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On a December morning in 1898, a 25-year-old paleontologist named
Barnum Brown trudged through the snow-choked streets of New York City
for what he thought would be a routine day at the American Museum of
Natural History. But before he could remove his hat, his supervisor,
Henry Fairfield Osborn, anxiously summoned him. "Brown," he said, "I
want you to go to Patagonia today with the Princeton expedition . . .
to represent the American Museum. The boat leaves at 11; will you go?"
"This is short notice," Brown replied. "But I'll be on that boat if . .
. I [can] go home to pack my personal belongings and arrange for my
Although he had never been out of the country before, Brown did not
return for almost a year and a half. In Patagonia he prospected for
fossils largely on his own. On one excursion, he was shipwrecked off
the Patagonian coast when a large wave slammed his small cutter;
despite not knowing how to swim, Brown floated safely to shore grasping
a barrel. By befriending the locals, he got his project back on track
and eventually shipped 4.5 tons of fossil mammal bones back to the
museum. Brown's gamble—to strike out by himself to search for fossils
in a foreign land—established a precedent for his expeditions and
launched his legendary career..
Among paleontologists, Barnum Brown is almost universally recognized
as the greatest fossil collector of all time, and although his name is
no longer widely recognized among the general public, the name of the
most famous dinosaur he ever discovered—Tyrannosaurus rex—most
certainly is. The fossils he unearthed across continents from the
Americas to Asia vastly expanded our knowledge not only of the
evolution of dinosaurs but also of most major groups of reptiles and
mammals. Crucial to his success was a penchant for eccentricity and
risk, both professionally and personally. His expeditions, many of
which he undertook with little or no backup, even from his trusted
companions, led him to several of our planet's most remote and
dangerous regions. As if that weren't risky enough, Brown often used
his guise as a bone digger to cover a second, clandestine role as an
American intelligence agent, gathering strategic geologic and
geographic data that would aid both the country's exploration for oil
and the government's war efforts.
But Brown's first priority was always fossil hunting. His finds are
still used to investigate major questions in paleontology, and some of
his ideas—including a radical insight about the intimate relationship
between dinosaurs and birds—today seem almost uncannily prescient. As
paleontologists with access to the archives of the American Museum of
Natural History, we have a unique opportunity to look back a century
later on his discovery of the world's most famous dinosaur. Perhaps
more surprisingly, we still have an intimate relationship with Brown,
whose techniques, theories, and discoveries are continuing to help us
understand the era when reptiles ruled the earth.
Barnum Brown's passion for paleontology began early. Born in 1873,
he spent his childhood in eastern Kansas, in a landscape whose hills
rippled with exposed coal seams. Hired hands helped his homesteading
father run a small-scale strip-mining operation; as Brown recalled,
this opened a window on a captivating ancient world of fossils. "They
unearthed vast numbers and varieties of seashells, crinoid stems and
parts, corals . . . and other sea organisms," he wrote. "I followed the
plows and scrapers, and obtained such a large collection that it filled
all of the bureau drawers and boxes until one could scarcely move.
Finally Mother compelled me to move the collection into the laundry
His interest in fossils found a natural outlet at the University of
Kansas, where Brown studied both paleontology and how fossil fuels were
formed and mined. During summer recesses in the mid-1890s, he joined
the university's field trips to the big badlands of South Dakota and
the plains of eastern Wyoming. In the summer of 1896 he hooked up with
a field crew from the American Museum of Natural History and prospected
for mammal fossils in both New Mexico's San Juan Basin and Wyoming's
Bighorn Basin. Impressed with his skills, the museum hired Brown, even
though he had not yet finished his undergraduate education.
The following year Brown joined the museum staff for its first
expedition to excavate dinosaur skeletons outside Medicine Bow,
Wyoming. It was an unforgettable trip: For the rest of his life, Brown
harbored tremendous pride in his first professional find, an enormous
plant-eating dinosaur similar to, but even longer than, the then
recently discovered Apatosaurus. "I was . . . fortunate in discovering
a partial skeleton of . . . Diplodocus. This was the first dinosaur
excavated by any American Museum expedition, and here I introduced the
use of plaster of paris in excavating fossils." At age 24 Brown had
laid the cornerstone for what would become the world's most famous
collection of dinosaurs. Furthermore, by covering the
150-million-year-old hindquarters of that giant sauropod in a sturdy
plaster jacket—a method that enabled him to safely ship and store the
beast's delicate remains—he helped establish a critical collecting
technique that is still used by paleontologists around the world.
And Brown had barely begun. After returning from Patagonia, he
discovered the first T. rex fossil, in 1902 in Hell Creek, Montana. He
then traveled across the Canadian border to the Red Deer River, where,
between 1910 and 1915, he excavated the sharp-toothed tyrannosaur
relative Albertosaurus as well as the smaller, ostrich-shaped
Struthiomimus. There he also found tanklike armored dinosaurs like
Edmontonia and Euoplocephalus; elaborately crested, plant-eating
duckbills, including Corythosaurus and Parasaurolophus; and fierce
horned brutes like Chasmosaurus and Centrosaurus, relatives of
Triceratops. These finds provided the first comprehensive look at North
America's dinosaur fauna of 75 million years ago.
Nor was Brown satisfied with simply collecting dinosaur bones. On a
trip to the Greek isle of Samos from 1923 to 1924—an expedition he
undertook with his intrepid second wife, Lilian—Brown hired a team of
18 men and 6 women to haul dirt in baskets for "the attractive sum of
35 drachmas (70 cents) per day for the men and 20 drachmas per day for
the girls." In the wake of the Greco–Turkish War of 1921–22, the island
was inundated with Greek refugees desperate for work, so Brown did not
have any difficulty finding willing workers. Their extensive quarrying
generated 56 cases of spectacular fossils "representing three species
of three-toed horses, rhinoceroses . . . many species of antelope and
gazelle . . . birds, and a variety of carnivorous mammals." The jewel
was an exquisitely preserved skull of an early relative of giraffes,
The peripatetic Brown collected so many specimens on his travels
that even today dozens of large boxes of his fossils have yet to be
opened. Crates labeled "mammals from Samos" and "ornithomimid from Hell
Creek" rest on sanitized racks in the storerooms of the American Museum
of Natural History simply because there are not enough staff workers to
unpack them, remove the plaster, and prepare them all. As Brown neared
his 90th birthday in 1963, his successor at the museum, Edwin Colbert,
marveled at how much of the museum was Brown's single-handed work:
"There are, in our Tyrannosaur Hall, 36 North American dinosaurs on
display. . . . You collected 27, an unsurpassed achievement."
For all of Brown's success as a collector, his direct impact as a
scientist was strangely modest, compromised by his time abroad and by
his laxity in publishing his discoveries. The CV that he compiled for
his memoirs—which he never finished—shows that there were only five
years between 1897 and his retirement in 1942 in which he did not
participate in a major expedition. Yet he penned few scientific papers,
and those that he did publish are mostly short notes. On the other
hand, his longer publications, like his monograph on Protoceratops, a
Mongolian relative of the great horned dinosaurs, are classics, both
for the freshness of the presentation and the quality of the analysis.
Brown's real legacy lies with his discoveries themselves, which
still serve as a foundation for numerous geologic and biological
research projects in paleontology. His excavations in the Missouri
Breaks—the site of the renowned T. rex burial ground in Hell
Creek—yielded not only Tyrannosaurus but also the bizarre
Pachycephalosaurus, whose head was topped with a 10-inch-thick crown of
solid bone, and the best-known horned dinosaur, Triceratops. At the
same time, Brown documented the sequence of rock layers at the site
that reveal how the nonavian dinosaurs dramatically died off 65 million
years ago. The lowest layer of coal marks the boundary between the
underlying Hell Creek Formation, with its rich dinosaur fauna, and the
younger overlying Tullock Formation, with its surviving fauna of small
mouselike and shrewlike mammals. This is the world's best record of the
faunal and floral changes that occurred worldwide at the end of the age
of dinosaurs and the beginning of the age of mammals.
Even now many researchers continue to prospect and probe Hell
Creek's rugged exposures for clues to the dinosaurs' demise. In the
early 1980s we helped collect rock samples from the site, which were
then analyzed to identify the iridium-rich clay layer that is now
understood as the fallout from the impact of a comet or asteroid. Many
scientists believe this collision caused the extinction of most
dinosaurs, although some still argue that immense volcanic eruptions in
India may also have played a role.
Ironically, Brown also gathered key fossil evidence establishing
that, in reality, not all dinosaurs went extinct at the end of the
Cretaceous. During the 1930s, in the badlands of southern Montana's
Crow Indian Reservation, Brown discovered a diminutive carnivorous
dinosaur now named Deinonychus. Because skeletons of such small
carnivores were extremely rare, he immediately recognized its
importance and began describing it in a scientific paper. Brown's
illustrations indicate that he clearly comprehended this animal's
birdlike characteristics. He never finished his study, however, and
until 1960 the specimen languished in a drawer labeled Daptosaurus, the
name he intended to give the new animal.
A student named John Ostrom picked up where Brown left off, renaming
the specimen and rejuvenating the century-old debate about the
evolutionary origin of birds. Subsequent research led to the radical
but now widely accepted conclusion that birds are, in fact, the only
living descendants of dinosaurs. Thus Brown helped establish our
contemporary view that not all dinosaurs are extinct—some fly about in
our backyards.
Brown's succession of exotic discoveries made him one of the
greatest scientific celebrities of his day. The public nicknamed him
"Mr. Bones," and one writer noted that "wherever Brown went on his
expeditions in the American West . . . he was feted by the local
populace. Droves of people would meet his train and vie for the honor
of driving him from the station to town." Museum archives reveal that
Brown's zest for geologic exploration inspired a second, clandestine
life. From early on Brown's expeditions for fossils had served as a
smoke screen for occasional sojourns as an intelligence agent and
corporate spy. During both world wars he funneled geologic knowledge
gleaned from his fossil-hunting expeditions to the United States
government. He occasionally confided in museum colleagues, as in a 1921
letter to paleontologist W. D. Matthew stating that he had "an exciting
time in Turkey, and secured much desired data for the State Department."
In 1941 the American government contacted museums to find out where
their curators had done fieldwork in order to harvest information about
remote and strategically vital areas. Although Brown was about to
retire, he happily obliged, citing his travels to Canada, Cuba, Mexico,
Patagonia, France, England, Turkey, Greece, Ethiopia, Egypt, Somalia,
Arabia, India, and Burma. He also volunteered for service and was
assigned to the Office of Strategic Services, the forerunner of today's
CIA, where he used his knowledge of Samos and the Aegean Islands to
help plan one of the potential invasion routes into Europe. From 1943
to 1945 he was transferred to the Bureau of Economic Warfare, where his
duties included "interpreting aerial photographs to detect camouflage
in areas of Africa, India, Burma, and the Mediterranean Islands" as
well as conducting an aerial reconnaissance of oil fields in Alberta,
where he had earlier prospected for petroleum on the Duke of Windsor's
large ranch.
Because of his passion for both geology and paleontology, Brown also
forged close ties with oil and mining companies. Part of the industry's
appeal was financial; he charged a consulting fee of $50 per day,
almost $800 in today's currency. These contacts could also be lucrative
sources of fossil-hunting cash. In 1934, with museum funds for
fieldwork in short supply, Brown approached officials of the Sinclair
Oil Corporation in search of financial support. The company's president
became so enamored of Brown and his work that he personally backed
Brown's expedition to northern Wyoming, where he discovered the famous
Jurassic dinosaur graveyard named Howe Quarry. To this day the Sinclair
logo features an image of Diplodocus in deference to this partnership.
Brown's oil company contacts were extensive. In 1920 he quite likely
fled a jilted lover's lawsuit by skedaddling for Abyssinia (now
Ethiopia) under the banner of the Anglo American Oil Company, an
offshoot of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil. His mentor, Henry
Osborn, was supportive of such ventures because Brown kept his keen
eyes peeled for fossils while prospecting for oil. In this way Osborn
reaped the fruits of Brown's labors while the oil company paid for
them. Brown's letters—in which he invariably addresses his supervisor
as "my dear Professor Osborn"—maintain the careful guise of an
eccentric fossil hunter, but they also contain carefully worded notes
about both oil prospects and the activities of European diplomats,
military personnel, and businessmen. Those notes also contain telling
details about his targets' wives and daughters.
Brown was quite the roué, as the museum's archives reveal. From 1920
through 1924, his global search for fossils took him not only to
Ethiopia but also to India, Indochina, and back through the
Mediterranean. His correspondence from the period suggests that this
marathon was in part an effort to escape the spurned woman's legal suit
against him. Upon hearing about the case, Brown anxiously wrote to his
supervisors to assess the potential damage. "I'm at a loss to know how
my standing at the Museum has been affected by this blackmail case and
whether I shall be wanted there again," he wrote on December 20, 1919,
from Okmulgee, Oklahoma. "It seems to me best to settle the business in
or out of court before I come [back] to the Museum. . . . I know what a
lot of gossips there are there. . . . It is purely blackmail and I
doubt if the woman would dare go to court, and yet you know how
innocent parties can be humiliated . . . in such a case."
A few notes and poems from admiring women remain in the archives,
although legend has it that a loyal assistant removed most of these
from Brown's desk after his death. Brown's roving eye was not lost on
his second wife, Lilian, who in a letter to a friend compared the
polygamous traditions of the East with those of the West. "After all,
this is better than the Christian way of living," she wrote. "Our men
have many wives on the side, and the only thing that makes it wrong is
the fact that they might be found out?"
Lilian was apparently ready to forgive Brown some of his wanderings.
As Brown's daughter, Frances, relates in a self-published 1987
biography, Let's Call Him Barnum, he and Lilian married in 1922 in
India, where Lilian was ostensibly on a world tour with an aunt. "The
more likely scenario was that she, like others before her, had decided
that Barnum was the husband she wanted, and if he would not come after
her, she would go after him, even if it meant crossing a couple of
Lonely, and as his daughter states, "ripe for the plucking," more
than a decade after the death of his first wife, Marion, in 1910, Brown
rushed to meet Lilian in Calcutta "and quickly decided to make her his
wife." Lilian, no doubt, expected to be whisked away on a romantic
Oriental honeymoon, but as his daughter relates, "that Barnum was not
youthfully starry-eyed and glowing over this marriage" was clear from
his choice of activities for the nuptial reception: "The bride and
groom spent the afternoon of their wedding day in the chairs of the
only two English dentists in Calcutta. To Barnum this was just a
routine practicality."
With Brown, fossils almost always came first, and Lilian quickly
adapted, helping to collect and keep records in the field for her
husband. Health risks were rampant: In the lowlands of Burma, Brown
contracted malaria, but his wife saved his life with round-the-clock
nursing until his fever broke. Their marriage lasted for 40 years,
until Brown's death in 1963, probably because Lilian possessed a streak
of independence almost as wide as her husband's. After their wedding,
she set off on her own to Kashmir for a solitary honeymoon. Along the
way, she caught the eye of an eminent maharaja, who lavishly
entertained her and permitted her to interact with his harem—an honor
not previously bestowed upon any westerner.
As colorful as Brown's adventures were, they are now largely
forgotten, while his fossil finds are more prominent than ever. His
discoveries permeate the American Museum of Natural History, whether
one casually strolls through the public exhibition spaces or rummages
intently through the cloistered collections. When the museum renovated
its fossil halls in the 1990s and its dinosaur storerooms in 2000, we
faced the daunting task of conserving and moving Brown's magnificent
collection. It was humbling to see firsthand how many of the specimens
that draw millions of visitors to the museum each year were unearthed
through Brown's efforts. Of the 80-odd specimens in the renovated
halls, 32 were found by Brown and his field crews.
It was our special privilege to work with Brown's most famous
specimen. During the renovation, our most difficult and delicate job
was to remount Brown's T. rex by modifying its upright "Godzilla"
posture into a more scientifically accurate horizontal posture. When
Brown and Osborn originally designed their upright mount, they built a
one-sixth scale model of the skeleton, with each bone carved out of
wood, and then mounted it on a wire framework. We reworked the same
model to realign the posture for our new mount. Then, each immense yet
fragile bone had to be lifted gently off the old armature, cleaned,
conserved, and carefully repositioned on the new armature, much as
Brown and his preparators had painstakingly done almost a century
before. It was an emotionally draining exercise because the skeleton
represents one of evolution's most iconic specimens; its spectacular
four-foot-long skull gave humanity its first face-to-face glimpse of
the most imposing and ferocious predator ever to walk the continents.
Our remounting took more than a dozen dedicated scientists and fossil
preparators almost two years to complete, but Brown's masterpiece will
glower menacingly at new generations of entranced visitors for decades
to come.
Brown's incomparable ancient menagerie—along with a few boxes of
notes and several cabinets of photos—also serves as his epitaph. Today
all of Brown's immediate family and almost all of his contemporaries
are dead, and no known recordings of him exist. It is therefore
impossible to know his true mind. Field portraits snapped at different
periods show him progressing from a proud but youthful apprentice,
sitting in a quarry with his first dinosaur find, to a bald yet dapper
patriarch, confronting an outcrop in his full-length beaver-skin coat.
One can see his determined face but cannot probe the thoughts inside.
Beyond a consistent willingness, or even gleeful propensity, to take
calculated risks in his professional and personal life, Brown remains
something of an enigma. He was a master collector who disdained
recording the details of his monumental discoveries. He was a
meticulous researcher who found little time for publishing his
scientific insights. He was a world-renowned, New York–based scientist
who seemed most at ease with strangers in field settings far from home.
He was a husband who delighted in his wives' company but felt
unconstrained by conventional rules
But at least we still have one unforgettable and still tangible
connection with Brown. It is extraordinarily powerful to sit in our
archives, gingerly grasping the tattered, yellow, century-old letter
that Brown wrote to Osborn from the badlands of Hell Creek describing
humanity's first encounter with a T. rex in 1902. Befitting of Brown,
our eyes struggle to decipher his rambling scrawl, but once
comprehended, the words are quite self-assured, if disarmingly simple:
"Quarry No. 1 contains [several bones] of a large carnivorous dinosaur
not described by Marsh. . . . I have never seen anything like it from
the Cretaceous."
Discover Magazine


