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eOrganic authors:
Dr. Andrew T. Corbin Ph.D., Washington State University
Dr. Carol A. Miles Ph.D., Washington State University
Jeremy Cowan, Washington State University
Dr. Douglas G. Hayes Ph.D., University of Tennessee
Dr. Jennifer Moore-Kucera Ph.D., Texas Tech University
Dr. Debra A. Inglis Ph.D., Washington State University
Certified organic farmers are currently allowed to use conventional polyethylene mulch, provided it is removed from the field at the end of the growing or harvest season. To some, such use represents a contradiction between the resource conservation goals of sustainable, organic agriculture and the waste generated from the use of polyethylene mulch. One possible solution is to use biodegradable plastic as mulch, which could present an alternative to polyethylene in reducing non-recyclable waste and decreasing the environmental pollution associated with it. This article explains how biodegradable plastic mulches are made; how biodegradability is measured; current techniques on evaluating biodegradable mulches; and research and policy progress to date. The purpose is to inform agricultural professionals, farmers, and policy makers about the suitability of biodegradable plastic mulches for use in certified organic agriculture. A glossary is provided at the end of this publication which includes definitions and terms commonly used when describing biodegradable plastic mulch. Terms included in the glossary are in bold text.
Polyethylene plastic mulch is widely used for crop production in the U.S. and worldwide, because it controls weeds, conserves soil moisture, increases soil temperature, improves crop yield and quality, has a relatively low cost, and is readily available (Schonbeck and Evanylo, 1998; Corbin et al., 2009; Miles et al., 2012). However, the sustainability of producing crops through the use of polyethylene mulch has been called into question because polyethylene mulch is made of non-renewable, petroleum-based feedstock, is generally only used for one growing season, and cannot be recycled in most regions. Recycling is limited because the mulch may be contaminated with soil and agrochemicals, specialized baling equipment is required before hauling, and facilities for recycling are often a long distance away. (Garthe and Kowal, 1993).
The high volume of waste generated by polyethylene mulches both in the field and in landfills raises many concerns (Figure 1). For example, in 2004 in the U.S., 143,000 tons of plastic mulch were disposed. While much of this waste entered the landfill at a cost to growers of up to $100 per acre, some was burned on site (Shogren and Hochmuth, 2004). Burning of polyethylene mulch can have undesirable environmental impacts, such as the release of dioxins as an airborne pollutant (Levitan, 2005; Lemieux, 1997). While there are no federal regulations restricting the open burning of plastics, the practice is banned in several states or counties in the U.S. (EPA, 2011; OAR, 2013). Utilization of polyethylene mulch by soil microorganisms in landfills is negligible, with the microbial conversion and abiotic oxidation products possibly consisting of environmentally harmful chemicals such as aldehydes and ketones (Hakkarainen and Albertsson, 2004). The use of biodegradable mulches could save significant labor and disposal costs, conserve resources, and decrease pollution (Smith et al., 2008).
Figure 1. (a) Typical post-season polyethylene plastic mulch waste in the field. (b) Ready for transport to the landfill. Photo Credit: C. Miles, Washington State University. From Corbin et al., 2013.
For these reasons, both new and experimental mulches that are designed to biodegrade (mineralize) fully into carbon dioxide and water, have been developed by industry and academic institutes over the past 25 years. To be a viable alternative in organic crop production, biodegradable plastic mulch must perform comparably to polyethylene mulch, especially in regard to durability and the ability to block light to prevent weed germination. Ideally, once the biodegradable mulch's useful service life has ended, it is plowed into the soil where it should degrade. In the short-term, the mulch should lose mechanical strength and undergo a reduction in the degree of polymerization (Figure 2), or depolymerization, thereby making the polymer molecules accessible to microorganisms. Ultimately, the mulch should undergo at least 90% mineralization within a two-year period.
Figure 2. (a) Starch-based biodegradable plastic mulch (BioAgri®) in experimental field plots during harvest, 135 days after laying mulch. (b) 9 months post-harvest on soil surface, 348 days after laying mulch. (c) 9 months post-incorporation, 348 days after laying mulch. Photo Credits: J. Cowan (2a) and C. Miles (2a, 2b), Washington State University. From Corbin et al., 2013.
Many biodegradable plastic mulches that are commercially available are films made from plant starch; these are prepared using conventional plastics processing technology. However, due to the poor mechanical properties of starch, including its brittleness, starch must be blended with other polymers and/or plasticizers. Products currently on the market that contain plant starch include Biomax TPS (DuPont, USA), Biopar (Biop, Germany), Paragon (Avebe, Netherlands), BiosafeTM (Xinfu Pharmaceutical Co., China), Eastar BioTM (Novamont, Italy), Eco-Flex® (BASF, Germany), Ingeo® (NatureWorks, USA) and Mater-Bi® (Novamont, Italy) (Hayes et al., 2012).
Two polymers that may have a future role in biodegradable plastic mulches are polylactic acid (PLA) and polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA). PLA is a highly versatile, biodegradable polyester derived from 100% renewable resources such as corn and sugar beet starch, and offers great promise in a wide range of commodity applications (Drumright et al., 2000). Starch is converted by microorganisms into lactic acid through fermentation. Lactic acid molecules are then linked together into long chains called polymers. PLA is a relatively inexpensive biopolymer to manufacture (~ $0.95 per lb), and can be produced in large quantities (Endres and Siebert-Raths, 2011). The PLA polymer is highly attractive for biological and medical applications because it can be spun into filaments that can be used to make textiles or films (Gupta et al., 2007). PHAs are promising biodegradable plastics that have been highlighted as "green" polymers because they are made from renewable resources in a one-step process by the bacterial fermentation of sugars and/or lipids (Kaihara et al., 2005; Posada et al., 2011; Hayes et al., 2012). PHA polymers may be produced from microbes or plants; but currently, microbes are the primary source (Keshavarz and Roy, 2010).
New experimental agricultural mulches have been prepared from PLA and PHA blends using nonwovens textile technology (Wadsworth et al., in press). Nonwovens are manufactured sheets, webs or bats (wadded rolls) of directionally or randomly oriented fibers or filaments, bonded together. Nonwovens may be manufactured by spunbond or meltblown processes. In the spunbond process, polymers are first melted and then extruded through spinnerets, producing filaments which are cooled and laid down on a conveyer belt to form a web. In the meltblown process, polymers are extruded through a die or spinneret, and the filaments are stretched, dispersed, cooled, and then collected on a roll. Generally, meltblown nonwovens have smaller fiber sizes and have lower mechanical strength than spunbond nonwovens (Hayes et al., 2012).
Some processes that are used to form biodegradable polymers utilize additives, such as nucleating agents (chemical substances incorporated in plastics for the growth of crystals in the polymer melt), plasticizers, coloring agents, performance additives, and/or lubricants to improve the mechanical properties of the plastic. The environmental impact of many additives may be a major concern in organic as well as conventional crop production. Some additives are derived from petroleum and/or are chemically processed, and are therefore considered synthetic material by National Organic Program (NOP) standards (Hayes et al., 2012; NOS, 2012), which has prevented their use in U.S. organic agriculture. In addition, the NOP considers PLA to be synthetic because PLA is chemically polymerized (Briassoulis and Dejean, 2010). While the PHA polymer is made directly by microorganisms in the fermentation process (thereby considered "natural" by the NOP), it is highly crystalline, making its end product more brittle, and less desirable, unless blended with PLA or other co-polymers (Hayes et al., 2012).
Many agricultural plastics are advertised as "biodegradable"; however, such claims need to be evaluated carefully. For a manufacturer to employ the claim of biodegradability, a set of specified standards need to be met. ASTM International (formerly known as the American Society for Testing and Materials) has prepared a series of standards for "compostable plastics" to measure biodegradability under municipal or industrial composting conditions, referred to as ASTM D6400.
The ASTM D6400 specification encompasses several ASTM standardized tests, such as the "inherent biodegradability" of the plastic material via ASTM D5988-03. This test measures the microbial conversion of the plastic's carbon (C) atoms to carbon dioxide (CO2), over time. A standard that is embedded in ASTM D6400 specifies that 90% of C atoms must be mineralized, that is, converted to CO2 within 180 days by microorganisms (ASTM, 2003). In the laboratory, CO2 release is measured through a relatively inexpensive titration method.
Biodegradability-related standards are comprised of criteria that address the following three issues:
(i) The conditions of the system —industrial-scale composting or anaerobic digestion, soil, marine, etc.
(ii) The time frame—number of days for carbon molecules in plastic to be converted to CO2.
(iii) The fraction of carbon atoms that are to be fully mineralized by microorganisms – generally expected to be at least 90%.
Many mulches claiming to be "biodegradable" are actually "compostable", i.e., able to fulfill the requirements of ASTM D6400, or related standards. Moreover, no standard currently exists for measuring the biodegradability of plastics incorporated into soil under field conditions. To meet this need for measuring biodegradability within the soil, ASTM International is developing a new standard (Work Item 29802) entitled Aerobically Biodegradable Plastics in the Soil Environment (ASTM, 2012). In this new standard, biodegradable mulches must break down into CO2, water and environmentally benign substances within one or two years, leaving no harmful residues. The ability of existing and emerging biodegradable plastic mulch films to meet these criteria in the soil environment has been the topic of several investigations (Harding et al., 2007; Hayes et al., 2012; Miles et al., 2012; Hoshino et al., 2007; Kapanen et al., 2008; Kijchavengkul et al., 2008; Kyrikou and Briassoulis, 2007; Mohee and Unmar, 2007; Tachibana et al., 2009; Wadsworth et al., 2009), and continues to be researched.
The term degradation is used to denote changes in physical properties caused by chemical reactions involving bond scission in the macromolecule (polymer). Biopolymer degradation includes changes of physical properties, caused not only by chemical reactions, but also by physical forces. Because the term polymer degradation involves a deterioration in the functionality of polymeric materials, "degradation" and "deterioration" are often used interchangeably (Schnabel, 1992). ASTM and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) define degradation as an irreversible process leading to a significant change of the structure of a material, typically characterized by a loss of properties (e.g. integrity, molecular weight, structure or mechanical strength) and/or fragmentation, as affected by environmental conditions, proceeding over a period of time, and comprising one or more steps (Krzan et al., 2006).
The efficiency of the plastic degradation process varies by environment and may also be affected by the concentration of chemicals present that may react with the plastic. Environmental factors such as temperature, moisture level, atmospheric pressure, concentrations of acids and metals, and light exposure all have an effect on the rate of degradation that is due to microorganisms i.e., biodegradation (Kyrikou and Briassoulis, 2007). However, weight loss and other physical, chemical and mechanical property reductions in biodegradable plastic do not comprise the full measure of percent biodegradation unless microbial utilization of C (via CO2 conversion) is also measured. Percent biodegradation is the measure of the rate and amount of CO2 released from the total C input (from the mulch), and is a direct measure of the amount of C being utilized by the microbial community (Narayan, 2010).
While biodegradation measurements in the field or laboratory are relatively straightforward for well equipped and trained scientists, they are impractical for farmers to perform. Until the scientific community and the NOP can provide farmers with repeatable results on field performance of biodegradable plastic mulch products that are recommended for organic use, it may be advisable for farmers to monitor the degree of mulch degradability (see limitations below). Miles and others (2012) assessed percent visual deterioration (PVD) of biodegradable plastic mulch under field conditions and counted the number of rips, tears and holes (RTH) in a designated portion of the mulch twice per month. PVD proved to be a fair assessment of mulch deterioration while RTH did not. Cowan (personal communication) evaluated PVD during two late-summer broccoli seasons, and then measured mulch fragment recovery over the course of one year after mulches were tilled into the soil. At each of five sampling times, three random four-inch-diameter x six-inch-deep soil samples were collected (using a golf cup cutter) per 28-foot of mulch treated bed. Samples were sieved to retrieve mulch fragments,and photographs of mulch fragments were digitally analyzed to measure average area of individual fragments, fragment counts, and total fragment area. Findings indicated that post-tillage mulch recovery can be measured using this method. Two of the mulch products evaluated, Crown 1 and BioAgri, were recovered at 0% and 34%, respectively, within 13 months after soil incorporation.
Moore-Kucera et al., (in prep.) as part of a three-year field study, buried mesh bags containing a 4 inch square of biodegradable plastic mulch (previously weathered in the field for one growing season) and 300-400 grams of native agricultural soil four inches deep in field plots at three locations (Knoxville, TN, Lubbock, TX, and Mount Vernon, WA). At each location, one mesh bag was removed from replicated plots every 6 months for 24 months and the residual mulch pieces were evaluated for percent surface area remaining (Figure 3). Results varied widely by location, each with unique physical (light, temperature, moisture, wind, etc.), chemical (pH) and soil microbial attributes (Corbin et al., 2013; Bailes et al., in press; Moore-Kucera, 2012). For further information on experimental mulch degradation in the field, see the Washington State University Factsheet Using Biodegradable Plastics as Agricultural Mulches (Corbin et al., 2013). Although these types of field measurements will not determine percent mulch biodegradation per se, they are relatively simple sampling procedures that farmers, Extension or Agricultural Agency personnel can perform without the use of laboratory equipment, and provide a visual estimate of degradation/deterioration and mulch recovery in the field.
Figure 3. Samples of starch-based biodegradable plastic mulch (BioTELO®) recovered after twenty-four months burial in the field at three experimental locations. Photo credit: J. Moore-Kucera, Texas Tech University.
In the U.S., organic crop producers have not been able to use currently available biodegradable plastic mulch products because these products did not conform to NOP standards. To be acceptable for organic production, biodegradable plastic mulch must be entirely composed of constituents derived from natural resources (bio-based), cannot contain synthetics such as petroleum-derived ingredients or additives, and cannot be chemically modified during the manufacturing process (NOS, 2012; Corbin et al., 2013; Corbin et al., 2009).
An additional requirement to meet the organic standards is that feedstocks, such as corn, used to produce the polymer, must be free of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Similarly, any polymer made from microbial fermentation, such as PHA, must be produced by organisms that have not been genetically modified. Biodegradable plastic mulch manufacturers must certify that their feedstocks and microbial fermentation processes are GMO-free; however, there is no available test to verify GMO byproducts in the final product. While there is no specific NOP policy on GMOs in biodegradable plastic feedstock, the NOP has developed an ad-hoc committee to clarify the GMO issue.
Another requirement for use in certified organic production is that the resins and any inert additives used in the processing and formulation of biodegradable plastic mulch products must be identified and compared to the National List of allowable substances. The designation of ingredients as "proprietary" is not adequate for review and approval by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) – the sole authority to recommend adding or removing materials from the National List of acceptable and prohibited substances.
Finally, any biodegradable plastic mulch that may eventually be approved for use by the NOP must completely biodegrade into carbon dioxide, water, and microbial biomass within a "reasonable" timeframe without forming harmful residues or by-products. Sufficient data will be needed to verify that each biodegradable mulch is truly biodegradable in an agricultural system.
A growing contingency of manufacturers and organic farmers who wanted this interpretation of the NOP standards to be revised so that biodegradable plastic mulches are included on the National List of allowable "synthetic" substances has recently gained recognition (NOSB, 2012). As a precedent, the organic standards in Canada and the European Union (E.U.) have allowed some use of currently available biodegradable plastic mulches. In 2012, the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) petitioned the NOP to allow the addition of biodegradable plastic mulch under section 205.206 (c) of the National Organic Standards Biodegradable Plastic Mulch Made from Bioplastics: without removal at the end of the growing or harvest season (BPI, 2012). In October 2012, the NOSB voted 12-3 to formally recommend the NOP approve biodegradable plastic mulch in organic production (NOSB, 2012). Included in this recommendation is a requirement that organic growers take appropriate actions to ensure complete degradation (NOSB, 2012) of biodegradable plastic mulch products on their farms, underlining the importance of evaluating on-site degradation. As of 2013, the recommendation has yet to be accepted and defined by the NOP as a rule, so while these materials may be allowable in the near future, current use of biodegradable plastic mulch in U.S. certified organic production remains prohibited.
Abiotic Oxidation - nonliving substances or environmental factors combined with oxygen to cause a loss of electrons.
Aldehydes - Compounds RC(=O)H , in which a carbonyl group (a functional group composed of a carbon atom double-bonded to an oxygen atom) is bonded to one hydrogen atom and to one R group or side chain (IUPAC, 1997).
Biodegradable plastic - Degradable plastic in which the degradation results from the action of naturally occurring microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and algae (ASTM, 2011; 2004).
Bio-based - Commercial or industrial products (other than food or feed) that are composed in whole or in significant part of biological products or renewable domestic agricultural materials (including plant, animal, and marine materials) or forestry materials (Biobased US, 2007).
Bioplastics - Form of plastics derived from renewable biomass sources, such as vegetable fats, oils or starches.
Bond scission - breakage of a chemical bond, especially one in a long chain molecule (Oxford Dictionary, 2013).
Deterioration - To weaken or disintegrate.
Degradation - the breakdown of an organic compound.
Feedstock - Raw material that is used to supply or fuel a process.
Fermentation - The process in which cells (microorganisms, plant or animal cells) are cultured in a bioreactor in liquid or solid medium to convert organic substances into biomass (growth) or into products (IUPAC, 1997).
Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) - An organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques; also referred to as a genetically engineered organism (GEO).
Inert - Stable and unreactive under specified conditions (IUPAC, 1997).
Ketones - Compounds in which a carbonyl group (a functional group composed of a carbon atom double-bonded to an oxygen atom) is bonded to two carbon atoms. (IUPAC, 1997).
Microbial biomass - Material produced by the growth of microorganisms (IUPAC, 1997).
Mineralization - Microbial conversion of organic matter into inorganic substances, such as water and carbon dioxide (Guggenberger, 2005).
PHA - Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are a group of biologically synthesized polyesters that are considered promising eco-efficient bioplastics because they are both biobased and biodegradable, thus meeting the criteria of a closed loop life cycle (Reis et al., 2011).
PLA - polylactic acid (PLA) is a thermoplastic polymer made from lactic acid and has mainly been used for biodegradable products, such as plastic bags and planting cups, but in principle PLA can also be used as a matrix material in composites (Oksman et al., 2003).
Polyethylene - a polymer of ethylene; especially: any of various partially crystalline lightweight thermoplastics (CH2CH2)x that are resistant to chemicals and moisture.
Polymer - A molecule of high relative molecular mass, the structure of which essentially comprises the multiple repetition of units derived, actually or conceptually, from molecules of low relative molecular mass (IUPAC, 1997).
Polymerization - Any process in which relatively small molecules, called monomers, combine chemically to produce a very large chainlike or network molecule, called a polymer (Encyclopedia Britannica 2012).
Synthetic material (according to the USDA NOSB) - A substance that is formulated or manufactured by a chemical process or by a process that chemically changes a substance extracted from naturally occurring plant, animal, or mineral sources, except that such term shall not apply to substances created by naturally occurring biological processes (Sullivan, 2011).
This is an eOrganic article and was reviewed for compliance with National Organic Program regulations by members of the eOrganic community. Always check with your organic certification agency before adopting new practices or using new materials. For more information, refer to eOrganic's articles on organic certification.
eOrganic 8260


