text:
GeoGarage blog
Daily press & media panorama with maritime thematic
Summer sailstice : "Sail the summer winds"
The dove (film)
Meteorological versus Astronomical summer—What's the difference?
Yesterday, June 21, 2013, was officially the first day of summer according to what the calendar tells us.
That is the beginning of astronomical summer.
However, in the meteorological and climatological world, summer has already been in full swing for 20 days.
So why do meteorological and astronomical summer start on different days?
In short, it is because the astronomical seasons are based on the position of the Earth in relation to the sun, whereas the meteorological seasons are based on the annual temperature cycle.
People have used observable periodic natural phenomena to mark time for thousands of years.
The natural rotation of the Earth around the sun forms the basis for the astronomical calendar, in which seasons are defined by two solstices and two equinoxes.
Both the solstices and equinoxes are determined based on the Earth's tilt and the sun's alignment over the equator.
The solstices mark the times when the sun's annual path is farthest, north or south, from the Earth's equator.
The equinoxes mark the times when the sun passes directly above the equator.
Earth has seasons because our world is tilted on its axis with respect to our orbit around the sun.
Summer solstice 2013: Northern Hemisphere's longest day, highest sun of the year
Image via NASA.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice falls on or around June 21, the winter solstice on or around December 22, the vernal (spring) equinox on or around March 21, and the autumnal equinox on or around September 22.
These seasons are reversed but begin on the same dates in the Southern Hemisphere.
Because the Earth actually travels around the sun in 365.24 days, an extra day is needed every fourth year, creating what we know as Leap Year.
This also causes the exact date of the solstices and equinoxes to vary.
Additionally, the elliptical shape of the Earth's orbit around the sun causes the lengths of the astronomical seasons to vary between 89 and 93 days.
These variations in season length and season start would make it very difficult to consistently compare climatological statistics for a particular season from one year to the next.
Thus, the meteorological seasons were born.
Meteorologists and climatologists break the seasons down into groupings of three months based on the annual temperature cycle as well as our calendar.
We generally think of winter as the coldest time of the year and summer as the warmest time of the year, with spring and fall being the transition seasons, and that is what the meteorological seasons are based on.
Meteorological spring includes March, April, and May; meteorological summer includes June, July, and August; meteorological fall includes September, October, and November; and meteorological winter includes December, January, and February.
These seasons were created for meteorological observing and forecasting purposes, and they are more closely tied to our monthly civil calendar than the astronomical seasons are.
The length of the seasons is also more consistent for the meteorological seasons, ranging from 90 days for winter of a non-leap year to 92 days for spring and summer.
By following the civil calendar and having less variation in season length and season start, it becomes much easier to calculate seasonal statistics from the monthly statistics, both of which are very useful for agriculture, commerce, and a variety of other purposes.
Links :
Summer sailstice
Posted by Peio at 1:18 AM No comments: Links to this post
Labels: marine
Nicaragua waterway to dwarf Panama canal
Inter-Oceanic Nicaragua Canal is a proposed waterway through Nicaragua
to connect the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean.
From The Guardian
Nicaragua's parliament is due to vote on Thursday 13 on one of the biggest infrastructure projects in Latin America's history – a trans-oceanic canal that is to be built and run by a Chinese company.
If it goes ahead, the $40bn (£26bn) scheme, which is twice as expensive as Brazil's Belo Monte dam and likely to be three times longer than the Panama canal, looks set to transform global shipping and jump start the economy of this Central American nation.
New York : Julius Bien & Co., [187-] (LOC)
As well as the waterway, the draft agreement between Nicaragua and a Hong Kong registered firm — Nicaraguan Canal Development Investment Co Limited – includes provisions for two free trade zones, an airport and a "dry canal" freight railway.
"This will be the largest project in Latin America in 100 years," Ronald Maclean, the executive fronting the operation in Managua told the Guardian.
"If Nicaragua gets to do this, it is going to be a transformational project not only for Nicaragua but for the region."
Panama canal (03/06/2013) USCG Landsat 8
Meanwhile, the Panama Canal is undergoing its own expansion project that will be complete by 2015, so that vast so-called "post-Panamax" ships can fit through it again instead of having to go around South America.
Panama canal (NGA chart)
>>> geolocalization with the Marine GeoGarage <<<
Given the government's large majority, parliamentary approval is expected to be a formality, but critics warn the plan is being rushed through without adequate scrutiny of the environmental impact, business viability and public well-being.
A one-year viability study is now under way and the operators soon plan to tap international financial markets in New York, London and Tokyo for investment in a scheme that they say will be entirely privately funded.
President Daniel Ortega is also said to be promoting the scheme in meetings with ambassadors from Brazil, Saudi Arabia and Canada.
Lake Nicaragua makes a canal here extremely practical
Although hydro-engineering techniques have advanced considerably since the 48-mile (77 km) Panama canal was completed in 1914, the logistical challenge will be enormous.
The new canal, which will pass through a much wider stretch of land, is likely to be more than 250km long.
It will also be much wider to allow passage by the biggest container ships.
The project will be operated by HKDN — a Hong-Kong based firm set up last year that has established a holding company in the Caiman Islands.
It will pay $10m a year for 10 years to the Nicaraguan government.
Nicaragua canal route preview
(routes alternatives -source-)
Bigger benefits are expected in the wider economy.
Paul Oquist, secretary of public policies of the presidency of the republic, said the Great Interoceanic canal will allow Nicaragua's GDP to double and employment to triple by 2018.
Legislators have complained that congressional committees had only two days to review a bill that could shape the country for a century.
"Given its complexity, the length of the concession and its importance for all Nicaraguans, this project deserves to be fully discussed and explained, seeking the broadest national consensus," noted the Nicaraguan Foundation for Economic and Social Development, an independent think-tank.
"How can we as Nicaraguans be sure that the conditions stipulated in the bill are the best that could have been achieved?"
Historic map of the unfinished Panama canal and a planned Nicaragua canal
Details of the possible route have yet to be disclosed, though it is thought likely that it will run through Lake Nicaragua, the most important source of freshwater in the country and a home to sharks and numerous other species.
Jaime Incer, a renowned environmentalist and presidential adviser, urged caution.
"There are alternatives for linking one ocean to the other, but there are no alternatives for cleaning a lake after a disaster has happened. We don't have another Lake Nicaragua," he told the Confidencial newspaper.
Indigenous groups also say they have not been adequately consulted.
Panoramic view of an old project for the Canal de Nicaragua (1890)
The operator says it has hired one of the world's leading consultancies, Environmental Resources Management to conduct impact assessments: "HKND Group has committed to develop the project in a manner that conforms with international best practices, delivers significant benefits to Nicaragua and its people, generates local job growth and economic development, honours the local population and heritage of the country, and serves the best interests of Central America and, indeed, the world."
General plan showing location of ship canal from Atlantic to Pacific (1890)
A.G. Menacol, Chief Engineer. (LOC)
But little is known of the group behind the project, which is headed by Wang Jing, the head of one of China's biggest telecom firms Xinwei.
It is unclear whether he has any experience in the field of hydroengineering, shipping or infrastructure, but earlier this year his company signed an agreement with the state-owned China Railway Construction Company, and Jing has met senior leaders in Beijing, including president Xi JInping.
The Nicaragua lake holds Ometepe and Zapatera
which are both volcanic islands on Ometepe island
Margaret Myers, director of the China and Latin America programme at the Inter-American Dialogue, said Wang's involvement did not necessarily mean the involvement of the Chinese government.
"The extent to which this project will increase 'China's' influence in the region and on global trade routes is unclear. This would depend on a wide variety of factors, including HKC's connections to the Chinese government and who else, if anyone, decides to invest in the project," she wrote.
The Nicaraguan government was due to be a 51% shareholder in the projects, according to preliminary legislation passed last year.
There is no mention of this in the latest bill, but Maclean said there has not been a change.
"I think it involves a gradual transfer from the company to the government over the life of the concession and that eventually the government will own the canal," he said.
Opposition lawmakers said immunity, tax breaks and other preferential treatment for foreign investors in a still-to-be determined project was a violation of nation sovereignty.
The Sandinista Renovation Movement said it would oppose the bill and "any document that gifts a concession, privileges, exonerations and tax exemptions to an unknown company, for an unknown route, for a period of 100 years."
Union des deux océans Atlantique et Pacifique
Dupuy, Aug. Myionnet 1855 (LOC)
"We are going to hand over the country's sovereignty without knowing where the canal is going to go, how much it is going to cost, its ecological impact or how long its construction is going to last," Independent Liberal party legislator Eliseo Núñez, told La Prensa.
Reuters : Insight: Who wants to bet on a 'Nicaragua Canal'?
Wired : Green light given for vast new oceanic canal across Nicaragua
Posted by Peio at 1:44 AM 3 comments: Links to this post
Ocean's little fish are a big deal
Tiny fish play a major role in the ocean's food web. Commonly known as forage fish, small schooling fish like herring and anchovies are a crucial food source for larger, more familiar species like tuna, whales, and seabirds.
The Pew Environment Group produced this animation to show how reasonable limits on catching for forage fish can help maintain a vibrant and productive Pacific coast ecosystem for generations to come.
From CSMonitor (Paul Shively works to conserve West coast forage fish as manager of the Pacific Fish Conservation Program at The Pew Charitable Trusts. He is a lifelong angler.)
Small 'forage fish' are a crucial source for larger animals in the ocean ecosystem.
Without little fish, there can be no big fish. Pacific coast fishing leaders should thus adopt safeguards to prohibit fishing of saury until it can be shown that this would not adversely impact the ecosystem.
When people think of a healthy ocean, the first thing that comes to mind is usually a large iconic animal, perhaps a humpback whale leaping majestically out of the water or a pelican swooping low across the ocean surface.
In my case, I'm hooked by the thrill of a big salmon as it pulls the line off my reel.
All of these animals dine on vast schools of tightly packed prey fish, commonly referred to as forage fish.
Scientists and fishermen are becoming increasingly aware of their singular importance as the fuel that drives productive coastal ecosystems.
An infographic from The Pew Charitable Trusts shows an oceanic ecosystem chain.
Op-ed contributor Paul Shively writes: 'To its credit, the [Pacific Fishery Management Council] unanimously adopted a fishery ecosystem plan' whose 'top priority is to make sure that no new fishing begins on forage species without first evaluating the effect on the larger ecosystem.'
At the same time, global demand is growing to catch forage fish for secondary purposes such as chicken feed, fertilizer, and bait for industrial longline fishing overseas.
But catching too many of these forage fish can severely disrupt the ocean life that they sustain. A lack of forage fish can have serious repercussions – especially for the fishing industry.
Without little fish, there can be no big fish.
That's why many fishing and conservation organizations – including The Pew Charitable Trusts – are rightly advocating for new measures to safeguard forage fish.
The Pacific Fishery Management Council, which is responsible for managing marine fish on the West Coast, will have the opportunity to adopt some of these safeguards as it meets in Garden Grove, Calif., this week.
