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We have organised our research into five integrating themes that span departments across the University of Cambridge.
Reactor Waste and Deep Geological Disposal of Waste
The safe disposal of waste is a critical issue for the current generation of nuclear power stations and will continue to be one for future designs. Deep geological disposal is the most practical and accepted solution, but research and development is required to give greater certainty about long-term containment and to reduce costs. The Departments of Engineering, Earth Sciences and Materials collaborate in this area. In Engineering, our geotechnical engineers are working on these issues bringing their expertise in soil mechanics, tunnelling, earthquakes, soil liquefaction and soil remediation, together with structural design, to find practical approaches to identifying the best sites for disposal, designing the best disposal method, monitoring its performance and planning for intervention in the event of failure (Professor Robert Mair, Professor Malcolm Bolton, Dr Gopal Madabhushi and Dr Abir Al Tabbaa).
The Department of Earth Sciences has strengths in understanding the subsurface geophysics of repository site, as well as near field geochemistry in high level containment areas. It combines quantum mechanical and classical atomistic modelling with fundamental experimental methods to elucidate the behaviour of solids and fluids in repository settings. For example, the Department has used experiment, simulation and ab-initio computational studies to quantify the number of atoms displaced by the alpha-decay of pollutants e.g. plutonium, uranium and thorium in minerals and provided a detailed understanding of the related damage and the dissolution of the minerals. This work is critical for safe storage of nuclear waste. Research includes: mineralogical models for long term behaviour of high level nuclear waste, ceramic waste forms, geophysical stability of repository site, clay mineral barriers and radionuclides in the environment.
Related Projects in the Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy include:
AK (Tony) Cheetham, FRS (Goldsmiths' Professor of Materials Science)
Reactor Waste: Materials chemistry of fission products, particularly oxides of technetium. Collaborations with Los Alamos National Laboratory and University of Nevada, USA.
DJ (Derek) Fray, FRS, FREng (Professor of Materials Science)
Reactor Waste: Electrochemical reprocessing of oxide fuel rods.
Integration with Energy and Energy Related Networks
Process Heat Applications of Fusion Energy
Together with Professor Bartek Glowacki, Professor Nuttall has led discussion of a possible early commercialisation of nuclear fusion energy for thermochemical hydrogen production. The concept is known as 'Fusion Island' (video). Fusion Island envisages the use of large magnets (superconducting and normal) cooled with liquid hydrogen. As such it leads Glowacki and Nuttall to propose an early launch of a liquid hydrogen economy based on the use of hydrogen as a coolant as well as an energy carrier. The application of liquid hydrogen for magnetism applications is termed 'hydrogen cryomagnetics'. Fusion Island has benefited from assistance from a wide range of universities and laboratories internationally including the Cambridge-MIT Institute Partnership Programme (2007).
Fusion Island
Fusion Island was a runner up for the East of England Energy Group's Innovation Awards 2006 and was shortlisted for The Engineer magazine's Technology and Innovation Awards 2008.
(Copyright image used with permission)
System Dynamics of Energy-Related Resources
Professor Nuttall has supervised research students considering resource depletion and supply via the application of System Dynamics. Studies to date have included European natural gas supply and future helium production and price. (DOI links:doi:10.1016/j.techfore.2008.06.002 and doi:10.1016/j.resourpol.2009.10.002 respectively). The helium study was generously sponsored by UKAEA Fusion and BOC Ltd. The work motivated the 'Future for Helium' conference held in Cambridge in March 2009 and led to a book published by Routledge in 2012.
New Reactor Systems
There is active research into the potential of proposed future systems for commercial electricity and process heat production. Engineering expertise is coupled with expertise in energy and nuclear policy through a joint appointment between Engineering and the Judge Business School. This has resulted in the recent publication of a well-received book on the subject entitled "Nuclear renaissance: technologies and policies for the future of nuclear power" (Professor Bill Nuttall). Future systems of interest include Pebble Bed Modular Reactors and, in particular, Accelerator Driven Subcritical Reactors (ADSRs). ADSRs have some apparently attractive features compared to conventional fission reactor technology: greater intrinsic safety because the core is subcritical; and the potential to transmute into short-lived or stable isotopes long-lived fission product and actinide waste arising from other nuclear reactors. Importantly they can also use thorium fuel, which offers further benefits: thorium is more abundant than uranium; it is potentially more proliferation resistant; and it creates less heavy actinide waste (Dr Geoff Parks and Professor Bill Nuttall).
Nuclear Policy and Energy Security
Energy Security
Previously Professor Nuttall was UK Director of the Cambridge-MIT Institute Energy Security Initiative, which operated from 2005-2008. More recently Professor Nuttall has become involved in issues relating to the global expansion of nuclear energy and concerns to minimise risks associated with nuclear weapons proliferation.
Nuclear Energy Technology and Policy
Professor Nuttall is an Associate of the Electricity Policy Research Group, one of the world's leading energy policy research teams supported by the UK Research Councils, the European Union and the Energy Industry. Professor Nuttall's EPRG research has been published in the EPRG Working Papers series and has included collaborative work in the following areas: nuclear energy economics, nuclear infrastructure finance, nuclear energy safety and environmental regulation, nuclear waste management, and nuclear energy technology flexibility and reliability.
Radiation Damage and New Materials
The Department of Earth Sciences conducts research into the fundamental science of material performance in nuclear applications. Key amongst these is radiation damage, which is quantified through experiment and high energy molecular dynamics simulations. New methods (nuclear magnetic resonance) to measure radiation damage have been developed at Cambridge for U/Th and 'nuclearised' and implemented at key nuclear licensed research institutes worldwide (ITU Euratom research centre and Pacific Northwest National laboratory) for transuranics [Farnan]. The NERC e-Science centre based in ESC has developed a UK code for radiation damage (DLPOLY_3) that uses realistic energies capable of simulating more than 1 billion atoms [Dove]. Fundamental calculations using ab initio electronic methods have been used to investigate electronic heating and its effect on material properties during damage events [Artacho]. Theoretical work on the multicomponent elastic behaviour of partially radiation damaged materials connects the research on fundamental scale of measurement and simulation to the operational performance of materials destined to be nuclear waste forms, nuclear fuels or claddings [Salje]. A similar approach is involved in the aqueous durability testing of nuclear waste form materials using high precision ICP mass spectrometry and normal or superheated water [Farnan].
Related Projects in the Department of Earth Sciences include:
- Fundamental aspects of radiation damage: separation of the effects of heavy recoil and alpha particle damage (Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) / Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation)
- Radiation damage and plutonium substitution in phosphate nuclear waste forms for UK legacy pyroprocessing wastes (Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston)
- Radiation damage in monolithic silicon carbide and direct measurement of SiC in intact TRISO Gen IV fuel systems (F-Bridge - Basic Research for Innovative Fuel design for Gen IV systems Euratom FP7 programme)
- Direct observation of adventitious oxygen in hyperstoichiometic UO2+x by O-17 NMR (Los Alamos National Laboratory - Seaborg Institute)
- Phase separation of molybdate phases from borosilicate melts (Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, VALRHO)
- Development of combined NMR and EPR methods to use actinide (5f) paramagnetic shifts to probe structure in nuclear materials, Environmental and Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
Nuclear power plants place unusual demands on the materials from which they are constructed. The materials must perform reliably and predictably over extremely long time spans while accumulating radiation damage. These requirements create needs for: a fundamental understanding of radiation damage and long-term materials performance; application of this understanding to methods of measuring and defining performance for a wide range of materials; and translation of this understanding into engineering practice.
The Department of Engineering is a leader in modelling materials at the atomic scale and relating this model to micro- and macro-scopic performance. In partnership with Cambridge's Departments of Materials Science and Physics, the University has considerable strength in this area. Engineering has also developed products and services for materials selection based on its fundamental research in this area (Professor David Cebon, Professor Mike Ashby, Dr Gabor Csanyi and Dr Hugh Shercliff).
In addition, the Department works on modelling, designing and testing new materials including metal lattices and foams. These can be combined with cladding to create new blast resistant materials. The work was originally motivated by marine applications and has proved successful in this domain; it may well find applications in nuclear engineering (Professor Norman Fleck and Dr Vikram Despande).
The Department has expertise in high integrity welds (in collaboration with TWI), the impact of noise and vibration on joints, fracture mechanics and reliability. The Electrical and Information Engineering Divisions bring expertise of non-destructive testing and modern imaging techniques, including 3D imaging and the development of machine learning to detect anomalies.
And finally, the embodied energy of the chosen construction materials has a significant impact on the overall energy balance and sustainability of the power station, because of the tonnage required for blast and radiation protection. The Department's work under its theme of sustainable development is highly relevant: reducing the energy costs of producing steel and concrete; and finding low-carbon alternatives to traditional construction materials (Dr Abir Al Tabbaa, Dr Janet Lees, Dr Julian Allwood and Dr Claire Barlow).
Related Projects in the Department of Physics include:
- Computational modelling of solids, ab initio methods for structure and dynamics: http://www.tcm.phy.cam.ac.uk/research.html
- Fracture Physics: http://www.phy.cam.ac.uk/research/smf/fracture.php
- Centre for Scientific Computing: http://www.csc.cam.ac.uk/academic/mphil/index.shtml
Related Projects in the Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy include:
HKDH (Harry) Bhadeshia, FRS FREng (Tata Steel Professor of Metallurgy)
Reactor Materials: Modelling and prediction of irradiation and corrosion damage in fission and fusion reactor materials
Supporting Areas of Specialisation
Fluid dynamics and thermodynamics
The Department has core strengths in computational fluid dynamics and thermodynamics, which are closely coupled to leading-edge experimental work. These are essential for modelling and optimising designs. The team can work at both the system level and at the levels of detail necessary to refine critical features of heat exchangers, turbines, etc. Research expertise extends into two-phase flows and other multi-physics modelling. The systems-level work can integrate the models of electrical sub-systems described below (Professors Ann Dowling, John Young, Bill Dawes and Howard Hodson, and Dr Rob Miller and Dr Alex White).
Electrical machines and systems
A successful reactor system requires efficient and reliable generators. ADSRs also require accelerator technology that can operate with maintenance programmes and unscheduled outages that match the requirements of the commercial electricity sector. The Department has a world-leading Electrical Engineering Division with expertise in modelling, designing and building electrical machines, magneto-dynamics, superconducting magnets and fault current limiters (Professor Gehan Amaratunga, Professor David Cardwell, Dr Tim Coombs, Dr Richard McMahon and Dr Patrick Palmer).
The Department is actively engaged in research at the forefront of power grid modelling and design. This includes developing new semiconductor technology for making truly decentralised grids integrating micro-generation a reality and modelling the stability of the grid under changes in demand and production (Professor Gehan Amaratunga, Dr Florin Udrea and Dr Glenn Vinnicombe).
The Structures Group combines experimental observations, analysis and computer simulation to address structural engineering challenges of a fundamental nature. The work ranges from the mathematics of novel deployable and multi-stable structures (Dr Simon Guest and Dr Keith Seffen) to the development of tools for assessing the safety of ageing reinforced concrete bridges (Dr Cam Middleton and Dr Chris Burgoyne).
The team collaborates with our geotechnical engineers to research and develop new methods of monitoring ageing structures, analyse defects and execute repairs. This includes laying fibre optic sensors within the structure, placing large numbers of low-cost wireless sensors across structures and regularly checking for significant external changes using robotic vision systems (Professor Kenichi Soga, Professor Roberto Cipolla and Dr Cam Middleton).
Design for safety critical systems
The Engineering Design Centre is dedicated to improving the design process. It is one of the UK's Innovative Manufacturing Research Centres and is recognised by the EPSRC to be internationally leading. Its work on process, knowledge and change management are all highly applicable to nuclear engineering. The Centre's work on safety in combination with the Control Group's expertise in fault tolerant control creates unique capability in design for safety critical systems (Professor John Clarkson and Professor Jan Maciejowski).
Technology and supply chain management
The Department's Institute for Manufacturing is researching and developing advanced techniques for planning major technical programmes and designing global supply chains. The work on technology management includes, among many approaches, a highly-refined roadmapping methodology, which has been applied to set government policies, work with leaders from industrial sectors and develop detailed corporate strategies. The research on global supply chains has been executed in close collaboration with major corporates from around the world. The Institute has demonstrated the high-value of it bringing together the technology experts in the Department with leaders from industry to draw their ideas and knowledge into a structured whole. The Institute can play a key role in developing a coherent, robust and profitable plan for developing new nuclear energy systems. Its work on the innovation process can also help the industry create the right environment for invention and entrepreneurship in this sector (Professor Mike Gregory, Dr David Probert, Dr Yongjiang Shi, Dr Elizabeth Garnsey, Dr Tim Minshall and Dr Ken Platts).
Sustainability analysis
Sustainability is clearly a key element of reactor system design. It extends beyond considerations of fuel availability, financial costs and energy balances; it has to include wider environmental impacts, social acceptability and economic performance. The Department of Engineering has a Centre for Sustainable Development dedicated to these analyses and decision-making processes. It draws on experts throughout the Department and has established collaborative links with the Judge Business School, the Economics faculty and Social Sciences (Professor Peter Guthrie, Dr Geoff Parks and Dr Bill Nuttall).


