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Douglas P. Rucker Jr. Retires After 50 Years at Sands Anderson
Published January 05, 2023 @ 1:24 pm
RICHMOND, Va. (January 5, 2022) – Sands Anderson announced that Douglas P. Rucker Jr. has retired from the practice of law after 50 years at the firm.
Rucker's legal career began at Sands Anderson as a summer associate in 1971. Through his storied career, Rucker represented clients in a wide array of legal matters, including litigation and commercial real estate. In the later part of his career, he focused on professional malpractice and became known as a respected defender of lawyers facing legal malpractice claims.
Despite his demanding law practice, Rucker also made time for a wide array of professional and community service activities. His many leadership positions inside and outside of the firm include serving as a member of the firm's Board of Directors and President of the Virginia Bar Association. He was also active in the Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys and the Defense Research Institute, in addition to being a Fellow of the Virginia Bar Foundation and the American Bar Foundation.
Rucker's honors include being named a "Leader in the Law" by Virginia Lawyers Weekly and Best Lawyers "Lawyer of the Year" in Professional Malpractice Law. Throughout his career he was regularly recognized in Best Lawyers in America, Virginia Business magazine's "Legal Elite", and Virginia Super Lawyers.
"During his career, and in part because of his leadership, Doug watched our firm grow to be the successful mid-size firm we are today," said Firm President Margaret Hardy. "His stature within the legal community made him impossible to overlook and with good reason – he is one of the state's longest and leading advocates for those facing claims of legal malpractice. We wish him the very best and congratulate him on his retirement."
About Sands Anderson PC
Sands Anderson PC is a Mid-Atlantic law firm that guides clients with united support for their complete legal needs. As a consultative ally, we represent businesses, government entities, insurance companies, healthcare organizations, and individuals from our five offices located throughout Virginia and in North Carolina. We are a true team of legal professionals committed to a collaborative and inclusive workplace, as well as supporting the economic growth of the communities where we operate. For more information, visit sandsanderson.com.
Rachel Lufkin
Director of Marketing and Business Development
rlufkin@sandsanderson.com
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Sands Anderson Shareholders Ratify 2023 Board of Directors
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ESDU Dynamics Series
This Series treats the stability, response and controllability of any system that can be modelled, for some part of its motion, by linear constant coefficient differential equations.
Part of the Series is devoted solely to aircraft topics which includes the equations of motion, conversion formulae for rotation and translation of body axes, geometric and kinematic relationships for various axis systems, direction and incidence angles and measures of damping. Lateral aircraft motion covers inertia cross coupling during rapid rolling manoeuvres, including the theoretical background, a discussion of simplified stability boundaries and an estimation of the critical roll rate. Approximation to the roots of the lateral equations of motion with and without a simple yaw damper is also covered. Other topics include handling qualities, loading and aeroelasticity. The design of linear systems includes a number of Items dealing with stability, response, control and assessment. The methods start with the mathematical description of a system, including feedback, in transfer function form and system stability is assessed using Routh-Hurwitz. The methods cover the graphical approaches of the one-parameter (root locus) and two-parameter stability diagrams, and those based on frequency response, such as Bode and Nyquist, and the unity feedback methods of Nicholls, inverse Nyquist and Hall. Other areas covered deal with the specification and measures of system performance, the control of dynamic systems and the selection of appropriate assessment methods.
Methods for the treatment of first- and second-order systems are provided, together with a variety of methods dealing with mathematical techniques, including the Laplace transform, an introduction to random processes, quadrature and the numerical solution of differential equations. A number of other topics include the design of nonlinear systems using Describing functions, the transfer functions of a wide range of servomechanisms and the analysis of sampled-data systems which includes the Z-transform.
The parameter estimation of linear systems is treated by a number of Data Items, featuring methods based on the least-squares principle, the Maximum Likelihood method, the Kalman filter, the Maximum Likelihood method in the presence of process noise and the parameter estimation method applied to frequency response methods.
Expand all: Collapse all:
Section 1: Organisational Documents
ESDU 00003
Dynamics Series record of documents.
ESDU CFA
Conversion factors.
Section 2: Aircraft Equations of Motion
Introduction to notation for aircraft dynamics.
Notation for aircraft dynamics.
The equations of motion of a rigid aircraft.
Conversion formulae for rotation and translation of body axes.
Geometric and kinematic relationships for various axis systems.
Direction and incidence angles.
Measures of damping.
Quaternion representation of aeroplane attitude and motion characteristics.
Section 3: Aircraft Lateral Motion
Introduction to inertia cross-coupling of the lateral and longitudinal motions during a rapid rolling manoeuvre.
Inertia cross-coupling during a rapid rolling manoeuvre. Theoretical background and discussion of simplified stability boundaries.
Inertia cross-coupling during a rapid rolling manoevre. Estimation of critical roll rate.
Approximation to the roots of the lateral equations of motion of an aircraft with and without a simple yaw damper.
Section 4: Aircraft Handling Qualities
A background to the handling qualities of aircraft.
Section 5: Aircraft Response
An introduction to rigid aeroplane response to gusts and atmospheric turbulence.
Section 6: Aircraft Loading
Symmetric steady manoeuvre loads on rigid aircraft of classical configuration at subsonic speeds.
Shear force, bending moment and torque of rigid aircraft in symmetric steady manoeuvring flight.
Loading on a rigid aeroplane in steady lateral manoeuvres.
Section 7: Aeroelasticity
A qualitative introduction to static aeroelasticity: controllability, loads and stability.
Static aeroelasticity: a formal analysis using assumed modes.
Static aeroelasticity: a formal analysis using normal modes.
An introduction to lateral static aeroelasticity: controllability, loads and stability.
Section 8: Design of Linear Systems
The stability and response of linear systems. Part 1: Introduction.
The stability and response of linear systems. Part II: methods of displaying stability characteristics.
The stability and response of linear systems. Part III: methods of analysis based on frequency response.
The stability and response of linear systems. Part IV: specification and measures of system performance.
The stability and response of linear systems. Part V: control of dynamic systems.
The stability and response of linear systems. Part VI: selection of an assessment method.
The stability and response of linear systems. Part VII: examples.
Section 9: Response of First- and Second-order Systems
The response of first- and second-order systems.
The response of two-degree-of-freedom systems (computer program).
Section 10: Mathematical Techniques
Solution of ordinary linear differential equations by the Laplace transform method.
A summary of the concepts relating to random processes.
Quadrature methods for the evaluation of definite integrals.
Numerical methods for the solution of ordinary differential equations: initial value problems.
Section 11: Design of Nonlinear Systems
Nonlinear systems: an introduction to Describing Functions.
Nonlinear systems: the Describing Function method for closed-loop system response.
Section 12: Servomechanisms
Servomechanism transfer functions.
Section 13: Sampled-data Systems
An introduction to the Z-transform and its application to sampled-data systems.
Analogue to digital transformation.
Section 14: Parameter Estimation
Parameter estimation of linear systems in the absence of process noise: (i) methods based on the least-squares principle.
Parameter estimation of linear systems in the absence of process noise: (ii) the Maximum Likelihood method.
The Kalman filter.
Parameter estimation of linear systems in the presence of process noise using the Maximum Likelihood method.
Parameter estimation of linear systems from frequency response measurements.
Parameter estimation of linear systems from frequency response measurements (computer program.)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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THE HAMMERSTEIN, THE GRAND & THE BANK
TECHCRUNCH DISRUPT
M·A·C COSMETICS LAUNCH
AHA GO RED FOR WOMEN
TV/AUDIO PRODUCTION
TV STAGES 1 & 2
STUDIO-7
D'USSE Palooza Hits The Hammerstein Ballroom. Jay-Z Pops In. Night Pops Off.
by John Young | Feb 18, 2019
Way back in the Paleozoic Age, you know, circa 2012, Kameron McCullough had grown frustrated with the nightlife in NYC. The serpentine lines, the annoying "please-let-me-in" cries at the velvet ropes, the "are-you-kidding-me-dude" prices for bottle service. Geez!
So what does Kam do? Well, like most men in a crisis, he retreats to his apartment basement (in Harlem). But this was no "Man Cave" outfitted with big screen TVs and a cheesy four-seat varnished wooden bar. This was an invite-only affair that featured some great pals playing games and knocking back Hennessey Cognac. In fact, the price of admission was one bottle per guest; so one can easily divine how the event was originally dubbed "Hennypalozza".
Now, putting our opinions about the sobriquet aside, the concept stuck and has grown into what is today known as America's favorite "house party". And the guys who were all at the inaugural event are still going strong with the current day incarnation: D'USSE Palozza.
There's CEO McCullough and COO Benner Hall as the business guys. Austin Millz as the DJ. Kazeem Famuyide running Talent Relations. Raven "Ravie B" Verona as Photographer. Patrick "Peeje" Thorendahl Creative Director. Videographer Karl Lundsford. Trey and Duke holding down Merchandise. And Nile "Lowkey" Ivy and Chris Stylez who ignite the stage and the crowd as emcee and dancing impresario, respectively.
This group of long-time and super-talented friends is, at its core, a touring party/concert appearing at festivals like Made in America and in cities you might have heard of: Los Angeles, Miami and Chicago.
But for McCullough, New York, and The Hammerstein Ballroom in particular, is home. As he told Hip Hop Wired:
"As a New York City kid, I would come to Hammerstein for big shows, rap concerts. Hammerstein to me was like a Mecca, Manhattan Center, that's 34th Street. I couldn't ask for better partners in this situation because it is a full-on production. It's a show. The screens, the setup, the pyrotechnics, it's a show. So with that, you need the right people to be aligned with. They've been doing this forever and it's an independently owned venue in Manhattan. When you walk in the building, this feels bigger than a party should feel."
This is D'USSE Palooza's second "party" at The Hammerstein Ballroom and is the biggest to date. Aside from the packed-to-the-ceiling crowd, T-Pain was the headliner.
And the headlines grew bigger when Shawn Carter, aka "Jay-Z", and his crew popped in.
We all know that Jay-Z loves a good party. And we also know that Jay-Z is shrewd forward-thinking entrepreneur. So about a year ago, via Rock Nation VP Lenny Santiago, a partnership deal was struck and Jay-Z agreed to formally bring the D'USSE cognac brand to party. Hence D'USSE Palooza.
Again, Kam from Hip Hop Wired: "With the D'USSE situation, it's night and day because you have someone who has been at the forefront of our culture for 20years. He sees everything. He reads everything. He knew about us in our third year. Not to say we weren't popping, but we weren't like that. So for him to know that just shows me that one, he does his homework, [and] two, he is who he is for a reason. The partnership has been lovely. They just support us, we're aligned. It just different when someone gets it."
Indeed, just like the entire Manhattan Center event staff "gets" how to host the city's most exciting cultural events without missing a beat — hip-hop or otherwise.
Return to BACKSTAGE: THE MANHATTAN CENTER BLOG
311 W 34TH ST (BETWEEN 8th & 9th AVES), NEW YORK, NY 10001 (212) 695-6600


