Ireland has long been in receipt of the tail-end of a small number of Atlantic hurricanes and is the most affected country in Europe by these storms. Although almost never actual hurricanes by the time they reach Ireland, they have still caused loss of life, injuries and extensive damage through high winds, heavy rainfall and storm surges along the coast. Little research has been carried out on these events until recently and their effects have been subsumed into the general mid-latitude storm record .
The chapter will investigate and analyse in detail the impact of the worst two hurricane events or tail-ends to affect Ireland over the last 50 years as both storms caused fatalities and injuries and extensive damage across the island of Ireland. In addition Hurricane Debbie in 1961 is the only hurricane to have ever made landfall in Ireland (as a Category 1 event) that is known about, although ongoing research into the historical records of North Atlantic may reveal others, especially in the pre-weather satellite era. Hurricane Charley in 1986 was the tail-end of a hurricane when it hit Ireland, but was considered an extra tropical storm no when it passed by the south coast of Ireland.
In detail this chapter will provide a detailed assessment and analysis of these two events. Firstly it will assess the generation and tracks of the hurricanes. This will be done in the context of Hickey’s assessment . The meteorological effects of the two events will be systematically analysed as they passed over the country using hourly data from the relevant meteorological stations around the island of Ireland. The impact of the two events will be assessed using a wide variety of sources including local, regional and national media, local and national government records amongst others. This approach will also help to provide the first meaningful estimates of the financial cost of these two events on Ireland.
2. Data sources
Meteorological information was derived from existing meteorological stations in Ireland as well as satellite imagery of Hurricane Charley in 1986. No such imagery exists for Hurricane Debbie in 1961. Hourly wind data and other parameters were analysed by event.
The information on the impact of events were gleaned from a wide variety of local and national newspaper sources throughout Ireland with special emphasis on the local newspapers in the worst affected areas of the country. As a result of the number of fatalities and the scale of damage both events generated considerable media coverage. The information from these sources was analysed according to type of damage and the exact location where they occurred. The newspapers consulted included the Anglo-Celt, Connacht Tribune, Connaught Telegraph, Irish Independent, Irish Press, Munster Express, Sunday Independent, The Kerryman, Western People and Westmeath Examiner.
3. Meteorological analysis
3.1. Origin and track
Hurricane Debbie initially formed as a storm west of Africa on the 7th September 1961 and immediately started moving westwards and intensifying and was given hurricane status on the 11th of September and quickly reached Category 3 intensity with maximum wind speeds of 195 km/h. On the 15th of September the hurricane turned northwards off Cape Verde Islands and then headed northeastwards heading towards Ireland and Europe. It made landfall in Dooega on Achill Island, Co. Mayo off the west coast of Ireland on the 16th of September but passed back out into the Atlantic before tracking along the coast of Scotland and then Norway and finally dissipating over Russia (Fig 1). This hurricane had no effects on the eastern side of the Atlantic which is somewhat unusual but is considered a major contributor to the plane crash on the Cape Verde Islands which cost the lives of 60 people [3,4].
Hurricane Charley is quite different. This hurricane formed in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico on the 13th of August then headed northeastwards through Georgia and South Carolina, USA. It then turned northwards briefly travelling parallel to the eastern seaboard of the USA before again tracking northeastwards across the Atlantic towards Ireland and Europe. The hurricane did not exceed Category 1 status with maximum wind speeds of 130km/h and lowest central pressure of 987hPa. This depression was no longer at hurricane strength when it crossed the southern third of Ireland across Wales and the midlands of the UK before finally dissipating in the North Sea near Denmark on the 25th of August (Fig. 2). In the USA this hurricane caused 5 deaths including 3 in a plane crash and over $15 million in damages .
3.2. Barometric pressure
Since 1960 Hickey  identified that the lowest Western European barometric pressure reading for any of the tail-end of hurricane events in the survey is 950 hPa which was recorded between Ireland and Scotland and this came from Hurricane Debbie. This was the lowest pressure recorded for this hurricane itself despite the fact that by this stage it was a Category 1 at best. On land the lowest pressures recorded for Debbie were in Co. Mayo at 963 hPa . Hurricane Charley in Ireland was not associated with any significantly low barometric pressure readings.
The highest recorded value of any of the events in this survey was from Hurricane Debbie in 1961. At Malin Head on the extreme NW tip of Ireland a gust of 182km/h was recorded. Other exceptional gusts were recorded at Shannon Airport, Rep. of Ireland at 172km/h, Ballykelly, Northern Ireland at 171km/h, Tiree, Scotland and Snaefell, Isle of Man both at 167km/h, Clones, Rep. of Ireland at 161km/h, Kyle of Lochalsh, Scotland 159km/h and Mullingar, Rep. of Ireland with 146km/h [8,9]. All the above mentioned stations in the Rep. of Ireland and Malin Head and Valentia Observatory were and still are all time record gusts. In addition maximum 10 minute mean wind speed records were set for meteorological stations at Claremorris, Mullingar and Shannon Airport and still stand. These records indicate the exceptional strength of the winds associated with Hurricane Debbie.
In terms of sustained winds the values are obviously lower than that of the gusts but equally important in terms of generating all sorts of damage from the coast moving inland. Unsurprisingly Hurricane Debbie in 1961 also generated the highest sustained values identified [10,11] and the detailed hourly wind values for both Valentia Observatory, SW Ireland and Malin Head, NW Ireland can be outlined. Fig. 3 shows the rising values of sustained hourly wind speed as the hurricane travels offshore along the west coast of Ireland t the two aforementioned meteorological stations.
Values at Valentia Observatory are higher than that of Malin Head until noon on the 16th September 1961. Initial values at Valentia Observatory did not exceed 60km/h up to and including the 9am reading, however the maximum value of 107km/h was recorded at 10am showing a massive elevation of wind speed in a very short time period. For the rest of the day the values of wind speed gradually decline at Valentia Observatory. From 10am onwards wind speeds rapidly rose at Malin Head and reached their maximum value at 2pm with a sustained value of 126km/h, an hour later the wind speed had barely dropped to 124km/h, thereafter as the hurricane moved away the wind speeds started to decline but even at 4pm and 5pm the wind speed was above 100km per hour unlike Valentia Observatory where the peak was relatively brief and at 6pm the wind had just dropped below 100km/h, thereafter the wind speed dropped more rapidly and by midnight was hovering around 40km/h, still twice the values being recorded at Valentia Observatory.
The sustained hourly wind data from 25th of August 1986 for Hurricane Charley shows a number of small peaks as well as the main one at Valentia Observatory. Small peaks of wind strength at or above 40km/h occur at 4am, 9 to 11am and 3pm to 5pm (Fig. 4). The main peak with winds between 50 and 65km/h occurred between 7pm and 11pm thereafter wind speed starts to diminish. Much higher gusts were recorded at Brixham in Devon and Gwennap Head in Cornwall, both in England recording 121km/h and 114km/h respectively. Many southern Irish meteorological stations recorded gusts of between 90km/h and 102km/h but not as strong as England . However the effects of the passing of the hurricane did not cause any significant increase in wind speed in more northerly stations like Malin Head and as such is not included in Fig. 4.
Hurricane Debbie’s remnants were responsible for flooding in Ireland, Scotland and Wales but the rainfall amounts although high were by no means exceptional or record breaking . Some of this flooding was associated with the large lakes in the west of Ireland. Fig. 5 shows that there were two main pulses of rainfall at Valentia Observatory coming towards the end of the 16th and the start of the 17th September 1961 peaking at 9mm in an hour at 9pm on the 16th. The hourly rainfall at Malin Head shows the second lesser peak at the start of the 17th August but very limited rainfall receipt either before, during or after the hurricane, despite being closer to the landfall site of the hurricane itself.
Hurricane Charley in 1986 produced record high precipitation values for Ireland. In the mountains south of Dublin at Kippure (754m altitude) in excess of 280mm was recorded over a 24 hour period, which set a new one day record at altitude for Irish rainfall. However, because of timing errors on the data logger this figure of 280mm is viewed as a conservative estimate, the true 24 hour value could be as high as 350mm . In addition, the low-lying station at Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow recorded 200mm of rainfall, setting a new Irish record for a one day total at low altitude. Additional very high daily rainfall totals were recorded at a number of other meteorological stations including the Phoenix Park, Dublin city (85.1mm), Roches Point, Co. Cork (84.4mm) Casement Aerodrome, Co. Dublin (72.4mm) and a number of others with values ranging from 50 to 65mm . This amount of rainfall unsurprisingly caused significant flooding in Dublin city and also in Bray Co. Wicklow. In parts of Bray water heights reached 2.4m and over 450 buildings were affected by the flooding.
The hourly rainfall from Valentia Observatory, Dublin Airport and Casement Aerodrome show the heavy rainfall associated with this event (Fig. 6). Valentia Observatory on the west coast records the passage of the event with a midday peak of hourly rainfall receipt on the 25th of August. The two stations on the east coast of Ireland closest to the major flooding record peak hourly rainfall from 4pm to midnight on the 25th of August with declining rainfall levels from then on apart from a small peak at Dublin Airport at 8am, arguably unrelated to the passage of the tail-end of the hurricane. Casement Aerodrome recorded 9.3mm in an hour at 6pm on the 25th of August the maximum hourly value recorded for any of the three stations. This is the station closest to the locations where the highest daily rainfall totals were recorded, which were in the Wicklow Mts. Valentia Observatory had a maximum value of 7.9mm at 1pm on the 25th and Dublin Airport had a maximum value of 6.8mm at 7pm on the 25th of August 1986.
When the remnants of Hurricane Charley moved on to Wales it also produced excessive rainfall but not quite as high as Dublin. At Aber in Gwynedd in Wales 135mm was recorded over an 18 hour period. Very high daily values were also recorded in England with Walshaw Dean near Halifax having 121mm of rainfall and Loggerheads near Wrexham having 109mm of rainfall. Many other locations had values near or just exceeding 100mm in a day .
Both events are very different in terms of their origin and track yet both end up crossing Ireland either as a hurricane or extra tropical storm. Both are also significant in an Irish context but for very different reasons, Debbie for record high winds and Charley for record high precipitation. These differences have a big effect on the impacts generated by the two events as will be detailed in the next section.
6. Impact analysis
Although the type of impact varies between the two events both produced significant numbers of fatalities and injuries along with considerable economic damage.
7. Fatalities and injuries
Aside from the loss of 60 lives in a plane crash on the Cape Verde Islands Hurricane Debbie is directly responsible for the deaths of at least 17 people in Ireland. A systematic search of local and regional newspapers across Ireland was used to generate this figure which is higher than any previous published number [17,18,19]. In the worst incident four members of the one family including a one week old being taken home from hospital were killed in Co. Cavan when a tree fell on their car (Fig.1). Tree falls or driving into fallen trees were responsible for another eight deaths in eight separate incidents, three of which occurred in Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland with one each in Cos. Donegal, Dublin, Longford, Meath and Offaly all in the Rep. of Ireland. Three fatalities occurred as a result of collapsing walls and roofs, one each in Co. Fermanagh in Northern Ireland and Dublin city and Co. Meath in the Rep. of Ireland. In addition a five year old lost his life when he was blown into a stream in Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland and another person drowned as a small boat capsized in Co. Derry. A large number of people suffered injuries of which at least seven of these were considered serious. The main causes of these injuries were to do with fallen trees, roofs and walls and flying debris such as roof slates.
