A salute to Shivnarine Chanderpaul

SHIV, THE LAST MAN STANDING

Twenty-one years now, since Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s first Test. England, at the Bourda in Georgetown, 17 March 1994. West Indies were then still the No1 team in the world, and to stay so for another 12 months, till their watershed loss to Australia the following spring. Opening the batting, Desmond Haynes, playing in his 113th Test, and Richie Richardson, in his 74th. Opening the bowling, Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh. Alongside the young Chanderpaul in the middle order, Brian Lara – soon to break Garry Sobers’ record Test score – and Jimmy Adams, early in the purple patch of form that saw him average 70 in his first 20 Tests. Another era altogether then, one when the West Indies, while waning, still played with some of the fire and brilliance that had made them one of the greatest teams in history.

Brian Lara has berated the West Indies selectors and the WICB for seeking to denyShivnarine Chanderpaul the chance of a final Test series against Australia, demanding that his former teammate be reinstated for a farewell along the lines of that given to Sachin Tendulkar by the BCCI.

Chanderpaul was 19, and so slim that both his shirt and pads seemed several sizes too big for him. He was called in as a replacement for Phil Simmons, now West Indies’ head coach. Some said he was only there to please the Guyanese. “A politically shrewd selection,” wrote Derek Pringle in The Independent. Wisden, in one of those odd and endearing miscalculations it occasionally makes, reported that he was included “as much for his leg-breaks as his left-handed batting”. And he did bowl 16 overs, all wicketless, in the first innings. Things became clearer when, in at No6, he hit his first four, a glorious cut behind point off Alan Igglesden. That afternoon Chanderpaul battered England’s attack, and scored the first of his 66 Test 50s. There was a pitch invasion when he got there, and Adams had to drag away a couple of fans who wanted to grab the boy’s bat.

After his last Test century – 101 against Bangladesh in St Lucia last September – Chanderpaul needed to score 228 runs to overtake Lara as the West Indies’ leading run-scorer in Test cricket. Now, he still needs another 71 to do it. His progress towards the record has been slow and faltering, 91 runs in six innings against South Africa, 67 in four so far against England. At his age, even a short run of low scores is enough to make people wonder whether his time is finally up. His next Test will be his 164th, and put him fifth on the all-time list alongside Rahul Dravid. Sachin Tendulkar is the only man who has made it beyond the 160s. For West Indies, Australia are next up. It seems like these could be some the final few scenes of Chanderpaul’s career.

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Chanderpaul is 40 now, and has spent the last two years playing alongside his own son, Tagenarine, for Guyana. At the end of 2012 they put on 256 runs together – 143 for the father, 112 for the son – in a club match against the Transport Sports Club. Delightfully amateur, that. Tagenarine is another left-hander and, like his old man, he often uses his bat to knock a bail into the ground to mark his guard. He too grew up playing on the hard earth of Unity Village, he too was coached by Khemraj Chanderpaul, Shiv’s father, Tagenarine’s grandfather. He did have the advantage, however, of being able to play on a relaid pitch, by a rebuilt pavilion. His father paid for the upgrades, a gift to his village. When Shiv was a boy, he played on a strip on the side of the village pitch so that he could practice without disturbing the senior players. Then, at night, he would bat against a ball tucked into a sock, hanging from a rope tied to the roof.

With Shiv, the story has always been that he was shaped by those early years in Unity. A small kid with scrappy kit, playing on rough wickets against tough men. He evolved that home-spun style all of his own; the open, awkward stance, chest half-turned to the bowler, playing late often as not, looking to slide the ball behind square. The first time he did it in a Test, to take a four off Angus Fraser, Geoff Boycott was commentating. “That’s exactly why England should be bowling as much as possible at the youngster, Chanderpaul … he never really got forward, he fell into the shot.”

Chanderpaul was shaped, too, by the circumstances of his career, which has exactly overlapped with the decline and fall of the team. Lara’s did too, of course, but he was so richly blessed that he always seemed almost to rise above his team-mates, a man apart. Whereas Shiv seems to have spent his talent propping them up. Lara went in 2006. Walsh in 2001, Ambrose in 2000, Richardson in 1995, Haynes in 1994. Shiv has played with almost 100 others since he made his debut. And even the best of them – Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan – have now come and gone. Others were hardly there at all. A full 42 of them played in only five Tests or fewer.

Back in 2003, in another home Test at the Bourda, against Australia this time, Chanderpaul played one of the great counterattacking innings. West Indies had won the toss, and chosen to bat. An hour before lunch, they were 53 for five. An hour after it, 184 for six. In between, Chanderpaul cut, pulled, and drove a hundred off 69 balls, then third-fastest century Test ever scored. A little glimpse of his latent attacking talent, a hint of the batsman he might have been if he had been playing in a different era, or for another team. His last hundred, the one against Bangladesh at the Beausejour, took 138 balls, and was the fastest he has scored since. In between the two, he turned himself into one of the most cussed batsmen ever to play the game, a man who measured his innings out in hours and days, rather than runs and balls.

Chanderpaul turned himself into the great rearguard batsman, a man who never quits and never surrenders. Unsurprisingly, he has been not out more often than any other batsman in history. Some have said he is dull, others that he is selfish. But he has only been doing what he has to. He has, for instance, been involved in more run-outs than anyone in Test cricket, 25 altogether. And on 21 of those occasions, it’s been his partner who has had to walk off. No wonder. Chanderpaul has had to play that way, fuelled by the Boycott-like certainty that West Indies’ best chance is if he is at the wicket. He has scored more runs in lost matches than any other batsman.

