Corellas were once an inland bird but are now living in coastal areas in huge numbers which is causing human-wildlife conflict. What has driven their sea change and what are the solutions?

Emily Slattery, a doctor herself, describes the recent birth of her son George as "boringly normal", but in fact it was far from ordinary. By using an independent midwife instead of an obstetrician, she has become the first woman in WA to take advantage of a new option in maternity care.

Bereft of vineyards a couple of years ago, Forcett in south-east Tasmania, will soon have more than 200 hectares of wine grapes in the ground.

Dozens of horse carcasses, car bodies and dangerous substances are being illegally dumped in a catchment area for Darwin's water supply, prompting concerns about potential contamination.

New laws are before Queensland Parliament to protect the Great Barrier Reef from harmful nutrient and sediment run-off, with a voluntary scheme not working fast enough according to the Environment Minister.

Sustainability in the supply chain is an issue that continues to move higher up the agenda as consumers increasingly opt for brands with a sustainable business model. 

They are taking multiple factors into account when making purchasing decisions – from the choice of raw materials, through factory locations, to recycling policies – meaning sustainability is permeating the entire supply chain.

Coal ash is commonly mixed with wastewater and collected at an ash dam near the power station.

Very few young people think about the health risks of drinking but research is proving that alcohol is bad for your health.

A major program to combat fruit fly is underway in two Australian states where the Queensland fruit fly is not native to those areas.

As parts of Oregon are expected to see hot weather this weekend, some Oregon state parks have reopened, though with limitations and strict guidelines.

(United States Federal Circuit) - Affirmed an arbitrator’s decision sustaining plaintiff’s removal from employment as a corrections officer with the Bureau of Prisons. The Federal Circuit reasoned that there was no claim of prejudice for the delay between the notice of employment infractions and the date of termination and it found plaintiff’s other arguments unpersuasive.

(California Court of Appeal) - Affirmed. Plaintiff sued Defendant for a slip and fall accident in the BART station on the theory that the train operator owed a heightened duty of care under Civil Code section 2100. The trial court dismissed the action on the grounds that Defendant had no liability for accidents that did not occur on the train. The appeals court agreed also holding that section 2100 does not apply to minor commonplace hazards in a train station.

(California Court of Appeal) - Affirmed. Plaintiff sued Defendant for a slip and fall accident in the BART station on the theory that the train operator owed a heightened duty of care under Civil Code section 2100. The trial court dismissed the action on the grounds that Defendant had no liability for accidents that did not occur on the train. The appeals court agreed also holding that section 2100 does not apply to minor commonplace hazards in a train station.

(United States Third Circuit) - In an action stemming from the death of plaintiff's 15-year old son from a rare form of asphyxiation known as "dry drowning" or "secondary drowning" shortly after his participation in a mandatory swimming class run by his physical education teacher, claiming violations of her son's civil rights under 42 U.S.C. section 1983, the district court's denial of defendant's motion for summary judgment, on the basis of qualified immunity, is reversed where defendant's conduct did not violate a clearly established constitutional right.

(California Court of Appeal) - Affirming the district court's grant of summary judgment in the case of a student football player who took some hard hits and ended up diagnosed with traumatic brain injury because the coach was entitled to qualified immunity and there wasn't enough evidence to warrant a jury trail against the town.

(California Court of Appeal) - Affirmed that a ski area was not liable for injuries that a snowboarder suffered when she collided with a snowcat and snow-grooming tiller. The snowboarder, who was seriously hurt, argued that the ski resort was grossly negligent and thus liable for her injuries despite the liability waiver she had signed as part of her season-pass agreement. However, the Third Appellate District concluded that the operation of snow-grooming equipment on a snow run is an inherent risk of snowboarding and that there was no gross negligence, affirming summary judgment against her claims.

(California Court of Appeal) - Affirmed. Plaintiff sued Defendant for a slip and fall accident in the BART station on the theory that the train operator owed a heightened duty of care under Civil Code section 2100. The trial court dismissed the action on the grounds that Defendant had no liability for accidents that did not occur on the train. The appeals court agreed also holding that section 2100 does not apply to minor commonplace hazards in a train station.

BAYONICS Will Release Their New Album RESILIENCE In Stores And Online August 2, 2019.

Here is what resorts are saying about refunds following statewide closures on downhill skiing.

On Monday, Loveland Ski Area became the fourth Colorado ski area to close for the season as a result of COVID-19.

Don't expect ski areas to reopen any time soon.

Officials worry crowded slopes aren't allowing for proper social distancing during coronavirus outbreak.

Five jails in the Denver area have confirmed outbreaks of the new coronavirus as of Wednesday, with more than 100 confirmed infections and one death linked to Colorado correctional facilities.

Devil’s Head Recreation Area temporarily closed Tuesday afternoon to protect public health. The closure includes the Devil’s Head trailhead, campground, picnic area, fire lookout tower, several Forest Service roads and the Zinn trail (NFST615). The area is about 45 minutes southwest of Sedalia. The order will remain in effect until Dec. 1, 2020, or until […]

Work at Lockheed Martin continues during the coronavirus outbreak — and so does hiring.

From canceled author readings to lost revenue and visitors amid a government-ordered shutdown, bookstores and libraries are struggling to stay connected to their audiences during the coronavirus pandemic, which has closed most brick-and-mortar gathering spots indefinitely.

Avalanche goalie Philipp Grubauer of Germany has remained in Denver during the NHL "pause" and says he has become an avid cyclist riding "about 100 miles per day," according to NHL.com.

Five jails in the Denver area have confirmed outbreaks of the new coronavirus as of Wednesday, with more than 100 confirmed infections and one death linked to Colorado correctional facilities.

Five jails in the Denver area have confirmed outbreaks of the new coronavirus as of Wednesday, with more than 100 confirmed infections and one death linked to Colorado correctional facilities.

The Ministry of Home Affairs is reminding commercial and recreational fishers, that fishing in the Seasonally Protected Areas — also known as the “Hind Grounds” and “Grouper Grounds” — will be prohibited from 15 April to 14 August 2018 in order to protect spawning Red Hinds and Black Groupers. “It should also be noted that […] (Click to read the full article)

The Red Hind aggregation areas within the seasonally protected areas will be open to fishing from today [Aug 15]. A Government spokesperson said, “The Ministry of Home Affairs wishes to advise the public that the Red Hind aggregation areas within the seasonally protected areas will be open to fishing from today [15 August, 2019]. “However, […] (Click to read the full article)

[Updating] Firefighters are currently battling a blaze in the marsh area of Devonshire this morning [March 17], with flames seen in the marsh as smoke pours into the air. Lieutenant Francis of the BFRS said, “The Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service Emergency Dispatch Center received a call for a brush fire at 0820hrs in the […] (Click to read the full article)

Around 3:05pm today [April 7] police attended the Khyber Heights, Warwick area after “receiving several reports of gunshots being heard, with police confirming that a firearm had been discharged, however there are no reports of injuries. A police spokesperson said, “Around 3:05pm today, [Sunday April 7th] police attended the Khyber Heights Warwick area after receiving […] (Click to read the full article)

A man in his early 20s was treated for a gunshot wound in his arm after a shooting that apparently occurred in the Happy Valley Lane area in Pembroke. A police spokesperson said, “Shortly after 7:00 pm on Thursday 13th February, police received several reports of gunshots being heard in the area of Middletown, Pembroke. “A […] (Click to read the full article)

UPDATE: Both workshops filled very quickly. I only do these about once a year; apologies for the imbalance. I have set up a system so people who are potentially interested in future small-class lighting workshops can receive advance notice. More info here.

__________
I'll be teaching two, full-day lighting workshops in the suburban Baltimore/DC area on December 6 and 7.

They are two separate one-day events. These are small-group workshops, with a maximum class size of 12 people each day. These are shooting workshops, and you'll be behind (and/or in front of!) a camera for most of the day.

Assuming you arrive at this class with a basic understanding of f/stops and shutter speeds, you will leave with a strong foundation in the fundamentals of off-camera lighting. You will be comfortable using single and multiple lights both alone and/or balanced with a mix of ambient lighting.

All lighting gear will be provided. We will also provide lunch.

You will need to bring a camera that is adjustable in manual mode and has a hot shoe connection for a flash, a lens that covers normal and/or portrait range, one or two fully charged batteries and an empty storage card. Maybe a notebook and pen if you like.

That's it. Just show up ready to learn and to have fun. Leave the rest to me.


Details

Dates:
December 6 and 7, 2019

Time:
9:30am - 5:30pm

Price:
$259

Location:
Sandy Spring Friends Lyceum
17715 Meeting House Road
Sandy Spring, MD 20860


Note; These are the only small-class lighting workshops I'll be teaching in the US this year. In the past, these have tended to fill very quickly. So if this is something you'd like to do, I'd suggest signing up sooner rather than later.


Sign-Up Links

Friday, December 6 [FRIDAY'S CLASS HAS BEEN FILLED]

Saturday, December 7 [SATURDAY'S CLASS HAS BEEN FILLED]

As part of the implementation of the Equal Partners in Care (EPiC) Highland Carer’s Strategy 2014-2017 it was agreed to undertake a review of respite for Adult Carers of Adults (aged 16+). Independent consultants were commissioned by NHS Highland through Connecting Carers to undertake this work. There are four groups of people – totalling an estimated 200 people - with whom conversations have taken place during the review: Carers and staff from carer support organisations – more than 75 carers have given their views; Health and social care workforce – we have met with just over 50 people who have given their views and shared our initial findings with more than 60 others; Respite providers – we have met with staff from 15 organisations that are providers of respite Those staff responsible for overseeing the commissioning, planning and administration of respite.

Study shows how a lack of community support caused by inequality exacerbates cycles of poverty

Over the next 20 years more than a quarter of the nation’s currently owner-occupied homes will be on the market as owners pass on with Orlando being one of the top impacted areas.

The famous desert geoglyphs appear to show birds that occur in Peru’s forests and coastal areas.

California's rural areas are in revolt against Gov. Gavin Newsom's statewide coronavirus rules, which make little sense in burgs such as Bieber.

As Bay Area coronavirus infection rate eases, the focus turns to Southern California, especially L.A. County, with 6,000 cases and rising: a good week to "skip shopping altogether."

The San Francisco Bay Area has seen consecutive weekly declines in the number of new coronavirus cases. Southern California has seen the pace increase.

St. Mary's College in Moraga is requiring students to return and clean out their dorm rooms by April 14. Fearful of coronavirus, some parents are livid.

A list of currently available produce from local farmers.

David West, the NBA veteran who won two championships with the Golden State Warriors, is asking $3.675 million for his Bay Area home.

Tesla's electric car factory was operating as usual Tuesday, despite a San Francisco Bay Area multi-county "shelter in place" lockdown.