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PITTSBURGH -- While injured Pittsburgh Steelers starter Ben Roethlisberger watched from the sideline, Baltimore pounded backup quarterback Byron Leftwich during a 13-10 victory on Sunday night that put the Ravens in complete control of the AFC North.
"We took the mentality as a team that we're going into a fistfight," Baltimore safety James Ihedigbo said.
And the Ravens have no trouble brawling. On a night the offense could get little going against the NFL's No. 1 defense, Jacoby Jones returned a punt for a touchdown and Justin Tucker kicked two field goals to help the Ravens win their 12th straight game in the division.
Three of those victories have come at Heinz Field, one of the most difficult places to play in the NFL. Still, Baltimore coach John Harbaugh wasn't exactly in the mood to declare the division race over.
"It's like halftime," Harbaugh said. "It's like we won the first half and the second half is coming up."
Leftwich, making his first start in more than three years, completed 18 of 39 passes for 201 yards and an interception. He spent much of the second half slowly picking himself up off the grass and was checked for a rib injury after taking a nasty shot from Ihedbigo late in the fourth quarter.
Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin sent the 32-year-old veteran out for one last-gasp drive, but it ended in chaos as the Steelers' four-game winning streak came to an ugly end. Pittsburgh is 0-5 against the Ravens since 2005 when Roethlisberger doesn't play.
"We didn't find a significant play, particularly in the waning moments and in any of the three phrases to be the difference," Tomlin said. "We accept responsibility for our performance, but we also tip our hat to those guys. They did enough to win the football game."
Even if the Ravens didn't do it with offense. Joe Flacco wasn't much better than Leftwich, completing 20 of 32 passes for 164 yards. Running back Ray Rice managed just 40 yards on 20 carries, forcing the Ravens to rely on an old standby make the difference.
Typically, that's not a problem. But this is not a typical year in Baltimore. The defense came in ranked 27th in the league in yards allowed and is missing spiritual leader Ray Lewis, who is on the injured reserve-return list with a triceps injury.
The emotional linebacker made the trip anyway, giving his teammates a lift in the locker room. It translated onto the field on a night the Steelers converted 5 of 17 third downs and turned it over three times.
"We haven't been playing the best the past couple weeks, or the whole season, some people say," said Baltimore cornerback Corey Graham, who intercepted Leftwich in the third quarter. "We've just got to find a way to get wins and that's what we were able to do today."
The Steelers hosted a number of franchise greats, including Hall-of-Famers Lynn Swann, John Stallworth and Joe Greene.
Their presence was appreciated, though it did little to make up for the absence of safety Troy Polamalu -- out again with a right calf injury -- or Roethlisberger, the franchise's current standard bearer.
"We just couldn't get our rhythm," Leftwich said.
Roethlisberger offered to do everything he could to help Leftwich win his first game as a starter in more than six years and insisted all week the offense wouldn't change.
For a fleeting moment, Roethlisberger appeared to be right. Leftwich went deep on the game's first snap trying to hit Mike Wallace, drawing a pass interference penalty on Baltimore's Cary Williams. Two plays later Leftwich -- who joked all week about his lack of speed -- bought time in the pocket, rolled to his right and made for the sideline.
Rather than slide or duck out of bounds, the 250-pound Leftwich got a block and raced -- in a manner of speaking -- 31 yards for a touchdown to give the Steelers a 7-0 lead. Roethlisberger lifted his good arm in the air in celebration after the longest run of Leftwich's career, and the play seemed to give Pittsburgh a sense of confidence.
If that didn't, Jones did. The explosive return man drifted under a Drew Butler punt late in the first half, sprinted up the field, cut to the right and zipped untouched to the end zone for his third return touchdown of the season to give Baltimore a 10-7 lead.
"They were trying to set up the outside wall, but I saw nothing but open field to the right so I thought, 'Why not go this way?'" Jones said.
Baltimore moved in front 13-7 in the third quarter on Tucker's second field goal, more than enough to help the Ravens take a major step toward their second straight division title.
"They talked about how it was going to be a physical game, how it was going to come down to the end and it lived up to it," Graham said. "It was definitely a great experience. I look forward to it in a couple weeks."
NOTES: Baltimore TE Dennis Pitta left the game with a concussion in the first quarter and did not return ... Pittsburgh RB Isaac Redman also left with a concussion and did not return ... Pittsburgh RB Rashard Mendenhall had 33 yards in his first game in a month.
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press


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Friday Fish Fry, Outdoor Dining,
Friday Fish Fry, Open For Lunch, Reservations Taken, Sunday Brunch,
A frequent meeting place for physicians at nearby Froedtert Medical Center, Eddie??s is the place for that Prime Kobe tomahawk rib-eye you??ve always wanted to try. A solid choice for a filet, NY strip or (switching to the fresh catches) ahi tuna and sea scallops.
Open for Breakfast, Open For Lunch, Outdoor Dining,
Caterina's Ristorante has been serving family-made Italian recipes since 1982. The dining experience begins with a complimentary antipasto appetizer and then it's up to you to choose a delicious entree. Options range from pasta to seafood to veal and steak and lots in between.
Friday Fish Fry, Late Night Dining, Outdoor Dining, Reservations Taken,
Belgian beers are No. 1-voted Café Hollander's claim to fame, but the restaurant's brew menu is 15 pages long, and is organized by beer style.
Other Locations: Café Hollander – Downer Ave
Mentioned in:
Visually, this place is relatively unchanged since opening in 1993. The old family photos and unpretentious, tight-fitting dining room make diners feel at home. It's also helped that head chef Juan Urbieta has helmed this ship for so long. He keeps folks coming back for the fried calamari, brick-style chicken and hand-cut pappardelle with duck ragu.
Related Stories: 8 Chefs Converged on Downtown Kitchen. Deliciousness Ensued.
Café Bavaria isn't doing the Teutonic food of old German grandmas. Bavaria is also the home of "Deceit Free Food." A page of the menu is devoted to naming the sources of their meats and seafood, cheese and produce. The café is open for brunch, too. Also, it carries an extensive selection of tap beer.
Related stories:
A bustling bistro in a restored 100-year-old bank building. Breakfast is simple counter-service fare like quiche and croissant sandwiches. Solve your lunch dilemma with a croque-madame. Come dinner, hit up the bouillabaisse, grilled lamb or steak au poivre. Finish with pastries ?? lots of them (lemon tart, Paris-brest, chocolate raspberry dome, et al).
Open for lunch and dinner

subset: commoncrawl


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Super Bowl Sunday is coming up fast. You have the food and drinks ready for the Super Bowl party and your favorite team's paraphernalia ironed and starched. But you've forgotten that there may be a cute girl or guy at the party you might want to impress. You can't go to the tailgating party in your puffy coats and mittens and pull a hot girl. What you need is the right cigar to show your cool.
Try Winning The NFL Bracket Challenge!
Stand Out At Your Super Bowl Party With Fantabulous Food!
Michael Herklots, executive director of retail and brand development for Nat Sherman, talked with NewsOne.com about how to tailgate in style and choose the right cigar. Nat Sherman, Inc. has been a New York tobacco institution since 1930, working with manufacturers throughout the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Honduras.
Everyone in the Giants organization smokes Nat Sherman cigars. Announcer Bob Papa, the official Giants announcer, can be heard every time the Giants score, saying, "Give that man a Nat Sherman cigar!"
"You don't have to look like an idiot to tailgate," Herklots says. "You can be a little fashion forward hanging out by the grill. Cigars add to your style either for pre-game or post-game celebration, or you can smoke for mourning a loss."
You shouldn't be lighting up a big Churchill or a big Double Corona in the winter. In the cold, you're less able to pick up some of the nuances of milder cigars, so you need something with a little fuller flavor, says Herklots. Tailgating in colder weather takes a particular style, so from a cigar perspective, smaller formats are key.
Here are a few cigars Herklots recommends:
1) The Nat Sherman Host Hobart
A robusto format (a shorter, fatter shaped cigar). It's Honduran, medium-bodied, and there's a sweetness on the cap right when it touches your lips. It's an easy-to-taste cigar, so you're not fighting for nuances when you're in the cold. It's really smooth and creamy.
Cost: $5. CBuy at NatSherman.com or at local retail tobacco stores.
2) A Metropolitan Maduro Union
A robust format—made in the Dominican Republic. Because of the maduro wrapper it adds a little bit more body and fuller flavor, but it also has a sweetness, but in this case the sweetness is natural because of the fermentation process this wrapper goes through.
Cost: $5
3) The Nat's Point Five
It's like a half a cigar. It's a little petite Corona and they come packed in five packs. They come in a natural wrapper and a maduro wrapper. But the maduro wrapper is going to be fuller, so it will stand up better to the cold. They're great if you feel like a little quick something. They come in five packs so you can share with your friends at the tailgate.
Cost: $14 per pack
Lighting the cigars when tailgating is a challenge. We don't recommend putting your face in the grill to light the cigar.
Here are some stylish lighters:
1) S.T. Dupont—have a lighter called the Maxi Jet—it's a single flamed torch lighter, single action to ignite. If you want to balance functionality and style Maxi Jet is the best.
Cost: $200 each
2) Xikar, Colibri, and Lotus companies make less expensive torch lighters-$25-$100.
Make sure you bring an extra can of butane gas for your lighter and a travel humidor, so they hold up in cold weather.
Try These Specialty Drinks For Your Super Bowl Party
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'African-American Muhammad': Did Marjorie Taylor Greene Make Up A Fake Black Trump Supporter?
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text: Email Story Print Story Gene Associated with Reduced Mortality from Acute Lung Injury JANUARY 29, 2009 DENVER — Researchers at National Jewish Health and the University of Colorado Denver have discovered a gene that is associated with improved survival among patients with acute lung injury. Acute lung injury (ALI) is often caused by a respiratory infection and results in low oxygen levels in the blood, and fluid in the lungs. It is one of the most vexing problems for intensive care units, afflicting almost 200,000 people in the United States each year, and killing 40 percent of them. "This discovery could benefit patients in two ways," said James Crapo. MD, senior author and Professor of Medicine at National Jewish Health. "By learning how this specific gene can alter the course of acute lung injury, we can gain insight into the biology of the disease, which could lead to better therapies. It also could become a tool in personalized medicine; by screening for this protective genotype and ones that make a person more susceptible to ALI, we can potentially tailor our treatment individual patients with respiratory infections and ALI to minimize the potential harm." The researchers looked at the gene for extracellular superoxide dismutase (EC-SOD), a powerful antioxidant that has been associated with reduced lung injury in animal models, and better patient outcomes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. After sequencing the EC-SOD gene in 52 randomly selected people, they discovered 28 different places within the gene and its promoter that showed variations. Many of the variations, known as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) occurred together. The researchers then looked at the various forms of the EC-SOD gene in two groups of patients with infection-associated ALI. They found that patients with a specific combination of four SNPs, had an 75 percent reduced risk of being on a ventilator as all other ALI patients, and an 85 percent reduced risk of dying. "This specific set of SNPs, which we call the GCCT haplotype, appears to reduce inflammation in the lung, thereby decreasing the severity of lung injury and ultimately protecting patients from mortality associated with ALI," said John J. Arcaroli, PhD, first author and a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Colorado at Denver. "Although We are not yet sure how these particular SNPs alter the action of the EC-SOD, these findings gives us a good starting point to learn more about possible protective mechanisms in ALI and other lung diseases." The researchers reported their findings in the January 15, 2009, issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Media Resources We have many faculty members, from bench scientists to clinicians, who can speak on almost any aspect of respiratory, immune, cardiac and gastrointestinal disease as well as lung cancer and basic immunology. Accomplishments & Awards Annual Report Financials Media Contacts Our team is available to arrange interviews, discuss events and story ideas. Adam Dormuth 303.398.1002 office 970.222.5034 mobile firstname.lastname@example.com Jessica Berry 303.398.1082 office 303.807.9491 mobile firstname.lastname@example.com