The Hush Post: Finally, some relief for Padmavati director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea seeking criminal prosecution of producers and director of 'Padmavati' and slammed the petitioner for filing a 'frivolous petition.' The apex court said that people in responsible positions should refrain from comments on controversial films like Padmavati till it is cleared by the Central Board of Film Certificate.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices A M Khanvilkar and DY Chandrachud said that the comments by people holding responsible posts are unwarranted and would create disenchantment, and is against basic tenets of law. Bhansali has assured the Supreme Court that he will not release 'Padmavati' in other countries till the film is certified by CBFC. He denied the allegations that the film will be released abroad on December 1.


Work5hop is a generalist design firm in San Antonio's River North area with capabilities spanning from architectural design and master planning to custom furniture design and fabrication. Our website features articles about our work, design issues, local craft, and other topics.
Work5hop is a Limited Liability Company. We are STRCA certified as an Emerging Small Business Enterprise (ESBE), Small Business Enterprise (SBE), and Woman-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE).
Work5hop was founded with a wide range of experience in architecture and interiors, from very large educational and institutional projects to single-family residences. Our basic design approach applies to all types of projects, however: focus on making places and spaces that foster great experiences.
Our core strength is our people. We have experience on all project phases including design, programming project leadership, project management, construction administration, and construction documentation. We work to ensure projects are delivered on time and on budget and that they are responsive to people?s actual, rather than perceived, needs. We believe that the right answers to design and planning problems aren?t usually immediately apparent, so we pride ourselves on listening, taking time to understand situations in depth, and crafting original solutions to complex problems.


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A Fifteen több étterem neve, melyeket Jamie Oliver hozott létre és irányít.

Az eredeti Fifteen London Hackney kerületében fekszik. Az éttermet a 2002-es sorozat, a Folytassa, Jamie részeként hozta létre. Oliver itt 15 fiatal munkanélkülit és más, tanulási nehézségekkel küzdőt segített vissza az életbe. Megtanította nekik, hogyan legyenek professzionális szakácsok, séfek. A vállalat a műsorsorozat befejezése után is üzemelt, és óriási visszhangot váltott ki. Sok tanítványa elegáns londoni éttermekben folytatta pályafutását.

Az étterem a következő sorozatban, a Return to Jamie's Kitchenben, majd 2005-ben a Jamie menzája is innen jelentkezett. Az étterem egy jótékonysági alapítvány, teljes profitját az utánpótlás-nevelésre fordítja.

Az eredeti étterem Hoxtonban nyílt meg. 2004-ben Hollandiában Amsterdamban nyílt meg az első külföldi üzlet. 2006 júliusában Cornwallban Newquay-en, a Watergate Bayen majd szeptemberben Melbourne-ben Ausztráliában

Érdekesség

Bill Clinton is meglátogatta az éttermet a Jamie menzája forgatása alatt. Az éttermet ki kellett üríteni, mert tízszer annyian jöttek, mint amennyit megbeszéltek és más menüt kellett tálalni, mint az előzetesen megállapodott, mert az elnök South Beach diétán volt.

Jegyzetek

Források
 "Fifteen" website
 "Fifteen Cornwall" website
 "Fifteen Melbourne" website
 "Fifteen Amsterdam" website

Éttermek
Étteremláncok

en:Jamie's Kitchen#Fifteen Foundation

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


ARCHON ships to most destinations worldwide. Standard delivery options are via DHL or UPS carriers. Larger shipments may require freight service providers.
Returns are accepted within 30 days of original order. Product should be completely unused and undamaged. Special orders are non-returnable. A return authorization number is required before making a return. Products returned without prior authorization will be refused. A restocking fee of 20% will be charged where applicable. Please email orders@shopARCHONind.com.


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That Song Sounds Like
Songs that Sound Like Other Songs
Sweet vs. ELO
Posted on September 21, 2009 by keith — 8 Comments ↓
Kendra sent me this one.
It's not necessarily mind blowing but over the years you've probably been confused by Electric Light Orchesatra's 1976 hit "Do Ya" (original recorded in 1972) and Sweet's 1975 hit "Fox on The Run". There are definitely some similarities here. Have a listen:
Electric Light Orchesatra - "Do Ya" (1976)
Sweet - "Fox On The Run" (1975)
As pointed out by Tom in the comments below, check out George Harrison's "What Is Life" from 1970:
This entry was posted in Music, User Submission by keith. Bookmark the permalink.
8 Replies to "Sweet vs. ELO"
mbadger January 20, 2010 at 4:03 am
Of course, Lynne wrote and performed the song earlier with his group "The Move" in 1972: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhCV2v-qud4#t=1m23s
Keith Post author January 20, 2010 at 5:18 am
Thanks for filling that in mbadger. I love those record player clips on youtube.
Steve December 29, 2011 at 8:40 pm
Originality is the fine art of remembering what you hear but forgetting where you heard it. (Laurence J. Peter)
Tom July 27, 2012 at 7:34 pm
Take a listen to the chorus of George Harrison's What is Life (1970). I think you will see where both ELO and Sweet might have gotten the idea.
Keith Post author July 27, 2012 at 7:49 pm
Thanks for the addition Tom! I just added it to the post!
Mark Adams August 2, 2014 at 7:38 am
Fox On The Run reminds me of I'll Supply the Love by Toto (1978?).
JayD September 15, 2014 at 12:44 am
Speaking of "What is Life" by George Harrison, the verses in that song sound identical to the verses in "Keep on Running" by the Spencer Davis Group.
David Shakespeare March 19, 2016 at 4:28 pm
I am surprised that Sweet were not sued for this. Fox On The Run is too similar for it to be coincidental.
Katy Perry Loses Court Case
July 30, 209 – Katy Perry loses court case. Jury finds that "Dark Horse" improperly copied 2009 Christian rap song "Joyful Noise" READ MORE
Lukasz Gottwald (aka Dr. Luke)
Curious about the producer behind "Dark Horse" and some of pop music's biggest hits? Click here
5 Songs That Sound Like Girl Crush
Justin Timberlake and Will.I.Am Being Sued for…
6 Songs That Sound Like Phantom of the Opera
Justin Bieber "Sorry" sounds just like this song
One Direction "Night Changes" Sounds…
The Doors vs. Muse
Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran vs. Elvis Presley
Muse vs. The Offspring
Ed Sheeran Being Sued $20M for Photograph
Ed Sheeran being sued for "Thinking Out Loud"
Songs in Ads
Somtimes an advertiser can't get the song they want for their commercial so they have someone write one that sounds just like it. How do you feel about this? Have a listen!
Angels & Airwaves vs. Screeching Weasel
Snow Patrol vs. The Black Eyed Peas
Halsey "Nightmare" sounds a lot like a t.A.T.u. song (and Katy Perry)
Huey Lewis & The News vs. Ray Parker Jr.
Led Zeppelin vs. The World
Demi Lovato vs. Pat Benatar
Lady Gaga vs. Madonna
The Cars vs. Tom Petty
Santigold vs. Frida vs. The Bangles
Green Day vs. The Kinks
Email Artists and Song Titles to submit[at]thatsongsoundslike dot com and I will listen! I have a ton of submissions but I will eventually reply!
Send me a YouTube link with the exact time in the url like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r00ikilDxW4#t=1m01s
This example will link to the chorus of Green Day's "21 Guns by appending "#t=1m01s" to the end (without the quotes). It means start the video at 1 minute 1 second.
Copyright © 2020 That Song Sounds Like All Rights Reserved.


