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The philosophy "practice makes perfect" has never rung more true than with the groundbreaking musicality of DJ Nova. Inspired by the art of turntablism and motivated by the revolutionary spins of his predecessors, this Northern Virginia native is permanently leaving his imprint in the world of successful DJs.
DJ Nova began his rise as an evolving artist as a freshman in college, quickly discovering his tremendous talents and passion for exciting people with his music. Enthused by turntable masters in old DMC competition videos, Nova spent his beginnings practicing on borrowed tables and crates of various records, to which he shaped his recognition and appreciation for numerous music styles. Nova skillfully sharpened his musical and creative flair with his dedication to his personal mantra, proving his diligence in perfecting his art.
From spending countless hours as an aspiring DJ to getting his first local gigs, Nova has since dominated the tables for crowds of thousands including various venues in Orlando and throughout the country. With his undeniable knack for knowing his music, seamlessly manipulating beats and understanding the unique tastes of each audience, DJ Nova has earned himself among the top ranks of today's distinct artists.
As new DJ technologies are constantly being introduced, DJ Nova's many talents include his ability to adapt while never losing sight of the fundamentals of this beloved underground art. He is on the forefront of his career and, with undying persistence and an innate musical comprehension, he continues to exemplify why practice actually does make perfect.


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RLS IDX Data display by Douglas Elliman.
Property Description
Click for NYS Housing Discrimination Disclosure Notice & Form
WE ARE OPEN FOR BUSINESS 7 DAYS A WEEK DURING THIS TIME! VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSES AVAILABLE DAILY . WE CAN DO VIRTUAL SHOWINGS AT ANYTIME AT YOUR CONVENIENCE. PLEASE CALL OR EMAIL TO SCHEDULE AN IMMEDIATE VIRTUAL SHOWING APPOINTMENT. We are located just blocks away from the Hudson Rail Yards and the Hi Line Park. The Atelier has become a Manhattan luxury landmark. Many stars call Atelier their home and Atelier will now take you to the stars with 2 seats offered on on a outerspace flight with any units over $10M. All of our units are one of a kind. each has breathtaking unobstructed double exposure city and river views from floor to ceiling windows. The apartments feature stainless steel Bosch (dish washer, W/D, stove and microwave) and Sub Zero ( Fridge) appliances, white oak flooring , granite countertops in kitchen , marble bathrooms , washer/dryer in the unit , walk-in closets with white oak and glass pantries. The building amenities are 24-hour concierge/valet, tennis court, golf driving range , large lap swimming pool , sauna, residents' multi-media lounge and billiards room on the 47th floor, valet services ( laundry and dry cleaning on site) , state-of-the-art fitness center , yoga/pilates studio , fully-landscaped terraces/sundeck , building-wide wireless Internet system , on-site storage available , bike storage , pet friendly , valet parking available , basketball courts, bocci ball , free bicycle Usage , BBQ Grills , free daily breakfast and a cross town shuttle bus. Pictures are of our model unit stock photos. Square Footage is approximate along with common charges/ Taxes, actual amounts may vary.
- Interior
- 680 Sq Ft.
- $600
- Property Type
- Condominium
- $800
- Year Built
- 2005
- MLS/Listing ID
- 21906976
- Doorman
- Laundry
- Courtyard
- Roof Deck
- Exercise Room
- Concierge Services
- Air Conditioning
- Garage
- Pets Allowed

subset: commoncrawl


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We probably can't teach old dog new tricks, so we're stuck dozing off while looking at pics of Lleyton Hewitt languishing in Yonex. (Can he retire already? Please?)
The Aussie won his first rounder at this week's Rakuten Japan Open, taking out wildcard Tatsuma Ito 6-1, 7-5. Couple this with top seed Juan Martin del Potro's first-round loss to Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Lleyton has a decent shot to get to the quarterfinals!
Buy: For those absolutely interested, you can pick up versions of the Yonex New York Crew for $44.99.
(image via Getty)


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Swipey Rogue is an Arcade Mashup of Swipe-Action Auto-Running & Dungeon-Crawling Room-Puzzling. Master and Explore endless rooms in Mythical, Dungeonous, Dwarven Mines while controlling your always running hero with simple direction swipes. Test your skills in Challenge Saga, or push your luck in Free Running mode.
Only registered members can share their thoughts. So come on! Join the community today (totally free - or sign in with your social account on the right) and join in the conversation.
Swipey Rogue Press Kit - Free Running Gameplay 8


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The plan, bollixed up for days by election-year politics, would give the administration broad power to use taxpayers' money to purchase billions upon billions of home mortgage-related assets held by cash-starved financial firms.
Flexing its political muscle, Congress insisted on a stronger hand in controlling the money than the White House had wanted. Lawmakers had to navigate between angry voters with little regard for Wall Street and administration officials who warned that inaction would cause the economy to seize up and spiral into recession.
A deal in hand, Capitol Hill leaders scrambled to sell it to colleagues in both parties and acknowledged they were not certain it would pass. "Now we have to get the votes," said Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., the majority leader.
The final legislation was released Sunday evening. House Republicans and Democrats met privately to review it and decide how they would vote. "This isn't about a bailout of Wall Street, it's a buy-in, so that we can turn our economy around," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
The largest government intervention in financial markets since the Great Depression casts Washington's long shadow over Wall Street. The government would take over huge amounts of devalued assets from beleaguered financial companies in hopes of unlocking frozen credit.
"I don't know of anyone here who wants the center of the economic universe to be Washington," said a top negotiator, Sen. Chris Dodd, chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. But, he added, "The center of gravity is here temporarily. ... God forbid it's here any longer than it takes to get credit moving again."
The plan would let Congress block half the money and force the president to jump through some hoops before using it all. The government could get at $250 billion immediately, $100 billion more if the president certified it was necessary, and the last $350 billion with a separate certification -- and subject to a congressional resolution of disapproval.
Still, the resolution could be vetoed by the president, meaning it would take extra-large congressional majorities to stop it. Lawmakers who struck a post-midnight deal on the plan with Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson predicted final congressional action might not come until Wednesday.
The proposal is designed to end a vicious downward spiral that has battered all levels of the economy. Hundreds of billions of dollars in investments based on mortgages have soured and cramped banks' willingness to lend.
"This is the bottom line: If we do not do this, the trauma, the chaos and the disruption to everyday Americans' lives will be overwhelming, and that's a price we can't afford to risk paying," Sen. Judd Gregg, the chief Senate Republican in the talks, told The Associated Press. "I do think we'll be able to pass it, and it will be a bipartisan vote."
A breakthrough came when Democrats agreed to incorporate a GOP demand -- letting the government insure some bad home loans rather than buy them. That would limit the amount of federal money used in the rescue.
Another important bargain, vital to attracting support from centrist Democrats, would require that the government, after five years, submit a plan to Congress on how to recoup any losses from the companies that got help.
"This is something that all of us will swallow hard and go forward with," said Republican presidential nominee John McCain. "The option of doing nothing is simply not an acceptable option."
His Democratic rival Barack Obama sought credit for taxpayer safeguards added to the initial proposal from the Bush administration. "I was pushing very hard and involved in shaping those provisions," he said.
Later, at a rally in Detroit, Obama said, "it looks like we will pass that plan very soon."
House Republicans said they were reviewing the plan. As late as Sunday afternoon, Republicans regarded the deal as "a proposal that is promising in principle, but that is still not final," said Antonia Ferrier, a spokeswoman for Missouri Rep. Roy Blunt, the top House GOP negotiator.
Executives whose companies benefit from the rescue could not get "golden parachutes" and would see their pay packages limited. Firms that got the most help through the program -- $300 million or more -- would face steep taxes on any compensation for their top people over $500,000.
The government would receive stock warrants in return for the bailout relief, giving taxpayers a chance to share in financial companies' future profits. To help struggling homeowners, the plan would require the government to try renegotiating the bad mortgages it acquires with the aim of lowering borrowers' monthly payments so they can keep their homes. But Democrats surrendered other cherished goals: letting judges rewrite bankrupt homeowners' mortgages and steering any profits gained toward an affordable housing fund. It was Obama who first signaled Democrats were willing to give up some of their favorite proposals. He told reporters Wednesday that the bankruptcy measure was a priority, but that it "probably something that we shouldn't try to do in this piece of legislation." "It's not a bill that any one of us would have written. It's a much better bill than we got. It's not as good as it should be," said Democratic Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts, the House Financial Services Committee chairman. He predicted it would pass, though not by a large majority. Frank negotiated much of the compromise in a marathon series of up-and-down meetings and phone calls with Paulson, Dodd, D-Conn., and key Republicans including Gregg and Blunt. Pelosi shepherded the discussions at key points, and cut a central deal Saturday night -- on companies paying back taxpayers for any losses -- that gave momentum to the final accord. An extraordinary week of talks unfolded after Paulson and Ben Bernanke, the Federal Reserve chairman, went to Congress 10 days ago with ominous warnings about a full-blown economic meltdown if lawmakers did not act quickly to infuse huge amounts of government money into a financial sector buckling under the weight of toxic debt. The negotiations were shaped by the political pressures of an intense campaign season in which voters' economic concerns figure prominently. They brought McCain and Obama to Washington for a White House meeting that yielded more discord and behind-the-scenes theatrics than progress, but increased the pressure on both sides to strike a bargain. Lawmakers in both parties who are facing re-election are loath to embrace a costly plan proposed by a deeply unpopular president that would benefit perhaps the most publicly detested of all: companies that got rich off bad bets that have caused economic pain for ordinary people. But many of them say the plan is vital to ensure their constituents don't pay for Wall Street's mistakes, in the form of unaffordable credit and major hits to investments they count on, like their pensions. Some proponents even said taxpayers could come out as financial winners. Gregg, R-N.H., said: "I don't think we're going to lose money, myself. We may -- it's possible -- but I doubt it in the long run."


