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January 2004
What is microbial forensics?
Stained photomicrograph of Bacillus anthracis (anthrax) is a spore-forming, rod-shaped bacterium. Source: CDC.
You have probably heard of commonly used forensic methods such as the analysis of striations on bullets to identify the gun used to commit a crime. But what if a microbe is the weapon of choice, as can occur if a bioterrorist comes to town? Microbes as weapons is not a new topic. There have been reported cases, for example of HIV-infected people intentionally infecting others.
Moreover, microbes can be involved in cases of medical negligence in which a surgeon or nurse causes a patient to contract a post-surgical or other hospital-acquired infection due to inadequate hygiene. There is currently a lawsuit making its way through the Scottish courts against a hospital alleging that inadequate hygiene resulted in the death of a patient.1 It is also conceivable that outbreaks of foodborne disease could spawn lawsuits alleging either negligence or intentional contamination. Tracing the infecting microbe to the company and person(s) of origin will be critical in such cases.
The anthrax attacks in 2001 may have turned the spotlight once again on the necessity for having reliable and validated procedures for tracing microbial "suspects" and identifying their "hideout," but the need for such procedures is much more general. How can one "fingerprint" a microbe, which does not have anything resembling a finger?
The answer currently in favor is to use DNA sequences that identify a microbe, not just as a member of a species, which can include a variety of different individual microbes, but as an individual microbe that can be traced to a particular person or a piece of equipment.
It is also possible to use carbohydrates or proteins found on the surface of a microbe as a fingerprint, but unlike human fingerprints, this type of fingerprint can change. So too can a microbe's DNA sequence but most scientists agree that DNA sequence information carries the most promise for reliable identification of a microbe.
Given the increasing amount of microbial genome sequence data that is becoming available, it is possible to identify multiple sequences to make up a fingerprint, so that a change in one sequence can be detected if the other sequences remain the same.
Microbial forensics is the term that is applied to this new type of forensic analysis. Molecular techniques have been used for years to trace outbreaks of microbial diseases, a practice called molecular epidemiology. In fact, there are currently surveillance systems that store and make available DNA fingerprints for microbes that are likely to be involved in hospital-acquired infections and foodborne infections (e.g., PulseNet of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control [CDC], a surveillance system for tracking infections such as Salmonella).2 Although these surveillance systems are still only a few years old, they are rapidly growing in sophistication.
What distinguishes microbial forensics from molecular epidemiology is that microbial forensic data must hold up not only to the scrutiny of scientists in the health care community, but also to the scrutiny of judges and juries. Nonetheless, work done to date on microbial epidemiology will provide an invaluable starting point for the additional work that needs to be done to make microbial forensics ready for its day in court.
The bioterrorism connection
A good example of the problems that need to be solved is provided by the response to the anthrax attack of 2001, in which spores of the bacterium Bacillus anthracis, the cause of anthrax, were disseminated via the mail.3 The effects of this crime extended far beyond the deaths of the 5 people who died of inhalation anthrax.
Hundreds of people who were exposed to the spores experienced anxiety about developing the disease and suffered the physical discomfort associated with side effects of the long course of antibiotics prescribed to prevent them from incurring the disease.
Beyond that, the attack frightened millions of people, from postal workers to ordinary citizens, who feared that they might be exposed to the spores as a result of something as seemingly harmless as opening their mail.
If a suspect is ever arrested and charged with perpetrating the anthrax attack, spores will be an important part of the physical evidence.
- Prosecutors will have to prove that spores isolated from the suspect's home or laboratory are in fact THE spores, the ones introduced into the envelopes and mailed.
- The problem with making such a case is that spores of B. anthracis are found widely in soil, especially farm soil in the southern U.S. So the prosecution will have to prove that any spores submitted as evidence were the spores used in the attack and not simply spores that had been tracked into a house or laboratory from a nearby field.
The problem
Proving the assertion that the spores introduced as evidence were the ones used to contaminate the envelopes used in the anthrax bioattack may not be as easy as a laboratory scientist, who is familiar with DNA-based molecular epidemiology methods, might think.
- Spores of different strains of B. anthracis and of the vegetative (actively dividing) form of the bacteria, unlike diatoms, look very much alike.
- In fact, different strains of B. anthracis are also very similar to each other at the genome sequence level.
- Given that the error rate for DNA sequencing is not zero, proving that a particular isolate of B. anthracis is the same as the strain used in the bioattack may prove to be difficult.
So, if the assertion to be proven is that the spores found in the home or laboratory of a suspect are the same as those mailed in the envelopes, questions about the meaning of slight variations in test results will have to be answered.
Scientists who are accustomed to using such techniques as DNA sequencing or other types of DNA-based tests that might be used to differentiate strains of B. anthracis are comfortable with their ability to interpret the results of such tests despite any inherent variation that might exist. Such limitations, however, when brought into a trial by expert witnesses hired by the defense or prosecution attorneys, might well evoke uncertainty in the minds of a judge and jury, who are not as familiar with these widely used methods of analysis.
All of us remember the debacle of the O. J. Simpson trial during which lawyers were trying to establish the validity and limitations of a DNA-based analytical method used for identifying the human source of a blood sample, and few would argue that an actual trial is the place to establish whether a scientific test is reliable.4 Now that years have passed since the Simpson trial and the tests about which there was so much argument at the time have been used in many courts cases, the public and the legal profession have become more comfortable with the use of such tests for identifying murderers and rapists. Reaching the same level of comfort with microbial forensics will not be nearly as easy.
This is so because one is not dealing with a single familiar species, Homo sapiens, but with a huge diversity of microbial species with names that are unfamiliar, in some cases even to the average microbiologists. In contrast to DNA-based tests now widely used to identify human suspects, a single set of tests and interpretations will not work for all microbial species. Moreover, although these tests are widely used by scientists, they have not been validated in a way that would give a nonscientist confidence that they are reliable enough to send someone to jail.
The beginning of a solution — the scientific community responds
The response of the scientific community to the challenge of the hoped-for anthrax court cases provides a good illustration of how scientists proceed in such cases.
- One thing was very clear from the outset — that too little attention had been paid previously to microbial forensics.
- This realization caused scientists to start back at the very beginning, by meeting to identify what information is available, what research remains to be done, and how to proceed as expeditiously as possible.
- Paul Keim, a leader in the early development of DNA-based methods for identifying individual strains of B. anthracis, set the process in action when he approached the American Academy of Microbiology (AAM) about convening a meeting of experts to consider the subject.5
The American Academy of Microbiology is an organization that has a long history of assembling small groups of experts and challenging them to define the future needs for work in a new area of microbiology and was thus the obvious organization to spearhead such an effort. A group of 35 scientists with expertise that might be able to help answer the question of what needs to be done to validate tests that could be put to forensic use was identified by the AAM and met in June 7-9, 2002, in a bucolic setting in Burlington, Vermont. The author of this paper was one of the attendees.
For the first time in the history of these AAM-organized meetings, three scientists from the FBI were included. The FBI scientists, all of whom had had direct involvement in investigation of the anthrax case, helped provide the occasional reality check, as other scientists not familiar with work in the field grappled with the question of how to establish standards for evidence collection and for analysis and interpretation of the plethora of new molecular tests, more of which are being published every month. The anthrax attack was not the only example of the possible use of microbial forensics considered by the group of AAM experts. Other examples included intentional contamination of others by HIV-positive individuals and outbreaks of hospital-acquired or foodborne disease. Understandably, however, the anthrax bioattack dominated the discussion.
"Microbial Forensics: A Scientific Assessment," the report of the conclusions reached by this group of experts, has now been published by the American Academy of Microbiology.6 (See "references" at the end of this paper for information on how to obtain a copy of this report.)
Identification of key challenges and recommendations for finding solutions
This report listed a number of recommendations on how to prepare for possible bioattack court cases or for responding to future bioattacks. No attempt will be made here to discuss every one of these recommendations. Rather, this paper seeks to highlight some of the major challenges (see Table 1 below) being faced by those who will confront bioattacks in the future or participate in gathering evidence for the prosecution of any suspect who is apprehended and charged with the anthrax attack of 2001. Also, no attempt will be made to describe the variety of new tests that are currently developed, because the issues raised in Table 1 need to be resolved before any of the tests currently being developed can be evaluated realistically.
Table 1. Some of the main recommendations for future research areas in microbial forensics (based on "Microbial Forensics: A Scientific Assessment," American Academy of Microbiology)6
Development of procedures for collecting microbial samples at the attack site, which take into account the fact that the identity of the microbe involved may not be known at first.
Deciding how best to educate and protect first responders, such as ambulance crews and police and fire personnel, about sample collection and self-protection.
Deciding how best to analyze the specimens collected, including decisions about what types of analysis may be the most appropriate and reliable.
Developing standards for quality control and quality assurance in test design and in widespread test use, standards that would be widely enough accepted in the scientific community to stand up in court.
Challenge #1: Collecting specimens at the attack site
The first challenge is proper collection of evidence at a site where the release of an infectious microbe is suspected. There are three major goals.
First, the specimens must be collected from appropriate locations. In the case of the anthrax attack, because the spores remain airborne for hours, specimens of air needed to be taken as well as specimens from the surfaces of inanimate objects. But where to collect specimens was not so clear during the first days of the anthrax attack because of lack of knowledge of the likely location of the threat agent. That is, are the spores primarily found in air, or could there be additional contamination of desks, machinery or even water from sinks? How long were the spores likely to remain suspended in the air? Where were the spores coming from? For example, scientists collecting specimens found that they had to check air vents as well as objects in the room where the release was thought to have taken place to ascertain whether the spores might have moved into the air handling system. At least in the case of the B. anthracis spores, investigators had a lot of information about the properties of the spore powder. Deciding how and where to collect specimens may well be more different if a new biothreat agent, with which scientists have much less experience, is used.
