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How 35 Seconds Changed High School Basketball in South Dakota
I remember the days of attending high school basketball games in South Dakota when I was roaming the halls of one of the public schools in Sioux Falls. I also remember watching three quarters of basketball, and one quarter of passing and constant fouling.
Back then, I always wondered what the real benefit to not having a shot clock was. Increase of popcorn sales? Help ease the not-so-much traffic at the end of the game? The game became a foul-fest and it wasn't fun at all. Better yet, it was a chore to watch the 4th quarter.
How times have changed.
As we are approaching the end of the regular season for high school basketball in the state, I find myself enjoying the game much more now than I did when I attended. One of the biggest reasons, the inclusion of a shot clock.
South Dakota is one of nine states in the country to use a shot clock for high school basketball. We're finally one step ahead.
The quality of basketball has increased because of it, and now there is a new emphasis on finding quality shots in 35 seconds. It finally feels like basketball. Class A schools will feel that benefit next year.
It would be ideal for Class B to be able to get shot clocks, but (realistically) most of the schools in general could not afford the cost of them. Can't fault them for that. For the SDHSAA to "help" with the cost of them would cause much discussion and would have to go through many areas for it to be considered.
Overall, South Dakota has taken a step into the right direction when it comes to high school basketball. With the addition of the shot clock, the game has become more enjoyable, the scoring has increased, and the game feels like basketball. More importantly, we're giving student athletes the best chance to grow in the game of basketball.


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Blue Ox Blend
This medium roast coffee has hints of ginger and marmalade that brighten a smooth dark chocolate base.
brewing suggestions
This is our favorite mobile coffee—one that's best when done simply. Boil the water and dial in a hand-ground aeropress brew. Of course, any brew method you choose is perfect. Need some tips? Our brewing guides are here to help.
pair with
A mammoth stack of pancakes, a Paul Bunyan sized mug, and a week in the Northwoods.
bean credentials
- Fresh Roasted
- Certified Organic
- Fair Trade
A coffee as big as its namesake, Blue Ox Blend is a homage to all the things we love about our home state. The Northwoods lore inspired us to create a medium roast blend that's as sweet as your secret spot in the woods with the bright fruit of a light roast rounded by deep chocolate and graham notes of a darker coffee.
about peace coffee
We've been roasting fair trade, organic coffee in Minneapolis since 1996. We're passionate about roasting fresh, delicious coffee while cultivating long-lasting relationships along the way. Visit us at one of our cafes in Minneapolis!
orange, spice, dark chocolate
Notes from the Lab:
caramel, graham cracker, orange marmalade

subset: commoncrawl


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Dealspwn writes: By now I'm sure you've all heard that Sony has a big reveal lined up for a PlayStation Meeting on February 20th. We don't think Sony would have the nerve to announce anything other than their Next Generation console at the meeting. Next gen rumours are at their highest point and it's about time we got some answers and not something like PS Move+.
So, assuming Sony don't just show us a console shell on a podium before cheerily bidding us goodnight and promising a second date at E3, I think we'll be shown a few more things on February 20th. Don't forget we still have a big year of gaming ahead of us regardless of the PS4 and Sony will be keen to avoid accidentally killing off the market for the PS3 and Vita by announcing their new machine alone. Instead, I think they will want to strengthen their brand to ensure they move onto the next gen leaving the best final impression of this generation. But yes, we think they're going to show us some jaw-dropping new stuff too....
I would get a Vita if they drop the price so I hope your right.
Sony was working on VR a few years ago, would blow everyone away if they actually got it working properly.
Gentlemen, we are a mere 10 days away from our minds being blown.


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Larson Electronics Introduces Explosion Proof Fluorescent Light with Low Profile and High Output
Jan 10, 2013, 05:41 ET
KEMP, Texas, Jan. 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Larson Electronics has introduced an explosion proof light designed for high output and low profile installation to its line of explosion proof lighting products. Featuring paint booth certification and the ability to work within low profile mounting applications, the EPL-48-216 Explosion Proof Light Fixture is a high output alternative to bulkier and more obtrusive surface mount designs. This explosion proof light fixture also features approval for marine applications and is ideal for operations requiring high output and uniform light distribution.
The Larson Electronics EPL-48-216 explosion proof fluorescent light is a high output fixture designed to provide even coverage and durable operation in a low profile mounting design. Featuring four 48 inch fluorescent lamps within a low profile fixture constructed of light weight yet durable copper free aluminum, this fixture is powerful as well as durable. T6 temperature rated, Class 1 Division 1 & 2 compliant, and certified for paint spray booth use, these explosion proof lights offer a low profile design that fits in well with locations where mounting space is at a premium. The four bulb design produces a high 20,000 lumen output that provides even coverage and good color rendering qualities, making the EPL-48-216 well suited to paint booth applications where these qualities are a must. The fluorescent lamps have a long 20,000 hour operational life rating for reliable operation, and the heavy duty ballast assemblies are sealed within integral housings for safety. The reflector assemblies are also constructed of copper free aluminum and have a durable high gloss finish to provide high reflectivity with even light distribution. The fluorescent bulbs are protected by heat and impact resistant Pyrex tubes, and the lamp assemblies feature screw on end caps for easy servicing and secure lamp installation. The EPL-48-216 operates with universal 120-277 VAC current and is available in standard surface bracket or optional pendant mount bracket configurations, making installation simple and straightforward. These explosion proof fixtures also carry UL 595 Outdoor Marine Type and UL 1598 Marine Type approvals, making them well suited to offshore applications such as platform drilling and ship based operations. These explosion proof fluorescent lights offer operators who need high output illumination from a low profile fixture capable of meeting stringent HZLOC electrical requirements an ideal lighting solution that can withstand the rigors of industrial operations.
"We are saving the customer money, since we are doubling the light output of our 4 foot, 2 lamp explosion proof fluorescent light," said Rob Bresnahan with LarsonElectronics.com. "End users are spending less money to get the power of 2 fixtures in one light. Contractors are installing one fixture instead of two, so that reduces time and material costs associated with installation as well. Finally, from maintenance standpoint, the less fixtures you have to visit with a man-lift adds up to significant savings."
Larson Electronics carries an extensive line of explosion proof lights, hazardous location lights, intrinsically safe LED lights, portable explosion proof lights and explosion proof fluorescent work lights. You can view Larson Electronics' entire line of explosion proof lighting by visiting Larsonelectronics.com. You can also call 1-800-369-6671 to learn more about all of Larson Electronics' lighting products or call 1-214-616-6180 for international inquires.
SOURCE Larson Electronics


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Jesus' audience at least partly includes "disciples" (5:1-2). Having described the appropriate lifestyle of disciples, Jesus now explains that a professed disciple who does not live this lifestyle of the kingdom is worth about as much as tasteless salt or invisible light-nothing.
Until my conversion in 1975 I professed to be an atheist in part because I looked at the roughly 85 percent of my fellow U.S. citizens who claimed to be Christians and could not see that their faith genuinely affected their lives. I reasoned that if even Christians did not believe in Jesus' teachings, why should I? My excuse for unbelief-and the excuse of many other secularists I knew-continued until God's Spirit confronted me with the reality that the truth of Christ does not rise or fall on the claims of his professed followers, but on Jesus himself. The faith of nominal Christians may appeal to non-Christians who can use it to justify their own unbelief, but such "Christians" will have no part in God's kingdom. Instead they will be thrown out and trampled (5:13).
Jesus refers here to more than good deeds; he refers to a good character (compare 7:17-20; 12:33-37). Such character comes only by embracing God's kingship as a gift (as in 10:40; 18:4, 12-14, 27). The images of salt and light evoke consideration less of what we do than of what we are. If only true disciples count before God (5:13-16) and true discipleship means treating both friends and enemies kindly (5:3-12), the salt-and-light paragraph becomes a resounding warning to heed Jesus' teaching on meekness in the preceding paragraph.
A disciple who rejects the beatitudes' values is like tasteless salt: worthless. Salt had a variety of uses (see Davies and Allison 1988:472-73); probably the most evident use was as a flavoring agent (Plut. Isis 5, Mor. 352F; Table-Talk 4.4.3, Mor. 669B). In any case the point is, what is to be done with salt that no longer functions as salt should?
A later Jewish story may illustrate how first-century hearers would have grasped Jesus' point. An inquirer reportedly asked a late first-century rabbi what to salt tasteless salt with; he responded, "The afterbirth of a mule" (b. Bekarot 8b). In that society everyone knew that mules are sterile; the point is, "You ask a stupid question, you get a stupid answer. Salt can't stop being salt!" But of course if it were to do so, it would no longer be of any value as salt.
Just as tasteless salt lacks value to the person who uses it, so does a professed disciple without genuine commitment prove valueless for the work of the kingdom.
A disciple whose life reveals none of the Father's works is like invisible light for vision: useless. Jesus reinforces his point with various images. A disciple should be as obvious as a city set on a hill (as most cities were), and a light in a home should be no easier to hide than a torchlit city at night (5:14-15; most homes had only one room). As a popular sage had put it, "What is the value of concealed wisdom, any more than of treasure that is invisible?" (Sirach 41:14).
Jesus depicts his disciples' mission in stark biblical terms for the mission of Israel. God called his people to be lights to the nations (for example, Is 42:6; 49:6)-that is, the whole world (compare Mt 18:7). Christians are light because-contrary to some psychoanalytic theories-their destiny (13:43) more than their past must define them.
But Christians cannot be content to remain the world's light in a merely theoretical sense; they must "be what they are," letting their light shine for their Father's honor (5:16). Ministers of the Word must equip all other Christians for their ministry as lights in their various neighborhoods and occupations (Eph 4:11-13; Tit 2:1, 5, 8, 10). While Jesus is opposed to our doing good works publicly for our own honor (6:1, "to be seen" by people), he exhorts us to do those good works publicly for God's honor (5:16; cf. 6:9). This distinction exhorts us to guard the motives of our hearts and consider the effects our public activities and pronouncements have on the spread of the gospel and the honoring of God among all groups of people.
Previous commentary:
Encouragement for Those Persecuted for the Gospel
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Jesus Applies Principles in God's Law
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The nation's largest organization of rail shippers and receivers of grain, feed and grain products say a recent proposal by the federal Surface Transportation Board to amend its so-called "simplified guidelines" for challenging unreasonable rail rates was "woefully inadequate," and encouraged shippers of agricultural commodities to become involved in the rulemaking.
The National Grain and Feed Association said interested parties have until Sept. 1 to reserve the right to participate in the rulemaking by notifying the STB. The agency on July 28 announced the rulemaking [STB Ex Parte No. 646 (Sub. No. 1)] to amend its "simplified guidelines" for addressing small rail rate cases, which ostensibly are intended to provide small shippers with access to a simplified and expedited method for challenging unreasonable rail rates.
Congress, when enacting legislation creating the STB in 1995, directed that the agency develop such guidelines for rate cases that are too expensive, given the value of the freight rate, for shippers to utilize the full stand-alone cost methodology normally required. The full stand-alone cost methodology in essence requires shippers to research and document the cost of building an entire new railroad over the same route as the challenged rate.
The stand-alone cost method is an expensive exercise – typically costing between $3.5 million to $5 million – which has discouraged shippers from challenging unreasonable freight rates because the cost of bringing a case would far outweigh the potential financial returns.
The STB in 1996 issued what it termed "simplified guidelines" for addressing small rail rate cases. But because of those guidelines' complexities and costs, the NGFA said, only one case has been brought challenging an unreasonable freight rate over the ensuing 10 years.
The NGFA and other shipper organizations in both 2003 and 2004 had submitted statements and testified at the STB concerning the shortcomings of its "simplified guidelines." Those shortcomings include the vague criteria for determining what constitutes a small rail rate case, as well as the lack of definitive information about how the agency would apply various costing standards to determine whether a rate is excessive.
But the NGFA said that, based on its initial analysis, the STB's proposed new revisions are "highly restrictive" and would exclude virtually all shippers from using the "simplified guidelines" to challenge unreasonable rail rates. Established in 1896, the NGFA consists of 900 grain, feed, processing, exporting and other grain-related companies that operate about 6,000 facilities that handle more than 70 percent of all U.S. grains and oilseeds.
The STB's new proposal would retain three "benchmarks" for categorizing rate cases under its "simplified guidelines," with eligibility criteria determined based upon the "maximum value of the case." Under the STB proposal, the maximum value of the case would be equal to the challenged rail rate minus 180 percent of variable costs (which is the statutory threshold for challenging a freight rate established under the Staggers Rail Act of 1980), multiplied by five years of annual shipment volumes.
The STB proposed that the most expeditious process – in which the agency pledges to issue a decision within 270 days after a case is filed (not counting subsequent judicial appeals) – be for shippers where the maximum value of the case was $200,000 or less. If the maximum value of the case was between $200,000 and $3.5 million, the shipper would qualify for what the agency calls a "simplified stand-alone cost" procedure, which would take about 18 months to resolve. Shippers whose maximum value of the case exceeded $3.5 million would not qualify for the simplified guidelines, and instead would need to bring any rate challenges under the full stand-alone cost methodology.
Using what it called "reasonable assumptions" regarding rail freight rates for grain ($5,000 per car), the NGFA said that the net result is that the STB's proposed new formula would limit recourse under the simplified guidelines' most expedited treatment (where the maximum value of the case is $200,000 or less) to shippers that ship less than 67 cars over a five year period – or about 13 cars per year.
The association also estimated that shippers attempting to qualify to bring a case where the maximum value of the case was between $200,000 and $3.5 million could ship only 233 cars or less a year. The NGFA noted that while these figures will vary to some degree based upon the assumptions used, they illustrate the fact that any new rate relief that would be provided under the STB proposal would be very limited.
"Everyone recognizes that it is important for railroads to continue to earn adequate revenues to be able to invest in new infrastructure to increase capacity and improve service," said NGFA President Kendell W. Keith. "But the time has come for the STB to establish a process that recognizes its statutory obligations and deals in the art of the possible."
From that perspective, the NGFA said, the STB proposal falls woefully short. "It is clear that the STB's proposal is very restrictive and the universe of rail customers that theoretically could have access to rate relief through this mechanism is quite limited," Keith said. "The eligibility standards it would create potentially would establish an even higher barrier to bringing rate cases than exists today. Existing rules are vague. \But if the STB's new proposal were adopted, there would be no doubt that rate relief is beyond the grasp of virtually all rail shippers."
The NGFA encouraged agricultural rail shippers to reserve the right to participate in the STB rulemaking by submitting an electronic "notice of intent" to the agency by the Sept. 1 deadline. Instructions for submitting an e-mail to the agency are available through the STB's Web site at www.stb.gov/stb/efilings/nsf. The mere filing of a "notice of intent" does not obligate the company or organization to file comments or participate – it merely reserves the party's right to do so.
A sample letter to be used in filing a "notice of intent" is reprinted below.
The NGFA, through its Rail Shipper-Receiver Committee, will be developing the association's comments on the STB proposal and will be sharing a summary of its recommendations with interested agricultural organizations and companies.
The NGFA's membership encompasses all sectors of the industry, including country, terminal and export elevators; feed manufacturers; cash grain and feed merchants; end users of grain and grain products, including processors, flour millers, and livestock and poultry integrators; commodity futures brokers and commission merchants; and allied industries. Canadian and Mexican firms also are NGFA members, and use its Trade Rules and Arbitration System by specific reference in their contracts.
The NGFA also consists of 35 affiliated state and regional grain and feed associations, as well as two international affiliated associations. It has strategic alliances with the Pet Food Institute and the Grain Elevator and Processing Society, and is co-located and has a joint operating and services agreement with the North American Export Grain Association.


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Queensland airline Barrier Aviation has been grounded for almost another two months because allowing it to operate poses a "serious and imminent risk" to air safety, the air safety regulator says.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) on Sunday initially suspended Barrier Aviation from operating for five days because it said it had been flying aircraft with "serious and known defects".
CASA said the airline had also been failing to document those defects when they became known.
Late on Monday, CASA was granted an application in the Federal Court to extend the suspension of the airline until at least 15 February 2013.
The regulator made the application because it said its investigations would not be complete in the five-day suspension period.
"This action was taken because CASA believes permitting Barrier Aviation to continue to fly poses a serious and imminent risk to air safety," CASA said in a statement on Monday.
"If CASA completes its investigations on these matters before February 15, 2013, and is satisfied Barrier Aviation no longer poses a serious and imminent risk to air safety, it may be possible for operations to resume earlier."


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A Plan for the Man Above
When times are bad in this part of the country, most people turn to God. During the darkest years in the beginning of the Great Depression things were bad, really bad. Even God, or should I say the getting of His message out, needed help to pay the preachers, keep the churches running, and keep students in schools. That's when the Baptist churches of Georgia came up with the idea of God's Acre, a plan to keep going through the darkness and into the light.
The idea for the God's acre plan was cultivated in the late 1920s and first implemented in the early 1930s. The plan of churches and individuals setting aside a small tract of land to cultivate crops for the good of the Lord spread across the state, reaching a pinnacle in 1932. Every Baptist Association across the state implemented its own plan to raise crops for the Lord.
The plan was designed "to dedicate a parcel of land to be planted, cultivated, and harvested for the extension of the Lord's kingdom on earth, the proceeds to be contributed through the local church for the support of both the church and of the Co-0perative Program, which included missionary, benevolent, and educational causes of the denomination," so said James W. Merritt.
In Laurens County, Dr. C. D. Graves, pastor of the First Baptist Church, Dublin, served as chairman of the local effort. Dr. Graves saw the plan as a way of keeping the churches of the Laurens County Baptist Association open during the economic chaos which plagued the entire country.
In an article in the February 18, 1932-edition of the Christian Index, Graves reported that during the winter, organizers solicited thirty-one members of the local association to secure their help for the 1932 crop year. The association also sought out and received commitments from local Baptist women to donate their hens' Sunday eggs to the church.
During the previous year, more than 332 Laurens countians cultivated plots on 165 acres of land and realized a profit of nearly $1300.00. Eggs produced on Sundays were sold by ten church women's groups for nearly $140.00 in profits.
The members of the Rentz, New Bethel, and Mt. Carmel churches took the program a step further. These churches built new sanctuaries with funds raised from their members' gardens. In the case of Mt. Carmel, the members grew crops to raise the money to rebuild their church after it was flattened by a 1929 tornado. The Baptists at Pleasant Hill and Snow Hill remodeled their churches as well. The members of Marie Baptist used their crop money to aid the Baptist Orphanage at Hapeville, Georgia.
From the beginning, the crop of choice planted in God's acres was cotton. M.H. Hogan, improvising and improving on the methods of Captain W.B. Rice - one of the county's foremost farming experts - wrote a pamphlet on improving agricultural production which was distributed to farmers all over the county.
In the fall of 1931, the Laurens Baptist Association asked each church to maintain at least two plots and for individual members to plant their own plots to secure greater profits for the Lord. Especially successful in the fall of 1931 was the cotton grown on the 12-acre plot of Bethlehem Baptist Church.
With early successes in the growing of Irish potatoes, Mrs. H.A. Knight's Sunday school class planted a small half-acre garden in 1930. The following year, the class tripled its plot and harvested 210 bushels of potatoes and a tidy profit of $81.50, an outstanding mark considering a dramatic drop in the price of the staple spuds. It was soon discovered that a crop of late tomatoes could be planted on the same ground after the potatoes were dug. The girls of Jefferson Street Baptist planted an acre of potatoes primarily for the seed, which was highly in demand by local farmers. Experimentation in farming methods increased under the plan. Mrs. Knight's boys planted one acre of lettuce.
In it's annual meeting in 1931, the Baptist Association encouraged more participation in the Sabbath egg program. County Demonstration Agent, J.F. Hart worked with churches to increase production. At Mount Carmel Church, near Dexter, twenty women agreed to save their Sunday eggs for the Lord, while thirty-eight male members agreed to plant a plot of ground. Not to be outdone, a dozen boys and girls agreed to raise a calf or a pig for the Lord.
Over in Dodge County, every church in the rural sections of the county agreed to participate in the plan. The program continued well into the latter part of the 1930s. Members of the Baptist Church in Adrian used their profits to build a parsonage in 1936.
Dr. Graves in promoting the program said, "We are under the severest financial depression - world wide. It may be long drawn out." Graves saw the improved farming methods as a way of helping both the economic and spiritual health of the county.
The beauty of the plan was that it allowed rural churches to raise funds for the church by doing what rural people did best. And, that was farming. In the process, the farmers were introduced to better farming methods which helped them produce and realize a higher profit, when any profit at all was critical to just existing.
At this time of the year when life long farmers and amateur gardeners are preparing their fields and gardens, I urge you to think back eight decades ago when, in times of economic tumult, the people of our county set aside a small part of their lands to benefit the work of the Lord from whom all blessings flow.


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Flying fishes are extraordinary aquatic vertebrates capable of gliding great distances over water by exploiting their enlarged pectoral fins and asymmetrical caudal fin. Some 50 species of extant flying fishes are classified in the Exocoetidae (Neopterygii: Teleostei), which have a fossil record no older than the Eocene. The Thoracopteridae is the only pre-Cenozoic group of non-teleosts that shows an array of features associated with the capability of over-water gliding. Until recently, however, the fossil record of the Thoracopteridae has been limited to the Upper Triassic of Austria and Italy. Here, we report the discovery of exceptionally well-preserved fossils of a new thoracopterid flying fish from the Middle Triassic of China, which represents the earliest evidence of an over-water gliding strategy in vertebrates. The results of a phylogenetic analysis resolve the Thoracopteridae as a stem-group of the Neopterygii that is more crown-ward than the Peltopleuriformes, yet more basal than the Luganoiiformes. As the first record of the Thoracopteride in Asia, this new discovery extends the geographical distribution of this group from the western to eastern rim of the Palaeotethys Ocean, providing new evidence to support the Triassic biological exchanges between Europe and southern China. Additionally, the Middle Triassic date of the new thoracopterid supports the hypothesis that the re-establishment of marine ecosystems after end-Permian mass extinction is more rapid than previously thought.
1. Introduction
The end-Permian mass extinction devastated the marine ecosystem (causing 90–95% of marine species to become extinct), with restructuring of communities in the Triassic [1]. By the Middle Triassic, several groups of aquatic reptiles occupied the top trophic levels of the marine ecosystems [2], and the Neopterygii ('new fins'), the largest group of Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes), exhibited a high morphological diversity, probably adapted for different ecological niches [3,4]. The Thoracopteridae [5–10], a primitive neopterygian group that was confined to the Triassic marine ecosystem of the Palaeotethys Ocean, first evolved the remarkable strategy of over-water gliding. The modern analogue of the Thoracopteridae is represented by the Exocoetidae, tropical to subtropical teleosts that possess a fossil record no older than the Eocene [11–13]. Exocoetids show successful gliding capabilities over water; they can glide over total distances of as much as 400 m in 30 s by a successive sequence of taxiing and flight, with a maximum flight speed of approximately 10–20 m s−1 [12–14]. Based on behavioural studies and molecular-based phylogeny of the Exocoetidae, Kutschera [15,16] suggested that the evolution of the exocoetid flying fishes was driven by attacks of aquatic predators such as dolphins. Studies of extant exocoetid flying fishes [12–16] potentially provide a good comparative basis for understanding the Thoracopteridae. Thoracopterid flying fishes were previously only represented by material from the Upper Triassic of Austria and Italy [5–10]. This limited fossil evidence hampers understanding of the temporal and spatial distribution of the Thoracopteridae. Furthermore, incomplete preservation of previous material prevents detailed description of several phylogenetically significant characters of this group, and, as a result, the phylogenetic relationships of the Thoracopteridae are unclear [7–9]. Here, we report a new thoracopterid based on the fossils found from the Zhuganpo Member of the Falang Formation, exposed in Xingyi, Guizhou Province, southwest China. These fossils are exceptionally well preserved in grey mudstone, permitting a description of much of thoracopterid morphology. For the first time in the Thoracopteridae, we can observe the ventral braincase (figure 1a). These new morphological data are incorporated into a cladistics analysis to determine the relationships of the Thoracopteridae within the Neopterygii. Also from the same fossil locality and horizon are abundant marine reptiles, including pachypleurosaurs, ichthyosaurs, nothosaurs, thalattosaurs and placodonts [17], and several other fishes [18], documenting an early fauna of marine reptiles and neopterygian fishes in the Triassic Yangtze Sea (a part of the eastern Palaeotethys Ocean) in southern China.
2. Systematic palaeontology
Actinopterygii [19]
Neopterygii [20]
Thoracopteridae [21]
Potanichthys xingyiensis gen. et sp. nov.
(a) Etymology
The generic name is from potanos (Greek), meaning 'winged, flying', and ichthys (Greek), meaning 'fish'. The species epithet refers to Xingyi city, near the fossil site.
(b) Holotype
A nearly complete skeleton in the collection of the Zhejiang Museum of Natural History, Hangzhou, China (ZMNH M1692).
(c) Paratype
A nearly complete skeleton in the collection of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IVPP V17744).
(d) Type locality and horizon
Xiemi, Wusha, Xingyi, Guizhou Province, China; lower part of the Zhuganpo Member, Falang Formation, Middle Triassic (Ladinian) [17,18,22].
(e) Diagnosis
Distinguished from other members of the family by possession of enlarged skull roughly one-third of standard length, two supraorbitals, two suborbital bones and reduction in body scales to only four vertical rows in caudal region.
3. Morphological observation
The holotype (figure 1a) and the paratype (figure 1b) represent a new thoracopterid flying fish that has a total length of 153 mm. The new fish displays aerodynamic characteristics in having a 'four-winged' body plan: a pair of greatly enlarged pectoral fins as 'primary wings' and a pair of pelvic fins as 'auxiliary wings'. The caudal fin is highly asymmetrical and deeply forked, with the ventral lobe noticeably stronger than the dorsal lobe. Swift movement of such a caudal fin could generate the power to launch the fish for over-water gliding. The general morphology of Potanichthys is restored in figure 2.
(a) Skull and mandible
The skull is proportionally large (approx. one-third of standard length), with a flat and laterally expanded roof formed by paired trapezoidal frontals and enlarged dermopterotics. The median rostral is broad and subcircular, contacting the nasals laterally and the frontals posteriorly. As in other thoracopterids, the anterior border of the orbit is formed by the deep, enlarged antorbital, without contribution from the nasal. The premaxillae are fused into a single element, a derived feature shared with the Italian Thoracopterus species [10], but different from the paired condition in the type species of Thoracopterus [7] and most other actinopterygians. The fused premaxillae bear a row of 10 conical teeth.
Two supraorbital bones are present between the nasal and dermosphenotic, including an elongated anterior and a subcircular posterior bone. In comparison, the type species of Thoracopterus possesses a single, elongated supraorbital bone, whereas Gigantopterus has three narrow supraorbital bones [7]. The condition is unknown for the two species of Thoracopterus from Italy [10]. The infraorbital bones include a rod-like lachrymal and a slightly wider jugal. In addition, two large suborbital bones (a trapezoidal upper bone and a triangular lower one) are present in the cheek region.
The maxilla is anteriorly elongated for its orbital portion and posteriorly expanded for the cheek portion, bearing about 20 conical teeth along the oral margin. The opercular series includes a deep preopercle, a large and tall opercle, and a much smaller subopercle. The preopercle has a narrow vertical bar, and a slender anterior maxillary process that ventrally contacts the expanded cheek portion of the maxilla. Ventral to the subopercle, two branchiostegal rays are exposed on the right aspect of the paratype, although the total number is unknown owing to preservation.
The azygous parasphenoid is elongate and covered with densely arranged, conical teeth along the palatal margin of the bone. The basioccipital, which anteriorly contacts the parasphenoid, is slightly longer than wide, with a pair of foramina for the occipital artery penetrating the ventral surface. The paired palatoquadrates are triangular and large, and are covered with dense, blunt teeth. Dorsally, the hyomandibula has a thickened head for articulation with the neurocranium, and postventrally possesses a strong process for articulation with the opercle. Four pairs of ceratobranchials are ossified as slender and rod-like bones. The hypohyal is a small, subcircular bone, with a foramen for the hyoidean artery.
No distinct sutures between the dentary, angular and other elements of the lower jaw can be discerned. As in other members of this family, these elements probably have firmly fused into a strong mandible. The mandible is slightly deeper posteriorly than anteriorly, and laterally ornamented by small tubercles. Sixteen conical teeth are present along the oral margin of the mandible in the holotype.
(b) Postcranium
A small supracleithrum and a large, curved cleithrum can be identified in the pectoral girdle of the paratype, and a single deep pelvic plate in the pelvic girdle of the holotype. The axial skeleton shows no ossification of centra and ribs, but includes a series of dorsal and ventral arcual elements in the trunk, and median supraneurals in the abdominal region. The posteroventral arcual elements at the base of the caudal fin are enlarged, providing a strong support for the lower caudal lobe.
The pectoral fins are greatly enlarged, representing approximately 42.5 per cent of the total body length. Each pectoral fin consists of 11 principal fin rays that have a sturdy basal shaft, but segmented distal extensions. All but the first fin ray are distally branched, providing a large surface support of the pectoral fin. In addition, dense lepidotrichial segments (the 'sensenförmig' of Abel [5] or 'voile falciforme' of Lehman [8]) are present between the innermost principal fin ray and the body wall, further enlarging the surface area for gliding. This feature is unique to the Thoracopteridae. The pelvic fins extend to approximately 20 per cent of the total body length, and show the biplane gliding design of the body observed in other thoracopterids [7–9].
The triangular dorsal fin is positioned far posteriorly, close to the caudal peduncle. It has nine to 10 fin rays, preceded by a single basal fulcrum and four ridge scales. The endoskeletal support of the dorsal fin includes radials of roughly the same number to that of the dorsal fin rays, a derived condition of the Neopterygii, with the exception of Australosomus and other basal neopterygians. The greatly reduced anal fin has three short fin rays, preceded by a pair of enlarged scales. The endoskeletal support of the anal fin is lost, as in other members of this family. The deeply forked, asymmetrical caudal fin has a total of 34 fin rays, evenly distributed between the dorsal and ventral lobes. There are two basal fulcra in the lower lobe and one in the upper lobe. Fringing fulcra are absent in all fins, as in other thoracopterids [7–9].
Differing from the type genus Thoracopterus, which has a fully scale-covered body, Potanichthys shows great reduction in body scales, with only four vertical rows of rhomboic scales at the base of the caudal fin. Gigantopterus shows further reduction in body scales, having only a single vertical row of scales in the caudal region. By contrast, the two thoracopterids from Italy [10], although assigned to Thoracopterus, are characterized by the total loss of body scales. The scale reduction in thoracopterid evolution could provide the advantage of manoeuvrability and energy efficiency for gliding.
4. Discussion
(a) Phylogenetic analysis
The phylogenetic affinity of the Thoracopteridae within the Neopterygii is controversial. This family has been placed in the Luganoiiformes or Perleidiformes [7–9]. Here, we present a phylogenetic analysis to assess the relationships of this group, based on a dataset composed of 83 characters coded across all thoracopterids, two living flying fishes and 11 other neopterygians. The Early Triassic Australosomus, which is often reconstructed as a basal neopterygian [21,23–26], was selected as the out-group. The characters were adopted from previous studies of basal actinopterygians [21,23–31]. Parsimony analysis was conducted using the branch-and-bound algorithm of PAUP v. 4.0b10 [32], with all characters equally weighted and treated as unordered. The analysis resulted in three most parsimonious trees, the strict consensus of which is shown in figure 3.
The results of our phylogenetic analysis are consistent with Gardiner & Schaeffer [21], placing the orders Perleidiformes, Peltopleuriformes and Luganoiiformes as stem neopterygians. However, our analysis fails to support the Thoracopteridae as a subgroup of either the Luganoiiformes (contra [7]) or Perleidiformes (contra [8,9]). Rather, the Thoracopteridae are resolved as a stem-group of the Neopterygii that is more crown-ward than the Peltopleuriformes, but more basal than the Luganoiiformes. The Thoracopteridae possess a suite of unambiguous synapomorphies of the clade Perleidiformes plus more crown-ward neopterygians, including dorsal and anal fin rays only distally segmented, dorsal and anal fin rays equal to endoskeletal radials in number, and nearly vertical suspensorium. The Thoracopteridae lie above the Peltopleuriformes, and consist of the sister-group of the clade Luganoiiformes plus crown-group Neopterygii; the sister-group relationships between them are supported by one derived character state (i.e. nasal not contributing to anterior border of orbit). However, they lack unambiguous synapomorphies of the Luganoiiformes plus crown-group Neopterygii, including maxilla free from the preopercle, possession of prominent coronoid process in the lower jaw, and hinge position of jaws near or well anterior to posterior border of orbit.
The Thoracopteridae have evolved an unusual combination of morphological features associated with gliding. Like the extant Exocoetidae, the Thoracopteridae have a pair of laterally expanded frontals, wing-like pectoral fins and an asymmetrical caudal fin with lower caudal lobe noticeably larger than upper lobe. They have pelvic fins enlarged as 'auxiliary wings', a derived feature shared with 'biplane-type' exocoetids (e.g. Cypselurus), but differing from 'monoplane-type' exocoetids (e.g. Exocoetus). It is noteworthy that most thoracopterids (except Thoracopterus) have reduction or complete loss of body scales, a feature that is otherwise independently evolved in few other ray-finned fishes (e.g. Birgeria), and which is unknown among extant exocoetids. Furthermore, the Thoracopteridae possess several synapomorphies that are unique among the Neopterygii, including dense lepidotrichial segments present between innermost principal pectoral fin ray and body, loss of parietals and post-temporals, and a greatly reduced anal fin with loss of endoskeletal support.
The results of our analysis identify Thoracopterus as the most basal member of the Thoracopteridae. Potanichthys and other thoracopterids are more derived than Thoracopterus, sharing increased numbers of supraorbital bones and reduction in body scales to only a few vertical rows remaining in caudal region. However, the relationships among Potanichthys, Gigantopterus and the Italian Thoracopterus are unresolved. The sister-group relationships between two Italian Thoracopterus species are supported by a complete loss of body scales. Giving this topology, the Italian thoracopterids should probably be removed from Thoracopterus.
(b) Over-water gliding strategy
Gliding has evolved many times in animals (see review by Dudley et al. [33]). Within the vertebrates, it is principally associated with rainforest tetrapods (e.g. gliding frogs, lizards and mammals), which use this strategy as an energy-efficient means of travelling from tree to tree. However, gliding has evolved only twice among fishes: once in the Triassic Thoracopteridae, and again in the modern Exocoetidae. In contrast to tetrapod gliders, the gliding of flying fishes is energetically very expensive, and for this reason the hypothesis of gliding in flying fishes as part of an energy-saving strategy for long-distance migration [34] has been rejected [12]. An alternative hypothesis [12,15,16] that the exocoetid flying fishes glide to escape from predators (e.g. dolphin, dolphinfish, tuna and squid) is supported by the observation that flying fishes are a dominant food source in the stomach contents of dolphins [35]. It is unlikely that thoracopterids used gliding as part of an energy-saving strategy for long-distance migration (but see [10]); instead, thoracopterid flying fishes most probably used gliding as an escape strategy from predators—potentially the co-occurring marine reptiles that had body plans convergent with modern marine mammals [2]. These marine reptiles occupied the top trophic levels of Triassic marine ecosystems, feeding on fishes, cephalopods, bivalves and tetrapods [2,17,22]. Other possible thoracopterid predators include large carnivorous fishes, such as Birgeria [18], which also occurs in the same units as Potanichthys and has a total length of up to 3 m (unpublished material stored in the collection of the Zhejiang Museum of Natural History). Gliding adaptations in thoracopterid flying fishes represent a remarkable case of convergent evolution of over-water gliding strategy with extant exocoetids.
Previous studies [12,14,15] have demonstrated that exocoetid flying fishes cannot flap their 'wings' to gain lift owing to functional limitations of pectoral girdles/fins and the associated muscles (see discussion by Davenport [12]). Instead, exocoetid flying fishes generate thrust underwater, and launch themselves out of the water by swift movement of their asymmetrical caudal fin. Fishes with greatly expanded pectoral fins are commonly presumed to be 'flying fishes', but these judgements should be treated with caution. These alleged 'flying fishes' with enlarged pectoral fins, but lacking an asymmetrical caudal fin, such as extant gasteropelicid hatchet fishes and pantodontid butterfly fish (Pantodon), are neither powered flyers nor even true gliders [36,37]. On the other hand, greatly expanded pectoral fins have been independently evolved for other strategies (e.g. startling predators), such as marine 'flying gurnards', which possess wing-like pectoral fins, but in fact cannot launch themselves out of water. Thus, wing-like pectoral fins are not indicative of gliding. Indeed, the key character to identify over-water gliding strategy in fishes is an asymmetrical caudal fin, with the ventral lobe noticeably stronger than the dorsal lobe. Establishing this criterion is especially important for extinct taxa whose behaviour cannot be directly examined. For example, the fossil fish Icarealcyon from the Early Triassic of Madagascar was previously regarded as a 'flying fish' [38] (but see [10]) because of its expanded pectoral fins. However, this alleged 'flying fish' lacks an asymmetrical caudal fin. Furthermore, it has a relatively deep and laterally compressed body shape, with long dorsal and anal fins, quite different from extant flying fishes, which have a laterally expanded skull roof, broadly cylindrical bodies and short dorsal and anal fins. These differences in body plan between Icarealcyon and exocoetids cause us to question whether Icarealcyon was a true glider. In contrast to Icarealcyon, but similar to exocoetids, these features associated with gliding are observed in both Potanichthys and European thoracopterids. Thus, Potanichthys and European thoracopterids are interpreted as over-water gliders.
(c) Ecological implication
The discovery of Potanichthys extends the stratigraphic range of the Thoracopteridae from the Late Triassic to the Middle Triassic, and enriches our knowledge of morphological and taxonomic radiation of non-teleostean neopterygians after the end-Permian mass extinction. The end-Permian mass extinction was the most remarkable event to impact ecological systems on Earth, and recovery from this extinction has long been viewed as more prolonged than the recoveries following other mass extinctions [1]. Based primarily on studies of terrestrial tetrapods [39], it was suggested that a low level of taxonomic diversity and ecological complexity was sustained through to the Early–Middle Triassic. However, the recovery of marine ecosystems appears to have been more rapid than that of terrestrial ecosystems, as indicated by recently discovered fossil Lagerstätten from the Middle Triassic (Anisian) of southwestern China [40]. Vast outcrops from the Middle Triassic (Anisian–Ladinian) of China have yielded diverse assemblages of invertebrates, fishes and marine reptiles [17,18,22,26,40,41], demonstrating that both the taxonomic diversity and the ecological complexity of top predators and prey in the Middle Triassic were much higher than those in the Early Triassic. As the earliest evidence of over-water gliding in vertebrates, the discovery of Potanichthys significantly adds to our knowledge of the ecological complexity in the Middle Triassic (Ladinian) of the Palaeotethys Ocean. This discovery lends support to the hypothesis that the recovery of marine ecosystems after the end-Permian event was more rapid than previously thought.
Potanichthys represents the first record of the Thoracopteridae in Asia, extending the geographical distribution of this clade from the western to the eastern rim of the Palaeotethys Ocean. The Palaeotethys would have provided an east–west corridor for dispersal, and biological exchanges of aquatic vertebrates between the East and West Palaeotethys Ocean have previously been suggested [17,22,41]; Potanichthys provides new evidence supporting these exchanges in the Middle Triassic.
In modern ecosystems, flying fishes are commonly limited to surface waters warmer than 20–23°C. In addition, owing to limitations of muscle function, flying fishes are unlikely to be capable of flight at temperatures below 20°C [12]. We can reasonably apply similar limitations to the thoracopterids, which are inferred to have inhabited the epipelagic zone in the eastern Palaeotethys Ocean, and therefore implying surface water temperatures warmer than 20°C. A global hot climate in the Triassic period with no evidence of glaciation at or near either pole has been suggested by previous palaeoclimate studies [42], and Potanichthys adds new data supporting a generally hot climate in the Middle Triassic eastern Palaeotethys Ocean.
The research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant nos 40902010, 41272002, 41102011), Key Laboratory of Evolutionary Systematics of Vertebrates (IVPP, CAS; grant no. 2011LESV009) and State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy (NIGP, CAS; grant no. 093103). We thank M.-M. Chang for constructive suggestions, M. I. Coates, L. Cavin, two anonymous referees, editor G. Carvalho and associate editor Zh. X. Luo for helpful comments on a previous version of this manuscript, J. A. Finarelli for improvement in English language, M. Richter for access to comparative fossil material in the Natural History Museum (London), and Z. Wang and Z.-Y. Li for specimen preparation.
- Received September 23, 2012.
- Accepted October 8, 2012.
- © 2012 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.


text: Cowboys, gun fights, saloons, natives and the old Wild West all come to mind with "Heroes of the West". This western action piece is ideal for any creative work that needs that south western, Mexican, Spanish or tribal sound – or – if you want that "tough guy" character theme for your work. Finally this piece would work for film intros and outro credits.


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A Different Life
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Released in 2010, Beginners was written and directed by
Mike Mills. The film is a largely autobiographical exploration of
the issues he found himself needing to process after the death of
his own father, Paul Mills. Paul had revealed that he was gay after
being widowed at the age of 75 and forged a closer relationship
with Mike Mills in the five years before he died from cancer. The
numerous parallels between Mike and Paul Mills and the characters
of Oliver, played by Ewan McGregor, and Hal, played by Christopher
Plummer, are outlined clearly in an
article published in May 2011 in the New York Times.
In February, 82 year old Plummer became the oldest actor to win an
Oscar, for his supporting role as Hal. He also won a BAFTA and a
Golden Globe for his performance. To date, Beginners has
won a total of 25 awards.
The story is told through the eyes of Oliver, a 38
year-old graphic designer who is single. The film does not follow a
chronological timeline, but rather cuts between three distinct
narrative lines, which correspond in a natural way to the memories
that are triggered for Oliver as he deals with Hal's passing. The
film also uses a mixture of documentary forms within the drama;
real film clips and still photos set the historical context of
being homosexual in postwar America in contrast with the
experiences of gay men in 2003.
The film opens in 2003 when we see Oliver clearing
out his father's belongings after his death and taking
responsibility for his dog, a very cute Jack Russell called Arthur,
who is comically given a voice through subtitles. In this
timeframe, Oliver falls in love with Anna, a French actress, whom
he meets at a fancy dress party a few months after being bereaved
and when he is still suffering significant grief. A clue as to the
psychological credentials of the film is given in this comical
scene when Oliver chooses to dress up as Freud and finds himself
analysing other partygoers, one of whom is Anna. It is slowly
revealed that both have struggled to commit to intimate
relationships in their past, and that their shared sadness seems to
be the spark that fuels their attraction. From this beginning, the
film tells two different back stories. The first involves the young
Oliver observing the somewhat distant, cold relationship between
his parents as he repeatedly seeks answers to his question " Is
everything alright". The only early parental relationship that we
see is with his mother as he reflects on her unfulfilled life and
her embittered sadness, in the light of what he now knows about his
father's sexuality.
The second flashback scenes tell the story of
Oliver and his father after Hal has 'come out' as gay and begun a
relationship with a much younger man, Andy. Hal begins this four
year period with renewed vigour and a sense that it is never too
late to get it right, before the discovery is made that he has lung
cancer. This forces an even greater closeness to develop between
father and son as Oliver becomes increasingly involved in caring
for Hal. Hal insists on hiding his diagnosis from his lover, Andy,
and his new gay friends, against the advice of Oliver who is
continually seeking honesty and truthfulness. In essence this is a
major theme of the film, as every character searches for their true
self. The question that is repeatedly raised is what is real,
especially where love is concerned. Oliver's experience of seeing
his father happy and in love with Andy suggests to him that success
in an intimate relationship is possible and this knowledge begins
to inform his exploration of love in the scenes with
This film presents several issues of great importance that are
relevant to doctors in general, and to mental health practitioners
in particular. It highlights at its centre the important topic of
sexual activity in older adults, often neglected by younger
professionals in particular, and adds to that the additional issue
of repressed sexual identity that emerges later in life. A viewing
of Beginners would offer a good platform to discuss these
topics alongside a reading of some suitable articles or books. One
of the few studies of older lesbian and gay men undertaken in the
UK, was published in the journal Diversity in Health and Care in
October 2011(Volume 8, Number 3) and is called Hidden lives:
the importance of recognising the needs and experiences of older
lesbians and gay men within healthcare practice, byFenge &
Hicks (abstract),
in which one of the key themes is a focus on the issue of 'coming
out'. An interesting study published in the BMJ in 2010 entitled
Sex, health, and
years of sexually active life gained due to good health: evidence
from two US population based cross sectional surveys of
ageingby Lindau and Gavrilova at University of
Chicago examines the relation between health and several dimensions
of sexuality in middle and older age adults. For more extensive
coverage of the topic, including a chapter about the older LGBT
population in America, I would suggest a recently published book,
entitled Sexuality and Aging: Clinical Perspectives by
psychologist Jennifer Hillman, which was recently published in
2012. A section of the book is available to read at
Google books.
Beginners also explores sadness in a
number of the characters and gives an exquisite portrait of grief,
as Oliver looses Hal without really having had a long enough time
to get to know him after he has come out. The frustration for
Oliver at having insufficient time to process the whole meaning of
his parent's marriage, before Hal's death, is brilliantly captured.
In interviews with the director Mike Mills, he makes clear that his
reasons for making Beginners were grounded in his need to
continue processing his own personal experience of his father in
the last years of his life through the characters of Hal and
I would highly recommend this film for its
authenticity in presenting such sensitive issues of older age and
sexuality in a truthful and unsentimental manner. All of the acting
is superb and is certainly the reason that the film, and
Christopher Plummer in particular, received so many awards. Oh yes,
and Arthur the dog is unforgettable!
• More information about Beginners can be
found at IMDB, along
with a short trailer.
• Beginners is available to buy at
• Minds on Film is written by consultant
psychiatrist, Dr Joyce Almeida
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Minds on Film is a monthly blog that explores
psychiatric conditions and mental health issues as portrayed in a
selection of readily available films.
Please note that this blog may contain
plot spoilers. Any views expressed are purely my own.


text:
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%WINDIR% = \WINDOWS (Windows 9x/ME/XP/Vista/7), \WINNT (Windows NT/2000)
%PROGRAMFILES% = \Program Files
The following files were analyzed:
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1. Disable Windows System Restore. For instructions, please refer to: https://www.mcafee.com/us/downloads/free-tools/disabling-system-restore.aspx
2. Update your McAfee Anti-Virus product to the latest version (when possible), and ensure the latest DAT and Engine and any applicable EXTRA.DATs are installed.
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text:
High and Low: Kitchen Tool Rails
When it comes to storing kitchen tools out in the open, there is no shortage of stainless steel systems out there. They're all sleek and streamlined in design, but their prices run the gamut:
Here's a list of the rails pictured up top (prices are for the rails only):
- Rösle Open Kitchen, $18-$50
- Matfer Bourgeat, $55
- Leifheit, $18
- Grundtal by IKEA, $7-$11
- Vario Comfort by WMF, $35-$50
Related: Good Question: Affordable Kitchen Rail System?
(Images: Rösle, Matfer Bourgeat, Leifheit, IKEA, WMF)


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MHS JROTC progress takes center stage
Moberly's Veterans of Foreign Wars Post — 2654 — hosted a Veteran's Day Tribute program and meal following Saturday's (Nov. 9) Veteran's Day Parade in town.
Master of Ceremonies Mary Wolf welcomed the crowd, and the Moberly High School JROTC posted the colors during a drum cadence by D. Michael Kroner. It was not the only spotlight given to the fledgling group.
The National Anthem was led by David Donica, and Wolf led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Jeremy Kendall gave the invocation.
Moberly Mayor John Kimmons presented a Veteran's Day Proclamation to the group.
Wolf asked it there were any former prisoners of war in the crowd. There were none.
She then introduced the program's speaker, SGM Darrell Tucker — one of the leaders of the aforementioned JROTC program.
"I kind of look at my job as a bridge," Tucker said, explaining how it can be a transition point for many students.
"I've had some great jobs throughout my career," he said. "This has, by far, been the most fun, and the most rewarding."
Tucker went on to explain the progress of the first-year club to the crowd — how they will make money, the different activities they participate in, the general tasks they try to accomplish.
"We treat it just like a regular unit," he said, noting that there and ranks achieved and goals set.
Tucker also said that to compete in his group's extracurricular programs, students must keep their grades at a C-level or higher. A D or an F mark results in him turning said student away, as part of his education-first philosophy.
"A lot of the students want to go into the military," he said. "I try to talk them into getting their education first."
Following Tucker's speech, Cmdr. Dan Avery, of VFW Post 2654, and Cmdr. Kevin Bartholmey, of American Legion Post 6, performed the "laying of the wreath" ceremony.
Barbara Morgan led the recognition of those persons deceased since the last Veteran's Day. She was assisted by a pair of local boy scouts, from Cairo's Troop 98, who punctured a small flag into a green styrofoam mat for each name Morgan read. The mat was full by the ceremony's completion.
Due to technical difficulties, the military medley was put off until this time, from an earlier point in the program. Molly Nuhn led this, and service members from each military branch were asked to stand when they heard their song played.
Wolf recognized the youngest and oldest veterans in attendance.
Kendall gave the closing prayer, and TAPS was played.
A meal was presented following the presentation, and then Jimmie Null and the Big "G" Bluegrass Band entertained the crowd with a show.


text:
6:30 pm
Rick Steves' Delicious Europe Rick samples classic European cuisine from garlicky snails and homemade mozzarella to savory bouillabaisse, and other regional specialties.G
7:00 pm
PBS NewsHour NULL
8:00 pm
Nightly Business Report Tonight, a look ahead to tomorrow's jobs report and the health of the labor market - where the job growth is and where the slowdown might be. Also, the growing threat of hackers is endangering a critical part of the U .S. D
8:30 pm
Journal NULL
9:00 pm
Charlie Rose NULL
10:00 pm
Human Spark "Becoming Us" Beginning in the caves of the Dordogne region of France, Alan Alda witnesses the spectacular paintings and carvings that date back some 30,000 years. Although it is an area peopled by Neanderthals for hundreds of thousands of years, Alda learns that Neanderthals are tenacious and resourceful, but produce no art. Those who painted the caves were strikingly different, possessing the "human spark." Part 1 of 3G
11:00 pm
America Revealed "Nation on the Move" Yul Kwon journeys across the continent by air, road and rail and ventures behind the scenes with the workers who get people and goods where they need to go in a nation whose population is the most mobile on Earth. He visits the Federal Aviation Administration command center, meets innovators creating ways to propel people farther and faster, and sees how transportation analysts keep traffic at bay in Las Vegas by revolutionizing the traffic light. Part 2 of 4G


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Asphalt poured at Deep River Township nature trail
DEEP RIVER TWP. — The nature trail at the Deep River Township grounds is much smoother after a blacktop surface was laid down July 29.
Karlia Kroczaleski-Raymond, Deep River Township Clerk, said the surface covers the entirety of the approximately 1,500-foot long, eight-foot wide trail.
She said the project was undertaken to give residents of the township and surrounding area a chance for recreational activity.
"We just wanted somewhere were people can go and walk and it's a little bit natural," Kroczaleski-Raymond said. "Eventually, we're going to put up signs to identify trees. Being handicapped-accessible was a really big thing for it."
More improvements will be made around the township grounds in the near future, she added.
"In the next week or two, we're going to be setting picnic tables," Kroczaleski-Raymond said.
Kroczaleski-Raymond said funding for the nature trail was courtesy of 2 percent gaming allocation grants from the Saginaw-Chippewa Indian Tribe and grants from Compassionate Care in Sterling.
"The township has been using 2 percent money from the tribe for it," she said. "And last year, Compassionate Care gave us $10,000 for it. This year, they gave us another $10,000. … Last year, we put several thousands into it."
According to Kroczaleski-Raymond, the project began three years ago, about when former Standish-Sterling student Matt Prohaska started working on the trail for his Eagle Scout project.
"He actually laid out where the trail would go," she said. "He did the rough clearing and built the bridge."
Kroczaleski-Raymond said more improvements are planned on the township grounds in the future. She said new playground equipment will be purchased down the road.
Asphalt for the trail was poured by Hodgins Asphalt of West Branch.
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text:
Prince George's Christening Includes Hymns and Bible Verses
The christening of Prince George occurred on Wednesday in London, complete with meaningful hymns and readings from the Bible.
Three-month-old His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge was baptized at The Chapel Royal, St. James' Palace on Wednesday, Oct. 23 before royal family members including his parents, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, as well as Queen Elizabeth II.
"The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have chosen two hymns, two anthems and two lessons for the service," a state from the palace confirmed. "The hymns are 'Breathe on Me, Breath of God' and 'Be Thou My Vision.'"
The proud parents asked Prince Harry and Pippa Middleton to each give readings during Wednesday's 35-minute-long christening ceremony.
Consequently, Pippa read the first lesson from Luke, chapter 18, verses 15 through 17; while Harry read St. John chapter 15, verses 1 through 5.
The hymns were "Blessed Jesu! Here We Stand," which is the song Richard Popplewell wrote for William on his baptism back in 1982, and John Rutter's "The Lord Bless You and Keep You Safe."
Both anthems were performed by the Choir of Her Majesty's Chapel Royal and 10 Children of the Chapel Royal, according to a statement from the Palace.
The private ceremony also the firstborn son of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge held in the Lily Font in water from the River Jordan wearing a hand-made replica of the royal christening robe worn by Princess Victoria in 1841. George's christening gown was made by Queen Elizabeth's dressmaker, Angela Kelly.
Earlier on Wednesday, St. James' Palace released the names of Prince George's seven godparents, selected by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Surprisingly, neither Prince Harry nor Pippa Middleton were among those selected by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to be Prince George's godparents.
Godparents include William's first cousin Zara Phillips (Mrs. Michael Tindall) who is 15th in line to the throne, as well as William's childhood friend William van Cutsem.
Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, who served as a Private Secretary for the Duke, Duchess and Prince Harry from 2005 to 2012, is also a godparent to baby George.
Rounding out the list of godparents is a friend from the University of St. Andrews Oliver Baker, the son of the Duke of Westminster Earl (a.k.a. Hugh) Grosvenor, Kate Middleton's friend from Marlborough College Emilia Jardine-Paterson, and finally, Julia Samuel- and close friend of William's late mother, Princess Diana.


text:
Comprehensive DescriptionRead full entry
BiologyOceanic species (Ref. 247). Epi- to bathypelagic at 1-3500 m (Ref. 58302). Makes diurnal vertical migrations from below 1,000 m in the day to or near the surface at night (Ref. 6871, 58302). Travels long vertical distances in excess of 2,000 to 3,000 m on a diel cycle (Ref. 247). Feeds free-living deepwater prey such as large squid, gonostomatids, crustaceans but is also a facultative ectoparasite on larger pelagic animals such as wahoo, tuna, billfishes, and cetaceans (Ref. 247). Ovoviviparous (Ref. 205), with 6-12 young per litter (Ref. 48844). The cookiecutter shark has specialized suctorial lips and a strongly modified pharynx that allow it to attach to the sides of it prey (Ref. 247). It then drives its saw-like lower dentition into the skin and flesh of its victim, twists about to cut out a conical plug of flesh, then pull free with the plug cradled by its scoop-like lower jaw and held by the hook-like upper teeth (Ref. 247). Teeth are shed as a complete unit; the lower teeth are swallowed, perhaps to maintain sufficient calcium levels in its body (Ref. 247). Interconnection at the bases of individual tooth allows a whole row of teeth to move if one tooth is touched. This shark is reported to radiate light for as long as three hours after its death. Not dangerous to people because of its small size and habitat preferences (Ref. 247).


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We've been hearing faint whispers that a new Nexus 7 will be announced at Google I/O this year. Until today, details surrounding the device had been surprisingly scarce, especially considering that Google I/O is almost upon us. Word is now in from KGI securities analyst Mingchi Kuo that Google and ASUS will be teaming up to announce a new Nexus 7 next week.
According to Mingchi Kuo, Google I/O will indeed be the venue for the unveiling of the next Nexus 7, set to be released in June or July for $199. We've heard previous rumors that the next Nexus 7 will come from ASUS and feature a spec bump in nearly every area; if Kuo is right, that's exactly what we're looking at.
Kuo has detailed the new Nexus 7 as coming with a 7-inch LTPS 1920 x 1200 display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro (much like the one found in the Nexus 4), Qi wireless charging, a 5-megapixel rear camera, an HD front-facing camera, NFC, a 4,000mAh battery and Android 4.3.
Normally, we wouldn't take anything an analyst says to heart, but Kuo is considered well-connected and has been right on several rumor reports in the past. There's a good chance what you hear today will come true. If that is the case, what do you think of the upcoming Nexus 7 refresh?


text:
May 2015
URL: http://www.kingcorn.org/news/timeless/CorkScrews.html
Corkscrewed Mesocotyls & Failed Corn Emergence
R.L. (Bob) Nielsen
Agronomy Dept., Purdue Univ.
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2054
Email address: rnielsen
at purdue.edu
uccessful stand establishment of a corn crop relies on many factors, including the successful emergence of the seedlings. Seedling emergence occurs as a result of elongation of the mesocotyl that elevates the coleoptile or "spike" toward the soil surface. If successful, the appearance of the coleoptile at or near the soil surface is synchronized with the emergence of the first true leaf from inside the coleoptile.
The mesocotyl is the white tubular stem-like plant part located between the kernel and the base of the coleoptile. Technically, the mesocotyl is the first true stem internode of the young corn seedling. As the coleoptile nears the soil surface, exposure to the red wavelengths of solar radiation causes a change in the supply of one or more growth hormones from the coleoptile to the mesocotyl tissue and mesocotyl elongation comes to a halt (Vanderhoef & Briggs, 1978). If mesocotyl elongation and/or coleoptile emergence are compromised, the emergence of the leaves from the coleoptile may occur underground and remain trapped by the soil.
Reports of leafing out underground in 2012, the year of record early planting, are beginning to accumulate now that growers are beginning to walk their early-planted fields. Such "leafing out underground" is obviously viewed with great consternation by growers who were hopeful for perfect emergence of their crop. Obviously, emergence failure directly impacts effective plant population; one of the major yield components of corn. The extent of the emergence failure in affected fields appears to range from about 5 to 20 percent of the planted population. The magnitude of the effect on grain yield will depend on the initial seeding rate, the severity of the problem, and growing conditions the remainder of the season. Very few affected fields, however, likely merit a decision to replant.
Failure to emerge successfully can be caused by failure of the mesocotyl to successfully elongate and/or by soil restrictions that hinder successful penetration of the soil by the coleoptile. In extreme cases, elongation of the mesocotyl fails miserably, resulting literally in corkscrewed fiascos. Often, more than one of the following causal factors exist in a problem field and usually interact with each other to amplify the problem.
Kernel Position in Furrow: The coleoptile, the protective covering for the plumule leaves, emerges from the embryo side of the kernel and moves toward the dent end of the kernel by virtue of the elongation of the mesocotyl. The position of the kernel in the furrow with respect to the embryo face directly influences the initial location where the coleoptile emerges. If the kernel lands with the embryo face down in the furrow, the coleoptile emerges on the bottom side of the kernel, elongates horizontally until the mesocotyl "clears" the end of the kernel, then finally begins its upward ascent. Such an "upside-down" beginning might contribute to a seedling's susceptibility to other corkscrewing causal factors.
Restricted Emergence: Corkscrewed mesocotyl/coleoptile development can result when the coleoptile encounters resistance as the mesocotyl elongates. Severe soil crusting or otherwise dense soil surface and cloddy soil surfaces can cause such resistance. A combination of severe sidewall compaction plus press wheel compaction over the furrow can also restrict coleoptile emergence and force the mesocotyl to elongate in unusual directions.
Herbicide Injury: Certain herbicides, notably cell growth inhibitors like acetochlor, can affect seedling shoot development especially if weather or soil conditions are not conducive for rapid seedling growth. However when herbicide injury is suspected to be a contributing factor, cool soils and dense soil crusting are often also contributing factors, so is difficult to pin the blame completely on the herbicide injury.
Cold Soils: Cold soils and/or wide fluctuations in soil temperatures throughout the day during the emergence process are also thought to be major contributing factors for the development of corkscrewed mesocotyl development (Buckle & Grant, 1974). The exact minimum soil temperatures that can cause such corkscrewed development are not clearly documented, but clearly it is not uncommon in Indiana for daily soil temperatures to dip as low as 40F during April and early May. Furthermore, bright sunny days can elevate bare soil temperatures quite high but still drop quite low the following night and thus result in a wide diurnal fluctuation in soil temperatures. Dry soils would be more prone than wetter soils to wide swings in daily soil temperatures.
Corny Trivia: Cold temperature injury that results in corkscrewed mesocotyls is not exactly the same as that which is referred to as "imbibitional chilling" injury. The latter refers to cold injury to the seed during the first 24 to 72 hours after planting when the seed is imbibes (aka absorbs) water. Imbibition of water causes the seed to swell. If seed cell tissue is very cold, it may become less elastic and thus may rupture during the swelling process. The most common symptom of such imbibitional chilling damage to seed cell tissue is often simply swollen seed with little to no evidence of germination progress. Conversely, seedlings with corkscrewed mesocotyls germinated successfully. The cold temperature damage occurred slightly later, during the early stages of mesocotyl elongation and affected the mesocotyl tissue, not the seed tissue.
Click on image to open a larger version. Click on larger version to close it.
Related reading
Bradley, Kevin. 2009. Cool, Wet Soils Can result in More Corn Injury from Preemergence Residual Herbicides. Integrated Pest & Crop Management Newsletter, Univ. of Missouri. [on-line]. Available at http://goo.gl/Q93gxe [URL accessed May 2015].
Buckle, Janet and Penelope Grant. 1974. Effects of Soil Temperature on Plumule Growth and Seedling Emergence of Maize (Zea mays L.). Rhod. J. Agric. Res. 12: 149-161.
Elmore, Roger. 2012. Imbibitional Chilling and Variable Emergence. Integrated Crop Management News, Iowa State Univ. online at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/CropNews/2012/0511elmore.htm [URL accessed May 2015].
Nielsen, RL (Bob). 2014. The Emergence Process in Corn. Corny News Network, Purdue Univ. Online at http://www.kingcorn.org/news/timeless/Emergence.html [URL accessed May 2015].
Nielsen, RL (Bob). 2012. Early-Planted Corn & Cold Weather. Corny News Network, Purdue Univ. Online at http://www.kingcorn.org/news/articles.12/EarlyCornColdWthr-0412.html [URL accessed May 2015].
Vanderhoef, Larry N., and Winslow R. Briggs. 1978. Red Light-inhibited Mesocotyl Elongation in Maize Seedlings. I. The Auxin Hypothesis. Plant Physiology 61: 534-537.


text:
Huskies Complete Sweep Of Duluth Saturday Night
The #2 St. Cloud State Huskies completed a convincing road sweep of #20 Minnesota-Duluth with a 5-1 win Saturday night at Amsoil Arena. SCSU is now 11-1-2 on the season.
The Huskies started the game with a pair of first period goals to take a 2-0 lead into the locker room at the first intermission. Jimmy Murray scored SCSU's first goal at 9:36 from Nic Dowd and Cory Thorson, followed by Brooks Bertsch's eventual game winning goal at 15:57.
David Morley gave the Huskies a 3-0 advantage exactly halfway through the second period before UMD finally got on the board with a Charlie Sampair goal 1:31 later.
Thorson would score for the Huskies before the end of the second period for a 4-1 lead, and Ryan Papa completed the scoring in the third at 12:19.
The Huskies host Union at Herb Brooks National Hockey Center next week.


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text:
As I pulled up to the long, curved driveway, I thought about the irony of the date. Hindsight, they say, is 20/20, and I was to do my interview with Steve Jobs on December 20, 2020.
At the iron gate, some very large security guards, dressed in black, scanned my I.D. card, frisked me and took photos of me and my Prius. One was Asian, looked like Odd Job, and seemed like he could wrestle a wooly mammoth — and win.
Odd Job escorted me into the huge house via a back entrance and walked me down a long, dark hallway. We finally arrived in what looked like a large study, dimly illuminated, with a high ceiling. The large hardwood floor and drawn drapes distracted me as I noted only two black leather couches and a grand piano. That was all. No book cases, no TV, no rugs. Nothing warm and bright and alive.
As I was led toward the couches, I saw a dim figure siting in the lotus position, reading something on his iPad. He looked up, waved at Odd Job to leave, and brushed his fingers at me. I figured that meant to sit down. Mr. Jobs was wearing jeans, a soft white, pajama-like shirt and sandals.
We exchanged some minor pleasantries, nothing remarkable, and finally I realized Mr. Jobs, now 65 years old, was staring at me — coldly.
Jobs: So. You have questions?
TMO: Let's start, if that's okay, with your reclusiveness. You haven't granted an interview or even been seen since you left Apple in 2011. Why is that?
Jobs: There's no one I need to talk to. My work is done.
TMO: But surely, you realize you're an American icon. People want to know how you're doing.
Jobs: I couldn't care less.
Determined not to be taken back by warnings that Mr. Jobs would often be curt, I forged on.
TMO: What are you doing these days?
Jobs: [smiles weakly] Well, I talk to Phil [Schiller] a lot. And I play the piano. Laureen and I go for walks.
TMO: And Laureen is fine?
Jobs: Laureen is fine.
TMO: What do you and Phil talk about?
Jobs: Well, ever since he left Apple last year, he's been playing a god-awful lot of golf. He loves Rancho Sante Fe. We chat about the old days. The other day, I was kidding him about the time I talked him into jumping out a two-story window at Macworld New York. He never forgave me for that one…. I have to call him on his iPad. He's never home.
TMO: Let's talk about the decline of Apple. When do you think it all started?
Jobs: I think it all started when we decided to pull out of the expos. I think our last one was 2010. We, by that I mean the executives and engineers, stopped connecting with our customers.
TMO: Actually, your last Macworld keynote was 2008. So what led to the decision to pull out?
Jobs. We noted that we spent about five million dollars on Macworld S.F. Twice as much for New York. And we'd get about 40,000 looky-loos in four days. Not a single one of them was a paying customer. But we were getting a million people a week in the retail stores, every one of them had a credit card, ready to buy something. So we decided the ROI for the expos sucked.
TMO: And you just got tired of doing keynotes…
Jobs: Yeah, that too.
TMO: In hindsight, do you think that was the beginning of the end?
Jobs: Phil and I talk about that. What we lost sight of was that there is a community of customers, journalists, who kept the fire going. At the expos, they fanned those flames, especially when I gave the keynote, and it percolated through out the Internet for months. But as we pulled back from twice a year, then once a year, then zip, the jazz went away. Poof.
TMO: And the company got boring?
Jobs: In a way. We thought the success would last forever. When you've been winning for a long time, you forget how you got there. The dollar ruled us.
TMO: Apple hasn't had a big success since the iPad in 2010. Why do you think that is?
Jobs: It's hard to say. Maybe there comes a time when the magic of an era fades. We sat back and sold iPhones and Macs, then iPads, made a lot of money, but our new guys who came along never got into the fever, the culture of the Mac. I isolated them from the public. Then customers started to take us for granted, while we counted our money.
TMO: Apple became just a big, rich, secretive company, with blasé customers.
Jobs: Something like that.
TMO: If you had it to do all over again, what would you change?
Jobs: I would have hung around longer. Kept doing the shows. Kept the fever, the passion alive.
TMO: If the ghost of Christmas past comes to visit tonight, what will you tell him?
Jobs: [reflects for perhaps 30 seconds.] I wish I could have hung in longer, remained more visible, outgoing. Maybe I coulda been more accessible, stayed on as a spokesperson. And given more of my money away to good causes with a splash. [pauses, frowns.] I never did want to be the richest dead guy.
TMO: With that, perhaps it's time for me to go.
Mr. Jobs gave me my leave by dourly turning back to his iPad. What he found so alluring in that small display, I had no courage to ask.
I left the dark man and the dark, lonely room behind. He never looked up.


text:
By: Dr Lynda Kelly, Category: Museullaneous, Date: 17 Sep 2009
Key points from the summative evaluation we did of the Dinosaur Unearthed exhibition in 2006
The aim of the evaluation was to undertake a detailed study of Dinosaur Unearthed and feed the results into the development of the new permanent Dinosaurs exhibition opening in 2008.
The following studies were undertaken:
Key findings
Overall Conclusions
Dinosaur Unearthed was well received by both visitors and staff. However the Centrosaur story was not well understood and visitors clearly did not read the text panels. This could be attributed to a reluctance to read, yet those who did read them felt the text was well written. Poor positioning of the panels may have contributed to low level of engagement with the written text. Once engaged with the story, visitors were fascinated and asked a great many questions of the staff. The process from finding fossils in the field to reconstructing a dinosaur skeleton is of high interest to many visitors.
Visitors were disappointed with the size of the exhibition and the number of dinosaurs on display. All wanted more, more, more! Handling 'real' fossils material was a highlight but there was a lot of confusion over what was real and what was cast. Confusion also existed over what was a touch specimen and what was not.
As previous research has consistently found, interactive component of an exhibition are very important, especially for children, and most visitors expect to interact with technology within an exhibition. The working lab was very well received by visitors and extremely popular with the volunteers and staff who enjoyed their interactions with visitors. Many staff felt the layout could be improved to allow visitors a closer view of the experts in action and consideration must also be given to height to allow viewing by children and those with disabilities.
The exhibition was attractive to visitors of all ages and there was a high degree of social interaction within visitor groups, adults reading text to children and children eager to display their knowledge of dinosaurs to adults. The opportunity to take photos was clearly a priority for visitors with children.
Different levels of engagement were clearly evident. Some visitors are immersed in the wonder of dinosaurs while others are engaged in a far greater depth.
Size is important. Visitors want to see BIG specimens and lots of them.


text:
Los Angeles, CAUSA
December 22, 2009
No introduction yet
Help support your Meetup
We will be running a Hollywood Club Crawl every Saturday.
It is the best way to check out numerous Hollywood Clubs all in one night - no cover charges and no waiting in lines!
We always have a great mix of locals, travelers, bday parties, singles, couples and tourists. Great way to meet a ton of new people all looking to have an amazing time. We start at a Hollywood bar with drink specials and then walk as a group to 3 to 4 clubs in the area. We will try to rotate the clubs often. $25 covers the entire night ($25 online / $30 cash at event) As a group, enjoy Hollywood VIP style, no club entrance fees and no waiting in lines!
We have been consistently getting 40 to 60 people (Meetup and non Meetup) out every Saturday!
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