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Main Page
From CSTB
Welcome on the CSTB site.
This site is aimed at sharing information between members of the CSTB committee, between the CSTB committee and the European research balloon community, and among the community itself. It has been designed as a wiki to foster collaboration and exchanges. As a member of the community, you are encourage to exchange, react, and post new information through this site.
Site organisation
You should use:
- the Current events page (here or on the left sidebar) to post announcements on ongoing activities/campaigns,
- the Community Portal (here or on the left sidebar) to initiate, follow or react to discussions relevant for the broad balloon community.
- the CSTB Broadcast (here or on the left sidebar) to follow CSTB activities (including call for proposals and minutes of meetings).
Note that you will have to create an account to edit/create pages (anonymous editing forbidden).
A section of this site is only accessible to CSTB members.
CSTB in a few words
CSTB stands for "Comité Scientifique et Technique Ballon" (Balloon Scientific and Technical Committee). It is composed of:
aimed at defining and organizing the CNES/INSU Research Balloon programme.
The CNES/INSU Research Balloon programme addresses several scientific topics:
- Dynamics/Chemistry of the Earth lower atmosphere (boundary layer and lower troposphere), upper troposphere and lower stratosphere,
- Atmospheric electricity,
- Planetary atmospheres (other than Earth),
- Astronomy and Astrophysics,
- Solid Physics and Electronics.
CSTB composition
As of April 2013, the CSTB committee has the following composition.
|CSTB representatives
| Ex-officio members
(representing committees of CNES and CNRS)
|Scientific community
|Invited representatives
Claude Camy-Peyret (President)
Nadir Amarouche (DT/INSU)[3]
Gwenaël Berthet (LPC2E)
Carole Deniel (CNES DSP)[9]
Notes and References
- ↑ Institut National des Sciences de l'Univers, within Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique.
- ↑ Centre National des Études Spatiales, the French Space Agency.
- ↑ INSU Technical division
- ↑ INSU programme on "Les Enveloppes Fluides et leur Environnement"
- ↑ INSU "Commission Spécialisée Astronomie Astrophysique"
- ↑ CNES committee on "Terre, Océan, Surfaces Continentales, Atmosphère"
- ↑ CNES "Comité d'Evaluation sur la Recherche et l'Exploration Spatiales"
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 CNES Balloon sub-directorate
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 CNES Strategy and Programme division
- ↑ INSU Ocean and Atmosphere Division


text: Dear Colleagues, Due to several requests the submission deadlines for MFPS XXVIII have been extended by one week. The new dates are: - 2 March 2012 Title and Short Abstract submission due - 9 March 2012 Paper submission due The amended CfP is appended below. Best regards, Ulrich Berger (Chair of the MFPS XXVIII Programme Committee) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ MFPS XXVIII http://www.math.tulane.edu/~mfps/MFPS28 Twenty-eighth Conference on the Mathematical Foundations of Programming Semantics University of Bath United Kingdom 6 - 9 June 2012 In association with the Alan Turing Year The Twenty-eighth Conference on the Mathematical Foundations of Programming Semantics will take place on the campus of the University of Bath, United Kingdom from June 6 through June 9, 2012. MFPS conferences are devoted to those areas of mathematics, logic, and computer science that are related to models of computation, in general, and to the semantics of programming languages, in particular. The series has particularly stressed providing a forum where researchers in mathematics and computer science can meet and exchange ideas about problems of common interest. As the series also strives to maintain breadth in its scope, the conference strongly encourages participation by researchers in neighbouring areas. TOPICS include, but are not limited to, the following: biocomputation; concurrent qualitative and quantitative distributed systems; process calculi; probabilistic systems; constructive mathematics; domain theory and categorical models; formal languages; formal methods; game semantics; lambda calculus; programming-language theory; quantum computation; security; topological models; logic; type systems; type theory. We also welcome contributions that address applications of semantics to novel areas such as complex systems, markets, and networks, for example. INVITED SPEAKERS: Steve Awodey, CMU Michael Clarkson, GWU Patricia Johann, Strathclyde Dexter Kozen, Cornell Drew Moshier, Chapman John Power, Bath SPECIAL SESSIONS: There will be four special sessions at the meeting, each associated with one of the plenary talks: * Logic, computation and algebraic topology, organised by Steve Awodey and Michael Mislove * Security, organised by Michael Clarkson and Catherine Meadows. The papers in this session will be chosen from the papers submitted in response to this Call. * Computational effects, organised by John Power * Computability on Continuous Data, organised by Drew Moshier There also will be a series of four Tutorial Lectures; the topic and speakers will be announced later. PROGRAM COMMITTEE: Thorsten Altenkirch, U Nottingham, UK Steve Awodey, Carnegie Mellon U, USA Andrej Bauer, U Ljubljana, Slovenia Ulrich Berger, Swansea U, UK (Chair) Bob Coecke, U Oxford, UK Stephen Brooks, Carnegie Mellon U, USA Martin Escardo, U Birmingham, UK Marcelo Fiore, U Cambridge, UK Neil Ghani, U Strathclyde, UK Alexey Gotsman, IMDEA, Madrid, Spain Hugo Herbelin, INRIA, Rocquencourt-Paris, France Achim Jung, U Birmingham, UK Daniel Leivant, U Indiana, USA Guy McCusker, U Bath, UK Catherine Meadows, NRL, USA Michael Mislove, Tulane U, USA Peter O'Hearn, Queen Mary U London, UK Luke Ong, U Oxford, UK Prakash Panangaden, McGill U, Canada John Power, U Bath, UK Jan Rutten, Radboud Nijmegen, Netherlands Alex Simpson, U Edinburgh, UK James Worrell, U Oxford, UK IMPORTANT DATES: - 2 March 2012 Title and Short Abstract submission deadline (extended) - 9 March 2012 Paper submission deadline (extended) - 2 April 2012 Notification to authors - 23 April 2012 Preliminary proceedings version due SUBMISSIONS should be prepared using ENTCS Macros, available from http://www.entcs.org. Submissions should be in the form of a PDF file not exceeding 15 pages in length. Submissions will be open shortly after January 1 on the EasyChair website: http://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=mfps2012 PROCEEDINGS: There will be a preliminary proceedings of the conference papers that will be distributed at the meeting, with a final proceedings published in ENTCS after the meeting. The Organisers of the MFPS series are Stephen Brookes (CMU), Achim Jung (Birmingham), Catherine Meadows (NRL), Michael Mislove (Tulane) and Prakash Panangaden (McGill). The local arrangements for MFPS XXVIII are being overseen by Guy McCusker (Bath) and John Power (Bath).

subset: commoncrawl


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THIS is another departure from the usual contents of this blog. We don't do this very often, but news of "The Controversy" is scarce at the moment. We focus on that as part of our larger concern with preserving Enlightenment values, so this isn't too far off-topic for us. What you're about to read is our imaginary address to a vast assembly of Republicans.
My fellow Republicans:
As our party is going though a much-needed period of introspection, please consider that there was a time when this party stood for the Constitution, the rule of law, national defense, free enterprise, limited government, low taxes, balanced budgets, and individual rights. We still honor those principles; but those who now govern have no concern for or even understanding of such matters.
While the other party has been winning elections and undermining everything we have traditionally valued, what issues dominate our political discourse? Our party has been talking about sex and religion.
When we say "sex," we mean topics like abstinence, promiscuity, homosexuality, pre-marital relations, contraception, sodomy, nudity, pornography, masturbation, same-sex marriage, sex education, abortion, and morning-after pills. Does that list sound familiar? It should, because those are the issues that too often dominate your campaigns.
Except for late-term abortion, where the other party has an extreme position that could be exploited (except that it's lost in a sea of other sex-related issues), there is absolutely no reason to discuss such matters as part of our party's policies. The Constitution doesn't give the federal government any authority over those issues. If they need to be addressed, it should be done only at the state level.
When we speak of religion, we mostly mean the current movement to insert religious doctrines into public school science classes, especially creationism and its love-child, intelligent design. It seems to us that this is a latter-day substitute for prayer in public schools, which is essentially a dead issue these days, but still a hot-button item. There are other religious issues, like objections to certain areas of biological research.
Our obsession with creationism and blocking biological research has earned us the reputation of being an anti-science party, which is a burden our adversaries are delighted to exploit — notwithstanding their Luddite opposition to nuclear energy, oil exploration, aerospace technology, etc. The opposition's anti-science positions are based on their exotic ideology, ours are based on religion. But religious issues should not concern the national government, especially when we have so many vital matters — our traditional principles — that must be addressed before the republic is lost forever.
Any of these sex or religion topics would be a fine subject for a sermon; but experience teaches us that they are not issues that will propel a party to national leadership. Regional, yes; national, no. A successful political party should understand this, but it seems that we don't. That is why, at the moment, we are not a successful political party.
If a politician's principal issues are sex and religion, and he wants to campaign with a bible in one hand and his carnal concerns in the other, that's his choice; but he should know that this approach — although thrilling to a vocal faction of the party — isn't attractive to a broad majority of the population. If you feel that you must campaign on those issues, please do it as a member of the other party. In most parts of the country you're going to lose either way, but you'll still feel good, and at least you won't be hurting us.
To know what issues appeal not only to Republicans, but also to most Americans, consider Newt Gingrich's Contract With America, the most successful thing we've done since nominating Ronald Reagan. Each item on Newt's list was poll-tested. We loved them, and so did most Americans. Significantly, religion and sex were not on the list, except indirectly in the case of some welfare reform provisions affecting unwed mothers, and some non-controversial items in the proposed Family Reinforcement Act (tax incentives for adoption, stronger child pornography laws, etc.) . Wikipedia says: "Gingrich insisted on '60% issues', intending for the Contract to avoid promises on controversial and divisive matters like abortion and school prayer." Source: Contract with America.
Newt knew exactly what he was doing, and it worked. Why have we abandoned a successful strategy?
An inordinate emphasis on sex and religion makes hypocrites of half of us, and fools of all. More importantly, it will permanently marginalize the party, while the opponents of our traditional principles triumph.
/s/ The Curmudgeon
Follow-up post: Open Letter to Republicans: "Big Tent" Addendum
See also: Open Letter to the Republican Party, #2.
Copyright © 2009. The Sensuous Curmudgeon. All rights reserved.