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November 22, 2009
To Peter Pan: Mikael was so unique that to draw similarities to anyone else (even a fictional character) seems almost silly. Yet, what I saw when I looked at Kael's adventures and the rather extreme games he invented, was someone who had somehow managed to keep hold of that childhood imagination that most of us lose as we grow up. I remember one day we were going up the back alley to his house and for no apparent reason he climbed, laughing, into the tree in their back yard. I envied him in that moment as I did so many times. When I was younger I loved climbing trees, but somewhere in my teens I developed cat like sensitivities in the form of fear of coming back down. I'd cling to my life branch for much longer than I'd intended until someone coaxed me back down. I watched Kael sitting on his throne of branches, even hanging upside down from his knees. When he noticed his way up wasn't as good for going back down (he had jumped into the tree off the fence) he didn't worry - if need be he'd simply jump or fall down from that height, but what did that matter, at least he'd be on the ground again right?
I always have trouble when people ask me what I want for Christmas, or birthdays etc. but Kael had very comprehensive lists. Interspersed throughout the usual books, board games, music and movies were requests for items from the periodic table of elements (which I was to learn later was for rocket fuel – of course, what else would they be for?)
Mikael was easy to talk to. I don't mean he was someone good at making small talk about the weather to break uncomfortable silences. Conversations with Kael were always interesting and as much as many of them were whimsical and fun, Kael was also never afraid to voice his most personal thoughts and feelings. From his voracious appetite for adventure and the resulting anecdotes, to the way he would open up allowing himself to be vulnerable as he shared his feelings, Kael was and is inspiring. I hope we can all continue to inspire others as we help him live on with our stories of him.
Among his many, many talents and interests, I will always remember his love of music and composing. The last summer I was in Winnipeg, we briefly discussed how much fun it would be if he composed something for us to play. What would you have come up with for us Kael? What labyrinths would you have had my fingers tripping over? What boundaries would you have challenged me to? What conversations would we have had violin to oboe?
I miss you Kael but I am glad you are at peace. Don't worry, your amazing family - who I feel so privileged to know - and your friends won't let you be forgotten. You did not fail, you were not helpless, you did so much more than many people will do in 100 years and you changed so many lives for the better. I know my life was made better for knowing you.
(Reprinted with permission)

subset: commoncrawl


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People especially the small time business owners are extremely afraid with the latest economical condition in the global market. This article shares a few tips which will help them to cope with the rising prices.
Ever since the global market faced the economical slowdown few years back, the market is yet to recover from the shock completely. A number of brands and organizations are still suffering from the effect of the recession and trying to get back to the track by cost cutting, and handing over pink slips to a number of employees. But the worst sufferers are those who run small business. They are facing lots of difficulties to survive. As the price of foods, gasoline, other raw materials which are quite important items for manufacturing many products have increased a lot, the small business owners are compelled to raise the price of their products to cover the cost. But they face strong opposition and rejection from the end of their potential customers as they are just not ready to pay more. But we cannot blame them solely as they are also suffering a lot with the sudden blow of recession as they have financially become weaker than the earlier with a little or no savings.
It has become quite tough for the business owners to get easy finance or cash loan easily. Therefore they have to face the situation all by themselves. A number of solutions and effective tips are there which they can follow as small time business owners who want to deal with the recent rising of costs of the materials.
Observe the exchange rate
If not in your home country, you can improve your business abroad. Thanks to the recession the price of US dollar has become quite weak. This has opened the opportunity for the buyers from different countries across the world to buy products from US. Therefore if you cannot get much opportunity in your homeland you can think of expanding your business across the world. It is not always necessary that you have to open branch in each place which are your target markets. You can also boost up your sell through online marketing and online purchasing facility.
Design most affordable products possible
If the products which are produced by your company are expensive or hi-end you should think twice and reconsider the price of the products to boost up the sell. You can start new set of products and promote them so that both your existing and the potential customers start showing interest towards the products. You may find a number of customers who are eager to use your products but unable to do so because of the high price. Once you reduce the price this section of customers will also show their interests.
Take a small step if increasing prices
As the owner of a small business it may happen that you will decide to increase the price of the products to cover the costs and make profit. But take time before doing this. It is suggested that you should take small steps while revising the prices of the products instead of taking a big step at a time. If you increase price in small doses it will not affect your customers much.
You should not get afraid of this situation instead you need to prepare yourself to face it. Once you take some of these cleaver steps you will be able to run your business successfully.
About the Author: Parker is an experienced finance officer who specializes in the loans sector. She advices everyone to opt for cash bill pay as it is the most convenient way to deal with financial problems.


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A representative from Mnet has just announced their ongoing plans of recruiting male contestants for their second season of its K-pop group survival show "Produce 101".
On March 8, Mnet's representative revealed that "A second season of 'Produce 101' is one of the planned projects of director Han Dong Chul. We're currently broadcasting the girl group survival show 'Produce 101,' but once it has wrapped up, the production team will work on preparing the format and concept for season two in detail."
The representative announces that the next season will be composed of male group, but still, considering many factors, it is undecided yet whether or not the second season will aim to form a boy group.
The first season of "Produce 101" however, have 101 female trainees that came from 46 agencies as they compete for 11 spots in a girl group, having their own theme or concept and that they will be chosen by the viewers.
The final episode is expected to air on April 1.
The second season of Produce 101 is targetted to premiere either the last month of this year or January of next year.
Would you consider a male version of Produce 101?
Click the links below to stay up to date with us


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Talbots Picks Lori Wagner for Chief Marketing Officer
Apparel retailer Talbots Inc. named Lori Wagner to the newly created position of executive vice president, chief marketing officer.
Ms. Wagner will oversee all advertising, catalog development and direct marketing for the Hingham, Mass., company. Ms. Wagner, 43 years old, previously worked at Nike Inc.'s Cole Haan division.
Her appointment came the day after Talbots reported a fiscal fourth-quarter loss of $171.4 million,...