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Hoenshell, Paniccia collect CHA weekly honors
Hoenshell, Paniccia collect CHA weekly honors
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Senior goaltender Nicole Paniccia (Oakville, Ont.) and sophomore forward Hannah Hoenshell (Plano, Texas) were named College Hockey America's Goaltender and Player of the Week, respectively, Monday (Jan. 13) afternoon.
Paniccia had her best showing of the season on Saturday in a 2-1 overtime win over Colgate, stopping 39 of 40 attempts as Penn State broke a five-game losing streak. For Paniccia, she posted a .975 save percentage and won her first game of the season, snapping a 21-game winless drought. Paniccia posted double-digit save totals for the first three periods (13, 14 and 10), while stopping two more in OT. The award is the first for Paniccia in her collegiate career.
The hero in overtime was Hoenshell with her game-winning goal following an assist on the game-tying goal in the second period, which forced the extra frame. Hoenshell's pass across to Laura Bowman (Minnetonka, Minn.) tied the game with 1:55 remaining in the second period before her tremendous stick handling gave PSU its first OT win in program history. Hoenshell posted a plus-two rating in the victory, which snapped a five-game skid for the Nittany Lions. The night before, Hoenshell tallied four shots and blocked two shots in a tough 3-2 overtime loss to the Raiders.
This is the third and fourth times Penn State has been honored by the CHA as Hoenshell and freshman Kelly Seward (Williamsville, N.Y.) earned weekly awards in October for a 1-0-1 weekend at Vermont. That week Hoenshell was named Player of the Week and Seward the Rookie of the Week. Last season, Hoenshell earned a Rookie of the week honor for a four-point weekend in Jan. 2013.
The Nittany Lions return to action Jan. 24-25 for a two-game conference series at Syracuse before taking on Princeton Jan. 28 in New Jersey. Penn State kicks off a six-game home stand at Pegula Ice Arena Jan. 31 vs. RIT.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Hollywood ingenue is typically young, thin, pretty, talented and white. So what do you do when your film stars an overweight, unknown black woman? Get Tyler Perry and Oprah involved.
According to yesterday's New York Times, at a Toronto Film Festival press conference for Precious, a reporter asked Tyler Perry if it was tough to get the movie made. The problem? Perry didn't make the film.
Yet Tyler Perry and Oprah are both executive producers on Precious.
Writes Michael Cieply for the Times:
Mr. Perry dutifully explained that he had nothing to do with making the movie. He saw it in finished form, after the director-producer Lee Daniels, and a couple of fellow producers, Sarah Siegel-Magness and her husband Gary Magness, did the heavy lifting (which included an investment of many millions by the Magness couple, who put up the cash for the kind of inspirational film Hollywood isn't so eager to make right now).
The Times piece doesn't mention Gabourey 'Gabby' Sidibe's weight and race, but time after time, we see Vanity Fair and Vogue profiles of "hot young things" and "it girls" debuting in small, but interesting roles. Early in their careers, women like Gretchen Mol, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sienna Miller and Leelee Sobieski were deemed Hollywood's "next wave" and treated to Annie Leibovitz photoshoots. Whither the attention for Gabourey Sidibe? Hopefully forthcoming. (I've noticed that posters for the film, while beautiful, feature a faceless illustration of the character instead of a photograph. Coincidence?)
In the meantime, director Lee Daniels tells the Associated Press that he's happy to have help drawing attention to his movie from the big-name producers: "My movies are art films. So many people don't see art films. People do see Oprah and Tyler's movies and they do hear Oprah's word." (The fact that Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All By Myself opened at number one at the box office this weekend can't hurt.)
Reports that Oprah's ratings have slipped shouldn't matter: When it comes to endorsing products, she's got the midas touch. And from the looks of the Precious trailer, the product is good. On one hand, it's too bad the film needs any kind of hype beyond what the actors and director bring to the table, on the other? As Oprah tells an AP reporter: "Everyone needs someone to help them navigate. I had Bill Cosby, Quincy Jones, Sidney Poitier and Maya Angelou who I look to. You can't do that on your own. Someone has to show it to you."
Film Legends in the Making. And Unmaking. [NY Times]
Winfrey, Tyler Perry Push New Film 'Precious' [AP]


