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"We've had bird flu and swine flu - now scientists have found BAT FLU," says the Daily Mail. The newspaper reports that the strain "could pose a risk to humans if it mingled with more common forms of flu".
The Mail has got in a flap over the flying mammals based on new research that found type A flu virus in fruit bats captured in Guatemala in Central America. The discovery in bats is new as the virus is typically found in winged birds, and not winged mammals.
Researchers collected 316 bats of 16 different Latin American species. Types of flu virus were found in three bats of the little yellow-shouldered species, which is a fruit eating variety common across Central and South America. After analysing the genetic code of the bat flu virus the scientists concluded it contained segments that were significantly different from those found in known influenza A viruses. They also found that some aspects of the bat flu virus could work inside human lung cells grown in the lab. This led them to conclude that the virus has the potential to mix with human flu virus, which could, in rare circumstances, lead to the creation of a new flu strain that is capable of causing a flu pandemic, like bird flu or swine flu.
Despite this warning, scientists have not been able to grow the new bat virus in chicken eggs or human cells, which is possible with existing flu strains. This suggests that the immediate risk of infection to humans is small. Rather than highlighting a danger to human health, this study is likely to guide further research that may improve the understanding of potential pandemic flu threats to humans in the future.
Where did the story come from?
The study was carried out by researchers from Centres for Disease Control and Prevention outposts in Atlanta and Guatemala, and was funded by the agency's Global Disease Detection Program.
The study was published in the peer-reviewed science journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA (PNAS).
The story has appeared on several online news sites and in the Daily Mail. In its headline the newspaper suggests that bat flu "could pose a threat to humans". While the inclusion of the word "could" makes this a fair statement, the article does not make clear that the immediate risk to humans is very low. Generally, the tone of the piece emphasises a potential risk from the virus. It says there is a hypothetical risk of transmission to humans if they eat food contaminated with traces of the virus. Again, the risk of this happening seems low.
What kind of research was this?
This study was laboratory research looking at the genetics of a specific strain of type A flu virus found in bats captured in Guatemala. Originally, the bats had been examined as part of a study looking at rabies, which revealed that bats were able to carry certain forms of the flu virus.
As their names suggest, new pandemic flu strains such as the high-profile bird flu and swine flu strains often originate in animals, typically waterfowl and pigs. Usually, non-human flu strains do not cause serious harm in the original host, for instance, bird-flu does not cause death to most birds and human flu is not usually fatal to healthy humans. However, animal flu strains have the potential to swap genetic material with human strains and create a new virus strain capable of infecting and harming humans. It is the mixing of genetic material and the creation of these new viruses that represents the main danger of new flu pandemics.
The researchers say that early detection, characterisation and risk assessment of flu viruses in their animal hosts before they spread to humans is "critical" to protect public health.
What did the research involve?
Researchers collected 316 bats from 21 different species from eight locations in southern Guatemala over the course of two years.
Researchers swabbed the bats' bottoms to gather traces of any influenza virus A. The swabs were tested in the laboratory for signs of flu genetic material using standard molecular biology techniques. Tissue samples from the bats' mouths, livers, intestines, lungs and kidneys were also tested for flu virus.
Researchers then examined the genetic code of the viral material that had been detected in the bats and looked at how similar they were to other flu viruses that have previously been decoded.
To demonstrate 'proof of theory' that the bat virus could function within human cells the scientists created a mini version of the flu virus' genetic material. They placed this into human lung cells in the laboratory and assessed whether certain functions of the bat virus could be carried out within a human cell.
The researchers attempted to grow the virus strains in a variety of mammalian cells (including bat cells and human lung cells grown in the laboratory) to study how infectious the strains were to these different types of cells.
What were the basic results?
Three of the 316 bats tested positive for influenza virus A from their swabs. All three samples were collected from little yellow-shouldered bats, which is a fruit-eating bat that is abundant throughout Central and South America.
In these three bats, all of the further samples taken from the liver, intestine, lung and kidney tissue tested positive for flu virus genetic material.
Researchers found that a specific genetic sequence within the virus, containing the code for making a vitally important flu protein called haemagglutinin, showed differences from the previously documented strains. In one of the bats the genetic material coding for a second crucially important flu protein, called neuraminidase, showed "extraordinary" differences from other known flu viruses.
In influenza A viruses the forms of haemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N) proteins on the surface of each virus provide the main basis for the way it will be named and classified. For example, the combination of these proteins found in the recent swine flu outbreak meant it was known as H1N1, while the latest bird flu scare was caused by a virus known as H5N1. There are many influenza A virus subtype combinations circulating in animals in the wild. In this research the H proteins found in the samples were so different from other types of influenza that the authors say it could be classified as a new subtype, which they called "H17". In one of the samples the researchers say they could not classify its N type as there were so many different and unusual types of N proteins.
The scientists reported that attempts to grow the virus in human cells in the laboratory and chicken embryos were unsuccessful. This suggested the virus differed from other known viruses, which can be grown under these conditions.
The researchers demonstrated that some functions of the bat flu virus had the potential to work inside laboratory-cultured human lung cells.
How did the researchers interpret the results?
The researchers conclude that "despite its divergence from known influenza A viruses, the bat virus is compatible for genetic exchange with human influenza viruses in human cells". This leads them to suggest that there is potential for the bat virus to mix with existing human flu viruses creating a "new pandemic" virus that could pose a threat to human health.
This study of the genetic material of flu virus A in three fruit bats in Guatemala provides important new information to those involved in flu research and pandemic awareness. Previously, non-human flu strains were thought to be confined largely to birds and pigs, but this study highlights the potential for bats also to harbour flu viruses that could potentially threaten humans, given the correct sequence of rare events. The awareness this research provides may lead to a better understanding of the potential risks posed by bat flu to humans in the future.
The following points should be considered when interpreting the results of the study:
- It is important to realise that the researchers have found a new segment of genetic material in the bat flu virus that is different from other flu strains sequenced. They have not discovered a completely new virus in bats that is capable of infecting humans, and so the immediate threat to humans is likely to be minimal.
- As yet, scientists have not been able to grow the bat flu virus in chicken eggs or human cells, which is possible with all other commonly occurring flu strains. Given that they were actively trying to grow the virus and failed, this also suggests the immediate risk of infection and harm to humans is small.
- The potential threat the authors and the media warn against for the future is that the new bat virus genetic material could mix with other flu strains to create a new strain that will be capable of infecting and harming humans, like swine flu and bird flu. To date, there is no evidence that this has happened so there is no cause for immediate concern.
- Fruit bats in Guatemala do not bite people, so direct transmission of the bat virus to humans is unlikely. A suggested route of virus transmission has been if bat droppings contaminate food that is then eaten by people. This could allow the bat flu and human flu genetic material to mix, potentially creating a new strain capable of a pandemic.
This study provides no evidence to support or refute the implication that if someone were infected with the bat virus now it would be harmful, and the risk of this bat strain causing a pandemic is not known at the present time. However, a series of rare events would need to happen in sequence for a pandemic to occur. Despite the rarity, this has happened before in the case of other pandemic flu strains including swine and bird flu, although the initial transmission from these species has generally occurred through sustained close contact with livestock, such as sleeping among the droppings of chickens reared in the home.
Following the discovery of this new form of flu it will surely be explored further by agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which would report any evidence of risk to the World Health Organization and its flu surveillance teams, which constantly monitor and evaluate any potential flu-based threat.
Analysis by Bazian
Edited by NHS Website
Links to the headlines
We've had bird flu and swine flu - now scientists have found BAT FLU (and it could pose a threat to humans)
Daily Mail, 1 March 2012
Scientists report first evidence of flu in bats
The Daily Telegraph, 1 March 2012
Links to the science
Tong S, Li Y, Rivailler P et al.
A distinct lineage of influenza A virus from bats
PNAS, Published online before print February 27, 2012


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Dan Walters
Dan Walters: Is Bay Bridge fiasco a harbinger for future projects?
If, and when, the Legislature ever bestirs itself to really find out how the Bay Bridge project became an embarrassing debacle, it should begin with listening to Bent Flyvbjerg.
Why? Because he's the world's foremost authority on why big infrastructure projects often wind up like the Bay Bridge – way over budget, way behind schedule and plagued by defects.
Or, as Flyvbjerg, an Oxford University professor who frequently lectures in the United States, puts it in the title of one treatise, "Delusion and Deception in Large Infrastructure Projects."
That paper, interestingly enough, was published in the California Management Review, a publication of the University of California, Berkeley.
Flyvbjerg sees infrastructure mismanagement as a global phenomenon that plagues not only public sector projects such as the Bay Bridge, but private ones and private-public partnerships as well, and catalogs examples in his "Delusion and Deception" paper.
"There are some phenomena that have no cultural bounds such as maternal love and a healthy fear of large predators," Flyvbjerg writes.
"We can add to this list the fact that, across the globe, large infrastructure projects almost invariably arrive late, over-budget and fail to perform up to expectations."
However, Flyvbjerg does much more than describe the syndrome; he also seeks to understand its origins and offer ways to avoid its pitfalls.
The underlying reasons, he says, are delusions born of ignorance, deceptions to make projects sound more feasible than they truly are, and bad luck.
The Bay Bridge project, which was supposed to cost about $1.5 billion and take 10 years, but wound up costing more than $6 billion and is a decade overdue, fits that pattern.
It's important to view the bridge project against Flyvbjerg's thesis not only to pinpoint, for history, the reasons it became an embarrassing fiasco, but because it's only the first and smallest of three huge infrastructure projects.
State officials plan to begin work later this year on a bullet train line linking California's northern and southern regions whose present price tag is $68 billion but is bound to grow by many billions more. And a big water project, including twin tunnels beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, is in the works with a price tag of at least $25 billion in taxpayer and water user funds.
Both projects are based on assumptions of need and utility that are questionable and may be, to use Flyvbjerg's words, "delusions" or perhaps "deceptions."
However, he points out that more realistic and transparent planning processes can avoid the pitfalls – and that's why he should be invited to review what California has done on the bridge and what it proposes to do on the bullet train and the Delta tunnels.
Call The Bee's Dan Walters, (916) 321-1195. Back columns, www.sacbee.com/walters. Follow him on Twitter @WaltersBee.

