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NATURE, BONES OF TURKANA Receive 13 International Wildlife Film Festival Awards
Winners of the 35th Anniversary International Wildlife Film Festival have been announced. The films will be honored during the festival, held May 5 to 12 in Missoula, Montana.
PBS Programs Win Seven Peabody Awards
Winners of the 71st Annual Peabody Awards were announced April 4, and PBS programs were honored with seven wins, more than any other organization. Other public media outlets won an additional six trophies. Combined, public media took home more than a third of the 38 awards. PBS congratulates our PBS producer recipients, as well as our colleagues in public media.
PBS Salutes Earth Day This April with a Month of Special Programming
This April, PBS salutes Earth Day, Sunday, April 22, 2012, with an exciting month-long slate of new and encore programming. NOVA presents "Deadliest Tornadoes," a look back at one of the worst tornado outbreaks in the U.S. in decades, and "Secrets of the Sun," offering a greater understanding of our nearest star.
PBS Commemorates the 100th Anniversary of the Titanic Disaster with Special Programs Premiering in April 2012
PBS will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, the deadliest peacetime maritime disaster in history, with three new programs scheduled for April 2012: SAVING THE TITANIC, premiering on Sunday, April 1.
PBS' AMERICA REVEALED, Hosted by Yul Kwon, Takes a Look at the Networks and Systems that Keep America Running
Viewers will be in for a new experience as they take to the skies for an epic journey and aerial look at the complex networks and systems that keep America running.
PBS Programs and Detroit Member Station Win Three duPont-Columbia Awards
On Dec. 21, 2011, winners of the 2012 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards were announced. This year's recipients include INDEPENDENT LENS "Hell and Back Again" and NOVA "Japan's Killer Quake." In addition, member station Detroit Public TV received an award. The duPont Award winners will be honored during a ceremony on Jan. 19, 2012 at Columbia University.
PBS Announces Winter/Spring 2012 Line-Up
In advance of PBS presentations at the TCA (Television Critics' Association) Press Tour, PBS announced today highlights of its broadcast schedule for winter/spring 2012, including two just announced miniseries: CLINTON, a profile of the 42nd president, from AMERICAN EXPERIENCE and FINDING YOUR ROOTS WITH HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR., an exploration of the backgrounds of famous Americans.
PBS' Smartest Night on TV Attracts Nearly 15 Million Combined Viewers*
PBS announced today that a cumulative audience of 11.9 million households, accounting for 14.8 million persons 2+*, took a mind-bending journey last evening with physicist Brian Greene in NOVA "What Is Space?," the first episode of the four-part "The Fabric of the Cosmos," and then explored the genius of the late innovator and inventor in STEVE JOBS – ONE LAST THING, which followed at 10:00 p.m.
PBS Debuts First Episode of Brian Greene's "The Fabric of the Cosmos" on PBS Free Apps for iPad and iPhone Beginning Today
PBS announced that the first episode of NOVA's "The Fabric of the Cosmos" will premiere exclusively on the free PBS apps for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch beginning today, Monday, October 24, one week before broadcast.
PBS NATURE wins the Grand Teton Award, top prize of Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival 2011
Nature, the number one documentary series on PBS, adds to its accolades a coveted Grand Teton Award for Broken Tail: A Tiger's Last Journey, given at the 2011 Jackson Hole Wildlife Festival at Grand Teton Park on Thursday, October 6, 2011.
PBS Commemorates Tenth Anniversary of September 11th
PBS will commemorate the tenth anniversary of September 11th with a special series of new and encore programs leading up to and continuing beyond Sunday, September 11. Programs in news and public affairs, science, and the performing arts are planned as part of the remembrance.
PBS Nominated for 32 News & Documentary Emmys
Below is a complete list of the 32 nominations PBS received for the 32nd Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards, announced July 18, 2011. This follows the 43 Primetime Emmy nominations PBS received on July 14.
PBS Launches Fall 2011 Season
ARLINGTON, VA; July 13, 2011 — PBS raises the curtain on a new fall season celebrating the arts, exploring America's "Great Experiment" with PROHIBITION, and traveling to the edges of the universe with NOVA's "The Fabric of the Cosmos."
PBS Announces New Fall Shows
Building on a year of audience growth on-air and on digital and mobile platforms, today, PBS announces a new slate of fall programming, including a celebration of the arts, in advance of its Annual Meeting with PBS stations. At the May 16-19 meeting in Orlando, PBS will preview additional new content and digital and children's initiatives.
PBS Announces Summer 2011 Lineup
Masterminds and maestros — it's a summer of mystery and music on PBS. On Sunday, June 19, MASTERPIECE MYSTERY! welcomes back super sleuths Poirot and Miss Marple with all-new episodes.
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We are delighted to present to the market, in excellent decorative order, this unique, recently renovated former farmhouse in the highly sought after residential area in Stornoway. The property is in close proximity to Stornoway Primary School and The Nicolson Institute with all other town centre amenities nearby including shops, restaurants, education, healthcare, sports centre, art centre and transport links.
The property provides bright and airy accommodation throughout comprising kitchen, dining room, two lounge/living areas, W.C., family bathroom and four bedrooms, one with en-suite facilities. There is also a utility/workshop area to the rear.
The property benefits from uPVC double glazing and oil central heating throughout. The Rayburn in the kitchen acts as a back-up for the heating.
The property is surrounded by well-maintained garden ground which extends to approximately 0.42 acres, with a chipped driveway with ample off street parking to the rear.


A plan to let Kosovo be only semifree is the latest example of intrusions on sovereignty and nationhood.
Is the concept of nation slipping? One might think so with a UN blueprint for the future status of Kosovo. The Balkan enclave has been UN-run since 1999 when NATO freed its mainly Albanian population from Serb rule. Not granting it freedom would fit a global trend.
Last week, the UN envoy for resolving Kosovo's legal limbo, Martti Ahtisaari, recommended to the Security Council something far short of independence for the Connecticut-size territory of 2 million people.
In doing so, the respected Finnish diplomat may be trying to prevent another war in the former Yugoslavia. A potential conflict would be driven by an ardent Serb nationalism that claims Kosovo (or parts of it) as sacred to Serbia's identity.
Under Mr. Ahtisaari's plan, the UN would retain key, long-term powers in Kosovo while giving most sovereignty to the Albanian majority. Neither side would win their national aspirations in a cumbersome compromise that may be hard to manage.
Sound familiar? Awkward agreements that intrude on the sovereignty of a nation or ethnic group seem to be a popular choice as the world grows smaller, as new weapons make warmaking more deadly, and as many borders drawn during colonial days are challenged.
Some decades-old deals, such as the US-run enclave of Guantánamo Bay on Cuba, often flare up in disputes. The UN's 1953 approval for US troops in South Korea, for instance, is at the heart of the current showdown with North Korea over its nuclear weapons.
China's push for military superiority over the US in Asia is mainly driven by a shaky international consensus over the "independent" status of Taiwan. In 1997, China did accept a special status for Hong Kong in taking back the territory from Britain. That "one country, two systems" formula, however, is being sabotaged by Beijing, partly out of reaction to foreign demands that it free Tibet.
In the Middle East, sovereignty remains mushy in key spots. Lebanon's government is undercut by a Syria that supports assassins and an Iran that supports Shiite terrorists. Palestinians live in half-state status under an Israeli thumb. And for Iraq, which relies on US and British troops to hold it together, one US presidential aspirant, Sen. Joe Biden, offers a plan to partition the country.
Many war-torn African nations still have a strong UN role in their security. And in Somalia, the world approved as Ethiopian troops drove out Islamists and as African Union troops in Sudan try to protect Darfur.
The US has given up some sovereignty to rulings by the World Trade Organization. And it has all but given up authority over millions of illegal immigrants who live in largely unassimilated enclaves speaking a tongue most Americans don't understand and who don't share US civic values.
Recently, the UN endorsed the idea of intervening in sovereign states that have humanitarian crises or suffer gross human rights violations. Many governments have had to grant some autonomous powers within their nations: Canada to Quebec; England to Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland; Pakistan to border tribal areas.
The Kosovo plan is the newest challenge to old notions of nationhood, or rather the long human desire for an identity that brings both safety and freedom to individuals.


This box is an elegant way to display your earrings and pendants, and it shows truly professional. It measures 2 1/4″ x 3″ x 1 1/4″H and it is covered with velvet. The velvet offers an enhanced appeal, making this box more elegant. Besides, it protects your jewelry from scratches and other damages. This jewelry box features a flap style design, to enable you to easily expose the desired earrings and pendants to your customers. It comes with a packer included.
If you own a jewelry store, then you probably know how important it is the way you display your items to your customers. Jewelry is fashion, so you need to keep a professional note in your store, and this also includes the manner that you choose for showcasing your earrings, pendants, and other jewelry. Therefore, we want to make it easier for you to find the right way to display such items as earrings and pendants, so here you have this Velvet Earring / Pendant Box.
Due to its small size, this jewelry box fits in almost any space in your store or room. You can place it in any location, whenever you want to attract the attention of your target audience to your earrings and pendants that you want to sell. This jewelry box looks great in a storefront window, display case, on the shelf, countertop or on a table.
The insert pad in this box can be flap to lift the earrings or pendant that you want to display. This allows your customers to get a better view of the jewelry displayed. Besides, it creates a magnificent appeal to the displayed item.
Flap style. Black velvet. Packer included.
Measures 2 1/4″ x 3″ x 1 1/4″H.


