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by Michael Angus in Anthroblogenic Warning
Something small has gone wrong in your home. Maybe a light bulb has gone out, or the tap has started leaking at the hinge. You can't fix it right now, because you're half way through watching nineties classic "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York". Or maybe "Game of Thrones". Whatever, I don't keep up with TV. The point is you need a quick fix, so you grab a lamp from the bedroom or stick a towel under the sink. That'll do, you think. I'll sort it out properly tomorrow. Future me totally has this one covered. Three months later, you still haven't bothered to buy a new light bulb and the towel is now so sodden it smells like it crawled out of a music festival toilet. Well congratulations, you have just engaged in what is rather grandly known as "Geoengineering". If you can't fix the original problem, add something on that will kind of sort it out for a while, maybe. More technically, it's an attempt to reduce the Earth's temperature, without actually dealing with the problem, the emission of fossil fuels at an unprecedented rate. Treating the symptoms but not the cause, to switch metaphors for a moment.The best way to explain this is probably with an example; luckily for me Vaughn and Lenton (2011) have published a 46 page review of current geoengineering proposals for me to choose from. The citation is at the bottom, but if you can't access it for pay-to-view reasons, then the wikipedia page is as thorough a guide as any. So, to start with a sane and boring idea, reforestation of land (growing more trees) would lead to an increase in photosynthesis, decreasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. I don't see why anyone would get behind that idea though, when we have this option right out of a science fiction movie:That is a computer graphic of a "Solar Shade", a giant mirror in space. In an idea so mind bogglingly stupid it might just be genius, the logic runs as follows: i) We get heat from the suns rays. ii) It's currently a bit hot. iii) Less sun = less hot. iv) mirrors reflect light and therefore heat. v) YOU GUYS WE SHOULD TOTALLY BUILD A MIRROR IN SPACE. To reflect enough solar energy to counteract the current warming the total reflective area would have to be approx. 4.7 million km^2. That is not only putting the equivalent of India in space, but sending up Mongolia to keep it company. Not only that, but we would have to add at least 1 Belgium per year if we continued at the current rate of warming. The most recent plan for this, was not the giant disc imagined above, but 1.6 trillion tiny mirrors of half a meter diameter instead. This plan does presume the mirrors wouldn't be stolen by a horde of magpies on the way up, acting together at last for the biggest heist in stealing shiny things history. Although this is all quite entertaining, it is complete madness, and sounds like some kind of supervillain chicanery. It will not happen. Plus, Belgium would probably object to being repeatedly fired into space.Somewhere between the two extremes of planting trees and firing a silvery cloud into orbit, there are the wacky but plausible suggestions like cloud ships, which would use sea spray to add to the particles in the atmosphere, creating more clouds, reflecting more sunlight. Unmanned yachts, using the power of the wind to wander around the oceans on a lonely mission to fire as much of the sea upwards as yachtily possible. Despite my derision, I do think geoengineering solutions are important. The real truth of the matter is, we won't cut carbon emissions enough to avoid seeing the impacts of global warming. Something must be done. Hopefully that something will involve a shift to renewable energy, which will be an inevitability when we run out of oil anyway. Until then though, our options are either to adapt to the new world we find ourselves in, or attempt to delay the inevitable change through these halfway solutions. Whatever the overall strategy, I hope we as a species aren't vain enough to think reflection is the only way to go, because the moment the space mirror launches is the moment I lose any residual hope for humanity.Vaughan, N., & Lenton, T. (2011). A review of climate geoengineering proposals Climatic Change, 109 (3-4), 745-790 DOI: 10.1007/s10584-011-0027-7... Read more »
Vaughan, N., & Lenton, T. (2011) A review of climate geoengineering proposals. Climatic Change, 109(3-4), 745-790. DOI: 10.1007/s10584-011-0027-7
by Perikis Livas in Tracing Knowledge
We all know that the Earth rotates beneath our feet, but new research from ANU has revealed that the centre of the Earth is out of sync with the rest of the planet, frequently speeding up and slowing down.... Read more »
ANU News. (2013) Earth's centre is out of sync. Australian National University. info:/
by Isabel Torres in Science in the clouds
Men might have found themselves an excuse not to listen to women. New research suggests that men have twice more difficulty reading emotions in women than in men. This may not sound surprising, but evidence that men have trouble understanding women is, at best, scarce.Being able to guess someone else's thoughts, feelings and intentions is an instinctive social skill that develops in early childhood. We might take it for granted, but people who struggle or are unable to read other people, like people with autism spectrum disorders, have serious problems in communicating and interacting socially. This important 'mindreading' trait, so far thought to be unique to our species, recruits a complex brain network. Different, but partially overlapping, brain regions are activated when we perceive mental states like beliefs, intentions or desires (mentalizing) and when we 'feel' the emotions of another person (empathy). In a new PLoSONE study, Boris Schiffer's research group at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany, investigates whether there are differences in neural activation when men recognise emotions in women when compared to men. The researchers asked 22 healthy adult men to do a modified version of the 'Reading the Mind in the Eyes' (RME) test while their brain activity was measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The RME test has been used in countless studies to measure mentalizing and empathy (you can take the test here). In this study, each participant had to guess what either a man or a woman in a photo was thinking or feeling from looking only at his or her eyes. For each of the 36 pairs of eyes, there was a choice of two mental states, for instance 'terrified' or 'upset'. The participants performed better in the test when the eyes belonged to men, suggesting that men have greater difficulty in recognising mental states in women than in their own gender. But the question is… why? The fMRI readings shed some light into this.Schiffer and colleagues predicted that recognising mental states in male or female eyes would activate brain areas involved in mentalizing and empathy, and this is what they found. But there was more. Some areas were more active when the participants were guessing emotions in men, and others when they were recognising emotions in women. It isn't clear what these results mean though. As these differently activated brain regions have in one way or another previously been involved in memory, the authors speculate that they are recruited to retrieve either autobiographical emotional memories (when the participants look at male eyes) or memories of past encounters with women (when they look at female eyes). But this doesn't explain why men have more difficulty in perceiving women's emotions. There was, however, another clue in the fMRI readings. Just looking at male eyes, without having to do any particular task, activated the amygdala, which is a brain region associated with processing of emotions and empathy. The authors suggest that when men respond to their own gender, emotion and empathy brain networks are recruited (because men can more easily relate to other men), and this might enhance their ability to perceive mental states. A few studies support this idea. For instance, one study showed that men are better than women at recognising angry faces in men. Schiffer and colleagues further speculate that in evolutionary terms, 'it makes more sense', they claim, that we should be better at mentalizing about people that are most similar to us. This would have been particularly important for men in the 'ancient times', the authors add, as men were hunting and fighting for territory and it was advantageous for them to predict the intentions of their male rivals. But while this is an attractive hypothesis, it remains rather speculative.And what about women? The main lingering question from this research is perhaps whether women are also better at reading mental states in individuals of their own gender. According to the authors, the prediction is that they should. So men should not be too quick to blame their gender for not understanding the opposite sex- this may backfire. Reference:... Read more »
Schiffer Boris, Pawliczek Christina, Müller Bernhard W., Gizewski Elke R., Walter Henrik, & Krueger Frank. (2013) Why Don't Men Understand Women? Altered Neural Networks for Reading the Language of Male and Female Eyes. PLoS ONE, 8(4). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0060278.g003
by dailyfusion in The Daily Fusion
A new study by scientists at Duke University and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) finds no evidence of groundwater contamination from shale gas production in Arkansas.... Read more »
Warner, N., Kresse, T., Hays, P., Down, A., Karr, J., Jackson, R., & Vengosh, A. (2013) Geochemical and isotopic variations in shallow groundwater in areas of the Fayetteville shale development, north-central Arkansas. Applied Geochemistry. DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeochem.2013.04.013
by Perikis Livas in Tracing Knowledge
A new species of green palm-pitviper of the genus Bothriechis is described from a seriously threatened cloud forest reserve in northern Honduras. Because of similarity in color pattern and scalation, the new species (Bothriechis guifarroi) was previously confused with other Honduran palm pitvipers. Genetic analysis revealed that the closest relatives of the new species are actually found over 600 km to the south, in the mountains of Costa Rica. The study was published in the open access journal Zookeys.... Read more »
Pensoft News. (2013) When green means danger A stunning new species of palm-pitviper from Honduras. Pensoft News. info:/
by Perikis Livas in Tracing Knowledge
A team of astronomers led by Jose Dias do Nascimento (Department of Theoretical and Experimental Physics, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte [DFTE, UFRN], Brazil) has found the farthest known solar twin in the Milky Way Galaxy– CoRoT Sol 1, which has about the same mass and chemical composition as the Sun. Spectra from the High Dispersion Spectrograph (HDS) on the Subaru Telescope showed that CoRoT Sol 1 is about 6.7 billion years old while space-based data from the CoRoT (Convection, Rotation and planetary Transits) satellite indicated a rotation period of 29 /- 5 days. This newly discovered, evolved solar twin allows astronomers to uncover the near future of our solar system's central star–the Sun.... Read more »
NAOJ Press Release. (2013) Subaru Telescope Observations and the CoRoT Mission Unveil the Future of the Sun. Subaru Telescope NAOJ. info:/
by Persuasion Strategies in Persuasive Litigator
By Dr. Ken Broda-Bahm: Think of the situations where self-diagnosis wouldn't work very well: A police officer asking, "Do you think you were speeding?" or a doctor inquiring, "Do you believe your cancer is in remission?" Yet we still rely on self-diagnosis when trying to discover and eliminate bias in civil and criminal cases by essentially asking prospective jurors, "Are you biased?" A new study (Robertson, Yokum & Palmer, 2013) takes a look at whether we can rely on jurors to identify their own attitudes and know the sources of their own judgments well enough to say whether they would...... Read more »
Robertson, C., Yokum, D., . (2013) The Inability of Jurors to Self-Diagnose Bias. 7th Annual Conference on Empirical Legal Studies Paper, 12-35. info:/
by Vivek Misra in Beautiful Mind
tumblr: bellapaige88On average, 9.5/1000 population has epilepsy in Low and Middle Income Countries (LAMIC). A research which has resulted in the global campaign against epilepsy has shown, the gap between treatment need and the treatment provision worldwide is approximately 70% [1]. This large 'treatment gap', i.e., lack of appropriate treatment for a large number of patients with epilepsy, due to a number of causes including inability to identify cases, inability to deliver adequate treatment, people's attitudes and perception, availability of anti-epileptic drugs and finally, health policies of individual countries and the priority given to epilepsy. [2]The first step towards narrowing the treatment gap is improving diagnosis. Clinical investigations that help in the diagnosis of epilepsy include electroencephalography (EEG), neuro-imaging techniques such as computed axial tomograpy (CT) and magentic resonance imaging (MRI). Simple blood tests, including haematological, liver and kidney function profiles can reveal treatable causes of epilepsy, such as parasitic infections. Neuropsychological evaluation identifies areas of function and dysfunction. Long term video monitoring can greatly improve the diagnosis of epilepsy. Therapeutic drug monitoring can ensure that patients are receiving optimal doses of medication and can help greatly in avoiding toxicity. However, the availability of investigative procedures varies greatly, from 82.4% for EEG, 70.5% for CT, 45% for therapeutic drug monitoring to only 20.6 % for MRI, 21.7% for long-term video monitoring and in LAMICs. Special investigations of brain function such as positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) are not available in most LAMIC centres.Epilepsy services in low and middle income countries are almost non-existent and service organization is a challenge. Epilepsy services should be community based and it is important to integrate these services into the primary health care structure to ensure sustainability. The Indian model is one such example, where epilepsy care has been incorporated into programmes for poverty alleviation [3]. Public-private partnerships and non-governmental organizations (NGO) are also important components of the Indian model. [4]The ultimate goal of all workers in the epilepsy field is to improve the quality of the life of people with epilepsy and their families. The prime manner in which this is aimed for is by the provision of good medical care.Wang WZ, Wu JZ, Wang DS, Dai XY, Yang B, Wang TP, Yuan CL, Scott RA, Prilipko LL, de Boer HM, & Sander JW (2003). The prevalence and treatment gap in epilepsy in China: an ILAE/IBE/WHO study. Neurology, 60 (9), 1544-5 PMID: 12743252Mbuba CK, Ngugi AK, Newton CR, & Carter JA (2008). The epilepsy treatment gap in developing countries: a systematic review of the magnitude, causes, and intervention strategies. Epilepsia, 49 (9), 1491-503 PMID: 18557778 Pal, D., Das, T., & Sengupta, S. (2000). ... Read more »
