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The Islandica Series: Companion to the Fiske Icelandic Collection

A guest contribution by Patrick J. Stevens. In October 2013, NordicHistoryBlog graciously published a guest contribution under my name describing “The Fiske Icelandic Collection in the Cornell University Library.” This generous space allowed me to rehearse some history behind the founding of the collection by Daniel Willard Fiske, to mention the vital contributions of Halldór Hermannsson, the first curator, and to offer a summary of activity into the twenty-first century. I closed with the following remark:

In recent years, the venerable Islandica series marked a quiet centennial by publishing two volumes of essays and, a few years later, a monographic study; all three works were dedicated to advancing Old Norse-Icelandic studies. All new volumes of the series are available both electronically and in print….

The Islandica series, published by the Cornell University Library, has since its “quiet centennial” in 2008 continued publishing monographs, necessarily on an irregular schedule because of the complexity of each volume and with modest resources in terms of staff and funding. The chief desideratum shared among authors, translators, our compositor, and the managing editor is to sustain the highest possible level of textual precision in the service of Icelandic and Norse Studies.

“A Series in Icelandic and Norse Studies” is an innovation for Islandica, a change of subtitle that endeavors to encompass the medieval Norse cultural and geographical reach and its modern, predominantly Icelandic, manifestation in the islands of the North Atlantic. Hitherto Islandica had been “a Series [even earlier: an Annual] Relating to Iceland and the Fiske Icelandic Collection,” and while series and collection perpetuate their relationship, the need to focus outwardly and acknowledge implicitly the international nature of scholarship in Norse and Icelandic culture became increasingly evident.

So it was that the three volumes appearing after Islandica 55, Theodore M. Andersson’s The Partisan Muse in the Early Icelandic Sagas (1200-1250), relied on veritable international teams for completion. Islandica volumes 56 and 57 (published 2014) had Icelandic authors, British translators, and an American managing editor; and contributors to Islandica 58 (2015) were living or working in Iceland, the United Kingdom, Canada, and New Zealand as well as the United States.

icelandic baroqueIcelandic Baroque: Poetic Art and Erudition in the Works of Hallgrímur Pétursson1, by Margrét Eggertsdóttir2 , is Islandica volume 56. Originally Margrét’s dissertation for the D.Phil. (University of Iceland), the book appeared in 2005 as Barokkmeistarinn: List og lærdómur í verkum Hallgríms Péturssonar. The masterful translation by Professor Andrew Wawn (emeritus, University of Leeds) afforded the author an opportunity to update features of her study as well as disseminate the results of her profound research to an interdisciplinary academic readership. Margrét has long been recognized as a leading authority on the poetry of Hallgrímur Pétursson (1614–1674)3 , the Icelandic Lutheran pastor best known for his fifty Passíusálmar, which were first published in 1666. Margrét has served as one of the main editors for the ongoing publication by the Árni Magnússon Institute of Icelandic Studies of all of séra Hallgrímur’s works.

egillIslandica volume 57, The Enigma of Egill: The Saga, the Viking Poet, and Snorri Sturluson ((Jacket illustration (used by permission): Detail of incipit page of the poem “Höfuðlausn,” attributed to Egill Skallagrímsson and found in manuscripts of Egils saga Skallagrímssonar. From Lbs 636, 4to, 64v. National and University Library of Iceland.)) , by Torfi H. Tulinius4, is a revised translation of the author’s Skáldið í skriftinni: Snorri Sturluson og Egils saga (Reykjavík: Hið íslenzka bókmenntafélag and ReykjavíkurAkademían, 2004). Preserving the structure of the original work, the author revised many of his conjectures and conclusions about Egils saga Skallgrímssonar and also added a number of references to new studies that have been published by the international community of scholars since 2004. As much a new edition as a translation, The Enigma of Egill represents Torfi’s current thinking on Egils saga and its possible author, and significantly reflects ongoing study of this stylistically and structurally remarkable saga.

Victoria Cribb was a felicitous choice as translator of The Enigma of Egill, having pursued doctoral studies in Old Icelandic at the University of Cambridge and rendered into English novels by Arnaldur Indriðason, Sjón, and Gyrðir Elíasson. The author also acknowledged with appreciation his research assistant Anna Katharina Heiniger from Switzerland.

newnorseNew Norse Studies: Essays on the Literature and Culture of Medieval Scandinavia, ((Cover illustration: Glymur, in Hvalfjörður (Iceland), a gorge 1,200–1,500 feet (ca. 366–457 m) deep. Icelandic and Faroese Photographs of Frederick W. W. Howell, Fiske Icelandic Collection, Cornell University Library. The volume was published in paperback with the intention of facilitating its availability to student readers.)) edited by Jeffrey Turco5 as volume 58 of Islandica, brings together twelve original contributions on aspects of Old Norse-Icelandic literature that continue to challenge scholars in the twenty-first century and here receive close consideration from a range of rising and established authors in the field.

In his introduction to New Norse Studies, Jeffrey Turco notes that the first three essays focus on “the ‘background,’ in various senses of the term, of saga narrative (although, one should note, not on a traditional quest for ‘origins’),” while the last three he terms “sui generis as far as this volume is concerned, although not in and of themselves.” Four essays on aspects of poetics and two on gender roles form the intermediate matter of the volume. The studies of poetics, notes Turco, “are conjoined by marriage, if not by blood.” While the first two numbers in this quartet treat “the fraught nexus of skaldic poetry and saga narrative,” the latter two move more toward emphasis of poetic effect on prose. It is fittingly within the spirit of this volume that one essay ventures out to the Faroe Islands, while another focuses on recital and dance of traditional Icelandic ballads.

Contributors to New Norse Studies include Paul Acker (Saint Louis University), Guðrún Nordal (University of Iceland and Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies), Sarah Harlan-Haughey (University of Maine), Joseph Harris (Harvard University), Richard L. Harris (University of Saskatchewan), Thomas D. Hill (Cornell University), Shaun F. D. Hughes (Purdue University), Andy Orchard (Pembroke College, Oxford University), Russell Poole (University of Western Ontario), Torfi H. Tulinius (University of Iceland), Jeffrey Turco (Purdue University), and Kirsten Wolf (University of Wisconsin–Madison).

All volumes of Islandica published since 2008 are available in open access. The advantages of this feature are self-evident in terms of facilitating research; nonetheless, experience suggests that the printed versions of the books remain sought after. The hope expressed in 2013 that we would also be able to facilitate online access to early volumes of Islandica through the resources of the HathiTrust Digital Library has come to fruition: the first fourteen volumes are now electronically available through the series’ published volumes page and marked with the symbol . We hope eventually to see the entire series accessible in electronic format.

The Islandica series currently has several manuscripts at various stages of production from proposals still in ovo to manuscripts in pre-flight proofreading. There are no theoretical topical limits; any subject from the earthily archaeological to the literarily esoteric and from medieval to modern is fair game. Scholarly bibliographies have inhabited the series since its inception, the latest work in this genre being Kirsten Wolf’s 1998 compilation of An Annotated Bibliography of North American Doctoral Dissertations on Old Norse-Icelandic Studies (Islandica 50). The several translation projects of recent years have explicitly served in part to try to bring aspects of the Norse and Icelandic world to a diverse readership, and the inclusion of translations in Islandica will continue with this purpose in mind.

All authors who have contributed to the Islandica series have both advanced the creative scholarship of Icelandic and Norse Studies and given continuing life to the brilliant legacy of Daniel Willard Fiske and Halldór Hermannsson. It would be remiss to exclude from this update on the Islandica series a word of appreciation for the collaboration of the distributor, the Cornell University Press.

Patrick J. Stevens has been Curator of the Fiske Icelandic Collection since 1994. He is managing editor of the Islandica series of Icelandic and Norse Studies associated with the collection. He is also selector for the field of Jewish Studies in the Cornell University Library.

  1. Jacket illustration (used by permission): the poem “Aldarháttur” by Hallgrímur Pétursson copied in the manuscript Kvæðabók úr Vigur, AM 148 8vo, Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies. Translation of the book was supported by Miðstöð íslenskra bókmennta (Icelandic Literature Center), Hagþenkir: Félag fræðirita og kennslugagna (Iceland), and Letterstedtska föreningen (Sweden). []
  2. Research professor, Manuscripts Department, Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies. []
  3. Hallgrímskirkja, the massive modern church that today dominates the skyline of Reykjavík, is named after him. (Hyperlinked image created 13 August 2014 by Diego Delso; may be reproduced under CC BY-SA 4.0; found in Wikimedia Commons.) []
  4. Professor of Medieval Icelandic Studies, University of Iceland. []
  5. Assistant Professor of German, Comparative Literature, Medieval and Renaissance Studies, and Religious Studies at Purdue University. []

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Northfield HCI

Thriving Youth. Thriving Community.

For Youth, By Youth

YouthBank is an innovative youth philanthropy program in which a team of trained youth grant-makers award funds to youth-led projects that will improve the quality of life in Northfield.

We are looking for members to join our grant making team.

As a new member of our team, you would go through the necessary training to be able to review grants submitted by youth in Northfield and decide where our grant money will go. As a part of YouthBank you will gain leadership skills and watch your community become something you and your peers want it to be.

Please encourage your friends and classmates to apply as well; we want Northfield YouthBank to really reflect our community!

Apply to be a member of the team

The deadline to turn in team member applications is Monday, March 12th.

Apply for a Grant See All Funded Grants

Criteria for YouthBank Grant Projects

  • Be youth-led
  • Serve the Northfield area
  • Address the chosen theme or themes
  • Provide significant value for the money received

Grant awards can range from $1,000 up to $8,000. Each project is housed within a tax-exempt organization that acts as a fiscal agent.

How does YouthBank help youth?+

On top of funding valuable community projects, YouthBank helps young people develop essential life skills and prepares them for future careers. Members of the granting committee are responsible for engaging in community research, fundraising, promoting grant opportunities, reviewing requests for funding and engaging in the decision making process, working alongside young people in promoting their work, writing reports and engaging with grant recipients to learn what worked well.

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Are the Wheels Coming Off?

The Anonymous Liberal makes an interesting point about the way the Republican Party has been acting of late:

“For my entire adult life, when it comes to election time, the Republican party has always been a well-oiled machine, with all of is various parts moving in concert to get their team elected.   Disagreements are put aside until after the election.  Talking points are repeated down to the syllable.  All actions are taken with an eye on how they affect Dear Leader’s political prospects.

Well, folks, that machine has completely broken down.”

Check out his/her ENTIRE POST.

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Grandparents Day 2018

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Northwood Spring Book Fair

Northwood Spring Book Fair will be in the library from March 15th – March 22nd , 7:30 am – 2:30 pm. Families are welcome on March 20th from 7:30 – 8:30 am.

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Thanks to all who voted in the February 13 Special Election. The Mead School District renewal Enrichment Levy received 70% voter approval and our Facilities Improvement Bond had a pass rate of nearly 67%. We very much appreciate this strong show of support from the Mead community. The results of the election will be validated on February 23, 2018.
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ASB Officer Meeting during 5th and 6th.
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Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Where In New Eden Are The Servant Sisters Of EVE?

With the coming of Rubicon on 19 November the Servant Sisters of EVE are receiving a promotion from a minor faction to a pirate faction.  The Sisters of EVE a pirate faction?  Well, where else does a faction with its own ships and a new, emerging place in EVE Online's backstory belong?

Now, most people want to know about the new ships, the Astero-class frigate and Stratios-class cruiser.  Others are pluming the depths of the clues CCP has seeded to make brilliant connections about the nature of the Sisters' role in upcoming events.  Into this sea of talent I don't have much to offer, except space geography.

I shouldn't denigrate the field, because internet space geography is serious business.  But today's post isn't about super-capital force projection or jump bridge networks.  No, today's post examines where to find those SoE level 4 mission agents required to quickly acquire the loyalty points needed to obtain those sweet, sweet ships.  Along the way perhaps some additional information about the Sisters of EVE.

First, geography isn't just about maps and places.  Geography also looks at people.  Knowing a little bit about the Sisters might explain why they are located where they are in New Eden.  So here is a description from the Evelopedia:
"The Sisters of EVE are mainly known for their humanitarian aid efforts, focused on those suffering because of war, famine or the sudden arrivals of capsuleers. The Sisters base their existence on strong religious beliefs, but have coupled them with scientific facts. They believe that the EVE Gate is a gateway to heaven and that God resides on the other side of the gate. As well as dedicating themselves to aiding those in need, they are also busy with scientific experiments around the EVE Gate, hoping to gain a better understanding of the forces at work there. There has been some internal strife among the Sisters in recent times, and there is some evidence that some of their acolytes are at odds over their purpose in New Eden."
Because of the need to study the EVE Gate, the Sisters need to try to not antagonize the Amarr Empire.  Looking at a map of the location of the Sisters' level 4 agents shows this.

Includes the promoted agents
After CCP promoted two level 3 distribution agents to become level 4 security agents, the three corporations that make up the Servant Sisters of EVE have 11 agents.  The agents are:

The Sanctuary
  • X-7OMU, Pure Blind (0.0) - Lara Mesi - Security
Food Relief
  • ROIR-Y, Pure Blind (0.0) - Uemivolen Rautolen - Security
Sisters of EVE
  • Aeschee, Essence (0.2) - Chararie Madene - Security
  • Aeschee, Essence (0.2) - Ilrer Thielbrync - Security
  • Apanake, Genesis (0.5) - Mekamireki Fedas - Security
  • Efu, Aridia (0.1) - Vampant Antyles - Distribution
  • Gicodel, Everyshore (0.9) - Inesmir Jimud - Distribution
  • Lanngisi, Metropolis (0.5) - Kiljavas Yaskasen - Security
  • Olin, Genesis (0.3) - Riavo Neliker - Distribution
  • Osmon, The Forge (0.7) - Lozdod Pousel - Security
  • Toustain, Solitude (0.4) - Verk Favasb - Distribution
Notice the placement of the agents.  Four in the Gallente Federation, three in the Amarr Empire, two in null security space, and one each in the Caldari State and Minmatar Republic.  Obviously, the Sisters are not trying to antagonize the Amarr by having a high level presence in the Republic.  Even the one level 4 agent in the Republic was recently added, with an agent also promoted in the Empire as a political counter-balance.  And given some of the sites in Lanngisi, the posting of an agent there is clearly a result of the refugee problem in the Ani Constellation and not an overture to the Matari government.

The locations of the agents also indicates why the new ships are armor tanked with large drone bays.  While The Sanctuary is located in space populated by the Guristas, the majority of the agents are located in the Federation and the Empire, two factions that rely on armor tanking and drones.  So while the Astero and the Stratios are designed for long deployments, when they return they can dock for refitting and repair at any of the local stations, not just at Sisters-run facilities.

A look at the Sisters' home constellation in Pure Blind also reveals some interesting information.

First, notice that they are surrounded by Goonswarm, Tactical Narcotics Team, and Space Monkee's Alliance.  The systems in grey in Fade in the above map are currently controlled by Space Monkee's Alliance.  In other words, the Sisters are surrounded by the CFC, although Lonetrek high sec is only 6 jumps away and Placid low sec is 8.  With such a powerful entity at the gates does anyone find the Sisters desire for cloaky ships unusual?  If the Sisters continue on this development path, could we see The Sanctuary develop a tech 1 black ops battleship to help avoid the inevitable gate camps?  While their tech 1 cloaky ships have inferior stealth capability, the fact the Sisters' have such technology at all suggests the possibility does exist.

Potential help is available from Mordu's Legion two systems away, with only the Goon's control of R6XN-9 separating the two.  Currently the Sisters and Mordu's Legion are neutral towards each other, which leaves open the possibility of cooperation (or the Sisters just paying Muryia Mordu's price).

One final item on the map is still outstanding.  No, not the fact that unlike the true pirate factions, that the Sisters can sell ships in high sec.  The little fact that CCP Rise didn't mention in his dev blog.  The Astero and the Stratios are available from the Sisters of EVE in empire space and The Sanctuary in null sec.  But Food Relief was not mentioned.  Players should not just assume that all the corporations within The Servant Sisters of EVE will offer the new ships.  With a level 4 Food Relief agent in the same constellation as The Sanctuary, the possibility always exists that people could become confused and run a lot of missions for the wrong agent.

So that is a quick rundown of the Sisters of EVE and their location in New Eden.  Along the way looking at the map revealed a little more than just how to find an agent.  Space geography isn't just about how to get to point A to point B or what is in a system.  Sometimes the field allows one to understand some relationships and possibilities as well.

  1. How does the fact that SoE and Amarr do not like each other to the extent that SoE will on occassion give you security missions against Amarr fit in that theory?

    1. Yes, the Sisters and the Amarr do have disagreements, which is expected given the two very different religions they espouse. But with Amarr firmly in control of access to the EVE gate (barring cyno'ing into the New Eden system) they can't give open offense. So when the occasion demands, the Sisters hire capsuleers for plausible deniability. After all, everyone knows that the Sisters don't like capsuleers because of all the death they deal. Do you really think the Sisters would hire them to kill? It must be those nasty Minmatar rebels!


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God, who has been my shepherd all my life

Genesis 48 recounts a rather poignant scene.  Jacob (Israel), a widower (2x) now in Egypt, is dying but rallies after hearing Joseph has come to see him.  And so he recounts to Joseph firstly his encounter with God, when fleeing his brother Esau, where God restates the promise given to his father and grandfather.  He then tells Joseph that his two sons will be regarded as his, i.e. not grandsons but sons and then secondly he recounts the death of his beloved wife and Joseph’s mother, Rachael, at Bethlehem.

Joseph then presents his sons to Jacob to be blessed and Jacob deliberately blesses the younger above the older saying:

“May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,

the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,

the Angel who has delivered me from all harm,

May he bless these boys……….”

These are the things I noticed:

  1.  Only a chapter or so earlier, one of the first things Joseph says to the family he has just been reunited with, is that they are to make sure they tell Pharaoh they are shepherds.  This is so that, though despised, they get the best land.  I can’t help but think that tending sheep and livestock, here described, is starting to become part of their identity.  (It also sets up well the tension which leads to the Exodus.)  So I think this personal statement by Jacob that God has been his shepherd is something that means much when reflecting on his checkered but redeemed past.
  2. This is mirrored much later by King David, also once a shepherd, in Psalm 23
  3. There is much that is for-shadowed here of Christ, the good shepherd.  Though Jacob recounts Rachael’s death in order to hint perhaps that Ephraim and Manasseh could have been the sons he had if she hadn’t died, the connection with Bethlehem seems significant.  It seems from early on Bethlehem is linked with tending sheep and with Rachael’s death, two things that are significant in the accounts of Jesus’s birth.  In these accounts it is carefully pointed out that he is born in Bethlehem (the Messiah’s birthplace) and that his birth is announced by angels to shepherds.  Also that Herod’s infanticide is predicted by Jeremiah as “Rachael weeping for her children” which causes the flight to Egypt.
  4. Bethlehem became the place also where lambs were tended and taken to Jerusalem for sacrifice, so, an interesting thought, perhaps, of Christ being both Good Shepherd and Lamb of God.  This second understanding of Bethlehem though is not contained in the above passage.

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Sign of the Spirit

December 2015 January 2016 217Last night we watched a documentary on the devastating effect of “Crack” in Brazil.  Whilst filming much human despair and misery among the “crack lands” the interviewer showed an A.O.G. van arrive distributing food, praying for folk and offering help to those wishing to overcome their addiction.  There didn’t seem to be anyone else doing so.  They said their success rate of rehabilitation was about 3 in 10 which the interviewer indicated was quite good given how addictive crack is.

God at work in unexpected places.

This morning, I read of Jesus in Matthew 8 encountering a roman centurion. Jesus marveled at his faith saying, ” I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith”.

Faith in unexpected people.

Later on, I read in Acts 11 of where Peter in Jerusalem was called to account for entering a gentile’s home.  He explained the circumstances which included a vision he had had plus there was an angelic visit to the gentile Cornelius and this resulted in an outpouring of the Spirit on the group gathered at Cornelius’ house.  This then changed the Jewish folk’s tune.  They praised God saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.”

God’s Spirit given to unexpected people.

As I drove home from dropping the kids off at school I was surprised to see what looked like a dove as a cloud in the sky this morning.

An unexpected reminder of God’s Spirit.

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Filed under Life in Christ, Uncategorized

Flinders Piering

2015-09 486

Timbers aged, grained and grey

Once with verdant fingers on raised hands

Now reveals the sparkling green and blue beneath

so we see Eternity in the heart of man

2015-09 485

That sometimes quiet but restless sea

Reminds us, this is not our home

as on the saline breeze, comes confessed wisdom;

The restless heart finds its rest in God

2015-09 523

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Lofty Branches

Lofty Branches

Lifted high in silent praise

Illuminated cloud behind, slowly dances

and Sing to me as I wake

This high cathedral of vapour and leaves

Reveals the smallness within

and I sink to my knees

in Repentance of sin

In forgiveness and peace, swathed

Restored there with my Maker

I rise, arms high in silent praise

like Lofty Branches

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Christmas Day 2014

Finger-like tendrils

Noiselessly drift in the sky

A reminder perhaps

Of tiny hands of a baby born

Yet also the hands of

An Incarnate Creator

Persian Astrologers

Once pondered a sign in the sky

Then searched for

No ordinary Jewish King

For what other reason

Would they bother?

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Currimundi Beach

Staring at a thin blue line

Life on hold, tediously updating

Reflection of leaves on a black screen

Gently ruffled, quietly swaying

Slanted sunlight near the end of day

Silently highlighting

Tops of hedges, edges of trees

Just outside

A short walk to the beach

And the light is slowly changing

On a sand bar a photographer shoots

Groom and bride

With a bare eight month bump, by which

In prior times some would be mortified

Changing times midst

A changing tide.

So though the tide goes out

Pastel shades and peaceful waves provide

A whisper almost audible

From a Creator still good and kind

And chiffon clouds spread and swirl

With delicate patterns broad and high

And gathered curves fashioned

On a sky canvas

Joyous voices atop incoming waves

Games played in the outgoing channel

And little daubed clouds

Sometimes grey, sometimes pink or yellow

Drift from tired storm clouds

Framed by mountains and mangroves below

And are momentarily bedecked

With jeweled edges

Beneath a purple robe

The day’s regent is slowly departing

whilst elsewhere the night’s queen

Is steadily rising

And a photographer’s tripod and camera

In the channel, capturing

The quiet splendour

Of light on water

As the light dims on the outgoing tide

so of day and year, little remains

But as sure as night turns to light

So the tide will return again

And as the times change

Faith, Hope and Love remain

So let righteousness roll on as the stream

Though the tide goes out or in.

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Isaiah 9:2-7

Merry Christmas!

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This wick still smolders

though the wind still howls

I’m bruised not broken

though blown about

And while the storm still rages

the ground beneath stays firm

Still I’m standing

Where else have I to go?

Your words bring life, I know

For on Christ the solid rock

is where I stand

When the winds grow quieter

And silent weeping ceases

Light slowly waxes

with hope and peace

I look up and see

You holding on to me

For still I’m standing

Grace like manna, enough for each day

Lord hold me close, I pray

I’ll walk again, I know, someday

But for now it’s enough just to stand

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Filed under Poetry, Prayer

Note by Note

Bar by Bar

Chord progressions and melodic phrases

Woven and stitched together delicately

A quilted cloak of comforting sound

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Filed under Poetry

An Isaiah Rant

Not clever enough to replicate the underlying poetry of Isaiah, I have aimed for a form something similar to its translation:

Where is this “life force”
that we may examine its DNA?
In what petri dish
is this “evolutionary process”?
What museum houses
the “universe” and its laws of physics?

And what did it design?
What have they created?
Apes evolved from humans
capable only of hearing and seeing
that which ensures their survival.
For there is little reason or logic
all that is left is ridicule and the ridiculous.
Meaning is meaningless and
Purpose is enslaved to being
another link in the evolutionary chain.

So how did the beginning begin?
What “life force” brought forth a “life force”?
Through what process did this “evolutionary process” evolve?
How did universe
swung into motion the physical laws?

Surely our eyes see
the waddle and quack of the Designer.
For our reflections reveal
an imperfect image of our Creator.
Our minds regain reason to understand
and meaningful intelligence to create.
Our hearts guided by love and grace into the arms
of an interventionist God.

OK, now I have that off my chest I can get some washing done….

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Filed under Rant


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Open Wide!

This week, I had to get a root canal. What was already going to be an unpleasant procedure took a left turn into Comedy of the Absurd. The endodontist came in, looked at the x-rays of the culprit tooth in question, then turned around to say hello.

And he lit up like a 150-watt bulb: “Oh my! Do you mind if I take some pictures??” As he gestured at my legs.

I must have looked suitably puzzled because he went on to explain that his daughter was finishing up a double residency in dermatology and internal medicine, and she would be very interested in seeing some pictures. He was so enthusiastic that I figured anything that made him that happy would make a better experience for me, so I agreed.

He took some pictures with his cell phone, then set it down on the counter and we got down to business. Just as the novocaine hit, his phone buzzed. It was his daughter, asking questions, which he then relayed to me.

Now by this point, I was laying back in the exam chair, with a plastic frame thing, draped in sterile latex, holding my mouth open. And the dentist was asking me questions that required more than a yes or no answer. The only sound I could make was somewhat akin to that of Frankenstein’s monster, and the entire right side of my mouth was completely numb.

You try answering questions about your medical history under those conditions and see how you do. What ensued was a frantic sort of pantomime on my part, with the dentist and his assistants making guesses as to what my wild gesticulations could possibly mean.

If they guessed correctly, I gave them the thumbs-up, and he then relayed my answers back to his daughter. This back and forth game of charades went on for a good 20 minutes as he drilled out the tooth, and cleaned and filled it. At the end of the process, I had a filled tooth and the dentist was pleased that I was willing to help.

At least it kept me entertained while the dental drill was going.

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The Capitals High Shooting Percentage Won’t Last Forever

Photo: Patrick Smith/Getty Images

It wasn’t going to last forever. The Capitals went into their game against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night scoring four or more goals in eight straight games, and ten of their last eleven games. The Capitals’ insanely high shooting percentage wasn’t or isn’t going to last.

From December 30th, 2016, to the 23rd of January, the Capitals were shooting at 17.1% while at full and even strength. That was by far the best in the NHL. The Minnesota Wild were in second place with a shooting percentage of 12.5%.

When the Columbus Blue Jackets were on their great run of 16 consecutive wins, and had just one shootout loss in 18 games, I remember hearing people say that their shooting percentage (and save percentage) was too high and that it was going to come down and they would eventually cool off. Their shooting percentage was only 10.6%. People were right on one thing though, and their shooting percentage did drop as the Blue Jackets stopped winning consistently. Columbus has gone 6-6 since their win streak was snapped and are now just shooting 8.4%.

We can look at other winning stretches this season too. The Philadelphia Flyers went on a ten-game winning streak from November 27, 2016, to December 17th. Their shooting percentage during that streak was only 9.8%.Their shooting percentage since their streak ended is sitting at just 4.7%, which is last in the NHL since December 17.

We can look at Washington’s division rival, the New York Rangers. The Blueshirts stormed out of the gates, going 13-4 in their first seventeen games. During their first seventeen games, the Rangers scored four or more goals twelve times. A similar stretch to the one the Capitals are on now. During this stretch, their shooting percentage sat at 13.1%. Many were looking at the Rangers and predicted that the percentage would drop, as would their performance.

Yet again, people were right. The Rangers’ shooting percentage fell from 13.1% to their current 8.4%. After starting the season on fire and atop the tough Metropolitan Division, the Rangers are 18-12-1 since their 13-4 start and now sit in a wild card spot.

What’s the point here? Shooting percentages fluctuate throughout a season. After talking about a couple of other teams, we can now move on to the prime suspects here: the Capitals. As was mentioned above, Washington is shooting a ridiculous 17.1% since the end of December. Before that, the Caps were shooting just 7.7% for the season.

That puts the Capitals’ total shooting percentage at 10.7%, and that would be around the total needed to finish as the leaders in that stat for the season. Here are the best shooting percentages at the end of the NHL season in the last seven years.

As you can see here, teams rarely finish a season in which they shot over 10% for the entire season. Only the high-powered Capitals offense of 2009-10 finished above 10% in a full 82-game season in the last seven seasons.

A lot of Capitals start producing at the same time. Look at and compare players on the teams we discussed earlier.The New York Rangers’ hot streak saw seventeen players shoot over 10% and one player shoot over 18%. The Blue Jackets’ winning streak saw eleven players shoot over 10% and no player shot high than 13.8%.

The Capitals have nineteen players shooting over 11%, eight of those players are shooting over 18%, and three are shooting over 20%. Before December 30, Washington had only one player shoot at 10% or better, and that was T.J. Oshie, who sat at 10% even.

You want more examples of shooting percentages going up and down? Look at Justin Williams. He couldn’t buy a goal for the first two months of the season. He was shooting just 4.3%, which was good enough for the worst percentage on the entire team, at least among lineup regulars. Since December 7, though, Williams is shooting 14%, and is now shooting 16.5% for the season, which would be his best season ever in the NHL.

Another thing to think about is how many shots are being taken. To start the season, all the way up to December 29, the Capitals averaged 30.2 shots per game. Since December 30, however, the Capitals have averaged only 27 shots per game. Three full shots is a pretty big dip. Lower shots on average and several Caps having a hot stick, and then you will have a higher shooting percentage.

The Capitals aren’t going to continue to score four goals every game. This month-long stretch of shooting 17% won’t last either. It sounds like a bad thing, but the great news about this is that the Capitals are the best defensive team in the league. They don’t need to score four, five or six goals every night.

It’s been fun and entertaining hockey to watch, but honestly it’s probably better if the Capitals start playing the low-scoring game to get ready for playoff-style hockey.

By CJ Witt

Photos from Saturday's practice are up on our site.

A post shared by NoVa Caps (@nova_caps) on

About Jon Sorensen

Jon has been a Caps fan since day one, attending his first game at the Capital Centre in 1974. His passion for the Caps has grown over the decades, which has included time as a season ticket holder, social media and community organizer, and most recently led to the founding of NoVa Caps in 2014. Jon earned a Bachelor's of Science in Engineering at Old Dominion University, and is a Systems Engineer during intermissions, which has been instrumental in supporting his Capitals habit.
This entry was posted in Data and Analytics, News, Offense and tagged , . Bookmark the permalink.

4 Responses to The Capitals High Shooting Percentage Won’t Last Forever

  1. Pingback: Blasting Caps: The Capitals’ Scoring Rampage is Rooted in High Percentages | NoVa Caps

  2. Pingback: A Look At The Capitals Stats Since The Bye Week | NoVa Caps

  3. Pingback: Are the Capitals Plummeting PDO Statistics Problematic? Or Just A Simple Correction? | NoVa Caps

  4. Pingback: The Capitals’ Shot Production Woes Continue: Is This An Approaching Cliff or a Benign Blip? (Part II) | NoVa Caps

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Novastyle’s Weblog

Just another weblog

Posts Tagged ‘One Sweet Day

One Sweet Day…

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Hey everyone! Just got home for a super long day at work and am so glad the work week is finally over! AND the best news… I have found myself a new style icon and fashion inspiration. Okay so maybe she’s not an icon per say, but to me she’s reached that status and then some!

I of course got on the net to browse some blogs to get my daily dose of style and fashion. I stumbled upon this truly fabulous persons blog! I believe her name is Diane ( correct me if I am wrong please!) her blog is called One Sweet Day. I have to say after browsing through her blog I was not only intrigued by her incredible style, but her tiny figure and seemingly silly carefree attitude. I highly suggest you check her out because she truly has a knack for looking effortlessly chic!

What’s crazier is she’s linked to me and yet I’ve not heard of her… can’t wait to see more from her and I will definitely be linking her back!

Written by Jillian

May 9, 2008 at 5:02 pm

Posted in Bloggers, Inspiration

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Devil in the countryside by Cory Barclay

By special request of Cory Barclay

downloadIts 1588, the height of Reformation, and a killer is terrorizing the German countryside… In a time when life is cheap and secrets hiss amidst whispers of love, betrayal and murder, four troubled souls find themselves entangled in their fight to survive with their sanity still intact…

An intense, almost uncomfortable read, Devil in the Countryside explores the politics and religion of 16th century Germany and the brutal war between Catholics and Protestants that tore the town of Bedburg apart.

Cold, ruthless and almost inhuman, protagonist Inspector Heinrich Franz is tasked with finding the “werewolf” of Bedburg – a brutal killer credited with the gory and sadistic murders of teenage girls and women for decades. Through death, betrayal and war, the inspector and three similarly troubled souls struggle to survive – hunter George Seighart, a disturbed ex-soldier who supposedly lost his family to the ‘werewolf’ and a Priest troubled by his attraction to a young woman who threatens his most basic of beliefs.

I’m not going to lie, this was a little adulty for a person of… ahem… my age, and a little uncomfortable at times. The themes were very strong, and there was a lot of gore -in other words, be prepared! This is not for children, and is pretty intense as it is. The characters were interesting, and the way the author portrayed them not only focused on their faults and their conflicts, but also on their path to become better people, which was a fascinating journey to follow all throughout the book.

A gripping, almost awful story of the largest werewolf investigation in history,  the Devil in the Countryside is one that you will never forget – in the most chilling yet intriguing way possible.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter folks! I’m going to grow positively fat on chocolate, I don’t know about you… but since this a blog about books, I did a quick google search and came up with the following Easter themed books….

1.Easter Bunny Murder, by Leslie Meier

easter bunny murder

When Lucy Stone arrives at an annual Easter egg hunt, the last thing she expects to find is a murder, but when a man dressed in an Easter bunny costume drops dead, she has a feeling that someones been hunting not  just for eggs…and whats more, they’re looking for more…

Mwahaha, an Easter themed murder! Haven’t we all been looking for that in life? I haven’t read it, but if any of you want to try it, tell me all about it!

2. Watership Down

Maybe not Easter themed, but featuring a band of daring bunnies in their fight for survival, Watership Down is a dark, stirring novel following the desperate journey of several adventurous rabbits in their search for a home.

Originally intended as a children’s novel but later described as a little disturbing and extremely dark, the novel was made into film in 1978. Again, I haven’t read it, so tell me all about it if yo ever happen to come across it 🙂 .

3. Eggs

There’s nothing really Easter themed about this book, apart from the title. Eggs is a heartwarming novel about an unlikely friendship between orphan David and rulebreaker Primrose, made moving and magical by the characters hardships and differences. This story of grief and belonging inspires hope where ever it goes, and is a must read for ages 9+ (according to a few websites) :>! If you happen to have read it, please tell me about it! 🙂

So that’s the end of my list! Its not much, but I couldn’t find many, so if you have any good ones I can have a look at, mention them in the comments and I’ll have a read 🙂

Happy Easter!!! 🙂

And Then There Were None – Agatha Christie

and then there were noneTen little soldier boys went out to dine…one choked his little self and then there were nine…

Lured to an island by mysterious hosts Mr and Mrs U.N.Owen, ten people are each accused of a terrible crime, the kind that the law can’t touch…

Nine little soldier boys stayed up very late…one overslept himself, and then there were eight…

And when the first murder is committed, it seems that none of them are going to leave the island any time soon…dead or alive…

Eight little soldier boys travelling in Devon…one said he’d stay there, and then there were seven…

Learning more about each others dark and disturbing pasts, they begin to question everything…only the dead are above suspicion…

Seven little soldier boys chopping up sticks…one chopped himself in halves and then there were six…

Soon the mysterious riddles hung above the mantelpiece are beginning to make sense…and they all carry sinister meanings that will determine the fate of everyone on the island, all the way down to one…

One little soldier boy, left all alone…he went and hanged himself and then there were none.

Featuring real, and deeply disturbed characters, And then there were none, takes you through a gripping and psychological story that introduces you not only to a world of eerie and sinister mystery, but a whirlwind of lies, suspicion and horror – a world that you’ll find you can never truly leave.

I truly believe this is Agatha Christie’s best – difficult to put down, utterly nightmarish and thrilling. The truth of the identity of the murderer blew me away – it was not only practically impossible to  guess, but it added a sinister element to the story that chills you to the bone.

5 out of 5

Trailer – And Then There Were None, Movie

Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie

death-on-the-nile“I’d like to put my dear little pistol against her head and pull the trigger…”

When a cold blooded murder attempt throws a tranquil cruise along the Nile into chaos, passengers are slowly being eaten away by fear. Luckily, renowned detective Hercule Poirot is on board…but the danger is far from over…

Soon, Britain’s wealthiest woman –  national beauty and ‘the girl who has everything’, Linnet Ridgeway – is found shot dead in her cabin, the morning after a shocking affair that ended in catastrophe. The killer is still on board, and Poirot must discover the identity of the murderer before they strike again…

A shocking and highly unpredictable novel of romance, greed and tragedy, Death on the Nile plunges straight into the world of wealth and love, and what people will do to get it…

Okay, confession time. I may have (accidently! 🙂 ) watched the tv ending about four years ago and never realised ( 😦 it ruined most of it for me) but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. Throughout the novel I was trying to figure out if it was indeed the one I had watched a few years ago, but I actually dismissed it when I thought it was impossible for the solution to the murder I saw on tv to actually apply to the book. But as it turned out, it was possible (damn you Agatha Christie!) and I was completely blown away by the ending, even though I had seen it on tv.

I immensely enjoyed how Christie explored the minds of Britain’s wealthiest woman Linnet Ridgeway; tragic, tossed aside by her old best friend  and her would-be husband, Miss Jacqueline de Bellefort; and her ex-fiance who married Linnet, Simon Doyle. Happy Reading!

3.5 out of 5

Murder on the Orient Express, by Agatha Christie

murder-on-the-orient-express_coverJust after midnight, the famous Orient Express is stopped in its tracks by a snowdrift. A passenger lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. Isolated by the storm and with a killer in their midst, detective Hercule Poirot must identify the prime suspects from the scornful and impatient array of foreign passengers – before the murderer decides to strike again…

When Orient Express passenger, M.Ratchett, is killed in his berth, there is no way the murderer could have escaped from the compartment, or even gotten in, and whatsmore one of the passengers saw a man creep through her compartment on the night of the murder…

Why and when the murder was committed are questions lying unanswered, and even more bizarre is the inconsistent stab wounds that killed Ratchett – some being fatal, some barely glancing off the body.

In a fascinating, jaw-dropping and completely unexpected novel, Murder on the Orient Express is a tale of lies, revenge and grief that will take you completely by surprise. Every detail of the story was equally terrifying and cryptic,and all centred around an appalling crime that both disgusts and horrifies you – and I’m not just talking about the murder. Although some bits are confusing, this story utterly blew my mind – and to just how Hercule Poirot solved this tangle of lies and false identities, I shall never begin to understand.

Enthralling and utterly gripping, this is a classic Agatha Christie – wonderfully terrifying and impossible to put down.

4 out of 5

A Fine and Private Place, by Ellery Queen

47c_fineNine days after millionaire Nino Importuna and his two brothers are murdered in their apartment, 99 East, nine notes appear at Crime Fiction writer Ellery Queen’s doorstep, bearing nine cryptic clues that leave Queen and his father stumped to why and who committed the murder. Soon the whole case is shrouded in a mysterious mist of numbers, and Ellery Queen must fight his way through the incoming wave of  nines in order to save the police department from humiliation and find the murderer…

This was my first Ellery Queen (and my only, but I’m currently reading some more!), and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Filled with twists and turns, a Fine and Private Place explores the minds of millionaire Nino Importuna, who had a lifelong obsession with the number nine; brothers Julio and Marco Importunato; unfaithful wife and secret enemy, Virginia White; Secretary Peter Ennis; father Wallace White; and of course Ellery and Inspector Queen.

This mystery was a light, fun read with a few naughty-ish bits, and I found it a refreshing and easy break from more intense books like the Hollow Man. Be sure not to skip to the end though – the very last few words in the book are the name of the murderer! I loved the connections the author made with all of Nino Importuna’s decisions to the number nine – I found it clever, inventive and down right genius.

 3 out of 5

The Hollow Man, by John Dickson Carr

290036d011cbfbd0de2839912bba73afTwo murders are committed in such a fashion that the murderer not only have been invisible – but lighter than air!
When Professor Grimaud is threatened at a nearby pub, he dismisses it as nothing to be worried about. A few days later, however, he buys a painting to protect himself and the next day he is dead, shot through the chest in his study. And whatsmore, the murderer couldn’t have escaped…or even got in to the house!
But then their is the mysterious matter of the painting, depicting three stone coffins and slashed three times across the canvas…
Considered as one of the best impossible crimes of all time, the Hollow Man is a creepy, thrilling and entirely unpredictable novel that chilled me to the bone.
I found the revelation at the end slightly baffling, but the story rooted its way inside me and the mere thought of it sends shivers of excitement shooting down my spine. The last few chapters are impossible to stop reading, and the horror of the actual murder meant I lay awake practically all night basically revelling in the real genius of the story.
I definitely recommend this book to all crime fans – but not as a first one! I found the solution complex and beautifully written, perfectly portraying the barbarity of both crimes and the  constantly changing state of mind in which the murderer faced. This book was equally haunting and terrifying – a perfect impossible crime that was never really impossible in the first place!
4.5 out of 5 (It would have been five, but I didn’t quite follow some of the solution!)

The Crooked Hinge, by John Dickson Carr

download-1Twenty-five years ago John Farnleigh, the heir to an enormous fortune, then a young and wild boy exiled to America, survived the sinking of the Titanic. Its now 1937, two years after he returned to claim his inheritance. Only is he really the heir? Another man has just shown up, claiming to be John Farnleigh, explaining that, as boys, the two men switched identities as the ship was sinking.

When Patrick Gore shows up, maintaining that he is the real John Farnleigh, nobody can figure out whether he is being truthful or just attempting to lay his hands on the Farnleigh fortune. Luckily, his childhood tutor brings along an old set of fingerprints to help clear up the matter once and for all.

But before the finger prints can be compared, a member of the household has their throat slit in plain sight. The whole plot relies on several shocking revelations, that give the book a kind of haunting quality that sends shivers of excitement all down your spine. This mystery introduced me into the world of Gideon Fell, and the ingenious John Dickson Carr. It was the second murder mystery I ever read, and it holds a special place in my heart, despite some negative reviews I’ve read about the book.

This mystery was thrilling, shocking and utterly breath-taking, and I recommend it to all young murder mystery readers who want a gripping, exciting and beautifully written entry into the world of John Dickson Carr!

4 out of 5

Lord of the Sorcerers, By Carter Dickson

51alnzxvr9l-_sl500_sx327_bo1204203200_In the sands of Egypt an archaeologist dies by a scorpion sting amid rumours of an Ancient Curse. The woman of the party, Lady Helen Loring is dispatched back to England by her father, and to safety. But Lady Helen makes the mistake of bringing with her a small souvenir – a priceless bronze lamp – said to have the power to blow to dust all who remove it from its desert resting place…

When Lady Helen Loring disappears on the stairs of her mansion in Gloucester amidst rumours of a deadly curse, renowned sleuth Sir Henry Merrivale is stumped as to how she vanished while in plain view from servants, gardeners and plumbers – and to how an infamous bronze lamp rumoured to be damned by the ancient gods of Egypt has anything to do with the mystery at all.

In a thrilling and utterly baffling mystery filled with oh-no-i-thought-i-had-the-murderer-but-it-turns-out-it-wasn’t’s, The Lord of the Sorcerers was an utter classic. As a first time reading Henry Merrivale, I found him funny and likeable, and was a great character! I found it exasperatingly unclear at times, but as usual, Carter Dickson tied it all up in a nest little bundle in the end, and I found it a refreshing and incredibly hard to put down!

The ending was surprising, and I did not see the last few chapters coming – but in the end it all made sense and I’d be happy to pick it up again and read it!

4 out of 5

The False Scent – Ngaio Marsh

ngaioIn a puff of toxic gas, beloved actress and queen of the stage Mary Bellamy meets her end at her own birthday party – poisoned by a deadly gardening spray “Slaypest”.

But when Superintendent  Roderick Alleyn arrives, he smells something fishy…for this case has the distinctive scent of murder…

The idolized British actress is found dead in her bedroom with a bottle of slaypest clutched in her hand, amidst a birthday party where her ‘fans’ are really her worst enemies. The case is dismissed as an obvious suicide, but when the autopsy emerges, it reveals that the poisonous spray was administered from varying distances. Will Superintendent Alleyn discover the truth before its too late? Or will he fall victim to the False Scent?

A wonderfully written novel that immediately got me hooked, the False Scent was my first murder mystery.To all younger readers, I recommend it as one of the easiest mysteries to start out with – its very mild, and has an ingenious plot that will leave you twisting and turning all night, trying to figure out who the murderer is – and all the different twists will leave you stumped about who killed Mrs Bellamy. Some of the plot is pretty easy, so its definitely not the best I read (far from it!) but it was an easy way into crime.

I find Mary’s character commanding, highly strung and extremely sensitive and temperamental to the stage of suffering from full out tantrums and considering herself betrayed by her producer, playwright, management and even fellow actors.

2.5 out of 5


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Int sugar great! Candy floss, Irn Bru, Curly Wurly, its a component of all the major food groups. It is also essential for wine either as part of the fruit or as an additive. It feeds the yeast being broken down into unwanted carbon dioxide and very much wanted ethanol.

There are a number of ways of measuring sugar in a wine must – the easiest is by weight just chucking it in. This is a little cavalier as it takes no account of the fruit sugars already present. This is the main criticism of British fruit wine recipes as they add far too much making ultra sweet and hyper alcoholic wine.

Recording sugar with “brix” or “gravity” can get you a decent idea of the alcohol content once a wine has fermented rather than just using weight. Brix is a percentage of sugar to water and I feel not much use to the home wine maker. I use gravity, recording the “start gravity” and compare it to the “final gravity” with a hydrometer. This little buoy floats high when sugar content is high as the dissolved sugar is dense. As this sugar is respired into alcohol the hydrometer drops down as it is less dense than both water and the sugar dissolved in it.

The closest thing to a rule is a starting gravity of 1.09 and then letting it ferment to dryness with a gravity of 0.091 to 1.00 This creates a wine of about 13% ABV. Racking a wine is not a science so you can never be quite sure. If you want a stronger wine more sugar can be added to the recipe but it is better to gradually “feed the yeast” adding sugar incrementally. Sugar is a preservative and in too high a level it will kill the yeast or certainly slow it down potentially allowing it to spoil or oxidise.

Not every one wants to have a dry wine as sweetness is part of the holy trinity of wine tastes along with tannin and acidity. If this is the case back sweeten. This is the addition of sugar at the end of fermentation after the wine has been stabilised. Stabilising wine means that the hungry yeast will not activate again when the sugar to taste is added. If a wine is not stabilised a second fermentation will start, alcohol will rise, sediment will build up, dogs live with cats and total wine anarchy reigns.

This is sugar that is present in the fruit that mixes into the water during fermentation. Grapes have enough ambient sugar that none is needed to be added. using blackberries, quince or lego-men heads we are no so lucky and have to add it. Always take a gravity measurement when the ambient sugar is present in the must.

When making wine you do not need to be choosy about the sugar. Any white granulated sugar will do so there is no need to buy the more expensive brewing sugar. I have no idea if it is dextrose or sucrose, to me it is Tate and Lyle and it makes alcohol.

Few wine recipes use brown sugar except some fruit sherries and some beetroot recipes as far as I know. It is not that brown sugar is bad but it does impart the molasses taste after fermentation that could overpower the taste of your fruit.

Honey is used by weirdy beardy mead brewers and a few wine makers. Like brown sugar it will imprint a taste on the wine at the end of fermentation but it will be subtler and more varied. You can be a total sugar slut but you have to be more chaste with honey and select the best tasting because of this. A third extra honey by weight will be needed so1kg of sugar is equal to 1.3kg of honey. No one says you have to use only one though and the total sugar content could be divided between both sugar and honey for a subtle addition of flavour rather than a full on mead taste.

Some recipes use saccharin to back sweeten a wine at the end of fermentation. This is because yeast cannot metabolise it so it remains 100% in the wine. Personally I think this is heresy and performed by mouth breathing troglodytes… it should also be noted I never ever tried this and you should decide for yourself.


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There is a growing number of research units and alliances whose purpose is to link researchers and community partner groups. Little has been published about the benefits of these research organizations, the characteristics that assist them to function, and how they evolve over time. This article describes the findings of a survey of 13 investigators and research coordinators from CanChild Centre for Childhood Disability Research, a multidisciplinary research unit founded in 1989. The article describes this group’s perceptions of CanChild as an organization, including major helpful factors, lessons learned, and changes over time to the Centre’s approach to research. The purpose of this paper is to provide information to researchers, managers, and funders about the benefits of community-linked research units. The study themes, revealed through qualitative methods, indicate the importance of three overarching aspects that summarize helpful organizational factors of a community-linked research unit: awareness of environmental context, strong commitment of team members, and an emphasis on internal and external communication activities. The findings demonstrate the collaborative advantages of community-linked research partnerships with respect to the cross-pollination of ideas and approaches, sophistication in conceptualization of research studies, smoother coordination of activities, and the development of innovative concepts and products

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Alaska Railroad

Tips for Saving Gas on your Next Road Trip

by Lauren Braden on May 12, 2008

in Trip Ideas

tipstosavegasJust when you thought gas prices wouldn’t go any higher, they have. I filled up our 1987 Volvo wagon yesterday for the first time in weeks and the gas was $3.84 per gallon. Ouch.

As a city dweller I’m fortunate to have access to great bus service, and use it every day for my commute. But I do love to travel around the Northwest, and I can’t take a bus to a trailhead (not many, anyway), or bike to the Methow Valley, or take a train to the John Day Fossil Beds. Also, as much as I’d adore a shiny new Prius (light blue, please), I can’t afford it. Yeah, my Volvo gets only 25 miles to the gallon on the highway, but it cost me only $1200!

My husband and I already decided to cut down on our air travel to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. With gas at nearly $4 a gallon, are we to quit traveling locally, too?

We already know that reducing oil consumption is a good move for our climate. With skyrocketing gas prices, we now have another incentive!

I hope you’ll be enjoying some Northwest travel this summer, in spite of high gas prices. Here are some tips for guzzling less gas on those Northwest journeys. They’ll help you pump a little less carbon into the atmosphere, and keep a little more cash in your pocket.

    • Tend to your tires. We’ve all heard this one before, but evidently very few of us have actually done it. Keep your tires properly inflated and improve your mileage by 3 percent, for a savings of 20 gallons of gas a year ($80 at current prices).
    • Don’t put the pedal to the metal. The faster you accelerate, the more gas you use. Cut out the fast starts and rapid braking at highway speeds, and save as much as 80 gallons a year.
    • Yeah, you can drive 55. Actually, 55 miles per hour is the optimum speed for most cars when it comes to getting the best gas mileage, so take the scenic road and slow down.
    • Carpool. Yes, on your vacation. If you’re taking a weekend getaway, ask some friends or another couple to come along. Not only will you save on gas money (when you split it, of course) you could save on lodging, too. (Get a cabin or suite that sleeps more people.)
    • Travel light. You’ll get better mileage if you carry less weight, so clean out your trunk of stuff you don’t need to take with you before you hit the road.
    • Try the train this summer. From Seattle you can get to Portland, Hood River, Eugene, Spokane, Leavenworth, Wenatchee, Bellingham, and Vancouver BC by taking Amtrak!

How do you save gas money when traveling?

photo: road trip by dalio

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Marilyn June 5, 2013 at 7:06 pm

Use windows down instead of Ac uses lesser gas.

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The 13-member jury has narrowed its choices down to three designs and will focus on them in their discussions today.

Most jury members are said to favor the designs known as Passages of Light: Memorial Cloud or Garden of Light.

Maya Lin, who created the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, has pushed for a third scheme, Reflecting Absence, but sources said there is little other support on the jury for that design.

Jury deliberations could continue tomorrow if the panel cannot come to an agreement on a winner, said a source.

Passages of Light calls for a light-conducting pavilion of glassy tubes over part of the memorial pit.

Garden of Light includes a large apple orchard, and Reflecting Absence would convert the Twin Towers footprints into cascading pools of water.

In the weeks since the finalists were first made public in November, they have been working to refine their designs, so the winner could look different from the schemes the public has seen.

Some designers have also added extra team members to give them expertise in key areas. Sources said the Passages of Light team recruited engineers to prove their innovative design could be built.

In other changes, the Garden of Light designers have agreed to drop a proposed restriction that would keep visitors from entering the orchard space except for a short period each morning.

The jury includes architects, scholars and civic leaders.


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The Post’s Steve Serby chatted with the Knicks new point guard, who won a national championship with Duke in 2001.

Q: You played a pickup game (in Chicago) with Barack Obama?

A: A couple of times.

Q: How did that happen?

A: My best friend is Reggie Love, and we went to school together at Duke, so he’s one of Barack’s body men (aides).

Q: So he (Love) invited Barack down to a gym?

A: They usually play all the time, and obviously Barack lives in Chicago. . . . Every Sunday morning, they play at this gym in downtown Chicago, which was right around the corner from me.

Q: And what’s Barack like?

A: He understands how to play, and I think with age, his skills have kinda diminished. But for his age, he’s pretty decent (chuckles).

Q: Did he tell any stories about the campaign trail or anything?

A: No, I think that’s just his time just to get away from all that. When he’s playing basketball, that’s his way just to be himself.

Q: What do you like about his game?

A: He’s a great passer. He has great court vision.

Q: Scouting report on Chris Duhon?

A: Very smart . . . always understands what’s going on in the game. Right now I would say streaky shooter, but I’m thinking I’m gonna pass that right now since I’ve been really hard on that. Pass-first guy . . . very solid defender, on and off the ball . . . he’s a competitor.

Q: Scouting report on Chris Duhon off the court?

A: My personality reflects in the way I play . . . very unselfish . . . very giving . . . put people before me . . . love to be around family and friends, and people that care about me.

Q: Do you like pressure situations?

A: Yeah, love it.

Q: Why?

A: I think it speaks a lot about your character.

Q: What would you tell fans about what they should expect from the Knicks this season?

A: Expect a team that’s gonna compete every night, that’s gonna be fun to watch. We’re gonna put up a lot of points, and we’re gonna win a lot of games.

Q: A lot of games meaning . . .?

A: We’re definitely gonna win more than 23 games but . . . we should make the playoffs.

Q: Why do you think this is a playoff team?

A: The talent has always been here. I just think they needed direction. I think Coach D’Antoni’s style of play suits a lot of the guys’ styles of play individually, and we can continue to build on our chemistry. We can compete with a lot of teams.

Q: What do you hope Knicks fans 20 years from now are saying about Chris Duhon?

A: He was a part of getting the Knicks back to where they belong – and that’s one of the best franchises in the league.

Q: Biggest character on your new team?

A: Nate (Robinson).

Q: An example?

A: He’s the one that, if you go in your locker and you’re missing something, he probably hid it.

Q: The first time you played in the Garden as a Duke freshman in the preseason NIT?

A: I was real, real nervous. You’re talking about probably the most famous arena in the world. I’ve never really been in an arena that big before.

Q: Favorite childhood memory?

A: Getting my basketball goal for Christmas when I was nine.

Q: Your mother, Vivian?

A: Single-parent household, she made a lot of sacrifices for me to get where I am, as far as me playing on the AAU team, to having a pair of sneakers to play in. . . . We wouldn’t have lights for two weeks, when she would just hold off on paying bills just so I could have the opportunity to play on my AAU team.

Q: What was it like growing up in Slidell, La?

A: I had bunk beds with no mattresses. I just slept in the frames on the floor. It was a tough life, but we made it work. It made me appreciate everything I got, and made me work harder to get things that I wanted.

Q: The first time you saw the damage left by Hurricane Katrina?

A: My mom went first – she went with the first truckload, and I was supposed to go with the next truckload, and she called and told me not to come; she didn’t think I was ready to see it. I actually didn’t go until a couple of months later. It was tough to see people’s houses that you stayed in were knocked down, people living in trailers. My high school was destroyed . . . everything just . . . disaster.

Q: What about the home you grew up in?

A: The roof was off . . . eight (feet) of mud in the house. We had to pretty much gut it out.

Q: You were a Duke fan growing up?

A: I just always was attracted to their style of play.

Q: Compare Coach K with Coach D’Antoni.

A: They both take pride in what they do. They both prepare harder than a lot of coaches. Coach D’Antoni’s more relaxed, and cracks a lot more jokes, to where Coach (Krzyzewski) is down to business. He has his lighter side, but when it’s on the court, he’s all business.

Q: One D’Antoni joke?

A: We practiced like bad three times in a row; we were watching film of our scrimmages, and he was like, “Geez, the way you guys are practicing, (winning) 23 games was a positive!”

Q: The Cameron Crazies?

A: There’s no fans like ’em; they’re creative, they’re loud, they’re loyal.

Q; Is it true that the first time you put on a Duke jersey, you looked in the mirror and said, “That’s a sexy man in the mirror!”

A: (Laughs) Yeah, that’s true. I walked into the bathroom with my jersey in my hand and I put it on just to see myself in the mirror with it on, and that was just the first thing that came to my head (smiles).

Q: Did you hate North Carolina?

A: Schoolwise yeah. The players, no.

Q: Most embarrassing moment?

A: It goes back to high school, actually my last home game, and I guess I was just so excited I forgot to put my shorts on. I just put my warmup top over my tights, and (as they are) calling starting lineups, I’m just sitting there in my tights (laughs).

Q: Three dinner guests?

A: Dr. Martin Luther King; Nelson Mandela; Oprah Winfrey.

Q: Favorite movie?

A: “Coming to America.”

Q: Favorite actor?

A: Denzel Washington.

Q: Favorite actress?

A: Eva Mendes.

Q: Favorite meal?

A: Enchiladas.

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text:
IN THE Mideast these days, everyone is waiting for Barack Obama. Some are waiting with hope, some with fear. The new US president will have a brief moment in which to present his agenda and seize the initiative. If that moment is lost, as was the case in the Carter presidency, America will find itself forced to react to events rather than lead them.

The new administration’s starting point must be a common analysis of the situation accepted by Obama and his key foreign-policy aides. No such common analysis can be detected now: Judging by their past words and deeds, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Robert Gates and James Jones have very different views on the region. Thus, Obama’s first task is to forge a common hymn sheet.

Next, the new administration must realize and acknowledge that America is at war with a variety of forces dedicated to challenging its global leadership in the hope of ultimately achieving its destruction.

Wherever possible, every effort ought to be made to placate at least some of those forces through diplomacy. Ultimately, however, the message must go out that America won’t run away, that it will stand and fight when and where necessary. More than anywhere else in the world, in the Middle East weakness always invites aggression.

No longer the geopolitical prize it was during the Cold War, the region’s importance in terms of the global energy market is also likely to peak in the coming years. Nonetheless, it is assuming a new importance as the principal breeding ground of terrorism and the next scene of a dangerous arms race that would include nuclear weapons.

The core of the war Islamic radicalism is waging against the United States in the Middle East is ideological. On the one side, there is the Western ideology of human rights, democracy and secularism. On the other, there is religious obscurantism symbolized by the late Ayatollah Khomeini and Osama bin Laden.

For the first time since the 19th-century constitutional revolutions in the Ottoman Empire and Iran, democracy is emerging as a live option in much of the greater Middle East. A small but growing democratic constituency is emerging in virtually every country in the region.

Allied with other moderate, conservative, traditionalist but nonviolent segments of society, this constituency could challenge and ultimately defeat Islamism in the political battlefield. The United States should throw its support behind such forces wherever they exist.

The showdown between these forces and Islamism will come this year as Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories hold presidential, parliamentary and municipal elections. The Islamists have mobilized their forces and brought in massive resources to win those elections. The perception that America has abandoned its democratic and moderate allies could persuade the fence-sitters to side with the Islamists. The new administration could find itself with a new bloc of enemies stretching from Central Asia to the Mediterranean.

The new administration should leave no doubt as to America’s commitment to democratic forces in all the countries concerned. Supporting democratization in the Middle East is no luxury; it’s an absolute national-security must.

Although of symbolic importance, the Israel-Palestine issue must be seen as one of the region’s many problems and not “the most important issue in the world.” By offering a two-state formula, the United States already has a strong position on that issue. It must be clear, however, that America can’t impose such a formula against the wishes of the two parties.

As always, the unforeseeable may end up dominating any preset agenda. One issue that has remained under the radar so far is the looming economic meltdown threatening the region from Morocco to Pakistan.

Preoccupied with the financial crisis at home, the major Western powers have paid little attention to the devastating effect of the crisis on such countries as Egypt, Turkey and Pakistan – not to mention Afghanistan, Iran and even the once fabulously rich Dubai.

In Egypt, Iran, Turkey and Pakistan, an average of 10,000 people a day are losing their jobs. Mass unemployment accompanied by growing poverty and runaway inflation provides a breeding ground for fascism (in this case, in its Islamic version).

This weekend, an Arab Economic Summit in Kuwait will try to come up with an analysis of the situation. Without a major US-led international effort, however, few countries in the region are likely to develop a credible strategy for coping with the deadly brew of mass misery and religious fanaticism taking shape.

What about a grand Obama plan for the region’s economic survival, if not revival?

Amir Taheri’s latest book is “The Persian Night: Iran Under the Khomeinist Revolution.”


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FOUR teams from the same conference have never advanced to a Final Four, but if the Big East continues its Mad March rampage, this could be the year.

There never had been five teams from the same conference in the Sweet 16 until now, when the beastly Big East sends Pittsburgh, Louisville, Syracuse, Villanova and Connecticut.

There will be roadblocks on the Road to Detroit, to be sure, but bet against the Big East at your own peril.

Complete NCAA Tournament coverage

NCAA Bracket

It turns out that the ultra-competitive head-banging among the heavyweights in Mike Tranghese’s 16-team superpower conference left its basketball teams battle-hardened instead of frazzled when they showed up at the Big Dance. Only West Virginia, upset by Dayton, was sent home after the first round. And only Missouri’s last-gasp comeback last night against Marquette kept the Big East from boasting a ridiculous Sweet Six. By contrast, the ACC started the tournament with seven representatives but only two, North Carolina and Duke, remain. The Big Ten also landed seven, but only two, Michigan State and Purdue, are alive.

And here we thought the mid-1980s were the Big East’s glory days, because only once, when Patrick Ewing’s Georgetown overpowered Chris Mullin’s St. John’s Remember them? in the semifinals and Rollie Massimino’s Villanova Cinderellas chopped down Memphis State in 1985, had one conference sent as many as three teams to the Final Four.

Here’s a team-by-team look at how the Big East can make history again:

* PITTSBURGH The No. 1 seed in the East Regional won ugly again yesterday against Oklahoma State, but remember, they don’t call this “Survive and Levance” for nothing. Come tipoff on Thursday in Boston against Xavier, the rugged Panthers will be sick of answering questions about some psychological hurdle that has kept them from the Elite Eight. This would be the perfect stage for Levance Fields, DeJuan Blair and Sam Young to make sure they have Jamie Dixon’s back, because the Musketeers’ coach, former Pitt point guard Sean Miller, is considered the heir apparent if Dixon (most wins in his first six seasons) seeks greener pastures. That means an upset loss would have the wolves howling.

* VILLANOVA The No. 3 seed in the East draws Mike Krzyzewski and Duke on Thursday night in Boston, and if the Wildcats play as relentlessly as they did against UCLA, they’ll get Jay Wright to his first Elite Eight . . . against the Pittsburgh-Xavier winner. So one Big East power must fall here.

* LOUISVILLE The No. 1 seed in the Midwest Regional struggled against gritty Siena yesterday, but coach Rick Pitino knows how to win a national championship. Terrence Williams, “The Straw That Stirs the Drink,” reminded Arizona, Friday night’s opponent in Indianapolis, that he is ready at a moment’s notice to be Mr. March when the thoroughbreds who surround him are desperately seeking a hero. An Elite Eight showdown against defending champion Kansas or coach Tom Izzo and Michigan State does not look foreboding.

* CONNECTICUT The No. 1 seed in the West Regional is a machine peaking at the right time, and if 6-foot-9 pogo stick Stanley Robinson can be the X-factor Thursday night in Glendale, Ariz., against Purdue aiding scary 7-3 center Hasheem Thabeet, rugged forward Jeff Adrien and swagger-fueled point guard A.J. Price coach Jim Calhoun will be another step closer to his third national championship, with the Memphis-Missouri winner standing in his way to the Final Four.

* SYRACUSE The No. 3 seed in the South Regional has clearly built on the momentum from that six-overtime epic over UConn in the Big East Tournament. With that treacherous 2-3 zone, the lightning speed and endurance of Jonny Flynn, the marksmanship of Eric Devendorf and Andy Rautins, and Jim Boeheim one victory from the 800 Club and three victories from his second national championship, the Orange will carry a “Ya Gotta Believe” mentality into Friday night’s showdown against Blake Griffin and Oklahoma in Memphis. If they survive the Sooners, they’ll be longshots against Ty Lawson and Tyler Hansbrough’s North Carolina, a likely winner over Gonzaga. But tell the Orange that.


text:
Giants preseason schedule

The Jets and Giants will play each other in the first NFL game at the New Meadowlands Stadium, a preseason contest on Monday, Aug. 16.

The teams meet annually in the preseason, usually in the third of the four games. However, as co-tenants in their new $1.6 billion stadium, they will open their preseason schedules against each other.

The Jets will be the home team, and the game will be televised by ESPN.

The Giants will be home against the Steelers in the second preseason week, followed by a road game at Baltimore and a home game against the Patriots.

Aug. 16: at Jets

Aug. 19-21: STEELERS

Aug. 26-28: at Ravens


text:
An ice ending to Frozen Flashback

Delbarton and St. Joseph’s met in the finals of the 1991 and 1992 New Jersey state boys hockey tournament, with each school winning once by the same score — 3-2 in overtime.

So it was fitting that yesterday’s Frozen Flashback, which pitted the two schools against one another 21 years after the 1989 state final was canceled because of a measles outbreak, ended with a 3-2 Delbarton victory before a near-capacity crowd at Mennen Arena in Morristown, N.J.

“It’s all surreal, right?” Delbarton coach Jim Brady said afterward. “I mean, just think about it . . . how many times 21 years after a game is to be played do you get all of these guys to come back like this?”

Delbarton, the state’s second-ranked team back in 1989, jumped out to a 3-0 lead after a power-play goal in the first period from Mike Pendy, and second-period goals from Peter Ramsey and Jeff Gorman. But St. Joseph’s, No. 1 that year, fought back with third-period goals from Kevin Kamenski and Ken Dusebout to make things interesting, before eventually falling just short.

“We’ve been training for about a month and a half and guys that you’d never have seen, maybe once a year, you’d see them every other day,” said Gorman, 1986 graduate and one of several even-older players who helped fill out the rosters. “We became a team again. That never gets old.”

The event, which received national coverage, generated more than $200,000 for charities, including the NHL’s Hockey Fights Cancer.

“It’s great,” Pendy said of the support the event has received. “Everyone came here to support, everybody put everything into this. . . . It’s been a home run.

“I think we’re all happy that [the original game] got postponed.”

After the game had ended, the teams had shook hands and Gov. Chris Christie had presented Delbarton with their trophy, the two teams got together for a group picture at center ice, capping an experience that proved to be gratifying for everyone involved, regardless of the outcome.

“It was an experience I’ll never forget,” Dusebout said. “I mean, playing with my teammates after 21 years, just getting the opportunity to play with them again one last time, to play in front of 2,000 people with them on TV [MSG Varsity, beginning tomorrow night at 8]. It’s a tremendous, tremendous experience.

“Win, lose or draw, I’m happy. I wish we could have come out on top, but it was a fun experience.”


text:
Does RBNY’s Angel finally have a partner?

Mac Kandji. Dane Richards. John Wolyniec. Mike Magee. Oscar Echeverry. Ever since they sold U.S. National Team striker Jozy Altidiore to Villarreal for $10 million, the Red Bulls have trotted out an assembly line of forwards to start alongside Juan Pablo Angel, from the disappointing to the departed.

Angel struggled to develop a partnership with any of them, be it because of injury or inconsistency _ or in the case of Kandji, both. But now _ with the emergence of newcomer Salou Ibrahim _ they hope that’s changing, that the pair’s budding chemistry will help lead them to first place and beyond.

“It’s unbelievable. Not to say the combinations are perfect, but they are close to it. They seem to understand each other, when it’s about flicks or being in the box in the right position to find each other,” said coach Hans Backe. “So I really hope it can be an understanding with these two strikers and they continue scoring goals.”

They’ve done just that since Ibrahim stepped into the starting lineup three games ago at Chivas USA, and they hope it continues tomorrow night in San Jose.

In the first three games where Angel paired with Kandji, the Red Bulls went 2-1, mustering just two goals and allowing the same. Angel was scoreless while the latter mustered only a single tally himself before getting hurt.

But since Ibrahim became Angel’s new strike partner? They’ve gone 3-0, outscoring their victims 6-2. And their forward duo combined for all half-dozen goals, with Angel striking four times _ two from the penalty spot _ and Ibrahim adding a pair of his own. The beginning of a beautiful partnership?

“The more we play the more we get to understand each other, and I think that is the main thing, continuity. That is what is happening right now; as long as we stay healthy, we get a chance to build that,” said Angel. “That’s going to be absolutely normal, the more you play the more you get to understand each other.

“As the season progresses and the more we play together, you’re going to see better games for us. Some won’t be as good as you would like, but we’ll start to build a partnership, that’s something I haven’t had the last two or three years.”

He has a chance to develop it now with Ibrahim.

Yes, there are constant reports that the club will acquire Thierry Henry, but that is a prospect for after the WorldCup, if at all. Kandji is out for the better part of two months, British striker Luke Rodgers’ arrival is delayed at best, dead at worst. Rookies Conor Chinn and Juan Agudelo are promising but considered too raw for starting duty. Richards is a natural winger and Wolyniec is best utilized off the bench. In the here and now, for better or worse, this is the likely combination.

So far, it’s been for the better.

“It’s not perfect; there still needs to a lot of work to be done. But he is an experienced player, he’s been in the game long enough to understand what he’s good at and what we require from him, and so do I,” Angel said. “Hopefully we can help the team out, do the things coach wants us to do and generate a little bit more danger up front

“He’s the type of player who’s going to be a handful for any defenders. He’s very physical, he’s strong, he’s tall and he’s not easy to deal with. But at the end of the day, whenever you have a partner you start to work for each other regardless of the strengths, and you’re going to share the load. That’s something I would really appreciate.”

The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Ibrahim isn’t a classic speedy support striker that can stretch the field for Angel. But Backe has done the best he can with what he has, deploying Ibrahim and telling the big Ghanaian to do what he does best.

He’s been physical, excelled at hold-up play to bring the midfield into attack and make life easier on Angel. That’s the game that helped Zulte-Waregem win the 2006 Danish Cup and Brugge do the same the next year. And after signing with the Red Bulls, he’s started the last three games and actually chipped in with goals in the last two.

“It’s very important because otherwise Juan Pablo has to play a lone striker, or a high striker. He’s not a player (we want) coming short, because he can’t reach the box when he’s coming short or playing wide,” Backe said. “So you need a partner who can take some pressure off him, occupy the centerbacks, to be a busy guy so he can breathe a little more. So that’s very, very important for a striker like that.

“I think (Angel) has to do too much work. He’s an attacking player and he has to do 20 percent defending and we have to just live with that, because he’s the guy who can win the game for us. But if he’s playing by himself he has to do too much work in the defending game. That’s why it’s so important.”


text:
When You Are Not – J. Krishnamurti

Do you have a sense of beauty in your life, or is it mediocre, meaningless, an everlasting struggle from morning until night? What is beauty? It isn’t a sensual question, nor a sexual question. It is a very serious question because without beauty in your heart, you cannot flower in goodness. Have you ever looked at a mountain or the blue sea without chattering, without making noise, really paying attention to the blue sea, the beauty of the water, the beauty of light on a sheet of water?

When you see the extraordinary beauty of the earth, its rivers, lakes, mountains, what actually takes place? What takes place when you look at something which is actually marvelously beautiful: a statue, a poem, a lily in the pond, or a well-kept lawn? At that moment, the very majesty of a mountain makes you forget yourself. Have you ever been in that position?

If you have, you have seen that then you don’t exist, only that grandeur exists. But a few seconds later or a minute later, the whole cycle begins, the confusion, the chatter. So beauty is, where you are not. It is a tragedy if you don’t see this. Truth is, where you are not. Beauty is, love is, where you are not.

-J. Krishnamurti

Mumbai 4th Public Talk, January 31, 1982

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text:
What is eutrophication?

Harmful algal blooms, dead zones, and fish kills are the results of a process called eutrophication—which begins with the increased load of nutrients to estuaries and coastal waters.

satellite view of Mississippi River meeting the Gulf of Mexico

This NASA Earth Observatory image shows the region where the Mississippi River meets the Gulf of Mexico. It illustrates how sediment is moved from the land to the sea. The Mississippi River carries millions of tons of nutrient-rich sediment into the Gulf each year.

Eutrophication is a big word that describes a big problem in the nation's estuaries. Harmful algal blooms, dead zones, and fish kills are the results of a process called eutrophication—which begins with the increased load of nutrients to estuaries and coastal waters.

Sixty-five percent of U.S. estuaries and coastal water bodies are moderately to severely degraded by excessive nutrient inputs, which lead to algal blooms and low-oxygen (hypoxic) waters that can kill fish and seagrass and reduce essential fish habitats. Many of these estuaries also support bivalve mollusk populations (e.g., oysters, clams, scallops), which naturally reduce nutrients through their filter-feeding activities.

The primary culprits in eutrophication appear to be excess nitrogen and phosphorus—from sources including fertilizer runoff and septic system effluent to atmospheric fallout from burning fossil fuels—which enter waterbodies and fuel the overgrowth of algae, which, in turn, reduces water quality and degrades estuarine and coastal ecosystems.

Eutrophication can also produce carbon dioxide, which lowers the PH of seawater (ocean acidification). This slows the growth of fish and shellfish, may prevent shell formation in bivalve mollusks, and reduces the catch of commercial and recreational fisheries, leading to smaller harvests and more expensive seafood.

In recent years, NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), in collaboration with NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center, has enlisted estuaries' indigenous residents, namely, bivalve mollusks, to help slow and, in some cases, reverse the process of eutrophication, since they efficiently remove nutrients from the water as they feed on phytoplankton and detritus.

A groundbreaking modeling project in Long Island Sound showed that the oyster aquaculture industry in Connecticut provides $8.5 – $23 million annually in nutrient reduction benefits. The project also showed that reasonable expansion of oyster aquaculture could provide as much nutrient reduction as the comparable investment of $470 million in traditional nutrient-reduction measures, such as wastewater treatment improvements and agricultural best management practices.

The NOAA scientists used aquaculture modeling tools to demonstrate that shellfish aquaculture compares favorably to existing nutrient management strategies in terms of efficiency of nutrient removal and implementation cost. Documenting the water quality benefits provided by shellfish aquaculture has increased both communities' and regulators' acceptance of shellfish farming, not only in Connecticut but across the nation. In Chesapeake Bay, for example, nutrient removal policies include the harvesting of oyster tissue as an approved method, and in Mashpee Bay, Massachusetts, cultivation and harvest of oysters and clams are part of the official nutrient management plan.

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In September 2017, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced a $10.4 million effort to improve Long Island's water quality and bolster the economies and resiliency of coastal communities by restoring native shellfish populations to coastal waters. The state plans to establish five new sanctuary sites in Suffolk and Nassau Counties to transplant seeded clams and oysters, and to expand public shellfish hatcheries in the two counties through a dedicated grant program. Eutrophication has had significant economic impacts on Long Island Sound, where commercial shellfisheries have lost millions of dollars annually since 1985. Recent projections indicate that without intervention, the Sound could lose all of its seagrass beds by 2030, and that two-thirds of the Sound could lack enough oxygen for fish to survive.

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Last updated: 10/10/17
Author: NOAA
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‘Isn’t Auschwitz the name of a beer?’

Auschwitz is the name of a type of beer or a religious festival, some British schoolchildren believe, according to the results of a survey published in London’s Telegraph on Monday.

In this Jan. 17, 2005 file...

In this Jan. 17, 2005 file photo, a visitor walks along barracks in the former Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi death camp in Oswiecim, southern Poland.
Photo: AP

A survey of more than 1,000 secondary school pupils ages 11-16 revealed that a quarter did not know the purpose of the Nazi death camp.

Of those, some 10 percent were not sure what it was, 10% believed it was a country bordering Germany, 2% thought it was a beer, 2% said it was a religious festival and 1% believed it was a type of bread.

Miramax and the London Jewish Cultural Centre, which commissioned the survey to mark the DVD release of The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, said that the result scould be translated into 90,000 11-to-16-year-olds in the UK identifying Auschwitz as a drink and 45,000 mistaking it for bread.

The poll also found that six in 10 youngsters did not know what the Final Solution was, with a fifth claiming it was the name of peace talks held to end the war.

Despite the Holocaust’s place on the British secondary school National Curriculum, only just over a third knew that the Nazis murdered six million Jews.

Ninety-seven percent of those surveyed correctly identified Adolf Hitler from a photograph, but the others mistook famous figures such as Winston Churchill, Salvador Dali and Albert Einstein for him.

The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas is a story of a German boy’s friendship with a Jewish child in a concentration camp.

One Response

  1. What would you expect in UK? They have removed the Holocaust from their curricula so as not to offend the Muslims.

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