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Michael Lucas is not exactly what you'd call a "born diplomat." He's opinionated, arrogant, self-absorbed, and, at times, downright obnoxious. (In fact, if this reporter had three weeks to live, he'd spend them with Lucas, because every minute with him seems like a year). But say what you will about Lucas, he's a master of public relations. Somehow, this immigrant from Russia managed to not only become a well-known porn star, producer and director… he's become his own brand. Lucas, who churns out 30 movies a year (that's about one every week and half), has managed to stay relevant in an industry where people's shelf life roughly equals that of a carton of milk.
His latest project is called Undressing Israel, and contrary to its suggestive title, it's the first movie in which his subjects don't lunge into a 69 position within seconds of meeting each other. Undressing Israel is a documentary about gay life in the Holy Land. And what do you know? It's actually quite good.
Lucas, doing his best Oprah, interviews everyone from soldiers to drag queens, even an Arab-Israeli journalist. And even though some of his questions are hard to understand, the movie manages to tell a cohesive story.
Lucas, who's Jewish, shines a light on what it's like to be gay in Israel. The country, which is the size of New Jersey, is one of the most advanced places on earth when it comes to gay issues. A recent survey by American Airlines and GayCities named Tel Aviv the gayest city in the world.
This isn't Lucas' first visit to Israel. In fact, one could argue his porn flick, Men of Israel, had something to do with the spike in gay tourism in Tel Aviv. But this is the first time Lucas is going legit. We spoke about what made him button up and pop his mainstream cherry.
So, this your first movie where nobody takes their clothes off. Is the porn business going through a slump?
That must be the first time in history that someone has suggested that it's easier to make money with documentaries than with porn! Actually, it's only because my adult-film company is doing so well that I have the luxury of working on things like Undressing Israel, or on my current project: a documentary about the LGBT community in Russia and homophobic laws that have recently been introduced there.
This was a rather ambitious project. Was it harder than directing porn? (No pun intended!)
I like to take on ambitious projects. I'm a very ambitious person! And yes, of course, it is much harder then directing porn. Making a documentary takes months of work, whereas you can turn an adult film around in a week. And I don't actually direct or deal with the production aspects at Lucas Entertainment anymore. We have an excellent in-house team that handles that now.
Why did you decide to do this movie?
I have been frustrated for some time with what I see as a general lack of understanding about gay life in Israel. At the start of the movie, I interview people in Times Square; you can see how little people know about this subject. And no other documentarians, to my knowledge, had done a film like this before. Many people only think of Israel in terms of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and that conflict often presents Israel as indifferent to human rights. But in fact, Israel is very liberal and progressive—more than any other country in the region—and its thriving gay community demonstrates that.
You've been an outspoken advocate of Israel. You're also Jewish. Do you think people might think you're biased?
I'm also gay, but you didn't ask me if that makes me biased in looking at the question of gay rights! Of course gay people have a greater interest in gay issues, and of course Jewish people have a greater interest in Israel. Including me: I'm very proud of what Israel has accomplished. But this documentary is not about my opinions. Everything in it is factual and easily verifiable. When it comes to gay rights, Israel is more progressive then the United States and many European countries. That has nothing to do with my being Jewish or gay; it's simply true.
What do you want people to take away from your movie?
I hope people see that Israel is a great country to visit. I've never met a person who has been there and not wanted to go back.
You've shot a few porn movies in Israel, how was this experience different?
I have had absolute freedom there and have never faced a problem filming either type of movie. Everyone has been encouraging and eager to help.
Has it been sold anywhere?
It's currently making the rounds of film festivals around the world. Hard copies and video-on-demand rentals will be available at the end of July.
Why did you decide to include yourself in the film? Was that a deliberate choice?
I act as a kind of host in the movie, but I don't give my own opinions. Basically, I included myself because I'm well known in the gay community, and that makes it easier to attract audiences. Also, Barbara Walters wasn't available.
Your views have sometimes been called extreme. You've been very vocal about your views on the Arab world. Were you worried people in Israel, especially liberal gays, might not want you representing them?
I do have a problem with aspects of the Muslim world, particularly religious fundamentalism and its effects on human rights. In many Muslim countries, gay people are being persecuted and killed, prisoners are being mutilated and women are suppressed and treated as second-class citizens. But these "problems" stem from the fact that I am passionately liberal when it comes to social issues. Liberals in Israel understand this and had no problem participating in my film.
You shoot porn flicks in a matter of a few days. How long did it take to shoot this movie?
I went to Israel twice, as I was not fully satisfied with the footage I got on my first trip. Then the editing took about three months. The whole thing took about a year from start to finish.
What was the most surprising thing you learned about Israel while shooting this movie?
I have been going to Israel since 2004, so I was not especially surprised by anything in the film. It confirmed what I already knew.
What's next for you?
As I mentioned earlier, I'm preparing a new documentary in Russia, and I hope it will help bring attention to the suffering of gay people there. I was born in Russia and spent half of my life there, so I think I'm the right person to make this; I'm sure there are better filmmakers out there, but they don't seem to find these topics as urgent as I do, so I took the liberty of doing it myself. Other than that, I have no big plans. At this point I'm happy with what I have, and I'm just enjoying my life. It's important to learn how to do that.
For more on Undressing Israel, check out the film's website and Facebook page: www.undressingisrael-themovie.com & www.facebook.com/UndressingIsrael


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If you're planning an Exchange infra-structure or even if you have already implemented it, one of the must-reads is undoubtably Optimizing Storage for Exchange Server 2003. In this fine document you can read:
"Disk subsystem bottlenecks cause more performance problems than server-side CPU or RAM deficiencies, and a poorly designed disk subsystem can leave your organization vulnerable to hardware malfunctions."
This is so true! As memory chips become cheaper and consolidation dictates more users per server, the disk subsystem turns into the main cause of performance problems. The key to a system without problems is proper planning and design. Of course there's always some tweaking you can do, preferably before going live with the system. Realigning the hard disk is one of these things, which can lead to a significant performance improvement.
Hard Disk Basics
Hard disks are organized as a concentric stack of platters. The data is stored on concentric circles on the surfaces known as tracks. Sections within each track are called sectors. A sector is the smallest physical storage unit on a disk and typically it will hold 512 bytes of data. The disk itself can't handle smaller amounts of data than one sector.
Figure 1: Hard disk schematic
Electromagnetic read/write heads are positioned above and below each platter. As the platters spin, the drive heads move in toward the center surface and out toward the edge. In this way, the drive heads can reach the entire surface of each platter. Reading from 2 tracks implies a realignment of the reading heads, thus it takes longer than reading a single track.
Simple, right? Well, it gets more complicated than this, but we'll discuss that later.
The Theory
Microsoft provides a tool, DiskPar, which allows aligning the disk tracks with sector tracks. For partitions created by Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003, the default starting sector for disks that have more than 63 sectors per track is the 64th sector. Because Windows will read blocks of 4 KB (8 sectors), one out of every eight blocks of data written to your disk will span two disk tracks (assuming 64 sectors per track). DiskPar can increase disk performance as much as 20 percent, but you should always consult your hardware vendor before using this tool (I'll discuss why next). Some disk configurations will have no benefit from the tool.
There is also another tool that can perform the same job, DiskPart (notice the extra "t"), but you'll have to install Windows 2003 Service Pack 1 in order to get this functionality.
The Real World
Now that you know what's inside your hard disk and how the data is stored, it's time to add some complexity.
If you imagine the surface of a disk platter, considering a constant number of sectors per track and knowing that track lengths increase the farther a track resides from the center of the disk (they are concentric circles), it's not hard to conclude that the outer data sectors are longer than the inner data sectors.
This means that the outer tracks are greatly underutilized, because in theory they can hold many more sectors given the same linear bit density. In order to increase capacity and eliminate this wasted space, a technique called zone bit recording (ZBR) is employed on modern hard disks. With this technique, tracks are grouped into zones based on their distance from the center of the disk, and each zone is assigned a number of sectors per track. As you move from the innermost part of the disk to the outer edge, you move through different zones, each containing more sectors per track than the one before. This allows for more efficient use of the larger tracks on the outside of the disk.
Figure 2: Zoned Bit Recording (ZBR)
Nowadays, disks use many complex internal structures, so there's no simple way of knowing the real geometry of a disk. Indeed, the number of sectors per track is variable, because of zone bit recording, so there is no real number of sectors per track.
By now you may be confused, wondering if there's a point in aligning disk tracks. I can assure you there is, but you should definitely consult your hardware vendor. He should provide you with pertinent information regarding the use of an alignment tool. One fine example of information provided by the storage vendor is HP. Just take a look at this document: HP StorageWorks Enterprise Virtual Array 5000 and Microsoft® Exchange Server 2003: storage performance and configuration — white paper.
And even if you can't get the information from the vendor, you can make your own performance testing using a tool like JetStress and varying the starting disk offset with DiskPar or DiskPart. A good value to start is probably 64 sectors (or 32 KB).
There is also a KB article about how Windows handles the complex geometry of modern hard disks: Q161563: How Windows NT Handles Drive Translation.
Using DiskPar
The DiskPar utility is a command-line tool that finds and modifies the starting sector on a disk to improve performance and it can be found in the Windows 2000 Server Resource Kit. DiskPar only has 2 command line options, one for querying disk geometry and the other one for effectively changing that disk configuration. You can check the tool's usage by executing DiskPar -?.
- Check disk information before using DiskPar.
(Did you notice the spelling errors? Infomation and StatringOffset. Remember, this is a Resource Kit tool, so it's not supposed to have the quality control that other Microsoft products have)
- Start Disk Management.
- Delete all partitions on the disk making it a raw drive. Backup any data you don't want to lose before removing partitions. Notice the number of the disk you want to change (we'll use Disk 1).
Figure 3: Disk Management snap-in
- Run DiskPar to set the starting offset and create the first partition on the disk you want to align: diskpar -s 1
- Enter the new starting offset (in sectors), and the partition length (in MB). This writes the new starting sector information to the Master Boot Record (MBR) for that disk, and creates the first partition.
- Using Disk Manager, create and format all other desired partitions on that disk. When you format the hard disks remember not to use quick format. Configure the partition to use NTFS and to use an allocation unit size of 4096 (4 KB). By default Windows will use a 4KB allocation unit, even if you don't explicitly specify it.
Figure 4: Creating the partition
Figure 5: Formatting the partition
You should have present that the information reported by this tool isn't always accurate, because the track information reported by disks doesn't always reflect reality (as we seen before) and most disks have different numbers of sectors on different tracks.
Using DiskPart
With the release of Service Pack 1 for Windows 2003, the ability to align disk tracks has been included in DiskPart. The original DiskPart that shipped with Windows Server 2003 has the version 5.2.3790, while the new one is 5.2.3790.1830.
The new syntax for creating partitions with DiskPart is:
create partition primary [size=N] [offset=N] [ID={Byte | GUID}] [align=N] [noerr]
For more information about DiskPart usage, read the command line reference.
The main difference between DiskPar and DiskPart is that in the latest you specify the offset in Kilobytes, not sectors.
- The first steps for using DiskPart are the same as the ones for DiskPar. Start Disk Management and delete all partitions on the disk making it a raw drive.
- Run DiskPart from a command prompt. From the DiskPart prompt, select the disk you want to align: select disk 1
- Issue the command to create the aligned partition: create partition primary align=32
- You can then check disk information to confirm that the partition is in fact aligned.
Because the disk subsystem is the main cause of performance bottlenecks on an Exchange infra-structure you should use all means to plan and design a proper solution. By using one of the available tools (DiskPar or DiskPart) to create aligned partitions (as compared with non-aligned partitions that are created by Windows), you can increase disk performance by 20 percent, but you should always check with your hardware vendor if it's a recommended procedure.
After you finish aligning the disks, you can (and should) validate the potential performance improvement by running some performance tools, such as JetStress.