As well as the five fatalities in the USA the weather remnants of Hurricane Charley in August 1986 caused an additional 11 fatalities in Europe, six in Ireland and five in England. Most of these fatalities were as a result of drowning in flooded rivers or being trapped in flood waters. Two of the Irish fatalities resulted from drowning incidents in the Dublin area and one of the Irish fatalities occurred as a result of drowning on a canoeing trip in Co. Carlow, Rep. of Ireland (Fig 2). At least one other death is confirmed in the newspapers but with little detail and details on the other two fatalities remain very sketchy at best. The figure of six fatalities for this event has been in all the limited published literature and it is surprising that only three or four definitive fatalities can be identified for this event using modern search methods. The five fatalities in England also resulted mainly from drowning incidents. Very few people sustained injuries in either Ireland or England.
8. Economic damage
8.1. Hurricane Debbie
Virtually no area on the island of Ireland was unaffected by the impact of Hurricane Debbie, but the worst affected areas were Cos. Mayo and Galway (Fig 1). Tens of thousands of houses and other structures including churches suffered significant structural damage varying from complete destruction to roof loss to minor damage including broken windows. Much damage was done to walls, sheds and other infrastructure. Caravan parks along the west coast were particularly badly affected with some caravans being moved up to 150 metres and many others being completely destroyed. Roads and other transport routes were blocked as a result of falling trees and electricity and telephone cables. There were extensive power outages with some areas being without power for up to four days as well as extensive disruption to transport including shipping on the Irish Sea.
There was significant damage done to the agricultural sector with the hurricane coming at one of the busiest times of the year. There was widespread damage to barns, sheds and out-houses and other agricultural buildings. In addition unharvested wheat and oats were beaten down in the fields where they stood to such an extent that it is estimated that up to a third of the crop had been lost nationally. Part of the hay crop was blown away if harvested and still uncollected in the fields. The severity of the wind can be seen by the fact that as far as 20km inland all plant life withered and died in a matter of minutes as sea spray laden with salt was carried landward by the wind. A similar effect was recorded for the 6th January 1839 storm . There was extensive damage to forestry all across the Ireland. Total losses were of the order of 2% of all trees in commercial plantations on the island of Ireland but with some forests these losses were up to 24% . The worst affected plantation was Baronscourt Forest in Co. Tyrone where around 300,000 mature trees were blown down. Other major losses occurred in Cos. Derry, Fermanagh, Leitrim, Galway and Clare. The force of the wind damaged many native trees throughout the country by removal of branches, leaves and shoots. This damage included a large number of sweet cherry trees at a farm in Co. Waterford . Fallen trees and blown debris also killed many farm animals including cattle.
There was extensive damage to shipping along the south, west and north coasts especially at Bantry Bay, Co. Cork and the Foyle Estuary between Cos. Donegal and Derry. A very rare storm-induced tidal bore was recorded as having taken place on the Shannon river near Lanesboro, Co. Longford when the level of the river rose by 1.35m as the hurricane winds blew water upstream. This reverse flow carried many small boats upstream and onto the river banks leaving them high and dry when the wind changed direction and the river dropped almost equally as suddenly.
Very little coastal flooding was reported with the exception of Salthill, Galway city which experienced early morning severe tidal flooding. There is some evidence of small scale coastal erosion in parts of Ireland including some significant shoreline recession at Inch, Co. Kerry. However, most of the coasts were not affected due to the nature of the winds being directed obliquely or offshore and the fact that the peak winds did not coincide with high tide explains this outcome . On the Lancashire coast of England and the Isle of Man extensive sand storms were recorded with significant deposits of sand inland but there are no records of this occurring in Ireland .
It is quite difficult to estimate the cost of Hurricane Debbie but based on the few figures that are available and the scale of the structural damage to properties and infrastructure, the widespread devastation of forestry plantations and the damage to the agricultural sector a figure in 1961 terms of between $40 million and $50 million would not be unrealistic.
8.2. Hurricane Charley
Hurricane Charley mostly affected the southern half of Ireland especially on the east coast with Cos. Dublin and Wicklow being particularly affected (Fig. 2). However, unlike Debbie most of the damage associated with this event was to do with flooding as a result of the exceptional rainfall. Particularly badly affected were parts of south Dublin city with 400 houses flooded and Bray Co. Wicklow where over a thousand residents had to be evacuated as flood waters breached the banks of the River Dargle . Roads, bridges and property were extensively flooded throughout much of the southern and southeastern part of Ireland. Additional flooding was caused by the River Dodder in Dublin city bursting its banks causing significant damage mostly to private dwellings. The Dodder rises in the Dublin Mountains at an altitude of 751m OD and as such is vulnerable to flash flooding caused by high mountain rainfall as was the case during Hurricane Charley . The return period of this flood event on the Dodder was estimated to be in excess of 100 years . This was partly based on the recorded maximum output of the Lower Bohernabreena Reservoir on the river. 91.1 (m3/s) were recorded the third largest of the records dating back to 1886. The 13th of October 1891 value of 92.2 (m3/s) and the 28th August 1905 of 107.8 (m3/s) both events caused very significant flooding, although the areas along the Dodder at this time were much less built-up .
Fortunately because of the effects of the River Liffey reservoirs and their effective management, most of Dublin city was unaffected by flooding. Without the reservoirs and the flood management severe flooding would have occurred in Dublin as evidenced by the estimates of peak flow with and estimated without the reservoirs and associated dams. The peak flow downstream of the Leixlip Dam during Hurricane Charley was 170 (m3/s) without these structures it was estimated that it discharge would reach 400 (m3/s) producing a very different outcome in Dublin city as a result . Parts of East Meath were also considerably affected by flooding, extending the worst flood-affected areas westwards from Dublin city and county .
The torrential rain from Charley also triggered three very small scale landslides and one slightly larger one in the Cloghoge Valley in the Wicklow Mts., felling trees and stripping the bark from those left standing as the debris slides tracked through forested areas. The three very small slides involved movement of between 310 and 533 m3 of material whereas the larger slide involved the movement of an estimated 6,578 m3 and covered an area of 12.75km2. This landslide although much bigger than the other three still only represented 0.14% of the total catchment, the other three barely reaching 0.01% of the catchment .
Wind damage was also recorded across this area with significant damage to power and phone lines partly due to fallen trees. Initially nearly 250,000 people were affected by power failures although this was reduced down to 9,000 after two days of intensive effort. There was extensive disruption to transport both public and private across the country and to ferries in the Irish Sea. Social and sporting fixtures were also cancelled.
Once again the agricultural sector was severely affected by a combination of the heavy rain, leading to flooding and high winds. Cereal production was particularly badly affected with losses of 50% estimated for Co. Waterford alone. In addition feed, hay and silage supplies also suffered major losses so much so that in many areas in the southern half of the country the early winter housing of livestock had to be implemented as the waterlogged and sodden land could neither provide nor sustain the needs of the animals. Consequentially milk supply and farmers incomes also suffered.
The height of the tail-end of Hurricane Charley also coincided with two high tides generating localized coastal flooding and causing problems for shipping as the pounding waves threw a luxury yacht onto the heavily flooded roadway at Bray seafront in Co. Wicklow. Valentia lifeboat was called out at the peak of the storm to a distress call by a yacht off the Skellig Islands, Co. Kerry.
Again it is impossible to put an exact cost on the damage and destruction caused by the tail-end of Hurricane Charley, however some justifiable estimate can be generated by using what few figures are available in 1986 values. Around $40 million in insurance claims mostly for flooding were made to various insurance companies in Ireland . The Irish Government allocated $8.65 million just for road and bridge repairs. However these values do not include the significant losses suffered by the farming sector and also uninsured losses. A true value in excess of $100 million and even as high as $125 million would not be unjustified for Ireland alone not too mention across the other affected countries in Europe.
9. Discussion and conclusions
One of the key results that has emerged from the detailed examination of the impact of Hurricane Debbie and the tail-end of Hurricane Charley is that each had its own unique character. Debbie was very much associated with wind damage and set new wind records for Ireland, some of which still stand today whereas Charley was very much a flood damage event due to the exceptional and again record breaking rainfall. In many respects the two events represent two extremes of the possible types of meteorological effects of the tail-end of a hurricane on Ireland and Europe. Worryingly for Ireland would be the case where an event occurred that contained both exceptionally high winds and exceptionally high rainfall. This could have a devastating impact not just on Ireland but probably on other parts of Europe as well.
However, it is very hard to consider how likely this perfect tail-end/hurricane is to occur for a number of reasons. Firstly, not enough research has been carried out on past Irish storm records, in particular there is a need to focus on unusually severe storms that affected Ireland over the last several hundred years during the months of August, September and October and which may have been mistakenly identified as early mid-latitude storms and not ones of tropical origin. Irish storm records go back to the first millennium AD due to the survival of a number of monastic Irish Annals covering this time period up to the middle of the second millennium. These annals record significant weather events including major devastating storms, a few of which might be hurricane in origin.
Secondly, even if potential tail-end of hurricanes or hurricanes themselves were identified, there would be enormous difficulties in categorically proving their tropical origin or at least producing enough evidence to suggest that this was even likely, and in many cases no definitive proof would ever be found particularly events that would predate AD 1800 and especially AD 1700.
Consideration must also be given to rising sea-surface temperatures in the tropics and how this will gradually enlarge the areas lattitudinally where hurricanes could potentially form. This has huge implications for the potential loss of life and damage in tropical areas and this in turn will also have a potentially significant impact on the frequency of the tail-ends of hurricanes and hurricanes themselves reaching and affecting Ireland and Europe. In addition their intensity may be increased as well leading to greater damage and destruction and the potential for more loss of life and injuries. As a result more attention needs to be paid to these events and the frequency with which they affect Western Europe. However, at present modeling of likely future hurricane activity has failed to indicate any significant increase or decrease but it is noted that much research needs to be carried out particularly in dealing with the chaotic nature of the climate system and in the response of the climate to radiative forcing in order to develop much more suitable models for prediction .
It is clear that the potential impact of the tail-ends of hurricanes or hurricanes themselves on both Ireland and Europe should not be underestimated as the impacts of Hurricane Debbie and the tail-end of Hurricane Charley on Ireland has shown. Loss of life and injuries can be more severe and greater than that of mid-latitude storms and the potential scale of damage and destruction can be very significant whether through wind damage or flooding or a combination of both.
More recently in 2012 the impact of tail-end of Hurricane Katia on Ireland and Europe with one fatality and extensive damage stretching from Ireland to Russia and the impact of the tail-end of Hurricane Ophelia also in 2012 which brought bad weather to Europe shows that the threat remains ever present. With rising sea surface temperatures in the tropics in the Atlantic the potential threat of more of these events reaching Ireland and Europe cannot be ignored even though there will still be clusters of years when no tail-ends will reach as far northwards .
Future research will focus on identifying the hurricane component of the Irish storm record and in doing so identify what contribution the tail-ends of hurricanes and even hurricanes themselves make to precipitation and wind receipt in Ireland and disentangle these much rarer events from the normal mid-latitude storm signal.


The largest in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul has its world-famous landmark in the form of street called Rua Gonçalo de Carvalho, which is located in Porto Alegre. This amazing beauty of street has an extension in the length of about 500 meters, and on both sides of it grows a huge amount of Rosewood trees, which are on the crown height of the windows of the seventh floor nearby buildings. According to some older residents, trees were planted in 1930, by employees of German origin, who worked in a brewery district.
These trees reach 18-20 meters in height, the bark is reddish brown, the birthplace of this rosewood became South America. When the trees are blooming, they bloom yellow buds. In 2005, construction of a mall in the area threatened the destruction of the trees. Residents protested, and they were successful in lobbying mayor José Fogaça to declare the area a cultural site that has to be preserved. The trees on Rua Gonçalo de Carvalho create a dense shaded area. From above, it looks as if a forest has filled in between all of the neighboring buildings. Rosewood trees, also known as Tipuana, are native to South America and can grow to be upwards of 100 feet tall. Their extensive root systems can be known to damage streets, sidewalks and nearby homes, but special trenching can prevent this.


This page describes specific out-of-the-ordinary problems certain materials might cause during the capture process. For general guidelines in judging image quality, see Visual Assessment of Images.
Only Part of the Image is Out of Focus
Having just part of an image out of focus means one of three things
- The image is pretty far off center on the document table
- This could result in one or more edges of the image being fuzzy
- To fix this, make sure the center of the image is as close as possible to the center of the camera's focus, which is the center of the grid or overlay in the EOS Utility.
- The camera isn't far enough from the image to take a quality picture
- This will result in an image that is uniformly fuzzy around the edges (assuming it's centered and has been auto-focused to that same center)
- To fix this, move the camera up and/or switch to a capture station which allows for a greater distance between camera and document table.
- The camera isn't centered properly on the document table
- This will result in a gradient effect across the image, with one side/corner being in focus, with less focus as it approaches the opposite side/corner
- To fix this, the camera will need to be physically readjusted -- the lens is no longer parallel to the document table. Please see Jeremiah for help with this.
This is a kind of pattern that sometimes appears in digital images, involving rainbow lines or dots showing up against an actual pattern in the object itself. Here are a couple of examples:
Check out her hair:
Look closely at his forehead:
When can this happen?
This might affect materials that
- are off-set printed, and
- contain pictures and/or graphics
- Examples may include: posters, pamphlets, booklets, cards, newspapers
This will NOT effect
- handwritten materials
- photocopied materials
- photographs (note: photographs that have been printed as above are a different matter)
How do we deal with the problem?
Be aware. It will happen. Know the kind of collections/materials it is likely to impact (more modern collections with more professionally produced materials), and be extra vigilant with examining your captures as you go, to make sure it's not happening.
- If a moiré pattern does appear in test scans, try one of the following things:
- rotate the object until -- hopefully -- the effect disappears; or
- change the distance between the camera and the object (move the camera or elevate the object) by at least a few inches.
- If you can't get rid of the moiré pattern as the object is being captured, there are a couple of post-production fixes that can be employed.
- First, try the Moiré Reduction tool in Photoshop's Camera Raw interface (in Graduated Filter mode, it will show up as a slider in the third set of tools)
- If all else fails, you'll need to do the corrections manually in Photoshop; see Jeremiah for instructions on how to do this


browser is a computer program
that helps you use the Internet. You are using a browser right now.
There are different
kinds of browsers. Internet Explorer,
Safari, and Google Chrome are the most popular browsers.
Most browsers are very similar. If you learn how to use one browser,
you will be able to use any of them.
Click on the arrow
below to continue.
Glossary of terms
used so far:
browser - A computer program that helps people
use the Internet.
click - To quickly press and release the left
Google Chrome - A browser.
Internet Explorer - A browser.
Mozilla Firefox - A browser. Firefox
is an updated version of Netscape Navigator.
pointer - The little arrow that moves around
the computer screen when the mouse is moved.
Safari - A browser.


The sassafras tree is a medium-size tree native to the eastern part of North America. It is grown for its curiously variable leaves, beautiful fall color, and ability to adapt well to poor soil conditions. It is used in the production of sassafras tea.
Description of sassafras tree: The sassafras usually starts off its life as a shrub, forming a thicket of saplings all around the mother plant. It eventually forms a flat-topped tree with an irregular head, reaching about 40 to 60 feet in height. The bark is reddish brown with corky ridges. Its leaves are smooth-edged and bright medium green, turning various shades of yellow, orange, scarlet, and purple in the fall. The leaf form is variable, ranging from unlobed to mittenlike to threelobed, often all on the same branch. The dark blue berries are borne on bright red stalks.
Growing sassafras tree: Plant when young, since this tree resents transplanting. It prefers a rich, moist, acid soil, although it is often found in rocky soils in the wild. If a treelike shape is desired, prune out suckers as they form. It is relatively pest free.
Uses for sassafras tree: This is a good choice for naturalized plantings, roadsides, and small lots.
Related species and varieties of sassafras tree: There are no related species or varieties.
Scientific name of sassafras tree: Sassafras albidum
Want more information on trees and gardening? Try:
- Shade Trees: Towering overhead, shade trees can complement even the biggest house, and define the amount of sunlight that reaches your yard.
- Flowering Trees: Many trees offer seasonal blooms that will delight any visitor to your yard or garden.
- Types of Trees: Looking for fresh ideas about what to plant? Find out about different species that can turn your yard into a verdant oasis.
- Gardening: Get great tips about how to keep your garden healthy and thriving.


The Marmesse cuirass
9th to 8th centuries BC
This breastplate in sheet bronze is part of a collection of similar pieces discovered in several stages at Marmesse (Haute-Marne), at the site known as “Petit Marais” (Small Marsh). In 1974 the first three cuirasses were discovered, placed one inside the other. They were unearthed by chance during terracing work in a sand quarry. Fragments of other cuirasses were discovered subsequently, and an archaeological survey was carried out in 1980, enabling the collection to be completed.
In all, seven cuirasses were found at Marmesse, representing part of a votive hoard probably linked to the presence of a spring. The circumstances of the discovery of these defensive weapons, and the absence of any specific archaeological context, explain the imprecise dating, which is based purely on typological and stylistic considerations.
The discoveries at Marmesse are part of an important series of hoards, which, at this pivotal time between the Bronze Age and the Iron Age, express in different ways the prestige and the power of a warrior elite. As well as carrying these prestigious defensive weapons, warriors wore helmets and greaves (leg protectors). Attacking weaponry consisted of a sword and a spear. This equipment evokes in some way the “bronze-clad” warriors described by Homer. We should not forget that the Trojan War took place at the end of the Bronze Age.


It looks like you're using Internet Explorer 11 or older. This website works best with modern browsers such as the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. If you continue with this browser, you may see unexpected results.
Polaris is a leader in the global fight to eradicate modern slavery. Named after the North Star that guided slaves to freedom in the U.S., Polaris systemically disrupts the human trafficking networks that rob human beings of their lives and their freedom.
From Human Rights Brief, a university student-run publication and online resource of the American University Washington College of Law (AUWCL) Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (Center). **Contains some challenging vocabulary
"Girls Not Brides is a global partnership of more than 700 civil society organisations committed to ending child marriage and enabling girls to fulfil their potential." (Not exactly exploitation in the traditional sense, but perhaps an interesting idea to explore)


This latest novel by Jennifer Chiaverini relates the hardships and violence suffered by the women who fought for the voting rights in the early 1900’s. Some of the characters are modeled on real life activists. Alice Paul was a vocal activist for women’s rights, and organized the March, Maud Malone, who was a NYC librarian, and Ida Wells-Barnett, a journalist and researcher as well as an activist, who also had to battle racism. It is thanks to these brave women that the 19th amendment eventually was passed in 1920, giving women the right to vote. Chiaverini describes in riveting details the 1913 women’s long Suffrage March from NYC to Washington, D.C., in March, just before President Wilson was inaugurated. We truly owe a debt of gratitude to these individuals and others who worked tirelessly to achieve the vote. A great piece of historical fiction.


Fennlock's Fun Fact Friday: Elephants!
1. Elephants are the largest land animal!
2. They can eat around 300 pounds of food a day!
3. Their skin can be 1.5 inches thick in some places - now that is some thick skin!
4. You can tell different types of elephants apart by their ear shape.
5. They cover themselves in mud and sand as a way of protecting their skin from the hot sun - it's their own homemade sunscreen!


Blackpool Tower Opened
For once, unlike with the guillotine, champagne and the corkscrew, the French were ahead of us on this one. The inspiration for Blackpool Tower was a trip by the town’s mayor to Paris in 1889, where he saw the Eiffel Tower during his visit to the Exposition Universelle celebrating the centenary of the French Revolution.
When Mayor John Bickerstaffe returned to Lancashire he set about organising the erection of a similar structure on the resort’s shoreline. The raw figures are fascinating in themselves: some five million bricks were used, along with 2500 tons of iron and 93 tons of cast steel. It takes six tons of paint to coat the tower which stands 519 feet high. And the cost was roughly £290,000, the equivalent of £40 million in contemporary terms. The most poignant statistic is the smallest, and given the safety record of other major Victorian projects the most surprising – just one fatality occurred during the near three years it took to construct: the foundation stone was laid on September 29 1891, and the building opened to the public on Monday May 14 1894.
Our Victorian forebears were commercially astute: while the tower itself was being built an aquarium was opened at its base (replaced by the Blackpool Tower Dungeon in a massive revamp in 2011) so revenue could be generated before the main attraction was completed.
The engineers who designed Blackpool Tower (Charles Tuke and James Maxwell from Manchester) had regard to the safety of the town, hay bales at its foundations providing a cushion against earth-tremors, and the configuration of the ironwork made such that should it ever collapse the tower would fall westwards into the Irish Sea. The tower we see today, however, is not actually that built in the last decade of the 19th century, though the design was unchanged: corrosion of the original meant the iron and steel had to be replaced in the 1920s.
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|source: Oberlin College|
There are many churches in Italy built during the late Byzantine rule over Italy which seemingly blur the boundaries between what are now denominated East and West, but at the time of their constructions was simply the Empire. Among these is the basilica of San Vitale in the former Exarchate of Ravenna, the remote administrative center of Italy for the Empire now based in Byzantium. The church is octagonal in shape, recounting to us that the Sacrament of greatest importance in earlier days was Baptism, which incorporated one into the Church. St. Augustine simply calls Baptism "the Sacrament" in his Confessions. Images of the occasionally notorious and often effective Justinian and his wife, Theodora, grace the opposite sides of the apse, at the center of which is a beardless image of Our Lord Jesus Christ; the earthly court anticipates the heavenly court. The people of the region likely depicted Christ without facial hair because of the Roman custom of men to shave; they showed Christ as they knew him, even if inaccurately. The arch over the apse holds the images of the Twelve Apostles, through whom we have received the Church and come to know Christ.
A church similar in antiquity but different in both execution (Roman basilica rather than Greek dome) and intention (communal church rather than political metaphor) is Santa Maria Assunta in Torcello. The Mother and Child look down the apse in Greek fashion, but the apse with an episcopal throne and forward facing altar are purely Latin. The imagery on the Rood screen echoes what developed into the iconostasis in Byzantine Christianity. The seemingly Greek Last Judgment on the back wall dates to the 12th century, before the Venetians sacked Constantinople.
St. Vitalis, whose patronal church is more renown on earth, pray for the Church in heaven, where you enjoy fitting repute!


Although this mammoth pecan tree is not the largest in the world, nor in Texas, it has the distinction of once having yielded the largest pecan nuts in the world. Robert L. Ripley cited the Jumbo Hollis in his “Believe It or Not” column as requiring the fewest nuts to weigh a pound. When other native pecans averaged 70-80 nuts per pound, Jumbo’s averaged 33.
The name Jumbo Hollis is derived from the tree’s unusually large fruit and from Thomas I. Hollis, the first recorded owner of the tree. Hollis was an early settler and storekeeper in the Bend community, near San Saba. At the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, Jumbo Hollis pecans won a bronze medal for being the largest displayed.
In the early 1900’s much of its wood was sent throughout the South to be “budded” (grafted) to other pecan trees.
The tree’s record year was 1919, when it produced 1,015 pounds of nuts. So popular were the fruits of this tree that buyers then paid as much as a dollar a pound for them.


Think about it… A good scientist is a person with original ideas. A good engineer is a person who makes a design that works with as few original ideas as possible.
Something new everyday
Every day we share a new idea, a new thought, an upcoming technology OR an engineering breakthrough that will change the way you think about technology and engineering in today’s world and in near future.
I create musical robots that can play duets
Angelica Lim – I create musical robots that can play duets. Angelica works in an area of computer science called artificial intelligence (AI), which makes it possible for her robot to learn from and adapt to its environment. “With my software, the robot can take information from its video camera and microphones and understand the world around it.” When people think of robots, they often think of Terminator-type bots. “I’m passionate about making robots less scary and more approachable—they have the potential to make our lives happier.” read more
dotDiva – Dot Diva’s mission is to create an exciting and positive image of computing for high school girls. Our nationwide survey revealed that not only do the majority of girls think of computing as “boring” and “hard,” but they believe it fails to deliver two crucial benefits: “working with others” and “making a difference in other people’s lives.” Our ultimate goal is to transform this negative perception.
Optical device takes after a dog’s nose to sniff out disease
The latest scientists to start sniffing around breath analysis as a form of medical diagnosis is a team from the University of Adelaide, who are developing a laser instrument inspired by dogs’ noses that can screen samples for signs of disease. read more
GizMag “is a celebration of human endeavor, we aim to inspire, not ridicule. We cover technology, not the politics or the money behind it. Online for more than a decade, Gizmag is read by more than 5 million people per month. We are 100% self-funded and independent.”
Looking at daVinci’s sketches of flying machines. Leonardo daVinci wanted a practical solution to flight. Leonardo designed a multitude of mechanical devices, including parachutes, and studied the flight of birds as well as their structure. daVinci used art as an avenue to understand and experiment with scientific principles through his sketchbooks. What questions are being explored? How did daVinci use traditional mathematical practices to challenge convention and create something new? read more
Curriki – To help equalize access to education globally, Curriki makes world-class learning materials freely available to educators, students, and parents around the world. Curriki originated from the idea that technology can play a crucial role in breaking down the barriers of the Education Divide—the gap between those who have access to high-quality education and those who do not. Curriki helps bridge this divide by providing free and open resources to everyone.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA}’s Vision: To reach for new heights and reveal the unknown so that what we do and learn will benefit all humankind.


Brazil is one of the world’s least equitable countries. While it ranks among the likes of China, Germany, and the United States in terms of wealth, it ranks alongside Central African Republic, Lesotho, and Zambia in terms of inequality. With the current generation of Brazilians on the brink of getting trapped in the cycle of inequality that has swallowed up so many generations before it, there has never been a better time to address this challenge head-on.
Breaking this cycle of inequality requires large-scale action on two fronts. One, we must rapidly address Brazil’s learning crisis. Two, we must equip Brazil’s leaders with the tools and opportunities they need to drive social change.
Brazil has a serious
Fully half of the nearly 50 million children who attend Brazilian public schools are still illiterate by third grade. Illiteracy rates are even higher among Afro-Brazilian and indigenous children, reaching 80 percent in Brazil’s most vulnerable communities. In total, only 10 percent of students finish middle school with the appropriate competencies, and only six percent of students in the public school system end up graduating high school.
Addressing the crisis is complicated by the incredibly uneven learning levels across the country. In some states, over 70 percent of students are learning what they should be. In others, the number is closer to 30 percent. Across the country, students attending public schools lag three years behind students attending private schools — a gap that has exponential effects since Brazil’s public education system enrolls 82 percent of the country’s students.
All these factors contribute to Brazil’s extensive “learning poverty,” a term the World Bank uses for the number of children who reach the age of 10 without being able to read. Learning poverty lies at the heart of broader economic poverty, and affects over 50 percent of children in low- and middle-income countries, compared to only nine percent of children in wealthy countries. The World Bank estimates that at its current rate of improvement it will take Brazil a staggering 260 years to reduce its learning poverty to the level seen in the average wealthy country.
Unleashing the power of a
new generation of leaders in Brazil
The most effective way to address Brazil’s staggering inequality will draw on the power of Brazil’s most precious asset: its people. It is our people who innovate, our people who solve complex social problems, our people who make a more advanced, more equitable Brazil possible.
Unfortunately, pursuing a career in the public sector is simply not an attractive option for many people in Brazil. A paltry eight percent of Brazilians believe that those in leadership positions are the most competent people for the job. This cynicism has detrimental real-world effects since it prevents many talented Brazilians from joining public life. This issue is only exacerbated by the fact that Brazil ranks 105th on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index.
These doubts notwithstanding, most Brazilians still believe the public sector is one of the few places that can spur significant change nationwide. Nearly three-quarters of Brazilians agree that having well-prepared, highly-skilled individuals in influential public sector positions like directors of schools and social services can directly improve their lives.
Unleashing the power of both the current and rising generations of Brazil’s social and political leaders will require action on both the individual and systemic levels. Brazil’s young leaders are brimming with potential, but they often lack the knowledge, resources, and networks to generate significant nationwide impact.
To address these issues, the Lemann Foundation has set ambitious goals to bring about a more just and equitable Brazil. But we cannot achieve these objectives alone, which is why we work with numerous co-investment and collaborative philanthropy partners from both Brazil and abroad.


Each year on or around January 15, we celebrate the tremendous and world transformative life of the legendary Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. There are oratory contests, days of service, parades, and commemorations spread out around the United States to celebrate and lift up the name of justice. And not the least of the memories, is the famous “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. However, this year, I found myself becoming wrapped in another one of King’s “sermons” if you will. “What Is Your Life’s Blueprint”, a short speech given by King at Barratt Junior High School in Philadelphia on October 26, 1967. For a quick moment I want to talk about the street sweeper…
See the climate of 1967 was just as rough as any during the civil rights movement, and Dr. King had taken a few moments to go speak to a group of middle school students and empower them beyond their violent climate. Moreover, he called the students to consider their blueprint or plan if for their very own lives. Calling them OUT of the struggles of being a negro during the civil rights movement to be the best at whatever their various commissions may have been. About 10 minutes into his speech he switches from giving his reasons, and over to the calling.
See Full Speech Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmtOGXreTOU
In King speech he proclaims: “Stay in school, and when you discover what you’re going to be in life, set out to do it like God almighty called you at this particular moment in history to do it…” And don’t just setout to do a good “Negro” job, but do a good JOB. That ANYBODY could do […] And set out to do that job so well, that living, the dead or the unborn couldn’t do it any better. If it falls your lot to be a street sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures, sweep streets like Beethoven composed music, sweep streets like Leontyne Price sings before the Metropolitan Opera. Sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry. Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will have to pause and say: Here lived a great street sweeper who swept his job well.”
Makes you think right? I’ve heard snippets of this speech many times and know the poetic commission of the “Street sweeper” but it wasn’t until I had my first meal of 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana that I saw it manifested for myself. My friends and I celebrated NYE in NOLA, and concluded our trip with lunch at Mandina’s Restaurant off of Canal St. As we awaited in the bar area for our table to be made ready, we found ourselves unknowingly staring at one of the bus boys. We initially began joking and how quickly he would bus down a table, clean it, and have it setup for the next party. He was seemingly doing it in one fell swoop. We kept watching as he adjusted from bus boy to server, and back to the tables just to keep the flow of traffic and patrons reasonable. Shortly after that we were seated and began to order, and all throughout the time at the restaurant we found ourselves continuing to be amazed and how he flowed through the rows of tables, around the servers, and barely missing the patrons as the morning and afternoon progressed. Just like Martin alluded, it truly was like art. He had a subtle smile on his face and was the only bus boy that we noticed in the restaurant. As we concluded our meal, we requested to see the manager and brag not on our waiter but on the bus boy. That we had never seen anything like that and wanted to make sure he got his due of credit for an enjoyable experience. The manager mentioned that he loved that job, and he even tried to make him a waiter at one point, but it didn’t work out. The kid just wanted to be a bus boy…
It was at that moment that it hit me. Not that this man’s life calling was to be a bus boy, but in that moment, his dedication to that job allowed me to notice a splendor of God that was over him and even my own life. It was in such a way that I realized if you can do a job or vocation so well that it points people to God, you are indeed called in that moment for a reason and a season. Whatever it may be that you are called to do, do it like the street sweeper Martin talked about, do it so well like the bus boy that you outshine those that may have higher positions than you. When you are equipped with skill, passion, and joy its no longer work but a commission to transform people, places, or things into a better representation of themselves. So on this Martin Luther King, Jr’s Day, in addition to your plans you may have, I want you to think about what you’ve been called to do. I want you to consider all the people that are waiting on you to accept your calling and bless their lives. I believe there are blessings God has for people around you, that He’s waiting to speak and demonstrate through you after you submit to obedience. Let today be that day as you embark into the remaining months, weeks, and days of 2018. No matter how low or high the position, do it for the glory. Happy King Day to all the “Street Sweepers!”
. With Passion, Purpose, and Pride,
Trent J ACEO


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Provides the only comprehensive, regularly collected source of information on selected economic and demographic characteristics for businesses and business owners by gender, ethnicity, race, and veteran status.
Census Aggregated Data Sources
The following databases and websites allow researchers to access Census aggregated statistics (statistics that you can process into easy to use tables).
Access data and digital content from the U.S. Census Bureau. Data sets from the census and the economic census are available and custom tables and maps can be created from the data. This platform replaces American FactFinder.
Data and interactive thematic maps from the U.S. Census from 1790-present.
Provides access to current and historical United States census data, including all historic decennial censuses and American Community Surveys, as well as other demographic information, such as religious organizations. Census data is current to 2010 and historical back to 1790. In addition to being a data resource, the web interface lets users create maps and reports to better illustrate, analyze and understand demography and social change.
A comprehensive collection of statistics on the social, political, and economic conditions of the United States, 1878 to present.
The United States Statistical Abstract (aka Stat Ab) is useful both as a convenient source for statistical reference, and as a guide to sources of more information, in print and on the Web (when available). Sources include the Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis, and many other Federal agencies and private organizations. Prior to 2012, the Stat Ab was provided free of charge. In 2012, Congress cancelled funding and ProQuest has continued producing the Stat Ab.
A web-based data analysis and mapping application that allows users to create custom thematic maps, tables, and reports using demographic, business, and marketing data for the United States. Note: Access limited to 10 simultaneous users. To increase the limit temporarily for use in classes or workshops, please send your request to firstname.lastname@example.org a minimum of 5 business days in advance.
A web-based data analysis and mapping application that allows users to create custom thematic maps, tables and reports using demographic, business, and marketing data for the United States. Includes over 70,000 data variables related to demographics, employment, real estate & housing, crime, businesses, consumer spending, and points of interest data from the US Census, historical US Census data (2000), SimmonsLOCAL data from Experian, and Nielsen Claritas PRIZM data.
National Center for Health Statistics (CDC): Surveys & Data
NCHS data collection systems includes population surveys (sometimes combined with physical examinations, lab tests, & more), provider surveys, and vital statistics. Below are summaries of the current systems. More information is available at cdc.gov/nchs/surveys.htm and tinyurl.com/h9zntf8 (PDF)
Data Source and Methods: Mail/web/telephone survey of directors of adult day care services centers and residential care communities, Administrative data from the CMS on nursing homes and residents, home health agencies and patients, and hospices and patients
Produces health profiles for all 3,143 counties in the US. Each profile includes key indicators of health outcomes, which describe the population health status of a county and factors that have the potential to influence health outcomes, such as health care access and quality, health behaviors, social factors and the physical environment.
Provides access to a variety Center of Disease Control reports, guidelines, and dozens of text-based and numeric databases, including vital statistics, environment, population, disease and disability, immunization, behavior and health, injuries, occupational health, and more. Export data: tab-delimited text file.
Healthy People 2020 includes over 1,200 objectives to monitor and improve the health of all Americans over the decade. The objectives are organized into 42 Topic Areas, each representing an important public health area. See also the 2020 Topics and Objectives for overviews and links to data.
Social vulnerability refers to the resilience of communities when confronted by external stresses on human health, stresses such as natural or human-caused disasters, or disease outbreaks. Reducing social vulnerability can decrease both human suffering and economic loss. ATSDR's Social Vulnerability Index uses U.S. census variables at tract level to help local officials identify communities that may need support in preparing for hazards, or recovering from disaster.
The Healthy People 2020 Midcourse Review provides a snapshot of objective progress toward meeting targets halfway through the 10-year initiative, providing a roadmap for the second half of the decade. This 820-page report provides detailed progress and health disparities data, as available, for over 1,200 objectives. Readers can download individual chapters of the report.
Many States and Territories use Healthy People as a guide to improving health. Find your State or Territory below to learn about how they’re working to achieve the Healthy People 2020 goals and objectives. Some states provide statistics by race and other factors; some also display at county level.
The Institute of Medicine Committee on Quality Measures for the Healthy People Leading Health Indicators was charged to identify measures of quality for the 12 Leading Health Indicator topics and 26 Leading Health Indicators in Healthy People 2020, the current version of the Department of Health and Human Services 10-year agenda for improving the nation's health. This book also addresses data reporting and analytical capacities that must be available to capture the measures and for demonstrating the value of the measures to improving population health, and provides recommendations for how the measures can be used across sectors of the public health and health care systems.


“A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed – to be observed on the 2nd Monday in October”. (January 31, 1957, Parliament of Canada)
Canadian Thanksgiving, one of the most famous holidays and not to be confused with the U.S. American version is celebrated at the second Monday in October. It is similar to the English and European Harvest festival, symbolizing people’s gratitude for everything given by nature or God that sustains them.
While the actual Thanksgiving holiday is on a Monday, Canadians may gather for their Thanksgiving feast on any day during the long weekend. Thanksgiving in Canada is also often a time for weekend getaways.
The traditional dish for the Thanksgiving dinner is roasted turkey, cranberries, and pumpkin pie. Watching football on TV is also a part of the modern tradition for many Canadians.
Becoming a statutory (public) holiday in 1957, Thanksgiving goes back much further than that. Besides being linked to the before mentioned European traditions, it is also a way to remember the English explorer Martin Frobisher and his search for the Northwest Passage in 1578. As it was common in those times, his journey was a difficult one; made hard and exhausting by severe weather and ice. So when Frobisher and his crew arrived in Frobisher’s Bay, they celebrated the first ceremonial Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving being a public holiday means that all government institutions are closed and also most liquor stores. Most other stores are open, though. And if you want to visit some of Vancouver’s attractions, you can check out here, which of them will be open today.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!


The red flesh of watermelon contains lycopene, a pigment with antioxidant properties that help prevent certain types of cancers. This experiment was done to determine cultivar variation in lycopene content, and the effectiveness of colorimetric measurements for predicting lycopene content. Ten ripe melons per cultivar of hybrid, open-pollinated, and triploid types were selected from field plantings at Lane, Okla. Melons were cut transversely and color measured with a colorimeter at three heart and three locule sites, in a counterclockwise rotation starting at the ground spot. For lycopene content, a 100-g sample of heart tissue was removed, extracted with a hexane-acetone-ethanol mixture, and lycopene concentration measured spectrophotometrically at 503 nm. Lycopene content varied among cultivars, from 33.96 μg·g–1 in `Crimson Sweet' to 66.15 μg·g–1 in `Crimson Trio'. Chroma and “a” colorimeter values were highly correlated with lycopene content (P < 0.001). Linear and quadratic regression of lycopene against colorimeter values yielded an R2 of 0.55. Results indicate that, like tomatoes, watermelon cultivars vary widely in lycopene content. Colorimeter readings did not adequately predict lycopene values.
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My high school sophomore son was grumbling as he read his world history textbook. He pointed me to this paragraph about the encounter between European and Mesoamerican civilizations.
"The American Indian societies had many religious ideas and practices that shocked Christian observers, and aspects of their social and familial arrangements clashed with European sensibilities . . ."
The text, "World Civilizations: The Global Experience" by Peter N. Stearns et al, was a little oblique about the nature of those ideas and practices. It mentioned human sacrifice but then rushed to add that "Many of those who most condemned human sacrifice, polygamy or the despotism of Indian rulers were also those who tried to justify European conquest and control, mass violence, and theft on a continental scale."
The authors clearly wish to avoid the unpleasant details of Indian practices in their rush to condemn European depredations. A curious student would have to discover on his own that the Aztecs themselves claimed to have ritually sacrificed 80,400 people over the course of four days at the rededication of the Great Pyramid of Tenochtitlan in 1487. While this was probably bragging, historian Victor Davis Hansen estimates that at least 20,000 victims were sacrificed yearly. Most were slaves, criminals, debtors, children and prisoners of war (the Aztecs fought to capture, not kill, so as to provide a steady stream of sacrifices). The affair was a bloody and brutal mess, and it consisted of slicing open the chest and pulling the still beating heart from the person's body.
When the topic of human sacrifice was broached in the classroom, my son reported that not one of his classmates was comfortable condemning the practice as immoral. "It was their culture," his classmates said. And it's wrong to impose your values on someone else's culture.
This is not a fluke. In "Lost in Transition: The Dark Side of Emerging Adulthood," Christian Smith and his co-authors recount the results of their decade-long study of a representative sample of Americans aged 18-23. Through in-depth interviews, they examined their subjects' lives and concluded that an alarming percentage of young people are highly materialistic, commitment averse, disengaged from political and civic life, sexually irresponsible, often heavily intoxicated and morally confused. In fact, the authors contend, they lack even the vocabulary to think in moral terms.
The products of a culture that dares not condemn even human sacrifice for fear of transgressing multicultural taboos, these young people are morally adrift.
Six out of 10 told the authors that morality is a "personal choice," like preferring long or short hair. "Moral rights and wrongs are essentially matters of individual opinion." One young woman, a student at an Ivy League college, explained that while she doesn't cheat, she is loath to judge others who do. "I guess that's a decision that everyone is entitled to make for themselves. I'm sort of a proponent of not telling other people what to do." A young man offered that " . . . a lot of the time it's personal. It changes from person to person. What you may think is right may not necessarily be right for me, understand? So it's all individual." Forty-seven percent of the cohort agreed that "morals are relative, there are not definite rights and wrongs for everybody."
It goes beyond cheating or failing to give to charity. One young man who stressed "everyone's right to choose," was pressed about whether murder would be such a choice? He wasn't sure. "I mean, in today's society, sure, like to murder someone is just ridiculous. I don't know. In some societies, back in time, maybe it's a good thing."
The irony is that this supposed reluctance to make moral judgments is itself a moral posture. The young people in the study, like the authors of my son's textbook, and much of the American establishment, believe that it is (set ital) morally wrong (end ital) to judge people harshly. (Except, perhaps, if it's Western civilization you're condemning.)
My son was most exasperated by the textbook's suggestion that Western civilization's response to other cultures was "complex" and that this was probably just as true of Chinese, Persians and others. No, he protested, the only civilization that is self-critical -- at all -- is our own. Other world civilizations continue to express pride and even arrogance about their own histories.
Those who resist the self-flagellation that travels under the name multiculturalism are accused of chauvinism. But the withdrawal from any kind of judgment is yielding a generation of moral cripples.
To find out more about Mona Charen and read features by other Creators Syndicate columnists and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2011 CREATORS.COM


"Social justice-oriented approaches in education refer to standpoints and scholarly traditions that actively address the dynamics of oppression, privilege, and isms, recognizing that society is the product of historically rooted, institutionally sanctioned stratification along socially constructed group lines that include race, class, gender, sexual orientation, and ability. Working for social justice in education means guiding students in critical self-reflection of their socialization into this matrix of unequal relationships and its implications, analysis of the mechanisms of oppression, and the ability to challenge these hierarchies."
Sensoy, O. and DiAngelo, R. (2009). Developing social justice literacy: An open letter to our faculty colleagues. Phi Delta Kappan, pp. 345-352.


PELICAN Traffic Signal
The PEdestrian LIght Control ActivatioN (PELICAN) system provides a safe, two-stage crossing for pedestrians. The crossing incorporates the median island refuge between the two stages. These crossings can be easily identified by artwork displayed on the median. The PELICAN is placed mid-block on major streets, and minimizes the potential for stops, delays, and accidents. A pedestrian uses the crossing by pressing a button to activate the first signal. When the light turns red, a “WALK” signal prompts them to proceed to the median. The pedestrian then walks a short distance along the median to activate the second signal. A second “WALK” indication appears when the traffic signal turns red. The PELICAN uses a standard Red-Yellow-Green signal for motorists and remains green unless activated by a pedestrian. Bicyclists should yield to pedestrians, dismounting if necessary.
TOUCAN Traffic Signal
The TwO GroUps CAN cross (TOUCAN) system was designed to provide a safe crossing for two groups - pedestrians and bicyclists. TOUCAN systems are placed at locations of heavy bicycle and pedestrian crossing activity and along roadways that are prioritized for non-motorized uses, sometimes known as “Bike Boulevards.” An added benefit to the TOUCAN signal system is that motorized traffic is not allowed to proceed through these signals, decreasing the number of cars on neighborhood streets, and enhancing the neighborhood’s quality of life. A TOUCAN can be activated only by bicyclists or by pedestrians. Both use a push button to activate the signal. Bicyclists respond to an innovative bicycle signal and use a special lane when crossing. Pedestrians get a standard WALK indication and have a separate, adjacent crosswalk. The system uses a standard signal for motorists.
HAWK Pedestrian Flasher
The High Intensity Activated Cross WalK (HAWK) is one of the newest crossing systems in use. It is based on a European design and resembles the American school bus “children present” warning. The HAWK consists of a Red-Yellow-Red signal format for motorists. The signals remain off until a pedestrian activates the system by pressing a button. First, a FLASHING YELLOW light warns motorists that a pedestrian is present. The signal then changes to SOLID YELLOW, alerting drivers to prepare to stop. The signal then turns SOLID RED and shows the pedestrian a “WALK” symbol. The signal then begins ALTERNATING FLASHING RED and the pedestrian is shown a flashing “DON’T WALK” with a countdown timer. Drivers are allowed to proceed during the flashing red after coming to a full stop and making sure there is no danger to pedestrians. In school zones, drivers must wait until the children and crossing guard are completely out of the crossing before proceeding. Bicyclists are advised to yield to pedestrians and dismount if necessary.


Lithofacies identification supplies qualitative information about rocks. Lithofacies represent rock textures and are important components of hydrocarbon reservoir description. Traditional techniques of lithofacies identification from core data are costly and different geologists may provide different interpretations. In this paper, we present a low-cost intelligent system consisting of three adaptive resonance theory neural networks and a rule-based expert system to consistently and objectively identify lithofacies from well-log data. The input data are altered into different forms representing different perspectives of observation of lithofacies. Each form of input is processed by a different adaptive resonance theory neural network. Among these three adaptive resonance theory neural networks, one neural network processes the raw continuous data, another processes categorial data, and the third processes fuzzy-set data. Outputs from these three networks are then combined by the expert system using fuzzy inference to determine to which facies the input data should be assigned. Rules are prioritized to emphasize the importance of firing order. This new approach combines the learning ability of neural networks, the adaptability of fuzzy logic, and the expertise of geologists to infer facies of the rocks. This approach is applied to the Appleton Field, an oil field located in Escambia County, Alabama. The hybrid intelligence system predicts lithofacies identity from log data with 87.6% accuracy. This prediction is more accurate than those of single adaptive resonance theory networks, 79.3%, 68.0% and 66.0%, using raw, fuzzy-set, and categorical data, respectively, and by an error-backpropagation neural network, 57.3%. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Additional publication details
Lithofacies identification using multiple adaptive resonance theory neural networks and group decision expert system


The relationship between the institution now known as Duke University and the United Methodist Church has evolved over more than a century and a half. In governance, the Charter of Duke University notes that the Trustees "shall be a body politic and corporate under the name and style of `Duke University,' and shall have perpetual existence." The purposes for which the body is organized are, among others, "to acquire, own, operate, provide, maintain and perpetuate an institution of higher learning." Membership of the Trustees shall be, in addition to the President of the University, "thirty-six elected Trustees, twelve elected by the North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church; twelve by the Western North Carolina Conference of the said church; and twelve by the graduates of said University; provided, however, that no person shall be elected a Trustee till he has first been recommended by a majority of the Trustees present at a regular meeting.." The by-laws spell out the means of nomination and replacement.
The origin of administrative authority by the Board of Trustees and of a self-perpetuating Board first appeared in the Laws of North Carolina in an Act to Incorporate Union Institute Academy in 1841. These stipulations were continued in the Charter of 1859 when it noted that the trustees of Trinity College "hold and use all the authority, privileges, possessions and liabilities it had under the former title and name." The charter of 1903 reiterated the provision of nomination by the Board as well as powers of removal and filling vacancies. When Duke University was established in 1924 these same provisions were carried over without change. Thus historically and technically, Duke University has a long history of a self-perpetuating Board of Trustees.
During the nineteenth century, ownership of property was vested in the Board of Trustees, but the Charter of 1859 stated that the trustees shall operate Trinity College "for the uses and purposes of a literary institution for the North Carolina Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South." However, the Methodist Conference was not able to adequately support the school financially because of hardship brought on by the Civil War and era of reconstruction. In 1892, ownership by the Board of Trustees became explicitly clear through resolutions concerning the relocation of the college to Durham and by the transfer of deeds of gift of land and money specifically to the Board of Trustees. The reference in the charter to the College existing for the use and purpose of the North Carolina Conference ceased with increased reliance for financial support on the Duke family and upon the move to Durham.
The University has historic ties to the United Methodist Church. The institution was begun in 1838-39 when Methodist and Quaker families in northwest Randolph County united to transform Brown's Schoolhouse into Union Institute, thus providing permanent education for their children. A formal agreement with the Methodist Church was entered into in 1859 when the name of the school was changed to Trinity College. The motto, Eruditio et Religio, which is based on a Charles Wesley hymn, and the official seal, both of which are still in use today, were adopted in 1859. The name of Trinity College continues as the undergraduate college of the University.
The most significant development in the history of the school came with the adoption of Trinity College as the primary beneficiary of the philanthropy of the Duke family in 1889. This occurred in part because the college was an institution of the Methodist Church and Washington Duke practiced stewardship as taught by his church. His sons Benjamin N. and James B. continued the philanthropy of their father with James B. Duke making the spectacular gifts in 1924 that created The Duke Endowment (the family philanthropic organization) and permitted the construction of two new campuses and the transformation of Trinity College to Duke University.
Symbolically, the religious ties are dramatically illustrated by the dominating Chapel tower on campus. This reflects the wish of James B. Duke and the history of the institution. However, the college and university have always been nonsectarian, a fact amply documented even during the presidency of John Carlisle Kilgo (1894-1910). He was a noted preacher, the most fervent Methodist administrator in the school's history, and was elected Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South in 1910.
The exact relation of the school to the church has varied from time to time but over the years Duke University has matured into a leading research university. In the history of the Methodist Church and higher education in the United States, Duke has much in common with other Methodist related universities like Northwestern, Syracuse, Vanderbilt, or the University of Southern California. However, each institution has its own history. Duke University would not be the institution it is today without its historic and symbolic ties to the Methodist Church, but it always has been independent in its governance.


Want Healthy Eyes? Use Both Plan A and Plan B
February 27, 2021
For many people, eating a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables is enough to keep their eyes healthy. But whether because of getting older or suffering from certain serious eye diseases, you may also want to add vitamin supplements to your daily dietary intake to keep your eyes healthy and your sight sharp.
Vitamin A is one of the most important vitamins for eye health. This is because it nourishes and protects both the front of the eye, called the cornea, and the back, called the retina.
By protecting the cornea, the risk of developing cataracts is reduced. Vitamin A also helps produce the pigments that allow the retina to function properly. When the retina isn’t functioning properly, you may have trouble seeing low light.
Adding vitamin A to your diet can help repair some vision loss. The recommended daily dosage for Vitamin A is between 0.7mg and 0.9 mg. Some foods high in the vitamin are eggs, sweet potatoes, and carrots.
B vitamins help prevent age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a condition where the retina deteriorates over time. In the short term, this can cause blurry vision. Over time, serious conditions including blindness could result. B vitamins also protect the optic nerve, which is the tissue tasked with sending images from the eye to the brain.
A 2009 study found that women who had a deficiency of vitamin B12 were 2x as likely to have AMD than those with normal b12 levels. Women who took 50mg B6, 1mg B12, and 2.5mg folate supplements for two years were 35-40% less likely to develop AMD.
Foods rich in B vitamins include chicken, spinach, and oranges.
Getting enough A and B vitamins in your diet can have significant benefits for your eye health. While for many people the best way to get these nutrients is through diet, if you have a serious condition like AMD, your eye doctor may recommend that you start taking supplements.
Along with making sure you get the right dosage of vitamin supplements, regular visits to your eye doctor can help you keep your eyes healthy and strong. A simple low-cost Vision Plan from INRTA and AMBA can help you save hundreds on the cost of check-ups, exams, even eyewear. Learn more.
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May’s Recipe: Watermelon Salad with Arugula, Feta, & Fresh Herbs
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By Emma Patten-Hitt, Yahoo! News, December 29, 2000
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Childhood abuse and neglect may do more than just affect the way a person looks at life, new research suggests. Abuse may result in permanent physical changes to the developing brain--changes that could cause psychological problems in adulthood.
``The science shows that childhood maltreatment may produce changes in both brain function and structure,'' said lead investigator Dr. Martin H. Teicher, of the McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts. ``These changes are permanent,'' he added. ''This is not something people can just get over.''
Teicher's team identified four abnormalities in the brain that were much more prevalent in adults who had been abused and neglected as children than they were in adults who were not abused.
The investigators found that adults who had been abused as children were more likely to experience epileptic seizures caused by changes to the limbic system, a part of the brain that controls emotions.
``Emotions that accompany these seizures include sadness, embarrassment, anger, explosive laughter (usually without feeling happy), serenity, and quite often, fear,'' Teicher explains.
The researchers also found that abused children were twice as likely as non-abused children to have an abnormal electroencephalogram (EEG)--a reading that measures electrical activity of the brain. Also, abnormal EEGs were associated with increased self-destructive behavior and aggression.
Another change noted was deficient development of the left side of the brain in adults abused as children, which, the researchers speculate, may lead to depression and problems with memory.
Abused children did not integrate the function of the left and right sides of their brain as well as those who had not been abused, the report indicates. The researchers suggest that this may be caused by a decrease in the size of the bridge between the two hemispheres of the brain.
Interestingly, Teicher and colleagues found a difference between boys and girls in the response to type of abuse. Neglect was the more likely factor to reduce the size of the bridge in boys. But sexual abuse had no effect. In girls, sexual abuse was associated with a decrease in the size, but neglect had no effect.
``The trauma of abuse induces a cascade of effects, including changes in hormones and neurotransmitters (chemicals released by brain cells) that mediate development of vulnerable brain regions,'' Teicher writes in the Fall 2000 issue of Cerebrum.
``We know that an animal exposed to stress and neglect early in life develops a brain that is wired to experience fear, anxiety and stress,'' Teicher said. ``We think the same is true of people.''
SOURCE: Cerebrum 2000;50-67.
See .Punished for Life--Canadian study links spanking to addiction and psychiatric disorders, Reuters, re: Study, Canadian Medical Association Journal, October 5, 1999
See Hidden Scars--Childhood abuse, whether physical or sexual, leads to psychological disturbances in up to 40 percent of survivors. It may also cause changes in brain structure, by Madhusree Mukerjee (1995).


Moscow State Institute of International Relations (University)
One of the ethnic minorities in Spain, whose human rights situation is far from being trouble-free is its Muslim community, consisting mainly of residents of Maghreb states, predominantly Moroccans. Its size began to grow since 1985, when the scale of immigration into Spain increased dramatically due to the need of inexpensive labour force. In the early 2004 there were 333,800 Moroccans in Spain, or 20.3% of the total number of the settlers, by far exceeding the number of other ethnic minorities that arrive in Spain from different countries.
The routes immigrants use to enter Spain are diverse. Some of them get to Spain having obtained a residence permit from the country's authorities or an official permit, enabling them to be engaged in a number of businesses. Others cross the border as tourists.
Some of those "travellers" happen to obtain a work permit by striking a contract with a businessman that enables them to stay in Spain legally, enjoying the rights of social security, health care and school education for their children as well as other advantages that the official status can provide. But the preponderance of these "tourists" become illegal after their visa expires. Many of their country fellows act in the same way when they fail to prolong the expiring contract. And, of course, the many people arrive to Spain illegally.
In the last decades the country was actually "flooded" by north African Muslims. Many people cross the Gibraltar and sail to the Canary Islands in their shallops or cutters. Some of these immigrants are apprehended and deported back home by Coast Guards, whereas for those who dare cross the sea in dilapidated boats the trip ends in a tragedy: they die.
Paradoxically, immigrants are able to find jobs even though Spain has had one of the highest Europe's unemployme ... Read more


A 5,000-year-old rock carving of a figure on skis is among the most recognized symbols of Norway. Two kids, however, thought it could use some improving. In what's been described as "a national tragedy," the Norwegian boys are accused of using a sharp tool to retrace the image on the island of Tro—among the earliest evidence of skiing—to make it more obvious, per the Local and New York Daily News. The boys came forward and apologized after the vandalism was reported Friday, but could still face criminal charges, reports the Washington Post. "The new lines are both in and outside where the old marks had been," an archaeologist tells the Telegraph. "We will never again be able to experience these carvings again the way we have for the last 5,000 years."
"It's a tragedy, because it's one of the most famous Norwegian historical sites" and "one of the most internationally known symbols of Norway," adds a local mayor. The image of the skier—which inspired the logo for the 1994 Lilliehammer Olympics—wasn't even the only one damaged. An image of a whale that's part of the same scene also was hit. However, "it was done out of good intentions," the mayor says. "They were trying to make it more visible actually, and I don't think they understood how serious it was. I think now they understand." The boys issued a public apology, but many on social media say they should still be punished. (Someone left their initials in this 1,000-year-old rock art.)


We continue our series on estuarine and marine fish and wildlife with fish who live on the bottom.
The Gulf of Mexico is a huge ecosystem. With 600,000 m2 and an average depth of 6000 feet, there is a lot of “blue” out there for fish to find a home. But oddly enough, 69% of the species describe in the northern Gulf live on the bottom – what we call benthic fish.
This makes since really. In the “open blue” there are few places to hide from predators and prey. On the other hand, the seafloor has numerous places to hide – so there they are.
Most benthic fish have a general body design for living there. They are generally deep bodied, more rounded – as are their fins. They have a higher percentage of white muscle which makes them very explosive – for a few seconds. This is how they live. Blending in with the bottom, waiting for the prey to get within range and then exploding on it. This white muscle also gives these fish a distinctive taste, different from the red muscle typically found in the open water fish such as tuna.
In this environment, the sense of smell is very good. Many have taste and smell buds extended on fleshy appendages called barbels (the “whiskers” of a catfish). Many will have their mouth on the bottom side of their head for easier eating – though the predators (like the grouper) will still have it directly in front. Many will make short migrations into estuaries for breeding, but long open ocean migrations are not common. There are 342 species of benthic fish in the northern Gulf, let’s look at a few.
Something about these animals creeps us out. Maybe their similarity to snakes? Maybe the thought they are electric or venomous – neither of which are true. There are electric eels in the Amazon, but not in the ocean. They do behave much like snakes in that they have very sharp teeth for grabbing prey and can use them on fishermen if they need to. There are 16 species of eels in the northern Gulf. With the exception of the morays – eels live in sandy or muddy bottoms. Shrimpers frequently haul them up, and some are even known as shrimp eels. The American eel (Anguilla rostrata) has a cool life history. They spawn in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, a place known to the sailors as the Sargasso Sea. It is in the middle of the vortex of ocean currents. The young that catch the northern currents and head to Europe – there they are known as the “European Eel”. Those that catch the southern swirl end up here in the United States are known as the “American Eel”. Their young look like thin pieces of plastic with eyes. Known as elvers they can be found within Pensacola Bay by the thousands when they arrive. The growing adults move up stream and spend part of their lives in our rivers and springs, before swimming back to the Atlantic and starting the process all over. In some areas, there is a commercial fishery for this eel.
This is a bottom fish that fishermen love to hate. Marine catfish (Ariopsis felis) are oily and not as popular as their freshwater cousins as food. So, when fishermen catch them, they tend to toss them on the beach to die – the idea is that there are fewer to breed – an idea that really does not work – they keep catching them. One interesting twist on this story is that the ghost crabs in the dunes drag the dead ones towards their burrows where they feed on them. The skull of the sea catfish is very hard – giving them their other common name “hardhead” catfish, or “steelhead”. When the crabs are finished the hard skull can be found and the bones on the belly (ventral) side resemble the cross. It is sold in some novelty stores as the “crucifix fish”. To add to the legend, when you shake it, it rattles. This has been described at the “soldiers rolling dice” at the crucifixion. They are actually loose bones. These “crucifix fish” are pretty neat, and pretty common.
The long “whiskers” (barbels) are for finding food buried beneath the sand or mud. It is also believed they may have a form of echolocation to detect prey. As if this were not interesting enough – the males carry the developing eggs within their mouths. Development takes about two weeks and young fish emerge from dad ready for the world.
One other thing the visitor should know – the serrated spine on the dorsal and the pectoral fins can inflict a nasty wound, even releasing a mild toxin. Most discover this when they step on a dead one tossed on the beach, or trying to get one off their hook – be careful of this.
This is the largest family of estuarine fish in the northern Gulf of Mexico – with 18 species described. The whiting, drum, kingfish, croakers, trout, some perch, and others all belong to this group. They are popular with fishermen and seafood consumers. The red drum (redfish) is one of the more popular targets in our area. Speckled trout (or spotted seatrout) are also a favorite. Most have the characteristic body of a benthic fish. Deep bodied, rounded fins, mouth on the belly (ventral) side. Sea trout have two large “Dracula” looking fangs for grabbing shrimp and other prey. In most, one has broken off and the angler usually finds only one fang present. Some species, such as the black drum, will have short “whiskers” on their chins – you guessed it, barbels – and they are used for finding “buried treasure” (food).
Their common name drum (or croaker) comes from the sounds they produce using their swim bladders. Swim bladders are large sacs within many fish they can fill with gas and float off the bottom. The drum-croaker group rub this with internal muscles making resonating sounds that sound like they are “croaking”. Atlantic bottlenose dolphin can hear this too – and croakers make up a big part of their diet.
There are actually two types of flatfish in the Gulf – the flounder and the sole. How do you tell them apart?
Well, they are born as a typical-normal looking fish, but as they grow one eye begins to “slide” across the top of the head to the other side – both eyes are now on one side of the head – weird right?
In our part of the Gulf, if the eyes slide to the left side – we call it a flounder, to the right – a sole. There are a FEW exceptions to this rule – but many call the popular flounder the “left-eyed flounder” as opposed to the “right-eyed” one.
So why do they do this?
If your eyes were placed on each side of a torpedo pointed head, you would have what we call monocular vision. This type of vision gives you ALMOST 360° range of view… almost. So even though you can see what is behind you while facing forward, you do not have good depth perception – so you are not sure exactly how far away it is. You must either rely on other senses to help you out or get lucky. Having both eyes on one side (or in front like us) you have binocular vision. You cannot see behind you, but you can tell the distance of the object in front of you. This is common for predator fish like flounder. Many would agree that your mother has both!
With the eyes on one side of the head, they lose color on the other and then lay flat on one side. They can bury in sand and wait for prey. Most species have chromatophores in their skin. These are cells that allow them to change color, like a chameleon or octopus. So, they can change their color to blend into whatever bottom type they are on. What an incredible adaptation.
There are 17 species of flounder, and they are not easy to tell apart – so just call them flounder.


Chapter 14. Binomial Trees Study Notes cover the following learning objectives:
* Calculate the value of an American and a European call or put option using a one-step and two-step binomial model.
* Describe how volatility is captured in the binomial model.
* Describe how the value calculated using a binomial model converges as time periods are added.
* Define and calculate delta of a stock option.
* Explain how the binomial model can be altered to price options on stocks with dividends, stock indices, currencies, and futures.
After reviewing the notes, you will be able to apply what you learned with practice questions.
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The Argentine Tango was born at the end of 1800. It started as a mixture of various rhythms that were danced in the poorer quarters of Buenos Aires. In the early days of Buenos Aires tango, it was originally danced by pairs of men.
Argentine Tango included the flute, the violin and the guitar, the first of which was subsequently replaced by the “bandoneón” (a type of accordion), which gives the tango it its distinctive flavor that is now known throughout the world. With the addition of immigrants to Buenos Aires, Argentine Tango incorporated their experiences, their cultures and their melancholic nostalgia for the old world. And fortunately for the rest of us, tango evolved and its Buenos Aires influences brought forth such musicians as Astor Piazzolla and Anibal Troilo, not forgetting Carlos Gardel.
Today, one of the must-do experiences in Buenos Aires for the international traveler is to enjoy the maginificence of the Argentine Tango dance in a traditional Buenos Aires Tango Show with a gourmet dinner. Like flamenco in Spain, Broadway theater play in New York, the Argentine Tango in Buenos Aires is a must do for a complete cultural experience of this country. Bear in mind that as any main attraction, Argentine Tango Shows are usually packed with tourist, not just from other countries but also from other provinces (since best tango shows are in Buenos Aires, while in the big city argentine visitors from other provinces like to visit a tango house).