At the meeting, these West coast fishery leaders should decide to prohibit new commercial fishing on saury – a key forage fish – until it can be shown that it won't harm bigger fish, whales, and seabirds that depend on saury as a food source.
Doing so will enable the council to ask important questions before US forage fishing begins rather than waiting until industrial-scale fishing boats are catching these important fish.
Internationally, these forage fish – including sardines, anchovies, and saury – already account for more than a third of the total catch of wild marine fish, with 90 percent of it processed into fish meal or oil.
To its credit, the council unanimously adopted a fishery ecosystem plan that begins to consider how everything is connected in the ocean.
The plan's top priority is to make sure that no new fishing begins on forage species without first evaluating the effect on the larger ecosystem and on other predator fish such as salmon, tuna, and lingcod.
Forage fish eat tiny plants and animals drifting on the ocean's surface and, in turn, become a crucial food source for whales, seabirds, and bigger fish.
Diminishing forage fish populations can have serious consequences for the larger ecosystem.
Just this year, wildlife rehabilitation centers in California have treated more than 1,500 emaciated and dehydrated sea lion pups at a time when prey fish were scarce.
Pacific saury is exactly the type of currently un-fished forage species that the council's new ecosystem plan intends to protect.
This dart-shaped fish makes up as much as 78 percent of the diet of the sooty shearwater, a type of seabird that is now arriving by the millions along the California shore from breeding grounds near Chile and New Zealand.
We know that saury is already extensively fished elsewhere around the world, and its relatively high abundance makes it a potential target for fishermen here on the West Coast.
As it stands, fishing could begin on saury at any time with no restrictions – and no consideration of how it would affect predators.
That would be a mistake.
It is one the Pacific Fishery Management Council can – and should – avoid by approving restrictions on forage fishing at its meeting this week.
In April, the Pacific fishery council's chairman cited the strong public testimony of the seafood industry, birding community, scientists, and fishermen in adopting a meaningful ecosystem plan.
Protecting saury would help to maintain a productive ocean along the Pacific coast while demonstrating that regional fishery managers are serious about moving ecosystem-based management from theory into practice.
Some may wonder why we should act now.
After all, no one on the West Coast is currently fishing for forage fish like Pacific saury, sandlance, or various kinds of smelts.
To answer this concern, it's worth looking north to Alaska.
North Pacific fishery managers proactively protected dozens of unfished forage species more than a decade ago with the strong support of commercial fishermen.
As one industry organization noted at the time, fishing for predators and their prey is akin to burning a candle at both ends.
I've been fishing almost as long as I can remember.
Yet the thrill of being out on the water with friends, and the rush when a salmon or tuna bends my fishing rod, will never grow old.
OPINION: A better way to prevent overfishing
It's time for regional managers on the Pacific coast and elsewhere in the country to acknowledge what those of us on the water already know: Little fish are a big deal.
It's time to protect them.
The Guardian : Small and wild: how to feed fish to the world
NZ Linz nautical chart tutorial
Tutorial which provides a high level overview of the types of nautical Charts published by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ).
Includes a demonstration of how to access Chart images on the LINZ website.
Nautical charts video with Jennifer Ryan, Manager Chart Production for the New Zealand Hydrographic Authority (NZHA)
Posted by Peio at 6:14 PM No comments: Links to this post
Labels: GeoGarage_news
NZ Linz update in the Marine GeoGarage
5412 Port of Tauranga
12 charts have been updated in the Marine GeoGarage
(Linz May update published June 5 2013)
NZ5124 Plans in the Bay of Islands
NZ5221 Cradock Channel and Mokohinau
NZ5222 Great Barrier Island (Aotea Island)
NZ5223 Great Barrier Island (Northwestern Part)
NZ5314 Mercury Islands
NZ5412 Port of Tauranga
NZ6153 Queen Charlotte Sound
NZ6154 Tory Channel Entrance and Picton Harbour
NZ8275 Approaches to Nuku'alofa Harbour
NZ8277 Nuku'alofa Harbour
NZ14908 Cape Adare to Cape Daniell
NZ14909 Cape Hooker to Coulman Island
Today NZ Linz charts (178 charts / 340 including sub-charts) are displayed in the Marine GeoGarage.
Note : LINZ produces official nautical charts to aid safe navigation in New Zealand waters and certain areas of Antarctica and the South-West Pacific.
Using charts safely involves keeping them up-to-date using Notices to Mariners
Reporting a Hazard to Navigation - H Note :
Mariners are requested to advise the New Zealand Hydrographic Authority at LINZ of the discovery of new or suspected dangers to navigation, or shortcomings in charts or publications.
Brazil DHN update in the Marine GeoGarage
1801 Porto de Itajai
32 charts have been updated since the last update :
(DHN update June 14, 2013)
231 DA ILHA DO MACHADINHO AO CABO MAGUARI (PROXIMIDADES DA BARRA SUL DO AMAZONAS)
300 DA ILHA DO MACHADINHO AO CABO GURUPI
410 PROXIMIDADES DA BAÍA DE SÃO MARCOS
411 BAÍA DE SÃO MARCOS
413 TERMINAL DA PONTA DA MADEIRA E PORTO DE ITAQUI
1102 PORTO DE SALVADOR
1110 BAÍA DE TODOS OS SANTOS
1501 BAÍA DE GUANABARA
1531 ILHA DO BOQUEIRÃO E ADJACÊNCIA
1632 BAÍA DA ILHA GRANDE - PARTE CENTRO NORTE
1633 BAÍA DA ILHA GRANDE - PARTE OESTE
1801 PORTO DE ITAJAÍ
1908 PORTO DE IMBITUBA
21050 DO RIO ITARIRI AO ARQUIPÉLAGO DOS ABROLHOS
21800 DA PONTA DE ITAPAGÉ A FORTALEZA
23500 DE PINHAL AO RIO GRANDE
201 BARRA NORTE DO RIO AMAZONAS
202 DA ILHA DO BAILIQUE À PONTA DO CAPINAL
204 DAS ILHAS PEDREIRA À ILHA DE SANTANA
220 DA BARRA NORTE AO PORTO DE SANTANA
4105A DE PARINTINS À COSTA DO GIBA
4105B DA COSTA DO GIBA À ITACOATIARA
303 DO CABO MAGUARI À MOSQUEIRO
315 DA BOCA DA VIGIA À MOSQUEIRO
316 DE MOSQUEIRO A BELÉM
320 PORTO DE BELÉM
Today 424 charts (465 including sub-charts) from DHN are displayed in the Marine GeoGarage
Don't forget to visit the NtM Notices to Mariners (Avisos aos Navegantes)
No, you can't outrun a tsunami
This video shows the panic of some people trying to outrun the tsunami that hit Japan in 2011.
You can see in the video the horrific force of the tsunami as it hits and how fast the tsunami was.
People trying to climb a hill to get away from the waves, while others are trying to help.
The video also shows the courage of other people that ran back down the hill to try and save some people, only to be swept away themselves.
Despite their efforts, the speed of the rising water engulfs the person they are trying to save -- and one of the rescuers appears to disappear.
The man in the red jacket can be seen through the trees.
From LiveSciences
Maybe the fastest man in the world could run a 6-minute mile for 6 miles (10 kilometers) while a terrifying wall of water chased him through a coastal city.
But most people couldn't.
Yet a myth persists that a person could outrun a tsunami.
That's just not possible, tsunami safety experts told LiveScience, even for Usain Bolt, one of the world's quickest sprinters.
Getting to high ground or high elevation is the only way to survive the monster waves.
"I try to explain to people that it doesn't really matter how fast [the wave] is coming in, the point is that you really shouldn't be there in the first place," said Rocky Lopes of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Tsunami Mitigation, Education and Outreach program.
But because they didn't know the warning signals, ignored them or just couldn't get to safety in time, more than 200,000 people died in tsunamis in the past decade.
And it's not just tsunamis: Underestimating the power of the ocean kills thousands every year in hurricane storm surges.
Tsunamis gain height as they approach the shore.
CREDIT: NOAA
Stay off the beach
A tsunami is a series of waves caused by a sudden underwater earth movement.
The kick-off is akin to dropping a big rock in a children's pool filled with water.
In an ocean basin, tsunami waves slosh back and forth, reflecting off coastlines, just like the (much smaller) waves in a child's pool, Lopes said.
Because many people mistakenly think a tsunami is a single wave, some return to the beach after the first wave hits, Lopes said.
On March 11, 2011, a man in Klamath River, Calif., died after he was swept away by a second wave while taking pictures of the Japan tsunami, Lopes said.
Tsunamis race across the deep ocean at jet speed, some 500 mph (800 km/h).
Near shore, the killer waves slow to between 10 to 20 mph (16 to 32 km/h) and gain height.
If the offshore slope is gentle and gradual, the tsunami will likely come in looking like a rapidly approaching tide.
If the transition from deep ocean to shoreline is steep and cliff-like, then the wave will resemble a movie-like specter, arriving as an onrushing wall of water.
[Waves of Destruction: History's Biggest Tsunamis]
Water receding on the beaches of Santa Cruz, Calif., on March 11, 2001,
just after the earthquake and tsunami struck Japan
Credit: @darrenmason
Look and listen for warning signs
Either way, standing at the beach, at sea level, means losing perspective.
"It's a matter of optical illusion and how fast your eye interprets the speed of moving water," Lopes said.
"People just can't estimate the speed of the wave, and [so they] get themselves in trouble."
Linger too long and you may run out of time to find somewhere safe.
"If they're on the beach, there's no way in heck they're going to outrun it," said Nathan Wood, a tsunami modeler with the U.S. Geological Survey in Portland, Ore.
"Technically, if you're 10 blocks in, and the waves are full of debris [and slowing from friction], there's a chance, but for most people that's not realistic," he said.
So if the beach starts shaking or the ocean looks or sounds strange, head for the highest elevation around immediately.
"Sometimes the only warning you may get are these environmental clues," Lopes said.
"These are the indicators that you are in serious danger."
High ground is best in situations like these; steel-reinforced concrete buildings or parking structures work in a pinch, but even climbing trees will help if nothing else is available.
Some people who sought refuge in trees survived the 1960 Chile tsunami, though others were torn from their branches.
Storm surge floods a section of Coast Guard Station New York, located on Staten Island, as Hurricane Sandy approaches New York Harbor, Monday, Oct. 29, 2012.
CREDIT: U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Erik Swanson.
Why people put themselves at risk
Another fatal mistake people make when fleeing from tsunamis is underestimating how far the water can travel inland, Lopes said.
In this graphic video of the 2011 Japan tsunami, shot from a hillside, residents fleeing the tsunami are nearly caught by the powerful wave even after it had already destroyed half the town.
Tsunamis can travel as far as 10 miles (16 km) inland, depending on the shape and slope of the shoreline.
Hurricanes also drive the sea miles inward, putting people at risk.
But even hurricane veterans may ignore orders to evacuate.
As with tsunamis, a lack of understanding lays at the heart of this willingness to risk everything, according to studies by NOAA.
"We've consulted with social scientists and communications experts, and the number one reason why people stay is that they don't understand storm surge," said Jaime Rhome, storm surge team leader at the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
Hurricane evacuation orders are due to dangers from storm surges, not wind, Rhome explained. "People are enamored with the wind, but it's storm surge that has the greatest potential to take life," he said.
"The majority of deaths occurring in hurricanes are from drowning, not wind."
Storm surge is the force of hurricane winds driving the ocean landward, which raises sea level.
The water penetrates miles inland.
Waves kicked up by the hurricane travel on top of the storm surge, pounding everything in their path. People who go out in the surge — residents who wait too long to evacuate, for example — may find themselves knocked off their feet and swept away.
"People have a hard time imagining seawater can come that far inland," Rhome said.
"They can't envision the ocean can rise that high or be that violent."
Canada CHS update in the Marine GeoGarage
3462 Juan de Fuca Strait to Strait of Georgia
31 charts have been updated (May 31, 2013) :
1202 CAP ETERNITE TO SAINT-FULGENCE
1209 SAINT-FULGENCE TO RIVIERE SHIPSHAW
1220 BAIE DES SEPT ILES
2024A BUCKHORN TO GANNON NARROWS AND HARRINGTON NARROWS
2024B GANNON NARROWS TO BOBCAYGEON
2024C CHEMONG LAKE
2024D PIGEON LAKE (SOUTH PORTION)
2024E PIGEON LAKE (NORTH PORTION)
3441 HARO STRAIT BOUNDARY PASS AND SATELLITE CHANNEL
3461 JUAN DE FUCA STRAIT EASTERN PORTION
3478 PLANS SALTSPRING ISLAND
3538 DESOLATION SOUND AND SUTIL CHANNEL
3606 JUAN DE FUCA STRAIT
3743 DOUGLAS CHANNEL
3908 KITIMAT HARBOUR
4010 BAY OF FUNDY INNER PORTION
4011 APPROACHES TO BAY OF FUNDY
