The European Parliament will take down a poster depicting Muslim migrants, branded "Islamophobic" by a UK MEP. Conservative Sajjad Karim raised concerns over the giant ad recently put up in Brussels ahead of the May 2019 European elections. It showed a headscarfed woman with the words: "Because we need to work together to manage migration." In a letter, parliament president Antonio Tajani said the parliament apologised for "any offence caused".


UNFOLD ZERO (www.unfoldzero.org) is a global platform promoting United Nations initiatives for nuclear disarmament. UNFOLD ZERO also highlights UN processes for resolving conflicts and achieving security without relying on nuclear deterrence or the threat or use of force. The platform promotes nuclear disarmament initiatives in the UN General Assembly, UN Security Council, International Court of Justice, other UN bodies and those of the UN Secretary-General.
UNFOLD ZERO is a joint project of Aotearoa Lawyers for Peace, Basel Peace Office, Global Security Institute, Mayors for Peace, Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament and PragueVision Institute for Sustainable Security.
Campaigns have included Open the Door to a Nuclear-Weapon-Free World, in support of the UN Open Ended Working Group on Nuclear Disarmament, and Chain Reaction, a series of civil society actions and events around the world from 8 July until 2 October 2016.
UNFOLD ZERO also organizes actions and events for UN days relating to nuclear disarmament (see Commemoration Days on the left).
The Global Campaign on Military Spending (www.demilitarize.org) was launched on 10 December 2014 by the International Peace Bureau (IPB) to tackle the worldwide issue of excessive military spending. The campaign builds on over a decade of work done by IPB and others around the theme of Disarmament for Sustainable Development. It incorporates the Global Day of Action on Military Spending (GDAMS) – now in its 5th year.
GDAMS is arranged to coincide with the release of the annual world military expenditure figures by SIPRI. It also coincides with Tax Day in the US, when Americans pay their taxes and debate their use. Many types of activities are organised, from physical actions (flash-mobs, street theatre/demonstrations, banner displays, seminars, signature collections or concerts) to social media campaigns (Thunderclap, selfies or groupies on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest, video productions on Youtube).
IPB proposes that the money released from the military budget could be made available to five broad alternative areas: peace, sustainable development, climate change and biodiversity loss, public services/green job-creation and humanitarian programmes to support the most vulnerable groups. These are all part of a wider global transformation towards a culture of peace.
Move the Money (www.peace-action.org/issues/move-the-money) is a US campaign that is part of the Global Campaign on Military Spending. It is coordinated by Peace Action in liaison with the National Priorities Project.
Peace Action points out that the U.S. spends nearly as much on its military as all other countries combined — at a time when critical domestic needs continue to be cut. The US Budget Control Act caps (aka "Sequestration") since 2011 have deeply cut federal support for education, food programs, housing, transportation, and green energy. Reductions in the bloated military budget could free up federal funds for these human and social needs.
Three key demands made by the current Move the Money campaign are: 1) Flush the Slush Fund – Overseas Contingency Operations; 2) Cut the F-35 "Budget Buster", and 3) Reduce Nuclear Weapons and Delivery Systems.
Don't Bank on the Bomb (www.dontbankonthebomb.com) is a campaign organised by PAX (Netherlands) which encourages individuals and organisations to hold their bank accounts only in banks that do not invest in nuclear weapons. The campaign produces a Don't Bank on the Bomb Report, which identifies both financial institutions that invest heavily in companies involved in nuclear weapon programmes, and those that have policies limiting or prohibiting such investments.
January 24: Anniversary of the first UN General Assembly resolution which established a commission of the UN Security Council to ensure the elimination from national armaments of atomic weapons and all other major weapons adaptable to mass destruction.
July 8: Anniversary of the International Court of Justice case on the legality of the threat or use of nuclear weapons.
August 29: UN International Day Against Nuclear Tests.
September 21: UN International Day for Peace.
September 26: UN International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.
October 2: UN International Day for Non-Violence.
Two other important international dates, while not official UN observance days, are 6 and 9 August, the anniversaries of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings in 1945.
Resolution adopted by consensus by the 120th IPU Assembly on 10 April 2009. Supports a range of non-proliferation and disarmament measures including the CTBT, negotiations for a fissile material treaty, and the UN Secretary-General's Five Point Proposal for Nuclear Disarmament.
Resolution adopted by consensus by the 130th IPU Assembly on 20 March 2014. Commits member parliaments to work with their governments to eliminate the role of nuclear weapons in security doctrines, commence multilateral negotiations on a nuclear weapons convention or package of agreements, and build public awareness about nuclear weapons and disarmament including through the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.
Adopted by consensus by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly on 9 July 2015. Welcomes the Humanitarian Pledge (on nuclear disarmament), supports the re-establishment of the UN Open Ended Working Group on Nuclear Disarmament, and calls on all OSCE States with nuclear weapons or under extended nuclear deterrence relationships to reduce the risks of a nuclear war by taking nuclear weapons off high-alert and by adopting no-first-use policies.
Adopted by consensus by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly on 5 July 2016. Calls on all OSCE States with nuclear weapons or under extended nuclear deterrence relationships to reduce the risks of a nuclear war by taking nuclear weapons off high-alert and by adopting no-first-use policies. Calls on all OSCE States to join multilateral negotiations in 2017 on nuclear disarmament.
Adopted on 19 November 2008, at a session chaired by Costa Rica. Supports national, bilateral, regional and multilateral measures aimed at reducing military expenditures. Urges all States to devote as many resources as possible to economic and social development, in particular in the fight against poverty and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
New York, 24 August – 11 September 1987. Adopted an action plan on ways to reduce military spending in order to fund social and economic goals.
Annual UNGA resolution. See, for example A/RES/70/32, adopted by consensus on 7 December 2015. Urges the international community to devote part of the resources made available by the implementation of disarmament and arms limitation agreements to economic and social development. Calls for further implementation of the Action Plan from the 1987 International Conference on Disarmament for Development.
The Opportunity Cost of World Military Spending, Dr Sam Perlo-Freeman, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, 5 April 2016.
Military Expenditure Database, published annually by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
Kazakh President Outlines MDG Successes, Calls for Portions of Defence Budgets to be diverted to Development, Astana Times, 30 September 2015.
Demilitarization for Deep Decarbonization: Reducing Militarism and Military Expenditures to Invest in the UN Green Climate Fund and to Create Low-Carbon Economies and Resilient Communities, Tamara Lorincz, International Peace Bureau, September 2014.
NATO Nuclear Weapons Security Costs Expected to Double, Hans Kristensen, Federation of American Scientists, March 2014.
Handbook for Parliamentarians on Supporting Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament. Published by PNND and IPU, 2013. Includes a section on nuclear weapons budgets and the role of parliamentarians.
Monthly French PNND Bulletin. This newsletter in French is a source of specific and regular information on topics related to nuclear weapons (budget, MP actions, resolutions…).
Realign Military Spending, Convert Infrastructure to Produce Funding For Civilian Needs (Economic Conversion). Beyond War, 2015.
Opportunity Costs: Military Spending and the UN Development Agenda, IPB 2012 Report.
Global Zero Report on Nuclear Weapons Spending, June 2011. Examines the nuclear weapons budgets of the nine states producing nuclear weapons.
Nuclear Weapons: At What Cost?, Ben Cramer, published by IPB 2009. A survey of the costs of the nuclear weapons programmes of all the relevant states.
Report of the Group of Governmental Experts on the Relationship between Disarmament and Development, UNIDIR, 2004.
Audit Atomique: Le Coût de L'arsenal Nucléaire Français, 1945–2010, Bruno Barrillot, Observatoire des armements/CDRPC, Feb 1999.
Atomic Audit: The Costs and Consequences of U.S. Nuclear Weapons Since 1940, Stephen I. Schwartz, Brookings Institute, 1998.
The International Peace Bureau is dedicated to the vision of a world without War. Our current main programme centres on Disarmament for Sustainable Development and within this, our focus is mainly on the reallocation of military expenditure. We support a range of disarmament campaigns and supply data on the economic dimensions of weapons and conflicts. Our 300 member organisations in 70 countries, together with individual members, form a global network, bringing together knowledge and campaigning experience in a common cause. We link experts and advocates working on similar issues in order to build strong civil society movements.
The Making Peace photo exhibition (www.makingpeace.org) has been visited by an estimated 1.2 million people since it was first presented in Geneva in 2010. The show was produced by the IPB and curated by Ashley Woods. Contact us if you'd like to bring the show to your city.
IPB has had Consultative Status with the UN's Economic and Social Council since 1977. IPB plays a central role in the Geneva-based NGO Committee for Disarmament. There are sister committees in New York and Vienna. Together we follow various disarmament negotiations, within and outside the UN. We are a Nobel Peace Laureate (1910); in addition, 13 of our officers have over the years been recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize.
Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (PNND) is a non-partisan forum for parliamentarians nationally and internationally to engage in nuclear risk reduction, nonproliferation and disarmament issues. We organize forums, build links between civil society and their elected representatives, and assist parliamentarians to engage in international disarmament processes.
Our membership of over 700 legislators includes current and former prime ministers, presidents, foreign ministers, speakers/presidents of parliaments, heads of foreign affairs and defence committees, heads of inter-parliamentary bodies and others.
The World Future Council (WFC) consists of 50 eminent global change-makers from governments, parliaments, civil society, academia, the arts and business who have already successfully created change.
We make politicians aware that they have an ethical responsibility to assess every decision-making process on the basis of how it will affect future generations. In close collaboration with civil society groups, members of parliament, governments, businesses and international organisations we research future just policies and legislation. We then advise political decision-makers, offer them tried and tested courses of action and support them in the concrete implementation of new policies.


