Almazbek Atambayev From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Almazbek Atambayev Алмазбек Атамбаев 2012-03-20 Almazbek Atambayev.jpeg 4th President of Kyrgyzstan Incumbent Assumed office 1 December 2011 Prime Minister Omurbek Babanov Aaly Karashev (Acting) Zhantoro Satybaldiyev Preceded by Roza Otunbayeva Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan In office 14 November 2011 – 1 December 2011 President Roza Otunbayeva Preceded by Omurbek Babanov (Acting) Succeeded by Omurbek Babanov In office 17 December 2010 – 23 September 2011 President Roza Otunbayeva Preceded by Daniar Usenov Succeeded by Omurbek Babanov (Acting) In office 29 March 2007 – 28 November 2007 President Kurmanbek Bakiyev Preceded by Azim Isabekov Succeeded by Iskenderbek Aidaraliyev (Acting) Personal details Born September 17, 1956 (age 56) Arashan, Kirghiz SSR, Soviet Union Political party Social Democratic Party Spouse(s) Raisa Atambayeva Religion Sunni Islam Almazbek Sharshenovich Atambayev (Cyrillic: Алмазбек Шаршенович Атамбаев; born 17 September 1956) has been the President of Kyrgyzstan since 1 December 2011. He previously was Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan from 17 December 2010 to 1 December 2011, having also been Prime Minister from 29 March 2007 until 28 November 2007. He also served as Chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan from 30 July 1999 to 23 September 2011. Contents 1 Personal life 2 Political career under Akayev and Bakiyev 3 Presidential candidate 4 Political career since 2010 5 Foreign policy 5.1 Russia 6 References Personal life Almazbek Atambaev was born in 1956 in the Northern region of Chui. He received his degree in economics while studying at the Moscow Institute of Management.[1] Atambaev has four children from his marriage to his first wife Buazhar, two sons Seyit and Seytek, and two daughters Diana and Dinara. In 1988 he married his second wife, Raisa. They have two children, a boy Khadyrbek and a girl Aliya. Raisa is an ethnic Tatar, born in the Urals in Russia, who moved to Osh as a child, with her parents. She is a doctor.[2] Political career under Akayev and Bakiyev Atambayev was an unsuccessful candidate in the October 2000 presidential election, receiving 6% of the vote.[3] Atambayev served as the Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism in the government from 20 December 2005[4] until he resigned on 21 April 2006.[5] In November 2006 he was one of the leaders of anti-government protests in Bishkek, under the umbrella of the movement 'For Reform!' (За Реформы).[6] He was also involved in earlier protests in late April 2006. On 26 December 2006 Atambayev rejected calls from other lawmakers for a dissolution of the Supreme Council, saying, "It is impossible for this Parliament to be dissolved at least until May [2007], and it has to adopt all the laws. Otherwise there will be a war in Kyrgyzstan, because even if Parliament adopts the [proposed] authoritarian constitution, I will tell you openly, we will not accept it. It would be a constitution adopted illegally. Then we would take every [possible protest action]. We are ready for that."[7] Following the resignation of Prime Minister Azim Isabekov on 29 March 2007, Atambayev was appointed acting Prime Minister by President Kurmanbek Bakiyev.[8] He was then confirmed in parliament by a vote of 48-3 on 30 March.[9] He is the first prime minister in Central Asia to come from an opposition party.[10] On 11 April, he tried to address a large protest in Bishkek demanding Bakiyev's resignation, but was booed by the protesters.[11][12] Bakiyev announced the resignation of Atambayev's government on 24 October 2007, following a successful referendum. The government was to remain in office until after a parliamentary election in December.[13] Nonetheless, Atambayev resigned on 28 November 2007; Bakiyev accepted the resignation, while praising Atambayev for his performance in office, and appointed Acting First Deputy Prime Minister Iskenderbek Aidaraliyev in his place as Acting Prime Minister.[14][15] Edil Baisalov of the Social Democratic Party claimed that Atambayev was forced out of office because he was an obstacle to alleged government interference in the parliamentary election.[15] Presidential candidate On 20 April 2009, Atambayev was announced as a candidate for the July 2009 Kyrgyz presidential elections.[16] But on polling day Atambayev withdrew his candidacy claiming "widespread fraud": "Due to massive, unprecedented violations, we consider these elections illegitimate and a new election should be held".[17] Political career since 2010 Following the 2010 parliamentary election, he was chosen to be Prime Minister at the head of a coalition government with his SDPK, Respublika, and Ata-Zhurt (which won a plurality in the election).