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Personal History:
Born and raised in
· 1998, Invited speaker, 14th Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology,
· 2000, Invited speaker, Relaxin 2000: 3rd International Conference on Relaxin and Related Peptides,
· 2001, Invited speaker, 34th Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Reproduction,
· 1990-95, Member, Editorial Board, Biology of Reproduction
· 1997-00, Member, Editorial Board, Endocrinology
· 1992-95, Member, Physiological Sciences Study Section, NIH
· 1993- , Ad Hoc Reviewer, Cancer Research Manpower Review Committee
· 1998-01, Review Panel, Specialized Cooperative Centers Program in Reproduction Research
· 1999, Special Review Committee, Scientific Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE) in Ovarian Cancer, NCI
· 1999, Reproductive Biology Study Section, temporary member
· 1995-96, Chair, Publications Committee, Society for the Study of Reproduction
· 1997-00, Chair, Public Affairs Committee, Society for the Study of Reproduction
· 1998-02, Public Affairs Executive Committee, Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB)
· 1998-02, FASEB Board Representative for the Society for the Study of Reproduction
· 1999-02, Chair, Local Arrangements Comm., 35th Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Reproduction,
Research Interests:
Molecular and Cellular Aspects of Angiogenesis and other Developmental Processes in the Ovary and Uterus:
The goal of my research is to understand the mechanisms that control developmental events, particularly angiogenesis (the growth of new blood vessels), in the follicle and corpus luteum (CL) of the ovary and the endometrium of the uterus. Blood vessels repeatedly grow and regress during the rapid, hormonally regulated development of these tissues, unlike in other tissues, during the reproductive cycle and pregnancy, making them excellent systems for the study of this fundamental developmental process. Understanding the factors that regulate normal vascular development is not only crucial to understanding these key reproductive events, but also the abnormal angiogenesis that contributes to the progression of many diseases, including cancer and atherosclerosis. In recent years, we have concentrated our efforts on examining the roles of fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) and vascular endothelial growth factor/vascular permeability factor (VEGF) in this process. Both FGFs and VEGF are endothelial cell mitogens. VEGF is also a potent stimulator of capillary permeability. The latter property is especially relevant to the reproductive system because increased vascular permeability and edema occur in the ovary prior to ovulation and in the uterus in response to estrogen, and is believed to be essential for those changes. Using the sensitive and specific technique of quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), we have recently shown that VEGF expression increases markedly following the ovulatory signal, and immediately before the onset of follicular edema, suggesting that VEGF plays a role in follicle rupture as well as vascularization of the CL. In vitro, VEGF expression by granulosa cells is strongly stimulated by hypoxia, a fundamental stimulus for angiogenesis, and the normal state in the developing follicle and early CL. We have also shown that VEGF expression is rapidly stimulated by estrogen in the uterus, and that the increase immediately precedes uterine edema, suggesting that VEGF induces this response. Having identified two physiological stimuli that regulate VEGF expression, we are now exploring the molecular mechanisms involved. We are currently using the powerful technique of formaldehyde cross-linking/chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) to map the sites in the promoter region of the VEGF gene through which estrogen acts.
FGF-10 and Follicle Development:
FGF-10 is a growth factor that plays essential roles in the development of many tissues and organs including the limbs and lungs. Mice that lack a functional FGF-10 gene are born without legs or lungs. FGF-10 is also expressed in the ovary, and expression correlates with the formation of mature follicles. To understand the role that FGF-10 plays in this process we are transplanting the ovaries from newborn FGF-10 knockout mice to host animals, in which the ovary can mature. The preliminary results of these studies show that the absence of FGF-10 completely disrupts normal follicle growth. The mechanism of this effect is now being examined.
Estrogen Action:
Estrogen regulates the growth and differentiation of the uterus and other target tissues via binding to estrogen receptors (ERs), which are members of the nuclear receptor family of transcription factors. Two forms of ER are now known to exist: ERa and ERb. ERa is a well-characterized mediator of estrogen-induced transcriptional activity in target cells, but the function of the more recently discovered ERb is unclear. Recent in vitro studies suggest that both of the splicing forms of ERb expressed in rat tissues, b1 and b2, may function in part as inhibitors of ER transcriptional activity. To gain further insight into the actions of estrogen in target tissues and into the role of ERb in those actions, we recently examined its effects and those of relaxin, a ligand-independent activator of ERs, on the expression of ERb1 and ERb2 mRNA in the uterus in vivo. Estrogen markedly decreased the steady-state levels of the mRNAs for both ERb1 and ERb2 at 3, 6, and 24 h after treatment. Likewise, relaxin induced a similar rapid down-regulation. Neither hormone had any significant effect on ERa mRNA levels. In marked contrast to the effects on ERb, estrogen rapidly increased VEGF mRNA levels. To determine if estrogen from the ovary exerts a similar effect, we examined the pattern of expression of ERbs in the uterus during the normal reproductive cycle. Levels of both isoforms were highest at diestrus (low estrogen), were significantly lower at early proestrus (rising estrogen), reached a nadir during late proestrus (peak estrogen), and rebounded at estrus (declining estrogen). Thus, ERb expression is lowest when estrogen levels are highest. These data support the proposal that ERbs may function primarily as negative modulators of estrogen action and that rapid down-regulation of ERb expression may be essential for estrogen to exert, via ERb, its full trophic effects on the uterus. They are also relevant to the mounting evidence that decreased ERb may contribute to the development of cancer, in that they demonstrate that estrogen itself induces such a decline. To pursue this possibility, we have produced human breast cancer cells that express high levels of ERb. The effect of this on the estrogen-induced growth of the cells both in vitro and in vivo is now being evaluated.
Relaxin Activation of Estrogen Receptors:Relaxin is a peptide hormone produced by the ovary that belongs to the same family as insulin and insulin-like growth factors. It plays important roles in the growth and remodeling of the reproductive tract during pregnancy and in preparation for birth. Interestingly, many of relaxin's effects closely resemble those of estrogen. We hypothesized that this was due to relaxin activating ERs. We have now demonstrated that this is true by blocking relaxin's ability to stimulate uterine edema with a drug that blocks ER action. We have also demonstrated that relaxin can induce the expression of a reporter gene (luciferase) linked to the DNA sequence that recognizes ER, the estrogen response element. These novel studies have opened up new possibilities for understanding the function of relaxin. They also suggest that relaxin may play a role in the growth of so-called "estrogen-dependent" cancers, such as breast cancer. The effect of relaxin on the reproductive system of mice that lack ERs (ER knockouts) on the growth of human breast cancer cells in mice is now being tested.
Lab Techniques and Equipment:In addition to obtaining in-depth knowledge of basic ovarian and uterine physiology, trainees can learn a wide range of cellular and molecular techniques, including cell culture, RNA/DNA isolation, quantitative RT-PCR, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry, DNA cloning, transfection, transgenic methodologies, and formaldehyde cross-linking/chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP).
Current Personnel:
Postdoctoral Fellows
Doctoral Students


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Looks like some Jersey talent is headed to the Super Bowl after all.
Queen Latifah will sing "America the Beautiful" as part of the televised Super Bowl pregame show, the NFL announced today.
Latifah, 43, whose offstage name is Dana Owens, joins the roster of game-day talent including Renee Fleming, who will sing the National Anthem, and Bruno Mars, who stars in the halftime show with special guests the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
It's already been quite a week for the multi-hyphenate entertainer. Just last night, Owens presided over a mass marriage ceremony, wedding 33 couples at the Grammys during a performance of the Macklemore & Ryan Lewis song "Same Love."
Her Super Bowl performance will come just before kickoff at MetLife Stadium. Owens, who was born in Newark, grew up in East Orange. Last year she launched a talk show called "The Queen Latifah Show."
This isn't the first time Owens has performed the song at the Super Bowl — at Super Bowl XLIV in 2010, she sang "America the Beautiful" with Carrie Underwood. Last year in New Orleans, Jennifer Hudson sang the song with children from Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

subset: commoncrawl


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|Lehigh Valley Intake Unit founded in 1985, offers a wide array of intervention, assessment, referral, case management and information services to the Lehigh Valley community. Taking our cue from Ciceros classical exhortation to wisdom- The Hortensius (Founding name of the Intake Unit), we have gathered a staff proficient in bringing insights and fresh perspectives into the lives of our clients.
The Intake Staff has developed a strong professional awareness of human services resources. Years of intervention and case management demands have taught us to know what help is available and how this can best be served for a needy client. At the same time, we function as an arm of the County in advocating a healthier and safer social climate.
The Intake Unit serves as a vital source of drug and alcohol information for Lehigh Valley residents. Besides answering telephone inquiries and distributing printed literature, the Intake Staff provide presentations to local groups, as well as in-services to professionals in the field.
The Intake Unit is a member of the Lehigh Valley Care Association and DASPOP (Drug/Alcohol Service Providers of Pennsylvania)


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Average prices rose more than 12 percent. The region sold 451 homes last month, up from 382 homes in October 2011, according to a report released Thursday from the Lehigh Valley Association of Realtors.
Sales, still well below boom levels of the prior decade, have steadily risen since mid-2011.
The October increase marked 15 straight months where sales surpassed prior-year levels. Year to date, volume is up 15.5 percent from the 2011 pace.
"Overall, I think consumer confidence is coming back," said Loren Keim, president of Century21 Keim in Allentown and a Lehigh University lecturer. "I also think people realize that interest rates will rise again regardless of what the government says."
To encourage consumer borrowing, the Federal Reserve has said it will maintain historically low interest rates through mid-2015. Fed policies influence bank lending, affecting the housing market.The average 30-year mortgage sold at 3.43 percent Thursday, according to bankrate.com. The 15-year mortgage, a popular refinance option, was 2.84 percent.
Keim said he believes those rates will increase sooner than the government projects, which could prompt more shoppers to buy rather than defer purchases.
But Keim said the big headwind remains a weak job market that limits consumer spending. Unemployment in the Lehigh Valley was 8.8 percent in September, the most recent month available, well above pre-recession levels.
The latest report from LVAR also shows it's taking less time to sell a home.
The average home sold after 72 days on the market last month. That's down from 76 days in September and down from 83 days one year ago.
"This is great news for those selling homes," LVAR President Andrea Decker said in a statement. "For those buying homes, it means they no longer have the luxury of waiting to make an offer on a property of interest to them."
The average sales price in October rose to $203,000, up 12.2 percent from $181,000 in October 2011.
Keim said the rising average reflect more homes being sold at the upper end, not an across-the-board increase. Seventy homes priced at $300,000 or more sold within the region last month, up from 43 in October 2011.
The median sales price — or midpoint — rose to $168,000, up 8.4 percent from $155,000 in October 2011.
Keim said a large number of foreclosures and short sales, where owners sell for less than what their home is worth, are still cramping prices.
Keim said he expects distressed properties, which he estimated at near one-fifth of total sales, to drag the market for another six to nine months.