Film Squad Vol 23 - "THE SHADOW Knows"
We will be back next week talking about THE HUNGER GAMES, premiering at your local cinema.
Topics include: ME3, Syndicate, iPad 3, Revelations about Revolutionary Revolutions, KARA tech demo, Marvel Infinite Comics & Marvel AR, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, William Gibson, The Chronoliths, John Carter, and more!
Film Squad Vol 19 - "Rocking Out on Alcatraz"
Next week we will be discussing MAN ON A LEDGE, premiering this week at your local movie theater.
It's the time of year for lists, and we've made one of our own. Join us for our year-end wrap-up of the best games of 2011. There's a surprise or two nestled within the IMS's top fives and many no-surprise-at-all picks. And after the deliberating is through, we take a brief look at what we're looking forward to in 2012. It might not be episode 50, but it's close enough.
IMS Presents Film Squad Vol 17 - Who's Christmas Special?
Film Squad Vol 17 - "Who's Christmas Special?"
Doctor Who's 2011 Christmas Special "The Doctor, the Widow, and the Wardrobe"
Next week we will be discussing MYSTERY TEAM, available on Netflix Instant.
Film Squad Vol 16 - "Best of 2011"
Next week we will be discussing the Doctor Who Christmas Special 2011 - The Doctor, the Widow, and the Wardrobe.


"Back in the olden days" educators focused much attention on the FIVE fundamental senses: sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch. These were always pretty straight forward and easy for children to identify, but as the field of early childhood development has grown and research has deepened, two additional senses have taken their respectable place in this fundamental line up: the Vesibular and Proprioception senses. This blog will focus on the Vestibular Sense, but just as a peek, proprioception is, essentially, the awareness of your body and its parts without purposeful attention to them. For example, when you reach for something up high, you reach your arm up but you also stand on your tippy toes to maximize your height. These two actions combined accomplish a single physical task without cognitive planning of execution for individual parts of hands and feet…proprioception.
The vestibular sense is the ability to develop balancing skills and an awareness of the body in space. It is the first sense to develop in utero. Derived from the word, vestibule, meaning a pathway between an outer and inner or main section, this sense is the vehicle that drives a child's need for physical fun, adventure and challenge. Swinging, hanging up-side-down, spinning in circles, doing somersaults, and dancing…all of these physical feats exercise the vestibular sense by providing information about their body's abilities, limitations and the space needed to move about safely. The tiny hairs in the inner ear move when fluid in the ear moves with the body, sending the eyes and brain messages about how the body is oriented and how to accommodate that orientation while remaining safe. Over time these collective messages can manifest into improved balance, adaptability to environmental changes, increased awareness and self-preservation, and improved attention.
It is important that children are provided plenty of opportunities to challenge themselves physically and be active on various terrain so that their sense of balance and personal space improve, and injuries are better mitigated. This recommendation touches on the January 2019 Blog, Teamwork and the Role of Failure for Cognitive Growth in Young Children, because in it I discussed how important it is to let your children attempt and fail at many activities so they gain understanding of how to use their minds, bodies and social skills to be successful. Without skirmishes with peers, children cannot learn to negotiate. Without bumps and bruises, children cannot learn to be cautious. Without failure, success is meaningless.
Although it may make your heart come to a full stop watching your child spin until they fall on the floor, or hang up-side-down from the monkey bars, it is crucial that children be allowed, or even encouraged, to take those risks and exercise this vital sense… just stay close enough to catch them if they fall and hug them when they succeed!
Parent Tip: Allow your child to be barefoot and active on various terrains (mud, grass, sand, water, etc.) to improve precision with their step and, thus, develop that vestibular sense early on!


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Los balineses observan (además del calendario gregoriano) dos calendarios completamente diferentes y no sincronizados:

 El calendario pawukon balinés, un calendario numérico de 210 días por año.
 El calendario saka balinés, un calendario lunisolar que comienza cada Nyepi, el día del silencio.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


On this pristine piece of property, the river meets the foothills, and the opportunities for recreation are nearly endless. Located just minutes from Downtown Boise, Harris Ranch offers a rare opportunity to enjoy both Boise's outdoor charm and urban conveniences. From the shops and restaurants in the neighborhood and across the river in Bown Crossing to the nearly limitless outdoor recreation right outside your door, life here is as active or relaxing as you want it to be. It's no wonder many residents say living here gives them the feeling of small-town life with all the benefits of living in the State's largest city.
Marianne Williams Park, right next door!


Willy Company was founded in 1985. The company offers the wide variety of deodorant products for men women. The company manufactures portable fragrances, solid deodorants and invisible antiperspirants. All the products are scented and the scent are vanilla, satin and forest and many more. Willy had many reputable products in the Egyptian market like Malizia deodorants and hair products.
EgyMe Dot Com is developing Willy's website so they'd asked us to photograph all their products family, our photography professionals accepted the job and soon you will see it live on their website.
Find some photography samples here.


Phone calls are made to the family demanding ransom money, but the scammers don't actually have the child held hostage—they're getting information from the parents' social media. Read the article here.
Now that school is back in session, many high schoolers have new phones, new computers and new privileges for using their devices – and new responsibilities too. Read the article here.


You are not wrong to assume that the utilization of residential solar panels have been boosted over the recent past because people are educated about the various advantages they received once they invest in them. More and more people are purchasing their panels to utilize in their home as the days go by. Once you purchase the solar panels, you are able to receive sun generated electricity that is free from nature. You are right to assume that a lot of confusion can come with your tools to pick one type of solar panels from the thousands that exist in the industry.
You will be helping yourself if you wrote down the different features that you think are important for the panels to process before you can purchase them. In case you want to end up with the perfect solar panels, it is recommended that you utilize such a list.You will be able to finish the task at a very good pace and at the same time you'll have no stress in the picking process. The following are pointers to ponder on when choosing the perfect residential solar panels.
Make sure that the type of solar panels you invest in a refundable. The results of this, will be able to not have any trouble when making the payments. You should investigate about the amount of money you are likely to spend when you purchase solar panels in the industry. This is very important information because you'll be able to write down a good budget to use during the choosing process. It is recommended that you do not overspend your budget so that you shield your finances.It is not an odd thing to come across people who have ended up in financial turmoil because you are not careful when utilizing the budget.
Going bankrupt because you were not keen on your budget is very careless and should be avoided at all cost. It is not an easy task to regain your financial stability after you have gone bankrupt. It is a good thing for you to start negotiation talks so that you listened the amount of money that you are likely to spend on the residential solar panels. You are likely to be successful in the talks and be able to save some money which you can use at a future date. It is recommended that you do not shy away from such talks because you are the only one who's going to benefit from them and they are what people use everyday in the business world.


Accordion and soprano saxophone might sound like an unusual pairing, but as two reed instruments they complement each other to perfection. Following in the footsteps of Richard Galliano and Michel Portal who revisited the Tango and World Jazz repertoire with the same instruments on two seminal albums (Blow Up in 1997 and Concerts in 2004), Vincent Peirani (accordion) and Emile Parisien (soprano saxophone) literally breathe new life into this singular format with Belle Époque (2014), their début recording as a duo.
Still in their early thirties and based in Paris, both musicians share a passion for musical exploration and sonic experimentation in the jazz idiom. Vincent Peirani through recent and noteworthy collaborations with Korean singer Youn Sun Nah, Swedish guitarist Ulf Wakenius or with his début solo album Thrill Box in 2013. Emile Parisien through his work with his own highly original quartet. Peirani and Parisien first met in 2009 following an invitation from veteran Swiss-born drummer Daniel Humair to play with his quartet. Extensive touring and one recording (Sweet & Sour – 2012) led to the formation of the duo.
Originally intended as an homage to clarinet and soprano saxophone legend Sidney Bechet ("Egyptian Fantasy" and "Song of the Medina [Casbah]" get a total makeover here), Belle Époque also revisits other classics (Duke Ellington's "Dancers in Love", Henry Lodge's "Temptation Rag" or Mills Irving's "St James Infirmary") and introduces four new compositions.
The CD title Belle Époque refers to the period between the early 1870s and the start of World War I in France which coincided with an era of peace, prosperity and artistic freedom. The same carefree attitude in Peirani and Parisien's playing comes across wonderfully in the recording featuring many a musical cat and mouse chase between the roaring bass notes of the accordion and the communicative buoyancy of the saxophone.
Belle Époque was released in March 2014 on the Act Music record label.
Wonderful thank you so much.
Reminds me in many ways of Didier and Garabeck,whom I always spell incorrectly,apologies,and also of how Pat Metheny played in the early 90s on an album with accordian.
My pleasure Polly and thanks for your comment – You'll have to tell me more about that Pat Metheny album with accordion as I am not familiar with it!
When I find it in the home I will let you know.
I have many records vinyl etc in boxes,and actually I do need to get them all out and sort them.
The time period was the early 90's and as I am typing I can see the album in my head,but until I get them all out I can not think of the title.
Has an almost Parisienne feel to it..


