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Deserts and dictators. Yurts and nomads. Silk Road cities, staggering yet underrated mountain ranges, Soviet detritus, and one of the world's greatest road trips.
This is Central Asia. The 'Stans. Never well understood, but absolutely worth an attempt to understand.
Although a visit to Southeast Asia kicked off our around-the-world journey back in 2006, the former Soviet Union – the Caucasus and Central Asia (known as the 'Stans) — was the real impetus for our trip. Before we'd set off, Audrey had worked with these countries (Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan) remotely from a desk in Prague, Czech Republic for over four years. During that time, she'd built up an appetite to experience them firsthand.
I, too, was game. But our guidebook made the region sound somewhat menacing.
Truth was, we weren't really quite sure what to expect.
Some of you may be thinking and many of you have asked: "Central Asia? Is there really anything to see and do there? Is it safe?"
Yes, and yes. Now let's go!
Beautiful, Offbeat: Central Asia Travel Overview
If you're looking for something off-path in all ways literal and figurative, Central Asia makes a good travel candidate. Filled with incredible mountain landscapes, friendly people and quirky experiences of the Soviet hangover variety, Central Asia is hard to beat when it comes to raw, discover-the-world potential. To this day, it remains one of our favorite and most fulfilling travel experiences.
Because tourism is still relatively new across Central Asia (for us, this was one of its appeals), there isn't the same fully fleshed out tourism infrastructure that you'll find throughout the rest of Asia. So you'll have to make an effort. The flip side is that you'll find friendly locals to shepherd you to your next — and often unexpected — adventure.
Still curious and undaunted about what you'll find in the 'Stans of Central Asia? From west to east, here's a country-by-country beginner's guide to some of our favorite travel spots and experiences in the region.
From a red tape and visa perspective, Turkmenistan is the trickiest of all Central Asian countries to navigate. But don't cross it off your list immediately, for it will likely surprise you and reward you for your perseverance.
Caspian Sea
If you have some flexibility in your schedule and you find yourself in Azerbaijan looking for a way out, we highly recommend taking the overnight ferry across the Caspian Sea from Baku, Azerbaijan to Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan. Talk about a stunning and peaceful way to transition to a new region. Just stay away from the woman attendant on board who looks like the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man.
More reading: Reflections Crossing the Caspian Sea
Las Vegas meets Pyong Yang in Turkmenistan's quirky capital city of white marble, fountains and 20-mile "health walks." While the rotating gold statue of Turkmenbashi is no longer on display, there are still plenty of reminders of Turkmenistan's bizarre, self-consumed former leader (let us know if Turkmenbashi vodka is still on the market – good stuff).
Ashgabat's Tolkuchka market on Sundays is the largest open air market in Central Asia; worth getting yourself out of bed to get there early. And if you look hard enough, you'll find an active disco scene complete with Russian mafia, gorgeous women and enough drama to pack a Brazilian soap opera.
More reading: Ashgabat, The City of Love: A Scavenger Hunt
Gonur Depe, Merve and Konye-Urgench
Kick up 1000s of years of relatively undiscovered history as you walk just about any of Turkmenistan's archaelogical sites. Check out the mostly unexcavated site of Gonur Depe where you're literally sifting through 4,000 years of history. Yes, 4000 years! Then, stop by the cities of Merv and Konye-Urgench for a taste of Turkmenistan's station on the Silk Road.
More reading: Kicking Up 4,000 Years of History in Turkmenistan
Darvaza Gas Crater
Standing at the edge of a collapsed, blazing natural gas crater in the Karakum desert is one part hellishly hot, another part downright cool, particularly when you appreciate it from a tent, full moon overhead. Along the way there, pop by the oasis village of Jerbent for a peek at desert life that feels Thunderdome-ish and otherworldly.
More reading: Natural and Not-so-Natural History Sites in Turkmenistan
Uzbekistan offers some of the best-developed tourism infrastructure in the region thanks to its Silk Road cities. A range of guest houses, train connections, and tour companies connect the region. During the time of our visit, Tashkent was the city with the best internet connectivity; its selection of wifi cafes made it an ideal place to catch up on our work.
Classic Silk Road: Khiva, Bukhara, and Samarkand
Get your fill of Silk Road snapshots and history along Uzbekistan's Silk Road route: Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand, and Shakhrisabz. Although Samarkand is the most architecture-loaded, each of the cities is worth a look. Our favorite is Bukhara, perhaps because it feels like living history. People still live in many of its old buildings, and merchants still bargain in the same market areas, much as they might have a thousand years ago. Additionally, it's hard to find a friendlier and more colorful fresh market than the one on the outskirts of town.
More reading: A Real Peek at Uzbekistan's Silk Road: A Reflective Scavenger Hunt
Nukus and Moynaq
Nukus doesn't have any Silk Road glam, but it is home to the eclectic Savitsky Museum, which somehow escaped Soviet censorship. It's also home to Mizdakhan, an extraordinary cemetery featuring mini-mosques and marble- and stone-engravings of the dead.
Once a fishing town on the Aral Sea, Moynaq is today's bone-dry testament to man's stunning ability to prosecute war on nature. Rusted boats lay across land that was once shoreline, but is now desert. In full disclosure, we did not visit here but after talking with other travelers we regret this decision.
More reading: A Real Peek at Uzbekistan's Silk Road: A Reflective Scavenger Hunt
Even though we enjoyed two "we're going to die here" experiences in a relatively short time — crossing the land border from Uzbekistan and getting lost in the Tian Shan mountains – we still recommend you visit Kazakhstan. Among other things, you'll find that the film Borat is more than a little shy of reality.
Big Almaty Lake and Kosmostancia
The Tian Shan mountains just outside Almaty provide some great hiking opportunities. Take a city bus into the base of the mountains and follow the trails up or walk atop a giant water pipe to Big Almaty Lake and enjoy the mountains and its surreal blue water.
After the lake, continue further up the mountain path for more surreal, this time of a Soviet variety, at Kosmostancia. Don't be deterred by the rusted vehicles and abandoned look of the place. Astronomers still live and work in those hills and they usually have a few rooms to rent out. Try to squeeze in a stargazing session with the mad Russian astronomer (if he's still there) and his big telescope. If you continue over the mountain pass, be sure to carry a real trekking map. We didn't and very nearly disappeared, for real.
More reading: Big Almaty Lake and Kosmostancia: The Hike and The Observatory and Getting Lost in the Tian Shan Mountains (or, How Kazakhstan Nearly Killed Us)
If you must choose one country to visit in Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan might just be it. Not only is the country over 90% mountainous and studded with beautiful landscapes, but the traditional nomadic culture and people are warm and welcoming. Kyrgyzstan also has a terrific community-based tourism (CBT) network throughout the country that makes it easy to connect and interact with locals, stay in yurts, and take mountain treks on horseback.
Additionally, Kyrgyzstan has visa-free travel for many nationalities, making it free from many of the bureaucratic headaches in the region.
Song Kul Lake
Combine great mountain scenery and a glimpse into rural Kyrgyz life with a three-day horse trek from Kochkor to Song Kul Lake. Sleep in yurts along the trail and on the edge of the lake. In the spring to summer months, you'll run into shepherds tending their animals in the hills. We went in October and were blessed with a view of the first snows on the lake and the animal drive as shepherds took their animals to their villages in lower altitudes for the winter. Even if you have no experience on a horse (like us), you'll be able to manage. After all, we did. Just don't expect to walk normally the next day.
More reading: A Goat and Five Fingers: A Ramadan Experience in Kyrgyzstan
Karakol Animal Market
We arrived in Karakol, a sleepy town on the eastern fringe of Kyrgyzstan in time for its Sunday animal market. With an early rise, we enjoyed the scene as old men in kalpaks (traditional Kyrgyz hats) bargain away for stubborn donkeys and fat-rumped sheep.
More reading: Kyrgyzstan: Women Can Do It and Kyrgyzstan: Best Tourist Sights and Landscapes
Altyn Arashan
Hike around 4-5 hours from the town of Karakol to Altyn Arashan, a natural mountain hot spring. Stay for the night and you can spend as long as you'd like relaxing in pools of piping hot water. Feels sooooo good after a day of hiking. Stars up there are also amazing.
If you have more time, continue in the morning to Ala Kol Lake. Although we and our companion had to turn back because of a blizzard whiteout, other friends all had great things to say about the trek.
Update: If you're interested in exploring a new trekking route near Karakol, take a look into the Boz Uchuk Lakes Trek in Jyrgalan Valley.
More reading: Kyrgyzstan: Best Tourist Sights and Landscapes
South Shore of Lake Issyk Kul and Manzhyly
Various subranges of the Tian Shan mountains surround both the southern and northern shores of Issyk Kul, the world's second largest mountain lake. The point? You never have a bad view when you're at Issyk Kul.
Spend a night at Manzhyly yurt camp on the southern shore of the lake. Do some hiking, talk with a friendly shepherd, eat a wonderful home-cooked Kyrgyz meal and sleep as soundly you ever have in the dark womb of a Kyrgyz mountain yurt.
More reading: A Perfect Day in Kyrgyzstan and Issyk-Kul Southern Shore Experiential Travel Guide
Unlike their neighbors, Tajiks are of Persian rather than Turkic origin. For this reason, Tajikistan features cultural, physical and culinary differences from the rest of Central Asia.
Pamir Highway Road Trip
Most of our time in Tajikistan was spent in the Pamir Mountains on the border with Afghanistan. We began our journey across the Pamir Highway in Osh, Kyrgyzstan, which we highly recommend for a view of Peak Lenin (7135 meters or 23406 feet) on the way to the border.
Make your way from the high desert outpost of Murghab through a series of mountainous roads with views of the Hindu Kush in Pakistan to Langar at the start of the lush Wakhan Valley. The local Pamiri people are renowned for being some of the friendliest people on earth; they will literally try to give you the shirt the back if you need it. Try to fit in a visit to Bibi Fatima hot springs (supposedly good for fertility) and the nearby ruined fortress. You'll be peeking into Afghanistan across the river the whole way.
To visit the Pamir Mountains, you have to get a GBAO permit at the same time you apply for your visa. It's now supposedly available online as an e-visa these days.
More reading: Pamir Mountains: A Beginner's Guide
Tajik Air Over the Pamir Mountains
Easily the most frightening and stunning flight we've ever been on. In an unpressurized plane where person and bag has been weighed before takeoff, we flew through (not over, through) the on the way from Khorog in the Pamir Mountains to Tajikistan's capital city of Dushanbe.
Once you get to Dushanbe, we recommend spending time in the fresh markets – people are incredibly friendly and curious.
More reading and video: Badakhshani Express: Scraping the Pamir Mountains with Tajik Air
Map of our Itinerary through Central Asia
We began our journey in Central Asia by taking a boat across the Caspian Sea into Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan and crossed into China from Kyrgyzstan over the Torugart Pass just over three months later. You can see the route we took in our three-month journey across Central Asia in the Google MyMap below.
Even with this relatively significant amount of time, a long list of places we'd like to visit "next time" remains.
Practical Advice for Planning a Trip to Central Asia
Planning a Central Asian itinerary
If you don't have a few months to spend in the region, let your theme of choice (e.g, Silk Road, desert, mountains) guide you. Then, find a country (or two) that suits your needs. You can cross over from country to country by flight or land transport. For more ideas on where and what to do and see in Central Asia, read: Golden Camel Awards: Sights, People and Scenery. You can also see the (mostly) overland route we took from Turkmenistan to Tajikistan on the Google Map above.
If you are hesitant to travel independently with all of the logistical arrangements or prefer to travel with a small group and local guide, check out the new G Adventures Central Asia tour that covers many of the same sites mentioned above. We've taken over ten tours with G Adventures and can recommend them.
When to go to Central Asia
This region is great from springtime to fall, but best to be avoided in the wintertime unless you favor frigid and gray. We traveled through Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in July/August. Although it was the hottest time of year (100+ F), the dry desert heat didn't bother us. Mountain areas in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan (e.g., Pamirs, Wakhan Valley, Tian Shan) can become numbingly cold as early as October.
We never felt unsafe in the three months we traveled through Central Asia and we were on every form of public and private transport available. Our guidebook made us fearful of police harassment and bribery, but we never once encountered this in three months. We were asked for our papers once, from a policeman in the Tashkent metro, whereupon we pretended not to speak Russian. He apologized and went on his way. If you must provide your passport, begin with a paper copy first.
Language in Central Asia
Each country in this region has their own language (e.g., Turkmen, Kyrgyz, etc.) that use either the Latin or Cyrillic alphabet. However, Russian is the lingua franca. Many young people are learning English, but don't expect a lot of English speakers anywhere. Our suggestion is to learn your numbers and the Cyrillic alphabet (it really isn't that hard) so you can read street and bus signs. Carry a dictionary or download a translation app on your smartphone in case you get stuck.
Visas and bureaucracy
The visa process is one of the biggest barriers to travel in Central Asia. Bureaucracy and cost can sap both your savings and patience. We arranged our visas independently as we traveled (i.e., Turkmenistan visa in Yerevan, Armenia, Uzbekistan visa in Baku, Azerbaijan, Kazakh and Kyrgyz visas in Uzbekistan, Tajik visa in Kyrgyzstan).
Fortunately, the visa application process has become simplified for most countries. Kyrgyzstan now has a visa-free regime for 60 nationalities (and an e-visa process for the rest), as does Kazakhstan for 45 nationalities. Tajikistan now has visa-upon-arrival at Dushanbe Airport as well as an e-visa + GBAO permit process, both of which allow 45 days in-country. From July 2018 Uzbekistan also has an e-visa program for travelers from 51 countries.
Turkmenistan's visa regime is still as rigid as ever, but the visa requirements for Uzbekistan are supposed to be easing. Letters of Invitations (LOI) are not required for many nationalities now, although we hear that having one speeds up the visa approval process at an embassy.
If you are setting off from your home country we would advise you to take care of them all ahead of time, if possible. You can also use a visa service to help reduce the bureaucratic headaches and hand-wringing.
For all the nitty gritty details read: Sex and the Central Asian Visa
Hotels and guest houses in Central Asia run the gamut from pleasant to appalling. In Kyrgyzstan, we used the Community-Based Tourism (CBT) program to book family homestays throughout the country, but many of them are also available for direct booking these days on Booking.com. Uzbekistan also features guest houses for all budgets in the Silk Road cities. Tashkent hotels can get expensive.
In the Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan, the only place with proper hotels is Khorog. You'll likely have to stay with families in the other areas (one of life's greatest experiences). Accommodation in Kazakhstan, especially Almaty, can be shockingly expensive, and you may find yourself sleeping in a brothel if all are booked.
For the best and worst of logistics across Central Asia, read: The Golden Camel Awards: Logistics
Public transportation in Central Asia is surprisingly good and accessible – buses, mashrutkas (minivans), trains and shared taxis run throughout the region, with the exception of along the Pamir Highway/GBAO. In general, shared taxis are a bit more expensive than buses or mashrutkas, but they are often the fastest way to get you to your destination.
Hitchhiking is also common in some areas, and may be required along the Pamir Highway for those on a tight budget.
You don't come to Central Asia for the food, but the selection, variety and quality has increased over the last few years. Vegetarianism is not widely understood so it's useful to have a vegetarian useful phrases translation card with you to avoid misunderstandings.
For more details on what to expect from food across Central Asia, read: Golden Camel Awards: Food and Markets and Central Asian Food: The Good, the Bad, and the Inedible
Traveling as a Woman in Central Asia
What's it like traveling as a woman through Central Asia? These countries are Muslim, but of a more moderate, open and secular variety than you might find in parts of the Middle East. This combined with Soviet and Russian influence, can make Central Asia feel like the land of paradox.
You will find village women in colorful headscarves, but you'll also find city women wearing mini-skirts so mini that you might be wondering if someone ran out of fabric. Audrey always kept her legs and shoulders covered and wore a head scarf in a few parts of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, partly to fit in and partly to help with the fierce heat and sunshine. Local women absolutely loved this and Audrey and her headscarf became an attraction and a point of tea, conversation and connection. We met several solo female travelers in Central Asia and they felt the same.
Recommended Reading and Resources for Central Asia
- Indy Guide: A website that helps connect travelers to local guides, tour providers and drivers in Mongolia and Central Asia. Plus, it offers a way to connect with other travelers going through the region. Visa and other practical advice, too.
- Central Asia Lonely Planet Guide: Although the section on security and harassment in this guidebook did freak us out a bit before our trip, we did find the city maps, historical background, and general information about logistics useful.
- The Great Game: The Struggle for Empire in Central Asia: Great historical context on the geo-political Great Game played by the Russian and British Empires to control routes and access to trade and goods in India and the East.
- Central Asia Phrasebook: If you don't have some Russian language skills under your belt, it might be useful to have a phrasebook like this to navigate public transport, accommodation, food and more.
Any questions about traveling in Central Asia? Leave a comment below and we'll do our best to help.


