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Butterfly Eggs
I just stumbled on an amazing series of images from the National Geographic website. They are photos of butterfly eggs made with a scanning electron microscope. The resulting photographs by Martin Oeggerli are otherworldly and beautiful.
Upcoming Nature Trips
Below is a list of upcoming, local nature trips for the weekend of September 4th - 5th, 2010:
Audubon Center in Prospect Park (Brooklyn)
Introduction to Birdwatching
Every Saturday, 12 - 1:30 p.m.
Explore the Park's natural areas and learn how to look for amazing birds.
Discover Tours
Every Saturday and Sunday, 3 p.m.
Discover the Prospect Park you never knew! Meet birds and other wildlife on this walk, guided by a naturalist.
Fall Migration
Meet the amazing birds of Prospect Park on this expert-guided walk. Start your Sunday morning surrounded by nature!
New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Debbie Becker leads a free bird walk at the Garden every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. beginning at the Reflecting Pool in the Leon Levy Visitor Center.
Meet 7 am at Bartel Pritchard Square entrance (16th St and PPSW Ave)
Trip Leader: Peter Dorosh
Linnaean Society of New York
Leader: Rob Jett (aka "The City Birder")
No registration necessary.
Meet at Grand Army Plaza (Stranahan Statue) at 7:30 a.m.
Public transportation.
New York City Audubon Society
Saturday, September 4, 9am – 10am
Guide: Andrew Baksh or Urban Park Rangers
With the Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy and NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, Urban Park Rangers
Meet at Van Cortland Nature Center. The history of birding and Van Cortlandt Park are inseparable. Influential birders such as Roger Tory Peterson and Allan D. Cruickshank got their starts on Van Cortlandt's ecologically diverse grounds. These walks celebrate the tradition set forth by these great ornithologists. Participants will look for various species of migrants and discuss a wide range of avian topics.
No registration necessary. No limit. Free.
Biking and Birding: Jamaica Bay
Sunday, September 5, 9am – 1pm
Guide: Gabriel Willow with Transportation Alternatives
Birding and biking, a natural combination! Join us in an eco-friendly excursion. Meet at Grand Army Plaza Arch at Prospect Park followed by a 13 mile ride to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge where we will dismount and explore the trails in search of migratory shore birds and water fowl. Group can return by subway or bike. Limited to 15. Bring lunch, water and binoculars.
$36 (Price includes a 1-year complimentary membership to Transportation Alternatives)
Urban Park Rangers
Bird Club
Bring your own binoculars, as we search for the birds of Van Cortlandt Park.
Location: Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
Frogs! Turtles! And Snakes! Oh My!
Bring your hiking boots and let's look for all the reptiles and amphibians that...
Location: Picnic House (in Prospect Park), Brooklyn
Canoeing Basics
11:00 a.m.; 2:00 p.m.
Explore the tranquility of Martling Pond while getting to know nature. Let's look for...
Location: Martling Pond (in Clove Lakes Park), Staten Island
Denizens of the Dark
Come on an after-hours exploration while we look for bats, raccoons, owls, and whatever...
Location: Parking Lot (in Cunningham Park), Queens
Ho, Ho, Ho, Green Giant
Tulip trees are the tallest trees in New York City. Learn about the "Alley...
Location: Alley Pond Park Adventure Center (in Alley Pond Park), Queens
Shore Birding
Come and see the unparalleled bird diversity that can be found along the shores of...
Location: Salt Marsh Nature Center (in Marine Park), Brooklyn
Mysterious Mushrooms and Treacherous Toadstools
We'll trek in search of Witches' Butter, Scaly Tooth, Jack O'Lanterns,...
Location: Playground (in Bloomingdale Park), Staten Island
What is an invasive plant? Why do we get rid of them? Learn about these types of flora and...
Location: 116 Street and Riverside Drive (in Riverside Park), Manhattan
Migrating Monarchs
Monarch butterflies spend the summer months in our city parks, and as winter approaches...
Location: Pelham Bay Ranger Station (in Pelham Bay Park), Bronx
Living Log
Find out how much life there is in that "dead" log on the side of the trail.
Location: Blue Heron Nature Center, Staten Island
Summer Nature Exploration: Series III Nocturnal Edition
The park that you know and love looks much different after the sun sets! Learn the changes...
Location: Margaret Corbin Circle (in Fort Tryon Park), Manhattan
Cost: Free ...Read more
Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, August 27th, 2010:
- RBA
* Aug. 27, 2010
* NYNY1008.27
- Birds mentioned
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)
Cory's Shearwater
Common Moorhen
Willet (subspecies "Western Willet")
HUDSONIAN GODWIT
Western Sandpiper
White-rumped Sandpiper
BAIRD'S SANDPIPER
Stilt Sandpiper
GLAUCOUS GULL
Caspian Tern
Black Tern
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Black-billed Cuckoo
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Worm-eating Warbler
LINCOLN'S SPARROW
BLUE GROSBEAK
WHITE-TAILED KITE (extralimital: Stratford, Connecticut)
If followed by (+) please submit documentation of your report electronically and use the NYSARC online submission form found at http://www.nybirds.org/NYSARC/goodreport.htm
You can also send reports and digital image files via email to nysarc3 [AT] nybirds.org.
If electronic submission is not possible, hardcopy reports and photos or sketches are welcome. Hardcopy documentation should be mailed to:
Jeanne Skelly - Secretary
NYS Avian Records Committee (NYSARC)
420 Chili-Scottsville Rd.
Churchville, NY 14428
Number: (212) 979-3070
Tom Burke (212) 372-1483 (weekdays, during the day)
Tony Lauro at (631) 734-4126 (Long Island)
Compiler: Tom Burke, Tony Lauro
Transcriber: Ben Cacace
Greetings. This is the New York Rare Bird Alert for Friday, August 27th 2010 at 11:45pm. The highlights of today's tape are AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, AMERICAN AVOCET, WHIMBREL, HUDSONIAN GODWIT, MARBLED GODWIT, BAIRD'S SANDPIPER, BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER, GLAUCOUS GULL, GRASSHOPPER SPARROW, LINCOLN'S SPARROW and BLUE GROSBEAK.
The previously reported AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN was still present Thursday at the East Pond at Jamaica Bay where high water levels last week apparently hindered shorebirding efforts.
The AMERICAN AVOCET also lingered through the week up to today at Oceanside Marine Nature Study Area at the western border along Biddle Creek.
Single WHIMBRELS were reported at Napeague Bay on Sunday and at West End Jones Beach on Wednesday.
Birders had a gorgeous godwit day last Sunday at Cupsogue County Park where 10 MARBLED GODWITS and 12 HUDSONIAN GODWITS were encountered. Another MARBLED GODWIT was reported last Sunday from Mecox Bay among 15 species of shorebirds including 29 WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS, 5 STILT SANDPIPERS, a WESTERN SANDPIPER and 2 BLACK TERNS.
A BAIRD'S SANDPIPER was found at the cricket field at Floyd Bennett Field on Thursday along with about 100 Semipalmated Plovers.
Last Saturday a BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER was found in the swale area in front of the bathhouse at parking field 2 West End Jones Beach among over 200 assorted shorebirds.
A GLAUCOUS GULL was still present through Wednesday at the ferry slip at Orient Point.
A GRASSHOPPER SPARROW and a LINCOLN'S SPARROW were found Thursday at the Great Hill area of Central Park. The LINCOLN'S SPARROW was still there on Friday.
A BLUE GROSBEAK was seen Thursday at the Vale of Cashmere area at Prospect Park where 13 species of warblers were found in the park highlighted by a LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH. Migrating warbler numbers and species increased last week with 12 to 18 species of warblers reported today by several parties at Central Park highlighted by TENNESSEE WARBLER, BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER and WILSON'S WARBLER.
Yesterday 12 species of warblers were counted at Central Park featuring a WORM-EATING WARBLER. Another WORM-EATING WARBLER was seen with another 12 species of warbler at Prospect Park along with a YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER on Tuesday with 12 species of warbler reported last Saturday at Prospect Park.
Other Central Park arrivals on Thursday were RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER, BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO and YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO.
Other interesting sightings last week were 2 COMMON MOORHENS at the East Pond at Jamaica Bay on Thursday, 160 to 170 BLACK TERNS at Napeague Bay last Saturday, 44 "Western" WILLETS, 26 STILT SANDPIPERS and a GULL-BILLED TERN at West End Jones Beach last Sunday, a COMMON RAVEN and a GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER Monday at Alley Pond Park, 8 CORY'S SHEARWATERS at Robert Moses State Park at Fire Island seawatch last Monday, 2 CASPIAN TERNS at Robert Moses State Park at Fire Island on Wednesday.
A WHITE-TAILED KITE was still present today at the Audubon property at Stratford Point in Stratford Connecticut.
Please call in reports to Tony Lauro at (631) 734-4126, messages may be left with Tom Burke at (212) 372-1483.
This service is sponsored by the Linnaean Society of New York and the National Audubon Society. Thank you for calling.
- End transcript ...Read more
Injured Osprey in Queens
I received an email yesterday about an injured Osprey found in a parking lot near Shea Stadium (I mean, CitiField), in Queens.
James O'Brien met Bobby Horvath at the site and has a follow-up on his blog "The Origin of Species".
Friday's Foto
Diamondback Terrapins are found in brackish waters along the eastern and southern coasts of North America. I spotted this individual on a recent visit to the Marine Park Saltmarsh Nature Center in Brooklyn. There were actually quite a few close to the shoreline, which is very unusual.
Brooklyn Red-tailed Hawk updates
I've been a little negligent this summer with regard to my Red-tailed Hawk family updates. I was reminded of this when I ran into a Brooklyn birder at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge last weekend. She asked how all the hawks were doing (since I hadn't posted on my blog).
Here's a brief recap of the three, known Brooklyn Red-tailed Hawk families:
Prospect Park, Nelly's Lawn
Parents Nelly and Max successfully fledged three hawks. I visited the area several times after the young hawks left the next. A few weeks into their new found freedom I realized that I couldn't find one of the trio. Eventually I learned from Bobby that a juvenile red-tail was picked up by rangers near the north end of the park. The raptor was ill. Wildlife specialists determined that it was afflicted with a fairly common avian disease called "frounce". I don't know if it survived and has been released back into the park. Last week I did find one of the juveniles flying over Lookout Hill, calling for his parents. Nelly and Max appeared in the sky to the north and she followed them towards Nelly's Lawn, crying the whole time.
Prospect Park, Ravine
For the 9th year, adult red-tails Alice and Ralph nested in a pine tree in the Ravine. They had 2 offspring which successfully fledged. I haven't been able to determine where they have gone. Presumably they are alright because the park rangers haven't been called regarding any other ill raptors.
Big Mama and Junior raised two offspring in the cemetery. The carcass of one of the young was discovered a couple of weeks after leaving the nest. Bobby subsequently brought a young, rehabbed red-tail to the cemetery for release. The juvenile male was immediately accepted by his foster family, but vanished within a week. There is good news, however. Heydi emailed me to say that a juvenile red-tail suddenly appeared at the Marine Park Saltmarsh Center, about 4 miles south of the cemetery. The hawk had a band on its leg and during the two week period that it stayed in that area, she was able to photo the band. I had only photographed half the band numbers prior to release, so I emailed Cathy to find out the full band number. It is "1957-01989".
In the enhanced photo that Heydi took you can read "198":
I'll try to track him down again to take more photos, but it seems that the young Red-tailed Hawk that originated in the Bronx has a case of wanderlust. ...Read more
Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, August 20, 2010:
Greater Shearwater
Manx Shearwater
Semipalmated Plover
WILSON'S PHALAROPE
Blue-headed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Veery
LARK SPARROW
You can also send reports and digital image files via email to nysarc3 AT nybirds.org.
[Completed tape rerecorded on Sunday morning.]
Greetings. This is the New York Rare Bird Alert for Friday, August 20th 2010 at 11:45pm. The highlights of today's tape AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, BROWN PELICAN, AMERICAN AVOCET, WHIMBREL, MARBLED GODWIT, WILSON'S PHALAROPE, RED-NECKED PHALAROPE, GLAUCOUS GULL and LARK SPARROW.
The previously reported AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN was still present today at the East Pond at Jamaica Bay and a BROWN PELICAN was seen last Sunday at Cupsogue County Park.
An AMERICAN AVOCET appeared on Wednesday and Thursday at the Oceanside Marine Nature Study Area at the west side of the south pond along with two ROYAL TERNS on Thursday.
A WHIMBREL was at the East Pond at Jamaica Bay on Wednesday along with a WILSON'S PHALAROPE and 12 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS. Also present today was a RED-NECKED PHALAROPE also at the East Pond.
Six MARBLED GODWITS were seen at Cupsogue County Park from Sunday through Tuesday an another MARBLED GODWIT was at the East Pond at Jamaica Bay on Monday.