Mis en ligne, ce vendredi dernier par le ministère de l'Intérieur, le fichier électoral est tout sauf fiable, a déclaré un expert des systèmes de vote. Chercheur, Bakar Ndiaye, qui a inventé un logiciel de vote électronique, soutient mordicus, dans cet extrait, une infirme partie d'un entretien accordé à Dakaractu, que ''le fichier mis en ligne n'est pas fiable''.
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A. whereas an Amnesty International investigation has gathered horrific evidence of the repeated use of what are believed to be chemical weapons against civilians, including very young children, by Sudanese government forces in one of the most remote regions of Darfur over the past eight months.
F. whereas both Uganda and Djibouti are members of the Treaty of Rome and are obliged to execute the court's arrest warrants, to detain Bashir and hand him over for trial in The Hague.
H. Where the International Criminal Court stated several times that under the Statute of ICC, and by virtue of paragraph 2 of the UN Security Council Resolution 1593(2005) the Security Council implicitly waived the immunities granted to Omar Al Bashir under international law and attached to his position as a Head of State.
K. Whereas according to the EU Delegation the Cooperation in Sudan focuses on projects to tackle the root causes of migration and these projects contribute to improving livelihoods, stimulating youth employment, and supporting basic services for refugees, the displaced, and host communities, to build capacity to prevent trafficking and smuggling of human beings, to enhance international protection of victims of criminal networks, to raise awareness about the perils of irregular migration, and to increase opportunities for labour migration.
2) Calls on the Sudanese Government and military authorities to cease all attacks against civilians and properties.
5) Calls on the Sudanese Government to stop immediately using producing chemical weapons and to destroy both chemical weapons production facilities and the weapons themselves.
8) Calls on the UN Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council to allow to provide humanitarian assistance and to undertake measures to enforce the current UN arms embargo on Darfur, expanding the arms embargo on Darfur to cover the whole of Sudan, and thus help to prevent further violations of international humanitarian and human rights law in Darfur and elsewhere in the country.
9) Request that the Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons obtain clarifications from the government of Sudan about its alleged use of chemical weapons in Jebel Marra in accordance with Article IX of the Chemical Weapons Convention; asking for an on-site challenge inspection in accordance with Article IX of the Chemical Weapons Convention.
10) Calls on UN to immediately conduct an assessment mission to verify the needs of the civilian population living in Jebel Marra and those displaced by attacks in Jebel Marra in 2016; to take steps to ensure that survivors of attacks in Jebel Marra, including those who are currently beyond the purview of humanitarian actors, have access to adequate humanitarian assistance, including clinical care for serious injuries sustained during the recent violence and comprehensive health services for survivors of sexual violence.
11) Calls on the Sudan Liberation Army – Abdul Wahid to re-establish humanitarian co-ordinators, develop a strategy to encourage humanitarian agencies back into SLW/AW-controlled areas inside Jebel Marra, facilitate the unimpeded access of humanitarian actors to the civilian population living in SLA/AW-controlled areas; to ensure that at no point do SLA/AW operations compromise the civilian character of villages inside SLA/AW-controlled or contested territory.
16) Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the European Union the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Governments of the Republic of Sudan, of Uganda, of Dibouti, the European External Action Service the African Union, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the EU-ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly and the Pan-African Parliament.


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ONGEKI Vocal Party 04 (2CD)
The original character song series from the SEGA arcade music game "ONGEKI" has evolved into the "ONGEKI Vocal Party" series with a new look! The fourth volume includes R.B.P.'s new cool jazz rock song, Tsumugi & Riku's event song, and ASTERISM's solo songs. It also includes new songs & solo ver of each song. Includes 1 SR+ Ongeki Card (total 3 kinds) that can be used in game arcades, and 1 Star Ticket serial code that can remove the level limit of Ongeki Cards. Newly illustrated cover artwork.


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ADA website lawsuits a growing problem for retailers
Marisa Harrilchak
It's that time of year again when families across the country are rushing to complete their back-to-school shopping. And while parents are out at stores, many will notice signs that designate access for shoppers with disabilities – from parking spaces to restrooms to dressing rooms. These requirements are thanks to the Americans with Disabilities Act, a 28-year-old federal law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. Retailers support the goals of the ADA and work to facilitate access to their stores to best accommodate all customers regardless of ability.
While ADA requirements in physical stores are, by and large, easy to understand, the standards are less black-and-white when it comes to online shopping. It is straightforward enough to measure the height of a restroom grab bar to test its ADA compliance. It is far more complex to accurately measure or predict how a specific website will interact with a specific assistive technology and its user. So, as ecommerce grows, retailers are increasingly faced with ADA lawsuits that claim their websites are not accessible, particularly for the visually impaired.
More lawsuits were filed in federal court in the first six months of 2018 than in all of 2017.
Website accessibility lawsuits have already hit a record this year, with retail being the most frequently targeted industry. More lawsuits were filed in federal court in the first six months of 2018 (1,053) than in all of 2017 (814). With legal action skyrocketing, the number of cases so far this year is more than four times the 262 filed in 2016 and nearly 20 times the 57 seen in 2015. Moreover, businesses located in all but 12 states have fallen victim to website-related lawsuits and threats of suits, paying anywhere from $10,000 to over $90,000 to resolve the claims.
What's driving this issue? Lack of clarity. The ADA was signed into law in 1990, three years before the World Wide Web was officially released to the public. Title III of the ADA – the section under which retailers are being sued – prohibits disability-based discrimination in "any place of public accommodation." But while the law defines many types of businesses with physical locations as "public accommodations" it makes no mention of non-physical marketplaces like websites. That has led to a patchwork of inconsistent court decisions that attempt to interpret Title III and its reach. At one point the Department of Justice attempted to issue guidance for website accessibility. But the guidance was never finalized, possibly because the DOJ is not granted clear authority under the ADA to promulgate regulations. More recently, the DOJ announced that it would not issue any guidance as part of the Trump administration's efforts at deregulation.
Retailers are committed to making websites accessible, but this huge spike in litigation diverts resources and drives up the cost of doing business to the detriment of all consumers. As long as there are no clear legal standards for web accessibility under the ADA, retailers will be sued. And as long as retailers continue to be sued, money they could be investing in advanced technologies is being wasted on legal fees, preventing business owners and people with disabilities from reaching their shared goal of creating and maintaining websites that are accessible to all.
Update: Website lawsuits nearly tripled in 2018
Read more about the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Americans with Disabilities Act, Online Retail, User experience, Customer Experience, Public Policy, Technology


When used as directed, the benefits of these products include good health, good hygiene and clean homes. However, use of these products in ways other than they were intended could be dangerous to us, to our water resources and to animals using those resources. When these products are flushed down the toilet or rinsed down the drain, they often end up back in our water supply.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) describes Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs) as pollutants that include "any product used by an individual for personal health or cosmetic reasons or used by agribusiness to enhance growth or health of livestock." Scientists around the world are concerned about how PPCPs could impact the environment.
When we excrete waste or take a shower, some of the chemicals used in the manufacture of these PPCPs enter the environment through wastewater and sewage treatment plants. While many of the chemicals in PPCPs are not dangerous because they quickly break down in water, some PPCPs don't readily break down and can interact with living organisms in the environment.
Recent studies document the presence of PPCPs in lakes, rivers, ponds, streams, groundwater and drinking water in a number of countries.
To date, no effects on human health have been found as a result of PPCPs in our water supply. However, research shows some aquatic animals may be affected, including fish and organisms that keep lakes and rivers clean.
Certain chemicals in these PPCPs cause male fish to develop female reproductive characteristics, change normal spawning patterns in fish and mussels and change swimming performance in multiple species of fish. These effects could lead to long-term changes in populations.
The EPA acknowledges that more research is needed to fully understand the risks PPCPs may have on the environment and possible risks to human health.
The easiest ways to minimize the risk of PPCPs are to practice a few simple rules of thumb and to be an informed consumer.
First and foremost, do not flush unwanted or expired medications down the sink or toilet. Almost all medicines can be safely disposed of by using medicine take-back programs, and drop-off locations are available throughout Mississippi. To find a safe disposal location near you, visit http://www.awarerx.org/get-local/mississippi.
When purchasing personal care or cleaning products, look for ingredients that are likely to biodegrade or be less harmful to the environment. Examples include vinegar, lemon juice and baking soda. Opt for unscented lotions, soaps and other cosmetics.
If using products with potentially harmful ingredients, use them sparingly and according to the recommendations printed on the label. Oftentimes, more does not mean better. When finished, leave unwanted products in their original containers and dispose of them according to the label instructions.
Finally, maintain your home's septic and plumbing lines to avoid unnecessary leaks or spills into the environment.
For more information about PPCPs, please visit http://www.epa.gov/ppcp/.


I made a second episode of "The Hall of Records" , the radio show for Radio Patapoe in which I try to tell the basic esoteric information with pop songs.
This second episode is rather boring; but I wanted to make a wake up-episode. The next episodes will be more subtle and more mysterious. I will try to make two episodes per month.
If you are interested, you can listen to the result on Radio Patapoe, of course. But I have no idea when it will be aired.


text:
Pickup theft leads to prison
Crime | December 7, 2019
Kurt Hildebrand
khildebrand@recordcourier.com
A Lake Tahoe man was sentenced to prison on Tuesday in connection with a September theft of a pickup.
Michael A. Jordan, 35, was ordered to serve 14-40 months in prison.
Jordan was arrested Sept. 10 in the parking lot of the Mont Bleu casino in a pickup that had been reported stolen in South Lake Tahoe the previous day.
He was arrested on a warrant out of Tahoe Township Justice Court.
Prosecutor Roger Harada pointed out that Jordan has 22 arrests and several felonies on his record.
"You have to quit committing crimes," District Judge Tod Young said.
The prison sentence must be served after a 60-day sentence out of Tahoe.
■ A successful treatment program provided a Minden man with an opportunity to avoid a mandatory prison sentence.
Joshua Leon Lee, 43, received a suspended 18-48-month sentence after he admitted to a count of sales of a controlled sentence.
Lee was originally facing a charge of trafficking in connection with the sale of 6.3 grams of methamphetamine on Nov. 28 2018.
Lee was arrested nine days later for possession of a controlled substance.
In April he entered the Salvation Army treatment program and graduated.
Defense attorney Andrew Bunn sought an underlying 12-34-month sentence for his client, but Harada pointed out Lee had prior felonies. Both the defense and prosecution were recommending a suspended sentence.
"I'm giving you the 18-48 months based on your record," Young said. "I'm suspending it based on your behavior. Don't break the law and don't use."
He was given credit for 121 days time served.
■ A California man who twice failed to turn up for court dates will stay in jail while he awaits a March jury trial.
Nathan S. Ford, 53, was booked into jail on Nov. 20 after being picked up on a warrant.
Ford was supposed to appear in court on Aug. 20 to reschedule a trial. Prosecutors pointed out on Tuesday that a warrant had to be issued to get
He is facing a trafficking charge after he was arrested with two bags of methamphetamine.
Tahoe man in custody on fugitive warrant
Driver in DUI wreck goes to prison
Woman sent to prison in betting scheme
Valley marks anniversary of homicides
Tweets by RecordCourierNV


