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As the start of spring semester is upon us, there are some important dates to remember: check-in day, incompletes due, your last chance to drop a course. You'll find those dates below.
Additionally, students should remember that their spring meal plans do not take effect until Monday (Jan. 14) morning, even though residence halls open at noon on Sunday (Jan. 13).
Sunday (Jan. 13)
- Noon - Residence Halls open for all students
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March 2-March 10
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subset: commoncrawl


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Hundreds of family members have had dinner the past couple of weeks over the same table for the first time in 18 months.
We can't imagine what it's like for these families to finally enjoy each other's company after waiting and wondering if their loved ones would come home after fighting for freedom for more than a year.
The Courier has published several editorials leading up to the return of these heroes. Yes, that's right - heroes.
We stated it before, and now, the service men and women have made it home, we can direct our gratefulness to them personally.
From the entire Courier staff: Thank you for serving your country. Thank you for sacrificing for our way of life - freedom. We won't try to put ourselves in your shoes, because that would be impossible. We are thankful you made it home to your friends and family as you have remained in our thoughts and prayers ever since you set out on your mission.
There's no place like home and thanks to your service, home is better than ever.
We're proud of all you have done for us and the Iraqi people. Job well done.
On April 21, the Arkansas River Valley will officially welcome you back as a parade and ceremony has been the topic of discussion for months.
Words aren't enough to express our thoughts for what you have accomplished.
We look for large crowds of cheering people for the parade. Come on out and don't forget your chair while we, as a community, collective say "thank you."


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Read the full story here Web Link posted Tuesday, August 27, 2013, 11:17 PM
Town Square
Ban on feeding wildlife advances in Palo Alto
Original post made on Aug 28, 2013
Read the full story here Web Link posted Tuesday, August 27, 2013, 11:17 PM
Comments (37)
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Aug 28, 2013 at 7:31 am
Thank you to the Parks and Open Space Commission for supporting this proposed ordinance. Wildlife and those of us humans that try to protect them applaud your efforts.
a resident of Downtown North
on Aug 28, 2013 at 9:11 am
A completely irrational decision based on non existing facts. Birds live and die like any other animal. They prey and are predated like it happens in nature. An healthy bird is not an easy pray for a cat. The best chance for capture is when the bird is on the ground which can very well happen because it is injured after hitting a window or sick and would not survive anyway. It has been reported that up to two billion birds a year get injured by hitting a window. Also, disease is a major source of mortality for birds and may be the underlying cause of death in many cases of cats predation. The spread of diseases like West Nile Virus is very significant killer for many bird species and birds get sick of other avian diseases. I have read that ten billion birds die every year. I do not hear in the arguments of the commission any of these factors to be taken in consideration. In other words cats captures in the majority of cases can very well be the result of an opportunity presented by an injured or sick bird that cannot be counted as a valid cause of death.
More importantly, why is the commission competent on deciding who lives and die in the streets of our city? This is total nonsense and if there is a species that has lived with humans in cities and elsewhere since homo sapiens, that is most certainly the small felines. By the way, in all European cities cats and birds coexist very well, and a lot of cities support feline colonies, why we should be different?
a resident of Fairmeadow
on Aug 28, 2013 at 9:27 am
Most people don't visit the Baylands, so claims by City employees are always suspicious. Why not video the problems and post the video on the City's web-site? That way, the City Staff could make their case with pictures, audio, and walk-about, rather than their typical "trust me" approach to describing problems that may, or may not, exist?
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Aug 28, 2013 at 10:01 am
We are talking about two different scenarios here.
In our local city parks, wildlife stealing food (admittedly left by clumsy food management practices) is the big problem. Squirrels and crows are quick and it takes a lot of diligence to prevent them getting hold of human food.
The duckpond is different altogether. For eons, families have traditionally enjoyed feeding ducks at duckponds all over the world. It has become a problem because migratory birds are not following their patterns of behavior because of the abundance of food. This in turn is leading to the aggressive behavior and the inability of fat birds to fly or the influx of birds who come for the free pickings.
Palo Alto duckpond is only part of the story. All along the Baylands, people enjoy feeding ducks and many communities are having problems. Those that feed the ducks in Palo Alto may not be just Palo Alto residents, but from other cities and I do not mean just EPA. Mountain View has problems at Shoreline also and in fact it is worse in an area where people partake in watersports on the lake.
Dealing with the city parks issue has to be done by Palo Alto, but the bigger problem has to be regional. Wildlife don't see our manmade borders, they just see an abundance of food. This is something for the SF Bay administrators to work on with the help of each individual city.
a resident of Stanford
on Aug 28, 2013 at 10:31 am
Don't feed the Homeless...Don't feed the ducks...Don't feed the Cats...Who and What does Palo Alto feed?
a resident of Greenmeadow
on Aug 28, 2013 at 10:44 am
Right on about the ban on feeding wildlife! Even 25 years ago, the Duck Pond was a mess due to overfeeding, and a filthy place to visit.
However, I respectfully disagree about feral cat feeding. UNLESS the problem is that such feeding attracts coyotes, foxes, or worse, raccoons. I'd like to see more study on that point. Are there feral cats in the baylands? Is the TNR (trap, neuter, release) protocol being followed?
a resident of Duveneck/St. Francis
on Aug 28, 2013 at 12:22 pm
Mountain View has had a no feeding the birds policy at Shoreline Park for many years. I don't know enough about the affects on the ecosystem to say whether it is good or bad. For certain the Palo Alto duck pond attracts waterfowl.
In the Central Valley there are several wildlife refuges where waterfowl gather in huge numbers in the winter
( Web Link )
Each evening they fly out of the refuge in search of food because the flooded areas where they spend the day can not support the population.
California has areas with even denser populations of waterfowl than the duck pond. These wildlife areas are not considered something that has to be eliminated.
The evening flight out of the wildlife area can be amazing. Hundreds or thousands of birds taking flight at almost the same time.
a resident of Woodside
on Aug 28, 2013 at 12:46 pm
Just another rule to ignore.... thanks to the ninnys in government.
a resident of Adobe-Meadow
on Aug 28, 2013 at 1:04 pm
So I have to get rid of my hummingbird feeder?
a resident of Monroe Park
on Aug 28, 2013 at 1:59 pm
The water at the duck pond is often rank looking and smelling due to the debris from the feeding and the concentration of the birds in a small area. I hope the ban on feeding passes. Children can enjoy birds without getting mobbed by them.
The feral cats in the baylands - often quite visible at dawn and dusk - prey on ground nesting birds, which are perfectly healthy, contrary to the claim above that cats are only killing old and injured birds. Too many people release their no longer wanted cats there. Feeding them does not prevent them from killing some of the birds, mice, snakes, lizards etc that naturally occur there.
And for those who say that nobody goes there, take a trip down there sometime yourself. Take a walk out the levee by Charleston Slough. (at the end of San Antonio) It's particularly lovely at the end of the day - and a good place to cool off in hot weather.
a resident of Crescent Park
on Aug 28, 2013 at 2:34 pm
Does this mean I can't keep the 7 racoons in my backyard?
a resident of Barron Park
on Aug 28, 2013 at 3:43 pm
It is very sad that the commission dumped all issues together (duck pond, baylands, feral cats) and instead of searching for an appropriate solution for each case, they followed a mantra from birds societies that cats are predators, therefore bad, and stopping feeding is the answer. Or is it? All of us want to protect the birds, clean the pond, all of us agree that the baylands is not a place for cats. Absolutely not.
It is very unfortunate that people abandon animals in such areas, we don't know who are the other people who put food there. May be talking with animal services should be the first stop. The commission did NOT contact animal services.
We are not aware of any cat problem in any other city park.
Typically Palo Alto Humane society and associated rescue groups get calls from citizens who find stray cats/kittens in their backyard or at the company parking lots. We go anchor the cats with food, trap them, neuter/vaccinate/treat them, in exchange for the promise the cats will be maintained with clean food at the same place, so that there will be no further roaming around. Diseased cats are removed,
kittens are put in foster homes, if possible. This is why, with the help of Palo Alto animal services, Palo Alto has a CLEAN city.
But the commissioners have NO interest in our work, neither do they have an alternate plan how do deal with feral cats (often tame cats abandoned by people who moved away...). So sad. It they were to extend this ban any further (in a phase two), well folks, we could not continue our volunteer work and you may end up a city inundated with starving sick cats who may contaminate your own pussycat.
a resident of Midtown
on Aug 28, 2013 at 6:14 pm
The understanding that feeding wildlife is prohibited is understandable, this most standard at all national parks when visiting, so i understand this request and so would our children if educated properly. However, the starving of ferrel felines raises another issue. It also is understandable that we do not want cats eating the wildlife at our reserves, But if you read the article the starvation in hopes of slowly in humanly killing cats is okay. And this measurement would not just affect the cats at the Bay lands. Unfortunately, there are quite a few places in Palo Alto where ignorant people dump there cats and therefore these designated areas in which volunteers who spend their own money on cat food and try to make shift plastic homes for ferrel cats in the winter, when temperatures drop to freezing and rain storms hit our city. These volunteers will receive a $250.00 fine for trying to take care of someone's else pet not too mention the idea of having to kill numerous kittens and adult cats. There needs to be a solution other than SLOWLY AND INHUMANLY STARVING KITTENS AND CATS TOO DEATH??????????? Another solution please.
a resident of Midtown
on Aug 28, 2013 at 7:02 pm
Feeders of feral cats know how much food to put out. We don't want it drawing critters in, and the feeders don't want to waste food and money. It really does work.
a resident of Leland Manor/Garland Drive
on Aug 28, 2013 at 7:53 pm
Crommie is wrong. Palo Alto Humane Society has been helping all kinds of animals for over 100 years, not only dogs and cats.
While it is true that birds need to be protected from feral cats, I'm astounded that the majority of the Council is so dismissive toward our city's Humane Society regarding this issue.
a resident of Midtown
on Aug 28, 2013 at 11:39 pm
Thank you to Reine and SABunny for your keen understanding of the issues. It is amazing how secretively the recommendations were compiled by this commission and city staff with absolutely no input from animal welfare groups coupled with a total disregard and blatant dismissal of offers to contribute to the law-making process in a civilized, democratic fashion. Thank you to commissioner Ashlund for understanding that need for broad participation as well as the equally pressing need to care for all the animals involved in the equation. How can city staff so blatantly disregard and dismiss the experience and expertise of local animal welfare groups? Is this how city government works in Palo Alto? So saddened by all this, and even sadder for some of the animals who ARE in the equation and who will suffer!
a resident of another community
on Aug 29, 2013 at 12:10 am
(former 38 year resident)
Seems like soon no person or animal will be quite good enough to be allowed to live in Palo Alto for one reason or another. Only a very few selected humans will be tolerated, the rest are to be run out of town or starved to death. No one who isn't well off will be allowed to live in Palo Alto because they have cooties.
I'm sure glad I moved away when I read stuff like this. The other day it was "pick on the homeless" day again and now it's "pick on feral cats day". Why not have a "pick on commissioners" day for a change? Starve 'em out!
To lump the feeding of ducks with feral cat control is ridiculous. Starving animals is NOT humane or even civilized.
The whole town seems to be increasingly sociopathic in orientation. Why not rename the pond "The Ayn Rand Duckless Pond" and then not allow any ducks to land, live, breed or eat there because they are just "takers" and a drain on society.
a resident of Duveneck/St. Francis
on Aug 29, 2013 at 1:40 am
It is ridiculous that bans like this and the recent no sleeping in cars gain any traction given the outspoken minority that supports them, the joy they bring some people, and the lack of minimal negative effects they have. I know a lot about ecology at the baylands here, and thing feeding the ducks has a negligible effect on the baylands environment as a whole. If anything, it increases the endangered fox populations, and these do not prey on the prized salt-marsh mouse.
If you get rid of duck-feeding at the baylands, that area will lose a lot of publicity and a lot of childhood memories will go unmade. That place is partially what made me get into conservation today.
Feeding a coyote is a whole different level, and I highly suspect that not a single person in palo alto has advertently fed one. Coyotes are extremely timid around humans. And if Daren anderson is really going to argue that feeding frenzies cause stress and injuries... then maybe he/she shouldn't be a biologist. Natural selection, without a human food source would cause twice the stress and injuries. Just ridiculous. Props to Stacey Ashlund for having a brain. God bless.
As a long time resident I have not been particularly involved with palo alto politics but someone please tell me where to sign to oust these commissioners and I will sign it and recruit some more.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Aug 29, 2013 at 10:17 am
The argument that the animal feeding issue should be broken a part into segment (IE: duck pond, cats, foxes, coyotes, etc.) is like separating out humans by race or job title. THIS IS A LINKED ISSUE. The waterfowl at Baylands ARE adversely affected by the 'animal lovers' that dump hundreds of pounds of refined human food every day to 'save the ducks, geese, gulls and pigeons from starving'. This refined human food full of preservatives and additives with poor nutritional value which is slowly but surely poisoning these birds. Outbreaks of avian disease are directly linked to the human fed birds in a very small area (duckpond) consuming human food deposited on the poop covered walkways and parking lots around the duckpond. Cat lovers insistent on feeding feral cats in the Baylands ARE contributing to decline of the avian population in this aquatic ecosystem. These unvaccinated feral cats poop in the Baylands, and their diseased containing waste washes into the waterways polluting the habitat for an abundance of waterfowl and aquatic life.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Aug 29, 2013 at 10:22 am
We have been invaded by black crows in our neighborhoods that never used to be here, they are aggressive and have even attacked my groceries as I have been unpacking my car.
How can we get rid of them?
a resident of South of Midtown
on Aug 29, 2013 at 11:02 am
I thought the staff presentation was intelligent, well informed and not full of government gobbledygook like other staff presentations.
The idea that not feeding the ducks is cruel is sentimental rubbish.
Feeding the ducks is for your entertainment, not for the benefit of the ducks.
And you don't have to clean up the huge amount of excrement, they do. Please respond to this problem. Are you volunteering to do it?
a resident of Old Palo Alto
on Aug 29, 2013 at 11:45 am
Bravo, Wayne Martin. Excellent idea!! I would love to be able to take a look at our duck pond from home, and the city/wildlife folks would obtain valuable information. Simple and efficient. Could even be streamed into schools for ongoing environmental studies? Perhaps Stanford, with the record amount of donations this year, could fund the project thru their science/engineering/other departments via city partnerships?
a resident of another community
on Aug 29, 2013 at 12:11 pm
Instead of going to the Bank of Stanford, try one of the big software companies this time -- maybe the big one located near the Baylands?
a resident of East Palo Alto
on Aug 29, 2013 at 1:48 pm
Why is not feeding wildlife such a contentious issue? Sure, feeding the ducks at the duckpond when I was a kid was a fun pastime, but things change...
a resident of Palo Verde
on Aug 29, 2013 at 4:03 pm
I was parked at the Baylands and this guy starts feeding seagulls with bread crumbs and the next thing I know my car is covered in seagull sh*t.
a resident of another community
on Aug 29, 2013 at 7:28 pm
Jesus People is a tough act to follow.
In the Middle Ages, people were afraid of cats and witches and such. No cats and the rats took over. Brought the Black Death with them. Better watch it, Palo Alto!!
Seriously, your choice is between healthy, fed, vaccinated, altered, monitored feral cats, or breeding, sick, hungry, unvaccinated feral cats. Face it, feral cats are a fact of life. Take your pick. Work with the feral cat rescue groups who know what they are doing and can educate you a little.
a resident of Midtown
on Aug 29, 2013 at 9:36 pm
[Post removed.]
a resident of East Palo Alto
on Aug 29, 2013 at 10:16 pm
[Post removed.]
a resident of East Palo Alto
on Aug 29, 2013 at 10:24 pm
[Post removed.]
a resident of another community
on Aug 30, 2013 at 1:58 am
Former resident...
Here's an idea:
Employ a few of the unemployed homeless people to monitor the duck pond area to ensure compliance with establshed and posted rules, including those prohibiting feeding of the waterfowl with anything other than approved food, which would be available via dispensers for a nominal fee. I've been at places where one could feed the animals but only with the approved food. And the city gets the revenue from the sale of the food and that would help offset the cost of the new employees. The people could also keep the area clean, become trained to answer questions about the birds, and possibly assume some other duties if needed.
a resident of Mountain View
on Aug 30, 2013 at 2:31 am
Are feral cats pets or wild animals? If pets, then adopt them!
If wild animals, then trap & spay and leave them alone! If there is not enough food to support them (mice, rats, birds, etc), then they will move along until they find it. If they can't find it, then they die. That's nature. That's balance.
Artificially supporting these wild animals by feeding them is unnatural and creating an imbalance. The ferals bunch up and when bird hatching season comes, they wipe them out. Having fewer ferals out there means having more birds. Balance.
a resident of Fairmeadow
on Aug 30, 2013 at 10:10 am
The following couple of short Youtube videos offers us a snapshot view of the "problem" here:
Web Link
Web Link
While I would like to see the City use digital technology, and the Internet, more effectively than they currently do, these two videos call into question various claims about how bad things are in/around the duck pond because people are allowed to feed the birds.
It seems really silly to criminalize the actions of the little girl in the first video. How many of us did the exact same thing when we were her age?
It seems to me that there has not been sufficient work done by Staff to demonstrate that a real problem exists, or that criminalizing feeding these critters is the solution to this problem.
a resident of East Palo Alto
on Aug 30, 2013 at 11:08 am
Yeah, no one's going to "criminalize the actions of the little girl." How'd the little girl get there? Did she steal a car? No, she'll be w/adults who aren't following the posted rules. This is not rocket surgery. Not feeding wildlife is a common rule in so many places, to be allowed to feed them would be the exception. It's pretty easy - just don't feed them. It's hard to teach little kids that it's not all about them, but you have to start somewhere. Then, set up bird feeders at home if you want to feed wildlife AND stick it to The Man.
a resident of Downtown North
on Aug 30, 2013 at 1:24 pm
What a joke... I've had to work in this sad excuse of a city for over 30 years and this just takes another piece of the cake for stupidity. A $250 fine for feeding ducks or feral cats... once again Palo Alto has become the laughing stock for the rest of the civilized world. I'm just glad that at the end of the day I can go home to a real city but it still disgusts me to even have to drive through this town. Take about taking things too far... another stupid ban that makes the so-called 'city council' feel like they're 'real' politicians. I hope those feral cats continue to be fed and Palo Alto can take their ban and shove it where the sun don't shine.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Aug 30, 2013 at 1:27 pm
> No, she'll be w/adults who aren't following the posted rules.
Maybe. I assume that your "not rocket science" answer includes teenage baby siters who ride bikes to the bayland, or foreign citizens working as "nannies", who might not think to read the signs. Or visitors from other countries. Do you really think that they are going to pay off that ticket, or just move on to their next destination--having torn up the ticket?
And then there are grandparents, who might well be here legally, or illegally, and who might not speak English ..
Who will enforce this new ordinance? Should we call 911, or will ticketing scoff-laws be at the discretion of the local park rangers?
But more to the point--what is the problem here? And why do we need to criminalize this behavior to solve that problem?
a resident of East Palo Alto
on Aug 30, 2013 at 7:00 pm
I'm sure that people won't be ticket unless someone in authority is there to give tickets. Ergo, not a lot of tickets given out. As for future scofflaws, who knows? It depends on how the ticketing is done. If it's anything like other tickets given by a ranger, they do check ID. And I said "rocket surgery", not rocket science.
Since people have been feeding those ducks for so long & it's a bad idea to do so, it'll take some big "re-education" to get them to stop doing it. It's a good opportunity to educate people who may not realize the harm that they're doing.
All sorts of things are "criminalized" but the authorities rarely do anything about it - littering, offleash pets, dumping pets, feeding wildlife, etc.
a resident of Crescent Park
on Aug 31, 2013 at 2:16 pm
What's so hard bout learning not to feed animals? It's bad for them. I did it years ago, now I know it isn't a good idea.
Are people really so stupid that they can't figure this out?
Wayne Martin's threat about criminalizing a little girl is reductio ad absurdum. He pushes an argument until it makes no sense.
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text:
Nokia announced the Nokia Booklet 3G netbook earlier this week and today, at Nokia World 09, Nokia unveiled the full specifications for Nokia's upcoming Booklet 3G.
Nokia Booklet 3G overview
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text:
Thanks, Dad!
45 comments post a comment
With Father's Day fast approaching, do you have any tales to tell about how your father influenced your career?
I remember when I was a young kid on holiday with my parents. When we were on the beach, I could see small, round white scars and larger white lines on my dad's body. I later discovered the round ones were bullet holes, and the larger ones came from a grenade. I also remember, after he'd retired, my mom trying to persuade him to go to Europe with her on vacation, and him getting out of it with the very reasonable excuse that every time he'd been to Europe, someone had shot at him.
As an aside, after he'd returned to England, my dad went to an old lady who taught German. I have a sneaking suspicion he was hoping to learn the language to go back and meet the young lady who had saved his life. By some strange quirk of fate, my mom attended the same classes. She wanted to learn German because she had a pen-pal type boyfriend in Holland. My mom met my dad. They fell in love, got married, and made a gift of yours truly to the world. But I digress.
After the war, the act was no more. Syd was dead, and my dad could no longer dance. Dad came out of the Army in 1949 to work in the purchasing office of a small car accessories firm in Sheffield. By the time I decided to grace the world with my presence, he was a storekeeper at an engineering firm -- you know, the person behind the counter. Someone comes up and says, "I need six reverberating whatsits," and the storekeeper disappears into the gloom to retrieve them from the depths of the warehouse.
My dad never moaned and groaned about his change in circumstances. He just accepted that his glittering career was over, and he got on with things.
My dad never raised his hand or his voice to me. Also, I never heard him swear. He controlled me with the strength of his will. I remember thinking once when I was about eight years old that it would be a "wizard wheeze" to exchange the contents of the sugar bowl for salt. I could barely contain my excitement when dad went into the kitchen to make himself a coffee (black with two sugars).
He took his coffee into the front room to read his newspaper. He took the first sip... and nothing happened, except that a sort of silence fell. Dad kept sipping away at his coffee. With every sip, the silence grew louder. Eventually, I dragged myself away into the kitchen. My mom was doing something at the sink. She had her back to me, but she knew I was there, because she said: "I don't know what you've done, but this isn't going to stop until you apologize to your father."
So I slunk back into the front room and said, "I'm sorry, Dad." He raised his head from the paper, looked me in the eye, and said, "That's all right, son... but don't do it again." The gloom and doom evaporated. Beams of sunlight shone through the windows. The birds started singing again and... well, you get the idea.
I don't recall my dad ever taking a day off work due to illness. He never complained about his lot in life or the fact that his arthritis was "playing up." When my mom realized that he was having difficulty walking, she forcibly dragged him down to see a specialist. He ended up having his hip replaced. Afterward, the surgeon told my mom that my dad's hip joint was so badly damaged he must have been in excruciating pain. He'd never said a word to any of us.
So, how did my dad influence my career? For one thing, he was a hard worker. He left the house at 6:00 each morning and didn't return until the evening. When I was about five or six years old, I would wait for him at the bottom of our road. (You could let your kids do that in those days.) Every time a bus came, I would look on in anticipation until my dad finally arrived. Then we would walk up the road side by side. Even though he must have been exhausted, he always had the time to kick a soccer ball around our back garden with me until my mom called us in for supper.
With the benefit of hindsight (the one exact science), I realize that my dad influenced just about every aspect of me, including my career. Quite apart from anything else, both my parents constantly encouraged me from a young age, telling me that I was capable of doing anything I set my mind to and telling me that anything I had done -- like drawing a picture -- was without doubt an absolute masterpiece such as had never before been seen.
As a result, I'm a hard worker. I rarely take a day off sick (or a day off for vacation, for that matter). I don't take anything that isn't mine. (I will return to the supermarket if I realize I missed paying for something or if the cashier mistakenly gave me too much change). I'm easy going, and I get on with people from all walks of life. I don't get ruffled easily, and I like to think I'm at my best in a crisis. When others are running around in circles panicking, I tend to be the calming influence. And all this came from my dad. Thanks, Dad.
How about you? With Father's Day fast approaching, do you have any tales to tell about how your father influenced your career?
— Max Maxfield, Editor of All Things Fun & Interesting
Related posts:


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Machado could test knee, calf Sunday
By Paul Casella / MLB.com
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Orioles manager Buck Showalter suggested prior to Saturday's game against the Rays that third baseman Manny Machado could run to test his left knee and calf as soon as Sunday.
Machado's rehab had been shut down recently due to issues with scar tissue breaking up in his knee and a mild strain in his calf.
"He was telling me the two days off really did the calf well," Showalter said. "I would bet he'd probably test that [Sunday]."
Machado said he still would not rule himself out for the season opener and, though Showalter agreed, the O's skipper said Sunday's test could be the determining factor for Machado's Opening Day status. If the third baseman doesn't come through the test pain-free, it will be very unlikely he'll be ready to take the field on March 31.
Showalter also confirmed Saturday that once Machado is ready, he will play only in Minor League games for the rest of spring. That way, if necessary, the Orioles can backdate his disabled-list stint to Saturday, making him eligible to come off the DL as early as April 6.
Buck still considering options at top of order
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- With Opening Day nine days away -- and Manny Machado's status still in doubt -- manager Buck Showalter said he's considering a few different options for what the top of his batting order might look like come March 31.
The belief for now is that Nick Markakis will hit leadoff, but from there it's unclear. Assuming Machado is not ready to suit up for the season opener, Showalter said he's still deciding, though he did not list specific names.
"I'm considering some guys," Showalter said. "It's pretty easy if you don't mind stacking up left-handers, but it'll be related to the other team's bullpen and starters. Those kinds of things."
Johan progressing, throwing off half-mound
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Veteran left-hander Johan Santana threw off a half-mound for the first time on Saturday as he continues to work toward a comeback.
Orioles manager Buck Showalter said all went well with Santana's first session, and the southpaw will throw off a half-mound again on Monday, and possibly once more thereafter, before moving to a full mound.
"He drew quite a crowd," Showalter said. "He's on a five-man [rotation] program. He's doing well."
Santana missed the entire 2013 season after undergoing his second shoulder surgery in three years. A two-time Cy Young Award winner, Santana last pitched in the Majors in 2012, going 6-9 with a 4.85 ERA over 21 starts with the Mets, while also throwing a no-hitter.
Paul Casella is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @paul_casella. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Facebook Users Found Taking a Break: Pew
Hundreds of millions of Americans use Facebook, but many are taking a break, new research shows.
Taking a "Facebook vacation" was cited by 21% of the respondents to a Pew Research Center Internet & American Life survey on usage of the social media site the center says is used by two-thirds of online American adults.
Pew researchers said they found "considerable fluidity" in the Facebook user population, including 61% of current users who said they have stopped using it at times for a period of several weeks or more.
Twenty percent of online adults who currently are not on Facebook said they once were, and 8% of online adults who do not currently use Facebook are interested in becoming Facebook users in the future.
Reasons cited for bailing out on Facebook included taking a "Facebook vacation" because of time constraints (mentioned by 21%), a general lack of interest in the site itself (10%), an absence of compelling content (10%), excessive gossip or "drama" from their friends (9%).
Pew said the survey was taken in October among a nationally representative sample of 1,006 adults living in the continental United States. Telephone interviews were conducted by landline (601) and cell phone (405, including 191 without a landline phone), Pew said, and the margin of error was plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.


text: Bought this one some time ago. It is of a nice dark chocolate color with "modern" glossy finish. Tiny head size. A classy and tasty design with yellow highlights. It didn't come with the head cover when I bought it. I found the yellow head cover in the $1.99 bin of another store. A nice addition to my humble vintage racquet collection. 8)


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7-29-2011 Safeco Field
The month of July has been a slow month for baseball mainly because of the All-star game. The Mariners have been on road trips since then. They came home for a four game set against the Texas Rangers but I missed out on all four games. I was able to get some time for the Tampa Bay Rays/Mariners series so this was my first game at Safeco Field in like a month.
When I got to the stadium I ran into this guy…
…and Ichiro Suzuki look-alike. He did the whole batting stance that Ichiro does and everything. It was quite impressive. When I got to the gates I had about twenty minutes to spare and there was already a small crowd. It was Seattle Super-Sonics appreciation night at Safeco so there were a lot of Sonics fans at the gates already. I think a lot of people had the impression they'd get autographs from their favorite Sonics. I had no intentions of participating in the Sonics thing. Even though I admired Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp growing up as a kid. There was a lot of negativity still fresh in my mind about Shawn Kemp and I was a little surprised he didn't get boo-ed when he came out during the Sonics introductions. But it was a happy time. No need for boo-ing.
When I got inside the stadium I walked down into the center field "pen" area and got Felix Hernandez attention and got him to throw me the next baseball he scooped up. Unfortunately, he threw me a knuckleball and it died as soon as it reached its apex and fell short by about three feet. I'm not sure he did it on purpose or what. He didn't even watch to see if I caught it or not. Which I didn't. Luckily for me a nearby security guard saw the whole thing.
In the picture above you can see Felix standing with Jason Vargas. That's how far he threw it. A knuckleball. Can you believe that? I was slightly upset because I have been trying to get a baseball from Felix all season and this was my second opportunity. My first came in the beginning of the year when he threw one up but another fan was able to swat it away and get it. I assume I'll have another opportunity in the next month or so.
When the security guard came walking over I started to explain to him what had happened, (keeping in mind that he saw the whole thing) I politely asked if he could toss the baseball up to me. Just as I was explaining a young Mariners fan came running up with his hands out. I knew I wouldn't get the ball and when the security guard handed the baseball to the kid the mother apologized to me. I laughed and told her it was no big deal.
You can see the two security guards in the teal t-shirts in the center field bleachers in the above photo. The one closest to the field is the one that denied me the Felix ball. There was another baseball sitting nearby as well and I asked for that one too but he ignored me. Whatever. As soon as I turned to seek other baseball snagging opportunities, Doug Fister scooped up a baseball and lobbed it into the crowd. Of course the baseball bounced off of three different hands and landed down into the center field gap. Time for the glove trick! And my first baseball of the day! YEAA-AH! Thank you, Dougie!
Once I reeled in my first baseball of the day I wandered the bullpen "pen" area. It was unusually packed…
I always make sure to check the bullpen for any loose baseballs when I come over here to stand in line. And when I looked I found one in the Tampa Bay Rays bullpen very close to the wall and well within reach. So I started to assemble my glove for the glove trick. While I was doing so this mother/son combo was watching me and started asking questions like, "What is all that for?" and "You're going to try to get that baseball?" It turns out that she is the mother of Seth McClung. If you don't know who Seth McClung is, click here. Her son really wanted a baseball too. I promised him that the next baseball I got I would hook him up with it. I told her my baseball snagging stats on the year and I also gave her one of my business cards for my Charity I have. She was very impressed and told me I was a "great guy". I thought that was very nice of her. After I snagged my second baseball on the day out of the bullpen I stood in line at the stairs for about ten minutes and then raced down to the third base area. I was beat out by some older guy that was in a hurry to scoop up all the loose baseballs. I had to make a few comments to make him stop because there were like twelve baseballs lying around and he was getting every single one of them. He ended up tossing me one in the end, and I found another. I'm all for gathering as many up as a person could possibly hold…but there were other fans coming down as well. That's why I told him to chill out.
While I was standing around waiting for Jeremy Hellickson to get done playing catch, I noticed a young fan trying to accomplish the same thing. The difference between him and me is that I don't stand around holding these in plain view…
…I'm pretty sure the Rays players saw that and decided to throw the baseballs into the infield. Just as I was deciding on going back to hook up the young fan I promised a baseball I heard my name being called. It turns out that the fan I promised a baseball got his very own! I thought that was pretty awesome. It seems like every time I want to give a baseball to someone they end up getting one on their own. So I quit doing that. I used to give them to adults too but after I've been lied to so many times I decided the only people I'm going to give baseballs out to anymore are younger fans with a glove after the eight inning. I keep saying this though.
When BP ended I walked back down to the bullpen area to wait on a baseball I saw land their earlier. And when I got there this is what I saw…
…someone from the top deck of the stadium was lowering THEIR baseball grabbing device into the bullpen to snag this puppy. I decided that if security stopped him I'd go for it. But until then I'd let him have his fun. It would have been an easy snag for me too.
Attempt #13.
And finally! After #22 attempts, (yes I counted) he got the baseball. That was some serious height to be dealing with too. I was quite impressed.
I took a walk around the stadium and found the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame. The Mariners vendor staff recently lost Rick "peanut man" Kaminksi. The Mariners had put a brand new Hall of Fame memorial in there to remember Rick. I had to pay my respects. Rick had been slinging peanuts since I was a youngster going to games in the Kingdome with my Dad. So it meant a lot to visit that memorial.
It was a very sad day for sure. I never got any peanuts from Rick but I remember the commercial of him and Alvin Davis talking about drunk drivers in 1989. That was so long ago but I remember it like it was yesterday. You will be missed, Rick.
And of course I had to see the rest of the Hall of Fame while I was there.
Edgar Martinez.
Alvin Davis.
And Jay Buhner.
After a walk-through of the M's Hall of Fame I decided to try to sit out in the outfield for a home run ball. Dustin Ackley seems to be swinging the bat pretty well so I wanted to set myself up to snag one of his home runs. Here is my view from where I was able to sit…
Yes, I know. I played very deep but I had a clear aisle to my left which enabled me to run down both flights of stairs to reach the front row. This seemed like a very popular place for home runs to land anyway. Justin Smoak has hit the majority of his home runs in the sections to my left and right. Here's my clear aisle to my left…
See the dude in the Ackley jersey? I took this picture just as he came into view and he sat down in that row too. And that got the security guards attention. I knew I was busted as she started asking for tickets so I saved her the time and left on my own instead of having to be asked to leave. What a racket. I had the perfect seat for a home run ball and that dopey fan ruined it for me. I spent the remainder of the game looking for a decent chair to sit in and I finally pulled up a spot in the Flying Cantina near the bullpen and watched the game from underneath the manual scoreboard. It was a horrible view, no chance to get a baseball, and the drunks were ruining my baseball experience. I held out until about the seventh inning and then went and stood behind home plate to finish watching the game from there. Of course with the Rays scoring eight runs in the second inning and running Erik Bedard out after that, the Mariners didn't post one run in the game.
That was the crowd around the eighth inning. And you can also see some dopey fan getting tackled by security in shallow center field.
Game; July 29th 2011 Tampa Bay Rays vs Seattle Mariners
Gameballs; Four
Attendance; 26,570
Snagging Baseballs for Puppies has raised; $152.65 this season.
Snagging Baseballs for Relief in Japan has raised; $37.30 this


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Sonja Lyons
Related Media: The Benefits of Regular Exercise
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is disease of any blood vessel that is not part of the heart or brain. PAD is caused by deposits of fatty material in arteries of the legs. Since arteries carry oxygen-rich blood to the cells of the body, a reduction in blood flow can cause organ failure.
PAD is usually caused by a gradual buildup of plaque called
that happens within the arteries. Other causes include blood clots or embolisms, congenital heart disease, and inflammation of the blood vessels called vasculitis.
PAD can be hereditary. You also may get PAD if you are overweight or
obese, or have
diabetes, or
high cholesterol. Unhealthy lifestyle choices such as smoking, eating a high-fat diet, and not getting enough exercise lead to PAD.
PAD is more common in men and in people over 50 years of age. Other factors that increase your chance of developing PAD include:
Symptoms of PAD are related to the organ or part of the body deprived of blood. This includes:
You will be asked about your symptoms and medical history. A
physical exam
will be done.
During the exam, your doctor may:
Your bodily fluids may be tested. This can be done with blood tests.
Images help evaluate blood vessels and surrounding structures. This can be done with:
Your heart activity may need to be tested. This can be done with an
Early treatment can slow or stop the disease. Talk with your doctor about the best treatment plan for you. Treatment options include the following:
The following medications may be prescribed:
Procedures may include:
Surgery to open up narrowed arteries is performed in severe cases:
General guidelines to prevent PAD include lifestyle changes, smoking cessation, and adhering to any treatment plans for other health conditions.
Family Doctor—American Academy of Family Physicians
Vascular Cures
Canadian Society for Vascular Surgery
Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
About peripheral artery disease (PAD). American Heart Association website. Available at:
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/More/PeripheralArteryDisease/About-Peripheral-Artery-Disease-PAD_UCM_301301_Article.jsp. Updated September 15, 2014. Accessed March 2, 2016.
American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association 2005 Practice Guidelines for the management of patients with peripheral arterial disease.
Circulation. 2006;113:e463-654.
Gey DC, Lesho EP, Manngold J. Management of Peripheral Arterial Disease.
Am Fam Physician. 2004;69:525-532.
Lumsden AB, Rice TW. Medical management of peripheral arterial disease: a therapeutic algorithm.
J Endovasc Ther. 2006;13(suppl 2)II19-29.
Mahmud E, Cavendish JJ, Salami A. Current treatment of peripheral arterial disease: role of percutaneous interventional therapies.
J Am Coll Cardiol.
Peripheral arterial disease.
Am Fam Physician. 2004 Feb 1;69(3):533. Available at:
http://www.aafp.org/afp/2004/0201/p533.html. Accessed March 2, 2016.
Peripheral arterial disease and claudication. American Academy of Family Physicians Family Doctor website. Available at:
http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/diseases-conditions/peripheral-arterial-disease-and-claudication.html. Updated April 2014. Accessed March 2, 2016.
Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) of lower extremities. EBSCO DynaMed Plus website. Available at: http://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T114200/Peripheral-arterial-disease-PAD-of-lower-extremities. Updated August 11, 2016. Accessed September 23, 2016.
Regensteiner JG, Stewart KJ. Established and evolving medical therapies for claudication in patients with peripheral arterial disease.
Nat Clin Pract Cardiovasc Med. 2006;3: 604-610.
11/18/2011 DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance
http://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T114200/Peripheral-arterial-disease-PAD-of-lower-extremities: Rooke TW, Hirsch AT, Misra S, et al. 2011 ACCF/AHA focused update of the guideline for the management of patients with peripheral artery disease (updating the 2005 guideline): a report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines. Circulation. 2011;124(18):2020-2045.
Last reviewed March 2017 by
EBSCO Medical Review Board
Michael J. Fucci, DO, FACC
EBSCO Information Services is fully accredited by URAC. URAC is an independent, nonprofit health care accrediting organization dedicated to promoting health care quality through accreditation, certification and commendation.
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Copyright © EBSCO Information Services. All rights reserved.


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IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE 7TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR ST. JOHNS COUNTY, FLORIDA CIVIL DIVISION 55 CASE NO.: 55-2008-CA-397 COUNTRYWIDE HOME LOANS, INC., Plaintiff, vs. TATYANA G. IVANOVA; SAMARA LAKES HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC.; VITALLY N. IVANOV A/K/A VITALIY N. IVANOV; JOHN DOE; JANE DOE AS UNKNOWN TEN- ANT(S) IN POSSESSION OF THE SUBJECT PROPERTY, Defendants. NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure dated the 21st day of October, 2008, and entered in Case No. 55-2008-CA-397, of the Circuit Court of the 7TH Judicial Circuit in and for St. Johns County, Florida, wherein COUNTRYWIDE HOME LOANS, INC. is the Plaintiff and TATYANA G. IVANO- VA; SAMARA LAKES HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC.; VITALLY N. IVANOV A/K/A VITALIY N. IVANOV; JOHN DOE; JANE DOE AS UNKNOWN TEN- ANT(S) IN POSSESSION OF THE SUBJECT PROPERTY are defendants. I will sell to the highest and best bidder for cash at the FRONT DOOR OF ST. JOHNS COUNTY JUDICIAL CENTER at the St. Johns County Courthouse, in St. Augustine, Florida, at 12:00 Noon on the 4th day of December 2008, the following described property as set forth in said Final Judgment, to wit: LOT 196 OF SAMARA LAKES UNIT ONE, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF AS RECORDED IN MAP BOOK 53, PAGE(S) 37 THROUGH 45, INCLUSIVE, OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF ST. JOHNS COUNTY, FLORIDA. ANY PERSON CLAIMING AN INTEREST IN THE SURPLUS FROM THE SALE, IF ANY, OTHER THAN THE PROPERTY OWNER AS OF THE DATE OF THE LIS PENDENS MUST FILE A CLAIM WITHIN 60 DAYS AFTER THE SALE. Dated this 28th day of October, 2008. Cheryl Strickland Clerk Of The Circuit Court By Linda G. Barton Deputy Clerk In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), if you are a person with a disability who needs an accommodation in order to participate in this proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. Please contact the Court Administration Office at (904) 827-5617, 4010 Lewis Speedway, St. Augustine, Florida 32084. If you are voice impaired, call 1-800-955-8770. L3206-8 Nov 4, 11, 2008
Posted from 4-Nov-08 to 11-Nov-08
© 2018. All Rights Reserved. Contact Us


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Evolution, Natural Selection and Speciation
This activity has undergone a peer review process.
This activity has undergone a peer review process by which submitted activities are compared to a set of criteria. Activities meeting or revised to meet these criteria have been added to the collection. To learn more about the review criteria, see [http://taste.merlot.org/evaluationcriteria.html]. More information about the peer review process can be found at [http://taste.merlot.org/peerreviewprocess.html].
This page first made public: Jan 16, 2007
This material was originally developed through Merlot
as part of its collaboration with the SERC Pedagogic Service.
In this out of class tutorial, students explore several examples of natural selection and speciation. Each example contains interactive simulations that force students to apply concepts to solve problems. Additional questions give students formative assessment and allow the students to see if they need to repeat any units.
Learning Goals
Context for Use
Description and Teaching Materials
Click to view MERLOT descriptions of Natural Selection and Speciation resources.
Teaching Notes and Tips
Summative short answer questions are integrated into the exercise, and can be used by students to identify key concepts in the tutorial. They can als be turned into the instructor and used for formal short answer assessment of student understanding.
Multiple choice quizzes are also attached which could be used by students for review, as a quiz, or integrated into an exam.
References and Resources
MERLOT description of the "Natural Selection" resource that is used in this activity.
MERLOT description of the "Speciation" resource that is used in this activity.
The two exercises are based upon web-based tutorials developed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.


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BERLIN- Stephen Decatur's varsity wrestling team made a strong showing at the Arundel Duals last weekend, sweeping seven of eight matches including a big win over Rising Sun to finish fifth in the prestigious annual tournament.
The Seahawks rolled through their early matches, beating Liberty, Lake Braddock, Clarksburg, Landsdowne, and River Hill before falling to Hereford of Baltimore County in the first-round of the championship bracket and their sixth match of the tournament. Last year, Decatur finished second in the Arundel Duals, falling to Hereford in the title match and the Bulls provided the only stumbling block for the Seahawks again this year.
After falling to Hereford last weekend in the first round of the championship bracket, the Seahawks beat host Arundel, 44-36, to advance to the fifth-place match against familiar foe Rising Sun. Decatur beat Rising Sun, 42-23, in its final match of the event to claim fifth place among the field of some of the best high school wrestling programs in the state and surrounding areas. The win avenged a Decatur loss to Rising Sun, 31-21, back on January 22.
In the its first match of the tournament, Decatur beat Liberty, 54-12, as 10 Seahawks wrestlers won their individual matches including Cody Bush at 103 pounds, Devin Bataille (119), James McGarry (125), Corey Tobias (130), Matt Doherty (135), Josh Bargar (145), Bryce Smith (160), Mike Meekins (189), Danny Miller (215) and Dylan Drew (275).
A similar pattern unfolded for Decatur through the rest of its early round matches including a 49-20 win over Lake Braddock in the second round. Eight Seahawks won individual matches in the win over Lake Braddock including Anthony LaBarck at 112 pounds, Doherty (135), Bernie McGarry (145), Bargar (152), Vernon Zweifel (189), Miller (215), Drew (275) and Scott Wiskman (103).
Decatur then rolled Clarksburg, 57-13, in the third round as 10 wrestlers won their individual matches. Coming out on top for Decatur in the Clarksburg match were Seth Goggin (119), Tobias (130), Doherty (135), Bernie McGarry (140), Bargar (145), Smith (160), Delonte Tate (171), Miller (215), Drew (275) and Bush (103).
In the fourth round, Decatur stayed on a roll, thumping Landsdowne, 52-18, as nine Seahawk wrestlers took their individual matches including Bush (103), Bataille (119), Tobias (130), Doherty (135), C.J. Mitchell (145), Bargar (153), Meekins (171), Miller (189) and Justin Dennis (275). In the last match before the championship round began, Decatur beat River Hill, 40-27, with individual wins by Bataille (119), James McGarry (135), Tobias (130), Bernie McGarry (140), Bargar (145), Smith (160), Miller (215) and Drew (275).
Decatur had swept its first five matches to advance to the championship round, but fell to Hereford in a close match, 32-22. Among the winners for Decatur in the loss to Hereford were James McGarry, Doherty, Bernie McGarry, Smith, Miller and Bataille. The Seahawks rebound right away with a win over host Arundel 44-36, behind Johnnny Soghomanian, Doherty, Bernie McGarry, Bargar, Zweifel, Miller and Bataille.
Finally, the Seahawks secured fifth place in the tournament and avenged an earlier loss with a 42-23 win over Rising Sun. In the final match, Decatur got wins from Doherty, Bernie McGarry, Mitchell, Smith, Zweifel, Miller, Drew and Tobias.
Decatur wraps up its regular season with a dual meet at Easton against the Warriors and North Caroline with the Bayside Conference regular season championship there for the taking. Regional duals get underway next Wednesday, with the state duals set for the following weekend. The Seahawks are the defending Maryland Class 4A-3A dual meet champions.


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World Report - Equatorial Guinea
|Reporters Without Borders
|Publication Date
|October 2012
|Cite as
|Reporters Without Borders, World Report - Equatorial Guinea, October 2012, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/5092389e2.html [accessed 24 January 2018]
|This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.
- Area: 28,051 sq km
- Population: 686,000
- Language: Spanish and French
- Head of state: Teodoro Obiang Nguema since 1979
On 3 May 2012, World Press Freedom Day, President Obiang boasted that no journalist was imprisoned in his country but he failed to point out that there are almost no independent news media and journalists employed by the state media all take their orders from the government.
A "Predator of Press Freedom", one who seized power by overthrowing his uncle in 1979, Obiang is hostile to the media but does not hesitate to spend millions on public relations in an effort to improve his country's image and attract foreign investors.
Ruler of the "African Kuwait," the continent's third biggest oil producer, he hosted a lavish African Union summit in 2011, funded the UNESCO-Obiang Nguema Mbasogo International Prize for Research in the Life Sciences and hosted the African Nations Cup (CAN) jointly with Gabon in January 2012.
At the same time, he brings defamation actions against NGOs, accusing them of trying to destabilize his country, and continues to curtail civil liberties.
Equatorial Guinea has no journalists' union or any organization that defends media personnel. The privately-owned media are limited to a few newspapers -- La Opinión, El Tiempo and La Nación -- which are unable to publish regularly because they lack funding, infrastructure and printing presses.
Foreign journalists are usually denied visas and, on the rare occasions that they are allowed into the country, any attempt to do real reporting is doomed, as a German TV crew discovered when it was expelled in 2011 after daring to interview the government's leading opponent, Plácido Mico Abogo.
Meanwhile, the state-owned radio and TV broadcaster, RTVGE, which is closely controlled by information, press and radio minister Agustin Nsé Nfumu, constantly praises the country's development and carries spots glorifying "Equatorial Guinea's God."
The only privately-owned radio and TV network belongs to the president's spendthrift son, Téodorin Obiang Nguema, who is more famous for his Ferraris and luxury houses in France and the United States than for his managerial skills. French judges investigating allegations that he used embezzled state assets to acquire property in France issued an international warrant for his arrest in July 2012.
The local media hardly mentioned the popular uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, the civil war in Libya or the March 2012 coup in Mali. The government imposed a news blackout on all of these events because it feared they might inspire domestic protests.
The government's reaction to the onset of the crisis in Libya in March 2011 was to carry out a wave of arrests, swelling the population of Malabo's notorious Black Beach prison, to prevent copycat protests. At the same time, radio presenter Juan Pedro Mendene was taken off the air in mid-broadcast and then dismissed after briefly alluding to Libya's "Guide".
As Equatorial Guinea is one of sub-Saharan Africa's most closed and authoritarian countries, and has one of the worst rankings in the Reporters Without Borders press freedom index, the development of the Internet and blogging is seen as offering the best hope for freedom of expression even if there are so far relatively few Internet users.
Updated in October 2012


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Creep Royalty: Top 10 Creepiest Celebrities
Nothing worse than creepy people who don't know (or believe) they're creepy, especially when they're overexposed celebs. Some actually do know and refuse to admit it, but most, including those on this list, act like WE'RE the creeps, not them.
Here are the ten creepiest celebs. Take a look.
Stevie J –
Steebie J reached God-like levels of creepdom during legendary trash TV moments. His classic array of rodent faces and manipulation tactics made him Creepsus Christ to millions. Pay homage.
Herman Cain –
Uncle Hermmy-Herm (or "Cornbread" Cain) believes every woman in this great nation deserves
equal pay for equal work unsolicited workplace massages from him. In his dirty 'ole mind, ain't nothin wrong with a good ole fashioned gotcha! grope. Hide ya meemaws.
Kenya Moore –
Somewhat beautiful and intelligent, Kenya seems mentally-stable until she speaks and you realize she's completely insane and delusional. 50 years of her staring at you through colored contacts while you sleep? Why would any man agree to this?
Cee-Lo –
It's nearly impossible to trust a grown man trapped in a 5th grader's body. Yea, Cee-Lo is a dope artist but his liddle T-Rex arms and pending sexual assault charges make him Code: Orange creepy.
Brian McKnight –
That awkward moment when the Stage 5 creep formerly known as Brian McKnight navigates a spaceship (while singing) through a woman's nether galaxy and beyond. This really happened.
Drake –
Aubrey probably saved the tears his exes made him cry in jars for motivation. Why he won't stop trying to communicate with Aaliyah (who didn't know he existed) via Ouija board, we just don't know.
Continue Slideshow
R. Kelly –
Kellz had so much "creepy stranger parked in the shadows outside Middle schools"-swag during the masked "Pied Piper" era and we let it happen. SMH.
Jackie Christie –
Only Jackie Christie (and maybe Doug) understands Jackie Christie. Everyone else is usually lost and confused whenever she speaks. Her refusal to acknowledge this? Level 10 creepy.
Tyler Perry –
Tyler seems more comfortable in Madea's fatsuit than his own skin, which made his gritty action hero detective flick "Alex Cross
Dresser" bizarre and uncomfortable.


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Atrial Fibrillation
More than 2 million Americans suffer from atrial fibrillation, a disorder that causes an irregular hearth rhythm in the atria — the two upper chambers of the heart. Atrial fibrillation is most common in individuals over the age of 60. Symptoms vary, but typically include palpitations, lightheadedness, shortness of breath and fatigue. The palpitations can be quite strong and frightening for some patients. Most seriously, atrial fibrillation patients have a significantly increased risk of stroke, more than seven times that of the general population.
Healthy Living magazine gathered together four Eisenhower Medical Center physicians to discuss the symptoms of atrial fibrillation and the latest options for treatment. The participants were Board Certified Cardiothoracic Surgeon S. N. Mitruka, MD, and Board Certified Cardiologists/Electrophysiologists Leon Feldman, MD, and Andrew Rubin, MD, Co-Directors of the Cardiac Arrhythmia Program at Eisenhower Smilow Heart Center. Philip Shaver, MD, Board Certified Cardiologist, moderated the roundtable.
DR. SHAVER: We have two major goals in atrial fibrillation treatment — we want to alleviate symptoms and we want to prevent and reduce the risk of stroke. Today, we have brought together electrophysiologists, who treat atrial fibrillation by trying to restore the heart's normal rhythm, and a cardiac surgeon who can tell us about some of the latest surgical options. Andy, how is atrial fibrillation different from a normal heart rhythm?
DR. RUBIN: Atrial fibrillation is a chaotic rhythm. A patient's pulse will typically feel like Morse Code, with a disruption of the normal, orderly beats. Eighty percent of atrial fibrillation patients have some degree of symptoms, usually palpitations, which can feel like a fluttering beat or sometimes like a pounding, racing heartbeat. They can have shortness of breath and light-headedness. For some patients it can be quite debilitating, but others may have no symptoms at all.
DR. SHAVER: Let's clarify that not all palpitations are atrial fibrillation; they could be something benign.
DR. FELDMAN: Yes, it's the episodes that last for more than one to two days that require evaluation and treatment by a physician as possibly being atrial fibrillation.
[PHOTO dir="assets/news/story/shaver.jpg" align="left" caption="Philip Shaver, MD" width="300"]
DR. SHAVER: Do we know what causes atrial fibrillation?
DR. FELDMAN: We don't really know except that it seems to be linked to aging. By the time people reach the age of 80, about ten percent will have atrial fibrillation. It's distinctly rare in patients under 40, and we see a steady increase as people enter their 50s, 60s and 70s. There are other risk factors we can identify, but they tend to be in the minority of patients. People with thyroid problems can have atrial fibrillation. High blood pressure, sleep apnea or severe snoring can put people at risk. Certain conditions can put people at risk—people with heart failure, or people with coronary artery disease. However, many patients actually have no discernible risk factors—other than age —when they come to see us.
DR. SHAVER: We said we want to alleviate symptoms. When a patient has palpitations or dizziness or shortness of breath, the first thing we have to do is decrease their heart rate. How do we go about that?
DR. RUBIN: The traditional way to reduce heart rate is through one of several different medications, most commonly beta blockers or calcium blockers, which are available either in a pill form or intravenously. There are also mechanical ways to permanently control the speed of the atrial fibrillation without the use of medications.
DR. SHAVER: Leon, what do we mean by rhythm control, as opposed to rate control with atrial fibrillation?
DR. FELDMAN: Rate control is simply controlling the heart rate and letting the atrial fibrillation occur or not. With rhythm control, we apply drugs or initiate procedures in an effort to maintain the normal rhythm that most patients were born with.
[PHOTO dir="assets/news/story/rubin.jpg" align="right" caption="Andrew Rubin, MD" width="300"]
DR. SHAVER: Electrocardioversion is a good example of a procedure that might be used. Can you tell us a bit more about that option?
DR. RUBIN: In electrocardioversion, patches are applied to the patient's chest and back, and a current of energy is used to resynchronize the heart back to normal rhythm. Patients are completely asleep for approximately 30 seconds and then are awake and fully alert immediately afterward. This is often the first step in rhythm control if medications haven't worked or if medications are being considered to maintain a normal rhythm.
DR. SHAVER: How effective are the current medications at preventing recurrent atrial fibrillation, for instance after a patient has had electrocardioversion?
DR. RUBIN: There are many medications available, but overall their success rate at maintaining a normal rhythm is only about 50 percent. DR. FELDMAN: It does appear that drugs we commonly use in high-risk cardiac patients, such as statins for lowering cholesterol and ACE inhibitors [primarily used in treatment of hypertension and congestive heart failure], can lead to a lesser incidence of atrial fibrillation. Certainly they are worth considering in addition to the standard anti-rhythm drugs."Radiofrequency ablation is a technique that has been employed for about 25 years, where small catheters are placed into the heart and a small amount of energy or heat is applied in order to modify the electrical system. We have been doing it at Eisenhower for more than two years with a very good success rate."—Leon Feldman,MD
DR. SHAVER: We know that atrial fibrillation increases the risk of strokes. Therefore, many patients are permanently put on blood thinners, like Coumadin®. Why do they need to be on anticoagulants for atrial fibrillation?
DR. RUBIN: With atrial fibrillation, the upper chambers of the heart are not beating effectively. So the blood will pool and can clot.
DR. SHAVER: Are there any new anticoagulant medications being developed?
DR. FELDMAN: Yes, Eisenhower is participating in the Aristotle study, an international clinical trial, which is testing a new oral anticoagulant that will be easier to take than the drugs we currently use—it has no food interactions, no drug interactions and less follow up testing.
[PHOTO dir="assets/news/story/feldman.jpg" align="left" caption="Leon Feldman, MD" width="300"]
DR. SHAVER: How about aspirin?
DR. FELDMAN: Aspirin has minimal benefit, and then only for a small population of low risk patients.
DR. SHAVER: Some patients who have had ablation may hope to discontinue taking the anticoagulant. Is that a reasonable expectation?
DR. FELDMAN: It is not recommended that people discontinue Coumadin for at least six months after an ablation and that would only apply to patients who are younger, have normal heart strength, no prior heart attack, no hypertension and who did not have long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation.
DR. SHAVER: How about lifestyle? What about alcohol and caffeine?
DR. RUBIN: In a fair number of patients it is important, but not all patients. Some patients can have alcohol and caffeine and not have atrial fibrillation, but other patients may be extremely sensitive.
DR. SHAVER: Let's talk about some other forms of treatment and therapy. Leon, can you explain the concept of radiofrequency ablation? DR. FELDMAN: Radiofrequency ablation is a technique that has been employed for about 25 years, where small catheters are placed into the heart and a small amount of energy or heat is applied in order to modify the electrical system. It's been used to treat a variety of arrhythmias and more recently it has been used effectively for the treatment of atrial fibrillation. We have been doing it at Eisenhower for more than two years with a very good success rate.
[PHOTO dir="assets/news/story/mitruka.jpg" align="right" caption="S.N. Mitruka, MD" width="300"]
DR. SHAVER: Surindra, can you tell us a little bit about surgical options?
DR. MITRUKA: We do ablations in patients who are having open heart surgery that are also in atrial fibrillation, and those are called concomitant procedures. We do what is called the maze procedure, in which we cut into the interior of the heart and create lines of scar tissue that act as a physical barrier against the impulses of atrial fibrillation.
DR. SHAVER: You also perform a modified maze procedure from the outside of the heart.
DR. MITRUKA: Yes, this is a minimally invasive approach.When atrial fibrillation is not accompanied by other organic heart disease that will require an intervention, but the patient is having symptoms or complications related to the atrial fibrillation, or has been unsuccessfully cardioverted, we perform a modified maze procedure. Through three small incisions on each side of the chest, less than five millimeters each, we create a lesion around the left side of the heart, completely isolating the area where we know 80 percent of the impulses in chronic atrial fibrillation occur. The success rate with that procedure is over 80 percent. We have the added benefit of direct access to the left atrial appendage, the main area where blood can pool and form clots when atrial fibrillation is present. So, the risk of stroke in those patients goes down tremendously.
DR. SHAVER: How long does it take for someone to be out of atrial fibrillation post-treatment?
DR. MITRUKA: It's important to understand that it isn't the lesion itself that stops the impulse; it's the healed injury that creates the scar that subsequently sets up that barrier. How long does it take the heart to scar? No one really knows, but six to nine months is probably reasonable.
DR. SHAVER: When do you recommend surgery versus catheter ablation?
DR. RUBIN: If you have someone who really can't take an anticoagulant, or needs to be on the drug for as short a time as possible, surgery would be recommended.
DR. SHAVER: In patients with longstanding atrial fibrillation and a very large left atrium, surgical ablation appears to be preferable. This is an evolving field with many advances in the past few years. The day may not be too far off when this is the first option rather than medical therapy.


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Consumer Reports said Apple sells more than twice as many iPads as all of its competitors combined.
The consumer product testing organization rated the tablets on the market.
Apple's iPad still scored high but Consumer Reports found that Amazon's Kindle Fire could challenge the iPad.
The price could be a big factor. An iPad's starting price is $400-500 and a Kindle Fire is only $200. It does have fewer features. The Kindle Fire screen is only seven inches, it doesn't have a camera and is a Wi-Fi-only device.
When deciding which tablet is right for you, Consumer Reports said consider the following: 7-inch tablets are cheaper, more portable and easier to hold for a long time while 10-inch tablets have bigger screens for apps and movies and have a larger virtual key board.
Here are the top three tablets in the 9-10 inch category:
Apple iPad 2 (Wi-Fi, 3G, 32GB) $730
Apple iPad 2 (Wi-Fi, 32GB) $600
Samsung Galaxy Tab (Wi-Fi, 32GB) $600
In the 7-8 inch category:
Apple iPad 2 (Wi-Fi, 3G, 32GB) $730
Apple iPad 2 (Wi-Fi, 32GB) $600
Samsung Galaxy Tab (Wi-Fi, 32GB) $600
For more information on Consumer Reports tablet ratings click here.
There are a lot of deals on TVs, but Consumer Reports said anyone buying one should consider two things: 3D and Internet connection.
Consumer Reports tested both plasma and LCD televisions. It said LCD TVs offer more brands and screen sizes, they're ultra thin in design and have top energy efficiency. Plasma TVs offer unlimited viewing angle, blur free motion and are more screen for your money.
Here are their best buys for LCDs:
52-55 Inch TVs: Vizio XVT553SV $1,450
40-42 Inch TVs: JVC JLC42BC3000 $550
37 Inch TVs: Vizio E370VP $550
For the 3D models, Consumer Reports recommended the Sony Bravia for $2,970
Consumer reports also tested 25 plasma TVs. Here are some of their recommendations:
50-51 Inch TVs: Panasonic Viera TC-P50S30 $800 (Also a CR Best Buy)
42-46 Inch TVs: Panasonic Viera TC-P42S30 $630
3d Models: Samsung PN59D7000 $2,300
For more information on Consumer Reports ratings of TVs click here.
For coffee makers, tests by Consumer Reports show more money doesn't necessarily mean a better cup of coffee.
For drip models:
Cooks 780-2403 Energy Saving $50
Mr. Coffee BVMC-SJX33GT $40 (Also a CR Best Buy)
For brew and dispense models:
Hamilton Beach BrewStation 47454 $80
Mr. Coffee BVMC-ZH1B $50 (Also a CR Best Buy)
For grind and brew:
Krups Grinder & Brewer KM7000 $130 (Also a CR Best Buy)
To see other products tested by Consumer Reports click here.
Copyright 2011 by ClickOnDetroit.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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GetReal, you finally gave Lee sum Props!
just joking LOL. Now, about my idea of "Marbury & Nate" pushing the ball.... they did a great job on whoever Toronto put infront of them.
I notice coach Dantoni only played 3 players with everyone of his lineups.... PG-Duhorn, SG-Crawford, and Bigman Lee. and only one played well with each of the lineups (Lee)...
Duhorn 7 turnovers with each of the lineups dont bother me so much, what bothers me is Coach Dantoni having more confidence in Duhorn....than Duhorn have in himself.... is what bothers me.
It's the same as Isiah with Crawful.
I must admitt I like Dantoni first preseason coaching strategy with the 2 units. Starters vs Nate, Marbury, Chandler, and Malik.
I dont like the idea of 21 year old athletic Chandler being pushed to play PF when he has the skillz to be the third-guard in a 3-guard run n gun system, which was showed a few times with Marbury & Nate.
The Knicks dont have enough bigmen, and I dont consider Jefferies, Q.Rich, or Chandler as bigman in the regular season.
The Knicks could use Patrick Ewing sr. right now to put Curry in running game shape to start him playing during the middle of November.
This team need a bigman center in the middle for oposing teams to focus on whether it is low post scoring (alley-oops) or shotblocking.
We got a running PF-Lee and a Halfcourt PF-Zach.


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Adeline Foster
Adeline Foster (Instructor of poetry, Hagerstown, MD)
» Click to list general statistics » OR, select a date :
Night Shift
Here it is, it's two o'clock;
I haven't gone to bed
Because a jingle of a rhyme
Was jingling in my head.
read more >>
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Property Investors
Discover how you can safely build a successful, tax effective property investment portfolio...Find out more
Property investing via a self-managed super fund is the smartest, most tax-effective way you can significantly increase your super returns and buy investment properties
If you have a combined family super value $150,000 plus and want to turbo charge your retirement savings, then you'd be crazy not to consider the option of borrowing to buy property in a self managed super fund.
Let's say you had $200,000 in your family self managed super fund. You can use the money in your super as a deposit plus costs to buy a property and the bank will lend you the rest.
So if you wanted to buy a property worth $500,000, you could put in $175,000 which is equals 30% plus costs, and the bank will lend you $350,000 to complete the purchase.
This means that you super balance would have increased from $200,000 to $525,000. So in this scenario, if your fund made a 7% capital growth before you purchased your property, the increase in capital value on your $200,000 fund would be $14,000. Whereas, if you take that same 7% return on your self managed super fund that purchased a property, the increase on your capital value in your super would be about $36,750.
That's a $24,500 or 162.5% difference in return.
Your loan repayments will be repaid by the tenant in rent, plus your personal, employer or tax deductible super contributions.
This demonstrates that by substantially increasing the value of your fund, it significantly increases the potential for return on your investment.
Take control of your super NOW and make a massive difference to your super balance when you retire.
Click here to talk to one of our affiliated tax and self-managed super specialists to find out more about borrowing to buy property in a self managed super fund.
There's never been a better time to invest in property using a self-managed super fund.
Start today and grow your wealth faster than you ever thought possible.
Call us on 02 9230 0088 now
Alternatively, complete this form with your query and we'll contact you within the same day!


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For fun, entertaining activities that are easy on both your wallet and the environment, take a look at these eco-friendly arts and crafts! With a mix of upcycled household products, clever painting ideas, and new uses for old items, these creative crafts are a great way to celebrate the eco-conscious spirit of Spring. Next time you're looking for a simple rainy-day activity, turn to these 33 eco-friendly crafts for kids!
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LITTLE ROCK — Arrows were flying at six sites during the Arkansas National Archery in the Schools Program regional tournaments on Feb. 9. More than 2,700 elementary to high school students competed for the right to go on to state tournament competition.
The tournaments took place at Clarksville High School, Bergman High School in Harrison, Eagle Mountain Magnet in Batesville, Joe T. Robinson High School in Little Rock, Monticello Schools and Glen Rose Schools in Malvern. The results of the regional tournaments can be found at: http://www.agfc.com/education/Documents/ANASP/2013RegionalFinalScores.pdf.
Winners from each regional tournament will now go on to compete in the state tournament
March 15-16 at the Hot Springs Convention Center.
The Arkansas National Archery in the Schools Program, part of the National Archery in the Schools Program, targets students as young as fourth grade and as old as high school seniors. They learn archery skills, as well as an outdoor hobby they may enjoy for the rest of their lives. For more information on the program go to: http://www.agfc.com/education/Pages/EducationProgramsANASP.aspx#3.
Hunters and wildlife watchers urged to report swans
LITTLE ROCK — Hunters and wildlife watchers are urged to help count and identify Arkansas' wintering swan populations.
"Numbers of both trumpeter and tundra swans wintering in Arkansas appear to be on the increase," Karen Rowe, nongame migratory bird program leader with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, said. "Some of these swans are wearing neck collars that can tell us the state of origin of the swan. We need the public's assistance in not only reporting the location of the swans; more importantly, we need their assistance in noting the collar color and reading the alpha numeric code on the collars."
Some of the swans wearing collars are those released as a part of the Mississippi Flyway Council's reverse migration experiment. This experiment attempts to re-establish historic swan migrations south into Arkansas and other Southern states from the swans breeding areas in Northern states.
Trumpeter swans are the largest birds native to North America. Adult males measure 57-64 inches long and weigh about 25 pounds. Adult females range from 55-60 inches and weigh about 20 pounds. Their wingspans can approach 8 feet, and they fly with their extremely long necks outstretched.
About 5,000 trumpeter swans live in the Midwest, most of them in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Michigan. They generally migrate in family groups and prefer to feed on aquatic vegetation. Little is known regarding the numbers and groupings of southward migrant swans, so the location and characteristics of the sites they frequent and the duration of use is important to both the Trumpeter Swan Society and AGFC.
"By providing information and collar data on swans in Arkansas, observers can help document the changing distribution of wintering trumpeter swans and help identify potential new and important swan wintering sites in our state," Rowe said. "Binoculars or a spotting scope are often needed to read the neck collar identification code. Reports that contain the collar letter and number are extremely valuable because they enable us to track a particular swan, not just across Arkansas, but throughout its journey up and down the Mississippi Flyway. We really appreciate the observers' efforts to obtain these important but difficult to read neck collar IDs."
Observers should note the exact location of trumpeter swans using a GPS when possible and if the birds are wearing collars, write down the number and letter code on the collar and send that information to Rowe at email@example.com, or complete the survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=ONVLAfxzHa38N5bhYe_2bimQ_3d_3d. Because it can be difficult to tell the difference between tundra and trumpeter swans in the field, the public is encouraged to visit http://www.trumpeterswansociety.org/id.htm to learn the key differences in bill shape and other physical characteristics of these two species.
Rabbits offer plenty of February hunting opportunity
LITTLE ROCK — Some Arkansans, probably a small number, consider February as rabbit hunting time. Deer hunting is over except for a few bowhunters. Duck season has closed. Dove seeking is long past. Turkey hunting is two months ahead.
However, rabbit and squirrel seasons are open, and chances are you will run across few other hunters out there. Another advantage is squirrels and rabbits are nearly everywhere in Arkansas. Rabbit hunting is simple, requiring only a shotgun or .22 rifle, some ammunition, a hunting license and a place to find the game. If you or a friend have dogs suitable for sniffing out rabbits, that is another plus.
In Arkansas, there are two varieties of rabbits and nearly all are cottontails. Swamp rabbits, much larger than cottontails, are found in some low areas, especially in the eastern section of the state.
Good opportunities for rabbits are in most of the wildlife management areas of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, and these are open at no charge. The only other requirement is a free Sweet Sixteen permit for some of the wildlife management areas.
Skip the deep woods and the open fields for finding rabbits — unless those fields have some brushy spots in them. Rabbits are usually on the edges and particularly along brushy or grassy ditch banks.
Plan on doing a lot of walking in hunting rabbits, although on private land an all-terrain vehicle may help get around. This can be an option for persons who have difficulty with extensive walking.
Rabbits are quick but not fast in comparison to a deer. They tend to hide in cover and run only as a last resort. When one bursts from cover, the hunter's priority is getting a gun up into shooting position while using peripheral vision to make sure another person or a dog is not in the line of fire.
Hunter orange clothing and caps are not required for rabbit work, but many Arkansans choose to wear them for safety when tall brush or grass may obscure a fellow hunter.
More shotguns than .22 rifles are in action in February rabbit hunting. A shotgun with an improved cylinder or a modified choke is best. Singe shot, double barrel, pump or semiautomatic — just pick what you have available. Field load shells like you have left over from dove season will work, but a better choice may be high brass No. 7 shells for a little more punch and range.
You can take eight rabbits a day in any part of Arkansas. Get a limit, and you will have the makings of several tasty meals.
An old guideline for cooking rabbit is to prepare it any way you would a chicken. For an older rabbit that may be on the tough side, many cooks parboil them first. This is boiling in salted water for 20-30 minutes, then let cool and continue with the recipe.
How's your habitat?
JONESBORO — There are many native warm season grasses in Arkansas. The most commonly promoted native grasses for wildlife are big and little bluestem, indiangrass, sideoats grama, switchgrass and eastern gamagrass. One of the primary benefits of these species is the plant structure since these grasses grow in bunches and open space at ground level allowing wild turkey poults, quail chicks, rabbits and other small animals to travel and feed easily throughout the field. If not mowed, disked or burned before fall, these grasses can provide excellent cover during winter. Suitable cover is often a more limiting factor than food for species such as turkey, rabbits, quail, and grassland songbirds and offers bedding habitat for deer.
Native warm season grasses can be utilized as forage for livestock under a prescribed grazing plan and provide wildlife benefits. They are highly tolerant to drought and can provide forage insurance for livestock producers.
Once you've decided to establish these grasses, the first step is to contact an Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Private Lands Biologist for additional information and a possible site visit. The biologist can provide written information on how to establish these special grasses.
Several key factors play important roles in stand establishment to be successful. The first factor is that these grasses do not compete well with non-native grasses (tall fescue, Bermuda grass, Johnson grass, etc.). Competition control using herbicides is a must for a successful stand of native warm season grasses. The second factor, and one of the most important, is that these grasses cannot be planted more than an inch deep. Special planters are required to plant these natives. The AGFC has planters to loan for this purpose. Thirdly is planting too late. The optimal planting dates for native warm season grasses are from Dec. 1 through mid-April.
Management after establishment is critical for wildlife benefits. It is important to manage your established stand utilizing management practices in order to set back succession and maintain an open structure. Management practices will normally begin in the third year of a well-established stand, unless competition control is necessary. Utilizing prescribed fire on the field is recommended. Disking in blocks is an option, but it can encourage undesirables such as Johnson grass, fescue or Bermuda grass. Management practices should not be conducted during the primary nesting season of April 1 to July 15 — later is better. If you want to enhance your property to attract and hold more wildlife then consider adding native warm season grasses to your management plan.
For more information on establishing these grasses for wildlife habitat improvement and programs to help, contact an AGFC private lands biologist at: Fort Smith, 877-478-1043; Harrison, 870-741-8600 ext. 114; Hope, 877-777-5580; Calico Rock, 877-297-4331; Little Rock, 877-470-3650; Brinkley, 877-734-4581; Jonesboro, 877-972-5438 and Monticello, 877-367-3559.
(James Foster is AGFC private lands biologist for the Northeast Arkansas area.)
Leftover WMA turkey hunting permits to go on sale March 4
LITTLE ROCK — Leftover turkey hunt permits will only be available for online purchase this year. The permits will be available beginning at 8 a.m. on March 4.
Several AGFC WMAs throughout the state will have a limited number of permits left over for turkey hunting. These permits are $10 each and must be paid for with Visa, MasterCard or Discover credit cards.
They are the leftovers from the Commission's permit process this year and will be sold online on a first-come, first-served basis.
Each buyer must furnish their name, date of birth and current driver's license number or Social Security number for each hunter. If a hunter is under 16, their hunter education number is required. Permits are not transferable or refundable.
Permits may be purchased online only at www.agfc.com beginning Monday, March 4 at 8 a.m. Phone 501-223-6440 or 501-223-6359 for more information on AGFC turkey permit hunts.