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Carolina Hurricanes Tickets
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The Carolina Hurricanes are based in Raleigh, North Carolina and are members of the Southeast Division and Eastern Conference in the NHL. The Hurricanes were first founded in 1971 as the New England Whalers, and in 1979 joined the NHL as the Hartford Whalers. Don't miss any of the 2013 NHL season with the Carolina Hurricanes by getting your tickets from your guy at Gold Coast Tickets today! The team then relocated in 1997 to North Carolina, becoming the Carolina Hurricanes. During the 2005-06 NHL season, the Carolina won its first Stanley Cup, beating the Edmonton Oilers in a seventh game. Some of the best players to ever play for Carolina include Rod Brind'Amour, Glen Wesley, and Ron Francis, all of them having their numbers retired by the franchise. The Hurricanes have played their home games at PNC Arena since 1999 and has a capacity of just over 18,000 for hockey games. Some of Carolina's biggest rivals include the Florida Panthers and the New Jersey Devils. The Carolina Hurricanes will enter the 2013 NHL season looking to improve from last season where they finished fifth in the Southeast Division and failed to qualify for the playoffs. It was in 2008-09 when the 'Canes made their last postseason appearance and have worked to build a formidable team since. Last season, captain Eric Staal led the team in goals (24), assists (46), and points (70). During the offseason, Staal's younger brother Jordan joined the 'Canes offense in what could be one of the best trades so far. Having the Staal brothers on the same team has made the 'Canes one of the most anticipated teams entering into the 2012-13 NHL season. Carolina's roster has youth, experience and talent, making them a serious contender in the upcoming season. They also have top defenseman prospect Ryan Murphy, who will undoubtedly become a future star with the franchise. Gold Coast Tickets has the best deals with no service fees on Carolina Hurricane hockey tickets! For more information on the Carolina Hurricanes or their 2013 NHL season, visit their website at:http://hurricanes.nhl.com
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The second annual Montclair Film Festival has completed its programming schedule, festival artistic director Thom Powers and executive director Raphaela Neihausen announced on Thursday [Apr 4].
The New Jersey-based festival opens on Apr 29 with Twenty Feet From Stardom [pictured], director Morgan Neville's acclaimed documentary about backup singers, and will close on May 5 with Montclair resident Stacie Passon's locally shot drama Concussion, about a suburban lesbian mother seeking new thrills.
The festival centerpiece, Lake Bell's comedy In A World…, will screen on May 4 and focuses on the work of movie-trailer voice-over artists. Bell and singer Darlene Love will be in attendance.
"We set out to curate a festival that is unique to this community," said Powers.
"Montclair and Northern New Jersey are home to many media professionals from the fields of news, music, comedy and family entertainment. We're fortunate to tap accomplished locals to participate and have them as an influential audience."
Also to be featured in programming on May 5 will be three discussion events, Getting The Story with documentarian Alex Gibney, Dangerous Docs with Michael Moore and a discussion with Rapper Ice-T about his film, Iceberg Slim: Portrait Of A Pimp, which will screen on May 4.


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Bringing it to the Table
In many ways, the food movement has spent the last 40 years catching up with Wendell Berry. This most steadfast of advocates for healthy and sustainable food was a lonely voice when he began his defense of traditional farming in the early 1970s. In those days, most thinkers on the subject were still praising corporate farms for increasing production.
A sixth-generation Kentucky farmer, who is also a poet and novelist, Berry was not fooled. The big farms might have solved the problem of production, but at what cost? They had replaced the careful labor of people with "machines, drugs, and chemicals" that damaged the land and put farmers in debt. And when those farmers finally picked up and left, they took with them an irreplaceable knowledge of how they worked on those particular parcels of land and of sustainable practices.
The industry hailed all this as an increase in efficiency, but Berry saw it as a crisis of body and soul. "We have enough farmers to use the land," he wrote in 1986, "but not enough to use it and protect it at the same time."
This change had profound consequences for the health of our politics as well as our bodies. "A great danger to democracy now in the United States is the steep decline in the number of people who own farmland," Berry wrote in 1978. Power cannot truly be shared in a society unable to feed itself.
Pragmatic and passionate insights appear in each of the 24 essays in Bringing it to the Table, which manages to convey the essence of 40 years of activism in just a few hundred pages. The organization of the collection is superb. The first section on farming lays out Berry's principles, which are supported in the second part by profiles of particular farmers. The third section consists mostly of selections from Berry's novels, which show the preparation and consumption of food in the eminently sociable context where Berry feels it belongs.
For urban readers who may never have enjoyed a meal quite so sumptuous in both cuisine and company as those Berry depicts, there's a pang of sorrow in reading about ways of life, once common as dirt, that now seem oddly foreign. Yet Berry insists that this healthy and sensible life can be ours again, and this book offers essential advice on how to take it back.
Interested? .


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We've inherited a customer with a good looking Wordpress site but the previous agency didn't fully implement the "Email This" feature. I mean, their theme has a link for "Email this" on every page but there's nothing underneath it.
We've been instructed to make it work.
So, the ideal would be for a solution which retains the existing button (which has been styled quite nicely), but just supplies the plumbing work underneath.
AFter a quick search for a plug in which will implement this, I found:
- email2friend
- WP-Email
But it's not clear whether these will add their "own" button to the article (which will presumably not look as nice as the existing themed button) Can we plumb it into our existing button? Also, in each case, can we tweak the mini form it throws up to make it match our theme?
Finally, if there's a plug in that's better than either of these two, please advise.
Went with WP-Email in the end which was fully featured and easy to configure and as mireille raad said, it was easy enough to tweak the CSS and images to make the button fit our site 100%. The form that came with it immediately picked up the colour scheme and fonts used in our theme, without us having to do anything at all.


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|Register of old age pension applicants
Pensions were only under the control of the State Government for a short time, but Queensland State Archives hold records of more than 9,000 applicants for the old age pension 1908-1909. The records give information about people who received the pension plus hundreds whose applications were rejected. Most rejections were on the basis of age, period of residence or annual income, but some of the other reasons provide a clue to the applicant's character (eg, 'intemperate' or 'deserted his wife'). Although many applicants were under the required age, pensions were only granted to those aged at least 65 years (that is, born before about 1843-1844).
In 1908-1909, electoral enrolment was not yet compulsory in Queensland. Old age pension registers give the place of residence of many people who were not on electoral rolls. This includes some applicants who were not British subjects and not naturalised (and thus not eligible to vote) but who applied (though in vain) for a pension.
The vast majority of register entries give the claim date; surname; given name; country or Australian State of birth; alleged age; total number of years in Queensland; town or suburb of current residence; whether the application was approved or rejected; if approved, the amount of pension payable, date payment commenced and town where paid; if rejected, the reason for rejection; and sometimes other remarks such as 'sent to Dunwich Benevolent Asylum'. For many residents of Ravenswood and Townsville, a second register gives extra details (marital status, spouse's name, full address and exact birth date).
All names from my index to old age pension applicants are on my Web site, with an explanation of the Old Age Pensions Act of 1908 and its implications for family history research, advice about pension records and related sources before and after 1908-1909, and details of the copying service for original pension records.
The names, with full source references, are also on FindMyPast.


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Kevin H.
Stroke of Life not Luck
I was a healthy athletic kid my whole life. On December 23rd, 2006 I collapsed. I was 14 years old. I had a stroke when my parents were out Christmas shopping. This is my story.
On a cold morning, in December in a suburb of Memphis, Tennessee, I was at the park with my girlfriend. We were running, because we both played soccer. It was my freshman year of high school, I was only 14. I didn't have a worry in the world. After the park, her parents dropped me off at my house. I knew my parents were out Christmas shopping, but I did not know what was about to happen next.
I enter my house and fall to the floor. I go unconscious, but randomly waking up for seconds. I remember waking up and trying to get to my feet, unsuccessfully because of my right side paralysis. I was on the floor for what seemed like days. My parents came home about two hours later. They noticed my soccer bag was in the sink. Not its normal place. My dad walks back to my room, finding me face down on the floor. I was such a jokester, he thought I was messing with him. However this time I wasn't. He nudged me, still no response. He finally said "Give me a coherent response or I'm taking you to the hospital." All I got out was "ah du du." My parents rushed me to the local hospital.
This is where my mom might have saved me from becoming paralyzed. She saw that I couldn't move my right side. My dad then ran his keys on the bottom of my right foot, no response. The doctor rushed for a shot that he then jabbed into my leg. I was then rushed to downtown Memphis to a children's hospital, where I was submitted to the ICU. Doctors asked me all kinds of questions. I could not tell them my parents names, how old I was, or where I went to school. However I could tell them the score of a soccer game I had watched a couple days earlier. I guess you can tell whats important in my life. The doctors ran test after test. EEG, EKG, Spinal tap, drug tests. Yes the doctor thought I was on drugs. That makes me mad when I think about it now. I would never risk that kind of stuff, soccer was too important to me. Finally a doctor, saw something on the CT scan. I had a stroke when I was 14.
I returned to school two weeks after the day I had my stroke. I was taking four honors classes. I started to fall way behind. I struggled. It was the toughest year of my life. I did not fall behind on the soccer field though. That is where I was comfortable. I came out of the hospital with minor short term memory problems and a slower right side. I was lucky, blessed, given a second chance. I knew this. I was not going to waste it. I earned a college soccer scholarship in 2010. All my hard work paid off. However when I got to college my memory, could not withstand studying. I would go blank. I returned back to Memphis making the mature decision to give up my dream. I'm on new meds now and coaching soccer. I could not be happier.
I have learned so much, in these last 7 years of my life. I know now to tell the people I love that I love them everyday, because you never know how many days you have left.
Thanks for reading.


text: One of the most scenic roads on the Island, with stone walls and stunning views across farmland to the distant Atlantic Ocean, Middle Road is favored by fine art photographers and Sunday drivers, and is carefully protected by the town. Buses and large commercial vehicles are prohibited. The Yard, a summer dance colony, is situated off Middle Road near Beetlebung Corner, the Chilmark town center.


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For Consumers
Consumer Protection Division
The Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division protects Iowa consumers from fraud, ensures fair competition in the marketplace, and informs the public about consumer frauds and how to avoid becoming a consumer fraud victim.
The Division enforces laws that protect the buying public from false or misleading advertisements or sales practices. It also enforces laws that help ensure consumers get information to help them make important decisions.
888-777-4590 (outside of the Des Moines metro area)
Office of the Attorney General of Iowa
Consumer Protection Division
Hoover State Office Building
1305 E. Walnut Street
Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0106


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Christian Louboutin has launched new handbagCategories:Other Brands
The 53-year-old French luxury footwear designer – who is recognised for his signature red patent sole footwear- has joined forces with his friend to Valérie Schlumberger and the French charity La Maison Rose to launch the "magic" oversized accessory called Africana, which will see 10 per cent of proceeds go to aid Senegalese women and children.
The fashion mogul shared two pop-art styled videos on Instagram to showcase his latest creation.
The first post read: "Our latest collaboration is a story of friendship, creativity and reinvention. Meet Africaba, the versatile day bag made in partnership with French charity #LaMaisonRose. With each purchase, a portion of proceeds provide aid relief to Senegalese women and children."
Shop Christian Louboutin Handbag Collection
Whilst his second graphic comic-esque upload read: "True magic! Africaba is the result of a collaboration between Christian Louboutin, his dear friend Valérie Schlumberger, and the women of La Maison Rose. A beautiful pink house in Dakar, La Maison Rose is much more than a house; it is a place of hope and safety for vulnerable and marginalized women of Senegal and their children.
Demonstrating inventiveness combined with instinctive artistic flair, the hand-embroidered work of the women of La Maison Rose is fused with the skill of the house of Christian Louboutin to create this vivid and distinctive day bag."
Christian's soft-bodied shopper features a bold African design, complete with short red leather handles, as well as an extended shoulder strap for a cross-body or over the arm carrier. The envelope tote is decorated with beads and spikes, in keeping with his iconic designs, as well as the designers initials engraved, as well as an large embroidered logo, which retails at £795 online.
Tags: handbag Christian Louboutin New Launched Has
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2016 It bag has it! Celine 2016 new spring and summerCategories:Other Brands
Recently, Céline launched a new spring and summer 2016 bags, bags for this love beauty of the women is simply the Gospel ah. And this new Céline up dozens of styles, so many Mimi bags, and Céline so many people sought after, maybe this one has become a hot 2016′s It bag
Céline Nano bagOne bean bag Ken favorite is undoubtedly the only compact Céline smiley package, Why? Because the rate of appearance of this bag ultra-high! Ken beans casual carry out a lot of times it! This is not, shopping Shopping on carrying it ~
Céline Curve bagFrench fashion blogger Elina Halimi carry over curved package design hin interesting ah wood there? Like a shovel (embarrassing), but plain, carry out the fashion, the eye-catching ah ~ in fact it, Céline bag minimalist design was able to do a chic alternative, plus the practical level, it has been won the favor of small series. Uh …… No, supermodel is to get the brightest stars of favor, Keke ……
Ever since Combibloc brand Céline 2016 spring and summer new package coming! Xiao Bian think Ha, bags for women, go out every day is indispensable equipment! And Céline this section of the package to give us so much, who is sure to meet different occasions, with the needs of different garment ~ Xiao Bian believe that this bag will certainly be adversely sought after hearing the girl ~
Ten section of the package includes everyone's favorite bucket bag, saddle bag, Smile bag, there! Various mini bags. Especially the smiley package and bucket bag, to the United States is simply a cry compilation series.
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Céline 2016 spring and summer new bag
Céline 2016 spring and summer new bag
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Céline 2016 spring and summer new bag
Tags: bag Celine Spring Summer And New 2016 IT Has it!
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Louis Vuitton Has Seriously Expanded Its Selection of Exotic BagsCategories:Louis Vuitton
It's an interesting time to be in the ultra-luxury business because no one really knows where the top of the market is. In a climate when a pre-owned Birkin can break records by selling at auction for well into the six figures, there's a seemingly insatiable thirst for novelty and rarity among the world's super rich.
There are relatively few brands in a position to sate that thirst, but those who can have been publicly offering ever more exotics over the past few seasons. The most notable exotic push in recent memory, though, is the one Louis Vuitton is making right now, and many of the bags have recently become available for perusal, including price information, on the brand's website. That is a shift in course in and of itself; for years, the brand kept its most expensive bags off general consumer radar.
Doing more top-tier leather goods has been a stated goal of LV's for some time now, and the bags below seem to represent the logical extreme of that strategy. They range in prices from a little over $7,000 to $50,000, with several priced above $40,000. If you had that much to spend on a bag, would these make your list?
Tags: Louis Vuitton bags ITS Has Seriously Expanded Selection of Exotic


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CHARLOTTE � The Ohio company that owns Carowinds says it will spend $50 million to expand the theme park on the North Carolina-South Carolina state line.
Cedar Fair Entertainment officials told the Charlotte Chamber on Monday the company will add rides and attractions, upgrade food locations and make infrastructure improvements.
Chief operating officer Richard Zimmerman did not go into details about the expansion.
�I ride everything we build, and I can't wait to ride what we're going to build at Carowinds,� Zimmerman said.
Cedar Fair announced in 2011 that it had bought 61 acres of vacant land next to Carowinds� parking lots and near interstate 77.
Zimmerman said work will begin next year and will take several years to complete. The expansion will create 15 permanent jobs and 270 additional jobs.
Carowinds is 40 years old and has 13 roller coasters.
The expansion will make Carowinds one of Cedar Fair's largest parks among the 11 it owns in the United States, Zimmerman said.
Zimmerman said the Charlotte region and Carowinds have shown strong momentum, and that helped convince company officials to invest more in the park.
He said specific changes are being worked out. The company will study traffic, infrastructure and parking, among other things.
The parking area may be moved but Zimmerman said the entrance will remain and be upgraded.
�We've got some exciting things in terms of what you're going to see when you arrive at the park,� Zimmerman said. �We're really working on the arrival experience for our guests.�


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Your Water
Water Recycling
SAWS Chief Operating Officer Steve Clouse provides an overview of the utility's recycled water program, including its history, current status and potential for future expansion, Aug. 2, 2016.
Wastewater was once considered something best quickly disposed of. But in San Antonio we have learned to turn wastewater into valuable resources. We call it our environmental "trifecta" of recycled water, organic biosolids and methane gas.
San Antonio is the only U.S. city to reuse all three wastewater treatment process byproducts.
Recycled water is used locally in battery manufacturing.
Recycled Water
San Antonio boasts the largest direct recycled water delivery system in the nation.
More than 130 miles of pipeline delivers high-quality recycled water for use by golf courses, parks, commercial and industrial customers, as well as San Antonio's famous River Walk.
Biosolids, another byproduct of treating wastewater, are used in generating compost for improving soil quality in landscaping and gardening. The compost is sold commercially through local retailers and nurseries under the brand name of New Earth Landscapers Compost.
Biogas (mostly composed of methane) generated during the treatment process is the newest addition to our environmental trifecta.
Biogas is refined and compressed for the open market.
SAWS has partnered with Ameresco, Inc. – a national energy company focusing on renewable energy – to treat and transfer at least 900,000 cubic feet of gas per day to a nearby commercial pipeline to sell on the open market, making San Antonio the first city to utilize biogas in this unique renewable energy strategy.
Harnessing these valuable byproducts of the wastewater treatment process is beneficial for the environment – another demonstration of SAWS mission of providing sustainable, affordable water services.
After the Flush
We all do it every day. We don't like to talk about it. We don't like to see it. And we certainly don't like to smell it. In this video, Roland Gutierrez takes you through the water recycling process that transforms gross wastewater into three valuable resources.


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In a recent speech to the National Academy of Sciences, President Obama said, "So I want to persuade you to spend time in the classroom, talking— and showing— young people what it is that your work can mean and what it means to you. Encourage your university to participate in programs to allow students to get a degree in scientific fields and a teaching certificate at the same time. Think about new and creative ways to engage young people in science and engineering, like science festivals, robotics competitions and fairs that encourage young people to create, build and invent— to be makers of things."
The USA Science and Engineering Festival offers scientists a great opportunity to answer this clarion call. According to the organizers, "the festival promises to be the ultimate multicultural, multigenerational and multidisciplinary celebration of science in the United States." It will take place between Oct. 10 and Oct. 24, culminating in a two-day expo on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.. The expo will give more than 500 science and engineering organizations from all over the United States the opportunity to present hands-on, fun science activities to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.
• To learn more about the USA Science & Engineering Festival, go to http://usasciencefestival.org.
• For more information on the ASBMB Science on the Mall Challenge, go to http://bit.ly/5RD7Jg.
Festival founder Larry Bock is encouraging the participation of universities, colleges, professional organizations and industry, and, as discussed in the November issue of ASBMB Today, the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is committed to participating.
The festival organizers also are inviting scientists and engineers around the nation to host satellite events that can be tied in to the festival's themes. In a time when the scientific community is increasingly being asked to justify the nation's investment in research, and when there is much talk of the U.S. falling behind the world in science education, it behooves each of us to think creatively about how we can effectively educate the general public about science and its benefits and also encourage a diverse section of our K-12 population to get interested in science.
ASBMB is also urging everyone to get involved with the festival through the "ASBMB Science on the Mall Challenge." We are asking anyone interested in science, science education or science outreach to design a fun, interactive biochemistry- and/or molecular biology-themed activity to take to the festival.
Entries will be accepted through June 30 and can be submitted by posting them to the ASBMB Facebook fan page (http://bit.ly/4ynmfn) or e-mailing them to email@example.com or firstname.lastname@example.com.
The submissions will be judged by the ASBMB Undergraduate Affiliate Network Committee, and the best entries will be taken to the USA Science and Engineering Festival. Top finalists who are undergraduates or high school students will receive travel stipends to come to Washington, D.C., to attend the expo.
If each ASBMB member agreed to spend just two hours a month in meaningful outreach activities, we could have a major impact on science literacy and the pipeline of future scientists.
So, the challenge to all ASBMB members is this: Find two hours a month and get involved in outreach activities. Over the next six to eight months, we will track member outreach activities and post updates on our Web site. Send an e-mail to email@example.com to tell us about your outreach activities.
More from the current issue


