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Ombudsman critical of prison for keeping serial killer Peter Sutcliffe in chains until shortly before his death and not allowing him to call his next of kin, new report says
Yorkshire man 'takes stand' against parking fine at petrol station - and wins in court
23 killed in bombings at Iraq mosques
A string of bombings targeting Shiite mosques in Iraq yesterday has killed at least 23 people and wounded dozens more.
Friday, 29th March 2013, 9:07 pm
The attacks were the latest in a series of spectacular assaults staged by insurgents seeking to undermine the Shiite-led government's efforts to achieve security across the country.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the bombings bore the hallmarks of al Qaida's Iraq branch. The group, known as the Islamic State of Iraq, frequently uses car bombs, suicide bombers and co-ordinated blasts in an effort to sow fear among Shiites and erode their trust in the government of prime minister Nouri al-Maliki.
Four car bombs hit Shiite mosques in the Iraqi capital as worshippers were leaving after Friday prayers, killing 19 people and wounding 72.
First, a parked car exploded in Baghdad's western Jihad neighbourhood, killing seven worshippers and wounding 25, then four were killed and nearly 20 wounded in eastern Qahira neighbourhood, three people died and 15 were injured in the eastern Zafaraniyah district, and five were killed and 14 hurt in the north-eastern Binook neighbourhood.
Three health officials confirmed the causality figures.
In the northern city of Kirkuk, 180 miles north of Baghdad, a suicide bomber drove his explosive-laden car into a group of worshippers as they were leaving a mosque after Friday prayers, killing three people and wounding up to 70, according to police and health officials.
Violence has ebbed sharply since the peak of Sunni-Shiite fighting that pushed the country to the brink of civil war in 2006 and 2007, but Sunni insurgents still occasionally carry out high-profile attacks against Shiites, considering them to be heretics.
Friday is a particularly popular day for militants to undertake such attacks because of the rush of mostly men and boys who flock to the mosques throughout the country to hear traditional Muslim sermons.
Yorkshire man 'takes stand' against parking fine at petrol s... News
Keira-Mae Jones: Newborn baby's death was due to 'unlawful a... News
Plans submitted for 200 homes in popular seaside location in... News
Countryfile host Helen Skelton reveals touching personal tri... News
'Arrogant' fly-tipper dumped furniture waste in scenic parts... News


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Abbas' Referendum Gamble Risks a Palestinian Backlash
By TONY KARON Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has issued an ultimatum to the elected Hamas government: Accept a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on Israel returning to its 1967 borders, or face a referendum on the issue. But the fact that Abbas on Tuesday extended the deadline for compliance by another three days suggests that he may be starting to realize what other observers already know — that if Hamas calls his bluff, Abbas could suffer yet another repudiation by Palestinian voters.
It's not that Hamas necessarily rejects the proposal, which is contained in a a document drawn up by prisoners from its own faction as well as Abbas's Fatah movement currently doing time in Israeli jails. Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh has already offered Israel peace in the form of a "long-term truce" if it withdraws to its 1967 borders, and Hamas is in fact in discussions with Fatah over that very issue. But Hamas, not surprisingly, is unwilling to accept Abbas's ultimatum. "I am not prepared to act with a gun to my head," Haniyeh said Monday.
Among ordinary Palestinians, the dispute between Abbas and Hamas is viewed as a power play, in which the already dangerous divisions between Fatah and Hamas — which find increasingly violent expression on a daily basis in Gaza — stand to be exacerbated over an entirely hypothetical issue. Referendums on political agreements, after all, are usually conducted once such agreements have been reached, not before any negotiations have been held. And while a majority of Palestinians continue to favor a two-state solution, they are under no illusion that Israel is ready to accept returning to its 1967 borders, never mind accept the principle of the "right of return" of Palestinian refugees, which is also reportedly proclaimed in the document.
For many Palestinians watching a fratricidal war escalate between gunmen of Fatah and Hamas in Gaza, the question seems almost absurd: why should the Palestinians inflame tensions among themselves over whether to accept a position rejected by the government of Israel?
One answer, perhaps, is that Abbas believes that adopting the prisoners' plan will negate Israel's claim that it has no Palestinian negotiating partner, making it more difficult for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to move ahead with plans to unilaterally redraw Israel's borders. But there's clearly a domestic political agenda, too: The grassroots-level Fatah warlords on whose support Abbas is increasingly dependent have, ever since they lost the January election to Hamas, agitated for an aggressive strategy to topple the new government.
The motivations of these Fatah leaders, many of whom surround Abbas, are less political and ideological than they are about restoring lost power and its ensuing privileges. Indeed, Fatah has shown little inclination to digest the real reasons for its electoral defeat — the fact that ordinary Palestinians see many of its leaders as incorrigibly corrupt and self-serving and view the movement as having no political vision for achieving Palestinian national goals. This view of Fatah is what prompted an electorate committed to a two-state solution to nonetheless vote Hamas into power, as a clean and more responsive alternative. Even though his office was not up for reelection, the January legislative election was essentially a vote of no confidence in President Abbas.
The leadership of Hamas has long demonstrated a keen ability to stay onside with Palestinian public opinion. That may help explain why the movement — under pressure from Arab governments to make it easier to stand up to U.S. pressure to cut all financial aid — has been debating a move toward a de facto two-state solution. But if the anger generated on the streets by Abbas's referendum ultimatum is sufficiently widespread, Hamas may decide to call his bluff — because they believe they can win the issue where it counts, in the streets.
—With reporting by Jamil Hamad/Bethlehem

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Here's our submission to the 2010 Gamma IV "one-button-game" contest. It didn't make it to the finals (there were over 150 entries!) but we still find it amusing. It's a one-button-game, so launch the game and push your favorite button, they all do the same thing!
Yet so full of rage and ambition might you be, you're still only a cube. You've got no legs to run and jump no mouth to eat mushrooms and no hands to throw fireballs. So what can you do? Powered by your infinite self-love you can produce small replicas of yourself out of your own pure volition. When appearing beneath you these temporary cubonculi can push you forward to victory!
By timing with THE button the apparition of the cubonculi and exploiting the natural and physical variations in orientation of LeCube, it is possible to navigate around any obstacle. You'll be amazed at how efficient you can become with some training at navigating this inept being!
After a few years of stagnation, the Absurdus website has been given a well deserved facelift.


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<META http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
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Uses of Interface org.apache.commons.jexl2.introspection.JexlMethod (Commons JEXL 2.1.1 API)
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Packages that use JexlMethod

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Provides utilities for introspection services.

org.apache.commons.jexl2.introspection
Provides high-level introspective services.

Uses of JexlMethod in org.apache.commons.jexl2.internal

Classes in org.apache.commons.jexl2.internal that implement JexlMethod

static class
AbstractExecutor.Method

          Abstract class that is used to execute an arbitrary method.

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MethodExecutor

          Specialized executor to invoke a method on an object.

Uses of JexlMethod in org.apache.commons.jexl2.introspection

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          Returns a class constructor wrapped in a JexlMethod.

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          Returns a JexlMethod.

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Uberspect.getMethod(Object obj,
                   String method,
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          Returns a JexlMethod.

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Culture | News
Royal Ascot takes 2018 dress code in a more modest direction
Here are the new rulles
Text: Maddison Glendinning
3/22/18, 10:00 AM 2018-03-22T10:00:04+04:00
Royal Ascot will take place in June and this year, it's going to look a little different...
Royal Ascot is one of the highlights on the British social calendar, bringing together the country's royalty and most noble of families for a day of horse racing. International royalty, government representatives and dignitaries are also often in attendance at the event, signifying just how big a deal the racing event is.
This year's event will take from June 19-23 and is set to look a little different than previous years thanks to an update to the dress code for attendees.
According to WWD, "some of the event's formal dress codes, formerly reserved for the Royal Enclosure where Queen Elizabeth sits, will apply to all guests." What does that mean exactly? Well, men in the Queen Anne and Village Enclosures must wear socks whilst women will be required to cover their shoulders and as such cannot wear 'Bardot', one-shoulder or off-the-shoulder necklines. The event had already banned strapless dresses in previous years so the new exclusions are updates to the policy.
Interestingly, suits and jumpsuits are still allowed so long as they comply with the updated guidelines.
The 2018 event will take place one month after the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, leaving us to wonder if the pair will make their debut at the event. Prince William and Kate Middleton have attended together in the past, so it's not entirely out of the question.
In the meantime, see what the world's first hijabi model Mariah Idrissi had to say about modest dressing at SXSW 2018.
The royals' day out: Inside the Royal Ascot with Sheikh Mohammed
Inside the Royal Ascot with the British royals and Sheikh Mohammed
Queen Elizabeth makes her first appearance at London Fashion Week


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World February 21, 2015 | 9:54 am
Coast Guard interdicts 1,729 pounds of marijuana, nabs Russian smuggler
San Juan, PR.– The Coast Guard Cutter Key Largo and a U.S. naval vessel with a Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment onboard apprehended a Russian smuggler and intercepted 1,729 pounds of marijuana aboard a Finnish-flagged sailing vessel in the Caribbean Sea Saturday, Feb. 14, approximately 130 nautical miles south of the Dominican Republic.
According to coastguardnews.com, the interdiction was the result of a multi-agency law enforcement effort in support of Operation Unified Resolve and Operation Caribbean Guard. The drug shipment was estimated to have a wholesale value of approximately $1.6 million dollars.
While on a routine patrol the morning of Feb. 14, the crew of the naval vessel detected the suspicious 40-foot sailing vessel transiting the Caribbean Sea. Coast Guard watchstanders in Sector San Juan diverted the Coast Guard Cutter Key Largo to interdict the suspect vessel.
When the Key Largo boarded with the sailing vessel, the crew located a total of 43 packages of suspected contraband. The contraband tested positive for marijuana, the outlet reported.
The Key Largo detained the master along with the contraband and towed the vessel towards Puerto Rico. The marijuana, the suspected smuggler, and sailing vessel were transferred Wednesday to U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration special agents in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.


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RenaissanceFestival.com | Your home for Renaissance Festival information!
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Faire Directory
Castles!- Large Photos
Home › Forums › Mundane Topics › Castles!- Large Photos
This topic contains 2,073 replies, has 0 voices, and was last updated by Tom 11 years, 8 months ago.
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01/17/2014 at 11:10 AM #12722
The Castle of Freixo de Espada-à-Cinta is located in Portugal.map coordinates 41.092581, -6.804037The town existed in the early days of the Independence of Portugal , marking the border west of the river Douro . Therefore, in order to promote its settlement and defense, D. Afonso Henriques (1112-1185), awarded the town a charter from 1152 (or 1155 - 1157 ), confirmed in 1246. The construction of the castle dates from this time. Over time the castle was reduced to a single Heptagonal tower and some wall sections. Which now stands in the center of the town cemetery. [img]http://media.iolnegocios.pt/lifecooler/a94fa4ff55bfb4033aa113d17c29b18f/500x329/[/img]
Balga Castle is located near Pogranichny in Russia.map coordinates 54.5525, 19.969444The hill of Balga had been the site of an Old Prussian (Warmian) fortress called Honeda, that had been unsuccessfully besieged by the Wettin margrave Henry III of Meissen on his 1237 Prussian Crusade. It was conquered in 1239 by the forces of the Teutonic Order, led by Grand Marshal Dietrich von Bernheim. The Teutonic Order rebuilt it into an Order Castle.
Bañares Castle is located in La Rioja, Spain.map coordinates 42.465018, -2.910539This castle is now in ruins, as much of the stone was sold for construction. It is known that it had thick walls, keep and a moat that defended it. On December 24, 1477, the infant D. John gave his gentleman in waiting Diego López de Zúñiga the County of Banares. But there are records that indicate the first tower was erected in 1395 by Juan Pérez de Lagunilla. [img]http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A9RGdc7RiOM/UFwS5Q5zyDI/AAAAAAAANKk/GpYHkn2chK8/s400/Ba%C3%B1aresDSC01112.JPG[/img][img]http://www.castillosdeespaña.es/sites/castillosdeespana.es/files/images/FC/LA%20RIOJA/014%20Banyares.jpg[/img]
The Castle of Stilo is a castle built at Stilo, Calabria in southern Italy.map coordinates 38.480556, 16.464167The first reference to the Norman castle at Stilo is from May 7, 1093 in a concession act of Comte Roger to Saint Bruno: "elegerunt itaque quondam solitudinis locum inter locum qui dicitur Arena et oppidum quod appelatur Stilum". [img width=600 height=450]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/98/Interno_castello_normanno.JPG/640px-Interno_castello_normanno.JPG[/img]
Irton Hall is located near the village of Holmrook in England.map coordinates 54.392446, -3.379614Irton Hall is a large mostly 19th-century house which incorporates a 14th-century pele tower. The Tower belonged to the Lord of Irton and Melthwaite. Henry VI stayed there on occasion. Photo From Tripadvisor- The hall is now a Bed & Breakfast
The Castle of Vinhais is located in Portugal.map coordinates 41.835, -7.000278A first attempt to register the incorporation of the town and the fortress was under the reign of D. Sancho II (1223-1248), a second, under his brother and successor, D. Afonso III (1248-1279) who granted the town a charter on 20 May of 1253 to build the castle where there was already a nucleus of settlement organized around the Church of San Facundo.
Tromra Castle is located in County Clare, Ireland.map coordinates 52.801500, -9.472183This conspicuous peel tower is a well-marked object in all wide views of the low central coast of Clare despite the fact that the tower lies on very low ground. Though the castle is probably a late 15th century building, but the place appears in the records from a far earlier period. The castle had been confirmed to the Earl of Thomond in 1652 by the commonwealth and again to him, Col. Carey Dillion and Robert Dixon. It was afterwards held by Samuel Burton, and in 1712 it was granted in fee farm to Mrs. Alice Burton by Henry, Earl of Thomond. [img]http://irishantiquities.bravehost.com/clare/tromra/tromra01.JPG[/img][img]http://irishantiquities.bravehost.com/clare/tromra/tromra02.JPG[/img] [img]http://irishantiquities.bravehost.com/clare/tromra/tromra03.JPG[/img]
The Castle of Turégano is an ancient fortress located in the town of Turégano in the province of Segovia, Spain.map coordinates 41.158155, -4.005160The castle was founded on the site of a pre-existing Celtiberian fortress. Its structure is integrated into the adjacent church of San Miguel. [img width=600 height=450]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-coaD45-8liA/Txl5Npu755I/AAAAAAAAPQg/yTv50ithSMk/s1600/Montse%20Fotoblog%20Castillo%20de%20Tur%C3%A9gano.JPG[/img]
03/27/2014 at 9:59 AM #12730
Schloss Buchenau is located in Buchenau between Fulda and Bad Hersfeld in the district of Eiterfeld, Germany.map coordinates 50.780163, 9.765620The castle was built in 1611-1618 by Georg Melchior von Buchenau and his wife Agnes von Schwalbach in the style of the Renaissance. The oldest portion of the castle is the main hall; which was built in 1550 by Georg of Buchenau (1535-1563) and his wife Susanne of Mansbach.
Schwalbennest Castle is located in the Hesse region of Germany.map coordinates 49.407, 8.8245 The castle was probably built by Ulrich II, youngest son of Ulrich I, Count of Steinach, sometime around 1300. It was one of several castles that the family built along the Neckar River.
Hinterburg Castle is located in Neckarsteinach, Germany.map coordinates 49.409460, 8.872572Around 1100 the castle was begun with the construction, probably in the fief of the Bishopric of Worms or the Diocese of Speyer. Around 1142 the castle became the property of the Counts of Steinach; Bligger I being the first to be documented at this castle. [img width=600 height=450]http://media.pointoo.de/files/assets/images/000/005/980/big/Neckarsteinach-Hinterburg-in-Neckargemue.jpg?1265425527[/img]
Mittelburg is located in Neckarsteinach, Germany.map coordinates 49.409250, 8.833002The middle castle was probably around 1165 by Conrad I of Steinach, the youngest son Bliggers II of Steinach. It is just east of the Hinterburg. [img]http://www.burgenreich.de/pictures/Burg%20NS%20Mittelburg/Burg%20NS%20Mittelburg%20Hof%20Vorburg.JPG[/img] [img width=600 height=397]https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-pevIz1z3gGg/UqFvSVOdQzI/AAAAAAAAADg/IvC0A83XsKw/s0/G%2BHeidelberg%2B211%2BMittelburg.JPG[/img][img width=600 height=450]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/25/Neckarsteinach_Mittelburg3.JPG/1023px-Neckarsteinach_Mittelburg3.JPG[/img]
Vorderburg Castle is located in Neckarsteinach, Germany.map coordinates 49.409018, 8.835243Vorderburg was built by Ulrich I of Steinach by 1200 at the latest. The castle was half each in the fief of the Bishopric of Speyer and the diocese of Worms. [img width=600 height=450]http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_OqEaZGrMA54/THfzLlLAk6I/AAAAAAAACgs/hSg3Tv7CjGs/s1600/IMG_2389.JPG[/img]
Leiva Castle is located in the town of Leiva in the Rioja region of Spain.map coordinates42.501428, -3.047808The combination of octagonal towers with the remnants of older moats show evidence of construction from the Fourteenth through the Fifteenth Centuries. It was partly remodeled in the Seventeenth Century; but the basic structure was left intact.
The Château de Nérac is a castle in the Aquitaine region in France.map coordinates 44.135278, 0.34An earlier structure from the actual castle belong to Arsieu of Albian in 1088 and later to Amanieu VI of Albret (Labrit), but the castle was rebuilt between the 15th and 16th centuries by the House of Albret. [img width=450 height=600]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8d/N%C3%A9rac_ch%C3%A2teau_%286%29.JPG/576px-N%C3%A9rac_ch%C3%A2teau_%286%29.JPG[/img] [img width=600 height=337]http://neracaventuras.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/dsc00019.jpg?w=652&h=366[/img]
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All night we celebrated the 487th anniversary of the appearance of la Virgen of Guadalupe in Mexico. That is, all night we listened to rockets go off in honor of la Virgen's appearance. I want to say something snarky about how she'd prefer to be honored by harp….
Mostly it seems an opportunity to buy, sell and take pictures. But as I cynically shook my head at the junk food and plastic toys, I realized that Mother Mary wants us to eat together, provide for our families, and celebrate community. But a communal trash pick up would be a good way to honor her tomorrow!
The boys with facial hair make-up on were my favorite part. They were dressed as Juan Diego, the first indigenous person to become a saint in the Americas (and the one who saw la Virgen).
The greater the sacrifice (steps walked on pilgrimage, amount of money donated to the church, crawling on one's knees in pain) the greater the chance la Virgen will grant one's prayer request. The superficial theology offends me, but I see a deeper wisdom.
We learn as we go, we shape our character and values through how we spend time (how many steps we walk on pilgrimage), how we use our money (church and otherwise) and what we feel (pain for purpose, pleasure for purpose). Reminds me of the Korean story about the tiger's whisker.


Buy StyleCo L Size Bean Bag Without Beans Worth Rs 799 For Rs 299 Only from Shopclues.
This large size modern classic bean bag cover is from the house of StyleCo. Easy to move around, it can be used in any room of your home or office or even outdoor. Match it with your furniture to enhance the look of your furniture.
Please note that this is just the bean bag without beans. The beans have to be purchased and filled separately.


This is holder for Chinese ink brush, the concept has been around for 1500 years (its hard to imagine otherwise as the ink brush is quite a messy object without it). There are many different design and material, the ceramic mountain has been a popular design since the Ming dynasty. Funny enough, there are brush holders that are named after mountains but also also mountains that are named as "brush holder", in Hong Kong (Beacon Hill), in Liao Ning, Qing Hai, Si Chuan, Fu Jian and of course the most famous mount on Huang Shan.


"Big Data and Analytics: Issues, Solutions, and ROI" by J. P. Shim, Aaron M. French et al.
Recently, the topic of big data and analytics has received renewed attention from academia and practitioners. There has been an increase in demand for skills in big data and analytics due to the increasing speed, variety, and volume of information. Several research reports have shown that big data and analytics remain top priority for CIOs. A recent study shows how a company accurately predicted a teen girl's pregnancy via the company's big data algorithm. However, there are dark sides to big data and analytics. A panel discussion addressed topics concerning how companies ensure that big data projects clearly define measurable goals up front, methods that companies use to ensure maximum return and most effectively, and ways that companies evolve culture, processes, and technology to simultaneously maximize return. Most companies are looking at how they can effectively manage their business more through using their data assets. Companies today target an average return of $3.50 dollars for every dollar spent on big data projects. However, most are only returning a fraction of that today, which leaves room for improvement and the possibility that organizations will push back against new analytic technologies. In this paper, we cover these topics that a panel of researchers at AMCIS 2014 in Savannah, GA, discussed.


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SelfBuild
Extensions & Renovations
Living Areas
Hallway & Staircase
Utility & Plant Room
Magazines Digital
SelfBuild Ireland specialises in helping people either self-build or improve their home with our exhibitions magazines and online services #selfbuild
We are the only specialist self-build and home improvement exhibition in Ireland. In 2019 our shows will take place in Belfast (Feb), Dublin (Sep) and Cork (Nov).
119 Cahard Rd, Saintfield,
Ballynahinch BT24 7LA
Privacy Policy info can be read HERE
Contemporary Co. Down Build
It was always Dom Thorpe's dream to build a contemporary home, but his wife Nicola wasn't convinced it was such a good idea… at least at first.
"Ever since I met Dom I knew he wanted to build his home but to me it just sounded like a lot of hassle and stress," says Nicola. "We've both always liked watching Grand Designs houses. It was more the idea of building from scratch that I found daunting." "We had done what we could with our home and even though we loved what we'd achieved, we knew we could use more room with the three kids. Over a period of 14 years we had renovated our kitchen and ensuite."
"Then I don't know if it was a midlife crisis or what but it was very much me who was encouraging Dom to have a look at sites, to a certain extent I think I got bored with our house. We put it up for sale before we even found the land to build on."
"We'd originally thought of buying a second hand house but to really get what we wanted we realised we had to build new," she adds. "A big appeal for me is that you get a house that's built for your own needs. It'll give us 20 years with minimal upkeep, we won't be renovating room by room as we did in the previous house."
BUILD SPEC
House size: 335sqm / Plot size: 0.2 acre
Architect's note about planning permission: Site in an area of outstanding beauty; high quality bespoke design complying with PPS21 – CTY 10 Dwelling On A Farm accompanied with a Design and Assessment Statement detailing the concept behind the Clachan Style proposal specific to this site in terms of sloping topography, views towards the Lough, privacy form the road and solar orientation.
Walls: Masonry cavity wall with 150mm blown bead insulation and 62.5mm PIR insulation plasterboard, U-value 0.12 W/sqmK
Floor: Concrete slab with 150mm PIR insulation and 100mm sand:cement screed, U-value 0.12 W/sqmK
Roof: Timber cut roof with 50mm PIR insulation on top of rafter and 200mm sprayfoam insulation between rafters U-value 0.15 W/sqmK
Windows: Triple glazed thermally broken aluminium system, U-value of openings 1 W/sqmK
Systems: Whole house mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, oil fired central heating and a secondary wood burning stove
Architect: BGA Architects, Newtownards, Co Down, tel. 9181 5736, bga-ni.com
Roofing: Scrabo Roofing, Newtownards, Co Down, tel. 9181 6787, scraboroofing.com
Kitchen: Interior360, Belfast, tel. 9070 9360, interior360.com
Bathrooms: Beggs And Partners, beggsandpartners.ie
Tiles: Shellard Tiles, Lisburn, Co Antrim, tel. 9267 5119, shellardtiles.co.uk
Stove: The Stove Yard, Newtownards, Co Down, tel. 9181 4443, stoveyard.com
Interiors: Warden's, Newtownards, Co Down, tel. 9181 2147, wardenbros.com
Landscaping: Orchardhill, Dundonald, Co Down, tel. 9188 4009, orchardhilllandscapes.com
Sauna: Oceanic Saunas, oceanic-saunas.co.uk
Photography: Christopher Hill Photographic, scenicireland.com
The Perfect Site
"Dom looked for land but it was hard to find suitable plots, they were all compromised to a certain extent. When we found the site we were hooked. I knew we would never get this plot again; it was close to work and Belfast, close to the children's school. A two acre site that ticked all the boxes. As soon as we saw it, we put in an offer and thankfully it was accepted."
You could think that with the right plot, the house nearly designs itself. But it's architectural flair that will elevate it to something really special. "If you want to build a house like any other why bother? From our point of view, if we were going to do this we felt the house should be completely unique, and push the boundaries" says Nicola. "We're fans of contemporary design, the Miami cube box beach house, all white, all glass, painted white throughout. That was our starting point." Dom had the practical elements lined up too, four bedrooms, a Jack and Jill bathroom for two young children, and another two bedrooms both ensuite.
"We looked online for an architect and through sheer luck we found John who was based locally. We didn't want to have to hire an architect from too far away because we knew he'd have to come down regularly for site visits – from the get-go we wanted him to be the one to do the project management. We were amateurs and needed the guidance. Getting someone in from a different county wouldn't have been practical."
'From our point of view, if we were going to do this we felt the house should be completely unique, and push the boundaries'
"We gelled with John's style, we thought 'he's for us'. The first time we met him, we actually brought him to another site, one that wasn't completely perfect, so he was on board early on. Other architects we spoke to were very traditional, not what we were after, we couldn't be happier with the choice we made." And yet the brief wasn't followed to the letter.
"The end result isn't what we had first imagined. For example we'd asked for stainless steel stairs; we wouldn't want that now but it was on the wish list at the time. We also thought we'd put even more glass into the design but we ended up with less than I expected upstairs, instead we went with concealed soft lighting which helps make those areas more private," Nicola explains.
"As we'd sold our house before we started work, during the design and build stages we were living in rental accommodation, they were both quite dark. That was a great motivator to adding as much glass and light as we could into our new home!"
They did have the zinc roof on their wish list but while John agreed on the finish, he suggested an agricultural shape. "I wasn't fussed on the shape of the barn roof John first suggested so we changed that to a traditional pitched roof. I put my foot down for that one."
"What was on the list and were able to add was a sauna/steam room, it was a real extravagance and we were so privileged to have been able to do it."
Area of Outstanding Beauty
"At the time we were living in the house across the Lough, part of a development, so we felt really connected to this area and feel so lucky to still be living on the Lough." "We had to wait 13 months from purchasing the land to getting planning permission because the site is in an Area of Outstanding Beauty. When we bought it, it had Outline Planning Permission, but was a virgin plot so there was no electricity, water connection or wastewater system on the site."
"We're very grateful we got our full planning permission. The planners were particular about the location, we just had to put the house where the planners wanted it to be. Halfway down the hill was the spot, in the corner. It's an unusual choice because it's close to the neighbours and the site is actually quite big. People often ask why we chose to build where we did. But
we're tucked in and the house blends in the slope."
"In many ways we felt our architect John was building his dream house – he loves this house – so I do think we got 100 per cent out of him, it was detailed to perfection. He's so fussy at times the builders found him to be too much. On the other hand we were delighted. We'd have no skill in that department so having John on our side made the build go so much more smoothly."
"My husband and I knew instantly we just couldn't do it without him, and he did turn out to be brilliant. We certainly got our money's worth and the more we progressed with the project the more it felt financially advantageous to us. Lighting, where to source tiles, colours, plumbing. Everything about the house he guided us on." "With three young children and busy work lives, hiring an architect is money more than well spent."
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But a meeting of minds on this level is quite exceptional. "I suppose it was lucky our taste and his taste are very similar. We mostly gave him carte blanche, we didn't interfere much and he had fantastic ideas, we trusted him to produce it for us."
"Originally we went for a zero carbon design but realised when we added up all the extras required that it would be too costly. We had our hearts set on the amount of glazing we wanted and didn't want to compromise on that." "Thanks to the triple glazing and loads of insulation the energy bills are low, the house is very warm, it's never cold night or day. We have a wood burning stove, but it's only there for aesthetics, the heating system is an energy efficient condensing oil boiler – we looked at alternative green energy forms e.g. geothermal in combination with solar but the payback period was too long. We also considered wood pellets but didn't want to deal with lorry deliveries and had heard of issues of blockages with the pellet feeder."
"We used to live in draughty cold houses and I love the fact that it's never cold in here. The heat recovery ventilation system is an added bonus, the air is filtered and you can sense the difference."
Their architect oversaw the tendering process and five builders came back with offers. "We chose one who had built contemporary with John before," continues
Nicola. "There was a continual communications line between him and my husband, who was at every site meeting. We were on site from January 2015 to May 2016; the meetings were once a month at first then weekly near the end and emailing was on a daily basis."
'We used to live in draughty cold houses and I love the fact that it's never cold in here.'
"I was interested but couldn't dedicate much time to the project between full time work and three children. I did keep an eye on it out of interest – at one stage John and Dom both wanted shingles instead of roof tiles and I refused, no one could talk me into it!"
"The only real headache was due to the German triple glazed floor to ceiling windows. We had a problem with the original installation company, they wanted to be paid in advance and we were very nervous about that so we had to look for another installer." "This caused a delay to such an extent the architect nearly closed down the site for three months; at one stage I thought we were going to have to block up the openings and put in standard sized windows. We did eventually find another installer, but they then had to get the windows made."
"There's always a fear you won't finish, but at least we didn't go too far over budget – the main issue was having to pay rent for those extra three months."
"Our aim long term is to grow vegetables and be self-sufficient with fruit trees. It's a wonderful idea but we are very busy as it is as it is. " They also future proofed the house.
"We have plumbed everything so that the systems could be extended beyond the house into an extension. There's scope for future development to add on from various angles." The house has no doubt another project in it.
Gather ideas before you buy the site. Get a feel for what you want, know what you like, take the time to do this before you've even bought your site. We had gathered loads of pictures into a scrapbook, we loved the concealed curtains we saw in a hotel for example, so we had that put in. If you're thinking of building, look about and take pictures and make the ideas you love part of the design remit. I have to admit we like to plan ahead and I'm fastidious. I have to get things right. I even took pictures for the planting scheme off a TV programme. I have all the visuals in a folder with the details. Dom knows every socket and screw in the house!
Don't rush in. If you make rash decisions on bathrooms, sizes and so on, you may come to regret them.
Don't trust the builders 100 per cent to do their job. You need to keep an eye on every detail even if you have an architect overseeing the project. Neither will know exactly what you want and several times we had to re-do things that had been done not as we wished or just didn't look right.
Check the budget daily. We didn't go over by much because we had a fixed price tender and all variations were extra, Dom kept tabs to the last penny. He had total control of the budget and stayed on top of it. If there was something we wanted to add it had to be discussed and okayed by both of us.
What's your favourite part of the house? The best part of it all is the open plan living room and kitchen, the view is always changing as the tide ebbs and flows. It always make me smile. I just love being home; money can't buy that.
The house sits beautifully, neat and seamless. Inside the minimalism is so neat and tidy, I love the clinical style, it gives so much room. I also love sitting looking out on the Lough, seeing all the way across, it's so quiet and peaceful. The views are cathartic, why go to a spa when you're living in the countryside? I love to dine in instead of going to the restaurant. I never want to leave the house! There's a wonderful sense of wellbeing here.
What would you change? The interconnecting garage is nice to have as part of the house but I'd also build a separate garage.
What surprised you? The windows delaying us for so long. But I was also surprised the first time I walked into the finished house. When you look at drawings in 2D or even 3D you get a feel for what it really will be like, but to see the finished product is something else, it was lovely to see all of the finishing touches. The glass balcony overlooking down the stairs was great to see for the first time.
Would you do it again? I'd do it again if the plot had been a compromise but we'll never find another site as good as this one. That said I love putting together interiors and I'd love to do this for others. You become proficient the more practice you get. I know I would do it better the second time around but I would keep the same architect.
Astrid Madsen
Astrid Madsen is the editor of SelfBuild & Improve Your Home magazine. She previously held the same role in an Irish trade publication, before that she worked at the National Standards Authority of Ireland. She graduated with a BA in Urban Studies from Columbia University in New York and holds an MBA from the Instituto de Estudios Bursatiles in Madrid. France of origin, she now lives in Portarlington, County Laois, where she's taken on the task of renovating a listed building! Email astrid.madsen@selfbuild.ie
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David Purcell says:
Hi There, I am designing a house here on a very exposed headland over looking Tramore bay here in Waterford. I loved your article in the january edition of Nicola and Dom's house in co Down.
I am currently researching suitable windows and loved the windows in this house, would it be possible for you to let me know the Company / Brand of window used in this project ?
David Purcell
Astrid Madsen says:
Hi David, Nicola's reply: "We used Boxite as our supplier but I believe there is a company in Banbridge who also do them now. Hope this helps!"
Dan Shanahan says:
Great house – lovely design and so well executed! I am about to begin my own self build with a near identical wall spec. Did the client/architect/builder use a scratch/parge coat below the insulated plasterboard to achieve air tightness or was the insulated plasterboard with tapes to perimeters enough? Thanks for any feedback in advance.
Hi Dan, we checked with the architect and they did indeed use a British Gypsum Airtite Quiet parge coat in the external walls prior to installing insulated plasterboard.
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Home Labor News From Our Region Former IBEW 309 leader Robert 'Mike' Faust dies
Former IBEW 309 leader Robert 'Mike' Faust dies
Collinsville, IL – Robert Joseph "Mike" Faust, the former business manager and financial secretary of IBEW Local 309 from 1970 through 1990, has died at age 86.
A memorial service "Celebration of the Life of Robert 'Mike' Faust" is planned from 1-4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 28, at the Local 309 hall, at 2000 Mall St. along Illinois 157 in Collinsville.
Brother Faust, 86, of Maryville, IL, died Saturday, Aug. 13, at Anderson Hospital. A native of East St. Louis, he was born on Dec. 27, 1929. He grew up in St. Joseph's Parish and graduated from Central Catholic High School's Class of 1947.
Faust flew in B-36's over Korea, then came home and married Margaret Sabo, who grew up a few blocks away. His passions in life were family and friends, sports and Local 309.
His family reports that he battled Alzheimer's disease before his death. He was cared for by his wife in their home until shortly before his death.
Brother Faust is survived by his wife of 62 years, Margaret Elizabeth Faust; son Mike, daughter Beth and granddaughters Nicole and Katie.
He was preceded in death by his parents, the former Mary Ellen Walsh and Eugene Albert Faust; sisters Eugenia, Lorraine and Ruth and brothers Charles and Albert.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association or to the IBEW Local 309 Distressed Members' Fund, 2000 Mall St., Collinsville, Ill., 62234.
Kurrus Funeral Home handling the arrangements. Online condolences may be seen at kurrusfh.com.
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Thornton Family
Ten thousand acres of land were leased and bought in 1868 by Daniel Bateman .
He was visiting with his brother-in-law Josiah Firth of Matamata and had travelled by river to Cambridge. They continued on horseback over the Maungakawa Range where Thornton was captivated with the idea of building his house on top of the hill – Pukemakomako – and utilizing the land to grow wheat for their up-and-coming flour mill.
The area at that time was known as the Maungakawa and Maunganui Surveys and bordered the huge Maungakawa Pa and 'Bucklands Run' to the east. Initially the property was used for grazing and fattening cattle and was in the charge of a manager for many years.
The Thornton family, originally from Yorkshire, were owners of a large woollen mill in Russia. Daniel Thornton's father had been invited to Russia to assist with the Russian mills and from this the Thornton Mill eventuated. Daniel was four years old at that time.
He married Hannah Isherwood in 1846 and they had a son, James. Hannah died in 1852 and Daniel married his cousin Sophia Firth in 1856. With Josiah Firth and his family they emigrated to New Zealand in 1856, and all their nine children were born in Auckland.
The first venture was a corn milling business and subsequently they built up the firm of Thornton, Smith and Firth, a leading flourmill that was later known as Northern Roller Mills.
On the death of Daniel's father c1870 they returned to Russia. In 1874 they were about to return to New Zealand when Daniel's elder brother, John, died. Danel being guardian of John's children, they stayed on in Russia to run the woollen mill business.
In 1880 Daniel retired from the mill, again intending to return to New Zealand but he died suddenly at his home 'Monteray', St Mary's Road, Wimbleton Park, Surrey on 12 August 1881 aged 56. (Daniel had had diabetes for many years and Sophia outlived him by 29 years, dying at Eastbourne, England in 1910.)
After Daniel's death Sophia and her children returned to New Zealand and built their dream house on the top of Maungakawa in 1890. But this wasn't just an ordinary house. This was a two storeyed mansion built by Mr Julien of Auckland who had all the material carted up the hill by horse and wagon. An enormous task.
The house featured a large entrance hall, an immense fireplace catering for at least twelve people, a beautiful winding staircase leading up to the bedrooms. (It has been said that Sophia's suite was made of Russian wood). There was a dining room off which was a conservatory. The maids' rooms had a staircase to them from another wing of the house. Furniture had been collected from all over the world as had the trees and shrubs for the garden.
Thomas M. Brown formerly of the Fencourt Estate and George Graham's of Ellerslie, was the gardener who laid out the grounds and planted the trees and shrubs, some of which are still flowering today. He was always happy to show people around. Half way up the hill Mrs Thornton placed a seat, marking the place 'Rest and Be Thankful.'
In 1892 the property passed to William Thornton, Sophia's youngest son, who in 1896 married Hilda Worsp. (They had one son Daniel who was killed in World War One)
In the 1890's Maungakawa was the scene of big gatherings of Maori who came from all parts of the North Island. King Tawhaio established his Parliament in a meeting house (on what is now the farm of the Muirhead family). A printing press was set up on which was printed a newspaper called "Te Paki O Te Matariki" or "Girdle of the Pleiades", between 1891-1893.
It is not known for certain why the Maori abandoned the area, but at one stage an epidemic caused many deaths.
The views are just as expansive as when Daniel Thornton stood there in wonderment over one hundred and forty years ago. Occasionally a bellbird is heard.


General Motors (GM) announced today that they have missed their target of selling 10,000 Chevy Volts by the end of 2011. According to the company, they were 2,329 cars short of their goal.
A federal safety investigation that was launched in late November is sure to have hampered December sales of the plug-in hybrid. Still, GM reports it managed to sell just over 1,500 of them in December.
As we reported at the time, a Chevy Volt caught on fire while being stored in a test facility's parking lot, several weeks after a crash test.
After the fire, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) replicated the conditions of the test. Of the three tests, one battery ignited a week after the crash test, and a second sparked and smoked, but did not ignite. Though they were able to replicate the crash with a resultant fire, the NHTSA said they were not aware of any fires being started by actual crashes.
When news of the investigation spread, GM reacted quickly. Their first step was to offer free loaner cars to Volt owners. In a statement at that time, they said "A vehicle loan program of this nature is well beyond the norm for a preliminary investigation, and it underlines our commitment to the vehicle and its owners. These steps are the right ones to take regardless of any immediate impact on our operations." They also pointed out that the Chevy Volt has won over 30 safety awards worldwide, and had an NCAP five star overall vehicle score for safety.
Just days after the loaner program was announced, GM went a big step further and announced they would buy back any Chevy Volt if the car owner was dissatisfied or concerned about safety issues. GM has not said if any owners took them up on the offer. We expect not many have, for two reasons. One is that, prior to the investigation, Consumer Reports conducted a survey and found that the Chevy Volt was the top-ranked car for customer satisfaction – 93% of Volt owners said they would purchase the same car again. The second reason is that the fires started a week or more after serious crashes – and GM has stated that if their post crash procedures had been followed, the batteries would not have ignited. If that is true, it would appear any risk is low and if shoppers are otherwise happy with their cars, not many are likely to ask for the buy-back option. However, if the results of the investigation turn out badly, all bets are off.


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The Big Bang Theory 9.12: "The Sales Call Sublimation" Review
NOTE: Full spoilers for this episode of The Big Bang Theory are present in this review
With The Big Bang Theory making its return to the airwaves and kicking off 2016 this week, we got a welcome change in gears for the season, with the Sheldon/Amy storyline put aside, in favour of the other characters, in, "The Sales Call Sublimation." With Amy away at a neurobiology conference, Sheldon is instead left to goof off with Raj on a trip to analyze astronomy data, while Penny sets up Leonard to pose as a patient for a psychiatrist that she's trying to sell to, and Howard and Bernadette have to cope with Stuart moving out.
Yes, at long last, two years later, Stuart is finally moving out of the Wolowitz household. This was definitely the biggest development in what's otherwise a pretty laid-back, surprisingly uneventful midseason premiere for The Big Bang Theory, and the way that Stuart announced it out of the blue, quite suddenly, worked very well. Howard is initially thrilled at the news of Stuart moving out, to the point where he immediately marks all of the extra spaces in the house that he wants to have sex with Bernadette in, now that Stuart is gone, though it's not long before both of them feel a hole. After cleaning out Stuart's room and realizing that the place isn't the same, the two begin to miss him.
This was an interesting idea, though its resolution was also sadly the weakest of the three storylines. Howard and Bernadette missing Stuart is certainly interesting, though this revelation didn't really go anywhere in this particular episode. Instead, they simply wonder why they miss Stuart, and… That's it. That's where the episode leaves them. There's no indication that Stuart will come back, or that anything will even be mentioned about this in next week's episode, making this an intriguing idea that the show disappointingly doesn't explore beyond the surface.
Nonetheless, the rest of the episode was fairly solid, and the idea of settling into a more comfortable groove, and giving audiences a break from all of the Sheldon/Amy drama from the front half of Season Nine, was probably the right call. The humour was also pretty solid this week, between both the Sheldon/Raj plot, and the Leonard/Penny plot, both of which provided some pretty amusing jokes.
The Sheldon/Raj storyline mostly just provided gag fodder, but that's fine, since it let us kick back and relax with Sheldon's character for the first time in a little while. When Sheldon ends up discovering a stray object in space, which turns out to be a medium-sized asteroid, Sheldon and Raj debate about what to name it. Eventually, it's suggested that they name it after their girlfriends, though Sheldon convinces Raj to allow him to name the asteroid after Amy, believing that a rock in space will get him out of Valentine's Day for the rest of his life. In response however, if Sheldon and Amy have kids, they have to name them all after Raj, including the girls. This was a pretty amusing conclusion to the storyline, and Amy's reaction to this news was especially funny.
The bulk of the episode however seemed to comprise the Leonard/Penny plot, which is the one referenced in the episode's title. When Penny expresses frustration at failing to meet up with a psychiatrist that she's trying to sell an anti-anxiety pill to, Raj suggests having Leonard go in and pose as a patient. When the group points out numerous (funny, and true) issues with Leonard that could justify him going to a psychiatrist, Leonard successfully gets a meeting together, and is overjoyed to learn that the woman disagrees with his mother's publicized theories on child-rearing.
From here, Leonard begins to enjoy the psychiatrist, and actually gets quite a lot out of the experience. Nonetheless however, when he successfully convinces the psychiatrist to meet with Penny, the psychiatrist figures out immediately that Leonard posed as a patient. This leads to Penny being put under the psychological microscope, and from here, there's more funny, but simple gag fodder… Oh, and Leonard is convinced to do double-dutch with some young girls, because he learned that he's a meaningful person whose happiness matters. I think Raj said it best when he said that he learned the same thing from a cat poster for free, but hey, more power to Leonard.
Like I said, for a midseason premiere, "The Sales Call Sublimation" is a pretty unremarkable episode of The Big Bang Theory, though it offered enough decent storylines and good jokes to satisfy. The comfortable start to 2016 is more perfunctory than exemplary, but the show still managed to start the year off on a good note. Sometimes, that's enough for a sitcom as huge as this one.
The Big Bang Theory 9.12: "The Sales Call Sublimation" Review
The Big Bang Theory kicked off 2016 on a comfortably funny, though somewhat unremarkable note with its midseason premiere. Fortunately, most of the storylines and jokes were still good enough to satisfy though.
Funny Sheldon/Raj sidestory
Leonard's trip to the shrink
Stuart finally moving out of the Wolowitz house
For a midseason premiere especially, no story really stands out
Stuart moving out has no real payoff
cbshoward wolowitzleonard hofstadterpennyraj koothrappalisheldon cooperstuart bloomthe big bang theorythe sales call sublimation
Sherlock 2016 Holiday Special: "The Abominable Bride" Review
Heroes Reborn Episode 11: "Send in the Clones" Review
The Big Bang Theory 9.14: "The Meemaw Materialization" Review
Survivor Brains vs. Brawn vs. Beauty 2 announced, coming February


Here at 5Writers we're providing some insight into our current projects. Once we're done, we are passing on some info about some other writers whose work we dig. So, here's what Brad has on the horizon.
Where did the idea come from for the book? As a resident in a gentrifying neighborhood, I wondered what could send the fragile tension between the long-time residents and new residents into upheaval.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? I'm currently shopping for an agent.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? In terms of the range of characters it explores, Olive Kitteridge or TrailerPark would be good comparisons. In terms of theme, I'm not sure. The book deals with issues of race, class, family, and sexuality through the prism of gentrification.
What else about your book might pique the reader's interest? The book is not out to provide answers to the tricky situation that is gentrification; rather, it sets out to articulate the various aspects of the problem for the purpose of starting a conversation.
This entry was posted on December 30, 2012, 1:56 pm and is filed under Brad, Special Editions. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.


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Am I the only one who gets nervous driving behind this truck? YUCK!
As a Runner I have a renewed awareness of "Honey Buckets" (that is what the portable toilet company is called in my area). I see them all over, construction sights, parks, front yards, etc.. I recognize the "Nice," "Roomier," "Cleaner," variety, I have an internal ranking system. I dream of a race day with a clean toilet waiting for me with NO LINE.. When you gotta go...you gotta go... to the Honey Bucket.. It is an occupational hazard of being a Runner.
Trust me, I learned the hard way.. LOL..
Hop you are having a GREAT WEEKEND!!!
Disney World Marathon 2008: I had to "go" around mile 2. How flipping convinent that at that point in the race I was in epcot RIGHT NEXT TO a restroom. A clean, Disney world restroom, on a marathon course! I remember being in there thinking this was way too good to be true. My portapotty experience 15 miles later was less than desirable, but I'll always have that Epcot memory, LOL!
honey buckets..sounds so much sweeter than the mr. bob's that im partial to!
Seriously - honey buckets! We are port o let around here - gross!
Honey Bucket... what a funny name for a toilet!
I've seen that exact scenario... in a nightmare!!
Ha ha! You are so funny!


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Alternative flags for Earth as designed by visionaries and hippies
Katie Collins
OSKAR PERNEFELDT
The Earth finally has a flag, and about time too; after all, both flags and the concept of a spherical Earth have been around since at least the Middle Ages, if not earlier.
But before we all rush to thank Oskar Pernefeldt, student designer of the (a) flag for Earth, for finally getting it together on behalf of all humanity, perhaps we should take a moment to remember some of the other visionaries out there who have previously taken a crack at the project. It's hard to tell which would be best for interplanetary relations -- there is no evidence as of yet that aliens aren't colourblind.
Earth Flag
Perhaps one of the earliest attempts on record is John McConnell's Earth Flag. McConnell was responsible for creating Earth Day and -- seeking a symbol in which the people of the Earth could find hope-- he also created the Earth Flag in 1969. The original was made using screen printing on two-colour silk. McConnell used dark blue to represent the atmosphere, light blue to represent the clouds and and white to represent the oceans and the Earth.
John McConnell
One Flag in Space
McConnell's design was based on the Blue Marble, a famous Nasa photo of the Earth taken from outer space in 1972. The One Flag in Space initiative promoted the use of the Blue Marble flag for space exploration.
Flag of the Earth
In 1970 a farmer from Illinois named James Cadle created his own flag from the moon. It consisted of a black background, onto which was placed a large yellow arc to represent the sun, a smaller blue circle to represent the Earth and an even smaller white circle to represent the moon.
The flag is popular among those searching for extraterrestrial intelligence and is also used by YouTube on a user's profile when it cannot identify their country of origin.
James Cadle
United Nations flag
Many would argue that we already have a flag for Earth, and that that flag is the one used to represent the UN. The flag stands for unity and includes a visual representation of the planet and a wreath of crossed olive branches, designed to represent peace. The design was developed by a committee, which based it on a separate design by American architect Donal McLaughlin.
The World Flag
Created in 1988, the World Flag consists of 216 country flags along with the UN flag. It was designed by an American citizen named Paul Carroll who was aiming to increase awareness of common challenges for humanity with regards to globalisation.
Paul Carroll
World Peace Flag
A methodist minister from Ohio named James William van Kirk was responsible for designing the World Peace Flag of Earth. He took it with him on peace tours through Europe in 1913 and 1929, and it was eventually adopted by the Universal Peace Congress.
The One World Flag
This One World Flag occurred to its designer, David Bartholomew in a dream in 1996. It consists of a blue and green yin-yang symbol made up of blue and green to show the Earth in harmony. The white background represents peace and the four coloured bars represent the four points of a compass.
Earth's flag
Back in 2012, Redditor thefrek unveiled his own design for a flag from Earth, and unlike pretty much all the other flags out there, this one can change over time to reflect our current real estate across the universe. Depending how many planets we colonise, we can increasingly colour in the blank planets until the whole solar system is our empire.
Reddit user thefrek
TopicsSpaceCulture


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text:
World of Hidden Life Teems below Our Feet
Researchers have begun to catalogue how soil microbes are changing the world
By Elizabeth Svoboda, Quanta Magazine on July 2, 2015
Types of soil in the U.S. include (clockwise from top left) the Honga, Madison, Coxville, Cowarts, Lynn Haven, Green Level, Leon, Hiwassee, Tuxekan, and Appling series. All are found in the Southeast except for the Tuxekan series, which is located in Alaska. Credit: Images courtesy of John A. Kelley, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
From Quanta Magazine (find original story here).
Janet Jansson first started to wonder about the vast universe of underground life as a student at New Mexico State University in the late 1970s. A handful of soil contains about 10 billion bacteria, but at the time, earth scientists knew very little about what these microbes were and what they did. Later, as a young microbial ecologist at Stockholm University in Sweden, she started to catalog the microorganisms she collected during soil sampling trips, deciphering their genetic code so she could understand both their internal workings and how they fit into their underground habitat.
As Jansson dug, though, she kept running into a problem. The main method then used to amplify and analyze stretches of DNA wasn't powerful enough to reveal all the workings of a single microorganism, much less an entire community of them. "You could get information about specific genes, but sequencing technologies were very slow," said Jansson, now a division director of biological sciences at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Richland, Wash. She knew the layers of sediment she studied held a treasure trove of biological finds, but she didn't yet have the tools she needed to unearth them.
Then, soon after the turn of the century, new high-octane DNA sequencing methods made it possible to sequence thousands or even millions of genes almost instantly. These new, speedier methods meant researchers could easily sequence the collective genomes of the sample, known as a metagenome, for the first time. Suddenly, it was possible to scan the overall composition of habitats as diverse as stagnant bogs and frozen tundra, producing a detailed portrait of the microbial life they held. The gene and protein sequences from these wide-ranging scans—the first of their kind—would, once decoded, illuminate what the microbes were actually doing within each ecosystem. The data would help researchers understand how microbes capture and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, how they break down organic matter so that plants can access its nutrients, and how they neutralize soil toxins known to threaten human health. "You can just sequence everything," Jansson said. "That's where the metagenomic approach has really been an advantage."
Almost everything about Jansson's current surroundings is big and bold: the 600 acres of sycamore-studded PNNL campus rolling across eastern Washington, the endless blue sky she can see through her picture window, the fridge-size gene sequencing machine where her team deposits soil samples. But, as ever, what drives Jansson is the lure of the microscopic and the unseen—the challenge of mapping the contents of the soil microbiome, a teeming global community whose functions have never been fully understood. "Soil," Jansson said, flashing a grin, "is the ultimate complex system."
Janet Jansson on an expedition to Greenland. Courtesy of Janet Jansson
The underground prairie
Once metagenomics began opening up a whole new subsurface world to soil scientists, Jansson found herself faced with a fresh set of challenges. The scope of this emerging field she had helped to create was immense — a single teaspoon of soil may contain tens of thousands of species, and there are perhaps millions of species worldwide that have not yet been discovered. To tackle the staggering task of understanding their function, she formed a collaborative venture in 2010 called the Earth Microbiome Project, along with Rob Knight of the University of California, San Diego, and Jack Gilbert of Argonne National Laboratory in Argonne, Ill. The project aims to catalog 200,000 microbe-rich samples from locations around the world. (As of last year, it had analyzed more than 30,000 samples.) But Jansson also knew that to really dig deep, she had to narrow the dizzying array of research possibilities before her to a handful that she could tackle within a lifetime.
To begin, she and her team set out to study the prairie soils that dominate much of the American heartland. Thousands of soil microbes around the roots of grasses help the Midwestern Great Prairie to store more carbon than any other region in the continental United States. By producing proteins that slice and recombine carbon dioxide molecules, these microbes work in tandem with the grasses to capture atmospheric carbon dioxide and turn it into solid, carbon-rich biological matter that gets stored underground. That's a huge boon to humanity, because the more carbon dioxide a landscape can store, the less will be left as a greenhouse gas that drives planetary warming.
But since over 90 percent of all soil bacteria can't be grown in the lab, researchers have long been unsure just how they contribute to carbon cycling. A metagenomic analysis of these prairie microbes, Jansson thought, would help reveal the extent of their involvement in carbon storage and illuminate whether rainfall and human land cultivation change that role.
Jansson's team fanned out across the central third of the country to see what microbial novelties they could find. At field sites in Iowa, Kansas and Wisconsin, they took soil samples using tools called corers—foot-long hollow tubes designed to slice through the soil. When the corer emerges, it pulls up a log-shaped sample with all its layers—and, ideally, its microorganisms—intact. The chunk of dirt is then preserved on dry ice and sent back to the lab. There, technicians sequence the sample's DNA and RNA.
Once this process is complete, project scientists have a good idea which microbial genes are contained in each sample and what biological jobs the microbes perform. If a soil sample contains bacterial genes that produce enzymes used to convert carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into solid carbon, and these genes are active, researchers can conclude that microbes within the sample are actively storing carbon.
At each site, the research team sampled native, undisturbed prairie soil, as well as soil that had been farmed for many years. The sequenced samples revealed that the native prairie dirt contained a different mix of microbes from the farmed soil, which may in part be due to fertilizers that are used during farming. "When we looked at those comparisons, there were strong microbial signatures, almost like a biomarker of cultivation," Jansson said. She suspects that there are differences in the way microbes store carbon in native and cultivated soil, a topic she plans to explore further in future research.
The frozen tundra
Meanwhile, Jansson and her team were also exploring the soils of the Arctic, one of the world's fastest-changing climates. Jansson had long been curious about how these rapid temperature changes were affecting the underground microbial community, and whether these changes had any surprising side effects. "There's so much organic carbon trapped in permafrost," she said, "and we don't really know what's going to happen as the climate warms." At the outset of her work, Jansson suspected that warming trends might activate bacterial processes that break down stored carbon, releasing it into the atmosphere and fueling climate change. But since she didn't know for sure, she decided to study how the microbial community mix varied in three distinct types of Alaskan terrain: frozen permafrost, surface soil that freezes and thaws as the seasons change, and relatively warm, waterlogged bog soil.
As she suspected, Jansson found substantial differences among the microbial communities at these locations. Overall, there were few genes and proteins in the permafrost samples. But in the freezing and thawing soil layer, sequencing showed that bacteria within the soil samples were producing some intriguing proteins, including enzymes that snip long chains of carbon molecules, like cellulose from plants, into shorter, simpler sugar compounds that the bacteria can use as fuel. When this happens, previously "locked-down" carbon is released back into the atmosphere. "When [the soil] thaws," Jansson said, "it starts to transition more into decomposition." In warmer soils, in other words, bacterial carbon breakdown processes start to show up clearly in sequencing data. So just as some observers have feared, warming temperatures could release formerly inert carbon from the soil. This raises the worrying prospect of runaway carbon release as temperatures continue to rise.
Most strikingly, the warmest soil sample in Jansson's study—the spongy bog soil—revealed an array of microbial genes and proteins involved in the production of methane, a greenhouse gas more than 20 times as potent as carbon dioxide. One such protein was methyl-coenzyme M reductase, which is involved in transforming carbon dioxide into methane. This finding might imply that warming trends will drive local microbes to produce larger amounts of methane. Next, Jansson plans to investigate whether rapid thaws affect soil microbe populations differently from more gradual thaws, since both will likely become commonplace as the planet warms.
Bacterial terroir
Soil microbes are not just carbon processors, as the work of Jansson's colleagues reveals. Not only do the vast microbial communities underfoot affect air quality and global temperatures, they can also affect the taste and quality of the food we grow. Thomas Mitchell-Olds of Duke University wanted to see if the microbial populations in and around plants' roots could affect the way the plants matured. He and his student Maggie Wagner took soil samples from four different collecting sites in rural Idaho and isolated microbes from each sample. They then inoculated soil-filled pots with these four microbial samples and planted a common strain of mustard plant, Boechera stricta, in them. Certain types of microbes in the soil seemed to speed plant flowering time, the team found, while others, such as members of the Proteobacteria phylum, slowed it down.
The study underscored just how necessary microbial activity is to plant health and productivity. "Soil microbes had already been linked to drought tolerance, growth rate and other aspects of plant performance. Our experiment added flowering time to this list," Mitchell-Olds said. "The potential for soil microbes to tweak flowering time—whether to improve yield, buffer against climate change, or both—is intriguing." Such a prospect might interest not just farmers looking to increase their bounty, but also, say, wine growers in California's Napa Valley, who know how dramatically bloom time can affect the development of grapes and the taste of the resulting vintage. The famed terroir of places like Napa, in fact, may arise from thousands of microbes humming along in unseen harmony.
Other sequencing studies have illustrated the critical role soil microbes play in breaking down pollutants. When scientists at the University of Delhi in India took soil samples from a pesticide dump and compared them with samples from a cleaner control site, they reported that the soil from the waste site contained a higher concentration of gene sequences from certain bacterial groups, such as Pseudomonas, Novosphingobium and Sphingomonas, that are known to degrade common pesticides like hexachlorocyclohexane. Microbes, it seems, can adapt to help fouled landscapes recover, which presents the exciting possibility of deploying the bugs in bioremediation efforts. "Soils are a buffer against all kinds of insults to our ecosystem," said Vanessa Bailey, a microbiologist who works closely with Jansson at PNNL.
The researchers working on the Great Prairie project have managed to compile about 1.8 trillion bases of DNA data, but Jansson thinks those data describe only a fraction of the microbial communities in prairie soil, given that the soil contains between 1 billion and 10 billion individual cells per gram. "We're still at the discovery phase," she said. "We have a lot to do just to assemble a soil metagenome." She and other scientists are trying various techniques to streamline the gene analysis process, such as discarding less common gene sequences in a particular sample in order to focus on more prevalent ones.
The more Jansson and her colleagues are able to learn about previously unknown communities of microbes, the better they'll be able to predict how these communities will react to different conditions — droughts, warmer weather or floods, just to kick off the list. They hope to build these predictions into computer models that would illustrate what microbial activity a given environmental change might create, as well as the expected results of that activity. Such models could help environmental planners cultivate microbial mixes that achieve a desired end—which could be soil that locks up gigatons of atmospheric carbon, or that sloughs off pollution with ease, or that yields the kinds of grapes vintners dream about. "By having knowledge of the microbes that are present in the best-case scenario," Jansson said, "you can tweak the system to optimize that combination of microbes."
Soil cores are transported back to the lab, where researchers can analyze the dense microbial populations. Courtesy of Vanessa Bailey
But achieving the right microbial balance isn't always as simple as inoculating soil with certain strains of bacteria. "If the conditions are favorable for the microbes you want to flourish, they will flourish," Jansson said. "If you seed and the conditions aren't favorable, they will just die." The ideal approach, then, will often be to engineer the kind of landscape that beneficial microbes naturally flock to. In warming areas that grow boggier every year, this might mean ensuring that there is enough oxygen-rich moving water, which would make the area less hospitable to anaerobic microbes that belch large quantities of methane. In cultivated areas of the Great Prairie, farmers might choose fertilizers that preserve natural microbial diversity, yielding plentiful food crops and maximizing carbon capture from the atmosphere.
Still, insights like these are gradual and hard-won, and Jansson knows future scientists will need to take up the cause of discovering all the ways soil microbes affect the rest of the planet. For now, Jansson relishes playing the role of soil surveyor, mapping the variety and breadth of microbial communities so others can someday benefit from the knowledge. "We know more about the movement of celestial bodies," Leonardo da Vinci once mused, "than about the soil underfoot." More than 500 years later, Jansson wants to be the scientist who finally proves him wrong.
Reprinted with permission from Quanta Magazine, an editorially independent division of SimonsFoundation.org whose mission is to enhance public understanding of science by covering research developments and trends in mathematics and the physical and life sciences.
Elizabeth Svoboda
Elizabeth Svoboda is a freelance science writer in San Jose, Calif., and author of What Makes a Hero?: The Surprising Science of Selflessness (Penguin Group, 2013).
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Dinastia Bellachioma – prima dinastia reale della Norvegia
 Giuseppe Ercole Bellachioma (1959) – politico italiano

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