The Department of International and European Studies is the most recent to be founded by the University of Piraeus.
This programme provides study in European issues, international relations, strategic studies, global management, international politics, diplomacy, international security, settlement of international disputes, international law, international trade, international and European monetary politics and institutions, European law, European politics, regional studies, foreign policy analysis, international economics/international political economy, developmental aspects of international economy, international environmental issues, administration of international businesses and organizations.
The academic profile of the department is apparently interdisciplinary. Its three pillars are of equal importance: international relations/international politics, international economics, and European studies. In the framework of the interdisciplinary approach, the Department of International and European studies provides students with the opportunity to attend courses offered by other departments of the University. Throughout their studies, students are exposed to courses reflecting many scientific approaches and acquire the necessary academic background to compete in the job market.
As far as post-graduation career prospects are concerned, students are qualified to apply to international organizations, the Greek diplomatic service, and Public Sector, the mass media and public relations, research centres, non-Governmental organizations, the education field (teaching), international business administration, project management of E.U. funded projects, international law services and marketing sectors, political analyst and public opinion polls positions.
The postgraduate programme of the department of Ιnternational and European Studies is based in following three pillars: academic competitiveness, academic merit and academic freedom.
The postgraduate programme focuses on International and European Relations and operates in accordance with the policy on equal opportunities, academic merit and competitiveness.
d) to offer lifelong learning to scientists who already have a professional occupation in either Greek or International private companies or in civil service.
2. The postgraduate programme may also lead to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) for those wishing to continue their studies.
Students are required to take courses in 3 semesters and write a thesis.


Take an unnerving dive into the cases of stalkers whose unrelenting obsession with a celebrity led to jarring and sometimes tragic ends. Every hour-long episode unfolds with two seemingly separate timelines building to a climax of fear and violence with each story presented through expert interviews, recreations, actual case files and insights from seasoned law enforcement officials.
Next PostRhonda will be featured in "Stalker Files" on REELZ Channel in Jan 2018!


Also included with your bill is a leaflet (English on one side and French on the other) expanding on the wonders of the Fair Hydro Plan with a picture of a happy smiling family (mom and dad but not the one-year-old in mom's lap) viewing a laptop computer. Right above the picture is a white on black square with the words "Ontario's Fair Hydro Plan Bringing electricity bills down".
Missing on the bill and the brochure was an explanation on why our cost of electricity climbed well over 100% due to the Green Energy and Green Economy Act which handed out long-term, above market contracts for intermittent and unreliable wind and solar generation.
Missing was information about the cost of moving two gas plants to save Liberal seats in Oakville and Mississauga.
Missing was any information about why we pay gas plant generators hundreds of millions of dollars to sit idle to back up intermittent and unreliable wind and solar generation.
Missing was any mention about the Global Adjustment Mechanism (GA) forcing Ontario to export surplus generation to NY and Michigan for pennies on the dollar causing ratepayers to pick up hundreds of millions of missing dollars to cover the cost of surplus generation.
Missing was any mention of the hundreds of millions of dollars the curtailment of wind generation, steaming-off of nuclear or spilling of hydro costs ratepayers.
Missing is any mention of the costs of hundreds of millions of dollars to annually pay for discounts for LED lights, an energy-efficient furnace or a new energy-efficient refrigerator, etc., etc.
Missing was any mention of the hundreds of thousands of families placed in "energy poverty" who have had to choose to either buy food or pay their hydro bills.
Missing is any claim to the harm caused to humans and nature by the thousands of unreliable, intermittent wind turbines erected or any mention about how their installation is now affecting water aquifers in certain parts of the province.
Fairness is in the eye of the beholder and the current claim that the government is "Bringing electricity bills down" should be expanded to state what most Ontarians know: "Bringing electricity bills down" today, will cause them to rocket upwards in the near future due to our complete mismanagement of the energy portfolio.
* Selective facts are "true" facts that only tell us part of the story.
I have trouble believing a representative of wind industry trade association CanWEA will represent the concerns of the general public.
Ms. Giannetta's post on CanWEA's website on April 24, 2017 underlines my worries.
The second "study" cited is by Keith Brooks, Program Director at Environmental Defence (Masters degree in Environmental Studies from York) in which he claims "the average Ontario household pays about $11 per month for wind power, and $9 for solar power." Collectively it amounts to an annual cost of $240 for the "average Ontario household". Mr. Brooks and Ms. Giannetta apparently believe that, by providing a figure representing a small monthly amount, we will all buy into CanWEA's spin that wind and solar are competitive with other generation sources.
Source: Navigant NB: Hydro excludes NUGs and OPG non-prescribed generation. Gas includes Lennox, NUGs and OPG bioenergy facilities. Percentage (%) of Total GA excludes CDM costs.
Based on information in the OEB chart, it is relatively easy to calculate the individual generation supply costs* to the Global Adjustment or GA. The IESO provide the specific detail on the GA and for 2016 it totals $12.333 billion. As noted, the chart indicates wind is forecast to represent 18% of the GA so the cost of wind should be around $2.220 billion, solar (14%) around $1.6 billion and gas (15%) $1.850 billion.
The OEB forecast is that wind and solar, (granted "base-load" status via their contacts) will cost ratepayers $3.820 billion over the next 12 months representing 32% of total GA costs, but will only deliver 10% of the power generation — often when it's not needed!
To ensure wind and solar generation is backed up, gas plants (classified as "peaking plants") stand at the ready and are estimated to impact the GA by $1.850 billion (15%) for a forecast 6 % of generation.
Collectively, wind solar and gas generation over the next 12 months are forecast to provide a meager 16% of total generation but will represent a cost of $5.670 billion of the Global Adjustment or 47% of total GA costs.
Most would agree $5.7 billion in annual costs is more than a "myth" and could have gone a long way in providing social, health, education and transit services for the people in Ontario, rather than creating wealth for wind and solar developers!
*In the prior year's forecast wind was estimated to generate 8% of supply, solar 2% and gas 9% and represent 44% of the GA costs. Also note the IESO GA reports are on a calendar year (Jan. 1st to Dec. 31st) basis.
The Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) is trying to become "transparent" as they now disclose consumption by the two classes* of Ontario ratepayers. Along with consumption data they also disclose what each class, "A" and "B," pay for the Global Adjustment (GA) component by month.
IESO disclosed that in the first six months of 2016, total Ontario consumption was 69.284 terawatts (TWh) with Class A consumption of 13.834 TWh (19.96%) and Class B consumption of 55.450 TWh (80,04%). The total GA was $6.401 billion, and Class A customers paid 12.2% ($781.8 million) and Class B customers 87.8% ($5.619.4 billion).
What that means: Class B customers subsidized Class A customers in the first six months of 2016 by picking up $496 million of the GA costs.
For the comparable period in 2015, total Ontario consumption was 70.823 TWh. In that six month period Class A consumption was 12.477 TWh (17.6%) and Class B was 58.346 TWh (82.4%). The GA was $4.604 billion with Class A paying $441 million (9.58%) and Class B $4.163 billion (90.42%). So, the Class B subsidy to support Class A industrials in 2015 was $369 million.
It's obvious: Class A consumption increased year over year by 1.357 TWh, whereas Class B consumption declined by 2.896 TWh. One would assume the almost 5% decline in consumption by Class B ratepayers would mean an upcoming decrease in the electricity rates come November 1, 2016. Alas, a decrease does not appear to be on the horizon!
IESO also just released the June 2016 "Monthly Market Report" and on page 26 of the report they provide a six-month weighted average of the GA, hourly Ontario energy price (HOEP), transmission costs, etc., for the January 1st to June 30th period for Class B ratepayers. The "weighted average" (removing the DRC or Debt Retirement Charge) per megawatt hour (MWh) is $127.79/MWH versus a weighted average for the first six months of 2015 of $111.92/MWh — resulting in an increase of $15.87 per MWh or 1.6 cents per kWh. Not included in the above is any additional delivery costs as a result of rate increases for your local distribution company, including Hydro One who are currently seeking another increase, even though they received one in 2015 increasing their delivery rates.
The Class B increase is a 14.2% year over year jump in costs (for the electricity line only) paying for: contracted generation, conservation programs, curtailed generation, spilled hydro, export sales losses1.: etc. etc. If the increase prevails for the next few months it will reflect itself in the OEB's consistent and semi-annual announcments of rate increases (mid October). The anticipated increase will be paid by Class "B" ratepayers at an annual cost of $144.00 (plus HST) for the "average" ratepayer consuming 750 kWh per month and will start on November 1, 2016.
Effectively what the Ontario Liberal government has done is to create a subsidy for Class A ratepayers by picking the pockets of Class B ratepayers in order to protect jobs that might disappear if those large industrial companies decide to pack their bags and move elsewhere.
To sum up: Class B ratepayers are picking up "employment insurance" costs that might embarrass the Liberal government just like when Xstrada moved their refinery operations to Quebec back in 2010 due principally to high electricity costs. That caused the loss of 670 direct jobs and as many as 4,000 jobs, according to union groups.
The misguided focus of the Wynne government on unreliable and intermittent wind and solar generation has hit Class B ratepayers particularly hard, and calls on Ontario's low and middle income taxpayers to pick up the subsidy cost to retain jobs while simultaneously creating more energy poverty.
It's time to stop the train before Ontario goes over the cliff!
* Effective January 1, 2011, an amendment to Ontario Regulation 429/04 established two classes of consumers: Class A consumers, with average monthly demand greater than 5 MW, and Class B consumers.
Net exports for June 2016 were 1,054,080 MWh and generated revenue of $19.7 million at the average HOEP of $18.69/MWh but cost ratepayers $140.36/MWh meaning the cost to ratepayers for those net exports was $148.3 million creating a loss of $128.2 million for the month.


