Copenhagen Consensus

Copenhagen Consensus is a project that seeks to establish priorities for advancing global welfare using methodologies based on the theory of welfare economics, using cost–benefit analysis. It was conceived and organized around 2004 by Bjørn Lomborg, the author of "The Skeptical Environmentalist" and the then director of the Danish government's Environmental Assessment Institute.
The project is run by the Copenhagen Consensus Center, which is directed by Lomborg and was part of the Copenhagen Business School, but it is now an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organisation registered in the USA. The project considers possible solutions to a wide range of problems, presented by experts in each field. These are evaluated and ranked by a panel of economists. The emphasis is on rational prioritization by economic analysis. The panel is given an arbitrary budget constraint and instructed to use cost–benefit analysis to focus on a bottom line approach in solving/ranking presented problems. The approach is justified as a corrective to standard practice in international development, where, it is alleged, media attention and the "court of public opinion" results in priorities that are often far from optimal.
History.
The project has held conferences in 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012. The 2012 conference ranked bundled micronutrient interventions the highest priority, and the 2008 report identified supplementing vitamins for undernourished children as the world’s best investment. The 2009 conference, dealing specifically with global warming, proposed research into marine cloud whitening (ships spraying seawater into clouds to make them reflect more sunlight and thereby reduce temperature) as the top climate change priority, though climate change itself is ranked well below other world problems. In 2011 the Copenhagen Consensus Center carried out the Rethink HIV project together with the RUSH Foundation, to find smart solutions to the problem of HIV/AIDS. In 2007 looked into which projects would contribute most to welfare in Copenhagen Consensus for Latin America in cooperation with the Inter-American Development Bank.
The initial project was co-sponsored by the Danish government and "The Economist". A book summarizing the Copenhagen Consensus 2004 conclusions, "Global Crises, Global Solutions", edited by Lomborg, was published in October 2004 by Cambridge University Press, followed by the second edition published in 2009 based on the 2008 conclusions.
Copenhagen Consensus 2012.
In May 2012, the third global Copenhagen Consensus was held, gathering economists to analyze the costs and benefits of different approaches to tackling the world‘s biggest problems. The aim was to provide an answer to the question:
If you had $75bn for worthwhile causes, where should you start?
A panel including four Nobel laureates met in Copenhagen, Denmark, in May 2012. The panel’s deliberations were informed by thirty new economic research papers that were written just for the project by scholars from around the world.
Economists.
The panel members were the following, four of whom are Nobel Laureate economists.
Challenges.
In addition, the Center commissioned research on Corruption and Trade Barriers, but the Expert Panel did not rank these for Copenhagen Consensus 2012, because the solutions to these challenges are political rather than investment-related.
Outcome.
Given the budget restraints, they found 16 investments worthy of investment (in descending order of desirability):
Slate ranking.
During the days of the Copenhagen Consensus 2012 conference, a series of articles was published in Slate Magazine each about a challenge that was discussed, and Slate readers could make their own ranking, voting for the solutions which they thought were best. Slate readers' ranking corresponded with that of the Expert Panel on many points, including the desirability of bundled micronutrient intervention; however, the most striking difference was in connection with the problem of overpopulation. Family planning ranked highest on the Slate priority list, whereas it didn't feature in the top 16 of the Expert Panel's prioritisation.
Copenhagen Consensus 2008.
Economists.
"Nobel Prize winners marked with (¤)"
Results.
In the Copenhagen Consensus 2008, the solutions for global problems have been ranked in the following order:
Unlike the 2004 results, these were not grouped into qualitative bands such as Good, Poor, etc.
Gary Yohe, one of the authors of the global warming paper, subsequently accused Lomborg of "deliberate distortion of our conclusions", adding that "as one of the authors of the Copenhagen Consensus Project's principal climate paper, I can say with certainty that Lomborg is misrepresenting our findings thanks to a highly selective memory". Kåre Fog further pointed out that the future benefits of emissions reduction were discounted at a higher rate than for any of the other 27 proposals, stating "so there is an obvious reason why the climate issue always is ranked last" in Lomborg's environmental studies.
In a subsequent joint statement settling their differences, Lomborg and Yohe agreed that the "failure" of Lomborg's emissions reduction plan "could be traced to faulty design".
Climate Change Project.
In 2009, the Copenhagen convened an expert panel specifically to examine solutions to climate change. The process was similar to the 2004 and 2008 Copenhagen Consensus, involving papers by specialists considered by a panel of economists. The panel ranked 15 solutions, of which the top 5 were:
The benefits of the number 1 solution are that if the research proved successful this solution could be deployed relatively cheaply and quickly. Potential problems include environmental impacts e.g. from changing rainfall patterns.
Measures to cut carbon and methane emissions, such as carbon taxes, came bottom of the results list, partly because they would take a long time to have much effect on temperatures.
Copenhagen Consensus 2004.
Process.
Eight economists met May 24–28, 2004 at a roundtable in Copenhagen. A series of background papers had been prepared in advance to summarize the current knowledge about the welfare economics of 32 proposals ("opportunities") from 10 categories ("challenges"). For each category, one assessment article and two critiques were produced. After a closed-door review of the background papers, each of the participants gave economic priority rankings to 17 of the proposals (the rest were deemed inconclusive).
Economists.
"Nobel Prize winners marked with ("¤")"
Challenges.
Below is a list of the 10 challenge areas and the author of the paper on each. Within each challenge, 3–4 opportunities (proposals) were analyzed:
Results.
The panel agreed to rate seventeen of the thirty-two opportunities within seven of the ten challenges. The rated opportunities were further classified into four groups: Very Good, Good, Fair and Bad; all results are based using cost–benefit analysis.
Very good.
The highest priority was assigned to implementing certain new measures to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS. The economists estimated that an investment of $27 billion could avert nearly 30 million new infections by 2010.
Policies to reduce malnutrition and hunger were chosen as the second priority. Increasing the availability of micronutrients, particularly reducing iron deficiency anemia through dietary supplements, was judged to have an exceptionally high ratio of benefits to costs, which were estimated at $12 billion.
Third on the list was trade liberalization; the experts agreed that modest costs could yield large benefits for the world as a whole and for developing nations.
The fourth priority identified was controlling and treating malaria; $13 billion costs were judged to produce very good benefits, particularly if applied toward chemically-treated mosquito netting for beds.
Good.
The fifth priority identified was increased spending on research into new agricultural technologies appropriate for developing nations. Three proposals for improving sanitation and water quality for a billion of the world’s poorest followed in priority (ranked sixth to eighth: small-scale water technology for livelihoods, community-managed water supply and sanitation, and research on water productivity in food production). Completing this group was the 'government' project concerned with lowering the cost of starting new businesses.
Fair.
Ranked tenth was the project on lowering barriers to migration for skilled workers. Eleventh and twelfth on the list were malnutrition projects – improving infant and child nutrition and reducing the prevalence of low birth weight. Ranked thirteenth was the plan for scaled-up basic health services to fight diseases.
Poor.
Ranked fourteenth to seventeenth were: a migration project (guest-worker programmes for the unskilled), which was deemed to discourage integration; and three projects addressing climate change (optimal carbon tax, the Kyoto Protocol and value-at-risk carbon tax), which the panel judged to be least cost-efficient of the proposals.
Global warming.
The panel found that all three climate policies presented have "costs that were likely to exceed the benefits". It further stated "global warming must be addressed, but agreed that approaches based on too abrupt a shift toward lower emissions of carbon are needlessly expensive."
In regard to the science of global warming, the paper presented by Cline relied primarily on the framework set by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and accepted the consensus view on global warming that greenhouse gas emissions from human activities are the primary cause of the global warming. Cline relies on various research studies published in the field of economics and attempted to compare the estimated cost of mitigation policies against the expected reduction in the damage of the global warming.
Cline used a discount rate of 1.5%. (Cline's summary is on the project webpage ) He justified his choice of discount rate on the ground of "utility-based discounting", that is there is zero bias in terms of preference between the present and the future generation (see time preference). Moreover, Cline extended the time frame of the analysis to three hundred years in the future. Because the expected net damage of the global warming becomes more apparent beyond the present generation(s), this choice had the effect of increasing the present-value cost of the damage of global warming as well as the benefit of abatement policies.
Criticism.
Members of the panel including Thomas Schelling and one of the two perspective paper writers Robert O. Mendelsohn (both opponents of the Kyoto protocol) criticised Cline, mainly on the issue of discount rates. (See "The opponent notes to the paper on Climate Change" ) Mendelsohn, in particular, characterizing Cline's position, said that "[i]f we use a large discount rate, they will be judged to be small effects" and called it "circular reasoning, not a justification". Cline responded to this by arguing that there is no obvious reason to use a large discount rate just because this is what is usually done in economic analysis. In other words, climate change ought to be treated differently from other, more imminent problems. The Economist quoted Mendelsohn as worrying that "climate change was set up to fail".
Moreover, Mendelsohn argued that Cline's damage estimates were excessive. Citing various recent articles, including some of his own, he stated that "[a] series of studies on the impacts of climate change have systematically shown that the older literature overestimated climate damages by failing to allow for adaptation and for climate benefits."
The 2004 Copenhagen Consensus attracted various criticisms:
Approach and alleged bias.
The 2004 report, especially its conclusion regarding climate change, was subsequently criticised from a variety of perspectives. The general approach adopted to set priorities was criticised by Jeffrey Sachs, an American economist and advocate of both the Kyoto protocol and increased development aid, who argued that the analytical framework was inappropriate and biased and that the project "failed to mobilize an expert group that could credibly identify and communicate a true consensus of expert knowledge on the range of issues under consideration.".
Tom Burke, a former director of Friends of the Earth, repudiated the entire approach of the project, arguing that applying cost–benefit analysis in the way the Copenhagen panel did was "junk economics".
John Quiggin, an Australian economics professor, commented that the project is a mix of "a substantial contribution to our understanding of important issues facing the world" and an "exercises in political propaganda" and argued that the selection of the panel members was slanted towards the conclusions previously supported by Lomborg. Quiggin observed that Lomborg had argued in his controversial book "The Skeptical Environmentalist" that resources allocated to mitigating global warming would be better spent on improving water quality and sanitation, and was therefore seen as having prejudged the issues.
Under the heading "Wrong Question", Sachs further argued that: "The panel that drew up the Copenhagen Consensus was asked to allocate an additional US$50 billion in spending by wealthy countries, distributed over five years, to address the world’s biggest problems. This was a poor basis for decision-making and for informing the public. By choosing such a low sum — a tiny fraction of global income — the project inherently favoured specific low-cost schemes over bolder, larger projects. It is therefore no surprise that the huge and complex challenge of long-term climate change was ranked last, and that scaling up health services in poor countries was ranked lower than interventions against specific diseases, despite warnings in the background papers that such interventions require broader improvements in health services."
In response Lomborg argued that $50 billion was "an optimistic but realistic example of actual spending." "Experience shows that pledges and actual spending are two different things. In 1970 the UN set itself the task of doubling development assistance. Since then the percentage has actually been dropping". "But even if Sachs or others could gather much more than $50 billion over the next 4 years, the Copenhagen Consensus priority list would still show us where it should be invested first."
Thomas Schelling, one of the Copenhagen Consensus panel experts, later distanced himself from the way in which the Consensus results have been interpreted in the wider debate, arguing that it was misleading to put climate change at the bottom of the priority list. The Consensus panel members were presented with a dramatic proposal for handling climate change. If given the opportunity, Schelling would have put a more modest proposal higher on the list. The Yale economist Robert O. Mendelsohn was the official critic of the proposal for climate change during the Consensus. He thought the proposal was way out of the mainstream and could only be rejected. Mendelsohn worries that climate change was set up to fail.
Michael Grubb, an economist and lead author for several IPCC reports, commented on the Copenhagen Consensus, writing:
To try and define climate policy as a trade-off against foreign aid is thus a forced choice that bears no relationship to reality. No government is proposing that the marginal costs associated with, for example, an emissions trading system, should be deducted from its foreign aid budget. This way of posing the question is both morally inappropriate and irrelevant to the determination of real climate mitigation policy.
Panel membership.
Quiggin argued that the members of the 2004 panel, selected by Lomborg, were "generally towards the right and, to the extent that they had stated views, to be opponents of Kyoto." Sachs also noted that the panel members had not previously been much involved in issues of development economics and were unlikely to reach useful conclusions in the time available to them. Commenting on the 2004 Copenhagen Consensus, climatologist and IPCC author Stephen Schneider criticised Lomborg for only inviting economists to participate:
In order to achieve a true consensus, I think Lomborg would've had to invite ecologists, social scientists concerned with justice and how climate change impacts and policies are often inequitably distributed, philosophers who could challenge the economic paradigm of "one dollar, one vote" implicit in cost–benefit analyses promoted by economists, and climate scientists who could easily show that Lomborg's claim that climate change will have only minimal effects is not sound science.
Lomborg countered criticism of the panel membership by stating that "Sachs disparaged the Consensus 'dream team' because it only consisted of economists. But that was the very point of the project. Economists have expertise in economic prioritization. It is they and not climatologists or malaria experts who can prioritize between battling global warming or communicable disease".