The previously reported GLAUCOUS GULL was still present last Friday and Saturday at the ferry dock at Orient Point and 2 LARK SPARROWS were found on Friday, 1 at Floyd Bennett Field near the tree nursery on Archery Road and the other at Fort Tilden just west of the hawkwatch area.
The East Pond at Jamaica Bay continues to be the most productive shorebird area in our region with over 5,000 shorebirds present each day through the week with 15 to 20 species to be found including 40 STILT SANDPIPERS, 2 WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS, 5 WESTERN SANDPIPERS as seen today.
Nine species of warblers plus 4 species of vireo (RED-EYED VIREO, WARBLING VIREO, WHITE-EYED VIREO and BLUE-HEADED VIREO) were seen Thursday at Central Park highlighted by a MOURNING WARBLER at the wildflower area. Also seen were a BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER, 4 VEERYS and a WOOD THRUSH. COMMON NIGHTHAWKS were reported over the city last week with 15 at Central Park on Tuesday and 4 at Riverside Park on Thursday.
A COMMON RAVEN was seen at the tower at the Nassau County Art Museum in Roslyn on Wednesday.
A seawatch at Cupsogue County Park on Sunday afternoon produced 87 CORY'S SHEARWATERS, 2 GREATER SHEARWATERS, 1 MANX SHEARWATER, 8 NORTHERN GANNETS and a BLACK TERN.
Twenty BOBOLINKS were seen today at the south end of Broad Channel Island and at Breezy Point 4,000 SANDERLINGS, 2,000 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS and 400 BLACK SKIMMERS were seen today resting on the shoreline.
Below is a list of upcoming, local nature trips for the weekend of August 28th - 29th, 2010:
A Shorebird Odyssey
Focus: shorebirds in various Brooklyn /Queens locations
Car Fee: $10.00
Registrar: Peter Dorosh, Email Prosbird [AT] aol.com or TEXT Message 347-622-3559
Registration period: August 17th - August 26th
Meet 7 am at Grand Army Plaza entrance (Stranahan Statue)
Trip Leader: Tom Stephenson
Focus: early migrating fall passerines, flycatchers, warblers
Van Cortlandt Park Flora
Leader and Registrar: Joyce Hyon
Registration opens Monday 8/16. Public transportation.
New York City Audubon Society with LIC Community Boathouse
Sat Aug 28 9:30am – 4pm Eastern Time
Kayaking and Birding on the East River
Guide: Gabriel Willow
Meet at the LIC Community Boathouse. Enjoy the unique opportunity to explore the East River by kayak, looking for sea ducks, gulls, herons, and cormorants. See Mill Rock & the Brother Islands for an up-close look at nesting Harbor Herons. Gain a new-found perspective on the City and its aquatic and avian residents in this exciting trip. This trip will require some stamina and strength for several hours kayaking in potentially hot & sunny weather. Picnic lunch at Barretto Point Park. Bring binoculars, water, lunch, and clothes and shoes you don't mind getting wet. Limited to 18. $45
East River (map)
Protectors of Pine Oak Woods (Staten Island)
Saturday, August 28, 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
High Rock Park
The fall migration actually picks up steam during the Dog Days of Summer and High Rock Park is as good a place to tally new species of neo-tropical migrants as any other. The storied woodland offers good overlooks so warbler identification does not become neck wrenching work. The tanagers and orioles flit about at eye level and the flycatchers may even call out to be heard. Join Howie Fisher and enjoy some of the Northeast's finest birding right here on Staten Island. Meet in the Nevada Avenue parking lot.
For more information call Howie Fischer at 718-981-4002.
Early Birding
Join the Urban Park Rangers for early morning birding.
Van Cortlandt Bird Club: Handling the Heat
How do birds stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer? A few nifty tricks. If you...
John Kieran Trail Hike
Enjoy the scenery and natural beauty of Van Cortlandt Park and learn about New York City's...
Salamander Search
Did you know that New York State is the salamander capital of the World? Delve into their...
Bike Tour
Pedal your way through Fort Totten's history, dating back to the Civil War. We will...
Location: Fort Totten Park, Queens
Osprey Watch
The osprey is quite an impressive raptor to behold with its seven foot wing span and fierce...
Location: Inwood Hill Nature Center (in Inwood Hill Park), Manhattan
The Great Bronx Bicycle Tour
Take a leisurely bicycle ride from the Orchard Beach Nature Center to Van Cortlandt Park....
Location: Orchard Beach Nature Center (in Pelham Bay Park), Bronx
Tree Tour
Stroll through our beautiful park as you learn about its wide variety of trees...
Location: Fort Greene Park Visitor Center (in Fort Greene Park), Brooklyn
They Stand Among Us
Some tall, some short, some dark, some light. A smorgasbord of textures, colors, smells and...
Location: 112 Street and Morningside Drive (in Morningside Park), Manhattan
Beautiful Bees
Buzzzz around the park to experience the wide variety of winged wonders. You'll see honey...
This beauty was found at the edge of the East Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. I was confused by the identification because it had the upper-wing markings of a White Admiral and the under-wing of a Red-Spotted Purple. Kenn Kaufman describes the issue in his Field Guide to Butterflies of North America:
"Formerly regarded as a full species, now considered same species as Red-spotted Purple, they blend where their ranges meet, producing many intermediates. (The species as a whole may be called "Red-spotted Admiral," but it is more useful to identify individuals as White Admiral, Red-spotted Purple, or intergrade.) ... Look for highly variable intergrades with Red-spotted Purple in Ontario and northeastern U.S."
Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Friday, August 13, 2010 (apologies for the late posting):
* August 13, 2010
- Birds Mentioned:
Pectoral Sandpiper
"Brewster's" Warble (hybrid)
Northern Waterthrush
Extralimital:
WHITE-TAILED KITE (Stratford, CT)
You can also send reports and digital image files via email to
nysarc1 [AT] nybirds.org .
~ Transcript ~
Weekly Recording: (212) 979-3070
Tony Lauro (631) 734-4126
Tom Burke (212) 372-1483 (leave message)
Compilers: Tony Lauro, Tom Burke
Transcriber: Karen Fung
[~BEGIN RBA TAPE~]
Greetings. This is the New York Rare Bird Alert for Friday, August 13th, 2010 at 9:15 pm. The highlights of this week's tape are AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, HUDSONIAN GODWIT, MARBLED GODWITS, WILSON'S PHALAROPES, and an extralimital report of a WHITE-TAILED KITE.
The AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN continued to be seen through today at the East Pond of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.
The HUDSONIAN GODWIT, a MARBLED GODWIT, and three WILSON'S PHALAROPES were present through Thursday at the East Pond of Jamaica Bay.
Approximately 5,000 shorebirds of 22 species were seen on the East Pond, along with LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER, WESTERN SANDPIPER, and PECTORAL SANDPIPER.
Three MARBLED GODWITS were still present at Cupsogue County Park, West Hampton Dunes, last Sunday.
Up to four BLACK TERNS and several GULL-BILLED TERNS were seen through the week at the East Pond of Jamaica Bay.
The best passerine migration of the season occurred Wednesday at Central Park. It included 14 species of warbler, plus a BREWSTER'S WARBLER, highlighted by TENNESSEE WARBLER, BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER, WORM-EATING WARBLER, and HOODED WARBLER. Also seen was a GREAT-CRESTED FLYCATCHER, a BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER, an INDIGO BUNTING, and 12 BOBOLINKS.
Other interesting birds reported for the week were: an immature BALD EAGLE at Cupsogue last Saturday (8/7); a CASPIAN TERN at Jamaica Bay on Tuesday; 39 ROYAL TERNS at Pike's Beach, West Hampton Dunes last Sunday; and 18 NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH at Jamaica Bay on Wednesday.
Extralimital: A WHITE-TAILED KITE continued to be found at Stratford, CT through today at Stratford Point and Milford Point, near the Audubon-managed property.
Please call in reports to Tony Lauro at (631) 734-4126. Messages may be left with Tom Burke at (212) 372-1483. This service is sponsored by the Linnaean Society of New York and the National Audubon Society. Thank you for calling.
[~END TAPE~]
~ End Transcript ~ ...Read more
Below is a list of upcoming, local trips for the weekend of August 21st - 22nd, 2010:
Saturday, August 14, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Mt. Loretto Butterfly Walk
Join naturalist/photographer Sandra Mechanic for an exciting day searching for Spicebush and Eastern Tiger Swallowtails, Pearl Crescent and Monarch Butterflies and the many wildflowers they feed upon. Bring binoculars, field guides and camera if you wish. Meet at the Mt. Loretto Unique Area parking lot south of Sharrott Avenue off Hylan Blvd. We hope to see many children for this exciting pleasant rural scenic stroll. We will walk along the beach to the stone art statues created by Doug Schwartz.
For more information contact Sandra at (718) 967-1037.
Saturday, August 21, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Forest Restoration at Egbertville Ravine
Meet at the entry road to the Eger Nursing Home close to the intersection of Manor Road and Rockland Avenue and walk to the entrance of the White Trail off London Road at its intersection with Meisner. We will attempt to finish removing the English Ivy groundcover between the trail and Meisner that we began 4 years ago. If you don't have your own, Protectors will supply gloves and pruners (& refreshments). After a two hour work session (our 170th consecutive monthly workshop), we will take a short walk over nearby trails.
For more information call Don Recklies at (718) 768-9036 or Chuck Perry at (718) 667-1393.
Sunday, August 22, 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Clay Pit State Park Preserve: Pine Barren Trees and Wildlife
Find out why Protectors urged the preservation of this parkland and how we got our name in 1975. It has rare Southern pine and oak trees, nothing like our Greenbelt forest. With a park permit, Sandra will lead the group into the restricted area where few have trod. We will check in the sand or mud for deer prints throughout the park. We'll find the diseased clones of the American Chestnut that has produced flowers and fruit the past few years and the unhealthy 7 to 8 inch diameter chestnut trees, now 20+ feet tall and 9 to 10 inches in diameter and diseased. The trunk-splitting at the base is indicative of chestnut blight. Meet at the old park office building at the end of Carlin Avenue, off Sharrotts Road in Rossville. Wear waterproof shoes.
Call Sandra Mechanic at (718) 967-1037.
Bird Club: Avian Photography
Capture the moments that fly by. It ain't easy. Bring a camera.
Freshkills Tours
Come witness the dramatic transformation, as well as the turkey vultures, red-tailed hawks,...
Location: Freshkills Park/William T. Davis Wildlife Refuge (in Fresh Kills Park), Staten Island
Aliens Among Us
Find out which plants came from other lands and now call Fort Greene Park home.
Turtle Walk and Talk
Venture out into this shelled reptile's domain and learn about New York's...
Location: Audubon Center at the Boathouse (in Prospect Park), Brooklyn
Insect Insanity
Insects are the most numerous and most misunderstood residents of city parks. Explore the...
Location: Fort Totten Visitor's Center (in Fort Totten Park), Queens
Snapping, slider, and painted turtles all live in Van Cortlandt Lake. Learn about their...
Berries, Birds and Black Locusts!
Find out what happens when the gardeners step back, and we let nature run its course in the...
Location: Charles A. Dana Discovery Center (in Central Park), Manhattan
Canoe the Creek
Enjoy a day on Gerritsen Creek as we canoe its sheltered waters in search of wading...
Canoeing the Lagoon
Paddle through the sparkling blue waters and green marsh grasses of the Orchard Beach...
Location: Orchard Beach Parking Lot (in Pelham Bay Park), Bronx
The Good, the Bad and the Beautiful Native and Exotic Plants
Learn about our diverse community of green residents, and how they get or don't get along...
Barn Owl Nestcam
Marge just sent me a link to "Molly the Barn Owl" and her nestcam. She has 4 owlets and the nest is located in a backyard in San Marcos, CA. I could watch for hours:
Live TV : Ustream ...Read more
I've just added a new link to the top of the sidebar for my CafePress Store. In and effort to further simplify the look of the sidebar, I'll be adding more of these static pages for items, such as, my Imagekind Photo Store and the Birding Hotspots Maps. The original items would then be removed. Note that you can always return to the main page by clicking "Home".
I found this Spot-winged Glider while birding at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. I'm learning that the common names of some dragonflies sound like they are right out of "Dungeons and Dragons", i.e. Dragonhunter, Tawny Sanddragon, Ebony Boghaunter, sundragon, Smoky Shadowdragon and Red-faced Dragonlet.
Heron Nest
I made a surprising discovery in Prospect Park yesterday while out for a bike ride.
I was mainly in the park to get some exercise, but had my bins and camera with me - just in case. The park's breeding birds, for the most park, have completed raising their yearly broods. Some of the more obvious juvenile bird species I noted while pedaling the park's loop roadway were Eastern Kingbird, House Wren, American Robin, Gray Catbird, European Starling, Northern Cardinal, Baltimore Oriole, Common Grackle, American Goldfinch and House Sparrow. One of the juvenile Red-tailed Hawks was crying for her parents as she soared over Lookout Hill.