20 II 2010: Photographer Lynette Schimming, an editor at BugGuide.net and a Scarab since the 2007 Rattlesnake Mountain hike, has been helping Morse Wildlife Preserve (in central Pierce County) document their fauna. The preserve was situated in an undersampled area, and we decided an actual spider collecting trip would greatly enhance the project. As usual there was a stretch of delightful weather in late February, so the trip came off well. Arriving at the site only a bit late, we met land steward Mary Sue Gee, who joined us as we walked to the back of the former farm and sifted willow litter at the edge of a large, natural marsh. The litter was so cold that little was moving, but there were 2 identifiable species including our undescribed Oedothorax. Right next to us was a large isolated Douglas-fir with low foliage all around; beating about half the low branches got me 11 species including a linyphiid I don't immediately recognize. Mary Sue had to leave before we swept the grass (at that point a former farm field, but still with good native spiders including one of the prairie-specialist Metepeiras, still juvenile at this season). The barn added 3 species, best one being the "ranger station funnel weaver" Novalena intermedia, from under a boat. Finally we beat a large snowberry thicket, but I clumsily lost most of those specimens (probably nothing special).
Moving on to a second site Mary Sue showed us, I swept the edge of the marsh getting (among others) the good wetland species Tetragnatha caudata and Clubiona norvegica. The maple litter (probably richer last fall) produced 8 species, several of them photogenic. Tree moss was a bit sparse in this grove, but I gathered a small bagful. Every time I shook some over the sifting cloth, so many spiders fell out that Lynette kept saying "Holy moly!" Alas, the majority were an unidentifiable juvenile black linyphiid, and there were none of the moss-specialist spiders I expected. We wanted to try litter from the nearby Oregon ash trees but there was almost none on the ground – I guess it all fell in the marsh. At this point, the warmth needed for sifting went away with the lowering sun, so we returned to the parking area and entered the roadside conifer forest for understory beating. This added a few more species before it became too dark to see them. A 30-species sample in February isn't bad at all, and this site fully justifies its preserve status.
16 IV 2010: The first official spring trip with my regular field partner Laurel Ramseyer visited an area NW of the town of Rochester (near an unincorporated "wide spot" named Gate), where I hoped to find further remnants of the rare gravelly prairie habitat. The partly-cloudy weather was pleasantly warm and dry. After trying a site that Thurston County's online GIS said was a public right-of-way, and finding it nonetheless posted no trespassing, we settled on a county-owned triangle between 3 railroad lines, one still in use. This site certainly was prairie once, but it's now so heavily overrun with invasive plants that it hardly deserves the name. There are Garry oaks there though, reproducing amid the Scots broom! In spite of the degraded habitat, there were spiders to be found: grass, oak litter, moss, snowberry, a solitary apple tree, and ground-surface moss produced 14 species. Laurel sat down on a stump that broke apart under her, revealing the site's best spider, rare Callobius deces. In adjacent Douglas-fir forest I got several additional species from fir foliage, tree moss and understory.
Still hoping to find some real prairie, we independently invaded the grounds of what we assumed was a public fish hatchery just to the east. Here, we hit "pay dirt" with one large and a few small tracts of fine-looking prairie still free from the encroaching invasive broom and blackberry. Sweep samples here produced 16 species, several of them different from what we found on the degraded county tract. Pardosa vancouveri were active, and there were several really large oak trees. I returned from my explorations to find Laurel refreshed by a nap, and we both visited some of the uninhabited hatchery buildings for 6 more species on various manmade structures. Between 6 different subsites, we ended the day with 37 species.
7 V 2010: Some correspondence with the Skagit Land Trust about their acquisition of bog property south of Big Lake, led to an arrangement to collect spiders on some of their other properties. After many delays, today was the day! Laurel and I started with Big Rock, a 500-foot-tall lump of Jurassic greenstone jutting up out of the flat Skagit River delta. Reportedly there was an easy new trail from a wretched new housing development just to the west. Easy yes, but it goes nowhere near Big Rock. So we tried the "not easy" trail from Highway 9 on the east side, and found it no problem at all, even for people still emerging from winter couch-potato mode. Big Rock is bald-peaked and the trail is more primitive above the forest. In the summit area, we beat spiders from shrubs and small trees, sifted moss, checked out logs, bark and aerial webs, and admired the 360° view. Back below "treeline" I sifted some very nice maple litter while Laurel beat the understory. Overall, we came away from Big Rock with 30 identifiable species for our morning's work. The best record was a little amaurobiid, Zanomys aquilonia, that prefers savanna-type habitats.
Mud Lake preserve, confusingly located in the town of Clear Lake, faces its town side with a dense blackberry thicket. Much of the preserve is beautiful, natural marsh, but the blackberry is invading, and something needs doing before all the wet meadow habitat is destroyed. Sweeping the marsh and meadow produced fewer specimens than expected but they were very diverse, 15 species including several wetland specialists. Extremely rare Tetragnatha dearmata was here, plus only the second Dictyna annulipes from western Washington, and an attractive reddish linyphiid that I can't yet place even to genus (resembles a Dismodicus except for the carapace). Additional species came from under wood chips and foliage of small spruce trees, and Larinioides patagiatus had its orb web on the interpretive sign. A great preserve, well worth the effort to preserve from invasive plants.
Our one problem at Mud Lake was that the tall meadow was so dense, all the wolf spiders escaped us with ease. We hoped to remedy that lack at a small Department of Wildlife tract on Beaver Lake to the southwest. Sure enough, I added two Pardosa species to the bag, and sweeping under the willows got me a juvenile fishing spider, Dolomedes triton, showing that this lake is also high quality wetland; meanwhile, Laurel got 6 species from the outhouse and signs (the night closure sign had a curiously literary turn of phrase). Our last stop, for moss fauna, was in forest along an old railroad grade (turned powerline route) on state land north of Clear Lake. The one really mossy tree I could find added 6 moss species, and Nesticus silvestrii turned up in the litter. As the sun set west of I-5, we could look back on a very profitable 59-species day.
12 V 2010: Back in January, I helped retired nature-lover Jean Knapp identify a moth she'd photographed on her rural land near Langley, Whidbey Island. It turned out to be the rare Hyalophora euryalis. Naturally, I wangled an invitation to collect on Jean's property in the spring. Jean has 10 acres, much of it an enormous lawn (used at times for local events) but including natural forest and willow swamp; her nephew across the road has more, with tall grass field and a more varied forest. Laurel and I arrived late on a partly-cloudy morning, greeted by Jean and her dogs (one friendly, one always barking), and Laurel immediately discovered a stand of Pinus monticola with many cones for her favorite collecting technique! While she tapped 15 varied, but not especially rare species from the cones, I got the same number from Douglas-fir foliage. I found good log habitat in the woods while Laurel swept the big field. Salal foliage, moss on logs in the swamp, and toolsheds gave several more species each. Though unable to find any good leaf litter, we had recorded 44 species from Jean's land by early afternoon. One interesting specimen, an adult male of the invasive Philodromus dispar (see album) had somehow lost both palps before his last molt. The regenerated organs had no trace of adult genitalia: a gelding, so to speak.
On our December 2007 visit to Marrowstone Island, we spent a few minutes collecting east of the 122.7 longitude line before I discovered my mistake, in a habitat so rich that 12 species records resulted. In planning today's trip, I discovered that Bush Point on Whidbey Island projects into the other side of the same 1/10 degree gridspace. Surely it would be easy to get 9 or 10 more species there on a nice spring day… Well, Bush Point was largely transformed into a housing tract some years back. You can't call a housing tract something simple like Bush Point: to residents, it's Lighthouse Shores. The lighthouse itself, plus part of a central pond and marsh, are still public land. Arriving in weather become gloomy and breezy, I found access to the marsh from the intended parking place blocked by a dense blackberry thicket. I got a few species from the roadside verge and ditch foliage, including the uncommon Theridion agrifoliae. Around the corner, a forlorn stand of native salmonberry added a species. Laurel still had her rubber boots from last week, so she was elected to bravely penetrate a thin spot in the blackberry and nettle and actually collect in the marsh (including some relatively natural habitat). We hoped to add beach species at the lighthouse. It may be public according to the county assessor, but the Lighthouse Shores Homeowners don't believe it, and have it all posted. There were no visible spiders on the building anyway; fortunately, a nice lady let us collect from native shore pines in her yard. All this left me uncertain whether I had enough species or not, but at the last minute, tall grass and yellow flowers in a vacant lot with no keep-out signs gave me 3 more species, bringing the area up to 26 records.
16 V 2010: I'd often collected on the Kitsap and Olympic peninsulas but never on the smaller Toandos Peninsula in between, so I made a collecting plan for two state land parcels there with good habitat potential. On the day when Anh-Tuyet Nguyen, entomology student of Evan Sugden, wanted to document a collecting trip for class, that was the only area with no chance of rain – so off we went! First stop was Silent Lake, not so silent since the southern, private part turned residential. At the north public end is a wetland that looked as if it might be a Sphagnum bog. Well, if there's any Sphagnum there we couldn't reach it, but we collected in a nice mixed riparian forest along a shady linear marsh. Sifting leaf litter gave us 9 spider and 5 harvestman species. The abundant moss produced 10 more, while Anh-Tuyet and her somewhat arachnophobic friend helped collect moss and litter and beat the understory. With shrubs, plus roadside verge grass and fir foliage, we had 32 species here by early afternoon.
Then south toward the tip of the peninsula, past Blueberry Hill Drive (no doubt somebody found his thrill there), and west toward Tabook Point where two DNR clearcuts of different ages provide varied habitats. I'd hoped to make my way from the clearcut edge to a beach bluff a quarter mile west, but the underbrush was far too dense. However, young Douglas-fir crowding up to the gated logging road yielded a mind-boggling 17 species to the beating net – including a Spirembolus species that may be new. Anh-Tuyet, a complete tyro at arachnology, proved the value of young eyes by spotting Phalangium opilio, Tarentula kochii, Pardosa vancouveri, Callilepis pluto, and Habronattus ophrys active on the roadside. Rare H. ophrys largely occurs in high quality vegetated beach and sandspit habitats, but this is the second time it's been found along a dirt logging road just inland from the beach, which must provide a sufficiently beachlike micro-environment. On the same amazing roadside, my aging eyes found Zelotes fratris and Habronattus oregonensis (the "Popeye spider" with its bulging first tibiae), a bit less exciting but still worthy records. Near where I'd left my pack, some alders sticking above the young firs indicated a possible riparian zone below the downhill road bank. Scrambling down, I found myself in a perfectly lovely, gravel-floored little gully, where clearly the loggers must have done what they're supposed to and left a riparian buffer. I extracted 12 more species from the riparian litter and understory. Finally, just down the road in the newer clearcut, we searched for "clearcut heath" spiders. Cutleaf blackberry made this harder than it should have been, but I did add a few more species, for a total of 37 from this second area, including several decided rarities. A productive day in good company, and the ferry ride home added one more to my "sunset collection."
21 V 2010: Another year, another BioBlitz. I'd previously collected spiders for the White River and Roy bioblitzes, in each case exploring areas new to me, which is what spider distribution study is all about. This year's event though, was at the Washington Park Arboretum (easy walking distance from my home campus) where I had prior records extending over decades. Oh well, I thought, might as well stroll down and see what I can find for them. Weather was unsuitable for a real field trip anyway, very threatening and in fact raining every other place but the arboretum – or so it seemed! I arrived not long after the official start, with not many other people involved yet (likely due to the discouraging weather). Instructed to concentrate on Foster Island, a relatively ungroomed area bordering on a natural marsh, I headed straight there and started sweeping riparian grass at the south end. This produced several species, most interesting being the undescribed Lepthyphantes #8 and Dictyna annulipes (found in western Washington only twice before). A patch of buttercups added some crab spiders including the expected Misumena vatia. Cottonwood litter gave me a few expected species plus the very uncommon (though non-native) Achaearanea acoreensis. Some BioBlitz volunteers pointed me to an area of good conifer foliage at the other end of the south lawn, which gave me lots and lots of the introduced Theridion tinctum, but also the native Philodromus spectabilis – and more D. annulipes. Nearby was a stand of non-native oaks with good litter, noted for later.
North of the floating-bridge approach that bisects the island, there's another lawn with hawthorn trees that added a few species, plus more D. annulipes. I thought I'd try the woodland understory here, but it was almost entirely invasive ivy! The best part of Foster Island is the natural marsh accessed by the Waterside Trail and boardwalk. Lake level being unusually high, the trail was soggy and the boardwalk underwater! But sweeping the marsh and beating the willow showed an excellent population of wetland specialist Tetragnatha caudata, plus Dismodicus, Erigone, Entelecara, yet more D. annulipes, and an unfamiliar crab spider in the Philodromus imbecillus group. It's either new, or a sagebrush-country species that ballooned all the way over the Cascades; only later dissection will tell. Willow litter, which might have added good species, was all underwater. Meanwhile, the Husky Band had been serenading me from the stadium right across Union Bay. With daylight fading, I grabbed a big bag of oak litter and brought it back to the lighted greenhouse to sift, adding several more species, including adults of introduced Clubiona pallidula that I'd got juveniles of earlier. Total for a few hours and no assistant, 38 species (not all mature enough to identify), very worthwhile.
26 VI 2010: Last fall's trip to Tolt-MacDonald Park revealed this diverse, 574-acre park to be an excellent site for a group outing. Accordingly, this year's Scarabs field meeting was scheduled there. June was such a wet month that we feared the worst, but fortunately Saturday the 26th was partly-cloudy and pleasant. Not a few Scarabs forgot we were meeting in the field this month, but 9 Scarabs and Parascarabs showed up, supplemented by our old friend Markku Savela from Finland, accompanied by wife and child. The meadow habitat, much lusher in June, led us to that oxbow pond whose existence I'd only suspected last fall. Assorted interesting insects and spiders fell into the group's nets. I got about 6 spider species not taken last fall, including the uncommon Tetragnatha elongata swept from emergent grass in the pond. Later, the group hiked up into the forested uplands, but found no very unusual specimens there. The pond area was clear winner for group activity. Click the album icon to see some June photos added to those taken in the fall.
2 VII 2010: Finally it was July, and the weather almost began to seem like summer. And Laurel was available for a full-fledged trip. Forecasts were still not entirely dry for western Washington, so we headed east of the Cascades and ascended Number Two Canyon from the "back side" of Wenatchee toward Horse Lake Mountain, high enough to rise out of the well-cooked lowland fauna. We had to do some of the rising on foot when the road deteriorated under Laurel's town car. Our site was a mountain meadow with very open Ponderosa pine forest around. A fire perhaps 20 years before had encouraged the pine seeds to germinate, so pines of all ages were abundant. Flowers were still around too, and the clouds and breezes kept things comfortably cool – all in all, a delightful place. I started out sweeping the open meadow, getting no spiders but lots of black true bugs, so I tried under the pines and eventually swept 9 species, including Philodromus and Dictyna that I don't immediately recognize. Pine and fir foliage added several more species. I got a monster Callobius nevadensis and a very cool Alaus click beetle under stump bark, and had good hopes for scraping pine-trunk bark scales, but alas, it produced nothing.
Laurel had "warmed up" for her favorite technique of tapping spiders out of fallen pine cones at a rest stop on the way (in the process, getting her, and our, third record of the pine-cone spider Theridion rabuni). On Horse Lake Mountain she went "hog wild" on the cones, tapping 200 of them in all! But aside from juveniles, only 2 spider, 1 harvestman and 1 pseudoscorpion species resulted, a clear case of diminishing returns. She had better luck turning over a few rocks, finding the third known specimen of an undescribed Neon (tiny jumping spider) and a few others. Late in the day, we proceeded up the road to a ravine I'd spotted on the map, in hopes of leaf litter. Sure enough, there were aspens, willows, and unusual species of alder and maple all contributing to deep litter in the hollows, adding 4 species to the bag; 2 more came off the riparian bushes. In all we collected 26 species, not that many but including very good records, to add to 3 old records from 1982. Tired but happy, we celebrated by eating masterpieces from EZ's Burger Deluxe in Wenatchee.
8 VII 2010: My friend Della signed up for a class in the Kitsap County town of Silverdale, where she'd never been. She enticed me to come along and help navigate by combining this with a collecting trip. Not her fault that the day turned out to be a 93° scorcher. Of 2 pre-selected Kitsap County Parks properties, the first one we checked, off Rude Road near Poulsbo, was accessible and allowed me to supplement a 3-species catch made back in 1987. In the album, you'll note a nice stand of timber in the SW corner of the 2009 aerial photo. It was cut this year. That explains the existence of a band of grassy field along one edge of the giant clearcut – it was a gas-line clearing, shaded by forest that's not there any more. Sweeping the grass got me 5 species. Even some ubiquitous introduced grassland spiders weren't there, but the grass produced the 2 best species at the site, Philodromus oneida and Ceraticelus vesperus. A lush-looking salal stand, also newly exposed to the sun by timber harvest, produced no spiders at all, but the fauna of nearby salal still in the shade was very diverse, 13 species from the foliage and 2 more from the litter. For all that I was at the edge of a Douglas-fir forest, fir foliage proved very hard to reach: too high on older trees while the young trees were enmeshed in a jungle of (mainly invasive) shrubs and vines. But I did get 5 species from this habitat, for about 21 total by the time Della returned from Silverdale.
So it's 4:30 pm, the ZipCar not due back until 11:30. What to do next? I thought of trying my other planned site, west of Silverdale on Hood Canal. But we soon found these roads jammed with rush-hour traffic heading home to Seabeck. Not quite sure I'd got enough species from the Poulsbo area, I decided to look for a site that might give me some riparian fauna. A little driving around brought us to a nice wide county-road right-of-way crossing Dogfish Creek in a rural valley. Once past the screening blackberries, this salmon stream looked pretty nice, but the foliage had no spiders I hadn't gotten at Rude Road. However, I got 3 additional species from roadside grass and fir foliage, including yet another range extension for Entelecara congenera, a recently introduced microspider. Now I have 27-29 species from the Poulsbo area, so it was worth doing.
15 VII 2010: I had 10 species records from someone's 1972-5 research project at Findley Lake in the Cedar River Watershed, and had long planned to supplement this old sample. Visiting Markku Savela wanted a short trip to break in a new rental car, so we (Markku, Valentina, 2-year-old Tristan, and I) headed up the Hansen Creek Road (just outside the watershed) expecting to park where the John Wayne (Iron Horse) Trail crosses the road and access habitats along the trail. But I goofed - after half an hour's vain search for the trail, we spotted it about 100 feet above our heads, where it crosses on an inaccessible trestle. In a hastily conceived Plan B, I navigated us up a logging road that goes nearly to the crest of the divide. Unfortunately, only a vast clearcut was accessible at the top. The July sun had blazed most spiders out of existence at the 4280-foot level, but I managed to get 4 species. Markku didn't have much luck either but he got some stunning photos of a tiger beetle. We decided to work our way back downhill, and the next stop (at the bottom of the same giant clearcut) was luckier for me. Some natural forest had been left along a tiny stream, and in the moist shade I got 8 species including an interesting Poeciloneta. But Markku still found no butterflies to photograph.
Down at the base of the mountain was a powerline clearing, normally a great habitat though now too late in the year for low elevation spiders. Spiders were sparse, but the field layer plus adjacent understory foliage gave me another 8 species. A last stop on the main river valley road marked my total failure to find a route to the bank of the South Fork Snoqualmie River, but I found the day's only mature wolf spider under stump bark. My 19 spider species, though hardly an outstanding catch, brought the old sample up to 27 species, so the day was worthwhile for me, and the new car definitely proved its mettle on the rough subalpine logging road.
23 VII 2010: The time had come for high-elevation collecting. Markku, partly recovered from the Savela family's summer cold, was ready to breathe mountain air on a not too arduous trip. I'd already identified some high country accessible by road just north of Mt. Rainier National Park, and we got there in about 2 hours easy driving. First stop was Lonesome Lake (4800 feet elevation), at the long forest road's very end. A really beautiful spot but not lacking in small, stealthy mosquitos; fortunately we had repellant (scratch, scratch). My initial catch of 9 spider species from conifer foliage was promising, and included one of the red-patterned undescribed mountain Pityohyphantes. I swept only 6 species from the narrow lake-shore meadow, and local wolf spider populations had already crashed; I collected only one and Markku photographed a different one. The litter and dead wood on the floor of these high forests can be very productive, and here got me 12 species including an unfamiliar hahniid. Markku found Xysticus locuples on the outside of the outhouse while I found several Steatoda hespera inside. After sweeping roadside shrubs for little that was new, we decided to try some different environments along our route out of the area.
The trail to Mule Lake eluded us, but the stream it feeds (Mule Creek) looked beautiful. Sifting lush moss along the banks got me precisely zero mature spiders, however. One unusual-looking Theridion swept at this site was juvenile – oh, well. Our last stop was in a subalpine flower meadow on the crest of Huckleberry Ridge. Another really beautiful spot that added 4 species for a total of 32, making the day most satisfactory. When nearly back down to the White River valley, we had to pause while a herd of elk moved off the road. Thanks to wondrous modern digital technology, I just missed getting a picture of them!
6 VIII 2010: Getting a good spider sample in August can be hard. The key to successful late summer collecting seems to be combining low and high elevation samples from one area. Today's plan was to collect at Dalles Campground along the White River highway (2160'), then at the 5280' summit of Sun Top, site of a fire lookout. Laurel and I enhanced our team with youthful Shannon Bowley, whom I've been helping to identify the spiders she rears and makes videos of. This was her first real collecting trip! As planned, the three of us combed the campground structures for spiders, getting 4 species including Novalena intermedia the "ranger station funnel weaver." I added two more from the understory. A big orbweaver that Shannon found proved to be native Araneus gemma. Across the river at the gate of McCullough Seed Orchard, we all swept grassy fields getting 6 more for a total of 13 mid-elevation species.
The lookout was staffed that day, letting us drive all the way up Sun Top; the summit area is an open parkland with small subalpine firs, the flowers now fading but still nice. Among us, we beat 11 species from fir foliage. Meadow foliage was much less productive with only 2 species identifiable. Shannon's young eyes spotted active Zelotes fratris and (prize catch of the trip) a day-active male of folding-door spider Antrodiaetus occultus, the first found north of Mt. Rainier. We spent our last couple of hours at a subalpine forest site south of the summit where we did even better: I sifted 7 species from fir litter, all of us collected from dead wood getting 9 species, and Laurel got 10 species from 166 white pine cones. The world's smallest mygalomorph (tarantula-like) spider Microhexura idahoana was here, also an undescribed Blabomma taken just once before, plus a microspider not yet placed even to genus. Even sweeping roadside verge and beating one especially lush fir tree added species. I was amazed by the day's total of 44 spider species. It sets a new record for August!
16 VIII 2010: I'd been to Mt. Townsend in 1998, when a very dry winter limited summer collecting in the high country, and got only 9 species. Laurel and I returned a month later in this much moister year and did much better, even though (due to a late start) we didn't have time to climb above treeline, but stopped in a subalpine meadow at the 4680-foot level (from 3360' at the trailhead). The meadow was exceptionally lush with scads of flowers in full bloom, butterflies flitting, and spiders available! Laurel swept 7 species here including yet another possibly new Pityohyphantes (this one lacks any pattern on the abdomen, most unusual!) while I got 6 from subalpine fir and 2 more from moss beside an adjacent stream. On the way up, Laurel had found nice big Araneus nordmanni and A. gemma in orb webs and 3 additional conifer spider species. Before heading back to the car, we stopped at the subalpine snack bar and had some of the most toothsome huckleberries I've ever tasted! Most of the flies here were rhagionids (those wimpy would-be biters), with just an occasional horse fly, and hardly any mosquitos.
On the previous trip, we'd just climbed the mountain and hadn't gone downhill from the trailhead to Sink Lake, where Townsend Creek ceases (for a while) to be a surface stream. This time I wanted to go there because the old growth promised well for litter collecting. But I should have sifted subalipine litter instead – at the lower elevation (2980') lake, even in old growth western hemlock, I couldn't get any litter spiders. I did add 4 species to the list by tapping wood fragments, while Laurel swept the lakeside marsh, adding 2 more. Sink Lake was definitely worth visiting, spiders or not; the forest was magnificent and the silence was awe-inspiring! Not one sound of human origin could the ear detect. No birds vocalizing at dusk, almost no mosquitos even by the lake, and the flies had "gone to bed." Quietest place I've been to this decade. Daylight deserting us, we headed back to the ferry; along the (surprisingly, mostly paved) forest road we saw many moths, several bats, an owl and a deer, fitting conclusion to a fine day with 25 species collected (for 31 total with the 1998 records).
20 X 2010: This year I waited until fall spider fauna was in full swing. Laurel had other commitments until after our good-weather window, so I took the bus to Monroe, site of the Evergreen State Fair. It was a short walk to the almost deserted fairgrounds, with Evergreen Equestrian Park at the north end. Google Street View had shown me good conifer foliage habitat in the park's lawns. On the spot, the trees were a bit hard to identify, apparently a planted non-native spruce species. The 9 spider species in the foliage included numerous Zygiella atrica. This population has the carapace especially well marked (see album) with a "violin" (one of many spider species duplicating the allegedly "identifying mark" of the notorious "brown recluse"). Next, I found one gap in the blackberry-thicket barrier at the edge of the woods, leading to a deep stream ravine and some alder litter productive of 8 more species. That exhaused the developed part of the park – for the rest, it was mostly lawn still wet with the just-lifted fog. So I scrambled up a steep path to a hill crest from which trails (probably for horses) led in 3 directions. Some cottonwood-alder litter at the junction produced only a few species, but nice deep rich maple litter along 2 of the side trails jointly produced 16 spider and 3 harvestman species. One trail went down through a cut with rich fern foliage hanging down both sides, with 11 species of understory spiders. Farther down the trail was a wooded floodplain with moss (8 species sifted). I'd put off sweeping grass until the end, hoping the dew and fog-condensation would have dried in the afternoon sun. Much of it was still wet, and what had dried had plenty of blackberry lurking, but I managed to get 4 species of grass dwellers. I never actually saw a train, but they were passing all day with much hooting and wailing, reminding me of a Duke Ellington swing song. Finally I descended the hill through evening sun glare with 39 spider species, and didn't have long to wait for my return bus at the handy Park-and-Ride lot (hike-and-ride for me).
3 XI 2010: A rainy period finally yielded to 2 sunny days with record high temperatures. On the second, Laurel and I headed east of Snoqualmie Pass to the old mining town of Roslyn, where the Coal Mines Trail follows an old rail route. After checking out a different, less-promising trail north of town, we strolled down the rail route and immediately found sweepable fields. The grass produced only a few spiders at first, then one specially rich section added several species for a total of 10. Meanwhile, Laurel found her favorite habitat, Ponderosa pine cones, fallen but not very well opened. Besides numerous juvenile lycosids and gnaphosids, she did get 7 identifiable species, featuring Agroeca ornata. A short side road brought me to riparian cottonwoods and several bags of cold, unproductive leaf litter before I got some good spiders in litter on a sunny slope – 12 species including 3 not yet identified! I also (unluckily) grabbed a small bagfull of cold litter from a ravine bottom for the Berlese funnel. Both Laurel and I found some Douglas-firs in the understory to beat (10 species), and had exceptionally good luck sweeping bracken, snowberry and herbs in the understory, for 10 more species including several specimens of an unidentified erigonine microspider. A discarded suitcase Laurel found added 3 species from its interior! With the sun sinking, I sifted 5 species from a different kind of litter (probably Douglas maple), and turned over a few more rocks. Just the few rocks I was able to find gave me 4 good spider species. Total, 47. On the way hone, we were glad to find our beloved Moutain High Burgers in Easton open for business.
Now for the unlucky part. I loaded the litter into my old reliable Berlese funnel in my office. First time I've used it this year. Next day, the Executive Director happened upon it – uh-oh! In technical violation of a policy against sources of live bugs in the museum, it put me in serious hot water and the funnel (really not a source of collection pests) out-of-bounds for the future. However, she's the boss!
Stay tuned for more collecting in the spring!