The final years of Chanderpaul’s career have too often been characterised by what Wisden called the “yawning gap between his skill, commitment and experience” and that of his team-mates. After Lara quit, Chanderpaul took on the load. He’s been carrying it ever since, always unbowed, often undefeated. If – or rather when – he gets those final few runs and overtakes his old team-mate, it will be odd to see him there, top of the record lists, above the likes of Lara, Viv Richards, and Garry Sobers. But after all he has done, no one would begrudge him his place.

Lenovo and Microsoft Make Devices Even More Personal with Cortana and REACHit

Lenovo and Microsoft Make Devices Even More Personal with Cortana and REACHit

Lenovo and Microsoft Make Devices Even More Personal with Cortana and REACHit

Lenovo and Microsoft Make Devices Even More Personal with Cortana and REACHit

Lenovo Announces New High-Performance Storage

Lenovo Announces New High-Performance Storage for Small and Midsized Businesses

Lenovo Announces New High-Performance Storage

Lenovo Announces New High-Performance Storage for Small and Midsized Businesses

Mitsubishi Electric to Announce About Introduction of Performance-based Stock Compensation Plan for the Executive Officers

Mitsubishi Electric to Announce About Introduction of Performance-based Stock Compensation Plan for the Executive Officers

Mitsubishi Electric to Announce About Introduction of Performance-based Stock Compensation Plan for the Executive Officers

Mitsubishi Electric to Announce About Introduction of Performance-based Stock Compensation Plan for the Executive Officers

Saal Ek Shuruaat Anek

Saal Ek Shuruaat Anek

Saal Ek Shuruaat Anek

Saal Ek Shuruaat Anek

Tips to learn Spanish (and any other language)

https://youtu.be/en6DBKaKjg

Spanish is the most studied second language in the United States. Many Americans start learning it in middle school or high school, but most of us never reach a level where we can really communicate in Spanish. I studied Spanish for all four years of high school and have almost nothing to show for it besides, “Me llamo John-Erik. Yo nací en Los Angeles. Chicle in la basura, por favor.” As is painfully obvious from this thimbleful of Spanish I retained after high school, my relationship with the language never left the classroom and thus never really came to life. Where did I go wrong?

I needed expert advice so I consulted two guys with a lot to say about the Spanish language: Luca Lampariello, who hails from Italy and started teaching himself Spanish as a kid (he also speaks English, Russian, Mandarin and Japanese), and Babbel’s polyglot-in-residence Matthew Youlden. Here are their tips forLEARNING SPANISH (or any language for that matter).
1. Connect it to your life

Don’t isolate your study of the language from the rest of your life. You’re not learning Spanish in order to talk about learning Spanish. This kind of recursive loop gets boring very quickly – and can be severely demotivating. Instead, think of Spanish as a new way to experience your everyday life: change the display language on your computer to Spanish; find Spanish-language movies and TV shows to watch (with Spanish subtitles); get your news or celebrity gossip fix from Spanish-language magazines, newspapers and websites; check out Spanish-language podcasts and youtube videos on topics that already interest you. If you use Spanish to do things that you’d be doing anyway, studying daily will become an automatic reflex instead of a dreaded chore. Just remember that languages are a means to an end, not goals in themselves.
2. Connect to native speakers

The best way to connect Spanish to your daily life is to spend time around native speakers. If any of your friends speak Spanish, convince them to speak it with you for at least half of each time you hang out together. If you eat at a Mexican restaurant, try to order in Spanish. If you travel to Latin America or Spain, don’t just fall back on “habla ingles?” Any time an opportunity to speak Spanish presents itself GRAB IT! You need to practice what you learn and talking is always the best way to do that. Once you can hold a basic conversation, find a Spanish-speaking meetup group or club so that you can pursue one of your hobbies in Spanish. This could be anything from a dance class to a choir to an astronomy club.

This is also the secret to retaining what you have learned. As Luca puts it, “My parents had some good Spanish friends who came to eat at our place once a week, so I was able to practice with them. If you have the opportunity to speak many languages on a daily basis, then you won’t forget them.” This applies if you are juggling 10+ languages or if you are simply trying to keep a second language locked in your memory. The more you use it the less likely you are to forget it.
3. All roads lead to Rome

Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese and Romanian can barely consider each other “foreign languages” since they all evolved from Latin. These “Romance” languages have such similar vocabulary, syntax and grammar that they are more like siblings. This overlap with his native Italian made it easy for Luca to startLEARNING SPANISH, but he still had to focus and make Spanish learning a daily practice.

By comparison, an English speaker appears to have a huge disadvantage when learning Spanish. After all, English evolved from Anglo-Saxon, a Germanic language. What could English and Spanish possibly have in common? Quite a lot, actually. English draws roughly half of its vocabulary from French and Latin, so although they may not be siblings English and Spanish are certainly cousins. Consider Matthew’s example, “la proclamación de la democracia”. That phrase barely needs to be translated into English! And as Luca elaborates, “democratisation, democratización, démocratisation, democratizzazione … you can learn four languages at the same time.”
4. The imitation game

An authentic accent: the final frontier. To master a Spanish accent you need to listen closely to native speakers and imitate what you hear. Think of yourself as a method actor: you aren’t just learning the lines, you are attempting to inhabit your character. However you expose yourself to Spanish (hanging out with Spanish-speaking friends, talking with tandem partners over Skype, watching Spanish-language movies and TV shows) imitate the voices you hear as accurately as you can. Over time this will familiarize you with sounds that you aren’t used to making. At first it may feel silly, like you are doing a bad impression, but once the correct pronunciation sinks in you will be “in character” when you speak Spanish.

