Friday, March 30, 2012

VITEC Provides Encoding Platform Used for Video Streaming to ...

??Merlin Entertainment Awards Leading Entertainment Media and Technology Firm Technomedia Solutions with LEGOLAND? Florida Water Park (2012-03-30 15:12)

ORLANDO, Fla., March 30, 2012 -- Leading audio visual integration firm Technomedia Solutions announced today it has been awarded the audio visual systems design-build for Merlin Entertainment's new LEGOLAND? Water Park that will adjoin the new LEGOLAND? theme park in Winter Haven, Florida.? Scheduled to open in time for summer 2012, the water park will feature a wave pool, Build-A-Raft lazy river, tube slides, body slides and an interactive water-play structure- DUPLO? Safari.


??Trunkbow Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2011 Financial Results (2012-03-30 15:12)

BEIJING, March 30, 2012 "> Trunkbow International Holdings Limited (NASDAQ-NMS: TBOW) ("Trunkbow" or the "Company"), a leading provider of Mobile Payment Solutions ("MPS") and Mobile Value Added Services ("MVAS") in the People's Republic of China, today announced financial results for its fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2011.


??Nintendo Hosts a Fright-Filled Gathering to Preview Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir (2012-03-30 15:07)

Nintendo:


??US$100 Smart Phone Made in China Attracts Universal Attention (2012-03-30 15:02)

BEIJING, March 30, 2012 "> With China's continuous economic development in recent years, many national enterprises in the country are growing. Although China's mobile phone market is still dominated by several world's leading mobile phone manufacturers including Apple, Nokia and Samsung, the progress in China's domestic mobile phone brands is obvious. Smart phones with high-end configurations made by a few foreign handset manufacturers are leading the development of the mobile phone industry. As smart phone technologies mature, mobile phone manufacturers have gradually changed their strategies for grabbing market share from configuration-oriented to price-oriented. As a result, smart phones priced at around RMB 1,000 have sprung up like mushrooms, which are represented by Chinese-made smart phones. The recent launch of the Guohong Shuidi phone has kept the price war going and attracted a great deal of attention on Chinese-made mobile phones.


??Guohong Shuidi Mobile Phone Shows Unlimited Potential with the Emergence of a Dedicated Fan Base (2012-03-30 15:02)

BEIJING, March 30, 2012 "> With its recent launch, the new Guohong Shuidi mobile phone is riding the crest of a wave of interest in low-cost smartphones across China's mobile phone market. The Guohong Shuidi phone runs on the popular Android operating system and is attracting a younger clientele with its ultra low US$100 price. China's pool of enthusiastic users quickly became members of the "Shuidi Tribe" following the launch, creating a strong counterpoint to Apple's fan base.??


??GearGrid Honored for Export Success With Minnesota Governor's International Trade Award (2012-03-30 15:02)

FOREST LAKE, Minn., March 30, 2012 --?GearGrid LLC, specialists in wire forming and fabrication of custom retail POP display and OEM components, as well as its own propriety line of GearGrid? gear storage systems for fire and rescue, athletic and equine markets, announced it received the 2012 Governor's International Trade Award from Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton and the Minnesota Trade Office.


??Catapult Systems Emerging Tech Director to Lead Session at Houston Cloud Tech Symposium (2012-03-30 15:02)

HOUSTON, March 30, 2012 --?Next week at the Houston Cloud Tech Symposium, Catapult Systems Director of Emerging Technologies, Apollo Gonzales, will lead a conference session titled: "How to Leverage the Power of Windows Azure Platform."? During the session, Apollo Gonzales will showcase the different services available in the Windows Azure Platform as well as examples of how Windows Azure can be used to extend existing Microsoft technologies, such as Lync and Microsoft Dynamics CRM, to the cloud.???


??Comcast Helps Power the Digital Home With the Launch of "Xfinity Home" Service in San Francisco Bay Area (2012-03-30 15:02)
Comcast Helps Power the Digital Home With the Launch of "Xfinity Home" Service in San Francisco Bay Area - on ITbriefing.net

LIVERMORE, Calif., March 30, 2012 -- Comcast today announced the launch of Xfinity? Home in portions of the company's San Francisco Bay Area service area. Xfinity Home offers traditional home security components, like police and fire alarm protection backed by 24/7 professional monitoring, as well as the ability to remotely adjust digital thermostats, turn lights on or off and watch secure live streaming video from wireless cameras while away from home. The service also comes with the Xfinity Home app, which is available for free on Apple's iTunes App Store?.?