subset: commoncrawl


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For fans eagerly awaiting news on the story or production of Batman vs. Superman, the last few weeks (or months before that) have been a bit of a roller coaster. And no character has been the source of more discussion, speculation, rumor-mongering or debate than Wonder Woman. Especially not once the question was raised of whether writer David S. Goyer and director Zack Snyder would alter Wonder Woman's origins, characterizing the heroine as a descendant of Krypton - just like Superman.
Changes to canon aside, we have to ask: could it be a wise move in the long run? The fan objections are easy to grasp, and completely justified - even if an infusion of Krypton into Wonder Woman's history might help solve several troublesome issues that Snyder, or whomever accepts the task of helming a Wonder Woman solo film must face.
It's also worth pointing out from the outset that the idea of a Kryptonian origin for Diana and the Amazons was never a reported rumor, simply speculation, and other 'sources' have since come forward to claim that they are FAR from accurate. Even so, neither Snyder nor Goyer has come forward to refute the claim (not that we'd even believe them), so the question remains valid.
At this point, it's impossible to say exactly how the filmmakers may be changing Wonder Woman's origins - or Batman's, for that matter - but they proved with Man of Steel that they aren't afraid of adding to or revising the mythology. The Amazonian princess is a harder sell for Snyder's more grounded universe, so fans should expect changes regardless.
...After all, the way we see it, a Kryptonian twist may not be the worst possible version we could get.
The Current Origin
If there is one thing that the discussion surrounding Gal Gadot's casting as Wonder Woman for Batman vs. Superman made clear, it's that the world's greatest superheroine's origins are not nearly as well-known as those of either Superman or Batman. So first we'll outline the basic points - those which die-hard fans are no doubt hoping to see preserved for Diana's jump to the big screen.
The story begins with the Amazons: a fictional society consisting entirely of fierce, powerful warrior women with roots in classical mythology. In the DC Comics universe, those Amazons are much more than a simple myth, inhabiting a hidden island known as Themyscira ('Paradise Island') with a culture (and ancestry?) taken from the gods and goddesses of Greek mythology.
While every woman was versed in combat (and possessed varying levels of immortality and invincibility over the years), the one thing they did not know was motherhood. That is, not until their Queen Hippolyta begged the gods for a daughter, and along came Diana, the newly-dubbed Princess of the Amazons.
That basic premise is about as detached from reality as one can get, so in recent decades, the character's history has been retconned and tweaked by numerous writers. With more modern questions came answers: the Amazons don't simply live forever, but travel to shore to gain information and... offspring from men, keeping only the daughters for their society.
Similarly, Wonder Woman's invisible jet was rendered useless when Diana was granted the ability to fly. But the Amazons' relationship to various gods and goddesses has always been difficult to pin down - until recently.
With DC's New 52 re-launch came a brand new fiction courtesy of writer Brian Azzarello who instead of shying away from the supernatural, embraced it; Diana was no longer a lump of clay made human, but the daughter of Hippolyta and Zeus, granting Diana her invincibility and superhuman strength. As a demigod, Diana was thrust into the drama of her extended family: Hades, Hera, Apollo, and the rest of the Olympian deities.
The result was a reasoned, fantastic take on the character that not only distinguished her from any other hero with whom she usually associates, but became one of the most critically-acclaimed entries in DC's new lineup. And all things considered, a fresh and inspired enough fiction to justify a big screen adaptation.
But that was before Snyder's plans, and those of the studio became clear.
NEXT PAGE: The Unavoidable Problems


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Decided to take a second pass at Ailsa's Travel theme of soft (other entries may be seen here). This is not my usual style but I like it.
Shot at 6:45 AM on October 21, 2011.
Tech Talk Time:
Lens 300mm
1/15 of a second
I worked on it a bit in Lightroom. The main changes were dropping the exposure a stop and a half, soften the contrast and de-saturating. A few other small tweaks but that is about it.


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Book Review: "99 to 1" by Chuck Collins
If a time-traveling robber baron from the Gilded Age—a Rockefeller, say, or a Vanderbilt—somehow materialized in one of New York's or Chicago's or San Francisco's money-green suburbs, he wouldn't take long to find his bearings. Today's economic situation, summed up in Chuck Collins's useful new book, 99 to 1, is remarkably similar to that of the early 1900s. In those days, a handful of trusts and early corporate entities engaged in all manner of shot-calling and rule-rigging—and now, with a post-World War II era of relative equality behind us, a very small percentage of Americans are again in control of enormous wealth and influence.
But today's chasm between rich and poor is about more than unfairness. In fact, Collins argues, extreme wealth disparity can throw a society's basic stability into question, putting physical and mental health, ecological systems, and communities at risk. The end of the line for such a system—and we're very nearly there—is a kind of economic ghetto, in which rich and poor limp toward fear and anger in separate, broken universes.
But readers of this measured and well-researched book will find that all is not lost. Many in the wealthy 1 percent—Warren Buffet and a group called Patriotic Millionaires for Fiscal Strength, for example—are standing up for progressive taxation, reined-in CEO pay, and a reversal of Citizens United. And then, of course, there's you, and me, and the Occupy Movement, and every other burgeoning and related social movement around the world, the sum of which, says Collins, is far greater than the force of money. After all, it's 99 to 1—the odds are in our favor.
How do your representatives stack up when it comes to voting on policy that helps—or hinders—economic equality? Before you go to the polls, check out this new report card.
David Korten on how closing the wealth gap can open the way to a fairer, more prosperous economy.
Cutting through the campaign rhetoric and attack ads, here are five issues we believe should be at the center of the 2012 election, plus one that has no place in the public sphere.
No one of us can do it alone. If, however, we each contribute according to our distinctive gifts and circumstances, together we can turn the human course.


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RENO, NV - Marianne Bartley is used to seeing online scams.
The reason she almost fell for one this day is that it looked to be coming from a company she shops frequently and trusts at their local stores and online. "Costco's a very reputable company. I believe in them so I almost didn't think twice."
The scam came in the form of an email, which said there had been a problem with an order for home delivery, an address that hadn't been correct. "They were going to refund me, but if I didn't do it within a week then I would be fined 21 percent."
But something didn't seem right. "The language grammatically was not quite right. It didn't ring true and I had to reread it."
The language is awkward, phrasing that would cause a high school English teacher to wince. Plus, a real corporate email should spell the word 'don't' with its apostrophe. This one didn't.
And then there was that threat to charge her 21 percent of the order.
"What is that? That's just odd. It's an odd amount and why would I be fined that? The logic wasn't there."
Instead of filling out that form, she made a few calls.
Others have been doing the same, and if you call Costco's national customer service line you'll hear this warning: "If you received an email concerning a delivery failure or cancellation, immediately delete the email and do not reply. This is a phishing scam and was not sent by Costco. Costco is not affiliated with the email in any way."
"There's a lot of scams out there," says Bartley, "and even if you see their name and you recognize it as being reputable, it's not them. You're dealing with someone posing to be them."
She called KOLO 8 wanting to alert others to the scam.
What would she say to the author of the email if she could? "Get a life, not mine."


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2019 F-150 SuperCrew Cab 4x4, Pickup (Stock #9W1E4610)
More PhotosPhotos may be library images.
Vehicle Notes
$10,607 off MSRP! **LIFETIME WARRANTY** This 2019 Ford F-150 XLT in Ingot Silver features: 4WD Priced below KBB Fair Purchase Price!*Certain Exclusion… s Apply for Lifetime Powertrain Warranty; See Dealer for Complete Details* All vehicle pricing shown is assumed to be correct and accurate. Incentives, credit restrictions, qualifying programs, residency, and fees may raise, lower, or otherwise augment monthly payments. Additionally, incentives offered by the manufacturer are subject to change and may fluctuate or differ based on region and other considerations. Internet prices include all applicable rebates and incentives and may include Ford Credit bonus cash, loyalty & assistance rebates, or other specific incentives in which all customers may or may not be eligible. Unless otherwise noted or specified, pricing shown does not include dealer installed accessories, $599 dealer fee, title, registration,tax fees, and destination charges.
Chassis Details
Stock Number
Stock Type
Drive Train
Cab Type
Vehicle Trim
Vehicle Body
Crew Cab Pickup
Exterior Color Description
Ingot Silver Metallic
Engine Cylinder Count
Regular Unleaded V-8 5.0 L/302
Transmission Type
Rear Wheels
Fuel Type
Vehicle Options
- Four Wheel Drive
- Power Steering
- 4-Wheel Disc Brakes
- Brake Assist
- Aluminum Wheels
- Tires - Front All-Terrain
- Tires - Rear All-Terrain
- Conventional Spare Tire
- Tow Hooks
- Power Mirror(s)
- Intermittent Wipers
- Variable Speed Intermittent Wipers
- Privacy Glass
- Power Door Locks
- Daytime Running Lights
- Automatic Headlights
- Fog Lamps
- AM/FM Stereo
- MP3 Player
- Auxiliary Audio Input
- Cloth Seats
- Split Bench Seat
- Driver Adjustable Lumbar
- Passenger Adjustable Lumbar
- Pass-Through Rear Seat
- Rear Bench Seat
- Adjustable Steering Wheel
- Power Windows
- WiFi Hotspot
- Keyless Entry
- Cruise Control
- Driver Vanity Mirror
- Passenger Vanity Mirror
- Floor Mats
- Remote Engine Start
- Steering Wheel Audio Controls
- Bluetooth Connection
- Telematics
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- Requires Subscription
- Engine Immobilizer
- Security System
- Traction Control
- Stability Control
- Front Side Air Bag
- Tire Pressure Monitor
- Driver Air Bag
- Passenger Air Bag
- Passenger Air Bag Sensor
- Driver Restriction Features
- Front Head Air Bag
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- Child Safety Locks
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- View All
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Vehicle available NOW in Tarpon Springs, FL
Disclaimer: Although every reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained on this site, absolute accuracy cannot be guaranteed. This site, and all information and materials appearing on it, are presented to the user "as is" without warranty of any kind, either express or implied. All vehicles are subject to prior sale. Price does not include applicable tax, title, license, processing and/or documentation fees, and destination charges. ‡Vehicles shown at different locations are not currently in our inventory (Not in Stock) but can be made available to you at our location within a reasonable date from the time of your request, not to exceed one week.