text:
Big Hero 6 is an endearing animated flick.
Even before we begin, Walt Disney does a Pixar in the very beginning of the movie, and brings an amazing short through the eyes of the cutest terrier that you will ever see, the foodie Winston. So beautifully portrayed! Winston is a true hero. Besides does it get better than this, when you get to watch two movies in a single ticket?
Big Hero 6 starts with rad humour and some cool story build up until we reach Tadashi's so-fluffy-that-I-am-gonna-die invention. The giant wonder is a health-care robot who is goofy without trying. Things that it does just by being itself, packs up another layer of fun.
The button-faced fluff might be the face of the flick, but the true hero is the genius Hiro. The child prodigy is really good when it comes to presentation or kicking some robo-ass. Also watch out for the funny Fred who will jiggle you for sure. And Stan Lee? What were you doing here?
"I don't wanna lose you too."
The drama is enriching to the script. Screenplay is pretty good for an animation movie. CGI is also pretty amazing.
Downsides: There isn't a lot of background bustle when it comes to showing ruckus on streets. The focus is always on the main characters of the movie. And sometimes you wonder – Where is everybody? Even the story ends up with clichés and a predictable sojourn.
Not looking at all of that, it still is a complete entertainment package, with action, drama and some great decent laughs on its way to become a franchise I surmise. Recommended!

