Green Blog: The Vagaries of Fishing in the Threatened Mekong

We carried that fishing rod for 10,000 miles on planes, taxis, buses, minivans and boats. And as my family?s trip down the Mekong River progressed, I became ever more determined that it fulfill its basic function of plucking a fish out of the river.

The Mekong presents certain challenges for that.? It?s a big river with a swift current and muddy water that obscures hidden logs and other traps to snag a line.? And the turbid water reduces the effectiveness of lures or baits that require attracting the visual attention of a fish.

Or, at least that sounded right.? The other main challenge was my complete lack of skill or experience as an angler.

The pole belongs to my son, Luca, who is walking proof that the impulse to fish springs from someplace deep and durable within humanity?s common genetic heritage.? He does not come from a long line of fishers. He had never seen me ? or anyone else for that matter ? fish, or even heard tales of fishing when one day, visiting his grandparents? house as a 4-year old, he saw fish in the backyard pond and simply decided that he needed to catch them.

He improvised a rod out of a stick, a string, a cork and a real hook that my stepdad was somehow able to find. With bread for bait, he began yanking bluegills out of the pond, and he has been obsessed ever since.

Skill-wise, I muddle along quite some distance behind Luca, but I?m determined to close the gap.? I?m a freshwater scientist and my dissertation research overlapped with the world of fish biologists (who also tend to be anglers), so my fishing deficit is also a bit embarrassing professionally.

But on those rare occasions that a fish strikes my line and pulls hard, I do tap into that innate thrill that underlies fishing?s enduring appeal.? Perhaps the tug activates some deep neuronal pathway that signals that food is close at hand.

The academic term for knowing that food is close at hand is ?food security,? and food security is at the heart of the debate over the future of the Mekong.? Fish from the Mekong feature prominently in the diets of the 60 million people who live in its basin. Within ?that population, the 20 million who live in Laos and Cambodia truly depend on river fish as their primary source of protein.

As I have related in previous posts, studies project ?that the planned construction of several hydropower dams on the Mekong?s main stem and major tributaries? will result in a considerable reduction in the fish harvest, jeopardizing the food source of millions of rural people.

In a recent paper, researchers from the W.W.F. ?and the Australian National University estimated that full construction of planned dams would cut the fish harvest by nearly 40 percent and that replacing that protein would require that the land in the region dedicated to livestock increase by nearly 6 million acres, comparable to the area of Vermont.

Compounding the loss of food, the dams? reservoirs would submerge 335,000 acres of riverside cropland.

There may be development pathways that can achieve a significant increase in hydropower while maintaining a fairly healthy fishery. (I?ll have more to say about that in a future post.)? Finding those solutions is a challenge more sociopolitical than it is technical.

The urgent need for solutions to that challenge were obvious nearly every moment we were on the Mekong: all along its length, people were casting nets and tending riverside gardens.

But for a few days on that river, I faced a vastly smaller challenge: ?catching even a single damn fish.

On our second day in northern Laos, Luca baited his hook with a grub and launched his first cast into the Mekong.?? After a few moments the line tugged, Luca?s hand sprang to the reel and, as he pulled back on the rod, a fish flashed briefly on the surface. He continued reeling and ? pulled in an empty hook.

The thrill of what had seemed such immediate success turned to a slight sense of guilt. Had he lost his first Mekong fish due to one of the few nuggets of fishing advice that I?d offered?

A few years ago, Luca caught a smallmouth bass in the river that winds through our town.? The bass glistened silvery green, and he beamed ?at catching such a beautiful fish so close to our house.? I tried to remove the hook and realized that it was deep in its mouth.? I fumbled clumsily to back the hook out and failed.? The fish thrashed, and I felt the blood surge hot in my ears and neck and I cursed my inexperience.

I then tried with a pair of needle nose pliers, but it was a small bass and the tool forced its mouth open awkwardly.

?Dad, you?re hurting him,? Luca gasped, his face racked with guilt. I eventually removed the hook, but the fish was clearly stressed and likely injured.

?I don?t want to fish anymore,? he said dejectedly.

I tried to offer a solution, ?One thing you can do, if you?re not gonna keep the fish and eat it, you can take the barb off the hook.? I know that some fly fishermen flatten the barb to reduce the risk of hurting the trout when they do catch and release.?

From then on, Luca religiously crimped the barbs off his hooks.? He accepted a somewhat higher rate of fish slipping off the hook for a somewhat lower rate of difficult-to-remove hooks and injury to the fish he loved to catch.?? But if I?d known how rare strikes would be on the Mekong, I would have advised keeping the barb.

The next time we fished was in Luang Prabang, a small and beautiful city perched on a terrace above the Mekong and dotted with Buddhist wats.? In the cool mornings, lines of orange-clad monks walk single file through its streets to accept gifts of food from the faithful who ?make merit? through their offerings.

Luang Prabang is now accessible by jet and has emerged as an extremely upscale tourist destination.? Our first night there, Luca, my daughter, Wren, and I slipped through the wall lining one of its streets and clambered down steep steps carved into the sandy bank above the Mekong.? Leaving behind the art galleries and boutique hotels, we entered a world straight out of ?Huckleberry Finn? or, perhaps more apt, ??Suttree,? Cormac McCarthy?s dark tale populated by outcasts along the Tennessee River in Knoxville.

The sun had just set behind the mountains that pin the Mekong to Luang Prabang?s flank, and in the fading light we picked our way along the riverbank, contested territory that the river occupies for half the year before relinquishing it back to the land.? The bank was strewn with the flotsam left by the retreating river, intermingled with the detritus that tumbles down from the city above.? By a flickering campfire, a group of men played cards and drank whiskey.

