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School girls in Hunza, Pakistan
A few days ago I observed that pseudonymous blogger Dienekes Pontikos seemed intent on throwing as much data and interpretation into the public domain via his Dodecad Ancestry Project as possible. What are the long term implications of this? I know that Dienekes has been cited in the academic literature, but it seems more plausible that this sort of project will simply distort the nature of academic investigation. Distort has negative connotations, but it need not be deleterious at all. Academic institutions have legal constraints on what data they can use and how they can use it (see why Genomes Unzipped started). Not so with Dienekes' project. He began soliciting for data ~2 months ago, and Dodecad has already yielded a rich set of results (granted, it would not be possible without academically funded public domain software, such as ADMIXTURE). Even if researchers don't cite his results (and no doubt some will), he's reshaping the broader framework. In other words, he's implicitly updating everyone's priors. Sometimes it isn't even a matter of new information, as much as putting a spotlight on information which was already there. Below is a slice of a bar plot from Worldwide Human Relationships Inferred from Genome-Wide Patterns of Variation. It uses STRUCTURE with K = 7. To the right of the STRUCTURE slice are two plots of individual data on French and French Basque from the same HGDP data set using ADMIXTURE at K = 10 from Dodecad.
Repeated runs and higher K's make it clear that the French Basque lack a "West Asian" aspect which other French, and Iberians as well, have. Some of this is clear in the paper I referenced above as well…the key is you have to look at the supplements at K = 6. Because the Basque are the only native non-Indo-European speakers in Western Europe, their origin and relationship to nearby populations has always been of interest (they also have the highest Rh- frequency of world populations). Granted, the French Basque are very similar genetically to the French as a whole. But, it is obviously highly informative that they lack an ancestral component in totality which seems to exist at low but consistent levels across Western European populations. The only other European population at K = 15 who lack the West Asian component in totality are Finns (the Lithuanians come very close).
This is all preamble to a discussion of a post Dienekes put up today, A solution to the problem of Indo-Aryan origins. Remember that Dienekes has been "playing" with ADMIXTURE for only a few months. To claim to have found a 'solution' to a problem as intellectually and politically intractable and explosive as this is rather bold. The crux of the matter is that at a certain confluences of K's and population sets Dienekes has discovered a distinctive signature of ancestry which seems to be modal on the north slope of the Caucasus, and spans India and Europe. He terms this "Dagestani," due to the fact that among a population sample from this province in Russia this ancestral component is overwhelmingly dominant. The patterns of Dagestani admixture in Europe and India are curious and suggestive.
1 – In Europe the frequencies are low, but irregularly distributed (excepting around the North Caucasus). Scandinavians and British have appreciable fractions, Finns and Southern Europeans do not. Here's Dienekes:
Interpreting this pattern is not easy, but it does seem that this component seems to have a V-like distribution, achieving its maximum in Caucasus and its environs, then undergoing a diminution, and achieving a secondary (lower) frequency mode in NW Europe.
The surprising appearance of the homonymous Dagestan component in India suggests a widespread presence of a common ancestry element. The West Asian element, by comparison seems to have a more normal /-like distribution around its center in Anatolia-Caucasus-Iran region. It does reach the Atlantic coast, but is lacking in Scandinavia and Finland, and also in India itself.
2 – South Indian Brahmins have appreciable fractions, but non-Brahmins in the same region do not. In contrast, those who come from Indo-Aryan speaking backgrounds do seem to have Dagestani ancestral components, irrespective of other aspects of ancestry. For example Pakistanis don't have that much more Dagestani than South Indian Brahmins or Gujaratis. Also compare the relatively narrow window of Dagestani ancestry variance among Dodecad South Asians (I'm DOD075). DOD088 is from what I recall a Reddy from Andhara Pradesh, a non-Brahmin but non-low caste. It is interesting that they have a high proportion of "Pakistan," but no Dagestani. I have ~10% Dagestani, but no Pakistani.
Below is K = 10 for a selection of populations. Dienekes has now included in two non-Indo-European speaking Pakistani populations: the Brahui (Dravidian) and Burusho (linguistic isolate in the mountains of Pakistan):
Some general patterns are evident. The light blue is indicative of generic "Indian" ancestry. It is not found in appreciable proportions outside of subcontinental populations (or those of recent subcontinental origin). The same with the red, and light orange. For your reference the dark orange is a "Northern European" component, modal in Lithuania. The light and dark Green are both East Asian components. The dark blue is a "West Asian" component modal in Georgia, and prominent across Europe with declining as a function of distance from the eastern shore of the Black Sea (this is surely the West Asian which distinguishes the French from the French Basque). I believe that the light purple dominant in the Brahui and the light red dominant in the Burusho probably form as a compound the aforementioned Pakistani component. The dark purple is the Dagestani.
First, a word on the Brahui. These are a group of tribes who reside in northern Balochistan in Pakistan. A small number are even to be found in Afghanistan. Historically they have had close relations with the Baloch, an Iranian speaking cluster of tribes who totally envelop the Brahui. The Brahui do speak a Dravidian language, of a family dominant in South India and found in isolated regions of Central and Eastern India. There are two broad models for the existence of a Dravidian language in Pakistan. The first is that the Brahui are remnants of more widely spoken Dravidian languages which date back to the Indus Valley civilization. The second is that the Brahui arrived during the medieval period from another region of South Asia where Dravidian languages were more common. Assuming either model, it has long been presumed that their involution by the Baloch has had a strong impact on the Brahui genetically; the two groups are very close. This is evident in Dienekes' results as well. But observe that the Baloch are the group which seems more cosmopolitan in ancestry than the Brahui. If the Brahui were Dravidians from deep in India it seems that they would have a greater residual component of India-specific ancestry (light blue and orange). This is not so. In fact the Baloch have more of the Indian ancestral component than the Brahui. The Brahui component is found across Pakistan, and into India, albeit at lower proportions. Naturally, the Baloch have the second highest fraction. I believe these results should shift us toward the position that the Brahui are indigenous in relation to the Baloch, and that the Baloch ethnic identity emerged through the shift of a Brahui substrate, as evidenced by the greater cosmpolitanism of the Baloch. Additionally, Dienekes observes that the Brahui have a lower proportion of the Dagestani component than most other Pakistani groups, and several Indo-Aryan groups in India proper.
The Burusho are event more interesting than the Brahui. Unlike the Brahui the Burusho are very isolated in the mountainous fastness of Baltistan in northern Pakistan. Additionally, their language, Burushashki, is a linguistic isolate. Others of the class are Basque and Sumerian. In general it is assumed that linguistic isolates were once part of broader families of languages which have gone extinct. Burushashki probably persists in large part because of the geography which its speakers inhabit. Mountainous areas often preserve ethnic and linguistic diversity because the terrain allows for the persistence of local variety. I believe it is plausible that the Burusho have been far more isolated than the Brahui. This seems to show up in the ADMIXTURE plot, the Burusho have a greater proportion of their modal ancestral component than the Brahui. Additionally, the Burusho have even an smaller component of Dagestani than the Brahui.
Below is a chart Dienekes constructed ordered by proportion of Dagestani for his South Asian populations. Next to it I've placed a chart from a PCA which has some of the same population samples. Compare & contrast:
The PCA is looking at between population variation in totality. So naturally the Dagestani component isn't going to be predictive of that. Rather, it speaks to the possibility which Dienekes is mooting: that the Dagestani component spread in the India subcontinent with the Indo-Aryans specifically, overlying the local resident substrate. In South India this meant that Brahmins brought this, mixing with the indigenous Dravidian population. In Pakistan the Indo-Aryan, and Iranians, were overlain on a substrate which were the ancestors of the Burusho and Brahui. The dominant signal of genetic relationship has to do with the substrate, not the Indo-Aryans. So that's what's going to show up on the PCA. In other PCA plots the model where South Indian Brahmins are a linear combination of a Pakistani-like population and a Dravidian population becomes clearer. But when you look at ancestry using something like ADMIXTURE you have the potential to tease apart different components, and so uncover relationships which may have been obscured when looking at aggregate variation.
Dienekes' model seems to post three steps in rapid succession ~4,000 years ago. A background variable which must be mentioned is that one must account for the Mitanni, a dominant Syrian power circa 1500 BC where a non-Indo-European language was the lingua franca, and yet a definite Indo-Aryan element existed within the elite. Indo-Aryan specifically because the Indo-European element within the Mitanni was not Iranian, but specifically Indo-Aryan. An easy explanation for this is that the Indo-Aryan component of the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages crystallized outside South Asia, and independently reached Syria and India. In Syria it went extinct, while in India it obviously did not. By Dienekes' model the Mitanni would be rather closer to the urheimat of the Indo-Aryans.
An aspect of his model which I do not understand is why it has to be Indo-Aryan, instead of Indo-Iranian. The South Asian population which the Dagestani component is modal, the Pathans, are Iranian, not Indo-Aryan. Additionally, this model seems to not speak in detail to the existence of the Dagestani element among Europeans. Here is a sorting of European populations (with Iranians included) by the Dagestani component:
|Orcadian (Orkney)
There is here a strange pattern of rapid drop off from the Caucasus, and a bounce back very far away, on the margins of Germanic Northwestern Europe. This to me indicates some sort of leapfrog dynamic. A well known illustration of this would be the Ugric languages. The existence of Hungarian on what was Roman Pannonia is a function of the mobility and power of Magyar horseman, and their cultural domination over the Romance and Slavic speaking peasantry (their genetic impact seems to have been slight). No one believes that Germanic languages are closely related to Indo-Aryan (rather, if there is structure in Indo-European beyond Indo-Iranian, Celtic, etc., it would place the Indo-Iranian languages with Slavic). So what's going on? I think perhaps the Dagestani component is part a reflection of the common Indo-European origin in that region. For whatever reason that signal is diminished in much of the rest of Europe. Perhaps Southern Europe was much more densely populated when the Indo-Europeans arrived. Additionally, it seems highly likely that in places like Sardinia, much of Spain, and Cyprus, Indo-European speech came through cultural diffusion (elite emulation) and not population movement. Or perhaps we're seeing the vague shadows of population admixtures on the Pontic steppe, where distinct Germanic and Indo-Iranian confederations admixed with a common North Caucasian substrate.
Going back to India, let's revisit the model of a two-way admixture between "Ancestral North Indians," who were genetically similar to Europeans and West Asians, and "Ancestral South Indians," who were closer to, but not very close to, East Eurasians. The ANI & ASI. The ASI were probably one of the ancient populations along the fringe of southern Eurasia, all of whom have been submerged by demographic movements from other parts of Eurasia over the past 10,000 years, excepting a few groups such as the Andaman Islanders and some Southeast Asian tribes. The model was admittedly a simplification. But taking that model as a given, and accepting that the Dagestani element is in indeed Indo-Aryan, we can infer that the ANI were not Indo-European. It is notable that the South Indian Brahmins have elevated fractions of both the Brahui and Burusho modal components. This is probably indicative of admixture of the Indo-Aryan element in the Indus Valley, prior to their expansion to other parts of India. I assume one of the languages spoken was Dravidian, though if ancient Mesopotamia was linguistically polyglot at the dawn of history I would not be surprised if the much more geographically Indus Valley civilization was as well.
Aishwarya Rai
The irony is that today when someone refers to a "Dravidian" physical type, they're not talking about someone who looks like a Pakistani. They're talking about someone who looks South Indian, where most Dravidian languages are spoken. But combining the inference from Dienekes' model and the previous two-way admixture model, you reach the conclusion that lighter skin and more West Asian features among South Asians may be more due to Dravidian-speaking ancestors in the Indus Valley, not Indo-Aryans! It goes to show the wisdom of differentiating linguistic classes from biological ones when discussing historical population genetics. Unfortunately wisdom most of us interested in these topics do not show, alas.
As I like to say, interesting times….
Note: If you leave a comment, please don't be smarter-than-thou in your tone. I have stopped publishing those sorts of comments because the reality is that most of them have not been that smart or informed. At least by my estimation. If you actually are smarter than the average-bear, and impress me with your erudition and analysis clarity, I'll probably let your comment through no matter your attitude. But I wouldn't bet on it if I were you, so show some class and humility. Most of us are muddling through.
Image Credit: Georges Biard, iStockPhoto


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Trust 'a major challenge' to agricultural biotechnology
[NAIROBI] Building trust in agricultural biotechnology as one of the potential solutions to food security in Africa is essential, according to a study.
Published in Agriculture & Food Security this month (1 November), the study is the result of four years spent investigating how public trust in agricultural biotechnology in Africa can be developed.
One of the researchers behind the study, from the Sandra Rotman Centre, a research institute based at the University Health Network and the University of Toronto, Canada, says it requires the cultivation of honesty, transparency, accountability, capability and solidarity between scientists and the public.
"Our studies focused mainly on how trust is identified as an issue between the public-private partners (PPPs) and the public," Abdallah Daar, a researcher for the University Health Network and study co-author, tells SciDev.Net.
Daar said the widespread mistrust felt by farmers and the public towards biotech methods and products, such as genetically modified (GM) crops, and the PPPs that develop them, was a major challenge in the adoption of biotechnology and other innovations geared towards improving food security.
More than 80 agricultural stakeholders in seven Sub-Saharan African countries — Burkina Faso, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda — were interviewed for the study.
"Our interviewees agreed that trust is a very, if not the most, important factor in the success or failure of a biotechnology public-private partnership," says lead researcher Obidimma Ezezika of the Sandra Rotman Centre.
Ezezika explains: "We found that trust in biotechnology contexts is perceived as one's expectation that the performance and behaviour of another will be supported by tangible results; facilitated by competency and transparency; grounded in a shared vision; and guided by integrity and an interest in the common good".
This provides a checklist for assessing the general level of trust within a biotechnology PPP and can be used to tailor regulations, standards and practices that facilitate trust in these partnerships, Ezezika adds.
However, Daar observes that the researchers found trust harder to build when developing new crops for human consumption than when developing non-food products, such as medicinal drugs.
This was because the public, particularly farmers, feared that biotech food products could be harmful to them — concerns they did not often hold for non-dietary products.
Ian Noble, chief scientist from the Global Adaptation Institute (GAIN), a US-based research institute, supports the study's decision to explore trust as a key factor in developing African agri-biotech.
He tells SciDev.Net that one of the challenges facing agri-biotech is the unease that many feel about genetically modified organisms.
More openness, honesty and transparency from all sides will enable people to make more informed decisions, he says.
"However, ultimately it will be a personal decision based on factors that go beyond the scientific demonstration of safety and risks," he adds.
GM has been an emotive subject in Africa, with supporters citing it as a possible answer to Africa's perennial food shortages, which claim millions of lives annually.
Its critics allege that it can cause environmental contamination and raises food safety issues, while also leading to the concentration of power within a few multinationals.
Link to full paper in Agriculture & Food Security
This article has been produced by SciDev.Net's Sub-Saharan Africa desk.
You might also like
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- Report identifies gaps in research on agriculture for …
- Agricultural biotechnology 'should be open source'
- Nigeria to combat vitamin A deficiency with hybrid maize
- Agricultural research communication 'needs more support'
Agriculture & Food Security Volume 1, Supplement 1 (1 November 2012)

subset: commoncrawl


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Founding Member
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On what is probably one of the biggest Restaurant days of the year, I want to give a big Thank You to the entire back of house that are busting their balls tonight to help us patrons get some. Sure, front of house works too, but they get the enormous tips we patrons dole out to indicate to our dates that we are affluent, well-endowed, and deserving of many and various sexual favors. Back of House too often gets neglected, even as they are the ones that will make or break the evening.
So thank you for busting ass to help guys everywhere get laid.
So thank you for busting ass to help guys everywhere get laid.


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FORT WORTH, Texas -- TCU coach Gary Patterson met Sunday with the school's chancellor and athletic director about suspended quarterback Casey Pachall.
Patterson said he couldn't say anything more about Pachall until after some other things got done. He wouldn't elaborate.
Pachall was indefinitely suspended after being arrested early Thursday on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. That came eight months after the junior quarterback admitted to police that he smoked marijuana and failed a team-administered drug test.
Asked if there was any change in Pachall's status with the team, Patterson said, "not at this point."
Redshirt freshman Trevone Boykin threw for 270 yards and had three interceptions Saturday in a 37-23 home loss to Iowa State.
TCU (4-1), which plays Saturday at Baylor, dropped from 15th to out of the latest AP Top 25.


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Murder and Mayhem Anthology
There's a Harper Blaine short story–among many wonderful others by some amazing writers–in the upcoming Murder and Mayhem in Muskego anthology. M&M in M is a fabulous event to support the Muskego public library and more fun than a bar … Continue reading
Posted in blatant self-promotion, Cool writerly people, shorts and excerpts Tagged Andrew Grant, anthology, Brad Parks, Bryan VanMeter, Chris F. Holm, Dana Cameron, Gary Phillips, Greg Rucka, Hilary Davidson, J.M. Edwards, Jeri Westerson, Jr., Marcus Sakey, Megan Abbott, muskego, Nathan Banks, Reed Farrel Coleman, Sean Doolittle, Ted Hertel, Tom Schreck, Zoë Sharp


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Honestly, though, when I twisted my ankle this weekend by taking a wrong step from the sidewalk into the flower bed, it really, really hurt. I have spent the last few days icing it and finally went to the doctor on Tuesday because I feared I had broken my foot. Thankfully, I managed to save the iPad from plummeting to the cement in what would have been a certain death. The fall I took instead was a small price to pay, but I paid dearly. The verdict: severe ankle sprain. I actually pulled some tendons. The doctor gave me a brace and I am supposed to gradually start bearing weight on it. But for now, I am mostly confined to the couch with my foot up while everyone else around me is a whirling dervish trying to accomplish what is day-to-day routine for me: cleaning, cooking, taking care of pets, driving kids where they need to go... You would think I am enjoying this, but I can't. I don't do well being waited upon. And I really don't do well watching other people work and not accomplish things to my standards. So I am constantly getting up to do things, and my family is constantly making me sit on the couch again. Very frustrating.
Still, all is not lost. At least I match my toenails, now. It's something.


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gift ideas for him
by Jeremiah Hagler
Rhodia notebook | Lexon around clock | APRILLOOK skinny black tie | Nixon highball watch | EmeraldSon Indian Motorrijwielen poster | Iris Hantverk concrete shaving set | Sort of Coal purifying water bottle | Ombre sweatershirt | APC knit hat | Hope pitcher & cups |Nike Air quickstrike
Other Stories
7 comments:
Your hubby has got fine taste! I wish my husband would follow suit ; )ReplyDelete
Awesome picks! I know my husband would love it all, most especially those Nikes! My husband likes to say that he wears the Danish rainbow... shades of grey, black, and more black! LOL!ReplyDelete
thank you so much for your ideas for HIM · always a big problem ... ;)ReplyDelete
(love the HOPE pitcher & cups).
have a great day. u
Just discovered your blog thanks to pinterest. Amazing!ReplyDelete
WONDERFUL list. Every item is to die for, especially the ombre sweatshirt! Not only is this the ideal list; a guy who wants these things must be the ideal guy. ;)ReplyDelete
That clock is the neatest thing I've seen in a long time. I kind of want it for myself -- *always* the problem with these gift lists!ReplyDelete
Lovely images. I think this site gives us a great ideas for last five minutes gift for him. may be shaving cream is best for him..........hahaha joking. Good work!ReplyDelete
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30 November 2012 | News | By BioSpectrum Bureau
Varian TrueBeam High Intensity Mode gets nod from Indian Atomic Energy Regulatory Board
Singapore: US-based Varian Medical Systems has received regulatory clearance from Indian Atomic Energy Regulatory Board for the use of its TrueBeam High Intensity Mode for advanced radiosurgical treatments.
Dr Vivek Bansal, director, radiation oncology, HCG Cancer Hospital, Ahmedabad, which is the first hospital in India to commence treating patients using the TrueBeam high intensity mode, said that, "We have used this modality for prostate, head and neck and lung cancer patients, enabling quicker dose delivery and therefore shorter treatments. Higher dose rates appear to offer considerable benefits in organ motion management, for example, larger dose fractions have been delivered in a single breath-hold at our center."
Varian's TrueBeam features a multitude of technical innovations that dynamically synchronize imaging, patient positioning, motion management, and treatment delivery. With its High Intensity Mode, TrueBeam machines can deliver very high doses quickly and precisely, more than twice as fast as earlier generations of technology.
"The high dose rates that only Varian can offer on its medical linear accelerators are vital for the sort of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy treatments that are used increasingly for primary liver, liver metastasis and lung cancer treatments," said Dr Rolf Staehelin, international head of marketing operations, Varian's oncology systems group. "Regulatory approval means cancer patients in India can now benefit from such advanced treatments."
Mr Ashok Kakkar, managing director, Varian India, said that, "We have also established a dedicated education center in Mumbai because helping to train the nation's radiotherapists and physicists in the safe and effective use of Varian's products is crucial for the future care of India's growing cancer population."


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Rania Red Bar Cart
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ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Supporters of legislation to crack down on bullying in schools are vowing to press on next year after their bill got held up in the Minnesota Senate.
A few dozen supporters of the bill gathered at the Capitol Monday. A few hours earlier, the Senate tabled the House-passed bill for the year after Republicans vowed to mount a 10-hour debate against the measure while time dwindles on the session.
The bill requires all public school districts create policies aimed at reducing bullying, or risk losing state aid. Supporters say it's to protect kids whose educational performance and self-worth are battered when bullies target them.
Republican opponents say school boards should decide how to handle the issue, and that such policies would put students at risk of being labeled bullies for expressing religious views.
(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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(Pocket-lint) - Pure recently unveiled its latest attempt to get on the road with you - the Pure Highway 300Di; a professionally installed car radio system that will help you with the jump from analogue to digital broadcasting in your car. If the Highway moniker rings a bell that's because Pure also used it for its original in-car digital radio adapter, which Pocket-lint took a look at back in 2008.
But, rather than being a mere follow up to the original Pure Highway, the 300Di is a complete solution rather than just an adapter; integrating not only your car radio but USB media and your iPhone as well. The system comes in three parts, which a trained engineer will have to fit for you – Pocket-lint's review model was installed by a Halfords engineer. Pure is teaming up with the vehicle retail giant for launch with a free installation offer.
A three point turn
The Pure Highway 300Di comes in three parts but you should only see two of these once the engineer has finished his installation. An installation which takes around an hour and a half and requires a bit of a bashing around in your car – although there should be no sign of damage, or any wires hanging around, once it is all done.
The main part of the engineer's work comes in burying the brains of the operation, the main unit, deep beneath your dashboard (or your glove-box or boot if you'd prefer and is possible with your vehicle type). The main unit packs a USB port (which the engineer will leave an accessible cable attached to), a power in supply which connects to your car's 12V supply, a 3.5mm line-out should you car radio support aux-in, an aux-in port, an aerial out for direct FM transmission, an FM aerial in and a DAB aerial in port too.
You may have already figured from that description that you get the option of three different connectivity options when it comes to pairing to your car's radio. The easiest is aux-in, the next best is the FM direct inject method; which effectively takes over your FM source and replaces it with output from the 300Di when switched on (default of 87.6 MHz), and finally; FM broadcast that broadcasts the output to your FM radio via your car aerial, much like an iTrip device. Pocket-lint had ours installed using the second method.
The part of the set-up that you'll see the most, at least from the interior, is the controller which is also the part that will see the most finger action. It packs a OLED display with a Pure Evoke Flow-style neon yellow theme, along with backlit buttons and a rubber tuner dial. There's power/home and mode buttons on the top edge; rewind, fast forward, play/pause and back buttons around the dial on the front and, as Pure users will already be used to, the tuner knob can also be pressed in and be used as a selection button.
The build quality is as you'd expect from Pure – a mix of black plastic, rubber and rounded edges - and the control unit feels sturdy enough. We must state that we had a temporary bracket system installed with our review model – the finished article should come with a much more robust holder in place, ideally one that will clip onto the grills of your vent units.
The final part is the active aerial which comprises of both internal and external parts. Pure states its system beats any DAB car aerial system currently available. It sits on a glass surface on you car and no holes need to be drilled. Although the main unit is the real eye-sore of the trio, it is hidden away so you don't have to worry about it. The aerial is a different matter though - it is pretty big and it is very noticeable, and would stand out on a small car. There is a fear that it may attract criminals as well, although Pure does supply a tool to remove the exterior part should you wish to. It's a fiddly and difficult process though, so we wouldn't fancy doing it regularly. During a car wash, you can leave it attached and simply unscrew the antenna.
Day-to-day use
The key aspect of the D300i is obviously its DAB capabilities. It packs dual tuners, which constantly update a "dynamic station list" so that all searchable stations are always available and any regional stations are cut from the list when the user drives out of that station's area. There are also live pause and rewind options, and there's plenty of pre-set station love going on as well.
It's easy to find stations and switch between them and, on the whole, it holds its signal pretty well. The trouble is, this being DAB, when it does drop out, it drops out spectacularly. We're not talking a bit of fuzz here, we're talking silence. In urban areas this didn't happen too much but a Christmas trip to deepest darkest Suffolk found the dual tuners wanting on more than a handful of occasions.
We also had issues with the FM pass-through settings of the Pure. The FM direct injection method effectively wipes out your entire FM band when the 300Di is switched on. However, this meant that our RDS traffic alerts didn't come through. Switching the FM pass-through method off meant a less clear signal and distorted quality in certain areas.
But there's more to the 300Di than simply radio playback. Chuck a USB flash drive into the mix and you've got yourself a pretty sweet car music hard drive set-up going on, complete with track information (should you have it attached to your music files), playlists and the like, which you can view and browse using the controller. The USB option also has full support for your iPhone or iPod, and even has enough juice to charge them too. There's also an aux-in method should your main unit be accessible.
Plus, there are a couple of nice extra features that we liked. The picnic mode allows you to continue listening to the Highway 300Di after you've reached your destination with the ignition off and your car keys removed. To save power, USB-connected devices will not be charged in this mode and the unit will automatically shut down after an hour.
Forecourt pause is great for when you have to make a quick stop. It keeps the 300Di on standby for 15 minutes after you remove the keys, making sure it's ready for your return. Once you fire up your engine again, it will immediately resume playing the station you were listening to, or the music you were playing, exactly where you left off.
The key selling points of the 300Di are the ubiquitous playback options and the quality of the DAB aerial and, on the first point, we have no quarrels. But whilst the DAB reception is far better than we've experienced with any other vehicle-based digital radio setup, we have to say it was still a hit and miss affair. A lot more hitting than missing in urban areas without a doubt, but in greener areas we did run into more trouble. That said, you always have the option to switch back to your regular FM radio at any time. Although the sound clarity of the DAB broadcasts, where available, are fantastic, so you might not want to - although some audio purists may argue this point.
We're taking into account that the Pure Highway 300Di that we've been messing around with is an early model and, by the time the final product hits the shops, a lot of the little glitches and bugs (such as an infrequent USB non-recognition issue) will be ironed out by software updates as well.
There are a few aspects of the 300Di that we weren't too happy with – the installation is far too lengthy and laborious, the hassle of removing the aerial seems excessive and, on a small car, the aerial is going to look incredibly big and bulky.
But the fact that you're getting, if you cough up a few quid for a 2GB+ USB flash drive, a complete car media server also shouldn't be baulked at. Plus, with the iDevice love on-board, you might find that listening to DAB radio may be quite far down on your 300Di's task list anyway.
The Pure Highway 300Di is launching initially with Halfords. It will cost £179.99 and you'll get free installation thrown in. In March, it will go on general release and we're told installation will be around £25 on top of the retail price.


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Despite the fact Paul is surging and Romney sliding, gap now only 15 points
Steve Watson
January 9, 2012
Despite the fact that Ron Paul is polling in second place in New Hampshire, and rapidly closing the gap on Mitt Romney, according to the latest polls, one CBS reporter did her best to convince viewers that Paul does not even exist.
It's a familiar picture for Paul supporters who have had to watch over and over as mainstream media talking heads and pundits have consistently either laughed off the Texas Congressman's chances for GOP nominee or simply excluded Paul from their coverage altogether.
However, within the past few weeks, the networks were forced to begin taking Paul seriously as he began consistently polling in first and second ahead of the Iowa caucuses, eventually finishing third in what was essentially a three way tie.
Going into New Hampshire and ahead of two debates this weekend, Paul was polling in strong second, as he has been for some time. However, That did not stop CBS political correspondent Jan Crawford from showing graphics and talking about recent polling, without even mentioning Paul's numbers or even that he was involved in the race at all.
Crawford even used a graphic referencing a Suffolk University Poll of New Hampshire voters, omitting Paul's numbers, even though he came second, and was the only candidate other than Mitt Romney to poll in double figures.
Watch the video:
The video went viral over the weekend, with Paul supporters bombarding CBS with complaints.
"Your lack of integrity as a journalist is no longer in question, it is fact." wrote on critic on Crawford's Facebook page.
"Blatant manipulation of data to fabricate a news story instead of doing your job to report it disgusts me. Thank you, Jan Crawford, You make me feel like a better person," the commenter added.
"Where is your on air apology? Are you going to own up to your blatant misrepresentation of the facts?" wrote another Paul supporter.
- A d v e r t i s e m e n t
- {openx:106}
"You call yourself a 'political correspondent'?? Shame on you," commented another.
In reality, Paul is actually rapidly closing the gap on Mitt Romney in New Hampshire. the latest Suffolk University/7NEWS tracking poll, released on Sunday, shows that Ron Paul has surged 6 percentage points since last week to 20 percent, while Romney has dropped 8 points since last Wednesday and now stands at 35 percent.
That means the gap between the two is now down to 15 points. John Huntsman is the only other candidate in double figures, at 11 percent. As many highlighted last week, Rick Santorum does not have the resources to compete beyond Iowa and resides in a lowly fifth place in New Hampshire.
Romney is likely to see his numbers drop even further following a lack luster performance in two debates on Saturday and Sunday. The Suffolk University/7News poll, conducted before the debates took place, puts the number of undecided voters at 15 percent.
Steve Watson is the London based writer and editor for Alex Jones' Infowars.net, and Prisonplanet.com. He has a Masters Degree in International Relations from the School of Politics at The University of Nottingham in England.
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Land Rover 'Defender passport' by RKCR/Y&R
AdvertiserLand Rover
AgencyRainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe Y&R
Land Rover has launched a press campaign in targeted media.
The ads created by RKCR/Y&R promote the brand's Defender model.
The ads have been crafted as collages featured as a passport stamp built in the shape of the vehicle to showcase the cars strength.
The ad was written by Phil Forster and art directed by Tim Brookes. The photographer was Carl Warner.
The typographer was Lee Aldridge. Mark Roalfe, chairman of RKCR/Y&R said: "It's an iconic ad than only a brand as iconic as Land Rover could do".


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Thank you for your interest in employment with University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry. The Dugoni School of Dentistry is one of the top-ranked dental schools in the country and has served the Bay Area community since 1896. Located in San Francisco, the Dugoni School is committed to excellence in student-centered education, research and patient care.
We are pleased to offer an online job application system. The online job application system allows applicants to search job postings, apply for open positions and submit supplemental application materials online.
University of the Pacific is an equal opportunity employer dedicated to workforce diversity. In compliance with applicable law and its own policy, Pacific is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse faculty and staff and does not discriminate in its hiring of faculty and staff, or in the provision of its employment benefits to its faculty and staff on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, language use, age, genetic information, sex/gender, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, medical condition, pregnancy, perceived pregnancy, gender identity, gender expression or mental or physical disability.
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Accept them as they are. Appreciate their diversity. Don't try to ruin their uniqueness. They should be taken on their own terms. Perhaps quoting a NT scholar or two will add weight to what I'm saying here? I don't think so.
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The world depends on mariners. Mariners depend on SCI. And we depend on you.
Photos from New York Harbor and the Port of New York and New Jersey, taken April 2012.
Photos by the Rev. David Rider, President & Executive Director.
The Seamen's Church Institute cares for the hardworking men and women of maritime commerce, but our mission would not be possible without the help of individuals, churches, corporations and foundations that work with SCI to meet their needs.


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Steps to build a retaining wall: Know the lay of the land - contact Dial Before You Dig Draft your wall design Finalise plans and mark out area Excavate area and trench Lay and compact road base Lay steel bar grid/mesh and set up wooden forms Pour footing - lay cement and sand mix Screed and level the cement/sand mix Lay first row of bricks Fill first layer of bricks with blue metal aggregate Optional - Install drainage pipe Lay remaining layers of bricks Remove lugs from top layer Install caps Allow everything to dryRead more here
A private consortium has injected $5 billion into the Melbourne Airport Rail project, lifting total funds to a whopping $15 billion in a renewed effort to expedite construction and bring forward the project's completion date. The private consortium, coined as AirRail Melbourne, agreed to match the two $5 billion commitments from Federal and State Governments.Read more here
Steps to build a driveway: Check for underground utilities Survey your land and know your boundaries Mark your project area and stake out boundaries Excavate topsoil and level out project area Lay wooden forms around the project area, anchored with stakes Add in sand to firm up the soil, and gravel to ensure base thickness Compact gravel and soil Lay steel reinforcing mesh or bars Pour concrete Smooth out and level the concrete Set and cure concrete (don't rush it!) Park your car! Items You Will Need to Build a Driveway Wheelbarrow Tape Measure Shovel Hand Spade Compactor Site String Line Stakes Spirit Level Straight Edge Tool Hand Float Cement Trowel Edger Hose Groover BroomRead more here
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Progressive postmodernist, you tend to highly value environmental sustainability, multicultural diversity, social justice, a foreign and domestic policy that admits wrongs and makes amends, and equality among Americans.
Most knowledgeable commentators agree that the simple bipolar continuum of Left and Right no longer adequately captures the complexity of America's political milieu. The existential polarity of "liberal and conservative" expresses itself in multiple ways and on multiple levels within the overall electorate. Our model accordingly identifies the four distinct political positions that comprise America's contemporary political landscape. For more on the philosophy behind the test see: Depolarizing the American Mind: How America Can Grow Beyond Its Currently Polarized Politics, by ICE partners Steve McIntosh and Carter Phipps.
Click on a title to see the results page for each of the four basic political positions:
The political philosophy that informs the polarization test is described in the accompanying white paper on this website: Depolarizing the American Mind: How America Can Grow Beyond Its Currently Polarized Politics, by ICE partners Steve McIntosh and Carter Phipps. As discussed in the paper, a central principle for working with a polarized cultural situation is that each pole needs the values of its opposing pole for its own further and fuller development. Applied to politics, this principle shows how conservative values can serve to improve liberal positions by challenging and moderating such positions in a way that makes them stronger. The same can be said about the role of liberal values in strengthening conservative positions. See the results pages for specific examples. This test is not social science research, it is simply an interactive method for demonstrating some of the ideas behind ICE's polarization campaign. For a fuller description of our proposal, please see the accompanying white paper "Depolarizing the American Mind."
Polarization Test © 2020, Institute for Cultural Evolution


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It's been just over four months since the Supreme Court of Canada (the "SCC") heard oral argument in The Queen v. John H. Craig (see our prior blog post for coverage of the hearing and background on section 31), the only section 31 restricted farm loss case to reach the SCC since the oft-criticized Moldowan v. R., 1977 DTC 5213.
Result: Moldowan has been overruled. It took an uncharacteristically short period of time for the SCC to render its judgment – the unanimous decision emphatically stated that "Moldowan cannot stand."
Justice Rothstein delivered the reasons, which prescribe a new analysis to be undertaken when a taxpayer needs to determine if his or her income from farming activities (such as a horse racing or breeding business), when combined with some other source of income (such as employment or business income) constitutes a "chief source of income." If this test is satisfied, then the taxpayer may deduct the full amount of any losses from the farming operation against the other source of income, without restriction. If the test is not satisfied, then section 31 restricts the amount of the deductible loss in any given taxation year to $8,750.
The New Test: The new test outlined by the SCC is still a fact-based analysis to be applied to the particular circumstances of the taxpayer, and has two steps:
Step 1: At the outset, a determination needs to be made that the farming business is in fact a business (a source of income from which losses may be deducted), as opposed to a personal endeavour. This test is enunciated in Stewart v. Canada (2002 SCC 46) as the "commercial manner" test, stating that the farming operation is a business if there is no personal or hobby element; or if there is a personal or hobby element, then the venture must be undertaken in a sufficiently commercial manner "in accordance with objective standards of businesslike behaviour" in order to be considered a business.
Step 2: Once it is determined that the farming operation is a business, the taxpayer is entitled to full deduction of farming losses against another source of income if it is determined that farming and the other source of income is his or her chief source of income, based on the following factors, taken together: the amount of capital invested in farming and the other source of income; the income from each of the two sources of income; the time spent on the two sources of income; and the taxpayer's ordinary mode of living, farming history and future intentions and expectations. To be successful, it must be shown that the taxpayer has invested significant funds and has spent considerable time attending to the farming business and that the taxpayer places significant emphasis on both the farming and non-farming sources of income. Further, it is not necessary that income from the farming business exceed income from the other source of income – this fact is irrelevant to the analysis.
The new test could be described as the "significant endeavors" test – which is much more palatable than the defunct 'reasonable expectation of profit' test or 'three classes of farmer' test that has now been buried along with Moldowan. RIP.


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Michael Prengler / Reuters
Pascal Tessier, 16, from Kensington, Md., an openly gay scout who was facing expulsion from the Boy Scouts, answers questions from the media while his mother, Tracie Felker, looks on.
GRAPEVINE, Texas -- The Boy Scouts of America voted Thursday to end its controversial policy banning gay kids and teens from joining one of the nation's most popular youth organizations, ditching membership guidelines that had roiled the group in recent years.
Over 61 percent of Scouting's National Council of 1,232 delegates from across the country voted to lift the ban, BSA officials said. The final tally was 757 yes votes, to 475 no (another 168 delegates did not cast a ballot since they were not present at the meeting). The ban on gay leaders was not voted on and will remain in place.
"This resolution today dealt with youth. We have not changed our adult membership standards. They have served us well for the last 100 years. Those were not on the table," said Tico Perez, BSA national commissioner.
The policy change will go into effect Jan. 1, 2014, "allowing the Boy Scouts of America the transition time needed to communicate and implement this policy to its approximately 116,000 Scouting units," the BSA said in a statement.
But the outcome of the historic ballot is not going to end the debate: Some opponents on the right said they would pull their sponsorships of packs and troops, and parents threatened to take their boys out of Scouting; LGBT activists said the policy change doesn't go far enough because gay adults still wouldn't be allowed to participate.
Ohio mom Jennifer Tyrrell, who was ousted in April 2012 as den leader of her son's Tiger Cub pack because she is a lesbian, said it was a step forward even though she wouldn't benefit from the change.
"I am so excited because even though it doesn't affect me, it is what we've been working for," she said. "And I think it's an indication of what's to come."
Tyrrell, who reignited the conversation about discrimination in the Boy Scouts after her ouster, said her son Cruz wouldn't return to the Boy Scouts until all families were included.
"One day, we'll be back, and I'm not going to stop until we're there," she said, becoming teary-eyed as she spoke about not being able to participate. "Tomorrow, we're going to start the next phase, and I'm ready."
Pascal Tessier, a gay 16-year-old from Kensington, Md., felt hopeful after the vote. He believes he can get his Eagle rank — the Scouts' highest honor — in the fall.
Ending a process that started four months ago, Boy Scout leaders have voted to allow gay scouts but the ban on gay adult leaders remains in place. NBC's Pete Williams reports.
"There are a lot of things going through my head," he said. "The initial reaction is ecstatic because I can go home and tell everyone that I'm still a Boy Scout."
But he said he also felt bad for gay leaders.
"They don't get to feel the same thing," he said. "I feel guilty ... I've promised myself I'm going to return the favor to them. Helping do whatever I have to do to get full inclusion of both youth and adults."
Zach Wahls, an Eagle Scout son of lesbian moms and founder of Scouts for Equality, said it was "hard to overstate" how important it was for the Boy Scouts to even consider weakening the policy.
"Even though I think that there will probably still be a few folks who choose to walk away … I think this is the beginning of the rebound of Scouting in America," he said.
Boy Scouts leader on the passing of a resolution to lift the ban on gay youth.
The ban on gay Scouts has been the subject of much soul-searching in the century-old organization – from local troops and councils to national board meetings. The dispute was even heard by the Supreme Court, which said 13 years ago that as a private membership organization, the BSA was free to decide who it would admit.
Last summer, the Boy Scouts reaffirmed their anti-gay policy after a two-year examination by a committee. Since then, some local chapters had been pushing for a reconsideration.
More than 70 percent of Boy Scout units are sponsored by religious groups, and this compromise proposal has split them. One of the Southern Baptist Church leaders, Dr. Frank Page, last week implored the Boy Scouts not to change the policy. But The Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints – the BSA's biggest charter partner – had given tacit endorsement to the plan.
BSA President Wayne Perry said the vote came after an "extensive," "exhaustive," and "respectful" dialogue among the members of the organization.
"It's a very difficult decision for a lot of people, but we are moving forward together," he said. "Our vision is to serve every kid."
The stakes are huge for the BSA, which boasts nearly 3 million youth participants.
"This has been a challenging chapter in our history," said Wayne Brock, the BSA's chief Scout executive. "Our goal through all of this was to put the kids first."
Lm Otero / AP
Terri Hall, left, of San Antonio, Texas, stands with her son Nathaniel Hall, 8, as they rally near where the Boy Scouts of America are holding their annual meeting.
Rusty Tisdale, assistant Scoutmaster for a troop in Ellisville, Miss., hopes there is a local option that would allow the decision on gay members to be made at the troop level. Otherwise, he will pull his kids.
"I'm not happy as a parent," Tisdale emailed to NBC News. "The gay activist isn't happy and will not be until homosexuals can be leaders, etc. So there will be more pressure, and more fighting, And more acquiescence. No thanks."
"There are other activities for my kids to do," he added. "There are other organizations that I can support with my time and money."
The decision didn't come easily, according to Perez, the BSA national commissioner.
"There were divisions about how to serve kids," he said. "If we have disagreement, if we have discomfort, we are going to talk through it. America needs Scouting."
He added, "Our singular focus moving forward is serving more kids in Scouting, and we believe this resolution is going to do that."
Tony Gutierrez / AP
John Stemberger, an Eagle Scout and Florida-based attorney, speaks out Thursday in Grapevine, Texas, during a news conference against the Boy Scouts of American decision allowing openly gay scouts to participate in Scouting.
John Stemberger, from Orlando, Fla., has two sons in the Boy Scouts. He started a group opposing the change called "On My Honor." After the decision was announced, he said he and his sons — who have yet to reach Eagle Scout — were leaving the Boy Scouts.
"Sex and politics just have no place in the Boy Scouts of America," Stemberger said in Grapevine. "The entire process was disappointing."
David Metcalf, 55, and his son Sean Metcalf, a 13-year-old Star Scout with Troop 226, from nearby McKinney, Texas, came to Grapevine to hear the results of the vote. The troop is chartered by Peach, a Christian homeschool organization.
"We're very disappointed," David said. "I will compare it to a funeral."
Sean, wearing his Boy Scouts uniform, said he didn't know if he could remain a Scout.
"I hope I can continue," he said. "It depends if my parents feel safe to let me stay."
If you are a current or former member of the Boy Scouts and would like to share your thoughts on how your troop, pack or council is handling the change in the membership policy, you can email the reporter at firstname.lastname@example.com. We may use some comments for a follow-up story, so please specify if your remarks can be used and provide your name, hometown, age, Boy Scout affiliation and a phone number.
NBC News' Elizabeth Chuck contributed to this report.
This story was originally published on Thu May 23, 2013 6:43 PM EDT


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A seemingly simple tote for everyday living gets elevated with advanced materials, thoughtful features and exceptional Arc'teryx craftsmanship. Sized for a day's necessities, quick trip to the grocery or farmer's market, or to serve as a carryon while traveling, the Blanca Tote is versatile, durable, lightweight and designed to handle a range of tasks.
- Intelligent Arc'teryx design means refining a product to its essence without sacrificing necessary features. The Blanca is streamlined but smart. One of the padded handles is thoughtfully designed with a side that extends to carry a yoga mat or jacket. The top zips closed to keep contents in the bag while on the move, and a small external pocket keeps a wallet, keys or smartphone securely at hand. The reinforced bottom adds durability and protection, the white interior reflects light to make it easier to see the bag's contents, and the discreet Arc'teryx logo is reflective for added safety in low light.
- Mountain or urban, conditions can shift without warning. Arc'teryx designers take the knowledge gained developing alpine equipment and explore ways to solve problems encountered in other environments. The Blanca employs an advanced Arc'teryx pack fabric, waterproof N400r-AC² nylon 6 ripstop, to protect the tote's contents from rain and snow. Seams are sealed to further elevate weather protection. The fabric is lightweight, durable and has a clean aesthetic, making it an ideal technology for the rigors of the urban environment.
- External zippered stash pocket with key clip
- Top zipper closure
- Reflective white interior makes it easier to see items inside the pack
- Advanced Composite Construction (AC²) is seam taped and highly water resistant
- Reinforced bottom for durability
- Padded handles
- One sided handle extension to accommodate larger items


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I never saw this PM. I thought I had a couple of those welcome to the forum PM's that come automatically and I just never looked. Dumb!
Anyway, I have looked at the main forums now and then but it's like beating your head against the wall.
3+ months later, I am still asking you why you don't post in the main forums? Seriously man, you know your stuff just fine.
hey dude, why don't you post much? They are typically insightful, you should be more active
Do you ever go out to the main boards? I think you could handle yourself just fine. There are a ton of idiots, but there are a decent amount of pretty intelligent basketball minds out there.
Cinderella Story


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The One-Man Salute. Moon Gas. Tail Wind. The Gluteal Tuba. The Third State of Matter. Chair Air. Backdoor Breeze.
A very special note from Fatty: Today, I will write about farts. It occurs to me that not everyone wants to read about farts. I understand that. I respect that. I even sympathize with that.
And yet, today I will write about farts.
For those of you who prefer to read about something besides farts, please allow me to recommend reading the MinusCar Project today instead. It's well-written and always has something thoughtful and interesting to say about biking.
Thank you.
And now, I shall now begin writing about farts.
The single most satisfying biological function one can perform on a bike is breathing. Here's a fun experiment you can try to verify this assertion: while riding a bike, don' breathe. Hold your breath until you think you're going to explode. Keep holding it. Hold your breath until you think you're going to die. Keep holding it. Hold your breath until blackness starts crowding the perimeter of your vision. OK, now feel free to breathe again. Isn't that satisfying?
Farting, however, comes in a close second, satisfying-ness-wise. Here's a fun experiment you can try to verify the truth of this assertion:
- First, try the "hold your breath" experiment described above, so you have a fair basis of comparison.
- Ensure that you are on a nice, long mountain bike ride. Something that will shake you up for hours on end.
- Eat several Clif bars. Or Powerbars. Or whatever.
- Force down extraordinary quantities of energy gel.
- Drink Cytomax (if you're me). Lots and lots of Cytomax.
- Observe the beginning of a gurgling sound.
- Observe the building of pressure.
- Note that you begin to stand as you pedal from time to time, hoping you'll fart soon.
- Try positioning your body in different ways, trying to straighten the path.
- Start fantasizing about farting.
- Finally, gratefully, fart. Cry a tear or two of joy.
Rick's Story
Whenever my good friend Rick tells the story of the time he raced the Leadville 100, he talks about how prominently farting figured into his day.
"As the pressure grew, my stomach started bloating," Rick says. "It became more and more difficult to ride at all." Rick continues. "At one point, I got off my bike and laid down for a few minutes. It didn't work."
"I began making promises to all manner of deity, saying I'd be a better person, spend more time with my kids, start going to church, and stop stealing toilet paper from gas station bathroom. I would apply myself at work…if only I could fart."
"Finally, it happened. I farted, loud and strong. The relief was exquisite. My stomach reverted to its previous non-distended state. It was the happiest moment of my life. I was able to finish the race, a big smile on my face."
"True to my word, I have attended church every day since, and have become an excellent father. I have received several promotions and now am a vice president at a major advertising firm."
"That fart changed my life."
After the Ride
During the ride, a fart is truly welcome. Eventually the ride ends, but that doesn't mean the effluvium flow comes to a halt. The problem is, long rides usually involve a car trip, both to and from the ride.
That return trip can be problematic. Farts become stinkier, though that may just be a perception thing, based on the fact that you're no longer leaving them behind.
It can get pretty bad, because for some reason, everyone else's farts smell worse than your own (by which I mean "my own").
In order to minimize the effects of lots of already-stinky mountain bikers making lots more stink, I have developed the following rules of post-ride, in-car fart etiquette:
- Make your intentions clear. Two seconds before release: say clearly, "Fire in the hole." You are allowed to interrupt conversation with this statement, because what you have to say is definitely quad one (important and urgent). If you have a different catchphrase, that's fine. Just be sure everyone knows what the announcement phrase is. Above all, do not simply fart without any announcement, hoping that nobody will notice.
- Take action. One second before release: If you have access to a car window, roll it down two inches. If you do not have access to a car window (ie, you have no seniority in the riding group and are therefore the poor sap who has to sit in the middle), you have no obligation. If you have access to a window when another announces he's going to fart, you are obligated to roll down your window. It is important that all four windows go down a minimum of two inches.
- Do not comment. OK, you farted. Fine. Let's not dwell on it. And above all, please do not boast.
- Back to normal. Once all effects have passed, roll the window back up.
To give you an idea of how well my riding group knows each other, we no longer have to do a separate "Make your intentions clear" step. Rolling down the window is sign enough.
In Conclusion
There. I've done it. I've written about farts and biking. I think I've made the world a better place.


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Building upon the work of the PRTR Task Force, established the Meeting of Signatories in Chisinau, Moldova, the draft Protocol was first developed by a Working Group established prior to the entry into force of the Aarhus Convention under the auspices of the Committee on Environmental Policy, and then taken over by a Working Group established by the Meeting of the Parties to the Convention. These Working Groups held a total of eight sessions between February 2001 and January 2003.
The legal basis in the Convention can be found in article 5, paragraph 9, and article 10, paragraph 2. The Protocol requires each Party to establish a PRTR which is
- publicly accessible through Internet, free of charge
- searchable according to separate parameters (facility, pollutant, location, medium, etc.)
- user-friendly in its structure and provide links to other relevant registers,
- presents standardized, timely data on a structured, computerized database;
- covers releases and transfers of at least 86 pollutants covered by the Protocol, such as greenhouse gases, acid rain pollutants, ozone-depleting substances, heavy metals, and certain carcinogens, such as dioxins;
- covers releases and transfers from certain types of major point sources
(e.g. thermal power stations, mining and metallurgical industries, chemical plants, waste and waste- water treatment plants, paper and timber industries);
- accommodates available data on releases from diffuse sources (e.g. transport and agriculture);
- has limited confidentiality provisions; and
- allows for public participation in its development and modification.
The PRTR should be based on a reporting scheme that is:
- mandatory
- annual
- multimedia (air, water, land)
- facility-specific
- pollutant-specific for releases
- pollutant-specific or waste-specific for transfers.
Just as the Convention, the Protocol sets minimum requirements, which means that Parties are free to include additional pollutants and facilities, and the Parties to the Protocol are required to work towards convergence between PRTR systems.


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The Lee Classic Reloader is the perfect kit for someone who would like to start reloading one caliber without breaking the bank. Contains everything you need to begin loading (except a hammer). Kit includes Sizing Die, Decapping Chamber, Bullet Seater and Priming Chamber, Priming Rod, Powder Measure, load data, plastic case and complete instructions.
Technical Information
- Steel Loader Parts
- Plastic Powder Dipper
Kit Includes:
- Bullet Seater and Priming Chamber
- Decapping Chamber
- Sizing Die
- Decapper
- Priming Rod
- Powder Measure
- Load Data
- Complete Instructions
- Complete Reloading System (requires hammer which is not included)
- Also Includes Plastic Storage Case


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Royal Skousen Publications
Found 2 results
Filters: First Letter Of Title is A [Clear All Filters]
The Archaic Vocabulary of the Book of Mormon." Insights 25, no. 5 (2005): 2-7."
Analysis of Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon, 2nd Edition In The Book of Mormon Critical Text Project., 2017.


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Riverside Park
Grants Pass, Oregon 1 course · 9 holes Driving directions
Course reviews
Most votes | Newest first | Oldest first
+2 votes Tim "Skip" Becker › August 10, 2014
A couple cool holes, but the baskets were absolutely terrible. This course seems to play through the ghetto of Grants Pass.
+2 votes Travis Pugh › August 11, 2014
Small course, easy navigation except finding hole 7 tee pad. okay layout but horrible baskets your putters could come out a lot. It's better then nothing and I'm always happy to see another course. Questionable people around the park and isn't the nicest place to be. Hole 2 is a real cool hole other then that not much positives I can say. Not really worth the trip but if you're looking for some ace runs or just somewhere to throw and get better then why not. Thanks for the course and I'll always appreciate the effort to put in the courses and glad people can enjoy it
+0 votes TREE Sines › December 6, 2010
fun lil course right down town Grants Pass. and to shoot under the bridge is so cool what a fun hole.
+0 votes Reed Sorensen › July 26, 2013
Fun for what it is. There is no need to bring drivers to this course. All the holes are short. That said it is a fun Mid/Putter course. Great way to work on your short game. When playing by myself I can run this course in 15 minutes. Really wish they had left the original layout that used the entire park. That course was great. This is fun, but if you have the time Tom Pearce is a way better option when in GP.
+0 votes Java Joe › February 17, 2015
+0 votes Jeff Levell › September 29, 2014
Small with nice scenery. Bees on hole 5. Weird baskets.
+0 votes jonathan harper › January 27, 2015
+0 votes Jason V › July 6, 2019
I am sorry to see a course get to this level of disrepair. There are only 3 playable holes, the baskets are ancient and don't catch discs well. Homeless are camped all over the park and can harass you. I wouldn't advise playing here.
-1 votes kellen sykora › October 5, 2010
-1 votes Canyon Read › March 10, 2015
-1 votes Chase Crossley › August 5, 2011
-1 votes Bob K › August 4, 2014
This is a real nice short course. Great for beginners to learn the game at. Alongside the Rogue River in Grants Pass in our city park.


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A website claiming to be the 'official provider of Washington driver license forms' has gotten the attention of DOL after customers called in after running across the site. The website asks customers to pay $24.95. It's not clear what that payment will get them, but it won't renew a driver license.
"The only 'official provider' of Department of Licensing forms is the Department of Licensing, and they are free," says DOL director Alan Haight. He says that the agency website is safe, secure and offers a lot of time-saving services.
Customers should always make sure they're on DOL's website, as it always starts with www.dol.wa.gov. Web browsers on the secure portions of the site, like driver license renewal, address change or other services will display that they have a secure connection by using a padlock icon or something similar, as well as displaying https:// as the prefix of the web address. You will also see fortress.wa.gov as the web address on secure state websites.
Some search engines can also return advertisements in the form of 'sponsored links,' which can lead users to sites that aren't what they think they are, so make sure that you know who you are doing business with on the internet, before you give any personal information or click send.


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Chick-fil-A: Stop Trying to Control the Conversation
Aug 9, 2012 5:00 AM PT
When people are under stress, many respond with remarkable grace, courage and decisiveness. Then there are those who, under great stress, become paralyzed, flail about, or lash out in unproductive and unprovoked ways.
The social era is showing us that while corporations are not people, they are run by people. And choosing wisely when elevating people to leadership positions is critical. It can make the difference between whether the business reacts with great grace or with panic when faced with a crisis.
Take the Chick-fil-A kerfluffle of this summer. I have an opinion on the root issues of it, but that's not the point of this column. The point here is that Chick-fil-A did something that virtually all people can agree was dumb and damaging to customer relationships.
Don't Be Shifty
I'm not even talking about the phony Facebook account, for which the company has denied responsibility -- although it does demonstrate how easily a crisis can spin out of control. (Note to other companies: Don't create fictional people to argue for you -- and look out for potentially fictional people on your Facebook account in crisis situations.)
I'm talking about something that occurred before phony Facebooker "Abby Farle" materialized on Chick-fil-A's fan page -- although it's connected to her bogus comments.
When CEO Dan Cathy's remarks about gay marriage were publicized, the Jim Henson Company severed ties with the restaurant. Muppet toys were being given away in children's meals; the Jim Henson Company released a statement that said, in part, "the Jim Henson Company has celebrated and embraced diversity and inclusiveness for over fifty years and we have notified Chick-fil-A that we do not wish to partner with them on any future endeavors."
Fair enough -- with the storm clouds gathering, the Henson folks wanted to get out of the line of fire. Moreover, they felt they needed to cut ties to adhere to their own ethical standard. And they were transparent about their motivations and actions.
Shortly thereafter, Chick-fil-A posted signs in at least two stores saying the toys had been removed from meals the day before the Muppets bailed out, citing "safety concerns." That explanation was then verified by the company as the reason the toys were being removed from the meals. It had nothing to do with the decision of the Henson organization to walk away from their partnership -- nothing at all.
Don't Tangle With Muppets
I'm trying to take all of this at face value and give people the benefit of the doubt. But here it is: If you pick a fight with the Muppets, you're going to lose. And if you make it look like you're being deceitful, spiteful, or less than truthful, don't be shocked when people assume a fake Facebooker is yet another attempt to control and shape the conversation.
This goes to the concept of being authentic -- a key part of what it means to build relationships in the social CRM era. People want to do business with people they like, and most people have misgivings about businesses when there's a pile-up of controversial and potentially dishonest anecdotes about them.
One is an anecdote, two is a coincidence, and three is a trend -- and by the time you get to three, customers are disinclined to do business with you.
Chick-fil-A can assume any stance it wishes on any issue, but when it comes to communicating with customers, the only valid and effective stance in the social era is honesty. If you're proud of your stance, stick with it and be forthcoming about it -- don't obfuscate, don't create your own version of the truth, and for heaven's sake, don't impersonate a teenage girl on Facebook (not sayin' they did -- just saying it's a horrible idea).
It may sound glib, but it's true: If you're not transparent in social media, customers are going to see right through you.


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Search results begining with "F"
(1 - 4 of 4)
Filter results
Feline Leukaemia Virus (FeLV)
Feline Leukaemia Virus (FeLV) is a serious disease that attacks the immune system and causes cancers such as lymphoma and leukaemia.
Feline parvovirus/panleucopenia (FPV)
Feline parvovirus (FPV) is a nasty disease that can be fatal to our cats and kittens. The best way to protect your cat against FPV is to vaccinate them regularly.
Flystrike in rabbits
Fly strike happens when a fly lays its eggs on a rabbit's fur which hatch into maggots and burrow under the skin to feed on flesh.
Food allergies in dogs
Just like people, dogs can be allergic to something in their food. This often causes skin and/or tummy problems.


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GREENGUARD Gold Certification (formerly known as GREENGUARD Children & Schools Certification) offers stricter certification criteria, considers safety factors to account for sensitive individuals (such as children and the elderly), and ensures that a product is acceptable for use in environments such as schools and healthcare facilities. It is referenced by both The Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) and the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Building Rating System.
Products certified under this program bear the GREENGUARD Gold Certification mark
The exposure to individual volatile organic compounds (VOCs), as detected in the C6 - C16 mass spectrometric analysis screen, has been adjusted to allow no greater than 1/100 of the currently published ACGIH® Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) and no greater than one-half of the California's Chronic Reference Exposure Levels (CRELs). In many cases, the 1/100 safety factor reduction of TLVs results in the most stringent requirements for an extensive range of VOCs. A total VOC or TVOC maximum allowable limit takes into account the complex mixture of all VOCs found to be emitting from a product, including those with and without TLVs or CRELs.
This standard is designed to define low-emitting materials suitable for environments where people, particularly children and sensitive adults, spend extended periods of time, in particular schools and healthcare facilities.
The GREENGUARD Gold Certification requirements comply with the State of California's Department of Public Health Services Standard Practice for Specification Section 01350 (California Section 01350) for testing chemical emissions from building products used in schools and other environments. As such, GREENGUARD Gold Certified products can be used to earn valuable credits in the CHPS Best Practices Manual for K-12 schools, the US Green Building Council's LEED® Green Building Rating Systems, the Green Guide for Healthcare, the NAHB Green Building Guidelines, Green Globes, Regreen and many other building codes, standards and specifications.


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Add or subtract the two numbers on the spinners and try to complete a row of three. Are there some numbers that are good to aim for?
Do you notice anything about the solutions when you add and/or subtract consecutive negative numbers?
The classic vector racing game.
Different combinations of the weights available allow you to make different totals. Which totals can you make?
Five numbers added together in pairs produce: 0, 2, 4, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15 What are the five numbers?
In this game, you can add, subtract, multiply or divide the numbers on the dice. Which will you do so that you get to the end of the number line first?
First Connect Three game for an adult and child. Use the dice numbers and either addition or subtraction to get three numbers in a straight line.
An investigation involving adding and subtracting sets of consecutive numbers. Lots to find out, lots to explore.
In this problem, we're investigating the number of steps we would climb up or down to get out of or into the swimming pool. How could you number the steps below the water?
In this article for teachers, Liz Woodham describes resources on NRICH that can help primary-aged children get to grips with negative numbers.
Imagine a very strange bank account where you are only allowed to do two things...
This article suggests some ways of making sense of calculations involving positive and negative numbers.
The picture shows a lighthouse and many underwater creatures. If you know the markings on the lighthouse are 1m apart, can you work out the distances between some of the different creatures?
In this game the winner is the first to complete a row of three. Are some squares easier to land on than others?
Number problems at primary level to work on with others.
Play this game to learn about adding and subtracting positive and negative numbers
How can we help students make sense of addition and subtraction of negative numbers?
A brief history of negative numbers throughout the ages
Investigate different ways of making £5 at Charlie's bank.
This article -useful for teachers and learners - gives a short account of the history of negative numbers.


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Let's Do Speed Bingo
July 2, 2019 @ 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
An event every week that begins at 6:30 pm on Tuesday, repeating until December 10, 2019
BINGO at The Pond! Certainly not your Grandma's Bingo by any means!
Speed Bingo is just that, BINGO but faster.
But it's even more than that! A 2 hour pub bingo game with weekly prizes. And, every time you get a BINGO, your name is added to our nightly and tournament drawings. The more times you play, the odds of winning a major prize grow. Especially if you play every week!! The more your play, the more you win!
When certain squares are called, unique bar specials kick in for a short period of time! Gather your friends and come to The Pond on Tuesdays at 6:30pm.
And, Tuesdays are Taco Tuesdays from 5pm to 10pm with five taco selections to mix-n-match. Plus $3 Corona & Corona Light specials and $5 Agave Margaritas!!