text:
Newbie Must Read: What new system did you just buy?
Posted 02 December 2010 - 12:04 AM
Thought I'd refresh this topic for 2011.
The most asked question by any newbie is one that many ask or do research on. So in the tradition of Mr Wetpixel himself, we will (try) to restart this thread to give newbies the most up to date new rigs from members who have made the plunge themselves and why.
So members who have recently bought new rigs, please feel free to add your opinions and feedback on your rigs so that others may benefit from your knowledge. The more details the better.
For ease of reading and research for members, please refrain from off topic discussions
Thanks and happy shopping.
The older thread is here:
"Journalism is what someone else does not want printed, everything else is public relations."
"I was born not knowing, and have only had a little time to change that here and there.
Posted 10 January 2011 - 12:35 PM
I bought it as a cheap way to investigate underwater light, figuring I would upgrade to a more professional quality underwater camera later, but I find the protability of this pocket camera a major advantage, and, surprisingly, the IQ is adaquate for reproduction.
But I have two problems with it. The biggest is composing pictures. Using live-view on the LCD is akward enough in the first place (this is the first P&S I've owned), but when holding it underwater, I can't see it at all. I have to point and guess. I snorkle while using it, but most of the time I sit with my head above water, holding the camera under, waiting for something to swim into view. An underwater P&S with a tilt/swivel LCD would be great, but I haven't come across one.
The other is the shutter lag--very annoying--especially for fish swimming around.
I suppose shutter lag is an unavoidable nature of the beast, although I understand some models have shorter lag, but if I could just find one with a tilt LCD, I'd be pleased.
Any suggestions?
Posted 22 January 2011 - 12:17 PM
New to forum... finding it a great place to assist me with some upgrades I am currently considering
After a few years of reasonably successful shooting with my Ixus 75 in a Canon Housing, I have decided to upgrade to a Canon S95
Both in the UK and overseas I enjoy wreck photography and i use a INON UFL - 165 AD fish eye lens, which I am very pleased with ..
If my understanding is correct with the 95 and it's 28mm lens and the 95 using a different lens mount (LD) I will have compatibility issues trying to re-use the lens .. I am wondering if I would get reasonable results if I were to purchase a LD/AD converter and zoom through the lens .... may be worth a try
I am also looking at adding a strobe, usual contenders the new YS101 or a INON S2000, plenty for me to read on this subject !
Edited by bubbling-under, 22 January 2011 - 03:44 PM.
Posted 26 January 2011 - 05:04 AM
This system consists of:
Aquatica Housing
12 - 24 mm lens
105 maco lens
50 mm lens
macro port
8" dome with shade
Ikelite DS 161 an arm
The vendor kindly took the housing into Aquatica to bring it up to snuff, something I really appreciated.
I am hitting a pool next week to try it our before heading to Utila next week, and Belize the following month, so any starter tips would be appreciated!
I am holding a wake for my Nikonos III, purchased during my final year of high school (1974) with a fraudulently obtained bank loan, next weekend.
Edited by Stoo, 26 January 2011 - 05:11 AM.
- Justin.fallon likes this
Posted 29 January 2011 - 04:24 AM
I am a beginner to underwater photography, but have had some success shooting on dry land with a small 12MP fujifilm. I was just wondering what everyones opinions were on the Intova sports 8 or intova CP8. I have seen them both in a local photo shop for a reasonable price (including housing). I have seen some photos that have been taken from the intova sports 8 and they look quite good.
Has anyone had any problems with them, and are they suitable to be an all round camera (dry land shooting as well as underwater?)
I'm looking for a camera that hasnt got a millions different settings for light and shutter speed etc, but I do want a camera that has some variation to its settings and can be used in many different situations.
I havent fully researched many brands, and am planning to go to a local underwater photography store to have a proper look into what is available, and hopefully get some much needed advice on where to start
any suggestions would be VERY welcome!
Posted 05 March 2011 - 02:18 AM
I'll be watching this one closely. I just purchased a 40D, and am looking around at housings now. I hadn't dared yet put up the generic "what should I buy" question (although I have a fairly good idea already).
But, I would love to hear what 40D owners are thinking of their setups?
I have a 40D and use an Ikelite Housing. I have never used another housing so don't know how it compares but I find it great although changing settings underwater is a bit tricky...maybe it is on all housings though! I have also had a problem with the eye viewfinder becoming fogged and it needed replacing. Not sure really how this happened.
Posted 06 March 2011 - 10:20 AM
My name is Lindsay and I'm new to this website and looking for some advice on upgrading my camera equipment. I'm a little bit different from some of the other newbies, in that I am not new to the acts of underwater photography or diving, and I feel I'm pretty good at them, but I don't know a lot about cameras or photography lingo. I've been diving 12 years (now a PADI Divemaster), and I've recently completed my Masters in Marine Biology. I'm currently applying to PhD positions in the same field. About four years ago I bought a SeaLife DC600 and strobe, and have really gotten my money's worth out of them, as they've been snorkeling and on hundreds of dives in the Caymans, Virgin Islands, the Red Sea, Galapagos, and elsewhere. I've really learned how to use the camera, but I feel like I've maxed out with it, and just want something newer and better (particularly more megapixels). So here's where I need the advice: my husband and I have two Panasonic cameras (DMC-FZ28 and DMC-TZ5), and I want to know if I should get the housing for either of those, get the new SeaLife (though I am a little tired of SeaLife and am looking for something a little fancier), or get something else entirely, which I am willing to do. I see a lot of posts, especially in this thread, about Canons and Nikons, but not many about Panasonics, so this is why I'm curious if either of the two Panasonics I have would be good. The little bit I have seen about Panasonics suggests they might be a little more prone to flooding than other cameras; I insure my gear, but I've never flooded a camera and would like to avoid it at all costs. Other points: as I mostly do research diving, I'm looking for a good balance of camera quality yet smaller size; I often have other gear (clipboards, nets, measuring tape, bags of stuff, etc.) that I'm diving with, so a really large camera set-up would probably not be good. Also, I'm usually working pretty close to the reef, so I tend to notice and take pictures of small things, and would like a camera that does close-ups well. If you suggest something new entirely, what would that be? Of course I would like a good deal, but I'm not feeling stingy about this, as I dive regularly and expect to get a lot of use out of my camera, so I'm willing to spend accordingly. Any help would be much appreciated.
P.S. If you're interested in any of my photos, I have a photos section on my personal website: http://www.wix.com/l.../lindsayhuebner
Edited by LindsayH, 06 March 2011 - 10:25 AM.
Posted 04 April 2011 - 05:14 PM
The most asked question by any newbie is one that many ask or do research on. So in the tradition of Mr Wetpixel himself, we will (try) to restart this quarterly thread to give newbies the most up to date new rigs from members who have made the plunge themselves.
So members who have recently bought new rigs, please feel free to add your opinions and feedback on your rigs so that others may benefit from your knowledge.
Thanks and happy shopping.
I am new to wetpixel. I have been using a sea life DC500 and DC 800 for about 4 years now and have taken some great shots but am ready to advance to using my DSLR. I have a Canon 7d and don't know where to start with housing and strobes and don't have any local dive shop pros to ask as they are all hunters not photo hounds.
Posted 04 April 2011 - 11:39 PM
Any suggestions/recommendations for a housing for a Canon 5D?
Hi there,
Did you ever decide on a housing? After a lot of research I am about to buy the Ikelite for my 5dMII. It seems that no housing gets away with a completely unblemished record, and my understanding is that most floods are diver error, but the diver may tend to blame the housing anyway . The pro photogs that I've spoken to who chose Ikelite chose to do so because they are durable and affordable, both of which I'm looking for, and the apparent bonus of seeing any leaks through the clear plastic.
I will be shooting video as well as stills, and am trying to determine if it really is worth it to get the DS161 strobes over the DS51, and if so, are two necessary? I've heard both. Any input from all fellow Ikelite divers would be appreciated!
Posted 05 April 2011 - 07:40 AM
New to scuba, but have been studying film for too long. Looking forward to learning from this site!
Posted 10 May 2011 - 09:06 PM
Just bought a Canon 7D. I'm very close to buying the Nauticam housing. Does anyone have any thoughts about this housing? Good/Bad? Should I consider Subal or Sea&Sea?
Also... am thinking of getting the Canon 60mm macro lens and a Tokina 10-17mm fisheye. Should this have me covered? Also looking at the Sigma 10-20mm b/c it's easier to find here in Australia.
Finally, I currently have a DS-51 Ikelite strobe. I'm going to use that for a few months. But will probably upgrade to a 2nd flash in a few months. Thinking having the Ikelite paired with an Inon. Is this a good/bad idea?
Thanks for your feedback!
Posted 18 June 2011 - 01:33 PM
Just a newcomer posting a reply to get started.
seems like a really great forum you have here, learned quite a bit already.
Posted 22 June 2011 - 06:00 PM
Posted 29 June 2011 - 12:30 PM
Have re-joined Wetpixel after a few years off diving with a view to getting back into my hobby....
I have a big question....Is it worth upgrading my kit....
I am looking E-PL2 with YS-110alphas and Zen dome, 9-18mm or keep my C-5050z with weikamp adapter to YS-90, 67mm screw on INON dome and macro.....
I have publushed photos with my old kit and apart from shutter lag and pixel count I am struggling to see amove which could cost me £1000 or more....
Opinions please....
Posted 04 July 2011 - 12:19 AM
I have been taking underwater pictures for a while but always with kind of crappy gear. I started with a Sony DSCP-9 and went on with a Sanyo HD2.
Once the excitment of bringing something out of the water and sharing my dives with the non diver part of my family and friends, I got quickly frustrated.
I own a Rolleiflex 2.8E, a Nikon FA and A Nikon D300s and I have always fantasised about it might be bringing quality camera such as these underwater. I have contemplated buying a D300s housing but they are either very expansive or to crappy to take the risk.
Furthemore, the D300s will always be a fantastic camera but I might be interested in seing what Nikon comes up with next, so investing in a pricy housing that can, only be used with one camera quickly became the wrong option.
In the end I jumped on a completely different opportunty; I saw a rolleimarin + 3.5F in an exceptional condition and went for it. At least I don't run the risk of this one becoming obsolete! I have started testing it and so far so good.
I hope to share some good photos here and I hope I will find an answer to my many questions (what flash? exposure meter? film?, etc.).
Posted 13 July 2011 - 07:08 AM
Posted 18 July 2011 - 04:06 PM
Posted 25 July 2011 - 05:21 PM
I am a new as newbie gets but i have been researching for months now! This forum is fantastic as i am learning SO much!
Now just have to narrow down my list of camera choices....
Posted 27 July 2011 - 01:39 PM
So I bought this housing (below), on an impulse. Of course it doesn't fit any of my Nikons. It does have this 6-pin cable inside, which as far as I can tell, goes to a flash connection on the exterior of the housing. So I am wondering which camera it is actually for? (It's a Sea & Sea model, but I have no idea which one).
Posted 01 August 2011 - 10:07 AM