Looking for a spot to cast, we passed a ramshackle lean-to.? An old man poked his head out, wearing a hat with ear flaps on what felt a gloriously balmy tropical evening to us Ohioans.? He cackled and flashed a minimally toothed smile and shouted questions at me as I put my arms around the kids and eased our way past him.

?Dad, is he crazy?? Luca asked me.

?Umm, well, he probably does have some issues,? I mumbled in response.

The man?s hut was planted at the edge of the wet soil next to the river, and in the adjacent shallow water sprang a thicket of slender bamboo poles pushed into the muddy riverbed.? When the man wasn?t looking, Luca quickly pulled one up and saw that it held a fish trap made from a plastic bottle, nearly identical to a contraption the kids use to catch minnows in our backyard creek.

Unfortunately, we had no better luck catching a fish that evening, nor the next few times.? Where were the fish?

Even an afternoon spent with experienced fishermen using cast nets yielded a very modest catch, adding further weight to my growing perception that, at least in that stretch of river in Laos, fishing required considerable effort for a small return.

Why was it so hard to catch a fish in river that ranks second globally in number of fish species and has no real peers for the tonnage of its fish harvest?

I got an answer a few weeks later, as I?ll describe in my next post.

Source: http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/28/a-tug-would-be-thrilling-where-are-the-fish/?partner=rss&emc=rss

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Ultrasound to detect lung congestion in dialysis patients may help save lives

Feb. 28, 2013 ? Asymptomatic lung congestion increases dialysis patients' risks of dying prematurely or experiencing heart attacks or other cardiac events, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). The study also found that using lung ultrasound to detect this congestion helps identify patients at risk.

Lung congestion due to fluid accumulation is highly prevalent among kidney failure patients on dialysis, but it often doesn't cause any symptoms. To see whether such asymptomatic congestion affects dialysis patients' health, Carmine Zoccali, MD (Ospedali Riuniti, Reggio Calabria, Italy) and his colleagues measured the degree of lung congestion in 392 dialysis patients by using a very simple and inexpensive technique: lung ultrasound.

Among the major findings:

• Lung ultrasound revealed very severe congestion in 14% of patients and moderate-to-severe lung congestion in 45% of patients.
• Among those with moderate-to-severe lung congestion, 71% were asymptomatic.
• Compared with those having mild or no congestion, those with very severe congestion had a 4.2-fold increased risk of dying and a 3.2-fold increased risk of experiencing heart attacks or other cardiac events over a two-year follow-up period.
• Asymptomatic lung congestion detected by lung ultrasound was a better predictor of patients' risk of dying prematurely or experiencing cardiac events than symptoms of heart failure.

The findings indicate that assessing subclinical pulmonary edema can help determine dialysis patients' prognoses. "More importantly, our findings generate the hypothesis that targeting subclinical pulmonary congestion may improve cardiovascular health and reduce risk from cardiovascular death in the dialysis population, a population at an extremely high risk," said Dr. Zoccali. Fluid in the lungs may be reduced with longer and/or more frequent dialysis.

Investigators will soon start a clinical trial that will incorporate lung fluid measurements by ultrasound and will test whether dialysis intensification in patients with asymptomatic lung congestion can prevent premature death and reduce the risk of heart failure and cardiac events.

Study co-authors include Claudia Torino, PhD, Rocco Tripepi, Giovanni Tripepi, PhD, Graziella D'Arrigo, PhD, Maurizio Postorino, MD, Luna Gargani, MD, Rosa Sicari, MD, Eugenio Picano, MD, PhD, and Francesca Mallamaci, MD, on behalf of the Lung US in CKD Working Group.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American Society of Nephrology, via Newswise.

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Journal Reference:

1. Carmine Zoccali, Claudia Torino, Rocco Tripepi, Giovanni Tripepi, Graziella D?Arrigo, Maurizio Postorino, Luna Gargani, Rosa Sicari, Eugenio Picano, Francesca Mallamaci, and on behalf of the Lung US in CKD Working Group. Pulmonary Congestion Predicts Cardiac Events and Mortality in ESRD. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 2013; DOI: 10.1681/ASN.2012100990

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/82S6XydsFdE/130228171454.htm

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The Intersection: Buckley on Technology: Wearable computing: Why ...

In the middle of January I bought a Nike Fuel Band and I realized something fascinating..... I love being tracked.? Now not to suggest that I'm Orwellian, but one of the things that's have always been about is keeping track of all of my daily activities.? Whether its the number of phone calls or emails that I'm sending each day, my workouts or my pace towards my sales goals.....I'm all about the data and how it enables me to really have a handle on where I am relative to where I'd like to go.? That said, the FuelBand takes this to a whole new level and got me thinking about the fact that this sets the stage for another wave of innovation.....or as my title suggests may lead to the "Next big thing". I wrote about my early experiences with the Fuel Band last month -Gamification and the Art of the Connected Workout - but the more I've interacted with this device the more I've realized its power.? Human experience is not something that just fits into a simple box, but there are certain things that we do on a repetitive basis that CAN be tracked and evaluated by devices of this type.? So why do I think this is the "next big thing"?? It fits the profile for ubiquity. One of the challenges that any technology faces is acceptance and immediately thereafter is ease of use.? When I started using computers in the 80s, the goal was to make them as complex as possible, limiting the number of folks that could really "use" technology...and designed to provide job security for tech professionals.? Today, that approach is a thing of the past and in fact if a technology is deemed to not be "consumer friendly" you are likely to see that product fade quickly.? FuelBand is the first of what I believe will be a wave of "like devices" (much like we saw with Apple's success with tablets leading directly to an entirely new device class), that together with social sharing and the ability to hold others accountable, may constitute another leap forward in how we use technology for what it should be used for.... The betterment of mankind. Think I'm crazy?? Have a thought about what other products/wearable computers (can anyone say Google Googles?) are going to change our world? Drop me a note in the comments section....I'd love to hear from you.

