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Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals® - Fourth Edition
Overview: Quickly and accurately identify and diagnose language disorders
Age Range: 5 through 21 years
RTI Tiers: RTI Levels 2 and 3
Completion Time: 30-60 minutes
Norms: Core Language Score, Receptive Language Score, Expressive Language Scores, Language Structure, Language Content, Language Memory, Working Memory Indexes as Standard Scores, Percentile Ranks, Age Equivalents
Scoring Options: Scoring Assistant or Manual Scoring
Publication Date: 2003
Product Details
Read about the new CELF-5.
Break New Ground With CELF-4 and Set a New, More Comprehensive Standard for Excellence in Language Assessment
CELF-4 gives you everything that you are looking for when evaluating a student's language performance. Combine core subtests with supplementary subtests
to get a comprehensive assessment of a student's language skills.
CELF is based on a four-level process model.
Features & Benefits
- CELF-4 provides the bridge that helps you understand a child's need for classroom language modifications, enhancements, or curriculum modifications
- Flexibility of subtest administration allows for shorter testing time while providing highly reliable, accurate results
- Composite scores include Core Language, Receptive Language, Expressive Language, Language Structure, Language Content, Language Memory, and Working Memory Indexes as Standard Scores
- Culturally appropriate contexts and visual stimuli make CELF-4 appropriate and interesting for all students
- Updated norms are based on a diverse standardization sample of 2,650 subjects that reflect the updated 2000 U.S. Census, including children with identified conditions and diagnosed language disorders.
- New subtests include Expressive Vocabulary, Word Definitions, Number Repetition 1 and 2, Phonological Awareness, Pragmatics Profile, and the Observational Rating Scale.
- CELF®–4 Interactive Training CD
Obtain descriptive indicators of students' language performance in class and at home.
What's New
Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-Fourth Edition (CELF-4)
The New CELF®–4
Moving Assessment to the Next Level
It's faster, flexible, and more reliable.
The CELF®–4 Assessment Process model ultimately gives you everything you need when evaluating a student's language performance to meet IDEA mandates.
- Faster administration of norm-referenced core subtests that gives an even more accurate diagnosis of a language disorder.
- Flexibility that lets you guide the assessment of your client to respond to referral questions, assessment needs, and program planning.
- More reliable with updated norms that reflect the 2000 U.S. Census, with 39% of the 2,650 students from minority families and 10% students identified as having a disability.
- Features new subtests including Expressive Vocabulary, Word Definitions, Number Repetition 1 & 2, Familiar Sequences 1& 2, Phonological Awareness, Pragmatics Profile, and Observational Rating Scale.
Accurately and Reliably
Determine a Child's Language Disorder.
The CELF®–4 assessment process has the flexibility and diagnostic information that you need to design an individualized assessment path for each client.
Level 1 – The four most discriminating subtests enable you to quickly determine whether or not there is a language disorder in one-third less time.
Level 2 – Determine the nature of the disorder and the student's strengths and weaknesses with two additional subtests to obtain Receptive Language, Expressive Language, Language Structure, Language Content, Language Memory, and Working Memory Index scores.
Level 3 – Decide what clinical skill deficits underlie the disorder with subtests such as Phonological Awareness, Rapid Automatic Naming, Number Repetition, Familiar Sequences, Word Associations, and Working Memory composite.
Level 4 – Explore how the student's classroom language performance and social interactions are affected. Use the Pragmatics Profile and the Observational Rating Scale to continue your assessment.
Areas of Assessment
CELF-4 Subtest Chart
CELF-4 Scoring Assistant
Score CELF-4 accurately and quickly with new software that calculates the Core Language Score, norm-referenced indexes, criterion-referenced cut scores, and summarizes the authentic assessments.
The Scoring Assistant provides a Summary, a Composite Score Chart, a Scaled Scores Chart, a Narrative, an Item Analysis, a Pragmatics Profile, and an Observational Ratings Scales Report.
CELF®-4 Scoring and Report Assistant
Score CELF®-4 accurately and quickly with new software
- The CELF-4 Scoring and Report Assistant provides interpretive reports and customizable clinical tools to streamline the assessment process and help develop effective IEPs.
- Create the following reports with the click of a mouse: Parent, Interpretive, Summary, and Graphical. You can also create a customized list of therapy activities, classroom interventions, and recommendations, as well as a detailed history for each student.
Sample Reports
- CELF-4 Scoring Assistant Sample Report (PDF -91kb)
Alternative Item Analysis
Alternative Item Analysis for Word Classes 1 and 2
Performance in the below-average range on the Word Classes subtest indicates that the student does not associate related words automatically or efficiently. Adequate ability to perceive relationships in the meaning of words and form word associations is essential for classroom listening and reading comprehension. Deficits in recognizing and using word associations influence a student's ability to make predictions, create meaning, make inferences, and use analogical reasoning for problem solving.
Examining subtest errors and categorizing them according to type will assist in extension testing, as well as in development of intervention strategies. Use of multiple categorizations can be helpful in examining a student's nonverbal classification strategy. For example, when assessing a student who can identify that words are opposites but cannot explain the difference in the pair further, a therapist may need to examine the conceptual breakdown of the items (e.g., permanent and temporary are antonyms; both refer to temporal states).
The CELF–4 Examiner's Manual provides Item Analyses for Word Classes 1 and 2, as well as a discussion of the function of Item Analyses, on pages 58–65. Alternative Item Analyses for the CELF–4 Word Classes items are provided below.
Alternative Item Analysis:
Reference Materials
CELF-4 Case Studies (PDF - 1544 KB)
Technical Reports
Correlations Between the CELF–4 and WISC–4 Integrated (PDF - 39kb)
CELF-4 Technical Report (PDF - 339kb)
CELF-4 Training CD
Provides in-depth training on each level of the CELF-4 assessment process. CELF-4 Training CD provides a comprehensive review of the Examiner's Manual, record forms, stimulus books, and new subtests. Includes:
- Interactive presentation
- Case studies
- Training handouts
- Frequently asked questions
- Scoring Assistant software demonstration
- Additional printable resources
Pre-recorded Webinars
Answering Tough Questions in CELF-4 Diagnosis and Interpretation.
Presenter: Elisabeth H. Wiig, PhD
CELF-4 uses a comprehensive multi-level process model for evaluating language disorders in school-age children. This seminar provides clinicians the opportunity to ask the tough questions that arise when interpreting test results. Clinicians are encouraged to submit questions about specific cases or about subtests or scores before the session.
Date: Mar 05, 2010
Frequently asked questions follow. Click on a question to see the response.
Test Content
What's new with CELF–4?
With the new CELF–4 you can evaluate language and determine whether or not a language disorder is present by administering only four subtests to obtain a Core Language Score. Once you determine that the student has a language disorder you can choose from several paths in order to evaluate
- The nature of the disorder (strengths/needs, affected modalities, content areas, conditions that enable the student to perform well)
- The underlying clinical behaviors (working memory, automaticiity of speech production, phonological awareness)
- How the disorder affects the student's classroom performance (authentic assessment with the Observational Rating Scale and Pragmatics Profile)
Does CELF–4 have any new subtests?
The following are all new subtests:
- Expressive Vocabulary—The student identifies an object, person, or activities portrayed in pictures.
- Word Definitions—The student defines a word that is named and used in a sentence.
- Phonological Awareness—The student rhymes words and word segments, blends, and identifies sounds and syllables in words.
- Number Repetition—The student repeats numbers forward and backward.
- Familiar Sequences—The student names familiar sequences (days of the week, counting, etc.)
- Pragmatics Profile—The examiner elicits information from a parent or teacher about the student's social language skills.
Have any CELF subtests changed?
The following subtests from CELF–3 have substantial changes:
- Concepts and Following Directions—now in color
- Word Classes 1 and Word Classes 2—has been split in two subtests, and is administered by age. Word Classes 1 has pictures to support a student's response choices. Both Word Classes 1 and 2 require that the student tell why the words he or she selected go together.
- Semantic relationships and Sentence Assembly—administration is required for students ages 13 and above, and is to derive the Core Language score.
- Alternative Item Analysis for Word Classes 1 and Word Classes 2—alternative item analysis for Word Classes 1 and Word Classes 2 is available for download.
Is the CELF–4 standardization sample representative of my population?
The CELF–4 norms are based on a standardization sample of 2650 children, adolescents, and young adults ages 5 through 21 years. The sample is representative of the U.S. population (as reported by the U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2000). The sample was stratified by age, sex, race/ethnicity, geographic region, and SES (based on parent education level). The CELF–4 standardization sample includes individuals with the full range of ability. The sample is an approximately equal distribution of low ability and high ability students across all ages, and includes students who are receiving special education services in approximately the same percentages that occur in the U.S. population.
Why does the Record Form for 9–21 years have items that are given to younger children?
Subtests that are in Record Form 1 and Record Form 2 are as similar as possible across both Record Forms for several reasons:
- Items are numbered consistently from one record form to the other;
- It is easier for examiners to become familiar with the layout of the subtest;
- Earlier items can be administered to an older student if necessary only if the items are included in the Record Form.
Can I test kindergarten students with CELF–4?
Yes. One of the goals of the revision of CELF was to set the lower limits of the test to include the evaluation of students at age 5 years and for use at the kindergarten level.
Can CELF–4 be administered to children diagnosed with Intellectual Disability or Autism?
The CELF–4 is sensitive to the language difficulties exhibited by children with intellectual disability or autistic disorder. For more information about the sensitivity of CELF–4 to the language impairments observed in specific clinical groups, refer to pages 273–275 in the CELF–4 Examiner's Manual.
Can I give CELF–4 to students who speak Spanish and English?
Although the CELF–4 standardization sample included students who were bilingual, English was the primary language of all participants. CELF–4 can be administered to students from non-mainstream cultural or linguistic backgrounds; however, it is important to be sensitive to any issues that may affect the student. When evaluating students from non-mainstream backgrounds, it may be necessary to modify the administration of CELF–4. When testing a student with a modified version of CELF–4 you cannot report normative test scores. Instead you can use a more descriptive approach to reporting the student's responses and reactions during testing. It is also important to include a description of the modifications and adaptations that you made to test administration.
Do I have to administer all of the subtests for a particular age?
No. The CELF–4 assessment process model was developed to provide you with the flexibility to administer only those subtests that you need in order to respond to your objectives for assessment and evaluation. With CELF–4, you can evaluate a student's general language ability and determine whether or not a language disorder is present by administering only four subtests to obtain a Core Language score. Once you determine that a student has a language disorder, you can select one or more subtests from any level to use for your evaluation or assessment objective.
In Word Classes 1 and 2, if the student gets part 1 wrong, do I need to give part 2?
Yes, administer and record the response for the second part of the item just as you had done with the items the student responded to correctly.
Why would I want to administer the working memory subtests, i.e., Number Repetition and Familiar Sequences?
The Working Memory index score and Number Repetition and Familiar Sequences subtests are included as an initial step in exploring the possible effect memory skills may have on a student's language disorder. These measures provide preliminary information to be used in making decisions about the need for referrals to other professionals who can fully evaluate the student's memory abilities.
When and why would I want to administer the Observational Rating Scales (ORS)?
Descriptive and authentic performance assessment measures are needed to describe classroom language performance and design appropriate instruction. These descriptive and curriculum-relevant measures enable clinicians to focus on the classroom as a communication and language-learning environment and to evaluate how a student uses language for a variety of purposes including literacy learning, organization, and socialization. Use ORS when there is a concern about a student's language performance within the classroom. You can also use the ORS when there is a need to identify situations or contexts in which reduced language performance occurs.
I tested at the beginning of the year, when can I test again?
The shortest test-retest interval that will not result in significant practice effects on CELF–4 has not been determined; further research is this area is needed to answer this question. A test-retest study used an interval of 1 to 5 weeks between test administrations. The results indicated that composite scores increased by 4 points on average for the overall sample. See chapter 7 in the Examiner's Manual for a report of this study.
My student earned no points on Semantic Relationships; can I still get a composite score that uses this subtest?
Yes. If a student earns a zero score on any subtest a corresponding scaled is listed in the norms tables in Appendix C. This scaled score can then be used to derive the composite score. Refer to page 92 in the Examiner's Manual for more information.