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While we're sure that we've already seen the next generation 2014 Corvette a number of times, it's still exciting when they get spotted out in the wild.
But what's better than one C7 'Vette in the wild? Eight of them.
Before it makes its debut at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show, the Corvette has been hitting the roads of America — as well as virtual ones — to go through some final testing. Over the weekend, the cars were in New Mexico, and a lucky Jalopnik reader happened to spot them.
Here's his account:
I was on a long weekend trip to Red River New Mexico this weekend, and stumbled upon this. Upon arriving into town 2 covered up cars blew past me, causing whip lash as I tried to figure out what they were, and then fought to keep my car out of the guardrail. Later in town I came across where they had a bunch of them parked. There were a fleet of cars, all with manufacturers plates as shown in the picture. I saw 5 different zl1 camaros plus every version of the c6 that I know of (base, zo6, 427, zr1, etc) and then about 8 of the covered ones. There was a large group of guys hanging around with various badges and comparing notes. All weekend these things were flying around the mountain roads and cruising through town.
Note to GM: If you want to be low key during testing, don't bring a bunch of red and yellow Camaros along for the ride.
Now, the cars are all covered up, but from what we can see, there are a number of familiar elements. There are chiseled front wings, a distinct nose, a traditional Corvette roofline, and a steeply raked windshield.
Hmmm, why does it look so familiar? We don't wanna say we told you so but, yeah, we're feeling a little smugger than usual right now.
(Big Hat Tip to Luke!)


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Gonzalez is a former informant for the U.S. Secret Service who helped the agency hunt hackers, authorities said. The agency later found out that he had also been working with criminals and feeding them information on ongoing investigations, even warning off at least one individual, according to authorities.
Gonzalez, who is already in jail awaiting trial in a hacking case, was indicted Monday in New Jersey and charged with conspiring with two other unnamed suspects to steal the private information. Prosecutors say the goal was to sell the stolen data to others.
How much of the data was sold and then used to make fraudulent charges is unclear. Investigators in such cases say it is usually impossible to quantify the impact of such thefts on account holders.
Prosecutors say Gonzalez, known online as "soupnazi," targeted customers of convenience store giant 7-Eleven Inc. and supermarket chain Hannaford Brothers Co. Inc. He also targeted Heartland Payment Systems, a New Jersey-based card payment processor.
According to the indictment, Gonzalez and his two Russian coconspirators would hack into corporate computer networks and secretly place "malware," or malicious software, that would allow them backdoor access to the networks later to steal data.
Gonzalez faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of the new charges. His lawyer did not immediately return a call for comment.
Gonzalez is awaiting trial next month in New York for allegedly helping hack the computer network of the national restaurant chain Dave and Buster's.
The Justice Department said the new case represents the largest alleged credit and debit card data breach ever charged in the United States, based on a scheme that began in October 2006.
Gonzalez allegedly devised a sophisticated attack to penetrate the computer networks, steal the card data, and send that data to computer servers in California, Illinois, Latvia, the Netherlands and Ukraine.
Last year, the Justice Department announced charges against Gonzalez and others for hacking retail companies' computers for the theft of approximately 40 million credit cards. At the time, that was believed to be the biggest single case of hacking private computer networks to steal credit card data, puncturing the electronic defenses of retailers including T.J. Maxx, Barnes & Noble, Sports Authority and OfficeMax.
Prosecutors charge Gonzalez was the ringleader of the hackers in that case.
At the time of those charges, officials said the alleged thieves weren't computer geniuses, just opportunists who used a technique called "wardriving," which involved cruising through different areas with a laptop computer and looking for accessible wireless Internet signals. Once they located a vulnerable network, they installed so-called "sniffer programs" that captured credit and debit card numbers as they moved through a retailer's processing networks.
Gonzalez faces a possible life sentence if convicted in that case.
Restaurants are among the most common targets for hackers, experts said, because they often fail to update their antivirus software and other computer security systems.


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If we can't have Game of Thrones Monopoly in real life, then this is the next best thing — a Futurama Monopoly set is available for preorders during the month of September, with the game shipping in November. Watch out for the Hypnotoad!
Here are some more images of this excellent-looking game:
And here's the official press release:
You win again, gravity! The Planet Express ship has just crash-landed into USAopoly HQ and the crew has demanded the making of Monopoly Futurama Collector's Edition effective immediately! In this edition of America's favorite board game, players will get the chance to own the most iconic worlds and locations in the Futurama Universe while following the rules — unlike our robot friend Bender! The game is licensed by Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products and all artwork is customized and designed by USAopoly and Futurama to make this game feel as if it just jumped out of the TV screen and onto the game board.
The standard 20th century game Philip J. Fry grew up on has metamorphosized into something more, well, futuristic. Traditional Monopoly properties like Boardwalk and Park Place have been transformed to represent New New York. This collector's game features coveted real estate such as Elzar's Fine Cuisine, Robot Hell and Madison Cube Garden to name a few. The traditional Monopoly money has been modified to fit the important leaders of New New York in the 31st Century including Benjamin Franklin and Richard Nixon. Al Gore on the $500 bill? Oh Your God, he is! The Monopoly railroads of yesteryear have been replaced by state-of-the-art ships including the Travel Tube, Robo Santa Sleigh, Space Rail: Rath of Conrail and Werecar.
The object of the game remains the same – bankrupt your opponents and own it all! Landing Pads and Space Stations instead of traditional houses and hotels will raise rents significantly while Community Chest and Chance cards (now 'Bureaucrat' and 'Brought To You By' cards, respectively) will help your cause or thwart your opponents. Prepare yourself for the Planet Express ship landing because when it arrives, the past, present and future will be altered and changed forever!
As an added bonus for fans, USAopoly asked Futurama die-hards to vote for the creation of their own "Golden Token". After 14,000 votes, Bender came out on top and will be available in a limited golden styling during pre-sale only starting September 1st. Other tokens in the pre-sale game will include:
· Hypnotoad
· Planet Express Ship
· Brain Slug
· Seymour
· Leela's Boot (During Pre-sale ONLY)
· What if Machine
· Gold Bender (During Pre-sale ONLY)
Pre-order the game at the link. [USAopoly]


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Readers like you keep news free for everyone.
More than 5,000 readers have already pitched in to keep free access to The Journal.
For the price of one cup of coffee each week you can help keep paywalls away.
Readers like you keep news free for everyone.
More than 5,000 readers have already pitched in to keep free access to The Journal.
For the price of one cup of coffee each week you can help keep paywalls away.
AN EMERGENCY LAYOVER in Syria's capital was bad enough. Then passengers on Air France Flight 562 were asked to open their wallets to check if they had enough cash to pay for more fuel.
The plane, heading from Paris to Lebanon's capital, diverted amid tensions near the Beirut airport on Wednesday. Low on fuel, it instead landed in Damascus, the capital of neighboring Syria, where a civil war is raging.
An Air France spokesman explained today that the crew inquired about passenger cash only as a "precautionary measure" because of the "very unusual circumstances." Sanctions against Syria complicated payment for extra fuel.
He said Air France found a way to pay for the fill-up without tapping customer pockets, and apologized for the inconvenience. He wouldn't say how the airline paid, or how much.
One woman aboard said the passengers had rounded up €17,000.
"The pilot asked the passengers in first class to get their cash together. Everyone started to collect money, and they managed to collect €17,000, but the pilot in the end didn't take anything. They resolved the problems with the Damascus airport," said a passenger speaking on France-Info radio identified as May Bsat.
The Boeing 777, carrying 185 people, took off for an overnight layover in Cyprus then landed safely in Beirut yesterday.
Lebanon is a volatile mix of pro- and anti-Syrian factions, and a series of hostage-takings has raised worries about Lebanon being dragged deeper into Syria's unrest. Mobs supporting Syrian President Bashar Assad blocked the main airport highway in Beirut on Wednesday, before Lebanese military units moved in.
The layover was awkward for Air France, the flagship carrier for a country whose government toes a hard line against Syrian President Bashar Assad — and warns all its citizens to avoid or leave Syrian soil.
France, which once ruled Syria and Lebanon, championed European Union-wide economic sanctions on Syria — including its national airline, Syria Air. Air France operated regular flights to Damascus until suspending them amid violence earlier this year.
While it was the first time Air France said it had resorted to a request for passenger cash, it wasn't the first airline to do so.
Hundreds of passengers traveling from India to Britain were stranded for six hours in Vienna last year when their Comtel Air flight stopped for fuel, and the charter service asked them to kick in more than £20,000 to fund the rest of the flight to Birmingham, England.
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So in other words, they're training Grammaton Clerics.
DailyDirt: More Advanced Weapons
from the urls-we-dig-up dept
Technology has oftentimes advanced the weapons of war — creating new ways to destroy things on increasingly larger scales. But as our ability to destroy has become ridiculously big, it's time to start looking for more efficient methods. Here are just a few military projects that are looking to improve targeted destruction.
- Pick your ammunition, any ammunition you want… for an automatic gun that can shoot hundreds of rounds per minute. The US Army hasn't perfected such a weapon just yet, but it's looking for proposals that could make more versatile guns possible. [url]
- Math has become an important aspect of all kinds of military weapons — without math, we wouldn't be able to aim projectiles very effectively over long distances. Now, more and more computer simulations are being used to develop defenses and to help predict where enemies might attack. Would you like to play a game of thermonuclear war? [url]
- Anti-aircraft-carrier missiles could take out about 4 acres of naval runways on the open seas — in one shot. China has been developing anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBMs) for years, and they're probably operational by now. [url]
If you'd like to read more awesome and interesting stuff, check out this unrelated (but not entirely random!) Techdirt post.
Filed Under: ammunition, math, missiles, projectiles, technology, weapons


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Gabriella asked me an interesting question regarding the European Wine Bloggers' Conference yesterday. We have focused a lot on getting bloggers excited about the opportunity of the conference, but what do our READERS think about it? Why should THEY care?
Admittedly we have not clarified that point very much, although it has always been part of our thinking.
Ryan and Gabriella were kind enough to post my response on their site, which you probably already read, but just in case, check it out here:
Why Should Readers Care About the European Wine Blogger Conference?
"In my view, the most important goal of the European Wine Bloggers' Conference is to start a conversation between the European voices at this party. Readers in Europe, and indeed the rest of the world, want to hear a familiar perspective on wine and one that is relevant to them."


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Media mention
Our Loved Ones Are Not Statistics
Featured in The Huffington Post UK
Keep fighting for people power!
Politicians and rich CEOs shouldn't make all the decisions. Today we ask you to help keep Change.org free and independent. Our job as a public benefit company is to help petitions like this one fight back and get heard. If everyone who saw this chipped in monthly we'd secure Change.org's future today. Help us hold the powerful to account. Can you spare a minute to become a member today?I'll power Change with $5 monthly


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How does my garden grow?
Lets put it this way – I'm counting on my friends at Grant Family Farms to grow most of my food for the next 26 weeks. I can come up with creative ways to prepare fresh food (again, with a little help from my friends), but I'd starve if I had to rely on my own wimpy garden to get me through the summer. My CSA delivery starts next Monday and I'll be posting weekly recipes according to the harvest. Stay tuned.
In the meantime, I've been watching my little organic garden thrive in spite of my dog's initial digging interest, the recent rain and hail we've had and a few overly enthusiastic wild bunnies. The photo above is of one of my four purple mizuna plants. My micro-victory garden is .00229568415ths of an acre. Seriously.
Urban gardening at the nano-level.
I didn't make that number up, I actually figured it out. Of course, I could be totally wrong. It's not like I went to MIT or anything. Within seconds of square feet conversion calculating, I was having synapse spasms, but I pushed on and I think I'm right.
Although I won't have much of a "harvest" per se, working my little .002295-whatever of an acre has been very rewarding. I'm feeling like quite the little farmer-ette. Today I made a wonderful mizuna salad for lunch. I walked outside, clipped off some leaves and made my lunch. Oh my gosh, I love that feeling. Zena, Farmer Princess.
Purple mizuna is a Japanese salad green that I find to have a mild earthy taste. Maybe it's a mild spicy taste. Or a mild peppery taste. I can't really identify it.
* Cid, can you help me with this since you're the expert on all things Japanese? What does it taste like? Other than good.
Purple mizuna salad
I made this up with ingredients that were sitting on my counter and it turned out delicious. The fresh cherries, dates and walnuts made this mix a winner. Crumbled goat cheese or feta would be a nice addition.
2 cups mizuna greens
mejool dates (I used 3, pitted and chopped)
fresh cherries (I used about 8, pitted and cut in half)
walnuts (4-6 chopped)
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
drizzle with dressing
dressing (any good vinaigrette will do, this is just one of my regular versions)
whisk together
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon agave nectar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Go forth and grow your own greens!
*Thanks Kay, for all your gardening tips and guidance. Kay is a blogger friend who is a master gardener, composter extraordinaire, worm rancher (or something like that), chicken herder and all around hard-working farm girl. She's my gluten-free garden guru.
Posted in Gluten-Free Recipes, Seasonal Foods | 22 Comments »


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Google's web spam team has changed the face of SEO. This year the change was drastic, leading webmasters and SEO consultants to question and change strategies. Changes from Google are endless and SEO will progressively be tested with every alteration of search algorithm. One thing, however, is evident from all changes: priority is for readers.
- Learn Which new algo and when it is added by Google Search,
SEO's power to rank sites is undisputable. The element to be questioned is the quality within sites. A site ranking at the top with deplorable content helps none; neither readers nor webmasters. This makes SEO a secondary factor while the quality becomes primary.
Now being a secondary factor, it can only provide results with quality sites. Interestingly, quality is hardly considered or should I say 'People need/demand fast results' and hence the deliberate ignorance of quality. It is similar to throwing everything against the wall and see what sticks. Due to this very reason, conversion rates are as low as 0.1%.
What should be your new Primary SEO Strategy?
Content is the Immortal King:
Content was, is, and will be the King. There is no better signal than content to judge quality, obviously making it King. Content writing is similar to storytelling. Although most stories are similar, their presentation is the one that earns respect for the teller. Writing the perfect content might seem an ideal situation yet striving for, increases the odds of perfection.
In the past, the internet was scarce in content but the picture has shifted completely. The internet is literarily filled with content. More and more people pour their thoughts. Naturally, this has led to competitiveness and increasing the demand of perfect storytelling. To learn on how to come up with content, which will make a difference, I suggest reading Why Most Content Marketing Plan Fails by Jeff Molander.
Building Links:
Tracing history of link building, one can easily find that links were once used for reference/additional resource. Many would say the same holds true today about links but it isn't. Majority of link building is done for search engines. We all know it and we have all done it: the reason? It worked. Since un-necessary linking for higher search engines ranking no longer works (Ref: Penguin update), we need to modify strategies.
The future is focused on readers. Therefore, it would be wise to use links as they were used in the past: as reference/resources. Generally, you will have to earn links rather than earn it. Moreover, following the above strategy (quality content creation) will ease in link earning.
Social Media are Important Factors:
Recently Google came up with real time analytics for Social Media. Moreover, just two weeks before Google allowed Google+ users to see the impact of shares. This is another way of saying that social shares are vital signals for search algorithms. Therefore, updating status over social network isn't the end. Shares and conversation play major role of which we are yet unaware. Irrespective of the social network, just gaining backlinks will never suffice.
- An insight on WikiPedia SEO Strategies
Just because we are discussing a change of SEO strategy, SEO isn't dead. SEO will live as long as search engines live but they will undergo change to keep abreast of them. Presently we need to change tactics and focus more on readers with SEO as a support. So what more can you add for better change?


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Career Paths for a Bachelors Degree in Finance
A bachelor's degree in finance or specializing with finance with your bachelor of business administration (BBA) degree can take you a long way. Finance is a broad subject that can go into almost any number of areas depending on your interests, background, and experiences. Anyone with a background in finance would be welcome at a bank, mortgage company, investment firm, or virtually any small business because there is always a need for someone to manage the money.
A quick search on a job site will show some of the options available to you. There are also many articles on the topic around the web. Here are some jobs and job descriptions we found on Jobs.AOL and BusinessMajors.About.com:
Investment Banker
Investment banking is one of the most obvious choices for finance majors. Investment banking can encompass an array of tasks, but it is basically all about obtaining funding for corporations through stocks and bonds. They could also arrange for mergers and acquisitions and provide advisory services to corporations. It is very competitive and demanding position. The most desirable positions are on Wall Street at the elite boutique firms.
Financial Advisor
A financial advisor is a like an independent consultant that will advise people or even businesses on financial matters. Many of them will tend to focus on advising individuals or freelancers and they will usually explain to people how to budget their money, plan for retirement, and purchase investments. A finance degree can provide you with a strong background in the subject, but most states require that you also obtain a license* to become a financial advisor.
Financial Analyst
A financial analyst is a person that works on behalf of investment firms, corporations, and credit rating agencies to assess the financial health and stability of a company. They will often provide detailed written reports on whether to buy, sell, or hold the stock of a company or they may also provide advice to corporations as to how to allocate their resources. This position is quite competitive to get into.
A treasurer is essentially a money manager that could possibly work at almost any business or nonprofit organization. They can create budgets, financial projections, and goals for virtually any organization. It is also likely that they will assist in any fundraising or expansion efforts as well. There are opportunities in this area because businesses and organizations of all types need treasurers.
Although an accountant will usually have a degree in accounting, it is perfectly acceptable for a person with a finance degree to enter the field as well. An accountant will generally break down the numbers for a company and can create the financial documents that must be filed to the SEC or IRS. Accountants can work for any type of business, depending on the demand of the business.
Loan Officer
A Loan officer is someone that works for a mortgage company or bank that provides loans to consumers to purchase houses, start businesses, or even buy cars. They will sit down with consumers seeking loans and discuss their needs and assess their financial standing to determine how much money they can qualify for. There were a lot of opportunities for loan officers prior to the mortgage crisis, but the market changed substantially after that point.
The world of finance has opportunities for college graduates and this list is just a start. Finance graduates can work for almost any type of company because everyone needs someone to manage their money. The amount of money you earn will depend on whether you pursue graduate studies and what specialty you pursue, and your local job market. The sky is the limit in finance.
*AIU does not guarantee third-party certification, or licenses. Requirements for taking and passing certification, or licensing examinations are not controlled by AIU but by outside agencies and are subject to change by the agencies without notice to AIU. Therefore, AIU cannot guarantee that graduates will be eligible to take certification or licensing examinations, regardless of their eligibility status upon enrollment.


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1937: Lev Karakhan, Marina Semyonova's husband
Add comment September 20th, 2016 Headsman
On this date in 1937, the dancer Marina Semyonova lost her husband to the Great Purge.
Semyonova was perhaps the premier Soviet ballerina in the interwar era before the ascent of Maya Plitsetskaya* but artistic genius conferred no safety from the purges.
Least of all was that so for family members who happened to be that choicest of Stalin's prey, an Old Bolshevik.
Semyonova's husband Lev Karakhan (English Wikipedia entry | Russian) was an Armenian revolutionary and former Menshevik who joined the Bolsheviks before the October Revolution. He spent the 1920s and 1930s in various foreign policy roles, right up until the end: just a few months before his death, he had been the USSR's ambassador to Turkey, when he received that ominous recall.
He even gave his name to a 1919 "Karakhan Manifesto", which was Moscow's attempt to get friendly with China.
Its author was more successful getting friendly with the Bolshoi's prima ballerina around 1930, when both were married to other people. Their affair turned civil marriage without hampering the career of either partner; indeed, Semyonova had the honor and terror of accepting the Order of the Red Banner from Stalin's own hands in June 1937, just a month after her husband had been arrested.
Semyonova just continued performing, because what choice did one have? She only recently died, in 2010, just shy of her 102nd birthday — as one of the legends of her craft.
* Maya Plisetskaya was also touched by Stalin's terror: in 1937, when Maya was only 11, her father was disappeared into the gulag and killed; her mother was arrested shortly after and survived a forced labor camp in Kazakhstan.
On this day..
- 1547: Jan Olivetsky, Moravian publisher - 2020
- 1878: John Speer - 2019
- 1821: Corporal Chaguinha, Brazil's saint of freedom - 2018
- 1917: Herbet Morris, British West Indies Regiment deserter - 2017
- 1889: Thomas Brown, Fargo-Moorhead outlaw - 2015
- 1246: Mikhail of Chernigov, Miracle-Worker - 2014
- 1631: Anna Katharina Spee - 2013
- 1763: Gabriela Silang - 2012
- 2006: Clarence Hill, former last-minute reprieve beneficiary - 2011
- 1586: Anthony Babington and fellow plotters, Walsingham'd - 2010
- 1918: The 26 Baku Commissars - 2009
- Themed Set: Counterrevolution - 2008
- 1803: Robert Emmet, "let no man write my epitaph" - 2008
Entry Filed under: 20th Century,Execution,History,Notably Survived By,Politicians,Revolutionaries,Russia,Shot,Torture,Treason,USSR
Tags: 1930s, 1937, ballet, dance, joseph stalin, lev karakhan, marina semyonova, maya plisetskaya, stalin, the terror


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Friendship Circle - Fundraiser Film - "Give Up? Never!"
Special film showing about local family which features Julius Bamberger, his fleeing Germany and the path he took to reach the United States.
Friendship Circle is for Jewish Adults 55+
Friendship Circle is a Program designed for Jewish older adults in Sonoma County. It was founded almost thirty years ago and is now the premier year round program of the Jewish Community Center, Sonoma County. It offers cultural, recreational, educational, and social programming to healthy elders and outreach to frail and more isolated seniors in retirement communities. The Friendship Circle program provides a twice monthly Hot Lunch and Learn program, Senior Excursions to theatre and museums, monthly Yiddish clubs and classes, literature and exercise classes, Judaic studies, and special holiday events throughout the year.
We are so pleased by the positive feedback we get from our Friendship Circle participants. We would like to extend the Friendship Circle to those who may not already know about us. Please call me if you are aware of seniors who would enjoy our luncheons, excursions, and special events. We are especially eager to contact newcomers to our community, and those who may feel isolated or lonely. We are expanding our programs throughout the county, and welcome your suggestions. Thanks to the renewal of a special transportation grant from the Jewish Community Federation, we are able to offer free rides to our events on the JFCS van within Santa Rosa to those who can no longer drive. If you live outside of Santa Rosa, we can arrange carpools from Petaluma, Sebastopol, Sonoma, and Windsor/Healdsburg to our events.


