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Originally published Sunday, May 12, 2013 at 3:21 PM
Tigers lose lead, fall to Indians 4-3 in 10th
Jose Valverde shrugged off his first blown save since returning to the Detroit Tigers.
AP Baseball Writer
Jose Valverde shrugged off his first blown save since returning to the Detroit Tigers.
Pinch-hitter Mark Reynolds hit a tiebreaking single in the 10th inning, and the Cleveland Indians beat Detroit 4-3 on Sunday. The game went to extra innings after Valverde allowed a tying single to Michael Brantley with two outs in the ninth.
"You have to respect the hitter, too," Valverde said. "You have to remember, this guy is a big leaguer, too."
Joe Smith (1-0) blanked the Tigers in the bottom of the ninth, and the Indians took the lead in the 10th.
With men on first and third and one out in the 10th, Michael Bourn hit a slow grounder to shortstop Jhonny Peralta, who threw home in time to get Asdrubal Cabrera trying to score. But Reynolds followed with a single to left off Darin Downs (0-1).
With Cleveland closer Chris Perez unavailable after pitching the previous night, Rich Hill got the first two outs of the Detroit 10th, and Cody Allen finished for his first career save.
"That was as good a team effort as you are ever going to see," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "We left some guys on base early, and that's tough against any team, much less that one. But we kept playing and we got it in the end."
The Indians took two of three from the defending AL champions. Cleveland has not lost any of its last seven series.
Detroit was prepared to let Valverde leave via free agency in the offseason, but the Tigers ended up bringing him back on a minor league deal. He was back in Detroit as the closer by the end of April, and he hadn't allowed a run in five appearances before Sunday.
But he walked two in the ninth before Brantley's tying single.
"It's going to happen, because we are human," Detroit catcher Brayan Pena said. "Valverde's our closer, and we're very happy to have him, and he's one of those guys that tomorrow is going to be back on the mound and see what happens."
Detroit threatened in the bottom of the ninth when Andy Dirks led off with a single, but Torii Hunter couldn't get a bunt down and ended up hitting into a 1-6-3 double play - Cabrera had to spin awkwardly near second because of Smith's slightly inaccurate throw, but he made the turn successfully.
That meant Miguel Cabrera had to hit with the bases empty, and his flyout sent the game to extra innings.
Asdrubal Cabrera doubled leading off the 10th and went to third on Nick Swisher's tapper to the pitcher. After Carlos Santana was intentionally walked, the Tigers got a big out when Asdrubal Cabrera was thrown out at home.
But Reynolds singled to left past a diving Miguel Cabrera, and Santana scored from second.
Brayan Pena homered for the Tigers, and Detroit starter Rick Porcello allowed two runs and four hits in six innings. He struck out six and walked two.
Zach McAllister allowed two earned runs and eight hits in six innings for the Indians.
Pena's two-run homer in the second opened the scoring. The Indians tied it the following inning on a two-run double by Jason Kipnis.
Detroit scored an unearned run in the fourth after Cleveland third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall threw wildly to first on Peralta's groundball for a two-base error. Pena's grounder up the middle hit second base for an infield single, and Omar Infante drove in Peralta with a sacrifice fly.
NOTES: There was some light rain during the middle of the game on a chilly day at Comerica Park. ... Detroit OF Austin Jackson had the day off with a sore right hamstring. ... Cleveland OF Ryan Raburn started against his former team. He made a shoe-top catch in the first on a line drive by Prince Fielder and was hit by a pitch in the fourth. ... Miguel Cabrera extended his hitting streak to 11 games. ... Detroit hosts Houston on Monday night. Anibal Sanchez (3-3) starts for the Tigers against Bud Norris (4-3). The Indians play a doubleheader at home against the New York Yankees. Justin Masterson (3-3) takes the mound for Cleveland in the opener, and Trevor Bauer (1-1) will pitch the second game for the Indians.


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IMLS Press Contact
Giuliana Bullard firstname.lastname@example.com
IMLS Awards Nearly $30 Million in Federal Grants to Museums across the U.S.
Museum grantees will be recognized at Washington, D.C. event
Washington, DC—Across the country museums are innovating to engage their communities, creating exciting new learning experiences, and caring for and making accessible their rich collections. This year the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) awarded grants totaling nearly $30 million for 244 projects at museums of all types, from art museums to science centers, from aquariums to history museums.
On September 18, IMLS Director Susan Hildreth will honor the grantees at a workshop and ceremony in Washington, D.C. Representative Paul Tonko (D-NY) will give remarks. Grant recipients from across the country will also attend.
Funding for IMLS grants is provided through an appropriation from Congress. The September 18th event is an opportunity for members of Congress and their staff to see how museums across the country will use these funds to support learning experiences, serve as community anchors, and safeguard the nation's cultural and scientific heritage represented by their collections. See the IMLS media advisory for details and to RSVP.
"The nation's 17,500 museums are trusted spaces where people can follow their passions and connect with their communities in new ways, where treasured collections are used to create unique learning places," said Hildreth. "The American people can be proud of these federal investments that help support the educational and cultural life of the nation."
The funding, awarded through the agency's five museum grant programs, its cooperative and interagency agreements, and the National Medal for Museum Service, supports a wide variety of projects. They include exhibits; onsite and offsite arts and education programming; projects to digitize collections; partnerships to reach underserved neighborhoods and to address community needs; projects for people with disabilities and underserved populations; conservation of threatened or fragile collections, including living collections in zoos and botanical gardens; creative physical spaces for hands-on learning; internships; "makerspaces" and STEM-based learning projects; and much more.
A complete list and map of museum recipients is available on the IMLS website. For information about IMLS museum grant programs, see: http://www.imls.gov/applicants/available_grants.aspx.
About the Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. Our mission is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civic engagement. Our grant making, policy development, and research help libraries and museums deliver valuable services that make it possible for communities and individuals to thrive. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

subset: commoncrawl


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Police Interactions ? What to do when you deal with police
Your basic legal rights and responsibilities may not always be clearly defined by law enforcement officials. If stopped or
detained, politely ask the police officer "why" in a manner that is not confrontational. Remember, your priority should be to
alleviate or minimize the potential charges and/or use of excessive force against you. In some states, there are no clear
statutes or laws which delineate the use of deadly force by law enforcement officials. In theses instances, the courts will
decide, on a case-by-case basis, what is considered deadly or excessive force.


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Hillsboro police
Wilson and C Sts.
While backing her 2003 Ford van out of a private drive at 3:20 p.m. Thursday, Jean Jost, 83, 405 S. Wilson St., Hillsboro, failed to see Randall S. Jantz, 41, 406 S. Wilson St., Hillsboro, and struck his 2004 Chevrolet pickup. Jantz had just backed out of his driveway and was preparing to proceed down the street. Police reported minor damage to both vehicles.
Ash and C Sts.
While backing her 2003 Chevrolet sedan out of her driveway, Nancy R. Pihl, 53, 312 S. Ash St., Hillsboro, struck the rear bumper of a 1997 Chevrolet suburban driven by Juanita Annette Furrer, 29, 559 E. 210 St., Hillsboro, with her rear bumper at 6:02 p.m. on March 17. Police reported no injuries to the drivers or damage to the vehicles.
D and Ash Sts.
While attempting to change lanes in his 1998 Chevrolet pick-up, Leroy D. Just, 47, 502 S. Adams St., Hillsboro, failed to see and struck a 1997 Buick sedan driven by Eddie D. Under, 62, 301 N. Adams St., Hillsboro. Police reported no injuries.
Sheriff's department
330th Rd. west of K-15
Merlin R. Wiebe, 50, 332 350th Rd., Tampa, accidentally caught grass on fire with his 1999 Chevrolet pickup, and the grass then burnt the pickup at noon March 10. Police reported no injuries.
200 block of Main St., Tampa
Tara Colette Luna, 33, 405 Main St., Tampa, had a medical emergency while driving at 6 p.m. March 10. She was taken by private vehicle to a hospital.
Deer strikes
Mark Alan Curry, 51, 613 S. Cedar St., Marion, struck a deer with his 2002 Chevrolet pickup at 6:30 a.m. March 14 on 60th Rd. east of Old Mill Rd.
Deana Loren Holmes, 47, 8811 Old Amish Rd., Amherst, Wis., struck and killed a deer with a 2014 Freightliner semi-truck registered to H.O. Wolding, 9642 Western Way, Amherst, at 2:30 a.m. March 15 on U.S. 50 east of Yarrow Rd.
Alta Mae Huffington, 88, 309 Adams St., Lincolnville, struck and killed a deer with her 1996 Mercury sedan at 8:35 p.m. Thursday on 290th Rd. east of Mustang Rd.