Mbuba CK, Ngugi AK, Newton CR, & Carter JA. (2008) The epilepsy treatment gap in developing countries: a systematic review of the magnitude, causes, and intervention strategies. Epilepsia, 49(9), 1491-503. PMID: 18557778
Pal, D., Das, T., & Sengupta, S. (2000) Case-control and qualitative study of attrition in a community epilepsy programme in rural India. Seizure, 9(2), 119-123. DOI: 10.1053/seiz.1999.0357
Mani KS, Rangan G, Srinivas HV, Srindharan VS, & Subbakrishna DK. (2001) Epilepsy control with phenobarbital or phenytoin in rural south India: the Yelandur study. Lancet, 357(9265), 1316-20. PMID: 11343735
Wang WZ, Wu JZ, Wang DS, Dai XY, Yang B, Wang TP, Yuan CL, Scott RA, Prilipko LL, de Boer HM.... (2003) The prevalence and treatment gap in epilepsy in China: an ILAE/IBE/WHO study. Neurology, 60(9), 1544-5. PMID: 12743252
by Shawn Radcliffe in Branáin
Staying hydrated is good advice for men who've had kidney stones before, but sugar-sweetened sodas and fruit punch may not be the best choice of fluids.... Read more »
Ferraro, P., Taylor, E., Gambaro, G., & Curhan, G. (2013) Soda and Other Beverages and the Risk of Kidney Stones. Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. DOI: 10.2215/CJN.11661112
by Usman Paracha in SayPeople
Main Points:
Researchers have found that the cancer patients in America are more than two times more likely to go bankrupt than the healthy people. I think this is the case not only in America but everywhere in the world.
Published in:
Health Affairs
Study Further:
Researchers collected data in Washington State from about 400,000 adults and found that the patients of cancer have more chances of bankruptcy, i.e. 2.65 times more chances, even if they have the health insurance as the high cost of cancer treatment is really high.
"Younger cancer patients had 2–5 times higher rates of bankruptcy than cancer patients age sixty-five or older, which indicates that Medicare and Social Security may mitigate bankruptcy risk for the older group," Researchers wrote.
"People who have fewer assets, less income and less generous insurance because of entry-level jobs or no insurance are more vulnerable to severe financial distress," lead author, Dr. Scott Ramsey, said in a statement.
These financial crises could be solved by the help from the governments and employers.
"The findings suggest that employers and governments may have a policy role to play in creating programs and incentives that could help people cover expenses in the first year following a cancer diagnosis," Researchers wrote.
Think Progress, NBC News
Ramsey, S., Blough, D., Kirchhoff, A., Kreizenbeck, K., Fedorenko, C., Snell, K., Newcomb, P., Hollingworth, W., & Overstreet, K. (2013). Washington State Cancer Patients Found To Be At Greater Risk For Bankruptcy Than People Without A Cancer Diagnosis Health Affairs DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.2012.1263... Read more »
Ramsey, S., Blough, D., Kirchhoff, A., Kreizenbeck, K., Fedorenko, C., Snell, K., Newcomb, P., Hollingworth, W., & Overstreet, K. (2013) Washington State Cancer Patients Found To Be At Greater Risk For Bankruptcy Than People Without A Cancer Diagnosis. Health Affairs. DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.2012.1263
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has published a comprehensive summary of the epidemiology of childhood brain disorders in the most recent Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.This report produced some sensationalized headlines that up to 20% of children suffer from a mental disorder. However, I was more interested in looking at the prevalence estimates for some of the individual disorders from the report.The report collates data collected from a variety of surveys and data sets including the NHANES, NHIS and the National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH). These surveys typically use parental report to estimate prevalence ratesFor the purposes of this post, I will focus on two childhood brain disorders: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).The key findings from the report in ADHD include:7.6% of parents reported their child between 3-17 years had received a diagnosis of ADHD in the NHIS8.9% of parents reported their child received a diagnosis of ADHD in the NSCH study9.6% to 12.3% of boys had received a diagnosis of ADHD3.8% to 5.4% of girls had received a diagnosis of ADHDA diagnosis of ADHD was more with older age, in children with health insurance and higher income groupsA diagnosis of ADHD was not related to parental education level The key findings from the report for autism and autism spectrum disorder include:.8% to 1.1% of parents reported their child between 3-17 years had received a diagnosis of autism1.8% of parents reported their child had received a diagnosis of ASDSurveys consisted noted a male predominance with boys having an estimated 3.5 to 4.5 times higher rate of autism and ASD diagnosisAgain having health insurance increased the rate of autism or ASD diagnosis by around two foldAutism and ASD prevalence rates were somewhat higher in the Northeast region of the U.S. and in white, non-Hispanic childrenIn contrast to ADHD, ASD rates were similar across parental income categoriesThe report notes in the discussion section: "Substantial but not insurmountable challenges to surveillance of mental disorders in children exists." They note current methods focus on parental reports and are biased by variability in access to health and mental health providers. The also note the imperfect diagnostic approach to childhood mental disorders and the need for more consistent diagnostic approaches.This report is a good comprehensive summary of what we know about these childhood brain disorders in the United States. Readers with more interest in this topic can access the free full text report in the citation below. In the next two posts, I will summarize key findings in the conduct disorder and affective disorder categories.Photo of clown fish from the Oklahoma Aquarium is from the author's files.Perou R, Bitsko RH, Blumberg SJ, Pastor P, Ghandour RM, Gfroerer JC, Hedden SL, Crosby AE, Visser SN, Schieve LA, Parks SE, Hall JE, Brody D, Simile CM, Thompson WW, Baio J, Avenevoli S, Kogan MD, Huang LN, & Division of Human Development and Disability, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, CDC, Atlanta, Georgia (2013). Mental health surveillance among children - United States, 2005-2011. Morbidity and mortality weekly report. Surveillance summaries (Washington, D.C. : 2002), 62 (2), 1-35 PMID: 23677130... Read more »
Perou R, Bitsko RH, Blumberg SJ, Pastor P, Ghandour RM, Gfroerer JC, Hedden SL, Crosby AE, Visser SN, Schieve LA.... (2013) Mental health surveillance among children - United States, 2005-2011. Morbidity and mortality weekly report. Surveillance summaries (Washington, D.C. : 2002), 62(2), 1-35. PMID: 23677130
by AB Kirk in Stff Competition
CrossFit Nutrition: Cell Health and Telomeres. CrossFit Nutrition: you can only be as healthy as your cells. One marker of cell health is telomere length. Telomeres cap the ends ofThe post CrossFit Nutrition: Saturated Fat and Cell Health appeared first on WODMasters Stiff Competition.... Read more »
Song Y, You NC, Song Y, Kang MK, Hou L, Wallace R, Eaton CB, Tinker LF, & Liu S. (2013) Intake of Small-to-Medium-Chain Saturated Fatty Acids Is Associated with Peripheral Leukocyte Telomere Length in Postmenopausal Women. The Journal of nutrition. PMID: 23616516
by Katja Keuchenius in United Academics
FIFA discoverd that a lot of Mexican meat contains clenbuterol. A drug used to fatten cattle, enhance sportsperfomance, treat people with breathing disorders ánd to lose weight. So watch it with those tacos.... Read more »
Thevis, M., Geyer, L., Geyer, H., Guddat, S., Dvorak, J., Butch, A., Sterk, S., & Schänzer, W. (2013) Adverse analytical findings with clenbuterol among U-17 soccer players attributed to food contamination issues. Drug Testing and Analysis. DOI: 10.1002/dta.1471
by Rainer Schreg in Archaeologik
Zwischen 1821 und 1851 wurde im Königreich Württemberg die topographische Landesvermessung durchgeführt. Sie war noch vor der Annahme der württembergischen Verfassung angeordnet worden und sollte einer gerechten Besteuerung in dem 1806 erheblich erweiterten und zum Königreich erhobenen Württemberg dienen. Das Produkt war neben dem steuerrelevanten Primärkataster auch der topographische Atlas des Königreichs Württemberg, der die Messtischblätter 1:50000 umfasste. Eduard Paulus der ÄltereEduard Paulus der Ältere(Ölgemälde: Landesmus. Württemberg [Urheberrechte erloschen]; Wikimedia Commons)Einer der Mitarbeiter der Landesvermessung war Karl Eduard Paulus, geboren am 29.1.1803 in Berghausen südlich von Speyer. Er trat 1823 in das Königliche statistisch-topgraphische Bureau ein. Anfangs als Messgehilfe tätig, war Paulus bei der Erstellung mehrerer Urkarten und Atlasblätter beteiligt. 1843 wurde er zudem in das Projekt der Oberamtsbeschreibungen einbezogen. Nach und nach legte er eine archäologische Karte von Württemberg vor. 1852 konnte er die ganz Württemberg umfassende Karte im Maßstab 1:200000 auf der Tagung des Gesamtvereins der deutschen Geschichts- und Altertumsvereine in Mainz präsentieren. Es war die erste, ein Land vollständig abdeckende archäologische Karte. Da Paulus das Dreiperiodensystem nicht anerkannte, unterschied er - blau kartiert - altgermanisch (keltisch) und alamannisch (fränkisch) sowie - in rot - römisch.Paulus ergänzte die Karte in mehreren Auflagen. Die vierte Auflage erschien posthum, als sein Sohn Eduard Paulus der Jüngere Landeskonservator war. SurveymethodenMehrfach hat Paulus seine Methoden beschrieben. Die neuen topographischen Karten mit ihrer Schraffur-Darstellung des Geländes wie die genauen Flurkarten im Maßstab 1:2500 spielten hier eine zentrale Rolle, dienten sie Paulus doch einerseits zur Eingrenzung potentieller Fundstellen, zugleich aber auch der Kartierung und Dokumentation. Einzelne vor- und frühgeschichtliche Anlagen, wie beispielsweise die Viereckschanze von Fleinheim wurden bereits bei der topographischen Landesvermessung im Maßstab 1:2500 aufgenommen. Anhand der Karten definierte Paulus archäologisch interessante Situationen, die er dann beging. Die lokale Bevölkerung war ihm dabei eine wesentliche Informationsquelle (siehe Archäologen und mißrathene Genies - Tips für die archäologische Kartierung). Mit ihren topographischen Beobachtungen haben Paulus' Forschungen mehr mit einer modernen Landschaftsarchäologie gemein als mit der Kossinna'schen Siedlungsarchäologie, auch wenn auch für Paulus die Zuweisung zu früheren Völkern grundlegend war.Ausschnitt aus der topographischen Karte des Königreichs Württemberg4. Aufl., 1882Vaterlandskunde Das Projekt der topographischen und der archäologischen Ebene hängen nicht nur methodisch - die topographischen Karten als Voraussetzung zur archäologischen Kartierung - sondern auch auf der inhaltlichen Ebene zusammen: Karten und Archäologie als Elemente der Identitätsbildung.Das steigende Interesse für die Vorgeschichte hat in Deutschland sehr viel mit der politischen Situation nach der Auflösung des Alten Reiches zu tun. Der Blick in die Vergangenheit bot Ausgleich für die Gegenwart und lieferte mit seinen nationalen Untertönen Argumente für eine neue Reichsgründung.Unterhalb der "nationalen" Ebene diente eine Vaterlandskunde auch dazu, den neu geschaffenen oder vergößerten Staaten selbst eine Identität zu verschaffen. Parallel zur topographischen Landesvermessung und der von Paulus betriebenen Kartierung der archäologischen Fundstellen wurden in Württemberg weitere Vorhaben der Vaterlandskunde forciert: detaillierte Landesbeschreibungen, die zunächst die verwaltungsrechtlichen Rahmenbedingungen festgehalten hatten, aber bald schon um geologische, naturräumliche, volkskundliche und historische - einschließlich archäologische - Informationen ergänzt wurden. Ziel dieser Vaterlandskunde war unter anderem die Schaffung einer gemeinsamen Identität im neuen, gewachsenen Staat Württemberg, der nun neben den alten protestantischen Regionen auch katholische Landstriche mit einbezog. "Ohne Kenntnis des Vaterlands kann es unmöglich wahre Vaterlandsliebe geben (Memminger 1822, 2)." "Die Kenntnis des Vaterlands ist zugleich die Grundlage bürgerlicher Tüchtigkeit und fördert das staatsbürgerliche Leben. (Memminger 1822, 4f.)" LiteraturhinweisF. Kreienbrink, Mapping the Past: Eduard Paulus the Elder (1803–1878) and the Archaeological Survey of Württemberg. Bulletin of the History of Archaeology, 17 (2), 2007 DOI: 10.5334/bha.17202Memminger, Neuere Anstalten und Mittel zur Förderung der Vaterlandsliebe. Württembergische Jahrbücher für Statistik und Landeskunde 1, 1822, 1-71 (Digitalisat)... Read more »
Kreienbrink, F. (2007) Mapping the Past: Eduard Paulus the Elder (1803–1878) and the Archaeological Survey of Württemberg. Bulletin of the History of Archaeology, 17(2). DOI: 10.5334/bha.17202
by Zen Faulkes in NeuroDojo
I have vague memories of the first time I counted to a hundred. It felt like one of those landmarks like tying your shoes for yourself the first time, or riding the bicycle more than a few feet without the training wheels or dad holding you up.
Of course, I don't come anywhere near Adam Spencer:
Once when I was about 7, I counted to 10,000 just to check the numbers didn't run out before then #NerdConfessions
Counting large numbers is not something that comes easily for us humans. A new paper claims this little guy, a baby guppy, may be a superior number cruncher as soon as it pops out of mama's belly:
A couple of years ago, I reported on a paper that looked at the development of "counting" ability in guppies. In that paper, they claimed that it took about 40 days for guppies to develop the sort of ability to distinguish numbers that they had as adults. Now, the same team is back, testing very young guppies again, but this time using new methods.
The team asked these tiny guppies if they recognized numbers of things by showing animals dots while they have them food. Here are the three stimuli the team used.
Both A and B differ in the number of spots, but A also differs in the average sizes of those spots (which the authors call a "continuous variable). C differs in size, but not in the number. This is try to control for the fact that when you change number of things, you also change many other factors, like amount of area reflecting light, etc.
The authors then measured the amount of time the guppies spent near each set of dots as an indication of "preference", on the assumption that the guppies are more likely to spend time near the dots where they got food if they learned certain dots meant food. If animals don't learn where the food is, they may well not be able to tell the stimuli apart.
The authors place these pairs of dots at the end of the tank while fish are feeding when they were four and five days old. As a control, they either feed the fish food or just in a little water without food. On day six, they placed the babies in the tank to see which set of dots they gravitate to. On day seven, they repeat this, but flip the positions of the dots.