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Ah yes, a second chance! @Legoboy won't be able to take it from me this time :o)SirKevbags said:
Next prize.....
Any excuse to post my plastic self and the first shot of the Hairy Fairy in the wild. His value has been established as £220 and number 2/4 will be available as a raffle prize. If you win one minifig this year, make it this one!
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When I read that Senator Mark DeSaulnier was holding individual meetings at the Dougherty Valley Library this Saturday morning, I thought this might be a good opportunity to speak to him about saving the Mudd's Restaurant building from being sold by the State Department of Finance.
Like Alice Waters, Virginia Mudd was a pioneer in the organic gardening and locavore movements of the 1970s and '80s. Virginia Mudd was active in the planning and design of the restaurant bearing her name on Crow Canyon Place next to Crow Canyon Gardens.
The City's Redevelopment Agency bought the Mudd's property in 2008 and budgeted $215K for repairs to the buildings, but a year later the RDA sought to lease the property to another restaurateur to replace the building with his own. Fortunately for Mudd's that deal fell through.
Governor Jerry Brown passed a law to dissolve all Redevelopment Agencies in 2012. Brown's new law required the former RDA form a Successor Agency to take over disposition of RDA property. San Ramon's Successor Agency is the City Council. An Oversight Board was appointed to represent the taxing agencies that would split up the proceeds from the sale of RDA properties to replace a portion of their Property Tax revenue.
Mudd's is the only saleable property asset owned by the RDA. The Oversight Board is still waiting for approval by the State Dept. of Finance of the Long Range Property Management Plan (LRPMP) before the property can be sold. Below is the paragraph on the sale of Mudd's in the LRPMP.
"The LRPMP seeks to sell the property and distribute the net proceed s from the sale, as property tax revenue distributed to the taxing entities. Net proceeds are the revenue generated by the sale, minus any legal, consultant, commission, or other costs associated with the sale."
Senator DeSaulnier was scheduled to be at the Dougherty Valley Library between 10 am and 1 pm. I got to the Library at 10:30 am and meetings were already underway. I filled out a form with my purpose for speaking to Senator DeSaulnier and included a brief history of Mudd's written by Jim Gibbon.
Donna Kerger was waiting with a friend to speak to Senator DeSaulnier. I asked Donna why she was there. It was to accompany her friend to ask the Senator to keep necessary services for the poor and disabled in the State's budget.
The interviews seemed to be moving slowly. Donna said she was the second one to hand in a form for the appointment but her meeting was not until almost 11 am. After Donna and her friend went into the interview room, Dorothy Hann came into the Library and sat near me. Dorothy fosters cats for Safe-Cat. When I was still fostering cats, Dorothy and I represented the Safe Cat Foundation at the Blessing of the Animals at Peace Lutheran Church.
I asked Dorothy what she wanted to speak to Senator DeSaulnier about. She said it was to "be kind to animals." I'm not sure what he could do about that, but I'm for being kind to animals and getting more people to be kind to animals too.
I wanted to ask Senator DeSaulnier to support Jim Gibbon's nomination of Mudd's as a "California Historical Landmark." I hoped this designation would prevent any buyer from tearing the building down or making changes that would reduce its historical and architectural significance.
The application requires permission from the building's owner. Right now we don't know who the owner is. I thought it is the RDA Successor Agency, which is the City Council. Gibbon and I have both asked the Successor Agency to sign the application, but so far they have not responded to this request.
City Attorney Bob Saxe said the State might be the owner, since all RDA properties are to be sold by the State Department of Finance now that RDAs have been dissolved. I didn't want that to happen to Mudd's. So I was gearing up to give Senator DeSaulnier my most persuasive pitch on why Mudd's should be rescued from RDA limbo.
It turned out I didn't have to persuade Senator DeSaulnier at all. He not only knew about the restaurant and the building, he had been in the restaurant business many years ago and almost took over Mudd's in the 90s but decided to go into politics instead. He kept saying "It's a beautiful building."
It is a beautiful building but it is in sore need of maintenance and repairs, since it has been sitting vacant and unattended for five years now. Matthew Larson of The Growing Room has presented offers to buy the property to the RDA Successor Agency and the Oversight Board.
The Growing Room appears to be an ideal buyer. They are willing to restore and maintain the building in its original form and use it as a Nature Center and day care. The Oversight Board has said they cannot consider Larson's offer until the State Dept. of Finance approves the LRPMP.
Hopefully Senator DeSaulnier can get this process moving along or even remove Mudd's from the list of properties to be sold. Then the City can work out an arrangement with The Growing Room or find a way to restore the building and keep it as the valuable part of San Ramon it is.


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Published August 15, 2013 This content is archived.
The one woman Kerri Pryce dedicates his research to can hardly remember his name.
Diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, Pryce's grandmother is his inspiration to pursue a doctorate in pharmacology at the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Through his research, he hopes to develop medication, or even a cure, for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Recently named one of two recipients of the SUNY Doctoral Diversity Fellowship in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) for 2013-14, Pryce is one step closer to helping his grandmother and those with similar conditions.
"When I think of my grandmother, I try not to think about all that she has lost due to Alzheimer's," says Pryce, who earned his BS in biology from Medgar Evers College. "Instead, I look forward to making more memories, even if to her I'm a different person each time.
"I aspire to find and develop medications for Alzheimer's so others can one day make memories that each person will cherish forever."
Through the SUNY fellowship, Pryce will receive a $20,000 stipend and an additional $2,000 to support his professional development. The doctoral diversity fellowship is among a number of initiatives designed by SUNY's Office of Diversity, Education and Inclusion to increase the number of historically underrepresented students studying at SUNY schools, particularly in STEM fields, which are facing a shortage of students and future professionals.
"An intellectually and culturally diverse community of students, faculty and staff in the STEM disciplines is necessary to achieve excellence in research, technology and health care," says Margarita L. Dubocovich, senior associate dean for inclusion and cultural enhancement in the UB medical school and chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology. "Fellowships such as the SUNY Doctoral Diversity Fellowship in STEM facilitate the development of a diverse workforce, making our institution thrive toward pre-eminence and allowing students such as Kerri to realize their dreams and make a difference in this ever-changing world."
Pryce not only broadens the cultural background of students within UB's pharmacology doctoral program, but also brings with him experiences outside of the classroom.
He was scholar athlete of the Year at Medgar Evers, successfully balancing his academics and time commitment to both the soccer and track and field teams. Moreover, his research on the effects of octopamine on the heart rate of the eastern oyster won second place in the biological sciences division of the 13th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium in the Chemical and Biological Sciences at the University at Maryland.
And after completing his undergraduate degree in 2011, Pryce spent time as a Medicare operations specialist at the Visiting Nurse Service of New York, the largest not-for-profit home health care organization in the United States. While there, he helped patients maximize their health insurance plans by communicating with doctors, setting up appointments and monitoring their medications.
"A diverse student body is one of the many ways students become better prepared scientists, educators and leaders in a global world," says Elizabeth Stone, assistant dean for administrative services in UB's Graduate School. "The education of our students is broadened by the variety of cultural perspectives, and this variety enhances their ability to identify the changing needs of our society."
Although Pryce is returning to the classroom, he knows his studies at UB will allow him to continue to help people.
"Pharmacology is a unique science," he says. "It allows me to do the research I love, but also develop medication and pharmaceutics to help the people I care for."