Kenneth McDavid


Newfoundland dog

The Newfoundland is a large working dog. They can be either black, brown, grey, or white-and-black. However, in the Dominion of Newfoundland, before it became part of the confederation of Canada, only black and Landseer coloured dogs were considered to be proper members of the breed. They were originally bred and used as working dogs for fishermen in Newfoundland. Newfoundlands are known for their giant size, intelligence, tremendous strength, calm dispositions, and loyalty. They excel at water rescue/lifesaving because of their muscular build, thick double coat, webbed paws, and swimming abilities.
Description.
Appearance.
Newfoundlands ('Newfs' or 'Newfies') have webbed paws and a water-resistant coat. Males normally weigh , and females , placing them in the "Giant" weight range; but some Newfoundlands have been known to weigh over – and the largest on record weighed and measured over from nose to tail, ranking it among the largest of dog breeds. They may grow up to tall at the shoulder.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) standard colours of the Newfoundland are black, brown, grey, and white-and-black (sometimes referred to as a Landseer). Other colours are possible but are not considered rare or more valuable. The Kennel Club (KC) permits only black, brown, and white/black; the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) permits only black and white/black. The "Landseer" pattern is named after the artist, Sir Edwin Henry Landseer, who featured them in many of his paintings. Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) consider the ECT Landseer ("European Continental Type") to be a separate breed. It is a taller, more narrow white dog with black markings not bred with a Newfoundland.
The Newfoundland's extremely large bones give it mass, while its large musculature gives it the power it needs to take on rough ocean waves and powerful tides. These dogs have huge lung capacity for swimming extremely long distances and a thick, oily, and waterproof double coat which protects them from the chill of icy waters. The double coat makes the dog hard to groom, and also causes a lot of shedding to occur. The droopy lips and jowls make the dog drool, especially in high heat.
In the water, the Newfoundland's massive webbed paws give it maximum propulsion. The swimming stroke is not an ordinary dog paddle: Unlike other dogs, the Newfoundland moves its limbs in a down-and-out motion giving more power to every stroke.
Temperament.
The Newfoundland is known for its calm and docile nature and its strength. They are very loyal, have a mild nature and make great working dogs. It is for this reason that this breed is known as "the gentle giant". International kennel clubs generally describe the breed as having a sweet temper. The breed typically has a deep bark and is easy to train if started young. They are wonderfully good with children, but small children can get accidentally leaned on and knocked down. Newfoundlands are ideal companions in the world of therapy and are often referred to as "nanny dogs". The breed was memorialised in "Nana", the beloved guardian dog in J. M. Barrie's "Peter Pan". The Newfoundland, in general, is good with other animals, but its size can cause problems if it is not properly trained.
A Newfoundland's good, sweet nature is so important, it is listed in the Breed Standards of many countries; dogs exhibiting poor temperament or aggression are disqualified from showing and should never be used to breed. The breed standard in the United States reads that "Sweetness of temperament is the hallmark of the Newfoundland; this is the most important single characteristic of the breed."
Health.
There are several health problems associated with Newfoundlands. Newfoundlands are prone to hip dysplasia (a malformed ball and socket in the hip joint). They also get elbow dysplasia, and cystinuria (a hereditary defect that forms calculi stones in the bladder). Another genetic problem is subvalvular aortic stenosis (SAS). This is a common heart defect in Newfoundlands involving defective heart valves. SAS can cause sudden death at an early age. It is similar to having a heart attack. It is common that "Newfs" live to be 8 to 10 years of age; 10 years is a commonly cited life expectancy. However, Newfoundlands can live up to 15 years old.
History.
Origin.
Genome analysis indicates that Newfoundlands are related to the Irish water spaniel, Labrador Retriever, and Curly-Coated Retriever.
The Newfoundland was originally bred and used as working dogs for fishermen in Newfoundland.
In the early 1880s, fishermen and explorers from Ireland and England travelled to the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, where they described two main types of working dog. One was heavily built, large with a longish coat, and the other medium-sized in build – an active, smooth-coated water dog. The heavier breed was known as the Greater Newfoundland, or Newfoundland. The smaller breed was known as the Lesser Newfoundland, or St. John's water dog. The St. John's water dog became the founding breed of the modern retrievers. Both breeds were used as working dogs to pull fishnets, with the Greater Newfoundland also being used to haul carts and other equipment.
It has also been proposed that the original Newfoundland that lived on the island was smaller; in theory, the smaller landrace was bred with mastiffs when sold to the English, and the English version was popularized to become what we think of as a Newfoundland today.
Reputation.
The breed's working role was varied. Many tales have been told of the courage displayed by Newfoundlands in adventuring and lifesaving exploits. Over the last two centuries, this has inspired a number of artists, who have portrayed the dogs in paint, stone, bronze, and porcelain. One famous Newfoundland was a dog named Seaman, who accompanied American explorers Lewis and Clark on their expedition.
The breed prospered in the United Kingdom, until 1914 and again in 1939, when its numbers were almost fatally depleted by wartime restrictions. Since the 1950s there has been a steady increase in numbers and popularity, despite the fact that the Newfoundland's great size and fondness for mud and water makes it unsuitable as a pet for many households.
Water rescue.
During the Discovery Channel's second day of coverage of the AKC Eukanuba National Championship on December 3, 2006, anchor Bob Goen reported that Newfoundlands exhibit a very strong propensity to rescue people from water. Goen stated that one Newfoundland alone once aided the rescue of 63 shipwrecked sailors. Today, kennel clubs across the United States host Newfoundland Rescue Demonstrations, as well as offering classes in the field. Many harbour boat tours in St. John's have a dog on board for local charm as well as for passenger safety.
Further evidence of Newfoundlands' ability to rescue or support life-saving activities was cited in a 2007 article by the BBC.
Relationship to other breeds.
The Newfoundland shares many physical traits with mastiffs and Molosser-type dogs, such as the St. Bernard and English Mastiff, including stout legs, massive heads with very broad snouts, a thick bull-like neck, and a very sturdy bone structure. Many St. Bernards have Newfoundlands in their ancestry. Newfoundlands were brought and introduced to the St. Bernard breed in the 18th century when the population was threatened by an epidemic of canine distemper. They share many characteristics of many livestock guardian dog breeds, such as the Great Pyrenees.
Because of their strength, Newfoundlands were part of the foundation stock of the Leonberger (which excelled at water rescue and was imported by the Canadian government for that purpose); and the now-extinct Moscow Water Dog, a failed attempt at creating a lifesaving dog by the Russian state kennel—the unfortunate outcross with the Caucasian Shepherd Dog begat a dog more adept at biting than rescuing.
Famous Newfoundlands.
Napoleon the Wonder Dog.
A famous all-black Newfoundland performed as the star attraction in Van Hare's Magic Circus from 1862 and for many years thereafter in one of England's founding circus acts, traveling throughout Europe. The circus dog was known as the "Thousand Guinea Dog Napoleon" or "Napoleon the Wonder Dog." The circus owner, G. Van Hare, trained other Newfoundland dogs to perform a steeplechase routine with baboons dressed up as jockeys to ride them. Nonetheless, his "wizard dog" Napoleon was his favourite and held a special position in the Magic Circus. Napoleon would compete at jumping against human rivals, leaping over horses from a springboard, and dancing to music.
Napoleon the Wonder Dog became a wildly popular act in London from his debut at the Pavilion Theatre on April 4, 1862, and onward until his untimely death many years later when he slipped and fell during a circus practice session. At the peak of his fame, his performance was described in London's Illustrated Sporting News and Theatrical and Musical Review as follows: "Synopsis of his entertainment:-- He spells his own name with letters' also that of the Prince of Wales; and when he is asked what he would say of her Most Gracious Majesty, he puts down letters to form "God save the Queen." He plays any gentleman a game of cards and performs the celebrated three-card trick upon which his master backs him at 100 to 1. Also "The Disappearance," a la Robin. He performs in a circus the same as a trick horse, "en liberté," giving the Spanish trot to music, also leaping over bars, through balloons, with numerous other tricks of a most interesting character."
When Napoleon the Wonder Dog died, as a result of a circus accident at the age of 11 years old, his passing was announced in a number of British newspapers, including the Sheffield Daily Telegraph, which mentioned the loss on May 5, 1868, as follows: "DEATH OF A CELEBRATED FOUR-FOOTED ARTISTE. -- Mr. Van Hare's renowned dog, Napoleon, designated 'The Wizard Dog,' died on 24th ult., aged twelve years. He was a noble specimen of the Newfoundland breed (weighing near 200 lbs.) for which he took the prize at the first Agricultural Hall Dog Show. Besides his magnificent appearance and symmetry, he was the most extraordinary sagacious and highly-trained animal ever known. He is now being preserved and beautifully mounted by the celebrated naturalist, Mr. Edwin Ward. -- Era."


G. A. Beazeley

Lieutenant-Colonel George Adam Beazeley DSO (7 July 1870 – 8 May 1961) was a British Army officer, surveyor and one of the fathers of aerial photography in surveying, military reconnaissance and archaeology. He was probably the first person to identify aerial archaeology as an independent field.
Beazeley was the son of a civil engineer. He was educated at Chigwell Grammar School and Cherbourg School, Malvern, before training at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich and being commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers in February 1890. He attended the School of Military Engineering from 1890 to 1892 and the spent two years with the submarine mining unit in Cork Harbour, Ireland. He was promoted Lieutenant in February 1893. In 1894 he was posted to India, where he spent most of the rest of his career.
He continued to work in submarine mining until 1897, when he changed his speciality to surveying and joined the Survey of India, where he stayed until his retirement in 1925. He was promoted Captain in December 1900 and Major in January 1910. He was attached as survey officer to the Somaliland Field Force in 1903–1904, when he was mentioned in despatches.
In October 1916 he was posted to Mesopotamia, where he was in charge of all field survey work on the Tigris front until April 1917, initially assisted by only three British soldiers and about sixteen native porters and orderlies. He also flew many reconnaissance missions and carried out considerable archaeological investigations, both from the air and on the ground. He identified the remains of ancient Samarra and discovered the outlines of ancient canals on the Tigris-Euphrates plain. He was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel in December 1917 and awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for his services on 1 January 1918. On 2 May 1918 he was shot down and captured by the Turks, remaining a prisoner of war until 16 November, just after the end of the war.
In 1919 and from 1921 to 1922 he was attached to the Royal Air Force. He retired from the Army in July 1925, but in 1929 joined the Sudan Air Survey for a year. He and his wife Annette (whom he had married in 1900) retired to Saint Aubin, Jersey, but from 1938 he worked in air raid precautions. He left the Channel Islands for England in 1940, just before the German occupation, and continued to work in ARP until 1942, when he took up office work in Totnes, also in connection with the war. He returned to Jersey after the liberation in July 1945 and spent his retirement living in the Grouville Hall Hotel after Annette died in 1950.
On 4 November 1938, his daughter Rozel, her husband, Captain William Swan, also of the Royal Engineers, and their baby daughter were killed in the crash of the airliner "St Catherine's Bay" at Jersey Airport.


Losee v. Clute

Losee v. Clute, 51 N. Y. 494 (1873), was a seminal case in American tort law. Losee involved a third party injured by an exploding boiler who was found to have no claim against the manufacturer of the boiler; this case closely followed "Loop v. Litchfield".
Background.
Defendant Clute manufactured a boiler, knowing at the time that the purchaser was to use it adjacent to dwelling houses and stores. The purchaser tested the boiler to its satisfaction and accepted it. After three months of use—during which time defendants had nothing whatever to do with the boiler, and had no care or management of it—the boiler exploded and damaged the adjacent property. The injured plaintiffs alleged that the boiler had been negligently manufactured, and sued on the theory that this breached a duty.
Procedural history.
Appeal from the judgment of the General Term of the Supreme Court in the fourth judicial district. The appeal affirmed the judgment entered upon an order dismissing the plaintiff's complaint on the trial. The case is now in the Commission of Appeals of New York (treated equally with Court of Appeals)
Held.
In the opinion of the court it was said:
"When the boiler was accepted, they [the defendants] ceased to have any further control over it or its management, and all responsibility for what was subsequently done with it devolved upon the company and those having charge of it."
It was declared that the case came within the principle that "at the most an architect or builder of a work is answerable only to his employes for any want of care or skill in the execution thereof, and he is not liable for accidents or injuries which may occur after the execution of the contract," and that the defendants owed to the plaintiff no duty whatever at the time of the explosion "either growing out of contract or imposed by law."
Boilers are not inherently dangerous


Central Green Co. v. United States

Central Green Co. v. United States, 531 U.S. 425 (2001), was a United States Supreme Court case decided in 2001. The case concerned the meaning of the words "flood or flood waters" within the Flood Control Act of 1928. The Court concluded that the law did not always apply to federal flood control facilities.
Background.
Central Green Co. owned 1,000 acres of pistachio orchards in California's San Joaquin Valley. The Madera Canal flowed through their property. In 1996, they brought a suit against the United States alleging negligence in the operation and design of the canal. They alleged that it causes subsurface flooding which destroyed some of their crop. In court, the United States argued that the Flood Control Act of 1928 grants them immunity, as it states "[n]o liability of any kind shall attach to or rest upon the United States for any damage from or by floods or flood waters at any place". The District Court dismissed the complaint, agreeing with the United States that this incident would fall in the confines of "flood or flood waters". Central Green Co. appealed and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed. It agreed with Central Green that the Madera Canal "serves no flood control purpose", but nevertheless held that immunity attached "solely because it is a branch of the Central Valley Project". Central Green appealed again, this time to the United States Supreme Court, which granted review.
Opinion of the Court.
Justice Stevens wrote the decision of the Court, which was unanimous. Stevens began by stating a prior case bound the Court to a different interpretation of the phrase "floods or flood waters" than the Ninth Circuit. In "James v. United States (1986)", the Court found the phrase "floods or flood waters" encompassed waters released for flood control purposes when reservoired waters are at flood stage. He went on to write that it was a difficult 'fact-led' question about whether this singular incident would fall within the "James" decision. For that reason, the Court would allow the suit to proceed in the District Court, only concluding that it was in error for the Government to receive absolute immunity in this case. Therefore, the Ninth Circuit was reversed.


