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The Big Bad: Squares!
April 05, 2021 | 13 minutes, 41 seconds
This was the post I really wanted to write, and the one I've personally built up to. The square, for me, was the second shape that I ever saw made using Piecewise equations. There are several forms, and all have different geometric meanings - in fact, even the different derivations for the same forms have different geometric meanings. I don't go into detail in the same way this post does, rather I focus on the implications of the derivations, but it's worth a read because it's where I stole my initial ideas from.
The derivation for a single equation of a square took the most time initially for me (I was sitting in the back of class in year 11, trying to figure this insanity of an equation while the teacher was teaching), but it got me deep into working with piecewise equations as a whole and developing a set of techniques that would allow me to help derive it.
In this post, initially, we'll work with a square with side lengths of 1, centred at \((0,0)\) (and, for the purposes of this post, this is our unit square).
If you want a simple TL;DR of this post, we establish a couple of equations for a square:
These two equations are equivalent forms describing a square with side length of \(a\), centered at \((0,0)\) in the Cartesian plane:
\(\operatorname{max}\left\{|x|,|y|\right\}=\frac{a}{2}\)
\(\left|x-y\right|+\left|x+y\right|=a\)
Challenge from the last post
If you read the last post, here I challenged you to come up with the equation of a square using the 'technique' I proposed/demonstrated. Suppose we have:
\[ \operatorname{max}\left\{\alpha\left(x-\frac{1}{2}\right),\beta\left(y-\frac{1}{2}\right),\delta\left(x+\frac{1}{2}\right),\gamma\left(y+\frac{1}{2}\right)\right\}=0\]
The values we eventually find are \(\left(\alpha,\beta,\delta,\gamma\right) = \left(1,1,-1,-1\right)\).
Simplifying through we get:
\[ \begin{align} \operatorname{max}\left\{x,y,-x,-y\right\}&=\frac{1}{2}\\ \operatorname{max}\left\{|x|,|y|\right\}&=\frac{1}{2} \end{align}\]
Derivations from Scratch
The very first derivation I started off with. We take the lines \(y=\frac{1}{2}\), \(y=-\frac{1}{2}\), \(x=\frac{1}{2}\) and \(x=-\frac{1}{2}\) and restrict them on the opposite axes. We get this piecewise equation:
\[ \begin{cases} y-\frac{1}{2} & -\frac{1}{2}\leq x\leq \frac{1}{2} \\ x-\frac{1}{2} & -\frac{1}{2}\leq y\leq \frac{1}{2} \\ y+\frac{1}{2} & -\frac{1}{2}\leq x\leq \frac{1}{2} \\ x+\frac{1}{2} & -\frac{1}{2}\leq y\leq \frac{1}{2} \end{cases} = 0\]
This... doesn't really help us. Firstly, our inequalities don't even begin to tell us anything about the cases they're describing, and secondly, nothing can be simplified out of each case. Perhaps we need to perform some substitutions, and rewrite our inequalities. We can do this knowing the definitions of \(y\) and \(x\) in each case. Here, I'll also split up the inequalities for further motivation.
\[ \begin{cases} y-\frac{1}{2} & -y\leq x\leq y \\ x-\frac{1}{2} & -x\leq y\leq x \\ y+\frac{1}{2} & y\leq x\leq -y \\ x+\frac{1}{2} & x\leq y\leq -x \end{cases} = 0\]
From here, there are two ways to go:
Absolute value route
Firstly, let's begin by rewrite our inequalities again. Let's also get rid of our fractions each case, and make the sign of our \(1\) the same so we can then take it out:
\[ \begin{cases} 2y & x+y\geq 0 & x-y\leq 0 \\ 2x & x+y\geq 0 & x-y\geq 0 \\ -2y & x+y\leq 0 & x-y\geq 0 \\ -2x & x+y\leq 0 & x-y\leq 0 \end{cases} = 1\]
In our cases, notice our inequalities are in terms of \(x + y\) and \(x - y\), whereas the cases themselves don't have those. For them, then, we can simply add and subtract either \(x\) or \(y\) depending on what's already there, and appropriately factor:
\[ \begin{cases} (x+y)-(x-y) & x+y\geq 0 & x-y\leq 0 \\ (x+y)+(x-y) & x+y\geq 0 & x-y\geq 0 \\ -(x+y)+(x-y) & x+y\leq 0 & x-y\geq 0 \\ -(x+y)-(x-y) & x+y\leq 0 & x-y\leq 0 \end{cases} = 1\]
We see where this is going. Let's write it all out though:
\[ \begin{align} \begin{cases} \begin{cases} (x+y)-(x-y) & x-y\leq 0 \\ (x+y)+(x-y) & x-y\geq 0 \end{cases} & x+y\geq 0 \\ \begin{cases} -(x+y)+(x-y) & x-y\geq 0 \\ -(x+y)-(x-y) & x-y\leq 0 \end{cases} & x+y\leq 0 \end{cases} &= 1 \\ \begin{cases} (x+y)+\left|x-y\right| & x+y\geq 0 \\ -(x+y)+\left|x-y\right| & x+y\leq 0 \end{cases} &= 1 \\ \left|x+y\right|+\left|x-y\right| &= 1 \end{align}\]
Maximum value route
We can rewrite our inequalities in a similar, but different way to the above route.
If we move out our \(-\frac{1}{2}\), we get:
\[ \begin{cases} y & x\geq -y & x\leq y \\ x & x\geq -y & x\geq y \\ -y & x\leq -y & x\geq y \\ -x & x\leq -y & x\leq y \end{cases} = \frac{1}{2}\]
There are two ways we could go from here too:
Employ our maximum value definition
we get:
\[ \begin{cases} y & y\geq \operatorname{max}\left\{x,-x,-y \right\} \\ x & x\geq \operatorname{max}\left\{y,-y,x \right\} \\ -y & -y\geq \operatorname{max}\left\{x,-x,y \right\} \\ -x & -x\geq \operatorname{max}\left\{y,-y,x \right\} \end{cases} = \frac{1}{2}\]
Our definition tells us this is the definition of \(\operatorname{max}\left\{x,y,-x,-y\right\}=\frac{1}{2}\). Applying our maximum rules we get \(\operatorname{max}\left\{|x|,|y|\right\}=\frac{1}{2}\).
Note: This derivation method is what we could consider the slightly more rigourous route to the challenge I set in the last post, and for the technique shown - for this case. It'll vary depending on what you're trying to show, but for us, and our example, this is adequate and gives more insight into what we're actually doing. The below derivation also gives some more insight, also.
'Throw' absolute values on each of our variables...and then use the definition
Given we have all the possible values of \(x\) and \(y\) in relation to each other covered by our inequality cases, it would be safe to essentially wrap our variables in absolute values in order to simplify the equation. From
\[ \begin{cases} y & -y\leq x\leq y \\ x & -x\leq y\leq x \\ -y & y\leq x\leq -y \\ -x & x\leq y\leq -x \end{cases} = \frac{1}{2}\]
We get
\[ \begin{align} \begin{cases} |y| & |x|\leq y \\ |x| & |y|\leq x \\ |y| & |x|\leq -y \\ |x| & |y|\leq -x \end{cases} &= \frac{1}{2} \\ \begin{cases} |y| & |x|\leq |y| \\ |x| & |y|\leq |x| \\ \end{cases} &= \frac{1}{2} \\ \operatorname{max}\left\{|x|,|y|\right\} &= \frac{1}{2} \\ \end{align}\]
This derivation, rather than rely on a property itself of the maximum function, describes the conditions under which both sets of equations occur. So rather than considering, say, all quadrants at once, we consider only the first quadrant and extend it to the others; hence the combinations of absolute values in both variables - going backwards (derivation wise), that is. If the property of the maximum function in the previous derivation weren't available to us, this would be the quickest way to reduce and solve our problem.
Another interesting thing to point out is that the equation \(\begin{cases} |y| & |x|\leq |y| \\ |x| & |y|\leq |x| \end{cases} = \frac{1}{2}\) is equivalent to \(\begin{cases} |y| & |x|\leq \frac{1}{2} \\ |x| & |y|\leq \frac{1}{2} \end{cases} = \frac{1}{2}\) which gives a far more intuitive, or readable, piecewise equation. We have \(|y|=\frac{1}{2}\) when \(|x|\leq \frac{1}{2}\) and \(|x|=\frac{1}{2}\) when \(|y|\leq \frac{1}{2}\). Also a shoutout to a friend for pointing this out as another interpretation.
Taking it further
Geometric Interpretation - Maximum
In our above max function-based derivation, we sort of hinted at the interpretation we could make. Here, we're going to explicitly put that to use. Let's reduce our problem to quadrant 1 in the cartesian plane - that is, where \(x \geq 0\) and \(y \geq 0\). Here, our lines \(x = \frac{1}{2}\) and \(y = \frac{1}{2}\) exist. However, what we want to do is note their intersection; notice that they intersect at the coordinates \(\left(\frac{1}{2},\frac{1}{2}\right)\) which suggests to us that we can define our lines by where they lie relative to the line \(y = x\). We know that the line \(y=\frac{1}{2}\) lies above \(y=x\) and that \(x=\frac{1}{2}\) lies below it. So what we can do is sort of meld these two equations and we get:
\[ \begin{cases} y-\frac{1}{2} & y\geq x \\ x-\frac{1}{2} & x\geq y \end{cases} = 0\]
And if we simplify we get \(\operatorname{max}\left\{x,y\right\}=\frac{1}{2}\) which should already be familiar to us.
But notice, this is a reduced problem in only quadrant 1, so we've only solved it there. What we want to do is also have it hold in quadrants 2, 3, and 4, and luckily for us, they're simply combinations of reflections on \(x\) and \(y\) axes. This translates thusly:
Quadrant 2: \(\operatorname{max}\left\{-x,y\right\}=\frac{1}{2}\).
Quadrant 3: \(\operatorname{max}\left\{-x,-y\right\}=\frac{1}{2}\).
Quadrant 4: \(\operatorname{max}\left\{x,-y\right\}=\frac{1}{2}\).
We want all of these to hold. If we think back to combining our equations using maximum, we could employ that - we'd get the same result as one of our from-scratch derivations, which is fine. Alternatively, we think about it like this: If we want both \(x\) and \(-x\) to hold, we know that \(|x|\) will always hold. Similarly for \(|y|\). Given that we know \(\operatorname{max}\left\{|x|,|y|\right\}=\frac{1}{2}\) would give us all the combinations of the above, we can take that as our result.
Connecting \(|x-y|+|x+y|=1\) to \(\operatorname{max}\left\{|x|,|y|\right\}=\frac{1}{2}\)
Firstly, this post should already tell you that the two are connected via the same piecewise equation. But if we want to get from the former equation to the latter, we can simply apply the rules we established a few posts back with the maximum function. Furthermore, I challenge you to find a method of going from the latter equation to the former; you'll need to use a few tricks, but it's fairly straightforward in the end.
Going from the former to the latter, I'll lay out all of the steps:
\[ \begin{align} |x-y|+|x+y| &=1 \\ |x-y|+\operatorname{max}\left\{x+y,-x-y\right\} &=1 \\ \operatorname{max}\left\{|x-y|+x+y,|x-y|-x-y\right\} &=1 \\ \operatorname{max}\left\{\operatorname{max}\left\{x-y,y-x\right\}+x+y,\operatorname{max}\left\{x-y,y-x\right\}-x-y\right\} &=1 \\ \operatorname{max}\left\{\operatorname{max}\left\{2x,2y\right\},\operatorname{max}\left\{-2y,-2x\right\}\right\} &=1 \\ \operatorname{max}\left\{2x,2y,-2x-2y\right\} &=1 \\ \operatorname{max}\left\{x,y,-x-y\right\} &=\frac{1}{2} \\ \operatorname{max}\left\{\operatorname{max}\left\{x,-x\right\},\operatorname{max}\left\{y,-y\right\}\right\} &=\frac{1}{2} \\ \operatorname{max}\left\{|x|,|y|\right\} &=\frac{1}{2} \\ \end{align}\]
The Diamond
In our previous post, we considered two forms of the diamond. You can see this post here. In fact, the equations we established look incredibly, suspiciously even, similar to the equations we established in this post (albeit with this post being more in-depth). The simple reason for this is, they are. Both are squares, just rotated by 45 degrees.
The way we can go from the square to the diamond, or vice versa, is via the Rotation Matrix. Note, though, that in order to go from a unit square to unit diamond or vice versa, you'll have to use the unit diamond equation; the diamond we initially derived has a side length of \(\sqrt{2}\). If your memory needs jogging, here's the link to that post.
It's fairly straightforward to apply the rotation matrix to our equations using the rules we've got; I in fact encourage you, the reader, to do so for some practice.
Transformation, Size and Rectangles??
With our derivation, we can impose different sizes on the square through different methods. The first method would be to go through this post again, and replace all the \(\frac{1}{2}\) lines with \(\frac{a}{2}\) and re-derive from there. That's the easiest way to do it. It's also intuition, too.
Because we derived the 'unit' square, you can also simply apply transformations on \(x\) and \(y\) to our final equations. You could even do so with our original piecewise equations and derive that again. Ouch, sounds painful, though. In fact, you can even create rectangles with this. You could make rotated rectangles if you're that ambitious too - let me know how that goes.
And so brings us to the end of another thrilling (less obvious but still very connected) series of posts. This time, it's for real - I don't currently, at time of writing, have anywhere further to go with this current line of thinking. The fun thing is though, with all that I've shown, everyone who knows and understands this can themselves play with the concepts I've presented. And to me, that's what matters. Being able to interact with people who can read these posts, challenge me on some of the concepts I've presented, and then finally see them work with them is the (second-)most satisfying part of this all. Even to the people I can't see, I hope you can work with these too.
To those who do make the effort to read these posts - thank you so much. ~Ally
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Bulletin of a Society of St. Pius X chapel in Paris:What are the relations today between the Society of St. Pius X and Rome?
We may judge that a very large majority, the progressives, want to hear no more of us. We upset them, we get in their way. All they want is for us to disappear. On the other hand, for a small minority the Society does certainly have a point: we could act precisely as a counterweight to the progressives, but only on condition that we accept the New Mass as being good, also the Council and the post-conciliar reforms. This we cannot accept.
In other words, there are no official relations at present between the Society and Rome. However, we take care to stay in contact unofficially, if only to make our point of view heard, and also to show that the Catholic Church is our Church, even if it has for the moment been taken over.
Bulletin: Does it seem to you that the situation has evolved at all since the Society's consecration o bishops in June 1988?
Bp. Fellay: Strictly-speaking, no. However, some of the authorities in Rome may be coming to a realization of the tragic situation of the Church, the increasing disobedience of the bishops, the resulting impossibility for the Vatican to get a hearing. There is a realization that the Society's position is not as wrong as it is given out to be, without it being admitted I think, that we are right. Amongst the churchmen who think this way an atmosphere more favourable to Tradition is forming, but they remain a small minority.
Bulletin: As we approach the end of John Paul II's pontificate, what effect would you say his action has had on Catholics? And on the Society of St. Pius X?
Bp. Fellay: John Paul II will be a Pope very difficult for history to define, he is so contradictory. Beyond any doubt the principles laid down by Vatican II will have been taken by him to their astonishing conclusion: the prayer-day of religions at Assisi, his being marked with ashes in India, his taking direct part in the pagan ceremony in Togo, his praising the traditions of Voodoo, all of which actions call to mind the abomination of desolation mentioned m Scripture. How then can we be surprised if the faith of Catholics is being shaken to its foundations?
And the scandalous declarations keep coming, for instance the statement of April 21 on the testimony rendered to God the Father by dialogue with the experts of other religions, inter?religious dialogue being (supposedly) an integral part of the Church's mission to evangelize, in which there is no question of leaving aside the proclamation of the Faith, rather one is responding to a call of God in such a way that the exchange of ideas and the discussion lead to each party's giving witness to the other of its own religious mission, so that each party gets to know more deeply the convictions of the other and all get to understand certain basic values.
Does this Pope still have the Catholic Faith, the supernatural virtue of Faith which we ask the Church for at baptism and which gives eternal life? Obviously, as long as Rome goes on talking like this, we will be opposed, and all invitations to enter into any such system we will meet with a blank refusal.
Bulletin: Is there any action of John Paul II with regard to the Society?
Bp. Fellay: Many years ago, the Pope explained to journalists same of the motives for his apostolic journeys, which included his intention to marginalize Tradition. Likewise, he was responsible for the motu proprio "Ecclesia Dei adflicta", which condemned Archbishop Lefebvre and the bishops he consecrated for the survival of Catholic Tradition.
Bulletin: What do you foresee coming after John Paul II? A total, or partial questioning of Vatican II? A gradual return to Tradition?
Bp. Fellay: It is an error to think that to solve this situation all you need do is to change the Pope. The tragedy we are going through involves not only a Pope who has faltered, but the whole Church. How will this crisis end? It is obvious that at a given moment some Pope will have to take matters in hand. How will it happen? It is still the secret of God. How will the Church – if it please God – recover her ancient beauty? Will we see mass conversions, or slow return helped forward by preaching, as in the time of the CounterReformation? We can only guess. We may go in far human prognostications, but that would be to forget that the Church has a divine character, that she is essentially supernatural. Her Head is Jesus Christ, who with one word can calm the storm; but He can also let his disciples go on rowing. Only on very rare occasions does God perform miracles without requiring His disciples to work with Him. As for Vatican II, it will have to be revised to consigned to oblivion. The Church will yet decide. We are not as yet at that point.
Bulletin: What would you answer to those Catholics who, having accepted Vatican II but refusing to slide with the Church into ecumenism, want you to join them.
Bp. Fellay: My answer is that the principle of ecumenism is to be found precisely in Vatican II, and that to reject the effects without stopping the cause, is like trying to stop the explosion without cutting off the gas leak.
Bulletin: What is today the situation of the Society of St. Pies X in Europe and in the world?
Bp. Fellay: The Society is in constant growth. There are no mass conversions, but our 370 priests are unfortunately insufficient to answer all the requests for spiritual assistance coming to us from more than 50 countries. We are established in 30 countries, we visit another 10, from Australia to Moscow, from the depths of Chile to Anchorage. Our chapels are steadily growing younger, our schools are developing. The work of the Church, of Tradition, is the transmission of the Faith and grace. Christendom is being born anew and is developing in little enclaves which, we fervently trust, will serve the new flowering of the Church. We see conversions all over the world, also in Europe, and even priests are coming back to the did Mass, which they discover of rediscover with great emotion. Amidst the storm, God continues His work.
Bulletin: What do you expect for Catholics at the end of this second millennium of Christianity?
Bp. Fellay: Even if the present situation of the Church and of the world is frightening and terrible, God has not surrendered. Our Lord Jesus Christ, Head of the Mystical Body, is always present in His church. There, the state of grace is corner of the living God, the Most Holy Trinity, like a tabernacle amidst the surrounding darkness. The more the treasures of Christ, that is to say Christendom, seem to disappear, the more we can hope for help or for any other good from God alone. We must not forget that our Lord asleep in the boat is powerful, wise and provident as when He arises and subdues the storm. Our hope is in Our Lord, and in His holy Mother.
Bulletin: What is your relationship with the French bishops?
Bp. Fellay: They do not seem to be seeking us out, rather they ignore us. Apart from sporadic contacts, we cannot properly speak of "relations". These will came in time, but we must not get ahead of Providence.