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Area Description: From Atoka: 10 miles north on U.S. Hwy 69, across from the Mack Alford Correctional Center, 6 miles east on Wesley Rd (through Atoka WMA). From Stringtown: 9 miles east on State Hwy 43.
Driving Directions: At the intersections of Hwy 69 and 43 at Stringtown go east 9 miles to PHA entrance sign and north into area.
Game Species of Interest:
Quail: Bobwhite quail are present in fair numbers.
Deer: White-tailed deer exist in good numbers but are highly sought after.
Turkey: Eastern wild turkey are present in good numbers but are highly sought after.
Rabbit: Cottontails are present but not abundant.
Furbearers: Coyote, bobcat, and raccoon are available.
Dove: Very limited numbers occur during the annual migration.
Waterfowl: A few wood ducks and mallards can be found on area ponds.
Squirrel: Fox and gray squirrels are present.
Nongame Species of Interest:
Bald eagle: Eagles winter on nearby Atoka and McGee Creek lakes.
Owls: Numerous species exist. The Screech owl is the most abundant.
Other: Numerous bird species exist, providing birders with ample watching opportunities.
Bachman's Sparrow: Present on the PHA
Description of Fish and Wildlife Management Practices:
Approximately 30 acres of wildlife habitat plots are maintained and planted annually. Habitat is also manipulated annually by prescribed fire with three year rotational patterns of 4300 acres.
Camping and Facilities:
One designated primitive camping area is offered on the area. Additional camping and cabin rental can be obtained through the McGee Creek State Park (580) 889-5822 while both lodging and restaurants are available in Atoka and McAlester. The Atoka City Hall can be reached at (580) 889-3341.
Fishing Opportunities:
Fishing opportunity is limited to small ponds on the area.
Area Regulations: Seasons on public lands section of hunting regulations

subset: commoncrawl


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Technical FAQs
Technical FAQs
Can I extend the length of my Environmental Sensors and Probes?
Product Line
This document pertains to the Environmental Sensors and Probes that can be connected to APC's Environmental Monitoring and Management Units (AP9312, AP9319, AP9320, and AP9340) and version 3 NetBotz Appliances.
Additional information on connecting Environmental Sensors and Probes can be obtained via the User's Manual for the AP9312, AP9319, AP9320, AP9340, and current NetBotz products.


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My Accounts
There is more than one way to hold Treasury securities – you can use:
- TreasuryDirect®
- Legacy Treasury Direct® (NOTE: Legacy Treasury Direct is being phased out.)
- the Commercial Book-Entry System through your bank or broker
You can buy Treasury securities using one convenient web–based account which is part of an application we call TreasuryDirect. TreasuryDirect is our primary retail system for selling our securities. This system allows us to establish direct relationships with you as an investor, enabling you to do business with us electronically using the Internet and conduct transactions without personal assistance from us.
In TreasuryDirect, you can purchase and hold Treasury bills, notes, bonds, Floating Rate Notes, and inflation-protected securities (TIPS) as well as savings bonds, and manage your holdings online in a secure environment.
Our long-term goal is to consolidate all retail sales of Treasury securities in TreasuryDirect. With this consolidation, we'll realize savings in administrative costs and be able to enhance our customer service.
Legacy Treasury Direct®
Legacy Treasury Direct is being phased out. Purchases, reinvestments, new accounts, and incoming transfers are no longer available in the program. For now, customers who hold previously issued securities in Legacy Treasury Direct may continue to hold them there. For service, customers may call 844-284-2676 (toll free) and speak to a customer service representative. Representatives are available from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, except holidays. (From outside the United States, call +1-304-480-6464.)
The Commercial Book–Entry System Through Your Bank or Broker
You can also choose to buy marketable securities through a bank, broker, or dealer in the Commercial Book-Entry System. To find out more, you can go to your financial institutions website or contact your customer service representative at your bank or broker.


text:
The most flexible platform for containerized, data-intensive applications.
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About DC/OS
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Team up with us to customize & accelerate implementation.
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Need help? Reach out to a member of our support team.
A closer look at our ecosystem, written by the experts.
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text:
When the state's congressional delegation, joined by Gov. James Douglas, files a protest to a private company for dismissing a long-time employee, the average reader should be interested. We can't recall another time in Vermont's history that it's happened, which makes the outrage and disappointment expressed by Gov. Douglas and Sens. Patrick Leahy, James Jeffords, and Rep. Bernie Sanders, all the more poignant.
The protest is over the sudden dismissal of Chris Graff. A familiar face on Vermont Public Television's "Vermont This Week,� Graff not only worked as the Associated Press' bureau chief for the past 27 years, but he has been one of the state's most prominent and well-respected journalists — as the managing editor of a staff of fine reporters, as a keen observer of state politics and history, and as a moderator of numerous political debates and public forums. He has become, as one editor recently wrote, an institution in Vermont.
Good news came Friday in Montpelier when Gov. James Douglas agreed to consider an increase in taxes to help pay for changes in the state's health care system. Though he conceded that it took him out of his "comfort zone� on taxation, Douglas approved the notion of adding a 60-cent tax on a pack of cigarettes — driving state taxes from $1.19 to roughly $1.79.
Good for the governor. Just the notion of raising taxes to accomplish a public good was a needed concession to move things forward and offer an element of hope in future legislative discussions.
The governor, however, still insists that the final draft on the health care plan must include his employer-sponsored insurance plan, which requires employees who qualify for their company's health insurance plan to opt for that plan rather than the state's plan. While such a requirement would drive up costs to businesses, it's a fair point and one that Democrats can easily support.
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U2 Explain Their 'Complicated Love Song' For 'Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom'
Ireland and South Africa came together last night when the biopic "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom" held a screening at the Ziegfeld Theater in New York City co-hosted by the Irish rock band U2. Among the notable people in attendance were Idris Elba (who stars as South African leader Nelson Mandela), Naomie Harris (who plays his wife Winnie), producer Harvey Weinstein (a co-host of the evening), Vogue editor Anna Wintour (another co-host), and U2 members Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen, Jr.
Speakeasy talked to U2 shortly before the screening about the song they recorded for "Mandela" titled "Ordinary Love," and about the group's coming album. The Edge confirmed that a new U2 album is on the way, but said they had yet to pick a release date. The band's sessions were interrupted by one of the few things that could have pulled them away–the chance to record a theme song for "Mandela."
Watch our video interview with U2.