Sri Lanka Coast Guard

The Sri Lanka Coast Guard (SLCG) (; ) is a Sri Lankan non-ministerial government department tasked with coast guard duties within the territorial waters of Sri Lanka. It comes under the purview of the Ministry of Defence and is staffed by civilian personnel. The current Director General of the SLCG is Rear Admiral Samantha Wimalathunga.
Initially established in the late 1990s, the department was disbanded in 2002, with responsibilities passing to the Coast Conservation Department. The department in its current form was reestablished through the Department of Coast Guard Act, No. 41 of 2009 and inaugurated on 4 March 2010. It is a non-military law enforcement agency at sea, with every officer regarded as a peace officer for the purposes of the Code of Criminal Procedure Act, No. 15 of 1979. The department has legal authority to search and arrest ships, craft and personnel engaged in illegal activity in maritime zones and the territorial waters of Sri Lanka, and to initiate legal proceedings against offenders.
History.
The Sri Lanka Coast Guard was first established in 1999, when 75 servicepersons were recruited Officers, Sergeants and Mariners; at the same time, construction of vessels for the coast guard began at the Neil Marine and Ceynor boatyards. On 1 August of the following year, the cabinet approved a paper appointing a retired Naval officer, Lieutenant commander C. R. Bulegoda Arachchi, as head of the Coast Guard. The government then began drafting the Sri Lanka Coast Guard Act based on counterparts from other nations in the region. 2001 saw the basic training of Coast Guard personnel begin at the navy's base at Welisara, SLNS Gemunu; professional training took place at the Japanese Coast Guard Training Center in Tokyo. Six small vessels for the SLCG were launched at the fishery harbour in Beruwala: Coast Guard Vessel "Mahiraja" was put in charge of search and rescue, CGVs "Ruhunu" and "Maya" were assigned to the protection of coastal fisheries, and CGVs "Kadira", "Giruvaya" and "Maagama" were placed on general duty. Less than a year later, on 31 March 2002, the newly elected government decided to abolish the department, transferring all assets and personnel to the Coast Conservation Department.
In 2009, the Minister of Defence President Mahinda Rajapaksa presented a cabinet paper suggesting the reestablishment of the Coast Guard, leading to the Sri Lanka Coast Guard Coast Guard Act, No. 41 of 2009 being enacted by parliament on 9 July 2009. The SLCG was thus reestablished in its current form seven years after its initial disbanding.
Recent developments have largely been centered on expansion of operational capabilities, with Japan forming a partnership with the SLCG in 2016 to secure trade routes in the Indian Ocean, particularly those used by oil tankers from the Middle East. As part of this partnership, Japan provided funds for patrol ships. The Sri Lankan Government also placed a $180 million order for three 85-meter offshore patrol vessels from Colombo Dockyard in 2017, capable of both deep- and shallow water operations.
Role and responsibilities.
Part II of the Coast Guard Act lists the following as functions of the SLCG:
In order to carry out these functions, the Coast Guard is given the authority to:
Deployment.
The Coast Guard have a base or outpost in Wellawatta (national headquarters), Mirissa (regional headquarters- South), Dikovita, Dehiwala, Mount Lavinia, Panadura, Beruwala, Aluthgama, Balapitiya, Ambalangoda, Kirinda and Kankasanturai (regional headquarters- North). Some of these, particularly those in areas frequented by tourists, also function as lifeguard posts; the SLCG has lifeguard posts at:
The SLCG base at Balapitiya hosts a training center that conducts professional- and lifesaving training to its servicepersons. Mirissa hosts the Coast Guard Turtle Conservation Project, launched in September 2012. Aiming to preserve the country's sea turtle population and raise awareness of their conservation, it also supplies scientific data related to turtle behaviour (nesting, hatchlings, feeding, mating) to researchers in the field.
Rank structure.
The Sri Lanka Coast Guard's rank structure closely follows that of the Navy.
Equipment.
Current vessels.
Vessels belonging to the Sri Lankan Coast Guard bear the prefix "CG".


Ray Williams (basketball)

Thomas Ray Williams (October 14, 1954 – March 22, 2013) was an American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association from 1977 to 1987. Born in Mount Vernon, New York, he was the younger brother of Gus Williams, who also played in the NBA.
High school and college careers.
Williams attended Mount Vernon High School and helped lead the school to two New York State basketball championships.
After attending San Jacinto Junior College, Williams played at the University of Minnesota from 1975 to 1977. During that time, he averaged 18.9 ppg and 6.6 rpg.
NBA career.
Williams was selected by the New York Knicks in the first round of the 1977 NBA draft (10th pick overall).
After a quiet first season, he improved his effectiveness on the court, averaging 20.9 ppg, 5 rpg, and 6.2 apg during his third season (1979–80) and becoming the team captain during his fourth season. During his time with the Knicks, he reached the NBA Playoffs twice.
After four seasons with the Knicks, Williams was traded to the New Jersey Nets on October 25, 1981, in exchange for Maurice Lucas. With the Nets, Williams averaged 20.4 ppg, 4 rpg, and 6 apg (1981–82 season). On April 17, 1982, Williams scored 52 points in a game against the Detroit Pistons, for the highest-scoring game of his career, and the highest in Nets history until he was surpassed by Deron Williams' 57-point game on March 4, 2012. Williams eventually helped the Nets reach the 1982 NBA Playoffs where he averaged 17 ppg, 6 rpg, and 7 apg. However, they ended up being eliminated by the Washington Bullets in the first round.
On June 29, 1982, the Nets traded Williams to the Kansas City Kings for Phil Ford. After one season, they traded him back to the New York Knicks for Billy Knight and an amount of cash. He reached the playoffs once again with the Knicks, averaging 11.2 ppg and 8 apg.
In the middle of the 1984–85 season, Williams signed as a free agent with the Boston Celtics, in exchange for two future draft picks. During this year, he had the chance to play with Larry Bird and Kevin McHale. With Boston, he reached the playoffs one last time. This time, the Celtics reached the Finals, but were eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers.
Before the 1985–86 season, Williams signed with the Los Angeles Clippers, with Boston receiving a future draft pick as compensation. The Clippers, however, waived him before the season began.
Williams eventually signed with the Atlanta Hawks. After 19 games, he was waived by the Hawks, but signed with the San Antonio Spurs later. After 23 games, he was also waived by the Spurs and claimed by the Nets. Williams played the remainder of the season with them and remained with the team during the next season, after which he retired. Williams ended with a career average of 15.5 ppg, 5.8 apg, and 3.6 rpg.
Post-NBA career.
After his retirement, Williams struggled financially, eventually filing for bankruptcy in 1994, which led him to lose his home and family. Williams decided to apply early for his NBA pension of $200,000. After he received it, he moved to Florida, where he fell victim to a real estate scam that worsened his financial condition.
After that, Williams worked various jobs like groundskeeper at a golf course in Central Florida, apartment complex maintenance man, part-time girls basketball coach, and bakery worker, among others. During that time, he also received grants from the NBA Retired Players Association, totaling $10,000, which couldn't help his situation.
According to a profile published in "The Boston Globe" in July 2010, he was unemployed and homeless, living inside a car in Pompano Beach, Florida. Williams spent his time fishing at the Hillboro Inlet Park in Pompano Beach, to help maintain himself. In November 2010, Williams' luck began to turn around as he took a job in Mount Vernon, New York, working for the city's Recreation Department as a "Recreation Specialist." Mount Vernon Mayor Clinton I. Young, Jr. was instrumental in bringing Williams back to his hometown. Williams was also helped by Linda Crawford, a nurse and a friend from his NBA days. Williams married Linda Crawford in August 2011.
Death.
Williams died March 22, 2013 at Memorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center in New York City after suffering from colon cancer. Williams was 58.


Nemuro Strait

Nemuro Strait, also called Notsuke Strait and Kunashirsky Strait (), is a strait, located at , separating Kunashir Island of the Kuril Islands, Russia (claimed by Japan) from the Shiretoko Peninsula, Hokkaidō, Japan.


Aid Convoy

Aid Convoy is a British charitable organisation running and supporting various humanitarian aid projects, mostly in Eastern Europe. Its aims are achieved primarily by means of running convoys.
Projects.
Aid Convoy's projects focus on Albania and Ukraine. Past work has encompassed further Balkans countries, particularly Kosovo, and Aid Convoy has also lent support and expertise to projects in Burkina Faso and Gaza.
Albania.
The organisation raised funds for digging a borehole to supply clean water to the residents of the Bathorë shanty town, just outside the capital Tirana.
Ukraine.
Working primarily in the area affected by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, Aid Convoy is closely partnered with the "Our Generation" youth group whose educational and welfare projects include:
The youth group, based in Chernihiv is also supported by other charitable organisations, and Aid Convoy is also involved with supporting a number of other initiatives including hospitals, orphanages, schools and universities.
Ethos and methodology.
The organisation is entirely operated by unpaid volunteers, who are sourced both in the area which is the target of the assistance, and in the donor countries.
Funds and supplies are generally raised through special fundraising events and from members of the public, private companies, and trust funds, but not from government nor major aid agencies. The organisation claims that its small scale and localised fundraising helps it to make its supporters feel empowered and involved, and also enables the provision of feedback with a high level of detail.
The small scale of the organisation and its policy of working directly with small local projects in its target countries are intended to reduce inefficiency and potential for corruption, through local knowledge and the ability to quickly react to changing circumstances.
Supplies are delivered by volunteers in small convoys of vehicles, rather than by commercial freight methods, to allow for meetings between the volunteers and the people to whom they are delivering supplies.
History.
Aid Convoy evolved from a community development group, The Kemptown Network, in the Kemptown area of the British town of Brighton. In early 1999 meetings to discuss supporting Kosovan refugees were organised by founding members Giles Hippisley and Kieran Turner (the latter being now Director of Aid Convoy and a Green Party politician).
After investigations which included consulting refugees in the UK at the Tinsley House Immigration Removal Centre, it was decided to send aid directly, using whatever vehicles were available, to refugee camps around Kosovo. It was decided that support must be equally offered to suffering civilians from both the ethnic Albanian and the Serb populations.
The first trip, consisting of five vehicles, was run in conjunction with Workers' Aid for Kosova, and delivered to a support organisation based in Tirana, Albania.
Immediately upon the return of the first convoy, it was decided to run a second trip, which was sent to a refugee camp in the Republic of Macedonia, on the border of Kosovo, with the support of the United Nations, and in conjunction with Canterbury-based Charity, British Humanitarian Aid, and Tewkesbury-based Charity Tewkesbury Independent Aid. In the event, the first vehicle specifically purchased for the group broke down "en route". However, the Dodge 50 Series 5.6 ton truck was rescued thanks to Simon Mayo of BBC Radio 1. It arrived in time to rejoin the rest of the forty-vehicle convoy in a United Nations compound in the Republic of Macedonia, but elected to deliver its load directly to the village of Pirok (near Tetovo) rather than the neighbouring refugee camp, after meeting local officials who explained that the village was overrun with refugees and receiving no mainstream assistance.
By now the group was clearly going to continue to exist, distinct from The Kemptown Network, and became known as "Brighton Lifeline for Kosova". After subsequently incorporating a Brighton student-run group (which had sent six vehicles to Kosovar refugees in Albania), the conjoined committees decided to adopt the name "Brighton Lifeline Humanitarian Aid".
The next convoy was one of the first Western charitable convoys to enter Kosovo itself after the NATO bombing campaign of spring 1999, and travelled with sponsorship from the University of Aberdeen Students' Representative Council (now Aberdeen University Students' Association), and in conjunction with Workers' Aid for Kosova. The convoy's six vehicles travelled to Pristina and Kosovska Mitrovica, where the University of Prishtina Students' Union and various miners' trade unions were supported.
During this month-long project the team also developed contacts in Đakovica and Prizren, and in Rubik, Albania.
The group continued to travel to Kosovo, often in conjunction with British Humanitarian Aid and Tewkesbury Independent Aid. Successes of these combined convoys included the delivery of ambulances and surgical equipment to a hospital in Gnjilane. The organisation has met and worked with representatives of other NGOs including CO-PLAN, the International Organization for Migration, the International Rescue Committee, and the British Council.
In 2001, with large amounts of international redevelopment support entering Kosovo, it was decided that the group's particular form of support would be of greatest value in Ukraine, working with colleagues from Charities met during the Kosovo work, including Tewkesbury Independent Aid again, and also Horsham-based Bear Essential Aid. The initial target for aid was the "Aratta centre for children and families" (Aratta, for short), a Ukrainian public organisation which supports people living with the legacy of Chernobyl. The work with Aratta continued for several years, later evolving into work with the Our Generation youth group, as well as hospitals, orphanages and schools in the area.
During 2002–03 the organisation was renamed Aid Convoy, in order to leave behind the association with only one British town.
Further work in Albania began in 2003 following a novel fund-raising event, "Canvas", which took the form of a raffle of works of art in Brighton. The success of that event led to an ongoing series of similar high-value art raffles for both Aid Convoy and other charities.
Since 2009, consultancy and support has been given to Viva Palestina and other charities, with convoys delivering medical aid to Gaza.
In 2010, Aid Convoy's Director Kieran Turner was kidnapped – and later released – while supporting the Road to Hope aid convoy to Gaza.
References.
Footnotes
Bibliography


