text:
What every physician needs to know:
Inhalation injury, including smoke inhalation, affects millions of people worldwide and is potentially life-threatening. Smoke is a combination of fumes (small, suspended particles to which irritants or cytotoxic chemicals adhere), mists (aerosolized irritants or cytotoxic chemicals), gases, and hot air. Exposure to smoke that arises from a burning environment may result in three types of injury: (1) direct thermal injury to the airways, particularly the upper airways; (2) chemical injury to the airways, including those of the lower respiratory tract, and lung parenchyma; and (3) systemic injury as a result of inhalation of toxic compounds and immunologic responses to injury. A wide variety of additional compounds may be generated in fires, many with potential toxicity (Figure 1).
Several well-publicized events, such as the fire at the Coconut Grove nightclub in Boston in 1942, the collapse of, the World Trade Center in New York in 2001, and the devastating nightclub fire in Rhode Island in 2005, highlight the possibility of mass casualties related to smoke inhalation. However, it is the prevalence of single home fires, each affecting relatively small numbers of people that accounts for most fire-related inhalational injury in the U.S.
This presentation focuses on thermal respiratory injury and the consequences of inhaling a selected number of respirable agents common in household and industrial fires.
Several environmental factors are key determinants of the clinical consequences of acute smoke inhalation: the source of the fire and resulting combustion products, the duration of the exposure, and ventilation of the environment.
Source of the fire and resultant combustion products – The degree of injury depends on the specific materials inhaled, their concentrations, their water solubility, and particle size, among other considerations. Water-soluble materials like acrolein and aldehyde damage the proximal airways. Less water-soluble substances like phosgene and nitrogen oxides are associated with a slower onset of injury to the more distal airways. Carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide produce systemic toxicity, rather than localized pulmonary injury.
Commonly employed building products have shifted from wood and organic substances to synthetics and petrochemicals, materials that burn more intensely and faster than wood and other natural products, increasing the likelihood that fire victims will inhale toxic materials in smoke before being able to escape the environment. (Table 1)
Duration of the exposure – Individuals exposed to smoke-filled environments for a more extended time will have greater cumulative exposure to the toxic materials generated. A number of factors influence total exposure per unit of time, including the victim's minute ventilation.
Ventilation of the exposure environment – More tightly enclosed environments are associated with greater intensity of toxin exposure.
Are you sure your patient has thermal injury or smoke inhalation injury? What should you expect to find?
The symptoms and signs of smoke inhalation can be divided into general findings in inhalational injury and those attributable to specific toxins, the most common of which are carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide. (Table 2)
General Signs of Inhalational Injury
Burns of the neck and face
Singed nasal hair
Soot-laden oral and nasal secretions
Cough, hoarseness, dysphonia, and stridor
Tachypnea, cyanosis, or respiratory distress
Nausea and vomiting
Neurologic findings, including loss of consciousness
Carboxyhemoglobin >10% within the first hour
Clinical Manifestations of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
With mild exposure, neurologic symptoms include headache, dizziness, myalgias, and neuropsychological impairment. More significant exposures are associated with confusion, loss of consciousness, and possible death. Tachycardia, increased cardiac output, arrhythmias, and cardiac ischemia may also be evident. Retinal hemorrhages and cherry-red skin color, the "classic" manifestations of carbon monoxide poisoning, are relatively uncommon.
Signs of chronic carbon monoxide exposure may be subtle. These signs include chronic fatigue, behavioral changes, memory lapses, impaired sleep, changes in bowel habits, and a variety of peripheral neurologic findings.
Clinical manifestations do not correlate with carbon monoxide levels, suggesting that the resultant hypoxemia is not primarily responsible for the findings.
Clinical Manifestations of Hydrogen Cyanide Poisoning
Early signs include anxiety, confusion, headache, hypertension, dyspnea, and tachypnea. Subsequently, coma, seizures, pupillary dilatation, hypotension, bradycardia, and arrhythmias occur. Complete cardiovascular collapse may ensue.
Funduscopic examination may reveal "arterialization" of venous blood–that is, a bright red color that is associated with adequately oxygenated arterial blood. The finding reflects inhibition of oxygen consumption by poisoned tissues, resulting in an inappropriately high oxygen content of venous blood. The same phenomenon may be seen with inspection of a peripheral venous blood sample.
Beware: there are other conditions that can mimic thermal injury or smoke inhalation injury:
Not applicable.
How and/or why did the patient develop thermal injury or smoke inhalation injury?
Pathophysiologic Consequences of Thermal and Chemical Respiratory Injuries
Heat itself is rarely responsible for inhalational injury to the upper airways and tracheobronchial tree. Because of the low heat capacity of inhaled air and the highly efficient heat-exchanging capacity of the bronchial circulation, inspired gases rapidly equilibrate to body temperature in the upper airway before they pass through the thoracic inlet. An exception is steam inhalation, as steam has high latent heat and can induce significant direct thermal injury to the airways.
A variety of chemicals in inhaled smoke may induce substantial chemical injury to the airways. Many derivatives of these materials contain reactive nitrogen and oxygen species, acids, and aldehydes that induce a significant inflammatory response within the tracheobronchial tree.
As demonstrated in animal studies, increases in bronchial blood flow are seen within minutes of smoke inhalation. In humans, direct visualization of affected airways reveals hyperemia. Tissue injury and shedding of the airway epithelial lining, coupled with formation of protein-containing exudates and increased mucus production by goblet cells, result in an inflammatory medium that solidifies or mixes with blood clots in the airway lumen to form airway casts. The casts may completely occlude airways, including the upper airways, resulting in airway obstruction and hypoxemia.
Localized airway occlusion is associated with regional loss of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction and leads to ventilation-perfusion mismatch, shunting, and hypoxemia. Significant airway obstruction may not occur immediately; up to 24 hours may be necessary for formation of mucosal edema sufficient to result in airway occlusion.
Ciliary dysfunction further impedes normal airway clearance mechanisms. As a consequence of ciliary damage, airways are at increased risk for obstruction and secondary bacterial infection.
Lung parenchymal injury following smoke inhalation is typically not seen immediately. Over the course of several hours, diffuse alveolar damage (DAD) and atelectasis develop, and loss of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction and hypoxemia are seen. Increased procoagulant and decreased anti-fibrinolytic activity result in fibrin deposition in alveolar spaces. An influx of inflammatory cells also occurs.
Systemic responses to the exposure, including the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), increased oxygen consumption, and release of inflammatory mediators into the lung that produces noncardiogenic pulmonary edema or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), may be observed. These changes may be delayed by 24-48 hours. Pulmonary immune hyporesponsiveness characterized by a blunted production of immune mediators from lung leukocytes is also associated with increased mortality in patients with inhalation injury.
Effects of Specific Components of Toxic Smoke
Particulates – Normally, nasopharyngeal structures clear inspired air of particles suspended in smoke or air that have a particle diameter larger than 5 µ. In a fire environment, victims typically breathe through their mouths as a result of nasopharyngeal edema and dyspnea. Consequently, less filtering of large particles and more significant particle deposition occur in the airways, particularly proximally, with attendant airway injury.
Carbon Monoxide – Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless gas derived from incomplete combustion of wood, paper, and cotton. In addition to fires, environmental sources include malfunctioning furnaces and internal combustion engine exhaust. CO poisoning accounts for approximately 50,000 visits to emergency rooms annually in the U.S.
At physiologic levels, CO serves as a neurotransmitter and modulates inflammation, cell proliferation, and programmed cell death (apoptosis). At toxic levels, CO induces inflammation and causes hypoxia. CO binds to hemoglobin with more than two hundred times the affinity of oxygen. With oxygen-binding sites occupied by CO, the sites are unavailable for oxygen. Since the vast majority of oxygen is transported in bound form, oxygen content and oxygen delivery are decreased. Inhalation of a 0.1 percent carbon monoxide mixture may produce a carboxyhemoglobin level greater than 50 percent.
CO shifts the oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve to the left, as reflected in a reduction in the P50. As a consequence, the unloading of oxygen from hemoglobin in peripheral tissues is reduced (Figure 1). CO binds to cytochrome c oxidase, inhibiting cell respiration, and induces generation of reactive oxygen species that produce apoptosis and neuronal cell death. CO also inhibits metalloproteins, decreasing oxygen utilization at the mitochondrial level, and avidly binds to cardiac myoglobin, resulting in decreased myocardial contractility, arrhythmias, and hypotension.
Hydrogen Cyanide – Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) is a colorless gas with the odor of bitter almonds. It has a half-life of 1-3 hours. HCN is produced from burning nitrogen-containing polymers, including furniture, upholstery, nylon, acrylics, silk, and wool. It is also found in plastics, glue removers, seeds, and plants. As a normal metabolite, cyanide may be detected at plasma levels of 0.3 mg/L in nonsmokers or 0.5 mg/L in smokers. Low-level detoxification occurs through metabolic conversion to thiocyanate. The vitamin B12 precursor, hydroxycobalamin, binds cyanide to form a nontoxic derivative, cyanocobalamin. At toxic levels, hydrogen cyanide inhibits cellular oxygen utilization, primarily through inhibition of cytochrome oxidase.
Others – A wide variety of additional compounds may be generated in smoke, including ammonia, phosgene, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, formaldehyde, isocyanates, acrylonitriles, and acrolein.
Which individuals are at greatest risk of acquiring thermal injury or smoke inhalation injury?
See section on Classification.
What laboratory studies should you order to help make the diagnosis, and how should you interpret the results?
Laboratory Testing for Carbon Monoxide Exposure
Carboxyhemoglobin levels are measured using co-oximetry. Either arterial or venous blood samples are suitable for measurement. A carboxyhemoglobin level obtained within the first hour of injury that is greater than 3 percent in a nonsmoker or 10 percent in a smoker confirms the diagnosis of CO poisoning. Initial levels measured in an emergency department will be influenced by the initial peak level, patient transport time from the fire scene, and prior administration of oxygen. Initial levels do not correlate with the presence, absence, or severity of symptoms. The CO levels not correlating with the clinical picture suggests that the inflammatory effects of CO, rather than the resultant hypoxemia, are responsible for the findings.
Traditional arterial blood gas analysis is misleading in CO poisoning. The standard measurement of oxygen saturation is based on a calculation using the measured PaO2. In the presence of CO, the oxygen-binding sites of hemoglobin are saturated predominantly with CO, rather than oxygen. Furthermore, a normal PaO2 provides a false measure of reassurance, as the parameter no longer reflects the dynamic equilibrium between bound and unbound oxygen, but oxygen dissolved in plasma, which accounts for a very small fraction of blood oxygen content.
The wavelengths of light used in pulse oximeters do not distinguish between oxyhemoglobin and carboxyhemoglobin so pulse oximetry cannot be relied upon to assess the level of arterial oxygenation in the setting of CO poisoning.
Additional laboratory findings include metabolic acidosis (with an increased anion gap), elevated serum lactate, and a possible rise in CPK because of muscle necrosis.
Laboratory Testing for Hydrogen Cyanide Exposure
A blood cyanide level greater than 0.5 mg/L is considered toxic. Anion gap-type metabolic acidosis, elevated serum lactate, and increased mixed venous O2 (as a result of the inability to utilize oxygen at the cellular level) may be observed.
What imaging studies will be helpful in making or excluding the diagnosis of thermal injury or smoke inhalation injury?
Not applicable.
What non-invasive pulmonary diagnostic studies will be helpful in making or excluding the diagnosis of thermal injury or smoke inhalation injury?
Not applicable.
What diagnostic procedures will be helpful in making or excluding the diagnosis of thermal injury or smoke inhalation injury?
When suspected thermal injury or smoke inhalation injury patients are stabilized and their airways secured, flexible bronchoscopy is an important diagnostic tool to visually confirm the diagnosis and assess any airway findings that may be present including mucosal edema, erythema, ulceration, blisters, casts, or charring.
Recent studies have shown that flexible bronchoscopy is also a promising tool in grading the degree of injury, which correlates with impaired gas exchange and worsened outcomes.
What pathology/cytology/genetic studies will be helpful in making or excluding the diagnosis of thermal injury or smoke inhalation injury?
Not applicable.
If you decide the patient has thermal injury or smoke inhalation injury, how should the patient be managed?
General Management Principles in Smoke Inhalation
When a person is suspected of suffering from smoke inhalation, he or she should be removed from the source and transported to an emergency department while administering 100 percent oxygen via a nonrebreather facemask or, if indicated, through an endotracheal tube. Laryngeal mask airways are usually unhelpful due to vocal cord edema that frequently accompanies inhalational injury. In patients with significant facial burns, endotracheal tubes used for oral intubation should be secured to the maxillary teeth with the aid of dental wires. Interventions made in the field, emergency department, or following hospital admission should include assurance of an adequate airway and an assessment of the effectiveness of ventilation and circulation (ABCs of resuscitation).
Patients with inhalational injury who require intubation should be identified promptly. One retrospective study demonstrated that several clinical features–including soot in the mouth, the presence of facial or body burns, and, on fiberoptic bronchoscopy, vocal cord edema–correlate with the need for intubation. The same study suggested that stridor, hoarseness, drooling, and dysphagia are not predictive of the need for intubation.
Consideration should be given to screening for other ingestions (e.g., alcohol, narcotics, etc.), especially if CO poisoning appears to be intentional.
A comprehensive patient evaluation should be performed, focusing on details of the exposure (duration, intensity, level of ventilation in the environment) and neurologic and cardiovascular manifestations. An ECG should be obtained and cardiac enzymes considered. 100 percent oxygen should be administered, bronchodilators should be considered, and adequate tracheal toileting measures must be ensured. The need for therapeutic bronchoscopy for evaluation of airway burns should be assessed, particularly if there is a copious amount of carbonaceous sputum, soot in the upper airway or if airway obstruction is suspected (as suggested by radiographic findings of lobar or whole lung atelectasis).
Intravenous fluids should be administered in accordance with hemodynamic indications and estimates of past and ongoing fluid losses. Aggressive volume resuscitation may be necessary, depending upon the extent of additional injuries, despite the possibility of enhanced edema formation in the lungs and airways.
Ventilator management, if indicated, is governed by principles of management of acute lung injury, including application of a low-tidal volume protocol.
As the patient may be at significant risk for infection following acute injury, measures to minimize occurrence of ventilator associated pneumonia should be implemented. These include regular oral care, elevation of the head of the bed at 30 degrees and the use of endotracheal tubes with subglottic suction ports. Routine administration of prophylactic antibiotics is not advised.
At present, clinical data to support the use of nebulized anticoagulants or antioxidants are lacking.
Management of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
100 percent oxygen should be administered until the carboxyhemoglobin level is less than 5 percent. Consideration should be given to administration of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO). The half-life of carboxyhemoglobin is reduced from 250 minutes while breathing room air to 40-60 minutes while breathing 100 percent oxygen under normobaric conditions, to 30 minutes under hyperbaric conditions of three atmospheres.
Although the use of HBO in the management of CO poisoning remains somewhat controversial, it can increase blood and tissue oxygen levels, accelerate the rate of CO elimination, and reduce oxidative stress and inflammation. Clinicians who have access to HBO should consider its use in patients with any of the following circumstances: loss of consciousness, even transient; ongoing neurologic impairment; cardiovascular instability; high initial carboxyhemoglobin level (>25%); severe acidosis; exposure to CO for 24 hours or longer, or if the victim is older than 35, or pregnant (fetal mortality exceeds 50% in severe maternal CO poisoning).
This recommendation regarding the use of HBO is based on a single center, prospective trial that demonstrated a lower incidence of cognitive sequelae in patients treated with three HBO sessions over 24 hours (25% incidence) compared with those treated with normobaric oxygen (46% incidence). Cognitive sequelae one year after exposure were also reduced in the HBO-treated group (18% versus 33% incidence). Patients treated with HBO had nearly normal carboxyhemoglobin levels prior to treatment, suggesting that the benefits of treatment are not primarily related to reductions in carboxyhemoglobin levels but to other mechanisms that may include increased ATP activity, reduction in lipid peroxidation, and beneficial effects on ischemia-reperfusion injury.
Although a Cochrane review (6 trials) did not support the use of HBO for CO poisoning, the methodologies employed and the heterogeneity of the studies included in the analysis have been questioned. An additional concern about routinely referring patients for HBO is the need to transport critically ill patients to the HBO chamber.
Patients should be followed after discharge, as neurologic sequelae may persist or develop de novo in the weeks following the exposure.
Management of Hydrogen Cyanide Poisoning
Victims of hydrogen cyanide poisoning should be removed from the environment, 100 percent oxygen should be administered, and cyanide antidote(s) should be given. Cyanide antidotes include substances that generate methemoglobin, bind directly to cyanide, or serve as sulfur donors. Hyperbaric oxygen does not appear to affect blood cyanide concentrations in carbon monoxide poisoning. Methemoglobin generators include sodium nitrite and amyl nitrite. Nitrites convert the iron moiety in hemoglobin from the ferrous (+2) to the ferric (+3) state. The resulting methemoglobin serves effectively as a scavenger of free cyanide, converting it to cyanmethemoglobin.
Amyl nitrite is administered through inhalation of crushable pearls, each of which is inhaled for 15-30 seconds, with 30 seconds between pearls. Typically, amyl nitrite therapy results in the generation of approximately 5 percent methemoglobin.
Sodium nitrite is administered intravenously at a dose of 300 mg over three minutes. A repeat dose of 150 mg may be administered two hours following the initial dose if cyanide toxicity persists and the resulting level of methemoglobinemia is acceptable. Methemoglobin levels usually remain under 20 percent. On a cautionary note, the resulting reduction in oxygen carrying capacity because of methemoglobin formation, coupled with carboxyhemoglobin levels resulting from CO exposure, may profoundly reduce the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood.
Sodium thiosulfate, which is administered intravenously, acts as a sulfur donor to the enzyme rhodenase and other sulfur transferases, and cyanide is converted to thiocyanate. The dose is 12.5 g intravenously over ten minutes. Administration of half the initial dose may be repeated after two hours in the setting of persistent cyanide toxicity. Thiocyanate toxicity may arise, particularly with reduced renal function, but thiocyanate is readily dialyzable.
Administration of hydroxycobalamin may be useful; 4-5 g of the agent is administered intravenously as a single dose.
What is the prognosis for patients managed in the recommended ways?
Neurologic Sequelae of Smoke Inhalation
Cognitive sequelae have been reported in nearly half of CO poisoning victims six weeks following exposure. A similar number of victims demonstrate affective disorders. Other sequelae include motor dysfunction, peripheral neuropathies, impaired hearing and balance (because of vestibular damage), dementia, and psychoses. As many as 19 percent of patients may demonstrate cognitive problems as late as six years post- exposure.
MRI imaging has demonstrated lesions of the basal ganglia and hippocampal atrophy years after the exposure.
What other considerations exist for patients with thermal injury or smoke inhalation injury?
See section on General Management Principles in Smoke Inhalation.
Copyright © 2017, 2013 Decision Support in Medicine, LLC. All rights reserved.
No sponsor or advertiser has participated in, approved or paid for the content provided by Decision Support in Medicine LLC. The Licensed Content is the property of and copyrighted by DSM.
- What every physician needs to know:
- Classification:
- Are you sure your patient has thermal injury or smoke inhalation injury? What should you expect to find?
- Beware: there are other conditions that can mimic thermal injury or smoke inhalation injury:
- How and/or why did the patient develop thermal injury or smoke inhalation injury?
- Which individuals are at greatest risk of acquiring thermal injury or smoke inhalation injury?
- What laboratory studies should you order to help make the diagnosis, and how should you interpret the results?
- What imaging studies will be helpful in making or excluding the diagnosis of thermal injury or smoke inhalation injury?
- What non-invasive pulmonary diagnostic studies will be helpful in making or excluding the diagnosis of thermal injury or smoke inhalation injury?
- What diagnostic procedures will be helpful in making or excluding the diagnosis of thermal injury or smoke inhalation injury?
- What pathology/cytology/genetic studies will be helpful in making or excluding the diagnosis of thermal injury or smoke inhalation injury?
- If you decide the patient has thermal injury or smoke inhalation injury, how should the patient be managed?
- What is the prognosis for patients managed in the recommended ways?
- What other considerations exist for patients with thermal injury or smoke inhalation injury?