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Operation: Gardening
Date: 08/09th December 1942 (Tuesday/Wednesday)
Unit: No. 102 Squadron
Type: Halifax II
Serial: W7925
Code: DY-S
Base: RAF Pocklington, Yorkshire
Location: North Sea off Wangerooge, Frisian Islands
Pilot: Sgt. Brian John Ketchell 1155502 RAFVR Age 23. Missing - believed killed
Flight/Eng: Sgt. Cyril George Adnams 922704 RAFVR Age 28. Missing - believed killed
Obs: Sgt. Gordon Carruthers Haig R/93443 RCAF Age 31. Missing - believed killed
Air/Bmr: Sgt. Clarence Ames Massey R/82826 RCAF Age 25. Missing - believed killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. William Charles Parry 1067071 RAFVR Age 21. Missing - believed killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. William Neville Hopwood 1095270 RAFVR Age ? Killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Frederick Ernest Arthur Box 1311922 RAFVR Age 34. Killed
Took off at 17:05 hrs from RAF Pocklington on a Gardening operation to the Heligoland approaches (Yams). Nothing further heard of and presumed crashed in the sea.
Further research by Aircrew Remembered has discovered that they were shot down by Luftwaffe an Naval flak batteries at 19:04 hrs with W7925 coming down in the North Sea North of Wangerooge, part of the Frisan Islands.
Two bodies, those of Sgt. William Hopwood and Sgt. Frederick Box were washed ashore on the 15th February and 19th January 1943, respectfully. They were both buried at Wittmund (north west of Wilhelshaven on map), but since 1945 their remains have been taken to Sage War Cemetery. The other crew members are commemorated at the Runnymede War Memorial.
Burial details:
Sgt. Brian John Ketchell. Runnymede War Memorial. Panel 87. Son of Richard John and Daisy Kate Ketchell, of Falmer, Sussex, England.
Sgt. Cyril George Adnams. Runnymede War Memorial. Panel 77. Son of Mr. and Mrs. George Adnams and husband of Beatrice Rose Elizabeth Adnams, of Oxford, England.
Sgt. Gordon Carruthers Haig. Runnymede War Memorial. Panel 104. Son of Mr. and Mrs. D.C. Haig of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Sgt. Clarence Ames Massey. Runnymede War Memorial. Panel 105. Son of Mr. and Mrs. C.W. massey of Morganston, Ontario, Canada.
Sgt. William Charles Parry. Runnymede War Memorial. Panel 91. Son of Frederick Curtis Parry, and of Ellen Muriel Parry, of Pontyrhyll, Glamorgan, Wales.
Sgt. William Neville Hopwood. Sage War Cemetery. Grave 3.E.12. No further details known as yet. - are you able to assist?
Sgt. Frederick Ernest Arthur Box. Sage War Cemetery. Grave 5.B.14. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Francis Henry Box and husband of Ethel Dora Box, of Southsea, Hampshire, England.
Researched by Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the relatives of the crew. With thanks to sources as shown below.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember
them. - Laurence
All site material (except as noted elsewhere) is owned or managed by Aircrew Remembered and should not be used without prior permission.
© Aircrew Remembered 2012 - 2018 Last Modified: 25 December 2016, 17:32


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Learn How To Screen Print With Catspit Productions, LLC
Catspit Productions produces educational videos and offers advice or technical support free of charge by email. All of the videos, website articles and question responses are done by Jonathan Monaco in his free time.
Help keep Jonathan hard at work creating new free educational screen printing material for the website and the YouTube channel. You can support the Catspit Productions online educational and tutorial efforts by making a small donation. Please use the PayPal button below to donate $5 or $10 to fund Jonathan's efforts to provide continued free screenprinting resources.
You can also support the project by purchasing screen printing supplies from us. Make sure to use the correct Catspit code to get your discount. These purchases help keep our vendors supporting our project. And it helps keep the discount deals coming.
Jonathan appreciates any purchases or business you do with Catspit Productions. Without your continued support, he would not be able to devote so much time to providing free information about screen printing tee shirts for fun or for profit.
We appreciate your interest in Catspit Productions, LLC. Thank you for all the positive feedback and your continued support!


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October 2015
With a phenomenal 63 points, Hitchcock & Balls celebrated with the champagne and the promise of the Flux Capacitor Back To The Future boxset from our friends at Universal.
Just a point behind the winners, One Day My Log Will Have Something To Say About This got Odeon tickets from the good people at DCM, and the 20th Anniversary Back To The Future boxset from Universal.
And third placers Wibbly Woblbly Timey Veasey also got a Back To The Future boxset along with some soundtracks CDs.
Team Score (/70) Hitchcock & Balls 63 One Day My Log Will Have Something To Say About This 62 Wibbly Wobbly Timey Veasey 60.5 F.U. That's Our Team Name 56.5 1.21 Quiz-A-Watts 55 Shabbos Rollers 54.5 Elite Hunting 50 Come Cin With Me 49.5 Four Out Of Five 48.5 Wish You Were Here! 48 In Space No One Can Hear You Quiz 47 Kiddy Fiddler On The Roof 46 Banana In The Tailpipe 45.5 V For Vienetta 44.25 Hot Pub Time Machine 39 They're Digging In The Wrong Place 38.5 You're A Quizzard, Harry! 38 R.O.U.S. (Rodents Of Unusual Size) 37.5 ¡¡¡Motto Panekeiku!!! 37 Little Lebowski Suburban Achievers 36.5 Hanks For Nothing 34.5 Two Minute Warning 33.5 A Pint Of Quiz 26.5 Titanic King 19.5 #YOLOOO 9


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I knew I wanted to but I was really intimidated about figuring out how to cloth diaper. Covers and all-in-ones, friends and family who raised their eyebrows (I'm looking at you, mom, who was skeptical even though you'd cloth diapered me and my brother as babies!) — it all made me insecure. Plus, I had my own worries: would it be unsanitary? would it be gross? would it be one of those things that sounds easy but that "real parents" know is unrealistic?
Happily, it was as doable as I thought it should be. If you don't mind laundry and want to do it, cloth diapering isn't difficult. It can be overwhelming during that first month of baby's life, when you're trying to figure things out and disposables are that much easier, so if you need to give yourself a break and ease into them as you get your feet under you, please do and know that it's OK. (Most parents wait until the baby's meconium phase is done, also, getting a tight fit can be difficult with some diapers when the baby is really small). Like with most parenting things, cloth diapering doesn't have to be all-or-nothing, so do what works for you and your family!
Here's what you need to get started:
How to cloth diaper essentials
1. Cloth diapers. There are a lot of kinds of diapers out there, and from what I hear from others, they are all pretty much great. There are roughly two main kinds: one-piece kinds that you put on and take off similar to a disposable, and the two-piece system when you combine a prefold or a liner and a waterproof cover.
Advantages of the one-piece system are that many are one-size-fits-all, so you invest once and are set for the duration, and they are easy for grandparents and babysitters to use. Advantages of the two-piece system are you do less laundry (since you can typically reuse the covers a few times) and it's easier to get a snug fit.
We tried both, since a friend was gracious enough to pass on her newborn and size 1 waterproof covers (we bought prefolds to use with the covers from Green Mountain Diapers). Both kinds were equally effective in preventing leaks and blowouts, but the prefold/cover combo was a bit harder to put on our wiggly girl, so but when Beatrice outgrew her hand-me-down covers we didn't buy more and stuck with the all-in-ones.
One-week-old Beatrice in a small-sized prefold with a newborn-sized cover. (Usually the diaper is wrapped a little more neatly around her, but this was the result of a middle of the night diaper change).
So what we use everyday and love are BumGenius all-in-one-cloth diapers. They are meant to fit babies 7-35+ lbs, so you don't have to buy diapers in different sizes. They are "all-in-ones," in that when they're dirty (or wet), you toss the whole thing in the wash.
Why I love them: they're easy to use (for you, diapering a squirmy seven-month-old), they're lined with microfleece so they keep baby dry, they're sturdy enough to prevent most blowouts, and they're cute. We have 16 (eight sets of two, put on our Target registry). We got the version that snaps instead of velcro, as I'd heard the velcro wears out and is a pain in the wash. It is an investment, but these are pretty much the only diapers you'll ever buy, and they should diaper baby #2 as well someday. I follow the recommended care instructions (cold wash, hot wash, machine dry the inserts, line dry the covers (or machine dry a few if I'm in a hurry, or line dry them all outside when it's sunny). I use my usual free detergent that I use for all our wash. If they start to look dingy I put them out in the sun and turn bright white again.
Four-month-old Bee in a BumGenius. We did monthly photo shoots in her BumGenius diapers since she could wear the same one as she grew and we wouldn't have to buy special matching outfits.
Pro mom tip: Courtesy of my friend, Rose: When your baby is sleeping through the night, shove an extra liner or a prefold into the BumGenius for a leak-proof night.
2. Cloth wipes and a regular old spray bottle filled with water. As long as you're washing diapers, you might as well wash wipes, too. As on board on this cloth diapering thing as I was, I felt kind of guilty about the wipes — don't you need some sort of germ-killing alcohol? But we learned later on from our pediatrician that water and cloth is the best method, and one they especially recommend when your kid has diarrhea or diaper rash. I got a set of these nice cloth wipes as a baby shower gift and also sewed up a dozen flannel squares.
3. Something to contain your used diapers near wherever you change the baby. Any pail/garbage can will work. We use a step can and a pail liner; the liner can go in the wash. (Pro tip: by two pail liners so you don't have to remember to bring the liner back or wait for the liner to be clean from the wash).
4. A wet bag for your diaper bag, for putting used diapers in on the go. (I worried that this would not contain the smell: no worries, it does. Also, this can go in the washer and dryer as well).
Bonus gear: Nice to have
1.If you're planning on cloth diapering, think big when picking out a diaper bag. This will be the only time you'll envy your disposable-using friends: cloth diapers take up a lot of room. When we're going to be out for the day I throw in a second bag full of diapers and leave it in the car.
2. A diaper sprayer. This attaches to your toilet and you use it to spray off dirty diapers into the toilet. We were intimidated by this so didn't install it before she was born. (Diapers don't get too messy until they start solids). When it became apparent that this would improve our life, we bought and installed it. We are not handy but were able to install it ourselves (and by ourselves I mean Adam did it).
3. High-efficiency washing machine.
4. 1 pack of disposable in various sizes, to use as emergency back-ups in the diaper bag, etc.