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With a mischievous grin, Roy Miller (Tom Cruise) gazes into the distrusting eyes of June Havens (Cameron Diaz), who's spent the last 18 hours drugged unconscious, and explains why she's not wearing her clothes. "I've been trained to defuse a bomb in the dark with nothing more than a pin and a Junior Mint. I think I can get you into a bikini without looking," he says, before adding, "I'm not saying that's what I did." Creepy. But then, this is Cruise we're talking about, and for once, this aspect of his presence actually adds to a role. He spends much of this locally shot film from James Mangold (3:10 to Yuma) as a fast-acting enigma; he'll do anything — or kill anyone — to protect the beautiful blonde Bostonian he's dragged into a world of espionage, pursued by dozens of gunmen and a determined federal agent (Peter Sarsgaard). And though the movie suffers from over-edited action, the quirky leads keep things headed north by northwest.
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Learn About the Law
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The United States brought this civil antitrust suit charging that the acquisition by Greater Buffalo Press (Buffalo) in 1955 of all the stock of International Color Printing Co. (International) violated 7 of the Clayton Act; and that Buffalo, Hearst Corp., through its unincorporated division King Features Syndicate (King), Newspaper Enterprise Assn., and others had conspired to restrain the sale to newspapers of the printing of color comic supplements in violation of 1 of the Sherman Act. Before trial a consent decree was entered against Hearst. Buffalo, which does not control ownership of features or license them, prints the color supplements for newspapers and sells them. International prints color supplements only for King, which controls many popular comic features and is a licensor. International's owners wanted to sell rather than raise capital for modernization and expansion. International paid dividends every year, and in the year of sale its profits increased. Only King and Buffalo were considered as prospective purchasers; no others were even approached. After acquiring International, Buffalo controlled about 75% of the independent color comic supplement business and, through International, it entered into a 10-year contract with King to supply King's printing. The District Court dismissed the complaint after trial. As to the Clayton Act claim, it found two distinct lines of commerce: (1) printing of color comic supplements for newspapers not printing their own, and (2) printing of color comic supplements for syndicates selling copyrighted features to newspapers. That court also found the acquisition to be within the "failing company" exception to 7 of the Clayton Act. The United States appeals only from dismissal of the Clayton Act claim. The court did not reach the question of remedy. Held:
DOUGLAS, J., delivered the opinion for a unanimous Court.
Deputy Solicitor General Friedman argued the cause for the United States. With him on the brief were Solicitor General Griswold, Assistant Attorney General McLaren, Samuel Huntington, Lee A. Rau, and Elliott H. Feldman.
Frank G. Raichle argued the cause and filed a brief for appellees.
MR. JUSTICE DOUGLAS delivered the opinion of the Court.
This is a civil antitrust case brought by the United States charging a violation of 7 of the Clayton Act, 1 [402 U.S. 549, 551] as amended, 64 Stat. 1125, 15 U.S.C. 18. The main thrust of the case involves the acquisition by Greater Buffalo Press, Inc. (Greater Buffalo), of all the stock of International Color Printing Co. (International). The complaint, at the secondary level, charged that Greater Buffalo, Hearst Corp., through its unincorporated division King Features Syndicate (King), Newspaper Enterprise Association, Inc. (NEA), and others had conspired to restrain the sale to newspapers of the printing of comic supplements in violation of 1 of the Sherman Act, as amended, 26 Stat. 209, 15 U.S.C. 1. It also charged that Hearst and NEA were violators of certain tying arrangements involving the licensing of comic features and the sale of comic supplements. 2
Before trial a consent decree was entered against Hearst, enjoining King from entering into any agreement limiting competition in the printing of color comic supplements and barring any tying arrangement.
After full trial the District Court dismissed the complaint. 3 The case came here under 2 of the Expediting Act, as amended, 32 Stat. 823, 15 U.S.C. 29. We noted probable jurisdiction, 400 U.S. 990 . We reverse the judgment below.
The case involves the comic supplement business used weekends by most newspapers. Some papers print their own comic supplements; others purchase them.
Greater Buffalo prints color supplements for newspapers and sells them.
International prints color comic supplements for King only. [402 U.S. 549, 552]
Most color comic supplements are printed by companies like Greater Buffalo and sold to newspapers. But individual newspapers contract for the purchase of comic features and it is those comics that Greater Buffalo prints for the particular papers.
The most popular comic features used by major metropolitan papers are controlled by King.
Greater Buffalo has no control over the ownership of features and therefore does not license them. As noted, however, King is a licensor; and moreover, it prints "ready-print" supplements which are preprinted and supplied to many newspapers only with masthead change.
The District Court declared that the acquisition of International by Greater Buffalo has not, and will not, result in a substantial lessening of competition in the color comic supplement industry, and therefore did not constitute a violation of 7 of the Clayton Act.
The basic error of the District Court, in our view, was in its finding that the significant lines of commerce involved in this action should be divided into "two distinct and separate categories: (1) the printing of color comic supplements for newspapers which do not print their own, and (2) the printing of color comic supplements for syndicates engaged in the sale of copyrighted comic features to newspapers. These are the lines of commerce - to treat them together as one line of commerce, i. e., the printing and sale of color comic supplements, would be to ignore the tremendous leverage of the syndicates which control the copyrighted features."
As we read the record, the printing of color comic supplements and their sale are component parts of the color comic supplement printing business. One firm or company may both print and sell; another may print yet sell through a third organization, as does International through King. The "area of effective competition," [402 U.S. 549, 553] Standard Oil Co. v. United States, 337 U.S. 293, 299 -300 n. 5, comprises the business of Greater Buffalo, International, and King. There may be submarkets within this broad market for antitrust purposes (Brown Shoe Co. v. United States, 370 U.S. 294, 325 ), but, as we said in United States v. Phillipsburg National Bank, 399 U.S. 350, 360 , "submarkets are not a basis for the disregard of a broader line of commerce that has economic significance."
The District Court, proceeding from its premise as to the relevant market, analyzed the effects on the competition between Greater Buffalo and International resulting from the purchase of the stock of the latter. The true import would include not only that but also the effect on competition of the alliance with King, through the acquisition of King's client, International. The three of them were engaged in the single line of commerce consisting of the printing and distribution of color comic supplements. The printing of color comics is the same no matter for whom it is done or through whom they are distributed. The combination of those who print and sell comic supplements with those who sell comic supplements printed by others fastens more tightly the hold of the group on the side of supplement printing business. As a result of the acquisition, King has become dependent on Greater Buffalo for most of the printing which it sells in competition with Greater Buffalo. Greater Buffalo, it is said, had no long-term contract for King's business following the acquisition. Yet it had the almost certain right to print for King, its principal selling competitor, and a 10-year contract was entered into in the summer after the acquisition. There is evidence that Greater Buffalo has taken accounts from King since the acquisition. But existing competition between them is naturally restricted to sales at a price [402 U.S. 549, 554] higher than Greater Buffalo charges King for printing; and it is not that fuller competition that could exist if King had an independent printing source.
King's executive officer proposed, after the stock acquisition of International, that King acquire its own color supplement printing capacity.
Those practices ceased after the acquisition. Greater Buffalo acquired control of about 75% of independent color comic supplement printing, leaving King no reliable alternative supply. Greater Buffalo and International [402 U.S. 549, 555] which had been competitors ceased to be such. The threat that newspaper customers will do their own printing is of course a factor in the competitive situation. But, according to the record, color comic supplement printing requires exacting mechanical techniques performed by specially trained personnel, and independent printers specializing in supplement printing and handling a high volume of business can produce a high quality product more economically than most newspapers.
The test of 7 is whether the effect of an acquisition "may be substantially to lessen competition." The concentration of 75% of the independent color comic supplement printing business in one firm points firmly to the conclusion that the difficulties of new entrants becoming real competitors of Greater Buffalo are greatly increased.
We also disagree with the District Court that the acquisition of International by Greater Buffalo was within the "failing company" exception to 7 of the Clayton Act.
That test is met only if two requirements are satisfied: (1) that the resources of International were "so depleted and the prospect of rehabilitation so remote that it faced the grave probability of a business failure . . .," International Shoe Co. v. Federal Trade Comm'n, 280 U.S. 291, 302 , and (2) that there was no other prospective purchaser for it. Citizen Publishing Co. v. United States, 394 U.S. 131, 138 .
It is true that its owners wished to sell rather than raise the capital needed for modernization and expansion, and that King, its sole customer, was threatening to place some of its business elsewhere. Yet King had not threatened to invoke, nor had it invoked, the six-month cancellation provision in the contract. Its expansion plans were being actively pursued and it continued to pay dividends to its owners. Indeed in the year of the sale it had shown a substantial increase in profits. [402 U.S. 549, 556]
Moreover, only King and Greater Buffalo were considered as prospective purchasers; the numerous other smaller color comic supplement printers were never even approached.
Since the District Court found no violation of 7, it naturally did not reach the question of remedy though it said that if there were a violation, it would not warrant "a court's exercising its discretion to order a divestiture fifteen years after the occurrence of the alleged illegal conduct." That is not the law; the passage of time per se is no barrier to divestiture of stock illegally acquired. United States v. Du Pont, 353 U.S. 586, 590 ; 366 U.S. 316 . Divestiture performs several functions, the foremost being the liquidation of the illegally acquired market power. Schine Chain Theatres v. United States, 334 U.S. 110, 127 -129.
We do not, however, reach the question of divestiture. A majority of the Court is of the view that the nature of the decree to be fashioned should be initially considered by the District Court. In that connection two additional questions will need to be passed on by the District Court.
First is the question of the consent decree entered with Hearst. As to it the District Court said: "King Features may continue to engage in the practice of combining the sale of features and printing until the court shall determine the antitrust issue as to Greater Buffalo. The decree also provided that Hearst shall obey the antitrust laws during the pendency of the action."
We do not have enough information about the consent decree and its operation and the related facts to know how it should now be integrated into a decree.
Second. In the fifties Greater Buffalo erected a printing plant at Lufkin, Texas, to improve its market in that area by saving transportation costs. There is some evidence that in 1950 Greater Buffalo made a moral commitment to certain newspapers to build a plant in the [402 U.S. 549, 557] Deep South. A plant was constructed at Sylacauga, Alabama, after the acquisition of International.
There are cross-currents in the record which suggest that the Sylacauga plant was the product of International's wishes, rather than Greater Buffalo's, and that the primary motive for Greater Buffalo's acquisition of International stock was to eliminate International's planned expansion in the South as a competitive threat.
The status of the Sylacauga plant is a matter to be considered by the District Court under the controlling precedents. See, e. g., United States v. Aluminum Co. of America, 247 F. Supp. 308, aff'd 382 U.S. 12 .
The judgment is reversed and the cause remanded for the drafting of a decree and the making of such additional findings both as respects the consent decree and the Sylacauga plant as may be appropriate or necessary for an effective remedy.
[ Footnote 2 ] A monopolization charge against Greater Buffalo was eliminated by an amended complaint.
[ Footnote 3 ] The United States did not appeal from the dismissal against NEA. [402 U.S. 549, 558]
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Locke begins starter competition in earnest
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Jeff Locke opened the intense competition for spots in the Pirates' starting rotation Saturday in their Grapefruit League opener against the Rays, and he set the bar high, hurling three hitless innings to start a 3-2 victory at Charlotte Sports Park.
"You can look at it any way you want. There's a lot of talk about myself and Kyle [McPherson], and this guy and that guy," Locke said of the congestion of candidates. "Both of us could be there, neither of us could be there. I just want to be one of the guys."
Locke offered an assertive response to the offseason influx of potential starters -- Francisco Liriano, Jonathan Sanchez, Kris Johnson, Andrew Oliver and so on.
"It's like going to school," Locke said, with a light shrug of the shoulders. "You got new students every year rolling into your class. There's always going to be competition in this game, and that's what fuels you a little bit."
Manager Clint Hurdle obviously welcomes the competition and Locke's tone-setting start.
"I love it when all of them pitch well," Hurdle said. "You want it to be healthy competition from start to finish, you don't want it decided by attrition, or by nobody pitching well. So Jeff got it off to a good start."
Locke took an early, but big, step, keeping the Rays from even hitting a ball out of the infield in his three innings. Going three out of the chute is rare, but was a reflection of Locke's pre-Spring Training preparation and his efficiency the first two innings -- 23 pitches, 15 for strikes.
"I was scheduled for two, but three is fine. I just didn't want anybody else to come in and finish my inning," said Locke, who avoided the customary springtime hook by getting through the third on only nine more pitches.
"He was very efficient today, a very good outing for him," Hurdle said. "We're very encouraged that he was able to get out there for the third inning and finish it off."


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One of the most popular of Rosenthal's contemporary dinnerware collections, Loft White has a large variety of shapes and sizes for making a beautiful landscape on your table.
Adding to this is specialized dinnerware, such as sushi and dessert service, which enables Loft to function for everyday and special or impromptu occasions.
Dimensions: 8.5"
Material: Porcelain
Care: Dishwasher and Microwave safe
The full Loft White Collection is available here. Additional Rosenthal Collections are available here.


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If you're looking to start and maintain a conversation with your clients and customers, email marketing is the perfect solution. The talented team at Prager can create a custom designed email marketing campaign for your business. Building brand awareness and customer loyalty are just a few advantages of our email marketing services.
Reach Your Customers with Professional Email Marketing
If you have a message to promote or a product to sell, you need to make sure your customer base knows all about it. A lot more goes into effective email marketing than just sending a periodic email to your customer database. You have worked hard to build loyal customers so it is important to keep them engaged and aware of what you are doing. For effective email marketing services serving Chatsworth, NJ, enter Prager Microsystems.
Email Marketing Strategy
Our team of digital experts will analyze your current strategy and come up with new ideas for your email marketing efforts.
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Our design team will create a beautiful HTML email that looks great and reaches people on every screen from desktops to mobile phones.
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We'll create topics and content to keep your subscribers engaged and entice them to continue on to your website or give you a call.
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We work with you to create offers and calls to action help turn subscribers into actual customers.
You will receive reporting for every email sent to breakdown the engagement via open rates, click-throughs, and conversions.
Content is Always King
If you don't provide relevant content, why would anyone want to read it? They already are interested in your company so now you need to keep them engaged. It starts with a captivating subject line to create the initial interaction. Once your subscribers open the email they should be greeted with content related to the subject that adds value to their life. That can be blog content, product info, tips and tricks, or coupons for your products or services.
Timing Matters
Companies are always trying to find the best times, days, weeks, and even months to reach their subscribers. Our expertise across an array of industries has armed us with the knowledge to know when we should be sending out that email blast to get optimal results. We will come up with strategies depending on your goals and messaging that will reach potential customers when they are most likely to interact with you.
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Here are a few examples of successful email marketing campaigns we have launched recently.
Why Hire an Email Marketing Services Company
There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to email marketing and if you are not doing things correctly, you're wasting valuable time and potentially upsetting your customer base. Hiring a professional email marketing service frees you up to work on the other important aspects of your Chatsworth, NJ business. Our tactical and strategic planning help you succeed.
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Just sending a monthly email without putting real thought into the content and calls to action can just be a waste of time. Our email marketing services focus on what will convert for you, such as personalization or providing creative content that will pique your customers interest.
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Simply having a customer list to send emails to doesn't always move the needle. Prager Microsystems is a full-service digital marketing agency that understands the connection between all digital media platforms. Your primary interaction with customers comes from your website and the messaging on your website can help drive people to sign up for your newsletter. If you are looking for a comprehensive solution, contact us today.


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Jun 11, 1999
Unearthing Clues to Martian Fossils
Space Science News home
First you would die, either from asphyxiation or hypothermia. Mars's carbon dioxide atmosphere is 100 times less dense than Earth's and the average surface temperature is -60 deg C. The exact cause of death would depend on the season, the time of day (Martian temperatures fluctuate as much as 100 degrees from dawn to dusk), and the latitude of your surprise landing site.
Next you would begin to dry out. There is no liquid water on the surface of Mars and little, if any, water vapor in the atmosphere. Your lifeless body would become dessicated like an Egyptian mummy.
Finally, not that it would matter terribly, you would contract a very nasty sunburn. The Red Planet's rarefied atmosphere does a poor job blocking UV rays from the sun (there is no protective ozone layer in the atmosphere). Radiation levels are so intense that they probably sterilize the uppermost layers of Martian soil.
The next time you visit Mars, take a space suit.
December 3: Mars Polar Lander nears touchdown
December 2: What next, Leonids?
November 30: Polar Lander Mission Overview
November 30: Learning how to make a clean sweep in space
The reality of this picture is somewhat controversial, but if it is true, it seems likely to many scientists that early Mars could have teemed with simple forms of life.
Sign up for our EXPRESS SCIENCE NEWS delivery
Farmer (formerly of NASA/Ames) along with his collaborators at ASU, is a pioneer in the new scientific discipline called exopaleontology -- the search for signs of primeval life on other planets.
"Mars may harbor the best preserved rocks in the solar system," he continued. "For example, the Allan Hills meteorite [an ancient potato-sized rock from Mars that crashed into Antarctica 13,000 years ago] is nearly 4.6 billion years old. The fossil record on Mars might go all the way back to the earliest history of the planet."
Farmer says he wouldn't mind visiting Mars to prospect for fossils in person, but an unmanned probe is likely to be the first exopalentologist on the Red Planet. Where should a Mars lander set down to seek out the elusive fossil record? The answer to that question may be found here on Earth in an other-worldly place called Mono Lake.
Mono Lake
"Mono Lake lies in a lifeless, hideous desert ... This solemn, silent, sailless sea - this lonely tenant of the loneliest spot on earth - is little graced with the picturesque."Mono Lake in California is nearly 700,000 years old, making it one of the oldest lakes in North America. Throughout its long existence, salts and minerals have washed into the lake from Eastern Sierra streams, but there is no outlet. Fresh water evaporating leaves behind salts and minerals so that now Mono Lake is about 2 1/2 times as salty and 80 times as alkaline as the ocean. Swimmers in the lake find that they literally cannot sink (dissolved carbonates, chlorides and sulfates make floating easy) but their skin does tend to bleach and burn in the alkaline water.
Mark Twain, Roughing It, 1875
Left: Mars Global Surveyor image of Gusev Crater and Ma'adim Valles. More images and information.
There is almost certainly no life in places like Gusev Crater today. All the ancient ponds and lakes on Mars are now bone dry and scorched by solar UV radiation. Nevertheless, there could be fossils of life forms that thrived billions of years ago, and a curious geological feature of Mono Lake may be telling us where and how to look for them.
At first glance the most striking aspect of Mono Lake are the weird mineral spires called tufa, a type of freshwater limestone. They are formed when calcium-rich spring water bubbles up through the alkaline lake, which is rich in bicarbonate. The calcium and bicarbonate combine, precipitating out as limestone. Tufa towers only grow while underwater, but at Mono Lake they can be seen towering as much as 12 feet above the surface. That's because the lake level has been lowered in recent years to supply water to Los Angeles, 360 miles to the south.
"Whenever you have minerals that precipitate rapidly as they do around the springs in Mono Lake, microorganisms become entombed," says Farmer. "The fossils of soft-bodied microbes formed by this process could be preserved for billions of years."
Farmer has spent many years studying the tufa at Mono Lake as an analog of carbonate deposits that might one day be discovered on Mars.
"There are lots of microfossils here and there in the tufa, formed where the rapid precipitation of carbonates captured microorganisms," continued Farmer. "I've seen larval casings of alkaline flies and cyanobacteria fossils, also things that look like algae (simple multicellular plants). I haven't yet found any fossils of brine shrimp, but I'm still looking."
"In thin sections of tufa I've also found clumps of decayed organic material called kerogen, which may contain chemofossil signatures. Chemofossils are the chemicals produced by the breakdown of cell walls. For example, Mono Lake diatoms have a hard shell with an organic coating that protects them from the alkaline water. When they die, the coating dissolves and so does the diatom. All that's left of this organic material is trace chemicals. It is possible to relate such products to specific organisms like diatoms or algae, but its not always easy. You have to become a Sherlock Holmes and piece together what the community must have been like from clues (both chemical and fossil) that are preserved."
"In evaporative basins, there's a lot of variation in chemistry from basin to basin, and throughout the history of the lake," Farmer continued. "What's beautiful about Mono Lake is that we have an active system of tufa-formation and mineral precipitation. Other paleo lake basins in Western North America are now dry because the climate has changed and evaporation now dominates inflow."
In Search of Mono Lake -- on Mars?Finding microfossils on Mars won't be easy, even if life once existed there. After all Mars is a big planet and fossils are not likely to be found just anywhere. No one knows for sure, but Farmer and collaborators think that a good starting point might be evaporative basins with carbonate deposits where microbial fossils could be entombed, in other words, places that were once like Mono Lake.
The chemical mixture in an evaporative basin depends on what kinds of rocks are in the vicinity. When water flows into a lake, it flows over rocks and dissolves minerals and ions such as sodium, chloride ions, pottasium, calcium -- all the salts commonly found in the Western Salt Lakes. In an evaporative basin the salts and minerals become concentrated, and the lake naturally becomes alkaline with ph > 9. The detailed chemical balance depends on the details of the terrain. This general picture is true on both Mars and Earth.
"Compared to Earth, Mars has a much different set of source rocks," explains Farmer. "On Mars the crust is more like the ocean floor on Earth, featuring basalts, iron, magnesium, and silicate-poor rocks. Rocks in the Mono Basin are enriched in silica, sodium and potassium. Because water was less abundant, it took longer to build up briney water on Mars through evaporation. But the waters there would be richer in calcium, magnesium, and iron. In spite of these chemical differences, the basic picture is still the same: rapid precipitation of minerals would have been an important process in these ancient martian basins, and if microorganisms were there, their fossils would have been entombed."
Phil Christensen, one of Farmer's collaborators, is using the Thermal Emission Spectrograph (TES) on Mars Global Surveyor to search out places on Mars with tufa-like carbonate formations in evaporated lake beds. Carbonates have specific kinds of absorption features in mid-infrared spectra that should be easy to identify. Unfortunately, the resolution of the TES is only 3 km/pixel, which would make smaller carbonate deposits like those at Mono Lake difficult to detect. In March 2001 an Arizona State University instrument called THEMIS (Thermal Emission Imaging System) is scheduled for launch on NASA's Mars Surveyor 2001 orbiter. With a spatial resolution of 100m per pixel, the ASU spectrometer could easily detect the signature of carbonate deposits at the scale of the Mono Lake tufas.
Above: Sample carbonate absorption spectra in the mid-infrared. More information from the USGS.
"I'm optimistic," concludes Farmer. "Eventually I believe we're going to find carbonate deposits on Mars -- places that remind us of Mono Lake -- and when we do we'll have strong arguments for a landing site for exobiology. It's just a matter of time." Related Links Related Stories:
The Red Planet in 3D -- New data from Mars Global Surveyor reveal the topography of Mars better than many continental regions on Earth. May 27, 1999 NASA NASA Science News
Search for life on Mars will start in Siberia -- Russian and NASA scientists will look for life forms in the inhospitable realm of Siberian permafrost. May 27, 1999 NASA NASA Science News
Stormy weather on Mars -- During the recent close approach of Mars to Earth, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope spotted a gigantic storm swirling near the Red Planet's north pole. May 19, 1999 NASA NASA Science News
Mars unveils a magnetic personality -- Plate tectonics on the Red Planet might have important consequences for ancient Martian life. Apr 30, 1999 NASA NASA Science News
Plate tectonics on Mars? -- Magnetic stripes on the surface of Mars are similar to fields in the sea floors of Earth. Apr 29, 1999 NASA NASA Science News
A close encounter with the Red Planet -- Mars makes its closest approach to Earth in 1999. Apr 23, 1999 NASA NASA Science News
A new face on Mars has scientists smiling -- MGS beams back pictures of the "Happy Face Crater". Mar. 12, 1999 NASA NASA Science News
Related Web Links:
Gusev Crater and Ma'adim Vallis -- Global Surveyor images
Mars weather, climate, and life FAQ -- from NASA/Ames
www.MonoLake.org -- Mono Lake home page
What would happen to a dead body on Mars? -- NASA/Ames Quest Ask-a-Scientist query
Mars Surveyor 2001 -- home page at JPL
Mars Global Surveyor -- home page at JPL
THEMIS -- Thermal Emission Imaging System from ASU
ASU Planetary Exploration Lab -- Thermal Emission Imaging System from ASU
NASA Astrobiology -- an excellent website from NASA/Ames
Appendix: Where did all the water go?There may have once been ponds and lakes on Mars, but they're dry now. Physical conditions on the surface of Mars, namely low atmospheric pressure and low temperature, conspire to make liquid water unstable. The average atmospheric pressure on Mars is only about 6 millibars compared to the Earth's average pressure of 1013 millibars. The average surface temperature on Mars is about -60 deg C compared to the Earth's 15 deg C. At certain locations and times on Mars, when the air pressure is high enough and the temperature is above freezing (greater than 0 deg C), liquid water is theoretically possible; but the rate of evaporation would be so great that liquid water (if it were present) would rapidly vaporize.
Nevertheless, there is widespread evidence of dried-up valleys and channels thought to have been eroded by liquid water. Many Martian outflow channels strongly resemble flood channels on Eath, like those in eastern Washington in the USA. On Mars they may have formed when groundwater or subsurface slush was catastrophically brought to the surface, perhaps triggered by large impacts or "marsquakes". On the other hand, geological studies of the valley networks suggest that these must have been gradually eroded by running water: some show morphology suggesting formation by groundwater sapping (i.e. when a river is fed by a spring and the valley grows by headward erosion); others seem to have been produced by precipitation runoff. The valley networks are almost completely (but not quite) restricted to ancient upper highlands, dated as 3.5 to 4.0 billion years old from the quantity of impact craters, so it is postulated that environmental conditions on Mars must have been conducive to liquid water at this time.
The upper limit on the present amount of water on the martian surface is 800,000 to 1.2 million cubic miles (3.2 to 4.7 million cubic kilometers), or about 1.5 times the amount of ice covering Greenland. If both caps are composed completely of water, the combined volumes are equivalent to a global layer 66 to 100 feet (22 to 33 meters) deep, about one-third the minimum volume of a proposed ancient ocean on Mars.


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Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev (23 April 1891 – 5 March 1953) was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor who mastered numerous musical genres and is regarded as one of the major composers of the 20th century. His best-known works are the five piano concertos, nine completed piano sonatas and seven symphonies. Besides many other works, Prokofiev also composed family favourites, such as the March from The Love for Three Oranges, the suite Lieutenant Kijé, the ballet Romeo and Juliet – from which "Dance of the Knights" is taken – and Peter and the Wolf.
A graduate of the St Petersburg Conservatory, Prokofiev initially made his name as an iconoclastic composer-pianist, achieving notoriety with a series of ferociously dissonant and virtuosic works for his instrument and his first two piano concertos. Prokofiev's first major success breaking out of the composer-pianist mould was with his purely orchestral Scythian Suite, compiled from music originally composed for a ballet commissioned by Sergei Diaghilev of the Ballets Russes; Diaghilev commissioned three further ballets from Prokofiev – Chout, Le pas d'acier and The Prodigal Son – which at the time of their original production were all highly successful. Prokofiev's greatest interest, however, was opera, and he composed several works in that genre, including The Gambler and The Fiery Angel. Prokofiev's one relative success in that genre during his lifetime was The Love for Three Oranges, composed for Chicago and subsequently performed over the following decade in Europe and Russia.
After the Revolution, Prokofiev left Russia with the official blessing of the Soviet minister Anatoly Lunacharsky, and he lived in the United States, then Germany, then Paris, during which time he married a Spanish singer, Carolina ('Lina') Codina, with whom he had two sons. Because of the increasing economic deprivation of Europe, Prokofiev returned to Russia in 1936. He enjoyed some success there – notably with Lieutenant Kijé, Peter and the Wolf, Romeo and Juliet, and perhaps above all with Alexander Nevsky. The Nazi invasion of the USSR spurred him to compose his most ambitious work, an operatic version of Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace. In 1948 Prokofiev was criticized for "anti-democratic formalism", and with his income severely curtailed was forced to compose Stalinist works such as On Guard for Peace. However, he also enjoyed personal and artistic support from a new generation of Russian performers, notably Sviatoslav Richter and Mstislav Rostropovich and for the latter he composed his Symphony-Concerto.
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NEW YORK, NY – The president made his much controversial appearance on The View!
President Barack Obama went through with his appearance on The View and touched on a variety of current issues. He said Thursday that the racial firestorm that led to the ouster of a black Agriculture Department official was a "phony controversy" generated by the media. He said his administration overreacted by forcing her out.
Obama said on ABC's daytime talk show that the forced resignation of Shirley Sherrod shows racial tensions still exist in America.
"There are still inequalities out there. There's still discrimination out there," Obama said. "But we've made progress."
Sherrod was forced to resign after a conservative website posted an edited video of her speaking about race. Sherrod said the video took her remarks out of context. When her full remarks were discovered, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack apologized and offered Sherrod a new job at the department.
Obama shared his displeasure with the media and the picture they painted of the incident. He blamed the media culture for the way the situation unfolded, that they seek conflict at the expense of the facts. He added, however, "A lot of people overreacted, including in my administration."
Obama's interview with The View was the first appearance on a daytime talk show by a sitting president.
The president side-stepped a question about whether actor Mel Gibson should go to anger management classes, joking that he'd rather answer a question about the war in Afghanistan. He also seemed to have no knowledge of "Snooki" from MTV's "Jersey Shore."
"Nobody wants to send me the real juicy stuff," he said. "It's all very official."
NEW YORK, NY – The president made his much controversial appearance on The View!


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Why I Love & Hate Windows 8
So the Windows 8 release date has been and gone, in our Windows 8 review it walked away with a Recommended Award and for those still confused about Microsoft's most ambitious version of Windows to date you can read our launch guide FAQ. But as with so many purchases, it's ultimately how Windows 8 makes you feel that's most important and for me it's a love and hate thing.
I've been running Windows 8 for some time now and I wouldn't go back to Windows 7 because there are numerous aspects I wouldn't want to live without. Then again, as the title suggests, there are also many things that are incredibly irritating too. So as I go through the main reasons for both perhaps it will help you decide whether Window's latest upgrade is for you or not.
It's Windows 7 v2.0
For all the hype surrounding the Modern UI what has been forgotten is the place where PC and laptop owners will spend most time is the desktop and it is just like Windows 7, but better. Windows 8's desktop environment operates faster on the same hardware and is more forgiving on battery life. Tacky performance hogging Aero effects have gone; text, geometry and image rendering have all been improved, file copying can finally be paused and the platform is rock solid. Should everything go wrong 'PC Refresh' will reinstall Windows but keep all your personal data and settings. Similarly upgrading from Windows 7 is utterly painless and even our open browser tabs remained in place once complete.
These improvements (and many others) are largely incremental, but the overall experience is better than Windows 7 and even if you hate the idea of the Modern UI and apps this should be at the forefront of your thoughts.
Jarring Environments
Windows 8 offers two user experiences, the desktop and Modern UI, but it refuses to let you remain in either for any length of time. The loss of the Start Bar to the former and the lack of core settings displayed in the latter mean you are continually jumping in and out of both environments. Their drastically different visuals and style of navigation make it akin to driving on different sides of the road every few miles.
This is a jarring mental jump that I've found actually changes your physical position – you sit further forward with the smaller desktop UI and lean back with the big, touch friendly Modern UI; Expect many amusing YouTube videos. Consequently while Microsoft may be keen to transition users to the Modern UI – where it clearly believes the long-term future of Windows lies – the solution it has found is far from seamless and occasionally infuriating.


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Clear-Com Promotes Bob Boster to Vice President of Worldwide Sales
ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA, JULY 14, 2010 - Clear-Com, a global leader in mission-critical voice communication systems, is pleased to announce the promotion of Bob Boster to Vice President of Worldwide Sales. Boster will oversee the sales activities for all of Clear-Com, both domestic and international, while further developing the company's strong relationships with its customers and channel partners.
Boster joined Clear-Com in 2006 as a Regional Sales Manager, and was then promoted to Director of Sales for Americas and Asia-Pacific in 2008. Under his leadership, Boster developed solid sales strategies and continued to strengthen channel relationships throughout the North America and Latin America regions. His exhaustive efforts resulted in delivering stellar sales performances, period after period and expanding Clear-Com's footprint in tertiary markets. Boster was also directly responsible for solidifying new intercom customers such as Direct TV and the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at the Arizona State University.
Building upon his previous responsibilities, Boster will now use his extensive experience working in international broadcast markets to expand sales activities in the Europe, Middle East and Africa markets.
"The market landscape for intercom is changing rapidly. Customers are demanding more capabilities, flexibility and simpler operations," says Boster. "Clear-Com, with its unique HelixNet platform and broadest range of wireless solutions in the market, continues to meet the need for a variety of communication applications. In my new role, I am committed to making Clear-Com the first choice in intercom solutions for customers around the globe."
Before joining Clear-Com, Boster held the position of Vice President of Sales for the western U.S. region at ENCO Systems, a leading provider of digital audio delivery systems. At ENCO Systems, Bob also held positions as product manager, general manager and managing director. He has worked closely with high-profile clients and played a critical role in the growth of the company and ongoing product development. Prior to ENCO Systems, Bob worked in software development at Orban, focusing on user interface development and strengthening client relationships.
"Bob's promotion to Vice President of Worldwide Sales reflects not only his outstanding performance as a leader in the sales organization, but also his personal commitment in helping customers succeed with Clear-Com solutions," says Matt Danilowicz, President and Managing Director, Clear-Com. "Since arriving at the company four years ago, Bob has progressively taken on more responsibility with our sales efforts, delivering excellent sales results every step of the way. There is no other person better suited for the job."
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It is a journey the state, federal, and local agencies don't always wish to take–a journey to face the numbers of our watershed…
Today, Dr Gary Goforth (http://garygoforth.net) shares his most recent report, "Water Quality Assessment of the St Lucie River Watershed, For Water Year 2017, DRAFT."
Mind you, for non-scientist people like myself, a "water year" is reported from May of one year, through April the next year, as opposed to a calendar year.
The full report is linked at the bottom of the post and contains numerous helpful charts. I have just included the key findings below.
Dr Goforth wanted to get the draft assessment out before the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Basin Management Action Plan workshop scheduled for this Friday Aug. 25th at 10:00 am at Martin County Building Permits Office, 900 Southeast Ruhnke Street, Stuart, FL 34994, Conference Rooms A & B because this is where the rubber hits the road! FDEP: (http://www.dep.state.fl.us/central/Home/Watershed/BMAP.htm)
Water Quality Assessment of the St. Lucie River Watershed –Water Year 2017 – DRAFT Gary Goforth, P.E., Ph.D.
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? (Who watches the Watchers?)
Key Findings:
1. Over the last water year (May 2016 – April 2017), the surface water entering the St. Lucie River and Estuary (SLRE) in general was of poor water quality. The best water quality entering the SLRE was from the highly urbanized Tidal Basins. The largest source of phosphorus, nitrogen and sediment pollution to the SLRE was Lake Okeechobee discharges. The C-44 Canal Basin contributed poor water quality, and was the only basin demonstrating a worsening in water quality over the last ten years.
2. It was estimated that stormwater runoff from agricultural land use contributed more flow and nutrient pollution than any other land use, even contributing more flow than Lake Okeechobee discharges.
3. The annual Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) progress reports produced by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection continue to indicate water quality conditions in the tributaries of the SLRE are better than they actually are. Examples of flaws in the BMAP assessment process include the omission of Lake Okeechobee pollution loads, the use of simulated data instead of observed data, the inability to account for hydrologic variability, and the inability to assess individually each of the major basins contributing to the SLRE.
4. An alternative to the assessment approach presented in the BMAP progress reports was developed and used to evaluate water quality conditions of major inflows to the SLRE and to assess progress towards achieving the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) load reduction goals. This alternative approach uses observed data, includes Lake discharges, accounts for hydrologic variability, and is applied to each of the major basins contributing pollution loads to the SLRE. For WY2017, observed nitrogen loads to the SLRE exceeded the Phase 1 BMAP target loads (adjusted for hydrologic variability) by 77 percent. Observed phosphorus loads exceeded the Phase 1 BMAP target loads (adjusted for hydrologic variability) by 53 percent.
5. The largest single source of total nitrogen, total phosphorus and sediment load to the SLRE was Lake Okeechobee discharges. In addition, total phosphorus concentrations in Lake Okeechobee discharges to the SLRE remained almost four times the lake's TMDL in-lake target concentration of 40 parts per billion (ppb). In 2017, the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) reported that phosphorus loading to the lake from surrounding watersheds was almost 5 times the Lake's TMDL of 105 metric tons, yet staff acknowledged the agency does not enforce permits that set numeric limits on phosphorus discharges to the lake[1] (SFWMD 2016, SFWMD 2017). Unfortunately, despite the continued and well-publicized pollution of the lake, the Florida legislature in 2016 enacted a water bill that pushed back deadlines for achieving the lake's TMDL by decades (Ch. 2016-1).
6. The best water quality entering the SLRE during WY2017 was observed in the highly urbanized Tidal Basins, with concentrations of 97 ppb and 819 ppb for TP and TN, respectively. Each of the remaining source basins, except the C-44 Canal Basin[2], exhibited a slight improvement in nutrient levels compared to their base periods, however, collectively these WY2017 loads did not achieve the alternative BMAP Phase 1 load target (Figures ES-1 and ES-2). The C-23 and Tidal Basins met the alternative BMAP Phase 1 target for TP, while the C-23, C-24 and Tidal Basins met the alternative BMAP Phase 1 target for TN. The predominantly agricultural C-44 Canal Basin exhibited poor nutrient conditions, and in fact, continued a trend of deteriorating nutrient conditions compared to its 1996-2005 base period. As a whole, the water quality entering the SLRE remains poor, although a slight improvement over the 1996-2005 period was observed.
FULL REPORT below: the complete report can be seen/downloaded from Dr Goforth's website under "Estuaries and Lake Okeechobee:" http://www.garygoforth.net/DRAFT%20-%20Water%20Quality%20Assessment%20of%20the%20SLRW%20-%20Water%20Year%202017.pdf
Dr Goforth's website:(http://garygoforth.net)


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Stocks closed out a lackluster first quarter with a sprinting to the finish on Monday.
The Dow rose about 135 points, while the S&P 500 is at 1872, within spitting distance of its all-time high (1883, set earlier this month). The Nasdaq jumped over 1%.
Investors cheered a speech by Janet Yellen in Chicago Monday morning in which she maintained the Fed will support the economy "for some time to come."
"This commitment is strong, and I believe the Fed's policies will continue to help sustain progress in the job market," she said.
But it's been a choppy three months. The Dow is still in the red, while the S&P 500 is up 1.3%. The Nasdaq had been the best performing major market index for most of the first quarter, but is now up only 0.5% after a big sell-off in momentum stocks recently.
And CNNMoney's new Tech 30 index is down for the year.
Airlines have been among the better performing stocks so far. Shares of Delta Air Lines (DAL) and Southwest (LUV) are both up around 25%.
Looking ahead to the second quarter, investors hope strong economic data and fading geopolitical risks in Ukraine and beyond will help stocks continue their five-year bull run.
There is little economic or corporate news on the docket Monday, but investors are gearing up for a busy week which culminates with the European Central Bank meeting Thursday and the US government's jobs report on Friday.
Related: Fear & Greed Index moves back to neutral
Shares of General Motors (GM) were down as investors continue to worry about the company's handling of a recall for a flawed ignition switch in several of its models. The stock is off 16% so far this year. GM CEO Mary Barra will testify before Congress on Tuesday and Wednesday about the problems, which have been blamed for at least 13 fatalities.
But StockTwits trader smathan75 was optimistic about the stock's long-term prospects.
"$GM...this will blow over and in a couple years it has 30-40% upside," he said.
BlackBerry (BBRY) shares fell just under 4% after the struggling smartphone maker was downgraded by several analysts Monday morning. After enjoying an early boost in 2013 on hopes of new CEO John Chen's turnaround strategy, BlackBerry has tanked in recent days despite reporting a narrower-than-expected loss.
But StockTwits trader LYogi didn't mind the dip.
"$BBRY to those with patience and fortitude, today is a huge buying opportunity," he said.
"$BBRY ultimately JC will turn this thing around....i just hope i'm not broke by then," echoed ashlarry.
Shares of Disney (DIS)bounced after its movie "Frozen" became the highest grossing animated film of all time after opening big in Japan over the weekend.
Google (GOOG) shares dropped modestly ahead of the tech giant's much anticipated 2-for-1 stock split later this week. Shareholders will get another share for each one they own currently. The stock split was first announced two years ago, but was held up by a legal battle in which some shareholders raised objections.
"$GOOG Waiting to see what happens when $GOOGL starts trading," said StockTwits trader ims99, referring to the two separate share classes that will coexist after the split.
European markets closed mixed, following lower-than-expected eurozone inflation data released Monday. The weak number is likely to revive talk that the European Central Bank could act at its meeting Thursday to boost the economy.
Asian markets ended mixed. The Shanghai Composite fell as investors wait for clarity from Beijing on possible new stimulus measures. The index has lost almost 4% this year on worries over slower economic growth in China.
-- CNNMoney's Annalyn Kurtz contributed to this report


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Garam Masala — Off the Beaten Aisle
First lesson of Indian cooking: Not all brown powders are curry powder.
Second lesson: Don't confuse heat and warmth, especially in Indian cuisine, as they are wildly different concepts.
Third lesson: Indian cooking is a deliciously inexact science. Embrace its freewheeling approach and all of your cooking, Indian and otherwise, will be better.
And all of that is why I want to introduce you to garam masala, a widely available yet little used (in the U.S.) seasoning blend from northern India. Like so many Indian spice blends, there is no set recipe for garam masala. The ingredients can vary tremendously by region and cook. But in general, it usually contains a mix of spices that are at once sweet and warming — coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, cumin and black pepper.
By warming, I mean the flavor has a fullness without acidity or sharp flavors. Think spice cookies and gingerbread minus the sugar. This is different than the spicy heat we associate with chili peppers.
That's a flavor profile not common to American cooking, but the wonders it works on roasted meats and vegetables make it worth changing that.
Garam masala differs from many spice blends in that the whole spices are toasted before being ground together. So why should you care about that?
Most spice blends, especially from India, are intended to be heated before use to draw out their flavor. This means they need to be added at the start of a recipe.
But because garam masala is already toasted, it can be used as a condiment on meats, cooked grains, even breads and yogurt dips.
- Mix garam masala with kosher salt and use as a steak rub.
- Buy prepared flatbread, such as naan, and heat it just until warm in a 200 degree F oven. Top with pats of butter and a sprinkling of garam masala.
- Toss cubed butternut squash, chopped carrots and potatoes with olive oil and salt. Roast, then drizzle with a bit more oil and sprinkle with garam masala.
- Mix a few pinches of garam masala and a bit of honey into plain Greek-style yogurt for a dip for vegetables, breadsticks or roasted meatballs (think party food).
- Add ½ teaspoon to a double chocolate chip cookie recipe. Seriously.
Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat two baking sheets with oil or cooking spray.
Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and add enough cool water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well.
Return the potatoes to the pot and set over medium heat. Heat, shaking the pan frequently to keep the potatoes moving, for 1 minute, or until dry.
Transfer the potatoes to the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches around each. One at a time, set a sturdy mug over each and push down to lightly crush. They should be lightly cracked and slightly flattened, but not falling apart.
In a small liquid measuring cup, whisk together the olive oil and garam masala. Drizzle the oil over the potatoes, coating each one well.
Season the potatoes with salt and pepper, then roast for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Sprinkle the Manchego over each, then return to the oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the cheese begins to brown.
J.M. Hirsch is the national food editor for The Associated Press. He is the author of the recent cookbook High Flavor, Low Labor: Reinventing Weeknight Cooking . He also blogs at jmhirsch.