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Investors boosted shares of Wilsonville-based Flir Systems Inc., Tuesday after the company announced a pair of products that bring the company's thermal imaging technology to consumer smartphones.
The company announced a pair of smartphone-oriented products early Tuesday â a hardware piece it calls the Lepton camera core, and the FLIR ONE device incorporating the core that attaches to Apple iPhone 5 and 5s. The devices enable consumers to see images illuminated by their heat signatures, rather than by visible light.
Flir spokesman Shane Harrison, who's helping man the Flir booth at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, said the FLIR ONE will be available late spring from retail outlets including Amazon and will be priced at $349.
Flir shares closed Tuesday at $31.80, up $2.80 or almost 10 percent. That restores most of the value lost in mid-October, when the company announced a realignment that included consolidation of the company's laser manufacturing business, layoffs and the closure of six manufacturing plants in North America and Europe. Investors hammered the company's shares after the news release, shaving roughly 13 percent from their value. They since have bounced around in the $29-$30 range.
Tuesday's product announcements follow by about a week a report from Zack's Equity Research declaring the Flir "could be a very interesting choice" for investors in the aerospace/defense industry segment.


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The Culture
Filmmaker Chris McClean talks us through the first ever Instagram surf movie
Social media has given us all a mild case of ADD. Tweets have replaced web stories, Vine replaced YouTube, and Instagram replaced Facebook in a race to make information easier to consume. One person who is embracing this impatient era is UK-based filmmaker Chris McClean. McClean takes the term "short film" to new extremes with his project, Urchin Howl, which has been edited into a series of 15-second clips to be released on Instagram.
Design Forum
Everything you need to know about going really fast on a surfboard
"You can minimize drag but you can't escape it. Think of a skydiver in free fall: at a certain point, the air resistance is going to cause them to reach terminal velocity, and further acceleration is not possible. In sailing, or surfing, when you calculate the drag of any surfaces above the water, plus any surfaces below the water, that dictates your maximum speed. You can try to reduce the dragging components above and below the water to push that threshold higher by getting rid of the leash, changing the fins, manipulating the bottom surface of the board, but there will always be some drag working against you."
A look at Craig Anderson's long-awaited signature film, as directed by Dane Reynolds
The hype storm hovering over Slow Dance was undoubtedly fueled by the talent of the film's star, Craig Anderson, who has more or less become the world's favorite freesurfer over the last two years. But the anticipation was also in no small part due to the directorial efforts of Dane Reynolds—the man behind the most watched web clips in the world via Marine Layer Productions. For Slow Dance, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I assumed it would fall into a similarly indulgent realm. I was wrong.
Design Forum
Tyler Hatzikian on the art of building and riding traditional longboards
"Back when I was first making these boards, I just tried to separate myself from the conventions of the '80s and early '90s," says Tyler. "I wanted to build a board that could advance my traditional surfing and advance my ability to design and shape. To make something different from the typical thrusters or longboards of the time, which were basically 9-foot short boards. I put a heavy focus on making the opposite kind of board, and it felt new and exciting and it still does. Because no matter how much you work at it, the quest for the perfect shape is still pretty hard to achieve."
Rentable shaping bays are enabling long-time surfers to become first-time shapers
Started less than two years ago by Bay Area transplant Chris Clark, the idea was that Shaper Studios would provide the shaping bays, the templates, and the tools in exchange for a membership fee—like a gym for foam and fiberglass buffs.
Photo Blog
Todd Glaser on getting run over by Craig Anderson for our July cover
SURFER Staff Photographer Todd Glaser is used to being in precarious situations. Call it "Occupational Hazard," but when you put yourself under the lip at a heavy slab, with a bulky water housing in tow and a fiberglass plank flying towards you, accidents are bound to happen. When Glaser trained his lens at Craig Anderson on the wave of the day in Tahiti a few months back, he ended up getting a little more than he bargained for, including the cover shot for our July issue.
Design Forum
A spot-specific look at Greg Long's big-wave quiver
According to Chris Christenson, shaper to the big-wave elite, there is no greater influence on modern gun design than the waves themselves. "With each spot, you've got a new set of factors that the equipment needs to compensate for," says Christenson. "You have to take everything into account, because at the end of the day you're basically building parachutes—they just have to work."
Shane Dorian and Shawn Dollar dominate the biggest night in big-wave surfing
Last night the most audacious wave riders and scantily-clad surf fans arrived at the Grove in Anaheim for the 2013 Billabong XXL Awards. What followed was an emotional look back at one of the most eventful years in the history of big-wave surfing. The massive swells ridden at Jaws, Cloudbreak, and Cortes Bank provided not only a glimpse into the future of big-wave surfing, and what these surfers are truly capable of achieving, but also a much more sobering look at the importance of water safety in this era of broken limits.
A Feature from the 2013 Hot 100 Issue
A feature from the 2013 Hot 100 Issue.
Warren Smith recounts Maine in the fall with Dion Agius, Craig Anderson, and Sterling Spencer
Warren Smith recounts Maine in the fall with Dion Agius, Craig Anderson, and Sterling Spencer.


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The problem with most competitive analyses is that they start from the product or company, not the market. They dissect the competing products and produce comparison charts without considering what real buyers are saying.
Market-driven Competitive Intelligence turns that idea around. We start by identifying the deals where your competitors play, winning and losing, and provide you with:


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"It hasn't been a good year for Firefox. Mozilla has lost share to Google, it's lost the loyalty of enterprise customers, and it's lost key talent. And a deal with Google that supplied 84% of its revenue last year was scheduled to end in November. Can Firefox avoid a slide into irrelevance?"
"Mozilla now also says that graphics driver updates are important to avoid browser crashes. "Firefox 4 brings many new features in the Graphics department, notably hardware acceleration and WebGL," Mozilla's Benoit Jacob wrote in a blog post.
Mozilla has reached an important Milestone as its new JavaScript engine "JaegerMonkey" is now faster than the current "TraceMonkey" in a key benchmark. Mozilla wants JaegerMonkey to be faster than the competition and launch on September 1, which means that JaegerMonkey will make it into Firefox 4.0.
Quora is a great place to find answers about products from prominent people involved with them. It's also a great place for those prominent people to disagree, publicly. That's what's happening right now in a thread about the future of Firefox.
Someone posted the following question to Quora recently: Will Firefox have double-digit market share in 3 to 5 years? Straightforward enough. Yes, says (outgoing) Mozilla CEO John Lilly. No, says Firefox co-founder Blake Ross. So far, Ross is winning the argument, according to the votes from Quora users.
Interacting with graphics cards
Mozilla Foundation is working on Direct2D accelleration which will mean that it s Firefox browser will be able to call upon the power of the GPU to speed itself up. While it certainly won't turn a sluggish Internet connection into a speedy one it will help number crunch all those browser scripts a lot quicker.
Firefox has just turned five, and it's doubtful anybody outside of Redmond begrudges Mozilla's celebrations. The open-source browser now accounts for 25% of the global market, according to figures from Net Applications, and has brought a radical rethink in what we expect from a browser.
However, as Mozilla blows out the birthday cake candles, it might also be reflecting on the curse of getting what you wish for.
Recently, the incredibly hard-working engineers over at Mozilla Corp unleashed a new update for the Firefox 3.5.x series. We have seen Firefox 3.5.4, 3.5.5 and 3.5.6 come and go in less than just two and a half months. As the world awaits patiently for the big Firefox 3.7 release, the company thought it best to address some more stability issues in preparation for a successful major release.
It's been far too long since I've put together browsing tips, and the last collection I did focused on Microsoft Internet Explorer. So today I thought I'd serve up some tips for Mozilla Firefox and also share something I learned about Google's newsreader.
Make Web Pages Print Properly
A few days ago, the missus shoved some sheets of paper in my face and demanded, "Why are Web pages printing big all of a sudden?"
Mozilla won't make a 2009 deadline for releasing Firefox 3.6 and is giving itself more time to complete a major update, version 4.0.
The organization behind the open-source Web browser had predicted a final release of Firefox 3.6 in December 2009, but the Mozilla Web site now includes "ship Firefox 3.6" as a goal for the first quarter of 2010.
In addition, Firefox 4.0, which had been due in 2010, now is "aimed at late 2010 or early 2011," with a beta due in the summer of 2010, according to Mozilla.
It has been just over a month since the Mozilla development team released Firefox 3.5.5, and now the time has come again to implement additional security issues and stability enhancements.
As we patiently wait in anticipation for the big Firefox 3.60 build to arrive in Spring 2010, it is important that we show our respect and encouragement to the individuals within the Mozilla development team who have provided us with open source browsing for over five years in a row.
Copyright 2016 © Godem Online Inc. | Web and server solutions by NewTech Solutions.


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Deal: HTC One X+ $80 For New Customers, $140 For Upgrades
The HTC One X+ for AT&T is currently on sale at Amazon Wireless for only $79.99 for new customers. If you're a returning customer with an upgrade, the cost will unfortunately jump to $139.99. Either way, it's a great deal for a very well specced smartphone. Here is a full spec sheet:
- CPU: 1.7GHz NVIDIA Tegra 3 CPU (AP37)
- Memory: 1GB DDR3 RAM, 64GB storage
- Display: 4.7″ SuperLCD 2 @ 1280 x 720
- Camera: 8MP rear, 1.6MP front
- Battery: 2100mAh
- OS: Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) with Sense 4+ UI
- Connectivity: 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, HSPA+, LTE (AT&T)
- Dimensions: 134.36 x 69.9 x 8.9mm, 135 grams
The highlights here are the universally loved SuperLCD 2 display and a massive 64GB of memory (making up for the lack of a microSD card slot, but who needs one with so much memory?). Who's getting one of these devices?


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By Darrell Cole
Amherst Daily News
AMHERST – Robert Bird remains convinced there will be an opening skate at the town's proposed skate park sometime this summer or fall.
"I want to see some meaningful activity by May, even if it's just preparation work. I fully expect to have an opening there this summer or fall, but it's going to take a community effort to make that a reality," said Bird, the Amherst town councillor responsible for the skate park project that is one of the town's seven strategic priorites.
Supporters of a skate park in the town are holding a meeting at the Amherst Fire Department on Tuesday at 7 p.m., to discuss fundraising options to come up with the community's share of the money needed to make the park a reality.
"We want to co-ordinate all the people who have said since we started this project that they want to help with the fundraising," said Bird.
"A lot of that has been loosely recorded. The idea of this meeting is to get everyone together and put some ideas in place."
Bird said there are a number of ideas being floated around as potential fundraisers including a bingo while the young people want to support the project with a giant dance, possibly at the Amherst Stadium.
"We want the people who are going to be using it to have a fair bit of ownership," Bird said.
The meeting comes within weeks of a federal announcement by Cumberland-Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley MP Scott Armstrong providing $133,00 in funding through the federal Recreational Infrastructure Canada program.
With the federal money in place, Bird said another $200,000, including town and provincial funding, is going to be needed to be raised. The 10,000-square-foot facility suggested by consultants LANDinc. is expected to cost about $400,000.
"We have a target of about $75,000 that has be raised by the community," Bird said. "We're looking at a title sponsor for $25,000 and we're hoping some organization or business will step up for that. We're looking at another $25,000 in other corporate and service club donations and we're hoping the grassroots fundraising will raise the rest."
There has been no word on what provincial funding may be available and the town is still in the budget process, but Bird is very optimistic construction will begin soon.


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This deal has ended.
Get the Sonoma Outdoors 2 Pack Indoor Outdoor "U" Chair Cushions which drop from $89.99 to $44.99 and finally to $30.59 with coupon codes YES2FAM and PATIO15 at Kohl's. This is the lowest price we could find by $8 on similar sets. These chair cushions can be used inside or outside and and they have a weather-resistant design. It comes in 13 colors. Reviewers give this item a 5/5 star rating. Shipping adds $6.95 to your order or is free with your order of $75 or more. Sales tax is charged in most states.No longer available


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SPRINGFIELD—Step into a gallery at the Sovereign Bank Building, One Financial Plaza, and delight in what you see there: The Artists at the Crossroads has a new exhibit entitled "Sights & Delights."
The delight will come from seeing a variety of artwork including, jewelry, pencil sketches, oil paintings, watercolors and nostalgic game box assemblages.
Ten artists will feature 10 to 20 pieces of their work.
"People will see a huge variety of work in size, in media and in content," said Steve Walbridge, one of the dozen members of The Artists at the Crossroads. "There will be contemporary work, traditional and modern—a great variety of artwork."
This exhibit will kick off with a free artists' reception today from 5-9 p.m. at 1380 Main St., third floor mezzanine. There will be refreshments and entertainment.
"There is such limited opportunity to display your work," Walbridge said. "It's like being a musician and trying to get a gig somewhere."
He expressed gratitude to Evan Plotkin, an owner of the building where "Sights & Delights" will be shown, for his "massive" advocacy of the arts in Springfield.
Walbridge's work at the exhibit will include oil paintings, watercolors and pen and inks with subjects like a marsh sunset and a Nantucket boat basin. "I do everything—abstract to landscape to portraits," the Longmeadow artist said.
Darlene Duncan of Springfield will feature two types of work: expressive abstractions of nature painted in watercolor and acrylic and nostalgic game box assemblages.
The assemblages are hand-built wall-hanging frames constructed from scrap wood with discarded game pieces. Scrabble or wooden blocks spell out phrases like "Your turn" and "Play time."
"People recognize the games and the pieces, and it makes them feel happy," Duncan said.
"It brings back memories of their childhood or of playing these games with their children."
Susan Marie Newman of West Springfield will enter 15 colored pencil or watercolor pieces. They will include landscapes like a Springfield skyline, still lifes and vintage cars like the Packard, Rolls Royce and Corvette.
Jane Barrientos of West Springfield will include two new paintings in the show, both from Tanglewood in Lenox: One is a "Renoir-esque" painting of a couple, and the other is a mountain view. Both are oil on board.
"I'm very proud to be associated with this group" of artists, she said. "Everyone puts a lot into each piece and is very dedicated."
She said the variety of work—from abstract to realistic—melds well. "Even though we are so very different, we connect with each other."
If you go
- Event: The Artists at the Crossroads artists' reception for a new exhibit, "Sights & Delights"
When: Friday, Nov. 2, 5-9 p.m.
Where: Sovereign Bank Building, One Financial Plaza, third floor mezzanine
Cost: Free
For more information: Call Susan Marie Newman at (413) 531-0009 or Steve Walbridge at (413) 234-0231
The exhibit will remain on display throughout November. The works will be for sale, ranging in price from $20-$1,000.
The Artists at the Crossroads is a group of artists that came together in 2010 and had its first exhibit earlier this year at Barrientos' studio in West Springfield. "This is a very supportive group," Newman said.
For more information, call Susan Marie Newman at (413) 531-0009 or Steve Walbridge at (413) 234-0231.


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The new release provides detection, low false positive rates and ensure an instant reaction to new spam outbreaks
Kaspersky Lab has released a new version of its anti-spam product, Kaspersky Anti-Spam 5.0 Software Development Kit (KAS SDK).
The new release is a set of anti-spam tools that can be incorporated into any IT security product and it combines the automated anti-spam technologies and human analysis to provide detection, low false positive rates and ensure an instant reaction to new spam outbreaks, the company said.
Kaspersky's new SDK utilises Kaspersky Lab's Hybrid approach which enable its to access cloud-based intelligence and information distribution together with advanced offline protection technologies.
Any new spam message becomes tagged in seconds, and a corresponding signature gets added to the anti-spam databases with the next update (no later than 10 minutes).
The new release includes an anti-spam engine based on various detection methods that adds enhances the cloud mind's power and guarantees improved detection rates for spam and phishing attacks while keeping false alarms to a minimum.
KAS SDK v.5 provides its host application with Text Signature Analysis, the "Fuzzy" and Words & regular expressions comparison algorithms and also provides DNS-based methods like DNSBL, Sender Policy Framework, Reverse DNS Lookup, Spam URL Blacklists.
It also provides more than 22 categories of linguistic heuristics, native 64-bit support for all platforms, Blacklisting/Whitelisting (IP, emails, phrases) and analysis of formal message attributes (headers, sender IP analyses, etc.).


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Redmond man to be charged today in fatal DUI collision with Kirkland cyclist
A candlelight vigil was held Friday afternoon for a cyclist that was hit and killed early Thursday morning.
About 100 friends and family gathered at the intersection of Northeast 124th Street and 132nd Avenue Northeast to pay respects to Bradley Nakatani, 36, of Kirkland.
The man that hit Nakatani, a 26-year-old Redmond man, was arrested on suspicion of DUI and vehicular homicide. He is being held in King County Jail with bail set on Friday at $500,000.
A charging decision is due Monday. The Reporter does not name any suspects until they are charged.
Nakatani was a software engineer at Redmond's Alston Grid and was heading home from work when he was killed.
Police have determined that Nakatani was heading west on Northeast 124th Street and turned left to go south on Slater Ave. when the Ford Excursion, traveling east, struck the man. There was one passenger in the SUV.
Kirkland police responded at 2:50 a.m. to the fatal traffic collision. Nakatani was wearing reflective clothing, lights and a helmet.
"He had quite a bit of reflective gear," said Kirkland Police Lt. Mike Murray. "He had a light on his helmet and bike and a very large backpack."
Nakatani's sister and father showed up at the scene a few hours after the accident.
The Redmond man told police that Nakatani appeared to be veering into his lane and that he swerved in an attempt to avoid the collision.
The man stated that he had not consumed any alcoholic beverages but did admit that when he woke up at 9 p.m. he took Suboxone, which he uses to treat his opiate addiction.
Police believe the driver went about a block away before returning to the scene following the accident.
Police said that the man agreed to a voluntary field-sobriety test, of which he did not perform well and was unable to complete certain parts.
The suspect also produced a blood alcohol sample of .078 at 3:34 a.m. the morning of the accident.
The Reporter will update this story once the charging decision is reached.
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God's Last Words: Reading the English Bible from the Reformation to Fundamentalism
One of the comical moments in the early history of printing occurred in 1631, when the English printer Robert Barker produced an edition of the scriptures which became known as the "Wicked Bible." This edition contained a misprint of the seventh commandment. One thousand copies were printed and ready for publication before someone noticed that the commandment had been changed to "Thou shalt commit adultery." Nothing much came of it. The printer was fined, the copies destroyed and the moral fiber of the nation remained intact.
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Left Masthead
October 24, 2016
Iran Protest Videos
Posted on Dec 29, 2009
It's difficult to confirm the origin of all of these news and Internet videos of protests in Iran, but it's clear that something major is again happening there.
Al Jazeera English, Dec. 27:
AP, Dec. 28:
Analysis from NewsHour, Dec. 29:
Sirjan Execution Foiled?, Dec. 27
Square, Site wide
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By the large Kahoona, December 29, 2009 at 6:21 pm Link to this comment
Would not surprise me if hired hit men from Mossad or the CIA are picking off innocent people and blaming it on the Iranian Gov.


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Party boats fishing off the northern Shore have been jigging lots of big blues since last week, and some days they also find large stripers. Columbus Day was a banner one. Capt. Len Forsyth of Miss Belmar Princess said Sunday was tough, but his fares had a lot of stripers today. Jan Blythe came up from Cape May to jig the pool winner that Forsyth estimated at 30 pounds when he called in on the way back. There were also blues, and some "tiny" weakfish also hit the jigs.
Capt. Rob Semkewyc had a super day with diamond jigs on his Sea Hunter from Atlantic Highlands as 37 stripers were boated along with big blues. Willian Harvey of Chester won the pool with a 36-pounder, and the Carollo family from Bridgewater had bass of 34, 32, and 29 pounds plus others in the twenties.
Weakfish have suddenly popped up everywhere, and they're at least bigger than the 8-to-10-inchers located a couple of weeks ago. Nick Honachefsky of Normandy Beach fished off Long Branch at dawn with Mickey Malchiondo and Jameson Peters on Archangel as they jigged unlimited numbers of weaks that ranged from spikes up to 2.5 pounds. There were also lots of little tunny and bonito, though they wouldn't hit anything. The only tunny caught hit an Ava 47 that was being dead-sticked on bottom when the boat started moving forward. Some hickory shad were also caught, and there were both small and large blues that were eating the hooked weaks being reeled up. They finished up by adding a few sea bass before the season temporarily closed as of midnight.
Capt. Bud McArthur was expecting to find bluefish on top when he headed south from Manasquan Inlet with his Splinter from Brick -- but found only loads of weakfish. He said most were barely over the 13-inch minimum, but he didn't even bother to take the one per peson that's allowed this season.
Captains Jimmy Gahm and Sean Carton ran the Jenny Lee from Manasquan to Hudson Canyon oon Suunday, where they encountered much stronger northwest winds than forecasted. They still managed to troll two 60-pound yellowfin tuna. It was very rough at anchor that night, though a 70-pound yellowfin and 18 dolphin were added before an early run home in the a.m.
Al Hrehowsik, Treasurer of the Raritan Bay Anglers, put Michael Hreowsik of Middletown and Michele Busch from Hazlet into 60 porgies, 38 sea bass and the three blackfish they could keep on Sunday at the Rattlesnake and Sandy Hook Reef. Michele boated a 6-pound tog, and Michael used crabs to pick his keeper out of 25 blacks.
Bill and Valerie Klimas of Scotch Plains fished Friday with Doug Rusch and his mother Valerie of Westfield on his Fin Fun from Brielle to troll eight stripers from one small spot on Shrewsbury Rocks -- with four of them being over 28 inches. The umbrella rigs also produced five sea bass up to 3 pounds. There were loads of little tunny feeding on sand weels Sunday as they released lots of weakfish from 11 to 12 inches.
Joe Melillo, at Castaways Tackle in Point Pleasant, reports blackfishing is hot in Point Pleasant Canal, where stripers are hitting at night. The pros are using Tsunami Swinning Shad lures. Ken Reed weighed in a 15-pound bass. Clams are producing bass during the middle of the day at Bay Head. Metal also produces at times. Terry Martuscelli beached a 21 1/4-pounder, and Jerry Van De Sande had a 19 1/4-pounder.
The Tackle Box in Hazlet reports the Schuldt family from Fair Lawn limited out on stripers to 20 pounds on eels in Sandy Hook Channel. Bobby Sullo of Hazlet
had stripers to 13 1/2 lb on worms at Union Beach. Phil Sciortino, Sr. had his grandson, Bobby Phillips, out for a striper limit to 25 pounds on eels.
John Marchison of Monmouth Beach won the Monmouth Beach Recreation Surf Tournament with the only bass weighed in all weekend- a 30"- 9-pounder.
Though there was still classic bass water this morning at Sea Girt, but all I caught was a fluke on a teaser. I didn't see anything else hooked, but one angler had a keeper on the beach that was probably caught in the dark.


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Tickets are almost sold out to meet "Kidd Kraddick in the Morning" show stars Big Al, Jenna Owens, J-Si and Kellie Rasberry, who will attend the fourth annual Kidd's Kids Golf Tourney and Family Event on July 19 at Timberlane Country Club in Gretna.
The stars will entertain and meet fans.
Only one golf team spot is left, and the non-golfers spots are selling quickly. Sign up here.
Kraddick died of cardiac disease after attending the event last year. The popular morning show, which airs weekday mornings on B-97, has continued with the remainder of the cast. The Kidd's Kids foundation, which provides trips to Disney World for chronically and terminally children and their families, has continued on as well. The event at Timberlane is a fundraiser for that cause.
Chuck and Mindi Hartzog organize the event in Gretna.


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2 posts tagged with international by quadrinary.
Displaying 1 through 2 of 2.
This ain't yo' mama's crack!
What sort of paperwork/license/whatever do you need to transport prescription drugs internationally? [more inside]
Am I missing a job opportunity I didn't know existed?
I've had an oddly diverse and thorough set of work and life experiences over the last 10-12 years, and now that I've finally finished my BS in electrical engineering, I've been working at my current job, but wishing I were somewhere else. [more inside]
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Begin Your Search
WineAccess Travel Log
Read stories from the world's greatest wine trails.
More About This Wine
Related Products
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Other Wines from this Producer and Vintage
2011 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault Perrieres
Producer: Domaine des Comtes Lafon
Style: White Wine
Grape Type: Chardonnay
Origin: France
Region: Burgundy
Appellation: Cote de Beaune
94 Points | Stephen Tanzer's IWC - September/October 2013
Bright pale yellow. Deeply pitched nose offers pineapple, stone and caramel oak. Plush on entry, then suave and vibrant in the middle, with a strong element of powdered stone framing and lifting the stone fruit and subtle spice flavors. A wine of great finesse and inner-mouth tension. Finishes bracing and long, leaving the mouth vibrating.


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In what has become a dangerous fascist-state like pattern, the UK government is taking monstrous steps towards subjugation, oppression and totalitarianism. Back in June, social workers in the UK wanted to "seize a baby as soon as it is born because they are concerned about the mother's links to the English Defence League" (more here). There seemed to be little fallout from this flagrant abuse of power. There was little sympathy because of the relentless campaign of destruction and smear against the EDL.
Did people really believe it would end with the EDL? It's just beginning. This time it was a couple's "views on immigration." Embrace the evil, people. This is despotism in the cause of Islamic supremacism. This is the harsh implementation of the sharia.
Here's the latest:
"Foster parents 'stigmatised and slandered' for being members of Ukip" The Telegraph, November 23, 2012
A couple had their three foster children taken away by a council on the grounds that their membership of the UK Independence Party meant that they supported "racist" policies.
The husband and wife, who have been fostering for nearly seven years, said they were made to feel like criminals when a social worker told them that their views on immigration made them unsuitable carers.
Campaigners representing foster parents have described the decision as "ridiculous" and warned that it could deter other prospective foster parents from volunteering.
Nigel Farage, the leader of Ukip, described the actions of Rotherham borough council as "a bloody outrage" and "political prejudice of the very worst kind".
Tim Loughton, the former children's minister, said: "I will be very concerned if decisions have been made about the children's future that were based on misguided political correctness around ethnic considerations.
The husband was a Royal Navy reservist for more than 30 years and works with disabled people, while his wife is a qualified nursery nurse.
Former Labour voters, they have been approved foster parents for nearly seven years and have looked after about a dozen different children, one of them in a placement lasting four years.
They took on the three children — a baby girl, a boy and an older girl, who were all from an ethnic minority and a troubled family background — in September in an emergency placement.
They believe that the youngsters thrived in their care. The couple were described as "exemplary" foster parents: the baby put on weight and the older girl even began calling them "mum and dad".
Rotherham council head of children services, confirms to BBC that foster children removed from parents because they were members of party (UKIP) which opposes multiculturalism
After an appalling outcry which greeted the revelation by the London Daily Telegraph that Rotherham council had snatched three well-cared-for foster children, because the parents were members of the legitimate centre-Right party UKIP…
BBC …Joyce Thacker, the strategic director of Children and Young People's Services at Rotherham Council, has confirmed in an interview with the BBC that the deciding factor in removing the kids (who were already calling their new parents "Mum and Dad) were that their "cultural and ethnic needs" would not be met.
When pressed by the BBC in the interview she revealed that it was UKIP's opposition to "multiculturalism" that was the deciding factor in removing the children from their new loving home.
BBC21 This is all taking place before a by-election in Rotherham next week. Traditionally a safe Labour seat, the Labour vote is fragmenting, and Labour are chiefly fearful of the Islamic-Socialist RESPECT party making gains there. The UKIP member parents in question, were previously Labour party members.


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Spark R&D LT Pin System
Retailers' Descriptions
Here's what other sites are saying:
Stiffer, lighter, tougher. That's the Spark LT Pin System for the Blaze binding from Spark R&D. Simply swap out your current touring bracket for this one, pop in the lightweight aluminum pins, and you're ready to go.
- Mountain Gear
Spark R&D LT Pin System
previously retailed for:
The Spark R&D LT Pin System is not available from the stores we monitor. It was last seen January 29, 2011 at Mountain Gear.
If you're looking for a new splitboard kit, check out the best reviewed current models.


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Member since 9/5/2013
- 2 total posts
- 1 review
- 1 comment
Reviews by Moogle
Scared - United Kingdom, GB
I'm 12 days Pre op & really scared. Saw my ps yesterday & getting bloods done today. I suffer with health anxiety (so probably a dumb thing to be doing this) & am convincing myself of all the worst case scenarios. I have 2 kids both natural births so the nurse told me this should be a breeze for... READ MORE
Recent comments from Moogle
Cant wait to see how you get on. i am booked in for the 17th in manchester pines. 5 sleeps for me.. im petrified... READ COMMENT


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A reader recently called to share her frustration about people letting dogs ride in the beds of their pickup trucks. Her feelings are valid, because even if a dog is harnessed, this practice invites a serious accident or worse.
In Orleans Parish, placing a dog in the bed of a truck without properly harnessing or crating the animal is against the law. Unfortunately, in surrounding parishes, including Jefferson Parish, it is not against the law, but the practice should not be accepted.
There are no national statistics available, but several years ago the Massachusetts Society for the Protection of Animals surveyed 141 veterinarians in the state and learned that 592 dogs had been ejected from a truck bed in one year. We can safely estimate that the number is likely in the thousands nationwide.
Dogs risk serious injury or death if they are ejected or jump from a truck bed. They may also be injured by flying objects. Too often, a dog that jumps from a truck bed survives the initial fall but is hit by a moving vehicle.
The caller also pointed out that a dog in a truck bed is exposed to heat emanating from the metal surface, which can become so intense that it can seriously burn their paw pads.
The only proper way to travel in this manner is to put the dog in a crate that is harnessed securely to the truck bed. But the safest option is to let the dog travel inside the vehicle, and even in that case, it should be done responsibly.
One of my frustrations is seeing little dogs sitting on the laps of people as they drive. This is dangerous for the pet and their human companion. It's also dangerous to let dogs hang their heads out of a car window. And let's not forget that cats should always be in pet carriers when traveling.
Having our four-legged friends along for the ride is a great treat for them, and doing so safely can guarantee that a fun outing won't turn into a tragedy.
. . . . . . .
An LA/SPCA Adoption Day is set for June 13 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Jefferson Feed, Pet & Garden Center, 4421 Jefferson Hwy. Wonderful companion animals will be available for adoption and counselors will be on hand to answer questions and help people find the perfect match for your family.
. . . . . . .
If you have pet-related questions or want to list information or events, send an e-mail to firstname.lastname@example.com; send a fax to 504.368.5108, attention Tail Talk; or send mail to 1700 Mardi Gras Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70114.