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2191 Jordan Lane N.W.
Huntsville, AL 35816
New 2018 Thor Motor Coach Windsport 35M
This Windsport Class A gas coach by Thor Motor Coach offers double slide outs for added interior space, a bath and a half, sleeping for seven comfortably, and so much more!
Step inside model 35M and see just how convenient your next road trip can be. There is a slide out dream dinette and expanding sofa on the opposite side as the entry door for relaxing or sleeping. With overhead storage above the sofa, and two sets of seat belts, all of your guests and cabinet items will be secure while traveling. There is also a drop down overhead bunk above the cab area for added sleeping space if needed as well. The convenient coffee table between the captain's chairs allows for more table top space for just about anything. You are sure to enjoy the 40" LED TV along the outer half bath wall.
To the left of the entry door find a kitchen with all the amenities needed to create gourmet meals and snacks on the go. There is a double kitchen sink, a three burner range with overhead microwave oven, residential refrigerator, and a pantry. The pantry and overhead storage offers plenty of space for dry and canned food items, plus your dishes and things.
The centrally located half bath includes a toilet, vanity with sink, plus linen storage. A closet on the opposite side has been prepped for a stackable washer and dryer if you choose to add that option.
In the master bedroom you will find a slide out king size bed with nightstands on both sides along with overhead storage above the head of the bed on the curb side. Opposite find a wardrobe and dresser with a 32" LED TV.
Next, you are sure to enjoy the complete rear bath with a 30" x 36" shower on the left and a toilet on the right including a vanity with sink and linen storage along the rear wall.
Heading outdoors you will find the outside 32" LED TV, and so much more!
Great people and great serviceGreat people and great service. We could not have asked for any better service than what we received from the Ardmore group. Special thanks to Rick for doing what you said you would do, James for your hard work on our RV and a big shout out to Samantha (Sam) for all your help and putting up with all our calls. #1 RV Center!! - Brewer from Ardmore, AL
Stock# 108850
Chassis: Ford F53
|36 ft 9 in
|Ext Width
|8 ft 3 in
|Ext Height
|12 ft 2 in
|Int Height
|7 ft
|Hitch Weight
|8000 lbs
|Gross Weight
|22000 lbs
|Fresh Water Capacity
|50 gals
|Grey Water Capacity
|84 gals
|Black Water Capacity
|69 gals
|Tire Size
|Furnace BTU
|35000 btu
|Fuel Type
|6.8L Triton V10
|Ford F53
|320 hp
|Fuel Capacity
|80 gals
|242 in
|Number Of Bunks
|Available Beds
|460 ft-lb
|Refrigerator Type
|Residential Refrigerator with Ice Maker
|Refrigerator Size
|11 cu ft
|Cooktop Burners
|Shower Size
|30" x 36"
|Number of Awnings
|LP Tank Capacity
|Water Heater Capacity
|6 gal
|Water Heater Type
|DSI Gas/Electric
|13500 btu
|Basement Storage
|113 cu. ft.
|TV Info
|LR 40" LED TV, BR 32" LED TV, Ext. 32" LED TV
|Awning Info
|18' Power
|Washer/Dryer Available
|Gross Combined Weight
|26000 lbs
|Shower Type
|Electrical Service
|50 amp


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What a kookier way to begin HSRT's summer of love than with The 39 Steps! Combine a Hitchcock masterpiece with a juicy spy novel, throw in a dash of Monty Python and you have The 39 Steps, a fast-paced whodunit for anyone who loves the magic of theatre! This 2-time Tony® and Drama Desk Award-winning treat is packed with non-stop laughs, over 150 zany characters (played by a ridiculously talented cast of four), and some good old-fashioned romance! Adapted by Patrick Barlow, from the novel by John Buchan and from the movie of Alfred Hitchcock, The 39 Steps runs for a limited engagement at the Knickbocker Theatre (86 East 8th Street) on June 14, 15, 19, 20, 26, 27, 29, and July 6 at 8:00 p.m.
Richard Hannay's mysterious new acquaintance, Annabella Schmidt, brings more than just company to his quiet English home; she brings with her a secret vital to the safety of the country itself. Before she can reveal her secrets to Hannay, she is murdered, leaving him without any answers. With only a few clues to guide him, it is now up to Hannay to find the 39 steps, which she spoke of, prove his innocence, and save England.
Playing the role of Richard Hannay is Russell Jonas (Dallas, Texas), who made his HSRT debut last season in Pride and Prejudice and An Inspector Calls, as Charles Bingley and Gerald Croft respectively. Kate Thomsen (Holland, Mich.), who will take on the role of Annabella Schmidt, is returning for her second season as well; last season playing Mrs. Gardiner in Pride and Prejudice. Newcomers to HSRT, Glen Forbes (Ada, Mich.), originally from Dublin, Ireland joins the cast in The 39 Steps as Clown 1 and Joshua Kumler (Jupiter, Fla.), a senior at Southern Methodist University, will be Clown 2.
The 39 Steps is directed by longtime Hope College faculty member and founder of HSRT, John Tammi. The production team for The 39 Steps is: Stage Manager Rebekah Carriere, Scenic Designer Micah Maatman, Lighting Designer Erik Alberg, Costume Designer Jodi Ozimek, Sound Designer Amanda Were, Props Master Wyatt Tilke, Charge Artist Aaron O'Neill, Master Electrician Krystal Martinez, and Costume Shop Manager Jessica Leslie.
Take advantage of Hope Summer Repertory Theatre's best ticket offer and purchase a season ticket package. A season ticket package saves theatre goers up to 27% off individual ticket prices and guarantees a terrific seat for every performance! With free exchanges, purchasing a season ticket package is the best way to support HSRT. Season packages are now on sale at the DeWitt and the new 8th Street ticket offices.
The Season Package includes mezzanine seating for four main stage performances and our bonus show for only $87 for adults and $82 for seniors. The Best Buy Package includes admission to the four main stage productions for $67 for adults and $62 for seniors. The Super-Saver Package includes seating limited to the balcony and orchestra for our four main stage productions for $50 for adults and seniors.
The Children's Package is great for children under 12 and includes tickets to both CPT performances and one ticket to any main stage show for $25. The Adult CPT Package is great for parents and includes a ticket to both CPT performances and one main stage performance for $40. Add an additional performance and pay $60 for our Bonus Individual tickets are now on sale at the DeWitt Ticket Office (141 E. 12th St) Monday through Friday 10:00 am - 5:00 pm and beginning June 15 Saturdays from Noon - Intermission. Our new 8th Street Ticket Office (100 E. 8th St - Main Level) is open Monday through Friday 10:00 am - 5:00 pm. Prices range from $12 - $21 for The 39 Steps. Patrons can purchase individual tickets online by visiting hope.edu/hsrt or calling 616-395-7890.
For more information visit the HSRT website at www.hope.edu/hsrt or www.facebook.com/hopesummertheatre.


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What's the logline for Week 3 in the NFL? Teams that look liked crap for most of the day came from behind, playing like a totally different group than the dudes who suited up in the first half. Every winner from Sunday's eight early games had to play catch-up, like the undefeated Lions and Bills.
Meanwhile, in one of the big afternoon matchups, Atlanta's quarterback couldn't pull off what so many of his peers did in earlier in the day. The Falcons are falling.
Think You Can Do Better?
Disagree with Elliot Harrison's power rankings? Head to NFL.com/fanrankings to make your own, Nos. 1-32, in whatever order you choose.
» Expert rankings | Consensus rankings
The NFC South as a whole is an interesting place. The league's second-best team lives in that division. The team with the biggest and most legit gripe with yours truly resides there as well (Tampa is in the top 10 now. Are we cool, Bucs fandom?) Don't forget surging Carolina, which got its first win while moving up the ladder.
Speaking of, it's easy to like what Panthers quarterback Cam Newton had to say after besting Jacksonville. "It wasn't a pretty win but the last part counts."
That's correct. And it remains why fans of the Eagles, Bears, and Vikings might be none too pleased this week.
PREVIOUS: Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1 | Preseason
The defense finally showed up. With New England's loss, there's not much debate over who's No. 1, although it's doubtful Dom Capers' unit will only allow 15 points per game in 2011 like it did in 2010.
Who is the second best team in the league? The Bill Belichicks? Detroit? How 'bout the undefeated new-look, old-look Bills? This vote goes to the Saints, whose offense just hasn't been stopped this season. Through three games, Sean Payton's attack has scored 104 points and racked up a whopping 1,200-plus yards of offense. This club deserves its ranking because it beat an explosive Texans squad Sunday, throttled the Bears last week, and fell on the last snap of the game to the top-ranked Packers.
The degree of difficulty on Calvin Johnson's catch in overtime, especially considering the game situation, was about a 10.0. The only reception that comes to mind this season of similar ilk to Megatron's is Reggie Wayne's toe-tapper from the season opener in Houston. But that was late in a blowout. Johnson is just one reason Detroit has shot up the charts. Yes, the win in Minnesota was a nail-biter, but good teams win those kinds of games.
Houston hung with the one of the NFL's top teams on the road and, because of all the other Week 3 losers in the top 10 ( Patriots, Eagles, Jets, and Bears), actually managed to move up a spot. Despite Matt Schaub being shaken up Sunday, his protection has been excellent. Since the beginning of 2009, Schaub has only been sacked 1.8 times per game. Now the key for Houston is for the defensive front to get sacks.
Wow, wow, and wow. There's a lot to like about the undefeated Bills. While Ryan Fitzpatrick gets a lot of the credit -- as he should -- has anyone noticed that Fast Freddie is averaging more than six yards per carry? But back to the quarterback situation. How far removed is this franchise from the Rob Johnson, J.P. Losman, and Trent Edwards eras?
While all the talk around the Patriots has been the record-setting productivity of Tom Brady and the "genius" of Bill Belichick, particularly after the airing of NFL Network's " A Football Life: Bill Belichick," the dirty, dark secret has been the awful secondary play. New England's corners aren't good enough to be pressing like they did Sunday in Buffalo. After three games, Belichick's defense is allowing 377 net yards per game. That's dead last in the NFL, and 66 yards more than the next closest AFC team.
Nice rebound, but I'm still left wondering who these guys are. The Ravens will go as far as Joe Flacco takes them. Baltimore is now 19-2 when he has an in-game passer rating of 100 or better. With the inconsistent and oft-injured secondary a concern, the offense will need to put up more points than in years past. Hey, 553 yards of offense and 37 points in St. Louis was a pretty good start.
New York is 2-1, but who knows what to make of the season so far for Gang Green. Mark Sanchez has two 300-yard game, but that's not this club's blueprint for success. Make no mistake, Rex Ryan and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer want to get Shonn Greene's big butt going. Through three games, he has just 134 yards and is averaging 3.3 yards per tote. That won't get it done.
The Bolts did everything they could to lose to the Chiefs -- at home, no less -- in Sunday's 20-17 win, starting with allowing a whopping 246 return yards. At least they made up for it with two untimely turnovers. The Chargers didn't drop because a win is a win, in theory. But the Bucs, Steelers, and Raiders are all nipping at their heels. The latter is San Diego's prime competition in the AFC West, but those two don't clash until Nov 10.
I apologize, Bucs nation. But before I deliver a full mea culpa, can someone please tell me where that D came from? Sunday's NFC South tilt versus the Falcons was easily the defense's best performance of this season's three-game sample size. My biggest issue with Bucs is not the Bucs, it's the division they play in. But, if Raheem Morris' group can split with New Orleans, then my "sell" status on this team needs to be rescinded.
It's easy to pick apart Pittsburgh, especially after the close call at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday night. Don't hit the panic button yet. The Steelers lost the turnover battle en route to outgaining the Colts 408-241. Irrespective of who a team is playing, going minus-two in turnover differential almost always spells l-o-s-s. Next up, a real test: Houston's potent offense at Reliant Stadium.
Monday night's game was ridiculous. Does anyone on the Dallas offense know the playbook or snap count? The worst offender was wideout Kevin Ogletree, who kept getting lumped in with the "young players not knowing where to line up" excuse for the disorganized play. He's in his third year. Ogletree should know multiple positions (X, Z, etc.) in Jason Garrett's offense by now. Still, Tony Romo made it work with an even gutsier performance than the win over San Francisco. Rob Ryan's defense came up pretty clutch as well. Big win.
Nice. And thank God. I put myself out there a couple of weeks ago with the Raiders, and Sunday's win was an affirmation of faith in one of the league's most beleaguered franchises. Darren McFadden's explosiveness was front and center in Week 3. A defense can only bottle No. 20 up for so long. The Raiders still shoot themselves in the foot too much, with seven more penalties against the Jets.
Washington lost, and yet, moved up two spots. First, the failure in Dallas was by the thinnest of margins, as well as being on the road. Second, many of the teams ahead of Washington in the rankings lost handily on Sunday. Mike Shanahan must continue to stick with the ground attack, as it makes the play-action game quite effective. One guy who could be hell-on-wheels downfield on these kinds of plays is deep threat Anthony Armstrong. Unfortunately, Armstrong has been somewhat invisible and exited Monday night with a hamstring injury.
When Victor Cruz and three-years-past-his-prime Brandon Jacobs are scoring on long touchdowns, you kind of know it's your day. That said, the G-Men earned this one by stifling the Eagles when it mattered most. Four stops (penalty included) inside the 2-yard line -- holding Philly to a field goal -- was the key point of Sunday's win and underlined the Jekyll-and-Hyde nature of a club that looked awful two weeks ago in Washington.
How do we feel about those orange jerseys? More importantly, how do we feel about Jay Cutler throwing without his feet set, or off his back foot, or inaccurately? You can't blame all of Cutler's imperfections on the offensive line and suspect pass protection. After offensive coordinator Mike Martz fell on the sword for having such a poor run-pass ratio last week, he came back with a 40-pass, nine-run masterpiece vs. the Packers. Mike Martz is who we thought he was.
Let's pore over some numbers, specifically Matt Hasselbeck's: 310.6 yards per game, five touchdowns, and a 102.2 passer rating. There's a reason why Tennessee is 2-1 and climbing in the rankings. It starts with the new, old quarterback. Unfortunately, the Kenny Britt injury hurts bad. Real bad.
Bottom line: The starting quarterback is hurt. The standings say 1-2. Last place in the NFC East. Six turnovers in the past two weeks are the six biggest reasons this club has lost two straight, and frankly, that will sink any good team in the parity party going on in the NFL right now. Kurt Coleman, that was a terrible tackle attempt on Victor Cruz. Freaking horrific.
For all the Falcons fans that were so fired up over Atlanta's ranking last week, what say you? If this club is a championship contender, the faceoff down in Tampa is one the club has to pull out. Let's be honest about this whole deal: Matt Ryan, like Brett Favre 10 years ago, continues to be a media darling, but he has faltered in key games and situations often. He's a good player, not great. Of course, it doesn't help that the ground game was outgained 115 to 30. Back to the drawing board, Mike Smith.
Good, tough, clutch win Sunday. Man that felt like some old-school football. Classic, gut-it-out stuff in Cleveland Browns Stadium led to an optimistic 2-1 start. The offense can take some credit for this win ⦠like maybe seven percent of it. Cleveland's defense held Miami to 4 for 13 on third down, forced two turnovers, and sacked Chad Henne five times. Not bad.
After putting on an aerial circus the first two weeks, rookie coach Ron Rivera obtained his first career win the old fashioned way: With a little defense. Funny thing about the Panthers playing much better than anyone expected, or their 1-2 record suggests, is that DeAngelo Williams has played a very small role. After signing a five-year, $43 million contract, Williams has just 61 yards, and is averaging 2.3 yards per carry.
That was one fugly win in Cincinnati. Still, Jim Harbaugh's guys are two up, one down, with the one loss being in overtime. They've looked awful at times, average at others, but it's clear that defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's unit will keep this club in every game. San Francisco has not allowed a 100-yard rusher in 25 games, the longest active streak in the NFL. Are you 49ers fans concerned about Frank Gore yet? Vernon Davis, you're the offense now. The San Francisco receivers had five catches for 41 yards Sunday. Get excited.
Like them or not, the Broncos have been in every game this season. A club that was supposed to struggle mightily has indeed struggled, but not as much as the 1-2 record would lead you to believe. The offense has suffered injuries to Knowshon Moreno (big surprise there), Brandon Lloyd, and Eddie Royal, and sputtered in Tennessee. But the defense has cut last season's 32nd ranking to 16th in 2011, and has given the team a chance.
That was a bad loss in Seattle. I thought -- and still think -- the Cardinals are the favorites in the NFC West. That's what I get for having faith in this franchise. In fact, before the Kurt Warner-led miracle run in 2008, having faith in the Cardinals winning anything was like expecting a sorority girl to sing a Journey song other than "Don't Stop Believing" at the karaoke bar. Big game coming up with the hurting -- but winning -- Giants coming to the desert.
Vikings fans have surely abused their Chris Doleman Starting Lineup figure, torn down their Terry Allen Fathead, and used expletives as adverbs, adjectives and objects of prepositions over the past three weeks. Three games, three excruciating losses. It just doesn't seem fair. Jared Allen was wreaking havoc out there Sunday, but to no avail. Another 6-10 season seems imminent.
The Bengals were so ugly Sunday they couldn't even give themselves a chance on the lateral play at the end. That wasn't exactly a packed house they were playing in front of. Watching the Bengals and 49ers, I was reminded of the two offensive powerhouses that duked it out in 1987, with Jerry Rice catching the winner with seconds left at Riverfront Stadium. Except not at all.
The idea of a competitive season is pulling away from this organization quickly. Tony Sparano had to have a win in Cleveland. Yes, it was a close game. Yes, Miami had its opportunities. The Dolphins held the ball in Cleveland for 37:51, yet couldn't capitalize. And thus, 0-3 is oh-and-three.
Jacksonville is doing its best to hang on before the Jack Del Rio watch starts. A week ago, the Luke McCown-led offense got hammered by the Jets, who are a pretty good team. This time, the winless Panthers, and the worst club in the NFL in 2010, beat the Jags at home. I can't recall a rookie quarterback ever making a debut in worse conditions than Blaine Gabbert did. Forget reading defenses, it was hard to grip the ball in that sloppy mess.
It had to be nice for the organization as a whole to get its first win, especially considering the embarrassing manner in which the Seahawks lost their first two games. The offense is still anemic, although Marshawn Lynch and the ground attack showed some signs of life. Tarvaris Jackson is averaging just 5.4 yards per attempt, 30th in the NFL. Hopefully Sidney Rice's return (eight receptions, 109 yards on Sunday) will ramp Jackson's numbers to respectability.
The Rams made Ravens rookie Torrey Smith look like Randy Moss. What a terrible rebound game for a team most people thought were the favorite in the NFC West. Playing without Danny Amendola and Steven Jackson hurt the offense, no doubt. Still, Steve Spagnuolo has to find ways to create a pass rush and mix coverages effectively, or this team goes 5-11.
Solid effort Sunday night, but the Colts still have a zero in the win column. Now it looks as though Peyton Manning is gone for the season. Is it time to blow the thing up in Indy? This franchise is clearly too dependent on one guy. Meanwhile, Curtis Painter isn't showing anything more than flashes. He does resemble the lovechild of Jay Mohr and Kevin Greene, however.
If the Chiefs are going to win five games, then they certainly needed that victory in SoCal. It seemed as though Matt Cassel never saw Eric Weddle on the ill-fated interception that sealed a loss to the Chargers. With Jamaal Charles, Tony Moeaki, and Eric Berry out for the season, Cassel can't afford a whole heckuva lot of ill-fated throws. The Chiefs could get their first win this week at home against the 0-3 Vikings, who are almost as snake-bitten as they are.


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The lack of trust in the custodians of fiat money has provided a fertile context for the rise of Bitcoin, the ultimate digital alternative store of value as against mainstream, central bank managed currencies like the US dollar, sterling and the euro.
Ever since advanced market central banks began rolling the printing presses, the warnings from various quarters foretelling the implosion of fiat currencies have been getting louder and louder.
For International Monetary Fund (IMF) CEO Christine Lagarde, the unconventional measures taken by central bankers – such as the Fed's quantitative easing (QE) and zero interest rate policy (ZIRP) and the ECB's Long Term Refinancing Operation – have been key to preventing a re-run of the Great Depression.
However, polls taking the pulse of public trust in politicians and bankers are flagging up the fact that trust in both is at an all time low.
This lack of trust in the custodians of fiat money has provided a fertile context for the rise of Bitcoin, the ultimate digital alternative store of value as against mainstream, central bank managed currencies like the US dollar, sterling and the euro.
The idea of creating an alternative currency that could not be manipulated by politicians or bankers, but was grounded solidly on a "real world" factor, namely the price of a basket of commodities, was first put forward by Thomas Edison and Henry Ford.
In 1921, worried by what he (correctly) saw as the US Federal Reserve's manipulation of the dollar, Edison put forward a plan for a new dollar founded on the price of a basket of commodities, with the commodities being held at a specified collection of warehouses around the US. (The PDF file of the original New York Times 1922 presentation of Edison's idea can be found here). This plan would take politicians and central bankers entirely out of the loop and let the market determine the value of the dollar.
Ford's plan was a proposal to have the government fund a hydro power project by issuing $30 million in new currency against the future value of the project down the generations. His goal was to enable the government to avoid the interest payments associated with issuing a $30 million bond.
Milton Friedman took the idea into the digital age by pointing out that there was actually no need for a Federal Reserve or for money to actually be printed. In an electronic era, it was perfectly feasible for a currency to be purely digital.
What made a currency real, he argued, was that a nation's people were prepared to trust it. Provided the form of that money was seen as convenient, it did not matter if the currency was paper based or purely digital.
Key to Friedman's proposal to get rid of the Fed was the idea of an automated computer that simply generated a set amount of money at regular intervals, no more and no less.
This basic idea is paralleled to a great extent by Bitcoin and appears to have been deliberately followed (or reinvented, perhaps) by Bitcoin's inventor, a person known only by the pseudonym, Satoshi Nakamoto.
The original Bitcoin protocol, based on public and private key cryptography, appeared as a paper in 2008 and Bitcoin itself was launched in 2009. Space precludes giving an account of how Bitcoin works or how Bitcoin transactions are validated. The Economist has a good article on this (see the Friedman link above) for those who are interested. The key points from the perspective of this blog are:
- Bitcoin usage around the world is growing like Topsy
- It is immune from central bank interference
- It is an alternative store of value
- It is essentially deflationary if demand grows, because its creator has decreed that only set amounts of bitcoins will be produced and that the maximum number that will be generated is 20 million.
Given extremely tight supply and extremely large demand, the value of individual bitcoins can only skyrocket. Speculators have jumped onto this fact and a large proportion of bitcoins now represent speculative investment rather than enabling trade.
Some very interesting ideas follow from all this, and their implications – which all boil down to the idea that Bitcoin might end up being a more attractive global currency than the US dollar, the euro or the yuan.
A recent blog in the Wall Street Journal sets out the case for and against this happening any time soon, taking into account the extraordinary volatility in the price of Bitcoin over the last two months of 2013. On 4 November, Bitcoin was valued at just over $200. On 3 December, it peaked at just over $1200, then slid to a low of around $460 before finishing December at over $800. That volatility might be attractive to speculators, but one imagines it would be hugely off-putting for business to business transactions.
However, more and more organizations around the world, including public sector and municipal bodies, are accepting bitcoins as payment. The state-owned China Telecom recently accepted some payment in digital currency, and some 36 US municipalities have moved to accept payments from citizens in bitcoins. The list is large and growing.
Related: Infographic: The History Of Bitcoins
Related: Infographic: Bitcoins Vs Gold
Related: Bitcoins: The Politics of A Virtual Currency
The WSJ argues that the near zero transaction costs associated with Bitcoin, the powerful encryption protections and the promised finite number of bitcoins that will be produced – as against potentially unlimited money printing by central banks – may well continue to make Bitcoin attractive to investors seeking an alternative to both fiat money and gold.
These same characteristics might also make it attractive to central bank reserve managers, but that day still lies some way off, if it ever comes.
By Anthony Harrington
Anthony Harrington is an award-winning business and energy journalist, writing regularly for the Scotsman newspaper, the Glasgow Herald newspaper, Financial Director magazine, Pensions Insight magazine, CA Magazine, and a number of other publications. He won Business Finance Journalist of the Year 2006, Institute of Financial Accountants, and Journalist of the Year, State Street 2006 Institutional Press Awards, and was runner up in 2007 and 2008.
Will Bitcoin become the new global reserve currency? is republished with permission from the QFinance Blog.
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