[18] Atambayev ran in 2011 to succeed Roza Otunbayeva as President of Kyrgyzstan. On election day, October 30, 2011, he won in a landslide, defeating Adakhan Madumarov from the Butun Kyrgyzstan party and Kamchybek Tashiev from the Ata-Zhurt party with 63% of the vote, and with about 60% of the eligible Kyrgyz population voting.[19] Foreign policy In 2011 soon after becoming President, Atambayev traveled to Turkey and signed an agreement with the Turkish President agreeing to increase trade from $300 million in 2011 to $1 billion by 2015, with Turkey also agreeing to attract Turkish investment to Kyrgyzstan to the amount of $450 million within the next few years.[20] Russia Atambayev has repeatedly presented himself as a pro-Russian politician. He has announced Kyrgyzstan’s entry into the Customs Union, promised to secure the withdrawal of the American base from the country in 2014, and spoken of the need for closer economic relations with Russia, which temporarily employs about 500,000 citizens of Kyrgyzstan.;[21] however, he also expressed his wish to achieve greater economic and energy independence from it.[22] In early 2012 Atambayev traveled to Moscow, where in his meeting with Medvedev he called for the $15 million owed by Russia to Kyrgyzstan for their use of the Kant airbase.[23] Not only has Russia not been paying rent, but allegedly, they have also not paid for utilities like water and electricity, something unheard of anywhere else in the world.[citation needed] Russian pilots were also to have trained their Kyrgyz counterparts, which has not occurred.[24]
Maggot From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search For other uses, see Maggot (disambiguation). Maggots feeding on carrion Maggots on porcupine carcass A maggot is the larva of a fly (order Diptera); it is applied in particular to the larvae of Brachyceran flies, such as houseflies, cheese flies, and blowflies,[1] rather than larvae of the Nematocera, such as mosquitoes and Crane flies. "Maggot" is not a technical term and should not be taken as such; in many standard textbooks of entomology it does not appear in the index at all.[2][3] In many non-technical texts the term is used for insect larvae in general. Other sources have coined their own definitions; for example: "... The term applies to a grub when all trace of limbs has disappeared ..."[4] and "...Applied to the footless larvae of Dipters."[5] Maggot-like fly larvae are of wide importance in ecology and medicine; among other roles, various species are prominent in recycling carrion and garbage, attacking crops and foodstuffs, spreading microbial infections, and causing myiasis. Contents 1 Uses 1.1 Fishing 1.2 Medical treatment 1.3 Forensic science 2 Problems 3 References 4 External links Uses Fishing Anglers use maggots usually provided by commercial suppliers to catch non-predatory fish. Maggots are the most popular bait for anglers in Europe. Anglers throw handfuls into the "swim" they are targeting, attracting the fish to the area. The angler will then use the largest or most attractive maggots on the hook, hoping to be irresistible to the fish. Commercial maggot breeders from the UK sell their maggots to tackle dealers throughout the E.U. and North America. In North America, maggots have been used primarily as ice fishing bait; recently, however, anglers have started using them year-round. Medical treatment Main article: Maggot therapy Maggot therapy used in a small wound Live maggots of certain species of flies have been applied since antiquity as an effective means of wound debridement. (Use of the wrong species would invite pathological myiasis). In controlled and sterile settings by medical practitioners, maggot therapy introduces live, disinfected maggots into non-healing skin or soft wounds of a human or animal. Currently the most popular maggots for application to wounds are larvae of Calliphorid flies of the species Phaenicia sericata (formerly known as Lucilia sericata). They feed on the dead or necrotic tissue, leaving sound tissue largely unharmed. It is uncertain to what degree maggot secretions affect bacterial growth, or how useful any bacteriostatic effects might be; various studies have produced contradictory results[6][7] and some species of bacteria may be naturally tolerant of maggot secretions.[8] As of 2008, maggot therapy was being used in around 1,000 medical centers in Europe and over 300 medical centers in the United States.[9] Forensic science The presence and development of maggots on a corpse are useful in the estimation of time elapsed since death. Depending on the species and the conditions, maggots may be observed on a body within 24 hours. The eggs are laid directly on the food source and when the eggs hatch, the maggots move towards their preferred conditions and begin to feed. By studying the insects present at a crime scene, forensic entomologists can determine the approximate time of death. Insects are usually useful after a post-mortem interval (PMI) of approximately 25–80 hours, depending on ambient conditions. After this interval, this method becomes less reliable. Problems As with fleas and ticks, maggots can be a threat to household pets and livestock, especially sheep. Flies reproduce rapidly in the summer months and maggots can come in large numbers, creating a maggot infestation and a high risk of myiasis (a maggot infestation of living tissue) in sheep and other animals. Humans are not immune to the feeding habits of maggots and can also contract myiasis.[10] Interaction between humans and maggots usually occurs near garbage cans, dead animals, rotten food and other breeding grounds for maggots. A major problem arises when maggots turn into adult flies and start the life cycle over again. Numbers will grows exponentially if unchecked, but disease, natural predators and parasites keep the population under control. Sealing garbage and using a garbage disposal or freezing rotting leftovers until waste collection day helps prevent infestation. Introducing an environmental control, such as Histeridae, can also help reduce maggot populations.
Portable toilet From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. This article relies on references to primary sources. (September 2010) This article may be confusing or unclear to readers. (August 2012) A line of portable toilets. Inside view of a portable toilet. Baghdad, Iraq (April 2005). Portable toilet on the USS Iowa as part of the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet. Portable toilets can be cost-effective alternatives to maintaining larger plumbing infrastructure. Portable toilets, often referred to as Porta Potties (American English), or Porta Loos (UK), are simple portable enclosures containing a chemical toilet which are typically used as a temporary toilet for construction sites or large gatherings because of their durability and convenience. Most portable toilets have black open-front U-shaped toilet seats with a cover. They are often constructed out of lightweight molded plastic. The modern plastic portable toilet, invented by Michael Jaskierny of Wisconsin, has been manufactured since the 1960s. Contents 1 Size 2 Variations 3 Chemicals 4 Use in outdoor advertising 5 Advantages 6 Disadvantages 7 Locations 8 PSE 9 See also 10 References 11 External links Size Portable toilets are large enough for a single occupant, usually about 90 cm (35 in) square by 210 cm (83 in) high. While the units are typically free standing structures, their stability is augmented by the weight of the waste tank, which usually contains an empty liquid disinfectant dispenser and deodorizer. Some include both a seated toilet and a urinal. Most include lockable doors, ventilation near the top, and a vent pipe for the holding tank. When wind is blowing over the vent pipe it creates a low pressure area sucking the odor out. Leaving the toilet lid open will reverse the flow of the venting of the tank.[1] Typical Dimensions: Total Weight: 90 kg (200 lb) - 110 kg (240 lb) Total Width : 1,166 mm (45.9 in) Total Depth : 1,215 mm (47.8 in) Total Height : 2,316 mm (91.2 in) Door Height : 1,975 mm (77.8 in) Door Width : 639 mm (25.2 in) Variations Portable potty on top of a mountain in China Newer models include toilet paper and, occasionally, antibacterial hand sanitizer dispensers. It has become common for portable toilets to be paired with an internal hand washing station. These sink stations provide a foot pump to dispense water to wash one's hands after using the toilet. Soap and towels may be provided.[2] Another common pairing are portable toilets on trailers known commonly as a "portable toilet trailer". These trailers are typically found in 1–2 toilet configurations with a hand wash ability using either a hand washing station or a plastic barrel full of water. These trailers are often seen on agricultural fields or at road construction sites. These restrooms are ideal for situations where the workers (users) are very mobile. However this configuration has proven problematic, most modern portable toilet waste tank designs have proven inadequate to deal with the common problem of splash-outs from the waste holding tank while being towed down bumpy roads. Also when being towed the high winds blow in from the vents creating a hurricane effect inside ejecting any toilet paper rolls from the portable toilet if it's not secured. 'Luxury' portable toilets also exist.[3] These are typically conventional domestic plumbing fixtures within a portakabin-like structure.