text:
India Plantation
A delicate Indian Arabica with a rich bouquet of the spice and fruit notes that are characteristic of coffees from this region. Minimal acidity, delicate bitterness and a full body allow you to fully savour an exotic composition of flavours and aromas of pepper and fine wood.
Taste: Pepper, Papaya, Fine wood, Spices
Acidity 1.7
Intensity 4
Growing altitude
1000-1500 m a.s.l.
India Plantation, believed to be one of the best Indian coffees, is a composition characteristic of this geographic region of distinctive spice flavour notes and light, fruity aromas. Minimal acidity, delicate bitterness and a fully body aid in highlighting this exotic combination of tastes and aromas of pepper, papaya and fine wood.
Indian universe of flavours
Coffee plantations in India exist in a separate universe that is home to a many plant varieties, including fruits and spices. Pepper, cardamom, vanilla, oranges and bananas grow alongside coffee trees and together form a common ecosystem. These also include trees that provide shade for the coffee; as many as 50 different kinds of such trees grow on Indian plantations. These trees prevent soil erosion on steep terrain, enrich the soil, protect coffee trees from seasonal temperature swings and bring biodiversity to the area. India is the only country where coffee is grown entirely in the shade, under a tree "canopy".
All of these factors have an influence on the character of the coffee trees, which mature slowly and have the time to become saturated in various spice and plant flavours and aromas in their surroundings. That is why Indian coffee is delicate, not very acidic and has a full, rich taste and a mild aroma of spices and fruits that is found nowhere else.
High-quality Indian coffee, irrespective of the region where it is grown, appears under the common "Plantation" brand. This mark suggests that the consumer can expect expertly selected beans with ideal proportions, the right colour and reproducible properties, treated using the wet method.
Coffee with a history
India is commonly believed to be a leading producer of excellent teas. Relatively fewer people associate the country with coffee. India has produced and exported coffee on a large scale for more than 150 years since the British founded the first mountain plantations in the south of the country. Currently, India is the fifth largest Arabica producer worldwide after Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and Ethiopia.
The history of coffee in India is even older, however, and stretches back 400 years. A well-known legend says that the Muslim pilgrim Baba Budan, during a time when the Arabs jealously guarded their coffee seedlings and seeds, while returning from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, took with him seven raw seeds and planted them in his family lands. They were in the vicinity of caves in Chikmahlur in the south, in the Karnak region, now believed to be the cradle of Indian coffee cultivation.
Karnak, along with the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, are the traditional and oldest regions of cultivation, which are currently responsible for 92% of all coffee production in India. In connection with large demand, coffee spread to other areas such as Andhara Pradesh, Orissa and Maharastra and the government has invested a great deal of work into developing these regions, at the same time ensuring that the poor families who live there have the means to make a living.
In light of the different climate and natural conditions that dominate in various regions, many different varieties of coffee are grown in India – from high-quality Arabica such as India Plantation to variations that are less appreciated by experts but more resistent to a hot and humid climate such as Robusta.
You're reviewing:India Plantation 200 g whole beans/ground

