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Friday, December 24, 2010
Merry Christmas!
While these Holiday Grab-Bag Treasury issues were part of the 1970s, I loved getting and reading these over the holiday!
Hope you all have a great holiday and see you all in the New Year!
Posted by Jason Shayer at 3:45 PM 0 comments
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Marvel Solicitations for March 2011 - 1980s goodness
Written by ROGER STERN
Penciled by PAUL SMITH, BRET BLEVINS & MARK BADGER
Dr. Strange, the Master of the Mystic Arts, starts his day by curing a mystically cursed sword and ends it by overthrowing a dimensional dictator! The Sorcerer Supreme faces threats on cruise ships, military bases and alien planets — seeking to restore the cosmic balance! And as the origins of the Dark Dimension stand revealed, Strange's true love, Clea, heads the rebellion against her evil mother, Umar! Featuring the Black Knight and the Beyonder! Collecting DR. STRANGE (1974) #68-74. 168 PGS...$24.99
Written by MARK GRUENWALD
Penciled by TOM MORGAN & KIERON DWYER
When Steve Rogers refuses to become a government operative, he's stripped of his uniform, title and shield — and a new Captain America is born! John Walker, the former Superpatriot and future USAgent — along with sidekick Bucky, the future Battle Star — does his best to fill the big shoes Rogers left behind. But can he take the pressure, especially after his parents are caught in the crossfire? And Rogers dons a new costume as the Captain! Featuring the Falcon, Iron Man, the Taskmaster, Freedom Force, the Horsemen of Apocalypse and the Serpent Society! Collecting CAPTAIN AMERICA #332-350 and IRON MAN #228.
520 PGS./Rated A ...$39.99
- Really wish this one was a hardcover...
Written by JOHN BYRNE
Penciled by RON WILSON
It's Ben Grimm — the ever-lovin', blue-eyed Thing— on his own for the first time, and he's clobberin' everything in sight! The Inhumans! Wonder Man! She-Hulk! Spider-Man! The Fantastic Four! The Yancy Street Gang! The Puppet Master! And the uncanny Goody Two-Shoes! Plus: The Thing proposes marriage, and it's not to Alicia Masters! Collecting THING(1983) #1-10.
232 PGS./Rated A ...$24.99
Posted by Jason Shayer at 9:04 AM 0 comments
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Back Issue! Magazine #46 - Greatest Stories Never Told
Posted by Jason Shayer at 8:39 AM 0 comments
Friday, December 17, 2010
Ho Ho Ho - Christmas in the Marvel 1980s
November 1981 - Uncanny X-Men #143
Uncanny X-Men #143
Chris Claremont/John Byrne/Terry Austin
This issue spotlighted Kitty Pryde as she was left on her own in the mansion over the Christmas holidays (as she Jewish). While the story paralleled the movie Alien (1979) with its similar monster and premise, it did successfully employ its cinematic devices, like the heart-pounding climax and the shock ending. The story showcased Kitty's resolve and resourcefulness as she faced such a deadly situation and showed us that she had the wherewithal to be an X-Man.
March 1986 - Spectacular Spider-Man #112
Peter David/Mark Beachum/Pat Redding
A rather insignificant issue that has Spidey come across a Santa Claus burglar and an apparent appearance by the Jolly Old Elf himself. This issue however does have a rather interesting page of MJ in the bathtub and running around in a towel.
May 1989 - Marvel Comics Presents #18
There were two Christmas-theme stories in this issue. One was a fun little She-Hulk romp by John Byrne that it rather fun and hyped up her 1989 ongoing series. The other was an off-beat tale starring the Fantastic Four's mailman Willie Lumpkin in a twisted version of the Christmas Carol.
Any other Christmas-themed issues I'm missing?
Posted by Jason Shayer at 3:05 PM 4 comments
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Favorite House Ads of the 1980s
Posted by Jason Shayer at 4:27 PM 8 comments
Monday, December 6, 2010
John Byrne's Alpha Flight
Even though Byrne didn't like his run on this title, as a Canadian kid who loved his run on the X-Men, I really enjoyed those first 13 issues:
"Alpha Flight was never much fun. The characters were created merely to survive a fight with the X-Men, and I never thought about them having their own title. When Marvel finally cajoled me into doing Alpha Flight, I realized how incredibly two-dimensional they were, and spend some twenty-eight issues trying to find ways to correct this fault. Nothing really sang for me. If I have any regrets, it would probably be that I did the book at all! It was not a good time for me."(from http://www.comicbookresources.com/features/byrne/)
Cover to Alpha Flight #13 (Funeral for Guardian)
Neat jam piece with Mike Mignola.
A house ad teasing with the idea that Wolverine would leave the X-Men to lead
Alpha Flight after Guardian's death.
Alpha Flight after Guardian's death.
Posted by Jason Shayer at 10:16 AM 4 comments
Labels: Alpha Flight, John Byrne
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Education Officials Look To Increase School Breakfast Participation
State officials say they want more Massachusetts public school students heading into classes in the morning with full stomachs.
They've teamed up to launch an initiative aimed at getting school districts to increase participation in school breakfast programs by 35 percent during the next two years.
They also want districts to offer healthier options on cafeteria menus.
The state says stats show 57 percent of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch don't eat breakfast at school.
Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester says students who eat breakfast are better able to focus and also behave better.
His office says grants will be available to help schools fulfill the breakfast challenge. (Associated Press)

subset: commoncrawl


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(CNN) -- The Florida Supreme Court ruled Friday that Gov. Rick Scott can reject $2.4 billion in federal money that would have funded a proposed high-speed rail system in the state.
The governor had made clear that he would reject the money, but two state senators -- a Democrat and Republican -- took him to court over that decision. They argued that he would overstep his executive authority and violate Florida's constitution if he did not accept the money, but the state's high court disagreed.
The court decision clears the way for Scott's administration to focus on projects other than high-speed rail, the governor's spokesman, Brian Burgess said.
"The governor is gratified that the court provided a clear and unanimous decision," Burgess said. "He is now focused on moving forward with infrastructure projects that create long-term jobs and turn Florida's economy around."
Scott had consistently opposed plans for an 84-mile-long high-speed rail line that would link Tampa and Orlando.
After meeting with Scott last week, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood had set Friday as the deadline for accepting the federal dollars to help pay for the project. Otherwise, the money would be redirected to other states.
The loss of the Florida project is seen by some as a direct blow to President Barack Obama's vision for a national high-speed rail network.
"I know that states across America are enthusiastic about receiving additional support to help bring America's high-speed rail network to life and deliver all its economic benefits to their citizens," LaHood said after speaking with Scott on Friday.
In 2009, the legislature created and funded the Florida Rail Enterprise to oversee the high-speed rail line. But in oral arguments before the court on Thursday, an attorney for the governor said no laws were violated.
The governor had stuck to his guns in recent weeks when questioned about his reasons for derailing the project.
"Our taxpayers aren't going to take the risk of the cost overrun of building it," according to Scott, who said the tab for the project could total $3 billion.
He had also expressed concerns about long-term operating costs.
"We already have a train that goes from Palm Beach to Miami," Scott said Sunday during in an interview with Candy Crowley on CNN's "State of the Union." "Only one-sixth the cost of operations is covered by the fares."
But leaders in several of Florida's cities say they've eliminated all risk to taxpayers.
"We have addressed all of the governor's concerns," said Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio. "We have structured this so that if there were cost overruns the private sector would take care if it."
Iorio, along with the mayors of Orlando, Lakeland and Miami, signed an agreement that calls for local authorities to take over the project with the help of the private sector. They presented their plain to Scott Wednesday.
"If there are operational short falls -- private sector. This is a true public-private partnership," Iorio said. "This is what governors all across the country want and we had structured this in such a way that there would not be risk to the Florida taxpayers."
Scott's office did not respond to CNN's request for a comment on the agreement.
Scott has said that he believes there would be a greater long-term benefit to the state if the money were used for other infrastructure projects.
"I want the money for our ports," he said, noting the expansion project now underway at the Panama Canal and the growth of economies in Central and South America. "Put that money into the Florida ports. That's where we want that money spent."
But LaHood said the funds were specifically allocated for high-speed rail and can't be switched to other projects.
Proponents of high-speed rail said they believed that Florida was the ideal location for an inter-city system. The Tampa to Orlando project would be the first leg in a line that advocates hope to extend to Miami and eventually Jacksonville in the north of the state.
"Here we have the most viable high-speed rail project in the country," said Petra Todorovich with The Regional Plan Association, a transportation and public policy think tank in New York. "It has over 90 percent federal funding to get started. It has a team of private investors who are interested in covering the remaining capital costs and assuming the risks on ridership."
In theory, local municipalities could continue with the project regardless of whether the governor supported it, but that's not considered likely.
Iorio said they can't get it done without the expertise of the state's transportation department -- an agency the governor could order not to get involved.
CNN Radio's Steve Kastenbaum contributed to this report.