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Summer II Last day for 100% refund
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Where and When
Location: All Campuses
Contact: email@example.com
Event Information
3 Week Session: Last day for 100% refund of tuition and fees in Admissions (faxed). Note: College Service Fee is non-refundable.
Other Helpful Links:
- Academic Calendar
- College Catalog
- Admissions Office
- Financial Aid
- Academic Advising


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The once mighty Chrysler Corporation is in its death throes, and its passing will impact people all across North America, including Harrisburg.
Tens of thousands of jobs will be lost in auto plants, at dealerships and various related businesses. Continuing development of innovative 'green' vehicles is at risk.
Cerberus Capital Management, the majority owner of Chrysler, is in a life and death struggle to extract itself from the Chrysler quagmire. Continuing involvement with the money losing auto manufacturer is draining the private equity firm of its financial resources at a time when cash is king and credit harder and harder to come by.
But Cerberus executives aren't planning to walk away from Chrysler empty-handed. They are feverishly angling to exit the auto manufacturing business with controlling ownership of auto financing company GMAC.
Why covet an auto financing company when the auto business is in the dumps?
Remember the $700 billion U.S. government bailout? Along with bad home mortgages, the bailout includes authorization for the Treasury Department to buy distressed auto loans'. Cerberus executives want control of GMAC in order to cash-in on the government bailout. The problem is they have to first unload Chrysler's money-losing auto manufacturing business. So, guess who will finance their exit from Chrysler?
The American taxpayer.
October 18
(AP) -- As talks for General Motors to acquire Chrysler LLC appear to gain momentum, United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger said yesterday that he is concerned that the deal may happen, with many workers losing their jobs.
Gettelfinger said that he knows that the companies have been holding discussions for a long time and that there probably are steps the union could take to try to halt any merger. "Let's say we're concerned that it's coming because of the impact that it would have on our work force." Chrysler has 66,409 employees, most of them in North America. The UAW represents about 33,000.
October 19
(Detroit Free Press) -- Chrysler LLC will almost certainly disappear in the next few months, assimilated into General Motors Corp. or Renault-Nissan in a deal blessed, if not partially funded, by the U.S. government.
October 20
(Wall Street Journal) -- Chrysler LLC may join an existing manufacturing and development alliance between Japan's Nissan Motor Co. and France's Renault SA, according to people familiar with the matter. But a sale of the company to General Motors Corp. is still its preferred path.
Chrysler would have a better chance of keeping much of its operations intact in an alliance with Nissan and Renault than in a merger with GM, because of overlapping brands and North American manufacturing plants with the Detroit auto maker.
Some analysts believe more than half of Chrysler's 66,000 employees would lose their jobs it the company is acquired by GM.
(AP) -- Speculation continued to swirl Monday that a deal for General Motors Corp. to buy Chrysler LLC from New York private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management LP could come soon. The deal being discussed calls for Cerberus to hand over Chrysler in exchange for GM's 49 percent stake in GMAC Financial Services. GM sold a 51 percent stake in its finance arm to Cerberus in 2006.
If the merger goes through, it could lead to more lost jobs as the two automakers consolidate operations.
October 21
(AP) -- Talks toward General Motors Corp.'s possible acquisition of Chrysler LLC may involve going to Congress for cash, according to a person involved in the financing discussions. Cash-desperate GM is said to be interested in Chrysler first for its pile of money. Chrysler, whose sales have dropped 25 percent during the first nine months of the year, reportedly has about $11 billion available.
But the cash may not be enough for GM to take on money-losing Chrysler, and that's where Congress may become part of the negotiations. Without additional money, GM may be unwilling to acquire Chrysler, which would add factories, brands, models, dealers and employees to GM, which already is too big for its sales.
October 22
(UPI) -- The French and Japanese Renault-Nissan alliance has proposed purchasing around 20 percent of Chrysler LLC, sources said.
Cerberus Capital Management, which owns Chrysler, is currently discussing a merger deal with General Motors Corp. But, Carlos Ghosn, chief executive officer of Renault SA and Nissan Motors Co., has revised a Cerberus proposal and sent it back to the firm for review.
(Bloomberg) -- The retreat of billionaire Kirk Kerkorian and Cerberus Capital Management LP from stakes in Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC may leave the U.S. auto industry without new funding just as sales head to a 26-year low. The pressure to find liquidity means "something will happen with Chrysler,'' and it likely won't survive as an independent company, said Kimberly Rodriguez, principal of the consulting firm Grant Thornton LLP's automotive practice.
According to Rodriguez, banks including JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Citigroup Inc. also hold some debt from Cerberus's purchase of the automaker from Germany's DaimlerChrysler AG in August 2007. Those lenders may support a GM-Chrysler tie-up as a way of stabilizing the companies and increasing the value of that debt.
(AP) -- Michigan lawmakers plan to ask Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson to use their regulatory powers to loosen up credit to help finance car loans.
(NY Times) -- Michigan's Congressional delegation is urging the Treasury secretary and the Federal Reserve chairman to use their authority as part of the $700 billion bailout package to help more consumers obtain car loans, warning that the tightened credit markets were endangering millions of jobs.
(Wall Street Journal) -- As merger discussions between General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC continue, it's increasingly clear that any deal will require the support of government officials, shareholders and unions, said people familiar with the matter. Beside GM and Chrysler majority owner Cerberus Capital Management LP, there are a host of issues now influencing the discussions, such as how many workers could lose their jobs or how exactly the deal would get structured, these people said. These outside voices important to the discussion would include lenders, potential investors, and politicians, they said.
Representatives from Michigan and other auto-producing states have been disappointed over the lack of help for auto lenders in the $700 billion Emergency Economic Stabilization Act. In recent weeks, U.S. auto executives have blamed the lack of available consumer credit for an increased softening of demand for cars and trucks. Last week, GMAC, the biggest auto lender in the world, significantly tightened requirements for the loans it originates.
October 24
(Reuters) - Chrysler LLC said on Friday that it had received multiple bids on its Viper sports car business and was reviewing the offers.
Chrysler, which did not disclose the number of bids or the timeline of the sale, began reviewing strategic options for the unit in August in an effort to raise cash to ride out a deepening U.S. auto industry downturn. Chrysler is looking to trim $1 billion in non-core asset expenses.
October 23
(AP) -- Chrysler said it would lay off about 1,825 workers at the end of this year by eliminating one of two shifts at an Ohio plant that builds Jeeps and by closing a sport utility vehicle plant in Delaware nearly a year sooner than planned. The announcement came as Chrysler revealed that it lost about $660 million in the second quarter, including $570 million from its automotive business.
(Globe and Mail) - Whether it's a takeover by General Motors Corp., the purchase of an equity stake by Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. or the worst-case scenario of Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the days of Chrysler as an auto maker that can stand on its own are quickly coming to an end.
"The globalization of the auto industry hits Chrysler right between the eyes," said industry analyst Bill Pochiluk, Automotive Compass LLC president. The potential GM deal, which amounts to a takeover even though it's billed as a merger, would in theory help solve a cash crisis for GM by giving it access to $11.7-billion (U.S.) in cash Chrysler said it had on its books as of June 30.
(AP) -- Michigan lawmakers intend to urge Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson to use their regulatory powers to loosen up credit to help finance car loans. New vehicle sales are expected to fall by 30 percent in October.
October 24
(Reuters) -- Chrysler LLC is targeting about 5,000 white-collar job cuts, reducing capital spending and planning additional restructuring steps due to the deepening slump in the U.S. auto industry and weak economic conditions. The continuing decline in business conditions prompted the move to cut 25 percent of its salaried and contract workforce,
(lewrockwell.com) - All Chrysler employees received a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) this morning. Basically, this is a Federally mandated, 60 day notice to employees that layoffs are going to occur. The layoffs would begin December 23rd, the day before Christmas.
(Automobilemag.com) -- If you were looking forward to the 2009 Dodge Durango Hybrid and 2009 Chrysler Aspen Hybrid, we've got some bad news. We hate to scuttle your dreams of a hybrid Mopar SUV, but the pending closure of the assembly plant in Newark, Delaware, means these models won't come to market. Chrysler says that there were many pre-orders for the two models, but it can't justify operating the plant for the hybrids alone.
(Bloomberg) -- Nissan Motor Co., Japan's third- largest carmaker, isn't willing to put up cash for an alliance with Cerberus Capital Management LP's Chrysler LLC, according to two people with knowledge of the matter.
Nissan, with 453.8 billion yen ($4.6 billion) in cash, won't consider a tie-up that weakens its financial position. "I'm not sure Nissan can afford to make such a move when we can't see the bottom in the global auto market," said Takeshi Osawa, senior fund manager at Norinchukin Zenkyoren Asset Management.
(Reuters) -- General Motors Corp has intensified talks to buy Chrysler LLC's auto operations from Cerberus Capital Management in a deal that would also involve a transfer of ownership of GMAC, people familiar with the talks said on Friday.
GM intends to seek U.S. government aid to support any deal, the sources said, potentially injecting a polarizing and urgent question of economic policy into the final stretch of the presidential campaign.


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The Fernhill Wetlands Improvement and Water Reuse Project is destined to be a showcase for natural treatment wetlands, and already is attracting a great deal of attention.
Next to Clean Water Services' Forest Grove facility, this beloved destination for birdwatchers and nature photographers is being transformed. The serene Water Garden, graceful foot bridges and looping trails are designed for form and function, aerating the water while playfully leading the visitor to visual delights.
Behind the scenes, scores of the best and brightest wetland engineers, scientists, ecologists and other experts are designing a host of natural treatment wetlands that will cool the water, remove nutrients and deliver unprecedented resiliency at a fraction of the cost of conventional treatment. The changing landscape is being created mindfully to optimize the food web, water depths and land features that draw more than two hundred species of birds to Fernhill.
The new website also includes the Voices of Fernhill videos. Get to know Fernhill at fernhillnts.org.


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ESCANABA - Momentum turned the wrong way at the wrong time for the Escanaba Eskymos in the second game of a doubleheader Friday night as they dropped an 8-5 softball decision in eight innings to the Alpena Wildcats.
The Eskymos, behind the four-hit pitching of Codi Jenshak, won the opener 1-0.
Esky led 3-1 with two out in the seventh frame of the nightcap. But Alpena's Logan Myers then blooped a double into shallow leftfield off Kayli VanEffen to tie the score and force the extra inning.
"Kayli made a great pitch and got the result she wanted," said Esky manager John LaMarch. "Our defense couldn't make the play. Then, it seemed like we couldn't get an out and everything snowballed on us."
After the Eskymos failed to score in their half of the seventh, Alpena erupted for five runs in the eighth for a seemingly comfortable 8-3 advantage.
Sydney Gafner, however, cracked a single to right field to trim Esky's deficit to 8-4 in its half of the eighth and Jen Koish made it 8-5 on a double to right. The Eskymos then loaded the bases with one out, but were unable to reduce the deficit.
"First of all, I think these were two well-played games," said Alpena manager Paul Marwede. "It was just like watching playoff ball in the middle of June. The pitchers had control and each team had about 8-10 excellent defensive plays. Escanaba has a very nice team as always. They're well coached and they're disciplined. We appreciate being here and having a chance to play games like this."
Alpena's Rhi Adams had three hits, including a leadoff home run to left in the second. Claire Coops-Meske also collected three hits, and Kelli Stevens added a two-run single to center in the eighth among her two hits. The Wildcats (8-4) finished with 12 hits.
Esky had 10 hits, with Koish leading the way with three. Her double to right-center in the sixth gave the Eskymos a 3-1 lead.
Jenshak added a pair, including a go-ahead double to right in the fifth.
The Eskymos (5-2) had tied the score in the fourth on Braedyn Bosilovatz's double to left-center.
"I think this will be a good thing for our kids," said LaMarch. "Alpena is a good hitting team and the kids learned they can play against teams of this caliber. The kids are tough. We'll battle back."
VanEffen struck out one, walked none and allowed all eight runs and 12 hits through 7 1/3 innings. Laura Lewis took the win in relief of Corinn Gehke.
Jenshak fanned three and walked one in the opener. Lewis also went the distance and absorbed the loss. She whiffed four and walked none.
"That was a great defensive game," said LaMarch. "Codi pitched a real good game, and we did just enough to win the game."
Esky scored its run in the sixth.
"One mental letdown was the difference," said Marwede. "But John and I as coaches will take this kind of game anytime."
Esky plays in today's Ashwaubenon, Wis. Invitational, facing the host Jaguars in its opener. Alpena also resumes today, visiting Marquette for a twinbill.


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|[TowerTalk] 7075-T6 material: unavailable
|email@example.com (Steve Jackson)
|Wed, 17 Mar 1999 15:50:37 -0500
Dave Thanks for the information. Indeed, a lengthy search has turned up not one single piece of this material anywhere in the US or Canada. Many TowerTalkians have helped me, and I wish to thank everyone who has replied, either via the reflector, or privately. I am still looking, but rapidly coming to the conclusion that this material is unavailable, at any cost. If someone reading this knows of a sure-bet source -- or even a source for the solid 2" diameter rod version of this material, in continuous lengths of more than 12 feet -- I would be most appreciative to know of it. 73 Steve KZ1X/4 * * * At 02:55 PM 3/17/99 -0500, K4JRB wrote: > >7075-T6 must be special made in Arizona (according to Tull Metals). Its for >use in the space program and HD industrial applications. I found this out >when buying parts for the Mexican Space Program as the University of Mexico >(UNAM) UNAMSAT30. Its just luck if the have some in stock. > >Dave K4JRB * * * Original message: >>I have been trying for DAYS to find a source of 2" OD, 0.375" wall 7075-T6 >>extruded aluminum tubing. >> >>Nobody seems to have any. -- FAQ on WWW: http://www.contesting.com/towertalkfaq.html Submissions: firstname.lastname@example.com Administrative requests: email@example.com Problems: firstname.lastname@example.com Search: http://www.contesting.com/km9p/search.htm
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Alcyone (Eta Tauri)
Alycone is actually a multiple star system. The primary, Alcyone A, is an eclipsing binary, consisting of two giant B stars with a separation of about 0.031 arc-seconds (roughly the distance of Jupiter from the Sun). The high rotational speed of Alcyone A – over 200 km/s (more than 100 times faster than the Sun) – has caused gas to spin from its equator into a surrounding light-emitting disk. This makes Alcyone A a Be star but with a disk thicker than usual.
The binary Alcyone A is orbited by three companions. Alcyone B and Alcyone C are both 8th magnitude white, main sequence A stars and are separated from A by 117 and 181 arcseconds, respectively. Alcyone C is a Delta Scuti star whose brightness varies from magnitude +8.25 to +8.30 with a period of 1.13 hours. Alcyone D is a yellow-white main sequence F star, with an apparent magnitude of +8.7, separated by 191 arcseconds from the primary.
Related category• NOTABLE STARS
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Tickets on sale to see buxom aliens
Tickets are on sale now for "Zombies from the Beyond" a zippy, '50s musical by James Valcq about the American ideals and foibles in the Eisenhower era as the Cold War and space-race paranoia begin to threaten the good folks at the fictional Milwaukee Space Center in 1955.
It's a time when flying saucers or UFOs were landing everywhere and bomb shelters were being built in the backyards of Ozzie and Harriet houses across the United States.
The basic plot involves the invasion of Earth by a flying saucer piloted by a buxom aliens, Zombina and her Zombettes. Their aim is to enslave all of Earth's men in order to repopulate their totally female planet using Zombina's secret weapon -— her hypnotic singing voice.
Throw in a brave scientist, an Army general and his lovely daughter, a Russian spy, a tap-dancing delivery boy and you've got a really funny show.
Will Zombina and her Zombettes succeed in capturing Earth's men for their planet? Will this be the end of Earth as we know it? If you're up for a wacky spoof of a musical, "Zombies from the Beyond" should have you laughing heartily and shaking your head in disbelief at the same time.
The show runs Sept. 11 to Oct. 3, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m. All seats are $16. Contact the Whidbey Playhouse at 679-2237, or stop by at 730 SE Midway Blvd. in Oak Harbor.
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Going to the Dogs: Why Venture Capitalists Have Such a Hard Time Making Money on the Internet and How to Change That
One thing that is clear, almost a decade into the era of the commercial Internet, is how hard it is to make money online. ISPs, with the exception of AOL and MAYBE Earthlink, just scrape by. EBay makes money, as do some online brokers and travel sites, but most of the other profits go to equipment and software providers, not to web sites or data services. We have been through half a dozen business models in search of one that really works. Portals, search engines, B2B (business-to-business), B2C (business-to-consumer), P2P (peer-to-peer), industry-specific exchanges, and banner ads have all pretty much come and gone. Even pornography is suffering from too much competition according to my friend Franchesca Scalpi, who runs Flynt Digital. Yet every month there are more people on-line. Internet use is now up to 170 million in the U.S. and 400 million worldwide. Surely with numbers like those there ought to be many ways to make money. The problem is two-fold. First, like any new information industry, it takes time to find what you are good at. Alexander Bell intended his telephone to be used to bring music to remote audiences. Television was supposed to be a videophone. Second, the people who have been leading this process of discovery, the venture capitalists, generally don't know what the heck they are doing.
VCs don't like to see themselves as boobs, but many are. Some have become very successful investing with the "spray and pray" technique of funding a lot of companies and hoping for a few big winners. Some VCs are more selective, thinking they are adding value by doing so, and perhaps they are, but generally not in the meager profit fields of the Internet. The Internet is something totally new for VCs used to the high profit margins of traditional high tech. The Internet is more like the grocery business, with painfully thin margins and high capital requirements. You can't spray and pray as an Internet investor, yet that's generally what has been taking place.
Part of the problem can be traced to something that every VC seems to know. It is a mantra they repeat verbatim and, by doing so, reveal their weakness. In describing the various elements of risk faced by a venture (technical risk, financial risk, competitive risk, etc.), when they get to market risk, the VCs will always say the same line: "Will the dogs eat the dog food?" This line, which suggests to me by its universality that there is a secret VC training camp somewhere in the mountains west of Sand Hill Road, is intended to mean that however good a job you do at starting a company and building a product, there is no way to really know if people will buy the thing until it is on the shelf and ready for sale. But what it also says is that VCs can't relate to customers.
I don't want to over-labor this point, but it bears further explanation. At the risk of sounding like some televangelist who gets a 15 minute sermon and two calls for contributions from a single line of scripture, this line says that customers are different from VCs (they are dogs), and the VCs can't know in advance what customers will do. And why should they? Normal people aren't millionaires, yet many VCs are. Normal people aren't used to building and crushing companies and occasionally forcing them to mate, yet that's what VCs do all the time. The only area where the typical VC could qualify as a dog is for products aimed specifically at VCs as customers. But VCs as a class are too small in number to make a reasonable customer base for anyone except business jet builders.
Want to know why Webvan failed or, better still, how it even came into being? It is simply because venture capitalists aren't like you and me.
None of this mattered much in the days when venture money was plentiful, and spraying and praying seemed a perfectly reasonable technique, but those days have passed. Now the VC community has, for the most part, lost confidence in its ability to make obscene profits with very little effort. Reality has finally hit home, and the VC industry is struggling for an alternative to spray and pray. Fortunately, I stand ready to provide just such an alternative.
I think there is just now emerging a new archetype for Internet success, one that we can only hope the venture capital community comes to understand and embrace. Maybe they'll even come to think they invented it.
The first company I found that follows this new archetype is Wheretolive.com, a real estate Internet startup based in suburban Minneapolis and just now emerging from stealth mode. Real estate is an industry that ought to be perfect for automation. Millions of people buy and sell homes each year. Searching for homes online is a no-brainer, as is shopping for services like mortgages and title companies. And yet recent history shows us it is very hard to make money with a real estate Internet startup. Microsoft couldn't make money with its HomeAdviser. Homes.com is in bankruptcy. The only company that is even close to successful is Homestore.com, thanks to a successful IPO and lots of money in the bank. But Homestore.com isn't profitable, either. For all the profit potential in real estate on the Web, I couldn't find a single pure Internet play that makes money.
Given this grim reality, why then would Roald Marth and Elizabeth Chesen choose to start Wheretolive.com? It all comes down to dogs and dog food.
The typical venture-funded Internet startup begins with a target market ("Millions of people are looking for new homes!") and then builds an organization to serve that market. Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com, was an investment banker, not a retailer of any sort, when he made a list of items that could be sold over the World Wide Web and decided to start with books. Bezos knew nothing about books or retailing, which is to say he knew nothing about dogs or dog food. Amazon, like most of the real estate sites, relied on size to take it to eventual profitability. But Wheretolive.com will be profitable by the middle of next year, only about a year after its founding. This is because Wheretolive.com is a dog food company founded by dogs to serve dogs.
In the U.S., homes are sold by agents who work as independent contractors for brokers. Nearly all real estate Internet startups are built on the idea that their revenue will come from home buyers. This makes perfect sense if, as a startup founder, you don't really know the real estate industry. But it turns out to be very hard to get enough revenue this way to be profitable. Wheretolive.com gets its revenue from agents, not home buyers. For $99 per month, Wheretolive.com gives an agent a personal web page to list their homes for sale, an e-mail address, a wireless e-mail device, a portal to link their listings to the world, even a digital camera to take pictures that are uploaded to the personal page. Simple workflow tools manage the agent's page and handle a continual stream of e-mail, keeping everyone in touch with the home buying transaction as it goes forward. Home for sale listings are instantaneous, which is a big advantage over Multiple Listing Service sites that are often weeks behind. It's all good technology packaged in a way to be truly useful to an enterprising agent.
This sounds very nice, but the key to profitability for Wheretolive.com lies within its capital structure. Wheretolive.com is owned by brokers. These brokers are in a position to require the agents who work for them to purchase Wheretolive.com services as a condition of their employment contract, just like a mechanic has to own his tools. Wheretolive.com needs to have 10,000 agents as customers in order to be profitable. Since just one broker who is on the board of Wheretolive.com employs more than 6,000 agents, the road to profitability is short. Wheretolive.com can build a good business just from its own investors, which is something Homestore could never do.
The change of paradigm here is that Wheretolive.com is not only owned by dogs, it is owned by alpha dogs, and that alone assures its success. With thousands of brokers employing millions of agents, Wheretolive.com has a scalable business opportunity that can quickly dwarf previous Internet real estate efforts. I believe this company, in which I own no stock and with whom I have no business relationship, will be a big success.
But real estate isn't the only area where this approach can work. A Utah company called TermSeek is about to do much the same thing in the language translation industry. There are approximately three million professional translators in the world who work as independent contractors for about 18,000 translation agencies. Most translators use computers and the dominant translation application is TRADOS. Microsoft is an investor in TRADOS, which is based in Northern Virginia. In this example TRADOS is analogous to Homestore.
TermSeek is just about to roll out their application, which is cleverly called TermSeek. They believe it to be faster and easier to use than TRADOS. But the real advantages of TermSeek over TRADOS lie in the business model. For TRADOS, those 18,000 translation agencies effectively act as first line technical support, helping solve problems for contract translators. They provide this support because they have no real choice and aren't paid for it. TermSeek, on the other hand, distributes its software over the Internet, but through links from the translation agencies, which receive a sales commission. TermSeek effectively does pay them for support through these sales commissions. Which application will be more popular with translation agencies? And TermSeek is leased, not sold, so translators pay by the month and their up-front costs are low. Which application will be more popular with translators? Again, I own no stock in TermSeek and have no business relationship with the company.
Just as Wheretolive.com's broker-owners can push their product, TermSeek's translation agencies will push the translation software. Both are closed systems that can be profitable entirely on their own. Both are companies founded by dogs for dogs.


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Your editorial 'A fitting tribute' (Saturday June 23, 2012) was itself a very fitting tribute, not just to the superb artist Lennie Gallant, but also to the children, parents and grandparents of Rustico who have struggled for more than a generation to secure the return, first, of French language education to the greater Rustico area, and then the building of a "centre scolaire-communautaire" – in the heart of historic vieux Rustico.
Many of those parents, like Lennie, grew up in English and, again as he did, sought to recover their French Acadian roots – for themselves and for their children.
I had the great honour of the presenting the Order of Merit to Lennie Gallantlast Saturday, along with my daughter, Nadine, who sang the school song that Lennie and the students composed. The song – sung to Lennie and in the presence of the lieutenant-governor, the Honourable Frank Lewis, at the general assembly of the Société Saint-Thomas-d'Aquin – ends with the lyrics (translated loosely):
Let us sing / as children of Acadie
We are proud of who we are / And of the French that we speak here
Your editorial was a testament to everything we have sought to achieve – often in the face of considerable opposition and adversity.
I am delighted that our community is uniting so strongly around the new Centre acadien Grand-Rustico. I am equally delighted and grateful that Lennie has contributed so much to the embracing of and celebration of our Island's proud Acadian heritage.
I was touched that Lennie brought his daughter to the revival of the Père Belcourt's community picnic to celebrate the Feast of Saint John the Baptist on Sunday, June 24 – a tradition that predates the current Acadian National Feast Day of Aug. 15. A simple act perhaps – yet one that clearlydemonstrates just how deep Lennie's roots are in the dark red soil along Rustico Bay – soil well shaded by the Farmer's Bank of Rustico and the spire of the second oldest active church in all of Prince Edward Island.
Thank you for your words, your sentiments and your encouragement.
Michelle Pineau,
Conseil acadien de Rustico


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Mercury Drive officially closed this week, but at least two of the businesses in the area want drivers to know they are still open.
The Grand Haven Township Board this week took the unusual step of allowing the Wesco gas station and the Store N' Lock to place signs at 144th Avenue and Mercury Drive and 144th Avenue and Lincoln Street to let drivers know they are accessible and open for business.
The signs technically are off-site billboards in the road right of way and would normally violate the township's sign ordinance.
The Ottawa County Road Commission completely shut down Mercury between Groesbeck Street and 144th Avenue as it prepares to replace the bridge at Millhouse Bayou and rebuild and repave the road over the next five months. It's the third and final phase of the reconstruction of Mercury Drive that began two summers ago.
Township Supervisor Joanne Marcetti said Wesco officials in particular were concerned people using the boat launch at the end of 144th Avenue would know they still could fuel up at the Wesco station.
Past construction projects on Mercury allowed some traffic to flow through even while construction was underway, but this time the road is completely shut down because of the bridge replacement.
"I've lived in the community 40 years and this is the first time I've seen a road closed for five months," Marcetti said. "We're trying to work with these businesses so they remain viable."


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SIMMESPORT – Just as Tonya Nelson was finally about to close the long and arduous chapter of her life dominated by Hurricane Katrina, the past week has been like a flashback to late August 2005.
Dubbed Canadaville by its inhabitants, the trailer park was scheduled to close May 31, prompting Nelson to make plans to move to Kenner.
But with another great flood threatening to strike the region, the park has taken in a new wave of evacuees. More than 100 people fleeing potential flooding in the Morganza Floodway are being housed in 30 trailers at the park just south of Simmesport and 60 miles northwest of Baton Rouge.
"In some ways, it's like Katrina all over again," said Nelson, who moved from Jefferson to Pass Christian, Miss., shortly before Katrina and lost her home two blocks from the beach. "To see the emotion of these people who are so upset and so worried about the future reminds me of myself."
Community has come back to life
Frank Stronach, the Canadian auto parts mogul who opened the $12 million, 900-acre park in December 2005 is in talks to sell or lease it to a private for-profit entity, said Nelson, who is the executive assistant to the park manager. She said the floodway evacuees have been told they can stay rent-free until June 30.
"This place was like a ghost town, but now it's kind of come back to life to serve another purpose," Nelson said.
A group of children chased dogs and rode their bikes in the street in front of three homes occupied by an extended family from the Marksville area.
Angel Jemello said the three households packed up everything they owned when the Army Corps of Engineers released maps projecting up to 5 feet of flooding in their community. For the first time since 1973, the corps opened the spillway a week ago to divert water from the swollen Mississippi River into the Atchafalaya basin, reducing pressure on levees in Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
"We're worried about our homes, but it's so peaceful here that it's really helping us cope," said Jemello, 23, who evacuated with her three children and fiancé. "We live on a highway, and the kids have a lot more room to play here."
Jemello's daughter, Briana, 6, and two other girls played with two small mixed-breed dogs named Oreo and Chico. Her oldest son, Darrius, 5, and another boy played a rambunctious game of telephone, hollering at one another through a 20-foot-long drainage pipe under a driveway.
"I told you to be quiet!" yelled Darrius.
"You be quiet!" retorted 6-year-old Jacob Michout.
"Come over and make me," Darrius said, instigating a wrestling match as Jacob took him up on the challenge.
A peaceful haven
With its well-manicured lawns and cul-de-sacs, the park looks more like a middle-class subdivision than a typical FEMA trailer park.
Surrounded by farmland, the park's entrance features a vast lawn punctuated with 20 stately live oaks.
The tidy trailers, which have large wooden porches on the front and back, sit on spacious lots. Each 1,400-square-foot trailer has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a Jacuzzi, a full kitchen, a washer and a dryer.
Angel Jemello said the tranquil setting has helped her 3-year-old son Demorian, who has autism.
"He usually gets aggravated and frustrated when things change, but he's doing pretty well here," she said. "He's definitely doing better than if we were all crammed in a motel room somewhere."
Bobby Sherman, 47, said he is amazed by the accommodations.
"I just can't say enough about how grateful we are," said Sherman, a disabled welder who evacuated his Marksville home four days ago with his fiancée and 6-year-old daughter. "It makes it easier to deal with all the uncertainty about our homes."
The park housed more than 500 people displaced by Katrina. Residents were required to show that they were seeking work or had gone back to school. Many worked at the community farm, growing vegetables and raising livestock.
Perhaps, a new start
Jemello, a certified nursing assistant who recently lost her job, said she was told the Morganza Floodway evacuees may be able to rent their trailers after June 30. She said her family of five has been living with her parents and could use some more space.
"I've been wanting a new start for a while, and it looks like I might finally get it," she said. "I'm not saying the flood is a good thing, but I believe it happened for a reason."
Nelson, a former call center manager for Oreck vacuum cleaners, arrived in Canadaville a year after Katrina. The company had transferred her to a call center in Pass Christian shortly before Katrina.
"If I had stayed in Jefferson, my house would have been fine. But I'm not bitter, because this place has been a blessing for me," said Nelson, who plans to move to Kenner after June 30 to manage a new Oreck call center there.
While Nelson said the influx of evacuees has brought back painful memories of Katrina's devastation, she's hopeful history won't repeat itself.
"It looks like it's not going to be anywhere near as bad as Katrina was," she said. "It looks like they're going to be more fortunate than we were."
Paul Rioux can be reached at email@example.com or 504.826.3785.


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STATEN ISLAND -- Staten Islanders can share their ideas on ways to better the region's transit system over the next 25 years at an open house sponsored by the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council.
Anyone with an idea on how to improve roads, bridges, mass transit, freight, bicycling and pedestrian thoroughfares from 2015 till 2040 is invited to attend the open house, which will be held Oct. 10 from 4 to 8 p.m. at the borough president's office in Borough Hall, St. George.
Presentations will be offered at 4:15 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
The NYMTC's 2040 Regional Transportation Plan aims at laying out a framework for the region's transportation system with concepts, projects and policy recommendations to address future growth and challenges.
With billions of federal transportation dollars flowing into the New York metropolitan region, this initial step will help direct that money.
For those unable to attend the Staten Island open house, the NYMTC has an interactive website, ideas.nymtc-rtp.org, where people can share their thoughts on the region's future needs.
The NYMTC is a regional council of governments and is the planning organization for New York City, Long Island, and the lower Hudson Valley.


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The Greyboy Allstars
Everyone should take a moment to thank DJ Greyboy. That's because he was the one who brought all the members of the Greyboy Allstars together so they could play a record release party for his album Freestylin'. Right off the bat, the chemistry between the five players was apparent. Featuring Karl Denson on tenor sax and flute, Elgin Park on guitar, Zak Najor on drums, Chris Stillwell on bass, and the ever-versatile Robert Walter on keyboards, the Greyboy Allstars unique blend of acid jazz, funk and soul propels them into the position of being one of the most innovative and ground-breaking bands of our time. Unfortunately the band has been on somewhat of a hiatus as Zak Najor heard the big man upstairs calling his name and trucked off to seminary school. This has kept the band off the road for the past five years. However with Zak's decision to begin touring again the Greyboy Allstars will once more be landing on a stage near you soon.


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Editor's Note: On Tuesday, Nov. 26, 1963, the front page of The Post-Standard was devoted to coverage of the burial of President John F. Kennedy. Inside, on page A-4, were letters to the editor, all written as poetry mourning the president's death. Four of them are reprinted below.)
John F. Kennedy
Long has the eagle screamed, from crag and storm cast sky
Defiance to the traitors to God's will.
Born aloft these many years, to spawn free men,
Its voice will yet be heard and others stilled.
Today, a feather dropped from out its peace-torn wings.
The eagle its defiance louder screams.
The feather floats to earth and meaning gives
To man, his hopes and prayers and won'drous dreams
Evans Estabrook
Bless You J.F.K.
In nineteen hundred and sixty-one, our youngest President had just begun.
In nineteen hundred and sixty-two he prevented Cuba from breaking through.
In nineteen hundred and sixty-three he was on the road to set the colored people free.
Just before 1964 some mad man said Kennedy had to go.
He was on his way to Dallas, Texas, to make a speech
When a mad sniper shot him off his feet.
President Kennedy was shot from behind, and left the whole world in sorrow and crying.
Now our President is laid out to rest, we all loved him but God loves him best.
Ida P. McClain and Jimmie Lucas
Great Man Dead
The heavens are crying, a great man is dead;
His body is now lying on its eternal bed.
The heavens are sobbing, for this wonderful man;
His world was so bobbing, so vital, so human.
The world is now weeping,
Our President is sleeping.
Edith M. Gullen
Lincoln's Greeting
Welcome to the Club, my son.
You're young to have your work all done.
I had a longer time on earth
To guide my land and show my worth.
Our backgrounds differed, vastly so.
And yet, we thought alike, you know.
I've watched you sort your doubts and fears
My, that took me back some years.
I'm getting side-tracked. That won't do.
I'm here to hail and welcome you.
Each twenty years we choose a member,
Your name came up this late November.
A vote was waxed by each of us.
The outcome was unanimous.
You passed our most selective test,
I stand to greet you with the rest.
G.L. Caiello


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Here is the speech I made to the Chabad the day before the Boston terror attacks.
Mumbai, Chabad, and Pamela Geller Richard L. Rubenstein
If ever a group had reason to sponsor a lecture by Pamela Geller on "Imposition of Sharia in America," it was Chabad, and Rabbi Yoseph Geisinsky of Chabad of Great Neck (Long Island) is to be commended for having the courage to do so after Ms Geller's talk was cancelled by the Men's Club of the Great Neck Synagogue. The statement by the Executive Board of the Great Neck Synagogue does not take a stand on Ms Geller's thesis but gives expression to its worries: "In an era of heightened security concerns it is irresponsible to jeopardize the safety of those who call Great Neck Synagogue home, especially our children, even at the risk of diverting attention from a potentially important voice in the ongoing debate." Clearly, there were some frightened members who did not want to put their children at risk.
Memories are short but on November 28, 2008, Chabad experienced viciously obscene violence perpetrated by Muslim terrorists against its House in Mumbai. The attack on Chabad House was part of a larger assault against hotels and public buildings throughout Mumbai in which hundreds were killed and wounded. Nevertheless, the small Chabad House, also known as Nariman House, was targeted precisely because it was Jewish. In all, nine Jews were murdered, including Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivka, on orders of a handler directing the killings from sanctuary within Pakistan. The Mumbai massacre was no emotional outburst, but was coldly and deliberately planned and implemented. Is it any wonder that a Chabad group would want to hear what Ms Geller has to say?


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KENT COUNTY, MI – Some White Pine Trail users are calling for a ban on snowmobile studs to prevent more damage to pavement on the former railroad bed that runs from Grand Rapids to Cadillac.
A Michigan Department of Natural Resources study found that snowmobile studs are causing scrapes and divots on paved portions of the trail, including a section in Kent County as well as a recently-paved stretch south of Cadillac. In response, the DNR plans an education campaign for snowmobilers.
But some trail users want the state to ban studs or charge a maintenance fee to snowmobilers who use them.
"We go to great expense to make it nice for everybody and then one group virtually destroys it," said Dave Heyboer, chairman of the Friends of the White Pine Trail. "I love snowmobiling, but I am prejudiced. I don't like studded tracks on snowmobiles. I think they cause horrendous damage to the infrastructure.
"It's an atrocious mess (near Cadillac). You can see where they have just torn the whole surface right off. If they do not spin the track there is very minimal damage to the asphalt surface, but most of the guys that stud their tracks have very high-powered machines and they like to take off spinning a lot."
The DNR paid $2 million to pave part of the trail south of Cadillac in 2010 with a special asphalt mix designed to withstand snowmobile use. But that part of the trail is showing signs of wear.
"Although the snowmobile mix has withstood better to the wear caused by studs then any other asphalt mixes, there is still damage when snowmobiles use the trail with little or no snow," states the report by East Grand Rapids-based M.C. Smith Associates and Architectural Group.
"As snowmobiles become faster and more powerful and the popularity of stud use continues, damage of trails will continue," the report concludes. "Damage to paved trails could be greatly reduced if trails would be used only during periods of adequate snow cover. Damage to paved trails could be almost completely eliminated if the use of studs were no longer permitted on paved trails."
Studs are metal spikes added to a snowmobile's track for increased traction.
The report also found evidence of less severe stud damage in Kent County, where snowmobiles are permitted on the trail north of Russell Road. But "it is believed that the northern portion of the White Pine Trail between LeRoy and Cadillac experiences considerably heavier use then the southern
portion of the White Pine Trail," the report states.
The trail is paved from Grand Rapids to Sand Lake, then asphalt picks up again at various spots to the north.
Heyboer wants the DNR to ban studded snowmobiles, or at least prohibit snowmobiles when there's less than 6 inches of snow on the trail. (The current standard is at least four inches of snow.) But the state does not want to ruffle the feathers of snowmobilers, he said.
"The problem that did occur was just flat out abuse by a snowmobiler or two, but in the main it has not been a big problem," said Ron Olson, the DNR's chief of parks and recreation. "In a couple spots someone got goofing around in their snowmobile and basically really rubbed it up and spun the track to the point where it went through the snow and dug into the asphalt and then they kept spinning it to be cool or something and it created somewhat of a divot in the trail.
"We're going to continue to allow snowmobiles. It's not appropriate to ban it from the whole when just a few abusers do it. There's a lot of well-intended snowmobilers who use the trail and don't abuse it."
Olson said the DNR will do "some promotional education" in hopes snowmobilers will take care on the trail with studded tracks.
"It's hard to go around and be the studded snowmobile police," he said. "We just hope that people use good judgment. We need to prudently use these trails because they're there for everybody."
RELATED: Trail damage sparks debate on banning snowmobile studs
Among the regular trail users is Houghton Lake hand cyclist Tom D'Ambrosio, who asked the DNR to ban studded snowmobiles. Lacking that, he wants the state to charge a fee for snowmobilers or stud manufacturers to build up a fund for trail maintenance and repairs.
"We're not anti-snowmobiles at all," D'Ambrosio said. "The problem is the guys with the studs that are out there hot-rodding around. They're the ones accounting for 100 percent of the damage of the trail.
"There's very, very significant unnecessary damage being done by a very small group of people in a very short season."
Email Matt Vande Bunte, follow him on Twitter or be his friend on Facebook.