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Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research
versión On-line ISSN 2219-0635
versión impresa ISSN 0030-2465
Onderstepoort j. vet. res. vol.80 no.1 Pretoria ene. 2013
Immunohistochemical studies of the enteric nervous system and interstitial cells of Cajal in the canine stomach
Colin MusaraI; Camille VaillantII
IDepartment of Preclinical Veterinary Studies, University of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe
IIDepartment of Veterinary Preclinical Studies, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom
The distribution of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC), the probable pacemakers in gastrointestinal motility, was investigated using an antigenic marker of gastric ICC known as C-Kit. Antiserum raised against the general neuronal marker protein gene peptide 9.5 (PGP) as well as the nitrergic neuronal marker neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) were used to investigate the distribution of gastric nerves. Polyclonal goat anti-human C-Kit was reliable in labelling ICC in the stomach. Two classes of ICC were identified according to their distribution: ICC-MY distributed around the periphery of myenteric ganglia and ICC-IM in the circular and longitudinal muscle layers. The neuronal marker PGP was reliably consistent in revealing the density and distribution of the enteric nervous system. Density of nerve fibres was higher in circular smooth muscle than in longitudinal smooth muscle. From nNOS immunohistochemistry, it is evident that inhibitory (nitrergic) nerves constitute a substantial fraction of the enteric nervous system.
The canine stomach is divided into three parts, namely, the fundus, corpus and antrum. The fundus, by adaptive relaxation, is responsible for storage of ingesta whereas the corpus acts in unision with the antrum to mix and grind food particles before propelling them aborally. These functions rely on an efficient gastric motor system composed of pacemaker cells, neurons and smooth muscle cells. The gastric pacemaker located in the greater curvature of the corpus sets the basic electrical rhythm upon which contraction is superimposed. The origin of electrical activity in gastric smooth muscle is not known for certain but available evidence indicates involvement of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) (Hall et al. 1993; Huizinga et al. 1995; Sanders, Don Koh & Ward 2006; Ward et al. 1995). These are small fusiform or stellate cells with prominent nuclei and arborisations that intertwine to form a network within the gastrointestinal musculature (Sanders 1996) and myenteric plexus (Burns et al. 1996).
Regulation and integration of gastric motility is mainly by the enteric nervous system with extrinsic sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves playing a role in modulation only. Motor nerves may be either excitatory or inhibitory. The interplay between these opposing actions determines gastric motility. Excitatory neurons for gastric smooth muscle include those secreting acetylcholine, substance P, enkephalin and galanin whereas those releasing vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, cholecystokinin, somatostatin and neurotensin are inhibitory. Recently a subpopulation of neurons producing nitric oxide has been identified in the gastrointestinal tract (Moncada, Palmer & Higgs 1991). Nitric oxide is an important mediator of relaxation of stomach smooth muscle (Li & Rand 1990). It is synthesised from L-arginine in a reaction catalysed by neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS). After synthesis, nitric oxide diffuses out to exert its biological effects via the second messenger molecule cyclic guanosine monophosphate.
Disturbances of motor function are common in mammalian gastrointestinal disorders (Lyford et al. 2002). In the dog, for example, gastric dilatation-volvulus is an acute disease characterised by gastric retention, accumulation of gas in the stomach, gastric dilatation and twisting of the stomach about its longitudinal axis (Burrows & Ignazewski 1990). The objective of the present study was to investigate the normal morphology of the motor-regulating system in the canine stomach, namely ICC and the enteric neurons. This would contribute towards establishing a morphological basis for diagnosis of congenital as well as degenerative motor deficits of the stomach and possibly tumours of ICC.
Materials and methods
ICC express proteins which are useful markers in immunohistochemical studies of non-living tissues. One such protein is C-Kit which is involved in the growth, differentiation and migration of ICC (Rottapel et al. 1995). The general marker for the enteric nervous system is protein gene peptide 9.5 (Krammer et al. 1993; Thompson et al. 1983), which occurs in large amounts in the neurons of the vertebrate nervous system. Expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase in nitric oxide-producing neurons allows the enzyme to be used as a marker in immunohistochemical studies (Bredt & Snyder 1990).
Tissue samples from the corpus and antrum of the stomach were collected from nine dogs during surgery. The breeds of dogs included a Bull Mastiff, an Irish Setter, a Jack Russell, a Collie and six crossbreeds. Samples were collected in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) maintained at 4 °C. Each sample was divided into two parts for preparation of fixed and unfixed sections. For unfixed tissue, portions were cut from each sample under a dissecting microscope, embedded in optimal cutting temperature compound (OCT, MILES Company) and snap-frozen in isopentone cooled with liquid nitrogen. The frozen tissue was stored in a freezer at -40 °C until further use. Fixed tissue was prepared by immersing the samples for 24 h in freshly prepared 4% formaldehyde in 0.1 M sodium cacodylate buffer at pH 7.4 followed by cryopreservation in 20% sucrose-sodium cacodylate buffer for another 24 h after which samples were dissected, snap-frozen and stored as for unfixed tissue.
All sections for immunohistochemistry were pre-treated with 0.3% hydrogen peroxide in pure ethanol for 20 min to block endogenous peroxidase activity (Vanderwiden et al. 1996). Primary and secondary antisera were diluted in PBS with 2% bovine serum albumin and 0.25% sodium azide. The horseradish peroxidase used in this study was diluted in PBS only.
Each experiment involved four incubations; a 24-hour incubation of samples at 4 °C with primary anti serum, followed by a one-hour incubation with biotinylated secondary antiserum at room temperature to trace sites of bound antibody. Sites of bound antibody were detected by incubation with biotinylated streptavidin horseradish peroxidase for one hour at room temperature, and a final incubation in substrate (Table 1) (Shu & Fan 1988) for 20 min at room temperature. The reaction was stopped by rinsing the sections in 0.1 M acetate buffer.
In all experiments, a negative control was run by substituting primary antibody with PBS. Labelling for the neuronal marker PGP gave consistent results and was therefore used as the positive control. The procedure employed for immunohistochemistry is summarised in Table 2.
For examination, sections were counterstained by immersion in eosin for clearer morphological definition. Coverslips were mounted using the resin Distren Xylene Plasticizer, DPX (Agar Scientific Company) after sections had been dehydrated by passing them through serial ethanol (50%, 70%, 100% and 100%) and immersion in the resin solvent xylene. All sections were examined under a standard light microscope at magnifications of 100-400. Whole mounts were evaluated and photomicrographs processed at final magnifications 125 and 500.
Ethical considerations
The study was conducted using non-living tissue obtained from surgical procedures carried out in the University of Liverpool Small Animal Hospital during routine clinical work. Results of the investigation were treated in confidentiality until submission of the manuscript.
Polyclonal antiserum against C-kit gave no staining in any of the samples fixed in formaldehyde, most likely because of sensitivity of C-Kit to the fixation process. However, application of goat anti-human C-Kit to unfixed sections successfully labelled ICC (Figures 1 and 2). Two classes of ICC were identified according to their distribution. One class of cells, known as ICC-MY, was distributed around the periphery of myenteric ganglia and at the level of the myenteric plexus. These cells were fusiform in shape and had relatively few processes. The other class of ICC comprised a population of stellate cells diffusely distributed in the circular and longitudinal muscle layers.
Neurons in the corpus and antrum of the stomach were consistently labelled by antibodies raised against the general neuronal marker PGP (Figures 3 and 4). In all samples, coarse bundles of fibres were observed in the serosa, myenteric plexus and submucosa. Nerve cell bodies were scattered between nerve bundles within the myenteric ganglia. Individual nerve fibres rather than bundles were more common within the mucosa and circular as well as longitudinal muscle layers. Fibre density was highest in the circular muscle layer as compared to the longitudinal muscle layer. Several cell bodies were observed in the myenteric ganglia interspersed between bundles of nNOS-positive fibres. Nerve fibres with nNOS-like immunoreactivity were also diffusely distributed throughout the circular and longitudinal muscle layers, either singly or in small groups (Figure 5).
In the past, a number of techniques have been used in the morphological study of ICC. The earliest of these procedures employed methylene blue and zinc iodide-osmic acid stains. However, these were of limited use, largely because of lack of specificity and the requirement for fresh tissue (Christensen 1992). Later on, electron microscopy became the method of choice for visualisation of ICC (Sanders 1996). Recently, immunohistochemical methods that demonstrate the presence of specific proteins have become useful in the morphological identification of ICC (Bernadini et al. 2012). Prior to the present study, no single histochemical or immunohistochemical method labelled ICC in the canine stomach with sufficient accuracy and consistency. The receptor tyrosine kinase (C-Kit) has been detected in ICC in man (Vanderwiden et al. 1996) and mice (Huizinga et al. 1995), amongst other species. C-Kit is a large protein of molecular weight about 160 kilodalton. In this study, ICC was labelled by polyclonal goat anti-human C-Kit (Santa Cruz Biotechnology). Staining for C-Kit in unfixed sections of the stomach revealed an overview of the density and distribution of ICC in the circular smooth muscle, myenteric ganglia and longitudinal smooth muscle at x125 magnification. At higher magnification (x500), cell morphology and size could be clearly defined.
Assessment of the density, distribution and architecture of nerve fibres and cell bodies of the enteric nervous system has been used in diagnosis of neurological motor deficits such as Hirschsprung's disease in humans (Cotran, Kumar & Robbins 1994). In the present investigation, all three morphological features were well-defined. Reduction of non-adrenergic inhibitory nerves has been identified as a cause of impaired motility observed in some cases of diminished nerve fibre density (Tomita, Munakata & Korusu 1994). Since nitrergic nerves form a major component of inhibitory nerves of the gastrointestinal tract, the investigation was extended to ascertain the morphological features of nitric oxide-producing neurons in the stomach. Staining for nNOS revealed a large component of nitrergic nerves in the circular smooth muscle. This finding supports the growing concept that inhibitory motor control makes an important contribution to normal motor function in the gastrointestinal tract.
In conclusion, observations made in the present study lend weight to the paradigm that in considering the gastrointestinal motor system, attention should be drawn to all three (instead of just two) components, namely, smooth muscle, neurons and ICC.
Owing to their specificity, immunohistochemical methods cannot be readily extrapolated from one species to another. In the present study, gastric ICC and enteric neurons in the dog were successfully labelled using antibodies raised against goat anti-human C-Kit, PGP 9.5 and nNOS. Thus the density and distribution of enteric neurons and ICC in the canine stomach were revealed. Immunohistochemical methods are a valuable diagnostic tool in that they allow comparison of the morphology of the motor-regulating system between normal animals and those with gastric motor dysfunction. In future, application of electrophysiological techniques would be necessary to complement diagnostic effort from immunohistochemistry.
We would like to thank the European Union for funding this research work through the UZ-University of Liverpool link programme.
Competing interests
The authors declare that they have no financial or personal relationship(s) which may have inappropriately influenced them in writing this article.
Authors' contributions
C.M. (University of Zimbabwe) conducted all experiments and C.V. (University of Liverpool) provided research materials, equipment and laboratory. The manuscript was a joint effort of both authors.
Bernardini, N., Segnani, C., Ippolito, C., De Giorgio, R., Colucci, R., Fousonne-Pellegrini, S. et al., 2012, 'Immunohistochemical analysis of myenteric ganglia and interstitial cells of Cajal in ulcerative colitis', Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine 16(2), 318-327. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1582-4934.2011.01298.x, PMid:21426484 [ Links ]
Bredt, D.S. & Snyder, S.H., 1990, 'Localisation of nitric oxide synthase indicating a neuronal role of nitric oxide', Nature 87, 682-685. [ Links ]
Burns, A., Lomax, A.E., Torihashi, S., Sanders, K.M. & Ward, S.M., 1996, 'Interstitial cells of Cajal mediate inhibitory neurotransmission in the stomach', Proceedings of the National Academy of Science USA 93, 12008-12013. PMid:8876253 [ Links ]
Burrows, C.F. & Ignazewski, L.A., 1990, 'Canine gastric-dilatation-volvulus', Journal of Small Animal Practice 31, 495-501. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-5827.1990.tb00671.x [ Links ]
Christensen, J., 1992, 'A commentary on the morphological identification of interstitial cells of Cajal in the gut', Journal of the Autonomic Nervous System 37, 75-88. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0165-1838(92)90236-A [ Links ]
Cotran, R.S., Kumar, V. & Robbins, S.L., 1994, Pathologic basis of disease, W.B. Saunders and Company, Philadelphia, London, Toronto, Montreal, Sydney, Tokyo. PMid:7911822 [ Links ]
Hall, A.J., Sollie, T.N., Seim III, H.B. & Twedt, D.C., 1993, 'Gastric myoelectric and motor activity in dogs with gastric-dilatation-volvulus', American Journal of Physiology 265(4 Part 1), G646-G653. PMid:8238348 [ Links ]
Huizinga, J.D., Thuneberg, L., Kluppel, M., Malysz, J., Mikkelsen, H.B. & Bernestein, A., 1995, 'W/Kit gene required for development of interstitial cells of Cajal and or intestinal pacemaker activity', Nature 373, 347-349. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/373347a0, PMid:7530333 [ Links ]
Krammer, H.J., Karahan, S.T., Rumpel, E., Klinger, M. & Kuhnel, W., 1993, 'Immunohistological visualization of the enteric nervous system using antibodies against protein gene peptide 9.5', Anatomy-Anz 175(4), 321-325. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0940-9602(11)80029-4 [ Links ]
Li, C.G. & Rand, M.J., 1990, 'Nitric oxide and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide mediate non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic transmission to smooth muscle in the rat gastric fundus', European Journal of Pharmacology 191, 303-309. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0014-2999(90)94162-Q [ Links ]
Lyford, G.L., He, C-L., Soffer, E., Hull, T.L., Strong, S.A., Senagore, A.J. et al., 2002, 'Pan-colonic decrease in interstitial cells of Cajal in patients with slow transit constipation', Gut 51, 496-501. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/gut.5L4.496, PMid:12235070 [ Links ]
Moncada, S., Palmer, R.M. & Higgs, E.M., 1991, 'Nitric oxide: Physiology, pathophysiology and pharmacology', Pharmacological Reviews 43(2), 109-134. PMid:1852778 [ Links ]
Rottapel, R., Reeduck, M., Williams, D.E., Lyman, S.D., Andersen, D.M., Pawson, T. et al., 1995, 'The steel/W transduction pathway: Kit autophosphorylation and its association with a unique set of cytoplasmic signaling proteins is induced by the steel factor', Molecular Cell Biology 11, 3043-3051. [ Links ]
Sanders, K.M., Don Koh, S. & Ward, S.M., 2006, 'Interstitial cells of Cajal as pacemakers in the gastrointestinal tract', Annual Review of Physiology 68, 307-343. http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev.physiol.68.040504.094718, PMid:16460275 [ Links ]
Sanders, K.M., 1996, 'A case for interstitial cells of Cajal as pacemakers and mediators of neurotransmission in the gastrointestinal tract', Gastroenterology 111, 492-515. http://dx.doi.org/10.1053/gast.1996.v111.pm8690216, PMid:8690216 [ Links ]
Shu, S., Ju, G. & Fan, L., 1988, 'The glucose oxidase-DAB nickel method in the peroxidase histochemistry of the nervous system', Neuroscience Letters 85, 169-171. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0304-3940(88)90346-1 [ Links ]
Thompson, J.R., Doran, J.F., Jackson, P., Dillion, A.P. & Rhode, J., 1983, 'PGP 9.5 - A new marker for vertebrate neurones and neuroendocrine cells', Brain Research 278, 224-228. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0006-8993(83)90241-X [ Links ]
Tomita, R., Munakata, K. & Korusu, Y., 1994, 'Peptidergic nerves in Hirschsprung's disease and its allied disorders', European Journal of Paediatric Surgery 4(6), 346-351. http://dx.doi.org/10.1055/s-2008-1066132, PMid:7538322 [ Links ]
Vanderwiden, J.M., Liu, H., De Laet, H.M. & Vanderhaeghen, J.J., 1996, 'Study of interstitial cells of Cajal in infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis', Gastroenterology 111, 279-288. http://dx.doi.org/10.1053/gast.1996.v111.pm8690192 [ Links ]
Ward, S.M., Burns, A.J., Torihashi, S., Harney, S.C. & Sanders, K.M., 1995, 'Impaired development of interstitial cells and intestinal rhythmicity in steel mutants', American Journal of Physiology 269, C1577-C1585. PMid:8572188 [ Links ]
Correspondence to:
Colin Musara
Postal address: PO Box MP 167, Mount Pleasant, Zimbabwe
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Received: 04 Sept. 2012
Accepted: 21 Dec. 2012
Published: 05 Mar. 2013


