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Evolutionary biologists have so far largely treated the testis as a black box with a certain size, a matching resource demand and a resulting sperm output. A better understanding of the way that the testis responds to selection may come from recent developments in theoretical biology aimed at understanding the factors that influence the evolution of tissue architecture (i.e. the logical organisation of a tissue). Here we perform a comparative analysis of aspects of testicular architecture of the fruit fly family Drosophilidae. Specifically, we collect published information on the number of first (or primary) spermatocytes in spermatogenesis, which allows to infer an important aspect of testicular architecture.
We show that testicular architecture is much more variable (both within and between species) than is generally appreciated. Moreover, the number of first spermatocytes is strongly correlated to the sperm length, which is inversely related to the sperm production, and thus the workload of the testis.
Our study clearly documents that tissue architecture can evolve, and that in the Drosophilidae it may do so in response to sexual selection. We conclude that the testis of the Drosophilidae is a promising model organ to test recent models of tissue architecture.
It is generally accepted that sperm competition [1,2] can lead to selection for increased resource allocation towards the production of ejaculates and that different levels of sperm competition can cause rapid evolution of testis size [3-7]. However, selection due to sperm competition does not act on testis size per se, but on sperm production (sperm number and size). In other words, testis size evolves in response to the demand placed on sperm production by sperm competition. In spite of this, evolutionary biologists have to date largely treated the testis as a black box with a certain size, a matching resource demand and a resulting sperm output. Here we explore how the machinery of the testis may react to different sperm production demands (a change in which may be reflected in testis size).
For this it is useful to consider recent theoretical models that investigate the factors that influence the evolution of optimal tissue architecture [8-10]. In this context the term tissue architecture refers to the logical organisation of a tissue (Fig. 1) rather than its detailed histological morphology. Although these theoretical models were originally formulated for tissues such as skin and gut epithelia they should also apply to the testis, which also has an epithelial organization.
Figure 1. Four different tissue architectures that lead to 8 differentiated cells (green) and one stem cell (red). All tissue architectures require the same number of cell divisions, but individual cells divide different numbers of times. On the left the stem cell divides only once (ns = 1) to produce a transit cell (black) that in turn divides binomially three times (nt = 3), which produces a total of eight differentiated cells (k = ns × = 1 × 23 = 8). On the right the stem cell divides eight times and no transit cells are produced (ns = 8, nt = 0, k = 8 × 20 = 8). The other two tissue architectures are intermediate cases (centre left: ns = 2, nt = 2, k = 2 × 22 = 8; centre right, ns = 4, nt = 1, k = 4 × 21 = 8). The complete tissue will consist of N stem cells and thus be able to produce T = N × k differentiated cells. If the tissue is a testis each of these differentiated cells will go through the two meiotic divisions and will thus produce T = N × 4 × k sperm.
The testicular epithelium is a complex tissue that contains different types of somatic and germ cells. In vertebrates somatic cells (e.g. Sertoli cells) make up an substantial portion of the epithelium and they have important nourishing functions for the developing sperm. In contrast, in many insects the somatic cells (e.g. cyst cells) contribute relatively little to the testis in terms of overall size. The germ cells are organized into long-lived basal stem cells (spermatogonia) and short-lived differentiating transit cells (spermatocytes and spermatids). The sperm can be produced through different patterns of stem vs. transit cell divisions (as in Fig. 1) and they are then shed at the surface of the testicular epithelium. The different division patterns can be seen to represent different tissue architectures.
Should we expect that selection on sperm production acts on tissue architecture? The main aspect that the theoretical models have investigated so far is how proliferation-induced mutations can affect the function of the tissue and the survival of the individual harbouring the tissue in the context of cancer. Epithelial tissues generally have high cell division rates and this can lead to a high risk of proliferation-induced somatic mutations. The question therefore is if certain tissue architectures may be less risk-prone than others. One theoretical study concludes that the architectural organization of a tissue into a 'linear process', with basal stem cells and differentiating transit cells, may itself be an adaptation to protect the tissue against the initiation of cancer [9]. Another study concludes that the workload of a tissue (i.e. the number of cells the tissue has to produce) can affect the optimal patterns of stem vs. transit cell divisions, and hence the optimal tissue architecture [8]. Finally, the division of the tissue into stem vs. transit cells may also result from constraints on the length of the transit cell lineage, which is expected to select for a lowered mutation rate in stem cells compared to transit cells [8,11].
Other factors that have not yet been modelled theoretically, but which we expect to be important are linked to the temporal and cellular demand that selection places on the tissue. A tissue that has to produce many cells in a short amount of time may need to shift cell divisions towards the transit cells in order to exploit the exponential nature of that part of the tissue architecture (i.e. the architecture on the left in Fig. 1 produces eight cells in four rounds of cell division, whereas the architecture on the right requires eight rounds of cell division). Moreover, in a short-lived or semelparous organism the fitness cost associated with developing testicular cancer may be lower than in a more long-lived iteroparous organism, where future reproduction is an important fitness component. Therefore more risk-averse division strategies are expected in iteroparous organisms. Finally, a tissue that has to produce large differentiated cells may reduce the number of transit cell divisions in order to avoid the halving of the cell size in every cell division.
As outlined above, sperm competition leads to frequent changes in the demand on sperm production imposed on the testis. Testicular architecture may therefore vary either within species or between closely related species. Moreover, because the demand on skin or gut epithelia is expected to be much less variable, the testis can serve as an interesting model tissue for studies of optimal tissue architecture. As we show below, the testis of the fruit fly family Drosophilidae allows to easily determine important aspects of testicular architecture and we therefore think it is a particularly promising model tissue to study its evolution. The first aim of our study is to investigate if variation exists in testicular architecture within and between closely related species among the Drosophilidae. The second aim is to attempt to explain at least some of the observed variation in tissue architecture, to discuss it in the context of the existing models, and to suggest directions for future research.
The testis and spermatogenesis of the Drosophilidae
The organization of the testis and the process of spermatogenesis are known in great detail for Drosophila melanogaster [12-14], and some other drosophilids [15-17], and they have features that greatly facilitate the inference of certain aspects of testicular architecture. The first step in spermatogenesis involves the division of a spermatogonial (germ line) stem cell and the division of two somatic stem cells (Fig. 2). During these divisions the mother cells remain attached to the somatic hub cells and the daughter cells together form a cyst in which the two somatic cyst cells jointly enclose the newly formed (transit) germ cell. The remaining spermatogenesis occurs within this cyst: the transit cell goes through several rounds of mitotic divisions leading to first spermatocytes (which are also frequently called primary spermatocytes), followed by the meiotic divisions leading to spermatids, and followed by spermiogenesis leading to differentiated sperm. The determination of the number of first spermatocytes (F) and spermatids (S) within a cyst therefore allows to accurately estimate the number of transit cell divisions nt [18-20]. If the transit cell divisions correspond to a perfectly bifurcating tree, we would as a general rule expect F = and S = 4 × .
Figure 2. Organization of the testicular tip of D. melanogaster (modified from [30]).
Another aspect for which there exists considerable knowledge is for sperm and testis size among members of the Drosophilidae. Sperm size is usually estimated as sperm length, which is highly variable within the family [21-23] and can reach truly gigantic dimensions [24-26]. Because sperm size trades off with sperm number [22] we can expect that the number of sperm produced per stem cell is smaller in species with large sperm. Sperm size may thus be important for testicular architecture. Furthermore, in many organisms testis size is expected to correlate with the total number of sperm produced by the testis, as larger testes will often have more stem cells. However, in the Drosophilidae this correlation appears unlikely. Although testis size is highly variable among different species of the Drosophilidae [21] this parameter is usually measured as testis length, which is tightly correlated to sperm length (relationship without phylogenetic correction, r = 0.94 [27]; relationship with phylogenetic correction, r2 = 0.99 [28]). Within the Drosophilidae it is therefore unlikely that testis length provides much information on the number of stem cells in the testis. Only the direct observation of the testicular tip will allow to estimate this parameter [29,30], but there is little published information on this for drosophilids other than D. melanogaster.