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Washington: The US Defense Ministry has officially started a review of the country's nuclear posture and will submit a final report to President Donald Trump at the end of this year, the Pentagon announced Monday.
"Today, Secretary (James) Mattis directed the commencement of the review, which will be led by the deputy secretary of defense and the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and include interagency partners," Xinhua news agency quoted a Pentagon spokeswoman as saying.
"The process will culminate in a final report to the president by the end of the year," said the statement.
The nuclear posture review was ordered by Trump in a January executive action on military readiness.
The January memo called for a review "to ensure that the United States nuclear deterrent is modern, robust, flexible, resilient, ready and appropriately tailored to deter 21st-century threats and reassure our allies."
Democratic lawmaker Adam Smith, a ranking member of the House Armed Services committee, said he hopes the review includes a "thoughtful assessment" to "rethink what the priorities should be for a strong yet affordable nuclear arsenal."
"In the past, nuclear posture reviews have considered in depth the crucial role played by efforts to enhance strategic stability and prevent nuclear proliferation," he said in a statement.
"It is important that this review do the same. I hope that it includes a thorough assessment of policy options that would allow us to avoid a costly and dangerous nuclear arms race; and that it properly analyzes the enormous risks inherent in lowering the threshold for using nuclear weapons." said Smith.
Though planned since January under Trump's order, the start of the nuclear review comes at a time of high anxiety over increasing tensions on the Korean peninsula.
The last time the Pentagon conducted a nuclear posture review was in 2010.