As I passed the Boathouse I heard some robins making alert calls, so decided to stop and investigate. Walking towards the source of the sounds next to the East Wood Building, I assumed that the object of the robin's irritation would be one of the park's Red-tailed Hawks. Instead, what I found was a Green Heron perched on a dead branch above the walkway. It was an unlikely Green Heron roost as it was in a fairly dense stand of trees, fifty yards away from the water. I'd never considered that the tiny Green Heron could be a threat to any animals other than small fish, frogs and dragonflies, but a pair of robins seemed extremely unhappy with this bird's presence. As I was watching, two Urban Park Rangers walked out of the building and asked what I was seeing. When I pointed out the heron they remarked that it had been in that spot for 3 or 4 days. It seemed fairly late in the season for Green Herons to be breeding, but its behavior suggested that there was a nest nearby. When the heron flew from its perch to an adjacent Box Elder I scanned the tree for a possible nest. I found it directly above a white spattered section of path.
I assumed that it was a nest from earlier in the summer and that any young had already fledged. As the rangers walked away, I focused my bins on the nest and noticed something moving. A single young heron was still in the nest! I waved the rangers back to share my discovery.
Green Herons develop very rapidly and begin climbing around outside their nest while still very young. If you'd like to get a glimpse of this cute baby bird (in a homely kind of way), I suggest getting into Prospect Park this weekend. The nest is right above the path to the East Wood Building - that's the small building about 75 yards north of the Audubon Nature Center (The Boathouse).
Location: Prospect Park
Observation date: 8/11/10
Number of species: 37
Green Heron (2, Adult watching single nestling near the Boathouse.)
Spotted Sandpiper
Forster's Tern (5, Roosting on electric boat on Prospect Lake.)
Eastern Kingbird (8)
House Wren (2)
Yellow Warbler (3)
American Redstart (2)
Northern Waterthrush (2)
Other common species seen (or heard):
Canada Goose, Mute Swan, American Black Duck, Mallard, Herring Gull, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, American Robin, European Starling, Song Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, House Sparrow ...Read more
Eskimo Curlew T-Shirt
In recognition of the plight of migrating shorebirds, I've created a new T-Shirt. The simple design is of an Eskimo Curlew based on the early 20th century woodcut by Edward Howe Forbush. Many of the western hemisphere's species of shorebirds are under increasing pressure from human activities, most notably, the Red Knot. The Eskimo Curlew was once the most abundant species in North America, but is now considered by many experts to be extinct. This is a cautionary tale and urgent reminder that we cannot delay actions to save remaining species.
The Eskimo Curlew T-Shirt is available in yellow here, 9 colors here and an organic cotton shirt in olive or pacific (pictured below) here. The City Birder Shop main page is here.
Below is a list of upcoming, local trips for the weekend of August 14th - 15th, 2010:
17th Annual Tom Davis Memorial Shorebird Walk at Jamaica Bay
Leader & Registrar: Sean Sime (sean [AT] seansime.com)
Registration opens Monday, 8/2
Saturday, August 14 (rain date Sunday, August 15), starting at 9am
Annual Shorebird Festival (see my previous post)
Guide: Don Riepe, Andrew Baksh, Lloyd Spitalnik, Kevin Karlson
In partnership with the American Littoral Society and Gateway National Recreation Area
An all-day event during peak fall shorebird migration in Jamaica Bay. The day will start with guided walks around the ponds and after lunch experts will give presentations on shorebird identification and nature photography. Limited to 75, suggested donation $20.
For more information or to register, contact Don Riepe at 718-318-9344 or driepe [AT] nyc.rr.com
Sunday, August 15th, 8:30 - 11:30am
Shorebird Identification Workshop
Guides: Kevin Karison and Lloyd Spitalnik
This hands-on workshop emphasizes a more complete approach to shorebird identification using both non-changeable physical impressions and details of plumage and feather patterns. Kevin Karlson and Lloyd Spitalnik will explain how to build a solid foundation for shorebird ID using basic impressions of size, shape and body language, and then combine detailed study of plumage and feather patterns to fine tune your ID conclusion. This workshop is suitable for birders of all levels, but sometimes includes advanced tips. Kevin's book "The Shorebird Guide" will be available for sale and a personal inscription. The small class size allows for personal instruction and one-on-one interaction with both instructors that is not possible with larger workshops. Limited to 15.
Old Mill Road
We'll stroll along Old Mill Road, a newly designed multi-use trail, next to Freshkills, below the hills of Latourette Golf Course, and return along the Blue Trail. This area has not been accessible for many years and is now open. We are surrounded by beautiful, old woodlands as well as newly grown stands of cottonwoods and other pioneer plants. We'll see the flow of the famous Hessian Spring as it crosses the road and view Freshkills estuary. Park behind St. Andrew's Church at the base of Snake Hill.
For more information call Clay Wollney at 718-869-6327.
Van Cortlandt Bird Club: Hummingbirds
Who beats its wings in a figure-8 so fast that you can't even see them? Hint: You...
New York City's Wildlife
We are not talking about New York City's party scene, but the variety of animals that...
Birding by Boat
Explore the Lullwater by canoe as we go in search of the birds that live along the shore...
Explore the tranquility of Wolfe's Pond while getting to know nature. Let's look for...
Location: Wolfes Pond Park, Staten Island
Harbor Herons
Long Island Sound provides plentiful food for the elegant herons that nest in this area....
Birding on the Hill
Hike to the top of Look Out Hill for a trip to a bird watchers' wonderland.
Location: Lookout Hill (in Prospect Park), Brooklyn
Learn about their basic biology and their importance to humans. We'll journey through...
Learn navigation with a map and compass. You'll never get lost in the woods!...
Jamaica Bay Shorebird Festival
Mid-August is generally considered the peak of the southbound shorebird migration in New York. In celebration, next Saturday will be the 5th Annual Jamaica Bay Shorebird Festival. Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge is a hotspot for shorebirds during both the Spring and Fall migration. Finding rare species here has become a seemingly regular occurrence. A presentation on shorebird identification by author Kevin Karlson will cap off a great day of birding.
The event is sponsored by American Littoral Society and Gateway National Recreation Area and New York City Audubon Society. For more information or to register, contact Don Riepe at 718-318-9344 or driepe [AT] nyc.rr.com.
Below is the day's agenda (note an earlier starting time than previously posted):
8:30am - Coffee and Donuts
9:00am - Don Riepe slide show presentation on history of the bay and problems we're facing.
9:30am - Lloyd Spitalnik slide show on "The Shorebirds of Jamaica Bay"
10am to 12:00pm - Guided walks to both the East and West Pond.
12:00pm - Break for lunch (bring your own, there are picnic tables. Both Howard Beach and Broad Channel have several places to purchase food and drink.)
12:45pm - Guided walk on the north end of the East Pond (bring rubber boots or the like.
4:00pm - Kevin Karlson will present Shorebirds by Impression: A Different Approach to Field ID, (60 minutes)
Agenda is subject to change
Suggested donation of $20.00 per person to cover our costs. ...Read more
Below is the New York City Rare Bird Alert for the week ending Saturday, August 7, 2010:
* August 7, 2010
BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCK+
MISSISSIPPI KITE+
Great Shearwater
Sooty Shearwater
Wilson's Storm-Petrel
Least Bittern
Snowy Egret
Tricolored Heron
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
Glossy Ibis
"Western" Willet
You can also send reports and digital image files via email to nysarc1 AT nybirds.org .
Hotline: New York City Area Rare Bird Alert Weekly Recording: (212) 979-3070
Tom Burke (212) 372-1483 (weekdays)
Tony Lauro (631) 734-4126 (Long Island)
Greetings. This is the New York Rare Bird Alert for Saturday, August 7, 2010 at 12:00 pm. The highlights of this week's tape are BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCK, AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, BROWN PELICAN, MISSISSIPPI KITE, AMERICAN AVOCET, WHIMBREL, HUDSONIAN GODWIT, MARBLED GODWITS, WILSON'S PHALAROPES, RED-NECKED PHALAROPE, shorebird migration, and GLAUCOUS GULL.
A BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCK was found last Saturday and lingered through Tuesday at the West Pond of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge near Bench 7.
The AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN was still present through yesterday at the East Pond Jamaica Bay, and a BROWN PELICAN was found at the Rockaway Inlet on Tuesday.
A MISSISSIPPI KITE was seen flying over the North Marsh at Jamaica Bay on Monday.
An AMERICAN AVOCET, a HUDSONIAN GODWIT, and three MARBLED GODWITS were seen yesterday at the East Pond Jamaica Bay. Another three MARBLED GODWITS were seen Thursday and Friday at Cupsogue County Park in West Hampton Dunes.
A WHIMBREL was seen flying over the mussel flats at the Ponquogue Bridge at Shinnecock on Wednesday.
Three WILSON'S PHALAROPES were found yesterday at the East Pond of Jamaica Bay, and a RED-NECKED PHALAROPE along with one SOOTY SHEARWATER, two GREAT SHEARWATERS, one CORY'S SHEARWATER, 20-30 WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS, and two BLACK TERNS were noted on a whale watching trip out of Montauk last Sunday.
Shorebird migration continued at a good pace through the week, with about 20 species totaling about 6000 birds at the East Pond of Jamaica Bay, including those mentioned previously along with "Western" WILLET, WESTERN SANDPIPER, WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER, PECTORAL SANDPIPER, STILT SANDPIPER, LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, AMERICAN WOODCOCK, 4000 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS and 1000 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS. The shorebirds at Cupsogue County Park and Pike's Beach at West Hampton Dunes, totaled about 1500 birds of about 15 species, including WESTERN SANDPIPER and LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER.
An immature GLAUCOUS GULL was found last Wednesday at the ferry slip at Orient Point. Other interesting bird sightings last week included ten species of waders at Jamaica Bay through the week. These include LEAST BITTERN, GREAT BLUE HERON, GREAT EGRET, SNOWY EGRET, LITTLE BLUE HERON, TRICOLORED HERON, GREEN HERON, BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, and GLOSSY IBIS.
Small numbers of CORY'S SHEARWATERS and WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS have been seen through the week at South Shore vantage points.
36 ROYAL TERNS at Pike's Beach were reported on Tuesday and 42 on Wednesday, along with small numbers of BLACK TERNS at Jamaica Bay and Cupsogue County Park.
Last Sunday six species of warblers were seen in Central Park, including BLUE-WINGED WARBLER, TENNESSEE WARBLER, YELLOW WARBLER, BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER, AMERICAN REDSTART, and NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH.
Please call in reports to Tony Lauro at (631) 734-4126. Messages may be left with Tom Burke at (212) 372-1483. Thank you for calling.
A small number of Common Terns have discovered the fishermen at the Coney Island Pier (aka Steeplechase Pier). They seem to excel at stealing the bait from the hook after the line is cast.
July Birds
July is the month when southbound shorebirds and seabirds begin passing through New York, so it is no surprise that the majority of the species I added to my year list last month fall into those families.
As I described in this shore-birding post, a trip out to eastern Long Island's south shore paid off big with 11 new species for the year. With no new birds showing up in Brooklyn, the next best thing to do was to take a couple of trips out to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge (most of the refuge falls within the borough of Queens). In addition to the rare white pelicans that dropped in at the refuge, adding a Least Bittern sighting was a nice surprise. Apparently, these tiny wading birds nest within the refuge, but are rarely seen. Thanks to a heads up from my friend Shane, myself and many others were able to spot this secretive bird along the edge of the East Pond. I ended the month with 242 species on my year list.
228) Common Eider (Cupsogue Beach County Park, 07/16/10)
229) Greater Shearwater (Cupsogue Beach County Park, 07/16/10)
230) Wilson's Storm-Petrel (Cupsogue Beach County Park, 07/16/10)
231) Hudsonian Godwit (Cupsogue Beach County Park, 07/16/10)
232) Red Knot (Cupsogue Beach County Park, 07/16/10)
233) Wilson's Phalarope (Cupsogue Beach County Park, 07/16/10)
234) Black Tern (Cupsogue Beach County Park, 07/16/10)
235) Roseate Tern (Cupsogue Beach County Park, 07/16/10)
236) Purple Martin (Cupsogue Beach County Park, 07/16/10)
237) Saltmarsh Sparrow (Cupsogue Beach County Park, 07/16/10)
238) Seaside Sparrow (Cupsogue Beach County Park, 07/16/10)
239) American White Pelican (Grassy Bay, 07/22/10)
240) Least Bittern (Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--East Pond, 07/25/10)
241) Pectoral Sandpiper (Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--East Pond, 07/25/10)
242) Stilt Sandpiper (Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--East Pond, 07/25/10) ...Read more
Another Rare Bird


