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£4,295 | Volkswagen Golf 2.0 TDI GTD 5drPX WELCOME| CHEAPEST GTD IN UK
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METALLIC BLUE| GTD CLOTH RECAROS| MANUAL 6 SPEED| GTD ALLOYS|GTD BODY STYLING| LOW RATE FINANCE AVAILABLE| PX WELCOME , Blue, 3 owners, OPEN 7 DAYS| VIEWING BY APPOINTMENT| 1 MILE OF JCT 26, M62, £4,295 p/x welcome
This car comes with
Upholstery Cloth/Leather, 2Zone Electronic Climate Control with Automatic Air Recirculation, Air-Conditioning-2Zone- Electronic Climate control, Alarm with Interior Protection, Alloy Wheels, Four 7J x 17 Seattle Shadow with 225/45 R17 Tyres and Anti-Theft Wheel Bolts, Drivers and Front Passengers Whiplash-Optimised Head Restraints, Electric Windows, Front and Rear, Heat Insu. Rear Tinted Windows from B Pillar Back, Multifunction Computer, Multifunction Computer (Highline), RCD 310 Radio/MP3 Compatible CD Player AUX-in Socket for Connection to an External Multimedia Source. MDI (Multi Device Interface) with USB and iPod Connection Cables, Rain Sensor, Rear Tinted Windows from B Pillar Back
- 201905248310933
- 2010
- 10
- £4,295
- 430
- 145,000
- Cars
- Hnf+YTiJe2g=
Technical specifications
Vehicle summary
|Body style
|Engine size
|1968 cc
|Fuel type
|Number of doors
|Number of seats
|Gearbox type
|CO2 emissions
|139 g/km
|Insurance group
|Standard manufacturer's warranty (miles)
|0 miles
|Standard manufacturer's warranty (years)
|2 years
|Standard paintwork guarantee
|3 years
Performance & economy
|Fuel consumption (urban)
|40.4 mpg
|Fuel consumption (extra urban)
|65.7 mpg
|Fuel consumption (combined)
|53.3 mpg
|0 - 60 mph
|8.0 seconds
|Top speed
|137 mph
|Engine power
|168 bhp
|Engine torque
|177.02 lbs/ft
|1479 mm
|Height inclusive of roof rails
|No details available
|4204 mm
|2578 mm
|1759 mm
|Width including mirrors
|No details available
|Fuel tank capacity
|55 litres
|Minimum kerb weight
|No details available
|Interior features
|Exterior features
|Edge Decorative Inserts in Dash and Door Panels
|Steel Space Saver Spare Wheel
|Multifunction Computer (Highline)
|Uniquely Shaped Front and Rear Bumpers w. Honeycomb Front Air Intake
|Multifunction Computer
|Rear Screen Wash/Wipe with Intermittent Wipe
|Automatic Dimming Interior Rear-View Mirror
|Uniquely Shaped Roof Spoiler, Rear
|Exterior Temperature Gauge
|Alloy Wheels, Four 7J x 17 Seattle Shadow with 225/45 R17 Tyres and Anti-Theft Wheel Bolts
|Front Footwell Illumination, Reading Lights Fr. and Rear x 2
|Electrically Heated and Adjustable Door Mirrors
|12V Socket in Luggage Compartment
|Front Seats with Lumbar Adjustment
|Front Centre Armrest
|Electric Windows, Front and Rear
|Cup Holder, Front x 2 and Rear x 1
|Multifunction Steering Wheel
|Split Folding Rear Seats, 60:40
|Carpet Mats
|Front Seats with Height Adjustment
|Rain Sensor
|Smoking Pack
|Upholstery Cloth/Leather
|Front Sport Seats
|Upholstery - Jacara Mono Cloth
|Air-Conditioning-2Zone- Electronic Climate control
|8 Speakers
|Leather Trimmed Gear Knob and Handbrake Grip
|2Zone Electronic Climate Control with Automatic Air Recirculation
|Heated Rear Windscreen
|Rear Tinted Windows from B Pillar Back
|Front Centre Armrest with Storage Compartment and Two Rear Air Vents
|Heat Insu. Rear Tinted Windows from B Pillar Back
|RCD 310 Radio/MP3 Compatible CD Player AUX-in Socket for Connection to an External Multimedia Source. MDI (Multi Device Interface) with USB and iPod Connection Cables
|Leather Trimmed Three - Spoke Steering Wheel
|Height and Reach Adjustable Steering Wheel
|Carpet Mats, Front and Rear
|Drivers Airbag
|Drivers and Front Passengers Whiplash-Optimised Head Restraints
|Front Seat Side Impact Airbags and Curtain Airbag System for Front and Rear Passengers
|Head Restraints - Front Height Adjustable, 3x Rear
|Isofix Preparation (for 2 Rear Child Seats)
|Power-Assisted Steering, Speed-Sensitive
|Alarm with Interior Protection
|Front Passengers Airbag with Deactivation Switch
|Remote Central Locking with 2 Remote Folding Keys
|ESP (Electronic Stabilisation Programme)
|Electronic Engine Immobiliser
|ASR (Traction Control)
|Centre Rear Seat Belt
|Front Fog Lights
|ABS (Anti - Lock Braking System) with HBA (Hydraulic Brake Assist)
|High Level 3rd Brake Light
|Drivers Knee Airbag
|Height-Adjustable Front Three-Point Seat Belts with Tensioners
|XDS Electronic Differential Lock
|Dusk Sensor, Automatic Driving Lights
Please note
This includes MPG figures which are calculated under European Standards, in test conditions, and will vary under normal driving conditions. The information displayed above describes the typical specification of the most recent model of this vehicle. It is not the exact specification for the actual vehicle being offered for sale which may vary. Specifications for older models may also vary. Please contact us prior to purchase to confirm the exact specification of this vehicle.
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Our Battle Creek car accident lawyers are dedicated to helping victims who were seriously injured or killed in an auto accident. For almost 50 years, we have protected the rights of auto accident injury victims helping them receive justice and win the maximum settlement for their injuries suffered. This includes claims for both personal injuries against the negligent driver and for Michigan no-fault insurance benefits against the insurance company responsible for paying medical bills, lost wages and other benefits.
What Are Battle Creek's Most Dangerous Intersections?
We handle all Battle Creek cases involving motor vehicle accidents, including cars, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrian accidents. These accidents occur on the streets, highways, sidewalks, and even in parking lots throughout Battle Creek. The most common area for fatal car accidents to take place, however, is at an intersection.
The most dangerous intersections in Battle Creek, Michigan for car accidents include:
- Beckley Road at M-66
- Beckley Road at Capital Avenue
- Columbia Avenue at Capital Avenue
- Beckley Road at 6 Mile Road
- Bedford Road at Michigan Avenue
- Helmer Road at Dickman Road
- Capital Avenue at Dickman Road
- Columbia Avenue at 20th Street
- Columbia Avenue at I-194
How to Get a Battle Creek Traffic Accident Report
As part of any Battle Creek car accident case or any Michigan auto insurance claim, it is necessary to obtain the police traffic accident report. These reports are available to you by simply contacting the police agency and requesting the report. There is usually a fee for the report. If you choose us to represent you in your case, we will obtain and pay for the report and then provide you with your own copy.
For a motor vehicle crash that occurred in Battle Creek, you should request the traffic crash report at the following location:
Battle Creek Police Department
20 N Division St.
Battle Creek, MI 49014
If your Battle Creek car accident was investigated by the Michigan State Police or the local police department, you can now order the Michigan Traffic Crash Report online and you will be able to download your accident report.
How Our Lawyers Help You After a Battle Creek Car Accident
The Michigan No-Fault Insurance laws are confusing. You need to know your legal rights after a Battle Creek car accident.
When you choose us for your car accident case, we will:
- Get the accident report, witness statements, and full police investigation file
- Get all of your medical records, hospital records, and treatment records
- Deal directly with your auto insurance company adjuster for you
- Provide you with advice on your Mini-Tort property damage claim
- Submit all of your claims for medical bills, lost wages, and other no-fault insurance benefits
- Communicate with the insurance adjuster to make sure all benefits have been paid
- Determine the insurance policy limits for every possible insurer
- File a lawsuit against the negligent driver that caused your accident
- Sue the negligent driver, owner of the car, and insurance company for your pain and suffering compensation
- Negotiate with the insurance adjusters for you
- Get you the best car accident settlement for your pain and suffering as well as any additional compensation
Common Battle Creek Car Accident Injuries
There are close to 300,000 auto accidents in Michigan every year. Many of these result in serious injuries and death. More than 800 people died in fatal car accidents in Michigan in 2014. Almost 5,000 accident victims suffered incapacitating injuries that required hospitalization and prevented them from work and normal activities.
Our auto accident attorneys represent clients with all types pain and suffering injuries after a serious auto accident. These include traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, broken bones, back and neck injuries, knee injuries, shoulder injuries, scars, and all other serious injuries. In cases involving a fatal car accident in Battle Creek, we will file a Michigan Wrongful Death claim on behalf of the family.
What Factors Determine Battle Creek Car Accident Settlements & Compensation?
There are a number of factors that determine the amount of a Battle Creek car accident settlement. Every case and every injury victim is different, so there is not set formula to determine the right amount of the settlement. Accident victims can claim a personal injury settlement that include compensation for these types of damages:
- Pain & Suffering (at the time of the accident and going into the future)
- Fright & Shock
- Psychological Injuries (like PTSD & depression)
- Scars & Permanent Disfigurements
- Disability from Work & Activities
- Loss of Income & Wages (past, present, & future)
- Bystander Claims (witnessing a family member injured in an accident)
- Death (filing a Wrongful Death Lawsuit)
How Much Are Battle Creek Car Accident Settlements?
The amount of compensation for a Battle Creek auto accident depends on a number of factors. These include:
- Which driver was at fault for the accident
- How serious the injured party was hurt
- The type of medical treatment received
- Whether there was a loss of earnings or wages
- The permanency of the injuries suffered
- Whether there are any scars or permanent disfigurements
- The amount of insurance coverage available to pay the claim
Examples of Some Battle Creek Area Car Accident Settlements
Our expert car accident lawyers have won top settlements and jury verdicts for our clients. Below are examples of auto injury cases handled by our law firm.
- $1,800,000 Settlement for a Lansing area woman who suffered a brain injury in an accident on I-96.
- $1,375,000 Settlement for a woman who suffered spinal cord injury in a Detroit car accident that caused paralysis.
- $1,000,000 Judgment against a negligent driver for hitting a bicyclist in a Detroit suburb.
- $ 900,000 Settlement in an Eaton County, Michigan wrongful death settlement
- $ 950,000 Settlement in St. Clair County for a woman who suffered serious injuries in a car accident.
- $ 700,000 Settlement for an I-94 auto accident near Ann Arbor
- $ 525,000 Settlement for a Detroit man who suffered a fractured pelvis from in a highway shoulder accident.
Get Our Free Michigan Car Accident Book
If you would like more information about your legal rights after a Battle Creek car accident, you can order our FREE book written by Michigan car accident lawyer Lawrence J. Buckfire, "The Ultimate Michigan Car Accident Handbook" by clicking on the book link. We will send it out immediately along with other important information on car accident and No-Fault Insurance claims.
Who are the Best Rated Michigan Auto Accident Lawyers?
Our legal team includes the most successful car accident attorneys in Michigan. Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. and our lawyers have won the top awards in the legal profession, including:
- U.S. News & World Report Best Law Firms
- "Best Michigan Personal Injury Attorney" by American Lawyer Academy
- Named Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Michigan
- Honored as "Super Lawyers"
- Top Martindale-Hubbell Rating (AV) for Skill & Integrity
- Member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum
Michigan Car Accident Lawyer ReviewMi-k'el Schimman
Our No Fee Promise on Battle Creek Car Accident Cases
Don't be concerned the money you might need to hire a lawyer. You can afford to have the best car accident law firm on your side without paying a penny out of your pocket. It literally costs nothing to get started and if your auto accident case is unsuccessful for any reason, you owe us nothing. We promise you in writing:
- No money to hire us or get started on your case
- We pay all case costs and expenses from start to finish
- You pay no legal fees whatsoever unless you receive a settlement
- Phone calls to our office are always free, forever.
Start Your Battle Creek Car Accident Claim Today
There are three ways to get started on your car accident case today to get the settlement you deserve. You can:
- Submit the Free Case Review Box on this page. An auto accident attorney will contact you shortly.
- Chat with our online live operator who will provide your information to our law firm
- Call (800) 606-1717 any time of day to speak with an injury lawyer about your case.
Warning: There is a strict time deadline for filing Battle Creek car accident lawsuits. Call us today to learn more about Battle Creek auto accident laws.
Battle Creek Resources
- Calhoun County District Court
- Calhoun County Circuit Court
- Battle Creek Police Department
- Battle Creek Wiki Page
Searching for a "Lawyer Near Me?" We handle car accident cases in Albion, Battle Creek, Marshall, Springfield, Albion Township, Athens Township, Bedford Charter Township, Burlington Township, Clarence Township, Clarendon Township, Convis Township, Eckford Township, Emmett Charter Township, Fredonia Township, Homer Township, Lee Township, Leroy Township, Marengo Township, Marshall Township, Newton Township, Pennfield Charter Township, Sheridan Township, Tekonsha Township, and all other cities and townships in Calhoun County, Michigan.