text:
HEFLEY LAW, APC
Legal Specialties
Updates/Case Law
Events and Photos
Money Charts
Applicant using fake ID for Comp claim guilty of Felony
An Applicant who used fake identification to file a claim for an injury that he was also faking was sentenced Tuesday to a year in jail for felony workers' compensation fraud, according to Intercare Holdings Insurance Services.
Juan Zendejas Barron, of Watsonville, pleaded guilty in March to two counts of insurance fraud, one count of perjury and one count of using a false identity to file a claim, all felonies, Intercare said. The Santa Cruz County Superior Court sentenced him Tuesday to one year in jail, a $1,200 fine and ordered him to pay $124,027 in restitution in monthly installments.
Barron filed a claim against Ramco Enterprises in September 2015 for an alleged injury to his groin, legs, back and abdomen using the name and Social Security number of Octavio Guadarrama. Prosecutors learned that he had used a false identify after the real Guardarrama showed up at a court hearing wondering why he had been charged with fraud.
Investigators learned that Barron had also filed a claim under his own name for an injury to the same body part against a different employer, Intercare said.
Division of Workers' Compensation online records show that he filed a claim against Christopher Ranch for injury to his respiratory system and skin in 2015, and against Silver Mountain Vineyards for an injury to his head, brain, neck and back in 2012.
Barron was ordered to report to authorities by June 1 to begin his jail term.
Copyright 2018 Hefley Law, APC


Incoming Senate Finance Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) told Politico that there is "very little interest in the [House] Ways and Means Committee" for tax extenders, "except maybe for a couple," including the biodiesel tax credit.
"We've got about 25 extenders that are expiring and very little interest in the Ways and Means Committee for extending them except maybe for a couple," such as one dealing with biodiesel, Sen. Grassley told reporters.
At the same time, groups backed by wealthy GOP donor Charles Koch are urging Congress not to renew expired tax breaks.


Body wash is not the most exciting of products but an essential none the less so worthy of a blog review. My main requirement for this type of product is it must be free from essential oils. I have seen a great improvement in my skin since I decided to ditch my obsession with lavender. The dermatologist skin tests I had a Christmas indicated a possible sensitivity to Linalool so I have limited my exposure to Lavender ever since. I have concluded that some areas of my body are possibly more sensitive to this ingredient than others. It could be coincidental but the dermatitis on my chest has finally stopped flaring, which I am relieved about as it has been driving me nuts for a couple of years.
Scent free products are difficult to come by. I find few brands have these products in their ranges unless they have a personal understanding of allergies/sensitivity. Occasionally you'll come across a bigger brand that accommodate and that's why Desert Essence came into my life. I am fortunate to have a local stockist so I can grab the Fragrance Free Body Wash when stocking up on Free From foods.
It's a simple review I know but basically I like the Desert Essence Fragrance Free Body Wash. It has a great lather and lovely ingredients so I have no complaints. The packaging is the same as their haircare which suits me fine. In combination with my Konjac Sponge I feel happy that my skin is being treated kindly and I do not suffer dryness or irritation. It's a good all rounder which I think would suit anyone. I will definitely be purchasing again. Despite a slightly higher price point than other brands I find I don't use much product so I can make it last and get my monies worth.
Great review. I haven't tried any of dessert essence products but will definitely check them out. Love trying out new body washes as it's the one product that get used up the most.


Next, on our 2019 CNY food tasting list, is a new era of Chinese dining in Singapore: Madame Fan at JW Marriott The NCO Club!
Located in a three-story entertainment lifestyle destination, Madame Fan is an etiquette-free Chinese fine dining restaurant led by acclaimed restaurateur Alan Yau, who is also known as the founder of Wagamama and Michelin Star award-winning Hakkasan in UK.
Lush, plush, bright, dark and cozy. The dark, elegant interior of Madame Fan had us basking in the luxury, modish vibes, while the bright, sophisticated open-air outdoor area was a breath of fresh air to chill.
To celebrate the arrival of a joyous Chinese New Year, exquisite set lunches and dinners as well as reunion feasts are available at Madame Fan from 16 January to 19 February 2019. And here are some of the dishes we have tried in their Chinese New Year menu.
It is believed that eating Nian Gao (a Chinese New Year's Glutinous cake) during Chinese New Year brings you good luck and greater heights for the new year, so how could we miss out on this auspicious dish? Seemingly a pan-fried version, it is lightly crisp and tender.
Yu Sheng with cherry tomatoes and sweet corn included? Sounds healthy to us! Madame Fan's Prosperity Yu Sheng (Small: $88, Large: $128) sees distinctive ingredients like the crispy rice noodles, purple cabbage, silver fish, pomelo, mandarin orange and green mango that gives you a wholesome texture and taste. Yu Sheng sauce was not overpowering, and we love the sweetness of the fruits. Hence, a must-try Yu Sheng this 2019!
However, it is only available for dine-in only. You can opt for premium add-ons to your Prosperity Yu Sheng which include the Live Abalone from South Africa ($68 per 100g), Boston Lobster ($68 per 100g), Geoduck ($68 per 100g) as well as Kaluga Caviar ($170 per 50g).
"Bird nest? A sweet dessert?" Well, not quite. Savoury fans will be happy to relish in Madame Fan's savoury Bird Nest, Crab Meat and Crab Roe with Supreme Stock is rich and flavourful, with every ingredient doing a good job complementing one another. However, the mild grassy taste of the bean sprouts was quite strong, although it did give a good crunch to the savoury dish.
We love tofu! And the tofu in South Africa Abalone and Tofu with Seasonal Vegetables certainly did not disappoint! Verdict? Tender tofu, chewy and succulent abalone, and tender-crisp broccoli.
Expect only freshness from the garoupa and an umami, sweet taste when dipped into the Hong Kong Pat Chun Premium Soy in the Steamed Red Spot Garoupa Hong Kong Pat Chun Premium Soy, Ginger, Spring Onion.
The best dish of Madame Fan's Chinese New Year Set Menu? It got to be the Charcoal Grilled Wagyu with Foie Gras! The mouth-watering marbled beef is extremely tender and has a melt-in-the-mouth texture. Foie gras leaves a sweet aftertaste and a nagging thought telling you that you'd need another serving.
Braised King Prawn, Ginger and Spring Onion with Ee Fu Noodle is a wetter version with plentiful sauce and a well-cooked humongous king prawn!
Mandarin orange for real? Shaped in the form of a mandarin orange, the real-looking Chocolate Cremeux with Mandarin Orange is one delicate yet quintessential must-try dessert that had our dessert tummies more than happy! A refreshing citrusy taste from the orange outer layer, and a smooth inner cream-based texture. Also, we're giving additional points given for the gold flakes at the top of the leaf!
For reservations and enquiries, email dining.reservations@thencoclub.com or visit thencoclub.com.


tie against Tottenham at Wembley on Wednesday by trying to source more than 30 tickets for family and friends.
At 12, he left home for Watford's residential halls at Harefield Academy and at 14 moved on to Manchester City. At 17, he joined Dortmund and at 18 he is a fixture in Lucien Favre's team, capped by England and one of the most exciting and in-demand young footballers in the world.
'Friends always ask, 'Can I have a shirt for my little brother or my cousin', and I always send them shirts,' said Sancho. 'I'll never forget where I've come from. I know what it's like growing up in that area. It's not nice, especially when you have people around you doing bad things. For the kids of south London, I hope I can give a positive message.
'Don't do those bad things. You don't have to be footballers. You could focus on your school work. Education is the most important thing and a lot of kids in south London get distracted from education.
Sancho is serious about getting this advice across to inner-city schoolchildren and plans a series of personal visits to the classroom. 'I had to get out of there and focus on what I love, which is football,' he said.
Once he had made up his mind to leave City, Sancho weighed up the pros and cons of several suitors. Factors pushing him towards Dortmund included the heritage and identity of one of Germany's most successful clubs, passionate fans, the exhilarating din of Westfalenstadion and their reputation for trusting young players.
He does not lack confidence and is probably right. Everything is going so spectacularly well that Sancho is improving at a rapid rate, his flair and invention flourishing under the direction of new boss Favre. A brilliant solo goal in Saturday's 3-3 draw against Hoffenheim was his eighth of the season and the £8million fee seems destined to go down as one of football's great steals.
'This has been a crazy year, I would never have imagined it,' he said.
'This is all new and crazy. I just have to keep working hard, keep focused and hopefully I can go further.
'It hasn't been easy. I've had to work for this. Obviously training and showing what I'm about to coaches. They've seen what I can do and I've been showing it in games, doing my skills, doing what I do best.
He shares an apartment in Dortmund with his father and is slowly picking up the language. 'I know what the manager is saying in training sessions, which makes it easier,' said Sancho.
'I like the city a lot. It's chilled, nice people. I'm loving it. I think me being comfortable abroad is due to the fact I've been away from home since I was young.
'When I first left home, at Harefield Academy when I was at Watford, it was difficult because I wasn't used to it. I was always with my mum.
'It was about the youngsters here getting opportunities,' said Sancho. 'I really felt Dortmund was the right club for me. They spoke to me and said the things I wanted to hear. Now they're showing it and I couldn't thank them more.
'The other day I messaged Rabbi and said, 'I know it's gonna be hard, make sure you just stay focused because it will be tough' and he said, 'Thank you'.
On Saturday, Reiss Nelson, on loan from Arsenal, came off the bench for Hoffenheim in the 3-3 draw. 'We go way back,' said Sancho. 'I first met Reiss when I was playing for Watford. We used to play each other in Southwark youth games.
'I feel young players are looking to go away because they've seen my success but it's not easy,' added Sancho.
'People think it's because I'm doing so well but everyone's journey is different. A lot of people doubt you. That's life. It's how you deal with it. And the team around me have helped me. I've made the right choices so far.
'The area I've come from and the friends I have, I could say some of them are bad influences, but my family just kept me away from that, so I'm grateful to them.
'I'm improving every day and the likes of Marco Reus, Mario Gotze and Axel Witsel are great role models. It's nice to have them around telling me what to do and what's not good, helping me solve things I wouldn't solve by myself, so I'm happy.
Sancho is very much part of Gareth Southgate's thoughts as attention turns towards the Euro 2020 qualifiers in spring and the final stages of the UEFA Nations League in the summer.
He has three England caps, making his debut in Croatia in October and his first start, a month later, in a friendly against the USA at Wembley. Southgate's assistant Steve Holland dropped in at Dortmund's training ground recently.
When he was called up by England, Spurs midfielder Harry Winks helped him settle in. 'We were both new,' said Sancho. 'I was new and he was kind of new. He welcomed me and I'm good friends with Harry now.


The standard financial analysis and valuation methodologies that apply to most companies do not apply to industries that "use money to make money." Balance Sheet based companies, such as banks, play by different rules and methodologies based on the unique nature of their businesses. First, start off with an interactive primer on commercial banks and their financial statement terminology and drivers. Learn how to analyze various bank-specific jargon such as net vs. gross charge-offs vs. provisions, etc. Crystallize the impact of Interest Rates, importance of term structure and credit spreads and implications on a bank's profitability. Examine best practices in calculating net interest income via average asset and liability balances on the income statement. Dive into an analysis of Balance Sheet assets & liabilities and articulate the drivers of EPS growth.
Then, build a basic, streamlined bank financial model that builds upon the bank terminology in our primer. Before diving deep into the complex nuances of our Advanced Bank Financial Model, really solidify your understanding of developing the logic in loan losses and provisions and its impact on the rest of the larger bank financial statements. Perform quick back-of-the-envelope calculations for key Balance Sheet items such as Interest Earning Assets and Interest Bearing Liabilities, which yield Net Interest Income. Estimate and calculate capital adequacy ratios to wrap up your summary simplified basic bank model.
Pre-requisite - Basic understanding of Excel required. Lack of basic Excel skills will impede your ability to effectively acquire and implement the techniques and shortcuts that are presented in this program.
NOTE: Bring your PC laptop with Microsoft Excel installed and a working USB slot drive (files will be copied using USB thumb drive). (Macs with Office 2008 will not be as effective).
Student-Member Rate: $125 (cash, check or credit card); Limited seats available.
Cancellations accepted until 5:00 pm, Monday, April 26. There is a $5 surcharge for walk-ins.


Susan Borofsky asked Antigravity Design to design a website in conjunction with her release of two new CDs celebrating the musical heritage of her Jewish roots.
I designed and built a small website that showcased both of the CDs as well as her cabaret and stage work. The elegant typography of the custom logo is a reflection of Susan's sense of style.


We speak with one voice!
Welcome to the 17th ISAD Online Conference! The conference runs from October 1 until October 22, International Stuttering Awareness Day.
Thanks for participating in the 2014 Online Conference. Comments are now closed.
For those of you using the 'Ask and Expert' and the 'ISAD 2014 Around the World' pages, please read the instructions on each introduction page before posting to that topic.
The ability to see papers will only be enabled from October 1 and comments can only be added or edited between October 1 and October 22, but all content will be available after October 22.
People reading the pages of this online conference may not have English as their first language. A machine translation service can be found on the right side of each page of this website. To use it on a specific page, click the preferred language.