In this study we assemble published data on the number of first spermatocytes and spermatids per cyst in different strains and species of the family Drosophilidae, and use these to estimate the number of transit cell divisions nt. We further assemble data on sperm size, which we expect may explain some of the variation in the number of sperm produced per stem cell, and which may thus be correlated to nt. We then perform a comparative analysis of independent contrasts using a molecular phylogeny and taxonomic information to correct for the phylogenetic relationships between the different species.
Literature data collection
We collected published information on a) the number of first (or primary) spermatocytes per cyst (i.e. the stage after all mitotic divisions, F = ), b) the number of spermatids per cyst (i.e. the stage after the two meiotic divisions have occurred, S = 4 × ), and c) sperm length (expected to be inversely correlated to the number of sperm produced per stem cell). We further add data on sperm length for two species, namely Hirtodrosophila confusa (n = 50 sperm) and D. mercatorum (n = 100 sperm). For species with heteromorphic sperm we used the length of the longer sperm morph in the analysis (thereby keeping the comparison within the fertilization-competent sperm morph, [31,32]). The data and references are listed in Additional file 1.
Additional file 1. Distribution of the number of first spermatocytes and spermatids per cyst, and sperm length among 100 members of the family Drosophilidae.
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Comparative analysis
As the backbone for the comparative analysis we used an Amyrel-based molecular phylogeny of the family Drosophilidae [33]. However, 14 species for which we had data were not represented in this molecular phylogeny. These were added using the taxonomical grouping into genus, group and subgroup (following the website Taxodros [34]), which in some cases led to polytomies in the proposed phylogeny. Moreover, one species, D. suzukii, was not added, because the molecular phylogeny suggested that the suzukii subgroup is polyphyletic (and it was therefore not clear to which subclade to add it). For the analysis of evolutionary relationships between the target variables we used CAIC 2.6.9[35] (available at [36]). For analyses the values for the number of first spermatocytes and sperm length were log-transformed. To investigate the relationship we used a linear regression forced through the origin, as suggested by the manual of CAIC.
Variation in the number of first spermatocytes
The published literature yields data on the number of first spermatocytes for 100 species among the Drosophilidae (Additional file 1), and suggests that the patterns of cell division during spermatogenesis are a) very variable within the family (spanning about one order of magnitude), and b) much more variable than the general rule of F = would suggest (Fig. 3). Four independent research groups report numbers of first spermatocytes (and also spermatids per cyst) that deviate from this rule. A Japanese research group screened 78 species within the Drosophilidae, and found a general agreement with the expected patterns, namely 8, 16, 32, or 64 first spermatocytes produced per cyst in most species [18]. However, several species deviated consistently from this pattern, producing intermediate numbers of first spermatocytes. Next, a German research group documented extensive variation, not only within species, but also within individuals of a species [16,19,37]. In Figure 4 we redraw published distributions from D. hydei and D. melanogaster from [19], which show the kind of variation in the number of first spermatocytes and spermatids per cyst, and the strikingly broad and bimodal distribution in D. melanogaster. Later the Japanese research group confirmed and extended such observations [20,38], and identified variation in species that they had initially reported to fit the expected pattern. Moreover, they were able to document significant variation in the number of first spermatocytes and spermatids per cyst both within and between different isofemale lines of D. virilis [39]. More importantly, they showed that crosses between two of those isofemale lines yielded an intermediate phenotype, which clearly suggests that heritable genetic variation underlies these traits [40]. It therefore appears likely that testicular architecture can respond to selection. Finally, recent papers by two other groups also report and/or confirm deviations the F = rule for several species [28,41].
Figure 3. Frequency distribution of the number of first spermatocytes (F) per cyst in 100 species among the Drosophilidae.
Figure 4. Frequency distributions of the number of first spermatocytes (F) and spermatids (S) per cyst in D. hydei and D. melanogaster (redrawn from [19]). Note a) that not all cysts contain the expected F = spermatocytes, but that F can deviate both above and below the expected values by small increments, b) that the number of spermatids per cyst (S) approximately reflects the patterns in F, but that the mode of the two distributions can be somewhat shifted relative to each other, and c) that in D. melanogaster both the F and S distributions are clearly bimodal.
It is thus clear that these deviations are widespread and it is important to note that small to intermediate levels of variation around, and deviations from, the F = pattern also occur in species that were initially classified as fitting the expected pattern, such as in D. melanogaster or D. simulans [18]. This suggests that there is much more variation in the number of first spermatocytes than is generally appreciated.
Evolution of the number of first spermatocytes
Most species that we were able to include in the comparative analysis appear to approximately fit the F = pattern, but several species show intermediate patterns or slight deviations (Fig. 5). Considerable variation occurs within some taxonomic groups (e.g. see the values for the virilis and repleta species groups), whereas other groups seem less variable (e.g. the melanogaster species group). Overall the number of first spermatocytes significantly co-varies with sperm length (Fig. 6A for the relationship without phylogenetic correction). The comparative analysis of independent contrasts shows that there is a significant evolutionary covariance between sperm length and the number of first spermatocytes, which is independent of the phylogenetic relationships between the species (Fig. 6B). Although there appears to be considerable phylogenetic inertia over part of the distribution (as evidenced by the large number of zeroes for the first spermatocyte contrast), the highest sperm length contrasts are associated with a reduced number of first spermatocytes per cyst.
Figure 5. Phylogenetic relationships for the members of the Drosophilidae that were included in the comparative analysis of independent contrasts (see also Figure 6B), the number of first spermatocytes per cyst in those species, and the species-groups for the species within the genus Drosophila. Note that a) the same number of first spermatocytes per cyst can be found in several unrelated groups and b) that the number of first spermatocytes per cyst can vary within a species-group.
Figure 6. Relationships between sperm length and the number of first spermatocytes (F) per cyst: a) the relationship for the 57 species for which we have values of both sperm length and F (see Additional file1 for the data and references)(linear regression, F1,55 = 86.4, p < 0.001), and b) the phylogenetically controlled relationship from the comparative analysis for the 40 species listed in Figure 5 (independent contrasts, linear regression forced through the origin, F1,34 = 30.2, p < 0.001).
Variation in the number of first spermatocytes
Our study clearly suggests that the number of first spermatocytes does not always fit the expected F = pattern (Figs. 3 and 4). Two types of deviation are evident. On one hand there is large inter-specific variation in F (ranging from 4 to 64 first spermatocytes), with some species having values that are consistently intermediate between two levels (e.g. D. bifurca, F = 6; D. pengi, F = 12; Hirtodrosophila alboralis and D. curviceps, F = 24; see also Fig. 3 and 6A).
On the other hand there is considerable intra-specific variation in F (Fig. 4 and Additional file 1). Surprisingly, the most striking pattern occurs in the best studied species, D. melanogaster, which shows a very broad bimodal distribution with clear modes at 8 and 16 first spermatocytes (Fig. 4). And although this was reported over 20 years ago [19], it is not generally appreciated. Almost all major reviews on D. melanogaster we consulted state that spermatogenesis occurs in a completely synchronous way and always leads to F = 24 = 16 first spermatocytes and S = 4 × 24 = 64 sperm per cyst [12,13,42,43]. Only one older review [14] briefly mentions some evidence for 32 instead of 64 spermatids per cyst in D. melanogaster. And while the distribution in D. melanogaster is particularly striking and maybe unique in its bimodality, there are many species that have distributions of the type and magnitude of D. hydei, which we here show as a representative example (Fig. 4). In fact, most species that were studied in detail, show at least some level of variation (Additional file 1 gives more detailed information on this variation).
Some of the data we report were collected using an in vitro system in which the germ cells undergo partial spermatogenesis [17]. So deviations from the F = pattern could in these cases potentially indicate in vitro artefacts. However, the data for spermatids were collected based on cross-sections of resin-embedded testes extracted from adult males, and thus are independent of such potential artefacts. The good fits between the distributions for first spermatocytes and spermatids (Fig. 4) suggest that the deviations from the F = pattern are real. This clearly suggests that, contrary to the general assumption, cell divisions do not have to be completely synchronized within a cyst.