subset: commoncrawl


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Bioinformatics For Dummies
Table of Contents
Author Information
That's where Bioinformatics For Dummies comes in. If you want to know what bioinformatics is all about and how to use it without wading through pages of computer gibberish or taking a course full of theory, this book has the answers in plain English. You'll find out how to
- Use Internet resources
- Understand bioinformatics jargon
- Research biological databases
- Locate the sequences you need
- Perform specific tasks, step by step
Written by two experts who helped develop the science, Bioinformatics For Dummies is all about getting things done. If you're just getting your feet wet, start at the beginning with a quick review of those necessary parts of microbiology and an overview of the tools available. If you already know what you want to do, you can go directly to a chapter that shows you how. Get the lowdown on
- Researching and analyzing DNA and protein sequences
- Gathering information from all published sources
- Searching databases for similar sequences and acquiring information about gene functions through sequence comparisons
- Producing and editing multiple sequence comparisons for presentation
- Predicting protein structures and RNA structures
- Doing phylogenetic analysis
With an Internet connection and Bioinformatics For Dummies, you'll discover how to peruse databases that contain virtually everything known about human biology. It's like having access to the world's largest lab, right from your desk. This book is your lab assistant – one that never takes a day off, never argues when you ask it for help, and won't demand a benefits package.


text:
Order Article Reprints
Journal: Int. J. Mol. Sci., 2013
Volume: 14
Number: 6241
Article: Adsorption and Orientation of Human Islet Amyloid Polypeptide (hIAPP) Monomer at Anionic Lipid Bilayers: Implications for Membrane-Mediated Aggregation
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text:
NEW YORK – An international research team led by Columbia University Medical Center successfully used mouse embryonic stem cells to replace diseased retinal cells and restore sight in a mouse model of retinitis pigmentosa. This strategy could potentially become a new treatment for retinitis pigmentosa, a leading cause of blindness that affects approximately one in 3,000 to 4,000 people, or 1.5 million people worldwide. The study appears online ahead of print in the journal Transplantation (March 27, 2010 print issue).
Specialized retinal cells called the retinal pigment epithelium maintain vision. Retinitis pigmentosa results from the death of retinal cells on the periphery of the retina, leading to "tunnel vision," where the field of vision is narrowed considerably and everything outside the "tunnel" appears blurred or wavy.
"This research is promising because we successfully turned stem cells into retinal cells, and these retinal cells restored vision in a mouse model of retinitis pigmentosa," said Stephen Tsang, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of ophthalmology, pathology and cell biology, Columbia University Medical Center, and lead author of the paper. "The transplanted cells not only looked like retinal cells, but they functioned like them, too."
In Dr. Tsang's study, sight was restored in one-fourth of the mice that received the stem cells. However, complications of benign tumors and retinal detachments were seen in some of the mice, so Dr. Tsang and colleagues will optimize techniques to decrease the incidence of these complications in human embryonic stem cells before testing in human patients can begin.
|Picasso's Le Rêve painting, as seen through the eyes of a person with age-related macular degeneration
|Picasso's Le Rêve painting, as seen through the eyes of a person with retinitis pigmentosa
"Once the complication issues are addressed, we believe this technique could become a new therapeutic approach for not only retinitis pigmentosa, but age-related macular degeneration, Stargardt disease, and other forms of retinal disease that also feature loss of retinal cells," said Dr. Tsang.
In age-related macular degeneration, retinal cells in the center of the retina degenerate and cause the center part of vision to become blurry or wavy. In 2010, macular degeneration is prevalent in nine million Americans and its incidence is expected to double by 2020. It is estimated that 30 percent of the population will have some form of macular degeneration by the time they reach the age of 75.
Replacement of damaged retinal cells in patients with macular degeneration is currently offered in some hospitals, but the therapy is limited by a shortage of donor retinal pigment epithelium cells. By using stem cells and turning them into retinal pigment epithelium cells, the supply is virtually unlimited.
Similar approaches to macular degeneration have demonstrated efficacy in other rodent models, but since these models are of rare, unique pathophysiologies of retinal degeneration, they may not be generalizable to most human forms of retinal degeneration, e.g., age-related macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa or Stargardt disease.
"It's a good thing that more models are being tried, as this shows there may be real potential for stem cells to treat different causes of the loss of retinal pigment epithelium in humans," said Dr. Tsang.
Research Used Highly Technical Methods Developed at Columbia
The research methods used in this study were developed by Columbia researchers, past and present, including:
- Dr. Peter Gouras (ophthalmology) pioneered retinal cell transplantation where stem cells are placed underneath the retina. Co-authors on this paper, Drs. Nan-Kai Wang (a former retinal fellow now at the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, the Chang Gung University College of Medicine and National Taiwan University in Taiwan) and Joaquin Tosi (ophthalmology) used this technique to place transplanted stem cells underneath the retina.
- Dr. Gouras also developed many of the non-invasive methods used to assess neuronal function in mouse visual system, such as electroretinography, which measures the retina's response to light.
- The strategies for embryonic stem cell use were developed at Columbia by Dr. Elizabeth J. Robertson (now at Oxford). In collaboration with Dr. Pamela L. Schwartzberg (now at the National Institutes of Health), and Dr. Stephen P. Goff (biochemistry, molecular biophysics and microbiology), Dr. Robertson combined embryonic stem cells with homologous recombination to achieve gene targeting, producing the first gene-targeted mice.
- The techniques employed to engineer stem cells were developed at Columbia by Drs. Goff and Virginia E. Papaioannou (genetics).
- Co-author Dr. Victor Chyuan-Sheng Lin (pathology) tapped Dr. Martin Chalfie's (biological sciences) Nobel Prize winning work on green fluorescent protein, to turn the stem cells used in this research yellow, enabling the team to use imaging to see them non-invasively in the mice.
- Dr. Takayuki Nagasaki (ophthalmology) developed an advanced imaging technique, known as fundus autofluorescence imaging, which enabled the researchers to examine the mouse eye using non-invasive methods.
"I am fortunate that this diverse expertise exists at the same university – Columbia is one of the few places in the world where this research could be conducted," said Dr. Tsang. "And our multidisciplinary approach to basic science research is unique."
This research was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, Research to Prevent Blindness, New York, NY, the Foundation Fighting Blindness, the Dennis W. Jahnigen Career Development Scholars Award Program of American Geriatics Society, the Schneeweiss Stargardt Fund, and Professor Gertrude Neumark Rothschild.
– ### –
Columbia University's Department of Ophthalmology at the Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute is a leader in neurosciences. Ophthalmic studies at Columbia, sometimes undertaken in collaboration with other departments, use multiple approaches to reach an understanding of retinal disease. Research activities include: identifying genes linked to macular degeneration, seeking ways to stop the progress of diabetic retinal disease, and developing interventions that can save the sight of premature infants during their first few months of life. Although it most often threatens the sight of older adults, retinal disease puts all ages at risk. http://www.columbiaeye.org/
Columbia University Medical Center provides international leadership in basic, pre-clinical and clinical research, in medical and health sciences education, and in patient care. The medical center trains future leaders and includes the dedicated work of many physicians, scientists, public health professionals, dentists, and nurses at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, the Mailman School of Public Health, the College of Dental Medicine, the School of Nursing, the biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and allied research centers and institutions. Established in 1767, Columbia's College of Physicians and Surgeons was the first institution in the country to grant the M.D. degree and is now among the most selective medical schools in the country. Columbia University Medical Center is home to the most comprehensive medical research enterprise in New York City and state and one of the largest in the United States. For more information, please visit www.cumc.columbia.edu.


text:
Blaine Hangs Upside Down, Magically Walking on the Underside of a Wire -- With No Safety Net -- Five Stories in the Air for Three Days and Nights, September 22-24
Blaine Goes Back to His Roots, Sharing His Spectacular Illusions on a Magical Cross-Country Odyssey
David Blaine, known for his headline-making spectacles of physical, emotional and mental endurance, will live on the line � literally. Blaine, the 'Upside Down Man,' will attempt to hang from a thin wire five stories in the air � with no safety net or airbag to break his fall � in Central Park's Wollman Rink for three days and nights. Using electro-magnetic boots, Blaine will walk on and under the wire during more than 60 hours of the challenge. How will he exit from his perch overlooking New York City? Details of Blaine's heart-stopping plunge at the conclusion of the special are a closely-guarded secret. He will surprise us all -- live � on a new, two-hour ABC primetime special, "David Blaine: Dive of Death," WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.
Additionally, viewers will join Blaine on a unique cross-country trip, as he makes his way from the east coast to the Grand Canyon, performing his jaw-dropping illusions for people in his own distinctive style. Blaine, who has triumphantly revived amazing crowd-pleasing spectacles of magic, surprises people by appearing in the most unexpected places, bringing his amazing illusions to people who need it the most. The real people with whom Blaine shares the power of his magic include residents of the Ninth Ward in New Orleans, coal miners in West Virginia's Mingo County and inner city gangs of East St. Louis.
For more than 60 spellbinding hours, Blaine will be on the wire without food. He will pull himself up to drink liquids and to restore circulation. He will need to fight off muscle spasms and lack of sleep, as well as maintain maximum concentration in order to be successful. He will have to hang on for his life, even sleeping by dangling upside down.
Blaine's latest endurance challenge will take place in full public view � a free, family friendly event beginning the morning of September 22 � with passersby able to see him hanging precariously from his high wire.
Blaine successfully held his breath under water for longer than any human being (after inhaling pure oxygen) � 17 minutes and four-seconds � live on April 30 on "The Oprah Winfrey Show." In May 2006, on ABC's live special, "David Blaine: Drowned Alive," he attempted to break the 8-minute, 58-second record for a breath-hold under water (after inhaling air that was not oxygenated) after living for a record seven days and nights underwater � longer than any human � in an acrylic sphere in front of New York's Lincoln Center.
He also successfully completed a 44-day fast in an acrylic box suspended over the Thames River in London in the fall of 2003, surviving only on water. American viewers have been following his exploits for years on ABC Television. On "David Blaine: Vertigo," in May of 2002, he balanced on a platform, 22 inches in diameter, atop a 90-foot pillar in Manhattan's Bryant Park for 35 hours.
In November 2000, Blaine's "Frozen in Time" challenge drew massive crowds in Times Square, as he successfully survived inside a block of ice for over 61 hours. In April 1999, he was "Buried Alive" for seven days and seven nights, stunning thousands of New Yorkers who filed by his see-through crypt. The country was initially introduced to Blaine's amazing brand of incredible effects on his first ABC special, "David Blaine: Street Magic," which aired in May 1997.
Visit www.davidblaine.com to join the online community and share the experience worldwide.
Nancy Stern, Mary-jane April and Denise Albert are the executive producers of "David Blaine: Dive of Death." Roger Goodman is director of the live challenge coverage. "David Blaine: Dive of Death" is a production of Jumbolaya Productions in association with Stacked LLC. (CLOSED-CAPTIONED)
"David Blaine: Dive of Death" is broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5.1-channel surround sound. A TV parental guideline will be assigned closer to the airdate.


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Washington state is integrating tolling as a strategic tool to help manage congestion, enhance mobility and generate revenue for future improvements. WSDOT's phased approach to regional tolling is informed by regional and statewide transportation plans and project needs. When studying tolling, WSDOT evaluates the funding and congestion management needs for a corridor along with impacts and benefits to the transportation system and surrounding communities.
Since 2007, WSDOT has implemented a range of tolled projects that are helping to fund new facilities and manage traffic throughout the state. Ultimately, the Washington state Legislature determines which facilities are authorized to be tolled. The Washington State Transportation Commission determines the toll rates.
Current toll facilities:
Authorized toll facilities:


text: 09 ford focus relay diagram furthermore door lock fuse location together with vacuum hose routing 2000 f150 truck forum in 1997 ford f150 vacuum diagram also 2001 ford f150 fuse box layout furthermore 2009 ford f150 fuse diagram also nissan sentra gxe ecm location furthermore t5138160 low pressure port c system moreover 2001 ford taurus fuse box location as well as 2gqyn focus cooling. 2001 F150 Door Lock Wiring Diagram ~ here you are at our site, this is images about 2001 f150 door lock wiring diagram posted by Benson Fannie in 2001 category on Nov 09, 2018. You can also find other images like wiring diagram, parts diagram, replacement parts, electrical diagram, repair manuals, engine diagram, engine scheme, wiring harness, fuse box, vacuum diagram, timing belt,. Digital Transmission Range (DTR) sensor, Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) relay, Deactivator switch, A/C high pressure switch, Heated Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) valve, Antilock Brake System (ABS) module, Reversing lamps switch, Auxiliary relay box 1. Electrochromatic inside mirror unit (17700), Climate controlled seat module, passenger side, Climate controlled seat module, driver side, Indicator flasher relay (13350), Electronic park brake release relay, Electronic park brake reset relay, Blend door actuator, rear. POWER DOOR LOCK CONTROL SYSTEM Check Sheet Inspector's name: Customer's Name Date Vehicle Integration Relay Connector (Wire Harness Side) I11 DIAGNOSTICS – POWER DOOR LOCK CONTROL SYSTEM WIRING DIAGRAM. B59539 B59538 B59540 w/ Power Window Door Lock Control Switch LOCK UNLOCK. Ford F150 XLT 4×4 2006 Junction Fuse Box/Block Circuit Breaker Diagram (14529), Door Lock Switch, Passenger Side (14017), Door Lock Switch, Driver Side (14028) F23: 10A: Ford Exposition 1995 Mini Fuse Box/Block Circuit Breaker Diagram Ford Crown Victoria 1992 Fuse Box/Block Circuit Breaker Diagram Ford Crown Victoria 1991. Nov 21, 2018 · Expedition door lock relay wiring diagram as well as 1986 isuzu trooper wiring diagram along with 01 navigator fuse box diagram in addition toggle switch control panel moreover chevy venture power door lock wiring diagram as well as bmw door lock diagram further 98 blazer fuse box location along with 97 ford f 150 fuse locations and diagrams. 775 RELAY to HORK HONK wire 778 RELAY for TYPE C DOOR LOCKS Units without On Board Door Lock Relays 778 RELAY for TYPE C DOOR LOCKS Reverse-Polarity, relays and harness. Ford F-150 Fuse Box Diagram. Whenever you run into an electrical problem, the fuse box is the first place to look. Here is everything you need to know about fuses in your Ford F-150 truck.. INSTALLATION GUIDE • OWNER'S GUIDE Technical Assistance An optional relay may be needed for some of these options. Please do not skip any steps. Since there are many different makes and models of vehicles, look at on our website, wire is lock and unlock. "Type C" Door Lock Test (Most Fords, some Chryslers, GM Trucks). Vehicle Wiring Search for a ford f-series. Please select the EXACT year of your ford f-series to view your vehicle sepecific diagram. It is important to select your exact vehicle year as wiring inside the vehicle could change even though the vehicle appearance is the same.. Ford F-150/F-250: Why is My Power Window Not Working? (Number 1 and 2 in the diagram below) and the ones that keeps the trim panel on the door handle. (Number 5 and 6 in the diagram below) Step 2 - Remove window control. Ford F-150: How to Replace Door Window Glass.. Please right click on the image and save the image. Our people also have some more graphics related to Ford F 150 Fuel Filter Change, please see the pic gallery below, Ford Ranger Power Door Lock Relay Location. Buick Lesabre Wiring Diagram Free.. 22 10 Audio unit, Roof opening panel switch, Door lock switch, passenger side, Door lock switch, driver side. 23 10 Headlamp, right 2006 Ford F150 Fuse Diagram Auxilliary Relay Box. 2006 Ford F150 Aux Relay Box Relay Diagram. Find this article useful? Share it! Eautorepair.net redraws factory wiring diagrams in color and includes the.


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Professional Services for Your Body & Soul
Adil Panton
My Philosophy
Healing Arts Touch is dedicated to providing the best essential resources for healing to take place in a person.
Beginning in 1992, I attended the Boston Shiatsu School in Massachusetts. There my world known Shiatsu mentor Kikuko Zutrau Miyazaki taught me the means of developing energetic touch. This led to being hired to work in her clinic for three years. I later went on to study other massage modalities at the Muscular Therapy Institute of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Also during this period the research, exposure and study of eastern philosophy became an intricate part of my life.
It is my intention in my work to touch the individual in a wholistic way that will enable them to make a positive change in their life. Each person is significant and contributes in a positive or negative way to the overall health of the planet. I personally believe that when you whole heartedly commit to taking quality care of yourself, the overall well being of our planet is improved and benefits.


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Charlie Sheen is Playing With a Full Deck! Jon Lovitz, Patrice O'Neal, Amy Schumer, William Shatner and Kate Walsh Fill Out the Dais
Special Appearance By Legendary Guitarist Slash
The "COMEDY CENTRAL Roast Of Charlie Sheen" Tapes On Saturday, September 10 And Premieres On Monday, September 19 At 10:00 P.M. ET/PT
NEW YORK, Sept. 8, 2011 -- COMEDY CENTRAL announced today the final line-up of Roasters for the "COMEDY CENTRAL Roast Of Charlie Sheen" (#SheenRoast). Comedians Jon Lovitz, Patrice O'Neal and Amy Schumer along with actress Kate Walsh and previous Roastee, the Emmy(R) Award-winning William Shatner have been added to the all-star roster of Roasters led by Roast Master Seth MacFarlane. Legendary guitarist and musician Slash will also be making a special appearance at this year's event. The "COMEDY CENTRAL Roast Of Charlie Sheen" will tape at Sony Studios in Los Angeles on Saturday, September 10 and will premiere on Monday, September 19 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.
Lovitz, O'Neal, Schumer, Shatner and Walsh, join the previously announced Roasters, which include Anthony Jeselnik, Steve-O, Jeffrey Ross and Mike Tyson.
The "COMEDY CENTRAL Roast Of Charlie Sheen" will be executive produced by Joel Gallen from Tenth Planet Productions, who also served as executive producer and director of the COMEDY CENTRAL Roasts Of Donald Trump, David Hasselhoff, Joan Rivers, Larry The Cable Guy, Bob Saget, Flavor-Flav, Pamela Anderson, as well as the Emmy(R)-nominated "COMEDY CENTRAL Roast Of William Shatner." Jonas Larsen is the executive in charge for the network.
Available in 99 million homes nationwide, COMEDY CENTRAL (www.comedycentral.com), the only all-comedy network, is owned by, and is a registered trademark of, Comedy Partners, a wholly-owned division of Viacom Inc.'s (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B) MTV Networks.


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See my kitty? That is just how I feel….
Check out her little teeth!
Anyway – update on blog sale. Thanks for all who commented, its such a long list I am going to print it off and go through it all tonight and send invoices out tomorrow.
I will then bubble wrap it all and it them out to you as soon as I can. I also owe a few people emails and things, just nudge me if I owe you something (apart from money).
I'm just busy! And stressed! And worried! And tired! And rushed! That's all. Positive thoughts people. If anyone has any positive things to say please let the sad bunnies amongst us know in the comments!


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Government of Canada Supports "Your WAG 100"
The Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG) will have the support of the Government of Canada to launch "Your WAG 100." This was announced today by Rod Bruinooge, Member of Parliament (Winnipeg South), on behalf of the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages.
The "Your WAG 100" project will take the form of an interactive web-based journey through the history of the Winnipeg Art Gallery. Elements of the story will incorporate the different areas of the Gallery's collections, which include Canadian and European art, decorative arts, and Inuit art.
"Our Government is committed to enhancing how the Internet and new technologies provide all Canadians with an interactive space where they can experience, express, and share their culture," said Minister Moore. "We are pleased to support projects like 'Your WAG 100,' which work towards achieving this goal."
"'Your WAG 100' will provide Canadians with innovative access to the history and collections of the Winnipeg Art Gallery," said Mr. Bruinooge. "The Government of Canada is proud to support projects that make our rich cultural and artistic heritage accessible to Canadians where and when they want it."
"The Gallery is looking forward to the creation of a dynamic website to mark its centennial that tells stories from various facets of our remarkable history and about the people and artists behind these stories," said Stephen Borys, Director of the Winnipeg Art Gallery. "The site will have something to engage all users and is also a place where visitors can share their personal stories about the WAG."
The Government of Canada has provided funding of $78,366 over two years (2010–2011 and 2011–2012) through the Canada Interactive Fund. The fund supports the creation of online Canadian cultural interactive content and applications developed by official-language minority, Aboriginal, ethnocultural, and other not-for-profit cultural organizations. It seeks to support projects that enhance interactive digital cultural content and applications, presented originally and creatively using the latest technologies and platforms.
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BEETHOVEN Cello Sonatas and Variations
A cellist who tends towards introversion; a fortepianist who tends the other way. Put them together and something magical happens within the tensions they engender. Beethoven's directions for the introduction to Op 102 No 1 are explicit – Andante, softly singing, sweetly, tenderly – and Steven Isserlis, playing a gut-strung 1726 Stradivarius, invokes its beauty in hushed, withdrawn tones. Robert Levin, the moderator on Paul McNulty's copy of a 1805 Walter & Sohn instrument equalising dynamics, matches him in essence and aura. Think of repose in C major for 27 bars until the switch to the main movement; and the sudden shock of a fortissimo chord in A minor is ruder than it would be on a modern piano. No politesse from Levin. What follows is an untrammelled Allegro vivace, two-in-a-bar as marked, tempo changes graphic, every sforzando or accent stabbing the texture, Isserlis unfurling the vehemence also implicit in his lines.
Recover from the onslaught and return to the beginning, to Op 5 No 1. Repose in C major wasn't a one-off. It manifests itself again, but now in F major and at a slower tempo, Adagio sostenuto. Isserlis has the theme but Levin is no mere accompanist, fastidious in his role as a partner yet one who never overwhelms the cello, even in the chords and roulades during a brief spell of agitation towards the end of this introduction. Rapid pacing isn't demanded in the ensuing Allegro – now a plain instruction without an oft-added stipulation, and in common time – of mercurial moods ever present; and laid bare by a duo with no inhibitions about extremes in expressive flexibility.
What did Beethoven often add? Try Allegro molto più tosto presto in the first movement of Op 2 No 2. Pretty quick, pretty specific about how quick too; but Isserlis and Levin are also thoughtful in ensuring that the running triplets for the keyboard aren't reduced to a frantic, unchecked clatter. Yet power and thrust are unassailable, reinforced by lacerating bowing from Isserlis in the development where screws are tightened – in a movement believed to be one of Beethoven's most notable achievements, no less so for its expectantly prefaced, grandly fantasia-like 44-bar Adagio sostenuto ed espressivo, for Isserlis and Levin an arch, declamatory and lyrical. With something more – a trenchant edge, probably arising from the timbres of the fortepiano, its light action and fast transients.
It can sing too. Try Allegro ma non tanto, the direction for the first movement of Op 69, probably the best-known work in the set. Isserlis leads expansively, the melody marked p dolce, which is matched by Levin whose part is similarly marked, both locking in to a breadth of scale as suggested by the tempo qualification. Not only does breadth equal magnitude, it includes leeway too. We're back to expressive flexibility; and we stay with individuals who speak as corporate souls. Tenderness to turbulence, the frames of mind or spirit alter and are neither ignored nor glossed over. Instead they are profoundly felt and candidly declared, through dynamics spanned across the grades end to end, tempi stretched and snapped back into a pulse that doesn't sag or lose grip. Pick this movement if you fancy trying before buying. But be warned: attracted or repelled, Beethoven may well have the last word. He advocated Gehfühlstempo, the tempo of feeling.
Thus it is that kaleidoscopic distinctions are never underestimated. Neither is attention to detail. Repeats are observed, some decorated. Reactions to emotional currents governing the expansion and contraction of phrases are unflinchingly dramatic. The pliant line is always present, introspectively so in the slow movement of Op 102 No 2, Adagio con molto sentimento d'affetto, for Anton Schindler 'among the richest and most deeply sensitive inspirations of Beethoven's muse', its third section (from 6'21") a whispered exchange between the musicians. In contrast is the Scherzo of Op 69 – with a difference, not new to disc but now far more resolutely proffered. The second of two similar notes tied across bar-lines isn't silent, for, according to Czerny, Beethoven wanted it to resound like a vibrato. Levin varies his choice of pairs, Isserlis does not; and his repetitions are like echoes feverishly urging the music onwards.
Theirs is a shared experience of audacity and spirituality. Small changes in recorded levels plus a few sniffs are insignificant. They don't detract from the riches born of scant regard for the superficiality of toeing conventional lines or selecting safe options, shared with listeners in even the less mighty works, the variations and Horn Sonata. This is Beethoven fleshed out by Levin and Isserlis – and anodyne he ain't here.


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Not that I'm an expert in law enforcement policy, but Crecente and I are former cops reporters, and if the po-po PITted a Pagani Zonda going more than 100 mph in oncoming traffic, there'd be some badges on some desks.
Then again, "Need For Speed: High Speed Pursuit Not Authorized" isn't a title that would move a lot of video games. And fortunately this is the fictitious Seacrest County, home of both the fastest street racers and, apparently, the lowest traffic density of any major metropolitan area in North America. It also has the most elite traffic enforcement officers in the world. It must be a hell of a thing when getting put on road patrol is a promotion.
Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit is out Nov. 16


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My library, the San Rafael Public Library, has gotten a fair amount of play in local media regarding our decision to not purchase HarperCollins eBooks due to their recent change in policy that makes eBooks artificially expire after 26 circulations.
- On April 6th we issued a press release (pdf) about our position.
- On April 15th the Marin Independent Journal covered the "we're not buying stuff from HarperCollins " decision at both our library and the local County library system with the story "Marin libraries join battle over e-books."
- On April 26th the editorial cartoonist for the Marin Independent Journal created a cartoon about the issue (see below), depicting a library user at our library asking about eBooks.
I got grumpy about the HarperCollins decision, and was proud that my library and the others in our county stood up against an anti-user, anti-library change in licensing. Excellent job standing up for the user, Marin librarians!
You can follow the latest on the fight against HarperCollins's self-defeating and asinine policy through the Twitter hashtag #hcod.


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|<< Back
|Amazon Announces Kindle Development Kit--Software Developers Can Now Build Active Content for Kindle
SEATTLE, Jan 21, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- (NASDAQ: AMZN)--For the past two years, Amazon has welcomed authors and publishers to directly upload and sell content in the Kindle Store through the self-service Kindle publishing platform. Today, Amazon announced that it is inviting software developers to build and upload active content that will be available in the Kindle Store later this year. The new Kindle Development Kit gives developers access to programming interfaces, tools and documentation to build active content for Kindle--the #1 bestselling, most wished for, and most gifted product across all categories on Amazon. Developers can learn more about the Kindle Development Kit today at http://www.amazon.com/kdk/ and sign up to be notified when the limited beta starts next month.
"We've heard from lots of developers over the past two years who are excited to build on top of Kindle," said Ian Freed, Vice President, Amazon Kindle. "The Kindle Development Kit opens many possibilities--we look forward to being surprised by what developers invent."
The Kindle Development Kit enables developers to build active content that leverages Kindle's unique combination of seamless and invisible 3G wireless delivery over Amazon Whispernet, high-resolution electronic paper display that looks and reads like real paper, and long battery life of seven days with wireless activated. For example, Handmark is building an active Zagat guide featuring their trusted ratings, reviews and more for restaurants in cities around the world, and Sonic Boom is building word games and puzzles.
"As the leading worldwide publisher of mobile games, EA Mobile has had the privilege of collaborating with many dynamic and innovative companies in bringing exciting gaming experiences to new platforms," says Adam Sussman, Vice President of Worldwide Publishing, EA Mobile. "Working with Amazon, we look forward to bringing some of the world's most popular and fun games to Kindle and their users."
Starting next month, participants in the limited beta will be able to download the Kindle Development Kit, access developer support, test content on Kindle, and submit finished content. Those wait-listed will be invited to participate as space becomes available. The Kindle Development Kit includes sample code, documentation, and the Kindle Simulator, which helps developers build and test their content by simulating the 6-inch Kindle and 9.7-inch Kindle DX on Mac, PC, and Linux desktops.
About Amazon Kindle
Kindle and Kindle DX are the revolutionary portable readers that wirelessly download books, magazines, newspapers, blogs and personal documents to a crisp, high-resolution electronic ink display that looks and reads like real paper. Kindle and Kindle DX utilize the same 3G wireless technology as advanced cell phones, so users never need to hunt for a Wi-Fi hotspot. Kindle is the most wished for, the most gifted, and the #1 bestselling product across the millions of items sold on Amazon.
About Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc., seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books; Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home & Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel; Shoes & Jewelry; Health & Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial. Amazon Web Services provides Amazon's developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon's own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. Examples of the services offered by Amazon Web Services are Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2), Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3), Amazon SimpleDB, Amazon Simple Queue Service (Amazon SQS), Amazon Flexible Payments Service (Amazon FPS), Amazon Mechanical Turk and Amazon CloudFront.
Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including http://www.amazon.com, http://www.amazon.co.uk, http://www.amazon.de, http://www.amazon.co.jp, http://www.amazon.fr, http://www.amazon.ca, and http://www.amazon.cn. As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.
Forward-Looking Statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management's expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings.
Kindle devices are sold through Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
SOURCE: Amazon.com, Inc.
Amazon.com, Inc.


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› back
Take a bath in perfection.
With Senza, you can experience a consistent continuation of the washstand design with classic stylistic elements of timeless aesthetic appeal. There is only one material that allows this unique shaping and simple beauty: mineral cast.With elegantly curved radii, it gives this extraordinary bathtub its character. In brilliant Alpine white, it invites you everyday to take a wonderfully relaxing bath in a perfected atmosphere.
Your desired width:
Your desired height:
None of the products in this line meet your criteria.


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The Transfer of a Delaware Title Between Delaware Residents
Step 1:
- For two Delaware residents to transfer a vehicle that is titled in Delaware, the seller must complete the Assignment of Certificate of Title section on the back of the title (Section 1). Be sure to include the buyer's name and address, date of sale, purchase price, and Odometer Disclosure
- All sellers are required to sign the title and print their name(s) in the appropriate blocks if ownership is indicated as "AND" on the front of the title. If ownership is indicated as "AND/OR" only one owner is required to complete the seller's section (Section 1)
- The buyer(s) are also required to sign this section and print their names
Step 2:
- The seller must complete the back of the registration card or the Seller's Report of Sale and forward it to the Division of Motor Vehicles. Include the buyer's name and address, date and hour of the sale and the seller's signature. Seller's Report of Sale is located at the bottom of the new Delaware title
- The buyers must complete the Purchaser's Application (Section 4) on the back of the title exactly as they want the information to appear on the title. All applicants must provide their driver's license number and date of birth
- All buyers must sign this application. If the vehicle is financed, the buyers must also complete the Lien Section on the back of the title (Section 3)
- Delaware titles do not require notary
- Delaware requires the buyer to provide proof of Liability Insurance a Delaware Driver's License or two accepted proofs of residency when applying for title. DMV recommends that all parties appear at our office to complete the transfer
- The vehicle may not be operated until a new title is issued in the buyer's name. Failure to transfer a title within 30 days of purchase will result in a late fee
Step 3:
- Fees for titling most passenger vehicles weighing five thousand pounds (5,000 lbs.) or less are: () for a title without a lien or () for a title with a lien; Plus
- A () document fee based on the sale price or current NADA trade-in value of the vehicle, whichever is higher; And
- Passenger vehicle registrations of () per year
- Trailer and commercial vehicle registration fees are based on weight
Please refer to Registration Fee


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Welcome to Factory Furnace Outlet.
We invite you to browse through our store and shop with confidence.
If you like, you are welcome to create an account with us,
or shop as a guest.
Either way, your shopping cart will be active until you leave the store.
Thank you for visiting.
We ship FREE on any orders of $95.00 or more.
To ensure adequate heating of home and keep the temperature inside in a pleasant range good quality furnaces are required which heat-up the space and ensure a comfortable atmosphere inside the home. Furnace has become the basic necessity of the entire home to survive through the harsh temperatures and the continuous usage of furnace dictates that the equipment should be highly efficient to keep the operating costs low and at the same time be environmentally friendly. Innovative technology launched in the market promises more efficient home heating that reduces the energy bills and keeps more heat inside the home. Gas fired and electric furnace ensure that the homes are kept warm all the while decreasing the overall cost of operating them. The highly efficient design is renowned throughout the industry and the build quality of the various parts that make-up this highly reliable goodman furnace is attested by the manufacturer's warranty for critical parts.
At Factory Furnace Outlet, we are all about providing you with a good and comfortable lifestyle and that too at very affordable prices. And therefore, we have stacked our shop with only the best brand and the best selling equipments that will help in keeping the indoor temperatures pleasant, despite the temperature outside.
We have excellent products in our range of Air Conditioners, Heat pumps, Goodman Gas Furnace, AC units that are fit for home usage. Each of our products is energy efficient and will help you in saving more money. With each product you get a manufacturer's guide on how to install the product, which makes them easy to install and easy to use.
We also have equipments for office use as well. Ask a certified technician to calculate the load for your company and based on the requirement, you can browse our store to buy some of our best equipments that would ensure a wonderful working condition in your office premises.
Factory Furnace Outlet is one of the leading providers of Goodman products. We truly believe and recommend each of our equipments, because each of them is built with pride using only high quality parts. Goodman Furnaces, Air Conditioners, Air Handlers, AC Units, Heat Pumps and all our other products are strong, dependable and long lasting. Most of our customers have also reported immense reductions in their gas and electricity bills.
At Factory Furnace Outlet, we believe that comfortable lifestyle is the prerogative of each individual and each household. Therefore, we provide you Goodman equipments at wholesale prices. This brings down the cost of the products by a huge margin. For example, if you are buying 3 Ton 13 SEER Air Conditioner R-22, the original price is $1,502.99. But when you buy from us, you need to pay only $916.82. This, plus there are many other cool deals that you must check out here.
Now, you can buy Goodman products online. All you have to do is browse through each of the products, click on 'Add to Cart' and make the transaction. Your online shopping cart is active, till the time you leave the online store. We can deliver your product for free to your doorstep on any orders of $95.00 or more.


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On Sunday April 7, we got the privilege to watch a Philadelphia Wings Lacrosse team. The Wings Lacrosse team played the Minnesota Swarm team. It was very interesting to watch. It was unlike how the Native Americans used to play.
The sport lacrosse originated from an American Indian game where the players used a stick with netting in it to toss a deerskin ball into the other team's goal. This sport was not played for fun though. This sport was actually used as a type of training for warriors before they went into battle. The thing was, the defeated team would lose their family.
The difference between today and back in the olden times, back then you would lose your family members but now you don't.
Moving forward a couple hundred years we have the Philadelphia Wings and the Minnesota Swarm going against each other like the Indians did. On the same land as the Delaware Indians, also known as Leni Lenape, used to roam. Many things have changed about lacrosse but mainly the rules have continued to be the same.
Before the lacrosse game even started we had a tour. The guide took us up a couple floors in a HUGE elevator that could probably fit a bed, a fridge and a TV set all together and still be able to fit people. The elevator was so HUGE, you could fit a room in there.
Anyway we went all the way to the top floor. There was a thin balcony that wrapped around almost the whole stadium up there. We all walked onto the balcony and peered down. We saw the players warming up and we saw many people getting in their seats so they could watch the game. We then walked along the hallway and learned about some of the rooms. We peered inside the control room and saw a couple people sitting at computers working on the lighting and the sounds.
In the 1st quarter of this game the Wings tried to get 14 shots, unfortunately they only got 5 goals. In the same quarter the Swarms tried for 12 shots, but they only got 2 goals. Not a bad effort, though with the Wings leading the game.
In the 2nd quarter the Swarm blocked 10 of the wings shots, the Wings only earning 1 goal. The Swarms tried 14 shots and scored a whopping 6 goals. By halftime the Swarms were ahead 8-6.
As we moved onto the 3rd quarter the Wings pulled ahead to score 4 goals out of the 7 shots taken while the Swarms only got 2 goals out of their 11 shots. The Wings and the Swarm had now tied 10-10. Talk about a battle!
The last quarter came quickly and the Wings won a miraculous game by getting 5 goals out of the 14 shots they tried. The Swarm only got 3 goals out of 12 shots. The Wings had won 15-13! What was even more amazing was that this their first win after a long losing streak. All of the Jr. reporters cheered for their victory. The fans cheered really loudly.
After the game we all got to observe a post press conference. First the coach came up and spoke to us all in the conference while the other reporters asked questions. Two players came up to talk, too. They all answered the same questions, 'What happened today that made your team win that didn't happen in the other games?' and, 'Did something click in the player's minds that encouraged them to win?'
I learned how the sport is played, how to play it right, how they play it, how not to play it, and the uniforms with safety gear worn. I also learned that the players on the field with the ball have nets that are small and skinny, but the goalies nets are fatter and wider than the rest. You may learn that, too, like Sora did at her first professional lacrosse game.
They also learned really well on how to play because I got lost the ball on following the ball and I couldn't find it in the air or in the player's nets, noted Sora. They were going way to fast and I could tell they practiced a lot!!!
Sora advises to get your tickets now; and hope to get front row because it's super fun!!!
Aiyana adds, to purchase your tickets soon, because you do not want to miss a single game!


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KSU Preseason Awards Watch List
The Kansas State Wildcats placed a school record 15 nominees for major college football awards, breaking the mark of the 1998 team. The nominations ended with Collin Klein being named to the Manning Award Watch List, which honors college footballs best quarterback. Linebacker Arthur Brown led the way for the Wildcats with five nominations. He was nominated for the Bednarik, Butkus, Walter Camp, Lombardi, and Nagurski Awards. Cornerback Nigel Malone had four nominations. He was nominated for the Bednarik, Walter Camp, Nagurski, and Thorpe Awards. Quarterback Collin Klein had three nominations, those were for the Manning, Maxwell, and O'Brien awards. Tyler Lockett, B.J. Finney, and John Hubert all had one nomination each.
They were nominated for the Walter Camp, Rimington, and Doak Walker Awards, respectively. Overall, this shows that Kansas State's talent level this year isn't as low as many media members suspect. Put this into perspective, this team has 15 nominees. The 1998 team, which was at one point late in the season the number one team in the country, only had 11. This team has a lot of talent and is destined for a very special season. Oh, and yes this is on a predicted sixth place team.
Sam Young


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Monday, September 17, 2012
DNA is Coming My Way!
I have been an active amateur follower of DNA stories in the news. I am no expert but I try to keep up with the latest changes and happenings. I have harbored a secret desire to get my genealogy tested for a long time.
I'm not a person to get to overly excited about anything (passionate, yes; excited, no) but I admit I am very excited at the moment. I know that a DNA kit is on its way to my house. In just a few days (I hope!) I will receive a DNA kit from AncestryDNA.
I'm going to take you on the journey with me. This will be my first time exploring my DNA and looking in-depth at a DNA test. I'm going to share my findings with you and we'll learn to interpret the test together. You probably be able to give me some pointers!
I can't wait! I wonder if I will be in for any surprises!
Full disclosure: AncestryDNA is proving the kit to me free of charge so that I can evaluate the product. It will in no way impact my opinion or assessment of the experience. I would be equally happy to assess the products from FamilyTreeDNA and 23andMe.
15 comments:
Hi Marian,ReplyDelete
My cousin in NE was 25 when he did his first DNA test through National Geographic who only do y_DNA-12 markers. He celebrated his 30th birthday this year. A year or so later, he moved his results from NatGeo to FTDNA (Family Tree DNA) and sent me an email with a discount prices for their tests. I could get y-DNA-37 plus mt-DNA-Plus (HVR1 + HVR2) for the same price as the previous price of y-DNA-37 and have since ordered tests whenever they have discount prices. I eventually upgraded to y-DNA-67 + mt-DNA-FGS (full genealogical sequence; they have a new name for this test) so it hasn't been cheap. Two other cousins, descendants from Samuel/John & James, reportedly sons of Ichabod Whidden, of Portsmouth, NH ca 1662, descended from John while Jesse & I are each descendants of Samuel have been proven to be descendants of the same ancestor. My fears were that I would not be a match as suspected my Mom got pregnant and hoodwinked my Dad into marrying her but the DNA put the lie to that. However I didn't have a moment of relief experience; almost disappointment but more accurately an empty feeling due to the fact my Dad repeatedly took me to town from the farm and left me sitting in the pickup truck for hours on end while he drank with his buddies in the local beer parlour. What I experienced is repeated mini-abandonments from age 8 - 12 years and though the farm was only 3 miles away and we often walked the distance, it never occurred to me to just walk home and leave him wondering where I disappeared to. To finish this part of the story, I read the Elizabeth Kubler-Ross book about grief and it helped but something was still missing. Susan Anderson has written four books on abandonment and explain why abandonment recovery is different than grief from a death: you are not part of a community who all suffer the grief, in my case my sisters didn't experience the abandonment and don't really relate to it, you have a need for the love of your Dad which never gets fulfilled and many other issues. Many years later, I finally experienced the kind of trust I wish I'd gotten from my Dad which went a long way to helping.
More DNA progress in next message.
My cousin has upgraded to y-DNA-110 and done various SMP tests and eventually also did mt-DNA through 23andme. Through his tests, my y-DNA haplogroup is R1b1a2a1a1b4. My mt-DNA haplogroup is U6a3a1. The only matches for both are the four cousins with documented genealogy and family lore that they came from Portsmouth, England to Portsmouth, NH and no close matches with mt-DNA so waiting for more people to be tested. The thing to do is upload results from your test to ysearch.org and mitosearch.org where people can upload results from different testing companies to see if they have matches. Also, each haplogroup for y-DNA and mt-DNA will have projects which you can join to see if you have matches within the R1b1 or U6a3 groups.ReplyDelete
I eventually ordered Family Finder testing which uses autosomal DNA testing but the results there require many more tests and more people being tested having well developed traditional genealogies as many being tested cannot prove any connection even if DNA says you likely have one. Without a traditional genealogy, DNA results are just a bunch of numbers.
At this point we have been able to conclude that Whidden/Whitten from NH/1662 and Whidden/Whiddon from about 1635/VA to FL do not seem to be related via DNA testing.
I know this has been lengthy but I hope it helps.
Cheers, Ray
If you eventually upgrade to mt-DNA-fullsequence be sure to upload the results to GenBank where DNA researchers go to get data for their studies. You can read more about GenBank here:ReplyDelete
and here:
Cheers, Ray
I encourage you to have your Dad's y-DNA tested as well.ReplyDelete
Cheers, Ray
why did you choose Ancestry DNA as opposed to other companies like Family Tree DNA or some of the ones Judy Russell talks about at The Legal Genealogist? Was it cost? Are you doing an autosomal test?ReplyDelete
FTDNA warns that there is a 2 - 5% chance of a "non-paternal event" meaning a previously unknown adoption, parent is not who a traditional genealogy says it was, etc. I have two experiences with this: my wife's eldest sister was married to a man with Middle Eastern background from Newfoundland and had grown up with a female "cousin" who was close to the family. On her deathbed, his Mother confessed the cousin wasn't a cousin at all but a half-sister of a man she intended to marry but he went off to war and never returned and she married another man having a large family. Y-DNA would not have helped as they shared the same mother and likely testing a male descendant from the man's family would be hard to do. The Family Finder test might have helped as the expected cousins on the male side would not have matched.ReplyDelete
In another case, a related family from 1700 NH & Nova Scotia lived in Cornwallis, NS had a Whidden dau. who married a Rev. Hugh Graham who was minister in Cornwallis at one time but married Elizabeth Whidden and moved to Musquodoboit and had a large family with two elder sons. One of the sons got a neighbouring dau. pregnant when she was 15-years old, she had a son when 16 and her uncle raised the boy with his family name. When modern day descendants tried to trace the family tree, they came to a dead end at this level in the genealogy and suspected some like this might have happened. FF results proved their suspicions and they show up as cousins in my FF results through the Whidden connection. They provided me with some of the seven books that documents the trail from New England to Nova Scotia.
Interesting but unexpected results.
Cheers, Ray
My paternal line is Whidden and Glencross; maternal line is Jarvinen and Syrjala both directly from Finland. Jarvinen is the Finnish equivalent to Smith and Brown. To complicate it, family lore said the female line was Syrjanen for many years but recently my uncle checked his birth certificate and discovered his Mother's name was Maria Syrjala; fortunately Emil Syrjanen had married Maria's sister, Annie Syrjala so the research I did on that family wasn't a waste.ReplyDelete
Cheers, Ray
I'm looking forward very much to following your journey. I've been reading posts by Mike Maglio and trying to learn Y-chromosome, mitochondrial, and autosomal. Within our family we may have several occasions to get DNA tested very soon. It is indeed exciting. Thanks!ReplyDelete
FTDNA Whitten, Whidden, more y-DNA results:ReplyDelete
FTDNA mt-DNA results:
FTDNA geographic y-DNA results:
FTDNA mt-DNA U6 results:
Keep us posted. I did the first test on Ancestry and was so excited! Rather dissappointed with the VAGUE results an STILL usure how to comprehend it all. I will only go with Ancestry again so my results will be in the same place and won't have to worry about combining results with other companies to cause me even more stress. I am going TO WAIT UNTIL FEMALES CAN BE TESTED ON THE PATERNAL SIDE WITHOUT ASKING A MALE TO HELP!ReplyDeleteReplies
The FTDNA Family Finder and it's equivalent at other companies is the closest females can get to paternal testing without asking a male to be tested because paternal testing is based on the y chromosome, which females don't have. Males have both y and mt chromosomes so can have both tests, though.Delete
Family Finder allows you to see across the whole range of ancestors back to five and six/seven generations, both male and female.
I hope this helps.
Cheers, Ray
- Esther JonesSeptember 18, 2012 at 7:39 AM
I am looking forward to this DNA journey with you. I was tested through FTDNA and have done the mtDNA plus, Family Finder, and my brother did the YDNA tests.Using the YDNA test I was able to verify the story my father told us children about who his biological father was. My father's family must have told him and apparently he knew his father well. I am working on understanding the tests results and enjoying my new found hobby.ReplyDelete
Update to previous posts:ReplyDelete
The Mother's deathbed confession: the father of her first dau. died in the war.
Recommendations for first time orders of DNA tests:
1) y-DNA-12 & y-DNA-25 don't produce enough markers to provide a good match so should be avoided by first-time DNA testers; get the y-DNA-37 test. See the results for the FTDNA y-DNA for NH/NS Whiddens to see the info yielded by this test. y-DNA-67 and y-DNA-110 don't provide much helpful additional info.
2) second choice for a test is Family Finder test as you will see results from both male and female ancestors PLUS all ancestors back to five/six possibly seven generations on both paternal female and maternal male lines. Many matching testers won't have a well developed genealogy so won't be able to confirm the connection. Encourage them to do the research.
3) third choice is mt-DNA-PLUS (HVR1 + HVR2) is better than just the mt-DNA (only HVR1) because you can almost resolve the haplogroup to four characters (mine is U6a3) but mt-DNA-fullsequence is required to confirm resolution to U6a3 and U6a3a1.
4) take advantage of ysearch.org, mitosearch.org and GenBank, y and mt haplogroup projects to see possible matches.
I hope this helps.
Cheers, Ray
Hi Marian,ReplyDelete
I am very happy and excited about the result of your DNA test …Please share your findings with us…
I was excited by a recent check of mtDNA FGS results to find I had an exact match. However, like a previous close match, my email was not responded to. Again, the possibility is the submitter may have passed away. This brings up a troubling situation, where DNA matches with deceased matches are total dead ends. A suggestion is everyone who submits DNA tests needs to contact a trusted survivor who will get access to the results and can respond to followup contacts and can provide any genealogical info to help make a connection. This is very important as otherwise DNA looking for a genealogical connection will simply be a waste of time as submitters pass away.
Cheers, Ray Whidden
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada


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Question: How do you invest in a country that you know has opportunity, but you're not that familiar with? Or better yet, how can you get a piece of an industry in a particular country that you're not familiar with, but that you know has a great investment theme behind it?
Answer: Via an exchange-traded fund (ETF), one of an increasing number of global ETFs that are so specific in nature they're slicing the world into smaller and smaller bits. Thanks to burgeoning of the index-based global ETF industry, many of today's country and sector specific ETFs are so narrow and so focused that they allow both advisors and investors to have an increasingly targeted and tactical approach to international investing. As such, these funds are able to tap into the very best opportunities that the global markets have to offer.
"Different countries and different regions develop at different speeds and oftentimes, a local story will have behind it a compelling investment theme," says Adam Phillips, managing director at New York-based Van Eck Global, a pioneer in the ETF business.
ETFs, he says, allow investors to capture those many local stories and investment themes—investment themes that, in reality, investors should be making every effort to capture for the simple fact that they are the best opportunities out there.
"Whether we like it or not, 55% of the global market capitalization is outside the United States," says Tom Lydon, president of Global Trends Investments and editor of etftrends.com, an online service that provides commentary and perspective on the ETF industry. "As a country, we are very under-allocated overseas, but if [investors] are going to be properly diversified in their portfolios, advisors just have to understand the numbers and get past the idea that making money is not just about investing domestically."
Whether people are new to international investing or whether they want to hone and fine-tune their existing exposure, there are a plethora of ETFs for investors and their financial advisors to choose from to capture just about every kind of global opportunity. From broad, regional ETFs, which give investors diversified exposure to popular investment areas like the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region or the hot markets of Brazil, Russia, India and China (the BRICs), to single country funds holding large-cap stocks, the opportunities are boundless, Lydon says. There are ETFs that invest in mid-cap and small-cap equity and offer a great chance to play on domestic growth in individual countries. Others have been constructed specifically to take advantage of the opportunities in particular industry sectors like infrastructure, consumer and financials, or a particular economic theme, such as the high price of commodities.
Today, all manner of global ETF products are enjoying tremendous success. In fact, Vanguard's MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (VWO) and iShares' MSCI Emerging Markets (EEM)—two of the largest diversified emerging markets ETFs on the market—have been in hot battles for assets, Lydon says, while country-specific products like iShares' Brazil ETF (EWZ) and its Korea (EWY) and Taiwan products continue to see record inflows.
According to research done by ETF Trends, iShares' MSCI Peru ETF (EPU), its MSCI Thailand ETF (THD) and Global X/InterBolsa's FTSE Colombia ETF (GXG) were the top performers among single-country ETFs in 2010.
Lydon expects the ETF asset class to become even more popular going forward and he expects both the interest in and production of country- and sector-specific ETFs will increase as advisors and investors become more conscious of global investment opportunities. In fact, he believes that international and emerging market ETFs will increasingly steal the thunder from mutual funds that invest in the same asset classes and become the investment of choice for many.
According to the 2011 Investor Brandscape report put out by Cambridge, Mass.-based firm Cogent Research, that dynamic is already happening and more investors are actually favoring ETFs over mutual funds.
Cost has much to do with it, says Cogent Principal John Meunier. ETFs are much cheaper than mutual funds (Vanguard's VWO has an expense ratio of 0.27%, by way of example, while iShares' EEM charges 0.69%), he says, and many advisors feel that their clients should invest in products that achieve market performance at a lower price point.
"Right or wrong, advisors seem to believe that most active managers don't beat their indices," Meunier says, "and they'd rather save their clients' dollars for those actively managed funds that really are top performers in their [respective] asset classes. Competition is therefore very tight and there's a far greater scrutiny going on of mutual funds."
While many of the large fund families have taken on the ETF challenge and have made it clear they're not going to go quietly into the night, it is nevertheless quite clear, Meunier says, that advisors are very concerned about cost, not least because a large chunk of their compensation is fee-based. "So it's an important incentive for them to find good products at low prices."
ETFs meet that requirement, but more importantly than their price point, the increased specificity and customization of global ETFs allow for a more skillful and tactical kind of portfolio management, one that enables advisors to simultaneously take advantage of the potential in some areas of the globe while avoiding the pitfalls in others.
"Ten years ago, most advisors' average portfolios would have had an international exposure of about 10% to 15%, but now it's not unusual to see advisors recommending 40% in international exposure for their clients," says Sue Thompson, managing director at iShares, one of the largest providers of ETFs in the world. "When you see that trend happening, you realize it makes sense for advisors to take a more deliberate approach and to be thinking about their international exposure in a more targeted fashion, which is why single-country ETFs are so attractive."
Today's global ETFs allow investors to, on the one hand, benefit from dynamics like high global copper prices and an imminent infrastructure boom that support investing in a country like Peru while also taking a tactical approach to countering a broader issue like rising inflation in emerging markets—an issue, Thompson says, that many advisors and money managers are concerned about, particularly with respect to India and China.
"If you are concerned about inflation rates in those countries, most broad emerging market ETFs have well over 20% exposure to India and China, so that particular product might not be where you want to be invested," Thompson says. "You might want an emerging market product that just gives you exposure to Eastern Europe instead, such as ESR, iShares' Emerging Markets Eastern Europe fund."
The wide range of ETFs available on the market allow investors to mix and match to get the best out of their portfolio: "Let's say you want to focus on commodity-producing countries because you think commodities will rise in price and are good hedges against inflation, you may buy single-country funds that give you that exposure, such as Australia (EWA) or Canada (EWC), and avoid single countries that are the consumers of commodities. This is the more sophisticated approach I see some advisors taking," Thompson says.
According to Adam Patti, CEO of Rye Brook, New York-based IndexIQ, global ETFs are often best used as indirect plays on a hot investment story. Patti—whose ETFs are built upon proprietary indices—has rolled out ETFs that invest in Canada, Taiwan, South Korea and Australia, mainly because these four countries are China's most important trading partners and China is arguably the hottest global investment story today.
"We believe that China has great growth opportunity, but the better way to get that growth opportunity is through investing in its largest trading partners, countries that are providing China with the goods and materials it needs to grow," Patti says.
In keeping with the China theme, IndexIQ has plans to roll out, among others, ETFs for Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan, because "we want to own that whole Asia story."
ETF providers like IndexIQ, iShares and Van Eck are creating new products based on in-depth research they've done on countries and markets, taking into account a large number of macroeconomic variables. But more importantly, their innovation is really the fruit of ongoing discussions with their clients—advisors and investors—and any new product they roll out is based to a large extent on what their clients are looking for in terms of investment ideas and products. Case in point: The move away from broader indices with bigger, multinational names to indices featuring small-cap stocks that allow for a better hold on local investment stories has been largely client driven, Thompson says. "This is why we launched our China small-cap product (ECNS), for example, because clients felt that our iShares FTSE Xinhua ETF (FXI) that tracks the China market has a lot of export-driven companies in it and they wanted to be able to invest in an ETF that would give them a view on the growth potential of the Chinese consumer."
The evolution of the global ETF market and its increased customization can also be credited to the ongoing discussions between ETF providers and the makers of the many indices upon which ETFs are based. There has been a proliferation of indices as global ETFs have grown in number and become more specific, Patti says, and the flow of new product ideas has created a real opportunity for innovation and creativity by index makers.
But opportunity doesn't come without challenge when trying to put together new indices that are getting increasingly granular for new countries or new sectors. The greatest challenge an index maker faces, particularly when constructing an index for a frontier market country or a particular sector within a frontier market, is the liquidity of the underlying securities, Patti says. "We put in very severe liquidity parameters when we're building an index and even the smallest companies have to be liquid," he says.
Liquidity is a key consideration for an ETF provider and one of the most important criteria taken into account when firms look at indices. ETFs can only be constructed on indices that are really made for the product, Van Eck's Phillips says, and because indices are the backbone of an ETF, any investment idea, no matter how exciting it may be, can only come to fruition if the index on which it is built is investable, transparent and liquid.
It's clear that both ETF providers and index makers are on the same page when it comes to index and product viability, but at the end of the day, as the global market gets more and more narrow, the true onus is on advisors and investors to make sure that they know everything there is to know about the ETF they're investing in and its underlying index. This isn't only for transparency and liquidity reasons, says Andy O'Rourke, senior vice president of marketing at Direxion Funds in Boston, but because "ETFs that look alike by name and are meant to be similar can also be very different," and this can impact their performance.
As such, advisors and investors have to make sure they know these products very well because an ETF may have more exposure to a certain company, sector or region than its name implies. Market Vectors Russia Fund (RSX), for example, is 39.5% weighted toward the oil and gas sector, while iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF (EWL) has a 21% weighting in Nestle.
"At a minimum, I would say that people need to take a look at the sector weightings in the ETFs, because if there are only three sector weightings and one is highly represented, that would be a very different fund from one where there are seven or eight different sectors," O'Rourke says. "Investors really need to know what they want from an ETF, whether they want to be narrow or broad, and they need to realize that not all Brazil funds and not all China funds are going to be the same."


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REVIEW: "Super Fun Night" on ABC Oct. 2
No question Rebel Wilson is a TV star waiting to happen. The debate is, will ABC's "Super Fun Night" be the right vehicle to get her there? The odd-girls-out buddy comedy premiering Oct. 2 has potential. Executive producer (and co-creator with Wilson) Conan O'Brien makes a good argument. And he's wisely encouraging Wilson to tell tales mostly in her own words and style.
But will this nerdfest appeal beyond a narrow section of the geeky girl audience? It has the feel of a quirky cable comedy.
Wilson, an Australian actress and comedian ("Bridesmaids," "Pitch Perfect") plays junior attorney Kimmie Boubier who, with best friends Helen-Alice (Liza Lapria) and Marika (Lauren Ash), has a standing Friday night stay-home tradition. But Kimmie's recent promotion may force them out into the world. Marika, meanwhile, has a bit of a crush on Kimmie (we may learn more about her still confused leanings in the future), and Helen-Alice is a nervous girl afraid of having too much fun.
Viewers will root for the nerdy trio to step out of their comfort zone, for the over-size Kimmie to be appreciated by the gang at the office, and for mean girls everywhere to get their comeuppance. Will that be enough? Let's see what the episodes following the pilot do with all that potential.


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Recent News
March 17, 2014
SNI National Recalls Kratom XL 4 Pack, Maeng Da Kratom 10 Pack, Max Kratom 20 Pack, and Bali Kratom 40 pack Due to Undeclared Drug Ingredients
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services received information regarding a recall of all Kratom products,including Kratom XL 4 Pack, Maeng Da Kratom 10 Pack, Max Kratom 20 Pack and Bali Kratom 40 Pack, from distributors and retail locations. These products contain Kratom (Mitragyna Speciosa). Kratom is a botanical that qualifies as a dietary ingredient under section 201(ff)(1) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
When marketed as a dietary ingredient, FDA considers kratom to be a new dietary ingredient for which there is inadequate information to provide reasonable assurance that such ingredient does not present a significant or unreasonable risk of illness or injury. Furthermore, scientific literature discloses serious concerns regarding the toxicity of Kratom in multiple organ systems. Consumption of Kratom can lead to a number of health impacts, including respiratory depression, nervousness, agitation, aggression, sleeplessness, hallucinations, delusions, tremors, loss of libido, constipation, skin hyperpigmentation, nausea, vomiting and severe withdrawal signs and symptoms.
The products are packaged in clamshell, zip sealed packets and green pill bottles, 4, 10, 20 and 40 count. The products can be identified by their bright green packaging and label which states that it contains Kratom. The products were sold to wholesale distributors in the following states: Alabama, California, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Florida, Oklahoma, Idaho, Colorado, Wisconsin, Massachusetts and Ohio. The products were further distributed by those entities.
The full recall can be found at www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm389350.htm?source=govdelivery&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery.