Global warming and the death of Canadian forests

by Dr. Reese HalterConservation biologist, broadcaster

All is not well in the semi arid, warming oil sands of Alberta -- the second largest hydrocarbon reserves in the world; only Saudi Arabia has more. To get at the oil sands and supply the Keystone XL pipeline, its leaving Canada with a colossal carbon footprint, which has increased by 120 percent since 1990. Of all the industrial nations, Canada footprint has increased the most during this time.

An overheating climate has enabled mountain pine beetles -- nature's emissary of massive ecological change to march north and east like never before in modern or prehistoric times.

Recent data from the International Energy Agency shows that governments in developing countries pay $310 billion subsidies to oil, gas and coal companies.

So far both politicians and the public has a burgeoning disdain for climate and biological sciences that overwhelmingly shows that burning carbon-based fuels are forcing the climate and causing climate disruption, globally. Moreover, many politicians and the public are grabbing at whatever denial statements they can -- analogous to the behavior of an addict.

They can run but they cannot hide from some conspicuous and startling facts across western North America. Indigenous bark beetles, on an epic feeding frenzy fueled by rising temperatures, have killed over 60 million acres of mature pine forests. In just over a decade the beetles have killed billions of trees or enough wood to make a city of 8 million homes.

Entire hillsides and mountains are red. Those dead forests are ripe for wildfires that are costing taxpayers billions of dollars and perilously placing over four million homeowners who straddle the urban/wildland interface at high risk.

These are the irrefutable facts whether you fly, drive or peddle your bicycle across the West, I guarantee that you will encounter the wrath of the unintended consequences of spewing 82 million metric tons, daily, of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere -- death of our wild forests.

What's more is that when forest ecosystems become destabilized by rising temperatures ranging in the Northern Rocky Mountains by 2.4 degrees F to 3.6 degrees F in the Southern Rockies some organisms, like the trees -- loose; while others, like the mountain pine beetles -- win.

It's not that the bark beetles are just killing the trees but rather in less than a decade they have completely and perfectly adapted to enter Earth's northern most contiguous forest type -- the boreal or emerald crown of our planet.

Up until very recently the ecological "cold curtain" prevented the ravenous bark beetles from crossing the great continental divide. Beetles quite simply couldn't exist on the northern, eastern side of the Rocky Mountains or if they did they reproduced within 2 years and populations never reached an epidemic.

In central British Columbia over the past decade and a half the mountain pine beetles have single-handily devoured half the commercial forests or an astounding 39 million acres (enough wood to build 5 million homes). As if that weren't bad enough as those forests decay they will be releasing 250 million metric tons of greenhouse gases or the equivalent of five years of car and light truck emissions in Canada. Essentially, 39 million acres of British Columbian lodgepole pine forests that once sucked CO2 out of the atmosphere are now dead, decaying and bleeding CO2 into an ever-rising pool of accumulating heat-trapping gases.

The plot thickens, considerably. At least thrice in the last decade billions of bark beetles were sucked up into the lower stratosphere and spat out onto the eastern side of the Northern Rockies. Millions lived and successfully reproduced within a year (because temperatures have risen that dramatically) enabling populations to reach an epidemic.

In fact, in the summer of 2006, my faithful companion, "Naio", a Chesapeake Bay retriever and I were on a road trip in Northern Alberta near Grand Prairie. We were exploring a pine forest when the sky rained bark beetles on us. In almost 3 decades of working in wild forests around the globe, I've never experienced anything like it.

Mountain pine beetles carry blue stain fungi, bacteria and micro-organisms which help them overcome the tree's autoimmune system. The beetles have quickly found a strain of blue stain Leptographium longiclavatum that is adapted to the colder eastern Rocky Mountain temperatures. Furthermore, the beetles have reduced their body size and have successfully adapted too much thinner living bark spaces of the diminutive Jack pines.

Tree scientists and entomologists knew that mountain pine beetles could exist in lodgepole/Jack pine hybrids in Alberta. In the last half-decade the beetles have successfully transited from the hybrids into pure Jack pines -- an a priori.

The coast is now clear for them to march across northern Canada to the Atlantic coast and into the Jack pines of the Lake states.