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Say hello to the BlackBerry PlayBook, the latest machine to enter a rapidly-widening tablet market. The PlayBook is sleek, stylish, and priced to match the Apple iPad 2 and Xoom on price: $499 for a base-line model, and $699 for a top-of-the-line tablet. So how does the BlackBerry PlayBook stack up to its competitors? Let's take a look at the latest reviews.
The opening shot
"In some respects, the PlayBook is the most impressive tablet I've seen to date," writes Melissa J. Perenson of PC World. "Its approach to navigating among open apps is a joy; I was able to move among them faster than on any other tablet. But native apps like the PlayBook's browser have disappointing glitches, and you won't get much help from downloading third-party apps--only 3000 will be available at launch (compared with the 65,000 available for the iPad), and I still haven't seen many marquee names among them."
The design
"At a svelte 7.6 inches by 5.1 inches, the PlayBook is about the size of Samsung's Galaxy Tab, and considerably smaller than the Motorola Xoom and Apple iPad 2," writes Mike Isaac of Wired. "That may prove bothersome if you prefer watching videos and gaming on a larger screen. But in a trade-off for the small screen size, the PlayBook makes gains in portability. At just under a pound, long reading sessions don't cause as much fatigue as they do with larger tablets, and the rubberized backing adds a pleasing tooth to the grip. You won't be worried about dropping it on the floor of the bus."
The battery life
"With the screen brightness at about 75% and Wi-Fi on," writes Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal. "I played a movie I had transferred from a computer over and over until the juice ran out. The PlayBook lasted a bit over five hours, well short of the company's claim of eight to 10 hours for mixed use. In mixed use, and on a second test of watching video with Wi-Fi off, I did better, over six hours, but well short of the 10 hours on the iPad 2."
The guts
"Running the show is a dual-core, 1GHz TI OMAP processor that's expertly massaged and manipulated by the QNX OS here," notes Tim Stevens of Engadget. "Graphics are handled by a PowerVR design, which quite handily offloads video decoding and gaming acceleration from the processor, enabling this thing to decode and display 1080p video over HDMI while still ticking along quite smoothly and running productivity apps on the seven-inch display. Not a hint of dithering or pixelation, of course. Apps load quickly, tend to be impressively responsive, and switching from one to the next is effortless."
The apps
BlackBerry Bridge is supposed to appeal to the corporate network administrators who are R.I.M.'s bread and butter, because they can deploy PlayBooks without having to worry about security breaches," writes David Pogue of the New York Times. However, Pogue notes, "BlackBerry Bridge is the only way to do e-mail, calendar, address book and BlackBerry Messenger on the PlayBook. The PlayBook does not have e-mail, calendar or address book apps of its own. You read that right. R.I.M. has just shipped a BlackBerry product that cannot do e-mail. It must be skating season in hell."
The apps, part 2
"The not-so-secret secret about tablets right now is that everything comes down to the apps," writes Matt Buchanan of Gizmodo. "And, well, the app situation is, uh, complicated. RIM says it'll have the most of any tablet at launch, with 3000. Most of what I've seen so far in the beta App World is junk — possibly it still has some issues making it hard to find good apps."
The Flash support
"If you go to YouTube, videos play just fine, even in full-screen mode," writes MG Siegler of TechCrunch. "If you go to a site that is Flash-heavy beyond single videos, like ESPN, things get a little dicey... The major problem with Flash on the PlayBook is that most sites simply aren't optimized for touchscreens so Flash elements become almost like landmines. I often find myself accidentally clicking on a Flash element and getting whisked away to some other random page. This happens often when I'm just trying to scroll down the page. And it is very, very annoying."
The final word
Back to Matt Buchanan, at Gizmodo: "In a lot of ways, the PlayBook is more polished and usable in its beta state than the Motorola Xoom, and it's straight-up the best seven-inch tablet out there (though in the tango between between portability and size, I think 10 inches is still the best). At the same time, I don't think anyone should buy it right now — BlackBerry user or otherwise — for at least a few months, to see if the platform has enough legs to carry itself to where it needs to be. If the apps do arrive to fill in the gaps, then the PlayBook is totally going to be a tablet to check out."

subset: commoncrawl


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Urban Feng Shui ONLINE ONLY
This online course is currently not being offered. Please subscribe to our e-newsletter via the homepage at www.opencenter.org to be informed when the course is offered again.
View the VIDEO INTRO TO OUR COURSES
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R.D. Chin
"R.D. Chin brings such enthusiasm and expertise to his practice that we're honored to be working with him at both the in-house and online levels here at the Open Center. He explains core concepts in an accessible way that makes you hungry for more no matter where on your educational journey you currently are." —A.S.
Feng Shui is an ancient art developed over three millennia ago in China. It is a complex body of knowledge that reveals how to balance the energies of any given space to assure the health and good fortune for the people inhabiting it. Urban Feng Shui applies these principles to apartment and city-living contexts.
Applying the theory and principles taught by RD's teacher and mentor, the late feng shui HH Grandmaster Lin Yun, this class will give you the tools you need to transform your personal space and, importantly, the mindset that goes with it. This 4-week online course combines Western design principles with Feng Shui to align any space with dimensions of spirit, character, and a feeling of balance. This class is great for both the lay person as well as the budding Feng Shui consultant.
NOTE: Students must have access to a computer with a web browser for this ONLINE ONLY course, and may need to download free software to use some course features. Password-protected access to the course website is permitted only during the dates that this course is being held; PASSWORDS WILL BE ISSUED THE NIGHT BEFORE THE COURSE BEGINS; and user accounts will be deleted once the course is over. Audio-visual materials on the website are not downloaded but streamed through the web browser. Open Center Online Learning courses give students access to teachers and other students through several interactive tools on the course websites.
Please view our F.A.Q. (Frequently Asked Questions) for more detailed information about Open Center Online Learning courses.
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It's not much of a movie, but in the Duplass brothers' "Jeff, Who Lives at Home" a misdialed phone number — Mis-tapped? Mis-punched? Who dials anymore, anyway? — gets the bonged-out dreamer played by Jason Segel thinking he was contacted for a reason. He's already obsessed with the M. Night Shyamalan film "Signs." Surely this must be a sign as well.
Jeff takes the errant call in his temporary-bordering-on-forever lair, in his mother's basement, which he rarely leaves. In that regard the movie may as well be set in 1954, the year of "Dial M for Murder."Today we rarely see a character, even the slackest of slackers, talking on a phone (smartphone or dumbphone) that isn't just another traveling accessory, designed for communication on the run, untethered by anything like an actual cord. Think about it. If Grace Kelly had gotten that call from Ray Milland on an Android the would-be killer in Hitchcock's "Dial M" would've been running, tripping, scrambling all over the place.
In the pre-cell era, a phone call meant atmosphere. It meant a character often stepped inside a phone booth, a private universe in a public place. Even outside of the box, the movies have given us an unusual number of memorable phone calls. The greats, most of them, took place when phones could be wielded like weaponry, and were solid pieces of furniture, like Philco radios.
No single telephonic conversation on screen can beat the one placed by Peter Sellers as the president of the United States, on the horn with Soviet premier Dimitri in Stanley Kubrick's "Dr. Strangelove" (1964). Who needs to hear what's being said on the other end of the line? Nobody. How many screenwriters and directors today would have the nerve to let the audience in on only one side of a conversation?
An aesthetic peak in the movies was reached early with the so-called "candlestick phone," the two-piece affair that bespeaks "Front Page" wisecracks and "Gimme rewrite." One of my favorite single shots in cinema is a wordless tracking shot from Howard Hawks' "His Girl Friday" (1940), the one in which the candlestick phones littering the Chicago Criminal Courts building press room are ringing off their hooks just after the prisoner, Earl Williams, escapes. That's how evocative those phones were, and are: They don't even need actors.
Of course that film had actors, the best. Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell knew how to fling and wave a candlestick phone as more than a mere prop. They became extensions of their characters' gift of gab — instruments of joy, torture, punctuation and provocation.
In the movies, then and now, the phone is the sentry bearing news, often very bad news. In Tom Ford's "A Single Man," the 2009 film for which Colin Firth should've won his first Oscar, Firth's character receives news via the phone that his lover has died in a car accident. The time is the early 1960s. The phone is stationary. Firth is stationary as well, planted in his reading chair. The grief sinks in. The conversation is achingly civil. We see the dawning impact of the news on Firth's face, hear it in his subtly cracking voice.
A phone, in the right actor's hands, is more than something to hold, more than an increasingly sleek and wimpy way to receive information. It's a device relaying an unseen human voice. And there is eternal mystery and power in such things.
Movies on the radio and online: Michael joins a three-way "Pillow Talk"-style party line with Adam Kempenaar and Josh Larsen on "Filmspotting," 11 p.m. Fri. and midnight Sat. on WBEZ-FM (91.5) and via podcast at filmspotting.net.
Twitter: @phillipstribune
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Politics & Government
Steve O'Ban, R-University Place, is top spender in state legislative races
Heading into Tuesday's primary election, Republican state Sen. Steve O'Ban of University Place has spent more than any other state legislative candidate – even though he's guaranteed a spot on the November ballot.
As of the latest campaign finance disclosures, O'Ban's campaign had spent $233,240, more than twice as much as the campaign of his opponent, state Rep. Tami Green, D-Lakewood. As of last week, Green had spent only $90,595, according to campaign filings with the state Public Disclosure Commission.
The two lawmakers are competing to represent Pierce County's 28th Legislative District, a politically moderate part of Pierce County that includes Fircrest, University Place, Steilacoom, DuPont, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and parts of Lakewood and Tacoma.
As the only candidates in the 28th district Senate race, both O'Ban and Green are certain to advance to the general election in November.
Even so, the O'Ban campaign has already been working to reach voters online, by mail and on TV. As of last week, O'Ban had already spent $40,000 on cable TV ads, $34,000 on online advertising and about $30,000 on campaign mailers.
The Green campaign, meanwhile, had spent most of its money on paying campaign managers and consultants, with only about $12,200 going toward campaign mailers and nothing spent on TV ads.
The race between Green and O'Ban is one that both parties are focused on this year as they battle for control of the state Senate. Republicans are trying to gain at least one seat so they can form a majority without the aid of conservative Democratic Sen. Tim Sheldon.
Democrats, for their part, are looking to pick up two seats and regain control of the chamber.
A political committee funded by Senate Republicans has spent more than $100,000 on cable ads and mailers opposing Green, which are among the largest independent expenditures of this year's campaign season.
As of last week, no independent groups had spent money on Green's behalf. But on Sunday, organizers with Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest plan to doorbell in the 28th district and urge voters to support Green.
O'Ban is also outpacing Green when it comes to raising money. As of the end of June, O'Ban had also raised the second-most of any legislative candidate, amassing $377,907 in campaign contributions, according to PDC records. Green had raised only $157,121.55.
O'Ban, a constitutional lawyer, was appointed to the state Senate in June 2013 after serving about six months in the state House. Green, a nurse, has served in the state House since 2005.
O'Ban has been endorsed by the National Rifle Association, the National Federation of Independent Business and the Washington State Association of REALTORS. His campaign donors include the Association of Washington Business, as well as several insurance and telecommunications companies.
Labor unions make up some of Green's top supporters. She's received donations from the Washington Education Association, the Washington Federation of State Employees and the SEIU 1999 NW, the statewide union of health care workers.
Outside of labor groups, Green is endorsed by Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and NARAL Pro-Choice Washington.


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Date: 23rd November 2012
Today, Ramesh and I were going on the Golden Triangle tour — one of the most popular and common full-day tours tourists do while in Chiang Mai. I had been to Chiang Rai and the point where Thailand's border meets Laos and Myanmar in 2010. But I didn't get the chance to hop across the river and set foot in Laos, because it's much easier to do that when you go as part of a tour group.
One and half hours later, we reached Chiang Rai province. The van dropped us off at the famous White Temple.
Continue reading "Thailand: Golden Triangle tour – White Temple, Mekong River, Mae Sai, and entering Laos" »