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http://www.ncat.org/ -- Lawrence F. London, Jr. mailto:email@example.com http://sunSITE.unc.edu/InterGardenTitle: National Center for Appropriate Technology Page
[Information] | [Contents] | [Welcome]
A framework for the future
A commitment to community
A history of accomplishment
The National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT), established as a non-profit corporation in 1976, works to find solutions that use local resources to address problems that face all Americans, especially society's most disadvantaged citizens. Through its 18 years of service, NCAT's work has grown from addressing the immediate energy conservation needs of low-income people to include a wide array of sustainable technologies and technology transfer, including nationally-recognized work in resource-efficient housing and sustainable agriculture.
New Horizon Technologies, Inc., formerly the NCAT Development Corporation, was established as a for-profit subsidiary of NCAT in 1982. Well known for its work in energy monitoring, New Horizon Technologies also provides market assessments for innovative energy technologies, consults with farmers and other land managers about sustainable agricultural practices, and develops safety and health solutions for small businesses.
ButteNet is operated by New Horizon Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT), in association with InfoMine of the Rockies. Our roots run deep in Butte, where our parent company, NCAT, has been doing technology-based business nationwide for 20 years. Butte is our home, and ButteNet is your home town Internet Service Provider.
Sustainable Energy Program
Sustainable Agriculture Program
Resource-Efficient Housing Program
NCAT Annual Report
Access to Information
Technology Transfer
Expert Consulting
NCAT's mission, simply stated, is to help people help themselves. Appropriate technology centers on small-scale projects and approaches accomplished at the local level. It embraces technologies as diverse as a community project to supply solar water heaters to low-income residents, integrated pest management plans for farms and wildlife refuges, energy monitoring in buildings, and the creation of databases to provide information on energy-efficiency in public housing. NCAT has provided local, state and national leadership for a broad range of programs and projects and is known nationally for its work in appropriate technology.
Technical Assistance Services:
Email: email@example.com NCAT Butte
Office: 3040 Continental Drive -- P.O.Box 3838 -- Butte, Montana 59702 --
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com NCAT Fayetteville Office: Hotz Hall 4th Floor -- 1175 W. Cleveland Street -- Fayetteville, Arkansas 72702 -- 501.442.9824 -- FAX: 501.442.9842
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com New Horizon Technologies -- 3040 Continental Drive -- P.O.Box 5000 -- Butte, Montana 59702 -- 406.494.4577 -- FAX: 406.494.2905
Email: ATTRA: email@example.com Farming Information Services TOLL-FREE 1.800.346.9140
Email: LIHEAP: firstname.lastname@example.com Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program Clearinghouse
Last modified 5/22/96. Web development and maintainence by Robert J. LeClaire. Please send comments, problems, and suggestions to him.
URL: [http://www.ncat.org/ncat/index.html]


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I recently had the rare privilege of being witness to the discovery and re-emergence of a pre-war Martin D-45, and its subsequent sale. The guitar is one of only 91 D-45s built by Martin before the model was discontinued due to the demands and limitations of a nation at war on two fronts in 1942. Subsequently, the D-45 has become the most sought after, and highly valued acoustic guitar in the world.
This is how the story began, back in late May of 2011, with a listing on eBay:
"Up for sale is an authentic Martin pre-war D-45. The 1942 Martin D-45 is well known as the Holy Grail of acoustic guitars. This guitar has been authenticated by George Gruhn of Nashville, a well known authority on these rare pre-war Martins. He described it as being in, "Exceptionally fine original condition". It has also been authenticated and inspected by Joe Glaser, a Martin historian and master luthier. He is one of the leading authorities on WWII era Martins. The 1942 Martin D-45 is admittedly the rarest and most highly prized steel string guitar in existence. Only 91 were produced from 1933 to 1942. This is one of 12 produced in 1942 and it is in extremely fine original condition. I am listing this for a friend who wants to remain anonymous."
"This guitar was bought in 1942 by my grandfather. His hobby was string instruments and he played in a band for tips. My grandmother was not at all happy when he came home with this guitar because it was a very expensive guitar, even by 1942 standards. As a matter of fact, she was not at all happy for several days. He was able to keep it and played, it in his band. He passed 10 years ago and this guitar has been in a closet ever since. Recently we got it out and realized what it was, so we took it and had it appraised. It appraised within the last week for $375,000. This could be your last chance to ever own one of these, especially one in this condition. We have had other offers and we have deals in the works to purchase this guitar. We reserve the right close this auction at any time if one of the other deals works out. Attached is the copy of the appraisal and several pictures. E-mail me with any questions and I will get them answered as soon as I can. The buyer will deal with the owner of this item directly. The winning bidder will pay a $50,000 deposit in the PayPal account. The rest will be paid at delivery. Good luck!"
I have held this guitar, and it is absolutely gorgeous. Its Brazilian rosewood back and sides are beautifully bookmatched, and the guitar's incredible abalone inlays along the top, back, sides, around the edge of the fingerboard, the soundhole, the neck heel, and the butt (by the endpin) are the result of endless hours of handicraft performed by Martin's artisans. The headstock is adorned with a vertical C.F. Martin logo in mother of pearl. The hexagonal pearl fret marker inlays are offset remarkably by the ebony fingerboard. Every inlay on this particular instrument is in outstanding condition – truly stunning. The Adirondack red spruce top is unmarred, and in magnificent shape.
The guitar's serial number is 80745, and coincidentally, it is the only pre-war D-45 with a serial number that ends in 45. It is, as George Gruhn states in his appraisal, 'in exceptionally fine original condition.' The only alterations are a replaced end pin, and a shaved bridge saddle.
Gary Dick, one of the world's foremost authorities on fine vintage instruments, is the dealer who ended up buying the guitar. He has operated Gary's Classic Guitars since leaving the corporate world behind in 1993 to dedicate his efforts to merchandising the absolute finest in vintage and rare guitars for musicians, collectors, and investors from around the world. His inventory is an incredible walk through the history of the guitar – the best pieces, in the best of shape. Every guitar is in top flight condition, and plays like a dream, even the notoriously difficult Gretsch and Mosrite guitars play incredibly well – I'll credit this to Gary's attention to detail, and his full time luthier.
When Peter Frampton lost some of his prized instruments in the tragic Nashville flood in May of 2010, one of the dealers he turned to was Gary Dick. Jackson Browne and his band dropped by Gary's in their tour bus to shop and see firsthand some of the most amazing guitars in the world under one roof. Tom Petty and Mike Campbell bought some vintage amps later the same evening. The best players seeking the best guitars often find their way to Gary's Classic Guitars.
A couple of months ago, Gary was contacted by someone in Atlanta, Georgia who knew of a 1942 Martin D-45 that had just come up for sale. I asked Gary about the D-45 that somewhat mysteriously came and went from eBay in May.
"Well, the guitar you are talking about was up on eBay for a few days." Gary recounted, 'It got pulled because we bought it!"
"Tony, just to refresh your memory, this guitar walked into a large guitar shop in Georgia from a local Atlantan. It was his grandfather's, who gave it to his father, who then gave it to his son. The guitar has actually been sitting in a closet for 30 plus years - literally unused, not played, nothing done to it, and no clue as to what it really was. According to the seller, he said that he had the guitar, and was trying to clear out some space – he knew it was a Martin, and that it was nice, but he had done no research and he had gotten a friend of his, and told him the model and serial number. His friend then did some research, and said, 'What did you say that serial number and model was?'
"He (the seller) then went from zero to a thousand in a millisecond, because he did not know that what he had was so incredibly, incredibly rare! And the preserved state of the guitar – not even cleaned up at this point, and it's so unexpected – I mean just totally unexpected, to find this in the year 2011. It is almost something that should not exist, but there it is!"
Gary Dick was a relative late comer to the bargaining table, as the guitar had first come to the world's largest instrument dealer, who hired Joe Glaser, one of the world's finest guitar repair technicians, to examine and authenticate the guitar. After Glaser had been through the guitar, it then ended up in the shop of George Gruhn, founder and owner of Gruhn Guitars, one of the original and best known vintage guitar stores in the world. Gruhn, in conjunction with his partner Walter Carter, wrote an appraisal for the instrument that gave a value of $375,000.
Bidding on a rare vintage guitar, especially one as rare as a pre-war Martin D-45 (remember, only 91 were built by Martin between 1933 and 1942), is a fascinating thing. This guitar went through the hands of two of the world's best known and best heeled dealers before it found its way to Mr. Dick. Either dealer certainly had the wherewithal and the desire to own this literal white buffalo. I have only been able to find one other pre-war D-45 currently being offered, and it has had significant repair work done, and is not quite as pristinely original as is number 80745.
The authentication of such a guitar can be exhausting, and is beyond the scope of many instrument dealers. There are those in the world who go to tremendous lengths to counterfeit such works of art. The job of verification is not one for a single person - several sets of eyes, and many years of experience are required for such an undertaking.
Gary Dick, "We put the guitar under a black light to be sure that the lacquer is undisturbed, and there is absolutely no disturbing of the lacquer. The interior has been closely inspected by me and my staff, even after having been seen by Gruhn, Glaser, and Walter Carter. It is extremely clean in terms of its braces, and its bridge plate – the scalloping of the braces is exactly as it should be – it is what it is. You just have to be absolutely certain when you're talking about this kind of money."
What kind of money are we talking about here? Well, the guitar had a 'Buy It Now' price of $325,000 on eBay, and the Gruhn appraisal was for $375,000, but the actual price is a matter of fact that shall remain between Gary Dick and the guitar's buyer. In reality, the price is somewhat a moot point – you can't go out and buy another at any price - this is as unique as a woman, or a painting by Pablo Picasso.
The mystery remains in exactly who ends up with the guitar, and how that comes to pass. Everyone agrees that each player offered what Dick calls, "Crazy money." Any of the prospective purchasers clearly could do whatever was necessary to procure such a piece, but only one could walk away with the prize, and in this case it was Gary Dick. Was it a few dollars more? Was Dick just more charming, and convincing? This is all speculation, and of little difference – sometimes things just happen for reasons unclear.
Gary Dick, "You want to have corroboration. Honestly, I have seen virtually every guitar that has ever been made, every model. There are some amazingly skilled people out there who can build stuff to look like other things, and some things can be repaired 40-50 years ago, and you may not know about it. You just need multiple sets of eyes. To see something of this ilk – like I said, the guitar was brought to Gruhn, and he and his entire staff, and Walter Carter inspected it, and George tried like hell – even offered the same kind of crazy money that the other dealer had, but we bought it."
The guitar itself is a beauty. It has not been cleaned, polished, or restrung. These things are being considered, as well as Gruhn's appraisal noting the possibility of the guitar needing a neck reset. Gary had this to say on the guitar's current condition, before he showed me the guitar:
"One of the big questions, before I bring it out, that we have in our minds - and we talked about this the other night as you'll recall, is whether we leave it alone - should we leave it exactly as it is, should we clean it and put new strings on it, if it does need a neck reset, should we be involved in doing all that stuff, or should the guitar be preserved in its current state? This is something I'll be talking to some other people about, and your input is important as well."
"There is great difficulty in doing a neck reset with such intricate inlay work that you do not want to disturb. The condition is so pristine – virtually every old Martin on the planet has a crack between the pickguard and the bridge, because Martin did something very interesting, which was a mistake. When they sprayed the clear lacquer over the guitar's top, they also sprayed it over the pickguard itself, and the pickguard shrinks at a different rate than the lacquer, and this causes the wood to crack. Astonishingly, this guitar has no such crack!"
After giving this issue some thought, I can only conclude that the guitar should, if at all possible, be returned to playability. I am certainly not a museum curator, but I am a guitarist, and one who knows that there are very few pre-war D-45s that do not sound fantastic. If only occasionally, this guitar deserves to again be played. Its serial number denotes that it is a sibling of Stephen Still's "Darling," which has a serial number of 80743 – just two away from 80745. I believe that given the skills of the available repair people, if it is possible, restoration should be complete.
Gary's love and reverence for this instrument is palpable. He gently laid the case across the arms of a luxurious chair, and slowly undid the latches, deliberately and with great care. He lifted the lid, and I would have almost sworn that light shown from within. I have never been so awestruck by the first sight of a guitar. I gasped. Why the D-45 is considered the grail is certainly no mystery. I felt as if I were in Egypt viewing a great secret from an unknown past. This was a thrill of a lifetime for me.
When Gary handed me the guitar, I was even more stunned – it weighed next to nothing, feather-light, yet it felt as solid as a rock. There is no real comparison to holding or playing such a brilliant and rare guitar. I had the opportunity just weeks before to hold and play Joe Bonamassa's 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard, and there is just nothing like the vibe you get from connecting with these modern day Stradivari. Many manufacturers, Martin included, build fantastic replicas of their classic models, but to hold the real thing is an experience quite apart from that of playing a new instrument. Even without strings there was no mistaking that this was something very, very special.
This is not the kind of thing that one sees every day. In fact, it is something you rarely see, even if you are a Gruhn, Gary Dick, or Guitar Center. I have seen thousands of guitars, yet I had seen nothing quite like this. The pre-war Martin D-45 is, as George Gruhn himself stated in Vintage Guitar Magazine:
"The Martin D-45, offered by the company from 1933 through 1942, is well-known as the Holy Grail of acoustic guitars. While players and collectors may argue whether it is the absolute best guitar ever made, in terms of value, it easily outdistances any other acoustic model in the vintage market."
So, it happened almost imperceptibly - a few days on eBay, a few posts on various guitar forums around the Internet, and an interruption in the lives of a few of the biggest vintage guitar gurus on the planet. In a small, brief struggle amongst industry giants, the rarest of all acoustic guitars comes out of a closet after a rest of some 30 years, and regains its spot as the king of kings in the world of modern stringed instruments.
The guitar's new owner knows what he has, and is well aware of the responsibility that comes with the stewardship of such a rare and distinguished instrument. This bodes well for future generations, who will get to see and enjoy the remarkable artistry and craftsmanship that went into the building of this glorious guitar.
The real winner here may well be the guitar itself. After sitting in stillness and in the dark, biding its time for over 30 years, it is once again being loved for what it is. Long may it reign.