Earth's natural systems for absorbing CO2 are rapidly breaking down. Let me remind you that 40 percent of the oceanic phytoplankton is missing because warming currents are preventing upwelling of cold waters carrying essential nutrients requisite for growing green life and supporting the base of the entire marine ecosystem.

The time for subsidizing toxic and life threatening carbon-based fuels is over. Imagine the breathtaking innovations in new green energies if we made available $310 billion per annum to all centers of concentrated brainpower - our colleges. And then imagine the millions of long-term jobs those green industries will create.

Politicians and the public can sneer at climate and biological sciences but how long can they turn a blind eye to the death of Mother Nature?



Earth Dr Reese Halter is a science communicator: voice for ecology and distinguished conservation biologist at California Lutheran University. His latest books are The Insatiable Bark Beetle and The Incomparable Honeybee.


Source: HuffPost

Baby elephant confused by his own trunk

aaaahhhh, so cute!

Harlem Grown a garden of learning

NYC's poor kids invigorated by their own garden

by Alex Budman, Undergraduate student at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland

The same hands that are opening the limousine door for celebrity clients such as Edward Norton, Matt Damon and Tom Hanks are planting the seeds of change in the Harlem Success Garden. Tony Hillary is the brains behind the limousine company T.Z.Z Transportation with an all-star clientele, as well as the founder of the non profit organization Harlem Grown. How Tony seamlessly brought these two worlds together is where the story gets interesting. Let me explain.


Roderick with Harlem Grown founder Tony Hillary


Tony Hillary started his own limo company T.Z.Z Limos in 1999. Over the next eleven years he built the business up to one that serves many Hollywood VIP'S. Tony developed personal relationships with many of his clients, and the airport pick-ups usually led to lively discussions about current events. In the 2009 recession, Tony saw a massive decline in bookings, resulting in his spending more time at home, brooding about his future.


Feeling depressed and watching his business go down the drain, Tony needed something to fill his time. He started reading about the American education system. He decided that he wanted to get involved working with children. He also made a life choice; he decided, "If I can't be rich, I might as well be happy." Tony was about to experience a new form of richness in his life, one that is not based on monetary rewards.

Tony started volunteering at the public school PS175 at 134th and Lennox, in the heart of Harlem. He instantly became a father figure to the students at the school. For many of them, Tony is the only constant male figure in their lives; very few of them live with their fathers.

The majority of these children live in government housing; approximately 10 percent live in homeless shelters. Many of these students suffer from obesity; healthy options are too expensive and hard to find in the streets that are saturated with fast food restaurants. It is hard to believe that all of this 'just above the poverty line' living takes place just 30 blocks north of the swanky Upper East Side.

After volunteering at the school for a few months and becoming a regular fixture there, Tony started to take interest in a fenced in area across the street. When he asked in the neighborhood about the purpose of the space, Tony found out that it was a locked up Green Thumb Garden, one of the 500 communal garden spaces throughout New York City. Whoever was in charge of the garden had turned it into a neighborhood dump and drug haven. The local school children would cross the street to avoid walking past it; they thought that it was haunted.

This is how Harlem Grown, the non-profit organization that Tony founded, was started. He decided that he wanted to reclaim this space and make it a safe place for children to learn. With the help of some money and a phone call from Edward Norton, Tony convinced the New York City Parks department to allow him to reclaim the garden. So there Tony was with a fenced in dump and a twenty-five thousand dollar start-up fund to turn this forgotten space into the home of Harlem Grown.

Immediately, Tony hired Sean. Sean was born in Georgia and grew up on a farm; he has been harvesting crops since he was a little boy.

Together, Tony and Sean cleaned out the garden. They pulled out the piles of trash that had accumulated over the years of its neglect. After the space was cleaned, the two became Google Gardeners. Self-taught, they came up with ways that they could plant a garden that would eventually grow before the children's eyes.

They started off by growing tomatoes and lettuce; in the past year and a half they have added over eight varieties of vegetables and fruits, from tomatoes to melons. The latest addition is a small herb garden. The garden is so inviting that at least eleven different bird species nest and fly through this space. The birds' songs are a welcome change from the harsh noises of the congested streets of Harlem.

The garden is now a beautiful green space for all of the community to use; as a result, everyone is thankful to Tony for reinvigorating this space. Yet the most astounding thing about the garden is the effect that it has had on the children from PS 175. The 400 children who come through the garden monthly have learned so much from the green space and associated programming that it is hard to fully recap, but here are the main points that I noticed after volunteering there for a month.




In the garden, the children gain a respect for nature and the environment. They study about earth sciences and insects, gaining insight into the fundamentals of nature. This space is so far removed from the concrete jungle of the projects that is home to these children. Through their experiences, they learn to understand the need to preserve and protect nature. In the garden there is a composting system and recycling program. Recently Tony brought that same model into the school cafeteria. He assigned "Recycling Ambassadors" who monitor how people dispose of their garbage after lunch. In addition to having a smaller environmental impact, the children now have a sense of responsibility and pride, turning the cafeteria into a hub of social and environmental stewardship.

This appreciation and respect for the earth has manifested in the children's respect towards each other. The principal of P.S175, Ms. McClendon, observed that fights in the school were down eighty percent. When the garden was first opened, each of the 400 students planted an individual seed. Therefore each child takes ownership in the growth and development of the garden, as one of those seeds is their own. This teaches the children to respect each other's space, and by doing so the children can respect each other in the classroom.

Harlem Grown teaches students about healthy lifestyles. When I started volunteering, I noticed that many of the children's packed lunches consisted of a soda and bag of chips. Tony has partnered with Wellness in Schools to change all of this. He now has a chef come to the cafeteria and cook with the fresh grown vegetables from the garden, showing the children that healthy food is delicious. It is also breaking the stigma that vegetables or un-fried foods are poison.

To tackle the current obesity problem in the school, Tony is implementing a "thousand pound challenge" where the student body will collectively lose a thousand pounds. Sean Combs', (also known as P. Diddy) trainer Mark Jenkins will introduce a physical activity program that will teach the children how to maintain a healthy weight.

"Mr. Tony," as the children call him, has created an organization that provides a physical space for learning to take place, as well as programming and mentorship that positively impacts the Harlem community at large. The garden is a labor of love, it has taken hard work and dedication to keep it going; Tony is no professional grant writer and has seen his own wallet shrink drastically. Yet the optimism and smiles of the community involved make him realize that it will all work out. As the fresh vegetables and initiatives at Harlem Grown continue to grow, Tony's life has been immensely enriched and he is looking forward to the changes that will occur as the program blossoms.


Source: HuffingtonPost.com

UK elephant Karishma a charming artist

Asian elephant paints colourful artworks, now on display

DUNSTABLE, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 20: Karishma, a 13 year old female Asian elephant, paints at an easel in her enclosure at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo on September 20, 2011 in Dunstable, England. A selection of Karishma’s artwork will go on display at the Zoo this weekend to celebrate Elephant Appreciation Day. (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

Follow "Happy Feet" penguin back home to Antarctica

NZEmperor.com website tracks penguin's progress on journey home

The wayward emperor penguin who washed up on a New Zealand beach in late June began his journey back to Antarctica last Monday as a research vessel dropped him off closer to his Southern home.

Happy Feet has been fitted with a Sirtrack KiwiSat 202 Satellite Transmitter which will transmit signals to satellites twice a day for three hours. Transmissions from the KiwiSat 202 will allow us to monitor Happy Feet's position as he travels. Each new position will be plotted on the map so we can all follow his progress. It is not known which direction Happy Feet will travel, hopefully back to his home in the Antarctic, which makes this all the more fascinating and such a rare opportunity to learn about the movements of an amazing animal.

The KiwiSat 202 will be fitted to Happy Feet's feathers using glue and tape, a technique commonly and successfully used, by an experienced scientist and supervised by the experts at Wellington Zoo. The KiwiSat 202 weighs less than 100g, less than 1% of Happy Feet's body weight. It has been designed to be streamlined so it will not affect the penguin's swimming. To learn more about the Sirtrack KiwiSat 202 Satellite Transmitter click here

Since Happy Feet's arrival on Peka Peka Beach on June 21st 2011 he has been cared for by the team at Wellington Zoo, supported by the Department of Conservation and Dr. Colin Miskelly, Curator of terrestrial vertebrates at Te Papa.

The penguin gained the name from his similarity to a situation in the animated film "Happy Feet."

The Associated Press reports that the penguin was moved to a zoo after he confused sand for snow and became sick. Karen Fifield, Wellington Zoo's chief executive said, "He's brought a lot of hope and joy to people ... His story has driven to the heart of what makes us human."



Huffington Post article on penguin Happy Feet and tracking device

Happy Feet penguin - official website

Sources: NZEmperor.com, huffingtonpost.com

PEI researcher seeks more data on lost Ladybugs

Concerned citizens asked to photograph species

A Masters student at the University of Prince Edward Island has joined a continent-wide project to find native ladybugs, and is asking Islanders to join in the search.

Native ladybugs, or lady beetles as they are properly known, have become increasingly difficult to find in populated areas, as they have been pushed out by imported species. Non-native species are reproducing faster than domestic varieties.

This could mean trouble for urban gardeners trying to deal with aphids.

"Particularly our natives will produce more viable eggs when they're eating the aphid diet," said UPEI Masters student Meagan Marriott.

"The problem with some of our non-natives is that the ones that have established as what they're calling generalists and they can produce viable offspring on a wide range of foods."

Just how serious the problem is is not known. Just because native lady beetles are becoming less common in urban areas doesn't mean their population is dwindling. It is possible they are retreating to wilderness areas.



The Lost Ladybug Project was launched to search for an answer to this question. There are not enough entomologists to cover all the geography scientists are interested in, so they are recruiting citizen scientists to help.

"If we can find out where they are we can try to preserve them," said project co-director of outreach Rebecca Rice Smyth.

"The fact is [non-natives] are dominating habitats now. The more dominant those species are, the less diverse the ladybug composition in the habitat becomes. "
The Lost Ladybug Project web site contains information to help people identify different kinds of the beetles, and a tool for uploading pictures they take of them. Those pictures will help researchers determine where the different species of beetles are, and aren't.

While the number of native lady beetles appears to be declining, no species has yet become extinct. Some have been extirpated in parts of Canada.

The Great Ladybug mystery; Lost Ladybug Project info


Source: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/look-ladybugs-researchers-ask-114304450.html

RARE Black Deer Fawn photos with twin, mom

Melanistic deer are rarer even that albino deer!

Here's hoping you have enjoyed these inspiring photos! Okay, one more...

Transparent butterfly is Central American habitat's canary in coal mine

The Transparent Butterfly originates in Central America and it's habitat is found from Mexico to Panama. It is quite common in its zone, however is not easy to find because of its transparent wings, which are a natural camouflage mechanism.




A butterfly with transparent wings is rare and beautiful. As delicate as finely blown glass, the presence of this rare tropical gem is used by rain forest ecologists as an indication of high habitat quality and its demise alerts them of ecological change. Rivaling the refined beauty of a stained glass window, the translucent wings of the Glass wing butterfly shimmer in the sunlight like polished panes of turquoise, orange, green, and red. All things beautiful do not have to be full of color to be noticed: in life that which is unnoticed has the most power.

Can mankind breed stronger bees? Declining populations spur research

Scientists Breeding Honey Bees Resistant to Mites and Disease

by Lori Zimmer, Inhabitat.com

Over the last five years the world’s honey bee population has been steadily dwindling, with many beekeepers citing 2010 as the worst year yet. In order to save these extremely important insects, scientists are working on breeding a new super honey bee that they hope will be resistant to cold, disease, mites and pesticides. If all goes well, the new and improved insect will continue to pollinate our crops for years to come.

Pesky mites, which have become immune to insecticides, have been terrorizing bees significantly for the last few years. According to the U.N., mites, along with viruses, have been responsible for killing 10-30% of Europe’s bees, one third of America’s bees and a whopping 85% of Middle Eastern bees! The external parasites are small and flat, and attach themselves to adult honey bees’ bodies, suck their bee blood and slowly kill them. What’s worse is that the mites also attack the bee brood. By planning the perfect attack, they enter the brood just before the larvae are sealed in together to develop. They feed on the developing bees, causing many of them to grow into weakened adults, often missing legs or wings. The mites spread further when bees from larger colonies “rob” smaller colonies.

Rather than fighting off mites, which seems to be an impossible process, scientists have focused on breeding stronger bees. Some bee populations in Canada have shown resistance to the mites, so they have been isolated, studied, and bred by the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg. Being raised so far north, they are also resilient to the harsh winters of Winnipeg, a quality that European bees lack, as many do not even survive winter.

Although not a solution to the bee crisis, these Canadian bees are strong stock, and could be the “prototype” for a stronger bee population. Since bees pollinate 90% of the world’s food crops, multiple steps must be taken to preserve them, and strengthening from within seems the first logical step.

Video of Valentina the Whale being freed, showing thanks (or joy!)

This is an inspiring video, for whether the whale is expressing gratitude or is just elated at being free and alive, it is a must see:

New meaning to a "talk about birds and bees"

Bee pollinating a peach tree flower


The Toronto Star's gardening columnist Mark Cullen recently published an article about the importance of bees to humanity's food supply, and i found it so inspiring I have decided to share it with our readers.

Time to talk about the birds and the bees

April 01, 2011

by Mark Cullen, Special to the Star

Father to pre pubescent son: “It is time for you and me to talk about the birds and the bees.”

Son: “Sure Dad. What do you want to know?”

I am impressed by many of the things that kids learn about in school today that were never talked about in my day. Subjects like multiculturalism, character, fairness, recycling, worm composting and bullying are just a few. But ask a kid today about the importance of fostering honey bees in the neighbourhood and chances are he will give you a blank stare. In fact, most adults do not seem to understand that the future of civilization as we know it depends on a thriving culture of honey bees.

Albert Einstein said, “Mankind will not survive the honeybees’ disappearance for more than five years.”

What, you might ask, did Einstein know that the rest of us don’t? I wondered the same thing and did some digging for answers. What I came up with is surprising, alarming and hopeful all at the same time.

Bees are nature’s primary pollinators. Given that many of the plants that produce our food are pollinated by bees, we would be doing ourselves a service to pay attention to survival. Reports over the last six years indicate that their population is in steep decline throughout much of the world, including where you live. Nurturing and protecting them seems like a good idea.

Perfect and Imperfect Flowers

It is true that many plants have “perfect” flowers, complete with both male and female parts. This might lead you to think that a pollinator with wings is hardly necessary. Your tomato plants, for example, do not require pollination from bees or hummingbirds or butterflies. But any experienced gardener will tell you that the greater the population of bees in a neighbourhood, the more productive the tomatoes, peppers and potatoes (all members of the same solanaceae family). The pollinating activity of bees is beneficial even when it is not entirely necessary.

“Imperfect” flowers exist on a host of food plants, including all members of the cucurbit or squash family. They have female and male flowers, usually on the same plants though not always, which require a visit from one of nature’s flying pollinators in order to mix things up. It is the transfer of pollen from flower to flower (anther to stamen, to be exact) that fertilizes your pumpkin or cucumber and nothing does it quite as efficiently as bees. About one-third of everything that we eat has been pollinated by a bee, according to Cathy Kozma, past chair of the Toronto Beekeepers Co-operative.

Bees dig in to a nice squash flower looking for food and come out covered in pollen grains. I have heard that they buzz a lot when they are in the middle of the flower in an effort to dig as deeply as possible for what they are really looking for. Buzzing is nature’s way of removing the pollen and maximizing the exposure of it to the body and pollen pockets of the bee, so the theory goes. Like power sanding a wood-working project: buzzing makes bees one of nature’s most efficient pollinators.

Bees in Decline

The population of bees is in decline, this is a fact. In Southern Ontario we have experienced about a 30 to 40 per cent decline in bee population since 2005. In other parts of the continent, the decline is much greater, especially in arid areas.

According to Kozma, it is because of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). While there is no one cause for it, CCD is blamed on:

• The Varroa Destructor mite.

• The loss of natural habitat.

• Monoculture agricultural practices.

• Widespread pesticide use.

What can the average hobby gardener do to help?

Considering that the average bee performs her work (and they are all female) between a six and 10 kilometre radius of their home, there is lots that you can do. First of all I recommend that you plant plants that are attractive and useful to bees. My list includes:

• Bachelors Buttons an easy to grow annual.

• Borage, a useful herb and soil enhancer.

• Russian sage, a metre-high reliable perennial that flowers for up to eight weeks.

• Bee Balm or monarda, which is one of my favourite perennials for the sun. Grows up to one metre.

• Sunflowers. The kids will love these, too.

• Sage, a useful herb and rather fragrant.

• Oregano. Plant one and enjoy a lot. An aggressive perennial groundcover in sun.

• Basil. You want this for your tomatoes come September anyway.

In addition, Kozma recommends that we:

• Plant larger patches of flowering plants to encourage bee foraging.

• Diversify your blooming plant portfolio. Have bee-friendly plants in bloom throughout the season.

• Avoid the use of pesticides.

• Let some of your garden naturalize. This will encourage bees to nest and tunnel without being disturbed. Note: bumble bees nest in the ground; some native bees build their nests in dead raspberry canes.

• Provide a constant source of water. A hive will consume about half a litre of water a day. Put out small containers of clean water and float a small piece of wood in it to provide a landing strip and access to the water.

Want to Learn More?

Whether you want to foster bees in your neighbourhood, help out the Toronto Beekeepers Co-operative or have a hive in your own yard (for which you will need about half acre), here are some suggestions of where you can learn more:

• Toronto Beekeepers Co-operative: An active group since 2001, the TBC’s mission is to “create an opportunity for Torontonians interested in working with bees to learn about hive ecology and maintenance, honey and products of the hive, and gain hands-on beekeeping experience in a supportive environment.” More information at www.torontobees.ca.

• They have placed bee hives at Downsview Park, Evergreen Brickworks, Fairmont Royal York rooftop and most recently at the Toronto Botanical Garden.

• They are active presenters at the Evergreen Brickworks Farmers Market, Downsview’s Farming in the City and the Royal Winter Fair.

• A series of seminars are being offered at the Toronto Botanical Garden aimed at novice beekeepers. For details go to www.torontobotanicalgarden.ca.

• Read: Keeping the Bees, by Laurence Packer (2010); Sweetness and Light, by Hattie Ellis; Fruitless Fall, by Rowan Jacobsen.

“I feel privileged to have the opportunity to get up close and personal with honeybees,” says Kozma, “to teach others about their incredible world, and I see this as an easy way to make a significant contribution to making my world a better place.”

Touché. Next time I am called upon to talk to a youngster about the birds and the bees I think I will call Cathy Kozma.

I urge you to support your local beekeepers by buying their bee products. I can assure you that this is a labour of love, not a profitable venture. Sources are available at their website, TorontoBees.ca .

Man Gave Names to All the Animals by Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan Lyrics: Man Gave Names to All the Animals


Man Gave Names To All The Animals

Music and Lyrics by Bob Dylan

Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, in the beginning
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, long time ago

He saw an animal that liked to growl
Big furry paws and he liked to howl
Great big furry back and furry hair
“Ah, think I’ll call it a bear”

Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, in the beginning
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, long time ago

He saw an animal up on a hill
Chewing up so much grass until she was filled
He saw milk comin’ out but he didn’t know how
“Ah, think I’ll call it a cow”

Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, in the beginning
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, long time ago

He saw an animal that liked to snort
Horns on his head and they weren’t too short
It looked like there wasn’t nothin’ that he couldn’t pull
“Ah, think I’ll call it a bull”

Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, in the beginning
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, long time ago

He saw an animal leavin’ a muddy trail
Real dirty face and a curly tail
He wasn’t too small and he wasn’t too big
“Ah, think I’ll call it a pig”

Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, in the beginning
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, long time ago

Next animal that he did meet
Had wool on his back and hooves on his feet
Eating grass on a mountainside so steep
“Ah, think I’ll call it a sheep”

Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, in the beginning
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, long time ago

He saw an animal as smooth as glass
Slithering his way through the grass
Saw him disappear by a tree near a lake . . .

Bees Trees Update: New content feeds for nature and ecology blog

Today I added blog feeds from great sites about bees and beekeeping, global frog populations, elephants in the wild and in zoos, and the health of trees worldwide.

I hope you like the changes; please post any ideas or suggestions in the Comments section below.

Peace 2 All,

Joe