I was born into an airline family and started my career at KLM (and next moved to) Singapore Airlines. Then I served at Qatar Airways in 2004, first in Doha, then London to manage the European market. Last year, I was asked to move from the biggest market (Europe) to the fastest growing market (North Asia). We used to have Asia as one region, but we wanted to give this part its own focus.
What's the most significant accomplishment of your career?
Being part of the growth of Qatar Airways in Europe. When I landed in Europe to take up the position, we had 17 ports. When I left, we had grown to 32 ports. And we have just launched our 34th destination – Amsterdam. All these cities connect well to our Chinese destinations.
Good. China is becoming more connected to the world. We have 45 services into greater China a week. We're definitely hiring, (especially in the) sales office.
What are challenges you're currently facing?
Managing the growth and making sure that we have the right product in the right place.
Lately, to learn Mandarin if you live in China. I'm slowly getting there. I'm all about communication and I want to communicate with the people around me in the office and on the street. When you're in a country, you need to do your best to adapt.
It wasn't too long ago – Red Bowl at the Rosewood. The service is good, and the food is really nice.
I really, truly love Hong Kong. In Europe, I love Copenhagen and London.
The one I've always kept with me is The Alchemist.
I've got two Asian great-grandmothers – one Indonesian, one Singaporean.
What are you getting out of your AmCham China membership so far?
For us, here in China, the US is becoming a very important area. AmCham China is the logical place to interact with members who have similar connections in the US.