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By David Crane defrev (at) gmail (dot) com April 7, 2010 Updated 4/09/10 Looks like nuclear weapons aren't the only thing the Iranian government is after. Apparently, they've also got a penchant for speedboats, specifically high-tech, very expensive speedboats. Multiple news sources are reporting that the Iranians have surreptitiously acquired a "James Bond-style" fast mover called the Bladerunner 51 / Bradstone …Read More »
Tag Archives: frangible
Ammunition Improvements for 21st Century Mil/LE Urban Operations
by Bob Taubert One of the driving ideas behind the adaptation of the "Black Rifle" and its varmint caliber ammunition was to lighten the load of the ground pounding Infanteer. That was achieved through remarkable engineering, but it didn't take long for the soldier to reverse the situation. The new light weight rounds enabled the trooper to up his basic …Read More »


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Bridgeview, IL – The Houston Dynamo may have won just three times in 17 away games during the regular season.
But on Wednesday in their Eastern Conference knockout round match against the Chicago Fire, Houston made Toyota Park feel very much like home as Will Bruin scored a pair of goals in a 2-1 Dynamo victory.
The result brings Chicago's season to an abrupt close while the Dynamo now moves on to face Sporting Kansas City in the conference semifinals, which will begin in Houston on Sunday.
The visitors defended well in the first half and took advantage of a 12th- minute corner kick to snatch the lead as Brad Davis swung the ball toward the near post where Bruin got free from his man to head the ball past goalkeeper Sean Johnson.
It took less than 30 seconds after halftime for the Dynamo to double their lead as Chicago lost possession in its own half, allowing Calen Carr to play Bruin in on goal with a well-weighted through ball that the striker dispatched past Johnson for his second goal of the contest.
The home side warmed to the task a bit over the final 30 minutes with Arne Friedrich and Dominic Oduro both testing Houston goalkeeper Tally Hall.
However, Chicago didn't find the breakthrough until the 83rd minute when Alex slipped in behind the Houston defense and scored from a tight angle after a nice ball from Patrick Nyarko.
Johnson kept the Fire within a goal by keeping out a close-range effort from Macoumba Kandji, but Houston did well to see out the remainder of the match and will now look ahead to a meeting with top-seeded Sporting.


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July 14, 2003
Indianapolis, Indiana
Jonathan Coachman & Jerry Lawler
John Hennigan & Matt Cappotelli defeated Horshu & Aaron Stevens (dark)..
John Heidenreich pinned Travis Tomko (dark)..
Rico w/Jackie Gayda pinned Val Venis..
Garrison Cade & Mark Jindrak defeated La Resistance (Non-Title Match)..
The Hurricane pinned Rob Conway..
Tommy Dreamer pinned Nick Dinsmore..
HI-LITE REEL: Chris Jericho & Eric Bischoff + Steve Austin..
Chris Jericho says that the environment backstage is out of control and he doesn't feel safe..
Chris Jericho refers to General Manager Steve Austin abusing his power and assaulting RAW talent..
Chris Jericho introduces his guest, the only man who can make a difference, Eric Bischoff!
Eric Bischoff comes out wearing a neckbrace, due to the chokeslam off the stage 2 weeks ago..
Eric Bischoff says that he's arranged a 1-on-1 interview between Kane & Jim Ross from WWE Headquarters in Stamford..
Eric Bischoff shows exclusive footage of Kane throwing RVD through a wall last week behind the scenes..
Chris Jericho says that Eric Bischoff was gone for a week, and RAW has turned into an unsafe environment..
Suddenly, Stone Cold Steve Austin comes out to protest Eric Bischoff's decision to make JR interview Kane..
Eric Bischoff says that all the recent happenings on RAW is all Steve Austin's fault and is on HIS shoulders..
Steve Austin threatens to whoop Eric Bischoff's ass, but decides he isn't worth it..
Steve Austin starts to walk out of the ring, but Chris Jericho taunts him..
Chris Jericho tells Steve Austin to drive back to Texas, cause nobody wants him here..
Steve Austin snaps and gives Chris Jericho a Stone Cold Stunner in the middle of the ring!
INTERGENDER 6PERSON TAG: Kevin Nash & Scott Steiner & Trish vs Test & Steven Richards & Victoria..
Trish Stratus briefly gets revenge on Test, landing numerous forearm shots to Test's head!
Kevin Nash later nailed Steven Richards with the Jacknife Powerbomb for the victory!
BACKSTAGE: Chris Jericho & Eric Bischoff..
Chris Jericho is complaining to Eric Bischoff about General Manager Steve Austin's abusive behavior..
Eric Bischoff says there has to be corporate policies against those sort of actions..
Chris Jericho says he suddenly has an idea and storms out of the room..
MATCH: Lance Storm vs Maven..
Lance Storm comes out and reads a prepared speech, stating that he'd sue each fan if they chanted Boring..
Like a bunch of brainless sheep, the crowd immediately chants boring towards Lance Storm..
Maven gets the pinfall after an awkward reversal..
HEADQUARTERS: Jim Ross..
Jim Ross tells the director that he's not thrilled about doing this interview but has a job to do..
Jim Ross says that we have to find out if Kane is a monster on the outside, or on the inside..
IN THE RING: La Resistance + The Dudley Boyz..
Sylvain Grenier welcomes Eric Bischoff back to RAW, saying that Stone Cold kept them off RAW last week!
Sylvain Grenier says that today is Bastille Day, the day the French celebrate their independance..
Rene Dupree then sings the French national anthem before we cut away to commercial..
When we come back, they're still singing, including the famous lyrics "Dah dah dah dah daaaah c'est la vie!"
The Dudley Boyz (Bubba, DVon & Spike) come out with an American Flag and demolish La Resistance..
Bubba says that that song sucks, and orders the fans to stand up and sing the American national anthem..
Editor's Note: You can read my mind right now right?
SIX MAN ELIMINATION MATCH: The Evolution (HHH/Flair/Orton) vs The Dudleyz (DVon/Bubba/Spike)..
Spike Dudley is eliminated first by Randy Orton..
DVon was eliminated shortly afterwards, also by Randy Orton..
Randy Orton later pinned Bubba Ray for the unexpected clean sweep!
Editor's Note: WHAT IN THE HELL did the Dudleyz DO to get buried like that!
BACKSTAGE: Eric Bischoff & Rob Van Dam..
Rob Van Dam is upset that Kane is in Stamford, CT saying that he WANTS Kane in the ring!
Eric Bischoff promises Rob Van Dam a match with Kane next week!
BACKSTAGE: Chris Jericho, Christian & WWE Heels..
Chris Jericho is passing around a petition for the termination of General Manager Steve Austin..
IN THE RING: Theodore Long & Rodney Mack..
Theodore Long says that he and Rodney Mack signed Chris Jericho's petition..
Theodore Long says he beleives the job of Co-GM should be given to a black man..
Theodore Long tries to get the crowd to chant "Hell No! Stone Cold!"..
Backstage, the wrestlers watching the monitor begin to chant "Hell No! Stone Cold!"..
THE MATCH WE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR: Rodney Mack vs Rosey..
Rodney Mack pins Rosey in less than a minute to completely bury Rosey..
The lights go out, and Hurricane appears on the top rope and delivers a missile dropkick to Rodney Mack!
The Hurricane & Rosey have an
emotionally charged
(sarcasm) stare-down..
BACKSTAGE: Chris Jericho & The Evolution..
Chris Jericho approaches the members of Evolution and ask them to sign his petition..
Triple H signs the petition, saying their lives would be a lot easier without Stone Cold around..
IC TITLE MATCH: Booker T vs Christian..
Late in the match, Christian pinned Booker T to win the Intercontinental title..
A second referee came down and contested the decision..
Steve Austin comes down with a third referee and orders that the match continues!
Seconds later, Booker T pins Christian to officially retain the IC title!
Christian throws a temper tantrum and beats up the referee..
Steve Austin runs in and stomps a mudhole in Christian, then delivers a Stunner!!
BACKSTAGE: Eric Bischoff..
Eric Bischoff comments that Steve Austin just put a nail in his own coffin!
Eric Bischoff gets a phone call from Linda McMahon as we go to commercial..
HEADQUARTERS: Jim Ross & Kane..
Kane arrives early for his interview, and gives Jim Ross a boxed gift..
Jim Ross requests that Kane take a seat and be patient and they'd start momentarily..
WOMENS TITLE MATCH: Gail Kim vs Molly Holly..
Editor's Note: Has anyone else noticed Gail Kim's entrance music is a remix of Victoria's music???
Gail Kim successfully defends the Women's title pinning Molly with a hurancanrana rollup..
HEADQUARTERS: Jim Ross & Kane..
Jim Ross opens his present, and finds a can of gasoline..
Kane says that if Jim Ross makes fun of him just ONCE, he'll set JR on fire!!!
HEADQUARTERS: Jim Ross & Kane (Sit-Down Interview)..
Jim Ross says that he's a big Kane fan, and has no intentions of making fun of Kane..
Jim Ross shows footage of Kane on recent episodes of RAW along with Steve Austin..
Kane says he reacts to that footage with anger and hatred..
Kane said he was a normal child, until a fire turned him into a hitius monster..
Kane said Rob Van Dam & Steve Austin were supposed to be his friends, but forced him to unmask..
Jim Ross remarks that Kane doesn't appear to be scared or marked in any way..
Kane said that the doctors said his scars were superficial, but they were wrong!
Jim Ross says that he doesn't see scars, he only see a man who needs help..
Jim Ross says he knows what its like to be made fun of, but he said to hell with them!
Jim Ross says that Steve Austin, Rob Van Dam & the fans aren't enemies, they respect Kane!
Kane says that the people are liars, just like Steve Austin, Rob Van Dam & Jim Ross!
Kane says that he warned Jim Ross not to make fun of him!!
Suddenly, back in the arena, Steve Austin's music hits and Steve Austin comes out to the ring..
Steve Austin pleads with Kane to not do anything he might regrete..
Kane says that the only way to understand his pain is to experience it yourself..
Kane knocks Jim Ross out, douses him with gasoline, and sets him on fire!!!!
Just to clarify, the story here is that Kane's so-called scars were all superficial..
After the fire, doctors told him he had to scars, but Kane was too mentally distraught to believe them..
So Kane lived all those years under a mask, believing he was a hitius monster..
Stroke of genius on the part of WWE writing, I have to give them props for this one..
IN THE RING: Steve Austin & Eric Bischoff..
Eric Bischoff comes out to the stage, and says that that was all Steve Austin's fault!
Eric Bischoff says that Linda McMahon will be on RAW next week publically fire Steve Austin!
RAW goes off the air...
This is a pretty funny form of advertising used on WWE.com. On the RAW results page, the header says "Kane sets fire to Jim Ross." One of the rotated advertisements in the box to the right of the page is for JR's BBQ sauce. The header reads, "It's getting hot in here."
Go Back To WWE History
Go Back To RAW History
© 2017, Black Pants, Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective holders.


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I could have used this new form of homeschooling back when I was in high school.Ā From the Chicago Sun-Times:
Five years ago, frustrated with the pace and depth of a Chicago Public School gifted program, Abby withdrew from eighth grade and entered uncharted territory — a branch of home schooling often called "unschooling."
Under this ultimate form of "child-directed" learning, Abby used no set curriculum. She called her own hours, worked at her own pace and, most important, followed her own interests — without taking tests or receiving grades. Some days, she'd wake up, grab a bowl of cereal and go back to bed with a book.


text:
Peter Dinklage was sexy in Station Agent partially because he's a handsome, brooding, intense guy but also because his character was remote, distant and emotionally unavailable. There is nothing in Dinklage's screen persona that asks for approval or validation, let alone begs for it. His whole vibe says, "I am what I am and if you don't like that, fuck you." I have a friend who went to college with Dinklage and said women were all over him, which I didn't find surprising at all.
Dinklage's deadpan, prickly sexuality was front and center in tonight's episode of 30 Rock. Dinklage took a character that is introduced being mistaken for a small child by a baby-crazed Liz Lemon-she totally wants to be a baby mama just like her character in that film she was in, Mean Girls-and imbued him with dignity and grace.
"Senor Macho Solo" was all about Love, American style, not unlike that popular seventies television show, The Love Boat. Jack Donaghy fell into a deep, primal state of love, or at least lust with his mother's nurse (Salma Hayek). When describing Hayek's sexuality words don't suffice so I am reduced to a series of cartoon noises: hummina, hummina, (pant, pant), Aooga! Aooga! If you don't know why Salma Hayek is sexy then I can't do nothing for you, man, as you must be dead or in a coma.
Tracy Jordan enjoyed a passionate love affair with his wife, his gold shoes, his money coat and Benny Hill's enduring legacy. Jenna is immersed in a lifelong love affair with the sound of her own voice. I love how 30 Rock manages to repeatedly showcase Jane Krakowski's solid singing voice while simultaneously make her look like a complete ass.
In the episode's main plot thread Liz Lemon bumbles her way through an aborted would-be romance with Dinklage's United Nations employee, who doesn't find Lemon's neuroses and lunacy quite as endearing as the rest of us do.
I wrote in a much earlier post that Liz Lemon is the show's straight woman but that is simply not true. She's a lovable kook who just seems straighter compared to the nutjobs around her. Tonight's episode of 30 Rock juggled its various lovestruck plots with aplomb. I particularly enjoyed Jenna's doomed attempts to land the lead role in a Janis Joplin biopic directed by one Steven Spielburger, who must be Steven Spielberg's non-union Mexican equivalent's protégé or some such foolishness. But there was a faint hint of melancholy as well, as Jack threw himself into a passionate infatuation with Salma Hayek's sexy nurse inspired partially by Hayek's mind-melting hotness but also out of a sense of his own mortality induced by a lump in his testicles. On a completely unrelated note, man, Alec Baldwin is seriously porking out. He must have spent the hiatus appearing a stage production of Mystic Pizza. He's all relying on his talent and comic timing and shit now instead of his matinee idol good looks. He's going all Shelley Winters/Marlon Brando on us.
Hayek may not have the comic chops of her co-stars but I was so hypnotized by her cleavage of joy that I didn't really notice. I can see where some viewers might be getting celebrity guest star fatigue (alternately known as Arrested Development Season Three Syndrome) but I was delighted to have the gang back and could easily have watched all three hours of Tracy Jordan's tribute to Benny Hill. Is there anything sped-up film and "Yakkety Sax" can't make hilarious?
I appreciated how the show hilariously mangled "Piece of My Heart" yet sneakily exploited its gut-bucket pathos all the same. Did anybody write down the revised/improved lyrics? And how awesome was the sight gag of Jordan's money-based wardrobe? Yes, tonight's episode of 30 Rock was truly a blaffair to rememblack.
Grade: A-
-"You with your baby fever and me with getting turned on by car accidents."
-"I came here dressed as me!"
-"Like how we're including a Heroes DVD with every missile system we sell."
-"Take a lesson from Janis and exhibit some self-control."
-Holy shit! They mentioned The Girly Show on tonight's episode. I wasn't even sure if that was still on the air.
-Pete, where are you Pete? You're missed, along with the rest of the writing staff.
-"So Stewart, what is it like living under a bridge?"
-"When I'm on my deathbed, frenching my wife, I'm gonna be thinking of you."
-"And written by the best screenwriter in the world, whoever that is."
-How devastating was Dinklage's delivery of "I lied about your show. I have seen it."? That was some cold blooded shit.
-"Is it more embarrassing than your CD collection? I had no idea Michael Buble had so many albums."
-"Thank you for telling me what I already know. You should write for the Huffington Post."
-"Which is actually what we call a McRib sandwich."
-"Yes and no. Yes, I'm talking. No, we don't have the rights."
-"I like a to make the prank phone calla." I liked that Dinklage actually put her through to the Italian ambassador
-"Why are they smiling so much? Who's being ostracized?"
-I loved how gingerly Kenneth delivers the news that the original warm-up comic OD'd in a gay man's apartment.
-Is it heretical that I prefer Bryan Fery's "Piece of My Heart"
-which he delivers in the Count Chocula cadences of his early work, more than Janis Joplin's?
-"Shut it down!"


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text:
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees: Audit of UNHCR Operations in Malawi (AR2004-113-03), 30 Sep 2004
From WikiLeaks
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- Release date
- January 12, 2009
United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services (UN OIOS) 30 Sep 2004 report titled "Audit of UNHCR Operations in Malawi [AR2004-113-03]" relating to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The report runs to 9 printed pages.Note
Further information
Simple text version follows
UNITED NATIONS Office of Internal Oversight Services UNHCR Audit Service Assignment AR2004/113/03 30 September 2004 Audit Report 04/R29 OIOS AUDIT OF UNHCR OPERATIONS IN MALAWI Auditor: Alpha Diallo ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- UNITED NATIONS NATIONS UNIES Office of Internal Oversight Services UNHCR Audit Service OIOS AUDIT OF UNHCR OPERATIONS IN MALAWI (AR2004/113/03) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In May 2004, OIOS conducted an audit of UNHCR Operations in Malawi. The audit covered activities with a total expenditure of US$ 1.7 million in 2002 and 2003. Exit Conference Notes were shared with the Chief of Mission in May 2004, on which comments were received by May 2004. The Chief of Mission has accepted most of the recommendations and is in the process of implementing them. Overall Assessment � OIOS assessed the UNHCR operation in Malawi as average, it was adequately run but although the majority of key controls were being applied, the application of certain important controls lacked consistency or effectiveness. In order not to compromise the overall system of internal control, timely corrective action by management is required. Programme Management � For the three partners reviewed, reasonable assurance that UNHCR funds were properly accounted for and disbursed in accordance with the Sub-Project Agreements could only be taken for the governmental partner the Department of Disaster Preparedness, Relief and Rehabilitation. � The Malawi Red Cross Society (MRCS) did not have any accounting system to management and control UNHCR funds, and OIOS could not obtain assurance as to the appropriateness of the expenditure recorded on the SPMRs. No budgetary controls were established which resulted in numerous budgetary overruns, ranging from 40 to over 200 per cent. Internal controls were deficient, with cheques issued without due regard of the available bank balances resulting in the bouncing of cheques. MRCS `loaned' UNHCR funds to finance other donors' projects, without implementing a proper tracking mechanism to account for them. � The Jesuit Refugee Service had not properly reported the true expenditures incurred in the final SPMR. Given the unreliability of the financial records, OIOS could not place reliance on the figures reported, and recommended that a revised final SPMR be submitted reflecting the actual expenditures. The internal controls were found to be deficient as there was no segregation of duties. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Supply Management � Efforts were required to improve the procurement filing system. In some cases, documents evidencing that competitive bidding had been applied could not be found. � AssetTrak was not operational and the asset data was outdated. OIOS recommended that a complete physical inventory be conducted with assets properly bar-coded and registered on AssetTrak. Security and Safety � UNHCR was rated as MOSS compliant, and staff members had successfully completed the mandatory Security Training. Administration � In the areas of administration and finance, OCM generally complied with UNHCR's regulations, rules, policies and procedures and controls were operating effectively during the period under review. However, the requirements for the segregation of duties were not always adhered to, inactive participants needed to be removed from the MIP system, and the backlog of outstanding advances needed to be addressed. - September 2004- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER Paragraphs I. INTRODUCTION 1-4 II. AUDIT OBJECTIVES 5 III. AUDIT SCOPE AND METHODOLOGY 6-8 III. AUDIT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS A. Review of Implementing Partners 9�17 B. Supply Management 18-20 C. Security and Safety 21 D. Administration 22-25 IV. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 26 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I. INTRODUCTION 1. From 4 to 8 May 2004, OIOS conducted an audit of UNHCR's operations in Malawi. The audit was conducted in accordance with the Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing, promulgated by the Institute of Internal Auditors and adopted by the Internal Audit Services of the United Nations Organizations. OIOS reviewed the activities of the Office of the Chief of Mission in Lilongwe and of three of its implementing partners. 2. OIOS' previous audit of UNHCR in Malawi was conducted in September 1999. The review focused on 1997 and 1998 project and administrative expenditures totalling US$ 2 million. The main issues pertained to internal control weaknesses in the activities of the then Branch Office. 3. During 2003, Malawi experienced a sharp increase in the number of asylum seekers from the Great Lakes region, which necessitated the opening of a refugee camp in Luwani in addition to the existing Dzaleka camp. UNHCR provided basic assistance in the Sectors of water, sanitation, health, education and community services to the refugees in both camps, estimated at some 16,000 refugees. In 2004, UNHCR is engaging more in self-reliance activities. 4. The findings and recommendations contained in this report have been discussed with the officials responsible for the audited activities during the exit conference held on 8 May 2004. Exit Conference Notes outlining the audit findings were shared with the Office of the Chief of Mission in May 2004. The replies, which were received in May 2004, are reflected in the Audit Report. The Office of the Chief of Mission has accepted most of the audit recommendations made and is in the process of implementing them. II. AUDIT OBJECTIVES 5. The main objectives of the audit were to evaluate the adequacy and effectiveness of controls to ensure: � Reliability and integrity of financial and operational information; � Effectiveness and efficiency of operations; � Safeguarding of assets; and, � Compliance with regulations and rules, Letters of Instruction and Sub-Project Agreements. III. AUDIT SCOPE AND METHODOLOGY 6. The audit focused on 2002 and 2003 programme activities under projects 02 and 03/AB/MLW/CM/201 with expenditure of US$ 1.4 million. Our review concentrated on the activities implemented by the Malawi Red Cross Society (MRCS) - expenditure of US$ 340,000, the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) - expenditure of US$ 206,000, and the Department of Disaster Preparedness, Relief and Rehabilitation (DDPR) - expenditure of US$ 267,000. We also reviewed activities directly implemented by UNHCR with expenditure of US$ 600,000. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 7. The audit reviewed the administration of the Office of the Chief of Mission in Lilongwe with administrative budgets totalling US$ 294,000 for the years 2002 and 2003, and assets (as recorded on Headquarters AssetTrak) with an acquisition value of US$ 663,000 and a current value of US$ 13,000. The number of staff working for the UNHCR Operation in Malawi was 11. This included staff on regular posts, staff on temporary assistance, and United Nations Volunteers. 8. The audit activities included a review and assessment of internal control systems, interviews with staff, analysis of applicable data and a review of the available documents and other relevant records. IV. AUDIT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS A. Review of Implementing Partners 9. For the three partners reviewed, reasonable assurance could only be taken that UNHCR funds provided to DDPR were properly accounted for and disbursed in accordance with the Sub-Project Agreements. 10. Audit certificates for 2002 were received from all partners, with the exception of MRCS. For JRS, their international global audit certificate, covering UNHCR projects, was available and an unqualified opinion was expressed. A government audit certificate was also available for DDPR, however a qualified opinion was expressed due to budgetary overruns and ineligible expenditure charged to the sub-project. OCM explained that they had followed- up with MRCS on the submission of the audit certificate, but it had not yet been received. Recommendation: The UNHCR Office of the Chief of Mission should engage an audit firm directly to ensure audit certificates are obtained for sub-projects 02/AB/MLW/CM/201(b) and 03/AB/MLW/CM/201(b) implemented by the Malawi Red Cross Society (Rec.01). (a) Malawi Red Cross Society 11. MRCS had not implemented an accounting system for UNHCR projects and all that was available was a list of payments. There was no analysis or details of the expenditure incurred against the budgetary provision, and from the documentation available, it was not clear on what basis the SPMRs were prepared and therefore, they could not be relied upon. Also, from the payment vouchers presented to support the expenditures it was not always evident that it was UNHCR expenditure. Given the fact that MRCS had over 15 other donors, OIOS could not exclude that some of the payment vouchers may have related to other donors. 12. Due to a lack of a proper budgetary monitoring system, there were numerous budgetary overruns, ranging from 40 per cent to over 200 per cent. Internal controls were found to be deficient, with cheques issued without due regard of the available bank balances. This resulted in several of the cheques bouncing, and subsequent bank charges. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 13. OCM explained that they had frequently drawn to the attention of MRCS the lack of an appropriate accounting system, which caused a haphazard way of posting expenditures. A workshop on Programme Management was organized to address implementing partner's lack of adherence to accounting and reporting standards. OCM stated that they would again impress upon MRCS to design a proper accounting system. 14. OIOS found that MRCS had `loaned' UNHCR funds for use in other donor-financed projects. However, they did not have an accounting mechanism to track the loans or their subsequent reimbursement. Moreover, some of the loans had not been recorded as such, but instead charged as expenditure in the final SPMR. Due to the total lack of a reliable accounting system to track such transactions, OIOS could not exclude that some of the loans had not been properly accounted for. OCM explained that they had more than once queried MRCS about expenditures that did not relate to UNHCR activities, and had informed them to discontinue such a practice. 15. Further, under the budget line for income-generating activities, MRCS loaned a total of US$ 21,000 to the refugees. No loan recovery system was established, and from the records maintained by MRCS, there was not evidence that the amounts had been recovered. According to MRCS, the reimbursement rate of the loans was very low (less than one per cent), as most refugees assumed that the loans were actually grants. OCM explained that due to the lack a loan recovery system, the income-generating sector was taken away from MRCS, and given to a new partner already successfully administering a similar programme in Mozambique. Recommendation: The UNHCR Office of the Chief of Mission, Lilongwe should, prior to entering into any new Sub-Project Agreement with the Malawi Red Cross Society MRCS, assess whether MRCS has implemented an acceptable accounting system, which meets UNHCR's financial reporting and budget monitoring requirements (Rec.02). (b) Jesuit Refugee Service 16. OIOS found that JRS had not correctly reported the expenditures in the final SPMR, and we found that each budget line item had either been overstated or understated. Thus, the final SPMRs could not be reconciled to JRS' summary records. According to JRS, the discrepancies resulted from their calculations of the summary expenditure, which were made manually rather than using the accounting software. JRS informed OIOS that their international accounting system could not produce summary accounts according to UNHCR budget coding structure. Given the unreliability of the financial records, OIOS recommended that a revised final SPMR be submitted for sub-project 03/AB/MLW/CM/201 (e) correctly reflecting the actual expenditure. Action is being taken to obtain this information, and a revised SPMR will be submitted. 17. OIOS assessed JRS' internal controls as deficient, with the same individual involved in the entire expenditure cycle. The Director assumed most of the financial management functions, with certifying, authorizing and approving responsibilities. He also assumed many ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 of the accounting functions of accountant, was the petty cash custodian and was the sole bank signatory. OCM stated that JRS has hired an Assistant Accountant, and that the JRS' Director would be asked to be involved in financial matters only in an advisory/supervisory role. Recommendation: The UNHCR Office of the Chief of Mission, Lilongwe should obtain from Jesuit Refugee Services a revised final SPMR for sub- project 03/AB/MLW/CM/201 (e), which reflects the actual expenditure incurred (Rec.03). B. Supply Management (a) Procurement 18. The UNHCR procurement procedures were generally complied with, albeit the filing system required some improvement. OIOS found various instances of procurement (totalling some US$ 90,000) for which there was no evidence that proper competitive bidding procedures had been applied. OCM has now retrieved and submitted the missing documentation. 19. In 2003, OCM spent over US$ 40,000 on travel of which some US$ 25,000 was paid to the current travel agent. This company's services had been used for several years. There was no evidence that the agent was selected competitively biding, despite the availability of several other travel agents. In one instance, OIOS noted that a return air ticket to a European city was purchased at some US$ 5,000 while other travel agents would charge less than half of that amount. OCM explained that the travel agent was also used by most of the UN agencies, but they indicated that the market would be revisited to draw the most economical fares. (b) Asset management 20. OIOS found that the AssetTrak system was not operational, and that the data available at UNHCR Headquarters was considerably out of date. In addition, no physical inventory had been carried out for a number of years, and most of the assets were not bar-coded, including those in the custody of implementing partners. According to OCM, the AssetTrak software was removed from a computer that was transferred to an implementing partner and was never re-installed. OCM indicated that the updating of the AssetTrak is scheduled to commence during the first week of June 2004. Recommendation: The UNHCR Office of the Chief of Mission, Lilongwe should conduct a comprehensive review of asset management. All assets (including those with implementing partners) should be physically verified, bar-coded and registered on AssetTrak. Assistance should be requested from the Asset Management Unit, if deemed necessary (Rec.04). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5 C. Security and Safety 21. UNHCR was rated as MOSS compliant. All UNHCR staff members had successfully completed the mandatory Security Training, and received the Field Security Handbooks. D. Administration 22. In the areas of administration and finance, OCM complied with UNHCR's regulations, rules, policies and procedures and controls were operating effectively during the period under review, albeit improvement was required in some areas. 23. The UNHCR Delegation of Financial Signing Authority, as required under IOM 67/2000 & FOM 69/2000, dated 9 October 2000, had not been implemented. Also, the rules over the use of the budget for hospitality were not always adhered to. OIOS recommended that proper administrative and financial procedures be implemented to strengthen internal controls. OCM explained that the delegation of signing authority charts has now been established, and that financial rules and regulations would be better observed in future. 24. There was a backlog of advances (mostly travel advances) totalling some US$ 10,000. Most of these advances had been outstanding since 2000 with no valid justification for this. Positive steps needed to be taken to ensure these amounts are cleared. OCM explained that some staff members failed to lodge their claims after the completion of travel. The situation was exacerbated by the lack of staff, but the clearing of the outstanding receivables is currently underway. 25. The names of several former staff members and their dependents, no longer members, were still included in the MIP system and needed to be withdrawn. OCM explained that the non-removal of inactive participants constitutes part of the backlog that has accumulated over time in the Admin/Finance Unit. The exercise of editing the system and the enrolment of new staff members will soon commence. V. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 26. I wish to express my appreciation for the assistance and cooperation extended to the auditor by the staff of UNHCR and implementing partners in Malawi. Egbert C. Kaltenbach, Chief UNHCR Audit Service Office of Internal Oversight Services -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


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Nuisance Fur-bearing Animals
Landowners or their agents may take nuisance fur-bearing animals in any number by any means at any time on that person's land without the need for a hunting or trapping license. However, fur-bearing animals or their pelts taken for these purposes may not be retained or possessed by anyone at any time except licensed trappers during the lawful open season and possession periods.
Nuisance fur-bearing animals may be captured and relocated if the person has received authorization from the department and the owner of the property where the release will occur. A monthly report is required and must be submitted to the department on number and kind of fur-bearers captured, location of release site, name and address of person authorized to release.
Rabies Quarantine
It is a Class C misdemeanor to transport or sell live foxes, coyotes and raccoons from, to, or within this state. For additional information, please contact the Zoonosis Control Division of the Texas Department of Health at (512) 458-7255.
For other information concerning hunting and fishing regulations, parks, wildlife or other subjects related to TPWD, call our toll-free number: (800) 792-GAME to report a violation of the state's game and fish laws. A reward may be offered to eligible callers who provide information which leads to a conviction.


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Tthere's a new documentary coming called, "We the Tiny House People."
The documentary focuses on the new craze sweeping American – people living in Tiny Houses.
The film, set to release on April 23, documents the people who — whether they know it or not — are part of the so-called "Small House Movement."
Fair Companies' Kirsten Dirksen, ho produced the new documentary after capturing hundreds of hours of film, explains how she first discovered the movement and began promoting the ultra-minature homes:
"I stumbled into the Small House Movement by accident of location- my parents live within miles of the tiny house poster boy Jay Shafer and his 89 square foot home, but within a couple of years I had become a part of it as one of the few, and most likely only, videographers documenting small shelters on a regular basis. […]
"I continue to discover people- who often aren't even aware there's a movement of their type (see Small House Society)- living in shipping container, shacks, houseboats, converted garages, caves, tool sheds, former pigeon coops, Airstream trailers and treehouses. They don't all think alike, but all those I've interviewed see their decision to live small as a choice, and often as the most direct path to an examined, and happier, life. […]"
"I'm reluctant to claim there's some sort of magic in small abodes- I'm sure some people are watching simply for the "house porn" (as Shafer describes it)-, but it's obvious these stripped-down shelters reveal for us the essence of home, and for many, make it a bit easier to "suck the marrow out of life".
Dirksen has released an 11-minute trailer that gives a lens into the knowledge that viewers can expect to gain from the tiny-home film. Watch it, below:


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An end of week recap
I've had a full and eventful week, but not unfortunately in a positive or productive way. I must apologise for the truncated appearance of this post – I'm rather behind in my reading and reviewing schedule. I will allow the accompanying picture to speak for itself. Thankfully, there were no serious injuries, which is all that matters.
As usual, this is a weekly post in which I share a variety of literary titbits, look ahead to forthcoming features and keep readers abreast of various book-related happenings.
* Reading Non-Fiction in November *
The second week of Nonfiction November was all about ideal book pairings. Hosted by Sarah at Sarah's Book Shelves from 5th to 9th of the month, we were asked to find two books that are perfect partners. >> Week 2 – Nonfiction Book Pairing >>
* Margaret Atwood Covered *
In my second contribution to #MARM I shared a few favourite Margaret Atwood book covers. Week Two of the event was hosted by Naomi at Consumed by Ink. >> MARGARET ATWOOD READING MONTH: Cover Images >>
* Lit Crit Blogflash *
I'm going to share with you a mere three of my favourite literary posts from around the blogosphere. There are so many talented writers posting high-quality book features and reviews, it was difficult to limit the list to only these few – all of them published over the last week or two:
The Book Jumper – Mechthild Gläser – For German Literature Month, Lizzy from Lizzy's Literary Life chose this 2015 bibliographic fantasy (translated by Romy Fursland), which she describes as "a delightful YA portal to the world of classic literature."
A delightful pair of Viragos – novels by E. H. Young and Vita Sackville-West – Two enjoyable mini reviews from Jacqui at JacquiWine's Journal: Miss Mole (1930) and All Passion Spent (1931).
A Book for Patricia Wentworth Day: Run! (1938) – Jane at Beyond Eden Rock describes British crime writer Patricia Wentworth as "a wonderful spinner of stories" but finds in this mystery novel "a certain amount of silliness".
* Irresistible Items *
Umpteen fascinating articles appeared on my bookdar last week. I generally make a point of tweeting my favourite finds, but in case you missed anything, here are a handful of interesting snippets:
CBC: Facing an essay on The Handmaid's Tale, student reaches out to the ultimate source: Margaret Atwood – Faced with an essay on The Handmaid's Tale, a student reached out to Margaret Atwood for advice.
The Guardian: Librarians to the rescue! A brief history of heroic bibliophiles – "Whether they're saving books from censorship, or sheltering their community from danger, there's nothing new about librarians choosing actions alongside words", writes Sian Cain.
The New York Review of Books: Concentration Camps for Kids: An Open Letter – Margaret Atwood, Juan Gabriel Vásquez, Michael Cunningham and a long list of others have penned an open letter decrying the US Government's detention of children.
The Bookseller: New management for Cardiff book cafe Octavo's as Accent plans expansion – Octavo's Book Cafe & Wine Bar in Cardiff, set up by Accent Press two-and-a-half years ago, is under new management after the resignation of M.D. Hazel Cushion as a director and fellow shareholder Desmond Fforde.
Electric Literature: A Reading List of Short Story Collections by Black Women Writers – Camille Acker examines an assortment of short fiction collections by black women writers.
Huffpost: LGBTQ People Erased From Books in Russia Under 'Gay Propaganda Law' – A story written by transgender activist Coy Mathis is missing from the Russian edition of the children's book Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls.
The Paris Review: Feminize Your Canon: Kamala Markandaya – Markandaya's debut novel, set in India, was an international best seller. But when she turned her attention to England, and to its disenchantments, her name gradually faded from literary prominence.
The Chronicle of Higher Education: An Underground Sensation Arrives – Tom Bartlett writes of the three-decade publication saga of a revered manuscript about slaves and sailors in the Caribbean.
The Washington Post: I wanted my kids to love books. So why did I stop reading them myself? – Lori Fradkin, a former Cosmopolitan editor, discusses the importance of reading to your children and the very few books she's read herself in recent years.
The Guardian: 'Scary new world': political book sales explode as UK readers seek answers – According to Waterstones, year-to-date political book sales are up 50%.
GRANTA: Lucia Berlin Writes Home – Nina Ellis on the life and writing of Lucia Berlin.
Melville House: Study discovers reading can ease mental health and loneliness, asks for £200 million in literacy aid – "Literacy charity The Reading Agency and UK think tank Demos teamed up to raise awareness for the transformative power of reading", says Christina Cerio.
Mental Floss: 8 Tips For Overcoming 'Readers Block' – Emily Petsko shares a few tips on vanquishing this frustrating and "well-documented problem".
Nylon: 10 New Books To Read This November – Kristin Iversen lists newly published books that will "give you something to look forward to this month!"
If there is something you would particularly like to see on Winding Up the Week or if you have any suggestions, questions or comments for Book Jotter in general, please drop me a line or comment below. I would be delighted to hear from you.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. I wish you a week bountiful in books and rich in reading.
NB In this feature, 'winding up' refers to the act of concluding something and should not be confused with the British expression: 'wind-up' – an age-old pastime of 'winding-up' friends and family by teasing or playing pranks on them. If you would like to know more about this expression, there's an excellent description on Urban Dictionary.
Categories: Winding Up the Week


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Log in to your blog as the Site Admin, then in your Dashboard, on the left side, see a drop down that says "Users". Click "Add New."
You have to enter the user's eppn. This is their username (short id) combined with @brown.edu. For instance, Josiah Carberry's would be '[email protected]' Then enter the user's email address. For instance, '[email protected]' Then choose a role for that user. Which role should you pick?
Summary of Roles
- Administrator – Somebody who has access to all the administration features
- Editor – Somebody who can publish posts, manage posts as well as manage other people's posts, etc.
- Author – Somebody who can publish and manage their own posts
- Contributor – Somebody who can write and manage their posts but not publish posts
- Subscriber – Somebody who can read comments/comment/receive news letters, etc.


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Older people with a history of migraines and depression may have smaller brain tissue volumes than people with only one or neither of the conditions, according to a new study in the May 22, 2013, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
"Studies show that people with migraine have double the risk of depression compared to people without migraine," said study author Larus S. Gudmundsson, PhD, with the National Institute on Aging and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, in Bethesda, Md. Gudmundsson is also a member of the American Academy of Neurology. "We wanted to find out whether having both conditions together possibly affected brain size."
For the study, 4,296 people with an average age of 51 were tested for migraine headache from 1967 to 1991; they were later assessed from 2002 to 2006 at an average age of 76 for a history of major depressive disorder (depression). Participants also underwent MRI, from which brain tissue volumes were estimated. A total of 37 participants had a history of both migraine and depression, while 2,753 had neither condition.
The study found that people with both migraine and depression had total brain tissue volumes an average of 19.2 milliliters smaller than those without either condition. There was no difference in the total brain volume when comparing people with only one of the conditions to people with neither condition.
"It is important to note that participants in this study were imaged using MRI once, so we cannot say that migraine and depression resulted in brain atrophy. In future studies, we need to examine at what age participants develop both migraine and depression and measure their brain volume changes over time in order to determine what comes first," said Gudmundsson.
Gudmundsson noted that some of the factors leading to a joint effect of migraine and depression on brain volume may include pain, brain inflammation, genetics and differences in a combination of social and economic factors. "Our study suggests that people with both migraine and depression may represent a unique group from those with only one of these conditions and may also require different strategies for long-term treatment."
The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute on Aging, the Icelandic Heart Association and the Icelandic Parliament.
Story Source:
Materials provided by American Academy of Neurology (AAN). Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
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Sponsors fleeing Maloofs amidst uncertainty over Kings' future
How much would you pay for the right to advertise with a basketball team that refuses to guarantee where it will be a year from now?
If you're mattress maker Sleep Train and hamburger purveyor Carl's Jr., the answer is nothing.
Those are the reports coming out of Sacramento from the well-connected Carmichael Dave, who once hosted his own radio show for the Kings' flagship radio station 1140 The Fan. Dave was mysteriously let go after becoming critical of the Maloof family, after George Maloof torched a viable arena deal in Sacramento last April. Dave has since started his own radio show.
Sleep Train was in talks with the Kings for naming rights of the arena formerly (and still to many) known as Arco Arena.
Carl's Jr., perhaps the most prominent sponsor for the team, was at the center of controversy when the Maloofs released an advertisement for their $6,000 burger combo meal – flaunting their $1 billion net worth while asking the city of Sacramento to pick up much of the tab on an arena in 2006.
Sutter Health, a large Health Maintenance Organization in the Sacramento area, is also out.
Sources have told ProBasketballTalk that about half of the team's sponsors have decided not to renew their packages, and Dave reports that several of the team's larger sponsors are "on the rocks," including Thunder Valley Casino and VSP Vision Care.
Dave also reports that beverage sponsors are concerned that the Maloofs' new vodka drink might get preferential treatment at the arena.
Everything in this unfortunate saga centers on the Maloofs, who either have to cut a deal with Sacramento similar to the one that the NBA negotiated on their behalf last fall, or try their luck moving the franchise. Should they sell, there will be no shortage of suitors in Sacramento and around the nation.
Surely, the other 29 NBA owners have to be tired of cutting these guys a revenue sharing check.


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By Nysia George, Ph.D., and Tom Powers
Practical, hands-on laboratory work is important for all college students who want to become scientists—but, for many of them, such experiences are out of reach.That's one of the reasons why every summer, our National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR)—FDA's internationally acclaimed toxicological research center in Jefferson, Arkansas—hosts a special internship program for science students interested in toxicology research.
The 2014 program was exceptionally successful for both the students and the Center.
Applications poured in from more than 200 students pursuing a variety of majors in universities from coast-to-coast. The competition was intense, and the 21 selected students came from schools in 13 states. But they were all alike in two fundamental ways: they were top students, and were eager to hone their scientific skills in real FDA laboratories.
During their 10 weeks at NCTR, the students worked on projects varying from the development of bioinformatics and statistical methods for RNA sequencing data, to evaluating effects of silver nanoparticles in plastic food containers. They conducted in-vitro experiments; examined effects of nicotine treatment; gained lab experience in cell culture; and were trained in computational modeling or statistical programming.
Each student's experience was unique and addressed the student's interests.
The interns gave the program top grades. For example Claire Boyle, a graduate student from Florida State University, said about the lab work: "I like it a lot more than classes. There they tell you that you can do research once you get into the real world. I've never had an opportunity to do that before coming here [to NCTR], and that's the aspect of the program I like best. It's given me insight into what I want to do for the rest of my life!"
Luis Valencia, a senior from Texas A&M University, echoed similar praise. "This isn't some pointless classroom assignment; this is the FDA. Something you discover [in this lab] could save a life." He continued, "I'm having a great experience at NCTR. [My NCTR mentor] let me design my own experiment and helps me a lot. I'm already on my second trial and we're getting good results."
The internship program, which was partly funded by the FDA's Office of Minority Health, is one of the many ways NCTR reaches far and wide to strengthen the scientific foundations of our agency. We engage with scientists within FDA and across other government agencies, industry, and academia to develop scientific information that is vital for sound regulatory policy. We cooperate with colleagues abroad to advance international standardization of regulatory science. And we're mindful that all quest for knowledge starts with education.
If you are a science student interested in toxicology research, or if you know someone who is, it's not too early to consider the NCTR's 2015 internship program. To qualify for admission, a candidate must meet the GPA requirements and provide evidence of success in science courses. He or she will also need letters of recommendation and a personal statement describing his or her research interests.
If you believe you have what it takes, you could be among the select few chosen to join us in the summer of 2015. Applications are accepted throughout the month of February. We look forward to your application!
For more information about the program go to: Summer Student Research Program (NCTR)
For more information about the FDA Office of Minority Health go to: Minority Health
Nysia George, Ph.D., is the National Center for Toxicological Research's Intern Program Coordinator.
Tom Powers is the National Center for Toxicological Research's Communication Officer.
Source – FDA Voice


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The Library and Archives collection
The Museum's Library and Archives maintains the world's finest collection of natural history literature, artwork and manuscripts.
Whether you're looking for incunabula from 1469 or cutting-edge research articles, we can help. Our comprehensive collection includes items to support your research, answer your questions and fire your imagination.
Visit the Museum's online repository to access publications from our scientists. Content in the repository is accessible to all and showcases the Museum's broad research output.
What's new
Digital versions of some of our unique artwork collections have been made available for the first time, the content of which belongs to the Public Domain.
Collection highlights
Our librarians and archivists have curated and developed the collection to meet the needs of researchers, curators and visitors since 1881. The collection contains more than one million items, including almost 400,000 books, 22,000 ongoing journal titles, 350,000 artworks and over 100,000 catalogued archival items.
Physical items are distributed between the Museum's sites in South Kensington and Tring, and its remote storage facility. The collection includes original material, topographical and geological maps, photographs, monographs, and journals. We are also digitising the collection to make our materials available online for Museum staff and members of the public.
The collection, which can be searched in full from the Library and Archives homepage, is composed of a number of sub-collections:
The Archives mainly hold materials relating to the history of the Museum, including correspondence and research notes, specimen accession registers, architectural plans, expedition reports, and staff photographs and portraits.
Special collections
The Library's special collections include some of the Museum's most treasured items, from printed books and manuscripts to spectacular artwork. The art collections are particularly rich in material from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and include works from artists who made a significant contribution to our understanding of the natural world.
The Library at Tring holds most of the Museum's ornithology literature, including the magnificent Rothschild collection.
South Kensington
The Library at South Kensington houses a comprehensive range of materials closely aligned with the Museum's research activities and specimen collections, focusing primarily on taxonomy, systematics, anthropology, botany, entomology, mineralogy, palaeontology and zoology.
Highlights of the collection are described on the collection pages. You can look for individual items using the Library and Archives Discovery Layer, which searches across all physical and online resources held in our collections.
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A revelation about trees is messing with climate calculations - Scientists are learning more about "sesquiterpenes" vapors made from trees.
1 hour ago
Writer's Email: email@example.com
Fone WST... +1318.717.9017
"The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws." ~ Gaius Cornelius Tacitus
And if this isn't your style, have a look here for more!</...
according to the town talk (see link) the rapides parish school board has voted to change the name of reed avenue elementary to julius patrick elementary in memory and in honor of the longtime principal who was killed in an automobile accident in november 2006.
town talk snip:
Board members received a standing ovation from the crowd gathered in support of the elementary school's name change. Before the vote, Teresa Barron told board members that Patrick was a role model and a change in the school name would ensure "his name and legacy will live forever."
The group had gathered more than 400 signatures from the community surrounding the school and from throughout the parish. Patrick was a longtime principal at the school and mayor of the town of Boyce. He died in a November traffic accident. As the crowd left out of the board room, they yelled "thank you" to members and hugged one another.
Posted by wst... at 07:50


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Well my Sprint Novatel USB Ovation U720 arrived yesterday and after three tries with Sprint was able to get the ESN from my old card swapped to this new one. Overall the performance is great but I was surprised to see that the you have to use a Dual USB Port Dongle with the unit. Thus running the device on your laptop requires the utilisation of two USB ports.
The antenna access for the device is under the flip-up antenna and I am already concerned about the longevity of the card as looking down into the antenna port hole I do not see a lot of supporting material in and around the connection. Only time will tell if the external port will hold up or not.
This card is Rev A. capable but seeing Hawaii does not get Rev A. till the first of the year I will not be able to report on speeds. In download speed test the unit is comparable in transfer speeds of the PCMCIA version of this card.
I think the folks at Novatel would have been smart of they would have provided a power port for the USB card so as to allowed those that were using it in a permanent location to not have to use two USB ports to run the device.
I paid full retail for this card as I had existing service so I am hoping that in the long run this card works out ok. Meanwhile I have a Sprint PC-5740 card for sale if anyone wants to purchase it.
Update: The Novatel U720 does work with the Kyocera KR-1, I was concerned about this, but my testing here validates the KR1 works with the U720!


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Information visualization is not an end but just a step to improve our understanding of data. Following a small discussion in the train about the visualisation of open data, I did a small experiment to analyse the statistics about the waste collection in my region. The result of this experiment is available along with some random notes. But the main question came from someone else looking at the visualization and basically told me: "I don't get it". He is right, the experimentation is just there to trigger more analysis (and sometime more visualization) with the objective to improve our understanding. Initially, the source of data is usually not analysed and sitting there waiting to be understood. Coming back to the data about waste collection, the initial discussion about the understanding or interpretation wouldn't be triggered if the first step of visualization is not done.
So in that scope, I tried a similar approach with a dataset I built from my cve-search tool. My idea was to see the terms used all the description of the Keywords in Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE). I did a first CVE terms visualization experiment and then I twitted about it. Then, this was triggering various explanations like why there is a predominance of some terms as commented by Steve Christey.
It clearly showed that is an iterative process especially to better understand the data. It's also an interactive process in order to improve the visualization and the data source. Following the good advise from Joshua J. Drake, I added a lemmatizer to keep only the root of each term and also exclude the standard English stopwords. With the visualization, we saw from some occurrences (e.g. unknown or unspecified) that the CVEs are based on incomplete information.
I'm quite sure that is not finished and just the beginning of more work and experiments in visualization. I read various books about information visualization but the result is often very static and you don't really see their iterative process to reach their visualization goals. Sometime, you just see a result without the process and the tools used to make the visualization happens.
At least with free software like D3.js, we have now a set of tools to understand how the visualization was built and maybe improve/discuss those visualizations. At least, if you want to play or improve the visualization of terms used for software vulnerabilities description, let me know.
You want an open mind, but not an empty head. Just because something is a new or fashionable alternative, doesn't mean we need to get stupid when judging it. Edward Tufte.


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Strong focus on machine tool and CMM utilisation at EMO 2009
New touch probes and probe software that increase machine tool automation, improve process control and allow advanced on-machine part verification, were a major feature of Renishaw's stand at EMO Milan.
For visitors sourcing off-line measurement products, there was also Renishaw's new retrofit service for co-ordinate measuring machines (CMMs), including MODUS™ the company's first metrology software, and a new high-speed solution for valve seat and guide measurement.
For machine tool testing, the new QC20-W wireless ballbar is used for the assessment of machine tool positioning and servo control performance, whilst AxiSet™ Check-Up is a new cost-effective solution for checking the alignment and positioning performance of rotary axes. There was also a range of new motion control products, including a true absolute optical encoder for rotary and linear applications, and unique track-mounted linear encoder scale system.
Ultra-compact touch probes with radio signal transmission
Renishaw made waves at EMO Milan with the introduction of new touch probe systems that use its unique frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) probe signal radio transmission technology to allow automated job set-up and in-process measurement on all sizes of CNC machine tools.
The new ultra-compact RMP40 touch probe is especially suited to multi-axis and mill-turn applications, whilst its variant, the RLP40 touch probe, is specifically designed for more hostile turning environments. A transmission only module RMP40M is also being introduced.
New multi-axis development for PC-based probe software
Measurement on multi-axis machine tools is set to take a great leap forward with the introduction of a new version of Renishaw's Productivity+™ suite of PC-based probing software. A key improvement is a new multi-axis option that allows more creativity and efficiency in machining processes, which supported by Renishaw's high accuracy Rengage™ 3D technology-based touch probes and new ultra-compact radio probes, gives process engineers and machinists a wide choice of flexible process solutions.
On-machine geometric measurement significantly enhanced with new measurement and reporting capability
Renishaw has also released a new version of its Renishaw OMV Pro software, a powerful package that works with touch probes to give advanced on-machine part verification and machine simulation capabilities. Now supporting Microsoft® Windows Vista®, Renishaw OMV Pro 2.02 adds more advanced co-ordinate measuring machine (CMM) style capability with an extended range of geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) functionality, plus the ability to work with multiple alignments in a single program, useful for users of complex multi-axis machine tools. Like the more basic Renishaw OMV software, visitors to EMO Milan saw that the new version of Renishaw OMV Pro allows users of machine tool touch probes to quickly verify the accuracy of free-form and prismatic parts with a crystal-clear reporting format that makes the software accessible to shop-floor staff.
CMM upgrades, surface finish and valve seat measurement
Renishaw is also focusing on manufacturers who are suffering from inspection bottlenecks that tie up staff and expensive machines whilst waiting for vital measurement results. Renishaw offers cost-effective CMM retrofits for all budgets and applications, from touch trigger probing and 3-axis scanning, through to the latest ultra-fast REVO® five-axis measurement system. The company offers a 'one-stop shop' upgrade solution, from its new MODUS metrology software and universal CMM controller, through to sensors and machine calibration.
The measurement of valve seats and valve guides (image right) has traditionally been very challenging, involving time-consuming methods that are often a compromise and not capable for the task. Renishaw's latest five-axis measurement technology is now making it possible to very quickly collect large amounts of data using helical scans and adaptive scanning techniques. Within REVO compatible metrology software packages, automated analysis provides a range of attribute data including valve seat form error, seat circularity profile at any specified height, runout of the seat to the guide bore axis, and concentricity of the guide and seat.
New wireless ballbar with volumetric testing capability
At EMO Milan Renishaw announced the launch of a successor to its well established QC10 ballbar system; a tool adopted worldwide for the assessment of machine tool positioning and servo control performance. The QC20-W ballbar is a completely new design featuring a Renishaw developed linear sensor and Bluetooth® wireless technology, which also allows testing in 3 orthogonal planes through a single reference point. A single, simple hardware set up means quicker testing and the ability to produce a representative volumetric measurement of positioning accuracy.
New system offers fast, automated health check for multi-axis machine tools
Renishaw has extended its market leading range of machine tool testing and calibration systems, with AxiSet™ Check-Up, a new cost-effective solution for checking the alignment and positioning performance of rotary axes. In just a few minutes, users of five-axis machining centres and multi-tasking mill-turn machines can now identify and report on poor machine alignments and geometry that can cause extended process setting times, as well as non-conforming parts.
True absolute optical encoder and linear encoder track scale
RESOLUTE™ is a true absolute optical encoder system that has excellent dirt immunity, and an impressive specification that breaks new ground in position feedback. Visitors to EMO 2009 saw that it is the world's first absolute encoder capable of 27-bit resolution at 36,000 rpm, giving an astonishing market-leading resolution of just 1 nanometre at 100 m/s for both linear encoder and angle encoder applications. Large set-up tolerances enable easy installation and high reliability, whilst low jitter and SDE (Sub-Divisional Error) meet the demands of high precision stages.
FASTRACK™ is a revolutionary track-mounted linear encoder scale system from Renishaw that combines ±5 µm/m accuracy, with the ruggedness of stainless steel, and the quick and easy installation of a carrier-type encoder system. Designed for applications that demand high accuracy and easily removable scale, the FASTRACK scale system consists of two miniature guide rails that securely retain Renishaw's new low-profile scales and allow them to freely expand at their own thermal expansion coefficient with almost zero hysteresis. If damaged, the scale can be pulled out of the guide rails and quickly replaced, even where access is limited, thus reducing machine downtime.
Also shown at EMO Milan 2009
Renishaw also showed its full range of metrology products, including machine tool touch probes, CMM probes, laser calibration systems, machine tool performance analysis systems, optical encoders, magnetic encoders and probe styli.
News updates
Register for regular news updates from Renishaw
- Renishaw stand at EMO 2009 [62kB]
- RMP40 palpeur ultra-compact à transmission radio [gen] [265kB]
- Renishaw OMV Pro probe software (GD&T) [648kB]
- REVO® système 5 axes mesurant un siège de soupape [gen] [2.4MB]
- QC20-W et pivot central [gen] [734kB]
- RESOLUTE™ codeur optique véritablement absolu [gen] [4.6MB]
All documents and images copyright Renishaw plc


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Facts about George Carlin
George Carlin Biography
George Carlin was the cranky and durable stand-up comedian most famous for his 1970s routine known as "The Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television." After being discharged from the U.S. Air Force in the 1950s, George Carlin began his comedy career on the radio and in nightclubs in Los Angeles in the early 1960s. Throughout the 1960s he did standup while appearing on television sit-coms and talk shows, doing hip-but-clean routines like his famous "hippy-dippy weatherman." But in the 1970s he came into his own as a Grammy-winning comic and social commentator, known for mixing off-color wordplay, goofy absurdity and angry political riffs on albums such as FM & AM and Class Clown (both 1972). That was the era of "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television," a monologue in which Carlin spoke aloud (and repeatedly) a list of four-letter words deemed too obscene for broadcast. Over the years, Carlin had his own TV specials, wrote books and guest-starred in feature films, most notably as Rufus in 1989's Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (starring Keanu Reeves). As cable TV blossomed in the 1990s, Carlin found that not only could he now say his famous seven words on television, but that he had become a mainstream comedy icon. His records include A Place for My Stuff (1981) and Parental Advisory: Explicit Lyrics (1990); his books include Brain Droppings (1997) and Napalm and Silly Putty (2001); and his movies include Outrageous Fortune (1987, with Bette Midler) and several Kevin Smith comedies, including Dogma (1999) and Jersey Girl (2004, with Ben Affleck).
Extra credit
George Carlin hosted the first episode of NBC's Saturday Night Live in October of 1975… He was "Mr. Conductor" in the '90s on the children's TV shows Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends and Shining Time Station… George Carlin entered the U.S. Air Force in 1954. His official site says he received "three court-martial and numerous Article Fifteens (form of punishment just below court-martial)" during the next three years and was given a "general discharge under honorable conditions" — one notch below an honorable discharge — in 1957.
Related Biographies
Something in Common with George Carlin
3 Good Links
- His official story, from his officially foul-mouthed site
- Familiar Carlin routine comparing the two sports
- No kidding...he talks about financial success with Bankrate.com


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The Taster and I recently spent a Saturday afternoon on a taco crawl. It was SO much fun! We sampled tons of flavorful tacos, explored new neighborhoods and learned a few things on the way…
- Start the crawl early…I think 11am would be the perfect start time
- Bring a few bottles of water to hydrate between bites
- Fresh corn tortillas are nothing short of amazing
- Groups of 4 people or smaller – you should be able to drive together in a car
- Bring cash – a number of the places we visited only took cash
- Do not go on an ethnic food crawl if you need to know what every single ingredient is or if the meat is local or not. Just don't.
- Don't plan on eating afterwards! We foolishly made plans for sushi afterwards, but thankfully sushi is pretty "light" 🙂
- No matter how tempting, only order 1 taco per restaurant and better yet – share!
Now we're looking for our next "food crawl" idea…


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Product Information
Device Database®
Compliance Testing
Texas Instruments TM4C1231H6PM
The Texas Instruments TM4C1231H6PM is an Old Part Number: LM4F110H5QR ARM Cortex-M4F Processor Core - 80-MHz operation; 100 DMIPS performance - ARM Cortex SysTick Timer - Nested Vectored Interrupt Controller (NVIC) - Embedded Trace Macro and Trace Port - IEEE754-compliant single-precision floating-point unit On-Chip Memory - 256 KB single-cycle Flash memory up to 40 MHz; a prefetch buffer improves performance above 40 MHz - 32 KB single-cycle SRAM - Internal ROM loaded with StellarisWare software: - 2KB EEPROM Advanced Serial Integration - CAN 2.0 A/B controller - Eight UARTs with IrDA, 9-bit and ISO 7816 support (one UART with modem flow control) - Four I2C modules - Four Synchronous Serial Interface modules (SSI) System Integration - Direct Memory Access Controller (DMA) - System control and clocks including on-chip precision 16-MHz oscillator - Six 32-bit timers (up to twelve 16-bit) - Six wide 64-bit timers (up to twelve 32-bit) - Twelve 16/32-bit Capture Compare PWM pins (CCP) - Twelve 32/64-bit Capture Compare PWM pins (CCP) - Lower-power battery-backed hibernation module - Real-Time Clock in Hibernation module - Two Watchdog Timers - Up to 43 GPIOs, depending on configuration Analog - Two 12-bit Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADC) with 12 analog input channels and a sample rate of one million samples/second - Two analog comparators - 16 digital comparators - On-chip voltage regulator JTAG and ARM Serial Wire Debug (SWD) 64-pin LQFP package Industrial (-40C to 85C) Temperature Range.
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October 7, 2008
the conquering hero
13 comments:
Yay for brothers being home! And is it ALL Arizona boys that request Mexican food for their first meal home? Me and Kev's first stop after the airport was Filiberto's, I'm not sure he had even changed out of his suit yet! Anyhoo, hooray for family and being together at long last!ReplyDelete
What a sweet entry. I am sure you are happy to have him home... I must say I'll be watching to see what happens to him and that CUTE girl Nie did a Friday face about a year or so ago : )ReplyDelete
It all looks delicious! Welcoming home a sibling is the sweetest time.ReplyDelete
oh my goodness, he looks so much older. make sure to give him a hello for me!ReplyDelete
Oooh, Planet Earth. Good call. And Liz, your food looks so amazing. Can I hire you as my cook?ReplyDelete
I just want you to know that you are such an amazing person. I was sad to hear that moment was ruined for you mother and brother but I am so grateful they could hold eachother and express their love to eachother face to face. I am sure all of your family could use a good boost like that. I am also sure your mom is so appreciative that you are there to help get things ready when she wasn't able to. I pray for you and all your family daily, including Christian of coarse!ReplyDelete
Such a happy day Lizzy! The food looks delish as always. Happy Fall!ReplyDelete
im so excited he is home! its been so long. all the boys are getting home. wonderful :)ReplyDelete
ps you are adorable. as always.
Hey Liz its Natalie Todd (Tucker). Your blog is adorbale as are you and all your talents! Gees pass some over to me :) How fun to have your brother home. What a yummy celebration you had!ReplyDelete
Glad you guys had a great time welcoming your brother home!! That food looks so yummy! I definitely need to get your enchilada recipe!! You are so talented! I just love your style!! :)ReplyDelete
I am so glad you posted that! Marcus has always been such a great guy. I am glad he is home after what I am sure was a great mission. Your mom must be so proud of her many missionary children.ReplyDelete
awww! I can't believe he is home already! Tell him I said hi. I'll still be in London for a few months, but I'm excited to see him.ReplyDelete
that food looks amazing. you are ALL so talented! speaking of talent I need you to share one with me- UPHOLSTERY! I have a hideous couch that needs some TLC- you and Stephanie both pulled this off- I need a post on "basic re-upholstery how- tos"ReplyDelete
Cause seriously, you two have made some nasty furniture dang cute!


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New research findings indicate that an early onset of dietary treatment may slow down the progression of Alzheimer's disease. The study was conducted on mice, and the results will be published in the February issue of Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. Researchers from the University of Eastern Finland played a key role in the study, which was carried out as part of the LiPiDiDiet project funded by the European Union. According to current understanding, Alzheimer's disease develops slowly and it may take up to 20 years before the first obvious symptoms occur. With the development of early diagnostics of the disease, the question of which treatments to offer to completely healthy people with an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's becomes of key importance in the field of medicine. Various dietary treatments seem a promising alternative. Several epidemiological studies suggest that docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid found in fatty fish, might reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Experimental studies have also observed a positive — although modest — association between DHA and several processes behind Alzheimer's disease. This recently published study investigated whether the efficacy of DHA treatment can be enhanced by additional nutrients.
The study used transgenic female mice carrying APP and PS1 mutations linked with familial Alzheimer's disease, and wild-type mice. All the mice began the dietary intervention at 5 months and continued on the diet until 13 months old. The fat content of the control chow was increased to better correspond to human diets. In addition to the control chow, some of the APP/PS1 mice were fed three experimental chows enriched with fish oil and having a similar fat content as the control chow: fish oil supplement only, plant sterol supplement or Fortasyn supplement, which contains uridine-monophosphate, phospholipids, B- vitamins, and antioxidants. As expected, APP/PS1 mice performed significantly poorer than wild-type mice in the Morris swim navigation task, which measures long-term spatial memory. Among transgenic mice on the experimental diets, the mice on the Fortasyn diet performed equally well as the wild-type mice, whereas other dietary treatments showed no improvement. However, all test diets reversed the memory deficit of the APP/PS1 mice in the odour recognition task. The levels of accumulated amyloid-β protein in the brain were examined at the end of the study. A significant reduction in the amyloid-β levels was observed in the plant sterol group while other experimental diets showed no effect. However, why was a substantial reduction in brain amyloid-β levels not accompanied by a positive memory effect in the spatial task in the plant sterol group? One explanation is that the plant sterol diet increased formation of reactive oxygen species in the hippocampus, whereas the Fortasyn diet, which yielded the best results in the spatial memory task, tended to have an opposite effect.
The results indicate that even slight changes in the composition of the diet may, under a sufficiently long period of time and at an early stage of the disease process, lead to significant changes in brain metabolism and improved memory performance. On the other hand, the mere brain amyloidosis in Alzheimer's disease involves several mechanisms and it is unlikely that a single cocktail of nutrients will provide an optimal outcome. According to the researchers, the results definitely encourage further development of dietary treatments for Alzheimer's disease. The now studied Fortasyn supplement is found in the medical nutrition formulation Souvenaid that just was introduced in Finland. In the light of the present results, the product can be warmly recommended for the treatment of mice suffering from mild cognitive impairment (pre-Alzheimer's), but will it work as efficiently in humans, too? We will probably get the answer in a year, as results from a parallel clinical study of the LiPiDiDiet project become available. The study is coordinated by the Brain Research Unit at the Clinical Research Centre of the University of Eastern Finland.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/ Science Daily
February 18, 2014
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140124082558.htm Original web page at Science Daily