A second goal is to preserve the chain of evidence. That is, specimens must be stored in tamper-proof containers and a scrupulous record kept of when, where and by whom the specimens were collected. This is important to eliminate questions about whether a specimen might have been contaminated, intentionally or unintentionally, during handling by investigators. A related problem is that the specimens must be collected and stored under conditions optimal for the preservation of the specimen for further testing. Spores are famous for their ability to survive under a variety of harsh conditions, but other types of microbes that do not form spores differ widely in their ability to survive drying or air or any of a long list of environmental conditions. Keep in mind that the first responders to an emergency will most likely be police officers, emergency medical technicians or firefighters, not trained microbiologists. The good news here is that well-trained first responders know the importance of following a protocol scrupulously. They are less likely to go off on investigative tangents than are laboratory scientists whose well-intentioned curiosity sometimes gets the best of them. An additional factor that looms large is making sure that whatever measures are taken not only insure the integrity of the specimens being collected but also the safety of people at the site. The first responders must be protected to the greatest extent possible from unnecessary exposure to the suspected infectious agent.
Unfortunately, as scientists discussing the issue soon concluded, there cannot be a single protocol for first responders that covers all cases of release of an infectious microbe. The appropriate response to a release of spores of B. anthracis was to quarantine a room or building, releasing people after surface decontamination and directing them to a source of treatment with antibiotics. However, in the case of smallpox (a disease which is caused by a virus that does not survive well in the environment and is transmitted from person to person), it would be more important to sequester and quarantine the people infected rather than the building in which they were infected. Once again, there is some good news. First responders are trained to be flexible, even when following strict protocols. They do not respond in the same way to a four-car pile up as they do to a house fire or a toxic waste spill. This flexibility will stand them in good stead as they deal with the challenge of different protocols for different bioattack threats.
Challenge #2: Recognizing that an attack is occurring and diagnosing the disease
In the case of the anthrax bioattack, the agent responsible was identified almost immediately. In other cases of intentional disease transmission, the identity of the microbe being used in the attack may not be apparent so quickly. This is where physicians and other health care workers come in. The physicians are the ones who will recognize, diagnose and treat infected patients. They face two immediate challenges:
recognizing that a bioattack is underway and
communicating their new knowledge to first responders who may have to encounter the next cases
Herein lies an important potential weak link in plans for response to a bioattack: the feedback loop. First responders need to be informed as quickly as possible of advances the health care workers are making and of concrete recommendations for action, recommendations that may well change as the response to the threat unfolds.
In the case of the anthrax attack, hospital workers in Florida, where the first case was seen and diagnosed had, fortuitously, just attended a workshop on bioterror agents, including the bacterium that causes anthrax. If this had not been the case and if the first professionals on the scene had not thought to include anthrax (a very rare disease) as part of their initial diagnosis, it might have been weeks before the disease and its cause were identified. Most of the viruses and bacteria that have been developed for biowarfare are uncommon causes of disease, especially in developed countries. Few physicians are trained to recognize and diagnose such diseases and even fewer would be likely to consider such unlikely causes of disease when diagnosing a patient's problem.
An imaginative solution to the problem of how to train health care workers to recognize diseases they might not have seen before is being tested at the University of Louisville in Kentucky under the direction of Dr. Ron Atlas. Makeup artists and actors cooperate to give the actors the appearance of a person infected with the smallpox virus or with Ebola virus. Physicians who know the disease then train the actors to mimic the state of a person with the disease. Watching an actor in a wheelchair suddenly begin to bleed from the eyes and ears, as might occur in a case of Ebola virus infection, is a sight few people will forget. These surrogates will be used to train physicians to identify infected people who may be brought into an emergency room or clinic.
Challenge #3: Analysis of specimens
The next challenge is the analysis of the specimens collected by first responders and by microbiologists subsequently sent to the site. Here, once again, the spores of B. anthracis illustrate some of the difficulties involved in analysis of the specimens.
The first step is to establish whether the specimen contains spores of B. anthracis or of some innocuous Bacillus species such as Bacillus thuringensis (well known to organic gardeners as a natural insecticide). Currently, there are a number of well-established tests that make such identifications reliably in the case of B. anthracis, but such reliable tests may not always be available or, if available, known to non-specialists.
Suppose that the specimen is found to contain spores of B. anthracis. The second step is to establish whether the particular strain of B. anthracis present in the specimen is the one used in the bioterrorist attack, as opposed to some soil isolate that might have been tracked in from outside. Here, the degree of difficulty rises. B. anthracis, unlike many species of bacteria, is genetically quite homogeneous. That is, different members of this species (strains) have very similar properties and DNA sequences. At present, the genomes of a number of strains of B. anthracis are being sequenced in a search for reliable DNA sequence signatures. An ironic twist to this story is that scientists are now searching for as many different strains of B. anthracis as they can find. Yet, in the immediate aftermath of the attack, fears of possible prosecution under the Patriot Act or liability for strains stored in freezers caused many veterinarians who had long kept collections of B. anthracis strains for diagnostic and epidemiological purposes to destroy these stocks. The irreparable loss of these valuable collections is now being bemoaned, a lesson for the future: political pressure should not put scientists in the position of acting in a way that may compromise future investigations.
The biggest challenge of all, and one that is still stumping scientists, is to differentiate between different descendants of the Ames strain of B. anthracis, the strain that was used most widely for generation of weaponized spores (spores in a powder form that could be disseminated easily during an attack). Will it be possible to differentiate a derivative of the Ames strain that was cultivated repeatedly in military laboratory A from one that was cultivated repeatedly in laboratory B? If so, such evidence could help to pinpoint the location from which the spore powder was obtained. At question here is the mutation rate of the Ames strain, which appears to be very low. Genome sequencers are currently searching for possible mutation hot spots in the B. anthracis genome that might make such fine-tuned differentiations possible.
As mentioned at the beginning of this paper, not all analytical tests rely on DNA sequence data. Testing for traces of components of the medium used to grow B. anthracis, which might still be present in the spore preparation, has been suggested as a possible method for differentiating between preparations that came from different laboratories. But so far, such an analysis has not been done successfully.
Challenge #4: Validation — quality assurance and control
The next challenge is, in some ways, the most formidable one, rigorously validating each analytical method by establishing its limitations, its sensitivity, and its reliability. Also important is the robustness of a method — the assurance that the method can be used successfully in many different laboratories and field conditions, always giving the same results. The credibility of analytical results relies absolutely on proof that the analytical procedure has been thoroughly vetted by experts.
Fortunately, the clinical microbiologists, who routinely process specimens containing microbes in hospital laboratories, are well versed in the process of validating an analytical procedure. Since their results may affect the lives of patients and must also be able to survive the scrutiny of their colleagues, these microbiologists have learned how to assess effectively the validity of a new method and to train workers to perform the method in a consistent and accurate manner. Although the validation approaches developed by clinical microbiologists are not designed to be used as evidence in a criminal case, they can certainly aid in providing a model for forensic microbiologists to use as a starting point.
Is all this effort worth the cost?
You do not have to be an expert to realize that the research described in the forgoing material will cost a lot of money. Not only will it be expensive to solve these problems for B. anthracis but also, if full preparedness is the goal, it will be necessary to go through the same process for other agents that might be used in a bioterror attack. What is the taxpayer getting for this large expenditure of money, especially if no further attacks occur?
- One possible benefit is that having a well-prepared response plan in place might deter at least some potential terrorists.
- Perhaps the main benefit, however, is that much of the outcome would also be applicable to tracing natural outbreaks of disease.
- Also, there have been cases in which infected people have intentionally infected others and such cases may well end up in court.
True, specific tests for B. anthracis or Variola (the smallpox virus) would not themselves be of much use, but the development of procedures for reliable collection and storing of microbial specimens and for QA/QC (quality assurance/control) of new molecular tests for identifying and tracking a disease outbreak could be very beneficial in many different infectious disease situations. If, for example, there was a sudden cluster of cases of a disease like Ebola, having a plan for a rapid and effective response could quickly limit the spread of the disease.
Communicating research results
Application of research done on responses to bioattacks to natural disease outbreaks is not a guaranteed benefit, however. Scientists who work in the areas of epidemiology and diagnosis of infectious diseases have always had a tradition of free communication with each other through speeches at open meetings and publication of papers in widely disseminated journals. By contrast, the scientists and politicians who have controlled much of the research on bioterrorism and biodefense have become accustomed to a security system that controls information flow and classifies much of the information obtained.
If those who are responsible for protecting the public against bioattacks insist on keeping most of their discoveries out of the public domain, the public will not be well served. The free communication of scientific findings, free of government censorship, has been proven to be an essential precondition for scientific progress. Also, if an analytical method, for example, is going to be useful in gathering evidence that may be used in court, it must be made available to law enforcement personnel and to lawyers and juries. That is, it will have to become public information.
For these reasons, many scientists are concerned that classifying information about analytical methods will severely limit its use in disease situations that are not bioattacks. There is currently a debate underway about what types of microbiology research results should be published freely. Leading scientific societies such as the American Society for Microbiology and the National Academies of Science have come out in support of free publication of any scientific results that have not been classified, but not all people, especially politicians, agree with this stance.
As is evident from this paper, microbial forensics is a field that includes not only scientific research but also such nonscientific areas as the organization of human efforts in an emergency, the politics of secrecy, and the economics of how much research the government should fund. Scientists are not accustomed to having to deal with this breadth of involvement, but some of them are trying to learn to adapt.
© 2003, American Institute of Biological Sciences. Educators have permission to reprint articles for classroom use; other users, please contact email@example.com for reprint permission. See reprint policy.


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Disneyland Weekly Update – 08/18/14
This NEW weekly blog will feature Disneyland news and updates from The DIS, the DIS Unplugged and maybe even the DISboards, plus helpful links to find what you're looking for around the DIS family of sites. Enjoy! This week…..SeaWorld announces new habitats for their killer whales and tickets for the D23 Expo are released.

subset: commoncrawl


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A collection of personal thoughts and experiences - mostly centered around running.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Winter Running: Yaktrax vs Screws
9 comments:
I'm a screw guy, but I use the square-head ones (looks like you've got round-headed ones in the photo). The edges of the square heads make all the difference for me on icy uphill patches on the roads for me.ReplyDelete
Yeah those shoes I had to use the round heads b/c that's all they had at the hardware store in 1/2" sheet metals? They still work well, but I'm going to try the squared off ones...of course it could just quit snowing and be spring early; I'd be just fine with that.ReplyDelete
I just gave my pair of YaxTrax to a friend. I used them a few times. Snow would ball up under the arch of my foot. I would frequently have to stop and scrape snow away.ReplyDelete
I like the screws (square head) because it helps with the ice. Nice to be able to run downhill knowing your shoes will grip.
Same problem I've always had w/ YT's. The only only problem with screws is that you can't take them off as easily if for some odd reason you feel traction devices are no longer needed/negatively effecting your running.
- AnonymousJanuary 17, 2010 at 12:15 PM
I've enjoyed your blog, I was wanting to run Highlands Sky this summer never done an ultra running race I've been running and have a training plan but I'm looking for advice from someone with experiance can you help me?ReplyDelete
I'd be more than happy to help you. I enjoy helping someone do their first ultra almost more than running one myself. Just send me a direct e-mail (it's in my info) and we'll get the ball rollin'.
You picked a great race for a first!
JJ, There is none better than Adam to help you out with advise on getting through your first ultra. I agree with Adam that you have picked a great race with Highland Sky to run your first ultra. Dan certainly puts all of the tools out there for you to be successful in your pursuit. Good luck and I will see you in June. RickReplyDelete
I generally prefer screws. I did have good luck recently with the Yaks when it was really cold and part of my run was on road. I carried the Yaks to the trail and then put them on. With the cold the snow didn't stick to them much.ReplyDelete
Eric- I'm certainly starting to like the screws more and more. I ran up the mountain this morning with a fresh coating of snow and a solid ice base. I was amazed how well the screws stuck both up and down. Much less to go wrong than w/ the Yaks.ReplyDelete


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Get ready for a summertime's worth of fun and entertainment with Issue 23. Be sure to read up on preparedness tips before venturing onto backcountry trails, and learn about detector dogs who are helping in wildlife conservation efforts and tracking dogs who help find lost dogs. From the scientific front, a look at a remarkable 40-year-long project that is studying canid domestication with a rare photo of the fox pups (looking like miniature Border Collies). Need help when choosing a holistic caregiver? Read our expert's advice first. Itching for a new hobby? Check out collecting vintage dog tags. Is Hollywood really taking on the cosmetics industry? See our interview with the screenwriter of "Legally Blonde 2." Plus amazing photographs of an acrobatic terrier by filmmaker Rolf Belgum and a sneak preview of the new Bark book—an excerpt by Susan Straight!
Order this issue online or visit your favorite bookstore/ newsstand today—don't miss out!
A New Leash on Life Prison programs that train assistance pups are proving to be a savior for inmates and dogs. by Fern Glazer
The Wild Condition A filmmaker Rolf Belgum documents the lust for life exhibited by his dog, Jacques.
Unleashed in the Backcountry Tips for sharing trail adventures with your dog this summer. by Justin Shipman
Scent of the Wild Training a detector dog to help with wildlife conservation work leads author to reflect on a lot more. by Paula MacKay
Antique dog tags are the newest canine collectible! by Diane Bandy
Expert guidance in deciding on alternative caregivers. by Katherine A. Kahn, D.V.M.
Michigan's dog-friendly Mackinac Island. by Trisha Blanchet
A landmark study of Siberian foxes looks at canid domestication. by Chris McNamara
Bad and good behavior can be passed on. by Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D.
A campaign to end the cruel practice of chaining dogs. by Deborah Dobson
[Book Reviews]
The Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst
What the Animals Tell Us by Sonya Fitzpatrick
Click for Joy! by Melissa Alexander
Brave and Noble Is the Preschool Dog A tale of first friendships. by Susan Straight
Finding Lily A tracking dog helps in search for lost dog. by Rita Sands
Rex in the City Unexpected guests walk into steamy scene. by Lee Forgotson.
Singing dogs, sculptural dogs and comic dogs!
Image credits:
Thorina Rose
Rob Casey
Andrew Ku


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This Day in History
1779: Americans under Major Henry Lee take the British garrison at Paulus Hook, New Jersey.
1812: The U.S. Navy frigate Constitution defeats the British frigate Guerri?re in a furious engagement off the coast of Nova Scotia. Witnesses claimed that the British shot merely bounced off the Constitutions sides, as if the ship were made of iron rather than wood leading to her nickname of "Old Ironsides".
1914: The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) lands in France.
1942: A raid on Dieppe, France by British and Canadian commandos is repulsed by the German Army.
1944: In an effort to prevent a communist uprising in Paris, Charles de Gualle begins attacking German forces all around the city.
1950: The United Nations accepted offers of troops from Turkey, Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, Thailand and the Philippines.
1950: South Korean forces recaptured Pohang and Kigye.
1953: The Iranian military, with the support and financial assistance of the United States government, overthrows the government of Premier Mohammed Mosaddeq and reinstates the Shah of Iran.
1965: U.S. forces destroy a Viet Cong stronghold near Van Tuong, in South Vietnam.
1970: Cambodia and the U.S. sign a military aid agreement worth $40 million for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1971.


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Everlasting regretPar frenshy18 dans 7 synopsis movie le 15 Septembre 2005 à 01:55Based on Wang Anyi's Changhen ge, the multi-award winning novel that was voted the most influential work of the 90s in China, Everlasting regret follows a legendary Shanghai beauty from her glamorous days to her simpler life, as she struggles to preserve the dinignity of her past while surviving the constant betrayal of her men. She stands tall and proud as she bears witness to the waves of changes to her city from 1947 to 1981, until one wave finally overwhelms her.
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Seems to me that people in New Orleans simply like to "dress up". Whether it be at Mardi Gras, Running with the Bulls, Southern Decadence or even a Saints football game, you'll find interesting attire. Well, here's another one!
The Red Dress Run.
The Red Dress Run isn't just about fun, it does donate to several local charities, but where else are you going to see both men and women in bright red dresses. Imagine a sea of red from one end of the French Quarter to the other. There were 7000 registrants last year!
As always with any event in the city there will be live music, local food, plenty of
beer and fun times. Mark your calendar for August 8th. Come walk, run, crawl or just stand around in a red dress.


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What Is Dapink?
Dapink is a free teen porn video site that was created for all lovers of naughty young babes performing the most exciting and graphic sex acts in front of a camera. It is exclusively dedicated to provide the highest quality full-length HD videos featuring only the freshest and barely legal teens as they act out the most daring sexual fantasies.
It was created by a team of young pussy lovers as an alternative to so-called "free porn sites" that claim to offer full length free porn videos but often provide mostly low-quality samples and trailers featuring only the occasional average-looking teen among their actresses.
With its team's vast know-how and expertise in the field of online porn, Dapink has focused exclusively on the sexiest beautiful teen performers and built and immense video library where the most gifted young exhibitionists use all their sexual talents to provide viewers with graphic depictions of all the raunchy fantasies that can come to a sex-obsessed mind.
Not only does Dapink already have the most exhaustive collection of fresh teen porn, but it is always on the look-out for the best newly created material and thus can constantly bring you new updates that will keep you coming and cumming for more sexual sensations every day.


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Emdebian GNU/Linux Grip 2.0 (based on Debian 6.0
squeeze) released
February 5th, 2011
The Emdebian Project is very pleased to announce the
official release of the Grip flavour of Embedded Debian - Emdebian Grip 2.0
based on Debian GNU/Linux version 6.0 (codenamed
A small Debian-compatible Emdebian installation
Emdebian Grip 2.0 (squeeze) is a smaller Debian that is
binary compatible with Debian and based around a small set of Debian
packages intended for embedded machines. Emdebian Grip 2.0 provides
complete repositories of packages for seven architectures (i386, amd64,
powerpc, arm, armel, mips and mipsel), based on coreutils, glibc and
perl. Grip includes support for standard Debian tools like debootstrap
and debian-installer and no functional changes compared to Debian
GNU/Linux 6.0
Unofficial ports for armhf, powerpcspe and sh4 are not included in the release and remain only available for unstable. See the ports page for more information.
Installations of Emdebian Grip 2.0 will work with standard Debian tools like debootstrap, debian-installer, multistrap and debian-live - as long as the device has enough space to generate such systems.
Emdebian Grip can support building packages and can be
installed as a simple migration from Debian in the normal ways.
A recommended way to install Emdebian Grip 2.0 is to use the Debian 6.0
squeeze installer in Automatic Installation mode to install a
Debian base system and use pre-seeding to migrate to Grip during the
installation process.
This release includes numerous updated software packages, such as the Xfce 4.6.4 desktop environment, X.Org 7.5, Iceweasel (an unbranded version of Mozilla Firefox 3.5.16), Linux kernel version 2.6.32, Python 2.5.5 and 2.6.6, Perl 5.10.1 and more than 2,000 other ready to use software packages.
Debian GNU/Linux can be installed from various installation media such as DVDs, CDs, USB sticks and floppies, or from the network. XFCE is the default desktop environment for Emdebian Grip 2.0.
Upgrades to Emdebian Grip GNU/Linux 2.0 from the previous Debian and Emdebian releases, are automatically handled by the apt package management tool for most configurations. As always, Debian and Emdebian GNU/Linux systems can be upgraded painlessly, in place, without any forced downtime, but it is strongly recommended to read the release notes for possible issues and for detailed instructions on installing and upgrading.
Release names
- Full release title:
- Emdebian GNU/Linux Grip 2.0 (based on Debian GNU/Linux 6.0 "squeeze").
- Short release name:
- Emdebian Grip 2.0 (squeeze)
- Common release names:
- Emdebian Grip or Grip (squeeze)
Please use these names if promoting the releases elsewhere.
More information: http://www.emdebian.org/grip/.
About Debian
Debian GNU/Linux is a free operating system, developed by more than a thousand volunteers from all over the world who collaborate via the Internet. Debian's dedication to Free Software, its non-profit nature, and its open development model make it unique among GNU/Linux distributions.
The Debian project's key strengths are its volunteer base, its dedication to the Debian Social Contract, and its commitment to provide the best operating system possible. Debian 6.0 is another important step in that direction.
Contact Information
For further information, please visit the Debian web pages at http://www.debian.org/, the Emdebian web pages at http://www.emdebian.org/ or send mail to <firstname.lastname@example.com>.
Back to other Emdebian news.
Back to the Emdebian Project homepage.


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The Community College of Rhode Island is committed to providing equal access to all college facilities, services, academic and course requirements for students with disabilities. In order to ensure this accessibility, the college will make modifications to academic requirements where appropriate, and provide the necessary accommodations for students with documented disabilities. The institution cannot, however, make modifications that substantially change essential elements of the curriculum. The Community College of Rhode Island reserves the right to set and maintain reasonable academic standards while striving to meet the needs of all students.
Support services for students with documented disabilities are provided through the Division of Student Affairs. Accommodations and services are rights guaranteed to individuals with documented disabilities under Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990.
More Information
For more detailed information about CCRI's support services for students with disabilities,
contact the Academic Accommodations Advisor listed below.
Knight Campus
400 East Avenue
Warwick, RI 02886
Flanagan Campus
1762 Louisquisset Pike
Lincoln, RI 02865
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1 Hilton Street
Providence, RI 02905
Newport Campus
1 John H. Chafee Blvd.
Newport, RI 02840
(401) 851-1650(V) RI Relay
1-800-745-5555 (TTY Users)
Visit our DSS website
This page developed and maintained by Advising & Counseling center. Send comments and suggestions to email@example.com.


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Mitt Romney has several decisions to make about how to approach tomorrow's debate. I discussed one of them yesterday, arguing that he should not approach the debate cautiously, even though a break-even performance would probably be enough to improve his standing.
Another decision is the one Romney faced during the Republican Convention — whether to focus on increasing his likeability or on attacking his opponent. In his speech to the Convention, he opted for the former.
Here is how Democratic pollster Celinda Lake tried to frame the decision Romney faces:
For Romney, it's a double goal that he has: He's got to get that likability up, particularly among women. And he's got to draw a sharp contrast on what he'd do on the economy. That's very difficult to do simultaneously. It's hard to maintain likability when you're being an attack dog.
This isn't exactly a false choice, but it should be an easy one for Romney to make. For Romney, the "likeability" problem for boils down to the fact that people don't believe he has deep personal sympathy for the middle class. Based on my extensive reading about, and few personal encounters with, the candidate I agree that his personal sympathy is not triggered by class status. Romney has deep sympathy with people he finds sympathetic — typically those who face hardship by working hard to overcome it — and only the normal, very modest amount of sympathy for those who expect to receive it based on their status rather than their personal story.
In any event, Romney's chances on Wednesday of changing perceptions about his level of sympathy with the middle class are practically nil. A convention speech held more promise. A debate, however, is an argument, not a therapy session.
But here's what Romney can accomplish through a debate. He can persuade undecided middle class voters that President Obama's policies are largely to blame for their woes and that Romney's policies will serve them better. In other words, he can win the argument. As Margaret Thatcher famously said, "First you win the argument, then you win the vote."
Romney can win the argument and still be civil towards Obama. But he won't win the argument if he's burdened by concerns about likeability.


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Feel free to give us a call and we will be happy to assist you with any questions or concerns.
Tell us what you think
Operations Phone: 505.827.3614Operations Fax: 505.827.3611Corporations Phone: 505.827.4508Corporations Fax: 505.827.4387
Phone: 505.827.3600Fax: 505.827.8403Toll Free: 1.800.477.3632
8:00 AM to 5:00 PMMonday through Friday
The New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act (the "Act") provides that every person has the right to inspect public records of the State of New Mexico. The Office of the Secretary of State maintains records in both our Elections and Operations Bureaus, which are subject to inspection. The Act also makes compliance with requests to inspect public records an integral part of the routine duties of our office.
A person desiring to inspect public records may submit a request to the records custodian orally or in writing. However, the procedures and penalties prescribed by the Act apply only to written requests. A written request must contain the name, address, and telephone number of the person making the request. The request must describe the records sought in sufficient detail to enable the records custodian to identify and locate the requested records.
The records custodian must permit inspection immediately or as soon as practicable, but no later than fifteen (15) calendar days after the records custodian receives the inspection request. If inspection is not permitted within three (3) business days, the person making the request will receive a written response explaining when the records will be available for inspection or when the public body will respond to the request. If any of the records sought are not available for public inspection, the person making the request is entitled to a written response from the records custodian explaining the reasons inspection has been denied. The written denial shall be delivered or mailed within fifteen (15) calendar days after the records custodian received the request for inspection.
The Office of the Secretary of State maintains many of our records on our website and provides the public the opportunity to request many documents through the web. If the records you seek are not available on or through our website, please send requests for public records to:
Reyna Trujillo - firstname.lastname@example.com
325 Don Gaspar – Suite 300
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501
If a person requesting inspection of a public record would like a copy of that record, the Act permits us to charge a reasonable fee for copying or duplicating public records. The fee for documents eleven inches by seventeen inches or smaller is $0.25 per page. The fee for larger documents is $0.50 per page, if we have the ability to duplicate the size requested. For records other than documents, the reasonable fee is $6.75 for videos/DVDs and $2.75 for audio tapes, again, if we have the ability to duplicate the specified record in the format requested. The records custodian may request that applicable fees for copying public records be paid in advance, before the copies are made. A receipt indicating that the fees have been paid for making copies of public records will be provided upon request to the person requesting the copies. If person requesting the record wishes to receive the record electronically, we will comply with such a request, if possible.
Voter Data is available separately from the Bureau of Elections.
Corporations information is available separately through the Business Services Division.
© 2012 - 2019 New Mexico Secretary of State


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Eugen Klein GmbH Esslingen
We develop, test and build the most modern, high performance propeller shafts in two factories in the greater Stuttgart area.Our
range covers many different types of propeller shafts all
designed to handle any situation such as heavy duty commercial
vehicles, ships and industrial uses.
About usWith a reliable production process and quality management system certified according to the ISO/TS 16949 we assure that our propeller shafts are delivered error free. Furthermore, the manufacturing of our propeller shafts and spare parts is certified in accordance with the high environmental standards of DIN EN ISO 14001.
Spare parts
CatalogueThe catalogue should aide you in your choice from our wide range of propeller shaft spare parts. We take all spare parts direct from our original part production line thus ensuring original part quality.
Technical Details
Here you will find the application information concerning how to transport, store and fit the propeller shaft, maintaining the propeller shafts, greasing intervals and grease type, maintaining and replacing of worn parts and propeller shafts, removing and replacing the joint etc.
Service AddressesFind a service partner in your area. We have service partners all over Europe as well as in Australia, Canada and England.
In order to optimize our website for you and to be able to continuously improve it, we're useing cookies. By using the website, you agree to the use of cookies. Further information on cookies can be found in our data protection declaration


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Biographical Information
- Early Life
Thomas Taylor Munford, born March 29, 1831 at Richmond, Virginia. Parents: George Wythe Munford and Lucy Singleton Taylor.
- VMI record
Enrolled at VMI on July 30, 1849; was graduated in July 1852, standing 14th in a class of 24.
- Marriage
1st- In 1853, Henrietta Tayloe (died 1863)
2nd- In 1866, Emma Tayloe
- Pre-Civil War
Cotton planter in Mississippi; farmer in Bedford Co. VA.
- Civil War
Lt. Col., 13th Virginia Mounted Infantry; Col., 2nd Virginia Cavalry; in the Shenandoah Valley served under Jackson, succeeded Turner Ashby, fought at Cross Keys, Harrisonburg, White Oak Swamp, 2nd Manassas, Antietam; appointed Brigadier General November 1864; took command of Fitzhugh Lee's division and fought at Five Forks, High Bridge, Sayler's Creek, and Appomattox.
- Post-war
Iron manufacturer and farmer; President, VMI Board of Visitors, 1884-1888; died February 27, 1918 at the home of his son in Uniontown, Alabama; buried Lynchburg, Virginia


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sanddbox wrote:oday88 wrote:Vulpine wrote:One of the most controversial and interesting sects of Islam in history is no reference concerning Muslim beliefs? And a Muslim chat room is?
this is history not belief ,do you understand the difference
but because of your ignorance in islam(i notice this from your comment because you mentioned that history reference is a belief reference)
i gave you a references.
sorry i did not mean the negative side for this word (ignorance)
I can feel the stupid radiating off of you. It burns.
As to my opinions on the matter, my position is similar to Goatboy's (as always). They are free to burn as many Qur'ans as they wish - that's their right. However, they're unintelligent, bigoted morons to do so. Showing America as a country of intolerant holy book burners isn't going to make the less-extremist Muslims (many of whom live in America) like us any more.
TL;DR: It's their right, but they're still [censored]* for it.
*In answer to the trolls, this is the only major part of my posting that I have changed since I have become mod. Blame Monica.
my friend,Your comment was beautiful but it was nicer if you did not mention the word stupid,not problem


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Rienzo pitching well, still without a win
White Sox prospect gives up a run on a hit over seven innings
By Josh Jackson / Special to MLB.com | May 1, 2011 4:58 PM
The Brazilian right-hander entered Sunday's game with a 2.75 ERA, but without a record over four starts with Winston-Salem.
His season-high nine-strikeout, one-hit outing over seven innings still didn't net him his first Carolina League win. He allowed a run and walked two in his longest outing of the year, but the Dash fell, 4-2, to the Wilmington Blue Rocks.
"I have been pitching well, but it's more important to me that the team does well," Rienzo said. "When the team wins, I'll start getting my wins. If I help the team, I help myself."
Rienzo carried a perfect game into the fifth, and set down the first two batters in that inning without incident. He hit the third, Alex McClure, and then saw his no-hitter come to an end when Carlo Testa followed with a double to left field.
McClure crossed the plate when Rienzo threw a wild pitch to Ryan Eigsti, but he struck Eigsti out to end the frame.
"I put pressure on myself when I had runners on second and third base," he said of the errant pitch. "The catcher [Luis Sierra] tried to stop the ball, but it was my fault.
"I pitched well, but the other team was good. I don't care about [a perfect game]. I just want to help the team win."
Rienzo struck out two more in the sixth and got three fly balls in the seventh before giving way to Taylor Thompson (1-1), who gave up three runs in the eighth and ended up with a blown save and the loss.
Rienzo started in the White Sox system as an 18-year-old in the Dominican Summer League in 2007, but last year marked his first full season in the United States.
He went 8-4 with a 3.65 ERA with Class A Kannapolis and twice struck out a career-high 10. He struck out eight batters or more nine times last season.
Even though he is still without a Carolina League victory, Rienzo is pleased with the direction his career has taken.
"It was my dream to play baseball in America," he said. "I remember watching my brother play when I was 6 years old and I fell in love with baseball.
"I like soccer, but I love baseball. In Brazil there are no professional teams, so I always hoped I could come to the Major Leagues. Now my dream is here."
Josh Jackson is a contributor to MLB.com. Ashley Marshall of MLB.com contributed to this report. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.View More


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baall jabulon?
page revision: 0, last edited: 09 Oct 2015 17:01
Wow! Somebody's HERE?!? WOW!!!!!
We were gonna leave this place blank, but decided the gaping hole in the continuity of the page looked ugly. Besides, it would make it REAL hard to create new pages here without some of the instructions we deleted, so we're putting some of them back in here…
baall jabulon?


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If you're looking for a step up in the cologne department you should consider Pure Nautica. We found the scent to be a worthy choice while reviewing the new fragrance from Nautica. Pure Nautica is a clean and sophisticated scent for the confident man and perfect for everyday use. Even during a long and active day and well into the evening, Pure Nautica keeps you on top of your game with a lasting and meaningful scent.
The Pure Nautica bottle represents the fragrance with a clean look and five horizontal lines representing the world's five oceans. Bullz-Eye feels Pure Nautica "hits the mark" for guys who trust the Nautica brand and the men who want to take that extra step to keep the woman in their life even closer!
If you haven't been to find the perfect scent for you, give Pure Nautica a shot.
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Cheats and Walkthroughs(78)
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UPDATE 12:02 AM: Double Fine's Tim Schafer, who had his own troubles with Activision over the release of Brutal Legend, recently commented on Twitter about what's happening between Infinity Ward and Activision.
"Getting mad at Activision for this kind of thing is like getting mad at an ape for throwing feces," said Schafer. "It's just how the beast communicates."
UPDATE 11:20 PM: It turns out Activision may have showed their hand in this matter earlier today.
In an SEC filing made this morning, Activision cited a human resources investigation into "breaches of contract and insubordination by two senior employees at Infinity Ward."
Based on the information we currently have, at least one of those employees may have included Infinity Ward CTO Jason West. It's possible Vince Zampella is the other unmentioned employee.
"This matter is expected to involve the departure of key personnel and litigation," read the filing. "At present, the Company does not expect this matter to have a material impact on the Company."
UPDATE 11:11 PM: Infinity Ward community manager Robert Bowling has vaguely addressed the situation.
"I should also say, while I appreciate all the calls, tweets, messages and hearing my ringtone a lot," said Bowling on his Twitter account, "they're in vain - as I have no info."
UPDATE 10:07 PM: More developments on the situation at Infinity Ward have come to light.
A screen shot surfaced from Infinity Ward CTO Jason West's Facebook page at Kotaku with the status update "Jason West is drinking. Also, unemployed." I can confirm from a source that's friends with West that update did actually come from West's account.
West also updated his Linkedin profile to appears to reflect a change in employment.
"President/Game Director/CCO/CTO Infinity Ward
January 2001 – March 2010 (9 years 3 months)"
While this doesn't yet provide much insight into what actually happened at Infinity Ward, it confirms there are changes afoot at the Call of Duty developer. As soon as I know more, you'll know more.
ORIGINAL STORY: Something's happening at Infinity Ward right now.
A source close to the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 developer just informed me that a "bunch of bouncer-types" just showed up outside of the Infinity Ward offices unannounced. When approached by employees, the non-uniformed "bouncers" were unwilling to disclose why they were there.
"Everyone is on edge," said my source.
Infinity Ward studio heads Vince Zampella and Jason West reportedly met with Activision this morning and have not been seen by Infinity Ward staff members since. My source did not delve into specifics, but described the relationship between Infinity Ward and Activision lately as "tense."
The mood around the Infinity Ward offices is currently described as "freaked out" and "confused."
"We just wanna make our games," said my source.
I've contacted Activision for comment on the ongoing situation at Infinity Ward. Stay tuned.
Have something to share? Sitting on a news tip? E-mail me. You can also follow me on Twitter.


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With work that's colourful, slightly naïve and full of charm, the Barcelona-based artist Iratxe Lopez de Munain launched her creative career by writing and illustrating her own children's book in 2010. Today she works for a variety of publishing houses and agencies – illustration is her passion, and it's a way of life.
It seems she was destined to create these vibrant artworks. Her mother was a painter and Iratxe was always stealing her coloured pencils and working on her own drawings. Her favourite topic at the time was animals, but today she'll draw just about anything and will make it eye-catching.
Like so many other illustrators, Iratxe is inspired by visual things. She loves the cinema, including directors like Paolo Sorrentino and Percy Adlon, particularly their exciting use of colour. She's also influenced by artists like Henri Rousseau, the French modern artist Balthus, and the Naïve art movement.
Give us a few details and we'll get back
to you quickly with an idea of Iratxe's
availability and fees.
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Read our Guide for Authors and Private Commissioners that gives you a helpful idea of fees, briefing and timing.
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Celebrating illustration, design, cartoon and comic art of the mid-20th century.
Monday, July 10, 2006
How it began
"The Cooper Studio had its genesis in Clevland, Ohio; in the form of the Fawn Art Studio, started by Richard Schroeder and Norman Wagner. In 1934, Fawn opened a branch in New York City. Within a short time, the founders realized that they were simply not ready to compete... and made plans to shut down. One of their most talented illustrators, Jon Whitcomb, offered to buy out the partners. Joining Whitcomb in his offer... was Charles Cooper."
-You can read the entire article by author Neil Shapiro in the 16th issue of Illustration magazine.
6 comments:
Bravo, Leif-- Cooper Studios wasn't just a business, it was a major sociological phenomenon that displayed as much about US culture post World War II as impressionism displays about 19th century France or the Sacred Spring displays about turn of the century Vienna. Neil Shapiro wrote a great article in Illustration Magazine and I'm glad to see you giving it this kind of play.ReplyDelete
As I said in a note to the editor of Illustration, I enjoyed the artwork in this article but even more I enjoyed the human touches-- the photo of the boyish Jon Whitcomb before he set the world on fire, and the poignant story of Charles Cooper's son trying to explain to his father that the old methods no longer worked.
I'm looking forward to another fun week of TI!
Thanks David - I know what you mean, a big part of what I enjoy about putting together Today's Inspiration is finding out about the lives of the artists - therein lies the real connection for me - discovering those aspects that show the person behind the art and how they are not so different from you or I... or in some cases, perhaps quite different!ReplyDelete
- loe5:53 PM
My Great Grandfather is Norman Wagner. Co-Founder of Fawn Art StudiosReplyDelete
You should see the work I have around my house...
pretty amazing stuff these men did.
Thanks for commenting, loe - and I can well imagine! You're very lucky to have that wonderful inheritance from your Great Grandfather.ReplyDelete
Hey Loe,ReplyDelete
My father, Richard Schroeder, was Co-Founder of Fawn Art Studios with Norman Wagner, your great grand father. We lived near him in Cleveland. I seem to remember that he left Cleveland and moved to California to raise walnuts. I haven't read the whole article yet, but I think my father told me a somewhat different story than the article started out telling. I'd love to talk to you.
Mark Schroeder


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Baltimore-based Under Armour hosted a press event in New York City Tuesday to introduce what the company has dubbed "its biggest ever global marketing campaign."
While the new "I Will" campaign recalls the old "Will you protect this house?" commercial that first helped the company become popular -- the respondents always answered "I will!" -- the new spot released Tuesday focuses on an area that has become increasingly important: high-end technology and innovation.
Let's just say that the commercial ends with a woman adjusting the composition and color of her clothing by using a touch screen built into her sleeve. That kind of high-end technology and innovation.
Of course no such product exists yet -- nor is anything of the sort actually in the works, according to CEO and founder Kevin Plank -- but the message is clear: Under Armour wants you to think of it as the company constantly pushing to find ways to make your life as an athlete better. This doesn't deviate much from the founding principle of the company -- faster-drying fabric -- but it does represent an elevation of the concept.
The company also released details on its Armour 39 product line, which has been in the works for several years and focuses on measuring "will power." The product -- a tiny diagnostic computer that you wear strapped around your chest -- monitors heart rate, calories burned and intensity, and ultimately produces a "WILLpower" score. There are, as you could probably guess, several proprietary and advanced algorithms involved in all this.
The product costs $149.99, and you can download a free application onto your phone or tablet that will deliver the diagnostics. If you'd prefer not to use that method, a watch is available for $200 that syncs with the device and provides readings.
Under Armour first introduced the concept of rating the quality of an athlete's exertion in February 2011, when it fitted players bound for the NFL combine with shirts containing small computers like the ones that will now hit the retail market as Armour 39.
A pre-order sale for Armour 39 will begin on the company's website Friday, but the product won't be available until March. It will be sold through the online store and exclusively -- at least at first -- at the Under Armour Brand House scheduled to open Saturday in Harbor East.
Here's a video introducing Armour 39.
And here's the new commercial. It's interesting to note that much of it centers on Canelo Alvarez, the young Mexican light middleweight WBC champion. Well-known in boxing circles and his home country, he's yet to make a huge impact in the United States. But he fits the upstart, underdog image that Plank has cultivated (and reaches into markets into which the company would like to continue expanding). That's also why Sloane Stevens, the only ranked teenager in pro tennis, appears. Baseball player Bryce Harper is, by now, a mainstream force, and basketball star Kemba Walker is still remembered for leading Connecticut to a national championship in 2011. So it's an interesting mix of endorsers. All, though, appear in rustic, simple training settings -- augmented, of course, by Under Armour technology.


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|PolarPower.org is funded by the National Science Foundation with the goal of providing a useful working resource for researchers in choosing, designing, implementing, and maintaining remote power systems in polar environments. This site allows the polar research community to establish a foundation of knowledge, share experiences, and stay current on technological developments.
|Engine - Internal combustion engines are a proven technology used worldwide. A wide selection of fuels is available, depending on the application. link
|Fuel Cell - A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity. The process is clean, quiet, and efficient. A byproduct of the process is water, however, which can be a problem for deployments in a polar environment. The technology is still in its infancy, but commercial products are becoming available. link
|Hydroelectric - Small scale turbines can provide a source of electricty at sites where water can be found in a liquid state for at least part of the year. link
|Solar Electric (Photovoltaic) - Cells made up from two or more layers of semiconductor material can produce electric power when excited by photons. The sun is a major source for such photons, but the process also works for other sources of light. Cells may be stacked into arrays to meet different voltage and power requirements. link
|Storage - Primary and rechargeable batteries are often used as a site's sole source of power or in conjuction with one or more of the available power generation technologies to provide a reservoir of continuous power to the load. Flywheels and ultracapacitors are new technologies that are finding their way as a replacement for rechargable batteries. link
|Wind - Wind-powered turbines are a clean source of power. Special problems arise with a moving mechanical device in polar regions prone to ice formation and high wind velocities. Mounting structures also provide challenges for systems that may be located on ice fields well above solid ground. link
This section provides brief descriptions of systems that have been deployed in the polar regions and some basic information of the specifics of the technology deployed. Links to responsible agency sites are often provided to facilitate a deeper exchange of information for others interested in deploying similar technology.
View Technology Deployment Examples
Other technologies, not directly related to power generation and energy storage, are useful in the development and deployment of systems in polar environments. Some examples (still in preparation) are:
|Communications – Overviews of systems that are available for voice and/or data communications in high latitudes are presented. Geostationary satellite systems can be used up to about 74° latitude. Polar orbiting satellites extend the coverage to the poles, but at a degraded throughput. Terrestrial systems can extend communications connectivity where infrastructure might exist at inhabited sites.
|Computers – Permanent and transitory systems are included. Full-time dataloggers are needed for the acquisition, storage, and transfer of measurement data. Low power single board computers applicable to more complex calculations, processes, and protocols are discussed. Measurements of power consumption for selected laptop computers are presented to allow users to make informed choices in this common tool used during field trips.
|Deicing & Ice Detectors – Techniques for keeping instrumentation and other components free from ice are described. Often, this includes information on electric heaters. To conserve energy resources at remote sites, it is useful to apply deicing techniques only when icing conditions exist. Instruments for measuring icing conditions are described.
|Enclosures & Insulation – Instrumentation and battery enclosures are critical in providing a controlled environment when ambient temperatures drop below equipment operational specifications. Information on foam and vacuum insulation systems is provided.
|Instrumentation - The measurement of power consumption may take place in the lab or on-site. Some tools that have been found useful for measuring and logging power consumption are discussed.
- Short duty cycles are often used to conserve battery power. Reliable,
low power timers are needed in locations where more sophisticated
dataloggers and computers aren't justified.
|Towers, Anchors, & Hardware - Strong, lightweight structures are needed to support instrumentation, power sources, and antennas. Base conditions vary widely in the polar regions and approaches to hardware and anchors are shared.
- Once a day or continuous visual monitoring of a remote site can be
useful in interpreting data reports. It is also of high value to pilots
who use it for planning flights to these sights not normally supported
by weather observations.
|PolarPower.Org – Sharing knowledge about power systems for polar regions, Roy H. Stehle and Tracy Dahl, Arctic Energy Summit Technology Conference, Anchorage, Alaska. 17 October 2007. 227 kB, PDF.
|PolarPower.Org – Sharing knowledge about power systems for polar regions, Roy H. Stehle and Tracy Dahl, Arctic Energy Summit Technology Conference, Anchorage, Alaska. 17 October 2007. 1,307 kB, PDF.
|PolarPower.Org – Sharing knowledge about power systems for polar regions, Roy H. Stehle and Tracy Dahl, European Geosciences Union General Assembly, Vienna, Austria. 18 April 2007. 1,370 kB, JPEG, suitable for printing at 8.5 x 11 inches
|PolarPower.Org – Sharing knowledge about power systems for polar regions, Roy H. Stehle and Tracy Dahl, European Geosciences Union General Assembly, Vienna, Austria. 18 April 2007. 16,646 kB, PDF, original size of 36 x 60 inches.
|The development of this site was a direct result of recommendations from the 1999 Autonomous Systems in Extreme Environments Workshop and the 2004 Renewable Energy Working Group Meeting/Workshop
Your comments or contributions are welcome. Please e-mail them to email@example.com


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NEW YORK — After a months-long election season that often played more like a circus sideshow than a considered debate on the issues, few registered voters turned out Tuesday to cast ballots in primaries that will help shift the political landscape of New York City.
The paltry turnout — an estimated 21 percent of registered Democratic voters in the mayoral race and 11 percent of registered Republican voters — was not unusual for a primary election.
But there may have been some hope that voters would show up in greater numbers this time around after a deluge of tabloid-ready news about the elections and a mayoral race that became a referendum on Michael Bloomberg's legacy after three unprecedented terms.
In the mayor's race, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio came from the back of a crowded Democratic field to surge ahead with almost enough votes to secure the nomination without a runoff. Not only that, exit polls showed that he beat out his rivals in key demographics — among blacks, Hispanics, women and gay and lesbian voters. It was as if what his daughter said in introducing him at his election night party was true: Her dad, Chiara de Blasio said, had become a "bold representation of the wants and needs of every one of us."
Speaker Christine Quinn, who earlier this year was the front-runner in the race, fell to third place, while Anthony Weiner, the sexting-prone former congressman who had whipped the media into a frenzy with his comeback bid for mayor, trailed in fourth place. "There's no doubt about it," Weiner said at his concession speech at Conolly's Pub in Midtown Manhattan. "We have the best ideas. Sadly, I was an imperfect messenger."
But second-place candidate Bill Thompson, a former comptroller who nearly knocked Bloomberg out of office in 2009, refused to back down. "We're going to wait for every voice to be counted," he said, referring to paper ballots that were still to be counted. Democrats around the city braced for a possibly divisive, knock-down runoff in the race if the voting numbers changed ever so slightly in Thompson's favor.
Democratic power brokers are pushing to avoid a runoff that could damage the candidates and benefit the Republican nominee in the general election. And they are lining up behind de Blasio in a public way: Big-name unions, the Working Families Party and key politicians endorsed him at a rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall on Thursday. Many of Quinn's supporters are now backing de Blasio.
The city Board of Elections said it could be next week before the results from Tuesday's primary are certified and paper ballots counted. Thompson has until Friday night to decide whether he wants to stay on the ballot.
Not waiting for the outcome in that race, former transit chief Joe Lhota, who beat out billionaire supermarket magnate John Catsimatidis and Doe Fund-founder George McDonald, for the Republican nomination in the party primary on Tuesday night, made it clear in his victory speech that he expected to run against de Blasio in the general election.
"I hear an awful lot coming from the other side about the 'tale of two cities' and how they want to tear down the progress that's happened over the last twenty years," he said. "This 'tale' is nothing more than class warfare. An attempt to divide the city."
The other most-watched race, the Democratic primary for comptroller, was more decisive: Scott Stringer, the mild-mannered Manhattan borough president who had been a shoe-in for the job until former governor Eliot Spitzer resurfaced mid-summer to run for it, eked out a victory.
But it wasn't just the comptroller and mayor's race that were competitive. There were also key races for the little-known citywide office of public advocate that ended in a runoff; the offices of borough president in Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan; Brooklyn district attorney; City Council; and state Assembly.
The towering De Blasio didn't just win because his son, Dante de Blasio, had a killer Afro.
But it certainly helped get across his campaign's message when his son appeared in a televised ad and pronounced that his father would break from the status quo on a key issue for black and Latino voters across the city: stop-and-frisk.
Combining that message with a clear, overarching theme that income inequality had grown unsustainable under Bloomberg, De Blasio was able to cobble together a winning coalition of voters.
Back in June, Gotham Gazette Demographics Columnist Andy Beveridge wrote that this year's candidates, if they had any hope of getting to Gracie mansion, would "need to build coalitions of supporters willing to get to the polls on primary day and Election Day from an increasingly diverse voter roll."
De Blasio, who served as Hilary Clinton's campaign manager during her 2000 race for U.S. Senate, did exactly that, Beveridge said in a post-primary interview with the Gazette.
But, more surprising to Beveridge, whose company, Social Explorer, provided demographics for The New York Times' splashy elections breakdown, was that there was "virtually no polarized vote."
"He's a white guy and he got half of the black vote," Beveridge said of de Blasio. The other half of the black vote went for Thompson, the only black candidate in the race.
John Mollenkopf, the director for the Center for Urban Research at the City University of New York, said it was not just his family that made de Blasio appealing to black voters. "Obviously, it's a signal, but I think he also raises issues that are very much of concern about black and immigrant communities," he said. "There are strong patterns of voting, but I would not say they were motivated by ethnic similarities."
After all, Mollenkopf said, de Blasio did well with not only voters in traditionally black neighborhoods but also the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
"The black neighborhoods of Crown Heights and Bed-Stuy voted for the white candidate instead of the black candidate," he said. "That is really quite remarkable."
He said the Thompson campaign appeared to miscalculate de Blasio's appeal to their candidate's base. "The Thompson candidacy was predicated on the belief that … blacks and Latinos would line up pretty solidly just the way they had in 2009, and [Thompson] went around telling people that … The racial and ethnic arithmetic made him the inevitable winner," Mollenkopf said. "Which turned out not to be true."
Thompson's campaign lead strategist Jonathan Prince did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the candidate's efforts.
Exit polls also showed that de Blasio carried a lot of other groups as well —Hispanics (38 percent), Protestants (40 percent), middle-class earners of $50,000 to $70,000 (40 percent), LGBT (47 percent) and college graduates (42 percent).
The exit polls also showed that De Blasio's campaign message that he was the clear anti-Bloomberg choice for voters stirred them to his side. "If you wanted to vote against Bloomberg, you wanted to vote for de Blasio," Beveridge said. "And a lot of people wanted to vote against Bloomberg."
Even the Thompson campaign appeared to be impressed with de Blasio's ability to cut across categories. Thompson's own campaign chairwoman, Merryl H. Tisch, told The New York Times that the primary results showed it was a "clear victory" for de Blasio.
But Thompson's supporters were chanting "three more weeks" — in reference to the Oct. 1 runoff date — on election night.
He was also backed by powerful interests, including the United Federation of Teachers and police unions.
Detective Endowment Association President Michael Palladino said that it was Thompson's measured approach on stop-and-frisk that brought out police union support for the candidate.
"Bill is the most realistic," Palladino said. "He realizes that safety is important but that you have to balance that with the civil rights of the people of this great city."
The UFT president said they would continue to fight for Thompson. "We're sick and tired of people's voice being silenced," Michael Mulgrew told Capital New York.
With the Thompson camp playing the waiting game to see whether the math would work out for him and spark a runoff, Democratic insiders were signaling that they didn't want a damaging battle ahead of the general election.
Doug Muzzio, a political scientist at Baruch College, said he did not think Thompson would pursue it given the demographic blowout by de Blasio.
"Is he really going to bloody up de Blasio for Lhota? And how does he win this time?" Muzzio said. "With all those demographics against him, how will he win all the Quinn voters and Liu voters? I don't think he will be able to hold on to his own voters. My gut tells me he doesn't."
Lhota's win against his Republican rivals was decisive but less impressive. It's estimated just about 57,000 votes were cast — or 10 percent — of total registered Republican voters. As Colin Campbell of The New York Observer put it, that was about as many votes that Democrats Erick J. Salgado (2.4 percent) and Randy Credico (2 percent) were able to secure during the primary.
Beveridge agreed. "Lhota has gotta cross over and pull in moderate democratic voters," he said.
But the former transit chief is running on a message that he is the best man to continue the Bloomberg era of relatively low crime and upward mobility of quality of life.
"I think people are sick of Bloomberg," Beveridge said. "It's a 64-ounce Pepsi too far."
All of the candidates dogged by recent scandal and hoping for a second chance lost in the primary.
This included Spitzer, who resigned from the governor's office amid a prostitution scandal, in the comptroller race; former Assemblyman Vito Lopez, who had been accused of groping his female staff, and was running for Brooklyn's 34th Council seat; and Assemblyman Micah Kellner, who faced sexual harassment allegations, and was running for Manhattan's 5th Council district.
"It turns out sexual misconduct is a fast track to a concession speech," Sonia Ossorio, president of the local branch of the National Organization for Women, said in a press release on Wednesday. "This election makes it clear that voters will reject candidates who fail to treat women with respect and dignity."
After a five-year hiatus from government, Spitzer tried to make a political comeback and seemed to be heading for an all-but-certain win against little-known Stringer for the Democratic nomination for comptroller.
But Spitzer lost by a small margin. Stringer, who was backed by the Democratic establishment, won with 51.98 percent of the vote; Spitzer had 48.02 percent.
A runoff will decide the other citywide race — for public advocate — between candidates City Councilwoman Letitia James and state Sen. Daniel Squadron. The city's Campaign Finance Board released over $740,000 in public funds to the candidates for the runoff on Oct. 1.
In the borough-wide races, among the most notable were the wins by Gale Brewer in the race to be borough president of Manhattan; and by Melinda Katz, in the race for Queens borough president.
But perhaps most surprising was the win that former federal prosecutor Kenneth Thompson pulled out against six-term incumbent Charles Hynes for the office of Brooklyn district attorney. While Hynes had been inundated by bad press, it was widely said that Thompson was running an ineffectual campaign.
However, when the tallies came in on election night, it was clear that there had been a mandate for change in the leadership of district attorney: Thompson won by 55.43 percent of the vote; Hynes had 44.7 percent.
"I think folks knew the record I had," Hynes said in his concession speech. "I guess folks came to the conclusion that it was my time."
While he was also running on the Republican and Conservative lines, all indications are that he will not be competing in the general election.
Mel Wymore, who would have been the first transgender City Council member, lost his bid for the 6th City Council District to Helen Rosenthal. But Carlos Menchaca, who will likely be the first Mexican-American on the Council, was able to grab Brooklyn's 38th seat from incumbent Sarah Gonzalez.
In the end, of the 51 Council districts, about 20 ended up being competitive.
Other notable wins included Ben Kallos winning the 5th district over two other candidates, including Assemblyman Kellner; Chaim Deutsch in the competitive race for Brooklyn's 48th district, which was hard-hit by Hurricane Sandy; and John Mancuso in Staten Island's 50th district.
There were also two important Assembly races that drew little attention, but were significant.
The race to replace Assemblyman Nelson Castro in the Bronx's 86th Assembly District will likely come down to a recount with newcomer Victor Pichardo and former district leader Hector Ramirez with unofficial tallies showing both candidates hovering at about 22 percent of the vote.
Ramirez's success was a surprise to many observers who saw the candidate as an also-ran. Pichardo enjoyed the backing of Rep. Chuck Schumer, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., Sen. Gustavo Rivera and Assemblyman Carl Heastie. Ramirez mostly had name recognition and community support.
Meanwhile, a Lopez ally got his old 53rd State Assembly District seat: Maritza Davila, a former employee of the Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizen Center founded by Lopez. She defeated her two opponents by a large margin in the Democratic primary.
{sidebar id=21}
State Government Editor David Howard King and City Government Reporter Chester Soria contributed to this report.


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There are a lot of avenues for your child to pursue in the quest to become more active. From Little League baseball to ballet lessons, shooting a basketball to bicycling, he has many options to choose from. And that's the key—your child, not you, should be the person making the choice. If he's going to stay active long term, he needs to select something that he likes and will keep doing.
That's why it's important for parents not to micromanage their children's physical activities. Some children enjoy organized activity, while others prefer outdoor free play for which they're left to their own devices on how they'll be active. Free play can be a powerful form of exercise, contributing to the development of motor skills and serving as a great outlet for your youngster's energy. As a society, we're overlooking the value of this kind of active play, even though the AAP recommends only free play, rather than team sports, up to the age of 6 years. Whether you live in a city or rural area, find a park, playground, or other outdoor area where your young child can do his own thing.
Yes, you can make sure that some balls and other play equipment are available whenever your child goes outside, but let him decide exactly what he wants to do. Parents often find it helpful to give their children 3 or 4 activity options from which to choose, or they might ask their youngsters what choices they'd like available. Pose a question like this to your child: "If you weren't watching TV, what could you be doing instead?" Don't be surprised if you initially get a blank stare from him, so give him some concrete alternatives: "Could you jump rope? Or play tennis? Or go in-line skating? Or go for a brisk walk?"
You might instead say, "Here are 3 activities you could do this afternoon. You could swim, go bowling with your brother, or go for a walk. Which one would you like to do?"
On the other hand, if you insist that your child participate in an activity that he finds boring or grueling—"Jimmy, it's time to walk on the treadmill!"—he'll probably lose interest quickly and end up in front of the TV. If you provide him the opportunity to participate in an activity that he enjoys, he's likely to keep doing it.
Now, what about organized sports like soccer teams and Little League? They're fine for children aged 6 years and older who want to join in, but it's important to have realistic expectations. Your aim should be for your child to be physically active and enjoy the experience, not necessarily excel as the best player on the team. You shouldn't be trying to create an elite athlete, and if he chooses to move from one sport to another rather than concentrating only on one, that's fine. For example, if he shows an interest in a basketball league, great—but if he also wants to learn how to ski when winter comes around, all the better. Let him explore different activities.
He'll develop a wide variety of physical skills and more importantly, he'll keep moving. Here are some other guidelines to keep in mind when selecting activities with your child.
There's no scarcity of activities that you can make available to your child, and all kids can find some form of exercise that they enjoy, even if they tell you that they'd much rather sit and snack on the couch. You can also use your imagination to add to the list of appropriate choices for your own child, perhaps including hiking, gardening, snorkeling, gymnastics, stair climbing, or playing with a hula hoop. You can get him a dog if he agrees to walk his new pet twice a day. You could also buy him a basketball and put up a hoop in your driveway.
Remember, even household chores—from raking leaves to vacuuming the house to washing the car—qualify as physical activity as long as they keep your child moving.
Don't overlook youth activities sponsored by your community's parks and recreation department, which might include volleyball, badminton, or table tennis. Encourage your youngster to stay active by giving him gifts like riding lessons. At his birthday parties, incorporate some physical activity, perhaps by taking his friends and him to play miniature golf or planning a trip to the batting cages to swing at baseballs.
Also, keep in mind that there are lifetime sports that he can develop a love for and continue doing throughout his lifetime. If you can get your child interested in an activity like this when he's young, exercise and fitness are more likely to become a habit that lasts for many decades. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that physical education programs in schools emphasize lifetime sports (as well as activities that are not just for the best athletes). These lifetime sports include
No matter what activity your child chooses, whether it burns lots of body fat or just a little, it is better than just sitting. That's the message to communicate to a child who wants to lose weight.


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An article on FoxNews.com advocating traditional gender roles to help women "choose a husband and make peace with marriage," inadvertently used a picture of two lesbian brides to illustrate its point.
The article, written by Suzanne Venker and titled "To Be Happy, We Must Admit Women and Men Aren't Equal," argues that feminism has dangerously perpetuated "the idea that women don't need men or marriage." Venker contends that this has resulted in a society where women indefinitely postpone marriage, until their biological clocks start ticking and they try to lock a boyfriend into a marriage. The author goes further to say that feminism and modern ideals of women's empowerment have turned marriage into a "competitive sport."
Venker gets downright ballsy when she contends that "feminism didn't result in equality between the sexes — it resulted in mass confusion."
Speaking of mass confusion, check out this screenshot of the article's headline:
Apparently, neither Venker, nor anyone at Fox News, noticed that the gorgeous couple kissing in wedded bliss atop the Empire State Building is actually lesbian couple Stephanie and Lela Figarelle. You can read all about their big gay — and legal — wedding on Valentine's day last year in this feature from Huffington Post. Along with a gay male couple, the brides were among the first same-sex couples to wed atop the iconic building after New York legalized marriage equality in 2011.
So, Ms. Venker, go ahead and take your traditional gender roles… and stick them where the sun don't shine... and where we're sure you could clearly use some attention. Love and equality will always win.
A major hat-tip to former SheWired and Advocate intern Camille Beredjick for the heads-up on this hilarious mixup. It brightened up our Friday.


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A man goes to his doctor after losing a lot of weight.
"I feel great, but I have a problem, doctor. I was so fat beforehand that my skin has stretched and stayed that long. Is there anything you can give me?"
"Hmm, short of plastic surgery, there is only one alternative. Please take off your clothes."
The man strips down. The doctor pulls all his skin upwards and ties it in a ball above his head.
"But doctor -- now my navel is in the middle of my forehead!"
"True," replies the doctor, "and you should see what you have for a collar and tie."