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SAN ANTONIO -- The U.S. Army All American Bowl is in the books with the East squad coming away with a 15-8 win over the West. Rivals.com national analyst Mike Farrell was in San Antonio all week checking out practices, meeting with players and, of course, breaking down the game itself. Here are the Farrell Awards from the week:
This award goes to the most dynamic and exciting player, the guy who gets everyone's attention when he gets the ball. While there were a few players like that during the week, Mizzell created instant excitement when he touched the football. Although he's a running back, he worked out all week as a wide receiver and was dangerous not only in the flat but downfield as well. And just when it looked like he was going to be shut out in the game itself, he popped off a huge 72-yard kickoff return that led to the winning score.
Honorable Mention: Chris Hawkins from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. and Tre'Davious White from Shreveport (La.) Green Oaks are both defensive players, but it didn't matter. Both were electric when they touched the ball. White came close to breaking a long return in the game and Hawkins had a 51-yarder that he almost took to the house. Thomas Tyner from Beaverton (Ore.) Aloha was very dynamic in practice, but didn't get many touches in the game.
This award is given to the best-looking prospect on the hoof, the guy who looks like he could play in college or even the NFL right now. There is little doubt that Robinson is one of the most physically impressive players we've seen all year.
Honorable Mention: Derrick Green from Richmond (Va.) Hermitage could easily be mistaken for an NFL running back right now with his size, defensive tackle Kenny Bigelow, Elkton (Md.) Eastern Christian Academy, is right up there with Robinson when it comes to physical size, and Matthews (N.C.) Butler linebacker Peter Kalambayi has an NFL build already.
This goes to the player who raised his stock the most, and Herron is that guy. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 236 pounds coming in, Herron looked every bit of 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds and moved like a smaller prospect. He's raw, but his athleticism and physical ability will allow him to make a big jump.
Honorable Mention: Eddie Vanderdoes from Placer, Calif., and Hawkins also impressed on the West squad. Vanderdoes's play in the game was outstanding. Hawkins has been overshadowed by some bigger-name cornerbacks all year, but he was as good as anyone all week.
This award is not one that you want; it's for the player whose stock dropped the most from the Army Bowl week. This is a tough call, and it's always hard to talk about one or two players who didn't impress in a week of action, but every year there are a few players who were simply disappointing. You have to give credit to Webb for coming off an injury that pretty much took all his senior season and coming into the week at around 75 percent, but nonetheless he was out of shape and just out of place with the rest of a loaded defensive line group for the East.
Honorable Mention: Tyrone Swoopes from Whitewright, Texas, has regressed from his amazing film as a junior to this point. His accuracy was off all week as he overthrew numerous passes, and he didn't show the burst we have seen on film. The fumble in the game didn't help, but his stock was falling before that.
This award goes to the player with the quickest feet, and Bryant is that guy. He's a blur when he gets in space and dances with the best of them. In fact, he might try to use his amazing footwork too much, which can lead to indecisiveness. However, he's fun to watch when he changes direction.
Honorable Mention: Mizzell and White both have amazing feet as well and showed them mostly in practice all week, and running back Justin Davis from Stockton (Calif.) Lincoln impressed with his slashing ability and balance.
This one goes to the biggest hitter, which is essentially the guy who laid the lumber in the game because there was not much tackling to the ground in practice. This might as well be renamed Hard Shoulder this year because that's how Goodman laid the lumber, but it was effective.
Honorable Mention: Defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad from Ramsey (N.J.) Don Bosco Prep was physical from the first drill of the first practice, while Bigelow also knocked people around.
What's the difference between Hard Hat and Lunch Pail? The Hard Hat Award is for the biggest hitter, while the Lunch Pail Award is for the guy who does the dirty work that doesn't get into the box score. Teller is one of many players who had a great week in practice, was solid in the game playing his role but was overshadowed a bit.
Honorable Mention: West linebacker Josh Banderas from Lincoln (Neb.) Lincoln Southwest did a lot of little things well and was solid on special teams, offensive lineman Brendan Mahon from Randolph, N.J. volunteered to play center and worked endlessly at it all week, and defensive end Garrett Sickels from Little Silver (N.J.) Red Bank Regional somehow didn't make the box score at all but was held quite a bit over the course of the game.
This award sounds like it's for a defender who hits, but it's really for a receiver with the best hands during the week. Quick was that guy. Not only did he hold onto the game-winning touchdown catch, but he pretty much caught everything all week in practice.
Honorable Mention: Kendall Fuller from Olney (Md.) Good Counsel had the play of the week with a one-handed interception and showed excellent ball skills all week, Tony Stevens from Orlando (Fla.) Evans was consistent catching the ball, and tight end DeSean Smith from Lake Charles (La.) Barbe dropped one pass all week that we saw. He was impressive.
This is essentially for the best quarterback who performs when the lights come on and there is actually a live pass rush coming at him. This is a close battle between Browne and our honorable mention quarterback, but there was much more pressure on Browne coming from that impressive East defensive line. His fade pass to Derrick Griffin was a thing of beauty, and moving the pocket well for the two-point conversion showed his smarts. Had it not been for Mizzell's big return and a blown coverage by the West, Browne would have likely been the one who led the game-winning drive.
Honorable Mention: Jeremy Johnson from Montgomery (Ala.) Carver threw the game-winning touchdown pass while keeping the play alive, and he showed his ability to move around and make things happen despite being a pocket passer.
Smith was all over the field, plain and simple. He was credited with four tackles, including one for a loss, and he blocked a field goal, but it just seemed like he did even more. During one stretch prior to the field goal block, he was in on almost every play and showed his ability to come up in run support as well as cover downfield and work in space.
Honorable Mention: Hawkins showed off his athletic ability as did White, Mackensie Alexander from Immokalee Fla., Mizzell and many others.
This is for the player who provided the best coverage on defense during the week, and there is no tougher decision to make here with so many amazing defensive backs in San Antonio. Fuller had the only two credited pass breakups in the game, the best interception of the week and he was simply very consistent in coverage overall.
Honorable Mention: Jalen Ramsey from Nashville (Tenn.) Brentwood Academy was step-for-step with Fuller all week and loses out only because he gave up a score to a 6-foot-7 receiver. Hawkins, White and Alexander were impressive throughout, and these four separated themselves from the group.
This goes to the player who stood out despite playing a position he is not likely to play at the college level. Mizzell is the easy choice here because he will be a running back at Virginia but showed his versatility and that he can hang with almost every receiver in the nation with his ball skills.
Honorable Mention: Mahon will likely be a guard in college but played well at center, Sickels certainly won't be a defensive tackle at the next level but was excellent on the inside and Jake Raulerson from Celina, Texas, will probably be a defensive end in college but did an admirable job at center.
This award is for the guy who likes to visit the analysts, editors, videographers and team site publishers in the War Room during the week and hits it off with everyone. It wasn't as inquisitive a group as we've had in years past, but Alexander poked his head in a few times and watched some film and always had something interesting to say as he walked by.
Honorable Mention: Green came in to break down his practice film after yet another nightly workout despite a full day of practice. He never stops working.\n


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ZURICH (AP) -- Lionel Messi's stunning solo strike in Argentina's 4-3 win over Brazil in June is among the 10 nominations for the FIFA goal of the year.
Goals by Colombia striker Radamel Falcao, Brazil forward Neymar and France playmaker Hatem Ben Arfa are also on the shortlist, which will be reduced to three on Nov. 29 following a public vote on the websites of FIFA and France Football magazine.
The winner of the FIFA Puskas Award, named after Hungarian great Ferenc Puskas, will be revealed on Jan. 7 at the Ballon d'Or gala in Zurich.
Neymar won the 2011 award and will look to retain the prize courtesy of his goal for Santos against Internacional on March 7, when he scored following a maze of dribbling from mid-field.

subset: commoncrawl


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The offensive line blocked, the defensive front caused havoc and the Hood River Valley High School varsity football team re-established its running game.
All those elements combined for a 35-28 victory over the Sandy Pioneers Friday night in Hood River.
Forrest Broddie rushed for 133 yards and three touchdowns to lead the HRV offensive attack while the HRV defense sacked Sandy quarterback Justin Adams nine times and stopped the Pioneers from mounting potential game-tying drives twice in the final two minutes of the game.
The Pioneers opened and ended HRV's season last year with a pair of victories in Sandy, but HRV coach Caleb Sperry said the revenge factor didn't come into play much in the run-up to the game. Instead, the Eagles just wanted to focus on a larger issue that led to the two losses (and eight others in a 3-7 2011 season): execution.
"It didn't have much of anything to do with Sandy; it was just us and executing," Sperry said. "It didn't matter if it was Sandy or anybody else on our schedule.
The Eagles had a chance to put that execution to the test late in the fourth quarter with the game tied at 28-28. Hood River got possession at the Sandy 12-yard line with 4:30 to play following a bad snap on a punt that sailed over Adams' head.
The Eagles got to the three-yard line and set up a fourth and inches before calling a time out.
In previous years the fourth and short in the red zone had bedeviled the HRV offense, leading to penalties or botched plays, and they wanted to get it right this time.
"We were just down there firing up the offensive line," said Broddie.
On the play HRV ran a toss to the right side for Broddie, who got perfect blocking from the line and cut back inside to score the go-ahead touchdown.
"That was just experience from our all-senior line," said HRV quarterback Luke Kopecky. "And Forrest has just been waiting for an opportunity like that."
The difference a year makes between two teams was shown on the next Sandy possession, as the Eagle defense put pressure on Adams repeatedly and then got a combined sack from Jesse Lee and Nick Weekly to set up a third and long. The Pioneers appeared to have tied the game on the next play when Adams found Blake Robison for a 77-yard touchdown after he out-jumped HRV cornerback Alex Jimenez for the ball. However the play was called back for offensive pass interference and the Pioneers turned the ball over on downs on the next play with a sack by Lee and Gannon Almsted.
The Eagles missed a chance to seal the game with just over a minute left when a Cesar Romero 22-yard field goal attempt was wide right, but the defense was again up to the challenge and held off a final Hail Mary attempt from Adams to get the win.
The two defensive stands capped a high-scoring affair which saw the two teams repeatedly march up and down the field early. The Eagles got on the board first when Broddie ran 27 yards for a touchdown with 7:13 to play in the first quarter.
Sandy responded with an 80-yard drive capped by a 14-yard touchdown pass from Adams to Robison.
Broddie set up the Eagles' next touchdown with a 52-yard scamper to get inside the Sandy 10 late in the second quarter, and Kopecky finished the job by passing to Parker Young for a 3-yard touchdown.
Kopecky would finish the game completing 20 of 32 pass attempts for 257 yards and two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Just seconds after scoring the touchdown, Young came up with a big play on defense, intercepting Adams and giving HRV the ball back with 1:32 to play in the half.
The Eagles quickly moved down field and Broddie punched the ball in from three yards out for a touchdown and a 21-7 lead with 54 seconds to play in the half.
HRV should have gone into the locker room with a two-score lead but a missed coverage assignment on the first play of the ensuing Sandy possession left Robison wide open, and he picked up 50 yards on a pass from Adams to get to the HRV three. Adams found Joshua Visan for a 3-yard touchdown on the next play to cut the gap to 21-14 at the half.
The Eagles started the second half with a big play of their own when Kopecky found an open Kyle Beam across the middle on the third play of the half for a 66-yard touchdown.
While the Eagle defense began to make adjustments to shut down the Sandy offense, the Pioneers were able to use special teams to keep the game close.
Midway through the third they blocked an HRV punt and started at the Eagle 17. Adams quickly cashed in on the good field position when he found Karsten Short from 17 yards out for a touchdown to again cut the margin to one score.
Short set up the next Sandy touchdown when he returned a punt to the HRV 34-yard line in the opening seconds of the third quarter. Sandy tied the game soon after thanks to some heroics from Cody Welty. The 5-foot-11 receiver used all of his available height to pull in a fourth-down pass from Adams and pick up a first down, and then caught a 13-yard pass from Adams on the next play for a game-tying touchdown.
Both sides then traded fumbles and punts before the bad punt snap put the Eagles in position to win the game.
Sperry came away from the game impressed with both his linemen on both sides of the ball. The offensive line consistently gave Kopecky time to throw, allowed just two sacks and paved the way for Broddie's big night. Defensively the Eagles got sacks, or partial sacks from nine different plays, with Eli Fults leading the way with two.
"What a great first game to have," Sperry said. "It's nice to have the win, but it's also nice to have the lessons from it."
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A man by the name of Jeff Williams purchased a Nexus 4 from a Googler and posted to Google+ asking if Android 4.3 was already out. Of course, it wasn't, but his screenshot showed Android version 4.3 on the device. As expected, many called him a liar. Changing the build.prop was quite easy. But many also noticed the new kernel and radio, making the possibility that it was real much higher.
Those who believed him started trying to help, and the learning process began. Eventually, they moved to IRC and a bunch of developers taught him how to do a system dump. In the end, JWR66N proved to be a legitimate build of Android 4.3.
Developers have released flashable files based on this dump, so if you're willing to get your hands dirty, you can get this ROM running on your own Nexus 4. If you want to give it a try (and remember, it's not quite a finished build), head to XDA in the source links and get flashing!
Now we wait to see if Google will even acknowledge the existence of Android 4.3. They have an event scheduled for July 24, which will probably see the announcement of Android 4.3, but it's strange to see it leak and Google to say nothing. Hopefully we'll get a final build and source next week. Other devices need some lovin' too.
If you're a Nexus 4 owner, will you flash this? If you already did, what do you think? Is it a big update? Leave a comment with your thoughts!
Source: +Jeff Williams, XDA-Developers
Via: Android Police


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10:00 pm
Taste of Louisiana with Chef John Folse & Co.: Our Food Heritage "African Slavery In Louisiana" While the Africans contributed to the agriculture of the state, they certainly left their mark on the cuisine of Louisiana as well. Dr. Gwendolyn Midlo Hall, an authority on the African-American experience, introduces us to these ingenious culinarians by tracing their heritage from Africa to the cane fields, cotton patches and kitchens of South Louisiana. Chef Folse joins Chef Don Mastroni and Pearlie Jefferson at the Old Coffee Pot in New Orleans to make rice, or "calla" cakes, a favorite snack of New Orleanians. D
10:30 pm
Rick Steves' Europe "Venice: City of Dreams" Rick begins a two-part visit to Venice by tracing its history from Europe's most powerful city to its most hedonistic one. He cruises the Grand Canal, luxuriates in a venerable caf? and savors fresh fish canalside with friends. Part 1 of 2G
11:00 pm
Engaging with Literature: A Workshop for Teachers, Grades 3-5 "Workshop 6. Beginning The Year" The kind of classroom that supports active and engaged readers begins with seeds sown in the first few days of the school year. The teachers share their thoughts on specific ways to set the tone for the year, setting goals as they begin, communicating these goals with their students, and tailoring literary experiences to meet students. D


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Video: Families Talk About Newtown Shooting Victims
Mark, Jackie And James Reflect On Daniel Barden On 'Katie'
According to his family, even at a young age Daniel was an "old soul" who always put others before himself.
Cousin Remembers Olivia Engel
John Engel, or "Uncle John," is grateful that Olivia's story is being shared with the word.
Robbie Parker Remembers His Daughter, Emilie
Robbie says Emilie's laugh was infectious and that the world was a better place because she had been in it.
The Soto Family Shares Victoria's Story
It is believed that Victoria Soto died trying to protect her students. Soto will always be remembered as a hero.
Husband And Children Honor Principal Dawn Hochsprung
Her husband, Gary, while surrounded by their daughters recalls proposing to Dawn five times she finally said yes.
Richard And Krista Rekos Talk About Their Daughter, Jessica
The Rekos' plan on talking about their daughter every day so that her brother knows what an amazing person she was.Unfortunately your browser does not support IFrames.
Emilie Parker's Mother: 'The Only Way To Move Forward Is To Think About These Beautiful Children'
"Emilie's such an amazing person, and I just wanted to make sure that she had a voice... that all of the children that suffered in there that they have a voice."
Grace McDonnell's Parents Shares Their Beautiful Memories
Grace loved school. She skipped to the bus every morning. Her parents take comfort in knowing that she died in a place that she loved -- Sandy Hook Elementary School.


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WATERVILLE (AP) — The president of Colby College plans to retire next year.
William D. Adams announced Wednesday he will retire in June 2014.
Adams has led the school since 2000. Under his tenure, Colby's academic program has grown, particularly in environmental studies and visual arts, and the Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs and Civic Engagement was founded and a new center for the arts and humanities opened.
Before joining Colby, Adams served as president of Bucknell University for five years.


