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for a long time to travel to South America and fish. I've read articles in outdoor magazines and watched fishing TV shows about the fabulous fishing. I've wanted to catch these beautiful and hard fighting fish. I've seen on TV the bone jarring strikes and screaming runs that tested the toughest rods and reels.
Thanks to 2 very nice gentlemen, Alan Zaremba and Frank Yerich, I was able to create the Rio Negro River Outing in Brazil. (Paul helped me a whole bunch too)
These gentlemen gave me permission to use the pictures on their websites for the Outing. I want to thank them both for their help.
If you enjoy the outing, please view their websites, you'll find them very enjoyable and extremely well done.
Alan Zaremba's website: http://www.floridapeacocks.com/photosamz1.html
Frank Yerich's website: http://www.yerich.com/LaZona.htm
If you enjoy the outing, at their sites please select "Contact Me" and their email addresses will appear. Please send emails thanking them for allowing me to use their pictures.
Here's the link to download my new outing: There's a txt message that explains where to put the files.


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Prominent Black Lives Matter activist DeRay Mckesson was among more than 100 protesters arrested Saturday night during demonstrations over the death of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Mckesson, who live-streamed his arrest on Periscope, was taken into custody while walking along the side of the Airline Highway with fellow protesters, NBC News reported.
Mckesson was released Sunday afternoon, according to facility records from the East Baton Rouge Parish Jail. He and fellow protesters were charged with "simple obstruction of highway commerce," according to court records.
U.S. & World
Stories that affect your life across the U.S. and around the world.
About 1,000 protesters gathered outside the Baton Rouge Police Department, waving homemade signs as passing cars honked their support. The protests lasted well into the evening but died down a little after midnight.

subset: commoncrawl


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Vintage Brass Hourglass
$315 - $365 Regular
$236 - $273 Member
Crafted of mouth-blown glass and poised in an antiqued brass metal frame, our handsome hourglass honors a legacy of timekeeping that dates to the 14th century. While no longer used to test ships' speed, as Ferdinand Magellan did, hourglasses still time votes in the British House of Commons and, of course, clock boiling eggs. Ours empties in approximately 30 minutes; position it beside a favorite chair and spend a half-hour contemplating the sands of time.


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General Shareholders' Meeting of Tuesday May 24, 2016
Natixis' General Shareholders' Meeting was held on Tuesday, May 24, 2016 at 3:00 p.m., at Palais Brongniart 25, Place de la Bourse, 75002 Paris.
This General Shareholders' Meeting was combined as it included resolutions falling within the jurisdiction of the Ordinary Shareholders' Meeting (approval of accounts, annual results, ratification and co-optation/nominations of Directors) and resolutions falling within the jurisdiction of the Extraordinary Shareholders' Meeting (renewal of financial authorizations and delegations, update of the Company's charter).
View the webcast of the Shareholders' Meeting (in French only)
Associated contents
- Minutes of the Shareholders' Meeting – May 24, 2016 (French Only)
- Shareholders' Meeting Notice as published in BALO (Art. R. 225-73 of the Commercial Code)
- Result of voting of Natixis' Combined Shareholders' Meeting (in French only) - pdf
- Natixis' 2016 Combined Shareholders' Meeting : Presentation (in French only) - pdf
- Meeting notice 2016 Natixis' Combined Shareholders' Meeting - pdf
- 2015 Registration Document - PDF - (4465 ko)
- FAQ Useful tips about the GSM


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Everyone in the world believes that some things are right and other things are wrong. At times, people do not agree on the exact way to decide whether something is right or wrong. But it is undeniable that the concepts of right and wrong, good and evil, do exist.
The person who does not believe that God exists has only one choice when it comes to explaining morality—man must have thought it up by himself. However, since man is seen as little more than the last animal to be produced by evolution, this becomes problematic. A lion does not feel guilty after killing a gazelle for its lunch. A dog does not feel remorse after stealing a bone from another dog. And a female pig feels no guilt after eating her newborn piglets. Yet man, who is supposed to have evolved, feels both guilt and remorse when he commits certain acts that violate his "moral code." The simple fact that we are discussing morals establishes that morality—which is found only in humans—had to have a cause other than evolution. After all, one ape never sat around and said to another, "Today, I think we should talk about right and wrong." Even the famous atheist George Gaylord Simpson of Harvard admitted that "morals arise only in man." What, or should we say, Who, instilled a conscience in humans? The apostle Peter provided the only legitimate answer. In 1 Peter 1:16, he wrote that we should be holy because God is holy. The only possible source of knowledge regarding right and wrong is the almighty God who embodies all that is good. In Ecclesiastes 7:29, wise King Solomon wrote: "Truly, this only I have found: that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes."
To suggest that the morality inherent in all mankind evolved from a warm pool of inorganic slime in the great long ago is an inadequate explanation. Morals could only have been placed in mankind by a Being who understood, even to a greater degree than men, the difference between right and wrong. This knowledge should lead us to follow the directive Jesus gave in Matthew 5:48: "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."


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Tuesday night's episode of "Lost" packed new alternate-reality reveals, as fans of the final season of have come to expect. Only this time, believe it or not, learning how alt-John Locke landed in a wheelchair (he crashed a plane as a newbie pilot) or just what happened to his dear old dad (he was in that plane) actually paled in comparison to the on-island action.
After all, when last we left Sawyer's renegade band of Losties — i.e., Jin, Sun, Hurley, Kate, Claire and Frank — they were staring down the barrels of several guns held by Charles Widmore's flunkies. Since then, said gun-toting flunkies transported the gang to the old polar-bear cages — the ones Sawyer and Kate got so cozy in a few seasons back.
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But no matter how reassuring Widmore's "I'm doing this for your own good" may have been, there was nothing cozy about this confinement.
Maybe that's why Jack was so quick to jump on board Smokey's plan to rescue the attempted escapees. Presumably, it was an extension of Smokey's other big plan, the get-everyone-on-the-plane one.
So, like a big breeze of pure evil, a black plume of smoke shot by the cages and killed one of Widmore's men. Jack — with an "I'm with him" swagger — swooped in and unlocked the cages, leaving everyone free for a hike to the runway.
Smokey must have taken the shortcut, as he beat the rest of them with enough time to kill a couple more members of Team Widmore. He even searched the plane before the gang — now joined by Sayid — caught up with him. That's when Smokey delivered the news: The flight had been canceled.
According to the big guy, Widmore sabotaged the plane with C-4, as evidenced by the load of explosives in Smokey's hands. Now the submarine would be their only hope to get off the island.
One more hike later, Smokey's plan B was in effect. They made it to the sub, but Jack and Smokey kept to the rear to fight off a few more of Widmore's redshirts. The Locke-alike wanted to handle the dirty work himself, so he tossed a backpack to Jack and told him to go on. Jack and everyone else — save Claire and Smokey — made it to the sub. Claire was devastated, but Smokey smiled at what he saw as a stroke of good fortune.
As it turns out, the real plan B included being left behind. It's not like Smokey wanted to be on that sub when the gang discovered he sent Jack in with a backpack full of C-4, complete with a quick countdown clock — not that it took them long to make the discovery.
In fact, as the sub went deeper, Jack and the others quickly found themselves examining their options and ordering a return to the surface. If only they had an explosives expert. Hey!
Enter Sayid. No, not the morally gray, thoroughly zombified Sayid of recent episodes. This was the man fans knew and loved — at least he was for a little while.
Sayid gave his best advice for disarming the bomb, and Sawyer was dead set on following it. Jack, on the other hand, had a different idea. It occurred to him that maybe Smokey never needed everyone to band together and leave the island as a group. Maybe, in order to make his big break, Smokey needed everyone to get together and die — only he couldn't pull it off.
According to Jack's theory, if they just let the timer run down, they'd all be fine because Smokey couldn't kill them himself. But if they tampered with the device, they could cause their own destruction. Sawyer, still not a huge Jack fan after Juliet's seemingly senseless death, didn't buy it. He pulled the wires Sayid told him about anyway.
Unfortunately, Jack was right and now the timer raced down to just seconds before detonation. That's when Sayid really went into action. He told Jack about Desmond and the well, and about Smokey's desire to see Desmond die. Sayid said it was all-important because "it's going to be you." Who? Jack. What? The replacement for Jacob would be a pretty good bet.
With that message relayed, a heroic Sayid sprinted down the corridor followed, by a loud BOOM! He was dead, just like that. And everyone else would be, too, if they didn't escape.
That was a lesson soon learned by Sun and Jin. Yes, of course, the negative news doesn't stop there. Heck, with finale night just over two weeks away, there's always room for more death and destruction.
By the way, hope everyone enjoyed that long-awaited reunion of theirs last week. As it turns out, it was just a brief warm and fuzzy respite leading up to one more letdown for the couple. Well, "letdown" might be putting it lightly. While everyone else — with the possible exception of Frank and few more redshirts — made it out of the sub, the Kwons did not.
Somewhere out there in the original reality, little Ji Yeon Kwon is now an orphan. In the alt reality, she doesn't even exist. Either way, not cool, "Lost." Not cool.
So thanks to one tricky, smoke-based man, death and destruction ruled the day. Get ready for a lot of grief and guilt from backpack-carrying Jack. And maybe even enough rage to show Smokey he can't get away with that kind of con.
Until the next time not-Locke gets away with it.
After all, beyond the latest entries in the death pool, who lives and who dies (and in which reality) remains to be seen.
Ree Hines is now an official resident of the alt-reality, where Sun and Jin are still alive and well, and Sayid continues to be easy on the eyes. C'mon and join her there or on Twitter at twitter.com/ReeHines.


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Support & Field Staff at Oasis Dental Care Support Centre

We are looking for an Assistant Management Accountant to join our team!

ABOUT OASIS DENTAL CARE

We are hoping you have heard of Oasis Dental Care, but just in case let's give you a little background about us first. We are a leading provider of NHS & Private dental care across the UK & Ireland. Oasis proudly cares for over 3 million patients, providing everything from regular check-ups to specialist & cosmetic treatments. We now have over 400 practices across the UK and ROI.

You may also have heard our exciting news that we have recently joined the Bupa family! There has never been a better time to join Oasis as we work together with Bupa to help people live longer, healthier, happier lives.

THE ROLE

To assist in the preparation, analysis and reporting of key financial data within the organisation ensuring that managers receive timely, accurate and relevant information.

To assist the Management Accountant to produce timely and reliable management information reports when required

Assist in the month end delivery of your reporting lines, including inputting necessary accruals & prepayments and variance analysis within required deadlines

To understand your reporting lines, becoming an expert on the content of those lines. This includes, but is not limited to one of the following P&L costs namely: Direct Costs, Opex Costs and Headquarter expenses

To reconcile relevant balance sheet accounts

Become a CODA and Hyperion Planning (Essbase) skilled-user

To deal with queries from operational and practice managers in a timely and effective manner escalating issues where appropriate

Undertake ad hoc financial analysis as required

Ensure that financial records are accurate and complete, and maintained in accordance with relevant company, external audit and legislative requirements

Support the budgeting process, working with operations to ensure a robust budget process is achieved

To assist in the preparation of the year end accounts, regular stock takes and audit information as required

ABOUT YOU

Computer literate – advanced Excel

CIMA, ACCA or ACA studier, AAT qualified or relevant degree

Well organized and a good planner

Effective communication and interpersonal skills

Team worker

Commitment to work to deadlines

High degree of accuracy and attention to detail

It would be an advantage to have experience working with high volumes of data and Excel modelling

WHY CHOOSE OASIS

Competitive salary and benefits

25 days holiday and the option to buy or sell up to 5 extra days

Free parking

Progression and development

Contributory pension

Cycle to work scheme

Discount in over 7000 retailers

Salary sacrifice scheme including childcare vouchers


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The former Calpundit and Political Animal econowonk, now with Mother Jones, explains it all for you:
Which part has the worst effect: the spending cuts or the tax increases?
That's tricky! CBO estimates that the effect per dollar is greater for spending cuts than tax increases: roughly a dollar of GDP for every dollar of spending cuts versus about half a dollar of GDP per dollar of tax increases.
However, the absolute size of the tax increases is much larger than the absolute size of the spending cuts. Overall, CBO estimates that the spending cuts will reduce GDP by about 0.8 percentage points; the end of the payroll tax holiday will reduce GDP about 0.7 percent; and the expiration of the Bush tax cuts will reduce GDP by 1.4 percentage points.
But wait a second. There are two parts to the Bush tax cuts: the middle-class cuts and the cuts for the rich.
Right. And here's the thing: CBO figures that letting the middle-class tax cuts expire would shrink GDP about 1.3 percentage points.
But that's almost the entire effect of letting the Bush tax cuts expire.
Right. And everyone agrees we should extend the middle-class tax cuts. So if we did that, but let the tax cuts on the rich expire, it would have virtually no impact on growth.
So that would make a ton of sense. Are we going to do that?
Good question! Republicans are dead set against it, so it's going to be a big fight.
What about the payroll tax holiday?
Everyone seems willing to let that end, so that's not really very controversial.
Why is that? It has a pretty big effect.
Beats me. It would make a lot more sense to extend the payroll tax holiday than to extend the Bush tax cuts for the rich, but Republicans are opposed to the tax holiday and Democrats have already caved in on this. Mostly it's because they're worried that extending it would set a precedent for keeping payroll taxes lower forever, and that would hurt Social Security's finances.
Conversely, Republicans care a lot about tax cuts for the rich. At the moment, they claim they'll kill any deal to avoid the fiscal cliff unless they get to keep them.
Are they serious?
There's more, but that's the gist. Having just been told by voters not to blow up the economy any more, the GOP is dead set on doing and the Dems are less than fully dead set on stopping them. Sigh.
There is some good news, though. President Obama has been asking the Republicans for $1.6 trillion over 10 years in tax increases ever since the Great Debt Ceiling Joke of 2011. He campaigned for a year on that very proposal. And on Nov. 6, he won by a — what's that word, again? Oh, yeah, landslide. So, Mitch the Turtle and the Weeping Cheeto can just take that.
Oh, and Kevin also says, for the love of God, stop talking about raising the retirement age.


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Lisa Bul / AP file
Robert Kosilek sits in Bristol County Superior Court, in New Bedford, Mass., Jan. 15, 1993. Kosilek, now named Michelle, has since undergone hormone treatment for gender-identity disorder.
A federal judge in Boston on Tuesday ordered the Massachusetts Department of Corrections to provide sex-change surgery to a transgender inmate serving life in prison for murder, ruling that failure to do so violated the prisoner's Eighth Amendment right to adequate treatment.
U.S. District Judge Mark Wolf ruled in the case of Michelle Kosilek, born as Robert Kosilek, who is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole for murdering his wife in 1990. Kosilek who identifies as female, has received hormone treatments and lives as a woman in an all-male prison.
Wolf found that surgery is the "only adequate treatment" for Kosilek's "serious medical need."
"The court finds that there is no less intrusive means to correct the prolonged violation of Kosilek's Eighth Amendment right to adequate medical care," Wolf wrote in his 126-page ruling.
According to The Associated Press, Wolf is the first federal judge to order prison officials to provide the surgery for a transgender inmate.
"This is a very big victory," Kosilek's attorney, Frances S. Cohen told NBC News. Although the ruling is not binding outside the state, she said: "I think it will be very influential beyond Massachusetts."
It was not known whether the Massachusetts Department of Corrections would appeal the ruling.
After Kosilek first sued the department 12 years ago, Wolf ruled that Kosilek was entitled to treatment for gender-identity disorder, but stopped short of ordering surgery. In 2002, Kosilek started a trial of hormones, with the intention of reevaluating the need for surgery. She sued again in 2006.
The department was supposed to reevaluate after one year, according to Cohen.
"In 2006, it became clear that they were not doing this in good faith," she said.
According to the judge's statement, Kosilek's anguish from gender identity disorder caused him to "attempt to castrate himself and to attempt twice to kill himself while incarcerated."
Prison officials repeatedly cited security risks in the case, saying that allowing the surgery would make Kosilek a target for sexual assault.
But Wolf found that the department's security concerns are "either pretextual or can be dealt with by the DOC." He said it is up to prison officials to decide how and where to house Kosilek after the surgery.
"The DOC has the discretion to make good faith, reasonable decisions concerning security if the surgery genuinely creates or increases any risk to Kosilek or others," he wrote.
The Massachusetts ruling came just two weeks after the American Psychiatric Association published its updated position strongly endorsing access to treatment for transgender and gender variant individuals, noting that they "can benefit greatly from medical and surgical transition treatments."
"There is increased awareness that this kind of care is not particularly special," said Kristina Wertz, director of programs and policy at the nonprofit Transgender Law Center in San Francisco. "It's just medically necessary care. Our prison systems have an obligation to provide medically necessary health care."
This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.
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Paul R. Lehman,The phrases: "black people" and "white people" contribute to the system of ethnic bigotryMarch 3, 2017 at 4:01 pm | Posted in African American, American Bigotry, American history, American Indian, American Racism, Bible, Bill Nye Undeniable, black inferiority, blacks, democracy, discrimination, DNA, Dorothy Roberts, entitlements, equality, Ethnicity in America, European American, European Americans, freedom of speech, Human Genome, identity, justice, minority, PBS NEWSHOUR, Prejudice, President Obama, race, Race in America, racism, skin color, skin complexion, U. S. Census, University of Penn., white supremacy, whites | 2 Comments
Tags: "black people", "white people", African American, American History, bigotry, Bill Nye, black, Confronting Myths, current-events, Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, ethnic identity, ethnicity, European Americans, language, minorities, Negro, Oriental, Prejudice, President Obama, Prof. Dorothy Roberts, race, Race in America, Sarah Tishkoff, skin color, skin complexion, U of Penn, white
So, what is wrong with saying "black people" and "white people" as part of our daily language usage? The answer does not include a right or wrong response, but one of understanding the significance of those phrases. Both phrases make references to the concept of race by color which is a social invention, not a biological fact. The phrase "black people" is not the same as "African American people" nor is "white people" the same as "European American people"; they are not interchangeable. However, with each use of these phrases the system of European American (white) supremacy and African American (black) inferiority is maintained, supported and promoted. When people of note use those phrases, their usage gives the impression that the phrases are acceptable in our general speech.
We need to understand and acknowledge a fact of life: races of black people and white people do not exist on the planet. According to noted scientist Bill Nye, "Any differences we traditionally associate with race are a product of our need for vitamin D and our relationship to the Sun. Just a few clusters of genes control skin color; …and they are tiny compared to the total human genome."He continued by noting that "We all descended from the same African ancestors, with little genetic separation from each other. The different colors or tones of skin are the result of an evolutionary response to ultraviolet light in local environments."(Undeniable, p. 254-55)
Americans have been conditioned to view themselves and others as different through the spectrum of color when information to the contrary has always been present. Scientist, Neil de Grasse Tyson, was once asked the question "what are human beings"? He answered that we are all made of stardust. Before we take that response as a joke, remember what the Bible and other sacred books said of human creation: mankind was created from the dirt and clay. This information agrees with Neil de Grasse Tyson in principle but is emphatic in the Book of Common Prayer in the statement:"Ashes to ashes dust to dust" usually associated with the burial of humans. In any event, the skin color of a human being does not give favor or preferences to any shade or tone because as Nye stated: "Everybody has brown skin tinted by the pigment melanin. Some people have light brown skin. Some people have dark brown skin. But we all are brown, brown, brown. (Nye, p.255)
Because the system of ethnic bigotry is based on skin color, each reference to skin color reinforces the concept of European American (white) supremacy. However, the reference to black people and white people as racial identities have created problems for many years and can no longer be controlled. In an interview with two scientists discussing the issue of race in their works, Sarah Tishkoff noted that "We know people don't group according to so-called races based purely on genetic data. Whenever the topic comes up, we have to address, how are we going to define race? I have never ever seen anybody come to a consensus at any of these human genetic meetings."
A response was given by Dorothy Roberts: "That's because race is based on cultural, legal, social and political determinations, and those groupings have changed over time. As a social scientist, looking at biologists treating these groupings as if they were determined by innate genetic distinctions, I'm dumbfounded. There's so much evidence that they're invented categories. How you can say this is a biological race is just absurd. It's absurd. It violates the scientific evidence about human beings." (https://africana.sas.upenn.edu)
So, confusion continues with the constant use of identities based on skin color in medical research as well as all other social areas.
Since we know that biological races are a false social concept, our continued usage of terms that underscore it's existence only serve to maintain and promote ethnic separation and bigotry. The fact that the term "racism" continues to be used indicates a number of concerns; one, some people using the term are innocent or ignorant of its direct relationship to maintaining the system of ethnic bigotry; two, some people using the term are stupid and are simply following the conventions of a bigoted society; three, some people using the term are simply bigots and are well aware of its support of the system of ethnic supremacy and want to promote it; some people using the term know its social significance relative to the system, but are seemingly not fully informed or are not concerned with its impact on society.
While the phrases "black people" and "white people" are the primary focus of this text, other phrases serve nearly the same function of maintaining and promoting the system of bigotry. For example, people who identify themselves as bi-racial or mixed race actually lend support to the system of ethnic bigotry because by using those phrases they are underscoring their acceptance of the false concept of racial superiority of so-called white people. Much of the problem comes from the language used by the inventors of the system with American society not being aware of the system, just its effects. A system of bigotry cannot be replaced if knowledge of its presence is not known. Through the language, the effects of the system of bigotry could be very apparent while the system itself can go undetected, which is largely the case in America today.
The need for awareness of language was the focus and objective of House Resolution 4238, which amended two federal acts dealing with insensitive and/or outdated language. For decades the term "minorities" used in federal language referred to people of color: Negro, Puerto Rican, American Indian, Eskimo, Oriental, etc."President Obama signed the new bill that changed the language to "Asian American, Native Hawaiian, a Pacific Islander, African American, Hispanic, Puerto, Native American, or an Alaska Native."(Obama signs bill eliminating 'Negro,' 'Oriental' from federal laws, PBS NEWSHOUR, 5/22/2016) Rather than being lumped into a group called "minorities" each ethnic group now has the opportunity to use it own ancestral or cultural identity which reflects personal self-worth and social value.
When phrases like "black people" and "white people" are used, they lack specificity because no one group of people on the planet represents either a black or white race. Their use only adds to the support of the system of bigotry. Confusion exists when those phrases are used because the reference is unclear relative to a skin color or a vague concept of a culture. So, if we are serious about replacing the system of bigotry, we can begin by using the appropriate language. Truth to the word!
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Contents - Previous - Next
This is the old United Nations University website. Visit the new site at http://unu.edu
Changing food consumption patterns and price policy in West Africa
In West Africa annual per capita rice and wheat consumption rose by more than 16 kg from the early 1960s to the early 1980s, whereas millet and sorghum consumption fell by 22 kg and maize consumption increased by less than I kg over the same period. Little wheat is produced in West Africa, but rice accounted for 15% of cereals production in the early 1980s and 21% of cereals consumption. Thus there is a large and growing regional imbalance in the composition of demand and supply of cereals.
It has been tempting to conclude that consumption switches can be explained by cereal prices favourable to rice consumers. For example, the price ratio of 100% broken rice to sorghum in the world market during the first half of the 1980s was 1.4 to 1.(); in Senegal the same ratio was 1.1 to 1.0. Similar divergences between world and West African price ratios existed throughout the 1970s and continue to be observed in a number of West African countries today. Consumption switches have also occurred because rice in both West Africa and the world market has become about one-third cheaper relative to coarse grains since the first half of the 1970s.
Since 1983 IFPRI has been involved in a collaborative research network with five research institutes in West Africa in an effort to better understand the determinants and implications of major shifts in food consumption patterns away from the traditional coarse grains toward rice and wheat, which are for the most part imported. This research culminated in a policy outreach conference based on field research. It was cosponsored by IFPRI and the Institut Sénégalais de Recherches Agricoles in Dakar, 15-17 July 1987, where some 60 participants, more than half of them policy-makers or policy analysts from the region, discussed two sets of issues crucial to the substitution debate.
The first set of issues dealt with the role of price and non-price factors in supply-demand imbalances in the composition of cereals consumption. Price factors include consumer and producer prices and exchange-rate policies. Non-price factors on the demand side include urbanization, income shifts, and availability. On the supply side, they include marketing and production costs for coarse grains as compared to rice. The second set of issues dealt with the substitution implications of price, production, and trade policies in terms of comparative costs in marketing and production. It also included the critical question of equity consequences: for example, does the welfare of the urban poor suffer when rice prices rise?
Key findings of the collaborative work indicate that, at both the household and national levels, relative prices may play only a minor role in driving up West African rice consumption and that non-price factors related to such things as income, the need to eat away from home, and occupation may be more important.
Collaborative survey work reveals that urban rice consumption is especially sensitive to work patterns in the urban household. As women enter the work force, and men work away from the home, there is strong demand for staples that can be prepared quickly at low cost and that are available in roadside restaurants. Rice meets both needs. Thus, urbanization appears to dominate price factors in this context in explaining the shift to rice. In addition, available survey evidence does not support the view that only the urban wealthy are rice consumers. It may account for a significant part of the real income of the growing group of urban poor. For example, in collaborative work by the University of Ouagadougou and IFPRI, it was found that both the poorest and the richest income terciles obtained about one-third of their cereal-based calories from rice. For the poor, this accounted for one-half of their cash expenditures on cereals. In the discussion, participants constantly reiterated the importance of detailed results of this type for policy and the need for widespread replication.
It has been suggested that a possible solution to the problems associated with substitution toward rice is the creation of a regional protected zone for rice in West Africa, characterized by a high common external tariff for rice imports from outside the region. This raises a number of issues. First, would this option improve the long-run efficiency of resource use in the region? Major consuming areas for rice in West Africa tend to be close to coastal ports, whereas the major producing areas tend to be inland. Since intra-West African road transport costs for long-distance grain shipments currently average US$0.08-$0.10 per ton per kilometre, transport costs alone are often more expensive than total import costs at the point of consumption. A tariff high enough to prohibit imports would have to cover these transport costs in addition to relatively higher domestic rice production costs. Rice prices in many of the large coastal consuming areas could double over current levels that are already substantially above world prices in some cases, even allowing for overvalued exchange rates. The long-run effect of such changes on resource allocation within West Africa and the opportunity costs of reallocations is not well known. The key area of focus here should be the best way to lower unit costs of rice production.
Second, who will benefit and who will lose from rising rice prices? The urban poor are important consumers of rice, and the consumption of rice is not especially responsive to changes in its relative price. Policies that have the effect of greatly raising urban rice prices need to foresee means of decreasing the negative effect on the poor in this growing section of the West African population.
- Christopher L. Delgado and Thomas Reardon
Research perspectives
Microcomputers in food policy research
In recent years IFPRI has expanded its microeconomic research capabilities through the collection of primary data at the household level. Field studies have been undertaken in some 20 countries, generating data bases on production, input use, income, employment, consumption, and other socio-economic variables As the collection of more and detailed primary information has increased in importance in IFPRl's research, storing and computing these data have become critical. In the past, processing large volumes of the data generated by field surveys was done primarily with mainframe computers, run by highly trained personnel, located in Washington, D.C.
Recognizing the potential of microcomputer technology, IFPRI has undertaken a new approach to field data collection and processing in which microcomputers are taken to the local research institutions collaborating in the regions of study. Field data are input into microcomputers at a central location in the regions, thus improving the efficiency and speed of the initial stages of the research effort.
IFPRI research and computer staff develop the software specifically designed for the surveys and hold on-site workshops to train local users. In a number of cases requests for information on IFPRl's approach have come from other institutions in the study country. Thus, in addition to improved data validation and faster processing, use of microcomputers is contributing to enhanced local research capacities.
Currently, microcomputers are being used in Pakistan for research on food security management; in Zambia, where IFPRI is examining the effects of technological change; and in Zimbabwe on a project to assess the linkages between rural infrastructure and agricultural development. When the projects are completed, the computers will remain in the collaborating institutions.
Workshops highlight research findings
The workshop in Dakar mentioned in the Commentary was one of six meetings sponsored or cosponsored by IFPRI since May. The topics and discussions were as varied as the participants, who included policy-makers, policy analysts. and researchers from developing and developed countries. The meetings in brief:
- Trade and Macroeconomic Policies' Impact on Agriculture, Annapolis, Maryland, USA, 27-29 May. In the seven countries for which research was presented - Colombia, Peru, Argentina, Chile, Nigeria, Zaire, and the Philippines - the implicit taxation of the agricultural sector due to the overvaluation of the real exchange rate has resulted in significant production disincentives, particularly for export-crop producers. Discussions highlighted the implications for employment, income distribution, and consumption.
- Commercialization of Agriculture, in conjunction with the Kenyan National Council for Science and Technology, Nairobi, 29 June-1 July. Research presented on the effects of sugar-cane production in south Nyanza suggests that the shift from semisubsistence to commercial agriculture is associated with an increase in income and household food consumption. However, research showed little correlation between increased income and the growth and health of preschool-aged children.
- Issues in Food Security, in conjunction with the Oxford University Food Studies Group, Oxford, 7-9 July. A major point of these discussions was that if food security policy measures such as pricing and stocking are to satisfactorily deal with household food security problems, institutional arrangements that ultimately determine the microlevel consequences of these policies - marketing, input and credit supply, and employment, health, and food subsidies programmes - must also be examined.
- Rice Policy in Gambia, in conjunction with the Gambian Programme, Planning, and Monitoring Unit for the Agricultural Sector, Banjul, 21 July. Discussions of findings based on collaborative field study suggest that competition between irrigated rice and upland crop production is high because of labour bottlenecks in peak seasons. Research noted the advantages of small-scale river irrigation systems that require small investments in infrastructure and land development. Findings show the positive consumption and nutritional effects of double-crop irrigated rice.
- Trends and Prospects of Cassava in the Third World, Washington, D.C., 10-12 August. Participants indicated that there is considerable potential for increasing cassava yields and total output in the third world. They noted the potential for cassava as a livestock feed. an industrial raw material, and a generator of exchange earnings/savings. but suggested that the future scope of cassava use depends on improved post-harvest technology and product development. Cassava's importance to food security in Africa for both consumption and employment was highlighted.
New initiatives and focus at IFPRI
The appointment of three well-known development economists marks the start of major new initiatives in research and policy development at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Dr. Nurul Islam brings his hands-on experience in policy formation and implementation as former assistant director general of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and deputy chairman of the Bangladesh Planning Commission. Dr. Michael Lipton, a British economist from the University of Sussex, contributes his focus on problems of equity and poverty, particularly for the most disadvantaged poor in the third world. Dr. Richard H. Sabot, of Williams College and the World Bank, a pioneer in the analysis of the effect of education on economic growth and equity, initiates a new research thrust on the relationships between educational expansion, labour allocation, rural productivity growth, and poverty alleviation.
IFPRl's growing interaction with policy-makers, at both the international and national levels, will be complemented by Islam, who has joined IFPRI as a senior research adviser to the director. Islam's distinguished career has encompassed research as well as policy formulation. His work has focused on issues of trade, food aid, economic planning, and national and international agricultural policies. Islam's experience in the policy process will add to the wealth of food policy analyses already undertaken at IFPRI.
Lipton, widely respected for his work on determinants of poverty, has established his reputation examining how power structures in developing societies have discriminated against the rural sectors, which often face government actions that reduce their share of scarce resources. In addition he has researched how credit, improved crop varieties, migration, land distribution, employment, and population structure and change interact with issues of efficiency, equity, and poverty. Lipton will direct the Food Consumption and Nutrition Policy Program.
Past IFPRI research on the linkages between agricultural development and economic growth has shown the importance of investment in physical infrastructure, particularly roads. An area of comparable importance is education, which accounts with infrastructure for the largest share of rural development expenditures by governments in the developing countries. Sabot's research has focused on the effects of educational expansion on labour productivity, economic growth, and the structure and dispersion of incomes. Sabot, whose work has also been concerned with rural-urban migration and other dimensions of the operation of labour markets, will co-coordinate research on development strategies.
"The addition of three such outstanding and highly respected scholars to our research team marks the beginning of a new direction in IFPRl's efforts," IFPRl's director, John Mellor, said. "Our work on the importance of agriculture to developing-country economies will gain in depth, and this will be particularly crucial for our continuing research on Africa, where the links among employment. income. and agriculture need to be intensively explored if spiraling poverty and malnutrition are to be reversed."
(From "IFPRI Update." Sept. 1987.)
Recent publications
Population theory Endogenous fertility
Although economic theory in many areas has become more complex, most theories on population growth and household decision-making have not progressed beyond Malthus, who contended that population would steadily increase and standards of living would decrease until parents are no longer able to feed their children. Modern theorists have incorporated Malthusian concerns about limited natural resources into growth theory, but no one has really studied how parental choices about how many children to have and how much to invest in each child's health, welfare, and education affect the well-being of present and future generations.
In Population Policy and Individual Choice: A Theoretical Investigation (IFPRI Research Report 60) Marc Nerlove, Assaf Razin, and Efraim Sadka introduce a model of family decision-making that is amazingly simple but has far-reaching implications. Because parents care about the welfare of their children, the authors contend. they will plan for their future and respond to economic constraints and opportunities in making choices affecting their children, including decisions about the number of children to have. This theory, which they call endogenous fertility, is examined to determine if it can lead to failure of the market to reach a Pareto-efficient outcome (a state of equilibrium in which no one can be made better off without making someone else worse off). They conclude that Pareto efficiency is possible with endogenous fertility because parents link their welfare to that of their children.
The market can fail to reach Pareto efficiency in several ways, however. First, parents may forget that any bequest to a child will also benefit that child's spouse and his or her parents. Second, parents' equal distribution of bequests among children may lead to an inefficient outcome because children of greater ability offer a higher rate of return on investment in human capital than can be obtained by investing in physical capital. Policies to correct these failures are formulated.
The study also indicates that the 'old-age security" theory of population growth may not necessarily be correct. This theory holds that families with no access to capital markets will try to have many children to support them in their old age. Parents may have fewer children if they can expect to obtain a larger return in terms of future consumption from capital markets than from their children. But this study points out that if parents can borrow capital to invest in more children, access to capital markets may not lead to population reductions after all.
What is the optimal size or rate of growth of population? The theory developed in this study can be applied to investigate this and many other issues related to population size and economic welfare.
Cost-effectiveness of targeted food price subsidies
For 12 months beginning in mid-1983 the Philippine government discounted the prices of rice and edible oil in villages in three areas of the country where malnutrition and poverty were severe. Other villages in the areas, acting as a control, received no subsidy. A nutrition education component was also included. This pilot food subsidy programme was carefully monitored and surveyed to determine its economic and nutritional effects, its technical and administrative feasibility, and its cost-effectiveness.
In The Pilot Food Price Subsidy Scheme in the Philippines: Its Impact on Income, Food Consumption, and Nutritional Status (IFPRI Research Report 61) Marito Garcia and Per Pinstrup-Andersen analyse the data collected from a random sample of 840 households selected from the 14 villages. They also interviewed individual members of a subsample of 140 households to determine how the additional food was distributed among household members.
The study finds that the subsidy increased both income and calorie consumption by about 9%. The calorie intake of adult males increased the most (13.4%) and that of female pre-schoolers the least (4.7%). In spite of this bias toward adults, pre-school-age children receiving the subsidy showed a marked improvement in their weight for age. Results from the nutrition education component were mixed. Nutrition education in conjunction with a subsidy seems to have had some effect, but nutrition education alone had none.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this report is its assessment of cost-effectiveness. The fiscal cost of transferring US$1.00 of income to the sample households through the subsidy and the cost of increasing calorie consumption by 100 calories per person per day are both calculated. Fiscal costs are estimated for five levels of possible targeting. For example, the cost of transferring $1.00 to all households in a geographically targeted area was $1.19. With the same scheme but counting only households with malnourished pre-school children, it would cost $3.61 (in 1983 prices). The cost of transferring 100 calories per person per day for a year was $3.38 under the pilot scheme, but the cost would increase to $6.83 if only households with malnourished pre-schoolers were counted.
A comparison of the Philippine pilot scheme with subsidy programmes in other countries shows that the fiscal cost of transferring income in the pilot scheme was similar to that of other schemes for which data were available, but the Philippine scheme was more cost-effective than all but one of the other programmes in delivering calories.
It was more cost-effective, first, because it was targeted geographically, thus eliminating the cost of determining which households or individuals should receive the subsidy, and, second, because its administrative costs were low. Its aim was to reach low-income households. If it had been meant only to reach malnourished children, a programme to them would have been more cost-effective.
Each household was issued a ration card for purchasing a monthly quota of 5 kg of rice and 400 g of oil per household member at a subsidized price about 30% below the market price of rice and 50% below that of cooking oil. The subsidy was distributed through neighbourhood variety (grocery) stores, and the nutrition education classes were conducted by local extension workers. The grocers could purchase the subsidized foods from either public or private wholesalers, and they were reimbursed through local banks. Because the subsidy used existing infrastructure, its administrative costs were only about 9% of the total cost. The food itself accounted for 84% and an incentive payment to retailers took 7%.
Finally, the study shows a clear relationship between low-income occupations, such as landless and tenant farm workers, and malnutrition.
Research needed to stop agricultural decline in Nepal
Nepal is among the few developing countries whose agricultural productivity (crop yield per unit of land) has declined throughout the last quarter century. In the 1970s, gross food-grain production increased by nearly 1% annually, but this was almost entirely due to an increase in cropped area rather than in productivity. Because of a 2.7% annual population increase during this period, the per capita net food-grain production dropped from 185 to 160 kg.
In Agricultural Research in Nepal: Resource Allocation, Structure, and Incentives (IFPRI Research Report 62) Ram P. Yadav traces the evolution of his country's agricultural research system and makes detailed recommendations for strengthening it. He argues that a strong research system is essential in order to effectively adopt or adapt the modern technology that Nepal must have to expand its predominantly agricultural economy. Agriculture accounts for about two-thirds of GDP and 80% of export earnings and is the main livelihood of almost 95% of the people.
Since the early 1960s, the government has allocated an increasingly larger share of the national budget to the agricultural sector, but the share of the agricultural budget designated for research has declined. Between 1970/71 and 1980/81 the research share dropped from 13.6% to 5.4% - and about two-thirds of that was actually spent on non-research production-support activities. The annual average amount spent on research from 1978/79 to 1980/81 was only 0.10% of the agricultural GDP. This compares poorly with the average 0.56% investment of 51 other developing countries in 1980. Government emphasis on nationwide food-grain production has resulted in neglect of horticulture and livestock development, which have much potential for the hill and mountain areas that constitute 78% of Nepal's land and contain nearly 60% of the population. Because of inappropriate agricultural methods, these areas have serious erosion problems that cause siltation and flooding both in the fertile plain and beyond Nepal's borders.
In interviews with 120 researchers who represent a broad range of disciplines and experience, Yadav found widespread low morale and inefficiency. Complaints included unclear research policies and programmes, poor guidance and supervision, inadequate training and facilities, little opportunity for publication, and frequent transfers. Frequent transfers of personnel are also a serious problem at high levels of the government. In the 16-year period from 1967 to 1983, there were 16 ministers of agriculture; a one- or two-year term is typical for most senior positions where agricultural policy and priorities are established.
The study finds that the foremost requirements for reform of the present agricultural research system are establishment of a high priority and an adequate budget for research activities, unification of all these activities under one autonomous organization, a change in the focus of foreign aid from short-term production programmes to long-term research and development, and closer collaboration with other national and international research systems.
Panterritorial pricing policies
In July 1974 the government of Tanzania announced a panterritorial pricing policy placing a uniform producer price on certain crops, regardless of where in the country a crop was grown or how high the cost to transport it to market. This decision was part of an effort to equalize development among the country's regions. But severe climatic conditions, high oil prices, and a disastrous maize harvest forced the government to import large quantities of food at the same time that it had to absorb the transport costs from the new policy, leading to severe food shortages and balance-of-payments problems.
In Effects of Panterritorial Pricing Policy for Maize in Tanzania, Yuriko Suzuki and Andrew Bernard examine the effects of the policy on production and marketing and alternative means of arresting its increasing financial burden. The study identifies surplus and deficit areas, taking into account the existence of parallel markets.
Although many African countries have adopted panterritorial pricing policies, the results were more severe in Tanzania because the most suitable regions for maize production are far from population centres. Suzuki and Bernard suggest that regions near the southern border could continue to grow maize and export the surplus to neighbouring countries, thus saving on transport. The foreign exchange earned could then be used to purchase imports for the capital area. This, however, could cause donor countries to curtail aid on the assumption that a country that is exporting staple foods must have a surplus. This study concludes that donor countries need to revise their thinking so that deficit countries such as Tanzania can export grain from far-flung growing regions when that is more cost-effective.
Dairy development in India
Cooperatives and the Commercialization of Milk Production in India: A Literature Review, an IFPRI working paper by Harold Alderman, George Mergos, and Roger Slade, reviews the history of the Indian dairy co-operative movement. The authors concentrate on Operation Flood, an ambitious government programme that has created thousands of village milk producers' co-operatives grouped into unions that build, own, and operate processing, collection, and distribution networks throughout India. The effectiveness of Operation Flood is debated among scholars, some of whom see social ills or inappropriate priorities such as a shift of milk consumption from rural to urban consumers and diversion of food grains to animal feed, while others claim positive results such as increased employment for rural households and better nutrition for both rural and urban low-income groups.
The evidence suggests that the primary determinant of increased milk production is an increased percentage of buffalo in the national herd. Availability of feed appears to be a major constraint to dairy development, but cultivation of fodder crops is not popular among farmers.
Although empirical data are limited, comparative studies indicate improved nutrition linked to increased income from dairy development. The authors recommend studies of relative and absolute income changes rather than measurement of milk consumption to determine welfare impacts.
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Conservation and Environment in Costa Rica: Monthly Updates
Conservation in Costa Rica - Monthly Update July 2009
July has been a very interesting month for us here in Costa Rica. Months of planning, meetings, modifications and phone calls all to organise the work, accommodation and trips for our busiest month of the year!
In July we welcomed the 2 Week Special programme volunteers. We carefully planned these two important weeks to show our 2 week volunteers how exciting, beautiful and different Costa Rica is to what they are used to at home. This included trips to the cave formations, the Mirador viewpoint, the waterfall system as well as some very important work.
However, the first thing I would like to mention is our visit to the Bat cave (no reference to batman intended). Several of the Barra Honda caves are known world wide for the huge populations of bats that live in them. On several occasions in the past we have taken volunteers to these caves to try and catch and identify some of the species found within them, as well as give the volunteers a short but detailed explanation on the evolution of bats.
On both occasions we were lucky to catch two different species of bats in the net. I say lucky because we could only use a handheld net at the mouth of the cave and even considering the amount of bats that leave it was still difficult timing the swing to actually catch something.
One of the jobs that we have been planning since the start of this year, in conjunction with the construction of the nursery garden, was reforesting areas along creeks and rivers. After many discussions outside of the park with local farmers and landowners we decided that we should start with two farms, one just down the road from us and another close to Oscar's house in "El Flor". We began the work of marking the sites in June, which was a long, hot job, but with so many more people in July the work was surprisingly easy. The work involved carrying the plants to the site, then splitting into two groups, some people digging the holes, some people carrying the plants to the holes, and some people putting the plants into the holes and marking them. We were pleased to complete the work in just under 4 hours, much less than we thought possible.
The reason why planting trees along rivers and creeks is so important, is because of the shade that the trees provide as well as the plants ability at binding the soil, both factors which help with water retention, something that is very important during the dry season when these creeks and rivers are vital for farmers and animals.
At the end of our busy weeks with these amazing groups of volunteers, we decided that a slightly easier day would be good. We organised a few hours work in the morning before taking the volunteers on the "Tempisque River Tour" Which was organised in conjunction with the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE). We began both these days working with guides from Barra Honda and Mata Redonda National Park, the first time collecting rubbish along the Tempisque river bank and the second helping to do some maintenance work at a ranger outpost in Mata Redonda.
Both tasks were done with maximum energy and vigour like always and then we were able to slow down for 3 hours as we slowly drove along the Tempisque river, observing the iguanas, crocodiles, spoon-billed herons and many other beautiful specimens of wildlife as we returned to the Tempisque Bridge to be picked up again before heading back to the park.
During July we also continued our investigations into the Park's Mammal and Butterfly populations. Our sensor cameras are still bringing in great results. In the last couple of months we have seen a change in the principal population which used to be the White-tailed deer and now appears to be the Central American Agouti, this suggests to us that with the rains, the deer are now moving around a different section of the park, so far we have not been able to find their new location, but assume it to be further down the side of the hills where the vegetation is fresher.
The butterfly inventory is still bringing in new results each time, we now have around about 20 species preserved for display in the park, these specimens are important for several reasons, firstly giving us solid evidence of what species we have in the park and also to help us show visitors to the park what they can see and what it is called.
Finally I would like to say to all the volunteers who visited us during July, a big thank you to all of you for your hard work, enthusiasm and for having such a great time with us. All the staff here in Costa Rica hope you will take something special back with you and visit us again some day!
Richard Munday
Conservation Coordinator
Projects Abroad - Costa Rica
Barra Honda National Park
July 2009


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- Forbes: "You want info? How about this: There's a dealer's boat mooring out Downtown today. The dealer's not the trusting kind and only meets one on one. He's carrying money and coke, and he doesn't believe in bodyguards."
- Vic: "Why should we trust you?"
- Forbes: "If I'm lying, genius, I'm a dead man, right?"
- — Bryan Forbes tells the Vance Brothers about a drug dealer they can contact
Leap and Bound is a mission in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories given to protagonist Victor Vance by undercover cop Bryan Forbes from an abandoned apartment complex in Little Haiti, Vice City.
After being tied in a chair, Forbes is now asked by Lance Vance and Victor for information about the shipments coming into town. He informs them of a deal going-on in Downtown and the dealer only meets one-on-one and doesn't believe in bodyguards. Lance goes to see the dealer while Vic goes up on a roof watching over him with binoculars. After a short moment Lance is kidnapped by the dealer and taken into a big freighter in Viceport. Vic gets in a car and follows the boat with Lance in it at shore and enters the big freighter. Sharks gang-members are protecting the place, Vic kills all the enemies on his way and makes it inside the freighter. After untying Lance, the two realize Forbes' information are fake. Victor, then, takes all the cocaine packages in the freighter and meets Lance on the shore.
Mission objectives
In order to complete the mission the player must:
- Find a good vantage point to watch over Lance
- Use your binoculars to keep an eye on Lance
- Head down to the pier to help Lance
- Lance is on that boat. Get some wheels and chase after it
- Get onto the ship
- Enter the ship to find Lance
- Find Lance and rescue him
- Untie Lance
- Collect the contraband
- The rest of the contraband is on deck
- Collect the contraband
- Get off the ship and meet Lance on shore
The reward for completing this mission is $1,500 and the mission The Bum Deal is also unlocked.
- This is one of the few missions in GTA: VCS in which you don't lose the vehicle you arrive in when you trigger the mission. With this in mind, the level mission becomes easier to manage if a PCJ-600 is obtained prior to starting; it allows quicker and easier tailing of the boat from the shoreline. As the walkthrough video shows, it can even be taken up on the roof with you.
- You don't actually need to stay on the roof when observing Lance. If you quickly get to ground level (jumping from the room will only do minor damage), you can continue to observe Lance from below, as long as you keep the blue arrow in sight of your binoculars.
- As the walkthrough video demonstrates, you can pick up a unique stunt jump bonus during the boat chase if you haven't already done the jump.
- There is a chainsaw on one of the Sharks in the basement, and it is the easiest way to obtain the chainsaw early in the game.
Video Walkthrough
|PS2 Version
- The dealers Victor will be meeting are members of the Sharks.
- The name of the mission is a reference to the term "leaps and bounds".
- The mission's chase scene may have been inspired by the Pilot episode of Miami Vice where James 'Sonny' Crockett is chasing after Ricardo 'Rico' Tubbs alongside the water in a car.
- The dealer's boat is actually a faster variant of the Speeder and entering it gives you no in-game name. A video on how to obtain it can be found here.


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Fondue Vudu
by courtesy Alton Brown
Rub inside of fondue pot or heavy small saucepan with garlic. Pour cider into pot. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, the brandy and salt and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
Meanwhile, grate the cheese and toss well with the cornstarch in a large bowl. When the cider just begins to simmer, gradually add the cheese a handful at a time, allowing each addition to melt completely before adding the next. Continue adding cheese and stirring until all cheese is incorporated, about 3 minutes. If mixture starts to bubble, reduce heat to low.
The mixture is ready when creamy and easily coats the back of a spoon. Stir in curry powder and pepper. If cheese seems stringy, add some or all of the remaining lemon juice. Move fondue pot to alcohol warmer, and keep stirring during service.
A variety of breads, from pumpernickel to rye to bagel chunks can be skewered and dipped as can cauliflower, broccoli, mushrooms and potatoes. (Soften all vegetables by blanching briefly in boiling water then chilling.) Crisp fruits such as apples make great fondue fodder, as do cooked meats and sausages. Even soft pretzels make for good dipping.
If any fondue is left over, cover with ice water and refrigerate, pour off water and reheat over low heat.


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Statuary of St. Francis Borgia - the seventh one on the left looking from the Old Town Bridge Tower
the seventh one on the left looking from the Old Town Bridge Tower
The sandstone statuary was created by Ferdinand Maxmilián Brokof in 1710 and donated by Franz of Collet, the imperial burgrave in the New Town of Vienna. It depicts St. Francis Borgia in a Jesuit vestment; two angels asymmetrically placed by both of his sides are holding a picture of the Virgin Mary and the Eucharist. The lower part of the pedestal shows the attributes of St. Francis Borgia – a helmet (he was a soldier), a ducal crown (he was a viceroy of Catalonia before he became a priest) and a scarlet hat (he declined the office of cardinal). The skull with a crown is to remind us of the ephemerality of this world. The upper part of the pedestal shows the emblem of the donator.
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Bonajuto chocolate, made in Modica in eastern Sicily, is for anyone who loves chocolate but thinks they've tried everything.
The technique used to make them doesn't soften the sugar, so the results are loaded with crispy sugar crystals that crunch in your mouth. Eating this chocolate is time travel for your taste buds. It's made the way chocolate was when it was first brought over to Europe from the Americas.
Though they've been copied by many new manufacturers in the past few years, these are still the best — and oldest — example of the antique technique I've had.
Choose between two bars of handmade chocolate, one with cinnamon, the other with vanilla.


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To Order 1-800-577-5694
The Vertebral Column
Printed directly onto styrene, this durable plastic chart is approximately 1/16" thick and has metal eyelets in top corners for convenient wall hanging; markable (wipe on/wipe off). Styrene charts are UV coated, latex free and feature bold and bright colors. The chart will remain upright on an easel for presentations and will stand up to heavy use in the office or classroom. Charts can be displayed with chart stands, anatomical charts measure 20" W x 26" H.One of our most popular charts! Shows right lateral view of the vertebral column with markings to show location of atlas & axis, cervical, thoracic & lumbar vertebrae, and sacrum and coccyx. Provides various views of atlas & axis, second lumbar vertebra, fifth cervical vertebra, seventh and eleventh thoracic vertebrae, and sacrum and coccyx. Non-returnable.
©2020 Advantage Medical - Physical Therapy Equipment Supplier, a division of Scrip, Inc
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Ryan Seacrest's vision has become a reality in the O.C.
The TV and radio star was joined by pals such as Miley Cyrus and Taylor Lautner today in SoCal to celebrate the opening of a media center for the kids at Children's Hospital of Orange County.
"The answer is actually no, I am single," Lautner informed a darling young fan who asked during the in-house studio's inaugural broadcast if the Twilight star was single.
U.S. & World
Check out Ryan's ribbon-cutting at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia back in 2011
Making the patients happy, what could be better than that?!
"A couple of years ago we sat down and started talking about creating a foundation and what the mission would be, and it was born out of some of the detailed stories I was told by patients and parents from here," Seacrest told the assembled crowd, explaining how his initiative got under way.
The kids "were looking for things to do and looking for an escape and looking to tap into their creativity. So we decided to build these media centers in different hospitals across the country, starting in my hometown of Atlanta, and now our first one here in Southern California at CHOC."
The Wanted performed at the grand opening, and Victoria Justice and Zendaya, with her Dancing With the Stars partner Val Chmerkovksiy, also made the scene.
Make sure to watch the clip to see what else Ryan and Taylor had to say on this special occasion!


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Step 3: Creating a Certificate
Once you have distributed the CA setup package you generated in Step 2 to the users on your Grid, they will need to request a certificate. This is done using the command
# grid-cert-request
After you have entered a passphrase for the private key, the command will provide you with the following information:
- Your Certificate Subject - As an example, if my account username were sam and my machines were in sams-domain.org domain, the subject for my user certificate request would be:
- CA Email - As you will notice, this is the same email address as you entered during CA setup back in Step 2.
This will generate a request for the certificate, which must be transferred to you (the CA) for signing. Once you receive this certificate request, you should do the following:
- Verify the authenticity of the requestor. If the certificate request file contains a subject that doesn't agree with the sender of the request (by email or other means), the request should be rejected. If you as the CA verify the subject matches the sender, the certificate can be signed. More stringent methods of request verification exist, such as person-to-person or contact by phone.
- Sign the cerificate request. To do this, you must run the grid-ca-sign command, with the certificate request as input. The output of the certificate request is the certificate that must be returned to the user. In our current example, the request generated above is signed as follows:
# grid-ca-sign -in usercert_request.pem -out usercert.pemThe request and signed certificate by default should be located in the ~/.globus/ directory of the user.
We note that in the future, the Globus Simple CA will be included in the Globus Toolkit distribution. This will allow users to bypass the download and installation steps of that software component.
Creating a Proxy CertificateOnce you have acquired a certificate from a CA, you are ready to begin using Grid security tools. Only one step remains: generating a proxy certificate. The proxy can be generated simply by running the command
# grid-proxy-init
Because the proxy is generated from the user certificate and private key, this command will require the password of the user's private key. Once run, the command writes the proxy certificate to /tmp/x509up_u[user-id], where the [user-id] is replaced with your user id for the system. The grid-proxy-init command does not automatically verify the validity of the user certificate and will continue to generate the proxy without error even for an invalid (e.g., expired) user certificate. The user can elect to use the -verify option to grid-proxy-init to verify the validity of the generated proxy certificate. The above command becomes
# grid-proxy-init -verify
Using the -verify option is a good way to find problems with your proxy certificate that might not otherwise appear. Not only will the -verify option catch expired or revoked user certificates, but it will also check a user's security configuration, which includes verifying that the CA's certificate is installed on the machine. These are all checks that secured Grid applications will perform anyway, so using the -verify option can be seen as a trial run for the security components of the Globus Toolkit.
|Sidebar Three: What if I need a host certificate?
Host certificates are generated the same way as user certificates are except that the -host option is used. On a machine with the hostname myhost, the resulting command would be
# grid-cert-request -host myhost.sams-domain.org
Where to Go from HereWe've just outlined basic credential management of Grid security with the Globus Toolkit. There are many directions to go from here. While the Globus Simple CA does provide useful functionality for many simple Grid environments, it may not provide all the functionality you require. Drawbacks of using the Simple CA include the following:
- The CA you create and manage from the Globus Simple CA package is trusted only by a small group of users (namely, you, and anyone you convince should trust it as well).
- The Globus Simple CA is designed with simplicity in mind. There is no central user interface for certificate management, and (although possible to extend) the Globus Simple CA does not include specific tools for certificate revokation.
If you see the potential of constructing your own Grid with a group of organizations, you will want to seriously consider the various CA software choices. Commercial and the more serious noncommercial CAs will generally publish a certification practice statement detailing the certificate issuance process. This document may help in your evaluation. Also, if you are aware of any legal issues, you may want to enlist the help of a lawyer. Numerous different CAs exist, and picking a CA that meets your needs can be a tricky business that should be undertaken with care.
Globus Toolkit is a registered trademark held by the University of Chicago.
This work was supported in part by the Mathematical, Information, and Computational Sciences Division subprogram of the Office of Advanced Scientific Computing Research, Office of Science, U.S. Department of Energy, under Contract W-31-109-ENG-38; by the National Science Foundation; by the NASA Information Power Grid program; and by IBM.
This article was originally published in ClusterWorld Magazine. It has been updated and formated for the web. If you want to read more about HPC clusters and Linux you may wish to visit Linux Magazine.
|Sidebar One: Grid Resources
Sam Meder coordinates development of the Globus Toolkit security and Grid services core infrastructure areas.
Sam Lang implemented and continues to provide support for the Globus Simple CA software. He is currently an active developer on Globus Toolkit.


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There are a number of myths surrounding the training of wild animals to stand on their heads, jump through hoops, or balance on pedestals for our entertainment. One of these is a technique known as 'positive reinforcement training' (PRT), you may be familiar with it from training your puppy. In essence, when the puppy behaves in the desired manner it is rewarded with bits of food or 'treats', but the reality is not all PRT training is positive at all!
Circuses use, abuse and 'train' wild animals to entertain audiences who are paying to see wild animals abused. These animals are trained by 'negative reinforcement training'.
The methods used include Bull hooks. They are used by poking and prodding the animal - some times very deep in to the skin - causing pain - in order to force them to perform a certain behaviour. They are often used in conjunction with electric prods that deliver an electric shock as a sharp reminder to the animal that it has not done as the instructor wanted.
This abuse is mixed with starvation and dehydration. These animals are wild and therefore hard to train, they cannot be trained like domestic animals to perform. Circus trainers abuse them with whips, tight collars, muzzles, electric prods, bull hooks. Bullhooks are heavy batons with a sharp steel hook on one end, and other painful tools. The animals are kept confined and in fear. They perform difficult tricks because they're terrified for their life.
David Cameron said his government would implement a ban on using wild animals in travelling circuses by 2015, but the bill was blocked for the 12th time after the Tory MP Andrew Rosindell lodged an objection – a move which, under parliamentary rules covering backbench bills, automatically ended any discussion of the matter.
Mr Rosindell is one of three Tory backbenchers who have prevented any discussion of the private members bill, proposed by the Labour MP Jim Fitzpatrick, by objecting on every occasion since the first attempt to debate it in September 2014. The other two are Philip Davies, MP for Shipley, and Christopher Chope, MP for Christchurch– the most frequent discussion blocker, objecting on nine separate occasions. Mr Rosindell's objection means that it has now "fallen". It is now down to Theresa Mays government to ensure a new bill is proposed and debated.
There are currently 'no plans' to propose such a bill. In the meantime many more animals will be 'broken' and 'abused' for human entertainment. Until our MP's get their act together we are calling on you, the British public to stop this abuse of wild animals by not buying tickets to circuses or shows that include any wild animals.
Write to our PM Teresa May and say enough is enough, it's time to join countries such as Austria, Belgium, Mexico, and the Netherlands and say no to wild animals in circuses.


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Before we left for El Salvador I made a list of all the things I wanted to do and showed it to Carlos.
Volcano? Okay.
Mayan ruins? Yep.
Eat pupusas? Of course.
Go to the movie theater? … What? Why??
Because I hadn't been to a movie theater in El Salvador, that's why… and so we went although Carlos tried to convince me it was exactly the same as the theaters in the U.S., I knew that it wouldn't be. It's never exactly the same in El Salvador. Never. Ever.
Besides, our friends were on August break with nothing to do and we could take them with us. Because of the cost, they rarely go to the movie theater, so it was special to them.
First we had to decide which movie to see. I was very insistent that we see Harry Potter. We had already seen it in the United States and I thought that since the boys had seen it in English, it would be good for them to see it in Spanish. Carlos wasn't crazy about seeing it again, and our friends hadn't seen a single Harry Potter movie, so they would have been lost.
"He's so cute, isn't he?" Carlos's friend's wife said to me in Spanish, sighing at a movie poster for Captain America.
I crinkled my nose. "Eh, I don't really like blonds," I said.
"I think he's so handsome," she said, "I'd love to see that movie."
That's when I noticed our friend's teenage son was wearing a Captain America hat. Clearly they knew which movie they wanted to see.
"Okay," I sighed in defeat, "We'll see Captain America."
We went through the line and when we finally reached the cashier we had to decide whether we wanted to see the movie dubbed or with subtitles, (we chose dubbed.) Then before we could pay for our tickets we were told to pick our seats.
Huh? Pick our seats? Yeah, we'll do that when we get in there with our popcorn and stuff.
No, you have to pick your seats now.
Our friend's teenage son showed us the computer screen right there in front of us, where we had to pick our seats as if we were going on an airplane.
Assigned seats at the movie theater! "I told you it would be different!" I said to Carlos with glee.
The concession stand had all the usual items you'd expect but also some odd things, like chocolate cake. The ticket and concession prices were outrageous by Salvadoran standards, (just like in the United States), but comfortable for us.
Unlike the concession stands in the United States which leave you to juggle all your snacks on your own, in El Salvador they give you a very handy tray.
We found our seats and were shocked at what a beautiful, modern theater it was. These seats were hands down the most comfortable seats I had ever sat in at a movie theater. The cushions were thick and the seats reclined. The theater itself seemed brand new and really clean… Keep in mind, this theater is at Metrocentro, the "poor people mall" as I heard it called.
While we were sitting there waiting for the movie to begin, a young guy came up the aisle stairs and called out to his friend before going to the concession stand. "Qué quieres? Soda? Dulces?… Paloma?"
The guy started laughing and I did, too, although the joke was rather inappropriate to make with kids around. Luckily my kids didn't get it. (In El Salvador, "Paloma" is slang for "penis" … and "Palomitas de maiz" means popcorn, of course. So, what he said was "What do you want? Soda? Candy?… penis/popcorn.")
The movie, ("Capitán América") – actually turned out to be pretty good. The audience in El Salvador tends to be more vocal than audiences in the United States. An onscreen kiss or a pretty woman entering a scene elicited a lot of appreciative hisses from the men. (In American culture, a "hiss" is considered a sound of disapproval but Salvadorans have hisses of approval, don't ask me how, they just do.)
Then after the movie, our friends found it peculiar that we carried our own trash out to the trashcans, (nobody else did.)
All in all, a fun experience, and the best part was that the boys understood everything that happened with no need for translation.


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Southtown Star
These are just some of the ghosts that people have professed to seeing, feeling or experiencing at Bachelors Grove Cemetery near Midlothian.
And it's all hogwash, says Brad Bettenhausen, Tinley Park village treasurer and president of the Tinley Park Historical Society.
"Some of those stories — the man with the hook, the fingernails scraping across the roof of the car, the disappearing house — those were all campfire stories told in various versions across the country," Bettenhausen said. "That's where urban legends come from."
Over the years, Bettenhausen has patched together a history of the area. His work is ongoing.
People still should come to visit the site, particularly if they're interested in local history, just don't expect to spy any paranormal happenings, he said.
On a recent Sunday afternoon, we did just that. We parked in the Rubio Woods lot across the Midlothian Turnpike and walked over to the cemetery.
The footpath leading in used to be a road. Flanked by tall oaks and pines, it now is a bucolic entryway to a trapezoidal-shaped cemetery, no larger than an acre, that has seen more than its share of turmoil.
But on this bright afternoon, it was quite peaceful. Recent restoration efforts have paid off. The grass and weeds have been mowed, the trash that once littered the area has been hauled away. And the pond that separates the hallowed ground from the busy turnpike was placid, algae-covered and still as, well, a cemetery.
"The headstones are still disheveled," Bettenhausen said. But that comes with age.
Bachelors Grove was one of the earliest settlements in Cook County, he said. Back in the 1830s, people settled near timber shelters, many of which were given names that ended in "grove." Skunk Grove. Goodings Grove.
Not only did the trees provide building materials, they made it easier for settlers to break the soil.
There's no evidence that Bachelors Grove was so named because it was a haven or draw for single men, Bettenhausen said.
"Stephen Rexford, one of the citizens on the committee for establishing township government in Cook County in 1849 to 1850, popularized the story of bachelors settling in the area," Bettenhausen said. "But my research shows the name was already in use."
The first settlers were mostly English, Irish and Scottish immigrants, most of them second-generation Americans, he said. Next came the Germans.
In 1833, the area began to experience rapid growth. The federal government had worked out a treaty with Chief Blackhawk, and as the Native American population moved out of the area, concern about Indian attacks and other related issues went away, Bettenhausen said.
Some people came specifically to work on the Illinois & Michigan Canal. Some were drawn to the area by cheap land prices. At the time, he said, the government was issuing land warrants to veterans of the War of 1812.
"Most of this area was a designated military tract back then," he said.
The land warrant issuance also opened up a secondary market for brokers who would buy the certificates from vets and resell them at a profit.
At the same time, the government was allowing squatters who had settled in an area and made improvements to it to buy the land they were living on once it became available for sale. Back then, land cost about $1.25 an acre, Bettenhausen said.
"There were people who made a lot of money by investing in land warrants," he said.
In keeping with the custom of the day, he said, the cemetery probably was earmarked as a local church site. It was common then to have burials on church ground.
Trinity Lutheran Church in Tinley Park, Immanuel Lutheran in Richton Park and St. James at Sag Bridge Church in Lemont all have cemeteries on site dating back to the mid-1800s. However, he has not been able to find any record or remnants of a church on the site.
Before perpetual care, family members were responsible for maintaining the gravesite. The Fulton family eventually became the primary trustee for cemetery preservation. Today, the largest stone and just about the only one that has remained undisturbed belongs to John Fulton Jr.; his infant daughter's grave is there, too.
Bettenhausen said he has been able to document 150 of the estimated 200 people buried there, although only about 15 markers remain.
The first burial was that of Eliza Scott. Over time, some of the coffins were moved to other cemeteries as families moved to other locations.
In the 1920s, the county started buying up land for forest preserve areas. The road leading into Bachelors Grove was closed to vehicle traffic, rendering the cemetery even more isolated. And creating an inviting setting for ghost hunters.
Stories about ghost sightings and a house that appeared and then disappeared became popular locally and eventually across the nation. The place became a popular hangout for kids who liked to party, as well, Bettenhausen said.
In the 1970s, authorities began finding evidence of satanic rituals in the woods surrounding the graveyard.
"It became horribly vandalized, with graffiti everywhere, on the trees and headstones," Bettenhausen said. "That only seemed to add to the mystique and give credence that it was haunted."
Bettenhausen said the ghost stories overshadow the real history of the cemetery "and the fact that it is a cemetery and deserving of respect and dignity."
For more information on the history of Bachelors Grove, visit bachelorsgrove.com
Newspapers >


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About Matthew Stinar
Perpetually inquisitive, technologist, blogger, amateur photographer, unconventional human rights advocate, entrepreneur. (PGP 0xf0887b9d2fc852b4)
Am I the only person who gets bill shock just watching the carrier's commercials? Seriously, Maybe I'm just cheap, but I can't justify $100 (plus unmentioned regulatory and because-we-can fees) a month for two phones in an age when the costs of hardware and wholesale connectivity are plummeting. I think parents should be able to give their kids phones (for safety, checking in, etc.) without worrying about forgoing saving for college, let alone worrying about overages. Maybe paying engineers to lock and cripple good phones and then stuff their limited onboard storage with crapware is expensive. I just feel that complaining about overage fees while allowing them to gouge us on the rest of the bill is short sighted.
Tim O'Reilly famously said, "Create more value than you capture." I think the consensus is that big pharma is capturing more value than they create. Turning their corporate culture may be like turning an ocean liner, but that's what it will likely take to change the underlying problem.
Whether Wikileaks are the highest of journalists or the lowest of criminals, one thing is clear to me. A grave problem within the US government has come to light, that its leaders would attack the very underpinnings of democracy and freedom to accomplish a goal. This means is most definitely not justified by any end, no matter how noble. Now that this problem has been exposed, we can begin to seek out a solution that will protect our citizens and the world.
It's because our government has proven incompetent at these and so many other things. Would you let the guy who drops everything he touches hold your baby? I sortta doubt it.
Perhaps some day we will have trans-oceanic bullet trains. I realize that may sound unrealistic, but I never would have thought that they could make trans-oceanic communication cables either.
History has proven that free markets are a much more efficient and accurate gauge of innovation than patent examiners. Just look at the number of patents issued as compared to the number of businesses demonstrating innovation. Just because some patent examiner rubber stamps your form, doesn't mean you were innovative.
Eli Lilly could be part of a new TV show fashioned after Punk'd. It would portray large companies lured to failure by the sweet song of government granted monopolies much like ancient sailors shipwrecked by the call of sirens. The catch phrase would be, "You've been monopolied!" It might not catch on, but I would watch it.
MafIAA captain disappointed in thugs for not enforcing protection racket.
Hopefully someone in there has 3G and can continue leaking vital information.
Or, they could skip step 4 and just call it diversification. Being a patent troll is one way of strengthening profits when the banking industry goes soft.
I have a suspicion that much of this is driven by lawyers giving self-serving advice to their clients. On the other hand, I'm sure it's at least half driven by the crazy culture of ownership we see in the IP world today.
Incorrect. People without prejudices aren't uptight about the distinction. Diversity should be celebrated, not ignored.
Remember, it's not about what you can create, it's about what you can get the USPTO to believe.
Hello Analog Rights Management. Give them a cassette and when they make copies for their friends, those friends will have to come back to the concert to hear what you actually sound like.
Maybe I missed it, but didn't notice anyone pointing out that Costco never copied anything! There can be no violation of copyright without copying, whether it be mechanical, digital, performance or other means.
And I'm so used to Techdirt commenters ridiculing every one of Mike's posts like it was a sport that I was surprised to find positive and engaged readers.
To your point, however, I'm sure there's someone out there who can figure out how to abuse the system to suppress this research. Perhaps a bogus DMCA takedown or other claims of IP infringement?
It's all a moot point anyway because I can't sing or play an instrument. Ipso facto, there is no money to be made in the music business, so quit trying!
If they were thinking clearly enough, they probably wouldn't be patenting in the first place. Whether or not patents made any sense in the past, it is becoming increasingly clear that they are merely a drain on innovation in this modern era.
FWIW, I was referring to the article being linked, not the Techdirt commentary on the article.
Okay, but double check your US Constitution as well. Congress only has the right to implement limited monopolies that promote "the useful arts and sciences." Any other monopoly is unconstitutional. Maybe he's giving our current copyrights too much credit. Those who side with your view that copyright is unconstitutional may appreciate http://questioncopyright.org/ .


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Eckler's strives to offer competitive pricing on all of the parts we sell. In order to offer
competitive prices, we have to limit or eliminate the discounts we provide on some parts. In
addition, our agreements with some manufacturers prohibit us from discounting certain parts so
they are not included in our promotions.


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Should Kobe and Lakers pray for work stoppage?
You're not going to run as fast. You're not going to jump as high. You have to pick your moments. The great example when he picked his moment was the playoff game when he went down the middle and dunked, the one he had agains New Orleans center Emeka Okafor] in Game 5 of the first-round series. That was checkmate. He's a warrior and understands the game. All players have injuries. It's part of it and how he can manage it. He's been doing a good job with that. Nobody is going to run and jump [like] when they were 18 or 19. It's impossible for people to think that. As long as he's enjoying the game and keeps the two seven-footers [Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum], I still think he has three, four or five more years to play at a high level.


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For installation :
sudo yum install dnstop
And now some description:
dnstop is a libpcap application (ala tcpdump) that displays various
tables of DNS traffic on your network.
dnstop supports both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses.
To help find especially undesirable DNS queries, dnstop provides a
number of filters.
dnstop can either read packets from the live capture device, or from a
tcpdump savefile.
Couple of days back, I realized there was too much network activity on my
system, although I was not doing anything. Fired up wireshark and to my
astonishment, there was too much of DNS traffic on the network. But the
problem was analyzing the data in wireshark and this is where dnstop came
into light. It helped me narrow down the issue within minutes and problems
And how to run it :
sudo dnstop eth1
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