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11:36:16 pm, by Tom, 312 words, 18157 views
Categories: News
Pro-Test: Five Year Anniversary
Pro-Test: Five Year Anniversary – Friday 25th February 2011
Five years ago, in a climate of fear and harassment from animal rights extremists, 1,000 students, staff and members of the public marched through the centre of Oxford to defend life-saving medical research.
Led by a 16-year-old student, Laurie Pycroft, the Pro-Test rally helped change the attitudes of public, politicians and media towards animal research in the UK.
On Friday February 25th 2011 Pro-Test are holding a series of events to celebrate the progress Pro-Test has made over the last five years.
From 12 – 2pm Pro-Test will be manning a series of stalls on Cornmarket in order to show its continued efforts to educate the public about the crucial role of animals in medical research. Come along and support the cause!
At 4pm Pro-Test members will head online to Nature's live Q&A on the animal research issue (link). Pro-Test members have already provided background articles for Nature to support this event.
At 7.15pm (Lecture Theatre 23, Balliol College) Pro-Test will hold a discussion in conjunction with the Philosophy, Politics and Economics Society (PPE Soc) to talk about how Pro-Test's efforts have helped to shift the public attitude on animal research. Speakers will be:
University members will be required to bring their university card. Non-university members should email tom[at]pro-test.org.uk to book tickets.
We look forward to seeing you there.
10:27:27 pm, by Tom, 731 words, 18769 views
Categories: News
A fish named Hope.
If you have watched TV in the past week or two, you may have seen the excellent ads produced by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) as part of a major fundraising drive to support their new Mending Broken Hearts campaign.
The Mending Broken Hearts campaign is a major new multidisciplinary initiative which seeks to harness the power of regenerative medicine to better treat, and one day cure, heart failure. If you want to learn more about this work, the BHF website has information on the science behind the initiative, and why their scientists are studying zebrafish.
It is an ambitious and fascinating project, and an excellent example of how the differences between species can be as valuable to medical advancement as the similarities.
But that's not all that is striking about this campaign.
This is a fundraising campaign by a major medical research charity that not only acknowledges the importance of animal research, but places it centre stage. Little more than a decade ago that would have been unthinkable.
When I first started my career in science in the late 1990's public support for animal research in the UK was considerably lower than it is now, and few scientists willing to discuss their work in public or counter the misleading propaganda of animal rights activists. Animal rights extremists appeared to be able to harass, intimidate and coerce at will, using tactics such as hate mail, vandalism, arson, grave robbing and violence to force several animal breeders to close, and even contributing to a decision by Cambridge University to abandon plans to construct a new primate laboratory in 2004. As the 21st century dawned the future of biomedical research in the UK looked very bleak.
But behind the scenes things were changing. The tireless efforts of research advocacy groups including RDS and the Coalition for Medical Progress (now merged to form Understanding Animal Research ), Sense about Science, and Seriously Ill for Medical Research, who spoke up for animal research and countered the distortions spread by animal research, and the bravery of individuals including the Oxford neuroscientist Professor Colin Blakemore and patient activist Andrew Blake, who continued to speak out in support of animal research despite threats against themselves and their families, began to yield dividends. As time went on more and more scientists were persuaded to discuss the role of animal research in their work in more detail when talking to journalists, rather than referring obliquely to "laboratory studies", and by the middle of the decade opinion polls indicated that public support for the use of animals in medical research had increased dramatically. Politicians also began to wake up to the threat posed to science in the UK by animal rights extremism, and the danger that other unrepresentative minorities might adopt the tactics of animal rights extremists to foist their views on the rest of society: Something had to be done. A series of laws were passed to prevent intimidation and harassment being used as campaign tools, while for the first time sufficient resources were made available to police units to counter domestic extremism.
The tide finally turned in the spring of 2006 when hundreds of citizens, scientists, students in Oxford joined together under the banner of Pro-Test to march in support the construction of a new animal research laboratory. Responding to threats by animal rights extremists, and inspired by the example set by Laurie Pycroft, the marchers showed that they would not be silenced and would not be intimidated. That rally, and the widespread coverage it received in national and international news media, released a pent-up wave of support from animal research that almost instantly changed the tenor of the debate on animal research in the UK. The new Oxford laboratory was completed in 2008.
Now five years later many of the animal rights extremists whose terror campaigns made the lives of so many people a misery are behind bars, and scientists are more willing than ever before to talk about the contribution of animal research to medical progress.
So the zebrafish are not just an example of the promise of 21st century medicine, but show us that if scientists and supporters of science stand together we can defeat extremism, we can counter the lies and distortions spread by animal rights campaigns, and we can secure the future of scientific medicine. That's a lot of hope for such a small fish.
Paul Browne
11:12:30 am, by Tom, 2088 words, 16360 views
Categories: Information
Albert Sabin and the monkeys who gave summer back to the children.
Albert Sabin has been called "the doctor who gave summer back to the children."*
Because of his decades of research to develop the oral polio vaccine, children today know nothing of the fear that polio brought to the United States every summer well into the 20th century. Swimming pools and movie theaters were closed and children were kept inside their homes by frightened parents. Worldwide, the disease killed millions of people and left legions of others permanently disabled.
We've just celebrated the 50th anniversary of the introduction of Dr. Sabin's vaccine. Estimates suggest that in just its first two years of worldwide use, the vaccine prevented nearly 500,000 deaths and five million cases of polio. Today, the world is on the brink of realizing Dr. Sabin's lifetime dream: the eradication of polio from the planet.
The development of the oral polio vaccine required years of extensive research with rabbits, monkeys and rodents.
Animal rights activists long ago seized on a single phrase by Dr. Albert Sabin, and have been using it ever since to try to support their outrageous claim that the developer of the oral polio vaccine(OPV) opposed the use of animals in research.
That phrase, "The work on prevention (of polio) was long delayed by an erroneous conception of the nature of the human disease based on misleading experimental models of disease in monkeys" spoken by Dr. Sabin during a congressional hearing in 1984, has been used in animal rights publications and comments for over two decades.
Dr. Sabin, a member of the Board of Directors of the pro-research Americans for Medical Progress until his death in 1993, spent years working to correct the record. Here is a letter he wrote to the editor of the Winston Salem Journal, published in 1992.
It is true that in the early years of polio research some lines of inquiry eventually proved unsuccessful. An overreliance on a strain of the virus known as the MV strain that had become adapted to survive only in nervous tissue, and the fact that the Rhesus macaque, while a good model for many aspects of polio, cannot be infected through ingestion via the mouth, led to the incorrect assumption that polio could only infect nerve cells (despite evidence to the contrary from both clinical studies and laboratory studies with other polio strains and monkey species). These mistakes were unfortunate, though understandable given the fact that virology as a science was in its infancy.
However, these failed attempts do not cancel out the fact that animal research, and research using monkeys in particular, was absolutely crucial to the development of vaccines for polio. Without it the polio vaccine would certainly not have been developed by the end of the 1950's, and we might even still be waiting for it.
These vital contributions made by animal research to the development of polio vaccines were not limited to the work of Albert Sabin, and include:
(i) The discovery by Karl Landsteiner and Erwin Popper in 1908 that polio was caused by a virus, a discovery made by inoculating macaque monkeys with an extract of nervous tissue from polio victims that was shown to be free of other infectious agents.
(ii) The subsequent discovery by Simon Flexner that blood serum from infected macaque monkeys could protect against polio infection.
(iii) The discovery by Carl Kling and colleagues in 1911, following an earlier discovery that polio virus could be isolated from the lymph nodes of the small intestine of monkeys, that polio virus was present in the throat and intestinal tissues of people who dies from polio. Soon afterwards they isolated virus from the intestines of patients suffering from acute polio, and importantly from family members who did not display the symptoms of polio, establishing that healthy carriers played an important role in spreading the disease. In these studies the presence of polio was demonstrated by injecting filtered fluid from the patients into monkeys, the only method then available to confirm the presence of polio (Introduction to Epidemiology, fifth edition, by Ray M, Merill, Jones and Bartlett Learning).
(iv) The discovery in the early 1930's by the Australian scientists Macfarlane Burnet and Jean Macnamara that antibodies against one strain of polio did not always protect macaque monkeys against infection with another strain.
(v) The discovery by John Enders, Thomas Weller and Frederick Robbins that the polio virus could be grown in a number of tissue types, not just nerve tissue as previously assumed, a discovery that required the use of mice and monkeys to prove that the cultured virus was indeed polio and still capable of causing paralysis.
(vi) The determination in 1949 by David Bodian and colleagues at Johns Hopkins University that there were three major families of polio virus, referred to as types 1, 2, and 3, and that a separate vaccine would be necessary for each to give broad protection against polio.
(vii) The confirmation by David Bodian and colleagues in the late 1940's and early 1950's that the polio virus entered the body through the mouth, and then needed to pass into the blood stream before it could infect nervous tissue, and that if you could block the infection in the blood you could prevent the virus from entering nerve tissue and causing paralysis. The work of Enders and Bodian paved the way for the development of vaccines by Salk and Sabin.
(viii) The evaluation by Jonas Salk and his colleagues at the University of Pittsburgh of vaccine candidates produced by inactivating the virus with formalin under a range of conditions, until a vaccine was identified that was effective and safe enough for human trials.
(ix) The evaluation by Albert Sabin of hundreds of polio virus strains in hundreds of monkeys and scores of chimps before identifying attenuated strains that were capable of efficiently entering the body through the digestive system and provoking an adequate immune response to protect against the different pathogenic strains of polio while not causing the disease themselves.