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A feathered specimen of a new species of Eocypselus from the Early Eocene Green River Formation of Wyoming provides insight into the wing morphology and ecology in an early part of the lineage leading to extant swifts and hummingbirds. Combined phylogenetic analysis of morphological and molecular data supports placement of Eocypselus outside the crown radiation of Apodiformes. The new specimen is the first described fossil of Pan-Apodiformes from the pre-Pleistocene of North America and the only reported stem taxon with informative feather preservation. Wing morphology of Eocypselus rowei sp. nov. is intermediate between the short wings of hummingbirds and the hyper-elongated wings of extant swifts, and shows neither modifications for the continuous gliding used by swifts nor modifications for the hovering flight style used by hummingbirds. Elongate hindlimb elements, particularly the pedal phalanges, also support stronger perching capabilities than are present in Apodiformes. The new species is the smallest bird yet described from the Green River Formation, and supports the hypothesis that a decrease in body size preceded flight specializations in Pan-Apodiformes. The specimen also provides the first instance of melanosome morphology preserved in association with skeletal remains from the Green River Formation.
1. Introduction
An unparalleled fossil assemblage from the Early Eocene Fossil Butte Member of the Green River Formation has shed light on the taxonomic composition and ecological diversity of one of the earliest known Caenozoic avifaunas. Fossil feathers, in particular, have revealed details of wing shape in Eocene birds that cannot be inferred from skeletal specimens alone, and have been recovered from Fossil Butte Member deposits both as isolated specimens and associated with semi-articulated skeletons [1–5]. Feathers occur in the Fossil Butte Member in various states ranging from poorly preserved carbonized traces to finely preserved specimens with identifiable rachises and barbs. Formerly, detailed feather preservation in Green River birds was attributed to fossilized feather-degrading bacteria and associated glycocalyces [6]. More recently, apparent microbes associated with feather preservation at other localities have been reinterpreted as melanosomes [7]. Melanosomes have thus far been described only from one isolated feather from an unidentified Green River bird [8]. Here, we report a representative of Pan-Apodiformes with well-preserved plumage and intact melanosomes.
Pan-Apodiformes comprises the tree swifts (Hemiprocnidae), true swifts (Apodidae) and hummingbirds (Trochilidae), along with their extinct relatives. Despite their small average body size, they have a relatively extensive Palaeogene fossil record in some regions. A plethora of 'swift-like' fossil birds are known from Eocene–Oligocene deposits throughout Europe [9–16]. Although superficially swift-like in skeletal morphology, only a few of these extinct species are closely related to extant Apodidae. Several of these taxa are members of the hummingbird stem lineage [17], whereas others fall outside the crown clade Apodiformes [16]. Surprisingly, no Pan-Apodiformes have been formally described from contemporary deposits of North America, nor indeed from any pre-Pleistocene North American deposits. This apparent disparity between the European and North American Palaeogene avifaunas may be deceptive, given that several specimens of swift-like birds from the Green River Formation reside in private collections [1,2] and also because such small taxa may potentially suffer from collecting biases.
Extant Apodiformes exhibit some of the most unique flight characteristics among birds, in terms of overall wing shape, feather structure and flight style. Hummingbirds possess a short blade-like wing and use a unique hovering flight style that generates lift on both the upstroke and downstroke [18]. Swifts, by contrast, have greatly elongated wings that allow them to excel at metabolically efficient gliding and also reach the fastest speeds measured for birds in level flight [19]. Both swifts and hummingbirds exhibit a variety of ornamental tail shapes and colour patterns [19–22]. Given the disparity in wing shape observed within extant swifts and hummingbirds, fossil relatives of extant swifts and hummingbirds are key to informing the ancestral wing shape and flight style in Pan-Apodiformes. Proportions and discrete characters of the wing skeleton have provided insights into the flight style of extinct Pan-Apodiformes [16,23,24], but predicting feather length is difficult from skeletal remains alone. Thus, feathered specimens are particularly important in reconstructing the early evolution of these specialized birds.
2. Systematic palaeontology
Strisores Baird 1858
Cypselomorphae Huxley 1867
Pan-Apodiformes Mayr 2010
Eocypselidae Harrison 1984
Eocypselus Harrison 1984
Eocypselus rowei sp. nov.
(a) Holotype
Wyoming Dinosaur Center (WDC, Thermopolis, WY, USA) CGR-109, complete skeleton with intact feathering preserved as slab and counterslab (figure 1). Measurements are presented in table 1.
(b) Etymology
The species name honours John W. Rowe, a generous and knowledgeable supporter of evolutionary research and educational outreach at The Field Museum in Chicago, Illinois, where he is currently serving as chairman of the board.
(c) Locality and horizon
Locality B [25], also known as Lewis Ranch Site 2 or Smith Hollow Quarry, of the Fossil Butte Member of the Green River Formation of Lincoln County, Wyoming, USA. Deposits at this locality are from a mid-lake setting (F-1 facies of Grande & Buchheim [25]) and have previously yielded partial skeletons of the stem frigatebird Limnofregata azygosternon [4] and the stem roller Primobucco mcgrewi [26]. Radiometric 40Ar/39Ar dating of an overlying tuff deposit indicates an age of approximately 51.66 ± 0.09 Ma for the fossil horizon [27].
(d) Diagnosis
Eocypselus rowei differs from Eocypselus vincenti by (i) the stouter humerus (midshaft width equals approx. 20% total length for E. rowei versus 13% for the E. vincenti holotype), (ii) the presence of a rounded tubercle that projects ventrally from the body of metacarpal III near the contact with the trochlea carpalis and (iii) a proportionally shorter tarsometatarsus (tarsometatarsus length equals 50% of tibiotarsus length versus 54% for E. vincenti). The second character is not present in E. vincenti (fig. 6f of [16]) and other Pan-Apodiformes, and is considered an apomorphy of E. rowei. In comparing proportions, we note that the specimen is not badly crushed. Rather, it has been damaged by the splitting of the slab, so that several long bones are broken into two pieces exposing the internal surfaces. An expanded differential diagnosis is included in the electronic supplementary material.
(e) Comment
Pan-Apodiformes is defined here as the clade uniting all taxa more closely related to Apodiformes than to any other extant taxon of Strisores (Aegothelidae, Nyctibiidae, Caprimulgidae, Steatornithidae and Podargidae).
(f) Scanning electron microscope methods
Samples from WDC-CGR-109 were initially coated with gold, but had to be recoated with 15 nm of gold/palladium mixture to prevent charging. Samples were imaged with a Zeiss Supra 40 VP field emission scanning electron microscope (located at University of Texas at Austin, Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology) using 5 kV accelerating voltage and 15 mm working distance.
(g) Phylogenetic analysis
We expanded a recently published combined phylogenetic matrix [28] (see also [16,17,29–32]) by adding 17 characters and 14 taxa. Taxonomic sampling includes eight extant species and seven fossil species of Pan-Apodiformes. In order to polarize character states, we also included 10 representatives of Strisores, the larger clade uniting the paraphyletic 'Caprimulgiformes' [29] and Pan-Apodiformes. Because the placement of Strisores within the context of higher avian phylogeny remains controversial, we rooted trees to the palaeognath Crypturellus undulatus. Taxa were sampled at the species level to facilitate inclusion of molecular data. Molecular data were obtained from GenBank for the genes cytochrome b, RAG-1, myoglobin exon 2 and c-myc exon 3, and aligned using ClustalX [33]. A nexus file containing the matrix, along with character descriptions, GenBank accession numbers for molecular sequences and a list of specimens examined, is presented in the electronic supplementary material.
Two analyses, the first one using the combined dataset and the second using only the morphological dataset, were conducted using PAUP*4.0b10 [34], with a branch and bound search strategy. All characters were equally weighted, multistate codings were used only to represent polymorphism and branches with a minimum length of zero were collapsed. A single most parsimonious tree (tree length, TL = 3744 steps) was recovered in the combined analysis (figure 2). Results of the analysis using only morphological data also yielded a single most parsimonious tree (TL = 235) that is identical to the tree from the combined analysis with the exception that the branch uniting the extant swifts Aerodramus vanikorensis and Apus apus collapsed.
Our results agree with one previous hypothesis (fig. 8 of [16]) in placing Eocypselus basal to the swift–hummingbird split. Eocypselus is supported as a member of Pan-Apodiformes by two unambiguous synapomorphies: an abbreviated humerus (character 54: state 1, ratio of length to midshaft width less than 10.0) and an ossified arcus extensorius of the tarsometatarsus (92 : 1; see [16]). Monophyly of crown Apodiformes to the exclusion of Eocypselus is supported by eight derived characters (see the electronic supplementary material). Another previous study recovered Eocypselus within the crown clade Apodiformes [35] (see comments on scoring issues in [36]), but we find no support for this hypothesis, which is 12 steps less parsimonious using our dataset.
Eocypselus vincenti and E. rowei did not form a clade in our results. We consider this result likely to be related to the incomplete preservation of bone surfaces on the E. rowei holotype, which precludes scoring of characters that may potentially unite these fossil taxa (see the electronic supplementary material).
A key finding of the new analysis is that the Eocene Scaniacypselus wardi and Scaniacypselus szarskii are supported as members of the stem lineage leading to Apodidae, more closely related to extant true swifts than to tree swifts. Scaniacypselus has previously proved difficult to place, because this taxon retains some primitive character states supporting a stem placement [17], but also other features that have been interpreted as potentially supporting placement within crown Apodidae [9,12]. One previous phylogenetic analysis of a smaller character set with more limited taxonomic sampling yielded S. wardi in a position basal to the tree swift–true swift (Apodidae–Hemiprocnidae) split [35], whereas another recovered composite terminals coded for Scaniacypselus, Apodinae and Cypseloidini [37] in a polytomy.
Species-level codings and expanded character sampling help resolve the placement of Scaniacypselus, which is supported as a basal member of Pan-Apodidae by four synapomorphies: the great abbreviation of the humerus (54 : 2, ratio of length to midshaft width less than 5.0), strong projection of the processus supracondylaris dorsalis (62 : 1), proximal displacement of this process (63 : 1) and elongation of the carpometacarpus (72 : 2, carpometacarpus exceeding humerus in length). Scaniacypselus is excluded from crown Apodidae by retention of plesiomorphic character states, including the presence of a shallow fossa m. brachialis of the humerus as opposed to the derived absence of this fossa (61 : 1), a blunt olecranon as opposed to the narrow and elongate olecranon in crown swifts (70 : 0) and proximal phalanges of the fourth pedal digit that are equal in length to the distal phalanges, as opposed to strongly abbreviated (100 : 0). With the precise phylogenetic position of S. wardi recovered, this taxon provides a calibration point of approximately 51 Ma for the divergence between Apodidae and Hemiprocnidae.
Relationships within Apodidae have not received much prior study. Our results contribute to resolving the phylogeny of swifts, indicating a basal divergence between Cypseloidini (represented by Streptoprocne) and other extant Apodidae. This result is congruent with a phylogeny based on the ZENK gene [38]. A clade including all crown Apodidae to the exclusion of Cypseloidini is ambiguously supported by the derived attachment of m. tensor propatagialis pars brevis at the proximally displaced processus supracondylaris dorsalis (64 : 2; see [39]), and unambiguously supported by the derived presence of a proximally directed flange extending proximally from the base of the plantar flange of trochlea metatarsi II (97 : 2) and diastataxic feathering (106 : 1). We find no support for a previous morphology-based hypothesis that Streptoprocne represents a more basal divergence, sister to Hemiprocnidae + all other Apodidae [40].
Our results differ from previous molecular studies [38] and agree with morphology-based hypotheses [40] in supporting monophyly of the Chaeturini (represented by Chaetura and Hirundapus). This clade is supported by the presence of a bony canal on the plantar surface of the base of trochlea metatarsi II (98 : 1) and the presence of needle-like rectrices (117 : 1). A clade uniting Aerodramus (Collocaliini) and Apus (Apodini) was supported in our combined analysis, in agreement with Chubb [38], though we identified no morphological synapomorphies of this clade, which collapses in our morphology-only analysis. The grouping of Collocaliini and Apodini to the exclusion of Chaeturini was also supported by a multi-locus molecular analysis [41], though that study did not include any representatives of Cypseloidini.
Relationships within Trochilidae are congruent with previous hypotheses [16,17,42], but more fully resolved, with the placement of Argornis closer to the crown clade than Parargornis supported by the elongation of the carpometacarpus (72 : 2).
3. Skeletal anatomy and feathering
Eocypselus rowei was a very small bird, with a total body size slightly smaller than that of the extant Chaetura pelagicus (chimney swift). Although the holotype is essentially complete, many bones were split along with the slab, so that surface details such as muscle insertions are not observable. It is evident that the impressions of limb bones have been retouched with paint in a few obvious areas. However, microscopic details of preserved feathers indicate these structures are genuine.
A complete but poorly preserved skull preserves a short, rounded beak. Proportions are similar to those in extant swifts, but notably the tip does not show evidence of downturning. The internarial bar is narrow, and the nares extend nearly to the tip of the beak. The mandible is very slender. Although the sclerotic ring is incomplete, it does not appear to show any specializations such as enlargement or tubular morphology. As indicated by the articulated vertebral column, the foramen magnum appears to have faced ventrally. The prominentia cerebellaris appears to have projected caudally far past the margin of the foramen magnum.
Although the sternum is not well preserved, it appears that the sulci for the coracoids are oriented at an angle of less than 45°, so that the coracoids are strongly laterally directed in articulation. It is also clear that the caudal border of the sternum was wide and flat. No evidence of incisurae or fenestrae is visible, but because of poor preservation their presence cannot be ruled out with certainty. In both coracoids, the omal ends are mostly intact, and the sternal portions are preserved as impressions. The processus acrocoracoideus is hooked as in other Pan-Apodiformes and in Aegothelidae. Although damaged on its medial edge, the cotyla scapularis of the coracoid is clearly cup-shaped as in extant Apodiformes. The scapular blade is straight over the proximal two-thirds of its length, but prominently deflected at its distal end. The furcula is broken into three segments with slight displacement. A portion from near the symphysis is quite robust in cross-section and bears a small apophysis furculae. Two sections from the omal ends of the furcula show a more flattened cross-section.
The humerus is strongly abbreviated. The crista bicipitalis is proximodistally short and rounded. Details of the crista deltopectoralis are not preserved. A small processus supracondylaris dorsalis (origin of m. extensor radialis metacarpalis) is present on the craniodorsal margin of the bone and is distally placed as in E. vincenti. The radius lacks the prominent distal tubercle present in extant Apodiformes [17]. The ulna exhibits a blunt olecranon and a prominent tuberculum carpale. The carpometacarpus bears a strongly projected processus extensorius. A rounded tubercle projects ventrally from the body of metacarpal III near the trochlea carpalis and is considered an autapomorphy of E. rowei. Metacarpal III is straight and thin, and the spatium intermetacarpale is narrow. As in most members of Strisores, phalanx II-1 bears two depressions divided by a ridge. A short processus internus indicis is present, but is much less strongly projected than in crown Apodiformes [16,29]. Phalanx II-2 lacks the expanded distal tip seen in crown Apodiformes.
The pelvis is wide, and the foramen obturatum is incompletely closed. The pubis is long and slender. A wide space separates the pubis and ischium distally, as in crown Apodiformes and Aegothelidae. The distal portion of the pubis is curved and contacts the ischium at a high angle, though the tip is free.
The hindlimbs are proportionally long and slender compared with those of extant Apodiformes. The tarsometatarsus is preserved in articulation with the short metatarsal I. Trochlea metatarsi II is retracted proximal to the level of trochlea metatarsi III. A deep sulcus is present between trochleae metatarsorum III and IV. The pedal digits are fairly long, with both digit III and digit IV exceeding the tarsometatarsus in length. Digit II is substantially shorter. The proximal two phalanges of digit IV are each about half the size of the penultimate phalanx, rather than being highly reduced as in Apodidae. The unguals are short, modestly curved and have moderately developed flexor tubercles.
Individual feathers can be discerned within the darkened halo surrounding the skull. If the feathers preserved near the base of the beak are not displaced, then a feathered head crest may have been present. Such crests occur in some extant Apodiformes, including tree swifts (Hemiprocnidae) and some hummingbirds (e.g. Orthorhyncus cristatus) [19,21]. Feather preservation along the wing is of high quality, with darkened rachises and individual barbs visible. The primaries are elongate, and the outermost feathers are longer than the entire wing skeleton, accounting for more than 50 per cent of total wing length. As preserved, the outer primaries are much longer than the inner primaries (visible on the left side), indicating a relatively high aspect ratio. A small feather near the leading edge of the left wing is tentatively identified as a covert. On the right side, the rounded distal end of the outermost rectrix appears to be intact, suggesting the very short and squared tail shape reflects the true morphology. One previously reported specimen of E. vincenti preserves feather impressions, but these are too incomplete to provide information on wing or tail shape [15,43].
Eocypselus rowei provides insights into the variability of melanosome preservation in Green River feathers. Three-dimensionally preserved melanosomes from the dorsal head feathers of E. rowei are interpreted as well-defined, densely packed and dominantly rod-like eumelanosomes (figure 1g). Such morphologies are most commonly associated with black, glossy black and some forms of iridescent colours in birds [44]. Additional sampling along the wing feathering revealed melanosome morphologies represented primarily as voids rather than as three-dimensional forms. Although melanosome preservation has been reported in fossil feathers from other lacustrine and near-shore depositional environments [45–49], only one account of melanosomes in Green River feathers has been reported. Wogelius et al. [8] sampled three isolated Green River feathers and an isolated wing with feathers. All had regions containing high amounts of copper, a proposed biomarker of melanin [8]. However, only in one of the isolated feathers were three-dimensionally preserved melanosomes, described as rod-like eumelanosomes [8], discernible. In the other three specimens, preserved evidence of melanosome morphology was not reported, despite macrostructural feather preservation.
4. Discussion
Despite sharing distinctive features of the wing skeleton, such as a remarkably stout humerus and elongate carpometacarpus and phalanges, swifts and hummingbirds have markedly different wing shapes. Shortening of the humerus results in a shift in muscle attachments towards the shoulder joint, which in turn reduces moment of inertia [23,50]. Elongation of the primary feathers has been hypothesized to compensate for shortening of the proximal wing skeleton in Apodiformes [23]. In swifts, abbreviation of the proximal wing bones is indeed accompanied by elongation of the distal wing bones as well as the primaries, resulting in overall elongation of the wing (figure 3) and optimization for fast flap-gliding and gliding flight. Hummingbirds also possess a strongly abbreviated humerus and elongated primaries, but have much shorter wings relative to overall body size, resulting in the higher wing loading values used in hovering flight [51,52].
Because the disparate wing shapes of extant swifts and hummingbirds are only truly appreciable when feathering is taken into account, it is difficult to infer the ancestral wing morphology for Apodiformes based solely on data from extant taxa and fossils that preserve only skeletal material. While the brachial index (humerus : ulna ratio) [53] of Eocypselus falls within the range of extant swifts (table 2), the overall wing length in the fossil taxon is much shorter. Likewise, despite the fact that the carpometacarpus and phalanges of E. rowei are shorter than those of hummingbirds, the primary feathers are proportionally longer.
Scaniacypselus szarskii provides the best data on feathering from an early swift [12]. In this taxon, the primaries greatly exceed the combined length of the wing bones and appear to have accounted for about two-thirds of the overall wing length. However, because this species is closely related to Apodidae, it provides little insight into the ancestral wing morphology of Apodiformes. A single specimen of the stem hummingbird Parargornis messelensis with fine feather preservation reveals a different morphology—a short, rounded wing—in a stem member of the hummingbird lineage [13].
Eocypselus rowei provides the first direct evidence of overall wing shape in a stem lineage representative of Pan-Apodiformes. This specimen shows a wing shape intermediate between that of extant swifts and hummingbirds. The outermost primary (55 mm) slightly exceeds the combined length of the wing bones. In the similarly sized stem hummingbird P. messelensis, this primary is less than half as long (approx. 25 mm), whereas the outermost primary is much longer (approx. 74 mm) in the slightly smaller stem true swift S. szarskii. The moderately elongated wing feathering and the phylogenetic position of Eocypselus outside the crown clade Apodiformes together support the inference that the shortened wings of hummingbirds and the elongated wings of swifts were each derived from a less specialized ancestral wing shape.
Extant swifts have very short legs and rarely perch during their foraging intervals. Thus, it is noteworthy that the elongate hindlimbs and toes of Eocypselus appear suited to perching [16]. Because the stem hummingbird Parargornis also possessed elongate legs, it is likely that the shortened hindlimbs of extant swifts arose after the divergence between swifts and hummingbirds, perhaps in order to conserve mass in support of a highly aerial lifestyle [13].
Eocypselus rowei falls within the lower end of the size spectrum for extant swifts. This species represents the smallest reported avian species from the diverse Green River avifauna. With the exception of the elongated carpometacarpus, all overlapping skeletal elements are shorter than those of the tiny birds Eozygodactylus americanus [54] and Neanis kistneri [55]. Consistent with a mass reduction strategy, extant Apodiformes are very small birds and include the smallest known avian species Mellisuga helenae (bee hummingbird). Most fossil and extant representatives of Strisores are relatively large birds, though the Aegothelidae (owlet nightjars) fall within the size range of large swifts. Given the small size of E. rowei and support for Aegothelidae as the extant sister clade of Apodiformes [17], a shift to small body size can reliably be inferred to have occurred well prior to the swift–hummingbird split.
Eocypselus rowei offers a glimpse into the early evolution of one of the most diverse and ecologically important clades of birds. Similar stem Pan-Apodiformes survived alongside more derived stem swifts for much of the Eocene, but appear to have died out by near the Eocene–Oligocene boundary in Europe [56]. Owing to the very sparse North America record and complete lack of sampling in South America, the patterns of replacement among Pan-Apodiformes in the New World remain shrouded in uncertainty.
We thank Burkhardt Pohl for making the specimen available for study, Connie Van Beek for assistance with preparation and William Simpson for fossil collection assistance. Ron Eng, Rob Faucett, Helen James, James Dean, Mark Florence, Gerald Mayr, Eberhard Frey, Becky Desjardens, Christian Sidor, Brian O'Shea and Dave Willard provided access to fossils and extant skeletal material. This project was supported by National Science Foundation grants EAR nos 0719758, 0719943 and 0938199.
- Received March 7, 2013.
- Accepted April 4, 2013.
- © 2013 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.


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Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories
Nationally syndicated morning talk show "LIVE! with Kelly and Michael" will showcase an all-star lineup of musicians who will take the "LIVE" stage in the first weeks of the show's 25th season. Top artists from rock to pop, country and R&B will perform their latest hits and chat with the hosts.
Sept. 7 - Rock singer-songwriter and Academy Award winner MELISSA ETHERIDGE performs a song from her new album.
Sept. 10 - Country superstar BLAKE SHELTON chats about the new season of "The Voice."
Sept. 12 - Electronica group OWL CITY perform their song "Good Time."
Sept. 17 - Grammy Award winner NELLY FURTADO sings the first single off of her new album, "The Spirit Indestructible."
Sept. 19 - Alternative rock band NEON TREES perform their latest hit, "Everybody Talks."
Sept. 20 - YouTube star-turned-pop music sensation AUSTIN MAHONE makes his television debut on "LIVE."
Sept. 21 - Bon Jovi's RICHIE SAMBORA takes the stage with his new hit.
Oct. 1 - Multi-Grammy Award-winning vocalist DIANA KRALL sings for the "LIVE" audience.
Oct. 2 - Rock sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson of HEART perform a single from their new CD.
Oct. 4 - British singer-songwriter and rapper CHER LLOYD sings her hit, "Want U Back."
Oct. 10 - Irish rock group THE SCRIPT perform their newest single.
Oct. 17 - Country singer JASON ALDEAN performs a song from his CD, "My Kinda Party."
Oct. 19 - R&B singer BRANDY performs for the "LIVE" audience.
Visit "LIVE" on the web at www.livewithkelly.tv, on Facebook, or follow "LIVE" on Twitter, @KellyandMichael.


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Deepcool Frostwin Review
Let's face it; with today's processors heat is an ever increasing issue. While some of us opt for the more exotic cooling methods on the market, i.e. Phase Change, Dry Ice a.k.a Dice or even LN2 for the extreme overclocker, most people will never have need for such cooling methods in their day to day computer use. For someone looking for a mild to mid range overclock or just looking to improve the cooling efficiency of their system is where aftermarket cooler manufacturers like Deepcool, Noctua and Cooler Master come into play as most stock heat sinks offer at best minimum cooling over Intel and AMD's specifications. Aftermarket coolers offer a significant improvement in cooling, which offers the end user the ability to achieve higher overclocks and system stability while helping to increase the lifespan of their system components without having to make the move to extreme cooling methods.
Closer Look:
Over the past couple of weeks I have had the chance to review a few of Deepcool's products like the GAMMAXX 400 CPU cooler and the UF120 case fan. This time around I will be looking at Deepcool's Frostwin CPU cooler and lets just say from the looks of the Frostwin cooler I already have high expectations for it. The Frostwin is packaged in the standard blue on white box and contains a wealth of information regarding the cooler. The front contains a single photo of the Frostwin and below that is a brief description of the cooler's features: Twin Tower Heat sink, Heat-pipe x4, Intel & AMD compatibility, with dual fan, high performance, overclocking, super silent and "modding look." On the back of the box is the Frostwin's features: Overall Dimension, Fan Dimension, Net Weight, Rated Voltage, Operating Voltage, Starting Voltage, Rated Current, Power Input, Fan Speed, Maximum Air Flow, Noise Level and Bearing Type. The right side of the box contains two photos: one of the twin tower design and one picturing the base of the heat sink. The left side of the box contains both Intel and AMD socket compatibility along with a technical diagram for the front and top of the Frostwin.
Opening the box reveals a well packaged product with the detailed installation manual just inside the top. Once you remove the top insert from the box you can see the top of Frostwin cooler with the fans already attached and firmly held in place by a foam insert. Inside the accessories box contains everything needed to mount the Frostwin on both Intel and AMD systems. Upon removing the Frostwin I can now take a look at the mounting hardware, which includes everything you need to use the Frostwin with Intel sockets LGA2011/1366/1156/1155/775 and AMD sockets FM1/AM3+/AM2+/AM2.
Moving on we will take a little closer look at the Frostwin cooler on the following page.


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February 23, 2013
"Claudia Jones: Beyond Containment" (2011) is a collection of writings by Jones herself. The book makes a tremendous contribution to the literature on left, feminist and Pan-African struggles during the 20th century. A new generation of activists and organizers will benefit immensely from Jones' writings on the most pressing and burning issues of the period.


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WASHINGTON — Newly installed Secretary of State John Kerry says he has "big heels to fill."
Starting work Monday, the former senator and 2004 presidential candidate was greeted by loud cheers from America's foreign service workers. One held up a "Welcome JFK" sign.
Succeeding women secretaries of state Hillary Rodham Clinton and Condoleeza Rice, Kerry asked in jest: "Can a man actually run the State Department?"
Praising Clinton, he also said, "I have big heels to fill."
Kerry is the son of a diplomat and was chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for four years. Greeting State Department staff, he spoke of his childhood time in Germany and learning the virtues of freedom.
Kerry said he and President Barack Obama needed help to make America safer and the world more prosperous and peaceful.
Kerry spent much of the weekend making connections with leaders around the world.
Kerry reached out to Israeli and Palestinian leaders in phone calls Sunday, assuring them the Obama administration will continue to pursue a Mideast peace agreement while recognizing the individual concerns on both sides.
He told Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he and President Barack Obama were committed to Israel's security. Netanyahu and Kerry also discussed Iran and Syria, and pledged to work together closely.
In his conversation with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Kerry pledged to continue efforts with Congress to release budget support funds for the Palestinian Authority.
The department also said Kerry spoke with Israeli President Shimon Peres on Saturday about the formation of the country's new government, and said the two "exchanged views" on the peace process and regional matters.
On a busy first weekend as America's top diplomat, Kerry also spoke with his counterparts in Japan, South Korea, Turkey, Canada and Mexico. He had lunch with George Shultz, secretary of state under President Ronald Reagan.
Kerry was sworn in Friday, succeeding Hillary Rodham Clinton in Obama's Cabinet.
Should one tip a mobile mechanic?
Food & Dining
This Thanksgiving, give thanks for family, home, health and – mashed potatoes?
Health care
Reported cases of Lyme disease show dramatic drop in Maine
Our View: Dentists sound alarm on our broken system
Commentary: Limiting social media to 10 minutes a day can improve mental health


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New in ChalkworkNovember 03, 2008
The pixel factory sitting on my desktop has been busy this fall. I have not one but three new Chalkwork sets to announce today (discounting the weekend heads-up on Twitter, of course).
Chalkwork Flags
First up, a set that was quietly launched back in September but not really announced at the time, Chalkwork Flags. Just prior to this summer's Olympics I was working on a project that required a small set of flag icons, so I spent the rest of the games cranking out my own set of every sovereign nation on the planet.
I'll admit, these flag icons were the most fun I've had creating icons so far. Having existing source material with many common elements and a pre-defined style and palette made the design decision-making a lot easier, so they came together awfully quickly, which was a nice change of pace.
Chalkwork Editing Controls
Next, just finished last week is Chalkwork Editing Controls, a set of WYSIWYG-like icons for text and graphical editing. I trolled the toolbars of popular design and word processing software to put together a list of the most commonly-used controls.
The first pass seemed awfully grey; a lot of the icons didn't have an inherent colour, so I stuck with a common palette to make sure they'd sit well next to each other within a toolbar. But the result ended up a little too monochromatic for my liking so I went insane and produced 11 different colour variations for most of them, making this the largest set I've produced by a long shot. I don't recommend doing this.
(A special thanks to Anton, Juliette, John and Sam for responding to my Twitter request for a bit of critiquing, your input definitely made for a better set.)
Chalkwork HTML
And finally, to show my appreciation for your putting up with this purely commercial post, I have an entirely free set that you can download right now. Chalkwork HTML might even be useful, too. It contains 31 icons that cover common markup elements and actions. Plug 'em into your wireframes, use them on your web sites, or anything else you can think of. They're yours for the taking, and available in all sizes and file formats that the rest of the Chalkwork family comes in.
There are colour variations of this one too, but you only get those if you buy Editing Controls or the Collection. Freemium, baby.
Chalkwork Collection
As always, you can get every single Chalkwork icon I've produced thus far (almost 1,800 in total at 3 different sizes) in the Collection, which at a revised price of $249 is still a lot cheaper than buying them individually.
I'm impressed. Within the constraints of a tiny icon, you seem to have tried to respect the Canadian flag's oddball 2:1 proportions:
Thanks. The flag icons are all meant to be as proportional as possible, except for at 16x16 where they all end up taking the same width because that's just not enough to work with. (though Canada is far from alone in the 2:1 aspect ratio, it's used a lot in the Americas and the Middle East)
Where I really ended up getting into trouble was with odd numbered details like, say, cramming 13 stripes into 24 pixels without one being extra fat. Then again there's no way I was fitting 50 stars at any size, so some details are intentionally abstracted already.
They look great…I'll start saving up right now. Just FYI: the collection is still listed at $199 at the bottom of the page.
Ah, thanks, got that fixed. There's always something…
Great work!
Btw., the labels for "Align (Center Vertical)" and "Align (Left)" are mixed up.
Another beautiful set of icons! I am especially partial to the emoticons, but the entire collection is great.
Like the flags! must have taken ages
Just stunning! Will certainly be scraping around for pennies to buy these beauties for my next web app.
Nice work Dave!
Those flag icons are sure to show up all over the web - they're brilliant!
Those are beautiful. And many thanks for sharing the html icons, that I can use (and afford!) today.
All the best,
well done, nice work!
I have to agree that the flag icons are incredible. I was able to click on the link and search through all the flags created. Cool little design. They look great.
I like fresh style of emoticons of Chalkwork Editing Controls set. Excellent for forums.
Yours icons are really good. Though the icons are small they are perfect in their look.
Great work
LOL @ "so I went insane and produced 11 different colour variations"
I'm a fan of colour and yours are very tasteful - nothing insane about them. Very nice work.
That pink eraser in the editing tools the best one I've ever seen. I wonder if it is as 'universal' looking as I think it is.
Also love the HTML outline style with the roman numerals.
just out of interest how come you included a great britain flag and a scotland flag without Northern Ireland England and Wales? not a critisicm by any means just looking at the rational. They do look great by the way.
Aww, thanks Dave! This is greatly appreciated. I've been wanting to do hanging quotes for some time now and can finally do this.
I really like this chalkwork icon set. I am planning on using these on a social networking website I am developing.


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Rumer Willis Supports Lina Esco at 'Free The Nipple' Fundraiser!
Rumer Willis dons a fierce ensemble as she hits the red carpet while attending the Free The Nipple Fundraiser held at SkyBar at the Mondrian on Thursday (June 19) in West Hollywood, Calif.
The 25-year-old entertainer was joined by her stylist Maeve Reilly, The Following star Nico Tortorella, supermodel Lydia Hearst, Karrueche Tran, 24 actor Giles Matthey, Matt Nordgren, and Lina Esco at the event in support of her film of the same title.
PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Rumer Willis
Free the Nipple is equality movement that aims to empower women. "We stand against female oppression and censorship, both in the United States and around the globe."
15+ pictures inside of Rummer Willis and others at the Free The Nipple Fundraiser…


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John Lennon Movie Filming in Liverpool
The makers of the new John Lennon movie 'Nowhere Boy' have sold the rights to the movie to the massive distribution firm The Weinstein Company.
Nearly thirty years since his death in front of the Dakota Building in New York, John Lennon's image looms large in rock and roll. As one half of the creative partnership that drove The Beatles, Lennon's contribution to music is inarguable.
A variable solo career was back in full flow by 1980, having rediscovered his muse after a lengthy hiatus. Sadly, just as it seemed his personal and professional life were at their fullest, Lennon was shot dead by a deranged fan.
A new film aims to tackle the Lennon legend from a different angle. 'Nowhere Boy' looks at the singer's childhood and adolescence, and helps to explain how an ordinary kid from a provincial city in England could have become a global star.
Written by Matt Greenhalgh - who also worked on 'Control' - the film is to be directed by Sam Taylor-Wood. Currently filming on the streets of Liverpool, the film will star Kristin Scott-Thomas, Thomas Sangster and more.
The film is said to focus on Lennon's relationship with women, specifically his mother and his famous Aunt Mimi. 'Nowhere Boy' is also rumoured to feature the singer discovering rock and roll, and forming his first group.


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Related Posts: "Do More Good. Better." Illustrations: Part 1 and "Do More Good. Better." Illustrations: Part 2.
Do More Good. Better. by Steve Scheier is a freelance project I worked on starting last October and finished this January. Here are some more of my rough draft illustrations:
Please visit my store: thepoetandtheflea.storenvy.com!
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Copyright 2015 by G. E. Gallas


text: Laura Biagiotti was born in Rome, Italy, in 1943. She graduated in archeology from Rome University, but decided that she preferred a career in fashion designing. She first joined her mother's small clothing company but left in 1965 to set up her own design shop in Florence with partner Gianni Cigna whom she subsequently married Their firm manufactured and exported clothing for the eminent Italian fashion designers Roberto Capucci and Emilio Schuberth. They also had a deal to make ready-to-wear clothes for well-known house of Angelo Tarlazzi. As the company grew so did Biagiotti's aspirations to design her own clothes. In 1972, she presented a small but successful womenswear collection. She became known for working with fabrics of exceptional quality, especially cashmere in the most subtle colours. She took over a company called McPherson Cashmere and started making many garments in this luxury fabric. Her designs are restrained, soft and fluid, the main interest being provided by the detail and fabric. She also creates daywear and evening wear. She is noted for her soft tailoring and loose-fitting dresses. Every Biagiotti collection includes ""baby doll"" dresses. In 1987, she launched her menswear line Laura Biagiotti Uomo, and women of larger size than 14 have a line callued Laura-Piu. Laura Biogiotti Junior is a line of childrens clothes. Laura Biogiotti sunglasses are also popular. Laura Biagiotti lives in the 15th century Castle Marco Simone, 17 km from Rome. She has used the shape of the four towers of the castle to form her company logo. Her husband Cianni Cigna died in 1996. In his memory Laura founded the Biagiotti Cigna Foundation. The aim is to create scholarships for young designers, enabling them to study abroad. Biagiotti was the first Italian designer to present a collection in China in 1988. In 1994, she opened a boutique in Moscow and the following year was permitted to stage a fashion show within the Kremlin itself, which was a first. 38 Russian models strolled down the catwalk to applause from an enthusiastic audience. In 2000, Laura Biagiotti and her daughter Lavinia Cigna set up Biagiotti Roma, a new fashion house known particularly for knitwear. In 2002, the Biagiotti house celebrated it's 30th Anniversary with great joy.


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Sparkle Calibre P980X+ Review
When looking for video cards, users cannot always afford top-tier versions. Especially in times of economic difficulties, companies offer varieties of mid-range solutions that are often coupled with tweaks and improved cooling to push the card closer to more expensive models. The card reviewed here is aimed for this market segment - the Sparkle Calibre P980X+, a 55nm fabrication 9800GTX+ with 512MB of RAM, 128-shader processors, and designed for lower power consumption.
SPARKLE is a company that was founded in 1982 and is based in Taiwan. The company strives for quality in its products, good customer service, to help the environment, and bring unique products enabled by strong research and development. SPARKLE produces video cards solely and only for Nvidia.
Closer Look:
The box comes sealed in a plastic bag that helps keep the product dry and clean during shipping. The front of the box features a proud unicorn in chrome, similar to a medallion. A SPA Tune sticker for the included software of the same name, which allows for clock modulation and temperature checking, is located in the corner opposite an HDMI Ready sticker. GeForce is also prominently displayed three times across the front of the box, while the model is saved for an attached tag. The package is also covered in a textured checker pattern, some with circles in them, which makes the box stand out more – especially in well-lit areas.
The rear lists a few of the features - Better Reliability, Rigorous Quality Tests, and Cooling System Technology (CST) - and services available with this card, including 48-hour response, 3 year limited warranty, and exclusive membership benefits for owning a Calibre card. Logos of the supported technologies and attributes line the top, including Vista/XP compatibility, SLI capability, and PureVideo HD, along with a few at the bottom. The top has a collapsible handle with the double-sided tag that denotes this as a 9800GTX+. The bottom is void of any information.
Both sides contain more technical information, with one side listing minimum system requirements of a 350w or greater power supply, and a free PCI Express slot. The other side lists that it is an Nvidia GeForce 9800GTX+ with 512MB GDDR3 running through a 256-bit memory interface. The card is PCI Express 2.0 compatible and features dual 400MHz RAMDAC's, DVI-I, HDMI, HDCP support, and HDTV resolution up to 1920x1080i.
The tag has a very dark unicorn, with PCI Express and Sparkle logos above the Calibre GeForce 9800GTX+ notation. The rear matches the side of the box, but also includes a graph of the Calibre versus a vanilla 9800GTX+, scoring nearly 9% higher in 3D Vantage on the high setting. A picture to the right side of the specifications says Super Clock Technology with a gauge in the red zone; we shall see how true that statement is!
Opening the box immediately reveals the card, protected by a plastic case and cardboard cutout. Lifting the card out shows the accessories and manuals underneath the cardboard stand. Modest protection from impacts, but should do good against dust and moisture.
The video card is wrapped in an antistatic bag and enclosed in a formed plastic clamshell package, ensuring that moisture and dirt will have a difficult time getting to the card. The card comes with a DVI-VGA adapter, the audio cable for HDMI audio from the card to motherboard, and two Molex male and female Y-splitters with 6-pin PCI Express. Personally I find it a little odd to include the VGA adapter when the card has a VGA port, where a DVI port would have been more fitting.
With the card comes a Quick Start Guide, a short and easy manual for getting things going, driver CD, Membership Warranty card with warranty details and terms of service, and a slip of paper warning users to connect both 6-pin power connectors to the video card.
With that all settled, let's get the card out and poke around!


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IT Management Slideshow: Choosing Business Technology: Strategy Matters
By Dennis McCafferty | Posted 06-29-2011
As a tech-department leader, you probably love to discover and deploy great new IT innovations. Not that there's anything wrong with that. In the book, The Power of Convergence: Linking Business Strategies and Technology Decisions to Create Sustainable Success (Amacom/available now), author Faisal Hoque reveals how CIOs and other top tech execs can lead the way for breakthroughs that address business values first and foremost. One outstanding example cited is the iPod, which wasn't really a groundbreaking tech product, Hoque contends. MP3 players, after all, existed well before Apple introduced the product. What gave the iPod the edge, however, was the creation of the iTunes music store that allowed consumers to buy songs, rather than entire albums, as well as a highly user-friendly experience. Hoque is founder/CEO of BTM Corp., a top business-technology management solutions firm. Here are 10 how-to highlights:
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The sting took place about 9 p.m. when an officer dressed as a pizza delivery driver responded to a fake delivery call
Wilmington | An undercover investigation Thursday evening led to the arrests of three men police say planned to rob a pizza delivery driver, according to a Wilmington Police Department release.
The sting took place about 9 p.m. when an officer dressed as a pizza delivery driver responded to what police believed to be a fake delivery call in the 500 block of North 6th Street.
When the officer arrived, he was approached by Jarell Murray, 18; Jocqui Flowers, 18; and a 16-year-old.
According to the spokeswoman, an investigation determined that the three men had planned to rob the driver during the delivery.
Flowers, Murray and the 16-year-old are charged with conspiring to commit common law robbery, the release said. Flowers and Murray are in the New Hanover County jail. It was unclear whether the 16-year-old was still in custody.
– Adam Wagner


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Rise of the Triad (2013) Review
Video games have changed a lot over the past twenty years, as more powerful computers could run more powerful engines and new ideas could be explored. As much as games have changed though, in some ways they have stayed the same, as gamers and developers fondly remember those titles from the past. Sometimes the developers just take inspiration from the classic games, but other times they just rebuild the game, taking full advantage of modern hardware. Such is the case with Interceptor Entertainment, as it has rebuilt Rise of the Triad in Unreal Engine 3.
Originally released in 1994, Rise of the Triad is a first-person shooter with about as much violence and gore as you could get back then. Because of how young I was at the time, I should not have even known it existed, but then I have an older brother who is interested in video games, so I got some game time in. After all these years though, I do not remember the gameplay much, but I do remember the ridiculous weapons. Don't want to spoil them here; you will have to check out the gameplay section for that.
If you are someone who should not be looking at gore, or simply prefers not to see it, you probably do not want to look at a number of the screenshots in this review. I play with the gore turned on.
Thanks to the passion of the developers, and continual interest from the community, Rise of the Triad has been reborn, with a near exact reproduction in UE3. Is this blast from the past a critical hit, or just another modern FPS to blend in with the others? Read on to find out.


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35 U.S. Code § 290 - Notice of patent suits
The clerks of the courts of the United States, within one month after the filing of an action under this title shall give notice thereof in writing to the Director, setting forth so far as known the names and addresses of the parties, name of the inventor, and the designating number of the patent upon which the action has been brought. If any other patent is subsequently included in the action he shall give like notice thereof. Within one month after the decision is rendered or a judgment issued the clerk of the court shall give notice thereof to the Director. The Director shall, on receipt of such notices, enter the same in the file of such patent.
Based on Title 35, U.S.C., 1946 ed., § 70, part (R.S. 4921, amended (1) Mar. 3, 1897, ch. 391, § 6, 29 Stat. 694, (2) Feb. 18, 1922, ch. 58, § 8, 42 Stat. 392, (3) Aug. 1, 1946, ch. 726, § 1, 60 Stat. 778).
This is the last sentence of R.S. 4921, third paragraph, with minor changes in language.
2002—Pub. L. 107–273 made technical correction to directory language of Pub. L. 106–113. See 1999 Amendment note below.
1999—Pub. L. 106–113, as amended by Pub. L. 107–273, substituted "Director" for "Commissioner" wherever appearing.
Amendment by Pub. L. 106–113 effective 4 months after Nov. 29, 1999, see section 1000(a)(9) [title IV, § 4731] of Pub. L. 106–113, set out as a note under section 1 of this title.
LII has no control over and does not endorse any external Internet site that contains links to or references LII.


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PhD-IR Alumnus Awarded 2012 Distinguished Leadership Award
Michael Byungnam Lee, '88 PhD-industrial relations, received the award for his accomplishments in the field of human resources.
At the Carlson School Honors Dinner in October, Carlson School alumnus Michael Byungnam Lee, '88 PhD-industrial relations, was awarded the University of Minnesota's 2012 Distinguished Leadership Award for Internationals for his accomplishments in the field of human resources.
Lee began his work with LG Corporation's human resources executives by conducting benchmark research on U.S. human resource practices from his home country of Korea and eventually became president and CEO of LG Academy, a world-class leader in corporate management and human resource training.
When he left Korea in 1980, he had the aspiration of advancing the industrial relations systems in his home country that was torn by labor disputes. He has not only succeeded, but has remained true to his values on human rights and the importance of education.
Professor Emeritus John Fossum introduced Lee at the awards dinner stating, "Michael Byungnam Lee's success has spanned the academic and professional worlds."
Lee introduced LG's first overseas CEO seminar and employee feedback program, the first of its kind in Korea. He also helped encourage a five-day workweek throughout Korea and introduced mental health programs that focused on high levels of stress.
Not only has he had a large impact on Korea, but also on the HR programs around the United States, including the MA-HRIR Program at the University of Minnesota. He launched a program in which LG pays for some of its human resource professionals to get a two-year Masters degree from top U.S. master's programs in human resources; ten LG employees have completed the MA-HRIR Program at the University of Minnesota.
Lee has held external roles at the national level in Korea. Among his many titles are policy adviser to the Ministry of Education, executive board member of the Korean Association of Business Education Accreditation and vice chairman of the Korean Academic Society of Business Administration.
Lee was also the keynote speaker at the 2012 HR Tomorrow Conference where his selection as recipient of the University's 2012 Distinguished Leadership Award for Internationals was first announced.


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What We Do
Social Media Management
Who We Are
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(402) 249-0120
Or email me directly at: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Welcome to The Forum
The Forum for Family and Consumer Issues (FFCI) is a refereed e-journal that is designed to enhance knowledge about matters of current interest to professionals in the fields of family and consumer sciences and 4-H youth development. In addition to Extension professionals, our readers include practitioners in health care, dietetics, nursing home administration, other service agencies, students, the general public, and others.
Articles published in FFCI further the mission of Cooperative Extension by facilitating the transfer and application of research/evidence-based knowledge to bring impact beyond the profession.
Since the publication of our first issue in the Winter of 1996, FFCI has provided, and continues to provide, a vital conduit for scholarly work that offers practical approaches to the issues that face campus and county faculty in Cooperative Extension. Our distinguished Editorial and Review Board members are geographically diverse and represent a wide variety of disciplines. We are dedicated to providing rigorous peer review of manuscripts to ensure both high quality and relevance for an applied audience. Editorial and Review Board members serve by invitation.
The journal supports the Tempe Principles, accepts manuscripts from both national and international authors, and is available at no cost to authors, readers, or subscribers. See Guidelines for Submitting Manuscripts. The journal is published three times a year and includes various types of articles. New issues are announced through various electronic venues and directly to subscribers.
The Editorial Board invites the submission of manuscripts from professionals in the fields of family and consumer sciences, in 4-H youth development, and in related fields of study. The types of manuscripts accepted fall under the following categories
Authors are asked to follow the Guidelines for submitting manuscripts to ensure their acceptance into the review process. Copyright and citation guideline information is provided. Topics of articles considered appropriate for publication in FFCI include
The journal will occasionally publish a special edition focused on a specific topic.
Other types of original scholarly work that are appropriate to be published in FFCI include
Readers are encouraged to write responses to articles, brief stand alone experiences, and/or to express the need for further research, when appropriate.
Learn more About The Forum or contact us at any time.


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Has Pinterest Pinned Down the Future of the Web?
After being created as a text-only destination nearly twenty years ago, the Web has increasingly become a visual destination, where images, photos and videos have replaced text as the new lingua franca of online influencers. In the evolutionary development from blogs to Facebook to Tumblr and now to Pinterest, there has been a steady shift toward more images and less text, as well as easier, one-click ways to share this visual content with everyone else on the Internet. In 2012, this shift will become even more profound, as sites like Pinterest lead to a re-thinking of not just the way we curate information on the Web, but also the ways that we purchase objects and discover new connections on the Web.
As Farhad Manjoo recently remarked on Fast Company, there can be no doubt by now that photos are the new killer app of the Web. If you want to get big fast on the Internet, re-focus your site around photos and images. That's certainly been the lesson of Instagram, which has become the largest mobile social network in the world thanks to its beguiling set of photo filters and easy sharing functionality. That was also the lesson of Fab.com, which rocketed to success in 2011 after shifting to a visual e-commerce layout.
There is perhaps no better way to understand this shift to a visual web than in the growth of Pinterest (and all the other pinboard clones). Now the darling of the fast adopter tech crowd, Pinterest has experienced explosive growth since its beta launch in March 2010. By some accounts, there are now more than 3 million active monthly members, all of whom are "pinning" their favorites across the Web and "re-pinning" the faves of their friends as well. Instead of curating this content in "streams" (as you would on Facebook or Twitter), people are now curating this content in "collections" that are meant to be browsed in their entirety rather than than a la carte.
Once the exclusive preserve of decorators, designers and DIY artisans, Pinterest is increasingly gaining traction with the types of people that you don't normally think of sitting around all day clipping out pictures and putting together mood boards. A company like Whole Foods has already attracted thousands of Pinterest followers with an addictive mix of images around themes like "delicious art" and "creative Christmas projects." And it's not just consumer-facing retailers with stuff to sell who are getting into the game - both The Washington Post and The Today Show also have created Pinterest boards.
And that's where things get interesting. We're not just talking about "pinning" pretty images or cool-looking products anymore, we're talking about "pinning" ideas. We're talking about media companies as lifestyle companies, about content creators as curators with a unique visual aesthetic.
As we increasingly consume content across mobile devices, sites like Pinterest are staying one step ahead in adapting to the new visual Web by developing new mobile apps. All it takes now to pin objects in real-time is the click of a single button on an iPhone app. It's easiest to see how all this easy pinning could have its greatest impact on how people shop for goods - imagine window shopping with Pinterest. Or think of how many times you've sat across from someone on the subway or commuter train and their reading material of choice has been… a catalog. That's right, while you're buried nose-deep in the latest from Murakami, the guy or gal across from you is busily slurping down the latest design trends from West Elm. The online equivalent of that catalog would be Pinterest.
Wait, did I just mention West Elm? What a coincidence, since West Elm is one of the early adopters with a Pinterest site and over 5,000 followers. West Elm uses its Pinterest site to connect with artisans on Etsy, showcase new design ideas for every room of the house (natch) and display photos of fans in West Elm retail stores. See a picture of an item you like, just pin it. Whenever someone else sees your pin, all they need to do is click on that link and presto! Pinterest has just been turned into a highly-effective e-commerce discovery engine. Why search for an item when you can visually discover it?
In 2012, the key to cracking the Interent will be pinning down the visual web. Instead of "liking" or "retweeting" content you like, you will now be "pinning" it. Instead of soundbites in 140 characters or less, you will now be sifting through images on pinboards. The same people who had a hard time figuring out the value of Twitter will no doubt see Pinterest as another sign of an impending apocalype -- as a throwaway Lucky Magazine for ideas, filled with nothing more than endless images of things to buy, things to consume. More likely, however, Pinterest is just the latest iteration in helping us make sense of the mountain of ideas and information we must sift through every day. What if you were able to condense any article on the Web to a single image? Or distill an entire zeitgeist down to a single photo? That's something that might just be worth "pinning" down and sharing with others.
image: Neon Pink Pinteresting Trend via The Official Pinterest Blog
A dark matter hurricane is crashing into Earth
Giving our solar system a "slap in the face."
- A stream of galactic debris is hurtling at us, pulling dark matter along with it
- It's traveling so quickly it's been described as a hurricane of dark matter
- Scientists are excited to set their particle detectors at the onslffaught
We are heading for a New Cretaceous, not for a new normal
The climate change we're witnessing is more dramatic than we might think.
A lazy buzz phrase – 'Is this the new normal?' – has been doing the rounds as extreme climate events have been piling up over the past year. To which the riposte should be: it's worse than that – we're on the road to even more frequent, more extreme events than we saw this year.
New study reveals what time we burn the most calories
Once again, our circadian rhythm points the way.
- Seven individuals were locked inside a windowless, internetless room for 37 days.
- While at rest, they burned 130 more calories at 5 p.m. than at 5 a.m.
- Morning time again shown not to be the best time to eat.
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