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A classic style unisex denim shoe from Vans
With a dark blue denim upper, the Vans Authentic VN-0 QER64O has detail stitching to the sides and around the dark blue edged topline. This stitching is also found along the eyelet line which runs up the front of the shoe with tarnished bronze coloured eyelets and fastened with flat, navy blue laces. Inside, the Vans Authentic unisex classic shoe is lined in brown with a padded insole, while the flexible waffle sole unit of the Authentic unisex casual shoe provides a comfortable walking experience. Drawing attention to the unisex VN-0 QER64O's marshmallow white midsole
With a retro appeal that takes you back to the school yard, the Vans Authentic is a great shoe for you - get your pair now.
Upper: Textile
Inner: Textile
Sole: Other
For detailed information please go to our Delivery and Cancellations & Returns pages.
Updated March 2016.
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PF London: MASQUERADE NIGHT- fancy dress ball & social on Thames. 16th feb.
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- Dear all,The PF London's annual MASK BALL returns after a year of absence! We had the `Pirates of the Thames', then `Angels & Demons- Gothic Ball' (both in 2006)... now it's the Masquerade Night'!! As before, it's onboard the ship Queen Mary, by Waterloo Pier. Nearest Tube- Embankment.Date: saturday 16th February 2008Venue: Admiral Suite, T.S. Queen Mary, Waterloo pier (along Victoia-Embankment).Time: 7.00pm- 11.pm (chill out till 12 midnight)!!
TICKETS NOW VAILABLE- on sale from today!!Entrance is by ticket purchase only. Limited tickets (120). Tickets are £12 (but £10 for PF members if they can show membership number).So get tickets now from PF London (by post). from Treadwells Bookshop (Tavistock Street, Covent Gardens) or from Atlantis Bookshop (Museum Street, Holborn).. or from PF London Officers (Jean Williams, Clare, Paul Newman, snake, Liz, Lisa...). You can also buy them from me in person at some London moots/ events .
Very few tickets may be available at the door..- only if not sold-out beforehand!!-Postal ticket purchase from PF London:send a cheque /postal order for correct fee for correct type (member/ non member).. with SAE for ticket return.. to PF London, BM Opal, London WC1N 3XX. Please make cheques/PO payable to `Pagan Federation London'. Please include a contct number. Check PF London website www.pflondon.org for updates nearer the time.Here's to fun n frolics.-ManiPF London Eventsmob: 077689 41373. (evenings only).
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Although it's important to be certain each and every site has an tag, only consist of multiple per site for anyone who is working with HTML5. Rather, use many - tags.You're going to be questioned to write an essay in response to a perspective, argument or dilemma. Responses to the two duties has to be composed in a formal design.Conveys and underst… Read More
It experienced an ground breaking structure, which reflected modifications in language learning and training, such as the progress in ?�communicative??language Studying and ?�English for specific uses?? Take a look at duties were meant to mirror the usage of language within the ??real world??Cebu Air Inc. is the biggest provider in the Philippi… Read More
+ // Commence by making the special empty node we use to point the father or mother // terminates a word. This must be node one, since the builder assumesHomestay choice for woman islamic students in which no Adult men are living in family Which prepare halal foodsRussian has also grown in reputation in the last 10 years. Good reasons involve the c… Read More
{Beef by using a Unique blend of bulalo sauce, combined with kernel corn and cabbage. Served with steamed rice{@galarobless We are sorry for this. Please DM us the scheduling reference so we are able to check and support you. Thanks!|#pisofare #promofare #cebupacificpromofare #cebu #cebupacific #cebupacificpromos #cebupacificpromofares #promofares … Read More
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Scrum is the most popular agile framework today for rapid product development.
Yet even today, over 30 years after the scrum framework was created, the demand for competent and skilled Scrum Masters outstrip supply.
Do you have what it takes to become a successful Scrum Master?
This scrum master course will provide you an overview of the agile/scrum framework, the scrum process flow and the skills, qualities and competencies needed by the key player in the game: You, the Scrum Master.
67% discount on this training program. Check it Out. Limited seats avaliable


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Well, would you look at that! Spilt Milk has kindly awarded me with this here award:
Awardees are to list seven things about themselves, but I'm going to instead give you ten with the next list of things about me.
I'm going to pass this on to a few bloggers who I find beautiful…
Cara from The Curvature
abbyjean from think on this
OuyangDan from random babble…
Mim from Mim's Muddle
PharaohKatt from Something More Than Sides


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- While Bahati was busy, unseating President Kenyatta at the Safaricom Kasarani Stadium, Willy Paul was busy too, unseating drunk yobs at Club sting in Nakuru
-He was in the company of Kush Tracey, Fred Omondi, Bashka the Model, Willy M Tuva, Dj Flash and others
Unlike Bahati, Willy Paul seemed to have missed an invite to perform at the Jubilee Party launch at the Safaricom Kasarani stadium.
READ ALSO:Singer Bahati responds to those accusing him of DISRESPECTING President Uhuru Kenyatta
He was however not in town and was performing in tandem with Kush Tracey, Fred Omondi, Willy M Tuva and others at the Egerton University in Njoro.
READ ALSO: Comedian Eric Omondi to become a woman
After Egerton University the singer whose life is marred with controversy returned to the City of Nakuru where he spent the night. TUKO.co.ke editor who was at the Abbey Resort chanced upon the singer as he booked rooms alongside his celebrity friends.
READ ALSO: Too cute, your woman aside, this Kenyan girl has the best freaking natural hair in the world (photos)
Later in the night, Willy Paul, Fred Omondi and a twaddle of the celebrities who had been performing at the Njoro campus went to Club Sting in the heart of Nakuru town where they thoroughly enjoyed Justin Beiber, Beyonce, Wizkid and endless local, secular music.
I'm not saying that Justin Beiber is bad or Willy Paul performing in a club is wrong either.
Willy paul was introduced to the crowd later in the night at around 2.30a.m and brought the club down with his recent hit, Fanya, that had girls and boys gyrating and twerking on the rooftop of the club.
Literally, Will Paul also got people on their feet, just like Bahati- only that his, was a performance at a Nakuru club.
In an opposite scenario, Bahati had been on stage performing Barua before his crazy stunt that caught the president off guard.
He wanted to sing his next song, Mama, to Margret Kenyatta. The action by the musician left Uhuru standing awkwardly on the dais as the crowd cheered on the young musician.
It didn't go well with most Kenyans who were watching the performance. Most of them went online to complain about the stunt.
Cover Image: Instagram.com/partylab
Source: Tuko.co.ke


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- Yield
- 6-8 servings
- 1 1/2 c. arborio rice
- 1 qt. chicken stock
- 1/2 c. white wine
- 1 medium shallot or 1/2 small onion, chopped (about 1/2 c.)
- 3 T. unsalted butter
- 1 T. vegetable oil
- 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
- 1 T. chopped Italian parsley
- salt, to taste
- 1. Heat the stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan, then lower the heat so the stock just stays hot. 2. In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the oil and 1 T. of the butter over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the chopped shallot or onion. Saute for 2-3 minutes or until it is slightly translucent. 3. Add the rice to the pot and stir it briskly with a wooden spoon so that the grains are coated with the oil and melted butter. Saute for another minute or so, until there is a slightly nutty aroma, but don't let the rice turn brown. 4. Add the wine and cook while stirring, until the liquid is fully absorbed. 5. Add a ladle of hot chicken stock to the rice and stir until the liquid is fully absorbed. When the rice appears almost dry, add another ladle of stock and repeat the process. NOTE: It's important to stir constantly, especially while the hot stock gets absorbed, to prevent scorching, and add the next ladle as soon as the rice is almost dry. 6. Continue adding ladles of hot stock and stirring the rice while the liquid is absorbed. As it cooks, you'll see that the rice will take on a creamy consistency as it begins to release its natural starches. 7. Continue adding stock, a ladle at a time, for 20-30 minutes or until the grains are tender but still firm to the bite, without being crunchy. If you run out of stock and the risotto still isn't done, you can finish the cooking using hot water. Just add the water as you did with the stock, a ladle at a time, stirring while its absorbed. 8. Stir in the remaining 2 T. butter, the Parmesan cheese and the parsley, and season to taste with salt. 9. Risotto turns glutinous if held for too long, you should serve it right away. A properly cooked risotto should form a soft, creamy mound on a dinner plate. It shouldn't run across the plate, nor should it be stiff or gluey.
Related Video
Nutritional Info
- Calories296
- Carbohydrates47 g(16%)
- Fat6 g(9%)
- Protein9 g(19%)
- Saturated Fat3 g(13%)
- Sodium559 mg(23%)
- Polyunsaturated Fat1 g
- Fiber2 g(7%)
- Monounsaturated Fat2 g
- Cholesterol13 mg(4%)


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- 51 years old
- Date of birth: Aug 23, 1963
- Place of birth:
Syracuse, New York, United States
- Date of passing: Apr 5, 2015
- Place of passing:
Burlington, Vermont, United States
|Let the memory of Willard be with us forever
This memorial website was created in memory of our loved one, Willard Andrews, 51, born on August 23, 1963 and passed away on April 5, 2015. We will remember him forever.
"Sean had many siblings.My sisters and I were his "kid sisters " as he called us growing up.We all thought of him as our hero,and was infallible!His kids sisters are Heather, Lisa and myself and we are forever broken without him in the world,our only brother, .We are lost without you and dad.We will all be together someday as our dad would always tell us."
"I see you every day, when I walk, I know that your are in the earth I walk on and so I tread gently. I love you and I miss you more than words can express."
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text: We are now the Hawaii based Representatives for New Tribes Mission. Our 23 plus years serving in Papua New Guinea, where we supplied missionary families living in the jungle, has come to an end as the missionaries have planted over 25 self propagating Churches, completed 4 New Testament Translations and they themselves have moved out of the villages. This left us with no families to supply so we too phased out. It was a tremendous feeling to have "Finished the Task" we believe the Lord sent us to PNG to do.


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How Sephora Integrates Retail & Online MarketingNov 10, 2015 - by Brian Honigman
The journey of integrating retail and digital is a serious undertaking for most brick-and-click retailers, and it's critically important to share success stories of best in breed brands, like Sephora, those who are doing it well. For more ideas check out how brands like Alex and Ani, Rent the Runway and more are redefining success with Sailthru.
Sephora, the cosmetic retailer, has long been a pioneer in creating and cultivating a strong community of customers both online and offline, often coordinating their approach on one channel to drive results in another.
Their current marketing strategy is focused on blending their online and in-store experiences and promoting brand engagement via social, mobile and web platforms. Learn what makes their strategy different when it comes to how they incorporate data into their omni-channel marketing components.
Sephora Uses Shopper Data to Integrate the Retail and Mobile Experience
Through market research, Sephora has discovered that their customers often use their personal smartphones when shopping at their brick-and-mortar locations. They found that these shoppers were often searching for outside recommendations, product reviews or better prices on the products that they were considering purchasing in-store.
Armed with this data, Sephora developed the Sephora to Go mobile app, which focuses on providing shoppers with a mobile experience that is catered to their needs. The app is designed to emulate the knowledge of a personal shopping assistant or a Sephora sales associate in that, it provides product recommendations, reviews, pricing information and a simple format that helps make it easy for a customer to purchase products.
In other words, the goal of Sephora's mobile app is to give their customers the tools they need to help them feel confident in making purchase whether in-store or online without necessarily needing to speak to a sales representative or research outside sources as they were doing previously.


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Cottages are cozy little homes filled with warmth, this is what Little Cottage all about. This quaint place is located down town and has since 2003. Charming patrons with their friendly staff, warm ambience and scrumptious meals made affordable, now get lobster with fish, chicken or turkey ham, with soup, drink and daily dessert at Little Cottage.
The Little Cottage located at Burmah Road, which is a two-storey colonial shop house and furnished with artificial vine plants, clay figurines and retro stained glass ceiling lamps. They also have a very realistic mock well and fireplace which adds to the cosines of this cottage inspired restaurant. The chairs on the ground floor are all cushioned and covered in gold upholstery, creating a very homey vibe but it would be better if the rest of the furnishing were slightly neater. Patrons can choose to sit on the ground or first floor.
At Little Cottage, we had the chance to sample the food to give you an idea of the food that will be served. All meals will be served with the soup of the day, in our case; it was cream of mushroom and a warm bun with butter. You'll also get to choose if you'd like ice lemon tea, coffee or tea with the meal. That should soothe the hunger of rumbling stomachs while the main course arrives. Lucky for you (and for us) we had the chance to sample all three choices of the deal.
Now, the first one we got to try was the lobster-fish combo. It's served with a grilled tomato and grilled lemon with goes great with the seafood due to the tanginess. The fish is a jade fillet, deboned and served skin off. It's a white fish, very lightly seasoned and browned but still retains its natural moisture in the inside. The lobster is also grilled, so it has a slight barbeque smoked flavor and like the fish, very lightly seasoned so you get the natural taste of seafood that is very well complimented by the lemon.
Next in line is the chicken. We were given a drumstick, butterflied and pan fried until it's beautifully brown but still very tender and juicy in the inside. The chicken is left bone in and skin on. It's great for bigger eaters as we think the lobster-chicken combo is the heartiest among the other options.
The final one was the lobster-turkey ham combo. This one is great for smaller eaters that prefer smaller portions of food. Not that the piece of turkey is in anyway scrawny. In fact it's a rather thick cut and packed with flavour. If you like Taiwanese sausage, you'll love this deli delight.
At the end of the meal, you'll be served a dessert. The desserts change daily so we're not too sure what you'll get. On the day we visited we got a petite cup of jelly. It tasted alright, not too sweet, slightly creamy at the top and lighter at the bottom. It is best eaten as soon as it is served as like all jellies, it gets watery after awhile.
This place has a private dining area for guests who prefer some privacy. The décor on the first floor is very Christmassy. With various artwork and vintage photographs on the wall, this place will constantly remind patrons of its history and the buildings heritage value.
Little Cottage Café, 96 Jalan Burmah, 10050, Georgetown, Penang OR
Little Cottage Café 2, 31 Gottlieb Road, 10450, Penang.
Contact number: Little Cottage Café: 04-2286218, Little Cottage Café 2: 04-2281128 OR visit www.littlecottagecafe.com


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dollie girl
boyfriend pwnage for the winzz!!
boyfriend pwnage for the winzz!!
boyfriend pwnage for the winzz!!
bad ,very bad!
Oh god, this would be fourteen times better without the text, or at least if the text was stylized the same way as the image.
yea! i know! i'm regretting hardcore adding "pwn" at the bottom. :( is there anyway i could change that?
Get rid of the PWN and Im sure this one will get some high scores, the design is nice.
The doll could be so much nicer, the pwn could be much more cooler, the tee colour could be a bit less colourless. The idea is good.
remove the text, upload a picture of it somewhere and provide a link here to that picture so people can see it without the text. You might want to consider different color shirts too.
Remove the Text. It would look great without it!
i dont like the pwn. but other than that its great.
I love the PWN, but I would change the font
I love the idea but I agree that pwn should be stylized the same way
I really like how the doll is drawn.
i love the doll
i dislike the text
made a collage of about 9 colors.
sorry i'm a pretty dull person.
click here.
no PWN text.
Remove the text.
yea. i removed it. kinda. there's a link in my earlier comment.
Since the fictional dollmaker knows she made a representation of her boyfriend, the "B.F." t-shirt scribble is somewhat redundant. The doll's shirt needs to be plain, or else only girls and gay men will buy your shirt. Why would a straight guy wear your shirt? The doll looks androgynous anyway. The doll needs to be all things to all people
your idea is good, just fix it up a little.
yeah, i dont like the text. it would be a lot better without the "PWN"
I'd have to agree with the remove the text or stylize it, but truly, It's hilarious! Make the writing less obscured
On your color collage, if that's the new look you're going for I don't like the... shadow blob underneath the doll? And I don't know, I think I'd like it if it was either just the voodoo doll or it was the voodoo doll with PWN in a better font. As for the B.F. on the t-shirt, it makes sense to have something like there on it... or then it'd be just another voodoo doll, lol. So common =)
cool design, but like others said, say bye bye to the "PWN"
The new colors look really good. I like the drawing.
art is good
de text is not good
nice !!!
stylize the PWN or remove it completely, and i think it'd look good on like grey
lol, ouch. $5 w/o text.
Nice drawing but the PWN kills it
the text is :/
the new version is cooler.
i probably wouldn't wear it
but i rate it a 5.


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Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Books + Desserts
This one is for all the bookworms who read this blog. I recently found a place in Sofia that offers not only deliciously looking desserts, but also a book to flip through while you enjoy your cake. It's called PaperCake and I absolutely love the idea! I haven't visited it yet but I hope to do so this weekend, so expect more info (+ photos hopefully) next week.
Well, this place reminded me of a coffee shop I came across while doing my research for the interior design project I had. It's called McNally Jackson Cafe (on all the photos), the design is by Front Studio and it's located in Manhattan. The walls are covered with book pages, there are books hanging from the ceiling, it's gorgeousness all around!
Have you been to any of these places or a different one but with the same vibe? I'd love to hear what you think about mixing books and desserts , because I don't know about you but I'm crazy about this concept!
(Photos: Modresdes)
Posted by iva yaneva Labels: books, interior design, places
2 comments:
- starcakeastrology.blogspot.com said...
- July 11, 2010 at 11:37 AM
- Mila said...
oh i know, i am crazy about it too!
i was just reading one of Oly's blogs (you know her, the Japanese girl with the amazing store??) and she posted about some of the most beautiful stationery shops in Japan, with loads of pics. You should definitely check it out!
- July 12, 2010 at 11:22 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Pleasanton is a community situated in the Tri-Valley Region of the Bay Area in Northern California.
Our Downtown is the heart of our community — the setting for festivals, street parties, parades, weekly summer concerts, Saturday farmer's market and other special events. Downtown also offers some of the finest dining and shopping in the Tri-Valley. Pleasanton is also home to the Alameda County Fairgrounds which hosts statewide and regional events, as well as the annual Alameda County Fair.


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Heather R. Johnson | Books
A Historical Tour Through San Francisco Recording Studios
Read a Sample Chapter Read the Foreword from Leslie Ann Jones
Read If These Halls Could Blog
If These Halls Could Talk: A Historical Tour Through San Francisco Recording Studios takes an in-depth look at San Francisco's colorful and diverse music and music recording history, covering both the recordings and recording studios that housed the jazz and blues of the '50s and psychedelic rock of the '60s, to the rock and funk of the '70s, punk and new wave of the '80s, and the alternative rock, R&B and hip-hop of the '90s through today.
Leading Bay Area artists, producers, engineers, and studio owners take readers on a guided tour through some of San Francisco's top recording studios, venturing behind the scenes of popular music's hottest albums. Readers will learn about the recording techniques, the magic, and the often unusual experiences that contributed to a wide range of recordings, including works by Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead, Santana, the Pointer Sisters, Herbie Hancock, Journey, Huey Lewis and the News, Chris Isaak, Faith No More, Green Day, and many more.
In addition, If These Halls Could Talk chronicles the history of the studios themselves. The book discusses the arrival, growth, and departure of studios in and around San Francisco, the myriad advancements in technology through the years and how it affected the industry, and how the San Francisco Bay Area's recording facilities have endured through economic ups and downs, increased competition, decreased demand, and the ever-changing, unpredictable nature of the music industry.
What People are Saying…
"Ms. Johnson has done an admirable job of illuminating the struggles and triumphs of the many studio facilities, their founders, and the engineers who have contributed so much to this rich musical fabric. Illustrated with dozens of photographs, Johnson presents an entertaining, educational, and historic tribute to the studios and the people who shaped them. Although the San Francisco recording scene was never as big as New York or Los Angeles, this book provides an insight and historical perspective that validates and preserves their history. Hopefully, she will continue to write similar histories for other recording scenes. Chicago, Nashville, Detroit, and of course New York and L.A. all seem like fertile ground for such an endeavor. A well written, highly recommended, and thoroughly enjoyable book for anyone interested in recording and the creative process of music-making in general." – Dan Alexander, Dan Alexander Audio
"More than just another review of music trends and evolving styles, [If These Halls Could Talk] focuses on the studios themselves and their roles in fostering such styles, creating a multifaceted survey of the San Francisco music scene as a whole." – Midwest Book Review
Born in a Small Town: The John Mellencamp Story
Born In a Small Town: The John Mellencamp Story tells of the extreme highs, devastating lows and crucial blows that helped cement Mellencamp as an integral figure in the rock music landscape forever. Author Heather Johnson traces Johnny Cougar's roots as a brash, no-nonsense rocker to his activist involvement in Farm Aid with Neil Young and Willie Nelson. Farm Aid would eventually echo John's true sentiments of the country he so loved, for his voice helped to yield a social consciousness in pop music that would resonate throughout the world. His voice would become a mouthpiece for a people that had none; he would use his gift to enable people to maintain a lifestyle that is so vital to the United States; our sacred farm culture.
John Mellencamp's voice is a simple truth, a truth that is eloquently embedded in the soul of the American poet. Born In a Small Town chronicles the life and times of a key figure in the rock pantheon, and indeed a legend of the American rock movement as a whole. The book also contains a set of rarely seen photographs and a complete discography that will inform and entertain the most ardent of Mellencamp fans. Most importantly, Johnson digs deep into the music; gathering interviews from band mates, producers and relevant quotes from Mellencamp himself.
The appeal of Mellencamp's music lies in the powerhouse musicianship, well-crafted songs and a passion for the heartland of America that yields much of his most popular work. Quite simply, Mellencamp's music is a reflection and representation of the best of American music.


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Learn More
What is dysautonomia?
Basics of the Autonomic Nervous System
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Denver CO USA
Phone: 303-773-9000
Dr. Schofield is an internist who is interested in treating dysautonomia patients, particularly those who have overlapping autoimmune conditions. You can view her bio here: http://immunoehealth.com/about-us/providers/
© Copyright 2012 Dysautonomia International
Medical Disclaimer


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|incl. VAT
|excl. VAT
Every athlete pleased practical sports bag. We have a large bag Basic Everlast brand, which is made ??from 100% polyester.
The bag has two handles for quick carrying in the hand and one adjustable shoulder strap for comfortable carrying serve things. You will appreciate the two large separate pockets located on the sides of the bag. You are empowered can safely laid on the ground, prevents the lugs from rubbing the plastic bag at the bottom. The interior is reinforced by a plastic washer. Maintenance is easy, simply wash with warm water and soap.
Specifications can be changed without notice. Images are for illustrative purposes only. Retail Price (MSRP) means the manufacturer's/supplier's suggested retail price.
Link to Manufacturer's Website: Enter link to the external review


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advanced search
Auspicious Animals
The Golden Tiger Tooth 6 Eyed DZi Bead with 8mm Faceted Citrine Bracelet
Ask seller a question
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Cash On delivery,
*The store has not been updated recently. You may want to contact the merchant to confirm the availability of the product.
Product Description
The Golden Tiget Tooth Six Eyes DZI bead is strung with 8mm faceted Citrine to strengthen the power of the DZI. This DZI helps the wearer overcome all negatives forces and gives noticeable relief from six types of suffering, including loss of wealth, sickness, accidents, being cheated, getting robbed and losing ones loved one. It enables the wearer to speed up the achievement of important goals and remove obstacles that delay projects. Best suited to those born under Horse, Sheep and Monkey animal signs. The item can be used as a gift for your family members and close friends.
Note: The bracelet comes with a gift box.
Ancient Tibetan Dzi
For thousands of years, Tibetans have viewed Dzi as a living gemstone. It is meant for devout worship and is reverently kept and passed down over generations. The ancient Dzi absorbs cosmic energy from the universe, hence it can guard against misfortune and brings blessings, stabilizes blood pressure, increases the internal 'qi', gives good fortune and bliss. Till now, Dzi enjoys great popularity around the world, and it is a revered sacred charm for protection, worship, health, as well as a symbol of wealth.
Place of Origin and Legend
Dzi is not only a very rare and precious gemstone, it is also one of the seven treasures in Tibetan Buddhism. The main places of origin are Western Tibet, Eastern Tibet, Bhutan, Sikkim, Ladakh and certain regions in the Himalayas. Dzi has been around for 2000 to 2500 years. According to legend, Dzi is actually a Gods treasure?which has descended to earth and was discovered by the Tibetans. Hence the Tibetans still regard Dzi as the heavenly stone?
Stories on the origin of Dzi varies, one account has it that it flowed from a stream in Ngari; another believed that it was the treasure of the Azha Kingdom, Tibet; yet others thought it was one of the gemstones in the treasury of the Tagzig Kingdom. It is also said to be the celestial essence from Manjushri Bodhisattva's previous incarnate (Manjushri Buddha); some believed it was made by Asura; it is even said to be made from meteorites that plummeted down to earth. According to another legend, the compassionate Vajravarahi Buddha let Dzi descended to earth to stop the spreading of epidemic because it possessed the power to guard against evil. What can be verified is, although modern technology can replicate the appearance of Dzi, it is unable to reproduce the strong magnetic energy that Dzi possess. Neither can it replace the religious belief passed down over the generations. Hence, judging from its unique quality and extensive historical value, Dzi is very valuable.
Historical Accounts
The earliest record of Dzi in Chinas history is in the Tang Dynasty. When Princess Wencheng married Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo, the most expensive betrothal gift was a Buddha statue built according to the image of the 12 year old Jowo Sakyamuni. It was brought to Tibet all the way from Chang'an. The Buddha's diadem, cape, decorative strap and robe were splendidly adorned with various pearls, agates, turquoises, corals and hundreds of various Dzi, including three Nine-eyed Dzi beads, Triple-eyed Dzi beads, Double-eyed Dzi beads, Tiger-tooth & Longevity Dzi beads and others. This Buddha statue is currently placed in Lhasa, Jokhang Monastery. Hence, we can see that Dzi beads have been used as offerings to Buddha; not only are they sacred, but they are also rare and precious.
Dzi Bead is the Tibetans' Most Precious Living Gemstone
The Tibetans regard Dzi bead as the most precious living gemstone and it is the treasure offered to the royal family generations after generations. In Tibet, the ancient pure Dzi beads can be used for mortgage purposes in Banks or the Citys Credit Bureau. Therefore, to the Tibetans, Dzi bead is no different from cash. Because of their small size, they are easy to maintain and carried around, the royalty and the rich will exchange their domesticated animals, land and money for them. It is also not uncommon to see expensive goods being exchanged for Dzi beads.
Dzi bead is an essential ornament in a Tibetan ladys adulthood and marriage ceremony. The quantity and quality of the Dzi beads can reveal the wealth of the family. Besides that, Dzi Bead is also a precious medical ingredient in many Tibetan medical dictionaries.
Dzi bead is the Tibetans most precious amulet. It is believed that devout worship of the Dzi Bead can remove hindrance of karma, receive blessings, prevention against stroke, guard against evil, improves vitality and increase wealth.
Strong Magnetic Energy
Dzi Beads possess nature's cosmic magnetic energy. According to a scientific study, Japanese researchers discovered that Dzi Beads contain 14 elements from Mars.
The hardness of Dzi is 7 to 8.5 on the Mohs hardness index, slightly below the African diamond, which has an index of 10. Crystals magnetic wave is 4 volts whereas Tibetans Dzi Bead gives off 13 volts, 3 times more than crystal. The magnetic energy emitted by Dzi Bead is very gentle and is suitable to be placed at any human parts. It is perceived to be able to regulate blood circulation and reduce illnesses.
Benefits for the Wearer
Dzi Bead is an eons-old antique, yet it remains fashionable. Its different pattern is an ideal trendy ornament for the young and is also suitable for all ages. But most importantly, besides wearing it for protection purposes, the magnetic energy from the Dzi can regulate the bodys blood and 'qi' circulation, balance the bodys yin yang and five elements, improves the bodys immunity system and henceforth, achieve overall improvement in one's health. The effects are similar to acupuncture. It can improve the health of those suffering from heart diseases, high blood pressure and diabetes as well as reduce various symptoms like poor blood circulation, blocked nose, sprains, insomnia and aching bones.
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Trade Unions - Employees. Employees Demand more challenging, interesting work, partaking indecision -making processes and autonomy at their workplace. Structure of work has changed over the last decade and affects employees' access to work.
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The breadth, depth and scope of NSA spying is such that whoever controls it can control every official of the government..by way of blackmail. Congressman, Senators, Presidents and Supreme Court Justices. The IRS. The FBI. The DEA. THE BATF. The SEC. The Federal Reserve Chairman. Anyone and everyone can be blackmailed using the data they're collecting.
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text: Hi everyone i posted here before most recently my son went to rehab has been out almost two weeks i have been suspicious this last week of him he went back to college has been doing his work and going to class however he has not been sleeping well and falling asleep while sitting up things i noticed when he used herion.....well i decided to snoop in his room and found hidden used heroin packets and needles i am sick i am not sure what to do now my husband is away for this week i left him a message to let him know. I talked to my son who tells me he has anxiety and stress and cannot stop the anxiety but the drug takes it away-the rehab has him on an antidepressant he has an appointment with a psychiatrist in two weeks soonest i could get he is still seeing my therapist and the outpatient drug counselor who is says he does not like i am not surprised by him using i am very disappointed and sad i just cannot keep going through this i have an appointment with my doctor next week my therapist feels an antidepressant is what i need now some days i do not feel like going to work i just got a promotion and have more work to do but having difficulty doing it i hate medication and reluctant to do this but after today i feel so helpless and not sure if i can get through this again. I have an nar-anon meeting tommorrow night but i would appreciate your thoughts as you all understand -my close friends kids are all easy child's and they do not understand.


text: Directions on how do you cook a pork roast depends on how big your roast is and what method you are using to cook. If using the oven to cook at 350 degrees, you will cook your roast for an hour for the first pound and then add 30 minutes for each additional pound. Place roast in a pan and sprinkle preferred seasons over it. Then cover with aluminum foil and place in oven.


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Studies of host specificity in tropical insect herbivores are evolving from a focus on insect distribution data obtained by canopy fogging and other mass collecting methods, to a focus on obtaining data on insect rearing and experimentally verified feeding patterns. We review this transition and identify persisting methodological problems. Replicated quantitative surveys of plant–herbivore food webs, based on sampling efforts of an order of magnitude greater than is customary at present, may be cost-effectively achieved by small research teams supported by local assistants. Survey designs that separate historical and ecological determinants of host specificity by studying herbivores feeding on the same plant species exposed to different environmental or experimental conditions are rare. Further, we advocate the use of host‐specificity measures based on plant phylogeny. Existing data suggest that a minority of species in herbivore communities feed on a single plant species when alternative congeneric hosts are available. Thus, host plant range limits tend to coincide with those of plant genera, rather than species or suprageneric taxa. Host specificity among tropical herbivore guilds decreases in the sequence: granivores>leaf-miners>fructivores>leaf-chewers=sap-suckers>xylophages>root-feeders, thus paralleling patterns observed in temperate forests. Differences in host specificity between temperate and tropical forests are difficult to assess since data on tropical herbivores originate from recent field studies, whereas their temperate counterparts derive from regional host species lists, assembled over many years. No major increase in host specificity from temperate to tropical communities is evident. This conclusion, together with the recent downward revisions of extremely high estimates of tropical species richness, suggest that tropical ecosystems may not be as biodiverse as previously thought.
Plant–phytophage food webs represent more than 40% of global terrestrial biodiversity (Price 2002), most of it concentrated in tropical forests. Arguably, their diversity makes tropical forests a logical starting place for the study of host specificity, rather than the impoverished forests of northern temperate regions. Estimates of host specificity (or lack thereof) played an important role in the recent controversy surrounding global estimates of insect species richness, ranging from 30 million (Erwin 1982) to 4–6 million (Novotny et al. 2002b). Narrow insect host specificity was also invoked as the mechanism maintaining the high species richness of insects in tropical forests (Basset 1992). Further, the Janzen–Connell hypothesis assumed that specialized insect herbivores or other pests reduce recruitment near conspecific plants, thus demographically favouring rare species and maintaining high plant diversity in tropical forests (Wright 2002). Finally, host specificity of insect herbivores is also central to the study of indirect effects between different plant species, mediated by their shared herbivores (Godfray et al. 1999; Novotny et al. 2004b).
Janzen (1983, p.167) characterized his review of tropical food webs as 'rich in extrapolation and conjecture, held in place by very few data points'. Later, Basset (1992) remarked on the scarcity of information on the host specificity of tropical herbivores, while a recent review (Godfray et al. 1999) discussed possible developments in this discipline. Recently, there has been progress in the study of plant–herbivore interactions as the emphasis of tropical research has graduated from the diversity of species to that of interspecific interactions. This can be illustrated by a shift in focus in two recent monographs on tropical insects: namely, Stork et al. (1997) and Basset et al. (2003). Studies on phytophages used to be reliant on insect distribution data, obtained by canopy fogging, light and Malaise trapping and other mass collecting methods (reviewed in Basset 2001a). This approach is being superseded by studies that rely on observation in situ, experimental verification of insect feeding, and insect rearing, which are reviewed here.
Herbivores are often classified as mono-, oligo- and polyphagous, or as generalists and specialists. Several meanings have been attached to these terms by different authors (Symons & Beccaloni 1999), since no universal criterion that distinguishes specialists from generalists exists. They probably cannot be resurrected for any specific use; instead, they should be redefined whenever used. The terms species-, genus- and family specialist (Barone 1998) are used for herbivorous species feeding on a single plant species, genus and family. They represent a potentially useful set of host specificity definitions, used in the present review.
Plant–herbivore matrices from tropical forests are characterized by a large number of rare plant–herbivore interactions. For example, as many as 40–50% of trophic links can be established on single feeding individuals (Nakagawa et al. 2003; Novotny et al. 2004a). Thus, estimates of the number of host species used by herbivores are dependent on sample size and are unreliable even for a large sampling effort (Novotny et al. 2002a, 2004a). The host plant lists that indiscriminately include all host plant records become rapidly dominated by marginal hosts and errors committed by either herbivores or ecologists. A more robust definition of monophagous species, that is, species with at least 90% of individuals feeding on a single host species (Thomas 1990; Tavakilian et al. 1997; Novotny et al. 2002a) may be more legitimate.
Analyses of host specificity need to consider phylogenetic relationships of the host plants. Thus far, these have been approximated by supraspecific taxonomic ranks. Host range is then described as the number of host plant species and various supraspecific taxa (Symons & Beccaloni 1999). As information on plant phylogeny accumulates, this imprecise approach will become superseded by host specificity measures based on host plant phylogeny, defined by cladograms (Symons & Beccaloni 1999; Webb et al. 2002). New phylogenetic measures of host specificity, including the clade dispersion index (Symons & Beccaloni 1999) and the net relatedness index (Webb et al. 2002), quantify overall clustering of host taxa on a phylogenetic tree. Although promising, these indices have not been widely applied (Weiblen et al. in press). Phylogenetic constraints on host plant selection may be examined as a relationship of species turnover between herbivore communities and the phylogenetic distance of their host plant species (Novotny et al. 2002b).
Indices describing the distribution of herbivore individuals among host plant species represent an alternative approach to host specificity measurement, which ignores plant phylogeny but responds to herbivore abundance on various hosts and, as such, is relatively unaffected by rare host plant records. These include Lloyd's index (Novotny & Basset 1998) and Hurlbert's (1971) probability of interspecific encounter index (the latter was recently modified and used for food webs; e.g. Müller et al. 1999; Lewis et al. 2002; Morris et al. 2004). Local plant availability can also constrain host plant use, particularly in tropical forests where many genera and families are locally monotypic (e.g. Condit et al. 1996). Therefore, estimates of host specificity should always be considered with regard to the number of potential alternative hosts that are available.
Host specificity patterns of individuals in herbivore communities have received so little attention that even the simple but fundamental question of whether a herbivorous insect selected at random from tropical vegetation is likely to be a generalist or a specialist has yet to be answered (Novotny et al. 2004b).
Host specificity estimates depend on sound taxonomy of herbivores and plants. Modern revisions of tropical insect faunas often synonymize almost as many species as they describe (Scoble et al. 1995), while molecular research may reveal specialized cryptic species in what appeared to be a single generalist species (Berkov 2002). The analysis of cytochrome oxidase I ('DNA bar coding') may be particularly useful for species-level identifications in insects (Hebert et al. 2003).
Usually, studies of herbivores in tropical forests sample only part of the local flora—typically less than 100 species (Marquis 1991; Basset 1996; Barone 1998; Ødegaard 2000a; Novotny et al. 2002a). Often, the flora studied is structured according to plant phylogeny (e.g. congeneric species: Marquis 1991; allofamilial species: Basset 1996) or ecology (e.g. lianas versus trees: Ødegaard 2000a; early versus late successional species: Leps et al. 2001) and selected from locally common species. More extensive studies sampling a larger proportion of local vegetation (Janzen 1980, 2003; Tavakilian et al. 1997) are qualitative surveys that catalogue host–plant relationships, but do not monitor sampling effort and population densities of herbivores on individual plant species. A study that is both quantitative and comprehensive is still awaited.
The number of tropical multispecies studies of host specificity is limited (table 1). Regrettably, groundbreaking studies, rather than promoting analogous research in other ecosystems and geographical areas, tend to petrify into solitary textbook case studies. For instance, Janzen's (1980) pioneer survey of granivorous beetles from local vegetation still remains the only such comprehensive study of this herbivore guild from tropical forests.
The host specificity of herbivores feeding on a particular plant species may be regarded as a one of the latter's characteristics and analysed in the context of its other traits. Rather surprisingly, such analyses are rare, which contrasts with the attention paid to a similar variable: the number of herbivores feeding on different plant species (Lewinsohn 1991; Basset 1996; Basset & Novotny 1999; Kelly & Southwood 1999).
Temperate zone studies along successional series documented a positive relationship between plant predictability and host specificity of their herbivores, since ephemeral plants from early successional stages are colonized by polyphages (Brown & Southwood 1983). However, tropical succession often starts with pioneer trees, rather than with annual herbs. Already, these represent a permanent and predictable resource for insects with no advantage for polyphages (Leps et al. 2001). Polyvoltine insects in continuous tropical forests may be able to colonize even rare perennial plants. Thomas (1990) reported on rapid colonization of isolated plants in a rainforest, but further studies would need to examine plants isolated from their conspecifics by a distance larger than the 50m used in his study. Shanahan et al. (2001) reported rapid colonization by fig wasps of a new volcanic island 55km offshore.
Tree species from mature forests invest more in anti-herbivore defences than early successional species (Coley & Barone 1996). This is particularly so in mature leaves, which also suffer lower herbivore damage in late, rather than early, successional trees. Although these important patterns in anti-herbivore defence were observed 20 years ago (Coley 1983), it remains unclear how they are associated with host specificity patterns in herbivore communities from early and late successional trees. Young and mature leaves in tropical trees are so different, physically and chemically, that they represent distinct resources for insect herbivores. Further, there seem to be two anti-herbivore strategies, 'defence' and 'escape', employed by tropical trees to defend their young leaves (Kursar & Coley 2003). It is probable that herbivores respond by different levels of host specificity. In particular, the escape strategy may select for polyphagy in herbivores, but no data are available to confirm this assumption.
Plant growth form determines host specificity of herbivores in temperate areas (Ward et al. 1995), but most studies from the tropics concentrate only on shrubs and trees. Comparative studies of herbivores from other growth forms (e.g. herbaceous or epiphyte species) would be more difficult but also more rewarding, as demonstrated for example by a recent study of lianas (Ødegaard 2000a). Herbivore host specificity probably differs among plant lineages (cf. an example from temperate plants in Frenzel & Brandl 2001). Tropical woody vegetation provides an excellent, albeit neglected, opportunity for the analysis of the host specificity patterns in all major plant lineages, using plant species from the same growth form.
In addition to plant traits effecting 'bottom–up' influences on host specificity via secondary metabolites and other anti-herbivore defences, predators and parasitoids associated with each plant species may exercise 'top–down' control. Specialized herbivores appear to be less susceptible to predators in tropical forests (Dyer 1995), but tend to suffer higher parasitism rates (Gentry & Dyer 2002).
Interpreting differences in herbivorous communities feeding on different plant species is always difficult as they differ in multiple traits. Therefore, it is surprising how few studies have attempted to separate historical and ecological factors by comparative analyses of herbivore communities feeding on the same, or at least closely related, plant species exposed to well-defined differences in their environment or different experimental treatments. This approach has been used to study herbivore communities and their response to disturbance caused by selective logging (Basset et al. 2001), stratification between young and mature (Basset 2001b) and differences between living and dead (Ødegaard 2004) trees. However, the comparative approach has much greater potential, for example, for the studies of herbivore communities along successional, altitudinal or other environmental gradients (Novotny et al. in press). Replicated studies of herbivores feeding on identical or related plant species in various geographical areas can provide useful insights into the process of assembly of herbivore communities from regional species pools. Regrettably, a pioneering study on the cosmopolitan bracken fern (Lawton et al. 1993) has not been followed by similar studies concentrating on other widely distributed plant species or genera. Species-rich pan-tropical genera, such as Ficus, Piper or Psychotria, are promising candidates for such studies (Dyer & Palmer 2004).
Only a small proportion (27%) of species in herbivore communities feed on a single plant species when alternative congeneric hosts are available (table 1). By contrast, the proportions of species feeding on a single plant genus (48%) and family (58%) are higher and not statistically different from one another. Thus, limits of host plant range tend to coincide with those of plant genera, rather than those of families or higher taxonomic ranks. However, this analysis employed taxonomic ranks as a substitute for plant phylogeny and also ignored numerous methodological discrepancies among individual datasets and is therefore preliminary.
In theory, host specificity comparisons between different herbivore taxa and guilds are straightforward since all herbivores may be sampled simultaneously from identical study plants and sites. However, while some studies include herbivores from several insect orders (table 1), studies of more than one guild on the same hosts are lacking from tropical forests, probably because each guild requires a specific sampling method.
Concealed herbivore guilds are more specialized than those that feed externally on temperate vegetation (Mattson et al. 1988). In tropical forests, the average percentage of family specialists decreases among guilds in the sequence: granivores (99%)>leaf-miners (96%)>fructivores (83%)>leaf-chewers (56%)=sap-suckers (56%)>xylophages (24%)>root-feeders (10%) (see table 1). The proportion of genus specialists (but not species specialists) follows the same pattern. With the exception of xylophages, which feed on dead plant material, all endophytic guilds are thus more specialized than the external feeders. These conclusions remain tentative since replicated studies produced inconsistent host specificity estimates in several guilds: xylophagous beetles, leaf-chewing beetles, granivorous beetles and leaf-chewing Orthoptera (table 1). Some of these differences may have been caused by different methods of study, but they emphasize the need for replicated studies.
Although it is believed that larval host plant ranges are more restricted than those of adults, rigorous larval–adult comparisons are rare. This is a notable problem in herbivorous beetles where larvae and adults often belong to different guilds. The species richness (Basset 2001a) and host specificity (Ødegaard 2000b) of leaf-chewing beetles were studied extensively in tropical forests. However, adults predominate in this guild, while their root-feeding, xylophagous and granivorous larvae are mostly ignored.
Trends in the diversity of species along environmental gradients (e.g. latitudinal or altitudinal) are popular themes for study, whereas analogous trends in the diversity of interactions, including plant–herbivore trophic links, are not (Ollerton & Cranmer 2002). Although there is extensive literature comparing species richness in herbivorous communities at different altitudes (Brehm et al. 2003), host specificity comparisons between lowland and montane tropical forests are few (table 1) since lowland forests remain the most popular topic for study (Basset 2001a). Steep altitudinal gradients in temperature, rainfall and the abundance of ants (important as predators and mutualists of herbivores) across small geographical distances provide yet unexplored opportunities for the study of host specificity determinants in the tropics.
Whether there is a latitudinal gradient in host specificity between temperate and tropical forests is surprisingly hard to assess given a methodological dichotomy between tropical and temperate research. Almost all information on the host plants of tropical herbivores comes from local community studies on selected plant species (table 1), while even incomplete regional host plant lists are available for only a few taxa (e.g. Fiedler 1995; Flowers & Janzen 1997). By contrast, regional host plant lists for temperate herbivores, detailed particularly for Great Britain and central Europe, have been compiled for over two centuries, while quantitative community studies that include feeding experiments and rearing of larvae (e.g. Futuyma & Gould 1979) are rare. Incongruent methodology represents a serious problem as both host specificity estimates based on community and regional data have their own sets of biases (Ward 1988).
Given that reliable regional host species lists are unlikely to be forthcoming for tropical habitats, there is a need for renewed effort in collecting quantitative host specificity data for herbivorous insects from temperate vegetation. Ideally, such studies should produce quantitative food webs (Godfray et al. 1999) that measure the abundance or biomass of both plant and herbivore species as well as the intensity of their trophic interactions. It is important that food web studies are replicated as any tropical/temperate trends are only likely to emerge by analysing what may appear as unnecessary 'superabundance' of datasets.
There is no marked difference in host specificity between tropical and temperate butterflies (Fiedler 1995, 1998), although particular lineages may be less (Lycaenidae: Polyommatini; Fiedler 1995) or more specialized (Papilionidae: Scriber 1988) in the tropics than in temperate regions. Bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae; Beaver 1979) and treehoppers (Hemiptera: Membracidae; Wood 1984) appear to be less specialized in the tropics than in temperate regions, while a community study of temperate caterpillars (Futuyma & Gould 1979) shows lower host specificity than analogous data from the tropics (Barone 1998; Novotny et al. 2002a). The limited evidence available indicates that there may be no major increase in host specificity from temperate to tropical herbivore communities. This conclusion, and the recent downward revisions of extremely high estimates of tropical species richness (Basset et al. 1996; Ødegaard 2000b; Novotny et al. 2002b), suggests that tropical ecosystems, although different from those temperate in many respects, may not be as species rich as thought previously.
Empirical study of host specificity patterns is only the first step towards the ultimate goal of explaining host plant use by evolutionary and ecological factors. The evolutionary dynamics of host plant selection range from cospeciation between plants and herbivores, through sequential speciation of herbivores following the evolution of their hosts, to multiple colonizations of unrelated plants with similar chemical or other traits (e.g. Becerra 1997; Weiblen 2004). These evolutionary processes generate regional species pools of herbivores that serve as sources for local communities. The composition of communities may be tested against an estimate derived from a random selection from the regional species pool. This approach, already applied to plants (Webb 2000), could be useful in the study of herbivorous communities.
The present review describes the rather unsatisfactory state of current research where the lack of empirical data prevents us from making pan-tropical generalizations on host specificity patterns and their response to the key environmental variables. Rich empirical data are also essential as a source of inspiration for new hypotheses (LaFrankie 1996). As already argued by Godfray et al. (1999), there is a serious need for comprehensive quantitative surveys of plant–herbivore food webs in tropical forests that include a sampling effort which is 1–2 orders of magnitude greater than has been customary to date (Novotny et al. 2002c). Such surveys require a transition from solitary researchers to teams of researchers where ecologists work in synergy with taxonomists, and are supported by local field assistants and parataxonomists (Basset et al. 2004).
We thank Héctor Barrios, Lukas Cizek, Lee Dyer, Owen Lewis, Frode Ødegaard and Rapo Pokon for providing their unpublished data. Scott Miller, Lee Dyer and Neil Springate commented on the manuscript. Funding from US National Science Foundation (DEB-02-11591), Czech Academy of Sciences (A6007106, Z5007907), Czech Ministry of Education (ME646), Czech Grant Agency (206/04/0725, 206/03/H034) and Darwin Initiative for the Survival of Species (162/10/030) contributed to our research on host specificity.
PubMed Central Canada is a service of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) working in partnership with the National Research Council's national science library in cooperation with the National Center for Biotechnology Information at the U.S. National Library of Medicine(NCBI/NLM). It includes content provided to the PubMed Central International archive by participating publishers.


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This product has a FreakScore of 6.8* out of 10 based on 2 scores.
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System 3-way triaxial Diameter (mm) 6" x 9" RMS Power 70 Read more