LOVE GARDENING BOOKS!
Nora Sethi says:
So informative!
Frances Boninti says:
As always, Enjoyed the program! Scary to see that river coursing through Ken's lawn! This is now what's waiting for us all with climate change.
Helen Malandrakis says:
I like to divide my perennials to share or add to another area in my garden.
Gale says:
I have followed you for years and would love a copy of your book!
love your blog. what is the name of the plant you are holding in the picture. some kind of vine? wide leaves. my neighbour has one and it is always hanging over my fence and seems to take over everying.
m. fassett says:
This is first podcoast I lisened to; I loved it and felt I was conversing with Margaret myself! She made comments that I have been making to myself throughout the years. Is that possible….that all my cocerns are real? I will try to find and listen or relisten to old podcoasts. Now to find out where I can put my name to win "the" book…so far I don't find the location.
Hi, M. I think you headed over to another page after the podcast one and posted your comment on an older one about my book. Here is where to comment (and enter) about this week's show on native shrubs or maybe it was last week's on dividing perennials that you wanted to enter the giveaway on. Try those links.
I have read all of your books. I didn't think it was that long ago. I enjoy your podcast.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


A mere week after the launch of its new gaming console, Sony has already sold more than a million PlayStation 4s. Now, the Microsoft Xbox One has hit stores and so begins the fight for your holiday dollars. The $500 Xbox is $100 more than the PS4. Included in each Xbox One is an updated Kinect, Microsoft's motion and voice sensing device. -It can track more people in the room, it can kind of recognize you by just your face and sign you into your account. It does motion trackings of your phone, you're walking around a room, having a Skype call with someone, you just walk around in your room. It will follow you, it actually tracks your heartbeat, you know, if you're having exercise game. -Sony has an optional camera you can add for $60. Microsoft is hoping the Xbox One will also appeal to a more mainstream audience, not just gamers. -I think Microsoft wants to be your kind of go-to box for your living room. Microsoft is offering the Fantasy Football Integration. They're offering cable TV integration where you plug your cable box into the Xbox One. -Each system will have exclusive game titles to show off stunning graphics and more powerful machine. -A lot of thick franchises are gonna be in Xbox One. Halo is gonna be in Xbox One, has a new franchise from the makers, from the original makers of the Modern Warfare,a franchise call Titanfall. I think they're both gonna have really powerful, really appealing exclusive game. -At the E3 gaming conference, Sony's CEO, Jack Tretton told CNET the improved technology would heighten the motion of the games. -I think, as the technology grows, the ability to make the experience more and more immersive, to really evoke emotion and make people scared when they're playing it, excited. That and to really get in a relationship with the characters, just like they would whether movie or in TV show. -But if you're looking to upgrade your current system, you won't be able to play your old games on the new consoles for now. -If you have an old system, you probably gonna wanna keep that around for now, even if you buy a new system. -But instead of focusing on which console to buy, it might be more prudent to think about when to buy. -So, if you wait, you're gonna get more games, better games, you don't have to deal with the technical launch difficulties. You might even see a price drop in the future. -That's what happened with Nintendo's Wii U, which launched last year but to gain attraction at that time. -It's a year later. So, high quality games are starting to come out right now. And the price is lower, a lot lower than the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. So, I think the Wii U actually makes for a pretty compelling buy this year where last year, [unk]. -Giving credence to that old adage, timing is everything. In San Francisco, I'm Sumi Das, CNET for CBS News.


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Josephine Langford (Perth, Austrália, 18 de agosto de 1997) é uma atriz australiana. Ela é mais conhecida por interpretar Tessa Young na franquia de filmes After. Ela também interpretou Emma Cunningham no filme da Netflix, Moxie. Ela também interpreta Zoey na próxima comédia romântica da Netflix, The Other Zoey e Katy Gibson em Gigi & Nate.

Biografia
Langford nasceu em Perth, Austrália Ocidental, e cresceu em Applecross, um subúrbio ribeirinho de Perth. Ela é a filha mais nova de Stephen Langford, um médico voador e diretor de serviços médicos do Royal Flying Doctor Service da Western Operations, e Elizabeth Green, uma pediatra. Sua irmã mais velha, Katherine Langford, também é atriz.

Quando criança, Langford se interessou por música e tocava saxofone, violino e piano. Em 2008, aos 10 anos, Langford escreveu e executou uma canção chamada "Shadows", para um concurso de música que lhe rendeu o título de "Canção do Ano". Ela também escreveu mais duas canções, "Lonely (2007)" e "Sea Shanty (2008)". Sua escola secundária, All Saints College, em Perth, classificou-a como uma compositora talentosa. Ela competiu em várias competições de música escolar. Ela também participou do Interschool Debating e Tournament of Minds aos 7 e 8 anos. Dos anos 3-12, Langford frequentou o All Saints College High School em Bull Creek, Perth, Austrália Ocidental. Ela se formou em 2014 aos 17 anos.

Carreira

Langford começou a ter aulas de teatro aos 13 anos. Em 2012, ela começou a ter aulas de atuação na Perth Film School.  Aos 14 anos, ela começou a aparecer em vários curtas-metragens como Sex Ed (2013), When Separating (2013) e Gypsy Blood (2014). Sua estreia nos cinemas foi no filme independente Pulse (2017), exibido em festivais de cinema. Ela também estrelou como atriz coadjuvante, no mesmo ano, no filme de terror americano Wish Upon, atuando ao lado de Joey King. Também fez sua estreia na televisão em 2017 na série australiana Wolf Creek.

Em julho de 2018, Langford foi escalada como Tessa Young no filme After, baseado no romance de ficção adulta de mesmo nome de 2014 escrito por Anna Todd. O filme estreou em 2019, e arrecadou US$ 69,7 milhões em todo o mundo. Ela ganhou um Teen Choice Award por seu papel como Tessa. Langford e a coestrela Hero Fiennes Tiffin reprisaram seus papéis na sequência, After We Collided, que foi lançado em setembro de 2020, em países selecionados. Em 2019, Langford também apareceu na websérie de televisão antológica de terror Into the Dark como Clair. Em novembro de 2019, Langford foi escalada como Emma Cunningham no filme da Netflix, Moxie, que é baseado no romance homônimo escrito por Jennifer Mathieu.

Em maio de 2021, foi anunciado que Langford entrou para o elenco do filme Evolution, posteriormente mudado para o nome de Gigi & Nate. Ela interpretou Katy Gibson, filha de Claire Gibson, papel de Marcia Gay Harden. A produção de Hollywood foi baseada em uma história real de uma família navegando por um evento trágico que deixa seu filho adolescente permanentemente incapacitado. O filme estreou em Setembro de 2022 nos cinemas internacionais.

Em 3 de novembro de 2021, Langford foi anunciada como Jordan Baker na nova peça lida do Acting for a Cause: The Great Gatsby. O projeto em parceria com a Dolce & Gabbana, tinha o objetivo de arrecadar fundos para a amfAR, uma organização sem fins lucrativos que se dedica a acabar com a epidemia global de AIDS por meio de pesquisas inovadoras. O projeto foi totalmente voluntário, e Langford não ganhou nenhum dinheiro ao participar do filme.

Em 07 de dezembro de 2021, Langford foi anunciada como Zoey Miller, na nova comédia cinematográfica The Other Zoey, ao lado de Drew Starkey e Archie Renaux. O filme dirigido por Sara Zandieh centra-se em Miller (Langford), uma brilhante estudante universitária que rejeita os ideais tradicionais de amor e namoro, apenas para ter toda a sua perspectiva de romance virada do avesso quando outro estudante, Zack (Starkey), o rapaz mais popular da escola, adquire amnésia e a confunde com a sua namorada, também chamada Zoey. The Other Zoey atualmente está em fase de pós produção.

Filmografia

Cinema

Curtas-metragens

Televisão

Podcasts

Prêmios e indicações

Atrizes da Austrália

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: Call method from another object-java I'm doing some Android development and I have an object, which doing a specific task. When that task is done I need to inform my main method (Main Activity), which is constantly running, that the process has been finished and pass some information about it.

This may sound a bit unclear, so I'll give you an example:

Take a look at the setOnClickListener() method in Android:
 Button button = (Button) findViewById(R.id.button1);
            button.setOnClickListener(new OnClickListener() {
                    //This method is called on click
                    @Override
                    public void onClick(View v) {
                      //The View is passed in an anonymous inner class
                    }
            });

It waits for a button to be clicked and calls the onClick(View v) method. I am seeking to achieve the same code structure.  How to do this?

A: This is exactly Listener pattern that you use with views in android. What you want to do is declare an interface in your class that's doing the job, and pass an instance of this interface. Raw example:
TaskDoer.java:
public class TaskDoer {
  public interface OnTaskDoneListener {
    void onDone(Data data);
  }

  public void doTask(OnTaskDoneListener listener) {
    // do task...
    listener.onDone(data);
  }
}

Activity:
public void doTaskAndGetResult() {
  new TaskDoer().doTask(new TaskDoer.OnTaskDoneListener() {
      public void onDone(Data data) {
         // do something
      }
  }
}

A: You mentioned "process". If you are truly doing something in a different process, then you need to look at interprocess communications (IPC). Otherwise, you can use an interface:
Create a class called MyListener:
public interface MyListener {
    void onComplete();
}

In your class that will notify your activity:
MyListener myListener;

public void setMyListener(MyListener myListener){
  this.myListener = myListener;
}

Then, when you are ready to notify your main activity, call this line:
myListener.onComplete();

Last, in your MainActivity implement MyListener:
public class MyListener extends Activity implements MyListener {
     ///other stuff

     @Override
     public void onComplete(){
        // here you are notified when onComplete it called
     }
}

Hope this helps. Cheers.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Art and Drama camps are the perfect way to learn and create! Campers work with our experienced staff to learn about acting, singing, dancing, and creating artwork. The sessions will be full of activities that build ability and imagination.
There's no room for boredom or laying around at our camps. Get ready for a week of adventure!


Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann is the world's largest annual celebration of Irish music, language, song and dance. As one of the sponsors and 'Friend of the Fleadh', Rings from Ireland is also proud to share these core values and promote the very best of what Ireland has to offer, showcasing the very best of Irish craftsmanship around the world.
This unique and welcoming festival will bring County Louth to life like never before from Sunday 12th to Sunday 19th August with the best of traditional arts, workshops for young musicians, competitions, concerts, singing, céilís and lots of fun throughout the week.
The event is the biggest Irish traditional music festival on the planet - a week-long jamboree of music, song and dance, late nights and family fun. This will be the 68th Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann and for the first time in its history the Fleadh is being held on the north east coast of Ireland – Ireland's Ancient East.
Follow Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann Drogheda 2018 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube or visit fleadhcheoil.ie for tickets and updates on all the events.


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US has more than 2,000 probes into potential or suspected terrorists: FBI director Wray
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director Christopher Wray said lone wolf terrorists are the FBI's "highest counter-terrorism priority at the moment". PHOTO: REUTERS
https://str.sg/oxWZ
WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - The FBI is pursuing 1,000 investigations into suspected "lone wolf" militants and another 1,000 into "domestic terrorists", FBI director Christopher Wray told a congressional committee on Wednesday (May 16).
At a Senate Appropriations Committee sub-committee hearing, Mr Wray said lone wolf terrorists - whom another law enforcement official described as individuals often radicalised over the Internet or other social media - are the Federal Bureau of Investigation's "highest counter-terrorism priority at the moment".
Mr Wray said the FBI has about 1,000 investigations into suspected lone wolves in all 50 states, "and that's not even counting the Al-Qaeda investigations, the traditional ISIS investigations, the domestic terrorism investigations..."
"And what makes it so hard is that there are not many dots to connect with some of these people," he said.
"They pick soft targets, they use easy-to-use weapons; you know, IEDs (improvised explosive devices), cars, knives, guns."
Mr Wray said the FBI is "trying to get better at looking for red flags" that could signal when people becoming radicalised might start to consider taking action.
In addition, Mr Wray said, the FBI is pursuing another 1,000 investigations into "domestic terrorists".
The second law enforcement official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said right-wing extremists, violent animal rights and anti-abortion extremists, and African-American or left-wing militants fall into this category.
This official said, there is an "overlap" in FBI statistics on the number of lone wolf investigations and investigations related to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) movement.
Mr Patrick Leahy, a senior Democratic member of the appropriations committee, said that as part of the annual budget request the FBI had presented, President Donald Trump's administration reduced the bureau's budget by 5 per cent, rescinded planned allocations of US$148 million (S$198.42 million) in salaries and expenses, and dropped or at least postponed plans for a new FBI headquarters.
US CRIME


text:
Tularosa explains why it did not apply for CARES Act funding
Nicole Maxwell
Alamogordo Daily News
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act was signed into law March 27 to help businesses, municipalities and counties in the wake of the COVID-19 economic downturn.
Some municipalities chose not to apply for CARES Act funding, among them the Village of Tularosa.
Tularosa Mayor Margie Trujillo read a statement at the regular Tularosa Board of Trustees meeting Wednesday, Sept. 16 regarding the choice.
"Many people commented about this funding suggesting that the village had dropped the ball and never applied for the funding," Trujillo said. "We didn't drop the ball. We just didn't apply. They were correct in that point."
There were several reasons why Tularosa did not apply for CARES Act funding.
To apply and receive CARES Act funding, COVID-19 must have caused great hardship to the applicant. Trujillo said the Village's payroll was already budgeted, "therefore we could not justify an excessive burden to our budget." Trujillo said.
CARES Act funding that was available for municipalities, counties and businesses are considered loans that would have to be paid back.
More:White Sands Regional Airport awarded $166K in relief funding
The Village of Tularosa only suffered departmental budgetary losses due to the need for more cleaning supplies and for four plastic partitions to protect employees who see customers, Trujillo said.
"These (things) would not have qualified us for any crisis funding," Trujillo said. "The Village also realized that other communities were impacted by coronavirus far more than we were and needed the funding far more than we did."
Support local Journalism. Subscribe to the Alamogordo Daily News.
Tularosa would probably seek grant funding from Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) from the federal Housing and Urban Development Department, the New Mexico Colonias Infrastructure Fund and New Mexico Land and Water Conservation Fund.
"This will be an extremely difficult time for state government and grant monies may be very limited so we don't know how much money we will be getting, if any," Trujillo said.
Fiscally Tularosa is doing well with saving money and helping its neighbors, Trujillo said.
"There's no reason for us to apply for anything if we don't need it at this time," Trujillo said.
More:US Senate committee to hear testimony on coronavirus response in native communities
Tularosa was not the only municipality which did not apply for CARES Act funding, Carrizozo and Capitan also did not apply for CARES Act funding, Trujillo said.
If anyone has any comments, questions or concerned, they are asked to call the Tularosa Village Hall at 575-585-2771.
Nicole Maxwell can be contacted by email at nmaxwell@alamogordonews.com, by phone at 575-415-6605 or on Twitter at @nicmaxreporter.


text:
Back to Our Progress
NYHealth's "Best of 2008" Annual Report
This year, NYHealth took a new approach with its annual report. In place of a standard printed report, we have created a list of 10 of 2008's strongest achievements.
This Year's Highlights
The New York State Diabetes Campaign: Reversing the Epidemic
Initiative to Integrate Care for Co-Occurring Disorders
NYHealth as a Convener of Stakeholders, Policymakers, and State and National Leaders
Freelancers Union's Entrepreneurial Health Insurance Model
The Foundation's Enhanced Communications
NYHealth Coverage Consortium
Make the Road's Healthy Homes Initiative
Providing Evaluation Technical Assistance for NYHealth Grantees
Initiative for Returning Veterans and their Families
Refinement of the Special Projects Fund
In June 2008, NYHealth unveiled a landmark $35 million campaign to reverse the growing diabetes epidemic in New York State. "The New York State Diabetes Campaign: Reversing the Epidemic" is working to improve clinical care, mobilize communities, and promote policy.
The Campaign works with statewide associations that represent three types of primary care providers in New York State to improve outcomes for patients with diabetes: community health centers, individual private practices, and hospital outpatient departments. Initial grants were made to the Community Health Care Association of New York State, the New York State Academy of Family Physicians, the New York Chapter of the American College of Physicians. Partnering with community- and faith-based organizations, the Campaign will strengthen community capacity to implement and expand diabetes screening and management, and increase access to diabetes prevention and management resources. As part of the Campaign, NYHealth established a Diabetes Policy Center that conducts and funds policy analysis and advocacy to support private and public payment policies that sustain a comprehensive, coordinated care system for patients with diabetes. In partnership with Bridges to Excellence, the Policy Center is working to align incentive payments among the majority of payers in the State to encourage primary care physicians to increase the quality of care they deliver to patients with diabetes. The Policy Center also is pursuing policies that expand access to diabetes services, including self-management education and support.
In 2008, NYHealth identified co-occurring mental health and substance use conditions as a major health problem, and partnered with the New York State Office of Mental Health and the New York State Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services to strive to eliminate the barriers to mental health and substance use treatment services. NYHealth's initiative—which now comprises its third priority area—aims to achieve the integration of mental health and substance use services for patients at all of New York's 1,223 licensed mental health and substance abuse outpatient treatment centers.
After an intensive selection process, NYHealth awarded $3.2 million to National Development and Research Institutes, Inc. to create the first statewide Center of Excellence for the Integration of Care (CEIC) to transform the system of care for 1.4 million New Yorkers suffering from both mental health and substance use conditions. The grant directly benefits patients, and works to address the enormous costs in lost productivity, re-hospitalization, and related health care costs that are burdening the State's health care system.
Since its inception, NYHealth has capitalized on the expertise of New York's health leaders by convening and moderating discussions among stakeholders, policymakers, and State and national leaders on how best to tackle public health challenges. In November 2008, NYHealth hosted its first statewide conference, "Reforming New York's Individual Health Insurance Market," in New York City. With more than 250 attendees, the conference examined the structure of New York's individual insurance market, presented new research by the United Hospital Fund on the implications of merging the individual, small-group, and Healthy NY markets, and contrasted reform proposals from two of the largest insurers in New York State.
With support from NYHealth, the Rockefeller Institute hosted an April 2008 meeting between NYHealth Coverage Consortium members, senior officials from the Executive Chamber and Departments of Health and Insurance, and other stakeholders to share preliminary findings. Also with Foundation support, the Manhattan Institute convened two public conferences focusing on market-based reforms and the United Hospital Fund has convened several briefings.
In August 2008, the Foundation held the second installment of its "A Conversation With…" series with Dr. Christina Economos, Tufts University professor, to discuss the findings of her three-year trial on childhood obesity, "Shape Up Somerville: Eat Smart. Play Hard." The series' format provides an intimate discussion with health experts, and features an interview with a special guest and NYHealth President and CEO James R. Knickman.
With layoffs on Wall Street and the corporate sector putting health insurance front and center in the national debate, NYHealth joined a group of leading philanthropies and businesses—along with the Freelancers Union — to pioneer an entrepreneurial model for providing health insurance to independent workers. The Foundation contributed to a pool of $16 million to launch Freelancers Insurance Company, Inc. (FIC), which offers affordable and flexible health insurance plans for eligible independent workers.
As a freestanding insurance company, FIC enables members to select from five customized health insurance plans approved by the New York State Department of Insurance. Unique from commercial insurance carriers, FIC's core concept is to cross-subsidize the plans—if one plan fails to earn a profit, it will not be routinely dropped. Instead, the proceeds from another of the program's plans will make up the shortfall. FIC offerings are currently limited to eligible independent workers in the New York metropolitan area. However, Freelancers Union offers health insurance to independent workers in 30 additional states through Golden Rule, and dental insurance in all 50 states through The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America. Freelancers Union is identifying additional states in which it may launch the FIC model.
2008 marked a significant year for NYHealth to broaden its communication efforts and establish its presence in New York State's public health forum. With the launch of the NYHealth Web site in January 2008 and the publication of its first two annual reports (2006-07 and 2007-08), the Foundation was able to showcase both its own initiatives and the innovative projects of its grantees.
Additionally, the Foundation found its voice in the media with hits from Brooklyn to Buffalo. In 2008, State and national newspapers, journals, and magazines published more than 50 feature stories about the Foundation or its grantees, and five opinion editorials and 11 letters to the editor by President and CEO James R. Knickman. NYHealth held its first three press events, and was featured in eight broadcast media segments. Visit the NYHealth News and Events pages for a sampling of these stories.
The NYHealth Coverage Consortium emerged as a leading new source of information and analysis on the issue of the uninsured. Consortium members work collaboratively to study health care coverage trends, assess coverage expansion proposals, and develop recommendations to expand public and private coverage in New York State. Its assessments include projections on costs, coverage, and consequences of each of the options, providing an invaluable asset for policymakers.
In 2008, more than 15 analytic products were produced by NYHealth grantees. For example, Columbia University was the first to compare leading coverage expansion proposals on the basis of the number of people who would gain coverage; drop private coverage in favor of public options; and how each plan would increase statewide health care spending, including the cost to State government to finance expansions. Cornell University explored the opinions of New York State residents and employers on health care reform options. The United Hospital Fund modeled the effects of merging three segments of New York State's commercial health insurance market: Direct Pay, Healthy New York, and Small Group. The Rockefeller Institute of Government assessed statewide strategies for improving private health insurance coverage to small groups and examined rating policies, group purchasing arrangements, premium subsidies, refundable credits, and reinsurance as strategies for increasing access to private health insurance.
The severity of the asthma epidemic in Bushwick is indisputable with 15% of four- and five-year-old Bushwick children suffering from the illness and overall asthma rates hovering well above the national average. With the support of an NYHealth grant, Make the Road New York has helped nearly 200 people fight asthma, and its efforts are bearing fruit. Nearly 70% of the 180 Bushwick residents participating in the program have reported an improvement in their conditions.
This short-form video features NYHealth grantee Make the Road New York's Healthy Homes Initiative, which is combating the asthma epidemic in Bushwick, Brooklyn through an innovative four-pronged approach to: 1. Address poor housing conditions 2. Provide legal assistance 3. Increase access to health care 4. Conduct community outreach The success of Make the Road's project was also featured in a Daily News article, "Bushwick's Asthmas Sufferers Learn How to Help Themselves."
NYHealth implemented a program of technical assistance for its grantees to train them in evaluation techniques. Led by the Center for Health Care Strategies, a team of evaluation professionals is providing one-on-one intensive assistance to some of our grantees to teach them how to determine if, how, and for whom their projects are having their desired outcomes. The training includes the use of logic models, establishing measurable outcomes, collecting and analyzing data, and communicating project findings.
In addition, NYHealth is conducting daylong workshops on evaluation for our grantees in various parts of the State. The workshops enable grantees to strengthen their evaluation capabilities, and to network with and learn from fellow organizations. NYHealth's commitment to evaluation reflects its desire to be an accountable organization that achieves tangible impact, as well as our move into providing "beyond the check" activities that enhance our grantmaking.
As a component of NYHealth's priority to Integrate Services for People with Co-Occurring Mental Health and Substance Use disorders, the Foundation identified returning Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans and their families as a high-need, population who have unmet reintegration needs, including health, mental health, and social service needs.
National data show that one in three Iraq veterans will face serious psychological injury including depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or anxiety. Returning veterans who do not receive timely and appropriate care for mental health issues are at risk for chronic mental illness, substance use issues, divorce, unemployment, homelessness, and even suicide. With thousands of returning Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans in New York State, NYHealth is playing a catalytic role in ensuring that veterans and their families receive the comprehensive reintegration services they deserve. NYHealth kicked off the $2 million NYHealth Initiative for Returning Veterans and Their Families at an April 2008 press event in Rochester. The Initiative—which includes a first-of-its-kind statewide assessment of broad reintegration needs—focuses on the health, mental health and substance use issues experienced by returning veterans and their families because they are important public health issues requiring immediate attention and targeted resources in communities throughout New York State.
While most of NYHealth's grantmaking focuses on three priority areas—expanding health insurance coverage, improving the management and prevention of diabetes, and integrating substance use and mental health services—in 2007, the Foundation recognized it could be an important resource by being responsive to opportunities that fit our mission, but are outside our three priority areas, and launched its Special Opportunities Initiative.
In 2008, the Foundation began to refine the initiative, changed the name to Special Projects Fund, and launched two requests for proposals (RFPs) that resulted in several million dollars to innovative programs throughout the State. One RFP specifically sought proposals to build or expand service-delivery capacity, and the other RFP requested proposals with potential large-scale impact on the health care system. The criteria for applicants are spelled out in the respective calls for proposals, found in the Apply for Funding section of the NYHealth Web site. Typically, the criteria emphasize time-sensitive opportunities, the likelihood of project sustainability, and strong potential for replication elsewhere in the State.


In this edition of the Faith Talk, Erica Campbell and GRIFF remind us that the bible says it only takes a little bit of faith to get you through. "Faith is an expandable commodity," Erica says. It grows more and more and more, but it only starts with a little bit!


Purpose HGS Diamond Taq® polymerase* is a highly thermostable enzyme produced and purified from recombinant Escherichia coli bacterium containing the Thermus aquaticus DNA Polymerase gene.
Specificity HGS Diamond Taq® polymerase* is a highly thermostable enzyme produced and purified from recombinant Escherichia coli bacterium containing the Thermus aquaticus DNA Polymerase gene. The expressed enzyme catalyzes 5'→3' synthesis of DNA with no detectable 3'→5' proof reading exonuclease activity. This enzyme has the "extendase" activity allowing TA cloning.
Prevents non specific polymerisation primer-dimer formation and increases the PCR yield of specific products.
Proven performance in many applications, same enzyme as extensively validated and benchmarked HotGoldStar®.
Components HGS Diamond Taq® DNA Polymerase is provided at a concentration > 5 U/μl with Reaction buffer 10x (150 mM Tris-HCl pH 8.0 (at 25°C), 500 mM KCl and stabilizer) and MgCl2 solution (25 mM MgCl2).
Unit Definition One unit is defined as the amount of enzyme that incorporates, after activation step, 10 nmoles of dNTPs into acid insoluble form in 30 minutes at 74 °C.
HGS Diamond Taq® polymerase is particularly recommended for PCR applications that require ultra low levels of bacterial & fungal DNA in Diagnostic and demanding Research fields but also for amplification of templates prone to produce unspecific amplicons.


text:
Hosted by John Horn
Airs Weekdays at 3:30pm & 7:00pm, and Saturdays at 2:00pm
Cultures clash on the border ... paging Culture Clash
VIEWED DISCUSSED
Week In Politics: Comey Memo, Gillibrand Drops Out Of 2020 Race And More
LA City Controller Audit Of City Homeless Services Authority Finds Missed Contract Goals, Proposes Data-Driven Fix
As Huntington Library Celebrates 100 Years, President Looks To Include New Narratives
The Latest On The Dive Boat Fire Off The Coast Of Santa Cruz Island
The Frame® | June 7, 2018
Here's what we have on today's show:
Cultures clash on the border ... paging Culture Clash!
(Starts at 8:30)
Twenty years ago, the theater satire trio known as Culture Clash wrote and performed "Bordertown," an examination of issues that were then roiling the region between California and Mexico. Now, the group revisits the topic in "Bordertown Now." But this time the focus is along the Arizona border, where people both from Mexico and Latin America have migrated because of stricter enforcement by law enforcement authorities in California and Texas. They battle conditions in the brutal Sonoran desert, as they try to also steer clear of drug traffickers. It's an example of the challenging material being programmed by new leadership at the Pasadena Playhouse.
Guest: Richard Montoya, member of Culture Clash
A payoff for parity
The ReFrame coalition and IMDbPro announce the first recipients of their seal of approval that recognizes standout, gender-balanced film and TV projects.
Guest: Cathy Schulman, president and CEO, Welle Entertainment; co-founder, ReFrame
Taking steps to build up ballet in L.A.
(Starts at 19:38)
Los Angeles hasn't been known as a city that supports dance. The famed Joffrey Ballet failed at establishing a home here a while back. But Benjamin Millepied's L.A. Dance Project has led a resurgence of interest here. And now another company — American Contemporary Ballet — is adding to the buzz. The company performs at its studio on the 32nd floor of a downtown high-rise. John Horn recently attended a rehearsal there.
artistic director/choreographer Lincoln Jones
executive director/dancer Theresa Farrell
Find a specific episode from The Frame®'s archive
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text:
Cameron Ciraldo
Ciraldo (right) making a tackle while representing
Italy at the 2013 World Cup.
Nickname Ciro, Cam
Born (1984-10-30) 30 October 1984
Playing information
Height 194 cm (6 ft 4 in)
Weight 104 kg (16 st 5 lb)
Second-row, Lock
2005–07 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 19 1 0 0 4
2008–11 Newcastle Knights 43 4 0 0 16
2012–13 Penrith Panthers 32 1 0 0 4
2011–13 Italy 7 2 0 0 8
Years Team Gms W D L W%
2016– Italy 3 2 0 1 67
Source: [1]
Cameron Ciraldo (born 30 October 1984 in Sydney, New South Wales) is an Italian Australian professional rugby league coach and former player who is the current head coach of the Italian national team and an assistant coach of the Penrith Panthers in the National Rugby League.
During his playing career, Ciraldo played for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, the Newcastle Knights, and the Penrith Panthers, all in the NRL, and was selected to represent Italy. He primarily played as a second row or lock.
Born in Sydney, New South Wales to parents Nick and Kelly,[2] Ciraldo is of Italian descent through his grandmother, who migrated from Italy as a child.[3] He played his junior rugby league for the Menai Roosters and St Joseph's.
Ciraldo made his NRL debut for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks on 5 August 2005 in their round 22 game against the Melbourne Storm at Endeavour Field.
Ciraldo signed a 2-year deal with the Newcastle Knights on 19 October 2007.[4] On 23 March 2009, he broke his fibula in four places and dislocated his ankle while playing against the Sharks at Toyota Stadium.[5] He was escorted from the field with his ankle rotated at approximately 90 degrees;[6] the injury was described as "one of the most sickening injuries on a football field".[7] On 10 September 2009, Ciraldo re-signed with the Knights on a 2-year deal.[8]
On 17 August 2011, Ciraldo signed a 2-year deal with the Penrith Panthers.[9] He played for the Windsor Wolves, the Panthers' feeder team, in their 8-36 loss to the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the 2013 NSW Cup Grand Final on 6 October 2013.[10]
Ciraldo retired at the end of the 2013 season.
Representative career
In October 2009, Ciraldo represented Italy in the Australian Mediterranean (Aus-Med) Shield at Marconi Stadium in Sydney, a tournament made up completely of Australian residents, such as Blake Austin, John Skandalis, and Jarrod Sammut.[11] Italy's match against Malta was Ciraldo's first time taking the field since breaking his leg in March 2009.[12] Ciraldo was named in the Italian squad for the 2009 European Cup, also held in October,[13] but was unable to attend due to scheduling conflicts.
In April 2011, Ciraldo was named as vice-captain for Italy in their 2013 World Cup qualifying campaign in October 2011.[14][15] He made his Test debut against Russia on 15 October 2011, scoring a try in Italy's 92-6 win. He played in all three of Italy's matches. For the 2013 Rugby League World Cup, Ciraldo was again named as vice-captain of the team.[16][17] He played in Italy's 15-14 upset over England in their pre-tournament friendly match,[18] and featured in all three of their World Cup group matches, scoring a try in their game against Scotland.
Coaching career
Following his retirement from his playing career, Ciraldo became the assistant coach of the Penrith Panthers' NYC team in 2014, under head coach Trent Barrett. On 5 April 2014, Ciraldo was appointed as assistant coach of the Italian national team, also under head coach Barrett.[19]
Ciraldo was promoted to head coach of the Panthers' NYC team in 2015. That year, his team won 20 of their 24 regular season games to claim the minor premiership, before going on to win the Grand Final.[20] The following year, the team won 18 of their 24 regular season games (in addition to 2 draws) to claim the minor premiership for the second consecutive year. However, they were unsuccessful in winning back-to-back premierships, losing 30-28 to the Sydney Roosters after leading 28-6 at halftime.[21] Ciraldo was named as coach in the NYC Team of the Year in both 2015 and 2016.[22][23]
In May 2016, Ciraldo was named as head coach of the Italian nation team.[24] Assistant coach Leo Epifania mentored the team during their 2016 Mediterranean Cup match against Lebanon in June, but Ciraldo returned as head coach for their 2017 Rugby League World Cup qualifying matches in October 2016.[25] The Italian team defeated Russia in the repechage round to qualify for the 2017 World Cup.[26]
In 2017, Ciraldo will be promoted to assistant coach of the Panthers' NRL team to work under head coach Anthony Griffin.[27]
Ciraldo married his wife Kimberly Rendall in October 2007 at St Andrew's church in Cronulla.[4] Ciraldo was a finalist in the Sexiest Man in League contest for 2006, placing third with 12.5% of the vote.
↑ "Cameron Ciraldo - Career Stats & Summary". Rugby League Project.
↑ Carayannis, Michael (17 November 2013). "Rugby League World Cup: Cameron Ciraldo in major health scare". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
↑ Dillon, Robert (11 October 2009). "Far flung Knights take to the world stage". Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 14 October 2009.
1 2 Keeble, Brett (20 October 2007). "Ciraldo ties knot for Knights". Newcastle Herald. Missing or empty |url= (help)
↑ Keeble, Brett (25 August 2009). "Cameron Ciraldo's brave comeback". Newcastle Herald. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
↑ Riccio, David (12 April 2009). "Ciraldo has hopes of '09 return". Herald Sun. Retrieved 4 October 2009.
↑ "Cameron Ciraldo nearing return from horror injury". Courier Mail. 9 July 2009. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
↑ Dillon, Robert (10 September 2009). "Cameron Ciraldo cements future at Knights". Newcastle Herald. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
↑ Keeble, Brett (17 August 2011). "Cameron Ciraldo to join Penrith". Newcastle Herald. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
↑ "Windsor Wolves team to play the Sharks in the NSW Cup Grand Final". penrithpanthers.com.au. 1 October 2013. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
↑ "Aus-Med Shield Tournament". NSWRL.com.au. 6 October 2009. Archived from the original on 9 October 2009.
↑ Keeble, Brett (16 October 2009). "Ciraldo gets career back on its feet with low-key Italian job". Newcastle Herald. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
↑ "Italians aim to step-up". rugbyleague.com. 15 October 2009. Archived from the original on 15 July 2011.
↑ O'Neill, Matthew (6 April 2011). "Minichiello to lead Italy in European Qualifiers for 2013 RLWC". rleague.com. Archived from the original on 8 April 2011.
↑ "European World Cup Qualifier squads announced". NRL.com. 23 September 2011. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
↑ Franchini, Tiziano (20 September 2013). "Italy Official Squad for the RLWC2013". Federazione Italiana Rugby League. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
↑ "Rugby League World Cup 2013". RLWC2013.com. 24 September 2013.
↑ Howe, Ash (19 October 2013). "England 14 Italy 15: match report - Steve McNamara's men slump to embarrassing defeat in World Cup warm-up". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
↑ "Rugby League: Trent Barrett named Italy's new head coach". Sky Sports. 5 April 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
↑ "Penrith Panthers beat Manly 34-18 to win under-20s title on NRL grand final day". ABC. 4 October 2015. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
↑ "Sydney Roosters stage epic comeback against Penrith Panthers to win Holden Cup". Sydney Morning Herald. 2 October 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
↑ "2015 Holden Cup Team of the Year". NRL.com. 14 September 2015.
↑ "2016 Holden Cup Team of the Year announced". NRL.com. 5 September 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
↑ Franchini, Tiziano (17 May 2016). "Cameron Ciraldo è il nuovo allenatore dell'Italia League" (in Italian). Federazione Italiana Rugby League. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
↑ "Italy and Lebanon Name Mediterranean Cup Squads". Rugby League European Federation. 9 June 2016. Retrieved 1 October 2016. Italy will be under Leo Epifania, the former Western Suburbs and Illawarra Steelers player, who will be assistant coach to Cameron Ciraldo for this autumn's European World Cup qualifiers.
↑ "Italy claim final place in RLWC draw". NRL.com. 5 November 2016. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
↑ Brady, Jack (8 September 2016). "Ciraldo's progression on the backburner". NRL.com. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
2016 National Youth Competition Team of the Year
1. Kalyn Ponga
2. Gideon Gela-Mosby
3. Robert Jennings
4. Nick Cotric
5. Joseph Manu
6. Tyrone May
7. Troy Dargan
8. Alex Twal
9. Brandon Smith
10. Oliver Clark
11. Luciano Leilua
12. Jaydn Su'A
13. Nat Butcher
14. Jayden Brailey
15. Matthew Dufty
16. Tyrell Fuimaono
17. Dylan Edwards
Coach: Cameron Ciraldo
1. Tom Trbojevic
3. Jordan Drew
4. Addison Demetriou
6. Te Maire Martin
7. Ashley Taylor
8. Viliame Kikau
9. Jayden Berrell
10. Joe Ofahengaue
11. Coen Hess
12. Tevita Pangai Junior
13. Jai Arrow
14. Latrell Mitchell
15. Brent Naden
16. Jayden Nikorima
17. Danny Levi
Italy squad – 2013 Rugby League World Cup
Christophe Calegari
Kade Snowden
Gioele Celerino
Chris Centrone
Fabrizio Ciaurro
Ben Falcone
Sam Gardel
Aidan Guerra
Ryan Ghietti
Ray Nasso
Gavin Hiscox
Anthony Laffranchi
Tim Maccan
Anthony Minichiello (c)
Mark Minichiello
Josh Mantellato
Dean Parata
Joel Riethmuller
Brenden Santi
James Saltonstall
James Tedesco
Ryan Tramonte
Paul Vaughan
Coach: Carlo Napolitano


Alabama is known as the Heart of the Dixie. Somewhere along the way it became the heart of American Idol as it's the home state to three of them. Bo Bice, Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks all hail from Alabama.
Ruben Studdard loves his home state so much he wore his area code, 205, on his shirt during much of the competition. Now, he has plans of opening a nightclub in Birmingham. He said of the state: "I'm from Alabama. It's hard for us to get real Hollywood. If you are who you say you are and you're real, it should be hard to change your personality overnight."
But don't think it's only the home to American Idols, other stars that were born in Alabama include: Charlie's Angel Kate Jackson, Buffy's Amber Benson, Friend Courteney Cox and Baywatch lifeguard Donna D'Errico.