Interestingly, based on a number of published images of cysts containing first spermatocytes it appears that all cells have the same size, even if the particular strain or species has intermediate numbers of first spermatocytes (e.g. F = 6 in D. bifurca in Fig 1B of [19] or F = 9 in strain A12 of D. virilis in Fig 1C of [39]). This observation is surprising if some cells go through fewer or more rounds of cell division than other cells in a cyst. We suggest that the function of the well known phenomenon of cytoplasmic bridges between developing spermatocytes and spermatids may be to allow equalization of the cytoplasm following asynchronous cell division. We thereby add to a growing list of hypotheses for the function of cytoplasmic bridges, such as assuring synchronous cell division, nutrient transport, or avoiding conflict between the father and its sperm (reviewed in [44,45]).
Evolution of the number of first spermatocytes
One important prerequisite for the evolution of tissue architecture is that genetic variation exists for traits that determine the architecture. The general assumption in most species is that the number of first spermatocytes is fixed and species-specific. If that were the case it is hard to imagine how this trait could evolve, because there would be no heritable variation on which selection could act. Our results clearly suggest that the number of first spermatocytes F is variable within species and that it does evolve within the Drosophilidae. However, it is also evident that the data show a strong stratification into the expected levels of F = (primarily 8,16, or 32 first spermatocytes, see Fig. 3 and 6A) and there appears to be considerable phylogenetic inertia, as several species groups show none or little variation around one of these levels (exceptions are the virilis and repleta groups, which span two and more than two levels respectively). However, the current analysis only considers the average or modal F values for the different species and ignores the sometimes considerable intra-specific variation. We suspect that more detailed analyses would reveal further variation in species that are currently considered to accurately fit the F = pattern.
Evidence for a role of sperm competition
The extensive variation in the number of first spermatocytes we report is strongly negatively correlated with sperm length, which in turn is strongly negatively correlated with the number of sperm produced [22]. This suggests that the testicular architecture shifts towards the transit cell lineage in the species that produce many small sperm. So can we conclude that sperm competition plays a role in this shift? Little is known about the mating system and the intensity of sperm competition in the majority of species we included in our study, and it is still not entirely clear what the function of the giant sperm is. However, it is currently thought that the evolution of sperm length is linked to sexual conflict over the usage of sperm [46,47], and that it thus represents the outcome of postcopulatory sexual selection, or more specifically of a complex interaction between sperm competition and cryptic female choice. It therefore appears possible that sexual selection can influence testicular architecture, but whether it is due to selection on sperm size or sperm number remains to be tested.
Although one of the earliest comparative studies on the evolution of testis size [3] reported a potential influence of sperm competition on the organization of the testis (i.e. the ratio of spermatogenic tissue to interstitial tissue) very little data has been collected on such aspects since. We are aware of only one other study that has looked at the morphological organization of the testis from a sperm competition perspective. This comparative study in primates showed considerable variation in spermatogenic efficiency (i.e. spermatid production per unit of testicular tissue), but this variation was not related to differences in the mating system between the studied species [48].
Experimental approaches to study testicular architecture
An interesting avenue for future research would be to experimentally test the evolvability of testicular architecture by artificially selecting either on the number of first spermatocytes or on sperm production. Given the variation we describe it is clear that artificial selection on testis size per se may lead to a different response than selection on sperm production. Another interesting approach could be the recent experimental evolution experiment in which D. melanogaster was grown for many generations under different levels of sexual selection (i.e. monogamy vs. polygamy) [49]. This regime appears to have led to a reduced sperm production by males held under monogamy [50]. So flies from these (or similar) lines could be used to evaluate if nt or other parameters of testicular architecture have evolved in response to the selection regime.
Instead of investigating evolutionary responses one could also check if there is any phenotypic plasticity in testicular architecture. One study mentions unpublished results that suggest that different food levels and temperatures have no effect on the number of first spermatocytes [40]), suggesting that it is not phenotypically plastic in response to these environmental variables. Another study showed that sperm length varies under different temperature constraints [51], but that study did not investigate variation in the number of first spermatocytes per cyst.
Phenotypic plasticity in male allocation has been reported in a number of organisms in response to environmental cues that indicate future sperm competition risk [52-55]. Such variation in male allocation may lead to different numbers of sperm produced, and it could therefore be interesting to test if it also leads to changes in testicular architecture.
Comparative approaches to study testicular architecture
As outlined above our comparative analysis reveals a highly significant association between the number of first spermatocytes and sperm length. Given that we expect that sperm length (SL) is inversely related to the total number of sperm (T) produced by a fly [22], we can suggest that at least part of the variation in T is explained by variation in nt because 1/SL ≈ T = N × k = N × ns × (2n t)2. However, it appears of course possible that the number of stem cells (N) and the number of stem cell divisions (ns) also vary between species, and these will therefore also have to be estimated for a more complete comparative analysis. We think that it is possible to do this for the testis of the Drosophilidae, and that this tissue therefore is an ideal model organ to test the existing tissue architecture models [8,10,56]. In Additional file 2 we outline what data should be collected to more fully parameterize testicular architecture. Moreover, it would be highly relevant to collect more comparative data on the variation in mating systems of the different drosophilid species. The recent sequencing of the genomes of 12 Drosophila species covering a large fraction of the genus Drosophila should facilitate the establishment of microsatellite markers that could be used on many species within this genus (or maybe even within the entire Drosophilidae). Such markers would make it much easier to obtain comparative data on levels of multiple paternity for a range of species.
Additional file 2. Parameterization of the testicular architecture of the Drosophilide.
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Evolutionary biologists have generally treated the testis as a black box which simply has a size that indicates its resource use (or reproductive allocation), and a resulting sperm production that is tailored to the mating system requirements. So the prevailing idea is that the testis simply responds to varying demands by changing its size. However, as a consequence of variation in the strength of sexual selection the testis not only has to produce drastically different numbers of cells, but also cells of highly variable morphology and complexity. This means that there are few tissues which are under more variable and rapidly changing selection pressures than the testis. By investigating the way in which this organ responds to these selection pressures, either experimentally or based on comparative testicular architecture, we can expect to learn a lot about the evolutionary importance of tissue architecture.
Authors' contributions
LS conceived the idea to use the testis as a model organ to study tissue architecture and DJ contributed the expertise about drosophilid spermatogenesis. LS and DJ assembled the comparative data set during a research visit in Gif sur Yvette. J-LdL provided phylogenetic advice and access to a then still unpublished molecular phylogeny. LS and DJ analysed the data and drafted the manuscript during a research visit in Innsbruck. All authors have critically read and approved the final manuscript.
The authors would like to acknowledge the support of the France Focus of the University of Innsbruck, which funded mutual visits in Gif sur Yvette and Innsbruck. We would further like to thank Steve Frank, Dan Lindsley and Dita Vizoso for useful comments on earlier versions of the manuscript. During this work LS was supported by a SNF fellowship.
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Proc R Soc Lond B 2001, 268:1071-1080. PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text | PubMed Central Full Text
David JR, Araripe LO, Chakir M, Jegour H, Lemos B, Pétavy G, Rohmer C, Joly D, Moreteau B: Male sterility at extreme temperatures: a significant but neglected phenomenon for understanding Drosophila climatic adaptations.
J Evol Biol 2005, 18(4):838-846. PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text
Gage MJG: Continuous variation in reproductive strategy as an adaptive response to population density in the moth Plodia interpunctella.
Schärer L, Ladurner P: Phenotypically plastic adjustment of sex allocation in a simultaneous hermaphrodite.
Proc R Soc Lond B 2003, 270:935-941. PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text | PubMed Central Full Text
Schärer L, Vizoso DB: Phenotypic plasticity in sperm production rate: there's more to it than testis size.
Stockley P, Seal NJ: Plasticity in reproductive effort of male dung flies (Scatophaga stercoraria) as a response to larval density.
Frank SA, Nowak MA: Developmental predisposition to cancer.
Nature 2003, 422(6931):494-494. PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text