Since Spanish has so many different regional accents, the people you choose to imitate can give your Spanish a particular regional flair. Because he studied in Barcelona, Matthew speaks Spanish like a barcelonés, while Luca developed his madrileño accent after dating a girl from Madrid. My Spanish may be light years behind theirs, but I’m trying to emulate my Mexican friends in hopes that, one day, I’ll be able to interject güey into almost every sentence like one of the dudes.
5. Daisy chain

Point #5 is a pro tip for those ready to take on their third or later language. Once you know a second language well enough to read, write and speak it, use it to learn the next one. This provides a kind of double training: you learn language #3 while continuing to practice and perfect language #2. Let’s say that after Spanish you want to learn Portuguese. Your goal is not “to learn Portuguese”, but “aprender portugués”. When you learn this way, your knowledge doesn’t pivot from one privileged point (your native tongue), but extends along a chain, with each new link reinforcing the last.

Tips to learn Spanish (and any other language)

https://youtu.be/en6DBKaKjg

Spanish is the most studied second language in the United States. Many Americans start learning it in middle school or high school, but most of us never reach a level where we can really communicate in Spanish. I studied Spanish for all four years of high school and have almost nothing to show for it besides, “Me llamo John-Erik. Yo nací en Los Angeles. Chicle in la basura, por favor.” As is painfully obvious from this thimbleful of Spanish I retained after high school, my relationship with the language never left the classroom and thus never really came to life. Where did I go wrong?

I needed expert advice so I consulted two guys with a lot to say about the Spanish language: Luca Lampariello, who hails from Italy and started teaching himself Spanish as a kid (he also speaks English, Russian, Mandarin and Japanese), and Babbel’s polyglot-in-residence Matthew Youlden. Here are their tips forLEARNING SPANISH (or any language for that matter).
1. Connect it to your life

Don’t isolate your study of the language from the rest of your life. You’re not learning Spanish in order to talk about learning Spanish. This kind of recursive loop gets boring very quickly – and can be severely demotivating. Instead, think of Spanish as a new way to experience your everyday life: change the display language on your computer to Spanish; find Spanish-language movies and TV shows to watch (with Spanish subtitles); get your news or celebrity gossip fix from Spanish-language magazines, newspapers and websites; check out Spanish-language podcasts and youtube videos on topics that already interest you. If you use Spanish to do things that you’d be doing anyway, studying daily will become an automatic reflex instead of a dreaded chore. Just remember that languages are a means to an end, not goals in themselves.
2. Connect to native speakers

The best way to connect Spanish to your daily life is to spend time around native speakers. If any of your friends speak Spanish, convince them to speak it with you for at least half of each time you hang out together. If you eat at a Mexican restaurant, try to order in Spanish. If you travel to Latin America or Spain, don’t just fall back on “habla ingles?” Any time an opportunity to speak Spanish presents itself GRAB IT! You need to practice what you learn and talking is always the best way to do that. Once you can hold a basic conversation, find a Spanish-speaking meetup group or club so that you can pursue one of your hobbies in Spanish. This could be anything from a dance class to a choir to an astronomy club.

This is also the secret to retaining what you have learned. As Luca puts it, “My parents had some good Spanish friends who came to eat at our place once a week, so I was able to practice with them. If you have the opportunity to speak many languages on a daily basis, then you won’t forget them.” This applies if you are juggling 10+ languages or if you are simply trying to keep a second language locked in your memory. The more you use it the less likely you are to forget it.
3. All roads lead to Rome

Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese and Romanian can barely consider each other “foreign languages” since they all evolved from Latin. These “Romance” languages have such similar vocabulary, syntax and grammar that they are more like siblings. This overlap with his native Italian made it easy for Luca to startLEARNING SPANISH, but he still had to focus and make Spanish learning a daily practice.

By comparison, an English speaker appears to have a huge disadvantage when learning Spanish. After all, English evolved from Anglo-Saxon, a Germanic language. What could English and Spanish possibly have in common? Quite a lot, actually. English draws roughly half of its vocabulary from French and Latin, so although they may not be siblings English and Spanish are certainly cousins. Consider Matthew’s example, “la proclamación de la democracia”. That phrase barely needs to be translated into English! And as Luca elaborates, “democratisation, democratización, démocratisation, democratizzazione … you can learn four languages at the same time.”
4. The imitation game

An authentic accent: the final frontier. To master a Spanish accent you need to listen closely to native speakers and imitate what you hear. Think of yourself as a method actor: you aren’t just learning the lines, you are attempting to inhabit your character. However you expose yourself to Spanish (hanging out with Spanish-speaking friends, talking with tandem partners over Skype, watching Spanish-language movies and TV shows) imitate the voices you hear as accurately as you can. Over time this will familiarize you with sounds that you aren’t used to making. At first it may feel silly, like you are doing a bad impression, but once the correct pronunciation sinks in you will be “in character” when you speak Spanish.

Since Spanish has so many different regional accents, the people you choose to imitate can give your Spanish a particular regional flair. Because he studied in Barcelona, Matthew speaks Spanish like a barcelonés, while Luca developed his madrileño accent after dating a girl from Madrid. My Spanish may be light years behind theirs, but I’m trying to emulate my Mexican friends in hopes that, one day, I’ll be able to interject güey into almost every sentence like one of the dudes.
5. Daisy chain

Point #5 is a pro tip for those ready to take on their third or later language. Once you know a second language well enough to read, write and speak it, use it to learn the next one. This provides a kind of double training: you learn language #3 while continuing to practice and perfect language #2. Let’s say that after Spanish you want to learn Portuguese. Your goal is not “to learn Portuguese”, but “aprender portugués”. When you learn this way, your knowledge doesn’t pivot from one privileged point (your native tongue), but extends along a chain, with each new link reinforcing the last.

Watch This Guy Speak 9 Languages

https://youtu.be/z-tTFKra3Ik

Matthew Youlden speaks nine languages fluently and understands more than a dozen more. He’s what is known as a polyglot, a member of the multilingual elite who speaks six or more languages fluently. He’s also a sociolinguist who studies the revitalization of minority languages. But to see him in action on a daily basis – deftly and comfortably talking to native-speakers in their own languages – suggests that he’s more than a polyglot. Matthew, who is originally from Manchester, England, is a language chameleon: Germans think he’s German, Spaniards think he’s Spanish, Brazilians think he’s Portuguese (he proudly speaks the good-old European variety).

By his own account, Matthew has mastered a staggering number of languages by utilizing abilities that we all possess: persistence, enthusiasm and open-mindedness. If your classic polyglot is an über-nerd who studies languages full-time, then Matthew is something different. His version of multilingualism doesn’t isolate him in an ivory tower; it connects him to people all over the world. According to Matthew, the more languages you speak, the more points of view you have:

“I think each language has a certain way of seeing the world. If you speak one language then you have a different way of analyzing and interpreting the world than the speaker of another language does. Even if they’re really closely-related languages such as Spanish and Portuguese, which are to a certain extent mutually intelligible, they are at the same time two different worlds – two different mindsets.

“Therefore, having learned other languages and been surrounded by other languages, I couldn’t possibly choose only one language because it would mean really renouncing the possibility to be able to see the world in a different way. Not in one way, but in many different ways. So the monolingual lifestyle, for me, is the saddest, the loneliest, the most boring way of seeing the world. There are so many advantages of learning a language; I really can’t think of any reason not to.”

Watch the video above to see him flex his skills in Irish, French, Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese, Italian, Hebrew and German.

Watch This Guy Speak 9 Languages

https://youtu.be/z-tTFKra3Ik

Matthew Youlden speaks nine languages fluently and understands more than a dozen more. He’s what is known as a polyglot, a member of the multilingual elite who speaks six or more languages fluently. He’s also a sociolinguist who studies the revitalization of minority languages. But to see him in action on a daily basis – deftly and comfortably talking to native-speakers in their own languages – suggests that he’s more than a polyglot. Matthew, who is originally from Manchester, England, is a language chameleon: Germans think he’s German, Spaniards think he’s Spanish, Brazilians think he’s Portuguese (he proudly speaks the good-old European variety).

By his own account, Matthew has mastered a staggering number of languages by utilizing abilities that we all possess: persistence, enthusiasm and open-mindedness. If your classic polyglot is an über-nerd who studies languages full-time, then Matthew is something different. His version of multilingualism doesn’t isolate him in an ivory tower; it connects him to people all over the world. According to Matthew, the more languages you speak, the more points of view you have:

“I think each language has a certain way of seeing the world. If you speak one language then you have a different way of analyzing and interpreting the world than the speaker of another language does. Even if they’re really closely-related languages such as Spanish and Portuguese, which are to a certain extent mutually intelligible, they are at the same time two different worlds – two different mindsets.

“Therefore, having learned other languages and been surrounded by other languages, I couldn’t possibly choose only one language because it would mean really renouncing the possibility to be able to see the world in a different way. Not in one way, but in many different ways. So the monolingual lifestyle, for me, is the saddest, the loneliest, the most boring way of seeing the world. There are so many advantages of learning a language; I really can’t think of any reason not to.”

Watch the video above to see him flex his skills in Irish, French, Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese, Italian, Hebrew and German.

GOOGLE SCIENTIST SAYS COMPUTERS WILL DEVELOP "COMMON SENSE” WITHIN A DECADE

Prominent artificial intelligence scientist Professor Geoff Hinton predicts computers will develop “common sense” within a decade.

Hinton is helping develop intelligent operating systems at Google where he says, in an interview with The Guardian, the company is on the verge of creating algorithms with the ability for logic, fluid conversation and flirtation.

According to Hinton, Google is at an early stage of working on a new type of algorithm that encodes “thoughts as sequences of numbers,” what he refers to as “thought vectors.” He believes a more advanced version may reach a “human-like capacity for reasoning and logic” that will basically give machines “common sense.”

Hinton said that the reality of people chatting to their machines for fun like in the film Her in the near future is “not that far-fetched,” saying “I don’t see why it shouldn’t be like a friend. I don’t see why you shouldn’t grow quite attached to them.”


While the likes of SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk, Stephen Hawkings and Bill Gates have often expressed concerns over super intelligent AI, Hinton believes the real threats lay with the NSA.