text:
Advertorial feature by Aberdeen Standard Investments
11 February 2021updated 09 Sep 2021 11:39am
The year ahead for Asia: recovery beckons
There is cautious optimism about the path of the recovery in Asia as it starts to put the Covid-19 crisis behind it.
By Aberdeen Standard Investments
For Asian economies, 2021 looks set to be a year of regeneration and renewal. The Covid-19 crisis has brought vast disruption to people's lives and livelihoods, to businesses and to economies. The region's competent management of the virus has allowed economic activity to resume, but businesses still need to find their footing in a changed world.
There is cautious optimism about the path of the recovery in Asia. While some industries, such as travel and tourism, remain depressed, others, such as retail, have rebounded quickly. Economic statistics are improving across the region. Some countries, such as China, even saw positive economic growth in 2020 and look set to repeat this in 2021.
There is still some concern on the virus. James Thom, manager at Aberdeen New Dawn Investment Trust, says: "The course of the pandemic is the key question for Asia today. At the moment, it is looking relatively encouraging for Asia and the vaccine is a positive, but we still have some way to go and Asia remains vulnerable to waves of infection."
If the virus remains supressed, Asian governments will be able to turn their attention to other priorities. First on their list may be to navigate the change in US administration. It is fair to say that US/China relations were both frosty and unpredictable under the presidency of Donald Trump. Joe Biden is likely to bring a change of tone, even if he does not take a substantive change in approach.
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A more measured approach to international relations should be good for the region's economies. Orsen Karnburisudthi, manager at Aberdeen New Thai Investment Trust, says: "Any less uncertainty on global trade is a positive for Thailand. Around a third of Thailand's GDP is driven by global trade so the uncertainty over past years has been a negative headwind across a variety of products, from agricultural products to automobiles [and from] electronics to fisheries. An improvement in trade will be positive not only for the Thai economy, but also for neighbouring countries."
Thom agrees: "In aggregate, we believe the new administration will be marginally positive from a macro standpoint. We anticipate tensions will remain, but Biden should be a bit more multilateral and predictable in his dealings with China."
In spite of a marginal thawing in the heated relationship between China and the US, Yoojeong Oh, manager of Aberdeen Asian Income Fund, expects that China's desire for self-reliance will grow: "Supply chain vulnerabilities were highlighted during the first stage of the pandemic and through the US trade war. We expect a stronger focus on boosting domestic consumption and localisation of new technology supply chains." Nowhere is this clearer than in the growth of China's nascent semiconductor industry. With its flagship telco Huawei cut off from US semiconductor companies, China has chosen to build its own.
This is innovation of necessity, but there is likely to be plenty of other innovation this year. In common with the US and EU, Asian government stimulus measures have come with green strings attached. China has now committed to being carbon neutral by 2060. Yoojeong says she is already seeing this reflected in corporate behaviour and it is likely to be an important trend in the year ahead.
The pandemic has prompted a shift from offline to online activities, whether that is shopping or gaming, video content or remote working. Thom says: "Asia has many companies that are active in these areas and we have several of them in the New Dawn portfolio. The pandemic has not been all bad news for the corporate sector. It has brought about opportunity as well."
The corporate sector appears to be emerging in good health, given the shock of 2020. Thom adds: "Earnings contracted quite a bit last year and into negative territory, but the market is expecting earnings in Asia to rebound by more than 20 per cent in 2021, perhaps as much as 25 per cent… From a fundamental earnings growth perspective, there is cause for optimism."
Aberdeen Standard Investments' Asian managers have been repositioning their portfolios to adjust to this new reality. Karnburisudthi says that while he trimmed riskier positions, such as banks and property developers, early in the pandemic, he has been strategically adding in areas that may benefit from a recovery. That includes Airports of Thailand, which is poised to benefit as tourism resumes.
Oh has also made use of price volatility to buy companies sold down during indiscriminate market sell-offs. She says: "We were quick to pare back exposure to leisure areas, such as hospitality REITs [real estate investment trusts] and to sectors where dividends were suspended by the regulators, such as financials. We topped up some domestic China growth names, which are benefitting from the consumption story. We have also backed technology hardware companies that are beneficiaries of the increased use of cloud computing and data traffic."
Thom has found interesting ideas in the healthcare sector – including makers of equipment, such as ventilators, going into intensive care units, or companies involved in manufacturing treatments or testing equipment – and now holds several of these in the portfolio.
However, there is no question of wholesale changes in any of the trusts. Managers take time to understand and perform due diligence on companies over the years and ensure they are invested in companies where the business model has the potential to withstand disruption. In most cases, there should be no need to make significant adjustments in response to a crisis.
Overall, there is much to be optimistic about in the year ahead. Thom concludes: "Asia is still home to many attractive long-term structural growth stories, which have the potential to underpin growth in the consumer sector, in the technology sector, in the healthcare sector and in the green and renewables space. These are multi-year, long-term drivers of growth and that will provide a level of support no matter what comes next."
Risk factors you should consider prior to investing:
· The value of investments and the income from them can fall and investors may get back less than the amount invested.
· Past performance is not a guide to future results.
· Investment in the Company may not be appropriate for investors who plan to withdraw their money within five years.
· The Company may borrow to finance further investment (gearing). The use of gearing is likely to lead to volatility in the net asset value (NAV), meaning that any movement in the value of the company's assets will result in a magnified movement in the NAV.
· The Company may accumulate investment positions that represent more than normal trading volumes, which may make it difficult to realise investments and may lead to volatility in the market price of the Company's shares.
· The Company may charge expenses to capital, which may erode the capital value of the investment.
· Movements in exchange rates will impact on both the level of income received and the capital value of your investment.
· There is no guarantee that the market price of the Company's shares will fully reflect their underlying NAV.
· As with all stock exchange investments the value of the Company's shares purchased will immediately fall by the difference between the buying and selling prices – the bid-offer spread. If trading volumes fall, the bid-offer spread can widen.
· The Company invests in emerging markets, which tend to be more volatile than mature markets and the value of your investment could move sharply up or down.
· Yields are estimated figures and may fluctuate, there are no guarantees that future dividends will match or exceed historic dividends, and certain investors may be subject to further tax on dividends.
· Derivatives may be used, subject to restrictions set out for the Company, in order to manage risk and generate income. The market in derivatives can be volatile and there is a higher than average risk of loss.
Issued by Aberdeen Asset Managers Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom. Registered Office: 10 Queen's Terrace, Aberdeen AB10 1XL. Registered in Scotland No. 108419. An investment trust should be considered only as part of a balanced portfolio. Under no circumstances should this information be considered as an offer or solicitation to deal in investments.
Find out more at www.newdawn-trust.co.uk, www.newthai-trust.co.uk and www.asian-income.co.uk or by registering for updates.
You can also follow us on Twitter or LinkedIn
Aberdeen Standard Investments
AberdeenStandard Investments
Inflation: Worth considering, or is it all just hot air?
The great rotation: Will it endure?
Opportunity for change in real estate markets
How do we level up the UK? Focus on quality jobs that work for people


These snapshot of anime android wallpaper hd is really good coloring for your kids. You have authorization to download without charge by clicking the DOWNLOAD button under the picture. It will be connected to a new window. Do right click on the snapshot, then take save picture as… After that you can to revise the file name and the folder where you want to save the file. Then click the save button.
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Finding A Competent Tree Removal Service Firm.
If you have booked a tree service agency, the following are roles they will play. Hire a god trees service providers for professional tree pruning and trimming operations. They will also eliminate all the braces that have been trimmed so as to clear your surrounding.
One should, therefore, ensure only the enviable tree service providers are chosen. Many tree service agencies have online presence so you need to visit them from there. The best tree service providers are also on the local areas and this is where they serve their clients form.
When finding the tree service providers, the following set of tips should be in your mind. Check if you are seeking tree service provider with exposure and expertise. If they have offered this service for a long period of time, they are expertise.
The tree service providers with many tress service operations are also exposed. You also need to know that expertise tree removal firms have awesome insight and prowess. The best tree service providers are those guaranteeing you quality oriented operations.
Let the tree service provider show you some of their past dealings for you to know if they are immaculate. Let the tree service provider give you a list of their preferred customers so you can ask them more about the same agency.
They should also have five star ratings meaning many people prefer and admire their services. If you find a tree service provider with a track records, you should hire then. Moreover, reputable tree service providers are awesome since they will do their best to remain at the par with other firms.
The cost of hiring a tree service provider should also be documented before they are chosen. You can find affordable and fairly charging tree service provider that wont exaggerate on their fees. The other feature you need to check is if the tree service provider is insured by a good insurance firm.
When anything bad happen in the course of the tree service provision, the insured tree service providers can fetch compensations for their workers. Ask the tree removal agency if they have legit licenses and working permits from the local government.
The benefit with licensed and registered tree service firms is they offer immaculate service and are genuine. Get hints on if the tree service provider being chosen will be timely and effective in their tasks.
Investigate if the trees service provider has awesome resources and utilities to aid them in services. A professional tree service firm will have enough workers that are closely supervised for them to give the best services.
Finally as you hire a good tree service provider, remember they should have a good plan on how they will progress with the operation when there are challenges.


text:
Q: understanding code generated by Java hotspot JIT for float test I have noticed that some innocent looking if-statements in one of my number crunching programs significantly slow down the execution (JRE 1.8.25, 64-bit Hotspot build 25.25-b02, Intel 64-bit CPU).
I have checked the code generated by the JIT compiler and it looks a little bit strange. Here is a simple function to illustrate the problem:
private float test(float a,float b) {
    float c=a+b;
    if(c<0) {
        return -1;
    }
    return 0;
}

And here is the interesting part of the generated code:
...
0x2bd17ae: vaddss  xmm0,xmm0,xmm1
0x2bd17b2: vxorps  xmm1,xmm1,xmm1
0x2bd17b6: vucomiss xmm0,xmm1
0x2bd17ba: mov     esi,1h
0x2bd17bf: jp      2bd17d8h
0x2bd17c5: jnbe    2bd17d8h
0x2bd17cb: mov     esi,0h
0x2bd17d0: je      2bd17d8h
0x2bd17d6: dec     esi               ;*fcmpg
0x2bd17d8: cmp     esi,0h
0x2bd17db: mov     rsi,57448760h     ; {metadata(method data for {method} ...}
0x2bd17e5: mov     rdi,108h
0x2bd17ef: jnl     2bd17ffh
0x2bd17f5: mov     rdi,118h
0x2bd17ff: mov     rbx,qword ptr [rsi+rdi]
0x2bd1803: lea     rbx,[rbx+1h]
0x2bd1807: mov     qword ptr [rsi+rdi],rbx
0x2bd180b: jnl     2bd1c1fh          ;*ifge
...
// straightforward code for "return -1f" and "return 0f" follows
...

The code from 0x2bd17ba to 0x2bd1807 doesn't make much sense to me. Why is it there? Any idea what it does?
Edit: Thinking about it, it might be some code added by the JIT compiler to collect runtime statistics (just guessing because of the 'metadata' comment). But the question is: why is there? I have called the method several million times, so I would assume that the code should have reached its final optimized form.

A: (v)ucomiss sets the flags as follows:
unordered    zf,pf,cf = 111
greater      zf,pf,cf = 000
less than    zf,pf,cf = 001
equal        zf,pf,cf = 100

So this code:
    mov     esi,1h
    jp      label  ; if unordered, or
    jnbe    label  ; if greater than, keep it at 1
    mov     esi,0h
    je      label  ; if equal, make 0
    dec     esi    ; otherwise -1
label:

Makes esi = 1 (if unordered or greater), esi = 0 (if equal), esi = -1 (if smaller)
Then it compared esi to 0 and the line marked "ifge" does indeed check for "if greater or equal" (sort of, also includes the unordered case) by checking that esi is not less than 0, so the "else" part of the branch.
The part from 0x2bd17db to 0x2bd1807 increments two counters conditionally, either one or the other, depending on which way the branch takes. So it's some sort of profiling. Perhaps used for optimization later, but I don't know (what else would you use it for though).
They could just have done:
vaddss  xmm0,xmm0,xmm1
vxorps  xmm1,xmm1,xmm1
vcmpss  xmm0,xmm1,1
vandps  xmm0,xmm0,[rel negative_one]
ret

With no profiling, but then there would be no branch so nothing to profile.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange