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Friday, September 23, 2016

Adios Amigos

On Monday afternoon, Kate, our youngest female osprey, appeared to be begging for food. It sounded like she hadn't eaten for a week.

On closer inspection I noticed the partially consumed fish in her grasp. Given the size, shape and color, I suspected it was a large trout or steelhead or possibly even a small salmon. Trying to estimate the size and type of fish made me wonder which fish osprey prefer. I decided to do a quick review.

On July 10th, Chester, Kate's father, appeared with some type of sunfish or perch. In any case a small fish which was almost as tall as it was long.

On July 24th, he snagged a smallmouth bass.

An hour and half later he returned with another one and displayed it very nicely. It is interesting to note how small Kate and her brothers were just two months ago.

On July 29th, it looked like Chester caught a trout.

On August 7th, he returned with another sunfish.

An hour later he had what looked like a bass. It is obvious osprey love fish. At the same time, our limited sample seems to show that they do not discriminate against any particular species. Chester's preference appears to be...anything with fins.

Returning to Kate and her fish above the UW baseball field, I realized she must not be very hungry given the partially-consumed state of the fish. However, if she wasn't hungry then what was on her mind. When she turned her head, I followed her gaze.

At the other end of the center-field light pole was an obviously hungry double-crested cormorant. Kate was apparently feeling defensive.

Suddenly, her cries grew even louder when one of her brothers arrived.

As Wilbur hovered over her, I began to wonder if Kate would abandon her fish. After watching her begging for food, while her brothers were eating last week, it certainly seemed like she deserved to keep this fish.

Note: If you look closely you can see dark brown coloring on the front of Wilbur's legs. As far as I can tell this may just be individual variation. If you glance back at the Chester-with-fish photos, you can see that the coloring on Chester's legs is far less pronounced.

It was windy enough that Wilbur was able to simply hang in the air without even flapping his wings. There was no doubt in my mind, his intention was intimidation. He hung there for a full 15 seconds, while his 'fingers' at the ends of his wings were constantly adjusting for changes in the wind. Kate did not budge.

Finally, her brother grew tired of balancing in the wind and landed beside her. As he edged closer, Kate extended her wings - apparently setting limits on his approach.

Face to face, eye to eye and nearly toe to toe it became clear this battle was psychological, not physical.

The moment Kate returned to eating it was obvious she had won. Her brother lowered his head and left, defeated.

Suddenly, more cormorants arrived.

The bravest of the dark diving birds landed on Kate's side of the light pole.

Kate's predatory stare seemed to take the edge off the cormorant's boldness.

He slowly sidled further and further away. Finally, all the cormorants gave up and left.

During the whole process Kate's father, Chester, sat silently, one pole to the west. With his eyes often closed he was apparently sleeping and storing up energy - preparing for migration. It is interesting to compare his dark-brown coloring with Kate's.

Given a similar angle, we can clearly see all of the delicate, white edging on Kate's wings, but we can rest assured that there is nothing delicate about her spirit.

The next morning I returned to find Kate and one her brothers hovering around the nest. I just never tire of looking at the crisp, clean feathers of the young birds. This photo seemed like the perfect parting shot.

Last week, we saw Chester bring in food for all three of the young. However, there was no sign of Lacey, their mother and I have not seen her since. On Monday, we saw Chester with just two of the young. Yesterday, when he delivered food there was only one of the young to receive the fish. I have no way to be positive when migration begins. They are spending less and less time around the nest. Soon - they will all be gone.

If you are lucky enough to winter in Mexico, you may spot one of them hovering above the surf near some warm and sunny shore. Otherwise, we will just have to console ourselves with waiting for their return, next Spring.

Have a great day on Union Bay...where once again osprey raise young in the city!

Bill Anderson just reminded me that the young osprey will most likely stay in Mexico all of next year and only return North to nest in 2018 - after they are fully mature. Chester and Lacey should be back in 2017 and hopefully reuse the same nest site. It will be interesting to see if their unique combination of markings makes them identifable as individuals next year - even after they have molted and replaced many of their feathers. Thank you, Bill!

Saturday, September 17, 2016

The Un-Snipe

Wednesday morning, the kingfisher chattered noisily, announcing my entry into its domain.

The pied-billed grebe watched silently as I paddled north. The orange sun glowed fiercely as it fought to rise above the Cascades. Initially, the wind was still and the water mirrored the world above. I was hoping to watch our three young Union Bay osprey diving for fish.

While gliding between islands of cattails, a small bird flushed. I caught a brief glimpse of its silhouette. Its disproportionately long bill was hanging down at a 45 degree angle. The word 'Snipe' immediately popped into my mind. I wondered, could it be anything else?

The bird was oddly difficult to track. Repeatedly, it seemed to nearly stop in midair, before swiftly switching direction. The arc of its disjointed flight was as beautiful as it was unpredictable. The stop-and-go stuttering reinforced my initial impression. Excellent marksmen (or markswomen) are called snipers for a reason. Sadly, the bird was gone before I even thought about lifting my camera.

Near the osprey nest, the sunlight warmed the water creating an early morning mist.

A few minutes later, Chester appeared with a second helping of food for his young. At this point, the two young males had food to eat. Sadly, their sister simply sat in the middle of the nest watching, waiting and begging. (None of the young birds seemed particularly interested in securing their own food.)

Since watching their first flights, I have been thinking of the young male osprey as Wilbur and Orville. Later, when I learned how close the Wright Brother's were to their younger sister, Katharinethe names Orville, Will and Kate seemed very appropriate. It also seems fitting, that the last time young osprey learned to fly above Union Bay could have been about the same time the Wright Brothers were learning to fly above Kitty Hawk.

While watching the young osprey, a shorebird came and landed nearby. It was about the same size and shape as a snipe. It also used its long bill to search the mud for morsels of food. I assumed it was the same bird I had seen earlier.

There were hints, which I only noticed later, that this was a actually a different type of bird.

I noticed how it shut its eyes while preening. I also noticed how the ends of its bill spread apart. Compare this photo with the previous and you will notice the incredible flexi'bill'ity. The tips of the bill have evolved into 'fingers' which can probe, sense and grasp small creatures hidden in the mud.

My attention was further split between red-shafted flickers, green-winged teals, red-winged blackbirds and of course the incessant cries of Kate, the young female osprey. Suddenly, one of the young males leaped off the nest and took to the air. Kate quickly assumed his spot at the table.

The young osprey landed on a light pole above the baseball field and confronted a much larger great blue heron. I have watched the parents harass herons, but this was the first time I have seen one of the young get involved. I think the essence of the issue was related to the light pole 'overlooking' the osprey nest.

A moment later Kate joined her brother and added a little weight on the osprey end of the scale. At this point, I began to wonder what would happen next.

When Chester joined the fray, I thought for sure the heron would take flight.

Surprisingly, the heron stood its ground.

Kate returned to the nest. I find it incredible that in young birds, nearly every feather can be perfectly pristine. Slowly, each of the osprey gave up and dispersed.

Finally, the heron dived off the light pole and headed toward the nest. I became a bit nervous. When the heron veered off towards the Carp Pond, I breathed a sigh of relief.

The 'unsnipe' took turns sleeping and feeding through all the osprey drama.

When it traded places with the killdeer, the light coloring under its wings and the color of its tail provided hints to its true identity.

Suddenly, a true Wilson's Snipe flew in and landed nearby.

At this point, I at least realized that there was a difference in the plumage of the two birds.

Take a moment and compare this photo of the snipe with...

...the 'unsnipe'. Both birds' necks go up and down so that difference is not significant.

You can even scroll back through the previous photos if you would like, to really search for differences between the two birds.

With the luxury of photographs, I can see that the snipe has additional stripes across the top of its head, more rusty coloring on its wings and nape, an obviously orange stripe on its tail, 'vertical' white striping on it back and my Sibley guide points out that the snipe is darkly colored under its wing.

Later, Dennis Paulson confirmed my suspicion that the 'unsnipe' was actually a dowitcher. I also learned that in freshwater habitat a dowitcher is most likely to be of the long-billed variety, as opposed to the short-billed dowitcher - which looks very similar - but is usually found near salt-water.

The dowitcher flew right at me before veering off to the south. The snipe took to the air and followed. Later, as I headed home for lunch, I found the two birds again, side by side working in the mud.

While the dowitcher is most likely a migrant passing through, the snipe might very well be a resident bird, although rarely seen by me. I feel incredibly lucky to live near Union Bay and to share my time on Earth with so many wild and wonderful creatures.

This week's post is dedicated to Dr. Sara Reichard. Dr. Reichard, director of the University of Washington Botanical Gardens, passed away unexpectedly at the end of August. Her vision, inspiration and leadership will be sorely missed.

The following links will help you learn more about her exceptional life:

When visiting the Arboretum or the Union Bay Natural Area, when observing the diversity of plants and trees or when watching the young osprey we should all be thankful for Sara's leadership and guidance which has enabled life to continue to flourish in these very special places.

Monday, September 12, 2016

The Pelican Purlieu

I remember seeing an American White Pelican only once before. In May of 2014, I saw one crossing high above Union Bay. I remember thinking it looked like it was heading for Greenlake. I wonder if it was actually headed for Whidbey Island.

I spoke with Emily Martin while walking through the Arboretum last week. She mentioned that white pelicans have been seen repeatedly on Whidbey Island. Apparently they arrived around the end of Spring. My Sibley field guide shows white pelicans as a rarity in Western Washington, so I was immediately inspired by the idea of seeing them.

Emily also sent me a link to an informative report on pelicans in the South Whidbey Record. The author quoted Dennis Paulson's suggestion that drought and climate change may be pushing pelicans to search for new breeding habitat. I also happened across a 2014 post by Dennis where he discussed white pelicans.

On Saturday afternoon, I finally got the chance to observe the white pelicans. Some were feeding occasionally but most were just preening and cleaning. Often they were slapping their partially-folded, nine-foot-long wings against the water. Which certainly seemed like an odd and very noisy way to take a bath.

They also tended to rotate and rub their heads over their backs and shoulders.

Note: Given an average human physique, massaging your shoulders with the back of your head may not be a reasonable goal. Although, I occasionally see people who appear to be attempting the feat.

I suspect the pelicans must have a had a satisfying and successful morning of fishing, given their early afternoon focus on grooming.

The tight-knit flock seemed surprisingly comfortable with a relatively small amount of personal space...

 ...especially given the size of their wings.

Even in a civil society occasional disagreements occur.

From this angle we can see a grey-brown dusting on the plumage of the bird who just arrived. I am uncertain whether the bird is changing into or out-of the darker plumage. In either case, the bird is not shy about wanting a dry place in the sun.

I found it almost shocking to see how easily the bird lifted it body into the air. I suspect it must have been the mighty wings that propelled it - rather than the those stubby little legs.

I find it interesting to note how the lower jaws appear to almost disconnect from their heads. Clearly, pelicans have some uniquely odd physical abilities. The white pelicans and their cousins, the brown pelicans, both seem to have to same basic body plan. Surprisingly, it is their behavioral differences which I find most obvious - even more than their contrasting colors.

Last Monday, after a number of days in the Olympic rainforest (which I plan to discuss more in a future post) my friend, Rob, and I stopped by Rialto Beach. The wind was blowing, the rain was spitting and the waves crashed against the shore. Nonchalantly, skimming the surface of the water were brown pelicans.

Occasionally, they would achieve a height of 20 or 30 feet before diving into the water.

The third bird from the previous photo left only a splash as it disappeared below the surface.

At Deer Lagoon, the white pelicans and their surroundings appeared calm, sunny and sedate.

They paddled about rather slowly and occasionally scooped up fish, usually with their heads completely below the surface. Only once was I able to observe an open and extended pouch.

Even then, I could not be sure if the dark spot in the pouch was actually a little fish or just piece of seaweed.

At Rialto Beach, the acrobatic brown pelicans floated past in the troughs between the waves.

They seemed to be surfing. Without even flapping their wings, they were apparently transported on the air which was being pushed in front of the waves.

At Deer Lagoon, the acrobatics seemed limited to the single, 'pushy' pelican.

The objections to the pelican's intrusion appeared obvious - but without any real attempt at physical restraint or violence.

In fact, the bird who was pushed into the water appeared unperturbed. Plus, the bird on the left gets distracted and morphs its objections into to a personal back rub.

The white pelicans seemed surprisingly peaceful.

Maybe when you have a nine-foot wingspan, and the strength to go with it, you have to accept that a peaceful co-existance is actually your best shot at survival.

I began wondering why these birds are white. It makes sense to me that the brown pelicans need camouflage to hide them from the predators who lurk below the waves, but how is being white beneficial? My theory is that in the past the white pelicans must have layed eggs in places where there was snow on the ground. During Spring in Canada or inland on either side of the Rockies their white feathers would then provide excellent camouflage. If my logic is correct, it seems obvious that these birds do not really belong around the practically snow-free Salish Sea.

On the other hand, maybe prior to climate change the area around the Salish Sea was not so snow free as it seems today.

Later, as I was leaving, and already quite some distance away, the pelicans decided to leave the salt-water, fly over the dike and land in the 'fresh' water. No doubt there are less predators to deal with at night, when you are in the middle of a huge, muddy lagoon.

Even in the air, the pelicans flocked together.

I was surprised at how close the could fly, without clipping their wings and sending themselves tumbling out of the sky.

Ultimately, they formed themselves into a single, perfectly-spaced line and flew directly over my head.

They were so close I could only photograph one at a time.

If climate change is forcing these majestic creatures to look for new breeding locations, I feel like we should do whatever we can to help them. As for me, I could be riding my bike and taking the light-rail more often and driving less. Maybe this winter I will build a rain garden to keep the rain from running off our roof and polluting Puget Sound. Runoff washes oil, fuel and antifreeze into the water and kills young salmon and other fish on which the pelicans feed.

I keep thinking my next car should be electric. I realize it would be using hydro-electricity, which does impact fish, but electric vehicles can also be sourced from solar, wind and other carbon-free options. I believe, future generations deserve to live in world with plentiful fish and pelicans.

Have a great day on Union Bay...where our water flows to the Salish Sea!

PS: If you are like me, and purlieu is a new word for you, here are some links to definitions which should get you in the right neighborhood:


Businesses Denounce North Carolina's Antigay Law

American Airlines

Businesses are speaking out against North Carolina's passage of a law Wednesday rescinding antidiscrmination protections for  LGBT people, denouncing the measure as both unjust and bad for business.

House Bill 2 overturns city nondiscrimination ordinances in the state, such as one recently adopted in Charlotte that, among other things, would allow transgender people to use the public restrooms that correspond with their gender identity.

Businesses such as Dow Chemical, PayPal, and American Airlines joined in condemning the passage of HB 2.

“We believe no individual should be discriminated against because of gender identity or sexual orientation,” said a statement from American Airlines spokeswoman Katie Cody. “Laws that allow such discrimination go against our fundamental belief of equality and are bad for the economies of the states in which they are enacted.”

As The Charlotte Observer reports, the company operates its “second-biggest hub at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, where it just reached a new 10-year lease agreement.”

On Twitter, PayPal likewise criticized the legislation. “Inclusion is one of our core values and we are proud to champion LGBTQ equality in N. Carolina and around the world,” the company stated in a tweet.

Businesses including Microsoft, Wells Fargo, and Apple previously signed a joint statement to argue that anti-LGBT bills are bad for local economies — and for everyone, the Observer notes.

“Corporate leaders are speaking out against bills that could allow individuals and businesses to discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and other minorities—versions of which are actively being considered in states across the country,” the statement read. “This proposed legislation is bad for business.”

North Carolina's legislation could thus prove costly. The passage of Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act in March 2015, for instance is estimated to have cost the state $60 million in potential revenue. Indiana's bill would have allowed businesses and individuals to legally refuse to serve LGBT people or anyone else by citing religious objections.

Several companies spoke out against the Indiana legislation, including Yelp, Angie's List, and Salesforce. Angie's List even canceled a planned expansion in the state. The widespread backlash led legislators to pass and Republican Gov. Mike Pence to sign a “fix” the legislation, aiming to assure it could not be used to justify anti-LGBT discrimination.

Many businesses have yet to make a statement on HB 2. The bill was quickly pushed through the North Carolina legislature Wednesday in a special session called to block the Charlotte ordinance, which was set to take effect April 1. Gov. Pat McCrory, a Republican, signed it into law the same day.

In a statement, McCrory clarified the reasons behind his support of HB 2. “The basic expectation of privacy in the most personal of settings, a restroom or locker room, for each gender was violated by government overreach and intrusion by the mayor and city council of Charlotte,” he wrote.

