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South African Journal of Science
versão On-line ISSN 1996-7489
versão impressa ISSN 0038-2353
S. Afr. j. sci. vol.104 no.7-8 Pretoria Set./Ago. 2008
Taxonomic research in South Africa: the state of the discipline
Gideon F. SmithI, *; Matt BuysII; Michéle WaltersIII; Dai HerbertIV; Michelle HamerV
ISouth African National Biodiversity Institute, Private Bag X101, Pretoria 0001, and H.G.W.J. Schweickerdt Herbarium, Department of Botany, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
IICompton Herbarium, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Private Bag X7, Claremont 7735 and Department of Botany and Zoology, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa. E-mail: email@example.com
IIIBiosystematics Research & Biodiversity Collections Division, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria. E-mail: email@example.com
IVNatal Museum, Private Bag 9070, Pietermaritzburg 3200, and School of Botany and Zoology, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg 3209, South Africa. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
VSchool of Biological and Conservation Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg. E-mail: email@example.com
The need for taxonomy is imperative we cannot protect organisms that are not known and which remain unidentified and uncharacterised, thereby limiting our capacity to understand them and to assess the influence of environmental change and other alterations in their condition. There is currently insufficient taxonomic capacity to keep abreast of the rate of new discoveries our museums and herbaria already contain numerous unnamed species that await description. We outline the steps that our taxonomists have taken to promote their work through conferences and the establishment of professional societies and make the case for its enhanced support as an integral part of science policy.
There are estimated to be 715 million species on Earth, of which only about 1.7 million have been described.1 The need for taxonomy thus remains imperative and, given the relentless pressures of our consumptive society, is perhaps now greater than it has ever been.2 While scientists the world over are working to conserve what is left of our biodiversity, they face huge constraints, including the conservation of the more than 5 million species yet undescribed. We cannot protect organisms that are not known and which consequently remain unidentified and uncharacterised. Lack of identification, in turn, limits our capacity to understand them and to assess the effect of environmental change and other alterations in their condition.1
Taxonomy is the science of detecting, describing, naming and classifying organisms and is, of course, critically important to disciplines such as conservation, a prerequisite for informed ecological management policy. Currently, there is insufficient taxonomic capacity to keep abreast of the rate of new discoveries of living organisms; this requires an enhanced ability to deal with the outputs of current field work.3 Our museums and herbaria already contain numerous unnamed species that await description. This taxonomic obstacle to conservation and management of the world's biodiversity has attracted the attention of the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), resulting in the creation of the Global Taxonomy Initiative (GTI).4 The aim of the GTI is to 'underpin decision-making on the conservation of biological diversity, sustainable use of its components, and equitable sharing of the benefits derived from the utilization of genetic resources' and deals with the taxonomic information required by participating countries to support the implementation of the CBD at the generic, species and ecosystem levels.
Local taxonomists take action
The GTI Africa Regional Workshop was held at the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, Cape Town, from 27 February to 1 March 2001 and was hosted by the then National Botanical Institute of South Africa and the National Herbarium and Botanic Gardens of Malawi, under the auspices of the CBD. This resulted in the Kirstenbosch Declaration, which incorporated the main resolutions reached by the delegates.4 What followed was a thorough taxonomic needs-assessment for Africa,5 with almost half of the respondents indicating that no such assessment had yet been done in their countries. Most previous needs-assessments focused on vascular plants, and fauna. Lagging behind are the non-vascular plants, and fungi. All national representatives at the Cape Town meeting indicated that major biological collections were kept in their countries, but that staffing was inadequate in most of these, and that the number of taxonomists practising locally was insufficient to address biodiversity issues. Three main stumbling blocks preventing progress in taxonomic effort in Africa were identified: lack of staff and of project-related research funding, and inadequate support to cover institutional running costs.4
Local funding initiatives
The establishment of the South African Biosystematics Initiative (SABI), which was instigated and managed by Herbert and his colleagues,6 came as an opportunity for South African systematists to augment their often meagre, sometimes non-existent, research funding. The budget allocated for this, released by the Department of Science and Technology through the National Research Foundation (NRF), has been enthusiastically welcomed by the systematics fraternity and will undoubtedly lead to increased productivity in biological systematics. It is important, however, that the community of taxonomists responds, and submits quality proposals in the field of descriptive taxonomy, and beyond. The NRF has repeatedly declared that it is receptive to the requests of systematists and taxonomists. But if we, as a community, are neglectful in the submission of funding proposals that address basic taxonomic questions, then who will there be to classify and curate newly discovered species?
Where do we come from? taxonomists together
The establishment of the South African Society for Systematic Biology (SASSB) was preceded by a workshop that took place on 14 January 1998 at the Kirstenbosch Research Centre, and this was attended by 64 systematists from 40 institutions.7 Following this event, a comprehensive survey of the current state and needs of biological collections and expertise in South Africa was undertaken,8,9 with preliminary results presented later in the year, at a meeting on 6 and 7 August at the University of Pretoria.10
The inaugural conference of the SASSB took place in January 1999 in Stellenbosch and brought together, for the first time, local and foreign systematists from a variety of biological backgrounds.11 Conference attendance since 1999 has ranged from 133 (1999) to 68 (2008) (see Fig. A in supplementary material online at www. sajs.co.za), with the number of first-time attendees ranging from 73 (2000) to 29 (2008) (Fig. B online). In total, 465 individual delegates have attended SASSB conferences over the past 10 years.
It is alarming to note, however, that more than six out of ten of delegates do not re-attend subsequent conferences (Fig. C online). One may speculate that this is a reflection of irregular student attendance or a consequence of a meeting programme that may be perceived by delegates to be not worthwhile. Only four individuals have attended all seven conferences.
The relative proportions of contributions in each of the four broad categories zoology, botany, mycology, and general vary considerably (Fig. D online). Zoological contributions have tended to dominate conferences, although the 2006 meeting in the Kruger National Park saw a large attendance by botanical systematists. Mycology has been poorly represented across the board, and presentations by general systematics have fared only slightly better. The especially high number of zoological presentations at the 2003 conference may have been due to a link with the Entomological Society of Southern Africa conference, which was held immediately before the SASSB conference.
The 2008 SASSB conference was held together with that of the South African Association of Botanists (SAAB) 2008, as well as a meeting of the International Association of Plant Taxonomists (IAPT) and immediately followed the Cape Biota meeting. The presentations for the SASSB, SAAB and IAPT meetings were mixed, without discrete boundaries, and as a result we decided to include systematics presentations that were registered under SAAB and the IAPT in the 2008 SASSB analysis, thus resulting in the inclusion of 14 additional plant taxonomic contributions.
The 2008 SASSB conference was held at the Drakensville Mountain Resort in the KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg from 1517 January. It was attended by 68 SASSB registered delegates and covered contributions from 232 authors (including the 14 additional botanical contributions). Totals of 57 oral and 14 poster presentations were given, of which 39 were zoological and 28 botanical. Mycology was represented by four oral presentations. Sessions included animal phylogenetics, biogeography, plant phylogenetics, and taxonomy: plant and animal, and biodiversity and conservation.
Of the 39 zoological presentations, only 10 (26%) were on invertebrates, which comprise about 99% of animal diversity, and 29 (74%) were on vertebrates. In addition, only one paper dealt with a taxonomic revision of insects, which comprise about 75% of all animal species. Similar patterns were evident for the 2005 and 2006 conferences, with 19% and 16% invertebrate contributions and 81% and 79% of contributions on vertebrates, respectively.
The biodiversity and conservation sessions included contributions related to threatened taxa such as golden moles (Afrosoricida: Chrysochloridae). The biogeography session included presentations on diverse groups including cannibal snails (Pulmonata: Rhytididae), crayfish (Decapoda: Parastacidae) and the plant family Acanthaceae. Phylogenetic contributions ranged from the diversity of Symbiodinium in corals, the systematics of African spurfowls (Pternistis spp.) to phylogenetic studies of the southern African thicket species Schotia (Fabaceae), and the link between annuality and aridity in the karoo as displayed by the genera Ifloga and Trichogyne (Asteraceae: Gnaphalieae). Other contributions were presented on pollen diversity in Cyperaceae, the demise of the Apiaceae genus Peucedanum in Africa, the systematics of certain southern African cisticolas (Cisticolidae), and ticks of the genus Rhipicephalus.
The overall quality of talks was excellent, and throughout, conference delegates could be seen engrossed in conversations about their work. This, as much as the formal presentations, is the real benefit and purpose of conference attendance: to network, establish collaborations and to exchange ideas. One hopes that friends and colleagues will choose to meet again at the next SASSB conference to be held in July 2009 in KwaZulu-Natal. The conference will be linked with the Zoological Society of Southern Africa (ZSSA) conference, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the society's establishment, as well as Darwin year (150 years since the publication of The Origin of Species, and 200 years since Charles Darwin's birth).
Where are we now?
Systematists in South Africa are increasingly conspicuous at two levels completing the inventory and generating phylogenies. However, excessive 'tree thinking' has led to a segregated study of phylogeny that may, according to O'Hara,12 be the beginning of another new 'splinter' discipline, where the 'tree thinkers' (with their focus on cladistics) will distance themselves from classical taxonomy. But what of descriptive taxonomy that generates revisions and monographs? Monographs and their derivatives are important, because without them, no significant progress in taxonomy (or phylogenetic biology) can ever occur. Monographs represent the correlation of knowledge that exists in the form of scattered reports of species and subordinate taxa, reconsidered and revisited,13 and are often supplemented with much new information. Given the paucity of taxonomists, very few groups get revised. Taxonomy should not be carried out at the expense of phylogenetics, but it should rather form the foundation that supports and informs it. Studies in biological diversity require exceptionally informative phylogenetic analyses, but without a solid taxonomic foundation, it would be difficult (impossible?) to interpret the results. Nowadays, although the generation of molecular phylogenies is justifiably included as a component of virtually all systematics studies, morphological taxonomy should feature as a critically important component of such investigations. Indeed, how can one conduct a molecular phylogenetic analysis without such a foundation? The knowledge of the field naturalist cannot be replaced. What is the value of rapid identification of plants through molecular techniques if there is no one able to go into the field and find and identify a specimen by visual recognition?14 Put differently, the quality of phylogeny will be enhanced considerably by morphology that is adequately studied and investigated, and the taxonomy well documented.
The problems bedevilling the implementation of taxonomy initiatives are little more than a microcosm of how the community at large perceives environmental science: necessary, but one hopes someone else will be prepared to pay for it. A dialogue between science and society is required, so that taxonomy can be firmly incorporated into the mainstream of science policy.
The world around taxonomy and taxonomists continues to change. Broad acceptance of the reality of the biodiversity crisis has opened up new spheres of relevance and opportunity for the discipline. But this is no time to be complacent. Taxonomy and taxonomists have undergone a remarkable few decades of rapid disciplinary evolution, but if we do not continue to evolve and adapt, then like many of the species that we study, we risk extinction.3 Taxonomists need to enhance the status of their discipline as a modern scientific endeavour, and exploit new ways to emphasize its broader societal relevance. For example, the provision of species-conservation assessments should become a routine part of all taxonomic treatments.
Monographic or revisionist study of a not-too-large group remains the best academic subject for a doctoral thesis in taxonomy, providing the student with the intellectual training to investigate the past, and to learn the processes of discrimination, synonymy, and the intricacies of nomenclature.13 Monographs are essential tools that facilitate progress in understanding biodiversity. Monographs and revisions should be encouraged and supported anew, and the content of these projects needs to strike the right balance between research continuity (traditional approaches) and novelty (new and modern techniques). This implies that the activities of taxonomists should never disregard the policy-maker. We therefore require a balance between mission-orientated research and research that creates and drives its own mission. The latter approach obviously carries a greater degree of risk. This should also be acknowledged by funding agencies and the institutions that employ taxonomists.
It will be difficult to guarantee the future of plant diversity science without international collaboration.3 Here, 'virtual collections' may be a starting point. These could be compiled as large metadata depositories, to which anyone may contribute an international effort of which individuals or institutions may still share ownership, but that facilitates collaboration and accelerates information-transfer and sharing. The majority of already-described species may, through this facility, be reliably characterized, without the laborious process of visits to and loans from herbaria or museums.15 The value of exchange at institutional level should never be undervalued. Moreover, capacity for zoological systematics in South Africa is not able to encompass the large range of taxa that exist and are represented, and expanded links with international researchers will be needed to ensure that we can at least identify those taxa that have economic, ecological, evolutionary or conservation significance, and no less significant, those taxa that are apparently unimportant in this context. In addition, some mechanism for fostering local research capacity and output for the invertebrates in South Africa is also critical. We have to reverse the trend of declining research and collection support capacity in our museums6 a situation which continues to be a major concern.
Cross-disciplinary collaborations should also be encouraged. As an example, Gotelli16 states that community ecologists require four things from taxonomists: taxonomic keys, current nomenclature, species occurrence records, and resolved phylogenies, preferably online.
In summary, we as taxonomists have to re-evaluate our role and be more strategic about the outputs of our research endeavours, and by so doing, re-energize our science,13 with the consequence that downstream users such as conservation scientists, managers and policy-makers come to regard it as an indispensable discipline. We believe that taxonomy will always be essential for credible biology.17 South African taxonomists can ill-afford to bask in achievement and expect to be noticed and valued for past contributions. They need to justify their calling through sustained productivity of high quality.
1. Mace G.M. (2004). The role of taxonomy in species conservation. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 359, 711719. [ Links ]
2. Godfray H.C.J. and Knapp S. (2004). Introduction. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 359, 559569. [ Links ]
3. Crane P.R. and Pleasants L.J. (2006). Taxonomy and the future of plant diversity science. In Taxonomy and Plant Conservation, eds E. Leadlay and S. Jury. Cambridge University Press, New York. [ Links ]
4. Klopper R.R., Smith G.F. and Chikuni A.C. (2002). The Global Taxonomy Initiative in Africa. Taxon 51, 159165. [ Links ]
5. Klopper R.R., Smith G.F. and Chikuni A.C. (eds) (2001). The Global Taxonomy Initiative: documenting the biodiversity of Africa. Proceedings of a workshop held at the Kirstenbosch National Botanic Garden, Cape Town, 27 February 1 March 2001. Strelitzia 12. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria. [ Links ]
6. Herbert D.G., Smith G.F., Hamer M.L. and Scholtz C.H. (2001). Taxonomy and systematics research in South Africa: vital research facing a crisis in capacity and resources. Unpubl. report to the National Research Foundation and the Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology, Pretoria. [ Links ]
7. Smith G.F., Willis C.K. and Van Wyk B-E. (1998). Systematic biologists of South Africa, unite! S. Afr. J. Sci. 94, 107108. [ Links ]
8. Mössmer M. and Willis C.K. (2000). Plant taxonomic expertise: an inventory for southern Africa. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 10. SABONET, Pretoria. [ Links ]
9. Smith G.F., Willis C.K. and Mössmer M. (1999). Southern African herbarium needs assessment. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 6. SABONET, Pretoria. [ Links ]
10. Smith G.F. and Willis C.K. (1998). Systematic biologists of South Africa: united we stand at last! S. Afr. J. Sci. 94, 519520. [ Links ]
11. Smith G.F. and Willis C.K. (1999). Systematic biologists in South Africa join forces. S. Afr. J. Sci. 95, 156158. [ Links ]
12. O'Hara R.J. (1997). Population thinking and tree thinking in systematics. Zool. Scripta 26, 323329. [ Links ]
13. Korf R.P. (2005). Reinventing taxonomy: a curmudgeon's view of 250 years of fungal taxonomy, the crisis in biodiversity, and the pitfalls of the phylogenetic age. Mycotaxon 93, 407415. [ Links ]
14. Raven P.H. (2004). Taxonomy: where are we now? Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 359, 729730. [ Links ]
15. Wilson E.O. (2004). Taxonomy as a fundamental discipline. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 359, 739. [ Links ]
16. Gotelli N.J. (2004). A taxonomic wish-list for community ecology. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 359, 585597. [ Links ]
17. Wheeler Q.D. (2004). Taxonomic triage and the poverty of phylogeny. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 359, 571583. [ Links ]
This article is accompanied by supplementary figures online at www.sajs.co.za
* Author for correspondence. E-mail: email@example.com
Smith G.F., Buys M., Walters M., Herbert D. and Hamer M. (2008). Taxonomic research in South Africa: the state of the discipline. S. Afr. J. Sci. 104, 254256.


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Two people have died in a crash with a coach following a police pursuit in west London.
The Metropolitan Police said officers responded to reports of an aggravated burglary in Harrow, north-west London, at about 8.40pm on Sunday.
As part of the response, a pursuit began, with a police helicopter also called to assist.
At about 9pm, the vehicle being pursued moved on to the wrong side of the carriageway on the A40 and crashed with a coach near the junction of Kingsdown Avenue, Acton.
A male and a female were pronounced dead at the scene, while a second man was taken to hospital for treatment. All three were occupants of the vehicle being pursued.
There were no reports of any other serious injuries and details of the number of people on the coach have not been released.
The Met said the police cars did not follow when the vehicle drove on to the wrong side of the road.
Antoine Eid, 47, witnessed the crash from his Kingsdown Avenue home.
"I was shocked because the police were involved with chasing them, it wasn't like a normal car accident," he said.
"The police put blue sheets around them and didn't allow anybody to see.
"I've never seen something like that. I've been here since 2001 and never saw anything like it."
Mr Eid, who is originally from Lebanon, added: "There was big damage because the bus was probably coming up on the other side and there was no chance of slowing down."
Road closures remain in place in the area, and London Ambulance Service and London Fire Brigade are on the scene.
Scotland Yard said the Directorate of Professional Standards and the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) had been informed of the incident.
Last month, the IOPC said fatalities and serious injuries following pursuits were "thankfully rare" as it investigated four separate fatal incidents involving patrol cars across the country over the course of a week.
PCSO Holly Burke was fatally injured by an alleged hit-and-run driver who struck her car while being chased by police in the West Midlands on January 22, while a 26-year-old refugee from Eritrea died after being hit by a police car responding to a 999 call in east London on the same day.
Jessie Whitehead, 74, was riding a mobility scooter when she was hit by a marked squad car as it responded to an emergency in Bedworth, Warwickshire, and Paul Radcliffe, 18, was killed by a car which had failed to stop for police in Oadby, Leicestershire, on January 19.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
David Wilson / Sterling Journal-Advocate
David Wilson / Sterling Journal-Advocate
Free beer, baseball and a concert by the band, Buckstein, were the headlining acts on Thursday when the Sterling Xpress hosted the Cheyenne Grizzlies.
The Xpress had Sedgwick County graduate, future Northeastern Junior College product, and tantalizing left-hander, Chase Dunker, on the hill and seemingly half of Ovid in the stands at Plainsmen Park.
But, unfortunately for the hometown fans, it was a pair of the visiting Grizzlies that ended up taking center stage as Cheyenne shut out Sterling 2-0 in the second meeting of the current three-game series.
Cheyenne starting pitcher, Kyle Montel, outdueled Dunker in what was a battle of the "effectively wild." And a leadoff double by Reed Thompson in the sixth inning — one of the few hard hit balls off Dunker— set the table for the Grizzlies to break a scoreless tie as he notched the game's first run two batters later on an RBI groundout by Jake Fuller.
On the mound, Montel was good for the Grizzlies (9-15), but far from dominating in his eight innings. He struck out just two hitters, allowed six hits, and issued an unsightly seven walks, which aided numerous scoring threats for Sterling as it had at least one runner in scoring position from the fifth inning on.
It was producing the "big hit," though, that eluded the Xpress (14-13). They finished a dismal 0-10 with RISP and left a total of 14 runners on base. None of which hurt worse than the bases loaded threat they squandered in the eighth inning, and the two on, no outs opportunity in the ninth.
"We just didn't execute (Thursday) at the plate and that's all it was, really," said Xpress manager Alan Betourne. "We were beating ourselves. He (Montel) wasn't really beating us as much as we were beating ourselves."
As for Dunker, he went seven innings, struck out eight, and gave up five hits and five walks in the tough-luck loss.
"He felt good, but it was one of things where he felt good, but on the mound he had trouble locating," said Betourne of Dunker. "He was pitching up a little bit and it took him a few innings to settle in, but he'll bounce back. He did everything we asked him to do, he kept us in the game, but we couldn't produce for him."
The Grizzlies added an insurance run in the eighth inning off of Xpress reliever Jay Kiel to push the lead to 2-0, giving Montel and Grizzlies closer, Aaron Mitchell, all the run support they'd need.
Sterling Xpress pitcher Chase Dunker delivers a pitch during Thursday's game against the Cheyenne Grizzlies. Dunker allowed just one run and struck
Sterling Xpress pitcher Chase Dunker delivers a pitch during Thursday's game against the Cheyenne Grizzlies. Dunker allowed just one run and struck out eight, but the Xpress fell 2-0. (David Wilson / Sterling Journal-Advocate)
With the win, Cheyenne tied the current series with the Xpress at one game apiece. The rubber game will be played at 6:35 p.m. today in Cheyenne. Brad Lindsley, the tall right-hander out of York College, will have the ball for the Xpress.
"It's real important to go out (today) and just bounce back. You have to have a short memory in this game and I told the guys 'Don't dwell on this. Let me do all that. You just go out and play,'" Betourne said Thursday. "We'll get a day off (Friday) and Saturday is a new day. It's the great thing about baseball, you can just bounce back. I'll try to put together a lineup that can produce runs and that will be my job the next two days."
Afternoon game
The Xpress and Grizzlies resumed their June 18 game, which was suspended due to tornado warnings and heavy rain, at 2 p.m. on Thursday afternoon.
The game was picked up in the bottom of the fifth inning, with two outs and the Xpress trailing 2-0, and the two runs for Cheyenne stood up as it held on for a 2-1 victory.
Trent Muilenburg was solid in relief for the Xpress, methodically shutting down the Grizzlies over the final three innings to give his offense a chance.
In the ninth, the Sterling offense threatened as Mitchell Ho and Jordan Suter produced back-to-back, two-out doubles to cut the lead to 2-1, but the Xpress were unable to complete the comeback as outfielder Brooks Benson hit a sharp groundout to end the ballgame.


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Reality TV, Materialism, and Associated Consequences: An Exploration of the Influences of Enjoyment and Social Comparison on Reality TV's Cultivation Effects. (Yueh-Lee, D.. Shu, & Chen Y-S., Ed.).The Atlantic Journal of Communication. 24(2),(2016).
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Read about CMST Alumni Brad Vinson...go to Alumni & Friends
Friday, March 29 CMST Alumni Advisory Board meet
Wednesday, April 3-7 Southern States Communication Association Conference
Tuesday, April 9 School of Communication Studies National Honor Society Lambda Pi Eta Initiation ceremony 5:30 PM Scripps Lab
Monday, April 15 Charles J McClung Public Speaking Contest 5:30-9:30 Cox Auditorium
Wednesday, April 17 CMST student trip to Chattanooga meeting with alumni about jobs and internships
Monday, April 29 School of Communication Studies Graduating Senior Reception 6-7PM at Holiday Inn World's Fair Park


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NEW ORLEANS – After coming so close, about as close as possible without actually winning, Colin Kaepernick was asked what was going through his mind. The San Francisco 49ers' dynamic young quarterback responded with three simple words:
"We'll be back."
Amid the disappointment and devastation of a 34-31 loss to Baltimore in Super Bowl XLVII on Sunday, the 49ers held on to that hope. They're younger than the Ravens. Almost every one of San Francisco's starters is under contract for next season. There's every reason to believe these 49ers are just getting started.
But nothing is guaranteed in this sport. In 1984, an impressive young quarterback named Dan Marino led the Miami Dolphins to a Super Bowl berth in just his second season. They lost, and he never made it back.
Knowing he had such a splendid opportunity to do what Marino couldn't led Kaepernick, also in his second season, to also utter these three words: "It's very frustrating."
Kaepernick had multiple shots into the end zone from close range to tie the score or give the 49ers the lead. None bore fruit.
His hurried 2-point conversion pass toward Randy Moss sailed high. Kaepernick's rushed fourth-down pass for Michael Crabtree produced the same result.
"We had good plays; we had bad plays in the red zone," Kaepernick said "They're out there trying to play defense just as hard as we're trying to play offense."
After a shaky first half in which he looked uncharacteristically nervous, Kaepernick led the 49ers almost all the way back from a 28-6 deficit. He threw a touchdown pass. He ran for a score. He did all the things that made him one of 2012's breakout players – except win the game.
"I think Kap was ready for the moment," tight end Vernon Davis said. "I've always believed in Kaepernick, since Day One. I always thought that he had the talent and the mind to be a leader; not only a leader, but a winner on this stage. I thought he did a terrific job, and I'm excited about his future."
Kapernick threw a first-half interception – the first by a 49ers quarterback in six Super Bowls – but shook it off, just as he did in the divisional round against Green Bay. He finished with 302 passing yards and 62 rushing yards – excellent numbers, but ultimately hollow ones.
Asked if he did his job well, Kaepernick said: "No, I didn't. We lost, so obviously it wasn't enough."


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News Release
Media Contact: TPWD News, email@example.com, 512-389-8030
Oct. 9, 2012
Former ShareLunker Program Manager Inducted into National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame
ATHENS—David L. Campbell, a retired employee of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and long-time manager of TPWD's ShareLunker program, has been notified of his induction into the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in Hayward, Wisconsin, in recognition of his contributions to the sport and heritage of freshwater fishing.
"It is our honor to inform you of your induction into the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame for the year 2013," said Bill Gautsche, Jr., chairman of the awards committee. "It goes without saying this honor recognizes you for your contribution, dedication and service to the fresh water sportfishing industry. With this, your pioneering spirit will always be remembered."
Campbell will be inducted in the Special Recognition category, one of six categories in the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame.
TPWD itself has been inducted into the Hall of Fame in the Organization/Government category. Bob Kemp, former head of TPWD's fisheries operations, was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 1989. Kemp was Campbell's boss during the early years of the ShareLunker program.
Campbell worked for TPWD for 46 years, retiring at the end of March 2012. He was inducted into the Texas Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in 2011.
Campbell was associated with the ShareLunker program since its beginning. He picked up the first fish entered into the program in 1986 and most of the more than 500 entered since.
As manager of the Tyler Fish Hatchery, Campbell was instrumental in the introduction of Florida largemouth bass into Texas and helped stock fish into almost every public reservoir in the state.
Through his years of experience of caring for trophy largemouth bass, Campbell contributed a great deal to the knowledge of how best to care for big fish and communicated this information to the public through countless interviews with media from newspapers, magazines, radio and television.
Following is a synopsis of Campbell's career with TPWD.
Campbell started work in 1965 as a fish hatchery assistant at the Lewisville State Fish Hatchery and worked his way up to Hatchery Manager at the Tyler Fish Hatchery and later the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center. He raised and stocked literally millions of fish in Texas waters including black bass, channel catfish, blue catfish, crappie, striped bass, hybrid striped bass, northern pike, walleye, peacock bass and several sunfish and forage species.
In 1973 Campbell went to Florida to collect Florida largemouth bass at the direction of Bob Kemp. The stocking of Florida largemouth bass into Texas public reservoirs elevated trophy fishing in Texas forever and earned Campbell the nickname "Godfather of Big Bass."
Under Kemp's direction, Campbell began breeding and stocking pure Florida bass as an experiment to increase the size of trophy bass in Texas. By the early eighties, these efforts began to pay off as the 13.5-pound state record that had existed since 1943 was broken four times in six years. Then in November 1986, Mark Stevenson caught a 17.67-pound bass he named Ethel from Lake Fork. That fish shattered all previous records, garnered nationwide media coverage, and changed fishing in Texas forever.
With Ethel the ShareLunker program was born, and catch-and-release conservation became a way of life for trophy bass anglers. Since that time, there have been more than 500 entries into the ShareLunker program, and Campbell's research and insight into trophy bass have not only given TPWD the largest collection of data on big bass in the world, but have earned him the respect and admiration of anglers and outdoor writers alike.
In addition, Ethel proved to be a fish that changed the world of bass fishing. After Campbell nursed the fish back to health, she was put on display at Bass Pro Shops in Springfield, Missouri, where she pulled millions of visitors into the store. Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris credited Ethel with much of the success of the business, saying that she was the best thing that ever happened to Bass Pro in terms of getting people into the store. In recognition of that contribution, Morris donated $650,000 for the construction of the Richard M. Hart and Johnny Morris Conservation Center at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center, which was built largely to house the ShareLunker program.
Timeline of Campbell's Career with TPWD
- 1965 — Employed by TPWD at the Lewisville State Fish Hatchery
- 1968 — Transferred to Tyler Fish Hatchery
- 1973 — Promoted to manager of the Tyler Fish Hatchery
- 1973 — Traveled to Florida to bring back Florida largemouth bass for rearing and experimental stocking
- 1986 — Picked up ShareLunker No. 1
- 1989 — Held workshops in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana teaching how to culture Florida bass
- 1995 — Texas Black Bass Unlimited, President's Conservationist Award
- 1996 — Transferred to Ed Cox, Jr., Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens as hatchery manager and ShareLunker program coordinator
- 1999 — Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Employee Recognition Award, Special Achievements
- 2005 — Office of the Governor of Texas, Certificate of Appreciation for 40 years of public service
- 2010 — Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 45-year Service Award
- 2011—Inducted into the Texas Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame
- 2012—Retired with 46 years of service
On the Net:
- http://www.freshwater-fishing.org/
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyxYN1zIy20&feature=youtu.be
- http://tpwd.texas.gov/spdest/visitorcenters/tffc/sharelunker/
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My MulberryPlease sign in to your Mulberry Account to save items to your Wishlist.
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This afternoon we are in Leamington Spa to help recover an email account.
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Exemplars rubrics are excellent tools for assessing student work and for encouraging student self- and peer-assessment.
Our performance material includes standards-based rubrics that define what work meets today's standards, allowing teachers (and students) to distinguish between different levels of performance.
Our rubrics have four levels of performance: Novice, Apprentice, Practitioner (meets the standard) and Expert. Exemplars uses two types of rubrics:
- Standards-Based Assessment Rubrics are used by teachers to assess student work in Math, Science and Writing. Exemplars material includes both a general rubric as well as task-specific rubrics.
- Student Rubrics are used during peer- and self-assessments and feature kid-friendly language and symbols.
Students can also use our Assessment Rubrics (and annotated anchor papers) to compare their work to during peer- and self-assessments. Based on student performance, teaching and learning strategies can be adjusted.


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[Lynne Gravier, 77], known to almost everyone as the "Bear Woman," has been feeding bruins and other animals for decades, but nobody realized the extent of her devotion until neighbors began complaining. Last Aug. 24, seven fish and game wardens raided Gravier's home. They stumbled on what was essentially an animal hippie commune and shack-out pad.And yet it took decades for the neighbors to begin complaining? And then, in the end, she gets no real punishment, after animal lovers protest the prosecution on behalf of the well-meaning lady. According to the neighbors, her loving ministrations were turning bears into problem bears that break into houses, chase sheep, and end up needing to get killed.
In all 15 loafing black bears hung out with Gravier inside the house and on her deck, and lumbered around the compound like kings at a feast. Gravier named her oafish friends things like Smiley, Goofy, Connie, Biggie and Wombat. She admitted setting up a kiddie pool for wallowing. She fixed peanut butter sandwiches for her guests, sometimes mixing in glucosamine to ease the arthritis pain in older bears.
Some 6,000 pounds of rolled and cracked corn was delivered every month from a ranch supply house. Gravier stored the food in a 40-foot-long shipping container that she used as an ursine food dispensary.
Knight-errantry was not in evidence among the hulking chowhounds, who turned Gravier's home into a reeking outhouse. The cabin-style home was piled high with filth by the time of the raid and immediately condemned by county authorities.
Gravier also fed 18 cats, three dogs, 40 peacocks and a steady stream of visiting turkeys and deer.
Bothersome bears are a particularly volatile issue in this cattle- and pot-growing town of 1,300 near the South Fork of the Eel River, in the heart of redwood country.Pot-growing, eh? Seems like you can get away with breaking all kinds of laws these days... at least if your criminality has enough of a hippie vibe.


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Here's where you'll find the show notes and archived audio from my "Tech Guy" radio show on the Premiere Networks.
The Tech Guy airs every weekend in over 170 cities in the US and Canada and on America's Talk XM Channel 244 - check your local listings for the time and station in your area or click the Stations link (here).
This site also features articles about topics of interest, answers to frequently asked questions, and a glossary. Use the search box at bottom left to search the entire site.
You can watch me produce the show live at live.twit.tv. I only broadcast the audio from my side of the show, however. For the full experience make sure to listen to The Tech Guy on the radio or via one of the many audio streams on the Internet.
Our IRC chat channel is irc.twit.tv #twitlive.
I love your phone calls! You can call the show toll-free Saturday and Sunday 2–5p Eastern at:
Past shows are available for download as MP3s from the Audio Archives page, or get them automatically by subscribing to the netcast.


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RANCHO MISSION VIEJO – Homeowners could pay between $1,313 and $5,135 each year on top of standard property taxes to live in Rancho Mission Viejo's Sendero village thanks to a Mello-Roos district proposed for the community.
If the district is approved, buyers fortunate to land in Sendero's cheapest tax zone would be paying $239 more than the average Orange County resident in a Mello-Roos – or community facilities – district. Those in the priciest zone would pay $4,061 more than the county average.
Mello-Roos districts – where residents pay extra taxes to government agencies for services from sewers to fire protection – are common in south Orange County. After the special tax districts law was drafted in 1982, Rancho Mission Viejo enlisted agencies to form community facilities districts as it developed the master-planned communities of Rancho Santa Margarita, Las Flores and Ladera Ranch.
"Rancho Mission Viejo is using the (CFD) because it's a well established method of funding that has been used consistently and successfully over the last 20 years," said Erica Yanchus, spokeswoman for the company.
Supporters say the system helps spur development and supports quality infrastructure for all residents. They also argue that Mello-Roos balances out with reduced monthly mortgage payments, since builders won't be tacking development impact fees onto home prices.
Critics call Mello-Roos an end-run around Proposition 13, strapping residents with debt though they have no say in how the proceeds are spent. Agencies can also raise the special tax by up to 2 percent each year without a vote, and those fees are not deductible as are standard property taxes.
Rancho Mission Viejo requested Santa Margarita Water District form the CFD. SMWD board members last week gave initial approval to the plan. Now Sendero property owners – the nine developers building homes in the community southeast of Ladera Ranch – will vote on the CFD. If at least two-thirds approve, the issue will come back to the SMWD board for a public hearing and final approval, with more opportunities for public comment.
In anticipation of the CFD being approved, the water district also is eyeing a $70 million bond that would be paid back over the next 40 years by the additional taxes tacked onto annual property tax bills for Sendero home and business owners.
More than half of that $70 million would fund water and wastewater projects to service Sendero's anticipated 3,075 residents, according to Andrea Roess with David Taussig & Associates, SMWD's special tax consultant.
The rest of the bonds likely would help pay for transportation projects, recreation services and public safety.
Sendero is under the jurisdiction of Capistrano Unified School District. It's not clear whether the district will sign on to partner with SMWD to build or expand facilities
"The first group of students will initially be accommodated at current sites," district spokesman Marcus Walton said via email, declining to discuss specifics before a plan is approved. "We are still working out the details on providing those facilities with Rancho Mission Viejo."
Santa Margarita is the only water district in Orange County that administers a Mello-Roos tax, according to records from the California Debt and Investment Advisory Commission. SMWD's first district was formed in 1999 to serve the unincorporated community of Talega.
In Sendero, those who own nonresidential property also would pay extra taxes, at a rate of $16,983 to $50,225 per acre each year. The amount is based on the size of the property, Roess said, along with which of the village's 14 zones the property sits in.
Contact the writer: 949-454-7343 or firstname.lastname@example.com or @OCRBrooke


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Street Style July 29, 2012
Looks of the Week!
Looks of the Week!
This week, it was easy to see what ruled our Fab community's wardrobes — easy, breezy white shirts. Worn off the shoulder, tied at the waist, or loose and drapey, this essential staple was as popular as ever. Not one to be overshadowed, edgy leather pieces and playful prints also made standout appearances this week. Here are our favorites: Scarf Print Shorts; Sheer, Prints and Sneakers; cutoff curfew; Spot of Leopard; summer leather; Sheer & Leather; Bold Prints; Shake Down the Stars; Preppy Proper; and Leather & Denim. Congrats, all!


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Date and Time
This orientation is a perfect companion to CNC Router 101, Vinyl Cutter 101, and Laser Cutter 101! Learn how to properly create and prepare vector drawings to get the best possible results from all these tools. You will be shown the basics of vector drawing on Inkscape, which is the open source equivalent of Adobe Illustrator. No previous experience is necessary for this course.
Note: this is a beginner 2D Vector Design class
A vector drawing that you create, or vectorize from an image.
Required: Bring a Laptop with ( the free vector design program ) Inkscape Installed
Is there an age limit to enter the event?
The minimum age for participants is 13 years old with a participating guardian or 18 otherwise.
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MakerLabs' parking lot is located on the east side of the building on the corner of Hawks Avenue and East Cordova Street.
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If you sign up for a membership on the day of the class, you'll receive a refund for the difference between the general and membership class price.
How do I cancel or reschedule my class?
Refunds or credit for future classes will only be provided if we are notified by email to firstname.lastname@example.com at least 24 hours in advance of the class. No refunds will be provided for late cancellation, but we do offer a 50% credit towards a future class.
What happens if I show up late?
Please arrive 15 minutes before the scheduled start of the class so that it can start on time. Attendees arriving more than 5 minutes late will not be allowed in the class.


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The Kalpa Group – Corporate
kalpa – [Sanskrit] an aeon; a vast period of time in the universe's cosmic cycle of creation and dissolution.
An independent company, the Kalpa Group supports the work of individual scholars and professionals across a wide research spectrum. It helps to explore pioneering ideas and harness their full business, academic and cultural potential, facilitating a rich, interdisciplinary collaboration between specialists in diverse fields. With the freedom and resources to choose quickly and fund flexibly, the Kalpa Group is able to fill gaps in funding research and to make innovative projects happen.


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Information About Us
The aircraft carrier continues to be the centerpiece of the forces necessary for forward presence. Whenever there has been a crisis, the first question has been: "Where are the carriers?" Carriers support and operate aircraft that engage in attacks on airborne, afloat, and ashore targets that threaten free use of the sea; and engage in sustained operations in support of other forces.
Aircraft carriers are deployed worldwide in support of U.S. interests and commitments. They can respond to global crises in ways ranging from peacetime presence to full-scale war. Together with their on-board air wings, the carriers have vital roles across the full spectrum of conflict.
The Nimitz-class carriers, nine operational and one under construction, are the largest warships in the world. USS Nimitz (CVN 68) was the first to undergo its initial refueling during a 33-month Refueling Complex Overhaul at Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Va., in 1998. The next generation of carrier, the GERALD R. FORD Class (the lead ship hull number will be CVN 78), is programmed to start construction in 2007 and is slated to be delivered in 2015 to replace USS Enterprise (CVN 65). CVN 79 is programmed to begin construction in 2012 and to be placed in commission in 2018.
The Carrier Mission is:
General Characteristics, Nimitz Class
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