Edward V. Sparer

Edward V. Sparer (March 21, 1928 – June 21, 1983) was an attorney known as the "father of welfare law." He was a prominent legal scholar, founded the organizations now known as Mobilization for Justice and the National Center for Law and Economic Justice, and was the strategist behind the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case "Goldberg v. Kelly".
Early life and education.
Sparer was born in New York City to Marcus Sparer, a retail merchant, and Ada Cohen. He graduated from Benjamin Franklin High School in New York City and enrolled at the City College of New York.
In the summer of 1947, Sparer traveled to the southern United States to organize textile workers on behalf of Henry A. Wallace. During his sophomore year of college he was vice president of the student council and led strikes against the school because of faculty and administrators who were antisemitic and racist. Disillusioned with the school he married his classmate Tanya Schecter and they dropped out and joined the American Communist Party. They moved to Schenectady, New York, and worked to organize a General Electric plant except for a two-year hiatus from 1951-1953 where he served in the U.S. Army as a teacher and later as a lifeguard in Panama.
Sparer resigned from the communist party in 1956 after learning of Joseph Stalin's Great Purge. Sparer then enrolled at Brooklyn Law School as it was the only law school in New York City that would accept him without an undergraduate degree. He graduated at the top of his class and was editor-in-chief of the Brooklyn Law Review.
Career.
Despite renouncing the Communist Party he needed a letter of recommendation from anti-communist labor leader David Dubinsky to gain his law license. Upon graduating from law school in 1959, he worked as a lawyer for the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. He then briefly transitioned to academia assisting Columbia Law School professor Monrad Paulsen with a study of juvenile courts.
It was through this research that he became familiar with the antipoverty organization Mobilization for Youth (MFY). At that time MFY was expanding into legal services to provide legal information to low-income clients based on a report by the Vera Foundation. Sparer was the first director of the legal services arm of MFY called MFY Legal Services in 1963. Sparer, instead of following the Vera Foundation's recommendation, pushed the organization to focus on impact litigation to change the institutions that created and sustained poverty. MFY Legal Services became the prototype for storefront poverty law offices which opened in virtually every major American city.
In 1965 he left MFY Legal Services and founded the Center on Social Welfare Policy and Law. It served as the center of the welfare rights movement in New York City. Sparer started the Center as the great need of individual clients' demands in neighborhood offices left little time to organize the strategic litigation. His two-tiered model allowed neighborhood lawyers and social workers in community-based offices to handle the day-to-day cases while the Center could partner for the impact litigation.
Sparer brought a series of test cases to create a constitutional "right to live" where the court would recognize the right of individuals to access the essentials of subsistence. Sparer viewed the source of poverty as not from a lack of skills or education but from a lack of power. His test case strategy failed to create a "right to live" but led to several landmark victories at the U.S. Supreme Court. These victories included King v. Smith, Shapiro v. Thompson, and Goldberg v. Kelly.
Sparer transitioned to academia where he taught at Yale Law School from 1967 to 1969 and at the University of Pennsylvania Law School from 1969 until his death. While at the University of Pennsylvania he founded the Health Law Project where he was a pioneer in health law and pushed for greater access to healthcare.
Death.
Sparer passed away on June 21, 1983 in Woodstock, New York. He was survived by his wife Tanya and their three children Ellen, Michael, and Carol.
Legacy and honors.
In 1984, University of Pennsylvania Law School renamed the Public Interest Law Conference to the Edward V. Sparer Symposium bringing together legal academics and practitioners to provide insight into the area of poverty law.
In 1985, Brooklyn Law School established the Edward V. Sparer Public Interest Law Fellowship Program for law students to prepare for careers in social justice.


IMO 4907892


Metarhizium acridum

Metarhizium acridum is the new name given to a group of fungal isolates that are known to be virulent and specific to the Acrididea (grasshoppers). Previously, this species has had variety status in "Metarhizium anisopliae" (var. "acridum"); before that, reference had been made to "M. flavoviride" or "Metarhizium sp." describing an "apparently homologous and distinctive group" of isolates that were most virulent against "Schistocerca gregaria" (desert locust) in early screening bioassays.
Biology.
"M. acridum" almost exclusively infects grasshoppers in the order Orthoptera. Various research groups, including the international LUBILOSA programme (which developed the product 'Green Muscle') have identified and addressed key technical challenges for exploitation of microbial control agents, including isolate selection, mass production, and delivery systems (formulation and application). Insect control (mortality) depends on factors such as the number of spores applied against the insect host, the formulation and weather conditions. Oil-based formulations allow the application of fungal spores under dry conditions, and are compatible with existing ultra-low volume (ULV) application techniques for locust control.
"M. acridum" only targets and affects grasshoppers and locusts. Researchers believe that this has to do with the "Mest1" gene which is not present in "M. acridum". By taking a strain of "M. robertsii" that has a nonfunctioning "Mest1 gene", researchers found that the mutant was only able to infect "Melanoplus femurrubrum", which is consistent with "M. acridum" activity. This allows the initiation of the infection process on the specific targets. The expression of " Mest1" in the entomopathogen "M. acridum" is triggered by substances that are only found on the waxy coat of the grasshoppers, which explains why this pathogen specifically only targets grasshoppers and locusts.
"M. acridum" was under consideration by the USDA for release in the Western U.S. for control of native grasshoppers and crickets.


Elisabeth Murdoch (philanthropist)

Dame Elisabeth Joy Murdoch, Lady Murdoch (née Greene; 8 February 1909 – 5 December 2012), also known as Elisabeth, Lady Murdoch, was an Australian philanthropist and matriarch of the Murdoch family. She was the widow of Australian newspaper publisher Sir Keith Murdoch and the mother of American international media proprietor Rupert Murdoch. She was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 1963 for her charity work in Australia and overseas.
Family.
Murdoch was born in Melbourne on 8 February 1909, the third daughter of Marie Grace de Lancey (Forth) and Rupert Greene. Her grandfather, William Henry Greene, was an Irish railway engineer (later one of the three Commissioners of Victorian Railways) who emigrated to Australia and married Fanny, the fourth of the 10 daughters of George Govett. Her mother's ancestors were Scottish and English; one of her maternal great-grandfathers was a lieutenant governor in the West Indies. Elisabeth was educated at St Catherine's School in Toorak, and at Clyde School in Woodend. She married Keith Murdoch, 23 years her senior, in 1928 and inherited the bulk of his fortune when he died in 1952. Apart from Rupert, her children are Janet Calvert-Jones, Anne Kantor and Helen Handbury (1929–2004). At her death, she had 77 living descendants.
Philanthropy.
Murdoch devoted her life to philanthropy. Before her marriage she worked as a volunteer for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Dame Elisabeth Murdoch joined the management committee of the Royal Children's Hospital in 1933, serving as its president from 1954 to 1965. A 2003 article in the Melbourne newspaper "The Age" said: "Few can rival Dame Elisabeth's enormous contribution. Her interests are so many they need to be alphabetically catalogued: academia, the arts, children, flora and fauna, heritage, medical research, social welfare. Many of Melbourne and Australia's most cherished institutions, from the Royal Children's Hospital to the Australian Ballet and the Botanic Gardens, have benefited from her involvement. But Murdoch also devoted herself to less popular causes: prisoners, children in care, those battling mental illness and substance abuse."
Murdoch was a Life Governor of the Royal Women's Hospital. She was the patron of the Murdoch Children's Research Institute and of the Australian American Association (Victoria), founded by her husband. She was a patron and founding member of disability organisation EW Tipping Foundation and a founding member of the Deafness Foundation of Victoria. The first woman on the council of trustees of the National Gallery of Victoria, Murdoch was a founding member of the Victorian Tapestry Workshop. She was a member of the Patrons Council of the Epilepsy Foundation of Victoria. Her garden, "Cruden Farm", at Langwarrin, is one of Australia's finest examples of landscape gardening and is regularly open to the public. It was originally designed by Edna Walling.
Distinctions.
Orders and medals.
For her service as President of the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Murdoch was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Civil Division (CBE) in the 1961 Birthday Honours list. For her role in building a new children's hospital in Melbourne, she was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Civil Division (DBE) in the 1963 New Year Honours list. In June 1989, she was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia, Civil Division (AC) for services to the community also receiving the Centenary Medal in 2001 for her philanthropic services to the Australian arts community.
Honours.
She was an honorary fellow of the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects and helped to establish the Elisabeth Murdoch Chair of Landscape Architecture and the Australian Garden History Society. In 1983, Murdoch was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Laws by the University of Melbourne in acknowledgement of her contributions to research, the arts and philanthropy. Trinity College, Melbourne installed her as a Fellow in 2000. That year a portrait of Dame Elisabeth Murdoch, AC, DBE for the National Portrait Gallery, Canberra was the first portrait commissioned of the Victorian Tapestry Workshop. The image was composed by painter Christopher Pyett, adapted on computer by Normana Wight and woven by Merrill Dumbrell. In 2001, Treloars gave her name to a new rose introduction. Following extensive donations to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne, a Tasmanian species of Boronia ("B. elisabethiae") was named after her. She was also awarded by the French government for funding an exhibition of works by the French sculptor Auguste Rodin in Melbourne in 2002. In 2003, Murdoch was admitted into life membership of Philanthropy Australia, and awarded the key to the City of Melbourne, in an official ceremony at the Town Hall. In 2004, a high school, Langwarrin Secondary College, was renamed Elisabeth Murdoch College to honour her work in the local community. Murdoch's charity work earned her the Victorian of the Year award in 2005 at age 96. In 2009, the main performance venue of the Melbourne Recital Centre was named in her honour. In 2010, Geelong Grammar School completed a new girls' boarding house named in her honour.
In January 2007, aged 97 years and 11 months, she surpassed Dame Alice Chisholm as Australia's longest-lived dame.
Patronage.
Murdoch was a patron of the Australian Family Association.
Death.
On 5 December 2012, Murdoch died in her sleep in Melbourne, Victoria at the age of 103.
External links.
[[Category:1909 births]]
[[Category:2012 deaths]]
[[Category:Australian centenarians]]
[[Category:Australian Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Australian humanitarians]]
[[Category:Women humanitarians]]
[[Category:Australian monarchists]]
[[Category:Australian people of English descent]]
[[Category:Australian people of Irish descent]]
[[Category:Australian people of Scottish descent]]
[[Category:Companions of the Order of Australia]]
[[Category:Murdoch family|Elisabeth]]
[[Category:Australian women philanthropists]]
[[Category:Australian philanthropists]]
[[Category:Philanthropists from Melbourne]]
[[Category:Women centenarians]]
[[Category:20th-century philanthropists]]
[[Category:21st-century philanthropists]]


Heptachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin

1,2,3,4,6,7,8-Heptachlorodibenzo-"para"-dioxin (often referred to as 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-HpCDD) is a polychlorinated derivative of dibenzo-p-dioxin and can therefore be categorized as polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (PCDD), a subclass of dioxins which includes 75 congeners. HpCDD is the dibenzo-p-dioxin which is chlorinated at positions 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8. It is a polycyclic heterocyclic organic compound, since HpCDD contains multiple cyclic structures (two benzene rings connected by a 1,4-dioxin ring) in which two different elements (carbon and oxygen) are members of its rings. HpCDD has molecular formula C12HCl7O2 and is an off-white powder, which is insoluble in water.
History.
Dioxins are mostly by-products of industrial processes such as the manufacturing of pesticides, bleaching of paper pulp or combustion processes such as waste incineration. This means that heptachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin does not have a common use. In 1998, Professor Sharon Beder argued that large companies have tried to play down the seriousness of the toxic problems of dioxin. She described her concern in her paper ‘The Dioxin Controversy: Spilling over into Schools’. Companies responded by stating that Beder’s paper was based on ‘fear and emotion’ and not on science.
Metabolism.
The halflife of heptachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin is calculated to be 3.6 years. This estimation was based on the analysis of fat tissue biopsies collected with an interval of 28 months from on 14-year-old girl who for a period of about 2–3 years had been exposed to technical pentachlorophenol. The half-live of Hexachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and octachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin where estimated to be 3.5 and 2 years, respectively.
The effects of chlorodibenzo-p-dioxin exposure was examined in rats over a 13 wk period. Hepatic accumulation was associated with alterations of several biochemical parameters. The following alterations were discovered: Ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activity was elevated 40 fold over controls; total cytochrome p450 content doubled and exhibited a 2 nanometer blue shift in the Soret maximum for the reduced hemoprotein-CO complex. Cytochrome p450c and cytochrome p450d were significantly increased, while cytochrome p450b levels were unaltered. Nearly all the dioxincongeners present in liver were represented by octachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, with a slight amount of heptachlorinated-p-dioxin.
Mechanism of action.
Dioxins in general are able to bind to the AH receptor. This cell protein initiates effects of most of dioxin-like chemicals. The exact function of the protein of the cell is unknown, but the protein plays a role in rhythmic functions and organ development.
When a dioxin enters the cell and binds to the AH receptor, a complex is formed with another protein, ARNKT. This heterodimer (which is in fact a transcription factor) binds to the DNA. The complex can inhibit or activate unknown genes.
Toxicity.
Chloracne, an acne-like eruption of blackheads, cysts, and pustules, is associated with exposure to pentachlorophenol contaminated with heptachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin. This association was first made when individuals employed in the manufacturing of pentachlorophenol were examined. It was discovered that direct contact with the pentachlorophenol lead to significantly increased risk of cloracne. More human studies on the toxicity of heptachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin are not available. However, animal studies showed non-human toxicity levels: rabbit, oral > 5000 mg/kg, LD50 rat, oral > 5000 mg/kg, and LD50 guinea pig, oral > 600 ug/kg.
Heptachlorodibenzo-"p"-dioxin is not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans.
The abiothic degradation of heptachlorodibenzo-"p"-dioxin has been estimated. The rate constant for the vapor phase reaction of heptachlorodibenzo-"p"-dioxin with photochemically produced hydroxyl radicals has been estimated to be 1.3x10−12 cu cm/molecule-sec at 25 °C which corresponds to an atmospheric half-life of 12.3 days at an atmospheric concentration of 5x105 hydroxyl radicals per cu cm.
Adverse effects.
The known adverse effects for dioxin compounds are (as previously mentioned) carcinogenicity. Furthermore, chloroacne, disturbances in tooth development and other developmental effects at high concentration are known adverse effects of HpCDD. There is a very wide range of health effects because the mechanism can have all sorts of implications on the genome (see mechanism of action). HpCDD is known to cause lung cancer and anemia in rats. However, there are not many studies on humans that assess the health risk factors of HpCDD. HpCDD seems to be more potent once it is circulating the body in comparison with other PCDD’s, making it more toxic than other PCDD’s. This probably has to do with the high substitution of chloro groups.
Dioxins in general are hard to break down efficiently. This causes bioaccumulation and environmental persistence.
Effects on animals.
Immunotoxicity.
HpCDD is known to suppress the antibody response of C57B1/6 mice to sheep erythrocytes, a macrophage and T-cell-dependent antigen. In vivo approaches have been applied to characterize the sensitivity of suppression of the antibody response of C57B1/6 mice by an acute oral exposure to HpCDD. Suppression of the antibody response was observed after HpCDD administration at various times prior to or following antigen challenge.
Carcinogenicity.
HpCDD is indicated as a potent liver tumor promotor in female (and only female) rats. In primary cultures of hepatocytes of female rats, co-mitogenic actions of HpCDD and congeners are mediated by the aryl-hydrocarbon (AH) receptor. These actions are enhanced by estrogens. HpCDD alone is relatively ineffective in the promotion of tumors in female rats livers, but when DNA-synthesis is stimulated by epidermal growth factor, HpCDD acts as a co-mitogen. These effects are observed for different congeners of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, based on their affinity with the aryl-hydrocarbon receptor.


Water Conservation Act of 2009

The Water Conservation Act of 2009 (also known as Senate Bill X7-7 or SB X7-7) is a California state law that requires the state to reduce urban water consumption by 20% by the year 2020. It originated as a bill written by Democratic Senator Darrell Steinberg and was enacted on November 10, 2009. The key purpose of the law is to encourage both urban and agricultural water providers to implement conservation strategies, monitor water usage, and report data to the Department of Water Resources (DWR). The law sets goals and deadlines regarding when the implementations must occur and, in an attempt to encourage participation, makes water suppliers ineligible for state water grants or loans unless certain terms have been met.
Details.
Formula for implementation.
Water providers were first required to submit assessments of their baseline urban water use, which was measured in gallons per capita per day (GPCD), to the California Department of Water Resources (DWR). From this it was possible to calculate the reductions in use that would be required for each watershed, taking account of different factors such as population, hydrology and land use, in order to meet the required 20% reduction.
All providers were then required to submit conservation plans to DWR by July 1, 2011 outlining exactly how the provider will ensure the conservation targets are met. To aide the suppliers the DWR formulated several water conversation methods/measurement criteria that suppliers could adopt, allowing them to choose the one that was best suited to their specific users. These included:
Agricultural Water providers are also bound by the legislation and will be required to:


Keiko Tobe

 was a Japanese manga artist who wrote primarily "josei" manga. She was best known for creating "With the Light", which won an Excellence Prize in the Japan Media Arts Festival Awards in 2004 from the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs and inspired a television drama.
Biography.
Tobe was born in Hyōgo Prefecture. When she was in second grade, she made her first manga, "The Three Ghosts". It was about three ghosts with different personalities having slapstick adventures in their owner's mansion. She then decided to be a manga artist. Her older brother also wanted to be a manga artist and he submitted all his manga artwork to "Garo" before shifting to oil painting and passing down his tools to her.
After graduating, she married and had two sons. When her younger son was in kindergarten, he had a male classmate with autism. Later, she met the autistic boy's mother who said she wanted him to be a 'cheerful working adult'. This inspired Tobe to create "With the Light", a manga dealing with autistic children. At that time, there were very few manga about disabilities and they never received attention. "With the Light" changed perspectives on this issue.
Tobe died of mesothelioma on January 28, 2010 after going on hiatus from "With the Light".


Anna Stupnicka-Bando

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Righteous Among the Nations (1983)
Pro Patria Medal (2017)
Anna Stupnicka-Bando, actually Anna Bożenna Bando, (born February 23, 1929 in Końskie ) - Polish doctor, since 2014 president of the Polish Society of the Righteous Among the Nations .
History.
Anna Stupnicka-Bando's father was the starost of Końskie before the war. Mother, Janina Stupnicka née Wójcik, worked as a teacher. After splitting up with her husband, she worked in the military administration. Before the war, Anna Stupnicka lived with her mother and grandmother on ul. Mickiewicza 25 in Warsaw's Żoliborz , she attended the school of the Sisters of Resurrection.
In September 1939, the family was evacuated from Warsaw. After reaching the Romanian border, Janina, influenced by her mother, decided to return to the occupied capital. She was responsible for keeping registration books and building administration. Thanks to a pass that allowed people to move around the ghetto, in the winter of 1941, together with Anna, she took a Jewish girl - Liliana Alter, daughter of Hilary, a Bund activist, from there; Liliana's mother died during the war. Until the outbreak of the Warsaw Uprising, Liliana, introducing herself as Krysia Wójcik, was hiding with the Stupnicki family. The girls took part in secret teaching. Other Jews in hiding also came to the apartment in Żoliborz: Ryszard Grynberg and Mikołaj Borenstein. Borenstein was helped by JaninaKennkarte and work in the neighboring building. After the uprising broke out, the women stayed in the basement of the house. Anna Stupnicka, as a nurse, organized a medical point of the District II "Żywiciel" of the Home Army . After the uprising, the women were sent to a transit camp in Pruszków.
From there they were directed by the Germans to Kraków. They managed to escape during the deportation. In early spring 1945, they came to Warsaw. Immediately after the war, the Stupnicki family moved to Gdańsk . Anna was active in the Society of the Friends of the Soldier . They returned to Warsaw. In 1954 their house in Międzylesie burned down. Anna began her studies at the Medical Academy in Warsaw . After some time, she stopped to help her sick mother. She earned extra money by running a traffic kiosk. They lived with a neighbor. Anna Stupnicka then married an engineer, an employee of the Electrotechnical Institute in Międzylesie. She graduated from the university with a specialization in neurology . Throughout her life, professionally associated with the Central Railway Hospital. She also ran a neurological clinic.
She was active in the "Wawer" veterans' circle , for some time being a member of the board. She ran an office for veterans. At the Polish Society of the Righteous Among the Nations, she was initially on the board, and in 2014 became its president  . As a representative of the Righteous, in 2009 she participated in a visit to the United States, during which she met, with President Barack Obama.
All three Jews survived the war. Anna Stupnicka was in contact with Grynberg until the 1970s. Liliana Alter (after her husband Ridler) left for her aunt in France after the war ; in 1989 she renewed contact with Anna, the women met in Paris  .
In 1983, Anna Stupnicka-Bando and her mother were awarded the medals of the Righteous Among the Nations. In 2008 she was awarded the Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, and in 2017 the "Pro Patria" Medal. In 2019, President Andrzej Duda sent her wishes on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of her birth.


John Wildsmith

John Bennison Wildsmith (17 June 1911 – 11 January 2003) was an English footballer who played as an inside right or outside right in the Football League for Darlington. He also played for Darlington Grammar School Old Boys, Spennymoor United and City of Durham.
Life and career.
Wildsmith was born in Darlington, County Durham, to Piercy Wilson Wildsmith, a grocer's assistant, and his second wife, Elizabeth Annie "née" Bennison. He had three older half-siblings. He played football for Darlington Grammar School Old Boys team before joining Darlington F.C.
Wildsmith appeared for their North-Eastern League team as a 17-year-old, selected at outside right to face Jarrow in November 1928. In October 1930, against Carlisle United's reserves, he was "a danger spot throughout the game" and scored twice as Darlington came back from a three-goal deficit to draw the match, and a year later, rumours linked him with a transfer to Wolverhampton Wanderers to help them gain promotion from the Football League Second Division, but no move took place.
He made his first-team debut for Darlington on 14 November 1931, filling in at inside right for the Third Division North match against Stockport County; "after six minutes, Wildsmith ... turned a pass smartly to Mitchell, who with a characteristic cross-shot flashed the ball into the net" for the opening goal of a 2–0 win. He played once more that season, and signed on again for 1932–33. Again, he was a regular in the reserve team but appeared only twice for the senior side, and the process was repeated in the 1933–34 season.
In September 1934, Wildsmith was reported to be of interest to Sunderland of the First Division, but he remained a Darlington player for a further two seasons. In October 1935, he was selected for the Rest of the North-Eastern League XI in the traditional fixture against that league's champions, in this case Middlesbrough Reserves. Having made no first-team appearance since January 1934, Wildsmith was given a free transfer at the end of the 1935–36 season, and he went on to play North-Eastern League football for Spennymoor United and City of Durham, where his team-mates included fellow former Darlington players in Arthur Childs and Dave Edgar.
The 1939 Register finds Wildsmith living with his wife, Gladys, in Danesmoor Crescent, Darlington, employed as an assistant stock registration officer by the Durham County Water Board, and serving in the Auxiliary Fire Service. Wildsmith died in Darlington in January 2003 at the age of 91.


Leucostethus ramirezi

Leucostethus ramirezi is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae that is endemic to Colombia. It is only known from the region of its type locality, Urrao in the Antioquia Department. Its natural habitat is sub-Andean forest.


Insect growth regulator

An insect growth regulator (IGR) is a substance (chemical) that inhibits the life cycle of an insect. IGRs are typically used as insecticides to control populations of harmful insect pests such as cockroaches and fleas.
Advantages.
Many IGRs are labeled "reduced risk" by the Environmental Protection Agency, meaning that they target juvenile harmful insect populations while causing less detrimental effects to beneficial insects. Many beekeepers have reported IGR's negatively affecting brood and young bees. Unlike classic insecticides, IGRs do not affect an insect's nervous system and are thus more friendly to "worker insects" within closed environments. IGRs are also more compatible with pest management systems that use biological controls. In addition, while insects can become resistant to insecticides, they are less likely to become resistant to IGRs.
Mechanism of action.
As an insect grows it molts, growing a new exoskeleton under its old one and then shedding the old one to allow the new one to swell to a new size and harden.
IGRs prevent an insect from reaching maturity by interfering with the molting process. This in turn curbs infestations because immature insects cannot reproduce. Because these IGRs work by interfering with an insect's molting process, they kill insects more slowly than traditional insecticides. Death typically occurs within 3 to 10 days, depending on the IGR product, the insect's life stage at the time the product is applied, and how quickly the insect develops. Some IGRs cause insects to stop feeding long before they die.
Hormonal IGRs.
Hormonal IGRs typically work by mimicking or inhibiting the juvenile hormone (JH), one of the two major hormones involved in insect molting. IGRs can also inhibit the other hormone, ecdysone, large peaks of which trigger the insect to molt. If JH is present at the time of molting, the insect molts into a larger larval form; if absent, it molts into a pupa or adult.
IGRs that mimic JH can produce premature molting of young immature stages, disrupting larval development. They can also act on eggs, causing sterility, disrupting behavior or disrupting diapause, the process that causes an insect to become dormant before winter.
IGRs that inhibit JH production can cause insects to prematurely molt into a nonfunctional adult.
IGRs that inhibit ecdysone can cause pupal mortality by interrupting the transformation of larval tissues into adult tissues during the pupal stage.
Chitin synthesis inhibitors.
Chitin synthesis inhibitors work by preventing the formation of chitin, a carbohydrate needed to form the insect's exoskeleton. With these inhibitors, an insect grows normally until it molts. The inhibitors prevent the new exoskeleton from forming properly, causing the insect to die. Death may be quick, or take up to several days depending on the insect. Chitin synthesis inhibitors can also kill eggs by disrupting normal embryonic development. Chitin synthesis inhibitors affect insects for longer periods of time than hormonal IGRs. These are also quicker acting but can affect predaceous insects, arthropods and even fish. Compounds include benzoylurea pesticides.


Peter Joseph Bis

Peter Joseph Bis (c. 1951 - August 16, 2012) was a homeless man in Washington, D.C., known by the Capitol Hill community for his social personality and keen, savant-like memory. His usual daytime location was the corner of Second Street and Massachusetts Avenue Northeast, sitting on a crate under a tree outside an Exxon station by Union Station. According to his brother, James Bis, Bis suffered from schizophrenia. He would greet and converse with passers-by, often offering repetitive, random advice such as “No skinny dipping!” or pointing out the number of days until the weekend. He never drank alcohol or used drugs, but did use cigarettes and drink coffee. He took pride in his neighborhood, spent his days saying hello to the regulars who passed him on the sidewalk, and was provided with food and clothes by the local community. He was even given an apartment at one point, but was eventually evicted because his hoarding tendencies filled up his residence. He would usually sleep in the garage of the Exxon station, and the Exxon workers would let him use a computer in the office.
Early life.
Little is known about Bis’s childhood or pre-college years. He grew up in Kalamazoo near Western Michigan University, the son of two teachers. According to his younger brother James, Peter Bis attended Monsignor John R. Hackett High School graduating class of 1969, graduated from Western Michigan University in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree in history. He went to Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan for a year, then worked as a hotel night clerk, then started a car-painting company. He was unable to stick with these plans, however, and eventually started wandering the country as a result of his developing schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia.
James Bis reported that the illness appeared in Peter Bis’s adult years, as the latter frequently started wearing a lead-lined baseball cap with red lights. The schizophrenia was eventually diagnosed, and his family petitioned that he be committed for treatment, but after only a few months of in-patient treatment, Bis began wandering the country. Though he was never known to have purposefully hitchhiked, he would accept rides from drivers. James Bis described his brother as “a harmless kind of schizophrenic” who avoided getting help for his illness.
Bis’s schizophrenia often made it difficult for listeners to figure out what was accurate in his stories of his past. He claimed that he had received the equivalent of five or six doctorates, that he had studied in the Vatican, that he had been married and divorced, and that he once had a job as a cab driver in Michigan. While most of his claims were ungrounded, these claims endeared Bis to the community, since they could never fully figure out his true background.
Profound memory.
The people of the local community frequently knew him for his keen memory. After his death, personal blogs and D.C. newspapers alike produced articles in memory of him, specifically mentioning his uncanny memory. Washington, D.C. journalist and professor, Terry Mattingly, an Orthodox Christian, referenced a conversation with Bis in which Bis wished him a happy Easter. After Mattingly had gone a few steps, Bis stopped him and recalled that Orthodox Easter was not until a week later. “He was right, of course. Had I shared that personal detail with him or did he glean that tidbit of liturgical minutia from one of the newspapers he read, day after day? Anyone who knew him could describe similar mysterious encounters,” wrote Mattingly in his column for Scripps Howard News Service.
Conspiracy theories.
Besides his sharp memory, Bis was known by the community for his conspiracy theories, which he delved into on his personal blog, which according to the title, focused on “Vatican, Finances, Mafia, Kalamazoo.” The blog was written in third person and was one long post, which Bis added to routinely. The blog may have actually been written for him by another person, according to one source, but the identity of the person is unknown, apart from a theory that the blog’s dictation “to a friend” may have been the blog’s scribe. Bis reportedly believed he was an alien, and was especially known for his claim that he was Princess Diana’s ex-lover, and that the Central Intelligence Agency was responsible for her death. He preferred not to refer to himself as homeless, preferring the term “political refugee.”
Effect on the D.C. community.
Numerous bloggers and Capitol Hill voices have referenced him as being extremely influential on the local community. After a period of time living by the United Nations building in New York City, Bis moved to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. He stationed himself outside the Exxon station next to Union Station in D.C., particularly under the tree in front of the station. He usually sat on a crate under the tree, where he would greet passers-by every day. He would use the restrooms at the Exxon station, and help to keep it clean; he would only sleep inside the garage on especially cold nights—other than that, he insisted on sleeping outside.
Since he usually kept his belongings under his tree, the D.C. local city government once threatened to remove his belongings. Betsy Woodruff of National Review Online reports that 24 of his acquaintances—including lobbyists and hill staffers—signed a petition against the removal of his possessions. Woodruff herself was acquainted with Bis from her time as an intern for the Heritage Foundation, which was right next to Bis’s Exxon station. She said that upon introducing a friend of hers to Bis one day, he proceeded to take them into the Exxon to watch YouTube videos, smoke, and weep over the death of his ex-girlfriend Princess Diana. “So he probably didn’t date Lady Di,” wrote Woodruff. “But I’ve never heard anyone talk about a significant other with as much passion and kindness as Pete.”
A 2006 post from The World According to Marc blog reported meeting Bis while Bis happened to be sitting on a bench near Union Station and three United States Senate buildings. The blogger, Marc, included a picture of Bis and shared the story of how Bis would never ask for money, but seemed particularly interested in the people he would meet. The blogger also mentioned that Bis had given him a business card and told him to follow his own—Bis’s—blog, which featured a lengthy, convoluted path of far-reaching conspiracy theories. Marc said that after initially meeting, he would make a point to walk to work early so that he could sit and chat with Bis for a bit.
Similarly, Josie of TellMeAStoryJosie blog reported having had a number of personal interactions with Bis. She reported his common “Three more days ‘til the weekend!” greeting, and his just as common, unrelated “No skinny dipping!” advice. “Pete was as much a part of the landscape of our life here on the Hill as the Capitol dome in the distance,” she wrote in her post about him, following the news of his death.
Bis was a popular individual for many D.C. interns, including the interns for Talk Radio News, two of whom performed an interview with him in 2008. This also included interns from the Washington Journalism Center, one of whom blogged about him on the program’s blog, also in 2008.
Death.
His death on August 16, 2012 was initially reported by the Running For 28 Years blog by bloggers from the local D.C. area. The blogger reported that he awoke to flashing blue and red lights around 1:30 a.m. outside his apartment window, not far from the Exxon station. After walking over to the station, the blogger asked a police officer who confirmed that Bis had been found dead inside the Exxon garage from an apparent heart attack. His body was later cremated and sent to his brother, James Bis.
A neighborhood Catholic church, St. Joseph’s on Capitol Hill, held a memorial Mass for him several weeks later. Terry Mattingly reported that a painting of Bis, titled, “A Contemplation of Justice,” was placed near the entrance of the church. The homilist, Deacon Gary Bockweg, said that over the years many people had suggested opportunities for Bis to get off the streets and into an actual job, including Bockweg’s own suggestion to work as a Wal-Mart greeter. However, Bockweg said that Bis had turned down the offer, saying he was over-qualified to work as a Wal-Mart greeter. Additionally, Bockweg shared information that when he had first seen Bis many years ago, Bis had been in St. Joseph’s and was well-dressed but quiet. As time passed, Bis began to arrive with less propriety, and even began bringing a wheelchair of what could only have been his personal effects. He also grew more talkative, which drew Bockweg to get to know him better.
“The last thing people do today when talking to a stranger is call them by name,” said Bockweg. “That’s how Pete connected. … He called us by name and that slowed us down. That made Pete real to us.”


Marine Appeal Tribunal

The Marine Appeal Tribunal of New South Wales, is a former tribunal in New South Wales, a state of Australia, which dealt with appeals from decisions of the NSW Minister for Ports under certain decisions under the "Marine Safety Act 1998" (NSW). The tribunal is now constituted under the New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
Constitution.
The tribunal was constituted under the "Marine Safety Act 1998" (NSW). It sat as a three-member panel. The former chairperson of the tribunal was a magistrate of the Local Court of New South Wales appointed by the Attorney General of New South Wales. The other two panel members consisted of persons nominated by the Minister for Ports and by a person nominated by the appellant.
The tribunal was unusual in that the parties to the dispute could nominate the persons who sat on the tribunal. The usual situation in the state was that the Governor of New South Wales could appoint the members independently based on their knowledge and expertise.
Procedure.
Each member of the panel was required to take an oath that he or she will perform the duties of a member faithfully and fearlessly. The appeal was then run in the manner determined by the chairperson. The tribunal was not bound by the rules of evidence and could obtain information in any way it thinks fit within reason. In reaching a decision on the appeal, the tribunal applied such standards with respect to the objection as it considers to be reasonable in the circumstances.
The chairperson may dismiss the appeal immediately if he or she determines that the appellant is not adversely affected by the minister's decision. Otherwise, the decision of the tribunal is by way of majority.
There was no office for the tribunal as it was only called into existence when a dispute arises.


Colostethus

Colostethus is a genus of poison dart frogs native to Central and South America, from Panama south to Colombia, Ecuador, and northern Peru. Their common name is rocket frogs, but this name may refer to frogs in other genera and families, following the taxonomic revision of the genus in 2006.
Taxonomy.
Formerly, the genus "Colostethus" was found to be "rampantly nonmonophyletic" in the taxonomic revision of poison dart frogs published in 2006. Before the revision, it had 138 species, but this was reduced to 18 species, after species of the former "Colostethus" were distributed among eight genera in two families, that is, in Dendrobatidae and in the newly established family Aromobatidae (e..g., "Anomaloglossus"). Within Dendrobatidae, many former "Colostethus" species were moved to "Hyloxalus", while three were moved to the new genus "Silverstoneia". Nevertheless, "Colostethus" is still considered paraphyletic because some "Colostethus" are more closely related to "Ameerega" than to other "Colostethus".
Description.
Dorsal colouration is cryptic, brown. A pale oblique lateral stripe is present (but may be broken or incomplete). Dorsal skin is granular posteriorly. In adult males, third finger is swollen.
Species.
There are currently 20 species in this genus: