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South African Journal of Animal Science
versão On-line ISSN 2221-4062
versão impressa ISSN 0375-1589
S. Afr. j. anim. sci. vol.41 no.3 Pretoria Jan. 2011
Physical impact of sheep grazing on arid Karoo subshrub/grass rangeland, South Africa
G.vanN. du Toit*; H.A. Snyman**; P.J. Malan
Animal, Wildlife and Grassland Sciences, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa
Grazing levels and rotational schemes need to be tailored to each individual farm or pasture, and more studies are needed on the resilience of rangelands and on separating the effects of grazing and climate. The direct short-term impact of three rates of stocking (4, 8 and 16 Small Stock Units-SSU/ha) was quantified in terms of composition and cover of arid Nama Karoo vegetation (subshrub/grass). Mature Merino wethers grazed in one hectare plots during May in 1995 and 1996 (the plots were not subjected to grazing at any other time). The basal cover of the Karoo bushes (shrubs) showed a decrease at the highest stocking rate only, with the species Phymaspermum parvifolium the most sensitive to intensive grazing. An increase in stocking rate caused a significant decrease in both canopy cover and canopy-spread cover. The canopy cover of palatable Karoo bushes such as Felicia muricata, Salsola calluna and Walafrida geniculata decreased most. Light stocking (4 SSU/ha) was apparently the least detrimental to the vegetation composition and cover. Regardless of stocking rate, an 11-month resting period was possibly sufficient for all the vegetation parameters concerned to be fully restored after grazing took place. The rangeland rapidly reacted to rainfall as the ephemeral cover increased temporarily. The higher the stocking rate was, the greater the increase in ephemerals occurring. The ecological sustainability of the Nama Karoo ecosystem, utilised by high stocking densities, is questioned.
Keywords: Basal cover; canopy cover; canopy-spread cover; ephemerals; Karoo bushes; stocking rate
Concerns about the effects of agricultural management practices on the environment have initiated interest in sustainable animal production (Snyman, 1998; Broersma et al., 1999; Hoffman & Ashwell, 2001; Esler et al., 2006). Drought and unreliable rainfall are often blamed for agricultural declines and failures, instead of ascribing it to societal factors (Hudak, 1999). Since primary productivity is often masked by climatic fluctuations, changes in ecosystem functioning are often not detected. The slow nature of rangeland degradation makes the observation of vegetation changes difficult without prior monitoring (Van Rooyen, 1998). As rangeland managers, policy makers and the public become increasingly concerned about the sustainability of rangeland resources, soil and vegetation responses to various grazing systems (Teague & Dowhower, 2003) need to be quantified to develop suitable grazing practices (Hoffman & Ashwell, 2001; Holm et al., 2004; Esler et al., 2006; Hoshino et al., 2009). There has been much debate on the effects of livestock grazing on plant communities (Esler et al., 2006; Kraaij & Milton, 2006; Anderson & Hoffman, 2007; Du Toit et al., 2008; 2009). Vegetation composition, based on species frequency, is in general less stable at heavily grazed sites (Friedel et al., 2003). There must definitely be a threshold of vegetation change beyond which recovery does not occur (Friedel et al., 2003).
The Nama Karoo (subshrubs and grasses), where this study was conducted, is the arid south-western region of southern Africa, which is characterized by low shrubby vegetation on shallow soils. The biome occupies about 427 000 km2 or 35% of the land area of South Africa and is geologically, climatically and floristically diverse (Cowling, 1986). Ranchers, rangeland scientists and ecologists agree that, at a paddock scale, injudicious grazing management in the Karoo can alter vegetation composition (Milton, 1994; O'Connor & Roux, 1995; Esler et al., 2006; Kraaij & Milton, 2006) and soil processes (Roux & Opperman, 1986; Hoffman et al., 1999). Sparrow et al. (2003) also argued that grazing leads to a net change of resources at a paddock scale and that water and nutrients remain coupled as they move through the landscape. Such changes can exacerbate forage shortages and stock poisoning during droughts (Shearing & Van Heerden, 1994; Esler et al., 2006). Contrasts across fences support the notion that some livestock or game ranchers in the Karoo manage their rangelands sustainably, whereas others inadvertently damage their rangeland (Milton & Dean, 1996; Milton et al., 1998; Esler et al., 2006). The understanding of vegetation dynamics in confined plant-herbivore systems is hampered by the difficulty in uncoupling biotic determinants of vegetation changes (Dean et al., 1995; Wiegand et al., 1998; Fynn & O'Connor, 2000; Kraaij & Milton, 2006). Grazing levels and rotational schemes need to customize each individual farm or pasture and more studies are needed on separating the effects of grazing and climate. As drought is more of a reality than an exception in these drier areas (Snyman, 1998), the short-term planning in rangeland management is essential for sustainable animal production and will pose an increasing challenge to rangeland users as the global climate is changing (Vetter, 2009). This study is therefore aimed at the quantification of the short-term direct impact of different sheep stocking rates on the vegetation dynamics of arid subshrub/grass vegetation.
Material and Methods
The research was conducted at the research station of the Grootfontein Agricultural Development Institute, 10 km north-east of Middelburg in the Eastern Cape Province (25o 06' E; 31º 40' S, altitude 1 400 m), which is part of the arid region of South Africa. Rain is received almost exclusively during September-November and March-April, with a mean annual average of 366 mm. The study area is subjected to temperature extremes. Mean monthly maximum and minimum temperatures range from 38 ºC in January to -12 ºC in June, with a mean of 150 frost days per annum (Schulze, 1979).
The study site is part of the Eastern Mixed Nama Karoo (Nama Karoo biome) (Hoffman, 1996). A complex mix of grass- and subshrub-dominated vegetation types, which are subject to dynamic changes in species composition dependent on seasonal rainfall events, occurs within this vegetation type. Common shrubs or Karoo bushes include Pentzia incana, Eriocephalus ericoides and Hermannia spp., while grasses, such as Aristida spp., Eragrostis spp. and Themeda triandra may dominate the landscape after good summer rains. This vegetation type has the highest cover of herbs of all the Nama Karoo types, as well as numerous geophytes (Hoffman, 1996).
Beaufort Group sandstones and shales dominate the landscape with the flat-topped landscape shaped by many dolerite dykes and sills (Hoffman, 1996). Soils in the study area are mostly clay loam soils of the Valsrivier Form (Zuiderzee series) (Soil Classification Working Group, 1991). The depth of the A horizon varies from 90 to 120 mm.
The research was carried out on eight paddocks of one ha each (108 x 92 m) with a western aspect and a 1% slope. The paddocks were divided into two blocks of four paddocks each, those within a block being adjacent to each other. The experimental layout is discussed in more detail by Du Toit et al. (2008; 2009). The four treatments consisted of three different stocking rates, namely 4, 8 and 16 Small Stock Units (SSU)/ha, and a control. The stock was allowed to graze the plots for one whole month each year. Grazing was repeated at the same stocking rates in each paddock.
Mature Merino whethers were used as trial animals. The body mass of the individual animals, which were randomly allocated to the different paddocks, varied between 49.4 and 51.5 kg. The first grazing period was 1 - 30 May 1995 and the second was 1 - 30 May 1996, a period that marks the end of the seasonal growth of both grasses and Karoo bushes (herbaceous layer). These paddocks were rested the year prior to May 1995, for the whole summer. The objective of the study was not to look at weight changes and, therefore, the animals were not weighed at the end of each season or grazing period. Grazing was not allowed in the experimental paddocks during the season preceding the trial.
In evaluating the botanical composition and cover, the basal, canopy and canopy-spread strikes were noted at the start and end of the grazing periods, for each of the two study years. The surveys were done on the same lines each year. The descending-point method (Roux, 1963) was used where basal cover was noted when the point of the spike struck the rooted area of the plant and canopy cover when it struck any part of the plant. Canopy-spread cover was noted when the spike moved through the circumference of the plant without piercing any plant part. A basal strike was therefore automatically noted as a canopy strike and a canopy strike as a canopy-spread strike. These terms are fully defined by Trollope et al. (1990) and Du Toit (2001). Five hundred points for each paddock were recorded where strikes or the nearest herbaceous plant, which include both annuals and perennials, were recorded for determining botanical composition and cover.
The experimental layout consisted of a split plot (before and after treatment) with four treatments (the three stocking rates and control) and two replications. The treatments and replications were randomly allocated. BMDP 2 V.9 (Dixon, 1985), set up for analysis of split plots, was used. Composition and cover were analyzed using a one-way ANOVA (Menderhall & Sincich, 1996). The data before and after grazing, as well as differences between the two, were also analysed separately. The Number Cruncher Statistical System software package was used for this analysis (Hintze, 1997). The data for different years was analysed separately. Significant differences between treatments were determined using Tukey's test (Menderhall & Sincich, 1996).
The first grazing period (1 - 30 May 1995) was marked by little rain in the preceding three months (24% less than the long-term mean) and no rain during that month. Though the growth activity of the vegetation was not very high, the plants were not totally dormant during this first grazing period. The second grazing period (1 - 30 May 1996) was marked by high rainfall (36% above the long-term mean) in the preceding three months and light rain (15.4 mm) during the month. There was a high canopy-spread cover before the second grazing period, resulting in more feed available to the animals than was the case with the first grazing period (1995).
The only significant decrease (F3,4 = 18.14, P <0.01) in basal cover of the total herbaceous layer for the 1995 season, occurred at a stocking rate of 16 SSU/ha (Figure 1). For the 1996 season grazing decreased (P <0.01) the basal cover for the 4, 8 and 16 SSU/ha stocking rates. The greatest decrease in basal cover occurred at a stocking rate of 16 SSU/ha, when it decreased in 1995 and 1996 with 44% (F3,4 = 14.14, P <0.01) and 39% (F3,4 = 16.12, P <0.01), respectively, due to grazing. As expected, a slight increase in basal cover occurred with no grazing, viz. 11 and 3% for the 1995 and 1996 seasons, respectively. In contrast to the decrease in basal cover of the annual/poor perennial grasses (Aristida congesta, Chloris virgata, Schismus fasiculatus, Tragus koelerioides and T. racemosa), the basal cover of the bushes was least influenced by grazing. The basal cover of the Karoo bushes decreased only at the highest stocking rate. Ephemerals occurred only during the 1996 season before grazing.
During the 1995 season the basal oides, decreased the most, from 0.8 to 0.2% (P <0.01). due to grazing at a stocking rate of 16 SSU/ha, and from 1.0 to 0.6% for the 1996 season. The basal cover of the grasses decreased (P <0.01) for the 1995 and 1996 seasons at a stocking rate of 16 SSU/ha with an average of 1.4 to 0.8%. The basal cover of the Karoo bush, Phymaspermum parvifolium, decreased the most (P <0.01) at stocking rate increase.
Grazing decreased (P <0.01) both canopy cover and canopy-spread cover of the herbaceous layer for the 1995 season at a stocking rate of 4 SSU/ha, which was not the case in the 1996 season (Figure 1). Again, the highest stocking rate (16 SSU/ha) decreased (P <0.01) the cover the most in both seasons: For example, grazing decreased the canopy cover and canopy-spread cover at the 16 SSU/ha stocking rate during the 1995 season with 53% (F3,4 = 16.12, P <0.01) and 63% (F3,4 = 17.15, P <0.01), respectively. The canopy cover and canopy-spread cover of the bushes were mostly decreased (P <0.01) by grazing compared to the control. As expected, the canopy and canopy-spread covers of both grasses and Karoo bushes remained reasonably constant (F3,4 = 5.12, P >0.05) with a slight increase during the two seasons. Again, most of the ephemerals were observed just before the second grazing in the 1996 season.
The canopy cover of the grass, Eragrostis obtusa, decreased the most (F1,6 = 16.96, P <0.01) at a stocking rate of 16 SSU/ha, from 6.2 to 3.6% during the 1996 season. The canopy cover of the palatable Karoo bush, Felicia muricata, decreased most (F1,6 = 17.15, P <0.01) with grazing for this season, from an average of 10.0 to 5.6%; 6.3 to 3.0% and 11.6 to 2.4% for the 4, 8 and 16 SSU/ha stocking rates, respectively. Both the canopy and canopy-spread cover of another two palatable Karoo bushes, Salsola calluna and Walafrida geniculata, also decreased (F1,6 = 7.14, P <0.05) with grazing, but to a lesser extent than Felicia muricata.
Within a grazing treatment, the cover (basal, canopy and canopy-spread) drastically increased from the 1995 to the 1996 season. This increase can largely be attributed to the above-average rainfall preceding the 1996 season, drastically stimulating the ephemerals. Twice the normal amount of rainfall occurred from September 1995 to January 1996. Unfortunately, the ephemerals are only temporary and dependent on climate. For example, the canopy-spread cover of the ephemerals only increased (before grazing of the 1995 season to before grazing in 1996), with an average of 0.6 to 1.4%; 0.6 to 2.2%; 0.8 to 3.0% and from 1.2 to 4.2% for the stocking rates of 1, 4, 8 and 16 SSU/ha, respectively. The total canopy and canopy-spread covers increased (before grazing of 1995 up to the grazing of the 1996 season), with an average of 43 to 53% and from 56 to 65%, respectively. Even more conspicuous was that, the higher the stocking rate, the greater the increase in cover from the 1995 to the 1996 seasons, with an increase which was even more than that of ungrazed rangeland. This was mainly caused by an increase in annual pioneer grasses such as Chloris virgata, Enneapogon desvauxii, Schismus fasiculatus, Tragus racemosa; perennial ephemerals such as Galenia sarcophylla, Geigeria filifolia, Hermannia cococarpa, H. pulverata, Indigofera alternans as well as annual ephemerals such as Arctotheca calendula, Chenopodium glaucum, Convolvulus arvensis, Erodium cicutarium and Tribulus terrestris, which were absent from the 1995 survey. The less palatable Karoo bushes, Talinum caffrum and Pterothrix spinescens, only occurred after the 11-month resting period.
This study showed that an increase in stocking rate in the short term resulted in an almost linear decrease in canopy and canopy-spread cover. This agrees with the findings of a few other researchers who reported a decrease in cover due to high stocking rates in semi-arid rangelands (Roux, 1967; Friedel, 1991; O'Connor, 1995; Mworia et al., 1997; Ingram, 2003; Wood et al., 2008; Hoshino et al., 2009), while others have found either a positive or inconclusive relationship (Belsky, 1992; O'Connor, 1994). A further increase in stocking rate for the same grazing periods, as applied in this study, should lead to a still higher decrease in canopy and canopy-spread cover. The decrease in basal cover may possibly not always be significant, as basal cover is the most constant parameter of this vegetation. The higher the stocking rate, the higher the decrease in canopy and canopy-spread cover and the longer resting period is needed for rangeland to recover (Milton et al., 1998; Sparrow et al., 2003; Tongway et al., 2003; Kraaij & Milton, 2006). According to Mworia et al. (1997), the herbaceous biomass and cover in heavily grazed semi-arid rangeland did not recover after a two-year resting period. Various researchers found that too much severe defoliation with relatively short resting periods in between, are detrimental to vegetation cover and dry matter production (Du Preez, 1972; Hobson & Sykes, 1980; Van der Westhuizen, 1980). In any grazing study, the dynamic nature of plant responses to grazing needs to be considered and in particular the process of compensatory growth, or regrowth of grazed foliage (McNaughton et al., 1996; Ingram, 2003). Unfortunately, the recovery periods necessary for the different grazing treatments were not investigated in this study.
From this study it can generally be concluded that at a higher stocking density, a shorter grazing period rather than a lower density is important to limit the degree of defoliation. In resilient landscapes, grazing trials of even a 10-year duration may be too short to provide reliable estimates of sustainable rates of stocking (Holm et al., 2004). Bisigato et al. (2008) highlighted the importance of including sites under a wide range of grazing pressure/disturbance in determining the relationships between grazing pressure and the conservation of soil resources. Heavy grazing can also result in the same floristic changes as those brought about by nitrogenous fertilizers (Van Rensburg, 1939). This is because grazing led to the more rapid cycling of nitrogen which increased the proportion of plant-available forms (Roux, 1979).
The considerably high palatability of the three Karoo bushes, namely Salsola calluna, Walafrida geniculata and Felicia muricata, and therefore their good utilization, can possibly be the main reason for this significantly lower canopy and canopy-spread cover after grazing. Holm et al. (2004) also concluded that both average primary productivity and the potential for secondary productivity were reduced with heavy grazing. The duration of the resting period for recovery of rangeland will be determined by the degree of defoliation, as well as the climatic condition during the resting period (Snyman, 1999). In the case of this study an 11-month resting period under these specific climatic conditions is possibly sufficient for all the vegetation parameters concerned to be fully restored. In this case, the contributing factor, which must not be disregarded, was the good rainfall occurring during September 1995 to January 1996. The rainfall in these five months was more than twice that of the long-term average expected for these months. This favourable climatic condition caused the vegetation of the study area to have a considerably good cover after the resting period following the first grazing period. Unfortunately, to a large extent, temporary ephemerals reacted most favourably to the spring rainfall. The higher the stocking rate was, the greater was the increase in ephemerals occurring. Thurow et al. (1988) also reported that high stocking rates caused a greater dominance of seasonal short-grasses and forbs compared to low stocking rates on semi-arid rangeland. Marked changes in floristic composition can therefore take place in areas of lower rainfall in response to not only grazing pressure, but also variation in rainfall (O'Connor & Bredenkamp, 1997). In some regions and climates, grazing effects remain difficult to identify due to the naturally spatial and temporal variation in resource availability and, consequently, plant growth and diversity (Ingram, 2003). Quantifying plant responses to defoliation at either the plant or landscape level can lead to dramatically different interpretations (Ingram, 2003).
There is a controversy among farmers and researchers on the advantages and disadvantages of high grazing pressure, as well as of its short and long-term impact on the sustainable functioning of the rangeland ecosystem. In this study, an increase in stocking rate taking place during the short-term lead to an almost linear decrease in canopy and canopy-spread cover. This study does not lend itself to concrete recommendations regarding stocking rate and grazing systems. Factors like the influence of the length of the grazing period on the parameters investigated in this study, the restoration time necessary after grazing took place and the effect on other soil forms, are questions which will first have to be answered in future. A very good cover, after only 11 months of rest, did occur and was also accompanied by above-average follow-up rainfall. Unfortunately mainly annual pioneer grasses and ephemerals appeared due to the favourable climatic conditions and rest. The study area is characterized by ephemerals which appear rapidly in favourable climatic conditions. The study, therefore, showed that the dynamics of arid rangelands depended mainly on two factors, viz. the level of grazing intensity and the variation in rainfall.
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Wood, K., Rubio, H. & Wood, C., 2008. Rangeland Management and Hydrology. Proc. XXI Int. Grassld. Cong. and VII Int. Rangeld. Cong., Hohhot, China 1, 809-812. [ Links ]
Copyright resides with the authors in terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 South African Licence.
See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/za
Condition of use: The user may copy, distribute, transmit and adapt the work, but must recognise the authors and the South African Journal of Animal Science.
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Optical Trap Studies of Molecular Motors
Y. Takagi, Y.E. Goldman, H. Shuman
Global objectives and specific goals of the project: Directly measure force-dependent reaction rates and control of biochemistry by mechanical perturbations
Scientific strategy, approach and uniqueness: Feedback from transducer optical trap to motor trap enhances stiffness of actin and enables control of mechanical state
Conclusion and impact: Increased force on individual, conventional myosin molecules decreases lifetime of actomyosin interactions by reversal of attachment step. Single-molecule energy transduction approaches the expectation from tissue measurements.
Takagi Y., Shuman H., and Goldman Y.E. Coupling between Phosphate Release and Force Generation in Muscle Actomyosin. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci., 359:1913-1920. 2004.
Takagi, Y., Homsher, E.E., Goldman, Y.E. and Shuman, H. Force Generation in Single Conventional Actomyosin Complexes Under High Dynamic Load, Biophys. J. In Press, 2005