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A Moroccan-style estate that was once owned by entertainer Merv Griffin is on the market in La Quinta at $9.5 million.
The 39-acre equestrian compound includes a racetrack, a 5,000-square-foot main house, four casitas, three one-bedroom staff quarters and apartments at both ends of the 16-stall stables for a total of 14 bedrooms and 12 bathrooms.
The estate was developed by L.A.-based Griffin in 1986 as a desert retreat for entertaining and work. He raised Arabian horses and, later, thoroughbreds. Other features include an infinity pool and a 2.5-acre fishing lagoon.
Griffin, who died in 2007 at 82, was a singer, talk show host and television producer. He created game shows including "Jeopardy" and "Wheel of Fortune."
The property was previously listed two years ago at $14.5 million.
Susan Canavan and Deirdre Coit of Canavan Coit/Coldwell Banker and Tyler Morgan, Todd Monaghan and Keith Markovitz of Capitis Sotheby's are the listing agents.


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Not Found, Error 404, This Assignment Question was recently moved. But you can still SUBMIT ASSIGNMENT or TRY SEARCH BOX from above and order your solution
The Question/ Page you are looking for no longer exists may be because it was moved to another category. But you can still submit your assignment from menu option above. If you wish to locate the question, try using the search box above, its very effective! Or perhaps you can return back to the site's homepage and see if you can find what you are looking for.


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Cargill Dow's innovative line of 100% corn-based bioplastic "NatureWorks Packaging" is now being used by a number of food companies to package fresh produce and salads. Dow Chemicals, a partner in the Cargill Dow company, has a questionable environmental and ethical track record. However, the Natureworks product is making breakthroughs for bioplastic into the food packaging marketplace.
Del Monte Fresh Produce is converting from PET containers to NatureWorks PLA packaging for fresh-cut pineapple, melons and fruit & vegetable medleys.
Newman's Own Organics will offer several organic salad varieties in two-piece, rigid tubs made from NatureWorks PLA.
Club Fresh is using NatureWorks PLA for cut melon, fruit mixes & diced vegetables.
Other companies are using Natureworks PLA to pack fresh fruit: Pac Organic is packaging organic cherries, and organic apples packed in NatureWorks PLA clamshells are now in a leading U.S. grocery chain.
New York City's Columbia University is using NatureWorks packaging at its campus dining halls for salads, sandwiches and other "to-go" items.
You can purchase Natureworks PLA directly from the Brenmar Company. Packaging solutions using NatureWorks PLA are also available from Clear Lam Thermoforming, Intec Alliance, PPi/Berkley and Basket Ease.


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When I was dating my college boyfriend, I got to a point where—even though I knew I wasn't going to marry the guy—I'd put in so many years that I couldn't just end things. So, I continued going through the motions and tried to pretend things were fine.
It turns out that I'm not the only one who's done this: A new study from DePaul University found that 89 percent of participants say they've practiced "deceptive affection" with a partner. Meaning that they've chosen to express affection (hand-holding, kissing, cuddling) to their significant other without actually feeling it.
But researchers also discovered that non-married partners may use other forms of deception like lying about their own feelings or feelings about a partner...and they did it about three times a week. Sure, sometimes you'll hold your guy's hand when you're annoyed with him or kiss him when he has really bad morning breath, but if it's a constant thing, that's not good.
In my experience, pretending that everything is okay can only last for so long. I'm not really that good at hiding my true feelings—as my parents, friends, fiancé, and probably the grocery store checker could tell you. So, after some time, my former BF started asking me the telltale question: What's wrong? Which meant my ruse was officially up.
What I learned from that situation is that, while it might seem "nice" to spare a guy's feelings sometimes, it's really pretty shitty to pretend things are totally kosher in your relationship when they totally aren't.
The lesson here? If you're just grinning and bearing it through a rough patch, cool. But, if you know that the relationship is over, spare yourself and your partner the drawn-out drama by just being honest. Besides, it totally sucks to keep cuddling up with a guy when the thought of him naked makes you cringe.
Want more from Natasha? Follow her on Twitter or find her on Facebook.


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Welcome to Utica Community Schools!
As a member of our Utica Community Schools family, your child will have access to comprehensive academic programs in a safe and nurturing setting. Each of our more than 1,400 teachers is highly-qualified to teach their subject or grade level, in order to make your child's school experience valuable.
We believe that your child's academic achievement will be strengthened by a positive partnership between home and school. Please take advantage of all available opportunities to keep lines of communication open. Attend Fall Open House and Parent-Teacher Conferences. Read the building newsletter and school web site for building-level updates. Consider joining the PTO or Booster Club to support building activities. You'll be glad you did!
General Enrollment Information
Children who will be five years old on or before September 1 of a school year and live within the Utica Community Schools are eligible to attend kindergarten. (Please note - children who will turn five between September 1 and December 1 may enroll in kindergarten if parents complete a waiver.) All children must be registered for school by their sixth birthday.
Utica Community Schools offers a Schools of Choice program for parents who live outside the district in Macomb County and neighboring counties. Click here for a link for more information.
You may enroll your child in the school he or she will attend any time during the regular school year. If you are not sure which school your child will attend, call the Pupil Services Department at 586-797-1120.
When you register, please bring the following documents:
(586) 797-1000(586) 797-1001
11303 Greendale, Sterling Heights, MI 48312
Dr. Christine M. Johns, Superintendent of Schools
Website Accessibility


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Scott's Orchard & Nursery Map
Scott's Orchard and Nursery provides a wide variety of farm, orchard and landscape products and services of a quality that exceeds our customers' expectations. We will deliver this with friendly, prompt and courteous service providing an atmosphere for a fun family experience on the farm.
1838 New London Tpke., Glastonbury, CT 06033 860-633-8681
Connecticut Organic Pasta Map
Connecticut Organic Pasta offers fresh organic pasta homemade on the premises. Assorted raviolis and lasagnas with different fillings; cheese, vegetables, seafood, or meats. A variety of dried gluten-free pastas are for sale (not homemade). Sauces are sold by the pint and quart and homemade stocks such as chicken, seafood, veal, beef and vegetable. We appreciate how busy everyone's life is - Connecticut Organic Pasta offers a healthy fast-food destination with prepared pasta dishes, salads and soups for grab-and-go.
1142 New Britain Ave., West Hartford, CT 06110 860-308-2042
Tangiers International Map
Tangiers is a one-of-a-kind international market specializing in foods for all people. The Tangiers family has created a brand of healthy offerings and communal harmony. Tangiers roams the world to bring the best ingredients to your table, including an extensive array of international foods from the Middle East and Mediterranean, such as falafel, gyros, kebabs, hummus, tabouli, Baba Ghanoush, and Baklava, plus fruits, vegetables, nuts, olives, oils, spices, beans and cheeses. People come by recommendation and return by choice.
550 Farmington Ave., Hartford, CT 06105 860-233-8168
Rosedale Farms and Vineyards Map
Since 1920, the values of hard work, four generations of family farmers and a supportive staff have kept the Rosedale Farm tradition of providing customers with the highest quality and best-tasting produce alive. One of the first farm markets in the Farmington Valley, we grow great seasonal produce, especially sweet corn — Butter & Sugar, Super Sweet, Yellow and Silver. Come visit and choose one of Lynn's Bountiful Bouquets or some vine-ripened tomatoes, including heirloom varieties.
25 East Weatogue St., Simsbury, CT 06070 860-651-3926
Pure Love Bakery Map
136 Simsbury Rd. Riverdale Farms, Avon, CT 06001 860-409-0302
Delicacy Market Map
774 Farmington Ave., West Hartford, CT 06119 860-236-7100
Robeks Juice Map
967 Farmington Ave., West Hartford, CT 06107 860-523-1323
Toast Wines & Spirits Map
984 B Farmington Ave., West Hartford, CT 06107 860-236-3515
Elmwood Pastry Shop Map
1136 New Britain Ave., West Hartford, CT 06110-2413 860-233-2029
Spiritus Wines Map
220 Asylum St., Hartford, CT 06103 860-247-5431
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Nick Coleman's "The Train in the Night:" A conversation with the British music critic/author who lost his hearing
If a 15-year-old Nick Coleman could read his current self's resume, he'd be over the moon. If 1975-Nick could only see the accomplishments of 2013-Nick … music editor at Time Out. Arts editor at The Independent — and the Independent on Sunday. Writer for The Times, The Guardian, Vogue, GQ … and now: author of his own memoir.
If only the circumstances were different for that last one.
Coleman was a music writer and arts editor at all of those publications, but that was before he lost his hearing. Yeah, a music writer losing his hearing is Shakespearean in its cruelty — and the layers of sadness and compromise and loss were all there weighing Coleman down in that day's aftermath.


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Statement of Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institutes of Health on Results from the CAPRISA 004 Microbicide HIV Prevention Study
Today we congratulate the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA) and the people of South Africa on the positive findings from the CAPRISA 004 microbicide study, which marks a significant milestone both for the microbicide research field and HIV prevention as a whole.
For years, antiretroviral medicines have been effectively used to treat HIV infection. Through the successful conduct of the CAPRISA 004 study, we now have proof that an antiretroviral drug, in this case tenofovir, can be formulated into a vaginal gel that can protect women against HIV infection. Given that women make up the majority of new HIV infections throughout the world, this finding is an important step toward empowering an at-risk population with a safe and effective HIV prevention tool.
The CAPRISA 004 study is an exciting scientific achievement that moves us one step forward to gaining another effective tool to prevent HIV infection. However, because no one approach will be appropriate or acceptable to all, we must continue to pursue a range of HIV prevention modalities, including microbicides, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), and vaccines, as we simultaneously pursue scientific strategies designed to bring us closer to finding a cure for HIV/AIDS.
The daunting nature of the HIV/AIDS pandemic makes it clear that no single organization can tackle the problem alone. The CAPRISA 004 study is an excellent example of what researchers, governments, countries, industry, communities and individual study volunteers can accomplish when working together to find public health solutions. NIAID is proud to be among the many partner organizations that provided significant support and resources to establish the infrastructure and training necessary to conduct this landmark clinical trial.
Now we must build upon the CAPRISA research and identify a highly effective and acceptable microbicide for women and others at high-risk for HIV infection. The NIAID-sponsored VOICE study which launched last fall and is expected to enroll 5,000 women in four southern African countries, will provide additional safety and effectiveness data for a tenofovir-based vaginal gel as an HIV prevention method. The study also will offer some insight as to the gel's acceptability as a product used once a day rather than one that is used before and after sexual intercourse. Additionally, the VOICE study is examining oral antiretroviral tablets (tenofovir alone or tenofovir plus emtricitabine) as an HIV prevention method. NIAID and other research organizations are exploring PrEP strategies in studies involving a number of at-risk populations with the first results expected early next year.


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January 23 is National Pie Day!
In honor of this day of reflection, celebrating all that the pie has given our nation, I give you my FIVE FAVORITE PIE RECIPES also known as the ONLY FIVE PIE RECIPES I KNOW! But don't let that fool you. They're all terrific, and well worth the day off of work. Wait.. you didn't report to work today on accident, did you? It's National Pie Day, you know! Didn't you notice the lack of traffic on the freeways?Read more


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What 90s fad will they resuscitate next?
Bandai has announced plans to resurrect Tamagotchi on iOS and Android devices. While the handheld digital pet never truly went away, its star certainly has faded since the late nineties. Perhaps the popular egg-shaped toy has been out of the public consciousness just long enough now for people to start feeling nostalgic about cleaning up virtual poop.
Tamagotchi L.i.f.e. is said to feature a range of mini-games in addition to a retro mode reminiscent of the original toys. Oh boy, mini-games! Look out for it on the App Store and Google Play sometime soon.
'Tamagotchi' to return as mobile app [Digital Spy]
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Guided Meditations
Experience the daily peace that comes from establishing a regular meditation practice.
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Look through the AMD Radeon HD 7570 price to performance graphics card table below to help find the best AMD Radeon HD 7570 hardware for your computer. We quickly compare todays prices across every 3rd party version of AMD Radeon HD 7570, including MSI, Gigabyte, Palit, EVGA, Zotac etc and order our results in a price to performance table by the best value for your money. So you can find out exactly which is the best value AMD Radeon HD 7570 for your money today, in a selection of geographic regions. We use the graphics card prices taken today to show a ratio between that price and the graphics card performance speed of the card in question. This figure is created to give you a simple way of comparing AMD Radeon HD 7570 graphics cards within a range and series against each other to help you get the right 3rd party graphics card for your computer today.
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Translation Disclaimer
NEW!! 2013 Sport Harvested Mussel Quarantine
The mussel quarantine is a yearly event that happens due to dangerous levels of biotoxins that may be present in mussels gathered by the public anywhere on the California coast, including bays, inlets and harbors. The quarantine applies only to sport-harvested mussels; commercially grown mussels from certified companies are not included in the quarantine.
More information about the quarantine, PSP and DAP can be found by accessing the California Department of Public Health Press Release (April, 24, 2013): Annual Quarantine of Sport Harvested Mussels (PDF)
Catching and Eating Sport Fish in California
Fish are nutritious and good for you to eat. But some fish you catch may take in toxic chemicals from the water they live in and from the food they eat. Over time, some of these chemicals build up in the fish and in you. Although the levels found are usually low, large amounts may be harmful. It's a good idea to follow a few precautions in consuming fish, particularly if you eat fish often. This advisory gives some tips on how you should catch, prepare, and eat fish. It is not intended to discourage you from eating fish, but should be used as a guide to make your sport fish eating safer.
Fish that contain high levels of toxic chemicals are found in many different parts of California. Here are some examples of those places:
The amounts of chemicals found in sport fish in California are not known to cause immediate sickness. But chemicals can collect in the body over time and they may eventually affect your health or that of your children. Some of the adverse health effects that might occur from continued exposure to high levels of toxic chemicals in fish are:
When places are found with fish that contain high levels of chemicals, the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) issues health advisories. The advisories tell how much of the fish you can eat without worry, or whether it is recommended to eat any at all. These advisories appear in the California Sport Fishing Regulations booklet and are also available from OEHHA.
There may be locations that are not yet known where fish and shellfish may be contaminated with chemicals. If you fish for sport or to feed your family, you can reduce your exposure to harmful chemicals by taking the precautions below. Protect your health and your family's health by following this general advice and any advisories for specific locations where you fish.
For more information, please contact:
California Environmental Protection Agency Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment
Sacramento Headquarters…....... (916) 324-7572
Berkeley Office ……….................. (510) 540-2122
Sport fish in San Francisco Bay contain chemicals at levels that may harm your health. The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) advises you to limit how much you eat of the fish that you catch in the bay:
No more than two meals per month.No striped bass over 35 inches.
No more than one meal per month.No shark over 24 inches or striped bass over 27 inches.
OEHHA also advises you to prepare and cook fish that you catch in ways that will reduce the levels of some of the chemicals in the fish. For a copy of the advisory, contact OEHHA at the address below.
California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA)Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment700 Heinz Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94710


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On some Android devices the Bluetooth volume and media volume are not linked. Please check the volume level on your X4 earbuds as well as on your music device and ensure the volume is not turned all the way up or down.
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Peter VanDoren Johnston, M.D.
Medical Director, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, Howard County General Hospital
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Expertise: Angioplasty, Cardiac Catheterization, Cardiology, Cardiovascular Diseases, Cardiovascular Medicine, Coronary Artery Disease, Coronary Artery Stenting, Fractional Flow Reserve, Heart Attack, Heart Disease, Interventional Cardiology, Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS), Myocardial Infarction, Stenting ...read more
Research Interests: Stem Cell Therapy for the Heart; Optimization of primary angioplasty for acute myocardial infarction
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Phone: 410-550-5966 | Fax: 410-550-1183
Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center
4940 Eastern Avenue Baltimore, MD 21224
Phone: 410-550-5966 | Fax: 410-550-1183
Dr. Johnston is a native of Baltimore who joined the Cardiology Faculty in 2008 and currently practices Interventional Cardiology at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Bayview Medical Center, and Howard County General Hospital. His primary research interest is in stem cell therapy for the heart, for which several clinical trials are currently underway at Johns Hopkins....read more
- Medical Director, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, Howard County General Hospital
- Assistant Professor of Medicine
Departments / Divisions
- Medicine - Cardiology
- Medicine - Cardiovascular
Centers & Institutes
- MD, University of Michigan Medical School (2000)
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine / Cardiology (2003)
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine / Cardiology (2007)
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine / Interventional Cardiology (2008)
Board Certifications
- American Board of Internal Medicine / Cardiovascular Disease (2007)
- American Board of Internal Medicine / Interventional Cardiology (2008)
Research & Publications
Selected Publications1. Nam M, Johnston P, Lal B, Indurti R, Wilson MA, Laterra J. Endothelial cell-based cytokine gene delivery inhibits 9L glioma growth in vivo. Brain Res. 1996; 731(1-2):161-70.
2. Johnston P, Nam M, Hossain MA, Indurti RR, Mankowski JL, Wilson MA, Laterra J. Delivery of human fibroblast growth factor-1 gene to brain by modified rat brain endothelial cells. J Neurochem. 1996; 67(4):1543-52.
3. Laterra J, Nam M, Rosen E, Rao JS, Lamszus K, Goldberg ID, Johnston P. Scatter factor/hepatocyte growth factor gene transfer enhances glioma growth and angiogenesis in vivo. Lab Invest. 1997; 76(4):565-77.
4. Laterra J, Rosen E, Nam M. Ranganathan S, Fielding K, Johnston P. Scatter factor/hepatocyte growth factor expression enhances human glioblastoma tumorigenicity and growth. Biochem Biophys Res Comm. 1997; 235(3):743-7.
5. Fischbach PS, Johnston PV, Friedrichs GS, Lucchesi BR. Tedisamil in a chronic canine model of atrial flutter. J Cardiovasc Pharm. 1999; 34(2):212-8.
6. Conrad KF, Johnston PV, Crossman C, Kempenaers B, Robertson RJ, Wheelwright NT, Boag PT. High levels of extra-pair paternity in an isolated, low-density island population of tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). Molec Ecol. 2001; 10(5):1301-8.
7. Johnston PV and Samaniego M. Magnesium and phosphate disorders. In: The Osler Handbook of Inpatient Medicine, A. Cheng and A. Zaas (eds). St. Louis, Mosby, 2003.
8. Hirsch GA, Johnston PV, Conte JV Jr, Achuff SC. Mycotic aortocoronary saphenous vein graft aneurysm presenting with unstable angina pectoris. Annals Thorac Surg. 2004; 78(4):1456-8.
9. Mudd JO, Borlaug BA, Johnston PV, Kral BG, Rouf R, Blumenthal RS, Kwiterovich PO. Beyond LDL cholesterol defining the role of LDL heterogeneity in coronary artery disease. JACC 2007; 50(18):1735-41.
10. Huang Y, Johnston PV, Zhang B, Zakaria A, Chowdry T, Smith RR, Marbn E, Rabb H, Womer KL. Kidney-derived stromal cells modulate dendritic and T cell responses. J Am Soc Nephrol 2009; 20(4):685-6.
11. Johnston PV, Sasano T, Mills K, Evers R, Lee ST, Smith RR, Lardo AC, Steenbergen C, Gerstenblith G, Lange R, Marban E. Engraftment, differentiation and functional benefits of autologous cardiosphere-derived cells in porcine ischemic cardiomyopathy. Circulation 2009; 120(12):1075-83.
Activities & Honors
- Most Aequanimitas Intern., Osler Medical Housestaff, Johns Hopkins Hospital., 2001
- Abstract Travel Award, American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2006, American Heart Association Council on Basic Cardiovascular Sciences, 2006
- Stanley L. Blumenthal, MD Cardiology Research Award, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine., 2006
- American College of Cardiology
- American Heart Association
Patient Ratings & Comments
The Patient Rating score is an average of all responses to physician related questions on the national CG-CAHPS Medical Practice patient experience survey through Press Ganey. Responses are measured on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the best score. Comments are also gathered from our CG-CAHPS Medical Practice Survey through Press Ganey and displayed in their entirety. Patients are de-identified for confidentiality and patient privacy.
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A lot of you are too young to remember that decades before the greenies became obsessed with global warming they were obsessed with nuclear winter. (One reason why some older people may not be as convinced of global warming is that we've heard climate warnings before. I'm not saying that's me, but I'm sure that for a lot of older people it's like the constant fads plaguing the health obsessed segment of society. Many of whom have been touting one miracle substance after another over the years. Ever heard of laetrile? DMSO? Herbal "cures" for cancer, heart disease, diabetes? Mega-dosing of vitamins and/or minerals?)
I wonder if global warming could be managed by a carefully managed program of nuclear detonations? Sure, there'd be some details to work out (we wouldn't want to poison the atmosphere with radiation), but if we could deal with that, we could just manage global warming (assuming global warming is real, of course).
Views: 512
If the global warming advocates are wrong, and we act on their recommendations we will waste hundreds of millions of dollars. If the deniers are wrong and we act on their recommendations, people die.
Chronic 2000-04 drought, worst in 800 years, may be the new normal
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120729142137.htm (http://www.printfriendly.com/print?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencedail...)
July 29, 2012
ScienceDaily (July 29, 2012) The chronic drought that hit western North America from 2000 to 2004 left dying forests and depleted river basins in its wake and was the strongest in 800 years, scientists have concluded, but they say those conditions will become the "new normal" for most of the coming century.
Such climatic extremes have increased as a result of global warming, a group of 10 researchers reported July 29 inNature Geoscience. And as bad as conditions were during the 2000-04 drought, they may eventually be seen as the good old days.
Climate models and precipitation projections indicate this period will actually be closer to the "wet end" of a drier hydroclimate during the last half of the 21st century, scientists said.
Aside from its impact on forests, crops, rivers and water tables, the drought also cut carbon sequestration by an average of 51 percent in a massive region of the western United States, Canada and Mexico, although some areas were hit much harder than others. As vegetation withered, this released more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, with the effect of amplifying global warming.
"Climatic extremes such as this will cause more large-scale droughts and forest mortality, and the ability of vegetation to sequester carbon is going to decline," said Beverly Law, a co-author of the study, professor of global change biology and terrestrial systems science at Oregon State University, and former science director of AmeriFlux, an ecosystem observation network.
"During this drought, carbon sequestration from this region was reduced by half," Law said. "That's a huge drop. And if global carbon emissions don't come down, the future will be even worse."
This research was supported by the National Science Foundation, NASA, U.S. Department of Energy, and other agencies. The lead author was Christopher Schwalm at Northern Arizona University. Other collaborators were from the University of Colorado, University of California at Berkeley, University of British Columbia, San Diego State University, and other institutions.
It's not clear whether or not the current drought in the Midwest, now being called one of the worst since the Dust Bowl, is related to these same forces, Law said. This study did not address that, and there are some climate mechanisms in western North America that affect that region more than other parts of the country.
But in the West, this multi-year drought was unlike anything seen in many centuries, based on tree ring data. The last two periods with drought events of similar severity were in the Middle Ages, from 977-981 and 1146-1151. The 2000-04 drought affected precipitation, soil moisture, river levels, crops, forests and grasslands.
Ordinarily, Law said, the land sink in North America is able to sequester the equivalent of about 30 percent of the carbon emitted into the atmosphere by the use of fossil fuels in the same region. However, based on projected changes in precipitation and drought severity, scientists said that this carbon sink, at least in western North America, could disappear by the end of the century.
"Areas that are already dry in the West are expected to get drier," Law said. "We expect more extremes. And it's these extreme periods that can really cause ecosystem damage, lead to climate-induced mortality of forests, and may cause some areas to convert from forest into shrublands or grassland."
During the 2000-04 drought, runoff in the upper Colorado River basin was cut in half. Crop productivity in much of the West fell 5 percent. The productivity of forests and grasslands declined, along with snowpacks. Evapotranspiration decreased the most in evergreen needleleaf forests, about 33 percent.
The effects are driven by human-caused increases in temperature, with associated lower soil moisture and decreased runoff in all major water basins of the western U.S., researchers said in the study.
Although regional precipitations patterns are difficult to forecast, researchers in this report said that climate models are underestimating the extent and severity of drought, compared to actual observations. They say the situation will continue to worsen, and that 80 of the 95 years from 2006 to 2100 will have precipitation levels as low as, or lower than, this "turn of the century" drought from 2000-04.
"Towards the latter half of the 21st century the precipitation regime associated with the turn of the century drought will represent an outlier of extreme wetness," the scientists wrote in this study.
These long-term trends are consistent with a 21st century "megadrought," they said.
Time to figure out what to invest in: solar panels, well-drilling gear, drought tolerant crops, etc.
Global Warming: "Humans Are Almost Entirely the Cause" (http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2012/07/global-warming-humans...)
—By Kevin Drum (http://www.motherjones.com/authors/kevin-drum)
| Sun Jul. 29, 2012 12:10 PM PDT
Climate skeptic Richard Muller, who started up the Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature in 2010 in order to get at the real truth of climate change, last year published preliminary results showing that the climate establishment was right after all. Global temperatures really have been going up dramatically over the past century.Today he says more: (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/30/opinion/the-conversion-of-a-clima...)
I'm now going a step further: Humans are almost entirely the cause.
....The historic temperature pattern we observed has abrupt dips that match the emissions of known explosive volcanic eruptions; the particulates from such events reflect sunlight, make for beautiful sunsets and cool the earth's surface for a few years. There are small, rapid variations attributable to El Niño and other ocean currents such as the Gulf Stream; because of such oscillations, the "flattening" of the recent temperature rise that some people claim is not, in our view, statistically significant. What has caused the gradual but systematic rise of two and a half degrees? We tried fitting the shape to simple math functions (exponentials, polynomials), to solar activity and even to rising functions like world population. By far the best match was to the record of atmospheric carbon dioxide, measured from atmospheric samples and air trapped in polar ice.
....The careful analysis by our team is laid out in five scientific papers now online at BerkeleyEarth.org. That site also shows our chart of temperature from 1753 to the present, with its clear fingerprint of volcanoes and carbon dioxide, but containing no component that matches solar activity. Four of our papers have undergone extensive scrutiny by the scientific community, and the newest, a paper with the analysis of the human component, is now posted, along with the data and computer programs used.
The extent that humans have devastated the environment is unprecedented. Global warming is a very small issue compared to all the other issues. Recently there is evidence to suggest that the mass extractions happened in past due to Hydrogen Sulfide build up from the oceans turning anaerobic. We mammals would be the first to die off. But long before that stage happens, there will be climate swings that kill crops, cause droughts/floods which will likely lead to large populations of starving and displaced humans.
When I tell people that global warming may be a penny ante problem compared with the death of the oceans, I often find a deaf ear.
We shouldn't worry about the planet. The planet will survive after it kills us. We'll die off and balance will be reachieved in a few billion years. Perhaps another intelligent species will evolve.
The planet won't last forever, but we won't kill it. In fact, we'll make room for something else and perhaps better.
The religious fundamentalist will never care about protecting the environment since it conflicts with their idea of the coming of Jesus, the devil, or what ever they are waiting for.
Now whether or not something better than we humans will evolve when we are gone depends on the extent of the damage and the time remaining for evolution to reboot. Lets say an asteroid hits the earth in a couple million years, once again another reboot! So the planet might be doomed to have nothing but bacteria and fungi until its death. If the human race wakes up, we can drastically improve the genetic diversity on the planet, as well as securing our own future.
I'm not sure how important it is to secure our own future. We may be a bit of a mistake of nature, since other critters were bestowed with far better survival characteristics. Cockroaches, rats, and of course the single-celled organisms.
George Carlin on the planet:


