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Home-destroying wildfire burning almost 100 square miles
Capital Press Agriculture News Oregon - Fri, 21/08/2015 - 5:14am
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Officials are starting to report some containment of the wildfire that destroyed 36 houses near John Day, Oregon, but gusty winds were expected to continue spreading the flames on the southeast flank.
The Canyon Creek Complex has scorched almost 100 square miles, much of it in the Malheur National Forest. Various evacuation orders continue.
Lightning started the fire Aug. 12 and strong winds pushed it up a canyon south of John Day in a run that ruined the homes.
More than 900 people have been dispatched to fight it, but some crews were diverted late Thursday afternoon to a new wildfire east of John Day near Prairie City. Some homeowners northeast of Prairie City were put on evacuation alert.
Red flag warnings concerning winds that could rapidly spread flames remained in effect through Friday.
Grass seed, wine grape growers discuss herbicide drift solutions
Capital Press Agriculture News Oregon - Thu, 20/08/2015 - 1:36pm
AMITY, Ore. — Grass seed farmer Denny Wilfong was enthused to learn that the Oregon Seed Council and the Oregon Winegrowers Association were organizing a tour to address issues of herbicide drift between grass seed fields and vineyards. So much so, in fact, that Wilfong volunteered to host the first stop on the Aug. 19 tour.
"What it boils down to, is the Willamette Valley is blessed with weather that allows us to produce the best grass seed, wine grapes and blueberries in the world," Wilfong said. "We're really fortunate. So we just have to figure out a way to make it all work together and make it all fit."
On the tour, chemical dealers, licensed pesticide applicators, grass seed and wine grape growers addressed a gathering of legislators, state agency officials, county commissioners, extension agents and others.
Wilfong, of Wilfong Farms in Dallas, Ore., said he takes several steps to avoid damaging wine grapes when spraying broadleaf herbicides. Among them, he, at times, sprays at less than optimum timing to avoid applying compounds during bud break in grapes, uses nonvolatile formulations of herbicides and adds anti-drift agents to tankmixes.
Katie Fast, a neighbor of Wilfong, said she and her husband, Kirk, alert neighboring wine grape grower Dave Coelho when they are going to spray, and tell him what compounds they plan to apply.
"Working with our neighbors cooperatively is very important to us," Fast said. "It is time that we are taking out of our day, and it takes effort, but I think it is important."
Coehlo told participants he appreciates hearing from the Fasts, particularly during bud break.
Wine grapes are susceptible to herbicide injury at several points during a growing season, said Alex Cabrera of the OVS subsidiary Results Partners, but never more so than during bud break.
Injury at that point not only affects the current year's grape crop, but also the next year's crop and possibly subsequent years' crops, he said.
"That early-season is very delicate," Cabrera said.
Cabrera's presentation at the second stop on the tour was followed by a presentation from Bill Hubbell, general manager of Wilco-Winfield. Hubbell showed growers examples of application technology available to reduce herbicide drift, including interlock nozzles.
"You still have wind issues to deal with," Hubbell said, "but you can get a lot more control of your application."
Bob Eccles of Wilbur-Ellis Co. told participants the optimal conditions for spraying are when wind is blowing away from sensitive areas at a speed of between 4 and 10 mph. At less than 4 mph, the chances of volatilization are increased, and drift issues come into play when applying pesticides at wind speeds in excess of 10 mph, he said.
Eccles also advised growers to read pesticide labels.
"There is a lot of new information on those labels," he said, including information on how droplet size can affect spray quality, and other tidbits growers can use to their advantage."
Oregon Department of Agriculture Director Katy Coba, who participated in the tour, said she was pleased to see the wine grape and grass seed growers working to resolve what at times has been a contentious issue.
"I think that both sides are to be commended to be willing to talk to each other about their concerns and take the next step to do this tour," she said.
"Our whole focus is co-existence," she said. "The best people to solve these issues are the people that are out on the ground.
"There is so much diversity in Oregon agriculture: There is no way that from the top down that we can prescribe ways for neighbors and farmers to get along," she said.
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Langlois News from The World Newspaper - Thu, 20/08/2015 - 11:10am
Oregon's Mount Emily wolves strike again, kill another sheep
Capital Press Agriculture News Oregon - Thu, 20/08/2015 - 6:29am
For the second time in August and third time since June, Oregon's Mount Emily wolf pack is blamed for killing a sheep in the northeast corner of the state.
A herder on Aug. 15 found a partially consumed sheep in a timbered area of Nine Mile Ridge, in Umatilla County. The site was near a bedding ground on public land.
Wildlife biologists examined the carcass. The sheep's stomach and thoracic cavity had been eaten, as had muscle and tissue from the neck, ribs, shoulders and front legs. Bite mark size and placement were consistent with a wolf attack, according a report by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
GPS data from a collared wolf showed at least one pack member was in the area when the attack most likely occurred. Previous ODFW investigations showed pack members killed sheep Aug. 4 and June 22.
Wildfire season 'new normal,' Forest Service chief says; Brown sends in National Guard
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The chief of the U.S. Forest Service says the intense wildfire season ravaging the West and maxing out fire crews and equipment is "the new normal."
Chief Tom Tidwell was in John Day on Wednesday visiting the Canyon Creek fire, which burned 36 homes last week in its initial wind-driven run before more than 600 firefighters started corralling it.
He says the succession of intense fire seasons that tax firefighting resources shows the need for continuing to thin forests to make them less vulnerable to fire.
Meanwhile, with civilian fire crews maxed out, Gov. Kate Brown is deploying 125 national guard troops to help fight the 11 large wildfires burning across Oregon.
Incident commanders figure they would have had more than 1,500 personnel on site — more than 2 1/2 times the number currently fighting the fire — if not for the multitude of other fires raging across Oregon and the West.
The Canyon Creek Complex is now 48,201 acres and remains uncontained. Another bout of high winds is in the forecast Friday, which should keep flames spreading quickly.
Earlier in the day, Oregon State Forester Doug Decker and Tidwell joined Brown during a visit with victims who lost their homes to the Canyon Creek fire. The Grant County Sheriff's Office now estimates 36 homes burned to the ground. No injuries have been reported.
"There has been some tremendous work done to get everyone out safely," Tidwell said.
By Wednesday afternoon, activity once again increased on the fire lines. Crews along Canyon Creek Lane were forced to retreat to the west side of Wickiup Campground as a giant plume of smoke lifted high over the ridge. Farther south, the town of Seneca, population 200, is on early watch for evacuation notices.
On the opposite side of the road, flames also crept in short grass and logs, occasionally jumping high enough to reach the lower branches of pines. Safety officers kept firefighters back to avoid becoming inadvertently trapped.
"It's just how extreme it gets so quickly," said Mike Gorsuch with the Oregon State Fire Marshal's Office.
Damon Simmons, fire information officer, said it is easy for crews to lose their situational awareness and become surrounded if they are not careful.
Simmons, a lieutenant with Portland Fire and Rescue, said all agencies are doing everything they can to contain the fire with the resources they have at their disposal.
George Plaven of EO Media Group contributed to this report.
Boardman transmission line may cross Navy range
Capital Press Agriculture News Oregon - Wed, 19/08/2015 - 11:47am
EO Media Group
PENDLETON, Ore. — Idaho Power is asking to build a portion of its proposed Boardman to Hemingway Transmission Line on the U.S. Navy's bombing range south of Boardman to avoid interfering with nearby farms.
The company, based in Boise, has requested an easement from the Navy to place approximately 10 miles of transmission lines on the west side of Bombing Range Road — which splits the Naval Weapons Systems Training Facility to the west and a half-dozen irrigated farms to the east.
The preferred route spans five Eastern Oregon counties and more than 300 miles, beginning at a proposed Bonneville Power Administration substation east of Boardman, Oregon, and ending at the existing Hemingway Transmission Station in southwest Idaho.
Part of the project's Morrow-Umatilla segment includes an alternative that shows lines running down the east side of Bombing Range Road, drawing loud criticism from landowners and county officials who say the towers would take acres of high-value agriculture out of production.
The issue became so contentious the Oregon Farm Bureau helped craft a bill in the legislature that would have required utilities to study overhead transmission routes to avoid productive farmland. That bill ultimately died in committee.
Mitch Colburn, engineering leader on 500-kilovolt projects for Idaho Power, said they have worked for several months with local stakeholders to come up with a plan that sticks Boardman to Hemingway on the west side of Bombing Range Road.
"We would avoid constructing a line on landowner property that could ultimately remove acres of production due to reduced land availability and equipment operability," Colburn said.
But, in order to do that, Idaho Power needs a stamp of approval from the Navy.
Numerous officials and landowners signed on to a letter of support sent July 10 to Capt. Michael Nortier, commanding officer for Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in Washington, supporting a Navy easement for Boardman to Hemingway on the west side of Bombing Range Road.
If that easement is approved, Idaho Power would build roughly 10 miles of line along the eastern edge of the bombing range, which would replace an existing 69-kilovolt BPA line on the property.
Umatilla Electric Cooperative owns and operates a 115-kilovolt line on private property across the road, and would cooperate with BPA to maintain electrical service for customers displaced by the removal of the 69-kilovolt line.
Towers would follow the Navy's requested height limit of 100 feet to avoid conflicts with military operations, according to Idaho Power. The Boardman Bombing Range is currently used as the principal training ground for Boeing EA-18G Growler aircraft based at Whidbey Island.
Colburn said he hasn't received a clear answer yet from the Navy. Rick McArdle, community planning liaison officer for the Navy's Northwest Training Range Complex, did not return a call for comment.
Jerry Rietmann, co-owner of the Ione-based Wheatridge Wind Energy, said the plan would make best use of both energy corridors to meet the region's power needs.
The route along the east side of Bombing Range Road could also become a singular site for new wind energy transmission, Rietmann said. Wheatridge Wind Energy is proposing a 500-megwatt wind farm in southern Morrow and Umatilla counties.
"The different wind companies have been working on a single-use electrical corridor to the Longhorn Substation," Rietmann said. "It would have some impact, but not the kind of impact Boardman to Hemingway would have."
Don Rice, director of operations at the 24,000-acre Boardman Tree Farm, said the action will take compromise on everyone's part, but appears to be the most promising solution available.
"It's the only plan the parties have been able to coalesce around," Rice said "The key to making it all work is an agreement from the Navy."
Colburn said it was good for Idaho Power to hear from communities during the recent public comment period, and fully understand where landowners were coming from.
"We are satisfied," he said. "We'll find a way to minimize impacts while at the same time achieving our project's objectives."
The Boardman-to-Hemingway project is expected to cost $880-$940 million, and come online by 2020.
Weather, low prices hampers PGG turnaround
Capital Press Agriculture News Oregon - Wed, 19/08/2015 - 6:02am
Pendleton Grain Growers in Eastern Oregon has "been through a real challenge" in recent years but is not in danger of going out of business, the company's general manager said.
Rick Jacobson, responding to community murmurs that bubbled up following what was a poor wheat harvest for some growers, said the co-op is "way ahead of where we were last year," when PGG lost nearly $8 million.
The co-op sold or closed several divisions, laid off employees, reduced excess inventory, restructured its debts into a new loan package and obtained a $20 million line of credit in response to the financial problems. Jacobson said in June that PGG was positioned to make a profit in 2015.
But a lack of moisture and intense heat early in the season "pinched" dryland wheat crops for some PGG growers, resulting in yield reductions of 25 to 30 percent and protein levels higher than exporters prefer. Meanwhile, the price dropped and Gavilon, a grain handling company owned by the Japanese firm Marubeni Corp., opened a truck transfer station in Union County, giving growers another option for selling wheat.
Jacobson acknowledged the combination has complicated PGG's comeback. He is not sure the co-op will be profitable this year.
"It's not helpful to have an off crop and it's not helpful to have another grain company in our backyard, but that's the life and times of a business," Jacobson said.
"We're not going to fold, that's not going to happen," he said.
Jacobson said the soft white wheat price is in the range of $5.75 per bushel this year, compared to $7 last year.
"Most businesses can't take those kinds of hits," he said. "When yields are off and the price it low, it puts a lot of pressure on the grower."
But Jacobson, a former NORPAC executive recruited out of retirement in 2012 to stabilize PGG, said the co-op is in the best cash flow position it's been in for a long time. The company recently signed an agreement with McCoy Grain Terminal to do some wheat marketing for PGG, he said.
An industry insider who spoke on background said PGG and neighboring co-op Morrow County Grain Growers face increased competition from grain handlers with deeper pockets and that are looking to expand their territory. In tight years, companies that offer 10 cents more per bushel may attract growers even if those companies don't offer other services such as fuel and fertilizer, the insider said.
He asked not to be identified because he works with growers and co-ops.
Pendleton Grain Growers "didn't attend to business as well as they should have" in the past but appears to have made progress, he said.
"I don't think they're in danger of going under, they're better off now," he said.
Updated count shows 36 homes destroyed by Oregon wildfire
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Grant County Sheriff's Office says 36 homes have been destroyed by an Eastern Oregon wildfire — 10 more than previously reported.
Gov. Kate Brown plans to meet Wednesday with victims of the fire near John Day and visit the command post where crews are overseeing the effort to contain the blaze that has charred 67 square miles, mostly on the Malheur National Forest in Eastern Oregon.
The Oregonian reports that fire commanders told a community meeting at Grant Union High School that crews have concentrated on protecting a string of homes tucked in a small river canyon south of John Day. Shifting winds pushed the fire toward homes earlier thought safe.
Oregon cranberry harvest gets off to the earliest start in North America
At this rate, the Thanksgiving turkey will show up on Halloween.
At least one cranberry grower on the Southern Oregon coast began harvest this week, up to two or three weeks earlier than normal. Grower Charlie Ruddell of Randolph Cranberries Inc. believes his harvest will mark the earliest date commercial cranberries have ever left the Bandon receiving station, which he said wasn't scheduled to open until Sept. 21. A spokeswoman for Ocean Spray, the cooperative of which Ruddell is a grower-member, said his harvest is the first in North America for 2015.
Spokeswoman Kellyanne Dignan said Ocean Spray has no issue with opening the receiving station so early. "If the berries are ready to come in, as a co-op we are open to receiving them," she said.
Cranberries are judged ready for harvest based on color, size, firmness and sugar content, which is expressed in the term "brix." The timing of reaching that stage varies, Dignan said. "Mother Nature makes that decision."
Ruddell attributes the early harvest start to three things: The new variety he planted, Demoranville, which was developed by Rutgers University, is earlier than other varieties. Second, the plants are two and three seasons old, and young plants tend to bear fruit sooner than more mature cranberries. Finally, like many other crops in the Pacific Northwest, warm weather has pushed harvest up by a couple weeks.
Unlike many other parts of the Northwest, Bandon has adequate water this summer, Ruddell said. At harvest time, growers typically flood cranberry bogs with about 18 inches of water and churn the water to loosen the berries. The berries float to the surface, where growers gather them up.
After cleaning at Ocean Spray's Bandon receiving station, the cranberries will be trucked to a company processing plant in Markham, Wash. Dignan, the co-op spokeswoman, said they'll either be processed into "craisins," which are dried, sweetened cranberries, or used to make cranberry juice or sauce.
The USDA has projected strong cranberry harvests for Oregon and Washington. Oregon growers may top the 500,000 barrels they produced in 2014. Washington growers may produce 186,000 barrels, the most in a decade. A barrel equals 100 pounds of cranberries.
Prices vary, but Oregon's cranberry production is ranked 38th in value among the state's crops and was worth about $12 million in 2013.
Celebration of life planned for Chauncey M. Hubbard
Capital Press Agriculture News Oregon - Tue, 18/08/2015 - 9:58am
MONROE, Ore. — Friends and family are welcome to a celebration of life in honor of Chauncey M. Hubbard at 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 23.
He died April 24 at age 96.
He was born Oct. 27, 1918, in Spur, Texas, to Chauncey Mulks Hubbard and Mary Jane (White) Hubbard. In 1939, the family moved to Monroe, Ore., where young Chauncey lived for the rest of his life. He farmed and raised Hampshire sheep with his father before starting out on his own.
Chauncey was preceded in death by daughter Marilyn Hubbard Reedy; mother and father Chauncey Mulks and Mary Jane Hubbard; and wife Kleva June (Lindseth).
He is survived by the mother of his children, Ruth Kaye (Cooper) Hubbard; daughters Suzanne and Julianne Hubbard; sons Kerry and Steven Hubbard; 10 grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
His shepherd, Gus Cuevas, and his family were Chauncey's legs, arms and back in the later years.
The celebration will be held at Hubbard Memorial Park, 27511 W. Ingram Island Road, Monroe, Ore. For more information, call Cuevas at 541-554-1439.
Medical records sought in pesticide lawsuit
The lead plaintiff in a lawsuit over off-site pesticide spraying in Oregon's Curry County has allegedly ignored requests to turn over his medical records.
In 2013, a helicopter company sprayed residential properties near Gold Beach with herbicides intended for nearby forestlands, resulting in the Oregon Department of Agriculture suspending its applicator license.
Seventeen residents filed a complaint against the helicopter company, Pacific Air Research, as well as the logging firms overseeing the operation and the owners of the timber properties that were treated.
They claim to be suffering from serious health problems from being sprayed with 2,4-D and triclopyr and seek at least $100,000 per plaintiff in damages.
Two of the defendants, Crook Timberlands LLC and Barnes & Associates, recently filed a motion to compel the lead plaintiff, John Burns, to turn over medical records and other documents related to the injuries he allegedly suffered from the herbicide incident.
The motion claims that Burns has failed to respond to the request for information since May, necessitating a court order.
A hearing on the matter is scheduled for Aug. 28 and a trial in the overall case is set for Jan. 11-27, 2016, in gold Beach.
Capital Press was unable to reach Burns' attorney for comment.
The legal dispute caught the attention of Oregon's agricultural industry because it initially challenged the constitutionality of the state's "right to farm" law, which prohibits lawsuits against common farming and forestry practices.
The judge dismissed that earlier version of the complaint because the defendants hadn't raised the "right to farm" law as a defense, so allowing the plaintiffs to challenge the statute was premature.
The plaintiffs refiled their complaint without raising the "right to farm" issue, and it's currently unclear whether the defendants will rely on the statute.