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A striding horse set atop an oval that includes the checkerboard pattern on the Maryland flag will serve as the logo for the 138th running of the Preakness Stakes.
The Maryland Jockey Club unveiled the 2013 logo Friday. The Baltimore-based Leffler Agency handled the design for the 14th year in a row, this time under the auspices of its new creative branding division, brandNU Marketing.
According to the a release from the MJC, which owns historic Pimlico Race Course, the logo draws clubhouse artwork derived from a nineteenth century painting of racing at the track.
"We at Leffler and brandNU take pride in the diverse styles and practicality that the logos have achieved over the years," said Bob Leffler, the president and owner of the Leffler Agency. "They must be bold enough to translate on television, simple enough to serve on credentials and badges and have the dynamism to sell as a feature of apparel."
Tickets for Preakness 138, set to be run May 18th, have been on sale since Oct. 15. Seating information and ticket reservation forms can be found at http://www.preakness.com/tickets. Renewals are being accepted through Jan. 15, 2013.
Tickets can be purchased by calling the Preakness sales office (410-542-9400 or 877-206-8042) or by logging onto or by logging onto www.ticketfly.com.


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One of these days, someone will compile Steve Jobs' wisdom into a handy little book that can be carried everywhere. The world will be better for it. Until then, though, we bring you a few lessons from the Apple oracle himself. They've long been gospel for the tech-savvy, but they apply to every business, and all parts of life.
1. Be Brave
When Jobs was 12, he wanted to build a frequency counter. Demanding the best, he tracked down Bill Hewlett, founder of HP, to buy parts from him.
2. Trust Yourself
Jobs famously asked: "Did Alexander Graham Bell do market research before he invented the telephone?"
3. Looks Count
For Jobs, utility wasn't enough. Apple products are an unparalleled marriage of form and function. They're beautiful, and they speak to the user as they work. Jobs: "Design is not just what it looks like. Design is how it works."
Apple's chief designer Jonathan Ive follows up: "Design can be theatre; it can tell a story."
4. Don't Waste Time
Jobs knew he was dying for the last several years of his life, time that coincided with Apple's greatest triumphs. He said: "Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life."
5. Policy Is Who You Work With
Jobs: "My model for business is The Beatles. They were four guys that kept each other's negative tendencies in check; they balanced each other. And the total was greater than the sum of the parts."


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Minutes ago on the Senate floor, the Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl just defending Sen. Jim Bunning's filibuster by attacking the entire premise for unemployment insurance during a protracted period of job losses.
Sen. Kyl argued that unemployment insurance would not lead an increase in jobs, and then said:
It could be argued it is a disincentive for work because people are being paid even though they are not working.
I suppose that's true. You could argue it!
But you'd be economically illiterate!
As McCain presidential campaign economic adviser Mark Zandi testified to Congress at the end of 2008:
Extra benefits for workers who exhaust their regular 26 weeks of unemployment insurance [UI] benefits
and expanded food stamp payments have been part of the federal response to most recessions, and for good
reason: They are the most efficient ways to prime the economy's pump. Simulations of the Moody's
Economy.com macroeconomic model show that every dollar spent on UI benefits generates an estimated
$1.63 in near-term GDP.
People who receive these benefits are hard-pressed and will spend any financial aid they receive very
quickly. Another advantage is that these programs are already operating and can quickly deliver a benefit
increase to recipients. The virtue of extending UI benefits goes beyond simply providing financial aid for
the jobless to more broadly shoring up household confidence. Nothing is more psychologically debilitating,
even to those still employed, than watching unemployed friends and relatives lose their sources of support.
Furthermore, it's hard for unemployment insurance to be a disincentive to finding jobs when we've just lost 8.4 million jobs! You can't find jobs that don't exist.
This is the whole point of long-term unemployment insurance, help folks get by while we work to recover the jobs that have disappeared. It helps the jobless and the rest of the economy at the same time.
But now you can see why Senate conservatives are so callous about subverting the majority will to cut off unemployment insurance.
Because they don't believe in unemployment insurance, no matter what the facts are.
And apparently, it doesn't matter what the votes are either.
It doesn't have to be that way. Sign the petition.


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Thanks to Apple's recent tumble, its market value is now neck and neck with oil giant ExxonMobil once again.
John Stoltzfus of Oppenheimer threw together this chart tracking 20 years of Apple versus Exxon.
"Over the illustrated time frame, Exxon Mobil's market cap has steadily increased," wrote Stoltzfus. "Apple's relative market cap grew at exponential 1.30% rates from 2009 with little signs of resistance until its shares started trading above $700 in mid-September 2012.
The units on the y-axis are in $billions.
Get the latest ExxonMobil stock price here.


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After being greeted down at the bar area of Spoonbill, I was led around the hotel to look at numerous pieces of art by John Olsen. I really loved his artwork, as it was full of bright colours and I liked the slight abstract nature of the landscape or food he was painting. We were told to pay attention as after the tour, we would be allowed to create our own masterpieces, which would be displayed in the driveway of the hotel. Finally, someone has recognised my artistic talents and was willing to display it for all the world to see. We all enthusiastically got our hands dirty (some of us metaphorically, others like Agnes more literally) and let our artistic juices flow onto canvas. Look at my amazing effort below. You must be amazed at all the intricacies and trying to decipher all the hidden meaning of my masterpiece. Can you tell what it is?
With our artwork completed, it was time to taste some art on a plate. We started with a number of entrees such as Fish Tacos, Mini Wagyu Burgers, Roasted Quail, Seared Scallops and Mussels in Broth. While I was too slow to wrench a mini burger out of the fingers of my fellow food bloggers, I did manage to try everything else. All the food was quite good or very good. The fish tacos was a bit bland for my liking, but the scallops, quail and mussels were excellent. The mussels were my favourite as they were super plump and flavoursome in the broth.
For mains, we tried some Poached Fish, Slow Cooked Pork Belly and the signature John Olsen Paella. The poached fish was really bland and had lots of bones. I had a tiny piece but otherwise left that alone, as did everyone else. Instead, I tucked into the really tender pork belly. It had a good flavour, similar to Chinese Soy Braised Belly I thought. The John Olsen Paella, which John used to love eating and painting, was good. The seafood was really fresh and the rice had good flavour. It could have been improved slightly for my liking if there were some nice burnt crispy pieces of rice at the base. I normally love picking at those crispy bits of rice in a paella. There may have been a salad or three but seriously, WHO WINS FRIENDS WITH SALAD right? So I may have forgotten what the salads were.
While I was already quite full from the savouries, when dessert arrived, my stomach immediately found space again. We got to try the Hazelnut Meringues, Apple Delicious and A Taste of Chocolate. All desserts were amazing. The hazelnut meringues were light and covered in coffee cream and espresso syrup. A perfect balance of flavours. The apple delicious contained a millefuille, a jelly and a sorbet. While the millefuille and jelly were already good, the sorbet was what surprised me. The apple flavour was so clear and crisp and hence my favourite of the three items. Lastly, the taste of chocolate was just pure chocolate indulgence. There was a chocolate fondant which oozed a chocolate lava when you stabbed at with a spoon. It was served with a lusciously smooth ice cream and honeycomb. We finished the meal with some cocktails, of which I chose a Violet Crumble, delicious.
Overall, I liked the food. For me, the highlights were the super plump fresh mussels dish, the paella and the all the desserts. We were seated upstairs in a corner table so I'm not sure what the atmosphere in the restaurant below is like. I would think it will be nice as the décor is very striking and I could hear quite a lot of noise from downstairs of people laughing and talking. Service is hard to judge as I was there for an event but the wait staff did seem to know their wines and food when questioned, which is a good sign.
My guest and I dined courtesy of Spoonbill Restaurant.


