Not a real zip code.
Not a real zip code.
Are you fed up with roof repairs and want yours to stay longer? If yes, metal roofs could be the ideal option for you. The Trusted Roofer has qualified to provide homeowners with high-end metal roofs at a competitive price. We are efficient in working with different materials and designs of metal roofs.
Are they interested to know more about it? Let’s dive right into the details.
The price of every type of roofing material goes up each year. In many circumstances, labor costs are increasing faster than material prices.
That’s why those who go for a durable roof aren’t competing with everyone else for roofing jobs in the neighborhood. This saves them money over time by preventing the need for a new roof or frequent repairs. In addition, they protect themselves from the long-term effects of inflation and price escalation by investing in the present rather than waiting till later.
If a homeowner plans to stay in their current home for at least one more roofing cycle, then upgrading to a metal roof is a financially sound choice. This expenditure now will prevent additional expenses down the road.
It is a fact that the price of a roof made of metal is usually higher than that of a roof made of asphalt shingles. However, it has a longer shelf life. A metal roof cost can vary from $5,300 to $14,700 on average.
On average, you should spend roughly $10,000 at the midpoint of this range as a minimum amount. You can say the average cost of metal roofing per square foot might range from $5.3 to $714, which varies with the material of metal roofing chosen.
Many factors significantly impact this, including the size of the roof, roofing material, fastener type, and the roof’s pitch.
The following chart provides an overview of the typical costs associated with installing a metal roof in the USA.
|National average cost
|$5,300 – $14,700
Metal roofs are available in sheets and panels. However, the metal roof cost per square foot varies for the different types of metal roofing.
Fabricated from metals like stainless steel or aluminum, sheet metal roofing sheets have much fewer bends. Corrugated metal roofing sheets are coated with zinc for corrosion resistance. The second coating of chromatic acid, which inhibits rust, is then applied for reinforcement.
Galvanized metal roofing cost per sheet is $150 to $350, while galvalume costs $75 to $200 per square.
Metal roof panels, formed into a continuous seam, are used to construct standing seam roofs. A standing seam roof makes excellent use of the fact that its fasteners are out of sight. Standing seam metal roofing is highly advantageous since it conceals all fasteners from view.
Standing seam metal roof cost is between $2.00 to $5.00 per sq ft.
Roofing “sheets” are measured as a square, every 100 square feet. It is crucial to remember that sheets will be used in any metal roof material cost estimate provided by your roofing contractor. Metal roofing comes in a wide variety of styles and price points.
Below, we’ve included brief descriptions of some of the most common types of metal roofs.
Among the earliest metal roofing materials used in the United States, steel was widely adopted. Steel roofs can be galvanized (zinc-coated steel) or galvalume (aluminum-covered steel), giving buildings a durable and weather-resistant appearance reminiscent of rural America. The price per square for galvanized steel roofing ranges from $150 to $350, whereas galvalume costs between $75 and $200.
Stainless steel is an exclusive material that will keep your house safe for 50 to 100 years. It’s great for preventing rust and wearing well and retains its polished, high-end sheen for years. This elegance ranges from $600 to $1,650 per square of stainless steel roofing.
A zinc coating on steel creates a strong, long-lasting, and energy-saving roofing material. Galvanized metal roof cost per square ranges from $150 to $350. It is resistant to impact denting (making it a good choice for places prone to hail) and acquires a patina over time.
Galvalume, like steel, is composed of a steel core coated with a zinc-aluminum alloy. At $75-$200 per square, it’s cheaper than galvanized material but still offers improved corrosion resistance over standard steel.
A tin roof is evocative of simpler times when such roofs were standard in rural homes. Terne, a material coated with tin but with a steel core, is currently the most widely used material. Still, the roof’s attractive gray patina that develops over time is a plus. The average cost of metal roof installing a tin roof ranges from $300 to $1,500 per square.
An aluminum roof can cost anywhere from $150 to $600 per square, with the price per square being significantly lower for sheets than for shingles.
Aluminum is one of the most energy-efficient roofing materials since it is naturally reflective, flexible, and recyclable. Roof panels made of aluminum and foam are advertised as being suitable for use as patio or porch roofs. These insulated panels are sold in do-it-yourself packages for $3,000 to $5,000 and are available in various colors and designs.
A copper roof will age gracefully to a beautiful green, which makes it the perfect pick to cap off a white or grey property. This material is highly recommended for a long-lasting metal roof due to its strength and resistance to rust. In the case of copper, the average cost to install a metal roof is anything from $800 to $1,500 per square.
Zinc is a more cost-effective metal roofing option that can be purchased in a shingle form or a more contemporary standing seam. A square of zinc roofing typically costs between $600 and $1,000.
Lead is easy to work with during installation, has excellent corrosion resistance, and produces a rich, attractive patina. It comes in shingles or panels and is flexible, making it a good choice for roofs with curves or tight spaces. It’s a high-end option, coming in at $1,000 per square or more, but it will last for decades.
Installing a rusty metal roof will cost you $9 to $15 per square foot or $900 to $1,500 per square. The trade term Corten Steel has become synonymous with this particular variety of roofs.
Popular because of its naturally aged and earthy appearance, this roofing material has been around for quite some time. Even though it forms a rusty layer of protection, it shouldn’t be used in coastal areas.
The term “gauge” describes the metal’s thickness. Metal with a greater thickness is more robust. Metal costs more for a given thickness.
The thickness of metal roofing panels will range from 29 gauge to 20 gauge. 29 gauge thick sheet is the best choice for residential metal roofing. Steel thicknesses of 26 or 24 gauge are standard for metal roofs. 24 gauge steel is heavier than 26 gauge steel. Hence it will be more expensive by 25% to 40%.
Metal steel panels can be purchased for $2.00 to $5.00 per square foot. Residential metal roofing cost is slightly less than the cost of commercial buildings.
|Price per sq ft
|$1.75 – $3
|$1.75 – $4
|$5 – $7
|$5 – $9
The cost and performance of a project are affected by the fastener chosen. It costs between $3.50 and $15 per square foot less to install exposed fasteners on that roof than to use hidden fasteners.
Corrugated roofs, as indicated above, include exposed fasteners, while standing seam roofs, which range in price from $7 to $30 per square foot, make use of concealed fasteners. However, the maintenance cost increases with exposed fasteners since they rust and loosen over time when exposed to the environment.
The price of sealing a metal roof ranges from $525 to $2,050. Coatings can cost anything from $100 to $250 for a 5-gallon bucket. On average, one hundred square feet can be coated with a single gallon of paint.
An exterior coating serves two purposes: protecting the surface from the environment and giving it a visually appealing hue. Most prevent chalking, or the oxidation to a white haze, from occurring. Some degree of fade resistance is also common among them. This estimate should include the cost of sealing, as it is an essential last step.
The Labor cost to install a metal roof depends on the size of the building, metal material, design, roof features, and pitch.
Roofing labor costs can be estimated between $150 and $300 per roof square, or $75 per hour on average. Knowing the present size of your roof allows you to quickly calculate the number of roof squares by simply dividing that amount by 100, as one roof square is equivalent to one hundred square feet in the roofing industry.
Roofing companies may provide estimates that include labor, materials, and tear-down costs per roof square, while others may only include labor costs. However, our mentioned figure is the cost to install metal roof labor only.
Expenses associated with underlayment will vary with the material selected. It is common practice to use asphalt felt for metal roofing because of the extra noise insulation it provides. Rolls of each type are typically sold with 100-200 square feet of coverage, making bulk purchases simple.
Although metal roofs last for decades and rarely need to change, nevertheless, poor installation or unexpected weather conditions can damage metal roofs. If you choose a metal roof for your home or office, it’s crucial to note down the cost to install a metal roof or replace it.
The roof repair or replacement cost is typically broken down into three sections: materials, labor, and overhead. The cost of labor to install a roof typically accounts for between a third and a half of the total.
In particular, if the roof is a standard shape without high slopes, you may anticipate that labor for metal roof installation to cost $3,000. Costs for installation might rise to $10,000 or more when premium materials and custom designs are used.
The installation personnel will only be able to complete their work if the roof is too steep for them to walk on. This will increase the time required to finish the task and your final cost. The price of a lower, walkable pitch is lower.[contact-form-7 404 "Not Found"]
Like other roofing options, metal roofs have advantages and disadvantages also.
Below are the benefits of metal roofing and why The Trusted Roofer recommends it.
Metal is a popular choice among homeowners for roof replacements and brand-new builds. In the long run, a well-maintained roof may protect your home’s contents for up to 70 years and still look new. Also, unlike traditional roofing materials, which typically only have a 20-year warranty, several metal roof manufacturers provide 50-year warranties.
Metal roofs are reliable against the weather in your region because of the material’s sturdiness. This includes wind gusts of 140 miles an hour. The anti-corrosion and crack-proof coating ensure its durability.
Metal roofing is often regarded as the most eco-friendly and long-lasting option on the market today. The roof comprises 25% post-consumer recycled content and may be recycled entirely after its useful life has ended. The production of asphalt roof tiles likewise continues to rely on petroleum, demonstrating the persistence of the fossil fuel economy.
Their recyclable nature belies the presence of chemicals that are harmful to ecosystems. Metal is far more lightweight than asphalt shingles, allowing more lightweight building materials to be used in residential construction.
Because of their reflective qualities, metal roofs can significantly cut annual heating and cooling costs. Because it deflects rather than absorbs solar radiation, it can cut summer cooling expenses by as much as a quarter.
Metal roofing’s insulating properties can help you save cash and keep your home at a pleasant temperature year-round.
Metal roofing comes in such a wide selection of colors and textures that you may choose to draw attention to yourself or your home by blending in. For instance, a unique color like teal blue is striking and visually appealing. Vibrant hues are a current trend in interior and exterior design. Roofing is no longer required to be painted in earth tones.
Metal roofing is available in various tile and shingle alternatives, so you can get the look you want, whether you want the classic look of clay tiles, the natural beauty of wood, the rugged slate, or the affordability of asphalt shingles.
Natural copper, stainless steel, and titanium are among the colors available, along with vivid blues and fiery reds. Compared to shingles, metal roofing comes in a much more comprehensive range of colors, and homeowners are happy to show off their taste this way. Consider these suggestions if you’re looking for advice on what shade would look best in your house.
Metal roofs don’t attract dirt and don’t support mold, mildew, or moss growth. Roofs made of metal are much simpler to maintain than other materials. Your roof’s lifespan can be cut in half by moss and fungus, and they can make your home less aesthetically pleasing.
Furthermore, they are not susceptible to wood-eating insects like termites, carpenter ants, and bark beetles. Similar considerations apply to mice and similar-sized animals. They can’t break through a metal roof and make their way inside.
Roofing made of metal is not easily ignited. They do not require a fireproof coating that could be washed away with time. Every home is vulnerable to fire, if not from a natural disaster like a wildfire or lightning strike, then from a neighboring structure. A metal roof is fireproof; thus, sparks can’t ignite a fire there.
Furthermore, a metal roof lessens the likelihood of roof collapse in the event of an inside fire. If the roof is made of heavy tiles or shingles, it will almost certainly collapse, and firefighters will often refuse to enter the building. Protect yourself and your loved ones more effectively with metal.
Every roofing material has some drawbacks, and so have metal roofs.
The high initial investment is one disadvantage of metal roofs. Metal roofing materials are typically more expensive, requiring a roofing company with experience installing metal roofs.
High-end metal roofing prices could be 10 times asphalt shingles, but the pricing is still on a level with other premium products. This means that the total cost of the roof may be higher than it would be with some alternative materials and standard tools.
Homeowners will, of course, make back their money. New shingles and repairs could be more costly than with a metal roof. Hire only professionals like The Trusted Roofers to install your metal roof to avoid any problems.
A strong roof is the first line of defense for a house. Metal roofs typically dent more easily than asphalt shingles. Metal roofing may require more frequent maintenance and repairs, but it still needs higher quality. A specialist must be sent to complete this additional work at your expense.
The sound of rain on a metal roof might be soothing to some. In contrast, this may be a drawback if your tastes run in a different direction. Professional roofers can add extra layers of insulation and sheathing to your metal roof to muffle the sound of rain inside your home. On the downside, this means increased expenditures.
A metal roof that has been appropriately treated will never need to be resurfaced. It doesn’t matter what you use for a roof; dust and debris will gather over time. Consequently, you should clean the roof’s surface and fix any problems each season using the following metal roof cleaning and maintenance guidelines:
Metal is an excellent material for roofs since it is durable and long-lasting. While clay is a highly-durable roofing material, it still requires continuous care to ensure it can survive hailstones and give superb overall roofing to your home. A metal roof, though, won’t stay forever. Acrylic elastomeric paint with zinc or aluminum can be compromised by moisture over time. In addition, the cost of installing a metal roof could be out of the budget.
Synthetic roof tiles are an attractive alternative to more conventional materials like slate, shakes, and shingles due to their low initial investment and minimal upkeep requirements. These choices, typically made from rubber and plastic, have a consistent, predictable design that makes them easy to set up. They also come in various hues to suit any design scheme.
These tiles are like their synthetic counterparts, except they are made almost entirely from waste products.
They are sometimes more expensive than the more common asphalt-based alternatives.
Both built-up roofs (BUR) and membrane roofs are available. After more than half a century of widespread adoption, many options to the traditional tar-and-gravel roof are now available for use on low-slope roofs; these include modified membrane systems.
Although these systems are still more common in commercial settings than residences, they have become increasingly popular on low-slope roofs due to price reductions and improved performance.
Based on experience, The Trusted Roofer recommends metal roofing. The lifespan is significantly longer than asphalt shingles (15–25 years vs. 50–75 years). The surface’s heat reflection properties in warm climates can help reduce cooling expenses. If they are correctly installed, they will prevent leaks better than shingles.
Moreover, metal roofs are energy-efficient, eco-friendly, fire-resistant, and easy to clean. Although they can cost a lot, it is the best option in the long run.
Corrugated metal sheets in the home improvement store may appear manageable, especially when hung next to boxes of fasteners that look like any other hardware you’ve ever used. If you’re not afraid of heights and have experience helping a neighbor, consider installing asphalt shingles.
It is pretty simple. Nevertheless, when was the last time you ascended an extension ladder while clinging to a massive, sharp-edged metal sail?
Metal roofing, whether sheet metal, pressed shingles, or standing seam, requires special handling to be correctly installed, trimmed, fastened, and polished to get the desired effect.
Furthermore, most metal roofing manufacturers insist on expert installation to honor their warranties, which is especially important when discussing guarantees of 50 years or more.
Moreover, metal roofing contractors are experts in accomplishing tasks quickly and efficiently.
You can help your contractor or do it yourself if you’re up to the task and have the right skills, equipment, and expertise.
The safety of your family, your peace of mind, and the validity of your guarantee all depend on a properly installed metal roof, so it’s best to leave the job to a trained professional.[contact-form-7 404 "Not Found"]
Reviewed on April 16, 2020 by Dan DiClerico Smart Home Strategist and Home Expert.
|Aluminum Roof Installatio.
|Aluminum Roof Installatio.
|Repair Roof Leaks
|Repair Roof Leaks


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These all-purpose hair salon capes can be utilized by all salon owner, beauticians and hair stylist. They are completely washer safe. Hang dry is recommended.
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It’s been a while since we’ve journeyed to Grammarland, that mythical place where language usage rules and parts of speech mingle. Today we shall tackle the euphemism, that funny phrase either used or invented that refers to something entirely different, usually something not discussed in polite society. The concept is fairly simple, in fact, if you can spell the word euphemism you are ahead of most of society, including me – my brain really wants the word to have an “N.”
Euphemism is formally defined by -Ologies & -Isms as: “the deliberate or polite use of a pleasant or neutral word or expression to avoid the emotional implications of a plain term, as passed over for died.” (for more definitions, go here.)
We use euphemisms everyday without even thinking about it. Most commonly used ones revolve around bathroom usage. Unless you’re five you do not announce, “I have to go pee.” How many of these do you use?
- Relieve yourself
- Powder your nose
- Talk to a man about a horse
- Be excused
- Do your business
- Answer the call of nature
- Visit the ladies room
I’m sure there are more, but you get the idea. The problem with creating euphemisms in fiction is that they must be understood by both characters and reader. This is especially challenging when working in a created world. For it to work and not be misunderstood, the reader must understand a bit about the culture and personality of whoever is talking. For the most part the character will be trying to avoid saying something that might offend or hurt another character. When used correctly it can add subtle humor and that sought for “between the lines” understanding between character and reader.
I was going to ask for the favorite sayings and phrases of my readers, but when it comes to this topic, perhaps I shouldn’t…
Want more? Check out EuphemismList.com
Not happy yet? There is a Euphemism Generator as well. Be warned.


Dear fellow travellers
The rain geese were silent in the quiet days after the solstice. They settled on the waters to the north-east of Barra, riding the gentle swell as it lapped up towards the shores of Hellisay and Gighay. Early travellers to the Hebrides often remarked on the rain goose. Here’s the great Scottish topographer, Màrtainn Mhàrtainn, writing over 300 years ago:
“The rain goose, bigger than a duck, makes a doleful noise before a great rain”
We have had still days over Christmas - even halcyon days for those who know their Greek mythology. It suited the rain geese. The birds are more commonly known as the red-throated diver. Elegant in water, but ungainly on land, the rain goose is feted for her ability to anticipate a coming storm. These handsome divers are often spotted in the Outer Hebrides.
Other sightings in recent days on the islands include eiders, kittiwakes and razorbills. There have been Brent geese at Traigh Mhòr in Barra; that’s the great cockle strand which also serves as the island’s airport. Elsewhere on the island, a score or more of snow buntings took a Christmas break. These adventurous passerines are, like us, inclined to northern regions. We share the snow bunting’s affection for polar landscapes.
But it is another bird which steals the limelight on this second day of Christmastide, the Feast of St Stephen. In some Atlantic regions, today is marked as Wren Day. In parts of western Ireland, unruly gangs of youths would once rampage through the countryside in search of hapless wrens, many of which were mercilessly murdered. The prize was even greater for he who could take a living wren. The poor bird was tied to a pole and paraded around the village.
In the Isle of Man, there was a variant on the Irish maltreatment of wrens. The captive bird was strangled and then ceremonially buried in the local churchyard as singers stood by and chanted dirges.
Pity the poor wren! What had this most tuneful of birds ever done to warrant such barbarism? Some say that this St Stephen’s Day pastime is found in the contact zones between Norse and Celtic traditions and dates back to a time when wrens betrayed the position of Celtic warriors to advancing Nordic forces.
The Hebridean island of Barra, where we are spending this Christmas season, was of course very much a meeting point of Viking and Irish interests. But here wrens are treated with respect. The Hebridean wren is a loyal and homely creature, never inclined to betray anyone. There is a distinctive subspecies of wren found here in the Outer Hebrides (and yet another found almost exclusively on St Kilda). The Hebridean Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes hebridensis) is not as troglodyte as its Latin name implies, though this wee bird is inclined to poke around in any holes upon which it might serendipitously chance. It is as energetic as its mainland cousin, but inclines to a darker colour. The barring on its flanks is more conspicuous than on the regular wren.
Those who know more about Hebridean birdlife than ourselves tell us that the local wren is more melodic, less shrill in its call, than the mainland wren. Of the wren, there has been no hint today. But we heard the snow goose. The halcyon days of the solstice are evidently numbered.
Nicky Gardner and Susanne Kries
(editors, hidden europe magazine)


Many cats – males and females – spray urine by raising their tails and literally spraying urine toward objects to mark their territory. As a rule, stress causes spraying. For instance, an indoor cat may feel threatened and spray in the house if an outdoor cat appears at the window.
- Preventing Repeat Offenses
Cat urine is difficult to remove. And let’s be honest, it stinks. Thoroughly cleaning all soiled areas with specially designed products (ask a pet supplier) is essential. If the scent isn’t eliminated, a cat may become a repeat offender. A clean, strategically placed litter box should prevent this, but some cats require privacy, so a box in a high-traffic area can encourage trouble. To make sure you’ve thoroughly canceled out an accident, use a UV light, as cat urine glows in the dark.
- Pregnancy Precautions
If you are pregnant or have a suppressed immune system, you should know that a parasite sometimes found in cat feces can cause toxoplasmosis. Always wash your hands thoroughly after handling used cat box filler.
- Play Time
Entertain your cat with interactive cat toys that you rotate every few weeks. Consider that an empty box or paper towel roll can be as fun as an expensive toy. Satisfy your cat's craving for vegetation (and save houseplants!) by placing a pot of cat grass found at most pet stores in a convenient location.


Climate change Czech Republic
Air temperature changes until now
Comparison of the temperature trends in 1961 – 1990 and 1991 – 2008 shows that the average annual temperature increased by 0.8⁰C between these two periods, with the greatest temperature increase in January and August (by 1.5⁰C) and the smallest in September, October and December (about 0.2⁰C). … The trend in increase in the average annual temperature since 1961 corresponds to 0.33⁰C/10 years; the winter and summer trends are higher, corresponding to 0.44⁰C/10 years and 0.43⁰C/10 years, while the lowest temperature increase is in the autumn (0.08⁰C/10 years) (1).
The trends have been increasing over the past 15 years. Since the beginning of the 20th century the trend in increasing temperature corresponds to 0.17⁰C/10 years, with comparable trends for the summer and winter seasons (1).
The numbers of tropical summer days and tropical nights have increased substantially in recent years, while the numbers of frost and ice days have decreased (1).
Winter, spring and summer are characterized by an increase in the number of hours of sunshine, decreasing cloud cover and decreases in the relative humidity. In contrast, in the autumn, when the temperature and daily amplitude decrease, we can observe a reduction in the number of hours of sunshine and an increase in cloud cover and relative humidity (1).
Heat wave and cold wave changes until now
In the Carpathian Region (encompassing Croatia, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Romania and Serbia), heat wave events have become more frequent, longer, more severe and intense over the period 1961 - 2010, in particular in summer in the Hungarian Plain and in Southern Romania (7). Cold wave frequency, average duration, severity, and intensity over this period, on the other hand, generally decreased in every season except autumn. In this study, a heat wave was defined as at least five consecutive days with daily maximum temperature above the long-term 90th percentile of daily maximum temperatures. Similarly, a cold wave was defined as at least five consecutive days with daily minimum temperatures below the long-term 10th percentile of daily minimum temperatures (7). The trend analysis shows a general tendency to more frequent, longer, more severe and more intense heat wave events in every season in the entire Carpathian Region. On the other hand, the cold waves show a general tendency to less frequent, shorter, less severe, and less intense events (7).
The Carpathian Region and the Mediterranean area are the two European hotspots showing a drought frequency, duration, and severity increase in the past decades and in particular from 1990 onwards (8). When drought effects are exacerbated by heat waves or vice versa, such combination may cause devastating effects, as it happened in summer 2003 in Central Europe (9).
In another study, a heat wave was defined as a continuous period during which daily maximum air temperature is higher than 30.0 °C in at least 3 days, mean daily maximum air temperature over the whole period is higher than 30.0 °C, and mean daily maximum air temperaturedoes not drop below 25.0 °C (6). For this definition of a heat wave, and using data from a network of meteorological stations covering the area of the Czech Republic over 1961–2006, it was shown that 1994 was the year with the most severe and longest heat waves, and the 1994 heat waves were overtaken by those of 2003 only in the southwest region. The other two seasons with enhanced heat wave characteristics were 1992 (mainly in the eastern part of the country) and 2006 (in the western part, including central lowland region surrounding Prague). The July 2006 heat wave, lasting 33 days, was the longest and most severe individual heat wave in Prague since 1775 (5).
Precipitation changes until now
The mean annual total precipitation varies from slightly more than 400 mm in the western part of the Czech Republic up to more than 1400 mm in the mountains to the north. Almost two thirds of the annual total falls in the warm half of the year (April–September) (11).
In the first half of the 20th century, annual total precipitation at the Prague-Klementinum station exhibited a very slight increase, followed by a slight decrease in the second half (5.6 mm/10 years), caused by the decrease in total precipitation in the warm half of the year – especially in summer and autumn; winter totals increased slightly. The trend in decrease in annual total precipitation corresponds to a decrease in total precipitation by approx. one percent per decade (1).
The last 40 years
The overall trend in the precipitation regime is an increase of average annual total precipitation in the 1991 – 2008 period by 2.9% compared to 1961 – 1990. A clear increase of more than 5% is apparent in February and March and in the August to October period; the monthly total precipitation in the April to June period was lower by 2 to 6% than in the 1961 – 1990 normal period (1).
Extreme total precipitation values occur more frequently, reflected in the repeated occurrence of floods, especially after 1995 (e.g. more extensive floods in 1997, 1998, 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2007). Greater occurrences of extreme weather events have been recorded especially in the last ten years (1). An analysis has been carried for rainfall data in the Czech Republic over the period 1961 to 2011 (10). The contribution of heavy, short-term precipitation to the precipitation total significantly increased at about half of 17 weather stations spread over the country. However, whether these changes are due to climate change is yet unclear. The observed changes are not exceptional on a longer time-scale, and may just as well point to climate variability on a time scale of decades (10).
The average number of days with snow cover at positions up to 600 m above average sea level has decreased over the past twenty years by an average of approx. 15% compared to the usual number of days in the middle of last century (shortening of the season by 12 days); this decrease was approximately half as great at higher altitudes. The maximum snow cover has decreased by 25% at lower altitudes and by up to 30% at higher altitudes. Total amounts of new snow in the winter exhibit similar trends (1).
While the temperature trends are more or less homogeneous throughout the country, trends in precipitation exhibit certain differences. In the eastern part of the country, reductions in summer precipitation are more marked and are also the cause of the overall decrease in annual totals; in the western part, the increase in winter precipitation is more marked, leading to a slight increase in annual total values (1).
Wind climate changes until now
In recent years, it seems that the systematically positive trend in the North Atlantic oscillation over the past decades and consequent increase in wind speeds that have been apparent in western Europe in the past few years are already becoming manifested in this country (1).
Air temperature changes in the 21st century
Between now and 2030, an increase in average annual temperatures of 0.24⁰C/10 years is projected. This corresponds well with global values and values given for Europe (0.2⁰C/10 years (2)). With respect to 1961 – 1990, the median estimate of average annual temperature in 2030 is projected to be 1.2⁰C higher (1).
Lower trends in increases in the temperature in the warm seasons and higher trends in the cold half of the year indicate that the temperature differences between the seasons will become less distinct. Maximum and minimum temperatures will change similar to changes in the average temperatures. Maximum temperatures will exhibit a trend towards a clear increase in the winter and summer; the minimum temperatures will tend to increase especially in the summer and partly also in the autumn and winter (1).
If no action is taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, annual mean temperature in central Europe may increase up to 4-4.5°C in continental regions by the end of the 21st century (4).
Heat wave changes in the 21st century
A stochastic model was used to reproduce basic characteristics of heat waves in the Czech Republic in the present climate (1961–2006), and subsequently estimate characteristics of future heat waves under several assumptions of summer warming towards the future (2007–2100). These assumptions have been estimated from regional climate models and climate change scenarios. These assumptions are warming during the 21st century of 0.2 °C/decade (lower bound), 0.5 °C/decade (mid-estimate, current trend) and 0.9 °C/decade (upper bound) (5).
Under the mid-estimate, probabilities of long and severe heat waves sharply increase in the Czech Republic. Heat waves with a severity and duration comparable to the record-breaking ones in 2006 and 1994 may be expected to occur once in around 4–8 years in the mid-21st century, while at the end of the 21st century most summer seasons will have heat waves comparable to those of 2006 and 1994. The estimated future frequencies of severe heat waves differ by an order of magnitude between the upper bound and lower bound scenarios, which reflects large uncertainties in future summer warming projections over central Europe (5).
According to the stochastic model, the return period of a heat wave reaching or exceeding the length of the 2006 heat wave in Prague is estimated to be around 120 years in 2006. Owing to an increase in mean summer temperatures, probabilities of the very long heat waves have already risen by an order of magnitude over the recent 25 years, and they are likely to increase by another order of magnitude by around 2040 under the summer warming rate assumed by the mid-scenario. Even the lower bound scenario yields a considerable decline of return periods associated with the long and most severe heat waves (5).
If a moderate increase in the variance of summer temperature, which has been observed over western and central Europe in the recent decades and appears to be a likely future scenario according to climate model simulations, is taken into account in addition to the mid-scenario of the warming over the 21st century, the return periods of the record-breaking heat waves in the Czech Republic shorten to around 3–5 years in the middle of the 21st century (5).
Heat waves in Central Europe
In the last three decades of the previous century Central Europe has experienced 22 heat waves. Future changes in the frequency of occurrence of these heat waves were studied for this part of Europe, that includes most of Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, the Southwest of Poland, Northern Austria and Hungary (18). In this study a heat wave is defined by at least three consecutive hot days. A hot day occurs when on average maximum daily temperature over Central Europe exceeds the 90th percentile of the distribution of daily maximum summer temperatures for the period 1970 - 1999. This value of the 90th percentile for this historical period is also kept as the reference for quantifying future hot days and heat waves.
Compared to this historic period, the frequency of heat waves is projected to increase by a factor 2 in the near future (2020 - 2049). For the late twenty-first century (2070 - 2099), the projected frequency increase of heat waves depends on the rate of climate change: under a high-end scenario of climate change (RCP 8.5), 3-4 heat waves per summer are projected, compared to about two heat waves under a moderate scenario of climate change (RCP 4.5). These projections are based on a large number of combinations of global and regional climate models (18).
The 1994 heat wave is found to be the most distinctive during the 1970 - 1999 period. It lasted 16 days and was associated with large excess mortality in the Czech Republic (19), Poland (20) and other Central European countries. This heat wave has been ranked as the most severe in Central Europe over the whole 1950 - 2012 period (21). Such extraordinary heat waves will probably still be rather rare in the near future. At the end of this century, however, at least one event per decade similar to the 1994 heat wave is projected for Central Europe (18).
Precipitation changes in the 21st century
Projections for the end of the century
In plain words, rain falls in three distinct ways: by large-scale depressions, by local intensive showers, and when moist air is forced upwards over rising terrain, such as a mountain. In scientific terms these forms of precipitation are called stratiform, convective, and orographic, respectively. In Europe convective precipitation typically occurs in summer, for instance during thunderstorms. The precipitation is generally intense but of short duration. Stratiform precipitation occurs throughout the year.
The general future trend for Europe is an increase of mean precipitation in northern Europe, and a decrease in the south (12). The overall character of precipitation in Europe will also change. The contribution of convective precipitation to total yearly precipitation amounts will probably increase, especially in summer (and to a lesser degree in spring and autumn). Again in plain words: the number of intense showers will increase (13). The difference in future projections for northern and southern Europe is quite clear, but what about Central Europe, the transition zone between increasing and decreasing precipitation?
Future changes in precipitation in this transition zone were studied by looking at the Czech Republic. Projections of future precipitation patterns were made with regional climate models (driven by GCMs) under an intermediate (RCP4.5) and high-end scenario (RCP8.5) of climate change. This was done for the period 2071-2100 against 1971-2000 (as a reference) (14).
According to these simulations, mean seasonal amounts of total precipitation tend to increase in all seasons except summer (14). The part of this precipitation related to large-scale depressions (stratiform) showed a similar pattern (highest increase in winter and spring, by about 15%, slight decrease in summer by a few per cent) while local intense (convective) precipitation tends to increase throughout the year (especially in spring and summer, by about 10-20%). Previous studies showed that annual mean precipitation may increase by up to 10% in most central European regions by the end of the 21st century if no action is taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,(4).
The projected summer drying in Central Europe (15) is associated mainly with a decrease of stratiform precipitation; this decrease could be caused by a decrease in the frequency of frontal systems reaching Central Europe in summer (and autumn) due to a northward shift of the Atlantic-European storm track (16). Local intense (convective) precipitation, therefore, will contribute more to summer rainfall in Central Europe. Currently, convective precipitation In the Czech Republic contributes 50% to summer rainfall, and 35% and 15% in spring and autumn, respectively. These results agree with previous studies where in most scenario runs, the projected change in extreme precipitation in summer is of the opposite sign than a change in mean seasonal totals, the latter pointing towards generally drier conditions in summer (3).
Overall, it will rain harder in Europe in the future, both during heavy showers and during large-scale depressions (17). This increase will be more pronounced under the high-end end than the intermediate scenario of climate change: higher temperatures lead to more intense rainfall.
The steady rainfall of large-scale depressions (stratiform) is by its nature more important for agriculture; a decrease in combination with higher temperatures can lead to larger soil moisture deficits. More frequent and intense precipitation (convective), projected for the future climate, is not able to fully compensate the deficit of light and moderate precipitation because dry soil cannot absorb all water from intense precipitation events. Furthermore, extreme convective precipitation may cause flash floods and landslides, thus representing additional hazards and damages (3,14).
Projections for 2030
Simulated changes in total precipitation indicate the possibility of a slight increase in annual totals (on an average by approx. 4% in 2030 compared to 1961 – 1990), higher in the winter and spring (maximum from February to April), lower in the summer and autumn (minima from July to November). The possible reduction in total precipitation by 2 to 8% in the period from May to October, together with increased evaporation in these months, indicates the risk of an increase in water deficit in soils (1).
Uncertainty in these projections
For Europe, and especially for central Europe, model projections of the precipitation regime are burdened by a much higher level of uncertainty than similar temperature projections. This is demonstrated in the effect of the relatively complicated orography of the continent, which currently does not permit sufficiently detailed modelling of precipitation processes, as well as of the predominant impacts of climate change in Europe – increased temporal and spatial variability in precipitation (1). The inter-model and intra-model variability and related uncertainties in the pattern and magnitude of the change is large, but the scenarios tend to agree with precipitation trends recently observed in the area, which may strengthen their credibility (3).
The references below are cited in full in a separate map 'References'. Please click here if you are looking for the full references for the Czech Republic.
- Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic (2009)
- Solomon et al. (ed.) (2007), in: Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic (2009)
- Kyselý and Beranová (2008)
- Commission of the European Communities (2007)
- Kysely (2010)
- Huth et al. (2000), in: Kysely (2010)
- Spinoni et al. (2015)
- Spinoni et al. (2013), in: Spinoni et al. (2015)
- Fink et al. (2004); Ciais et al. (2005), both in: Spinoni et al. (2015)
- Hanel et al. (2016)
- Tolasz et al. (2007), in: Hanel et al. (2016)
- Frei et al. (2006); Boberg et al. (2010); Heinrich and Gobiet (2012); Rajczak et al. (2013), all in: Rulfová et al. (2017)
- Berg et al. (2013); Fischer et al. (2015), both in: Rulfová et al. (2017)
- Rulfová et al. (2017)
- Kyselý and Beranová (2009); Kyselý et al. (2011); Hanel and Buishand (2012), all in: Rulfová et al. (2017)
- Lehmann et al. (2014), in: Rulfová et al. (2017)
- Alexander et al. (2006); Giorgi and Coppola (2009); Rajczak et al. (2013); Wagner et al. (2013); Jacob et al. (2014); Lehtonen et al. (2014); Fischer et al. (2015), all in: Rulfová et al. (2017)
- Lhotka et al. (2018)
- Kyselý and Huth (2004), in: Lhotka et al. (2018)
- Kuchcik (2001), in: Lhotka et al. (2018)
- Lhotka and Kyselý (2015a), in: Lhotka et al. (2018)


See The Early Learning Assessment Literacy Challenge at New America EdCentral for an article on the effective use of assessments in early childhood education. The article includes a number of embedded links to useful guidance documents, including Early Childhood Assessment: Implementing Effective Practice.
From the EdCentral article:
“A strong consensus among education experts supports the notion that one of the best ways to improve instructional strategies and ultimately boost outcomes for individual students is through the use of assessment-generated data. This focus on assessment and using data to drive decision-making for both accountability and instruction has resulted in a proliferation of new policies and practices. It has also encouraged development of new resources, materials, and products, as well as sparked conversations among stakeholders about the appropriate use of assessment. In the current educational landscape, classroom teachers, school principals, district administrators, and state and federal policymakers spend significant time thinking about who, what, why, how, and when to assess.”


Thursday, December 15, 2011
Music has been used as a healing force for centuries. Music therapy goes back to biblical times, when David played the harp to rid King Saul of a bad spirit. As early as 400 B.C., Hippocrates, Greek father of medicine, played music for his mental patients. Aristotle described music as a force that purified the emotions. In the thirteenth century, Arab hospitals contained music-rooms for the benefit of the patients. In the United States, Native American medicine men often employed chants and dances as a method of healing patients. Music therapy as we know it began in the aftermath of World Wars I and II. Musicians would travel to hospitals, particularly in the United Kingdom, and play music for soldiers suffering from war-related emotional and physical trauma.


Carbon capture and storage (CCS) involves capturing carbon dioxide released by power stations and other industrial sources, and burying it deep underground. But in addition to keeping an important greenhouse gas (GHG) out of the atmosphere, this technology will lead to benefits and trade-offs for air pollution. A new report from the European Environment Agency (EEA) describes the effects that CCS may have on emissions of some key air pollutants.
"Carbon capture and storage can bridge the gap for the next few decades, cutting emissions until we can shift to a low carbon economy", Professor Jacqueline McGlade EEA Executive Director said. "Our report shows that while CCS may have an overall positive effect on air pollution, emissions of some pollutants may increase. Understanding these types of trade-offs are extremely important if we are to deploy this technology across Europe and the world."
What does CCS mean for air pollutants?
CCS technologies require approximately 15 – 25 % more energy depending on the particular type of technology used, so plants with CCS need more fuel than conventional plants. This in turn can lead to increased 'direct emissions' occurring from facilities where CCS is installed, and increased 'indirect emissions' caused by the extraction and transport of the additional fuel.
The EEA report identifies some of the potential benefits and trade-offs for the main air pollutants. It also presents a life-cycle case study for 2050 considering three different scenarios, showing the potential impacts on emissions of air pollutants if CCS were widely implemented in Europe. Key findings include:
Carbon capture and storage technologies are assumed to play a central role in helping Europe achieve its long-term GHG reduction objectives in a cost-effective way, reducing domestic GHG emissions by 80-95 % by 2050.Implementing CCS is therefore considered as a bridging technology, and should not introduce barriers or delays to the EU’s objectives of moving toward a lower-energy and more resource-efficient economy.
In the EU, there are plans to build several demonstration plants for CO2 capture and storage in order to commercialise the technology from 2020. Currently, there are around 80 large scale CCS projects at various stages of development around the world but only a few are operational. There are as yet no large-scale CCS plants in operation which cover all three elements of the CCS chain – the capture, transport and storage of CO2.
Nov 19, 2011.


Assessing and Treating Youth Exposed to Traumatic Stress
- List Price
- APA Members
- APA Resident-Fellow Members
Assessing and Treating Youth Exposed to Traumatic Stress is a cogent, caring, and comprehensive response to the reality that many children live lives of constant threat, fear, and confusion while lacking opportunities for positive social interactions, stimulation, and empowerment. Although the book is written for mental health clinicians, teachers and others who support traumatized youth will find this book an essential addition to their professional libraries. Identifying these children is the first step, and the importance of careful assessment through use of the clinical interview—in both individual and group settings—is emphasized. In addition, the population with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is highly diverse in terms of presentation and target symptoms, and the book explores differences in type, duration, and accumulation of trauma; age of insult; stress vulnerability; family history; and other individual factors. Nearly a dozen of treatment options are presented in the book, and they are distinguished by setting, such as clinic, home, or school, and modality, such as psychotherapy or pharmacology. Attention is also paid to preventive measures, most of which are school- or group-based, to increase resiliency where possible.
The book addresses critically important issues in treating young people with PTSD in chapters that are articulate, accessible, and actionable:
- Because PTSD rarely exists alone, suggestions on how to manage the challenging issues surrounding common comorbidities, such as mood and anxiety disorders, are examined in depth. Even when individuals do not meet the full clinical criteria for PTSD, elevated rates of mood and anxiety disorders have been identified.
- A separate posttraumatic diagnosis for preschool children was introduced in DSM-5, and the book highlights the special sensitivity and careful questioning necessary to elicit detailed histories and contextualize trauma in the very young because of their limited vocabulary and concrete thinking.
- Although psychosocial treatments are the first line of intervention when treating youth with PTSD symptoms, there is a role for pharmacological treatment, and a separate chapter is devoted to the use of medications.
- Whenever appropriate, the chapters take a developmental approach to illustrate how treatment techniques are applied to preschoolers, school-age children, adolescents, and transitional-age youth.
- In today's era of mass shootings and natural disasters, there is great need for effective interventions for large groups of young people. The chapters on school-based assessment and interventions present information on screening; disaster prevention, response, and recovery programs; and evidence-based targeted trauma intervention across developmental levels.
The editor, Director of the Stanford University Early Life Stress Research Program in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, has assembled a list of contributors who are at the forefront of clinical research in this important area of focus, and Assessing and Treating Youth Exposed to Traumatic Stress reflects the authors' belief that society, as a whole, must ensure that children who face adversity have the opportunity to develop to their full potential.
- Part I: Assessment
- Chapter 1. The Clinical Interview
- Chapter 2. Assessment in Schools or Other Large Groups
- Chapter 3. Assessment of Individuals
- Chapter 4. The Forensic Evaluation
- Part II: Treatment
- Chapter 5. General Principles of Psychotherapy
- Chapter 6. Play Therapy
- Chapter 7. School-Based Interventions
- Chapter 8. UCSF Healthy Environment and Response to Trauma in School (HEARTS)
- Chapter 9. Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
- Chapter 10. Cue-Centered Therapy
- Chapter 11. Child-Parent Psychotherapy
- Chapter 12. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing and Dialectical Behavior Therapy
- Chapter 13. Mindfulness and Yoga
- Chapter 14. Psychopharmacology
- Chapter 15. Addressing Comorbidity
- Part III: Associated Clinical Issues
- Chapter 16. Dissociation
- Chapter 17. Sleep
- Chapter 18. Self-Injurious Behaviors and Suicidality
- Chapter 19. Substance Use
- Part IV: Systems of Care
- Chapter 20. Full Spectrum of Care
- Chapter 21. Integrated Models
- Chapter 22. Global Mental Health and Trauma
- Chapter 23. Technology-Facilitated Interventions
- Brian Allen, Psy.D.
Antra Bami, M.D.
Heather Bensman, Psy.D.
Daniel W. Capron, Ph.D.
Stephanie Clarke, Ph.D.
Michael De Bellis, M.D.
Miriam Hernandez Dimmler, Ph.D.
Craig L. Donnelly, M.D.
Joyce Dorado, Ph.D.
Flint M. Espil, Ph.D.
Chelsea N. Grefe, Psy.D.
Jessica L. Griffin, Psy.D.
David S. Grunwald, M.D.
Laura D. Heintz, Psy.D.
Sara Blythe Heron, M.D.
Chandra Ghosh Ippen, Ph.D.
Sheryl H. Kataoka, M.D.
Michael Kelly, M.D.
Moira Kessler, M.D.
Christina Tara Khan, M.D., Ph.D.
Hilit Kletter, Ph.D.
Alicia F. Lieberman, Ph.D.
Roy Lubit M.D., Ph.D.
Rachel L. Martin
Ryan B. Matlow, Ph.D.
Anne B. McBride, M.D.
Martha Merchant, Psy.D.
Kate B. Nooner, Ph.D.
Michelle Primeau, M.D.
Nicole Quiterio, M.D.
Shayne Ragbeer, Ph.D.
John P. Rettger, Ph.D.
Jared T. Ritter, M.D.
Chad Shenk, Ph.D.
Pamela J. Shime, J.D.
Karen Smith, Ph.D.
Bradley D. Stein, M.D., Ph.D.
Steven Sust, M.D.
Elizabeth Weiss, Psy.D.
Jessica Wozniak, Psy.D.
Sanno E. Zack, Ph.D.
About the Authors
Victor G. Carrion, M.D., is John A. Turner, M.D. Endowed Chair of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; Professor and Vice-Chair, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; and Director, Early Life Stress and Pediatric Anxiety Program, at Stanford University.
In this era of advances in neuroscience and epigenetics, latest knowledge in assessment and evidence-based best practices is essential. Savvy clinicians, both seasoned and fresh, who work with children of all ages, will find this book to be an invaluable resource with everything needed to get up-to-speed on a wealth of techniques, research and theories, supplemented by fascinating discussion of cases.—Laura C. Strom, MS, LMFT, Trauma and Disabilities Specialist, Doctoral Candidate, California Southern University Doctorate of Psychology (PsyD) program, 2015-2016 President, California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists
This textbook quality, comprehensive volume provides up-to-date academic standards and evidence-based interventions for working with youth exposed to trauma. It makes exemplary use of clinical material and case vignettes, labeling key concepts and providing discussion questions to offer the full scope of assessment, case conceptualization, and state-of-the-art treatment models.—Lisa Amaya-Jackson, M.D., M.P.H., UCLA-Duke National Center for Child Traumatic Stress, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
This is a high-quality book with great utility for any providers managing pediatric trauma. Compared to other books of a similar genre, this one stands out for its inclusion of commonly overlooked aspects of trauma, such as global health crises, foster care and juvenile detention, and upcoming technology facilitated interventions. It encourages a big picture approach, making it appealing to multiple disciplines, and highlighting the need for integrated care. Because it is inclusive of so many treatment modalities, the only downfall is that certain chapters, like pharmacology, may lack the depth necessary for some providers. However, it should be noted that each chapter lists suggested readings, making it very easy to find these additional resources, if one is seeking them.—Shayna Bailey, M.D., Doody's Book Review
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A pico-satellite designed and built by students of College of Engineering in Pune is all set to be launched by ISRO very soon, along with Cartosat 2C on-board the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C34. Named Swayam, the satellite is a bi-directional communication platform, which will orbit the Earth at a height of 500-800 km.
The Swayam project was initiated by a group of students in late 2008, and it was officially approved by the institute in 2009. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between College of Engineering and ISRO on May 23, 2013, for the development and launch of Swayam. The flight model along with all environmental tests for the satellite was completed in February 2015.
The satellite has been handed over to ISRO and is scheduled to have a mission life of at least six months after the launch.
According to the college website, the Swayam project team of about 40 members has students of all years and from different branches. All the work has been done by the students with assistance from the faculty members.
The satellite weighs one kg and has dimensions of 10 cm X 10 cm X 11.35 cm. It has a payload capable of half duplex communication, which will enable the satellite to host point to point messaging services – so it can receive, store and transmit messages from one corner of the globe to the other. In a half-duplex communication system, there are two channels of communication but both the parties cannot communicate with each other simultaneously. The communication has to be in one direction at a time. A device like walkie-talkie is an example of half-duplex communication. Thus, the satellite will be useful in improving communication in rural areas.
“The entire satellite weighs about one kilo. It was a challenge for us to fit all the components inside a small cube-shaped box, but we are happy to have managed it finally,” Rucha Vaidya, a student associated with the project, had told Pune Mirror earlier.
A unique feature of the satellite is it Attitude Control System (ACS), which controls the dynamic behaviour of satellite, like orientation and motion.
With the help of a technique called Passive Magnetic Attitude Control (PMACS), the orientation of satellite is controlled and stabilised in the orbit without any power consumption and with reasonable accuracy for communication. The college claims that the ACS of Swayam is the first of its kind in India. The scientific mission of this project is to prove that PMACS is an efficient and cost effective solution for attitude control.
According to reports, a ground station has been set up within the college premises from where communication with the satellite will be established.
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When policymakers analyze banking crises, they often search for diagnostic clues in the specific environment in which they occurred. This paper analyzes the 1855 failures of the largest banks in Gold Rush San Francisco, arguing that the antecedents of those failures — excessive leverage, interlocking ownership, inadequate segregation of assets, and concentration of risk in non- banking enterprises — were independent of the monetary and economic regime in place at the time. Those antecedents exposed Gold Rush bankers to external risks originating in events in which they had no involvement, and over which they had no control. The external events that felled the largest banks in San Francisco emerged from the Crimean War.
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volleyed and thundered
—Alfred, Lord Tennyson,
“The Charge of the Light Brigade”, 1854
Click the image to download “Contagion” by Dr. Tiemann
In “Government Credit and Money,” Dr. Tiemann takes a deep look at the historical antecedents, including Ely’s Rebellion and the writings of Joseph Hawley, to show why our monetary system relies on the soundness of government credit. Dr. Tiemann maintains that keeping the public credit in good standing is of paramount importance.


Whistler’s Wetlands are Under Threat
The most significant wetland area under threat in Whistler currently is the Alpha/Millar Creek Wetlands which represent the largest remaining intact upland/wetland ecosystem in the valley. For decades this area has been recognized as being one of the most important ecological and habitat sites in the Whistler Valley, a stance of increasing gravitas with the continued loss of wetlands throughout those decades. The symbiotic relationship between the wetlands and the uplands that sustain them has also been continually recognized, with an understanding that development of the uplands would heavily impact the wetlands below.
However, a proposal to develop a Whistler International Learning Campus (WIC) on the upland areas is being submitted by the Zen family who own the site. The proposal suggests the phased development of nearly a milliion square feet of built infrastructure, with buildings of up to six storeys. Associated roads and landscaping increase the development footprint to 30% of the 77 acre site, with the entire development concentrated on the uplands.
AWARE has continually maintained its stance: that the wetlands and upland areas should remain undeveloped (inclusive of the uplands now proposed for WIC). External to AWARE the community has repeatedly recognized the importance of this site throughout the OCP and W2020 processes, with clear understanding that the uplands and wetlands are symbiotic. The OCP is explicit in the commitment to limit development to the least environmentally sensitive lands within Whistler.
The independent Protected Areas Network (PAN) process and municipal Terrestrial Ecosystem Mapping both recognize the importance of the site as the only intact wetland / upland ecosystem of its magnitude remaining in the Whistler valley. Areas of the Zen owned land are one of only two sites allocated PAN1 zoning through the Protected Areas Networks research and resulting strategy. A designation only assigned to the areas of highest habitat and biodiversity value.
The Importance of Wetlands
Wetland ecosystems have incredible importance as areas of high biodiversity and immense habitat value. In Whistler over 70% of Whistler’s wetlands have been lost. The map below shows the extent of that loss (please note the map does not recognise the significant loss of wetland to development of the BC Transit Depot at Nesters as the mapping pre-dates that development).
Wetlands currently cover between 5 to 10% of the Earth’s land area (Mitsch, 2007). It is estimated that more than half of the world’s original wetlands have disappeared, and they are being lost and degraded more quickly than any other ecosystem type (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005).
In Whistler over 70%* of the wetlands that originally covered Whistler’s valley bottom have been lost. The most significant losses have been to developments such as the Nicklaus North Golf Course and subdivision, the Whistler Golf Course, BC Transit Depot at Nester’s, as well as residential areas of White Gold, Spruce Grove, Millar’s Creek and Tapley’s.
It is not just the loss of these areas that raises concerns but for those wetlands that remain many have been reduced in size or hemmed in by development around them. This compromises the ability of these incredibly diverse ecosystems to function, with a natural flow of water and nutrients entering moving through the wetlands. As incredible habitats development around wetlands also reduces their connectivity and the ability of wildlife to move between sites safely.
*If you would like to learn more about the reduction of Whistler’s Wetlands over time, Simon Fraser University student Lindsay McBlane completed a ‘Connectivity Assessment of Changes In Wetland Ecosystems From 1946 to 2003 in the Resort Municipality of Whistler’. It is worth that completion of this study in 2004 predated the loss of red-listed wetlands for the Transit Yard at Nesters prior to the Olympics.
Mitsch, W.J. and Gosselink, J.G. 2007. Wetlands. Edition 4. John Wiley and Sons Inc. New Jersey, NY.


A grad student possesses 5 liters of blood that is 0.16% alcohol by volume. If the grad student injects 2 liters of blood in a ritual to improve his research results, his new blood alcohol content will be approximately what?
This problem tests our ability to use percentages to determine how much of something we have, and then find what percentage our amount is of some other number. We begin by determining the amount of alcohol in the grad student’s bloodstream by finding 0.16% of 5 liters. Since 0.16% is 0.0016 in decimal form, we use the following equation:
This tells us that there is 0.008 liters of alcohol in the grad student’s blood. After injecting 2 liters of pure blood, however, the amount of alcohol will not change, but the percentage of alcohol in the grad student will. The grad student now has 7 liters of blood inside of him, so we must determine that 0.008 liters of alcohol is some percentage of those 7 liters of blood using the following:
This gives us our final answer of 0.114%.


Perl is a language for getting your job done.
Of course, if your job is programming, you can get your job done with any "complete" computer language, theoretically speaking. But we know from experience that computer languages differ not so much in what they make possible, but in what they make easy. At one extreme, the so-called "fourth generation languages" make it easy to do some things, but nearly impossible to do other things. At the other extreme, certain well known, "industrial-strength" languages make it equally difficult to do almost everything.
Perl is different. In a nutshell, Perl is designed to make the easy jobs easy, without making the hard jobs impossible.
And what are these "easy jobs" that ought to be easy? The ones you do every day, of course. You want a language that makes it easy to manipulate numbers and text, files and directories, computers and networks, and especially programs. It should be easy to run external programs and scan their output for interesting tidbits. It should be easy to send those same tidbits off to other programs that can do special things with them. It should be easy to develop, modify, and debug your own programs too. And, of course, it should be easy to compile and run your programs, and do it portably, on any modern operating system.
Perl does all that, and a whole lot more.
Initially designed as a glue language for the UNIX operating system (or any of its myriad variants), Perl also runs on numerous other systems, including MS-DOS, VMS, OS/2, Plan 9, Macintosh, and any variety of Windows you care to mention. It is one of the most portable programming languages available today. To program C portably, you have to put in all those strange #ifdef markings for different operating systems. And to program a shell portably, you have to remember the syntax for each operating system's version of each command, and somehow find the least common denominator that (you hope) works everywhere. Perl happily avoids both of these problems, while retaining many of the benefits of both C and shell programming, with some additional magic of its own. Much of the explosive growth of Perl has been fueled by the hankerings of former UNIX programmers who wanted to take along with them as much of the "old country" as they could. For them, Perl is the portable distillation of UNIX culture, an oasis in the wilderness of "can't get there from here". On the other hand, it works in the other direction, too: Web programmers are often delighted to discover that they can take their scripts from a Windows machine and run them unchanged on their UNIX servers.
Although Perl is especially popular with systems programmers and Web developers, it also appeals to a much broader audience. The hitherto well-kept secret is now out: Perl is no longer just for text processing. It has grown into a sophisticated, general-purpose programming language with a rich software development environment complete with debuggers, profilers, cross-referencers, compilers, interpreters, libraries, syntax-directed editors, and all the rest of the trappings of a "real" programming language. (But don't let that scare you: nothing requires you to go tinkering under the hood.) Perl is being used daily in every imaginable field, from aerospace engineering to molecular biology, from computer-assisted design/computer-assisted manufacturing (CAD/CAM) to document processing, from database manipulation to client-server network management. Perl is used by people who are desperate to analyze or convert lots of data quickly, whether you're talking DNA sequences, Web pages, or pork belly futures. Indeed, one of the jokes in the Perl community is that the next big stock market crash will probably be triggered by a bug in a Perl script. (On the brighter side, any unemployed stock analysts will still have a marketable skill, so to speak.)
There are many reasons for the success of Perl. It certainly helps that Perl is freely available, and freely redistributable. But that's not enough to explain the Perl phenomenon, since many freeware packages fail to thrive. Perl is not just free; it's also fun. People feel like they can be creative in Perl, because they have freedom of expression: they get to choose what to optimize for, whether that's computer speed or programmer speed, verbosity or conciseness, readability or maintainability or reusability or portability or learnability or teachability. You can even optimize for obscurity, if you're entering an Obfuscated Perl contest.
Perl can give you all these degrees of freedom because it's essentially a language with a split personality. It's both a very simple language and a very rich language. It has taken good ideas from nearly everywhere, and installed them into an easy-to-use mental framework. To those who merely like it, Perl is the Practical Extraction and Report Language. To those who love it, Perl is the Pathologically Eclectic Rubbish Lister. And to the minimalists in the crowd, Perl seems like a pointless exercise in redundancy. But that's okay. The world needs a few reductionists (mainly as physicists). Reductionists like to take things apart. The rest of us are just trying to get it together.
Perl is in many ways a simple language. You don't have to know many special incantations to compile a Perl program--you can just execute it like a shell script. The types and structures used by Perl are easy to use and understand. Perl doesn't impose arbitrary limitations on your data--your strings and arrays can grow as large as they like (so long as you have memory), and they're designed to scale well as they grow. Instead of forcing you to learn new syntax and semantics, Perl borrows heavily from other languages you may already be familiar with (such as C, and sed, and awk, and English, and Greek). In fact, just about any programmer can read a well-written piece of Perl code and have some idea of what it does.
Most important, you don't have to know everything there is to know about Perl before you can write useful programs. You can learn Perl "small end first". You can program in Perl Baby-Talk, and we promise not to laugh. Or more precisely, we promise not to laugh any more than we'd giggle at a child's creative way of putting things. Many of the ideas in Perl are borrowed from natural language, and one of the best ideas is that it's okay to use a subset of the language as long as you get your point across. Any level of language proficiency is acceptable in Perl culture. We won't send the language police after you. A Perl script is "correct" if it gets the job done before your boss fires you.
Though simple in many ways, Perl is also a rich language, and there is much to be learned about it. That's the price of making hard things possible. Although it will take some time for you to absorb all that Perl can do, you will be glad that you have access to the extensive capabilities of Perl when the time comes that you need them. We noted above that Perl borrows many capabilities from the shells and C, but Perl also possesses a strict superset of sed and awk capabilities. There are, in fact, translators supplied with Perl to turn your old sed and awk scripts into Perl scripts, so you can see how the features you may already be familiar with correspond to those of Perl.
Because of that heritage, Perl was a rich language even when it was "just" a data-reduction language, designed for navigating files, scanning large amounts of text, creating and obtaining dynamic data, and printing easily formatted reports based on that data. But somewhere along the line, Perl started to blossom. It also became a language for filesystem manipulation, process management, database administration, client-server programming, secure programming, Web-based information management, and even for object-oriented and functional programming. These capabilities were not just slapped onto the side of Perl--each new capability works synergistically with the others, because Perl was designed to be a glue language from the start.
But Perl can glue together more than its own features. Perl is designed to be modularly extensible. Perl allows you to rapidly design, program, debug, and deploy applications, but it also allows you to easily extend the functionality of these applications as the need arises. You can embed Perl in other languages, and you can embed other languages in Perl. Through the module importation mechanism, you can use these external definitions as if they were built-in features of Perl. Object-oriented external libraries retain their object-orientedness in Perl.
Perl helps you in other ways too. Unlike a strictly interpreted language such as the shell, which compiles and executes a script one command at a time, Perl first compiles your whole program quickly into an intermediate format. Like any other compiler, it performs various optimizations, and gives you instant feedback on everything from syntax and semantic errors to library binding mishaps. Once Perl's compiler frontend is happy with your program, it passes off the intermediate code to the interpreter to execute (or optionally to any of several modular back ends that can emit C or bytecode.) This all sounds complicated, but the compiler and interpreter are quite efficient, and most of us find that the typical compile-run-fix cycle is measured in mere seconds. Together with Perl's many fail-soft characteristics, this quick turnaround capability makes Perl a language in which you really can do rapid prototyping. Then later, as your program matures, you can tighten the screws on yourself, and make yourself program with less flair but more discipline. Perl helps you with that too, if you ask nicely.
Perl also helps you to write programs more securely. While running in privileged mode, you can temporarily switch your identity to something innocuous before accessing system resources. Perl also guards against accidental security errors through a data tracing mechanism that automatically determines which data was derived from insecure sources and prevents dangerous operations before they can happen. Finally, Perl lets you set up specially protected compartments in which you can safely execute Perl code of dubious lineage, masking out dangerous operations. System administrators and CGI programmers will particularly welcome these features.
But, paradoxically, the way in which Perl helps you the most has almost nothing to do with Perl, and everything to do with the people who use Perl. Perl folks are, frankly, some of the most helpful folks on earth. If there's a religious quality to the Perl movement, then this is at the heart of it. Larry wanted the Perl community to function like a little bit of heaven, and he seems to have gotten his wish, so far. Please do your part to keep it that way.
Whether you are learning Perl because you want to save the world, or just because you are curious, or because your boss told you to, this handbook will lead you through both the basics and the intricacies. And although we don't intend to teach you how to program, the perceptive reader will pick up some of the art, and a little of the science, of programming. We will encourage you to develop the three great virtues of a programmer: laziness, impatience, and hubris. Along the way, we hope you find the book mildly amusing in some spots (and wildly amusing in others). And if none of this is enough to keep you awake, just keep reminding yourself that learning Perl will increase the value of your resume. So keep reading.


Laminectomy Surgery And Deformity Corrections
Laminectomy are correction of deformities of the low back spine with fixation and spondylolisthesis is performed with complex changes to the low back part of the spine with the narrowing of the spinal canal and/or intervertebral foramina (spinal and foramina stenosis) on multiple levels with spine deformities. Consequences of these changes are damage to the spinal nerves of the lower back, as well as the loss of correct posture and stability of the spine. The consequences of these changes are damage to the spinal cord and/or cervical spinal nerves, as well as the loss of the correct posture of the cervical spine. This type of surgery open type posterior approach is used, and it is executed in three parts.
The first part of the surgery is to approach the bony part of the spine. After the skin and muscle fascia cut, paravertebral muscles are removed from the spine to show the bony parts. The second part of the surgery is a laminectomy. In this part, ligaments and bones that are changed and narrow the spinal canal and/or intervertebral foramina. The third part of the surgery is to correct the deformities and stabilize the spine. In this part, screws are inserted in the vertebra and then they are connected with a longitudinal element (most likely a bar) and then the deformities are removed in the best possible manner.
Stabilization is concluded with the insertion of the own (autogenous), foreign (allogenous) or artificial (alloplastic) bone with which the spine is stabilized (spondylodesis). The surgery is concluded by inserting a tube to drain the unnecessary blood and suturing that wound layer by layer. After surgery, external immobilization (rigid lumbar orthosis) can be used until spondylodesis occurs.
The therapeutic effect of this surgery is individual. In most patients, the degree of low back pain and/or sciatica reduces, and mobility improves. A few months after rehabilitation are necessary for full recovery. In a small number of patients, some difficulties can return after a few months or years.


AMERICAN political independence, declared in 1776, was followed by decades of cultural dependence on Great Britain. Sydney Smith's famous taunt in 1820, ^"In the four quarters of the globe, who reads an American book ? or goes to an American play ? or looks at an American picture or statue ?" evoked small response, for in truth even Americans were reading British books and going to British plays. In the decades between 1775 and 1850, however, Americans began to achieve a national culture independent of that of Britain. It is impossible to fix a date in which the balance of cultural payments shifted to favour America; according to many Europeans, it never has. In the major areas of American cultural life, however, the six decades between 1790 and 1850 may be noted as the years in which Americans, proud of their political independence, began to seek their destiny as a civilization without deference to that of Great Britain.
small aspect of the cultural relationship between America and Britain during these years is the influence of English Jews in American Jewish life. This influence was exceedingly limited, and is certainly not a decisive factor in the development of American Jewry during this period. Once I had thought differently and sought to establish conclusively a period of Anglo-Jewish dominance in American Jewish history, when the forms and conventions of Anglo-Jewry, developed in response to peculiarly British conditions, were transported to America, there to shape the incipient communities. This would, I had hoped, have established an English "period" of American Jewish history to stand alongside the preceding "Sephardic era" and the subsequent "German" and "Russian" periods. Since I do not share the morality of historians who seek to prove what did not happen, I present the discussion that follows as a brief assessment of the specific influences of Anglo-Jewry in America well aware that these influences stand apart, though not isolated, from the mainstream of American Jewish history.
Two basic facts have become clear. First, that some American Jews were born and raised in England. These "Anglo-American" Jews fall into two categories : first, the pre-revolutionary Anglo-Jewish families who sent representatives across the Atlantic to America, with such names well-known in both countries as Hendricks, Franks, Gomez, and Waag2; and second, the immigrants who came both before and after the American Revolution from the lower social strata of English Jewry. A third group deserve con? sideration : the immigrants who were born on the continent, came to England, and from here to America. England was for two centuries the gateway to America; immigrants from Germany and Eastern Europe frequently came to England intending to go no further and they or their children came on to the United States. These people came under the influence of Anglo-Jewish life for varying periods, but to some extent all had become oriented toward the religious and social institutions of England before coming to America. The second category of immigrant may be embodied in Simon Nathan,
1 Paper read before the


The issue of light-speed in the early cosmos is one which has received some attention recently in several peer-reviewed journals. Starting in December 1987, the Russian physicist V. S. Troitskii from the Radiophysical Research Institute in Gorky published a twenty-two page analysis in Astrophysics and Space Science regarding the problems cosmologists faced with the early universe. He looked at a possible solution if it was accepted that light-speed continuously decreased over the lifetime of the cosmos, and the associated atomic constants varied synchronously. He suggested that, at the origin of the cosmos, light may have travelled at 1010 times its current speed. He concluded that the cosmos was static and not expanding.
In 1993, J. W. Moffat of the University of Toronto, Canada, had two articles published in the International Journal of Modern Physics D (see also ). He suggested that there was a high value for 'c' during the earliest moments of the formation of the cosmos, following which it rapidly dropped to its present value. Then, in January 1999, a paper in Physical Review D by Andreas Albrecht and Joao Magueijo, entitled "A Time Varying Speed Of Light As A Solution To Cosmological Puzzles" received a great deal of attention. These authors demonstrated that a number of serious problems facing cosmologists could be solved by a very high initial speed of light.
Like Moffat before them, Albrecht and Magueijo isolated their high initial light-speed and its proposed dramatic drop to the current speed to a very limited time during the formation of the cosmos. However, in the same issue of Physical Review D there appeared a paper by John D. Barrow, Professor of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Cambridge. He took this concept one step further by proposing that the speed of light has dropped from the value proposed by Albrecht and Magueijo down to its current value over the lifetime of the universe.
An article in New Scientist for July 24, 1999, summarised these proposals in the first sentence. "Call it heresy, but all the big cosmological problems will simply melt away, if you break one rule, says John D. Barrow - the rule that says the speed of light never varies." Interestingly, the initial speed of light proposed by Albrecht, Magueijo and Barrow is 1060 times its current speed. In contrast, the redshift data give a far less dramatic result. The most distant object seen in the Hubble Space Telescope has a redshift, 'z', of 14. This indicates light-speed was about 9 ( 108 greater than now. At the origin of the cosmos this rises to about 2.5 ( 1010 times the current value of c, more in line with Troitskii's proposal, and considerably more conservative than the Barrow, Albrecht and Magueijo estimate. This lower, more conservative estimate is also in line with the 1987 Norman-Setterfield Report. (Barry Setterfield, January 24, 2000)


When scientists refer to totipotent or pluripotent stem cells, they mean that, just like an embryo, these cells have the potential to develop into any type of bodily tissue. However, totipotent cells can also develop tissues such as placenta and all extra-embryonic tissues that are essential for an embryo to grow and develop.
iPS cells are pluripotent cells like the human embryo stem cells used in research. The fertilised egg and the cells created by the very first cell divisions of the embryo are totipotent and can generate all embryonic and extra embryonic cell lines. But “capturing” these totipotent cells still poses a scientific challenge. The cells that produce embryonic tissue and those that generate extra-embryonic tissues separate very quickly. It is impossible to cultivate stable cell lines before this separation.
Scientists at the Salk Institute in conjunction with scientists at Beijing University in China recount their discovery of a “chemical cocktail” which generates totipotent stem cells from murine or human stem cells. This “cocktail”, which is a combination of four chemical products and a growth factor, can stabilise “very early” stem cells. They refer to these cells as “extended pluripotent stem cells” or EPS.
Their technique, which was described in the Cell journal on 6 April 2017, could be put to a variety of uses, namely modelling diseases, testing medicinal products or regenerating tissues. It could be used in particular to model early development processes and to understand the diseases affecting the implantation of embryos or the placenta. The aim in this instance would be “to improve in-vitro fertilisation techniques”. Finally, according to the authors, this discovery could be particularly useful when testing for chimers which seek to produce human organs in a host animal body.
Scientists have already used their technique to cultivate totipotent murine stem cells. They have shown that a single murine stem cell cultivated with this new combination “could be used to develop a whole adult mouse”. They believe that their study will have “a wide-ranging impact and repercussions in the stem cell sector”.
Phys.org (6/04/2017); UPI, Brooks Hays (6/04/2017)


Green electricity to the grid
The folding box board Incada is made in Workington, England, where the energy supply was switched from fossil natural gas to biomass in 2013. This change created the conditions to reduce annual fossil emissions by 190,000 tonnes, the equivalent of taking 65,000 cars off the road.
By supplementing its energy supply with natural gas, the mill can also supply green electricity to the UK mains electricity grid.
Grow Your Income
When the mill at Workington planned the switch to bioenergy, it launched a programme called “Grow Your Income” to encourage landowners in northern England and Scotland to grow energy crops. Iggesund Paperboard signs long, index-linked contracts with landowners, provides assistance with planting, and handles the harvest and transport to the mill.
The recommended crop, SRC Salix, is suitable for land with low productivity and is a way to create a new income source with low work intensity in the local farming community. The UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), has singled out the cultivation of energy crops as a way to strengthen the agricultural industry in northern England and Scotland.
In the long run Grow Your Income will supply between 5 to 10 per cent of the mill’s biomass needs and it has been received as a welcome injection in the local economy.


What is another name for tardigrades?
What is the maximum atmospheric pressure that tardigrades can survive?
What is the temperature range that tardigrades can survive?
What is the main reason tardigrades are considered the toughest animals on Earth?
What is the average length of tardigrades when they are fully grown?
What do tardigrades feed on?
What is the closest known relative of tardigrades?
What is the size range of tardigrade genomes?
What is the role of tardigrades in developing environments?
Tardigrades, also known as water bears or moss piglets, are a phylum of eight-legged segmented micro-animals found in diverse regions of Earth's biosphere. They are among the most resilient animals known, able to survive extreme conditions such as exposure to extreme temperatures, extreme pressures, air deprivation, radiation, dehydration, and starvation that would quickly kill most other known forms of life. Tardigrades have survived exposure to outer space. They have about 1,300 known species in the phylum Tardigrada. Tardigrades are usually about 0.5 mm long when fully grown. They are short and plump, with four pairs of legs, each ending in claws or suction disks. Tardigrades are prevalent in mosses and lichens and feed on plant cells, algae, and small invertebrates. They lack several Hox genes and a large intermediate region of the body axis. They are oviparous and fertilization is usually external. Tardigrades are able to suspend their metabolism and survive in a dehydrated state up to five years, or longer in exceptional cases. Their ability to remain desiccated for such long periods of time was thought to be dependent on high levels of the nonreducing disaccharide trehalose. However, it has been seen that in both tardigrades and bdelloid rotifers, there is only a partial capability to synthesize trehalose in quantities that may contribute to desiccation tolerance. Tardigrades are able to survive in extreme environments that would kill almost any other animal.Tardigrades: The Toughest Animals on Earth
- Tardigrades, also known as water bears or moss piglets, are microscopic animals that can survive extreme conditions.
- Tardigrades can survive extreme temperatures ranging from -273°C to 151°C.
- They can also survive pressures of up to 6,000 times atmospheric pressure, and radiation levels that are hundreds of times higher than lethal doses for humans.
- Tardigrades are the first known animal to survive after exposure to outer space.
- In 2007, dehydrated tardigrades were taken into low Earth orbit on the FOTON-M3 mission and were exposed to the hard vacuum of outer space for 10 days.
- More than 68% of the subjects were reanimated within 30 minutes following rehydration, although subsequent mortality was high.
- In May 2011, Italian scientists sent tardigrades on board the International Space Station and their conclusion was that microgravity and cosmic radiation did not significantly affect their survival.
- Tardigrades are either most closely related to Arthropoda and Onychophora, or to nematodes.
- The only known fossil specimens of tardigrades are those from mid-Cambrian deposits in Siberia.
- Tardigrade genomes vary in size, from about 75 to 800 megabase pairs of DNA.
- The genome of Ramazzottius varieornatus, one of the most stress-tolerant species of tardigrades, was sequenced in 2015.
- Tardigrades work as pioneer species by inhabiting new developing environments, attracting other invertebrates to populate that space, while also attracting predators.
Are you ready to test your knowledge on the toughest animals on Earth? Take our quiz on Tardigrades, also known as water bears or moss piglets, and discover amazing facts about these micro-animals that can survive extreme conditions such as exposure to outer space, extreme temperatures, pressures, radiation, dehydration, and starvation. Challenge yourself and see how much you know about these resilient creatures that inhabit diverse regions of Earth's biosphere and are able to suspend their metabolism and survive in a dehydr
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Mid-Book Test - Easy
|Name: _________________________||Period: ___________________|
This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What is the theme of the poem at the introduction of chapter three?
(a) Alice's intellectualism.
(b) Alice's 50th birthday.
(c) Alice's 61st birthday.
(d) Alice's views on taxation.
2. Where does Alice spend her childhood?
(a) Alice grows up in New York City and New Jersey.
(b) Alice grows up in Greenhaven and Harrison, New York.
(c) Alice grows up in North Carolina and Long Island.
(d) Alice grows up in Greenwich and Nova Scotia.
3. How does Calvin portray his wife Alice in books and magazine articles written before she dies?
(a) The goofball.
(b) The wicked witch.
(c) The voice of reason.
(d) The cancer victim.
4. In chapter three, Calvin includes a quote from a friend of Alice who speaks at her memorial service. Who is this person?
(a) Mary Francis.
(b) Mina Shaughnessy.
(c) Alice's father.
(d) Nora Ephron.
5. In what month and year does Calvin first meet Alice?
(a) August 1990.
(b) December 1963.
(c) April 1965.
(d) December 1976.
6. Calvin states that he and his wife disagree about which of the following details from the night when they first meet?
(a) The hat and the pipe smoke.
(b) The hat and the punch bowl.
(c) The food and the beverages.
(d) The pipe smoke and the glow.
7. At the end of chapter three, Calvin tells a story about Alice in which she makes an annual trip to which of the following locations?
(a) Her best friend's grave.
(b) A brownstone in Greenwich Village.
(c) A summer home in Nova Scotia.
(d) A plant nursery in New Jersey.
8. Where does Alice attend college?
(a) City University of New York.
(b) Wellesley College.
(c) Hofstra University.
(d) New York University.
9. According to Calvin, what leads to his success in courting Alice?
(a) His dumb luck and good looks.
(b) His pipe smoking and fame as a writer.
(c) His reluctance to speak.
(d) His dumb luck and one or two deliberate moves.
10. In chapter one, what object does Alice wave in the air following Calvin's speech?
(a) A book.
(b) A shoe.
(c) A cigarette.
(d) A pen.
11. What is the name of the magazine that hosts the party where Calvin first meets Alice?
(b) The New Yorker.
(c) Times Magazine.
12. What is the first book that Calvin writes after he meets Alice?
(a) A romance novel.
(b) A biography.
(c) A mystery novel.
(d) A collection of comic short stories.
13. In chapter three, Calvin includes an excerpt from an article that Alice writes about her parents. Which of the following statements summarizes the point makes in the excerpt?
(a) Alice's mother does not accept the help of others.
(b) Alice looks to her mother for advice on how to be a better parent.
(c) Alice leans on her mother.
(d) Alice takes care of her mother.
14. According to Calvin, why does he show Alice everything he writes in rough draft?
(a) Calvin values Alice's opinion and wants to impress her.
(b) Calvin thinks it gives her an opportunity to improve her own writing.
(c) Calvin does not trust his editor at work.
(d) It saves Calvin time.
15. At the end of chapter two, Calvin states that he is reviewing the galleys of a book. What is the book's subject?
(a) Eating in New York restaurants.
(b) Bicycling in New York.
(c) Parking in New York.
(d) Riding a bus in New York.
Short Answer Questions
1. What is the headline for Alice's obituary in the Times?
2. How many siblings does Alice have?
3. According to Calvin, what does Alice exclaim when encountering a deer in a forest?
4. According to Calvin, what photo of Alice appears on the cover of the program at her memorial service?
5. What does Alice's father do for a living?
This section contains 695 words
(approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page)


3D programming is an incredibly complex and wide field. This chapter explores some topics that are the absolute minimum requirement to write a simple 3D game:
We'll revisit our friend the vector and attach one more coordinate.
Lighting is a vital part of any 3D game. We'll look at how to perform simple lighting with OpenGL ES.
Defining objects programmatically is cumbersome. We'll look at a simple 3D file format so we can load and render 3D models created with 3D modeling software.
In Chapter 8 we discussed object representation and collision detection. We'll look at how to go about that in 3D.
We'll also briefly revisit some of the physics concepts we explored in Chapter 10[OK?], this time in a 3D context.
Let's start with 3D vectors.
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