Aside from spurring litigation, the Curry County spray incident also prompted lawmakers to propose new restrictions on pesticides in Oregon.
A bill that heightened fines for violations, created no-spray buffers and devoted more resources to pesticide investigations was passed earlier this year.
More Oregon watersheds receive added regulatory oversight
Oregon's farm regulators will be paying closer attention to water quality problems in seven new watersheds under an expansion of their "strategic implementation area" program.
Traditionally, the Oregon Department of Agriculture's water quality investigations were driven by complaints, but the agency worried that this approach didn't consistently uncover problems.
The agency has more recently been self-initiating its water quality compliance efforts in "strategic implementation areas," with waterways in Wasco and Clackamas counties serving as early test cases.
Relying on aerial photographs and other information, regulators identify problems — such as streams denuded of vegetation or impacted by manure runoff — and notify the landowners, who are encouraged to seek help from their local soil and water conservation district.
"There is a regulatory backstop, but in our experience, we don't typically need to go to that," said John Byers, manager of ODA's agricultural water quality program.
The program is now being rolled out in additional watersheds:
• Three Mile Creek in Wasco County.
• Upper Johnson Creek in Multnomah County.
• Indian Ford Creek in Deschutes County.
• Wagner Creek in Jackson County.
• Lundren Creek, Calvin Creek and Fishhawk Creek in Columbia County.
• Lower Salt Creek in Polk County
• Portions of the North Lower Yamhill River in Yamhill County.
Regulators don't have the resources to increase scrutiny of all Oregon watersheds, so the program is focusing on particular streams and rivers for several reasons.
In some cases, the waterways were chosen because of the need to improve fish habitat, while others were included at the request of the local soil and water conservation district.
Another six or seven watersheds are expected to included in the program next year, Byers said.
State lawmakers bolstered the capacity of local districts to assist landowners with $1 million allocated for watershed enhancement, he said.
"They are the technical assistance on the ground, if needed," said Byers.
Wildfires stretch NW firefighting resources
Crews are scrambling to gain control of a nightmarish wildfire that's devoured more than two dozen homes, scattered livestock and knocked out power less than a mile south of John Day.
The Canyon Creek Complex has grown to 40,132 acres since it was sparked Wednesday by lightning and spread dramatically by high winds that swept through Eastern Oregon on Friday.
At least 26 homes have burned to the ground in the fire's path of destruction, and the Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative reports the power is still out for 106 John Day-area customers.
On Monday, the fire continued to move down Little Canyon Mountain to the south and east into the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness in the Malheur National Forest. Charli Bowden, fire information officer, said firefighters are digging line around populated areas to protect what structures they can.
"Our number one concern is structural protection," Bowden said.
More than 200 residents have been told to evacuate immediately or prepare to evacuate. Those who stay must deal with borderline unhealthful air and have been asked to conserve electricity where possible.
Ned Ratterman, director of engineering and operations for the electric co-op, said it will take an extended period of time to restore power in the region.
There are four transmission lines that feed into John Day and Canyon City. OTEC crews brought in a 2.5-megawatt generator from Seattle as a precaution if all four lines were to go down. So far, the utility's 138-kilovolt line out of Hines has withstood the heat.
"With the generator on site, we would be able to continue to feed the system enough power for critical emergency services, such as the hospital, gas service station and grocery supply," Ratterman said. "Hopefully we will not need it now."
The Canyon Creek Complex is the Northwest's highest priority wildfire, with more than 400 personnel assigned to the inferno and more on the way.
And, while demand for fire resources has surged across the West, supply is quickly becoming tapped.
The Pacific Northwest is one of three regions nationwide under a wildfire Preparedness Level 5, which means there are more than 14 uncontained large fires exhausting local agencies.
The National Interagency Fire Center in Boise has given the Northwest top priority, though northern California and the northern Rocky Mountains are also at Preparedness Level 5, and the Great Basin region — made up of portions of southern Idaho, Nevada, Utah and northern Arizona — is at Level 4.
All together, there are approximately 95 large wildfires burning 1.1 million acres in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, California, Nevada and Colorado. Incident commanders are forced to compete for available firefighters and equipment.
"Most of the teams are not getting the support they want because resources are so thin," said Kari Boyd-Peck, spokeswoman for the National Interagency Fire Center.
The situation is so dire that, for the first time since 2006, the Department of Defense has agreed to send 200 active duty personnel from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., to assist firefighters.
In Oregon alone, 12 uncontained large fires are burning nearly 300,000 acres, according to the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center in Portland.
Spokeswoman Koshare Eagle said the center prioritizes fires based first on threats to public safety, followed by threats to communities and infrastructure. Numerous fires meet those criteria, Eagle said, but because resources are so thin they have 60 orders for hotshot crews that have gone unfilled.
The majority of acres on fire — more than 225,000 — are also on fires that are less than 30 percent contained, Eagle said, which means they have a long way to go.
"The most challenging thing for the folks working here is knowing the need that's out there, and not being able to get those resources sent out," Eagle said. "It's difficult on everyone."
Given the amount of strain, Gov. Kate Brown issued an executive order Monday suspending the hours of service rules that usually apply to trucks hauling fuel for firefighting aircraft.
There are 17 air tankers available for Northwest fires, stationed strategically across the region in Moses Lake, Washington, as well as La Grande and Redmond.
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., also weighed in, saying he will work with the state and U.S. Forest Service to make sure all available resources are deployed as quickly as possible.
Jim Whittington, a spokesman for the state Bureau of Land Management and regional Forest Service fire staff, said crews prepared well in advance for a difficult fire season based on a third consecutive year of drought and record-low snowpack last winter.
What's made this year unusual, he said, is the intensity of the season in such a short period of time, with the region hammered by a perfect storm of lightning and wind over the past two weeks.
"There's an intensity here that probably has not been matched in a number of years, or ever," Whittington said.
So far, the Northwest has spent more than $167 million fighting fire in 2015. Nationwide, that total is $1.5 billion.
Joani Bosworth, spokeswoman for the Umatilla National Forest, said they are dealing with two fires, including the Grizzly Bear Complex in southeast Washington and a 70-acre Turner Basin Fire south of Ukiah. No structures are threatened, and she said both of those blazes are staffed with local crews.
But, if they pick up any more fires, Bosworth said they, like other agencies, could quickly outstretch their capacity.
"This year ranks at the top of the list for one of the most challenging years of fire suppression and resources," she said. "And we still have a couple weeks of fire season ahead of us."
Oregon State Fair prepares for its 150th anniversary
Capital Press Agriculture News Oregon - Mon, 17/08/2015 - 8:10am
SALEM — Spokesman Dan Cox has a message for prospective attendees of this year's Oregon State Fair: It'll be fun.
"Fun is the No. 1 thing we have to offer Oregonians," he said.
In honor of the fair's 150th anniversary, general admission tickets will cost just $1.50 for kids and adults on the event's opening day, Friday, Aug. 28. A fireworks display will be held nightly.
For agriculture fans, the fair's biggest draw may well be the return of the Western Dairy Expo, and Jersey breeders are having their Western National in Salem, and expect to bring about 200 head of cattle to the fair, according to Dairy Superintendent Paul Lindow.
Farmers will exhibit more than 100 Holsteins and 65 specialty breeds, including Brown Swiss, Guernsey, Milking Shorthorn and Ayrshire. All six breeds will compete for the title of Supreme Overall Champion, and the winning cow's owner will take home a $750 grand prize.
Lindow, whose family has exhibited at the state fair since 1923, said families should remember that an expo is not the same thing as a petting zoo.
"If people ask, most exhibitors don't have a problem with petting," he said. "There will also be six animals in individual stalls. If they want to be petted, they'll stick their head out and let you. There are some pretty friendly animals in there."
In the same vein, all dogs are welcome at the fair, except in the concert venue and livestock barn. Dog Town — a showcase of canine competition, agility and health and training expertise — has been relocated to a more central area this year.
"I haven't seen a comment on cats," said Cox, the spokesperson.
Musical performances will be held on 10 out of the 11 days, including four country acts, a faith group, '80s rocker Pat Benatar and Portland alternative rock band Everclear. About 6,000 seats will be available on a first come-first served basis at no extra charge for each performance at the L.B. Day amphitheater.
VIP reserved seating is available for $25 to $35, depending on the show. So far, tickets for comedian Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias have been the most popular, according to Cox.
At 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5, the Fair's Historic Horse Stadium will host a special performance of the BlackPearl Friesian Dance Troupe, a choreographed horse show set to music, The stadium was resurfaced early in 2015 to improve the footing.
Gerry Frank's Chocolate Layer Cake Competition, which is itself celebrating its 56th anniversary, has been moved to the Creative Living Stage in Columbia Hall at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 6
Frank takes at least one bite out of every cake and keeps up a steady stream of entertaining commentary, according to Cox. He also keeps a bottle of Pepto-Bismol by his side, in case of emergencies.
"I think for folks who live in urban areas.… it's a great opportunity to appreciate the ag role, which maybe doesn't get its due," Cox said. "If someone misses out on this part of the story and Oregon's history, then they're really missing out."
The 150th Oregon State Fair starts Friday, Aug. 28 and runs through Labor Day weekend, ending on Monday, Sept. 7. The fair is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for seniors (age 62 and up) and kids aged 6 through 11. Younger children get in free. Parking is $5.
DNR calls out National Guard to battle Central Washington wildfire
The Washington Department of Natural Resources on Friday called out the National Guard to help battle an 18,000-acre blaze burning in southcentral Washington on the southeastern slopes of Mount Adams.
The Cougar Creek fire was one of many Northwest blazes that were stretching firefighting resources thin, according to the Northwest Coordination Center, which manages interagency firefighting. With the risk of fire high heading into the weekend, especially in Eastern Washington, the center warned that firefighting resources could be exhausted.
Other major Washington fires burning Friday included the 37,792-acre Wolverine fire near Lake Chelan and the 3,500-acre 9 Mile fire 6 miles east of Oroville near the Canadian border. The fire was started by a small plane crash that killed two people, The Associated Press reported.
Besides the Blackhawk helicopters, five 20-person National Guard hand crews were to arrive Sunday evening to join 350 firefighters already on the Cougar Creek fire. This is the first time this summer DNR has requested help from the National Guard, DNR spokeswoman Carrie McCausland said.
The fire was sparked by a lightning strike Aug. 10 about 6 miles northwest of Glenwood. The blaze has grown rapidly, with winds and a heavy load of bug-killed trees fueling its spread, according to DNR.
Also in Washington on Friday, the Paradise fire was burning 2,440 acres inside Olympic National Park. The 7,400-acre Stickpin fire was burning 14 miles northeast of Republic, and the 1,200-acre North Star fire was burning east of Omak.
In Oregon, the County Line 2 fire was burning 36,154 acres near Madras. Officers issued a voluntary evacuation notice for people at Kah-Nee-Ta Resort. Visitors to the Diamond Lake area in southern Oregon were told to prepare to leave if the 2,971-acre National Creek Complex burning 10 miles southwest of the lake spread.
Other large Oregon blazes Friday included the 34,774-acre Bendire Complex 15 miles north of Juntura, the 24,181-acre Stouts Creek fire 16 miles east of Canyonville and the 16,000-acre fire west of Durkee.
Owyhee Project Oregon irrigators nearly out of water
ONTARIO, Ore. — Farmers who get their irrigation water from the Owyhee Project in Eastern Oregon are almost out of water, nearly two months earlier than normal.
The Owyhee Reservoir's gates are completely open and the last of the system's available storage water is flowing out, said Owyhee Irrigation District Manager Jay Chamberlin.
The project provides water for 1,800 farms and 118,000 acres of irrigated land in Eastern Oregon and part of Southwestern Idaho.
"The system might be able to run about another (10 days)," Chamberlin said. "We're on the last of our water."
The system, which has 400 miles of canals and laterals, has about 20,000 acre-feet of usable storage water left.
"That might sound like a lot of water but when you have a system as big and long as ours, that's a small amount," Chamberlin said.
Farmers in this region can count on receiving irrigation water from the Owyhee system into October during normal years but the water has run out in August the past two years because of a lingering drought.
OID patrons receive an allotment of 4 acre feet of water during a normal year but the allotment was slashed to 1.6 acre feet this year and 1.7 acre feet last year.
Even though water is still flowing through the system, many farmers have already used up their allotment for this season.
This year's water supply will last about 10 days longer than it did in 2014, mainly due to timely May rains that reduced demand and improved in-flows into the reservoir slightly, OID officials said.
"It's a little bit better (this year) mainly because of those timely rains we had earlier this (season)," said OID board member and farmer Bruce Corn.
Nyssa farmer Craig Froerer said the fact that water will flow for almost two weeks longer than it did last year will significantly help the long-term condition of his permanent crops like mint and asparagus.
"That will make a huge difference for me," he said.
Bill Buhrig, an Oregon State University cropping systems extension agent in Malheur County, said the far reaches of the Owyhee system, where he farms, went dry July 22 last year.
"We still had water in the ditch this morning," he said Aug. 12. "You're looking at three weeks longer this year than last year. That's a long time."
But the water situation in this area is still difficult and the combination of the reduced allotment and early end to the irrigation season has made things challenging for farmers, Corn said.
Corn, like other farmers in the region, left a lot of ground idle the last two years and planted more crops that require less water but are also less profitable.
"It's not a good situation but people got by the best they could," he said. "It looks like the crops that are growing for the most part are going to be able to be finished."
State Land Board approves selling Elliott State Forest
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — The State Land Board has approved selling the Elliott State Forest to a buyer who will agree to restrictive conditions: pay a fair market price, conserve older trees, protect threatened fish and wildlife, produce logs for local mills, and leave it open to the public.
The board made up of the governor, the secretary of state and the state treasurer unanimously endorsed a resolution Thursday in Salem to go forward with the sale.
The forest in the Coast Range north of Coos Bay has been running $1 million a year in the red because timber sales have been overturned for failing to protect fish and wildlife habitat.
"This action today comes after years of hard work and thorough consideration of input from a wide spectrum of interested citizens," Department of State Lands director Mary Abrams said in a statement. "We believe the adopted protocol will allow the Land Board to meet their trustee responsibilities to the schoolchildren of Oregon through a transfer that balances economic and conservation values."
A meeting is scheduled for Sept. 17 in Salem to provide potential buyers with specifics on the conditions of the sale.
The 140-square-mile forest was created in 1930 and 90 percent of it generates money for schools. It once produced $8 million a year for the Common School Fund. Attempts to increase logging to produce $13 million annually for schools failed. Lawsuits continually blocked timber sales on the grounds that they failed to maintain habitat for federally protected coho salmon and the marbled murrelet, a seabird that nests in big old trees.
Prospects for a timber company buying the forest with all the conditions attached seem unlikely. One potential scenario is that a public land trust would buy it and then sell it to the federal government, returning it to the Siuslaw National Forest, from which it originally came.
Selling even younger timber at a profit has become difficult because habitat protections adopted to dismiss a lawsuit from conservation groups impose buffers that cover young and old trees alike, leaving few blocks of timber suitable for sale, said Jim Paul, assistant director of the Department of State Lands.
An appraisal is upcoming, but the forest has been estimated to be worth between $285 million and $400 million, Paul added.
The Department of State Lands has until December 2016 to sell the forest with the conditions, at which point the board would take a new direction, potentially offering it for sale without conditions.
Dozens under evacuation orders near Baker County wildfires
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Oregon Department of Transportation has reopened Interstate 84 in Eastern Oregon after the freeway was closed Thursday afternoon in both directions between Baker City and Ontario due to a wildfire.
Residents of 57 homes in the area have been told to evacuate, with dozens more advised to be ready to leave.
Gov. Kate Brown invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act just before 3:30 a.m., mobilizing fire crews from across the state to protect the threatened structures.
Crews were on their way from Yamhill, Clatsop and Columbia counties, said Jamie Knight, an Oregon Department of Forestry spokeswoman. As of Wednesday night, the fire had charred 20 square miles. There were no reports of structural damage, Knight said.
"Fuels are very dry," she said. "They're in tough terrain with dry fuels and tough weather conditions, so all those things are lending themselves to the fire behavior that we've been experiencing and are expecting to experience."
Between that fire and another nearby blaze, 57 homes were under immediate evacuation orders, 47 were told to be ready to go at a moment's notice, and 41 are in areas that could become threatened, said Stefanie Kirby with Baker County Emergency Management.
Meanwhile, officials said U.S. Highway 26 through Warm Springs has reopened to traffic after having been closed Wednesday because of fire. Sparks from an RV's trailer that lost a wheel ignited over a half-dozen fires along the highway on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation, KTVZ reported.
A double-wide home was destroyed, and evacuation orders were issued for several areas, said Clay Penhollow, spokesman for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.
USDA forecasts large Northwest cranberry crop
Oregon cranberry growers are expected to reap a record crop, while Washington farmers will have their largest harvest in a decade, the U.S. Department of Agriculture predicted Thursday.
Across the U.S., cranberry farmers in five states, already sitting on a price-deflating surplus, will harvest 8.41 million barrels, a slight increase of 12,700 barrels over last year, the USDA forecasts.
Strong recent harvests in the U.S. and Canada have created a cranberry surplus, which the USDA has estimated will equal roughly 90 percent of annual sales a year from now. The surplus has driven prices below the cost of production for some farmers, particularly independent growers who don't belong to the Ocean Spray cooperative.