subset: commoncrawl


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Penguin, (order Sphenisciformes), any of 18 species of flightless marine birds that live only in the Southern Hemisphere. The majority of the 18 species live not in Antarctica but rather between latitudes 45° and 60° S, where they breed on islands. A few penguins inhabit temperate regions, and one, the Galapagos penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus), lives at the Equator.
General features
The stocky, short-legged appearance of penguins has endeared them to people worldwide. They range from about 35 cm (14 inches) in height and approximately 1 kg (about 2 pounds) in weight in the blue, or fairy, penguin (Eudyptula minor) to 115 cm (45 inches) and 25 to 40 kg (55 to 90 pounds) in the emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri). Most are black on the back and white below, often with lines of black across the upper breast or spots of white on the head. Colour is rare, being limited to red or yellow irises of the eye in some species; red beaks or feet in a few; yellow brow tufts in the three species of Eudyptes; and orange and yellow on the head, neck, and breast in the emperor and king (A. patagonica) penguins.
The total populations of some species, such as the emperor, are estimated in the hundreds of thousands, but most species of smaller penguins certainly run into the millions. Immense island breeding colonies, some teeming with hundreds of thousands of nesting pairs, represent a large potential food resource, but the economic importance of penguins is negligible. Nineteenth-century whalers and seal hunters visited some colonies for meat and eggs, and a penguin oil industry once took large numbers of the birds. By the early 20th century, however, this exploitation was no longer profitable, and most colonies were left alone or actively protected. Some species are now increasing in numbers, apparently as a result of the mid-20th century's decimation of Antarctic whales, which compete with penguins for the krill (minute crustaceans) on which both feed. Penguin populations, however, are highly vulnerable to changes in climate and ocean temperature, including recent global warming. Penguins also are very sensitive to depletion of local fish populations by humans.
Natural history
Many features of the penguin life cycle vary with body size and geographic distribution; the chronology of breeding may also vary within a species in relation to latitude. The majority of species breed only once each year. Certain species, such as the African penguin (Spheniscus demersus), probably other members of this genus, and the blue penguin, breed twice a year. The king penguin breeds twice in three years. One egg is laid by the emperor and king penguins; all others lay two or occasionally three. Most penguins begin breeding in the austral (southern) spring or summer. King penguins are on a 14- to 18-month cycle, and the timing of an individual pair depends on the success or failure of the previous breeding attempt. Some populations of the gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) also breed in winter. The breeding of the emperor penguin begins in autumn, apparently timed so that the long developmental period will produce the young in midsummer, when their chances of survival are greatest.
The gentoo, which has a circumpolar distribution, is notable for its lack of synchrony among populations, but otherwise its breeding schedule is essentially comparable to that of most other species. In the Crozet Islands off southern Africa, for example, egg laying takes place in July. The two eggs are incubated for 35 or 36 days, and the rearing of the chick takes two months. The last immature birds go to sea in January.
Many types of visual and vocal displays are employed between the arrival of the birds at the colony and their departure. Courtship calls are used during pairing and to a lesser degree during the succeeding phases of breeding. There are marked vocal differences between sexes in the emperor penguin and the king penguin and less-marked dimorphisms in some other species. Upon arrival at the colony each bird returns to the nest that it left the previous year and generally rejoins its mate of the previous year, unless the death of the latter forces it to choose another partner. This applies even to the emperor penguin, which is capable of finding its mate despite the absence of a nest and the large size of the colony.
The displays that occur with the reassembly of the colony and the finding of mates, as well as those preceding copulation, are quite similar among the majority of species, but the accompanying vocalizations are more diverse. Various species have been described as trumpeting, croaking, cackling, and cooing; members of the genus Spheniscus are called jackass penguins for the braying sounds they make. The behaviour of experienced older birds is more elaborate and more effective than that of younger individuals. For example, Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) may return to the reproductive colony from their third year onward but do not breed successfully until their fifth or sixth year.
Incubation of eggs is performed by both sexes in all species except the emperor penguin, in which it is done exclusively by the male, and it is begun immediately after egg laying. With the advent of incubation, the bustle and myriad cries that characterized mating give way to quiet and inactivity. Faulty incubation behaviour by inexperienced birds frequently results in the abandonment or breakage of eggs. The mortality rate (eggs and chicks) is very important at the egg stage, varying from year to year depending on climatic conditions, the percentage of young birds in the reproductive population, and the pressure of predation. In general, mortality (eggs and chicks) is from 40 to 80 percent of the eggs laid. In coastal colonies predators include, in order of importance: skuas, sheathbills, and the giant petrel. On the Australian, African, and South American continents, the nocturnal habits of certain penguins and the fact that they nest in burrows substantially limit predation, which is mostly by gulls and man.
Following egg laying, the female usually departs for the sea to feed, returning to relieve her mate after about 10 to 20 days. Thereafter, father and mother alternate in periods of a week or two. The female emperor penguin, however, must often walk 80 to 160 km (50 to 100 miles) from the colony to the sea and does not return until the end of the incubation period. During the 64-day incubation period, which extends through the height of the Antarctic winter, the male emperor penguin incubates the egg, holding it on his feet and living on stored fat reserves. During violent winter storms, members of the colony gather for mutual protection from wind and cold in tightly packed crowds called huddles.
Emergence from the shell takes 24 to 48 hours, during which the brooding parent is particularly irritable. The chick shows feeding behaviour immediately on hatching, receiving a regurgitated "soup" of crustaceans or fish by inserting its bill into the open mouth of the parent. During its early days the young bird is sheltered under the body of one of its parents, who take turns foraging and brooding. Growing larger, the young bird remains at a parent's side, although the fledgling is able to maintain its body heat and move about alone. The chick then joins 100 or more of its contemporaries in a nursery group, or crèche, sometimes guarded by a few adults, while both its parents forage at sea. Upon returning with food, the parent calls its chick from the crèche and is able to distinguish it from other chicks (which frequently respond) by voice and appearance. During the breeding season the number of "unemployed" adults in the colony increases with the addition of those who have lost eggs or chicks. In emperor penguin colonies, these unemployed birds often interfere with parents that have young and cause increased mortality. During the crèche stage the fuzzy down that has covered the chick since hatching is replaced by a coat of short stiff feathers, which are similar to those of the adult but usually somewhat different in colour. Once this molt is complete, the juvenile leaves the colony to seek its own food at sea.
The period of growth of the young bird from hatching to complete independence varies from two months, in the smallest species of the genus Eudyptula, to 51/2 months in the emperor and 12 to 14 months in the king penguin.
Adult penguins molt all of their feathers once a year following the breeding period. While in molt the bird is unable to enter the water and instead withdraws to a communal molting site usually situated in a sheltered area away from the colony. The duration of the molt varies from about two weeks in small species to more than a month in the larger ones.
The principal enemies of penguins at sea are the leopard seal and the killer whale (orca). Seals also take penguins near Australia, New Zealand, and other subantarctic regions.
Locomotion and orientation
Penguins are adapted for rapid locomotion in water, in which the wings, or flippers, are used for propulsion; the birds "fly" underwater. When moving at high speed, they frequently leave the water in leaps that may carry them a metre or more through the air; it is during this time that they breathe.
On land, penguins are much more awkward, even amusing, as they rock from side to side as they walk. Despite their short legs, however, penguins can run with surprising speed. Some, such as the northern rockhopper (Eudyptes moseleyi), the southern rockhopper (E. chrysocome), and Adélie penguins, move among rocks with agility, using the flippers for balance. On snow or ice, many penguins "toboggan," sliding on the belly as they propel themselves with the feet and flippers. The flippers, along with the beak, are the prime weapons in defense and attack.
Scientists have long wondered how penguins are able to find their way back to their colonies from far out at sea, where currents may have carried them great distances. Also perplexing is how they are able to direct themselves correctly on land in the absence of clear-cut landmarks. Studies of penguins transported to the interior of Antarctica have found that they are able to find their way back to the ocean by using the sun as a directional aid. It is probable that the same means of orientation is used at sea. Upon approaching the coast they are able to recognize features of the shoreline and ocean bottom.
Food habits
The type of food utilized varies with the species, the geographic region, and the time of year. Most of the smaller southern penguins feed primarily upon krill, which attain high densities in the rich, well-oxygenated Antarctic waters. Cephalopods (squid and cuttlefish) and small fishes may form substantial fractions of the food, and in a few, such as the African penguin, fish is the basic element of the diet. The total weight of food consumed by a large penguin colony is prodigious, often exceeding several tons per day.
Form and function
The penguins are highly specialized for their flightless aquatic existence. The feet are located much farther back than those of other birds, with the result that the bird carries itself mostly upright; its walk can thus be described as plantigrade (i.e., on the soles). The sole comprises the whole foot instead of just the toes, as in other birds. The most notable characteristic of the group is the transformation of the forelimb into a paddle. This is accompanied by a body morphology particularly adapted to movement in a liquid medium. The thoracic (rib) cage is well developed, and the sternum bears a pronounced keel for the attachment of the pectoral muscles, which move the flippers. The flipper has the same skeletal base as the wing of flying birds but with its elements shortened and flattened, producing a relatively rigid limb covered with very short feathers—an ideal organ for rapid propulsion. The body plumage likewise consists of very short feathers, which minimize friction and turbulence. The density of the plumage and the layer of air that it retains provide almost complete insulation of the body.
Insulation of the bird's body is particularly important for Antarctic species that live in water that is always below 0 °C (32 °F). The cooling power of seawater at −1.9 °C (28.6 °F) is equal to that of a temperature of −20 °C (−4 °F) with a wind of 110 km (70 miles) per hour. The skin is insulated by a layer of air trapped under the plumage, and the only bare skin in direct contact with the water is that of the feet. In the case of the emperor penguin on land, the feet are in almost constant contact with ice. The skin temperature is in the neighbourhood of 0 °C, and snow does not melt upon contact. This is possible because of remarkable anatomical arrangements in the lower limb, whereby closely adjacent arteries and veins form a system of heat exchange between opposing flows of blood. This arrangement permits cooled blood from the feet to absorb heat from outflowing blood, providing maximum economy of heat consistent with the functioning of the foot.
Like other seabirds, penguins have salt glands that enable them to ingest salt from seawater. Excess chloride is excreted in the form of a solution the concentration of which is greater than that of seawater. These glands are located above the eyes and are already functional in the young chick, which begins to consume food of marine origin from its first day of life.
Recent research has shown that the species most isolated geographically, such as the emperor penguin, can be subject to diseases. Some, such as the Adélie penguin, carry in their bodies trace amounts of pollutants, albeit in lower quantities than are found in many birds that live closer to humans.
Evolution and classification
Fossil record
Evidence from paleontology indicates that the penguins and the order Procellariiformes (albatrosses, shearwaters, and petrels) had a common origin. Both groups are represented by well-defined fossils dating to about 50 million years ago. The flightless sphenisciform line produced a number of distinctive side branches, all recognizably penguins, some giant in size. All of the fossil remains of penguins have been collected within the zone of the present-day distribution of the Sphenisciformes. Some apparently lived in warmer regions than do most of today's penguins.
Phylogenetic analysis of living and fossil penguins shows that the group evolved a large body size early in its history. For example, two of the largest fossil penguins known—Icadyptes, which stood some 1.5 metres (about 5 feet) tall, and Anthropornis, which stood about 1.8 metres (6 feet) tall—date to the Eocene Epoch (56 million to 33.9 million years ago). Living penguins make up a separate lineage characterized by smaller, highly aquatic species that began about 8 million years ago. The comparatively small size of living penguins is thus a geologically recent phenomenon that postdates the original radiation of giant penguins.
- Order Sphenisciformes (penguins)
- 18 species in 1 family (Spheniscidae) with 6 genera found in oceans of the Southern Hemisphere; wings flipperlike for propulsion underwater; webbed feet short and stout; stance upright; feathers short and dense, molted in patches; length 35–115 cm (14–45 inches); fossil forms to 180 cm (70 inches).
- Genus Eudyptes (crested penguins)
- 7 species: erect-crested, Fiordland, macaroni, northern rockhopper, southern rockhopper, royal, and Snares.
- Genus Spheniscus (black-footed, or jackass, penguins)
- 4 species: African, Galapagos, Humboldt, and Magellanic.
- Genus Eudyptula (blue penguin)
- 1 species, also called little, or fairy, penguin.
- Genus Megadyptes (yellow-eyed penguin)
- 1 species.
Learn More in these related Britannica articles:
Antarctica: BirdsPenguins, of the order Sphenisciformes, symbolize this polar region, though they live on seacoasts throughout the Southern Hemisphere. Of the 18 living species, only the Adélie and emperor live along the Antarctic coastline. The habitats of five other polar species—king, chinstrap,…
reproductive behaviour: Courtship…displays of such birds as penguins. Early in the relationship between the individuals, one or both may offer the other stones that are placed in a pile. The actual nest is not constructed until much later, however.…
locomotion: Tetrapodal vertebrates…exceptions are sea turtles, auks, penguins, and fur seals; in these, the hind feet are webbed and are used as rudders. For propulsion, these animals use their forelegs, which have become bladelike flippers in which the forearm and hand region are dorsoventrally compressed to form a single, inflexible unit. The…
More About Penguin10 references found in Britannica articles
Assorted References
- major reference
- annotated classification
- breeding colony
- common origin with procellariiforms
- evolution
- flightless birds
- mating behaviour
- mode of locomotion
- nesting


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Major Section: MISCELLANEOUS
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These days, plenty of theater productions make you think. StageDoor Theatre's latest production of Neil Simon's hit show "Rumors" is theater that makes you laugh ee and laugh and laugh and laugh.
"We picked this show because it would be fun," says Fran Arniotes, one of 10 cast members. "There's a lot of stuff that's challenging for today's audiences, and we thought that with the economy and the way the world is today, people just want to escape and laugh."
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Witness the magic of painting for process not product. Experience the power of brush and paint. Free the creative flow within. Learn the joy of painting for process. Release judgement and expectation. Experience pure awareness. No artistic skills or talent are required. This is a journey for everyone.
If you breathe you can create.


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First-timers sitting NCEA examinations are being encouraged to keep a cool head after reports that several students forgot their entry slips.
Others failed to answer all parts of the exam as they ran out of time.
Up to 46,000 Year 11 students have completed their first NCEA exam in English - this year's largest examination session.
Secondary Principals Association president Patrick Walsh said the first major exam had been an overall success; however, some first-time sitters had struggled on their first day.
"It's still a bit nerve-racking as it is their first time. I've heard about students forgetting their exam slips, which we hear about every year, but also issues with timing," he said.
"Some students have spent too much time on one section of the exam and then run out of time to complete another part.
"The tip is to answer what you know and then come back to it."
Each student is given an admission exam slip, which has their name and which subjects they are sitting an exam for.
Students have to have the slip to gain entry to an exam.
Scholarship students, as well as students sitting exams in different schools, are required to bring their photo ID.
Mr Walsh said schools were being told to encourage students, particularly first-time sitters, to make sure they have everything needed before leaving the house.
It was also important for them to stay relaxed and calm before an exam and therefore to arrive at least 30 minutes early.
"There will be some students who have found it hard on their first day of exams, but it's good to get it out of the way now.
"It steadies their nerves and gets them ready for the next big exam," he said.
It was also emphasised that students should make note of the suggested time they should be spending on each part of an exam; printed on the top of each exam paper.
Mr Walsh said although there had not been any reports of cheating or breaching of the rules that he had heard of, it was still early days.
Last year's figures showed that 376 breaches were reported to NZQA - 35 of which were later ruled to have not been breaches after all.
The breaches range from students using cellphones in an exam, taking in pre-prepared notes, communicating with other students and altering a marked answer booklet and then asking for a recount.
Last year the year 11 English exam had one of the highest number of reported breaches - with 35 cases - as well as the year 12 English exam, which had 38 reported breaches.
Exam time
*Level 1 German, Accounting.
*Level 2 English, Latin.
*Level 3 Biology.
*Scholarship Physical Education, Te Reo Rangatira.
Don't forget
*Admission slip.
*Student photo ID.
*Two extra pens.
*Water bottle.
*Turn off cellphone and leave in school bag.Vaimoana Tapaleao education


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Wow! Triple wow! We just got back from 79 A.D. and it didn�t seem all that far away.
We toured Pompeii and if you�re not up on your ancient history, that city was buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in August of that year. Because the ejection was ash instead of lava, Pompeii was more or less �gently� sealed as a spectacular time capsule, which they�re still opening.
We wandered the streets, past row upon row of shops. They even had their version of a mall. Go figure.
We sat awhile in the amphitheater. Trust me, although they were amazingly advanced, they didn�t know Jack � or should I say �Julius� � about comfort. The seats were stone as were their beds and pillows.
On the subject of beds, we visited the �red light� district. Yep, the �world�s oldest profession� was very much alive in Pompeii.
The funniest aspect of ancient prostitution was their advertising. The district entrance was identified by a stone carving protruding from over the door.
I won�t give you readers a detailed description of the artwork, but suffice it to say it illustrated their product without ambiguity. The menu consisted of pictures of each service offered, eliminating the need for language skills.
On a more somber tone, although nearly 2,000 years separate us from that August day we saw up close and personal evidence of the disaster in the faces of its victims. They died of gas inhalation but were �gently� covered by ash like the city so even emotions were preserved.
Of course bodies decomposed away but molds of startling detail were left. When pumped full of liquid plaster, the ash gave up an astounding record of the tragedy.
Most of the body casts reside in museums but on-site there was a display of victims complete with facial expression and what they were wearing at eruption. Certainly typing it seems a bit morbid but seeing the apparent normalcy of their existence against ours today is very weird and extremely enlightening. So much has changed, but even more seems to have stayed the same.
The city of Pompeii had running water; yep, running water and a sewer system. Compare that to my close ancestors just a couple of centuries ago and we �moderns� come out severely lacking. At its peak, Rome was the center of the human universe and certainly deserved its ascendency.
We toured a spa with cold, warm and hot baths, a sauna with adjacent massage area. We saw evidences of their plumbing which would put many cultures to shame today.
On the downside, they used lead piping which contributed to a level of systemic mental problems. Fortunately over time, building deposits within those pipes semi-solved their lead poisoning problems.
But lead remained a very big deal in the ancient world, even as moisture control lining in nicer homes. Because rulers and wealthy politicians routinely drank from lead-lined mugs, you might postulate the masses possessed superior functioning intellect.
See what I mean that not all that much has changed?
Otis Gardner�s column appears here weekly. He can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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AMC Renews Halt and Catch Fire for Season 3
Oct 8, 2015 2:00 PM EDT
Looks like the Mutiny will continue! AMC has ordered a third season of Halt and Catch Fire, TVGuide.com has learned. The show, which averaged less than a million viewers per episode last season, stars Lee Pace, Scoot McNairy, Kerry Bishe and Mackenzi… Read more


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Ticker Symbols:
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Minimum Investment:
$5,000 non-qualified accounts
$2,000 retirement accounts
$250 subsequent investments
Class I minimum initial investment $1 million
*Plus acquired fund fees of 0.22%. Fund Type: Nontraditional Bond Definitions: Standard deviation is a statistical measurement of volatility based on historical returns.Correlation measures how closely two securities' movements are associated, ranging from 1.0 (highly correlated) to -1.0 (inversely correlated).Sharpe Ratio is a measure of risk adjusted returns and is the return less the risk-free rate divided by the standard deviation. Absolute Returns are generally positive returns in any market environment. There is no guarantee that any investment will achieve this objective.AD-072318
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Hello there, welcome to RAD!, the approved fanlisting for polaroid cameras. This fanlisting is listed under Objects > C at thefanlistings.org The instant camera, polaroid camera, is a type of camera which uses self-developing film to create a chemically developed print shortly after taking the picture. Polaroid Corporation pioneered (and patented) consumer friendly instant cameras and film, and were followed by various other manufacturers. You can find Credits, such as textures, artworks, scripts. . at this link.
This fanlisting was last updated, 15th October 2018 and it has a total of 16 fans, from 7 countries. There are 0 fans waiting to be added and please say welcome to our newest member, Ida. This fanlisting is managed with Enthusiast and approved/part of TFL & Precise Poetry.
If you want to affiliate with me use this form.
huh? Fanlisting?
A fanlisting is simply an online listing of fans of a subject, such as a TV show, items, musician etc etc that is created by an individual and open for fans from around the world to join. There are no costs, and the only requirements to join a fanlisting are your name, email and country. Fanlistings do not have to be large sites (although some are) - they are just a place where you can have your name listed along with other fans of the same subject.
These buttons are for you to link with. Find one you like, right click and press save as. Upload it to your server or photo hoster and link back to: http://fan.precise-poetry.net/polaroid/. It's not harder then that. Great huh? You can also link with just a text. Like this;
before joining.
signing up & Update.
Here you sign up. If you want to update your information or send yourself a new password, you can do so by pressing this link: clicking here. If you have any trouble updating, or sending yourself a new password, you know who to call.
Please use the form below for joining the fanlisting. Please hit the submit button only once. Your entry is fed instantly into the database, and your email address is checked for duplicates. Passwords are encrypted into the database and will not be seen by anyone else other than you. If left blank, a password will be generated for you.
If you encounter problems, please feel free to .
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[Look for the podcast play button below.]
The oh so charming and ever so talented artist and illustrator, Alexander is back today for Part 2 of his appearance on this The Erotic Mind show. There's more fun, more interesting conversation and a whole lot more smut coming your way in just a moment.
But wait, you didn't miss Part 1 of this chat, did you? Well not to worry if ya did, because you can find it and all my podcasts in the Podcast Archive right here on my site. All ya gotta do is use the search function in the header; type in Podcast #368 and PRESTO! But don't forget the #sign when you do your search.
Alexander and I discuss:
- The distinction between artist and illustrator;
- Comic Con in the UK;
- His Comic available as a PDF file and as a hard copy; http://www.classcomics.com/ccn/comic-titles/ridehard/
- Comic making is a solitary endeavor;
- Defining erotic art;
- Erotic art and porn;
- Erotic art in the mainstream
- Ridehard, Volume II;
- Advice for the novice comic maker.
Alexander invites you to visit him on his website HERE! And look for him on Facebook HERE! And Twitter HERE!
Click on the thumbnail images below to see a slideshow of some of Alexander's delightful work.
[portfolio_slideshow id=12904]
Check out The Lick-A-Dee-Split Connection. That's Dr Dick's toll free podcast voicemail HOTLINE. Don't worry people; no one will personally answer the phone. Your message goes directly to voicemail.
Got a question or a comment? Wanna rant or rave? Or maybe you'd just like to talk dirty for a minute or two. Why not get it off your chest! Give Dr Dick a call at (866) 422-5680.
Look for all my podcasts on iTunes. You'll find me in the podcast section, obviously. Just search for Dr Dick Sex Advice. And don't forget to subscribe. I wouldn't want you to miss even one episode.
Today's Podcast is bought to you by: DR DICK'S — HOW TO VIDEO LIBRARY.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download


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Road Worrier: Transit sales tax pays off for bus riders in two Triangle counties
Shoppers in Orange and Durham counties have been paying a special half-cent sales tax dedicated to bus and rail transit improvements for the past year. Now they're starting to get something back for their money.
Triangle Transit will use some of the sales tax proceeds this summer to inaugurate Sunday service on a handful of routes in the two counties – stepping up to a seven-day schedule for the first time in its 21-year history.
Chapel Hill Transit and Durham's DATA began spending sales-tax dollars for service expansions last fall, adding evening hours and more frequent daytime runs on several busy bus routes. They're planning more bus upgrades this fall and next year.
"We're trying to provide improved access to jobs, especially those with nontraditional work hours, and expand access to retail, medical and educational destinations," said Brian Litchfield, the Chapel Hill Transit director.
And new rush-hour bus routes will be rolled out for residents of Hillsborough, Mebane, North Durham and southern Durham who work at Duke University and in downtown Durham. That will give more commuters the option to leave the car, if they have one, at home.
Some folks in Wake County might feel left out, because they don't have a dedicated sales tax pouring money into a bank account for transit improvements. But Wake also will benefit from expanded bus service this year, thanks to funds kicked in by Triangle Transit and the Raleigh City Council.
Orange and Durham began collecting the transit sales tax in April 2013, after the tax and a related vehicle registration fee were approved first by the commissioners in both counties and then by voters, as part of long-range bus and rail investment plans. Part of the tax proceeds have been set aside for planning work on a light-rail line local leaders hope to build one day between UNC Hospitals and downtown Durham.
The Wake County commissioners have not taken action on a similar bus and rail plan drafted in 2011 by Triangle Transit planners and the former county manager, with input from Wake's 12 town and city boards.
The Wake plan includes light rail in the distant future and a separate commuter train line from Durham through Research Triangle Park and Raleigh to Garner – a prospect that might sound appealing next year, when a $130 million Raleigh Beltline repair project is expected to start making hordes of commuters late to work every morning.
And, like the Orange and Durham plans, Wake's 2011 plan starts out with big new investments in bus service.
The Wake transit plan is so dusty now that supporters and skeptics agree that an update is overdue. The next revision is expected to give more emphasis to bus rapid transit service, and it probably will take note of new transit-friendly dense development in the Cameron Village and North Hills neighborhoods.
As it turns out, Wake residents won't have to wait for a sales-tax referendum to see some upgrades in bus service.
Triangle Transit is dipping into its own funds to add Saturday evening and Sunday service for its bus from Raleigh to Raleigh-Durham International Airport, which now serves an average 160 riders a day. The RDU bus stops at the Regional Transit Center in Research Triangle Park, where weekday and weekend riders from Durham and Orange routes can switch for a ride to the airport.
Sunday service just makes sense for the airport bus and other intercity routes.
"One of the most common requests we receive is for people to be able to get from community to community on Sunday," said John Tallmadge, Triangle Transit's commuter resources director. "And service to and from the airport becomes much more viable for vacation travelers when you have Sunday service."
The Raleigh City Council is investing in better bus service, too, with an extra $1.4 million added to the Capital Area Transit budget for the next two years.
"The truth of the matter is, we have not done a good job as a city funding bus service," said Mary-Ann Baldwin, a City Council member and Triangle Transit trustee. "Our decision last year to take this money from the general fund showed that we as a city are committed to this."
Starting June 1, Capital Area Transit will run buses every 15 minutes for Raleigh's two busiest routes along Capital Boulevard and New Bern Avenue. New Sunday service will be added to the Crabtree and Northclift routes, and more changes are planned.
Wake's original transit plan included more Sunday service on Triangle Transit routes, as well as new express bus routes linking Raleigh to outlying towns.
Baldwin would like to see the county commissioners approve a transit plan and let county voters decide on a possible half-cent sales tax in 2015. She spoke by phone Monday from Indianapolis, where Wake political and business leaders were learning about familiar challenges faced by a city twice Raleigh's size.
"They're struggling with the same issues we are," Baldwin said. "I think for midsize cities that want to become great cities, transit options are seen as a very necessary stepping stone."


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Hi all!i am glad to be a member of this forum!
this is my first post..and i hope for the best!
i look for this yello mix.
this is only a sample which contains,
lost again,i love you and maybe some other songs from yello,or other bands...
can you recognize it?
Which Yello mix?
These are songs or DJ tracks that have Yello samples in them or
Yello songs that have been remixed by other artists
Yello songs that have been remixed by other artists
4 posts • Page 1 of 1
It sounds like the old Razormaid Dubs.
4 posts • Page 1 of 1
Return to "Yello Mixes By Other Artists"


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You will need to quickly learn how to invest your money, if you want to be able to build up your investment portfolio. Time is of the essence, because every day that you delay investing is an opportunity lost to earn a return on your investment.
You will need to quickly learn how to invest your money, if you want to take advantage of the bargains you can find in the down economy. Buy while the market is down, so that you can buy cheap. And then when the market rebounds, your investment portfolio will grow exponentially in value very quickly.
Another reason why you will want to quickly learn how to invest your money is because you might otherwise spend the money. If you lack the discipline to manage your money, and you fear that you might spend it, then you are better off investing the money. Not only that, but thanks to inflation, cash money will not be worth as much tomorrow as it is today. Therefore, in order to keep up with, or outpace inflation, you will want to quickly learn how to invest your money, before the money you have becomes worth less.
The good news is that you can, very quickly, learn how to invest your money. It doesn't require a four year college degree to understand the world of investing. But then again, investing is not child's play either. You just need to arm yourself with as much knowledge as possible. And you need to learn how to make sound investment decisions, and not just invest based on a whim, based on emotion, or based on hype.
If you are armed with the requisite knowledge of investing, you can make a lot of money very quickly. Learn how to invest your money wisely, and you will be able to achieve your financial goals.


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Note: You clicked on an external link, which has been disabled in order to keep your shopping session open.
Labeling of cells and MicrobeadsPBMC was generated from healthy blood donors by gradient centrifugation (LymphoPrep, Axis-Shield) according to the manufacture's protocol and labeled with Lipid Vybrant Multicolor Cell Labeling kit (Component C, cat no V22889, Invitrogen) for 30 min at room temperature prior to washings. The tube was rolling during labeling to avoid sedimentation of the cells. In some experiments, LysoTrackerTM Green (cat no L7526, Invitrogen) was added during the incubation. CD3 Microbeads (cat no 130-050-101, Miltenyi Biotec, Germany) were labeled with highly cross absorbed goat anti-mouse IgG (H+L) Alexa 555 (cat no A21424, Invitrogen). The staining of CD3 MicroBeads was specific as adding the anti-mouse IgG Alexa 555 antibody directly to PBMC did not create a signal in a fluorescent microscope.
Detection of the MicroBeadsLabeled CD3 MicroBeads were used to isolated human CD3+ T-cells according to the manufacture's procedure (Miltenyi Biotec, Germany) using LS columns. Isolated cells were immediately analyzed on glass cover slips in an Andor Revolution Spinning Disc microscope. Frames were taken at different intervals for various times (e.g. every 2nd sec for 15 min, or every 5th sec up to 45 min). In some experiments, labeled PBMC (70% of cells expressing CD3) were seeded directly onto a glass cover slip prior to adding the labeled CD3 MicroBeads and live imaging of the cells was performed.


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A shoe company supporting fair trade farmers and an organization connecting artists were the winning ideas at the Hope Entrepreneurship Initiative's (HEI) Fall Semester Idea Pitch and Learn, held at Hope College on Tuesday, Oct. 4.
A shoe company supporting fair trade farmers and an organization connecting artists were the winning ideas at the Hope Entrepreneurship Initiative's (HEI) Fall Semester Idea Pitch and Learn, held at Hope College on Tuesday, Oct. 4.
Gretchen Baldwin, who is a senior international studies major from Kalamazoo, and Amy Hattori, a junior psychology major from Los Angeles, Calif., each took home a $500 award. Each student is now eligible for the regional idea pitch competition to be held on Thursday, Nov. 3, at Davenport University in Grand Rapids. The event is open to the public.
Faculty member Dr. Steve VanderVeen, director of HEI, said that as noteworthy as the ideas and winners is the proportion of contestants who were liberal arts majors, including the winner. Of the 14 participants, 62 percent were not enrolled in the professional or pre-professional programs presumed to generate entrepreneurial students, such as engineering and management.
"A broad-based education prepares and encourages students to ask creative questions based on the synthesis of alternative perspectives and experiences," said VanderVeen, who is also a professor of management and director of the Center for Faithful Leadership at Hope. "We see the evidence in our idea pitch and learn competitions."
VanderVeen noted that a liberal arts education also helps students find their passion. Baldwin's idea is motivated by an interest in fair trade and social justice. Hattori discovered her idea because she loves art.
Other contestants included Kate Allen, a sophomore from Vienna, Va., majoring in Japanese and art, who, after attempting to plan a cross-county trip, seeks to consolidate schedules among modes of public transportation. Ross Heneveld, a senior engineering major from Grand Rapids, after visiting his brother at a university, wants to create a student-run on-campus food delivery service. Joseph Soderberg, a junior accounting major from Glen Ellyn, Ill., while testing the internship market, thought of the benefits of an electronic business card. Conor Hughes, a junior English major and skate-boarder from Plainfield, Ill., desires to create a youth development program for skaters and bikers. Melissa Gayles, a senior art major from Chicago, Ill., engaged to be married, sees the need for a unique on-line wedding boutique selling affordable clothes. Jacob Everly, a first-year student from Woodstock, Ill., trying out for the varsity basketball team, wants to create a work-out program for at-risk middle and high school students. Audrey Schultz, a senior art major from Grand Haven, after running out of needed supplies, has an idea for making such items more convenient. Connor Mulcahy, a sophomore geology and environmental science major from Cedarburg, Wis., learning about the needs of the hungry in U.S. cities, has an idea for a restaurant selling affordable and protein-rich food. Anais Felt, a first-year student from Montague with an interest in public relations and political science, dreams of a program that employs at-risk women. Travis Rooke of Alexandria, Ohio, and Drew Forsythe of Vicksburg, sophomore students majoring in communication and management respectively, seek to make coaching fantasy sports teams even more engaging. Matt Rutter, a senior management and philosophy major from Sylvania, Ohio, inspired by a semester in Philadelphia, Pa., is creating a corporate-sponsored mentoring program that teaches cultural intelligence skills to its employees.
"We hope these students return to our spring idea pitch and learn and business plan competitions," VanderVeen said. "And I hope I can recruit even more of these creative students."


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bigstrads wrote:Man............I dont know WHAT it is right now but I always seem to be on the retard/die alot team!!!
Its just ridiculous, I am constantly on teams where not even one player, other than me, breaks even in kills vs deaths.
Most of the time, all I hear is "Enemy Artillery!" and "They send their hounds!"............its driving me f*cking insane, as mostly I only die from the constant dogs and air strikes.
Ill be 20-4, and the next best will be 6-19.............its so freakin frustrating, I just always seem to be on the team who gets the sh*t kicked out of them.
And you cant say its because of me or something Im doing, cuz one player doing one thing wont f*ck it up for the other 8 or so players...........but 8 or so players getting constantly killed certainly upsets it for one.
Maybe 1 out of every 10 games, I am with a team that seems like they can play the game.
My K/D ratio is now 2.03.
maybe i shouldn't be on your team then


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A devastating but all too familiar horror took place at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in an idyllic Newtown, Connecticut, on Friday, December 14. Twenty-six were killed: 20 young children and six adults. The perpetrator was 20-year-old Adam Lanza.
On another Friday, four months and six days prior, another mass shooting occurred inside of a Century movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, during a midnight screening of the film The Dark Knight Rises.
A gunman, dressed in tactical clothing, set off tear gas grenades and shot into the audience with multiple firearms, killing 12 people and injuring 58 others. The shooter was 24-year-old James Eagan Holmes, who was arrested outside the cinema minutes later.
The names of the killers and locations of the carnage differ, but their weapon of choice does not. It's that same old reliable semi-automatic "hunting" (read: assault) rifle, sister to the military version minus the "semi."
The passage from a letter I wrote back in July seems eerily appropriate now in December:
No one should own an assault rifle except our soldiers in the military and the law enforcement officers who protect us. In 1994 Congress passed a ten-year ban on assault weapons and President Bill Clinton signed it. Unfortunately, it was allowed to abate.
During his 2008 campaign, Obama promised to reinstate the ban, and Romney signed an assault weapon ban as Governor of Massachusetts. It is obviously time to reinstate the ban but it's not quite that easy.
One enormous hurdle, of course, is the omnipresent NRA. They are as much of a danger to the safety of our citizens as are the assault rifles themselves. They will do whatever is necessary to defeat such a common sense ban.
They will distort, lobby and spend as much as is necessary as they always have. Their paranoia that the government is going to steal their weapons is idiotic, but has rubbed off on a large portion of our citizenry who actually believe it. Let us hope that facts conquer fears.
Nicholas Zizelis


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- Wine, olive oil and vegan: in demand in the retail and catering trades
- Congress focal point: Organic 3.0 – Action for more Organic!
From 10 to 13 February 2016, at the exhibition centre Nuremberg, the focus will once again be entirely on organic products. Organic today and organic tomorrow. At the World's Leading Trade Fair for Organic Food, BIOFACH, the international sector will be represented in its entirety. It will be showing us what today's market has to offer in terms of inspirational, enjoyable and innovative products, and provide an exchange on the organic products of the future. Trade visitors will find the organic products of today among the expected total of 2,400 exhibitors – 200 of them at VIVANESS, International Trade Fair for Natural Personal Care. The subject of tomorrow's organic products will mainly be discussed within the framework of the main Congress theme, Organic 3.0 – Action for more Organic. Once again in 2016, separate exhibition areas are dedicated to the themes of wine, olive oil and vegan. Cook+Talk, a special forum for external catering, is the contact point for professional chefs. Here, in presentations and cooking shows, the trade visitors will also discover among others how organic wine and olive oil along with vegan organic products can be effectively combined and then successfully applied in the catering sector. In 2015, 44,624 trade visitors obtained information at BIOFACH and VIVANESS.
Danila Brunner, Managing Director of BIOFACH and VIVANESS: "Right from the start, the organic sector has intensively concerned itself with integral concepts. It is exactly through such concepts that we wish to also impress our customers at BIOFACH. The comprehensive range of certified organic products from all over the world demonstrates the entire diversity of the sector – from fresh products, such as dairy products and cheese, through to fruit and vegetables, dry products such as cereal and pulse fruits, nuts and confectionery right through to beverages. We are particularly delighted by the fact that the Congress focal point Organic 3.0 is once again clearly illustrating that the organic future is being shaped at BIOFACH and by the world's leading trade fair!"
Organic top-sellers very practical and in tune with your palate: olive oil, vegan and wine
Be it in the retail trade or the external catering sector: organic olive oil, vegan organic foods and organic wine are playing an increasing role. And as a result, separate special shows are being dedicated to these ranges at the world's leading fair BIOFACH. In addition to product presentations, tasting sessions and workshops, this is where the trade visitors can expect diverse networking possibilities and the exchange with experts.
The presentation of the international diversity of olive oils along with their producers is the focal point of the Erlebniswelt Olivenöl (Experience the World of OLIVE OIL). The best oils receive a separate accolade within the framework of the trade visitor award, the Olive Oil Award. In February, as the first award to be presented, it heralds the start of the year for the organic olive oil community at their largest international fair. Retailers, who would like to impress their customers with special olive oil rarities and qualities, will find the corresponding range there.
In the Erlebniswelt Wein (Experience the World of WINE), wine-growers from all over the world present themselves to the trade visitors. The vintages they have produced can be sampled in a tasting zone as well as the winning wines from the international MUNDUS VINI BIOFACH organic wine award. In the catering area of the forum, wine & culinary combinations are waiting to be discovered by the trade visitors.
The most recent BIOFACH world of experience is the Erlebniswelt Vegan (Experience the World of VEGAN). For the third time, in 2016, organic-vegan products will be the focus of attention at the world's leading fair. As is the case in the olive oil and wine worlds of experience, there the trade visitor will find more than just a product exhibition. In the presentation area cooking sessions, tasting and specialist discussions will also be taking place.
External organic catering – in canteen kitchens and the individual catering sector
Representatives from the quality-conscious catering trade have long since been in agreement: It is just as impossible to imagine external catering and communal catering without any organic foods as it is the individual catering sector. With Cook+Talk, BIOFACH 2016, supported by partner Bioland, is now, for the second time, offering caterers and professional chefs an own contact point.
New in 2016: the Cook+Talk bridge-building to the product sectors wine, olive oil and vegan. Which wine is best suited to which culinary kitchen creation, which olive oil puts the finishing touches to which dish and which vegan delight puts a particularly cheerful smile on the guests' lips? Trade visitors from the external, communal and individual catering sectors will find answers to this and many other questions from 10 – 13 February 2016 at the World's Leading Trade Fair for Organic Food.
Largest international organic congress acting for more organic
BIOFACH offers not only an internationally comprehensive range of organic foods, but each year also delivers plenty of food for thought. In 2016, under the heading Organic 3.0, "Action for more Organic" will be at the heart of the Congress. The international patron of BIOFACH, IFOAM – Organics International, along with the national honorary sponsor, BÖLW (Bund Ökologische Lebensmittelwirtschaft / Association of Organic Food Producers) will together be placing the focus on the future-orientated theme at the Congress. Sector targets: more organic agriculture and high-quality organic products worldwide.


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A fantasy comes true in our new Hegre.com film. Sexy Silvie will be your personal maid for the week!
You will be delighted to know that Silvie is more interested in teasing you than getting on with the daily chores. So sit back and watch in awe as Silvie performs a slow striptease for you in not one, but two little outfits.
Filmed before Silvie shaved off her bush – this is room service like never before!
With the sexy smolder in her eyes – you just know that Silvie was maid for pleasure!
Would you like to comment? Join us today, or sign in if you're already a member.


text: Until yesterday shell users worked fine. Then I had to rename a user and the problems started. Using Webmin I noticed that renaming a user with ISPConfig 3, the old one is not deleted so I deleted via Webmin, what a mess. Now, even creating new shell-users, no longer work. The situation is this: a client with multiple sites for each site I create a shell-user to allow access to the site folder through SFTP. Can anyone help me to solve?


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Winnie Tatya
Canadian, b. 1931
People and Animals, 1971–1972
wool felt, embroidery floss on wool stroud
87 x 47.5 cm
Collection of the Winnipeg Art Gallery; Gift of Faye and Bert Settler
Winnie Tatya was born in the Garry Lake area, but moved to Baker Lake in 1968. She soon began drawing, and in the early 1970s she began making wall hangings. Her fabric work has been in many exhibitions since 1974, including the international touring show Northern Lights: Inuit Textile Art from the Canadian Arctic, organized by the Baltimore Museum of Art in 1995. In this early work, she has used a sewing stitch of her own invention: a long feather or Cretan stitch, tightly worked to completely cover the appliquéd felt forms. The result is a slightly raised image, with solid bands of evenly spaced coloured threads. Non-naturalistic, geometric designs have been used for the figures and animals at the top, and variegated embroidery floss contributes to a three-dimensional appearance.
Gallery Hours
- Tuesday 11am-5pm
- Wednesday 11am-5pm
- Thursday 11am-5pm
- Friday 11am-9pm
- Saturday 11am-5pm
- Sunday 11am-5pm
- Closed Monday


text:
Scott Jones remembers the moment well.
SNOW HILL � Scott Jones remembers the moment well.
It was April 12 and his Greene Central Rams were trailing Eastern Plains 2A Conference foe Wilson Beddingfield 6-0 after two innings. Entering the contest, the Rams sported just a 6-7 overall record and had lost four of their last five games.
The continuation of the downward spiral seemed likely.
Except that it wasn�t.
�We were down but not out,� Jones said. �We kept plugging and battling and never gave up.�
Greene Central rallied for an improbable 10-8 victory that day and proceeded to reel off seven wins in a row, earning a share of the conference title alongside North Pitt.
�We realized we could win any game against any opponent, no matter what the score or situation,� Jones said. �It was the turning point of our season.�
A championship season that earned Jones The Free Press� area Coach of the Year honors for the 2013 season.
The Rams finished the year 13-10, including a 10-2 mark in league play. Jones purposefully challenged his team with a brutal non-conference schedule that helped prepare them for the all-important league season.
�We didn�t shy away from playing anyone,� Jones said. �It�s always been my opinion that by playing the best out of conference you get yourselves ready when it matters most.�
Greene Central�s non-conference slate featured a virtual who�s who of powerful, playoff-bound opponents, including Williamston Riverside, which finished 22-4, and 3A powers C.B. Aycock, Rocky Mount, Eastern Wayne and Southern Wayne.
Although the Rams didn�t win many of those games, they did accomplish their ultimate goal of winning a conference championship.
�At the end of the day that�s what you set out to do,� Jones said. �Lots of wins against inferior opponents look nice on paper, but they don�t always get you ready for the conference road ahead.�
Other than the comeback at Beddingfield, the individual high point was an 8-0 Senior Night blanking of a North Pitt squad that came into the game having lost just twice all season � and none in league play.
�The best game we played all year,� Jones said. �(Senior left-hander) Ben (Brann) pitched a one-hitter, (senior) Chad (Murphy) hit a big home run, and our other seniors (Josh Head, Montrell Warren and Mason Head) all contributed as well. It was the perfect way for those kids to go out on Senior Night.�
The fact that Greene Central was eliminated in the first round of the state playoffs by an outstanding Wendell Corinth Holders team failed to put a damper on the successful season.
�The previous year we didn�t even make the playoffs and not a lot was expected out of us this year,� Jones said. �We got off to a slow start, but we fought through it, never backed down, and came to realize that we were as good a team as anyone on our schedule. The lessons that this team learned and the things they were able to accomplish made it all worthwhile.�


text:
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|Alaskan Homecoming DVD
|Alaskan Homecoming. Cruise with the Gaither Homecoming family across Alaska's Inside Passage in this unique concert experience aboard the msZaandam. An outdoor concert, featuring gospel music's finest voices, honors our Maker & celebrates some of His most marvelous handiwork. Then your host Bill Gaither reveals some candid, off-stage moments as the Homecoming family shares good food, good stories, lots of laughs & of course, music! Region 0
1.How Great Thou Art - Wes Hampton, Stephen Hill, Gene McDonald & Larnelle Harris
2.I'm Feelin' Fine
3.Somebody's Comin' - Russ Taff
4.How Big Is God - Gene McDonald
5.You Sure Do Need Him Now - Sheri Easter, Ladye Love Smith, Kim Hopper, Wes Hampton, Joy Gardner, Gene McDonald6.Better Day - Gaither Vocal Band
7.The Wonder Of It All8.That's Him - The Hoppers 9.Joy Comes In The Morning - Joy Gardner 10.Something Within - Stephen Hill 11.I'm Working On A Road - Jeff & Sheri Easter 12.I've Got Joy - Charlotte Ritchie & The Isaacs
13.Must Have Been Moonglow - Kim Hopper, Reggie & Ladye Love Smith, Gordon Mote14.Can He, Could He, Would He - Reggie & Ladye Love Smith 15.America The Beautiful - David Phelps & Wes Hampton 16.The Star Spangled Banner - Larnelle Harris 17.Clean - Gaither Vocal Band 18.I See A Crimson Stream - Janet Paschal, Charlotte Ritchie & Sheri Easter 19.Hard Times Come Again No More - Buddy Greene, Becky Isaacs Bowman, Stephen Hill & Gene McDonald 20.My Savior First Of All - Gloria Gaither, Mary Tom (Speer) Reid 21.These Are They - Gaither Vocal Band 22.We Will Stand - Russ Taff, Michael English
|Shrink Wrap


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text:
Zoom's latest recorder the Zoom H1 Handy costs $99; it's now shipping!
Samson said they were going to ship the Zoom Handy H1 July 30, but they're shipping the product as of today. the Zoom H1 Handy is available at Amazon (affiliate link). Based on the product specs (I have not yet seen it), my answer to the question, "What recorder should I buy?" will change. I'll be saying, Get the Zoom Handy H1, people. Why? CD-stereo quality (and higher) recorder, recording in WAV format, will be available for 99 bucks. And it has one-button recording. Sweet. Very, very sweet.
I got off the fone a little while ago with a spokesperson for Samson's Zoom line of products, confirming very important items about this recorder. The news is good, people. True one touch recording (press the button and the recording begins). And a zippier start-up time to power the unit on.
Why is this good news? A little background…..
That was then, this is now
Last month, when people would ask me, "What recorder should I buy?" I'd tell them about the Samson Zoom H2 Handy—Samson's previous lowest-cost portable digital audio recorder.
But I'd also tell them about two of the most significant downsides to the Zoom H2—it takes 30 seconds for the unit to power on, and it has press-twice-to-start-recording. 30 seconds is an eternity, if you're trying to quickly grab a recording of a conversation in progress. What's so bad about press twice to start the recording? You press the button the first time to preview the recording audio level, and then press a second time to actually begin recording.
Let me tell you about the recording that got away, while I pressed once, saw the blinking red light, and commenced the conversation. Later (too late), I realized I should have pressed the button again, until the light went solid. It was the gathering after my Dad's memorial service (which I produced). Fatigued? I was beyond fatigued. Took the recorder out, pressed only once. Ouch. The story I missed was very significant—my uncle telling all the cousins (every. single. one.) of the events surrounding the death of our grandparents. This was stuff I had the wrong idea about for nearly 20 years. Was this important? You bet.
That one missed story convinced me that press-once-to-record is an essential feature for a portable recorder. Press-twice-to-record is a bad user interface. The more complex, the greater the chances for error. I've even recommended a more expensive recorder. ("It costs a hundred bucks more? Well, how much is that one story from my uncle worth to me? Is that story alone worth a hundred bucks? Yes.")
Now—the Zoom H1 Handy portable digital recorder addresses both issues!
Snappier power-up.
And with that bright red button, press-once-to-record.
All for a hundred bucks.
I can't give you an exact time for powering up. What I can tell you is that based on a conversation that the Samson spokesperson had with one of their engineers, the startup time is snappier than the Zoom H2. It stands to figure: They put all the functions onto buttons and switches on the outside of the unit. No menu. Which means no having to boot up an internal brain that works that menu. So it powers on more quickly.
When I know the exact time, I'll update this post. (
Looks as though the spokesperson didn't know the good news—that the units have arrived and are now shipping.)
The Zoom Handy H1: Just the essentials
What else does the Zoom H1 Handy portable digital recorder have?
A Built in microphones in X-Y pattern captures high quality stereo recording. You can also plug in an external mic into a port that looks like a stereo mini port. Or line-in recording from another audio device or mixing board.
Stereo recording? What formats? WAV format (uncompressed audio—which is one of my must-haves) Oh yeah, and MP3. (Don't use that one). CD-Stereo quality is 16-bit 44.1 kHz. The Zoom Handy H1 will also record in higher quality—24-bit 96 kHz. The higher quality is great for live music recordings, but you'll do just fine capturing spoken word at music recordings at 16-bit 44.1 kHz.
There's a tiny speaker on the "bottom" end of the unit to preview recordings. The sound quality of a small speaker will be tinny, but it will tell you whether you got the recording. Extremely helpful.
Battery power: A single AA battery powers the unit. Included, so you can get started right away. (An accessory kit—$25—includes a power adapter)
How does the Zoom Handy H1 store the digital audio recordings? It uses a micro SDHC Card—the same kind of tiny memory cards that you use in your cell phones. Included with the unit is a 2GB card—which will record 3 hours of conversation. Get a larger card, or get multiple cards. (and don't lose them!)
A USB 2 port allows for a speedy transfer of the recording from the unit to your computer.
The Fourth Time's the Charm
Zoom has an advantage in producing their fourth recorder—they've gotten to learn what are the most important features, and refine the design of the recorder. (Zoom of Japan is the company that makes the unit; Samson in the United States is the exclusive distributor of the Zoom family of digital recorders) Zoom's first recorder was the Zoom Handy H4, which was followed by the Zoom H2 (I have the Zoom H2; I bought it.). Then Zoom upgraded and re-introduced the H4 as the H4N. And now comes the Zoom H1 Handy Portable Digital Recorder.
The three previous units have helped Zoom to whittle down to just the essentials: Just stereo recording (previous models offered more options for 4-track recording). That speaker to preview the recording. Simplified interface for one button recording so you only need to press once to record. And power from a single AA battery. This is a case where less is more, and the previous models have allowed Zoom to refine the design. Throw in the smaller storage card design, and it looks like a recorder that packs in a lot in a small space.
So now, when people ask me, "What kind of recorder should I buy?" I'll tell them the Zoom Handy H1 Portable Digital Recorder.
UPDATE: Here's a post (w/ lotsa photos) where I unbox the Zoom Handy H1 recorder.
I have a Zoom H2, which I bought. No one has paid me to write about this product. I have included an affiliate link so that your purchase helps to fund my ongoing research into the tools and techniques of capturing family stories in digital audio formats.]
Posted by Susan A. Kitchens on July 20, 2010 in
• Audio
• Audio: Hardware
4 Comments • Permalink
« Previous Greetings from Jamboree | Katrina and The Flood, 5 years later: Floodwall Next »
Hi, Susan,
I just called the mail-order place today—still no Zoom H1s in Canada. I ordered mine August 30th. I guess they're all going to the U.S.
We traveled all summer—40 days in the Canadian Maritime provinces and then five days in Pennsylvania for the first-ever get-together of me and my six cousins on my father's side. It was to bury the ashes of the parents of four of them.
I did bring the Zoom H2 and absolutely LOVE the four-channel opportunities with the built-in mics. I used it (along with the Sound Devices) at my Dad's memorial service in June '09.
But, you are correct, it is too complex a device for many applications. The H1 looks to be just the ticket. I can't wait to get mine and make an updated report.
Your Mom sounds delightful—glad she got what she did.
Richard, mine arrived Friday. Ordered via amazon, shipped from some location in Los Angeles, arrived next day. (!!)
I took a whole bunch of photos of the unboxing, and have done a few test recordings.
I haven't transferred to the computer yet because it's been That Kind of Week, made more That-ish by my main computer going all haywire (but it is All Backed Up!), so it'll be a bit before I make my report here.
But so far, on the usability quick-bootup, and one button recording, it's saweeeeet.
No breakable parts (the door of the H2 for the SD card busted—2 tiny nubs to act as hinge. plastic. breakable. gah) The H1's card door has the flexible I bar (that's an I with serifs) that is flexible and allows cover to swing around. So THAT's cool.
Yes, the door on the H2 at the church broke off also—we've been recording services every week for a year and a half on it and uploading the sermons to the website. http://www.trinityaurora.ca
I found out my H1 shipped today. More later. Sorry about your computer. I just brought up a new Dell Vostro Win7 laptop for a friend and put a new hard drive in my older laptop. Bought a new Win7 laptop this summer when the old one broke in the middle of the Canadian Maritime adventure.
Hi, Susan,
My 17-year-old son used the H1 for Worship Band rehearsal and it sounded pretty good. More testing in a while. I did use the low-cut filter as the mics seem to have a really good low end, which, being directional, means they will be sensitive to wind and air-handling noise.
For oral histories I would suggest the low-cut switched on.
So far, the only complaint about the interface is that it's too easy to change the recording specs as there is no double punch required and if you hit the << or >> button by accident before recording, you might find yourself recording at a different sample rate and/or bit depth.
As with anything Zoom, it's plastic-y but heck, it's also $100. A heck of a lot of quality and convenience for the price. Also, as with the H2 and H4, this offers industry leading performance for the price.
Local dollar stores offer little table-top tripods for $1-2 and one might not be a bad accessory to have, although keeping the mics closer to the table actually may work better—you want to avoid reflections off the table into the mics.
I put an 8 GB micro SD card into it and that extends the boot time to about ten seconds—not bad. I normally record at 44,100 samples per second (CD rate) and 24 bits which means that the recordings are one GB per bour—so this holds 8 hours of recording.
This is a definite improvement for oral history recording in the hands of a novice over the H2, although I really like the four-channel capability of the H2 to separate out the interviewer and interviewee, but that requires post production which most people aren't into.
I did also order the accessory kit which includes the mini tripod and, most importantly, the windscreen. I would strongly suggest the windscreen if there is any air moving based on what I've heard so far. This is one of the costs of the extended low frequency response shown on the website.


text:
Occam's Razor
Occam's Razor (or Ockham's Razor) is the philosophical principle which states: entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity. It has been paraphrased in various forms:
- "All things being equal, the simplest solution tends to be the best one."
- "Out of several equally good explanations, pick the simplest one."
"We are to admit no more causes of natural things than such as are both true and sufficient to explain their appearances. Therefore, to the same natural effects we must, so far as possible, assign the same causes"
"Whenever possible, substitute constructions out of known entities for inferences to unknown entities"
In this context, the word "simplest" means "the explanation that contains the fewest assumptions." Similarly, "equally good" refers to the ability of the explanation to account for the observation and not to the veracity of the explanation. Occam's Razor is one of the key principles of skepticism.
Occam's Razor has perhaps less application to religion than is commonly assumed because religion is often not a predictive explanation. Therefore, any other predictive theory which is even remotely correct is considered better than a non-predictive religious explanation. Occam's Razor does apply in cases where God is needlessly invoked, such as with theistic evolution.
Expression using logic[edit]
A narrow interpretation of Occam's razor may be expressed as logically as:
- "A and (B or not B)" is simply A
This was summarised by Ludwig Wittgenstein as:
- "If a sign is not necessary then it is meaningless. That is the meaning of Occam's Razor."
Assume a child contracts a nasty disease which leaves her in terrible pain. She is taken to the doctor and is given medicine. Meanwhile, the parents pray to God for her safe recovery. A few days later she is perfectly healthy again and the parents, in their happiness, proclaim "God saved our child!"
A better explanation for the child's recovery, however, would be that the medicine the doctors gave her did its job. When one compares the two explanations ("God did it" and "The medicine worked") it is clear that the second requires fewer assumptions. God isn't required for the medicine to have worked in the second explanation, therefore it is the one that should be chosen.
Extending the Razor[edit]
Consider any observation which requires a causal explanation; a rainbow, for example. We can devise numerous explanations for this phenomenon:
- Yahweh creates them as a reminder of his promise to never again flood the entire earth
- Light dispersion due to refraction as it passes through water droplets
- Sky pixies sprinkle colored dust in the sky
- Leprechauns create them to mark pots of gold
Each of these explanations answers the question and they all also prompt additional questions, but only the second answer explains the phenomena in terms which we adequately understand. The additional questions raised by the second explanation (dispersion, refraction, visible spectrum, etc.) are simpler concepts supported by consistent, reliable definitions. Further the way light is defracted is well understood by scientists and supported by experimental evidence. (Incidentally even if Yahweh used scientific defraction to remind us of his promise this leaves unanswered why light was not defracted before the flood and how all the other problems with the story of Noah's ark can be answered.)
Each of the other explanations could be considered equivalent non-answers. The causal subjects are complex constructs which prompt many additional, unanswered questions about the nature of those subjects and how they managed to create the rainbow. The fact that these explanations are non-answers can be made more clear by substituting the subjects into different answer:
- Yahweh creates them to mark pots of gold
- Leprechauns sprinkle colored dust in the sky
- Sky pixies create them as a reminder of their promise to never again flood the entire earth
To understand why Occam's Razor is a strong-atheistic argument, we must first understand what Occam's Razor implies, and what its consequences are.
Occam's Razor is a method to choose between hypotheses which explain the same facts. We can express it simply as: the hypothesis we must choose is the simplest. More rigorously, we can express it as such:
•Posit two hypotheses A and B, both explaining the same set of facts S.
•The set of explanatory entities and processes of hypothesis A is called Ea.
•The set of explanatory entities and processes of hypothesis B is called Eb.
•The intersection of A and B's explanatory entities and processes is called I.
•If neither Ea-I nor Eb-I equals zero, the hypothesis with the smallest number of superfluous entities and processes is probably the valid one. We do not have a sufficiently large S, or good enough hypotheses, to choose in all confidence. (Insufficient context)
•If Ea-I or Eb-I equals zero, then the corresponding hypothesis is the valid one. (Sufficient context) To understand this better, we might want to look at an example of each outcome.
Suppose that we are in Ancient Greece, and are ignorant of natural law altogether. We are asked to compare:
S. The apparent variety and adaptation of lifeforms on Earth.
A. Creation from one or many divine agents.
B. Gradual adaptation from generation to generation due to natural processes.
From this, we deduce:
Ea. One or many divine agents, and their act of creation.
Eb. Unknown processes acting on successive material forms.
I. Empty set.
In this case, what is the cardinality of Ea-I and Eb-I? At first glance, we should say that Eb-I is bigger. It presumes the existence of a great number of material forms, as well as processes acting on them. Ea-I only presumes the existence of a small number of divine agents, and one process of creative activity. Furthermore, inductive arguments would lend considerable support to A. So a person in this situation would choose A.
However, it is worth noticing that neither Ea-I and Eb-I are equal to zero, so we have an insufficient context. We now know that S is extremely incomplete: for one thing, it does not include any of the modern evidence for evolution, such as the fossil record, DNA, molecular and protein evolution, and so on. Furthermore, A and B are extremely unrefined, which is natural.
Now suppose that someone comes and tells us that the Earth is flat. We should be quite skeptical of such an assertion! We could then ask him how he can explain the curvature of the Earth, or the round shadow of the Earth on the Moon, or the pictures taken from space. He can then invoke a number of processes that are not known to science, such as some form of special refraction done by air. He will also need to make up more processes to explain the regularity of night and day. We can express this situation as such:
S. The curvature of the Earth, the round shadow of the Earth on the Moon, the pictures taken from space, the regularity of night and day.
A. The Earth is round.
B. The Earth is flat.
From this, we deduce:
Ea. The Earth.
Eb. The Earth, special process or processes of refraction.
I. The Earth.
In this case, Ea-I equals zero. We know that A is the valid hypothesis in this case. Eb-I entails one or many processes which are called superfluous.
It is important to stop here and note that Occam's Razor does not allow us to conclude that A is "better" than B, but rather that A is valid and that B is invalid, if the premise of the Razor are fulfilled (i.e. that A and B both explain S). This is because there is no evidence for the superfluous entities and explanations, thus they are not shown to exist. We can rephrase this in the following way:
A1. I alone explains S.
A2. S is evidence for I and only I.
B1. "Special process or processes of refraction" do not serve to explain S.
B2. There is no evidence for "special process or processes of refraction".
As such, there is no evidence left to support the existence of "special process or processes of refraction", and thus we can say that they are beyond rational discussion. What has no evidence whatsoever, is beyond rational discussion. It may be an internally coherent claim, but that is the extent to which we can pronounce it justified. We may conclude the following:
1."The Earth is roughly spherical" is true.
2."The Earth is flat" is false.
3."Special process or processes of refraction" are not justified.
Let us now examine the situation we are placed in, within the atheism-theism debate.
S. The sum total of all material things, their properties and processes.
A. Material things change in time by virtue of natural law.
B. A god created all material things, which change in time by virtue of natural law and divine intervention.
Of course, theists could attack the relation that A explains S, but science gives us strong reason to trust this relation. Insofar as science is the discipline that studies natural phenomena, and therefore the relation between A and S, and has had tremendous success in proving this relation in innumerable areas of nature, we can make an inductive argument that the relation between A and S will continue.
Furthermore, we can point out that B does not explain S. For one thing, if a god created all material things, then we should expect things like logic, morality, principles and absolutes to be absent from the universe, from Materialist Apologetics. From the Problem of Evil, we should not expect any evil to exist. From the Argument of Scope, we should observe a universe made at a human scope, which is not what we observe. From the Cosmological Arguments, we should not expect the Big Bang to exist. The number of observed facts that contradict the relation between B and S is endless.
From all of these, we can make a cumulative case that B is not a valid explanation for S. But for the sake of the argument, we can assume that B is a valid explanation for S, to verify if Occam's Razor offers us supplemental proof for the falsity of the theistic hypothesis.
From this, we deduce:
Ea. All material entities and processes.
Eb. All material entities and processes, and a god with a creative process or processes.
I. All material entities and processes.
In this case, Ea-I equals zero, so we must judge the non-existence of a Creator and controller of the universe, strong-atheism, as the only valid position. Note, however, that I did mention that the relation between A and S is based on induction, and therefore we must qualify our conclusion by saying that strong-atheism is shown to be probably true by Occam's Razor, not completely true.
Granted, a believer is free to invoke specific elements of S and try to prove that they cannot be explained by A. But to claim this is the equivalent of saying that the element is explained by B, which is a claim of divine intervention. As I detail in 'The Impossibility of Divine Intervention', to claim that divine intervention is possible demands total knowledge of natural law, or in this case to know all about A. Since we do not, such an argument cannot be made. So the "god-of-the-gaps" argument, apart from being an argument from ignorance, is just not a possibility.
Of course, we would be suspicious of the relation between A and S if we observed a fact deduced from theology. For instance, if we observed that time is not an integral part of the universe, or that matter popped from nothing, then we might hold theism as more credible.
But given that we do not observe such facts, and that a great number of facts of the universe contradict theism, we have to conclude that we should be far more suspicious of the relation between B and S, than we should be of the relation between A and S.
God is a parsimonious explanation[edit]
- Main Article: Divine simplicity
Apologists sometimes argue that God is a simple explanation that is not suitable for elimination by Occam's razor. However, divine simplicity is merely asserted and it is generally regarded by skeptics that proposing an entity that is all powerful, existing at all places, immortal and all knowing is assuming quite a bit! Dawkins called God the "the ultimate 747" because of that entity's shear complexity.
In any case, no possibility is ruled out by this "explanation", since "anything is possible for God" Matthew 19:26 . Therefore, the explanation has little predictive power which is the basis of the explanation's rejection. There is no need to resort to Occam's razor in this case.
Confusion with reductionism[edit]
Occam's Razor is sometimes confused with the related concept of reductionism, which is often accused of oversimplify problems. Occam's Razor has the requirement that explanations can be compared only when "all things being equal" in their predictive power. Therefore, it has no allowance for approximations of theories.
See also[edit]