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to many?
Discuss other upcoming Jim Carrey movies (not confirmed/rumours).
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to many?
Jim Jim Jim! we love him so much and he is working on so many movies right now and thinking about different ones to do but i cant help think maybe he might be getting in over his head? wat do u guys think
alrightythen!!!!!!

to many?
No I think he will be fine cuz he loves what he does and im sure he knows how to stay balanced! Besides he took practically a whole year off in 2002 so he prolly thinks this is a good idea with all these great scripes!!
 Melissa

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"God is a mean kid sitting on an ant hill with a magnifying glass and im the ant he could fix my life in 5 minutes if he wanted to but he rather burn off my feelers and watch me squirm!" ~ Bruce Almighty Jim Carrey~

"Thank God you werent hurt" " God yea lets thank god shall we,for his blessings are raining down upon me, WAIT THATS NOT RAIN!" ~Bruce Almighty Jim Carrey and Jennifer Aniston~

"I'll be back" " Hasta La Vista...Baby" ~Arnold Schwarzenegger (Terminators) ( FYI: 2nd hottest man alive)

"That's the trouble with being me. At this point, nobody gives a damn what my problem is. I could literally have a tumor on the side of my head and they'd be like, 'Yeah, big deal. I'd eat a tumor every morning for the kinda money you're pulling down."~ Jim Carrey~

" Do you want me to get naked and start the revoluton? I'll take that as a maybe" ~ Jack Black Orange County~
" Helloooo Chelloooo" ~Jack Black School Of Rock~

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It's a little bit of a chilly start this morning with temperatures in the upper-40s or low-50s but brilliant sunshine is going to take care of that today. It will feel like summer with highs this afternoon reaching the mid-80s.
Tonight stays clear and pleasant with lows in the mid-50s. Wednesday is looking like another beauty with highs in the low-80s.
While Irma has been downgraded to a tropical depression and is bringing mostly rain to Georgia and the Tennessee Valley region our attention should shift to Hurricane Jose in the Atlantic, at least for its oddity. The storm is expected to traverse a loop in the open ocean and then head back to the northwest. Storm track models diverge widely after that with some taking the storm harmlessly into the Atlantic and others toward the Bahamas. We should know more about Jose's eventual destination this weekend.