Although the harvest isn't expected to challenge the record-setting 2013 harvest of 8.95 million barrels, most cranberry-growing states will see production rise over last year, according to the USDA.
The USDA says Washington and Oregon growers have enjoyed favorable weather.
Oregon cranberry farmers, concentrated near the coast in Coos and Curry counties, will harvest an estimated 504,000 barrels, edging above last year's record 500,000-barrel harvest. Each barrel represents 100 pounds.
"Every week they (growers) seem more encouraged by the crop," said Don Kloft, Ocean Spray receiving station manager in Bandon, Ore.
Bandon cranberry grower Charlie Ruddell said he doubts Oregon's harvest will set a record. Independent growers slightly outnumber cooperative members, and low prices have forced some to reduce investments in bogs or give up entirely, he said. "Some farms have been abandoned," he said.
In Washington, where Ocean Spray members outnumber independent growers, the harvest is projected to jump from last year's 156,000 barrels to 186,000 barrels. That would be the biggest crop since 2005, when farmers produced 187,000 barrels. The state record is 202,000 barrels set in 1994. Recent harvests have been much smaller.
Washington State University horticulturist Kim Patten, who heads the cranberry research center in Long Beach, said he agrees with the USDA's forecast. "It's in the ballpark; 180,000 to 200,000" barrels, he said. "It's going to be a good crop."
Growers who flood their bogs for harvest could face water shortages, however, he said. The U.S. Drought Monitor on Thursday categorized the Long Beach Peninsula and Grays Harbor County, where cranberry growers are concentrated, as being in an "extreme drought."
Water also will be needed to guard against early fall frosts, Patten said. "It's getting serious for some of these growers," he said.
Growers in Wisconsin, the county's No. 1 cranberry state, reported that a cold winter damaged bogs. Still, most Badger State farmers expected an average or slightly better than average harvest, according to the USDA.
The agency projects Wisconsin's harvest will be 5.028 million barrels, a fraction more than last year's 5.022 million. Wisconsin's mammoth 6 million barrel harvest in 2013 was a leading contributor to the cranberry surplus.
In Massachusetts, some farmers are optimistic, while some are battling insects, according to the USDA. The state's crop is expected to be 2.11 million, a 44,000 barrel increase. Only New Jersey is expected to see production decline, from 652,000 barrels in 2014 to 585,000 barrels.
Nationwide in 2014, a barrel fetched an average of $29.50, down from $46.90 in 2012, according to the USDA.
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Home » Dating » Momo: A Significant Player In China's Live-Streaming Market
Momo: A Significant Player In China's Live-Streaming Market
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1.2 trillion searches.
Most popular dating app Taiwan
I finally decided to take a new path. I decided to work on myself and become the person I wanted to be whilst in a relationship rather than focusing on what I could get out of a relationship. I enrolled in a course called Avatar which is about exploring consciousness and discovering any limiting beliefs which hold us back in our lives and I began working on being the best person, friend and partner I could be. It was important to me to have integrity with my dating so I utilized Positive Singles while I was working on myself I am learning to take it day by day. I refuse to let it define me. I will not be reckless, but I will be adventurous. I will always disclose my status to potential partners- it has separated the sincere from the strictly sexual already. I know that I will still find real love, the love I deserve
It has been removed twice from the AppStore because of threats and arrests. Messages often include bullying, pornography, and alcohol or drug references. Watch our AfterSchool App video. It encourages students to set up a public profile and allow anonymous people to ask them questions. Kids often reveal too much personal information on this site, and cyberbullying is very prevalent. However, on the Bumble app women must be the first to make contact.
Home / TOP 3 MOST POPULAR CHINESE DATING APPS. Momo was the very first dating app that covers the whole Middle Kingdom. It was widely seen as the best app for 'booty-calling' for a while. In order to get rid of this bad reputation, Momo changed itself from a dating-focused app to an interest-based social networking one. 5/5(1K).
We used data from multiple sources, including Google Trends and internal data tools. We filtered out spam and repeat queries to build lists that best reflect the spirit of Trending The "trending" queries are the searches that had the highest amount of traffic over a sustained period in as compared to Most Searched The "most searched" queries are the most popular terms for —ranked in order of the queries with the largest volume of searches.
No personal information was used. About The Site The data here is normalized meaning it represents how many searches this year, relative to the total number of searches over time. This doesn't represent absolute search volume, but searches presented on a scale from Each query is divided by the highest point the query reached A term can appear high on the "trending" list and still have lower search volume than the other queries.
Discover More Our year-end Zeitgeist is just a small sampling of the queries and search trends that we found interesting this year. Go beyond what we've shared here by using these tools to discover more about global and regional search terms over time.
Whether you are looking to meet an Asian single, or an Asian single looking to connect with international singles, we hope you will find this page super useful. If you know of a site that is not listed here or you would like to provide a review of your favorite site please suggest it via our contact page. Free Asian Dating and Singles: In this case, they have focused their talents on Thailand and bridging connections between people over the globe.
BeeTalk is another leading home grown app from Taiwan that has been particularly popular in South East Asia. Shortly after its launch in , it became the most downloaded dating app in Thailand according to Apple's app store.
The Preah Khan Sacred Sword temple complex is surrounded by a towering moat with its walls decorated with carvings of garudas, a bird-like mythical being in Hindu mythology. Dedicated by the King Jayavarman VII to his father in , it houses maze-like entryways, towers, ceremonial spaces, courtyards, and shrines. Its standout features are the two-storey pavilion and Hall of Dancers, where you can see images of Apsara dancers on its pillars.
Located two kilometres northeast of Angkor Thom, Preah Khan has been left in a largely unreconstructed state, allowing for numerous trees, vines, and various vegetation growing among the ruins. The Terrace of the Elephants in the centre of Angkor Thom features beautiful bas-relief scenes of elephants and garudas, making it one of the most photographed sites in Angkor Archaeological Park.
Utilised by King Jayavarman VII as viewing platform for public ceremonies during the late 12th century, the striking terrace measures at metres in length and two and a half-metres in height. The northern part of the Terrace of the Elephants is fitted with sculptures of a five headed horse, Apsara dancers and Khmer warriors. Hide Map Show Map.
You swipe right, and so does he. You meet up for a drink. Dating, as we once knew it, feels pretty much over. Every single one felt virtually the same. It grew so problematic, I had to shut it down. I quit online dating.
To qualify, an app had to have more than 2, reviews across the App Store and the Google Play store. Applause found that, in general, the most popular US dating apps trailed other apps in.
That apps have gained such traction in this area is not surprising. The data was gathered for the corporation by analytics company AppAnnie. Dating apps were defined as those which either were advertised as being solely for dating, or which were used primarily for dating: Online statistics portal, Satista. For instance, Tinder is the preference for most in Canada and North America. But look what happens at the border with Latin America—Badoo becomes the dominant app at the gateway to Latin America, whose four markets it leads.
Japan has a sex problem, and digital dating could help fix it. So why are single people there so reluctant to dive in? She, it turned out, was not. Somebody who will openly discuss meeting romantic partners online.
This free app is great for local Asian dating, not international, because matching is based on where you are. Set your preferred distance (e.g., 10, 20, or 50 miles) and age range, upload some high-resolution photos, and get to chatting.
Learn Snapchat and Instagram in Parent University This program gives parents videos to watch with their kids Students listen to an outside trusted expert and are more engaged Parents also get classes that bring them up to speed on the latest apps AfterSchool App Age: It has been removed twice from the AppStore because of threats and arrests. Messages often include bullying, pornography, and alcohol or drug references. Watch our AfterSchool App video. It encourages students to set up a public profile and allow anonymous people to ask them questions.
Kids often reveal too much personal information on this site, and cyberbullying is very prevalent. The Blue Whale Challenge Age: The challenge as a whole is meant to harm students and slowly get them to trust the game. Get involved, have a healthy dialog with your students about their day and social media. If your child has engaged with anything like the Blue Whale Challenge, other students might be engaging with it too. Watch our Blue Whale Challenge video.
It is also important to know the specificities of each Asian country. Some apps or websites can be popular in Thailand but completely useless in the Philippines and vice versa. There are 6 different types of online tools that you can use for meeting new girls in Asia: In the following review, I will rank the best dating apps and websites in Asia. I tried each one in every country during my travels while writing my Asia Nightlife Guides.
what is the most popular dating app. What is the most popular dating app Viajo porque preciso online dating, pemekaran provinsi bolaang mongondow raya dating, changes of us dating Ano ang dating pangalan ng bansang taiwan. But what about the notion that men are hard-wired to seek a smooth-faced, the following must be true. FATHER: Son, I.
As a European or as an American, this means you will get much interest from girls and all that will translate into an incredible number of dating opportunities. If you have 1 or 2 matches per day on Tinder in your home country, you can expect to get at least 20 or 30 per day upon landing in Asia. All guys have a different reaction to their newfound success. Some will go on a banging spree to compensate for years of sex drought. Others will become insanely picky, rejecting girls they would have dreamed of dating just a few months back.
What is certain is that all of them feel much happier with this situation. Each country in Asia has its own challenges though. Second, you need to know the characteristics of each countries: What are the girls like? How easy is it to date them? Do they accept an important age gap? Are they conservative or open-minded? What are the best cities for online dating?
Well, if you're looking for a fast track to that holiday, download the free mobile payment app Mileslife. Here's how you can bump those points up to 5 miles more than before and even score 41, bonus KrisFlyer miles in an instant! Download the app and create a Mileslife account Step 2: Link a credit card to your account Step 3:
Watch video · Paktor is a Singapore-based mobile-dating app which offers users the chance to reject (swipe left) or approve a match (swipe right) with over 5 million users across Asia.
Check out our top 10 list below and follow our links to read our full in-depth review of each asian dating website, alongside which you'll find costs and features lists, user reviews and videos to help you make the right choice. They offer a multi-lingual interface with a user-friendly design, easy navigation and range of interactive features to provide you with a fun and safe online dating experience Thai Cupid Thai Cupid is part of the Cupid Media network, so you ought to expect to receive the same great services and features that you will find on their other dating sites.
Cherry Blossoms Cherry Blossoms claims to be the oldest and best international dating website on the internet. Whilst that is debatable, there are definitely a few positives to this site that put it ahead of some of its competitors, including a detailed advanced search, video options and visa application help. The site excels in numerous respects by offering several powerful features, including the ability to refine your search to within precise parameters; they also often add fun features to enhance the experience of using the site.
AsiaFriendFinder's excellent range of features means that you could spend lots of time, Thai Friendly ThaiFriendly is an easy-to-use website for helping you to find a Thai date. These alternative free sites are simple, with limited features but a high turnover.
Product overview[ edit ] Riding with Uber[ edit ] Riders are quoted the fare that they will pay before requesting the ride. Drivers who do take passengers to these areas may have difficulty finding a fare for the trip back. Must be accompanied by pet's handler. Persons with a service animal may use any type of Uber service, as required by law.
When it comes to the most popular dating app out there, you may be surprised to see what's happening in your area. Because while there are some definite heavy hitters in the dating app world.
Which dating app should I use? Dating is hard these days! From Mars Online Dating image via Shutterstock Dear Mars, While online dating has become an incredibly convoluted affair, with more apps and sites around than you could ever sign up to all at once, the good news is that it's more in the mainstream than ever. It's just a matter of finding out what site or app is going to serve you best. Let's start with some of the biggest participants in the online dating market: RSVP is one of the oldest and most well-known online dating sites around, and despite the rise of new services like Tinder, RSVP still retains an Australian user base of around 2 million.
There is also a more even split in demographics compared to newer sites, with 48 per cent of users being aged between 26 and 40, and 34 per cent aged between 41 and Using RSVP involves a fairly simple search system, with no 'compatibility' features integrated unless you are a paid member. Most members are reported to be in their 20s and 30s, although eHarmony also caters to a 'large number' of older users. Its approach is quite different to RSVP's however, requiring you to fill out a detailed questionnaire that will let you indicate just what you're looking for in a match.
Moving on to more modern dating apps although RSVP and eHarmony have incorporated apps, they are still far more browser-centric services , the most obvious contender is Tinder. Tinder has a very young skew, with 50 per cent of users aged , 34 per cent aged and only eight per cent aged It also has a reputation for being more of a 'hook-up' app than one for dating, although it has been used as both with some success, by all accounts.
Tinder operates on a quantity over quality basis, letting you swipe on and connect with a large number of users to try and find a compatible match.
After years working as a senior investment banker in the US and Hong Kong, he fulfilled his dream of setting up his own business. Sharing other insights into Zhenai. He says that the better educated a woman is, and the more economically well off, the higher the standards she will set. Seeking a lesbian wife: Zhenai has 50 matchmaking centres in 37 cities across China, and Li says he expects the company to generate 1.
Li is confident that the dating platform will continue to grow rapidly, at least for the next 10 years.
The Taiwan Dating app is now ready! Does it Cost Money to Join? Taiwan Dating offers a FREE membership that allows access to much of the functionality .
Their service is really the best of all Chinese dating sites. This dating site is the best one to look for a friend, love or even marriage with Chinese girls. I recommend it heartily and have it highly rated in our ranking, click the button below to check it for yourself… 2. You have enough dating options on Asiandating. You can contact other members but at least one of you must be a paid member almost all female members are free members.
You can check it out first and then decide if you are going to upgrade to a paid member. Registration is free and users can use webcam chat or text chat with your ideal persons online.
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As a fully integrated Adobe Lightroom plugin, Excire Search uses AI to recognize image content and gives you the ability to search your entire library of images based on keywords and example images. A special face module recognizes gender, age, and facial expressions.
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Players from the Canada women's sevens team have been busy this week preparing for tournament play this weekend in Langford. (Kendra Wong /News Gazette staff)
Local favourites in the lineup for women's sevens at Westhills
Canada kicks off play against Australia on Saturday
Goldstream News Staff
May. 9, 2018 5:00 p.m.
Some familiar faces will be donning Team Canada jerseys this weekend and hitting the turf at Westhills Stadium in Langford.
John Tait, Canada women's sevens head coach, announced his roster for the fourth installment of the HSBC sevens series, May 12 to 13, with a former University of Victoria Vikes player and a member of the Castaway Wanders among those named.
Pam Buisa will be making her debut, replacing Olivia Apps.
Buisa played a pivotal role in helping build the Vikes women's rugby team into one of the top programs in the country and was on the 2015 team that won the Canada west conference and finished fifth at the CIS National Championship – the best finish at nationals in the team's history.
Last season she suited up for the Vikes at the 2017 Canadian University Sevens Championship, helping the team to their first national championship in the program's history.
Also back in the lineup is Caroline Crossley, a local favourite and member of the Castaway Wanders.
RELATED: Women's sevens players will be dying their hair bold colours for cancer
Looking to come back from a disappointing result in Kitakyushu, Japan last month, Canada is sitting fifth in the HSBC World Rugby Women's Sevens Series standings. Last year, the team walked away from the Langford event with a silver medal and this year they'll be looking to take gold.
But they'll have to get past Australia, who is sitting on top of the leader board with 56 points, and the defending champs New Zealand, who are sitting in second. The pair is followed by Russia, rounding out the top three, and France sitting in fourth.
Along with the addition of Buisa, the only other changes in the lineup from Kitakyushu is team captain Ghislaine Landry returning from injury to lead the team and Brittany Benn sitting out due to injury.
There are three pools and 12 teams competing in action featuring 18 games Saturday and 16 games on Sunday.
Pool A includes New Zealand, Fiji, England and Brazil, pool B includes France, Russia, USA and Japan and pool C includes Australia, Spain, Ireland and Canada.
Pool play kicks off at 10:30 a.m. Saturday with Canada's first game at 11:36 against Australia. Playoffs begin Sunday. Find the full schedule online at goldstreamgazette.com.
10:30 a.m. – Russia vs. USA
10:52 a.m. – France vs. Japan
11:14 a.m. – Spain vs. Ireland
11:36 a.m. – Australia vs. Canada
11:58 a.m. – Fiji vs. England
12:20 p.m. – New Zealand vs. Brazil
1:24 p.m. – Russia vs. Japan
1:46 p.m. – France vs. USA
2:08 p.m. – Spain vs. Canada
2:30 p.m. – Australia vs. Ireland
2:52 p.m. – Fiji vs. Brazil
3:14 p.m. – New Zealand vs. England
4:16 p.m. – USA vs. Japan
4:38 p.m. – France vs. Russia
5:00 p.m. – Ireland vs. Canada
5:22 p.m. – Australia vs. Spain
5:44 p.m. – Englad vs. Brazil
6:06 p.m. – New Zealand vs. Fiji
9:20 a.m. QF 1 – 1st Pool B vs. Best 3rd
9:42 a.m. – QF 2 – 1st Pool C vs. 2nd Pool A
10:04 a.m. – QF 3 – 2nd Pool B vs. 2nd Pool B
10:26 a.m. – QF 4 – 1st Pool A vs. 2nd best 3rd
10:48 a.m. – SF 1 – 3rd best 3rd vs. 3rd best 4th
11:10 a.m. – SF 2 – Best 4th vs. 2nd best 4th
12:26 p.m.- 5th place SF 1 – Loser QF 1 vs. Loser QF 2
12:48 p.m. – 5th place SF 2 – Loser QF 3 vs. Loser QF 4
1:10 p.m. – Cup SF 1 – Winner QF 1 vs. Winner QF 2
Placing Matches
11th/12th – 1:54 p.m – Loser SF 1 vs. Loser SF 2
9th/10th – 2:16 p.m. – Winner SF1 vs. Winner SF 2
7th/8th – 3:10 p.m. – Loser 5th place SF 1 vs. Loser 5th place SF 2
5th/6th – 3:32 p.m. – Winner 5th place SF 1 vs. Winner 5th place SF 2
bronze/4th – 3:54 p.m. – Loser Cup SF 1 vs. Loswer Cup SF 2
gold/silver – 4:20 p.m. – Winner Cup SF 1 vs. Winner Cup SF 2
4:54 Medal presentations
editor@goldstreamgazette.com
Players from the Canada women's sevens team practice at Westhills Stadium In Langford on Wednesday morning. The team takes on Australia on Saturday as part of the fourth stop in the HSBC women's sevens series. (Kendra Wong /News Gazette staff)
B.C. coaches say they knew James Paxton's work ethic would be rewarded
Deb Whitten, Alison Murdoch among Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame inductees


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text:
199 Racism's Prevalence in Early American Literature
The depiction of slaves within a text has everything to do with the author's intent behind the piece. Benito Cereno is a text aimed at gaining a foothold in moral ambiguity, interested in a portrayal of the horrors of the slave trade and its possible outcomes – its characters are the darkest-skinned slaves of the three texts (describing them at one point as "ebon" (Melville, 38), a deep black color), and Melville characterizes Babo as scornful, strange, and savage, while underlyingly devious and intelligent. The Heroic Slave, on the other hand, depicts Washington with a mid-skin tone (described as "polished iron" (Douglass, 7), a warm, deep brown with black undertones), and leaves a relatively morally ambiguous display of his personality. While outwardly announcing Madison's heroism, Douglass also offers glimpses into a complex man, one who is not just in possession of "the head to conceive, and the hand to execute", but is a man "to be sought of as a friend, [and] dreaded as an enemy" (Douglass, 7) – unafraid to fight back, regardless of the cost, for freedom. And, finally, we come to Uncle Tom's Cabin, where the main characters are described as "quadroon" (Stowe, 5), often labeled as white-passing (Stowe, 35-36). Eliza is victimized and shown the most clear favor from among the three texts, as does her son, seen in descriptors used throughout the text that aim to gain sympathy from a reader. While this could be because Eliza is a woman (as the text was written in 1852, when women's suffrage was mainly about acquiring voting rights and not being seen as equal human beings), I'd argue that the characterizations follow a trend between the texts: characterization from evil to good appears to be in equal proportion to the skin color of the character they are portraying.
It seems disgustingly obvious when compared back-to-back-to-back, but it's something that took me a full reading and plenty of comprehension time to decipher. Racism is so prevalent in the author's consciousnesses that they used skin tone to indicate the assumed favorability of the character from their audience. Trying to get a white audience to sympathize with your main character? Write them in as "so white as not to be known of colored lineage" (Stowe, 35). Want your character to be ambiguous and agreeable to all to encourage abolitionism, or at least empathy? Write them in as an in-between, bridging the gap from skin tone to skin tone. Want to demonize Africans or what the slave trade can do to them? (Then your name is Herman Melville and you're not welcome here until I decide how to feel about you… and the readers get the idea by now, I'm sure.)
This unfortunate "scale" is one that is limited to the main characters based on the end goal of a piece of writing, and Uncle Tom's Cabin clearly hit the mark it was aiming for. Its popularity and lasting place in the American literary canon shows that this hypothetical scale is successful among the text's primarily racist, white audiences of the time of publication. Stowe implemented a white-passing character to gain white-heavy readership empathies, and it created a lasting ripple effect that drew her into the literary canon and into folklore as "The Novel That Started the Civil War", proof that this technique is as effective as it was, and is, destructive to race relations in the United States.
Previous: Uncle Tom's Cabin: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
Next: Lesson Plan for Uncle Tom's Cabin
The Open Anthology of Earlier American Literature: A PSU-Based Project by Rose Paulin is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.


Carolina 6 Inch EH Internal Met Guard Steel Toe Work Boots CA3527. This is one of Carolina's SVB's, or Super Value Boots. It has an internal polyurethane (non-metallic) metatarsal guard (met guard) for protection over your instep, a steel toe safety cap to protect your toes and a slip resistant rubber outsole for those slippery conditions. If you are working with open circuits, this boot is also rated as an Electrical Hazard boot to help offset the voltage.


If you are looking for information on comprehensive insurance coverage schemes for automobiles, then read on.
Insuring our wealth and property is a smart financial move, that is our bulwark against the ravages of time and calamity. Today, insurance is offered for almost everything under the Sun and every kind of damage that could be inflicted on your property, be it fixed or mobile.
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The premium and deductible amounts for both these types of insurance covers are calculated separately. So while looking for auto insurance, have a close look at the details of both these components.
It pays for every type of car repair and even replacement in case of theft, which costs greater than the minimum deductible amount. That is, repairs which are lesser than the minimum deductible will not be paid for, by the insurance company. The lower the deductible, higher is the premium to be paid for this type of insurance.
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If the area you live in is under a constant risk from natural disasters and other problems, opting for this type of insurance is a must. Carry out risk assessment and decide accordingly. The premium value will be entirely decided by the existing condition of the car, its model and age, as well as usage.
There is a simple rationale behind when and why you should opt for comprehensive cover. It is dictated by the current estimated cash value of your car. When you buy an new car, getting a comprehensive insurance policy is beneficial, as it has a high cash value. However, buying it for a car, whose cash value has already depreciated, may not be that helpful.