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text:
GWOC Fall Winter Spring Schools Links Middle School Site
Girls Basketball:StandingsStatisticsScheduleAwardsChampions
Teams: Beavercreek Butler Centerville Fairborn Fairmont Greenville Lebanon Miamisburg Northmont Piqua Sidney Springboro Springfield Stebbins Tippecanoe Trotwood-Madison Troy Wayne West Carrollton Xenia
Season: 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Heterodera amygdali  is a plant pathogenic nematode native to Tajikistan.

Notes

References
Kir'yanova, E. S.; Ivanova, T. S. 1975 Izvestiya Akademii Nauk Tadzhikskoi deg SSR Ahboroti Akademijai Fanhoi RSS Rocikiston, Otdelenie Biologicheskikh Nauk (3(60)): 52-56

amygdali
Plant pathogenic nematodes
Fauna of Tajikistan
Nematodes described in 1975

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


There were 1,984,600 jobs in Louisiana in March 2019 according to the CES survey of employers. The CPS survey of households showed 2,002,913 employed persons for the month. Louisiana added 3,300 jobs in March 2019 according to the CES survey while the broader CPS employment measure rose by 2,476 (Comparing CES and CPS employment numbers.). Also available is Louisiana job growth compared to other states.
The charts below shows the monthly job growth for Louisiana as measured by the CES and CPS surveys. To illustrate the trend, the 3 month moving average change in employment is shown in green.
CES employment peaked in December 2014 for Louisiana at 2,007,100. Since then 22,500 jobs have been lost in Louisiana according to the employer survey. From a trough of 1,964,700 in August 2016, Louisiana has gained 19,900 jobs according to CES employment figures.
CPS employment in Louisiana reached a maximum of 2,037,589 in December 2014. 34,676 jobs have been lost in Louisiana since then according to the household survey. From a November 2016 low of 1,979,996, Louisiana has added 22,917 jobs according to the CPS survey.


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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BIZJET EXPO
AMAC's Continuing Success
THE BIZJET MANUFACTURERS' "NUMBERS GAME"…AND GULFSTREAM'S MUCH-ANTICIPATED NEW ULTRA-LONGE-RANGE BIZJET OFFERING
BizJet Advisor October 28, 2019
Swiss Precision, of the Aerospace Variety
Waleed Muhiddin April 26, 2019
Picking Your Battles —— Choice of Law and Forum in Aircraft Purchase Contracts
Greg Cirillo March 31, 2017
The Multi-Million Dollar Gulfstream Interior Floor Plan and (multi-million dollar) Mistakes
Philip Rushton December 19, 2016
GREATER CHINA BIZJET RESALE DILEMMA …Issues facing China aircraft sellers in today's market
Philip Rushton June 6, 2020
In-House Counsel Challenge: The Bizjet Acquisition
Greg Cirillo December 20, 2016
Aircraft Contract Clauses that You Must Understand
Greg Cirillo October 10, 2016
NEW REASONS TO BUY A "NEARLY-NEW" BIZJET
Philip Rushton August 29, 2016
by Waleed Muhiddin
Kadri Muhiddin…Group Executive Chairman and CEO, AMAC Aerospace
We are proud to offer our esteemed clientele the chance to experience AMAC professionalism in handing these unique aircraft….aircraft renowned for requiring considerably more attention than standard commercial airliners
-Muhiddin
2015 was a very successful year for AMAC Aerospace, AMAC has now boosted its service capabilities in 2016
AMAC Aerospace started 2016 on a high note, opening its fourth hanger at EuroAirport in Basel, Switzerland, after only 11 months construction time.
The new hangar is designed to accommodate at least one wide-body aircraft along with two narrow-bodies. Unlike the already existing three hangars, the fourth one is purely dedicated to maintenance projects and wide-body aircraft. AMAC Aerospace dedicates one wide-body hangar to completions and refurbishment services. China wide-body VIP aircraft owners would be especially welcome to experience AMAC's expanded services.
These hangars together comfortably accommodate multiple narrow-and wide-body aircraft across the Boeing an Airbus fleets and can extend to service an A380. AMAC's smaller hangar is designed to simultaneously accommodate a wide variety of aircraft combinations for maintenance work. For instance , two narrow-body aircraft, Boeing Business Jets and /or Airbus A318, A319, A320, A321 or Gulfstreams and selected Bombardier jets.
"Our brand new fourth 7,280-sq-m hangar is our maintenance center for privately-owned and operated wide-body aircraft, serving our clients from around the world, including Greater China.
The construction of hangar number four was done in less than one year downtime. Around 60 workers were occupied at its peak. The same construction team, architects and engineers that were involved in the construction of the other three hangars were again part of the build-up of the new hangar. All hangars are equipped with the latest technological innovations. They meet the highest standards of safety and environmental conformity.
SUCCUSSFUL YEAR
The inauguration of the fourth hangar is just one highlight at the end of a very successful 2015 at AMAC Aerospace. There have been several milestones achieved within the last year, to name only a few:
In June, AMAC Aerospace was successfully awarded the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Air Agency Certificate empowering it to operate an FAA-approved repair station. The long-anticipated arrival came after several years of negotiations with its industry peers. AMAC Aerospace is now authorized to undertake repair station work on airframes, accessories, power plants, landing gears and non-=destructive inspections, testing and processing on N registered aircraft.
In July, AMAC Aerospace successfully completed and returned to service its first B747-8i in VVIP configuration, which stemmed over a two-year project downtime. This made it the first completions center in the world to redeliver an aircraft of this size and complexity.
In August, a VVIP B777-200 aircraft was inducted for a heavy base maintenance check at Basel with various cabin system modifications and upgrades to be performed for enhanced passenger comfort. AMAC was chosen by the undisclosed customer due to its high level of expertise in removing and reinstalling VVIP cabin interiors.
In November, Pilatus appointed AMAC Aerospace as the exclusive sales distributor for its all-new PC-24 light jet in the Middle East, extending AMAC's existing agreement with the single-engine turboprop aircraft manufacturer as an authorized service centre and sales distributor for the PC-12NG in the region.
A privately owned Airbus A319 has been inducted for a heavy maintenance C Check at Basel, and various modifications on the Satcom system as well as on the Passenger Information System (PIS) will be undertaken.
A new heavy base maintenance contract was signed for a privately owned A330 with an undisclosed customer and the aircraft was indicated at the end of 2015.
Most recently, a heavy base maintenance contract for a head-of-state BBJ (737-700) has been signed. Various cockpit updates and cabin modifications will be performed during this layover and the aircraft will be inducted in the first quarter of 2016.
AMAC Aerospace Switzerland offers narrow and wide-body VIP completions and maintenance for the corporate and private aviation market with its main facilities strategically stationed in the heart of Europe at EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse.
Tags: AMAC Aerospace
The wonderful moments of ABACE2016
Singapore celebrates its 20th anniversary
New maintenance projects on Boeing, Bombardier, Gulfstream and Airbus aircraft
BizJet Advisor December 3, 2020
The World's Only "Flying Palace"
Philip Rushton November 19, 2020
Continuous demand for onboard connectivity
BizJet Advisor November 16, 2020
High maintenance season: Two Head of State aircraft and several awarded projects for AMAC Aerospace
New projects awarded: Signed contracts for a 'PPI', several maintenance checks and a layover project
BizJet Advisor September 18, 2020
Boeing BBJ 747-8 has arrived at AMAC's facility in Basel
BizJet Advisor March 20, 2020
CHINA'S PREMIER BUSINESS JET MAGAZINE
Copyright ©2018, BIZJET ADVISOR MAGAZINE. All Rights Reserved.


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Dermody launches project at Stead
Dermody Properties said last week it has started construction on a three-building industrial development in Stead.
The project dubbed LogistiCourt at Silver Lake is projected to include three buildings totaling nearly 1.4 million square feet of space.
The first building in the industrial park will be a 545,550-square-foot distribution center on a 24-acre site. Dermody executives said they expect to lease the building to several users.
The project is west of the intersection of Moya and Lear boulevards, about two miles north of U.S. 395. It's scheduled for completion next summer.
Gregg Shutt, Dermody Properties partner for its western region, said company executives will pitch the project's proximity to the Reno-Sparks area as well as the availability of a nearby workforce when they meet with potential tenants.
"With not many options for new big-box warehouse and distribution facilities in Reno, the Stead area has evolved as the primary location for industrial development," Shutt said.
Blakely Johnson & Ghusn is project architect, the general contractor project manager is United Construction Company and Odyssey Engineering manages the project's civil engineering.
Last month, Dermody Properties said it purchased 50 acres at Tahoe Reno Industrial Center and plans to develop it under the "LogistiCourt" brand. Groundbreaking at TRIC is scheduled for next spring.