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The Essentials of Paying for College
When students transition from high school to college, they start to take on more of the trappings of adult life. They'll be able to get up when they want, go to class when they want and eat pizza and mac and cheese for every meal, if they really want. But students in college are also expected to manage money like an adult, and to make good decisions that could help them succeed in the future. Unfortunately, when it comes to properly managing college finances, some students are far behind the curve.
What's In This Guide
A 2011 study by Charles Schwab (as reported by U.S. News and World Report) suggests that the majority of high school students want to learn more about money management, so they can track their expenses more effectively.
Unfortunately, it seems that few students get this kind of education, as many of them experience financial difficulties during their time in school and in the years that follow.
14.7 percent of students with educational debt defaulted on their student loans within the first 3 years of repayment. Source: U.S. Education Department, as reported by Bloomberg.
Teaching Skills
Students want to learn, and they certainly need to learn, so wouldn't it be reasonable to expect their high schools to pick up the slack and promote financial literacy? In a perfect world, that'd be true, but unfortunately, few institutions offer, or are able to offer, that sort of education.
State Grades on Teaching Students Financial Literacy
Studies like this seem to suggest that parents must teach their children about financial concepts, since it's unlikely that schools will provide these lessons.
A Lack of Financial Planning
Only 32 percent of households have a monthly budget they follow.
Just 30 percent of households have long-term financial plans in place.
Fewer than half of those with college degrees keep tabs on financial data
Common reason given for budget skipping: the money is spent no matter what
By letting apps lead the way, students may gain control over their expenses and learn more about money management in the future. But there are also some low-tech options available.
Pay all essential bills at the beginning of the month.
Develop a weekly food + transportation budget.
Carry the funds in that budget in cash.
Stop spending when the money runs out.
A system like this keeps students from overspending, and it can result in savings. For example, The Washington Post suggests that businesses are allowed to charge a 4 percent fee on credit card transactions.
Students can also control their finances by looking for ways in which to scrimp and save. Shopping at thrift stores, eating in instead of paying for restaurants and biking instead of driving can all help to make life less expensive. There's no shame in taking these steps either, as Deals.com survey data reported by AOL suggests that surprisingly wealthy people take steps some might consider thrifty. If you live beneath your financial means, you will only see your net worth grow. Also, shoppers with college degrees are more likely to use coupons.
Good Goals
Chipping away at expenses, creating a budget and utilizing financial planning software can be vital steps for some students, but there are other goals all students should keep in mind as they plan for their financial future.
Graduates vs Dropouts
Source: The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education
Staying in school sometimes means borrowing more money, and sometimes students have to borrow at high interest rates in order to get the funds they need. Getting a loan from a private source isn't bad, as private loans can provide necessary funding when federal and institutional aid are not available, but in any situation a student should carefully research their loan options.
Finally, students should be sure to watch their accounts closely, and be wary of funds or penalty fees. Overdraft charges, in particular, can take a huge bite out of a student's budget. Although the median overdraft fee charged is $34, the average account that had at least one overdraft charge typically averages $225 in fees per year.
Students who continually rack up charges, or who are considering taking out high-interest loans in order to stay in school, should visit their school's financial aid office. Financial aid advisors can help students parse through the maze of financial aid options, hopefully making the process of paying for college both easier and more affordable.
Paying for college is intimidating. We all know that an education isn't cheap, no matter what school you go to. But there are a wide variety of resources that can help you make sense of the paying for college process, and even save money on the total cost of college. All it takes is some research and diligence, and we're here to help.
Video Guides
Video guides, tutorials, and videos from the College on the Cheap street team.
Are some loans better than others?
Don Betterton discusses the hierarchy of loans and the proper approach to student borrowing with a group of parents of college students.
Are student loans an inevitable part of the college experience?
SimpleTuition asked a group of college students what their feelings about student loans and borrowing for college were. Check the video out to hear their comments and insights!
Choosing the right student loan for you
Monisha Perkash explains how to choose the right type of student loan for you, the differences between federal and private loans, and the importance of comparing your loan options.
College on the Cheap: defaulting on your loans
College on the Cheap's street team went back out for some more interviews, this time asking students if they knew what the consequences of defaulting on their loans were.
College Selection, Parents – College on the Cheap
A group of parents of college students discuss their children's college selection processes, and reflect on how finances played a role in the final decision.
Tips for Creating a Personal Budget
In this new video, Don Betterton, financial aid expert and SimpleTuition advisor addresses the importance of having a personal budget.
Do you have to pay back a grant?
College on the Cheap's street team asked students if you have to pay back a grant – and refreshingly, almost all of them answered correctly!
Think you know the answer? Watch the video!
Do you know what kinds of student loans you have?
College on the Cheap's street team interviewed some college students and asked them a few questions about loans, including what the difference is between subsidized and unsubsidized loans?
More Articles
Saving for College
Tuition and Bills


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shafnutz05 wrote:I got my hopes up that this was a Saturday night race, then I saw it was on Sunday. I could have sworn one of the Phoenix races was Saturday night, I guess not.
It was on Sat night last Spring, but it was in April. It's about 7 weeks earlier this year.


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Joba escapes unscathed against old friends
TAMPA, Fla. -- Joba Chamberlain has thrown to Francisco Cervelli for years. Pitching against him was something altogether different.
As Chamberlain stared toward the batter's box and saw his former teammate waiting to swing, he had his Spring Training test.
TAMPA, Fla. -- Joba Chamberlain has thrown to Francisco Cervelli for years. Pitching against him was something altogether different.
As Chamberlain stared toward the batter's box and saw his former teammate waiting to swing, he had his Spring Training test.
"He's caught me for a long time, my whole career," Chamberlain said of facing Cervelli in his return to Steinbrenner Field in a Tigers uniform. "To be able to get that at-bat and see the swings that he was taking and to get him to swing on a slider was a good sign."
Chamberlain retired Cervelli with the pitch the batter probably knew was coming once he got to two strikes. Chamberlain eventually got out of the inning with that pitch, making it through a scoreless seventh with two runners stranded. He fell behind with his fastball, struggling to command his heater, then rescued a potential disaster of an inning with the sharp-breaking slider he wanted to regain.
"Today was a big key for me, as far as my slider," Chamberlain said. "I wanted to come in and make sure I felt confident with it, because it was something that was going to get me back over the rubber and to the plate. I got a couple strikeouts on it. I've got to continue to locate my fastball and pitch off that, and to know that I still have my slider there is a good sign."
Chamberlain didn't get an immediate reception from the sellout crowd when he entered, but only because it was the seventh-inning stretch and "God Bless America" was playing. Once he was introduced, the crowd reaction was mixed but muted.
For some of them, Chamberlain's struggles had to look familiar. He threw 12 balls and 12 strikes for the inning. Many of the balls were fastballs early in the inning, putting him behind in the count against his first three innings. Several of the strikes were sliders late.
He retired the first two batters he faced after 2-0 counts, then fell behind on a 3-0 count to Jose Gil, who lined a single to left off a fastball. Chamberlain put Dean Anna in a 1-2 count before missing with a couple sliders and losing him to a walk.
Up came Francisco Arcia, who took a couple strikes to fall behind and set up the slider. He took one for a ball, but Chamberlain spotted the second for a called strike and an escape.
"He got into a little bit of trouble, and got himself out of it," manager Brad Ausmus said. "I'm sure he had a little bit of mixed emotions coming back and playing against the Yankees, but he threw a couple sliders that looked really good. When his slider is on, it's a swing-and-miss pitch."
Chamberlain wasn't making much of the emotions. He said hello to many of his old teammates before the game, he said, but wanted to focus on his work.
"It's another game," he said. "It's one of those things where you have to be able to slow it down a little bit, and I wasn't able to do a good job of that today. It's something to work through."
Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. Read Beck's Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason.