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text:
Diane Ablonczy, Alberta Tory MP, To Leave Politics In 2015
OTTAWA - Conservative MP Diane Ablonczy says she won't run again in 2015.
The announcement from Ablonczy, who represents the riding of Calgary-Nose Hill, comes as Prime Minister Stephen Harper prepares to shuffle his cabinet.
Harper has asked his caucus to let him know their re-election plans as he considers who to assign to the cabinet table.
Ablonczy's decision follows similar news from Alberta MP Ted Menzies, who announced Tuesday he will not run in the next election.
Ablonczy was first elected to the House of Commons in 1993 as a Reform MP.
She is currently minister of state for foreign affairs, a job she has held since 2011.
Photo gallery Canada's Youngest MPs See Gallery
Canada's Youngest MPs
MORE: cp Diane Ablonczy Diane Ablonczy alberta mp Diane Ablonczy cabinet Diane Ablonczy calgary Diane Ablonczy conservative mp Diane Ablonczy minister of state Diane Ablonczy minister of state for foreign affairs Diane Ablonczy quitting Diane Ablonczy re-election Diane Ablonczy stepping down Diane Ablonczy ted menzies Diane Ablonczy won't run again Politics


text:
Aleksander Kaczorowski (ur. 29 maja 1969 w Żyrardowie) – polski bohemista, tłumacz, eseista i dziennikarz.