“I’m more scared about the things that have already happened. The NSA is already bugging everything that everybody does," Hinton said.“I am scared that if you make the technology work better, you help the NSA misuse it more. I’d be more worried about that than about autonomous killer robots."

GOOGLE SCIENTIST SAYS COMPUTERS WILL DEVELOP "COMMON SENSE” WITHIN A DECADE

Prominent artificial intelligence scientist Professor Geoff Hinton predicts computers will develop “common sense” within a decade.

Hinton is helping develop intelligent operating systems at Google where he says, in an interview with The Guardian, the company is on the verge of creating algorithms with the ability for logic, fluid conversation and flirtation.

According to Hinton, Google is at an early stage of working on a new type of algorithm that encodes “thoughts as sequences of numbers,” what he refers to as “thought vectors.” He believes a more advanced version may reach a “human-like capacity for reasoning and logic” that will basically give machines “common sense.”

Hinton said that the reality of people chatting to their machines for fun like in the film Her in the near future is “not that far-fetched,” saying “I don’t see why it shouldn’t be like a friend. I don’t see why you shouldn’t grow quite attached to them.”


While the likes of SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk, Stephen Hawkings and Bill Gates have often expressed concerns over super intelligent AI, Hinton believes the real threats lay with the NSA.

“I’m more scared about the things that have already happened. The NSA is already bugging everything that everybody does," Hinton said.“I am scared that if you make the technology work better, you help the NSA misuse it more. I’d be more worried about that than about autonomous killer robots."

The Salmon Life Cycle

Overview:

The anadromous life history strategy of salmon plays a key role in bringing nutrients from the ocean back into rivers and the wildlife community. Though it varies among the five species of Pacific salmon, in its simplest form, it is hatch, migrate, spawn, die.

: 1. Salmon eggs, 2. Alevins, 3. Coho fry, 4. Smolts, 5. The Elwha River draining into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, 6. Coho migrating to spawn, 7. Sockeye spawning, 8. Dead salmon after spawning Life Cycle Stages: Alevins in gravel NPS photo 1 & 2: Eggs & Alevins The cycle begins in freshwater, when a redd, or a female's nest of eggs, is fertilized. These eggs remain in the gravel throughout the winter, and the embryos develop. In the spring, the eggs hatch and alevins emerge. These are tiny fish with the yolk sac of the egg attached to their bellies. Alevins stay close to the redd for a few months. When they have consumed all of the yolk sac and grown in size, these fish emerge from the gravel, and are then considered fry. A coho fry in the Elwha River Roger Peters - USFWS 3: Fry Fry swim to the surface of the water, fill up their swim bladders with oxygen, and begin to feed. Depending on the species, fry can spend up to a year or more in their natal stream. Upon emerging from the gravel, both pink and chum are already silvery smolts, and head directly to sea. Sockeye fry tend to migrate to a lake, spending 1-2 years before migrating to sea. Chinook fry usually spend less than 5 months in freshwater, while coho fry may spend over a year. The survival of fry is dependent upon high-quality stream habitat. Boulders, logs, shade, and access to side channels is important in allowing fry to hide from predators and prevents them from getting flushed downstream during flood river-flows. By the end of their seaward migration, the smolts are silvery all over. 4: Seaward Migration Eventually, environmental cues cause fry to begin their migration downstream towards the oceans. At this time, smolting begins, and scales grow as they turn a silvery color. At night to avoid predators, small fry (or developing smolts) allow the river to take them tail-first downstream while larger fry swim actively towards the ocean. Estuaries, at the mouth of the river, are crucial to the survival of young smolts. While allowing their bodies to adjust to the new conditions, they feed heavily, hoping to ensure survival in the ocean. Estuaries provides crucial adjustment habitat for salmon leaving and entering the river. 5: Ocean Life While some salmon remain in coastal water, others migrate northward to feedings grounds. Salmon may spend one to seven years in the ocean. Certain species have more flexible life history strategies, while others are more rigid. Coho may spend up to seven years at sea, but typically four. Pink salmon, on the other hand, spend a fixed 18 months at sea. Sockeye typically spend two years at sea, coho spend about 18 months, and chinook can spend up to 8 years before journeying back to their natal streams to spawn. Coho return to spawn in the Sol Duc River. nps photo 6: Spawning Migration It is unsure as to how exactly salmon detect their natal streams, though it is suspected that scents and chemical cues, as well as the sun, play an important role in the homeward migraton. Once the salmon reach freshwater, they stop feeding. During the course of the journey, their bodies intinctively prepare for spawning. The taxing journey draws energy from their fat storage, muscles, and organs, except for the reproductive organs. Males develop hooked noses, or kype, in order to fight for dominance. A deteriorated salmon dies soon after spawning. Eggs lay unburied in the gravel. nps photo 7 & 8: Spawning & Death Upon reaching natal streams, females build nests, or redds. These little depressions in the gravel are made by the female by turning on her side and using her tail to dislodge stones or pebbles. Males fight with other males for spawning rights with a female. The dominant male will court the female and upon spawning, they release eggs and milt simultaneously. The eggs will settle into the gravel, and the female will cover the eggs with loose gravel and move upstream in order to prepare another redd. Eventually, both the males and females die, supplying the river habitat with nutrients and the seeds of the next generation that will someday return to continue the cycle.

The Salmon Life Cycle

Overview:

The anadromous life history strategy of salmon plays a key role in bringing nutrients from the ocean back into rivers and the wildlife community. Though it varies among the five species of Pacific salmon, in its simplest form, it is hatch, migrate, spawn, die.

: 1. Salmon eggs, 2. Alevins, 3. Coho fry, 4. Smolts, 5. The Elwha River draining into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, 6. Coho migrating to spawn, 7. Sockeye spawning, 8. Dead salmon after spawning Life Cycle Stages: Alevins in gravel NPS photo 1 & 2: Eggs & Alevins The cycle begins in freshwater, when a redd, or a female's nest of eggs, is fertilized. These eggs remain in the gravel throughout the winter, and the embryos develop. In the spring, the eggs hatch and alevins emerge. These are tiny fish with the yolk sac of the egg attached to their bellies. Alevins stay close to the redd for a few months. When they have consumed all of the yolk sac and grown in size, these fish emerge from the gravel, and are then considered fry. A coho fry in the Elwha River Roger Peters - USFWS 3: Fry Fry swim to the surface of the water, fill up their swim bladders with oxygen, and begin to feed. Depending on the species, fry can spend up to a year or more in their natal stream. Upon emerging from the gravel, both pink and chum are already silvery smolts, and head directly to sea. Sockeye fry tend to migrate to a lake, spending 1-2 years before migrating to sea. Chinook fry usually spend less than 5 months in freshwater, while coho fry may spend over a year. The survival of fry is dependent upon high-quality stream habitat. Boulders, logs, shade, and access to side channels is important in allowing fry to hide from predators and prevents them from getting flushed downstream during flood river-flows. By the end of their seaward migration, the smolts are silvery all over. 4: Seaward Migration Eventually, environmental cues cause fry to begin their migration downstream towards the oceans. At this time, smolting begins, and scales grow as they turn a silvery color. At night to avoid predators, small fry (or developing smolts) allow the river to take them tail-first downstream while larger fry swim actively towards the ocean. Estuaries, at the mouth of the river, are crucial to the survival of young smolts. While allowing their bodies to adjust to the new conditions, they feed heavily, hoping to ensure survival in the ocean. Estuaries provides crucial adjustment habitat for salmon leaving and entering the river. 5: Ocean Life While some salmon remain in coastal water, others migrate northward to feedings grounds. Salmon may spend one to seven years in the ocean. Certain species have more flexible life history strategies, while others are more rigid. Coho may spend up to seven years at sea, but typically four. Pink salmon, on the other hand, spend a fixed 18 months at sea. Sockeye typically spend two years at sea, coho spend about 18 months, and chinook can spend up to 8 years before journeying back to their natal streams to spawn. Coho return to spawn in the Sol Duc River. nps photo 6: Spawning Migration It is unsure as to how exactly salmon detect their natal streams, though it is suspected that scents and chemical cues, as well as the sun, play an important role in the homeward migraton. Once the salmon reach freshwater, they stop feeding. During the course of the journey, their bodies intinctively prepare for spawning. The taxing journey draws energy from their fat storage, muscles, and organs, except for the reproductive organs. Males develop hooked noses, or kype, in order to fight for dominance. A deteriorated salmon dies soon after spawning. Eggs lay unburied in the gravel. nps photo 7 & 8: Spawning & Death Upon reaching natal streams, females build nests, or redds. These little depressions in the gravel are made by the female by turning on her side and using her tail to dislodge stones or pebbles. Males fight with other males for spawning rights with a female. The dominant male will court the female and upon spawning, they release eggs and milt simultaneously. The eggs will settle into the gravel, and the female will cover the eggs with loose gravel and move upstream in order to prepare another redd. Eventually, both the males and females die, supplying the river habitat with nutrients and the seeds of the next generation that will someday return to continue the cycle.

Scott Propp: The Intersection of Design Thinking and Business Models, The Tool Box

We recently discussed the arc of development and the power of graphically representing business models; today I’ll introduce you to three common ones used by strategists. (To go deeper, there’s a survey of even more here.)

All business models answer a common question - what is the block diagram of the customer value delivery system. Business models are maps; you’ll have a different business model for software as a service (SaaS) business from a device business, as you would have a different set of maps as a boat captain from an airplane pilot. But they function for the same purpose. The other commonality you find is whoever authored the map puts their role in the middle.

The first, most current and widely used tool is the business model canvas made popular by the book Business Model Generation. You can download a wall sized PDF at the first link and go to work. The framework is licensed as open source and includes a large library of models publically available to serve as starting points for your work. Its cousin, the Value Proposition Design book and map, are very useful to working out the extremely important relationship between value proposition and customer.

I like this tool when working with large diverse groups to communicate the business model and gather input. Being intuitive and approachable, it’s a great tool to use with customers and partners as well. I have clients who have used them with their bankers, customers and partners to get everyone on the same page.

Larry Keeley and team at the Doblin Group developed the second tool I’ll highlight. Their work is built around the book Ten Types of Innovation, and uses a building block approach to develop and tell innovation stories. By mixing and matching building blocks, interesting new derivatives can be developed and ultimately value released for the customer.

These tools work well with committed core teams working to get outside the paradigm of their current business model. By using the chart and supporting book, you can use “gameification” to explore questions like “what would happen if we explored direct distribution.” By using the “mix and fix” iterations, unique approaches will emerge.

The third tool I’ll highlight is from Mark Johnson of Clayton Christensen's Innosight firm. In his book Seizing the White Space he outlines a four-box model that you can see and use some helpful resources here. In addition to his simplified model, Mark also includes a catalogue of business models to use as starting points. (You can also get the list in the HBR article.)

This tool brings forward the profitability portion of the model and works well with groups that are doing the deep analytics around current and proposed business models. Since all good business hypotheses have a visual, analytic and narrative component, this tools serves a nice visual gateway to a more analytic discussion.

Other Popular ways to get started:

1) Do an “as is” sketch of your business model and ecosystem. Keep it on the wall of your office and invite everyone to offer contributions with post-it notes. Be sure to open the gate wide and include everyone from frontline sales to R&D. Share the feedback in team meetings, strategy sessions and customer dialogues to be sure everyone is on the same team.

2) When you are doing something new, map it with these tools. Ask what if questions, and perform thought experiments. There is good data that says if you alter two elements of your business model map in service to your customer, then the returns on your firm will be higher than your peers.

3) Map your customer and suppliers. By developing upstream and downstream business model maps, you will be able to have rich discussions with your partners, and potentially deliver much higher value.

4) Bonus tip - do a “perfect competitor” version as an exercise to limber up and jolt yourself into action - because I guarantee you someone else is looking at the same map.

Scott Propp, a former fortune 100 executive, is a consultant, coach and speaker who work with change agents and executive leaders to create a sustainable path to growth and innovation. You can sign up for his popular newsletter here, and follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn.

- See more at: http://capsule.us/blog/scott-propp-the-intersection-of-design-thinking-and-business-models-the-too/#sthash.uBlZaVUu.dpuf

Scott Propp: The Intersection of Design Thinking and Business Models, The Tool Box

We recently discussed the arc of development and the power of graphically representing business models; today I’ll introduce you to three common ones used by strategists. (To go deeper, there’s a survey of even more here.)

All business models answer a common question - what is the block diagram of the customer value delivery system. Business models are maps; you’ll have a different business model for software as a service (SaaS) business from a device business, as you would have a different set of maps as a boat captain from an airplane pilot. But they function for the same purpose. The other commonality you find is whoever authored the map puts their role in the middle.

The first, most current and widely used tool is the business model canvas made popular by the book Business Model Generation. You can download a wall sized PDF at the first link and go to work. The framework is licensed as open source and includes a large library of models publically available to serve as starting points for your work. Its cousin, the Value Proposition Design book and map, are very useful to working out the extremely important relationship between value proposition and customer.

I like this tool when working with large diverse groups to communicate the business model and gather input. Being intuitive and approachable, it’s a great tool to use with customers and partners as well. I have clients who have used them with their bankers, customers and partners to get everyone on the same page.

Larry Keeley and team at the Doblin Group developed the second tool I’ll highlight. Their work is built around the book Ten Types of Innovation, and uses a building block approach to develop and tell innovation stories. By mixing and matching building blocks, interesting new derivatives can be developed and ultimately value released for the customer.

These tools work well with committed core teams working to get outside the paradigm of their current business model. By using the chart and supporting book, you can use “gameification” to explore questions like “what would happen if we explored direct distribution.” By using the “mix and fix” iterations, unique approaches will emerge.

The third tool I’ll highlight is from Mark Johnson of Clayton Christensen's Innosight firm. In his book Seizing the White Space he outlines a four-box model that you can see and use some helpful resources here. In addition to his simplified model, Mark also includes a catalogue of business models to use as starting points. (You can also get the list in the HBR article.)

This tool brings forward the profitability portion of the model and works well with groups that are doing the deep analytics around current and proposed business models. Since all good business hypotheses have a visual, analytic and narrative component, this tools serves a nice visual gateway to a more analytic discussion.

Other Popular ways to get started:

1) Do an “as is” sketch of your business model and ecosystem. Keep it on the wall of your office and invite everyone to offer contributions with post-it notes. Be sure to open the gate wide and include everyone from frontline sales to R&D. Share the feedback in team meetings, strategy sessions and customer dialogues to be sure everyone is on the same team.

2) When you are doing something new, map it with these tools. Ask what if questions, and perform thought experiments. There is good data that says if you alter two elements of your business model map in service to your customer, then the returns on your firm will be higher than your peers.

3) Map your customer and suppliers. By developing upstream and downstream business model maps, you will be able to have rich discussions with your partners, and potentially deliver much higher value.

4) Bonus tip - do a “perfect competitor” version as an exercise to limber up and jolt yourself into action - because I guarantee you someone else is looking at the same map.

Scott Propp, a former fortune 100 executive, is a consultant, coach and speaker who work with change agents and executive leaders to create a sustainable path to growth and innovation. You can sign up for his popular newsletter here, and follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn.

- See more at: http://capsule.us/blog/scott-propp-the-intersection-of-design-thinking-and-business-models-the-too/#sthash.uBlZaVUu.dpuf

Germany, Cortina part ways

New coach for new era to be found
 Author Martin Merk

German national team coach Pat Cortina during an IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship. Photo: Richard Wolowicz / HHOF-IIHF Images

The German Ice Hockey Association announced that the contract with national coach Pat Cortina will not be extended after three years in this position.

“Pat Cortina is a good coach with a great character who worked with heart and soul,” the association’s president Franz Reindl said.

“He coped well with the national team’s difficult situation at the World Championship but after three years of good co-operation we came to the common conclusion that for the re-launch of the national team in view of the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship on home ice we also need new staff.”

The responsible committee will work on Cortina’s succession in the upcoming weeks.

Under Cortina, the German men’s national team finished in 9th, 14th and 10th place in the last three World Championships but missed the qualification to the Olympic Winter Games for the first time in history since coming back after World War II for the 1952 Olympics. Cortina also coached the U20 national team that was relegated at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Germany, Cortina part ways

New coach for new era to be found
 Author Martin Merk

German national team coach Pat Cortina during an IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship. Photo: Richard Wolowicz / HHOF-IIHF Images

The German Ice Hockey Association announced that the contract with national coach Pat Cortina will not be extended after three years in this position.

“Pat Cortina is a good coach with a great character who worked with heart and soul,” the association’s president Franz Reindl said.

“He coped well with the national team’s difficult situation at the World Championship but after three years of good co-operation we came to the common conclusion that for the re-launch of the national team in view of the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship on home ice we also need new staff.”

The responsible committee will work on Cortina’s succession in the upcoming weeks.

Under Cortina, the German men’s national team finished in 9th, 14th and 10th place in the last three World Championships but missed the qualification to the Olympic Winter Games for the first time in history since coming back after World War II for the 1952 Olympics. Cortina also coached the U20 national team that was relegated at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship.

E-tech Launches Software Services for Grinders

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Texas Instruments Recognized as Top Exporter and Outstanding Employer in the Philippines

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Wells Fargo Team Members Get to Work to Raise More Than INR 30 Lakhs for Charity

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Gionee Leading China Mobile Industry in Indian Market

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Alibaba.com Helps SMEs Build Trust in Cross-Border Trade with Trade Assurance

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Beaches of the day

Coast of St. Maarten

There is a beach for every passion along the coast of St. Maarten. Some of our more renowned beaches include the mile-long Mullet Bay Beach, perfect for swimming. Little Bay Beach is a favorite of snorkelers, with calm waters and excellent visibility. Dawn Beach is known for its powdery white sand. And Guana Bay Beach offers magnificent views of St. Barthelemy.

Maho Beach


Maho Beach is one of the island's most dramatic swimming spots. Swimmers enjoying a splash in the water can also experience the unusual thrill of airplanes passing right over their heads as they head for the nearby runway of Princess Juliana International Airport. The craggy rocks lining the white sand beach add another dramatic touch. There are also wet bikes available for rent.


Simpson Bay Beach



One of St. Maarten's more private beaches is Simpson Bay Beach, a long half-moon of white sand set between a picturesque fishing village and the murmuring sea. There are no water sports, no resorts, just the sound of water gently lapping at your feet. You can stroll, swim, or simply relax, all the while seeing barely another soul.

Cupecoy Beach


Cupecoy Beach is another unspoiled landscape with pure white sand, sandstone cliffs, and shoreline caves as a setting. The surf can be strong, but the wind is blocked by the rocks. Lying near the border with St. Martin, its dress code is influenced by that of the French beaches: clothing is optional.


Great Bay Beach



Stretching for two miles in front of the Dutch side capital of Philipsburg, Great Bay Beach is one of the longest and widest beaches on the island. With the expansion of the boardwalk it is a great place to hang out and party with the backdrop of a luscious tropical beach. Look for the myriad of cruise ships that sail into her harbor daily. With its proximity to the one of the greatest shopping experiences in all of the Caribbean, Great Bay Beach offers something for everyone.

Little Bay Beach



Little Bay Beach is located on the southern coast of St. Maarten, just around the corner from Great Bay. This small but pretty beach is well protected by the outcrop of Fort Amsterdam right on the edge of Philipsburg. For diving enthusiasts, it offers one of the rare beach dive locations, as the waters here are generally calm due to its 'cove like' nature and also the installation of solid rocky beach breaks, making it an ideal spot for children. There is a wide selection of beach equipment from snorkeling gear to jet-skis so there is plenty to do for an active family.

Kim Sha Beach


Kim Sha Beach is the best place on earth for breathtaking sunsets. Many people say that Kim Sha Beach is a part of Simpson Beach, but actually it is located outside the lagoon, which makes it a perfect area for excursion and dive boats to start their trips. Drinks, chairs and umbrellas are available from the commercial establishments and in the center of the beach is Ocean Explorers Dive Center, a certified PADI dive shop.


Mullet Bay Beach



Mullet Bay Beach is the quintessential Caribbean beach with ample white sand and lush palm trees that dot the fringe of the waterfront, as well as scenic views of the volcanic mountains in the distance.

Dawn Beach


Dawn Beach, located to the east of Oyster-Pond Marina, is known for its powdery white sand and picturesque views of St. Barthelemy


Guana Bay Beach



Guana Bay Beach, located along the south east coast of the island, is one of St. Maarten's undiscovered treasures. Rarely visited this magnificent beach offered outstanding views of St. Barthelemy and is a perfect location for wind and kite surfing.

Geneve Bay


Geneve Bay is a beautiful natural swimming pool that is protected from the Atlantic swell making it a perfect destination for families.


Cove Bay



Cove Bay, located between Cole Bay and Little Bay, can be found at the end of a 20-minute hike from Cole Bay Hill. This hidden gem is a favorite of hikers, horseback riders and mountain bikers.

Burgeaux Beach


Burgeaux Beach can be found just beyond Simpson Bay. This secluded beach is situated in a cove and offers the perfect location for shell connoisseurs and surfers alike as it features a strong current