4012 YARMOUTH TO HALIFAX
4142A EVANDALE TO RAM ISLAND
4142B RAM ISLAND TO ROSS ISLAND
4142C WASHADEMOAK LAKE
4142D GRAND LAKE
4337 ALMA AND APPROACHES
4379 LIVERPOOL HARBOUR
4483 CARIBOU HARBOUR
4622 CAPE ST MARY'S TO ARGENTIA HARBOUR AND JUDE ISLAND
4659 PORT AU PORT
4841 CAPE ST. MARY'S TO ARGENTIA
4862 CARMANVILLE TO BACALHAO ISLAND AND FOGO
5640 CHURCHILL HARBOUR
So 704 charts (1660 including sub-charts) are available in the Canada CHS layer. (see coverage)
Note : don't forget to visit 'Notices to Mariners' published monthly and available from the Canadian Coast Guard both online or through a free hardcopy subscription service.
This essential publication provides the latest information on changes to the aids to navigation system, as well as updates from CHS regarding CHS charts and publications.
See also written Notices to Shipping and Navarea warnings : NOTSHIP
Cuba looks to undo decades of poorly planned coastal development, fend off rising seas
1.2 miles: distance that seawater would penetrate inland in Cuba by 2100, according to scientists
10,000 : number of sanctions and fines handed down for illegal development along Cuba's coast
$2.5 billion: annual tourism revenue in Cuba
After Cuban scientists studied the effects of climate change on this island's 3,500 miles (5,630 kilometers) of coastline, their discoveries were so alarming that officials didn't share the results with the public to avoid causing panic.
The scientists projected that rising sea levels would seriously damage 122 Cuban towns or even wipe them off the map.
Beaches would be submerged, they found, while freshwater sources would be tainted and croplands rendered infertile.
In all, seawater would penetrate up to 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) inland in low-lying areas, as oceans rose nearly three feet (85 centimeters) by 2100.
Climate change may be a matter of political debate on Capitol Hill, but for low-lying Cuba, those frightening calculations have spurred systemic action.
Cuba's government has changed course on decades of haphazard coastal development, which threatens sand dunes and mangrove swamps that provide the best natural protection against rising seas.
In recent months, inspectors and demolition crews have begun fanning out across the island with plans to raze thousands of houses, restaurants, hotels and improvised docks in a race to restore much of the coast to something approaching its natural state.
"The government ... realized that for an island like Cuba, long and thin, protecting the coasts is a matter of national security," said Jorge Alvarez, director of Cuba's government-run Center for Environmental Control and Inspection.
At the same time, Cuba has had to take into account the needs of families living in endangered homes and a $2.5 billion-a-year tourism industry that is its No. 1 source of foreign income.
It's a predicament challenging the entire Caribbean, where resorts and private homes often have popped up in many places without any forethought.
Enforcement of planning and environmental laws is also often spotty.
With its coastal towns and cities, the Caribbean is one of the regions most at risk from a changing climate.
Hundreds of villages are threatened by rising seas, and more frequent and stronger hurricanes have devastated agriculture in Haiti and elsewhere.
In Cuba, the report predicted sea levels would rise nearly three feet by century's end.
"Different countries are vulnerable depending on a number of factors, the coastline and what coastal development looks like," said Dan Whittle, Cuba program director for the New York-based nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund.
He said the Cuban study's numbers seem consistent with other scientists' forecasts for the region.
The Associated Press was given exclusive access to the report, but not permitted to keep a copy.
NGA chart #27084
Cuba's preparations were on clear display on a recent morning tour of Guanabo, a popular getaway for Havana residents known for its soft sand and gentle waves 15 miles (25 kilometers) east of the capital.
Where a military barracks had been demolished, a reintroduced sand-stabilizing creeper vine known as beach morning glory is reasserting itself on the dunes, one lavender blossom at a time.
The demolition nearby of a former swimming school was halted due to the lack of planning, with the building's rubble left as it lay.
Now inspectors have to figure out how to fix the mess without doing further environmental damage.
Alvarez said the government has learned from such early mistakes and is proceeding more cautiously.
Officials also are also considering engineering solutions, and even determining whether it would be better to simply leave some buildings alone.
For three decades Guanabo resident Felix Rodriguez has lived the dream of any traveler to the Caribbean: waking up with waves softly lapping at the sand just steps away, a salty breeze blowing through the window and seagulls cawing as they glide through the crisp blue sky.
Now that paradise may be no more.
"The sea has been creeping ever closer," said Rodriguez, a 63-year-old retiree, pointing to the water line steps from his apartment building.
"Thirty years ago it was 30 meters (33 yards) farther out."
"We'd all like to live next to the sea, but it's dangerous ... very dangerous," Rodriguez said.
"When a hurricane comes, everyone here will just disappear."
Cuban officials agree, and have notified him and 11 other families in the building that they will be relocated, though no date has been set.
Rodriguez and several other residents said they didn't mind, given the danger.
Since 2000, Cuba has had a coastal protection law on the books that prohibits construction on top of sand and mandates a 130-foot-wide (40-meter) buffer zone from dunes.
Structures that predate the measure have been granted a stay of execution, but are not to be maintained and ultimately will be torn down once they're uninhabitable.
Serious enforcement only began in earnest in recent months, as officials came armed with the risk assessment.
Some 10,000 sanctions and fines have been handed down for illegal development, according to Alvarez.
Demolitions have so far been limited to vacation rentals, hotel annexes, social clubs, military installations and other public buildings rather than private homes.
"Less strict measures have been taken with the people," Alvarez said, acknowledging that relocating communities is tough in a country with a critical lack of adequate housing.
Varadero, situated on the Hicacos Peninsula,
between the Bay of Cárdenas and the Straits of Florida,
some 140 km east of Havana
(NGA chart)
One flashpoint is the powdery-white-sand resort of Varadero, a two-hour's drive east of the capital, where lucrative hotels attract hundreds of thousands of visitors each year from Canada, Europe and Latin America.
Some 900 coastal structures have been contributing to an average of about 4 feet (1.2 meters) of annual coastline erosion, according to geologist Adan Zuniga of Cuba's Center for Coastal Ecosystems Research, a government body.
Building solid structures on top of dunes makes them more vulnerable to the waves.
"These are violent processes of erosion," Zuniga said about regional development. "In many places the beaches are receding 16 feet (5 meters) a year."
Varadero symbolizes Cuba's dilemma: Tearing down seaside restaurants, picturesque pools and air-conditioned hotels threatens millions of dollars in yearly tourism revenue, but allowing them to stay puts at risk the very beaches that were the draws in the first place.
Cuban officials have tried to get around that choice by replenishing lost sand in Varadero, with plans to do the same next year at the Cayo Coco resort.
But beach replenishment is an expensive remedy that Cuba can little afford to carry out nationwide.
Zuniga said it costs $3 to $8 per cubic meter, and a single beach might contain up to 1 million cubic meters of sand.
The measure will still be necessary at Cayo Coco although the resort was developed with environmental mitigations such as keeping hotels behind the tree line and running a hydraulic system that keeps water circulating properly in an inland lagoon.
There are no publicly available figures on how many structures have been or will be razed across Cuba.
Alvarez and Zuniga said officials are evaluating problem buildings on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the needs of local economic development.
They say nothing is off-limits; even the emblematic Hotel Internacional, a four-story resort built in 1950 as a sibling to the Fontainebleau in Miami, has been doomed to demolition in Varadero at an unspecified date.
Other installations are gradually being moved inland, and government officials are applying stricter oversight on new construction, they said.
In May, authorities unveiled the near-completed Hotel Melia Marina Varadero and yacht club, which lies at a safe remove from the sea.
Cuba's Communist government wields a unique advantage, one no other country in the region claims: The government and its subsidiaries control the island's entire hotel stock, sometimes teaming with minority foreign partners on management.
Cuba's military-run Gaviota Group alone controls more than three-dozen major hotels.
So when the government makes up its mind to tear down a hotel, it can do so without having to worry about fighting a lengthy court battle against a displaced owner.
On top of that, oversight of the coastal initiative happens at the highest level possible: Cuba's ruling Council of State, headed by President Raul Castro.
"He is leading this battle," Alvarez said of Castro.
Whittle said the island can learn some things from Costa Rica, where significant swaths of coastal and inland terrain have been protected even as tourism flourishes.
For Cuba, there's a lot riding on striking the right balance.
"Will Cuba become a sustainable destination like Costa Rica?" Whittle asked.
"Or will it go the way of Cancun and much of the rest of the Caribbean that has essentially sacrificed natural areas, marine and coastal ecosystems for economic development in the short run?"
Francis Joyon shatters North Atlantic record by more than 16 hours
Arrival Sunday afternoon
In his quest to beat the North Atlantic single-handed sailing record, Francis Joyon on board IDEC, has smashed Thomas Coville's 2008 record by 16 hours, 34 minutes and 30 seconds.
Joyon completed his journey in a time of 5 days, 2 hours, 56 minutes and 10 seconds.
Routes of Thomas Coville vs Francis Joyon (in red orthodromy)
zoom on arrival at Cape Lizard
Great Circle distance : 2,865 NM • Average speed : 23.30 Kts
Distance Over Ground : 3,222 NM • SOG : 26.20 Kts
Over the final stretch, Francis Joyon came very close to beating his own outright distance record over 24 hours (666.2 miles) and this enabled the Breton skipper to make important gains over the second half of the crossing, in spite of sailing some distance away from the Great Circle Route.
Joyon, with the loyal support of router Jean-Yves Bernot achieves
the unique feat of holding all four major solo offshore sailing records.
photo J-M Liot
Oarfish – the sea serpent of ancient times
Video of the Oarfish, Regalecus glesne, on 5 August 15 2011 :
an ROV operated by Mako Technologies working for Hornbeck Offshore Services
was conducting seafloor and water column biotic surveys as
part of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill NRDA at a depth of 62 m.
From HuffingtonPost
A remotely operated vehicle has come face-to-face with the world's longest-known bony fish -- and video footage of the rare encounter has now surfaced on YouTube.
Check it out above.
The giant oarfish was found in the northern Gulf of Mexico, where four other observations were reported.
These spottings happened between 2008 and 2011, and they recorded the fish at its deepest undersea level yet, at least 463 meters below the surface.
The giant oarfish, named Regalecus glesne, is rarely seen alive.
Most observations come from the bizarre creature washing ashore.
But this new video sheds light on how the fish may behave in its natural habitat.
A paper on these observations was published online in the Journal of Fish Biology on June 5, 2013.
Ichthyologist Carl Leavitt Hubbs (right) and colleague display a giant oarfish in 1968.
Oarfish, also known as ribbonfish and king of herrings, is a deep water creature that can grow up to a size of 50 feet (15 meters) in length and weigh up to 600 pounds (272 kg).
This deep sea creature is officially the longest bony fish living at a depth of between 66 feet and 1000 feet.
It is known that when oarfish gets sick or is near to death it comes on the surface of the water and sometimes to the shore, that's why we have ancient tales of seeing sea serpents coming out of the water surface.
A 16 feet oarfish that was found on the shore of Bermuda beach in 1860 was described as sea serpent (image below).
There are no scales on the fish and it's not edible due to its gelatinous flesh.
The above photography was actually taken in 1996 and shows a giant oarfish (Regalecus glesne) found on the shore of the Pacific Ocean near San Diego, California.
This extremely rare specimen was 23 ft (7.0 m)
Oarfish Regalecus glesne December 26th 1993 Isla San Marcos B.C.S. Mexico
Posted by Peio at 1:46 AM 1 comment: Links to this post
GeoGarage_news
Cuba looks to undo decades of poorly planned coast...
Francis Joyon shatters North Atlantic record by mo...


You can use this page to email Joseph Little about Agile Release Planning - My practical methods.
If you follow this book, you will get your team started.
Your Team will have a Vision.
The Team will have a Product Backlog.
It will be organized mainly by Business Value, using BV Points.
The user stories will have story point estimates.
The Team will have considered ROI and other factors.
They will have estimated the Velocity of the Team and have a sense of when the Releases are possible.
And they will have started to manage expectations, and started moving toward success.
Most importantly, they will all see the same elephant, be more motivated, and have shared the tacit knowledge.
Joe Little is an Agile Coach and Trainer (CST).
For more information, see LeanAgileTraining.com and see his blog there.
Or contact him at jhlittle@kittyhawkconsulting.com.


text:
Q: $f(x):=x^4+ax^3+\frac{3}{2}x^2+1$. For which constant $a$ the function $f$ will be convex on $\mathbb{R}$?
$f(x)=x^4+ax^3+\frac{3}{2}x^2+1$.
For which constant $a$ the function $f$ will be convex on $\mathbb{R}$?

The first derivative of the function will be: $4{x}^{3}+3a{x}^{2}+3x$
A function $f(x)$ is convex on an interval$ [a,b]$ if for any two points$ x_1$ and $x_2$ in $[a,b]$ and any $\lambda$ where $0<\lambda<1$ we have
$f(\lambda x_{1}+(1-\lambda)x_{2})\le\lambda f(x_{1})+(1-\lambda)f(x_{2})$
How can I compute the value of a?

A: A real function is convex if the second derivative is non-negative anywhere.
$$
f''(x)=12x^2+6ax+3=3(2x+a/2)^2+3(1-a^2/4)
$$

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Albany, NY — (SBWIRE) — 10/12/2017 — Self-adhesive labels are a specialized blazon of characterization that are activated to packaging. These labels affectation the all-important advice about the product. Self-adhesive labels are multilayered arrangement that contains advice printed on its surface. The layers about accommodate absolution liner, an adhering layer, and face material. The absolution liner is fabricated up of silicone-coated cardboard or plastic. Several packaging applications use self-adhesive labels to affectation information, which promotes acquaintance about the product's brand. Important accommodation such as barcode, artefact description, clue and trace coding, and affidavit coding are conveyed appliance self-adhesive labels. Furthermore, self-adhesive labels add a adorning look, appropriately accretion chump absorption and cast recognition. Self-adhesive labels are printed appliance laser printer and inkjet printer photocopiers. Self-adhesive labels are additionally referred to as burden acute labels as they attach to the apparent back burden is applied.
Self-adhesive labels are accessible in the bazaar in altered forms based on attributes of application. Depending on the lifespan of labels, self-adhesive labels are of two types: acting or disposable and permanent. Acting or disposable self-adhesive labels are primarily acclimated as amount tags or advertisement materials. Abiding self-adhesive labels are abundantly acclimated in electrical and cyberbanking appliances, HVAC, etc. On the added hand, based on actinic backdrop of the coating, self-adhesive labels are classified as acrylics, vinyl, polyurethane, epoxy, and elastomers. The adapted anatomy or blazon of self-adhesive labels can be called depending on assorted factors such as apparent texture, ecology conditions, backbone and performance, and admeasurement and appearance of label.
Self-adhesive labels accept astronomic acceptance in assorted packaging applications. Consumer appurtenances is the better end-user of self-adhesive labels. The home and claimed affliction industry additionally decidedly makes use of self-adhesive labels in packaging. Furthermore, these labels accept abeyant use in aliment & beverages and biologic industries. In addition, they are broadly activated in automated labeling.
The all-around bazaar for self-adhesive labels has decidedly broadcast in the accomplished few years. Substantial advance in the e-commerce industry has fueled advance of the self-adhesive labels bazaar in the contempo past. Steady bazaar advance is accepted to be witnessed in the a future. North America bedeviled the bazaar for self-adhesive labels in the accomplished few years followed by Europe. These two regions are accepted to activity a complete bazaar for self-adhesive labels in the aing few years. However, Asia Pacific is projected to be the fastest-growing bazaar for self-adhesive labels in the a future. Abeyant advance in end-user industries in developing countries of Asia Pacific such as China, Japan, India, and South Korea is advancing to drive appeal for self-adhesive labels in the aing few years. Latin America and the Middle East & Africa are estimated to body an arising bazaar during the anticipation aeon due to ascent appeal for self-adhesive labels in the packaging industry.
Increased per capita assets in developing countries of Asia Pacific has apprenticed purchasing accommodation of consumers in the contempo past. Consumer acquaintance is additionally accretion in developing regions, gluttonous abundant description about the product. Such factors are estimated to ammunition appeal for self-adhesive labels during the anticipation period. Furthermore, advance in the e-commerce industry in arising markets of Latin America and the Middle East & Africa is acceptable to chiefly actuate the self-adhesive labels bazaar during the anticipation period. However, raw abstracts appropriate for self-adhesive labels are priced college as compared to wet-glue labels. This, in turn, is acceptable to arrest the bazaar growth.
Some of the key manufacturers of self-adhesive labels accommodate 3M Company, Americk Systems Labelling, Avery Products Corporation, Constantia, ETIS Slovakia, a.s., Flexibles Group GmbH, Müroll GmbH, Royston Labels Ltd., S&K LABEL spol.s r.o., SVS Etikety, Torraspapel Adestor, and UPM-Kymmene Corporation.


text:
Experiment(description='Run all synthetic datasets - but the wigglier ones with shorter lengthscales',
           data_dir='../data/synthetic-wigglier-SNR-1/',
           max_depth=8,
           random_order=False,
           k=1,
           debug=False,
           local_computation=False,
           n_rand=19,
           sd=4,
           max_jobs=500,
           verbose=False,
           make_predictions=False,
           skip_complete=True,
           results_dir='../results/13-Feb-synthetic-wigglier-SNR-1/',
           iters=100)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Sainte-Cécile-du-Cayrou är en kommun i departementet Tarn i regionen Occitanien i södra Frankrike. Kommunen ligger i kantonen Castelnau-de-Montmiral som tillhör arrondissementet Albi. År  hade Sainte-Cécile-du-Cayrou  invånare.

Befolkningsutveckling
Antalet invånare i kommunen Sainte-Cécile-du-Cayrou

Se även
 Lista över kommuner i departementet Tarn

Källor

Kommuner i Tarn

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


[Q] New brand Tesla H7 firmware?
I contacted the manufacturer about some info but he refuses to direct me to a solution.
From my research I found another almost similar devices by shape and hardware spec.
I found and upgrade Telcast firmware pass without problem (using Phone Flash Tool).
ADB shell from console is available.


text:
Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber Chords and Melody
Sections: Intro, Verse ◯◯ , Chorus ▢▢ .
Chord And Melody Metrics For Phantom of the Opera
Phantom of the Opera has higher complexity than the average song in terms Melodic Complexity.
About The Key Of D Minor
Phantom of the Opera is written in the key of D Minor. According to the Theorytab database, it is the 4th most popular key among Minor keys and the 10th most popular among all keys. Minor keys, along with major keys, are a common choice for popular music. The three most important chords, built off the 1st, 4th and 5th scale degrees are all minor chords (D minor, G minor, and A minor). See the D Minor Cheat Sheet for popular chords, chord progressions, downloadable midi files and more!
Contributors: tranceffect , Fydorian and Vaz123 .
Edit this page: Intro, Verse, Chorus.
Page history: Intro, Verse, Chorus.
More by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Music Of The Night
A Journey In The Dark
by Howard Shore
Being Alive
by Stephen Sondheim
Bridge of Khazad-dum
Every Day a Little Death
Gollum's Song
Good Thing Going
Hercules - I Won't Say (I'm in Love)
by Alan Menken
by Idina Menzel
Little Shop of Horrors - Skid Row (Downtown)
Seasons of Love
by Jonathan Larson
Somewhere That's Green from Little Shop of Horrors
The Ballad of Sweeney Todd
The Bells of Notre Dame

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The ACM Symposium on Cloud Computing 2012 (ACM SOCC 2012) will be the third in a new series of symposia that brings together researchers, developers, users, and practitioners interested in cloud computing. ACM SOCC is co-sponsored by the ACM Special Interest Groups on Management of Data (SIGMOD) and on Operating Systems (SIGOPS). In the past, SOCC has been held in conjunction with the ACM SIGMOD and ACM SOSP Conferences in alternate years. In 2012, SOCC is growing up: It will be held on its own for the first time, and the setting will be Silicon Valley.
Submission: Authors are invited to submit original papers that are not being considered for publication in any other forum. Manuscripts should be submitted in PDF format and formatted in 10-point type using the templates available on the submission page. A submission to the symposium may be one of the following types: (a) Research papers: We seek papers on original research work in the broad area of cloud computing. The length of research papers is limited to fourteen. (b) Industrial papers: The symposium is also a forum for high-quality industrial presentations on innovative cloud computing platforms, applications, and experiences on deployed systems. Submissions for industrial papers may be up to fourteen pages long, though shorter papers (e.g., seven pages) will also be considered. (c) Vision papers: Can be up to 7 pages in length, and can be speculative, although should nonetheless articulate an interesting and well-reasoned argument. All SOCC submissions will be evaluated based on their originality, technical merit, topical relevance, and likelihood of leading to insightful technical discussions at the symposium. All paper submissions will be due by midnight PST on Friday, June 15, 2012. Abstracts will be required and will be due one week in advance, by midnight PST on Friday, June 8, 2012.


text:
Tank Maxi Dress shown in metallic blue by Suzi Fox
Tank Maxi Dress shown in Royal Blue Metallic Foil coated Spandex by Suzi Fox.
• Custom sizing available.
We custom make every garment when you order it (including standard sizes). See sizing chart in the pictures section for standard sizing.
CLICK HERE TO SEE HOW TO MEASURE FOR CUSTOM. Click here to see our Returns policy.
Size (U.S. sizing) *
Pick One Use my most recent custom pattern +$10 Size custom - Bust 22 inches (55.88 cm) XXXXXS (5XS) Size custom - Bust 24 inches (60.96 cm) XXXXS (4XS) Size custom - Bust 26 inches (66.04 cm) XXXXS (4XS) Size custom - Bust 28 inches (71.12 cm) XXXS (3XS) Size 0 - Bust 30 inches (76.2 cm) XXSmall (2XS) Size 0 - Bust 31 inches 78.7 cm XXSmall (2XS) Size 1-3 - Bust 32 inches (81.28 cm) XS Size 1-3 - Bust 33 inches (83.8 cm) XS Size 4-7 - Bust 34 inches (86.36 cm) Small Size 4-7 - Bust 35 inches (88.9 cm) Small Size 8-11 - Bust 36 inches (91.44 cm) Medium Size 8-11 - Bust 37 inches (94 cm) Medium Size 12-14 - Bust 38 inches (96.52 cm) Large Size 12-14 - Bust 39 inches (99.1 cm) Large Size 15-17 - Bust 40 inches (101.6 cm) XL Size 15-17 - Bust 41 inches (104.1 cm) XL Size 18-20 - Bust 42 inches (106.68 cm) 2X +$10 Size 18-20 - Bust 43 inches (109.2 cm) 2X +$10 Size 22-24 - Bust 44 inches (111.76 cm) 3X +$10 Size 22-24 - Bust 45 inches (114.3 cm) 3X +$10 Size 26-28 - Bust 46 inches (116.8 cm) 4X +$10 Size 26-28 - Bust 47 inches (119.4 cm) 4X +$10 Size 30-32 - Bust 48 inches (121.9 cm) 5X +$10 Size 30-32 - Bust 49 inches (124.5 cm) 5X +$10 Size 34-36 - Bust 50 inches (127 cm) 6X +$10 Size 34-36 - Bust 51 inches (129.5 cm) 6X +$10 Size 37-40 - Bust 52 inches (132.1 cm) 7X +$15 Size 37-40 - Bust 53 inches (134.6 cm) 7X +$15 Size 41-43 - Bust 54 inches (137.2 cm) 8X +$15 Size 41-43 - Bust 55 inches (139.7 cm) 8X +$15 Size 44-46 - Bust 56 inches (142.2 cm) 9X +$15 Size 44-46 - Bust 57 inches (144.8 cm) 9X +$15 Size 47-49 - Bust 58 inches (147.32 cm) 10X +$15 Size 47-49 - Bust 60 inches (152.4 cm) 10X +$15 Custom - add message at checkout or e-mail us
Waist Size (optional)
Pick One 22-23 inches (55.9 cm - 58.4 cm) 24-25 inches (61 cm - 63.5 cm) 26-27 inches (66 cm - 68.6 cm) 28-29 inches (71.1 cm - 73.7 cm) 30-31 inches (76.2 cm - 78.7 cm) 32-33 inches (81.3 cm - 83.8 cm) 34-35 inches (86.4 cm - 88.9 cm) 36-37 inches (91.4 cm - 94 cm) 38-39 inches (96.5 cm - 99.1 cm) 40-41 inches (101.6 cm - 104.1 cm) 42-43 inches (106.7 cm - 109.2 cm) 44-45 inches (111.8 cm - 114.3 cm) 46-47 inches (116.8 cm - 119.4 cm) 48-49 inches (121.9 cm - 124.5 cm) 50-51 inches (127 cm - 129.5 cm) 52-53 inches (132.1 cm - 134.6 cm) 54-55 inches (137.2 cm - 139.7 cm) 56-57 inches (142.2 cm - 144.8 cm) 58-59 inches (147.32 cm - 149.86 cm) 60-61 inches (152.4 cm - 154.94 cm) 62-63 inches (157.48 cm - 160.02 cm) 64-65 inches (162.56 cm - 165.1 cm) Custom - put message at checkout or e-mail us
Hip (butt) Size (optional) *
Pick One 28-29 inches (71.1 cm - 73.7 cm) 30-31 inches (76.2 cm - 78.7 cm) 32-33 inches (81.3 cm - 83.8 cm) 34-35 inches (86.4 cm - 88.9 cm) 36-37 inches (91.4 cm - 94 cm) 38-39 inches (96.5 cm - 99.1 cm) 40-41 inches (101.6 cm - 104.1 cm) 42-43 inches (106.7 cm - 109.2 cm) 44-45 inches (111.8 cm - 114.3 cm) 46-47 inches (116.8 cm - 119.4 cm) 48-49 inches (121.9 cm - 124.5 cm) 50-51 inches (127 cm - 129.5 cm) 52-53 inches (132.1 cm - 134.6 cm) 54-55 inches (137.2 cm - 139.7 cm) 56-57 inches (142.2 cm - 144.8 cm) 58-59 inches (147.32 - 149.86 cm) 60-61 inches (152.4 - 154.94 cm) 62-63 inches (157.48 - 160.02 cm) 64-65 inches (162.56 - 165.1 cm) 66-67 inches (167.64 - 170.18 cm) 68-69 inches (172.72 - 175.26 cm)
Dress Length (measured from the center of the top of the shoulder down to the hem)
Pick One 16 inches (40.64 cm) (Midriff Length - SUPER short) 24 inches (61 cm) (Shirt Length - SUPER short) 25 inches (63.5 cm) (Shirt Length - SUPER short) 26 inches (66 cm) (Tunic Length - SUPER short) 27 inches (68.6 cm) (Tunic Length - SUPER short) 28 inches (71.1 cm) (Tunic Length - SUPER short) 29 inches (73.7 cm) (Tunic Length - SUPER short) 30 inches (76.2 cm) 31 inches (78.7 cm) 32 inches (81.3 cm) 33 inches (83.8 cm) 34 inches (86.4 cm) 35 inches (88.9 cm) 36 inches (91.4 cm) 37 inches (94 cm) 38 inches (96.5 cm) 40 inches (101.6 cm) 42 inches (106.7 cm) 44 inches (111.8 cm) 46 inches (116.8 cm) 48 inches (121.9 cm) (Standard for Maxi Dresses) 50 inches (127 cm) +$30 52 inches (132.1 cm) +$30 54 inches (137.2 cm) +$30 56 inches (142.2 cm) +$30 58 inches (147.3 cm) +$30 59 inches (149.86 cm) +$30 60 inches (152.4 cm) +$30
Shoulder to waist length from the center top of shoulder to natural waist
Catsuit-Bodysuit shown in metallic royal blue custom made by Suzi Fox
Tank Style Catsuit-Bodysuit shown in metallic blue custom made by Suzi Fox
Tank Mini Dress shown in metallic blue by Suzi Fox
Scoop Neck Mini Dress shown in metallic blue by Suzi Fox


text:
User:Brian/Big Two
From PEGWiki
< User:Brian
This page is just for fun. It documents the somewhat standardized rules once used by the gifties of Woburn C.I. Class of 2010 (and some of their friends) to play Big Two.
1 Preliminaries.
1.1 Deck. Big Two and President are played with a standard deck of fifty-two cards. These fifty-two cards are divided into thirteen ranks and four suits.
1.1.1 Order of ranks. The ranks are given in ascending order as 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A, 2.
1.1.2 Order of suits. The suits are given in ascending order as D (diamonds), C (clubs), H (hearts), S (spades).
1.1.3 Order of individual cards. One card is said to be higher than another if:
the former is of higher rank than the latter, or
the two are of equal rank, and the former is of higher suit than the latter.
1.2 Players. In Big Two, all players are considered equivalent as far as these Rules are concerned. In President, all players are equivalent in the first round, but in each subsequent round each player is assigned a role which affects gameplay only during the mandatory trading phase. Each player's role in a given round is determined only by their finishing position in the previous round.
1.2.1 Two-player roles. In a two-player game of President, the winner of the previous round is denoted the president in the current round, whereas the loser is denoted the bum (less commonly ass).
1.2.2 Three-player roles. Three-player games of President follow the model of two-player games. The second-place finisher is denoted neutral.
1.2.3 Four-player roles. In a four-player game of President, the winner of the previous round is denoted president, the second-place finisher vice president, the third-place finisher vice bum (less commonly vice ass), and the last place finisher bum.
1.2.4 Five or more players. When the number of players exceeds four, the president and vice president are determined as they would in a four-player game; the bum is the last-place finisher of the previous round; the vice bum is the second-to-last-place finisher of the previous round, and all other players are neutral.
2 Dealing. A round of Big Two begins with the distribution of an equal number of cards to each player. Cards shall be dealt face-down from a shuffled deck.
2.1 Unequal division. If the number of players divides fifty-two (the number of cards), then each player shall receive an exactly equal number of cards. If the number of players does not divide fifty-two, then it is impossible for each player to receive the same number of cards; instead, the cards must be distributed so that no two players' hands initially differ in size by more than one card.
2.2 Dealer's respect. No cards shall be deliberately dealt face-up for any reason. Players are free to examine their own cards as soon as they receive them.
2.3 Accidental flipping. If a player receives a card face-up during dealing, the player shall simply flip the card face-down immediately. However, if the game being played is President, the player is entitled to demand a re-deal with no change in ranks.
3 Trading. Immediately after dealing, and before gameplay begins, players may exchange their cards with other players.
3.1 Local conservation of cards. The mandatory trading phase, if any, must leave the number of cards in each player's hand unchanged; and so must the free trading phase, if any.
3.2 Mandatory trading. The mandatory trading phase takes place immediately after the dealing phase of the second and all subsequent rounds in President. It does not take place in Big Two.
3.2.1 Card flow.
3.2.1.1 Two or three players. In a game of two or three players, the president is entitled to steal either one or two cards from the bum, as agreed upon before the beginning of the first round.
3.2.1.2 Four or more players. In a game of four or more players, the president is entitled to steal two cards from the bum, and the vice president is entitled to steal one card from the vice bum.
3.2.1.3 Neutral players. Neutral players do not take part in mandatory trading.
3.2.2 Stealing. In this section, it is assumed that the president steals two cards from the bum, but the rules hereby declared apply mutatis mutandis to the vice bum stealing one card from the bum, or the president stealing only one card from the bum, as the case may be.
3.2.2.1 Highest cards. The bum may elect to surrender their two highest cards to the president. In this case the president must accept them.
3.2.2.2 Questioning. If the bum does not choose to automatically surrender their two highest cards, then the president may ask the bum questions in order to determine which cards to steal.
3.2.2.2.1 Honesty rule. The bum may not lie when being asked questions by the president during mandatory trading.
3.2.2.2.2 Privacy rule. Notwithstanding the honesty rule, the bum may (but is not required to) refuse to answer a question which would compromise their privacy beyond what is necessary for mandatory trading. This section is vague and not precisely defined; see the Examples (section 3.2.2.2.4).
3.2.2.2.3 Negative information rule. The privacy rule does not apply to negative information; that is, the bum may not refuse to answer a question simply because that question would reveal any number of cards that the bum was not dealt.
3.2.2.2.4 Examples. The following queries are "allowed", in the sense that the bum is required to answer them truthfully because they do not violate the privacy rule:
"Do you have the nine of spades?" On an affirmative answer, the president is required to accept the nine of spades from the bum, in order to comply with the privacy rule.
"What is your lowest card?" In this case the president is required to accept the bum's lowest card, in order to comply with the privacy rule.
"What is your highest spade?" In this case the president is required to accept the bum's highest spade, in order to comply with the privacy rule, unless the bum has no spades.
"What is your highest pair?" In this case the president is required to accept the bum's highest pair, in order to comply with the privacy rule, unless the bum has no pairs.
"Do you have any clubs?" If the answer is "yes", then the president is required to accept some club from the bum, in order to comply with the privacy rule. The president may do this by asking the bum to surrender any club, or by immediately asking questions that pertain only to clubs in the bum's hand until a decision can be made.
"Do you have at least two hearts?" If the answer is "yes", then the president is required to accept two hearts from the bum, in order to comply with the privacy rule. The president may do this by asking the bum to surrender any two hearts, or by immediately asking questions that pertain only to the hearts in the bum's hand until a decision can be made.
The following questions are not allowed; while the president may ask them, the bum is not required to answer them, because of the privacy rule.
"What are your three highest cards?"
"Do you have any clubs?" immediately after an affirmative answer has been given to "Do you have any hearts?" In this case the president must not inquire about any cards that are not hearts until a heart has been accepted.
"What is your lowest card?" followed by "What are your two highest cards?" The first question is allowed, but if the bum were to answer both questions, then the president would be left with knowledge of three cards in the bum's hand.
"Do you have any triples?"
"What is your lowest card?" immediately after an affirmative answer to "Do you have a pair of Aces?": the president is required to accept the two Aces, and cease further questioning.
3.2.3 Equalization. In this section, it is assumed that the president has stolen two cards from the bum, but the rules hereby declared apply mutatis mutandis to the vice bum having stolen one card from the bum, or the president having stolen only one card from the bum, as the case may be. In order to comply with the conservation of cards, the president must give two cards to the bum.
3.2.3.1 Lowest cards. The bum may demand the president's two lowest cards. Otherwise, the president shall exercise complete control over the decision of which two cards to give to the bum.
3.2.3.2 Questioning. The bum may ask the president any number of questions, and the president may choose to answer them truthfully, untruthfully, or not at all. The bum may ask the president for any card or any two cards, and the president may either grant or refuse each request.
3.3 Free trade. The players shall agree before the beginning of the game whether or not to allow free trade. If free trade is allowed, it shall immediately follow mandatory trading, if any; otherwise it shall immediately follow dealing. In free trade, any player may ask any other player any question about the latter's hand, which may be answered truthfully, untruthfully, or not at all; and any trades whatsoever may be negotiated and carried out. The free trade phase cannot end unless the local conservation of cards is satisfied.
4 Main phase.
4.1 Objective. The objective is to go out by playing out all cards in one's hand. The first player to go out is the winner; the second player to go out finishes in second place; and so on.
4.2 Irreversibility. Under no circumstances may a player be compelled to pick up cards that have been legally played.
4.3 Turn order. Each round consists of one or more tricks. The first trick is begun by the player who holds the three of diamonds, the lowest card in the deck. Each subsequent trick is begun by the player who won the previous trick, unless said player went out; in this case, the first player following that player in clockwise order begins the trick. Once a trick has begun, play proceeds clockwise. A player can make at most one play during each turn.
4.4 Legal plays. A legal play consists of either a single card, two cards of the same rank (a pair), three cards of the same rank (a triple), four cards of the same rank (a quad), or a poker hand, which may be a straight, a flush, a full house, four of a kind with an additional card (known as the kicker), or a straight flush.
4.4.1 Clarification on straights. A straight consists of five cards of consecutive rank, without wrapping around, and two-high straights are not allowed. Therefore, the following are allowed: 3-4-5-6-7, 4-5-6-7-8, 5-6-7-8-9, 6-7-8-9-10, 7-8-9-10-J, 8-9-10-J-Q, 9-10-J-Q-K, 10-J-Q-K-A.
4.5 Initial play. The player who starts a trick may make any legal play whatsoever, unless it is the first trick of the game, in which case the player must play the three of diamonds, either by itself or as part of a legal play of two or more cards.
4.6 Beating a play. After the first play of a trick has been made, each subsequent play must be higher than the most recent play made during that trick, and must consist of the same number of cards as the initial play of the trick. In particular, a single two does not beat a pair of lower rank.
4.6.1 Ordering of singles. Singles are ordered according to section 1.1.3. The two of spades is the highest single.
4.6.2 Ordering of pairs. A pair is considered higher than another pair if:
the former is of higher rank, or
the two are of equal rank, and the former contains a spade.
4.6.3 Ordering of triples and quads. Triples and quads are ordered by rank.
4.6.4 Ordering of poker hands. Every straight flush is higher than every four of a kind; every four of a kind is higher than every full house; every full house is higher than every non-straight flush; and every flush is higher than every non-flushed straight.
4.6.4.1 Ordering of straights. Straights are ranked by their respective highest cards.
4.6.4.2 Ordering of flushes. A non-straight flush is considered to be higher than another if:
the former is of a higher suit than the latter;
the two have the same suit, and the former's highest card is higher than the latter's highest card.
4.6.4.3 Ordering of full houses. Full houses are ranked by their triples.
4.6.4.4 Ordering of four-of-a-kinds. Four-of-a-kinds are ranked by their quads.
4.6.4.5 Ordering of straight flushes. Straight flushes are ranked by their respective highest cards. The straight flush that ends on the Ace of spades is the highest legal five-card hand.
4.7 Passing. A player may choose to pass on any turn, unless that player is to begin the trick; a player must pass if unable to beat the most recent play. Passing does not preclude playing during a subsequent turn of the same trick.
4.8 Winning a trick. A player wins a trick when when all other players pass their turns consecutively. (The trick then ends immediately, and this player is then entitled to begin the next trick.) However, a trick also ends immediately if any player goes out.
4.9 Table talk. At any point during the game, players may make any statement whatsoever (true or false) regarding their own hands; they may ask other players any questions whatsoever about their hands; and they may collude with other players. However, players are strictly forbidden from attempting to look at other players' hands or from revealing their own hands directly to other players (that is, by showing cards, rather than by declaring contents of their hands verbally). Players may not reveal information obtained from unintentionally seeing other players' hands, but may state deductions, guesses, or false information about other players' hands in all other cases.
4.10 The discard pile. No player is permitted to examine cards that have been played during previous tricks.
5 Variations.
5.1 Incomplete dealing with two players. In a two-player game, one might not want to deal out the entire deck initially, because twenty-six may be an inconvenient number of cards to hold, and because dealing out the entire deck ensures that each player knows exactly which cards the other player has been dealt. In this case, the player dealt the lowest card (not necessarily the three of diamonds, which might not be dealt out initially) begins, and must use that card immediately; and whenever a player passes, that player must draw a card from the remainder of the deck. The players are not permitted to examine the remainder of the deck otherwise.
5.2 Floating fifty-second card. In a three-player game, one sometimes deals seventeen cards to each player and leaves the final card (which may be either face-up or face-down) to be claimed by the player who has been dealt the three of diamonds. In the case that the final card is the three of diamonds, it goes to the holder of the three of clubs.
5.3 Jokers. Jokers, when in play, may be used either as wildcards or as cards that rank higher than two; so that a single joker can beat a single two, and a pair of jokers can beat a pair of twos. Usually, one joker is higher than the other, and therefore can be used to beat it (the higher joker usually has a larger illustration than the lower joker, or is the only one of the two that is coloured).
5.3.1 Ranking of pairs and triples. When jokers are in play, ranking pairs and triples becomes more complicated. The common sense rule is used: pairs are still ranked first by rank (so that a three and a joker is still lower than a pair of fours), and then by the highest card within the pair (so that a pair that contains a joker is higher than a pair that does not, and a pair that contains the high joker is higher than the pair that contains the low joker). Triples are ranked similarly.
5.3.2 Ranking of straights. Straights are ranked as before, but with jokers allowed as the high card, the common-sense rules apply; so a seven-high straight in which the seven is replaced with a joker is higher than natural seven-high straight, but lower than any eight-high straight; and a seven-high straight that contains the high joker as high card is higher than a seven-high straight that contains the low joker as high card. Substituting any position other than the high card of a straight with a joker has no effect on its poker hand ranking.
5.3.3 Five of a kind. The presence of jokers admits the possibility of five-of-a-kind hands. These are higher than straight flushes, and ordered by rank.
Retrieved from "https://wcipeg.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:Brian/Big_Two&oldid=1616"
Content is available under Attribution 3.0 Unported unless otherwise noted.
About PEGWiki


text:
Berserk Miscellaneous
Why are Dark Horse Volumes Out of Stock? Where Can I Buy Berserk?
Thread starter Walter
Start date February 9, 2021
It's come to my attention that several standard volumes of the Dark Horse editions are currently out of stock at major online retailers.
I cross-referenced Amazon and RightStuf's current stock, concluding that about 1/3 of the series' standard volumes are out of stock: 1, 21, 23, 24, 25, 27, 29, 30, 32, 33, 34, 35. Also out of stock is Berserk Deluxe Vol 1 (an edition that's only 2 years old). Although you can find it being sold for +$60-100 in aftermarkets.
Based on Dark Horse's history, it will likely be months before reprints hit store shelves. The Deluxe Edition is confirmed to be getting a reprint later this month, but it will be a few more weeks before they appear at retailers. The best advice I can offer is to check the stock at major retailers (ex: Amazon, RightStuf) every few weeks, and call your regional comic shops to see if they have what you're looking for. They might even be able to help you track down the volumes you're missing.
This has become a recurring issue for Dark Horse over the years, so I wanted to provide a brief history about this puzzling, frustrating problem, because we do have some answers—they're just not very satisfying.
Back in 2013, more than half the series was out of stock, making it virtually impossible for new fans to start down the path of collecting the series. It had already dragged on for months before someone on our forum brought it to our attention in a detailed way. And at the time Dark Horse had its own forum, so using the name BigRock, I asked them directly what the situation was, and was surprised that I got a very informed response about the business realities of publishing comics:
http://boards.darkhorse.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=19979 said:
While we at Dark Horse appreciate the concern over volumes being out of print, we have to look at both sales history and sales velocity in making our decisions about what to reprint. Though the numbers that BigRock posted are not entirely accurate, they are indicative of the low numbers of available stock for some volumes. But it's not just a matter of Dark Horse reprinting books. It only makes sense for us to reprint books for which we anticipate enough demand to make reprinting a worthwhile endeavor.
I took a look at our in-house sales history which tracks stock on hand (both in our warehouse and in Diamond Books Distributors' warehouse), number of copies sold per month, and unsold copies returned by the bookstore market. Even last year, when there was stock on hand for ALL of the volumes of Berserk, the sales velocity (copies sold per month) for many of the middle volumes was anywhere from single digits to low double digits (in the low teens). That means the consumer demand for many of those middle volumes is between 80 and 170 copies per year. Even going back to press for just 1000 copies (the bare minimum print quantity, for which you pay a higher than average printing price) would leave us with a six- to twelve-year supply. And, sadly, If at the end of those six to twelve years, we have managed to sell all one thousand of those copies, between storage, inventory taxes, and licensing fees, Dark Horse will end up in the red. Not really a recipe for staying in business.
Well, you say, why not raise the price of the books to cover the costs? Great. Except history has shown that raising prices on those volumes to the extent necessary to cover the costs would further erode sales -- and increase inventory taxes. So, that's a non-starter.
I'm just trying to layout the realities of the publishing business for you. Believe me, we'd love to be able to make everything available forever, but that's not realistic or possible.
I'm just the messenger here, but if somebody can figure out a way for us to provide Berserk readers with copies and allow us to stay in business at the same time, I'd love to hear it.
Two big takeaways from this:
1) Reprinting is a substantial long-term investment for their company, resulting in a decade's worth of stock they have to maintain and sell.
2) Even when stock wasn't a concern, volume sales were only between 1-20 each month, and 80-170 for a year.
What's indirectly addressed in this accounting is that sales and stock are disproportionately weighted towards the first few volumes. That's not unique to Berserk. It's a common trend in every series that buying habits drop off as a series progresses. Why? People lose interest. Just like for every book you started but never finished, not every customer will buy all the volumes. Most will buy the first few and then drop it. DH has likely spun up reprints several times to meet demand for the first few volumes, making stock fluid relative to the middle volumes, where demand is lower, and they can coast on far fewer reprints (let's say, 10 years worth!). I'm guessing, but it's likely what we're seeing right now is the 2013 reprints being extinguished a few years ahead of schedule. It might even be a result of Deluxe Edition fans jumping over to standard volumes.
Anyway, back to the history lesson. About 6 months after the forum reply above, Dark Horse announced they were issuing a reprint, which would take a few months before they hit store shelves. In the same announcement, they also said that sales for the series had hit a milestone (750,000 sold). That represents 10 years of sales, since the series started selling in the US in 2003.
Fast forward 4 years to 2017, and Berserk hits 1.2 million sold. Around that time, Dark Horse's Director of International Publishing and Licensing, Michael Gombos, did an interview with Crunchyroll where he said:
[Berserk] "has recently dethroned Lone Wolf & Cub as DH's best-selling title (not just among manga, but across all titles and volumes), and in terms of units sold commercially—that is, via "normal" channels, not a special bulk pack-in ordered by a specific client—it is our historical bestseller."
This incredible claim means Berserk has outsold their other big series like Umbrella Academy, Aliens, even Star Wars. It's honestly hard to believe, but he's quite specific. Gombos goes on to say that Berserk has experienced an uptick in sales ever since the game announcement (Berserk and the Band of the Hawk) and the new anime (the 2016-17 travesty). That's great. But ... if that's truly the case, then shouldn't that mean they care enough about the series' success that they're willing to bite the bullet and keep reprints running?
This whole circumstance is pretty infuriating to me, because the natural inclination is to think, hey it's sold out, that means demand is high. Awesome! But in reality, it reveals the precarious balance Dark Horse keeps Berserk's stock in. And when that balance tips too far, it ends up hitting the series in a particularly vulnerable spot: the avenue for fans to legitimately support it. Not keeping Berserk in stock gives those on the fence just one more excuse not to support it. Why invest in physical editions when there's a gaping hole in the middle? Why buy them at all?
There is of course one fortunate difference for this moment versus what has happened in the past: In 2018, Dark Horse finally adopted a digital model for Berserk's volumes. From now on, there will always be a digital solution to the problem of physical stock issues. I know that's not ideal for everyone, particularly for collectors. But it's a huge improvement to the overall predicament of being a new fan of the series. These digital editions also go on sale, often half price, fairly regularly. I try to update the threads when I see these sales happen. And even without a sale, you can get 4 volumes at a time for $30, which isn't bad!
Reactions: seashell12, DirtiestM, Phonon89 and 7 others
Thanks for this great recap of the situation! I'll say, I was unsatisfied with the answer you got back then (although I applaud that guy for his straightforwardness), and I still am now. For all their excuses, the truth is that Dark Horse's handling of Berserk has never been great. Not on day one, not eight years ago, and still not today. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if they only reprinted it in the past because Hakusensha contractually required them to in order to keep licensing the manga.
Now, it's true that managing reprints of long-running series is expensive on the logistics side, but dare I say that if they can't handle it, maybe they shouldn't have taken up the license to begin with. 40,000 volumes might sound like a lot, but it doesn't actually take that much warehouse space. I could store them in my basement. And as far as I know Oregon (where Dark Horse is headquartered) doesn't have an inventory tax. Where there's a will, there's a way. Anyhow, the deluxe edition is a way to alleviate that, so it's good that they're at least reprinting those volumes. It's just too bad they're not actually "deluxe".
I don't just want to blame Dark Horse though, because this is also not a good look for the US market. With such a large population, not to mention English speakers from other countries, how come so few copies get sold? Where are all the fans we see online when it comes to supporting the series? I think I know the answer.
Reactions: DirtiestM, Rhombaad, ModalEternal and 4 others
Aazealh said:
And as far as I know Oregon (where Dark Horse is headquartered) doesn't have an inventory tax. Where there's a will, there's a way.
(voice of the anime opening) In this world, is there anything Aaz does not know about?! Remarkable stuff, and cool insight on the situation, Walter.
I recently lent my Berserk volumes 1 - 37 to a friend who has watched the original anime series and is diving into the manga. This person might be one of the few to take the plunge and purchase the physical volumes. Fingers crossed DH gets its act together in time with the re-press.
Reactions: jackson_hurley
Well someone rattled the cage at Dark Horse, because a massive reorder was issued. The stock at Amazon has been updated, and nearly everything that was out of stock is scheduled to get replenished by the end of this month. That's great!
Here's how it looks right now, based on what was out of stock earlier this week:
Vol 21 - In stock on February 20, 2021
Vol 23 - out of stock
Vol 24 - In stock now
Given how quickly the above volumes were replenished, these were probably reorders to Amazon from DH's main warehouse, just slow to be ordered. If a reprint was needed, it'd be months. This is very encouraging, because it means the stock situation isn't as dire as it seemed earlier this week. Maybe they really are past the hurdle with reprinting.
No change in Deluxe Vol 1 though, which makes me think it might require a reprint.
Reactions: Rhombaad, Sareth, ModalEternal and 2 others
Nice, glad to see it worked out! Hopefully it's because they're selling so many of these volumes nowadays that they always keep them stocked in. (hey, a man can dream)
Reactions: Rhombaad
It's great to see how positively dramatic the shift is from their 2013 situation. The 2016 and 2017 versions and the movies being on Netflix (at least in the US I think? Not in Germany, though) raised people's awareness a lot I think. Especially the badly animated scenes were spread a lot. Plus, with the manga and anime market growing in the west, people will eventually hear of Berserk which ends up in more sales, too.
I hope they fix the issues they had with the deluxe vol. 1 but I wouldn't be surprised if they aren't aware of them yet and they'll stay as they are.
Oburi
All praise Grail
It's interesting. I don't recall much of anyone saying they became a Berserk fan after the new trilogy. Compare that to the amount of people who had discovered Berserk through the 97 series which seemed to be quite a bit (myself included). Then again, this forum is my only interaction with the Berserk community and, large though it is, I'm not sure if the forum format is where all the kids went running to. They probably gravitated towards Reddit and facebook groups.
Oburi said:
It's interesting. I don't recall much of anyone saying they became a Berserk fan after the new trilogy. ... Then again, this forum is my only interaction with the Berserk community and, large though it is, I'm not sure if the forum format is where all the kids went running to. They probably gravitated towards Reddit and facebook groups.
Yep, I think your exposure is simply limited. I've been browsing the Berserk subreddit for 6 years now, and I can tell you that the population there exploded both from the movies and even the shitty 2016 series.
Growth rate over time: https://frontpagemetrics.com/r/Berserk
Reactions: JJohn1
I don't recall much of anyone saying they became a Berserk fan after the new trilogy.
I think it comes down to bad publicity is better than no publicity. People will point out how bad the adaptation (or how superior the manga is) is which peaks interest for the manga. Also, people (in the west) are more likely to check out an anime rather than a manga in the first place, despite how good the ratings are and only afterwards they start reading the manga if at all.
hsvfan-jan said:
It's great to see how positively dramatic the shift is from their 2013 situation. The 2016 and 2017 versions and the movies being on Netflix (at least in the US I think? Not in Germany, though) raised people's awareness a lot I think.
This is true to some extent, but maybe not as much as you think. Currently over 40 million Berserk volumes have been sold throughout the world. In June 2010, that number was at 31 million. In 2013, it had reached 33.5 million. And in July 2015, it stood at 35 million. Five more million units were moved between 2015 and 2017. The number hasn't been updated since. But more importantly, is that growth purely a result of the animations? Probably not. The trend was already there before they came out. For example between 2008 and 2010, Berserk sold 4 million volumes globally, including 3 million internationally. I think it's possible the release of the series in more languages and/or countries played a hidden role in boosting those numbers.
If you're interested, I track Berserk volumes sales numbers in this thread.
Reactions: izzyface
jackson_hurley
even the horses are cut in half!
Walter said:
Same thing on facebook. I moderate one of the group there and a bunch seem to jave been expose to Berserk through the movies.
Of course there is also a bunch that comes from the 97 anime.
That's good to know then. As long as it channels people to the manga. That's what happened with me. I didn't know what manga was but after the 97 series ended I immediately got on the internet (after watching Miura's interview included as a bonus on the final disc) and started researching. Ahh the memory of being a new Berserk fan.
Deluxe Volume 1 is getting restocked finally. Will be back in stores by March 15.
Reactions: lewh, jackson_hurley, Salty Kenny and 1 other person
My first post here. I am very grateful that this thread exist. I thought I was losing my mind. And what bothers me is there are more volumes that are currently out of print. 19 and 20 I know for sure, but there might be more.
Reactions: Walter


This weeks contest theme is "Shadows".
This is a portrait of the Tadpole from a few summers ago. He's wearing a hat, as usual, and I love the way that the brim casts a shadow across half of his face.
What beautiful deep eyes! Lovely processed closeup with a soft shadow!


Make no mistake about it, Twitter is eager and ready to bring your marketing message to mobile screens across India. And that's exactly why they've just acquired Zipdial, a company that lets people who lack an internet connection to still receive and view ads.
Twitter didn't disclose how much they've paid for the firm, but the investment will likely be worth it, as India remains one of the fastest growing mobile markets in the world.
To date, ZipDial says its campaigns have successfully targeted and reached tends of millions of users, with that number growing by the day.
"By coming together with ZipDial, we'll help more people around the world enjoy great and relevant Twitter experiences on their mobile phones," Twitter explained in a formal statement this week.
As MMW reported just yesterday, a recent report by the Internet & Mobile Association of India and IMRB International showed rapid growth in the mobile internet industry throughout India in 2015. But 2015 is expected to surpass even 2014's growth.
During 2014, mobile internet use grew 26%, and is forecast to grow 23% within the first 6 months of 2015. When looking at rural users, growth is also steadily on the rise and is expected to grow an additional 18% during 2015.
Dear Data: Where Do You Come From?


With over 35 years in the business, Newport knows where to source any special request. Whether you need Kosher rib eyes, a variety of charcuteries or wild game, our specialists are here to source your needs.
Need an idea or special product? We can help you with both.


On Tuesday July 25th, Lions Stadium will play host to Lions FC vs Brisbane Roar, all in support of Starlight Children's Foundation.
The two sides will be competing for the Heritage Shield, in part to celebrate our 60 year anniversary! The Roar will be joining us to acknowledge both their past and future in helping us to celebrate where both sides have came from.
Get along for a 7pm kick-off and bring the whole family for what promises to be a fantastic occasion!


text:
Near Shore FLNG
Project Governance & Assurance
Project Management Delivery
Receiving Terminals
Home » LNG World News » Polish LNG terminal expansion to be completed by 2022
Polish LNG terminal expansion to be completed by 2022
29 Jan No Comments gregsamuel_e5x9azx4 LNG World News
Image courtesy of Gaz-System
Polish gas transmission operator, Gaz-System, expects the Swinoujscie LNG terminal's expansion to be completed by the end of 2022.
The company's development director, Pawel Jakubowski said the works on expanding the terminal's capacity from 5 billion cubic meters to 7.5 billion cubic meters are set to start before the end of this year or early 2019, Reuters reports.
He also noted that the expansion costs are expected to be in a range of €100 to €200 million ($123.6 to 247.2 million).
During last year, the utilization of the terminal's regasification capacity was at 30 percent, however, Jakubowski said the 2018 utilization is expected to be at 60 percent.
In addition to the terminal expansion, Gaz-System expects to reach a final investment decision on the Baltic Pipeline project in late 2018. The pipeline would have a 10 billion cubic meters capacity and is expected to be completed in 2022.
LNG World News Staff
Follow LNG World News
Posted on January 29, 2018 with tags Baltic Pipeline, Gaz-System, Polish LNG terminal.
© 2018 Lloyds Energy


In my Happiness book, I shared that I'm not necessarily a big believer in marriage anymore, and even dared announcing that sentence might become a topic for a future book. Be careful what you wish for: that dream became a reality when my "Love 2.0" hit the shelves in 2018. This new book is not about travel souvenirs. It's about my greatest nemesis: love. 'Love 2.0' has to do with finding harmony and bringing it into concert with your life. In this article I'll share one of the most important reasons that compelled me to write this book. It's not a pretty story.
For many years I did everything I could to forget the past: expensive therapy, a library of self-help books, meditation, and even medication. I was actively resisting all the painful experiences from my past. The more I put my past behind me, the less effect it would have on me, I reasoned. But the more energy I directed towards my problems and pain, the more "stress" and "dis-ease" I continued to create in my life. There have been days I wish I didn't wake up in the morning. After recovering from a painful divorce, I was looking for a transition. I wanted to attract a new relationship into my life. Instead I focused all my energy on holding on to my pain from the past.
Life flows, but it doesn't always flow the way you want it to. I had to not only accept my reality, but deal with it, live it, and live with it. I couldn't blame anyone else for those circumstances. In rethinking and reframing my memories, I wanted to share my story as if the past didn't exist. I wanted to write this book of love without referring to the past, without admitting to my flaws and failures. But it doesn't work that way. Life repeats itself. You have to change your response to get a different outcome.
As long as I continued to hold on to painful memories and limiting thoughts and beliefs, I continued to create separation. In the end I had to foot that bill myself. I didn't just create separation in my relationships, but essentially from my true self. I separated myself from love. I had to let go of the emotional pain of a break-up, past failures and the need for external approval. Thoughts like, "I'm not attractive" or "I will never have a loving relationship" didn't help. I had to consciously let go of those limiting beliefs. If you are your unique self, you will mature, grow and develop as a human being. You'll always be on an adventure, enjoying life.
Some even say being authentic makes you younger. If you are mediocre and not living your truth you will feel unfulfilled and unhappy. I learned to live for the moment, and take things one day at a time. A day at a time was all that my depressed mindset could handle anyway. Embracing the moment became the cornerstone to escape my depressing reality and build an unlikely future. I committed to a year of transition, symbolized by planting a new tree in my backyard. Its growing roots became a visualization of me becoming more grounded every day as a person. I wasn't going to be the person I was expected to be anymore. I committed to have a good day, today, regardless of what my own plans for that day might have been.
This is my life and I'm going for it.
This post contains an excerpt from The Freedom Project Love 2.0: An Upgraded View To The Way Humans Relate To Each Other. It's available on Amazon and pretty much anywhere else you buy books.
The Freedom Project philosophy is to live free through travel, work, and love. Ultimate freedom means designing a lifestyle of wealth, health and abundance, without having to make concessions. This book is for those who don't want a regular life, but dare to choose excitement, joy and abundance. Love is about creating new ways to take your relationships in all areas of life to the next level. Love, the ultimate journey through life, will help you discover all that – and more.