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Mass MoCA will hold an evening of poetry to honor Agha Shahid Ali
NORTH ADAMS -- "Some-thing has happened now for me to prevail,/ no matter what remains of this final night. ... / I'm still alive, alive to learn from your eyes / that I am become your veil and I am all you see."
Agha Shahid Ali wrote "The Veiled Suite" for a collaboration with artist Izhar Patkin. It was the last poem Shahid wrote, before he died of brain cancer in 2001.
Patkin's "Veil Suite" paintings, rooms with translucent walls, illuminate Shahid's poetry in a retrospective show at Mass MoCA, where Agha Iqbal Ali, Shahid's brother, will read Shahid's poetry on Thursday, April 24.
Seeing the pieces is hard, Iqbal said, and breathtaking. To walk from room to room, building from image to image, enveloped in those veils, becomes a spiritual experience. More than looking at a painting -- he is engulfed by it. Patkin does not re-create the exact imagery in a poem but reinterprets it, to create a work on its own.
"When you sit in that room," Iqbal said, "to experience it you have to get into the center and walk around, to pirouette, and with each turn you will see something differently."
Shahid's collection "Rooms Are Never Finished" became a finalist for the National Book Award in 2001, and Patkin has created each room in his "Veil Suite" as a representation of aspects of Shahid's work. Iqbal imagined his brother's delight, if he could walk though them.
"If he got to see this, he'd say 'Oh! My rooms!'" -- to see "those veils so filled with so much."
Shahid and Patkin began this work together 15 years ago, through Anne MacDonald, a San Fransisco book publisher, who started a series of books pairing writers and artists. She had Patkin in mind and looked for a writer he might work with -- for 20 years, Patkin said.
Shahid was "not American-born, but lived here for much of his life and wrote in American vernacular," Patkin said
Both came here from other cultures, Patkin from Israel and Shahid from Kashmir, and both bring stories from many places into their work.
"I had the sense, living here, that I couldn't just use stories and metaphors I grew up with, because they would be misunderstood," Patkin said. "Working with Shahid taught me it doesn't matter. Jump into the depths of the story you want to use, because you know it as rich and powerful.
"He took me over the edge with his courage."
Shahid wrote and taught across the U.S. and drew stories from wherever he lived. He also translated the work of well-known poets writing in Arabic and encouraged poets writing in English to understand Arabic forms of poetry, like the ghazals he wrote in English in "Call Me Ishmael Tonight"
In Patkin's room for Shahid's translation of "Evening" by Faiz Ahmed Faiz, the original poem is very Indian, and the imagery there very Western, Iqbal said.
A poem invoking trees like "the dark ruins of temples," a sky like a saffron-robed priest, and a beautiful dark goddess with a bells about her ankles, shares a room with a sunset in a stone piazza swept with pigeons.
The work has a worldliness to it, Iqbal said. The priest could be Tibetan, Malaysian, Burmese, and the backdrop could be Venice.
"You are forced to think you're a citizen of the world," he said, because they both are. "They are encouraging everybody to be citizens of the world."
Patkin's rooms lead people who walk through them from Tel Aviv and the ports of Israel to Andalusia, once the heart of Muslim Spain -- from Eastern European villages to an East Coast cemetery in cherry blossom time -- sharing the sadness of leaving home.
In his poems, Shahid has made a physical place where a Jew and a Muslim can meet in friendship, in shared excitement, Patkin said, and show that any conflict between them is an illusion.
"What he does with metaphor, I try to do with visual perception," he said.
Shahid and Patkin chose to center their work around the veil, knowing it has many meanings and cultural resonances.
Patkin has painted shadows on translucent walls, but he sees his images full of mass and substance.
"When you give a shadow to a figure, you make it present," human and alive, he said.
Iqbal traced the veil in Shahid's poems across the decades. Something that hides, separates, may also be something delicate and incandescently beautiful.
He recalled a poem Shahid wrote about a moment in time when the British Empire shut down the looms of Bangaladesh: "... those transparent Dacca Gauzes / known as woven air, running water, / evening dew ..."
The veil in India has a romanticism, love, feelings wrapped around in it, he said.
He remembered Shahid speaking that poem aloud when Jacki Lyden interviewed him for NPR in July 2001. He remembers Shahid's intonation.
"He thought poetry is not drama. He was insistent -- do not go into theater when you're reading poetry. I remember him saying 'don't, don't, don't perform, just read the poem.'"
On the NPR interview, Shahid spoke from memory, and Iqbal read a poem aloud because Shahid could not remember it, and at that point in his illness Shahid could not see well enough to read it.
He wrote "Veiled Suite" for Patkin not long after.
"I'm astonished he was able to write it in the condition he was in," Patkin said. "He was battling brain cancer. His short-term memory was compromised, and he was legally blind, and he took on the task of writing a Canzone. The rules of structure are so strict."
In a Canzone, the form Dante used to write his "Inferno," each line ends in one of five words or sounds in a set order.
"It took a long time to understand the rhythm and reflections it creates," Patkin said, to find its deepest message for him. "It took a year to feel that I was ready to start an adaptation of it."
Grieving himself, for Shahid and for losses in his own family, Patkin found in Shahid's last poem anger and loss -- and hope.
"What's beautiful about him, he doesn't lose his sense of optimism, his spirit," Patkin said. "The cause of all great poetry is heartache. And he gets to have the poem."
In the end, he said, Shahid moves from veil to prevail.
If you go ...
What: An evening to celebrate the poetry of Agha Shahid Ali
Where: Mass MoCA, North Adams
When: 6 tonight,
Admission: $7
Information: massmoca.org
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us. We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.


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|Jepson Flora Project: Jepson Interchange
previous taxon |
next taxon
Jepson Interchange (more information)
©Copyright 1993 by the Regents of the University of California
Perennial, shrub, tree
Stem: bark often peeling distinctively
Leaves simple, generally cauline, alternate, opposite, rarely whorled, evergreen or deciduous, often leathery, petioled or not; stipules 0
Inflorescence: raceme, panicle, cyme, or flowers solitary, generally bracted; pedicels often with 2 bractlets
Flower generally bisexual, generally radial; sepals generally 45, generally free; petals generally 45, free or fused; stamens 810, free, filaments rarely appendaged, anthers awned or not, dehiscent by pores or slits; nectary generally at ovary base, disk-like; ovary superior or inferior, chambers generally 15, placentas axile or parietal, ovules 1many per chamber, style 1, stigma head- to funnel-like or lobed
Fruit: capsule, drupe, berry
Seeds generally many, sometimes winged
Genera in family: ± 100 genera, 3000 species: generally worldwide except deserts; some cultivated, especially Arbutus, Arctostaphylos, Rhododendron, Vaccinium
Reference: [Wallace 1975 Wasmann J Biol 33:188; 1975 Bot Not 128:286298]
Subfamilies Monotropoideae, Pyroloideae, Vaccinioideae sometimes treated as families. Nongreen plants obtain nutrition from green plants through fungal intermediates.
Shrubs, small trees
Stem prostrate to erect; fire-resistant burl sometimes present at base; bark generally reddish, smooth or gray, rough, and shredded; hairs generally alike on twig, inflorescence axis, bract
Leaves alternate, spreading to ascending, evergreen; blade surfaces generally alike, sometimes convex, differing in color (stomata restricted to lower surface) or hairiness; margin flat to rolled
Inflorescence: raceme or panicle-like, terminal; branches raceme-like; flowers bracted; bracts leaf-like, generally flat or scale-like, generally folded, keeled; immature inflorescence present late summer through winter
Flower radial; sepals generally 5, free, persistent; corolla generally 5-lobed, urn-shaped to ± spheric, white to pink; stamens generally 10, included, filament base glabrous or hairy, anther 2-pored, awns 2, recurved; ovary superior, base surrounded by nectary disk, chambers 210, ovule 1 per chamber, style 1, stigma head-like
Fruit: drupe, berry-like, generally ± spheric; pulp generally thick, mealy; stones 210, free, separable, or strongly fused
Species in genus: ± 60 species: North America (especially CA) to C.Am, Eurasia
Etymology: (Greek: bear berries)
Reference: [Wells 1988 Madroño 35:330341]
Observation of hairs requires 10X magnification. Distribution of many species local; hybridization occurs in areas of overlap
Horticultural information: Beautiful but mostly DFCLT due to fungus and often salinity and alkali. Avoid overhead watering in hot weather. CVS are the easier garden subjects.
Shrub 13 m; burl 0
Stem: twigs finely glandular-bristly, puberulent, or finely tomentose
Leaves ± spreading or erect; petiole 37 mm; blade 13 cm, 12 cm wide, generally elliptic, some oblong-ovate or widely ovate, base generally wedge-shaped, sometimes truncate to rounded, margin entire, surfaces alike, dark green, dull or ± shiny, finely glandular-bristly, papillate, scabrous, or appressed puberulent, ± smooth
Inflorescence: branches 25, crowded; pedicel 35 mm, glabrous; bracts generally 24 mm, > buds, scale-like, deltate to awl-like; lowest bract 610 mm, ± leaf-like, narrowly lanceolate; immature axes 12 cm, ± slender, spreading outward
Flower: ovary glabrous
Fruit 810 mm wide, glabrous
Ecology: Open sites, generally serpentine, chaparral, woodland
Elevation: 200600 m.
Bioregional distribution: s Outer North Coast Ranges (Sonoma Co.).


text:
Plural 's' tag names seems to be the so-convention. I therefore suggest we change these tags:
[widget] ⇒ [widgets] Renaming widget (2,077 questions) to widgets (527 q's) and making widget a synonym.
[task] ⇒ [tasks] Renaming task (720 q's) to tasks (235 q's) and making task a synonym.
[condition] ⇒ [conditions] Renaming condition (457 q's) to conditions (186 q's) and making condition a synonym. Updating as I find more things in need of attention.
[keyword] ⇒ [keywords] Renaming keyword (283 q's) to keywords (449 q's). Also requested here.
[tag: webkit.net] (27 q`s). Burn it. They should properly be tagged webkit (3171 q's).


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Chris McCue necesitaba un nuevo diseño de otro y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 65 diseños de 16 diseñadores freelance.
In Massachusetts alone, nearly 3,000 kids are on waiting lists for mentors, and the vast majority are boys from communities of color (mostly African-American and Latino). On the flip side, most current mentors are Caucasian. We need a compelling logo and general campaign identity to be used on promotional postcards, other possible collateral and the Web, to help us appeal to and attract more mentors of color (especially men; but women of color are also needed).
http://www.Youcanmentor2.org -- Change your life and the life of a child. Become a mentor today!
Based on feedback from leaders in the communities we're targeting, we want the creative approach to focus in on telling the stories of current mentors of color, and the enormous amount of fulfillment they get from being in a child's life. We also want them to tell prospective mentors that it's easier than it looks. We envision using close-up, active photos of African-American and Latino mentors. (Our non-profit organization, Mass Mentoring Partnership -- http://www.massmentors.org -- is an umbrella for youth mentoring programs across Massachusetts (including Big Brothers Big Sisters organizations).
- For promotional postcard: Web URL & tagline: Change your life and the life of a child. Become a mentor today!
Lots of photos of mentors/mentees of colorColor scheme must complement Pantone 7470c and Pantone 5487c (from our organizational brand)A compelling design that will help to attract men (not too soft)
- Stereotypical multicultural designs (no African stick figures, drums, etc.)
- large blocks of reversed-out type
- capital letters
- too many funky fonts
- too busy/difficult to read


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You may have noticed a new section within cPanel labeled Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Tools with a few icons pitching some SEO help. These tools, provided by Attracta, give you a base for simple SEO practices by automating the initial process. While you won't beat out CNN for the top spot in Google for 'news' it can help you get up there for more specific keywords.
I would like to hear your feedback regarding these tools; the pros and cons, ease of use, etc.
We're very interested in finding the best solutions for you online presence so this is just another effort to make that happen.


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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Research Unplugged, the Penn State series that brings together a broad range of Penn State researchers and the State College community for lively public discussions, begins its 9th year on March 14 at the Schlow Centre Region Library. The events will be held in the Downsbrough Community Room Thursday afternoons from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. and are free and open to the public, with complimentary light refreshments.
Susan McHale, professor of human development and family studies, will begin the series with "Sibling Wars: Why Brothers & Sisters Fight (and What to Do About It)." McHale, who is a faculty member in the Prevention Research Center, focuses on the dynamic relationships of parents, children and adolescents.
March 21 will feature a special Research Unplugged event held at the Palmer Museum of Art on the University Park Campus. Dana Carlisle Kletchka, curator of education, and Joyce Robinson, curator of the Palmer Museum, will present "Behind the Scenes at the Museum: What Do Curators Do?" Kletchka and Robinson will give attendees a peek at the inner workings of art museums and the professional life of museum curators.
On March 28, Jeffrey Brownson, assistant professor of materials science and engineering, will present, "Power Quest: Are We Solving the Sustainable Energy Puzzle?" Brownson was the faculty director for Penn State's solar house, Natural Fusion, and mentored the student-run Natural Fusion team to a third place victory in two categories within the Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon in Washington, D.C., in 2009.
Research Unplugged will hit a high note on April 4 when Bonnie Cutsforth-Huber presents a talk and demonstration, "Figaro, Figaro, Figaro! How to Understand and Love Opera." Cutsforth, assistant professor at Penn State Altoona, is a professional contralto and has performed across North America and Europe, including a performance as alto soloist at Carnegie Hall in April 2012.
On April 11, Evan Pugh Professor of Geosciences Richard Alley will lead a talk on causes and effects of global warming in "Lessons in Antarctica: Global Warming, Rising Seas." Alley is a widely published and awarded researcher on climate change and one of several Penn State earth scientists who are contributors to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which shared the 2007 Nobel Prize with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore.
Research Unplugged's season concludes when Jenifer Smith, professor of forensic science, shares her intriguing line of work in "Real-Life CSI: Myths and Realities of Crime-Scene Investigation." As former DNA analyst for the FBI, Smith serves on several federal advisory groups that support national security entities concerned with microbial forensics.
Video excerpts will be available online following each talk. Follow @PSUresearch on Twitter during the events for live updates each week.
Research Unplugged is made possible with the support of the Office of the Vice President for Research, the Office of University Relations and Schlow Centre Region Library. For additional information, contact series coordinator Melissa Beattie-Moss at 814 865 2614 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Digital evidence mounts in Boston
BOSTON — The Boston Marathon's crowded finish line meant greater tragedy Monday, but it also proved key to identifying the suspects in the bombing.
Thanks to the ubiquity of security cameras and smartphones, authorities were able to release photos Thursday implicating two suspects in the Monday marathon blasts. The suspects became part of a massive man hunt, followed by a dramatic overnight shooting that left one dead and one on the run early Friday morning.
Story Continued Below
The sudden development reinforces the inevitable complications of crime solving, even with technology's progression.
( PHOTOS: Search for Boston Marathon bombing suspects)
Hundreds of shutters snapped and cameras rolled before and after the two explosions ripped through the city's downtown, unintentionally capturing the moment and maybe even the culprits. Faced with this deluge of images, law enforcement officials combined facial recognition technologies, digital enhancements and old-fashioned detective work to sift for clues.
"There's no doubt no small number of FBI analysts are going through and creating folders for files of potentially relevant information," said David Holley, a veteran investigator and the Boston office head of Kroll, a prominent risk advisory firm. "It's going to be a painstaking process."
( PHOTOS: Boston Marathon bombing suspects)
Only now the procedures involve more than squinty eyes and a magnifying glass.
Agents must first determine the incident's time frame and examine faces of everyone in that area. They're aided by facial recognition software, which sorts through everything from most wanted lists to driver's license databases, and link names with faces. If no match occurs, a person's pose and the shot's light are altered and run through the system again.
"You rotate the image to kind of create a mug shot," said Jim Albers, vice president for government operations at MorphoTrust, a company that supplies the FBI with much of its facial recognition technology.
( Also on POLITICO: Full coverage of Boston Marathon bombings, aftermath)
"Technology itself has improved significantly so that the false acceptance is less than 0.1 percent in an ideal situation," he said. "Facial recognition is as good as a fingerprint."
Investigators used a similar method in 2010 to capture assassins of a prominent Hamas leader in Dubai and make progress in the probe of a Times Square bombing attempt. It also aided efforts to investigate the 2005 London bombings.


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jueves, 29 de junio de 2017
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Boasting more than 310 days of sunshine every year, Albuquerque, has an array of exciting outdoor activities possible such as hot air ballooning, mountain biking, rock climbing, hiking, golf, and snow skiing and snowboarding at nearby Sandia Peak. Surrounded by the foothills of the Sandia Mountains, Albuquerque's unique high-desert location, crisp mountain air, and spectacular vistas make it a great southwestern U.S. holiday destination.
Consider staying in a holiday rental instead of a small, less-than-inspiring hotel room. The extensive inventory of holiday rentals in Albuquerque includes luxurious, multi-bedroom, adobe homes with expansive patios, swimming pools, and terra cotta tile floors, cozy mountain cottages with awesome views of the city, elegant casitas overlooking golf courses, and amenity-rich condominiums with Jacuzzis, and tennis courts.
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Now, before I get to the list, we know there are a lot of benefits to impact evaluation. And what also occurred to me as I worked through the list was that some of these things can benefit the program, even if they are a slight distortion of resources. And, as a third consideration, it's also important to keep in mind that different methods incur different costs (matching techniques, for example, seem to skip a chunk of these costs -- but they probably make it up in the extra surveys you will have to do to get a sample you can match from). But let's get to the list:
1. A big potential cost is excess recruitment. This really binds when there is a set of program eligibility criteria. For a bunch of methods, we will need to collect data on these criteria for both the treatment and the control group pre-program. Collecting the data on the control group is where the cost comes in. And the more work there is to collect these data, the bigger this cost will be. One of the examples being talked about this workshop was a psychological therapy program. Folks are screened for this (which obviously makes sense) -- but doing this screening for both the treatment and the control was not trivial. Now, if you are doing randomized phase in, the bonus of this is that these folks will all be pre-identified when phase 2 of treatment comes around. But, other than that, this is a cost that comes with the evaluation.
2. Holding back the enthusiasm of program staff. In one program that I worked with, the field staff were so eager to get going that they started running out to communities before treatment and control were assigned. These guys were particularly gung-ho, but the general point here is that in cases where you are doing an RCT, with assignment based on data that is being gathered, there is likely to be something of a program delay as the data is entered for the assignment to treatment and control to be made. Now, the good news is that new computer assisted data collection tools skip the data entry step, so they should help reduce or eliminate this particular cost. But, if you are pulling your data from excess recruitment that took place through the project's infrastructure, this might be less likely to be computerized.
3. Collecting more data through the project's monitoring system. I've worked on evaluations where the fact that we were doing an impact evaluation added some variables to the monitoring indicators the project was tracking. These can range from more frequent or detailed measures of people who enroll in the program to detailed attendance measures (name, id number, and present/absent for each session). Now given that these focus on steps in the causal chain that underpins the program, this strikes me as sometimes being a less obvious "cost" -- knowing these things in the absence of an impact evaluation might have been useful for the program. And the extra supervision, support, and scrutiny that the evaluation team brings to the monitoring system may (in some cases) improve the overall quality of the system.
4. Multiple arms. The logistical work to make sure that multiple treatment arms are rolled out to the right beneficiaries clearly presents a cost to the program. And one thing to think about is that this cost can end up biting at a critical time: as a program is trying to get activities off the ground, the extra work to make sure that these folks get variant A, those folks get variant B, and the folks over there get variant C may really strain logistical capacity that needs to be making sure anything works.
5. Stretching out the program with sample size. Take the case of a program that was going to target everyone in a defined neighborhood. Now the evaluator rolls in and everyone agrees the need for a control group. And the idea here is to half the folks in the original neighborhood and half in the next one over. Clearly, logistical costs have gone up. Another variant of this comes from randomized phase-in. In one program I worked with, we were evaluating the program in two large districts, a significant distance apart. The program folks treated half of the sub-districts in one catchment area, then half in the other. Then, they had to go back to the first district, and treat the control group and then, on to the second for the same. Clearly, it would have been cheaper for them to hit each contiguous sub-district as they went. But, in this case, we discussed the costs and agreed that it was worth it for the lessons we would get from the evaluation.
6. Distorting the program effort towards the component being evaluated. This issue also came up in the workshop, where one of the program management folks felt that a disproportionate amount of program supervision and other attention was going towards the one (relatively small) component that was the subject of the evaluation, while other, larger, interventions were getting less attention than they might in the absence of the evaluation. This can come from the incentives program folks have to get good results or, as I have seen in practice, from a fascination with the evaluation process and the ability to learn. Either way, this represents a potential distortion (more than a straight cost) for the program and raises the question about what you are evaluating (I'll skip the Heisenberg references on this one).
These are some of the costs that are likely to arise for the programs we work with. Obviously, they are things that will hopefully come up in discussions about the design of an evaluation and thus avoid more difficult discussions later on. Further thoughts on other costs, as well as mitigation measures are most welcome. Finally, one other thought to ruminate on – given that there are likely to be some positive costs to the program from participating in an impact evaluation, this is one driver of the selection bias into what gets impact-evaluated…
Join the Conversation
My first thought - roll-out to different groups in conflict and post-conflict settings, even if explicitly randomized, raises the risks of widening gaps between the "have" and "have-not" groups and therefore exacerbating the conflict. Clear communication and public (participatory) randomization might help mitigate these risks.
Do you have any good examples of evaluations where the issues related to impact evaluation and conflict were carefully thought through and addressed?
i think the principles you lay out make sense. And in the evaluations we do in these contexts, these are things we strive for. In addition, one of the points that came up in the workshop (where the particular context was therapy for surviors of violence) was that the control group didn't get nothing -- they got a different type of therapy (and it was clear ex ante which one dominated). My guess is that this is likely a common course of action where you are in post-conflict settings and resources are not constrained.
However, I would like to hear more about this -- so if anyone has examples of how they handled this please do email me and I can do a later post that does a better job of answering Vivek's question.
One of the arguments made by Nick York in a previous blog in favor of impact evaluation was that it was a global public good. So this might beg the question of the ethics of imposing costs on the poorest post conflict environments in favor of a global public good that will benefit other countries including less needy communities and countries.
In a similar vein, the ethical issues of imposing participation costs or excluding treatment from the control groups would seem to be more compelling in a post conflict environment where the priority might be more immediate.
And on a practical level, it is harder to administer impact evaluation where the administration is weak or absent. I think a lot of the pioneering work in impact evaluation was done in middle income countries.
Would you think there is a case for steering clear of fragile and post conflict environments (particularly if the evaluation process itself might exacerbate conflict)?
I am guessing this is not always the right answer because with increasing shares of resources going into difficult environments we would need the evidence to know what is working and not working in those very environments.
All this is, or may be, true. Sure enough, these should be taken into consideration. But it is truer that bringing about an intervention with no good evidence about its potential impact is all too frequent. Money, good will and effort are wasted so frequently when doing development work. In post conflict settings (actually, in all settings) no intervention should be implemented without a reasonable good impact evaluation, save for those instances for which hard evidence has already being accumulated. Given that cases in which no good evidence is available far exceeds cases where that evidence exist, impact evaluation should a feature of all development work , instead of an afterthougt. In other words, we should discuss whether NOT to conduct impact evaluation instead of it should be conducted.


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Actress Amy Smart has landed herself a hunky carpenter hubby-to-be!
The Just Friends actress, 35, is engaged to HGTV's Carter Oosterhouse, she told Us Weekly at an Earth Lovers in Celebration of Earth Day event hosted by the Body Shop in New York on Thursday.
Calling Oosterhouse, 34, her "fiance," Smart told Us the engagement is "very new" and "very exciting."
The stars met by chance at a green-charity event in November 2010. An insider told Us: "He's an eco-carpenter; Amy drives a hybrid and is the greenest girl I know. They are perfect for each other." The source added: "Here are two wholesome, kind, sweet Midwestern types. Neither has sold out and gone Hollywood." Check out Amy's ring!
Oosterhouse first rose to fame as a carpenter on TLC's Trading Spaces and has hosted the HGTV shows Carter Can and Red Hot & Green. Smart, who also starred in The Butterfly Effect, ended her 15-year-relationship with actor Branden Williams last year.
Another source told Us about Oosterhouse's proposal: "It happened four days ago. He proposed in L.A. It was a very big surprise but she is thrilled and is very excited. They are a good pair and very in sync with each other."
For access to all our exclusive celebrity videos and interviews – Subscribe on Youtube!


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Thanks I'm heading over.
Thank you! I am following your blog now! :)
Hi Jeannette...thanks for the comment! Can you please help me? I am new to the blog world. I am the President/Founder of a non-profit foundation (www.cmvfoundation.org) and we are in a grant competition on FB sponsored by Chase. It ends in 4 days. My foundation is dedicated to raising awareness about the leading cause of childhood disability, CMV. Have you heard of it? Most women have not. I know I hadn't until my son was diagnosed with it at 3 1/2 weeks old. He is now severely disabled and medically fragile. My foundation needs to win this grant so we can air our PSA's on national TV across America to educate woman about CMV...a common virus and childhood illness, but if contracted while a woman is pregnant it can have devastating effects on the unborn baby! This is what happened to my son. This is what I am now on a mission to prevent from happening any more. Can you please help me get the word out and get everyone you know on Facebook to vote for us? It is a one time vote...20 seconds and done...but so very important to save babies yet to be born from CMV. Thank you in advance <3
Jeannette, you're from Asheville, one of my favorite places in the world! I lived in Jackson County for over 30 years, taught at WCU. I have a son, Billy, now 55 years old. He has Down syndrome and is the love of my life. Tell me about you!
Visit my blog at www.grownmannow.com. Thanks for the invitation.
just joined your site...I hope I am doing all this right! pls follow back @ momto8
Hi Jeannette! Hope your week is going very well!
Hi there, thanks for the welcome! I will follow you blog :) Please do visit mine as well if you have time: http://planetmarsy.blogspot.com
Hello, thanks for the welcome. I am now following your blog and look forward to reading more. I LOVE the picture of your pop! Too funny! Feel free to stop by either of my blogs http://www.asensiblemomma.com and http://stayhomemomblog.com. Take care!
Hi Jeanette, Thanks for the welcome! I'm already following your blog, and I have added my link to your hop in the past. Loved it!
Thanks for the friend request.
Thanks for the welcome! Looking forward to commenting!
Thank you for your welcome! I'm hosting a coconut oil giveaway from 11/7/11 - 11/21/11 here: https://www.facebook.com/#!/MyNaturalMotherhoodJourney?sk=app_204684816209053
Hi-yes, I know your blog-you host some awesome giveaways!! Thank you for the welcome, I'm sure I will catch on soon!!! Looking forward to getting to know everyone!!
Hi, thanks for the request! I plan on visiting your blog tonight, and I just wanted you to know that I've changed domains for mine. Have a great weekend!
Hi Jeanette, thanks for the friend request. Stopped by your blog which I enjoyed very much. If you have a chance visit my blog, I am a new blogger and am really enjoying it. http://diaryofamadmommy-londi.blogspot.com/
Hi Jeanette, I just wanted to thank you for hosting the Finding Friends Weekend Blog Hops and sending the weekly reminders. I've found lots of great blogs to follow and AM finding friends. Thanks so much! : ) Karen www.nakedmommydiaries.com
Hi Jeanette, Thank you for the welcome. I would like to sign up for the next blog hop. I will try adding my name to the list now.
Thanks for inviting me!
ruth (educationdiva)


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M&A frenzy as Pfizer amasses AstraZeneca critics
LONDON — Fears that a proposed $106 billion takeover of British pharmaceuticals firm AstraZeneca by Pfizer, its New York-based rival that makes the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra, would lead to job losses and tax sidestepping is ruffling political feathers on both sides of the Atlantic even as merger activity in the pharma sector hits record levels.
Since the start of the year, the value of deal-making maneuvers in the global pharmaceutical sector has hit nearly $240 billion, making 2014 the busiest year ever, according to Thomson Reuters data.
"What the Pfizer bid for AstraZeneca has done is to highlight that the next cycle in the bio-pharmaceutical business is M&A," says Basil Petrides, an analyst at Beaufort Securities, a London-based wealth management company.
"There are always synergies to be had in terms of minimizing overlap, but the deals we have seen recently are not necessarily all about cost-cutting either," he says. "Intellectual property rights on drugs only last for a certain amount of years and after that they are opened up to other manufacturers. Pfizer has been circling this deal for a long time. Its pipeline of drugs is slowly eroding and the easiest way to get value for shareholders is to take over companies that have 'pipe' and proven technology."
In addition to Pfizer's spurned cash and stock bid for AstraZeneca on May 2 — worth a bit less after shares in Britain's second-largest drugs firm closed down 2.4% Friday — Germany's Bayer agreed to purchase New Jersey-headquartered Merck's consumer care business on May 6 for $14.2 billion.
On April 22, activist investor Bill Ackman teamed up with Canada's Valeant Pharmaceuticals for a $47 billion bid for Allergen, the maker of Botox. That same day, Novartis of Switzerland and Britain's GlaxoSmithKline said they would swap assets and combine units in a deal valued at around $16 billion.
Pfizer's so-far rebuffed interest in AstraZeneca is confronting particularly intensive scrutiny in Britain though. The pharmaceutical industry is thought of, by Prime Minister David Cameron's coalition government and key by opposition parties, as a "jewel in Britain's scientific and industrial crown," as the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) has put it.
The ABPI, whose current president is Pfizer's managing director in Britain, declined to comment on the proposed deal, but did provide data showing that the pharmaceutical industry directly employs 73,000 people in Britain and as a sector "represents 25% of all expenditure on R&D in U.K. businesses" — a figure that fell to about $29 billion in 2012, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Critics of the deal say losing AstraZeneca, which employs around 6,700 workers in Britain and makes a sizable contribution to its R&D efforts, would weaken Britain's claim to being a major global player in science and technology. Foes of the proposal, including the opposition Labour Party leader Ed Miliband, accuse Cameron of being a "cheerleader" for the takeover, arguing that Pfizer has failed to provide sufficient assurances that it won't shed jobs or gut a planned research center AstraZeneca is building in the technology hub of Cambridge.
''Let me be absolutely clear — I'm not satisfied. I want more. But the way to get more is to engage," Cameron has said, responding to allegations he has been too supportive of the proposal.
Others, including some from the prime minister's Conservative Party, have voiced suspicions that Pfizer is concerned chiefly with lowering its tax liabilities by shifting its domicile to the United Kingdom, where the corporate tax rate is lower, and have called for a public interest test.
"If such a test were applied in this case, then I believe Pfizer's bid would fail. It doesn't have a great track record in honoring its undertakings and the suspicion remains it is primarily interested in reducing its tax bill," David Davis, a senior Conservative politician, told the Times of London.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Ian Read, Pfizer's Scottish-born CEO, and Pascal Soriot, AstraZeneca's French boss, will appear before two separate panels of British lawmakers to face questioning about the deal's potential impact.
One relatively recent test case that may arise is U.S. foods company Kraft's 2010 takeover of British chocolate maker Cadbury. "Kraft implied it was going to keep staff on at Cadbury, but as soon as the deal was done it didn't," says Petrides, the Beaufort analyst. A factory that was slated to remain open was also closed.
Anders Borg, Sweden's foreign minister, already warned this week that Pfizer failed to live up to pledges it made over keeping jobs in that country following its acquisition of drug maker Pharmacia in 2002.
"Our experience shows that their track record is not very convincing and I think one should take these kind of promises not only with a pinch of salt but a sack full of salt," Borg said, speaking on British radio.
Capitol Hill is paying attention, too. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich, said Thursday he would push for legislation aimed at closing a loophole that permits companies to re-incorporate in overseas territories with lower tax bases.
"Companies that exploit this loophole benefit from the protections and services the federal government provides, including patent protection, research and development tax credits, national security and more," said Levin. Senate Finance Committee chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., supports Levin's initiative.
Also Thursday, Delaware Gov. Jack Markell and Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley sent a letter to Pfizer's Read, expressing concern over how a deal with the British drug maker may affect the 5,700 workers in their states.
"Our states have invested substantially to make AstraZeneca a success in our communities. Elected officials and the public have a right to know Pfizer's intentions with respect to the key U.S. operations of AstraZeneca and the thousands of employees in our states whose jobs may be jeopardized by Pfizer's desire to reduce its tax liabilities," they wrote.
In a video posted on Pfizer's website over the weekend, Read shot back at critics who have called into doubt his firm's motives, saying the deal would be a "win-win" for society and investors. He has previously written to Cameron, confirming a commitment to Britain's science sector.
Read said Saturday that gaining access to AstraZeneca's R&D was a key motivation for the bid. "When we looked at AstraZeneca, we liked their science. We liked where their science is being done, which is in the U.K., and we know we have good science in the U.K. in Cambridge, Oxford, London and other universities," he said. No new pledges were made.
Since rejecting Pfizer's bid as "inadequate" and subsequent comments from Soriot that shareholders have been "supportive" of that move, AstraZeneca has made few public comments.
Follow Kim Hjelmgaard on Twitter @khjelmgaard


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Bag-o-Scope and Beauty Confessions For Aries Ladies Of The WorldCategories:Other Brands
April's here and the planets are aligning yet again! Our Aries ladies are taking the spotlight this month, along with big-named Arians like Leighton Meester, Emma Watson, Jennifer Garner, Victoria Beckham and Brooklyn Decker.
Our Arian starlet in focus this month is Korean sensation, Jessica Jung. Previously from South Korean girl group Girls' Generation, the California-born singer, dancer and now, entrepreneur, with her own fashion line Blanc & Eclare, is in every way the model Aries lady.
Get her Arian beauty looks with your month's astrological forecast down below:
ARIES (Mar 21-Apr 19)
April brings to Arians a fresh breath of creativity, so get cracking on that ambitious project you've been planning! This will keep you busy at work all month long, but those looking for love will also find that Jupiter will bring about many passionate moments for couples. Singles, don't you worry – You'll be busy this month meeting new people.
I'm loving the Alexander McQueen Leopard Print De Manta Clutch's bold colours, which perfectly embodies your fresh personality and unique sense of style!
Hairstyle Tips: Just like Jessica Jung, the Arian is known for her striking and defined facial features, with a thick mane of hair to flaunt. Style your luscious locks in loose curls that gently frame your structured face for a hint of softness to your edge.
Makeup Tips: Another strong feature of an Arian is her piercing set of eyes. Accentuate that with a brown smokey eye, or play it up differently like Jessica with lush fluttery false lashes. Pair it up with sculpting powder or a bold lip for a beauty look that perfectly expresses the Aries personality.
Taurus (Apr 20-May 20)
It's your month too, Taurians! This April, you crave love and attention, and will find yourself spending more and more time with your loved ones. Your emotions run deep, and the lush hues of the Tory Burch Kerrington Crossbody Shopper says just that.
Gemini (May 21-Jun 20)
There are a lot of new things happening in April – new people, new friendships, and new business relationships. Career-wise, it's the best time to start on big projects because you'll be meeting serious partners. You'll need this equivalent to a firm handshake for your business meetings: the Saint Laurent Medium Moujik.
Cancer (Jun 21-Jul 22)
April sees happy-go-lucky Cancerians breezing through the month! You'll feel like you can do anything, so do everything! Whisk yourself away in carefree (and handsfree) spirits with the Tory Burch Robinson Adjustable Chain Mini Bag.
Leo (Jul 23-Aug 22)
Luck is on your side this year, but April seems to be especially successful for you. Travel seems to be on the cards this month, so pack your dreams up nice and neat in the Saint Laurent Classic Monogramme Shopping Bag as you take flight. Bon voyage!
Virgo (Aug 23-Sep 22)
Some tests await you this April, which require discerning caution to navigate through. Don't give in to your Virgo instinct to hole up quietly – you'll need communication to get through the tide. The Christian Dior Miss Dior Small Leather Shoulder Bag in its pretty calming shade should be the perfect accompaniment to your daily affairs.
Libra (Sep 24-Oct 23)
Librans might have had it tough last year, but April is finally the month to relax and meditate. Your hard work will start to see fruition, so splurge a little because you deserve it! The Fendi Demi Jour Shoulder Bag will be the perfect gift to yourself, with its sensual texture and intense hue, just like you.
Scorpio (Oct 24-Nov 22)
Suddenly Scorpions feel like they can breathe. This April, you'll find yourself relieved of stress and pressure, and you'll start to see the beautiful things in life. Stop to smell the roses this month with the Alexander McQueen Flower Collage Print Small De Manta Clutch.
Sagittarius (Nov 23-Dec 22)
April requires you to be strong as Saturn brings about negative emotions, obstacles and difficulties. You'll need to be strategic and courageous to get through this, so wear the hardy Proenza Schouler PS1 Medium Suede Satchel on your arm for some added confidence.
Capricorn (Dec 23-Jan 20)
Success fills your days in April! It's the perfect month to shower your love down onto your romantic partners, as well as your family members. Don't forget to love yourself too with the Céline Small Vertical Cabas, the perfect size for a pragmatic person like you.
Aquarius (Jan 21-Feb 19)
You're on fire this month. The start of the month sees a boost in not just your social life, but your stimulation and input at work too! There's almost too much you want to do, and too little time, but a carryall like the 3.1 Phillip Lim Pashli Medium Satchel should do the trick for the multi-tasker in you.
Pisces (Feb 20-Mar 20)
No one is going to want to try stopping you from anything this month, Pisceans. You've got your eye on the prize, and with the focus and efficiency you're known to have, you'll win it in a matter of time. Stay rock-solid and grounded, metaphorically too, with the Sophie Hulme Mini Tote Bag in its earthy hue.
Shop your bag-o-scope picks in our event here!
Tags: Bag-o-Scope


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Billy Ray Cyrus is adamant his daughter Miley's headline-grabbing antics at the MTV Video Music Awards were harmless, insisting: "I would have done the same thing."
The former "Hannah Montana" star hit headlines around the world with her raunchy routine, in which she cavorted in skimpy, flesh-colored latex underwear, gyrated against pop star Robin Thicke's crotch and made many gestures with a foam hand.
Her "twerking" dance moves at the event on Sunday provoked the ire of many critics, but her father is convinced his daughter did no wrong – and even claims he would have put in a similar performance in his heyday.
In a post on Twitter.com, former child star Miley tells fans of her father's reaction to the scandal, writing, "'Mile, if twerkin woulda (sic) been invented… And I had a foam finger… I woulda (sic) done the same thang you did.' – DAD."
"Mile, if twerkin woulda been invented…. And I had a foam finger…. I woulda done the same thang you did." – DAD
— Miley Ray Cyrus (@MileyCyrus) August 28, 2013


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Here's my Baja bug. I still need to add the spoiler and a few more decals.
Last edited by ksb51rl; 01-16-2010 at 08:36 PM.
could you run mashers 2000 with this body?
very simple, very effective. i love it.!
2wd Slash VXL, 2wd Slash 9t , E Maxx 2200kv ,Trx4
Well here's a few pics of my Baja.
If you bought it a Big Truck brought it
Nice bugs folks. Here's my updated look. I'm going to get another bug body to switch it up a bit.
This is whats done so far. I still need to paint the rear spoiler, I ran out of the candy purple and the white backing coat. Should be finished tomarrow
heres mine so far, not finished yet. still hav'nt decded to go with the beadlocks or the chrome bully's, leaning towards the bully's so far...
Ok ill ***** her out just a little more to contribute to the thread:
Heres mine, I finally got it done. Cant wait to go to the dunes with it.
sorry forgot to quote!!!
R.I.P Paul Gray
messed up again!!! how do you delete?
R.I.P Paul Gray
edit and then backspace
I have monkeys dancing in my pants!!!
how do you paint the engine in a way were you can paint every single little bit like some people did here
merv and erbe
airbrush or brush
I have monkeys dancing in my pants!!!
On my purple and white baja bug I hand painted the purple parts first then the silver then the blue on the coil and then the yellow spark plug wires and finally the red on the air cleaner, when done I backed it by airbrush with a white basecoat. after all that I used a black sharpie on the outside to bring out the detail like the air filter and other parts.all hand painting was done with testors laquer based lexan paint from the inside. Maybe 2 to 3 hours from start to finish. I can paint custom bodies for those who want them ranging from $50 to $100
Last edited by LEGENDRIVER43; 07-01-2009 at 05:59 PM.
nice slash where the heck did you get those tires?Originally Posted by Westgraphix
P.S I finally got it right!!!!!!!
R.I.P Paul Gray
amazing how real that looks..Originally Posted by z50_Jumper
Revo 3.3 soon to be BL
Rustler VXL [For Sale]
[QUOTE=59sled]Here's mine
wat kind of tires r those ive been looking for 1's like those but i cant find them
they're HPI GeolandArs (not the capital A).
z50- what color blue is that and what brand?
Slash VXL | HPI Wheely King 4x4
Thanks, Kevin.
Tamiya Metalic Blue, backed with whiteOriginally Posted by 88gators325
Just got this one painted up... I didn't get any hardware for the wing so that's why it's not on in the pictures.
Here's a couple with the talons.
Can I post my baja bug body for my slayer once I get it done? Maybe just the body!
E-Flite 400 3D->
VXL Blitz
I use the Testors Acrylic paint stick/pens and small brushes by hand to do the small detail work.Originally Posted by revo madnesss
If you bought it a Big Truck brought it
Work in progress...
Some SWEET looking bugs here!
ok, here's mine.
I've also got the Baja Bug Body but I still have to cut and paint it. I would like to know how the other "baja bug body owners" managed to cut through the thick lexan of Pro-line?
Any tips?
Originally Posted by peerdeman
A few ways.......
-Score with a hobby knife and flex until it snaps
-Dremel with a cutting wheel
-Curved Lexan scissors (recommended)
I will be adding my Baja Bug at some point, hopefully in the near future!
Some great body shell ideas in this thread!
Well here's my custom paint job, getting a little better ever time! Tell me what you think of it?
Everything on this body is airbrushed and with a hand brush and masking tape! Cant wait to do another body!
E-Flite 400 3D->
VXL Blitz
Nice work yamaha
If you bought it a Big Truck brought it
What paddles are those? and did you trim them down? if you did do they hook up better than with the full paddle? thanksOriginally Posted by z50_Jumper
Just need to put on a few decals, and then it's done. Finished it literally minutes ago.
wow all of those body's are amazing
Race-bred SSC 4x4
Durango DEX410
Oops. No picture in that one haha.
I do have a question though.. how are you guys stopping the paint from rubbing off from the side of the chassis?
I am in the process of touching my body up, so I'll have some pictures up soon.
Alot of people use Velcro, but if you use it you need to use it with zip ties also! It will also help keep the Velcro from moving and falling off! That's the only think I could think off right now! Also make sure it is really sticky Velcro Too!!!!!!!!!!
Last edited by yamahaboy02; 07-05-2009 at 03:34 PM.
E-Flite 400 3D->
VXL Blitz
Thanks! I'm going to look into that. Right now, I don't have a motor or battery *Fried them both... opps* BUT I'm hopefully getting the MM 5700 motor/ESC combo!Originally Posted by yamahaboy02
Here's mine with the rear bumper right after I finished painting it.
Then here's the good pics without the rear bumper.
They are the old Pro-Line Slingshot paddle tires, discontinued but sometimes you can find a set floating around. Fell in love with the scale look of them and they hook up just fine. I have used the sand paws and those definitely are faster in the sand but for my bashing style they are perfectOriginally Posted by throwinrox
hmmm, wierd how that metalic blue seems darker than pactra's metalic blue. i guess i'll have to try out tamiya next time! thanks.Originally Posted by z50_Jumper
Slash VXL | HPI Wheely King 4x4
Thanks, Kevin.
ooooo i like the new red body
Race-bred SSC 4x4
Durango DEX410


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Now is the time to buy Logs for the winter!
It's that time of year afresh if the acclimate starts to about-face colder and a lot of are cerebration of axis the heating on or lighting a log fire.
Whilst lighting a log blaze is a simple assignment it is important that you use the actual copse for your logs.
Use dry logs If possible, buy dry wood, but how dry?
Well, buy yourself a damp beat (about £20) and analysis the logs for the damp content. Anything about 20% is fine, the lower the bigger for logs. Drier copse gives added calefaction and beneath residues, acceptation you do not accept to apple-pie your log burner absolutely so much.
Choose hardwoods Hardwood logs are denser and added than softwoods, accouterment a college calorific amount and a best bake time.
Sizes Ideally, logs should be no added than about 10cm in bore and split. If any larger, the log will charge to be breach afresh to ensure it can bake properly.
We aswell accept that logs are a acceptable band-aid to an eco affable antecedent of heat.
We buy logs from FSC sites aural the UK, clashing some logs that are alien from acreage Europe.
Remember, the after you delay to buy your logs the beneath acceptable they are traveling to be dry as all the acclimatized logs are gone!
Facts and advice about Logs. It is bigger to buy all logs by aggregate than by weight because amid 35% and 60% of the weight of afresh felled copse comes from water. Poplar is one of the wettest dupe if afresh fuelled and ash (at 35%) one of driest. Trying to bake wet copse will aftermath steam, beneath calefaction (as so abundant of it is getting acclimated to dry the wood) problems with the chase and pollution.
Seasoning reduces the damp agreeable of the logs. Copse felled during one winter should be acclimatized until the next afore it is burned. Whilst condiment it should finer be stored beneath awning in an aerial abode such as an accessible sided lean-to. Copse should be austere if the damp agreeable is beneath 30% – 'air-dry'. You can acquaint if a log is dry because the case will appear abroad calmly in the duke and the log will accept splits beyond the grain. Ideally, logs purchased should be no added than 10cm thick. Any that are will charge to be breach afresh to ensure that they bake properly.
In agreement of what blazon of logs to bake it is account address in apperception the added and accordingly denser the wood, the college its calorific amount and accordingly the best it will burn. Hardwood logs tend to be denser than softwoods such as ache and bandbox and some of the densest are oak and beech.


text:
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While the official Veterans Day is not until Sunday, Lancaster County residents have a chance to honor their local veterans on Saturday. That chance will be at the annual Veterans Day Parade slated to begin at noon on Main Street.
With the election finally behind us, we have the opportunity to focus on thanking and honoring those who risk their lives to protect our freedom both here and on the foreign fields. Many of them have made the extreme sacrifice for our freedom.
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Former Israeli leader Ariel Sharon dead at 85
Pariah and wary peacemaker, warrior and wily politician, Israeli leader Ariel Sharon's life story straddled his nation's half-century struggle to forge a foothold in the modern Middle East.
He fought in four of Israel's wars, and was architect of a fifth — the bitter 1982 invasion of Lebanon that sent him into the political wilderness for years. He served in three political parties and founded a fourth — "Kadima," Hebrew for Forward — which rose to power and then diminished as he lay in a coma.
He had been stricken by a massive stroke in January 2006 that sidelined him from national life until his death Saturday at age 85 at Israel's Tel HaShomer Hospital outside Tel Aviv.
He never won a Nobel Peace Prize, perhaps because he never actually embraced a peace partner. Rather, Sharon forged a controversial, go-it-alone approach to peacemaking that Israelis described as "creating facts on the ground."
He built Jewish homes in occupied territory to secure lands. He launched retaliatory, eye-for-an-eye strikes to confront terrorism.
And, in the last years of his political life, he walled off portions of the West Bank and bulldozed Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip — with little to no consultation with Palestinian leaders — in what he cast as a strategic withdrawal.
"I am among those who believe that it is possible to reach a fair compromise and coexistence in good neighborly relations between Jews and Arabs," he said in an address to the U.N. General Assembly in September 2005, months before he was felled by a stroke. "However, I must emphasize one fact: There will be no compromise on the right of the state of Israel to exist as a Jewish state, with defensible borders, in full security and without threats and terror."
A burly, 5-foot-6-inch tall man with a soldier's swagger in his youth, he turned into a jowly junk-food addict in his later years. His weight ballooned over 300 pounds, according to Israel Radio. He was a formidable force barreling between meetings amid a phalanx of bodyguards.
Ariel is Hebrew for "Lion of God" and Sharon, who was known by his nickname "Arik," emerged in the early years of Israeli history as a heroic soldier, thanks to a military career that spanned four decades. The son of a Russian emigré, he was born in British Mandate Palestine on Feb. 27, 1928, in a farming community called Kfar Malal.
He joined the pre-independence Haganah movement at 14 in 1942, a precursor to the Israel Defense Forces, in which he would rise to the rank of major general.
He was an infantry commander in the 1948 War of Independence, founder of a crack commando unit that led retaliatory raids against Arab enemies in the early years of statehood, and a tank commander in the 1967 Six-Day War.
He retired from the army in 1972, but was mobilized for the 1973 Yom Kippur war to command an armored division that shattered Egyptian lines in the Sinai Desert and charged across the Suez Canal — a lightning move that some historians credit as setting the stage for the 1978 peace treaty between Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Sharon's political mentor, Prime Minister Menachem Begin.
So close were the two men that Begin made Sharon his agriculture minister in 1977, then elevated him to defense minister in 1981 and led to his plotting the invasion of Lebanon. That offensive war was meant to drive Palestinian guerrillas from Israel's northern border, but the man known as The Bulldozer kept charging — straight for Beirut.
Sharon's standing soured after the September 1982 massacre of hundreds of Palestinian men, women and children at the Sabra and Chatilla refugee camps. The killings were carried out by Lebanon's Christian Phalange militia, but Sharon, as defense minister, was found personally responsible if not knowledgeable about the atrocities.
Palestinians and other Arabs across the Middle East blamed him personally for the butchery.
Thus came the years of ignominy. A popular 1980s Israeli rock anthem — "Doesn't Stop on Red" — never mentioned his name but ridiculed the disgraced leader as "the people's hero" on state-run radio.
Now a bit player in Israeli politics, he was relegated to the role of a backbencher in Israel's Knesset. To cleanse his tarnished reputation, he filed a libel lawsuit against Time magazine, which blamed him explicitly for the massacre. A jury found defamation and falsehood, but no malice — denying him the $50 million in compensatory damages he had sought.
But he never disappeared from politics. He served as minister of industry and trade and then housing and construction from the mid-1980s to the early '90s, roles that let him find jobs and housing for waves of immigrants, notably those from the collapsed Soviet Union — and win the loyalty of a new generation of hawkish Israelis.
Once again, The Bulldozer mowed under olive tree orchards and West Bank hillsides to expand Jewish settlements, harkening back to 1970s tactics when he sent Israeli armor to Gaza City to mow under rows of cramped refugee-camp housing, and better rout anti-Israeli fighters, the "fedayeen."
As leader of the opposition Likud Party, he was a fierce opponent of his rival Labor Party's peace treaty with Yasser Arafat, and an outspoken opponent of the Oslo Agreement because, he said, the leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization had blood on his hands.
The two men had demonized each other for years. Arafat had already stumbled in his leadership of the peace process in the late '90s when Sharon handed him a new cause: Sharon led some hawkish followers onto the Temple Mount in old Jerusalem in September 2000, a raw display intended to signal Jewish sovereignty over the place Muslims call Haram al Sharif, the Noble Sanctuary. It uncorked years of Palestinian frustration with a ferocity that was far greater than the first Palestinian Uprising, or "intifada" — bloodshed that sparked a political crisis in Israel.
As the Labor Party government collapsed, Sharon dusted off his old warrior image, and campaigned on a pledge to crush a grisly wave of suicide and bus bombings. His political rehabilitation complete, he was elected prime minister in 2001 by the largest margin in Israel's history — and reelected in 2003.
By then he had isolated his archenemy Arafat in a Ramallah compound, this time sending bulldozers to turn portions of it to rubble, ridiculing the Palestinian leader's self-promotion as president of an illusory state called Palestine.
It was a powerful symbol of the Palestinian leader's impotence. Arafat was 75 when he died in November 2004, exiled once again, in a military hospital in Paris.
In the Holy Land, Sharon, then 76, grew stronger. He had stared down international criticism to champion a massive cement and barbed-wire security wall and garnered sufficient support at home for the controversial withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in the summer of 2005 — in defiance of the religious settlement movement that had earlier celebrated him as Arik, King of Israel.
And he planned more withdrawals. At the time of his first stroke, Dec. 18, 2005, he had left his own Likud Party. Its platform and ideology were at odds with his notion of more unilateral withdrawals from the West Bank — a reversal of the facts on the ground he created decades earlier.
Sharon lived his entire life in Israel, studied history at Hebrew University, military tactics at Britain's Staff College and got a law degree from Tel Aviv University.
He was one of the last living members of the generation of founding fathers of Israel who were there at the nation's creation in 1948 and then rose to prominence in national and foreign policy.
Sometime rival, sometime ally Shimon Peres, the 90-year-old former Labor Party prime minister, is Israel's ninth president. Likud Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir left the national stage after he was ousted in the 1992 elections and died at age 96 in June 2012.
A widower, Sharon was married twice — first to Margolit, who died in a 1961 car crash, then to her sister Lili, who died in 2000 of cancer. A son by Margolit died as a boy in a shooting accident. He is survived by two sons by Lili, Omri and Gilad, who briefly moved him to the family's Sycamore Ranch in November 2010 before returning him to the hospital where he died.
Carol Rosenberg began reporting in the Middle East in 1987. She was The Miami Herald's Jerusalem bureau chief from 1990-94, and has returned through the years on assignment.


text: Charlie Bears was founded by keen bear enthusiasts Charlotte and William Morris in November 2005. The first collection was launched in February 2006. Since this time every little creation has been lovingly hand made with the greatest attention to detail. All the bears and friends within all the collections are designed by both Charlotte and William as well as a number of very talented artists from around the world. Charlie Bears are stocked in over 30 countries around the world with the main Bear House in Cornwall and a Cub House in Victoria, Australia. This is only the start for Charlie Bears and the future will bring many new products, brands and lots more little friends. Please check back regulary to keep up to date with news and new stock.


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By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com Tomorrow night, music's biggest artists and producers will gather at the Staples Center for the 58th Annual Grammy Awards! But, before host LL Cool J and the rest of the performers will take the stage, Jake's Take is looking back on some of the best moments from the past 16 years! […]
Home » Daft Punk Get Lucky 2014 Grammy Awards
Jake's Take: My Favorite Grammy Moments of the 2000s & 2010s
February 14, 2016 By Jacob Elyachar Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Music, Television Tagged With: 2010s Grammy Awards, Adele conquers the Grammys, Adele performs at the Grammys, Adele Rolling in the Deep 2012 Grammy Awards, Celine Dion Usher Jennifer Hudson Carrie Underwood Smokey Robinson Earth Song, Christina Aguilera It's A Man's Man's World at the 2007 Grammys, Christina Aguilera pays homage to James Brown, Daft Punk Get Lucky 2014 Grammy Awards, Daft Punk Pharrell Williams Nile Rodgers Stevie Wonder Get Lucky, Elton John and Eminem Stan 2001 Grammy Awards, Eminem and Elton 2001 Grammy Awards, favorite Grammy moments, Grammy Awards 2000s, Jacob Elyachar Grammy moments, Jake's Take-My Favorite Grammy Moments (2000s & 2010s), Jake's Take: My Favorite Grammy Moments of the 2000s & 2010s, Jennifer Hudson meets Whitney Houston, Jennifer Hudson You Pulled Me Through Grammy Awards, Lady Gaga and Elton John 2010 Grammy Awards, Mary J. Blige Be Without You/Stay With Me Grammy Awards 2007, Mary J. Blige wins big at the Grammys, Melissa Etheridge Grammy performance after chemotherapy, Melissa Etheridge performs at 2005 Grammy Awards, Melissa Etheridge performs Piece of My Heart, Michael Jackson Earth Song Grammy Awards, Santana and Rob Thomas Smooth 2000, Santana wins big at 2000 Grammys, Simon & Garfunkel The Sounds of Silence NYC 2003, Simon and Garfunkel's Grammy reunion


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The Pittsburgh Steelers had been asking James Harrison to take a pay cut for a while now. When the team spoke to his agent on Friday and no progress was made, it seemed only a matter of time before he'd be cut.
Harrison tweeted Saturday morning that time has come.
"It's been a great run but all good things must come to a end," Harrison wrote. "Thank you Steelers Nation I will miss you all!"
The team confirmed the move later Saturday morning.
"James has been an integral part of our success during his years in Pittsburgh and has helped us win two Lombardi trophies during that time. We appreciate all of his efforts and wish him the best," GM Kevin Colbert said in a statement.
VIOLATION: Several teams have yet to comply with $123M salary cap
Added coach Mike Tomlin: "James has played a major role in the success of this organization during his time in Pittsburgh. I appreciate everything he has done in my six years as head coach and wish him nothing but the best in the future."
Harrison was owed a base salary of $6.57 million this upcoming season, one year after he recorded six sacks in 13 games. Harrison battled a knee issue last season and turns 35 in May.
The Steelers were $1.4 million over the adjusted salary cap at the end of this work week. Harrison's release will put them under the cap, as it provides about $5 million in cap relief.
Harrison's agent Bill Parise told USA TODAY Sports on Saturday afternoon he's already "had some conversations" with other teams, though he declined to name the clubs. Parise is hopeful Harrison will find a new job quickly.