Source: http://buckontech.blogspot.com/2013/02/wearable-computing-why-tracking.html

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Business spending plans gauge hits one-year high in January

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A gauge of planned U.S. business spending increased by the most in just over a year in January and new orders for long-lasting manufactured goods excluding transportation rose solidly, pointing to underlying strength in factory activity.

The Commerce Department said on Wednesday non-defense capital goods orders excluding aircraft, a closely watched proxy for business spending plans, jumped 6.3 percent, the biggest gain since December 2011, after slipping 0.3 percent in December.

Economists had expected this category to only rise 0.2 percent.

"The strong gains in core capital goods orders suggests that business investment activity, which has been one of the sour points of this economic recovery, could provide a meaningful lift to overall economic activity this quarter," said Millan Mulraine, a senior economist at TD Securities in New York.

U.S. stock index futures were little changed and U.S. government debt prices were higher in morning trading. The dollar pared losses against the yen after the data.

Durable goods orders excluding transportation increased 1.9 percent, the largest gain since December 2011, after increasing 1 percent in December. That was well above economists' expectations for a 0.2 percent increase.

However, overall orders for durable goods - items from toasters to aircraft that are meant to last at least three years - tumbled 5.2 percent as demand for civilian and defense aircraft fell sharply.

Last month's drop was the first since August.

The strong rise in so-called core capital goods should bolster expectations for business spending on equipment and software to remain on an upward trend this quarter.

Still, the report is unlikely to change the Federal Reserve's very easy monetary policy stance.

Factory activity has cooled in recent months after helping to lift the economy from the 2007-09 recession. Sluggish domestic demand, tighter fiscal policy and slowing global growth are holding back manufacturing.

Last month, shipments of non-defense capital goods orders excluding aircraft, used to calculate equipment and software spending in the gross domestic product report, fell 1 percent after being flat the prior month.

Overall orders for durable goods were dampened by a 19.8 percent drop in transportation equipment as demand for civilian aircraft dived 34 percent.

Boeing received orders for only 2 aircraft, down from 183 in December, according to information posted on the plane maker's website. The decline in orders is probably not related to the grounding of Boeing's 787 Dreamliners after problems with overheating batteries.

However, aircraft orders are very volatile and typically tend to fall at the start of the year.

"I haven't heard any reports about airlines canceling their orders. This could be one-month lull rather than something greater," said Stephen Stanley, chief economist at Pierpont Securities in Stamford, Connecticut.

Defense aircraft orders collapsed 63.8 percent after soaring 58.5 percent in December, likely as orders were pushed forward ahead of $85 billion in government-wide spending cuts.

The cuts, which are part of a plan to reduce the budget deficit, are set to kick in on Friday, unless Congress and the Obama administration come up with a last minute deal. Defense will bear much of the cuts.

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke on Tuesday urged lawmakers to avoid the sharp spending cuts and warned they could combine with earlier tax hikes to create a "significant headwind" for the modest recovery.

Defense capital goods orders plunged 69.5 percent in January, the sharpest fall since July 2000. Orders for motor vehicles were flat.

Orders for machinery recorded their largest increase since May 2010. There were also gains in orders for fabricated metal products, electrical equipment and appliances.

(Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Neil Stempleman)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/business-spending-plans-gauge-hits-one-high-january-133823810--business.html

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After Cosmetic Surgery | Fitness and Beauty Tips

You have to understand that follow-up treatments are highly necessary to accommodate the possible existence of side effects after cosmetic surgery. The doctors will tell you different factors that determine the follow-up procedures necessary based on your personal data and any underlying medical condition. In many cases, some common factors such as age, lifestyle, and the type of cosmetic surgery you have done will be the main considerations. Indeed, almost all surgery will need follow-up treatments to bring the optimum results. Especially after cosmetic surgery, doctors and the patients will want to make sure that the results from the treatment will last longer and possibly for life.

Follow-Up Care after Cosmetic Surgery

You need to work closely with the doctors before and after cosmetic surgery. You have to understand the risk, the cost, and of course, the side effects. In terms of side effects, doctors will prescribe some medications or drugs to help you recover your fitness quickly. Normally, doctors will also recommend staying in a complete rest without any activity that can cause bleeding, swelling, or depending on the type of cosmetic surgery, anything that will probably tear the stitches. You may need a week or more to heal and have your stitches out.

Once again, depending on the procedures that have been done during the cosmetic surgery, the period of the recovery process or the length of time that you can see optimum result is different. Your doctors will inform you about the follow-up treatments necessary as well. However, patients must ask basic questions related to after cosmetic surgery follow up treatments. How long will the surgery last? Will you need to return for additional injections if you have had injections? Alternatively, how often you will have to return for treatments. Is there any additional surgery necessary? If you have had a face-lift, neck lift, or any facial work, will you have to have them again? What about your health insurance and your premiums, will the surgery affect these issues?

Many times, you also need to consult lawyers as well in order to understand the legal issues related to the insurance policies that you have.

Hiding Surgery Results

Normally, you cannot see the results after cosmetic surgery in an instant. The period of the healing procedures of the scars or side effects from the treatments may be a week or more depending on the types of surgical operation that you have had. If you want, you can cover, hide, or camouflage the swelling, bruises, or scars with cosmetics. Your doctors should be able to tell what kinds of cosmetic to use. Cosmetic can cover the bruises perfectly, but on the other hand, they can affect the length of time required for recovery process. You should remember is that some types of cosmetics are not very friendly to the skins especially after cosmetic surgery. In many cases, you need to clean up the cosmetics very carefully to make sure that the recovery process can go naturally. Clean the cosmetics at night or anytime you need to go to bed.

Consult doctors, professionals and dermatologist to determine the best follow-up treatment after cosmetic surgery to get optimum results. If you do the suggestions and recommendations from the licensed professionals properly, you get big possibility that the results last longer even for life.

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Source: http://makeufits.com/2013/02/after-cosmetic-surgery.html

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THE RESET: Obama can cheer progress on nominations

Although scant progress has been made toward averting deep automatic budget cuts that begin Friday, President Barack Obama can welcome some forward motion elsewhere ? on Cabinet nominations and on the economy.

After contentious confirmation hearings, the nominations of former Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska to be defense secretary and former White House Chief of Staff Jacob Lew as Treasury secretary both advanced Tuesday.

The Senate overcame Republican delaying tactics, voting 71 to 27 to move ahead on Hagel. Sixty votes had been required. The Senate was expected to confirm Hagel as early as later Tuesday.

And the Senate Finance Committee approved Lew's nomination, 19-5, to succeed Timothy Geithner, sending it to the full Senate for a confirmation vote in the days ahead.

Also, new private economic forecasts suggest the U.S. economy was stronger at the close 2012 than first reported.

The Commerce Department had said the economy shrank at a 0.1 percent annual rate in the October-December quarter, but it is expected to revise that upward on Thursday to show a slight gain. That would follow upgrades by private forecasters.

That suggests the economy, while sluggish, isn't in recession territory.

Also, home prices rose at a healthy pace in December compared with a year ago, and strong earnings reports came from Home Depot and Macy's.

Obama continued attempting end runs around Congress to rally public support in locales and before audiences that would be hardest hit by the looming "sequester" spending cuts. He spoke Tuesday at Newport News Shipbuilding on the impact of the cuts on defense industries and the Virginia economy.

Republicans accuse him of failing to help negotiate ways to soften the blows while insisting on new tax increases. House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., calls him a "road show president."

Democrats counter that Republicans are foot dragging. "It is critical that Republicans and Democrats come together to find a balanced way to avert these drastic cuts," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

__

Follow Tom Raum on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tomraum

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/reset-obama-cheer-progress-nominations-175409876--politics.html

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Tips For Choosing Your Next Holiday Destination

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Ohio town still grieves one year after deadly shootings

Chardon High School remembersChardon, Ohio?A few red ribbons, tattered by the elements, still hang on trees along the streets of Chardon, Ohio. To some people in town, the ribbons are a necessary reminder of a shooting spree at Chardon High School a year ago that left three students dead and three others injured.

On Tuesday, just a day shy of the one-year mark of the tragedy, T.J. Lane pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated murder and other charges in the Chardon shooting. Prosecutors say Lane fired 10 shots from a .22-caliber pistol at students milling in the school cafeteria the morning of Feb. 27, 2012.

After a year in which even deadlier mass shootings like those in Aurora, Colo., and Newtown, Conn., grabbed headlines, it could be easy to overlook the tragedy that shook Chardon, a middle-class community of 5,000 residents about 30 miles east of Cleveland.

If there are lessons to be learned from the students at the high school and the broader community, it?s that the emotional damage leaves lasting scars and heavy hearts do not heal quickly.

Four adults have committed suicide in Chardon, and there have been more than a dozen attempted suicides among students since the shootings, a school official said. Counseling sessions and lessons on detecting warning signs that friends, classmates and colleagues might be suffering have become part of classroom curriculum.

Chardon High School principal Andy Fetchik tried to put an upbeat face on a grim year during a press conference last week.

?I can assure you, we?re getting better,? Fetchik said. ?There?s a lot to be done. We have a strong and compassionate community surrounding us, and we?re getting better every day.?

One-year mark

What began as a typical winter day in Chardon turned into a deadly rampage when shots rang out around 8 a.m. Lane, then a 17-year-old junior, aimed his gun at randomly targeted students, authorities said.

Students Vincent "Danny" Parmertor, Demetrius C. Hewlin and Russell D. King Jr. were killed in the attack. Students Nick Walczak, Joy Rickers and Nate Mueller were wounded.

Police captured Lane in a neighborhood near the high school. Under questioning, he reportedly admitted to shooting the students. Before the case went to adult court last year, a juvenile court judge ruled that Lane was mentally competent despite evidence he suffers from hallucinations, psychosis and fantasies. Because he was a minor when the attack occurred, the death penalty was not a consideration.

T.J. Lane enters court.

With his grandparents and family members of the victims in court on Tuesday, Lane changed his plea from not guilty by reason of insanity to guilty. Dressed in a green open-collared shirt with close-cropped hair, Lane answered "yes" or "yes, your honor" to questions from the judge about the plea agreement. After a background review is completed, Lane will return to court on March 19, when Geauga County Judge David Fuhry is scheduled to sentence him.

Lane's attorney, Ian Friedman, said the teen had undergone psychiatric evaluation, but last week declined to discuss his client's emotional state and how he might reflect on the one-year mark.

?It?s a very delicate matter,? Friedman said. ?I don?t think it would be appropriate to comment on anything beyond where the case is procedurally.?

Geauga County Prosecutor James Flaiz did not return messages seeking comment on the case.

While a public trial could have shed light on the shooter?s motives, some community members say such details could have done greater emotional harm.

?There are very good lawyers in this case representing Lane and the prosecutor,? said Carmen Naso, a law professor at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. ?And, ultimately, the judge is going to decide what happens to this kid.?

No celebration

During a media briefing last week, reporters were asked to refrain from referring to Feb. 27 as the ?anniversary? of the tragedy, which could imply a sort of celebration. Reporters were asked instead to refer to the day as a ?one-year mark.?

Chardon High School students and faculty planned to observe the day by embarking on service projects. Some were making care blankets, like those distributed by volunteers after the tragedy. Others were crafting leashes for comfort dogs, like those brought to the school in the days after the incident.

Students also planned to take a memorial walk from the high school to the village square and host a candlelight vigil and concert.

?Danny, Demetrius and Russell were our classmates,? said Chardon High School senior Will Porter. ?For a lot of us, they were our friends. They?ll never be forgotten, and we hope to honor them through this day.?

Senior Jessie Mysyk said the tragedy has inspired a strong sense of unity at the school.

?There's never a time when a student would feel alone,? she said. ?Within the school, we are a community. We're all friends. We are a family. ... We are together."

Senior Jill Allenby said the killings had pushed students to move beyond typical teenage grievances.

?We don?t have the normal kind of drama or high school cliques that everyone sees,? Allenby said. ?When you walk through the halls, you see everyone and everyone says hello.?

A memorial created for the boys killed in the attack on Feb. 27. 2012. (AP)

Must love kids, not guns

After the slaughter of 20 first-graders and six faculty members at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., in December, the National Rifle Association suggested placing armed guards at schools and possibly training teachers to shoot as the best way to avert such a tragedy in the future.

While the idea of arming teachers has some support in Chardon, school superintendent Joseph Bergant II says it won't happen.

Bergant said it was fine for teachers to learn to use weapons in their private time. But permitting a teacher to carry a concealed gun, which is legal in Ohio, will not happen in Chardon, he said.

?That defeats our purpose,? Bergant said. ?Our purpose is to educate children in a safe, caring environment. ? We are not going to put bars on the school buildings. We are not going to put an iron dome over the top.?

Fetchik, the high school principal, agreed. The school now has an armed ?resource officer??a police officer whose salary is paid with funds from the local government and donations to the community after the shooting.

?I don?t want guns in school,? Fetchik said. ?I want a trained resource officer. ? That gentleman is prepared to deal with using that weapon, (and) not just pointing and pulling the trigger."

About the red ribbons

Red ribbon hangs on a tree in Chardon, Ohio.Gestures like hanging a ribbon on a tree still serve as a haunting reminder to many. Recently, the city has removed the frayed and faded ribbons from all public places and suggested community members follow suit.

The ribbons have been collected by the school district and will be given to the families of the boys who died, Chardon City Manager Randy Sharpe said.

Many people, he acknowledged, wish the ribbons could stay. ?But, the ones that are tired and dingy reflect poorly on the community,? Sharpe said.

Officials said the city is looking to create a permanent memorial to honor the victims, the schools and community?a process that may take another one to two years.

Chardon resident Jamie Ward is among those people ready to move on. He and his wife, Sandy, had just moved to town shortly before the tragedy and have since had a son, Peter, now 10 weeks old.

?For me, the one-year mark is hard,? said Ward as he held his young son. ?A year later, I don?t want Chardon to always be associated with such a thing."

?

(The Associated Press contributed information in this story.)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/high-school-mass-shooting-ohio-town-still-grieves-182122697.html

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Japan Office Market Review ? Real Estate Japan | Tokyo, Osaka ...

Vacancy Rates Decline Nationwide as Demand Spreads to a Wider Range of Buildings; Rents Rising Primarily Among Large Buildings in Select Cities and Areas

ECONOMIC CONDITIONS

As the Europeon economic slowdown and?worsening tensions contribute to a weakening of exports, the GDP growth rate for the fourth quarter of 2012 is expected to show a decline of 0.2 points quarter-on-quarter (q-o-q) to 0.3%, According to the Bank of Japan, the Tankan Large Manufacturing Enterprise Diffusion Index (DI) 9 paints from the previous survey period To -12 points. However, the forecast DI is expected to recover by 2 points. Going forward, economic conditions are expected to recover gradually from the current downturn as there are hopes that the change in government will have a favorable?economic impact. Furthermore, domestic demand continue to be supported by recovery measures trom the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011 and effects from the previous emergency economic stimulus packages. Demand from overseas can also be anticipated to increase as emerging economies?recover.

DEMAND

Demand in Osaka is currently being driven and?absorbed by a new, large-scale building. In Tokyo, however, demand was seen to have spread io mid-scale and smaller buildings, while large sca|e relocat?ons seem to have run their course, Demand for upgrades in the location and quality ot buildings have been firming up nationwide. Scattered cases of?companies relocating to take more space have?been observed, as well as relocations away?from aging company-owned buildings with the?result being an increase in occupied floor?space. Available space in prime buildings?which meets tenants requirements (i.e. BCP?planning, earthquake resistance) is becoming?scarce in many cities, and in cities such as Fukuoka and Yokohama, demand has spread to buildings that are relatively further away from?train stations, or older buildings with?competitive rents that previously struggled to?find tenants. There are concerns of demand?becoming restrained with the lack of prime?buildings that tenants seek in regional cities?such as Sapporo, Hiroshima, or in Saitama?where supply is already tight.

NEW SUPPLY/VACANCY RATES

The Grade A vacancy rate in Tokyo fell 0.5?points to 8.8% as a new Grade A building was completed at almost full occupancy. The vacancy rate For Tokyo?s 23 Wards, however, remained flat at 7.5%. The Grade A vacancy rate in Osaka declined by 2.9 paints io 8.7%, improving significantly after a landmark Grade A was compieted this quarter at high occupancy. The vacancy rate of the overall city was down by 0.4 points In Nagoya, where?no new Grade A buildings have been completed in the last three years, the Grade A?vacancy rate dropped by 0.9 point to 18%, reflecting the?tight supply. The overall vacancy rate also fell by 0.1 points.?In other regional cities where supply has been limited, demand is?being concentrated in the city center areas. Saitama and Kobe led?the way as the vacancy rate throughout the country improves, with?Saitama dropping 1.5 points and Kobe dropping by 1.4?points Saitama?s vacancy rate at 4.1% is now the lowest in?the notion.

RENT

The Grade A assumed achievable rent in Osaka increased?marginally, while in Nagoya and Tokyo they were flat. Average asking rents are slightly weakening in some including Kyoto, which increased last quarter, and Sendai. On the other hand, Kobe recorded its second consecutive increase, with Sapporo, Saitama and Hiroshima following with overall average asking rents varying from flat to slightly increasing.

TOKYO

TOKYO GRADE A BUILDINGS

Vacancy rates decline for two consecutive quarters after peaking in?Q2/2012

The Grade A vacancy rate in Q4/2012 tell 0.5 points to 8.8%. While the quantity of new supply has been relatively low, the completion ol a Grade A building at almost full occupancy, and scattered cases ot large relocations mostly at newer existing buildings seems to have contributed to the improved vacancy Nihonbashi and?other areas are seeing very tight supply with the vacancy rate below?1%.

Rents down slightly

Average assumed achievable rent fell 03% to per tsubo,?showing virtually no change in The borlom?ng of rental levels since the beginning of the year. Although vacancy rares have declined after?overcoming the mass of new supply during the first half of the year, the market still lacks the strength to push rental up. There were cases where rents were pulled up in some buildings due to their favorable location and high specifications. However, the opposite?case was also observed, and the market overall is seeing flat rents.

Despite weak demand, positive?minded relocation have increased;?rents at turning point

New demand this quarter was approximately 19,000 tsubo, down?16% Foreign relations disputes, the continuing strong yen, and the uncertain global economic forecast withered the corporate mindset, which led to the drop in demand. While some relocations related to cost-cutting and operational consolidations continue to be observed, cases of corporate relocotions to expand operations, and improve the location and specs ot the buildings have been increasingly observed. Despite the lack of a single industry leading corporate relocations, a wide range of domestic and foreign manufacturing, financial and IT companies led relocations in the fourth quarter. Although new supply during the quarter consisted of o single building in the Otemachi area, a relatively large amount of supply consisting of approximately 57,000 tsubo is expected to be coming into the market in Q1/2013. Pre-leasing activities seem to be firm overall, with one building having already secured 90% of its?tenants.

TOKYO?S 23 WARDS

Vacancy rate flat at 7.5%

The vacancy rate for Tokyo?s 23 Wards remained flat from the previous quarter at 7.5%. New supply in Q4 was approximately?30,000 tsubo, comparable to the level in the previous quarter. The?risk of oversupply was minimal, and redevelopment of large buildings resulted in the demolition of over 30,000 tsubo. This helped keep vacancy rate flat despite the fact that the growth in demand rose little more than 15,000 tsubo. The demand absorbed by existing buildings this quarter was approximately 120,000 tsubo, which is at similar levels from the previous quarter?s 150,000 absorbed tsubo. With the lack of large scale relocation activities, the overall demand ended up being sluggish in terms of net-absoprtion. There were an increased number of buildings with more than 1,000 tsubo of vacant space this quarter, which was a result of impending vacancies becoming realized from the past large scale relocations. While these buildings are receiving inquiries, it appears to be taking time to finalize deals.

Vacancies of 100 to 1,000 tsubo decline

Mid-scaled relocations have been active this quarter. Filing of vacancies in the 100 to 1,000 tsubo range increased q-o-q from 73,000 tsubo to 78,000 this quarter. This exceeds the amount of vacancies emerging in the same scale by more than 20,000 tsubo. While there seems to be fewer large-scale relocations this quarter, mid-scale relocations are being observed by a wider range of tenants for BCP purposes. These mid-scale relocations are anticipated to push demand in the future.

Focus is on the 2013 pre-leasing activities

The pre-leasing status of new buildings coming online in 2013 is high, companies considering large scale relocations may make decisions faster once there are signs of macroeconomic improvement. This brings anticipation of an increase in the rate of demand in the market. In some areas, rents have already increased, with rental increases centering on large buildings. Rents are expected to increase in a wider range of areas once demand is sustained.

OSAKA

Vacancy rate decreases in Grade A buildings, and Osaka overall

The vacancy rate in Osaka during the fourth quarter of 2012 was 9.4%, a decline of 0.4 This is the fifth consecutive drop. The Grade A vacancy rate was down 2.9 to 8.7% as a Grade A building was completed ai high occupancy this quarter, and anoiher large building secured a ienani that would lease over 3,000 isubo of available space.

Large building completed at high occupancy

A large office building was completed Nakanoshima this quarter.?This is a mixed-use building which has the capacity to lease out office?space in addition to the owner-occupied space, along with a music hall and retail complex. Its landmark status has drawn demand from existing buildings in the vicinity to achieve high occupancy upon completion. While there are concerns of the vacancy rate increasing resulting from these tenant moving, the effects are thought to be minimal as some of these buildings are subject for redevelopment due to their age. Other trends within Osaka include scattered cases of relocation from aging company-owned buildings to newer large buildings, integration of company offices that had been dispersed at multiple locations including company-owned suburban buildings, and other moves that tend to increase leasing activity in the office market.

Corporate mindset towards relocation is firm; demand expected to be

Tenant demand tended to concentrate at buildings of a certain grade?and level of competitiveness, particularly those in favorable locations, built relatively recently, and meeting the latest seismic resistance standards, With rents at newer and larger buildings at levels compatible with the of cost tenants are able to bear, corporate attitudes toward relocation have been improving, so that demand is expected to remain strong at newer and larger buildings in the near future.

NAGOYA

Nagoya?s citywide vacancy rate falls for 10th straight quarter

The vacancy rate in Nagoya fell 0.1 points this quarter to 11.3%,?which was its 10th consecutive decline. Having reached a peak of 14.3% during the second quarter of 2010, the vacancy rate has improved by 3.0 points during the intervening two and a half years.?A trend ?oward companies expanding is a|ready under way, including relocations for expansion of existing offices and the establishment of new offices. This is part of the overall trend of the vacancy raie declining, but discrepancies have been observed between different areas. With demand tending to concentrate in the
Meieki-area, progress in improving vacancy rates has been at a standstill in other areas such as Fushimi, Marunouchi and Sakae. Efforts to attract tenants with relatively competitive rents and other incentives in these areas have been ongoing. In the Meieki station area, meanwhile, vacancies at newer buildings have been decreasing, putting a stop to declines in rent levels.

Grade A vacancy rate improves further

The vacancy raie at Grade A buildings fell 0.9 points io 1.8%.?Demand for space at Grade A buildings was strong, due in part To BCP efforts, and large scale vacancy spaces were filled by the opening of new offices. With no new Grade A supply during the three years since 2010, supply remains tight. While assumed achievable rents remained flat during the quarter, Grade A rents in the Meieki area are at their tipping point.

No new supply this quarter; low level of new supply expected in?201 3

There was no new supply during the review quarter, and new supply?is expected to remain low throughout 2013. Until the scheduled completion in 2015 of multiple large-scale development projects fronting Nagoya Station, new supply is forecast to remain low.?Barring any alteration of economic trends, vacancy rates are therefore expected to continue their gradual decline throughout 2013.

ADDITIONAL JAPAN MARKETS

SAPPORO

Office market characterized by continuing declines ?vacancy rates

Call centers continued to relocate in order to expand operations.?Furthermore, relocations to landmark and newer existing buildings were?observed, as well as scattered cases of companies relocating to better?locations. Large scale vacancies are becoming scarce as a result, and those?impending vacancies were quickly filled in some buildings. It is particularly?difficult to secure large scale spaces in the city centers, and demand has?spread to the Sapporo Station North Exit and Nishi 11-chrome areas, where?inquiries are concentrated on buildings with large vacant space available.?The vacancy rate in Sapporo fell 0.5 points to 8.3%. Although the vacancy?rate was Flat in the Sosegawa-h?gashi area, the rates for central Sapporo,?as well as the areas around the Sapporo Station North Exit and Nishi 11-chrome all declined. As vacancy rates continue to decline, there is some?concern that demand will run up against a lack of appropriate supply.

SENDAI

Major decline in vacancy in Minamimachi Dori area

With space being scarce around Sendai Station, tenants are increasing the?range of locations which they will consider. There has also been an?increase in the number of inquiries for spaces of 50 tsubo or less, as?companies open new offices as well as expand, and this trend? expected?to continue into the beginning of 2013. Furthermore, the change in the?government is anticipated to speed up the disaster recovery measures,?which would be a plus for office demand. The vacancy rate in the Minami-dori area saw a major decline, leading The overall vacancy rate in Sendai to drop 0.9 ?to 12.0%. The vacancy declines in the Minami-dori area?were due to select consolidating into two large buildings, occupying?spaces of over 300 tsubo each, over multiple floors.

SAITAMA

Vacancy rate in Saitama falls to mid-4% range

Although relocation activity has been sluggish due to the scarcity of large scale vacant space, one company in Omiya relocated 500 tsubo from the station?s East Exit area to the West Exit area in order to improve its location. In the East Exit area, there are scattered cases of new service oriented?businesses opening, such as esthetic salons and cram schools. Overall,?many tenants are looking to expand, but lack the resources to relocate to?large buildings, leading them to make due with expanding within their?existing building. With firm demand continuing, impending vacancies are?expected to till relatively easily, and owners of some large buildings intend?to raise asking rents when new vacancies emerge. The vacancy rate in?Saitama dropped 1.5% q-o-q points to 4.1%. This is by far the lowest?vacancy rate of any major city in the country. With such? space?available, the issue is the extent to which demand can be matched up the?space which is available.

YOKOHAMA

Vacancy rates decline moderately with multiple large relocations

Despite no new supply coming? in the review quarter, the market was?very active, including not JUst an increase in large relocations, but? an?increase in activity involving smaller floor areas. Large buildings at the?station?s West Exit have been successful at filling vacancies, and large scale?space in this area is no longer available. Yokohama?s vacancy rate was at?10.2%, falling by 0.1 points? Demand has been so firm that even?buildings farther from the station which have struggled in the past have?been able to reduce their vacancy by attracting an increasing proportion of?small-scale tenants. There was an active inflow and outflow of tenants in the?Minato-mirai area. While large scale vacancies emerged in existing?buildings resulting from tenants moving out, there was also a rare case?where a company made a large scale move from Tokyo. Although?companies relocating in the Kannai area are from within the same area, an?influx of demand from surrounding areas has also been seen, pushing?down vacancy. Demand is active in the Yokohama Station East Exit area,?with large scale vacancies expected to be filled going forward. While?demand is anticipated to improve, vacancy rates will need to decline further?before there is any turnaround in rental rates.

KANAZAWA

Demand firm in Kanazawa Station area

Office demand was concentrated in the Kanazawa station area, with the?vacancy rate improving in the station area. In the Minamimachi area,?however, there were scattered cases of buildings with large scale vacancies?remaining unfilled, and the vacancy rate is diverging between?Minamimachi and the Kanazawa Station area. Demand was mainly driven?by tenants relocating to improve the location and specs of their buildings,?as well as cases of tenants moving to increase leasing space. The vacancy rate in Kanazawa declined for the third straight quarter to 17.7%. This is a?decline to 1.3 points? While the |eve| of demand decreased during the?quarter, this affected the vacancy rate less than otherwise would be?expected as buildings were converted to other uses, and were therefore?excluded from the statistics.

No new supply is expected in 2013, and the vacancy rate is expected to keep improving. The opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen high-speed?railway line is expected to continue concentrating demand around the?Kanazawa station area.

KYOTO

Although vacancy rates decline, companies still cautious on relocation

Amid declining rental levels in Kyoto, demand increased from companies?relocating out of their own buildings as rents declined, and companies?consolidating their operations from the suburbs to the city center. There was?also an influx of demand coming from established companies newly?entering the rental market. This led the vacancy rate to decrease to 8.2%, a?decline of? points? Vacancy declines were also supported by?numerous small scale expansions from companies expanding within their?existing buildings. The first quarter of 2013 is expected to see multiple?large tenants, each occupying over 100 tsubo, withdrawing from the?market, which may push the vacancy rate up. These large scale spaces?opening up may provide an opportunity for tenants to become active, but?companies are showing caution towards relocating, which lead to a more?measured market recovery.

KOBE

First signs seen of activities that lead companies to expand

In the fourth quarter of 2012, companies continued relocating from?suburban locations to the city center, and from company owned buildings to?rental space, pushing the vacancy rate down to 9.8%, a q-o-q decline of?1.4 points. This was the fourth consecutive quarter of declining vacancy?rates. Declining rents stoked demand, with some companies relocating to?better locations, or expanding on the back of their strong business?performance. The number of companies relocating to more expensive space?is limited, but the low level of new supply coming online is expected to?continue to push the vacancy rote lower. Furthermore, a building that held?large vacancies was removed from the market supply as part of the change?in its building management, which contributed to the decline in Kobe?s overall vacancy rate.

HIROSHIMA

Changes in management and organizational structure lead demand

In the fourth quarter of 2012 demand in Hiroshima was propelled by?companies relocating due to corporate restructuring, as well as revised?organizational and administrative structures This helped Hiroshima?s?vacancy rate decline for the fifth consecutive quarter to l 1.2%, a decline of0.2 points? q-o-q. New leases, companies relocating as their business?expands, companies relocating from the suburbs to the city, and companies?moving out of their own buildings also account For the increased demand.?The low vacancy rates at prime buildings have led companies to delay?expansion plans, and therefore the vacancy rate is expected to decline?moderately.

TAKAMATSU

Demand For buildings with new seismic standards remains strong

Demand in Takamatsu came mainly from companies moving into buildings?with a higher? of earthquake resistance, This included companies?relocating out of their own buildings in the suburbs, as well as companies?moving to buildings with higher specifications within the same?neighborhood. The vacated company owned buildings are expected to be?sold or rented. This is an indication of the priority that tenants are putting on?buildings with a high level of earthquake resistance. Additionally, buildings?seeing high demand have a frontage on the main streets. Tenants continue?to remain very cost conscious when relocating, and therefore any?turnaround in rents is expected to be measured, although new leases and?companies that are taking more space have continued to increase since the?previous quarters Demand is expected to continue to be concentrated at?newer buildings with competitive rents and a high level of earthquake?resistance. While one large vacancyI resulted from the withdrawal of one?tenant occupying over 100 tsubo, the vacancy rate remained flat q-o-q? at?18%.

FUKUOKA

Tenant attitudes toward relocation remain firmly positive

Although the market was subdued in the review quarter, tenant activity?included new leases, expansion relocations, and relocations from the?suburbs to the city center. Some buildings that had previously been holding?out for higher rental levels saw their vacancy decline as they became more?flexible, and more competitive rental levels attracted tenants regardless of?the age of the building. The fourth quarter of 2012 saw Fukuoka?s vacancy?rate decline slightly to 10.6%. This is the first time in tour years that the?vacancy rate decreased below 11%, and the 0.6 points? decline was?the fifth consecutive quarter the vacancy rate dropped. With new supply?continuing to be limited in the next two quarters, and a lack of available?space in newer and prime buildings, the key to whether Fukuoka can?sustain this declining vacancy is the extent to which older buildings can?absorb demand with more competitive rents.

MARKET OUTLOOK

NATIONWIDE

Trend toward reduced vacancy rates continues; Rents Flat overall?despite increases in certain areas

Tenants continue to be open-minded to relocating, with the first signs?seen of activities that lead companies to expand and the trend of?relocating to higher quality buildings continues nation-wide. Business?performance is anticipated to improve, backed by the both the?recovering foreign demand and expanded domestic demand.?Vacancy rates can be seen to improve as demand is expected to?become more active. The current affordable rent levels are the main?drivers and motives for corporate relocations As of result, rents are?expected to be flat for the time being, despite scattered instances of?rental increases in areas with low vacancy, as companies will need?more time to bear substantial increase in the rents they pay.

TOKYO

Vacancy rates steadily improve; Rent increases may spread to more areas

In Tokyo, the? pre-leasing status of new buildings expected to be?completed in 2013 are at high levels.?A gradual economic recovery is expected to prompt a wider range of?companies To be more amenable to relocating. If This is the case, a?steady improvement is anticipated in the vacancy rates not just for the?Grade A market, but for Tokyo?s 23 Wards as a whole. With Grade?A rents expected to have bottomed out in the Fourth quarter of 2012,?they are expected to rise by 3% to 5% from its current? in a year?from now. Rents in some areas of Tokyo?s 23 Wards have already?started to increase, particularly at large buildings. It demand is?sustained, more areas are expected to see rents to start rising, with?rents of Tokyo?s 23 Wards anticipated to rise midyear or during?autumn 2013.

OSAKA

Vacant space is being absorbed; Grade A rents rise slightly

In Osaka, demand has been led by companies relocating to expand,?with demand being concentrated at high quality buildings with improved earthquake resistance. Although Grade A rents are?trending slightly upward, with the large quantity of new supply?scheduled to arrive in spring 2013, more time may be needed before?there is sustained upward pressure on rents. Companies continue to?be open-minded regarding relocation, with a sustained level of?demand and a lack of new supply in the second half of 2013, it is?possible that rents may turn around 2013.

?

Tokyo Apartments For Sale | Tokyo Apartments For Rent | Real Estate Japan

Source: http://www.realestate.co.jp/2013/01/31/japan-office-market-review/

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