Życiorys
Studiował socjologię w Instytucie Socjologii Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego, a następnie slawistykę w Instytucie Slawistyki UW (ukończone w 1998).

Pracował w Gazecie Wyborczej, z której odszedł w czerwcu 2002 w proteście przeciwko pozostawieniu w redakcji Lesława Maleszki.

Był zastępcą redaktora naczelnego tygodnika Newsweek Polska. Pracował również w redakcji Forum, także jako zastępca redaktora naczelnego. Powrócił jednak do pracy w Newsweek Polska, jako jeden z zastępców redaktora naczelnego. Obecnie redaktor naczelny Aspen Review Central Europe.

Autor książek. Jest również tłumaczem literatury czeskiej, m.in. prozy Bohumila Hrabala, Egona Bondy'ego i Josefa Škvoreckiego.

Członek Stowarzyszenia Pisarzy Polskich. Wykłada w Instytucie Slawistyki Zachodniej i Południowej UW.

W 2015 został nominowany do Nagrody Newsweeka im. Teresy Torańskiej w jej III edycji w kategorii "Najlepsza książka" za książkę Havel. Zemsta bezsilnych. W tym samym roku otrzymał tytuł Ambasadora Nowej Europy, przyznawany przez Europejskie Centrum Solidarności i Kolegium Europy Wschodniej. W 2016 został laureatem nagrody Václava Buriana za wkład w dziedzinie kultury do dialogu środkowoeuropejskiego. W 2019 za książkę Ota Pavel: pod powierzchnią został uhonorowany Górnośląską Nagrodą Literacką "Juliusz" oraz finalistą Nagrody Literackiej Nike.

Ojciec czwórki dzieci.

Publikacje

Książki

 Praskie łowy, Warszawa: Świat Książki, 2007, .
 Praski elementarz, Wołowiec: Czarne 2001, 2012, .
 Gra w życie. Opowieść o Bohumilu Hrabalu, Wołowiec: Czarne 2004, .
 Életjáték - Történet Bohumil Hrabalról, Budapeszt: Európa Könyvkiadó, 2006, .
 Il gioco della vita. La storia di Bohumil Hrabal, Rzym: Edizioni E/O 2007, .
 Europa z płaskostopiem, Wołowiec: Czarne 2006, .
 Ballada o kapciach, Wołowiec: Czarne 2012, .
 Havel. Zemsta bezsilnych, Wołowiec: Czarne 2014, .
 Hrabal. Słodka apokalipsa, Wołowiec: Czarne 2016, .
 Ota Pavel: pod powierzchnią, Wołowiec: Czarne 2018, .
 Czechy. To nevymyslíš, Warszawa: Muza 2022, .

Przekłady
 Egon Bondy, Noga świętego Patryka, Izabelin: Świat Literacki 1995, .
 Bohumil Hrabal, Czuły barbarzyńca, Izabelin: Świat Literacki 1997, .
 Josef Škvorecký, Przypadki niefortunnego saksofonisty tenorowego, Izabelin: Świat Literacki, 1999, .
 László Szigeti, Drybling Hidegkutiego, czyli rozmowy z Hrabalem, Izabelin: Świat Literacki, 2002, .
 Bohumil Hrabal, Piękna rupieciarnia, Wołowiec: Czarne, 2006,  (z Janem Stachowskim).
 Helga Weissová, Dziennik Helgi: świadectwo dziewczynki o życiu w obozach koncentracyjnych, Kraków: Insignis Media, 2013, .
 Josef Pazderka (red.), Inwazja na Czechosłowację 1968. Perspektywa rosyjska, Instytut Pamięci Narodowej 2015, .
 Jiří Pelán, Hrabal w lustrze krytyki, [w:] W poszukiwaniu przerw w zabudowie. W stulecie urodzin Bohumila Hrabala, (ed. J. Goszczyńska), Warszawa 2015.
 Jakub Češka, Nic, tylko strach, czyli ironiczna spowiedź, [w:] W poszukiwaniu przerw w zabudowie. W stulecie urodzin Bohumila Hrabala, (red. J. Goszczyńska), Warszawa 2015.

Przypisy

Linki zewnętrzne
 Artykuły i komentarze Aleksandra Kaczorowskiego na Newsweek.pl

Absolwenci Wydziału Polonistyki Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego
Członkowie Stowarzyszenia Pisarzy Polskich
Ludzie urodzeni w Żyrardowie
Polscy dziennikarze prasowi
Polscy bohemiści
Polscy eseiści
Polscy tłumacze literatury czeskiej
Urodzeni w 1969
Wykładowcy Wydziału Polonistyki Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Central Connecticut beats Long Island 65-62
A&M ends Auburn's 28-game home streak
NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (AP) Ian Krishnan registered 19 points as Central Connecticut narrowly beat Long Island 65-62 on Thursday night.
Krishnan made 6 of 8 3-pointers, and Trenton McLaughlin made two free throws in the closing seconds.
Tre Mitchell had 10 points for Central Connecticut (5-16, 2-6 Northeast Conference), which broke its six-game losing streak. Andre Snoddy added nine rebounds.
Ty Flowers had 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Sharks (8-11, 5-4). Isaac Kante added 13 points and seven rebounds.
The Blue Devils evened the season series against the Sharks. Long Island-Brooklyn defeated Central Connecticut 83-61 on Jan. 15.


text:
Aug 2019Thursday
Nijverheidsweg 6 – Utrecht
Shorts Night: Be Some Body
Various directors
We're in the middle of 'Hot Girl Summer'. 24-year-old rapper Megan Thee Stallion coined the term to make this the summer of confidence, positivity and embracing your own (sexual) identity. Don't get too hung up on the use of "Hot" or "Girl". Hot Girl Summer isn't about what's between your legs, because anyone can be Hot Girl this summer. And it explicitly does not subscribe to prevailing standards of beauty. This isn't a fitness regime, but a state of mind meant for everyone. Being a "Hot Girl", then, is about "being unapologetically YOU, having fun, being confident, living YOUR truth, being the life of the party," Megan Thee Stallion explains on Twitter.
With Shorts Night: Be Some Body, Pluk de Nacht is indirectly giving homage to the Hot Girl Summer. This is a collection of shorts films that celebrate the human body, sensuality and sexuality. They do so by unconditionally being themselves: these are shameless shorts films that search for the limits of what many consider the norm. This leads to conflicts, sometimes tension and grief. But at the same time this searching for (and pushing of) limits also results in relief, liberation and pleasure.
The most outspoken celebration of female sexuality comes from Hot Dog (Alma Buddecke, Marleen Valin), which ends on one of the best statements ever made: "My vagina is literally the best thing that ever happened to me. I love her more than Netflix." Many of the other films in this shorts programme are more about the long journey to being able to worship your own body to such an extent. Particularly Carlota Oms's Adalamadrina shows the uneasy first steps toward sexual comfort. The titular character is an insecure woman who's ready for her first time. Her coach seems like a good candidate, but will she ever turn him into a sexual conquest? Halfway between the social awkwardness of Eighth Grade and the painful films of Ulrich Seidl, this reveals a story about someone stepping out of their comfort zone, and not knowing just when to stop.
Similar clumsy tactics can be found in Coldsore, a touching animation of a wallflower who draws the wrong conclusion about a classmate's popularity. Everyone is struck by her beauty. And she has a cold sore. Time to get one of those, but then you have to manage to kiss somebody. Caitlyn McCarthy's short is full of inventive solution to a nonexistent problem, because that cold sore obviously won't be getting our heroine a man. The endearing and creative animation style seamlessly matches this funny, slightly sad salivary adventure.
Much of the same talent behind Coldsore – including a sound designer mysteriously named FATHER – also contributed to the more earnest Ugly. A beautiful poem by British poet Warsan Shire reflects on how your formative years can influence your self-esteem. It's a text that feels timeless in the way it connects generations of women. A fluid animation style supplies matching imagery. Although this message is not as easily grasped as the teenage mishaps above, Ugly ends with the best possible conclusion: "But doesn't she wear the world well?" Then how could she ever be called ugly?
Proof that these misfortunes and contemplations aren't limited to women is found in the next two shorts. The first is a music video diptych scored by Baloji, foregrounding the typical connection between man and woman. What makes the video so powerful is the way in which Baloji, who also directs, both broadens and deepens that connection. This is a short film about Congolese traditions and colonial tensions. Baloji transforms the plantation he into a battlefield between man and woman and between tradition and innovation. Even more impressively, it never comes down to binary oppositions, like he versus she or back-then versus modern, but instead it's all about the many intermediary forms, dancing around each other and occasionally colliding.
The idea of utterly flexible and fluid identities is also at play in Under Covers, a funny stop-motion animation revealing the bedroom secrets of several humans, critters and even alien beings. In each of the rooms, the covers are taken off the sleeping creatures. The body that is revealed says a lot more about the homeowners than what was seen just before on the pillow's surface. Michaela Olsen uses this conceit to offer a cheerful picture of the way that (trans)sexuality often first gets free reign within personal quarters. Now it's high time to bring that out into the light, onto the movie screen and into the summer. Because Hot Girl Summer is for every body! Not least for all of the characters bursting onto the screen during this Shorts Night at Pluk de Nacht.
Hugo Emmerzael
Pien Kars | The Netherlands
A colourful Dutch claymation short, Lucy shows a woman assailing her body hair and finding herself in a strange world full of wonders.
Adalamadrina
Carlota Oms | Spain
Ada is a 24-year-old YouTuber who, while online, claims to be an expert in all things sex and love. But, in real life, not only does she lack confidence and have few relationships, she even struggles to speak to her gym coach, who she happens to be madly in love with.
Anna Ginsburg | United Kingdom
A beautiful poem by British poet Warsan Shire finds visual representation in a fluid animation style.
sometimes, i think about dying
Stefanie Abel Horowitz | USA
Fran is thinking about dying, but a man in the office might want to date her.
Alma Buddecke, Marleen Valin | Germany
Hannah, in a love-hate relationship with her vagina, chronicles how her feelings toward her sexuality have changed over time. Like that one moment when she discovered the vibration function of her PlayStation controller.
Alex Kavutskiy | USA
A meager apology tests a woman's fortitude to forgive.
Under Covers
Michaela Olsen | USA
On the night of a lunar eclipse, we uncover the sweet, salacious, and spooky secrets of a small town. From a pigtailed psychopath to naughty nuns, this stop motion animated film conjures a comforting thought: that weird is relative.
Peau de Chagrin / Bleu de Nuit
Baloji | Belgium
Beautiful music video shot in Congo explores the different love languages of men and women.
Coldsore
Caitlin McCarthy | United Kingdom
A teen girl turns to the internet for the ultimate proof she's had her first kiss: a nasty herpes outbreak.


I will make the important announcement when I find the piece of paper it's written on.
I don't have a dog, cat, rat, mouse, gerbil or pet of any kind, sort, type, so I can't blame them as they don't exist. (or wife. partner, cleaning person(s), unknown visitor(s), known visitor(s), alien(s).
If you can all help by keeping an eye out for a piece of paper with IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FOR gEMMING FRoOUMS, as the title, please let me know, then burn it as it's embarrassing and could also be incriminating to either myself or anyone that finds it.
Thanks awfully in advance or belatedly if you have already found it.
I think @Queen Zephyr  may have it?
Dude, you're gonna get permabanned.
Come on, be reasonable Zephyr.
All of this thread makes my brain-space hurt.
@Zephyr  are you a hot thot or a cold one?


main model is a service truck.
the truck has motorized extendable rear outriggers, extendable wheel lift, adjustable crane arm, retractable winch, 8 wheels, 4 wheels steering and hydraulic elements.
can be built into a truck with a crane.


I really like the idea of having a separate centerpiece cake just for the bride and groom to cut and enjoy.
And then you can have other small cakes for the guests or a dessert bar. Something different and a bit out of the ordinary.
Today's cake would be ideal for that concept.
If there's a week when orange is the color to love, this week might be it.
With Halloween just a few days away the stores are awash in various shades of orange and while it might not be the first color you think of for a wedding cake it might be perfect!
As much as I enjoy the occasional non-traditional wedding cake, for me it's all about going back to the basics.
A simple white wedding cake.
I love white wedding cakes in part because they are a great canvas for whatever you might want to add.


text:
#ifndef itkAmoebaOptimizer_h
#define itkAmoebaOptimizer_h

#include "itkSingleValuedNonLinearVnlOptimizer.h"
#include "vnl/algo/vnl_amoeba.h"
#include "ITKOptimizersExport.h"

namespace itk
{
/** \class AmoebaOptimizer
 * \brief Wrap of the vnl_amoeba algorithm
 *
 * AmoebaOptimizer is a wrapper around the vnl_amoeba algorithm which
 * is an implementation of the Nelder-Meade downhill simplex
 * problem. For most problems, it is a few times slower than a
 * Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm but does not require derivatives of
 * its cost function. It works by creating a simplex (n+1 points in
 * ND space). The cost function is evaluated at each corner of the
 * simplex.  The simplex is then modified (by reflecting a corner
 * about the opposite edge, by shrinking the entire simplex, by
 * contracting one edge of the simplex, or by expanding the simplex)
 * in searching for the minimum of the cost function.
 *
 * The methods AutomaticInitialSimplex() and SetInitialSimplexDelta()
 * control whether the optimizer defines the initial simplex
 * automatically (by constructing a very small simplex around the
 * initial position) or uses a user supplied simplex size.
 *
 * The method SetOptimizeWithRestarts() indicates that the amoeabe algorithm
 * should be rerun after if converges. This heuristic increases the chances
 * of escaping from a local optimum. Each time the simplex is initialized with
 * the best solution obtained by the previous runs. The edge length is half of
 * that from the previous iteration. The heuristic is terminated if the total
 * number of iterations is greater-equal than the maximal number of iterations
 * (SetMaximumNumberOfIterations) or the difference between the current function
 * value and the best function value is less than a threshold
 * (SetFunctionConvergenceTolerance) and
 * max(|best_parameters_i - current_parameters_i|) is less than a threshold
 * (SetParametersConvergenceTolerance).
 *
 *
 * \ingroup Numerics Optimizers
 * \ingroup ITKOptimizers
 *
 * \sphinx
 * \sphinxexample{Numerics/Optimizers/AmoebaOptimizer, Amoeba Optimization}
 * \endsphinx
 */
class ITKOptimizers_EXPORT AmoebaOptimizer : public SingleValuedNonLinearVnlOptimizer
{
public:
  ITK_DISALLOW_COPY_AND_MOVE(AmoebaOptimizer);

  /** Standard "Self" type alias. */
  using Self = AmoebaOptimizer;
  using Superclass = SingleValuedNonLinearVnlOptimizer;
  using Pointer = SmartPointer<Self>;
  using ConstPointer = SmartPointer<const Self>;
  using NumberOfIterationsType = unsigned int;

  /** Method for creation through the object factory. */
  itkNewMacro(Self);

  /** Run-time type information (and related methods). */
  itkTypeMacro(AmoebaOptimizer, SingleValuedNonLinearVnlOptimizer);

  /**  Parameters type.
   *  It defines a position in the optimization search space. */
  using ParametersType = Superclass::ParametersType;

  /** InternalParameters type alias. */
  using InternalParametersType = vnl_vector<double>;

  /** Start optimization with an initial value. */
  void
  StartOptimization() override;

  /** Plug in a Cost Function into the optimizer  */
  void
  SetCostFunction(SingleValuedCostFunction * costFunction) override;

  /** Set/Get the maximum number of iterations. The optimization algorithm will
   * terminate after the maximum number of iterations has been reached.
   * The default value is defined as DEFAULT_MAXIMAL_NUMBER_OF_ITERATIONS. */
  itkSetMacro(MaximumNumberOfIterations, NumberOfIterationsType);
  itkGetConstMacro(MaximumNumberOfIterations, NumberOfIterationsType);

  /** Set/Get the mode which determines how the amoeba algorithm
   * defines the initial simplex.  Default is
   * AutomaticInitialSimplexOn. If AutomaticInitialSimplex is on, the
   * initial simplex is created with a default size. If
   * AutomaticInitialSimplex is off, then InitialSimplexDelta will be
   * used to define the initial simplex, setting the ith corner of the
   * simplex as [x0[0], x0[1], ..., x0[i]+InitialSimplexDelta[i], ...,
   * x0[d-1]]. */
  itkSetMacro(AutomaticInitialSimplex, bool);
  itkBooleanMacro(AutomaticInitialSimplex);
  itkGetConstMacro(AutomaticInitialSimplex, bool);

  /** Set/Get the mode that determines if we want to use multiple runs of the
   * Amoeba optimizer. If true, then the optimizer is rerun after it converges.
   * The additional runs are performed using a simplex initialized with the
   * best solution obtained by the previous runs. The edge length is half of
   * that from the previous iteration.
   */
  itkSetMacro(OptimizeWithRestarts, bool);
  itkBooleanMacro(OptimizeWithRestarts);
  itkGetConstMacro(OptimizeWithRestarts, bool);

  /** Set/Get the deltas that are used to define the initial simplex
   * when AutomaticInitialSimplex is off. */
  void
  SetInitialSimplexDelta(ParametersType initialSimplexDelta, bool automaticInitialSimplex = false);
  itkGetConstMacro(InitialSimplexDelta, ParametersType);

  /** The optimization algorithm will terminate when the simplex
   * diameter and the difference in cost function values at the corners of
   * the simplex falls below user specified thresholds. The simplex
   * diameter threshold is set via SetParametersConvergenceTolerance().*/
  itkSetMacro(ParametersConvergenceTolerance, double);
  itkGetConstMacro(ParametersConvergenceTolerance, double);

  /** The optimization algorithm will terminate when the simplex
   * diameter and the difference in cost function values at the corners of
   * the simplex falls below user specified thresholds. The cost function
   * convergence threshold is set via SetFunctionConvergenceTolerance().*/
  itkSetMacro(FunctionConvergenceTolerance, double);
  itkGetConstMacro(FunctionConvergenceTolerance, double);

  /** Report the reason for stopping. */
  const std::string
  GetStopConditionDescription() const override;

  /** Return Current Value */
  MeasureType
  GetValue() const;

  /** Method for getting access to the internal optimizer. */
  vnl_amoeba *
  GetOptimizer() const;

protected:
  AmoebaOptimizer();
  ~AmoebaOptimizer() override;
  void
  PrintSelf(std::ostream & os, Indent indent) const override;

  using CostFunctionAdaptorType = Superclass::CostFunctionAdaptorType;

private:
  /**Check that the settings are valid. If not throw an exception.*/
  void
  ValidateSettings();

  NumberOfIterationsType        m_MaximumNumberOfIterations;
  ParametersType::ValueType     m_ParametersConvergenceTolerance;
  CostFunctionType::MeasureType m_FunctionConvergenceTolerance;
  bool                          m_AutomaticInitialSimplex;
  ParametersType                m_InitialSimplexDelta;
  bool                          m_OptimizeWithRestarts;
  vnl_amoeba *                  m_VnlOptimizer;

  std::ostringstream m_StopConditionDescription;
};
} // end namespace itk

#endif

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub