text:
Information by Country
Mozambique: Newsline
Mozambique: Early pregnancy threatens a girls chance to go to school
Im thinking that I can work as an empregada (domestic worker) there. Then study at night. I would like to study very much, she says, wiping the flies from her toddlers face.
Although she dotes on her daughter, Zaina Domingoes, Florência, an orphan, concedes the pregnancy was ill-timed. Florência was only 12 years old when she became pregnant. She was doing well at school and had already reached grade five.
I was only a child when I got pregnant, says the 14-year-old, suddenly looking very adult. I didnt know about preventing pregnancies then.
Early pregnancy is a major contributor to the high levels of maternal mortality in Mozambique. Forty per cent of women become pregnant before the age of 20. Teenage mothers often face serious health threats in addition to the severe psychological impact of early pregnancy. The risk of death from pregnancy-related causes is four times higher for women 15 to 19 years old than for women who are 20 or older. It is estimated that 408 women out of every 100,000 die during childbirth in Mozambique.
I fell in love with Domingoes, Florência says. When I told him I was pregnant, he said it was not his. But he was the only boyfriend I ever have had.
Domingoes, who was attending the same school and was in grade eight when Florência became pregnant, continued his education and is now a teacher in the village. I bump into him sometimes. But we dont talk. She pauses and then says softly, But I still love him.
Her dream was to continue her schooling. I was able to hide my pregnancy until the sixth month, she says. Nobody knew I was pregnant. I just looked a bit fat. But when I was found out, I was sent home.
Although the chance that a child in Mozambique will complete his or her basic education has improved considerably since the end of the 16-year-old civil war in 1992, girls are still underrepresented in school. The enrollment rate for girls of primary school age stands at 66 per cent, as opposed to 72 per cent for boys.
A girl who becomes pregnant is sometimes able to return to school, usually by taking courses at night, but practical considerations make it difficult. Not only does the young mother have a baby to care for, but, once she is at home, she also becomes increasingly burdened with heavy domestic chores as well as with trying to survive in the midst of poverty, crop failure and the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Mozambique is subject to one of the worlds worst HIV prevalence rates. On average, 14.9 per cent of people aged 15-49 years are infected with the virus. But there are considerable regional variations, and in Manica province, where Florência lives, the prevalence rate reached 19 per cent in 2002.
Like a growing number of children in Mozambique, Florência was probably orphaned by HIV/AIDS. Out of more than 1.5 million orphans in Mozambique, more than 270,000 have already lost one or both parents to AIDS.
Florências stepfather died in 1999; her mother died three years later. Florência simply says, They were sick for about one year, coughing and suffering from diarrhoea. Her own father was killed during the 16-year-civil war, when she was a baby.
The impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic hits girls especially hard. They are often the ones who have to care for sick parents and do the domestic work. And in many cases, they are vulnerable to abuse because there is no-one around to protect them. The HIV/AIDS prevalence rate among girls aged 15 to 19 is three times higher than that of boys in the same age group. I didnt know about HIV/AIDS when I got pregnant, but now I do, Florência says.
Like many other girls in her situation, Florência cared for her sick parents and did most of the domestic work. She lives with her elderly grandmother, who is struggling to keep the family going.
Florência says that her grandmother has accepted the baby and has agreed to look after her next year, when Florência hopes to work and study in Tete, a five-hour drive from her home.
But in reality few teenagers caught in Florências predicament ever achieve their wish to study and work. Florência will have to find somewhere to live near her workplace - a costly option or, more likely, be a live-in domestic worker, which she agrees may make it difficult for her to leave each evening in time for her studies.
Im making plans. I want to go back to school. I have always wanted to be a nurse, she says with conviction. Then one day, maybe I can marry a man who will have me and my daughter.


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|2012-09-24, 07:04
|Link #37103
I am no one
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Inside your head
With something like "Gyakkou no Fluegel" blaring in the background, yes, I'm still trying hard.
Even as far as replacing the characters' VA in my head, such as Mizuki Nana for Lun and Len... (WTH casting aside, turned out to be... interesting )
|2012-09-24, 07:42
|Link #37106
That one guy
Join Date: Nov 2011
Makoto Her personality is kind of like Chifuyu. Maybe a bit more unsure of herself, and more of a softy.
Otome Single mother(adopted her niece), insecure. Cheerful, kind to a fault but prone to worry.
Fumi Crazy scientist woman. Kinda like Tabane, only slightly more human.
|2012-09-24, 08:47
|Link #37116
I am no one
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Inside your head
Shin Megami Tensei... riiight, a title I want to avoid at all cost.
Speaking of which, I was tricked during the playcourse of "Radiata Stories". Nonhuman path is bittersweet (somewhat downer consider the gainax implication) but the human path is even worse... admittedly, this game is exactly the kind of mood I want for TLR Stratos at its very conception.
|2012-09-24, 08:50
|Link #37117
That one guy
Join Date: Nov 2011
They're not connected. I just find Devil Survivor 1 to be a great starter since you get the more zany cast in there. A really spread out cast if you will. If I had to compare, Devil survivor 1 was more colorful in a dark drab sort of way in every element. Devil survivor 2 feels like everything from black to white and back again in the same vein.
|2012-09-24, 08:54
|Link #37120
I am no one
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Inside your head
No, I was traumatized as a child by "P2:Sin and Punishment" and swore that title off my collection, FOREVER (with the exception of Demi Kids, which is pokemon-esque lighthearted spin off)
Speaking of which, we're going off the track very fast now...
|fanfic ideas, fanfiction, ff.net, harem, is fanfic, warning fanfic spoilers, wincest
|Thread Tools


text:
Crosslogic Ultimate Review
Crosslogic Ultimate is the PathPix Pro of Picross: lots of levels of an addictive puzzle game that will keep you busy for hours. While there are plenty of Picross-style apps on the App Store, Crosslogic stands out due to its superior controls.
Picross puzzles, also known as nonograms, involve placing black tiles on a grid to match the numbers along the top and side. Each group of numbers represents the formation of the blocks. For example, 3-4-5 would mean three boxes, some amount of space, four boxes, some amount of space, and five boxes. As simple as this sounds, complex puzzles force you to decipher some tough situations logically, and as you play new tricks will appear.
On the grid.
When it comes to viewing larger puzzles, Crosslogic does a beautiful job. Instead of trying to continuously expand and contract different sections of the level, it gives you a clear view of the entire grid. This is made possible through a solid control scheme, which replaces directly tapping on boxes with sliding around a crosshair of sorts and tapping buttons to fill the box or place an X. While this is tedious when filling in full rows, it beats trying to tap tiny squares.
For newcomers, the hint system is key. Each hint randomly reveals one column and row on the grid for the price of two minutes off the 15-minute timer. Even with this help, we always felt the time limit was generous and lenient.
Pages of pictures.
The seemingly endless supply of levels, 1,768 to be exact, means you won't need to buy another Picross game for a long time. Crosslogic includes 10×10, 15×15, and four-part puzzles that have you complete four different puzzles to form a larger image. The app icon is a bit misleading, though, due to a disappointing lack of colors.
If you are a Picross fan, this is the best offering available on the iPhone. Newcomers should check out the lite version first before diving in, just to make sure they enjoy the gameplay mechanic. If you do, you'll be busy for a while.


text:
Happy Thanksgiving Bloggers!!!
Finally I am back up and blogging and have a video tutorial for you! I had several waiting to be posted the past few months, but haven't been able to get them to load to my computer. I finally figured out what the problem was. So check back often because I will be updating with videos on a regular basis. The first one is perfect for the upcoming holiday season. It is a pair of Elf Shoes using the Stampin' UP! Curly Label punch. Leslie, one of my very talented stamping buddies, showed me how to make little elf shoes at a Demonstrator only retreat in October. She also gifted me with this Fall broom table decoration made using the Petal Cone Die!
Isn't it wonderful!
Here is the card I made using the elf shoe.
Items used to create the elf shoes are
Curly Label Punch #119851
1/2" Circle Punch # 119869
Owl Builder Punch #118074
You may purchase them at my website HERE.
And here is the video tutorial for you.
Please take the time to leave me a comment if you like my video.
Go make something cute!


text:
University of Hawaii remembers former president Harlan Cleveland
Cleveland, who served as UH president from 1969-1974, passed away on May 30University of Hawaiʻi
External Affairs & University Relations
"Harlan Cleveland, a Rhodes Scholar, renowned educator and global diplomat, served this university and the State of Hawaiʻi with distinction as our president from 1969-1974, and provided leadership worldwide for the benefit of humankind right until the end of his long and productive life," said UH President David McClain. "I had the good fortune to meet with Dr. Cleveland several times in recent years, and I still use advice he shared with me in my yearly charge to our graduates: ʻDon't over-prepare; just as you're waiting for one opportunity to come in via the front door, an even better one comes in through the side window.' Harlan Cleveland was a visionary, and we all mourn his passing even as we are grateful for all that he accomplished."
Noted as a "get-it-all-together" diplomat, political scientist and social philosopher, Cleveland was born in New York City on January 19, 1918. He studied in Switzerland as a child, became fluent in French there, and went on to attend Andover Academy, Princeton University, and Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. Blind in one eye after a childhood accident, he was disqualified from serving in the military during World War II, but eagerly chose a career in public service.
He served as a United Nations relief and rehabilitation administrator in Italy and China, after which he joined the Economic Cooperation Administration where he served as director of the China Aid Program, then developed and managed U.S. aid to East Asia. He later became the Washington-based supervisor of the Marshall Plan for European recovery.
He left Washington in 1953 to become executive editor, and later publisher, of The Reporter, a political commentary magazine in New York. He became dean of Syracuse University's Maxwell Graduate School for Citizenship and Public Affairs in 1956. From 1961 to 1965, he served as Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs in the President John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson administrations.
He then surprised those who considered New York and Washington to be the center of the planet by becoming the eighth president of the University of Hawaiʻi in April 1969.
In an interview conducted with UH Center for Oral History Director Warren Nishimoto in 1996 as part of a series of oral histories with former UH presidents, Cleveland stated that in coming to the University of Hawaiʻi, "What was going on through my mind was that a university presidency was the one kind of job that I would really like to tackle because of my professional and academic interest in administration, in how things get done. It seemed to me that being president of a university was the most difficult form of administration."
During his tenure, the William S. Richardson School of Law was established on the Mānoa campus, and the John A. Burns School of Medicine was expanded from two to four years. He also appointed the first Mānoa chancellor, and higher education activities on the Big Island were pulled together under a chancellor at UH Hilo.
Following his presidency at UH, Cleveland went on to help develop and lead the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota, and in his later years, served as president of the World Academy of Art and Science.
He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Lois, of Sterling, Virginia; his three children, Zoe, Melantha and Alan, all of Palmyra, Virginia, and his grandson, Jan Harlan Kalicki, of Littleton, Colorado.
NOTE: Educational Perspectives, the journal of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa College of Education, devoted a recent issue to oral history research. Excerpts from an interview conducted in 1996 with Cleveland by UH Center for Oral History Director Warren Nishimoto are featured in the issue. The issue may be viewed online at www.hawaii.edu/coe/documents/2008_1_10-EdpersFinal.pdf


text:
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Joined: 23 Nov 2004
Posts: 450
Location: a Dutchie in HongKong
Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2007 12:05 pm
Post subject: All-apple-things!
Yesterday I received a bucket full of fresh-from-the-tree-picked apples. I'll do apple juice and apple pie (dutch original
and Mamy's both, how my neighbours wil love me !) ), but would love to hear your favourite and special apple recipies, to try something new.
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Joined: 09 Jun 2006
Posts: 932
Location: England
Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2007 12:57 pm
Post subject:
When our cooking apples are ready and picked, my father will definitely do apple and blackberry crumble... to be had hot and with cream. We used to call it Sleepy Pudding because after a large meal and crumble, all you want to do is sleep.
Confusion comes fitted as standard.
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Joined: 23 Jan 2006
Posts: 1324
Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2007 4:51 pm
Post subject:
This apple cake became a favorite right away, it's almost effortless, and if you have 2 apples you almost certainly already have everything else listed below.
Moist Apple Cake (clipped from newspaper 19??)
1/4 cup melted butter
3/4 cup sugar --brown is fine, but white lets you taste the apple more
1 egg
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups chopped apples--(no need to peel, dice them a little smaller than the keys on your pc)
1/2 cup chopped nuts, your choice (walnuts are tried and true)
1/2 cup raisins or chopped dates
Mix butter, sugar, egg well. Add everything else, mix well. It's very thick--spread into 8 inch prepared pan. Bake at 350F for about 40-45 minutes--until it springs back up when touched near the middle. (350F is 177C)
It's good warm (or not) with ice cream, whipped cream, hard sauce, whatever. (There is no liquid in the ingredient list, but the apples provide plenty as they cook.)
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Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 296
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2007 9:46 pm
Post subject:
I don't know if you want any other ideas that fall under the heading of pie... but don't forget about tarte tatin! And gateau normande, which is more pie than cake (as it's mostly apples held together by a small amount of batter). A couple of other ideas for later in the season are Clotilde's apple, potimarron and vanilla compote (which I made last autumn and loved) and this crumble:
Apple, pear and quince crumble (from Crumbles by Camille Le Foll, translated into English by yours truly)
500g quinces
500g apples (the recipe calls for Reine des Reinettes but you can probably substitute whatever you have to hand)
500g pears
50g caster sugar
1 tbsp rose water
200g plain flour
175g salted butter
120g brown sugar
Peel and quarter the quinces and put them in a saucepan with the caster sugar and a little water. Cook over medium low heat for 10 minutes. In the meantime, peel, core and slice the apples and pears and add them to the pot with the quinces. Cook for a further 5 minutes. Turn off the flame and stir in the rose water.
Preheat the oven to 180C and make the crumble topping by rubbing together the flour, butter and brown sugar.
Pour the cooked fruit into a baking dish and sprinkle the topping over it. Bake for about 25 minutes and serve warm with creme fraiche or Greek yoghurt.
Now... can I be really cheeky and ask for your recipe for Dutch apple pie? I became addicted to it on my (so far) only trip to the Netherlands three years ago and can't find anything that remotely approaches it elsewhere!
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Joined: 13 Nov 2004
Posts: 899
Location: Gold Coast Australia
Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 12:33 am
Post subject:
Here a couple of my apple cake recipes.
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Joined: 16 May 2006
Posts: 456
Location: california
Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 2:38 am
Post subject:
Barbara, your apple cake recipes look delicious, and I intend to try both. Can you tell me, in the Spiced Apple Cake recipe, are "cooked apples" what Americans call applesauce, or are they diced or chopped apples cooked briefly until they soften a bit?
Many thanks...
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Joined: 24 May 2007
Posts: 12
Location: Alaska
Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 3:20 am
Post subject:
Have you seen seen this free downloadable apple cookbook? Beautiful photos and apple ideas.
What kind of apples are they? My grandfather was an apple grower, so I grew up rather spoiled in that regard. My mom would get boxes and boxes of Golden Delicious and make applesauce. She would let the apples get very ripe and sweet before slicing them into a big pot with cinnamon and some water. The apples would simmer away until they were tender and some were falling apart. My mom would lightly mash the apples with a hand-powered masher so that the sauce would stay chunky. You never needed to add any additional sweetener. The sauce freezes beautifully and it makes the house smell wonderful. That is the smell of fall to me.
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Joined: 23 Nov 2004
Posts: 450
Location: a Dutchie in HongKong
Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 8:23 am
Post subject:
And what, my dear gingerpale, would 'hard sauce' be?!?!? I'm learning every day!
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Joined: 23 Nov 2004
Posts: 450
Location: a Dutchie in HongKong
Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 9:43 am
Post subject:
~Dutch apple pie~
300 gr flour
180 gr butter (please, no margarine, it works but doesn't add to the flavour!)
150 gr caster sugar, white
1 beaten egg
1 sprinkle of salt
(100 gr raisins)
4/5 large slightly sour apples, or whichever you have lying around
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon sugar (castor, powdered, or regular)
1 teaspoon lemonjuice
Preheat the oven at 180 degrees C.
If you like to use raisins or sultana's soak them in lukewarm water. I never use them, I don't like raisins
Soaked in some rhum might be nice as well!.
Mix flour, castersugar, salt and half of the beaten egg in a bowl.
Cut the cold butter into dices and mix into the flour with two knives or with kneading'things' in the machine into a crumbley but sticking dough.
Some recipies call for half an hour to an hour rest in the fridge before putting dough in springform, I usually do this: use 2/3 of the dough in a well greased springform and make a high side, then let it rest, put the rest of the dough in the fridge as well.
peel,core and cut the apples in dices about the size of, well, a dice:-). Put them in a bowl with the lemon juice, sugar to taste and cinnamon. Mix. If you use raisins, drain and add to the apples.
Put the apples in the springform - add as little liquid as possible.
With the remaining 1/3 of the dough, either roll out and cut stripes, or roll 'worms'of dough and make a diamond-shape pattern on top of the apples - like a top but the filling is visible.
Eggwash with the remaining beaten egg and bake for 1 hour upto 1 hour, 15 mins untill golden brown
here you'll find a photo:
this is a basic and versatile recipe. Everybody has his own, his mothers or grandmothers variation. It's a forgiving recipe: no butter? use margarine. not enough butter? use more egg. No egg? leave it out, use a little extra butter or some water. Flour? can be allpurpose or selfraising. Oven temp? Anywhere between 165 and 200 C will do. Baking? Check after 50 mins and see if it needs more.
Apples: any kind. Mix in for variety: walnuts, almonds, almond paste, 2 teaspoons of custerdpowder or semolina to soak up extra fluids, dried apricots. Other spices: add vanilla, ground cloves. More shine? brush some warmed apricot jam on top after baking.
Sugar? regular will do as well. You could also add some lemon zest or cinnamon to the dough.
One other recipe I have calls for slightly different ratio of ingredients:
300 gr flour
200 gr butter
100 gr sugar
1 (= 50 gr) egg
(3-2-1-1/2 ratio, would work with cups as well!)
just knead it all into a dough and let it rest for a while, while you prepare the apples. one secret, not so dutch but very nice variation is to add not only lemon juice and cinnamon to the apples, but a few very finely cut rosemary-needles(or are they leaves?!) - yum!
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Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 296
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 1:49 pm
Post subject:
Thanks, Swan! Looking forward to trying it soon. (though maybe I should now be kicking myself for asking because I suddenly have one less excuse to go back to the Netherlands??
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Joined: 13 Nov 2004
Posts: 899
Location: Gold Coast Australia
Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 8:10 pm
Post subject:
Gorgia - the cooked apples are diced apples, cooked till soft but still retaining their shape. I cook up a batch on the top of the stove and any left overs I have on my cereal for breakfast. If I cook this cake out of season I buy a can of pie apple and it works fine. I hope you enjoy it. I once had a little food business and I made the spiced apple cakes every day for the 4 months I had the business. It was very popular.
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Joined: 23 Nov 2004
Posts: 450
Location: a Dutchie in HongKong
Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 9:24 pm
Post subject:
Hi julielynn, I forgot the names, I have three kinds, one is Elstar which is a 'normal' one over here, the other two were to me unfamiliar names, one is beautiful dark red, the other looks like an Elstar,but tastes more tart, and their names were something in the line of "prince Charles'and 'Queen Mum', at least that's what I call them now
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Joined: 23 Jan 2006
Posts: 1324
Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 9:29 pm
Post subject:
Swan--as you can tell by the name, it isn't a liquid sauce. There must be a different name for this in Holland. Simply butter mixed with powdered sugar and flavoring--when chilled it is hard like butter, so while still soft it can be molded, then sliced like a zucchini into little rounds, or pressed through a cookie press to make pretties. Here are 2 recipes, one plain one fancy.
cream 1/2 cup butter 'til soft
gradually add 1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
add 2 teaspoons vanilla, mix well, shape, chill
cream 6 Tablespoons butter, unsalted
gradually add 6 Tablespoons dark brown sugar,
2 or 3 Tablespoons rum,
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind and/or a squeeze of juice
mix very well, chill
Either of these can be wildly changed--use whiskey or brandy, serve in a little crock, if you add beaten egg white it keeps it softer--but raw egg is a problem for some people.
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Mister Choc
Joined: 03 Aug 2007
Posts: 19
Location: england
Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2007 10:21 am
Post subject:
I've just had this thought though I guess it must exist all ready. You could wrap a wedge of apple in sweet shortcrust. A bit like a pop tart I suppose. They could be nice little snacks. Ready made shortcrust would make it easier.
Cake!!! Gimme, Gimme,Gimme!
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Joined: 23 Nov 2004
Posts: 450
Location: a Dutchie in HongKong
Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2007 11:43 am
Post subject:
Is there anybody with a chutney-kind-a-something recipe perhaps?
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Opinion: Bay State Brawl
Columnist Mary Anastasia O'Grady on whether Massachusetts's GOP Senate candidate Gabriel Gomez can defeat Democrat Ed Markey. Photos: Associated Press
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... I ... welcome back to Opinion Journal why Mary Kissel ... the breaking news out of the Bay status at the Republican newcomer Gabrielle Gomez ... will take on Democrat and marquee ... for John Kerry's open Senate seat ... here talk about the race is America's columnist Mary Anastasia O'Grady ... Mary Mr. Gomez was not the initial GOP front runner ... how is he prevailed ... over his competitors ... while he for some of you look at his person on resume you can see that he's a very ambitious ... individual twenty oh one ... the guy he's the son of Colombian immigrants time he says that he learned to speak English we went to kindergarten he was born in melange ... aam and he went to Harvard business school he stayed Massachusetts he got into private equity say mean a lot of money ... on me he spent money in the campaign ... I he I have made a personal loan to his campaign of six hundred thousand dollars and I think you've raised in an equivalent amount ... um and he had some more in his fiance groups ... supporting him ... and his competition I think la Mike Sullivan ... I've that initially thought that he added The was a more issue and ... I Cecile an attorney ... right he was the U S attorney and I he he was also a former legislator ... in Massachusetts and ah ... and so I think in a lot away is that Ryland Gomez surge came out of nowhere and because he has ... um you know who sees the most charismatic guy that he was certainly ... the of the three that were running ... high he has some you know ... that the ability to them speak to the camera while it doesn't own a lot of political experience is the place to refer to you in your view ... all I think that would be a drawback um because a I do think you know that that a deal in Washington these days it would help to cut and know how politics is played ... but um I'd I don't think that has to be the reason that would be the reason he was a sunny isn't very in ... a blue state ... on the Democrats outnumber Republicans about three to one although independence of the largest group ... and I think the fact that she on ... you know it is very aggressive and vicious I he's kind and and Martinez the Democratic nominee to run for his money is really because the as the Hispanic and she said that with that lesson the last ninety one to Mr. Markey ... um he's really far to the left to carry on things like energy on climate change ... but in this economy is that a vulnerability for Mr. Markey what should be but a camera Tech and ... um but I think in every of the Mazza smart hell trying to ... expose that is a vulnerability in particular ... I mean if you think about the energy sector ... on my key was that guy in a subcommittee hearing in two thousand eleven explained everybody why we should help him back ... to DC on drilling off its coast ... because that would be good for American jobs in American business and yet he's blocking the Keystone pipeline ... so there's no there's a lot there for Gabriele Gome has to ... go after they were to watch this race really closely America's columnist Mary position pretty thank you so much for being on show


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EQ381, New February 2001
Water is a critical nutrient for livestock and poultry. As with feed ingredients, livestock water should meet the nutritional needs of the animal. An adequate and safe water supply is essential to the production of healthy livestock and poultry. Water that adversely affects the growth, reproduction, or productivity of livestock and poultry cannot be considered suitable. Although there is scant research data on the economic effects of water quality on livestock performance, logic tells us that farm water supplies, either surface or ground, should be protected against contamination from microorganisms, chemicals and other pollutants. Substances that originate on livestock farms and often contaminate water supplies include nitrates, bacteria, organic materials, and suspended solids. A high level of suspended solids and an objectionable taste, odor or color in water can cause animals to drink less than they should.
Surface water supplies to which livestock have ready access are always potential candidates for contamination. Shallow dug wells without good surface drainage away from the well may be subject to infiltration of contaminants. The presence of coliform bacteria in a well is an indication that surface water is finding its way into the well. In karst topography, sink holes, losing streams and porous soils may allow direct contamination of fractured rock aquifers.
Water can serve as a reservoir for many different disease organisms and toxins. Stagnant water contaminated with manure or other nutrients may develop blue-green algae, which can poison livestock, causing muscle tremors, liver damage, and death. Farm pond water needs to be observed for the presence of algae and other harmful organisms during hot, dry weather.
Leptospirosis and Fusobacterium are two bacterial contaminants that often use water and mud, respectively, as modes of transportation from animal to animal. Leptospirosis is spread through urine of carrier animals. This disease often manifests itself as reproductive problems. Problems may range from infertility, to low milk production, to widespread late-term abortion. The organism can survive for extended periods of time in surface waters. One should take care to avoid forcing livestock to drink from water sources that may be contaminated with urine.
Fusobacterium infection is more commonly known as "foot-rot." The bacterium is a soil-borne organism found virtually throughout the United States. It is carried on the feet of animals, which then serve to contaminate any body of water they enter. The bacteria then enter through cuts, bruises, or puncture wounds on damaged feet of other animals. Once inside an animal's body, they multiply rapidly and serve to spread the disease. Clinical signs of "foot-rot" are most commonly seen as chronic lameness, often with swelling above the foot. "Foot-rot" can usually be effectively treated with penicillin and sulfa.
When water is suspected of causing health problems in livestock, veterinary assistance should be sought to determine the actual disease. Laboratory diagnostic examination of animals as well as the water supply may be necessary to evaluate the problem. Temporarily changing to a known safe water supply is a useful test to determine whether the health problems can be solved.
Water is too often blamed for production or disease problems
Thus, the importance of an accurate diagnosis must be emphasized.
Tables 1 through 4 in this guide show the recommended limits of certain pollutants and other substances commonly found in water used for livestock and poultry.
These tables should not be used as diagnostic indicators of health problems in livestock
Toxicity from a specific mineral or compound depends on its concentration and on relative levels of other components with which it interacts.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends that livestock water contain less than 5,000 coliform organisms per 100 milliliters; fecal coliform should be near zero. Alkalinity is expressed either as a pH or as titratable alkalinity in the form of bicarbonates. A pH of 7 is neutral; a pH between 7.0 and 8.0 is mildly alkaline; and a pH of 10 is highly alkaline. Excessive alkalinity can cause physiological and digestive upsets in livestock. Desired and potential problem levels of some common pollutants in livestock water supplies are listed in Table 1. Table 2 shows the safe upper limits for several substances that may be contained in livestock water.
Residents in a large portion of the state of Missouri southeast of an irregular line running from approximately the Bowling Green region to the Nevada region are fortunate to have good quality groundwater generally available within a few hundred feet of the surface in sufficient quantity for large livestock and poultry operations. Unfortunately, northwest of this line, the water from deep, high-yield aquifers is usually too highly mineralized to be used for watering livestock. This area commonly depends on surface water supplies for farms and public uses. The saltiness of water is commonly measured by total dissolved solids, which is approximated by the electrical conductance of the water. The mineralized water in northwest Missouri commonly ranges from 2,000 to 10,000 ppm and as high as 30,000 ppm in total dissolved solids (TDS). Chlorides and sulfates are the main mineral constituents. Chlorides range from calcium to sodium chloride (common salt). Sulfates include calcium, magnesium (Epsom salt) and sodium salts. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geology and Land Survey, 573-368-2190, at Rolla can provide guidance on the quantity and quality of groundwater that can be expected at various locations and depths. Table 3 lists the effect of various levels of salinity in drinking water on livestock and poultry.
Nitrates are soluble and move with percolating or runoff water. Therefore, ponds with runoff from heavily fertilized or manured fields and water from poorly cased, shallow wells may contain nitrates. Water from deep wells is usually nitrate free.
Nitrogen in the form of nitrate is not especially toxic, but when reduced in the rumen to nitrite and absorbed into the blood, nitrite reduces the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood by reacting with hemoglobin. Ruminants have an ability to convert some nitrate to usable products. However, the rumen microbes in cattle and sheep can readily reduce nitrate to the toxic nitrite form. The total amount of nitrates in the diet is important and subject to change with growing conditions of harvested and pastured forage. For example, during a drought, corn silage may accumulate high concentrations of nitrate and when added to the nitrate present in water may result in a lethal combination. The ensiling process will reduce the nitrate level to acceptable levels after a period of aging for 60 to 90 days in the silo. Unlike other simple-stomached animals such as swine, horses do have a cecum containing microbes capable of converting nitrate to the more toxic nitrite form. The extent and rapidity of this chemical conversion in horses is insufficient to make them as susceptible as ruminants. Fortunately, the preformed nitrite is rarely encountered in sufficient concentrations in water and feed to be a toxic threat. Table 4 provides a guide to the use of water containing nitrates for livestock.
Table 1
Desired and potential levels of pollutants in livestock water supplies.
1 milligram per liter (mg per L) is approximately equal to 1 part per million (ppm).
Table 2
Safe upper limits for several substances that may be contained in water for livestock and poultry.
Table 3
Effect of salinity of drinking water on livestock and poultry (Water Quality Criteria, 1972).
Table 4
Guide to use of waters containing nitrates for livestock.
The maximum level of nitrate as N in water for human consumption (as set by the US EPA) is 10 milligrams per liter.
To achieve high-quality surface water, fence livestock out of the pond or stream and pipe the water to a tank or other waterer. To obtain the best water from a pond, provide a grassed watershed where no chemicals or manure are applied and float a screened pipe intake about 2 feet below the surface. Water can be pumped from a stream or, in some cases, can be piped to a tank by gravity. An alternative is to allow limited access for livestock to drink from a pond or stream. Spring water may need to be pumped to the desired waterer location, or the spring may need to be developed to provide the head necessary for gravity flow.
Well sites should be graded to drain surface water away from the well casing. Wells should be cased to comply with the Missouri Well Construction Rules. Wells should be located as far as practical from septic tanks (50 feet minimum), septic fields (100 feet minimum), chemical mixing areas (300 feet minimum), feedlots (100 feet minimum), earthen manure storage basins and lagoons (300 feet minimum), and land application areas for manure (300 feet minimum).
Under the EPA's Unified National Strategy for Animal Feeding Operations, the desired outcome is for all concentrated animal feeding operations to develop and implement a comprehensive nutrient management plan. Such a plan should address, as necessary, feed management, manure handling and storage, land application of manure, land management, record keeping, and other utilization options. In addition to nutrients, the plan should address other pollutants, such as pathogens, to minimize the effects of animal feeding operations on water quality and public health.
At a minimum, the nutrient management plan should prevent the application of nutrients at rates that will exceed the capacity of the soil and planned crop needs. Soils, crop material and manure should be tested to determine nutrient needs. Manure application equipment should be calibrated to ensure that the quantity of material being applied conforms to a plan. Records of crops removed annually and the total amount of effluent applied will allow producers to maintain the desired nutrient balance.
Annual water tests are recommended for private wells, especially for shallow wells, and whenever a problem is suspected. Owners of private wells can have their water tested by collecting a sample themselves or by hiring a qualified person to do so. The sample should be taken to a certified laboratory for analysis. Sample bottles should be obtained from the testing laboratory or local health department, because containers may be especially prepared for a specific contaminant. Sampling and handling procedures depend on the water quality concern and should be followed carefully.
Water analyses typically include the following tests:
There are no regulations governing the number of microorganisms or bacteria in water used for livestock production unless the farm is a Grade A dairy. In that case, the water must be from a supply that provides water of safe and sanitary quality with no detectable fecal coliform bacteria. Within the state of Missouri, a Grade A milk law presents well construction guidelines for Grade A dairies. Water must be tested after any repairs or modifications to the water supply system. In addition, specific requirements prohibit backsiphoning from outdoor livestock water tanks.
Normally, hard water does not interfere with livestock performance; however, hard waters can cause difficulty in washing of milking equipment and causes water heaters to "lime up." Contaminates such as iron and sand will clog pipelines. Well water with high iron content may have problems with iron bacteria forming a red, slimy mass that can clog well screens and require periodic treatment with chlorine. Some wells produce considerable amounts of sand. A sand separator should be installed at the beginning of a pipeline in such a case. Sand separators are available through suppliers of trickle irrigation equipment. Sulfur waters are corrosive and have a bad odor.
Rural water is a reliable source but may be too costly for large livestock operations. However, consider connection to the rural source as a backup supply. Backflow prevention valves shall be used to prevent contamination of the rural water supply. In most cases, rural water districts require an air gap because backflow valves are not safe enough.
Many commercial laboratories provide testing for water quality. Contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Service office or MU Extension center for a list of commercial laboratories.
The following laboratories at the MU perform water quality tests:
Order publications online at http://extension.missouri.edu/explore/shop/ or call toll-free 800-292-0969.


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Salt Block Cooking by Mark Bitterman
As Mark Bitterman explains in the intro to his latest book, "Salt blocks can cook, cure, cool, freeze, caramelize, brown, soften, firm, crisp, and show off food while making it more digestible and flavorful." Woah. If you're looking for a brand new way to cook your food and amaze your dinner party guests this summer, I think you've just found it.
Quick Facts
• Who wrote it: Mark Bitterman
• Who published it: Andrews McMeel Publishing
• Number of recipes: 70
• Recipes for right now: Watermelon and Feta on a Salt Block, Salt Block Cured Gravlax, Quick-Cured Vegetable Pickles, Salt Brick Grilled Chicken, Salt-Grilled Cheeseburger Sliders, Salt-Crisped Whole Fish, Salt-Frozen Mocha-Panna Cotta Gelato, Salt-Cured Strawberry Ice Cream
• Other highlights: If the idea of cooking with (or on...or under...) a salt block is totally foreign to you, don't worry. Mark Bitterman begins this cookbook with a thorough look at salt block cooking, covering everything from why you might want to give this crazy idea a try to how to clean, maintain, and store your salt block.
The recipes really show the breadth of salt block cooking. This is much more than just a pretty way to serve cheese at a party! You can heat salt blocks on the grill, freeze them for candy-making, or put it in the oven for baking breads of all kinds. The recipes go over these techniques in great detail so we can feel confident heading into the kitchen.
Curious? So am I. Step one: Read through this book. Step 2: Procure salt block. Who's with me?!
• Who would enjoy this book? Cooks curious to try new cooking techniques, people who have already taken the plunge into salt block cooking.
Find the book at your local library, independent bookstore, or Amazon: Salt Block Cooking by Mark Bitterman
• Visit the author's website: The Meadow
Apartment Therapy Media makes every effort to test and review products fairly and transparently. The views expressed in this review are the personal views of the reviewer and this particular product review was not sponsored or paid for in any way by the manufacturer or an agent working on their behalf. However, the manufacturer did give us the product for testing and review purposes.
(Images: Emma Christensen)