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In a new legislation recently signed into law by the country's president, the Philippines has outlawed cybersex and online sex video chat (you might know them as "cam girls") as part of a comprehensive new anti-cybercrime and libel law.
The Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 defines cybersex as "the willful engagement, maintenance, control, or operation, directly or indirectly, of any lascivious exhibition of sexual organs or sexual activity, with the aid of a computer system, for favor or consideration."
According to the law, the maximum penalty for those convicted is a fine of 250,000 Phillippine pesos ($6,000) and prison time of up to six months.
The law also makes "illegal access," "illegal interception of data," "cybersquatting," and spam illegal; online libel is part of the new law as well. Whether Filipino authorities are going to be trolling cam sites or setting up sting operations remains unclear.
However, the law does make clear that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) is in charge of enforcement, and that they "shall organize a cybercrime unit or center manned by special investigators to exclusively handle cases involving violations of this Act." Such cases will be prosecuted in "special cybercrime courts manned by specially trained judges to handle cybercrime cases."
Libel provision raises questions
The anti-libel provision has many around the world, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, concerned that this law may lead to a chilling effect online. Many fear that the libel provision, which was inserted without public discussion or debate, will be used to attack online speech.
"All of these issues remind us of how [former dictator President Ferdinand Marcos] released decrees and laws that enabled his regime to search and destroy materials he considered subversive. The only difference is, now, the curtailment of free expression has become high-tech," Raymond Palatino, a Congressional representative of a leftist, youth party, told the Manila Standard Today.
What's also interesting about the law is that it seems to have global reach. The text of the law states that the Regional Trial Court "shall have jurisdiction over any violation of the provisions of this Act including any violation committed by a Filipino national regardless of the place of commission... if any of the elements was committed within the Philippines or committed with the use of any computer system wholly or partly situated in the country, or when by such commission any damage is caused to a natural or juridical person who, at the time the offense was committed, was in the Philippines."


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I am moving cross-country in two weeks and I am trying to drum up some extra money by selling stuff because moving is way expensive!
So here is this cover I drew for Hack/Slash #5 and I am selling it.
And as usual, all of my old original art is available for purchase. Check this post for pages that are still collecting dust from Atom Eve, Rex Splode, and Brit. If you want to get several pages, I am willing to cut deals. I ain't above haggling! I don't have time to dig up jpgs of every page in every comic I drew, so if you kinda know what page you want but don't know what page NUMBER it is, thats fine.
Don't forget about prints, which you can scoop up on my Big Cartel page shop store.
If you don't have the clams to spend on stuff right now, I understand. We're cool! But please help a fella out and spread the word, please retweet, reblog, repost, share, like, fart, burp whatever you have to do. I would really appreciate it. There might be some Hack/Slash fan out there hankering for this cover, who knows!
You guys are awesome and I love youse.


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"Medal of Honor Awardee Embodies the best of his Generation," for The Daily Beast
"The Moral Responsibility of Volunteer Soldiers: A Response," for Boston Review
"On Writing Workshops and Veterans," for The New York Times At War
"Book Review of David Finkel's Thank You For Your Service," for The Daily Beast
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Book review of Eleven Days
For The Daily Beast, a book review of Lea Carpenter's incisive new war novel, Eleven Days.
Posted by Matt G at 11:52 PM No comments:
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
We All Have Questions
As part of the Stars and Stripes' series "The Great Divide," my latest - "We All Have Questions." (Scroll down to the bottom)
Posted by Matt G at 1:57 PM No comments:
Thursday, May 2, 2013
This is How You Lose Them: Wake Forest Basketball Fans in Revolt
For With Leather
Posted by Matt G at 6:54 PM No comments:
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
A Night Along the Military-Civilian Divide
My latest, for The Daily Beast
Posted by Matt G at 2:31 PM 1 comment:
Thursday, March 21, 2013
A War, Before and After
It's been ten years since the American military invaded Iraq. Be sure to read "A War, Before and After," a six-part series published by The New York Times that marks this somber anniversary with personal reflections written by Iraq War veterans.
My contribution to the series, "Swamps and Deserts," can be found here.
My contribution to the series, "Swamps and Deserts," can be found here.
Posted by Matt G at 8:12 PM No comments:
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Fire & Forget website
Check it out - Da Capo put together a great (and thorough!) website once again.
The book comes out next week. If you haven't already preordered, you are more wrong than a football bat.
The book comes out next week. If you haven't already preordered, you are more wrong than a football bat.
Posted by Matt G at 8:09 PM No comments:
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Fire & Forget
Out in February. The preface and video interview with The Daily Beast here, and the cover below. And feel free to pre-order here, if so inclined. Onward!
Posted by Matt G at 5:02 PM 1 comment:
Friday, November 16, 2012
Section 60
In the Autumn 2012 issue of Collier's Magazine - my short story "Section 60"
"Section 60"
"Section 60"
Posted by Matt G at 2:48 PM No comments:
Sunday, September 2, 2012
For The Rumpus - a review of Battleborn, a collection of short stories by Claire Vaye Watkins.
Posted by Matt G at 12:44 AM No comments:
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What a catch!
You can keep telling yourself there are other fish in the sea (or lake, or whatever); but they're probably not as big as this one. According to The Daily Mail, Carl Smith and Dave Jones landed a new European record when they caught this 8 ft long, 226 lb wels catfish in Spain. The beast took more than 90 minutes to reel in, and the pair has nicknamed the dead fish Jaws. Click here to read more. Link via TheCellar.


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Every time I complained about a breakout to a friend, she wouldsquint, move her face close to mine and say, "I don't see even a singlepimple," as though I was being a drama queen. (OK, maybe I was.) Butover the past year, small white bumps and blackheads lurked beneath mymakeup and would occasionally erupt into full-fledged acne. Instead ofpopping up prior to middle school dances, my skin issues began when Imoved back to NYC after graduating from college in Boulder, Colorado.
Determined to recapture clear skin, I hopped a cab across town tothe office of Dennis Gross, M.D., a dermatologist and founder of MDSkincare. Wearing no makeup, I sat on his examination table staring at alight as he evaluated my complexion. Breakouts lined my chin, which isusually a sign of estrogen imbalances, but I've been on the same Pillfor years, so Dr. Gross ruled that out as a culprit. We nixed thepossibility of irritating skin and hair products (I hardly use any nearmy chin) or bacteria buildup (my clogs rarely became full-on pimples).Family history became irrelevant when I confirmed that my relatives havenear-perfect skin.
H²-uh-oh! The only other viable explanation: My body'schemistry had changed and was producing waxy oil too dense for its owngood. According to Dr. Gross, NYC tap water has some of the highestlevels of heavy metals and calcium in the country. (Use the E.P.A. website to see what minerals are in your drinking water.)When the metals and calcium in the water I washed my face with mixedwith my skin's natural oils, a chemical reaction occurred, morphing theoils into wax. The wax then clogged my pores, causing breakouts,blackheads, redness and irritation. Worse still, the pressure of lifepost-academia had caused a rise in my body's levels of adrenaline andcortisol hormones, which was kicking my skin's oil production intooverdrive.
Waning wax After identifying the problem, Dr. Gross put me intoblemish-busting basic training. My mission: Clear the clogs. First,replace my too-gentle face wash with an all-in-one foam that cleansed,toned and dissolved bacteria. Then use an oil-free tinted moisturizer inthe morning and, finally, add a blemish solution at night; thesolution's star ingredient is a chelator, a chemical that engulfs themenacing minerals in tap water before they seep into skin. I would alsowork a defensive exfoliant into my skin-care arsenal. Every other night,I'd swap the chelator for a gentle two-step peel, using alphalipoic acid(an antioxidant) and beta hydroxy acid (an exfoliant) to slough awayskin and soothe any sensitivity. It seemed straightforward—noprescriptions, no in-office treatments, only a few tweaks to my routine.
All grown up Six weeks after that first appointment, my complexionwas finally clear and—instead of stressing about pimples—I'mnow able to fully enjoy being twentysomething in the city. Sure, it canbe exhausting to keep up with the peels and products, but like a firstjob, coping with acne is a rite of passage. The same way I'm getting thehang of deadlines and budgets, I'm learning to take control of myskin—one clear pore at a time.
Surprisingly, acne comes in more than one variety. Pinpoint your pimple's personality and its fix with this quiz.
A I see patches of zits only when I look closely.
B I notice my zits as soon as I look in the mirror.
A My pimples are usually flat, and makeup can cover them.
B My pimples are usually raised, and makeup can't cover them.
A My zits usually feel like goose bumps.
B My zits are usually raised, red and irritated.
Mostly A's You have flat acne, which is usually related to a change in the way your body produces oil. It can be treated by regulating oil and bacteria with salicylic acid and an exfoliant. Left untreated, flat acne can turn into bumpy acne (see below).
Mostly B's You have bumpy, inflamed acne, which is caused by a buildup of oil trapped in hair follicles. Treat zits with a sulfur-based gel. (Sulfur controls the oil that bacteria feed on.)


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Countries With the Fastest Passenger Trains
As rising fuel prices continue to make air and car travel more expensive, countries around the world are pushing ahead with high-speed rail plans.
The global rail industry is expected to reach a value of $870 billion in 2012, according to market research firm Datamonitor.
In the U.K., nearly 5 percent more passengers used trains in the first three months of 2011, compared to the same period a year before. The country's rail network experienced a level of traffic unseen since the 1920s, according to the Association of Train Operating Companies.
Train travel is not only cheaper, it's also becoming increasingly faster. Emerging nations such as China and Russia are investing in high-speed bullet trains. Additionally, European nations are launching multibillion-dollar plans to expand and upgrade an already extensive high-speed network.
CNBC.com has compiled a list of the countries with world's fastest trains based on the maximum speed measured in miles per hour (mph). We've included record speeds hit during trial runs on electric and magnetic levitation (Maglev) trains, as well as those of experimental models. The numbers are based on a series of publicly available reports, as well as information from organizations such as the Railway Gazette International and the Center for Asia Pacific Aviation.
So, which countries have the worlds fastest trains? Click ahead to find out.
By: Rajeshni Naidu-Ghelani
(Posted: July 18, 2011)
10. Russia
Train: Siemens Velaro RUS
Top Speed: 175 mph
Capacity: 600 passengers
Russia's fastest high-speed train runs on the Moscow-St. Petersburg line, and made its debut in December 2009. The German-built Velaro RUS trains, also known as the Sapsan, have cut the travel time for the 401-mile route from eight hours to three hours and 45 minutes. The 10-car passenger trains operate at a maximum speed of 155 mph, but hit a speed record of 175 mph during trials in 2009.
The eight high-speed trains are worth nearly $1 billion.
Russia is eager to expand its high-speed rail network ahead of hosting the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The country has invited foreign investors to bid on development contracts for new lines that will link its cities.
9. Taiwan
Train: THSR 700T
Top Speed: 186 mph
Capacity: 989 passengers
Taiwan's high-speed rail project, which cost a total of $18 billion, is one the world's largest privately funded rail construction plans.
The country's THSR 700T trains have cut travel time from 4.5 hours to 90 minutes on the 214-mile route from the northern capital of Taipei to the southern city of Kaohsiung.
The 30 high-speed trains, which began operations in 2007, are based on the Japanese 700 Series Shinkansen "bullet train" model.
A record 36.9 million passengers rode the trains in 2010, a 14 percent increase from the year before.
The country's high-speed rail system has been making headlines recently after the government said the network might not last more than 10 years because of sinking land caused by the overuse of groundwater. Last month, the government said it would cap deep groundwater wells that threaten the structural base of the high-speed system.
8. South Korea
Train: KTX-I
Top Speed: 190 mph
Capacity: 965
South Korea's high-speed rail network, known as Korea Train eXpress (KTX), carries more than 100,000 passengers a day on its two lines. In April 2010, a record 178,584 people used the country's high-speed rail network.
After 12 years of construction, the first high-speed line was opened in 2004, slashing travel time from the capital Seoul to the port city of Busan to two hours and 40 minutes, half the time it took previously. The travel time between the two cities was reduced by a further 22 minutes when a second line was opened.
The impact of high-speed rail has been felt by the domestic airline industry, which has seen its capacity shrink by more than 30 percent between 2003 and 2007. Although the introduction of low-cost air carriers in the country has helped demand for air travel grow again, passenger levels are still below what they used to be before high-speed rail was introduced.
7. United Kingdom
Train: Eurostar 3313/14
Top Speed: 208 mph
Capacity: 750 passengers
The Eurostar has changed the way Western Europeans travel. Since it began operations in 1994, the London-based high-speed rail network connects England with cities in France and Belgium via an underground tunnel in the English Channel, often referred to as the "Chunnel."
With 27 trains and links to more than 100 destinations across Europe, the network marked its 100 millionth passenger in August 2009. The rail line carries passengers at speeds of up to 186 mph. The Eurostar 3313/14 broke a British rail record set in 1979 by reaching speeds of 208 mph in 2003.
The rail network was recently taken to court by French train-maker Alstom over its decision to give a $600 million contract for 10 new trains to German builder Siemens. However, a U.K. court rejected the application to have the contract suspended. Alstom is the world's second biggest train maker and the supplier of all existing Eurostar trains.
6. Italy
Train: ETR 500 Frecciarossa
Top Speed: 225 mph
Capacity: 590 passengers
One of the early pioneers of European high-speed rail technology, Italy is home to Europe's first high-speed train line. The Florence-Rome high-speed line made history when more than half of its entire length—the first 86 miles from Rome to Citta della Pieve—opened in 1977. Trains on the track reached a maximum speed of 160 mph.
Since then, the country's high-speed rail network has grown substantially, with high-speed lines reaching as far north as Torino to as far south as Napoli.
The Italian-made ETR 500 is the fastest train series in the country, with its ETR 500 Y1 model hitting speeds of up to 225 mph in 2009 on a trip between Florence and Bologna.
Not everyone is happy with the progress, however. Earlier this month, more than 200 people were injured in a rally against the construction of a planned 36-mile tunnel in the northern Susa valley that would cut three hours off the current seven-hour train journey between Paris and Milan. Protesters say the high-speed line will ruin the area and its construction could release harmful chemicals.
5. Spain
Train: AVE Class 103
Speed: 251 mph
Capacity: 404 passengers
Spain has the longest high-speed rail network in Europe, with 3,433 miles of tracks. With six high-speed train lines and several under construction, the Spanish government aims to have 90 percent of its population within 31 miles of a high-speed station by 2020.
The country's fastest trains are the AVE series, which is manufactured by several train makers, including Siemens, Alstom and Bombardier. The Siemens-made AVE Class 103 train began commercial service in 2007, and hit a record speed of 251 mph during a test run between Madrid and Zaragoza. The maximum top speed for commercial trains in Spain is limited to 186 mph for passenger safety.
The euro-zone debt crisis and Portugal's austerity plan have halted a major expansion plan, which would have linked Spain's capital Madrid with Lisbon in Portugal. The high-speed train link would have cut travel time between the two cities to two hours and 45 minutes instead of the current nine hours.
4. Germany
Train: Transrapid TR-07
Speed: 270.3 mph
Capacity: Experimental
Germany is a nation that has been at the forefront of high-speed rail technology. It's home to Siemens, the world's largest manufacturer of high-speed trains.
German companies Siemens and ThyssenKrupp have developed the Transrapid system, high-speed monorail trains operating on magnetic levitation (Maglev) technology, that can reach speeds of 311 mph. In 2004, the Shanghai Maglev train in China was the first commercial Transrapid train to carry passengers, hitting speeds of 267 mph.
Although the magnetic levitation trains are developed in Germany, they have never been used commercially in the country. The technology has faced several setbacks, including high costs and a crash that killed 25 people during a test run in 2006. Instead, the InterCityExpress (ICE) system has been adopted nationwide since 1991. These high-speed trains hit speeds of 199 mph and connect German cities with cities in Switzerland, Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands.
An ICE train disaster near the German village of Eschede in 1998 is considered the world's deadliest high-speed rail accident, leading to the deaths of 101 people.
3. China
Train: CRH380AL
Speed: 302 mph
Capacity: 600 passengers
China has the world's longest high-speed rail network with more than 6,000 miles of routes in service.
It also boasts the longest high-speed rail route, with the opening of its Beijing-Shanghai line earlier this month. The 819-mile route was made using 60 million cubic meters of concrete, twice the amount used in the Three Gorges Dam. While the CRH380AL trains operate at a speed of 186 mph, the train hit a record speed of 302 mph in a test run.
China's first high-speed line, which opened in 2007, saw 40.6 million passengers travel on it in just the first two years. The government hopes to stretch China's rapidly growing high-speed network to 28,000 miles by the end of 2015.
2. France
Train: TGV V150
Speed: 357 mph
Capacity: Experimental
France sped ahead of the rest of Europe in the race to build the first fully functioning high-speed rail network.
The first Alstom developed TGV trains hit the tracks in 1981, with service between Paris and Lyon. Since then, the network has expanded to service 150 destinations within France and neighboring countries. Limited to a speed of up to 200 mph during normal service, the experimental TGV V150 hit a record speed of 357 mph in 2007—making it the second fastest train in the world. TGV's high-speed technology is used in national trains in many European countries including the U.K., Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany.
Last month, French train maker Alstom signed a preliminary deal to build a high-speed rail line in Iraq linking the cities of Baghdad and Basra.
1. Japan
Train: JR-Maglev MLX01
Speed: 361 mph
Capacity: Experimental
Japan is the world leader when it comes to high-speed trains, opening the world's first modern high-speed rail in 1964.
The Japanese first made a breakthrough in the field when they introduced the first series of the Tokaido Shinkansen "bullet trains," which could reach a top speed of 130 mph. The early bullet trains carried more than 100 million passengers in just the first three years. Today, the trains are still operating on the world's busiest rail line, carrying 378,000 passengers a day.
Maglev trains have also been developed in Japan since the 1970s. The government has approved plans for a $112.4 billion project to build a Maglev train line between Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka, with a completion date of 2027. These planned high-speed trains are expected to cut the current travel time between Tokyo and Osaka from two hours and 18 minutes on the Shinkansen to just over an hour.
Currently, the experimental JR-Maglev MLXO1 is considered the world's fastest train, with a top speed of 361 mph in a test run in 2003.


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This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama. This month our participants have shared the parenting essentials that they could not live without. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.
After many months of accepting help, I have had time to think about how I wish I had done things differently, which things worked well, and what has helped the other new parents around me. Here are a few ideas from things I've learned in the process:
Before baby is born:
- If you're having a baby shower, ask for at least one very practical gift. For example, have your relative pay for someone to professionally clean your house once every couple weeks for the first month or two. The last thing you want to be worrying about is needing to vacuum when you're trying to establish breastfeeding and bond with a new baby. Or, ask for gift cards to the grocery store. You will use them.
- Have someone help you prepare the space where you will be spending most of your time after your baby is born (most likely, your bedroom). Make it feel restful. Put in dark curtains. Clear clutter and things that will cause you stress in the early postpartum period. It can be hard to nest and organize when you're largely pregnant, so ask for help from a friend or your partner to make your space peaceful.
In the first days and weeks:
- Keep a pad of paper by your bed (or the place you feed your baby the most) and write down all the items you think of that you need from the store. When someone calls and asks if you need anything, always say YES! Read them items from the list. If you run out of things on your list, ask for a meal (you can always put it in the freezer). If your freezer and belly are full, ask them to come over and put a load of laundry in for you.
- If you're going to have a lot of visitors, consider having a jar by the front door with slips of paper in it, each one containing a household task (laundry, dishes, take out the trash, feed your pets, make a meal for you and your partner). Anyone who wants to meet the baby in the first two weeks has to complete an item from the jar first. It's not selfish or rude. You deserve help. You don't have to entertain people. Your only job is to spend all your time getting to know your new family member.
- If you're not open to visitors in those early days, let people know you're having a lying-in period, and that they're welcome to drop off meals (and to leave them on your porch in a cooler you've set out). Have a friend coordinate a meal drop-off schedule using one of the many free online meal-scheduling services. If someone really wants to come by and help, give them an outdoor task to do: refuel your car, mow your lawn, or walk your dog.
- If you're having out-of-town visitors, consider asking them to come at different times instead of having a bunch of people around for the first couple of weeks. For our family, spacing out the visits from extended family members over the first few months of Daniel's life was one of the best things we did. It helped to have a little time between groups of people, too, so we could have a week or so with just the three of us. Then, just when things started to feel overwhelming again, more help would arrive, and it would feel like a relief instead of like we were hosting and needing to entertain people. I know it was hard for our family members to wait to meet Daniel, but it was so much more helpful to have them come at different times than it would've been to not have any family support in the later weeks.
- Remember that it might not get a whole lot easier for a while, but it does get different. This is not meant to be discouraging, just to remind you that every stage ends. Just when you think you can't do it anymore, something will shift. Surround yourself with people who can help you though these transitions. You can do this.
- If you don't have family or many friends around (and even if you do!) find a local parenting or breastfeeding support group or La Leche League meeting to attend. Chances are, you'll find a great source of support and information, and probably even another mother who is in need of some extra help and friendship, too.
- Consider offering to do babysitting exchange with a friend or two or organizing a childcare co-op, so you can get out with your partner when the two of you need time to recharge.
- To let your partner know what you need. This applies to all areas of a relationship, not just parenting, but don't expect your partner to read your mind. Negotiate for each of you to have a night out away from the baby, if that's what feels relaxing to you. Or, ask your partner to take over all baby-related responsibilities for one or both of the weekend days, to give you a break.
- That you're going to have days when it feels too hard. You are not alone. When you're at the end of your rope, reach out to someone you trust. If you feel like you might do something you'll regret because you're sleep-deprived and out of patience, call someone to relieve you. Ask them to come over and hold your baby while you take a shower or a nap. Ask them to come over and sit with you while you cry. These are incredibly emotional times. Between sleep deprivation and hormonal shifts, you're bound to have some tough days. Having a good support system in place will help to decrease your chances of getting postpartum depression. Be gentle with yourself. Be forgiving. Be kind.
- To say thank you, then don't feel guilty. Know that you will pay it back by helping someone else when they need you. Then do.
I don't know what I would've done without all the help I've received in the past eight plus months. I've written before about my village, but I don't feel like I could ever say "thank you" enough to the people who have reached out and helped me during the difficult times. I'm a very lucky person to have such wonderful friends and family who are so willing to help. I have to say thanks again:
Thank you to each of our family members who has flown all the way out here to help us (multiple times) since Daniel was born. The meals, house cleaning, baby soothing, company, and conversations were so appreciated.
Thanks to my friends who came over when Daniel was crying for hours on end, and held him or took him for walks when I couldn't do any more. You are some amazing women who have helped me pull through some of my darkest moments.
Thanks to the facilitators of the new parents' support group that I attend. Week after week, the two of you provide a safe space where we can come and share our joys, our sorrows, our hilarious moments. You and the other parents who attend the group have always been incredibly compassionate to me and full of kind words and helpful new ideas.
Thank you to the online natural parenting community. Reading your blogs and the comments you leave on mine have helped me to know that this parenting thing is universally difficult, and rewarding, powerful and wonderful. Your commitments to parenting your children gently and intuitively are inspirational and motivational to me.
Thank you, finally, to my biggest helper, supporter, and partner in this parenting journey, Jaymz. I'm so happy we met and decided to spend our lives together. I'm glad we chose to become parents together. I appreciate everything you do for me, and I'm glad we're on this wild ride together. I love you.
Visit Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!
Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:
- Not Without Him — The love Starr at Taking Time shares with her husband is the foundation of her parenting.
- I Cannot Imagine Parenting Without B(.)(.)bs — From an uneducated dreamer to a breastfeeding mother of a toddler, nursing has forever changed Kristy at Strings to Things's relationship with her daughter and her outlook on life.
- Raising a Child in the Internet Village — When Jenn at Monkey Butt Junction has a question or concern about parenting, she turns to the Internet. What did parents do before Google?
- Partner in Crime and Parenting — Bethy at Bounce Me to the Moon can't imagine parenting without her husband's sense of humor - he brings her laughter and love every day.)
- I Make Milk — Patti at Jazzy Mama can't imagine trying to mother her babies without her breasts, but she could do it if she had to.
- New Perspectives Bring New Beginnings — MJ at Wander Wonder Discover, who is a former authoritarian mamma, has gained perspective via parenting.
- Time Out! — Mrs. Green at Little Green Blog explores how time apart can increase your capacity to give unconditionally.
- Unimaginable Without Him — Kristina at heyred designs is celebrating her amazing partner, without whom none of her parenting experience would be possible.
- My Parenting Necessity — Claire at The Adventures of Lactating Girl needs "me time" in order to be the Mama she wants to be.
- Babywearing As a Way of Life — Darcel at The Mahogany Way talks about the benefits of babywearing in everyday life.
- Parenting Partnership — Sometimes Abbie at Farmer's Daughter doesn't appreciate her husband enough, but she definitely couldn't imagine parenting without his help.
- Parenting Essentials — Momma Jorje loves her parenting products, but she needs you even more.
- My Parenting Must-Have: Support — Joella at Fine and Fair wrote a letter to her daughter about the role that support from friends and family plays in her mothering.
- It's More Than Just Hair — Think doing hair is full of fluff? Too girly? Useless? Karli from Curly Hairdo Ideas used to think so too.
- The Minimalist Parent — The parents at Living Peacefully with Children embrace a minimalist perspective when it comes to baby gear. A good sling is all they need.
- Without My Breasts — Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama can't imagine parenting without her breasts; here's why.
- Loves Books, Loves People — Seonaid at the Practical Dilettante discovers that the library is a perfect fit for her family's needs.
- An Ode to the Maya Wrap — RevMama's next child might be named Maya, because of her fondness for the sling.
- Avoiding the Padded Room — Pecky at Benny and Bex is here to testify that it takes a village to raise a child.
- My parenting essentials, from Tivo to battery-operated monstrosities — Lauren at Hobo Mama presents a list of parenting essentials you didn't even know you needed (and probably don't…).
- Attachment Parenting Through Separation: It Makes It a Little Better — Jessica at This Is Worthwhile talks about how she couldn't survive her separation without attachment parenting and the bond it's afforded her with her 3 year old son.
- Parenting Essentials — Deb Chitwood at Living Montessori Now shares the principles she used to parent her children from infants to adults.
- My Parenting Essentials — The things that are truly essential to Kim at In Desperate Need of Entertainment aren't things at all.
- I'm No One Without My Sling — How baby carrying is essential to the parenting of Jessica Claire at Crunchy-Chewy Mama.
- I Cannot Imagine Parenting Without... — Isil at Smiling Like Sunshine talks about what she needs to raise her children.
- February Carnival of Natural Parenting — Through her experiences over the last five and a half years, Casey at Love What Is has discovered her most important tool for parenting is using her instincts.
- CNP: I Cannot Imagine Parenting Without __________. — The Artsymama discloses the one thing that gave her back control of herself as a parent.
- Laugh Until I Cry — Laughing with her sons keeps Acacia at Fingerpaint & Superheroes connected and grounded.
- I Cannot Imagine Parenting Without — Luschka at Diary of a First Child realizes what the one thing she can't imagine parenting without is, and it turns out it's not a thing after all.
- It Takes Two — Here are a few of the reasons why Jenn at Adventures Down Under cannot imagine parenting without her fabulous husband.
- Stopping to Listen — Though it wasn't easy at first, Knocked Up - Knocked Over cannot imagine parenting her daughter without listening first to what she is telling her.
- The Essence of Parenting — There are many wonderful resources that make life easier for Michelle at the Parent Vortex to parent, but the essence is the relationship between parent and child.
- What I Cannot Live Without — Sybil at Musings of a Milk Maker considers her computer to be a parenting lifeline.
- True Blessings: White Noise and Grandparents — Kat at Loving {Almost} Every Moment can't live without her white noise machine and the support of her parents.
- The Necessities! — What "stuff" does a natural parent like Lily, aka Witch Mom really need? Not much, it turns out.
- Mama Showed Me — Mama Mo at Attached at the Nip writes about how parenting wisdom is passed on by example.
- Ode to the Loo — For Joni Rae at Tales of a Kitchen Witch, the bathroom is her safe place, where she can take a minute to calm down if she is feeling touched out.
- Go, Mama. Go! — Andrea!!! at Ella-Bean & Co. has been able to integrate her many roles through her get-up-and-go parenting essential, exercise!
- My Other Half — Becky at Old New Legacy realizes what a relief it is to have her husband parent alongside her.
- Grace, Love, and Coffee — MrsH at Fleeting Moments realizes that lifelines can take the form of the profound, or the mundane. Both are ok.
- Supportive Spouse, Check! — There are so many parenting tools and gadgets that are superfluous, but the one essential, for Danielle at born.in.japan, has been her supportive spouse.
- Why I'm a Babywearer — Meredith at Becoming Mamas reflects on the ways babywearing has enhanced her mama baby relationship...and made life easier to boot.
- It's Marvelous Out Here, Kiddo! — Rachael at The Variegated Life can't imagine parenting in the big city without the marvels of Prospect Park to share with her Critter.
- Yes, Thank You — Amy at Anktangle offers tips on how to ask for and accept help, an essential for successful parenting.
- Parenting Essentials Checklist: Mom's Inner Rebel and Her Kids' Voices — Olivia at Write About Birth reflects on raising global citizens and saying no to societal norms.
- Eco-Mama Online! — An Eco-Mama living in the mountains of a nature island, Terri at Child of the Nature Isle finds it essential to connect to nature and to connect online.
- Sorry, We Just Sold the Last One — Nev at The Adventures of Lime confesses she missed out the day they handed out patience.
- Laugh — Tashmica at The Mother Flippin' Blog reveals her super power, her talisman agains mean mommy.
- My Priceless Parenting Resource — What do books, a magazine community, my mother and the local playgroup have in common? Lucy at Dreaming Aloud tells us...
- The Gift of Shared Time — Tree at Mom Grooves strives to experience the world from her daughter's perspective.
- Follow the Giggles — Dionna at Code Name: Mama can't live without the sound of her child's giggles - come watch her video and you'll agree!
- Can I Mommy Without Boob? — Emily at Crunchy(ish) Mama shares her fears about weaning and losing part of that the mother/child bond.


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US High School Graduation Rate Hits All-Time High, Per Report
This is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. I'm Michel Martin. We'd like to start today with some good news about our nation's schools. A new report shows that U.S. public high schools have reached an 80 percent graduation rate. That data comes from the National Center for Education Statistics.
We wanted to find out more, so we've called upon Emily Richmond. She is the public editor of the Education Writers Association, and she joins us from member station WABE in Atlanta, Georgia. Emily, welcome back. Thanks for joining us once again.
EMILY RICHMOND: It's a pleasure to be here, Michel.
MARTIN: And for additional perspective, we've also called Daniel Gohl. He is the chief academic officer at Houston Independent School District. Texas is one of the states that ranked near the top. And he's with us from Houston, Texas. Mr. Gohl, thank you so much for joining us as well.
DANIEL GOHL: Hello, Michel. Glad to be with you.
MARTIN: So, Emily, let me start with you. How significant is an 80 percent graduation rate? Is this an all-time high?
RICHMOND: It is an all-time high for the United States, and it's an important milestone for that reason but also because it suggests the country is on track to hit an ambitious goal of a 2020 graduation rate of 90 percent.
MARTIN: Whose goal is that?
RICHMOND: Well, there's a coalition of organizations that have come together to address both the dropout rate and the nation's struggling graduation rate. And they're the ones who put out the report Monday based on the new federal figures. So you have the Civic Enterprises, the Everyone Graduates Center, which is at Johns Hopkins University, America's Promise Alliance and the Alliance for Excellent Education. So that's what the researchers are projecting. And it's something that those groups would hope we could hit.
MARTIN: More broadly, is it now generally something that the country as a whole - if you just think, you know, parents, public officials, do we kind of generally have a consensus that we want to get to 90 percent and that we can get to 90 percent?
RICHMOND: I think it's a realistic goal based on the numbers that we're seeing now. And that should give people a lot of hope. But we need to talk about who's not in that 80 percent. There's 718,000 students who dropped out of what would have been the class of 2012. That, as Education Secretary Arne Duncan said yesterday, is a group of teens and young adults that is larger than the total populations of Wyoming and Vermont.
And we know that high school diploma's the bear minimum for even marginal employment. So that means for students who fail to graduate, that achievement gap quickly becomes an opportunity gap that's going to persist long after their classmates have walked past them across that graduation stage. And it's a gap they're going to struggle with for the rest of their adult lives.
MARTIN: All right. Well, let's hold that thought, Emily Richmond, and let's hear more about the success part of it. And we'll still talk a little bit - we'll wait a couple of minutes to talk about what still needs to be done. Let's focus on, like, what's been accomplished so far.
So the aptly named Daniel Gohl, you work the Houston Independent School District. Texas was one of the top five states in high school graduation rates graduating 88 percent of students. What do you see as the most important factor in achieving those numbers?
GOHL: To me, the most important factor is laying out the expectation in every community, both within our urban centers as well as in our most remote and distant rural areas, that we expect the public commitment to public school dollars being spent to result in student achievement. And that is best identified not through test scores but by a high school diploma.
It is a certificate that it is not just the level of what you know but your ability to attend on time, your ability to complete expected tasks. As we enter an era when all of our students will have been born in the 21st century, we need to ensure that the public dollars are resulting in a public return in the future, which is why we have public schools.
MARTIN: You have to note that part of the improvement here came from a significant jump in graduation rates amongst students of color. John Bridgeland is one of the authors of the report. He talked about this on the "PBS NewsHour" on Monday. Let's play a short clip from that conversation.
JOHN BRIDGELAND: The most significant gains in graduation rates have actually been among Hispanic students and African-Americans since 2006. And these student, half of African-Americans and 40 percent of Hispanics, were trapped in these dropout-factory schools where it was literally a 50-50 proposition whether you graduated or not.
MARTIN: So, Emily Richmond, back to your point about who is being left out. And where were these dropout-factory schools that Mr. Bridgeland speaks of, and what happened to the students after these schools closed?
RICHMOND: Well, a lot of them were in high concentrations of urban areas. And it's important to stay that they're still there. We know from this report that a number of those schools has declined by about 33 percent in the past decade. And we believe those students have been transferred to more successful campuses or alternative programs.
But over that same period, you have to understand, it's not just about shutting down an underperforming school. It's making sure that that student lands somewhere that they're going to be successful. So the questions we have to ask is what is working? Is it that they've been transferred to more successful schools? Are they getting into better programs? Or in some cases, a question has been raised, I think fairly, is have states changed their graduation requirements in some way that made it a little bit easier, has lowered the bar so that more students are graduating?
MARTIN: So, Daniel Gohl, maybe you can help us with that question.
And if you're just joining us, we're talking about high school graduation rates, which have reached a historic high. We're speaking with Emily Richmond of the Education Writers Association - that's who was speaking just now - and Daniel Gohl of the Houston Independent School District. Texas is ranking among the states with the highest graduation rates.
So, Daniel Gohl, can you help us with that? What are the - some of the success factors? And are we in part - you know, people always ask this question when numbers look both good and bad depending on their point of view. Are we changing what we're measuring to get these numbers?
GOHL: Well, we constantly are changing what we're measuring. But the important thing is that we have now entered the second stage of our standards movement. And while graduation used to just be about the accumulation of credits, right - you have four years of English and enough electives in math, all of that put together. Many states have now instituted some form of testing, whether that's a graduation test of what you need for literacy at the high school level or subject-based exams and of course exams for an Algebra I or a geometry. Many states have moved to that. And that actually represents a raising of the bar from previous generations.
What has helped is that we are now able to be clear with students as to what level of achievement they need to make, we can measure where they have gaps, and we can work with them. Now, Houston - as in many cities in Texas - has done things to extend the ways in which we can get students to that bar - that they have night school if they need to work during the day, that they have multiple options to choose from, not just the dropout factory which may be in their ZIP Code - so by introducing a number of ways that students can find the right fit for a program, but at the same time hold the standard more able to be flexible with the how, but make sure that the degree is meaningful, because the high school diploma must equate with college readiness, workplace readiness, without remediation.
MARTIN: We talked about the ethnic factor here in the quote that we heard earlier from John Bridgeland about the large numbers of African-American and Latino students who were trapped in these dropout factories in Houston. You know, more than 60 percent of the students are Hispanic, and nearly 25 percent of the students are African-American.
So were there specific - obviously these are - there's a lot of diversity within these groups. I mean, I think, you know, that has to be said. But did you find that there was specific things that - techniques that you felt that were particularly successful, and were any of them driven by particular circumstances that you felt were particularly successful with students who had not been previously succeeding?
GOHL: So in 2007, our graduation rate was 56 percent here in Houston. And in 2013, we're up well over 80 percent, and we're trying to beat the state and lead the nation to get to that 100 percent. But here are the things that we've tried and have proven very successful in moving that bar - that is, making sure more of our students are successful.
Every student has a credit recovery lab because if you're missing an English II credit and you've been in high school for five years, you'll never walk stage. But you're not going to sit with 14-year-olds when you're a 19-year-old. So allowing students to master those skills in their own time in their own way.
We've opened seven night high schools throughout the city where our people were able to go. Every campus has a dropout prevention, which equates to a graduation promotion committee, to track every student who is at risk. And there are many different metrics and methodologies to deal with risk. What's important is that every campus defines it, measures it and intervenes. Those are three top interventions that we've been able to introduce.
MARTIN: So, Emily, let's loop back to where you were trying to take us at the beginning, which is the kids who are being left out. If 80 percent of students are graduating, that means that 20 percent are not. So tell us a little bit more about the students who are still being left behind.
RICHMOND: Well, we know for a fact that there's a lot of variance once you start getting into what that 80 percent means. And when you start to peel down by student subgroup, there's still significant and troubling disparities in achievement. You talked about some of the ethnic disparities, but there are also big gaps by socioeconomic status and other subgroups of students who typically struggle academically. For example, nationally, the graduation rate for economically disadvantaged students was 70 percent, and I counted 14 states where at least a third of those students failed to earn a diploma. For English language learners, it's 59 percent graduation rate, and in nine states, at least half of those students fail to graduate.
MARTIN: So, Daniel Gohl, will you give us a final thought here about other things that you feel are scalable, things that you're doing in Houston and Texas in general and Houston in particular that you think are scalable that you would want - recommend to other states, if you feel comfortable doing that?
GOHL: To my fellow professionals, I'll ask them to continue to examine how they're making sure that students are able to make up previous mistakes, that we do not permanent the mistakes of youth that prevent them from graduating. That's the dropout recovery. That's the credit recovery. That's making sure that programs are available in their neighborhoods to be able to do it.
The other thing is that high school cannot be a monolithic definition, that we need to ensure that there are programmatic variations that add an effective appeal to why you want to graduate from high school and not just some future promise of return. Make it interesting. They will come, they will complete, and they will move to success.
MARTIN: Do you feel proud about this, Mr. Gohl? I mean, you're being very - I appreciate that you're being very kind of professional about it. But, I mean, is there a part...
GOHL: We are tremendously proud.
MARTIN: ...Of you that feels a little bit ready for a chest bump here?
GOHL: We are tremendously proud. And having 4 out of every 5 students who enter our district successfully complete is a great move forward.
MARTIN: Did you think you would see this in your professional life?
GOHL: It's why we all go into it. So, yes, I hoped we would. It's not as soon as I would've hoped, but it's sooner than I feared. And we got to get to 1 out of 10, and then close it to 1 out of 20 and just keep moving that needle.
MARTIN: All right. Daniel Gohl is chief academic officer at Houston Independent School District. Emily Richmond is the public editor of the Education Writers Association. Thank you both so much for being with us today.
GOHL: Thank you.
RICHMOND: Thank you, Michel. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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The research aims to produce valid information and must use reliable instruments that guarantee accurate and make it quantifiable and possible reproducibility. Allowing the exclusion or at least control prejudice of personal insights and trends that may distort the results.
Crocs Uncover
Bizarre Species
martes, 6 de julio de 2010
Oil Spills Raise Arsenic Levels in the Ocean, Says New Research
Oil spills can increase levels of toxic arsenic in the ocean, creating an additional long-term threat to the marine ecosystem, according to research published July 2 in the journal Water Research.
Arsenic is a poisonous chemical element found in minerals and it is present in oil. High levels of arsenic in seawater can enable the toxin to enter the food chain. It can disrupt the photosynthesis process in marine plants and increase the chances of genetic alterations that can cause birth defects and behavioural changes in aquatic life. It can also kill animals such as birds that feed on sea creatures affected by arsenic.
In the study, a team from Imperial College London has discovered that oil spills can partially block the ocean's natural filtration system and prevent this from cleaning arsenic out of the seawater. The researchers say their study sheds light on a new toxic threat from the Gulf of Mexico oil leak.
Arsenic occurs naturally in the ocean, but sediments on the sea floor filter it out of seawater, which keeps the levels of naturally occurring arsenic low. However, arsenic is also flushed into the ocean in wastewater from oil rigs and from accidental oil spills and leakages from underground oil reservoirs.
In the study, the researchers discovered that oil spills and leakages clog up sediments on the ocean floor with oil, which prevents the sediments from bonding with arsenic and burying it safely underground with subsequent layers of sediment. The scientists say this shutdown of the natural filtration system causes arsenic levels in seawater to rise, which means that it can enter the marine ecosystem, where it becomes more concentrated and poisonous the further it moves up the food chain.
The scientists say their work demonstrates how the chemistry of sediments in the Gulf of Mexico may be affected by the current oil leak. Professor Mark Sephton, from the Department of Earth Science and Engineering at Imperial College London, says:
"We can't accurately measure how much arsenic is in the Gulf at the moment because the spill is ongoing. However, the real danger lies in arsenic's ability to accumulate, which means that each subsequent spill raises the levels of this pollutant in seawater. Our study is a timely reminder that oil spills could create a toxic ticking time bomb, which could threaten the fabric of the marine ecosystem in the future."
Wimolporn Wainipee, postgraduate and lead author of the study from the Department of Earth Science and Engineering at Imperial College London, adds:
"We carried out our study before the leak in the Gulf of Mexico occurred, but it gives us a big insight into a potential new environmental danger in the region. Thousands of gallons of oil are leaked into the world's oceans every year from big spills, offshore drilling and routine maintenance of rigs, which means many places may be at risk from rising arsenic levels, which could in the long run affect aquatic life, plants and the people who rely on the oceans for their livelihoods."
For their research, the team analysed a mineral called goethite, one of the most abundant ocean sediments in the world, which is an iron bearing oxide.
The team carried out experiments in the laboratory that mimicked conditions in the ocean, to see how the goethite binds to arsenic under natural conditions. They discovered that seawater alters the chemistry of goethite, where low pH levels in the water create a positive change on the surface of goethite sediments, making them attractive to the negatively charged arsenic.
However, the scientists discovered that when they added oil, this created a physical barrier, covering the goethite sediments, which prevented the arsenic in the oil from binding to them. The team also found that the oil changed the chemistry of the sediments, which weakened the attraction between the goethite and arsenic.
In the future, the researchers plan to analyse other minerals such as clays and carbonates that are sediments on the ocean floor. Sediment content varies from ocean to ocean and the researchers will analyse how oil affects their ability to bind to arsenic after a spill.
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An iPhone 6 Leak Claims To Show Exactly How Thin Apple's Next Phone Will Be
A new report claims to reveal the exact size of Apple's next smartphone, presumably the iPhone 6.
A Ukrainian blog post, originally spotted by Nowhereelse.fr, reports that the iPhone 6 will measure 5.4 x 2.6 x 0.25 inches.
These dimensions are similar to previous iPhone 6 leaks published by Nowhereelse.fr., which reported the same length and width but a slightly different depth.
If the rumor turns out to be legitimate, Apple's next iPhone will be just a hair thinner than the current flagship. The iPhone 5s measures 0.3 inches thin, according to the specifications listed on Apple's website.
Apple is rumored to be launching two new iPhones in two different sizes — a 4.7-inch model and a 5.5-inch version. The company is expected to introduce its iPhone 5s successor(s) in September as it has done in years past, and there's a good chance it'll be running iOS 8 and will feature a new chip from Apple.
The leak from Nowhereelse.fr is one of many reports that claim to provide insight as to what Apple will include in its next iPhone. For the most part, each leak seems to convey that Apple will release a bigger iPhone this year.
See Also:
- Here's A Good Look At What It'll Be Like Using The Big-Screen iPhone 6
- Fantastic New Renderings Of The iPhone 6, Showing All Its Rumored New Features
- Apple's 5.5-Inch iPhone 6 May Be Pushed Back To 2015
SEE ALSO: Here's Everything You Need To Know About iOS 8, Apple's Next Major Smartphone Update


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Al-Khwildi, Ali, Khan, S., Loo, Jonathan and Al-Raweshidy, Hamed (2007) Adaptive link-weight routing protocol using cross-layer communication for MANET. WSEAS transactions on communications, 6 (11) . pp. 833-839. ISSN 1109-2742 [Article]


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The MacLeod family would like to welcome you to our tourist facilities located along the Ceilidh Trail on the western shores of Cape Breton Island. The MacLeod family has been catering to tourists since 1969 with the establishment of MacLeod's Beach and Campsite, one of eastern Canada's longest running camping facilities. Located in Dunvegan, named after the ancestral home of the clan MacLeod, this 150 site resort overlooks a large sandy beach nestled between rolling hills and looking out upon Margaree Island, a protected bird sanctuary.
Just a short distance away, you will find another spectacular beach-front resort, Inverness Beach Village, located 1/4 of a mile north of the village of Inverness. Inverness Beach Village is situated along a 2-mile pristine beach and includes 41 self-contained housekeeping cottages and a 41 site RV and tenting facility. Enjoy breath-taking sunsets each evening and perhaps a campfire to end your day.
The MacLeod Inn, located at Broad Cove, 3 miles north of Inverness, boasts a charming country setting. This modern, 5 room inn offers a beautiful view of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Mabou Highlands.
Make MacLeods your premiere destination for a Cape Breton vacation. Your welcome is always highland and the smiles are genuine, the perfect locations when exploring the Ceilidh Trail and Cabot Trail.


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Bibs pacifier | Berries
* Bibs pacifiers are sold individually
WARNING!! Actual pacifier color may vary from color seen on official photo provided by BIBS. The colors are more accurate in the photo which shows all the available colors.
The Bibs pacifiers, elegant and comforting for baby. They are offered in three sizes (0-6 months, 6-18 months and 18+ months) and in alot of colors, each more beautiful than the next.
Your baby will love the round nipple made from 100% natural rubber.
The shape of the pacifier allows air to circulate around the child's mouth, thus limiting irritation and humidity on the skin.
They can be paired with our pacifier clips to complete the look of your mini.
Sterilize the pacifier before first use. To sterilize, dip the pacifier in a bowl with boiling water. DO NOT STERILIZE IN MICROWAVE OR DISHWASHER. These sterilization methods could damage the natural rubber. If water does get inside the nipple, squeeze the nipple firmly to remove the water.
Clean and sterilize the pacifier daily.
Check the product before each use, especially if the child has teeth. Validate that no part is damaged. Immediately discontinue use if the product is damaged. Do not leave the child without adult supervision when using the pacifier.
Replace the pacifier after 4-6 weeks of use for safety and hygiene reasons.
Never leave the pacifier exposed to direct sunlight, near a heat source or in a disinfectant solution.
If the pacifier accidentally gets stuck in a child's mouth, gently remove it. The ventilation holes are specially designed to prevent suffocation.
The pacifier is made of 100% natural rubber, so color variation is possible. The shell is made of lightweight, strong and safe polypropylene.
The product meets the European standard EN 1400 + 1
Created and made in Denmark for 30 years.


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LONDON — Alexei Shved scored 25 points — 13 in the fourth quarter — and Russia won the bronze medal in Olympic men's basketball with an 81-77 win on Sunday over Argentina, whose players angrily confronted the referees after the final horn following a wild scramble in the closing seconds.
Andrei Kirilenko added 20 points and Vitaliy Fridzon 19 for Russia, which finished ninth at the Beijing Games four years ago.
Manu Ginobili scored 21 and Andres Nocioni 16 for Argentina, which was looking to add another bronze to its Olympic collection after winning one in China and gold eight years ago in Athens.
Fridzon's layup with 5.2 seconds left sealed it for Russia, which came away with the ball after it changed hands several times near midcourt. When the game ended, several Argentine players surrounded referees Bill Kennedy, Jose Carrion and Juan Arteaga in protest and guard Pablo Prigioni kicked an electronic clock off the scorer's table.
Shved, who recently signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves, took over down the stretch for Russia, which had collapsed in the closing minutes and lost to Spain in the semifinals.
After Ginobili's layup gave Argentina, which had rallied from an 11-point deficit in the second half to take the lead, a 77-76 lead with 43 seconds left, Shved countered with a 3-pointer to put Russia back in front.
Nocioni missed a jumper from the corner, but it appeared Argentina might get another chance when Prigioni came up with the ball close to the sideline at halfcourt. But it was tipped away with bodies flying all over the floor and wound up bouncing to Shved, who alertly passed it up the floor for Fridzon, who drove in for his uncontested layup.
As the final seconds ticked off, Russia's players piled on each other in celebration while Argentina's swarmed the three officials, screaming and looking for an explanation.
Ginobili, Nocioni and Luis Scola all complained to no avail and Prigioni sent the substitution clock flying to the floor, an ugly display of sportsmanship by one of the world's best teams.
For the Russians, the bronze felt good.
They came into the tournament an unlikely medal contender, but won their group in preliminary play and appeared on a collision course with the Americans before stumbling in the semis.
This was probably the final game for Argentina's "Golden Generation," a group that became national heroes and gave their country international basketball relevance by beating the U.S. in the 2002 world championships and then again at the Athens Games in 2004, when they won gold.
Ginobili, 35, has already said this may have been his final tournament for Argentina.
Russia used a 12-2 run, highlighted by a 3-pointer and three free throws by Fridzon, to open a 61-50 lead.
But the experienced Argentines fought back, went on a 12-1 run and tied it on Ginobili's bucket with seven minutes remaining.
That's when Shved went to work, the 6-foot-6 guard scored 10 points in a row as Russia went basket for basket with Argentina, setting up the wild finish.
Down by six points early in the second quarter, Russia reeled off 12 straight points to open a 33-27 lead. Shved made a 3-pointer to start the run and Kirilenko, who will also being playing with the Timberwolves next season, capped the spurt with a jumper.
But Leonardo Gutierrez made consecutive 3-pointers, and after a steal in the frontcourt, Ginobili calmly stepped behind the line and knocked down Argentina's eighth 3-pointer of the first half to cap a stirring, 9-0 run in 39 seconds to take a 36-33.
Shved's 3 in the final seconds gave Russia a 40-38 lead at halftime.


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Too Much to Know, by Ann M. Blair (Yale; $25). Information overload in Renaissance Europe.
The Anatomy of a Moment, by Javier Cercas, translated from the Spanish by Anne McLean (Bloomsbury; $18). An account of the failed right-wing coup in post-Franco Spain.
The Most Human Human, by Brian Christian (Doubleday; $27.95). What we can learn from computers about being human.
A World on Fire, by Amanda Foreman (Random House; $35). Britain's role in the American Civil War.
George F. Kennan, by John Lewis Gaddis (Penguin Press; $39.95). An authoritative biography of the Cold Warrior and father of containment.
The Chairs Are Where the People Go, by Misha Glouberman, with Sheila Heti (Faber & Faber; $13). Philosophical squibs on the vagaries of contemporary life.
The Fear, by Peter Godwin (Back Bay; $15.99). A memoir of Mugabe's Zimbabwe.
Pauline Kael, by Brian Kellow (Viking; $27.95). A life of the critic.
Great Soul, by Joseph Lelyveld (Knopf; $28.95). The successes and failures of Mahatma Gandhi.
The Joy of Secularism, edited by George Levine (Princeton; $35). Life after God.
Malcolm X, by Manning Marable (Viking; $30). A monumental biography of the black activist.
What It Is Like to Go to War, by Karl Marlantes (Atlantic Monthly; $25). A Vietnam veteran on the experience of combat.
Molotov's Magic Lantern, by Rachel Polonsky (Farrar, Straus & Giroux; $17). A roving evocation of Russia's past.
Leningrad, by Anna Reid (Walker; $30). A history of the Second World War siege.
Mightier Than the Sword, by David S. Reynolds (Norton; $27.95). "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and the Civil War.
The Inner Life of Empires, by Emma Rothschild (Princeton; $35). Private life and public power in eighteenth-century Scotland.
Modigliani, by Meryle Secrest (Knopf; $35). A new life of the Italian artist.
Stolen World, by Jennie Erin Smith (Crown; $25). Inside the international reptile trade.
Adventures in the Orgasmatron, by Christopher Turner (Farrar, Straus & Giroux; $35). Wilhelm Reich and the psychology of the sexual revolution.
Pox, by Michael Willrich (Penguin; $27.95). The battle to end smallpox in Progressive-era America and the epochal civil-liberties struggle that ensued.
The Idea of America, by Gordon S. Wood (Penguin Press; $29.95). Reflections on the birth of a nation.
Until the Dawn's Light, by Aharon Appelfeld, translated from the Hebrew by Jeffrey M. Green (Schocken; $26). In turn-of-the-century Austria, a young Jewish woman converts to Christianity.
The Good Muslim, by Tahmima Anam (Harper; $25.99). Secularism and fundamentalism collide in Bangladesh.
Started Early, Took My Dog, by Kate Atkinson (Reagan Arthur; $14.99). A private investigator sets out to find a woman's natural parents.
Lost Memory of Skin, by Russell Banks (Ecco; $25.99). A young sex offender struggles to get by in contemporary Florida.
The Sense of an Ending, by Julian Barnes (Knopf; $23.95). In late middle age, a man reflects on a youthful love affair.
Touch, by Henri Cole (Farrar, Straus & Giroux; $23). Poems of voluptuous candor.
Open City, by Teju Cole (Random House; $25). A graduate student explores New York City on foot.
Daughters of the Revolution, by Carolyn Cooke (Knopf; $24.95). An all-male Massachusetts boarding school admits its first female student.
The Angel Esmeralda, by Don DeLillo (Scribner; $24). A career-spanning story collection from the laureate of postmodern terror.
Solo, by Rana Dasgupta (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; $25). A hundred-year-old Bulgarian man looks back on his life and the twentieth century.
A Day in the Life of a Smiling Woman, by Margaret Drabble (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; $24). The collected stories, which address the changing roles of women in society.
The Forgotten Waltz, by Anne Enright (Norton; $25.95). Adultery in Ireland.
The Art of Fielding, by Chad Harbach (Little, Brown; $25.99). A campus baseball novel.
Ten Thousand Saints, by Eleanor Henderson (Ecco; $26.99). Sex, drugs, and hardcore punk in New York.
The Stranger's Child, by Alan Hollinghurst (Knopf; $27.95). Sexual politics and the making of literary reputations.
The Iliad, translated from the Greek by Stephen Mitchell (Free Press; $35). A brisk, economical new version.
Train Dreams, by Denis Johnson (Farrar, Straus & Giroux; $18). The life and times of an anonymous drifter.
Leaving the Atocha Station, by Ben Lerner (Coffee House; $15). Love, poetry, and fraudulence in literary Madrid.
Stone Upon Stone, by Wiesław Myśliwski, translated from the Polish by Bill Johnston (Archipelago; $20). A sweeping novel of twentieth-century Poland.
The Tragedy of Arthur, by Arthur Phillips (Random House; $26). An intricate novel posing as the introduction to a newly discovered Shakespeare play.
Life on Mars, by Tracy K. Smith (Graywolf; $15). Elegiac poems about space, time, and loss.
Coming to That, by Dorothea Tanning (Graywolf; $15). Poems on age, and the only end of age.
One with Others, by C. D. Wright (Copper Canyon; $18). A book-length poem about a civil-rights march.


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Colorado civil unions near, bigger fight looms
DENVER (AP) — As a proposal to allow civil unions for gay couples is set to breeze through the Colorado Legislature, a larger battle looms over same-sex marriage.
Senate Democrats stand poised to give initial approval to a civil unions bill Wednesday as the plan comes before a legislative committee for the first time this session. The measure has been turned back in past years, but with Democrats controlling the state House, Senate and governor's office it is expected to pass easily.
Debate over the proposal has been contentious and emotional the last two years. In each of those sessions civil union plans were defeated by House Republicans.
"This is the time that we get to be on the side that wins," said Shawna Kemppainen, 47, who has testified in favor of the bill previously, along with her partner, Lisa Green, 48.
Democrats, though, are guarded about the possibility of marriage for gay couples because the state constitution bans it, and lawmakers take an oath to uphold those laws.
The U.S. Supreme Court, however, is scheduled to hear arguments in March on California's constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, and that decision could affect Colorado.
Should California's ban be overturned, similar bans — including Colorado's — also would likely be upended and gay marriage supporters could make a new legislative push.
If the ban is upheld, Colorado gay rights advocates would have to settle for civil unions or look further down the line for a constitutional amendment to overturn the same-sex marriage ban.
Opponents of civil unions such as Focus on the Family's CitizenLink say they're concerned that gay marriage is the lawmakers' ultimate goal.
"Laws like civil unions and domestic partnerships have been used in other states to challenge marriage and usher in same-sex marriage" said Carrie Gordon Earll, spokeswoman for CitizenLink.
She said with civil unions all but a certainty in Colorado, her group will be watching to see what the Supreme Court does.
More than a dozen states allow civil unions, domestic partnerships, or gay marriage. Vermont, New Hampshire, and Connecticut allowed civil unions before approving gay marriage.
Civil unions grant gay couples rights similar to marriage, including being able to make medical decisions for each other. The legislation also enhances inheritance and parental rights and responsibilities.
Sen. Steve King, R-Grand Junction, will be among those opposing when a committee takes the first vote on civil unions.
"I do consider it a victory that it is not marriage in Colorado," he said.
King and other Republicans argue that civil unions duplicate rights already in state law under a designated beneficiaries act. But supporters of civil unions say that's not the case and that gay couples don't have the same legal protections as married couples.
The matter hits especially close to home for Denver Democratic Sen. Pat Steadman, the civil unions sponsor. Steadman sponsored unsuccessful civil union measures in previous sessions and last year lost his longtime partner to cancer.
Steadman said Colorado's constitutional amendment banning gay marriage "will not stand the test of time" and that he was heartened by what President Barack Obama said in his inaugural address Monday.
Speaking about civil rights, Obama said that the country's journey would not be complete "until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law."
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OTTAWA - Chuck Strahl has quit as chairman of Canada's spy watchdog following accusations of inappropriate lobbying activity, but continues to insist he has done nothing wrong.
In a letter to the prime minister made public Friday, Strahl says while he scrupulously followed conflict-of-interest rules, he is stepping down as head of the Security Intelligence Review Committee because he does not want to be a distraction from its important work.
As the federally appointed chairman of the committee, known as SIRC, Strahl helped keep an eye on the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.
Opposition MPs have criticized the former Conservative cabinet minister since learning earlier this month he registered to lobby on behalf of Northern Gateway Pipelines.
The New Democrats said it should be common sense that Strahl — someone on the federal payroll — should not lobby for a pipeline seeking federal government approval.
Strahl's Dec. 6 registration with the B.C. Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists says he intends to arrange a meeting between the pipeline concern and B.C. Natural Gas Development Minister Rich Coleman.
Regulators have conditionally approved Enbridge's proposed $8-billion Northern Gateway pipeline, which would see Alberta crude flow to westward to Kitimat, B.C.
The federal government has not yet said whether it will allow the project to go ahead.
The resignation came late Friday afternoon as MPs prepared to return Monday to the House of Commons after a lengthy break.
In his letter, Strahl said he had carefully ensured that the Privy Council Office and the office of ethics commissioner Mary Dawson were always aware of his activities, both as a volunteer in various organizations and in private business.
"Throughout the term of my appointment, I have checked with these experts and have appreciated and followed their advice to me," Strahl's said.
Without exception, they indicated at all times that "I have been fully compliant with all relevant rules and regulations, and have affirmed that all of my post-political activities were consistently appropriate and above board," he wrote.
"Any recent criticism in this regard is entirely spurious and unfounded."
Strahl becomes the second consecutive review committee head to leave in a flurry of controversy.
The review committee's previous chairman, medical doctor Arthur Porter, resigned in November 2011 amid questions about his private business dealings.
Strahl, an MP from 1993 to 2011, served in several cabinet portfolios in Stephen Harper's cabinet, most recently as transport minister.
He released two letters Friday from Dawson that addressed the allegations of conflict, first raised early this month by the Vancouver Observer, an online news site.
Both Dawson letters — one to Strahl, the other to Liberal MP Joyce Murray — say the review committee chairman had not contravened the federal Conflict of Interest Act, to which Strahl was subject in his role at the committee as a "public office holder."
"At present, I have no information that leads me to believe that there are issues or matters involving Enbridge presently before SIRC that could place Mr. Strahl in a conflict of interest nor any information that Mr. Strahl, while engaging in activities as a consultant for Enbridge, used information obtained while in his position as a public office holder," says the Jan. 15 letter to Murray, who had raised concerns with Dawson.
Dawson notes in her Jan. 8 correspondence with Strahl that he had planned to recuse himself from any matters involving Enbridge that might come before the review committee.
In his resignation letter, Strahl said he retired from politics three years ago and did not "wish to be in the centre of the political fray. Nor do I want to be a distraction from the important work SIRC does everyday in ensuring the security of Canadians."
Harper said in a statement Friday that Strahl "has submitted his resignation to me, and I have accepted it, effective immediately."
Review committee member Deborah Grey, a former MP, will serve as interim chairman.
The Conservatives, as usual, take action only after they're caught, said NDP House leader Nathan Cullen.
"The timing of this resignation shows that the Conservatives realized they had a new scandal on their hands. A government that's proud of its actions, doesn't make an announcement like this on a Friday evening."
Liberal public safety critic Wayne Easter said Friday that Strahl had to choose between being spy watchdog and working as a lobbyist. "SIRC is losing a good individual but I still see that there is a conflict there."
Strahl did not immediately return a phone call Friday.
Follow @JimBronskill on Twitter


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Hoppy. Well-balanced. Revolutionary.
From the Brewer – "The champagne-like bubbles, distinctive hop bouquet, and balanced character of Liberty Ale® revives centuries-old ale brewing traditions that are now more relevant than ever. First introduced in 1975, Liberty Ale® is brewed strictly according to traditional craft brewing methods, and uses only natural ingredients — pale malted barley, fresh whole-cone Cascade hops and a special top-fermenting yeast, and water.
The yeast used during fermentation produces many of Liberty Ale's subtle flavors and characteristics. A natural process called "bunging" creates gentle carbonation, and the practice of dry hopping (adding fresh hops to the brew during aging), revived by Anchor, creates its unique aroma.
Liberty Ale® was first brewed to celebrate the bicentennial of Paul Revere's historic ride. As the first modern American IPA brewed after prohibition and the first modern American single-hop ale and dry-hopped ale, Anchor's Liberty Ale® is the original craft brewed ale and the historic beer that started a revolution."
Hops: Cascade
Malts: 2-Row Pale
Alcohol by volume: 5.9%
Format: 6 Packs
Seasonality: Year Round