[4] They are typically mounted on large "office-like" trailers or made from converted shipping containers. They contain every amenity that a public bathroom would have such as running water, flushing toilet, stalls, urinals, mirrors, lighting, and even air conditioning and hot water in some cases. However these luxuries come at a price as these trailers typically cost 40x more than a typical portable toilet to buy or rent. They are commonly found at weddings, high end events/charities, and movie shoots. Chemicals Portable Toilets use a smell reducing chemical (deodorizer) in the holding tank. This chemical is typically blue so that when it interacts with enough urine & feces it turns green. This green color is an indication that the chemicals are no longer effective in preventing odors.[citation needed] In most states a formaldehyde (embalming fluid) based chemical is used to neutralize odors; this method of deodorizing the portable toilet has proven very effective. The formaldehyde based chemical interferes with the bacteria in portable toilets, these bacteria release odorous gas when breaking down waste. A notable exception to the formaldehyde based formula is California who has banned the use of this chemical in portable toilets, RV's and the like because it interferes with their sewage plant operations. A much more environmentally friendly enzyme is used to break down the waste while releasing a fragrance. This enzyme does not prevent the bacteria from breaking down waste but actually helps break down waste itself. Because it doesn't directly deal with the cause of foul portable toilet odors its much less effective than the traditional formaldehyde based solution.[citation needed] A much older form of portable toilet chemical is Lye. Lye was used during the old "wooden outhouse days" to prevent odors. After a person is done using the portable toilet they would grab a bit of lye and sprinkle it into the holding tank. Use in outdoor advertising Another recent innovation in the portable toilet arena is their use as a form of outdoor advertising. Some advertisers wrap portable toilets with vinyl material similar to that commonly used on cars and buses. The graphic wraps are intended to catch the attention of potential customers waiting in line to use the toilet.[5] Advantages Though more expensive than a standard permanent outdoor latrine, portable toilets have several significant benefits mostly related to their portability as they are self-contained they can be placed almost anywhere. They are rented to customers by companies that guarantee their cleanliness, and so as a rule are drained, cleaned, disinfected, and deodorized on a regular basis. It's typically cheaper to rent a portable toilet than to hire a janitorial service to clean the restrooms on a weekly basis.As they are not plumbed, they do not clog. A single portable toilet can be hauled in the back of a pick-up truck, and some corporations, such as Paccar Inc, manufacture special trucks for this purpose. An average portable toilet is able to hold enough sewage for 10 people during the course of a 40 hour work week before the hold reaches unsanitary conditions. Disadvantages Because portable toilets are not plumbed they keep the waste inside the bathroom, this can lead to a sewage smell if the portable toilet is not cleaned properly or is over used. It's also seen as an eye sore to most communities, some of which prohibit the use of a portable toilet without special permission from the city or municipality. Locations Portable toilets at a public event in Jersey. They are frequently seen at outdoor work sites, particularly construction sites, farms, ranches, camp sites and large banks of dozens of portable toilets allow for ready sanitation at large gatherings such as outdoor music festivals. Several portable toilets arranged in these large banks are referred to as a 'sitting' of portable toilets. PSE Portable Sanitation Europe Ltd was formed in 2000, and originally had just 30 members. Membership is divided into Service Operator Members and Supplier Members. Operator Members of PSE provide all types of portable toilet and sanitation units to both the construction and event industries in virtually all parts of the UK and Ireland. All units supplied by members of PSE are recognised as being of the highest standard in the industry. To comply with PSE Terms and Conditions of Membership, Operator Members must offer quality of back up and service in compliance with PSE guidelines. A number of PSE Supplier Members manufacture and supply all types of portable toilet units, urinals, trailer mounted mobile toilets, welfare units, jack leg toilets and shower blocks in the UK, Ireland the EU and to other parts of the world. In addition there are Supplier Members that are specialist manufacturers or distributors of a wide variety of toilet additives and associated cleaning and maintenance products. PSE and its members actively promote ‘Best Practice’ throughout the portable sanitation industry and in order to support this policy PSE has instigated the National Sanitation Qualification scheme for quality assurance. Health and Safety Legislation in the UK is of major importance to the portable