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Miami CureSearch Walk 2016
Miami CureSearch Walk at Museum Park. Click download button at top to download photos. However, if you wish to purchase a print instead, just click the "BUY" button. Enjoy, DianeRead More
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The lower back tattoo, also known as a "tramp stamp", "ass antlers", or "whore tag", has become very popular in recent years.
Pop culture has embraced the tramp stamp. But then again, over time, pop culture also embraced the mullet, flannels over t-shirts, parachute pants, stirrup pants, leisure suits, and virtual pets. Hindsight is 20/20. The difference is that these items could all be thrown out or changed. A tramp stamp is permanently yours until it becomes the gramp stamp.
I have conflicted feelings with the term "Tramp Stamp", because a woman having a lower back tattoo doesn't automatically make her a "Tramp", i.e., sexually loose and/or promiscuous. Women should be able to have a tattoo anywhere on their bodies without prejudice. Even if they are badly done. In fact, the worse they are, the more fun it is to laugh at them.
Tattoos can be a very personal choice, so while others of us might not choose to get one, many do for reasons known only to them. If they like them then that is all that matters regardless of what anyone else thinks.
Labels such as "Tramp Stamp" continue to perpetuate tattooing stereotyping and stigmas toward tattoos, especially regarding women and their popular tattoo choices.
Shame on people repulsed by tattoos who make fun of them. Shame on tattoo enthusiasts who do the same. Shame on tattoo artists who give the same stamps over and over again. And shame on tattoo magazines and all of the above for perpetuating antiquated perceptions of women with ink.
Having said that, this is the absolute worst Tramp Stamp I have ever seen:
Your trendy "Tramp Stamp" isn't all that liberating anymore when compared to that one, is it? Shame on you. Try being more original next time, Tramp.
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[Cork] Gaza and Israeli Fascism: The Mizrahi Predicament: A talk by Prof. Smadar Lavie (IPSC)
Gaza and Israeli Fascism: The Mizrahi Predicament
A talk by Prof. Smadar Lavie
Time/Date: 4:00 PM, Saturday, 30 August
Venue: Beckett Room, Metropole Hotel, MacCurtain Street, Cork
One problem caused by the shallow mainstream media coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is that most people are unaware of the causal relationship between this conflict and intra-Jewish racism.
In Israel, racism exists between Jews of European origin (also known as Ashkenazim) and Jews from North Africa and the Middle East (also known as "Mizrahim", the Hebrew for "Easterners"). Even though the Mizrahim form the majority of the Israeli Jewish population, they do not control the policies of the Israeli state, which are still driven by a ruling elite which comes from the Ashkenazi minority. It is worth noting that it was this Ashkenazi elite, rather than the Mizrahim, who planned and executed the ethnic cleansing of Palestine.
This talk will suggest that the 2014 Israeli War on Gaza was partly motivated by a desire among the ruling elite to pre-empt a summer outbreak of violent protests, mainly by Mizrahim, against the effects of the neo-liberal economic policies introduced by the Ashkenazi elite.
In striving to prove themselves to be just as Israeli as the Ashkenazi elite, many Mizrahim have become the strongest supporters of Israeli ultra-nationalism and, therefore, of the 2014 war. Thus, there is the paradox that a war which was partly intended to squelch Mizrahi protest, a war in which most of the Israeli casualties, both civilian and military, are Mizrahim, is a war that is strongly supported by most Mizrahim.
The tragedy is that the Palestinians are, yet again, paying the price of these intra-Jewish ethnic tensions: in this war, the main victims are the people of Gaza, who have suffered a man-made disaster worse than anything else that has happened to the Palestinians since the Nakba in 1948.
Prof. Smadar Lavie is a Mizrahi Jewish anthropologist who was a co-founder of Ahoti, the feminist-of-colour movement in Israel. A winner of several prominent prizes in the disciplines of Anthropology and Women's Studies, she is affiliated with both University College Cork and the University of California at Berkeley. Her most recent book deals with the predicament of Mizrahi women in Israel; it is called "Wrapped in the Flag of Israel: Mizrahi Single Mothers and Bureaucratic Torture".
Organised by Cork IPSC


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It's far from a scientific sample, but I noticed a lot of people in my Twitter feed over the past few weeks lamenting a lack of thorough media coverage surrounding the political crisis in Egypt. Certainly, when the George Zimmerman trial reached its apex, one might have assumed things in Egypt had reached a peaceful resolution, given how little news could be found in the mainstream US media.
It turns out that media companies are pretty astute at knowing what their audiences want to see, even if it doesn't jibe with the smaller but more vocal Twitterati. Turn on your local network news for five minutes and you'll figure out the formula: If people aren't interested in a given topic, the media doesn't spend a lot of time trying to change our minds.
What about Egypt?
Egypt seems to have all the makings of a sensational news topic, with its mass protests, violence, and intrigue. But do Americans really care?
We surveyed over 2,000 US adults over the past few days to gauge how concerned they were about the crisis in Egypt. Here's how they answered:
Over two-thirds of Americans have some degree of concern, with a full 30 percent characterizing themselves as Very Concerned. Thirty-two percent don't seem to care at all. When we looked at demographics, we found that women were much more likely than men to be Very Concerned, as were people over age 45, and those with an advanced education.
This doesn't tell us much, though, without comparing Egypt to other issues. So, we looked at 19 other issues we've studied using the exact same question format, like this one:
Most topics we follow on a daily basis (for our long-term tracking questions, we looked at results over the past 3 months), but a few issues were timely, like last December's Fiscal Cliff. We included a mixture of both for contrast.
To develop a consistent "Concern Index," we took the percentage of people who said "Very Concerned" and multiplied it by two, then added the percentage of people who said "Somewhat Concerned" (this did NOT take a Carnegie Mellon-trained data scientist). Based on this system, the crisis in Egypt would have a score of 98 ((30% x2) + 38%). Income inequality achieves a score of 115.
Now let's look at a litany of other issues to see how the crisis in Egypt compares:
What Stands Out?
Let's first address the elephant in the room. No matter how we sliced our numbers, the public health implications of texting-while-driving ("TWD") produced the highest concern score. These were all large samples sizes, over 5,000 respondents, reweighted to match the full US adult population. So we can't argue with the numbers. TWD is a big deal to a lot of people.
The next items on the list should come as little surprise. Health Care and Public Education rank slightly above the Economy and Jobs, but within a thin margin of error. Consumer Privacy has surged in recent months, making it to #7 on the list, just behind Gas and Energy Prices.
It's interesting to note that issues like last year's Fiscal Cliff and Bullying in Schools rank so highly above Crime and Violence and Climate Change among the general population. Clearly, these numbers might be different among respondents across the socio-economic and ideological spectrum.
We don't find the Crisis in Egypt until #17, ranking more highly than only Concussions in the NFL and last summer's LIBOR interest rate scandal. These are niche topics, to say the least.
If the mainstream media is providing little coverage of the Eqypt dispute, they may know what they're doing. Our data makes a pretty convincing case that most consumers are concerned more about issues that impact their everyday lives, like failing schools, out-of-control health care costs, tight job markets and, most importantly, that college kid in the car in front of them sending a text to his girlfriend.


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Want to use AirPlay, but don't have an Apple TV? There's hope for you yet. TUAW's Erica Sadun put together an app which'll allow your Mac to stream media from an iPhone by pretending to be an Apple TV.
The app is called AirPlayer and currently an ad-supported alpha version (meaning that it's really more of a proof-of-concept than something to rely on at this point), but it sounds pretty decent already:
What AirPlayer does is create and advertise a custom Bonjour AirPlay service that pretends to be an Apple TV. Bonjour is Apple's zero configuration networking solution for allowing devices and applications to communicate with each other over local area networks. When Apple created AirPlay, it basically set up a new way for Apple TV to interact with iOS using Bonjour communications.
If you want to try out the app, you can download it from Sadun's website. [TUAW via MacRumors]


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Rush Limbaugh added an interesting footnote to our disagreement with Mark Levin on the Delaware Republican Senate primary contest. We thought that Rep. Mike Castle was the preferable candidate under William Buckley's rule of thumb that conservatives ought to support the rightwardmost viable candidate in a given race. Levin supported Christine O'Donnell as the rightwardmost candidate in the race.
Yesterday Rush Limbaugh expressed his disagreement with the Buckley rule and suspended it in favor of the Limbaugh Rule: "In an election year when voters are fed up with liberalism, you vote for the most conservative Republican in the primary — period." There is some tension between Rush's expression of disagreement in principle with the Buckley rule and the limited terms in which he frames the Limbaugh Rule. Rush explained:
[It]'s time, ladies and gentlemen, for the Limbaugh Rule to supplant and replace the Buckley Rule, because the Buckley Rule requires clairvoyance. The Buckley Rule requires people who can't possibly know the outcome of anything in the middle of September to support or not support somebody based on what they think's going to happen in early November. Christine O'Donnell can't win, she's 25 points down. Can't win? If a constitutional conservative can't win in this climate coming down from 25 points, we need to find that out, find out where we are. Why not go for it? The stakes dictate it, do they not? Here's the Limbaugh Rule: In an election year when voters are fed up with liberalism and socialism, when voters are clearly frightened of where the hell the country is headed, vote for the most conservative Republican in the primary, period.
I find Rush's argument in favor of the Limbaugh Rule lacking on its own terms as well as in terms of the prudence one should ordinarily apply to matters of practical politics. Among other things, the Limbaugh Rule does not take account of the advantages of majority status in the Senate. Rush's formulation of the Limbaugh Rule nevertheless clarifies the issues of judgment that have divided conservatives in Delaware and elsewhere this primary season.
PAUL adds: Like Scott, I see problems with replacing the Buckley rule with the Limbaugh rule. First, the Buckley rule subsumes the main rationale behind the Limbaugh rule. If voters are totally fed up with liberal policies, the resulting currents will render "viable" some conservative candidates who normally would not be. The Buckley rule counsels in favor of voting for these candidates. But even in a great year, not every conservative is viable. Voting for the ones who aren't is self-defeating.
Second, we should take into account another distinctive feature of this election — the unprecedented threat posed by Obama and his congressional majorities. Think back to the tense vote-counting that preceded the passage of Obamacare. Even RINOs like Castle and Snowe fell into line. The problem wasn't too many RINOs; it was too many Democrats. This, then, is not the time to be squandering opportunities to replace Democrats with Republicans. If anything, we need to be more, not less, "prudential" this year, with the stakes so high.
Third, although the Buckley rule does require one to predict the outcome of general elections several months before they occur, this isn't grounds for suspending it. Every area of politics and policymaking calls upon decisionmakers to gauge the odds of success of competing approaches. Such assessments are inherently imperfect. However, this is no basis for dispensing with them and resorting to crude rules of thumb.
Thanks to polling, assessing political races, though far from easy, is usually not as difficult as many other types of assessments — will a military surge work; what will be the unintended consequences of an untested economic policy, etc. Few would advocate dispensing with these other types of assessments.
The left proved capable of making good political predictions in 2006, a year in which the country was fed up with Republicans. It did not back conventional liberal candidates in states like Virginia and Nebraska, on the theory that the tide was running left or that it was too difficult to assess electoral prospects in these states. Instead, the left figured out that the less-than-orthodox Jim Webb and the centrist Ben Nelson had vastly better prospects in their Red States than did their conventional liberal rivals. If the left hadn't figured this out, Obamacare probably wouldn't have passed.
Since the left seems capable of engaging in this sort of analysis, I see no reason why conservatives should find it too daunting.


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What's the recidivism rate for suicide bombing?
Writing about web page http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/10/05/60minutes/main2066624.shtml
Apparently, on the TSA No-Fly list for March this year is included 14 of the 19 hijackers from 9/11. That is, 14 of the 19 terrorists who died in the plane crashes of 9/11. The US security services apparently decided to screen for and ban these individuals, in case, well… they try to do it again.
Maybe they should just watch out for the smell of decaying flesh and the constant groans of 'Braaainns' instead.


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|DAVIS, REETA - Purdue University
|Paoli, George
|MAUER, LISA - Purdue University
Submitted to: Food Microbiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/19/2012
Publication Date: 3/15/2012
Citation: Davis, R., Paoli, G., Mauer, L.J. 2012. Evaluation of fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and chemometrics as a rapid approach for subtyping E. coli O157:H7 isolates. Food Microbiology. 31:181-190.
Interpretive Summary: Regulatory agencies require rapid and reliable methods to classify bacteria in order to track outbreaks of foodborne illness and the emergence of new virulent subtypes of foodborne pathogens such as Escherichia coli O157:H7. Here we report for the first time the use of an infrared light-based method (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy; FT-IR) for the classification of strains of E. coli O157:H7. This study demonstrated that FT-IR is suitable for relatively rapid (= 16 h) and economical classification of E. coli O157:H7 with comparable accuracy to other common classification methods showing 94% agreement with genetic-based methods. In addition, the method was applied to classify strains of Escherichia coli O157:H7 based on their capacity to produce toxin, an important factor contributing to the progression of human disease. The developed method could be applied by government agencies to rapidly and reliably identify and track foodborne outbreaks.
Technical Abstract: The importance of tracking outbreaks of foodborne illness and the emergence of new virulent subtypes of foodborne pathogens have created the need for rapid and reliable subtyping methods for Escherichia coli O157:H7. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy coupled with multivariate statistical analyses was used for subtyping 30 strains of E. coli O157:H7 that had previously been typed by multilocus variable number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) and pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and canonical variate analysis (CVA) of the FT-IR spectra resulted in the clustering of the same or similar MLVA types and separation of different MLVA types of E. coli O157:H7. The developed FT-IR method showed better discriminatory power than PFGE in subtyping E. coli O157:H7. Results also indicated the spectral relatedness between different outbreak strains. However, the grouping of some strains was not in complete agreement with the clustering based on PFGE and MLVA. Additionally, HCA of the spectra differentiated the strains into 30 subclusters, indicating the high specificity and suitability of the method for strain level identification. Strains were also classified (97 % correct) based on the type of Shiga toxin present using CVA of the spectra. This study demonstrated that FT-IR spectroscopy is suitable for rapid (= 16 h) and economical subtyping of E. coli O157:H7 with comparable accuracy to MLVA typing. This is the first report of using an FT-IR-based method for subtyping E. coli O157:H7.


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Hi everyone!
I would like to know how to start doing product reviews on my blog. Well, how do you contact a company to ask them if you could review a product? I see so many blogs that do giveaways and have even emailed some of them asking how they got started, but have not received any helpful information besides to search the net. Honestly, I don't know what companies to start out with. I would appreciate any advice or information you have to give.
My Blog: http://ddsdailydose.blogspot.com
Views: 338
sent a request! Thanks for the invite
Stephanie said:
Hi everyone! I'd like to invite anyone and everyone to join us at KarmaBloggers! We are a group of review/giveaway bloggers. We help each other with advice, blog help, general information, etc. We're friendly, helpful, and love new members!
Thanks everyone for all the great information.


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Zig Clean Color Real Brush Pens are unlike many "brush" pens, these markers have a genuine bristle tip that lets you create marks of any width, from broad strokes to fine lines. Filled with a water-based dye that is odorless and xylene-free, these pens are easy to blend. Both portable and versatile, they're great for plein air work, quick illustrating, sketching, designing, manga and cartooning. #004 Fluorescent Green.


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NASHVILLE, Tenn. – At a Nashville detention center with a long history of violence, escape attempts and sexual-abuse allegations, more than two dozen teens broke out of a common area and created a large disturbance in the yard Wednesday night, roaming the area with sticks and spraying a fire extinguisher.
Officials said two staff members suffered minor injuries at Woodland Hills Youth Development Center, where just two days earlier, 32 teens escaped after finding a weak spot in the fence surrounding the yard. Six remained at large Thursday.
Late Wednesday night, about 24 teens – some of whom were part of the breakout – kicked out metal panels underneath the windows in a common area to reach the yard. This time, police formed a ring around the center's perimeter fence to try to prevent another escape, and none of them left the premises. The disturbance lasted about four hours, ending about 3 a.m., officials said.
Video shot by Nashville station WTVF showed teens chasing and assaulting a man who appeared to be a staff member. Photos in The Tennessean newspaper showed teens in the detention center yard carrying sticks. One showed someone spraying a fire extinguisher.
The facility was quiet later Thursday morning, and some staffers were seen leaving the facility.
Ten ringleaders of the incident were identified and brought to another detention center in Rutherford County to be questioned by officials, Tennessee Department of Children's Services spokesman Rob Johnson said. The rest were returned to their dorms.
"I think the staffers are worried," Johnson said. "I think their families are worried about them. And I think the neighborhood is worried. But I'm sure they're glad no one got seriously hurt."
Of the detainees, Johnson said: "I think they're deliberately trying to be disruptive. I'm sure they enjoy the attention."
This week's incidents are the latest in a string of troubles for the facility, where most of the 14- to 19-year-olds have committed at least three felonies. The center saw a spike in assaults in 2012 after the state placed older teenagers there from a shuttered facility in eastern Tennessee. Between July and September that year, police had to be called at least 47 times for assistance, which surpassed total police visits for the previous two years combined.
Among the acts of violence listed in police records is a guard trapped in a headlock and repeatedly punched by a young man. Another assault involved four youths ambushing a staff member and beating him until he was rescued by colleagues.
In 2010, the U.S. Department of Justice ranked Woodland Hills as 13th in the country among juvenile facilities with reports of sexual abuse by staffers.
In a 2004 breakout attempt, more than a dozen teens armed with broom handles and hurling bricks injured 16 staffers before they were dispersed by police in riot gear.
On Monday night, teens left their rooms and kicked through the same metal panels used Wednesday before entering the yard and crawling under the fence. Officials had begun repairing and reinforcing the panels and will try to get concrete put at the bottom of the perimeter fence, Johnson said.
The teens at the center stay in single rooms that are locked on the outside. Only those with keys can enter. But the teens can push the doors open.
The Department of Children's Services will review that longstanding policy for all three of the state's juvenile detention centers, Commissioner Jim Henry said. It's difficult for staff to maintain control when the teens can open doors to enter common areas, he said.
The state Department of Corrections is sending engineering staff to the facility to see if any security enhancements are needed, Johnson said.
Nichole Sherman lives about a mile from the facility. Her two children and her grandparents live with her.
"It's kind of scary to wake up to helicopters flying over your house," she said. "Something major has to change. This is the second time in a week. That's ridiculous. And to be a parent, that's scary."


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He pointed out that the only way those on the left were going to be able to fight against those who are looking to get all "Tea Party" is to be as angry and as organized and as aggressive as the Tea Party community, and if we're smart, we'll take him up on that challenge.
But if you really want to push "professional" Democrats to the left, most especially this President, and you want to do it in time to impact the '12 cycle, the only way to do it is to run a candidate in primary contests that either moves the conversation your way…or leaves you with a surprising new Candidate.
And right here, right now, we actually have a chance to do exactly that – and that's why, in today's discussion, I'm going to challenge Olbermann right back.
"Then white men began to fence the plains so that we could not travel; and anyhow there was…nothing to travel for. We began to stay in one place, and to grow lazy and sicker all the time. Our men had fought hard against our enemies, holding them back from our beautiful country by their bravery, but now with everything else going wrong, we began to be whipped by their weak foolishness…"
--Pretty Shield, of the Crow Nation, quoted in the book "The Native Americans: An Illustrated History"
So imagine, if you will, how the political conversation would be different right now if this President was facing a primary challenge from an unabashed Lefty.
Let's go further: just imagine how things would be different over at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue or over at the Capitol if someone announced they were running against this President from the left – and on the day that person announced, they had 15-20% of the Democratic electorate in their pocket, with an increasingly unpopular President on the other side.
Now imagine if that person had no qualms about "pooping in the Democratic pool", and was willing to call out the Party establishment for having let the Nation down in so many different ways these past couple years, which would presumably make that candidate very interesting to those who support the interests of Labor, just to give one example.
And most importantly of all, imagine if this President, having just caved, again, for a second, and, soon, a third round of Republican hostage-taking (and facing a fourth in January of 2013), had to face a riled-up and articulate opponent on a debate stage.
Of course, for that to happen, you'd need a credible figure with national recognition, and in this environment, it wouldn't hurt if that person wasn't too closely associated with either Washington or the existing political parties.
(All of this would also make that candidate interesting to centrist voters as well; you'll recall that the '08 Obama Campaign appealed to many centrist voters for many of the same reasons.)
It also wouldn't hurt if that person looked like a President, and even better, if that person was entirely familiar with the world of television.
So think about all that for a minute…and after you do, consider this: is there anyone else out there that you'd rather see primarying this President than Keith Olbermann?
Now let me take a minute and talk directly to you, Mr. Olbermann:
I know you said that it's time for us to get organized and angry, but in this media world, if you don't have Astroturf to get your movement off the ground, you need a celebrity with respect in all the right places, and that describes you pretty well.
Movements need to raise money, and if you were to go out there and do a week of hustling, I'll bet you could raise seed money from both the "Left Coast" and "Upper West Side" communities (and you might even be able to hit your boss up for a donation); you could also draw a lot of PAC money (Labor, for starters, the gAyTM, for another) and lots of individual, enthusiastic, Internet contributions – and what happens to the political conversation if the Olbermann Campaign begins to raise money at a pace that puts The Fear on the Obama Campaign?
Al Gore took a big risk, and a made a big financial commitment besides, when he decided to bring you over to Current, and I don't want you to have to worry about what's going to happen over there; with that in mind I'm going to suggest that we ask Michael Moore to step in to take the wheel for a short time, at the same time you let Schuster run the actual newsgathering operation, so that we know you'll be able to come back to something that has been in pretty good hands.
"…(baseball is) our national pastime, that is if you discount political campaigning."
--Ronald Reagan
Before you dismiss this idea out of hand, Keith (can I call you Keith?), I want you to think about one thing, and I want you to think about this very, very, carefully:
You know what happens to those lucky few who actually make it through a Presidential campaign and win?
They get to throw out the first pitch of the new baseball season – at least four times.
You could take a few months out of what you have done so well and really change the direction of this nation's politics, and you could think of it as a patriotic duty– but it would also be an incredible learning experience, and you'd come back to your own job with an understanding of the inner workings of realpolitik that very few on television could ever match…and after it's over, since you wouldn't be running again, you could actually talk about "where the bodies are buried" in a way no one else can.
Maybe you're thinking: "How can I be credible if I have no real ability to run a government?" The answer can be found, literally, right here.
The Blogosphere is entirely capable of providing the appointees who would run a Government – after all, we have experts, including a Nobel laureate, to run an economy (Secretary of the Treasury Paul Krugman? Robert Reich for Council of Economic Advisors?), and folks like Lawrence Wilkerson who could take over at State…and I could go on and on and on, all the way down to my man Marshall Adame, who, I promise you, has all the training and skills we would need to ramrod the actual physical process of withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan (you'll find him at BlueNC; on his resume is a stint running the Basra Airport, a couple of decades as a Marine logistician, and an unsuccessful run for Congress).
And it's not like you would be more subject to scrutiny than you are now: virtually every hard-right Conservative out there already sees you as the Devil incarnate – and that's actually an advantage in this situation that can't be ignored.
So…whaddaya think?
You want to go from making Special Comments about how The Fear has overtaken Democrats to being the one who puts The Fear upon them?
You wanna drive Grover Norquist and Steny Hoyer absolutely nuts, both at the same time?
You want to finally do what Craig Nettles got to do, that you never did: play baseball and join the circus?
Well, here's your chance to do something that could change the whole political conversation – and before we're done, President Obama might even find those "comfortable shoes" we've heard so much about.
So let's take one for America, and let's get this thing on the hump, or whatever cliché you prefer…but let's do it now, and let's do it well, and let's create something that brings the "discouraged" public to bear in a way they aren't today.
This is your chance to do something big, something profound…something that takes your "diva tendencies" and plays them to their best advantage…and I think it's time for you to get behind this idea; before, as you suggested could happen, the window to fight back closes.


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O come, let us sing for joy to the Lord,
Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving,
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is a great God
And a great King above all gods,
In whose hand are the depths of the earth,
The peaks of the mountains are His also.
The sea is His, for it was He who made it,
And His hands formed the dry land.
Come, let us worship and bow down,
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. Psalm 95:1-7
Take time to thank the Lord and your family for all they are and do.
Please tell us what you are thankful for in the Comments Section below.
Happy Thanksgiving!


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The Americanization of World Beer
Four thousand miles away from Manhattan, in a northern Italian village, Birrificio Troll owner Alberto Canavese was celebrating because his beers had just gone on sale in New York, New York. Only one of the particularly strong beers he shipped off, the 9 percent ABV Palanfrina brewed with chestnuts, was available in his own pub that day.
This is what they want in America," he said, happily.
His customers in Vernante might not understand, either that Americans brew such assertive beers or that America is also the world's best market for bad-ass beers from almost anywhere. Call it the Americanization of world beer or simply globalization, but the international beer landscape is changing. Not everybody agrees that's good, but few dispute America is at the center.
The Beer Starts Here
In one of the last essays he wrote in 2007, the introduction to Beer: Eyewitness Companions, the late Michael Jackson argued that, "tomorrow's classics will evolve from a new breed of American brews that are categorized by their admirers as 'Extreme Beers.' These are the most intense-tasting beers ever produced anywhere in the world."
British beer writer Adrian Tierney-Jones agrees. "The twenty-first century is definitely the American century in brewing terms—and I think it's a good thing," he said. "Beer is an international language, a language that crosses borders and at the moment the language we are hearing involves the yeast Brettanomyces, lots of hops, strong alcohol, hoppy barley wines, farmhouse ales with a twist—what is wrong with that?"
Importer Daniel Shelton of Shelton Brothers has an answer for Tierney-Jones. "It's really sad to say the future is American beer when we haven't perfected [brewing] the stuff from Europe yet," he said. Shelton can be blunt, has a reputation for shooting from the hip and as an importer wouldn't be expected to champion domestically brewed beers. However, many of the breweries he represents benefit because Americans are lapping up their bold, often intense, beers. Shelton is sincere when he talks about what he sees as dangers both within the United States and beyond.
Quite simply, if beer drinkers focus on the most exciting styles, if they measure the quality of a beer based on its intensity, then what happens to beers with nuance and to yesterday's classics?
Know Your History
Even though beer never should be called "the new wine," a quick bit of grape history seems relevant. In 1976, upstart California wines outscored classic French wines in a contest now called "The Judgment of Paris." The tasting not only validated the quality of California wine, but convinced vintners from Australia to South Africa to Argentina that great wine could be made beyond France.
American beermakers can point to no "Judgment of Paris," but their influence—whether it comes from larger breweries producing pale lagers or smaller breweries making something more flavorful—is also felt from Australia to Scandinavia to Argentina. "People had no model for modern small brewery success. Americans gave them that," Shelton said.
James Watt, co-founder of the Scottish newcomer BrewDog, makes that clear. "For me the innovation in brewing in the USA…has been by far the most exciting thing to happen in brewing, possibly ever. We wanted to take some of that excitement, some of that innovation, some of that boundary-pushing pioneering mentality and take it back to the UK," he said.
However…we very much wanted to put our own spin and own identity onto our beers. I think we maybe copied the mindset and the innovation but our beers are certainly all of our own."
In another American-led development, a few years after California wine's triumph in Paris, a Maryland lawyer by the name of Robert Parker started his Wine Advocate newsletter, offering independent reviews at a time when many writers recommending wine were otherwise connected to the industry. He liked to say he made the system more democratic, although the real reason he became the world's most prominent wine critic might have been because he instituted a numerical system for rating wines, one that since spilled over into beer.
No single critic for beer emerged like Parker. Jackson chose a different path, as much an anthropologist as critic. "I think the motivation was almost like the motivation of some of those musicologists like Alan Lomax who went down to the Mississippi Delta in the '50s and recorded old blues men before they died," he said in an interview in this magazine's 100th issue. "I tracked down the styles and hoped that by writing about them I might help to keep them alive."
Taking a more Parker-like approach, the Chicago-based Beverage Testing Institute extended its numerical rating system to beer in 1995. Later, the Internet Web sites RateBeer and BeerAdvocate—others as well, but none attract as many users as those two—began aggregating scores entered by members, assigning numbers to beers and imposing their own democracy. BeerAdvocate since changed to a letter grade, although it continues to publish "best of" lists. Brewers value these numbers just as much as winemakers cherish high scores from Parker.
Those opposed to numbers for wine and all things Parker complain that many vintners abandoned rustically styled wines for modern powerful "fruit forward" (and simpler) ones that would earn high ratings and sell at higher prices. During the course of 20 years the average alcohol content of Australian white wines rose from 12 to 13 percent, while reds climbed from 13 to 14 percent. In California, cabernet sauvignons grew about one percent per year stronger starting in the mid-1970s, from the 12 percent to 15-plus, with zinfandels reaching 17-plus.
Likewise, stronger beers, often hoppier beers, continue to gain popularity in America. According to Information Resources, Inc., the fastest growing style in the first half of 2009 was India pale ale. The rating sites certainly reward the biggest, boldest beers with the highest scores. At the end of 2008, BeerAdvocate magazine compiled a "best of" list based on ratings at its Web site. North American breweries produced 17 of the top 25 beers, 24 of 25 of them 6 percent ABV or more, most much stronger (8.5 percent ABV on average).
It's in the Numbers
Tierney-Jones took a good look at those numbers as he and a corps of writers chose the beers for a book, 1001 Beers You Must Taste Before You Die, he is editing for publication next March. "You could argue that they demonstrate the growing Americanization of beer culture in certain places in the world," he said. "There are IPAs and imperial stouts from Italy, South Africa, Mexico, Argentina, Canada and even the Czech Republic; Australian beers that open their arms to Brett; British beers…."
Evan Rail, a native Californian now living in Prague who wrote the Good Beer Guide: Prague & the Czech Republic, sees the American effect from both sides. "One is that what people call 'Eurobeers'—the bland, mass-produced pale lagers—seem to be getting even more bland," he said. "It's not just the Americans anymore: a lot of the big European beers are really like having sex in a canoe." On the flip side, he added, more European brewers are going in the opposite direction, pushing for more flavor.
In countries where the indigenous beer culture had mostly been swept away—Denmark is a good example—American-style brewing has made big inroads," said Ron Pattinson, who writes one of the Internet's best-read beer blogs—Shut Up About Barclay Perkins—from his home in Amsterdam. "But, I would expect beers there to gradually move away from American beers in style and establish their own identity."
In Italy, Birra del Borgo founder Leonardo Di Vincenzo brews beers with ingredients such as spelt, which is unique to the region east of Rome where he lives, gentian root and tobacco, but also ones bittered with American hops. He exports several of these beers to the United States, but he does not brew them with that in mind. "I took the American market as an example to follow but I also am confronted with Italian one that is totally different," he said.
Like any good Roman, he retains a personal appreciation of the classics. "Drinkers are asking for that [bold beers] a lot, but I'm sure that after this trend passes the classical will be more appreciated by beer lovers and drinkers," he said. "I do worry that the classical are underrated in this moment and that's a pity."
Di Vincenzo, 33, looks like you expect an Italian brewer to, charismatic and swarthy, with a constant seven-o'clock shadow. He would be an instant star at an American beer festival. He's been to Delaware to brew a collaboration beer with Sam Calagione at Dogfish Head Craft Brewery and to Brussels to make one at Cantillon. Such partnerships create cross cultural exchanges between brewers that seldom existed a few years ago.
I've always been passionate about learning how other brewers are doing things," said Mitch Steele of Stone Brewing Co., a frequent collaborator. Not long ago Stone brewed a black pilsner called Juxtaposition with BrewDog and Cambridge Brewing Co. in Massachusetts. "For all at BrewDog, having Greg [Koch], Steve [Wagner] and Mitch over to brew with is pretty much like a crazy music fan being able to go on stage and rock out with their favorite band," Watt, 27, said.
Bill Covaleski, co-founder of Victory Brewing Co. in Pennsylvania, took part in one of the first. In 2002 he brewed a version of Victory's HopDevil Ale as a collaboration at the Viennese brewpub "1516" (the name refers to Germany's brew purity law, the Reinheitsgebot), and it's been on tap almost constantly since. Victory began exporting beer to England, Ireland and Denmark in 2009. "We're serious about Europe," he said. Overall, American craft brewery exports grew 25 percent in 2008, with shipments up 16 percent to Europe and more than 50 percent to Asia.
Taste the Difference
Even when locals aren't drinking these new-fangled American ales, those beers make their presence felt. Covaleski studied at brewing school in Bavaria and knows the European beer culture well. He appreciates what could be lost, but also what could be gained. He's a fan of traditional (he'd suggest a capital "T") low alcohol cask-conditioned British ales, but is not at all bothered to taste modern versions containing American hops. "It's a good trend. It allows them additional freedom," he said. "Otherwise it's like asking a kid to draw a picture with eight crayons instead of the whole box."
Pattinson pulls no punches when he tastes American hops he doesn't like, such as citrusy Northwest varieties in imperial stouts. He easily recognizes an Americanized beer. "Most definitely yes. Basically taking a style, substituting American hops, doubling the hopping rate, upping the alcohol by 50 percent. Is it good or bad? Depends on your point of view," he said. "Personally, I find many American beers dull precisely because of the way the style has been Americanized. The move towards basically just two types of beer: pale, strong and hoppy; dark, strong and hoppy."
Shelton shares similar concerns. "At some point you have to decide what beer has to be. You need a coherent philosophy," he said. "Beer should be something you can drink a lot of." He points to lower-alcohol English ales as just one of many examples of beer that could be bulldozed. "It is getting harder and harder to find the great stuff," he said.
BrewDog makes aggressive beers and Watt isn't shy about criticizing the "stuffy U.K. scene," but he disagrees with Shelton. "I think there is a place for all type of beers. The craft beer category is vibrant and growing but it would be wrong to assume that all drinkers joining the revolution are going to find their preference in the more extreme beers," he said. "Some will naturally prefer the more balanced styles. Classics are classic for a reason, they have withstood the tests of time and will continue to do so."
Did You Ever Think?
No two countries are the same. In Germany last March, the magazine Brauwelt and an association of small private breweries invited a dozen brewers to present special beers at a seminar. For instance, Hans-Peter Drexler from G. Schneider & Sohn talked about the strong and hoppy Schneider-Brooklyner Hefe-Weisse he brewed in collaboration with Garrett Oliver of The Brooklyn Brewery. Eric Toft—a Wyoming native who has been brewmaster at Private Landbrauerei Schönram for 11 years—served Saphir Bock, his well-hopped 8 percent ABV pale bock.
In the Czech Republic, American influence shows itself in top-fermented ales with Northwest hops. "Really, in the land of Saaz, did you ever think you'd taste beers made with Cascade or Chinook?" Rail asked.
He pointed out that Czech craft brewing includes the rediscovery of the styles that existed before Communism (and before that Nazi occupation). "Czech breweries are now going back and discovering beer styles that were produced here in the country's 'golden age' of the 1920s and 1930s, as well as earlier beer styles like doppelbocks and Baltic porters," he said. "Kout na Šumavě's rich and chocolaty 18-degree dark lager is a great example. That development is not so much about Americanization as it is a very real 'return to normalcy,' meaning European beer normalcy."
Pivovar Kout na Šumavě opened in 2006, mostly brewing classic hoppy, grainy pale lagers not far from the Czech-German border where traditional beers thrive, including Zoigl (community) beers from Bavaria's Oberpfalz region and the eclectic variety available in the Franconian countryside around Bamberg.
Zoigl and other German odditites are much more likely to be threatened by social change within Germany than new beer styles developed elsewhere," Pattinson said. Matthias Trum, who oversees production of the Schlenkerla smoked beers, agrees. "At the moment it is good for us, but 30 years ago it was a tough time in Germany for such a beer."
Trum's family has owned the Heller-Bräu brewery and Schlenkerla tavern for six generations, using 100 percent malt smoked over beechwood logs at the brewery to make Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen and Urbock. At 5.4 percent and 6.6 percent ABV respectively, neither qualifies as strong by American standards, nor are they hoppy. But they are intense. Trum talked about the education of young beer drinkers in Bamberg, how they must learn to appreciate smoky beers. He paused when asked if, based upon Jackson's suggestion "Extreme Beers" might be defined by their intensity, he would call his beers "extreme."
Trum slips easily into a discussion of history. For his thesis at brewing school he presented a paper on the historical depictions of guild signs as symbols, such as the six-point brewer's star. Sitting in a tavern with roots that go back to the fourteenth century, perspective comes naturally to him.
If you were to call these 'extreme' then they've always been 'extreme,' this was the first wave," he said. "We don't make a fashion, like Coca-Cola has. I see a danger if you are only a fashion."
At Schlenkerla, globalization means the rest of the world has discovered a localized way of brewing beer. In Fraserburgh, Scotland, where BrewDog opened in 2007, it means something else.
I see the craft beer movement as global," BrewDog's Watt said. "I think there will soon be more and more examples of progressive, boundary-pushing brewers popping up all over the world. American craft brewers are not trying to Americanize beer, they are trying to make the best beer they can and for me there is a huge difference."


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I beg to differ. The secular commodity bull cycle is not ending this cycle, but in the next downturn.
More of the same-old-same-old?
That's because the new leadership are not reformers and these "princelings" are showing little inclination to re-balance growth away from SOEs and big ticket projects, where many of the elites made their money, toward the household sector, which would benefit the Chinese economy longer term but would gore the CCP cadres' ox. Here is a typical view (out of many) from Forbes [emphasis added]:
At least four—and maybe as many as six—of the new Politburo Standing Committee are so-called "conservatives." In the Chinese context, this means they are not predisposed to stopping the backward drift evident in Beijing since the middle of 2006. Then, Hu Jintao began to undo the legacy of Deng Xiaoping, whose transformational policies were encapsulated by the phrase "reform and opening up."The Forbes analysis went on about the conservative bent of the new leadership:
Hu's policy of closing the country down was popular inside Beijing for many reasons, but it became China's new paradigm because it had the support of what David Shambaugh calls the "Iron Quadrangle," state-owned enterprises, the security apparatus, the People's Liberation Army, and Communist Party conservatives. "The coalition of these four power interest groups 'captured' Hu, who was too weak and disinclined to stand up to them, and they stalled reforms," writes the noted George Washington University professor. Others define the constituent elements of the conservatives differently—many identify "powerful families" as being inside this circle of power, for instance—but it's clear that entrenched interests now dominate politics in the Chinese capital.
Apart from Li [i.e. Li Keqiang, the new premier], the Standing Committee looks reactionary. The No. 3 leader is a North Korea-trained economist, Zhang Dejiang. Zhang will almost certainly represent the interests of state enterprises in future deliberations. The member slated to get the economics portfolio is the last-ranked Zhang Gaoli, another defender of vested interests. He is expected to block any reform initiatives that Li Keqiang may hatch.
Corruption becoming a legitimacy issue for the government
I wrote about this before (see China beyond the hard/soft landing debate). China has become, in the words of John Hempton, a kleptocracy. The boom was maintained through the financial repression of the household sector and the composition of the latest Poliburo suggests that financial repression, which has enriched many Party insiders, will continue.
The obscene wealth accumulated by the princelings and other officials, i.e. corruption, is becoming a problem of legitimacy in China. Michael Spence wrote about how Singapore, which is another country governed by a single party, could be a role model for China: [emphasis added]
Like Singapore, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan in their first few decades of modern growth, China has been ruled by a single party. Singapore's People's Action Party (PAP) remains dominant, though that appears to be changing. The others evolved into multi-party democracies during the middle-income transition. China, too, has now reached this critical last leg of the long march to advanced-country status in terms of economic structure and income levels.Good corruption, bad corruption
Singapore should continue to be a role model for China, despite its smaller size. The success of both countries reflects many contributing factors, including a skilled and educated group of policymakers supplied by a meritocratic selection system, and a pragmatic, disciplined, experimental, and forward-looking approach to policy.
The other key lesson from Singapore is that single-party rule has retained popular legitimacy by delivering inclusive growth and equality of opportunity in a multi-ethnic society, and by eliminating corruption of all kinds, including cronyism and excessive influence for vested interests. What Singapore's founder, Lee Kwan Yew, and his colleagues and successors understood is that the combination of single-party rule and corruption is toxic. If you want the benefits of the former, you cannot allow the latter.
Kate Mackenzie at FT Alphaville highlighted analysis by Andrew Wedeman on distinguishing between "good corruption" and "bad corruption" and how the two affect a country's growth path:
"Although there is no good corruption," Wedeman writes, "there is clearly bad and worse corruption: the corruption that has negative effects, and the corruption that can have potentially catastrophic effects." The science of kleptocracy separates the behavior into two basic types: "developmental corruption" of the kind we see in Korea and Taiwan, which does not ultimately prevent the economy from recovering, and "degenerative corruption" of the kind that ruined the economies in Zaire and Haiti.
In other words, "good corruption" involves insiders milking the economy because they see opportunity. They therefore re-invest their new wealth back into that economy, which would enhance growth potential. "Bad corruption", on the other hand, typically involves dictators and other insiders looting the economy and then sending their wealth abroad instead of re-investing the proceeds back into that economy. FT Alphaville also pointed to an article in the New Yorker by Evan Osnos that concluded that China has many elements of "bad corruption":
Investors, says Osnos, assume China resembles growth-friendly Korea and Taiwan, more than Zaire and Haiti. But Wedeman found that assumption is incorrect; China has the 'worse', or growth-unfriendly, type of corruption. As Wedeman told WSJ's China RealTime:In the long run, this type of corruption creates an incredible drag on an economy. It will eventually slow growth and the commodity supercycle will crash. In the short run, the composition of the current leadership suggests that it will continue to try to stimulate through more of the same, such as infrastructure projects, in order to boost growth. This will mean that commodity demand will continue - for now. At some point in the future, the global economy will turn down. When that happens, the Chinese economy will experience a crash landing, i.e. negative GDP growth, rather than the crash landing (sub-par GDP growth) that investors fear.
China is different because the Communist Party does not depend on injections of cash from the private sector. As a result, whereas dirty money was an integral part of the developmental success in South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan, in China corruption fits the classic definition — the misuse of public authority for private gain.
Watching the Vancouver residential property market
I am often asked about how to time a China slowdown. I am fortunate to be living here on the Canadian west coast in Vancouver where I have a bird's eye view of Asia and the Pacific Rim. In particular, I am monitoring the residential property market here in Vancouver (non-residents see Vancouver RE and then some), where we are seeing some of the "leakage" from China. The market has slowed considerably here (via The Economic Analyst):
Despite the slowdown, the market continues to be over-priced on an absolute basis (see this comparison from Vancouver Condo Info of what you get for $2.5 million).
As the Chinese economy stabilizes and its growth revives, I will be watching the Vancouver residential property market as a secondary indicator of China's economic health. This will have important implications the growth path of the global economy and for the commodity supercycle.
Cam Hui is a portfolio manager at Qwest Investment Fund Management Ltd. ("Qwest"). This article is prepared by Mr. Hui as an outside business activity. As such, Qwest does not review or approve materials presented herein. The opinions and any recommendations expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the opinions or recommendations of Qwest.
None of the information or opinions expressed in this blog constitutes a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security or other instrument. Nothing in this article constitutes investment advice and any recommendations that may be contained herein have not been based upon a consideration of the investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs of any specific recipient. Any purchase or sale activity in any securities or other instrument should be based upon your own analysis and conclusions. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Either Qwest or Mr. Hui may hold or control long or short positions in the securities or instruments mentioned.


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The Goodman brand has a central air conditioning system that is perfect for your home - at a refreshingly affordable price. Even on the hottest days of the year, you can keep your home cool and comfortable while enjoying low energy costs with a high-efficiency Goodman brand air conditioner. Don't choose between affordability, durability, and optimum cooling comfort. Install a Goodman brand air conditioner and get all three - and what we believe to be the best warranty protection in the heating and cooling industry. As you review the various Goodman brand air conditioners, remember that higher SEER numbers reflect the most energy-efficient systems.
All Goodman brand air conditioners come with outstanding warranty coverage. Visit each air conditioner product page to learn about the warranties that apply to each specific product, or get a copy of the applicable warranty from any dealer.


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(CNN) -- Efforts to minimize the damage from the huge oil spill from a rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico are under way, but wildlife conservation groups say the oil could pose a disaster for Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida coastal areas.
How can you help? A number of organizations are recruiting volunteers.
The Audubon Society, which is affiliated with the Louisiana Coastal Initiative, is making its Center for Birds of Prey in Florida available for bird cleansing and rehabilitation and is seeking volunteers. Elsewhere, Audubon said it was gearing up to mobilize volunteers and provide assistance as the oil reaches land in Louisiana and elsewhere. Find a local office
The Deep Water Horizon response team is looking for help in identifying shoreline and animals affected. Oiled wildlife should not be captured but instead reported at 1-866-557-1401. To report areas with oil ashore or to leave contact information to volunteer in the affected areas, call 1-866-448-5816.
These local organizations also are gathering volunteers' information as they prepare for the environmental damage this oil can cause:
The Alabama Coastal Foundation is collecting contact information from volunteers for cleanup efforts along the Alabama coast should the oil spill reach the state's shores. Call 251-990-6002
The Mobile Bay National Estuary Program is looking for volunteers to help reduce the potential impact of the oil spill in Mobile Bay. Call 251-431-6409.
The Mobile Baykeeper is collecting contact information for volunteers to respond anywhere along the Gulf Coast, if needed. Call 251-433-4229.
Save Our Seabirds is a Florida bird rescue group that is looking for support as its response team prepares to help oiled wildlife. Call 941-388-3010.
The National Wildlife Federation is looking for volunteers and support to help spot distressed or oiled wildlife, and to assist in the cleanup and restoration efforts along the coast of Louisiana. You can text the word "NWF" to 20222. That'll donate $10 to the National Wildlife Federation through your phone bill.
In addition to the wildlife specific organizations, others are also looking to assist with the effects of the oil spill.
The Greater New Orleans Foundation, which serves the 13 parishes that comprise New Orleans, has opened the Gulf Coast Oil Spill Fund, which will offer emergency grants to nonprofit organizations helping the victims of the oil spill, and address the long-term economic, environmental, and cultural effects of the disaster.
The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana's mission is to help restore and protect a sustainable coastal Louisiana. They are accepting volunteers and support to assist with spill recovery efforts.
The Gulf Coast states likely to be affected have also set up sites where information about volunteering can be found: Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi.
United Way has launched the Gulf Recovery Fund, which is providing emergency assistance and long term recovery support for the communities devastated by this oil spill. Those who need help or want to volunteer to help can dial 2-1-1. You can donate to this fund by going to liveunited.org/gulfrecovery, or text the word "United" to 50555 to donate $10 from your mobile phone.
The Nature Conservancy has committed to the long-term restoration work needed in the Gulf and states along its coast, and has launched their Fund for Gulf Coast Restoration to support this effort. The Fund was set up to aid in re-establishing critical habitats such as marshes, seagrass beds, oyster reefs, and coastal wetlands. You can text the word "coast" to 50555. That'll donate $10 through your mobile phone.
The Gulf Coast Fund has created special emergency grants in response to the oil disaster. The organization is distributing these grants to registered non-profit groups engaged in community-lead responses to this crisis. Call 212-812-4361.
Save Our Gulf is a campaign by the Waterkeeper Alliance to support and coordinate efforts to protect the Gulf Coast. Their fund supports Waterkeepers from Texas to Florida who are working to hold back this oil spill from their waterways and communities.
The First Response Team of America is working with the National Guard in Southern Louisiana to build dams to hold back the oil from the fragile coastal habitats. Their founder, Tad Agoglia -- who was named a CNN Hero in 2008 - has made their work on the oil spill their top priority until the disaster is contained.
AmeriCares is providing medical care and supplies to organizations along the Gulf, and is funding and assisting mental health assessments and counseling needs for the immediate and long-term recovery of the region. Call 1-800-486-4357
The Children's Health Fund has been in the Gulf since Katrina, and are providing medical and mental health care, and addressing long-term health and mental health issues affecting children as a result of this disaster. They can be reached at 1-800-535-7448.


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OMG am I excited about this find! Finally! A scooter yard inflatable! Even better – a scooter yard inflatable with SOCK MONKEYS! And a sidecar! That lights up! Wish I had found this a little earlier in the season. But it's definitely not too late for the 2012 season. And it's on sale. I have seen this offered for everything from $80 to $228 on the web but $85 seems to be the going rate.
Here are the details. Dimensions: 2.99″ H x 62.2″ W x 47.24″ D, lights up, weather resistant and includes everything needed for set-up.
These inflatables are more than a little reminiscent of scooter riding sock monkey's Rocko & Spanky. To read more about them and other sock monkeys, visit our past posts here .


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It's time to jump back into our preseason position rankings with a look at the offensive line units.
On Friday, we ranked the top individual players at the position. These unit rankings reflect star power as well as depth. We're heavily weighing these on last year's performance, along with potential for the 2012 season.
Away we go:
1. Wisconsin: Sure, the Badgers lost two All-Americans (Kevin Zeitler and Peter Konz) from last year's line. But they've earned the benefit of the doubt for their ability to reload up front. Left tackle Ricky Wagner is an Outland Trophy candidate, and center Travis Frederick should be one of the best in the Big Ten. The key will be how the new-look right side with Rob Havenstein and likely Robert Burge moving into starting roles.
2. Michigan: The Wolverines might have the top tackle in the league with junior Taylor Lewan, and guard Patrick Omameh is a three-year starter. Senior Ricky Barnum is taking over for David Molk at center. Michael Schofield should be solid at right tackle, though the left guard spot remains a competition. It should be a strong starting group, though depth here is a major concern.
3. Michigan State: This could be the best offensive line Mark Dantonio has had in East Lansing. Six players who started games last year are back, and there will be depth and competition at several spots. Third-year starter Chris McDonald is one of the league's top guards, while tackles Dan France and Fou Fonoti are dependable.
4. Nebraska: The Cornhuskers lost three starters from last year's line, but much like Wisconsin, this is a group that usually reloads. Guards Spencer Long and Seung Hoon Choi provide nice building blocks, with Tyler Moore, Jeremiah Sirles and Andrew Rodriguez solidifying the tackle spots. The big question here is center and who will replace Mike Caputo.
5. Ohio State: The Buckeyes had their problems up front last year and now are implementing a new offensive system. Urban Meyer wasn't happy with the group's work ethic in January but felt much better about them by the end of spring. Jack Mewhort replaces Mike Adams at left tackle, while Andrew Norwell and Marcus Hall try to live up their potential at guard. Corey Linsley earned Meyer's praise for his work at center. Keep an eye on the right tackle spot, where former tight end Reid Fragel is now the first-stringer. But true freshman Taylor Decker is pushing him.
6. Purdue: Injuries kept the Boilers from building much cohesion this spring, but this can be a sturdy group when healthy. Three starters are back, with Trevor Foy moving from right to left tackle. This is an experienced bunch, but Danny Hope wants to see more dominance. Senior center Rick Schmeig should be a leader
7. Iowa: The Hawkeyes must replace three starters, including NFL draft picks Reilly Reiff and Adam Gettis. But Iowa usually fields good offensive lines, and hopes are high for this year's edition. The leader is center James Ferentz, who now will be coached by his older brother, Brian Ferentz. Much will depend on how players like Brett Van Sloten and Brandon Scherff develop.
8. Northwestern: The Wildcats lost two valuable starters in tackle Al Netter and Ben Burkett but return three-year starter Brian Mulroe at guard and promising sophomore center Brandon Vitabile. There should be good depth up front, but can the Wildcats generate a consistent rushing attack?
9. Penn State: The good news is that the Nittany Lions played better than expected last year on the offensive line. The bad news is four starters are gone, not to mention some potential transfers in the wake of the NCAA sanctions. There is still talent here, including guard John Urschel and tackle Donovan Smith. But the least experienced line in the league will have to learn a new offensive system.
10. Illinois: There was little excuse for the Illini O-line to play as bad as it did last year with standout players Jeff Allen and Graham Pocic in the mix. Pocic is back this year at center, though he might take some snaps at tackle as well. Young players like sophomore Simon Cvijanovic and redshirt freshman Ted Karras will need to come on. This unit should be improved, but it ranks low based on last year's finish.
11. Minnesota: Jerry Kill shuffled this group last year and played a lot of youngsters. It's still a relatively inexperienced unit, but there is hope for improvement. Junior left tackle Ed Olson has the best chance to be a star.
12. Indiana: Center Will Matte is one of the most experienced linemen in the league. But beyond him are several young players, including three true sophomores who started as freshmen last year. There's nowhere to go but up.


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Grey Hearts - Mush Cush
Choose from our selection of quotes and put your mush on the cush!
This wonderful and weird idea will have you and your loved ones laughing for days.
Personalise with a picture of yourself, your other half, your bestie or your worst enemy!
A fantastic gift to give to someone you know who would love to snuggle up to your face, take on their travels or somebody you would like to seriously offend.
- Just upload your image. (High quality images work 10x better).
- Adjust using the edit menu until your image looks right. (The bigger the face, the more distorted the final cushion will look).
- Choose your background colour and add text over the top if you wish.
Our face cushions are printed, cut, sewn and finished right here in Great Britain.
Other features include;Size – 13″ x 10″ (31cm x 25cm)
- Beautiful, soft touch faux suede fabric.
- Vibrant print (PLEASE USE HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGES)
- Stuffed in house and sewn closed.
[All fillings have been tested & comply with the furniture & furnishings (fire safety) regulations 1988]
Please do not use Emoji's when personalising your order, our software does not support them.*
Shipping & Returns↓
Manufacturing Information
All items are printed to order. We give a guideline of approximately 3 working days for your order to be manufactured, it is highly likely that your order will be dispatched within that timescale but we cannot make any guarantees and we cannot expedite any orders on request.
General Shipping Information
This information is based on timescales provided by Royal Mail:
UK - T48 (tracked 48) - (Estimated 3 Days Manufacture) + delivery within 48 hours - £2.99
International Tracked (EU) - (Estimated 3 Days Manufacture) + delivery within 3 – 5 working days* - prices vary on destination
International Tracked (ROW) - (Estimated 3 Days Manufacture) + delivery within 5 – 7 working days - prices vary on destination
*some overseas orders may incur additional charges due to recent changes within the EU, unfortunately this is out of our control.
We are experiencing high volumes of hold ups and delays at customs for international orders, whilst we apologise for any inconvenience, this is out of our control and we cannot intervene.
We cannot guarantee delivery within these timescales and cannot be held accountable for parcels that do not arrive within the timescales.
You will be liable for any additional charges arising from attempted deliveries during the normal working day if wrong delivery details are given, the postcode is incorrect, works are closed, or we are unable to obtain a signature.
Christmas 2022
Last Order Dates 2022
* Please note: Last order dates are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change & dependent on Royal Mail Industrial Actions.
UK Tracked 48
Monday 19th December
Australia / New Zealand – Monday 28th November
China – Tuesday 29th November
Africa / Asia / South America – Sunday 4th December
Cyprus / Malta – Monday 5th December
Greece / Turkey – Tuesday 6th December
Canada / Czech Republic / Finland / Italy / Poland / Sweden / USA – Tuesday 6th December
Austria / Denmark / Germany / Norway / Ireland / Portugal / Spain / Belgium / France – Wednesday 7th December
Returns Information
As every product is personalised, returns will not be accepted unless the fault is ours. Please contact us within 14 days if you believe you have received a faulty item and we will discuss return options with you.
If an order is returned due to unsuccessful delivery, it will only be kept for 60 days from date of return. You must contact us within this time for your parcel to be resent.
Thank you.


text: The Great Wall Of all the world's wonders, nothing evokes more astonishment in those who visit it than the Great Wall of China. Its length, scale, age, and cultural significance make it unique among mankind's achievements. The Great Wall: From Beginning to End takes us across deserts, over mountain peaks, and through more than 2,000 years of history to give us a new appreciation of the most colossal structure ever created by human hands.


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Click here to read: "A Decade Later, Catholic Anger, Defections Over Abuse Not Letting Up," by David Briggs, writer Association of Religion Data Archives, for Huffington Post, March 12, 2012
Important facts from article:
- In a 2011 survey of American Catholics, more than three-quarters of respondents said the sexual abuse issue has hurt priests' ability to meet the spiritual-pastoral needs of parishioners.
- In an online survey, anger at church leadership for the sexual abuse scandal was the No. 1 reason cited by people who left the church and are not coming back. Nearly two-thirds of respondents who are not even considering returning to the church listed the abuse scandal as a reason for leaving.
- The scandal led to a loss of 2 million Catholics, and generated more than three billion in donations to other faiths from those Catholics who joined other groups, economist Daniel Hungerman of Notre Dame University estimated in a working paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research.
- Negative publicity from the scandal explains about 5 percent of the decline in the number of Catholic schools in the past two decades, researchers Angela K. Dills of Providence College and Rey Hernandez-Julian of the Metropolitan State College of Denver estimated in the journal Economic Inquiry.


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MCM is a luxury travel goods and accessories brand with an attitude defined by combining a contemporary aesthetic and focus on functional innovation with the use of cutting edge techniques. Founded in 1976 at the pinnacle of Munich's creative renaissance, today, through its association with art, music, technology and travel, MCM embodies the bold, irreverent and aspirational. Always with an eye on the new, the driving force behind MCM centres on revolutionising classic design with futuristic materials. Cross-pollinating its Western and Asian heritage, the brand draws reference from Munich to Seoul. Appealing to the Global Nomad generation - dreamers, creatives and digital natives - MCM's millennial audience is ageless, genderless, empowered and unconstrained by rules and boundaries. This is the New School of Luxury. MCM currently operates in 650 stores across 40 countries. Discover our collections online and in stores in Munich, Berlin, Zurich, London, Paris, New York, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Seoul, Tokyo, and the Middle East.
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