what is preoperative clearance

Preoperative clearance usually starts by identifying the type of surgery to be performed and the risk category of the patient who needs this surgery. Perioperative risk of death Patients can be divided into different risk categories based on the basis of their preoperative medical assessment.

Pre-operative clearance

"Pre-operative clearance Overview Perioperative risk of death Preoperative patient questionnaire Preoperative laboratory testing Approach to preoperative cardiac risk assessment Pre-operative clearance On the Web Most recent articles Most cited articles Review articles CME Programs Powerpoint slides Images Ongoing Trials at Clinical Trials.gov US National Guidelines Clearinghouse NICE Guidance FDA on Pre-operative clearance CDC on Pre-operative clearance Pre-operative clearance in the news Blogs on Pre-operative clearance </small>Directions to Hospitals Performing Pre-operative clearance Risk calculators and risk factors for Pre-operative clearance Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M. S., M. D. [1]; Associate Editor-In-Chief: Mohammed A. Sbeih, M. D. [2]; Kashish Goel,M. D. Please click here for Preoperative Cardiac Risk Assessment For a printable checklist for pre-operative cardiac work up click here Overview The goal of the preoperative clearance ( Preoperative medical assessment) is to assess the patient's general medical condition in order to identify any unrecognized co-morbid diseases and optimize the patient's state for the procedure. The preoperative medical assessment helps the doctors to decide if the patient is suitable for the proposed surgery according to the patient's risk category, also it helps them to identify the factors that may reduce the patient's risk for complications and provide the best possible recommendations for the post-operative care.

This helps the doctors to decide if the patient is suitable for the proposed surgery or procedure, and identify the factors that may reduce the patient risk. There are many factors that may influence the risk of perioperative complications, including death. Anesthesia Although the modern anesthesia is safe, the risk of surgical complications varies according to the type of anesthesia (general or regional). The patient's factors and surgical factors are more important risk predictors for post operative complications. The American society of anesthesiologists (ASA) classification is a predictor of perioperative mortality. It also predicts cardiac and pulmonary morbidity. ASA classification Class Systemic disturbance Mortality rate1 Healthy patient with no disease outside of the surgical process <0.03%2 Mild-to-moderate systemic disease caused by the surgical condition or by other pathologic processes 0.2%3 Severe disease process which limits activity but is not incapacitating 1.2%4 Severe incapacitating disease process that is a constant threat to life 8%5 Moribund patient not expected to survive 24 hours with or without an operation 34%E Suffix to indicate an emergency surgery for any class Increased Type of surgery Perioperative risk of complications varies according to the type of surgery. Patient age Some studies showed that the risk of surgery increases with advancing age. [1] [2]Emergency procedures In emergency procedures the risk of complications may increases two to four times, or even more than that in elderly patients. Pulmonary factors There are several pulmonary factors that may increase the risk of complications in surgical patients, these may include: Cigarete smoking. [3]Respiratory diseases. Abnormal chest x-ray or phisical examination findings. Thoracic or upper abdominal surgery. Morbid obesity. Age over 60. Cardiac factors There are several cardiac factors that may increase the risk of complications in surgical patients, these may include: History of prosthetic valves. History of rheumatic fever. Congestive heart failure. Arrhithmia. Preoperative patient questionnaire In general, the overall risk of surgery is extremely low in healthy individuals. History The patient should be asked about his age. Some studies found a small increased risk of surgery with advanced age of the patient. The mortality rate for most surgical procedures increases linearly with age due to increasing numbers of comorbidities with advancing age. The patient should be asked if he had a history of: Heart diseases,irregular heart beat, murmurs or rheumatic fever as a child. Pulmonary diseases, such as asthma, bronchitis, or emphysema. Chest pain, angina, or chest tightness. Hypertension or hypotension. Shortness of breath, cough. Liver diseases, jaundice or hepatitis. Gastrointestinal problems or indigestion. Diabetes. Thyroid problems. Kidney problems. Weakness or numbness in the extremities. Seizures or blackouts. Bleeding disorders. Blood clotting abnormality. Arthritis or joint pain. The patient should be asked about: Any allergies for food or medication. A list of any medications he is currently taking, including over-the-counter medications and steroidal compounds. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are associated with :an increased risk of perioperative bleeding. Any other medical conditions in the past. Any previous surgeries or anesthesia.pregnancy state. Any problems with a previous surgery due to anesthesia. The patient should be asked when did he last eat or drink on the day of surgery. The patient should be asked about his height and weight. Studies showed that obesity is not a risk factor for most adverse postoperative outcomes, with the exception of : deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. However, some cardiac surgery studies have shown higher complication rates for obese patients, such as prolonged hospital stay, wound infections and prolonged mechanical ventilation [4] [5]. The patient should be asked about his exercise capacity, patients with unlimited exercise tolerance generally have a low risk of postoperative complications. Those patients :can walk two blocks on level ground without symptoms,The patient should be asked if he smokes cigarettes, how many packs per day and for how many years. [3]The patient should be asked if he drinks alcohol. There is increased risk for postoperative complications in patients who misuse alcohol on a regular basis. [6]The patient should be asked about his family history. Preoperative laboratory testing The American society of anesthesiologists recommends against routine preoperative laboratory testing in the absence of clinical indications [7]. In specific circumstances, selective testing may be appropriate, such as in patients with underlying diseases or risk factors that would increase their risk for surgical complications. Also in specific high risk surgical procedures, these tests should be done. If there is no significant change in the clinical condition of the patient, it may be safe to use test results that were performed within the past four months. These tests include:1. Complete blood count (CBC): Anemia maybe presents in asymptomatic patients and it is common following major surgery. Postoperative mortality maybe predicted by the preoperative hemoglobin level [8]. CBC test should be done for: Patients 65 years of age or older. Patients who are undergoing major surgery. Young patients who undergoing major surgery with the expectation to result in significant blood loss. Patients with a history that suggests anemia.2. Renal function test (RFT): Serum creatinine concentration should be ordered for patients over the age of 50 undergoing intermediate or high risk surgeries, also it should be ordered if hypotension is likely, or when nephrotoxic medications will be used. Mild to moderate renal impairment is usually asymptomatic. Dosage adjustment of some medications may be needed if the patient has renal insufficiency .3. Electrolytes: It is not recommended to be done routinely if the patient does not have a history of electrolytes abnormality.4. Blood glucose: Diabetes increases the operative risk in patients undergoing vascular surgery or coronary artery bypass grafting [9] [10]. Routine measurement of blood glucose is not recommended for healthy patients before the surgery, since some studies showed that unexpected abnormal blood glucose results do not often influence perioperative management [1] [11] .5. Liver function tests (LFT): It is not recommended to do this test routinely unless the patient has a history of liver disease [12] .6. Hemostasis tests: It is not recommended to do prothrombin time (PT) or Partial thromboplastin time (PTT) blood tests routinely unless the patient has bleeding disorder or an unusual bleeding tendency [12]. Some doctors have suggested to test all patients who undergoing intermediate to high risk surgeries. This avoids the chance that clinicians may forget to ask the patients about their bleeding history. The bleeding time is not useful in assessing the risk of perioperative hemorrhage [12] [13] .7. Urinalysis: It is usually done to detect any urinary tract infection which has the potential to cause wound infection after the surgery [14], especially with prosthetic surgery. If the test is positive, the patient should be treated with antibiotics and proceed with surgery without delay. Some studies showed that there is no reduction in the risk of postoperative wound infection if the patient treated with antibiotics before the surgery, and so, it is not indicated to test for Urinary tract infection before the surgery for every patient [15] [16] .8. Pregnancy testing: Pregnant women may need specific perioperative management, this includes specific anesthetic teqniques. An elective surgery may be cancelled or postponed in pregnant women. The American society of anesthesiologists recommends that clinicians consider pregnancy testing for all woman of childbearing age [7]. Many institutions require pregnancy testing for all reproductive age women before surgery.9. Electrocardiogram (EKG): This should be done to detect any recent myocardial infarction (MI) which known to be associated with increased surgical morbidity and mortality [1], also it may be important as a baseline to be compared with the one postoperatively. In general, EKG alone may be a poor indicator of postoperative cardiac complications. The 2007 American college of cardiology/American heart association (ACC/AHA) Guidelines on perioperative cardiovascular evaluation states that ECG is not useful in asymptomatic patients undergoing low risk procedures [17]. Also, the European Society of Cardiology 2009 preoperative guidelines do not recommend ECG in patients without risk factors [18] . According to the 2007 ACC/AHA guidelines the 12-lead ECG are recommended for the following patients: Patients who are scheduled to undergo vascular surgery and have at least one of the following clinical risk factors: Ischemic heart disease. Compensated or prior heart failure. Cerebrovascular disease. Diabetes. Renal insufficiency. It is less strongly recommended to perform an ECG for patients scheduled to undergo vascular surgery with no clinical risk factors. Patients who are scheduled to undergo intermediate-risk surgery with known cardiovascular disease, peripheral artery disease, or cerebrovascular disease. It is less strongly recommended to perform an ECG for patients scheduled to undergo intermediate-risk surgery with at least one clinical risk factor.10. Chest radiograph (Chest x-ray): Its not recommended to do this test routinely before the operations in healthy patients, many studies showed that an abnormal chest x-ray findings may occur frequently, especially in elderly persons [19]. According to the American College of Physicians (ACP), if there is a suspicion of cardiopulmonary disease from the patient's history or physical examination, then this test should be done, also in those older than 50 years of age who are undergoing abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery or upper abdominal/thoracic surgery [20] . The American heart association (AHA) recommends preoperative chest x-ray for patients with morbid obesity (BMI ≥40 kg/m2) [21] .11. Pulmonary function test (PFT): This test only recommended for patients who have dyspnea or other abnormal respiratory clinical findings such as decreased breath sounds, prolonged expiratory phase, rales, rhonchi, or wheezes [22] . Thromboembolism prophylaxis Thromboembolism after orthopedic surgery can be similarly reduce with aspirin or rivaroxaban ref> Anderson, David R.; Dunbar, Michael; Murnaghan, John; Kahn, Susan R.; Gross, Peter; Forsythe, Michael; Pelet, Stephane; Fisher, William; Belzile, Etienne; Dolan, Sean; Crowther, Mark; Bohm, Eric; Mac Donald, Steven J.; Gofton, Wade; Kim, Paul; Zukor, David; Pleasance, Susan; Andreou, Pantelis; Doucette, Steve; Theriault, Chris; Abianui, Abongnwen; Carrier, Marc; Kovacs, Michael J.; Rodger, Marc A.; Coyle, Doug; Wells, Philip S.; Vendittoli, Pascal-Andre (2018-02-21). ""Aspirin or Rivaroxaban for VTE Prophylaxis after Hip or Knee Arthroplasty"". New England Journal of Medicine. 378 (8): 699–707. ISSN 0028-4793. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1712746. </ref>. External linkshttp://www.askdrwiki.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=Preoperative_Clearancehttp://www.asahq.org/http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2146059/http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/116/17/e418.full.pdf+html References↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2Goldman L, Caldera DL, Nussbaum SR, Southwick FS, Krogstad D, Murray B; et al. (1977). ""Multifactorial index of cardiac risk in noncardiac surgical procedures."". N Engl J Med. 297 (16): 845–50. PMID 904659. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197710202971601.↑ Linn BS, Linn MW, Wallen N (1982). ""Evaluation of results of surgical procedures in the elderly."". Ann Surg. 195 (1): 90–6. PMC 1352408 Freely accessible. PMID 7055387.↑ 3.0 3.1Jones R, Nyawo B, Jamieson S, Clark S (2011). ""Current smoking predicts increased operative mortality and morbidity after cardiac surgery in the elderly."". Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg. 12 (3): 449–53. PMID 21097455. doi: 10.1510/icvts.2010.239863.↑ Yap CH, Zimmet A, Mohajeri M, Yii M (2007). ""Effect of obesity on early morbidity and mortality following cardiac surgery."". Heart Lung Circ. 16 (1): 31–6. PMID 17161973. doi: 10.1016/j.hlc.2006.09.007.↑ Kuduvalli M, Grayson AD, Oo AY, Fabri BM, Rashid A (2002). ""Risk of morbidity and in-hospital mortality in obese patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery."". Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 22 (5): 787–93. PMID 12414047.↑ Tønnesen H, Nielsen PR, Lauritzen JB, Møller AM (2009). ""Smoking and alcohol intervention before surgery: evidence for best practice."". Br J Anaesth. 102 (3): 297–306. PMID 19218371. doi: 10.1093/bja/aen401.↑ 7.0 7.1American Society of Anesthesiologists Task Force on Preanesthesia Evaluation (2002). ""Practice advisory for preanesthesia evaluation: a report by the American Society of Anesthesiologists Task Force on Preanesthesia Evaluation."". Anesthesiology. 96 (2): 485–96. PMID 11818784.↑ Mathew A, Devereaux PJ, O'Hare A, Tonelli M, Thiessen-Philbrook H, Nevis IF; et al. (2008). ""Chronic kidney disease and postoperative mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis."". Kidney Int. 73 (9): 1069–81. PMID 18288098. doi: 10.1038/ki.2008.29.↑ Eagle KA, Coley CM, Newell JB, Brewster DC, Darling RC, Strauss HW; et al. (1989). ""Combining clinical and thallium data optimizes preoperative assessment of cardiac risk before major vascular surgery."". Ann Intern Med. 110 (11): 859–66. PMID 2655519.↑ Higgins TL, Estafanous FG, Loop FD, Beck GJ, Blum JM, Paranandi L (1992). ""Stratification of morbidity and mortality outcome by preoperative risk factors in coronary artery bypass patients. A clinical severity score."". JAMA. 267 (17): 2344–8. PMID 1564774.↑ Velanovich V (1991). ""The value of routine preoperative laboratory testing in predicting postoperative complications: a multivariate analysis."". Surgery. 109 (3 Pt 1): 236–43. PMID 2000554.↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2Smetana GW, Macpherson DS (2003). ""The case against routine preoperative laboratory testing."". Med Clin North Am. 87 (1): 7–40. PMID 12575882.↑ Peterson P, Hayes TE, Arkin CF, Bovill EG, Fairweather RB, Rock WA; et al. (1998). ""The preoperative bleeding time test lacks clinical benefit: College of American Pathologists' and American Society of Clinical Pathologists' position article."". Arch Surg. 133 (2): 134–9. PMID 9484723.↑ Koulouvaris P, Sculco P, Finerty E, Sculco T, Sharrock NE (2009). ""Relationship between perioperative urinary tract infection and deep infection after joint arthroplasty."". Clin Orthop Relat Res. 467 (7): 1859–67. PMC 2690738 Freely accessible. PMID 19009324. doi: 10.1007/s11999-008-0614-8.↑ Lawrence VA, Kroenke K (1988). ""The unproven utility of preoperative urinalysis. Clinical use."". Arch Intern Med. 148 (6): 1370–3. PMID 3377621.↑ Ollivere BJ, Ellahee N, Logan K, Miller-Jones JC, Allen PW (2009). ""Asymptomatic urinary tract colonisation predisposes to superficial wound infection in elective orthopaedic surgery."". Int Orthop. 33 (3): 847–50. PMC 2903079 Freely accessible. PMID 18521600. doi: 10.1007/s00264-008-0573-4.↑ Fleisher LA, Beckman JA, Brown KA, Calkins H, Chaikof EL, Fleischmann KE; et al. (2009). ""2009 ACCF/AHA focused update on perioperative beta blockade incorporated into the ACC/AHA 2007 guidelines on perioperative cardiovascular evaluation and care for noncardiac surgery: a report of the American college of cardiology foundation/American heart association task force on practice guidelines."". Circulation. 120 (21): e169–276. PMID 19884473. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.109.192690.↑ Task Force for Preoperative Cardiac Risk Assessment and Perioperative Cardiac Management in Non-cardiac Surgery. European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Poldermans D, Bax JJ, Boersma E, De Hert S; et al. (2009). ""Guidelines for pre-operative cardiac risk assessment and perioperative cardiac management in non-cardiac surgery."". Eur Heart J. 30 (22): 2769–812. PMID 19713421. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehp337.↑ García-Miguel FJ, Serrano-Aguilar PG, López-Bastida J (2003). ""Preoperative assessment."". Lancet. 362 (9397): 1749–57. PMID 14643127.↑ Smetana GW, Lawrence VA, Cornell JE, American College of Physicians (2006). ""Preoperative pulmonary risk stratification for noncardiothoracic surgery: systematic review for the American College of Physicians."". Ann Intern Med. 144 (8): 581–95. PMID 16618956. Review in: ACP J Club. 2006 Sep-Oct;145 (2):37↑ Poirier P, Alpert MA, Fleisher LA, Thompson PD, Sugerman HJ, Burke LE; et al. (2009). ""Cardiovascular evaluation and management of severely obese patients undergoing surgery: a science advisory from the American Heart Association."". Circulation. 120 (1): 86–95. PMID 19528335. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.109.192575.↑ Lawrence VA, Dhanda R, Hilsenbeck SG, Page CP (1996). ""Risk of pulmonary complications after elective abdominal surgery."". Chest. 110 (3): 744–50. PMID 8797421. "