The fish were significantly more likely to be around the set of dots that promised food when they differed by number (A and B, above), but not when the dots varied in size. That said, the guppies were not great at this. The guppies got it right only 60% of the time, which is only a slight improvement on a coin toss.
However, the authors themselves admit that this paper is hard to compare with their previous one because the stimuli are so different. The previous paper used other live fish as the stimulus, not just static dots. They also note that this test is slightly different from other training tests, which generally ask the animal to do something even more specific than "hang out at one end of an aquarium."
It is an interesting suggestion, though, that animals so small and so young can cope with differences in number. But I still think I'll beat them at counting to a hundred.
Piffer L, Miletto Petrazzini ME, Agrillo C. 2013. Large number discrimination in newborn fish. PLOS ONE 8(4): e62466 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0062466
Related posts
One fish, two fish... can fish count?
Picture by Shaojung on Flickr; used under a Creative Commons license.... Read more »
Piffer Laura, Miletto Petrazzini Maria Elena, & Agrillo Christian. (2013) Large number discrimination in newborn fish. PLOS ONE. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0062466
by Rita Handrich in The Jury Room
A while ago we did a focus group on a shockingly unethical healthcare provider targeting lower income zip codes for insurance fraud and the phrase "those Mexicans" came up in the deliberations. "That's a good business model", an older Caucasian woman said, "because those Mexicans will do whatever you tell them to do". She seemed oblivious [...]
Related posts:
Everyday racism: A comparison of African American and Asian American Women
Life lessons from mock jurors: "Money don't got no color"
The Jury Room: A new blawg
... Read more »
Rasinski, H., Geers, A., & Czopp, A. (2013) "I Guess What He Said Wasn't That Bad": Dissonance in Nonconfronting Targets of Prejudice. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. DOI: 10.1177/0146167213484769
by Christian Jarrett in BPS Research Digest
Publication of US psychiatry's updated diagnostic code has provoked renewed debate in recent weeks over the extent to which mental illness ought to be framed as a psychosocial or a biological problem. The answer of course is that it is both. A new Canadian study captures this interplay, showing how close friendships mitigate the risk for girls whose genes mean they are more vulnerable than average to depression.
Mara Brendgen and her colleagues studied 294 pairs of twins aged ten years old (147 girls). Some of the twins were identical (they share the same genes), the others were non-identical (sharing just half their genes). Each twin pair was raised together in the same family.
The researchers obtained ratings of the children's signs of depression from their teachers and classmates. They also gauged their close friendships by asking each child to nominate up to three best friends in their class, and to indicate who was their very best friend. Reciprocal nominations were a sign of mutual friendship. The children also answered questions about the quality of their friendships, including whether they do fun things together or get angry with each other.
Consistent with past research, there was evidence of the role of genes in depression. That is, correlations in signs of depression were much higher between identical versus non-identical twins.
If one of a pair of identical twins had signs of depression, this was taken as an indication that the second twin had genetic vulnerability for the condition. If one of a pair of non-identical twins showed signs of depression, this was also taken to mean the other twin had genetic vulnerability, but less so than in the case of identical twins.
Here's the main result. Genetic vulnerability to depression in girls was less likely to manifest if they had at least one close friend. Stated differently, the protective effect of having at least one close friend was magnified in girls who were genetically vulnerable to the condition. This means that for girls there was an interplay between genetic risk and the protective effect of friendship. This was not the case for boys. Friendships did protect boys from depression, but this was not related in any way to their genetic vulnerability. Perhaps, the researchers surmised, this is because "girls tend to rely more on social relationships as a source of self-definition and self-validation, and their friendships are also characterised by greater intimacy, self-disclosure, empathy and emotional support."
Separate from any issues of genetic vulnerability, another gender difference was that boys, but not girls, showed an additive protective effect against depression of having more friends. The researchers said this may be because girls more often have intimate one-on-one friendships, whereas boys are more often part of friendship groups.
Other details to emerge from the study: better quality friendships were more protective against depression (regardless of genetic vulnerability); genetic vulnerability to depression wasn't associated with the likelihood of a child having friends, but it was negatively associated with the perceived quality of their friendships.
The study has some limitations, particularly the relatively small sample size and the reliance on observer ratings of depression. Also, the results may be specific to this age group. Despite these shortcomings, this is an innovative study on an important topic. Children who show signs of depression pre-adolescence are at heightened risk for having problems in their teens and beyond, so the more we understand about mitigating this risk, the better. The researchers said their results "emphasise the importance of teaching social interactional skills that promote positive relations with others to help prevent the development of depressive behaviour in children."
Brendgen, M., Vitaro, F., Bukowski, W., Dionne, G., Tremblay, R., and Boivin, M. (2013). Can friends protect genetically vulnerable children from depression? Development and Psychopathology, 25 (02), 277-289 DOI: 10.1017/S0954579412001058
Post written by Christian Jarrett (@psych_writer) for the BPS Research Digest.
... Read more »
Brendgen, M., Vitaro, F., Bukowski, W., Dionne, G., Tremblay, R., & Boivin, M. (2013) Can friends protect genetically vulnerable children from depression?. Development and Psychopathology, 25(02), 277-289. DOI: 10.1017/S0954579412001058
by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers
I'm gonna try and be fairly brief in this post on the paper by Valerio Napolioni and colleagues* (open-access) looking at plasma cytokine profiles in cases of autism and their asymptomatic siblings. Brief because (a) the paper is open-access and (b) the participant groups (autism: n=25; sibling controls n=25) were relatively small so one has to be quite careful in extrapolating the findings with any large degree of confidence.Siblings by Paul Klee @ WikiPaintings Just in case you are new to cytokines, we are talking biological signalling and communication, and in particular, the language of inflammation both pro- and anti-inflammatory (see this post).With the autism spectrum conditions in mind, research into cytokines has filled quite a few peer-reviewed papers** from lots of different perspectives (see here and here for example). The main message so far is that it is complicated as per everything about autism and immune function.Despite the quite small participant group, the Napolioni paper does seem to be an important paper for a few reasons:They report no overall difference in cytokine profiles - measuring 40 cytokines - between cases of autism and their asymptomatic siblings. This despite the fact that autism symptoms and total IQ measures were different. That was the paper's headline.But.... "the cytokine/chemokine levels in our subjects did correlate with the quantitative clinical traits" or in other words, certain analysed parameters seemed to match with level of severity of autistic traits as measured by schedules such as VABS and SRS. "IL-1β appears to be the cytokine most involved in the quantitative traits".When looking at the children with autism according to various clinical subgroups - non-verbal, functional gastrointestinal (GI) issues, history of regression, history of allergies - a few correlations were noted. So, children who were non-verbal seemed to show higher levels of cytokines such as IL-10, one of the more anti-inflammatory cytokines. Children with accompanying GI issues seemed to show higher levels of more pro-inflammatory cytokines like IL-1β and IL-6 compared with those without GI problems. Reported regression as part and parcel of symptom onset also seemed to show some correlation with specific cytokines too.As the authors point out correlation does not imply causation. Such that just because they reported connections between cytokines and functioning and other factors does not necessarily mean that these observations are causative of autism (or anything else). That being said, as I hinted before, this is not the first time that cytokines and their connection to immune function have been discussed in the autism research literature (see yet another example of this here***); many correlations in similar directions makes for some interesting discussions at least.That headline that children with autism and their siblings did not significantly differ in their cytokine profile carries a few possibilities for interpretation. The authors suggest that this could be evidence of "an 'autism endophenotype' that expands immune dysfunction to family members who are seemingly unaffected by the core symptoms of autism". One might also say the same thing about the Gondalia paper**** on gut bacteria in cases of autism and siblings (see here).Assuming that the broader autism phenotype (BAP) does not come into play here, one might speculate that (a) cytokine profiles are not related to the presence of autism, or (b) that the manifestation of autism, some autism, is representative of cytokine involvement but in addition to other factors in terms of the affected sibling - "when an environmental stress (for example, prenatal exposure to environmental toxins, viral and bacterial infections, parental microchimerism, etc.) occurs during development". This last point takes me back to that 1971 John Money study on the appearance of familial autoimmune related conditions 'round about' the presence of autism and a similar correlation. Part of a predisposition to autism?I note from Figure 4 of the paper, that when it came to summarising the various associations across the groups (and sub-groups), quite a few of the very significant differences seemed to be due to differences in IQ, which was tested using the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales (fifth edition). Aside from previous messages of caution on the use of this measure in autism research*****, one has to wonder whether this might be a more pertinent variable when it comes to cytokines and autism. I don't know enough about cytokine profiles in intellectual disability in children for example, to make any novel claims about this, but certainly intellectual development has been mentioned in the research literature with certain cytokines in mind******.OK I said I would try and be brief with this post and have failed miserably. The Napolioni paper has though been worth it though for the potential insights that it might provide into the complex world of cytokines and immune function in relation to the presentation of autism.To close, and following yet more 'we'll win it next year' commentary with regards to the UK entry in the event that is the Eurovision Song Content, might I suggest a group for your serious consideration as a contender next year?-----------* Napolioni V. et al. Plasma cytokine profiling in sibling pairs discordant for autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Neuroinflammation 2013; 10: 38.** Goines PE. & Ashwood P. Cytokine dysregulation in autism spectrum disorders (ASD): Possible role of the environment. Neurotoxicol Teratol. 2013; 36: 67-81.*** Ricci S. et al. Altered cytokine and BDNF levels in autism spectrum disorder. Neurotox Res. April 2013.**** Gondalia SV. et al. Molecular characterisation of gastrointestinal microbiota of children with autism (with and without gastrointestinal dysfunction) and their neurotypical siblings. Autism Research. 2012; 5: 419-427.***** Coolican J. et al. Brief report: data on the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales (5th ed.) in children with autism spectrum disorder. J Autism Dev Disord. 2008; 38: 190-197.****** von Ehrenstein OS. et al. Child intellectual development in relation to cytokine levels in umbilical cord blood. Am J Epidemiol. 2012; 175: 1191-1199. ----------... Read more »
Napolioni V, Ober-Reynolds B, Szelinger S, Corneveaux JJ, Pawlowski T, Ober-Reynolds S, Kirwan J, Persico AM, Melmed RD, Craig DW.... (2013) Plasma cytokine profiling in sibling pairs discordant for autism spectrum disorder. Journal of neuroinflammation, 38. PMID: 23497090
by Stephen Thomas in Sports Medicine Research (SMR): In the Lab & In the Field
Take Home Message: Hyaluronic acid injections decrease factors related to collagen degradation. Some blood tests may differentiate responders and nonresponders to these injections.
Knee osteoarthritis, one of the leading causes of disability, has no cure and current treatments commonly involve medications to decrease inflammation and pain. Hyaluronic acid (HA) injections have become a popular form of treatment for knee osteoarthritis. However, the mechanism of action has yet to be determined. Therefore, the authors examined serum biomarkers of collagen breakdown (Coll2-1 and Coll2-1 NO2) in 45 patients with various stages of knee osteoarthritis before (-15 days), at the time of injection, and following treatment (30 and 90 days) with HA injections.... Read more »
Henrotin Y, Chevalier X, Deberg M, Balblanc JC, Richette P, Mulleman D, Maillet B, Rannou F, Piroth C, Mathieu P.... (2013) Early decrease of serum biomarkers of type II collagen degradation (Coll2-1) and joint inflammation (Coll2-1 NO2 ) by hyaluronic acid intra-articular injections in patients with knee osteoarthritis: A research study part of the Biovisco study. Journal of Orthopaedic Research, 31(6), 901-7. PMID: 23423846
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text: I think it's far time that Brown is shown the door the whole department reworked. I was really surprised that the Skins didn't take a run at former staff member Bobby Depaul when the Bears let him go. Even more surprising is that a guy with Depaul's scouting experience and track record in Chicago (he orchestrated the Cutler trade among many other moves) ends up a position coach in the UFL ( former Skins Kurt Gouveia is on the same staff)

subset: commoncrawl


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I'm thinking about putting the 1991 GMC Jimmy I've owned since new back into everyday use. Aside from a Ramsey winch tucked under the front bumper and big Bosch auxiliary driving lights, it's quite an ordinary four-door mid-size SUV.
The Jimmy holds a special place in my heart though, because in the early 1990s it carried me through a series of road adventures, including One Lap of Iceland, Seven East Bloc Capitals in Seven Days, a trans-Labrador adventure and a quest to gauge the levels of pride that Canadians held in their country, dubbed Atlantic to Pacific, Canada's Terrific.
After these escapades, it was my daily driver for 10 years until I put the venerable little Jimmy into long-term storage in 2001.
Why have I hung onto this vehicle for 21 years? It's certainly not a collectible or a specialty performance vehicle.
It was given to me to perform a variety of events in the early 1990s with the sole purpose of getting it into automotive trade magazines without its competition, the then-new Ford Explorer, beside it.
Driving the Jimmy will bring me back to those days when my children were just kids and a business relationship with a high-ranking General Motors executive in Detroit was the pivot of my activities.
I first met John Rock in 1983 when Ken Langley and I were attempting to rectify the jittery financial situation driving a car around the world had put us in three years earlier.
We had a concept: setting a new land speed driving record from Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of Africa, to Nordkapp (North Cape), as far north as you could drive, high in the Norwegian Arctic. We had tested the sponsorship waters of corporate Canada without much luck but as a last-ditch effort before our bankers got nasty, I scored a 15-minute audience with John Rock, general manager of GMC truck division of General Motors.
When I sat down in Rock's sprawling Detroit office, he immediately put me at ease. As the meeting stretched into more than two hours, I began to feel the straight-talking South Dakotan really was listening to this 33-year-old Atlantic Canadian with an idea.
By the time I left Rock's office, I had a handshake on a deal. GMC Truck would provide a new Suburban, service support and $60,000 sponsorship for our attempt to establish a new land speed record from the bottom of Africa to the top of Europe. The Africa-Arctic Challenge had fuel.
When I was preparing to leave, Rock smiled and said: "Two more things. Find other sponsors to match the money I'm giving you and you have to keep the truck when it's all over. Who knows? Years from now it might end up in a museum somewhere."
That meeting was the beginning of a 14-year business relationship that followed Rock through his time at the helm at GMC Truck and then as head honcho at Oldsmobile division. It would be a stretch to say he and I became close personal friends, but his door was always open for me and when we met it was usually just the two of us scheming about the car and truck business for hours on end.
He was easy to talk to, irreverent in a charming way and, from my perspective, tremendously loyal, a man whose word meant something. He was a portal into the upper levels of the automotive industry that I never imagined I'd tap into. We operated on mutual trust and not once did his word waver.
He knew how to motivate me, too. Telling me he liked the way I thought when I was broke made me work harder when I got the deal. A remark that his middle management did not understand what he was trying to do with me made me strive to prove them wrong.
Rock eventually moved on from GMC Truck to take the helm at Oldsmobile. He called me and we created events to assist with the launch off the all-new Aurora in 1995 and 1996.
He was keen to change the name of Oldsmobile to Aurora but couldn't get the backing internally. Instead of Intrigues and Aleros, would Rock's vision of Aurora T4s and T5s have helped change the "father/grandfather" perception of Oldsmobile and returned the division to its former viability? Well, Oldsmobile is history but I've often wondered if a name change for the division might have changed that.
Driving the GMC Jimmy Rock had given me all those years ago will be a catalyst to remember those days with the man I grew to respect as much as I trusted him.
It would be great to track him down and tell him how much our relationship and his trust has meant over the years. Unfortunately, that won't be possible as John Rock died in November 2007. But, as I drive that GMC Jimmy he gave me, his memory will ride along with this Atlantic Canadian dreamer.
Follow Garry on Twitter:@eastlink.w


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Bob Brooks Strength Coach
Strength & Conditioning |
PHONE: (219) 464-6911 | EMAIL: email@example.com |
Bob Brooks is the Director of Strength and Conditioning for Valpo athletics after beginning his work at Valpo in 1994 as a part-time consultant for the men's and women's basketball teams.
Brooks has worked in various gyms throughout his career training individuals. He hsa worked with former world boxing champion Angel Manfredy, several Major League Baseball players, world champion bodybuilders, and over 40 basketball players that have gone on to play professionally either in the National Basketball Association or overseas.
A well-decorated bodybuilder, Brooks was the Indiana State Powerlifting Champion from 1991-93, 1993 Mr. Illinois Bodybuilding champion and 1993 Mr. Midwest Bodybuilding champion. In 1996, Brooks again was honored, this time as the Mr. Tri-State Bodybuilding champion.
He is a certified sports performance coach by the United States Weightlifting Association and is a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
Bob and his wife Katrice currently live in Valparaiso.
Copyright ©2013 Valparaiso University Athletics. All Rights Reserved. | www.ValpoAthletics.com |


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How To Find Us
Parking: The church is located at the corner of Post Road and Rings End Road, with parking entrances from Rings End Road. First entrance: Upper lot for handicapped/senior parking. Second entrance: Lower parking lot access to all campus buildings and more handicapped spaces.
Saint Luke's Parish
1864 Post Road
Darien CT 06820


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(This is related to my question at http://mathoverflow.net/questions/38160/computable-nonstandard-models-for-weak-systems-of-arithemtic )
Is there a nontrivial computable discrete ordered ring with Euclidean division that is not isomorphic to Z?
If so, what other first-order properties could it share with Z?
Possible properties include:
all numbers with rational square roots are perfect squares
Lagrange 4-square theorem
prime elements are unbounded
Could it satisfy all Pi_1 properties satisfied by Z?
(bounded quantifiers referring to the absolute value being bounded)


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Honeywell Comfort Control™ Tower Fan
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Dimensions: 11.81 x 11.81 x 38.19 in Color: White Room Size: medium to large Speeds: 3 Settings: 1, 2, 4 & 8 hour auto shut-off timer Warranty: 1 Year Limited Price: $44.95 More Information The Honeywell HY-025 Comfort Control Tower Fan is an elegant electronic fan that is medium or large room cooling. It is sleek and powerful, offering 3 fan speeds and oscillation for whole room coverage. Other features include an automatic shut off timer, remote control and built-in handle that makes carrying it a breeze. More Features
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Facing Facebook
2008: Just because I was late to social networking doesn't mean I didn't get sucked in
I've never been an early adopter. I didn't get e-mail until college, and then barely used it for years. I waited as long as humanly possible to get a cell phone, and even then it took me a while to start using it as my primary means of communication. It's not that I'm a Luddite. I just don't inherently get the latest thing--I'm the person who somehow thought Netflix would be a pain in the ass and couldn't see why I'd want every piece of music I own in something I could fit in my pocket. So it's hardly a surprise that I was late to the social-networking party.
I signed onto Friendster in 2004 because my 10-year high school reunion was coming up and I wanted to see if anyone I actually hung out with in high school was going. Even then, I used it mainly to say, "Hey, here's my e-mail address." My move to MySpace came not long after, but it didn't get much of my attention, either. I checked it infrequently and probably wouldn't have completed my profile if MySpace hadn't offered an easy way of flirting with a guy I was into.
When all my friends migrated to Facebook, I was annoyed. Come on, I made a stupid Friendster profile and then I had to make a MySpace one, do I really have to do this again? It was like that guy friend, who goes through girlfriends so fast it's hardly worth getting to know them.
But I did it. And, man, did I get hooked. I don't know what makes it so different, but it has become part of my daily routine. Suddenly, I was playing games and accepting friends right and left. I became super-tight Facebook friends with people I only know casually in real life. I even found myself recounting wall-to-walls to my boyfriend. "And then I wrote . . . and she wrote . . . and then I wrote back . . . it was hilarious!"
I started feeling invested in how many responses I got to my freaking status updates. I even started thinking in status update form--the way in the early '90s everything took on Tetris shapes. Anna is getting into the shower. Anna is annoyed that asshole double parked next to a parking space. As one of my friends said in her Facebook status, this site has turned us all into people who refer to themselves in the third person.
Becoming a Facebook addict means I am surrounded, at least virtually, by fellow Facebook addicts giving it all a patina of normalcy. I started a group to get a hold-out friend on Facebook and found no shortage of people willing to join. He succumbed, but it took some convincing. I explained it to him like this: I get to have 30 second conversations with my little brother, who lives in Massachusetts, every day and keep up with my seventh-grade best friend, who lives in England, and my cousin in Wyoming, and my 14-year-old niece without even having to try. It's the easiest, most low-maintenance, guilt-light way to stay in touch.
Not that there isn't a down side. Facebook has completely ruined small talk. I can't even count how many times I've been at a social event and had this happen: There's a lull in conversation. No worries, I have an amusing anecdote. I start to tell it, only to be stopped by someone saying, "I know--I read it on your wall."
There are some uncomfortable aspects, like deciding who to friend. Generally, I don't accept friend requests from people I've never spoken to in real life or people I only know through work. This is my faux-private faux-life and I'd like to keep it that way. But I can't bring myself to press the "ignore" button. It just seems so rude. So I have an entire page of neglected friend requests staring out at me with the cheerful, well-meaning gazes of their profile pics.
And now, Facebook has started guilt tripping me with lines such as "Make so-and-so's Facebook experience better. Comment on her wall." Or "You haven't talked to so-and-so lately." The latter usually referring to someone I talk to so much in real life I don't need to do it virtually. I've even found myself wondering if people think it's cold that I didn't wish my boyfriend happy birthday on his wall even though I wished him one in person.
Oh well, I hear Google Wave is the next new thing, so maybe Facebook's time is almost up. Pretty soon I'll be getting little so-and-so invited you to join messages in my inbox. I'm sure I'll switch over--you know, about a year after everyone else does.
Oh Sheila (1/13/2010)
A liberal's lament for what might have been
Thanks For the Memories (12/23/2009)
2007: I had a borderline awful time in Bucharest—and I kind of miss it
Trashing Days (12/23/2009)
2003: It wasn't the hotel-room living that got me called a pervert
Murder Ink (8/4/2010)
Love, True Love (7/28/2010)
A satire pokes fun at romantic notions
Murder Ink (7/28/2010)
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Special rates require proof of eligibility at check-in
You're one step closer to paradise...
Welcome to View from Here, a travel blog, where I write about living in, traveling about and experiencing Hawaii as a malihini, a 12-year-resident of the Hawaiian Islands. My name is Kim Steutermann Rogers, and you're likely to find blog posts here about food--who doesn't like to eat?--and outdoor adventure. Like hiking through Haleakala on Maui. Diving with manta rays off Hawaii (Big) Island. Snorkeling Shark's Cove on Oahu. And paddling Napali Coast of my home island, Kauai. Not that I'm some, young, adrenaline junkie. Those days are long over. I just enjoy collecting life experiences. And that's why you probably won't find much in the way of shopping here, unless it's about a fantastic, locally-made product--like soap--and the charming, young, single-mother who makes it. Then, I gush on and on. Oh, as a warning, I can sometimes jump on my soap box and write about the realities of marine debris, Hawaii's endangered species--like humpback whales and Hawaiian monk seals--great book discoveries and the wonders of nature. And my dogs.
Kim Steutermann Rogers on Fri 3/30/2012
I walked into the Maui Theater a couple weeks ago knowing little about 'Ulalena: A Story of Hawaii's People. I left knowing this. 'Ulalena. What it is: A theatrical interpretation of the history of Hawaii from the cultural point of view of the Hawaiians. 'Ulalena. What it is not: A lu'au experience.
Kim Steutermann Rogers on Wed 2/29/2012
My cousin Stef got married a week ago under sunny skies on a swath of grass above Lawai Beach on Kauai's south shore, a choice location for a winter wedding, and now my refrigerator is full of wedding flowers--white orchids and roses.
Kim Steutermann Rogers on Mon 2/27/2012
After teasing us all morning, Mother Nature got serious on the heels of Saturday's Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Ocean Count. I was stationed along Kauai's South Shore coastline at Mahaulepu-Makawehi on a bluff near the beach known as Shipwreck's in Poipu. (Note: Hawaiian name is Keoneloa Bay and, yes, the elevated location atop these bluffs are fabulous for watching the sunrise and the whales.) By noon, the sky off to the southwest lowered to a scowl. To go with it, the sky emitted a growl or two, and I high-tailed it for home on the opposite side of the island.
Kim Steutermann Rogers on Mon 12/20/2010
I've heard the strokes of lomilomi described as long, gliding and deep. I've felt lomilomi practitioners use their hands, forearms, elbows and, even, feet. I've been told lomilomi may involve chanting, music, prayer and herbs, sticks and rocks. There's no easy definition, no one description, because lomilomi practitioners from each family or district or island followed their own, unique practice. What I've gleaned is lomilomi is a holistic healing art. In essence, it's not just about the massage.
Kim Steutermann Rogers on Fri 10/29/2010
When I think of a tavern, I think of a kind of place that's dark, dank and ancient. Something cave-like. I think of establishments in European basements. I think of smoke-filled bars in the rough part of town with Harleys parked out front and gruff men wearing tattoos, leather and red bandanas. When I think of a tavern, I do not think of good food. I hardly think of food, at all. The Tavern at Princeville by Roy Yamaguchi on Kauai's North Shore is not like any tavern I know. (Disclosure: I am not an expert on taverns, mind you.)
Kim Steutermann Rogers on Thu 10/21/2010
I just found a Roy's restaurant gift card in a purse I hardly use that hangs on the back of my desk chair. A pink lotus flower blossoms in one corner of the card. The words "Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine" reverse out of a stripe of green above Roy's signature restaurant logo. Over the years, something sticky had adhered to the front of the card; it stuck to my thumb. I turned the card over. A series of other restaurant logos decorated the back—seven other restaurant concepts at which the card would be accepted. None of them operated on Kaua'i. This card turned out to be way better than finding a $20 in an old pair of jeans.
Kim Steutermann Rogers on Fri 10/8/2010
You know those days when you say, "Calgon, take me away"? I was having one of those kinds of days when I entered the elevator on the ground floor of Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach and punched PH. Seconds later, the elevator doors drew back on the penthouse floor and presented the Waikiki Plantation Spa. It felt like waking after a long work week realizing it was Saturday. You exhale. Your shoulders relax. You stretch. Sometimes, all it takes is the right environment to put a new spin on your day.
Kim Steutermann Rogers on Wed 9/1/2010
For some people I know, hiking the Kalalau Trail on Kauai makes them break into a sweat. Others I know won't even think about driving the famous road to Hana. For those people, I do not recommend ziplining. But, if you have a general respect for high places, like I do, and you like speed, like I do, then, you'll love ziplining. It's still a relatively new adventure in Hawaii. In fact, you won't even find ziplining adventures on all the islands.
Kim Steutermann Rogers on Mon 8/30/2010
The Society of Seven got their start in 1969. You would have probably called them a variety act then. Their success led to a regular gig in Las Vegas. Before they left for the mainland—almost 10 years ago—they trained a troupe to carry on in Waikiki. Through September 20, the Vegas version is home, performing at the showroom at Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach.
Kim Steutermann Rogers on Thu 8/19/2010
It's no surprise to hear that studies show vacation can lower blood pressure, lower stress hormones and generate overall feelings of well-being. For me, vacation gave me a new home. My husband and I moved to Hawaii for the same reasons we vacationed here: The warm weather, the ocean and the myriad of activities available to us--from golf, running and hiking to paddling outrigger canoes, snorkeling and diving. Now that we live in Hawaii, we get asked all the time: When you live in paradise, where do you go on vacation?


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Posted by mandybaggot on July 4, 2012 at 4:35 AM |
Happy Independence Day everyone - especially all my lovely American friends who are celebrating today!
Here is my American tribute:-
So what treat has Lady B got for you as promised yesterday? Well what could be better than a free book? YES! Knowing Me Knowing You, one of my two bestsellers is FREE for you on Kindle for the next five days! Usually £1.95 or £8.99 in paperback it's your chance to grab a bargain and read all about Kate and Joel and their quest to be crowned relationship contest winners! Hurry! Before they sell out! LOL!
Mandy xx
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Financial Aid >> Browse Articles
Browse Expert Financial Aid Advice Articles
Is a 3.75% Cash-Out Refinance on a Mortgage Better than Federal Student Loans?
I have daughter who will be attending college in the fall of 2013 (and a son in 2017). For various reasons, our savings are not sufficient to pay for college given the current costs that I see. As home mortgage refinance rates have dropped to their lowest levels in my lifetime (around 3.75%), I had the notion of conducting a refinance ...Published 11 months ago | -
Government Report Reviews Private Student Loans and Recommends Statutory Changes
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the US Department of Education released a report to Congress about private student loans on July 20, 2012 as mandated by section 1077 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (P.L. 111-203, 7/21/2010). The report discusses the growth and changes in the private student loan marketplace, the use of private student ...Published 11 months ago | -
Questions about Qualifying for the Federal Parent PLUS Loan
My son has been accepted to an expensive private non-profit college for the fall. We have been awarded a pretty generous financial aid package from the school (approximately $30,000) which leaves me with about $20,000/year left to finance. I make about $50,000/year. I will be applying for the Parent PLUS loan and have several questions. I'm in the process of refinancing ...Published 3 months ago | -
What Happens When Retirement Money isn't in a Qualified Retirement Plan?
I am a single parent, age 56 and my daughter will be applying for college next year. I make less than $60,000, but have just over $100,000 in savings and mutual funds that I have saved towards retirement as I am self employed. (I just recently found out about other self employed retirement options.) Will my daughter receive less financial aid ...Published 3 months ago | -
How Should Divorced Parents Split a Child's College Costs?
I am the custodial parent for my daughter who will go to college this fall. It will be her first year. My income was reported on the FAFSA. This included child support, although my ex-husband has recently stopped paying child support. Now the ex-husband wants access to half of the funds available through the FAFSA to use toward his half of ...Published about 2 years ago | -
Does a "Safety Net" Affect Eligibility for Student Financial Aid?
We are parents of a high school junior looking to learn about the best places to put our money for when we fill out that first FAFSA in two years. My husband insists that we have a "safety net" of at least $10,000 in an account for emergencies (like large car maintenance costs, accident deductibles, etc.). Currently that money is in ...Published over 1 year ago | -
Paying the College Directly to Avoid Gift Taxes
Under current IRS rules, a payment made directly to an educational institution to pay for the tuition of a student does not count as a gift to the student for gift tax purposes. For example, a grandparent can avoid gift taxes by writing a check to the college for their grandchild's tuition instead of giving the money to the student or ...Published 9 months ago | -
Can a Dependent Student File the FAFSA as Independent if the Student's Parents Don't File Federal Income Tax Returns?
The next several Ask Kantro columns will answer questions about the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA may be filed starting on January 1. The FAFSA is used to apply for student financial aid from the federal and state governments and from most colleges and universities for the award year that runs from July 1 to June 30. ...Published over 1 year ago | -
Can a Student Receive a Pell Grant for a Second College Degree?
I am a 25-year-old woman looking to go back to school for a second degree in a different field of study than my original degree. I am married to an enlisted sailor and currently unemployed. For my first degree I did not fill out the FAFSA and therefore I did not receive any federal aid in the form of grants or ...Published 9 months ago | -
Dealing with the Debt Deal and Downgrade: Practical Tips for Students and their Families
Title: Dealing with the Debt Deal and Downgrade: Practical Tips for Students and their Families Standard & Poor's (S&P) downgraded US long-term debt one notch from AAA to AA+ after the stock market closed on Friday, August 5, 2011. This is the first time the United States has lost its AAA rating. The downgrade triggered a panic sell-off when the ...Published almost 2 years ago | -
How to Deal with a Defaulted But Paid-Off Student Loan that Reappears
Years ago, I went to a two-year school and obtained my Associate's degree. I defaulted on the loan. However, my taxes were taken years later (twice) to take care of the loan. In 1995, I enrolled at a different college and was awarded the Pell Grant. I didn't take out any more loans. I paid the difference with a scholarship from ...Published over 1 year ago | -
How Do Grandparent-Owned 529 College Savings Plans Affect Financial Aid Eligibility?
Only 529 college savings plans that are owned by the student or the student's parents are reported as assets on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). So a 529 plan owned by a grandparent or other third party will not be reported as an asset on the FAFSA. However, qualified distributions from such a 529 plan are treated as ...Published over 1 year ago | -
How Do You Calculate Individual Income From a Joint Return for the FAFSA When the Parents Are Separated?
In your answer to How Does Income Tax Filing Status Affect Student Aid?, you address the question of which parent is responsible for completing the FAFSA. However, I'm very curious as to how the filing status of separated parents affects how the FAFSA is processed, once the primary/custodial parent has completed it. That is, is it more advantageous for separated parents ...Published over 2 years ago | -
How will a Parent's Financial Troubles Affect the Student's Eligibility for Student Loans?
My 17-year-old daughter is eager to begin college. We have some difficult financial situations to contend with and could use your advice and direction. Her dad and I are divorced. I have poor credit due to excessive debt, and late payments. I am considering a debt settlement plan right now on two of my debts. I have outstanding student loans, and ...Published about 1 year ago | -
Confusion about Reporting Custodial 529 College Savings Plan Accounts on the FAFSA
My daughter is a freshman (in college) and lives more than 50% of the time with her mother who is the custodial parent. Her mom and I have been divorced for the last 10 years. I personally had an UGMA account set up for my daughter years ago. But two years ago I converted my daughter's $25,000 UGMA account to a ...Published 6 months ago | -
Congress Passes Fiscal Cliff Legislation, Extending American Opportunity Tax Credit
Congress passed the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (H.R. 8) late on Tuesday, January 1, 2013. The measure passed with bipartisan support in the Senate by a vote of 89 to 8 and in the House by a vote of 257 to 167. President Obama is expected to sign the legislation into law. This legislation addresses some aspects of the ...Published 6 months ago | -
Can a Student Receive Both Need-Based Grants and Merit-Based Scholarships?
If a child does receive FAFSA can they still receive scholarships and grants? — Y.P. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is used to apply for need-based financial aid from the federal government, state governments and most colleges. The financial aid will include a mix of grants, loans and student employment. The terms grants and scholarships are often used ...Published about 1 year ago | -
Free Money for College Savings
There are a variety of national, state and local programs that encourage families to save for college by providing families with free money. There are two main types of such programs: 1. Birthday Present. Such programs provide contributions of $100 to $1,000 as seed money in the college savings plan when the parents open a new 529 college savings plan before ...Published over 2 years ago | -
What Do You Do If Your Application for a FAFSA PIN is Rejected?
If you get an email message that says "Your request for a Federal Student Aid PIN cannot be processed because the Social Security Number (SSN), name, or date of birth that you provided on your PIN application does not match your information on file at the Social Security Administration (SSA)... If you are sure that the SSN, name, and date of ...Published over 1 year ago | -
Repayment Begins for Students Who Graduated in May and June
Students who graduated in May or June are nearing the end of the six-month grace period. The first monthly loan payment is usually due in November or December. Don't Be Delinquent Unfortunately, about a third of borrowers are late with the first payment on their federal student loans. This is called a delinquency. There are a variety of reasons why students ...Published over 1 year ago |


text:
Making the Boys
Theater of War
Angels in America
Spielberg Takes on History.
As promised, the first full-length trailer for Academy Award-winning director Steven Spielberg's new historical biopic, Lincoln, was released online last night. Based on Pullitzer Prize-winning biographer and historian Doris Kearns Goodwin's book Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, and adapted for the screen by Tony Kushner (Munich), Lincoln focuses on the last days of President Abraham Lincoln's (Daniel Day-Lewis) life, chronicling the many clashes he had with his cabinet members over the abolition of slavery and the Civil War. Historical accuracy, gorgeous sets, an incredible cast and Spielberg at the helm, this one has "Oscar" written all over it.
Saturdays 10:00a ET / 7:00a PT
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text:
I found another quiet activity for Henry to do at nap time! It's a simple learning activity with Dominoes and it makes me so excited because Henry is actually excited for nap time each day and
3 Math Games: A Hands on Mom Feature
February 28, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Math games using the number mat from Melissa and Doug! Great ideas submitted by The Pleasantest Thing.
Counting with Dice & Blocks
November 12, 2012 by 2 Comments
With just some blocks and a pair of dice, Henry practiced one to one correspondence counting, as well as building towers! And even a little bit of patterning, all on his own!
Math Activity: Counting Maze of Numbers
August 21, 2012 by 4 Comments
In an effort to brush up on Henry's counting skills before school starts next week, I made a quick counting maze on our driveway with sidewalk chalk.
We've done a counting maze before with tape, indoors.


text:
Game 46: Penny keeps Twins at bay
Brad Penny does it again.
Brad Penny does it again.
Tim Wakefield gets the Sox going in the right direction by going 8 innings in the Sox's 2-1 victory over the Jays on Tuesday.
Red Sox end streak at 11. Boston loses to Cleveland 9-8.
Sox win their second game of the season -- another close one.
Dice-K and the Sox lose a tight one.
Another community projection today (find all the other communtiy projections here). Today's is everyone's favorite (current) third baseman, Mike Lowell. Copy and paste the form below and get your...
A retrospective on Coco Crisp's career in Boston.
Mike Lowell won the last poll handedly, so it's time to figure out the last two spots in the lineup. Here's what it looks like now: Jacoby Ellsbury Dustin Pedroia David Ortiz Kevin Youkilis J...


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breaking news
More News
Super Bowl Means Super Sales for TV Retailers
With the Super Bowl just days away, retailers are expecting big sales on TVs and furniture.
Read More» -
Bentonville State of the City Address
Things are looking good for Bentonville, both financially and developmentally.
Read More» -
Ron Paul Wins Benco GOP Poll
A victory for presidential candidate Ron Paul.
Read More» -
Meth Lab Bust in Van Buren
Tuesday night, Van Buren police arrested Anthony Johnston for having a meth lab in his apartment.
Read More» -
Heavenly Hounds
There's a church that dedicates a weekly service to pet owners and their dogs.
Read More»
Page 6187 of 6869


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Every girl deserves a badass metallic snakeskin bag. Why not treat yourself to this one?
Photographed by J. Nolan.
The Store
Nifty ThrifyThe Deal
Score this Gold Hobo Purse for $35.Color: Metallic gold
Measurements: 10.5" x 7.5" x 3.5"
Details: Metallic gold snakeskin embossed leatherette hobo purse; thin shoulder strap; zipper closure; unlined.
Ships within 1-2 business days.The Fine Print
This is a gently used item. It has been previously worn (and loved), but is in terrific, wearable condition. No refunds. This item is final sale. International shipping is not available.


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Soil: Mesic(Medium) to Dry(Xeric) Sun: Full to Part Height: 6"-13" Color: Red Bloom: April-May Flowers: The hairy flowers are up to 3/4" long with 5 lobes, 5 petals and narrow bracts that alternate with the sepals. There are usually 3 flowers per stalk, each on a separate branch. Leaves: The fern-like basal leaves are 5"-9" long, divided into toothed, wedge-shaped or oblong leaflets.
Do not use native plants for food or medicine based on the information in this website. The information listed here is included for entertainment only, not as a recommendation. Please do not eat any native plants!
Shop online for MN Native Plants Prairie Flowers Prairie Grasses Raingardens and Plant Packages Native Plants for Shoreline Restoration Green Roof Planting MN Native Seeds
Morning Sky Greenery About Us Help Choosing Native Plants News & Sales (and the blog!) Seeding and Planting Information Customer Testimonials Visit our Nursery!
Your account information Log into Your Account View Order History Edit Account Information Change Your Password View Your Shopping Cart Shipping Information
Morning Sky Greenery is a Minnesota Native Plant Nursery, growing native plants for shoreline restoration, raingardens and infiltration basins, and backyard butterfly, birdwatcher and pollinator gardens. We carry many native plants of North America, specifically midwest varieties. We have the expertise and the plants available to make any size native landscape or garden project a success!
MN Native Wildflowers and Grasses • Native Prairie Plants • Native Plants of North America &bull Shoreline Restoration &bull Native Raingardens


text:
Write Your Own Installation Instructions And Receive Up To $250!
4 Stars
On 3/9/2012 7:39:06 PM, Luke Tabone from
Got to be my favourite add on to my 302 v8,just a quick warning, make sure you order the correct amount of grooves. Check, and double check. Excellent packaging, product is well made, and you get all the mounting hardware.


text:
The Company has responsibility for raising finance for the New Zealand operations of the IAG Group and for management of their ongoing treasury requirements.On this page you will find:
Delayed share price Company announcements Price history chart Exchange Traded Options |
Company details Closing prices Dividends Warrants & Structured Products ASX CFDs |
Delayed share price
No share prices are available for the security IAN
ASX Find a broker tool
Helps you find an ASX broker based on your needs and where you live.
IAG FINANCE (NEW ZEALAND) LIMITED details
Please note: ASX relies on third parties to provide the information contained in the company details table, and therefore is unable to assume any responsibility for the accuracy or timeliness of the information.
Issuer Code | IAN |
Securities | |
Official Listing Date | 12 January, 2005 |
GICS Industry Group | GICS Sector Code Not Applicable |
Exempt Foreign? | No |
Internet Address | http://www.iag.com.au/ |
Registered Office Address | Level 26, 388 George Street, SYDNEY, NSW, AUSTRALIA, 2000 |
Head Office Telephone | (02) 9292 9222 |
Head Office Fax | (02) 9292 8072 |
Share Registry | COMPUTERSHARE INVESTOR SERVICES PTY LIMITED LEVEL 4, 60 CARRINGTON STREET, SYDNEY, NSW, AUSTRALIA, 2000 |
Share Registry Telephone | 1300 787 272 |
Directors / Senior Management |
Mr Brian Schwartz (Chairman, Non Exec. Director) Mr Nicholas Hawkins (Executive Director) Mr Michael John Wilkins (Executive Director) Mr Hugh Alasdair Fletcher (Independent Director) Mr Chris Bertuch (General Counsel) |
Company Secretary |
Mr Chris Bertuch |
Principal Activities | The Company has responsibility for raising finance for the New Zealand operations of the IAG Group and for management of their ongoing treasury requirements. |
IAG FINANCE (NEW ZEALAND) LIMITED announcements
How are company announcements published on www.asx.com.au?
Date | Price sens. |
Headline | Pages | |
17/06/2013 | Interest Details | 1 | ||
29/05/2013 | S&P Reviews IAG Ratings | 1 | ||
09/04/2013 | Change of Director's Interest Notice | 4 | ||
15/03/2013 | Interest Details | 1 | ||
08/03/2013 | Change of Director's Interest Notice | 2 | ||
21/02/2013 | IAN 1H13 Appendix 4D | 17 |
> search for past company announcements
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Closing prices
This security has not traded on ASX during the past 6 months. It is possible the security has not yet traded on ASX, today is its first day of trading, or the security is suspended from trading. Please check the company's past announcements for further information.
* Volume of shares shown represents only those shares traded on ASX.
IAG FINANCE (NEW ZEALAND) LIMITED price history chart
* More charting options are available.Dividends
How are dividends released on www.asx.com.au?
No dividends have been found for the security IAN. This is likely to be because a dividend has not been announced to the ASX by this company during the specified timeframe or a dividend has been announced but is not yet available on this website.
Exchange Traded Options
No Exchange Traded Options are available over the security IAN
Warrants & Structured Products
No warrants & Structured Products are available over the security IAN
ASX CFDs
No Contracts For Differences are available over the security IAN


text:
Search results for : | 2010 underway |
1O1 Official Forum
Created by Andre @ 9:29pm on 23/1/2010
official, forum, created, andre, 29pm, 23/1/2010Guns and Glamours
split-level NWoD chronicle set to start Feb. 2010
guns, glamours, split-level, nwod, chronicle, start, 2010SYNners iCTF Forum
National Level Cultural fest organized by NIT Kurukshetra
confluence, 2010, national, level, cultural, fest, organized, kurukshetraMadden's Professional Online Franchise
Free forum : Madden 2010 Online franchise for serious Madden Players
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National Public League
BIS Graduation 2010
Graduation discussions
graduation, 2010, discussionsHeavenly Solace
Heavenly Solice : Castle of Gods. Just a place to chill. Heavenly Solace Official 2010 site is here as well: http://heavenlysolace. ucoz. net
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. ::: H :: S :: A :::. HSA Association Networking & P2P Services Copyright 2010 ©
forums, association, networks, corporation, networking, services, copyright, 2010July 4 Convention of Muslims
Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamath (TNTJ) has planned to organise Massive Conference in Chennai Insha Allah on 4th July 2010, in which 15 Lakhs Muslims across the state is expected to take part in this conference.
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Prep for CLST Final Exam, Fall 2010
greek, history, prep, clst, final, exam, fall, 2010Unlimited Soldiers Site
Our clan is runnin since July/August 2010©
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Rerolling project for World of Warcraft EU - 2010
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A place to discuss maths, quantum mechanics and condensed matter physics
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Free forum : Who can build their program up the best and be crowned National Champion?
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A site dedicated to the original CountingDown. com (1998-2010)
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ATZ No. 1 Source for Android Rooting Since 2010 A diversified Site which includes: KTZ, WMT, ALTECHNET
7042, 7022, 7015, coby, android, pandigital, skypad, connect, presitage, kyros, flytouch, maylong, wmt8505+, wmt8650, honeycomb, icecream, sandwich, gingerbread, eclair, donutRace 2 Championship-Dynasty For Elite and Mature Gamers
The Race2Championship league was formed in 2010. The league was created to stand out from other dynasties as a league that is competitive, mature and provide that college football feeling that we all love and have on Saturday mornings. We strive to o
race, championship, ncaa, football, sports, dynasty, strategy, offense, defense, playbook, recruiting, stunts, blitzesClub penguin Christmas Party 2010
Club penguin Offical Forum
jps42, club, penguin, fivestarfrogcp, mods, trainers, moderators, rockhopper, tracker, gary, aunt, arctic, band, sensei, cadenceUnit-13
Unit 13 Shag Your Missus! ♥ DBL6+One www. Unit-13. com Copyright © 2010-2013
unit13, unit-13, vagwales, edition, club, polo, golf, owners, skool, j-euro, hellaflush, canibeat, stance, works, static, wheelCB500 Club Forum
UK based CB500 Club twin forum Maintenance, Reviews, Parts, Discounts, Chatter, How To's and News.
cb500, club, forum, honda, race, racers, courier, thundersport, track, dispatch, coummunter, scratcher, squid, important, inherit, 2010Madden Champions Lgue
Madden Online Franchise for Madden 2010 and 2011
madden, online, champions, lgue, homeDynastyMU Season 6 Episode 3| MAX EXP| MAX RATE | MAX STATS | FULL OPT
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Founded in 2010, we are an active community, which focuses not only on literate wolf roleplay but also contests, events, and an all around positive experience.
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text:
That's Life!
Hello, here in Smolensk butcher's shop, local egghead Student Arkady respond to suggestion things look very bad for David Cameron by set another great song to new lyrics.
That's Life
(To this tune: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55YTRNmgZEI)
That's life! [That's life!].
That's what all the people say.
Your budget's slain through April,
Coulson in May.
And Hunt's on tomorrow afternoon.
I'm at Leveson, Leveson in June.
I taxed hot pies [Hot pies].
Then got funny with charity.
Backbenchers give me kicks
For my pedigree.
And they want Boris, Boris looks so sound,
Cos George and me keep U-turning around.
I've been a centrist, a Blairite, then Thatcher's true heir, right?
Adored Mervyn King.
Polls went up, then down. Steve Hilton got out.
But I know one thing.
Each time I find myself,
Flat on my face,
Then Nick makes some tea and shares in my disgrace.
My knife! [My knife!]
Growth's feeble, I can't deny it.
I kept on cutting, baby,
That Lagarde dame's gonna buy it.
But even Christine thinks a VAT cut is worth a try.
Ed Ball's says "I told you." And feathers fly.
I've hit disabled and paupers, had Beecroft and Portas,
Made trips to Beijing.
I've said up and down on caravan tax,
I've tried everything.
Each way I turn myself, embarrassments I face.
Why did I text 'LOL' and tell Rebekah she's ace?
Crap life! [Crap life]
Crap life, and I can't deny it.
My own side just wants me out,
Nadine's never quiet.
But if Olympic glory fails me in July,
They'll get a stalking horse up, in the late Fall. Re-ee-sign!
Bye, Bye!


text:
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How to Buy a Pressure WasherFind out how to choose the right pressure washer for the washing job. Pressure washers are fast and effective cleaning tools that can cut hours off otherwise ... |


text:
Hyannis Library 'Unduly Penalized,' Reports Says
By: Laura M. Reckford
Published: 04/26/10
Barnstable Town Manager John C. Klimm heard two vastly different things about libraries last year. He heard that a new funding formula put together by the Barnstable Library Committee would devastate the Hyannis Public Library, which was bearing the brunt of the cuts. And he heard from Library Committee Chairman Mark C. Cote that the library could handle the cuts and he would never let the Hyannis Library close.
"This has been a difficult issue for me," Mr. Klimm said.
So seeking answers, Mr. Klimm hired a consultant using $3,000 out of his own office budget. This week he received the
consultant's report, and it sided with Hyannis Library.
The report states that if the funding formula continues, "In 2012, the library is essentially dead."
Charles M. Sabatt, the head of the board of trustees of the Hyannis Library, said the consultant has verified what the trustees have been telling the library committee and the town manager, that "if this formula continues, we will be effectively out of business."
Mr. Sabatt, who also serves on the library committee, said he heard some skepticism among other library committee members on that position as the debate over funding heated up last year. He also said the report comes out in favor of looking at the town's library system as a whole and that following that advice would provide a silver lining to the whole debate.
Mr. Klimm said he needed to get to the bottom of the issue by means of an unbiased source, because it could influence decisions on the town budget, which is due to be submitted to the Barnstable Town Council on May 6.
"I have to decide if ultimately I'm going to intervene," he said.
The consultant who examined the operations and financing at the Hyannis Library was Nancy Rea, a former deputy director of the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.
Mr. Klimm emphasized, "She has no affiliation with anyone in town." That was important, Mr. Klimm said, because as a Hyannis resident who was born and raised in the village, "some have suggested I have a bias."
Ms. Rea made four recommendations: to immediately freeze the phase in of the new funding formula; to continue to follow the Cohen Report, a report commission three years ago; to conduct a library user survey town-wide; and to develop a master plan for the town's library services.
In her first recommendation, Mr. Klimm said, "She calls into question the formula itself."
The new funding formula put in place by the library board last year was heavily weighed in favor of libraries with high circulation and that criteria accounted for 50 percent of the funding formula.
For the Hyannis Library, the new formula meant that over two years, one-third of the library's budget would be cut.
Mr. Cote explained the new funding formula last year by saying, "performance should be the key criteria and for that, libraries look to circulation."
But Ms. Rea disagreed. In the report, Ms. Rea stated, "The new criteria, with an emphasis on circulation statistics, are not reflective of the users and activity at an urban library such as the [Hyannis Public Library] and unduly penalize one library."
Mr. Klimm said Ms. Rea points out in the report that library functions have evolved in recent years, and that measurements of "building activity and computer use," would be helpful statistics when looking at Hyannis Public Library.
The purpose of the study, Mr. Klimm said, was "to find out whether Hyannis Public Library was running efficiently and if additional efficiencies were needed to soften the blow." Mr. Klimm said he wanted to know if, in Ms. Rea's professional opinion, the library would have trouble remaining open with the proposed cuts. He also wanted her to review the new formula put forward by the Library Committee last year.
Ms. Rea met with library staff, trustees, and members of the library committee.
Hyannis Library Director Ann-Louise Harries said the consultant made her first visit anonymously and unannounced. In a second visit, she spent all afternoon at the library with Ms. Harries. She also attended a trustee meeting and spent time studying the library's finances with the auditor.
Mr. Klimm said he cautioned Ms. Harries and Hyannis Library Trustee Board Chairman Charles Sabatt that "if the consultant found inefficiencies, it could reflect poorly on the library."
"We welcomed it," Ms. Harries said of the independent review. "We want the town to know this is a fatal blow. Frankly, if it continues, this library will close. She could see that I'm sure."
Ms. Harries said she has not yet seen the report.
Mr. Klimm said he is scheduled to meet with Mark C. Cote, chairman of the library committee, early next week. The library committee next meets Tuesday, May 4 at 4:30 PM at the Sturgis Library in Barnstable Village.
Mr. Klimm said he plans to ask the library committee to review the report and make a recommendation to him. He added, "I'm not going to support a recommendation that an independent expert tells me would have a devastating effect."
Ms. Harries said the cuts this year—$67,000 cut out of a $479,000 budget—have been "very, difficult" and she did not know what the library would do if the proposed cuts went forward next year. The library committee's fundraising formula would take at least another $45,000 out of the budget.
This year's cuts meant the loss of two full-time equivalent library positions. The library now has seven staffers plus a full-time security guard.
Ms. Harries said, "I have already warned my staff that if it goes through, there will be further staff cuts. I don't know how we can run the library with more staff cuts. There is no one in reference anymore. It's not fair to the users."
The materials budget has been cut in half, among other changes. Ms. Harries has also cut the heat in the building, setting the thermostat at 55 degrees. "It's like an ice box in winter," Ms. Harries said of the historic section of the building. Because of the lowered thermostat, the perpetual fundraising book sale in the front of the building was closed this past winter.
And patrons have noticed, Ms. Harries said.
One positive thing that has come out of the cuts, Ms. Harries said, is the library now has a new friends of the library group and eight new trustees from the Hyannis area. The trustees will be sending out a fundraising letter to residents of Hyannis in the next few weeks.
After 37 years at the Hyannis Public Library, Ms. Harries said she has seen the library go through some difficult times, but nothing like this year.
"They are working on destroying an institution that has been here since 1865. It serves a unique population on the Cape. I think there needs to be a library on Main Street, Hyannis," Ms. Harries said.
She said she hopes Mr. Klimm "takes the report and uses it to our advantage, if it shows us to be really disadvantaged from further cuts."
Mr. Cote, chairman of the library board, said he has not yet read the report because he just received it.
He said the library committee still needs to decide whether to implement the second year of the formula, delay it, or pursue some other alternative. Mr. Cote said his meeting with Mr. Klimm about the library budget next week "will have some bearing on what the library committee decides to recommend to the town manager as to how the money is divided."
As to how the past year has gone with the new funding formula, Mr. Cote said, "It has been a tough year for all the libraries," because of the difficult economy, but he said he believes all seven of the town's libraries have made it through in good form.
"The service level remains the same. No one has cut hours. We've had staff cuts through attrition and made other adjustments that are saving money," he said.