subset: commoncrawl


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First, just a reminder that Sunday, July 31, 2011, is our monthly exercise in folly, Savoy Cocktail Book Night at Alembic Bar. If any of the cocktails on this blog have captured your fancy, (they also have a great beer selection,) stop by after 6 and allow the skilled bartenders, (and me,) to make them for you. It is always a fun time.
Imperial Fizz
The Juice of 1/2 Lemon.
1/3 Rum.
2/3 Canadian Club or Scotch Whisky.
1/2 Tablespoonful Sugar.
Shake well, strain into medium size glass and fill with syphon soda water.
Another Fizz from Hugo Ensslin's 1916 "Recipes for Mixed Drinks", Ensslin gives the recipe as follows:
1/3 St. Croix Rum; 2/3 Whiskey; 4 dashes Lemon Juice; Juice ½ Lime. Shake well in a mixing glass with cracked ice, strain into a fizz glass and fill up with carbonated water or any sparkling water desired.
A few Savoy Recipes have called for "St. Croiix Rum." I've never really seen much differential to using Cruzan or any other modern Rum from St. Croix. The Cruzan Single Barrel is a nice Rum, but there isn't really anything in particular it brings to a drink. Or at least enough to justify calling for "St. Croix Rum" in particular.
However, once when I was talking to Martin Cate, (of Rum paradise Smuggler's Cove) about this issue, he suggested he'd had good results using Spiced Rum when St. Croix Rum is called for. Well, if Martin Cate suggests it, I'll give it a try. Besides, as this drink has no sweetener, it might be nice to use a sweetened product like most Spiced Rums.
Hey, some company promoting Kraken Spiced Rum was even kind enough to send me a bottle…
Damn! I was really hoping for a rubber squid.
Imperial Fizz
1 1/2 oz Macallan Cask Strength Scotch Whiskey
3/4 oz Kraken Spiced Rum
Light squeeze, juice 1/2 Lemon
Juice 1/2 Small Lime
Shake well in a mixing glass with cracked ice, strain into a fizz glass and fill up with carbonated water or any sparkling water desired.
Yeah, that is not very sweet at all. I believe I over estimated the sweetening power of spiced rum!
And, yes, in the video you can see the problem with using a soda syphon shortly after charging it. The CO2 does not have a chance to dissolve properly, so the first squirt is always too charged.
So this is pretty, "Meh". A definite waste of perfectly good Scotch. Even stirring a little simple syrup into this, it was pretty blah. The Kraken Spiced Rum and Macallan Scotch aren't a particularly interesting combination.
But I was thinking about this, and thinking I was just playing it too safe. If you're going to do something, why not do it all the way? Go Big or Go Home!
Islay Imperial Fizz
1 1/2 oz Laphroaig 10
1/2 oz St. Elizabeth's Allspice Dram
Couple Dashes lemon Juice
Juice 1/2 small lime
dash Rich Simple Syrup
Shake well in a mixing glass with cracked ice, strain into a fizz glass and fill up with carbonated water or any sparkling water desired.
I may be on crack, but there is some real promise here. It's kind of like a cross between Erik Adkins' Rhum Agricole Punch and Sam Ross' Penicillin. This is not bad, not bad at all. It's lacking a little in middle flavors, but the combination of Smoky, Peaty Islay Scotch and Allspice Dram is kind of awesome. Definitely worthy of further experimentation!
Music in the first video clip from Efrim Manuel Menuck's new recording, "Plays High Gospel," maybe my current favorite CD. Music in the second video clip is from Craig Taborn's new solo piano CD, "Avenging Angel".
This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the drinks in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, the, uh, Sauterne Cup.


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When you're a caregiver, finding time to take care of your own physical needs is difficult enough, but taking care of the physical needs of someone else is even more challenging.
Assisting someone else to dress, bathe, sit or stand when they are upset, agitated or combative—often the case when caring for someone with a brain disorder such as Alzheimer's disease—requires special strategies.
The following five techniques can make taking care of a loved one's physical needs easier.
Approach from the front and retain eye contact. When assisting someone physically, do not approach him/her from behind or from the side. This can startle and confuse the person in your care, leading to increased levels of agitation and/or paranoia. Instead, approach from the front. Touch the care recipient on the shoulder, upper arm or hand, and tell them what's going on. Use a calm voice to walk him/her through the whole process. For example, "Okay, let's stand up. Good. Next, we are going to… ." Retain eye contact throughout the duration of the activity.
Elicit your loved one's help. Even when frail, your loved one might be able to shift his/her weight or move his/her arms or legs to make physically assisting them easier. Some examples are: "We're getting ready to stand now, mom, so lean forward as far as you can," or, "Can you move your leg, honey, so I can change the sheet?" A little help from them means a lot less work for you.
Allow the person to finish what they're doing. If, as a caregiver, you are running late, the tendency is to hurry your loved one, too. However, this rushed atmosphere is very difficult for care recipients, especially those who suffer from memory loss or brain impairment. Though you may try to sound calm and encouraging, it's easy for loved ones to pick up our "anxious vibes." So, even if running late, allow some time to finish the current activity before moving onto the next. For example, "Mom, after you finish that last bite of cereal, we're going to get you dressed and ready to see your friends."
Utilize the major bone and muscle groups. When physically assisting a loved one, pulling or supporting them by their hands or arms is not only difficult, but may lead to injury for you and them. Instead, utilize the major muscle/bone groups.
For example, when taking someone for a walk, stand directly behind and to the left of him or her. Place your left hand on their left shoulder, and your right hand on their right shoulder. In this way you are walking with your loved one in a comforting hug rather than pulling or pushing them. And when turning someone in a bed, utilize the large bones in the hip and shoulder, and the large muscles in the legs. Pull them toward you with your right hand over their hip or at the knee, and your left hand at their shoulder. Finally, when pulling someone to a standing position, it's best to use a transfer belt (one can be purchased at any medical supply store for around twenty dollars).
Once they are sitting at the edge of the bed or chair, pull up on the transfer belt, "hugging" your loved one close, again, utilizing their large muscle groups in the shoulders and the back. Remember to keep your back straight and to always change position by moving your feet, rather than twisting at the waist. And before going home from your next doctor's appointment, ask for a referral to an occupational therapist who can help you develop your transferring skills.
Allow for their reality. Remember to accept your loved one's reality, even when assisting with a physical task. If, for example, your spouse becomes shy because he/she thinks that you are a sibling and doesn't want to get undressed in front of you, don't force the situation. Try leaving the room and coming back in a couple of minutes. Perhaps on a second or third attempt your spouse will recognize you and be amenable to your care. If all else fails, consider the situation. Is it an emergency? Changing a loved one's soiled garments cannot be delayed. However, if a care recipient is being difficult and doesn't want to take a bath or wash his/her hair on a particular day, that's okay. Plan on doing it at a later time that day or the next day, when your loved one may accept your help.
Finally, don't try to physically assist with caregiving unless you can. Injuring yourself will not help the situation, and will often make your caregiving responsibilities that much more difficult. If you find yourself in a nonemergency situation where you are unable to physically assist your loved one (for example, after he/she slides from their chair to the floor) call your local fire department and request a "fireman's assist." They will come to your house and help you. If it is an emergency situation (where either you or your loved one are injured), contact the paramedics by calling 911.
Next Avenue Editors Also Recommend:
- Beginner's Guide to Long-Distance Caregiving
- Real-Life Caregiving Strategies
- 10 Steps to Get Started as a Caregiver
- Caregiver Depression: Unspoken but Traumatic
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Ahahui Koa Anuenue launches new website to support University of Hawaii athleticsUniversity of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Ahahui Koa Anuenue
HONOLULU - ʻAhahui Koa Ānuenue (AKA), the nonprofit fundraising partner of the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa Athletics Department (UHAD), has gone online with a new website (www.koaanuenue.org) in order to help bolster its support of UH men's and women's student-athletes.
"Our website offers us a new platform to educate fans and the general public about the importance of private giving and how it contributes to the success of our student-athletes through scholarships, athletic programs, and facilities," said AKA President Vince Baldemor. "Every coach has a tremendous job in keeping their team competitive in the world of top-level Division I NCAA Athletics. From recruiting to summer school tuition and books for student-athletes to the needs of assistant coaches, each sport is tasked with many additional costs outside of their annual budget."
In addition, www.koaanuenue.org features information about the preferred seating program — which directly supports student-athlete scholarships — the UH booster clubs, and endowments. Endowments are permanent funds established by donors that are carefully invested; the income generated from the investment is used to benefit UHAD as directed by the donor. Currently there are approximately 30 endowments at UH Athletics.
Fans who want to donate funds online to any of the 19 men's and women's athletic programs at UH Mānoa can do so through a link to the secure website of the University of Hawaiʻi Foundation, which is the university's private, nonprofit fundraising partner.
Prior to this, AKA had a single webpage on the UHAD website; now the UHAD website will link to AKA. "The AKA website allows us to provide more information about private giving and gives the community another avenue to support our athletic programs. Since AKA's founding nearly four decades ago, fans support has been consistently strong and is crucial to the long-term success of our student-athletes, our teams and UHAD."
About ʻAhahui Koa Anuenue
AKA is the University of Hawai'i Athletic Department's primary fundraising organization. Established in 1967, AKA has raised over $20 million for student-athlete scholarships and recruiting expenses. Over the years, AKA organization has also helped fund the construction of a dorm, Hale Anuenue, and purchased an upgraded ticketing system for the Athletic Department.
For more information, visit: http://www.koaanuenue.org


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An almighty God decided he was either bored or lonely so he creates a universe of immense size to house one small, third-rate planet where he can create beings whose purpose is to make him feel better by loving and adoring him.
Since God needed to be sure his created people would only love him because they chose to love him, he gave humans the free choice not to believe him. Unfortunately, the very first human chose to ignore this God, and this God got all pissed and put a curse on the little planet and all its future inhabitants. In fact, he even created a scenario where after the first human chose to disobey, all subsequent humans would be born automatically bound for hell unless they accepted God's bizarre get-out-of-hell-free option. Rather than simply give humans the option to die and no longer exist, this God decided he would forever burn the skin off of those who didn't choose to love and adore him.
Thus this God, in his infinite love, informed his created people that they need to either love and adore him or they'll go to the hell he created, which basically negates the idea of giving people free will. After all, most humans will make choices they would not otherwise make when someone is holding a gun to their head.
Of course, this God, knowing everything that will happen in the future, foresees that more than 95% of the people he creates (without asking us if we wanted to be created) will either not be well enough informed to get out of hell or will simply reject the idea of a need for Christian salvation. But the Christian God, knowing this in advance, still decided to create these humans even though he knew he'd end up torturing billions of them in an endless lake of fire, all so he could have a handful of the faithful to give him love and adoration.
Not yet satisfied, this God decides to create his get-out-of-hell-free card by killing his own creation or by killing his own son. First he has his followers kill and burn animals because he really got off smelling the burning blood. Then he turned his son into one of his creation so he could have him beaten and killed with his blood flowing everywhere. And to top it off, he also said that those who love and adore him should then either symbolically or literally eat the human flesh and drink the human blood of his son in order to fully love and adore this God.
This God really loves spilling blood and then making people drink it.
Finally, this God decided to tell his created people of this plan through a cryptic and hard to interpret set of books and then relied on his created people to join together to decide which of those books really came from this God and which ones did not. They couldn't do it based on evidence, however, so they just basically guessed. Because this God didn't decide to make it clear to all humans just how to get their get-out-of-hell-free card, this God allowed the obvious confusion to lead to thousands of different interpretations of this set of books, meaning many who think they have found God's get-out-of-hell-free card actually will still be tossed into the lake of fire by this loving God.
Oh, and to make it even worse, this God decides to be mute most of the time, and instead asks those who love and adore him to be his spokespeople, thus allowing all kinds of strange things to be said in his name.
Amen, and pass the plate.
BTW: Everything I listed here is biblically supported and exists in all major Christian doctrines. Most, however, make it a little more palatable and flowery.
(I saw this I just had to post this here...


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All The President's Men
Watching the recent excellent documentary, Page One: Inside The New York Times, which questioned the potential end of print media and mature fact-based journalism, made me hanker to rewatch the greatest film about how journalists can seek the truth, and the standards and hoops they need to jump through in order to have their stories reported. Based on the true-story, autobiographical, political thriller by journalists Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, All The President's Men details the young reporters' involvement in the Watergate scandal that worked its way through the cover-ups run by President Nixon's staff, eventually reaching him and ending his presidency prematurely. All The President's Men is a riveting account of the Watergate story from war zone reporters covering it, but today it's also a reminder of the hard work and fact checking that goes into the coverage by these old dinosaurs, in this case the Washington Post, and the good that old media can sometimes bring to our democracy.
Aggressive young reporter Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) is put on the story of a small time, but suspicious burglary of the Democratic party headquarters at the Watergate Building in Washington DC. What makes the case more intriguing to Woodward and his superiors at the Washington Post is that the burglars all have pre-arranged high powered lawyers. He then discovers that the burglars have ties to the CIA and White House, meaning this wasn't any old burglary; it was an attempt to bug the Democrats. Always poking his head in at the news room is the sloppier, but equally driven reporter, Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman). He eventually gets himself teamed up with Woodward and as the ...
American Graffiti
Considered by some to be an interesting historical footnote as the film uber-nerd George Lucas directed before he became a zillionaire with Star Wars, American Graffiti is actually much more. Besides helping to usher in a nostalgia wave during the '70s for a more innocent time before the Vietnam War and playing like catnip for classic car geeks, American Graffiti is a perfect ensemble comedy with a then cutting-edge use of wall-to-wall classic Rock & Roll songs on the soundtrack and a wonderful piece of Americana. It's Lucas's homage to those years in Modesto, California when kids drank milk shakes at Mel's Drive-In and then cruised up and down the boulevard all night with their radios blasting, looking for kicks. The film is set in 1962. JFK was still alive, most Americans couldn't yet point out Vietnam on a map, the Beatles hadn't even touched down yet, and the baby boomer youth culture was beginning to dominate but still looked a lot like leftover 1950s innocents.
In a now classic coming of age set-up, American Graffiti takes place one August night after high school graduation. With the summer coming to an end, four buds (and the women around them) face the dilemma of impending adulthood about to overtake them. The clean cut Steve (Ron Howard) is excited to be heading off to college but has to figure out how to break it off with his longtime girlfriend, Laurie (Cindy Williams of future Laverne & Shirley fame). The much more thoughtful Curt (Richard Dreyfuss, in a role that would jump start his career before Jaws would make him a superstar a few years later) isn't so sure about leaving for college out East the next day and goes on a search for some kind of meaning to his life and for the beautiful blond (Suzanne Somers) he spotted cruising around in a T-Bird. Instead he ends up taking part in antics with a gang of Greasers known as The Pharaohs (lead by the hilarious Bo Hopkins). Steve leaves his beloved Chevy Impala in the hands of his nerdy pal Terry "The Toad" (Charles Martin Smith who would go on to play a similar bumbler in The Untouchables). Now sporting a bitchin' set of wheels, Terry spends the evening wooing a much more experienced woman, Debbie, played wonderfully by Candy Clark who scored an Oscar nomination for the performance and went on to appear in The Man Who Fell to Earth. The fourth strand of the story follows the more blue-collar, street racing cool kid, John Milner (Paul Le Mat, an actor who had the charisma and looks to hit the big time, but unlike many of his costars, his career never really took off other than playing the lead in Jonathan Demme's acclaimed flick Melvin and Howard). He is being pursued for a drag race by a new guy in town, Bob Falfa (a cowboy hatted Harrison Ford), but his nightly fun is interrupted when he gets stuck with an annoying "tweener" Carol (Mackenzie Phillips), the two start off at odds but end up with a sweet brother/sister like relationship. A final "where are they now" epilogue scroll tells us what happened to the guys, bringing the film even more powerful pathos.Continue Reading
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
The massive hit from 1969, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, is often cited as a "Western that people love, who usually don't like Westerns." But it also often makes "all-time most overrated" lists, especially from folks who do like Westerns. That contradiction may be because the film is completely carried by the charisma of its two superstars, Paul Newman and Robert Redford. Also it's closer in spirit to a light comedy or even the "outlaw reexamination" genre started by Bonnie and Clyde than the landmark Westerns of its era that Sam Peckinpah and Sergio Leone were directing at the same time. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is an incredibly simple tale, and regardless of its place on the Western checklist it's perfect entertainment.
The script seems to have very little dialogue and often the same lines are repeated, "You keep thinking, Butch," which is ironic since the script by William Goldman (Marathon Man, All The President's Men) has been hailed for its perfect three-act structure (pre-film school era Goldman wrote a number of books about screenwriting and the business which also helped elevate his status as a quintessential writer). Act One is an introduction to Butch (Newman) and Sundance (Redford), two charming but frustrated bank robbers who are now hitting trains. Butch is the brains and Sundance the gunman. They also share a woman, schoolteacher Etta Place (the mumbly Katharine Ross of The Graduate), Sundance is her lover, while Butch flirts but is more the big brother. Act Two is one long chase as a hardcore posse follows Butch and Sundance over miles of picturesque Western plains (shot by the legendary cameraman Conrad L. Hall), ending famously with the two jumping off a cliff into a raging river. Act Three has the heroes and Etta traveling to Bolivia where they work as muscle for a paymaster (Strother Martin) and culture clashes impede their bank robbing career, finally ending with a shoot out with the Bolivian army.Continue Reading
Che: Part One
Everyone can come up with their "overlooked for an Oscar nomination" mis-justice list. Such a list may start with the fact that Martin Sheen wasn't nominated for Apocalypse Now. And if you want to dig deeper, my list would point out that Orson Welles' brilliant performance (and direction) in Touch of Evil was overlooked by awards givers. But out of the last ten years the performance and film that had Oscar pedigree written all over it and got no love was Benicio Del Toro and the film Che: Part One. Frankly it barely even got a theatrical release. Of course Che was director Steven Soderbergh's epic story of the revolutionary Ernesto Che Guevara and, like Tarantino's Kill Bill double bill, it was so big it was lopped into two different films (and its awards consideration, totally mishandled). They are two very different movies, and Part Two is worth seeing (though much harder terrain if you don't already know the history of Che's involvement in trying to bring a revolution to Bolivia). Like history itself, Part One is a more easily digestible piece of pure entertainment, though in the end, the two together help give Che a bigger arch. Like the Cuban revolution itself, the romance is in the buildup, the planning, and the underdog story. The actual governing, not so pretty. But don't think this is some kind of boring homework assignment, it's wonderful filmmaking anchored by Del Toro's brilliant performance as the future college dorm-room poster superstar.
The film picks up almost where Walter Salles' much more popular The Motorcycle Diaries ended. Exiled in Mexico the young Argentinian doctor, Che, is introduced to the budding Cuban intellectual revolutionary Fidel Castro (the also excellent Demian Bichir, who scored a forgotten Oscar nomination for the film A Better Life). Like everyone else Che is mesmerized by the charismatic leader and he agrees to join up. Cut to the jungles of Cuba where a weak Che eventually learns the ropes of a fighting guerilla (wonderfully spoofed in Woody Allen's Bananas, thirty years earlier). He slowly earns the respect of his comrades and the peasants he meets along the way, to whom he gives free medical care and insists on educating. And though Che becomes a tough talker, he seems to be a poet at heart, a quality Del Toro always brings to his roles -- no matter the part there always seems to be a hipster softy lurking in there. Che also develops a relationship with a young protegee, Aleida March, who actually became his second wife (played by the beautiful Catalina Sandino Moreno, an Oscar nominee for her harrowing work in Maria Full of Grace).Continue Reading
Based on Nicholas Pileggi's real life true crime book on minor criminal Henry Hill, Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas marks the last great film for the director and for most of the high caliber talent on both sides of the camera. Spanning three decades, this epic is the ultimate and maybe final word on the world of organized crime. These guys don't seem to be as politically connected as the Corleones of The Godfather or even the Jersey gangsters of The Sopranos (which carries many crossover cast members), they are a petty crime crew of thieves and are willing to use extreme violence to protect their interests and egos. However as the culture of the '70s takes root in their old-world existence, though warned by their highest authority, Pauley (Paul Sorvino), not to get involved with drugs, they eventually lead to Henry's downfall. It's an amazing journey made more amazing by the brilliant filmmaking style of director Scorsese working at the peak of his creative powers.
Like a life in crime itself the film sucks you in, showing you the highlights then becoming increasingly dangerous, and eventually you're searching for a way out. As far back as Henry can remember he wanted to be a gangster. The young Irish-Italian kid gets a job working for the mob at their cabstand. They take him under their wing, teaching him the ways of a criminal, as well as the philosophy (most importantly "never rat on your friends"). With an unhappy home life, the gangsters make Henry feel a part of something bigger than him. Eventually he grows up to be played by the actor, Ray Liotta. Coming off of strong good guy and bad guy performances in Field Of Dreams and Something Wild, Liotta proves to be ingenious casting by Scorsese. Though handsome and charming in a rogue way he's an offbeat leading man who brings a lot of danger to every role (peaking as the aging, corrupt cop in Narc). As an adult Henry becomes a part of the crew led by Jimmy The Gent (Robert De Niro) and his psychotic nephew, Tommy (Joe Pesci, brilliant in an Oscar winning performance). The film follows their ever-escalating crime schemes peaking with a famous Air France robbery.Continue Reading
When we think of Woody Allen's evolutionary assault on film history, we think of his amazing one-two-punch of Annie Hall in '77 and Manhattan in '79 (and some may add Stardust Memories to the streak in '80). But usually forgotten (and some would say for good reason) is the little film in between them in '78 called Interiors. After years of slapstick, the comic/director's Annie Hall surprised audiences with a more mature and almost serious direction (and won lots of awards for it). But with Interiors, Allen turned the seriousness up to an eleven.
This was his bold attempt at a Bergmanesque (a term invented because of this movie) cold, depressing family drama; there's not a joke in sight, not even a smile. It couldn't be more bleakly Scandinavian, as heartbreak, envy, divorce, adultery, rape, icy silence and of course, suicide by drowning take their turn on the screen. Allen puts together an interesting cast of actors at their most introspective. Leading the way is his then-muse, Diane Keaton, along with Geraldine Page, Mary Beth Hurt, Sam Waterson, E.G. Marshall, Maureen Stapleton as well as impressive newcomer Kristen Griffith and, in a stroke of inspired casting, the great B-Actor Richard Jordan. At the time, not only was this a new direction for Allen, it was unlike anything any major American directors were doing.Continue Reading
In a bleak, warless future society that stylistically looks a lot like the 1970s, corporations have taken over for governments. But without war the people are still bloodthirsty so they get their kicks from a sport called rollerball, a male version of roller derby, but way more violent and even deadly. Besides guys zipping around a track on roller skates, punching each other out, there are motorcycles too. Worrying that a player can get too popular, corporate head honcho Bartholomew (John Houseman) informs Houston's star player, the he-man Jonathan E. (played by he-man actor James Caan, a couple years after The Godfather made him a big star), that he needs to retire, but Jonathan E. plays by his own rules and will do what it takes to not be a lackey for the man.
Rollerball director Norman Jewison had a long and respected career moving easily between comedy (The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming), social drama (In the Heat of the Night) and even musicals (Jesus Christ Superstar), but his work usually had a liberal take to it (A Soldier's Story, ...And Justice for All) and though he was no stranger to straight entertainment (The Thomas Crown Affair) he must have looked a little miscast as a sci-fi action director. Luckily the action is well shot and the rollerball game sequences are still amazingly exciting, but there are only a couple of those games so, at over two hours long, there's a lot of exposition in between. As a kid, all the talk was boring and...
The Godfather
If you watch any of the terrific documentaries on films of the last fifty years (The Kid Stays In The Picture, A Decade Under the Influence, Visions Of Light, etc) you will notice there is ONE film that comes up over and over, its influence and success massive, the impact it had on the public and the industry indescribable. If you polled people, I bet it would make as many favorite ten-best lists as any other movie. If I happen upon it on TV I set sucked right in. It's the Gone With The Wind of its time.... Yes, you know what we are talking about, The Godfather. Perhaps the greatest movie ever made.
Of course this is the epic story of a post-WWII Italian American family. Vito, the Patriarch (Marlon Brando), is the head of the Corleone crime organization. The film opens at the wedding of his daughter, Connie (Talia Shire). His oldest son, Fredo (John Cazale), is a rather weakly type. His next son, Sonny (James Caan), a hothead womanizer, is the heir to take over the business. There is also an adopted Irish American son, Tom Hagan (Robert Duvall), who works as the family's lawyer. His youngest son, Michael (Al Pacino), is there with his new girlfriend, Kay (Diane Keaton). He is not part of the family business; as a collage graduate and a "war hero" there are expectations for greatness cast upon him. In a nutshell, The Godfather is a tale about how Michael evolves from clean-cut, all-American wanna-be to the head of the family when his father dies and his brother Sonny is murdered. And he ends up becoming even more ruthless than his father ever was.Continue Reading
The Seven-Per-Cent Solution
The opening title card of The Seven-Per-Cent Solution reads: "In 1891, Sherlock Holmes was missing and presumed dead for three years. This is the true story of that disappearance. Only the facts are made up."
This clever welcoming very much sums up the kitschy and revisionist way the story of literature's greatest detective is treated. One-time dance choreographer turned director Herbert Ross created a near-brand for himself in the '70s with his theatrical adaptations, with films like Funny Lady and Play It Again, Sam, and Neil Simon scripts including The Goodbye Girl, California Suite and The Sunshine Boys. But it is with this adaptation from the popular novel by Nicholas Meyer that Ross really gets to break away from his more stagebound roots, taking advantage of actual European locations and a very exciting cast to tell this tale of Holmes being treated by Sigmund Freud. (Later he would have success going back to his dancy roots with films like The Turning Point and Footloose.)Continue Reading
Woody Allen: A Documentary
At over three hours Robert B. Weide's documentary (originally shown as part of PBS's American Masters series) is almost "everything you always wanted to know about Woody Allen - but were afraid to ask." As a rabid fan I still have some unanswered questions, but I couldn't ask for a more entertaining examination of the fascinating career of one of cinema's true masters. Though autobiographical snippets have appeared in most of Allen's films, he has remained massively private and almost mythically close-mouthed about his filmmaking (for instance never giving any DVD extras), though in recent years he has done more film promoting and made more public appearances (as have guys like Robert De Niro, as the economics of promoting films have gotten more intense and needy). In '97 Allen was the subject of a fun, lightweight documentary, Wild Man Blues, which was more about his clarinet playing career and his bizarre relationship to his one time step-daughter and now wife, Soon-Yi Previn. For fans that was the closest glimpse into the man (along with Eric Lax's 1991 book of conversations with Allen). But with Woody Allen: A Documentary, Weide (mostly known as a TV director with credits that include Curb Your Enthusiasm) has gotten the most in depth, on camera heart-to-heart with Allen. Filled with wall to wall clips, the film mercifully spends most its time on the rarer early career of Allen and less on the stink he has mostly been putting out for the last 20 years.
Woody's life growing up in Brooklyn is now the stuff of legend. As a teenager he started giving jokes to newspaper columnists, which led to some writing gigs that eventually put him in a room with future celebrated writers Neil Simon, Mel Brooks and Larry Gelbart writing for Sid Caesar. He would continue writing for comedians until hooking up with high-end managers Jack Rollins and Charles Joffe who talked him into hitting the stage and telling the jokes himself. A neurotic and shy young man, Allen never dreamed of being a performer and it often showed. It was a slow rise but eventually, as cerebral comics like Mort Sahl were coming into fashion, Allen found his voice and an eager audience in the groovy coffee house scene of New York's Greenwich Village at clubs like The Bitter End. Allen soon became a showbiz fixture on the TV comedy circuit; exposure was the goal and here Allen admits nothing was beneath him (the documentary even includes a bizarre clip of Allen boxing a kangaroo a show called Hippodrome).Continue Reading


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Storage in Jacksonville, FL
Charity Storage
Charity Storage utilizes existing storage facility operations, namely storage units and auctions, to raise money to benefit the community. Charity Storage is a promotional outreach program that depends on the support of the self storage industry, the Self Storage Association, and millions of North American self storage tenants and neighboring communities.
Donate a Car 2 Charity
This organization takes donations of cars, whether or not they're still running.
Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity takes donations of appliances, cabinets, lighting, furniture, hardware, plumbing supplies, building materials, windows, flooring, and cars.
Catholic Charities
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Main Metal Recycling
This center recycles metals and electronics, and also provides industrial recycling services.


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Whether you love him or love to hate him, Bentley Williams sure is getting Bachelorette fans talking.
The 28-year-old divorced dad famously announced he'd rather go "swimming in pee" than plan a wedding with Ashley Hebert, but that's no matter to Hebert, who's been smitten with him since day one.
Going into episode three, Hebert has yet to wise up to Williams, but in the meantime, Us Weekly uncovers five need-to-know details about the suitor who makes for must-see TV:
1. Hebert may not realize Williams' motives, but the divorced dad is fooling none of his viewers. "When I read the bios, my first favorite was Bentley," last season's Bachelor winner Emily Maynard recently said of Williams. "But, yeah, ew! I think we've all had that guy that's lied to us and told us everything we wanna hear, and then broken our hearts. I really hope he doesn't do that to [Ashley] this season and she figures it out really quickly."
2. When you can't cozy up to the girl, blame editing! In clips from the show, Williams says he "wasn't overly attracted to [Hebert]." But a Williams pal insists "he's super-nice" and blames his comments on editing.
3. Could a stint on Bachelor Pad 2 be far behind? The Salt Lake City resident is well-connected to the local scene in town — and his ex-wife is friendly with Brad Womack's Bachelor castoff Michelle Money. In fact, the unnamed "former contestant" who warned Hebert that Williams was only on the show to promote his business was Money herself! "I would want to know if I was in Ashley's situation," Money told TheBachelor.TV.
4. Williams — who now co-owns the Airborne Trampoline Arena in Draper, Utah — may have honed his pick-up skills in school libraries. The newly-minted reality star graduated in 2007 from Brigham Young University before going on to New York University to receive his MBA. Prior to his stint on the show, Williams logged hours at Goldman Sachs and General Motors, among other companies.
5. Even Bachelorette host Chris Harrison thinks he's a sleaze! "Everyone says the producers are jerks and how could [we] do that to her, but she always has the decision, she can always get rid of this guy," Harrison tells TVGuide.com of Williams, the dad to 2-year-old Cozette. "You didn't even see how much I begged her and bagged on this guy on Night 1. When she's telling me the story, I'm like, 'His name's Bentley. Right there, run!'"
By Allison Corneau for UsMagazine.com. For more Channel Surfing, click here.
For access to all our exclusive celebrity videos and interviews – Subscribe on YouTube!


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FIZ News
June 2015
Neues Zeolith kann mehr Wärme speichern
June 2015
Stabiles Netz trotz flexibler Einspeisung
May 2015
Windenergie-Anlagen rütteln und schütteln
Meet us at
Tag der gewerblichen Schutzrechte,
Stuttgart, 30. Jun
CICM 2015, Washington, 13. - 17. Jul
AALL - American Association of Law Libraries, 10th Annual Meeting and Conference, Philadelphia, 18. - 21. July
Computer Science
The enormous growth of computer science as a key technology of the information age is reflected in the more than two million publications that are accessible via io-port.net.
In cooperation with the University of Trier and IEEE, FIZ Karlsruhe offers a computer science portal that is a central access point to scientific information on computers and computer science, with worldwide coverage and dating back to 1931. With its more than 2 million records, io-port.net is also the most comprehensive source of information on the history of computer science. It addresses computer science experts in science, research, and development.
In collaboration with partners, among them the Gesellschaft für Informatik, the University of Trier and international publishers, FIZ Karlsruhe offers a web portal for computer science. io-port.net pools information from several computer science sources (among them our CompuScience file) which formerly had only been available separately. The portal provides access to more than two million publications from these sources in a standardized format, covering all areas of computer science and related disciplines. The portal is constantly updated with additional content.


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National Cherry Blossom Ceremony Kicks Off | News
WASHINGTON, D.C., (WUSA9) -- The National Cherry Blossom Festival kicked off the 101st celebration at the Warner Theater.
WUSA 9 anchor, Jessica Doyle, hosted the festivities featuring both Japanese and U.S. artists, Saturday, March 23, 2013.
American platinum-recording artist, Andy Grammer, appeared on stage along with Japanese artists such as Junko Yagami, Senri Oe.
The Cherry Blossom Festival represents a new season and a chance to enjoy the blooming flowers while they last, according to the Japanese Minister Masato Otaka.
"This is to celebrate the arrival of spring. But the Cherry Blossoms also represents ephemeral beauty as well," Otaka said.
"It will arrive, you can celebrate, but it will go away very quickly. So have to make use of the time that we do, we can enjoy the Cherry Blossom."
The recording jazz group, Chihiro Yamanaka Trio, and violinist Nanae Iwata also appeared.
WUSA 9 will host the Cherry Blossom Parade on April 13, 2013 from noon to 2 p.m.
The Cherry Blossom Festival runs through April 14th.


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2020 Legacy Extended
2020 Legacy Extended : Zufar Bikbov
West Gallery
Legacy 2020 is once again full of new works by the artists collectors and visitors found most rewarding in 2019! Opening in the West Gallery this year in March and April you will find new works by returning artists, and artists new to this collection. New artists include Mark Boedges, Julie Davis, Mike Graves, Susan Larkin and Barbara Lussier, They join returning favorites, Eric Tobin, Andrew Orr, TM Nicholas, Zufar Bikbov, Julie Y Baker Albright, Bob Aiken, Susan Bull Riley, Mark Tougias, Mary Martin, Tom Adkins, and John Clarke Olson. In May the Legacy 2020 collection will be move to the East gallery through December 21st.
Middle Room
To start the year, the 2020 Legacy Exhibit will occupy both the West Gallery and the Middle Room. March and April will a number of additional works by our new and returning Legacy Artists on display before we move the Legacy collection to the East Gallery in May for the remaineder of the year. The artists in Legacy this year, in addition to Mary and Alden Bryan, include: Tom Adkins, Robert Aiken, Julie Y Baker Albright, Zufar Bikbov, Mark Boedges, Julie Davis, Michael Graves, Erik Koeppel, Susan Larkin, Barbara Lussier, Leo Mancini-Hresko, Mary S. Martin, TM Nicholas, John Clarke Olson, Andrew Orr, Susan Bull Riley, Eric Tobin and Mark Tougias.
East Gallery
Our "Cabin Fever" series is back to help you shake off the later winter blues and mud season. Workshops and presentation are scheduled all through March and April, and the presenters are sharing their work on the walls of the East Gallery during this period. Check the schedule of events on our Workshops page, or come by anytime the gallery is open to see what works our presenters have brought in to share with you.


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So let's head into 2015 with a celebration of all things funny!
2013 saw the release of one of my favorite comedy duos from the 90's, Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar. In 2012, Conan and the Conandos unleashed their hit album "Team Coco"... and now, in 2015, Playhouse Records presents:
To purchase this artwork, click HERE
"Wish? Did Somebody say wish? Playhouse Records presents the new hit album "Scream Real Loud!" from Pee-Wee and The Playhouse Gang! Come on down to The Playhouse and join your friends Conky 2000, Cowboy Curtis, Pterri, Globey, Magic Screen, Jambi the Genie, Captain Carl, Mr. Window, Randy, Mapy, the most beautiful woman in Puppetland Miss Yvonne, Chairry, Dirty Dog, Cool Cat, Chicky Baby, and of the big man himself, Pee-Wee Herman! Everyone's invited, so come on in, and pull yourself up a chair, and don't forget, when you hear today's secret word, SCREAM REAL LOUD!"
The 80's were a pretty incredible decade. They brought us such wonderful things such as He-Man, the weird gray death of Optimus Prime, a super creepy dad who created a robot daughter... Alf, Garbage Pail Kids, The Oregon Trail, and way more... needless to say, the 80's were AMAZING!
One of my favorite things to happen in the 80's was that Paul Reubens was allowed to bring his super-creativity from the stage to the television and make a lot of kids happy. Pee-Wee's Playhouse was (and still is) mind-blowingly creative and unique. I was obsessed with this show as a kid... My wife and I have recently been going through the series again on Blu Ray and it's really awesome how timeless this show is. If you instantly wanna feel like a kid again, just put this on (It's streaming on Netflix!)
This is a time machine. It was transport you back to the 80's and it's EXCELLENT.
Pee-Wee not only played an important role in my childhood, but as an adult, he helped change my life forever! The Pee-Wee Herman show came back to Los Angeles in 2010. I had gotten my hands on some tickets to see the show at Club Nokia... I had recently met this lovely girl Kristin through some friends and I was REALLY digging' this fine lady. I asked her if she'd like to go with me, She said "Heck yes!", and that was our first date... 2 short years later, that lovely lady and I would be married! So... Thank you Pee-Wee!
Kristin and I with the new Cowboy Curtis (sorry Morpheus)!
I always like to create a one-of-a-kind framed album when I do these pieces for those out there that may want a special, unique piece of artwork. I usually try to find a record that connects to the artwork in some way. Since a vinyl soundtrack of the show was never released, I included the first album from an artist who was uncredited with singing this intro theme song:
This song WILL get stuck in your head... you're welcome.
It's very fitting that she would sing the intro song.
To purchase this framed artwork, click HERE
"Is This Thing On? #4" opens Friday, February 20th at Gallery 1988 West. There's a bunch of really great artwork in this show, and these openings are always a fun time! Come on out and say hi!
"Is This Thing On? #4"
Friday, Feb. 20th 7-10pm (show runs through March 14)
Gallery 1988 (West)
7308 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90046
And remember... we all know what to do when you hear today's secret word?


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Sunday, 8 January 2012
17 comments:
i only recently discovered Your Eyes Lie, they have some great stuff, don't they? that colour lipstick really suits you well :) xReplyDelete
i love this outfit!!!ReplyDelete
You looking lovely as usual! Loving the tights to bits! xxxReplyDelete
Where are your shoes from?!ReplyDelete
you look fantastic :)ReplyDelete
loveeeee the leggings!ReplyDelete
love your look¡¡ I´ve voted in lookbook.ReplyDelete
oh gosh,,i just love you...:DReplyDelete
love the leggings! xReplyDelete
Aww cheer up about school, I've recently graduated and I miss it already! Ok so I miss the people.... Haha anywayI love your t-shirt! It looks amazing :)ReplyDelete
I love your tights! :)ReplyDelete
Love this, so cute :)ReplyDelete
Romwe giveaway $20 over at http://midafternoonlush.blogspot.com/2012/01/giveaway-romwe-20-voucher.html
You look so cute, I love this outfit :) xReplyDelete
Love the leggings, lovely outfit. People always used to tell me when I was in school to enjoy it that it is some of the best days of your life, I never believed them, maybe now a little though!ReplyDelete
I looove this outfit on you. You have an amazing blog by the way. xoxoReplyDelete
- Anonymous12 January 2012 at 09:49
your blog is amazing and you are so beautiful!ReplyDelete
wow, this outfit is really amazing!ReplyDelete
love the leggins!


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Dickinson Square Park
Welcome to Dickinson Square Park, one of Philadelphia's great public spaces. Dickinson Square is located in the Pennsport section of South Philadelphia, and provides safe, comfortable and pleasing open space in a densely populated neighborhood.
Dickinson Square Park features several basketball courts, swing sets, jungle gym equipment, and large shade trees on 3 acres of classic turn-of-the-century park design.


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| 6.2°C Belfast
Actor Liam Neeson had the bit between his teeth when he chided New York mayor Bill de Blasio for wanting to shut down the city's horse-drawn carriage industry.
Saying he was "a little bit p****d off", Neeson complained during an appearance on The Daily Show that critics had put out false information about the horses' welfare, saying drivers treated them like their own children.
Democrat Mr De Blasio has declared his intention to shut down the industry, saying it is inhumane to keep horses in Manhattan. Instead, he wants to replace them with electric cars.
But Neeson said most New Yorkers wanted to keep the horses and Mr de Blasio "is supposed to be representing the New York people".
Carriage drivers say shutting the stables would eliminate a rare outlet for surplus horses, meaning they will be sent to the slaughterhouse faster.


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Charles Dance, the actor who plays Tywin Lannister on Game of Thrones (and the bad guy in Last Action Hero, as if I had to tell you), lends his voice to this commercial for the BBC's coverage of the Sochi Olympics.
Winter is coming. Who's psyched? Are you psyched? I'm psyched.


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On Friday night I went to see Rene Redzepi at the Sydney Opera House. It was a truly inspirational evening, and I must say Rene's enthusiasm and down-to-earth attitude is so admirable! His food philosophy is something we all should research a bit further! The night was made even more perfect when Rene, as he was starting to sign my copy of his book, looked at the name tag and said "Scandi Foodie... you have a blog right? I've seen your blog!" I was so stunned I can't even remember what I replied back to him!
Saturday was a busy day that started with a jazz dance class at the Sydney Dance Company. Although it was a hard 1,5 hour class I just couldn't stop smiling! I have always loved dancing and it's been far too long since I last did a class like this. I was so happy and full of energy (although exhausted at the same time!) when I left the class. No doubt I'll be going back for more!
Organic Produce Cafe in Surry Hills. It's such a nice cafe with a delicious range of organic dishes to choose from. I had a yummy dandelion soy latte and mung bean falafels which I must try and recreate at home! After lunch we went to the near by cafe called The Book Kitchen for one of the best chai lattes I've ever had!
Last but not least on the agenda was a two hour food photography class at the Australian Centre of Photography . For such a short class it was very informative and professional.
Needless to say I was exhausted when I finally made it home that night.
Sunday was a rainy day here in Sydney but I had a lunch date at the lovely Burnt Orange Cafe in Mosman. My choice for lunch was a delicious heirloom tomato and mozzarella salad and I also had a lovely chai tea with soy milk. There is no visit for me to the Burnt Orange without some shopping so of course I left with some nice items you will most likely see in my future posts ;-)
this blog, I really recommend you try it!
Monday is a public holiday so I'm thinking of doing a yoga class and spend some (or a lot of) time in the kitchen. Yoga is something I enjoy so much. I try to do 2-3 classes a week and every time it makes me feel so calm and complete.


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Valor Christian, Grandview preparing for Zero Week tilt
HIGHLANDS RANCH — Football, finally, is one week and a day away. Granted, Zero Week doesn't bring us a full slate, but we will get a Valor Christian-Grandview tilt packed full of anticipation and talent.
The game was circled this offseason, then highlighted and underlined with the release of the preseason media poll on Monday. Running a finger down those rankings, you'll find Grandview checking in at No. 3 in Class 5A, while Valor holds down the top spot in 4A.
It's a rematch of last season's 28-19 Grandview win — the Wolves scored on their first two drives and never looked back — which was seen as some as Valor's first real challenge as a program. Valor moved up to 4A last season, having breezed through 3A competition en route to a state title and a 14-0 season in 2009. Read more…


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CMS Made Simple is, as the name suggests, a CMS application. CMS Made Simple fully justifies its name – it is one of the easiest to use CMS applications currently available. Its most important features are:
- Built-in SEF functionality
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