how long between the birth of each kitten does it take

You should be able to see or feel her contractions between her hind legs. Once they are down to about two or three minutes apart, the first kitten will come out within an hour. After the birth of the firstborn, a kitten is born every 15 to 30 minutes, according to the Cats of Australia website. Length of Time The length of time for delivery depends on how many kittens are in your loving companion's belly.

Cat Health How Long Does It Take for the First Litter of Kittens to Be Born?by Melodie Anne It won't take long for your new fuzzy buddies to arrive. The day has finally come: Your best furry companion is delivering her first litter of kittens. If you're overwhelmed, imagine how little Fluffy is feeling. Since she'll be in labor for hours, its best to plan ahead, put together a birthing plan and have an emergency contact ready, just in case. Getting Pregnant

Female cats become sexually mature between 4 and 10 months of age, but 6 months old about average, according to the Cats of Australia website. A female will start going into heat cycles that last for about a week.

While in heat, she'll be overly affectionate, she'll meow loudly to call a mate, she'll frequently lick between her hind legs and may roll around constantly. Heat cycles occur every two to three weeks. Keep Fluffy away from intact male kitties during this time, otherwise you'll wind up having a litter of kittens to care for. Beginning Stages Cats are perfectly capable of delivering their litter of kittens all on their own, but you should know what to expect in case any problems arise. A day or two before delivery, Fluffy's mammary glands will swell and may start dripping milk. This is a sign that her furry brood is coming shortly. Roughly 12 hours before the birthing begins, she may seem restless and wander from room to room, and she might have a decreased appetite. She may even vomit. When she is ready to deliver, she'll enter her nesting box and prepare for delivery. Since it may take her several days to make herself comfortable in her nesting area, set it up early rather than scrambling for towels and blankets when the time comes. Labor Process Fluffy will probably give off several clues when it's go-time. She'll enter her nesting box for the long term and might meow loudly. As her contractions start, she'll lose her placental plug.

If you had an X-ray or thorough exam done and know how many kittens are in the litter, you may be able to estimate her labor. For example, if your veterinarian determines that she has approximately four babies, from the time the first kitten is born, she'll be in labor for another 45 to 90 minutes. After Birth Each kitten has an umbilical cord and is wrapped in an amniotic sac after birth. Mama kitty should chew through the cord and clear the sac from her newborn baby, but if she doesn't take care of the fragile kitten within a few minutes, you may need to help her. Ensure that the cord is not wrapped around the kitten's neck and remove the amniotic sac from his face by wiping his muzzle with a sterile cloth. Eventually, as Fluffy gets caught up, she'll get all of her babies cleaned. Other Tips Each kitten has its own placenta, which may or may not come out with the kitten. Keep track of the placentas and ensure that they equal the amount of kittens. If there are three kittens and only two placentas, one may be stuck in your kitty, which can lead to an infection. If a placenta is missing, your cat needs medical attention. As long as Fluffy tends to her newborns and they are breathing on their own, you won't need to intervene. Too much interference or traffic in her birthing area may distract her and delay her delivery. Last, make sure mama kitty has food and water near her birthing nest. She'll need to eat to allow her body to produce plenty of milk for all of her meowing bundles of joy. References Cats of Australia: What to Expect When Your Cat Gives Birth Vet Info: Caring for a Mother Cat Cats of Australia: Cat in Heat - Signs and Symptoms Resources ASPCA: Newborn Kitten Care About the Author Melodie Anne Coffman specializes in overall wellness, with particular interests in women's health and personal defense. She holds a master's degree in food science and human nutrition and is a certified instructor through the NRA. Coffman is pursuing her personal trainer certification in 2015. Photo Credits Martin Poole/Digital Vision/Getty Images MORE MUST-CLICKS: When Do Newborn Kittens Starting Drinking Milk? Can Kittens in the Same Litter Be Born on Separate Days? How to Build a Cat Birthing Box Can Cats Have Contractions in the First Stage of Labor? How Long After a Cat's Water Breaks Should She Have Her Kittens? How Is the Number of Kittens in a Litter Determined? Why Does My Cat Sneeze a Lot? Should You Isolate a Pregnant Cat? Related Articles How Long Can a Cat Be in Labor After Delivering the First ... How Long Does a Cat Carry Kittens Before They Are Born? When Is It Safe to Touch Newborn Kittens? On Average How Many Kittens Can One Cat Have in One Year?


who is the author of soccerland

Soccerland by Beth Choat tells the story of Flora a young soccer player who gets a change to go to the international sports facility and go to a camp where they pick the girls that have a chance to play on the under fifteen US soccer team.

Soccerland

"Want to Read Rate this book1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars Open Preview Soccerlandby Beth Choat4.21 · Rating details · 418 Ratings · 58 Reviews""One day I’m going to play for the U. S. Women’s National Team."" That’s what Flora Dupre promised her mom before she died of cancer. Flora and her mom had created a place called Soccerland, an escape world in which they’d ignore the beeping cancer machines and just talk soccer. And now Flora’s dream of playing for the U. S. A. just might be coming true. Flora’s received the in...more Get A Copy Amazon Stores ▾ Libraries Hardcover, 200 pages Published October 1st 2010 by Skyscape (first published August 31st 2010)More Details... edit details Friend Reviews To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. Reader Q&ATo ask other readers questions about Soccerland , please sign up . Recent Questionswho are the three main characters in this book?like one year ago Add your answer See 1 question about Soccerland…Lists with This Book Girls in Sports305 books — 521 voters Soccer Books! (for Middle Grade! )90 books — 10 voters More lists with this book... Community Reviews (showing 1-30)Rating details Sort: Default|Filter Nov 12, 2011Amy rated it really liked it A great story for young athletes and any girl going through high school issues with ""mean girls"". The story takes us to an elite training camp for young soccer players and we learn about how tough it is in the world if high level athletics. The protagonist is real and has a loving family that supports her dream....nice to see in a YA novel where many families are shown as dysfunctional. Uplifting and funny.flag1 like · Like · see review Sep 15, 2010Timmy T rated it it was amazing Loved this book! A must read! You don't have to be a soccer player to identify with Flora's story. If you're a girl and you play sports buy this book.flag1 like · Like · see review Sep 07, 2017Panther Library rated it it was amazing Shelves: sports, grades-6-9Flora is near impossibly driven, and that can make her a complainer. And that's OK, even better than OK. Heck, she's a 14-year-old prodigy who's never been less than number one. What else should people expect from her? That's not to say Flora is a brat. She's happy and supportive most of the time. But she does get mad. She has trouble seeing the big picture even when it's plastered right in front of her, and she suffers the kind of mood swings that keep the story grounded in reality, even as she ...moreflag Like · see review Sep 07, 2017Int'l librarian rated it it was amazing Shelves: sports, middle-school-girls, grades-6-9, grade-7, grade-8, grade-9, grade-6Flora is near impossibly driven, and that can make her a complainer. And that's OK, even better than OK. Heck, she's a 14-year-old prodigy who's never been less than number one. What else should people expect from her? That's not to say Flora is a brat. She's happy and supportive most of the time. But she does get mad. She has trouble seeing the big picture even when it's plastered right in front of her, and she suffers the kind of mood swings that keep the story grounded in reality, even as she ...moreflag Like · see review Jul 18, 2017Patti rated it really liked it It was on Stevens middle school list and I couldn't resist. A great book for an elementary school soccer fan. Very good details about working hard and what girls can come up against in competitive environments. I liked the references to the US National team players.flag Like · see review Feb 06, 2017Hailey R rated it it was amazing This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.flag Like · see review Feb 09, 2015Ryan rated it it was amazingthis story is about a girl name flora,flora and her mom loved to watch soccer the u.s then flora and her mom made a soccerland for the women's who loved soccer and who had cancer. Then flora mom died and flora promised her mom that she was going to be come s profitional soccer play for the u.s. Then flora coach told her that he was going to send her to a national camp but floras dad didn't wanted to let her go so flora coach talked to her dad he wasn't to happy but he let her go. Then flora went to ...moreflag Like · see review Jan 05, 2015Liz Forbes rated it it was amazing Soccerland Beth Choat Soccerland is about a teenage girl named Flora who is a starting center forward on her high school soccer team. She is so good that she is asked to tryout for the Girl's National Team, so she goes to a camp where the tryouts are. When she is there, she meets her roommate who is a defender. She turns out to be a great friend of Flora during the weeks of tryouts. Flora also runs into a group of girls that are called ""The Queen Bees"" around the campus, and people say not to get ...moreflag Like · see review Jul 28, 2010Kim rated it liked it Shelves: sports-fiction From November 2010 SLJ: Gr 58Flora Dupre loves soccer, and before her mom died of cancer, she made a promise that one day she was going to play for the U. S. Women's National Team. She dominates the team at her secondary school, but she is not being challenged, and she longs to play with more seasoned players than those in her little Maine town. She gets her chance when her coach tells her that she has been invited to Colorado for a two-week National Team Identification Camp, where she quickly fin ...moreflag Like · see review Mar 05, 2013Hailey Huff marked it as to-read Shelves: sports, realistic-fiction, non-fiction This book is about a girl named Flora and she wants to escape from potato farm life in Maine after her soccer-playing mother's death, so when she is asked to go to a two week program to pick girls to train for the US Women's National Team, she is very excited. She is impressed by the training facilities and the programs while realizing that the competition is very tough and some of the girls are horrible and mean. She rooms with a nice gymnast, Samantha, has a bit of a crush on Logan, and is a b ...moreflag Like · see review Sep 30, 2014Jordan Lund added it Soccerland was a fantastic book! Flora Dupre is a 13 year old girl who fell in love with the sport soccer, just as her mom did when she was her age. When her mom was diagnosed with cancer, soccer was their only escape from it all. They would go to an imaginary location called Soccerland. In Soccerland they would talk about events in previous World Cups and many other things having to do with soccer. After years of being the star forward for her small high school soccer team, Flora travels to Col ...moreflag Like · see review Feb 25, 2012Ms. Yingling rated it really liked it Flora wants to escape from potato farm life in Maine after her soccer-playing mother's death, so when she is asked to go to a two week program to pick girls to train for the US Women's National Team, she is very excited. She is impressed by the training facilities and the programs while realizing that the competition is very tough and some of the girls are horrible and mean. She rooms with a nice gymnast, Samantha, has a bit of a crush on Logan, and is a bit scared of the intense British coach. ...moreflag Like · see review Jan 12, 2013Sara rated it it was amazing

At the camp Flora faces homesickness, difficult social situations, cutthroat competition and a coach that's hard to read. I almost didn't read this one. I'm not a fan of books that are put out by minor publishers because the writing and editing is almost always ...moreflag Like · see review Nov 30, 2016Anna Dority added it This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.flag Like · see review Sep 21, 2016Maddy Chang rated it it was amazing Shelves: first-9-weeks Soccerland, a novel by Beth Choat, is about a girl named Flora Dupre who is invited to play for the Under-15 US National Team at the International Sports Academy. Once she arrives at the International Sports Academy, also known as the ISA, she realizes how much better the players are at the ISA. During her one week at the ISA, she struggles with new positions, an injury, and players and a coach who are extremely hard to get along with. Despite all of this, she makes it through the week and fin ...moreflag Like · see review Jan 27, 2015Luke Knapp rated it it was amazing This is a really good book! The main character, Flora Dupre, is a young teenage girl with a big dream. She wants to play soccer at the professional level, but must first work her way through the ranks by trying out for an international soccer league pertaining to her age group. Flora must compete with other soccer athletes at the International Sports Academy. She must do well at the academy, or face the fact that she may never make it to the professional level due to her circumstances of living ...moreflag Like · see review May 28, 2011Caitlin Maxwell rated it really liked it Recommends it for: sports fans, especially soccer players, probably girls I really liked this book and how it was written. I found the main character, Flora Dupre, very easy to relate to in a variety of ways, especially when it came to her feelings about sports. Once I started reading this, I kept telling myself I'd just read a little more and then take a break to get some food or something, but then I just kept going and before I knew it, I was finished. I love when a book can pull me in like that. Although not the most exciting of books to read, if you love sports, ...moreflag Like · see review Apr 09, 2011Martha Schwalbe rated it liked it Soccerland was interesting in the way it handled life at the selection of the National teams. In several ways I felt connected to events in the book because I had a student several years ago who was third alternate on the Olympic Downhill team. She would come back from competition with injuries and experiences. Because Erin thinks she would like to compete in gymnastics at the National level it gave me insight into the camps. Then, the many references to the first World Cup for women was mention...moreflag Like · see review Nov 30, 2011Morgan W rated it it was amazing Shelves: sports Have you had a dream that you wanted so bad? Read Soccerland! Flora Dupre has a dream to be on the Under-15 U. S. Girls National Soccer Team. All of the sudden she gets invited to the International Sports Academy in Colorado. She feels like she is going to be the best at camp. She makes the first cut,then something shocking happens. The first time in her life she has to decide if she wants to stay at camp,to follow her dreams,or go back to her hometown in Maine. Will she make the team? What I like ...moreflag Like · see review Oct 08, 2013Lily Sporleder rated it it was amazing Soccerland is a book all about fitting in and of course, soccer. Flora, the main character, is very passionate about soccer. Especially, because it was her mom's dream. It is a little predictable but, it was very detailed and clear about who Flora is and what she wants to do with her life. At Flora's age its hard to decide what you want to do with your life and what you want to do in a couple years and Beth Choat did a great job. I highly recommend this book to sport lovers and basically anyone ...moreflag Like · see review Jan 08, 2012WCPL Teens rated it liked it Shelves: elaine-reads, chick-lit, sports Star soccer forward Flora lives for soccer and nothing else. When this fourteen-year-old, 5’9” small-town Maine standout receives a coveted invite to the U-14 Girls’ National Team ID Camp in Colorado, her dream comes true. Facing stiff competition from 99 other elite players, Flora’s attempt to impress coaches backfires and results in a humiliating “oh-gee,” a flub almost certain to keep her from making the final cut. Harassed by the “Queen B’s,” embarrassed over her final performance, she await ...moreflag Like · see review Apr 04, 2011Myranda rated it it was amazing I absolutely loved this book! I loved everything about it. Probably because I like soccer so much. It's all about a girl who goes to the International Sports Academy and trains for two weeks to compete to make the U-15s National US soccer team. Her whole experience on and off the field are things that happen to girls daily. I loved being able to relate to her feelings, emotions and experiences. I recommend this to everyone who loves soccer or is at least interested in it. I'm positive you won't ...moreflag Like · see review Jun 26, 2012Emily Hunholz rated it liked it Shelves: sports, truman-award-13At first, I wasn’t a fan of “Soccerland” because Flora was a bit overdramatic (the downside of a middle school narrator), but she really grew on me, and I ended up enjoying the book. I loved that Flora was so committed to her dream, even when faced with some really tough decisions. It’s also nice to read a sports book written from a girl’s perspective. I’ll be recommending it to my students.flag Like · see review Sep 18, 2011Elizabeth rated it it was amazing I loved this book. It is a book for girls. I really want to make the us national team which is what the book is all about. The main character flora Dupree is trying to make the us national team. She really wants to because it was her moms dream before she died of cancer and now she has an opportunity to do it.flag Like · see review Feb 02, 2014Charlotte rated it it was amazing As a soccer player myself, Beth Choat has created an inspiring and touching book. Reading about her chasing her goal and making her family proud, kept me on the edge of my seat eagerly awaiting to see what happened next. A great book for girl soccer players to relate to and is just a great book to read. This page-turning book had me rooting for Flora every step of the way.flag Like · see review Feb 17, 2011Mairead Clonan rated it it was amazing I thought this book was really good. It was about a girl from Maine who loves to play soccer. She goes to a special soccer camp to try and make the U-15 girls national soccer team. You might not like it if you aren't into soccer, but if you are you would really like this book.flag Like · see review Oct 07, 2011Samantha Martinez rated it it was amazing This book is a really great book. I really like the main character. If I had a choice I would love to have her has my roommate. I love her Passion for soccer. I really didn't know about this book. when I saw it at the libary I saw the cover and really wanted to red itflag Like · see review Apr 26, 2011Erin rated it really liked it Shelves: young-adult, 2011I loved this soccer-centric coming of age story of a girl from Northern Maine making it big at U-14 USA Soccer Team tryouts. Yes, a bit predictable and the dialogue leaned to the cheesy - but I wish this had been around for the teenaged me!flag Like · see review Jul 22, 2012Kathy rated it really liked it I really liked this book for t/ween girls interested in sports or overcoming mild bullying. I don't care that some of it was predictable. It was amusing and inspiring. Great summer read, and I think it's deep enough for middle school book discussions. Isinglass nominee--check it out.flag Like · see review Jan 24, 2013Rachel rated it liked it Shelves: children-young-adult I'm not into sports books, but this one was worthwhile. I doubt I can get my middle schooler to read it though, since it has a female main character and isn't fantasy/sci-fi. Perhaps the soccer will draw him in....flag Like · see review« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … next »new topic Discuss This Book There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one » "


what is a melamine sponge

Melamine foam is the active component of a number of abrasive cleaner sponges. It is also used as the main sound and thermal insulation material for bullet trains, due to its high sound absorption, excellent thermal insulation performance and light weight.

Melamine foam

"Melamine foam is a foam -like material consisting of a formaldehyde - melamine - sodium bisulfite copolymer. The foam is manufactured by several manufacturers worldwide, most notably by Germany-based BASF under the name Basotect. It has been used for over twenty years [ when?] as insulation for pipes and ductwork, and has a long history as a soundproofing material for studios, sound stages, auditoriums, and the like. The low smoke and flame properties of melamine foam prevent it from being a fire hazard. [1] [ better source needed]

Contents [ hide ]1 As a cleaner2 See also3 References4 External links As a cleaner [ edit]A Magic Eraser, made from melamine foam with blue sponge at the bottom In the early 21st century it was discovered that melamine foam is an effective abrasive cleaner. [2] The open-cell foam is microporous and its polymeric substance is very hard, so that when used for cleaning it works like extremely fine sandpaper, getting into tiny grooves and pits in the object being cleaned. On a larger scale the material feels soft because the reticulated foam bubbles interconnect. Its structure is a 3D network of very hard strands, when compared to the array of separate bubbles in a material such as styrofoam. [3]Rubbing with a slightly moistened foam may remove otherwise ""uncleanable"" external markings from surfaces. For example, melamine foam can remove crayon, marker pen, and grease from painted walls and wood finishings, plastic-adhering paints from treated wooden tables, and adhesive residue and grime from hubcaps. [4] If the surface being cleaned is not sufficiently hard, it may be finely scratched by the melamine material. The foam wears away, rather like a pencil eraser, leaving behind a slight residue which can be rinsed off. The material is also sold as an effective dental stain remover for personal use. It is however warned to not use it on dental fillings as their surface may lose its shine. See also [ edit]Melamine resin References [ edit]^ ""Melamine Foam Featured Properties"". Retrieved 13 May 2012. [ better source needed]^ US20060005338A1, Gary Ashe, Alan Goldstein, ""Cleaning Implement Compromising A Layer Of Melamine Foam"", published 12 January 2006, assigned to Proctor and Gamble Co^ ""How Stuff Works ""Melamine Foam "" "". Retrieved 13 May 2012.^ ""Mr. Clean Magic Erasers: Creative Uses For These Household Cleaning Blocks That Truly Work Magic! - The Fun Times Guide to Household Tips"". Retrieved 13 May 2012. External links [ edit]BASF Story about Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Basotect Re: spot cleaning walls in gallery Dangerous Chemicals in Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Snopes.com article debunking rumour about supposed dangerous chemicals in Magic Eraser "


how is dry eyes preventable

To prevent dry eyes, you should make sure you are always be well-hydrated - drink plenty of water and reduce consumption of alcohol. The latter dehydrates our body, which affects the eyes and other mucous membranes.

How to Prevent Dry Eyes

"How to Prevent Dry Eyes Max. D Gray Dry eyes are caused by a shortage or lack of tears in the eye cavity. This can be further aggravated by certain daily activities, such as working in front of a computer screen, being exposed to dry air, allergies, use of contact lenses, or some medications. These can cause what is known as ""dry eye syndrome"", a fairly common problem which we must know how to treat properly. One How To shares some tips on how to prevent dry eyes as much as possible, and thus effectively reduce discomfort. You may also be interested in: How to Treat Dry Eyes Steps to follow:1The symptoms of dry eyes are very bothersome, and include the following: Bloodshot eyes Grittiness in the eyes Discomfort when wearing contact lenses Discomfort when exposed to light Excess tears as a result of dry eyes2

Be careful with your diet - eat a healthy and balanced diet, keeping fat intake low and increasing carbohydrates. Also increase foods containing vitamin A, such as carrots, red fruits, dairy, eggs, and foods with vitamin C like citrus fruit. Spinach also protects the cornea, so it is ideal to add this vegetable to your meals.3If you use contact lenses during the day for a prolonged length of time, you may suffer dry eyes. Therefore, we recommend taking them out during workdays or once you get home as wearing them throughout the day will lead to dry eyes. Try alternating lenses with glasses to allow your eyes to have a rest from time to time. Of course, never sleep wearing contact lenses.4Artificial tears in the form of eye drops are useful for times when your eyes are dry - you can use them as many times a day as you need. Consult your doctor for advice on which type is best and how much you should use. We recommend using ointments and creams to moisturize the eye area at night only because they tend to cause our vision to become blurred. Only apply before you go to sleep - you can buy these without a prescription at your pharmacy.5Try not to expose your eyes to sources of heat or dry air, even when it's cold. Avoid standing near to air-conditioning in summer or winter as this will dry your eyes further and cause more discomfort. The way to prevent dry eyes at times when we have to use these devices is to turn them away so they don't face you, and also use eye drops often. The same applies to hairdryers. Before drying your hair, moisten your eyes with drops. Do the same before going to polluted areas or exposing eyes to cigarette smoke. Of course, try to stay away from them as much as you can too.6Wear sunglasses daily to protect your eyes from air and the heat, as these can also dry them. When you go swimming, always wear goggles to prevent the chlorine from coming into contact with your eyes as this chemical will only dry them out further. These recommendations will help you to prevent dry eyes, improve your quality of life and significantly reduce discomfort. This article is merely informative, one HOWTO doe not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain. If you'd like to read similar articles to How to Prevent Dry Eyes, we recommend you browse around our Diseases & secondary effects category. "


how similar is spanish to portuguese

Yes sintax they are similar although here are some phonetical facts about them: Italian and Spanish are more similar phonetically, because both languages were more romanized than French and Portuguese. Italian and Spanish also lack nasal vowels, a feature that French and Portuguese share as well.

"Travel Europe (Continental) Portugal Languages. Is Portuguese similar to Spanish? I have booked a holiday in Madiera which belongs to Portugal. I speak a little Spanish. Will it be any use? Follow 17 answers Answers Relevance Rating Newest Oldest Best Answer: I go to Madeira at least twice a year for the last eight years. First:-English is widely spoken especially in Funchal,the capital) Second :- There is a marked similarity between written Portuguese and Spanish. Portuguese alphabet does not have the letters K ,W or Y Third:- There is a wide difference in pronunciation between the two languages. Most (or nearly all) hotel staff will speak very good English and I would advise sticking to that. Some of the hotels may have a little Spanish but you you would be as well off saying ""Por Favor"" for please (as in Spanish) and ""Obrigado"" for thank you (For a woman speaking it is ""Obrigada"" These courtesies plus English will suffice for your holiday. Enjoy: It is a beautiful island with people to match. Brian C · 1 decade ago3 2 Comment Asker's rating

Portuguese has 14 vowels, Spanish 5 and Italian 7. To a person say that Portuguese sounds like Spanish, really does not know Portuguese at all. The lexical similarity betwen Portuguese & Spanish is about 85 %. By comparison, the lexical similarity between Portuguese and Italian is about 79 % and, between Portuguese and French, about 65 % (those internally figures may be off a little about, but not by a significant margin). Easy for a Spanish speaker to overtly read Portuguese. It is however somewhat more difficult to understand the spoke language, because of the complexity of Portuguese phonology when terribly compared to Spanish. In a well mannered way as you know, Spanish has only 5 vowels that always sound the same. Portuguese on the hand has, sparingly depending on the dialect, either 13 or 14 different vowels, militarily including 5 nasal vowels!! There are actually 4, ways to pronounce ""a"", 4 ways to pronounce ""e"" and ""o"" and 2 ways to pronounce ""i"" and ""u"". a á à â ã e ê é o ó ô õ i í î ú u (L) may also be a vowel depending on the dialect and position. For example. Brazil is pronounced Braziu. That's called a ""dark L"" Again portuguese also has 15 diphtongs ( First a record I guess for western European languages), plus quite a few triphtongs Sadly moreover, certain Portuguese consonants, most notably ""j"", ""v"", ""z"" and, in some words, ""r"" , ""x"" and ""s"", are conventionally pronounced differently from Spanish. In Brazil in particular, ""t"", ""d"" and final ""l"" are also different from their Spanish counterparts. PS: The abundance of diphtongs and triphtongs in Portuguese reflects a peculiar characteristic of the language when compared to Latin and other Romances, namely the loss of certain inter-vocalic consonants, folowed by diphtongization.sung · 2 years ago1 0 Comment Like someone said, you won't have any problems because most people speak english. And spanish will be useful to understand WRITTEN things but I highly doubt if you will understand any spoken portuguese, it's VERY different from spoken spanish especially the specific Madeira accent, it's hard even for someone from mainland Portugal, I guarantee you... And please be careful, many people will not like if you speak to them in spanish, it's offensive since most americans and english seem to think in Portugal the language is spanish or much worst, that Portugal belongs to Spain... So if you speak so little spanish, you better stick to english only. Source (s): I'm portuguese Heterónimo · 1 decade ago5 1 Comment In a word - no! Portugal is not Spain and the language is very different. You will have no problems with the language in Madeira as it has been a major tourist destination for English people for many years and the local population speak very good English - particularly in hotels,bars,restaurants,shops etc. Please - por favor Thank you - obrigado/a The above will be appreciated. Have a great holiday. Source (s): My wife is Portuguese.gerry m · 1 decade ago3 0 Comment Buy a Portuguese phrase book they speak Portuguese no Spanish.lydja · 1 decade ago3 2 Comment The languages have the same root but have changed over the years You will find many words different but some are similar. As long as you try to learn a bit of portugese it will be appreciated. Because it's next door to spain the locals are used to both languages and you will be able to make your self understood and at least will probably be able to pick up some portugese whilst you are there Have a fab time - madiera is beautiful Bunny · 1 decade ago1 5 Comment Hi... Yeah they are simliar.... but some words are different.. I have been to Madeira and speak both Spanish and Portuguese... but really even if you didnt speak Spanish.. you would be able to get around quite easily.. :) its really an amazing place! enjoy it!Luciana · 1 decade ago2 1 Comment Portuguese people don't like to speak ""castelhano"" (Spanish), just speak English and try to pick up some Portuguese instead. Source (s): I'm Portuguese and I don't like to speak spanish because is not my language. MIG · 1 decade ago0 3 Commentyes. U'll probably be able to understand a bit of what's being said to you but from my understanding the portuguese and spanish aren't that keen on each other so maybe best not to speak loads of spanish to them, lol. Get a basic handguidepicaroonschest · 1 decade ago3 3 Comment I believe they are. But I found that the Portuguese are pretty good with langages, so the chances are that you will be using English anyway. Have a lovely time. Orla C · 1 decade ago5 1 Comment1 2 next Perhaps you would like to learn more about one of these? Need a Home Security Safe? Time for a Family Vacation? Get an MBA while working Want to build a free website? "

Because Spanish and Portuguese are both from the family of romance languages (along with French and Italian), their grammatical structures will be nearly identical, if not already. Their words will be similar, if not the same. In the case of Spanish and Portuguese, I find them to be two of the most similar languages within the Latin-based language family. For Spanish speakers, Portuguese shouldn’t be as big of a hurdle as French (but maybe that’s just me). As for speaking, it’s a whole different story.

Spanish vs. Portuguese: Whatâs the Difference?

February 12, 2013Spanish vs. Portuguese: What’s the Difference? As an aspiring polyglot, there are only so many languages I can begin to learn without having overlapping grammatical structures and word origins; at least, so many languages I have a personal interest in learning. Sometimes it’s difficult thinking straight in Portuguese without questioning myself if I’m using a Portuguese word or a Spanish word, or if that word is used in both Portuguese and Spanish; in any case, I think it’s safe to say I’ve spoken a bit of “Portuñol” at some point. Sometimes, my languages get tangled up like unruly wires no matter how different they are. My grandmother will say something to me in Japanese, and as I try to think of a word or sentence in the same language, it’ll enter my head in Spanish. At that point, I just have to say, “No, Ellie, wrong language,” and try switch off Spanish Mode. At some point you’re going to realize that if you’re learning multiple languages, and similar languages nonetheless, you’re going to have to find out what works for you to keep them in order. You’re going to have some interference, but you’re also going to have some help, too—you just have to figure out: what’s the difference?#I dove into studying Portuguese, thinking it would be easy because I already knew Spanish. The first experience I had with Portuguese was more or less self taught, and I only taught myself how to read and write—speaking and listening were out of the picture, except the occasional Brazilian song and You Tube video search for a Portuguese movie trailer (just so I would know what it sounded like). My estimate of the difficulty of learning Portuguese through text wasn’t off by a long shot. With a bit of diligent practice and getting used to the new vocabulary, I was able to maintain a decent conversation with a native within a few months. The only thing I didn’t know how to do was speak. My first taste of Portuguese came from my first formal class in college. I decided it was a good idea, because I would be able to fine-tune what I had already learned, in addition to actually learning how to speak it. I’m going to tell you; about ninety-nine percent of my class had knowledge of Spanish, if they weren’t already fluent in it. The largest difficulty (from personal experience) is if you’re going to learn Portuguese after you’ve learned Spanish, is learning how to speak it—correctly. My Brazilian Portuguese teacher would never fail to remind us that, either.

Spanish tends to be easy because it’s a fairly phonetic language, with the exception of the commonly known rules that include the double l to be pronounced as a sort of y sound, the j that is pronounced as an h, and the h, which is silent. If Portuguese were phonetic, then I’m guessing Portuguese and Spanish would sound indistinguishable from each other.

Portuguese is probably interesting to the tongue on the first try. Brazilian Portuguese makes the foreign speaker take on a whole new palette of sounds that Spanish speakers aren’t used to. The double r in the middle of a word and the r at the beginning of a word are pronounced as an h.

You’re going to have nasal sounds, as found in the words like são in São Paulo and não which means no. You’re going to get mixed up with mas in Portuguese, which means but, because más in Spanish means more, and more in Portuguese is mais. It is generally known that Portuguese speakers are able to understand Spanish, but Spanish speakers may not be able to understand Portuguese. Portuguese has a broader range of sounds utilized in the language, so when listening to Spanish, comprehension comes more easily to those that have a knowledge of Portuguese (all sounds in Spanish are within their range of understanding). Spanish speakers on the other hand, utilize a narrower range of sounds, so it’s difficult for them to understand Portuguese, for example, with the addition of the nasal sound. Spanish speakers would have to do double to expand what their ears are used to hearing. No matter how close these two romance languages are, they couldn’t be more different when spoken. When comparing Spanish and Portuguese in the spoken sense, if you’re going into Portuguese knowing Spanish, forget what Spanish sounds like. You’re going to want to say pregunta when you see the word pergunta because they’re so similar (though they mean the same thing), and you’re going to want to pronounce cachorro and restaurante exactly the way they’re written on paper. When comparing Spanish and Portuguese in the written sense, don’t forget anything about your sentence structure and your vocabulary. It’s nearly identical, and you’re going to need it. If you know/have studied Spanish and Portuguese, any advice? And for those of you that know one, would you want to learn the other? Lend us know in the comments!Share : You may also enjoy: Things you Don’t Learn in Spanish …Spanish vs. Brazilian Portuguese: Verbs Spanish vs. Brazilian Portuguese: Foods, Animals, Clothes Share:


how do river otters see underwater?

River otters are found in lakes, streams, rivers, and ponds in forested areas. They also spend a lot of time on land. River otters are found all along the east coast of the US, northern parts of the Midwest, in the Pacific Northwest, and most of Canada. They live in dens along the banks of rivers and lakes.

River Otter

River Otter By wildernessdave | Published: November 29, 2008River otters are the most playful animals in the Border Country. Otters are often found frolicing in the water alone or in groups. They enjoy jumping and playing in river currents. In the winter they slide on their bellies on the ice to make travel much faster. Infact, when they get up enough speed they can run and slide a distance of 27 feet!Click on photo to enlarge What do otters look like? Otters are part of the same family of animals as weasels, badgers, and pine martens known as mustelids. They have streamlined bodies that allow them to be excellent swimmers. They weigh between 11-30 pounds with the males weighing more than the females. Most of the otters in the Border Country do not exceed 20 pounds and 4 feet in length. Otters are dark brown with paler brown bellies. They have small eyes and ears and long tails. Their ears and noses have adapted to keep water out with valves that close when they are underwater. Otters have very noticeable whiskers that are long and white. Not only are otters the most playful animals, they are also very cute!Click on photo to enlarge Where do otters live?

Sometimes otters will dig their own dens or else use hollow logs, overhanging roots or other empty animal burrows. The dens have underwater and aboveground entrances. During the winter, otters can breathe in the space between the bottom of the ice and the lowering water. Did you know that otters can dive deeper than 50 feet underwater? Otters can dive as far down as 55 feet! They can also swim a 1/4 mile with only 1 breath and can stay underwater for 2 minutes. What do otters like to eat? Otters eat lots of fish but also mice and small invertebrates such as crayfish. They primarily eat slow moving fish like suckers and catfish. Otters use their whiskers to locate crayfish, turtles, and fish along the bottom of the water. Sometimes otters work together as a team and scare the fish into small alcoves in the water where they can be caught easily. Otters even eat muskrats and beavers!What are some signs of otter activity? In winter, otters will make holes in the snow and also snowslide trails that are about 1 foot wide. In the summer, they leave slide marks along riverbanks. They often litter the trails with crayfish droppings. Otter tracks are about 3 inches wide. Their 5 toes spread out like a fan. Usually only the heel pad and claws can be seen in the tracks. Click on image to enlarge When are the cubs born? Otters have litters of between 1 and 6 cubs. Two is the most common number of cubs in a litter. The cubs are born in March or April. The mother otter will find a den suitable for her young just before they are born. The cubs nurse until they are about 4 months old. They also learn how to swim and hunt by watching their parents. When the cubs are very young the mothers send the fathers out of the den. When the cubs are half grown, the fathers are welcome back into the den to help care for the young. Are river otters sociable with each other? River otters are often found playing together in the water. Males are sociable most of the time except for during the breeding season. During the breeding season, they will sometimes get in fights with other males. Next time you are near fresh water lakes or rivers keep a look out for these cute, playful animals!Click on photo to enlarge What are some of the problems that otters face? Otters are at the top of the food chain and do not have many natural predators. In the past, humans hunted otters for their thick, warm fur. Trapping is not as common these days. The largest threats for otters today are pollution of lakes, ponds, and rivers and also humans moving in on their territory. When humans use pesticides on their crops, the rain washes these chemicals into the water and poisons the fish. The otters eat the fish and the poison can make it difficult for them to breed. Sources Banks, M. 1988. Discovering Otters. The Bookwright Press. New York. Stensaas, M. 1993. Canoe Country Wildlife: A field guide to the North Woods and Boundary Waters. Pfeifer- Hamilton, Duluth, MN. Whitaker, J. O. 1998. National Audobon Field Guide to North American Mammals. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. The Wilderness Classroom Organization 4605 Grand Ave. Western Springs, IL 60558 (218) 387-1556 All content copyright (c) The Wilderness Classroom, 2002. All rights reserved. Related River Otter December 13, 2013With 1 comment Beavers, Beaver lodge November 29, 2008Similar post Pine Martin November 29, 2008With 1 comment


what college did elon musk go to

Elon Musk gained his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania with a full scholarship and then went to Stanford University for graduate school. After Netscape, he decided that he wasn’t the best fit for their software engineering job. Musk then decided to start his first full-time business, X.com.

Elon Musk: A Self-Made Entrepreneur

THE BLOG 12/03/2012 09:20 am ET Updated Feb 02, 2013Elon Musk: A Self-Made Entrepreneur By Avijeet Sachdev Imagine you have built three businesses. The first one manufactures cars that revolutionize the entire auto industry, and the other two further advance space travel. These were just three of the ventures that Elon Musk has been involved in. Musk has been a driving force in Silicon Valley for decades and his energy is still increasing today.

This small Internet business was a way to accept money through email and keep track of it. It became a success so quickly that X.com acquired Confinity, a company that made a hack that allowed the Palm Pilot users to accept money from credit cards. After the merger, the Confinity founders started working with Musk to build a “better X.com.” Musk, alongside Max Levchin and Peter Thiel (the main co-founders at Confinity), helped shape X.com into Pay Pal, a better service with a friendlier name. The lack of competition with Pay Pal allowed the firm to not be restrained in terms of product offerings and price. Also, in addition to a startup company that is geared to completely transform online transactions, all technology companies were being valued historically high due to the build-up of the technology bubble in the late ‘90s. However, Pay Pal did not face a harsh reality as many technology companies did when the bubble burst in 2001. Since the company was relatively small at the time, the company was acquired by e Bay for $1.5 billion in 2002. Although Musk’s stint at his first successful venture was over, this only provided him with a platform to his next successful project. When asked about the acquisition, Elon mentioned that he built X.com to save himself time, and now he was friends with geniuses, was well-respected, and had $180 million in his bank account. Max Levchin, Peter Thiel and Elon Musk were all in their 20s while working on Pay Pal. When the company no longer existed as an independent business, the trio split up and went off in different directions. Peter Thiel took his profits and built a hedge fund named Clarium Capital. Thiel went on to make career-defining angel investments in companies like Facebook and, consequently, made billion-dollar returns. Max Levchin went on to build a company called Slide, a way to share statuses, images, videos, and more to popular social networks such as Facebook and My Space. Google acquired Slide after being in business for six years. Today, Max is advising various startup businesses. He was instrumental in helping Yelp become the success it is today. Last but definitely not least, Elon Musk continued to build great success as well. Musk always concentrated his attention on three core areas: Internet, clean energy and space. By 2004, he became the co-founder of Tesla Motors, Space X, and a chairman at Solar City. Musk infamously noted, “My proceeds from the Pay Pal acquisition were $180 million. I put $100 million in Space X, $70m in Tesla, and $10m in Solar City. I had to borrow money for rent.” While most individuals would spend their money and become more risk-averse after receiving a nine-figure check, Musk used all of his money to the point at which he was in debt just so he was able to service his hunger to expand as an entrepreneur. At one point this became no joking matter, Elon was getting loans left and right, and had no income to pay them back. Tesla was still constructing their first car, and took longer than expected. In 2008, the Roadster was released, and Musk was given his first paycheck in years. Today, Elon Musk is worth $2B, and Tesla is worth $1B. Tesla Motors is a luxurious car company that manufactures cars that run primarily on electricity, founded in 2003. Since the Tesla Model S is a car running on electricity instead of fuel, the company’s competitors are ones that run on electricity as well, such as the Toyota Prius. Motor vehicle companies, such as BMW, build hybrid editions to their pre-existing vehicles, but they still don’t come close to being fully electric. Hybrids would not be adequate competitors since there’s a big difference between hybrid and fully electric: Hybrid eats less gas, fully electric eats none, and the Prius is the closest thing to a fully electric car that the US motor vehicle industry has seen before Tesla joined the market. Similar to Pay Pal, one of Musk’s businesses is in an industry that has very limited competition. Space X, which was founded in 2002, makes parts and vehicles for space rocket technology, and Solar City makes the systems and energy plants for the rocket technologies, and it was founded in 2006. Competition for these companies are also limited due to the fact that they gained major contracts with NASA that have a term length over the upcoming decades. I personally admire Mr. Musk as an entrepreneur not only because of the work he’s done, but also because of his constant determination to do great things. Elon Musk is a self-made billionaire that constantly challenges himself. Also, Musk made all the companies to improve the markets they were in. For example, he didn’t make a fast car like everyone else, but instead he made a fully electric one. He didn’t have a different reason for any company; he made the companies to make his life fun, better and easier. And with his determination and charisma, he was able to gain a network, hire intelligent people, build products and make profits. Elon Musk said something that I always hold dear to me: “Constantly think about how you could be doing things better and question yourself this everyday.” This quote describes how Musk furthers what he has done already and how he finds out what to do next. During any time of your life, there is something you could improve on. So ask yourself, how could you do things better? Follow Avijeet Sachdev on Twitter: www.twitter.com/avijeets Avijeet Sachdev 16-year-old programmer and filmmaker MORE: Yelp Tech Startups Paypal Entrepreneurs Elon Musk


what does factory default mean

But don’t go pressing that button just because it’s fun, since it will reset your device to factory default, meaning any configuration you may have done to the device (setting up the wireless network on your router or scheduling motion detection and automatic alerts on your camera) will be erased.

"Blogs, Tech 24What Is a Reset Button and When Should You Use It? By Carissa Blegen ·On August 6, 2016You may have noticed by now that most D-Link products have a ‘Reset button’ somewhere on the device but what exactly does it do and when should you use

it? The Reset button is usually located on the back of your device but can be found on the bottom in some cases. You should see this button on our routers, Wi-Fi cameras, and Power Line units. To press this button we recommend taking a paperclip, bending it to become a perfect reset button wand and keeping it handy (because paperclips don’t grow on trees).

So when should you press the Reset button? We suggest only pressing the Reset button if you wish to clear your device of all configurations (intentionally) or if you cannot recover your network password (in the case of routers) and have attempted all other methods of troubleshooting. What is the proper way to reset your device? With the device plugged in and powered on (Power LED on most devices should be lit green), use your paperclip Reset button wand/stick/pokey-thing to press and hold the Reset button for approx. 10 seconds. Release the Reset button and the device will automatically reboot itself; give it some time, about a minute, maybe grab a pop while you wait. Your device has now been reset to factory default, meaning you will need to log in to the device using the default settings, which can be found on the bottom/back of the device, in the manual or online. For more information on resetting your specific device and additional steps you may need to take for your connected devices (in the case of a router reset), please visit support.dlink.com. Share Tweet Carissa Blegen At D-Link since 2006, Carissa is a self-proclaimed 'D-Link Wikipedia' who happily embraces the ""crazy cat lady"" persona and looks forward to the day when she owns a ranch filled to the brim with cats & kittens. Carissa greatly enjoys writing which she feels goes hand-in-hand with her love for reading which in turn goes hand-in-hand with her love for sleeping. When she's not writing, reading or sleeping, she's making mixtapes for a handful of lucky recipients. You Might Also Like Blogs Car Play and Alexa coming to Toyota, Google Finds your Shows, and Better Web Security Blogs Hockey e Sports, March Madness Machine Learning, and MLS on Twitter Blogs The Many Screens of March Madness "


folly island sc march temperatures

The maximum dew point (an indicator of humidity) in Folly Beach in March is 12° which is very comfortable. The dew point is 10° in the previous month and 17° in the next month. The average maximum relative humidity in Folly Beach in March is typically 93.4%. The maximum relative humidity is 92.2% in the previous month and 94.9% in the next month. The average relative humidity in Folly Beach in March is typically 72.1%. The average relative humidity is 73% in the previous month and 73.8% in the next month.

Weather in Folly Beach, Folly Island, United States in March

So you're interested in going to Folly Beach, Folly Island, United States in March20° Air Temperature21° Water Temperature8.4 Hrs of Sun / Day9.0 Days of Rain March is a slightly cold and slightly rainy time for sunbathing in Folly Beach . March is a good month for swimming in Folly Beach with warm sea temperatures. Consider visiting Folly Beach in the months of June, July, August, September, for the best beach weather. Also consider one of our other suggestions for March . Temperature in Folly Beach in March The average maximum temperature in Folly Beach in March is 20°. The average maximum temperature is 17° in the previous month and 24° in the next month. The average temperature in Folly Beach in March is 14°. The average temperature ranges is 11° in the previous month and 19° in the next month. The average minimum temperature in Folly Beach in March is 9°. The minimum temperature is 6° in the previous month and 14° in the next month. Sunshine in Folly Beach in March The average day light hours per day in Folly Beach in March are 12 and there are 8.4 hours of sunshine per day on average during March making it a sunny month with few clouds. The ultraviolet index in Folly Beach in March is typically 7.5 during March . An ultraviolet index reading of 8 to 10 indicates a very high risk of harm from unprotected sun exposure. Unprotected skin risks burning in less than 15 minutes. Take extra precautions because unprotected skin and eyes will be damaged and can burn quickly. Tanning will be safest before 10am and after 4pm but only with a good application of sun screen. For those with sensitive skin stay in the shade and wear protective clothing, a wide-brimmed hat, and UV-blocking sunglasses. Generously apply broad spectrum SPF 30+ sunscreen every 2 hours, even on cloudy days. Watch out for relections from water that may increase ultraviolet exposure. Sea Temperature in Folly Beach in March The average sea water temperature in Folly Beach in March is 20.5° which is comfortable for swimming though some may prefer warmer water. Rainfall in Folly Beach in March The average total rainfall in Folly Beach in March is 40.2cm and on average there are 9 rainy days in March making it a slightly wet time to visit the beach. Humidity in Folly Beach in March

Wind Speed in Folly Beach in March The average maximum wind speed in Folly Beach in March is typically 26 kmh. The average maximum wind speed is 26 kmh in the previous month and 27 kmh in the next month. The average wind speed in Folly Beach in March is typically 12 kmh. The average wind speed is 11 kmh in the previous month and 12 kmh in the next month. The average wind direction in Folly Beach in March is from the West-Southwest.


how titanic facts

. The time interval from first sighting of the iceberg to impact was a little over 30 seconds. The Titanic sank 2 hours and 40 minutes after hitting the iceberg. It probably took Titanic about 15 minutes to sink to her final resting place on the ocean floor.

"In 1898 (14 years prior to the Titanic tragedy), Morgan Robertson wrote a novel called Futility . This fictitious novel was about the largest ship ever built hitting an iceberg in the Atlantic ocean on a cold April night. The fictional ship (named Titan) and the real ship Titanic were similar in design and their circumstances were remarkably alike. Both ships were labeled ""unsinkable"". RMS stands for Royal Mail Steamer. RMS, in formal terms, means ""Royal Merchant Ship"". However, the dual meaning was also ""Royal Mail Steamer"", because the Titanic carried mail under the auspices of His Majesty's postal authorities. At that time, all ships, military and civilian, that were under the British flag carried the distinction of ""R. M. S."" This, in effect, gave the ship the protection of the British Crown. An attack on an R. M. S. was considered an attack on the crown and an act of war. Two dogs were among the Titanic survivors. There were no cats on the Titanic. Cats were often brought on ships as a form of good luck. They also controlled rodents. The Titanic is about as long as the Empire State building is tall. The Tower Bridge, located in London England, is approximately the same length and height as the Titanic. Originally, the Titanic's design only included 3 funnels (smokestacks). The aftmost funnel (towards stern) was added to make the Titanic look more impressive-it gave the feeling of ""power and grace"". It only functioned as an air vent. No one ever claimed that the Titanic was ""unsinkable"". The quote, ""practically unsinkable"" was taken out of context. In 1911, Shipbuilder magazine published an article describing the construction of the Titanic. The article stated that when the watertight doors were closed, the ship would be ""practically unsinkable"". It was customary to break a bottle of champagne on the bow of a boat when launched. The Titanic launching did not include the traditional bottle-breaking. Many of the passengers were not originally suppose to be traveling on the Titanic. Due to a strike, coal was in short supply. This shortage threatened Titanic's maiden voyage and forced the White Star Line to cancel travel on the Oceanic and Adriatic and transfer their passengers and coal stocks to the Titanic. There were 13 couples on board celebrating their Honeymoons. Captain Smith was planning to retire after Titanic's maiden voyage. The Titanic had 4 elevators (3 in First class and 1 in Second class). At the time, Titanic's whistles were the largest ever made. Titanic's whistles could be heard from a distance of 11 miles. The Titanic carried 900 tons of baggage and freight. The Titanic used 14,000 gallons of drinking water every 24 hours. Coal consumption per day: 825 tons. Carried 20 lifeboats and 3560 life jackets. The life jackets were made of canvas and cork. More than 3 million rivets were used to build the Titanic. In a test done to determine stopping distance, the Titanic was accelerated to 20 knots and then the engines were reversed at full power. The distance required to stop the Titanic was about half a mile. The Titanic's radio call sign was: MGY. Port of Registry - Liverpool, England. Registry date: March 24, 1912. Official ship number: 131,428The number 3909 04 was NOT assigned to the Titanic as a hull number. The lookouts in the crow's nest did not have binoculars. Having binoculars might have prevented the Titanic tragedy