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Home » The Welsh Agenda » Politics and Policy » One planet nation in the Welsh genes
One planet nation in the Welsh genes
11th July 2012 (27th February 2020) Politics and PolicyRio+20, sustainability, Welsh Government
Jonathon Porritt asks whether green government can be kept alive in the UK by the Senedd approving a strong Sustainable Development Bill
Despite the gloomy failures of Rio+20 and David Cameron's empty 'greenest government ever' promise, it's good that some parts of the UK can still come up with an enlightened approach. At the moment, it's Wales that provides a bright light in these gloomy times. In Cardiff, the devolved administration, led by First Minister Carwyn Jones, is still committed to the idea of sustainable government.
The Welsh Government is taking a very different approach to the UK coalition. It's legislating to put sustainable development at the heart of all government and public sector decisions, as well as continuing the legacy of the Sustainable Development Commission, which was foolishly scrapped by Westminster last year.
These are significant aims, which I applaud. If you are reading this, chances are that you too care about these issues and might be prepared to do something about it – so do a positive thing to keep green government alive in Britain – send the Welsh Government a message of support for a strong Sustainable Development Bill.
This is by no means 'a done deal'. As with the Welsh decision to introduce a levy on carrier bags, the forces of inertia threaten to derail this plan and it's our job – those of us across the UK who want a positive example to show the Westminster coalition – to make sure it stays on track.
Last year, when the UK Government pulled the plug on the Sustainable Development Commission – a 'green watchdog' which I chaired for almost a decade and which saved Government far more than it cost – the Welsh Government was alone in continuing its legacy. This reflects the political culture in Wales, where there is a consensus in favour of sustainability which can be traced back to the very start of Welsh devolution. Sustainable development is in the National Assembly's DNA – when it was founded in the 1990s, it was given a legal duty to promote it, which was almost unique in the world.
There are already many good things that have happened in Wales from which the rest of Britain can learn. On housing, the 'Arbed' scheme is upgrading homes to tackle fuel poverty and climate change. On waste, Wales is surging forward with a 48 per cent household recycling rate, universal food waste collections and a 5p charge on single-use carrier bags.
The Welsh Government is also committed to becoming a 'One Planet Nation' that uses only its fair share of the earth's resources. If only a UK Government were so ambitious.
It would, however, be a mistake to pretend everything is rosy in Wales. Carbon emissions are too high, renewable energy is held back by a slow planning system, and progress in the Welsh Government is patchy, with economic development a key area where sustainable ideas need to be taken seriously.
Furthermore, despite the laudable aims behind Wales' Sustainable Development Bill, there is now a serious risk that it could be watered down by nervous civil servants and lawyers, under pressure from backward-looking elements in government, industry and the public sector. Welsh Environment Minister John Griffiths returned from Rio+20 stating:
"It is clear that smaller countries, like Wales, can show a lead and set examples in how to create sustainable places and practices. In Wales, we now have the opportunity to further demonstrate this by creating our own ground breaking legislation on Sustainable Development."
Yet I'm sorry to say that anyone hoping for something 'ground breaking' in the Welsh Government's current proposals will be disappointed. The suggested approach, now out for consultation, fails to include a meaningful duty on Ministers and the public sector to deliver sustainable development in practice, and lacks a commitment to clearly define what sustainable development is.
The reason I am writing this is that we can put this right. The Welsh Government is now at a fork in the road, which could have repercussions for Sustainable Development across the UK. It has said a lot of the right things, but will it take the next step and actually deliver sustainable policies? The choice is between keeping Britain's hopes of green government alive with a strong Bill which makes Wales a green economic leader, or sticking with the weak proposals currently on the table and delivering nothing more than a pen-pushing nod to sustainability of the type that let us down at Rio.
As an environmentalist and an enthusiastic supporter of Welsh devolution, I sincerely hope that Wales is the small country that helps lead the UK out of this mess and sets an example to the rest of the world. Please take a couple of minutes to let the Welsh Government know you care and that you want one country to get this right – wherever you live.
Jonathon Porritt, Co-Founder of Forum for the Future, chaired the UK Sustainable Development Commission between 2000 and 2009. He blogs here.
One thought on "One planet nation in the Welsh genes"
Antoinette Sandbach AM says:
Sadly the Minister is losing support, when he could have gained it. The Natural Resources Body which will oversee much of this change is being created with limited scrutiny, where bad draftsmanship and poor scrunity are likely to mire the new body in legal challenges for years. The outcome of "sustaining a living Wales" has not yet been published meaning that the regulatory and enforcement aims of the NRB can't even be debated, let alone scrutinised. A proper Bill for the Natural Resources Body might signal that the Minister is serious about his ambitions, and that his aims will actually stand up to scrutiny, which at present they clearly don't.
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Archives for ENP
The stand-off in Kiev shows the EU's greatest weakness – and its greatest strength
Our Director Mats Persson writes on his Telegraph blog:A deal between the EU and Ukraine involving a "deep and comprehensive" free trade area, finally seems to have the hit the wall, after weeks trying to reach an agreement.Ukrainian president Viktor Y…
Association Agreement, ENP, eu, eu membership, EU reform, Kiev, putin, russia, Ukraine
What the Egyptian crisis tells us about the (in)effectiveness of EU aid
As the crisis in Egypt continues to intensify by the day, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and Commission President José Manuel Barroso warned in a joint statement yesterday that the EU would "urgently review in the coming days its relatio…
Ashton, barroso, EEAS, Egypt, ENP, eu, European Commission, European Court of Auditors, Van Rompuy
ENP Reform: Better But Still Not Looking At The Bigger Picture
EU Foreign Minister Baroness Catherine Ashton yesterday presented the Commission's proposals for a revamp of EU aid to post-Communist countries, North Africa and the Middle East under the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). This review was certainly…
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Still dodging the question: The Commission Responds To Our Aid Report (Part 2)
As promised, here is Part 2, which focusses on the Commission's second response to our two-part series on EU aid – this time our report looking specifically at the EU's approach in North Africa and the Middle East, the follow up to our briefing on the …
aid, ENP, European Commission, Mediterranean
The EU and the Mediterranean: Good Neighbours?
As a follow-up to our much discussed report on the EU's external aid policy, on Sunday we published a new briefing looking at the effectiveness of EU assistance to North Africa and the Middle East. The EU's funding effort towards its Southern neighbour…
aid, ENP, Mediterranean, Trade policy


The people of Ikeinghenbiri in Southern Ijaw Council area of Bayelsa State have expressed concern over the slow response of Nigerian Agip Oil Company to last week oil spill in their community. They lamented that the spill from Agip's oil field, noticed on Monday, had impacted their community negatively. Deputy paramount ruler of the community, Chief Collins Adikoko, said, yesterday, at the riverside Ikeinghenbiri that though they had reported the spill to the oil firm, it was yet to be fixed.
"The spill resulting from the leakage has exposed members of our community to hazards and untold hardship; we understand the oil is coming from an underwater valve," Adikoko said. "The first thing we want is for them to stop the oil from leaking into our creeks and ponds, but six days after we reported, nothing has happened, we want them to hasten their response.". The community, he said, had experienced frequent spills from the oil fields in the area operated by Agip which adversely affected the fishing occupation of the residents.
He called on the company to deploy its response team to commence immediate clean up and work out plans to ameliorate the sufferings of the fishermen affected.
The deputy paramount ruler noted that oil bearing communities who suffered the negative impact of oil exploration and production deserved special consideration by the oil firms in the provision of social amenities.
Officials of Nigerian Agip Oil Company have scheduled a joint investigative visit of the spill site with representatives of the community and oil industry regulators.
Mr Marshall Josiah, Chairman of Ikeinghenbiri Community Development Committee, said that officials of the oil firm had visited the spill site ahead of the joint visit from September 23.


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Q: Relative degree 1 prime ideals I am reading Algebraic Number Fields by Gerald Janusz. Let $K$ be a number field with number ring $R$. In chapter IV prop 4.3, he tries to apply zeta functions to prove there are infinitely many prime ideals in a number field with relative degree 1 over $Q$. Let this set be $S$.
In the proof, he begins with  "if we exclude the finite number of ramified primes which may be in $S$, then $S$ is the set of primes $B$ for which $N(B)=p$ is prime".
My question is, the relative degree $f$ of prime $B$ over $Q$ is the degree of field extension of $\mathbb{Z}/(B\cap \mathbb{Z}) \subset R/B$. Let $|\mathbb{Z}/(B\cap \mathbb{Z})|=p$ and $|R/B|=p^f=N(B)$. Then $f=1$ should be equivelent to that $N(B)$ is an integer prime. Why does Janusz try to first exclude ramified primes in $S$ to conclude $S$ are those primes with prime index?
This is the complete proof in the book if anyone needs. Thank you.