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DATE & TIME: Wednesday, July 24, 2013 @ 3:00 PM
El Paso County Sheriff's Office
3850 Justice Dr., El Paso, Texas 79938
Public Information Officer, Angelica Becerra
Cell: 915-479-1678
Office: (915) 538-2119
EMAIL: email@example.com
Website: EPCSO.ORG
EL PASO TEXAS- On 07-23-13 a burglary of vehicle report was generated after a Sheriff's Deputy was dispatched to Eastlake Blvd. and Rojas, El Paso County, where several batteries were reportedly stolen from five tractor type vehicles. On 07-23-13, at approximately 6:00 AM, the company's foreman, had returned to the job site when he noticed one of the tractor's would not start. It was then discovered that other batteries were stolen from other tractors on site by means of forced entry.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the El Paso County Sheriff's Office at 915-546-2280.
submit a tip on-line by clicking on icon below.
OR by submitting an anonymous tip via text to tip411 which is 847411 and enter our agency keyword: EPCSO
You may also contact Crime Stoppers of El Paso.


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We're starting to look into a replacement for our current firewalls. We're using borderware appliances right now because we need to have an EAL 4 certified firewall for some functions.
Borderware are discontinuing support for our gear in the next year or 2 and the support company for this country is dissociating from Borderware soon, we'll still be supported but it will be direct with Canada.
We'll need at least 4 new appliances 1 of which needs to be EAL4+.
So looking ahead what companies have produced enterprise class firewalls that have impressed you? Or have you seen any promising technologies in the end stages of develpment.


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- "Across The Fence" on WCAX-TV (video): Preparing Vermont for an Animal Disease Emergency
- "Across the Fence" – Addison County Milk Truck Cleaning and Disinfection Drill
- (Feb. 2, 2011) News Article: "Expect the Best, Prepare for the Worst: Research Helps Prepare Communities for Disaster"
- (July 4, 2011) News Article "Local Farms Prepped for Emergencies"
- 2011 Vermont Emergency Management Conference Presentation
- Building Capacity – A UVM Extension Project
- Dairy Forum Deals with Infectious Disease
- Dairy Herd Network – Crisis Management
- EDENotes: A blog for delegates and friends
- Farm Safe VT
- FEMA: U.S. Small Business Administration and Agility Recovery Solutions
- Healthy Farms Healthy Agriculture: An Overview of Dairy Biosecurity* – I helped produce this!
- What Ceres Might Say
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Time for an Insurance Check Up
Think your insurance carrier covers foot-and-mouth disease? Think again! When is the last time you reviewed your farm insurance coverage really closely? Reading your policy at bedtime may take care of insomnia, but will it ensure your policy meets your … Continue reading
Posted in FMD News, Just My Thoughts, News Worthy Mentionables, One Health Tagged biosecurity, claim, disease, disease control, FMD, foot-and-mouth, Foreign animal disease, insurance, particulars, peril, VT 1 Comment


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Yesterday Theft of Swords went live on the Starbuck'sDigital Network. What that means is if you're in a WiFi enabled Starbucks, when you log in to the Internet you will be greeted by a splash screen asking if you'd like to read my book…for free.
That's right, for the next two weeks you can read the entire novel for free on your computer, tablet, or phone. So if you've been wondering if my books are worth buying, or if there is someone you want to get interested in the series, now you can do it for the price of a cup of coffee—actually no purchase is necessary, but given that Starbucks is being nice enough to host this, I don't think buying a cup of coffee is too much to ask.
So have a merry caffeinated Wintertide, and—if only those people who visit Starbucks in the next two weeks take the time to read my book—so will I.


text: We Live Together Roxanne Hall. NIkki and Sammie are having relationship issues. They decide to go seek help from a couples therapist. The girls pick one and head on over there to resolve things between them. But, even right before going they get into another fight. At the office they share whats been bothering them with their therapist Roxane. She clearly notices that the problem is communication and being able to share. As the Professional she is, she offers herself to the girls to help them get past all the BS. I wish my Therapist did this for me while I was having issues.


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Message Board
Mata Elliott Message Board
Talk about the novels, new and used books that Elliott has written!
Author Elliott's Book Reviews
Forgivin' Ain't Forgettin'
Schoolteacher Cassidy Beckett has been living life in the shadows ever since she experienced an out of wedlock pregnancy years earlier. Rather than deal with the pain of her giving her son up for adoption, Cassidy has buried herself in her work. Trevor Morgan is still reeling from the loss of his beloved wife, Brenda. Raising his two daughters by himself is a major task, one that has Trevor questioning his past actions on the night his wife passed awa...


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The best bits of culture and flat-out fun in the days ahead.
Nov. 29-Dec. 23:
Holiday plays at the Hipp: The Hippodrome Theatre kicks off the Christmas season with two plays. "A Tuna Christmas," which portrays the comical competition for the best Yuletide lawn display in Tuna, Texas, alternates with Mary Hausch's adaptation of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," a Gainesville tradition with Rusty Salling in his 23rd year as Ebenezer Scrooge. Performances run through Dec. 23 for "A Tuna Christmas" and through Dec. 22 for "A Christmas Carol." For showtimes and tickets, call 375-4477.
Nov. 29-Dec. 23:
Dreaming of a Christmas classic: Onstage at the Gainesville Community Playhouse is "White Christmas," a stage adaptation of the 1954 classic film featuring such Irving Berlin songs as "I Love a Piano," "Snow" and the title track. Performances begin at 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays, through Dec. 23. For tickets, call 376-4949.
Nov. 30:
Christmas the cowboy way: The Western-swing ensemble Riders in the Sky returns for a performance of its holiday show, "Christmas the Cowboy Way," on Nov. 30 at University Auditorium. The performance offers a blend of Western wit, whimsy and musical classics along with Christmas standards and their own yuletide originals. Tickets are $20-$30, $10 for UF students.
Nov. 30
Celestial scene: The Florida Museum of Natural History presents its sixth annual Starry Night event featuring an evening of astronomy and engaging information. Members of the UF Astronomy Department and the Alachua Astronomy Club will be on hand with instruction and telescopes while a portable planetarium show will give attendees the chance to view the universe in 3-D. Guests will receive a "Passport to the Universe" to be filled out as they complete activities. The first 25 to complete the passport will receive free tickets to the Kiki Silva Pla Planetarium, with other prizes given to all who complete the passport. Hours for "Starry Night" are 6 to 10 p.m. Admission is free.
Dec. 3-Jan. 13:
Skating on the plaza: Ice skating at the Bo Diddley Community Plaza returns starting Monday with the opening of the Plaza Ice Palace. For the first time in five years, skaters can enjoy the ice rink from 4 to 10 p.m. weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends. There's no cost for skating Monday through Wednesday. Starting Dec. 6, the cost is $10 per person including skates, $7 for those who furnish their own skates.
Dec. 1:
Children's Holiday at Santa Fe:
Santa Fe College's kickoff to seasonal festivities, "A Children's Holiday at Santa Fe," offers performances from Santa Fe departments including Dance Theatre Santa Fe, the SF Singers and Theatre Santa Fe, performing respectively excerpts from "The Nutcracker," multicultural music from the season and a visit from Santa Claus for children and their families. After the show, children also can make crafts including gift bags and magic-color scratch dreidels. The performance starts at 2 p.m. Saturday in the Fine Arts Hall on the Santa Fe campus, 3000 NW 83rd St. Tickets are $10 for adults, free for children 12 and younger with a limit of three children per adults. Tickets are available by calling the box office at 395-4181 or online at vendini.com.
Dec. 1:
Santa Jam: To raise Christmas toys for children, Santa Jam 2012 features 30 bands in five events in three counties and begins Saturday at Tropical Smoothie Caf�, at 34th Street and Archer Road, where six acts – Crash Pad, Lawless Heart, Sound Grenade, Sticky Biscuit, In Spades and the Rick Ryan Band – perform from 3:30 to 10:30 p.m. Admission is one new toy per person.
Dec. 2:
Piercing songs: Venerable singer/songwriter Pierce Pettis returns to Gainesville for a performance Sunday at Prairie Creek Lodge's Sandhill Stage. Pettis' music has been lauded by such publications as The San Francisco Chronicle, which described his work as a "musical language that speaks to the head and the heart." Admission to the 6:30 p.m. performance is $20. For reservations call 317-7307 or email email@example.com.
Dec. 2:
St. Augustine with Peter Rowan: Renowned bluegrass performer Peter Rowan joins Gatorbone, Todd Schaeffer of Railroad Earth and a bevy of St. Augustine musicians in a benefit concert in St. Augustine produced by the Shakerag Culture Center in Melrose. The performance, which will benefit St. Augustine luthier Paul Berger, runs from 3 to 8 p.m. Admission is a suggested donation of $30. For tickets, call 373-5514 or see Shakeragculturecenter.org.
Dec. 2:
Campus caroling: At the Phillips Center on Sunday, UF President Bernie Machen hosts "Sounds of the Season," an annual concert featuring a number of vocal ensembles with more than 300 total performers. Titled "A Caroler's Gift," this year's concert features the UF Concert Choir, UF Women's Chorale, UF Men's Glee Club and a performance of the "Hallelujah Chorus" from Handel's "Messiah" by the Gainesville Civic Chorus and the UF Choral Union. Tickets for the 7 p.m. performance are free and will be distributed at the door starting at 6 p.m.
Dec. 5:
Boise ballet: Renowned choreographer Trey McIntyre and his Idaho-based troupe, the Trey McIntyre Project, come to the Phillips Center to perform a cycle of pieces set to popular music of the stage and silver screen with choreography drawing on a diverse collection of dance traditions. McIntyre has been praised by The New York Times, Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post as a master of the modern ballet. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20-$35, with $10 tickets available to UF students.
Dec. 8:
20th Cinderella: Danscompany of Gainesville presents its annual production of "Cinderella" on Dec. 8 at the Phillips Center. The full-length ballet, a Gainesville tradition since 1993, features a performance by the internationally renowned dancer Jose Acevedo as the prince. Performances begin at 1:30 and 7 p.m. Admission is $12, free for children under 10.
Dec. 8:
Gainesville 'Messiah': The Gainesville Civic Chorus and the UF Choral Union will perform Handel's "Messiah" at University Auditorium. The performance, conducted by UF professor Will Kesling, begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20, $15 for seniors, students and children; available by calling 392-2787.