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I use a bridle made fast to the two corner cleats. It cuts the swinging down about 75%.
|Administered by The Pirate
I use a bridle made fast to the two corner cleats. It cuts the swinging down about 75%.
She's a tired old barge but she's paid for!
Ok, both interesting thoughts. Tie to cleat but have it run to the center first. Just need to figure out what it goes around so it doesn't wear the rope out? Or, I see what you mean with the bridle. Like a big V but again, how to control how much line is out? I don't anchor often but our lake does not have many large enough coves to get completely out of thte wind. Our lake and marina in general are very windy. So, that is why I swing wildly. We had one day people were swimming off the back and all of a sudden would be 60 to 100 feet away from teh boat because it swung the opposite direction.
Even our marina. Has a wave wall at the entrance but the other night (july 5th) I was coming in and had to dock that thing in about 12 to 15mph crosswinds. At night! Ugh!!!! It's not a huge boat at 58 feet but my slip is only about 17 or 18 wide and the boat is 15. Not a lot of room for error.
I will tinker with some things. I bought some chain and some other fastners the other day at the farm supply store.
My bridle is two pieces of line about 30' long spliced together with about a 2' "tag line" at the connection. Each of the long legs has a small eye splice that just goes on a corner cleat. I leave it rigged to the cleats all the time, and stow it coiled on deck. When anchoring I set the anchor and pay out the rode to about 30' less than I need, then make the "tag" fast to the rode with a rolling hitch. Then pay out more rode till the bridle takes the load, and secure the rode with a little slack. I can put out as much or as little rode as I like, but once the bridle is set I can't pay out any more without first heaving up to the hitch and releasing it.
If the hitch slips (it won't if done right), the rode is there, made fast, to take the strain.
Weighing anchor, I simply heave up till I get to the hitch and release it, then heave up the rest of the rode in the usual way.
I use my anchor a LOT, sometimes even when docking or turning the boat in my narrow canal. It has saved my skin more than once. It has to be ready to go and one needs to plan ahead, but it works. Needless to say I don't use the bridle in those instances.
Last edited by Stmbtwle; 07-10-2013 at 11:28 AM.
She's a tired old barge but she's paid for!

subset: commoncrawl


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VigLink needed a new stationery design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 165 designs submitted by 38 freelance designers.
VigLink is a San Francisco based startup that helps website owners monetize their content. Today we primarily provide an easy way to automatically affiliate a site's outbound links, but our product offering is expanding.
Check out our site at http://www.viglink.com to get a feel for the voice & brand.
Our audience includes anyone who runs a web site. Existing partners range in size from the lone blogger to the web's largest social networks.
Viglink already has a logo, but we're looking for business cards and, if you get especially inspired, letterhead.
The logo and font (Syntax D) are attached. We don't have any formal guidelines regarding use of the logo font or colors. Don't change either in the logo itself, but go ahead and use the colors or font as you see fit elsewhere on the card. Feel free to introduce new colors to the card if the 3-color palette is too limiting.
Get creative! We're open to die cuts, bleeds, etc. or something more traditional. We're in your hands.
The card should include this contact info (but it doesn't have to be formatted in this way):
John Doe
(415) 555-1212
123 Market St.
San Francisco, CA 12345


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SpicyMonkey needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 168 designs submitted by 39 freelance designers.
Our organization is a new network of nurses working in practice, nurse researchers working in universities and nursing students. We have members located across our region. Our role is to create connections between front line health care workers (hospitals) medical researchers (universities). We are mandated to improve health care services throughout our region.
Our organization sells ideas and uses innovative ways to bring people together.
Nurses, Nursing Researchers, Other Health Care Professionals
Primarily women ranging in age from 24-65 years.
The actual logo should consist of a logo mark with the word 'Inspire'
Our byline, please include "Innovative Nursing Services & Practice Informed by Research & Evaluation Network".
We would like to see the logo use these 2 different colour combinations
1. RGB colour: #424169 and RGB colour: #98ab51 (please use blues as complimentary colours to these 2 main colours)
2. RGB colour: #093363 and RGB colour: #8b0a04
This logo is for a network of nursing professionals and as the name suggests, we are looking for a logo that communicates 'Inspiration' and bringing people together. While this logo is for a nursing initiative, we do not want obvious medical iconography. Please avoid the use of the obvious hospital/nurse icons.
This logo should convey Innovation and Research and Bringing People Together.
This logo will be used primarily electronically on the website but will also be used occasionally on print materials.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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State approves $22 million TIF bond for Bass Pro
HARTFORD -- The State Bond Commission on Friday approved the use of future sales taxes generated by the planned Bass Pro Shops store on Bridgeport's Steel Point to pay for $22 million in long-term borrowing for the site's development.
The payment arrangement -- called tax incremental financing, or TIF, for short -- was unanimously approved by the panel, which okayed the issuance of the $22 million in state bonds.
The commission, controlled by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and majority Democrats, also approved a $9 million grant to continue infrastructure improvements on the long-vacant 56-acre harborside peninsula where a 16-year, $800 million development is planned.
"I have a great deal of confidence that it will be a successful enough project to cover the debt service of the TIF financing," said Sen. L. Scott Frantz, R-Greenwich, adding that he is more concerned about the state's role in financing subsequent phases of the project.
Bass Pro Shops would have a 20-year lease at the location for a 140,000 square-foot operation, with two acres of outdoor space, half of which will be for waterside boat sales for a regional market.
About 100 fulltime jobs and 137 part-time jobs are expected to be created when the $68.5 million project is completed.
"Steel Point has been pending in Bridgeport for a long, long period of time," Malloy told reporters after the meeting. "It's important to get this operation up and running to begin to pay back the investment that has previously been made at Steel Point both by local government and, under the administrators of my predecessors, state government."
Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch said it was good news for Bridgeport.
"We're very pleased that the governor saw fit to bring to Bridgeport one of the nation's major retailers to create these jobs we desperately need," Finch said. "This store is going to bring millions of people to Bridgeport and they're going to see the natural beauty of the city for the first time. They'll see Pleasure Beach, they'll see Seaside Park and they'll see downtown and that's a good thing."
Part of the work will be to raise the site by about four feet to get it to a 12-foot elevation above the harbor. "This is a retail behemoth, in many ways," Finch said. The development has been planned since 1998, when the General Assembly first approved the TIF financing program.
Senate Minority Leader John McKinney, R-Fairfield, said that the Steel Point project might be short-changing Bridgeport, which he believes could use more corporate headquarters with higher-paying jobs, than retail outlets with lower-paid hourly jobs.
"If I were a citizen of Bridgeport, I would say: `Why are hundreds of millions of dollars going to hedge funds and all we're getting is a retail shop?' " McKinney said.
"We've got a lot of that high-end stuff," Finch said in response to McKinney. "Retail brings in millions of people when you have a Bass Pro, which is incredible because it leverages all the other investments."
It could be argued Bass Pro does not need taxpayer money. In June, Bloomberg reported the company is worth at least $2.6 billion.
And critics question the bang-for-the-buck governments get when they lavish Bass Pro with subsidies.
Last September, the Watchdog.org journalism website concluded the "economic benefits are minimal and costs to taxpayers are great."
"Typically, these stores are financed through familiar economic development schemes like tax increment financing districts. ... In fact, Bass Pro Shops often pays comparably little toward the construction of its own stores," wrote Watchdog.org.
But Bridgeport has envisioned Bass Pro as the catalyst needed to jump-start Steel Point and lure other businesses to the site.
Bass Pro stores are also known for offering a variety of programs, from equipment training to summer camps, for local communities. And Finch has said with the Bridgeport location so close to the Pleasure Beach peninsula he hopes to reopen in 2014, the two attractions will help each other. He has envisioned fly-fishing courses being taught at Pleasure Beach, for example.
Bass Pro will also be under scrutiny to employ from within Bridgeport's heavily-minority community in light of the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's hiring-discrimination lawsuit against the company.
In March, a U.S. District Court judge in Houston allowed the EEOC lawsuit, alleging the company turned away black and Hispanic applicants at stores nationwide, to move ahead.
The company has denied the allegations. Mike Rowland, vice president of human resources, in a statement said, "A core principle of this company is respect for our associates and our customers. We treat everyone the way we would expect to be treated."
email@example.com; 860-549-4670; twitter.com/KenDixonCT; facebook.com/kendixonct.hearst; blog.ctnews.com/dixon
More InformationThe bond commission also approved:
* $3.7 million for the town of Newtown to plan for the construction of a new Sandy Hook Elementary School.
* $2 million for the Bridgeport Economic Development Corp. to support minority-owned businesses.
* $15 million for so-called micro-grid electric-generating projects throughout the state, including Bridgeport's City Hall, police headquarters and senior center; plus Fairfield Police and Fire headquarters and emergency operations center.
* $3.2 million for 232 new units of congregate housing at Wilton Commons, near the Wilton train station.


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Hydecker Designs is an architectural firm featured in the ARG Flynn Lives. The company is responsible for structures like the ENCOM Tower featured in TRON and TRON: Legacy, designed by Jordan Canas, the wife of Kevin Flynn.
At an unspecified time, the Flynn estate donated a blueprint of a building Jordan designed to the company.[1]


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Forum dedicated to community maps created with Far Cry 1, 2, and 3 Map Making tools
Forum for discussion about all past Far Cry games.
Forum for Far Cry discussions that just don't seem to fit anywhere else
Forum to get technical help from community members. This is not an official support channel. Please visit your local Ubisoft support site for technical support.


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0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic.
Who currently owns the rights to animate Berserk? And if it's no longer Studio 4°C, does that mean Miura would need to personally sign this off or what?
He presented himself as a Berserk fan and said he was serious about doing it right. And they would do the entire series.
Yeah I saw that yesterday. Of course, its basically the Stan Lee brand's Facebook page (I was downvoted to oblivion on Reddit for pointing this out) but it's a big deal, real Stan Lee or not. 5 million people like that page.
Must have been the Idea of Evil planning all this. (Btw is the emoticon still existing? I can't quite find where/how to use it)
I wish I could get excited about this new berserk anime but I can not get my self too. I was so disappointed with the movies and that it destroyed my faith that a decent berserk anime adaption can be be made. I know I should give this a chance but I'm very skeptical at this point. Berserk is such a well thought out and and tightly plotted story with every detail to the story and characterazation woven just perfectly. Nothing is arbitrary in berserk and in these adaption s even the smallest miniscule change has the potential to unravel important plot points and characterazation which really screws up the the whole thing. And then it falls flat or ruins it completely. Berserk is not one of those mangas that you can change things around for what ever reason.
From that perspective you might understand our contempt
Again, not sure if this deserves it's own topic but!Berserk will be a TV Anime according to this tweet.
http://berserk-anime.com/news/index00060000.htmlIt's also confirmed for Summer 2016 (July).
Yay for it not being movie(s)?
More details in English:http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2016-02-04/new-berserk-anime-is-tv-series-that-premieres-in-july/.98320A CG series doesn't seem plausible, so here's hoping the CG crap was just for the promo.
A CG series doesn't seem plausible
I was personally hoping that Netflix would someday license Berserk and give it the same kind of luxurious treatment they did for Seven Deadly Sins - produce a Netlix-original Berserk anime series that was gonna be accurate to manga and have outstanding animation quality.


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I swear to god, if Kim Kardashian puts another wedding on TV, I will abscond to Canada and never return. Don't get your hopes up, though -- the only sign we've gotten that Kim and Kanye West are getting married is this photo she tweeted of a possible engagement ring she's wearing on her left hand. I guess Yeezy liked it, so he put a baby in it, then a ring on it? Aw, isn't that adorable.
Besides the fact that these two characters are becoming more and more loathsome by the day, I will admit to liking Kim's choice in engagement bling. As a big fan of the non-traditional route, I appreciate that she and Kanye went with something unique, special, and understated.
Because everyone knows that the bigger the ring doesn't mean the bigger the love. In fact, it could even mean the opposite when it comes to Kim -- Kris Humphries gave her a monstrosity of an engagement ring that was over 20 carats and cost a disturbing $750,000 ($2 million if Kris hadn't received a deal and had bought the ring at retail).
So maybe this cute little initial ring is a sign that these two are actually for real? That material possessions couldn't possibly encapsulate their love, so why even try? That their initials, literally banded together, mean everything?
Gross, but good, I guess.
I suppose now that they have a ring and a bun in the oven, all that's left is a divorce from Kris Humphries. Ah, true love at work.
Do you like non-traditional engagement rings?
Photo via kim kardashian/Instagram


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Baby is 2 months old. I'm sorry for posting so much and asking silly questions. But I am so sad and confused. Since we were talking about the over supply in the previous post by me. I think now it has ended up in low supply. For past 5 days his weight remains the same. 12 pounds 12-15 ounces depending upon his feed. He is nursing every one to 1.5 hours all day long. And frustrated about the slow flow at times. His pooping and peeing has reduced a lot. Still he is wetting every diaper and poops 3_4 times a day. My question is if he is not satisfied in a nursing session wouldn't he cry? Or they get distracted at this age? Would a hungry baby go to sleep? Today is the worst day of past three days because he is nursing every now and then. He has alert times. Coos talks smiles to me. Even while nursing. Does a hungry baby do this? But his weight remains same. During my oversupply days he gained really well. Atleast an ounce a day.
I am so upset that I keep on failing him. I can pump again and try to bring the supply up. But since he is nursing all day. When. Should I pump? Please help .
Weight history
Birth _ 8 pounds 13 ounces.
Lost a pound in 4 days. 7 pounds 12 ounces .
Took 19 days to regain birth weight.
2 months 12 pounds 12 ounces


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January 7, 2006
A 13-point first half effort by Kyle Medeiros, along with 11 points each from Andrew Zimmer and Gary Simkus led the Wabash basketball team to a 76-52 win over Hiram College in North Coast Athletic Conference action Saturday afternoon at Chadwick Court. The win was the ninth in a row for the Little Giants and seventh consecutive home victory.
Hiram took a 2-0 lead before the Little Giants took away any doubt of a ninth straight victory celebration with a 12-0 run for the only lead change of the game. Medeiros scored back-to-back three pointers to put Wabash up 20-8 with 12:15 left in the opening period, eventually taking an 18-point edge on a Medeiros jumper.
Leading 36-18 at the halftime break, the Little Giants forged ahead to a 24-point advantage before a three-point basket barrage by AJ White and Rick Baldwin trimmed the lead to 13. Wabash responded with baskets from Brian Maloney and Simkus to race back in front by 21 midway through the final period, eventually leading by as a many as 31 points.
Caleb Lyttle added eight points and eight rebounds. Ryan Stephens followed his first career double from Friday night with a six-point, seven-rebound effort. Thirteen of the 15 Wabash players that entered the game scored in the victory.
The win puts Wabash at 10-3 for the season, the best start since the Little Giants opened the 1999-2000 season with an 11-3 record. The nine-game winning streak is the longest since a 10-game stretch during the 1996-97 season.
Wabash remains undefeated in NCAC play, but will face co-leaders Ohio Wesleyan University and the College of Wooster this week. The Little Giants travel to OWU Wednesday evening for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff before returning to Chadwick Court next Saturday to face the number-three ranked Scots at 2 p.m.


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AG Martha Coakley launches bid for governor with handshakes and a video
MEDFORD — With a broad smile, Attorney General Martha Coakley walked into Dempsey's Breakfast & Lunch this morning to greet diners and launch her campaign for the Democratic nomination for governor.
"How are you? Martha Coakley,'' she said, introducing herself. "Did you have breakfast or are you just having coffee?'' Coakley asked Medford resident Peter Antonellis.
The crowd was friendly. Before she came in, Bill Murphy, a Democrat from Medford, was sitting at a table in the diner reading a newspaper.
"I'm going to vote for her,'' he said. "Local lady, hard worker.''
After making her way through the diner followed by a handful of TV cameras and a gaggle of reporters, Coakley spoke to the gathered press.
"I think that I am ready to both lead and listen to people in Massachusetts about what they want. I know they want to continue moving the economy forward, giving people economic opportunity, improving our educational system,'' she said. "I'm going to do that as governor.''
Coakley said she had learned from her 2010 US Senate special election loss.
"Look, we've acknowledged, I've acknowledged that we made mistakes on that campaign trail and I've learned from that,'' Coakley said. "I got right back to work in the AG's office; I got right back out shaking hands and meeting people in order to run for Attorney General.''
"I know it's going to be a long hard, primary. I welcome that,'' she said of the governor's race.
Beyond politics, she also addressed some issues of policy, saying it was "good news'' that Beacon Hill appeared poised to repeal a controversial tax on computer software services.
"Look, people make mistakes. I know that. The key is: Do you recognize that? Do you learn from it and turn it around?'' she said. "And, Massachusetts it seems, is going to be able to change that around in this instance and I think learn a lesson going forward.''
Before she met with the voters in person, Coakley had already posted a video about her pursuit of the Democratic nomination on her website and on YouTube.
In it, Coakley tried to shake the perception from her devastating 2010 Senate loss that she is aloof. The footage shows her out and about with voters, shaking hands on street corners, and in MBTA stations and coffee shops.
"You know, a lot of folks say politics is tough and it can be,'' she says in the video. "I know what it's like to lose a race. I know how hard that is. But you know what, it's nothing compared to what so many people go through every day in their lives.''
The two-minute video features images from different pockets of Massachusetts, and of Coakley interacting with voters, as the Medford Democrat's voiceover strikes a populist theme. Paying tribute to "ordinary people with extraordinary courage,'' including cops, teachers, hospital workers, and adult children caring for their parents, Coakley said she would fight for them.
"If you see them the way I see them, you can't help but be inspired by them. These folks are the reason I'm running for governor. They need someone who will fight for them, someone who will take their side,'' Coakley said.
"After some tough years, this state is ready to take off,'' she said.
Following her 2010 loss to Scott Brown, Coakley was roundly criticized for running too timid a campaign, an error she seems determined not to repeat.
After her announcement today in Medford, Coakley plans a three-day, 18-community tour.
That technique appears designed to contrast not only with her own electoral past, but with the rollout technique adopted this year by Republican Charles D. Baker, who announced with a video shot in his backyard and with press availabilities.
Coakley joins a crowded Democratic primary already inhabited by Treasurer Steven Grossman, former Globe op-ed columnist and one-time homeland security official Juliette Kayyem, former Obama administration health care official Donald M. Berwick, and biotechnology executive Joseph Avellone. State senator Dan Wolf has suspended his campaign while dealing with conflict-of-interest questions stemming from his ownership stake in Cape Air.


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Because Justin Bieber is Justin Bieber - a teen-singer heartthrob - it's hard to take his music seriously. Everything about him screams Tiger Beat, from the endless screeching girls to his relationship with fellow teen sensation Selena Gomez to that hair (let's not forget about the promotional products, from his perfume lines and those Proactive commercials).
And then there's the song that has defined him most - "Baby," perhaps the most saccharine, bubble-gum song recorded in quite some time.
With all that weighing him down, it's not surprising that few have taken Bieber - the artist - seriously. But his new CD will help change that.
"Believe," his third full-length album, is a 13-track set that shows that Bieber, now 18, is growing as a musician, and the result is enjoyable.
The album's first single, "Boyfriend," is a great pop song that sounds like Justin Timberlake's falsetto mashed up with the Ying Yang Twins' "The Whisper Song." It's Bieber's biggest hit to date.
The rest of the album also has future hits: "All Around the World" (with Ludacris) is upbeat, as is the futuristic, Big Sean-assisted "As Long As You Love Me," which sounds like it could have been produced by Skrillex and David Guetta.
Bieber co-wrote all but one song on the album, working with producers like The Messengers, Rodney Jerkins, Hit-Boy, Diplo, Max Martin, Bei Maejor and others.
His best collaboration, though, is with Drake on "Right Here," a 1990s sounding-R&B jam that proves the Canadian singer is best on smoother tunes, not Euro-flavored ones. "Catching Feelings," a soft, pop groove co-written by Babyface, is arguably the best track, showcasing Bieber's versatility and hopefully the future artistic heft to come from the singer. It also highlights Bieber's voice, which is good and improving, though recent live performances of "Boyfriend" haven't been that strong.
"Believe" does have some missteps: "Thought of You" is weak and the Nicki Minaj-featured "Beauty and a Beat" is a wasted collaboration.
While Bieber channels Timberlake at times, he also has moments inspired by his idol, Michael Jackson. Bieber samples Jackson's "We Got a Good Thing Going" for the nicely done, R&B-tinged "Die In Your Arms," and there's also a bonus track "Maria," a song about Mariah Yeater, the woman who falsely claimed Bieber fathered her child. The song recalls "Billie Jean," and it's clever and amusing.
CHECK THIS TRACK OUT: Bonus track "Out of Town Girl" is another track with Timberlake flavor.


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dustinh wrote:Same.
This thing is quite versatile for a single osc synth. It's interesting to see all these companies that are finally starting to develop real analog hardware. I wonder what the price point will be on this?
StepLogik wrote:Would be nice if it had a 2nd osc but there is still a lot to appreciate here.
Sir Ruff wrote:FINALLY.... multi-mode filter
casimirsblake wrote:Surely this is 3 OSCs + sub osc + noise? There's a mixer panel for the waveforms...
casimirsblake wrote:Amazona.de preview: (in German, but Google-translates fairly well)
http://www.amazona.de/index.php?page=26 ... e_id=3824#
Surely this is 3 OSCs + sub osc + noise? There's a mixer panel for the waveforms...
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144 Watt RGB led music controller using RF
Why RF vs IR? RF = Radio Freq - so you don't have to point your remote directly to the sensor on the controller to activate. This makes a HUGE difference!
IR remotes you must point at a little sensor on the controller. IR controllers are very difficult to install because it must still be visible. Not the case with RF. Hide anywhere you want! This is one of the best RGB controllers on the market for small projects and limo/party bus installations. Infact, these are used by our local San Diego Party bus builder - pictures shown!
What does music control mean?
This means the lights can do various functions such as flash on/off when the built in microphone hears sound.
What is the max current output?
12A at 12V
How many LED or strips can this connect to?
Up to 30 Meters of LED strip is possible, however their may be voltage drop on your strip if solid 30M long. We recommend putting Rolls on the output of this controller directly. Multiple strips can be connected to the output of this controller.


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Fab blogger, Mz. Sixx of Au Naturale, remixed an article by Total Beauty entitled 10 Hair Trends You'll Want to Try in 2012. Mz. Sixx shows how to achieve the same styles on natural hair!! I was so excited because that's the same thing I think about with my locs. I never have the guts to try these ideas, but my sister is more adventurous with her natural hair mohawk.
Check out the post by Mz. Sixx... tell her Yummy411 sent you over ;)


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LoveReading has teamed up with Audiobooks.com to give you the chance to get 2 free audiobooks when you sign up. Try it for 30 days for free with no strings attached. You can cancel anytime, although we're sure you'll love it. Click the button to find out more:Find out more
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Definitions of secant
a. - Cutting; divivding into two parts; as, a secant line. 2
a. - A line that cuts another; especially, a straight line cutting a curve in two or more points. 2
a. - A right line drawn from the center of a circle through one end of a circular arc, and terminated by a tangent drawn from the other end; the number expressing the ratio line of this line to the radius of the circle. See Trigonometrical function, under Function. 2
The word "secant" uses 6 letters: A C E N S T.
Direct anagrams of secant:
ascent centas enacts stance
Words formed by adding one letter before or after secant (in bold), or to acenst in any order:
a - catenas c - accents d - decants descant scanted e - cetanes tenaces h - chasten i - acetins cineast l - cantles centals lancets n - nascent o - octanes r - canters carnets nectars recants scanter tanrecs trances s - ascents secants stances u - nutcase
Shorter words found within secant:
ace aces acne acnes act acts ae an ane anes ant ante antes ants as at ate ates can cane canes cans canst cant cants case cast caste cat cate cates cats cent cents cesta east eat eats en enact ens es et eta etas etna etnas na nae nates ne neat neats nest net nets sac sae sane sat sate scan scant scat scena scent sea seat sec sect sen sent set seta stane ta tace taces tae tan tans tas tea teas ten tens
List shorter words within secant, sorted by length
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Other words with the same letter pairs: se ec ca an nt
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Some random words: sepal gharial lyard vying mu aorist mho
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5617 BERGENLINE AVENUE, West New York, NJ 07093
575 55th Street, West New York, NJ 07093
6508 Bergenline Ave, West New York, NJ 07093
5702 HUDSON AVE, West New York, NJ 07093
6700 Bergenline Ave., West New York, NJ 07093
5922 Bergenline Ave, West New York, NJ 07093
Birthdays are a time to celebrate the joy of life. Surprise someone with birthday flowers and make their birthday a wonderful day to remember. Choose from colorful birthday arrangements that will brighten anyone's day.
Show your condolences with beautiful funeral and sympathy flowers, thoughtful and heart-felt way to express your sympathy and support to a grieving friend or relative.
My family owns the West 96th Street building and has considered selling it, but we want to keep a retail presence there. PlantShed needs more space for production, though. We might move offices to New Jersey—where we recently got a warehouse—Long Island City or further uptown. There are stresses on the business, but we're making it work. When I took over, I realized we could not just be a retail flower store. The numbers wouldn't support it. That's why we pursued the idea of putting cafés in our shops. Retail stores also need to be a lifestyle brand.Our goal is to spread our love of plants and flowers to people around the city and beyond. I've hired employees to facilitate partnerships and make our stores young and hip. Through the cafés, we have created a way for people to gather and be surrounded by nature. Those who come in every morning for a cup of coffee think of us when they need to buy a bouquet of flowers. We want to foster community and build a local attachment to our brand.I'm a partner in Haven, a boutique hotel in Montauk, which is a separate business from PlantShed. In the past few years, we have blown Haven out with plants, putting custom-made hanging baskets in the walkways and tropical houseplants in the hotel rooms. Guests love it. Now I am working on a hotel concept. I'm trying to find a location for a farmstead, greenhouse and inn in the Hudson Valley or the Catskills. PlantShed would own it, and it would be something really unique, bridging biophilia and hospitality.It's definitely something we could bring to New York City or another city down the line. We have found that incorporating plant life in an urban setting is appealing to people. We assume these travelers want a city vibe, rather than a country or tropical feel. So it would be a matter of incorporating plants and flowers in a way that accentuates the look and feel of a city. https://www.crainsnewyork.com/asked-answered/third-generation-owner-seeks-turn-retail-plant-shop-lifestyle-brand
The Sunshine Bouquet Company began in New Jersey before branching out to Florida and Columbia, which allowed "Sunshine to provide efficient, rapid delivery to the United States."Ms Brisch said Big Y also offers flower bouquets and potted plants from local farms, like Cavicchio Greenhouse in Sudbury, Mass. Since Big Y is headquartered in Springfield, Mass., its local farms are located in Massachusetts or Connecticut. Newtown Big Y Store Director Angelo Soto shared a list of all of its local farms, and those include Casertano's Greenhouse in Cheshire, Connecticut Valley Flower in Hamden, Geremia Greenhouse in Wallingford, and Grower Direct in Somers."There are so many local things to chose from," said Ms Brisch.From choosing to support a conscientious company to finding ways to support local farms there is more to consider than just the color of a bouquet's assorted flowers.Off-Season OptionsConnecticut-grown flowers can be hard to find in the winter.Natalie Collette of The Gardenist of Norwalk offers floral arrangements and designs, along with garden design support and maintenance, according to her Facebook page, The Gardenist. She mostly sells her flowers to local florists and people who contact her directly. A farmer florist, Ms Collette said she has private properties where she plants seasonal flowers, all organically. She harvests and creates bouquets along with maintaining a dahlia farm in New Haven. Growers in Connecticut, unless they have a greenhouse, do not grow flowers out of season, she observed. This makes it harder for local shops to maintain locally grown flowers in the winter months.When asked for ideas for alternative Valentine's Day presents, Ms Collette recommended gifting a living flower arrangement or foraging for a bouquet of seasonal elements. Potted plants from a nursery also provide year-long enjoyment."If it is a perennial, you can enjoy the plant from when you purchase it [until you] plant it in the spring," said Ms Collette, who is currently selling hous... https://www.newtownbee.com/better-roses/02102019
Vance said in a release. "He was murdered in cold blood in a crime of unconscionable violence, his body mutilated, thrown from a fourth-story window, and abandoned behind a florist's shop in New Jersey."Comunale was stabbed 15 times on Nov. 13 at Rackover's East 59th Street apartment following a party also attended by Lawrence Dilione, 28, of Jersey City and Max Gemma, 30, of Oceanport, authorities said.Both men are also facing charges related to the incident, including a second-degree murder charge for Dilione.At about 9:45 p.m. that night, Rackover and Dilione drove Comunale's body, which had been burned, to a field behind a florist on Monmouth Boulevard in Oceanport and buried it, investigators have said. A court motion filed on behalf of Gemma, who is the son of former Oceanport Mayor Gordon Gemma in January claimed Dilione, a former Oceanport resident, admitted to investigators that he knocked Comunale unconscious after an argument over cigarettes, the New York Post reported.Dilione told investigators that Rackover then viciously kicked and beat the defenseless Comunale. After realizing Comunale was severely injured and afraid of being arrested, the motion says, Rackover said: "We have to kill him," according to the report.Rackover is expected to be sentenced on Dec. 5, a release from the district attorney's office said.The charges against Dilione and Gemma were still pending Friday, Vance said.Dilione was charged with second-degree murder, hindering prosecution, tampering with physical evidence and three counts of concealment of a human corpse. Gemma was charged with hindering prosecution and tampering with physical evidence.Dilione was scheduled to stand trial on Jan. 14 and Gemma's court da... https://www.nj.com/monmouth/index.ssf/2018/11/ny_man_who_buried_the_man_he_murdered_behind_a_nj_florist_shop_found_guilty.html


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Barbiturates are a type of depressant drug that cause relaxation and sleepiness. A barbituate overdose occurs when someone accidentally or intentionally takes more than the normal or recommended amount of this medication. This is life threatening.
At relatively low doses, barituates may cause you to seem like you are drunk, or intoxicated.
This is for information only and not for use in the treatment or management of an actual poison exposure. If you have an exposure, you should call your local emergency number (such as 911) or theNational Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222.
Alternative Names
Intoxication – barbiturates
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Barbiturate abuse is a major addiction problem for many people. Most people who take these medications for seizure disorders or pain syndromes do not abuse them,. However, those who become addicts usually start by abusing medication prescribed for them or other family members.
Symptoms of barbiturate intoxication and overdose include:
- Altered level of consciousness
- Difficulty in thinking
- Drowsiness or coma
- Faulty judgment
- Incoordination
- Shallow breathing
- Slowness of speech
- Sluggishness
- Slurred speech
- Staggering
Excessive and long-term use of barbiturates, such as phenobarbital, may produce the following chronic symptoms:
- Changes in alertness
- Decreased functioning
- Irritability
- Memory loss
Signs and tests
The health care provider will measure and monitor the patient's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Blood and urine tests will be done to screen for drugs.
Most overdoses of this type of medication involve a mixtures of drugs, usually alcohol and barbiturates, or barbiturates and opiates (heroin or Oxycontin).
Some users use a combination of all four drugs. Those who take such combinations tend to be:
- A new user who does not know that such combinations can lead to coma or death
- Experienced users who intentionally use them to alter consciousness.
The second group is among the most difficult to treat.
The patient may receive a medicine called naloxone (Narcan) , if an opiate was part of the mix. This medicine will often rapidly restore consciousness and breathing.
There is no direct antidote for this type of overdose. Breathing support, such as a breathing machine, may be needed until all the drug is removed from the body.
Expectations (prognosis)
About 1 in 10 people who have a barbiturate overdose or mixture overdose will die. They usually die from heart and lung problems.
Complications can include:
- Coma
- Death
- Miscarriage in pregnant women or damage to the developing baby in the womb
Calling your health care provider
Call your local emergency number, such as 911, if someone has taken barbituates and seems extremely tired or has breathing problems. The National Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) can be called from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.
This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.


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In late February, while most major commodities were extremely bull-friendly, Carl Brothers was wary of rice. Among the reasons: too much supply, too few exports, and too many quality concerns.
"When looking at rice production around the world, the United States is (responsible) for less than 2 percent," said the Riceland senior vice president, market and risk management, at the Mid-South Farm and Gin Show. "That's quite different than with corn, wheat, soybeans and cotton. So, prices for rice are really made in Asia."
In 2004 and prior "we were carrying over 35 percent in the stocks-to-use ratio. The world was afloat in rice. Thai prices were $165 per ton. We were experiencing a loan deficiency payment — in a period I call 'loan economics.'"
The landscape has since changed. Around 2008, "stocks plummeted" and "prices skyrocketed. Thai prices went to $1,000 per ton."
Currently, Thai prices are around $530 to $540.
"Farmers often tell me 'prices aren't up.' Well, prices are up — but you're getting more money from the commercial market and less from government benefits because there is no counter-cyclical payment. The stocks-to-use ratio has stabilized some."
Last summer, "we had record rice acres — particularly in Arkansas (with 1.79 million acres) and Missouri (253,000 acres). Pressure came on and U.S. prices, for the first time in some time, went below Thai prices. Immediately, in the late summer, we sold 120,000 tons to the Iraqis and displaced the Thais there."
Unfortunately, record acreage doesn't guarantee a stellar crop.
"The harvest was very disappointing. Not only were the field yields disappointing but the milling yields and quality were very poor. In fact, I've been with (Riceland) for 46 years and it's the worst crop we've handled. We've had more difficulty with the (2010) crop with our customer base, with our milling operations, than with any crop I've experienced."
Now, "we have less rice on hand because of the yields and milling yields. The rice prices rebounded. Also, corn, wheat, beans and cotton were exciting and futures were running. But the cash didn't really follow and that's what has created the wide basis we see today."
But as U.S. rice prices increased, "we missed the last three Iraqi tenders. And we're really falling off the pace needed to move this crop."
Brothers admitted to being "pretty negative on rice. Some of the materials I'll use this morning date back a couple of weeks when Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) prices were much higher than today. We've seen a dramatic adjustment."
Looking at balance sheets and fundamentals, "you'll see that rice is trailing the other crops in bullishness."
The breakdown between long-grain and medium-grain shows a bit different picture. Arkansas raised 1.79 million acres in total. Louisiana rice acreage was up about 13 percent, Mississippi was up 27 percent, Missouri was up 25 percent, Texas was up 11 percent, and California was up 1 percent. Overall, the nation was up 16 percent.
"It was a huge long-grain rice crop. And we not only increased rice acreage but we pulled back from planting medium-grain.
"That surprised me a bit when looking at California and the strong medium-grain prices. And, to some extent, there have been strong medium-grain prices over the last couple of years in the South. In the coming year, I think we'll see less total rice acres and more medium-grain acres. That's the talk I'm hearing out there."
In 2010, Arkansas was down 13 percent on medium-grain production to 196,000 acres. Louisiana was down, as well.
Several years ago, "there was a lot of contracting that stimulated some of the increase of (medium-grain rice) production in Louisiana and Arkansas. That contracting has slowed and that could be what is influencing the reduction in acres."
The medium-grain/short-grain production king is California at 563,000 acres. "And they're on fire, these days. Prices there have been wonderful. The WTO opened the Japanese/Taiwan/Korean markets and the rice grown in California suits those markets very well.
"I often remind our growers that our medium-grain rice needs improvement. We have a very poor medium-grain quality compared to California. We need to improve medium-grain varieties — and I know that's being worked on."
The USDA's NASS estimates Arkansas' average 2010 yield was 144 bushels per acre — down 5 percent. NASS was "carrying much higher production-per-acre (figures) earlier and reduced it twice as we moved into the crop and realized how disappointing it was."
For all rice — long/medium/short — U.S. production was "540 million bushels. That's a 10 percent overall increase and overall supply is up 11 percent when considering we carried in 21 percent additional rice. Total use is up 5 percent and we're carrying out 43 percent more rice than we were a year ago."
For medium-grain, "the carryout is down 33 percent. It appears to be a continuing healthy situation with (medium-grain) prices projected at $7.65 compared to $8.28 a year ago."
2010 milling "got off to a fast start. We sold to Iraq early and millings were at record pace. We've since fallen off. At one point, overall millings were over 20 percent from a year ago. We're now down to 17 percent. Medium-grain is up 12 percent and long-grain is up 19."
Brothers projected that long-grain decline will continue "without more export sales on the books. At Riceland, we're already beginning to cut back."
In its Dec. 1 report, the USDA long-grain stock number came in at 273 million bushels — up 19 percent. That's led some to suggest the crop is overstated.
Brothers disagreed. "When I look at projections of the crop and the increase — and the disappearance of the crop which should have been massive between harvest and December (and it's still up 19 percent on stocks) — that doesn't suggest to me that the crop is overstated."
Export sales have seen change over the last few weeks.
"By law, anyone who sells into the export market must report their sales immediately. … There is a published report that comes out weekly. (The Feb. 10) reports shows long-grain milled rice is up 17 percent — still looking fairly decent."
Meanwhile, long-grain rough rice is down 8 percent, something Brothers said "is a bit of surprise when thinking about the poor milling yields. It takes more rough rice to create the same amount of fancy, or head, rice. And the fancy demand generally drives the market. … I think the rough rice market will come back and be virtually unchanged from a year ago.
"Again, this is from the Feb. 10 report. But go back to the report from Nov. 11, and milled rice was up 72 percent, rough rice was 29 percent and, overall, we were up 46 percent.
"We fell off a cliff in additional reported sales since November. This is feeding into why the basis has widened — you can't pay more for rice than you can turn around and sell it for. And it's obvious we're having a hard time selling rice at these higher prices."
How big a drop in new crop acres is needed for Brothers to change his opinion on old crop rice?
Because of the quality issues, "I think we could still be under pressure … right up until we get the new crop price. People in the industry are already saying that they don't want any old crop rice delivered…
"The quality isn't there. The milling yields are poor. … The stink bug damage in this crop was horrendous. Most of the stink bug damage is running somewhere between 2 and 14 percent…
"So, I think it's very unlikely the old crop will get a lot of benefit from new crop prices."
A common irritant for producers is basis. Brothers said on Feb. 2 "futures were at $16.17. I looked at many angles on what the cash price was — I used the mid-range price (of $12.50).
"The simplest thing to say about basis: the difference between what the futures market says (a commodity is worth) and what you can sell it for, cash. Cash will often rule." So, for the figures cited above, "the implied basis is $3.67. At that time, Riceland was at $3.30 — very competitive with what was going on."
Another factor in the rough rice price "is something I don't hear a lot about. But if you go back to 2009, our average long-grain milling yield was 61/70. (That means) if you have 100 pounds of rough rice, 61 pounds is 'fancy' rice. The difference between 70 and 61 is 9 — that's your brokens. The difference between 70 and the initial 100 pounds is 30 pounds — about 10 pounds of bran, 20 pounds of hulls."
In 2009, the industry saw exceptional milling yields at 61/70, "some of the best yields I've seen in my career."
Conversely, in 2010, "we saw the worst millings I've seen in my career. The average long-grain milling yield is about 51/66."
With a 51/66, "there aren't many premiums. The discount on a loan value is 25 cents. There is nothing the producer or (miller) can do about that. That's 25 cents per bushel coming out of your pocket.
"But if you go to the cash market … and revalue the (past) two milling yields, the real impact to the marketplace is 75 cents per bushel. My point is, if the miller is discounting you 25 cents and is realizing a 75 cent discount in the market, he'll try and pick that up in the basis.
"So, right there, is 50 cents per bushel over $1 hundredweight of the basis that's just in that milling yield disparity."
What about the same calculations for medium-grain? "In 2009, it was a 62/69 and this year it's a 52/66. Normally, you're discounted at loan value, which is 21 cents. But the buyer of the rice is taking more than an 83 cent-per-bushel discount when merchandising into the cash market.
"Someone said, 'why doesn't the Rice Federation do something about this basis?' I think you have to be very careful with that. In my opinion, futures are too high. … If you take futures down and get blamed for a lower price, you're in trouble with the farmer. I keep saying to the Federation and anyone who'll listen: 'this will take care of itself. Just give it time.'"
In 2008, the Thai price was $1,000 per ton ($45 per hundredweight). The CBOT price, at that time, was at a high of $24 per hundredweight. However, the ratio between milled and rough rice was 53 percent.
"All I'm doing is dividing the $45 into the $24 for a ratio. Coming forward to Feb. 3, 2011, the Thai price was $530 per ton ($24 per hundredweight on a milled rice basis). The Chicago futures were at $16. Now, the ratio is 67 percent."
If 53 percent was right in 2008, said Brothers, "then 67 percent can't be right in 2011. So, I come forward and say if you take the Thai milled rice price at $24 and use that 53 percent ratio, the CBOT price should be $12.70."
The last week of February, rice futures hit $13.25. "I'm not sure futures won't go lower. I think this is a low range as long as the Thai price stays at $530. … I know that's not so friendly to rice, but it's what we're dealing with."
Crops coming
What about 2011 U.S. rice acreage? "Numbers I've seen project Arkansas to be down 19 percent, Louisiana down 34 percent, Mississippi down 31 percent, Missouri down 27 percent, Texas down 15 percent and California down 8 percent."
Brothers disagreed with only the California prediction. "I think California will be back at the normal 550,000 to 600,000 acres. They have adequate water, good rainfall. I've talked to people out there and there's no disagreement that the 525,000 acre projection is too low."
Meanwhile, it appears good rice crops await harvest in Asia. "The Thais are just about to harvest their second crop (the country's major export crop), the Vietnamese will harvest soon, and the South Americans appear to have a good crop. We see more competition coming into our marketplace over the next few months, rather than less. I am concerned."
Looking at stocks-to-use ratio, corn is at 5 percent ("extremely low"), wheat is at 33 percent (being driven largely by problems in Russia), and soybean is at 4 percent ("really strong"). Long-grain rice is at 24 percent, medium-grain is at 12.7 percent.
Rice "just doesn't have the same strong fundamentals being seen in the other crops. I wish it did."
Current opportunities for U.S. rice compose "a mixed bag. In Iraq, we've missed the last three tenders — they've gone to South America, to Vietnam, to Thailand. The Vietnamese and Thais, particularly, have a freight advantage on us. We need some of that Iraqi business, in my view, to disappear this crop."
However, exporting poor-quality rice to reliable customers could bite the United States. Brothers pointed to Haiti as an example. "There is a vessel now loading out of Uruguay that is going to Haiti. It has my attention for two reasons: one, it's cheaper than what we're currently selling; and, two, the quality of the South American crop is good. (Meanwhile), we have some of the worst U.S. rice I've ever seen.
"I'm worried that when that rice hits, the Haitians will get very upset in the difference between South American and U.S. rice. It couldn't be a worse time for Uruguay coming into the Haitian market."
Brothers lamented the lack of movement on trade with Cuba, potentially significant importer of U.S. rice. Brothers and colleagues were recently in Washington, D.C., where "we talked to everyone we could (and Cuba) came up at every turn. Everyone says it should happen — but it just keeps not happening.
"We thought (with) President Obama's election … we had our best opportunity to open up Cuba. It hasn't turned out that way. Forces are just more powerful, apparently, than we realized. I don't know what we're going to do."
China is more of bright spot, said Brothers. While unlikely to buy "a lot" of U.S. rice, "there is a segment in China that will buy 'luxury rice' — nicely packaged, good quality rice. … But China doesn't have a phyto-sanitary protocol with the United States. Right now, it's illegal for us to ship rice to China. That makes no sense. As much as we import from China, we can't get a phyto-sanitary protocol resolved?
"I'm told it's over (a) beetle. We've heard that packaged goods have come into the United States from China where the beetle has been found in wrappings."
Nigeria is another positive for U.S. rice. "The Indians have put a ban on exporting rice. They were a big player in parboiled rice in Nigeria. That has forced the Nigerians to return to the United States for parboiled rice."
Brothers closed with news that the USDA is investigating potentially illegal Brazilian rice subsidies.
"I was first aware of that about a week to 10 days ago. … It was reported to me that it's an export subsidy, which is illegal. We said, 'we can do them (on this), what they did to cotton if we can prove it.'
"I'm told it's $60 per ton … (and is) under investigation by the USDA, at this moment."


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I had a Twitter exchange last night with ScienceOnline2012 co-organizer Karyn Traphagen about a great upcoming event at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham, NC, the place where she works when not running the behind-the-scenes madness. On February 9, they will be hosting a Science of Wine event and she mused on Twitter as to whether such a thing would be good to have for this year's ScienceOnline meeting.
The conversation brought back lovely memories of such a similar event I put together for the unconference in 2009. I revived the following post from back then to illustrate the fun community that comes together around SciencesOnline (is that the proper plural form?).
However, I do want to make the point that despite much attention to the ethanolic libations at ScienceOnline (see the #drunksci Twitter hashtag), we are also very sensitive to those who may not wish to consume alcohol for cultural or medical reasons. (FYI, we had Bora walking around the winetasting with his characteristic glass of Coke – the soda, not the alkaloid).
As scientists, we know that 18 million US citizens have an alcohol use disorder, a rate of roughly 6% (source: NIAAA's Rethinking Drinking). Assuming that rate is roughly the same across all US and international attendees, that means around 30 ScienceOnliners are likely to wish to stay away from alcohol for health reasons – plus those who otherwise don't drink. Just so those of you know, it's totally cool and this is a truly accepting and understanding crowd. You'll still have fun and you will certainly have other compatriots. I have been known to consume large quantities of club soda with lime so you can hang with me.
But for those of you wishing to imbibe, you may care to read a bit about how we've approached it in the past, in a responsible and intellectually-satisfying manner. With 56% of this year's attendees coming for the first time, here's a little taste – as it were – of the awesomesauce that is ScienceOnline.
This post appeared originally at the ScienceBlogs home of Terra Sigillata on 3 April 2009.
Arikia Millikan, then-Intern at ScienceBlogs.com (now gainfully employed Ex-Intern), demonstrates her facility in liveblogging the comparison between two pinot noirs.
So why has it taken me exactly 11 weeks to write this post? I think it's because once we post it, I have to let go of how awesome this event was. But, this post has been sitting in my queue for way too long. So, now, I must finally tell all regular readers about our proposed live winetasting on 16 January at ScienceOnline'09.
As you may know, about 240 science bloggers and associated miscreants gathered in Research Triangle Park, NC, in mid-January to discuss all things about communicating science online. On the opening night of the conference, the Duke University Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) group sponsored a fantastic talk by journalist, Rebecca Skloot, author of the upcoming book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, and blogger at Culture Dish.
In the hour prior to Rebecca's talk, I had gathered a couple dozen folks who signed up in advance to join me to compare four really nice wines, selected for the occasion by Craig Heffley (Grand Poobah Wine Swami), co-owner of Wine Authorities, an internationally-recognized Durham, NC, wine merchant and community resource and gathering place.
With his business partner, Seth Gross, away in Austria and Germany on a wine scouting trip (which he blogged), Craig was still generous enough to spend about an hour-and-a-half with me at the store coming up with these selections for The Friday Fermentable Live! The group of 20-25 was comprised of first-time wine tasters and experienced enthusiasts, local Bull City folk and guests from Berlin, Helsinki, and Toronto, youngsters of 22 and others of us, uh, older than 22.
I've gotta hand it to Craig for recognizing the wide variety of folks we were trying to please. After much deliberation, we concurred on having a demonstration of Old World and New World wines from the same grape and then show off a nice American red comparison.
Craig suggested a fine American chardonnay to compare with a French white Burgundy:
2005 Lynmar Estate Chardonnay (Russian River Valley, CA) – $33.99
2005 Eric de Suremain, Rully 1er Cru Blanc (Burgundy, France) – $27.99
For the American red, Craig suggested we compare a California pinot noir with that of Oregon, where pinot is doing best in the States.
2007 Alma Rosa Pinot Noir (Santa Rita Hills, CA) – $37.99
2006 Lemelson Pinot Noir, Thea's Selection (Willamette Valley, Oregon) – $36.99
Yes, yes, I know that these price points are well outside my normally stated goals for postdoc- or grad student-friendly wines but, hell, I was buying and these people are my friends, or at least friends that I hadn't yet met.
Let it go forth from this time and place: if you come to my town, you get treated well. (My Mom will remember my late father saying to my college friends who I'd bring home, "We don't want you to go home and tell your family you were at the Kroll's house and they didn't give you enough to eat or drink.")
Scicurious held forth on the concept of "legs": the characteristic of wine that causes it to remain or ride up on the inside of the glass upon swirling. In many cases, this is due to the viscosity of the wine and its glycerol content. This characteristic is often used as a determinant of a wine's quality. Sadly, some winemakers now add glycerol to their wines to make them appear higher in quality. Damn chemistry!
The chardonnays gave us a chance to talk about other microorganisms used in the fermentation process besides yeast. The process of malolactic fermentation is often used for chardonnay, usually with Oenococcus oeni or a Lactobacillus spp., to "soften" the wine in converting malic acid (a typical apple flavor) to lactic acid (a smoother, milk/cheese flavor). Together with the vanillin extracted by aging in oak barrels, this approach imparts a creamy flavor to the wine.
Our colleague, PalMD, who knows everything from the pharmacotherapy of sexually-transmitted diseases to writing about the humanity of being a father and physician, pretty much crystallized and moderated the discussion. Not only does the camera love PalMD, but he is exactly the warm soul in person that you would anticipate from his writing. And even though we moderated a session the next day on pseudonymity and building a reputation in blogging, we still did not spend enough time together.
And here is Prof Janet Stemwedel (aka Dr Free-Ride) demonstrating her focus and dedication to the task at hand, appropriately kneeling at the altar of wine:
About halfway through, the Ex-Intern, Arikia Millikan (featured at the top of the post), reminded me that I had signed up with Ustream.tv to send out live video of the tasting, so caught up was I in the socializing. We did get the session up and were then joined by DrugMonkey, Isis, and Mike Dunford (The Questionable Authority), with GrrlScientist at the controls of the chat board. I have no idea what was said under my username and am glad that the broadcast was not saved to the archives. Next year, I'll try to be sure to have this working from the start and announce the wines in advance so that all of you could join us.
There is obviously much more to write but I have the good fortune of conducting this winetasting with fellow bloggers. So, many thanks to all who joined us and blogged about our Friday evening:
Adventures in Ethics and Science – Janet Stemwedel – ScienceOnline'09: Live-blogging a Friday Fermentable wine tasting
björn.brembs.blog – Björn Brembs – ScienceOnline09: FridayFermentable liveblogging wine tasting
Deep Thoughts and Silliness – Bob O'Hara – ScienceOnline09: Live-blogging the wine tasting
Expression Patterns – Eva Amsen – Friday Fermentable Liveblog
Fairer Science – Pat Campbell – First wines
Lecturer Notes – Propter Doc – The Friday Fermentable
Sciencewomen – Sciencewoman – Friday night at ScienceOnline
the path forward – leigh – leigh is a busy, busy bee
Thesis – with Children – acmegirl – Liveblogging – with Wine
For those of you interested in more economically approachable wines, Craig also selected the two offerings served for the Duke WiSE reception before Rebecca's talk, a 2007 Valdesil Godello "Montenovo" (Valdeoras, Spain – $11.99) and a 2007 Altosur Malbec (Tupungato, Mendoza, Argentina – $9.99). Hitting a varied group of nearly 300 attendees for Rebecca's talk, Craig suggested the Godello not only because it is my new favorite white grape, but because it exhibits the best of many styles without being pigeonholed – a clean balance of the mineral soils of northwestern Spain with white peach and pear flavors. Craig and Seth have also had the Altosur Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon on their Enomatic and I'm hardpressed to find another $10 bottle of this quality and complexity. Craig suggested we offer the Malbec because, "You never hear anyone say they hate Malbec." Good enough for me.
Finally, for the Saturday night banquet I arranged at the Radisson RTP, headquarters hotel for the conference, I had an ethical responsibility to be sure our guests were not subjected to the hotel house wine, Trinity Oaks, insipid corporate plonk for which they charged $20/bottle. (In contrast, the food was superb and the hotel staff amazingly accommodating to our guests.). Even with the hotel's $10 corkage fee, Craig helped me bring in two lovely $10 offerings that were far superior for the same $20 total:
2008 Ken Forrester Petit Chenin Blanc (Stellenbosch, South Africa)
2006 Domaine Pinchinat, Venus de Pinchinat Rouge (Provence, France)
I was particularly pleased with these two, especially after the German, Swedish, and M.D. Anderson-trained scientist, Björn Brembs, stopped me the next day to tell me that he and his ladyfriend enjoyed both – high praise from a globetrotting scientist who hails from the only European city where I've been invited to speak (Würzburg, Germany) and one of my favorite wine appellations, Franconia.
Anyway, if there is a ScienceOnline'10, I hope to host another wine tasting if for nothing else than to spend some fun time with my valued colleagues, readers, colleagues who have become readers, and readers who have become colleagues.
Photo credits:
Me: Arikia Millikan, PalMD, computer screen
Eva Amsen: Janet Stemwedel
AlexKL: Tom Kibler, Radisson dinner
In fact, Alex has the best collection of photographs from the entire weekend, including several more from the tasting and a superb shot of Rebecca after her talk.


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Drug Infonet provides drug and disease information for your healthcare needs. Visit our FAQ page to find answers to common health questions. Look on the Manufacturer Info page to link to pharmaceutical company pages. Click to Health Info and Health News for the latest in healthcare developments.
Doctors' Answers to "Frequently Asked Questions" - Drug Testing
LSD and Urine Test [posted
Answer: Depends a lot on the drug test, but is generally picked up by most drug screens and may last several weeks depending on the sensitivity.
Drug testing [posted 1/8/99]
Answer: Depends on the test. You'll need to get the cross reactivity index from the producing company. Usually not, but very test dependent.
Narcotic testing and cross reactions
for positive results [posted 1/8/99]
Answer: You'll need to get a list of cross-reacting substances from the company who makes the test. They have this information and will tell you the cross reactivity rate with soma.
Drug Testing - Marijuana in the urine
[posted 1/6/99]
Answer: Depends on the test, but usually not.
Hydrocodone & Drug Testing
[posted 12/01/98]
Answer: Usually will.
Can Zantac Cause a False Positive
Test Result [posted 11/19/98]
Answer: You should check with the company doing the test for interactions. These will be listed. Neither should test positive in most drug testing.
Detecting Steroid Use [posted
Answer: Usually, depending on the test and what they are looking for.
Alcohol Breath Test While on
Answer: Wouldn't usually affect metabolism.
Drug Interactions Throwing Test Off
Answer: Best to check with the manufacturer of your drug screen. They will have a listing of potential interacting drugs and false positives as well.
Did My Dental Visit Cause My Positive
Drug Test [posted 10/28/98]
Answer: Possibly, it depends on the test and the amount of medication you were taking. Screening tests are cheap but, have error. More specific tests cost more money. This is why they are asking for the $150.
Did My Dental Visit Cause My Positive
Drug Test [posted 10/28/98]
Answer: Some dentists could use cocaine to stop bleeding also the xylocaine could be picked up depending on the sensitivity of the test. In general, this would be my guess since most offices have stopped carrying cocaine due to monitoring requirements(ENT about the only exception).
False - Positive Drug Test
[posted 8/11/98]
Answer: You will need to find the company that performs the testing and find out their cross-reactivity. Each one is different depending on the type of test used. This is published by the company that makes the test.
PCP (phencyclidine) - False Positive
Tox Screen [posted 7/30/98]
Answer: I would contact the manufacturer of the drug test and find the cross reactants to the PCP. They have a list of these medications and they vary markedly by company. As to the narcotics, child protective would not be interested if it was truly prescribed. The PCP is the issue.
False Positive on Drug Screen
Answer: It really depends on the specificity of the test. There are expensive and less expensive screens, but the specificity drops with the cost dropping. In general, drug urine screens do not cross react with prescription drugs unless they belong to the same class of drugs. I would not expect any cross reaction between these drugs and THC.
Drug testing
Answer: Of these medications, the most reasonable is robaxin. This is a muscle
relaxant and although it is not an amphetamine, some of its ring structures could be
picked up if the test is not specific. Ask that a more specific test be performed. This
will definitely identify amphetamines. Usually drug screens in companies are inexpensive
to keep costs down. These pick up several false positives at the price of being less
specific. However, I doubt that the company will spend the cash to do the test. You may
have to pay for the test.
Back to Doctor FAQ main page.
Send your impressions, comments, thoughts, etc. to firstname.lastname@example.com


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Monday, April 9, 2012
A Part of Speech That Can Be Inflected for Number...
5 comments:
- Nancy Friedman said...
Trademarked names are not--indeed, must not--be conjugated. The trademark is "Doritos"; there is no "Dorito."
A trademark stickler would object to the use of "Doritos" as a noun. Strictly speaking, trademarks are adjectives: Kleenex brand facial tissue; Google search engine; Doritos corn chips.
- April 9, 2012 at 10:06 AM
- Laura Payne said...
Nancy - Thank you for the info. I guess this post shows how little I know about trademarks(or maybe I have pre-genericized "Doritos" in my mind as I equate them with a noun meaning corn chips). Either way, considering "Doritos" as the adjective with a phonetically null "corn chips" in the ad still makes the verb choice sound strange to me.
- April 9, 2012 at 11:43 AM
- Laura said...
Sounds odd to me too, as I too refer to a single Dorito as a Dorito (and most people probably do, I think). But there's no other option for them, as Nancy says above: there isn't a logo, even, that they could use (they'd have to make one specially and then presumably that causes trouble with legal stuff). My opinion? They should have rethunk the whole campaign.
- April 9, 2012 at 12:34 PM
- Laura Payne said...
Laura - I couldn't agree more.
- April 9, 2012 at 12:53 PM
- Nancy Friedman said...
Playing with grammatical conventions is one way ad campaigns force you to pay attention. (Remember Apple's "Think Different"?) I guarantee you'll now be thinking about Doritos all day, or even all week. Therefore, the campaign is a success.
- April 9, 2012 at 3:13 PM


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A picture claiming to be of an email from Liverpool Chief Executive Ian Ayre sanctioning the sale of striker Luis Suarez is fake, say the club.
Suarez has revealed in a series of interviews while away on international duty that he wants a move away from Liverpool and has hinted he would favour a switch to Real Madrid - with the Spanish club said to be interested in securing his services.
However Liverpool were quick to issue a statement denying they would ever entertain selling the controversial forward, who scored 23 goals in the Premier League last season.
Earlier this week a picture began circulating of an email said to be from Ayre.
In it, Ayre is alleged to have written: "Talks are an at an advanced stage, once Real are content with their side of the deal they will formally approach with permission to speak.
"This will be granted on submission of a transfer request. This worked particularly well in the case of FT (Fernando Torres) and gave a clear indication to our supporter base that the player was behind the move and not the club."
Liverpool have moved to refute the authenticity of the email, with a club spokesman saying: The email is a complete fake. There is no truth in it whatsoever."
Regardless of the email the Merseyside club face a fight if they are to keep hold of their main striker.
Suarez says he wants to leave England because of press intrusion into his life following his 10-game ban for biting Branislav Ivanovic.
Real Madrid are said to be interested in signing him this summer, although they appear to have made Tottenham's Gareth Bale their number one target.


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Correction: Coast Guard Death story
LOS ANGELES (AP) — In a story Feb. 5 about the conviction of a Mexican national in the killing of a Coast Guard crewman The Associated Press reported erroneously the history of Coast Guard fatalities. Terrell Horne III was the first Coast Guardsman to be killed while engaged in law enforcement operations since 1927, not the first to be killed in the line of duty since that year.
A corrected version of the story is below:
Boat operator guilty of killing Coast Guardsman
Mexican national convicted of murder in ramming of Coast Guard vessel off California
By LINDA DEUTSCH
AP Special Correspondent
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Mexican national was convicted Wednesday of killing a Coast Guard crewman by ramming his 30-foot panga boat into the vessel the guardsman was in as it approached Santa Cruz Island off the coast of Southern California.
U.S. Attorney spokesman Thom Mrozek said Jose Meija Leyva was found guilty of second-degree murder of a federal officer and other charges. A second man on the panga boat, Manuel Beltran Higuera of Mexico, was convicted of lesser charges.
Chief Petty Officer Terrell Horne III was knocked into the water by the Dec. 2, 2012, collision. He died of blunt force trauma when he was struck in the head by the panga boat's propeller.
Horne, 34, was the first the first Coast Guardsman to be killed while engaged in law enforcement operations since 1927.
Jurors in U.S. District Judge Gary A. Feess' court deliberated less than a day before convicting Meija Leyva of the murder count, two counts of failure to heave to and four counts of assault on a federal officer with a deadly and dangerous weapon.
Beltran Higuera was convicted of one count of failing to heave to as an accessory after the fact and a second count of failing to heave to as an aider and abettor. He also was convicted of four counts of assault on a federal officer.
Meija Leyva faces a maximum of life in prison when he is sentenced March 12. Beltran Higuera faces a maximum of 60 years.
"We are pleased with the verdict and that those responsible for Senior Chief Horne's death will be held accountable," said Admiral Robert J. Papp, Jr., commandant of the Coast Guard. "While the conviction of Senior Chief Horne's killers cannot make up for the loss of a family member, friend and shipmate, we do hope that the conclusion of this case provides some level of comfort and closure to his loved ones."
A four-man Coast Guard crew was conducting a drug-smuggling investigation off the Southern California coast when it approached the panga boat about 180 miles northwest of Mexico. Such vessels are often used to smuggle drugs. Authorities said this one was traveling with its lights out when it was approached about 1:30 a.m.
Horne and the other Coast Guard members were about 20 yards away, the Guard said, when they flashed their boat's lights and ordered Meija Leyva and Beltran Higuera, in both English and Spanish, to surrender. Instead, authorities said, Meija Leyva gunned the boat at them.
Horne and Guardsman Brandon Langdon were tossed overboard. Langdon suffered a knee injury.
The panga boat fled, with authorities in planes and boats chasing it for four hours before its engine died about 20 miles north of Mexico. The pair were taken into custody after being pepper sprayed.
Authorities said Meija Leyva identified himself as the boat's captain and told them he was taking gasoline to lost friends. They said Beltran Higuera told them he was offered $3,000 to deliver gasoline to another boat, but no fuel was found.
The Coast Guard crew approached the panga boat in a 21-foot, rigid-hull inflatable vessel that is routinely used in drug investigations because it's faster and more agile than larger vessels.
Authorities said one of the guardsmen, Jonathan D'Arcy, fired several shots as the panga boat raced toward the smaller vessel, while Guardsman Michael Walker attempted to steer out of the way.
Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.


text:
I have a few small (1-2 inch) rips in my leading edge. Professional repair would involve shipping the kite, which I'd like to avoid, and would probably be pretty costly so I would like to do it myself.
Should I go with kitefix (a combination of glue and cloth) or kiteaid (iron on patches)? Both companies say they work for leading edge repairs, both are about the same price. Kiteaid looks a lot easier, but I haven't found any reviews of it.
Alternatively I could hand-sew the rips, but I really don't think I could open the leading edge main seam because I don't have access to a sewing machine to close it back up. Any advice on hand sewing LE rips? What kind of stich works best? The rips are small enough that I don't think sewing by hand would take too long, but I don't know how well it works and what kind of stich to use.
Thanks for any input.


text:
Clean energy investment declined 11% in 2012, weighed down by regulatory uncertainty and policy changes in big markets such as the U.S., India, Spain and Italy, according to the latest research from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF).
The sharply lower prices of wind and solar technology also exerted downward pressure on investment volumes, although they allow for higher installation levels per dollar of funding, BNEF says.
The firm's data show that overall global clean energy investment in 2012 was $268.7 billion, down from a revised figure of $302.3 billion in 2011. The 2012 investment total was the second-highest ever, and five times that seen in 2004.
The highlight of the 2012 total for clean energy investment was a record $67.7 billion outlay by China – up 20% over 2011 due to a surge in the country's solar sector. China's total was more than 50% above that of the second-placed country, the U.S., which saw $44.2 billion in clean energy investment in 2012. In 2011, the U.S. beat China as investors rushed to take advantage of stimulus-related programs before they expired.
Other strong performers include South Africa, which saw investment leap to $5.5 billion from just a few tens of millions in 2011, as its tender process for wind and solar led to a string of large project financings; and Japan, where a fresh emphasis on renewable energy after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011 and the start of a new subsidy program helped investment soar 75% in 2012 to $16.3 billion.
Meanwhile, clean energy investment in the U.S. fell 32%, thanks to policy uncertainty throughout most of the year. Italy saw a 51% plunge in clean energy investment to $14.7 billion, as policy changes curbed the country's solar photovoltaics boom; Spain saw a 68% decrease to just $3 billion, as its government announced a moratorium on subsidies for projects not yet approved; and India experienced a 44% setback, reflecting the expiration of incentives for wind and fewer project approvals for solar.
Other countries showed mixed results in terms of total investment in 2012. Germany saw a 27% drop to $22.8 billion, while France suffered a 35% decline to $4.3 billion and the U.K. experienced a 17% fall to $8.3 billion. Australia enjoyed a 40% gain to $6.2 billion, Mexico saw a fivefold increase to $2 billion and Brazil saw a 32% decrease to $5.3 billion.
"We warned at the start of last year that investment in 2012 was likely to fall below 2011 levels, but rumors of the death of clean energy investment have been greatly exaggerated," says Michael Liebreich, CEO of BNEF. "Indeed, the most striking aspect of these figures is that the decline was not bigger – given the fierce headwinds the clean energy sector faced in 2012 as a result of policy uncertainty, the ongoing European fiscal crisis and continuing sharp falls in technology costs."
"Another message from the 2012 data is that investment is broadening rapidly from established markets – such as Europe, the U.S. and China – to new ones in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia Oceania," he continues. "Australia, South Africa, Morocco, the Ukraine, Mexico, Kenya, Brazil, Ethiopia, Chile and South Korea were among the countries seeing at least one project of more than $250 million financed during the year."
Breaking down the data
The new investment total of $268.7 billion was made up of five main parts. The largest of these was asset finance of utility-scale renewable energy projects, such as wind farms, solar parks and biofuel plants. This segment totaled $148.6 billion, down from $180 billion in 2011.
The next biggest segment was small-scale project investment, primarily rooftop solar, which came in at $80.2 billion, up from $76.5 billion in 2011. Corporate and government research and development totaled $30.2 billion in 2012, up marginally from 2011.
The other elements were venture-capital and private-equity investment in specialist clean energy companies, which fell 34% to $5.8 billion – its lowest figure since 2006 – and public-market investment in quoted companies. The latter fell 57% to $5.1 billion – the lowest since 2004 – and was down 80% from the peak figure of $25.6 billion in 2007.
Merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in clean energy is not counted as new investment but is an important part of the sector's development, BNEF notes. Clean energy M&A activity totaled $50.8 billion in 2012, down 31% from the record figure recorded in 2011. Within this segment, corporate M&A (as distinct from projects changing hands) was $10.4 billion, down 69% from 2011 and the weakest since 2004.
Once again, solar was the dominant sector in terms of overall clean energy investment in 2012, accounting for $142.5 billion – down 9% from its 2011 record. Wind energy saw investment of $78.3 billion, down 13%, while the third-largest sector – energy-smart technologies such as smart grid, energy efficiency and electric vehicles – suffered a 7% drop to $18.8 billion.
Biomass and waste-to-energy was the fourth-largest sector, at $9.7 billion in 2012, but this figure was 27% down over last year. Biofuels, the second-largest sector back in 2006, saw investment fall 38% to $4.5 billion, while geothermal experienced a 39% drop to $1.8 billion.
The only sector to show growth in 2012 was small hydro (projects smaller than 50 MW), which saw an increase of 17% to $7.6 billion. For the first time, BNEF also published a figure for total investment in carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects worldwide, although this is being shown separately rather than being included in the clean energy total. CCS project investment was $2.8 billion in 2012, down from $3 billion in 2011.
Among the largest projects financed in 2012 were four offshore wind sites in the German, U.K. and Belgian sections of the North Sea: Wikinger (400 MW, $2.1 billion); Baltic II (288 MW, $1.6 billion); Lincs (270 MW, $1.6 billion); and Northwind (216 MW, $1.1 billion).
Wind energy developer China Longyuan Power Group achieved the biggest public-market issue of the year, raising $375 million on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.