As a tribute to the achievements of Air Commodore Edward Maitland, Auguste Gudron and Charles Turner's 1,117-mile travel via hot air balloon from London's Crystal Palace to Russia in 1908, during which, Maitland wore Buberry's gabardine for protection against the weather.
This hot air balloon is installed at Heathrow's Terminal 2 Departure Lounge, along with a pop-up store showcasing the latest DK88 bags. Here, travellers can also create and print their very own personalised Burberry postcards via iPads, or drop physical hard copies into the Burberry post boxes.


If there is one thing that I know will always be a great gift for Father's Day it's anything from Weber. My husband loves to grill and loves getting new stuff for his grill. Weber is our favorite grill company and they always have the best stuff to keep you grilling all year long. I put together a list of grilling must-haves that make great gift ideas for any dad this Father's Day.
If you are looking for a great classic grill then the original kettle premium charcoal grill is perfect. My husband is a charcoal guy, he doesn't like gas grills so I the orginal kettle grill was perfect for him. They come in 18, 22, or 26 inches. I got him the 22 it's not to big or to small, perfect size for lots of food. Has wheels so you can easily move it around if needed. We really like this feature because it allows us to move it to different locations around the yard as needed. Weber has a great line of grills though regardless of what you are looking for, they have a grill that will fit your needs.
I didn't know this but Weber has great cookbooks too. We love to try out new recipes and new foods so I was super excited when I saw the Weber's Greatest Hits cookbook. It's a great gift idea for any dad who would love to try out new recipes for his grill. Make a complete grilling package for dad including a fun new recipe book to explore with his new grill.
Features 115 carefully selected recipes. Covers every kind of meat and tons of new twists on classic grill favorites. Dad will find plenty of inspiration by flipping through this great gift idea.
I am in love with the iGrill2. It is a digital grilling thermometer that you can use with your smart phone. I got this for my husband for Father's Day but I love it so much I've been using it in the house too! It is so easy to use and I love the technology. You can hook up to four thermometers into the base, it comes with two but you can add additional probes. This way you can check the temps on multiple foods at one time. I love this because when we do grill we are usually cooking different things like brats, burgers, and chicken all at once. You don't have to worry about cross-contamination you can just set up a different thermometer for each food.
My favorite part about it though is that you can set it up to work with your smart phone. They have an app you can download on your phone. Sync it with your iGrill2 using bluetooth and then you can see your thermometer read outs on your phone. This is perfect if you are wanting to be able to walk away. You can just glance at your phone and see how your meats are doing. They have preset features in the app so you can select what you are cooking, how you want it cooked (well-done, medium, etc) and it will give you the target temperature and let you know when it reaches the right temp. It's amazing. This is a must have for any grill lover.
Of course you have to add Weber Briquettes to your Father's Day gift list. You can't cook on a grill without the perfect briquettes. We love Weber briquettes because they don't add any chimicals to them, so you get a natural taste when you are using them all you can taste is the amazing food. The burn long as well. We use them everytime we grill and they make the perfect addition to a Grilling themed Father's Day gift.
Right now Weber has a photo contest going on their website. Simply upload a photo of your iGrill2 and tag it with #IGrillwithDad & #contest to enter to win a Genesis II grill. Learn more here.
*Disclosure: This is a giveaway hosted & sponsored by Weber and is no way associated with Parenting In Progress. We are simply providing details about this giveaway. For more details, questions, and to see winner results please visit the weber contest page.


When I was a teenager, I never suspected that as an adult, I would think the crafts of my grandmothers as something cool and awesome. But here I am, wishing I knew how to cross-stitch.
I could frame my art work.
And put one in each room of the house.
I could make gifts for friends and family. Something that people would actually want.
I could maybe even open an Etsy shop! Make some extra money.
I think it's a hobby that I could really enjoy.
I think even my husband would benefit from me getting a new hobby.
Yes, I believe cross-stitch it the hobby for me.


Hear Humpback Whale song like you have never heard before. Songlines documents the evolution of the intricate and beautiful East Australian Humpback Whale song. An hour of pristine digital audio recordings selected from five different years between 1992 and 2008 which draw the listener into a mysterious and majestic ocean world.
Track 3 features Migaloo the white humpback whale.
Free shipping for purchases of 2 or more CD's.
Support The Oceania Project's Whale research programs by ordering this item.


Friday 20th April 2012 – Jugiong to Gunning.
Jugiong to Gunning. 63 miles.
Foggy start to the day today, it was really thick at 6 o'clock but when I left at 7 it was starting to lift and the sun was coming out.
Felt a bit like the wild west last night in the bar most of the blokes seemed to be dressed like cowboys in there hats and boots, friendly lot everybody seemed to be called Garry though!
Nasty accident today between 3 lorries and 2 uts. I'd had a couple of police cars and an ambulance come flying past me and thought that there must be something up. The overhead signs on the freeway started to say slow down accident ahead, but it was a long time before I came across it, I suppose if your doing 70mph it doesn't take long to do 20 miles or so, obviously on a bike it takes rather longer especially when its quite hilly! I just rode up this hill at 650 metres and was enjoying the free wheeling going down the other side when I came upon the accident. A petrol tanker was crossing over from one side of the freeway to take the exit when two lorries coming up the freeway on the opposite side, one in the fast lane and one in the slow lane came across the tanker, one lorry ended up in a field still upright and looked fairly unscathed, the other lorry which obviously bore the brunt of the impact you couldn't really recognise it as a truck, but apparently the driver didn't get killed, which by looking at the state of his rig was a bit of a miracle! And to top it all 2 uts run into the back of all this! It all happened in thick fog, we was in a valley and it was a lot thicker and lasted a lot longer here than where I was.
Not got as far today as I'd hoped due to being held up with that accident, can't ride in the dark at the moment as my back light broke and fell off.
Previous PostPrevious Thursday 19th April 2012 – Wagga Wagga to Jugiong.
Next PostNext Saturday 21st April 2012 – Gunning to Mittagong.


Grand Rapids, Mich. May 22, 2014 – The 2014 Meijer State Games of Michigan (MSGOM), a West Michigan Sports Commission signature event, will feature a new, statewide Meijer State Games of Michigan Torch Tour Presented by Huntington Bank that will travel from Michigan's Upper Peninsula to Grand Rapids from June 13-20.
As a new kick-off event for the MSGOM, the Torch Tour has been developed in partnership with Huntington Bank to foster statewide participation in the MSGOM and provide an opportunity for active youth, adults and seniors to carry the torch along the route and promote the healthy lifestyle and activity focus of the event.
A custom, made-in-Michigan Huntington Bank torch developed by the Detroit Design Center will incorporate core Michigan elements to include iron ore and copper from the Upper Peninsula and reclaimed glass, steel and wood from Detroit industrial locations. The torch will rest in a base that will include a variety of iconic natural resources from Michigan including water from all five Great Lakes and sand from the Sleeping Bear Dunes.
About the Meijer State Games of Michigan: Modeled after the Olympics, the Meijer State Games of Michigan welcomes athletes regardless of age or ability. The Games embody the values of participation, sportsmanship and healthy living among resident of Michigan. A signature event of the West Michigan Sports Commission, the Meijer State Games of Michigan is truly a grassroots organization that relies on the dedication of thousands of volunteers and the support of corporate partners. To register for the 2014 Meijer State Games of Michigan, please visit www.StateGamesofMichigan.com.
About Huntington: Huntington Bancshares Incorporated (NASDAQ: HBAN and www.huntington.com) is a $60 billion asset regional bank holding company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. The Huntington National Bank, founded in 1866, provides full-service commercial, small business, and consumer banking services; mortgage banking services; treasury management and foreign exchange services; equipment leasing; wealth and investment management services; trust services; brokerage services; customized insurance brokerage and service programs; and other financial products and services. The principal markets for these services are Huntington's six-state retail banking franchise: Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Indiana, West Virginia, and Kentucky. The primary distribution channels include a banking network of more than 700 traditional branches and convenience branches located in grocery stores and retirement centers, and through an array of alternative distribution channels including internet and mobile banking, telephone banking, and more than 1,500 ATMs. Through automotive dealership relationships within its six-state retail banking franchise area and selected other Midwest and New England states, Huntington also provides commercial banking services to the automotive dealers and retail automobile financing for dealer customers.


SAN JOSE, Calif. (CBS.MW) - Altera matched its third-quarter financial targets, but the maker of programmable microchips said its fourth-quarter sales could fall as much as 10 percent.
Ahead of the report, shares ALTR, +0.46% ended up $1.15, or 6.1 percent, to $19.98.
Altera reported third-quarter net income of $20.8 million, or 5 cents a share, on revenue of $174.1 million. During the same quarter last year, net income was $118 million, or 28 cents a share, on revenue of $395.4 million.
Gross margin was 63 percent compared with 66.4 percent during the same quarter last year.
Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial/First Call expected earnings of 5 cents per share on revenue of $174.3 million, on average.
At the end of August, Altera said it still stood behind its estimate that third-quarter revenue would be 15 to 20 percent below second-quarter levels. That forecast implied sales of $172.2 million to $181.2 million for the three months ending Sept. 30.
For the fourth quarter, Altera said its revenue could decline 5 percent to 10 percent while gross margin should be about 61 percent.
Analysts had expected earnings of 6 cents a share on revenue of $178 million. Altera's targets imply sales of $156.7 million to $165.4 million.


The new design orchestra light with batteries and mains operation. Nine LEDs provide an even light rich in contrast. The flexible goose neck is fully adjustable. The complete set includes 3 AA 1.5 V batteries, a power supply with a practical carrying case.


If you are interested in participating in the dual/scrimmages, please fill out the form below. Each team the signs up will be paired with three scrimmages. The extent and formality is up to the coaches participating.
If you are the visiting team, you will need to make initial contact for that dual (you can do that now or anytime prior to two weeks to determine what day of the week you will visit/scrimmage). Visiting teams will also need to send their rosters to the visiting coach prior to getting together (please give a minimum of two days for that as well).
Home team will provide the location and referees. The week and time can be amended by you and the other coach, but will be up to the two teams to facilitate that change. Please notify us on that change if there is one as well.
How many ages 4 - 10?
How many ages 11 - 12?
How many of the total kids anticipated are novice wrestlers?
Are you willing to travel with your club on a school night?


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La quarta stagione, l'ultima, della serie televisiva The Big C è composta da 4 episodi ed è stata intitolata Hereafter. È stata trasmessa in prima visione negli Stati Uniti d'America dal canale via cavo Showtime dal 29 aprile al 20 maggio 2013.

In Italia dal 2 dicembre 2013 sul canale satellitare Foxlife


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Board index .:: Timp Liber ::. Jocuri
[Free2Play] Fortnite
Gamers zone...
fpz0r
Nume Real: Flo
Location: aici
Post by fpz0r » Fri May 04, 2018 20:09
Fortnite is a co-op sandbox survival game developed by Epic Games and People Can Fly and published by Epic Games. The game was released as a paid-for early access title for Microsoft Windows, macOS, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on July 25, 2017, with a full free-to-play release expected in 2018. The retail versions of the game were published by Gearbox Publishing, while online distribution of the PC versions is handled by Epic's launcher.
Fortnite is set in contemporary Earth, where the sudden appearance of a worldwide storm causes 98% of the world's population to disappear, and zombie-like creatures rise to attack the remainder. Considered by Epic as a cross between Minecraft and Left 4 Dead, Fortnite has up to four players cooperating on various missions on randomly-generated maps to collect resources, build fortifications around defensive objectives that are meant to help fight the storm and protect survivors, and construct weapons and traps to engage in combat with waves of these creatures that attempt to destroy the objectives. Players gain rewards through these missions to improve their hero characters, support teams, and arsenal of weapon and trap schematics to be able to take on more difficult missions. The game is supported through microtransactions to purchase in-game currency that can be used towards these upgrades. (sursa: wikipedia)
Site: https://www.epicgames.com/fortnite/en-U ... s/season-4
Joaca cineva?
Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2009 17:28
Contact Freak
Re: [Free2Play] Fortnite
Post by Freak » Tue May 22, 2018 17:32
Azi il descarc sa vad cum e, toata lumea zice ca e foarte fain jocul.
Return to "Jocuri"


Let us add an element to the HTML Document Object Model (DOM).
There is no oldie that is more goodie than greeting the world around us. There is an elemental power to our first Hello World, a power that proclaims, "We have the power to code syntactically correct. We have the power to change things on the screen. We have the power to accomplish business goals using this language. And, we are friendly and outgoing; 'Hello'."


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by keithbwalters | March 2, 2012 · 3:28 pm
Published by Orbit
This was no dream. He sucked in a deep breath. A breath full of that strange smell he couldn't identify. He trailed his hands across the satin beneath him and to both sides of him and, when he raised his hands, above him too. He knew why it was so dark. He understood why he could see nothing.
He realised why he was lying down.
Frank and Gina Hackett think you've killed their daughter and they want a confession. If you say you did it, they'll kill you. If you say you didn't, they'll leave you to die. So how do you stop the next words you say from being your last? It seems hopeless, but there is one way out . . .
What would you do ?
I've been a fan of Shaun Hutson for many years.
At school and college I loved his great horror stories and, only now, realise just how much I owe to him for 'Assassin' for the fantastic mix of crime and horror that it gave me as a younger reader.
In more recent years he has thrilled me with books closer to the me of now, with 'Hybrid' he gave me the chills of seeing another me out of my window, tapping away on my own writing in my writing shed (or 'Shoffice' copyright Will Carver) whilst I remained safely within the house, then he gave us 'Body Count', 'Unmarked Graves', 'Last Rites' and now I finally got the time to catch up with 'Epitaph'.
Despite having a copy of the novel glaring at me from the shelf for months, it was a couple of weeks laid up sick at home which led to me reading it – or, rather, listening to it in audiobook form. It's been ages since I'd 'read' a book that way and, being trapped in bed and judging time of day by the time my daughter arrived home from school each day, was certainly the most uncomfortable way I could ever have thought of experiencing this tale, other than nailing myself shut in a coffin. With earpieces in place I found myself drifting in and out of the story during the duration of its telling and that, probably coupled with my medication, gave me some of the worst nightmare waking moments I have experienced in many years.
The story gives Hutson the chance to describe in horrific detail the two biggest fears I have ever had, the stealing away of a child and being buried alive and he delights in cranking up the tension to both elements equally. Was great to find him making mention of horror paperbacks (such as he used to write) when he describes the insects and, particularly, slugs as those queuing up to enter the coffin.
Read by Sean Barrett, who although at first seems stilted in his delivery, the change in voices, particularly with his at times terrifying tone for Gina Hackett, this was a nightmarish ride through a few hellish days for me, with a good few dark twists along the way.
A dark and pain-filled ride into some extremely dark territory – but, once again, Shaun Hutson does everything that he does best – delivers, in spades!


These problems are typical and can affect anyone. What are your options? Should you wait until a real estate agent can sell your home? If you have very little equity in your house, your course of action is reduced even more. At closing, you may have to bring a large amount of money to the table! Having to do that is more troublesome than losing equity.
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We're not Realtors© and we're not associated with any real estate agency. We are real estate investors that are more than qualified to buy your home and very interested in doing just that. As you read, you'll get a good general idea of what we look for and how we can assist you by purchasing your home. We will also provide some answers to questions we're commonly asked.
Be sure to visit our Testimonial Page and view a few of the homes we've recently purchased. Homes like yours, from owners like you. In each situation, the owners wanted out of the house, and wanted their mortgage taken care of. We did exactly that, in their time frame. No hassles, no broken promises, just the kind of results that you want and deserve.
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Tallgrass Prairie Adventures
"Let us go on, and take the adventure that shall fall to us." — C.S. Lewis
If there's one phrase my family knows I can't stand, it's this one: "Killing time." Why? Time is precious. It's irreplaceable. Each day is an adventure, if you let it be so. Why waste a moment?
I think of this as I walk my dragonfly monitoring routes on the prairie this week. The wind has come up. Instead of gazing over my head for patrolling green darners and black saddlebags, I'm looking lower, in the grasses and prairie wildflowers. There, many of the regular high flying dragonflies hunker down, sheltering from the breezy heat.
Each season, dragonfly monitors—people like you and me—go to a city park, prairie restoration, forest preserve pond, or local wetland with the intention of regularly collecting data about Odonates. Monitors—dragonfly chasers—spend a good chunk of their summer hours in mosquito-filled areas, counting dragonflies and damselflies and making hash marks on a clipboard. We note what species we see, and how many of each species appears on a certain day in a particular place.
It sounds a little nutty, perhaps, to spend our days counting insects. But dragonflies and damselflies are a good thermometer for the state of our waterways. Their numbers and species diversity have messages for us about the health of our natural world. All we have to do is listen. Pay attention. Show up.
Speaking of thermometers: It's hot. Sweat trickles between my shoulder blades. I check my phone and see the temperature is 88 degrees. The relative humidity of the Midwest makes it seem even hotter, keeping most visitors off of the prairie trails.
The dragonflies, which maintain body temperature through thermoregulatory behavior, have various gymnastics to help them stay cool. This female eastern amberwing dragonfly below is obelisking.
By positioning her abdomen straight up, she reduces some of the direct summer heat hitting her body. Sometimes, you'll see dragonflies point their abdomens downward for the same reason. Or, if it's cooler, they'll use their wings as solar collectors, like this 12-spotted skimmer below. Gathering sunshine.
This season, I find the blue-fronted dancer damselfly population has erupted out of all imagining. I walk, and I look, and I try to keep track of what I'm seeing. Hash mark, hash mark, hash mark… . I can barely keep track of them, emerging from the grasses on both sides of the prairie trail; a virtual ambush of bright blue insects. Under my feet. Hovering knee high. Blue-fronted dancer damselflies everywhere! Hash mark. Hash mark. I finally quit tallying them at 88 individuals.
So much dazzling blue! The danger is that as I see so many of one species, I overlook some of the other species that aren't as prolific. Like this violet dancer, mixed in with the blue-fronteds.
Or an American rubyspot damselfly, hanging out by the stream.
Damselflies are so darn tiny. Part of the day's adventure is to slow down and really look. Carefully. Closely. But I'm always aware of what I'm missing, even as I see so much. All these incredible dragonflies and damselflies! But–that bee over there. What species is it? And what about that butterfly? What's moving in the grass by the stream? The July prairie explodes with wildflowers all around me as I hike. How can I focus?
It's easy to be diverted. On one route, I narrowly avoid stepping on a bee fly sunning itself on the gravel two-track.
On another trail, I kick up little puffs of butterflies—maybe pearl crescents? Tough to ID. They rise, then settle back into the clover as I pass.
I stop to watch a ruby-throated hummingbird swoop across the trail, then hover, sipping nectar from the dark reddish-brown flowers of a tall late figwort plant, towering over my head. I didn't know hummingbirds visit these tiny blooms! In the gusty breeze, the oddball flowers rocket wildly back and forth, but the hummingbird maneuvers right along with them. Later, I visit the Prairie Moon Nursery website and read more about this wildflower's value to butterflies, bees, and—yes—hummingbirds. Who knew?
There's always something different and exciting to learn as I walk my dragonfly monitoring routes on the prairie. Always a small adventure of some sort, waiting to happen.
In rain-rutted puddles, bullfrogs leap across the water with an EEK!"
The common yellowthroat sings his wichety-wichety-wichety from the walnut tree by the wooden bridge over Willoway Brook. I inhale the scent of a hundred thousand wildflowers and grasses; the smell of prairie soil that's alternately been baked in a hot summer oven and soaked with rain.
As I finish my route near the stream, a red-winged blackbird hovers menacingly over my head, daring me to come closer. Are they still nesting? Must be! He shrieks loudly as I cover my head with my clipboard—just in case—and hurry a bit toward the path leading to the parking lot.
So much to think about. The writer Paul Gruchow once observed, "Curiosity, imagination, inventiveness expand with use, like muscles, and atrophy with neglect." One of the pleasures of dragonfly monitoring is the practice of paying close attention to everything on the July prairie. Flexing the muscles of my imagination. Resisting the urge to become jaded and cynical—all too easy in the world we find ourselves in today. Trying to choose where I focus.
Even a simple hike on the prairie, counting dragonflies, can be an adventure. The writer Annie Dillard penned one of my favorite quotes: How we spend our days, is, of course, how we spend our lives. I think of this as I watch a black saddlebag dragonfly cruise over my backyard prairie patch, or admire the way the cup plants cradle water in their joined leaves after a torrential downpour, inviting goldfinches to take a drink. I try to ask myself regularly: How am I spending my hours? How am I spending my life?
Every day I struggle to be intentional. To make room for curiosity. Imagination. The life of the spirit. The poet Mary Oliver wrote, When it's over, I want to say: all my life/ I was a bride married to amazement/ I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.
Instead of "killing time," I want to cultivate a sense of wonder. To look at every moment as an adventure. To make room for reflection. To walk, and always—always! —be astonished at what I see.
And how can we not be astonished? Look at those dragonflies, those wildflowers! Listen to that birdsong. Watch the tallgrass ripple in the breeze.
What a beautiful world.
British writer C.S. Lewis (1898-1963) penned the opening words in this blog from The Chronicles of Narnia, a series of classic children's books. My favorite book in the series (although it is tough to choose!) is Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Lewis was a contemporary and friend of J.R.R. Tolkien, and part of a writers group known as The Inklings. The books are great for read-aloud, if you have children or grandchildren elementary age and up.
Minnesota writer Paul Gruchow (1947-2004) who wrote one of the quotes that appears in this post, is one of my favorite writers about the natural world. If you haven't read Gruchow, try Journal of a Prairie Year, or Grass Roots: The Universe of Home. Both terrific reads. I also love his Boundary Waters: The Grace of the Wild.
The late poet Mary Oliver (1935-2019) penned the beautiful poem, When Death Comes, quoted at the end of this post.
All photos copyright Cindy Crosby (top to bottom): bridge over Willoway Brook at the end of July, Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; flowering spurge (Euphorbia corollata) with unknown grass, Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; rattlesnake master (Eyrngium yuccifolium), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; female blue dasher dragonfly (Pachydiplax longipennis) on rough blazing star (Liatris aspera), Belmont Prairie, Downer's Grove, IL; gray-headed coneflower (Ratibida pinnata), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; female eastern amberwing dragonfly (Perithemis tenera), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; 12-spotted skimmer (Libellula pulchella) on prairie blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya), author's backyard and prairie planting, Glen Ellyn, IL; blue-fronted dancer damselfly (Argia apicalis), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; violet (or variable) dancer damselfly (Argia fumipennis var. violacea), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; American rubyspot (Hetaerina americana), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; Nachusa Grasslands in July, The Nature Conservancy, Franklin Grove, IL; bee fly (possibly Bombylius major), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; tough to ID, but possibly pearl crescent butterfly (Phyciodes tharos), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; late figwort (Scrophularia marilandica), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus or Rana catesbeiana), Nachusa Grasslands, The Nature Conservancy, Franklin Grove, IL; Culver's root in mid July (Veronicastrum virginicum), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; wild quinine (Parthenium integrifolium), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; looking back at a dragonfly monitoring route at Nachusa Grasslands, The Nature Conservancy, Franklin Grove, IL.
More about Cindy's speaking and classes at www.cindycrosby.com
Posted in damselfly, Dragonflies, Prairie, tallgrass prairie, the nature conservancy illinois, Uncategorized
Tagged 12-spotted skimmer, American bullfrog, American rubyspot, Argia apicalis, Argia fumipennis var. violacea, backyard prairie, bee fly, belmont prairie nature preserve, blue-fronted dancer damselfly, Bombylius major, damselfly, downer's grove, dragonfly, euphorbia corollata, eyrngium yuccifolium, female blue dasher dragonfly, flowering spurge, franklin grove, glen ellyn, Hetaerina americana, Illinois, late figwort, liatris aspera, Liatris pycnostachya, Libellula pulchella, lisle, Lithobates catesbeianus, Nachusa Grasslands, Nachusa Grasslands in July, Pachydiplax longipennis, Parthenium integrifolium, pearl crescent butterfly, Rana catesbeiana, rattlesnake master, rough blazing star, schulenberg prairie, Scrophularia marilandica, The Morton Arboretum, the nature conservancy illinois, variable dancer damselfly, violet damselfly, wild quinine, willoway brook
Summer Magic on the Tallgrass Prairie
"May I not be permitted…to introduce a few reflections on the magical influence of the prairies? Their sight never wearies…a profusion of variously colored flowers; the azure of the sky above. In the summer season, especially, everything upon the prairies is cheerful, graceful, and animated…I pity the man whose soul could remain unmoved under such a scene of excitement." ——Joseph Nicollet, 1838
I followed Chance the Snapper—Chicago's renegade alligator—south to Florida this week.
The tallgrass has often been compared to the ocean, and it's easy to see why. As I sit on the sand under the hot sun, the ripples on the Gulf remind me of the wind-waves that pass through the spiking grasses and wildflowers.
It's difficult to be away from the prairie, even for a few days in July. So much is happening! It's a magical time. The gray-headed coneflowers pirouette into lemon confetti.
Purple and white prairie clover spin their tutu skirts across the tallgrass; bee magnets, every one.
Rosinweed's rough and tumble blooms pinwheel open. Rosinweed is part of the Silphium genus, and perhaps the most overlooked of its more charismatic siblings.
Cup plant, another Silphium sibling, is also in bloom. as are the first iconic compass plant flowers. Prairie dock, the last of the Silphiums to open here in Illinois, won't be far behind.
The last St. John's wort blooms seem to cup sunshine.
The smaller pale blooms, like llinois bundleflower…
…and oddball wildflowers, like Indian plantain, add complexity to the richness of the July prairie.
Wild bergamot, or "bee-balm," buzzes with its namesake activity. I'm always astonished each year at how prolific it is, but this season, it floods the prairie with lavender. Wow.
The scientific name for bee balm is Monarda fistulosa; the specific epithet, fistulosa, means "hollow" or "pipe-like." If you pay attention to a single flower in all its growing stages…
….its intricacy will take your breath away. Look closer. Like fireworks!
I love to chew its minty leaves; a natural breath freshener. Bee balm's essential oil, thymol, is a primary ingredient in natural mouthwashes. Tea made from the plant has also been used as a remedy for throat infections; its antiseptic properties made it historically useful for treating wounds.
The hummingbirds and hummingbird moths, as well as the bees and butterflies, find it irresistible.
Not only a useful plant, but beautiful.
The air reverberates with sound on the July prairie: buzzing, chirping; the sizzling, hissing chords of grass blowing in the wind. Overhead, ubiquitous honking Canada geese add their familiar notes.
In Florida, ospreys wake me each morning with their piercing cries. I see them soaring over the tallgrass prairie occasionally at home and at Fermilab's prairies down the road in Batavia, IL, where they're a rare treat. Here in Florida, they're just another common note in the island's soundtrack.
It's bittersweet to leave the tallgrass prairie in July for a week and miss some of its seasonal magic. The wildflowers are in full crescendo. The grasses unfold their seedheads and head skyward. The slow turn of the season toward autumn begins. You see it in the change in dragonfly species on the prairie, the sudden appearance of bottlebrush grass and Joe Pye weed flowers. To leave the Midwest for even a few days is to miss a twist or turn in the prairie's ongoing story. Miss some of the magic.
But displacement gives me perspective. A renewed appreciation for what I've left behind.
The magic will be waiting.
Joseph Nicollet (1786-1843), whose quote begins this post, was a French mathematician, philosopher, and astronomer who led explorations in what now is the Dakotas and Minnesota. His whose accurate maps were some of the first to show elevation and use regional Native American names for places. Nicollet's tombstone reads: "He will triumph who understands how to conciliate and combine with the greatest skill the benefits of the past with the demands of the future." Read more about him here.
All photos copyright Cindy Crosby (top to bottom): sunset, Captiva Island in July, Florida; Schulenberg Prairie in July, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; gray-headed coneflower (Ratibida pinnata), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; rosinweed (Silphium integrifolium), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; St. John's wort ( likely shrubby —Hypericum prolificum); Illinois bundleflower (Desmanthus illinoensis), West side prairie planting, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; Indian plantain (Arnoglossum plantagineum), Kent Fuller Air Force Prairie, Glenview, IL; wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) and a silver-spotted skipper (Epargyreus clarus), Nachusa Grasslands, Franklin Grove, IL; wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; sunflowers (probably Helianthus divaricatus) and wild bergamont (Monarda fistulosa), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; Canada geese (Branta canadensis), Belmont Prairie, Downer's Grove, IL; osprey (Pandion haliaetus), Captiva Island, Florida; obedient plant (Physostegia virginiana), author's backyard prairie, Glen Ellyn, IL; sunset, Captiva Island in July, Florida.
Find more at http://www.cindycrosby.com
Posted in captiva island, Monarda fistulosa, tallgrass prairie, Uncategorized
Tagged beach, bee balm, bees, belmont prairie, blooms, Canada geese, captiva island, captiva sunset, downer's grove, florida, Glenview, gray-headed coneflower, Illinois, illinois bundleflower, indian plantain, Joseph Nicollet, july, Kent Fuller Air Station Prairie, lisle, Monarda fistulosa, native plants, osprey, prairie, prairie ethnobotany, prairie restoration, purple prairie clover, rosin weed, sand, schulenberg prairie, sky, St. John's Wort, sunflowers, sunset, surf, The Morton Arboretum, wild bergamot, wildflowers
July's Prairie Patterns
"The world is a confusing and turbulent place, but we make sense of it by finding order… . This makes us all pattern seekers. "– Philip Ball
High heat and cool breezes; thunderstorms and calm mornings. From my hammock overlooking the backyard prairie patch, I'm astonished at the rapid growth of plants under the hot sun, watered by frequent rain showers. I swear I saw cup plants grow an inch right before my eyes! Anything seems possible in the bright light and blue skies of July.
As I swing in my hammock, I'm reading a new book from University of Chicago Press: Patterns in Nature. It's a revelation. As an art and journalism student in my undergrad years, I avoided math as much as possible. Now, I'm discovering the beauty of mathematics on the prairie. Symmetry. Fractals. Surface tension.
So many different combinations of patterns in July! I've always been intrigued by patterns in nature. But I didn't understand much about what I saw.
Paging through Philip Ball's book, I begin with symmetry, which Ball says, is at the root of understanding how patterns in nature appear.
It's an eye-opener.
Ball notes that "Bilateral symmetry seems almost to be the default for animals. Fish, mammals, insects, and birds all share this attribute." I see this in the blue-fronted damselfly above; in the mirror-image wings of a skipper butterfly below. Divide them in half and each side is essentially identical.
It's evinced in the reversed haploa moth, barely visible, deep in the tallgrass.
There is bilateral symmetry in a bison's skull, with a few imperfections.
Or a monarch's wings, even when tattered and worn.
Who wouldn't marvel at the folded, paired symmetrical wings of the male violet dancer damselfly?
Once you begin looking for patterns in the natural world…
…you see them everywhere.
Fractal geometry, Ball writes, is said to be "the geometry of nature." Fractals? What's a fractal? "Don't know much algebra…," sang Sam Cooke in his classic, "(What a) Wonderful World." Yup. But I want to know more.
Ball boils it down to this: Look at a tree. A part of the tree, he writes, can resemble the whole, as the "tree algorithm" keeps making the same kind of structure repeatedly. As I hike the prairie one afternoon, I look up and all of the sudden it makes sense—once I understand what I'm looking at.
"Growing fractals" are a type of fractal found in the network of arteries, veins, and capillaries in the vascular system—another "branching" effect, Ball tells me. I think of the "arteries" running across prairie dock leaves, so pronounced in the autumn.
I reflect on these concepts and my head aches. Fractals. Symmetry. So fascinating. So…complex. I regret now my ability to dodge everything math-related in college except for a course called "Cardinal Numbers." A sort of 101 math for art majors. But maybe it's not too late?
Early one morning, wading Clear Creek at Nachusa Grasslands, I admire the dew drops. I remember reading in Ball's book that beads of water are driven by surface tension. Simply put, he says, surface tension pulls dew and rain into these "droplet" shapes, and gravity helps flatten the droplets. Ahhh. Look at that. Yes.
A different sort of pattern. I search for water droplets: on leaves, spiderwebs, even dragonfly wings. Each dewdrop has heightened meaning.
As I continue reading, chapter after chapter, then go for hikes to explore the different patterns in Ball's book, his simple explanations for a non-scientist open up a new world for me. A world where math seems a little more applicable. A little more accessible. A little more…meaningful. Perhaps, though, the best moment in Ball's book is when he writes that the law of pattern formation is driven by wonder.
"We need to marvel and admire as well as to analyze and calculate," Ball writes. Oh, yes. I've always been attuned to wonder; marveling comes without effort for me. Now, I'm learning the other side of the equation. Such an astonishing world!
So many "patterns" to marvel at and admire in the month of July on the prairie. Why not go see?
Philip Ball is the former editor for Nature. The quotes in this post are from his book, Patterns in Nature: Why the Natural World Looks the Way it Does (University of Chicago Press, 2016). Check it out here.
All photos copyright Cindy Crosby (top to bottom): July on the Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; monarch caterpillar (Danaus plexippus) on butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; blue-fronted dancer damselfly (Argia apicalis), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; silver-spotted skipper (Epargyreus clarus), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; reversed haploa moth (Haploa reversa), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; bison (Bison bison) skull, Nachusa Grasslands, The Nature Conservancy, Franklin Grove, IL; monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) on rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; violet dancer (sometimes called variable dancer) (Argia fumipennis violacea), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; gray-headed coneflower (Ratibida pinnata) seedhead, Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; orb weaver (family Araneidae) spider web, Brown County State Park, Nashville, IN; tree leafing out on the edge of the Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; prairie dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; water droplets along Clear Creek, Nachusa Grasslands, The Nature Conservancy, Franklin Grove, IL; glade mallow (Napaea dioica), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.
Cindy's Classes and Speaking
August 12, 7-8:30 p.m., Dragonflies and Damselflies: The Garden's Frequent Fliers, Fox Valley Garden Club, Aurora, IL. Free and open to the Public. Details here.
Posted in bilateral symmetry, Patterns in Nature, tallgrass prairie, Uncategorized
Tagged (What a) Wonderful World, Art, Ball, bison skull, blue-fronted dancer damselfly, butterflyweed, Clear Creek, fractals, franklin grove, geometry, gray-headed coneflower, Illinois, journalistm, july, lisle, math, milkweed, monarch, monarch caterpillar, Nachusa Grasslands, orb weaver spider, Patterns in Nature, Philip, Philip Ball, prairie dock, rattlesnake master, reversed haploa moth, Sam Cooke, schulenberg prairie, silver-spotted skipper, surface tension, symmetry, The Morton Arboretum, the nature conservancy, University of Chicago Press, variable dancer damselfly, violet dancer damselfly, water droplets
Prairie Fireworks
"It seems to me that the natural world is the greatest source of excitement; the greatest source of visual beauty; the greatest source of intellectual interest. It is the greatest source of so much in life that makes life worth living."–David Attenborough
It's summer in the tallgrass; almost the Fourth of July. The bison go about their business of raising young calves.
White wild indigo continues its magical year. I've never seen anything like the profusion of this wildflower on the prairie in the past two decades I've been hiking the tallgrass.
And those pale purple coneflowers! Unbelievable.
Anecdotally, the most beautiful time on the prairie is supposedly the Fourth of July. I love all four seasons in the tallgrass: the blue and black palette of winter, the golds and rusts of autumn, the first green shoots needling up through the ash of a prescribed burn in spring. But this year, from the white wild indigo and coneflowers, to the prairie lilies…
….to the black-eyed Susans…
…it's easy to make a case for this as the most lovely season of all.
It's not only the plants that are striking. Deep in the prairie wetlands, a calligrapher's fly hangs out in the big bur reeds. The blooms it explores seem a foreshadowing of fireworks later this week.
Soft spiky explosions of foxtail barley grass line the prairie trails. I read up on it, and discover it's also called squirrel-tail grass. What great names! I love this silky grass, even though it is a bit on the weedy side. More "fireworks" to enjoy.
The leaves of mountain mint and bee balm, crushed between my fingers, envelope me in their sharp fragrance as I hike. I chew a few of the leaves, enjoying the taste. While admiring the wildflowers and prairie grasses this summer, I also monitor dragonflies and damseflies—counting the different species and their numbers on the prairies and in the wetlands.
Ethereal damselflies have shown up. New ones I've not seen before like the one below. Sweetflag spreadwing? I'm not sure. I pore over my field guides, looking at photos and parsing through identification marks.
This lyre-tipped spreadwing, with its metallic body sizzling in the sunlight, stopped me in my tracks.
Both spreadwings are new to me this summer, after chasing dragonflies for more than a dozen years. Cascades of wildflowers, a profusion of spreadwing species…perhaps the rainy deluge the past three months has brought these about? It's nice to think so.
There are many different bluets on the prairie, but this azure bluet damselfly in the prairie savanna grasses is a new discovery for me, and for our site.
Marla Garrison's wonderful Damselflies of the Chicago Region taught me to look for the "bat" image on the lower part of the azure bluet's abdomen (most people call it "the tail"). Can you see it? Right above the blue segments.
More familiar dragonflies are also out and about. Eastern amberwing dragonflies, like this female, do handstands to try and cool off in the sweltering heat.
I never tire of the widow skimmer dragonflies, even though they are ubiquitous in my region.
Ebony jewelwings, like this pair (the female with a white dot on her wings) are the essence of summer. They fly loops in and out of the reed canary grass along Willoway Brook, snatching insects and looking for mates.
I'm looking forward to celebrating the Fourth of July with my family this week. But the best fireworks happen all summer long on the prairie. Explosions of wildflowers. The pop of color from a new dragonfly or damselfly. Unusual insects to discover.
So many new adventures to anticipate.
So much to be grateful for.
David Attenborough is the narrator for the original episodes of Planet Earth, which I have had the joy to watch with four of my little grandkids, Ellie, Jack, Anna, and Margaret. If you haven't checked out this award-winning series of documentaries about life on our planet, take a look here at Planet Earth II.
All photos copyright Cindy Crosby (top to bottom): bison (Bison bison) and wildflowers, Nachusa Grasslands, Franklin Grove, IL; white wild indigo (Baptisa alba), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; pale purple coneflowers (Echinacea pallida), Nachusa Grasslands, Franklin Grove, IL; prairie lilies (Lilium philadelphicum andinum) Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; calligrapher's fly (Toxomerus — either the marginatus or geminatus) on big bur reed (Sparganium eurycarpum), prairie planting and pond, Lisle, IL; foxtail barley grass or squirrel-tail grass (Hordeum jubatum) Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; possibly sweetflag spreadwing damselfly (Lestes forcipatus) although it may also be slender spreadwing (Lestes rectangularis)–and so I continue learning!; prairie planting and pond, Lisle, IL; lyre-tipped spreadwing (Lestes unguiculatus), prairie planting and pond, Lisle, IL; azure bluet (Enallagma aspersum), Schulenberg Prairie Savanna, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; azure bluet (Enallagma aspersum), Schulenberg Prairie Savanna, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; female eastern amberwing dragonfly (Perithemis tenera), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; widow skimmer dragonfly (Libellula luctuosa), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; ebony jewelwing damselflies (Calopteryx maculata), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; dragonfly monitoring at Nachusa Grasslands, Franklin Grove, IL.
Thanks to Odonata of the Eastern United States FB group and Joyce Gibbons for help on damselfly ID this week! Grateful.
Cindy's Upcoming Classes and Events
Friday, August 2, 8-11:30am — Prairie Ethnobotany at The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL. Discover how people have used prairie plants throughout history. Register here.
Monday, August 12, 7-8 p.m., Fox Valley Garden Club –The Garden's Frequent Fliers: Dragonflies and Damselflies –Aurora, IL. Free and open to the public. For details and directions, click here.
August 10-13, online and in-person: Intensive Master Naturalist Training at The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL (sold out).
August 19-22, 8am-5pm daily, M-TH — Certified Interpretive Guide training with National Association for Interpretation at The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL. Earn your credential as a naturalist or cultural history interpreter! Details and registration here.
Thursday, August 29, 7-8:30 p.m.—Summer Literary Series: On the Prairie at The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL– Tallgrass Conversations: In Search of the Prairie Spirit, book signing, drinks, and tram ride with a lecture on the Schulenberg Prairie, the fourth oldest planted restoration in the world. Register here.
See more on http://www.cindycrosby.com
Posted in Dragonflies, Fourth of July, tallgrass prairie, Uncategorized
Tagged azure bluet, bison, black-eyed susan, calligrapher's fly, damselflies of the chicagoland region, ebony jewelwing damselfly, female eastern amberwing, field museum, foxtail barley, franklin grove, Illinois, lisle, lyre-tipped spreadwing, Nachusa Grasslands, pale purple coneflowers, prairie lilies, prairie pond, schulenberg prairie, squirrel-tail grass, sweetflag spreadwing, tallgrass prairie, The Morton Arboretum, the nature conservancy, white wild indigo, widow skimmer dragonfly, wildflowers


onerobot needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 129 designs submitted by 30 freelance designers.
Great experience for us. Amazingly talented collection of artists to help realize and explore ideas. Highly recommend engaging 99designs for creative work.


text:
Sorry, Jesse Loo, you cannot be a Minister even if you win PM Lee's Ang Mo Kio GRC
We will explain to you why it is an even more impossible task than winning PM Lee Hsien Loong's ward.
Martino Tan | September 5, 2015 @ 01:06 pm
Our eyebrows were raised when Reform Party (RP) candidate Jesse Loo told a pro-PAP supporter to "Vote for Workers' Party" at Ang Mo Kio MRT station on Sept. 2.
This morning, our eyebrows twitched furiously with what Loo said in last night's Ang Mo Kio rally at Yio Chu Kang stadium:
"I like Siva (RP candidate Siva Chandran), will be very happy, once we go into parliament, we will make sure that as a (sic) Minister, we are efficiently working for you."
Hold on a minute.
We are not going to be mice in Parliament … We are not inferior: The Reform Party's Jesse Loo. #GE2015 LIVE UPDATES: http://bit.ly/opprallysep4 WATCH LIVE: http://sgvotes.sg
Posted by Channel NewsAsia Singapore on Friday, September 4, 2015
Here is a quick Singapore Politics 101 lesson for Loo:
1. There are 89 seats in parliament.
2. To form the government and to be a Minister, the political party will need to win 45 seats to be the ruling party.
3. RP will be contesting for 11 seats this GE (Ang Mo Kio GRC, West Coast GRC, and Radin Mas SMC)
4. Assuming that RP and leading Opposition party Workers' Party (WP) win all the seats they contested, they will only have 39 (28+11) seats.
5. In other words, RP will need to form a coalition with WP and one more party before Loo can be a Minister.
Reform Party candidate Jesse Loo said 'vote for Workers' Party'
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About Martino Tan
Martino's parents named him after an Italian priest, Vatican's 1st ambassador to S'pore. He's inspired by the lives of Robert Kennedy & Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the words of George Orwell & William F. Buckley Jr., & the music of the Beatles.
Pineapple seller in China sells 200kg of pineapples a day by making a pineapple out of his head
Ong lai, indeed.
FaceApp users age themselves with filter but end up giving photos to Russia, explained
This is how people give up information willingly with a small incentive and without coercion.
Wild tiger strolls casually in Terengganu, M'sia 2 days after killer whales sighted
First, killer whales, then tiger, what's next?
M'sian police: Leader of political party paid hundreds of thousands of ringgit for gay sex video
No names confirmed yet.
S'porean boy finds old S$2 paper note 'weird' for not having clear plastic window
Paper notes were first issued to the public in 1999 when this kid wasn't even born yet.


Chinese medicine sometimes referred to as TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) or CCM (Classical Chinese Medicine) has a rich history dating back to thousands of years B.C. Based on the philosophies of the Tao and classical Chinese beliefs, these two variations of Chinese medicine differ from each other in that CCM strictly adheres to roots of the ancient Chinese medicine; and TCM is a more accepted form of alternative medicine that has become more "Westernized" in conjunction with modern terms.
Broadly taught throughout China, TCM is also offered through a number of Chinese medicine or acupuncture schools in North America as well. Teaching holistic principles that demonstrate how all things are connected (mind, spirit, and body); future Chinese medicine practitioners learn how to prescribe herbal prescriptions relative to the patient. The belief is to treat the "whole person," not the disease.
Chinese medicine aims to balance the yin (water and earth) and yang (fire and air) of the body's life force (Chi or Qi); and is a highly evolved medicine in that it approaches healthcare on the foundation of the meridian system (energy channels of the body). Unlike conventional medicine in the West, Chinese medicine places an emphasis on the body's elements, and their interrelation with the body's individual systems.
If you visit a Chinese medicine practitioner, you will discover an entirely different form of diagnostics. In addition to observing a patient's face, these holistic health practitioners perform a pulse diagnosis (palpation of the radial artery pulse), body palpation, and other unique non-invasive diagnostic measures.
Once a Chinese medicine practitioner has formulated his observations, and has come to a conclusive treatment method, some of the many holistic medicines that he might offer include Chinese herbal medicine, acupuncture, holistic nutrition advice, moxibustion, cupping, Tuina (Chinese medical massage), Qigong, or Tai Chi, among others. Some specialized practitioners may administer auriculotherapy (ear acupuncture) as a health treatment.
Licensed Chinese medicine practitioners today have acquired a great deal of education and training. While there are many acupuncture and Oriental medicine schools in North America and abroad, no two curriculums are the same. However, prospective students in the United States have the option to enroll in a variety of Oriental medicine programs including Master of Science in Traditional Oriental Medicine (MSTOM), Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (DAOM), or Bachelors or Masters in Traditional Oriental medicine and acupuncture, among others.


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My Turn: Arizona's electorate is full of new faces, so why don't they vote?
Eduardo Sainz
AZ I See It
There's never been a more unpredictable election year, or one where the stakes are so high. Arizona is looking more and more like it will play a pivotal role in deciding the direction of our country. Voters will have a critical chance to choose between two starkly different Americas.
For the first time in our nation's history the majority of voters deciding America's future will be unmarried women, people of color and young voters, called the New American Majority. These people make up the majority of eligible voters, but that's only if they're registered to vote and come out to the polls.
Goal: Register 75,000 voters in 2016
As the new Arizona deputy director of Mi Familia Vota in Arizona, I know how important having access to voting can be, and how it changes communities for the better. Mi Familia Vota has a legacy of empowering Arizona voters and giving them a voice.
One Arizona, a non-partisan coalition created in 2010 to combat attacks on voters and the Latino Community, is leading the voter-registration effort in Arizona. Mi Familia Vota has been part of this coalition since it began. We have a historic goal of registering 75,000 voters in 2016, and together with national partners we will register over 200,000 people. Since 2010, One Arizona partners have registered over 110,000 new voters.
We're also signing up every new eligible voter on the Permanent Early Voting List, so they easily get their ballot early and in the mail for every election. Our efforts have added 105,000 Latinos to the Permanent Early Voting List. There are now 300,000 Latinos on the list, and half of the growth since 2010 has been due to One Arizona's work.
Eligible, but too few are registered
Arizona is full of the people who will decide our future. Unmarried women, Latinos, African-Americans and Millennials make up a strong majority — 60 percent — of the eligible voters in our state, but 43 percent of them are not registered to vote. The percentage of unregistered young voters is even higher: Fifty-three percent of Millennial Arizonans aren't registered to vote. The Voter Protection Center and other like-minded groups are trying to close that gap.
That's why the Voter Participation Center is mailing 474,000 voter-registration applications into Arizona. The Voter Participation Center is dedicated to increasing the participation of underrepresented groups in our democracy.
By mailing voter-registration applications to prospective voters, the center enables eligible individuals to fill in, sign the applications and mail them straight to their local election registrars' offices in pre-addressed envelopes to be certified by government officials. The Voter Participation Center is also providing prospective voters with the online address for the secretary of state's website and phone numbers to their county supervisor of elections.
Another idea for registering voters is automatic voter registration. This system would use current information from secure databases to register and update the registration status of eligible voters. It would lower taxpayer costs and reduce the types of human errors we saw during the March 22 Presidential Preference Election. With common-sense reforms like automatic voter registration we can reduce errors that could prevent eligible voters from exercising their fundamental rights.
And in a year when so much is on the line, it's imperative that Arizona allows as many people as possible to register and vote.
Eduardo Sainz is the new Arizona deputy director of Mi Familia Vota. Email him at eduardos@mifamiliavota.net; follow on Twitter, @MiFamiliaVotaAZ.


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