On February 21, Charlotte’s City Council voted 7-4 to add sexual orientation and gender identity to its nondiscrimination law regarding public accommodations. The ordinance would have prohibited anti-LGBT discrimination in restaurants, city parks, limo and taxi services, and other businesses that serve the public, and would have assured that transgender people would have access to the public restrooms corresponding with their gender identity. McCrory stated that such laws “[defy] common sense and basic community norms by allowing, for example, a man to use a woman’s bathroom, shower or locker room.”

Georgia legislators have passed their own anti-LGBT bill, one that would be strikingly similar to the original Indiana law; Gov. Nathan Deal has yet to either sign or veto it. If it becomes law, Walt Disney and Marvel have pledged to stop doing business in the Peach State, and other entertainment companies have quickly joined in calling for a veto. The National Football League has also threatened to block Atlanta from hosting the Super Bowl in the future.


An ailing Serena Williams stayed on course for a 20th grand slam singles title as she came back from the brink to reach the final of the French Open with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 win against Swiss power hitter Timea Bacsinszky.

Earlier, Safarova overcame a slow start to defeat seventh-seed Ana Ivanovic 7-5, 7-5 and become the first female Czech player in 34 years to reach the French Open final.

Safarova is the first female Czech player to reach the French Open final in 34 years [Getty Images]

The 13th-seeded left-hander, who beat Maria Sharapova in the fourth round, halted the 2008 champion's progress which saw Ivanovic reach a first grand slam semi-final after seven years.

Safarova, who has not dropped a single set in this year's tournament, trailed 5-2 in the opening set before she fought back.

She went up an early break in the second set and stayed in front of her Serbian opponent.

Ivanovic offered some stiff resistence, breaking serve at 4-5, after Safarova double-faulted on match point.

However, the Czech, a Wimbledon semi-finalist last year, broke back straight away and sealed the victory on her third match point.

Source: Al Jazeera


Cappers Farmer Blogs > Our Old Place Farm

Where The Warm Wind Blows

Lisa JohnsonThere is a place on my farm where a warm wind blows. The sky may be the brightest of blue. Or it can be dark and gray with billowy clouds churning in chaos. The heavy clouds bring rain, lightening and thunder.  The wind can be gusting all around, cool enough to bring a chill to my skin. And yet, I come to this place and amidst the storm there will be a warm wind blowing.

Other times, the air can be still, muggy and moist or hot and dry. I reach this place and there will be a warm wind that is refreshing even on a humid day. This warm wind brings me renewal and refreshment.

On occasion, I will be busy with my chores. Getting done, hurrying to be somewhere and I will step into this warm wind. I stop, shut my eyes and smile. Taking the time to enjoy the warm wind as it blows by me. I feel grace and peace. It is calming to me. Just as quickly as it came upon me, it is gone. The moment stays with me through the rest of my chores and often my day.

Sky view from where the warm wind blows

There have even been times when I will walk to this place on my farm, on purpose. Looking for and needing to feel that warm wind and what it brings to me. My mind may be spinning about something that transpired during the day, a frustration, irritation or sadness. Or I may feel overwhelmed, tired and weary. I walk to this place, up the slight slope that is covered with sweet smelling clover and tall grass on either side. The vast sky is overhead and towering trees are all around. As I stand there, I have hope. Hope that the warm wind will blow. Sometimes it blows and sometimes it doesn't.

The times that I do go there seeking the warm wind, I find myself thinking that it is silly to think that a breeze will blow "just for me". But the times that I have gone there and there is no breeze anywhere else and I feel that warm wind touch my skin I have rejoiced! It brings tears to my eyes and joy to my heart.

It is not the warm wind that causes this peace and contentment. The peace comes from my Heavenly Father. He created me. He knows me. He loves me. When I call on Him, all things are possible! Even in the form of a warm wind.

When I seek this place where the warm wind blows I think of a song that included a quote from Billy Graham. "I've seen the effects of the wind but I've never seen the wind." I cannot see the wind. But I can see the effects of it in the leaves of the trees as they flutter and on the tall grasses that sway gently. I can also see the giant trees with strong branches and thick trunks that stand so tall and majestic bow and break with the effects of the wind. I have watched eagles soar and play on the currents of the wind.

Mighty and powerful. Calming and peaceful. Chilling and scary. Cooling and so refreshing that it can take your breath away. So much from something unseen. But this place where the warm wind blows for me is a place where I can see and feel the glory of God! Do you have a place like this that brings you peace and causes you to slow down and enjoy a moment?


4 danger signs of a client from hell

Watch out, there's a nightmare client about!

Clients from hell rarely have a tail, horns and the faint scent of brimstone. Whether you're a graduate designer or an experienced creative director, keeping an eye out for potentially nightmare clients is always a good idea. But how do you recognise them? Here are some of the less obvious warning signs...

01. Ambiguous expectations

02. Unappreciative

A terrible client may expect behaviour, time or discounts for no other reason than they think they deserve it. Giving them what they want only reinforces their belief that the freelancer lives to work for them.

03. Disrespectful

04. Devaluing good work


New Mental-Health Manual Likely to Impact HR

Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Write To The Editor Reprints

New Diagnoses

DSM-5 adds several new diagnoses that employers are likely to find vexing. One is "Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder," which describes persons whose communication skills are impaired but who do not qualify for an autism diagnosis. It applies to persons with "persistent difficulties in the social use of verbal and nonverbal communications" that limit social relationships or occupational performance. While typically diagnosed in childhood it can continue into adulthood. Employees previously thought to be merely shy or socially awkward may qualify for this new diagnosis.

Another new diagnosis is "Binge Eating Disorder," a condition characterized primarily by eating a large amount of food in a short time at least once per week for three months. DSM-5 notes that while most overweight persons do not engage in recurrent binge-eating, Binge Eating Disorder is "reliably associated with overweight and obesity."  Thus, this diagnosis makes it more likely that obesity (at least when precipitated by binge-eating) might finally qualify as a disability under the ADA.

