text:
I've had a few inquires lately as to why I haven't posted anything on the blog this year.
The long answer? It's been a crazy busy year between quilting, writing, and helping out at the floral. Plus I have a 2 year old who thinks she rules the world (guess what? She kind of does). So, life has gotten in the way and I'm finding I just don't have enough hours in the day to plan out the posts I want to write and add the pictures and make the blog super cute.
My solution? I've started posting everything to my Facebook page. Www.facebook.com/designsbylaurajo is where you can find it. Check it out! I try to post as I finish things, but some items (like quilts for Quilt Market or surprise parties, etc) won't be posted until later. I've got them all organized by month, too. Honestly, it's been a lifesaver being able to just quickly upload the photos from my phone.
Don't worry! I'll still post here on the blog when I can, probably after school gets out. For some reason the end of the school year is when all the parent involve projects seem to happen. My poor 1st grader has been pretty busy. They're having a program in May, and he has a line to memorize. It's easy, for me, but it's a bit if a struggle for him. Add to that reading 20 minutes a night, homework, chores, and then having time to play a little, and my afternoon/evening is shot. I cannot wait for summer. (Ask me in June how many days until school starts and I'll be able to tell you, though! Ha!)
So, there's my little update. If you want to read more about my writing, check out my Dear Diary series on my author blog: joannapeterson.blogspot.com or you can read updates on my Facebook page www.facebook.com/joannapetersonauthor
As always, thanks for your continued support!


text:
here's a peek through the front door and out the back – the entry will same size doors at both sides to keep it open, breezy, and quick access around the long house. there is a deep, flat roof over the front door to give the stoop shelter in the rain and break up the roofline and alert people "here! this is the entry!"walking up to the front door location, here's the view through the foyer and out the back door. you can see there is a roof overhang on the wall to the right out the back door – we ended up cutting this back to the wall = no more overhang there. the challenge of working on a boomerang shaped house! once inside the entry 'foyer' (such a formal word…) you turn left through a short passage and this is the view into the vaulted great room: the kitchen will be to the right, and a small den area to the left. the existing wood burning fireplace will now get a gas insert, a change from the original plan.walking across the room, standing in between the living and dining areas and looking back; kitchen on left, entry foyer is through the passage to the right. the ceiling was previously flat with a roof truss system: the webs and lower chord were removed; the top chord remains but with new sistered rafters alongside. the side walls are 9′ tall; the high point of the room is 16′ tall to the ridge beam. this is a view out through 16′ sliding doors of the living room side; there are matching doors on the dining room side as well. Continue reading
Tag Archives: calistoga renovation
boomerang house continued
Filed under boomerang farmhouse

subset: commoncrawl


text:
without Homophobia: What the Lula administration is doing to impose the homosexual agenda on Brazil Brazil
There is no doubt that the genuine progress brings honor to a nation. But that progress can only be properly recognized and promoted by a government that is morally capable, able to discern what is evil and good. A morally corrupt government confuses evil with good and retrocession with progress. For instance, information in the official website of PT (Partido dos Trabalhadores — Workers' Party, from Lula) declares:
A great progress, for instance, comes from the Lula Administration. For the first time in the Federative Republic of Brazil a president issues a letter supporting the homosexual movement, during the gay parade of Brasília. Another great example was the launching of the program Brazil without Homophobia, coordinated by the Special Secretariat of Human Rights [of the Presidency of Republic], but with the participation of several federal departments, among them Justice, Health, Education and the secretariats of the Woman's Rights and of the Racial Equality. Homophobia is a behavior of aversion and hate toward homosexuals, in many cases the decisive factor of homicide.[
Therefore it can be seen that the Lula administration confused its moral retrocession with "progress". Using as an excuse the subject of prejudice, the Brazilian government officially launched in
Thus, in the State's interpretation, a viewpoint contrary to the homosexual acts should be seen as a contributor to the violence against homosexuals. The government made it clear that, in partnership with the homosexual movement, it will advance the program throughout
Now all the federal departments will be in the service of the State's pro-homosexuality intentions. To grant visibility and appreciation to homosexuality, the Ministry of the Culture created the Work Group for Promotion of the GLTB (gay, lesbian, transgendered and bisexual) Citizenship aimed at encouraging artistic productions promoting the no-discrimination culture against homosexuality, that is, the government will favor, encourage and support TV and radio programs and other means that present homosexuality always in a positive way and that emphasize all opposition to that behavior as hate crime. "The secretariat has the mission of preserving the identity and to value diversity so that we may strengthen the self-esteem of those discriminated groups", explains Flávia Galiza, expert from the Ministry of Culture responsible for the work group.[
In its turn, the Ministry of Education is increasingly training teachers to develop sexuality and homosexuality issues in a way that students may be conditioned to lose their aversion to what is abnormal. Through special school activities, children are being indoctrinated systematically in the Gospel of Sodomy.[
It is evident that the Lula administration is completely active to meet the gay militants' demands. Lula himself declared, in his public support to the homosexual movement, that "any way of loving is worthwhile." His administration has made the point to fund many gay "pride" parades throughout
Those propagandas have been used for a number of years on TV, where the capitulation to the movement homosexual has been practically total and where many programs use strategies of distortion of reality, presenting to the public a false world where gays and lesbians are glad, happy, fulfilled and, usually, more intelligent and sensitive individuals than the normal men and women. The dark side is properly hidden, so that nobody may see that their behavior is linked to an indisputable reality of suffering, where gays live oppressed by serious mental, emotional and social dysfunctions.
There is an immense effort to show that those natural consequences don't have any connection with the abnormality of their sexual acts. That effort also tries, with the assistance of fraudulent researches and studies, to prove "scientifically" that the abnormal is, in the truth imposed by them, as normal as what is really normal. In fact, the document Brazil without Homophobia, published by the Lula administration to support its national program with the same title, says: "In the same way that heterosexuality (attraction for a person of the opposite sex) does not have any explanation, so homosexuality does not too. It depends on each person's sexual orientation". That is, the Lula administration thinks and wants all the Brazilian citizens to think that homosexuality is as normal as the natural sexuality. The goal is to invent a Pro-Sodomy Brazil.
The Brazilian government has shown itself more and more committed to the manipulation of truth in the homosexual issue, and the liberal media habitually exchanges impartiality for submission to the pro-homosexuality efforts promoted by the Lula administration, mixing up those who do not understand the political plays in the back stages. Thus, what was controversial becomes natural, with the kind complicity from many TV programs, which penetrate homes through entertainment that takes advantage of the immaturity and the ingenuousness of children and adolescents, conditioning them not only to agree, but to experience and embrace the homosexual behavior.
He who tries to disagree with that brainwashing propaganda disguised of entertainment runs the risk to be viciously accused of committing the unforgivable sin of homophobia, a term invented and interpreted to classify as abnormal the people who feel disgust of the sexual acts of those living in homosexuality. Homophobia may also be a mother's attitude questioning a pro-homosexuality class in her child's school. In fact, homophobia is a word invented to have any meaning that the State and gay activists decide in their war against those who do not accept their promotion of the gay behavior.
The evangelical churches, for instance, never practice violence against homosexuals. There are no cases of homosexuals attacked or murdered at churches and by churches. Yet, there are proven cases of evangelicals attacked by gay militants. But what does matter? Since the Brazilian government placed gays in the privileged class of the oppressed, their defense is priority, even when they are the aggressors. After all, perhaps they think, the oppressed are entitled to react violently against the "homophobic" people. Thus the "poor gay victims" eventually become oppressors.
Gay militants are not interested if an evangelical or church makes an effort to try to show the difference between loving homosexuals (sinners) and hating homosexuality (sin). The anti-homophobic ideology just doesn't tolerate such differences. Or you are for or against homosexuality. The Lula administration and the liberal media make clear that they won't spare those disagreeing with the politics granting privileges to homosexuality.
For gay activists, to preach the biblical truth on homosexuality is the same thing as to teach hate and prejudice. They are not willing to accept anything antagonizing with their ideology. The only biblical message that they accept to hear is the reinterpretation of the Bible made by theologians favorable to the homosexual behavior. The only kind of preaching tolerated is the pro-sodomy preaching. The only good preachers are those preaching peace and love, without any commitment. Everything else is rejected. For them, the Christian who doesn't know how to preach what they want to hear should at the least keep their mouth closed.
Anybody having a minimum of perception already is able to visualize in the horizon a serious form of DICTATORSHIP — oppressing and vile —, implemented with extreme inequality, intolerance and deception.
The case of ABRACEH and its president, Dr. Rozangela Justino, draw our attention. Dr. Justino, who is an evangelical psychologist, founded ABRACEH, a NGO to help men and women who want voluntarily to leave homosexuality. For her attitude of showing compassion to homosexuals in need, she has been suffering threats and intimidations, even from the Federal Council of Psychology in
In addition to ABRACEH, several other organizations that understand homosexuality as a dysfunction and support the right of homosexuals who want a lifestyle change have been targeted for persecution by the Gaystapo, while many Christians are just keep observing without knowing what to do.
Seized by the fear of the abusive and unequal use of the law — that has also been manipulated by the enormous GLTB lobby —, there is hardly, among Christians, attorneys who dare to defend the cause of those who are right in their Christian stand.
Therefore, it is necessary for God's people to wake up. It is necessary for professionals, psychologists, physicians, biologists, attorneys, judges, magistrates, educators, ministers, therapists, etc., to stand up as one against that appallingly unequal, dishonest, unjust, oppressing and intolerant dictatorship furiously moving forward on the society.
We cannot try to pull out from people their natural aversion to the sin of rape, murder, homosexuality, pedophilia, etc. These are necessary aversions against behaviors that God doesn't approve. These are natural aversions that keep us far away from what is evil. In fact, in the Bible God refers this way to the homosexual sin: "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination". (Leviticus NKJV)
If God says that homosexuality is an abomination, are authorities correct to pursue and accuse of homophobia those disliking such behavior? Will Christians have to agree with what the Word of God says, or with what the social trends of
The Lula administration, with its propaganda-like program
However, the world will still be a different place, where there won't be anymore governments imposing deception and injustices on captive populations. When that time arrives, the world will have a new kind of Government, perfect and fair, and it will really be a place without "homophobia", without sodomy and without homosexuality. Outside of that new world will be "the perverts and those who practice magic, the immoral and the murderers, those who worship idols and those who are liars both in words and deeds". (Revelation GNB)
Some ideas and expressions in this article are, directly or indirectly, collaboration from Dr. Ricardo Marques.
Julio Severo is author of the book O Movimento Homossexual (The Homosexual Movement), published by the Brazilian branch of the Bethany House Publishers. He is also a member of Abraceh.
Source: Last Days Watchman


text:
Something fresh something new!
posted under by Pinheiro | Edit This
Don't you love the concept of starting something new out of the ashes of something old?
To restart, to fix what was wrong, to potentially do it perfectly this time, to fail all over again, so that you might in the future start something fresh something new.
More info at http://wheeldesign.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-visual-design-group-short-intro.html


text:
Seriously loving all this gorgeous Seattle sunshine – yay summer! Can't wait to photograph Paul & Robin's ultra-summery boat cruise wedding next week!
Name (required)
Email (required)
Cancel Reply
Molly has now captured our engagement, wedding, and our newborn daughter! Working with her on multiple occasions, I am confident to say she is responsible, flexible, responsive to requests, positive, and simply a delight to work with. We highly recommend her. Thanks for everything, Molly!
Oh my gosh these photos are absolutely stunning! I love every single shot. Thank you thank you thank you! These are all we have to remember that one day and they are perfect. Honestly I can't imagine better pictures.
Thank you so much for so many lovely photos, you were wonderful and so easy to work with! I've received many compliments regarding your photography. I'm so glad that I found you!!!
We're blown away by your incredible work, Molly. Wow, we are so fortunate to have gotten to work with you! Just awesome, all of it. Thank you for rocking our world!
Molly has an amazing eye for catching the essence of an occasion. Truly blessed to have the memories she has documented for our family.
Shooting with Molly was such a fun, easygoing experience and I would highly recommend her to any and everyone! She is a true photographer that knows how to make you look good!
Thanks so much, Molly! These are so wonderful!!! The pictures really captured our day perfectly! We are so happy you were our photographer!
Molly is amazing! Her photography captures life's special moments in a unique and beautiful way, and she is a pleasure to work with. She makes family photo shoots a lot of fun!
Sarah and Ezra's Intimate Backyard Wedding
Bonita and Andrew's Elegant Backyard Wedding
Mia and Drew's Santa Barbara Greenhouse Wedding
Snowy Washington Engagement Session | Ryann + Gavynn
Carli and Blake | Springwood Party Barn
Mirabelle's First Birthday Cake Smash
© 2020 M. Magee Photography All Rights Reserved.


text:
Last night on Twitter, Dave Cameron responded to a statement made by Michael Morse that he was vehemently against being used in the designated hitter role: "My suggestion to all these guys that don't want to DH - Don't suck at fielding, then." That quote leads to today's post which is: Six fielders who should be DHs. Why six? Who knows. All posts in the last week have started with six. Just humor me.
The problem identifying the top six worst defensive players is that Fangraphs and Baseball-reference.com do not always agree on defensive statistics. So the criteria becomes, then, who do both sites agree on as woeful fielders? Three years of data was used in the criteria and then players who are playing out of position are taken out. For example, nobody has lost more runs to average for his fielding than Shawn Kemp. Well, that is because he should not be playing center field. Should we punish Kemp for playing out of position? Perhaps so. But it did not seem fair here because he might actually be good in left or right fields.
So, without further ado, here are six fielders that should be DH's
1. Mark Reynolds - Reynolds has been just about the worst third baseman that baseball has seen in the last twenty years. The Orioles finally got a hint and moved him to first base halfway through last season. And from what was seen of Reynolds there on television, the move seemed to work pretty well. Except the numbers do not agree. According to the fielding metrics, Reynolds was just as bad at first base for his time there (-8). Reynolds has now lost 38 runs for his teams over the last three seasons which is about three and a half wins. In five seasons, he has lost 61 runs for his teams. Ugh. Hey, at least he did not strike out so much.
2. Chris Johnson - Johnson might be one of those guys who is out of position at third base. The Astros did have him play first base for six games last season. And there is a reason why people lump these players into the 1B/DH category like they are the same thing. I do not agree and think first base is a highly underrated important position on the infield. But either way, Johnson should not wear a glove. He has cost his team 32 runs in the field in the last three seasons.
3. Ryan Doumit - This catcher turned outfielder is heading quickly into a DH for the Twins and that is a very good thing. Doumit can hit but he was just about the worst fielding catcher in baseball and him plodding around the outfield is downright scary. His affectionate name here is "DumbMitt." As a catcher, he allowed nine passed balls in two out of three seasons. One of those seasons led the league. He can't throw anyone out either. The Twins used him 48 times as the DH last season. Keep him there, Twinkies.
4. Wilson Betemit - It has always confused me that teams have constantly desired Betemit as a player. Oh, he is versatile and can play all four infield positions...poorly. In fact, his last name is an oxymoron. He is certainly not a bettemitt. He is a worse mitt. Betemit has cost his teams 29 runs in just about the fewest games played on our list for the three years (281). He is a DH and a DH only. He is not versatile but simply can play awful defense in more positions than most people.
5. Mike Morse - Morse is built like a Greek god or something. The guy is a stud. Perhaps he should have been a tight end in football. Or perhaps the women think he has a tight end. But he is more the Johnny Five kind of muscular guy than anything else. There is a reason Morse is fighting the DH role...because he is one. He is not a good first baseman. He is not a good right fielder. He is not a good left fielder. He is a handsome devil of a DH if there ever was one.
6. Carlos Quentin / Ty Wigginton - Quentin has had some injury problems to his wheels over the years, so perhaps this is unfair. But the facts are the facts. Quentin has played parts of six seasons, all in the outfield, and yet has 24 errors. That is a lot for an outfielder. He improved to terrible from really really bad with the Padres last season. He only cost them 8 runs this past season after having double digit types of bad seasons before that. But B-R somewhat disagrees with Fangraphs how bad he has been Wigginton has played for a bunch of teams at a bunch of positions and is really not that good at any of them. According to B-R, he has cost his teams 118 runs in his career. Yeesh. He has played five different positions and all were played poorly.
So there you have it. Those are six players (seven really) who have been so bad on defense that they should be DHs. What other thing do they all have in common? They are all bad base runners too. Slow and fielding do not usually go together well. But speed, or lack of it, does sort of define the DH position.


text:
Don't Have an Account? Sign Up to Save Favorite Listings, Save Searches & More...
Home site in the exclusive Angler Mountain Ranch subdivision. Slight slope perfect for a downhill floor plan. City Water, city sewer, natural gas, electric, and cable TV available. 3000 sqft minimum. Easily accessible. You pick your builder and your timeline. 195 acre subdivision surrounded by natural habitat with streams and ponds, mature aspens and pines, hiking trails, private fishing rights, and clubhouse. Lot number on site plan is referenced as lot 62.
Copyright © 2020 SAR MLS. The information displayed herein was derived from sources believed to be accurate, but has not been verified by SAR MLS. Buyers are cautioned to verify all information to their own satisfaction. This information is exclusively for viewers' personal, non-commercial use. Any republication or reproducion of the information herein without the express permission of the SAR MLS is strictly prohibited.
Listing information last updated on July 16th, 2020 at 9:47am MDT.


text:
Python is a duck typed language, right? That means you don't care what value something is, you only care what it quacks like. On the whole Python does pretty well at this. Functions that take lists can usually also take any sort of sequence or iterable; functions that take files can usually also take anything that looks sufficiently file-like (has a
read method).
Where it disappoints me is the number of times a builtin requires an
int instead of an integer. First a little bit of terminology. When I say "int" I mean the language type
int; when I say "integer" I mean any value that has a mathematical value that is an integer. So 7 is an
int (in Python); it's also an integer. 7.0 is an integer, but it's not an
So, I have a suggestion: anything in Python that currently requires an
int should accept an integer.
So what sort of things am I talking about?
range. I should be able to go «range(1e6)» to get very long lists:
>>> len(range(1e6)) __main__:1: DeprecationWarning: integer argument expected, got float 1000000
I find this just annoying. 1e6 is an integer. Yes it happens to be stored in a float, but you, Python, ought not to care about that. Hmm, or perhaps you would rather I wrote «1e6» as «1*10**6»?
Another way of constructing very long lists is thwarted:
>>> [0]*1e6 Traceback (most recent call last): File "", line 1, in TypeError: can't multiply sequence by non-int of type 'float'
At least here the error message correctly refers to
int instead of integer. But I would say that since 1e6 is an integer then the code has a perfectly clear and unambiguous meaning. So it should work.
Linguistically, what do I mean by an integer? Well, here's a neat definition:
def isinteger(x): return int(x) == x
In Python we can define an integer to be any value that converts to
int and is equal. Observe that this works for
decimal, and hopefully any other vaguely numerical type that might be defined in the future:
>>> map(isinteger, [7, 7L, 7.0, 7.1, decimal.Decimal(7)]) [True, True, True, False, True]
If you were actually going to use this in real code, you need to catch exceptions in
def isinteger(x): try: return int(x) == x except: return False
isinteger would barf on things like «list()».
It's not just large integers, like 1e6, which happen to be more conveniently written in floating point format, that cause a problem. It can happen, quite reasonably, with smaller numbers. Especially when they are the results of computations.
Let's say I'm creating a PNG file with bit depth of 2, and I have a sequence of pixel values for a single row. Each pixel is a value «in range(4)»; at some point I'm going to have to pack the pixels into bytes, 4 pixels per byte. It can be more convenient to do this if I round my row length up to a multiple of 4; that way my packer only has to deal with rows that fit into an exact number of bytes. So let's say the row-length is l and I want it rounded up:
u = math.ceil(l/4.0)*4.0
(in real code, the "4.0" would probably be a parameter, and I'd probably have to use «float(pixels_per_byte)» to get the right sort of division (or use Python 3.0))
The amount of padding I need to add is therefore «u – l»:
padding = [0]*(u-l)
Alas, this barfs, because u is a float. So I end up having to use what feels to me like a gratuitious
padding = [0]*int(u-l)
Note that u came out of «math.ceil» so it's already an integer; so «u-l» is an integer too.
If you were to take this "accept integers, not just ints" philosophy on board, you might find the following function useful:
def preferint(x): if isinteger(x): return int(x) return x
preferint will change any integer to
int, leaving other values unchanged. You can stick «foo = preferint(foo)» at the front of all your functions. Or use those outré decorators.
We can write a prefer that works for any type:
def prefer(value, type): try: if type(value) == value: return type(value) except: return value
I suppose there are probably other parts of Python that this applies to, and I could go looking for them, but the two I've mentioned are the ones that bug me on a regular basis. List and string indexing would be one, but I can't remember it annoying me:
>>> 'foo'[2.0] Traceback (most recent call last): File "", line 1, in TypeError: string indices must be integers >>> range(3)[2.0] Traceback (most recent call last): File "", line 1, in TypeError: list indices must be integers
But yes, if I was campaigning for change then that should be changed too. Scanning through the builtins:
chr already works (but «chr(7.1)» also works which is a bug),
hex needs changing.
PS: (rant for another article)
isinteger does not work for «complex(7)». Should it?


text:
(written from a Production point of view)
The Pathfinder Project makes contact with Voyager again… and this time they transmit a hologram of Reginald Barclay to interact with the crew. However a certain group of aliens have seen a way to make a tidy profit.
Summary Edit
- "Captain's log, stardate 54208.3. Last month's data stream from Starfleet never arrived, so the crew is looking forward to this one with even more anticipation than usual. We could all use some news from home."
Walking through a corridor on USS Voyager, Tom Paris asks Harry Kim about the status of the latest Starfleet data stream. Kim says he's working on it, but Paris reminds him that he failed to recover last month's stream. Kim protests that that wasn't his fault.
Arriving in astrometrics, Kim finds Seven of Nine, who announces that she's discovered why they have been unable to get any data from the stream: a hologram is encoded in the stream. Over Seven's protests, Kim burns out several relays when he transfers the stream to a holodeck.
Later in the holodeck, Captain Kathryn Janeway is on hand for the big moment when they initiate the hologram Starfleet sent them. It's Reginald Barclay – or at least, a holographic simulation of him. Warm greetings are exchanged by all.
Act OneEdit
The Barclay hologram explains that he's there to execute a plan that will return Voyager to the Alpha Quadrant within three days. It involves simultaneously shooting a verteron beam into two red giant stars, one nearby, and one in Federation space. This will create a geodesic fold in space that Voyager can travel through. A combination of modifications to Voyager's shields and inoculations for the crew will prevent harmful radiation from killing everyone on board. Janeway says they had considered something similar and determined it wouldn't work, but Reg has a different plan endorsed by Starfleet.
The Doctor happily lends the Barclay hologram his mobile emitter so that he can supervise in engineering. The hologram gets to work, handing out assignments to the bridge crew and explaining the high-level plan. He also convinces Seven that millions of people back home are excited to greet her, who represents hope that those lost to the Borg aren't lost forever. The hologram expertly handles questions and interactions with the crew.
Back at the Pathfinder Project at Starfleet Headquarters in San Francisco, the real Reginald Barclay is working on a problem. Neither of his last two attempts to transmit the Barclay hologram to Voyager has succeeded. Both times, the data stream ended at the same location, but long range sensors detect nothing out of the ordinary at that location. Barclay wants to send a ship to investigate, but his supervisor, Commander Pete Harkins, thinks the simpler and more likely answer is that the datastream was too complex, and intends to go back to regular transmissions.
Act TwoEdit
After that, Barclay becomes obsessed, and seems, at least to Harkins, paranoid. Barclay interrupts a school tour of the lab that Harkins is conducting when he finds that a Borg ship may have been responsible. Harkins tries to tell him it's the wrong time, but Barclay is insistent. After letting him go on for a bit, he strongly suggests that Barclay take a week off. Barclay realizes he won't get anywhere and agrees.
On Voyager, The Doctor doesn't believe that the inoculations will protect the crew as they're supposed to, but the hologram reassures The Doctor that they will work in combination with the shields. The hologram politely tries to leave while The Doctor proposes playing a round of golf, to which he agrees if the day goes smoothly.
The Barclay hologram heads to astrometrics to ask the crew to include a report on his progress in the reply to the latest data stream. It is added and sent. However, the reply is intercepted by a Ferengi ship. They play the hologram's message, which informs them that their scheme is going forward as planned. The Ferengi are delighted to learn that there are twenty percent more nanoprobes coming to them than they expected.
Act ThreeEdit
The real Barclay creeps up on Counselor Deanna Troi, who is vacationing on a beach somewhere. At first she is alarmed that a patient has violated her privacy, but she soon realizes that Barclay needs help. She discovers that Barclay suspects that his ex-girlfriend, who recently dumped him and disappeared, may have compromised Pathfinder security. He used to tell her everything about the project.
- "Captain's log, supplemental. With the help of the Barclay hologram, we've nearly completed the modifications to Voyager. As for Reg, he's becoming extremely popular with the crew."
Meanwhile, the Barclay hologram gets on well with the crew, performing impressions of Janeway and Tuvok. Afterwards, he's called to the holodeck by The Doctor, who is expecting a game of golf. He politely tries to leave, but The Doctor insists, prompting an unexpected violent response and immediate apology. The Doctor is now growing suspicious of the Barclay hologram, who is using the mobile emitter for other purposes and who seems to display overt hostility, even malevolence.
On Earth, Starfleet has detained Barclay's ex-girlfriend, Leosa, who is in fact a dabo girl, and not a teacher as she had told Barclay. She doesn't admit wrongdoing, so Troi talks to Leosa herself. After threatening to have her held indefinitely for psychiatric review, Troi manages to find out that she is employed by a Ferengi named Nunk.
Act FourEdit
At Pathfinder, they find Nunk's Marauder in the vicinity of a star in the same sector the message was lost. The admiral and Harkins communicate with a nearby starship, the USS Carolina, while Barclay asks Leosa if it all was fake. He also asks what a broken heart is worth these days. Leosa tells him ten percent of the value of the Borg nanoprobes, which are worth two billion times their weight in latinum.
On Voyager, The Doctor convinces Janeway to perform a diagnostic on the hologram. Janeway goes to astrometrics where the Barclay Hologram is and convinces him to undergo the diagnostic with the argument that his program has been running non-stop since his arrival in the Delta Quadrant.
At Pathfinder, Barclay works in secret to foil the Ferengi's plans. Troi, finding him, learns what he knows and encourages him to share it with his commanders, but he is convinced he needs time to identify what the plan was exactly and prove it. However, they learn soon enough through sensors that the ship is initiating a geodesic fold. It is all now apparent to Barclay.
The Barclay hologram easily passes his diagnostic, and he and The Doctor make amends. The project is about to start. In astrometrics, however, Seven discovers three different types of radiation that were not accounted for and begins to doubt that the shield modifications will protect the crew, but the Barclay hologram says that they will work in combination with the inoculations. When she calls the bridge to convey her concerns, the hologram reaches inside her head which causes her to fall unconscious. When the bridge replies, the hologram says, in Seven's voice, that there was a problem, but that it's corrected now.
Act FiveEdit
At Pathfinder, they figure out that somehow Voyager is headed to the geodesic fold but there's nothing they can do to stop the fold, nor can they warn Voyager to not enter it. Barclay and Troi try to brainstorm for a solution.
On the Ferengi ship, Nunk receives a transmission. It seems to be from the Barclay hologram, and he's telling them to abort the plan. Voyager is on to them, has found a solution to the radiation problem, and will destroy whatever ship they find on the Ferengi's side of the geodesic fold. When the Ferengi con men don't completely believe him Barclay begins to make up different imaginary forms of Delta Quadrant technology such as Borg interquadrantal warp drives, Hirogen hunting sensors, and Vidiian phage torpedos and the only solution is to cut off the beam, unfolding the fold. And they do it.
On Earth, the real Barclay ends the transmission, and the holographic simulation of Voyager's engineering. His plan worked.On Voyager they see the fold closing. The Barclay hologram entreats Janeway to continue, but she demurs – it is too dangerous. The hologram beams to an escape pod with the unconscious Seven and launches the pod toward the collapsing geodesic fold. Janeway orders Kim to beam them out of there.
On the Ferengi ship, sensors pick up the escape pod. The Ferengi are excited. Perhaps their hologram has brought the ex-Borg woman to them in the pod. But sensors pick up nothing on board. Their plan has failed, which means no profits for them.
- "Captain's log, supplemental. Seven of Nine has recovered from her injuries and Reg has been deactivated. Until we finish analyzing his program, his motivations remain a mystery."
In the mess hall, Torres and Paris try to cheer Kim up as the ensign sits with a slice of homemade apple pie before him, gathering up the courage to taste it and then afterward saying that it would taste better in San Francisco.
Back in San Francisco, Barclay is working on adding more security features to his hologram when Troi stops by. She insists that he go out on a double date with her, William T. Riker, and a friend of his, a teacher named Maril. At first he says no, but Troi convinces him that he's got to get out of the office and experience life again. He agrees.
Memorable quotes Edit
"You overloaded the transceiver."
"But I saved the hologram!"
- - Seven of Nine and Harry Kim
"I wouldn't want to be a third nacelle."
- - Reginald Barclay
"If you think my participation in the… "hoopla"… would be beneficial to others, then I'll comply."
- - Seven, to Barclay hologram when he tells her that she's an inspiration
"I left Reg for one simple reason: he's boring. Don't tell me you never noticed!"
- - Leosa, in front of Barclay
"Imagine my disappointment when I discovered that Lieutenant Paris had eaten all the scrambled eggs. It was pure, unadulterated gluttony. Gastronomic conduct unbecoming a Starfleet officer. He knows it's my favorite breakfast, but he ate them anyway. We have an egg-mergency here, people! I want to know what you plan to do about it!"
(Laughing hard) "Maybe I can replicate some more, "Captain"."
"Do it!"
- - Reginald Barclay Hologram and Neelix, as the hologram imitates Janeway's voice and manner, to everyone's amusement
"Your pessimism is illogical."
- - Barclay Hologram imitating Tuvok
"Captain Janeway knows better than to take her ship into such a dangerous anomaly!"
- - Admiral Paris being unintentionally ironic
Background information Edit
- This episode marks the final appearance of Commander Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) on the series. The three episodes of Star Trek: Voyager in which she appears are Sirtis' only Star Trek appearances without Jonathan Frakes.
- Among the items from this episode which were sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay, were the trousers of David Polk. They were previously worn in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "The Way of the Warrior". [1]
- Deanna Troi's seat contained a logo (as seen here) designed by Geoffrey Mandel of which he later used a variation in the Star Trek: Star Charts as a logo for Risa. (citation needed • edit)
Continuity Edit
- Referenced Rules of Acquisition: #74 "Knowledge equals profit."
- The red dress worn by Leosa is the same one worn by Fenna in DS9: "Second Sight" and Antonia in Star Trek Generations.
- When talking to commander Harkins, little girl #2 (who answers "the Ocampa") wears the same dress as Suspiria in "Cold Fire" in the form of a little girl.
- When the Barclay hologram says that Seven is the first to break free of the Borg, that is not actually true. Jean-Luc Picard broke free of the Collective after he was assimilated to become Locutus in TNG: "The Best of Both Worlds". However, Picard was only Borg for a short time and was not a normal drone.
- This episode references several past episodes: while listing past failed attempts to get home, Paris mentions Arturis from Season 4's "Hope and Fear" and the telepathic pitcher plant from Season 5's "Bliss". Also, Barclay mentions that the Romulans have "been curious about Voyager for years." This may be a reference to Season 1's "Eye of the Needle" or to Season 4's "Message in a Bottle". Once the nanoprobe plot is discovered, Barclay mentions that one of their uses is to bring dead tissue back to life, as performed on Neelix in "Mortal Coil".
- The Iconians and their gateway technology are mentioned in this episode.
- When reminding the holographic Barclay of their appointment for a game of golf on the holodeck, The Doctor suggests that they play "the back nine on Gedi Prime". The similarly spelled Giedi Prime is the homeworld of the House Harkonnen in Frank Herbert's Dune universe.
- The events of this episode represent the ninth time (aside from the series premiere) that the Voyager crew has a possibility of returning home. The other times occurred in the episodes "Eye of the Needle", "Prime Factors", "Threshold", "Death Wish", "False Profits", "Future's End, Part II", "Hope and Fear", and "Timeless".
- The Ferengi make reference to a ship with a metaphasic shield, appropriate given that such technology was developed by a Ferengi, Dr. Reyga, in the episode TNG: "Suspicions".
Video and DVD releases Edit
- UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment): Volume 7.3, 4 June 2001
- As part of the VOY Season 7 DVD collection
Links and references Edit
Starring Edit
Also starring Edit
- Robert Beltran as Commander Chakotay
- Roxann Dawson as Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres
- Robert Duncan McNeill as Lieutenant Junior Grade Tom Paris
- Ethan Phillips as Neelix
- Robert Picardo as The Doctor
- Tim Russ as Lieutenant Commander Tuvok
- Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine
- Garrett Wang as Ensign Harry Kim
Special guest star Edit
Guest stars Edit
- Richard Herd as Owen Paris
- Richard McGonagle as Pete Harkins
- Sharisse Baker-Bernard as Leosa
- Frank Corsentino as Gegis
- Christopher Neiman as Yeggie
- Michael William Rivkin as Nunk
- And
Special guest appearance by Edit
Co-stars Edit
- Brooke Averi as Little Girl #1
- Lindsey Parks as Little Girl #2
- Chase Penny as Cabana Boy
- Majel Barrett as Computer Voice
Uncredited co-starsEdit
- David Keith Anderson as Ashmore
- Carter Edwards as command division officer
- Stephen Pisani as security officer
- David Polk as beach alien
- Pablo Soriano as operations division ensign
- Warren Tabata as operations division officer
- Unknown performers as
Stand-ins Edit
- Brita Nowak – stand-in for Jeri Ryan
References Edit
Alpha Quadrant; apartment; Arturis; assimilation; beach beach house; board game; Borg; Borg cube; buyer; Carolina, USS; chocolate passion punch; cyclic pulsar; D'Kora-class; dabo; dabo girl; Data; day; Dear Reg letter; Delta Quadrant; Dragons; duet; Earth; Enterprise-E, USS; Federation; Ferengi; Ferengi casino ship; forwarding address; furniture; geodesic fold; geodesic radiation; geodesic research; gluttony; golf; Grid 8; Grid 898; guest of honor; handicap; handshake; Harkins' cousin; heart; Hirogen; holobuffer; hour; Iconian; Iconian scientist; interquadrantal warp drive; Kazon; kilometer; La Forge, Geordi; latinum; letter; listener; logic; logic subroutine; magnetic field; mail; Malaysia; Maril; Market Street; medicine; meter; Milky Way Galaxy; "Miracle Ship, The"; multiphasic shield; MIDAS array; mobile emitter; Mom's apple pie; nanocoulomb (nC); nanoprobe; necrosis; Nunk's Marauder; Ocampa; occupation; Pathfinder; Pebble Beach; pennant; Peterson; psychiatric observation; quantum slipstream drive; radiogenic vaccine; red giant; Red Giant 23139; Rules of Acquisition; Riker, William T.; Romulans; San Francisco; scientist; sector; Sector 39542; space; stalking; Starfleet Medical; sunset; synthetic antigen; Talaxians; telepathic pitcher plant; thank you note; therapist; Tiburon; trans-dimensional gateway; transwarp conduit; transwarp probe; Troi's vacation beach; Type 6 shuttlecraft (unnamed); Utopia Planitia; verteron; Vidiians; with my name on it; Yin and yang
External links Edit
- "Inside Man" at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
- "Inside Man" at StarTrek.com, the official Star Trek website
- "Inside Man" at Wikipedia
| Previous episode:
"Critical Care"
| Star Trek: Voyager
Season 7
| Next episode:
"Body and Soul"


text:
Ian Sands is an art teacher at Apex High School in North Carolina. He is a member of my PLN (professional learning network) on Twitter. Mr. Sands creates Critters and releases them into the public so that they can be found by others and released again. It was such a wonderful surprise to find one of his Critters in our library! Last year, Mr. Sands sent one of his Critters to me in the mail and I shared it with my students. Juliet saw the Critter featured in this photo at our township library and she could not wait to bring it to school to show it to us before she releases it.
Visit the Critters on Zonkey Street website to see photos of where other Critters have been discovered http://www.zonkeystreet.com/travel.html
The instructions on the Zonkey Critters ask people who find them to post photos to the Facebook Fan Page (Critters on Zonkey Street) so that we can track their travels. I wonder where this third grader will release this Critter and who will find it next!


text:
School and Hard Knocks
"Dedication" defines Hope Rogers, whether it is a coach lauding this remarkable student-athlete, or it is Rogers herself describing her commitment to her team.
Rogers is a junior in Penn State's College of Education studying childhood and early adolescent education (CEAED). She is also a member of the Penn State women's rugby team, which won its second consecutive USA Rugby National Championship this year.
On the Field
Hailing from Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, Rogers is a true athlete. One example of this athleticism is her track and field success during her senior year. She had never participated in the sport before, but she broke the school record in discus and won gold at the district meet.
It was during high school when Rogers started playing rugby. Prior to that, she had never even seen it.
"I actually thought I was going out for the lacrosse team," said Rogers "I thought rugby was lacrosse, but I'm glad it wasn't because I loved rugby from the first time I played."
Rogers has played rugby for four years. While in high school, she was selected for some regional all-star teams. It was at that time, she said, when she realized that she had the potential to be a great rugby player and started dreaming about becoming a member of the USA Women's National Team (WNT).
"A passion [for rugby] rose inside of me," said Rogers. "I currently play for the U20 WNT, but I want to be on the senior team," said Rogers. "I have a huge desire to represent my country."
When it came time to choose a college, she said that the thing that drew her to Penn State was an environment that would allow her rugby skills to flourish.
"I knew I needed to be in an environment where I would be challenged and have the support to become the best player I could be, which would hopefully land me a spot on the WNT," said Rogers. "I knew that I had to go to Penn State if I wanted to reach my full potential. Penn State had the pieces I really needed."
According to Penn State women's rugby head coach, Pete Steinberg, Rogers is already well on her way in that process.
"She is a physical player on the field and makes plays," said Steinberg. "She dominates on the field and can change a game's momentum. Hope's impact is also in the commitment she has made to be a great player. She is always at practice early working on her skills and lives an elite-athlete lifestyle."
Chris Amoratis, Penn State women's rugby assistant coach, added that Rogers contributes to the team in multiple ways.
"Firstly, she is a dynamic athlete, possessing explosive power when running with the ball or playing defense," said Amoratis. "She has good skills on attack, including good passing and decision-making. Hope works hard to refine those skills both on the field and off."
Steinberg added, "She cares deeply about her teammates and is always there to help. This year she has taken on a greater leadership role and has mentored some of the younger players. She is a great role model."
All of this work and dedication culminated with Rogers winning the MVP award for her performance at the 2013 championship game.
"I am very honored to have received the MVP award," said Rogers. "However, I couldn't have done it without my teammates. We truly are a team. We play with each other and for each other, and that is why we win games."
Off the Field
The other half of the equation for a student-athlete is life in the classroom. Rogers is studying to become an elementary teacher so she can make an impact in children's lives.
"I want to show children that learning can be fun and exciting and not all about standardized tests," said Rogers. "I want children to want to learn. I want to impact kids in a positive way and make a difference in the future generation. For me, I would spend my entire life teaching just for that special 'a-ha' moment in a child. It is an amazing feeling."
She also said that the College of Education has provided a number of great professors that have challenged her as a student.
One of those faculty members was Cindy Linzell, a lecturer in the College of Education. Linzell said that Rogers is a natural teacher.
"Hope is a student who was born to be a teacher because of her love for teaching, learning, and students," said Linzell. "Hope feels like she has so much to learn, and that is the hallmark of a great educator."
Linzell went on to say that Rogers was a heart-warming presence, one that the other students always wanted to work with.
Like most student-athletes, Rogers works at balancing her schedule.
"With school, work, and rugby, I really have no downtime," said Rogers. "I get up for classes and lifting. I fit work in there at some point. Then in the evenings, I'm at the field practicing or conditioning. I go home and try to focus on schoolwork and go to bed."
Despite these challenges, Rogers said she loves Penn State.
"My rugby team is super close, and they truly are my family," said Rogers. "I have great coaches as mentors, and they have helped me become a stronger person on and off the field. Overall, the schooling, the rugby, and my job are amazing. I wouldn't have chosen another school."
Rogers sees many connections between her sport and her academic pursuits.
"In rugby, we always learn," said Rogers. "We never stop learning about the game or techniques. In school, especially for a teacher, we never stop learning, and we never stop getting better. We find better ways for children to learn and to help them reach their full potential. Everyone has new ideas and brings something new to the table so we need to be open and ready to always learn."
--by Kevin Sliman (June 2013)


text:
It is 'almost inevitable' that the much-delayed 4G auction will be sent back to the drawing board and held up by more litigation from mobile operators who object to Ofcom's plans for the joint award of 800Mhz and 2.6Ghz spectrum, an analyst has predicted.
Analyst Matthew Howett, practice leader at Ovum, has criticised the government for not taking action to ensure the auction remains on track, and said that communications regulator Ofcom has created an auction process that is too complicated.
The auction was due to be held in the first quarter of 2012 to ensure the UK does not fall behind other countries in Europe who are already rolling out next generation networks. However, it was revealed in October last year that the auction will now be held in the final quarter of 2012 because of a number of complaints being brought forward by the UK's mobile operators.
Howett's comments come on the same day Everything Everywhere has launched a campaign to promote the importance of bringing 4G to the UK as soon as possible.
The company has unveiled a promotional website and some research that suggests the rollout of next generation mobile networks could add 0.5 per cent to the UK's gross domestic product (GDP) by the end of the decade, create 125,000 UK jobs and unlock £5.5 billion of direct private investment into the UK economy by 2015.
Initial proposals laid out by Ofcom have been altered through a series of consultations, but the main area of concern from industry players is the regulator's plans to allocate a minimum amount of spectrum to the UK's smallest player Three, in a bid to ensure effective competition in the market.
"The industry generally feels that the auction is very complex. The biggest opposition is still that Ofcom are guaranteeing Three access to some spectrum, and I can't see them scrapping that entirely," said Howett.
"Ofcom wants Three in the market. The problem is that the way Ofcom has done it with these minimum spectrum portfolios, is that they have made it a very complex auction, and that's not a good thing. You have got CEOs deciding whether or not to bid in a game that they may not fully understand," he added.
The only way that Ofcom would change the minimum reserve plans for Three, according to Howett, is if Three decided to buy some 1800Mhz spectrum from Everything Everywhere.
It was stipulated when Orange and T-Mobile merged to become Everything Everywhere that it would have to divest some of its 1800Mhz spectrum, which can be used for 4G services, in order to maintain effective competition in the market.
"If Three buy some spectrum from Everything Everywhere then we are looking at a different playing field. Ofcom has admitted that if Three did this then it would lose their protection in the award," said Howett.
"But whether Everything Everywhere would sell to Three, who knows, and whether Three wants 1800Mhz, I wouldn't like to say," he added.
Everything Everywhere is also pushing Ofcom to let it roll out 4G networks this year using its remaining 1800Mhz spectrum, which received initial support by the regulator, but faced heavy criticism from the other mobile players.
Howett suggested that Everything Everywhere's campaign should also serve as a wake-up call to the government who may need to step in and ensure the auction takes place sooner rather than later.
"Ofcom is already convinced that this should happen as soon as possible and they are doing everything they can to make that happen. However, unless there are some material changes to the current proposals (such as the removal of minimum spectrum portfolios), litigation seems almost inevitable," said Howett.
"I think the main player that needs to be convinced or lobbied is the government, and they need to be in a position to move if there is litigation. The industry wants to make it happen, they don't want to send it back to the drawing board."
He added: "I think that Ofcom is fully gearing itself up for further delays, but they have got to make sure that whatever final decision they come to that if it is litigated that they are confident that they will win. If they don't then this literally does go back to square one and it could be many years before we get to auction."


text:
When Norwell residents Bob and Joan Chatfield signed up to do missionary work, they had no idea where they'd end up, but they predicted their destination would likely be somewhere in the United States.
When Norwell residents Bob and Joan Chatfield signed up to do missionary work, they had no idea where they'd end up, but they predicted their destination would likely be somewhere in the United States.
When a letter arrived a few days before Thanksgiving, though, the Chatfield's learned they would be spending the next 18 months of their lives in a country they had to pull out a world map to locate — Albania.
"The church has missions all over the world," said Joan, 67, of her church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. "We just put that we'd go anywhere. We thought we'd probably be in the United States so we were kind of surprised."
Albania is across the Adriatic Sea from Italy, and borders the nations of Greece, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro. Joan said Albania is about the size of Maryland. The Chatfield's have packed six suitcases and they're scheduled to leave for their mission on Jan. 6. When they arrive, they will be greeted by other members of the Mormon faith who are also there doing mission work. They will help Bob and Joan adjust to life in Albania and learn the languages – Albanian and Greek.
The couple has spent two years preparing for this adventure, during which time they've sold their Norwell home, sold their insurance business in Braintree — Agents Insurance — gave away the majority of their belongings.
"We've been very blessed in our lives and just feel we should give something back while we're able to and well," Joan said. Bob said the couple's goal is to do whatever the Lord wants them to do.
The couple, members of the Hingham ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints,signed up to be missionaries at a conference in Utah and felt it was God's will that one of the two sessions they were able to get into focused on senior couples doing missionary work.
"The speaker spoke directly to older couples, encouraging them to go on missions," said Bob, 69, of the conference the couple attended two years ago. "My wife was elbowing me in the ribs."
It was the first time the couple attended the biannual conference in person. In the past, they had watched it on TV. When they got home, they knew they had to tell their family quickly."Our immediate thought was if we don't tell somebody, we may not do it," Bob said with a laugh. "That night, we gathered the family."
Joan said it's difficult to explain why she and her husband want to go, but added that it's because they want to serve the Lord the best way they can.
Bob said he's received some interesting reactions from people when he's told them about the upcoming mission trip. "The most common retort was 'you've got to be kidding'," he said. Some customers at his work told him "you've got to be out of your cotton picking mind'." But despite these initial reactions and concerns, Bob said everyone has been really supportive of them.
The interview process for one to do go on such a mission is extensive and not everyone gets to go. After the interviews, church leaders decided the Chatfield's were cut out for the job. Since then, they have been through health and dental screenings.
Bob and Joan have spent the last few weeks moving between their daughters' homes in Norwell and Rockland, and they're ready to go.
Participating on a mission trip is something the couple has always had in the back of their minds. From friends to family members, they know many people who have gone on missions.
"It's something we've been subconsciously thinking about for many years," Bob said. Though packing up shop was a lot harder and more time consuming than they had initially thought. Bob said he and his wife needed the two years to complete everything, because they kept thinking of more and more things they had to do. In order to keep track of it all, they kept a checklist on hand.
Their home was sold on Aug. 12 of this year, after just four weeks on the market. "That was a real sacrifice," Bob said. "Because we put a lot of sweat into it, did a lot of work on the house." They also had to time the sale right.Bob also sold his business after 43 years of working in the field.
Though they'll undergo training before they leave — the couple will have learned some basics of the Albanian language— and though Bob has held a leadership role (patriarch) in the local church, there will be a lot of unknowns for the couple during their stay.
"We're very naïve," Bob said. "There's a lot we can imagine or suppose and we're going to see lifestyles we never thought existed."
The Chatfield's have been doing research on their assignment, but said that there is limited information available on Albania, even through searches on the Internet. Joan said there are about 85,000 people in the country. Bob and Joan will live in a furnished apartment and be responsible for paying their own rent and bills, though the church will cover their airfare.
That area of the country, Bob added, is a growing part of the world and at the moment Albania is doing quite well.
They can't wait to get to know the people. Their work may include anything from building a new church, to finding people who are interested in learning about Jesus Christ, to teaching the gospel, studying scripture service projects or talking to inactive church members. They can work up to 16-hour days.
They will be required to dress in professional attire everyday, which for Joan will include wearing a skirt or dress everyday. Besides clothing, the couple plans to bring family photos with them.
"I have every expectation that the rewards are going to exceed the sacrifice," Bob said.
Bob and Joan converted to the Mormon faith shortly after they were married. It was 1962 and Bob was stationed in Germany with the U.S. Army. One day, a missionary came to their door and asked them to listen to what he had to say. The Chatfield's asked if he would come back in a week and he did.
Six weeks later on Feb. 16, 1963, after many meetings, the Chatfield's joined the Mormon Church. Joan said their faith, and involvement in the church has answered all the questions they had. Bob found the faith to be thought provoking as well as inspirational.
When Bob's parents, who were Congregationalists, found out their son and his wife had converted to the Mormon faith, they were concerned, Bob said, and went to speak to the minister of their church. To this day, Bob is thankful to him for what he said to his parents. "One thing he said," Bob recalled, "is that he never heard anything bad about Mormons."


text:
"RBS Royal Bank of Scotland"
Latest Blog
The Incredible Story of Sylvester Stallone (Rocky)
Sylvester Stallone has been a household name for decades after the monster success of the Rocky franchise that began in the 1970's. Not only did he star in these movies as Rocky, but he […]
Department for International Trade
"We found John to be engaging, enlightening and inspirational. He taught us techniques on mental resilience, staying positive and how to relax. Feedback from staff was overwhelmingly positive – he's an engaging guy with a fantastic story."
National Justice Museum
"I hired John to inspire and motivate my team at a recent team day. His presentation was based on mental toughness and with a fantastic mixture of inspiring stories and theoretical content."
Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS)
"RBS Royal Bank of Scotland"
NatWest Bank
"On the back of a client recommendation the bank invited John Dabrowski to speak at the 2016 Legal Conference series hosted in London, Edinburgh and Manchester. John delivered a powerful, energetic and insightful presentation on developing mental resilience."
Rotary Club
"The presentation was professional, the content outstanding and your presentation skills were first class, it was the best presentation I have ever seen and the point of Mental Toughness really came through with flying colours."
Barnsley NHS
"Excellent presentation one of the best sessions/talks I have heard. Very thought provoking, motivational and provided a focus to meet challenges. The talk should be made available to a wider audience of the Trust staff."
Nottinghamshire Probation Trust
"A very impressive workshop, with an excellent range of practical Mental Resilience techniques, to help individuals cope better when they are under stress and thrive whilst under pressure."
Professional Speaking Association
"John delivered a great speech, with plenty of enthusiasm, accuracy and entertainment. John has his own unique style which came over extremely well and it was a pleasure to watch him on stage."
Academy for Chief Executives
"You have a wonderful enthusiasm for your subject and a great ability to stimulate rich conversation. The clips you use are stimulating and clever and your ability to make a difficult subject accessible is unquestionable"


text:
Found Launches SEO Audit Tool
Found Shares Search Expertise, Launching Seo Audit Tool On App Store
Leading digital marketing agency Found is publically sharing a part of its Search expertise for the first time through an app, launching its innovative SEO Audit Tool in the App Store.
Free to download, the tool provides website owners with a simple-to-understand, yet detailed snapshot of how well their sites are set up for SEO. The nifty and very quick audit, obtained by simply uploading a URL address, will specifically provide users with a much clearer understanding of how well their sites are performing, from section scoring to advice on improvements they could still make.
Tina Judic, Managing Director of Found, says: "The Found SEO Tool is a useful app for anyone querying their site performance and wanting to understand what enhancements they could make to their SEO campaigns overall. Not only does it provide clear indications of performance, it also offers valuable, free advice and insight for improvements."
Once a site audit has been completed, the data returned via the tool can act as a great starting point for SEO development and will quickly alert users to key issues that may need to be addressed including technical issues such as domain canonicalisation & XML sitemaps, and content issues such as keywords found on the page and within meta data.
Through the use of a simple 'traffic light' system, the tool will then indicate whether the task is successful, whether there is an error in its implementation or whether there are any warning signs that could be addressed.
Tina adds: "As champions of customer-centric SEO, I'm delighted that demand for this tool has prompted us to make it more publically available now. Originally borne out of our Foundlabs internal innovation initiative which gives all Founders the chance to pitch their own ideas for development, this has been a great team effort in delivering our first publicly available SEO mobile app to market."
To access the mobile app, visit iTunes Preview – Found SEO Tool or visit the online version Found SEO Audit Tool.
This press release was originally published on Econsultancy.com.


text:
FL Studio Guru - Freezing is the process of converting real-time CPU intensive synthesis and effects to much less CPU intensive Audio Clips. Additionally, freezing can be used to apply sample-slicing and other 'resampling' effects to the audio or simply to tidy up a messy Playlist.
FL Studio's free-form workflow means there is no sure relationship between Instrument Channels > Pattern Clips > Playlist tracks > Mixer Tracks. So, audio is 'frozen' at the Mixer stage and a little human intervention is needed to decide what to freeze.
For more information see the manual here - Freezing Playlist Tracks.


text:
Check Out Our Bargain Busters
Items: 0
Total: £0.00 excl Vat
view shopping cart
Your Account Login
Search Term
> Executive Office Furniture
Need help? 0844 8871408
Receive the latest offers and products updates first...
Website Design by PixelPutty Studios | Ecommerce by Coldfuel
© 2020 DeskDesk. All rights reserved worldwide.


text:
The MBA program at the Rutgers School of Business-Camden is designed to provide students with a broad professional education in business administration that prepares them for the increasingly complex demands of management. The program gives students an appreciation of the total enterprise as well as the basic functions of business such as accounting, finance, marketing, management, information systems, organizational behavior, strategy, operations, and international business.
Program Highlights
- World-class Rutgers faculty
- Classes held in the evening, Monday through Thursday, and during the day on Saturday
- MBA program accredited by AACSB
- Global integration with international studies opportunities
Why Get an MBA?
According to the 2012 Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) survey, employers in today's market are looking for individuals who have the skills to lead, innovate, solve problems, think critically, and plan strategically. Companies are looking for graduates who are team players and have high ethical standards, ability to work under stress, willingness to learn, flexibility, resiliency, and ability to focus on results. The Rutgers–Camden MBA Program helps students develop these traits and guides them to be well-rounded in all aspects of being a manager and leader.
Leadership and Managerial Skills Sought in New Hires


text:
Three years ago, I deciphered the name of a witness to my great-great grandparent's marriage: Minchin Lewis. I suspected he was related to my great-great grandmother as she shares the Lewis name. Then, having found out a little more about him I learned that he had named their first born son James Abbott. My great-great grandmother's first son also was James Abbott. That seemed like more than a coincidence!
Now I'm trying to find out a bit more about Minchin in the hope that they are related and it will lead me to more information on my great-great grandmother's origins in Ireland.
Minchin married Martha Peoples in Victoria, Australia in 1890 (almost thirty years after the birth of the first of their nine children together!). I have obtained the marriage certificate.
Both Minchin and Martha were born in Ireland. Can you make out Minchin's birth place in the top line?
Minchin's father was John Lewis and his mother (second line) was Fanny _____? I think I know what the name is but I would like some opinions that are not biased by what I think it may be.
Can you help? Or even better, are you related to this couple?!


text:
Hetepu (Peace) Family,
Recently I received an email from an individual that wanted to know more about the Calling. In this email the individual had expressed that they believed that they were called to be a shaman but they were not sure. They told me that they were confused about the whole issue, but further inquiry into their reasoning for wanting to know more about the Calling. Was that they were trying to use the situation to justify engaging in some illegal and harmful practices. When I told this individual that just because some shamans engage in certain practices out of tradition doesn't mean that we all have to. This individual had already made up their mind, and I got the impression that they already had certain paraphernalia in their possession. When I tried to contact the individual and tell them that they needed to contemplate their decision and really speak with their ancestors. This individual could no longer be reached or at least they wouldn't respond to my emails.
I had seen this before but not to this extent that is people misusing spiritual traditions to justify their lower self-ambitions. The first time I witnessed this was when I met a young man who wanted to be a Rastafarian, only later to discover that the reason Rastafarianism appeared to him was because he wanted to smoke weed (marijuana).
I am not angry or upset with this individual because I understand with all the New Age material that has been published lately about shamanism. It is very easy to believe that anytime you feel a strong urge to do something, to mistake it as your calling, but I want people to be warned because in the West. People have a bad habit of taking parts of other people's cultures and traditions to suit their egotistic purposes. Don't do this with shamanism. Don't mess with the ancestors and other spirits like that. I don't care how cliche' or superstitious it may sound. When you offend REAL SPIRITS they will have you walking around thinking you are all that, not realizing that you are a making a serious fool of yourself.
REAL SPIRITS will back and support you when they want you to do something. Why? I don't know. In fact I stopped trying to figure out why and how things work on the other side in KAMTA anyway. The reason I stopped trying to figure out why is because I noticed that every time I did, I got more and more confused. In fact, every time I pressed the issue. I got more and more confused. It comes to now that the reason this was happening is because I was not dead, so I functioned with a different vibe then them. So let me be clear.
Shamanism is a Beautiful yet Dangerous Fire
Shamanism is great! I love everything about it. It is the only tradition that I have found that is both mystical and practical. Besides that, shamanism is one of the few traditions that anyone can practice and you don't have to be initiated in order to practice it. In fact you don't have to follow any particular path or system or mimic what other people do. All you have to do is listen to your ancestral spirits. This is what I tried to explain to the individual that contacted me trying to get my approval. But, here is where the danger lies, in its simplicity. Because no one comes out and physically tells an individual that they can or cannot call them self a shaman, People are going out in the world claiming to be a shaman and they haven't been authorized by their ancestral spirits to do so. Simply put these individuals have not been baptized by the spirits. If you are wondering if you have been authorized by the spirits to be a shaman. You most likely have not because you would know and no one has to tell you. This doesn't mean that you can't practice shamanism such as honoring your ancestors and the various guardian spirits in your life, because you can. Shamanism from this perspective and for you is simply meant to be a family practice. It just means at this level you are not authorized to help other people at the present. For instance, in Cuba, just about everyone knows a little something about the spirits. Many of the people will share with you what worked for them because the Afro-Cuban spiritual traditions are passed around like folk traditions. But, when real problems occur, they will tell you to go see a babalawo, the high priest or some other spiritual authority. These are individuals that have gone through some training or have at least had some experience dealing with spiritual matters.
If you haven't gone through the rigorous training or overcome your lower self and you are declaring that you have spiritual authority. You are preparing yourself to go into gunfight without a bulletproof vest or even a weapon, just book knowledge like Shia LeBoef's character in the cult classic Constantine.
I am not trying to scare you away, but if you are scared you should be, because that is what will make you respect your spirits and all of the other spirits you encounter. Shamanism is nothing to play around with. If you are serious, respectful and responsible, you will do well, but if not. You will find yourself days, weeks, months or sometimes even years later waking up wondering, "How the hell did I get here?"
The Calling
Now there's a bit of confusion on really what the Calling is about. I will not go into why this confusion exist because we don't have time, but let me explain what the Calling is about from my perspective. We have all been in situations where an idea comes to us or a little small voice tell us, "Turn down that road", "Don't say that", "Don't forget this," and so on. Then when we don't listen to it, we find ourselves wishing we had. The reason this occurs is because according to the maa aankh when our ab – soul awareness is introverted and at the Amun Ra moment. We are open and our aakhu (ancestral spirits), netcharu (guardian spirits) or (as some choose to believe) God, is able to provide us with quick counsel, because the automatic lower part of our being – the sahu – is busy focusing on us walking or some other mundane activity.
When we receive this quick counsel it appears in our awareness as a bright idea, flash of insight, intuitive thought, premonition, an epiphany or an A-ha moment because it is reminiscent of the lunar brilliance of Amun Ra.
The reason we receive this quick counsel is because we are in danger of wandering off course and altering our destiny our purpose – our maa. So, this quick counsel comes to us like a siren going off breaking the silence. When we receive this quick counsel we need to act upon it because as the maa aankh illustrates the maa connects Amun Ra with the Ra. This means when we have that premonition, flash of insight, bright idea, an A-ha moment. If we do not act upon it, symbolized as the Ra moment. It will lead to us having unfortunate circumstances, since the Ra leads to Ra Atum – the setting sun, death or drastic change.
Well, the same thing occurs when we are Called. Many people think that the Calling only refers to being Called to be a shaman or to enter into the pulpit to be a preacher, but the Calling actually refers to be called to implement any physical change as dictated by the Spirit(s). When an individual is Called, they are actually called to be a problem fixer. The reason they are Called is because they are in a position to make things right or bring balance to a situation where there is none. This is why when you received the calling; you have a sudden awakening or change in consciousness that something is not right. So the things you use to do, you don't do anymore because you don't see the logic or see it benefiting anyone. That's really what the Calling is about.
We have all heard that if you don't answer the Calling you will experience setbacks. Well, the reason when you don't acknowledge the Calling and don't work to accept it by implementing change you experience problems. Is because remember, when you have an epiphany, a-ha moment, etc. and you don't act upon it, you have problems for not following your intuition. Well, the same occurs when you ignore the Calling because you are responsible for making change and it rests on your conscience. You become just as responsible for those creating the problem by not working to eradicate it. The only way to answer the Calling is to work at creating the change that Called you in the first place.
For instance, I have a cousin who was a drug addict but now runs a successful substance abuse program helping others to overcome their addiction. When I asked him what made him change his life and decide to become a substance abuse counselor. He told me that while doing drugs he basically had a vision telling him that he need to stop and help others, but he refused to follow his intuition. He kept having the same vision but he refused to follow it. Then after ignoring his intuition for so long, he had an accident and caught on fire. After his accident, while recovering he began to go through the proper channels to overcome his addiction and in addition help others. After being clean for several years he began helping others to do the same. So you see, his Calling was also his cure or salvation.
This is rarely mentioned in books, but most people that are Called often find that the solution to their problem lies within them. Most shamans didn't want to be a shaman. They grew into that role because it was something that they had to do. They overcame certain obstacles and as a result were authorized to help others. An individual that is Called helps themselves by helping others.
So if no one told you or you never read it in a book. I am telling you that your Calling has nothing to do with servicing your selfish lower desires. It is all about serving and helping others because something within you made you aware of an impending problem that exists in your life and the lives of others. If what you are doing is not helping or benefiting the lives of others, most likely it has nothing to do with your Calling, but rather your ego. As a matter of fact, if you are trying to pursue or find your Calling, most likely this is ego driven as well, because your Calling is not a goal. It is who you are.
Let me give you an example of what I mean by this and then we will bring this to a close. There is this young man I know who wanted to be an EMT and drive ambulances, but wasn't sure how to become one because he didn't have the money to attend school. Then, one day he attended a Pentecostal revival in hopes of getting answers and the minister prophesized that it wasn't his calling, but that he was called to be a healer. So, this young man began devoting himself to reading the bible and trying to learn how to exorcize demons (or negative spirits) like the preacher he met. When he came to me and told me that he wanted to heal with his hands and be able to exorcise spirits. I told him,
"Listen to me carefully. Be careful what you ask for. We are put in situations to develop certain skills so that we can manifest the divine in our life. God (and your spirits) know what you can handle and what you can't because they can see you maa (purpose). But, when you go trying to force things to happen that are not part of your maa, you are not following your maa. The reason you aren't able to do those things that that 'healer' was able to do is because it is not your Calling. If you are Called to do something, a way will be made."
Of course, he was young and didn't heed my warning, and kept trying to pursue his dream of being a healer. Then one day I got a call from him. He and his wife had separated then divorced. He was fired from a good paying job he was at, while he bounced back and forth between the part-time jobs he had found. With no money, he ended up moving back in with his parents. Fortunately, things cleared up as soon as he stopped trying to be a healer. His remarried his wife, moved into a new home and got a better paying job, where the company was willing to pay for him to return to school to get his EMT license and certifications.
Clearly the pursuit to be a healer was an illusionary dream and not his Calling or at least at the present.
I hope this helps.
Peace and blessings.
Derric "Rau Khu" Moore


text:
Cancer patient education
Ask a nutrition expert
Other upcoming events
Jul 13, 2020
Jul 14, 2020
Jul 16, 2020
When: Wednesday, November 20, 2019 2:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Where: Odette Cancer Centre (T-wing), 1st floor, PEARL - Bayview Campus, 2075 Bayview Ave, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5
Have questions about what to eat during treatment? Want to know more about nutrition and cancer? Drop into the PEARL (Patient Education and Research Learning Centre) located in the Odette Cancer Centre and visit with one of our registered dietitians.
Free of charge. No registration required.


text:
Smokey Sunrise
Mount Rainier from Cliff Lake saddle at sunrise with smoke from many Washington wild fires.
Reflection Lake, Mt Rainier
Van Trump Creek Falls
Van Trump Creek Falls at Mount Rainier
Zabriskie Dawn
Zabriskie Point, Death Valley NP
Crater Lake Glory
Best printed at 12" high x 36" wide. Or another 3:1 ratio. If you don't see the size you want, please contact Ronald Jones.
Blue Magic
Wizard Island, rises from the deep blue water of Crater Lake. Oregon
Dragon Sunset
From the north west rim area, an old snag is engulfed in a fiery illumination from the setting sun.
Milky Way Reflections - Crater Lake
Milky Way over Crater Lake
Fading Alpenglow
The alpenglow fades as the sun sets, while Mt St Helen's is ensconced in a low lenticular.
St Helen's and Baker
Mt St Helen's and a peek-a-boo of Mt Adams from Elk Rock
Retro Style
The Bird Lifts at White Pass, Washington
Palouse Falls
Palouse Falls State Park. Reserve Grand Champion, SW Washington Fair Photo Exhibit, 2015.
Painted Hills Oregon
Landscape from the Painted Hills, Eastern, Oregon
Painted Desert
The Painted Desert near Mitchel, Oregon
Where water meet rock
Mt Stuart rises in the shadow of Lake Ingalls.
Sunrise over Seattle
Sunrise as seen from Alki, West Seattle,
Tulips in the Mist
Tulip field at Skagit Valley, Washington. Honorable Mention - Beauty of Flowers: Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, 2015
Capital Reflections
The Capital Dome, trees and clouds reflect in Olympia's Capital Lake.
Cirque de Tramousse
The highest water fall in France Cirque de Tramousse, French Pyrenees
Cycling Pyrenean Style
Large bike art at the summit of the Col d'Aubisque
Sunset over Loowit
Looking west from Johnston Ridge, Mt St Helen's
Alone: Ebey's Reserve
Ebey's Reserve, Whidbey, Island, Washington


text:
Follow RFF News on your cell phone. Text follow rff to 40404 you will receive txt messages with RFF News
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
Thanks for the link, s1! I dig the new logo.
Oh, that's awesome. I didn't see this versions yet, because I'm from Holland. But I do have all the shows in English and Dutch language on DVD. Yeah, in Holland they are crazy about The Mole (we just began in the eight season). I've seen all eight from Holland, the second from Belgium and I still have to watch all those Australian, English and American versions. But... It's nice to see you guys are picking it up again too.
I'd love to have shirt or jacket with the logo on it and will be looking for one!
Thanks all!@ RudyRules: Belgium is the country that started with the show. Holland picked it up very quickly and we had The Mole ever since (they only skipped one year I think). I hope they go to Amsterdam! I study there, it would be cool to suddenly see some Mole-members.
This is the best news I've heard since...well, it's just the best news ever! I'll miss Anderson, not Rashad, and dear god I hope Kimmel does not host the show. I love his late-night show, but he'd make a horrible host for the show. How about Corbin Bersen?
If I stop posting on this site for 8 to 10 weeks you all will know why :sucks
The following week, ABC will resurrect "The Mole" after an absence of several seasons. New host Jon Kelley ("Extra") will put 12 players through a series of challenges while one of them, the Mole, works to sabotage their chances of collecting more cash. It will air at 10 p.m. Mondays starting May 26.
Page created in 0.091 seconds with 33 queries.


text:
We do not rent or sell your email address to third parties. See our Privacy Policy for details. You can unsubscribe at any time.
You'll receive email newsletters at the following address:
Melatonin, a natural hormone in the body that regulates sleeping and waking energy, helped those with Alzheimer's disease (AD) sleep less during the day and have more energy.
Researchers explained that those with AD, particularly those in nursing homes, often do not get enough natural daylight, which disrupts nighttime sleep and increases daytime sleepiness. Fifty nursing home participants with AD, average age 86, took one hour of light therapy with or without 5 mg of melatonin for five days a week or had normal indoor light without melatonin.
For the light therapy, scientists used natural sunlight when it was bright outside and added artificial sunlight lamps when skies were overcast. After 10 weeks, those who had the light therapy plus melatonin were less sleepy during the day, had more daytime energy and had a better balance in the alternating rhythm of resting and waking energy, called circadian rhythm, the biological clock of the body.
Doctors explained that restoring the circadian rhythm helps those with AD participate in more daytime activities and social situations, which can reduce some of the effects of the disease. The scientists are not sure if melatonin alone or combined with daylight created the improvement and suggest more study.
Reference: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society; 2008, Vol. 56, No. 2, 239-46.
† Compare price is the price compared to the manufacturer's suggested retail price or estimated selling price of the same or similar item at full-price stores. See Pricing Policy for details.
Information provided on this site is solely for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Read more©2000-2020 Nutrition Express. All rights reserved.


text:
"Candidate Species" Marketplace Can Help Protect Gopher Tortoise Habitatby -
This piece was written with Josh Donlan and James Mulligan of Advanced Conservation Strategies.
Hundreds of imperiled wildlife species across the country are candidates for protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), yet landowners currently have very little financial incentive to protect them.
WRI's new issue brief, Insights from the Field: Forests for Species and Habitat, released jointly with Advanced Conservation Strategies, details the insights from a pilot market-based initiative to conserve one such candidate species, the gopher tortoise, and the southern forests on which it relies. This pilot can serve as a model for conservation across the country, most notably for other ESA candidate species like the lesser prairie chicken and greater sage grouse (see box). With 87 percent of southern forests currently in private ownership, protecting candidate species like the gopher tortoise and its habitat requires an innovative approach. However, these landowners often lack the necessary financial and technical resources to manage their land for declining wildlife. In addition, landowners are often concerned about potential land use constraints associated with these species being present on their properties.
A recent court settlement requires the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to make initial or final listing decisions on hundreds of candidate species by September 2016. As USFWS accelerates listing decisions in the next few years, landowners with candidate species on their land face considerable uncertainty in their land-use planning.
How does a candidate conservation marketplace work?
What is a candidate species?
Candidate species are those species for which the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has sufficient information regarding their biological status and threats to justify proposing them as endangered or threatened under the ESA, but for which development of a proposed listing classification is precluded by other higher priorities and agency capacity constraints. Candidate status gives notice to landowners and natural resource managers of species in need of conservation, but no statutory protection for the species (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2011). The gopher tortoise is listed as "threatened" in a small area touching Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, and has "candidate status" in the remainder of its range across the south (see map below).
A candidate conservation marketplace is a scalable, voluntary, and science-based market mechanism to spur conservation for imperiled species prior to their listing under the ESA. This approach may allow federal and private project developers, such as solar, wind and natural gas developers, to manage their environmental risk by investing in conservation on private lands in return for regulatory certainty from the USFWS.
That's why WRI, Advanced Conservation Strategies, the American Forest Foundation, the Longleaf Alliance, and other partners are developing the demand, supply, and transactional infrastructure for such a marketplace through a pilot initiative in the nonfederally listed range of the gopher tortoise in the southern forests of the United States.
Here is how the gopher tortoise candidate conservation marketplace is being designed and piloted:
An interested and eligible private landowner (the "seller") receives a negotiated payment to conserve, sustainably manage, or restore longleaf pine forests capable of supporting healthy populations of gopher tortoises on his or her property. In so doing, the landowner generates gopher tortoise habitat credits.
The entity paying the landowner (the "buyer") receives the habitat credits in return. The buyer may use the credits to offset the impact on gopher tortoise habitat elsewhere, in order to meet a voluntary net zero biodiversity impact commitment. Or, the buyer can save the credits for later use to meet offset requirements if and when the species is listed under the ESA. Other buyers may purchase credits simply to spur gopher tortoise conservation.
A gopher tortoise habitat credit is the currency that can be bought and sold. The number of credits on a parcel of land is determined via a science-based and peer-reviewed method, currently under development, to ensure a net conservation benefit for the tortoise when used as offsets for future impacts. The credit price includes funds to manage and monitor the habitat in perpetuity, along with a negotiated profit margin for the seller.
The USFWS approves the crediting methodology and maintains agreements with buyers and sellers. The agency may also provide federal-level assurances or certainty to both the buyer and seller. This regulatory certainty allows buyers to preemptively buy credits that can be used toward offsetting future impacts if the species were to be listed. The USFWS could also provide assurances to the seller against any future regulation for net conservation actions undertaken that go beyond the habitat credits sold.
Insights from the pilot initiative
Our new issue brief focuses on an ongoing pilot initiative in Georgia and Alabama called the Gopher Tortoise Candidate Conservation Marketplace. Initial pilot transactions are intended to take place in 2012. Pilot partners are working with the U.S. Army, which is trying to proactively manage gopher tortoise habitats before federal listing under the ESA becomes necessary and potentially leads to a loss of training grounds.
The following are some of the lessons learned:
Approximate range and status of the gopher tortoise. Source: Gopher Tortoise Council
- Regulatory certainty is crucial. Because purchase of candidate conservation credits will be voluntary, the primary incentive driving demand is regulatory certainty that those credits will satisfy mitigation requirements for future land use activities if the species is listed.
- Early mitigation makes sense. Early pre-compliance action and mitigation saves time and money by identifying and implementing preapproved conservation measures and outcomes, identifying willing sellers, increasing flexibility in meeting conservation needs, and simplifying the regulatory compliance process and associated paperwork.
- Focus on major buyers. Identifying potential buyers that anticipate reasonably large impacts to species and habitats over the foreseeable future is an important first step to lining up potential investors in candidate conservation credits.
- Understand what landowners want. To meaningfully engage landowners, focus groups and survey research can help to ensure the marketplace is designed so that landowners perceive having candidate species on their property as an asset as opposed to a liability.
- Invest in parcel prioritization and woodland owner education. Spatial prioritization analysis and targeted outreach and education to the landowner community are important for energizing the supply side of the candidate conservation market.
- Up-front financing may be necessary. Private landowners may need initial financing to cover up-front costs associated with conservation efforts before credits are sold. This financing could be provided by revolving lines of credit, habitat performance bonds, program-related investments, and other structured transactions.
Transactional Infrastructure
- Use a broker model. An independent market broker may create efficiencies and economies of scale by facilitating the buying and selling of credits, managing the financial transactions, providing liquidity in the market, verifying and monitoring credits, and managing the potential default of credits.
- Balance precision with practicality. Crediting and debiting methods need to be designed to create a net conservation benefit that is scientifically sound and verifiable, while maintaining simplicity and scalability to ensure its adoption, timely implementation, and concurrent conservation benefits.
Concluding thoughts
The gopher tortoise candidate conservation marketplace is testing an innovative approach to provide financial incentives and technical assistance to private landowners who manage their woodlands for habitat and candidate species. Interest in similar programs, most notably focused on the lesser prairie chicken and greater sage grouse, is rapidly growing in the private, public, and nongovernmental organization sectors as changes in land use across the country spark new challenges in balancing ecosystem management with residential and commercial development, national security, energy infrastructure, and climate change issues. Although still in the development stage, insights from this pilot could inform the successful design and implementation of other candidate conservation incentive programs leading to healthier forests and ecosystems throughout the United States.
Hanson, C., L. Yonavjak, C. Clarke, S. Minnemeyer, L. Boisrobert, A. Leach, and K. Schleeweis. 2010. Southern Forests for the Future. Washington, DC: World Resources Institute.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2011. The Candidate Conservation Process.