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Bobbby Gillespie lays his soul bare on the new Primal Scream album. The charismatic frontman says its a bit of a shock to himself at how personal the lyrics are.
There wasn't any plans to make this record so personal – it just turned out that way; a happy accident which seems to be the way it is for Primal Scream. You never quite know what you're going to get – but then, neither do they.
It's always an event when you come and see Primal Scream live
Bobby said: "The music evokes ideas for lyrics. It works in a dramatic sense for me. I'm a songwriter and have been for many years, so I write about what I know, what I see and what I feel.
"I'm trying to make sense of my life, the world and trying to fit it into a pop song.
"I feel like that a lot of the time, so I wanna make music that reflects how I feel. It's not always about melodies; it's about feeling and emotion and atmosphere. I hope other people can feel that when they listen to it. Maybe that'll touch the loneliness in them."
"It wasn't a conscious decision, these things usually aren't. When you're making a record, things have a habit of just appearing and if you have a good song, you have a good song."
The album title Chaosmosis comes from a writer that Bobby admires.
"The name comes from a book by French psychiatrist Félix Guattari. We each absorb the mass of disconnected information the contemporary world throws at us.
"As an artist the only way of making any sense of it is to try to make art, something that can be used to inspire yourself and other people in the face of this onslaught of negativity. I've always said that our music is like a shield and a sword used against everything else."
Bobby is excited about the new Primal Scream album but is just as proud of his other recent release that flew a little bit under the radar for many mainstream fans of the band.
It's a mix CD of other people's music called 'Sunday Morning Coming Down'.
Bobby said: "As much love and care went into that compilation as any Primal Scream release.
"It's quite a personal record for me. I'm happy it's out there and people seem to like it."
With the album ready to drop, Primal Scream are looking forward to taking it on the road. The band are set to play a number of intimate shows before a series of headline summer festival dates.
And as far as Bobby is con-cerned, nothing beats smaller shows.
He said: "It was our manager's idea to do a small tour. We wanted to play smaller venues and festivals to make it more of an event.
"It's cool to see so many people enjoying your music, and it's always an event when you come and see Primal Scream live.
"Electric Fields is as small a festival as we've played in Britain, but it's going to be brilliant," Bobby continued.
"An intimate open air show in Scotland? That's going to be amazing, isn't it? Plus we've never played there before, so new is always good. I can't wait for that one.
"We've never played the ABC in Glasgow before either. So hopefully people are as excited to see us as we are to be playing it."
Chaosmosis is out now.
Primal Scream play Aberdeen Beach Ballroom on March 29, Glasgow's O2 ABC on March 30 and headline Electric Fields, Drumlanrig Castle, on August
26 and 27.
For tickets, visit primal scream


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by David Scamell
December 16, 2011
When the United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women visited El Salvador in 2010, she learned about Paula's story. A transgender woman, Paula was severely attacked and shot by a group of men on the street one night in San Salvador. When hospitalized, the harassment continued with health care personnel showing disdain because she was transgender and HIV-positive. Not long after being discharged, Paula was attacked again and the consequence of defending herself was to spend two years in an all-male prison on false charges of attempted homicide (her attacker later admitted to his actions). While in prison, she was raped more than 100 times by gang members, sometimes with the complicity of the prison security officers. Once released, she was again attacked when other gang members found out that she was HIV-positive and may have passed the virus to some of the men who had raped her.
Paula's story is only one of many examples of serious human rights abuses against sexual and gender minorities that are increasingly being highlighted by UN Special Rapporteurs, treaty bodies, and the UN Human Rights Council. Many of those examples of abuses have now been compiled into a landmark report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, released yesterday.
The report was developed as a result of a resolution during the 17th session of the Human Rights Council in June this year. By a vote of 23 for, 19 against, and 3 abstentions, the Council took the much needed step of recognizing that "the universality, interdependence, indivisibility and interrelatedness of human rights as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights" applies to all people regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Beyond this basic recognition, the Council called for the development of a report "to document discriminatory laws and practices and acts of violence against individuals based on their sexual orientation and gender identity, in all regions of the world, and how international human rights law can be used to end violence and related human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity."
The High Commissioner's report is a confirmation of the serious rights violations against sexual and gender minorities in all corners of the globe that LGBT activists have been exposing and challenging for many years. Namely, that in a third of all countries same-sex attracted people face the real threat of being imprisoned because of who they are; from the U.S. to Brazil, transgender people are murdered at unacceptably high rates; families headed by same-sex parents are almost universally denied legal recognition; people whose gender identity differs from their sex at birth are routinely denied the right to have their preferred gender recognized in passports, birth certificates, and other state documents; and, when sexual and gender minorities seek to organize and defend their human rights, they are swiftly and forcefully attacked by governments and right-wing bodies seeking to impose "traditional values."
What this report contributes to the struggle is a comprehensive acknowledgement by the highest human rights official in the UN system that sexual and gender minorities are protected under international law, and that every State should enact sufficient measures in order to respect, protect, and promote their human rights. The severity of abuses that occur on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity across the world is mirrored by the political resistance of many governments to recognize the rights of sexual and gender minorities (many countries cannot even acknowledge their existence, let alone their rights). Yet the march towards freedom and equality gathers steam. In Kenya and Tonga, Chile and Kyrgyzstan, sexual and gender minorities are mobilizing in the name of human rights. Yesterday's report adds another tool to their toolkit.


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Dog Coughs Then Passes Out/Stops Breathing
*Background on Nicky: Male Pom, neutered, rescued, clearly abused, very poor dental health, serious behavioral problems, knee joint popping, roughly between 8-9 years old*
Ok...so my Pom, Nicky, has done this weird coughing/hacking thing since I've had him (6 yrs). I never took him to the vet for it because this whole time I thought it was just a hair ball or something non-serious....until now. About 2 weeks ago he was doing the coughing/hacking thing and the next thing I saw was him collapse to the ground, his legs went stiff and he rolled over on his side. He was not breathing. I panicked, started crying and yelling for my partner to help me, scooped Nicky up and shook him a little bit and patted his chest until he looked normal again. Needless to say, I was horrified. We weren't sure if he had something stuck in his throat or what in the world so we said that if it happened again, we'd know that there was definitely a problem and we'd take him to the vet. My partner stayed him with him that day and it hasn't happened since...until today. I let Nicky out of his crate and he got excited, as he usually does, and he started doing the coughing/hacking thing as I was leading him outside to potty and right there on the side of the hill, he crumbled to the ground and stopped breathing again. I freaked out, picked him up, shook him and put him back down on all fours. He stood there, a little wobbly, but he was "fine" again. He scampered off and went potty. I was crying and horrified yet again and ran inside to tell my partner. Needless to say, it's vet time....but until then, I'd like to know if anybody else has experienced an incident like this?
I've never seen anything like that. It could be many things, none of which anyone here could guess, unless they were a vet or experienced that themselves. When in doubt, see your vet. I think a visit to Nicky's vet is important now. Scary for you and Nicky to go through that, hope he will be okay.
My old red cattle dog used to do this, made a dreadful wretching noise, then out to it. My vet felt it was a type of seizure, or maybe the blood being cut off in his brain for some reason. Only happened twice, the first time he vomited/made awful noises, tried to rush to me but landed at my feet, totally unconscious. Very sudden, and my efforts at getting him up thankfully snapped him out of it. The second time was more seizure-like. He again made the noise first, Ian pointed out that he was wobbling, then over onto his side and out to it, and this time there was a small amount of paddling of the feet. Definitely take him to the vet though, it may be something different, like a collapsing trachea, his heart etc.. Some things are easily treated by a vet, at an affordable price, and you'll find it much easier to cope with yourself once you know exactly what you are dealing with. One of my shelties for instance is doing really well on Prednil for her trachea problem, only rarely does she cough when on that med'. Good luck with him, I know the scare he must have given you. Been there.
Sorry to hear that Nicky is having this problem! I don't have any personal experience with it, but I've known of dogs prone to collapsed tracheas that have passed out that way. Glad you're taking him to the vet! When is his appointment?
"We are--each of us--dying; it's how we live in the meantime that makes the difference."
"It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived!"
"Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle."
I wonder if it could it be reverse sneezing that in certain circumstances is severe enough to cut off his air supply that it causes him to pass out?
I was just dog sitting a dog that has reverse sneezing but usually 1 minor incident per day/two and it kinda sounds like a hacking/cough
Google videos for reverse sneezing in dogs and see if it sounds similar. If you could video tape a minor incident that Nicky has it would be easier to describe it to your vet.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do
The Spirit Lives As Long As Someone Who Lives Remembers You - Navaho Saying
Vindication ~ For all those pets who became sick or lost their lives from tainted pet food
bronchitis! My poor little dog, was shipped 3,000 he came from California to my state Massachusetts and had bronchitis. Your dog should go the vet right away. He doing just what Marty did and it could be bronchitis .
I really thought my little dog was dying right in front of me when he just heel over on his side trying to get some air .
My dog just had the same symptoms and our vet is treating him
My dog whom I rescued last summer had 2 almost identical episodes in the past month. He woke up one morning and was headed to the back door . I heard a few hacking coughs and then some distressed barking. When I got to him, he was laying on his side with eyes fixed , breathing rapidly. I thought he was dying. I knelt beside him and talked softly and stroked his hair gently . The episode lasted 3-5 minutes before he was able to raise his head and then get up. About 3 days passed and he was in the kitchen. He started hacking as if he were trying to cough something up , then he ran to the other room and I heard the scared, distressed barking . When I got in there he was again laying on his side and paddling his feet as if he were swimming and I did the same thing . It lasted about the same amount of time. I thought he was having a stroke. I took him to the vet, he thought it could be heart related , did blood work and told me to watch him. About 3 days later , I was taking him for a walk and about halfway down the block he started the cough, dropped to his knees and then fell over on his side . I knelt down , again talked to him calmly and rubbed his back until he lifted his head and got up and 'shook it off'. The vet decided to put him on the KBR anti seizure medicine twice a day and since he did I have seen one more episode but he still does the cough. He has been on the medicine about 3-4 weeks now . I am still terribly worried about him but my vet is very good at listening and caring about my dogs. So I hope this well solve the problem. You aren't alone and it is very scary when it happens.
My first thought was heart, but maybe a severe reverse sneeze thingee could do it, we had a dog on the block that had a severe problem with something wrong in the throat/mouth area.
Hope the vet figures it out quickly!
This post is nearly a year old and the OP has not come back to update us. I hope the pooch is OK.
My does 4 or 5 coughs and passes out
My Jack Russell started doing this very strange cough , she would cough 4 to 5 times and then pass out totally unconscious . I spent about $7000 taking her to a specialist including cardiologist. I'm about to do a CAT scan and I'll let you know how that turns out however the doctors told me the nickname for this is called "cough drop" because they cough and then they drop. The specialist feel it's overstimulation of the Vegas nerve however I've been insured by all the specialist that my dog will not die from this. She does it about once every two weeks. I'm looking for any pattern and will continue going to specialist until I get to the bottom of it. I'm just relieved to know it won't kill my dog although it's very scary.
Oy! That would be frightening! Please keep us posted on what they find, Expensiveguy!
"We are--each of us--dying; it's how we live in the meantime that makes the difference."
"It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived!"
"Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle."
In creatures who black out for non-cardiovascular reasons, aversion is regularly a matter of evading certain circumstances.
A puppy who swoons when he pulls on his neckline ought to be changed to a bridle. Push increments vagal tone, and it might be proper to look for behavioral preparing for a puppy who gets too much restless in specific circumstances.
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Sodding earthquake
Beautiful Christchurch is a mess. I can't begin to imagine how the people down there are holding it together. I'm seeing glimpses of my childhood in ruins, which is sad, but my god, the people stuck there every day dealing with mess and death and pooing in plastic bags and general misery. Oy. The thing about being human is you do endure, you don't have the option of just giving up, because you can't. I wish there was something I could do. I want some Christchurch people to come here so I can give them some alcohol and some food and a bit of a reprieve, but they can't just skip out on their lives.
The whole incident has prompted me to actually pull together an earthquake kit, because honestly, how stupid would you feel if the big one did actually hit, and you couldn't give your children a drink of water?
I'm going to list here what I did, because I know that some people will be interested. It is by no means comprehensive, and I haven't actually finished. You should feel free to chip in ideas about what to add, where to stash it, what to stash it in, that sort of thing.
From the supermarket:
Dettol (cream and liquid)
Soap (I got liquid bodywash, figured it would be versatile)
Toilet paper
Insect repellent
Hand sanitiser
Can opener
Rubbish bags
Water (we bought 40 litres. We need more, but I honestly don't know where we'd keep it, so I'm gonna keep all our water bottles and soda stream bottles filled in the fridge too)
Tinned toms
Baked beans
Tinned spag
Tinned bean salad
Muesli bars
Boiled sweets
Condensed milk
Tinned creamed rice
Tinned fruit salad
From Kathmandu
Aquatabs (water purifying tabs)
Freeze dried food (which Pauline assures me is tasty)
From home
Leatherman tool
To come from Mitre 10
Dust masks
Rubber gloves
Things I should have but haven't worked out how to store
I think we'll keep it all in the caravan, and hopefully it survives any major earthquake action better than the house. We have a camping stove and lantern there, plus several torches and we have a radio (but probably should get another too).
Please add in comments anything I've missed.


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Men's Ecolution Organic Hemp Sport Shoe (CLOSEOUT) -- made in Europe
Quantity in Basket:
Code: Ecolution Sport Shoe (men's)
Shipping Weight: 0.00 pounds
Choose a Color:
Choose a Size:
7 - 7.5 (black sold out)
8 - 8.5 (brown sold out)
9 - 9.5 (natural ONLY)
10 - 10.5 -- sold out
11 - 11.5 -- sold out
12 - 12.5 -- sold out
MEN'S HEMP SPORT SHOE by ECOLUTION
A durable, water-resistant sport shoe made of organically-grown Romanian hemp!
Great for casual wear too. Available in black, brown, or natural, this is the finest
sweatshop-free, eco-friendly sneaker available anywhere.
Hemp is a tough fabric made of natural fibers that's lightweight, long-wearing,
easy to clean and breathable. Hemp is a renewable resource that is good for the
environment. Its strong roots help control erosion, and it needs very little water
to grow. When cultivating the fibers, practically no chemicals are needed since the
material naturally resists pests. And the natural look of hemp is so great that no
bleaching is required.


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UN: 4 peacekeepers killed in north Mali, 15 hurt
BAMAKO, Mali (AP) -- At least four U.N. peacekeepers were killed and 15 wounded when their convoy hit a mine in northern Mali on Tuesday, a spokesman said.
The group of Chadian peacekeepers was returning from the embattled town of Kidal when they struck a mine about 20 miles (30 kilometers) outside the city, said Olivier Salgado, a spokesman for the force. Six of those hurt are seriously wounded, he said.
Salgado did not speculate on who was behind the attack, the largest in months. But the al-Qaida group operating in the country recently has taken responsibility for several recent attacks on U.N. peacekeepers. Kidal is also the home of a simmering revolt by a Tuareg separatist movement. Northern Mali fell under control of Tuareg separatists and then al-Qaida-linked Islamic extremists following a military coup in 2012. A French-led intervention last year scattered the extremists, but some remain active and there have been continued bursts of violence.
U.N. troops are now trying to stabilize the north, and peace talks have begun between the Malian government and Tuaregs, who maintain a heavy presence in Kidal and have pushed back against the authority of the Bamako-based government.
Al-Qaida is not participating in those discussions.
"A peace process is under way, some want to compromise it, that's totally unacceptable and irresponsible," Bert Koenders, the U.N. special envoy for Mali, said. He added that the secretary-general and the U.N. Security Council have been informed.
The U.N. Security Council, in a press statement, "condemned in the strongest terms" the attack on the Chadian peacekeepers and reiterated its full support for the Mali mission.
"These attacks will not alter the determination of the United Nations to support the Malian people in their search for peace," said a statement released by the spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki also issued a statement late Tuesday condemning the attack and supporting efforts to negotiate "a durable peace" at the talks scheduled to begin in Algeria later this week.
Including those who died Tuesday, 15 peacekeepers have been killed in Mali this year.


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Williamsburg's Bakeri Has the Bread Pudding of Your Dreams
Your daily dose of something sweet.
Fans of chocolate banana bread should head over to Williamsburg's Bakeri for a dessert that takes the sweet moist cake to its logical conclusion. Their Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding ($4) is a denser, more enriched version of the quickbread, but surprisingly not too sweet. The result is the rare bread pudding that you can eat without feeling like a nap afterward.
As you explore your slice you'll encounter large pockets of softened dark chocolate and the varying textures of bananas and baked bread. What makes it bread pudding rather than another moist quickbread? The golden brown crust, almost as burned as a French canele with a the crunch of caramelized sugar. A bit heavy for breakfast, but this slice was still warm at 10 a.m. Bananaphobes need not apply.
This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Serious Eats. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.


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The last of Scorpion Wash
Mark Wilson June 11th, 2010
MITZPE RAMON, ISRAEL — The 2010 Wooster Geology Israel team finished its work today in the Upper Cretaceous rocks at our northern locality, Wadi Aqrav. We measured several dozen cobbles from the base of the Menuha Formation, and then collected fossils from the Zihor Formation which we had previously measured. We are now looking forward to a shabbat dinner at the home of our hosts Yoav and Noa, and then a trip tomorrow to visit Masada and the Dead Sea.


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We are starting week 5 of 15, just starting threshold rides. I wanted to post the power to weight ratios of this year's athletes, 26 females and 27 males. Included is a 2010 version of the Cat 1-5 international rating system. Yes, we calibrate our "older" M3s so we can make an approximate comparison to the international rating system.
You know you need to do base training, and you know without 6 to 12 weeks of it, you might as well go skiing. So, is this the year you "get er' done?"
Just as a group cycling class is more motivating than riding on your own, a virtual training group of 100+ riders from all over the country all working on the same training plan and following the same program also gives one that sense of camaradarie and collective motivation.
We have a lot to offer, from lectures
Updated 01-03-2013 at 01:14 PM by admin
It has taken us a year to turn these around, but early reviews on Amazon put them in the "worth the wait" category. As an experiment of sorts, we put a mic on Tom Scotto and told him to teach the ride to Indoor Riders, knowing those are who the DVD was meant for - cyclists who train indoors from time to time. The result is a more realistic, more engaging DVD series than we've ever before created.
In fact, we had so much good footage from this series - between the scenery
Cycle Camp 2013 starts in 2 short weeks! To read about the planning and preparation that goes into Cycle Camp please click on the attachments.
If you have any questions please let me know.
Attachment 2711
Attachment 2712
Cycle Camp pg 3.pdf
Our 14th epicRIDES title, Epic Aspen is as beautiful an epicRIDE as it is challenging.
This 90 minute ride starts in the town of Aspen and does out and backs on local cycling favorites, Castle Creek and Maroon Bells roads, and ends at the famed Maroon Bells Scenic Wilderness Area, one of the most photographed locations in Colorado.
Our ride leader is Jennifer Sage, an indoor cycling Master Instructor, founder of the Indoor Cycling
Updated 07-11-2012 at 01:02 PM by admin


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This beautiful Birch Bark wedding band is made from 18k gold and sterling silver. It is 6mm wide and features a hammered 18k yellow gold bi-metal outer surface. Bi-metal is different from plated metal. It is a thin sheet of 18k gold fused to a slightly thicker sheet of sterling silver. I solder a strip of this onto a sterling silver core then line the entire ring with a sterling silver sleeve. This inner sleeve creates a smooth edge for a comfortable fit. The 18k yellow gold has a classic bold yellow tone that complements the silver nicely, especially at the edge between the lining and the inner ring where a patina has darkened the silver. This ring is a size 8 but I can remake it in other sizes and widths upon request. I can also line it in 14k yellow, white, or rose gold for an additional fee. Please contact me if you are interested in this option.
Please note that each wedding band is handcrafted just for you and may not exactly match those shown in the photos. If you have a particular preference regarding the heaviness or lightness of your Birch Bark pattern, please let me know in the Notes to Seller field at checkout.
I can engrave your ring for a small added fee. You can add your wedding date, names, initials, or a short phrase that expresses your unique love for each other. The cost to have each ring engraved is $25. You can find the listing here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/173742868/ . I have several fonts available; you can see examples of them in the second photo of the engraving listing.
I will ship your order to locations in the U.S. via USPS Priority Mail within 3-4 weeks of receipt of payment. International orders are shipped via USPS International Priority Mail. I can upgrade the shipping to USPS Priority Express Mail (which is faster) for an added fee.
Buying wedding bands to last a lifetime can be a difficult choice. I encourage you to take a look at my excellent feedback and feel free to contact me if you have any questions before making your purchase.
Please be sure to provide me with accurate ring sizes when ordering. Due to the nature of these rings, many cannot easily be made smaller and they can often be stretched larger by only a half size. I would be happy to send you a free ring sizer. Once you have received the sizer, you can place your order with an accurate size. Using the ring sizer is an easy way to determine your size or double-check your size if you already know it. Plus, if you use my sizer and your ring still requires a size adjustment after you've received it, I will be happy to waive any resizing fee and charge only for shipping. Otherwise, a $25 fee will apply to simple resizes (stretched bigger by up to a half size), and a restocking fee of up to $75 will apply in cases where I must make you a new ring.
When you order, please put the date when you will need the rings in the Notes To Seller field so that I can account for shipping time if your wedding date is soon. Also please write out a quick reminder of any other changes to the design that we may have discussed in emails. Having this information on your receipt is useful as I use them as the work order for making my rings.
Payment must be made in full before an item is shipped. I primarily accept Etsy's Direct Checkout and PayPal. You can pay with a credit card or check through PayPal if you do not have a PayPal account. Other forms of payment will be considered but will invariably add time to your order. If you pay through PayPal with a check, I will need to wait for that check to clear before shipping your item -- this generally takes about a week. Please keep this in mind if you are faced with a tight deadline.
International buyers: You may see the phrase "VAT included (where applicable)" under the purchase price. Please note that VAT is *not* included in your purchase price. Despite this confusing language, I am a U.S. seller and am unable to collect VAT. If VAT is due, it will be calculated and collected for your shipment when it enters your country.
All custom orders must be paid in advance.
I ship out most of my earrings and necklaces via USPS First Class Mail, which usually arrives domestically (inside the U.S.) within one week. Wedding jewelry and more expensive pieces are shipped either by USPS Priority Mail or Priority Express Mail, depending upon the dollar amount. For security purposes, I request a signature for items shipped via Priority Express Mail. Let me know if you would like to have me waive the signature for your package. For standard items, you can upgrade the shipping for an additional fee if you need your items by a specific date. I am happy to work with you whenever I can.
I will email you to confirm both receipt of your order and that your order has shipped. Please watch for these emails. If you have a spam filter on your personal email account, you might not receive these emails. Feel free to contact me via Etsy if you do not hear from me, especially if you have questions or concerns about your order.
I will ship to the address on your Etsy receipt rather than the one on your Paypal account unless you request otherwise.
Items are shipped in an attractive jewelry box in a padded envelope to protect against damage.
If your purchase is a gift and you are having me ship it directly to the recipient, I will gladly include a note from you on request-- just let me know who the gift is for and what you would like the note to say when you place the order. I can leave out the invoice on all gift shipments upon request.
Finally, I do ship internationally but I cannot be responsible for any customs fees that may arise on shipments sent out of the United States and I am unable to comply with requests to mark the customs form field as "Gift."
Just contact me within: 7 days of delivery
Ship items back to me within: 14 days of delivery
Request a cancellation within: 5 days of purchase
But please contact me if you have any problems with your order.
Please contact me if you have any problems with your order.
Please be sure to provide me with accurate ring sizes. I create each ring for you personally and generally do not stock an inventory of my work. Because of the nature of these rings, many cannot easily be made smaller and can often only be stretched larger by a half size.
If you are unsure of your size, I would be happy to send you a free ring sizer. Using the ring sizer is an easy way to determine your size (or double-check your size if you think you already know it). Please note that going to a jeweler or knowing the size of another ring that you wear is not always an accurate gauge of your size because the equipment that jewelers use to make and size rings may not be consistent. My tools are consistent with the sizers I send out so I've found using my sizers to be an accurate way to determine your size.
When ordering, you may want to note the date you will need the rings by in the Notes To Seller section at checkout so that I can account for the shipping time (especially if your wedding date is soon). Also, please write out a quick reminder of any other changes to the design that we may have discussed in emails. Having this information on your receipt is useful as I use it as the work order for making your rings.
Please contact me if you would like to exchange a ring you have purchased. All exchanges must be shipped to me within seven days of receipt and should be sent back insured. If you do not insure the item, I cannot be responsible for it being lost or damaged in transit.
I allow exchanges and returns with a 25% restocking fee. My policy on exchanges varies depending upon your purchase:
• Silver rings: I am happy to accept exchanges on any silver ring you have purchased from my shop.
• Gold rings (domestic orders): Unless it is a custom order, I am happy to accept exchanges on any gold rings you have purchased domestically from my shop.
• Gold rings (international orders): I can accept exchanges on gold rings that have been purchased internationally but in addition to the 25% restocking fee, return shipping costs will apply.
• Custom ordered gold rings: I am unable to accept exchanges or returns on orders for which you have requested modifications in width, thickness, an unusual size, a custom setting, a custom pattern, or any variation not included in my standard shop listing.
I am generally able to make a ring one half size larger or smaller. Some rings, however, cannot be altered once they have been made. Below you will find a list of rings you will find in my shop and the fees for a simple resizing (depending upon the complexity of the work). If you are unsure of what type of ring you are purchasing, I'm happy to answer any questions. The following ring resizing fees apply to my work-- they include return shipping costs:
• Silver rings (domestic orders) – $35 - $75
• Silver rings (international orders) – $50 - $100
• Gold rings (domestic orders) – $35 - $75
• Gold rings (international orders) – For your own convenience, I highly recommend that you have your ring resized by a reputable jeweler in your own country, as the multiple shipping charges, customs fees, etc. to you will be quite prohibitive.
In addition, please be aware that rings with stones may not be resizable:
1. Rings with flush set stones – These rings cannot be resized, but you may be able to exchange your ring for one with a better fit. Please check the Exchanges section to see which rings I am able to accept for an exchange.
2. Rings with a bezel on top of band – Depending upon its style, I may be able to resize your ring.
3. Rings with inset bezels – These rings cannot be resized, but you may be able to exchange your ring for one with a better fit. Please check the Exchanges section to see which rings I am able to accept for an exchange.
Caring for the jewelry you buy from me:
Most of the jewelry in my shop has been given a patina finish, meaning it has been darkened and then buffed so that the high areas are the color of the underlying metal while the low, indented areas remain dark. To keep this jewelry looking its best, there are a couple of precautions you should take. First of all, try to limit the exposure of your jewelry to any chemicals. Chemicals may loosen the bond between the patina and the metal and cause the patina to fade or wash away. These can include dish soaps, shampoos, or household cleaning products. Even hand soaps may include mild abrasives, perfumes, and anti-bacterial agents that may adversely affect your jewelry's finish.
As for cleaning your jewelry, the recommended method depends on the item. My silver and brass patterned pieces have a matte finish and so can be very lightly buffed with a scotch-brite pad similar to those you might use when washing dishes. My filigree work is given a shiny, glossy finish and should be cleaned with a jeweler's cloth which can be found inexpensively at most jewelry shops, including those at most department stores.
If your jewelry has stones, I would recommend contacting me prior to cleaning as certain stones are very soft and may possibly be damaged while cleaning. Also, since silver is a relatively soft metal, it is not recommended that you wear your rings without gloves when doing chores like gardening or working on your car, as this could leave scratches on the metal.
Your privacy is important! This Privacy Policy describes how and when I collect, use, and share information when you purchase an item from me, contact me, or otherwise use my services.
To fulfill your order, you must provide me with certain information such as your name, email address, postal address, payment information, and the details of the product that you are ordering. You may have also provided me with additional personal information (for a custom order, for example), if you have contacted me directly.
Why I Need Your Information and How I Use It
I rely on a number of bases to collect, use, and share your information including:
• As needed to provide my services, such as when I use your information to fulfill your order, to settle disputes, or to provide customer support
• When you have provided your affirmative consent, which you may revoke at any time, such as by signing up for my mailing list
• If necessary to comply with a legal obligation or court order or in connection with a legal claim, such as retaining information about your purchases if required by tax law
• As necessary for the purpose of my legitimate use, if that legitimate use is not overridden by your rights or interests, such as providing and improving my services
Information Sharing and Disclosure
Some information about my customers is important to my business. I will only share your personal information for very limited reasons and in limited circumstances, as follows:
• Etsy: I share information with Etsy as necessary to provide you my services and comply with my obligations under both the Etsy Seller Policy and Etsy Terms of Use.
• Service providers: I engage certain trusted third parties to perform functions and provide services to my shop, such as delivery companies. I will share your personal information with these third parties, but only to the extent necessary to perform these services.
• Compliance with laws: I may collect, use, retain, and share your information if I have a good faith belief that it is reasonably necessary to: (a) respond to legal process or to government requests; (b) enforce my agreements, terms and policies; (c) prevent, investigate, and address fraud and other illegal activity, security, or technical issues; or (d) protect the rights, property, and safety of my customers, or others.
Data Retention
I retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to provide you with my services and as I have described in this privacy policy. However, I may also be required to retain this information to comply with my legal and regulatory obligations, to resolve disputes, and to enforce my agreements. I generally keep your data for no more than seven years.
Transfers of Personal Information Outside the EU
I may store and process your information through third-party hosting services in the US and other jurisdictions (such as a mailing list on Google Cloud). As a result, I may transfer your personal information to a jurisdiction with different data protection and government surveillance laws than your jurisdiction. If I transfer information about you outside of the EU, I rely on Privacy Shield as the legal basis for the transfer (for example, Google Cloud is Privacy Shield certified).
Your Rights
If you reside in certain territories, including the EU, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal information. While some of these rights apply generally, certain rights apply only in certain limited cases. I describe these rights below:
• Access: You may have the right to access and receive a copy of the personal information I hold about you by contacting me using the contact information below.
• Change, restrict, delete: You may also have rights to change, restrict my use of, or delete your personal information. Absent exceptional circumstances (like where I am required to store data for legal reasons) I will generally delete your personal information upon request.
• Object: In some cases you may wish to object to my use of your information even after you have given your permission to use it (such as when you receive a marketing email). In such cases, I will delete your personal information unless it is needed for legal reasons.
• Complain: If you reside in the EU and wish to raise a concern about my use of your information, you have the right to do so with your local data protection authority.
This Privacy Policy does not apply to the practices of third parties that I do not own or control, including Squarespace, Etsy, or any third party services you access through those platforms. You can reference the Squarespace and Etsy privacy policy to learn more about their privacy practices.
How to Contact Me
As the owner of Down to the Wire Designs, I am the data controller of your personal information. If you have any questions or concerns, you may contact me at downtothewiredesigns [!at] gmail.com.
Apr 17, 2017
perfect exactly what i wanted.
Sep 15, 2016
Chuck made the engagement ring. And then he made this, the wedding band. That should say plenty about how we feel about the quality of his work. We keep going back because we love what he does. Highly recommended!


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Ask questions from a list. Don't be afraid to clarify. Take notes.
The majority of Americans are time-crunched and work-consumed. So when a doctor's appointment has to be squeezed into a hectic schedule, it is no small task — especially if it is with a new health-care professional.
Dr. Mayrene Hernandez of UnitedHealthCare Florida offers patients advice to maximize time with a physician:
— Make sure to have necessary insurance cards, previous tests and records (if necessary) and any X-rays (if needed).
— Communicate clearly new or changing symptoms, family history of diseases or conditions, trips taken (especially out of the country), and recent tests and/or procedures.
— Add to a smartphone or jot down on a piece of paper a list of issues to discuss, as well as current medications and supplements. For prescriptions, include date when started and expected to finish and dosage.
— Ask questions on the list. Don't be afraid to clarify. Take notes. Ask for an exact date or a time window when a diagnosis, test or lab results, or referrals might be available.
— Ask a doctor about preventive measures. Hernandez says one of the most important parts of doctor visits is creating a care plan to keep a person healthy before any signs of illness begin. She points to screenings, vaccinations and regular wellness checkups as pieces of the plan.
The National Institute on Aging also stresses that patients concerned with a health issue should not procrastinate. That cyst may be pea-size one day and golf-ball-size with infection and inflammation a few weeks later if not tended to. If the appointment is more than a routine checkup, nia.nih.gov recommends patients bring along a friend or family member to help remember details about the visit.
And, patients who do not speak English well or at all should request in advance an interpreter, instead of taking time to determine if one can be obtained during the visit.


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Alan Wake (fantastically entertaining game) is one of the more conspicuous about in-game advertising. Hell, they even work products into the gameplay itself. Penny Arcade's take on this is only slightly exaggerated, if you can believe it.
But does it make you actually want to switch to Verizon or use Energizer batteries? For me, yes and no. The phone cuts out too often in the game at inopportune times to be a good sales pitch, but those batteries sure are handy at violating the laws of physics. (Flashlights don't recharge themselves!) [Penny Arcade]


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Historians gather 'Legendary Locals of Greater Miami' in new book
The first "postcard" to come from these parts reputedly was sent 450 years ago by Jesuit Brother Francisco Villareal.
However, the message was not of the "Wish You Were Here" style that tourism bureaus might welcome.
"I and others have constantly remained healthy, glory be to God, which helps us endure with the little difficulty some of the burdens of the land that otherwise would seem insufferable," Villareal wrote while leading an outpost mission at the mouth of the Miami River.
Miami presents challenges, but its ability to adapt to changes makes the city an ideal setting for Monday's publication of Legendary Locals of Greater Miami (Arcadia Publishing; $21.99, 128 pages) by local historians and scribes Howard Kleinberg and Arva Moore Parks. Through its 128 pages we meet about 200 of the men and women who have made the Miami of today.
Kleinberg and Parks introduce readers to hardy pioneers like the Brickells, William and Mary, whose donation of 640 acres of land led Henry Flagler to bring his railroad to Miami in the late 1800s. Also, Julia Tuttle, whose land purchase along the north bank of the Miami River in the 1870s opened the region to trade.
Developers like Jorge M. Pérez, named one of the nation's 25 most influential Hispanics by Time magazine, made the book as did religious leader Sister Jeanne O' Laughlin and University of Miami President Donna Shalala. There's Cuban American National Foundation founder and construction mogul Jorge Mas Canosa. Dorothy Jenkins Fields, founder of the Black Archives History and Research Foundation of South Florida. Civic leader Mitchell Wolfson Jr. along with sports and entertainment figures like Miami Dolphins perfect-season coach Don Shula and Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III or, as the world came to know him, Ricky Ricardo of I Love Lucy fame.
"We were trying to really represent our true diversity…[T]hat became important to us," Parks said.
Gathering these names — whom to include and whom to cut — was not easy.
"Some people will be offended they are not in the book," Kleinberg said. "That's how you lose friends."
Fortunately, Kleinberg, a former sports writer and editor of The Miami News, and Parks, an author and historian, came to the project as friends.
And they left as friends, the two confirm with a laugh.
"The first list had several hundred names, and then we had to start paring down. Arva and I batted heads," Kleinberg, who wrote the captions, said. "She was expert in some areas of a type of people — all the big businessmen. There was a lot of give and go. Some people are in the book that I didn't think should be, and some are that Arva didn't think should be. But we had to compromise, and Arva and I have been friends for years so you choose your battles."
For example, Parks, who was responsible for tracking down the black-and-white prints that illustrate each submission, had not heard of Nathaniel "Traz" Powell — who made the cut.
Powell, who died in 1980, had graduated from Booker T. Washington High School as one of the finest football players in pre-integration Florida and later coached at Miami's Carver and Mays High in Goulds and built a 170-33 record in 21 years of high school football. Miami Dade College's North Campus named its stadium in his honor.
"He's an example of someone who is really important in Miami history," Parks said. "That is one of the favorite things I learned."
Arcadia has about 80 titles in its Legendary Locals imprint, such as Burlington, Bethlehem and Newton. Finding the right authors is important to ensure the optimal mix of personalities in the series.
"In terms of acquiring this title with Arva and Howard as co-authors, there was no question. Arva is a valued previous author, and she and Howard are a dynamite team. Both are prolific writers and both are well connected in the community," said Amy Perryman, publishing editor for Legendary Locals and Arcadia Publishing.
Charlie Cinnamon, founder of the 50-year-old Coconut Grove Arts Festival and a publicity master, is thrilled to find himself sharing pages with fellow arts icons like Hello, Dolly! composer Jerry Herman and TV showman Jackie Gleason. In the 1960s, the Honeymooners star touted Miami Beach as "the sun and fun capital of the world."
"I feel it a major privilege to be included in the company of such colorful personalities who lived through these magical decades of moving forward the impact that Miami and the Beaches have had on the international worlds of leisure and commerce," Cinnamon said.
Miami stands apart in another way, too, according to Parks. Old-timers and newcomers alike continue to shape our history.
"It doesn't take four generations to become a legendary local in Miami. That's one of our good things,'' Parks said. "If you talk about Boston or Charleston, maybe in five generations you can make it. You can make it fast in Miami."
Follow @HowardCohen on Twitter.


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Mark your calendars, Apple fans. Next week Tim Cook will take the stage and announce the next iPad. Invitations were sent out today for the event that will take place at 10am PST on next Wednesday, March 7 in San Francisco. In the event, Apple is expected to detail the iPad 3 and (possibly) an updated Apple TV set-top box. As you can see above, the teaser image from the invitation says "we have something you really have to see. And touch." It shows what is clearly an iPad 3 with a Retina display.
The killer feature of the iPad 3 will be that upgraded Retina display. Its 2048×1536 resolution would double that of the iPad 2, packing 4x the pixels into the same-sized display. Its 264 pixels per inch would be the highest of any tablet on the market. Though it misses the 300ppi threshold that Steve Jobs used when he coined the term "Retina display," a tablet is typically held farther away than a phone, and would therefore be branded as Retina nonetheless.
Other rumored features are an upgraded processor (either quad-core or upgraded dual-core), an improved GPU, a larger battery (to help compensate for the Retina display), and LTE. The tablet's form factor is expected to look almost identical to that of the iPad 2, only slightly thicker and with a more tapered design.
Though the first two iPads used the same pricing structure, a recent rumor has the iPad 3 costing $70-80 more than the iPad 2. This would be unusual for Apple, but with those expensive Retina displays in there, it isn't out of the question. We'd certainly file the price hike under "possible, but probably not" for now.
You can follow Geek next Wednesday for full iPad 3 event coverage.
More at PC Mag


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New Rules: January 25, 2013/
Every week, Bill lays down his own laws. Here is the latest set of New Rules from the last episode:
New Rule: Someone who knows French history has to tell me why Russell Crowe wears the same hat in 'Les Miz' that Britney Spears wore in "Toxic." "Javert" is supposed to represent the law at its most heartless. This makes him look like he's two guys short of making Rice Krispies.
You can't represent the crushing power of the state and wear a funny hat, unless you're Scalia. [slide of Justice Scalia]
New Rule: Scientists have to explain why the lithium batteries in the Boeing Dreamliner are so dangerous it's not allowed to fly, but the lithium batteries in the cell phone that sits inches from my testicles all day is nothing to worry about.
New Rule: If you're the face of the Democratic Party in the Senate [slides of Harry Reid] that face shouldn't always say, "My dog just died." Or, "Yup, you got me there." Or, "Dammit, I suck at this."
Seriously, Harry, if you're too old for this sh**, just have your face say, "I'm too old for this sh**."
New Rule: If you're an American, and English is your first language, and they still have to subtitle you when you speak English, you have to go back to English class. Look, "Swamp People," I'm all for regional accents. What I'm not for is wondering what kind of weird, backwoods coupling left you born without a tongue.
New Rule: The media must give President Obama a few more days before they start covering the 2016 presidential race! Yikes! They're already speculating about Biden and Hillary. I mean, come on. Even Taylor Swift gives a guy a little more time than that. And why is she America's Sweetheart? She's 17, and she's gone out with more men than Joan Crawford!
And finally, New Rule: America needs to show it's the home of the brave by acting like it. Didyou know that the defense budget of the United States is bigger than the defense budgets of the next 13 countries combined? Most of whom are allies and none of whom are enemies.
So, let me ask you, if a guy on your block was so frightened of mostly non-existent prowlers that he spent all his resources on alarm systems and guns and cameras, so much so that he didn't even have enough money left to maintain his home or send his kids to college, would you call him "brave?"
Well...tonight, I'd like to take a few minutes to try and answer that question and find out just how we became such a nation of d**kless, armchair warriors. Starting with the story of the football hero who last night attempted to explain himself to Katie Couric, and even after years of taking vicious hits to the head, still answered her questions better than Sarah Palin did.
But, what puzzles me is not the scandal of whether he lied, but the relationship itself. Oh, sure, what Manti had sounds attractive: a time-consuming, virtual relationship where you get to talk endlessly with your girlfriend without those "annoying breaks for sex."
But, doesn't it say something about the state of our manhood that this primal warrior never even had sex? Because his girlfriend only existed in "fairyland." And, sadder still, why was this dumb jock such a hero to so many men in the first place? Grown-a** men who were "let down by him."
Red-blooded American males whose mood on Saturdays is dependent on how well a 20-year-old kid tackles a 19-year-old kid. Middle-aged guys who wear replica jerseys with the name and number of their favorite boyfriend -- I mean, player. Guys who get in fights with other guys in other replica jerseys over whose 20-year-old is better.
Is the relationship American men have with their sports heroes really any less weird than the one Manti had with his girlfriend? Guys sitting on the couch all day watching some figures on a screen toss around a dot? You're not a fan, you're a cat!
The problem of our masculinity is apparently so acute that the pharmaceutical companies are now selling a pill to remedy a new affliction called "Low T," or "low testosterone," the symptoms being moodiness, a reduced sex drive, and extra hair growing around your vagina.
I mean, Christ, first they invented boner pills for men who wanted to f**k but couldn't. Now we need a pill to make you want to f**k in the first place!
Yes, I think men are in trouble when you have to juice like Lance Armstrong just to get through your anniversary.
And I think it's because a lot of men today just aren't feeling all that useful. They did in the days of hunter-gatherers, but in today's society, women do the hunting and the gathering. It's called shopping.
And the men, for most of us, the most masculine thing we do all day is pee standing up.
And that's why we wind up idolizing other men who do the masculine things we're not doing: football players, soldiers, action stars who solve every problem with violence. [slide of George Bush] Tough guys who start wars for no reason. Generals who conquer ragtag armies from third world countries...these are the vessels of our outsourced masculinity.
Why do men collect guns? You know, former Georgia Senator Zell Miller once said, "I've got more guns than I need, but not as many as I want." Well, the Pentagon is just Zell Miller on a larger scale, with shoes on.
It has more guns than it needs, but not as many as it wants. And I know some of you out there are saying, "Oh, now that's some liberal bullsh** right there, calling guns a replacement for testosterone." But, if that's not true, how come, as a man gets older, his gun always gets bigger? [slides of posters for early and current Arnold Schwarzenegger films]


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Two years ago Apple pulled off an impressive feat: Its market cap surged past Microsoft to become the most valuable company in the tech industry.
Then last year, IBM managed to slip past Microsoft to be more valuable. It's since fallen back and Microsoft is more valuable.
Who will it be this year? Well, it could be Google. The search company is just $19 billion behind Microsoft. All it would take is Google's stock going on a tear, and Microsoft's fading or sitting still.
When (or if) it happens, you know Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is going to freak out. Don't forget, he's the guy who threw a chair and had a tantrum when Google poached one of his employees.
Get the latest Microsoft stock price here.
Get the latest Google stock price here.


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Welcome to F.I.E.L.D.- the First Ismaili Electronic Library and Database. Guests are not required to login during this beta-testing phase
Prince Hussain and Princess Khaliya accompanied by Amadou Mahtar Ba, Executive Director of the Africa Media Initiative tour an exhibition commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Nation Media Group.
Source:AKDN / Gary Otte
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SEDALIA, Mo. -- A rodeo stunt at the Missouri State Fair has come under criticism after a clown donned a Barack Obama mask and stuck on a broom that descended from his backside.
The stunt took place during the bull riding competition on Saturday night.
Rodeo announcer Mark Ficken, president of the Missouri Cowboy Rodeo Association and a school superintendent, announced a special guest: "President Obama."
Another voice is heard over the loudspeaker working up the crowd and saying, "We're going to stomp Obama now."
"As soon as this bull comes out, Obama, don't you move," the second voice said. "He's going to getcha, getcha getcha, getcha."
"Hey, I know I'm a clown," the second voice said. "He's just running around acting like one. Doesn't know he is one."
The stunt sickened Perry Beam, who came to the fair in Sedalia with his wife and a student from Taiwan to "give him a little piece of Americana."
Beam likened the atmosphere to a Klan rally.
"It wasn't clean; it wasn't fun. It was awful; it was sickening," Beam said, "It was racist."
The student, Jameson Hsieh, recorded a video of the incident, but had little to say afterward.
"He didn't say anything. We rode all the way home in silence," said Beam, who lives 50 miles away in Higginsville. "We were just ashamed, and he didn't ask any more questions. I think he had seen enough. It is just disgusting."
Condemnation came from organizers and politicians alike. The Missouri State Fair Commission called it "unacceptable" and said the clown has been banned "from ever participating or performing at the Missouri State Fair again."
"The commission reiterated that the statements and actions Saturday night were inappropriate and not in keeping with the fair's standards," the agency said in a written statement. "The Missouri State Fair apologizes for the unconscionable stunt."
The board of directors at Missouri Rodeo Cowboy Association also issued an apology.
"The Sport of Rodeo is not meant to be a political platform. We are taking measures by training and educating our contract acts to prevent anything like this from ever happening again," a statement on the group's website said. "All Members of the Missouri Rodeo Cowboy Association are very proud of our Country and our President."
And Republican Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder called for those responsible to be held accountable.
"I condemn the actions disrespectful to POTUS" -- president of the United States -- "the other night," he said in a post to his official Twitter account. "We are better than this."
U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill echoed Kinder.
"The state fair is funded by taxpayer dollars, and is supposed to be a place where we can all bring our families and celebrate the state that we love," she said. "But the young Missourians who witnessed this stunt learned exactly the wrong lesson about political discourse, that somehow it's ever acceptable to, in a public event, disrespect, taunt, and joke about harming the president of our great nation."
™ & © 2013 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.


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City Sightseeing Prague
Embark on a complete Hop-on Hop-off tour and experience the magic of Prague with City Sightseeing! Admire Prague's top attractions including the beautiful Charles Bridge connecting the Old Town with Prague Castle and Paris Street with many elegant boutiques which passes through the Jewish Quarter. Discover the treasures of the Strahov Monastery, see the intriguing Dancing House and so much more!
Prague's Top Attractions
- The Old Town Square
- Prague Castle
- Charles Bridge
- Vltava River
- Dancing House
- Jewish Quarter
- The Metronomo
- The Strahov Monastery
- Petrin Hill
- Paris Street
- The National Museum
Available: all year round
Starting Point: Stop 1: Old Town Square at 10:00 am, Stop 2: Masarykovo Nádraží at 10:20 am
Duration: 1h 30 mins
Frequency: every 45 mins
Ticket validity: 48 h
Audio guide in the following languages:
More info:
NB. Tickets do not include access to monuments and museums.
48h Unlimited Travel
Adults: € 22.00
Children (5-15): € 10.70
Children (0-4): Free
Please select "infant" when booking for a child under 5.
Bus Stops
Stop 1 – Old Town Square
Stop 2 – Masarykovo Nádraží
Stop 3 – Mala Strana
Stop 4 – Prague Castle
Stop 5 – Strahov Monastery
Stop 6 – Strahov Stadium
Stop 7 – Kampa Island
Stop 8 – Hlavní Nádraží
How to book and use your tickets
1- Book the city tour with Terravision.
2- Print the voucher
3- Exchange the voucher on any City Sightseeing Bus
4- Enjoy the tour!
NB. Your voucher is redeemable for 1 month from the date of purchase.
Contact Info
In partnership with City Sightseeing
Open hours: from 9 am to 6 pm Monday to Friday
Phone: +420 775 750 211 or +420 775 477 800
Email: email@example.com
Terravision Contact Info
Monday to Saturday from 9.00 am to 6.00 pm : +39 06.97.61.06.32
Join us on Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest for more info!.