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Humans of FSU
Photo by Narra Georges
By Narra Georges
"You can do it. It just takes some planning, some struggles, and some sacrifices, but you can do it."
"What made you want to go back to college?"
"I decided to go back to college after having my youngest daughter. I originally had an associate's degree in accounting and was working in a CPA firm for eleven years. However, the hours involved during tax seasons and having two small children was just way too much. I had always wanted to be a teacher, but it was also something that when I first went to school was discouraged because of the salary potential and the limited availability of jobs. It just so happened to work out where if I went back to school, I could be home with the kids more. I was working 80 hours a week for four months out of the year and that wasn't a good time with small children. So everything just kind of fell together. I was able to come back to school and do what I had originally wanted to do when I was five years old."
"What's your biggest struggle being a mom and a college student?"
"There are a lot of those! I guess the biggest struggle being a mom and a college student is really just balancing the time. You're in classes all day. You have homework at night. You also have to help your children with their homework and my children range in age; they're 19, 9, and 5. So of course they have varying degrees of necessities and things I have to deal with. Just really trying to find that balance and maintain the standards that I expect out of my school work while not forcing them to sacrifice anything from their mother has really been the biggest challenge. It's one of the most difficult things. I think we've managed to do it. Some nights I'm up doing homework from 10 P.M. and ends around 1 A.M., but all in all it works. I think the only reason it works is because of home support. In addition to the kids, I'm technically a "mom" to a grandfather-in-law. So yeah, balancing his appointments into that and maintaining all that is difficult, but manageable. You can do it. It just takes some planning, some struggles, and some sacrifices, but you can do it."
"Has life gone the way you planned?"
"Definitely not where I thought I'd be, I mean I have a 19 year old. So I was a young mom. I had her when I was 20. I struggled financially and hadn't gone to school so she triggered me to go back to school to try to get a good job. Found that good job, was working that good job, but the hours and the demands of it were too much. My husband and I struggled to have a baby. When I had my second daughter, it was difficult having those hours with a small child plus a 10 year old. Life was still where you would want it to be. Then having the new baby, obviously with the money I was making and the cost of daycare stuff is what caused me to decide to leave work, which threw back more struggles. It again caused life to be something we didn't plan. Did I plan to be this age in college and have three kids? Not really. I had hoped to be making a lot of money and be doing well. Although it hasn't gone how I planned, it's gone to point that I enjoy. It's come full circle. I've gone from always wanting to become a teacher to finally going back to school and doing what I wanted. I have three beautiful children, married, and everything's good. Once I get out of school and start working, financially everything will be good. So it's really not how I planned to get there, but in the end, I guess it kind of did go how I planned because I'm finally where I originally wanted to be. It just took a long roundabout way to get here."
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Twenty years of service counted for little when the founding chairman of a multi-billion dollar infrastructure fund owned by some of the country's biggest super giants was confronted with an industry fund determined to pull rank.
In a perfunctory letter sent on April 27, Bob Lette was told his services on the board running the Infrastructure Fund's (TIF) $2.4 billion portfolio were no longer required. The news was effective immediately.
The quiet punting of Lette happened after BUSSQ, an industry fund for the construction industry based in Queensland, decided it had had enough of his resistance to its plans for how the money should be managed.
In another twist, two other directors were dumped on Tuesday evening, ahead of a board meeting on May 16. The sudden departures have sent shockwaves through the industry, as well as Gardior, the trustee of TIF.
TIF holds stakes in some of the country's most significant assets including Sydney's Desalination Plant, The New Royal Adelaide Hospital, the Port of Newcastle, Ballarat Water and Perth Airport.
The way the departures went down speaks volumes about the sometimes opaque goings on in the $2 trillion-plus superannuation industry, including how deals are struck.
The sector is in desperate need of scrutiny, transparency and reform, something the royal commission promises to deliver later this year.
TIF was founded 20 years ago by a group of five funds including BUSSQ, Suncorp, Australian Catholic Super, EISS Super and Sun Super, who each have a representative on the trustee board, Gardior. Over the years a number of minority shareholders have emerged with independent directors on the board.
But earlier this year things started to unravel when the board decided to consider different management models after dumping Hastings Funds Management as its external manager.
Options included internalizing management of the assets, finding a new external manager or adopting a hybrid model.
The board leaned towards internalisation but in February the major shareholders rejected the idea and, in so doing, headed against a growing trend by some funds.
Expressions of interest produced a short list of two managers, Macquarie and Stepstone, who were scheduled to present to shareholders and the Gardior board on April 30.
But ahead of the presentation, things took a turn when Gardior chairman Bob Lette received a letter from the BUSSQ chairman saying the BUSSQ board "strongly supported the appointment of Macquarie".
It requested he support this position on the Gardior board as the BUSSQ representative. It said BUSSQ understood that a clause in the Gardior constitution afforded Lette the ability to support this request.
Lette fired back on April 27 reminding BUSSQ that as a director he had a duty to act in the trust's interests and so would be approaching the decision with that in mind.
He asked BUSSQ to outline why it believed Macquarie was the best suited external manager "as it may be useful to me in making my decision in the best interests of all unitholders" and he raised potential conflicts of interest that would arise if Macquarie was appointed to manage the Port of Newcastle.
Lette had been privy to a letter from the Port of Newcastle's other key shareholder, China Merchants Union, which made it clear in the letter sent on April 27 and obtained by Fairfax, that it had serious concerns.
"Given the association of Macquarie with Glencore, if Macquarie Bank is appointed to manage the Port of Newcastle, not only would it materially affect the Port of Newcastle's success to obtain the necessary political support to amend the Competition and Consumer Act, it would also create an obstacle to the development of proposal to establish the container terminal," the letter to Lette from China Merchants said.
By 5 pm that day Lette was removed as BUSSQ's representative on the board.
Nothing shocks me but I was surprised, to say the least, that I was removed ...for promising to perform my common law and statutory duty.
Lette told Fairfax Media: "After more than 40 years in business and the law, nothing shocks me but I was surprised, to say the least, that I was removed as a director by the shareholder I represented for promising to perform my common law and statutory duty.
So far two other directors have been stood down, Ian Gillings, who represents Australian Catholic Super and Nick Basile.
Both declined to comment, but it is understood that Gillings had expressed similar concerns as Lette. Australian Catholic Super and Sun Super back Macquarie as the best manager for the job as outlined in almost identical letters sent to Gardior's new chairman Jon Addison on May 14.
Addison declined to comment or say whether a decision had been made on the future of the $2.4 billion fund. A series of questions were also sent to BUSSQ but it was not in a position to comment.
Whether Macquarie is the best manager to look after the various assets is not the issue. What is at issue is the handling of Gardior and the directors by some shareholders not least because it is not clear why they were so insistent on Macquarie's appointment.
It raises a lot of questions about how our super funds are handled. TIF's shareholders represent millions of members and the lack of transparency in how a management model is determined, how conflicts of interest are managed, whose interests trustees act in and who will be the manager and the fees charged, opens a can of worms.


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New program sparks research opportunities for first-year students
Oct 09, 2019 By Lindsey Amen | University Communication
Nathan Simms, a freshman mechanical engineering major from Bellevue, Nebraska, learns how to fly a drone with instruction from doctoral student Siya Kunde.
For decades, Nebraska's Undergraduate Creative Activities and Research Experience program has prepared sophomore through senior students for their careers with hands-on learning and one-on-one faculty partnerships.
A new program in the Office of Undergraduate Research, First-Year Research Experience, is extending that opportunity to freshmen — allowing them to dive straight into their areas of interest as soon as they step foot on campus.
FYRE participants are full-time, degree-seeking freshmen at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln who have also qualified for a federal work-study award. Students are paid to research under a faculty member for five hours each week throughout the fall and spring semesters. The first cohort was launched this fall, beginning with around 50 participants.
Justina Clark, director of undergraduate research at Nebraska, said the program was started due to an increase in interested first-year students and a desire to maximize learning opportunities at the university.
"More and more students I meet are already asking in their freshman year, 'How can I start now? I want to go ahead and get involved with research,'" she said. "Being able to offer a structured program for that is awesome.
"In my mind, the biggest benefit of this program is giving kids a chance to utilize the award that they already have and do something that will really develop them."
Along with researching, students in the FYRE program also attend monthly seminars by the Office of Undergraduate Research designed to help them succeed in their first year of classes. Optional monthly activities led by graduate students, including lab tours, field trips and industry visits, help build upon that network of support.
"In a lot of these cases, it's not just about finding an area of interest, but it's also meeting other people who share those interests," Clark said. "Fostering those relationships is really important for their retention and for their success."
It's been a whirlwind of a semester so far for Nathan Simms, a freshman mechanical engineering major from Bellevue, Nebraska and one of FYRE's first participants. Simms entered the university with a passion for robotics and psychology and is currently combining the two in the Nebraska Intelligent MoBile Unmanned Systems Lab.
Under assistant professor of computer science and engineering Brittany Duncan, Simms is first learning how to fly a drone inside the NIMBUS Lab. Later down the line, he will conduct research that improves user experience when it comes to drone flight.
"FYRE gives me the opportunity to be involved in research of a topic that I find interesting, and improve skills I have as well as gain new ones," Simms said. "I hope this program benefits my college career by helping me learn more than I would in a normal classroom."
Clark is looking forward to seeing the program's impact on students, both now and later down the line.
"We're really hoping that not only will this benefit the students in their undergraduate career, but also really impact their career satisfaction in the future," she said.
Faculty members or incoming students interested in participating in FYRE during the 2020-2021 school year can contact Clark for more information at jclark17@unl.edu.


A new website in honour of the renowned and saintly Jesuit Fr John Sullivan SJ was launched at the annual birthday anniversary mass in Clongowes on Sunday 11 May. Many hundreds of people from all over Ireland packed the two chapels in the college and just before mass began Pat Coyle, Director of Irish Jesuit Communications spoke about the new venture.
She thanked the family who had given a very generous donation for the building of the website saying they were present in the congregation but wanted to remain anonymous. She also paid tribute to the hard work and expertise of her colleague Dermot Roantree and the staff of getonline.ie – a one time Jesuit venture – who built the site.
The website features photos and videos – old and new – on the life of John Sullivan SJ and devotion to him. Archbishop Michael Jackson of the Church of Ireland speaks about the ecumenical importance of Fr John who was raised in the protestant tradition of his father and attended Portora High School in Enniskillen.
In a series of podcasts interviews Pat Coyle visits the John Sullivan archive in Clongowes where Vice Postulator for his canonisation cause Conor Harper SJ relates the stories of various artefacts there including a book mark made from Fr John's first curls – the only first class relic there. She also speaks to Bernard McGuckian SJ who recounts stories of the miracles and cures associated with the 'Servant of God'.
The prayer room on the site is simple, featuring the novena prayer accompanied by a moving instrumental – 'The Father John Sullivan Air ', composed by pianist and songwriter Eamon Keane.
Visitors to the site can also submit a prayer request or acknowledge favours received through the intercession of the Jesuit whom the boys he taught called 'The Saint'.
After Mass there was a special anointing for all who wanted it and a blessing with John Sullivan's cross. It was a moving experience for all as 'The Father John Sullivan Air' filled the chapel along with the heartfelt prayer of anointing for sick and able-bodied alike.


This is a temporary production environment for digitizing Botany specimens with OCR and automatic parsing.
The slopes of Colombia, China's Yunnan Province, the plateau forests of Madagascar, the fields of California - Academy botanists travel the world to discover new species, collect plants for our herbarium, and contribute to our extensive database. With a history of pioneering action that began in 1893 with botany curator Alice Eastwood, today's department is a robust collection of leading researchers, scientists, fellows, and students. Our resources include a 2 million specimen collection containing more than 11,000 types, as well as the John T. Howell Botanical Laboratory.
Fossil collections of the California Academy of Sciences.
Insects and arachnids account for more than four-fifths of all described species in the world. By participating in everything from multi-disciplinary biodiversity surveys to focused, ongoing projects around the globe, Academy entomologists continue to add to that number — and to our understanding of insect and arachnid roles and relationships — each and every year. Since the department's founding in 1862, our collection has grown to become one of the three largest entomology collections in North America, encompassing approximately 250,000 species of insects, myriapods, and arachnids. Led by curators Brian Fisher, Lauren Esposito, and Michelle Trautwein, today's department includes scholars, students, and support staff comprising a broad range of expertise.
The Academy's herpetology collection began in 1853 with a single Galápagos tortoise shell. It has since grown to be the 6th largest reptile and amphibian collection in the world and serves as a important repository of information for Academy scientists and others seeking to better understand these fascinating and important creatures. In addition to documenting species and their distribution around the world, our scientists and collaborators are at the forefront of many other aspects of herpetological research and conservation — examining the evolutionary relationships of various taxonomic groups, assessing and working to protect against population threats, and developing captive breeding programs and strategies to help maintain genetic stocks of critically endangered species.
With 2 million fish specimens from around the world, our collection represents a significant cross-section of aquatic life. The strengths of our holdings lie principally in marine fishes of the western and central Pacific, especially California, as well as freshwater fishes from South America and southeastern Asia. To further support marine research and the wider ichthyology community, we also house older historic collections from North America and a large number of type specimens.
Established in 1914, Invertebrate Zoology is one of the oldest departments in the Academy, representing more than 160 years of scientific research. In combining with the Department of Geology in 1982, it became home not only to the most diverse collections in the Academy — encompassing an enormous range specimens and strengths — but to a robust staff of curators, researchers, collection managers, students, and more. Through field and lab work, multi-disciplinary expeditions, and scientific publications, our scientists rigorously advance knowledge in their areas of expertise. From octocorals and opisthobranch mollusks to echinoderms and paleontology, our work — and the collections we maintain — is a vital piece of the Academy's overall efforts to explore, explain, and sustain life on Earth.


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Home > Teams > Pippa Gallop
Pippa Gallop
Strategic Area Leader - Biodiversity and Finance/Southeast Europe Energy Advisor
Email: pippa.gallop AT bankwatch.org
Pippa works as Bankwatch Southeast Europe energy advisor, with a specialisation in coal and hydropower in the Western Balkans. She is based in Zagreb, Croatia and speaks English, Croatian and rusty German.
More from Pippa Gallop
Kosovo's new law on pollution control risks muddying the waters
July 13, 2022 | Read more
Kosovo's parliament is currently scrutinizing a new law on integrated pollution prevention and control. Its aim is positive – to tighten Kosovo's standards. But as written now, it risks doing the opposite.
The cautionary tale of Montenegro's emission trading scheme
June 6, 2022 | Read more
In 2020, Montenegro received widespread praise for being the first Western Balkan country to introduce carbon pricing. Less than a year later, however, the scheme's shortcomings were exposed. What can other Western Balkan countries learn from this experience?
Bosnia and Herzegovina illegally extends lifetimes of deadly coal plants
March 25, 2022 | Read more
Yesterday the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina's Parliament voted to extend the lifetime of the antiquated Tuzla 4 and Kakanj 5 coal units, in clear breach of the Energy Community Treaty. The move condemns the public to yet more lethal air pollution.
Flagships or red flags? Risks of proposed flagship infrastructure projects under the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans
Under the European Commission's October 2020 Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans, the Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA) is set to provide grants worth EUR 9 billion, with up to EUR 20 billion more in investments leveraged through the Western Balkans Guarantee Facility. Western Balkan governments have proposed projects for financing in ten Flagship areas for investment. The list of these proposed projects contains many which appear reasonable and much-needed, but many others are not in line with EU policy and/or legislation and must not be funded with EU money. This briefing provides an overview of selected projects that have been nominated by governments but which are not in line with EU policy and/or legislation.
Republika Srpska moves ahead of its neighbours in virtually halting hydropower subsidies for new plants
February 15, 2022 | Read more
Last week the Republika Srpska parliament adopted a new law on renewable energy that will help to stem the ongoing boom of highly damaging small hydropower plants. This puts it ahead of many of the region's governments in changing the rules on renewables support.


but now you know for sure. I am a geek. I even have the plastic-bead bracelet to prove it.
When I was in Providence, I went to the Providence Open Market and found this awesome stretchy beaded bracelet that went so perfectly with my geek bracelet.
For 8 bucks, how could I resist?


Last weekend after the new air conditioner was installed, I spent some time tidying up the area around it. I weeded, edged, spread some mulch, and replanted a small yucca that had been moved out of the way temporarily. My husband was very helpful carrying the bags of mulch. That area looks much better now.
I hadn't really noticed that it needed improvement before, but that is often what happens when old stuff like a worn-out air conditioner ends up staying around too long. Other things close to it that need maintenance also get overlooked, such as the need for mulch and edging. What's going on, as far as I can tell, is that the subconscious mind sorts it all into the general category of stuff that's not being done yet. Then we just keep on walking past it every day without even noticing.
The converse is also true—when there's something new and fresh around, that makes all the old neglected stuff more noticeable and becomes a powerful motivator to get things in shape. As for my yard in particular, there are a few other areas in need of mulch. If it hadn't been for the new air conditioner, I might have ignored them a while longer, but now they seem much more obvious.


Amazing quality Laura Ashley straight leg cullotte trousers with a turned hem, slide and zip fastening, great Winter fabric. Perfect for the office, they look amazing with a fitted white shirt and some stilettos/boots or dressed down with Docs and a turtle neck. Subtle pleating down the front. Fabric is a wool blend. Measurements: Waist 31" Inner leg 22.5" . Marked a UK 12 and fit true to size. Clipped at the back for the photo. Model is size 8/10 and 5ft 6 for your reference. Fantastic condition with no notable marks or damage. We aim to describe all products with maximum accuracy for you and always dispatch either packages the same or following working day. Discounts on shipping for multiple purchases. Any questions just ask, and please check out our other vintage items for sale via the Visit Storefront link to the right of the page. For first dibs on fresh stock follow us on Instagram - WolfVintage.


What does KASBAH stand for?
http://www. youtube. com/watch?v=tOQzAUV-r1g The girls are great supporters of the Kent Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus (KASBAH) – we have a wonderful house in Rochester named after Hattie Webb, Hattie was instrumental in the development of this new service. Barbara Sturgeon had the girls singing on her radio show for KASBAH when they were only aged 9 and 12 ! Graham Clarke is a big fan of The Webb Sisters and saw their concert (to 21,000 people) at the 02 Arena last year.


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PUBLISHED ON Sep 26 2014
Butler's beloved bulldogs got their final resting place on Friday, a granite, brick, and bronze doghouse outside Hinkle Fieldhouse where the remains of Blue I, Blue II, and all future mascots will be laid to rest.
Michael Kaltenmark said the bulldog memorial is "a timeless relic.
The University dedicated the dog house/columbarium (urn storage) and bronze bulldog sculpture with a ceremony that honored the dogs and blessed the current mascot, Trip.
"By working in cooperation with some very important people, what I believe we have constructed here is a timeless relic, built to last, which serves as a point of pride and appropriate tribute to the lovable Butler Bulldog," said Michael Kaltenmark, Director of External Relations and the owner of Blue II and Trip.
Donors to the memorial included the Class of 2013. Michael Couch, president of the class, said the Live Bulldog Mascot program came into its own during his class' years as Butler students. Media made a star of Blue II during Butler's 2010 and 2011 NCAA Final Four runs, and Kaltenmark built on Blue's fame with innovative blogging and other social media, countless personal appearances, and a children's book, but Kaltenmark and Blue "always remembered that their first fans were the students and alumni of Butler."
"The Class of 2013 hopes this memorial stands as a testament to the determination, loyalty, and pride of all Butler Bulldogs—four-footed and two-footed—for many years to come," he said.
Butler President James M. Danko said the bulldogs are more than just mascots—they're family dogs that comfort our students when they're homesick, celebrate birthdays across our community, play starring roles in videos and children's books, and help us cheer on our teams.
Blue I, who died in May, Blue II, who died in 2013, and Trip all have served as a unifying force across our campus and our city, he said. Everyone, Butler alum or not, loves our Butler bulldogs.
"In this wonderful community of learning, we will be forever grateful for the things our bulldogs have awakened in us: above all, that special happiness that can only come from loving—and being loved—by an animal," Danko said. "May Blue I and Blue II rest in peace, and we look forward to Trip having a long and happy tenure."
Former Congressmen Open 2017–2018 Diversity Lecture Series
PUBLISHED ON Oct 12 2017
Two of Indiana's most prominent and respected political leaders, former U.S. Senator Richard Lugar and former U.S. Representative Lee Hamilton, will sit down for a discussion with former Lieutenant Governor and current Ivy Tech Community College President Sue Ellspermann at 6:00 PM Monday, November 13, in Clowes Memorial Hall as part of Butler University's Celebration of Diversity Distinguished Lecture Series.
A Conversation with Senator Richard Lugar and Representative Lee Hamilton, co-presented by Ivy Tech Community College, is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. They will be available beginning Friday, October 19, at 10:00 AM at the Clowes Hall box office and through ButlerArtsCenter.org.
At a time when the country seems politically polarized and incapable of engaging in civil discourse, Lugar and Hamilton will talk about ways to bring us together.
Lugar is the longest-serving member of Congress in Indiana history (1976–2012). He currently is President of The Lugar Center, a non-profit organization focusing on global food security, WMD nonproliferation, aid effectiveness, and bipartisan governance. He serves as a Professor of Practice and Distinguished Scholar at the School of Global and International Studies at Indiana University and is distinguished faculty member in the Department of History and Political Science at the University of Indianapolis, where he leads the Richard G. Lugar Symposium for Tomorrow's Leaders.
Hamilton, who served in Congress for 34 years (1965–1999), is Director of the Indiana University Center on Congress, a non-partisan educational institution seeking to improve the public's understanding of Congress and to inspire young people and adults to take an active part in revitalizing representative government in America. Located on the IU Bloomington campus, the Center offers an extensive array of civic education resources and activities aimed at fostering an informed electorate that understands our system of government and participates in civic life.
Ellspermann has more than 30 years of experience in higher education, economic and workforce development, and public service. She was selected to serve as President of Ivy Tech Community College and began her tenure in May 2016. She is the ninth individual to hold the position and first female president for the college. Ellspermann served as Indiana's 50th Lieutenant Governor from 2013 until March 2016.
Oct 12 2017 Read more
Published on Oct 12 2017 Read more
Business Students Show Their Abilities As Financial Analysts
BY Hayley Ross '17
After months of research, planning, and preparation John Boudreau, Spencer Wenzloff, and Ryan Reid made their way to Louisville to compete in the local round of the CFA Institute Research Challenge in early March. The way they decided to announce their victory? Just a short, simple email with their winning trophy picture.
"Brought some hardware home"
The CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) Institute Research Challenge is an annual competition that gives students hands-on, rigorous training in financial analysis. University students work in teams and are given a company to research and analyze.
"Essentially if you were an investor, anything you would need and want to know we should be able to tell you," Reid said.
They found out about the competition in November, when their professor, Dr. Steven Dolvin, CFA, emailed his class about interest. Right away they knew who in the class would want to do the competition. Once they sat down together, the three decided to become a team and start research right away.
"As we got closer, we looked at what needed to be worked on, and did a lot of problem solving," Boudreau said.
Work was divided up evenly, where they each focused on specific areas. Yet, Reid said, that didn't stop them from being especially prepared.
"Even though we each specialized in certain areas, because our team is small we needed to know absolutely everything," he said. "We wanted to be ready so we could answer everything intelligently."
There were two "divisions" in the local challenge, where schools were chosen at random to compete against each other. Before the competition beganeach team sent in a detailed report. One team in each division went straight to finals. Everyone else in each division competed for one other spot.
"We had a 10-minute presentation and a 10-minute Q&A session, and believe me they were incredibly strict with the cutoff," Reid said.
The team said the time limit was the most difficult part.
"The most challenging parts of it is it is only 10 minutes," Reid said. "Trying to consolidate hours and hours of research to what's essential for users to understand is hard. You always feel like you need more time."
They went in and did their presentation. Boudreau said they weren't expecting what happened next. "I was really shocked when they announced we were advancing. We had the Kelley School of Business graduate team in our division. They are much older and have had so much more experience."
Quickly they went over everything, and in two hours sharpened what they were going to say. Apparently, they had a secret weapon.
"Spencer and I thought we had a strong concept of the company, but if you asked me what the components were that made diesel engines, it was Ryan that knew that," Boudreau said. "That boosted our credibility by a lot. The judges even gave him the nickname Diesel."
The final decision was announced.
"They said it was a unanimous vote, and we just looked at each other and were like, 'Oh, wow' because there is no way it could be us."
When asked why they thought they did so well, they cited their communication.
"We are friends and it is what makes us work," Reid said.
They headed to Seattle on April 7 to compete in the next level, the Americas Regional, against 52 other teams from North and South America.
Although they did not advance in the competition, they were excited to participate.
Boudreau said this competition has changed his life. He said he already had a job after college where he completed brokerage training, but decided to resign. He said this competition has changed his life, and what he wants to do.
"I want to pursue things that are more like this," he said.
Students "brought some hardware home" from competition.
Butler to Select a New Fraternity
Three Greek organizations interested in opening a chapter at Butler will present their proposals to the University community February 16–23, with a decision due by early March.
Beta Theta Pi will present on February 16 from 4:15–5:15 PM in Jordan Hall, Room 141.
Pi Kappa Alpha will follow on February 20 from 5:30–6:30 PM in Jordan Hall, Room 141.
Theta Chi will follow on February 23 from 4:00–5:00 PM in Jordan Hall, Room 141.
Beta Theta Pi was founded in 1839 at Miami (Ohio) University and has 137 chapters and 26 colonies in the United States and Canada.
Pi Kappa Alpha was founded in 1868 at the University of Virginia and has a total of more than 220 chapters and colonies across the United States and Canada.
Theta Chi was founded in 1856 at Norwich University in Norwich, Vermont. It has 235 chapters.
Anne Flaherty, Interim Vice President for Student Affairs, and Becky Druetzler, Director of Greek Life, said the University is committed to working with the organization selected to obtain housing. Butler requires that any organization invited to establish a chapter provides housing within 2–4 years.
The selection process began in January 2016 when the University contacted 25 national fraternities that had previously expressed interest in Butler's fraternity and sorority community.
A committee of staff, students, alumni, and faculty reviewed eight extensive proposals and recommended the three finalists. A University trustee will be joining the committee for consideration of the three finalists. The committee will makes its recommendation to the President.
The last time a chapter was established as a new initiative and not a recolonization was Phi Kappa Psi in 1971. Phi Delta Theta was recolonized in 2008–2009.
Three Greek organizations interested in opening a chapter at Butler will present their proposals to the University community.


Forty years ago, a small group of volunteers set out to create a safe space of love and belonging for teenagers and young adults who were homeless in Seattle.
Over the next four decades, those volunteers would multiply and serve countless meals, engage in countless conversations and relationships with young people, and ultimately form what is now New Horizons Ministries – our shelter & drop-in center in the heart of Seattle's Belltown neighborhood.
To commemorate these 40 years of partnership with youth in our community, you're cordially invited to the 40th Anniversary Dessert Extravaganza, a celebratory tribute to the annual dessert event held at University Presbyterian Church for many years.
Come enjoy desserts galore while you sip Street Bean Coffee, reunite with familiar faces, tour our Belltown shelter, and learn more about where New Horizons is headed over the next 40 years.
We hope you'll join us to celebrate 40 years of partnership with youth on the streets.


I was grateful to a fellow blogger friend for pointing me to a link with the intriguing title "The Iowa Caucuses Explained For British People" which gave a humorous but nevertheless informative explanation of the uniquely American phenomenon of each state holding caucuses, whereby members of the main parties (here it is Democrat and Republican) select delegates that will eventually vote on who their candidate is going to be, who will then run to become President in November's presidential elections.
Iowa happened to be the first state to hold its caucus and this morning I woke up to how it all went. In a recent blog I speculated that we might end up with two polar extremes: Trump for the Republicans and Sanders for the Democrats. As is often the case with my political punditry, today's results suggest I could be wrong, with Ted Cruz (28%) being a little ahead of Donald Trump (24%) and Marco Rubio (23%). On the Democrat side w e have Hilary Clinton and Bernie Sanders (the only two serious contenders) as neck and neck, with Clinton edging it. As I understand it, this will translate into the number of delegates each candidate can send to the respective convention to decide who will be the party's choice.
My same blogger friend also shared a link to a quiz that seeks to work out the candidate I am most likely going to side with based on my answers to a number of key questions. The surprising result as far as I was concerned was for number one I got Marco Rubio (78%) a little ahead of Trump, Clinton and Sanders, in that order, with Cruz coming after that. I have to confess I knew very little about Rubio prior to taking the quiz but compared with yesterday I now need to throw two more hopefuls in the presidential hat: Cruz and Rubio, although no one is in any doubt there is a long way to go and it is too early to make confident predictions yet. The way I interpreted my own quiz score was when it comes to issues like abortion and marriage, I am in agreement with the likes of Rubio although there are notable differences when it comes to issues like gun control, immigration, health care and welfare. My more socialist leanings meant on these issues at least I was more likely to find myself being in agreement with the likes of Sanders and Clinton.
All very interesting of course, not just because it provides an amusing diversion but these are issues that affect the life and soul of this great nation of the United States of America and why what is happening should be taken seriously. As for who I want to win, I remain ambivalent and while Cruz's and Rubio's Evangelical credentials will appeal to some who think similar to me on such matters, some of the social justice issues that Sanders and Clinton are championing will appeal to others. As I said in my last US Presidential blog: "righteousness exalts a nation" and God bless America, and I will hope in the Almighty and pray in such a vein.