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The Robert F. Munroe volleyball team rallied from an opening match loss to Altha in the Class A District 2 semifinals on Tuesday before a boisterous and supportive student body. The chanting, clapping and all-around revelery kept the Altha team on edge and prevented them from communicating – a fundamental very important in volleyball.
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TORONTO (AP) — A video purportedly of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford smoking crack has caused an uproar in Canada. Ford on Friday called the allegations "ridiculous."
The video has not been released publicly, and there is no way to verify whether it is authentic. Reports by gossip website Gawker and the Toronto Star said it was taken by a man who claimed he had sold crack to Ford. The Associated Press hasn't seen the video.
The conservative mayor of Canada's largest city refused to take questions Friday. In brief comments outside his office, he said it was "another story with respect to the Toronto Star going after me. And that's all I've got to say for now."
A lawyer for the colorful, often unscripted Ford didn't respond to messages seeking comment. Toronto police spokesman Mark Pugash said investigators were "monitoring the situation closely."
The Star reported that two reporters watched a video that appears to show Ford, sitting in a chair, inhaling from what appears to be a glass crack pipe. The Star said it did not obtain the video or pay to watch it.
The Star also reported that Ford made an anti-gay slur against the leader of the federal Liberal Party of Canada, Justin Trudeau.
Ford later appeared Friday at a previously scheduled ceremony marking International Day Against Homophobia.
Ford has been embroiled in controversies about his behavior since being elected in 2010, but these are the most serious allegations he's faced yet. The Toronto Star reported earlier this year that he was asked to leave a gala fundraiser for wounded Canadian soldiers because he appeared intoxicated.
During his campaign for mayor, Ford held a news conference to discuss a 1999 arrest for marijuana possession in Florida. He ultimately pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and failing to give a breath sample to police.
While in office, he has been accused of flouting conflict of interest rules and making obscene gestures at residents from his car.
Ford, a city councilor for years, once said Toronto would be better off if it didn't accept more immigrants. Half of the city's population was born outside Canada.
Toronto deputy mayor Doug Holyday questioned the authenticity of the video, saying "video can be altered" and "drug dealers can't be trusted."
Holyday said he has not spoken to Ford or his staff since the allegations surfaced, but noted he still believes in the mayor "at this point."
"I wouldn't want my career or my credibility resting on the word of drug dealers," Holyday said.
The controversy has drawn comparisons to the 1990 arrest of then-Washington Mayor Marion Barry, who was videotaped smoking crack cocaine in a hotel room during an FBI sting operation.
Barry served six months in federal prison on a misdemeanor drug possession conviction and later won a fourth term as mayor in 1994.


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|Episode Description
|Saturday, Oct 20, 2012 - 9:30 AM
"Presenting: World-Class Wines of Baja"
Baja California Norte produces many world-class, gold medal-winning wines. That fact may surprise most people in the United States. Rick takes us on a tour of the region along with renowned winemaker and visionary Hugo d'Acosta, founder of La Escuelita, a nonprofit winemaking school that opened in 2004. D
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The tour for people who don't do tours!
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Release Date: April 12, 2012
BUFFALO, N.Y -- Since it was founded in 1975, June in Buffalo has been a landmark on the new music scene, a gathering place for musical visionaries and their works -- several generations of the finest composers on the international scene.
This year is no exception. From June 4-10, an outstanding selection of new composers, senior composition faculty, performance ensembles and individual artists will convene in Buffalo to participate in the distinguished annual conference and festival for emerging composers of new music presented by the University at Buffalo Department of Music and the UB Robert and Carol Morris Center for 21st Century Music.
Look for Robert Beaser, David Felder, Julia Wolfe, Steven Stucky, Fred Lehrdal, Louis Andreissen, Roberto Fabricciani, Elliot Fisk, Brad Lubman, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, SIGNAL, Ensemble Interface, New York New Music Ensemble and other top new music ensembles, plus a host of emerging composers from around the world.
As it does every year, JIB, under the direction of David Felder, long recognized as one of the outstanding composers of his generation, will takes place after a rigorous selection process involving 80 or so applicants who submitted their work for consideration. Twenty-seven have been selected to work with the festival's senior composers in workshops and master classes. They will then have their music performed by the performance faculty and ensembles in a series of public afternoon concerts.
An additional eight spectacular evening concerts focus on the work of the senior composition faculty.
This year's senior composition faculty -- Felder, Andreissen, Stucky, Wolfe, Lehrdal and Beaser -- are six globally recognized and critically acclaimed composers, who, in addition to conducting master classes and workshops, will lecture and present their work in performance by top ensembles and individual artists.
The 2012 JIB resident performance ensembles will be the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Ensemble Interface, the Genkin Philharmonic, SIGNAL, the Slee Sinfonettia, Ensemble Interface and the UB Percussion Ensemble, each of which has a notable history of new music performance. They too, will participate in workshops and master classes as well as perform throughout the week, joined by special guest performers.
The guest performers this year will be distinguished Italian flautist and composer Roberto Fabricciani, inventor and performer of the hyper-bass flute; guitar virtuoso Elliot Fisk, one of the most adventurous and creative musicians performing today, and an enthusiastic advocate of music in schools and active musician involvement with the community; and Brad Lubman of the Eastman School of Music, a widely recognized conductor/composer and a frequent guest conductor of the world's leading ensembles.
Morton Feldman, a major composer of the late 20th century, founded June in Buffalo in 1975 while Edgar Varese was chair of music at UB. He directed it until 1979 when it ceased operation as a new music festival. It was revived in 1986 by David Felder, the university's Birge-Cary Chair of Music, who celebrated his 25th year as artistic director of the festival in 2010. The festival has been widely acclaimed by national and international musicians, scholars and critics.
JIB 2012 updates, including concert program and additional information on the performance and composition faculty, can be found at http://www.music21c.org/index.php/june-in-buffalo. Concert programs and audio excerpts from the 2011 and earlier JIB festivals also are available for download at the site.
JIB 2012 Senior Faculty Biographies
David Felder is globally recognized as a leading composer of his generation. He is a SUNY Distinguished Professor and Birge-Cary Chair of Composition in the UB Department of Music and is the founding director the university's professional chamber orchestra, the Slee Sinfonietta. He also has been director of the Robert and Carol Morris Center for 21st Century Music at UB since its founding in 2006 and was composer-in-residence with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra from 1992 to 1996.
He has won dozens of major awards for his work, which is often featured at major international festivals for new music, and has been widely commissioned by orchestras and ensembles here and abroad. His highly energetic and often lyrical compositions frequently combine music with video, electronics and acoustical elements to create multimedia performance events and he has collaborated with artists from other fields, including the late poet Robert Creeley, filmmaker Elliot Caplan, video artist David Stout and chorographer Mary Jan Eisenberg. An active teacher and mentor, he has served as PhD dissertation advisor for more than 50 composers at UB, many of whom are actively teaching, composing and performing internationally at leading institutions here and abroad.
Louis Andreissen, the 72-year-old unconventional Dutch composer, is himself the son of a recognized pioneer of modern Dutch music. He will participate in several days of the festival. He is popular with young audiences (students have come from around the world to study with him) and his work has made contemporary Dutch music prominent throughout the world. He has been cited for being "profoundly significant" and "anti-bourgeois," and has rocked many a concert stage with his rebellious (or haunting) but always eventful compositions.
One was inspired by Anais Nin's incestuous relationship with her composer father, for instance, and another is based on Plato's "Republic" and employs Greek scales and is sung in the original Greek. His wonderfully varied and unusual compositions have been described as "jazzy," "minimalist," "anti-minimalist," "troubled," "strange," "illuminating," "theatrical" (he has scored a number of films) and "shocking," and he is said to pull no punches. Steven Stucky, also on this year's June in Buffalo senior faculty, described his composition "De Stijl" (The Style) as "Stravinsky meets James Brown in Amsterdam and they smoke a joint."
Robert Beaser also is recognized as one of the most accomplished creative musicians of his generation. He music is "masterly…dazzlingly colorful, fearless of gesture…beautifully fashioned and ingeniously constructed," according to Gramophone Magazine, and The New York Times compared his lyrical gifts to those of the late, great Samuel Barber, a prominent member of the pantheon of American musicians, who also served as a member of the June in Buffalo faculty. Beaser is an important figure in the "New Tonalism" school, whose hallmark is emotional directness, and he has demonstrated a marked and widely praised gift for vocal writing. His musical language been widely cited as a synthesis of Western tradition and American vernacular. He has won many, many major awards and his work has been performed and commissioned widely in the U.S. and abroad.
Although he is highly regarded and has received much adulation and a vast number of honors, distinctions and major commissions, Fred Lehdahl is sometimes cited as one of the least known of major American composers. He is also among the least doctrinaire in that his compositions reflect a variety of sensibilities and forms. Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Paul Moravec wrote, "The deep, fresh, inspired music of Fred Lerdahl is a beacon for listeners making their way forward through the millenium's strange and wonderful landscape of the imagination. Organic images express the way in which Lerdahl's music seems so right as it unfolds in time, giving the impression of inexorability." In addition to his distinction as a composer of new music, Lehrdal's theoretical writings are among the most important of the last half of the 20th century.
Steven Stucky is a 2005 Pulitzer Prize-winning composer who, like the rest of this year's JIB faculty, is widely recognized as one of the finest and most fascinating in his field. Widely and highly acclaimed, he is one of the country's frequently performed composers and has written commissioned works for many major American orchestras and ensembles. He also is an active teacher and mentor of young composers. Stucky has held endowed chairs at the Eastman School of Music and the University of California, Berkeley, and currently serves as Given Foundation Professor of Composition at Cornell University. For 20 years he has been associated with the Los Angeles Philharmonic where he is currently consulting composer for new music. It is the longest relationship on record between a composer and an American orchestra.
Julia Wolfe draws inspiration from the folk, classical and rock genres, and brings a modern sensibility to each while tearing down the walls between them.
She was a finalist for the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for her work "Steel Hammer," which was commissioned by Carnegie Hall and written for the Bang On A Can All-Stars and Trio Mediaeval. Her music is distinguished by an intense physicality and a relentless power that pushes performers to extremes and demands attention from the audience. In the words of the Wall Street Journal, Wolfe has "long inhabited a terrain of [her] own, a place where classical forms are recharged by the repetitive patterns of minimalism and the driving energy of rock."
Wolfe has written a major body of work for strings, from quartets to full orchestra and has been critically praised as well for her quartets and her ability to create vivid sonic images. The titles of her compositions are intriguing: "Cruel Sister," inspired by an English ballad about sisters' love rivalry; "My Beautiful Scream," inspired by the idea of a slow motion scream; "Window of Vulnerability," in which she creates a massive sonic universe of dense textures and fragile windows; and "Girlfriend," which uses a haunting audio landscape that consists of skidding cars and breaking glass.
Patricia Donovan has retired from University Communications. To contact UB's media relations staff, call 716-645-6969 or visit our list of current university media contacts. Sorry for the inconvenience.


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A Dash of Leathered Luxury
Nov 16, 2009 4:38:27 PM
Leather has long been known as a luxurious material throughout the world, it has been used for centuries in everything from clothing to furniture. Leather is durable and flexible; it lends itself well to a wide array of uses including comfort and style.
Leather furniture, in particular, leather sofas and chairs, add a dash of luxury to any room or office. Modern classic furniture takes classic designs and updates them for a contemporary characteristic that makes any room vibrant and up-to-date.
Ezmod Furniture manufactures pristine modern classic furniture that caters to any taste, be it classic or modern. Our leather sofas and chairs are without a doubt one of the most durable and comfortable in the market. While borrowing from the past, we look toward the future in all of our designs, including our wide variety of leather sofas and chairs.
For example, our White LeCorbusier Petite Sofa and Chair utilize a design from 1929 and add a modern twist that is sure to please any visitors to your home or office. The white leather is vibrant and the steel frame gives them both a sturdy and futuristic look. The sofa and chair are also available in durable black leather.
Our Microfiber and Tan Sectionals are also modern pieces of furniture based on vintage designs. Both of these options, which include a leather base, offer extreme comfort and sophistication. These sectionals also offer flexibility and customization as individual sections are movable and can be placed in different layouts. The Microfiber Sectional features cozy microfiber cushions and a robust leather base that compliments the rich brown tone of the cushions.
The Modern Leather Sofa & Ottoman Set that we offer is made of top-grain leather and features chrome feet that add a fresh look to any room. Top grain leather is exceptionally durable and offers significant stain resistance; it is useful in situations where messes are bound to occur. Our Modern Leather Sofa & Ottoman Set is innovative and can turn any room or office from bland to distinctive with its smoothed edges, microfiber stripped pillows and chrome details.
Leather is an age old material that has been utilized throughout history for many reasons; it is enduring and prominent within any room layout. Modern classic furniture designs that use innovations lend themselves well to the use of leather which adds to the cutting edge quality of contemporary design.
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Joseph Marchelewski
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Bank of America Corp. reported first-quarter profit that missed analysts' estimates as lower mortgage banking income and higher legal costs slowed the firm's turnaround. The shares dropped 3% in early trading.
Net income advanced to $2.62 billion, or 20 cents a share, from $653 million, or 3 cents, a year earlier, according to a statement today from the Charlotte, North Carolina-based company. The consensus of 25 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg had predicted 23 cents a share.
Chief Executive Officer Brian T. Moynihan, 53, has sold more than $60 billion in assets, settled more than $40 billion in mortgage claims and repaired the bank's balance sheet since taking over in 2010. He's now focused on trimming $8 billion in annual expenses and adding revenue, which dropped 8.4% on an adjusted basis to $23.9 billion.
"It's going to be very hard for these banks to generate revenue, and mortgage is continuing to shrink," Chris Whalen, managing director at Carrington Investment Services LLC, an asset manager in Greenwich, Connecticut, said in an interview. "The regulatory environment for mortgage is so hostile."
Mortgage Banking
Lower mortgage banking income and declining gains from the sales of debt securities weighed on results, the bank said. The quarter included a $500 million settlement of claims tied to faulty home loans. Last year's first-quarter profit was reduced by $4.8 billion in pretax-accounting charges.
The net loss at consumer real estate services widened in this year's quarter to $1.31 billion from $1.14 billion a year earlier. Adjusted revenue slipped at the unit while noninterest expenses climbed 4.5% to $4.06 billion and margins narrowed, the bank said.
Profit from global banking slipped 15% to $1.34 billion as the provision for credit losses increased. In the markets division, income fell 20% to $1.39 billion excluding the impact of accounting charges.
"As they're fighting back the losses, they're doing a good job," said Marty Mosby, an analyst at Guggenheim Securities LLC in Memphis, Tennessee, who has a buy rating on Bank of America's shares. "What's becoming more apparent is that the core earnings power is still under pressure." Mosby's firm manages assets that include Bank of America stock.
Copyright 2014 Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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Newcomer Hager enjoying Rendezvous experience
Michael Hager of Leo, Ind. is enjoying his second Ridgway Chainsaw Carvers Rendezvous.Hager, whose carving station is located along Center Street behind the Elk County Prison, is a relative newcomer to the art form."I bought a book years ago, read it and thought I'd give this a try," he said. "It was probably four years ago and I've always been in the construction business."


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A few months after I turned 21,
A few months after I turned 21, I quit my job writing ads for college textbooks, and began my life as a freelance writer. I managed to get assignment writing about comedy in New York, which meant I got to hang out in comedy clubs and watch a hundred self-loathing guys self-destruct. I also stumbled upon an "all-girl comedy troupe" called the High Heeled Women.
We went out for drinks after their performance .I'd written jokes for comics, I knew a little about how to structure a sketch, and given my expertise, they agreed to pay me ten dollars an hour to write for them. Or with them.
There were four High Heeled Women, but two of them, Mary and Cassandra, wrote the act. None of us had air conditioning so we used the Blimpie's on West Tenth Street as our office. Mary laughed at everything I said, Cassandra was less animated. Once in a while she'd nod and say, "Funny." In hindsight, they were good cop/bad copping me. We'd start a sketch, I'd come up with a good one-liner, Mary would laugh, and Cassandra would shake her head. "Why would my character say that?" "Because it's funny?" I'd reply. She was appalled. Cassandra had been with Second City, she'd performed improv with people who'd gone on to superstardom, she'd played in front of more drunks than I could imagine. Along the way, she'd developed a code.
Comedy came from character. If you wrote a joke that wasn't true to the character, you were cheating, or "schmuck-baiting the audience." You also needed to have "conflict." One character has to have something the other character wants. I was reeling. The comics I'd written for, they just wanted one-liners that could get the drunks to listen. Cassandra wanted one-liners that made "internal sense" to the character, furthered the plot, and still got the drunks to take their hands off their neighbors' laps.
It was not a dream job. Ten dollars an hour didn't go very far, sometimes checks bounced. Also, for the first year, my credit read as follows: "the girls write all their own material." Even so, Mary and Cassandra were the first actors I wrote for. The idea that lines could not be randomly distributed among the actors on stage was annoying at first, but over time I internalized it. I learned about "ticker moments", about high jokes and low jokes and how to pair them ("blow me" sounds funniest in a high British accent, or an Arnold Schwarzenegger voice). I learned to make sure nightclub owners paid in cash.
After a while, Cassandra began to feel she'd shortchanged herself. Others in the group were booking all kinds of work because of the material we'd crafted for them; meanwhile Cassandra no longer had a signature piece in the show. I started to write a monologue in her voice, about a neurotic woman facing a romantic conflict, between her high feminist ideals and her low desires. Arnold Schwarzenegger courted her in the bit by saying "blow me." Eleven times. The first night Cassandra performed it, she killed. Anytime anyone else performed it, they died. As Cassandra had taught me, the audience always knows when they are being schmuck-baited.
Warren Leight is the show runner and Executive Producer of the FX drama Lights Out. Formerly, he has been the show runner and Executive Producer of HBO's Emmy-nominated In Treatment (Peabody Award, Humanitas nomination), and Law and Order: Criminal Intent. Warren's play "Side Man" won the 1999 Tony Award for Best Play, and was a 1999 Pulitzer Prize Finalist. Other plays include No Foreigners Beyond This Point (Drama Desk nomination), Glimmer, Glimmer and Shine (ATCA nomination), and the book to the musical Mayor (Drama Desk nomination). Warren was the former President of The Writer's Guild of America, East, and is a current member of the Dramatists' Guild councils. Warren was raised in New York City. He lives with his wife and daughters in New York.
One Response to "A few months after I turned 21,"
[…] day, when I was on the 1 train headed for the theater, I ran into Warren Leight, the Tony Award-winning playwright of Sideman. Warren was a friend of Eric Bogosian, who was […]


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WILLISTON, Vt. – In his 40 years of dairy farming in Vermont, Don Pouliot has never seen weather like he has this spring and early summer.
His fields of feed corn on the Browns River in Westford and Essex have been under water five or six times this year. Typically, they flood once a season and dry out, but the onslaught of heavy rains has left them in water and wet silt for long periods, killing or rendering much of the crop to feed his cows useless. Pouliot estimates he's lost 75 percent of his crop.
Two years after Tropical Storm Irene flooded crops and carried away farmland, Vermont farmers are getting drenched again with unprecedented rains.
"It's affected every single sector of the ag economy: our dairy farmers trying to grow silage, trying to grow hay, grow feed; it's affected our berry farmers, our vegetable farmers, our beef and meat farmers. There's no one who's escaped some damage," said Gov. Peter Shumlin as he and Agriculture Secretary Chuck Ross visited a dairy farm in Williston on Thursday.
They urged farmers to document the damage with photographs and records for possible future aid. They also advised reporting damage to federal Farm Services Agency offices that are collecting data on the weather's impact and are expected to seek an emergency disaster declaration after harvest. A declaration could make loans available to farmers.
Farmers who have crop insurance should contact their insurance agent about the damage and those with coverage through the noninsured crop disaster assistance program should report crop losses or potential losses to their local office, the officials said.
Since the end of June, Vermont has had a near-constant barrage of thunderstorms that has caused flash flooding in many communities. The heavy rains have hit all parts of the state.
In the worst case scenario, Lorenzo Whitcomb of Whitcomb Farm in Williston estimates he'll lose 25 percent of his corn crop for his dairy cows. Of his 300 acres of corn, about 50 acres were directly affected by high water or rain and 10 acres of that is likely dead.
Whitcomb is now trying to maximize what he has, adding fertilizer to the fields and hoping the crop will be of high nutrient value.
Pouliot is replacing his damaged corn with sorghum.
With drier weather in the weekend forecast, farmers plan to be busy in their fields. To give them a boost, Ross urged fellow Vermonters to buy locally produced food and lend a hand in the fields or drive a tractor.
"We always in this business have to be optimistic," Whitcomb said. "This year, we just have to try a little bit harder to be optimistic."
Our View: When dogs attack, it's usually the owner's fault
Maine Voices: In vote on court nominee, Margaret Chase Smith put principle before party
Maine Voices: In vote on court nominee, Margaret Chase Smith put principle before party
George Smith: Pennies went a long way in the good ol' days
Today's editorial cartoon


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It's cold up north, but deer season is rockin' right along in the Southeast and Southwest with about 10 more weeks remaining in the season!
So what late-season tactics might work best? Staying in the woods or travel routes? Sitting over open areas where bucks will be chasing hot does? What's the best way – if there is one! – to stop a buck with love on his mind so you can get a shot?
Deer Talk Now will provide answers to these questions and more this Wednesday in the final show of the year!
Our fans' best questions will take the spotlight Wednesday on Deer Talk Now, the one-hour live web cast about deer and deer hunting. Dan Schmidt and Brad Rucks of Deer & Deer Hunting will pick and discuss some of the best questions submitted by fans. Deer Talk Now begins at 12 p.m. Central from the Deer & Deer Hunting headquarters in Wisconsin. Deer Talk Now is presented by Mathews, Carbon Express and ICOtec.
Your questions are critical to Wednesday's show so send them in on the "Deer Talk Now" webpage. Submit a question to be considered and you will join the pool eligible to win cool prizes that could include Carbon Express arrows, Deer & Deer Hunting calendars, "Legendary Whitetails III," a grab bag of scent-control products from ATSKO and possibly more! All for simply submitting your question for consideration!
We'll also have special deals in ShopDeerHunting.com for great things for Christmas including the 2013 Whitetail Lunar Calendar, with information about daily lunar cycles and the rutting activity forecasts by Wayne Laroche and Charles Alsheimer's based on their time-tested years of research! Also hot right now are the Super Hot Ma-Mah Calls, the Smokey'sPre-Orbital and Interdigital lures, and the Bark River Knives custom knife exclusively designed for Deer & Deer Hunting.
Wednesday – Dec. 19 – is the last day you can order from ShopDeerHunting.com and have it delivered in time for Christmas. Don't delay and miss having something under the tree or in time to go on a holiday deer hunt!
Deer Talk Now is a one-hour webcast every Wednesday beginning at 12 p.m. Central. Join the show each week at www.deeranddeerhunting.com/deer-talk-now-watch and be sure to visit our DTN Archives to watch previous shows with guests including Charles Alsheimer, Ted Nugent, Donald Trump, Mark Drury and more!


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Since September 2014 Daria has been teaching at the Royal Ballet School in Covent Garden as well as guest coaching in Japan and around the world.
Daria having a bit of fun with Ivan Vasiliev at the Coliseum in London in March 2017
Curtain Call 22/06/2014
Czech TV 2014 Documentary
Front page of the Guardian 4th February 2014.
After 18 years as Prima Ballerina with English National Ballet in London Daria has announced that she will be leaving the company after her performance of Juliet in Derek Deanes' Romeo and Juliet at the Royal Albert Hall on 22nd June 2014 with Vadim Muntagirov. Here are some backstage photos from this last month on tour:
Daria's book was released on 4th March 2013 and is available for order from Amazon now.
Click this link for the latest interview with Daria.
Daria Klimentova has been one of Britain's best-loved ballerinas for two decades, having danced at Scottish Ballet and then – since 1996 – as a Principal and Senior Principal at English National Ballet. Her repertory encompasses all of ballet's classic roles including the double role or Odette/Odile in Swan Lake. Her performances as the white and black swan at the Royal Albert Hall were the subject of a behind-the-scenes BBC Documentary in 2011. Daria was born in the former Czechoslovakia and lived under the rule of the Soviet Union until the Velvet Revolution of 1989. She initially trained as a young member of the Czech Olympic Gymnastics Squad before transferring to ballet. After a year as a Principal dancer in the Czech National Ballet, she moved to dance with the Cape Ballet Company in South Africa, where she witnessed the end of apartheid. In her 40s, at an age when most ballerinas have retired, Daria continues to captivate audiences with her impeccable technique and free flowing natural grandeur. In the twilight of her career, Daria had forged a remarkable partnership with the young Russian Principal, Vadim Muntagirov, which critics have likened to the Fonteyn/Nureyev dynamic. Daria was awarded the Critic's Circle Patron's Award by Dame Beryl Grey in 2011 and the National Dance Award for Best Female Dancer in 2012. Away fom ballet Daria is an accoplished professional photographer who ha s exhibited her work widely. She has a dauhter, Sabina. This is a video of Daria and Vadim Muntagirov in the pas de deux from Swan Lake at the Kremlin in summer 2012. Daria Klimentová is the Prima Ballerina of English National Ballet. She trained at the Prague State Conservatory. Daria has been awarded the Dance Critics Circle, Dancer of the Year Award 2011. She has also just returned from Moscow (August 2012) where she was performing Swan Lake with Vadim Muntagirov at the Theatre in the Kremlin. It is an enormous stage and holds 6000 audience, (including President Putin). Daria was worried about taking Swan Lake to its' home but the Russian critics said "Normally it is thought that only the Russian Ballerinas are truly empathetic with Swan Lake, however this was proved wrong with Daria Klimentová's wonderful performance". That is a fantastic compliment from the Russian public. In 1989 she joined the National Theatre Ballet Company in Prague as a soloist and after one year was promoted to Principal. In 1992 she joined Cape Ballet Company in South Africa as principal, where her repertoire included; Swanilda in Coppélia, Ophelia in Hamlet, Lead couple in Rudi van Dantzig's Four Last Songs, Sugar Plum Fairy in Nutcracker and Princess Aurora in Sleeping Beauty. In 1993 she was invited to join Scottish Ballet as Principal, where her repertoire included; Lead role in Swan Lake, La Sylphide, Cinderella, Anna Karenina (A.Prokovsky), Haydn Pieces, and Ae Fond Kiss (both by Mark Baldwin). Lead couple in Scottish Symphony (G. Balanchine) and in Bruch Violin Concerto No 1 (C.Tippet), and Wendy in Peter Pan (G Lustig).


text: Job Discussion Forums :: View topic - From China to Europe - worth it? Get TEFL Certified & Start Your Adventure Today! Job Discussion Forums"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!" FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Register Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in From China to Europe - worth it? Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> General Europe Forum View previous topic :: View next topic Author Message sainthoodJoined: 15 Nov 2010Posts: 175Location: Somewhere over the rainbow Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 1:48 am Post subject: From China to Europe - worth it? Hey gang! I is wondering if I ought to up sticks and move to Europe - or if it's really not worth it in this climate. I'm seeing the pays, and thinking how low they are - especially compared to living conditions... esp since I'm used to living the high life in China... where I can get 2-3000Euro (equivalent - or so)... but I'm over some of the crap having to live here Is it worth coming to live and work in Europe? Or am I much better off just doing it as a holiday??? (FTR - Aussie citizen, CELTA, MA, Certified IELTS examiner, Cert in IT, university teaching experience - incl IELTS prep, BEC, IT English). Also, I'm looking at another Master's degree, this time in Education (TESOL) - partly for the relevance, partly to allow me into a doctorate program - and would that make much difference anyway??) Back to top spiral78Joined: 05 Apr 2004Posts: 11496Location: On a Short Leash Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 1:14 pm Post subject: There are a (very) few jobs in Western Europe that pay 2,000+ BUT as an Australian citizen, you aren't really eligible regardless of qualifications. There are quite a few UK teachers out there who pose zero hassles to an employer as regards getting a work visa - non EU citizens are a considerable paperwork hassle. Lots of MAs around on the market for university positions. The last time 'our' uni advertised a position, we got 50+ CVs and at least 20 were really well-qualified. With a non-EU passport and an unrelated MA, you're just not really going to land one of the very few decently paid jobs here, particularly given that you have the 'wrong' passport (I'm assuming you have 'only' Australian citizenship, right?). Private language schools pay subsistence level, and again, without a passport from an EU member country, you're not legally eligible for Western Europe anyway. In Central Europe, where you COULD get a work permit, even university positions don't pay anywhere near what you're talking about. Russia, I don't know. Maybe post on the Russia board if you're interested. Back to top scot47Joined: 10 Jan 2003Posts: 15318 Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 6:00 pm Post subject: You will starve in Europe as an EFLer. Stay in China where at leasst you still have your "Iron Rice Bowl". Back to top sainthoodJoined: 15 Nov 2010Posts: 175Location: Somewhere over the rainbow Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 10:47 pm Post subject: Thanks - that's what I was figuring... I was more interested in whether getting a doctorate would be worth it, and whether there's enough work (with enough pay) to live as an IELTS examiner while I travel. FTR again - current MA is related - Applied Linguistics. And, as an Aussie, I'm allowed to work in the Schengen zone while I'm there for 3 months - so no paperwork (except for longer gigs, obviously...) Back to top spiral78Joined: 05 Apr 2004Posts: 11496Location: On a Short Leash Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 11:43 pm Post subject: Yes, you can work for the duration of your 90 day tourist visa (though you technically aren't legal to work, only to be there as a tourist, so you're vulnerable to exploitation by the few employers who would hire you on such a basis). But what kind of decently-paid gig do you expect to get for 90 days only?? Keep in mind that as of January 01, 2009, to re-start your 90 day tourist visa you have to leave the entire Schengen zone for 90 days - a simple border crossing no longer suffices to re-start your 90 days. Google Schengen zone if you're not familiar. Yes, IELTS examiners are employed here - but there are lots of them around. Most people that I know who do the job (and I personally know about a dozen) do it as an occasional evening/weekend gig to earn some extra dosh. It's not going to support anyone. Frankly, there are also lots of MA-qualified teachers around as well. The most recent post advertised by the uni where I work attracted more than 20 candidates with related MA. A doctorate would be great, but still, given the ratio of Phd candidates who don't need work visas to the job openings, if your major goal is to use a doctorate to get into Europe on an exceptional visa, it's a huge long-shot, unless you've got local contacts willing to jump through the legal hoops on your behalf. Back to top piglet44Joined: 26 Aug 2010Posts: 157 Posted: Fri Aug 31, 2012 4:57 pm Post subject: Hey Sainthood I was also wondering about moving from China to Europe but frankly we have such a cushy number in Zhonguo with apartments and air fare and all I am not sure I can afford it even tho I am UK passport.. don't know where to go anyway Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> General Europe Forum All times are GMT Page 1 of 1 Jump to: Select a forum Where to Begin----------------General DiscussionNewbie ForumCurrent Events ForumTechnology ForumOnline Teaching Forum Africa Forums----------------General Africa Forum Asia Forums----------------CambodiaChina (Job-related Posts Only)China (Off-Topic)Hong KongIndiaIndonesiaJapanMalaysiaPhilippinesSingaporeTaiwanThailandGeneral Asia ForumVietnam Caribbean Forums----------------General Caribbean Forum Europe Forums----------------Czech RepublicFranceGermanyGreeceItalyMacedonia and the BalkansPolandRomaniaRussia & C.I.S.SpainTurkeyUkraineUnited KingdomGeneral Europe Forum Latin America Forums----------------ArgentinaBrazilChileColombiaCosta RicaMexicoMexico (off-topic)PeruGeneral Latin America Forum The Middle East Forums----------------BahrainEgyptIsraelKuwaitOmanQatarSaudi ArabiaUnited Arab EmiratesGeneral Middle East Forum North America Forums----------------General North America Forum Oceania----------------Australia/New Zealand You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling. 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He's the latest addition to the Always Sunny gang!
Kaitlin Olson introduced her and Rob McElhenney's newborn son via Twitter on Monday evening, writing, "Leo Grey McElhenney … born April 5th after 23 very very long hours. We're in love."
Baby Leo, along with his big brother, 19-month-old Axel Lee, were both born at the couple's Los Angeles-area home. The newborn weighed in at 8 lbs., 5 oz and is 20 inches long.
Courtesy Kaitlin Olson
In addition to Leo and Axel, the Always Sunny cast has also recently welcomed Russell Wallace Day, Henry Hornsby and Miles Robert Howerton.
— Sarah Michaud


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For a third season Danish designer Peter Jensen and British label Fred Perry are working together on an old staple; the Harrington jacket. Coming in red, black and a very current gingham Jensen is up to standard in his attention to detail with the classic jacket receiving a super-sizing to the pockets and laurel.
Lanvin create new heights of longing with their accessories collection
Click image to enlarge
The folks at Selectism have been going crazy over Lanvin's AW accessories and it's easy to see why.
Christophe Decarnin Jumps On The Menswear Bandwagon!
WWD has confirmed the widespread rumour that Christophe Decarnin is to design a menswear range as part of the Balmain label. Apparently, it will be launched at Men's Fashion Week in Paris next January.
Decarnin has transformed the Balmain label into a fashion so on the edge it's almost falling off and his collections have become a staple at each season's Paris shows. The Balmain show of this season featured a Madonna soundtrack and rah-rah skirt haute couture that, in these times of economic crisis, looked set to be a bit of a failure. However, as is the fashion way, magazines have been calling in the collection left, right and centre and Fashionista has stated that it will no doubt be the same with Balmain Menswear.
Either way, I just want Christophe to know that he can send any samples in the direction of Shiny Towers for a full review (and road-test!)
(Image Source: Marcio Madeira)
Brandish Inspiration: The Sartorialist Shoots Chanel Menswear in Fantastic Man 8
It's that time of year when men and women of every age are all forgetting about work and turning their thoughts to something much more important- Christmas presents. I'm not talking about gifts for the slightly odd uncle or some flowers for that 80-year old neighbour who suddenly said 'hello' yesterday even though you heard she had died two months ago (just me?) I mean a Chanel Menswear tweed coat.
The great Karl Lagerfeld is no idiot when it comes to the gift-giving season and for the eighth issue of Fantastic Man, he has asked Scott Schuman (The Sartorialist) to shoot the latest collection of Chanel goodies. Wow.
See after the jump for all the pictures from the editorial!
H&M's next guest designer will be Christian Slater… no wait, Matthew Williamson
Up yo your eyeballs in Comme Des Garcons x H&M wear? Bought two of each piece, one to wear and one for keepsies? Sad because the line has been out for weeks now and you don't know where your next H&M + guest designer cross over hit is coming from? Never fear! Matthew Williamson designer and part time Christian Slater lookalike (seriously check the picture) is here to rescue you! WWD has it that Williamson and H&M will be releasing a line of womenswear at select H&M stores on April 23rd- "But I'm a man!" I hear you cry, well dry your eyes because following this limited release will be a general release of H&M x Williamson summer clothes which will include a menswear line, hurrah!
Jack Wills 'Classic British Tailoring' Collection
Jack Wills is a label synonymous with public school brats and pink polo-shirts with faux-Rugby Club logos. However, beneath what appears to be a rather empty and shallow brand image, every now and then Jack Wills releases a couple of items that can be put together to form fashion-friendly looks. I, myself, have a skinny scarf that is a perfect blend of stripey knit and dove grey silk- it never fails to improve an otherwise boring look.
In time for the Christmas period, the high-street chain has released their 'Classic British Tailoring' collection featuring gems such as the Lewington Tails and Oakington jacket.
Continue reading for full product details, links and more information about the collection!
Brandish Inspiration: Topman Latest Trend- Block Heads
For AW08-09, Topman has created a video showcase of their latest collection- Block Heads. Model James Mclean poses in what Topman tells is a trend "inspired by the look of a Dickensian gypsy mixed with influences from the deep south." We get a glimpse of what we will no doubt be wearing by Christmas and the video really projects what the look is all about- a poetic Grunge with not a slight hint of Luke Worrall.
"Bib front t-shirts are worn under a waistcoat and double breasted cardigans, topped off with a black padded donkey jacket for a military feel. Big accessories for this trend include a selection of trilby hats and scarves worn with tweed trainers or brogues." Winter's never looked so good!
Check the video here.
Menswear by Mouret- Yes Please!
Fashionista editor Natalie Hormilla has let it slip that Roland Mouret is set to make a menswear collection. It is rumoured to launch during the next men's Fashion Week (A/W 2009)…
Dr Martens x Yohji Yamamoto Y's
As you may be aware the original Air Sole is enjoying a resurgence in popularity. Dr Martens are back in fashion with a design that has changed little in over 60 years, though Yohji Yamamoto and his team of design wizards has tweaked the design classic with a special Y's collection Calf High Biker Boot and 10 Eye Boot. Available in both black and blue- check out these icons of utilitarian style out after the jump.
Yay or Nay?- American Apparel Unisex Winter Ski Hood
American Apparel is a brand that I can't help but be suspicious of. Yes, the adverts are provocative. Yes, Dov Charney supposedly walks around his office naked. Yes, their shop assistants look like they've just walked out of a NYLON spread. My problem is that whenever I see someone wearing American Apparel, it tends to be the case that it is the not the clothes that are great but how they are styled.
I can't imagine this 'Winter Ski Hood' (£10) looking good on anyone who isn't a model but I am wary of giving it a firm 'Nay' as I just know that as soon as this post is published, some edgy fashion editor will decree it the It-item of the season.
What do you think? Vote in our poll!
L'Uomo Vogue: AFRICA ISSUE – November 2008
After taking on the lack of model diversity, Franca Sozzani (the editor extraordinaire behind the Black Issue of Italian Vogue) now wants us to sit up and pay attention to a different cause- the immense need for aid in Africa.
As part of her campaign for fashion to stand up and act, Sozzani has made the latest issue of L'Uomo Vogue the 'AFRICA ISSUE.' This means that every feature or person included in the issue has some sort of relation to the need of Africa. It features Nelson Mandela, Naomi Campbell, Forest Whitaker and Bernard Henri-Levy (the philosopher and co-editor of the special issue.)
New York Magazine tells us that Sozzani "not want to make an aesthetic statement about Africa…unlike a recent issue of India's Vogue magazine…this one won't show peasants posing with $5,000 handbags."
See after the jump for pictures of contributors including Nelson Mandela and Michelle Obama and e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com to tell us what you think of the issue.
Marc Jacobs Menswear for 5 More Years (which is 5 more Christmases!)
DNR reports today that Marc Jacobs International has signed a contract with Staff International (a part of Diesel founder Renzo Rosso's fashion empire) that will see Marc by Marc Jacobs Menswear expand over the next five years. Already in Rosso's couture stable are Dsquared2, Viktor & Rolf, Maison Martin Margiela and Vivienne Westwood.
Gareth Pugh for Topman
Well it's technically Topshop I suppose, and it's not clothes either so this post is kinda losing its relevance however I shall persevere. For Topshop this (festive) season Gareth Pugh has created a Christmas tree out of those most nontraditional of materials: neon light bulbs. Gareth has used 60 neon bulbs to create this rather lack luster tree that has no tinsel, shiny glass ornaments or even a fairy straddling the peak, minimal just isn't Christmas. But check it out for yourself, the tree will be available to view at Topshop/Topman's flag ship store at Oxford Circus.
Alyasha x Adidas Originals preview here already!
As promised here is the first full preview of the Alyasha x Adidas Originals collab – and arriving a little earlier than I predicted, aren't we lucky lucky people! Coming via Caliroots (the selected carrier for Sweden) the line looks really strong, drawing influence from 1950's Americana with a leather and a baseball jacket as key pieces.
b Store lace up Chelsea boots from Farfetch
Combining a lace up with a Chelsea boot doesn't sound like the smartest move but this B Store shoe is marvellously executed.
Adidas Originals x Alyasha x Kazuki- no leopard print!
A few weeks ago we gave you previews of the Jeremy Scott x Adidas Originals collab and I for one didn't much like it. This week highsnobiety has got their hands on a tiny preview of Adidas Originals' colabs with Alyasha (from Fiberops) and Kazuki (from Fragment Design). Though this preview is limited to one pic of each, the pieces look good and far better than the Jeremy Scott collaboration- i.e. no leopard print in sight.
H&M x Comme des Garçons website goes live
The H&M Comme des Garçons collab website has gone live and it has prices and everything! Speaking of the prices it all seems to be reasonable and has certainly piqued my curiosity enough to put a mark in my diary for the worldwide release which is of course 13th of November.
Brandish Does Boulevard: The Second Bout of Street Style!
This gallery showcases some of the hottest street style looks I've seen in quite a while. Granted, some of the photography is a bit shifty (and the background of sun-washed Camden during the summer is enough to provoke resentment from most Brits,) but these looks are on-trend and rival a lot of professionally styled magazine editorials.
Brandish loves street style and there will definitely be more to come in the next few months. Just prepare for rain drops on the camera lens.
Click on the image to start the gallery!
Carola Euler speaks to Style Salvage
Click image to enlarge
Carola Euler is fast becoming one of the most talked-about names in menswear, having quickly made her mark on such fashion hotspots as b Store and Asos. We've featured some of the streetwear pieces she designed for the latter's 'Untitled' collection, but what makes this still-shadowy designer tick?
Band of Outsiders Holiday Collection
Band of Outsiders designer Scott Sternberg asked photographer Paul Jasmin to pose for their Holiday Collection in his LA home, it's a shoot full of character and really gets the message of the clothes across.


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Parasite stimulates immune response to fight cancerBy MELANIE PLENDA
Special to the Sunday News
August 24. 2014 1:32AM
A mutant cat parasite may prove to be an effective cancer treatment, according to Dartmouth Researchers.
Known as Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), this single-celled parasite is found most often in a cat's intestines but can actually live in any warm blooded animal. Dartmouth Researchers have managed to mutate a strain of T. gondii and found that it reprograms the natural power of the immune system to kill cells.
"We know biologically this parasite has figured out how to stimulate the exact immune responses you want to fight cancer," said David J. Bzik, PhD, professor of microbiology and immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center.
For people with compromised immune systems, T. gondii can cause a serious infection if they are unable to fend off the parasite. However, the majority of those infected with T. gondii - about one-third of the world's population and including 60 million Americans - usually show no symptoms, although some can experience a flu-like illness.
That's because a healthy immune system responds vigorously to T. gondii, producing natural killer cells and cytotoxic T cells. This response parallels the way the immune system would attack a tumor since these cell types wage war against cancer cells.
Typically, cancer can shut down the body's defensive mechanisms. But by introducing T. gondii into a tumor environment, it seems to jump start the immune system.
The reason for that, said Barbara Fox, senior research associate of microbiology and immunology at Dartmouth, is because the biology of this parasite is inherently different from strategies that target the immune system.
Fox said those strategies typically, "just tickle immune cells from the outside . But by gaining preferential access to the inside of powerful innate immune cell types, our mutated strain of T. gondii reprograms the natural power of the immune system to clear tumor cells and cancer."
Engineering T. gondii as a cancer vaccine
Now, this does not mean doctors will be injecting cancer patients with live replicating strains of T. gondii, that would be too dangerous. Instead, Bzik and Fox created what they call "cps," which is an immunotherapeutic vaccine.
By deleting a Toxoplasma gene that the parasite needs to make a building block of its genome, the researchers have created a mutant parasite that can be grown in the laboratory but that is unable to reproduce in animals or people.
"Aggressive cancers too often seem like fast moving train wrecks. Cps is the microscopic, but super strong, hero that catches the wayward trains, halts their progression, and shrinks them until they disappear," said Bzik.
The Geisel School of Medicine labs have tested the cps vaccine in aggressive lethal mouse models of melanoma or ovarian cancer and found unprecedented high rates of cancer survival, officials said."Cps stimulates amazingly effective immunotherapy against cancers, superior to anything seen before," said Bzik. "The ability of cps to communicate in different and unique ways with the cancer and special cells of the immune system breaks the control that cancer has leveraged over the immune system."
Translating this to the clinic in the future, Bzik said, the researchers imagine that the vaccine will be administered to cells isolated from the patient.
"Then Trojan Horse cells harboring cps will be given back to the patient as an immunotherapeutic cancer vaccine to generate the ideal immune responses necessary to eradicate their cancer cells and to also provide life-long immunity against any future recurrence of that cancer," Bzik saids.
Though more study is needed before the vaccine is ready for humans, both Fox and Bzik said they believe cancer immunotherapy using cps holds "incredible promise for creating beneficial new cancer treatments and cancer vaccines."
The original proof-of-principle studies for the cps vaccine were funded by a Prouty Pilot Project award.


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5368.0.55.018 - Information Paper: Experimental Statistics on International Shipping Container Movements, 2009-10
Latest ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 16/09/2011 First Issue
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The experimental statistics and description of the methodology presented in this paper result from extensive work undertaken by the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (Customs and Border Protection) and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) over several years. The assistance of Customs and Border Protection and input from government and industry stakeholders have contributed significantly to the development of these experimental statistics.
As the statistics presented in this paper are experimental, the methodology and output are subject to change due to further research, analysis and feedback.
The future production of these statistics will depend on feedback received and the availability of future funding as outlined in Feedback and future developments. Feedback on the issues raised in this paper is welcome.
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