From this page you can choose the amount of chips to add to your account. Do this and confirm your selection with a press of a button underneath. After that's done you must input your username and select the platform you're playing on. Without this info, the hack tool has no possible way to tell who and where to send the resources to. Remember, this is just the username, not your password.
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Shadow Scribings | Martin Frowd writes the Karnos Chronicles fantasy series. Book 1, Shadow Born, is out now.
Martin Frowd writes the Karnos Chronicles fantasy series. Book 1, Shadow Born, is out now.
Shadow Born is now available!
Zarynn always knew he and his parents were different. In public they professed to worship the Dark King of Hell, like all of their nomadic clan, and obeyed the orders of His Druids. But in secret, they prayed to one of the Gods of Light.
Zarynn's world changed in his eighth summer, when a Druid on circuit visited his clan's camp and caught his parents at their forbidden worship. The men of the clan, stirred up by the Druid, took up their spears and slew his parents. And the magic Zarynn had never known he had within him erupted for the first time, striking down the killers. Magic that marked him as abomination in the eyes of the Druids.
Zarynn should have died the next day, stoned to death by the men of the clan, as the Druids mandated for abominations. But instead he was rescued by a stranger from far away with magic of his own. Glaraz looked different and spoke differently from any man Zarynn had ever met. He called himself a necromancer, a master of death and the dead, and he insisted that he had crossed the sea to find and save Zarynn, to take him back to his own home, where he could learn to control his magic at a place called the Black Skull School.
Now Zarynn and his rescuer just need to survive the journey.
Shadow Born, book 1 in the Karnos Chronicles, is now available on Amazon in ebook and paperback formats.
Skull in Shadow, book 2, is currently in progress.
The Skull in Shadow glided through the sea. Its prow cleaved the calm waters smoothly. Aldrek the mistweaver stood to the rear, motionless as if entranced, channeling his Gift of weather-magic to funnel wind into the ship's billowing grey sails. Propelled by the young weather mage's Gift, the ship almost flew across the water at thrice normal speed.
The light of the newly risen sun glimmered on the surface of the sea, granting it an almost glassy sheen. Scintillating rainbows of light refracted through the natural prism of the water to play across the oak of the ship's hull where it reared up out of the sea.
"Avast, ye bluidy layabouts! Mind yer duties, an' nae bluidy lazing about!" Rathgar, the first mate, roared at the sailors on deck. The red-bearded dwarf strode the deck from fore to aft and back, keen eyes missing nothing, making certain that all was as it should be.
Atop the forecastle, Maarek Goldgrin stood and calmly watched the sea ahead through an ornate telescope as his bellowing first mate kept the crew on their toes. A ray of sunlight glinted off the gold tooth that gave the captain his nickname as he allowed himself a smile. Ship and crew alike had been through a lot over the past few tendays, since their harrowing departure from the Isle of Crows, and the captain knew they would all rest more easily once their home port was at least in sight.
"Ship ahoy!" Came the call from the lookout up in the crow's nest. Maarek frowned. They were still days away from land – any land, not merely their own destination – and, moreover, returning from a benighted place where outsiders were killed on sight, not welcomed. Any other ship in these waters was likely to be up to no good.
The captain's suspicions were validated with the next call from above.
Maarek cursed under his breath. His fingers flickered through the air in the symbol of appeasement to Maelra, dreaded goddess of storms and sea hazards. Pirates – sea wolves, to the Maragashic people – were, after all, one of the deadliest hazards on the water.
The captain peered through his telescope again, and bared his teeth in a grimace at the sight ahead. Not one but two ships approached, moving swiftly, clearly on an intercept course. Sitting high and light on the water, not low like a merchantman, they were clearly hunters rather than prey, and their billowing, wind-filled sails were jet black.
The captain hoped he was right. The ship carried no trade goods nor riches, after all. On this voyage, its treasure was a half-dozen magically Gifted children from the eastern tribes across the sea, rescued from death at the hands of their own kin and bound for the Black Skull School of magic in Maraport. Not the kind of cargo that could easily be sold, and even slavers tended to steer clear of the Gifted. But these pirates had no way of knowing that.
The beach at Platamonas hummed with activity. It was Saturday morning, and the beautiful stretch of white sand along the Greek coast was full of people. Some were locals enjoying the weekend. Others were tourists staying at the various hotels that studded the resort town. Already a firm favourite with Russian, Bulgarian and German visitors, it had recently been discovered by the British and the first coachloads of British tourists had arrived the previous day, swelling the numbers already in residence. Now the beach was crammed with people, dogs, sunloungers and bags. Pale, pasty-skinned bodies waded off the shore. Some brave souls dared to swim, and before long the water was almost as crowded as the land. A buzz of noise spread from one end of the beach to the other.
The noise of the revellers spread beyond the water's edge. Further out to sea, past the range of the swimmers, it disturbed the lone denizen of a grotto deep beneath the waves. The noise of hundreds of beachgoers reverberated off the green and blue coral walls of the undersea cavern, echoing through the submerged chamber. That lone denizen stiffened in annoyance. A forked tongue flickered. Claws unsheathed and sheathed again in irritation. The water rippled through the grotto as a scaly tail thrashed.
No-one was sure, later, which of the several boom boxes brought to the beach by tourists was switched on first. The locals insisted they had brought no such thing. It would be rude, they asserted, to drown out everyone else with their own music. If any of the old grandmothers and grandfathers recalled the stories and traditions of their childhood, the real reason why such devices were never brought to this particular beach, they did not share them with outsiders. But the foreigners switched their boom boxes on, and loud music erupted from several spots in the crowd, becoming a raucous din of competing sound.
The racket was not confined to the beach. It rolled out to sea. The cacophony transmitted across open water and into the depths, losing none of its volume. In the deep sea grotto, claws flexed. A scaly tail thrashed again. And a decision was made.
The incredible din meant that the first panicked yells and screams of tourists in the water went unnoticed. But it did not take long before people saw the huge ripples bursting against the shore, far too large to be normal waves, and beheld swimmers, those who had ventured furthest from land, picked up by tornado-like spouts of water and flung through the air to splash down in the shallows.
Most people gaped in shock when the scaly tail, longer than a bus and tapering to a point, broke the surface and slapped the water hard, generating enormous waves that sped the remaining swimmers back to shore. Others turned and fled, screaming at the top of their lungs as they escaped the scene.
A scaly green neck erupted from the water, topped by a head the size of a small car. Huge teeth gleamed in the sunlight as the monster opened its jaws. Vast amber eyes glared balefully at those humans who had not yet fled. The beast sucked in a deep breath and then exhaled. An enormous jet of water shot from its maw, like a high-pressure water cannon but super-sized, mowing down the remaining bystanders. Drenched, terrified, they scrambled to their feet and fled the scene. Their dogs, barking wildly, led the way inland. In moments, the beach was cleared.
After several loud crashes, silence reigned on the now-empty beach.
Those brave souls who dared return, some hours later, reported that all of the belongings abandoned on the beach during their rout remained intact. Except for the boom boxes, each of which had been smashed to fragments. Remarkably, no-one had been hurt, at least beyond minor scrapes and bruises.
The eldest among the locals murmured knowingly to one another. They knew the stories. They knew the old ones would only cause true harm as a last resort.
Deep in his undersea grotto, the sea dragon embraced the renewed quiet, the raucous din of the hated noise machines gone. Satisfied, he curled up and resumed reading his book.
Tom woke to the blaring of his alarm. 5AM, time to get up and ready for another day on the beat. As he stumbled out of bed he flicked on the television to catch the morning headlines. The war in Syria was ongoing, with another round of rocks dropped from warplanes on the enemy. Kinetic strikes, the Royal Sky Force called it, or geo-saturation if you listened to the scientific types who had probably never seen a real dead body, but to Tom it was all just dropping rocks from a great height to cause carnage.
As he shaved, another story came on. Public unrest at the Cornish quarries. Ever since the invention of warplanes and the designation of quarries as a strategic asset, the anti-war mob had been getting more vocal. This lot were demanding the Allies in Syria quarry their rocks right there in Syria, rather than ship Welsh and Cornish rocks to the Middle East to drop on people. He supposed they had a point, after all rocks were heavy and it must burn a lot of fuel to carry them so far just to drop them. It wasn't as if they could be easily retrieved either once they had hit the ground and smashed on someone (and smashed someone). No wonder war was such an expensive business and taxes were rising to pay for it all. The protesters were lucky they weren't across the ocean in the United Theocracies of America though, they dealt harshly with dissent there.
As he scrambled into his heavy uniform, complete with stab vest and anti-slash sleeves reinforced with steel rods, and made his breakfast tea and toast, a story flashed up about unrest at one of the UTA quarries, almost as if thinking about it had made it happen. Somewhere in the Diocese of Colorado, apparently. A riot had broken out, and the Adjutant-Bishop had sent in the riot police with their chainsaws. What bloody carnage! Limbs and gore everywhere.
Finishing his breakfast, adjusting his uniform, Tom picked up his sturdy oak truncheon and left his ground floor flat, blinking at the bright sunshine outside. Let the American Theocracies' coppers keep their chainsaws and their belt-fed crossbows, he thought. A stout oak stick was still good enough for an honest British beat officer, and if he needed long-range support on the streets of London, an armed response car with a couple of lads kitted out with trusty Welsh-style longbows was only a radio call away. Besides, it was pretty rare to run into a crook armed with anything more than a knife, let alone a bow.
Tom vaguely remembered reading something about some smuggler, two or three centuries ago, who had tried to weaponise fireworks – fireworks, of all things, with gunpowder in them, the sort anyone would have at a party! – but failed when, unsurprisingly, the wretched things blew up in his face. He wondered idly – just for a moment – how different the world might have been if it had worked and the idea had caught on, then snorted and dismissed the whole crazy notion.


Dr. Suraj Gaur is a Dermatologist in Jodhpur Sojati Gate, Jodhpur and is affiliated with multiple hospitals/clinics in the area, including Rajdadiji Hospital. He received his medical degree in MBBS, MD | Dermatology and has been in practice for 6 Years. He'll be available on MON|TUE11:00AM|1:00PM, 6:00PM|7:00PM.


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Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo Disneyland is a theme park that is based from Walt Disney's famous animated creations, movies and stories. Opened in April 15, 1983 in Urayasu, Chiba, Tokyo Disneyland was the first Disney theme park that was built outside the US. The entire theme park is named Tokyo Disney Resort where Tokyo Disneyland is one of the major attractions together with Tomorrowland, Toontown, Adventureland, Westernland, Critter Country, Fantasyland and World Bazaar.
The construction of Tokyo Disneyland was commissioned to Walt Disney Imageneering and its design was modeled after Magical Kingdom in Florida and Disneyland California. Tokyo Disneyland is noted for its extensive size that spans a 115-acre of open space, more than enough to accommodate huge number of visitors that tour the park. With almost 15 million visitors each year, Tokyo Disneyland ranks as the third most visited theme park in the world. Tokyo Disneyland has a partner, the Tokyo DisneySea, and these two themed parks are the only parks that are not wholly owned by the Walt Disney Company.
Going to Tokyo Disneyland must be everyone's top priority when touring Tokyo, Japan. This is the theme park for all ages because even adults are awed with what the theme park has to offer. For the adventurous little children, the ride to the Omnibus, Jungle Cruise, Western River Railroad and Tom Sawyer Island Rafts are new experiences for them. And for rides that they will never forget, there's Castle Carousel, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Gadget's Go Coaster and Starjets. Some of the notable attractions that cater to all ages include The Big Thunder Mountain, Haunted Mansion, Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters, Splash Mountain and Pooh's Honey Hunt.
The visit to Tokyo Disneyland is not complete without going to its companion park Tokyo DisneySea. Opened on September 4, 2001, the 176-acre attraction allures almost the same number of visitors from near and far, making it the fifth most-visited theme park in the world. Second to open in the property of Disneyland Resort, it reached a milestone of 10 million guests only 308 days after its grand opening. As the name suggests, Tokyo DisneySea has a nautical feel attached to it, but the intention to erect a separate theme park was to create a place that is more adult-like which equates to faster and ''scarier'' rides and concepts that cater to mature audiences.
Tokyo DisneySea's most prominent landmark is the giant volcano of the Mysterious Island where the Mount Prometheus Ride, the thrill ride of ''Journey to the Center of the Earth'' and the dark ride of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" are found. The Mermaid Lagoon, inspired by The Little Mermaid, is designed to expose the awesome sights and sounds of the underwater world, while the Arabian Coast, modeled after Aladdin, enchants visitors of the colorful Arabian nights. Completing the attraction of Tokyo DisneySea are the Meditterranean Harbor, American Waterfront, Port Discovery and Lost River Delta. Since Tokyo DisneySea is a concept that is exclusive to Japan, all the attractions, rides and entertainment within its grounds are only seen and experienced only in this country.
Previous Taj Mahal, Agra, India
Next Trafalgar Square, London

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
For the default Dijkstra's algorithm.  The time complexity is O(v^2), because in the worst case, graph will be complete graph i.e. total edges=v(v-1)/2 where v is no of vertices.   That is e>>V and e ~ V^2.

For different method (algorithm) used for nodes queue, there is different time complexity.

With adjacency list and priority queue, O((v+e)log(v)).  In the worst case: e>>v so, O(e * log(v)).

Should add mathematic process in detail.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


This premium quality Elba Panorama A3 landscape presentation ring binder features clear pockets on the front, back and spine for complete personalisation. Made from hard wearing plastic covered board, this 30mm binder features a 4 D-ring mechanism an..
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Stainless steel bowls with hammered coppertone interiors. Hand wash. Nest for storage. Set of 3; 1 1/2-qt. (6 1/2" diam. x 3 1/2" h), 3 1/4-qt. (8" diam. x 4 3/4" h) and 5 3/4-qt. (10" diam. x 5 1/2" h).
Set of 3 Black with Copper Interior Mixing Bowls is rated 4.2 out of 5 by 26.
Rated 4 out of 5 by cj from They look great! I really like these bowls. The price should be lowered because they are very light-weight. They are not as heavy as I thought but they get the job done. So far no problems.
Rated 4 out of 5 by Wendy Wilder from Love these bowls! I thought the bowls would be bigger, but they'll be a great addition to the table, or as decoration.
Rated 5 out of 5 by Lori Freshour from 3Copper Bowl set I really loved them, very durable and beautiful inside.


What Fabrics Don't Need Ironing?
Cashmere items do not require ironing.
Denim can typically be folded instead of ironed.
Angora fabrics do not require ironing.
Clothing made from cotton knit usually doesn't need ironing.
Most sweater knits don't need ironing.
Most denim jeans don't need ironing.
A number of fabrics don't need ironing or may survive many trips through the washing machine and packing with only the occasional need for light ironing. In the past, fabrics that don't need ironing were usually manmade materials, like nylon, polyester, Lycra and the like. Treatments that keep fabrics wrinkle free have been applied to other fabrics like cotton/poly, cotton/lycra or rayon blends have increased the number of wrinkle-free fabrics on the market.
It's also important to understand that the materials for fabrics don't always determine whether the fabric will be relatively wrinkle-free. Some polyester shirts may need ironing now and again if they are not stretchy to begin with. On the other hand, things made of cotton knit, like leggings or tee shirts usually don't need ironing because the wrinkles won't last. If you have a few persistent wrinkles, hanging these in the bathroom while you take your shower usually gets rid of them, or popping them in the air cycle in the dryer for a few minutes will restore them to a wrinkle-free look.
A few fabrics that typically don't need ironing and have been manufactured for a long time include most knit fabrics, including wool knit, anything made of 100% nylon (which can easily melt if you iron it on high heat), any polyester knits, and most knits made into sweaters. These include most wools, cotton knits, cotton blend knits, wool blend knits, angora, mohair and cashmere. Many woven fabrics that are blends are less likely to require ironing, though this may depend upon the individual blend.
Heavier fabrics like denim usually don't need ironing, especially when they're made into things like denim jeans or jackets. Lighter denim in the form of skirts, jumpers or shirts may require the occasional pass with the iron. The fabric Tencel® made from wood fibers has been celebrated for its ability to shake out wrinkles if hung overnight. Clothes made with Tencel® are often touted as some of the best travel clothes because they dry quickly, have excellent drape, and resist wrinkling when packed.
There are a lot of recommendations that linen also makes for excellent travel clothes. This really depends upon the linen. To many, linen is known for its ability to wrinkle easily and quickly, and look rumpled after a few hours of wear. Some say this only adds to the charm of linen because it is supposed to be slightly wrinkled, but others find this an unattractive look. If you like a smooth look to your clothing, linen may not be the best choice, and packing it usually results in it needing ironing before wearing.
As mentioned, there are a number of fabrics treated with special chemicals that make them wrinkle-free. These may not look freshly pressed after several washings, but they may be excellent choices if you hate ironing and want to avoid it as much as possible. You will see many of these treated fabrics that don't need ironing at clothing stores.
What is an Antique Iron?
What is a Linen Suit?
What are the Different Types of Cashmere?
If your garment can handle steam/heat, I recommend a steamer. I hate ironing and have ruined suits, etc., but even the cheap handheld which I have owned (took a little longer but worked great!) Otherwise try the dryer with damp cloth or towel method works good and can be quickest! In the future, I may invest in a nice steamer.
Rayon is the worst. It wrinkles as soon as you touch it and it's got great "memory." When I wrung this fabric out after washing, it kept those wrinkles even after being in the dryer. It doesn't like wrinkle-releasing sprays or starch because they leave obvious watermark stains after drying. I can't even wear the lovely top I made to the grocery store because 10 minutes with a seatbelt and it looks like it's been stored in an accordion.
On the other hand, I did get a rayon lycra knit fabric and that seems much more wrinkle resistant, but I haven't yet made anything from it.
Like a lot of people have mentioned, ironing is a pretty terrible chore. One trick my mom showed me back when I was in Catholic high school and having to dress up everyday (often in the wrinkly clothes I wore the day before and picked up off my bedroom floor) was to put your clothes in the dryer with a damp rag, sock, towel, whatever you have around. Leave them in there for about 5 minutes. It basically steams them really quickly, and they come out with no wrinkles. Not quite as crisp an an ironing, but still effective.
@Monika - That is a problem. I had a dress I stopped wearing because it would get wrinkled just from sitting in the car. Literally the only time I thought the dress looked good was right when I put it on. And what's the point of that? Wrinkle-free fabrics for me from now on.
I love knit fabric for a lot of reasons, and one of them is the fact that you don't really have to iron it. I don't really mind ironing, but I hate when you iron something in the morning, and then by mid-afternoon you look all wrinkled and unprofessional just from going about your daily affairs.
If there was a way to iron something once and have it last all day, I would wear different fabrics sometimes. But I hate the way those wrinkles look.
@sunnySkys - I've wondered about those sprays. I keep meaning to try them, but it seems too good to be true. However, I also hate ironing so I think I'm going to give it a go. I've just been taking things to the dry cleaner so they come back and I don't have to iron them, but that gets expensive.
I absolutely hate to iron, so I usually try to buy clothes that don't need ironing. However, sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and get something that's made out of a fabric that needs ironing. For example, when I used to work in an office, I got a bunch of really cute button down shirts that needed to be ironed.
However, I made a discovery that was very handy: wrinkle releaser spray. You hang the garment up, spray it liberally with the wrinkle releaser and let it dry. It doesn't take very long to dry, and when you're done, no more wrinkles.
Some materials are less apt to wrinkle than others, but in my experience, even cotton blends will need ironing if you don't hang them up right after taking them out of the dryer. I have found an easy way to get the wrinkles out without having to take out the old ironing board.
I hang my wrinkled t-shirts or blouses in a doorway, and then I dampen them with water from a spray bottle. I dampen just the wrinkled areas, and I leave them hanging there until they are dry.
on, it might wrinkle up again.
It's a slower method than putting them in the bathroom while I shower, but sometimes it's more convenient. I often discover that what I want to wear the next day is wrinkled after I've already showered that night.
Linen has to be the most wrinkly material out there! After my first experience with a hopelessly wrinkled linen dress, I vowed never to buy that material again.
I stick to polyester and lycra blends now, and I never have to iron anything. It's great, because I can throw these items on a shelf and put them right on my body months later without having to do anything to them!
@feasting – I also learned the hard way that satin wrinkles. I almost had to go to prom in a wrinkly gown, but my grandmother stepped in and saved the day.
She set a steam iron on the lowest setting. If you use steam, you aren't as likely to burn the material.
Also, she put a towel down on the dress to act as a buffer between the iron and the garment. I didn't think that the wrinkles would actually come out like this, but to my amazement, they did!
I chose satin bridesmaid dresses for my wedding, because I thought that this material wouldn't need ironing. Now, the dresses are wrinkled, and I've heard that irons can burn satin. What can I do to remove the wrinkles?


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Subscribe Archives Events ContactTimberWestMadison's Lumber DirectoryAdvertiseMedia Kit LSJ Home Forestnet
On the Cover:
The new Highland Wood Pellets plant in Merritt, B.C. recently began operations with the goal of reaching full production by August to meet market demand for the upcoming heating season. Read the full story on the new Merritt plant, and a sister plant in Kirkfield, Ontario, beginning on page 28 of this issue. (Photo by Paul MacDonald)
There are significant opportunities for "bio-age" products for the
Canadian forest industry, but tapping into these new markets is going
to be dependent on integrating this new industry with a healthy
conventional forest products industry.
B.C. contractor starts to invest in equipment
Over the last few years, contractors have been "making do" with their logging equipment—but with things starting to improve for the industry, contractors such as Quesnel Bros. Logging of B.C. are starting to make equipment investments again.
Canfor gets a new top guy
Canada's second largest lumber producer has a new number one guy, with new CEO Don Kayne taking charge of lumber giant Canfor, and he's got a strong focus on further developing the China market.
Carrier carries on with mill improvements
B.C.'s Carrier Lumber has made a number of improvements to its Tabour sawmill near Prince George, the latest being the installation of a large log processing line made up of USNR equipment.
B.C's Top Coastal Loggers
With a revitalized coastal B.C. logging scene, Logging and Sawmilling Journal is pleased to present its authoritative list of the top B.C. Coastal and Vancouver Island logging contractors by volume.
Producing pellets for multiple markets
Woodville Pellet Corporation has built two new wood pellet plants, one in B.C. and another in Ontario, each of which will initially produce 60,000 tons of pellets a year, and serve several markets, including for bio-energy.
Fuel-sipping forwarders
B.C.'s Lo-Bar Log Transport, like all logging contractors, has had some tough sledding the last few years. But they've been able to grow, in part due to their fleet of efficient, fuel-sipping Ponsse harvesters and forwarders.
New to Logging and Sawmilling Journal: The Edge!
With this issue, Logging and Sawmilling Journal is now incorporating The Edge, Canada's leading publication on research in the forest industry, into the magazine. Included are stories on Canadian Wood Fibre Centre/Natural Resources Canada and Alberta Innovates - Bio Solutions.
Tech Update – Small Scale Sawmilling
Logging and Sawmilling Journal has the latest information on what's new in the big world of small scale sawmilling, in this issue's Tech Update.
Tony Kryzanowski says forest industry businesses need to re-evaluate their business models, and that the standard model in the industry should be one of price making—rather than price taking.
Supplier Newsline
PHL Industries lands $12.5 million in sawmill contracts
PHL Industries, headquartered in Saint-Éphrem de Beauce, Québec, has received two contracts with a total value of $12.5 million for wood processing plants in the Mauricie and Gaspé regions of Québec.
The first contract, for $5 million, was signed with Industries Parent, in the community of the same name in the Haute-Mauricie region of Québec. There are plans are to equip the Parent plant with two production lines fitted with a variety of equipment. The first production line will include a canter quad line system and a curve sawing optimized canter bull. The second production line, for sawn timber, will include an optimized single pass Hew-Saw. Delivery is scheduled for June, with start-up in July 2011.
The second contract, valued at $7.5 million, was signed with Temrex Forest Products Inc. and provides for the supply and installation of two production lines at the Temrex plant in Nouvelle, in the Gaspé region. The first production line will combine a canter twin system, a curve sawing optimized canter bull and an optimized edger resaw. The second production line, for sawn timber, will include an optimized canter and a curve sawing optimized canter bull. Delivery is scheduled for October, with installation and start-up in November 2011.
Both companies are regular customers of PHL Industries. The contracts, signed in April, ensure that 50 to 60 plant workers will be called back to work for several months.
www.industriesphl.com
Koller introduces new yarder to Canadian loggers
Koller North America has introduced the track mounted K702 tower yarder to loggers in Canada.
This powerful and fast yarder is the largest in Koller's lineup. Meant for 360 degree yarding uphill, downhill and on flat terrain, the 58,000 lb. machine comes with a 39' tower with 10' extension.
A 214 hp Cummins engine and John Deere powershift transmission deliver 17,600 lbs. of average pull at up to 2160 feet per minute. Especially productive in thinning to clear cutting in medium sized cut blocks, the K702 can be towered down and towered back up logging again in 45 minutes, says the company.
www.kollerna.com
Hakmet to offer AFM-Forest harvester/processor heads
Hakmet is the new North American distributor for the Finnish AFM-Forest harvester/processor brand.
AFM has been on the market for nearly 20 years and has a distribution network around the globe. It manufactures high-quality single-grip harvester, processor, combi and energy wood heads for demanding forest operations.
The company's harvesting heads have been developed in close cooperation with both customers and base machine manufacturers and can be installed on excavators, wheeled and tracked harvesters and forwarders. They can be found working worldwide, from Arctic forests to tropical plantations.
AFM has a flexible manufacturing system allowing the company to design and manufacture machinery for individual needs. The company says its harvester heads can be adapted to all base machines and all conditions, including the most demanding forest conditions.
It carries 10 different harvester head models.
www.hakmet.com
LMI Technologies joins with Germany-based AUGUSTA Technologie
LMI Technologies, a market leader in 3D laser measurement sensors for industrial measurement and control applications, has sold 100 per cent of its shares to join AUGUSTA Technologie AG, a publicly listed German sensor and vision technology company.
As a result of this acquisition, LMI will become part of a larger worldwide company in the field of digital imaging technologies. AUGUSTA is located in Munich, Germany, and focuses on two market segments—sensors and vision.
LMI is a global leader in 3D sensor measurement technology for industrial measurement and control applications. Over 100 patents and 30-plus years of sensor expertise has gone into over 60,000 plus sensors and licensed products that operate in some of the harshest working environments imaginable. LMI's technology supports the machine vision development needs of many of the world's largest OEMs and system integrators in many industries, including wood processing.
Within its vision segment, AUGUSTA is already leading the market in digital cameras for machine vision under the Allied Vision Technologies brand, with the company's FireWire cameras ranked #1 and GigE cameras ranked #2.
Through AUGUSTA, LMI is expected to expand its distribution channels for Gocator. This will help ensure Gocator is well positioned worldwide as a leading, all-in-one, easy to use 3D measurement sensor. Additionally, LMI will benefit from AUGUSTA's extensive camera technology capabilities to further develop unique 3D solutions for its customers in new and existing vertical markets.
www.lmi3d.com
Great West Equipment picks up Madill line
The Great West Equipment Group has been awarded the exclusive distribution rights for Madill forestry products and parts for B.C. and the Grande Prairie region of Alberta by Nicholson Manufacturing.
Great West Equipment Group is authorized to begin selling machines and offering service immediately, and selling parts no later than September 15, 2011.
Nicholson bought the intellectual property, parts inventory and North American rights to the Madill line in late-2010 and began manufacturing Madill loaders earlier this year. Nicholson is providing the forestry sector with high quality purpose-built Madill log loaders, feller bunchers, and cable logging systems. Manufacturing of the Madill equipment is done at the Nicholson plant in Sidney, B.C.
Nicholson Manufacturing has a 65-year history in the forest sector and is a global provider of log debarking systems and related products.
Great West Equipment's Vancouver branch manager, Bob Larter, will be heading up the Madill line. A former vice-president at Madill, Larter possesses invaluable knowledge of the Madill product line and customer base.
As production ramps up, Great West Equipment expects Madill to become a significant part of their forestry business. Together with Great West Equipment's Volvo and other forestry product lines, the Madill line will reinforce the company's leadership position in supplying logging equipment to the B.C. forest industry.
Bob Larter can be reached at 604-882-505, mobile: 250-714-4272 or by e-mail: rlarter@gwequipment.com
John Deere's 744K loader meets higher emissions standards
John Deere has added an Interim Tier 4 (IT4) engine option for its 744K 4WD loader that gives customers an industry first: the first piece of big iron to meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) IT4 emissions regulations, according to the company.
The John Deere PowerTech 9.0-litre IT4 diesel engine for installation in the 744K was certified by the EPA in March 2010 and uses cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) technology to meet emissions regulations while producing the same 304 hp and big-time torque as a 744K equipped with a Tier 3 engine.
Deere's chosen technology path for meeting IT4 emissions, cooled EGR with exhaust filter, is a simple solution to help customers meet emissions challenges.
"Our customers wanted a simple solution with one fluid—diesel fuel—and no concerns about storage or temperature," says Jahmy Hindman, product marketing manager for wheel loaders, John Deere Construction & Forestry. "EGR is also field-proven in a variety of customer applications. It's the right technology in the right product, right now."
The 744K IT4 machine has undergone thousands of hours of thorough customer testing in very harsh conditions. In Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, the 744K cleared snow and moved pipe in extreme cold.
The 744K IT4 unit features all the other hallmarks of Deere's K-Series 4WD loaders, including the Quad-Cool system and a multi-function easy-to-read color LCD monitor with onboard diagnostics. The NeverGrease pin joint option keeps joints tight longer for more productive operation, extending pin life overall and eliminating daily greasing. Single-side ground-level service makes daily maintenance easy.
www.johndeere.com
Morbark introduces 3800XL horizontal grinder
After more than a year of rigorous design review and extensive in-field testing, Morbark has released its new 3800XL horizontal grinder to the market.
Not simply an incremental extension of the 3800 platform, this new grinder contains significant changes and improvements in feeding technology, which dramatically increases production capacity and operating efficiency.
The primary difference between this unit and all others is its redesigned reverse-pivot feed system. It minimizes space between the feed wheel and the hammermill. There is no place for material to hide in this unit, which keeps debris moving forward with uninterrupted, steady production.
The Morbark 3800XL is available with a variety of engine choices up to 800 hp.
www.morbark.com
Walki biomass cover improves drying process and energy content
Logging residue can be an inexpensive and easily accessible source of biofuel, but to improve its energy content the logging residue must first dry on the ground and after that it can be stored in piles for several months. To shelter the piles from moisture through rain, snow and ice, Walki has developed a paper-based, waterproof cover that can be chipped and burned together with the residue.
At first glance, Walki's biomass cover doesn't look very high-tech, but it's an ingenious invention that very efficiently improves the energy content in logging residue. The cover itself is a four-metre wide laminate, mainly produced from renewable fibrous materials. It shelters the top of the pile but leaves the sides open, allowing moisture to evaporate.
A very thin plastic layer within the cover makes it both waterproof and very strong, but thanks to the characteristics of the plastic, the cover can be chipped along with the residue and used as fuel as well.
In addition to shielding the residue from water and snow, the biomass cover also protects the residue from freezing.
www.walki.com
New plastic cap stapler system for lumber wrap
Utility Composites Inc. offers a new 19 gauge composite staple and plastic cap stapling system for the timber processing and lumber industry.
The new model RC-S/05 cap stapler is engineered to provide a 100 per cent metal-free fastening solution for lumber wrapping activities at the busiest sawmills, lumber yards and forest product companies. Extensive research with end users looking to improve their lumber wrapping quality identified several significant areas of need that UCI incorporated into the system.
The RC-S/05 plastic cap lumber wrap system is said to be the only system on the market that offers 100 per cent non-metal staples with a plastic cap designed for holding poly, woven and polypropylene lumber wrap in all thicknesses.
Weighing in at only 4.8 lbs. the RAPTOR RC-S/05 cap stapler accepts ½" crown 19 gauge RAPTOR composite staples between ¼" and 9/16" long and collated plastic caps 1" in diameter with a patented design for enhanced surface pressure and moisture resistant seals.
The RC-S/05 cap stapler's ergonomic design reduces operator fatigue and allows for increased production output. The easy to load magazine holds 240 plastic caps while the staple magazine has a capacity to hold 96 plastic staples. The tool offers a lock-out switch to shoot both staples and caps or just staples, as needed in the application.
www.raptornails.com.
Great West Equip. now distributor for Sennebogen equipment in B.C.
Canada's West Coast will have a new level of support for log loaders, swing machines, scrap handlers and port equipment, with the appointment of Great West Equipment as the newest authorized distributor of Sennebogen equipment.
Constantino Lannes, president of Sennebogen LLC, foresees a significant improvement in uptime and productivity for facilities as Sennebogen's purpose-built material handlers increase their presence in the region.
"Due to the distances involved, many remote logging yards and mills have to rely on dealers that are out of their area for service. We're very proud to be joined by a distributor as qualified as Great West Equipment, who has made a commitment to the local industries and has strategically located its branches throughout B.C."
The Great West Equipment branches will serve a territory covering the southern interior and northern British Columbia, and reaching across to Vancouver Island, where the firm maintains two facilities. In the metropolitan area of Vancouver, Top Lift Enterprises continues to represent Sennebogen.
Roger Dobie, corporate sales manager of Great West Equipment, welcomed the opportunity to expand the company's range of equipment solutions for customers.
"The forest industry has been changing, with fewer mills producing higher volumes," Dobie explained. "We have been looking for a purpose-built material handler to help customers replace wheel loaders for loading and stacking in their yards. Swing machines like the Sennebogen green line log handlers can help our customers make better use of their space for inventory. Today, we're in a much better position to be their one-stop source for equipment service.
"Sennebogen will definitely help us open new doors in log-handling, scrap recycling and port applications," says Dobie.
To be prepared, Dobie will be sending his technicians to Stanley, North Carolina, near Charlotte, for orientation at the new Sennebogen parts and training facility. "We have a few green line machines to support in our territory already. Their simple design and easy access combined with the availability of the service parts make them very good to work on, which means more uptime for our customers."
www.gwequipment.com, www.sennebogen-na.com


There are many definitions of inflation, but in easy words, inflation is a decrease in the value of unit currency. To understand this phenomenon lets us consider the number of candies one can but with one dollar. Today one can buy 2 candies for one dollar but ten years ago, one could have bought ten candies for one dollar. Now, the dollar is same and the candies are same, what changes here is the value of dollar.
From the above example, we can also learn that inflation is directly influenced by time and is continuously growing. In addition to the permanent rise in inflation by time, many other factors causing inflation to raise temporary at the domestic or international level. Inflation is generally categorized into Demand pull inflation and Cost push inflation. In Demand pull inflation the economy is at or close to full employment, and it leads to an increase in the price level. When firms reach to its full capacity, they respond by putting up prices leading to inflation. In Cost pull inflation; if there is an increase in the costs of firms, the firms passes it on to consumers.
Cost push inflation can be caused due to Rising Wages, Import Prices, Raw Material Prices, Profit Push Inflation, Declining Productivity and Higher Taxes. Rising House Prices and Printing More Money also contributes for rising inflations.
There is no proven way to beat Inflation as there always lays some risk while investing for future. But following are the least risky ways to save you from inflation.
Despite the lack of confidence that most people often have about stocks, owning some equities can be a very good way to combat inflation. Corporations will sell their goods at increasing prices, which will lead to elevated revenues, earnings, and inevitably, stock prices.
Hence, some of the best companies to own during inflation would also be those companies that can increase their prices naturally during inflationary periods. One should attempt to seek out the lowest cost producer. Look for businesses like commodity companies or healthcare names that possess the strongest profit margins. Finally, never underestimate the value of dividends during periods of inflation.
Real estate is a great investment when done for the right reasons. The problem in real estate occurs when one's goal to trade a home versus buying a home to live in. Although many experienced real estate investors are able to find hidden values in properties, most individuals should focus on purchasing a home with the intent of holding it, even if for only a couple years. Real estate investments usually do not come to fruition over several months or weeks, but normally involve an extensive waiting period in order for values to increase.
Like land, home prices tend to increase in value on an average year-over-year basis. Real estate bubbles are usually followed by correctional periods, sometimes causing homes to lose over half of their value. But on average, housing prices tend to increase, counteracting the effects of inflation. Rather than holding money in a saving account, which will cause a major loss in purchasing power by retirement, real estate investments have the opposite effect.
These bonds are a great way to beat inflation as they are designed to protect both principal and interest.
The basic mechanism of an IIB is quite easy to understand. Assume that the annual coupon, that is, the amount the investor receives at the end of the year on his bond investment, is 7%, and he has invested Rs 1,000 (his principal); in this case, he originally would have been paid Rs 70 at the end of the year. However, assume that the inflation index for the year is 10%. Through an IIB, the 7% coupon is then applied to the new principal of Rs 1,100 (10% of Rs 1,000 + Rs 1,000), which comes to Rs 77 plus Rs 100 increment on the principal. Thus, the investor is sure to generate a return higher than the inflation rate.
Asset allocation is critical. In this, one can look at an opportunity is to diversify globally. This will make your portfolio more stable and less vulnerable to domestic volatility and inflation.
By far, the absolute best investment you can use to deal with an uncertain future that may include higher prices is to invest in yourself. Nothing is more effective in combating inflation than investing in yourself in order to increase your future earnings power potential.
This investment begins with getting a quality education and then constantly striving to learn new skills that will match those most needed in the future. It's not mere coincidence that higher the level of education, higher the pay and greater the chance for employment. Further education allows one to not only inflation-proof his/her salary, but also recession-proof his/her career.
More than stocks, bonds or houses, investing in oneself is the easiest and most effective way to combat inflation, and any form of economic turmoil is to increase your future potential earnings power by investing in yourself today.
By learning from the past experiences and by understanding the algorithm of the causes and various effects of inflation, one can at least lower the effects of inflation.
FAST: Flexible Architecture. Simplified Technology.


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Snapshots of The Maltese: The First Conservationist
For years, his was a lone voice in the wilderness. Guido Lanfranco was talking and campaigning about the importance of conserving nature when this was considered a crazy notion and an antithesis to development. Over the years his work in educating those who would listen helped pass on both a greater appreciation of the Maltese countryside and kick-start the movements to help protect them.
There is still much that needs to be done but if we have reached the current state of environmental consciousness it is not an exaggeration to claim that much of the merit is down to him.
[For added enjoyment, we suggest listening to this whilst reading this interview]
Were you always interested in nature? When I was young I always used to be aware of what was around me; insects – particularly grasshoppers - and wildflowers. We didn't live in the countryside or near the countryside but I used to go to the Stella Maris school in Gzira. At the time it was still a recent build so it was surrounded by fields. During our breaks I used to go out searching and seeing what I could find. I didn't know anything about whatever I came across because no one who knew about them used to come with me. Still I was curious to know what they were and what they weren't.
When I learned to read I used to read as much as I could on them. Maltese wildflowers used to fascinate me because there seemed to be an endless number of different ones. I didn't keep or record them but I used to see them and maybe occasionally pick a poppy. But I always wanted to know more and that increased as I grew older.
So how did you get to learn about these plants? When I grew up I became a teacher and as I was good at drawing I started drawing wildflowers. With wildflowers you have a certain degree of freedom in how you draw them; wilting, with a straight stalk, slightly dropping. It isn't the same with insects where there is a lot of symmetry and you have to be very regimented using a specialised technique. I still collected insects and wildflowers. In college I had started pressing flowers and a teacher who used to really take an interest in students suggested that I go to the Argotti Gardens as they had plots with wildflowers there.
The Argotti Gardens were an extension of the University and always were associated with the Department of Medicine in some form or another. At the time the botanic gardens weren't there as ornaments but so that medicinal plants could be grown in the plots. People didn't go there for walks; that came later. Their primary function was to have a supply of wild plants. Obviously this need declined as medicine made more advances.
At the Argotti Gardens there was a Head Gardener, Karmenu Penza, who had been named Officer in Charge thanks to his experience. I used to go there and he was very patient with me as I didn't go there once or twice. Every time that I found some new plant I would go there and he would always try to tell me what they were called, their botanical names.
I learned a lot off him. I didn't have a lot to go by for learning wild plants' name other than Sur Penza. He didn't tell me everything as he didn't know everything but I wasn't expecting him to answer all my queries. In time I found out that some of what he had told me was wrong but that was due to how he himself had gotten to know about them. And it didn't really matter as he had always tried to help.
Then he retired and the person who replaced him wasn't really interested.
What did you do to further your research then? Once I began interesting myself, I took things very seriously. At the time those who had a good knowledge of nature had either passed away or were no longer active so, apart from that early bit of help from Sur Penza I didn't receive any special help.
However in the sixties those who were interested started to increase. As I said, I used to write in the newspapers – both the Maltese and English ones – and when you start writing frequently awareness begins to increase. When in 1962 I saw that there were enough people interested I set up the Natural History Society and we held our first meeting at the British Council in Valletta.
We began doing lectures as well as some exhibitions of drawings I and a couple of others had made. I organised a number of events even though I had no plans of exhibiting these paintings.
At that time some books about wild flowers started making their way from England. There had been one book published in 1950 – Descriptive Flora of the Maltese Island – by John Borg who was a professor in the Natural History department. I bought a copy of that book which was some 500 pages. I bought a copy but in time it fell apart because I had use it so much. That book didn't have any pictures either.
By this time were you looking to share your knowledge by publishing your findings, right? In 1955 I published by first book. At the time there were only line drawings. Today you can print some beautiful images but in the fifties all we had were black and white line drawings. Still, in that first book I had line drawings of three hundred species that I had collected up till that point in time.
That book was reprinted some four times largely because tourists who came to Malta were very interested in our wildflowers. They were used to going for walks in the countryside but were familiar with their own wildflowers. So when they came to Malta and saw all these new flowers they wanted to know what they were. So that book did very well thanks to the tourists.
Then I published it again with six hundred illustrations. Again, don't imagine any particularly fine drawings because there is so much that can be done with line drawings. What we did do is group the drawings so that white flowers were grouped together, red flowers together and blue grouped together. That way if one found a white flower it would they would know which section to look at. So you narrow down possibilities and you come as close as you possibly can.
In the meantime I had begun writing a lot of articles in newspapers, doing propaganda in favour of wild plants and nature. A lot of people couldn't care less about wild plants because they cannot eat them or anything off them. They call them haxix hazin (literally translated: bad grass). It is ignorance. There are those who are so ignorant that they persist in destroying for no reason, even if they aren't doing any harm.
Someone once told me that there wasn't any need for such grass and I replied that unless they are doing any harm he should leave them there. His reply was that on windy days a lot of paper and rubbish gets stuck in them! Again, I replied that it is people who throw away that rubbish! What a mentality! If that were the case we could pull down churches because a lot of rubbish get trapped on the parvis when it is windy.
What inspired you to write? I used to observe everything and during the war we didn't go to school so I used to remain in the yard, searching and reading. We didn't have a big yard but I learned a lot of things. A lot of butterflies used to come to our yard. Because even butterflies were much more frequent. Now they're vanishing as well. Nowadays, if you see a butterfly you almost want to invite people over to see it as so rare to see one. It is hard to see the common large white butterfly.
Before when you went to the countryside on a windy day you would look for a sheltered valley. There you'd find butterflies because they too go to shelter from the wind. And with every step you made you would be surrounded by butterflies of all kinds.
Now some of those butterflies are no longer to be found in Malta. The small copper butterfly comes to mind. There are also other insects that are no longer found in Malta.
How many species of wild plants are there in Malta? Let's say a thousand. There are those who are very common, those who are less so and those who are rare. Their study is very interesting because there are different plants in different areas of the island. In areas like Dingli Cliffs and Ta' Cenc there is still the older rock. In other areas that rock had wasted away. Where there is still the Upper Coralline layer of rock you find plants that are remnants of a by-gone age. For instance the Widnet il-Bahar (the Maltese rock-centaury which is the Maltese national plant) is a remnant of ancient flora – paleo botany it is known.
We might be biased but what makes Malta such a unique country? In Mata there is an interesting bio-diversity especially for such a small space because there are many different species. The ecology and inter relations are interesting and there are many. In England and similar countries you find large expanses were there are only one or two species whereas in Malta in one square mile you find loads of different species. The bio-diversity stands out.
Still, unless people have conservation systems those species can still diminish and disappear if the soil and water are polluted. The balance is very delicate. Even animals and plants that we don't like form part of the eco-system. They aren't there so that we can like them. They are remnants of the balance of nature, all of them.
A lot of people still believe that as long as they have enough food and money they're fine. They couldn't care less what happens elsewhere.
Talking of environmental consciousness, how has that changed over the years? In the seventies we changed the name of the Natural History Society of Malta because the government of the time had published a legislation that you couldn't use the words Malta and nation wherever you wanted. We were in a period of transition where membership was on the increase and our readership were more conscious of conservation. As a result we decreased the collecting of wild flowers and insects. That didn't meant that I didn't collect anything. Common plants I used to collect but rare plants I began trying to take photos of. For the record, not so that the photos could be things of beauty. Or else I used to draw them. I also used to pick a leaf so that I had a record that I had found it.
So we re-named the Natural History Society of Malta into the Society for the Study and Conservation of Nature so that we included the words study and conservation, not collecting. The aim was to decrease the desire among people to pick plants or insects.
In the eighties and nineties, our consciousness began taking a different form because governments were very slow in doing anything to conserve nature. But slowly clauses were introduced here and there. Still, although they were in the law, there was very little enforcement.
It was when we got into the European Union that things began being taken more seriously. The EU began inspecting how things were done and ensuring that regulations were followed.
In the meantime conservation, field studies and means of communications increased. The proliferation of computers and the facilitation of communication with organisations overseas increased information. The local group joined the international union that is Nature Trust.
How do you judge the current situation? There is a lot of disorientation these days. People are ruining the world. Even in Malta. They want to build forty story buildings in Tigne' and St Julians. If you take the people who will reside in such buildings and spread them over a piece of land then you get the same level of contamination. There is drainage, water and lack of water, they have their rubbish…those are all things that have to be taken care of. The picture isn't positive. When they make their calculations they aren't taking considering the environment.
But aren't people more aware? There is more consciousness because education has increased and attitudes have changed. Due to the European Union the authorities have to take care of the environment and the conservation of nature. If there wasn't that someone pushing them nothing would get done. No government would have passed a law to limit bird hunting if they weren't pressed to do so. Up till a few years back there wasn't even a ministry for the environment. Governments have to be pressed.
What do you think of the public embellishment that rely heavily on cactus and succulents which are seen as less resource hungry? Cactus and succulents are good for some gardens. You still have to take care of them even though they are resistant. These days they also rely heavily on plants that are grown in greenhouses.
Up till the 1950s and 60s, central strips and public gardens used to feature predominantly geraniums and the like. When those flower they only produce a few flowers, not a carpet of colour. Today in traffic strips or roundabouts you see only red or only yellow flowers depending on the patterns they choose. Those are imported from overseas rather than grown locally. Financially it pays them. For example they order 20,000 red geraniums. When they arrived they are transplanted and you have a carpet of colour or a nice border.
Then the next year they rip up everything. In the meantime they would have made a new order and transplant these when they come. To grow those plants you need green houses that are temperature controlled, with timed watering and fed hormones.
In nature you don't find plants that flower as aggressively at the same time. Even in shops you find plants that are covered with flowers which we never used to see before. It would have a few flowers, then a few dry off and are replaced by another couple of flowers. These days plants are controlled through hormones. There is a particular spray that stimulates flower growth. So they can make things more attractive but it costs money. Then there is the maintenance, because you aren't going to do all that for just a week.
Should wild flowers be used in some places instead? I think that would be for the best. The national plant is now being propagated as are some other plants that are native to Malta. The lelluxa (crown daisy) is one of the most beautiful plants that you see in our fields especially when there are whole fields covered by it. Overseas they sell its seeds. That is one of the most beautiful flowers particularly at around March and April.
In the meantime when some department says that they are going to develop an area because it is run down, it often turns out to be a bad thing. When it is run down there are the wildflowers and its own eco system. Then everything is destroyed. Everything is covered up by concrete, cement and stone with a few plants in some soil. Most probably resistant succulents like aloe vera.
Are you still involved in the various associations you set up? At around 1978 I saw that members had increased, we had changed the name and things were progressing I resigned so that it wasn't just about me. At the same time my work load had increased both as I was writing more books and because of my job as a teacher. So I started leaving things in the hands of those who were younger and were showing a keen interest. I kept on helping them in the form of lectures, outing and with any information they might need. I'm an honorary president. But I couldn't carry on.
Do you still go out in the countryside? I don't enjoy it. When I used to go out in the fifties and sixties you didn't see anyone. You would hear birdsong, dogs barking, maybe a rooster. Before I used to go out during both the week and the weekends. But these past ten years I haven't gone out. I feel out of place, intruding. Before I used to feel part of the environment. There wasn't a lot of noise, there weren't many things to irritate you. Transport wasn't as commonplace so a lot of places weren't accessible to people. Today you can't go anywhere where there isn't a sign of human presence.
I had done a country code for members of the Natural History Society. One of the clauses read "visit the countryside as much as you like and do what you like but when you leave do not leave any sign that you were there". Meaning that you don't start any fires, you don't cut up any plants, you don't throw away your rubbish.
You don't have the right to destroy anything because that isn't yours but everyone's.
Enjoyed this interview? Then you'll love the story of Mrs Henrietta Chevalier, a Maltese woman who risked her life during World War II to help save that of hundreds.
If you're looking to get a wider picture of the Maltese islands, follow Snapshots of Malta on Tumblr, Instagram and Facebook.
Labels: countryside, flora, History, Interview, Malta, natural beauty, Paul Grech, Photo, photography, Snapshot of the Maltese, snapshots, travel, wild flowers
The Squirting Plant
Snapshots of The Maltese: The First Conservationis...


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filter your search All ContentAll PublicationsAnesthesiology
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Education| January 1977
Anesthesia for Major Operations on Patients Who Have Transplanted Hearts, A Review of 29 Cases
Steven F. Kanter, M.D.;
Steven F. Kanter, M.D.
*Resident
Stanley I. Samuels, M.D.
†Attending Physician and Clinical Assistant Professor
Anesthesiology January 1977, Vol. 46, 65–68.
Steven F. Kanter, Stanley I. Samuels; Anesthesia for Major Operations on Patients Who Have Transplanted Hearts, A Review of 29 Cases. Anesthesiology 1977; 46:65–68 doi: https://doi.org/10.1097/00000542-197701000-00012
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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is triggered by a terrifying event, either witnessed or experienced. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event. Not everyone who experiences trauma develops PTSD, which is why the study aimed to identify biomarkers that could better measure each person's vulnerability to the disorder.
"Our aim was to determine which genes are differentially expressed in relation to PTSD," said lead investigator Rachel Yehuda, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience and Director of the Traumatic Stress Studies Division at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. "We found that most of the genes and pathways that are different in PTSD-like animals compared to resilient animals are related to the glucocorticoid receptor, which suggests we might have identified a therapeutic target for treatment of PTSD," said Dr. Yehuda, who also heads the Mental Health Patient Care Center and PTSD Research Program at the James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center in the Bronx.
The research team exposed a group of male and female rats to litter soiled by cat urine, a predatory scent that mimics a life-threatening situation. Most PTSD studies until now have used only male rats. Mount Sinai researchers included female rats in this study since women are more vulnerable than men to developing PTSD. The rats were then categorized based on their behavior one week after exposure to the scent. The authors also examined patterns of gene expression in the blood and in stress-responsive brain regions.
After one week of being exposed to soiled cat litter for 10 minutes, vulnerable rats exhibited higher anxiety and hyperarousal, and showed altered glucocorticoid receptor signaling in all tissues compared with resilient rats. Moreover, some rats were treated with a hormone that activates the glucocorticoid receptor called corticosterone one hour after exposure to the cat urine scent. These rats showed lower levels of anxiety and arousal one week later compared with untreated, trauma-exposed rats.
Co-collaborators of the study include Joseph Buxbaum, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry, Neuroscience, Genetics and Genomic Sciences and the director of the Seaver Autism Center at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Hagit Cohen, PhD, Professor of Faculty of Health Sciences and director of the Anxiety & Stress Research Unit at Ben-Gurion University in Israel and Guiqing Cai, Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.


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The DAPL Fantasy
Wrong Kind of Green Dec 06, 2016 Whiteness & Aversive Racism
By Jay Taber
Above: "There are about 150,000 miles of oil pipelines and more than 1.5 million miles of natural gas pipelines in the United States." [Source]
"I have been working with indigenous leaders for decades and arguing that indigenous nations must take the initiative to take back that which is and always has been theirs: land, resources and freedom to move… Asking for rights from those who have no interest in recognizing those rights is a defeated policy. Taking back your land and resources they stole, as Chief George Manuel urged, is the only alternative to self-destruction."– Center for World Indigenous Studies chair Rudolph C. Ryser
When reality is too much to bear, we turn to fantasies to keep from losing our mind. When fantasies become our reality, we are liable to believe just about anything.
One fantasy currently circulating online is that Obama halted DAPL because he has strong emotional ties to American Indians. While he has helped tribes with issues like domestic violence and education, his strong financial ties to oil industry investors like Goldman Sachs have created a nightmare for many tribes across the country.
Above: US President Barack Obama (C) talks with Chairman of the Standing Rock Soiux Tribal Nation David Archambault II (L) during the Cannon Ball Flag Day Celebration in Cannon Ball, North Dakota, June 13, 2014. AFP PHOTO / Jim WATSON
Standing Rock could have been avoided, had Obama not approved fracking millions of acres of Bakken Shale in North Dakota. The pipelines and bomb trains emanating from that disastrous decision alone will haunt us for generations. In the Gulf of Mexico, Obama's executive order waiving environmental restrictions on risky deep-sea oil drilling resulted in the largest oil spill in history.
Above: "US President Barack Obama talks with youth from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in the Oval Office of the White House, 2014"
While it is a relief that the stand-off at Standing Rock avoided a showdown, by delaying the pipeline over Christmas, the fact that it progressed to this point without interference from the White House suggests Obama's interest is in his perceived legacy, since Trump is almost certain to forge ahead with its completion in January.
Meanwhile, oil industry members of the Native American Affairs Coalition advising President Trump propose making Indian Reservations private property. As noted at Reuter's, "The plan dovetails with Trump's larger aim of slashing regulation to boost energy production."
[Jay Thomas Taber is an associate scholar of the Center for World Indigenous Studies, a correspondent to Forum for Global Exchange, and a contributing editor of Fourth World Journal. Since 1994, he has served as communications director at Public Good Project, a volunteer network of researchers, analysts and journalists engaged in defending democracy. As a consultant, he has assisted indigenous peoples in the European Court of Human Rights and at the United Nations.]
Moment of Truth
Pentecostals Not Welcome
ivo on Dec 09, 2016
Left out of the discussion is the role of tribal councils in exploiting oil/gas. Many of them are for drilling and fracking – https://www.indianaffairs.gov/WhoWeAre/AS-IA/IEED/DEMD/oilgas/index.htm
DAPL setting the stage and on cue – in come trump and his NA council with plans to 'privatize' – read corporatize – treaty lands.
What is driving this is:
"The main issues facing Indian Tribes and BIA agency staff are how to keep up with the demand for leasing, permitting and drilling. A taste of things to come has already occurred in development of the prolific Bakken shale oil play at the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota. There was a severe backlog of leases and permits being issued which forestalled the generation of income to the Indian mineral owners."
https://www.indianaffairs.gov/cs/groups/xieed/documents/document/idc1-024535.pdf
https://www.indianaffairs.gov/WhoWeAre/AS-IA/IEED/DEMD/oilgas/index.htm
Interesting read. StandRock and Fort Berthold Reservation are apparently sitting on hundreds of billions of oil and gas resources. Combined with the list of other tribes, they are collectively sitting on over a trillion in oil/gas assets.
Does anyone believe that pro-business tribal councils are going to turn their nose up at this wealth? According to the documents, many tribes have been complaining that the regulatory process that governs oil/gas leasing/drilling on Indian lands, as well as BIA oversight, is inhibiting their ability to access royalties by signing new leases. On cue, in comes Trump and his native american council….who now is going to protest tribe's desire to gain 'private' – read corporate – ownership over their treaty lanes now that the narrative has been been cleverly cast as one of 'water defenders' and indigenous sovereignty. Will all these environmentalist and NGOs now protest accelerated oil/gas extraction in Indian Country – of course not. Give it to the oil and gas industry – clever shits that they are.
So what is DAPL spectacle? Collusion between Indian tribal councils and the oil/gas industry to regain more control over their treaty lands for the purpose of increasing extraction and feeding more fuel to the fire burning the planet.


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Moldova is going to diversify into European and Arab markets
Staff writer ▼ | August 5, 2014
Due to the fruit and vegetable embargo imposed by Russia, Moldova is going to diversify into European and Arab markets, Natalya German, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Moldova said.
Natalya German has noted that not only achieved Moldova the double quotes on fruit export into European markets with 500 million of consumers, but also negotiated with representatives of Arab counties (e.g. Qatar) over a possible export of Moldovan agricultural products into the Persian countries.
"The current situation mobilizes us, encourages our farmers to find new markets for our production distribution," says the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Moldova. ■
Moldova to recover via wine trade
EU to unlock €2 billion for small businesses in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine
Russia to Moldova: Don't sign the agreement with EU


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Home / News / Vandals scrawl 'racist AOC' and 'witch hunt' across walls of Democratic Party headquarters in Kentucky (3 Pics)
Vandals scrawl 'racist AOC' and 'witch hunt' across walls of Democratic Party headquarters in Kentucky (3 Pics)
The headquarters of the Louisville Democratic Party in Kentucky have been vandalized with graffiti referencing Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling.
Police arrived at the building on Durrett Lane at 10am on Sunday to find the outer brick walls defaced with white paint.
'Witch hunt', 'treason dem', and 'racist AOC' were among the messages scrawled on the walls.
'Witch hunt' is what President Donald Trump calls the Russia investigation, while 'racist AOC' refers to Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez.
Officers are unsure of when the vandalism took place, but the vice chair of the Louisville Democratic Party, Virginia Woodward, says this has happened once before.
Woodward told WYMT: 'This is indicative of folks that don't want to sit down with someone who doesn't agree and debate issues. They want to use the dead of night to vandalize someone else's building.'
Members of the Louisville Democratic Party are not sure if it was the same perpetrators, but are beginning to feel increasingly targeted.
In a statement released by representatives, they assert that they are not intimidated and 'it only serves to strengthen our resolve in standing up for true democracy.'
'This kind of hate filled graffiti is an unfortunate symptom of today's environment where folks won't come together for honest debate and discourse. Free speech is about buying a billboard with your opinions, not vandalizing a building with graffiti.'
The Republican Party of Kentucky has responded to the vandalism, denouncing the graffiti.
Spokesman Mike Lonergan said: 'We condemn vandalism - it is never acceptable. While rhetoric and tensions may run high, especially in an election year, there are far more constructive ways for people to express their views.'
Democratic Senator Morgan McGarvey also condemned the vandalism, noting acts like this are indicative of a 'larger issue in the city and around the country.'
'We've never seen this kind of rhetoric, this type of intense emotion, this type of almost tribal blind loyalty to a party, and you're seeing it in the vandalism around town,' Senator McGarvey said.
He continued: 'This doesn't help anybody, no matter what side of the political aisle you're on.'
Police are using surveillance footage to find the suspects, but as of Monday morning no arrests have been made.
Vandals scrawl 'racist AOC' and 'witch hunt' across walls of Democratic Party headquarters in Kentucky (3 Pics) Reviewed by STATION GOSSIP on 13:07 Rating: 5


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Q: Running Threads Simultanously using Qt I have a problem. I have a Qiwidget which has 2 pushbuttons. On pressing one button i need to play back 1 file using some playback technique. On clicking the other button I want to playback another file. I made the classes using the playback's for the 2 files as threads. But when i try to push the 1st button my application gets stuck and i am not able to press the second button. It gets blocked till my playback is over.
I want to be able to use my main application irrespective of the files playing. How can i achieve that in Qt.
playback file 1.h..
class PlaySource1 : public QThread
{
public:
    PlaySource1();
    virtual void run();
};

playbackfile.cpp
PlaySource1::PlaySource1()
{
}
void PlaySource1::run()
{
some code
}

now in my main file .cpp when i run the code like :
void Test::on_pbPlaySource1_clicked()
{
    PlaySource1 *playSource1 = new PlaySource1;
    playSource1->run();

}

my code gets blocked by the thread playback. But i dont want it to get blocked. Please help.

A: You should call
playSource1->start();

not run(). See the "Starting a Thread" section in the Qt Starting Threads with QThread documentation.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Q: How To Turn a Reduce-Realized Sequence Back Into Lazy Vector Sequence When I run a 221 line .csv file -- parsed with clojure-csv -- into this function
(defn test-key-inclusion
    "Accepts csv-data param and an index, a second csv-data param and an index,
     and searches the second csv-data instances' rows (at index) to see if
     the first file's data is located in the second csv-data instance."

    [csv-data1 pkey-idx1 csv-data2 pkey-idx2 lnam-idx fnam-idx]

    (reduce
        (fn [out-log csv-row1]
            (let [cmp-val (nth csv-row1 pkey-idx1 nil)
                  lnam (nth csv-row1 lnam-idx nil)
                  fnam (nth csv-row1 fnam-idx)
                  temp-rc (first (key-pres? cmp-val pkey-idx2 csv-data2))]

            (concat out-log (sorted-map cmp-val (vector lnam fnam)))))
         {}
         csv-data1))

and then print the result, everything's fine.
If I run a 2672 line .csv file -- also parsed with clojure-csv -- through the function above and then try to print it, I get a stack overflow error -- Exception in thread "main" java.lang.StackOverflowError
So my questions are:
1) Should wrapping the call to this function inside lazy-seq cure my problem?
2) I don't want a list, so will wrapping the lazy-seq call inside a vec turn
my sequence back into a vector without realizing the whole sequence in memory, that is make the lazy-seq un-lazy again?
Thank you.

A: 1) i expect that making the sequence lazy not to help because print will evaluate realize it before printing it.  instead try doseq or (map print my-seq) to print it in smaller chunks.
2) yes wrapping it in vec will give you what you want :) though wrapping your reduce with an into would keep it a vector the whole time. ie: (reduce into [] [[1] [2] [3]] ) --> [1 2 3]
  (into out-log (sorted-map cmp-val (vector lnam fnam)))))


And so it begins. After Monday's crazy flash storm, it's clear that we need to start hunting for our wintery old faithfuls. The only problem is, we can't seem to remember where we hid them all! Oh well, that's just a great excuse to get out and about in our auburn city to do some retail therapy, check out the seasonal trends and do something cool (excuse the pun)!
What do you get when you cross LEGO, Easter and adventure? You get an egg-citing, fun-filled LEGO building experience from 15 - 22 April at The Zone @ Rosebank! Plus, if you complete the experience, you could stand the chance of winning a R5 000 LEGO hamper. Find out more here.
If there is one event you need to attend this April, it's definitely the Lusito Land Festival 2019! This Portuguese extravaganza is back from 20 – 22 and 26 – 28 April, promising even more thrills, musical entertainment, gourmet food, cultural celebrations and family fun than ever before. Check out the amazing lineup and get your tickets here.
Combining comedy and classical ballet into one spectacularly graceful and humorous performance, Les Ballets Eloelle's Men in Tutus will be thrilling audiences from 12 - 14 April at The Teatro, Montecasino, for four performances ONLY! This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so get your tickets now before it's too late.
Don't miss the Royal Race Day at Turffontein Racecourse this Saturday! It's the most glamorous day on the race calendar and HSH Princess Charlene of Monaco will be attending this glitzy charitable event. Entry is FREE!
Featuring over 150 brews, ciders, gins and wines, this Saturday's Untapped Collab Craft Brew Fest is a must if you're keen for a cold one on a balmy autumn day.
Is beer not your thing? Don't worry! Sip on the best bubbly imaginable at the Johannesburg Cap Classique & Champagne Festival this Saturday and Sunday at the Inanda Club.
Enjoy a little bit of country, stunning views and delicious delights at the Rustig Farm Style Music Fest out in Magaliesburg this Saturday.
Brides-to-be, spend your Sunday exploring everything you need to bring your dream wedding to life at the Exclusive Bridal Fair at the Hilton Sandton.
Easter is next week! Have you planned your Easter feast? No? Don't worry, here's a few scrumptious options in and around Joburg.
Experience the best in Joburg restaurants without busting your budget with the Restaurant Week: Autumn Edition from 18 April until 05 May!
Tired of the same old date night routine? Spice things up a bit with DateFactory. It's a date night in a box, delivered right to your door.
For decades, six inner city blocks along Main Street were shut off to the public. CBD developers, Divercity is about to change that.
The annual Winter Sculpture Fair will once again be breathing life into the Nirox Sculpture Park. It's a lovely day filled with wine, art and food.
Enjoy the best in vintage Joburg fashion, antiques and collectables, as well as lovingly crafted artisanal products at this lovely market.
Treat your fur kids to a fun day out and about at the Big Red Barn in Pretoria. Best of all, all profits will go to supporting an animal charity in need.
You're invited to Schulbasar, offering guests a wide variety of beers, live entertainment, traditional German food and delicacies and fun!
If you missed our last edition, click here.
© Copyright 2019 - Velocity Media.


Until recently, my best friend and his brother ran a very successful joinery business.
Four weeks ago, the brother collapsed and died. He had an aneurysm. No one could have predicted it or done anything to stop it. He was in his early 40s and left behind a wife and two small children. As you can imagine, everyone was deeply shocked.
My best friend is now working twelve-hour days, six days a week to deal with the jobs his brother would have done. When I saw him recently I thought he looked exhausted, so I asked him why he didn't employ somebody. He answered that the business couldn't afford to take someone on of his brothers skill set and still pay his late brother's wife an income.
His brother did have life assurance, which paid off the mortgage. He explained that he was paying his brother's wife £4,000 a month to replace the lost income. I asked if that was what they had agreed in the articles of association, he looked at me blankly. I asked if they had shareholder protection in place. Again, he looked at me blankly.
He intends to keep paying his sister-in-law for as long as the business can afford it, because it's the right thing to do, even if that involves him doing the work of two men. It is admirable of him, but it could so easily have been avoided.
My friend never wanted to engage a financial planner, he always said he didn't see the value. Nothing is going to bring back his brother, but I can't help but think that, with a little advice, he and his sister-in-law could be in a very different financial position right now.


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