The "under" play in Week 11 of the NFL regular season had a slight 8-6 advantage, but over the past five weeks the oddsmakers have been dead on with 34 games going "over," 33 games staying under and two games ending in a "push". I posted a 2-1 record for the week on my top three picks to improve to13-9-1 over the past eight weeks and to16-13-1 for the year. With all 32 teams back in action, I have been digging deep into this week's matchups to try and unearth the value in the total line.
Each week of the NFL regular season, my goal is to find some golden opportunities to cash in on a few bad lines when it comes to the NFL totals line. The following are my top three NFL picks for this week in the NFL with lines provided by BetOnline.
Tennessee stunned Miami last Sunday with 37 points in its second-highest scoring output of the season, but 20 points could be directly attributed to turnovers, including an interception return for a touchdown. Overall, the Titans are still averaging just 21.9 points a game, which is ranked 18th in the league.
Jacksonville head coach Mike Mularkey has decided to stick with Chad Henne as his starting quarterback for this game over Blaine Gabbert based on his performance last week against Houston. The Jaguars rolled up 37 points in the overtime loss to the Texans but remain one of the most anemic offenses in the league with an average of 16.4 points a game.
The total line for this game has remained unchanged since opening at 43.5, which I believe to be high given the current form of both team's offense. The past trends in this matchup point to this as well, with the total staying under in four of the last five meetings in Jacksonville and in four of the last five games overall.
Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan threw five interceptions last week, and his team still found a way to score 23 points in a win over Arizona. The Falcons have actually scored 23 points or more in nine of their first 10 games and are ranked sixth in the NFL in scoring with an average of 27 points a game.
Tampa Bay has reeled off four straight victories while averaging 34.8 points a game over the same span. This suddenly-explosive offense has found a running game with rookie Doug Martin and a passing game with a revitalized Josh Freeman, who has thrown for 2,505 yards and 21 touchdowns this season.
The line for this game opened at 48.5 and has crept up to 49 on BetOnline's latest board, but I still think that is too low for this matchup. Both teams know how to put points on the board, as evidenced by the total going over in the Falcons last five games against the NFC South and in the Buccaneers last seven games overall. It has also gone over in three of the last four meetings between the two.
There is little doubt that the "Pack is Back" after stringing together five straight wins in which the offense has put up an average of 30.2 points a game. This total is even slightly higher in Green Bay's last four games on the road. Aaron Rodgers has also returned to his MVP form with 17 touchdowns passes verse two interceptions during this incredible run.
New York has had an extra week off to try and correct some of the problems that have plagued this team in its last two games. With a prime-time player such as Eli Manning playing at home under the national spotlight of "Sunday Night Football," look for this Giants offense to return to the form that generated an average of 30.8 points during a previous four-game winning streak.
The total opened at 49.5 and has held steady ever since. Weather for Sunday night's game should not be a factor so both offenses will be playing on a fast track. The total has gone over in 11 of the Packers last 15 games against the NFC and in five of the Giants last seven games following a straight up loss. It has also gone over in the last five meetings between the two.


These are some lies we made up about Yorktown.
The ghost of a dreadfully mangled huntsman pulling a dead mountain lion was spotted taking a rest on a stool in a house close to Yorktown. This particular spirit has been perceived often in this place.
An extremely large gnu was observed struggling to grip something in Bradford Park at the stroke of midnight.
A female without a head was distinguished shining a lantern in Bell Creek. Additional sightings of this ghost have been conveyed. Lots of local residents say this spirit enjoys frightening people who are fearless enough to disturb the tranquility in Yorktown.
A gigantic ground hog has often been spotted in the backseat of a truck by the driver observing the ghost in her rear view mirror in the early morning hours.
The ghost of a young female with a cable around her neck is often noticed by the waterfront at Emerald Lake shouting names of people.
A gentleman devoid of a head is known to have been distinguished on a handful of instances watering plants in the back yard of a home in Yorktown. Residents argue that this spirit gets pleasure from terrifying unwise folks who come trying to locate spirits in Yorktown.
A dinosaur can repeatedly be distinguished by an old man hunting in a forest near Yorktown.


text:
Q: Checking for null in an instance function gets "Object possibly null" error If I have an instance function, that checks if a property is not null, TypeScript gives an error 'Object possibly null' if I use the function in a conditional. However if I check for null directly, the error does not occur. How can I fix this?
type SomeType = {
     someFunc: Function;
}

class A {
    bar: SomeType | null;
    constructor() {
      this.bar = null;
    }
    hasBar() {
      return this.bar !== null;
    }

}

const a = new A();

if (a.hasBar()) {
    a.bar.someFunc(); // Throws object possibly null error
}

if (a.bar !== null) {
    a.bar.someFunc(); // Throws no error
}

Link to typescript playground: Here (Turn on strictNullChecks in options)

A: This is a know limitation of flow analysis. Checks inside functions will not have effects outside the function. See this issue for more details.
The only type of function that can have an effect on flow analysis is a type guard:
function hasValue<T>(v: T| null): v is T {
    return v !== null;
}
const a = new A();

if (hasValue(a.bar)) {
    a.bar.someFunc(); // a.bar is not null
}


text:
Tom Cali
McKenzie Millward
Nicole Hoover
Cali Wagner Millward
Tom Cali Tracy Wagner McKenzie Millward
Tom became a real estate agent after earning an accounting degree from Penn State. He and his wife Esther have three children, all of whom are Penn State graduates. A State College resident who has been helping people sell and buy property for over 35 years, Tom's professionalism and community involvement have brought him success in all areas of real estate. He is an an Associate Broker, Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR), and a Certified Residential Specialist (CRS). In addition to being a full-time real estate professional, Tom has taught a fundamentals of real estate course at Penn State's Smeal College of Business.
An avid runner, Tom has completed 35 marathons and countless shorter races. Combining his love of running with his desire to support the Centre County community, he has been a member of Marathoners for Medicine for the past 12 years, helping to raise over $500,000 to support Centre Volunteers in Medicine, our local free medical and dental clinic.
Tom recently was honored with the Lt. Michael P. Murphy Distinguished Citizen Award for his numerous contributions to our community. The award is granted by the Navy League of Central Pennsylvania in honor of the late Lt. Murphy, a PSU grad, Navy Seal, Medal of Honor Winner.
Some of the organizations Tom has supported are;
Centre Volunteers in Medicine
Good Shepherd Church
Centre Soccer Association
Nittany Valley Running Club
United Way "Day of Caring"
Pennsylvania Special Olympics
The State Theatre
Centre County Women's Resource Center
Team Ream Foundation
Tom Cali, Tracy Wagner & McKenzie Millward
RE/MAX Centre Realty 814-231-8200
1375 Martin Street, State College, PA 16803
© 2019 Cali Wagner Millward


450,000 condoms. 11.5 billion dollars. One Olympics.
From inches, to miles, to seconds, to goals, the Olympics have always been a numbers game, and Rio is no different. In that spirit, join us as we countdown 16 calculator-busting data points that tell story behind one of the most controversial—and anticipated—Olympic Games in recent memory.
The number of Olympic games South America has hosted prior to Rio 2016, the first-ever held on the continent.
The age of US swimming prodigy Katie Ledecky, who looks to build on her Beijing gold— and numerous world record qualifying times—with strong performances in the 200, 400, 800, and 4x100 relay in Rio.
The number of total disciplines to be contested, including the debut of kitesurfing and the return of golf and sevens rugby following lengthy absences.
Speaking of golf, it's been 112 years since golf was last contested at the Olympics. The event makes its return this year with U.S. athletes like Rickie Fowler and Bubba Watson competing for gold.
The miles of fencing to be used by the Brazilian authorities during the Rio Olympics.
The number of non-human athletes—horses in this case—expected to compete at equestrian competitions throughout the Games.
The total number of medals to be awarded in Rio, including 30 golds on Saturday, August 20, the most of any day of the games.
The number of miles the Olympic torch will travel on its 95-day journey to Rio.
The number of tennis balls expected to be used in the men's and women's competitions, which kick off Saturday, August 6.
The maximum capacity of the Maracanã Stadium—Rio's Olympic Stadium—which will be filled to the brim for the Opening Ceremony despite sluggish ticket sales.
The amount of security personnel on hand during the Rio games, more than twice as many as the London Olympics in 2012.
The number of condoms the International Olympic Committee with make available in the Athlete's Village, a notorious hotbed of amped-up hormones.
The total number of tickets available for the 2016 Rio Olympics, including deeply discounted options for local residents.
The amount, in dollars, that NBC paid for the rights to broadcast the Olympics in the United States, making it the most expensive television rights deal in Olympics history.
The total estimated cost of hosting the 2016 Olympics.
Are the Rio Olympics Safe?