toilet and sanitation industry and PSE members play their part is ensuring that legislation is adhered to. PSE Members fully comply with all current British legislation and PSE has established good contacts with HSE and has even advised HSE on various aspects of Health and Safety legislation. For many years, the portable toilet industry has operated in the construction industry applying a ratio of one toilet for every ten site workers. This has now been changed by the introduction of a new British Standard after co-operation from a member of PSE’s Committee of Management. The revised BS standard that PSE members comply with is now one toilet to every seven site workers. The UK event industry is governed by adherence to The Event Safety Guide (The Purple Book) which after a number of years is currently under review. PSE has already re-written Chapter 14, the Sanitation section of the guide, and the revised guide should be published soon. PSE and its members have been recognised by many local and national organisations as being the leaders in portable toilet and sanitation provision, and the level of this recognition will continue to increase as the association grows still further
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Conservation status Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1] Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Piciformes Family: Picidae Genus: Dendrocopos Species: D. minor Binomial name Dendrocopos minor (Linnaeus, 1758) Synonyms Dryobates minor The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos minor) is a member of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is assigned to the genus Dendrocopos (sometimes incorrectly spelt as Dendrocopus). The range of the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker is the Palearctic region, but several subspecies are recognised. Contents 1 Description 2 Ecology 3 References 4 External links Description From its small size and its habit of spending most of its time in the tops of tall trees in woods and parks, this little woodpecker is often overlooked, but if sighted on a trunk it may at once be identified by the broad barring on the wings and narrower bars across the lower back. The male has a crimson crown, a brown forehead, a black superciliary stripe, and another from the base of the bill to the neck. The nape and upper back are black, but the lower back is barred with black and white. On the wings are broader and more conspicuous bars, and the outer tail feathers are also barred. The under parts are white with streaks on the flanks. The bill and legs are slate-grey. In the female the crown is white, but the young birds of both sexes have more or less crimson on the head. There are no marked seasonal changes. Ecology Frontal view Its habits are very similar to those of the Great Spotted Woodpecker, and it has the same stumpy appearance, almost triangular, when bounding from tree to tree. Its note is a repeated "keek", loud for so small a bird, and its vibrating rattle can with experience be distinguished from that of the larger species. This substitute for a song may be heard at all times, but most frequently when courtship begins early in the year. Its insect food is similar to that of the Great Spotted Woodpecker. When hunting for wood-boring larvae it chips away at the rotten wood, and the litter at the foot of a tree is often the first indication that insects are attacking upper branches. From autumn to spring it hunts mainly on wood-living insect larvae, frequently from thin dead branches in living trees. Through the breeding season, surface-living insects from the foliage and bark of trees make up an increased amount of the diet. Nestlings are mainly fed with surface-living insects,such as aphids and larval insects. At night it roosts in old holes. A litter of chips is also a guide to a nesting hole, for the bird does not always carry these away when excavating. The hole is usually at a considerable height above the ground and may be so high as 30 or 40 feet. It is a smaller burrow than that of the Great Spotted Woodpecker, measuring from 1 to 2 inches in diameter. The shaft varies, the nesting cavity being often a foot or more below the entrance. Five to eight highly polished white eggs are laid upon wood dust and chips in the latter half of May, and a single brood is the rule. Both birds help to incubate. Occasionally an old or natural hollow is used or enlarged. Populations of Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers are mostly resident, but can be nomadic to some degree. Annual fluctations in population numbers are common. The winter temperatures may exhibit a direct effect on winter survival of Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers by heat loss, whereas weather conditions during spring have an indirect effect on breeding performance by affecting food production.
Larch From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search For other uses, see Larch (disambiguation). Larch Larix decidua in autumn Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae Division: Pinophyta Class: Pinopsida Order: Pinales Family: Pinaceae Genus: Larix Philip Miller Species About 10–14; see text Larches are conifers in the genus Larix, in the family Pinaceae. Growing from 20 to 45 m tall,[1] they are native to much of the cooler temperate northern hemisphere, on lowlands in the north and high on mountains further south. Larch are among the dominant plants in the immense boreal forests of Russia and Canada. Although a conifer, the larch is a deciduous tree and loses its leaves in the autumn. The shoots are dimorphic, with growth divided into long shoots typically 10–50 centimetres long[citation needed] and bearing several buds, and short shoots only 1–2 mm long with only a single bud. The leaves are needle-like, 2–5 centimetres long, slender (under 1 cm wide). They are borne singly, spirally arranged on the long shoots, and in dense clusters of 20–50 needles on the short shoots. The needles turn yellow and fall in the late autumn, leaving the trees leafless through the winter. Larch cones are erect, small, 1–9 cm long, green or purple, ripening brown 5–8 months after pollination; in about half the species the bract scales are long and visible, and in the others, short and hidden between the seed scales. Those native to northern regions have small cones (1–3 cm) with short bracts, with more southerly species tending to have longer cones (3–9 cm), often with exserted bracts, with the longest cones and bracts produced by the southernmost species, in the Himalayas. Contents 1 Species and classification 1.1 Eurasian 1.1.1 Northern, short-bracted 1.1.2 Southern, long-bracted 1.2 North American 2 Diseases 3 Uses 4 References 4.1 Notes 4.2 Bibliography 5 Further reading 6 External links Species and classification There are 10–15 species; those marked with an asterisk (*) in the list below are not accepted as distinct species by all authorities.[citation needed] In the past, the cone bract length was often used to divide the larches into two sections (sect. Larix with short bracts, and sect. Multiserialis with long bracts), but genetic evidence[2] does not support this division, pointing instead to a genetic divide between Old World and New World species, with the cone and bract size being merely adaptations to climatic conditions. More recent genetic studies have proposed three groups within the genus, with a primary division into North American and Eurasian species, and a secondary division of the Eurasian into northern short-bracted species and southern long-bracted species;[3] there is some dispute over the position of Larix sibirica, a short-bracted species which is placed in the short-bracted group by some of the studies and the long-bracted group by others. Eurasian Northern, short-bracted Larix decidua (syn. L. europaea) European Larch. Mountains of central Europe. Larix sukaczewii Russian Larch.* Russia west of Ural Mountains. Larix sibirica Siberian Larch. Plains of western Siberia. Larix gmelinii (syn. L. dahurica) Dahurian Larch. Plains of central Siberia. Larix cajanderi (syn. L. dahurica) Dahurian Larch. Plains of eastern Siberia. Larix kaempferi (syn. L. leptolepis) Japanese Larch. Mountains of central Japan. Larix principis-rupprechtii Prince Rupprecht's Larch. Mountains of northern China (Shanxi, Hebei). Olgan Larch or Olga Bay Larch (Larix gmelinii var. olgensis) is sometimes treated as a distinct species Larix olgensis.[4] Southern, long-bracted Larix potaninii Chinese Larch. Mountains of southwestern China (Sichuan, northern Yunnan). Larix himalaica Langtang Larch.* Mountains of central Himalayas. Larix mastersiana Masters' Larch. Mountains of western China. Larix speciosa Yunnan Larch.* Mountains of southwest China (southwest Yunnan), northeast Burma. Larix griffithii (syn. L. griffithiana) Himalayan Larch. Mountains of eastern Himalaya North American Larix laricina Tamarack Larch or American Larch. Parts of Alaska and throughout Canada and the northern United States from the eastern Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic shore. Larix lyallii Subalpine Larch. Mountains of northwest United States and southwest Canada, at very high altitude. Larix occidentalis Western Larch. Mountains of northwest United States and southwest Canada, at lower altitudes. Most if not all of the species can be hybridised in cultivation. The best-known hybrid is the Dunkeld Larch Larix × marschlinsii (syn. L. × eurolepis, an illegitimate name), which arose more or less simultaneously in Switzerland and Scotland when L. decidua and L. kaempferi hybridised when planted together. Larch is used as a food plant by the larvae of a number of Lepidoptera species—see list of Lepidoptera that feed on larches. Siberian larch. Male (above) and female (below right) cones of Japanese Larch emerging in spring. European Larch foliage and cones. European Larch male "flowers" or strobili. Diseases Larches are prone to the fungal canker disease Lachnellula willkommii (Larch Canker); this is particularly a problem on sites prone to late spring frosts, which cause minor injuries to the tree allowing entry to the fungal spores. Larches are also vulnerable to Phytophthora ramorum. In late 2009 the disease was first found in Japanese Larch trees in the English counties of Devon, Cornwall and Somerset, and has since spread to the south-west of Scotland.[5] In August 2010 the disease was found in Japanese Larch trees in counties Waterford and Tipperary in Ireland.[6] Uses Larch is a wood valued for its tough, waterproof, and durable qualities; top quality knot-free timber is in great demand for building yachts and other small boats, for exterior cladding of buildings, and interior panelling. The timber is resistant to rot when in contact with the ground, and is suitable for use as posts and in fencing. The hybrid Dunkeld Larch is widely grown as a timber crop in northern Europe, valued for its fast growth and disease resistance. (EN 350-2 lists larch as slightly to moderately durable, this would make it unsuitable for ground contact use without preservative in temperate climates, and would give it a limited life as external cladding without coatings). Larch has also been used in herbal medicine; see Bach flower remedies and Arabinogalactan for details. In central Europe larch is viewed as one of the best wood materials for the building of residences. Planted on borders with birch, both tree species were used in pagan cremations. Larches are often used in bonsai culture, where their knobby bark, small needles, fresh spring foliage, and – especially – autumn colour are appreciated. European Larch, Japanese Larch, and Tamarack Larch are the species most commonly trained as bonsai.
38? Did I tell you about the time my grandfather complained about some punk kids moving into his private neighborhood? His private neighborhood was a 60+ community, he was in his early nineties, and the young punks he was complaining about? Those darn rascals were barely sixty-something years old.
38? there's potentially someting about you eating a bullet in celebration of the auspicious age, but I can't be arsed to come up with it.
Is this the anniversary of the first settlement in ME, or the date when ME became a separate state from Massachusetts?
It can't be the secession. Maine seceded from the Massholes on 15 March 1820. No actual date is given for the settlement -- the French were the first Europeans to settle it in 1604.