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Utah freshman gymnast Gael Mackie got quite the prize for winning a collegiate event for the first time in her career: An overnight stay in the hospital taking what she called "a lovely cocktail of morphine and stuff like that."
Following the career-best 9.875 score on bars that won her that event title Friday night in the Utes' home meet against Oregon State, a 196.3-195.15 Utah victory to run its record to 10-0, Mackie said she was asleep but awoke having to vomit.
"And it didn't stop," she said.
She checked in for her first overnight stay at a hospital in the United States Mackie is Canadian and was hospitalized there for a broken back in 2004 and her blood was checked for viruses and appendicitis, among other things.
It was apparently food poisoning from what she said was under-cooked chicken she'd eaten before the meet.
The pain was pretty strong, requiring the morphine cocktail.
"It was nasty and pretty quick because I'm not throwing up any more," she said. "It wasn't that fun, but at least it helped me get better."
She was still a bit dizzy Monday but expected to be better by today.
Sophomore Stephanie Neff, Utah's late substitution on floor (9.8) in Friday's meet after Ashley Postell had her first two falls of the season on bars and beam, was ill Monday, as was sophomore Beth Rizzo.
Freshman Kyndal Robarts, who returned to the lineup on vault (9.875) and beam (9.8) after missing the UCLA meet with a sprained knee medial collateral ligament, said her knee has felt fine since the competition, so she's perhaps ready for more. She has competed in all four event this season, the only one of Utah's three freshmen to do so.
She felt a little rusty during warmups but fine for the competition. "Sometimes you just have to feel it out, and once you compete, you're good."
Friday was the first time Robarts and the other freshmen have experienced the Utes not performing at their best.
"We didn't hit everything to the best that we could, but we still pulled together, and everybody was trying to be positive," Robarts said..
"For a rough night, that wasn't bad," she added.
HALL OF FAME: Former BYU gymnast and coach Wayne Young, the 1976 U.S. Olympic team captain, and current Utah senior Postell will be inducted into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame during the 2008 Olympic Trials and USA Gymnastics Congress in Philadelphia on June 22.
Postell was a member of the 2003 U.S. Senior National Team from 1998-2004, was 2002 world beam champion and a member of the gold-medal-winning 2003 USA World Championships team. She is the 2007 NCAA beam champion and currently ranks No. 1 in NCAA all-around, beam and vault.
Young participated in the 1974 worlds and was 1975 NCAA all-around champion. He coached the BYU men's team 1979-87 after graduating from the Y. in 1975. He has a master's from Penn State and medical degree from the University of Utah and lives in Pleasant Grove. He's a doctor in obstetrics and gynecology for Intermountain Healthcare. His son Guard was a member of the silver-medal U.S. 2004 Olympic team.
RANKINGS: Postell's 9.95 vault from Friday moved her back into first place in the NCAA poll in that event, and she still is ranked No. 1 in all-around and balance beam this week, despite her falls on bars and beam Friday. That's because the low score of the season is tossed out in the Regional Qualifying Score formula.
The Utes remained No. 2 in team rankings, and Southern Utah dropped from No. 23 to No. 25, though its RQS remained 194.465. BYU fell two places to 34th though its RQS raised to 194.080 from 193.410 of last week, and Utah State had the same fate. It is No. 45, down from 42nd, despite improving its RQS to 192.210 from 192.185.
Ute Kristina Baskett is ranked seventh in the all-around and vaulting and is tied for fourth on bars.By repeating its season high of 49.55 on vault Friday, Utah retained No. 1 in team vaulting. It's No. 3 on beam and floor and fifth on bars.
NCAA women's gymnastics poll
March 10, by Regional Qualifying Score
Rank ... School ... RQS ... average ... high score
1. ... Georgia ... 197.235 ... 197.062 ... 197.900
2. ... Utah ... 197.030 ... 196.881 ... 197.750
3. ... Florida ... 196.915 ... 196.756 ... 197.925
4. ... Michigan ... 196.825 ... 196.586 ... 197.600
25. ... Southern Utah ... 194.465 ... 194.322 ... 196.000
32. ... Brigham Young ... 194.080 ... 193.789 ... 194.925
45. ... Utah State ... 192.210 ... 191.642 ... 194.450


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Style # 229451
You're darling in this mini dress that features a 'wet-look' finish and strategically placed sexy cutout designs. Party until you see daylight! Don't forget your Sparkle Minaudiere to coordinate with this glam short style.
- 94% Polyester, 6% spandex
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- Center back to hem: 29" (74 cm)
- Model is 5'9" and wearing a US size S
Liquid Mini Dress is rated out of 5 by 1.
Rated 5 out of 5 by fashionista35 from LOVE IT LOVE THE FIT OF THIS DRESS. THE DRESS IS BEAUTIFUL AND LOOKS GREAT ON ME.
Date published: 2014-01-27


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The timing of it may be far from perfect but former pacer Brett Lee on Tuesday said the upcoming India-Australia ODI series would do a world of good to the team in transition from Down Under as nothing beats the experience of playing in the heat and dust of India.
"It is probably not the perfect timing but we always have to look at the positives and that's what I would prefer to do. This is a great opportunity for this young Australian team to play cricket in the heat and dust of India, which would set them up for the toughest of conditions," Lee said on the sidelines of the launch of 'Pedigree Senior' -- a new range of dog food for senior dogs by Mars International India. (Also Read: George Bailey: Whole team needs to step up)
"India is a place which helps you learn a lot of things, I learnt a lot playing here and hopefully this Australian team would also gain a lot from the experience. We have the Ashes coming up next month and this series will help the Australian team," he said referring to the grudge series against England starting November 21.
Former Australian captain Ian Chappell had lambasted Cricket Australia for accepting the invitation for the series, which starts with a one off Twenty20 International on Thursday in Rajkot.
Lee, retired internationally, said the series would help the Australian team, which has been further weakened by the injury-forced ruling out of skipper Michael Clarke.
"I have read a lot about the comments that have been floating around about the timing of this series but to my mind, having a young guy play in front of 100,000 people who think of cricket as religion, that's huge. These seven ODIs would steel them up for all kinds of conditions. You can always have opinions on when it should have been but it is still a huge opportunity," he said.
The 36-year-old, who retired with 310 Test and 380 ODI wickets in a career spanning nine years, is still active in domestic Twenty20, turning up for Sydney Sixers in the Australian Big Bash and Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL.
"I am looking forward to the Big Bash in December when I would play for Sydney Sixers. My goal, when I started playing international cricket was to touch 150kph or go beyond that. I have always tried to do that and will keep doing that," he said.
"I am not interested in bowling at 130kph, and even after retiring and everything, I am still confident of bowling at 150. I worked very hard to reach where I did, luck did not play too big a role. I will continue to do that and carry on till the time I feel I can touch 150 and I am very confident of continuing to do it for a long time to come," he said.
But what about the injury-ravaged body, which has been through a number of surgeries?
"You have to trick your body. These days fast bowlers don't even last two years, in fact in some cases, not even two games. I have lasted pretty long. My longevity has a lot to do with the fact that I have worked very hard on my fitness. Age plays a part but then it can go both ways.
"For instance, if somebody is good at 16, like Sachin Tendulkar was, get them into the team, it doesn't really matter," he said.
source: msn.com


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Doctor Who: Series 7 Part 2 (UK - DVD R2)
The Wilson Bros give you a mini-review of the recent latter half of series seven...
The golden anniversary year of Doctor Who kicked off with the resumption of series seven - the first half of which was broadcast last year - and introduced new enemies, reintroduced some old enemies and even ushered in a face of The Doctor that had not been seen before...
The Snowmen:
Depressed after the departure of Amy and Rory, The Doctor (Matt Smith) is hiding out in Victorian London and discovers that his old nemesis, The Great Intelligence, is at large and also finds out that Oswin Oswald (Jenna Louise Coleman) seemingly escaped her fate at the hands of the Daleks and is now calling herself Clara...
What's good: The new title sequence, which incorporates the image of the actor playing The Doctor for the first time since 1989. Having Ian McKellen voicing the titular characters really adds a touch of class to the whole thing, and his gravelly, resonant tones add a level of menace that few other thesps can match. The Beeb always does period drama so well and The Snowmen is no exception, with sumptuous costumes and sets everywhere you look.
What's bad: Nothing much to complain about with this one, when we watched it, The Snowmen was great festive fun and a considerable improvement over the previous Christmas special, the truly atrocious The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe.
The Bells of St John:
After spending time in a monastery, The Doctor is called back into action and finds another incarnation of Clara in the early 21st century. The Great Intelligence has ordered a technological organisation to upload the souls of the human race via wi-fi and only The Doctor and Clara can save the day...
What's good: The chemistry between Matt Smith and Jenna Louise Coleman is undeniably good, as they rattle off dialogue with the rapidity of machine-gun fire.
What's bad:
The whole riding on a motorcycle up the outside of The Shard was fucking ridiculous, with a silly premise and pretty poor CGI execution. Still, you could look upon including The Shard as a tip of the hat to sixites Doctor Who, when the Post Office Tower was included as hi-tech base of evil operations in The War Machines.
The Rings of Akhaten:
The Doctor takes Clara out on her first visit to an alien world, where Clara fights to save the life of a young girl who is due to be sacrificed in the Festival of Offerings to appease the Old God, who is not all he seems...
What's good: Can't think of anything - for us, this episode truly was the pits, and as bad as New-Who gets. Think of it as being the New-Who equivalent of Timelash or Time and the Rani.
What's bad: How long have you got? The claustrophobic-yet-expansive sets, the tiresome singing sequences by the Welsh Male Voice Choir, the lousy CGI pumpkin bad guy, The Doctor's derivative speech that was clearly "inspired" by Rutger Hauer's "tears in rain" soliloquy from Blade Runner; we could go on, but we've made our point.
Cold War:
Earth, 1983 and the Tardis materialises inside a Russian nuclear submarine, but an old adversary in the form of Ice Warrior Grand Marshall Skaldak is also aboard and intends to raise the temperature of the Cold War by launching a nuclear missile from the submarine...
What's good: David Warner's performance is fabulous and fairly atypical of his usual sci-fi turns (a genre he has previously confessed to disliking). The redesign of the Ice Warriors is pretty good, staying faithful to the original look, but not messing with it TOO badly. The premise of the story is great, with the idea of a hulking adversary running around in the cramped confines of a submarine being very cool indeed, but...
What's bad:The thing starts to come apart about half way through, when Skaldak suddenly decided to take off his armour and reveals himself to be some silly-looking CGI creation. Since when the hell was the exterior of an Ice Warrior armour? We have always taken their exterior to be organic matter similar to that of an armadillo. Oh and why is that that a late 20th century period Doctor Who story has to have pop music from the period in order to establish that it is set in the past, even if such stuff is not appropriate within the context of the story? David Warner's excellent performance gets off to a shaky start when he is seen listening to Ultravox's Vienna on a Sony Walkman, but this soon passes.
It's also inexcusable that this story is essentially a rehash of Rob Shearman's excellent Jubilee/Dalek, as a new companion - unaware of the dangerous nature of The Doctor's foe - attempts to understand and empathise with it, even physically exposing itself in the process.
The Doctor and Clara arrive in 1974 to seek the help of psychic Emma Grayling (Jessica Raine) with Clara's mysterious past, but they find themselves dragged into the investigation of psychic phenomena that have been occuring at the foreboding Caliburn Mansion...
What's good: It's great to see the man who should have been Wolverine, Dougray Scott, on screen and putting in a impressive performance as Professor Alec Palmer. Though it's set in the seventies, there is still a period feel that holds your attention and the eerie atmosphere that is established early on in the episode makes for compelling viewing.
What's bad: There is barely an original idea in the episode, coming across an magpie-like amalgamation of Poltergeist, The Haunting and the pilot of Star Trek: The Next Generation regarding the love story aspect of the climax.
Journey to the Centre of the Tardis:
An intergalactic salvage crew picks up the Tardis and Clara is plunged into the very heart of the machine and The Doctor has just 30 minutes to rescue her before the self-destruct mechanism goes off...
What's good: The interior of The Doctor's time and space machine is finally seen in great detail and even the fabled swimming pool is seen, if only for one shot.
What's bad: The guys who play the salvage crew put in pretty poor performances, which detract from the potency of the drama. The reinforcing of the notion that the Eye of Harmony is in the Tardis, first established in the Paul McGann film, rubs us up the wrong way - they'll be saying that he's half-human next...
The Crimson Horror:
Madam Vastra (Neve McIntosh), Jenny (Catrin Stewart) and Strax (Dan Starkey) are investigating strange happenings at Sweetville, where Mrs Gillyflower (Diana Rigg) is working with the enigmatic Mr Sweet in a bid to "preserve" the human race in a manner that few would appreciate...
What's good: Mark Gatiss makes up for several missteps over Cold War with this love-letter to Victoriana and the bygone days of northern chocolate-based industrial communities, presenting an almost satirical look at the early days of Bournville that is as thinly-disguised as the honeycomb under the chocolate on a Crunchie.
What's bad: Nothing much, really - it's a very enjoyable episode.
Nightmare in Silver:
The Doctor takes Clara and her charges, Arte and Angie, to Hedgewicks' World of Wonders, where they discover that upgraded versions of the Cyberman are unleashing themselves upon the universe, and only the quartet, along with a small army unit of misfits and a diminuitive man named Porridge (Warwick Davis) can stop them...
What's good: Warwick Davis puts in quite possible the finest performance of his career; dwarf actors who can act are rare (the late, great David Rappaport was the finest diminuitive thesp), and Davis' abilities really impress here, playing someone to whom there is more than meets the eye. The redesign of the Cybermen is impressive, making them sleeker and they have also largely scrapped the campy stomping in unison that was introduced during the Russell T Davies era. It's equally refreshing to see that the annoying "delete, delete" catchphrase has been scrapped in favour of the slightly less irksome "upgrade" one.
What's bad: Having young children as companions in Doctor Who has never been a good idea - Roberta Tovey was cute but somewhat irritatingly precocious in the Peter Cushing films and the sixties annuals with John and Gillian reinforced this. Arte and Angie are a couple of annoying little sods, who serve little purpose in this story - they were probably included as part of the numerous alterations that Neil Gaiman's original script underwent.
The Name of the Doctor:
The Doctor is forced to go where he should never venture - to his own burial place on Trenzalore. There, The Great Intelligence (Richard E Grant) plans to open The Doctor's Tomb and corrupt his timeline. The Doctor also faces a past incarnation that he prefers not to think about...
What's good: There is an epic feeling to this story, as though everything in this series (or at least this half-series) has been building toward; the production values on the planet of Trenzalore are most impressive, which only add to the epic, climactic feeling this episode positively radiates. It's great to see footage of most of the other Doctors included, and the interaction between Clara and the First Doctor (William Hartnell) is wonderful to see.
What's bad: The lack of footage of Paul McGann (there was probably some sort of rights issue) and some of the CGI integration of the previous Doctors was a bit ropey. The Whispermen turned out to be a bit of a dud, what with their singsong speak and silly look. They should have just reused The Silence - it would have made more sense.
Presented in 1.78:1, the standard definition image looks pretty good, close to - if not better than - the non-HD broadcast on television. Colours are bold, with the blues used in the period stories helping to set the mood. Image detail is pretty good, but not razor-sharp.
The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack mamkes good use of the surround channels to create an enveloping atmosphere in several of the stories included here. There's also a fair amount of heft to the bass at times, which is no bad thing.
Clara's White Christmas: This is a three-and-a-half minute puff-piece, with Jenna Louise Coleman and members of the crew recounting the challenge of shooting on location whilst surrounded by fake snow and hoards of enthusiastic Doctor Who fans. What is most interesting about this is that it has an interview with recently-departed producer Caroline Skinner, who allegedly fell afoul of Steven Moffat, who was supposed to have screamed at her "you are erased from Doctor Who!" during a BBC public function.
Vastra InvestigatesThe sapphic interspecial Victorian pair and their Sontaron butler wrap up another investigation; this serves as another prelude to The Snowmen and this little vignette serves to reinforce the nature of Madam Vastra and Jenny.
The Great Detective: This Children in Need special is a prequel to The Snowmen and sees The Doctor trying to be lured out of retirement by Madam Vastra, Jenny and Strax; this is predominantly played for laughs, but manages to get serious at the end in order to demonstrate the resolute nature of The Doctor at this particular point in his life.
The Bells of Saint John - A Prequel: This prelude to the first episode of the second part of series seven of Doctor Who sees The Doctor speaking to a young girl in a playground about Clara, unaware of the identity of the girl to whom he is speaking. This is great stuff, and the reveal at the end is perfectly written and executed - it's almost certainly the best of the all of the promotional ephemera.
Doctor Who Series Seven Part 2 has very much been a mixed-bag, with a hit-to-miss ratio that is tipped in favour of the latter. The first half of series seven was more satisfying overall, but The Name of the Doctor went quite some way toward papering over some of the less successful episodes. Matt Smith and Jenna Louise Coleman have the sort of chemistry that most television shows would kill to have in their lead performers, and each episode in this series is handsomely mounted. The final story gives Classic Doctor Who fans hope that Steven Moffat is going to pull something out of the bag in November that will have them ecstatic with pleasure.
Review by Wilson Bros
Existing Posts
Have you seen the Blu editions of seasons 5-7? I already have 5 and 6 on DVD and I'm currently going through 7 on Blu, is the picture move improved on the 5 and 6 Blu's?
We felt that the first half of series seven was better; there was a certain weight of expectation from many fans (ourselves included, probably) that crushed some of the fun out of the latter episodes of series seven.
Still, The Name of the Doctor went quite some way toward making up for several duff episodes.
Kevin & Nick W
Still, The Name of the Doctor went quite some way toward making up for several duff episodes.
Kevin & Nick W
I do agree with some of your opinion on the second half of season seven, but I'm not as hard on some episodes. I wasn't much of a fan of the Cyberman episode (The Doctor's Wife was much better). The bit with the Ice warrior getting our of his armor was silly
General viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children
Disc Details
Release Date: 27th May 2013
Discs: 3
Disc Type: Single side, dual layer
RCE: No
Video: PAL
Aspect: 1.78:1
Anamorphic: Yes
Colour: Yes
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Subtitles: English
Extras: Clara's White Christmas, Vastra Investigates, BBC Children In Need Special: The Great Detective, The Bells of Saint John: A Prequel
Easter Egg: No
Feature Details
Director: Various
Cast: Matt Smith, Jenna Louise Coleman, John Hurt
Genre: Sci-Fi
Length: 410 minutes
6Review Guide
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|System: Wii, PS2
|Review Rating Legend
|Dev: Sting
|1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid
|4.0 - 4.4 = Great
|Pub: Atlus
|2.0 - 2.4 = Poor
|4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
|Release: Oct. 14, 2008
|2.5 - 2.9 = Average
|5.0 = The Best
|Players: 1-4
|3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
|ESRB Rating: Everyone 10+
|3.5 - 3.9 = Good
The sound here also suffers from an overall bland feel. The level music is passable; it consists of some simplistic tunes that change as the level scenery changes. However, the voiceovers are really repetitive, and each character only has a handful of stock phrases that they repeat over and over throughout the game.
Control in Dokapon Kingdom is very simple and consists of using your choice of the Wii-mote turned on its side, the classic controller, or the GameCube controller to run around the board and battle various enemies. There are no motion controls, and different battle actions are mapped on-screen according to your different control scheme.
For all of its faults, Dokapon Kingdom is not that bad of a title. The RPG twist on party games actually makes for some fun and interesting gameplay, and if you can keep up with your fellow competitors, then you'll probably be in for a good time. Being able to level-up your party character and outfit them with different jobs, weapons, and accessories definitely affords some memorable experiences to the title, and there is quite a bit of replay value here.
Even though I did enjoy playing Dokapon Kingdom, it unquestionably suffers from a lack of balance. There is too much involved in this title for those looking for a pick-up-and-play party game, and it is overly simplistic for those interested in playing a serious RPG. But this game is definitely unique among its peers, and although it is not quite the best of both worlds, it is definitely worth checking out if you are a party game or RPG enthusiast.
Amanda L. Kondolojy
CCC Staff Contributor
Game Features:


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Crime is supposed to be an engaging platter. Unfortunately The Nice Guys doesn't score high in the riveting department. It goes really light at times where the call of the hour is to depict tangibility, au contraire, goes full savage where we could have lived without. There is an element of surprise at most places where you feel the flick's true flair working magic for it. But then there are times when it simply falls flat.
There is a certain unpredictability about Shane Black's direction which makes his style of film-making undoubtedly unique. Grinding humour into serious situations is something that he uses immensely. However, it wasn't the real genre that forms the basis of the tale. It's the 1970 LA crime scene that does. It takes two booming industries in the backdrop to narrate its telling tale – porn and automotive, and tries to bank on a bigger government conspiracy to cloud its offense.
To top it all, we have Ryan Gosling to do us the honours. His Holland March is a rare character with qualities of fun, subtlety and disgust all written in a single leaflet. He showcases a rare finesse that makes his character the most admired one. Contrasting his character is a grimmer Jackson Healy portrayed by Russell Crowe who is kind of okay in his shoes. Both make an unusual pair who aren't really nice and yet so, as they try to figure out the mystery of the missing girl. But do they have the chemistry that we wanted? The answer is no!
The plot is well written as it unfurls slowly into precarious trenches of foul play. The Nice Guys is pretty dark suggestive of Shane's magnificent style again. But the movie tried to sell itself on humour in the trailers which was actually kind of belying. All the laughs that the trailers packed in were the only ones the movie had. You constantly feel there is something missing and you could taste the hollow as connections don't really connect you.
Melodramatic substance is fairly missing, something Shane isn't really a fan of, I surmise. So, you can't take anything seriously, or expect to feel for any losses. Frames get gashed at unpredictable junctures which question the editing of the movie profusely. Yes, the editing isn't that great.
However, there are two things that are constantly working for The Nice Guys – The plot and Ryan Gosling! Remember at the end The Nice Guys isn't a fun movie. It is serious stuff just metamorphosed into fun by some Shane spices.


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posted by Thom Holwerda on Wed 5th Oct 2005 14:54 UTC, submitted by Swank1
"When looking for an alternative to Windows most people think of either Apple's OS X or Linux. Of course, these are both viable alternatives but they are not the only options. One way to go is with yellowTAB's ZETA operating system. Though it is not yet very popular, ZETA is the successor to BeOS, the highly regarded OS from Be, Inc. This is a very interesting and beautiful operating system which may not presently be a threat to Linux but it does have more than a few things going for it."


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BB12 Open Casting Call Wednesday, April 7th4-8pmBattleground Kia2927 Battleground AveGreensboro, NC 27408More locations to be announced shortlyTentative premiere date is Thursday, July 8th.
Saturday, April 3rd 1pm - 5pmPhoenix / Chandler, AZ @ Sandbar Mexican Grill7200 West Ray Rd Chandler, AZ 85226
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- Solar powered.
- Reasonable build quality, should be fine for domestic use.
- Brighter than expected.
- Good size, not too small, not too big.
Very bright and appears to hold brightness pretty constant until batteries drain mostly. No need to take batteries out to charge. Can charge anywhere (in the day).


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Editors' note: Dell has released a larger version of the Streak for T-Mobile, one that is compatible with 4G wireless speeds. It has also pushed out an over-the-air update for the Streak's operating system, bringing the device up to Android 2.2 (Froyo) from 1.6 (Donut) and enabling support for Adobe Flash, Microsoft Exchange, and Swype text input. Still, given the change in the competitive landscape since our original review, we have lowered the rating of this product to better reflect its value.
Editors' note: Thanks to the release of recent, high-quality tablets, the overall score of the Streak 7 has been adjusted down from 7 to 5.
Everyone is eager to see a serious competitor for the Apple iPad tablet computer. For the moment, the Dell Streak is the strongest contender we've seen, though its pocket-size design and phone capabilities have us wondering if it shouldn't really be judged as a smartphone. However you want to define it, the Streak's features and design quality are simply too tantalizing to ignore, even if its price ($299 with a two-year AT&T contract, $549 without contract) is tough to swallow.
The most notable aspect of the Dell Streak is its design. Chances are, you already know what Google's Android operating system is capable of, and the Streak's phonelike hardware capabilities (camera, touch screen, memory expansion) are nothing we haven't seen before.
When you pick up a Streak for the first time, the first thing you'll notice is its size. At 6 inches wide, 3.2 inches tall, and 0.35 inch thick, the Streak is about the size as a pocket Moleskine notebook. It breaks the norm for smartphone dimensions, yet it's nearly a third the size of Apple's iPad tablet.
The size charts new territory in the middle ground, and potential buyers should be aware that it does not fit naturally as a replacement for your phone or your laptop. That said, if you're having a Goldilocks moment looking for that "just right" compromise between convenience, portability, and features, the Streak should be at the top of your list for consideration.
Putting the issue of size aside, the design quality of the Streak is solid, and befitting of the $500 price range. The 5-inch capacitive touch screen is covered in a seemingly indestructible Gorilla Glass, developed by Corning, though the tapered edges to the left and right of it use a more conventional scratch-resistant plastic. These same edges also conceal three soft keys (back, menu, home), an earpiece, microphone, and a front-facing VGA-resolution camera. We carried the Streak loosely in a messenger bag for weeks, along with keys, loose change, and an iPod, and failed to make a dent or scratch in its finish.
On the flip side of the Streak you'll find a 5-megapixel autofocus camera with an integrated LED flash. The camera is awkwardly placed, so your left hand tends to obscure the lens when holding the Streak in its prescribed landscape orientation. Anyone with common sense will, of course, reposition their hand before snapping a photo or recording video, but the fingerprints left on the lens through regular use do tend to cloud the image quality.
The back of the Streak also includes a small speaker grille at the edge of a large battery cover. Along with a removable, rechargeable battery, the Streak battery compartment also offers access to a SIM card slot and the included 16GB microSD memory card. Both the SIM and microSD cards can be swapped out quickly, but removing the door to the battery compartment will automatically shut down the Streak as a safety measure. A cold boot after removing the battery cover takes about 40 seconds.
Slim buttons for volume, power, and camera mode run across the top edge of the Streak, along with a standard 3.5mm headphone jack (in-ear headphones come included). Our only complaint with the buttons is that the power and camera buttons have an identical shape and are place directly next to one another, making it easy to confuse them.
Finally, the bottom of the Streak offers a 30-pin connection, which is similar to (but not compatible with) the iPad's. A USB cable compatible with the connection comes included, along with a wall-charging adapter. The 30-pin connection is also compatible with Dell's AV dock accessory, which is sold separately and includes connections for HDMI, mini-USB, and audio line-out.
The Dell Streak fits right in with today's superbly specced Android smartphones. It ships with Android 2.2 installed (or available as an over-the-air update), supporting what we now consider must-have Android features, including Adobe Flash compatibility, native Exchange sync, and multitouch gesture support.
Though the Streak doesn't break much new ground in the world of smartphones, as a 5-inch Android tablet, it's without equal. Similar offerings, such as the Archos 5 simply don't have the speed, specs, or design quality to match the Streak. They've also all lacked one critical feature: the Android App Market.


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Back in September, we wrote about Obie, the poor, not-so-little dachshund that had been given up by his owners after reaching the whopping weight of 77 pounds (the maximum weight for the average dachshund is around 32 lbs). Through the Oregon Dachshund Rescue, Obie was placed under the care of former vet tech Nora Vanatta who began to successfully raise funds via PayPal and a Facebook group called Biggest Loser, Doxie Edition in order to pay for weight loss resources like a special diet and hydrotherapy to reduce the stress on his joints.
Something about Obie's struggle captured our nation's hearts and soon Vanatta and Obie found themselves traveling around the country for televised appearances and raking in the dough through supporters' donations. Now, however, the Oregon Dachshund Rescue is claiming that Vanatta is exploiting Obie for her own financial gain and have filed court papers claiming that "Vanatta is wrongfully holding Obie and exploiting the dog for the sensationalistic promotional value of its unusual obesity." Vanatta is denying the rescue's claims, telling ABC that Obie's money is being saved "because he may need to have surgery to have his excess skin removed." She adds, "You know, we just don't know where, what he's really going to need."
A judge will decide on Monday who will get custody of sweet chunky Obie, who, by the way, has already lost 15 lbs.
Obie the Overweight Dachshund at Center of Custody Battle [ABC]
Image via Facebook.


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No white flags. That's what Steve Gleason tweeted Tuesday morning, just hours after he stopped breathing, became unresponsive and was whisked away to a New Orleans hospital from the Superdome, where he had been watching Monday night's game between his beloved Saints and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Someone who was there described it as the scariest thing he's ever witnessed, and that's saying a mouthful considering NFL games often are not for the faint of heart. Another person near the retired safety's side says this was not a life-risking episode at all, just another chilling flash in the existence of a person suffering from ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), or Lou Gehrig's disease.
Unless the universe has a miracle up her sleeve—and what fun would life be if we stopped believing in miracles?—Gleason will have more and more of these cruel moments as the days grow long. He made a small fortune in a career defined by hard numbers, and right now the statistics are not anywhere in his favor.
So you know what he does? Even though he is confined to a wheelchair and struggles to speak, he surrounds himself with people who are battling even tougher stats. In this way, the public might see the effort and the undying devotion and the patience and the frustration and the unwavering belief that rides shotgun with so many of his fellow ALS teammates.
Just on Sunday, when a slick rain made it a slog to get to the Superdome, thousands came out for the second annual Gleason Gras, an ALS fundraiser put on by Team Gleason. It's barely been a year since Gleason, 35, announced he was battling Lou Gehrig's disease, and his deterioration is no faster or slower than anyone the monster sinks its clamps into.
At the Superdome fundraiser, one day before he'd collapse and be rushed to hospital, Gleason sat near a man named Michael Sork. The disease has stripped him of his ability to talk; Sork must have everything done for him and to him by his wife, Karen. Anyone who has experienced ALS knows its merciless evil, its ability to squeeze the strength from even the most vigorous and powerful. The neurodegenerative disease breaks down tissues in the nervous system, affecting and attacking the nerves responsible for movement.
But it can't weaken the mind and it can't squash love.
If this is Gleason's future—and again, the universe has been known to spring some freaky things—he sure isn't facing it with eyes closed. Barely a week ago he completed in the Jazz Half Marathon in New Orleans, pushed in an extra heavy wheelchair for 13.1 miles by his brother-in-law Vinnie Varisco.
Six weeks ago, Gleason organized a canoe trip for Jay Rink, who has ALS, and his two sons and some of their friends. It began in Montana and roughly followed the same 60-mile course down the majestic Missouri River that Lewis and Clark explored over 200 years ago.
There was no electricity or ability to use mobile phones, and the folks from Row Adventures fastened lawn chairs with straps to the canoes for Gleason and Rink. Under the stars at night, after hours spent tripping through mountain streams and laughing over rapids and marveling at bald eagles and playing games in the healing water, Gleason would ask each voyager their top three moments of the day.
Around the warm fire, one could imagine him growing melancholy, maybe even slipping in some nostalgic yarns about that epic moment when he blocked a punt against the Atlanta Falcons during the prime-time reopening of the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina. He was so fast and nimble then, his play as carefree as his attitude. No wonder a statue depicting that singular delirious moment now stands outside the Dome.
So sure, comforted by beckoning stars and the fire's glow, Gleason might have reminisced. Instead, Clare Durrett, one of 12 adventurers on that canoe trip, writes in the Team Gleason blog: "We sat for hours listening to each other, laughing and sometimes crying. It was beautiful. While (Steve interviewed) Jay, he opened up about some feelings he had regarding his amazing children and his legacy as a father. Again, beautiful and touching."
Since his diagnosis in January of 2011, Gleason has gone from speaking normally, to walking with a tender limp, to using a wheelchair, to having major difficulty with all speech … to riding in a makeshift canoe 60 miles down a wild and mighty river. On the final day of the trip, according to Durrett, Gleason and Rink, the two men who have little or limited control over their motor skills, opted out of the canoe "to float down the Missouri River on chairs rigged with flotation devices, sipping champagne."
On Tuesday, Gleason's wife, Michel, reported that he was alert and "doing well." The Saints said he was expected to be released from Ochsner Medical Center in the afternoon after experiencing flu like symptoms during Monday's game; nausea, fever, light headedness and dehydration can be intensified in ALS patients. A cure still does not exist for the disease, though Gleason is undergoing experimental treatments.
No White Flags. It's not just his mantra. It's a pretty fine way for anyone to go through life.


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December 2, 2009
International championship curling returns to Scotland, the home of the sport, for the first time since the 2005 Women's World Championship, when the Le Gruyère European Curling Championships get underway on Saturday 5th of December in Aberdeen.
This event has grown into the largest Championship event on the curling calendar. This year 51 teams from 30 different European countries are competing.
The Championships will be staged at two venues in the city – The Linx Ice Arena will host the men's and women's "A" teams, with the "B" divisions at Curl Aberdeen. To stage the event, Aberdeen City Council has invested over £1m in refurbishing and re-opening the Linx Arena, including the installation of state-of-the-art refrigeration plant. Curl Aberdeen, one of the newest privately-owned facilities in Scotland, has been a resounding success since it opened, and will be a fine venue for the "B" teams.
Scotland's David Murdoch, who is also the current world champion, defends the European title that he has won in the last two years. Among his "A" division rivals will be Norway's Thomas Ulsrud, losing finalist in the last two European championships. As well as representing their countries in the European Championships, both of these teams are bound for Vancouver and the Olympic Winter Games in February (where the Scots will compete as Great Britain), as are the men's teams from Denmark, France, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland. The men's "A" division is completed by the Czech Republic, Finland and Italy.
Six of the women's "A" division teams are also heading to Vancouver, including defending European champion Mirjam Ott from Switzerland and reigning Olympic champion Anette Norberg from Sweden. The other nations that will also be in action in Canada are Denmark, Germany, Russia and Scotland/Great Britain. The women's "A" division line-up also includes England, Finland, Italy and Norway.
A further 20 men's teams are involved in the "B" division, which has been divided into two further sections. One of these sees Bulgaria, England, Estonia, Greece, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Spain compete. The other involves teams from Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Croatia, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Slovakia and Wales.
The women's "B" teams are also divided into two further groups, one of 6 teams – Croatia, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia and Wales - and the other of five – Austria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary and Spain.
The European Championships double as the European qualifying event for the World Curling Championships. This year, the top seven men's teams from this event, as well as hosts Italy, will take part in the championships in Cortina d'Ampezzo in April, while the top-finishing eight women's teams will go onto Swift Current in Canada.
Good performances in the "B" division will bring promotion to next year's "A" division, with the top two "B" finishers swapping places for next year's Championships with the last two "A" finishers. In addition, for the overall "B" winners in both men's and women's events, there is the added incentive of a best-of-three World Challenge event against the last qualifiers from the "A" group – a potential doorway into this season's World Championships.
These European Championships will see extensive television coverage across Europe. In particular, Eurosport will broadcast an extensive range of games, both on TV and the internet via the Eurosport Player. For the second season in a row Eurosport will be offering viewers the chance to watch full HD coverage of curling. In addition, BBC will broadcast the men's final live – the first non-Olympic live curling coverage by BBC for decades.
There will be significant action off the ice too during the Championships week, with both the European Curling Federation and the World Curling Federation holding key Governance and strategic meetings that will determine the future organisation, administration and rules of the game.


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Computing - IT
Computing - IT
More information can be found by clicking here .
All students at St Catherine's College are provided with an account on the college NetWare servers, this username and password combination allows access to the computers in the Library, JCR and Staircase 18 computer rooms mentioned below.
Student Computer Rooms:
There are three rooms in college equipped for computers for use by students:
- Library computer room; this contains 20 PCs, a colour laser printer, and an A4 flatbed colour scanner.
- Staircase 18 computer room; this consists of three PCs, a black and white laser printer, and a single A4 flatbed colour scanner.
- JCR computer room; located next to the JCR this facility is open to all college members and contains 10 machines, a black and white A4 laser printer, and a colour A3 printer.
Opening Hours:
Library Computer Room | 08:30 - 23:55*
Staircase 18 | 24 hours
JCR Email room | 08:00-24:00
The opening hours of the library and JCR, when different, supersede those given here.
The Library Computer Room.
A small charge is levied for printing to cover the cost of consumables and is paid for in advance via the Upay system. Students will be advised of the current charging scheme on arrival. This is currently 4 pence per sheet of A4 black-and-white printing and 10 pence per sheet for colour printing, also A4.
Common software packages that are available to students include Microsoft and Corel Office suites for general word processing, spreadsheet, database and presentation preparation; eXceed for running X-windows, and SPSS for statistics. Each user is allocated 10GB of disk space on a central fileserver; this is quite generous and extensions will only rarely be considered and then only if sufficient resources are available. Files stored on local disks should not be considered secure nor safe from deletion.
All students are given a username and password for access to networked computers. Without the correct combination it is impossible to log on to any computer and use your home directory. Students wishing to make use of the College email facilities must first register individually for an email account with Oxford University Computing Services, email account details are generally provided on arrival for those starting a course at Catz. Once these details are obtained, a variety of email packages are available for use on personally owned computers; instructions for configuring popular email packages is provided by OUCS With regard to PCs found in computer rooms, email should only be used on the machines set aside for that purpose within the email room. Internet access is also available from machines within the student computer rooms.
All student rooms have data-points for connection to the Internet. These are standard RJ-45 sockets operating at either 100Mb/s or 1Gb/s. Students wishing to connect their machines to the data network must register their machines - this process can be conducted online via web-form and does not require a prior visit to the IT office.
Student views on matters of college computing are aired to the IT Committee by two representatives, one from the JCR and another from the MCR. Matters that require prompt resolution should be directed to the appropriate student representative, or, when necessary, the College IT Officer. General information regarding computing issues specific to the college network may be found on posters distributed in the student computing rooms. For additional IT information, please contact: email@example.com. For news about changes in how IT is provided at St Catherine's please follow our Catz IT twitterfeed.