??COLLOQUY Joins Mediaplanet and Key Industry Leaders to Educate Consumers on Loyalty & Rewards Programs (2012-03-30 15:02)
COLLOQUY Joins Mediaplanet and Key Industry Leaders to Educate Consumers on Loyalty & Rewards Programs - on ITbriefing.net

NEW YORK, March 30, 2012 --?In partnership with COLLOQUY, Mediaplanet Publishing today released the special publication entitled, "Loyalty & Rewards" which was distributed as a special section within the USA Today markets of New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and DC/Baltimore, and will also be distributed at industry events and through various online and social media channels.


??2012 MIECF: "Macao International Environmental Protection Forum and Exhibition" Raises Its Fancy Curtain! (2012-03-30 15:02)

MACAO, March 30, 2012 -- The 2012 Macao International Environmental Protection Forum and Exhibition (2012 MIECF) is held from 29 to 31 March (Thursday to Saturday) at the Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel.


??e-Skills and Jobs: Copenhagen Declaration Launched at European e-Skills Week Closing Event (2012-03-30 14:52)

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, March 30, 2012 --


??Anthurium Solutions, Inc. to Present Solutions at Aging in America Conference (2012-03-30 14:52)

BOSTON, March 30, 2012 --?Anthurium Solutions, Inc. (ASI), a technology and solutions company offering turnkey and custom in-the-cloud solutions that enable new health care delivery models, will present during the American Society on Aging (ASA)'s Aging in America, the largest multidisciplinary aging conference in the country. During sessions on Saturday, March 31, Anthurium's CEO Tim Simard and VP Meredith Benedict will team with leading industry experts to provide insight into the aging workforce and discuss innovative technology solutions.


??Block MEMS Wins Contract to Participate in the Multi-Mission Multi-Threat Detection (M3TD) Program (2012-03-30 14:52)

MARLBOROUGH, Mass., March 30, 2012 --?Block MEMS has been awarded a contract by the Department of Defense's Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical and Biological Defense (JPEO-CBD) to provide its LaserScan? Analyzer for evaluation in the Multi-Mission Multi-Threat Detection (M3TD) Technology Evaluation program. The goal of the M3TD program is to evaluate currently available technology for chemical detection and the potential to meet future capability requirements.


??Tata Consultancy Services Wins Management Consulting Award from the Association of Management Consulting Firms for Operational Performance (2012-03-30 14:42)

MUMBAI, India, March 30, 2012 -- Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), (BSE: 532540, NSE: TCS) a leading IT services, consulting and business solutions organization, announced today that it has received an award for Operational Performance at the inaugural AMCF (Association of Management Consulting Firms) Awards presentation in New York. The AMCF Awards, which celebrate excellence in management consulting, recognized TCS for its demonstration of improved operational and business performance.


??proDAD? Mercalli? V2 Pro Video Stabilizer Plug-In Now Supports AVID? Media Composer and Symphony Film & Video Production Platforms (2012-03-30 14:42)

SAN FRANCISCO, March 30, 2012 -- proDAD, the highly acclaimed developer of digital video effects and image enhancement technologies, today announced that its renowned Mercalli V2 Pro video stabilizer & rolling-shutter correction plug-in is now available with support for AVID's Media Composer & Symphony film and video finishing applications.


??Halyard Capital Launches Digital Fortress (2012-03-30 14:42)

NEW YORK, March 30, 2012 -- Halyard Capital, a New York-based private equity firm, announces the formation of Digital Fortress, a new data center colocation platform, along with two initial acquisitions of digital.forest, Inc. and Fortress Colocation Services. Headquartered in Seattle, Digital Fortress capitalizes on the underserved market of regional small to medium sized enterprises seeking to enhance their overall IT infrastructure capabilities through outsourcing with colocation service providers. The company is also well-positioned to meet the growing demand among national corporations for data centers that have access to abundant low-cost electricity with a high concentration of renewable energy.


??MapMyFITNESS, Inc. Launches MapMyRUN, MapMyRIDE for Windows Phone (2012-03-30 14:37)

MapMyFITNESS, the premier provider of Web- and mobile-based training and mapping applications for fitness enthusiasts, has announced the launch of two new applications for Windows Phone.



Source: http://itbriefing.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=272539&newlang=eng&topic=15&catid=37

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Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Nursing Supplies Top notch Positions for Felons ? Get the Inside of ...

Locating beneficial employment for felons is a single of the most troublesome troubles that ex-convicts come across. Considering that the economic downturn has left a large number of unemployed, choosing significant-paying out or even continuous work for felons has grow to be rather difficult. One particular of the very best strategies to get an economic downturn-evidence work is to pick an occupation in an increasing marketplace such as wellbeing treatment. Nursing, in specific, is an occupation that delivers numerous features for ex-felons.

Felon Employment Chances: Nursing

Nursing as a job is now very very much in need. The U.S. has these types of a critical shortage of nurses that international nurses are staying recruited in mass to fill the gap. From now before 2014, registered nurses are predicted to create the 2nd biggest range of new work opportunities in the U.S. among all occupations, in accordance to the Dept of Labor.

In addition, the spend is really good and there are a variety of task possibilities for felons considering nurses can work in a number of unique places. These include things like hospitals, clinics, nursing properties, residential homes, occupational health and fitness products, prisons, universities, leisure cruise ships, etcetera. Nurses can also perform for the U.S. armed forces and voluntary non-financial gain organizations.

As a vocation selection for ex-felons, the health-related subject is one of the most prestigious and has the ideal likely for work safety considering there is a severe imbalance involving demand and availability of skilled staff. Not only are there abundant occupation possibilities for felons who are qualified nurses, occupation development is also predicted to be speedy due to the shortage of knowledgeable nurses.

Felon Pleasant Work: How to Turn into a Nurse

Nurses concentration on the individual?s specifications and provide treatment, counseling and counsel. This vocation is for folks who have the characteristics of compassion and persistence as nicely as knowledge in imperative imagining and challenge-solving.

All paths to a nursing profession will have to begin with a large university diploma or a GED.

The following step is to consider possibly a diploma or diploma training course in nursing so that you will get the accurate clinical education required. You can complete an associate diploma course in nursing in two a long time whilst a bachelor?s diploma in nursing requires 4 a long time to comprehensive.

Then you will have to move the state board examination for nursing to get your license. At this position you can get a task as a nurse.

Even soon after you get your nursing license, you can even now pick out to go on your training and specialize. Examples of nursing specialties are nurse anesthesiologists, nurse practitioners, lawful nurse investigators, very important care nurses, and so forth.

Work for Felons: Nursing License

Of course, if you know everything about nursing the initially query in your thoughts appropriate now is no matter whether or not you are eligible for a nursing license if you have a felony conviction.

You will have to examine your state?s legal guidelines about nursing licenses. Call up your nursing board, clarify your circumstance together with the specifics about your felony and inquire what you will want to do to get a license or to sit for the nursing test.

All states will have stringent screening methods in destination for all registered nurses but most seemingly, obtaining a felony does not instantly bar you from the career.

The California Board of Registered Nursing, for instance, evaluates every app they acquire on a situation by situation basis and that there is no particular style of felony conviction that will disqualify an applicant routinely. If you have a felony and there is some question about your eligibility for a nursing license, you will have to submit some proofs of rehabilitation. Your case will then be judged dependent on the nature, severity and how latest you have been charged as properly as rehabilitation and other extenuating aspects.

In other phrases, you will have to leap through even more hoops than a routine applicant but if you can show that you have been rehabilitated then you can however function as a registered nurse, in particular if it has been quite a few decades as the felony.

Nursing Task for Felons: Summary

Nursing positions for felons are a great pick for people who motivation a protected, higher-having to pay task with loads of would-be for job development. You will also get to guide many others who are in want of care. Nursing jobs for felons are for people today who have compassion for the sick and predicament-fixing knowledge. A nursing diploma or bachelor?s diploma is needed to utilize for nursing. You will also have to pass the state board test to get a nursing license. Project options for felons with a nursing license are not constrained to hospitals. You can get work for felons who are registered nurses in destinations like clinics, cruise ships, nursing residences, schools, and many others.

Trying to get further data nursing jobs from home?Go to our internet site for added details.

? 2012 The Pro Articles

Source: http://www.theproarticles.com/nursing-supplies-top-notch-positions-for-felons-get-the-inside-of-monitor-on-nursing-positions-for-felons/

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Monday, March 12, 2012

The Significance and Expression of CD 44 V - Cancer Research ...

[unable to retrieve full-text content]The Significance and Expression of CD44V6?MMP-9 in Brain Metastases and Malignant Glioma Invasion. posted by: Cancer Research. [Abstract]. The most familiar malignant tumors in human central nervous systerm are ...

Source: http://www.rescancer.com/stomach-cancer/36131.html

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Sunday, March 11, 2012

I Am That Child Paints Real Faces of AIDS, Poverty, and Sexism as ...

Technology Image

New York, NY, March 11, 2012 ?(PR.com)? Geitz, a popular author and Episcopal priest, makes the political personal in this can?t-put-down riveting narrative about global poverty, gender, and race relations. She illustrates that cross-cultural relationships among people of faith can change our world ? one person at a time.

Along the way, Geitz takes a hard look at race and cultural privilege and finds hope for reconciliation back home. Especially useful with church study groups and social justice/outreach campaigns, the book concludes with study and resource guides to help readers engage global poverty efforts and build community across continents or across the street.

Elizabeth Geitz?s books have been hailed by people as diverse as Desmond Tutu, Phyllis Tickle, and John Berendt. With a focus on justice issues, her writings speak to people with the passion to make a difference in the world.

?Elizabeth Geitz's odyssey to a Cameroon orphanage yields profound insights into AIDS, the criminalization of HIV, and racial and gender discrimination ? not to mention a narrative that is as breath-taking as it is inspiring.? ? John Berendt, author of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

?This is the most compelling book about mission that is honest-to-God ? and honest-before-God ? that I have ever read. If it does not move us to contrition, affectionate love, and then to action, the fault is with us and not with the book or the story it tells.? ? Phyllis Tickle, author of Embracing Emergence Christianity and former religion editor for Publishers Weekly

?Geitz takes us into a brilliant world ? one seldom seen through Western eyes. If you see this world, I predict two things. First, you will not look away. Lastly, you will discover here courage and perseverance.? Michael Battle, author of Ubuntu: I in You and You in Me

?? a touching account of learning and growing across boundaries of culture and economics in a Cameroonian orphanage where we see ?the love of God materialized.? Geitz? book will encourage Westerners to explore solidarity with companions in the Two-Thirds World ? and with those suffering injustice at home.? Titus Presler, Principal of Edwardes College in Peshawar, Pakistan, and author of Going Global with God: Reconciling Mission in a World of Difference

?The stories unfold in short, lively chapters and take the reader on a fascinating journey. Elizabeth Geitz writes lucidly and engagingly of her own privilege and a pilgrimage that brought her to a renewed passion and priesthood; one hopes that she'll continue sharing more with us all.? ? Sam Portaro, author of Crossing the Jordan: Meditations on Vocation and Transforming Vocation

Confirmed Appearances by Elizabeth Geitz

Profits donated to the Good Shepherd Home for Children
Cameroon, West Africa

March 11, 2012
?We Are All One: A Cameroonian Morning with Sr. Jane?
Calvary Church, Summit, New Jersey
10:00am ? 12:30pm

March 25, 2012
?Believe? Radio Show Live with Barbara Bruce
White Mountain Radio, Arizona
92.1/93.5/96.5/105.5/970/1270/1450
4:00pm ? 4:30pm

May 8, 2012
?Dancing in the Rain?
Church of the Presentation, Upper Saddle River, NJ
7:00pm

May 18, 2012
I Am That Child Book Launch Celebration
Trinity Episcopal Church, Clarksville, Tennessee
5:00pm ? 7:00pm

May 20, 2012
?We Are All One: A Cameroonian Morning with Sr. Jane?
Grace Church, Paducah, Kentucky
10:00am ? 12:30pm

July 9th and 10th, 2012
?Many Paths ? One Journey: A Cameroonian Odyssey?
ECW Triennial Workshops at
The 77th General Convention of the Episcopal Church
Indianapolis, Indiana
4:00pm ? 5:30pm

October 7 ? 10, 2012
Women at Woodstock ? A Retreat for Women 50 & Up
Emerson Hotel and Spa
Woodstock, New York

Elizabeth Geitz is an Episcopal priest and author of numerous books, including Fireweed Evangelism: Christian Hospitality in a Multi-faith World; Soul Satisfaction: Reclaiming the Divine Feminine; Gender and the Nicene Creed, and is co-editor of Women's Uncommon Prayers. A newspaper columnist, she is an award-winning writer and popular speaker who works closely with Sister Jane Mankaa and the Good Shepherd Home Board in Cameroon. Visit Elizabeth's website and blog at www.elizabethgeitz.com.

The new book can be ordered through any Episcopal, religious, or secular bookstore; through any online bookseller, or direct from Cokesbury Christian stores, www.Cokesbury.com, or from Cokesbury customer service at 800-672-1789.

Founded in 1918 and headquartered in New York City, Church Publishing Incorporated is the publisher of official worship materials, books, and music for the Episcopal Church, plus a multi-faceted publisher and supplier to the broader ecumenical marketplace. Publishing imprints include Church Publishing, Morehouse Publishing, and Seabury Books. Additional CPI divisions include Morehouse Church Supplies, a provider of church supplies and clergy shirts; and Morehouse Education Resources, which produces lectionary-based curriculum, faith formation programs, plus e-publishing resources and services.

I Am That Child: Changing Hearts & Changing the World
Elizabeth Geitz 978-0-8192-2778-2 176 pgs Paper 5.5 X 8.5 $18.00 On Sale Morehouse

###

Contact Information:
Elizabeth Geitz, Author
Elizabeth Geitz
570-618-1043
Contact via Email
http://www.elizabethgeitz.com
http://www.goodshepherdhome.org

Click here to read the full story: I Am That Child Paints Real Faces of AIDS, Poverty, and Sexism as Encountered on Cameroon Mission

Press Release Distributed by PR.com

Source: http://tech.rambergmedia.com/i-am-that-child-paints-real-faces-of-aids-poverty-and-sexism-as-encountered-on-cameroon-mission/

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Iraqi gays under threat amid brutal killings

Young Iraqi teenagers widely perceived to be gay are being brutally killed in Baghdad with Shiite militias distributing lists of targets warning of further assaults, officials and human rights groups say.

At least 15 teenagers, described as "emo"s for their tight-fitting black clothes and alternative hairstyles, have been stoned, beaten to death or shot dead in the past month, medics say.

Human rights groups say the toll is far higher amid accusations of a cover-up by security forces.

Witnesses in the conservative Shiite Muslim bastion of Sadr City in north Baghdad say a militia group calling itself the "Brigades of Anger" has posted leaflets naming 22 youths to be "punished".

Medical officials said at least 15 had already been killed in the past month, including seven who were stoned to death, five who were shot and one who was beaten to death.

"Police generally take care of all these incidents," said one of the officials, who declined to be named. "They don't like medics or ambulances to take them. Two days ago, the body of a teenager was found in Bayaa -- he was evacuated by police."

In Western youth culture, the term "emo" refers only to dress and musical preference and carries no connotation about a person's sexual orientation. In Iraq, however, the term is widely conflated with being gay, which remains taboo in the conservative Muslim country.

The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, based in New York, said a "new surge of anti-gay violence" since February had seen nearly 40 people kidnapped, tortured, and murdered.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iraqi-gays-under-threat-amid-brutal-killings-081058586.html

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Saturday, March 10, 2012

Towing my weight: Partnering with commercial shipping for whale and dolphin research

I didn?t give much thought to shipping until I started doing my PhD on whales and dolphins. Food magically appeared onto store shelves out of thin air, where I bought it. I don?t think most of us give much thought to where our food comes from, but once I started paying attention how things get around, it was hard to stop. This is especially true on a remote tropical island, like Hawaii. Here, every once in a while, certain foods aren?t to be found for love or money. My steps echo in the empty bread isle, and when I beg for just one slice of delicious whole grain the store employee will say, ?Sorry, no can. Bread shipment comes Tuesday.?

About 85% of the food consumed in Hawaii is imported from somewhere else. Most food arrives in Honolulu on a container ship, which is then unloaded and redistributed into shipping barges. These barges are pulled by tugboats to what are known here as the ?neighbor islands? of Kauai, Molokai, Maui, Lanai, and the Big Island. The shipping barges are very different than the container ships. First of all, they can?t get anywhere on their own ? they need a tugboat to pull them. The tugs I work on have a maximum travel speed of about 8 knots (10 miles per hour), which is quite a bit slower than the typical 20-25 knot travel speed of a container ship.

Tug boats pushing a barge against the dock. Photo by Alexis Rudd

A tugboat towing a barge is optimally designed for my type of research, which uses underwater sound to find whales and dolphins. I record these underwater sounds through a hydrophone, which hangs off the back of a barge. Sound goes up a cable from the hydrophone, and is recorded onto a custom electronic recorder, called an EAR (Ecological Acoustic Recorder [A]). The barge is towed from a cable, about 900 feet behind the tugboat. This distance gets my hydrophone far away from the noise of the tug. Another advantage is that tug boats travel back and forth between the Hawaiian Islands twice a week, which means that if I had a couple of handy clones to share the work I could collect acoustic data from Kauai to the Big Island one hundred times per year. Since I don?t have any clones (or interns, for that matter), I only go out every 11-14 days. I?ve been on a tugboat 74 days in the last year, which, according to the crew, is about enough for me to get hired.

Why bother spending so much time on a tugboat listening for cetaceans (whales and dolphins), especially in Hawaii? The truth is, we actually don?t know much about cetaceans in Hawaii. Most of the knowledge of Hawaiian cetaceans actually concentrates on a few well-studied species: the humpback whale and the Hawaiian spinner dolphin. These species are frequently found near to shore or in calm waters: spinner dolphins ?rest? in near-shore bays, and humpback whales spend the winter in Maui?s calm western lee.

Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins photographed from the bow of the tugboat near the Big Island. Photo by Alexis Rudd

In addition to these well-studied species are 23 other species that occur in Hawaii but are less well studied, such as false killer and minke whales [B],. These remaining deep-water species are less well known simply because they don?t often hang out in nice, calm water close to the shore. The water offshore in Hawaii can be dangerously rough. Wind and swell builds up across half the Pacific Ocean, creating the famous surf of Jaws and Pipeline. These conditions are too dangerous to take a small (westward lees of the islands (the prevailing wind in Hawaii is from the East).

The Big Island of Hawaii creates the largest lee, allowing researchers to get far out to sea. In contrast to these relatively calm leeward waters, the conditions between the main Hawaiian Islands are, to use a surfer term, gnarly. Wind traveling across the Pacific Ocean is diverted around the volcanoes of Maui and the Big Island and rushes through the gap between them. Wind speeds in the channels can average about 25 miles per hour (Beufort Wind Scale 6). At these wind speeds, foam and rough water makes it very difficult to see whales and dolphins.

Wind speed in the waters around the Hawaiian Islands. Image by Alexis Rudd, data provided by Hawaii?s Wind Engery Resource and the National Renewable Energy Lab

Fortunately, even when you can?t see cetaceans, you can often hear them. Dolphins and whales use sound underwater for communication and predation. It is actually easier to find some species using sound than vision [C]. This is where the tugboat comes in again ? these boats are large enough to safely cross the dangerous waters of the channels, and they do it year-round. In addition, because they are going anyway ? I can just hop on with my equipment and gather data, without having to spend thousands of dollars on renting a boat big enough to cross the channels safely. They even give me a place to sleep and feed me (a big deal for a graduate student).

After I make the recordings, I can feed the cetacean sounds into a computer program, which will analyze their characteristics to give a species prediction [D]. Doing research on vessels that are used for commercial enterprise is known as using ?platforms of opportunity.? These platforms are already there, so I am taking the opportunity to use them. Other oceanic projects using platforms of opportunity has included plankton research from container ships and visual cetacean surveys from ferries, but these projects are relatively rare.

Young Brother?s crew members sitting on the lower deck as the tug passes Aloha Tower in Honolulu. Photo by Alexis Rudd

As a blonde haired, blue-eyed woman, I get a lot of paternal advice about working with the guys on the tugboat. ?Fatherly advice? is one of the more annoying aspects of being a young woman scientist. I already have a (wonderful) father, and he?s got the fatherly advice market cornered, thanks. Young women in science don?t need fatherly advice ? they need good mentors. This advice mostly consisted of warnings about how tough the tugboat crew would be. I wasn?t sure what to expect on the first trip, but I discovered that the guys are just as variable as anyone else. Yes, there?s a higher likelihood of teriyaki pig?s feet in the fridge (I tried it, seriously YUCK) than in my house. But once you get to know these guys, we actually have a lot in common. The captain of the tug I was on last week volunteers at a National Park to replant native plants. The A.B. (able-bodied sailor) raises local beef. One of the mates can?t stop showing me pictures of his dog, whose name is Princess (I swear). They?re not all angels or teddy bears, but neither are they the enemy.

I travel with the tugboats on two of their routes around the Hawaiian Islands; between Honolulu and Kauai, and between Honolulu and the Big Island. If the weather is good, I stand outside and look for cetaceans. If the weather is bad (waves are coming over the bow and splashing me ? the crew gets a kick out of this), I come into the bridge and watch as best I can. This video from last week shows how much the boat tilts during ?rough? weather:

When I get to the Big Island, I climb from the tugboat to the barge, and pull my recording equipment out of the water to download the sounds and make sure everything is working properly.

I haven?t analyzed all of my data yet. It takes a lot of time to listen to 864 hours of recordings. Regardless of what my data shows, I hope that the information can help inform research in the future. Are we missing a huge chunk of whale and dolphin activity by sticking to the nice smooth water, or is that where they hang out, anyway? I also get very excited about the idea of using platforms of opportunity on a larger scale. Commercial ships cross most of the world?s waters ? imagine if every one of those vessels was equipped with a device that listened for dolphins. Of course, that brings up another host of problems; including the fact that shipping noise stresses whales, and that many whales are killed when ships hit them.

Global shipping routes that could possibly be used for science. From NCEAS at http://www.nceas.ucsb.edu/globalmarine/impacts

Is it possible for a moral scientist to partner with commercial shippers that can cause this kind of harm to their study species? Fortunately, I don?t have to wrestle with that problem yet. To the best of my knowledge, none of the tugs I work on has ever hit a whale, and their traveling speed of less than 10 knots makes them less likely to hit one. I?ll cross that moral bridge once the big shipping companies let me start recording from their boats. However, my experience working with the tugboat crews has convinced me that if we don?t at least try to communicate and work together, we?ll always fail.

Funding for this project was provided by the Office of Naval Research, Ocean Sensing and Systems Applications. Young Brothers Shipping provides boat time, accommodations, and other logistical support. Mahalo nui loa.

References:

[A] Lammers, M.O., Brainard, R.E. and Au, W.W.L., Mooney, T.A. and Wong K. (2008). ?An Ecological Acoustic Recorder (EAR) for long-term monitoring of biological and anthropogenic sounds on coral reefs and other marine habitats.? J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 123:1720-1728.

[B] The ranges of these species are taken from Jefferson, T.A., Webber, M.B., and Pitman, R.L. 2008. Marine Mammals of the World: A Comprehensive Guide to their Identification. Academic Press. Oxford, UK.

[C] Barlow, J., and Taylor, B.L. 2005. Estimates of sperm whale abundance in the northeastern temperate Pacific from a combined acoustic and visual survey. Marine Mammal Science 21: 429-445.

[D] Oswald, J.N., Rankin, R., Barlow, J, and Lammers, M.O. 2007. A tool for real-time acoustic species identification of delphinid whistles. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 122(1): 587-595.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=c3ca7ea95cceaf5e3b3f2bb53b3b8281

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Friday, March 9, 2012

Secrets to the 10 most popular cruise ports

Courtesy Princess Cruises

Princess Cays in the Bahamas, along with Nassau, is among the 10 most popular cruise ports in the world.

?

By Chris Gray Faust, Budget Travel

If you're planning a cruise in 2012, chances are high that you'll be traveling to the Caribbean. According to CruiseCompete.com's annual report, nine of the?10 most popular cruise ports in the world are in the Caribbean (or close enough to count).

The website's list, which is compiled from cruise quotes requested by potential customers, shows that Alaska is also a perennial favorite for cruisers. Several Inside Passage ports made the cut, with Juneau coming out as the most requested cruise stop in the 50 states.

With so many people wanting to go to the same places, you might worry about crowds?but you don't need to. It turns out that even the hottest port has a few places where you can get off the beaten path. Here are some recommendations that will make you feel like you're in the know, before you get off the ship.

Slideshow: See all the most popular cruise ports?

1. Nassau, Bahamas
Just 180 miles from Miami, the Bahamas are usually the first or last stop on an eastern Caribbean cruise (even though the archipelago is technically in the Atlantic). People love the islands ? there are approximately 700 in all ? for first-class snorkeling, casinos and fine dining, and it's top four ports are Nassau, Princess Cays, Great Stirrup Cay and Half Moon Cay, it's the most requested country in the world for cruising, according to CruiseCompete. Two of them made the list for the top?10 most visited ports in 2011, including the capital, Nassau, which is a major shopping center.

Secret: If you'd rather mingle with locals than join the crowd heading to Senor Frog's, take the Number 10 Jitney to Arawak Cay, where you'll find several stands serving up fried seafood. Go to Goldie's, and order a cold Kalik beer with some conch fritters; if you go to the back porch, sometimes you'll see workers pulling up the conch from the water.

2. Cozumel, Mexico
Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula continues to draw sun seekers who want some culture with their cruise, particularly this year when the Mayan calendar predicts the end of days. But there's plenty of room for fun, too. Cozumel, an island off the coast, offers countless snorkeling and water-based activities, as well as gorgeous beaches: Corona ads are often shot here.

Secret: Can you stand the heat? If so, the Mayan Steam Lodge/Temazcal experience ? a spiritual sauna-like ceremony that includes native rituals ? may be for you. Afterward, you'll jump into the property's freshwater cenote (underground spring) to cool off (there are also showers, if you'd prefer to rinse off there). The four-hour excursion costs $80 per person, and includes transportation to and from the ship.

3. Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
If you're on an eastern Caribbean cruise, you'll probably stop in St. Thomas, as it's one of the world's busiest cruise ports. A Mecca for duty-free shopping, the Charlotte Amalie port has plenty of jewelry, perfume, and electronics stores; check prices at a few shops before you buy to ensure the best deal. St. Thomas can also be a good place to unwind on a beach or provide a good jumping-off point for exploring the nearby island St. John, which is quieter and less developed.

Secret: While everyone else on your ship heads for the famed Magens Bay beach, pick up some groceries at Crown Bay Marina for a picnic lunch and catch a ferry to Water Island, sometimes considered the fourth Virgin Island. Not only is the sea at the island's palm-lined Honeymoon Beach calm, the cove is quiet ? you won't find the shops or tour operators here that you see on other St. Thomas beaches.?

4. Philipsburg, St. Maarten / St. Martin
One island, two cultures: With portions settled by the French and the Dutch, the island is one of the smallest to be governed by two countries (don't worry, though, almost everyone speaks English). Philipsburg, on the Dutch side, rivals St. Thomas for duty-free shopping, while the towns of Marigot and Grand Case on the French side are filled with? fine and casual restaurants with French flair where you can find dishes like escargot (snails) or bouillabaisse (fish soup).

Secret: If you don't want to join the crowds breathing jet fumes at Maho Beach, take a short cab ride to French Cul-de-Sac, where you can catch a ferry to Pinel Island (regular service starts around 9 a.m.). The uninhabited island off St. Martin has several restaurants where you can rent beach chairs, have drinks and go snorkeling; there's a designated snorkel trail in a protected marine reserve on the island's south side, where you can spot sea fans, urchins, turtle and rays among the coral.?

5. Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Known for offshore banking, the Cayman Islands have a natural side beyond the shops of George Town. Grand Cayman is one of the few places where you can see the world's most endangered iguana, the blue iguana, and thousands of tourists converge on Stingray City to watch the sea animals. Seven Mile Beach offers an uninterrupted view of the Caribbean that seems like a postcard come to life.

Secret: If you like Jimmy Buffet music, catch the Grand Cayman's resident beach bum, the Barefoot Man (in real life, George Nowak). He plays most Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Reef Resort on the island's East End. If you don't have time to catch a show, pick up a CD for $16 in one of the souvenir shops in George Town.

6. San Juan, Puerto Rico
It's hard to escape history in Puerto Rico; its capital, San Juan, dates back to the 16th century. The immense San Felipe del Morro fortress anchors Old San Juan and Ponce de Leon, the island's first governor, is buried at the Cathedral of San Juan. If you venture off into the countryside, you'll find beaches, rain forests and a bioluminescent bay where you can kayak.

Secret: Puerto Rico's cuisine is infused with unique Latin flavors that you'd be hard-pressed to find elsewhere in the Caribbean. Why not spend a few hours learning how to duplicate the recipes at home? Flavors of San Juan teaches you how to make either tapas or Puerto Rican food in two-hour group classes that include a full meal and a recipe book that you can bring home. SanJuanfoodtours.com, advanced reservations required, $98 per person for a 2-hour group class?

7. Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos
Although technically in the Atlantic Ocean instead of the Caribbean, the island chain of Turks & Caicos has the glorious, talcum-powder-soft sand beaches and turquoise skies that make the region famous. While luxury vacationers flock to Providenciales and celebrities such as Bruce Willis, Christie Brinkley, and Keith Richards have homes on Parrot Cay, Grand Turk has become the country's main cruising center, with a large terminal and new shops.

Secret: If you love stamps (or love someone who does), make a stop at the Philatelic Bureau, located on Church Folly street. The island is known for its colorful and unusual issues, which are prized by collectors.?

8. Juneau, Alaska
An Inside Passage cruise appears on many bucket lists, and no wonder. The state's scenery, particularly its magnificent glacier- and wildlife-viewing opportunities, are unparalleled. Surrounded by mountains and the sea, Juneau, the state's capital, is accessible only by water or air. Nature is all around you: Look for bears fishing in the streams near Mendenhall Glacier, and eagles nesting on the slopes of Mount Roberts.

Secret: Once you get out of downtown, cruise ship crowds disappear, or at least it feels that way; Alaska's vastness has a way of making people seem insignificant. With hiking trails and a stone labyrinth garden, the Shrine of St. Therese, on a peninsula about a 20-minute drive from Juneau (take a taxi), is a reflective place to commune with nature. Visitors often spot seals, whales, and otters nearby.?

9. Roatan, Honduras
The Bay Islands, which lie about an hour north of the Honduras mainland, have become a major attraction for cruise ships, which come for the area's colorful fish and clear, warm waters. Roatan has become the center of commercial development for the islands, and you'll find countless opportunities for snorkeling, diving, and interacting with marine life such as grouper, moray eels, turtles, and rays.

Secret: Give your tastebuds a charge with a jam and jelly tasting at Marble Hill Farms on the East End of the island. Sample flavors include hibiscus jelly, mutton pepper jelly (made with chili cabro, this one has quite a kick) and island plum jelly made from fruit grown on the property. You'll need to take a taxi to get to The Farm; once you're there, have spiny lobster for lunch at their restaurant, the Crow's Nest.?

10. Princess Cays, Bahamas
Eleuthera, one of the Out Islands, is the other Bahamas port that made the top 10. Here, you can swim and sunbathe at private beaches and resorts without safety concerns (the U.S. State Department does warn about the possibility of muggings and other crime occurring on New Providence Island, where Nassau is located).

Secret: Located on the island of Eleuthera, the private beach resort owned by Princess gives you a glimpse of how laid back life on the Out Islands can be. Most people spend their time on Princess Cays either on the beach or in the water (head to the sand early to corner a lounge chair and bring your snorkel gear to get up close and personal with the colorful corals, fish, and sponges that blanket the ocean floor). If you want to do some exploring, there's a small local cemetery that contains the graves of some of the island's early 1900's residents. The cemetery is walking distance from the beach ? just make sure you wear bug spray and solid shoes for the mile-long trek.?

Source: http://itineraries.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/21/10467704-secrets-to-the-10-most-popular-cruise-ports

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