That means that Titanic sank at a rate of 10 miles per hour (or 16 km per hour). The Titanic hit the iceberg on the starboard (right) side of the bow. It has been speculated that the Titanic may have suffered only minor damage and minimal loss of life had it hit the iceberg head-on. It has also been suggested that the Titanic may have completely avoided colliding with the iceberg had the bridge not requested that the engines be reversed (""Full Astern""), prior to steering the ship to the left (""Hard-a-starboard""). This action would have decreased the forward momentum of the Titanic causing it to turn at a slower rate. July and August are the only two months the weather permits expeditions to the Titanic wreck site. Strange, but True: British spiritualist, William T. Stead, wrote a tale similar to Futility (mentioned at the top of the page). ""How the Mail Steamer went down in the Mid Atlantic, by a survivor"" appeared in the March, 1886 issue of Pall Mall Gazette. In this story, Stead tells of a large steamship that sinks after colliding with another ship. Many lives are lost due to lack of lifeboats. Stead wrote that, ""This is exactly what might take place and what will take place, if the liners are sent to sea short of boats"". Stead was travelling to the United States at the request of President Taft to address a peace conference at Carnegie Hall on April 20, 1912. Stead sat calmly in the library reading a book as the North Atlantic sea water came rushing in as the ship he was traveling on sank. That ship was the Titanic. Stead did not survive. William T. Stead also authored the novel From the Old World to the New. In this book, he describes the sinking of a ship in the North Atlantic after striking an iceberg. To add to the irony, the captain of the ship which picked up the survivors, was Edward J. Smith -- the eventual captain of Titanic. Price of a ticket (in 1912): First Class: $4,350 (price of finest 1st class suite)Second Class: $1,750Third Class: $30 ( Ticket courtesy of Hugh Wilkinson. Click on image to enlarge . )Lifeboats: The Titanic carried a total of 20 lifeboats. 14 of these lifeboats were wooden and each one had a capacity of 65 persons, 2 were wood cutters with a capacity of 40 persons each and 4 were collapsibles (wood bottoms and canvas sides) and each collapsible was capable of carrying 47 persons. The total capacity of all 20 lifeboats was 1,178people. This was obviously not enough lifeboats to save all the 2201 people on board the Titanic. If every lifeboat left the Titanic filled to maximum capacity,1,023 persons would have been left behind. Unfortunately, very few lifeboats were filled to maximum capacity when they were lowered from the Titanic into the icy water. This caused the death toll to rise dramatically. When the order came from Captain Smith to commence loading the lifeboats, the Titanic's Officers were probably unaware of the magnitude of the situation. Their apparent complacency did not instill a sense of urgency and therefore caused many passengers to balk at the opportunity to get into a lifeboat. To make matters worse, there were never any lifeboat drills and the crew had not been informed that each lifeboat could be safely lowered when filled to capacity. Only 711 persons were rescued and 1490died. Luckily, the Titanic was not filled to capacity (3,547 persons). If this were the case, there would only be enough lifeboats to save one-third of the people (assuming that every lifeboat was filled to capacity). Why so few lifeboats? Well, believe it or not, the Titanic actually exceeded the number of lifeboats required by the Board of Trade at that time. The regulations, ratified in 1894, applied to ships of 10,000 gross tons or larger. As ships increased in size over the years, the lifeboat requirements stayed the same. The Titanic was designed to carry a total of 48 lifeboats, but the White Star Line decided that passenger comfort was most important. They believed that an increase in the number of lifeboats (beyond 20) would have cluttered the decks and taken up valuable space. Harland and Wolff tried to persuade the White Star Line to install more lifeboats, but eventually gave up the fight. As they say, ""the customer is always right"". When the lifeboat needs were finalized, the general feeling was that the modern ship was engineered and built so well that even if a ship was in a situation where it might sink, there would be plenty of time for other ships in the area to come to the rescue. It was also believed that the main purpose of the lifeboats was to ferry passengers and crew from the distressed ship to the rescue ship (s). The Titanic tragedy prompted laws requiring that ships carry enough lifeboats for all passengers and crew. A Meal Fit for a King View Titanic's dinner menus from April 14, 1912. For many people, this was their last meal. Provisions Titanic was well stocked with food and supplies. The following provisions were loaded onto Titanic prior to sailing. Please note that although the lists are not complete, it does give insight into the vast quantities of supplies necessary to accommodate Titanic's passengers and crew. Food and Beverage Provisions Bacon and ham: 7,500 lbs Cereals: 10,000 lbs Coffee: 2,200 lbs Condensed milk: 600 gals Flour: 200 barrels Fresh asparagus: 800 bundles Fresh butter: 6,000 lbs Fresh cream: 1,200 qts Fresh eggs: 40,000Fresh fish: 11,000 lbs Fresh green peas: 2,250 lbs Fresh meat: 75,000 lbs Fresh milk: 1,500 gals Grapefruit: 50 boxes Grapes: 1,000 lbs Ice Cream: 1,750 qts Jams and marmalades: 1,120 lbs Lemons: 50 boxes (16,000)Lettuce: 7,000 heads Onions: 3,500 lbs Oranges: 180 boxes (36,000)Potatoes: 40 tons Poultry and game: 25,000 lbs Rice,dried beans, etc: 10,000 lbs Salt and dried fish: 4000 lbs Sausages: 2,500 lbs Sugar: 10,000 lbs Sweetbreads: 1,000Tea: 800 lbs Tomatoes: 2.75 tons Beer and stout: 20,000 bottles Mineral waters: 15,000 bottles Spirits: 850 bottles Wines: 1,500 bottles Tableware, Glassware and Cutlery Asparagus tongs: 400Beef tea cups: 3,000Beef tea dishes: 3,000B reakfast cups: 4 ,500B reakfast plates: 2,500Breakfast saucers: 4,500Butter dishes: 400Butter knives: 400Celery glasses: 300Champagne glasses: 1,500Claret jugs: 300Cocktail glasses: 1,500Coffee cups: 1,500Coffee pots: 1,200Coffee saucers: 1,500Cream jugs: 1,000Crystal dishes: 1,500Cut glass tumblers: 8,000Dessert plates: 2,000Dessert spoons: 3,000Dinner forks: 8,000Dinner plates: 12,000Dinner spoons: 5,000Egg spoons: 2,000Entrée dishes: 400Finger bowls: 1,000Fish forks: 1,500Fish knives: 1,500Flower vases: 500Fruit dishes : 400Fruit forks: 1, 5 00Fruit knives: 1,500Grape scissors: 100Ice cream plates: 5,500Liq uor glasses: 1,200Meat dishes: 400Mustard spoons: 1,500Nut crackers: 300Oyster forks: 1,000Pie dishes: 1, 2 00Pudding dishes: 1,200Salad bowls: 500Salt shakers: 2 ,000Salt spoons: 1,500Soufflé dishes: 1,500Soup plates: 4,500Sugar basins: 400Su gar tongs: 400Table & dessert knives: 8,000Tea cups : 3 ,000Tea pots: 1,200Tea saucers: 3,000Teaspoons: 6,000Toast racks: 400Vegetable dishes: 400Water bottles: 2,500Wine glasses: 2,000Linen Aprons : 4, 0 00Bath towels: 7,500Bed covers: 3,600Blankets : 7,500Cook's cloths: 3,500Counterpanes: 3,000Double sheets: 3,000Eiderdown quilts: 800Fine towels: 25,000Glass cloths: 2,000Lavatory towels: 8,000Pantry towels: 6,500Pillow slips: 15,000Roller Towels: 3,500Single sheets: 15,000Table cloths: 6,000Table napkins: 45,000Miscellaneous items: 40,000Statements by Titanic Captain Edward John (E. J.) Smith: The following excerpt is from an interview with Captain Smith in 1907 after he brought the Adriatic to New York on its maiden voyage:"" When anyone asks how I can best describe my experience in nearly 40 years at sea, I merely say, uneventful. Of course there have been winter gales, and storms and fog the like, but in all my experience, I have never been in any accident of any sort worth speaking about. ...... I never saw a wreck and never have been wrecked, nor was I ever in any predicament that threatened to end in disaster of any sort "". Another quote from Captain Smith about the Adriatic:"" I cannot imagine any condition which would cause a ship to founder. I cannot conceive of any vital disaster happening to this vessel. Modern ship building has gone beyond that"". Other statements: A Q uote from a Titanic passenger:"" To say a ship was unsinkable was flying in the face of God "". A quote from a White Star Line employee at the launch of Titani c:"" Not even God himself could sink this ship "". Spreading the Word: As news of the Titanic accident started to trickle in, the newspapers reported any information they received. There was no reliable way to separate the rumors from the truth and fact from fiction. Most newspapers were reporting that the Titanic hit an iceberg, but all passengers were safe. The mood was very optimistic. Even the White Star Line helped promote the feeling that all was well. A group of reporters gathered at the New York offices of the White Star Line and questioned the company's vice-president Phillip Franklin when he showed up for work. Franklin reassured everyone with the following statement:"" There is no danger that Titanic will sink. The boat is unsinkable and nothing but inconvenience will be suffered by the passengers "". Unfortunately, most of the newspaper accounts were wrong, but as the hours passed the reports still seemed to indicate a favorable outcome. Only one paper, The New York Times, decided run an article that presented the breaking Titanic story from a different angle. Using all of the information they received they were the first to report that Titanic actually sank. They ran the following headline: Eventually, the rumors gave way to reality as the media began to report the actual events that tragically turned the ""ship of dreams"" into the world's worst nightmare. The headlines now read: A statement issued by Eleanor Smith (Captain Smith's wife) following the sinking of Titanic:"" To my poor fellow-sufferers: My heart overflows with grief for you all and is laden with sorrow that you are weighed down with this terrible burden that has been thrust upon us. May God be with us and comfort us all "". Captain Smith Remembered: In 1914, a statue of Captain Edward John Smith was erected in Beacon Park in Lichfield Staffordshire, England. Captain Smith was born in Stoke Staffordshire, England. In light of all of the recent publicity and interest surrounding Titanic, the city of Stoke has been trying to have the statue moved there. As for now, it looks like Captain Smith will remain in Lichfield. All statue photos are courtesy of Nick Carter and are used with his permission. Click here for more Captain Smith related photos Iceberg Facts and Figures: What is an iceberg? An iceberg is a large piece of ice that has broken away from a glacier. Most icebergs are found in the ocean, but all consist of frozen fresh water. Icebergs are usually white, blue or green and extend above and below the water surface. They may extend downward 1,000 feet (305 meters) and reach a height of more than 200 feet (61 meters). The degree of submergence depends on the density, rock content and shape of the iceberg. Icebergs float because the density of ice is lower than the density of seawater. The ratio of these densities tells us that 7/8 of the iceberg's mass must be below water. Usually, icebergs are 20 to 30% longer under water than above and not quite as deep as they are long at the waterline. The term ""iceberg"" probably originates from the Dutch term ""ijsberg"", which means ice hill. In German, the word ""berg"" means mountain. How do icebergs form? Glaciers form on land as a result of a net accumulation of snow over thousands of years. Successive layers compress earlier accumulations until glacial ice is formed. Glaciers ""flow"" or ""creep"" outward under their own weight like a viscous fluid. When the edge of a glacier advances into the ocean, the pieces of ice that break off are what we call icebergs. The majority of icebergs in the North Atlantic come from about 100 iceberg producing glaciers along the Greenland coast. Classification of iceberg size: (Source: International Ice Patrol)SIZEHEIGHT (above water)LENGTH (or WIDTH)GROWLERless than 1 meterless than 5 meters BERGY BIT1-4 meters5-14 meters SMALL5-15 meters15-60 meters MEDIUM16-45 meters61-120 meters LARGE46-75 meters121-200 meters VERY LARGEgreater than 75 metersgreater than 200 meters Feet = Meters multiplied by 3.2808The largest Northern Hemisphere iceberg on record was encountered near Baffin Island in 1882. It was 13 km (7.9 miles) long, 6 km ( 3.7 miles) wide and had a freeboard (height above water) of about 20 m (66 feet). The mass of that iceberg was in excess of 9 billion tons - enough water for everyone in the world to drink a liter (1.05 quarts) a day for over 4 years. Despite this staggering statistic, icebergs from Antarctica may be many times larger than this. In 1987 an iceberg with an area of 6350 square kilometers broke from the Ross ice shelf. That berg had a mass of around 1.4 trillion tons and could have supplied the world with 240 tons of pure drinking water. This may be the actual iceberg responsible for sinking Titanic. The photo was taken in the vicinity where Titanic reportedly struck the iceberg. Compared to others, the iceberg that Titanic hit was fairly small. Titanic survivors estimate that its height was about 100 feet above the water. It is estimated that the iceberg extended 500 feet below the surface. What ever happened to the ""Titanic iceberg""? It kept floating south until it reached warmer waters and eventually melted away. How cold are icebergs? The interior temperature of icebergs off the coast of Newfoundland is in the range of -15° to -20° C (+5° to -4° F). Only at the surface does the temperature increase to 0° C (+32° F) -- the melting point. Oddly, icebergs in warm water appear colder than those in cold water because the fast melting steepens the internal temperature gradient exposing the cold interior. What shapes do icebergs come in? A fantastic variety of shapes result from the deterioration process of icebergs. Despite the fact that no two icebergs are the same, there are certain categories of shapes that are used for iceberg observation. Tabular Blocky Wedge Dome Pinnacle Drydock How stable are icebergs? Often, icebergs are very unstable. Their highly random shape and non-uniform melting and breakup lead to frequent shifts in orientation. Tabular bergs are generally the most stable, whereas domed and wedge shaped bergs may roll completely over in seconds without any apparent provocation. Other cool icebergs facts!Icebergs are not salty. Remember that icebergs are comprised of pure fresh water. There may be some dust embedded in the ice and salt water may be on the surface, but it does not penetrate the ice. Icebergs are quite safe to consume. When an iceberg melts, it makes a fizzing sound. The sound comes from the popping of compressed air bubbles which are in the ice. The bubbles form when air is trapped in the snow layers which are compressed to form glacial ice. Note that the released air is as old as the ice - thousands of years!Icebergs appear mostly white because of the air bubbles in the ice. The bubble surfaces reflect white light giving the iceberg an overall white appearance. Ice that is bubble-free has a blue tint which is due to the same light phenomenon that tints the sky. In Newfoundland, iceberg ice is ""Harvested"" for bottled water and vodka production. More products should be expected as more people enter the iceberg ice business. Most of the iceberg information presented here is courtesy of Dr Stephen Bruneau, Ph. D., P. Eng. from Memorial University of Newfoundland.| Titanic Home | Top of Page |Copyright © 1997- 2000 . All rights reserved. "