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Some people need eight hours. Others can exist on four. But the bottom line is that everybody needs sleep - it is as essential as breathing and eating. Yet, despite decades of study, scientists still do not know why we do it.
However, there are some intriguing clues and theories. One obvious clue is that we all feel better after a good night's sleep, and much worse if deprived of a decent night's rest. In humans the need for sleep gets so strong after a few days that nothing will keep you awake – with reports of people falling asleep standing up, even whilst being kicked or having intolerably loud music played at them. Within days of having no sleep, people report confusion, forgetfulness and hallucinations. (In case you are wondering, the world record for going without sleep is eleven days.)
But saying that we sleep because we are tired is rather like saying we eat because we are hungry – it is why we sleep, but not necessarily why we need it.
Memory aid
One theory that has emerged in recent years is that sleep helps us to process and consolidate new memories. Our memory system is a psychological wonder, and several studies have suggested that sleep provides some behind-the-scenes maintenance.
For instance, Matthew Walker and colleagues from the University of California gave volunteers aptitude tests like remembering sequences of patterns fired at them on a computer. Half the volunteers learned these patterns in the morning, and half in the evening. To test their memories he got them back into the lab – the morning learners returned after a full day of being awake, the evening learners came back after a night's sleep. Sure enough, those who were allowed to sleep had better recall of the test patterns.
By the way, there is good news for siesta or powernap lovers. Similar comparisons indicate that you can get a memory boost from a daytime nap. So, if you have been studying or working hard in the morning, do not be too hard on yourself if you fancy closing your eyes for a while.
One school of thought is that sleep aids our memories by refreshing and reorganising them without interfering with our waking thoughts. Evidence comes from several studies using methods that record the brain directly. For instance, when rats were trained to find their way around a maze, their brains produced the same activity patterns during sleep as when they had carried out the task – suggesting that the brain was reconstructing the experience.
A rest might help ease bad experiences, too. A study published last year by Walker's group has posed the intriguing suggestion that the brain might also deal with the memory of unpleasant or traumatic events during sleep (3).
Dream on
From this we also gain an important insight into the fascinating phenomenon of dreams. These crazy adventures our minds have while we are sleeping may be a product of our memories randomly activating so as to keep them fresh, and of the mind seeking connections between all the things we have recently experienced. This could also explain why hallucinations accompany sleep deprivation. Without the opportunity to reorganise our memories during sleep, dreams intrude into our waking lives, causing difficulty in distinguishing our inner lives from reality.
Much of this is informed speculation. It is likely that as well as fine-tuning our brains, our bodies use this opportunity to carry out a list of housekeeping tasks, for instance, repairing damaged cells.
But some scientists argue that the purpose of sleep may not be restorative. In fact, they argue that the very question "why do we sleep?" is mistaken, and that the real question should be "why are we awake?". If you are safe and warm and fed, it is a waste of energy to be awake and moving around (and possibly getting into trouble). Far better, this argument goes, is to be awake only when you have to and sleep when it suits you (4).
One thing is certain, not only do we have to sleep, but it is good for your mind and body as well. Although everyone needs a different amount of sleep, the average is about seven hours – and people who sleep a lot less than this are at a higher risk of various illnesses, such as heart disease, and a shortened lifespan.
So instead of feeling guilty the next time you fancy a nap, think about how much good it will do you.
If you would like to comment on this story or anything else you have seen on Future, head over to our Facebook page or message us on Twitter.