How We Promote Your Property. Clients often come to talk to me about what do we do to ensure that we get maximum exposure for their properties and limit any vacancy through in order to ensure that we get the most amount of interest as possible for our properties. We advertise and arrange a different platform, both online and throughout our network.
To promote each and every property that we take on. We do all of these things on day 1. The aim of this is to make sure that we get maximum exposure for the property as early as we can and get as many people as we can through those early inspections to try and limit that vacancy period and ensure a maximum yield for a spot.
If you'd like to know any more about the advertising we do for our properties and how we attract first class tenants, please don't hesitate to get in touch.


text:
using System;

internal class StartupHook
{
    public static void Initialize()
    {
        // This startup hook can pass or fail depending on whether the
        // app comes with Newtonsoft.Json.
        Console.WriteLine("Hello from startup hook with dependency!");

        // A small operation involving NewtonSoft.Json to ensure the assembly is loaded properly
        var t = typeof(Newtonsoft.Json.JsonReader);
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Abaco considers its presence at the largest technology conference in the World, Web Summit, a success.
This success has been extended to all Abaco initiatives with some of their products implemented such as the inCloud for Safemed Solution, the This Is APPStation Challenge and the Canary solution.
The approaches were varied as well as the business opportunities.
The inCloud for Safemed and Canary solutions, being represented in beta program stand, created a deep recognition in the middle as well as within the own organization of Web Summit. There´s a promising future ahead. >> Read here and here.
Innovation is all around us, Abaco has reinforced its image and will continue the work in progress supported by the acquisition of talent and knowledge, by nurturing creativity and new ideas conducting its activity with differentiating principles of sustainability.


text:
With its wintery power/symphonic metal, combined with the manga inspired art style, Everfrost is hoping to bring people joy and an escape from reality – and a whole world to escape into along with the music. Now they are soon to release their second album, Winterider. PowerMetal.no had a talk with founder Benjamin Connelly about the world of Everfrost.
When preparing for this interview I found out that Everfrost is so much more than just a band; it's a whole concept. Was this the idea the whole time, that you wanted to create something bigger than just a band?
Benjamin: That's pretty much correct. I always dreamed of a band that could combine its music with a fictional world and the tales of its characters. I was familiar with bands doing concept albums, or alluding to other works of fiction but I'd never found any artists putting forward a whole fictional universe of their own and making it just as important as the music. So, I decided to attempt it.
How important is the concept around the music for you as a creative person? Does the concept around drive the music and your creativity forward?
Benjamin: When it comes to Everfrost very much so. The world of Everfrost and the characters seem to always give me inspiration and a story to tell. I've lost count of the amount of times I've had to get out of bed and write stuff down, whether it be plot points, lyrics or musical ideas. But I like to be inspired by other things too when writing for other projects of course.
For those who are unfamiliar with the Everfrost concept or world. Can you give a short introduction? Because, we have the manga theme, and we have the story that was introduced on the first album; is that all connected?
Benjamin: Without revealing too much, the first album gives a first look at the lives and back stories of four characters who live in a town called Everfrost. It's a place hidden by forest and surrounded by high walls, the residents are strictly forbidden to leave because of knowledge of a nuclear catastrophe that happened outside the town. However, the characters discover something the town is hiding that could be even more sinister.
This concept is inspired by the secret cities of Russia and USA during the atomic race and cold war, where citizens were moved to hidden towns to research and manufacture atomic weapons. Their identities back home were erased and declared missing to everyone else, and if they tried to leave, they were executed. The characters featured in the first album however are from many generations of people living in the Everfrost town, so the history for them is hazy.
Speaking of the manga theme that is visualized in the artwork, the characters etc. How did you come up with the idea of combining power metal and manga?
Benjamin: When I was in high school I became heavily interested in Japanese anime and manga. I drew a lot then so I started creating my own anime characters, as embarrassing as that sounds! But those characters and the town concept were basically born then. I was of course listening to a lot of metal at the time and writing my first metal songs, I found myself writing about the characters so I realized I should try to combine them. For example, «Silver Nights, Golden Dreams» was in an early form at that point.
Everfrost debuted in 2015 with the album "Blue Eyed Emotion", that introduce us for the story of the town with the cursed tower. Will the story continue on the upcoming album? What can you say about that?
Benjamin: Winterider is going to be a sequel story to Blue Eyed Emotion that takes place some years after the characters discovered that tower. It's much more focused on one event however. The two younger characters from Blue Eyed Emotion are now young adults and have three new friends, but the start of their lives has been interrupted by a never-ending winter that has caused a social and economic depression in Everfrost. The story is of course going to show how they try to escape this, but the 'winterider' concept and lyrical themes are also built heavily on trying to cope in horrible times.
I asked a similar question above, but how important is it to have a story to build the music upon? Or is it not how it works? In other words: how does the story affect the songwriting?
Benjamin: The reasons for this whole thing are quite many, so I will try to answer this as clearly as possible. I noticed a strange pattern that happened when I started working on the new album, that having the story manuscript in place and writing music and lyrics to this caused me to write the whole album almost like filling in a puzzle. Rather than writing song by song, the entire album slowly took this audible shape in my mind, sections of songs, parts of lyrics etc. At this point in my song writing, this process to me feels like one key to making such story-based albums.
The thing is, we don't really have any proven examples of how to combine something like a manga comic with concept music. When I finished Blue Eyed Emotion, I realized how hard it is to achieve a smooth marriage between a work of music and visual story, so with each album I'm trying to improve our attempts at this. Realizing that 'puzzle-style' of writing an album was a much-needed insight.
The reason I am so in pursuit of this concept working is because people have no shortage of bands giving the time-proven escape into music with their albums. I make music because I want to bring people joy and an escape from reality, but with Everfrost I want to also bring a whole world to escape into along with the music. I hope to get closer to achieving this with each effort.
You have said that the band is aiming to raise the bar of what an album experience is traditionally expected to be. What do you mean with that?
Benjamin: A lot of work is being put into this album in all areas, i.e. music, lyrics, visuals, story, production sound… An 'experience' is obviously subjective but integrating a manga comic into a metal album is something you don't see every day. It gets a little boring seeing bands releasing fantastic albums without giving any reason to buy the physical product. Of course, it's a loyal way to support a band's music, but when you open an album booklet only to see white text on a black background, it's a little underwhelming. Things also go a little deeper yet with Winterider, all I can say is if you look hard, you will find.
We are young though of course, and we stand at the foot of a huge mountain of amazing work done before us. Our goal with this is to give the best we can and aim for that outcome.
Musically you have said that you are focusing on getting stronger and clearer melodies; more catchy elements. Is that a good description of the new album?
Benjamin: That's what we are aiming for yes. Of course, we want to bring a lot of creativity and detail but refining the Everfrost style is a big goal.
In the press release it says that the new album will include the band's first ballade, your fastest song, and the first epic song (over 10 minutes). Is that a sign of a band that has matured regarding songwriting, or a band that is more courageous regarding songwriting?
Benjamin: I think it shows we want to achieve both. As a songwriter, I am always trying to improve and 'mature' my approach to the craft, but at the same time I dearly hold onto that young innocence to keep pushing the boundaries.
For how long have you been working on the upcoming album, and is it you that writes most of the lyrics and music? Or how does that work?
Benjamin: The writing for this album began in the summer of 2017, I came up with the chorus for «Cold Night Remedy» while in sauna and then chose the story direction not long after. Thus far I am the one writing the music and lyrics, plus I also mix the albums. During recording though each member puts their own feel into the parts, and when recording Mikael's vocals, he will often suggest harmonies for choruses etc. We are planning though for the third album to have other members of the band involved with songwriting too which will be fun!
As I mentioned you released your debut album back in 2015. And in 2018 you released a live album. That is maybe not so common, having only released one album prior to that? Why did you go for a live album?
Benjamin: Yeah, we released one of our shows as a live DVD and four of the songs as a small live EP. There are a few reasons we did that. Not many bands have their early years well documented, so we wanted to release something that will always show people where we started. Another reason is we always try to have content for our fans and followers. It takes a long time to make albums so we always try to give something. We also make small 'documentaries' and making of series so people can 'join' us in our adventures, more so for the entertainment value because we usually end up doing a lot of dumb stuff! It's also rather hard for us to tour at this point, so we want as many of our fans around the world to at least be able to watch the show somehow.
Who are the members of Everfrost today? Is Hew Wagner still present?
Benjamin: Currently the lineup is: Mikael Salo on vocals, Markus Laito on guitars, me on keyboards, Allan Hasanen on bass and Joonas Salminen on drums.
However, we are looking for a second guitarist to join us, in fact there is someone we are looking at currently who could fill that position. We are still in contact with Hew but he is heavily involved with opera duties nowadays, so he isn't an official member as of this point. We will release a statement about this soon, however we have plans with him to do some backing vocals on the new album. Winterider is going to be Mikael Salo's first Everfrost album as the sole lead vocalist.
What are the plans after the album is released? Will there be a tour, and what about summer festivals?
Benjamin: The biggest goal after the release is of course further promotion but also upgrading our live performance and stage show. Unfortunately, at this point it looks like we will only be able to do some shows in Finland. We would love to take the show on the road but it's very difficult without a touring agency. We are hoping though to make this possible as soon as we can. The same goes for summer festivals.
And one final question to Mikael Salo, if he is around: what is the latest news regarding Northern Seer, when will the debut album be released?
Benjamin: Mikael says it should be ready earliest end of summer 2019 or fall. I'm aware though that most of the music is recorded so it is definitely on the way. It's going to be a great album!


The research, which was published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, showed for the first time that the power of emotional memories — specifically, fearful ones — can be weakened with sleep-based tactics, which offers hope that something as simple as a good night's slumber may reduce phobias and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The participants then took a nap. While they slept, the researchers repeatedly reintroduced the odors, including the ones linked to the target faces and a shock — but this time, without the shock.
When the participants faced the scary images after their nap, they were less likely to flinch. In other words, their fear response had been reduced while they slept. And the longer they slept and were exposed to the scent, the less afraid they were when they awoke.
While she cautions that this technique is not yet ready for clinical use, if other scientists repeat and investigate the process more deeply, it could one day be added to exposure therapy, which is the most effective treatment for phobias and is also used for PTSD. Exposure involves having people engage in their feared experiences gradually — while they are awake — until they learn not to overreact. But because they are conscious of having to face their fears, many patients refuse even to try it. If some of this exposure work could be done while they were asleep, more people might benefit from the therapy.
One element of a memory involves emotion, which flags the memories that should be kept and those that are filed away or even deleted. But each time a memory is brought up, recalled and stored again, it can be changed in subtle ways. That's why an unconscious experience like smelling a scent during sleep can reshape the memory so its emotional poignancy — in this case, fear — is attenuated so the next time it is activated, it's less emotionally powerful.
Other research also suggests that emotional memories may be processed in different ways than neutral ones, and that sleep tends to reduce emotional intensity. "In general, the idea is that maybe sleep helps to increase our memory but reduce our worries," says Bjorn Rasch, a professor of cognitive biopsychology at the University of Fribourg in Switzerland, who was not associated with the research, noting that this may be why anxiety disorders and depression are often accompanied by sleep problems.
The new study suggests we may be able to hack this mechanism to fight troubling memories — and get closer to one day sleeping them off.
MORE: A Sleeping Pill Without the Sleepy Head?


text:
Sandstede, Lislegard and Other Democrats Vote Again to Protect Walz' Emergency Powers
As the vote to End Walz' Emergency Powers was going down at the Capitol and vulnerable Democrats like Julie Sandstede and Dave Lislegard were in the crosshairs, we learned from the Governors office that a "significant dialback of COVID restrictions" are going to be announced tomorrow.
It's quite clear to me that the pressure from you, and the hundreds of thousands of people who have joined this effort to End Walz' Emergency Powers, is working. Unfortunately, Walz once again wants to play politics over doing what's right. His announcement was made to release tension on his Party's most vulnerable members and provide them political cover.
So Sandstede and gang voted again to protect Walz' Emergency Powers this evening. Here's the vote.
Now I don't know if Governor Walz and his team think that we'll just accept his dialback tomorrow and remove the pressure off of Sandstede, Lislegard, Sundin and the rest. If so, he couldn't possibly be MORE WRONG!
This just shows we are making progress. Our pressure works. We already knew that because I got a call today from the House Sergeant of Arms who said members of the Minnesota House requested us to take down our FB Ads against Sandstede and Lislegard.
I respectfully declined, of course! This is all it said:
We're dead serious about this issue. We can't allow one person to create unilateral orders in this state that infringe on our liberties any longer. We will not quit until Walz' powers are gone and we ensure this NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN!
I told the individual from the Sergeant of Arms office that we don't have any sympathy for the enablers of Walz' Emergency Powers that have led to our businesses being shut down, harassed by government, and even sued by the Attorney General on behalf of the Walz Administration.
As long as Governor Walz' powers still exist, our rights can still be trampled on and business owners will still live in fear of future shutdowns.
So if these Con Artist politicians think that the fight is over, they are wrong. Meanwhile our team is knocking on thousands of doors every week. The leader of my team just asked for 3,000 new pieces of Sandstede literature this morning for the upcoming week.
I want to thank all of you who took the time to email or call the legislators from our recent email. Reports we got back suggested that their inboxes were overfilled with your messages and voicemail boxes got overwhelmed. The fact that thousands of people contacted them signals they have a real problem on their hands. They know you are willing to donate to our efforts to hold them accountable!
Please do me a favor. A box of lit costs $150. Please help us pay for more literature so we can hand them to thousands of their voters. Deliver a new box of lit to our team with a donation of $150. If that's too much, help us buy a partial box with a donation of $100 or $50. Let's continue forcing this issue by taking the message DIRECTLY TO THEIR VOTERS!


With more than two dozen companies in Pennsylvania manufacturing potato chips, it is no wonder that researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences have developed a novel approach to more efficiently convert potato waste into ethanol. This process may lead to reduced production costs for biofuel in the future and add extra value for chip makers.
Using potato mash made from the peelings and potato residuals from a Pennsylvania food-processor, researchers triggered simultaneous saccharification—the process of breaking down the complex carbohydrate starch into simple sugars—and fermentation—the process in which sugars are converted to ethanol by yeasts or other microorganisms in bioreactors.
The simultaneous nature of the process was innovative, according to researcher Ali Demirci, professor of agricultural and biological engineering. The addition to the bioreactor of mold and yeast—Aspergillus niger and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, respectively—catalyzed the conversion of potato waste to bioethanol.
The bioreactor had plastic composite supports to encourage and enhance biofilm formation and to increase the microbial population.
Biofilms are a natural way of immobilizing microbial cells on a solid support material. In a biofilm environment, microbial cells are abundant and more resistant to environmental stress causing higher productivities. In this application, these benefits were especially important because mold enzyme activity required higher temperature and the yeast had to tolerate this.
Researchers evaluated the effects of temperature, pH and aeration rates in biofilm reactors, and the optimal conditions were found to be 95 degrees Fahrenheit and a pH of 5.8 with no aeration. After 72 hours, the researchers achieved the maximum ethanol concentration of 37.93 grams per liter. The yield was 0.41 grams or ethanol per gram of starch.
"These results are promising, because the co-culture biofilm reactor provided similar ethanol production—37.93 grams per leader—compared to the conventional ethanol production—37.05 grams per liter—which required pre-treatment with added commercial enzymes at a higher temperature," Demirci explained. "Therefore, eliminating the externally added enzyme and energy costs will certainly reduce the cost of bioethanol production."
Researchers also evaluated biofilm formation of co-culture on the plastic composite supports using a scanning electron microscope, said researcher Gulten Izmirlioglu, a doctoral student in agricultural and biological engineering when the study was conducted. "Scanning electron microscope images revealed that when mold and yeast are allowed to form a biofilm, hyphae (filaments) of the mold provide surface area for the yeasts' attachment," she said. "That's a good thing."
The research findings, which demonstrated that plastic composite supports can be used for simultaneous saccharification and fermentation processes in biofilm reactors with co-cultures when producing ethanol, were published in Fuel. Izmirlioglu believes the results are significant for industry.
"Overall, bioethanol production from starchy industrial wastes can be improved with application of biofilm reactors, while the production cost is reduced with integrations of the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation process and co-culturing," she said.
More efficient bioethanol production is needed to meet the demand for renewable energy and reduce the negative environmental impacts of petroleum fuel, Demirci noted. To make ethanol production cost-competitive, inexpensive, and easily available, feedstocks such as potato mash are needed, as well as improved processing technologies with higher productivities.
"This research is of great interest to Keystone Potato Products in Hegins, Pennsylvania, a subsidiary of Sterman Masser Inc.," said Demirci. "The company is paying attention to this project, hoping this novel approach may help it add more value to its waste potato mash. Industrial food wastes are potentially a great substrate in production of value-added products to reduce the cost, while managing the waste economically and environmentally."
Also contributing to the research was John Cantolina in the Microscopy and Cytometry Facility at the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Penn State.


Built in 1968, Tropical Park Condo is a 81 unit condominium located in the Ludlam/Tropical Park submarket in Miami, Florida. For more information on Tropical Park Condo, explore the other tabs at the top of this page. If you are interested in buying or renting a unit, click the "Condos for Sale and Rent" tab to see what is currently available.


text:
by space · January 11, 2020
Scientists, having studied the skulls of ancient representatives of the Caribbean islands, found that the Spaniards were not the first to colonize the islands, but the bloodthirsty cannibals-caribbean, described in Columbus' diaries, most likely really existed. The results of the study are published in the journal Scientific Reports.
The reports of Christopher Columbus on his travels to the islands of the Caribbean contain heartbreaking descriptions of the raids on the native population of cruel Caribbean people who ate people and took women into slavery. Traditionally, these stories were considered myths, but new research shows that Columbus was telling the truth.
Using facial recognition technology, American scientists led by Ann Ross of the University of North Carolina analyzed the skulls of early Caribbean residents, revealing a history of relationships between different populations in the region.
In total, more than 100 skulls dating from 800-1542 years of our era were analyzed. As the "genetic" benchmarks, scientists used about two dozen points by which to judge the size of the eye sockets, the length of the nose and other facial features, indicating how close people were connected to each other. The analysis revealed not only three separate, unrelated groups of Caribbean inhabitants, but also allowed to restore their migration routes.
The most surprising discovery was that the bloodthirsty Caribbean robbers – immigrants from the Caribbean coast of South America – sailed not only to the island of Guadeloupe, as previously thought, but also much to the north. They, long before the Spaniards colonized Jamaica, Hispaniola and the Bahamas. Skulls show that the presence of the Caribbean on these islands was noticeable.
"I spent years trying to prove that Columbus was wrong, but it turned out that he was right: there were Caribbean people in the northern Caribbean when he arrived," the words of one of the authors of the study are quoted in the press release of the Caribbean Museum of Natural History in Florida William Keegan. "We will have to rethink all our views."
The results of the study showed that the earliest settlers of the Caribbean moved to Cuba and the Northern Antilles from Yucatan, which confirms the previous hypothesis based on the similarity of stone tools. Then, between 800 and 200 BC, Arawak migrated to Puerto Rico from the coast of present-day Colombia and Venezuela. And in the IX-XI centuries of our era, Jamaica, Hispaniola and the Bahamas were occupied by the Caribbean, who were already firmly rooted here by the time Columbus arrived.
The discovery of American scientists also explains the mystery of the peculiar ceilings "mailakoid" that appeared in Hispaniol in the ninth century, in Jamaica – in the tenth, and in the Bahamas – in the eleventh. It spread throughout the islands along with the Caribbean.
The authors also found examples of the joint offspring of the Caribbean and Arawak, although these tribes lived on neighboring islands and were likely at war with each other. In the end, the Caribbean did a disservice to their neighbors. The Spanish crown, which initially belonged to the natives, was very loyal, based on the facts of cannibalism and the Indians' refusal to accept Christianity, not understanding tribal relations, decided to completely enslave, and in places, exterminate the local population.
Previous story "Inverted waterfall" was seen in the Faroe Islands


Did you know that one of the most notorious hacking incidents in recent history started with a thumb drive? In this brief video, Sagiss CTO Jim Lancaster shares some guidelines for using thumb drives--also known as memory sticks or USB flash drives--and how they can be safely incorporated into your business technology infrastructure.
Q: What is the most important rule for dealing with thumb drives?
Jim Lancaster: When you go to the airport and hear the announcement in the background about notifying authorities if you notice any bags left unattended, that same concept applies to thumb drives. If you see a thumb drive lying around, you should just ignore it and walk away; don't pick it up! When the Stuxnet virus took out the centrifuges in the Iranian nuclear program, it was a thumb drive that did it. The people that executed on that virus dropped thumb drives in the parking lot of the Iranian nuclear facility. Someone picked one up and stuck it into a PC, and that's how the bad actors got in and took out those centrifuges.
Q: What reason do I have to use a thumb drive?
Jim Lancaster: There are some really good reasons for keeping thumb drives around. PCs don't come with floppy drives these days, and most of them don't even come with CD-ROMs any more. The thumb drive is sometimes the only way to get data from one PC to another or it is at least the quickest way. However, I can't stress any more strongly: don't pick up random thumb drives.
Q: Can I use a thumb drives for my business?
Jim Lancaster: As far as business case uses for thumb drives, I think they'd be rather limited. I wouldn't want my employees using them unsupervised. In the past, the protocol was generally to allow everyone to have access to everything and then disable what you don't think they need to have access to. I think we now we live in a world where the reverse is true. It's smarter to deny access to everything and then make the exceptions to that rule as needed. I think by default, we should turn off USB drives and then when the use case presents itself we can make an informed, intelligent decision about whether or not to allow them.
Have questions about using thumb drives or any aspect of small business cybersecurity? Contact us today.


Denneth Isidora Wins New Driveway!
Home / Notisia / Denneth Isidora Wins New Driveway!
Willemstad – During the official Grand Opening of the new CWM / EWP offices Milly Klijn – Pandt, Sales and Marketing Manager at EWP announced the winner of the New Paver Driveway! Mr. Denneth Isidora, was completely surprised when he was called to stage. The unsuspecting new homeowner thought he was just invited to the opening. Mr. Isidora can choose the pavers and design of his choice at Betonindustrie Brievengat (BIB). BIB offers a wide assortment of paver color and shapes. Mrs. Klijn – Pandt also took the opportunity to announce that Mr. Isidora was the winner in the raffle between the first 25 new Acropolis homeowners to sign their deeds, but that there will shortly be another raffle for a driveway, between the next 25 and the 24 that participated in the first round! This is another way EWP shows their gratitude towards their new homeowners at Acropolis, who have shown their trust and support in EWP, and have chosen Acropolis as the place to start the next chapter in their lives!


text:
Q: To use or not use else clause after then clause which returns Are there any official Go style guidelines that describe whether to put code after a then clause that returns into an else clause or not?
In other words, is one or the other of the following two options canonical Go?
Use else:
func IsLeapYear(year int) bool {
  if year%400 == 0 {
    return true
  } else if year%100 == 0 {
    return false
  } else if year%4 == 0 {
    return true
  } else {
    return false
  }
}

Don't use else:
func IsLeapYear(year int) bool {
  if year%400 == 0 {
    return true
  }
  if year%100 == 0 {
    return false
  }
  if year%4 == 0 {
    return true
  }
  return false
}

A: There are linters that have opinions on how to write different conditionals. The two most important ones for conditionals are golint and gocritic.
Remove the else
    if cond1 {
        return true
    } else {
        return false
    }

golint would suggest to drop the else:
    if cond1 {
        return true
    }
    return false

Use switch instead
func IsLeapYear(year int) bool {
  if year%400 == 0 {
    return true
  } else if year%100 == 0 {
    return false
  } else if year%4 == 0 {
    return true
  } else {
    return false
  }
}

In this case, gocritic will tell you to use a switch statement. AFAIK it does so as soon as there are 3 or more cases in an if .. else if .. else statement.
func IsLeapYear(year int) bool {
    switch {
    case year%400 == 0:
        return true
    case year%100 == 0:
        return false
    case year%4 == 0:
        return true
    }
    return false
}

A switch with one case
    switch {
    case year%400 == 0:
        return true
    }

Here gocritic swoops in to let us know that it'd prefer a simple if statement:
    if year%400 == 0 {
        return true
    }

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Farmington Hills, Michigan Civil Procedure
Farmington Hills, Michigan Civil Procedures
Find the right Litigation attorney in Farmington Hills, MI
Litigation Lawyers in Farmington Hills
"Civil procedure" refers to the wide variety of rules that regulate the process of civil litigation in Farmington Hills, Michigan. It does not deal with the substantive rights that the litigation system is meant to safeguard, just the process by which it protects them.
Like all laws, the rules of civil procedure in Farmington Hills, Michigan reflect certain values that society, through its elected representatives, wants to promote. So, the rules of civil procedure have the stated goal of ensuring that the justice system is fair, cost effective, efficient, and accessible to everyone who has a legitimate legal grievance.
Civil litigation in Farmington Hills, Michigan is almost never a simple process. So, the rules controlling this process can't always be simple, either. Remember, civil procedure governs every single step of the civil litigation process, which can drag on for years.
Major Farmington Hills, Michigan Civil Procedure Issues
Complaint: When somebody believes that they have suffered a legal wrong in Farmington Hills, Michigan, and decide to file a lawsuit, the initial document that they file with the court is usually the complaint. The complaint is very significant, because it can frame the factual and legal issues, and set the tone, for the rest of the process. The complaint typically contains every factual allegation against the defendant that forms the basis of the plaintiff's lawsuit. It also contains a prayer for relief, in which the plaintiff lays out his or her desired remedies, if the court finds the defendant liable.
Answer: Once the complaint is filed, the ball is in the defendant's court, so to speak. In the answer, the defendant has an chance to respond to all of the factual allegations made by the plaintiff, usually by denying them. The defendant might also raise affirmative defenses, which could keep the defendant from being held liable. For instance, if the defendant is accused of battery, and he did, in fact, batter the plaintiff, he might admit to that fact, but claim that the plaintiff was the aggressor, and he acted purely in self-defense. If he can prove that he acted in self-defense, he likely will not be held liable.
Discovery: Once the initial documents have been filed by both parties in the proper Farmington Hills, Michigan court, the discovery process begins. "Discovery" refers to a wide range of disclosures that each side of the lawsuit must make to the other. Basically, everyone involved in the lawsuit has to disclose every piece of information in their possession (with some exceptions) that's relevant to the factual issues in the case. There are a few different methods that are employed in this procedure: each side can send written questions to the other, which must be answered under oath. They can also request documents, as well as access to physical evidence. They can also conduct depositions (in-person Q&A sessions) of parties and witnesses.
Trial: It is actually quite rare for civil lawsuits in Farmington Hills, Michigan to go to trial, since the rules of civil procedure in Farmington Hills highly encourage early resolution to cases by dismissal of lawsuits that have no merit, and negotiated settlement of those that do. Nonetheless, when neither of those things happen, the case goes to trial. This is when a judge and jury determine the questions of law and fact, respectively, raised in the case. The jury then issues a verdict, based on the evidence presented to them.
How Can a Farmington Hills, Michigan Lawyer Help?
If you're facing a lawsuit in Farmington Hills, Michigan whether as the plaintiff or defendant, you will have to interact with your jurisdiction's civil procedure rules.
Because the rules of civil procedure in Farmington Hills, Michigan are complex, it's smart to have the counsel of an experienced attorney through every step of the process.
Life in Farmington Hills
Farmington Hills is located in southeastern Michigan. It is hte largest city in Michigan's Oakland County. Per the 2010 census, the population is around 79.740 people. Farmington Hills is known as an upscale area, and is also located very near the affluent area of Ann Arbor.
The top employers include Botsford Hospital, the school district, Bosch, Quicken Loans, Gale, TD Auto Finance, Aditya Birla Minacs, TRW Automotive Electronics, ACO Hardware, and Nissan Technical Center North America.
Farmington Hills is also home to some attorneys who residents often turn to for thier legal needs. Ann Arbor is also home to many law firms that practice in almost all areas of law, that train their attorneys to always litigate and act in the best interest of their clients.
Some famous residents include Steve Ballmer, Keith Benson, Elizabeth Berkley, Cam Fowler, Al Jean, Bill Joy, Drew Stanton, Fred Toucher, and Fred M. Warner.
Farmington Hills Civil Depositions Attorneys
Farmington Hills Courts Lawyers
Farmington Hills Punitive Damages Attorneys
Farmington Hills Commercial Litigation Lawyer
Farmington Hills Filing a Lawsuit Attorney
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Oscar nominations 2014: Who will get a nom? What is Ellen planning?
By Ken Lombardi
January 15, 2014 / 2:12 PM / CBS News
Awards season is officially in full swing (see Sunday night's Golden Globes) with cinemaphiles now wondering who will receive a nod at the 86th annual Academy Awards.
The stars of the new '70s crime drama spoke t... 03:07
On the eve of the much-anticipated Oscar nominations announcement ceremony on Thursday morning, we've taken a look at which stars viewers should expect to hear when the names are read.
Last year marked a prolific time in the history of cinema as a slew of highly-acclaimed films hit theaters. That makes for an embarrassment of riches when it comes to predicting the nominees, with dozens of actors receiving Oscars buzz.
There are three surefire shoo-ins for the best picture category -- "12 Years A Slave," "Gravity" and "American Hustle." Other possible contenders include "Captain Phillips," "Her," "The Wolf of Wall Street," "Philomena" and "Nebraska." "August: Osage County," "Saving Mr. Banks" and "Lee Daniels' The Butler" make up the long shots.
It's anyone's guess who will end up in the best actor category, a highly competitive field made even more so in a banner year for film and screen-acting. The top two favorites seem to be Robert Redford for his almost completely silent performance in "All Is Lost" and Bruce Dern in Alexander Payne's "Nebraska." Redford and Dern are both 77 and neither star has ever received an acting Oscar. Chiwetel Ejiofor has also attracted lots of mention for his harrowing turn in "12 Years a Slave."
Other possibilities include Forest Whitaker for "Lee Daniels' The Butler," Matthew McConaughey for "Dallas Buyers Club," Christian Bale for "American Hustle," Leonardo DiCaprio for "The Wolf of Wall Street," Oscar Isaac for "Inside Llewyn Davis," and Tom Hanks for "Captain Phillips" or "Saving Mr. Banks."
Top holiday movies 2013 23 photos
Several previous Academy Award winners are making up the list of most talked-about names for the best actress category. In fact, there's a chance that every nominated actress will already have an Oscar. The nominees could include Amy Adams for "American Hustle," Meryl Streep for "August: Osage County," Emma Thompson for "Saving Mr. Banks," Sandra Bullock for "Gravity" and Judi Dench for "Philomena." The actress receiving the most buzz has been Cate Blanchett for her performance as a woman on the verge of a breakdown in Woody Allen's "Blue Jasmine."
This year's supporting actress field is equally competitive, with Blanchett's "Blue Jasmine" co-star Sally Hawkins receiving lots of buzz. There's also been talk of a nod for last year's best actress winner Jennifer Lawrence for her work in "American Hustle." The 23-year-old actress has been garnering rave reviews for her performance as a troubled New Jersey housewife. "12 Years a Slave" actress Lupita Nyong'o and 84-year-old "Nebraska" co-star June Squibb are additional favorites.
"Dallas Buyers Club" star Jared Leto seems to be the top contender for the supporting actor field. Leto lost nearly 40 pounds to play the part of a transgender HIV patient. Other possibilities include Barkhad Abdi for "Captain Phillips," Jonah Hill for "The Wolf of Wall Street" and Geoffrey Rush for "The Book Thief."
Leto, DiCaprio, Adams, Lawrence, McConaughey and Blanchett all recently won awards for their performances at this year's Golden Globes, seen as a predictor of what to expect come Oscar time.
This year's ceremony will have a special theme devoted to movie heroes. Expect to see cinematic legends from films both old and new throughout the night.
Ellen DeGeneres will serve as host for the telecast. The funny-lady and talk show host previously hosted the high-profile awards show in 2007. DeGeneres hasn't announced any of her predictions, but it seems she does have one favorite in particular:
"Philomena" is a great movie. Go see it! I think I might have #PhiloMania.
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) January 14, 2014
In December, an Oscars trailer was released featuring DeGeneres and 250 dancers dressed in matching tuxedos dancing to Fitz and the Tantrums' "The Walker." Watch the video below to get into the Oscars spirit, and to learn a move or two from DeGeneres.
The 86th Academy Awards will air Sunday, March 2, at 7 p.m. ET on ABC. Return to CBSNews.com Thursday morning for a live stream of the nominations, scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. ET.
Tell us: Who do you hope gets nominated?
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Ken Lombardi
Ken Lombardi is an entertainment reporter for CBS News. He has interviewed over 300 celebrities, including Clint Eastwood, Oprah Winfrey and Tom Hanks.
First published on January 15, 2014 / 2:12 PM


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Facts & faces
Russo's quality play has stood the test of time
Belmont Park Results Sunday September 27th, 2020
Cohoes athletes join 'Women of Will' campaign
Wawrinka tops Murray as French Open begins
Heat top Celtics to reach Finals
Bottas claims Russian GP
Yanks limp into playoffs
Soto youngest NL batting champ
Rodger's Quick Take
Giants woeful and winless
Staff and wire reports
June 28, 2012 Updated: June 28, 2012 7:41 p.m.
The Pittsburgh Penguins and superstar center Sidney Crosby have agreed to a 12-year contract extension Thursday that leaves little doubt Crosby has overcome the concussion-like symptoms that sidelined him for most of the last two seasons.
The deal keeps the 24-year-old Crosby in Pittsburgh through 2025 and gives the team some room to play in the free-agent market. Crosby, whose previous deal was set to expire next summer, will be paid around $8.7 million a season. Crosby will officially sign the extension on Sunday.
Crosby has played in just 28 games in the past 18 months after suffering a concussion in the Winter Classic against the Washington Capitals in January, 2011. Crosby finished with eight goals and 29 assists last season and added three goals in a first-round playoff loss to Philadelphia.
More NHL: Goalie Jonathan Quick has agreed to a 10-year contract extension with the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings announced the agreement on Thursday for their Conn Smythe Trophy-winning goalie, who led Los Angeles to its first Stanley Cup championship earlier this month. Quick can't sign the deal until Sunday, but he will be under contract through the 2022-23 season.
Golf: Bo Van Pelt holed out from the fairway for eagle and kept bogeys off his card for a 4-under 67 and a one-shot lead at the AT&T National in Bethesda, Md. Only seven players managed to post scores in the 60s, and the average score was about 73.5. Tiger Woods was never under par in the opening round and had to settle for a 72. Vijay Singh, Brendon De Jonge and Jimmy Walker were at 68, while Pat Perez, Jason Day and Navy veteran Billy Hurley III were at 69. ... Bruce Vaughan shot a 6-under 64 to take a one-stroke lead over Fred Funk in the Senior Players Championship in Pittsburgh, the third of five Champions Tour majors. Greg Norman opened with a 67 in his first Champions Tour event since 2009. ... France's Gregory Bourdy and India's Jeev Milkha Singh shot 7-under 65 to share the lead in the first round of the Irish Open, while home favorite Rory McIlroy was five strokes back after a sloppy finish at Royal Portrush. Fellow Northern Irish stars Graeme McDowell and Darren Clarke shot 71. John Daly opened with a 70, and Keegan Bradley had a 73.
Olympics: Former England captain David Beckham has failed to make the British soccer team for the London Olympics. The 37-year-old midfielder made Britain coach Stuart Pearce's shortlist of 35 but wasn't selected for the final 18-man squad as one of three players over the age of 23 allowed to compete in the games. Britain's three overage players will be Welsh stars Ryan Giggs and Craig Bellamy and English defender Micah Richards, a person familiar with the situation said.
Soccer: Mario Balotelli scored twice to give Italy a 2-1 win over Germany and a spot in the European Championship final. Mesut Oezil scored from the penalty spot in injury time for Germany. Italy will face defending champion Spain in Sunday's final in Kiev, Ukraine.
Local: Former College of Saint Rose pitcher Nick Polsinelli of Guilderland has signed a pro contract with the Gary (Ind.) SouthShore RailCats of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball. Polsinelli had a 2.82 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 54 innings this season. He was the Suburban Council Player of the Year his senior year at Guilderland.
Shopping I rode this Peloton competitor for 21 days. Now I'm a...


teen titans girls. . Wallpaper and background images in the Teen Titans vs. Young Justice club tagged: teen titans girls.
This Teen Titans vs. Young Justice fan art contains аниме, комиксы, манга, анимационные фильмы, комикс, мультфильм, and книга комиксов.


The Mystery of the Moving Image by C.S. Poe is the third book in the Snow & Winter series and what a third instalment it is! Amateur sleuth Sebastian Snow and his quirkiness is fast taking a place among my favorite sleuths! On to the review.
The Mystery of the Moving Image takes us back to New York and antique shop owner Sebastian Snow and police detective Calvin Winter, who have recently moved in together in a nice new apartment, after Sebastian's was destroyed in the previous book. It all starts nice and easy, until a package shows up with an old kinetoscope and not just any, but one in excellent condition, but containing a murderous mystery that will not be let Sebastian be, no matter how hard he tries.
The story in The Mystery of the Moving Image focuses on this new mystery that shows up on Sebastian's doorstep that hits close to home the further it evolves, but also on the deepening relationship between Calvin and Sebastian. With every book a new layer is added to their romance along with a deeper understanding and just utter cuteness! Though there is no denying the both of them are also stubborn.
I really liked this new instalment. The mystery is unique and intriguing and most definitely not boring. While Sebastian is unique in his own way, he is a sleuth you have to like, but I think that is no problem at all. Also definitely not boring is how Sebastian and Calvin work together despite their own hobbles, such as Calvin's PTSD and Sebastian's in ability to leave a mystery alone.
The Mystery of the Moving Image can't (and shouldn't) be read on its own, but the other books in this series – and this one as well – are stories I can recommend reading!


Guess there's no way around front plates in communist China? Otherwise, great stuff.
Excuse me for the ignorance, but when did the m performance trunk become available for purchase?
In China it became available around mid Mar. Not sure in US but I am sure it is available already.
Is the whole trunk lid made out of CF or just the liner? Wonder how much lighter this is than stock liner or going without a liner.
is the lightest one Mexico Blue or some other color? can't take my eyes off of it. absolutely stunning.
love your ride too OP.
Beautiful. Love that trunk and those seats...well done.
These photos are phenomenal, thank you for sharing!
Greta photography! The vehicles are equally stunning. Thanks for making the effort to share pictures.
My English is little to none thus this time I've asked my good friend M_Azing (1M owner) to help me with the latest edition post from my recent update. It's been over an year now since my last post here at Bimmerpost and I would like to share with you what has changed over the past 14 months.
It has been a special photoshoot since we were able to gather together three F87 and one E82 1 Series M Coupe in Shanghai from all over China for this occasion. Total mileage of distance between Guangzhou, Beijing, Jiangsu, and Yunnan province covered more than 5500kms with the end result very satisfying.
The modification parts on each vehicle is carefully selected and mostly following the OEM M Performance or BMW Performance theme.
I would not bore you with words instead enjoy the pictures below with my latest mod list for my F87 M2.
Any rubbing with 265/35/19 MPSC2 upfront ?
Do you need to run spacers upfront ?
Last edited by Bee Pee; 04-15-2019 at 03:03 PM.
Looks like Mint to me. Stunner.
It's not available here yet. I check regularly. How much was it?
Parts are now on BMWs M performance website.
Awesome shoot. Dream of one day owning a beast like this to photograph!
Is that one M2 with Yas Marina Blue?
Fantastic cars and tremendous work on the pics!


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Biomimicry: Nature's Alternative to Genetically Engineered Foods
thealiennextdoor
Age Of Water
The Meaning of Water
Water Is…
Buy Water Now!
Vineyard in Niagara on the Lake, ON (photo by Nina Munteanu)
While developers of genetically engineered foods (GEF) strive to produce hardier and higher-yielding plants, ecologists throughout the world eye transgenics skeptically. They fear that these genetically altered plants, may escape into the wild and displace native plants with unforeseen and potentially devastating results. Dr. Wes Jackson, director of the Land Institute in Kansas, a non-profit research facility devoted to alternative agriculture practices, warns that, if misused, biotechnology may lead to the human-induced degradation of the genomes of plant species.
"What is being more or less ignored" in the rush to biotechnology, Jackson said in an interview with the Chronicle of Higher Education, "is that some of the same principles and processes that govern an ecosystem, like a forest or a prairie, also operate with genomes. The genome is a miniature ecosystem." [1] Thinking along the same lines, Jane Rissler of the Union of Concerned Scientists of America suggested that transgenic science practices may release a seemingly harmless gene into our food supply with life-threatening consequences.
Growing knowledge of potential risks to ecosystem and human health is prompting many to insist that GEFs be identified and segregated so that consumers can make a choice for or against them. Which brings us to the obvious question: what alternative to the use of GEFs will we find to feed our ever-growing populations? Rissler advocates an alternative vision for agriculture, one based on nature's own balance, which she calls "sustainable agriculture" or "biomimicry".
Janine Benyus, nature writer and champion of nature-inspired innovation, defines the quest of biomimicry as "the conscious emulation of life's genius. Innovation inspired by nature."[2] In her revolutionary book of the same name, Benyus describes how maverick scientists at the Land Institute are remaking agriculture using self-sufficient crops able to "live amicably with their field mates, stay in sync with their surroundings, build soil beneath them and handle pests with aplomb."[3]
Mesoamerican permaculture
Using nature as a standard, rather than something to be subdued or ignored, the Land Institute is developing self-fertilizing and pest-resistant farms modeled on natural ecosystems. Their heuristic research represents an ecology-based approach to food production, which contrasts the the organism-based approach of GEFs. According to Jackson, biomimicry provides a healthy alternative to the promotion of genetically altered plants more resistant to pesticides, because biomimicry bypasses the use of chemicals altogether.
According to the Institute, "ecosystems self-regulate, accumulate 'ecological capital' and are largely resilient to most perturbations." According to Jackson, many problems faced by the agriculture industry today stem from replacing natural systems with totally alien systems, and from waging war on rather than allying ourselves with natural processes. He suggests that this has resulted in a steady loss of ecological capital (the erosion and salting of soils, the steady domesticating and weakening of our crops.)
The mission of the Land Institute is to "honour natural ecosystems and mimic them." The Land Institute argues that "the tendency of all natural ecosystems is to increase their ecological wealth. For instance, all prairie, left alone, recycles materials, sponsors its own fertility, runs on contemporary sunlight, and increases biodiversity. Agricultural systems tend otherwise. They erode and degrade ecological capital as they provide for human needs."[4]
The premise behind "natural systems agriculture" is a "polyculture of herbaceous perennials, which would run on sunlight, preserve soil, maintain biological diversity, yield adequately, and not rely on harmful synthetic chemical for fertility or pest management."[5]
Backyard permaculture
Polycultures of perennial indigenous plants would incorporate the dynamic properties of natural succession.
Permaculture promoting natural water infiltration
Working with four species (Illinois bundle flower, a legume; wild rye, a cool-season grass; eastern gamma grass, a warm-season grass related to corn; and Maximillian sunflower) the Land Institute's research and development in biomimicry is finding answers to four basic agronomic questions:
Question 1: Can a perennial grain yield as well as an annual grain? Annuals are traditionally used for their high productive capacity and edible yield. Perennials contain extensive root systems, which more readily soak up and contain rainwater. Self-fertilizing and self-weeding, perennials are generally more hardy than the annuals typically grown in monoculture in traditional agriculture practices today. But can perennials produce as much seed as an annual crop? The Land institute is showing yields for perennial grasses that range from 1,500 kg/ha to 2000 kg/ha (Illinois bundle flower) in an area where benchmark yield for Kansas winter heat is 1960 kg/ha. Each of the four groups have palatable qualities.
Gamagrass, for instance, contains a high-protein, large seed (27% to 30% protein and 7% fat), with baking properties similar to those of cornmeal. Hawkins, Lovins and Loving in their book Natural Capitalism claim that a "replacement of annual grains with perennial cereals that do not require annual tilling and replanting could eliminate up to half the soil erosion in the United States, saving nearly $20 billion worth of US soil and $9 billion worth of fuel for farm equipment every year."[6]
Question 2: Can a perennial polyculture overyield? Successful use of polycultures (instead of monocultures, traditionally used to provide high yields and uniform maturation time), avoids the "all or nothing" effect of crops of one variety and one stage at the mercy of the vicissitudes of nature in the form of droughts, floods, pests, hail and eroding soils. Polycultures, by virtue of their diversity and multiple stages in succession, are far more hardy against pests and able to withstand what nature deals out. And, perhaps, of far more import, polycultures alone are ecologically sustainable. But can polyculture yields stay even with or actually omveryield those of monocultures? Overyielding is common in traditional polyculture systems of Latin America, Africa and Asia. "Our biological research has shown the feasibility of a mixed perennial grain agriculture," says Jackson. Experiments performed by the Land Institute support the persistence of over yielding in polyculture because of the synergistic and communal opportunities afforded by mixed crops, rather than the competition of monocultures.
Question 3: Can a perennial polyculture sponsor its own nitrogen fertility? The Land Institute and other researchers throughout North America provide indirect evidence of the benefit that a leguminous grain provides to companion species. In experiments with a leguminous grain (Illinois bundle flower), they showed that the legume compensated for low soil nitrogen without lowering its growth or seed yield. Within 3 to 5 years after establishment, these crops increased soil nitrate over plots containing only grasses.
Question 4: Can perennial polycultures defend themselves against insects, pests and weeds? Because most agricultural weeds are adapted to disturbed habitats, and can often outcompete the non-native crops for soil, water and nutrients, they become a chronic problem where soils are repeatedly tilled. The Land Institute and other researchers have found that perennial grain polycultures compete well against weeds because of their permanent canopy, deep and extensive root systems and vigorous regrowth in the spring. Intercropping of polycultures combines the weed-suppressing effects of different crops, by intercepting more light, water, and nutrients over monocultures; this eliminates the need for herbicide application. Hawkin, Lovins and Lovins describe how Japanese farmers can efficiently hand-sow and harvest their polycultures, "because an elegantly conceived sequence of plantings provides the weed control, composting, and other services automatically."[7]
Permaculture in France
When it comes to pests, the effect of perennial polyculture are not so clear. Although researchers have demonstrated that some polycultures are less susceptible to pests in what is known as "associational resistance", they also found that, once established in a perennial system, pests suffer less soil disturbance and tend to prolong.
"We don't need one more breakthrough in agriculture. We need to stare hard at [our] fields…then reach into the vast literature in evolutionary biology and ecology to learn the rules and laws at work on the land before we got here, and out of this knowledge, put together a new synthesis, a truly new paradigm for agriculture."–Wes Jackson
1. Malcolm G. Scully, The Chronicle of Higher Eduction, February 18, 2000, Salina, Kansas.
2,3. Janine Benyus, Biomimicry, Quill William Morrow, New York, 1997, 308pg.
4, 5. The Land Institute Web Site: http://www.LandInstitute.org
6, 7. Paul Hawkin, Amory Lovins and L. Hunter Lovins, Natural Capitalism, Little, Brown and Company, Boston, 1999, 396pg.
Nina Munteanu is a Canadian ecologist / limnologist and novelist. She is co-editor of Europa SF and currently teaches writing courses at George Brown College and the University of Toronto. Visit www.ninamunteanu.ca for the latest on her books. Nina's bilingual "La natura dell'acqua / The Way of Water" was published by Mincione Edizioni in Rome. Her non-fiction book "Water Is…" by Pixl Press (Vancouver) was selected by Margaret Atwood in the New York Times 'Year in Reading' and was chosen as the 2017 Summer Read by Water Canada. Her novel "A Diary in the Age of Water" will be released by Inanna Publications (Toronto) in 2020.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged backyard permaculture, biodiversity, biomimicry, ecological capital, ecological resilience, ecosystems, GEF, generically engineered foods, GMO, growing plants, indigenous plants, Janine Benyus, monoculture, nature as standard, nature-inspired innovation, perennial crop, perennial plants, perennial polyculture, permaculture, polyculture, sustainability, sustainable agriculture, water, water infiltration. Bookmark the permalink.


'Harmful geometries' is an intervention at the Ibirapuera lake based on the 2220 square meters of water hyacinth contained by 51 octagonal structures of pvc pipes. The authorization to place the water hyacinths was cancelled on September 25th, 2006. The octagonal structures are still floating on the lake.