text:
FVREB President Says "There Is No Bubble"
I saw this gem of an article in the Langley Times over the weekend. Bold comments are mine.
Rows of for-sale signs advertise new homes along 208 Street in the new Yorkson Neighbourhood area of Willoughby. What a classic graphic?! I see this scene in my neighbourhood on every other street. These home cost over $600,000.
Rob NEWELL/Langley Times
British Columbia has the dubious honour of having Canada's least affordable housing, according to RBC Economics. New BC Motto - Best Place on Earth - Impoverishing or driving out one family at a time.
But prospective buyers waiting "for the bubble to burst" could wait a long time, says Kelvin Neufeld, president-elect of the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board. "There is no bubble," said Neufeld on Wednesday. Now Mr. Neufeld where do you get your paycheque from? Is it perhaps based on the continual transacting of real estate business? Would your income decline or disappear if house prices declined? YES! Ding, ding, ding, mohican wins - Mr. Neufeld's pay is derived from the value of real estate and he has a vested interest in keeping prices high - not that he can do anything about it except flap his gums.
A new report on housing issued last week by RBC indicates that B.C. is the least affordable province in Canada in which to purchase a home. However, the province's housing affordability is expected to improve modestly in 2008, barring the unexpected of course - like the housing market crashing, the report says.
Neufeld said he doesn't see the market correcting itself in the dramatic manner experienced in the early 1980s - what only -25% or so. Neufeld, a long-time Surrey realtor with Macdonald Realty Olympic, said he was selling subdivision homes in January, 1980, at $130,000. By November that year, homes in the same subdivision were selling at $350,000 to future bankruptcy claimants.
In 1981 the real estate bubble did indeed burst, with interest rates reaching as high as 21 per cent later in the year. "We are not experiencing anything like that today," said Neufeld.
Neufeld says there is really no bad time to "put a roof over your head," - so why don't you rent, its cheaper so you can save your cash for another day - but advises that real estate is a long-term investment. "I recall when I bought my first house in North Delta . . . (it was) $21,900. I was a young man and my father-in-law told me I was a silly fool, prices couldn't stay that high, and I was going to (lose everything) and take his daughter down with me." Another question Mr. Neufeld, how much of your after tax income did it take to purchase that home?
According to the latest RBC report, B.C.'s housing market moved into uncharted territory last year, as affordability deteriorated to its worst levels since the bank began tracking conditions back in 1985, said Derek Holt, assistant chief economist, RBC.
At the same time, a U.S. public policy firm, Demographia, has announced that homes in Vancouver, Abbotsford, Victoria and Kelowna are "severely unaffordable" and among the top most expensive housing markets in six countries surveyed.
"We expect affordability rates to see some modest improvements in 2008 as the province's housing market reached a peak stress point late last year," said Holt. The RBC Affordability measure for British Columbia, which captures the proportion of pretax household income needed to service the costs of owning a home in the province, deteriorated across all housing segments as the detached bungalow moved to 67 per cent, the standard two-story home to 71 per cent, the standard townhouse to 50 per cent and the standard condo to 36 per cent.
Slower demand, coupled with a downward trend in the sales-to-listing ratio, has helped ease some of the upward pressures on B.C. home prices. As a result, price gains have started to level off, dropping from 18 per cent in 2006 to 12 per cent last year. An even softer rate of eight per cent is expected for 2008. RBC Economics uses funny math because a 8% increase is still a decrease in affordability according to my simple math.
Neufeld says he is still finding sales are strong in the valley, where not only prospective home buyers are searching for housing, but businesses and industry are relocating. The Canadian banking system is much stricter than the U.S. system, and Canada is not experiencing the sub-prime dilemma affecting both banks and mortgage holders there. The Canadian scenario of 1980-1981 is not in evidence here either. Neufeld said. In 1980, home prices skyrocketed almost overnight, then plunged as mortgage rates went through the roof, and the job market crashed. "We were having huge inflation, then the government put the interest rates up (as high as) 21 per cent." The realtor Mr. Neufeld apparently is an expert on economic history and monetary policy.
Today, interest rates are in the range of about 5.8 per cent for a five-year term, he said.
And today, "immigration is still huge (myth debunked), and there are still jobs being created (in construction)," Neufeld said. The Lower Mainland is also an attractive place to live for Canadians from across the country. "What we find is, a lot of jobs are coming out here (from the Vancouver area to the Fraser Valley)," he said.
Neufeld said that he has encountered some young buyers who have clubbed together with another couple, or a group of friends buying, to make homes more affordable. Now that is a recipe for disaster. But mostly, younger or first-time buyers are taking advantage of (being enslaved to) a 40-year mortgage, over the traditional 25-year mortgage. In some cases, that can cut the monthly payment by as much as several hundred dollars (Oooooh . . . . can I have one - I want to 'save' a few hundred dollars a month too), he said. Amortized over 40 years, these mortgages can still have a variable term, renegotiable at intervals, just as the 25-year mortgages are, he said.
In Vancouver, according to RBC, affordability deteriorated across all housing segments in 2007, but the pace slowed significantly mid-year. The combination of more modest house-price growth and improved income growth helped restrain the affordability deterioration. The city's housing market remains robust, with annual price growth around 12 per cent and the sales-to-listing ratio skewed towards sellers.
However, with an increased supply of homes on the market helping to moderate price gains, Vancouver should see some affordability relief later in the year. The Housing Affordability measure, which RBC has compiled since 1985, is based on the costs of owning a detached bungalow, a reasonable property benchmark for the housing market. Alternative housing types are also presented including a standard two-storey home, a standard townhouse and a standard condo. The higher the reading, the more costly it is to afford a home. For example, an Affordability reading of 50 per cent means that homeownership costs, including mortgage payments, utilities and property taxes, take up 50 per cent of a typical household's monthly pre-tax income.
The report also looked at mortgage carrying costs relative to incomes for a broader sampling of cities across the country, including Victoria. For these smaller cities, RBC has used a narrower measure of housing affordability that only takes mortgage payments relative to income into account. RBC's Affordability measures for a detached bungalow for Canada's largest cities are as follows: Vancouver, 72 per cent, Calgary, 46 per cent, Toronto, 46 per cent, Montreal, 37 per cent and Ottawa, 32 per cent.
According to the U.S. report by Demographia, high housing prices here are not the result of Vancouver being a desirable place to live. According to Demographia, the reason housing prices are so high in the Vancouver area is because of artificial restrictions on the supply of land.
Urban growth boundaries, (in B.C., that's the Agricultural Land Reserve) should be removed, according to Demographia.
Labels: bubbles, real estate, real estate insanity
I really like to see the author Rob NEWELL include the real facts of affordability in his article, which the average person probably isn't aware of. I just wish he would have asked this Kelvin Neufeld guy some hard hitting questions or put in quotes from an opposing viewpoint.
I follow your blog closely and the housing market for my own family. We're in the same situation as you Mohican. The tone of your comments feel very similar to my own feelings of the market, it's pretty frustrating right now.
I just keep wondering, why don't I just pack up my family and move to an affordable province. Having our kids near the grandparents is important, but how long should we sacrifice for?
Will you be content giving up the benefits of owning your own home for 5 years or more? I'm thinking if we can't buy a good SFH with $150k down, and a 20-25y amortization around $2200/month (ie: a reasonable price) in 2-3 years, we'll bail. What about you?
"I just wish he would have asked this Kelvin Neufeld guy some hard hitting questions or put in quotes from an opposing viewpoint."
If he did, do you really think Kevlvin Neufeld would grant him an interview next time he needs to write an article?
The "path of least resistance" and ensuring long-term relationships with sources is prevalent in the journalistic community as with other jobs. Locally there is not much support for good old-fashioned muckraking. If muckraking sold papers or lead to sustainable reputations I'm sure you'd see more of it.
Jordan - Your situation sounds identical to my own. The family is here so it is pretty difficult to move. This, in addition to work concerns prevent me from moving immediately. I will be content to rent for as long as it makes financial sense. Renting is so much cheaper than owning right now that it would take AT LEAST a 20% decline in prices for me to even begin looking.
jesse - I wish we saw some good muckraking in our local media. It would be a lot better reading than the tripe we get now.
Are you renting a house, townhome or apartment?
We're in a non-profit apartment so rents are even less then market rates. But still it kills me that for the same monthly payment I could be putting it into a mortgage in a house with more space, and a yard for the kids to play in.
I don't know much about Ontario but looking at the houses you can buy on MLS, even near major cities like Toronto or Ottawa, is honestly heart breaking.
I think everyone agrees if price is price is equal, owning is better then renting.
Work wise I'm very lucky to work from home, but don't you work for a bank? Couldn't you get a transfer?
Owning is important to me and my wife, and her point is other people have to move away from home, and once the kids are in school they won't be seeing the grandparents & relatives as often anyways. They'll have friends and other things to do.
So I still wonder, how long do you hold on to being in Vancouver near family without the benefits of owning.
fvreb numbers are out
Johnny-Dollar said...
Kevin Neufield's statement that there is "no bubble" is accurate, but mis-informing.
A "bubble" can only be called after the marketplace has shifted.
In the 1980s the marketplace dropped some 30 to 40 percent in 3 to 6 months. This is a real estate bubble popping.
In the 1990s the marketplace dropped some 10 to 20 percent over a one to two year period. This is a correction or a balloon deflating.
Obviously, one can only call the market a bubble after the fact.
However, I feel that his statement is misleading in that he should also have commented that the fundamentals are in place for a significant downward adjustment in prices, whether this will be over a short period of time (bubble) or drawn out over a longer period (correction)is still to be seen.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
US PGA Tour cancels Hong Kong golfing event citing 'civil unrest and safety concerns'
by AFP 14:54, 24 September 2019 Updated 23:31, 31 March 2020
The US PGA Tour on Tuesday cancelled next month's season-ending event on its Chinese feeder golf circuit in Hong Kong citing "continued demonstrations, civil unrest and safety concerns".
The Clearwater Bay Open, from October 17-20, would have been the climax of the third-tier, 14-event, PGA Tour Series-China.
Photo: Wikicommons.
Instead, it became the latest sporting casualty of sometimes violent mass anti-government protests.
Next month's WTA Hong Kong Open featuring many of the world's top women tennis players has already been postponed and last week a horse racing meeting at the city's famous Happy Valley track was cancelled for the first time.
"Due to continued demonstrations, civil unrest and safety concerns in Hong Kong, PGA Tour Series-China is cancelling the 2019 Clearwater Bay Open," said a tour statement Tuesday.
The PGA Tour Series-China has around 50 Chinese players in its 100-plus membership and works closely with the Beijing-backed China Golf Association to stage events, with only two tournaments—in Macau and Hong Kong—being hosted outside the mainland.
Photo: Studio Incendo.
With a large mainland entry at Clearwater Bay, which lies to the east of Hong Kong Island, there were fears that the event could be targeted by anti-Beijing protesters.
"The safety of our players, staff, fans, volunteers and everybody else associated with our tournaments is always at the forefront of anything we do," PGA Tour Series-China chief Greg Carlson said.
"We have analysed this situation from every angle, and as a group we determined that cancelling the 2019 Clearwater Bay Open is the best decision."
Millions of pro-democracy supporters have taken to Hong Kong's streets for almost four months in the biggest challenge to China's rule since the city's handover from Britain in 1997.
Violent clashes have become more intense across the city in recent weeks with police frequently unleashing baton charges, tear gas and bean bag rounds.
The PGA Tour Series-China season will now end with the Macau Championship from October 10 to 13.
The tour's most famous graduate is the world number 52 Li Haotong, who won the 2014 order of merit before going on to finish third in the 2017 British Open. He has also won twice on the European Tour.
Hong Kong Free Press relies on direct reader support. Help safeguard independent journalism and press freedom as we invest more in freelancers, overtime, safety gear & insurance during this summer's protests. 10 ways to support us.
Tagged: China Extradition, happy valley, PGA Tour, PGA Tour Series-China
AFP is a global news agency delivering fast, in-depth coverage of the events shaping our world from wars and conflicts to politics, sports, entertainment and the latest breakthroughs in health, science and technology.
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text:
Ahmaud Arbery's Killers Sentenced For Life
Tammy Rivera Attacked For Latest Video
Asian Doll Reaffirms Her Love For King Von
Asian Doll Calls Out "Mean" Host
Pooh Shiesty Pleads Guilty
2 Chainz Announces Upcoming Album
Young Dolph's Killer Found
The name of a man wanted in connection with the murder of Memphis rapper Young Dolph has been released by authorities. According to the US Marshals Service, Justin Johnson is suspected for the homicide.
Justin Johnson is now on the Wanted List
According to the US Marshals Service, Justin Johnson, 23, is accused of shooting Young Dolph, whose real identity is Adolph Robert Thorton Jr., to death on Nov. 17, 2021, at Makeda's Homemade Cookies.
Johnson is arrested for first-degree murder in the killing of Young Dolph, according to the US Marshals, who are working on the case alongside Memphis Police and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Since Johnson has managed to elude capture, government agencies are now considering a combined reward of $15,000 for information leading to his arrest, according to the US Marshals.
The TBI has added Johnson to its "Most Wanted" list. Johnson is 23 years old, stands around 5-foot-8 and weighs 190 pounds, and has the name "Jaiya" tattooed on his right arm, according to the US Marshals.
Johnson also stands accused of attempted first-degree murder and theft of items worth $10,000 to $60,000, in addition to the first-degree murder charge.
Johnson has ties to major criminal organizations, according to law enforcement, and should be regarded armed and dangerous.
Young Dolph in his last moment
On Nov. 17, 2021, Young Dolph was shot dead in plain view at Makeda's Homemade Cookies in Memphis, his hometown.
Two men drove up to the bakery in a white Mercedes, hopped out, sprinted passed Young Dolph's camouflage Corvette, up to the bakery window, and began fire.
Young Dolph had died by the time help came.
On Saturday, Nov. 20 near the 1100 block of Bradley in Orange Mound, Memphis Police discovered the automobile driven by the suspects in Young Dolph's shooting.
Memphis Police found the car driven by the suspects in Young Dolph's shooting on Saturday, Nov. 20 in the 1100 block Bradley in Orange Mound.
On Wednesday, Nov. 24 — one week after the rapper's death — Young Dolph's family released a statement.
"There are no words that exist, that sufficiently express the pain we are feeling as a family. Losing Adolph, Dolph, Man-Man, changes our lives forever. And while we will take each day as it comes, we are comforted in knowing that he leaves a legacy that reflects his heart. A heart that was for his family. A heart that was for the people."


Congratulations on your 200th post! That's a great achievement.
Thank you. It's blogs like yours that inspired me to start my own blog in the first place.
Happy 200th post! They've all been very enjoyable!
You're sweet! Thanks for all your comments. I love talking books with you here and on your blog.
Happy 200th, and I wish you many more!! I have enjoyed reading several of the books you have reviewed. Keep up the good work!
Thank you. Glad you've enjoyed some of the same books I have.


Itג€™s the Occupation, stupid. Hagai El-Ad - +972 (originally published in Hebrew on Ynet) - The arrangement of an annexationless ג€�temporaryג€� occupation is the scheme under which Israel is building settlements and roads, taking advantage of land and water resources, denying Palestinians access to large areas, restricting peopleג€™s movement and their opportunities to develop their homeland and build their homes. All this, of course, only on a ג€�temporaryג€� basis and always for security reasons. All this, (...) with the approval of generations of Supreme Court justices.


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    'Events' => 'Événements',
    'Are you sure you want to delete this item?' => 'Êtes-vous sûr de vouloir supprimer cet élément ?',
    'Generate a report' => 'Générer un rapport',
    'to PDF format' => 'au format PDF',
    'to XLS format (Excel)' => 'au format XLS (Excel)',
    'Project ID' => 'Projet',
    'Create Project' => 'Nouveau projet',
    'Create Section' => 'Nouvelle section',
    'Create Requirement' => 'Nouvelle exigence',
    'Create User' => 'Nouvel utilisateur',
    'Home' => 'Accueil',
    'Login' => 'Connexion',
    'Logout' => 'Déconnexion',
    'New Version' => 'Nouvelle version',
    'New Revision' => 'Nouvelle révision',

    'Welcome!' => 'Bienvenue !',
    'Please fill out the following fields to login:' => 'Saisissez vos identifiants afin de vous authentifier :',
    'Chouette is a simple but powerful web requirements manager.' => "Chouette est un gestionnaire d'exigences web, simple mais efficace.",
    'Get started with Chouette' => 'Débuter avec Chouette',
    'First step' => 'Première étape',
    "You need to create a new project." => "Vous devez créer un nouveau projet.",
    "Create a new project" => "Créer un nouveau projet",
    'Second step' => 'Deuxième étape',
    "Then you can now create documents to gather requirements." => "Ensuite vous pouvez créer un document pour rassembler vos exigences.",
    "Create a new document" => "Créer un nouveau document",
    "That's all good!" => "C'est bon !",
    "You can manage all your requirements!" => "Vous pouvez gérer toutes vos exigences !",
    "Add some requirements" => "Ajouter des exigences",
    'About' => 'À propos de Chouette',
    'Search' => 'Recherche',
    'Comments' => 'Commentaires',
    'Creation date' => 'Date de création',
    'Add' => 'Ajouter',
    'Your comments' => 'Votre commentaire',
    'on' => 'le',
    'at' => 'à',
    'REQ' => 'EXI',
    'GEN' => 'GEN',

    'Critical' => 'Critique',
    'High' => 'Haute',
    'Medium' => 'Moyenne',
    'Low' => 'Basse',
    'Older versions' => "Anciennes versions",

    'Select a project...' => 'Sélectionnez un projet...',
    'Select a section...' => 'Sélectionnez une section...',

    'Requirements ({count})' => 'Exigences ({count})',

    'Administrator' => 'Administrateur',
    'Customer' => 'Client',
    'Developer' => 'Développeur',

    'User projects' => 'Projets',
    'Target release' => 'Prévue dans la release',
    'Implemented in release' => 'Implémentée dans la release',
    'No targeted release' => 'Pas de release prévue',
    'Not implemented yet' => 'Pas encore implémenté',
    'No selected project.' => "Aucun projet sélectionné."
];

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: Array data push inside knockout utils foreach I'm using Knockout Utils Foreach array for loop through a json and now I want to add a new items to each array objects.
Following is my code:
var self = this;
        self._isVisible = ko.observable(false);
        dc.manager.executeQuery(actionQuery).then(function (data) {
            ko.utils.arrayForEach(data.results, function (item) {
                item.push(self._isVisible);
            });
            items(data.results);
        }).fail(function (error) {});

But when I run this, I got the following error:
Error : Object #<Object> has no method 'push'

I tried to find other solutions to fix this error. But still no luck. Can anyone help for me on this error
Thanks

A: This makes no sense to me  :
item.push(self._isVisible);

I think what you want to do is more something like that  :
ko.utils.arrayForEach(data.results, function (item) {
    item._isVisible = true;
});

Could you explain what want to do ?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Inspired by recent events at Corrie's famous Underworld factory, in this article, we will take a brief look at shareholder disputes, share transfers and business valuations and their connection to the cobbles.
For those who don't know (although you really should), Underworld is the lingerie factory at 14 Coronation Street. Since opening its doors some 20 years ago, it has been a continuous source of amusement, drama, and employment for the residents of Weatherfield and a headache for its many owners.
Over the years, deaths, murders, affairs, and disputes have rocked Underworld, often resulting in shares changing hands and new 'partnerships' forged. The most recent drama occurred in Autumn 2018 when Peter Barlow sold his 50% shareholding to Nick Tilsley behind the back of the other 50% shareholder, Carla Connor.
While the layperson may have been captivated by this unfolding drama, something else caught our attention: the financial and legal aspects of the share transfer.
We sat eagerly awaiting the one-hour special that would address our mounting questions, the episode that would see Peter and Nick sit down with their respective lawyers and accountants to discuss everything from discount rates to pre-emption rights.
Alas, no such episode materialised! And that's why we've stepped in to examine some of the things that may (or should) have happened behind the scenes as part of this share sale.
Who can Peter sell his shares to?
A company's Shareholders' Agreement (if it has one) and Articles of Association govern how shares can be transferred between parties and are therefore key to establishing the options available.
Directors' right to refuse to register a transfer of shares.
Specific rules on how exactly a shareholding must be valued in the event of a dispute, including the appointment of the valuer and the valuation method and inputs.
In the case of Underworld, we are left in the dark as to the existence of these rights. However, Carla's reaction to the news of the agreed share transfer between Peter and Nick indicates that either (i) none of these rights exist (which would be unusual); or (ii) she was simply not aware of them and her potential ability to block the transfer because she failed to obtain adequate legal advice.
In any event, should Carla and Nick not want history to repeat itself, now might be the time to tighten up the Shareholders' Agreement and Articles.
Even for someone with Peter's unquestionable business acumen – after all, he once owned the bookies and held the coveted position of landlord of the Rovers' Return – we would expect him to have left the valuation to an expert. Likewise, we can only hope that savvy entrepreneur and bistro owner Nick had the sense to do the same to ensure he didn't overpay.
Business valuations can be complicated and are ultimately more of an art than a science (an overused yet accurate saying) which requires both skill and experience. As such, a DIY valuation is a dangerous and ill-advised path to take that could cost either Peter or Nick more than they hoped they would save.
So, what might an expert, independent valuation of Peter's 50% shareholding entail?
At a high level, we would expect the valuation to have been based on an assessment of Underworld's expected future performance (not it's past!) and for any debt, excess cash and surplus (non-operating) assets held in the company to have been identified and taken into account.
Reliance on any key customers/suppliers, the strength of these relationships and the potential impact on the business if they were lost.
Lastly, to arrive at a value for Peter's 50% shareholding, we expect the valuer would have considered whether a simple pro-rating of the total equity value of business was appropriate or if an additional minority discount was required on top of this.
In our experience, such a minority discount (which could be in the region of 30%) would typically be applied in order to reflect the lack of influence a 50% shareholding has in a business. For instance, whilst Peter has the ability to block changes to the Board and dividend policy, his influence is reduced by his inability to control Board composition, dividend policy or carry a special resolution without approval from the other shareholder, Carla.
How we can help in a similar situation!
At DSW Bridge Houghton Forensic we offer advice on the drafting of Shareholders' Agreements and Company Articles (from a financial perspective) to help ensure that, in the unlikely event of a dispute, there are pre-agreed procedures in place that the parties can work from.
Therefore, whether you are thinking of buying or selling a shareholding in either a contentious or non-contentious setting and need sound financial advice to help ensure you don't undersell or overpay, or have just embarked upon a new business relationship but think it sensible to plan for all future eventualities, please contact us today and we would be happy to discuss how we are able to help.


An air ambulance aircraft was ordered to fly to Port Ellen to pick up a patient in urgent need of attention. DH-114 Heron G-AOFY carried out a VDF let-down at night in low cloud and poor visibility conditions. While turning to finals the left wing struck the ground causing the aircraft to crash.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The pilot did not appreciate that the aircraft had rapidly lost height whilst he was making a visual half circuit to land. This could not have been due to the absence of sufficient visual reference in the prevailing conditions of darkness, very low cloud and drizzle. The urgent nature of the flight is considered to have influenced the pilot's decision to land."
Distance from Glasgow International Airport to Islay-Glenegedale Airport as the crow flies is 115 km (72 miles).


Wanna come to the Exilium World with your friends? To celebrate our 6 year anniversary we will make a special promotion in order to attract large Clans to the server.
We will give you a lv. 10 Clan, with all skills.
This promotion is valid only for large clans, who have never played here before.
After our first contact we will ask for more information as needed. If approved, the Clan must enter the server, create the Clan, invite all members After that all the benefits will be given as soon as possible.
Quer vir para o Exilium World com seus amigos? Para comemorar nossos 6 anos de aniversário iremos fazer uma promoção especial, com o intuito de atrair grandes Clans para o servidor.
Iremos lhe oferecer um Clan level 10, com todas as skills.
Essa promoção será válida somente para Clans grandes, que nunca jogaram aqui antes.
Após esse nosso primeiro contato iremos pedir mais informações conforme necessário. Se aprovado, o Clan deverá ingressar no servidor, criar o Clan e colocar personagens. Após isso todos os benefícios serão dados o mais rápido possível.


Present day Lake Biwa is probably the ancient lake with the highest population density in its catchment area.
Despite the comparatively small surface area, Lake Biwa is subdivided in basins like other ancient lakes too. The deeper northern basin is estimated to be filled continuously with water since the middle Pleistocene. Fossil evidence and geological surveys suggest, however different lacustrine phases since at least 4 mya. During its history, Lake Biwa is believed to have moved in a north-southwards direction. Northern relicts are proposed to live in present day Lake Biwa. Also marine origin and intralacustrine evolution has been proposed and one species flock, the gastropod (sub)genus Biwamelania is described.
Nishino, M. & Watanabe, N. C. 2000: Evolution and endemism in Lake Biwa, with special reference to its gastropod mollusc fauna. Advances in Ecological Research 31: 151–180.
*from: Nakai, K. 1999: Recent faunal change in Lake Biwa, with particular reference to the bass fishing boom in Japan. In: Kawanabe, H., Coulter, G.W. & Roosevelt, A.C. (eds.): Ancient lakes: their cultural and biological diversity. Kenobi Productions, Ghent, Belgium, pp. 227–241.
**from: Nishino, M. 2003: On endemic species of Lake Biwa: 1. Partial modification of the list of endemic species. Ohmia 76: 3–4 (in Japanese).


As part of our core purpose to better the lives of others, we set aside a portion of our net income to charities we support. We talked about the campaign match we did for Habitat for Humanity. Tomorrow, December 2nd, is #GivingTuesday, an national day of giving. While any of these organizations would be great to support. we're making a donation to Stone Soup Group. Read on about their mission, more about #GivingTuesday and what Stone Soup plans on doing with this money for the Anchorage community.
#GivingTuesday is a nationwide campaign designed to promote giving during the holiday season. For one day, non-profits solicit donations in the wake of "Black Friday" and "Cyber Monday" as an alternative to the traditional shopping craze.
The goal for single-day campaigns like this is to allow groups like Stone Soup Group to quickly raise funds with minimal expenses so more of their time and resources can go directly to families. Funds raised from this campaign will support activities and services currently not fully funded at Stone Soup Group, including Wii Club and Teen Friendships & Dating. Both of these programs build social skills for youth with special needs, such as autism or Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Participating in these activities not only promotes healthy child development for a vulnerable population, but also helps reduce triggers and risky behaviors in other aspects of life. These activities and other successful projects were created after listening to the stories of families and working to fill gaps that existed within our community for youth with special needs.
Last year Stone Soup Group served over 1000 families caring for children with special needs in 62 communities throughout Alaska. They did this by providing activities, resources, information and training to help parents understand the numerous systems required to get their children assistance when they need it most. When a family receives this kind of assistance they are better able to manage day to day life and support their child no matter where they are in their journey.
By providing a donation to Stone Soup Group and joining the national #GivingTuesday campaign, you will be supporting Alaska's youth with special needs and their families while encouraging individual giving. Individual giving is an essential part of sustainability for Stone Soup Group and other non-profits throughout the state. We hope you will join us this year as we raise funds to support families in Alaska.
Read more about StoneSoup group and their goals and how they contribute to the community in Anchorage at http://www.stonesoupgroup.org/ and we hope you join us in contributing on this #GivingTuesday.


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MSU Criticised by Maynooth University Pro-Choice Society About Lack of Support
March 16, 2018 - By Clodagh McMeel
Last week, Maynooth University's Pro-Choice society published an open letter to the Student's Union, accusing them of failing to follow up on promises made regarding the University's pro-choice stance.
The letter, published on the society's Facebook page, was in response to a lack of advertising a proposed "Repeal Week". The letter claimed that "to date there have been no posts on social media advertising any events that the SU have organised for this week. There has been no campaign, no posters, no planning."
The society said that "because of the lacking commitment to the Repeal Movement on your behalf, we have needed to run events, put ourselves under strain, and almost jeopardise our degrees in order to ensure a Pro-Choice voice is present on campus".
OPEN LETTER TO THE SU:Dear Maynooth Students' Union (MSU), We would like to express a deep-set disappointment from…
Posted by MU Pro-Choice Society on Monday, March 5, 2018
When speaking to Campus.ie, Jen Keane-Molloy, President of the Pro-Choice society, said that many promises were made to the society last year. "They said that they would have a pro-choice stance, and they would campaign to repeal the 8th". However, when the society tried to run events to gather support for the campaign, they "didn't get much support. [We were] very disappointed when FemSoc had a Repeal Week, Repeal Week 2.0 they called it … it wasn't very well advertised [by the SU]".
They blame it on "a serious lack of communication within the SU… we told you, we gave you the list of our events, we asked them to be promoted and we didn't see anything".
Keane-Molloy expressed frustration at the SU for the lack of advertising and support for the society's events. A Repeal Week was intended to take place last week, but did not go ahead. "Repeal week was supposed to start on Monday … you were advertising Wellfest months in advance, I've been getting emails about that in January. Why didn't you start [advertising] 6 weeks ago like you did with your other campaigns?"
Keane-Molloy claims that current Welfare Officer Aoife Fennell "promised us many things. She promised that she would set up to get people registered to vote".
Fennell has not yet responded to a request for comment. The SU has laid out their position on the 8th amendment in a document online.
The SU held a referendum in April 2016, which saw the University opt an official pro-choice stance. Despite this referendum being held two years ago, neither the Pro-Choice nor the Pro-Life society feel it is necessary to hold another referendum.
Rob Kelly, Communications Officer for the Pro-Life society, said that "the referendum barely met quorum when it was held that many years ago. It should be noted the referendum was binary for being pro-choice or not, whereas we feel a neutral option would have skewed things significantly … 3 years is a long time, a whole arts degree has graduated and the people who voted it in then are likely gone now. Polling again could be a good option."
However, Keane-Molloy of the Pro-Choice society feels that even though there are students on the campus who did not get to vote in the referendum, it's "beside the point. Because 72% of people did vote and it's up to the SU to fulfil that, it doesn't matter if they were doing work or not doing work, we were still mandated. It doesn't matter if the referendum doesn't go through and it's another 10 years, the stance of the union was still pro-choice. There was no time limit on it, and it shouldn't be that now that we have new people in here it doesn't matter anymore."
The two societies have been active in their campaigning for their respective beliefs. Last week, they took to the university's airwaves by having a debate on MarsFM. Is it important to engage with the other side?
"Absolutely", Kelly says. "While the discussion didn't go as planned for many a reason our society has been striving for more conversation between the two groups. We pushed for an SU mediated meeting between our two societies so that we could keep it civil and respectful. We are in talks with other societies including MarsFM to host other debates on the topic. We think it's important to recognise each others' points when true and realise we have a lot of common ground on these surrounding issues. Often times demagoguing on this issue is an easy out instead of honestly dealing with your opponent's arguments."
Keaney-Molloy also believes that it is important engage with the other side. Maynooth campus has been host to several pro-life supporters outside various campus buildings in the last few days, and they engage with the supporters because they feels "we can all learn something from it."
"We as a society, and I personally, we respect people's right to protest. There is a fine line between hate speech and an argument when things get personal. Having people shout …. at our students is not on. It's not hate speech, but it's definitely not free speech because it is not an argument. I completely dismiss the freedom of speech argument because there's a fine line there because you can't say anything."
When speaking about their use of graphic imagery on campus, they disapprove of such tactics. "I can't allow that on the campus because Irish abortion is a reality. There are staff, students visitors to the campus who have had abortions. No way should they have to walk past that on the way to class, to the library or to get lunch … if you want to say that you support the 8th because you have all these reasons and have fact checked them, by all means", Keane-Molloy argues.
When asked about these signs, Kelly said the Pro-Life society has "made a statement on our Facebook page about the group's tactics near campus. We believe that those pictures should be shown to people but in a controlled setting, either by them agreeing to see a leaflet, in a talk/lecture about abortion, or looking them up in their own time. ICBR is right that it highlights the reality of abortion however the public display of those images is something we do not agree with. We respect their right to do so."
Hey Guys,We would like to give our thoughts on the demonstration by the ICBR held outside Maynooth campus. We do not…
Posted by Maynooth University Prolife Soc on Wednesday, March 14, 2018
Keane-Molloy argues that it boils down to the Student's Union. "It is the SU's responsibility to educate everyone to make their mind up, and to open up the space for debate as well. We don't want to alienate them [the other students], we want to bring them along with us, to the same level as us on this issue … They need to feel welcome in the debate and that is how the SU can represent the debate by encouraging and engaging and giving the platform to this issue."
While Kelly does not define the 8th amendment as a student issue, he says the society "respect their mandate as it stands and we try to keep their campaigning respectful in any way we can. So far the SU has been respectful to our side which we greatly appreciate."
Looking forward, the Keane-Molloy says the SU "will promise that there will be a repeal week. It's looking … likely to be the end of April".
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4th Annual Mowgli Memorial Dog Show presented by the GNCC Kennel Club.
• Classes: Pro (registered pedigrees), 4-Stroke (51+ lbs), 2-Stroke (16<50 lbs), Lites (terriers, miniatures, foo foo dogs, 0<15 lbs), Utility (shepherds, labs, retrievers, service dogs), Senior (10+ years), Micro (puppies 0<1 year).
• Judged On: Appearance, Agility (performance, obstacles), Attire (costumes).
GNCC Racing continues at Mathews Farm in Mount Morris, PA for the Mason-Dixon GNCC. This facility is located across the street from the iconic High Point Raceway, home of the High Point Pro Motocross National since 1977. As an added bonus, plans are to incorporate the High Point Raceway facility into the racecourse, which would also mark GNCC Racing's return to High Point for the first time since 2002!
Since the last Mathews Farm event, the land has not hosted any sort of racing event and the woods are back to a virgin state. This means that possibilities are nearly endless in terms of what types of trails you will encounter on the course. This area of southern Pennsylvania is not overly rocky so don't expect much rock. However, the rolling hills of the area can make for some fun hillclimbs. As usual, we want to incorporate a mix of open trail, tight single track trail, and some fun flowing trail into the Mathews Farm course, and this facility gives a lot of opportunity for some fun grass track sections as well.
There's no doubt that this event has the potential to become a popular addition to the GNCC schedule amongst riders and fans alike!


The most common obstacle for any investor wanting to buy investment property is getting financing. Bankers say if you want to buy investment property, the only way you can finance it is to have a down payment and qualify for a mortgage. But that is only one way of buying property.
This one-of-a-kind Audio Program will teach you the art and science of buying investment property from qualified sellers using "subject to" mortgage financing.
UPDATED & EXPANDED AUDIO COMPANION EDITION!
This Audio Program is a newly updated, expanded presentation of the material first seen in "The TurnKey Investor's 'Subject To' Mortgage Handbook". In his own words and voice, the Author goes beyond the Handbook by plainly explaining and describing the technical intricacies, issues, and finer points of buying investment property with "subject to" mortgages.
This invaluable Audio Companion to the Handbook is a "must listen" for anyone who wants to credibly and reliably engage in "subject to" mortgage transactions.


text:
Norwich Cathedral needs �100,000 for rewiring
Matthew Sparkes
Published: 11:00 AM September 30, 2010 Updated: 6:18 PM October 10, 2020
The Dean of Norwich has made an urgent appeal for cash donations to help fund �110,000 of restoration work on the city's Norman cathedral.
In its 900-year history the limestone landmark has survived fire, riots and bombs but requires expensive and almost constant conservation work.
The cathedral, built from 1096 to 1145, now needs rewiring to prevent the ageing electric system from causing power cuts and interrupting sermons and services.
Staff estimate that it costs �3,700 each day just to keep the cathedral open, and had anticipated that the building's 20-year-old wiring would need to be replaced within four years.
But a regular monthly check by an architect revealed the work to be far more urgent and staff were warned that unless carried out soon it could lead to power outages.
The Very Rev Graham Smith, Dean of the city, said: 'It's not so much a health risk, it's a failure risk and the prospect of the lights going down during a carol service doesn't bear thinking about.
'It needs to be done straight away.'
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He added: 'You can imagine a building like this, there's always things that need to be done.
'We've discovered that the first phase of major rewiring needs to be carried out sooner than anticipated and we haven't got the funds for it. It just so happens that there isn't anything spare in the cupboard at the moment, that's why we're having difficulty.
'It's getting on a bit. It much be 20 years since the present system was put in.'
The Dean issued an appeal for donations at the Friends of Norwich Cathedral's 80th birthday celebrations this week.
The group was set up in 1930, partly to raise funds for such work, and it is hoped that it will be able to step in and save the building.
'The Friends will help us, I know they will. As a result of what I said several people have already said they'll make donations to us,' said the dean.
'Norwich has been in the fantastically fortunate position of having the Friends. They're generous and loyal, particularly with remembering us in their wills. We're looked at with very envious eyes by other cathedrals.
'There's a very definite air of determination that we'll find the money, it's not doom and gloom.
'If people would feel able to make a donation to the Friends for this particular piece of work we'd be delighted.'
t For more information on the cathedral or to make a donation visit www.cathedral.org.uk or call 01603 218300
t Do you know of a conservation project in need of funds? Call reporter Matthew Sparkes on 01603 772439 or email matthew.sparkes@archant.co.uk


They can make the creation of fully-automated factories very affordable and attractive for the Scalable, Portable, Automatable and Closable Ecosystem (SPACE) House. Fully-automated factories require little or no human intervention to operate 24 hours a day, with fewer production errors and no salaries or benefits to pay. Mass production allows you to reap the savings of the economies of scale without sacrificing quality. These significant savings are passed on to consumers.
All of the raw materials needed for the fully-AMP of All thrival necessities can easily be harvested from the generous amounts of recycled materials that humans produce on a daily basis. Even our sewage is a valuable source of hydrogen and fertilizer, while hydrogen and construction materials can be extracted from landfills, using plasma arc gasification (see Energy-n-Sanitation). Combining the existing technologies of self-driving cars with automated waste collection trucks to automate the collection and delivery of recycled materials to the fully-AMP factories, will create additional automation savings.
So, if producing, harvesting and delivering the raw materials to fully-AMP factories is quasi-free; and the fully-AMP of each SPACE House is also quasi-free; then their low costs can be distributed so that healthy quantities, for each person/family, becomes absolutely free and unhealthy quantities become prohibitively expensive. Public and private sector grants/subsidies could also assist to easily make the SPACE House totally free for consumers, eliminating poverty! Note that only the base models of each SPACE House would be free. The versions with more features would entail a proportional monetary cost.
Some public and private organizations provide incentives for eco-friendly innovations, products, services and practices to both the organizations who make them and to the consumers who buy and use them. We encourage these organizations to offer incentives to encourage individuals and organizations to strive for a thrival society, at the national, global and universal levels.
Finally, an end to global pollution can be achieved, at the same time, by enforcing the strict adherence to global ACE standards for All products and services, including thrival necessities! A thrival service provides individuals with the tools to help them to reach their full potential, in regards to their personal talents and health.
How to make necessities available to all?
The sooner that we stop treating basic necessities like luxuries or bargaining chips, the better off we will all be! In the past, money was needed to control access to these necessities because we did not know how to easily feed and clothe everyone, but we now have the required knowledge and technology to achieve this. So what's the problem? It's too expensive. It doesn't have to be, though. We also have the knowledge and technology to manufacture these necessities for next to nothing. How?  We apply the very lucrative/profitable freeware business model to those necessary products and services, through fully-automated mass production of the base models. Freeware is computer software that is available for use at no monetary cost. Priced versions of the same software have more features (Adobe Acrobat Reader is free while Acrobat Standard/Pro are not). Fully-automated factories require little or no human intervention to operate 24 hours a day, with fewer production errors and no salaries or benefits to pay. Mass production allows you to reap the savings of the economies of scale without sacrificing quality. These significant savings are passed on to consumers. Only the base models of each thrival necessity would be free/quasi-free. The versions with more features would entail a proportional monetary cost. Each product must be designed adhere to Clean Hydrogen Economy Standards for its entire lifecycle. Finally, governments and other organizations can provide grants, subsidies and other incentives to both producers and consumers to bring down the prices of both survival and thrival necessities to the free/quasi-free status.
Won't automation cause job losses?
History demonstrates that automation consistently creates significantly more jobs, that are more fulfilling and profitable, than those that were lost, in entirely new and unimagined fields: "This common sense view is borne out by many economic studies. For example, economists at the Federal Reserve write that, "Productivity grew noticeably faster than usual in the late 1990s, while the unemployment rate fell to levels not seen for more than three decades. This inverse relationship between the two variables also can be seen on several other occasions in the postwar period and leads one to wonder whether there is a causal link between them. The empirical evidence presented here shows that a positive technology shock leads to a reduction in the unemployment rate that persists for several years." Likewise, in a definitive review of the studies on productivity and employment, the OECD's Jobs Study: Facts, Analysis, Strategy report stated that, "Technology both eliminates jobs and creates jobs. Generally it destroys lower wage, lower productivity jobs, while it creates jobs that are more productive, high-skill and better paid. Historically, the income-generating effects of new technologies have proved more powerful than the labor-displacing effects: technological progress has been accompanied not only by higher output and productivity, but also by higher overall employment."This is not to say that productivity-enhancing technologies, including self-service, don't sometimes result in short-term job loss—or more often, occupational shifts, as companies redeploy workers to provide better services and operate their businesses more efficiently. But if economies want to create jobs over the medium- to long-run, embracing self-service technology is a key way to do so, for two key reasons. First, there are jobs created in the companies providing self-service technologies. Second, and more importantly, as consumers pay relatively less for goods and services, they have more purchasing power which stimulates a growth in other sectors, leading to a self-reinforcing economic expansion."
They can be as expensive and as rare as companies and society want to make them, as long as they do not cause pollution or poverty, directly or indirectly.
How can we pay for the sweeping changes proposed on this website?
Once SPACE Houses exist in sufficient numbers, poverty and the burden of huge poverty-associated costs will also disappear. The same applies for sharp decreases in crimes, pollution and wars. Pollution-free thrival technologies will also help to open up the vast riches of space to humanity. These are excellent reasons for both businesses and governments to accelerate the transition to a thrival civilization.
Adding the "Affordable Prosthetic Hands" from Open Bionics http://www.openbionics.org/videos_experiments/ to Baxter robots could really expand the possibilities for automation and for a vast range of other beneficial uses!


Champions are the playable characters in Paladins. Each one has its own unique abilities and fighting style. Champions use Cards to increase their performance and enhance their skills, and Items to help them adapt to specific situations in any match. There are currently 41 playable champions in the game.
Champions are organized into 4 different types: Front Line, Damage, Support and Flank.