Yet another new diagnosis is "Mild Neurocognitive Disorder."  This describes a modest decline in learning, attention or memory not associated with another mental disorder that does not interfere with the person's ability to live independently but which may require "greater effort, compensatory strategies, or accommodation."  This can probably be found in almost anyone over the age of 50. While accommodations for the effects of aging is not required under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, this new diagnosis may lead to requests for accommodation by older workers for the ordinary effects of aging.

DSM-5 also adds Pre-Menstrual Dysphoric Disorder as a formal diagnosis. This diagnosis requires the occurrence of symptoms such as mood swings, increased interpersonal conflicts, anxiety or tension, overeating or food cravings, a sense of being overwhelmed, or weight gain, "bloating" or breast tenderness in the week prior to the start of the menstrual cycle. It is possible that women with this condition may seek accommodations or attribute difficulties at work to it.

As a result of these new diagnoses, socially awkward, gluttonous and forgetful employees -- as well as female employees who experience severe PMS symptoms -- may all qualify as disabled under the ADA. Accommodating all of the newly disabled will be challenging but the consequences of not doing so, in terms of legal exposure, may be costly.
Expansion of Existing Diagnoses

DSM-5 also makes it easier to qualify for some diagnoses. For example, the "bereavement exclusion" has been removed from the definition of Major Depressive Disorder. Under earlier editions of the DSM, major depression could not be diagnosed for ordinary bereavement symptoms lasting no more than two months. Under DSM-5, a person having symptoms of depression for longer than two weeks may qualify for a diagnosis of major depression even if those symptoms are the result of bereavement. Employees, therefore, could seek more lengthy bereavement leaves than are currently available as a reasonable accommodation should Major Depressive Disorder be diagnosed following the death of a family member or close friend.

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DSM-5 additionally broadens the diagnostic criteria for PTSD in two key ways. One, it permits a PTSD diagnosis where the person merely learns about a traumatic event, versus the prior requirement that the event actually be witnessed or experienced. Two, it eliminates the prior requirement that the person experience fear, helplessness or horror at the time of the traumatic event. These changes may increase the number of employees who will qualify for a PTSD diagnosis.

Finally, DSM-5 does not treat personality disorders separately from other mental disorders as did its predecessors. These long-term conditions include antisocial, borderline and narcissistic varieties, in which a person exhibits disruptive behavior and often has extreme difficulty relating to others. They were not previously much of a focus of diagnosis and treatment but DSM-5's including them among other mental disorders will likely increase the frequency of their diagnosis. Antisocial personality disorder is characterized by manipulativeness, deceitfulness, lack of empathy and irresponsibility. Borderline personality disorder is marked by severe emotional instability and impulsive behavior. Narcissistic personality disorder is characterized by excessive need for approval, grandiosity, a sense of entitlement and lack of empathy. Mix these with the disturbing trend of ADA case law in some jurisdictions requiring that employers accommodate misconduct related to a disability, and employers may soon find themselves struggling to accommodate these difficult behaviors.

The Daunting Accommodation Challenge

James J. McDonald, Jr., J.D., SPHR, is managing partner of the Irvine, Calif. office of Fisher & Phillips.

Copyright 2016© LRP Publications


NY MTA & Transit Union Blame Each Other For Delay In New Subway Service

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Some L trains during rush hour are too crowded to board. (Photo by Runs With Scirssors.)

(New York, NY - WNYC) UPDATED. It's going to take eight months for the NY Metropolitan Transportation Authority to add extra weekend service to the crowded L train, which serves Lower Manhattan and fast-growing parts of Brooklyn. The NY MTA and a major transit union are blaming each other for the delay.

MTA spokesman Charles Seaton said it's a complex operation to revise a subway line's schedule and then allow the union the time it needs, by contract, to pick which workers will crew the new trains.

An email he sent describing the process had at least six steps. They included time for the union to"review and comment on the timetables and work program" and time for the authority to "make modifications agreed to with" the union. And that's only two of the steps.

Seaton said a schedule change like the one proposed for the L train can take up to ten months to implement.

Not necessarily, said Jim Gannon, a spokesman for the Transit Workers Union Local 100. He contended the MTA could add weekend trains on the L line right away by declaring it "supplemental service," as it does for major events like the World Series. Workers-on-call could then crew the trains until the formal process is completed and the schedule change made permanent.

The issue is pressing because over the past twelve years, weekend ridership on the L train has grown at three times the rate of the subway system as a whole, making it the fastest growing subway line. That's according to a new MTA study of the L line requested by State Senator Daniel L. Squadron, a Democrat representing parts of Brooklyn and Manhattan.

"I'm glad the MTA heeded my call to increase weekend service on the L," Squadron said in an email. "Of course, weekend service should be improved as quickly as possible. If there's a way to make it happen earlier within the MTA's budget constraints, then let's make it happen."

A staff member for an elected representative said the MTA called adding L train service outside the formal scheduling process "cost prohibitive." The MTA did not immediately return calls about the the union's call for supplemental service.

Gannon said the burden is on the MTA to provide a timely improvement. "If they wanted to add service on the L line, they could do it," he said. "They’re just being methodical. It seems like they’re pushing the burden of why this takes so long on us."

The Transport Workers Union contract expires in January.  The union has had a deteriorating relationship with MTA leadership over the years.

UPDATE: MTA spokesman Charles Seaton emailed with a new reason for why increased weekend L train service can't occur until June 2012. He said the authority plans to spend the first half of next year removing old track-side signals as part of an automated upgrade of the line's signal system, work that needs to happen on the weekends, when trains run less often.

"Remember, the Canarsie Line [L train] is only a two-track railroad," he writes. "We would not want to promise an increase in weekend service and then have to cut service back every weekend while the removals take place."

That means status quo service for L train riders on the weekend until next summer. More riders take the L on Saturday between 1 and 3 p.m. and after 8 p.m. than do during the week at those same times. Late afternoon on Saturday is also when the Brooklyn-bound L sometimes carries up to 35 percent more passengers than the prescribed maximum load, according to the MTA's report. If you must travel to Bushwick at that time for the latest cryptic public art happening, prepare to be squeezed.


Town Council Looks For Creative Solutions To Chapel Hill’s Challenges

Chapel Hill leaders are looking for innovative solutions to address some of the major challenges facing the town.

At last weekend’s planning retreat, the Town Council tried a different tactic to brainstorm new ways to tackle transit funding, town infrastructure and the need for affordable housing.

“I think one of the key takeaways from this retreat is that nothing was off the table,” says George Cianciolo, one of the council members who helped plan the event.

The all-day meeting was modeled after the free-ranging discussions that typified the Chapel Hill 2020 process. Council members met in small groups to trade ideas, a departure from the formal presentations that are the hallmark of local government.

Cianciolo says when it comes to the need for more affordable housing, town leaders are looking to balance social goals with market forces.

The plan to partner with the nonprofit DHIC to build affordable rentals on town-owned land is one example of how public-private partnerships can help the town leverage its assets.

“We’re looking at more public-private partnerships,” says Cianciolo. “We’ve been looking at some of our other assets and we talked about potentially that we could buy some land for another public-private partnership. Another [idea] was perhaps trading some of our assets to a developer who would be willing to do affordable housing.”

Chapel Hill Transit is facing a funding crunch even as demand for service continues to rise. One possible solution might be to charge riders for new routes or hours while keeping the core service fare-free.

“What would happen if we were to have fare cards that were used after, say, seven or eight o’clock at night?” asked Cianciolo. “Would that allow us to provide some service to some of the areas that are not served now?”

The need to replace the police station, repave roads and improve infrastructure also loomed large as a challenge for town leaders. Items like a new teen center rank high as priorities.

“Everyone agreed that a teen center downtown would not only be nice to have, but it would be important to have, because that’s a vulnerable population,” says Cianciolo. “And so that’s something that would be high on a list.”

The planning retreat was intended as a way to get a wide range of options on the table for future discussion. Ultimately, Cianciolo says to accomplish the many goals of the 2020 plan, Chapel Hill will need some novel ideas.

“You have a lot of things you’d like to do, and how many we can get to is partly going to be dependent on how creative we can get.”

No formal decisions were made at the retreat, but some of the concepts could be explored further during the upcoming budget negotiations this spring.

The Rise and Fall of US Infrastructure Part III: Conclusion

The Rise and Fall of U.S. Infrastructure Part II: The Fall

In Part I of this series I reviewed the rise of infrastructure in the United States.  This week we will explore the fall and how it came to be that the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has given the current condition of our infrastructure a D+ grade due to crumbling roads and bridges, leaking water mains, and many other deteriorating systems.

There is no particular mystery in determining why our critical infrastructure systems are falling into a state of decay.  According to data from the Congressional Budget Office, the spending on transportation and water systems as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) has fallen from 5% in 1960 to less than 3% today.  Given that current U.S. GDP is approximately 15 trillion dollars, this two percent reduction corresponds to a $300 billion “shortfall” in infrastructure investment.

If this was an ordinary news article on infrastructure spending, we would be finished now.  But here in Common Science, we delve a bit further into matters and try to find the root causes.  Below I propose three contributing factors to why I think we have stopped investing adequately in our infrastructure, one psychological, one political, and one thermodynamic.

Building new things is a lot more fun and interesting than maintaining old ones.  Let’s consider some local examples.  When we decided that we needed an upgraded library in town we passed bonds, held fund raisers, and poured champagne at the grand opening.  (Please note, this is not a criticism of the new library which I think was a great investment.)  In contrast, just up Estes Drive from our beautiful new library are two aging schools, Phillips Middle and Estes Hills Elementary, which struggle each year to scrape together sufficient funds to fix leaking roofs and repair broken sidewalks.  At the church my family attends, the parish has raised and borrowed millions of dollars to build a brand new fellowship hall, yet the historic original chapel is in desperate need of a paint job.  This same dynamic is operative at the national level, where our legislators are much more inclined to allocate funds to splashy new construction projects rather than spend money on mundane things like repairing storm water systems.

For the past five years President Obama has recommend a broad array of infrastructure investments to grow our economy and secure our economic future.  During most of our history as a nation these would have been considered non-controversial suggestions and enjoyed broad partisan support.  Consider that the three major pieces of national infrastructure legislation that I discussed in Part I were all signed into law by Republican presidents, the US Highway Act of 1924 by Coolidge, the Interstate Highway Act of 1956 by Eisenhower, and the Clean Water Act of 1972 by Nixon.

Unfortunately, the political climate in the U.S. has turned against infrastructure projects with Republicans decrying them as socialism and Democrats shying away from supporting them for fear of being labeled “tax and spend” liberals.  As a result, President Obama’s recommendations for infrastructure investment have mostly foundered in Congress.  If our current infrastructure is to be repaired and the infrastructure we need for the future is to be built, this political climate will need to change.

During most of the 20th century when the U.S. was pouring money into infrastructure systems, a substantial portion of the funding came from fees and taxes collected from the oil industry.  The oil industry experienced tremendous growth from its infancy around the year 1900 until its peak year of production in 1972, with an output of 9.5 million barrels a day.  Profits and taxes from the oil companies in the 1950s and 1960s helped to build our highways, fund the space program, finance the construction of suburbia and pay for the Vietnam War.  It was easy money.

From 1972 to 2006, U.S. oil production fell steadily to only 5 million barrels a day, a 48% reduction from its peak.  Around 2006, oil companies in the U.S. started to utilize horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) to aggressively exploit low-purity oil deposits which are contained in shale rock formations.  These operations have increased U.S. oil production to its current level of 6.2 million barrels a day, leading to splashy headlines stating that U.S. oil production is up by 20% over the last few years.

So if U.S. oil production is up by 20% since 2006 why aren’t we back to the days of easy money and fixing our roads and bridges?  The answer is a thermodynamic one.  Back in the 1960s when you could drill into easy-to-reach, easy-to-pump, high purity oil deposits, we could expect a thermodynamic return of twenty units of oil energy for every unit of energy expended during extraction. This ratio is called energy returned over energy invested, or EROEI.  Due to the difficulties in extracting and processing it, shale oil production has an EROEI of only five making it a far less profitable enterprise than exploiting traditional oil deposits.

Whatever the psychological, political, and thermodynamic challenges may be, we will eventually need to address the issues arising from our crumbling infrastructure.  However, there is an important question to ask first.  Do we have the correct infrastructure for the 21st century?  If so, then we should get busy repairing it.  If not, we should consider making some changes going forward.  I will address those issues next week in Part III, the conclusion of this series.

The Rise and Fall of U.S. Infrastructure Part I: The Rise

Infrastructure in the United States has fallen into a state of decay. Bridges are collapsing, roads are deteriorating, and aging sewer lines are leaking.  The 2013 report card from the American Society of Civil Engineers gave U.S. infrastructure a grade of D+ and called for $3.6 trillion in infrastructure by 2020.  The story of the rise and fall of U.S infrastructure is an interesting one, especially if you are an engineer.  So much so, that I am preparing a three part series.  Part I covers the history and impact of infrastructure investment in the U.S.  Part II will address how and why we have neglected the upkeep of our infrastructure, and I will conclude in Part III with some thoughts on whether we have invested our infrastructure money wisely these last several hundred years.

The rise of civilizations and economies are strongly dependent upon infrastructure investments which employ large numbers of people and lay the groundwork for further economic development.  The rise of the United States from a country of only modest importance in 1850 to a superpower in the late 20th century can be tracked by our massive infrastructure investments in sewers, railroads, highways and many other important systems.

If you want to build a civilization you need cities which can efficiently share important resources like ports, universities, electrical grids, hospitals and bagel shops.  In order for people to live together in cities, you need a sewer system or the population will start to die of cholera, typhoid and dysentery.  The installation of sewer systems in American cities began in the 1850s in Brooklyn and Chicago and continued rapidly from there to nearly every city and town in the country.  Early sewer systems, while keeping waste out of the city streets, disgorged their untreated contents into local waterways, much to the chagrin and disadvantage of people downstream.

In order to stop polluting the water of downstream communities, treatment of sewage prior to discharge began in the late 1800s, with the first system installed in Worchester, MA.  These treatment systems only removed solid materials from the sewage, which is known as primary treatment.  While this was helpful in preventing disease in downstream communities, it does not remove dissolved chemicals which continued to negatively impact fish and other wildlife. (1)

Sewage systems limited to primary treatment were the norm for most U.S. cities until President Nixon signed the Clean Water Act in 1972.  The Clean Water Act required sewer systems to add secondary treatment which removes chemicals from the sewage and also uses chlorine to kill residual bacteria. By 1980, over a century’s worth of public investments and improvements in governmental regulation provided the U.S. with arguably the best sewer system in the world, supporting large, prosperous and healthy cites.

Once the investment in sewers had facilitated the growth of cities, we needed to find ways to connect them, which spurred remarkable growth in railroads.  Between the time that the B&O Railroad was formed in 1820, and 1916, the year in which railroad mileage in the U.S. hit its peak, 254,251 miles of rail were laid in the U.S., including the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869.  The benefit of this massive effort persists today, with U.S freight trains transporting more that two billion tons of goods per year.

The next massive investment in transportation infrastructure was the construction of our highways under the directive of two federal legislative actions.  The first major effort began with the U.S. Highway Act of 1925, the origin of such famous roads as Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles and Route 1 along the eastern seaboard from Maine to Key West.  The roads built under this legislation are given significant credit for the efficient mobilization of soldiers and materials for U.S. military efforts in World War II. Perhaps due to this observation, former General and then President Eisenhower authorized the Interstate Highway Act in 1956, which over the next 35 years produced our national superhighways, including our own Route 40 right here in North Carolina.

As an engineer, I am quite tempted to tell you the story of other U.S. infrastructure efforts, including the pipeline network, dams, airports and many others.  However, with these several examples, I hope I have laid out for you that national infrastructure investments from 1850 to 1980 drove the rise of the United States as a global superpower and were essential to the creation of our prosperous middle class.

Then something changed. National infrastructure projects fell out of favor and monies to maintain the existing infrastructure, as a percentage of gross national product, were reduced.  Next week in Part II, I’ll lay out thoughts on how this sad circumstance arose.

(1) Lest we look back smugly at our 19th century ancestors, let’s confront the fact that we continue to struggle with this issue today.  One of the key problems with effluent from a sewer system limited to primary treatment is that is has high levels of dissolved organic chemicals which contain nitrogen and phosphorous.  When released into waterways, the nitrogen and phosphorus spur rapid growth of algae.  The algae have short life spans and when they die they sink to the bottom of the water and form sludge. (2)   The sludge on the bottom represents a sort of Golden Corral® buffet for bacteria.  As they chow down on the algae sludge, the bacteria also use up the dissolved oxygen in the water, causing fish and other creatures in the water to suffocate and wildlife dependent on these species for food to starve.

With secondary treatment included in our treatment plants, we prevent our sewage effluent from causing these algae blooms.  Where we still run into trouble is with storm water runoff, particularly from our housing developments where lawn fertilizers can wash into our water ways to feed the algae.  The legislation designed to protect Jordan and Falls Lakes from fertilizer-infused storm water runoff was recently overturned by our Republican-controlled legislature in Raleigh.  So the battle for clean water continues.

(2) OK, I realize that I have now fallen into Inception of the footnotes, but as they are footnotes, I figure I have free reign to ramble on a bit.  When algae sludge falls to the bottom of the water and there is sufficient oxygen it is consumed by bacteria as food.  If the sludge gets buried in mud, keeping oxygen and, thus, bacteria away, the algae corpses slowly breakdown into hydrocarbons.  Over a period of several hundred million years, this is the process which gave us petroleum.


NORWALK - Norwalk police say a hit-and-run victim was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries after being struck by a car Tuesday night.

The incident happened around 7 p.m. at the intersection of Senga Road and Scribner Avenue. The area was closed for about three hours as police combed the scene for evidence.

Residents say the victim is regularly seen on Senga Road, walking with his overloaded cart of recyclables. Witnesses describe the vehicle involved as possibly a gray Jeep.

Police say the male driver involved had a female passenger in the car. Anyone with information is asked to call the Norwalk Police Department.


Clouded Leopard

Clouded leopard

Neofelis nebulosa

 Quick Facts

Found: Southeast Asia
Clouded leopard
Size: 4 to 5 feet with tail
Weight: 25 to 55 pounds
Diet: deer, boar, birds, primates
Life Span: 15 to 17 years
Status: Endangered

The clouded leopard gets its name from the large blotches on its fur that resemble clouds.  They can open their jaws wider than any other cat’s, and its tooth development is most like that of the extinct sabertooth cat.   A clouded leopard’s 2-inch-long canine teeth are the same size as those of a tiger, even though tigers are 10 times larger in body size.  They are superb hunters because of their flexibility in the trees.  They can leap from one branch to another and climb down a trunk headfirst, like a squirrel, move along on the underside of a branch, like a sloth and hang down from a branch using only its hind legs, leaving its forelegs free to grab prey.  They are also excellent swimmers.  They are considered a medium size cat, neither large or small. They rest like a large cat, but purr like a small cat.  Males can be more than twice the size of females. This is the largest gender size difference in the cat family.

 Clouded leopard    Clouded leopard    Clouded leopard


Challenges In Global Branding

Strong brands requires a clear strategic approach to handle the efforts involved in creating strong Global Brand.

Wevio Global Branding

Wevio Global Branding

Economic Assistance
The main challenge faced by the brand leaders is to focus on the short term returns. Brand is a long
term asset, introduction of price, discount or freebie promotion for initial acceptance of the product may lead to brand dilution and failure in the long run.

Effect of Approving
There must be consistency in quality/performance, if not betterment so as to sustain the growing
complexity of International market in terms of Consumers changing tastes and multiplying competition. The company must continuously innovate and maintain good customer relations though their consumer touches points, so as to create brand loyalty among existing users.

Emotional Appeal
Emotional appeal is essential to communicate the Brand message. Consider the number of media
options available to consumers-200 or more television channels, Internet, Newspaper, magazines.
8.4 Effective Culture Culture refers to how people in a society interact, what they believe. How they make decisions and what meanings they attach to certain representations. Cultures are not static, but develop through intergenerational and interpersonal learning and experience.

Economic, Legal and Political conditions
Condition implies the Economic, Legal and Political conditions prevailing in a foreign market. Law
related to Advertising content, product specifications, distribution options, etc vary from one country to another. The Economic condition in UK made LG play down its tagline ‗Life is Good‘ in Advertisements due to recent credit crunch.

Efficient distribution channel
Formation of distribution channel alliances in a foreign market. A distribution channel decision is vital
and rigid, that it expensive to change, once decision is made.

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Merchandising moguls Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, who rose to fame sharing the role as Tanner toddler Michelle on "Full House," are apparently absent from the list of returning names (Aw, nuts! What about Michelle?!).   In our house we say "Michelle ruins everything"...Is she always causing the problems or is it just me?Will we see a fuller house in the near future? HAVE MERCY!

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Field of Science

Hot off the Geothermal Presses

 One of the postcards that I got this summer prominently featured mosses from northern California. A picture of the postcard is on the right. I also took a photo of the caption on the back. Check out the portion that my friend underlined. It reads "A variety of mosses are brought to blossom by winter rains." What strikes you about this sentence? How about the word blossom? Blossoming refers to flowers, and mosses don't have flowers! This is a common terminology mistake. People are much more familiar with flowering plants and when looking at mosses they typically try to use flowering plant terms. Mosses with sporophytes are often said to be fruiting or blooming. Figuring out what word to use can be a challenge. Sporulating? Sporophyting? Usually what I say is that they are reproducing and releasing spores. Most people are familiar with reproduction and then I can go on to explain more about spores if needed.

This might seem like I am just being picky, but using the correct word is important for making comparisons between mosses and other plants. The little sporophytes that the mosses are producing are not the same as flowers, but are actually equivalent to an entire redwood tree! I think that comparison has much more wow factor that just being a gaudy flower.

This is the other mossy postcard that I have hanging on my bulletin board, below. Kathyrn is definitely winning the moss postcard competition, having sent me both of these. The stamp on the other side of this postcard even features a moss and fern filled glen. What's that, you say you can't see the mosses on the stamp? Well they are there. Look at that moist stream-side habitat. Those trees and the rocks surrounding the waterfall must be covered in mosses!