Animal rights activists are free to express their opposition to the use of animals in research, but they cannot do so by blatantly robbing society of scientific achievements. This one fact is clear -- if our critics had their way, today millions of children would be dead or disabled from polio and other infectious diseases.
* Of course Jonas Salk is equally, if not even more, deserving of this accolade.
05:54:36 pm, by Tom, 1011 words, 8435 views
Categories: Information
Animal studies point to clinical trial of hypothermia for stroke victims
On Monday Dr Malcolm Macleod, head of experimental neuroscience at the Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, joined scientists from the European Stroke Research Network for Hypothermia (EuroHYP) in urging European governments to fund a trial of moderate hypothermia for the treatment of ischemic stroke victims. In ischemic stroke the blood supply to part of the brain is blocked, leading to the death of nerve cells in the affected area, which can result in death or long-term disability. In an interview with the BBC Dr Macleod was reported as saying that:
This call does not come as a great surprise for me; when I was researching the role of animal research in the development of brain cooling to treat perinatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HEI), a condition where a lack of oxygen and reduced blood supply during or shortly after birth causes brain damage, I found that all the papers I read cited animal studies of hypothermia to prevent damage in ischemic stroke. This is not surprising as in both conditions injury results from impaired blood supply.
IMAGE: CT image of an ischemic stroke. The dark area in top left quadrant of brain shows the damaged brain area. Welcome Images.
The publications page of the EuroHYP website lists the most important publications supporting their decision to initiate large-scale clinical trials of hypothermia in stroke. Among them is a 2010 review by Bart van der Worp, Malcolm MacLeod and Rainer Kollmar entitled "Therapeutic hypothermia for acute ischemic stroke: ready to start large randomized trials?" which highlights the importance of studies in animal models of stroke in demonstrating the potential of hypothermia in stroke, and states:
Among the papers cited by this review is a systematic review and meta-analysis published in 2007 by a group of neurologists led by Dr Mcleod and Dr van der Worp which made a very thorough examination of over one hundred studies of different hyporhermia techniques in a range of animal models of ischemic stroke. This study is clear about the limitations of the studies, and identifies several areas where further animal studies are warranted, such as the longer term effect of hypothermia on the risk of developing pneumonia. Overall the authors conclude that:
This is important, as anyone familiar with stroke research will recognize Dr Macleod and Dr van der Worp as fierce critics of inadequate design and reporting of some preclinical animal studies, and of mistakes made when designing clinical trials due to the misinterpretation and misapplication of the results of animal studies. Quite often they found that the design of clinical trials was so different to the design of the preclinical study that it was impossible to tell whether the failure of a treatment in human patients actually contradicted the earlier success in an animal model, both outcomes were entirely plausible even if you assumed that there was absolutely no fundamental biological difference between the effects of stroke in the animal model and in human patients. For example, one problem is that the majority of neurprotective drugs evaluaded in the past few decades were shown to be effective in animal models of stroke only when administered very soon after induction of stroke - usually after less than half an hour - whereas in clinical trials there were usually long delays - four hours or more- before initiation of treatment. The fact that hypothermia has a neuroprotective effect in animal models up to three hours after stroke onset will make design of a clinical trial that matches the conditions under which treatment was successful easier, though as with all stroke treatment the earlier it is started the better!
It is notable that unlike animal rights campaigners who use deficiencies in some animal studies to call for a ban on it, Macleod and van der Worp understand its continuing importance to medical progress, and have worked with animal researchers to improve both the design and reporting of the preclinical animal studies that underpin the decisions to initiate clinical trials. Initiatives such as the ARRIVE guidelines are similar in many ways to recent improvements the design of clinical trials supported by the work of the Cochrane collaboration, and the widespread adoption of standards for the reporting of clinical trials.
So the animal evidence supporting the clinical initiation of trials of hypothermia for ischemic stroke had to satisfy a very strict panel of judges, we hope that funding is provided to initiate these important trials in the very near future.
Finally, and completely off topic, there was an interesting item in Nature news on the use of RNAi to attack block viral replication in a mouse model of HIV infection. It's an interesting application of an exciting new technology that I have discussed several times on the Speaking of Research blog, indeed back in 2008 I covered the work of another group who are using a mouse model of HIV to aid development of RNAi based therapies for HIV infection. It is fascinating work, though as the Nature article stresses the technique needs to be refined, re-evaluated and improved a lot in animal models before it can be tried out in clinical trials of HIV patients. I expect that Drs Macleod and van der Worp would agree with that sentiment.
Paul Browne
11:31:05 am, by Tom, 857 words, 16476 views
Categories: News
The Basel Declaration: Standing up for Medical Progress
Top European scientists have pledged to engage in more public dialogue, openness, and education about animal research. Concerned about threats to the future of medical research, the scientists met recently and drafted a declaration that affirms commitment to responsible research and animal welfare and calls for increased effort to facilitate public understanding of the essential role that animal studies play in contributing to scientific and medical progress. The call for "trust, transparency, and communication on animal research" was adopted by the first Basel conference "Research at a Crossroads" November 29th. The Declaration can be found here, along with an invitation to sign up to it.
The Declaration underscores the importance of a wide range of animal research, from basic research that seeks to understand fundamental biological processes, to applied research that seeks to turn such knowledge into new medical treatments, and the critical ongoing need for this work:
The Declaration makes clear that:
A Nature report on the meeting and an accompanying editorial highlight the crucial considerations underlying the scientists' call for action, including not only the actions of extremists, but also the broad consequences of failing to build understanding of animal research:
Such efforts have already yielded dividends; the Nature report notes how a determined effort over the past decade by scientists in the United Kingdom to inform the public about the reality of animal research resulted in greatly increased support for it.
Speaking of Research applauds this effort and joins in urging others not only to sign on to the declaration, but also to act on the pledge to continue to increase efforts in outreach, education, and engagement.
In fact, there are many groups and sources for information and conversation to which scientists can turn to for advice on outreach. They include advocacy groups and collaborative networks such as Understanding Animal Research, Americans for Medical Progress, States United for Biomedical Research, and the Foundation for Biomedical Research. They also include scientific societies such as the American Physiological Society, Society for Neuroscience, American Association of Laboratory Animal Science, and the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. Many academic institutions have actively built outreach and education programs that offer good models for others.
Speaking of Research also offers information, tools and support for those who choose to contribute to public discussion of animal research. There are many resources and avenues to support individuals who want to learn more and identify a range of effective ways to contribute to the public discussion of animal research.
Before we finish we'd like to draw your attention to an excellent example of the importance of basic animal research, Christina Agapakis writes on the Oscillator blog about a fascinating study which used gene therapy to restore vision in blind mice. This news comes only a few weeks after scientists in Germany reported that they had used a vision chip containing 1,500 light-sensitive elements to partially restore sight in patients who were blind due to damage to the light-sensitive cells in their eyes. In an open access paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the team who carried out this important clinical study highlight the importance of in vivo studies in rats, cats, and pigs, and in vitro studies using isolated chicken retinas, in establishing both the theoretical basis for this study, and subsequently in determining the safety of the implant they developed. These advances in vision research suggest that devices available to help blind people see in the 21st century will soon eclipse those that Star Trek predicted for the 24th century!
This is of course exactly the kind of groundbreaking biomedical research that the Basel declaration seeks to defend.
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Personal Presentation Skills Required by an Interviewee
Public Speaking Guidance for Newbie
What do you think with the word "public speaking" ? Well, if you are a newbie who is selected to do this at the first time, you may sometimes not confident with yourself. But, don't let it afraid you and make you look unprofessional. That is why this article is made. Hopefully this will give you some extra tips and guidance to start your public oration to pull out the greatest potential you have.
The initial action to take for getting the best public speaking is believe it is not as difficult as it looks. Have you ever spoken to many friends in class previously? If yes, it is actually the same thing, maybe the only different thing is you now bring more serious content to speak. But, whatever it is, as long as you consider that it is not so difficult, it won't give you some barrier that push you out from your self confidence. If you are trying to look for some model of public speaking itself, you must started to understand the best way is being yourself. You may imitate another one's style, but by being yourself when you are on the stage is better for you.
The first time for doing this must be very heavy for you. Well, it always like that an it is natural so far. If you are afraid of the mistakes probably happen, it is nonsense. In fact, the first trial must be full of lesson. The time you are possibly get the lesson because of your first mistake. And don't worry if those mistakes come to you. It can later enhance your public oration style. It will be a good lesson for the next chance after all. So, push out your worry about something like this.
If you think you are the only one in this world getting this problem and some worries of first time public speaking, then it is not! In fact, many people, students, workers, are getting their time to be like you in this world to start the first time public speaking. Considering this fact, you are actually at the same boat with many people. So, the best suggestion for you to reduce your worry is by sharing your problem to your friend. Sharing what you have got so far and ask them about their experience about the feeling. Perhaps, you will find some more tips and solutions to improve your speaking quality.

subset: commoncrawl


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|Cover via Amazon
I often refer to my style of parenting using a term coined by Alfie Kohn: "Unconditional Parenting." But what exactly is unconditional parenting? What makes it different from any other form of parenting? Most importantly, how do we actually do unconditional parenting in real life? To address these questions, I'd like to begin a series of posts where I investigate the underlying principles of unconditional parenting. Let's get started with a general description.
Read about Using Reflection to Change Angry Reactions
Read Unconditional Parenting Principle #2: Reconsider Your Requests
Read about making requests: Say What You Mean and Ask for What You Want
Read Unconditional Parenting Principle #3: An Eye on Long-term Parenting Goals
Read about using long-term goals to find short-term solutions: Leaving the Playground
Read about Unconditional Parenting Principle #4: Putting the Parent-Child Relationship First
Read about Relationship Repair
Read about Unconditional Parenting Principle #5: Change How You See, Not Just How You Act
Read about changing perspective to resolve acting out: Seeing Through the Spit in My Eye


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WEDDING- Nuptial tune-up: What in the Sam Hill is that?
A little over a decade ago, while still a UVA student and part-time musician, Hank Wells realized that his guitar-hero dreams were changing. As he started lining up gigs for bands at UVA fraternities, he soon realized he was heading into a career in music– but not not as a rock star.
"I quickly realized I was better suited for the business end than the performance end," says Wells, who soon found himself booking bands into fraternities at other colleges.
"It grew organically," says Wells as his business began taking advantage of the then-young technology called the internet that allowed him to increase his geographical reach into the mid-Atlantic states and the deeper south.
Something else was happening. Those early fraternity clients began tying the knot, and Well realized that he'd stumbled upon a lucrative niche: weddings.
Today, nearly 14 years after its humble frat house start, his company, Sam Hill Entertainment, is a full service entertainment firm with 10 employees booking musical acts for events from New York to New Orleans but with a particular focus on wedding receptions.
Named for the old saying, as well as for a song penned by Wells' own high school band, the company offers a stable of more than 100 bands ranging from reggae to classic rock, from '80s cover bands to full swing orchestras.
The prices also range– from under $1,500 to over $10,000, says Wells– allowing a bride or groom to find a group that fit their budget.
While most of the economy flounders, Wells is among several wedding vendors who say their businesses haven't been hit too hard– at least yet.
"People are still getting married," he says, "and they tend not to skimp on the big day."
In fact, Wells says Sam Hill has recently added a New York office to handle the growing business in and around the Big Apple.
"It's a huge move, going into a new market. You've got to look before you leap," says Wells, who says that, despite his caution, he's excited to continue to expand.
"We won't be rolling out five new offices anytime soon," he says, "but we are looking to make more moves like that."
1 comment
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Press Release:
Michael Golden and Joe Jusko Headline "LEI 2010 Euro Spring Tour"!
Paris, The Netherlands, Brussels — The Eva Ink Artist Tour for May 2010 is underway! And this year sees the bi-annual event reprising the successes of two years ago by bringing back two illustration heavy hitters for the adventure– creator Michael Golden and illustrator Joe Jusko!
"I admire the work of both of these talents immensely," says Renee Witterstaetter of Eva Ink Artist Group, "And I'm very happy to welcome them both back on the tour. It's seldom that we invite the same creators back so soon, but the demand for Joe and Michael was high, both from the fans of their work in Europe, and from the store owners themselves!"
And it's certainly no wonder!
Artist/writer/creator Michael Golden, co-creator of the X-men's Rogue character, is known for his detailed pencil work on "The 'Nam," "Micronauts," "G.I. Joe Yearbook," and "Dr. Strange, " among much more!
Milestones in Golden's career include the co-creation of "Bucky O'Hare," which led to an animated series and toy line designed by Michael, "The Mirconauts," as well as "Spartan X" with editor Renee Witterstaetter. Currently, Golden's work can be seen with new covers on "Spiderman 1602," "Iron Man", "Heroes for Hire", "X-Men," "Demon's Regret, " "Mice Templar," and many more. In addition, Vanguard Production's extensive art book, "Excess: The Art of Michael Golden," is on a second printing, while Creator Chronicles has also recently released a two part candid DVD on Michael and his career.
Michael has served as an Editor at DC Comics as well as Senior Art Director at Marvel Comics, and has worked on scores of movie production projects, including some currently in development. His art has been the focus of gallery shows in places as diverse as Gijon and Barcelona, Spain, New York, Antwerp and Brussels, while his class on storytelling has been conducted from Spain to Brussels to Canada to The United States and most recently in China. He was recently honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award in Lille, France.
Following the successful "Heroes and Villains" sketchbook" released last year, Michael's new hardcover art book "Michael Golden: MORE Heroes and Villains," has just hit the stands, and his work on the Eva Ink project "Kerry and the Scary Things," is due out in October.
Joe Jusko is undoubtedly one of the best known Fantasy, Pin-Up and Comic Artists in the world today. His career has spanned almost 30 years, starting with the sale of his first cover for Heavy Metal Magazine in 1977 at the age of 17. Since , Joe has worked for almost every major comic book publisher, producing hundreds of images for both covers and interiors.
In addition to his work at Marvel over the years, Joe has produced art for many other companies and characters, including DC Comics, Crusade Comics, Innovation Comics, Harris Comics, Wildstorm Comics, Top Cow Productions and Byron Preiss Visuals, to name just a few. His recent work includes miscellaneous cover paintings for 'The Oz/Wonderland Chronicles', 'Vampirella' , and Sheena, among others. The next project due out on to highlight Joe's amazing work is "Joe Jusko: Savage Beauty," a hardcover art book from Eva Ink Publishing.
Jusko's work has earned him myriad awards and honors, including two "Favorite Painter" Wizard Fan Awards, multiple trading card awards, a Golden Lion Award from the Burroughs Bibliophiles (previous recipients include Frank Frazetta and Boris Vallejo) and a Chesley Award nomination for best cover .
The LEI 2010 Euro Spring Tour includes stops at:
Paris– Diablo Blanc Comics– May 21st and May 22nd
The Netherlands, Breda– Der Stripspecialist– May 27th
Brussels– Utopia Comics– May 28th and May 29th
Brussels– Ganshoren Comics Festival– May 30th
"We look forward to seeing all of our friends at all these stops," continued Renee, "And, hey, if you are a store in Europe and would like to be on future tour itineraries, drop me an e-mail. We love to work with new people as well, and meet fans we haven't met yet!
"Stories from the last two years of tours are legend, " laughs Renee. "It will be exciting to see what this year holds."
Golden and Jusko will be signing and sketching at all stops, as well as offering 4 prints each exclusive to the tour, while supplies last. For more information on the stores, locations, and any commission rates, contact Renee at: email@example.com


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Essendon Bombers Kids Core 9FIFTY Cap
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Showcase your AFL team pride this season with a Essendon Bombers Kids 9Fifty Core Cap. This core cap features a structured crown construction with embroidered eyelets for enhanced airflow. With an adjustable snapback rear closure to fit most head sizes, the flat brim with contrast under-brim provides effortless streetwear styling for everyday wear. Finished with an embroidered club logo on the crown, this Essendon Bombers Kids 9Fifty Core Cap puts your AFL team pride center stage with any outfit.


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*** Servicing a hybrid vehicle usually requires removal of trunk access panel for power supply access, shut off and reconnection
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....and 36 hours of uninterrupted....
....family time.
....family time.
It was wonderful, much appreciated, and now I'm in the 'home from vacation and lots to do' mode. I'll share more picture soon!
Wahoo for quick getaways! Can't wait to see more pics! The boys looked like they were having a blast and Miss Lola's suit is too cute :) Love you friend!
YAY for getaways!
Speaking of which, if we're gonna meet in Chi-town in June, we'd better get cracking on some plans, girl!
How fun. Did you guys just head to a hotel in the area? That sounds REALLY NICE right now.
Looks like you guys had a good time! I enjoyed the FB pictures too! Your kids are so cute! Our family is hoping to sneak away soon too! Somehow, those little getaways are just SOO refreshing!
Have a great weekend Girlie! =)


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Peru Conservation - Latest news from the Amazon
It is hard to believe that we have come to the end of yet another year and once again it will be difficult to do justice to all the hard work performed during 2006. As we await the arrival of our 500th volunteer in January 2007 I have become quite nostalgic and struggle to grasp the magnitude of our achievements in the rainforest. When the first volunteer arrived at Taricaya in November 2001 they were lucky to have a bed and a roof over their heads! Now, after over five years of hard work from volunteers and staff alike, we are truly pioneering conservation not only in our area, but also at a national level here in Peru.
We have formed alliances with both government and non-government entities, been awarded our own reserve, developed a pilot farm that has drawn interest within Peru and from abroad also and, now, we are on the brink of becoming the first and only Animal Rescue Centre in Peru. These achievements are truly fantastic and the recognition at both national and international levels is hugely satisfying as both Fernando and I have seen the project grow from its infancy to where we find ourselves now.
Nonetheless, there have also been thousands of personal victories for our volunteers over the last five years and whilst these may not have made the headlines I am confident that these smaller achievements are what make Taricaya special. I know that every one of our hard-working volunteers understands exactly what I am referring to- for those of you yet to visit, you will understand soon enough…
At the start of the year I recall reporting to you how the bias of our work in 2006 was to concentrate largely on the animal release program and building new enclosures for our non-human residents. The aim was to create adequate accommodation for the animals we were to receive and hence give us a better chance of convincing the government to generate new legislation hence enabling us to register as an official animal rescue centre. As has always been the case with Peruvian bureaucracy there were times when we wanted to throw in the towel as we were presented with a continual stream of petty technicalities and unhelpful officials. However, this would not have done justice to all the hard work back at the centre and after numerous discussions, some of them heated, I am proud to report that January 2007 will see Taricaya registered as the first official rescue centre in Peru!!! This remarkable achievement is once again dedicated to all the hard work of our volunteers and staff and our stature as a conservation organisation continues to strengthen with every achievement like this one.
Back at the centre work was still carrying on with the new enclosures and the latest one to be completed was the first of the two cages for the monkeys. I discussed the planned separation of the larger species last month and we can now start the process as the second of the two enclosures will be completed in early-January. Personally, I am very excited as we now have four white-bellied spider monkeys (Ateles belzebuth chamek) including a healthy young male. I will carefully study the dynamic of the group once they are separated from the others as this particular species is extinct locally and it would be great to see wild populations re-establish themselves in our reserve. We will have to manage the group well and target a release date when the youngest members of the troop are able to fend for themselves and actively search for food. During that time we might even receive other individuals and be able to release a larger group when the time comes. After completing the monkey cages the final construction will be a small mammal enclosure versatile enough to accommodate coatis, anteaters and any other furry visitors we might receive.
Elsewhere at Taricaya we continue to increase our species lists of both birds and reptiles/amphibians and I am very pleased to report that Daniel Niera will be taking over the role of resident biologist. After filling in for Carlos Castañeda for the last three months Daniel has committed to work with us full-time in 2007 and his area of expertise with herpetology will benefit us greatly at Taricaya. The future is very bright for Taricaya and we will not be content to sit on our laurels as there are always new challenges to face and exciting projects to develop. Also, 2007 will see Mauricio and I present the findings of our bird diversity study in Caracas, Venezuela, to the largest ornithological conference in S. America and the potential for further studies looks very promising indeed.
All it remains for me to say is a big thank you to all volunteers, both from 2006 and the earlier years also. Nothing we have achieved in 2006 would have been possible without the solid base from 2005. Likewise none of the achievements of 2005 would have been possible without the help of those who came in 2004. Taricaya is an ongoing program that continues to grow and flourish. You, as volunteers, are vital links in the chain that has led us to where we are today. We shall continue to work hard in 2007 and I look forward to reporting even more successes over the coming months and years
I wish you all a very Happy New Year and a very prosperous 2007.
Stuart Timson
Conservation Manager
Projects Abroad
30th December, 2006
To read a longer version of Stuart's update from Taricaya and for more Peru Conservation Project information, have a look at our Peru Conservation page:


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Phillip Garrido has written a ranting letter from prison in which he ironically alleges that Jaycee Dugard, the girl he is charged with kidnapping and imprisoning for 18 years, is having her rights suppressed by law enforcement officials.
The letter, written in pencil from his cell in a California jail, charges that Dugard's "free speach [sic] rights are being violated," according to KCRA.com, a local Sacramento news station. Garrido urges a reporter to contact Dugard at the "earliest possible date."
In the letter, addressed to reporter Walt Gray, Garrido claims Dugard was "repeatedly denied access to have an attorney present during questioning. Over & over she clearly expressed this request from the beginning to the conclusion of questioning," KCRA reported.
U.S. & World
The day's top national and international news.
KCRA attempted to visit Garrido in prison after receiving the letter, but were turned away when Garrido told jail staff that he would not talk unless his attorney was there. His attorney, public defender Susan Gellman, told KCRA she had advised Garrido to not speak with the media and would remind him of that again. She did not comment further on the letter or its contents.
Dugard's attorney, McGregor Scott, did not comment on the letter after the full text was read to him. Garrido, a convicted rapist, and his wife Nancy Garrido have pleaded not guilty to kidnapping, raping and imprisoning Dugard, who was 11 when she went missing. She is now 29.
This is not the first time Garrido has reached out to KCRA. "It's a disgusting thing that took place with me at the beginning. But I turned my life completely around and to be able to understand that, you have to start there," Garrido told station personnel in a phone call from jail shortly after his arrest in August.
Phillip Garrido's bail has been set at $30 million, while his wife is being held without bail. The Garridos are scheduled to return to court for a hearing on October 29.
Click on the images to see Garrido's letter.


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DALLAS (AP) — A 20-year-old man who was convicted of raping of a teenage schoolmate but sentenced to five years' probation must also undergo the standard probationary conditions, including evaluation for sex offender treatment, a Dallas district court judge ruled Thursday.
Sir Young pleaded guilty to the attack on a 14-year-old girl at a Dallas high school in 2011.
Judge Jeanine Howard, who sentenced Young last week, did not impose the standard probationary conditions. She said he was "not your typical sex offender" and questioned whether the girl had embellished her story. He was ordered to spend 45 days in jail.
The sentence and the judge's comments sparked outrage and Howard recused herself from the case.
On Thursday, Judge Carter Thompson imposed all of the standard terms of probation, meaning Young may not have any contact with children, must be evaluated for sex offender treatment and must stay away from pornography.
Thompson told Young that he must adhere to the probation measures.
"Your previous court gave you a second chance, don't expect a third chance from this court," he said.
Thompson made "in our estimation the right ruling, he did the right thing," Dallas District Attorney Craig Watkins said after the ruling. Watkins' office had asked Thompson to tighten the probation conditions.
Young's attorney, Scottie Allen, said he and his client were disappointed by Thursday's ruling.


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Cryptid Alert
Cryptid Alert: Giant, Fanged Peruvian Nose Leeches
Yes, Virginia, there are giant nose leeches. (Thanks to Eric Johnson for the hot news tip.)
In Albuquerque, a sure sign of spring is the enormic toad emerging from the dirt by the chicken pen. (Thanks to X-14 for the toad photos.)


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WASHINGTON – Last week, the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) announced that it has awarded the LEED® Green Associate credential to more than 10,000 individuals.
The credential, which was introduced to the market just last year, has secured its status as the preeminent designation for professionals who support the green building industry. The LEED Green Associate exam tests for fundamental understanding of sustainable building practices and principles. It is specifically designed for those individuals who work in industries that support sustainable building, such as manufacturing, sales, policy, real estate, property management, law, marketing, and many others. It is also a starting point for students and professionals who desire to eventually become LEED APs with specialty.
"Our 10,000 LEED Green Associates represent the growing commitment of the workforce to building a green economy," says Peter Templeton, president of GBCI. "LEED Green Associates are armed with the knowledge to affect change in our built environment and propel the mission of green building forward."
Earning a LEED Credential demonstrates a candidate's comprehensive and current knowledge of green building technologies and best practices. As an indicator that an individual has met this benchmark of understanding, the LEED Green Associate credential is a mark of recognition for professionals who may not have direct involvement on a LEED project but who work closely with the sustainable building industry in other capacities.
GBCI, based in Washington, D.C., administers the suite of LEED Professional Credentials, which has been recognized in the industry as a designation of significant achievement for nearly a decade. For more information on how to take the LEED Green Associate exam, visit www.gbci.org.
About GBCI
The Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) provides third-party confirmation that specific criteria related to LEED building certification and LEED professional credentialing have been met. To underscore this commitment, GBCI is undergoing the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accreditation process for personnel certification agencies complying with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Standard 17024. Early in 2009, GBCI assumed responsibility for administering the LEED building certification program for the more than 30,000 commercial projects seeking third-party verification of compliance with the industry's leading green building rating system. For more information, visit www.gbci.org.


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John Makely / NBC news
John Makely / NBC News
Brightly painted stars appear on the otherwise stark landscape of Breezy Point in a section where over 100 homes burned the night Superstorm Sandy hit.
"Joy," "Hope" "Smile" and "You Got This" are just a few of the inspirational messages sent from children around the country who themselves have been affected by disaster. Stars of Hope is a project started by the New York Says Thank You Foundation, which began in 2007 after founder Jeff Parnes saw the devastation that an F5 tornado inflicted on Greensburg, Kansas. "It literally looked like a bomb. The town was 95 percent destroyed, trees were standing with no leaves, everything was just dirt, and all the families who stayed were living in FEMA trailers south of town," Parnes recalled.
"We were standing there thinking, 'How do you bring color back to the town? How do you bring a sense of community back to the town, and how do you empower the children to be part of that dynamic?' So we just had this wacky idea --what if we paint wood stars and plant them on every corner ... and empower the kids to express through their own creativity their hopes for the future?" asked Parnes.
He gave the town's schoolchildren the basic idea and they took it from there. "We want you to think of one word that if your friends, family or neighbors were having a bad day and they saw that word, it would put a smile on their face," Parnes said. The kids painted expressions and designs on the stars, and the next day they were planted throughout Greensburg. "So literally, overnight, this project was able to transform not just the physical landscape, but the emotional landscape."
John Makely / NBC News
John Makely / NBC News
Since then, each town that receives stars paints stars for the next town hit with hardship. It's their way of paying it forward.
About 5,000 more stars are coming to Sandy-hit towns from other communities that have seen their own disasters: Joplin, Mo., Minot, N.D., Grossbeck, Texas. All have stars in the pipeline, adding to the 2,000 already placed in 14 communities hit by the storm.
"It's about empowering survivors. Kids get it, they have an innate sense of hope." Parnes said.
At least one Breezy Point resident noticed the arrival of the stars this week. "It's an amazing thing, whoever is doing it. It gives you hope… each message is just great," said Timothy Brennan, an ironworker whose home was destroyed in the fire, as he was digging through the debris of an elderly neighbor's house looking for keepsakes. "You may have a tear, but you can have a smile also. "
John Makely / NBC News
Shine in the Darkness...Like a Star of Hope. One of 2,000 Stars of Hope placed throughout Sandy-affected areas.


text: RiverOtter 1 Report post Posted January 4, 2012 I've just moved my studio to my basement, and I'm in desparate need of a spray booth. I've never constructed anything more complicated than pre-fab shelving, and have no tools to speak of, so making my own spray booth seems like a monumental, and rather unpleasant, task. I've been pouring over Craig's list for a couple of months now, but am not having any luck. Are there any pre-fab spray booths out there that might not blow my budget for the next 20 years? Or is there some other approach I can take? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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Beijing airport bomber's case draws spotlight to injustice
BEIJING For eight years, motorcycle taxi driver Ji Zhongxing sought justice for what he said was a beating by city guards that left him paralyzed. It was his frustration, his brother said, that led Ji to push his wheelchair through a crowded terminal at Beijing's main airport and detonate a homemade bomb.
Ji injured no one but himself, but Saturday's incident (which was allegedly recorded in an unconfirmed YouTube video at left) has raised questions in China about whether the country can adequately address the grievances of increasingly marginalized members of its society and cast a spotlight on the failures of the country's legal system to provide a sense of fairness.
Ji, 33, from the eastern city of Heze, had been petitioning Chinese authorities for years after the 2005 attack, which left him paralyzed from the waist down and more than $16,000 in debt, his elder brother Ji Zhongji said.
"They beat him up for no reason. My brother was wronged," Ji Zhongji said by phone Monday. "If even one person had stood up and said a word of fairness to my brother about his case, he would not possibly have ended up where he is today."
In an era of burgeoning gaps in income and social status, China's courts controlled by the Communist Party's local political and legal affairs committees are widely perceived as being corrupt or more likely to protect the interests of local officials than exercise justice.
People like Ji, migrant workers with little education and zero political connections, make up Chinese society's lowest rung. When the legal system fails them, they turn to petitioning a centuries-old system of sending appeals to government officials in Beijing in the hope of gaining redress.
But those appeals rarely work and frustration among petitioners can mount and boil over into violence. In the prosperous port city of Xiamen in June, authorities have blamed a fire on a bus that killed 47 people on a disgruntled man named Chen Shuizong who apparently was destitute and had been pleading with local officials for eligibility for social security payments.
While condemning such attacks as a new kind of "terrorism," a commentary by the Xinhua Daily Telegraph, a newspaper published by the official Xinhua News Agency, also urged that a higher priority be made of ensuring that people feel they are treated justly.
"Every person who feels like they have been wronged could be a time bomb," the commentary said.
Ji apparently started a blog in 2006 to seek public support for his cause, writing in a final post that year: "We pleaded to the heavens but the heavens would not respond. We called out to the earth and the earth was silent."
The elder Ji said his brother had been driving a motorcycle taxi in the southern city of Dongguan when he was allegedly beaten up by security guards in a 2005 attack. Ji Zhongji, who is working in Inner Mongolia, said he did not know what led to his brother's action on Saturday, but that he knew that his brother had been frustrated by his efforts to find justice.
After Saturday's blast, Ji was sent to hospital where he underwent surgery to amputate his left arm, state media have reported. His status was not immediately clear. Beijing police did not respond to a faxed list of questions. The Dongguan city government said an investigation had been re-opened into Ji's case though it defended the authorities' handling of his petitions. It confirmed in a posting on its official microblog account that Ji had been seeking about 330,000 yuan ($50,000) in compensation for medical bills and wages lost from not being able to work.
Liu Xiaoyuan, a rights attorney who has tried to seek justice on behalf of many petitioners, said Ji's case showed how ineffective the system is in helping people with grievances. Petitioners are a symbol of China's failure to build a justice system that ordinary citizens consider fair, he said.
"This case reflects what happens if the system does not provide ways for petitioners to be treated reasonably," Liu said by phone. "Sometimes it will force them to take up extreme measures, because they think that unless they do that, no one will listen."
Petitioners are often met with violence when they attempt to take their cases to Beijing, with local governments sending "interceptors" to stop them with force and keep them in informal "black jails" until they can be sent home.
The case takes place as China's new leadership has called on the judicial system to provide fairness for all. Social commentators have cited Saturday's blast as a reason for the authorities to examine inequalities in the system and the apathy with which the poor are often treated.
Shi Shusi, a commentator for the Workers' Daily newspaper, wrote: "In some areas, citizens' legitimate demands are being ignored and public power rides above the law. ... This completely blocks the ability of people at the lowest levels to defend their rights."
Citing the "black sound of the explosion," Shi asked, "For whom has the alarm sounded?"


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James Baldwin: The Risks of Love
James Baldwin: Early Novels and Stories
James Baldwin had a way of sometimes signing off at the end of his books—"Istanbul, Dec. 10, 1961," "New York, Istanbul, San Francisco, 1965-1967," or "Oct. 12, 1973, St. Paul de Vence." Maybe the words spoke to Baldwin about the labor of composition, suggesting rooms where he'd worked, nights when he'd struggled. Think of "Dublin 1904/Trieste 1914." As a way of signing off along the road Baldwin was traveling, such markers also said something about the glamour and cosmopolitanism that being a writer had always meant to him.
Baldwin said that throughout his adolescence, hemmed in at home and hemmed in by Harlem, he'd "read books like they were some kind of weird food." But when he told Richard Wright he'd been dreaming of France since he was twelve years old, maybe he was tugging at an older person's heartstrings a little. He doesn't seem to have had any special feeling for French culture or for legends of the Lost Generation, though traces of Hemingway have been detected in his earliest stories. Similarly, Harlem Renaissance lore about Countee Cullen taking classes at the Sorbonne or Langston Hughes waiting tables in Montmartre doesn't seem to have played much part in Baldwin's dream of France either. Paris, as the capital of Baldwin's personal and literary freedom, existed in the future that Wright suddenly projected for him. He followed Wright in 1948, determined to prevent himself from "becoming merely a Negro; or, even, merely a Negro writer." That was the language of universalism before people accepted that black writers had been speaking it all along.
Around the time that Baldwin left Harlem's churches, New Jersey's industrial marshes, and Greenwich Village's bars for Paris, Henry James was returning to Europe in the luggage of a new generation of American expatriates. Otto Friedrich, a young recent Harvard graduate writing a novel in Paris, remembered that at Christmas in 1949 Baldwin gave him a copy of F.O. Matthiessen's edition of James's Notebooks inscribed with lines from The Middle Years that he himself had first quoted to Baldwin.1
Matthiessen challenged the position, made popular by Van Wyck Brooks in the Twenties, that James made a fatal mistake when he became an expatriate, because he cut himself off from his material and produced tempests in "exquisite teapots."2 Matthiessen argued that James offered a robust examination of American values and the American character, raising themes about "the eternal outsider" and "the passionate pilgrim" that were pertinent to Baldwin. For Baldwin, James's Americans, searching for experience, transcended their backgrounds in "deep and dark" Europe.
Toward the end of his life Baldwin recalled the isolation of not knowing French his first year in Paris. He was thrown back onto his own speech, which was closer to that of Bessie Smith than it was to that of Henry James, he said.3 But in his hunt for a model, it's not hard to see the appeal that an American martyr to sensibility would have had for Baldwin, a deracinated…
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Journal of the House of Representatives of the General Assembly of the State of Illinois
State Printers, 1932
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Act in relation Act to amend Adamowski adjourn adopted affirmative amend section approved June approved March Assembly assessment of property assessor authorize Bederman bill was taken bonds Bratton called Childers Church cities Clerk Committee concurred decided directed District elected February force funds further Galvin Green Handy Hawkinson hour House Bill House of Representatives Illinois immediately inhabitants introduced a bill Jackson Johnson JOINT July large a second levy Lewis Little Luckey Lyons motion prevailed moved nays o'clock a. m. ordered printed PADDOCK pass Peffers Petit Powers present question read at large read by title received reference repeal resolution Roderick Ryan Schnackenberg schools second reading Secretary Senate Bill Soderstrom Speaker Speaker's table special session stand Sullivan Swanson therein thereof thereto third reading Thompson thousand Tice towns transcribed and typed unanimous consent Vaughan voting Walker WHEREAS Wilson Woodward Yeas


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Looking out the sliding glass door at nothing in particular.
Enjoying the laundry detergent container before it goes to the recycling pail.
Playing with his ringed toy. Then distracted by the gnats.
iluvk9 wrote:HappyChick wrote:I can never get enough of Truman deep in thought.
I never thought of him that way.
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Best definition
slaves from nepal who now roam freely in rockland county. lakpas clean dishes, cook chicken, and pick up dogshit for
a very meager wage. in order to get your very own lakpa, you must buy a sherpacatcherplus via amazon.com, and set it up behind your house. within hours a lakpa should be eagerly waiting there for your commands. yay!
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Nepales love slave that has mastered every move in the kamaa sutra and specializes in "The Swinging Sherpa."
Yo that lakpa was crazy in bed, she gave me the ol Swingin Sherpa, so i bitch slapped that ho!


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Aromatic lamb with dates
Nutrition and extra info
- Freezable
Nutrition: per serving
- kcal343
- fat14g
- saturates5g
- carbs30g
- sugars15g
- fibre3g
- protein28g
- salt0.35g
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Olive oilol-iv oyl
Probably the most widely-used oil in cooking, olive oil is pressed from fresh olives. It's…
- 1 onion, finely chopped
Onions are endlessly versatile and an essential ingredient in countless recipes. Native to Asia…
- 500g diced boneless lean lamb, preferably from the leg
A lamb is a sheep that is under 1 year old; between 1 and 2 years old you will find it sold as…
- 300g sweet potatoes, cut into small chunks
Sweet potatosweet po-tate-toe
Sweet potatoes have a creamy texture and a sweet-spicy flavour that makes them ideal for savoury…
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 50g pitted dates
Dates are one of the oldest cultivated fruits - it's thought that they were a staple part of…
- 2 tbsp coriander, roughly chopped
Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and lamb, then quickly fry until the lamb is lightly browned.
Add the sweet potatoes and spices, then mix well. Pour in 425ml boiling water and the tomato purée, then bring to the boil.
Cover and simmer for 15 mins until sweet potatoes and lamb are tender, adding the dates for the final 10 mins. Sprinkle with coriander and serve with couscous.
Recipe Tip
TipLamb leg doesn't need to be cooked for as long as some other cuts, such as shoulder or neck, so be careful with timings.


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Bucky Johnson - F*ck Yo House Note (Shot In Club Play) [Unsigned Hype]
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Publisher/art director Donna Lucas restoring the images accompanying a discussion of HERCULES AND THE CAPTIVE WOMEN in VW's first issue.
While VIDEO WATCHDOG magazine has been marking its 20th anniversary, VW publisher Donna Lucas has been quietly engaged in one of the greatest restoration projects in the magazine's decades-long history. No, it's not the ultimate exposé of how CATACLYSM became part of THE NIGHTMARE NEVER ENDS, nor is it a meticulous comparison of five different versions of Jess Franco's LA COMTESSE PERVERSE... it's Donna's own painstaking digital recreation of VIDEO WATCHDOG #1.
When we decided to reprint our premiere issue, Donna's first idea was to scan the contents of a surviving copy and turn it over to our printer. Simple, right? However, the realities proved more complex. First of all, the original paste-up boards used to create the issue -- with PMT (photo mechanical transfer) illustrations affixed with spray adhesive to windows cut into each laserjet-printed page -- were long missing. Secondly, the original print job was so clumsily executed that a straightforward scan yielded typographic results that were somewhere south of acceptable. Fortunately, a thorough search of the attic at Chez Watchdog yielded a box of considerable value, containing not only the original layout boards but also most of the original illustrations and drawings that Donna used to create this landmark issue back in 1990.
Original artwork by Stephen R. Bissette and yours truly awaits its chance to be rescanned.
The discovery of the original artwork, as well as some photographic material, proved to be a real godsend to this undertaking, as the scanning of the PMT images, whether from a printed copy or from the original PMT's, tended to throw up some nasty moiré patterns. However, by meticulously rescanning each layout page in high definition from the original sheets, and inserting completely fresh digital scans of the issue's stills and original art from the original materials whenever possible, Donna has ensured that the 20th Anniversary edition of VIDEO WATCHDOG #1 will be much more than just a reprint.
"If you were to ask me what percentage of the pictures are now in better quality, I'd have to say 100% of them!" Donna explains. "Even when I didn't have access to the originals, I removed specks and dots and flaws from what I had to work with. Some pictures that were badly cropped in the original, like the center spread from SUCCUBUS, will be seen in this new printing as they were meant to look the first time. Likewise, some pictures that were too dark in the original issue, like some of the shots from CUT AND RUN, have been brightened, so you can now see the actors' expressions and can tell what's going on in them. We are also printing this new edition on paper that's consistent with the way VIDEO WATCHDOG is printed now, so it will be light and flexible in ways the original wasn't."
The text in the issue has not been changed. The only variation that has been made to the issue in terms of content is its back cover. Whereas the original edition showed an image from the Jess Franco film THE AWFUL DR. ORLOF, the reprint edition offers a scan of the same back cover image taken from Donna's and my own personal copy, inscribed to us in gold by Franco and his wife and longtime associate Lina Romay.
"I've always felt that our first issue stood apart from every other issue we did, in terms of quality control -- or the lack of it," Donna says. "When our readers receive this new, improved version of #1, I think they're going to feel like their collection is complete for the first time!"
"I've always felt that our first issue stood apart from every other issue we did, in terms of quality control -- or the lack of it," Donna says. "When our readers receive this new, improved version of #1, I think they're going to feel like their collection is complete for the first time!"
Orders for the 20th Anniversary edition of VIDEO WATCHDOG #1 (at the printer) are now being accepted here and at our toll-free number, 1-800-275-8395.


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Download the PDF file here and make your own Goku toy!
Find out what's the next toy by visiting our Facebook Fan page.
I really like this blog, such a good idea! Please make a David Bowies Ziggy Stardust character, that would be AWESOME! :)
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text: Hanselminutes Podcast 73 - The Interns July 20, '07 Comments [2] Posted in Podcast Sponsored By My seventy-third podcast is up. I have two high-school interns working for me this summer. In this episode I talk to High School Seniors Eric and Shady about their experience working at Corillian and their thoughts about learning languages and the future of engineering. Subscribe: Download: MP3 Full Show ACTION: Please vote for us on Podcast Alley! Digg us at Digg Podcasts! If you have trouble downloading, or your download is slow, do try the torrent with µtorrent or another BitTorrent Downloader. Do also remember the complete archives are always up and they have PDF Transcripts, a little known feature that show up a few weeks after each show. Telerik is our sponsor for this show. Check out their UI Suite of controls for ASP.NET. It's very hardcore stuff. One of the things I appreciate about Telerik is their commitment to completeness. For example, they have a page about their Right-to-Left support while some vendors have zero support, or don't bother testing. They also are committed to XHTML compliance and publish their roadmap. It's nice when your controls vendor is very transparent. As I've said before this show comes to you with the audio expertise and stewardship of Carl Franklin. The name comes from Travis Illig, but the goal of the show is simple. Avoid wasting the listener's time. (and make the commute less boring) Enjoy. Who knows what'll happen in the next show? « MUIs and LIPs - How to write in Chinese ... | Blog Home | First Rule of Software Development » About Scott Scott Hanselman is a former professor, former Chief Architect in finance, now speaker, consultant, father, diabetic, and Microsoft employee. He is a failed stand-up comic, a cornrower, and a book author. About Newsletter Sponsored By Hosting By Comments [2] Share on: Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or use the Permalink


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While we are gearing up for the new school year, it's becoming increasingly important to think about shifts happening in educational practices – namely California's shift to the Common Core Standards. Critical thinking is a major part of the new Common Core standards. Teaching children to think, problem solve and prove what they know are all pieces of critical thinking. When you read with students you can ask open ended questions to help foster their critical thinking skills. This article gives some examples of how teachers are teaching students to think rather than just memorize.
Below is an article about how Monterey County schools have been working to implement Common Core standards.
Monterey County schools begin to implement new standards
Practice-oriented teaching arrives at county schools
By CLAUDIA MELÉNDEZ SALINAS
Herald Staff Writer
Posted: 11/14/201206:38:25 PM PST
Updated: 11/15/2012 05:16:02 PM PST
Forest Grove Elementary School teacher Beth Cina asks her second-grade students to write a number between 20 and 50 on their worksheets.
But first, she wants to know if they all understand what the word "between" means.
They all say yes. Still, the students, who are working in pairs, must prove it by defining the word to their partners.
Cina then asks three students — Habib, Riley and Max — to stand before the class for a live demonstration.
"Who is between Habib and Max?"
"Riley," everyone responds.
The students at the Pacific Grove school return to their seats for the next task. They have to come up with five equations that would result in the number they just wrote down. Tyler and Jacob, whose number is 35, write 65-30, 20+15, 55-20, 35+0.
"You can see some kids are thinking a bit more maturely," says Ani Silva, director of curriculum at Pacific Grove Unified School District. "But everyone is able to express something."
This is what math looks like under the new Common Core State Standards, adopted in California in 2010 and expected to be fully implemented in 2014. Students no longer receive a sheet with 20 equations to solve. Instead, they randomly select numbers and are asked to deconstruct or construct them with the help of their peers.
The process to teach English language arts will also be revamped so students are required to use higher thinking skills in all subjects, educators say. The process will be stricter. Students will be required to talk more about what they've learned. The result, teachers say, is knowledge that is more profound and longer lasting.
English learners
This educational shift — the standards have been adopted in 45 states — is not only inspiring educators, but advocates of English learners, who believe Common Core presents an opportunity to address their needs more fully.
New standards for English learners recently approved by the California Board of Education with Common Core in mind "focus on argumentation, persuasion, evaluation, synthesis at a higher level" — things that were lacking under previous standards, says Jeanne Herrick, assistant superintendent of educational services at the Monterey County Office of Education.
"These are being structured for kids with the practice that goes with it," she says.
The idea is for all students — not just English learners — to begin using their knowledge as soon as they have acquired it. They work with a classmate to feel safe and to get used to using academic vocabulary.
Take, for instance, Christina Renteria's first-grade class at RobertDownElementary School in Pacific Grove. After a brief explanation of "sorting" and "graphing," the students are paired up to do their own sorting, using different "attributes." On yellow sheets, they separate keys, insects, flags, stones and shells based on their particular characteristics. As they go through their items, they are supposed to talk to their partners about the process.
When they're done, Renteria asks what attribute they used to sort the items, and the students talk about color, size, shape.
"You can see the word 'sort' is in their vocabulary," Silva says. "In time they'll develop the word 'attribute.'"
College, career
Because one of the main goals of the Common Core Standards is to prepare students for "college and career," they will be weaned off literary texts and given a heavy dose of nonfiction reading.
The new standards "are going to get kids into informational texts at a younger age, and slowly build the rigor," Herrick says. "When they get to high school, every one of the classes is grounded in informational texts: science, philosophy. That's when kids hit the wall."
By then, many English learners could be fluent in conversational English without having mastered the level of sophistication language requires to write with authority. With Common Core, the situation will change, some experts are convinced.
"The Common Core indeed requires a major shift in instruction in order to get students to achieve a high level on what the standards state," says Kenji Hakuta, co-chair of the Understanding Language Initiative at StanfordUniversity, at a conference on Common Core and English learners in Los Angeles. "It's a major shift for all students, but major (even) for English language learners."
MontereyCounty's large population of English learners appears to have stagnated academically. Only one out of every three students in second through fourth grades reaches proficiency or higher in English language arts. In fifth through 12th grades, that number is about one in five. It's a situation that appears to have reached a critical level this year, with budget cuts eroding additional support for English learners.
No Child Left Behind aimed for all students to reach proficiency in math and English by 2014, a goal that clearly won't be achieved. With Common Core moving into place, and a new set of tests being developed to fit the new standards, a new opportunity seems afoot to lift the academic level of all students.
What the critics say
The new standards have their detractors. Sandra Stotsky, a professor in the Department of Education Reform at the University of Arkansas, calls Common Core costly and mediocre. She deplores abandoning literature as robbing students not just of its academic content but of a cultural experience.
"How would the 'informational' texts … stimulate analytical thinking more than, say, a close reading of 'Pride and Prejudice?'" Stotsky wrote last month on the website Minding the Campus.
She points out that an Iowa English teacher assigned her 10th-grade students nonfiction books about teenage marketing and the working poor — "Branded" by Alissa Quart and "Nickel and Dimed" by Barbara Ehrenreich — to address Common Core's mandate.
"Do these books present their 'information' in such ambiguous or subtle ways that close reading is needed to figure out the authors' messages?" Stotsky writes. "In contrast, think how much class discussion is needed to help students understand the irony in Austen's works."
A lot of work is still ahead before Common Core is fully implemented. Only a handful of school districts in MontereyCounty — including Carmel Unified, Pacific Grove Unified and Salinas Union High — have begun to incorporate some aspects of the standards into the classroom. Teachers at other districts are still in learning mode. Material and curriculum need to be developed, and it cannot be done on the cheap, prominent educators say.
Looking at opportunities
George Bunch, associate professor at UC Santa Cruz and a collaborator on Stanford's Understanding Language project, is approaching the challenge of a new system with an eye toward its opportunities.
"One of the opportunities is the education of English learners in a way that they can have access to greater rigor and higher expectations with appropriate supports in place," Bunch says. "It's not an either/or — on one hand there's high expectations and the other high support, and you can't have one without the other."
There were high expectations embedded in No Child Left Behind, but this feels different, Bunch says. Educators are excited — there's more energy in the room when he presents the topic.
"There are questions and sometimes skepticism, but it seems to me there's a lot of energy around this reform movement" compared to No Child Left Behind, he said. "(Teachers) say, 'We're being asked to be teachers again.' We'll see how it all plays out. There's a sense that this is really about increasing opportunities for students, and we're looking at how you realize those opportunities."
Claudia Meléndez Salinas can be reached at 753-6755 or firstname.lastname@example.com.