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The Lady Magazine
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subset: commoncrawl


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improve shooting technique with this fun soccer coaching game
|(with thanks to Ken Dodson of the Chugiak
Soccer Club)
This game is called "Shoot, Save, Shoot", it may look a bit dull and it even has players standing in lines.
But young football players just love playing it.
I've used it with U6s to U14s and they've all enjoyed it. My U12 girls ask to play just about every week.
So give Shoot, Save, Shoot a try. I'm sure it will become one of your players' favourite games too.
Objective: To improve shooting technique.
Age range: U6s and upwards.
Difficulty: Easy.
Set-up: Use a playing area with a standard-size goal at one end. Place a cone about 10 yards out from the left-hand post for very young players and about 20 yards away for older players.
Divide your players into two teams.
Team 1 stands about six yards from the left-hand post. Team 2 stands about six yards from the right-hand post.
You stand near the goal with five or six balls.
How to play:
Progression: Switch sides so that players
have to run to the left and right of the goal.
For more soccer coaching tips and products visit Soccer Coaching Club.


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The Magazine
Thinking Lunar
Humans by the light of the silvery moon.
Mar 14, 2011, Vol. 16, No. 25 • By THOMAS SWICK
Toward the end, a long chapter is devoted to artists of the nighttime Thames, not just Turner and Whistler—whose work was greatly influenced by science—but Abraham ("Moonlight") Pether and his cousin William, who collaborated with Joseph Wright, another great artist of the night and one of the Lunar Men, a group that met every month on the Monday closest to the full moon. (The date was chosen to make the ride home easier.) Attlee excels at finding these tantalizing connections, and brings to the paintings discussed (especially those readers may not have seen) the necessary detail, background, and passion.
The middle of the book contains the literal journey of the subtitle, as Attlee finally hits the road. Japan allows him to address the enormous significance that the moon has had in Asian cultures. Visiting a Kyoto temple for Tsukimi (the autumn moon-viewing festival), he follows everyone else's lead and takes a picture of the orb, moved not just by its appearance but by the attention still paid to it by some of the most technologically addicted people on earth. From Kyoto he travels south to Kagoshima to see the city's active volcano. Some scientists, Attlee writes, believe that a full moon close to earth ("at its perigee") can influence volcanic eruptions. A typhoon, not an eruption, threatens his stay, but not before he finds Tsukimi burgers at McDonald's. His next stop is Naples (Kagoshima's sister city), where he notes that nighttime paintings of the bay, with Vesuvius in the background, were so popular with travelers on the Grand Tour that they made moonlight one of the region's "principal exports."
From Italy he travels to the American West, starting in Las Vegas. It is his ultimate Sin City, not only deleting the night—what glitters up there stays up there—but doing the deed in the desert, night's long inviolable province. Though the city, he discovers, has its own volcano—in the middle of the Strip—and this one, accommodatingly, erupts on the hour. In addition to whipping boy, Vegas is also his gateway to Arizona, which boasts more large telescopes than any other state. Another interesting, if not necessarily surprising, fact. Fitting into both of those categories, however, is the Interstellar Light Collector outside Tucson, "a five-story-high array of parabolic mirrors" that, its builders claim, can cure a host of ailments by amplifying and directing moonlight at participants, who are hoisted by a boom lift. Atlee's visit nicely mixes scientific skepticism with reportorial curiosity and
One of the most fascinating chapters is on Germans' relationship with the moon. Attlee takes us from the beginning of the 19th century—when the Romantics associated it with the "night side" of life—to the imprisonment of Rudolf Hess who, in solitary confinement at Spandau, eagerly followed the race to put a man there. Intrigued by stars since childhood, Hess corresponded with people at NASA, who rewarded his interest by sending him photos and pamphlets and even "a minute-by-minute timetable for the Apollo 15 mission."
Thomas Swick is the author of A Way to See the World: From Texas to Transylvania with a Maverick Traveler.
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Fine Cooking (February/March 2015)
Thank you so much to all of you who have left comments or sent emails about our 7th Blogiversary post. You guys are the absolute best! We've had the most amazing time reading through all your sweet thoughts about The Bitten Word.
One thing that especially struck us was how many people commented on our musings about how one day we'll probably stop writing this blog. Don't worry: we're not going anywhere.
And how could we, when we've got dishes like this Moroccan Lamb Stew that we need to talk about with you?
Continue reading "Moroccan Lamb Stew with Mint Tea and Apricots" »


text: Look your best for less this summer with these head-turning, figure-flattering swimsuits. Print Email PagesPrevious 13 of 17 Next View All Try a flirty tankini If attention is what you're after, look for a tankini. A bold print will make a strong statement and maximize a small bust.For a suit like this, shop at Old Navy.


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Reach tens of thousands of people instantly by advertising with Ekklesia. Find out more
Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has dismissed concerns over the abuse of British Guantanamo detainee Shaker Aamer, in a letter to his lawyer at the legal charity Reprieve.
A public hearing of the Investigatory Powers Tribunal has revealed details of UK security services' policies on the interception of private calls between lawyers and clients.
The Pakistani authorities are suppressing details of an official investigation into the shooting of an imprisoned, mentally-ill Briton, says legal charity Reprieve.
New legislation to overturn a law shielding perpetrators of human rights violations would bring justice a step closer to the victims of General Pinochet, says Amnesty.
US federal judge Gladys Kessler has ordered that videotapes of Abu Wa'el Dhiab being force-fed in Guantánamo Bay are to be made public.
Concerns have been raised about a new wave of executions in Iran, after it emerged that authorities in the country last week executed a man for 'heresy'
A new report claims children in trouble with the law are being put on electronic tags, given curfews, then sent back to prison because of failures in the system meant to support them.
David Cameron still has time to ensure the safety of mentally-ill Briton Mohammad Asghar, who was shot in a Pakistani jail last week, says the legal charity Reprieve.
A British student's appeal against his sentence in the United Arab Emirates, based on a 'confession' extracted through torture, has been rejected.
A 70-year-old British man from Edinburgh is in critical condition after being shot in a Pakistani prison by a police officer or prison guard earlier today (25 September).


text: # -*- makefile -*- for the C-level run-time support for SBCL # This software is part of the SBCL system. See the README file for # more information. # # This software is derived from the CMU CL system, which was # written at Carnegie Mellon University and released into the # public domain. The software is in the public domain and is # provided with absolutely no warranty. See the COPYING and CREDITS # files for more information. CC=gcc CFLAGS = -g -O2 -Wall -D__EXTENSIONS__ -D_POSIX_C_SOURCE=199506L -DSVR4 -D_REENTRANT -fno-omit-frame-pointer ASFLAGS = -Wall LD = ld NM = nm -xgp GREP = ggrep ASSEM_SRC = x86-assem.S ldso-stubs.S ARCH_SRC = x86-arch.c OS_SRC = sunos-os.c x86-sunos-os.c os-common.c OS_LIBS= -ldl -lsocket -lnsl -lrt GC_SRC= gencgc.c # Nothing to do for after-grovel-headers. .PHONY: after-grovel-headers after-grovel-headers:


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"Females come to a decision after they have conducted intense probing of various potential sites," she said.
Study results appeared online Nov. 6 in Nature Neuroscience.
Dahanukar was joined in the project by Zev Wisotsky, Adriana Medina, and Erica Freeman all of whom work in her lab.
Wisotsky, a neuroscience graduate student and the first author of the research paper, performed the imaging, taste electrophysiology and behavior experiments. He was joined in his efforts by Freeman, a bioengineering graduate student, who performed the olfactory recordings; and Medina, a junior specialist in entomology, who performed the feeding preference experiments and molecular analysis.
The lab is poised now to move the research forward.
"How do you get information from the chemical environment to the brain not just in flies but other insects as well?" Dahanukar said. "How is that information processed to give rise to appropriate behavior? How does feeding behavior change with hunger? These are some questions we would like pursue."
|Contact: Iqbal Pittalwala
University of California - Riverside


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Welcome to Warm Acre Games
Spy or Die Trying
Enter a world of cool spies, criminal masterminds and cheesy acronyms! Spy or Die Trying is the game of infiltration and espionage that pits secret agents against a ruthless mastermind. You have just 60 minutes to save (or enslave) the world.
Jane Austen's Matchmaker
Matchmaker is an interactive card game for 3 to 6 players that brings together characters from Jane Austen's novels – the heroes and heroines, the scoundrels and schemers, the downtrodden and the desperate – all of them looking for one thing: marriage.
Hour of Glory
Order our popular Hour of Glory game and miniature here...
Order our miniatures from here
Warm Acre is a publisher of board and card games and is a producer of finely crafted white metal miniatures. Please click on the links above to see more information about our games and miniatures and to visit our shop pages.


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My colleague Edwin Guarin, who focuses on academia here in the northeast, has just kicked off the northeastern leg of the Digital Dorm Room Tour, packing a customized RV with some very cool technology and motoring across the northeast! Edwin blogged about the tour, the idea, goals, tech, goodies for giveaways, and what's on the RV.
The RV (and hopefully Edwin too) are heading to a bunch of colleges and universities over the coming month. Here's the schedule.
Who knows, you might even find yours truly hopping on board for the ride (despite the fact that I've been driven by Edwin before!) and hitting a campus or two!
Check out the Digital Dorm Room site for the latest details.
Does this tour replace the Bob & Chris Road Show I have come to love?
Hi John,
Nope - and your question is well timed!
We're just about to announce the dates and registration links for our May Northeast Roadshow! Stay tuned...
Hi Chris,
You have not updated times and places for the May Digital Dorm Room tour. I was interested in the May 7, RIT Stop
Thanks Much ...
@rocksteady - It looks like Edwin will be at RIT on May 8th. The latest schedule is at http://edvangelist.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!4BBBE6F817894BF9!290.entry
You can keep up with Edwin by watching his full blog feed here:


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Carpenters HitsItem #: HL.00306428
Our Price:
Unrated ( Be the first to review this item )
As performed by The Carpenters.
Big Note Personality. Easy piano arrangements with large, easy to read notation. 9x12 inches. 64 pages. Published by Hal Leonard. (HL.00306428)
Free Shipping on this item in orders above $199
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Found in: Easy Pop Piano Sheet Music
15 of the Carpenters' big hits arranged for big-note piano, including: Bless the Beasts and Children · (They Long to Be) Close to You · For All We Know · Goodbye to Love · Hurting Each Other · Only Yesterday · Please Mr. Postman · Rainy Days and Mondays · Sing · Superstar · Top of the World · We've Only Just Begun · Yesterday Once More · and more.
Songs Include:


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Wednesday, October 5, 2011
© Copyright 2015 Gwinnett Daily Post
Boy Scouts, others, thank local heroes
LAWRENCEVILLE -- On Sept. 11, Boy Scouts of America Troop 575 and the Philadelphia Winn Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the Revolution joined with fire and rescue personnel from Fire Station No. 10 to honor the local heroes.
The Boy Scouts served the fire and rescue personnel dinner, and a number of public officials addressed those at the gathering, including Lawrenceville Mayor Judy Johnson, Congressman Rob Woodall, Gwinnett County Chairwoman Charlotte Nash and National Daughters of the American Revolution Regent Peggy Freeman.
For more information about the Daughters of the American Revolution, visit www.dar.org.
Cool Girls golf tournament benefits programs
SUWANEE -- A non-profit organization dedicated to the "self-empowerment of girls" has scheduled its inaugural golf tournament, Cool Class, for Nov. 1.
Scheduled for 11 a.m. at The River Club's golf course in Suwanee, there will also be a silent auction and an awards ceremony which will include a presentation of Cool Girls from different schools in Atlanta.
More than 100 supporters are expected to participate. Sponsorship levels begin at $1,200, with proceeds helping the expansion of Cool Girls' programs.
Raffle raises money for charities
LAWRENCEVILLE -- The Gwinnett County Family Violence Task Force has scheduled its inaugural raffle to raise money for local charities.
Raffle tickets are $5 and can be purchased by contacting the Family Violence Task Force at (678) 371-6381 or e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com.
Raffle prizes include a 46-inch RCA television, a $100 gift card for women's self-defense classes and other gift cards as well.
Local shopping destination features women's month
LAWRENCEVILLE -- During October, Discover Mills is presenting "Celebrating Women," a month-long initiative to honor and empower women.
The event, which culminates with a special appearance by Miss Georgia 2011 Michaela Lackey, will also feature style presentations, community awards and women's health awareness programs.
Women from the Red Hat Society plan to visit during the Discover Mills' Red Hat Rendezvous on Tuesday.
The event also features interactive fashion and style experiences hosted by more than 15 retailers from 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 13.
Shoppers can sample a range of nutritional and wellness products during the wellness expo Oct. 15.
On Oct. 22, Miss Georgia plans to host Role Models, an event to recognize charitable organizations throughout the Atlanta area.
For more information, visit www.discovermills.com.
Gwinnett Gab appears in the Thursday and Sunday editions of the Gwinnett Daily Post. To submit an item to Gwinnett Gab, email email@example.com.
More like this story
- GAB: Women's shelter fundraiser is May 25 ( May 4, 2013 )
- GAB: Annual Boy Scouts breakfast is Jan. 25 ( January 2, 2013 )
- GAB: Buford Lanier Woman's Club meeting planned ( March 25, 2012 )
- GAB: Georgia SPCA fundraiser planned ( July 20, 2012 )
- GWINNETT GAB: Golfers hit links to benefit Duluth hospice ( November 20, 2009 )


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The View is an American talk show and entertainment/infotainment program that has aired on ABC since August 11, 1997, as part of its daytime programming block. The show's concept was conceived by Barbara Walters and Bill Geddie, and is executive produced by Bill Wolff and Brian Balthazar. As of season eighteen (2014–15), The View is the fourth-longest-running national daytime talk show in history, behind Live! with Kelly and Michael (30), The Phil Donahue Show (26), and The Oprah Winfrey Show (25).
List of links to The View fansites:
Register to update information, save favorites, post photos, news stories and comments.


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Mental Health First Aid Course Offered This MonthOctober 2, 2015
Read More
Offered: Adult Mental Health First Aid Course
Offered: Adult Mental Health First Aid Course
When: Saturday, October 24th and Saturday, October 31st from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm. Attendance on BOTH days is required to receive the certification.
Where: Alpine Lutheran Church – 5001 Forest View Ave, Rockford, IL 61108
Fee: $30.00 – please bring to training.
Space is limited to 30 participants, so please register early! All attendees will receive a certificate of attendance for completing this 8-hour course.
This 8-hour training was developed due to the fact that mental health
- More Money for Research and No Major Cuts To Mental Health Programs In Budget Bills
- Time To Raise Your Advocacy Voice because…
- What Are States Doing to Help Prevent Suicide?
- Is Your Campus StigmaFree? NAMI Calls for Student Mental Health Action
- Adult Caregivers Survey
By Andrew Sperling | Jun. 26, 2015 This week the House and Senate Appropriations Committees passed spending bills for 2016 covering a range of programs including: research at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), services at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and supportive housing at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The congressional bills were written under the current caps on overall spending, known as "sequestration". This triggered veto threats from the White
Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) is next week! To celebrate, NAMI Advocates across the country will take action to advocate for mental health reform. You can help our cause by contacting your members of Congress today. Email now! Call now! Tweet Now! Tell them that the perfect way to honor MIAW is to pass mental health reform this fall. Congress Expected to Pass Short-Term Budget Resolution The new federal fiscal year begins next week and Congress has yet to pass any
By Dania Douglas | Sep. 22, 2015 Tragically, tens of thousands of Americans lose their lives to suicide every year, the statistics are alarming. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. More young adults aged 15-24 die by suicide than anything else with the exception of accidents. Every single day, the lives of 18 to 22 veterans are lost. These statistics are incredibly disheartening when thinking of the millions of families, friends and colleagues who
ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 29, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is calling on college and university students to take a StigmaFree pledge and fight discrimination against mental health conditions as part of a growing nationwide movement. Coinciding with Mental Illness Awareness Week (Oct. 4-10), NAMI sees growing student activism as the first wave of a campaign that will expand to include businesses and faith communities over the next two years. Its foundation is a pledge
Thank you for your interest in this survey of family caregivers of adults with mental illness. Click the button below to get started. START SURVEY More About the Survey NAMI is proud to partner with the National Alliance on Caregiving and several other mental health and caregiving organizations to conduct a survey about Americans providing care to an adult with a mental or emotional health issue. The survey will be used to better understand and advocate for family caregivers of