Reflect on the current vogue in zombie material and you find ample demonstration of the extent to which film and television favour a certain number of recurrent elements or motifs. Vampires are another prominent example, which makes two before we even leave the shambling hordes of the un-dead. Broaden those horizons to the world of the living and one cannot but acknowledge the important contributions made by the ever-dependable mob organisation, international terrorist cell, or simple garden-variety psychopath. Entire genres have been built up around archetypes such as these, while for others it must be said that only specific genres afford the conditions necessary for them to function successfully. Zombies, for instance, are unlikely to ever transcend their origins as fodder in B-grade horror fare. Indeed, it is significant that those films which have managed to lead the zombie astray successfully – such as Shaun of the Dead – have been able to do so only through spoofing their typical treatment, rather than truly departing from it. In other words, it's unusual that we find a movie or television show which makes use of zombies as a bit-part. There are no sitcoms – that I'm familiar with, at least – which feature a bunch of hip twenty-somethings and their quirky zombie neighbour. When something features zombies, it's generally going to be en masse, and very much the central concern.
Such is not the case with all of film and television's favourite recurrent staples. Aliens, for instance, have managed to ingratiate themselves into virtually every genre, and with great success. Otherworldly life-forms can be found in anything from horror and action/thriller, sitcoms and drama, all the way through to comedy and children's programs. Those not convinced need only look to the box-office records for the month of June 1982, which saw the feel-good alien capers of Steven Spielberg's E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial rubbing intergalactic shoulders with the tentacled horror of John Carpenter's The Thing. Very few staples of the industry show such versatility. As fate would have it, that same month in 1982 saw one of the few exceptions represented in the form of Blade Runner, a pivotal moment in the cinematic exploration of robots. Like aliens, robots have transcended their original role as a staple of the science-fiction genre to become a popular element in film and television at large. There is no doubt, in either case, that the key to this success lies in their versatility. Just as aliens can look and behave in almost any way conceivable, there is virtually no limit to the possible forms or functions that might dictate the role played by some mechanical creation, not merely in a practical sense, but in terms of tone and narrative role as well. Compare Fritz Lang's Metropolis with the likes of The Jetsons, or again with Transformers and already you see the wide range of potential uses.
Where these two phenomena differ, however, is in the proliferation of sub-types and techno-jargon. For unlike an alien organism, which is a fairly simple and all-encompassing concept, the technical nature of robotics has come to be reflected in a highly nuanced field of nomenclature. How does an android differ to a cyborg? Does a powered exoskeleton qualify as a robot? Where do the boundaries occur between something engineered mechanically and an organic equivalent? This article hopes to shed some light on these issues, offering a compromise between pragmatic definitions and practical ones.
. : Mechanoid : .
An umbrella term, under which any of the following may be categorised in some capacity. The only qualifying element is that a mechanoid must resemble a machine in either function or design. This permits the inclusion of borderline examples such as puppets, clockwork pieces, and others which bear a semblance of mechanical automation without functioning as an autonomous unit, or that do so with the aid of mystical, spiritual, or other non-scientific forces. Beyond these examples, the vague definition of something being machine-like without, in fact, being a machine renders the term too broad for the interests of discerning one type from another. A classification of last resort.
. : Mech / Mecha : .
While there is no reason to differentiate the term from 'mechanoid' on an etymological basis, this abbreviated form has come to denote a specific class of robotic entity which falls outside the definition of a robot proper. In brief, the defining characteristic of a mech is the presence of a pilot or operator, without whom the unit loses much, if not all, of its functionality. As a staple of the Japanese anime culture, mecha are usually portrayed as an extension of modern military vehicles, such as tanks and aircraft, or construction equipment, such as loaders and excavators. Due to the necessity of physically enclosing the pilot, mecha have a reputation for being extremely large, and often resemble a greatly exaggerated anthropomorphic form. Neither of these characteristics have a defining role, however, as the operator is not necessarily human, nor is it requisite that the mech must resemble the operator's actual physiology.
. : Exosuit : .
While it is a point of some contention, the exosuit is perhaps best understood as a sub-class of mech, all of whose defining characteristics it shares, in addition to some more stringent ones. As with mecha, an exosuit is primarily defined by the need for an independent operator. What distinguishes one from the other is the nature of the interface between operator and unit. A mech may be controlled in a variety of ways, ranging from the traditional mode of piloting, through to virtual or direct neural connection, or even remote control. An exosuit, on the other hand, is controlled via a system of direct physical interaction, as the unit both mimics and enhances the operator's natural motion. For this reason exosuits are necessarily closer in shape, scale, and proportion to their operators, giving the sense that they are 'worn' rather than piloted. As with mecha, the application of this technology tends to be directed toward military use, as powered armour, or manual labour and construction.
. : Robot : .
More restricted in the scope of application than 'mechanoid', the term 'robot' is nevertheless the most widely disseminated of any on this list, and thus the most difficult to accurately define. Indeed, the all-encompassing nature of the term has contributed much to the dilemma, largely by popularising a tradition of misapplication. Foremost among these is the practise of labelling things 'robots' when they are in fact merely robotic, meaning robot-like. The key to resolving this hinges on the issue of autonomy, of which there are two crucial factors. First of all, in order to qualify as 'a robot', the unit in question must be able to perform its designated function in isolation. This is not to say that it must be either physically disconnected and/or mobile, simply that it comprises a single complete unit, capable of fulfilling its intended function without external assistance. The welding arm on a production line is thus robotic, rather than a robot, because it is merely part of a much larger functioning machine. On the other hand, an automatic gun-turret mounted on a ship may be considered a robot if it is able to fulfil the demands of target acquisition, calibration, firing and reloading entirely on its own, for in so doing in completes an entire function. This brings us to the second factor, which is autonomy not in a mere physical sense, but in terms of self-maintenance. To put it simply, a robot must be able to perform to its maximum capacity without constant external direction. This may range from the most basic on-board programming all the way through to possessing a fully artificial intelligence: from simple self-propulsion through to sentience and actual self-determination. For this reason a mech is deemed to be robotic rather than a true robot. Beyond these characteristics there is no effective limit on how a robot may be manifested, either in size, shape, materials, or configuration.
. : Android : .
A sub-class of robot, defined by their emulation of the human form. While the Ancient Greek word from which it derives is masculine, the term 'android' is used to encompass humankind as a whole, irrespective of gender. The roles and functions of androids are many and varied, although the added trouble of making the unit resemble the human form is generally attributed to the necessity of being emotionally engaging to the humans around them. As such, they tend not to be designed for manual labour or other functions where brute force may be better served by another, abstract form. It is also important to remember that the imprecise nature of the term – designating something man-like – is open to some degree of interpretation. Any semblance of the human form is quite often little more than a matter of the proportion and arrangement of limbs and sensory inputs, while other features, such as materials, external finish, and facial details are either stylised or ignored completely. There is also a grey area concerning the point at which an anthropomorphically proportioned robot is no longer considered an android simply on the matter of scale.
. : Synthetic : .
A sub-class of android, defined by their emulation of not only the human form, but also the organic and mechanical operations of human biology. Essentially, synthetics represent analogues of the human body constructed of non-biological materials. While this necessarily results in them bearing a far closer resemblance to human beings than some of the general android class, it is important to bear in mind that synthetics are not typically designed to masquerade as humans, although they can sometimes be put to this use. Instead, their resemblance to biological organisms seems to be based on the design philosophy that the human body is itself one of the most functional of all machines, and is therefore a proven template from which to copy. For this reason, synthetics possess the artificial equivalent of internal organs, circulatory and metabolic systems, and tissues of a similar texture to those of humans as necessary parts of their inherent operation. Other rudimentary details, such as the colour of circulatory fluid, generally exhibit no attempt to pass the units off as human.
. : Replicant : .
A sub-class of android, defined by their emulation not only of the human form, but of molecular human biology, rendering them effectively indistinguishable from natural human beings. While the term 'replicant' itself is rarely used outside of its original context in the film Blade Runner, there are sufficient examples shown in other material to warrant their place as a parallel class to that of synthetics. Rather than being an artificial analogue of human biology, replicants are consciously intended to mimic human beings all the way down to a microscopic level. What physical engineering their creation entails is performed on a genetic level, with the subsequent manufacturing process being virtually identical to organic growth. As such, replicants occupy a grey area that verges onto other technology, most notably cloning. The crucial distinction between the two typically hinges on a combination of psychological inadequacy – with replicants lacking some basic elements of the human empathic response – and an inability to procreate. Like some clones, however, replicants often show greatly enhanced physical abilities, and are often unaware of their own artificial status.
. : Gynoid : .
Strictly speaking, nothing more than the female equivalent of an android. As the term 'android' has moved away from its gender-specific notion, however, and shifted toward a definition of 'man' as in 'mankind', the term 'gynoid' has accrued its own alternative meaning, namely as a byword for an android whose primary function is to operate as a sexual surrogate. Given the disproportionate representation of female robots intended for this function, as opposed to male ones, it is easy to understand how this etymological shift could have occurred. While this casts a dubious light over the attitudes toward gender which allowed such a shift to occur, the designation is nevertheless useful in itself, so long as we match the inclusive nature of the word android and include male sexual surrogates within the sub-class of gynoids too. It is significant, however, that I cannot think of a single example of a male android whose sole or primary function was to be a sexual surrogate, let alone for use by a female.
. : Cyborg : .
. : Type I - An organism bearing some degree of artificial augmentation. This is the most common definition, and is generally based on the projection of prosthetic technology to a point where it is equal or superior to natural human abilities. The proportion of cybernetic to organic material can range from something as simple as a replacement arm all the way through to an entire body housing an organic brain. Indeed, the only qualification is that the defining characteristic of the individual must be maintained, the core of which is the elusive component commonly known as the psyche.
. : Type II - A robotic species that bears all the hallmarks of organic life. This variation is perhaps the least common, and derives from a liberal interpretation of the term 'organism'. This requires that the unit in question not only present mechanical analogues for the organic processes of consuming matter or energy in order to maintain their autonomy, but also be able to perpetuate their own kind through some form of inherent procreation. This does not include the ability to simply produce a copy by making use of a typical production line. As such, this variety of cyborg occupies a grey area between robots and an alien species which just happens to be composed of what we recognise as machinery.
. : Type III - An android whose physical construction incorporates some percentage of organic componentry. This is not an entirely satisfactory definition in most cases, but is worth addressing for the number of sources where it is openly avouched. The most prominent example is encountered in The Terminator, where Kyle Reese refers to the T-800 unit as a cyborg, based on the fact that its metallic endoskeleton is housed within organic tissues in order to aid infiltration. The problem with this interpretation is that, while the flesh is undeniably alive in a molecular sense, the same cannot be said for the unit as a whole. Unlike Type I cyborgs there is no continuity from an original organic state, and unlike Type II it fits none of the necessary criteria to be considered a living organism. The issue is effectively sealed later in the film when we see the T-800 able to function perfectly well, albeit without the ability to infiltrate, once all the organic material has been burnt off. As such, it is actually nothing more than a robot encased in a living sheath, the properties of which are advantageous to, but not essential to its functionality.
So there you have it, a hierarchical guide to the complex and fascinating world of artificial entities. And while I have touched on a number of particularly illustrative examples, there are many more popular and imaginative examples out there. So what are some of your favourites, and how would you categorise them according to this hierarchy? Have your say in the comment section below.