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MOUNTLAKE TERRACE — With its victory over Shorecrest last Tuesday, the Mountlake Terrace girls basketball team clinched at least a share of the Wesco 3A South championship.
The last time the Hawks won a league title their first-year head coach, Zach Wilde, wasn't even born. While the list of accomplishments in the Mountlake Terrace gym continued to grow longer for the boys — especially in recent years — the Lady Hawks hadn't won a league championship since 1980.
As the 24-year-old Wilde found out soon after accepting the Mountlake Terrace head coaching job last May, that wasn't the only thing the Hawks hadn't done in his lifetime.
"I didn't know it was 30-plus years since they won (the league)," said Wilde, a former basketball standout at Snohomish High School. "I didn't know it was 26 years since they beat Meadowdale, and I didn't know they had never beat Glacier Peak. I didn't know all those things, but I found out very quickly."
Wilde also quickly helped change things.
The Hawks finally defeated Meadowdale and Glacier Peak as they earned a share of the league title. They play host to Stanwood tonight in the opening round of the Class 3A District 1 tournament.
After finishing last a year ago at 5-8 in league and 7-12 overall, the Hawks had their confidence boosted this season by several key developments.
First, the Hawks traveled to Yakima to face 4A Davis in the SunDome. Playing in a state tournament-type atmosphere without one of their best players, senior Maddy Kristjanson, the Hawks improved to 3-0 with a 59-47 victory.
If that win didn't convince people that these weren't the same old Hawks, what they did three nights later certainly did. Trailing Edmonds-Woodway by 20 points with six minutes to play in the game, the Hawks pulled off a stunning comeback. Mountlake Terrace closed the game on a 23-2 run led by junior guard Samantha Romanowski, who scored half of her 32 points in the final quarter.
The Hawks won 63-62.
"Our mentality has really changed since last year," Romanowski said. "We have most of the same girls, but we got our confidence back and we believe in ourselves and put a lot more trust in each other."
With the E-W game on the line, Romanowski had no choice but to trust her teammates. With less than a minute to play, she fouled out.
Without Romanowski, senior Nikkie Froehlich stepped up and made sure the Hawks' fourth-quarter efforts weren't wasted. Her left-handed runner in the lane with 14 seconds remaining ultimately gave the Hawks the win.
"I had thrown it up and I was down on the ground," Froehlich said. "I didn't even look up to see if I made it, honestly. I was down on the ground and I looked up at the crowd and everyone screamed. I got the biggest smile on my face."
Wilde had reason to smile, too. The victory over Edmonds-Woodway helped his players buy into his philosophy that much more.
"When you're a coach and you're in a game like that, you have to try to keep them believing and keep them motivated and keep them focused on the game," Wilde said. "To actually have them come in and finish a game like that, all those things that the coach just said the players start believing."
Riding that emotional high, the Hawks defeated Meadowdale 40-36 three nights later, their first victory over the Chiefs-turned-Mavericks in 26 years. After five games, the Hawks had experienced more excitement than most teams get in a season, but it was just beginning.
Mountlake Terrace lost three of its next five games, a slide that would have been difficult to recover from in previous seasons, but the Hawks took it in stride.
The third of those three defeats, a 59-43 loss to Shorecrest on Jan. 3, was the Hawks' first league loss of the season. The setback came just five days before Mountlake Terrace's first game of the year against perennial league-power Glacier Peak.
Instead of imploding, the Hawks knocked another monkey of their back with a 50-48 win, their first ever over Glacier Peak.
"That was really big because we knew that was going to be one of our toughest games the whole year," Romanowski said. "They would probably kill us the previous years. This year when we came in there we played all four quarters. That was probably our best game."
It was the first of nine straight wins for the Hawks that included a sweep of the Wesco 3A North schools.
The final victory of the streak was last Tuesday's 61-60 win over Shorecrest. After being held scoreless since the first quarter, Romanowski knocked down a difficult contested 3-pointer with less than three seconds remaining that proved to be the game-winner.
"We knew we had it in ourselves and we knew we wanted it, but it was our work ethic that we didn't have last year," Romanowski said. "We didn't know how to obtain it last year. This year we've really put it into gear and we've put our heads in it. We work hard every day."
The Hawks lost their final game of the regular season to Glacier Peak, giving the Grizzlies a share of the league championship and the No. 1 seed from the Wesco South entering the 3A District 1 tournament. Mountlake Terrace settled for the No. 2 seed from the South.
Three of the eight teams in the district tournament advance to the state regionals, and if his team continues to improve, Wilde doesn't see why the Hawks can't be one of them.
"I don't think we've gotten to a point where we're just going to stabilize," Wilde said. "We can keep getting better every day and every week and that's what we need to focus on right now.
"I don't think there is anyone that this team fears."
Regardless of what happens in the coming weeks, the Hawks have given Wilde more than he could have ever asked for in his first season as a head coach.
"I think you'll remember your first year always," he said. "I got really lucky with the girls that I have and how they are and how much they love being around each other and being here. I haven't had a day where I haven't been excited to get to the gym. Out of all the years I've played and all the teams I've been on, this is probably the most exciting team I've ever been a part of."
Aaron Lommers covers prep sports for The Herald. Follow him on twitter @aaronlommers and contact him at firstname.lastname@example.com.
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text: This was our third trip to Wakatobi and it remains one of our favorite destinations. Located at the very tip of South Sulawesi in Indonesia, it is a very unique and remote dive resort with pristine reefs teeming with life. The biodiversity found in the area is phenomenal. We traveled with a group of friends and we are all planning to return in the near future.Read More


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New Shed, Civic Center Looking Good For A Reason
I would like to compliment the Valley County Road Department Supervisor and his crew on their fine job of constructing the new storage shed in the county yard.
As taxpayers, we appreciate the accomplishment of this project in your spare time, using largely salvaged materials (bridge timbers) and no doubt saving the community a lot of money. We also recognize that you didn't allow a little cold weather to send you back to the warm shop on a few those nasty days.
For anyone unfamiliar with this new structure, it is worth taking a look – very impressive and very sturdy.
Similarly, the custodian and his assistant at the Civic Center deserve a compliment for their wonderful effort toward sprucing-up and remodeling this important and historic old facility; also using salvaged materials and adding a fresh coat of paint. These two fellas are on the job shoveling snow, sweeping floors, picking trash, etc. before 7 every morning, at least five days a week, and sheet-rocking, smearing paint, or whatever else, in their spare time.
Anyone not having been to the Civic Center recently should stop by to observe the fresh look taken on by this great old building and the pride these two men take in their work; keeping it immaculately cleaned, shined and policed. It reminds one of a military facility ready for inspection and the public's use - every morning.
Steve Page


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On June 8, 2014, visitors to Old Sturbridge Village were delighted to view a number of antique carriages, with whips and passengers in period turnout, driving through the beautiful central area of the village. It was a special event in a spectacular setting!
This gallery contains a sampling of images from this event. Prints are available for purchase, as are CD's and digital files. You can order prints directly through the "Buy" button to the lower right of the individual images. If you would rather that I handled the order directly, or if you're interested in print sizes not available through the automated system, or if for any reason you can't make the system do what you want, or have any questions, please email me using the "contact me" link to the far left.
IMPORTANT NOTE -- Purchased prints may not be reproduced and may not be scanned for online posting. See "info about ordering" link on left for more detail.
If you are interested in CD's or digital files, use the Contact Me link for details. Pricing is dependent on the number of images and the desired resolution.
And as some of you know, I also make (and exhibit) "fine art" prints. They differ from the normal prints in that they are custom printed by me on more elegantr paper (usually rag). The prints have a richer look, and can be matted and framed or not. They are more expensive. Please inquire if interested (Contact Me link to left) in these or anything else (Canvas Prints, mugs, t-shirts etc.).
This gallery will be up for at least sixty days, but may be archived at any time after that.


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Retired president of Supreme Court of Israel is visiting jurist at UH Manoa law school
Aharon Barak is the school's first Myron H. Bright Jurist in ResidenceUniversity of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Dale Lee, (808) 956-8636
William S. Richardson School of Law
HONOLULU — The William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa announces that it is hosting Aharon Barak, retired president of the Supreme Court of Israel, as its first Myron H. Bright Jurist in Residence. Barak is currently in residence at the School of Law, along with Judge Myron H. Bright, through March 1.
The Myron H. Bright Jurist in Residence program was started by the Honorable Myron H. Bright, Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, to complement the biannual visit to the School of Law by a Jurist in Residence of the U.S. Supreme Court. While in residence, Barak will conduct various presentations and lectures for UH Mānoa law students, address the Hawaiʻi and Federal Bar at the State Supreme Court, and speak at a public forum at the East-West Center on Tuesday, Feb. 27, at 11:45 a.m.
Barak recently retired as president of Israel's Supreme Court after 11 years at its helm and 28 years in its service. Under his term, the Supreme Court issued rulings that have ensured the just application of the law for both Jews and Palestinians and protected democracy both from terrorism and from the means the state wants to use to fight terrorism. He was recently awarded the 2006 Justice Prize of the Peter Gruber Foundation, and described as "a person of outstanding courage and principle who has devoted his life to the promotion of justice and the just rule of law."
Barak received a Master of Arts degree in law in 1958 and a doctorate in 1963, both from Hebrew University where he was later appointed associate professor of law in 1968 and professor in 1972. Barak participated in the preparation of an international treaty on bills of exchange for the United Nations, and in 1975, was named Israel's attorney general, a position he held for three years before his appointment to the Supreme Court in 1978.
His address to the Hawaiʻi and Federal Bar at the State Supreme Court will take place on Friday, Feb. 23, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Entitled "Experiences from the Bench: A Conversation on Justice and Humanity," it is co-sponsored by the Federal Bar Association, Hawaiʻi Chapter, the Hawaiʻi Bar Association, and the International Law Section of the HSBA.
The public forum on Tuesday, Feb. 27, at 11:45 a.m. at the East-West Center's Asia Room is jointly held by the School of Law and the East-West Center and entitled "Terrorism and Torture: The Case of the Lesser of Two Evils — Is Torture Ever Permissible?"
Judge Bright, who founded the program at the Mānoa law school, was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit by Lyndon B. Johnson and has served on the federal appellate bench for more than 38 years. He also has served the cause of legal education by presenting jurists-in-residence programs, lecturing at law schools and to lawyers and judges in several states on evidence, trial and appellate advocacy, and writing extensively on those subjects in bar journals and legal publications. After military service in World War II, Bright graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1947 and practiced law for 21 years. He was also Distinguished Professor of Law at St. Louis University School of Law from 1985 to 1995, and served on the U.S. Judicial Conference Committee on International Relations from 1996 to 2003.
For more information, visit: http://www.hawaii.edu/law


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New Menchie's Store in Downers Park Plaza Celebrates Grand Opening with Week of Fun Festivities
Self-Serve Frozen Yogurt Store Fulfills Cravings with Family-Friendly Treats
April 28, 2014 // Franchising.com // DOWNERS GROVE, IL – Menchie's, the friendliest place on earth with a mission to make every guest smile, has opened its newest store in Downers Park Plaza located at 7339 Lemont Rd. Downers Grove, IL 60516. Offering high quality, delicious self-serve frozen yogurt, Menchie's is sure to become a Downers Grove favorite!
To celebrate the opening, Menchie's will spread smiles with a seven-day grand opening celebration from Saturday, May 3 to Friday, May 9, packed with free giveaways including t-shirts, Menchie's merchandise, family-friendly activities and free servings of its best-in-class frozen yogurt.
"My sister and partner, Soheela Malik, and I felt the Menchie's brand really matched our own personal values of focusing on the community and family," said franchisee, Mike Malik. "The company is very active in giving back by forging partnerships with local schools and charities and we look forward to sharing the Menchie's experience with the residents of Downers Grove."
The new self-serve store offers an unparalleled experience that is welcoming, fun and interactive, with arts and crafts for kids, enjoyable music and indoor/outdoor seating areas where friends and family gather. Guests can choose from a variety of rotating yogurt flavors and delicious toppings for unlimited combinations, ensuring happiness in every cup.
Menchie's is also committed to giving back to each community it serves. Stores partner with local schools in fundraising activities and education incentive programs. Each Menchie's store donates thousands of dollars in cash and products annually to local schools to support student programs.
The company is a world leader in ensuring best-in-class products, and considers itself the ambassador of frozen yogurt quality worldwide. Menchie's ensures that only the highest quality milk and flavors are used to make its frozen yogurt. The proprietary collection is made from the milk of "smiley" California cows, which have not been treated with artificial growth hormones (rBST). Menchie's frozen yogurt contains live and active cultures and has received the Live and Active Culture (LAC) seal indicating its endorsement by the National Yogurt Association.
Menchie's Downers Park Plaza is located at 7339 Lemont Rd. Downers Grove, IL 60516 and is open Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. For more information, please visit www.menchies.com. The full schedule of the seven-day grand opening celebration is as follows:
Day: Saturday, May 3
Time: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Details: Ribbon cutting with Menchie (the mascot), FREE frozen yogurt*, free T-shirts** and a balloon artist.
*One per 8oz cup per guest
**First 25 guests at 11 a.m.
Day: Sunday, May 4
Time: 1 p.m.
Details: Free plushie doll*, free color-in t-shirt** and free face painting
*First 25 guests
**While supplies last
Day: Monday, May 5
Time: 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Details: $1 yumm hour-fill up your cup for $1*
*One per guest
Day: Tuesday, May 6
Time: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Details: Kids eat free*
*One cup per child up to 10 oz. Must be 10 years of age or younger
Day: Wednesday, May 7
Time: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Details: Half-off lunch time yumm*
*Half off your frozen yogurt purchase
Day: Thursday, May 8
Time: 3 p.m.
Details: Free dodge balls*
*First 25 guests
Day: Friday, May 9
Time: 8 p.m. to Close
Details: Date night- buy one get one free*
*One per guest
About Menchie's
Menchie's creates lasting memories by creating an unparalleled guest experience with a mission to make every guest smile. Menchie's is a world-leader of ensuring best-in-class products and is the ambassador of frozen yogurt quality worldwide. With 400 stores, the franchise has locations open in the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, Puerto Rico, Israel, Guam and China. Menchie's expects to celebrate 500 open stores in 2014. Guaranteeing happiness in every cup, the brand offers guests premium rotating yogurt flavors and delicious toppings for unlimited combinations in every bite. The proprietary collection is made from the milk of "smiley" California cows, which have not been treated with artificial growth hormones (rBST). Menchie's frozen yogurt contains live and active cultures and has received the Live and Active Culture (LAC) seal indicating its endorsement by the National Yogurt Association.
SOURCE Menchie's
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This is an aristocratic naan with a royal pedigree. Flakier and lighter than its ubiquitous relative.
Every country in the world has its own elaborate styles of making bread which vary from being utterly simple to categorically complex. The quality of ingredients, precise measures, timings, methods and techniques of making these breads is what contributes to each bread having a unique character of its own.
Prep Time : 1.30-2 hour
Cook time : 26-30 minutes
Serve : 4
Level Of Cooking : Moderate
Taste : Mild
Chef Sanjeev Kapoor is the most celebrated face of Indian cuisine. He is Chef extraordinaire, runs a successful TV Channel FoodFood, hosted Khana Khazana cookery show on television for more than 17 years, author of 150+ best selling cookbooks, restaurateur and winner of several culinary awards. He is living his dream of making Indian cuisine the number one in the world and empowering women through power of cooking to become self sufficient. His recipe portal www.sanjeevkapoor.com is a complete cookery manual with a compendium of more than 10,000 tried & tested recipes, videos, articles, tips & trivia and a wealth of information on the art and craft of cooking in both English and Hindi.


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Journal EntriesThis recurring website feature highlights articles from The GASB Report, the GASB's monthly newsletter. The current article appeared in the May 2011 issue.
The GASB's user guide series, which introduces the financial reports of state and local governments to a broad, nonaccountant audience, is currently being revised and updated for publication. The What You Should Know guides—originally published in 2000–2001—provide a comprehensive, easy-to-read introduction to the annual financial reports of local governments, school districts, and—new for 2011—business-type activities, such as utilities, hospitals, and colleges. The titles in the revised series will be:
User Guide Series Update Under Way
- What You Should Know about Your Local Government's Finances
- What You Should Know about Your School District's Finances
- What You Should Know about Your Government's Business-Type Activities
- An Analyst's Guide to Government Financial Reports.
An Analyst's Guide, which is aimed at experienced, regular users of governmental financial statements, will update and combine the current guide with What Else You Should Know about a Government's Finances, the GASB's guide to notes and supporting information, to create a comprehensive updated guide to the full financial report.
The 2011 editions of the guides are scheduled for publication during the summer and fall. The new guides will be available in the store section of the GASB website, www.gasb.org/store, by clicking on the User Guides item in the menu on the left-hand side of the screen.


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Tuesday December 15th at 7:00pm
Connie's Pizza
Please help us out in determining how much pizza to pre-order by contacting us if you plan to attend. We don't require an RSVP, but if you know you're going to be coming we'd appreciate a call or a note. This will help us get our pizza and drink in a timely manner once we arrive at Connie's - we'll overestimate slightly to account for those who aren't able to RSVP. You can send e-mail to Randy Smith (firstname.lastname@example.com) if you'll be attending.
Connie's Pizza 1170 Iroquois Ave Naperville IL 60640Take I-88 (East-West Tollway) west. Take the Naperville Rd exit. Turn right (south) at the exit's traffic light. Continue south on Naperville Rd until the Ogden Ave intersection. Turn right (west) at the Ogden Ave. traffic light. Continue west till the Iroquois Ave traffic light. Turn right (north) onto Iroquois. Connie's is on the left. If you need more directions, call Connie's at 630-357-8807.
All UniForum Chicago general meetings are open to the public free of charge. Attendance is free, the food is not.
Contact Michael Potter at (630) 960-0133 ext. 615 for additional information.
For more information about UniForum Chicago contact firstname.lastname@example.com.


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They Grow Up So Fast
Johnny Manziel says adios to college life and declares for NFL draft
It seems Johnny Manziel has had his fill of college competition and NCAA guidelines and will enter the 2014 NFL draft, according to ESPN. Manziel filed the official paperwork on Wednesday to declare for the draft.
The Texas A&M signal caller is foregoing his final two years of eligibility after a short but illustrious career in College Station during which he became the first freshman to win the Heisman and led the Aggies in the competitive SEC.
Johnny Football threw for 7,820 yards and 63 touchdowns while running for 2,169 yards and 30 touchdowns in two seasons, earning an avalanche of awards, including the Heisman, AP Player of the Year and All-American honors in 2012. In 2013, he was named the SEC Male Athlete of the Year.
Manziel is expected to be a first-round pick at the draft in April, though where is still unsure, as the combine and evaluation processes are yet to get going in earnest after Monday's BCS national championship bout between Florida State and Auburn University.
In his short time at Texas A&M, Johnny Football was nearly as famous for his off-field antics as his on-field production. Between pictures of him partying popping up nearly every other week to an investigation into payment for autographs, the spotlight shone brightly on the quarterback wherever he went.


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Hi Bellas,
I'm back with another post. I recently had a bridal trial and we went for a really natural, pretty look. Many of my trials as of late have been on the more dramatic side, so this is a refreshing change of pace.
My client is super duper natural. She wears very little makeup and wanted to look polished but still herself. It was helpful because she brought her makeup bag to show me what colors she's typically comfortable with. I always recommend that brides do some makeup research so that we can get an idea of what kind of look she'd like. She actually prefers shimmery, metallic colors and wears a lot of Bare Minerals.
To keep the makeup fresh I applied light toned eye shadows with a bit of shimmer and smudged the liner for a softer look. False lashes were addeds to give her eyes pop. We stuck to pinky brown on the cheeks and lips to give color but still keep everything on the neutral side.
Here's What We Used:
Painterly paint pot
MAC shroom, all that glitters, swiss chocolate and soft brown shadows
Blacktrack Fluidline smudged with carbon shadow
Red Cherry #747s lashes
Kett Airbrush Foundation
MAC Invisible Set Powder
NARS Deep Throat Blush
Shadester Sculpting Powder
Cream O Spice Lipliner
Viva Glam V Lipglass
I'll be doing her wedding in June, stay tuned for more pictures!
FTC Disclosure: Post not sponsored.


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Journal of the South African Veterinary Association
On-line version ISSN 2224-9435
Print version ISSN 1019-9128
J. S. Afr. Vet. Assoc. vol.82 n.3 Pretoria Jan. 2011
Serial haematology results in transfused and non-transfused dogs naturally infected with Babesia rossi
E ScheepersI,*; A L LeisewitzI; P N ThompsonII; M M ChristopherIII
IDepartment of Companion Animal Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort, Pretoria, 0110 South Africa
IIDepartment of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort, Pretoria, 0110 South Africa
IIIDepartment of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, USA
This prospective longitudinal study investigated the progression of haematological changes in 32 transfused and 54 non-transfused dogs naturally infected with Babesia rossi over the 1st 6 days following diagnosis and treatment. The effect of patient age on the results of complete blood counts was determined. Haematology data were analysed at presentation and at 24 hours, 3 days and 6 days after presentation. Dogs were treated with diminazene aceturate at diagnosis and a blood transfusion was given if deemed clinically required. Mildly to moderately regenerative normocytic normochromic anaemia was observed in all dogs throughout the study period. Transfused dogs more often had an inflammatory leukogram at presentation and at 24 hours, than dogs that were not transfused. In dogs with a left shift, a concurrent normal or decreased segmented neutrophil count was found more commonly than neutrophilia. Severe thrombocytopenia that resolved within a week was common. Blood transfusion alleviated the anaemia, but had no significant effect on white blood cell or platelet responses. Blood cell responses were not significantly influenced by age. In conclusion, the red blood cell and white blood cell responses were less than expected in dogs with babesiosis, given the degree of anaemia and inflammation present. The magnitude of thrombocytopenia and rapid return of the platelet count to normal suggested a possible immune-mediated mechanism for the thrombocytopenia.
Keywords: anaemia, Babesia rossi, canine babesiosis, haematology, left shift, thrombocytopenia.
Canine babesiosis is caused by the haemoprotozoan parasites Babesia canis and B. gibsoni12. The 3 subspecies initially described for B. canis, namely B. c. canis, B. c. rossi and B. c. vogeli34, are now considered true species7,36. B. rossi is the most virulent of the canine babesial parasites5,13,34. Recently a new large Babesia species probably capable of infecting immunocompromised domestic dogs only has been described4,20.
Babesia spp. are thought to cause anaemia by both antibody-mediated erythrocyte destruction and direct parasite damage to erythrocytes. This results in both extravascular and intravascular haemolysis21. The decrease in haematocrit found in experimental babesiosis before parasites were detectable in peripheral blood was hypothesised to be caused by haemodilution, splenomegaly and sequestration21,27,28. Acute canine babesiosis, characterised by life-threatening haemolytic anaemia, is the most common presentation in South Africa14. Treatment of uncomplicated cases consists of antibabesial drugs and, in severely anaemic animals, a blood transfusion15. Severe babesiosis shares clinical and pathological similarities with other pro-inflammatory diseases, such as bacterial sepsis, endotoxaemia and human malaria9,24, and requires more intensive treatment.
Haematological information in dogs with a natural infection of babesiosis remains fragmented and scarce. The most frequently reported haematological findings are anaemia14,16,24 and thrombocytopenia16,17,24. Limited haematological studies in naturally occurring disease showed that dogs in France23, Spain25, Poland2,11,37, Croatia19 and the Philippines6 had anaemia and thrombocytopenia but leukocyte abnormalities were not fully described. Canine babesiosis in these studies was most likely caused by B. canis and/or B. vogeli, as only these 2 species have been described in these regions13,34. Two haematological studies on canine babesiosis in Sub-Saharan Africa showed that dogs with the disease had severe anaemia, neutrophilia and monocytosis1,24. This concurs with the fact that B. rossi, the most prevalent African species12,13,34, causes more severe haematological changes than the less virulent B. canis found in Europe5,13,34. B. vogeli has also been described in Africa22, but generally causes subclinical disease13. A study presumably describing haematological changes in B. rossi, showed that dogs with mild anaemia had a very mild leukocyte response and were older compared with dogs with severe anaemia24. These authors also described thrombocytopenia. Platelets were not examined in the other African study1.
Comprehensive haematological studies involving dogs with naturally occurring babesiosis are therefore lacking, yet correction of anaemia and resolution of systemic inflammation are pivotal to recovery. The course of haematological changes over time in babesiosis caused by a natural infection with B. rossi has not been described previously. Presently, many clinicians in general veterinary practice make decisions according to treatment and progression of disease based on assumptions that have not been tested. Evaluation of the regenerative red blood cell response, white blood cell response and platelet response will be valuable for veterinarians evaluating patients before, during, and after treatment. This study provides a series of haematological results that can be used in the evaluation of different therapies for Babesia-induced anaemia and the associated inflammatory response, and will allow comparisons to be made between anaemia induced by haemoprotozoal infection and anaemia caused by other aetiologies. Because the haematological kinetics of the canine haematopoietic response to infection are generally poorly documented, the results from this study may also be applicable to other types of infections or disease processes in dogs. Finally, the results of this study may be used to better compare haematological changes in canine babesiosis and human malaria and could strengthen the basis for using canine babesiosis as a study model for some aspects of malaria in humans9,24.
The objective of this study was therefore to describe the haematological abnormalities in 2 treatment groups of dogs naturally infected with babesiosis over the 1st 6 days following diagnosis and treatment and thereby assess the kinetics of blood cell production, demand or utilisation, and destruction. Because of the potential effect of age on haematological variables, an additional objective was to determine how patient age affected the results. Although not a primary goal of the study, the effect of a blood transfusion on the evolving haematological changes was also necessarily assessed because of the presence of 2 treatment groups (with and without transfusion). Further, because the clinical nature of this study meant that both whole blood and packed cell transfusions were utilised, these different treatments were also assessed.
Study population
Ninety-six client-owned dogs with canine babesiosis presented to the Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital (OVAH) were considered for inclusion in this prospective, descriptive longitudinal study. The diagnosis of B. rossi was based initially on microscopic examination of a thin capillary blood smear and confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis, as previously described22. Dogs of any breed, age and either sex weighing more than 3 kg were included. Dogs were excluded (1) if Ehrlichia canis morulae were seen on a thin capillary blood smear; (2) the result of an in-saline agglutination test3 was positive; (3) results of PCR analysis were positive for E. canis or B. vogeli22 infection; (4) if the dogs were vaccinated or treated with cortisone in the previous month, diagnosed with unrelated metabolic illness or babesiosis in the previous month or received cortisone therapy during the course of the study. Dogs were also excluded if they had severe complicated babesiosis (i.e. acute renal failure, cerebral babesiosis, coagulopathy, icterus and hepatopathy, immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia, haemoconcentration ('red biliary') and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Dogs were also excluded if a blood transfusion was deemed necessary but not given because of financial constraints.
All dogs were managed according to the OVAH standard treatment protocol for babesiosis, which includes anti-babesial treatment with diminazene aceturate at a dosage of 3.5 mg/kg, and a blood transfusion if required. Supportive treatment (i.e. fluid, electrolyte and glucose supplementation, anti-emetic therapy and enteral feeding) was given as deemed necessary. Either whole blood or packed red cells were given. The volume of blood transfused in all dogs was calculated according to the following formula: body weight (kg) × 90 × {(packed cell volume (PCV) desired (25 %) - PCV patient)/ (PCV donor)}. Thus the volume of red blood cells transfused, whether packed cells or whole blood, was patient specific, taking cognisance of both patient and transfusion PCVs. The attending clinician made the decision to give a blood transfusion, based on the clinical signs and PCV of the dog at presentation. As a general guideline, dogs with PCV of <15 % were transfused, but in many cases the clinical status of the dog (e.g. collapsed vs non-collapsed) played a role in decision-making. Dogs were treated at presentation, and then either discharged or hospitalised for further supportive treatment and monitoring. The Animal Use and Care Committee of the University of Pretoria approved the study.
Experimental procedures
An air-dried thin blood smear was made from capillary blood obtained from the anterior edge or hairless ventral surface of the ear, stained with Cam's Quick-Stain (Kyro-quick Solution®, Kyron Laboratories (Pty) Ltd, Benrose, South Africa) and examined microscopically for Babesia sp. organisms at presentation. In-saline agglutination3 was determined using heparinised whole blood. Heparinised whole blood was transferred to a microhaematocrit tube and centrifuged for 5 minutes using a microhaematocrit centrifuge. The PCV was determined using a Hawksley haematocrit reader (Laboratory and Scientific Equipment Co., Johannesburg, South Africa). A 0.5 mℓ (dogs 3-5 kg body weight) or 3.0 mℓ (dogs >5 kg body weight) whole blood sample was collected from the jugular vein of the dog in a tube containing EDTA (Vacutainer or BD Microtainer, Becton Dickinson Co., Franklin Lakes, NJ, USA) and submitted to the Clinical Pathology Laboratory, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Onderstepoort, at presentation, 24 hours (Day 1), 3 days and 6 days after presentation, or until death. All dogs in the study population were sampled at these intervals, irrespective of whether they were hospitalised or treated as outpatients, as owners returned their dogs for sampling as necessary. A complete blood count (CBC) was performed, using a CELL-DYN® 3700 analyser (Abbot Laboratories, Santa Clara, CA, USA). An experienced veterinary haematology technologist performed manual leukocyte differential counts by counting 100 cells on a Cam's Quick-stained peripheral blood smear. The remainder of the EDTA sample collected at presentation was submitted for PCR analysis.
The haematological variables, with reference intervals for the Onderstepoort Clinical Pathology Laboratory29, were haematocrit (HCT), absolute reticulocyte count (ARC), mean cell volume (MCV), mean cell haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), total white cell count (WCC), segmented neutrophil count, band neutrophil count (metamyelocytes were also included in this category), lymphocyte count, monocyte count, eosinophil count and platelet (PLT) count. PLT counts of samples that had marked platelet aggregation were not included in data analysis. Anaemia was classified as very severe if HCT <0.13 ℓ/ℓ , severe if HCT = 0.13-0.19 ℓ/ℓ , moderate if HCT = 0.20-0.29 ℓ/ℓ and mild if HCT = 0.30-0.36 ℓ/ℓ33. Reticulocyte responses were classified as marked if ARC >500 × 109/ℓ , moderate if ARC = 150-300 × 109/ℓ and mild if ARC = 80-150 × 109/ℓ
Statistical analysis
Data were captured into an Excel spreadsheet (Microsoft Excel 2003, Microsoft Corp, Redmond, WA, USA). The results for each haematological variable were screened for normality using the Shapiro-Wilk test, log-transformed and used for statistical analysis. The medians and range values of the haematological variables for each of the treatment groups (non-transfused and transfused) at each time point were determined, as the vast majority of data were not normally distributed. Data distribution was represented in box plots and median was used as a measure of central location. Treatment groups were compared with respect to sex and outcome using Fisher's exact test, and age and body weight using the Wilcoxon ranksum test. Multiple regression models were fitted in order to investigate the effect of age and treatment group on each of the haematological variables. Multiple regression models were also fitted in order to investigate the effect of a whole blood transfusion vs a transfusion with packed cells in the group that received a blood transfusion. A significance level (α) of 0.05 was used throughout. Data analysis was performed using NCSS 2004 (NCSS, Kaysville, Utah, USA).
Study population
Of 96 dogs with babesiosis initially considered for this study, 86 dogs (54 dogs in the non-transfused group, 32 dogs in the transfused group) met the inclusion criteria. Three dogs (1 dog from the non-transfused group and 2 dogs from the transfused group) were excluded during the study because they received glucocorticoid therapy, but their CBCs prior to receiving glucocorticoids (i.e. CBCs at presentation and 24 hours later for 2 dogs and a CBC at presentation for 1 dog) were included in the data analysis. These 3 dogs had negative saline agglutination results at presentation, but as glucocorticoid treatment was deemed necessary during the course of the study they were subsequently excluded.
Baseline data were tabulated (Table 1). Results on breed (represented by more than 1 dog), sex, age, body weight, admission to hospital and outcome were summarised (Table 2). The transfused group was significantly younger than the non-transfused group (P = 0.003). There was no significant difference between the 2 groups with respect to sex (P = 0.47), outcome (P = 0.62) or weight (P = 0.05). While 82 dogs survived, 4 dogs died during the course of the study, without the exact Babesia-related cause being known, as no post mortem examinations were done.
Red blood cell responses
The anaemia at presentation was moderate in the non-transfused group (median HCT 0.28 ℓ/ℓ , range 0.12-0.56) and very severe in the transfused group (median HCT 0.09 ℓ/ℓ , range 0.06-0.23). The anaemia was normocytic (based on median MCV; data not shown) and normochromic (based on median MCHC; data not shown) throughout the study period for all dogs. The median HCT (0.36 ℓ/ℓ in the non-transfused group and 0.31 ℓ/ℓ in the transfused group) was still below the reference interval for both treatment groups on Day 6 (Fig. 1).
There was no regenerative response for the non-transfused group at presentation (median ARC 33.67 × 109/ℓ , range 10.45-500.35) or Day 1 (median ARC 38.67 ×109/ℓ , range 5.75-708.76), a moderate regenerative response on Day 3 (median ARC 227.31 × 109/ℓ , range 6.64-1377.96), and a mild regenerative response on Day 6 (median ARC 124.25 × 109/ℓ , range 24.94-766.34) (Fig. 2). The regenerative response for the transfused group was moderate at presentation (median ARC 155×109/ℓ , range 15.74-455.07), Day 1 (median ARC 187.37 × 109/ℓ , range 8.80-964.88) and Day 3 (median ARC 323.78 × 109/ℓ , range 44.77-1079.7), and mild on Day 6 (median ARC 91.88 × 109/ℓ , range 20.58-537.19) (Fig. 2).
White blood cell responses
The median total WCC was within the reference interval for both treatment groups throughout the study period, except at presentation, when very mild leukopenia was found for the transfused group (median total WCC 5.4 × 109/ℓ , range 2.4-39.4); and on Day 3, when mild leukocytosis was found for the non-transfused group (median total WCC 16.6 ×109/ℓ , range 6.7-68.3) and for the transfused group (median total WCC 16.6 × 109/ℓ , range 8.1-56.1) (Fig. 3).
The median segmented neutrophil count was within the reference interval for both treatment groups throughout the study period (Fig. 4). The median band neutrophil count was within reference interval at presentation and Day 6, and increased on Day 1 (median band neutrophil count 0.54 × 109/ℓ , range 0-4.51) and Day 3 (median band neutrophil count 1.23 × 109/ℓ , range 0-23.22) for the non-transfused group (Fig. 5). The median band neutrophil count was increased throughout the study period for the transfused group, with a peak response on Day 3 (median band neutrophil count 1.76 × 109/ℓ , range 0-15.25). The more anaemic group of dogs had a significantly higher percentage of dogs with a left shift at presentation (P = 0.002 ) and on Day 1 (P = 0.001). Four of 86 (5 %) dogs had a degenerative left shift at presentation only. The prevalence of neutrophilia, neutropenia, and left shift with neutrophilia was tabulated (Table 3).
The median lymphocyte count was within the reference interval throughout the study period for both treatment groups (Fig. 6).
The median monocyte count was within the reference interval at presentation, Day 1 and Day 6 for the non-transfused group, with mild monocytosis on Day 3 (median monocyte count 1.46 × 109/ℓ , range 0.13-6.20) (Fig. 7). The median monocyte count was within the reference interval at presentation and Day 6 for the transfused group, with mild monocytosis on Day 1 (median monocyte count 1.46 × 109/ℓ , range 0.12-3.27) and Day 3 (median monocyte count 1.73 × 109/ℓ , range 0.38-4.98)( Fig. 7).
The median eosinophil count was within reference interval for all dogs throughout the study period, except at presentation where mild eosinopenia was found for both treatment groups (median eosinophil count 0.02 × 109/ℓ , range 0.00-0.54 for the non-transfused group and 0.00 × 109/ℓ , range 0.00-0.27 for the transfused group) (Fig. 8).
Platelet responses
Both treatment groups were severely thrombocytopenic at presentation and Day 1, and moderately thrombocytopenic on Day 3. The median PLT count at presentation was 3.6 × 109/ℓ , range 0-157, for the non-transfused group; and 4.1 × 109/ℓ , range 0-92.8, for the transfused group (Fig. 9). The median PLT count was within the normal reference interval on Day 6 for both treatment groups.
Results of multiple regression analysis
Based on multiple regression models, the treatment group (transfused or non-transfused) had a significant effect on HCT and ARCs, with the more anaemic dogs having lower median HCT counts (P < 0.022) and higher median ARCs (P < 0.031). Treatment group also had a significant effect on band neutrophil counts and left shifts at presentation and Day 1, with dogs with more severe anaemia having higher mean band neutrophil counts (P < 0.001), and a higher prevalence of left shifts (P = 0.002). Treatment group had no significant effect on any other leukocyte or platelet responses.
Based on multiple regression models, age had no significant effect on red blood cell responses. Older dogs had significantly higher median segmented neutrophil counts than younger dogs at presentation (P = 0.042), significantly higher median PLT counts than younger dogs at presentation (P = 0.037) and significantly lower median lymphocyte counts than younger dogs throughout the study period (P < 0.001).
Based on multiple regression models, whether a packed cell or whole blood transfusion was given had no significant effect on any of the blood cell parameters on any of the 4 days (P > 0.09).
The results of this study describe clearly, for the 1st time, changes over time in a wide range of haematological parameters in a large population of dogs naturally infected with B. rossi and subsequently treated for the infection. Dogs in this study had a mild to moderate regenerative response in the face of severe anaemia. In addition, a left shift was observed in most dogs, without neutrophilia. These red blood cell and white blood cell responses were less robust than expected based on the severity of haemolysis and inflammation as previously described and could indicate impaired haematopoiesis in these cell lines or other factors. Rapid resolution of severe thrombocytopenia suggested a strong megakaryocytic response.
In dogs with severe acute haemolytic anaemia and a functional bone marrow, a strong erythroid regenerative response is expected within a few days, with peak reticulocytosis at 4-7 days and a return to normal HCT within 2-3 weeks10. The mild to moderate (rather than marked) regenerative response in dogs in this study could indicate a suppressive effect of the organism on the bone marrow, or other factors. It has been shown in falciparum malaria in humans that the anaemia is multifactorial, with erythrocyte destruction and ineffective erythropoiesis playing equal parts in the aetiology of malarial anaemia8. Ineffective erythropoiesis is caused by host cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-10, MIF (macrophage migration inhibitory factor) and IL-12, inflammatory mediators, and parasite products such as lysate and haemozin8. Although administration of a blood transfusion can blunt the regenerative response by alleviating hypoxia, dogs receiving transfusions had persistently moderate regenerative responses until Day 6, when ARCs decreased in all dogs, regardless of transfusion status. A previous study describing reticulocytosis in South African dogs with babesiosis presumably caused by B. rossi, showed that only dogs with severe anaemia (PCV < 15 %) at presentation had mild reticulocytosis (mean reticulocyte percentage 3.43 %10)24. We are unaware of other studies that examined the red blood cell response over time in a natural infection with B. rossi. Further studies on the nature and underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of the bone marrow response to canine babesiosis are warranted.
Although this study did not monitor the dogs until complete recovery, the HCT increased gradually and median HCT values on Day 6 were nearing the lower limit of the reference interval (0.37 ℓ/ℓ ), consistent with the resolution of anaemia. HCT in the non-transfused group was lower at Day 1 than at presentation, consistent with the expected loss of parasitised red blood cells after chemotherapeutic treatment. In addition to the blunting effect of a transfusion, the slower increase in HCT in transfused dogs (compared with non-transfused dogs) could be the result of rapid destruction of the transfused red cells. Monocytosis in dogs in the transfused group could be consistent with a higher level of erythrocyte destruction, much of which occurs extravascularly by macrophages in the spleen. Anaemia in most dogs was normocytic and normochromic, indicating the importance of an ARC to document and monitor regeneration in dogs with babesiosis.
Babesiosis has previously been described as an inflammatory disease comparable to human falciparum malaria8,9,24,35. Studies on South African dogs with babesiosis documented a systemic inflammatory response35 accompanied by an acute phase response, with increased serum C-reactive protein concentration18.A previous study reported a left shift with normal neutrophil counts in dogs with babesiosis (including cases with complicated babesiosis) having moderate to very severe anaemia at presentation24 (as classified in this study). This study similarly found a left shift without neutrophilia at presentation. In addition, nearly 50 % of the dogs with babesiosis in this study had neutropenia, with or without a left shift, at presentation, while only about5%of dogs had neutrophilia. Indeed, although neutrophil counts increased in dogs in this study from presentation to Day 3, only 38 % of dogs with a left shift on Day 3 had concurrent neutrophilia. These findings could indicate excessive neutrophil destruction or utilisation, an early stage of bone marrow response, impaired bone marrow response, or previous depletion of the storage pool of neutrophils from the bone marrow.
The neutrophil changes in this study of dogs with less complicated babesiosis may differ from those with more complicated babesiosis. In a previous study of dogs with complicated babesiosis in South Africa, only 10 % had leukopenia and 60 % had leukocytosis35. The magnitude of leukocytosis may also in part be due to age; consistent with the findings in a previous study of babesiosis, dogs in the transfused group (more severe anaemia) in our study were younger, and also had higher neutrophil and lymphocyte counts16. Importantly, neutropenia or lack of a neutrophil response in dogs with babesiosis could be misinterpreted as evidence of concurrent infection by E. canis, which was ruled out in our study as a potential cause. While dogs with clinical evidence of secondary immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia (IMHA) (typically with severe leukocytosis, neutrophilia and a left shift3) were excluded from this study, haemolysis caused by babesiosis is not less severe than that caused by IMHA. This suggests that other factors may contribute to the higher prevalence and severity of an inflammatory response in dogs with IMHA and to the lack of neutrophilia in dogs with babesiosis.
In addition to haemolysis, monocytosis and eosinopenia also may have been associated with endogenous corticosteroid release. In a study on the endocrine predictors of mortality in both uncomplicated and complicated canine babesiosis, it was found that 42 % of dogs had basal serum cortisol levels higher than the established reference interval30. With treatment, corticosteroid-mediated stress diminishes, as seen by the eosinophil counts returning to within the reference interval in most dogs in this study on Day 3.
The prevalence of thrombocytopenia (100 %) in dogs in this study was in agreement with that reported in a study on dogs infected with presumably B. rossi, which found thrombocytopenia to be present in 99 % of cases17. This was also reported in another study on B. rossi24.The severity of thrombocytopenia was much greater in our study than in these 2 studies. Decreases in the PLT counts due to artefacts were ruled out in our study because samples with marked platelet aggregation were excluded. Although it has been speculated that the severity of thrombocytopenia might be influenced by the severity of the anaemia17, this study found no difference between the 2 groups of dogs. The pathogenesis of the thrombocytopenia in dogs with babesiosis remains unclear; however, resolution of normal PLT numbers in the majority of dogs in this study by Day 6 suggests a megakaryocytic response in the bone marrow, supporting increased PLT destruction (i.e. immune-mediated thrombocytopenia) as a likely mechanism. Sequestration of PLTs in the spleen and hypersplenism, a marked primary PLT sequestration in the spleen, are both considered rare causes of thrombocytopenia in animals26. While animals with haemolytic anaemia have splenomegaly, it is unlikely that mild redistribution alone was responsible for the magnitude and consistency of thrombocytopenia seen in this study.
With the exception of lymphocyte count, which is usually higher in young animals32, CBC results were not statistically significantly influenced by patient age. In a study on the prevalence of hypoglycaemia in dogs with babesiosis16,itwas found that dogs younger than 6 months were 7 times more likely than dogs older than 1 year to be severely anaemic. In this study the effect of age (treated as a continuous rather than categorical variable) on HCT, was not statistically significant. The differences in statistical significance are likely due to differences between the 2 studies in the classification of age and the use of HCT rather than degree of anaemia as the outcome. In agreement with the study mentioned16, we found that the median age of the transfused group was significantly lower than that of the group that was not transfused.
There were several limitations in this study. One was the slight subjectivity in the choice to transfuse dogs, which resulted in the overlap in HCT between the 2 groups. A 2nd limitation was that dogs with complicated babesiosis were excluded, and therefore the results might not be representative of the broader population of dogs with B. rossi. Further studies on serial haematologies of complicated babesiosis are required to determine this. However, dogs with complicated disease often die soon after presentation18,35, making it difficult to monitor a haematopoietic response to peripheral cytopenias. A final limitation of this study was the inability to determine the exact day of infection but this is the case in all studies of natural infections.
The results of this study showed that during treatment of uncomplicated canine babesiosis, a mildly to moderately regenerative normocytic normochromic anaemia occurs that does not completely resolve by the end of 1 week. An inflammatory leukogram also occurs, characterised mainly by a left shift without concurrent neutrophilia. Both of these haematological changes are less robust than might be expected for the degree of anaemia and inflammation, suggesting the influence of factors unique to B. rossiinduced haemolysis. The severe thrombocytopenia at presentation resolved within a week after commencing treatment, suggesting a possible immune-mediated mechanism.
This study was carried out in fulfilment of the requirements for the MSc (Veterinary Science) degree, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria. Funding was received from the Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria. Abbot Laboratories, South Africa, donated automated cell counter reagents. Our gratitude is expressed to Mrs Gertie Pretorius and Mrs Cheryl Booth of the Onderstepoort Clinical Pathology Laboratory, Department of Companion Animal Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science for their dedication in performing the manual differential leukocyte counts.
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11. Fabisiak M, Sapierzyn'ski R, Klucin'ski W 2010 Analysis of haematological abnormalities observed in dogs infected by a large Babesia. Bulletin of the Veterinary Institute in Pulawy 54: 167-170 [ Links ]
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13. Irwin P J 2009 Canine babesiosis: from molecular taxonomy to control. Parasites and Vectors 2 (Suppl. 1): 24 [ Links ]
14. Jacobson L S 2006 The South African form of severe and complicated canine babesiosis: clinical advances 1994-2004. Veterinary Parasitology 138: 126-139 [ Links ]
15. Jacobson L S, Swan G E 1995 Supportive treatment of canine babesiosis. Journal of the South African Veterinary Association 66: 95-105 [ Links ]
16. Keller N, Jacobson L S, Nel M, De Clerq M, Thompson P N, Schoeman J P 2004 Prevalence and risk factors of hypoglycemia in virulent canine babesiosis. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 18: 265-270 [ Links ]
17. Kettner F, Reyers F, Miller D 2003 Thrombocytopaenia in canine babesiosis and its clinical usefulness. Journal of the South African Veterinary Association 74: 63-68 [ Links ]
18. Koster L S, Van Schoor M, Goddard A, Thompson P N, Matjila P T, Kjelgaard-Hansen M 2009 C-reactive protein in canine babesiosis caused by Babesia rossi and its association with outcome. Journal of the South African Veterinary Association 80: 87-91 [ Links ]
19. Kucer N, MatijatkoV, Kis I, Grden D, Brkljacic M, Forsek J, Zvorc Z, Rafaj R B 2010 White blood cell count and neutrophil to lymphocyte ration in uncomplicated and complicated canine babesiosis caused by Babesia canis canis. Veterinarski Arhiv 78: 321-330 [ Links ]
20. Lehtinen L E, Birkenheuer A J, Droleskey R E, Holman P J 2008 In vitro cultivation of a newly recognized Babesia sp. in dogs in North Carolina. Veterinary Parasitology 151: 150-157 [ Links ]
21. Maegraith B, Gilles H M, Devakul K 1957 Pathological processes in Babesia canis infections. Zeitschrift für Tropenmedizin und Parasitologie 8: 485-514 [ Links ]
22. Matjila P T, Penzhorn B L, Bekker C P, Nijhof A M, Jongejan F 2004 Confirmation of occurrence of Babesia canis vogeli in domestic dogs in South Africa. Veterinary Parasitology 122: 119-125 [ Links ]
23. Pages J, Vidor E, Trouillet J, Bissuel G, Lecointre O, Moreau Y 1990 Description clinique, hematologique et serologique de 133 cas de babesiose canine. Pratique medicale et chirgicale de l'animal de compagnie 25: 89-96 [ Links ]
24. Reyers F, Leisewitz A L, Lobetti R G, Milner R J, Jacobson L S, Van Zyl M 1998 Canine babesiosis in South Africa: more than one disease. Does this serve as a model for falciparum malaria? Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology 92: 503-511 [ Links ]
25. Ruiz de Gopegui R, Penalba B, Goicoa A, Espada Y, Fidalgo L E, Espino L 2006 Clinico-pathological findings and coagulation disorders in 45 cases of canine babesiosis in Spain. Veterinary Journal 174: 129-132 [ Links ]
26. Russel K E, Grindem C B 2000 Secondary thrombocytopenia. In Feldman B F, Zinkl J G, Jain N C (eds) Schalm's veterinary hematology. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia: 487-495 [ Links ]
27. Schetters T P, Kleuskens J, Scholtes N, Gorenflot A 1998 Parasite localization and dissemination in the Babesia-infected host. Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology 92: 513-519 [ Links ]
28. Schetters T P, Kleuskens J A, Scholtes N C, Pasman J W, Goovaerts D 1997 Vaccination of dogs against Babesia canis infection. Veterinary Parasitology 73: 35-41 [ Links ]
29. Schmidl M 1989 Laboratory testing in veterinary medicine, diagnosis and treatment Boehringer Mannheim, Mannheim [ Links ]
30. Schoeman J P, Rees P, Herrtage M E 2007 Endocrine predictors of mortality in canine babesiosis caused by Babesia canis rossi. Veterinary Parasitology 148: 75-82 [ Links ]
31. Stockham S L, Keeton K S, Szladovits B 2003 Clinical assessment of leukocytosis: distinguishing leukocytoses caused by inflammatory, glucocorticoid, physiologic, and leukemic disorders or conditions. Veterinary Clinics of North America Small Animal Practice 33: 1335-1357 [ Links ]
32. Toman M, Faldyna M, Knotigova P, Pokorova D, Sinkora J 2002 Postnatal development of leukocyte subset composition and activity in dogs. Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology 87: 321-326 [ Links ]
33. Tvedten H W 1981 Hematology of the normal dog and cat. Veterinary Clinics of North America Small Animal Practice 11: 209-217 [ Links ]
34. Uilenberg G, Franssen F F, Perie N M, Spanjer A A 1989 Three groups of Babesia canis distinguished and a proposal for nomenclature. Veterinary Quarterly 11: 33-40 [ Links ]
35. Welzl C, Leisewitz A L, Jacobson L S, Vaughan-Scott T, Myburgh E 2001 Systemic inflammatory response syndrome and multiple-organ damage/dysfunction in complicated canine babesiosis. Journal of the South African Veterinary Association 72: 158-162 [ Links ]
36. Zahler M, Schein E, Rinder H, Gothe R 1998 Characteristic genotypes discriminate between Babesia canis isolates of differing vector specificity and pathogenicity to dogs. Parasitology Research 84: 544-548 [ Links ]
37. Zygner W, Gojska O, Rapacka G, Jaros D, Wedrychowicz H 2007 Hematological changes during the course of canine babesiosis caused by large Babesia in domestic dogs in Warsaw (Poland). Veterinary Parasitology 145: 146-151 [ Links ]
Received: November 2009.
Accepted: June 2011.
* Author for correspondence. E-mail: email@example.com


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Apple's 'Freedom From Porn' Enforcer Drawn To Porn Stars and Escorts on Twitter
As the director of Apple's app store, Phillip Shoemaker is responsible for enforcing Apple's controversially draconian policies on iPhone code and content. So you'd think he'd have done a better job cleaning the online skeletons out of his closet.
Shoemaker added three of his own apps to the store after he began working there, Wired's Brian X. Chen is reporting, including a urination simulator named "iWiz."
The publication of the apps appears to violate Apple's own employment policy for app store employees.
Meanwhile, Shoemaker has deleted a Twitter account that, we've discovered, showed him following lots of escorts and porn stars on the microblogging service, a public indulgence in precisely the sort of content his boss Apple CEO Steve Jobs has deemed too harmful and corrosive even to touch the app store.
Working both sides of the App Store
In comments to Wired, an Apple spokesman defended Shoemaker for selling his own apps. Shoemaker was, after all, hired away from the iPhone app company he started. But the spokesman also claimed Shoemaker's apps were approved before his employment with Apple, adding, "Apple's policy allows for employees to have apps on the App Store if they're developed and published prior to their start at Apple."
Click to viewBut in fact, as Chen shows, three of Shoemaker's seven apps went onto the app store weeks after his employment began, according to dates gleaned from Shoemaker's Twitter accounts and from the iTunes profiles of his apps. In one case, a Shoemaker app was published over a month after Shoemaker started work at Apple; in two other cases, they were published nearly three weeks after his work began.
Meaning the man charged with enforcing Apple policy in the app store was thrice in violation of an Apple app store policy. (Don't let Shoemaker's title of "Director, Applications Technology" fool you; as Wired and Shoemaker's tweet at left make clear, he runs Apple's app store process.)
There could be a plausible explanation for all this, though neither Apple nor Shoemaker put one forward when Wired asked: The app store is well known for its delays. But most famously, these revolve around approvals, not publishing.
Apple should have at least squared its Shoemaker statement with the dates shown publicly in its own app store, if only to ward off the perception of double dealing. After all, Apple recently had to deal with a scandal in which a midlevel Apple manager was accused, in a federal grand jury fraud and money laundering indictment, of accepting of more than $1 million in kickbacks from the iPhone and iPod accessories suppliers he oversaw.
Don't think for a second that the sort of people who develop crude body function apps are ethically apathetic; a noxious dispute between the competing flatulence apps Pull My Finger and iFart famously escalated into a court battle (Shoemaker himself is in the fart-app game with his pre-Apple offering Animal Farts). And App developers have already raised various red flags about Apple's own actions in the app store, complaining of very unclear rules, seemingly arbitrary rejections, bans on competing technology, double-standards on data collection and far-reaching content rules that have seen fashion spreads, gay literature apps, gay sightseeing apps, political cartoons, celebrity caricatures and apps with pictures of girls in bikinis banned from the store. There's no need to give them more to complain about - or any reason to suspect conflicts of interest are tilting the scales.
The embarrassing, porny Twitter account
Amid inquires from Chen, Shoemaker deleted his Twitter account, @pbshoemaker. What an odd thing to do; other than supplying Chen with Shoemaker's precise start date, the account didn't offer much ammunition for Wired's story, and in any case the magazine already had the tweets it needed in hand; Chen made a couple of them available for download from his post, adding "When informed of our story, Shoemaker purged his Twitter account cited throughout the story and updated his LinkedIn profile to remove mention of [his app company] Gray Noodle."
Shoemaker's sudden shyness might have had something to do with the fact that his Twitter account was following at least 16 porn stars and escorts via their accounts on the microblogging service. There is, of course, nothing wrong with that; Shoemaker should be allowed to have fun looking at the occasional scantily clad adult entertainer or sex worker's musings about her day. It's got to break a nice break from all the technical tweets the longtime developer has to wade through. And following or otherwise ogling escorts does not mean one is visiting with escorts.
But Shoemaker might have wished he was more discreet with who he followed on Twitter given his boss Steve Jobs' avowed position on porn. His Twitter account, at a glance, did not fit well with the image Jobs has crafted for the app store as a place providing "freedom from porn." Jobs, a Disney director and reportedly the single largest shareholder at the kid-friendly media company, has slammed Google's Android platform, which competes with the iPhone, for allowing pornographic apps. "You can download porn, your kids can download porn," he famously said of Android's "porn store." He told me in an email exchange that I might understand his antipathy to porn better "when you have kids."
If you look at Shoemaker's account in Google's cache, updated just over a week ago, you can see there were two porn stars listed right there on the front page of his profile, among his 18 most recent "follows." Given all the flesh in the profile pictures, they tend to jump off the page (see image above left).
With 1,181 follows and 1,047 followers, one might argue, on the basis of just those two very visible follows, that Shoemaker perhaps had his account set up to follow all his followers back. In other words, maybe he was following porn stars involuntarily. But a look further into his follower list — Twitter orders them chronologically — shows a veritable spree of escort following activity (click to enlarge):
So many followers on one stretch could lead people to wonder just how many of Shoemaker's 1,182 follows were in one "adult" profession or another, and whether he has a particularly intense interest in their non-textual activities.
More to the point, it could also lead people to wonder if it's not hypocritical for Apple to repeatedly insinuate that merely allowing adults to look at porn through specialized apps on its tablet and phone-sized computers is somehow immoral, corrupting and intrinsically harmful to families — given that the very Apple employee deemed moral, incorruptible and otherwise trustworthy enough to gatekeep said apps was publicly subscribed to 16 escort and porn star Twitter feeds, at minimum.
If Shoemaker finds himself confronting questions along those lines, he might use this excuse, which we offer to him ready made (pretty much everyone's been busted for some sort of sexytime, right?): The escort and porn feeds were research. How else are you going to keep these persistent, slippery little sex kittens out of the app store, if not by learning how they think, and what their plans are? They are very crafty. And very, very, very naughty.


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Although we cannot specify how many different migrations have colonized Sahul since the first settlement approximately 50,000 years ago, our results indicate ancient splits into seven major plausible groups: TNG, South-Papuan, North-West Papuan, North-East Papuan, West-Papuan, PN, and non-PN. The wide-spread families (TNG and PN) on both sides of the Torres Strait divide (~9,000 BP) are the result of more recent expansions of two of those groups, in the case of TNG probably linked to the development of agriculture, ~9,000 to 6,000 years ago, see [35],[37].
The AN expansion is much more recent and has only had effects in eastern Indonesia, along the north coast of New Guinea and the islands east of the New Guinea mainland. We know on the basis of the comparative method correlated with archaeological data that approximately 3,200 years ago the Oceanic subgroup dispersed from its homeland on New Britain in three directions [9]: (1) back along the north coast, (2) around the eastern tip of New Guinea along the south coast, and (3) much further into the Pacific. The results of our analysis capture some of the impact of this great expansion on the languages that were already in the region. We find that in the eastern islands there are clearly distinct AN and non-AN groups, with good evidence of a deep structural phylogenetic signal, albeit with some admixture [16]. In the western islands however there is considerably more typological convergence between AN and non-AN languages (see also [38]). The linguistic population identified as Red appears to have members along the north coast (Mairasi, I'saka, and Kamasau) and on New Britain, where again both AN (Mangseng) and Papuan languages (Kol and Sulka) have contributions from the same cluster. This finding suggests an area of millennia of contact between AN and Papuan non-TNG speaking groups.
PLoS Biology doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1000241
Explaining the Linguistic Diversity of Sahul Using Population Models
Ger Reesink et al.
The region of the ancient Sahul continent (present day Australia and New Guinea, and surrounding islands) is home to extreme linguistic diversity. Even apart from the huge Austronesian language family, which spread into the area after the breakup of the Sahul continent in the Holocene, there are hundreds of languages from many apparently unrelated families. On each of the subcontinents, the generally accepted classification recognizes one large, widespread family and a number of unrelatable smaller families. If these language families are related to each other, it is at a depth which is inaccessible to standard linguistic methods. We have inferred the history of structural characteristics of these languages under an admixture model, using a Bayesian algorithm originally developed to discover populations on the basis of recombining genetic markers. This analysis identifies 10 ancestral language populations, some of which can be identified with clearly defined phylogenetic groups. The results also show traces of early dispersals, including hints at ancient connections between Australian languages and some Papuan groups (long hypothesized, never before demonstrated). Systematic language contact effects between members of big phylogenetic groups are also detected, which can in some cases be identified with a diffusional or substrate signal. Most interestingly, however, there remains striking evidence of a phylogenetic signal, with many languages showing negligible amounts of admixture.


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