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- Musician's Friend Best Selection, Price & Service. Guaranteed.
Call our Gear Heads
at: 800-449-9128
Call our Gear Heads
at: 800-449-9128
For use with all Bb, Eb, C and Bass Clef instruments, the Jazz Play-Along series is the ultimate learning tool for all jazz musicians. With musician-friendly lead sheets, melody cues and other split-track choices on the included CD, this first-of-its-kind package makes learning to play jazz easier than ever before. FOR STUDY, each tune includes a split track with: • Melody cue with proper style and inflection • Professional rhythm tracks • Choruses for soloing • Removable bass part • Removable piano part. FOR PERFORMANCE, each tune also has: • An additional full stereo accompaniment track (no melody) • Additional choruses for soloing. 10 songs: All My Tomorrows • All the Way • Beyond the Sea • I Left My Heart in San Francisco • L-O-V-E • Mona Lisa • Sway (Quien Sera) • (Love Is) the Tender Trap • What a Wonderful World • You're Nobody 'til Somebody Loves You.
Our product catalog varies by country due to manufacturer restrictions. If you change the Ship-To country, some or all of the items in your cart may not ship to the new destination.


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Despite all the strong words from officials, none of the policies offered up in response to the sorry situation have actually threatened to wipe the petcoke piles away.
Burge has been said to have friends in high places. In an era where the Illinois Supreme Court and the legislature are potentially scaling back the hard-earned pensions of law-abiding public workers and their families, it will be telling to see, once again, just how high Burge's clout reaches in this scandal-within-a-scandal.
Despite demonstrable success in job creation and business growth, there are indications the president may sidestep the importance of trade in this year's State of the Union address. That would be a mistake.
2013 was an exciting, awkward, frustrating, and confusing year in Illinois. Join us as we take a look back at some of the most memorable highlights fr...
For years, the anti-torture movement had called for an apology from the city as part of a comprehensive set of remedies. And, they said, Emanuel's seemingly impromptu "sorry" was nowhere near sufficient.
The typical government task force often surfaces when solid policy solutions are politically radioactive or in short supply. Mayor Rahm Emanuel's Chr...
2015 will be the year of financial Armageddon for Chicago if it doesn't get pension relief from Springfield.
We hope other cities will take notice and adopt similar legislation to restrict the sale of flavored tobacco without delay. Together we can keep more children from ever lighting up, which in turn will help them grow into healthier young adults.
If the billionaire Koch Brothers dumped a 5 story high mountain of a sooty black substance in a Chicago neighborhood; could Mayor Rahm Emanuel make th...
Try and name one difference between the policies of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel that isn't of importance to evangelicals -- I'll wait.
The Illinois House has adjourned without voting on pending legislation that would increase mandatory-minimum prison sentences for illegal gun possession. This is a victory for safe, smart, cost-effective criminal justice law and policy.
This budget seems a little like the calm before the pension storm. Unless the state acts, and acts soon, the "pension bomb" explodes next year.
The question the public and lawmakers need to address is who would you rather meet on the streets of Chicago?
Multimillionaire Republican governor candidate Bruce Rauner has an extremely close relationship with Rahm Emanuel, moderate stances on social issues a...
For Chicago to compete, we must have infrastructure that offsets the economic and quality of life impacts that climate change is already throwing at us.
Had Detroit's lawmakers been courageous enough to ask questions, make tough decisions, stand up to union leadership, build out the city's infrastructure, would their city have gone bankrupt?


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15 Awesome Paper Thanksgiving Turkeys
Sure, the food at Thanksgiving is great. But in our opinion, the real star of this holiday is the terrifying artwork brought home from elementary school art class.
Sure, the food at Thanksgiving is great. But in our opinion, the real star of this holiday is the terrifying artwork brought home from elementary school art class.
There are tons of things we love about Thanksgiving, like how it's socially acceptable to dress up as a pilgrim in public. (Other people do that too, right...
There's no denying Thanksgiving is a holiday that proves just how awesome Americans are. Think about it-- it's an entire day dedicated to stuffing ourselves with fantastic food, spending time with family and friends and watching football...
Holiday travel will bring increased traffic to the American highways this Thanksgiving weekend. However, with many families still simply trying to operate day-to-day on shoestring budgets, people are expected to plan shorter trips to carve their turkeys this year as a means to save money on fuel and other expenses.
The price of Thanksgiving is going up this year, but not as much as you might think.
There is hardly any such thing as Black Friday anymore. With numerous retailers, like Walmart, opening their doors to holiday bargain addicts as early as 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving, other retailers must now either join the circus or risk missing out on frantic buyers with turkey hangovers and itchy spending fingers.
Who's really being punished here? Valerie Rodgers, or the cops she's cooking for? It depends on good she is in the kitchen, we guess. Rodgers was sentenced to cooking Thanksgiving dinner for three cops and a year of probation for reckless driving that resulted in felony charges.
Anybody play any good pranks on Thanksgiving? Watch as this gullible gal falls for it when her family tells her the turkey they're serving is pregnant.
There's one problem with this:
The bird is perfectly cooked (hopefully with none of these disasterous mishaps!) and now you're ready to carve. But where to start? Jimmy Kimmel's Aunt Chip is ready with some tips, right after the jump.
Happy Thanksgiving!
No, you can't yell it in a movie theater, but that may be exactly what you yell if you cook your Thanksgiving turkey in a deep fryer!
Check out the videos, then please preheat the OVEN!
While most of you are likely engaged in a mad dash to pick up all the last minute items you need to prepare a delicious Thanksgiving meal for this coming Thursday, Lady Gaga is helping to further ramp up excitement for Turkey Day — or Tofurkey Day if you have alternate eating habits! She released a promo from her upcoming 'A Very Gaga Thanksgiving' special, which will air Thursday night, and it looks like it's going to be a good one.


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I always thought that it's the image diagonal that is considered. I am not sure, but if that is the case, then 5x12 (for instance) will be ULF as it has an image diagonal that is larger than 8x10, if you consider anything larger than 8x10 as ULF.
I guess you will get as many opinions as there are LF/ULF photographers!


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The Glen Club was built on the former Glenview Naval Air Station in Glenview on the north side of Chicago 30 minutes from O'Hare. It was designed by Tom Fazio in 2001 on a rather flat, motionless piece of ground, but after Fazio added his touch the layout rolls with hilly terrain, mounding, humps and hollows.
It's a parkland style design with development lining the exterior holes and elevation changes of up to 35 feet throughout the course. Hazards include five lakes, a stream, sand along the fairways and greens, and 5,000 trees which were planted as part of the design. Most of the holes offer wide fairways with tall fescue grass rough at the borders and generally a stroke lost to recover. It is a par 72, offering 4 different tee boxes, playing at the max of 7,149 yards, 74.8/140, course/slope ratings with some vantage points where the Chicago skyline is visible in the distance.
Played the Glen Club yesterday. Outstanding conditioning, greens, tees and fairways, the rough thick and penal. While routed through a residential development, most of the distraction of homes along the course is minimized, a true oasis of sorts in the middle of the city. Great facilities, NXT Titleists on the range, full practice are with chipping and putting area. Excellent customer service, we were never lacking anything, very attentive. The routing is a thinking man's layout, where there's a lot of choices to make par, long and short holes, some forced carries so make sure you're playing from the best tee for your game. Lots of trouble, so accuracy off the tee and on approach is required. Overall, great experience and first class golf course, just on the expensive side.
The Glen Club is a very novel course. It was a naval air base just a bit ago, and was completely flat. They built a very nice looking course that challenges golfers at all skill levels. The caddie program there is really good. I like the course - but I won't ever pay $200+ of my money to play there again. If someone wants to bring me as a guest, I will be happy to play it. The biggest drawback to me is that you can tell it is a young course....has a few trees, but not many.


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Dr. Crusher or Pulaski
View Single Post
October 23 2011, 03:50 PM
Vice Admiral
Location: in a figment of a mediocre mind's imagination
Re: Dr. Crusher or Pulaski
UnknownSample wrote:
I really liked Pulaski, and thought she was just one of many improvements in Next Gen in season two. She has far more life and spirit in her than Crusher, who just came across as neutral in personality. Pulaski was intellectually curious and adventurous. I like the moment where she does the tea ceremony with Worf and injects herself with antidote so as to "enjoy" the poison in the tea with him.Pulaski was not similar to McCoy except for her problem with transporters. I think people must be connecting her intolerance toward a synthetic being, Data, with McCoy's irritation with Spock. Data and Spock aren't equivalent. It makes sense that someone whose life work is biology might not find it easy to accept a non-biological being as a real person.I'm nuts for Diana Muldaur in just about anything she's done, in the 60s and 70s anyway. Besides having a great "presence", she's also insanely attractive in those earlier roles. In the 80s she did this unfortunate thing with her hair, that put an end to that... I was very disappointed when Crusher came back.
Pulaski was very similar to Bones, not just because of the transporter and Data thing, but for their styles as well.
Their both older than most of the rest of the crew, outwardly grumpy but deeply caring and humanistic inside.
Really, Pulaski is so obviously a variation on McCoy(and deliberately so) that I think one almost has to be willfully trying to not see it to miss the comparison.
As I liked McCoy, I also like Pulaski, but I just can't see the whole "I liked one but not the other" thing.
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Damn, made plans to go to Fruita the weekend of the Festival... then found out I made plans to go to Fruita the weekend of the Festival. I've been about out there for it before, multiple times but not in (8*) years. Are the trails the same sh!t show I remember for that weekend? Probably gonna change my plans since I have no desire to see that many riders on trail. Thoughts?
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High Country Speaker Series
This speaker series is held in conjunction with the Eagle Valley Library District each winter. Each year we have sought to bring our community notable and passionate speakers who offer a unique view of our natural surroundings. The 2015 winter's theme is Mountain Culture and the Environment – Creating Cohesion.
These evening programs will begin at 5:30 pm. All programs are free and will be held at either the Avon Public Library or Walking Mountains Science Center.
Thanks to everyone for an amazing season! We'll see you in 2016!
Previous Discussions
Developing Deep Roots for Sustainability and Community in Nepal
Friday, January 30, 2015 | 5:30pm | Reception to Follow
Presenter: Jim Nowak
Location: Walking Mountains Science Center
Discussion Highlights: Jim Nowak's presentation "Developing Deep Roots for Sustainability and Community in Nepal" will focus on his personal experiences working with indigenous populations in remote regions of the Himalayas, empowering communities to become sustainable and improve their quality of life through advancing education and health while reducing poverty. A longtime mountaineer, Nowak will discuss his inspiration for founding the dZi Foundation in the mountains of Colorado as well as what community, culture, and mountains represent in the highest part of our world.
Speaker Bio: Jim Nowak is co-founder and President of the dZi Foundation. Since 1997, Jim's leadership has taken the dZi Foundation from a grassroots organization – originally formed to save girls at risk – to a thriving non-profit now serving over 29,000 individuals in the remote villages of eastern Nepal. The dZi's growth from a kitchen table operation to one of the Himalayan region's most respected non-profits is a direct result of his knowledge, passion, and commitment to those the dZi serves.
Having been avid rock and ice climber for the past 43 years, this was the entry point to Nepal. An expedition to Pumori 23,424', lead him to taking a significant redirection of his life 13 years ago, when the dZi Foundation was formed. Jim has worked for the Ore House Corporation throughout the western US, building restaurants from pouring the foundation all the way to opening the doors. He was a four-color scanning technician doing digital enhancement of photographs in nation-wide magazine publications. Along with many years of contracting of homes and being a master tile setter. Just for flavor he was also a forest fire fighter, one of the best jobs he says he ever had, with the exception of the current position he holds with the dZi Foundation. Learn more.
High Culture: Mountains and our Minds
Friday, February 27, 2015 | 5:30pm
Presenter: John Calderazzo
Location: Walking Mountains Science Center
Discussion Highlights: John Calderazzo will speak about what landscapes, especially those capped by snow, can tell us about history, humanity, and culture. As a writer, CSU professor, and an expert on communicating science to the public, Calderazzo will discuss his time traversing volcanoes throughout the world and learning from local inhabitants the role volcanoes, mountains, and the environment have in daily life and creating culture. "High Culture: Mountains and our Minds," is his creative approach to discussing the effects of mountains on our way of life. Learn more.
Speaker Bio: John Calderazzo's essays, poems, and short stories have appeared in Audubon, High Country News, Orion, North American Review, and elsewhere. His work has been included in Best Adventure Writing, and his books include Writing from Scratch: Freelancing and Rising Fire: Volcanoes & Our Inner Lives–for which he clambered over volcanoes in Italy, Mexico, Montserrat, and Hawaii. At CSU, he co-founded an innovative climate change across the curriculum educational program (changingclimates.colostate.edu), and he now teaches scientists traditional story-telling techniques to communicate better with the public. Since 1986 he has taught creative writing at Colorado State University, where he's won a Best CSU Teacher award. His nonfiction students have gone on to write hundreds of books, essays and articles, including a recent New York Times #1 bestseller and a Pulitzer Prize series of feature stories.
Moving Mountains: Strong Women in a Man's World
Thursday, March 26, 2015 | 5:30
Presenter: Jennifer Jordan
Location: Avon Public Library
Discussion Highlights: Jennifer Jordan will discuss the perspectives and treatment towards women in the mountaineering community while exploring how these dynamics can have an overarching effect on the experiences and relationships women have with the greater outdoors. "Moving Mountains: Strong Women in a Mans World" will be draw upon her own personal experiences as well as researched accounts of other women who have been on some of the biggest and deadliest mountains in the world. Learn more.
Speaker Bio: Jennifer Jordan is an award-winning author, filmmaker and journalist with years of experience on K2. Her 2005 book Savage Summit: The Life and Death of the First Women of K2 won the National Outdoor Book Award for Best Mountain Literature and was selected as an Editors Choice by the New York Times. Savage Summit helped propel Jordan to her current position as one of the strongest female voices in the mountaineering community. After the release of her book she was approached by National Geographic to create, write, and co-produce the documentary Women of K2 which was shown in numerous world famous film festivals including the Banff Mountain and Telluride Mountain Film Festivals.
Jordan has worked as an on air host of All Things Considered for NPR's Boston affiliate, created, produced, and hosted her own syndicated talk show on NPR's satellite network, and directed The Forum, Harvard University's premier speaker's arena at the John F. Kennedy School of Government. She currently lives in Salt Lake City with her cinematographer husband Jeff Rhoads and Harry, the canine star of her children's book series.
The Yampa River: Free Flowing & Wild Forever
Friday, April 10, 2015 | 5:30pm
Presenter: John Fielder
Avon Public Library,
Discussion Highlights: Join Colorado nature photographer John Fielder and river rat Pat Tierney as they photograph and write their way down the entire length 200-mile length of the river from the Flat Tops Wilderness to the Yampa's confluence with the Green River in Dinosaur National Monument. "The Yampa River: Free Flowing and Wild Forever" consists of Fielder's sublime images of mountain tundra wildflowers, eagles and elk, and the various canyons of the Yampa, supplemented with Tierney's human and natural history text. John Fielder is your host of the 75-minute multi-media presentation that includes powerful music to enhance the imagery, and Fielder's stories of life on the trail and down the river. Includes more than 200 photographs. Learn more.
Speaker bio: John Fielder has worked tirelessly to promote the protection of Colorado's ranches, open space, and wildlands during his 33-year career as a nature photographer and publisher. His photography has influenced people and legislation, earning him recognition including the Sierra Club's Ansel Adams Award in 1993 and, in 2011, the Aldo Leopold Foundation's first Achievement Award given to an individual. Over 40 books have been published depicting his Colorado photography. He lives in Summit County, Colorado, and operates a fine art gallery, John Fielder's Colorado, in Denver's Art District on Santa Fe. He teaches photography workshops to adults and children. His latest book is The Yampa River: Free Flowing & Wild Forever available June 1, 2015.