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Weiner dubs NY mayoral rival Grandpa at AARP forum
New York City mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner (WEE'-nur) has called an older political rival "Grandpa" during a heated confrontation at a forum sponsored by the AARP.
Longshot Republican candidate George McDonald frequently mocks the former Democratic congressman's sexting scandal. Tensions between them erupted again before the Manhattan forum Tuesday, when Weiner touched his 69-year-old opponent's chest in greeting.
McDonald barked, "Don't put your hands on me ever again." The 48-year-old Weiner responded by telling McDonald he has "anger issues."
When McDonald disagreed, Weiner said, "Yes, you do, Grandpa."
The angry exchange was caught on camera by cable news station NY1.
McDonald founded an organization that helps the homeless find work. He was booed by the crowd when he taunted Weiner as a "glib narcissist."
McDonald and Weiner are struggling in their primaries.


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By Don Davis and Danielle Killey
Forum Communications
ST. PAUL – Newly elected conservative Republican Minnesota legislative majorities and a new liberal governor took office two years ago, setting the set the stage for rocky state budget negotiations that ended in a state government shutdown.
Today, there is no shutdown talk as a new crop of legislators and the governor prepare for the 2013 legislative session. However, even though Democrats control the Legislature and the governor's office, and agree their main job is approving a balanced budget, the 5-month-long session will not be smooth.
"Job No. 1 is to get our fiscal house in order," Sen. Tony Lourey, DFL-Kerrick, said.
On that point, no one disagrees. But how to accomplish it will create some bumps in the road.
Lawmakers start their 2013 session at noon Jan. 8, and must finish by May 20. Between those dates, a two-year budget that could top $37 billion will take most of their time.
"I fully anticipate that we will be able to finish our work on time, balance the budget in a structurally sound way and adjourn by our scheduled time … which is a difference from the last biennium," Assistant Senate Majority Leader-elect Katie Sieben, DFL-Cottage Grove, said.
Signs indicate despite leadership all being in one political family, the legislative session will be difficult.
For one thing, Democrats admit that groups on their side are leaning on them to pass legislation, especially funding, that they have wanted for years when Democrats shared control with Republicans.
Democratic leaders appear to be approaching the session differently.
Senate Majority leader-Elect Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, said that most policy items need to wait for future years because lawmakers should focus on the budget in 2013. House Speaker-designate Paul Thissen, DFL-Minneapolis, has appeared more open to discussing non-money issues.
Rep. Paul Marquart, DFL-Dilworth, is one who wants lawmakers to focus on key matters, like the budget, and not bring in a large variety of issues.
"We just simply cannot deviate off the beaten path and spend time debating issues that are not really important to most of the people back home," Marquart said. "When you talk to most people ... it is important that we do it (the budget) the right way."
"Education has always been the state's No. 1 priority," said Marquart, new House Education Finance Committee chairman, so it is natural that he thinks the school funding system needs to be improved.
Learning curve
Adding to the question of what may happen in 2013 is the number of new legislators. Nearly a third of the state's 201 legislators will be new, and the four legislative leaders have not served in those positions before.
With so many new lawmakers, it will take time for everyone to get up to speed on the issues the state faces and how things work in St. Paul.
"I have three to five meetings a day," Rep.-elect Mary Sawatzky, DFL-Willmar, said. "It's a huge learning curve, but I knew that."
"This new class is just digging in," Sen.-elect Matt Schmit, DFL-Red Wing, said. "I think the learning curve is going to be steep, but it's a group that's in it for the right reasons."
While Thissen and Bakk were minority leaders the last two years, now they must make decisions about governing, choosing what issues reach the level of public debate as well as influencing the outcome.
Tax issues
As the Jan. 8 session start nears, more people are talking about potential topics.
Gov. Mark Dayton promotes tax reform, without giving specifics beyond "making it fairer, more equitable and better suited for the economy." He said he still supports increasing taxes on the richest Minnesotans, but has not provided details.
Higher taxes are needed, many Democrats say, to fund areas that have been shorted in recent years. They include higher education and job-creation programs.
"Simply spending more money" is not the answer to the state's problems, Senate Minority Leader-elect David Hann, R-Eden Prairie, said.
Hann and incoming House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, admit that Democrats have the votes to pass nearly anything they want, regardless of what Republicans think.
The exception to the Democratic-Farmer-Laborite power comes in passing a public works construction bill. It requires a super majority, more than Democrats alone can provide.
A big public works bill, funded by the state selling bonds, normally is passed in even-numbered years, but Dayton and other Democrats say there are lots of projects awaiting funding and construction costs are low.
Republicans said they might consider a bonding bill, but only after a budget is finished. Dayton agreed.
By Don Davis and Danielle Killey


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Girls Speak: A NEW VOICE IN GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT
©International Center for Research on Women (ICRW)
Language: English
Download: English
This report compiles the first-ever view of poverty from a girls perspective. Hearing directly from them, in their own words, provides unique insight and understanding of their issues.
Together their voices reinforce what the data suggests: Education, safety, economic opportunity -- and delaying marriage and childbirth are vital to fulfilling their potential.
Bright, hopeful and eager for change, these girls are an inspiration.


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This week the IFC – the World Bank Group's private sector arm – holds its 6th International Private Education Conference. The occasion prompted us to think about what it would take for the private sector to scale up and really make a difference to children's lives across the globe.
We've all heard the figures of 57 million out-of-school children and 250 million children who cannot read. But the extent to which the private sector can play a role in addressing these challenges depends on answers to the following questions:
- Are there enough successful models out there to bridge the gap?
- How quickly can these models expand, but still maintain the same level of quality?
- Is the regulatory environment conducive for ensuring that these models are held accountable and given the freedom to innovate?
1. Pioneering models exist in developing countries.
In Africa, Bridge International Academies and Omega Schools are two rapidly expanding private, independent school chains. Bridge in Kenya was founded in 2009 and currently operates 134 schools, educating 50,000 students. The chain plans to expand outside Kenya to reach more than 100,000 students in coming years. Bridge's "school in a box" concept supports this rapid expansion.
Omega, currently operating in Ghana and Sierra Leone, was also founded in 2009. It currently operates 38 schools, which are currently educating 20,000 students, and hopes to double in size in the next year. Part of Omega's appeal is that it collects student fees daily to make school more accessible to lower income families. Tuition at these schools is, on average, a few dollars a month, with many poor households willing to pay the fees.
Outside of Africa, other low-cost chains are being formed, including IDEO's 23 Innova schools in Peru, currently educating 13,000 students, and APEC in the Philippines, which currently has one pilot school with plans to expand to 12 schools this year.
The lack of any rigorous impact evaluation for these chains remains a concern. To remedy this, the World Bank is seeking to increase the evidence base for low-cost, private schools through its Strategic Impact Evaluation Fund. For example, in Mexico, a school targeting the poorest of the poor, run by the nongovernmental organization Christel House with more than 2600 students enrolled, is being evaluated by the Bank and Mexican researchers.
2. Lessons for scale have been demonstrated in England and the United States.
In some countries, expansion of private school chains has been supported by government funding rather than fee-paying parents. In England, 55% of all secondary schools are state-funded, independent academies. ARK, recognized as one of the country's top performing chains, was founded in 2006 and currently operates 27 schools. ARK also aims to educate 20,000 secondary school children at state-funded ARK-supported schools in Uganda.
In the United States, 6% of public schools are charters. Uncommon Schools operate 38 charter schools in the northeast region. The chain recently won the Broad Prize for Urban Education in recognition of students' high performance. Meanwhile, KIPP, the largest charter school model, operates 141 schools, educates 50,000 students, and is currently celebrating its 20th anniversary. KIPP is one of the few models that have been evaluated using rigorous impact evaluation, and is now expanding to developing countries through its One World school network in Mexico, India and South Africa.
Comparisons of selected private-funded and government-funded non-state chains
Number of Schools and Year Established
Source: Organization websites
3. A strong regulatory environment can help to ensure quality
We offer a few cautionary tales on ensuring quality: Education Week recently reported that some school leaders at Rocketship, a U.S. charter school chain that uses "blended learning," had concerns over the expansion of the model before its impact had been rigorously studied. Leaders are now reviewing the model but still plan to open another 50 schools in the next five years. The role of legislators will be to ensure that standards are improved in existing schools, and applications for new schools are also scrutinized.
E-ACT, one of the largest chains in England, recently lost the right to operate 10 academies—one-third of its schools – due to poor inspection results. Once again, this highlights the stewardship role of the state in ensuring high-quality schooling for all.
What do these examples teach us about what is needed to ensure high-quality scalability?
Create the right model and test it through rigorous evaluations:
We know a lot about successful charters and academies thanks to research by Abdulkadiroglu, Dobbie and Fryer, and Tuttle, among others. An evaluation of 43 KIPP middle schools found that students were about 11 months more advanced in learning than students who did not attend a KIPP school. But we need to learn more about what works in developing countries for the poor.
Ensure that expansion replicates the fidelity of the model and is financially sustainable:
Proven, strong instructional models that deliver high-quality student outcomes must be supported by efficient, technology-enabled, back-office functions and strong financial management. This enables financial viability, allowing schools to scale up. A report by the Center of Education Reform found that 41% of charter school closures in the U.S. were due to financial difficulties.
Establish the right regulatory environment, which supports the following:
a. Encourages innovation among providers. The government allows private schools to decide on teachers, curriculum and learning materials to meet the needs of the local community.
b. Holds schools accountable for results. In the interest of accountability, the government monitors schools through inspections and standardized tests, and intervenes as appropriate.
c. Empowers parents, students and communities. The government provides information on school performance, sometimes in form of school report cards, so parents are able to choose based on quality.
d. Promotes diversity of supply. The government ensures new, non-state schools are able to enter the market to support new models and reduce monopolies.
In sum, the private sector can scale up and make a difference for 57 million children out of school and the 250 million who cannot read. It will take rigorously validated service delivery models and financially sustainable expansion. The public sector can play its part by establishing a regulatory environment that supports innovation, ensures accountability, empowers parents, and promotes diversity of supply.
Follow the World Bank education team on Twitter: @WBG_Education
Join the Conversation
Great blog. I'm glad you mention the regulatory environment. Two thoughts.
1. You mention charter school growth in the USA, and one thing that has helped is philanthropic investment in various institutions -- state and national charter school associations, along with a few think tanks -- that help tell the general charter school story to government officials.
I.e., it's not just KIPP, ARK, and Uncommon that tell their own story -- regulators would be skeptical. It's third party scholars and advocates.
At the Harvard conference this weekend about social enterprise, that topic arose -- is it possible to imagine a philanthropically funded "SWAT team" that would fly around to inform regulators about the potential of private schools to help them achieve their goals?
2. Because parent demand for Bridge is so high, and because of support from institutions like IFC, Bridge actually increased from the 134 academies (in 2013) to 259 (in 2014). That's in part because unlike top charter schools like KIPP (which rely on unusual teachers, recent college grads of Harvard and Stanford and the like), networks like Bridge look to hire teachers from the local community, and give them the tools and training to succeed.
Best, Mike Goldstein, Bridge International Academies
Thank you for your comment. We agree that third parties also need to highlight the role of the private sector. The World Bank, through its joint research partnership with DFID, Education Markets for the Poor is trying to understand and identify successful innovative models across SSA and South Asia. Others like the Centre for Education Innovations and academic institutions through rigorous impact evaluations are also helping. It is definitely an area where greater research is needed. Let's organize the SWAT teams!
Hi Harry and Laura (and Mike) -
Thanks for a great blog - characteristically insightful commentary on the sector.
In his blog Mike mentions a philanthropically funded SWAT team that helps government/regulators consider how to best involve the private sector. As it happens, ARK is launching exactly that. We have established an in-house team, in partnership with a major philanthropic investment firm, which is a dedicated resource to help policy makers think through what a good public/private partnership framework might look like. Some of the things we hope this SWAT team will do include:
• Convening a global coalition of education reformers
• Facilitating country-level roadmaps to develop good PPP policies and frameworks
• Supporting execution of PPP programmes
• Creating a repository of knowledge, evidence and tools to support PPPs
• Supporting systemic reform in other related and complementary areas – e.g. quality assurance, school inspection.
It's quite ambitious and we are just getting started. I've talked to Harry about this in the past - would be great to have Bridge involved too. Mike, I'll drop you a note offline to tell you a little bit more about it. Harry, it would be great to reconnect on this so I can let you know where things stand. I hope the conference goes well!
More SWAT teams are definitely needed and great to know ARK will also be moving into this space.
Very interesting post. I wonder whether results are different in the non-profit vs. for-profit model. Regarding the comment on whether top charters cream teachers from top universities, the evaluation of the Christel House model in Mexico will help illuminate this, as their teachers do not come from the likes of Harvard and Stanford.
Best, Lucrecia (part of the research team evaluating Christel House in Mexico)
Dear Lucrecia
Thank you. I have not seen any work that suggests that it really matters if schools are for profit or not for profit. There is an emerging literature on school chains, showing positive effects. But of course these things matter in the public space and will vary depending on the regulatory environment. I would lke to see more work in that area myself.
In terms of who works at these schools, I would suggest that at any scale beyond small pilots, we must assume the teachers will be like local teachers, hired from local labor markets, and probably compensated at levels of compensation comparable. That is certainly how it works in the charter world. Incrementally, they may get a little more or less compensation, and they may use alternative certification for a higher proportion of their teachers, but mostly it is still the same labor market for the same types of teachers.
I am very curious whether the U.S challenges with teacher retention (especially for those teachers placed in the most difficult circumstances) play out in other contexts.
We have some charters that attract and retain teachers over time, despite offering slightly less financially, because the school is high performing and the teachers find the efficacy and work environment superior. Other charters, meanwhile, certainly ask more of teachers, and unless it works, cannot keep them for long.
Several low cost chains are basing teaching decisions on local needs including Bridge, Omega and BRAC. Intrinsic motivation is also observed among teachers in developing countries. The regulatory environment is also key in ensuring they are able to do so whilst simultaneously holding them accountable for their student outcomes. Our work through Education Markets for the Poor research initiative will also aim to analyze teacher retention rates in schools in two localities Kasoa, Ghana and Adjeromi-Ifelodun, Lagos, Nigeria. Although, this may only be a snapshot.
Very interesting analysis. Thanks.
In the spirit of sharing observations of the U.S. version of this, I think it also helps to come into this work with one's political eyes wide open.
Fostering the regulatory environment for U.S. charter schools involves state education systems, district school systems, and new charter authorizing entities that use oversight tools that are not used in the rest of the school system.
The need for new policies, new institutions, and new tools for performance management are several pieces of the U.S. charter sector that enable, or allow the emerging field of performance management. This progress in creating this regulatory environment is part of what is fostering the growth of the great school models you describe.
But all this institution building and the new stakeholders, as well as the old stakeholders that are increasingly doing new forms of "work", also creates multiple venues for political conflict. And the various stakeholders advocating for change and those running the rest of the "regular" schools can perceive these new "opportunities" quite differently. Those who run traditional systems feel threatened, both by growth and by superior performance of new players.
I think you point to a key part of how such politics will likely be managed. Quality data on efficacy and impact evaluations can help us understand what works, direct work that is currently struggling towards more promising strategies, but it also helps build support for the work that is required as we build and sustain the regulatory environment you describe. But, at least in the U.S., it takes a lot more than thoughtful evaluation and good data to manage these politics.
I am curious how those political issues are playing out in these various settings and what, in addition to strong impact evaluations, can help create these new environments.
Very thoughtful and useful. So far we have focused on what the evidence is saying, and trying to create strategies for dissemination. We hope to work more on the political economy of reform in the future. As you point out, this is a space where perceptions matter and the realities of politics cannot be ignored. Going intot his "work with one's political eyes wide open" is an apt way to describe the task ahead.
Thanks for sharing.
But here is situation in China:
Pre-primary education: There is a recent trend of public-private partnership in delivering pre-primary education services, by establishing chain private kindergartens of best public kindergartens.
Primary and lower secondary education (Grade 1-9 which is defined as compulsory education by legislation): Almost all the schools are public. There have been a reform of public-private partnership in the 1990s that delegate public schools autonomy for governance, including fee-charging. However, these schools were bought back by the government later, meaning that schools could get resources from the government again, but lost their autonomy, especially for charging tuition and fees. The purpose of the reform is said to ensure access to quality education services free of charge.
Upper secondary education (Grade 10-12): this is the stage when students engage in intensive preparation for college entrance examination that tend to involve fierce competition. There are emerging private schools that most serve students with better social-economic status, especially those intending for going abroad for tertiary education.
Having said that, there is one exception: Shiyi Secondary School, which was the only public school that retained its autonomy for governance (the only one that survived from the reversal reform of public-private partnership) thanks to insistence of its principal. As a result, it has been able to engage in many accoutability reforms and teaching innovations, such as much more flexible curriclum, learning credit points system instead of fixed class, involving students and parents in school governance, etc. It has now become a model (examplary school) in China and the school itself has started a hot debate on how to deliver education services. You'll see many coverage of the school on media just in these few days.
Dear Yan,
Thank you for updating us on what is happening in China.
The trends towards chain private kindergartens is very interesting. They must be quite large chains in China; or at least will be.
Shiyi Secondary School sounds very important and highly worth following. Please keep us posted on the media coverage of this school.
Great blog post highlighting the role that private education can play in reaching the 57 million children still out of school. Research on the low-cost private school sector is indeed lacking and I am so pleased that the World Bank's Strategic Impact Evaluation Fund will help fill the gap. While this blog is focused on chain school models, in your research will you also include individually owned low-cost private schools? In Ghana, there are an estimated 6,000 already existing low-cost private schools. Ensuring that the regulatory environment is such that they are held accountable is imperative given the scale at which they already provide education, in comparison to Omega's nearly 40 schools in Ghana. Despite their contribution to reaching Education for All goals, these school remain largely marginalized and outside the focus of the government.
In order to strengthen this sector of existing low-cost private schools, the IDP Foundation's keystone initiative, the IDP Rising Schools Program, provides training in school management and financial literacy to the individual proprietors coupled with access to microfinance credit to improve the infrastructure of their schools. However, in order to ensure the delivery of quality education they require better oversight and inclusion in teacher training and materials provision by the Ministry of Education/Ghana Education Service. I hope that your research helps push policymakers to create the right regulatory environment which will support both chains of low-cost private schools as well as the thousands of low-cost private schools established by individuals attempting to improve education in their communities.
We recognize the needs for more innovative providers in often hard to reach communities. Financing models are also important in scaling up the role of the non-state sector and its great that you mentioned IDPs role in supporting a number of low cost schools. We hope to investigate the role of different financing modalities through our Education Markets for the Poor work. We are also interviewing representative groups as part of the work, including Deprived Private School Association Ghana ( DEPSAG), the low cost private school association which represents many of these individual school proprietors in Ghana. These will both help to highlight current issues and provider greater insights to government as they continue to play a stewardship role.
I think this is a really good blog. There have been many studies on charter schools in the U.S and on Academy chains in the UK but the implications for developing countries of chains of private schools is really under-researched and this blog highlights the challenges and the opportunities.


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"It's currently 7 degrees, but with the windchill it feel about 5 degrees below zero." OK, not exactly what I wanted to hear waking up and getting ready for class. Coming off a long weekend filled with leisurely studying made the news even more painful.
But, no matter the temperature outside, we are already in our 3rd week of the term and classes are in full swing. Cases are due within days, project deadlines are approaching, two midterms on Monday and my operations homework is due on Thursday.
Don't forget the internship search is in full swing and interviews are popping up every week. Fisher keeps students on their toes and constantly growing and improving… However, it's not all work and studying!
After about 18 weeks of being in class together, I know and love my core group. We have a system in place for projects and it seems to be working on very well. All the first years have figured out ways to study and prepare for class – even good ol' finance. Our social chairs host great events that allow the class to mingle and relax at the end of the week.
If looking to get off campus for a bit, I am happy to report the Columbus Blue Jackets have (finally) returned – and starting the season off strong. You can always take a Short North Walking tour and experience the incredible food of the North Market. I love the Arena District, and they always have something exciting going out to beat the cold and snow.
Bottom line? No time for winter blues here at Fisher.


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The Family Tree DNA Group Administrators' Conference took place this year from 4th to 6th November in Houston, Texas. An outline of the conference schedule can be found on the FTDNA website. The conference was attended by around 200 DNA project administrators, mostly from America but with a few travelling from other countries. A number of project administrators have written reports from the conference on their blogs with details of the many interesting developments that have taken place at Family Tree DNA in the last year and news of what we can expect in the coming months.
Ce Ce Moore has provided a very comprehensive report from the conference on her Your Genetic Genealogist blog:
- Family Tree DNA's 7th International Conference on Genetic Genealogy - Day One
- Family Tree DNA's 7th International Conference on Genetic Genealogy - Day Two
Emily Aulicino has also provided an excellent two-part overview of the conference on her Genealem blog.
- 7th Annual Family Tree DNA International Conference Part 1
- 7th Annual FTDNA International Conference Part 2
Tim Janzen has posted two very thorough reviews with lots of technical details about Family Tree DNA's Walk through the Y project on the Genealogy DNA list:
- Tim Janzen's Notes from Day 1 of the FTDNA Conference
- Tim Janzen's Notes from Day 2 of the FTDNA Conference
Debbie Parker Wayne has written a report from the conference entitled Hat Tip to Citizen Scientists.
Dave Dowell has written a very brief blog posting about the conference and hints that an FTDNA sale is in the offing.
Thomas Krahn has put his presentation on the Walk through the Y project online on his DNA Fingerprint website.
Joan Miller has written a brief summary on her Luxegen blog and posted photos from the conference on her profile at Google+.
It is expected that the Powerpoint slides for most of the presentations will be eventually be made available to FTDNA group administrators on the Family Tree DNA website.
© 2011 Debbie Kennett