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Tue Jul 31 2012 2:46PM
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New to HDR and need an HDR program? You can save 15% when you order Photomatix by using this code: ricksammon. You can save 15% on Nik HDR Efex Pro by using this code: RSAMMON. For these codes to work, you need to be in the US.
This post has the HDR info you need to get started making great HDR image. My HDR app, Rick Sammon's iHDR. features my latest HDR images and tips.
Here is some "must know" HDR (High Dynamic Range) info. This is just a starting point for HDR photography – but hey, you gotta start somewhere.
Briefly, here's what HDR is all about. You take exposures at the recommended exposure setting, and then over and under that setting – usually at +2 EV and at –2EV, but sometimes at greater extremes.
Then, using an HDR program like Photomatix Pro you combine your images into a single image that captures all the tones from your three (or more) images. How cool!
See the Light & Determine Bracketing
The first step in creating a HDR image (or any photographic image for that matter) is seeing the light. Most important in HDR photography is seeing the contrast range in the scene – the difference between the shadow and highlight areas. Seeing the color of the light, the direction of the light and the quality of the light is also important, because these factors also affect how we perceive a photograph. For now, however, we'll only talk about contrast.
In the interior picture of a church in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, the difference between the darkest and lightest parts of the scene is fairly wide. In the picture of a quaint street corner in San Miguel, the contrast range is not nearly as wide as in my church picture.
It's the seeing and knowing the contrast range of a scene that helps determine how many exposures you need to capture the full dynamic range of the scene. That's covered next.
Too Few and Too Many HDR Images
Below: Here are two screen grabs from Adobe Bridge of the files that I used to create the two HDR images above. For my church image, I needed to take five exposures to capture that dynamic range of the scene. I took exposures, using the exposure compensation feature of my camera, at the following settings: 0EV, +1EV, -1EV, -2EV and –3EV – for total of five exposures. For my quaint corner HDR image, I only needed three images: 0EV, +2 EV and –2EV.
The key to getting a good HDR image is not to take too few or not to take too many images. The more images you take, the more chance you have of getting digital noise in your images.
Spot Metering Can Help
If you are new to seeing the light, a spot meter can help you determine how many exposures you need to take. Most digital SLRs haves built-in spot meters. Spot meters are also sold separately. All spot meters measure the brightness of a small area (a spot) of a scene.
Below: This Devils Garden, Utah scene has a lot of contrast. Spot metering the sky and then the darkest shadow in this case would tell you that you have about a four-stop exposure difference – requiring four different exposures.
What Your Eyes See vs. What Your Camera Sees
Our eyes can see a dynamic range of about 11 f-stops; our cameras can only see a dynamic range of about 6 f-stops. That is why we need HDR photography – to capture the wide dynamic range of a scene.
Check Your LCD Monitor
A good method for ensuring that you capture the entire dynamic range of a scene is to check your camera's LCD monitor.
Basically, you want to underexpose a scene so that none of the highlights are blown out (reflections on the statue in this case), and that none of the shadows are blocked up (shadows on the building in this case). You can check these exposures by looking at your LCD monitor.
Look for Highlights and Shadows
When taking pictures for an HDR image, you don't always have to take the same number of exposures in the same directions from the recommended exposure.
Below: When there are many highlight areas in a scene, as in my San Miguel church picture, you want to take more exposures under the recommended setting – to capture the entire dynamic range of the scene. When there are many shadow areas in a scene, as in my old car shot, you want to take more exposures over the recommended setting – again, to capture the entire dynamic range of the scene.
Careful Bracketing Pays Off
You saw the effectiveness of carefully bracketing my San Miguel church picture near the beginning of this lesson. Here you see the effect of carefully bracketing on my old car HDR image. This is one of my favorite HDR images. It's a favorite because there is so much to see in the image. The more there is to see, usually, the more interesting an HDR image.
Hey, if you like the presentation of this HDR image, here is how I created the effect. In Photoshop, I used a Drop Shadow Layer Style. Then, also in Photoshop, I used the Stroke feature to create the red thin-line frame around the image.
Auto vs. Manual Bracketing
When taking pictures for an HDR image, you have to set your camera on automatic exposure bracketing (AEB) or you need to manually bracket your exposures. The end result is the same, but there are two factors to consider.
Automatic bracketing will be faster than manually bracketing, resulting in freezing the action if a subject moves, as did this police officer in San Miguel – as illustrated in the close up of his blurry right hand (from another set of images).
Manual bracketing may be required – if your camera does not offer the bracketing range that you need. Some entry-level and mid-range cameras only bracket two stops over and two stops under the average exposure. Professional cameras offer more.
Movement Can Be Okay
A slight movement, illustrated above by the movement of the man's hand, could ruin a picture. However, movement can be cool when it comes to an HDR image – when you are photographing moving water and moving clouds. This HDR image of the New Croton Dam was created from three exposures. My shutter speeds were between three and nine seconds for the set of exposures.
Two-Image HDR Images
Most photographers take at least three exposures when taking pictures for a HDR image. My friend Joe Brady at the MAC Group has another suggestion: Look at the scene carefully. If the contrast range is not more than two stops, take only two pictures – one exposure for the highlights and one for the shadows.
I tried Joe's recommendation in the Villa de Santa Monica in San Miguel. It worked! Follow Joe's advice combined with mine: Don't create a HDR image from more exposures than you actually need. Digital noise may creep into your image.
Pseudo HDR Images
HDR images include more detail in the shadow and highlight area of a scene, and more texture. Nothing beats a true HDR image. However, we can create a pseudo HDR image from a single image using several different methods.
The fastest and easiest way, I've found, is to use a plug-in called Topaz Adjust. That's what I used for my Cuba car image. You open an image in Photoshop, select the Topaz Adjust/Spicify filter, play with the sliders, click OK, and you have an image which looks somewhat like an HDR image. Sure, some shadows will be blocked up and some highlights may be overexposed, but if all you have is a single image, this is a cool method for creating the HDR look.
You can get more info on Topaz Adjust on my Creative Plug-ins page.
Aperture Must Remain Constant
In all HDR photography, you need to keep the aperture constant – to maintain the same depth-of-field throughout your set of pictures. That means you need to either shoot in the Aperture Priority mode or the Manual Exposure mode. In both modes, you can easily bracket your exposures.
Focus Carefully Then Shoot Manually
While taking several exposures for your HDR image, it's not impossible that the focus can change – if you leave your camera on the auto focus mode. This is more likely to happened in low light situations (when contrast is low) and when there are different objects at different distances in the scene.
To ensure the same focus point in your set of pictures, what you need to do is this: first focus using the auto focus mode on your camera or focus manually, then switch to manual focus – without changing the focus. This technique will ensure that all your pictures have the same focus point. As with the aperture, if your focus point is a bit off, you can get a ghost image in your HDR image, or the entire image could be ghosted (which will look like an out-of-focus picture).
Reduce Digital Noise
Digital noise is exaggerated in HDR images because the more images you use, the more the digital noise. You can reduce digital noise, which shows up more in shadow areas and in plain areas like sky, by shooting at a low ISO setting.
Photomatix and Topaz, mentioned earlier, offer noise reduction features. You can also reduce noise in Photoshop, Lightroom, Aperture, Canon Digital Photo Professional and so on. However, your best bet is to try to get the best possible in-camera image. The more time you spend on that, the less time you'll have to spend in the digital darkroom working on your pictures.
Steady Your Camera and Try Not to Touch
Sometimes subject movement is bad, as illustrated earlier by the man's blurred hand. Sometimes it's good, as illustrated earlier by the moving water. Camera movement is almost always bad in HDR images. Steadying your camera with a tripod is the best way to avoid camera shake, which will occur at slow shutter speeds when you handhold your camera. But you want to steady your camera for another very important reason: you want all your pictures to line up exactly – even though the align feature in Photomatix can be used effectively if there is slight movement between or among images.
I used a tripod for this HDR image of a Buddhist temple near my home in Westchester County, New York. The tripod and camera created a shadow on the floor of the tower. I removed that shadow with the Clone Stamp tool in Photoshop. (We shoot here in October on my Croton Creative Workshop.)
Hand-held Images Can Work
As I mentioned, a tripod is the best way to ensure a steady shot. That said, you might be able to get a sharp HDR image that you created with several hand-held shots. Here is one example, created from several pictures that I took in Rockport, Maine.
Here is what you need to get a series of shots that line up as much as possible: One, you need to hold your camera very steady. Two, you need a relatively fast shutter speed, at least 1/125th of a second when using a wide-angle lens, which is the lens of choice for most HDR photography. Three, you need a camera with a very rapid frame advance, six frames or more per second. Entry-level digital SLRs and compact cameras don't offer as many frames per second. The slower the frame rate, the more chance you have of moving during the shooting sequence.
Basics are Essentials
To sum up, we have covered most of the basics of HDR shooting, but there is something else that is very important to consider: the basics of photography, including good composition, photographing an interesting subject, and making a picture rather than simply taking one, still apply.
I made this picture by first selecting the location, then getting on site early so as to avoid traffic on the corner, and then asking the man to stand in position – simulating the effect that he was walking up the hill. So, don't simply rely on HDR for great shots. You still need to use your head to make great pictures.
dSLR vs Compact Camera
Okay, I have to say it: Cameras don't take pictures, people do! To illustrate this point, this HDR image was created from a set of three pictures I took with my Canon G10. All the other images in this book were taken with my professional digital SLR cameras. I like this image. You'll see lots of detail in both the shadow and highlight areas of the scene. When it comes to HDR photography, you are the most important factor.
Sharpen Your HDR Images
All RAW files need sharpening. That's because they come out of the camera a bit flat . . . to preserve details in the highlight areas. All HDR files need sharpening, too. My preferred sharpening method is to use Unsharp Mask in Photoshop.
Separate Your Shots
Below: Yikes! This is the worst photograph in this post. However, I think you will find them useful from an illustrative standpoint.
When you are taking sets of pictures for a HDR image, an easy way to separate the images is to take a picture of your hand between each set. That way, when you are scrolling through your files, you'll see your hand between each set. If you don't use this technique, you may accidentally pick the wrong photograph, with perhaps a different setting, for your HDR image.
Explore the light,


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OXFORD � When Russell Ireland tossed a retired Air Force veteran and his Jack Russell terrier service dog out of his Big I's restaurant on Saturday, he had no idea of the trouble he'd unleashed.
But by Monday night, Mr. Ireland was hoarse from answering telephone calls, many of which included threats from people who promised to burn down his Main Street restaurant, kill him or run him out of town.
A Facebook page calling for a boycott of his breakfast and lunch diner-style restaurant had more than 7,000 subscribers within 10 hours. Folks posting there plan a peaceful demonstration, with service dogs and motorcycles, on Saturday morning.
The whole ordeal has left Mr. Ireland moving between emotions, defending his decision and breaking down over the strong reactions people have had.
Mr. Ireland said James Glaser and his small dog had been into the Main Street restaurant before and he'd been told the dog was a service dog, but he found it hard to believe.
"It didn't look like a therapy dog," Mr. Ireland said. "It just looked like a regular mutt."
The dog also didn't act like the handful of other service dogs who have accompanied vision-impaired or otherwise handicapped people into the eatery, Mr. Glaser said.
"Most of those dogs? They just lay down on the floor and you don't even know they're there," he said.
He said that during a prior visit he noticed a bad smell from the dog and saw it eating from one of the restaurant's plates � things Mr. Glaser said are untrue.
On Saturday, when his staff told him Mr. Glaser, his wife and the dog were headed in, Mr. Ireland met them at the door and said the dog wasn't allowed inside.
Mr. Glaser left the restaurant after what both sides agree was a heated exchange that may have involved a few expletives from Mr. Ireland and clearly shouldn't have gone as far as it did.
"I'm not known for being PC," Mr. Ireland said. "I may have sworn at him ... I made a judgment call about this. I don't think I was wrong."
His friends who gathered daily at the restaurant said Mr. Ireland is respectful of veterans and they were stunned by what happened.
"I'm upset," Hank LaMountain said. He owns the property on which the restaurant sits. "Veterans are revered by society, including at Big I's."
Mr. Glaser, a 41-year-old Air Force veteran who attained the rank of master sergeant, said he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in November 2011 by doctors at a Veterans Administration hospital, the same month he retired after a 20-year-career.
He said he was angry about having to leave the restaurant because Mr. Ireland did not understand that his dog provides a calming influence when he begins having anxiety and needs to be near his side. It's not that Mr. Glaser hugs the dog because he's feeling stressed, it's that the dog can predict potential stress-related reactions from his master and will behave in a way that helps redirect him before things get out of hand.
"The dog will lean on a person or put their paw on him," explained Bart Sherwood, program director for the Texas-based program Train a Dog Save a Warrior.
Jack, Mr. Glaser's dog, completed training through the program and was certified Aug. 9, Mr. Sherwood said.
But even before being certified, Mr. Glaser said, Jack has helped him since he was rescued from a Florida shelter in December, before Mr. Glaser knew what a service dog could do for someone with PTSD or similar issues.
"I didn't know what he was doing," Mr. Glaser said. "I met another vet who had a service dog and he was explaining it to me and I said, 'That's what Jack's doing.' "
That veteran explained the process of training or obtaining a service dog, and Mr. Glaser contacted Mr. Sherwood. The organization set up training sessions in Massachusetts for Mr. Glaser, who is from Nevada, and Jack because they were spending the summer in a motor home here while Mr. Glaser's wife worked.
Mr. Sherwood said veterans often have their own dogs trained if that's deemed the best route.
"They already have a bond," he said.
Other times staff members at Train a Dog Save a Warrior choose a shelter dog so they can save two lives, Mr. Sherwood explained.
That Jack and many other PTSD service dogs don't look like the Labrador retrievers or German shepherds that typically serve in such roles may be part of the reason that people fail to see how they could be providing any services.
"That's not what people are used to seeing," Mr. Sherwood said, adding that the calls he's taken about Mr. Glaser's dog are pretty typical and come in fairly frequently.
"There needs to be more and better education about this," he said.
Mr. Glaser noted that the federal Americans with Disabilities Act mentions PTSD in the section about service dogs and the conditions they treat. He said he is working to increase awareness of service dogs that may be working with veterans whose war wounds aren't visible. He'd also like to see the VA help with funding the training or the acquisition of dogs for those in need.
In the end, he said, he doesn't want to go back to Big I's and he doesn't want anyone else to eat there either.
"I made it very clear (when I left the restaurant) that I was going to do everything I could to stop America from going in there and spending one red cent," Mr. Glaser said.
Contact Kim Ring at firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow her on Twitter @kimmring


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- Body: Alder
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Press Enter to perform search.
The QIAseq Targeted DNA Custom Panel Builder is an online tool used to build custom panels for targeted sequencing. The builder can be used to target genes, specific exons, hotspots or any genomic region of interest in the human genome. The "Design for gene" option allows you to target exonic regions of genes, while the "Design for genomic coordinates" allows you to define genomic coordinates to target specific genomic regions such as hotspots or individual exons.
The custom panel builder can be used to create:
The custom panel builder outputs several BED files:
The reason there are two bed files is that from each primer, the protocol produces fragments of lengths between about 20 bp and 1,000 bp. The distribution of fragment lengths depends on sample quality. The 150 and 250 bp BED tracks are just illustrative. For poor sample qualities, the protocol will produce more 150 bp than 250 bp fragments. For fresh, undamaged samples, the protocol produces a lot of fragments 250 bp and up. The peak of the distribution is often around 175 bp, but the distribution peak depends highly on sample quality.


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Monday, March 3, 2008
Buck Coats is the dark horse
In the midst of all the Reed vs. Stew talk, Buck Coats might just come up the middle and steal the job away from both of them. Coats put a sweet home run swing on a Mike Stanton pitch on Sunday afternoon against the Reds, and has driven in three runs so far in the Spring Training.
The Jays brass apparently loves this guy (but who don't they love at this point?), and as an added bonus, Coats can play all three outfield positions.
We're pulling for this guy, and not just because of his pornstastic name. Then again, we thought that it was an outrage when the Jays sent Gabe Gross to Syracuse after his Mantlesque spring a few years back.
9 comments:
- Torgen said...
While having Coats be Stair's platoon mate would be outstanding (if he can keep hitting like this once the season starts), we'd still have to figure out where to ditch Reeder's $3+M.
- March 3, 2008 at 6:38 PM
- Andrew said...
Some NL team that likes white dudes with grit and hustle? Since we already have Coats on our roster and he's cheap, we could even eat most of the salary or dump him for a bag of balls. I doubt he would mind being traded to some team with a gap that the spark plug can... plug.
- March 3, 2008 at 7:10 PM
- Jonathan said...
If Buck Coats wins a major league job over both Johnson and Stewart on the basis of 30 spring training games, I will eat a pound of raw chicken.
- March 3, 2008 at 8:15 PM
- sandra oh said...
Dark horse or 2008's Jason Smith?
- March 3, 2008 at 8:15 PM
What is is with you guys ?? Raw chicken ? raw bacon ?? .......
- March 4, 2008 at 3:28 AM
- The Southpaw said...
Though eating a pound of raw chicken would surely kill me, I would match that challenge. Buck Coats has a better chance of building a time machine and nailing the hot version of Alyssa Milano from 10 years ago than going north with the Jays.
- March 4, 2008 at 9:01 AM
- Darren Priest said...
Alyssa Milano is not hot anymore? I'd love to see the ladies in your little black book.
- March 4, 2008 at 1:18 PM
- stoeten said...
How many Reggie Cleveland All-Stars can one team employ?!?
- March 4, 2008 at 3:36 PM
- Torgen said...
Doesn't Coats hit lefty? That would make him a pretty poor platoon-mate.
- March 4, 2008 at 11:49 PM


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All about garner4444
- Number of posts :
- 2
- Registration date :
- 2012-10-29
Rank: Newbie
This is a very fun place where you can hang out with Pokemon fans from all over the world. You can request trades, challenge a friend to a Wifi battle. You can also join tournaments and win prizes. We have a chatbox were you can chat with people.


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Meet Rachelle Burt
Rachelle Burt always wanted a job where she felt like she was making a difference. "After graduating from Arizona State University in 2005, I was looking for a job that could really fit my personality," Burt says. "I really enjoyed going to a community college myself and couldn't wait to work at one. Community college offers such a diverse group of students, and I love how De Anza is really a college of the community."
As the division administrative assistant for Admissions and Records, Burt provides critical support to the admission and enrollment process. She has gone above and beyond, time and again, to provide significant support to the Office of Outreach and Relations with Schools, according to Director Rob Mieso.
"Rachelle is an outstanding employee who brings to her job a high degree of energy, commitment, flexibility and professional conduct," says Mieso. "She has been so critical to our success in reaching out and recruiting a diverse student body to keep our enrollment strong. In 2007-08, she helped Outreach in major ways during the planning of our Latino and African American student conferences, the New Student and Parent Nights, developing the Outreach Web site, managing the prospect database, generating reports, procuring promotional materials, and supporting the institutional outreach effort with enthusiasm and exemplary team spirit."
Burt was up to the challenge of learning all the new computer programs and taking the lead on the Web site project. "With Kathleen Moberg and Rob's support, we brainstormed on ways to make the site more hip for students. Julie Ceballos from the Web team was such a great help, and it's great to now have an up-to-date Outreach Web site for the students," Burt says.
Burt loves working at De Anza. "In Admissions and Records we all work together to help the students, and I like coming to work every day to be around my co-workers. I feel proud of my accomplishments at De Anza, and getting to help students achieve their educational goals is really rewarding."


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Granger offers small town charm with excellent recreation opportunities and easy access to all the cultural, shopping, theaters and restaurants of the metropolitan area. Granger is located just minutes north of Des Moines on Highway 141 and Highway 17.
Granger is a growing and thriving community with an attractive city park, two churches, two schools and a nursing home. We are proud of our community and hope you enjoy the friendliness we offer.
At the City of Granger we strive to provide up-to-date information on city services. Check back often for updates on park and recreation activities, latest action of the City Council, city news, and other areas of interest.


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Adam Silver, named as the next NBA Commissioner, speaks at a news conference before the All Star slam dunk competition during the NBA basketball All-Star weekend in Houston, Texas, February 16, 2013. [Photo/Agencies]
NEW YORK - A golden period awaits the National Basketball Association (NBA) with global interest and business opportunities growing, the man set to replace Commissioner David Stern, said on Thursday.
Adam Silver, who will replace Stern when the NBA's longest-serving commissioner steps down next February, considers China key to the league's growth potential and likes the idea of one day having team based outside the United States.
"I'm excited about the opportunity ahead," Silver told Reuters after a news conference to announce that ESPN and the WNBA extended an agreement to televise the women's league by six years through 2022.
Silver, who joined NBA management 20 years ago, worked on the original WNBA business plan and said he was "thrilled" by the TV deal and predicted the pieces were in place "to take the league to the next level."
The quiet, bespectacled executive, who has largely labored in the background while the autocratic Stern steered the NBA, was even more animated on the strides he believed the NBA would make.
"I'm incredibly excited about the opportunity I have with the NBA, which is also poised for not just another chapter in its growth but I think is prepared to take another leap in popularity, especially outside the United States," said Silver.
NBA teams based overseas was something Silver envisioned for the future, but said it was too early to predict when.
"Initially the growth is going to come from digital media," said Silver. "For example, I was in Beijing and Shanghai last week meeting with our media partners there. We currently have 55 million followers of the NBA on social media platforms in China.
"We're now in the 26th year of a partnership with CCTV in China and have a very healthy slate of sponsors there.
"Probably most important for the long term growth for the NBA, participation levels continue to increase among the Chinese youth, both boys and girls. Right now it's our second largest market. But who knows in a country of 1.3 billion what the opportunities will ultimately be?"
Silver, 50, said Stern was planning a trip to India next month. "Another country of over a billion people with a young population that loves basketball."
He said the NBA is working with Brooklyn Nets Russian owner Mikhail Prokhorov and the Russian government to further grow basketball there as well as projects to develop the game more on the continent of Africa.
Silver said he believed establishing teams outside the United States was part of the NBA's future, but remained in the conceptual stage.
"When we do expand, we'd need to expand probably with multiple teams, so that you wouldn't have an orphan team in Europe, but that you'd potentially have a division so those teams could play each other more often and NBA teams presumably traveling in Europe could have more teams to play when they're over there," said Silver.
"It's still a concept, but I'm comfortable with it."


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7.0-7.5mm Cultured Akoya Pearls18ct Rose GoldHallmarked by The Edinburgh Assay OfficeStamped 750
This item comes with:
At Jian London we have taken the decision that no payment information will be stored or processed on our website. This means we only retain information regarding your order and do not hold any details regarding your credit or debit cards safeguarding your privacy and security.
During checkout your order details will be passed securely to our preferred processing partners Amazon or Paypal where all of the major Credit and Debit Cards are accepted.
We know sizing can be an issue so we offer a free exchange until it fits within 30 days or for gift items within 45 days. Orders between 1st November and 31st December can exchanged up to 31st January the following year provided they are still in their original condition and the security tag has not been removed.
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Ready, Steady, Mix for the 8th World Wonder
Graco Xtreme™ Mix products are part of today's world second largest irrigation project.
The great Man-made River is a spectacular project commenced in Libya in September 1984. This is the 'river of pipelines', sometimes called "The 8th Wonder of the World".
This Great Man-made River aims at the mass transfer of waters from the Kufra and Sareer basins beneath the earth's surface to the coastal concentration of population in Benghazi, Sirte and Tripoli. Upon completion, the huge network of pipelines will extend to about 3,380 km.
Two special pipe factories were constructed in the regions of Brega and Sareer, to provide the project with the great numbers of concrete pipes necessary. These vary in weight between 73 and 78 tons, have a diameter of 4 meters and are 7.25 meters long. This project of the century comprises three phases. The first involves laying pipelines from Tazerbou and Sareer in the South to Adjedabia in the North. The second phase will be to carry 2 million cubic meters of water a day from the wells situated in the Fezzan region, in addition to half a million cubic meters from two fields in the Hasawna mountains. The third phase should pump a further 1.68 millions cubic meters of water to the first two phases.
From the very beginning, this project included lot of paint spray equipment to protect the pipes, as well as the storage tanks for the water pump installations.
In some of these storage tanks, the internal coating showed weaknesses, and in several places, even became loose from the substrate. In order to go ahead with the project, it was necessary to apply new coating material to the inside of the tanks.
In collaboration with M.A.N. Ferrostaal and the paint manufacturer AMERON, our distributor WILTEC BV in the Netherlands selected the Xtreme™ Mix 360 to apply the solvent free epoxy material "AMERCOAT 391 PC". After several tests, the conclusion was that the Xtreme™ Mix 360 was the right equipment to handle this material properly.
A total of 5 complete heated Xtreme™ Mix units were ordered and delivered to Lybia in the beginning of 2005. The job is now completed, and the storage tanks are ready to be filled with fresh water.
For more information contact:
Mr. Peter van Keulen at Wiltec
tel. 31 413244444
fax. 31 413244499