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Baby Name MeaningsSearch 30,000 Unique Baby Name Meanings
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|Leonardo Da Pinchy
|14m. the obvious and inviting pod in the wall left of D.I.V.O.R.C.E. harder than it looks. As of 2013 it climbs direct to the new DIVORCE lower off instead of the horrible loose left traverse to Deer Hunter LO
scott muir 2005
Submit a new photo of this climb.


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Lamda Legal filed on Monday a petition for a writ of certiorari asking the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case of a same-sex couple seeking to be able to put both their names on the birth certificate of their Louisiana-born son whom they adopted in New York.
Louisiana state has refused to to recognize the adoption and will not grant an adoption certificate to both fathers.
From the Lambda Legal press release:
"By treating adopted children whose parents are unmarried worse than other adopted children, Louisiana violates two well-established federal constitutional protections, both of which embody principles of equal treatment and unify us as a nation. First, the constitution mandates that Louisiana, like every other state, must treat all out-of-state adoption judgments equally. Second, Louisiana may not treat adopted children themselves differently based on the marital status of their legal parents," said Kenneth D. Upton, Supervising Senior Staff Attorney in Lambda Legal's South Central Regional Office based in Dallas. "We have long since abandoned the notion that the government can punish children to express disapproval of their parents or their families. The state of Louisiana cannot withhold a birth certificate for this child simply because it doesn't like who his parents are."
Lambda Legal represents Oren Adar and Mickey Smith in their case against Louisiana State Registrar Darlene Smith. Adar and Smith are a gay couple who adopted their Louisiana-born son in 2006 in New York, where a judge issued an adoption decree. When the couple attempted to get a new birth certificate for their child, in part so Smith could add his son to his health insurance, the registrar's office told him that Louisiana does not recognize adoption by unmarried parents and so they could not issue it.
A U.S. District Court judge ruled in 2009 that denying both men a right to be on the birth certificate was unconstitutional and that the parents' and child's rights had been violated.
A three-judge panel of the 5th Circuit upheld that ruling in 2010.
However, the state petitioned for a rehearing and won, placing the case before a full court of 16 judges in January 2011.
The 5th Circuit then delivered a sharply divided ruling in April of this year that overturned the previous decisions, saying that denying both men a listing on the birth certificate does not infringe the child's right to equal protection and nor does it prevent legal recognition of the New York adoption — only that such recognition must comport with state law.
The petition filed Monday by Lambda Legal argues that the 5th Circuit ignored "well-established Supreme Court law" and that the decision "conflicts with other federal circuits across the country."
Lambda Legal argues that, left to stand, this ruling would "[carve] out an exception to the uniformly recognized respect for judgments that states have come to rely upon and leaves adopted children and their parents vulnerable in their interactions with officials from other states."
Related Reading:
Catholic Adoption Agencies Suing Illinois For Special Right to Turn Away Gay Couples
LGBT Adoption Non-Discrimination Act Introduced in U.S. House
Virginia Board of Social Services Rejects Gay-Inclusive Adoption Rules
Read more: adoption, adoption agencies, civil rights, foster care, gay rights, lgbt Louisiana, nondiscrimination, religious institutions, religious rights, sexual orientation
Photo used under the Creative Commons Attribution License with thanks to nerdcoregirl.
Are they fit parents; that's the only relevant question!
Charlene R. claims "a reasonable person would be happy to see ANY caring couple adopt a child..."
You need to be more reasonable than that.
What's best for the child? Hetero-normativity. It aligns with our biology and our emotional needs. What's not best for the child? Becoming a football for adult sexual politics, which attempt to force a societal maladjustment in favor of sexual couplings that ultimately don't work.
You claim "your sexual preference is established at birth." Actually it's a little later than birth, and it's structured by the emotional bond you establish with the parent of your own sex. Homosexuality is the outcome for some among those who did not establish that bond.
It's not normative; the sexual fidelity marriage requires never lasts among same-sex couples, and indulging in gay sex is a path to misery -- if the emotional void doesn't cut a person down, the STDs are sure to. That's not an environment for a child. Louisiana gets my support on this one.
So many children are in foster homes and shelters, and one would think there is reason to celebrate because a generous couple wants to adopt!
Thanks for the article.
@Sharon H.
The study that I quoted was the only unbiased study I found upon my quick research, nor was the site "gay bashing" whatever else it was called to demean it by some of the comments.
I am not a "homophobe", the ridiculous "hate" word I see many of you care2 members quickly like to spew out at those who have an opinion that differs from yours. Where is the tolerance that the gay community preaches?
Most of the studies favoring gay adoption are funded by special interest organizations, or by gay researchers, obviously creating a bias. Nobody mentions this of course. In the best interests of the child, it is healthier to make a connection with his/her birthfamily then to be adopted by any non-relative, regardless of their sexual preferences. The child welfare system is so flawed that to add this new variable to the equation would do much more harm than good.
I wish some of you commentators would take a moment to not let your own hatred take over when leaving comments to people with different viewpoints than your own.
Considering the number of children, wasting their lives away in foster care or group homes, a reasonable person would be happy to see ANY caring couple adopt a child to care for and love.
There are numerous gay and lesbian couples, who have adopted children, that statistics can be taken to find the results of these unions.
Since, your sexual preference is established at birth, many may be surprised to find, that children raised under these circumstances, are no different than children raised in a male and female environment.
If you are incapable of comprehending that you are born with a particular sexual nature, there is no hope for you to understand this rational solultion.
Paul was talking about those same laws in Leviticus. How long would the human race last if everyone was celibate? Why if god wanted us to go forth and multiply would he give Paul instructions to tell the people they needed to be celibate.
Our courts should be more interested in the welfare of the child than that of the church. This crap is brought about because of religious belief that has nothing to do with reality. Religious belief that would have us kill the child if he dared to hit a parent, under the same group of laws that say it is an abomination for a man to lie with another man. Same laws have no feeling for children how do we expect people who are operating under such laws to have any feeling for children. They continually tout their family values but operating under such law has no family value. A woman is not free, she cannot own property, she cannot be unmarried nor can she be childless only women who bear male children are of any value. Men have all the rights and are the only ones who count. It was a group of laws that if read and examined, was plainly written solely by men to keep women subjected to their will so their society could function. It is stupid and useless in todays society and god had nothing to do with it. Of course they said it was from god. Who would have given them any power if they said I made up these laws and we are all going to obey them? Read Leviticus some time and then when you start spouting that homosexuals are wrong and against god's will etc. you can also know what other stupid things are against god's will and how ridiculous it all is. If on the other hand you are spouting what Paul said about homosexuals, remember he was talking about those laws in Levit
Excuse me Mary B...What are you saying your obviously another ignorant person..if the two man want to adopt a child let them adopted or else you adopt it and take care of it there is many children in need to go to happy homes and with loving parents.......I hope the supreme court rules in their favor SOON Mary we will shall over come your hate, and bigotry.......What a Shame......SHAME on Louisiana and on you......Karen and Edward O...i agree with you Justice Scalia and Thomas need to be out they always rule on their opinion on what they think is good....Hopefully it all goes well read the book "the conservative assault on the constitution" by Irwin Chemerinsky he explains a little bit of that that we are in trouble for issues going to the supreme court due to a republican majority....
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@ Mary B.: What does, "If the man had given birth to the baby the State would have granted them to be on the birth certificate," mean, other than the obvious impossibility of it, since men do not give birth at all? I'll give you partial credit for a spare wit or two and assume you meant that, "If [one of the men were a birth-parent of] the baby, the State would have [allowed him] to be on the birth certificate."
But how does that work? My adoptive mother didn't give birth to me, and obviously my adoptive father wasn't involved in my conception, but when the County Court of Santa Clara, State of California finalized my adoption, they were both put on my amended birth certificate as if they had always been there. This is the case in the vast majority of adoptions. Are you suggesting that adoptions should only be recognized as valid if at least one of the adoptive parents is also one of the child's birth-parents? That would upset about 99.9% of adoptive applecarts.
Unless what you're really suggesting is that the adoptive parents should be treated differently based solely on their gender. Saying that the parents can't both be on the birth certificate because they are not married when the state does not allow them to marry even though they want to is a dodge, a cheap trick.
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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.
thanks for the article.
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