subset: commoncrawl


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Big-Bore Blast: .338 Lapua Magnum Cleaning Rod Kaboom
We first ran this eye-opening story two years ago. We're republishing it today as a reminder that safety should always be a shooter's #1 concern at the range. Avoid distractions and always check your barrel for obstructions before you chamber a round or pull the trigger. A moment of inattention can result in a catastrophic kaboom …
Discharging a .338 Lapua Magnum round with a cleaning rod in the barrel — that's a recipe for disaster. What happens when a fired .338 caliber bullet and a cleaning rod try to occupy the same place at the same time? Well you get a catastrophic kaboom, with metal pieces flying all over the place, and a shooter very lucky to escape without serious injury. This incident occurred recently in Manatee, Florida, as reported by Sniper's Hide member Queequeg. We thank SnipersHide.com for granting permission to publish these revealing images in the Daily Bulletin.
This story should serve as a chilling reminder to follow proper safety practices whenever you are at the range. Always check to make sure there is no obstruction in the bore BEFORE loading a live round.
.338 Lapua Magnum + Cleaning Rod + Inattention = Kaboom!
Kaboom at Manatee!
A while back, Sniper's Hide member Queequeg published shocking photos of a catastrophic kaboom involving a .338 Lapua Magnum (Savage action). The action was blown off the rifle, shrapnel went through the roof, and the barrel split at the tenon before taking an excursion downrange. The action did crack in the front but the lugs remained engaged so the bolt did not slam to the rear (luckily for the shooter).
Here's the report: "This happened [January 20, 2014] at the Manatee Gun and Archery Club. Al, Ren and myself were there with a couple other folks. Ren was at bench 12, I was at 13. The fellow at 11 was running a Savage .338 Lapua. He had a very bad day! He damn sure could have killed himself and quite likely Ren as well."
Queeqeg added: "After the boom, I heard Ren ask 'Are you alright' and then turned to look in time to see the fellow reacting in total shock — literally stunned. Ren and I went over to him and could not see any major injuries. Ren was uninjured as well but had a lot of fiberglass splinters on him. The barrel nut is what I presume punched the two holes in the roof. The shooter is a regular there[.] He had been having a problem with sticky cases though he said he was certain the loads were mild. That's why he was content to knock the sticky ones out with the rod. He simply forgot to remove the rod after knocking out the last stuck case. You can see what happened next."
The Important Lesson Here
What did the .338 LM shooter do wrong here? You will say — "Well that's obvious, he left a cleaning rod in the barrel and then shot a round." Yes, that was a potentially fatal error. But that was his second mistake — one that occurred only because he made a more fundamental judgment error first.
The FIRST mistake was not acknowledging the problem with his ammo. Had he heeded the warning signs, he would still have a rifle (and an unsoiled pair of trousers). When he first observed that he was having problems with extracting cases, a warning light should have gone off in his head. Presuming his extractor was not broken (and that the chamber was cut properly) he should have been able to extract his brass if he was running safe loads. The lesson here we all need to learn is that if you observe a serious ammo-related issue, it is time to stop shooting. Don't try to invent work-arounds just to extend your range session, when there are clear signs that something is wrong, very wrong.


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If you're trying to adopt good e-mail habits and clear our your inbox, creating a system to deal with all of your incoming e-mail is an essential first step. But one of the reasons e-mail often gets stuck in an Inbox is that a reply is needed, but the time and energy required to craft that reply is too daunting. Here are a three tricks to help you speed up the process-at least part of the time.
1. Keep it brief
The longer your replies, the more likely you are to get still more-elaborate responses from your correspondents, leading to an endless cycle of e-mail. Try forcing yourself to keep every e-mail reply to just a few sentences. At first, the effort required to make concise replies may actually take you more time, but once you get the knack of it, you'll find that it goes much faster.
2. Use text-expansion tools
Several third-party utilities for OS X can watch what you type and automatically turn short abbreviations into useful strings such as your address, the current date, or phrases like "To whom it may concern." My favorite utility in this category is Riccardo Ettore's TypeIt4Me. Other popular options are SmileOnMyMac's TextExpander and Ergonis Software's Typinator.
Although many people use these tools to correct frequently misspelled words ("teh" for "the") and insert brief text snippets, they're equally good for inserting longer boilerplate text into e-mail replies. If you find yourself answering the same questions or sending out the same information repeatedly-directions to your office, instructions for operating the coffee machine, an explanation for why you haven't replied to someone's message in a month-you can put all this text into one of these utilities. And then, when sending a message, you simply type your shortcut (like
imaloser) and the utility will replace it with the text you designated (for example: "I'm so sorry for not replying to your e-mail message sooner, but I've been extremely busy; I have so many messages in my Inbox that it takes me hours to ignore them all every day!").
3. Use signatures
Another way to quickly insert boilerplate text is by using your e-mail program's built-in signature feature. Ordinarily, your signature (which may include your name, title, telephone number, favorite quote, or whatever) appears at the bottom of a message much like a signature in a written letter. But by configuring several different signatures and choosing the right one for each message, you can include as much text as you want (just as with a text-expansion utility) with a single click.
To set up signatures in Mail, go to Mail: Preferences, click on the Signatures icon, and click on the plus-sign button. Enter a name for your signature, and type all the text you want it to include in the field on the right. Then drag the finished signature onto the name of each account where you want it to be available. When composing a message, you can choose from among your signatures using the pop-up Signature menu in the header portion of the window.
In Entourage, the process is similar. Choose Tools: Signatures and click on the plus-sign button. Enter a name for the signature, type in the desired text, and close the window. When composing a message, choose a signature using the pop-up Signature button on the toolbar.
Although judicious use of signatures can save you time and typing, keep in mind that most people don't want to read your life's story or click through a dozen of your favorite URLs. Try to keep your everyday signature as brief as possible.
[Joe Kissell is the senior editor of TidBits and the author of numerous e-books about Mac OS X.]


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Tom Asta Skater Profile
Sponsors: Santa Cruz, éS, Ricta, Bronson, MOB, Thunder
Hometown: Langhorne, PA, Stance: Regular, Age: 33, Status: Pro
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Support Pro Skaters by buying their gear. Here's all the Tom Asta stuff we sell.
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- Skateboarders on Instagram - browse your favorite pros and ams on Instagram.
- Skate News and Videos - daily skate news and videos from around the web.
- Media Coverage - we log all major magazine coverage by skater and photographer.
- Skate Photographers - we log all major magazine coverage by skater and photographer.
- Contest Results - over a decade's worth of contest history.


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Call of Duty®: Black Ops II Benjamins Pack
This add-on works with:
The Call of Duty®: Black Ops II Benjamins MP Personalization Pack boasts a cash-themed weapon skin, three uniquely-shaped reticles, and an all-new themed Calling Card by which your enemies can remember you. (NOTICE: Reticles will only be available for ACOG, EOTech, Hybrid and Reflex optics.)
- 3/13/2013
- Treyarch
- Activision
- Action & Adventure, Shooter


text:
|» Summary
|» License
|Read arbitrary markers from JPEG files.
|MIT License
|» Current Release
|» Bug Summary
|0.5.0 (beta) was released on 2008-07-08 by boutell (Changelog)
No open bugs
Report a new bug to Image_JpegMarkerReader
|» Description
|This package allows you to easily fetch any particular marker from a
JPEG file. It is primarily a foundation for higher-level packages such
as the JpegXmpReader package.
|» Maintainers
|» More Information


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Resort La Costa Beach & Golf **** is a hotel for weddings near Platja d'Aro, located in the heart of the Costa Brava, on the Playa de Pals. A resort 250 meters from the beach and in an unbeatable natural setting with access to Golf de Pals. It is the perfect choice to celebrate your wedding on the Costa Brava, with all the amenities, services and facilities of a 4-star Resort.
If you are looking for a hotel for charming weddings near Platja d'Aro, we offer you the best spaces, rooms and restaurants for your wedding. Ask us for more information!
Discover our products here:
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Cisco's long-anticipated entry into cellular base stations will come at Mobile World Congress next week, along with the company's familiar promise of an end-to-end architecture.
Having the dominant vendor of Wi-Fi gear in the cellular RAN (radio access network) business may help to fuse the two technologies into a powerful combination that boosts mobile speeds. But Cisco's more likely to affect indoor cells than those outdoors, where makers of long-range "macro" radios are already well established and pushing smaller cells of their own, industry analysts said.
Cisco's announcement of small cells and an outdoor backhaul platform on Tuesday, just in time for MWC, came after a long, slow climb toward the licensed RAN market in which the company introduced just about everything short of a cell. In addition to gear for the cores and edges of mobile carrier networks, Cisco has been selling carrier Wi-Fi access points, including ones with slots to add cellular radios, and partnered with startup ip.access on home femtocells. Now it's finally adding cells themselves, though not the type that go in towers.
Not just a formula to generate more profit for Cisco, the company's entry is part of a trend that came into the spotlight a year ago with mobile giant Ericsson's acquisition of carrier Wi-Fi vendor Bel Air Networks, Yankee Group analyst Ken Rehbehn said.
"This is a natural next step," Rehbehn said. "It gives the operators a choice. It gives Cisco an opportunity to leverage something that they are very strong at, which is excellent Wi-Fi capabilities for network operators."
On Tuesday, Cisco is introducing a standalone 3G small cell, a 3G module that can be added to its carrier Wi-Fi access points, and a backhaul router that's designed for use outdoors in combination with public small cells. It's also announcing Cisco Quantum, a software architecture introduced on Tuesday that's designed to let carriers get better performance out of their networks and present new types of services and offers based on real-time network data.
Some carriers have been using Wi-Fi for years to take mobile data traffic off their scarce licensed spectrum and offer subscribers higher speeds in crowded places such as coffee shops and arenas. Small cells are designed to do a similar thing in a different way with a carrier's own licensed spectrum, reusing in a small area the frequencies that already travel from cell towers across a whole neighborhood.
Rather than dive in at the deep end of the market with small cells for public, outdoor use, Cisco is wading in around enterprises, an area it knows well. Both of the cells it's announcing on Tuesday are designed to work in tandem with its Wi-Fi gear in enterprises. They'll give users another option for connectivity that they may need based on what device they're using and what kind of radio spectrum is available, according to Cisco.
"It will speed the deployment of the small cells in cases where there's Wi-Fi," Rehbehn said. In that sense, Cisco's move into licensed-spectrum small cells is just an expansion of its efforts at extending mobile networks with Wi-Fi, rather than a head-on challenge to the cell establishment.
Outside of enterprises, restaurants, stadiums and other closed areas, small cells are likely to carry the same brands as the big base stations on nearby towers, Rehbehn said.
"It remains to be seen how effectively [Cisco] can go head-to-head with the larger OEMs that own the vast majority of footprint with the mobile operators," Rehbehn said.
The main reason for this is technical, he said: Because macro cells transmit throughout the pockets of space served by outdoor small cells, preventing the two types of networks from interfering with each other is a major challenge. Though there are standards for doing this across vendors, most mobile operators will stick with one supplier just to be safe, Rehbehn believes.
And Cisco, true to the words of CEO John Chambers last November, will draw the line at building small cells, analysts say. "It would be a fool's errand for them to make macros" because that's a mature and slow-growing business compared with small cells, Rehbehn said. By contrast, Cisco sees Wi-Fi as the leading edge of carrier networks. For at least two quarters, its carrier Wi-Fi sales have doubled from their year-earlier pace.
However, Cisco thinks it's destined for more than leading the mobile world into the Wi-Fi era. With many of its routers deployed in the cores of mobile networks, and a growing stable of technologies for managing systems throughout a carrier's infrastructure, Cisco says it can make every subscriber's mobile experience better.
Over the past 18 months, Cisco has spent $1.5 billion on acquisitions to help build up the technology that's going into Cisco Quantum, said Shailesh Shukla, vice president and general manager of the software and applications group in Cisco's Service Provider Mobility division. The result will be an architecture that stretches from the wireless edge of the network into the wired core.
The software will be able to analyze data about what's happening on the network in real time so carriers and other companies can take advantage of it, Shukla said. Among other things, carriers or content providers could sponsor extra data for their subscribers when they are about to go over their monthly caps. But Quantum will also be good for overall performance improvements, such as ensuring a stadium network keeps up with demand as thousands of spectators stream in, he said.
On Tuesday, Cisco announced that Vodafone Netherlands has deployed a component of Quantum to enable application-level usage controls for enterprise customers, among other things.
A network-spanning architecture is key to making those visions into reality, according to Cisco. "You can't do this in piece parts," Shukla said.
Cisco won't be the only RAN vendor with its own wired-network components. Alcatel-Lucent has been taking market share from Cisco with its 7750 SR edge router, and Ericsson is also inching into this area with its Smart Services Router line, Yankee's Rehbehn said. But as they quickly move from traditional telecom infrastructure to Internet Protocol, carriers are undergoing a sea change that could help to lift Cisco, Rehbehn said.
"Operators may begin to look very carefully at the evolution of their core network," Rehbehn said.
Stephen Lawson covers mobile, storage and networking technologies for The IDG News Service. Follow Stephen on Twitter at @sdlawsonmedia. Stephen's e-mail address is email@example.com


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Undergraduate and Graduate History degrees can be rewarding to an individual and useful as a citizen. Expert historians within the department can help to make sense of a complicated world.
A History degree is probably the most flexible and far-ranging. It is excellent preparation for a wide variety of fields -- law, teaching, business, public service, journalism, and even medicine. Increasingly, the professions and professional schools are looking for applicants who have broad interests and backgrounds, and analytical and verbal skills rather than narrow field specialization.
Therefore, history in particular, with its breadth of outlook and coverage, its stress on learning how to read critically and write effectively, will stand you in good stead regardless of what you do.


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This news site is run as a news blog by an individual who finances it. This is a non commercial non profitable blog.
The purpose is a to make local news available for non commercial use.
It relies on News feeds from Councils, BBC, Police, Local Blogs, Local news.In order to add extra content and services our external links and displays are free.
As the blog is to promote local news free and is non commercial non profit making network it would not be possible to pay Press Association Commercial licence fees for content because it is not set up to make a financial gain.
A recent court case agrees commercial users can be charged for content that is resold for profit. However non commercial blogs etc would not be charged.
However it appears some press associations are getting rather greedy and are chasing private bloggers for fees if they are using some local newspaper feeds.
They appear to be using a debt collection business called Buchanan Clark & Wells of Glasgow who are sending made up charges for use of copyright material.
If you are a private blogger having the same problem I would like to hear from you.
If you are a online newspaper or press association your comments would also be welcome.
If anyone has a problem with the content of this site and wishes for any content to be remove please contact me.
News's blog


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Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
2009 August 3
Explanation: What does a star look like when it is forming? The prototypical example is the variable star T Tauri, visible as the bright orange star near the image center. The orange star centered in this remarkable telescopic skyview is T Tauri, prototype of the class of T Tauri variable stars. Surrounding T Tauri is a dusty yellow cosmic cloud named the Hind's Variable Nebula (NGC 1555/1554). Over 400 light-years away, at the edge of a molecular cloud, both star and nebula are seen to vary significantly in brightness but not necessarily at the same time, adding to the mystery of the intriguing region. T Tauri stars are now generally recognized as young -- less than a few million years old -- sun-like stars still in the early stages of formation. To further complicate the picture, infrared observations indicate that T Tauri itself is part of a multiple star system. Surprisingly, due to a close gravitational pass near one of these stars, T Tauri may now be headed out of the system. The dramatic color image above captures a region that spans about 4 light-years.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.


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Marmot Atom
Go light without sacrificing warmth with the Marmot Plasma 0.
Brand: Marmot Gear Reviews
Model: Atom
[editors ' choice update]
Minimum weight, maximum warmth. That's the Plasma's guiding philosophy, and testers approve. The 15°F version won our Editors' Choice Award in 2011 for its standout warmth-to-weight ratio, and this new model extends the award-winning range. "I was toasty warm on a 10°F night at 11,000 feet in Wyoming's Tetons," says a tester. "It could easily go 10 degrees colder." Credit a cloud of 900-fill goose down and vertical baffles, which help it warm up in a flash and eliminate cold spots.
No matter which way our tester slept—on her side, back, or belly—the Plasma proved consistently cozy. The draft collar cinches to seal out icy air, and the 10-denier Pertex Quantum fabric proved surprisingly water-repellent: When a leaky hydration bladder doused the bag, the DWR coating kept water from penetrating. Yet the Plasma is also outstandingly breathable, so that in all temperatures (even a balmy 30°F) our tester never felt clammy. The superpuffy hood uses no Velcro, so there's nothing to scratch cold skin. Like the 2011 award-winning Plasma 15, this version is designed for efficiency—the 60-inch shoulder girth doesn't accommodate broad-shouldered guys, and the sharp taper means there's not enough room to pull your knees up inside. It's not for claustrophobes. Or penny pinchers. $649; 2 lbs. 7 oz.; 0°F; marmot.com


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There is growing talk of cyberwar, as opposed to run-of-the-mill cybercrime. There are also terms that lie somewhere in the middle like cyber espionage, and cyber hacktivism–which is sort of like cyber terrorism for good guys. At the heart of the debate is an attempt to define the scope of an appropriate response to each type of threat.
Former U.S. cyber-security tsar Richard Clarke describes scenarios in his book Cyber War: The Next Threat to National Security and What to Do About It of nationwide power blackouts, poison gas clouds and burning oil refineries, aircraft dropping from the sky and crashing subways. Those are the types of attacks that would seem to clearly indicate an act of cyberwar, but there are also many nuanced attacks in between that muddy the waters.
What Is In a Name?
The problem is that there are subtle semantic differences in the way different parties apply the terms cybercrime, cyberwar, cyber espionage, cyber hacktivism, or cyber terrorism. There is no clear consensus, which complicates the process of determining what level of law enforcement or government should be engaged to address a given attack.
Richard Stiennon , chief research analyst at IT-Harvest and author of Surviving Cyberwar, explains that the methods used can be identical. That means it takes a deeper investigation into the goals and motives of the attack to assign a label to it.
Mike Reagan, CMO of LogRhythm, believes that the lines are definitely getting blurred, but the distinction matters in terms of defining whether an incident is the responsibility of law enforcement or the military. "Cyberwar could be characterized as the use of cyber weapons to destroy enemy capabilities and/or populations. Cyber-crime could be defined as the use of cyber weapons/tools to execute a criminal act driven by any number of reasons."
Stiennon draws some distinctions in the definitions as well. A cybercriminal is generally motivated purely by profit. That is a different goal than cyber espionage, which seeks to access intellectual property for military or industrial strategic advantage, or cyberwar, which focuses on actually sabotaging infrastructure, disrupting critical systems, or inflicting physical damage on an enemy.
Take Away the "Cyber"
Andrew Storms, director of security operations for nCircle, suggests a fitting and helpful analogy. "Remove the prefix from 'cyber crime' and apply the same judgment used in other contexts. Does stealing some cereal from the corner market constitute a crime or an act of war against the market owner? This analogy holds true even at larger scales; does a data breach at a Fortune 500 company call for the FBI or the Marines?
Storms also draws a parallel between the naval blockade during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and a denial-of-service (DoS) attack against a nation's infrastructure. The point being that its possible to have state-sponsored hostilities or acts of aggression that don't cross the line to become an "act of war".
Stiennon points out, though, that even tracing an attack to its source may not clarify the matter. "The difficulty is that the attacker could be a lone wolf like the Comodo Hacker, a street gang like the Nashi, or an organized terrorist cell–none of which fall into a Clausewitzian definition of war."
Does It Really Matter?
At a panel discussion on cyber war at a recent media event hosted by Kaspersky, Alex Seger, head of the Economic Crime Division of the European Council, expressed his opinion that the semantics of defining cybercrime vs. cyberwar are largely irrelevant. Seger says that rather than focus on definitions we should focus on the attacks: methodologies, targets, and consequences–regardless of attribution.
This is true depending on your perspective. At the level where PCs are compromised, and sensitive data is exposed, it is somewhat irrelevant why it happened. What matters is that it did happen, and the focus should be on mitigating damage from the incident and implementing defenses to prevent it from happening again.
Unless you happen to be (or work for) a defense contractor handling top secret information, or a part of the critical infrastructure managing things like water treatment facilities, natural gas pipelines, or air traffic control, the odds are probably slim that a given cyber attack will qualify as cyberwar.
You don't really need to concern yourself with how to label the attack, though. Ultimately, it is hard to imagine any act of cyberwar that wouldn't also be a violation of existing laws. In that sense, all cyberwar is cybercrime, but not all cybercrime is cyberwar.
If your business experiences a cyber attack of any sort, it is best that you engage the appropriate authorities at your local level, and leave the cybercrime / cyberwar debate to law enforcement, government agencies, and politicians.


text:
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CPS perio are both effective and pleasant to use. Pain can be a problem, particularly when trying to clean exposed interdental areas and black holes. It is therefore vital that interdental brushes are not just effective, but also cause no pain.
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text:
1 . Click Like (right corner of this post)
2 . Click the Yellow Button REP (left corner of this post -> I approve -> Add)
3 . Reply this post for apply, Don't forget to mention me @kirill
4 . Do not PM me, I will choose you.
5 . Do not apply if you were locked on this tracker before this
6 . I will ask proofs, prepare them -> Improved Tutorial: How To Make Ratio Proof, Speedtest Proof or Seedbox Proof
7 . Give me +1 Positive Feedback after you received the invite.
How to feedback:
How To Add Feedback
Good Luck !
Winners: @Renastk


text:
Getting poster data...
Julia Schüler1, Jörg Bernhardt2, Andreas Spillner1, Katharina Riedel2 (1 Institute of Mathematics, Greifswald, Germany; 2 Institute of Microbiology, Greifswald, Germany)Since the mid 80s we perform functional genomics research for microbial model organisms. This includes protein functional clustering and metabolic pathway assignments on the basis of expression data from proteome experiments. The ever growing complexity of such data demands for new visualization techniques. Here we present MetabolicPathTreemaps as a way to enrich Voronoi treemaps, which effectively display gene functional clusters, with metabolic pathway information. We instance proteome and metabolome data derived from a proteomics study of Staphylococcus aureus strain COL under anaerobiosis.


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Does Silicon Valley have a diversity problem. That question is raging today on Twitter and Google Plus after the screening of the show Black in America 4 produced for CNN by Soledad O'Brien which will air in a couple of weeks. One of the participants in the show was Michel Arrington, who said "I don't know a single black entrepreneur". He then went on to say he thought that Silicon Valley was a meritocracy and that the best rise to the top no matter their race, sex or creed. This is when the fireworks started. Many called him out on the idea that Silicon valley is colored blind and a pure meritocracy. It is true that the customer doesn't care who is behind a piece of technology as long as it works, however the business side of Silicon Valley is a different story.
Silicon Valley is no different then the rest of society. The problem is not out-and-out racism, the problem is one of familiarity. As Hank Williams an African-American entrepreneur pointed out people tend to gravitate toward those who are like them. Investors and most mentors in Silicon Valley are white and male and they tend to naturally gravitate toward young, white male entrepreneurs. In other words the investors finds those who fit a pattern that they are looking for. It often happens without any thought or intention behind it. Often groups like NewMe Accelerator which focus on helping black tech entrepreneurs, have trouble even getting mentors or investors to take a look at them. Hank Williams said Techcrunch barely looked at NewMe Accelerator at the last tech meet up. That when they finally did the Techcrunch report was mostly about the group itself and not about the individual tech companies that were working within it.
If this discussion highlights one thing it is that if you are white and male you need to tread lightly when the conversation about diversity comes up. It doesn't mean that you shouldn't talk about it, but expect a reaction especially if you make sweeping statements like Michael Arrington did.


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Follow @nbcbayarea !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");
The 49ers rank as one of the NFL's best defenses against the run in large part because of inside linebackers Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman.
For the second straight year, both were selected All-Pro. In the middle of the Niners' 3-4 defense, Willis and Bowman are everywhere, plugging gaps, making tackles and moving laterally across the field.
During the regular season, the two linebackers were a big reason the 49ers were the NFL's fourth-best team against the run, allowing just 94.2 yards per game. In two playoff games, the 49ers have allowed just 92.5 yards rushing per game.
But when the 49ers face the Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans Feb. 3, Willis and Bowman will be going head-to-head with an opponent as tough, strong and talented as they are: Baltimore fullback Vonta Leach.
Leach, also voted first-team All-Pro just like Willis and Bowman, is a 260-pound battering ram who clears the way for standout running back Ray Rice.
The Ravens love to run the ball, and pride themselves on setting the tone for a game with their physical play. Leach is the man who can make it happen with his crushing blocks. If he can consistently block Willis and Bowman, Rice could not only have a big day on the ground, but it would set up play-action passes for Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco.
Willis and Bowman know all about Leach, having played against him last season in San Francisco's 16-6 loss in Baltimore.
"Vonta, he's an animal," Willis told USA Today. "He plays the fullback as a true fullback. We had an opportunity to go against him last year. I'll be honest, you give credit where it's due and he's a hard-nosed fullback. There's no question in my mind that there are going to be times in this game where we'll have some one-on-ones, and we've got to come through. In this kind of game, at this kind of magnitude, it's all or nothing. We'll see."
Said Bowman: "Leach is good, definitely good. … I think it's a great matchup. We'll see who the better man is."
In last season's meeting, Willis and Bowman played well and Rice ran for just 59 yards on 21 carries. But as 49ers safety Donte Whitner told USA Today, neutralizing Rice as a runner is one of the keys to a San Francisco victory, and Leach's blocking is what helps spring Rice.
"We have to take their running game away," Whitner said. "To do that, we have to be extremely physical with Leach and know where he is. Our linebackers, safeties and outside 'backers are going to have to make sure we're physical."
San Francisco defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is well aware of Leach and his importance.
"He's dominated some linebackers around the league, inside linebackers in particular," Fangio told Fox Sports. "And we'd better be ready to take him on."
So far this postseason, the 49ers linebackers have been outstanding. Not only have Willis and Bowman played well, but so have outside linebackers Ahmad Brooks and Aldon Smith. It was Brooks and Bowman who made plays late in the NFC Championship Game to stop a Falcons drive deep in San Francisco territory.
Fangio is putting his faith in his linebacking corps, a group he truly enjoys coaching.
"They like to be coached," he told Fox Sports. "They want to play good. They have pride in their performance and they're a good group."


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Lest the title be considered a rather downbeat opening, it should be noted that its purpose is simply to ground natural aroma chemicals where they belong, i.e. in organic chemistry. (All life is made with chemicals, after all.) Amongst the first organic chemicals to be purified and characterized were some of the most important natural aroma chemicals, beginning with menthol in 1771 (see T-1). The fundamental difference between now and then, of course, is that in the early days of organic chemistry it was believed that life was essential to the creation of complex molecules, the so-called "vital force" or "vitalism." We understand now that the reverse is true, i.e. it's the complexity of organic chemistry that is the mechanism of life. The 19th and 20th centuries saw the development of chemistry to the level that most organic molecules can now be made in vitro; despite this, recent years have seen continually growing interest in natural materials.
Naturals in the 21st Century
The rising demand for natural aroma chemicals has been driven by several factors, all pushing in the same direction. The largest factor is simply the marketing value of the term "natural," evoking—theoretically—a simple, rustic past that most of the developed world has moved away from. To the general public, this natural concept is synonymous with health benefits and the whole green/sustainability package. Above all, it means there are no "chemicals" involved! This expectation, as we stated earlier, is unrealistic.


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Llyfr gweddi gyffredin
Printed at the Clarendon Press, by Samuel Collingwood ... for the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1823 - Book of Common Prayer - 32 pages
Selected pages
Common terms and phrases
a'th aeth allan Amen Answer Atteb beseech bobl Colect children Christ our Lord Church death dragywydd drugaredd ddaear ddywedodd ddywedyd earth Efengyl eithr enaid enemies evil faith Father fear ffydd give glory glwydd good Gospel grace great Grist ein Harglwydd gwneuthur gyd� hand hath have hear heart heaven herwydd holy Holy Ghost i'th iachawdwriaeth Iesu Grist Israel Jesus Christ keep King know life love made make megis mercy Name nefoedd nerth oblegid oddiwrth people pethau praise PRAYER Priest Psal right rhag saith same saying servant shall sins soul Spirit take time thanks thee their they things thine thou hast unto thee upon Weddi wele will word works world ydym ymaith Yspryd Gl�n yw'r
Popular passages
Page 4 - Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
Page 1 - Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value ; and gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me.
Page 19 - Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.
Page C-2 - And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
Page C-4 - When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew ;) the governor of the feast...
Page C-3 - And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down and worshipped him : and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
Page 5 - For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently ? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
Page 5 - Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye ? thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye.


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Launch Logistics: Speedy Rocket, Slow Electronics
Weird things jump out at me in press releases.
Take the press kit NASA prepared for the GRAIL mission. GRAIL consists of two nearly identical spacecraft that are on their way to the moon. Once there, they will make a precise map of the moon's gravitational field. Such a map will help scientists refine their theories about how the moon formed and what the interior is made of.
So I'm reading through the GRAIL press kit, learning about the size of the spacecraft (washing machine-sized), how long it will take to make the map (approximately three months), and where the mission control room is (at a Lockheed Martin facility just outside of Denver).
There's something oddly pleasing about a brand-new space mission launching with some rather old electronics.
I also learn that GRAIL can launch any day between Sept. 9 and Oct. 19. And then I get to this sentence:
"On each day, there are two separate, instantaneous launch opportunities separated in time by approximately 39 minutes."
That's weird. Now, I wasn't surprised that this mission had an extremely precise launch opportunity — "instantaneous" means the launch window is essentially a second long. I know you have to wait until the moon's orbit around the Earth, and Earth's orbit around the sun, and the Earth's rotation around its axis are all in exactly the right position before you can launch your rocket.
But what's up with two instantaneous launch opportunities. Why 39 minutes apart?
I called the NASA press office. They were stumped and promised they'd find someone who could give me the answer. In the meantime, I called several universities with large aerospace programs, and asked if anyone there had the answer.
Nope. Nada. Nothing.
So now this is beginning to bug me. I'm also beginning to worry. If an aerospace engineer can't figure this out, how am I ever going to understand it?
While I'm pondering this, GRAIL deputy project manager Tom Hoffman called. I asked him about the two instantaneous launch opportunities.
"It's a pretty simple answer not driven by the mission at all," Hoffman told me. "It's driven by the launch vehicle."
The launch vehicle? Not orbital mechanics or a complex trajectory? The problem, Hoffman said, is some slow electronics.
There is actually a launch window of 40 minutes or so each day. Modern computers in modern rockets can calculate the precise direction the rocket needs to launch on a second-by-second basis. But GRAIL was launching on a Delta II rocket, and Hoffman told me the Delta II rocket is a rather old design. It's been around for more than 20 years, "and so the rocket just can't, it can't do that internally, in its own computer system. It basically has to be fed all the information," he said.
Hoffman said it takes about 39 minutes to load in the new information, and then check to make sure that it was loaded correctly.
Not the answer I was expecting, but there's something oddly pleasing about a brand-new space mission launching with some rather old electronics.
Whatever works ... as the saying goes.
Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Wheat English Muffins
Who would have thought English Muffins would be so easy to make!
You have to try them ... yum.
Wheat English Muffins - Adapted from the Happy Housewife
1 C water (warm)
1/2 C milk (warm)
1 C wheat flour
2 C white wheat flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. honey
2 T butter, melted
2 tsp. yeast
In a large bowl, mix together water, milk, honey and salt.
Then, add in 2 C of flour and yeast.
Mix well until a wet dough is formed.
Cover dough and place in a warm place to rise. I "cheated" ... I microwaved a glass of water and then stuck my dough in the covered bowl in the microwave with the warmed water. The steam from the water created a nice environment for my dough to rise... and was all ready to rock in about 20 minutes!
When dough has doubled, add in the butter and remaining flour.
Then, roll the dough out on a lightly cornmealed surface to 1/2 inch thickness. You may need to lightly "knead" the dough with extra flour to decrease the stickiness of the dough before rolling -- but try not to knead too much!
Using a circular cookie cutter (or the rim of a large drinking glass), cut out muffins.
Cover, and allow these to rise for about 20-30 minutes, until roughly doubled. Mine didn't rise too much -- but that was fine.
Then, using butter (which I never do) grease your griddle. Trust me on this one -- you'll want the butter.
Preheat the griddle to 350.
Add the muffins and cook on each side for about 10-15 minutes, checking for a nice browning to occur.
The English muffins will continue to rise while they are being cooked!
Check for doneness -- and, then lightly toast the muffin you happened to slice in half to check for doneness.
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21 comments:
Oh, I love english muffins. Will have to try this one!ReplyDelete
Yum yum yum! I have been wanting and NEEDING to make english muffins for so long. At a garage sale this past summer I even bought little english muffin rounds that form the muffins for you (at a quarter I couldn't pass it up!) Thanks for the easy recipe!ReplyDelete
I used to make these English muffins all the time in an electric skillet. I found covering them during cooking/baking made them puffier. I also used a tuna can to cut them out.ReplyDelete
I continue to enjoy your recipes. I made your brownies the other day and wondered what you meant about adding choc, chips "to taste." How can you taste them before they are baked? Anyway, I threw in 2/3 of a bag, wondering if it would be too much, and it was a bit rich, but basically very good. I took them to work today and everyone was tickled to hear how healthy they really are. I have a similar recipe I've made for years that is a 9x 13 chocolate cake made with applesauce and cinnamon. No icing needed. You would enjoy it.
Wow, this looks much easier than a recipe I tried before. Those muffins were flops. I may give it a try again with your recipe. Thanks for sharing!ReplyDelete
Those look great! I would have never thought that they were made on a griddle! Cool :)ReplyDelete
I love making english muffins, Nothing like the store-bought. Yours looks wonderful :)ReplyDelete
They sure are easy, aren't they? I haven't made english muffins in a while though. I have had trouble finding a cutter that is the appropriate size. I found that with the tops of my cups, they are too small. I think I need to invest in a large round biscuit cutter.ReplyDelete
Okay, I am going to have to try this...those look so good and they are expensive to buy!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJanuary 26, 2010 at 1:39 PM
I love your blog! I've made so many of your recipes.ReplyDelete
Question - do you cook the English muffins on the griddle on the stove top, or do you put the griddle in the oven at 350?
- AnonymousJanuary 26, 2010 at 1:44 PM
Hi! I just found out that my comment actually got to you by entering as "anonymous". My name is Pam, and I love reading your blog, but have had trouble leaving comments on your site.ReplyDelete
Thanks for taking the time to share your recipes with us!!!
Thank you for posting this! I always love to read (and try) a good bread recipe!ReplyDelete
this post gives me great joy... love these, and just starting to bake bread!ReplyDelete
Hey Kelz... I read your blog frequently but dont always have time to comment! Question: do you think I can substitute normal white flour for the wheat flours? I'm not sure that I can find wheat flour here, but it would be AMAZING to make english muffins!! Miss you!ReplyDelete
Lana (not Can) :)
@ Pam --ReplyDelete
You just use your griddle to cook these English muffins. If you have an electric griddle with a temperature control, set it to 350. If you use a stove-top griddle, then use it over the flame as your instructions recommend. But, do not bake them... I've learned that English muffins don't quite turn out that way.
i have been looking for an english muffin recipe! i miss them! thanks so much can't wait to try them!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJanuary 28, 2010 at 1:57 PM
Thanks for the clarification about using the griddle. I can't wait to make these!ReplyDelete
Yummy! We are snowed in this weekend, and I think making english muffins with my kids will be lots of fun! Thanks for all the fantastic recipes :)ReplyDelete
First attempt was not a success. They turned out more like bisquits than english muffing. I will attempt again. :(ReplyDelete
I would love to try this recipe....but I don't have a griddle OR an electric skillet. I'm so bummed!ReplyDelete
I made these today and they turned out great! I used an electric skillet because I don't have a griddle and putting the lid on like someone commented does make the poof more. Yum! Thanks!ReplyDelete
I just tried this recipe but 350 was way to high on my electric skillet. They were burning in just a few minutes. It is a new skillet...just wondering if anyone else had this problem.ReplyDelete
Thanks for stopping by! I'd love to hear from you; especially how you're finding JOY in your kitchen.


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Milford Elmer Carter Jr. recently celebrated his 95th birthday. Born in Wilson in 1923 to Wayne County natives Milford E. and Beulah Aldridge Carter, he and his family boarded briefly in Cora Miller Washington's home at 701 East Green Street, around the corner from the Elba Street home of Milford Carter Sr's uncle, Jesse A. Jacobs Jr. and, per the 1922 city directory, lived at 905 East Vance Street. The family soon migrated to Pennsylvania, then New York City. M. Elmer Carter Jr. is a veteran of World War II.
Photos courtesy of Carla Carter Jacobs.


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Karimunjawa is and island chain stretching in a northwesterly direction 83 km from Jepara. Central Java. This archipelago is a cluster of 27 islands in the java sea. Only seven of the islands are inhabited. The reefs are a mixture of fringing, barrier, and patch with bottom depths ranging from 15 to 40 meters. The name of Karimunjawa is taken from Javanese language 'Kremun kremun saking tanah Jawi' addressed by one of Wali Songo (the Nine Saints who had introduced Islam in Java) to describe how far this mini archipelago from Java, to be exact from Semarang and Jepara. Stands from 27 islands, this mini archipelago became marine national park and it's like a treasure for those who love marine life. Here can be found protected coral reefs (very colorful plateaus and plains in deep and shallow waters), secluded and tranquil white beaches, pelican and hornbill, sea grass and kinds of sea creatures, from crabs, anchovy, starfish, sharks, stingray, jellyfish, red snappers, etc.
The Marine National Park Karimun Jawa is 110,000 ha and lies 90 km north east of Jepara in Central Java. We will find mangrove forest and beach forest. The park is named after the largest island Karimun Jawa. The vegetation consists mainly of mangrove and beach forest, although there is some lowland rain forest on Karimun Jawa. Most of the islands are surrounded by sandy beaches and fringing coral reefs. Fresh water is confined to a few small wells and forest streams on Karimun Jawa. A number of endemic animals live on the island while on the beaches sea turtles lay their eggs. The average tidal range is 92 cm.
The archipelagic Karimunjawa, thought not as known the Marine reserves near Ambon and Manado, has unexpectedly good beaches, reefs and lovely sea scopes. Corals seem to blossom in to gardens, with an Amazing variety of form and color fishers and marine plants. It lies 90 km away from Jepara and can reached by "KM. Adison I & KM Kota Ukir" boat, the only ferryboat connecting Karimunjawa and Jepara. The resort offers stunning dives and snorkeling trips for all sorts of divers from novice to experience. Fringing reefs, atolls, wrecks and an excellent variety of different species make diving in Karimunjawa an unforgettable adventure.


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007 James Bond Blue Swim Trunks4:41 PM
Just like the other euro swim trunks, they have a snug fit and cool vintage vibe.
The "Daniel Craig"
version has the modern black side stripes
only 2 pair are available in size 5T
11 comments
How adorable is little Bond's band-aid? From some exciting adventure no doubt!ReplyDelete
Ok, the bandaid is my favorite accessory. Rhett looks adorable.ReplyDelete
The band-aid is covering his stitches, last week he flew off our bed and popped it open. It's almost healed but he didn't want to take the band-aid off for the photos.ReplyDelete
What adorable boys, and what adorable trunks! I can't wait to make a pair for my little guy. I'd love to know where you get swim fabric--I've had a terrible time finding anything plain.ReplyDelete
JMH: My favorite for solids is fanshionfabricsclub.comReplyDelete
Most definitely prefer Daniel Craig..... and hilarious that his trunks are the same blue as 60s Bond! Haha. I love how these turned out, so cute. Makes me wish I had a boy to sew for!ReplyDelete
Holy cuteness. LOVE. If only I had a boy.ReplyDelete
Love your post. Great job as always:)ReplyDelete
These are fabulous! My little boy is too much to big I realise - I may have to create something for him myself :)ReplyDelete
Oh, that Daniel Craig - there's some fantastic inspiration right there :)
- AnonymousApril 11, 2012 at 4:40 PM
What a cute way to advertise these. You have such a way with words and your little model is adorable!ReplyDelete
Those are FANTASTIC!! Best thing I've seen all day.ReplyDelete


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Road Trip: Cornwall, England
A hybrid of historical attractions and natural beauty, this is England at its most unique.
With its whitewashed seaside villages and greener-than-green countryside dotted with Celtic ruins, the Cornish peninsula is a hybrid of historical attractions and natural beauty. From its subtropical gardens to its steep cliffs that cascade into the Atlantic, Cornwall has an island feel, and is, in fact, almost an island, nearly separated from the rest of Britain by the Tamar River.
While some of Cornwall's highways are two-laned (usually labeled "A" or "B") be prepared for narrow roads for most of the route. "If you run across an oncoming car, get used to backing up and making room on the road," says Traveler contributing editor Jim Richardson, who traces his family roots to Cornwall. "It's all part of Cornwall's charm." And when you tire of driving, park your car for a while and explore the tiniest of hamlets and coves by walking along the 630-mile (1,013-kilometer) South West Coastal Path, the longest footpath in Britain.
Begin in Penzance
Start your tour in Penzance with a visit to the ninth-century Penzance Cross, one of Cornwall's most famous Celtic crosses, located outside the Penlee House Gallery and Museum (Morrab Road, Penzance; (0)1736 363625; www.penleehouse.org.uk/)
St. Michael's Mount
From Penzance, drive some three miles (five kilometers) east to St. Michael's Mount, which, through history, has been a tin-trading post, pilgrimage site, and military fortress. Climb to the top of the island's castle and envision approaching ships of the Spanish Armada. To your east is the Lizard Peninsula, blessed with beaches and some of the best pasties in Cornwall. To your west is Penwith Peninsula, dotted with Neolithic sites, and Mounts Bay. At low tide, you can walk right out to St. Michael's Mount via a causeway; when the water is up, opt for a short ferry ride from Marazion.
From St. Michael's Mount, a 10-mile (16-kilometer) jaunt along route A394 leads to the market town of Helston. Stop in at The Blue Anchor Inn (50 Coinagehall Street; (0)1326 562821; www.spingoales.com), housed in a thatch-roofed 15th-century rest house for monks. Sample the ancient local brew of Spingo. For a more tame Helston experience, visit the Helston Folk Museum (Market Place; (0)1326 564027; http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/Default.aspx?page=18157), formerly the town's market house, featuring regional archaeological gems and a timber cider press. Helston is the geographic gateway to the Lizard Peninsula, with its small sandy coves and picturesque villages.
The Lizard Peninsula
Make your first stop in the Lizard at The Lizard Pasty Shop—located in Beacon Terrace, near the Lizard's southern tip (The Lizard; (0)1326 290889; www.connexions.co.uk/lizardpasty/). Hike or drive less than two miles (3.2 kilometers) to Kynance Cove (follow road A3083), a glorious nook with island-speckled waters and numerous caves.
Make your way across southern Lizard—all four miles (six kilometers) of it—to Cadgwith, a fishing village of whitewashed thatched huts and pubs filled with men singing sea shanties. Make time to meander the South West Coastal Path and discover your own favorite Lizard coves and Iron Age villages. Rest for the night at Trengilly Wartha Inn (Nancenoy, Constantine; (0)1326 340332; www.trengilly.co.uk/; doubles starting at £80), with its 6 acres (2.4 hectares) of gardens, meadows, and idyllic lake. Its Cornish name translates to "settlement above the trees." Dine at the inn's bistro, featuring all local meats and game, shellfish from nearby waters, and a Cornish cheeseboard.
Just 8 miles (13 kilometers) north, Falmouth boasts an array of attractions. Visit the National Maritime Museum (Discovery Quay; (0)1326 313388; www.nmmc.co.uk/; £7.95) for a lesson on Cornwall's maritime heritage, with displays of boats of all size, archives, and pieces of art. Head back outdoors for a stroll through Trebah Garden (Mawnan Smith; (0)1326 250448; www.trebahgarden.co.uk; £7), a 26-acre (11-hectare) subtropical ravine, listed as one of the top 80 gardens in the world.
St. Austell
St. Austell, 25 miles (40 kilometers) northeast of Falmouth, is the most populous city in Cornwall and home to one big-time attraction: the global garden of the Eden Project (just off road A30 at Bodelva; (0)1726 811911; www.edenproject.com; £15). The expansive property features a greenhouse complex the size of over 30 football fields. Educational programs explore the complexities of managing food supplies and waste, and research projects focus on relying more heavily on locally grown crops.
Widely considered the most picturesque fishing village in Cornwall, little Polperro (25 miles/40 kilometers east of St. Austell) is a feast for the eyes. Experience a different kind of horsepower with a horse-drawn "bus" from the main car park to the village center, and ride through the narrow alleys. Try out the Crumplehorn Inn and Mill (across from main car park; (0)1503 272348; www.crumplehorn-inn.co.uk) for a typical pub lunch of steak, mushroom, and ale pie; beer-battered cod and chips; or the catch of the day, among other favorites. Walk off your lunch on a classic coastal walk from Polperro to Lansallos (fewer than three miles/five kilometers away), exploring the cliff's edges by foot.
From Polperro, head some 17 miles (27 kilometers) northwest to Bodmin. Tour the town's former jail, a 1779 structure built for King George III. The famous Domesday Book, an 11th-century survey of England, and the Crown Jewels were actually lodged in the prison's walls during World War I. The jail also offers monthly Paranormal Ghost Walks, which include a night in the haunted dwelling and a traditional breakfast the next morning (Berrycoombe Road; (0)1208 76292; www.bodminjail.org; £5.50 for jail; £70 for overnight ghostly stay). The Bodmin Moor, a unique landscape, also features several attractions made famous by novelist Daphne du Maurier. The 18th-century Jamaica Inn (the same name as du Maurier's 1936 smugglers tale) now houses a museum commemorating the author (Bolventor, Launceston; (01)1566 86250; www.jamaicainn.co.uk/Smugglers_museum.htm; fee).
Perranporth and St. Agnes
Head southwest for about 24 miles (38 kilometers) on roads A30 and B3285 to the North Coast. The region around Perranporth and St. Agnes is surfing heaven. Try the waves out for yourself at the St. Agnes Breakers Surf School (Trevaunance Cove; (0)1872 553687; surf-lessons.co.uk/), which offers two-hour lessons for £20.
A southward shot on roads B3277 and A30 from St. Agnes takes you through former tin and granite mining towns, ancient villages, and exquisite beaches. Visit Chysauster (Off road B3311; (0)1831 757934; www.cornwall-online.co.uk/english-heritage/chysauster.htm; £2.50), a 2,000-year-old late Iron Age settlement, with stonewalled homesteads, a house-lined village street, and remains of an underground passage (called fogou).
St. Ives
Continue driving along roads A30 and A3074 to St. Ives, a multiple winner of the Britain in Bloom contest and a famed artist colony. Visit the contemporary Tate St. Ives (Porthmeor Beach; (0)1736 796226; www.tate.org.uk/stives; £5.75), a branch of the more famous Tate Gallery in London. Gaze out from St. Ives's harbor at Godrevy Lighthouse, made famous by novelist Virginia Woolf.
- Nat Geo Expeditions
Penwith Peninsula
Below St. Ives, the Penwith Peninsula is speckled with some 400 Celtic sites. Just five miles (eight kilometers) southwest of St. Ives is Zennor, a good base for exploring two fortified cliffside castles in the region, Gurnards Head and Bosigran Castle. Enjoy the scenery by walking from Gurnards Head (park at Gurnard's Head Hotel—also a nice option for staying the night, with a friendly pub and rooms from £80 including a breakfast) to Bosigran, 90 minutes by foot (Gurnards Head Hotel, Near Zennor; (0)1736 796928; www.gurnardshead.co.uk).
Land's End
Southwest of Zennor is Land's End, the most westerly point of mainland England. One of Cornwall's most popular outdoor attractions, Land's End is chock full of museums and gift shops, but the natural beauty here wins out.
Merry Maidens Circle
Before heading back to Penzance, be sure to stop at Merry Maidens Circle, along the B3315 road that runs from Land's End. The best preserved late Neolithic site in the U.K., Merry Maidens Circle consists of 19 granite stones that form a perfect circle nearly 78 feet (23 meters) in diameter.
Road Kit
Late spring or summer is the best time to tour Cornwall, as the region's gardens are in full bloom. For general information on Cornwall, see www.visitcornwall.com. The area codes for Cornwall vary; the country code is 44. Omit the first "zero" when calling from outside the U.K. The attractions listed below reflect a counterclockwise loop beginning in the town of Penzance, accessible by train via London Paddington; see Great Western Railway for a timetable and route information.
—Text by Ashley Thompson, adapted from National Geographic Traveler


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Infor is being sued by a Puerto Rican tax authority on grounds that its failure to maintain software used by the organization racked up $9 million in costs.
The Municipal Revenue Collection Center first acquired a limited license in 2006 for Infor's Hansen software, according to the lawsuit filed this week in U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. Hansen, which Infor purchased in 2007, provides asset management and billing capabilities for public sector agencies.
The tax authority initially hired a Hansen partner, Rock Solid Technologies, to install the system, but later decided to switch to Infor, according to the suit. This resulted in three support and services contracts between the authority and Infor, which were signed in early 2010 and had a total value of about $1.1 million.
"The services provided by Infor have been very deficient and negligent since the beginning of Infor's contractual relationship with [the authority]," the suit states. Infor allegedly caused "serious communication, assistance and cooperation problems," it adds.
Ultimately, the authority came to believe that the staffers who originally installed the software no longer worked for Infor, as the technicians assigned to its project had a "clear lack of knowledge" about how it worked, according to the suit.
Infor has been "absolutely incapable of resolving serious problems" in the Hansen system, which involve data integrity, management of overpayments and other issues, according to the suit.
On 33 occasions, Infor "failed to provide satisfactory answers to serious problems," according to the suit.
This has forced the authority's own staffers to create patches and workarounds to keep the system running, a task that "becomes very complicated and sometimes impossible" because the authority can't get access to the source code, it adds.
The authority's suit claims Infor is in breach of contract, and asks that the original agreements be nullified and the money returned. It also demands $9 million in damages to make up for "overtime paid and compensatory time granted to [authority] employees dedicated to technical support tasks and provisional remedies related to the malfunctioning of the Hansen tax system."
In addition, it is asking the court to order Infor to provide access to the source code, so the authority's teams "can develop a solution to the multiple problems it faces in its daily use and management of the system."
An Infor spokeswoman didn't respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. As of Tuesday, Infor had not filed a response to the suit in court.
While it is "certainly plausible" that key personnel left Hansen after Infor acquired it, it is equally possible that the authority's demands to Infor were unreasonable, and it's impossible to judge the situation without Infor's side of the story, said analyst Michael Krigsman, CEO of consulting firm Asuret.
"However, this case bears striking similarity to others in which a services provider or software vendor becomes stretched too thin due to lack of qualified resources," he added. Often during the buying process, customers focus too much on software features, and not enough on the services they'll need to install it, Krigsman said.
Private-equity-backed Infor is one of the software industry's largest ERP (enterprise resource planning) vendors after SAP and Oracle, with close to $3 billion in annual revenue. It achieved that growth in part due to a long string of acquisitions, from smaller ones like Hansen to 2011's roughly $2 billion purchase of Lawson Software.
Infor's growth pattern has earned it a reputation of being more of a holding company than a traditional software vendor with a focused product agenda, but that image has started to wane under the leadership of former Oracle president Charles Phillips, who became CEO in October 2010.
While Infor has continued making acquisitions, it has also hired hundreds of developers and launched a next-generation set of applications and middleware.
Chris Kanaracus covers enterprise software and general technology breaking news for The IDG News Service. Chris' email address is firstname.lastname@example.com


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Continuation of the study of American Sign Language, focusing on conversational skills using topics which naturally occur within the deaf community. Students connect with members of the deaf community through outside interaction.
ASL 201 - Intermediate American Sign Language I
Credit Hours: 3
ASL 102 with a grade of "C" or better


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To re-visit an explanation of a raduno (rally): each club in the Province of Verona sponsors a "raduno", always held on Sunday mornings. This is unlike any event in the USA. Approximately 500-600 cyclists come to each one and goes off as a group led by a pace car, police cars and motorcycles to close off the roads as the peleton passes. The route is normally about 30 miles in length with the first half being ridden at a leisurely pace and the 2nd half at about 15=18mph (depending on the hosting club which always rides at the front). Afterwards there is food and wine, and prizes are handed out. The prizes are awarded based on the number of participants from each club, plus there are points awarded based on the distance a club has to travel to the event. What's nice is that every club receives a prize. Prizes include trophies, formaggio, salumi, wine, etc. For me it's a low key, fun, activity but at the club level it tends to be more serious as at the end of the season there is a totaling of all the points accumulated by each club and there is an awards dinner and the 1st place, 2nd, etc., are announced as Verona Province champions.
Roberto, 2nd from left, is our club Treasurer and he is typically at every raduno collecting the entry fee of 3 Euro (it was 2.50 last year) from each of our club members. He's also responsible for signing off on the document that verifies the names of our club's participants.
The lead car for this event was this old Fiat, note the roof mounted speakers. One of the things I enjoy about this event is passing through small towns and hearing the announcer in the car calling out "Corridore in arrivo!!!"
There was at least one other rider that also believes this is a low key event.
The prize table.
Daniela accepts the 6th place prize for Gruppo 1 which had 30 riders present.
Mr. Pavan, in the yellow & black jersey, accepts the prize for oldest rider. He's a legend in Verona. Now 86, he rode 20,000 Km last year.
Next Sunday I will be at the other end of the spectrum, racing in my first granfondo of the season. Nothing low key about it. Stay tuned.