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Originally published December 19, 2013 at 8:45 PM | Page modified December 19, 2013 at 9:20 PM
Facing allegations of cash payments, Huskies assistant calls them 'untrue attacks'
A former assistant track coach at Lynnwood High alleges that Tosh Lupoi gave him $4,500 in cash to pay for private tutoring and online classes to help boost the academic standing of a football recruit.
Seattle Times staff reporters
On Thursday morning, like most other mornings, Tosh Lupoi was on the practice field, coaching the Huskies.
By Thursday afternoon, the Washington defensive line coach took to Twitter, releasing a statement about what he said are "untrue attacks" against him.
On Friday, with the NCAA scheduled to be on the UW campus, Lupoi will be the center of an investigation about his alleged recruiting violations.
For Lupoi and the Huskies, the longterm ramifications of the allegations, detailed in a Los Angeles Times report published Wednesday evening, are unclear. Mike Davis, a former assistant track coach at Lynnwood High, alleges that Lupoi gave him $4,500 in cash this year to help pay for private tutoring and online classes to help boost the academic standing of a star Lynnwood recruit.
That recruit, Andrew Basham, had signed a letter of intent with UW in February but never qualified to enroll at UW.
Basham's mother, Cindy Powers, denied any wrongdoing in a text message to The Seattle Times on Thursday evening.
"We paid for Andrew's tutoring with our credit card and it had nothing to do with Tosh," she said.
Basham's mother declined to answer follow-up questions or say whether her son had been approached by NCAA investigators.
Davis is scheduled to meet with officials from the NCAA, UW and USC on Friday at UW, and he has been asked to bring his bank records.
Basham is still hoping to get into a junior college to play football, Davis said.
"Once Andrew didn't make it (into UW), they didn't have any contact with him, and I think that's just a poor way of doing something," Davis told The Seattle Times. "They wined and dined him and pumped him up ... when maybe they should've said, 'You're a great kid and you're going to be a great football player, but maybe the (UW) is not really for you right now.'"
In May 2012, five months after Lupoi was hired away from California, UW confirmed that Lupoi committed a secondary recruiting violation and was "limited" in his ability to recruit on the road that spring. That violation occurred when Lupoi "publicized the visit of a prospective student-athlete who ultimately did not commit to UW by confirming information about the recruit to members of the DawgPack student section at a men's basketball game," according to a UW statement.
The morning after Davis' allegations surfaced, Lupoi was back on the practice field Thursday with the Huskies as they prepare for the Dec. 27 Fight Hunger Bowl against BYU in San Francisco.
"As of right now, he's still coaching with us," UW interim coach Marques Tuiasosopo said Thursday morning. "A lot of things happen. You got to take it in stride. It'll all come out. Right now my responsibility is to prepare this team on the football field and make sure they're acting well off the field, and that's what I'm doing."
A spokeswoman said the NCAA would not comment on "current, pending or potential investigations." A UW spokesman said Thursday that the athletic department would have no comment either.
Lupoi has not returned messages seeking comment, but he released a statement via his Twitter account: "Husky Nation Thank you for your amazing support! I love this university and appreciate the great fans. I won't let these sorts of untrue attacks break my focus! I look forward to an honest & thorough investigation. It hurts to read these sorts of things, despite their suspicious motives, but I have faith in the process."
During a Feb. 25 meeting at the Ram Restaurant & Brewery at the Northgate Mall, Davis claimed that Lupoi gave him $3,000 in $100 bills, left in a brown paper bag at a booth after Davis went to the restroom. The money, as Davis detailed to the Los Angeles Times and corroborated to The Seattle Times, was to pay for a private sessions with Kaplan, Inc., which provides tutoring for SAT and ACT testing.
"I thought, 'Maybe they have a fund (at UW), I don't know,'" Davis told The Seattle Times. "So I set all that help and I'm thinking, 'Oh, I'm being the good guy and I'm going to help set this up.' And then after I helped set it up and got paid all the cash, I kind of went, 'Huh, I'm not going to do this no more.'"
Davis did take part in a second transaction on May 18, when he said Lupoi called him and invited Davis, his wife and Basham to the UW football offices. "Let's go get a cup of coffee," Davis said Lupoi told him, as relayed to the Los Angeles Times.
"When I picked it up he kind of smiles," Davis said. And when Davis got to his car, he opened the lid to the coffee cup and found $1,500 in cash to repay for online classes Basham had signed up for.
Davis said Basham's father, Ron Basham, had paid for those classes with a credit card, and Davis brought the coffee cup with the cash to Ron Basham.
"I kind of got caught in the middle of that," Davis told The Seattle Times. "His dad called me to get the money, and then I had to talk to Tosh to get the money so I was kind of the middle guy."
Any potential violations found against Lupoi or UW would be processed under the NCAA's new four-tier enforcement program, billed as a "tougher, more efficient" system. It was adopted in October 2012 and varies from the most severe Level 1 penalty that "undermine or threaten the integrity of the NCAA," to the minor infractions of "Level IV."
Former UW coach Steve Sarkisian, hired as the new coach at USC on Dec. 2, could potentially face sanctions from the NCAA if violations are found. Sarkisian had wanted Lupoi to follow him to USC, but that seems unlikely now.


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Search URJ.org and the other Reform websites:
These are search results for "simchat torah"
Whether you're new to a Reform congregation, traveling, away at college, or otherwise not able to attend services where you usually do, here's how to find a High Holiday service near you, and learn what to expect.
Making a successful holiday dinner can be an overwhelming, frantic experience. But with some advance planning, it doesn't have to be!
Keep this recipe for the iconic Jewish dish handy for your next Shabbat dinner.
A rabbi shares his personal experience of finding his spiritual home.
Learn the blessing for placing a mezuzah on the doorposts of your house.
If you're curious about Judaism, thinking of converting, or know someone who is, here are some excellent resources to learn more about Judaism.
When you enter the land that the Eternal your God is giving you as a heritage, and you possess it and settle in it, you shall take some of every first fruit of the soil, which you harvest from the land that the Eternal your God is giving to you, put it in a basket and go to the place where the Eternal your God will choose to establish the divine name. - Deuteronomy 26:1-2
Want to explore Reform Judaism but have no in-person opportunities to study? This class is for you!
It's easy to feel helpless, but as Reform Jews, we know that inaction is not an option.
There's a deep relationship between Judaism and social action.
Reform Zionism is a continuation of the early Zionist dream to foster a living, breathing national culture that represents the highest ideals of Jewish peoplehood.
What does it mean to stand up for your people unequivocally if they physically harm you because they disagree with you so vehemently?
The artwork on this note card was created by 5768 WRJ Art Calendar artist Césan d'Ornellas Levine.
Show your WRJ pride with this zippered canvas bag. Features the phrase "Well-behaved women rarely make history" and the WRJ logo.
$18 $15


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TPWD Print-Friendly Page: http://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/releases/print.phtml?req=20120828bMedia Contact: TPWD News, email@example.com, 512-389-8030
Additional Contacts: Jim Booker, (903) 670-2266, email@example.com; Larry Hodge, (903) 670-2255, firstname.lastname@example.com
TPWD Website: http://tpwd.texas.gov
TPWD News Release — Aug. 28, 2012
ATHENS, Texas—The Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center's annual Bluegill Family Fishing Tournament will take place this year on Saturday, September 29.
Numerous prize packages will be awarded, including an X-Box 360 with game, fishing equipment and gift cards from local businesses. More than $2,500 in prizes will be awarded.
Sponsors of the event include: Wulf Outdoor Sports, Lake Athens Property Owners Association, Aaron's Sales and Lease Ownership, Best Western Royal Mountain Inn, Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites—Athens, WalMart Supercenter of Athens, Chicken Express and First State Bank.
Sponsors also include Lake Fork Trophy Lures and Brookshire's Grocery. Brookshire's will provide free bottled water to contestants.
The tournament awards prizes for the heaviest stringers of sunfish, but the event is really about adults and children having fun fishing together.
Teams must consist of one adult 18 years of age or older and one child under 18 years of age. Each team can weigh in a maximum of four fish. Multiple teams can fish from the same boat, making it possible for both parents to partner with different children and still fish as a family. Team members are not required to be related.
Teams may choose to fish either on Lake Athens, which is adjacent to TFFC, or in TFFC's ponds and streams, some of which have been stocked with bluegills.
All species of sunfish or bream (except largemouth bass) are allowed; for information on identifying them, see http://tpwd.texas.gov/landwater/water/aquaticspecies/inland.phtml.
Pre-registration is required. Mail registration must be received by Wednesday, September 26. To download an entry form, go to http://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/nonpwdforms/media/bluegill_flyer.doc.
To request a registration form by mail, call (903) 670-2222.
You may register in person on the day of the event by going to the admissions booth at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center AFTER 7:00 a.m.
A $15 entry fee per team will be charged. The entry fee includes admission to TFFC. Fishing will take place from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., with the weigh-in at the Anglers Pavilion at TFFC at 2:30.
For more information or to request an entry form, contact Craig Brooks at (903) 670-2222.


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Green working on proficiency at third base
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Grant Green enjoyed a successful debut with the Angels late last season but, barring an injury, knows a utility role is his only way to crack the Angels' Opening Day roster.
There is plenty of competition for that spot, and Green must show he has the desired versatility.
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Grant Green enjoyed a successful debut with the Angels late last season but, barring an injury, knows a utility role is his only way to crack the Angels' Opening Day roster.
There is plenty of competition for that spot, and Green must show he has the desired versatility.
Green is most comfortable at second base, where he played 40 games for the Angels last year after he was acquired from the A's for Alberto Callaspo. Green came up as a shortstop and treats the position like second nature.
How Green, known more for his bat than glove, handles his opportunities at third base may ultimately determine whether he starts the year in Anaheim or Triple-A Salt Lake.
"If you're not comfortable over there and they're not comfortable with you, you're not going to be the guy," Green said Saturday. "That's just something that all the guys fighting for it have to be comfortable with. The one they feel the most comfortable with is the guy who's going to be in the spot."
Howie Kendrick, Erick Aybar and newcomer David Freese are the starters at second, shortstop and third.
Green is competing with Andrew Romine and non-roster invitee John McDonald. Both are considered better defenders, whereas Green holds an advantage with his bat.
"Howie and E and Freese all have their spots locked down, and rightfully so," Green said. "So this is the only spot open. So it's go for that or wait your time in Triple-A, which no one really wants to do."
Green, the 26-year-old former first-round pick, hit .280 with one home run and 16 RBIs last year for the Angels.
He paid close attention to the offseason trade rumors involving Kendrick, who also was reportedly shopped at last year's Trade Deadline. Nothing happened and Green is left to fight for a bench role.
"It's something we talked about last year, his ability to play the left side," manager Mike Scioscia said. "He's been working very hard down on the lower fields with Alfredo [Griffin], Rick Eckstein and Keith Johnson. All those guys are working with him at shortstop and getting him acclimated to third base. It's going to be important for him to have that versatility."
Green, who was hitting .429 with four doubles in 14 at-bats through Friday's Cactus League action, has played twice at short and once at third this spring. Green committed a fielding error at third Friday.
"Short felt fine. At third, I'm just getting back into it," Green said. "I didn't really have a good game on either side of the ball. I don't have anything good to say about that. It was my first time over there in spring, so I'm going to be a little rusty.
"I've been working at both [positions] during workouts but you only get a certain amount of game-time experience during the spring. Yeah, I wish I had more just because of the way [Friday] went. It's just more and more game-time reps and getting used to throwing from that side of the diamond. It's something I have to get used to again. You can only do so much practice; you have to get those game-time reps. It's definitely something we'll be working on through the whole spring."
Chris Gabel is a contributor to MLB.com.


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Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital Inc (HASI)
Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital Beneish M-Score (Annual)
Beneish M-Score (Annual) Chart
Historical Beneish M-Score (Annual) Data
|Data for this Date Range
There is no data for the selected date range.
An error occurred. Please try again by refreshing your browser or contact us with details of your problem.
About Beneish M Score
The Beneish M Score helps to uncover companies who are likely to be manipulating their reported earnings. Companies with a higher score are more likely to be manipulators. This is a probabilistic model, so it will not detect manipulators with 100% accuracy.
The best cut-off point depends on the costs mistakenly classifying in one of two ways:
1) Classifying firm that is manipulating earnings as a non-manipulator (Type I error), and
2) Classifying a firm as a manipulator when it actually was not manipulating (Type II Error).
Here are optimal cut-offs according to Beneish, presented as the score followed by the cost of Type I error relative to cost of Type II error):
M Score HTML Table:
|Relative Error Costs
(Type I:Type II)
|M Score > -1.49
|M Score > -1.78
|M Score > -1.89
Beneish excluded financial institutions from his sample when calculating the M-Score, so extreme care should be taken when looking at M-Scores of financial firms - their business models are different from the manufacturing and other service firms that Beneish used in his study.
If you want more details, here is the original Beneish M Score Paper, or you can learn about our calculation by clicking "Learn More" below.
Learn More
View Beneish M-Score (Annual) for HASI
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Beneish M-Score (Annual) Benchmarks
|BRT Apartments Corp
|Duke Realty Corp
|EastGroup Properties Inc
Beneish M-Score (Annual) Excel Add-In Codes
- Metric Code: beneish_m_score
- Data Point Example: =YCP("HASI", "beneish_m_score")
- Data Series Example: =YCS("HASI", "beneish_m_score", -4)
To find the codes for any of our financial metrics, see our Complete Reference of Metric Codes.
Access our powerful Excel Add-in with a YCharts Professional Membership. Learn More.
SA Breaking News 09/12 09:19 ET
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Yahoo 08/31 08:08 ET


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March 08, 2011
The Ultimate Scandi Pancake for Shrove Tuesday
34 comments:
heaven! this looks phenomenal, and your pictures are simply stunning.ReplyDelete
This looks and sounds delicious. I want to save this recipe for my next brunch. I hope all is well. Have a wonderful evening. Blessings...MaryReplyDelete
Oh how fabulous! I've seen crepe-cakes before but they've always looked to sickeningly sweet for my liking. Big applause for your more restrained, and I'm sure more delicious, berryful appraoch :)ReplyDelete
Hi Maria! Looks really nice once again. Yummy!ReplyDelete
Hyvää naistenpäivää :)
This looks perfect. I really love pancakes and I can't imagine a better way to eat them.ReplyDelete
The layers look delicious, and the berries on top are a beautiful finishing touch. Yum!ReplyDelete
OH yes this is so scandi with the lovely berries! Mr NQN's mum would swoon over this pancake dish :)ReplyDelete
Happy Shrove Tuesday! Those are delightful pancakes! *drool*ReplyDelete
How beautiful! I love the photographs, and I bet your pancakes tasted exquisite!ReplyDelete
And happy Shrove Tuesday.
I love the pictures and I'm sure this tasted awesome. Ah - only if I wasn't watching my weight :-(ReplyDelete
This is the perfect dish for today, well done! I wish I hadn't been too lazy to make something similar myself.. I'll just have to ogle yours :)ReplyDelete
Now that is the perfect stack of pancakes! Love the berry cream!ReplyDelete
So mouth-watering! I wish I can eat this right away!ReplyDelete
Happy Shrove Tuesday and happy Woman's Day, Maria! Once again - wonderful photos. I love the simplicity of that recipe, and the way you lightened up - sounds like a real guilt-free treat.ReplyDelete
I never knew that 8th March is a day of celebration. Someone was asking me why everyone is eating pancakes. I think I know the answer now! These pancakes look awesome!ReplyDelete
I love a pretty stack of pancakes and these look divine!ReplyDelete
Beautiful pictures. I look forward to future posts!ReplyDelete
Absolutely beautiful stack of pancakes on any day, celebration or otherwise. Love your photography and will pass the recipe on to my husband who is the resident pancake maker :)ReplyDelete
Love it. A pancake cake!! I totally forgot about making a batch of pancakes that day...I guess I'll just have to eat your pics with my eyes LOLReplyDelete
Looks lovely Maria. I went for the UK classics of lemon juice with sugar and banana and nutella last night.ReplyDelete
This looks like a fantastic dessert idea for summer when there are lots of fresh berries around.
Those are some gorgeous looking pancakes! They do a similar thing with crepes in France, where they stack them and layer them with pastry cream to make a cake as well. What an indulgent and festive way to serve pancakes!ReplyDelete
It sure looks like an ultimate pancake to me, Maria :) Love the pile of pancakes!ReplyDelete
That is definitely the ultimate in my book! I just got threw eating breakfast and now your making me hungry again!ReplyDelete
THe ultimate pancake is right. THese are AMAZING! I totally wish I had had these for breakfast!ReplyDelete
I was already excited by the look of your pancakes and then the side shot made me grin even more! Layers and layers! Yum!ReplyDelete
I call this pancake perfection, that is one stunning stack of pancakes daaaaahling!ReplyDelete
*kisses* HH
Your photography is stunning and so is your blog! I found you through Roost and i'm a new fan. As for piling up layers of pancakes to make a cake, umm I love it!! Looks delicious :)ReplyDelete
Natasha xo
These look fabulous Maria!ReplyDelete
Those pancakes look so inviting! Love the berries atop.ReplyDelete
This looks delicious! Your pictures are gorgeous and making me want to eat my computer screen ;)ReplyDelete
- Anonymous10 March 2011 at 09:42
This is indeed a great looking pancake cake! It takes patient to make a great crepe cake. Yours certainly looks the most perfect one!ReplyDelete
Yum! These pancakes are wonderful, Maria! What a great idea to use berries for the filling - I love berries!ReplyDelete
I'm making this cake as a birthday cake for my 3yo b-day party. I added 1/2 can of strawberry frosting to the berry mixture and used the other half for the top so I can write on it. My practice run came out soooooo yummy! thanks for the recipe!!!!ReplyDelete
- Anonymous31 October 2013 at 00:53
Loving your recipes! This one looks amazing!ReplyDelete


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|Impact2 Equalizer 384 8-Channel Electronic Pipettor, 0.5-12.5L
|Matrix Technologies Corporation
|Impact2 Equalizer 384 8-Channel Electronic Pipettor, 0.5-12.5L
| The Equalizer With 384 Well Plate Capability
The Equalizer 384 includes all the revolutionary features of the original Equalizerexpandable and equal tip spacing, choice of two software packages, autoclavable components, and in-lab calibration capabilities. In addition, this model allows you to evenly space your tips down to 4.5mm for loading and accessing many gels and for use with 384 well plates. It also gives you the option of 8 or 12 channels with three volume ranges: 0.5-12.5L, 1-30L or 2-125L. The slide rod on the 384 works in exactly the same way as the original Equalizer. It can be pulled or pushed to set the tips to your desired spacinganywhere from 4.5mm to 14.15mm (8-channel) or 4.5mm to 9mm (12-channel).
Equally Spaced, Expandable, Multichannel Pipettor
The Equalizer replaces fixed multichannel pipettors and instantly boosts productivity with an industry breakthroughequal tip spacings that expand with the simple adjustment of a slide rod. This innovation allows the quick and easy transfer of liquids between vessels with different configurations.
Adjustable and Equal Tip-To-Tip Spacing
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Long-Lasting, Rechargeable Batteries
| Matrix Technologies Corporation
Customer Service: (866) 229-9770
Web site: http://www.matrixtechcorp.com/index.aspx