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Reviewer's Choice Awards
You'll find no better overview of home entertainment than in the following pages, where we present the winners of Sound & Vision's 2001 Reviewer's Choice Awards.
Of the nearly 150 products tested this year, our reviewers have selected 21 systems and components that stand out in terms of technological sophistication, performance, and value. Among them you'll find today's most popular - and promising - audio/video technologies.
The continued explosion of DVD is embodied in several special components, including the first DVD camcorder, a second-generation DVD recorder, and a player that spins both DVD-Videos and Super Audio CDs. Two top-performing high-definition TV monitors underscore the promise of digital TV, while a new kind of hard-disk-based CD recorder points the way to the future of home audio recording. And in the traditional categories, we've singled out three A/V receivers along with half a dozen distinctive speaker systems. Congratulations to the winning companies - and to anyone who is fortunate enough to own one of these outstanding products!
Energy Take 5.2 Home Theater Speaker System (original review, June) The shorthand note I scribbled to myself while listening to this system pretty much says it all: "Cheap as mud, but still one of the best mini-suites out there." Energy's vest-pocket Take 5.2 array plus a Take 8.2 subwoofer ($900) manages the tricky transition between the sub and the satellite speakers as well as any similar size system I've encountered. And the designers made smart choices when addressing the inevitable compromises in any setup this compact and inexpensive. For instance, the Take 5.2 doesn't sacrifice vocal accuracy for false "bass," and it doesn't push the treble to impress less experienced listeners with artificial "presence" or "sparkle." In two-channel playback, the system's imaging was quite a bit better than its plebian price would lead you to expect. You won't be able to plumb the sonic depths (we're talking an 8-inch subwoofer here!), but the Take 5.2 will fill the average family room with unexpectedly well-balanced sound at a price most entry-level buyers can afford. Energy Speaker Systems - www.energy-speakers.com, 416-321-1800 - Daniel Kumin
Samsung DVD-M301 DVD-Video Player (original review, June) Dealers' shelves sag under the weight of countless DVD players. So why does the Samsung DVD-M301, perhaps unremarkable at first glance, deserve a Reviewer's Choice Award? Because it delivers incredible bang for the buck. This little beauty plays both CD-Rs and CD-RWs, including those holding hundreds of songs in the popular MP3 format. It also provides Spatializer N-2-2 processing to simulate surround sound from just two speakers, has a nifty 2x speed with normal-pitch audio, offers a Screen Fit feature that crops a widescreen movie to fill a 4:3 aspect ratio screen, delivers a high-quality component-video signal, and is accompanied by an upscale remote with a joystick - all for a mere $169. Samsung proves that you really don't have to pay a lot for a good DVD player. We all ooh and aah at the high-end stuff, but it's first-rate, aggressively priced players like the DVD-M301 that have made DVD-Video such a huge success. Samsung Electronics America - www.samsungusa.com, 800-726-7864 - Ken C. Pohlmann
Hitachi DZ-MV100A DVD Camcorder (original review, June) The DZ-MV100A camcorder ($2,000), the first of its kind, shows off the versatility of digital technology by letting you save MPEG-2 video and JPEG stills on a 3-inch DVD-RAM disc. Because the images are stored digitally, you can manipulate them as you like, and their excellent picture quality won't degrade with copying. And because the stored data is on a DVD, you can navigate it instantly, and it won't degrade with repeated playings. Unlike a VCR, the DZ-MV100A won't let you unintentionally record over a previously stored scene, but you can easily delete unwanted portions. On the downside, the 3-inch discs aren't compatible with DVD-Video players or most computers. And unless your computer has a DVD-RAM drive that conforms to Book 2.1 standards, you'll have to use the cam's USB connector to download images (there's no FireWire port). Still, the DZ-M100A's excellent features, combined with the durability and convenience of optical discs, make it a winning glimpse into home video's future. Hitachi America - www.hitachi.com, 800-448-224 - Teri Scaduto
B&W DM 303 Home Theater Speaker System (original review, May) If I told you that a speaker system costing just under $1,300 could carry the same sonic signature as one costing ten times that much, you'd probably think I was nuts. Yet this B&W system - comprising DM 303 left and right front and surround speakers, an LCR 3 center speaker, and an ASW 500 subwoofer - does just that. It reproduces dialogue, music, and special effects with the same basic accuracy and neutrality as the company's famous megabuck systems. Voices in particular sound remarkably natural. And the speakers also share the fit and finish of their more prestigious brethren, making them a joy to look at as well as to hear. What separates this rig from B&W's deluxe systems are bass and decibels. The DM 303-based system can't go as deep or play as loud as larger speakers. But that doesn't mean you'll have to sacrifice the thrills and chills of great home theater - it just means your neighbors won't have to share in the experience. B&W Loudspeakers of America - www.bwspeakers.com, 800-370-3740 - Rich Warren


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The Arbor Day Foundation Will Help You Help Trees
Guest post by Mary Widhelm, Arbor Day Foundation
Spring has sprung and Arbor Day is right around the corner! It's time to round up your hibernating volunteers, wheel them into the sun, and get ready to plant some trees! But before you do that, take an opportunity to brush off some of those cobwebs from the winter and polish your skills to create compelling tree-related volunteer opportunities on VolunteerMatch.org.
We've partnered with VolunteerMatch to provide tree-planting organizations the free refresher you need to recruit great volunteers and have an Arbor Day to remember:
Create Compelling Tree Planting Opportunities on VolunteerMatch!
Using common volunteer opportunities from tree-planting organizations we'll discuss best practices for creating listings on VolunteerMatch that will appeal to the volunteers you're looking to run your programs. We'll look at before and after listings, and we'll discuss how to use Premium Account tools to pre-screen and get to know prospective volunteers before you talk to them. Sample descriptions, custom questions, and useful examples will be provided. This presentation is co-hosted by the Arbor Day Foundation and will include tips and tricks for recruiting volunteers from Alliance for Community Trees members Meredith King with the Sacramento Tree Foundation and Andy Meeks from Friends of Trees.
Date: Wednesday, 3/21
Time: 9:00 am – 10:00 am PDT
Register now!
With a mission to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees, the Arbor Day Foundation is committed to helping connect the right volunteers to your nonprofit. And now as an added benefit for your organization, every volunteer opportunity listed within the "Environment" category on VolunteerMatch.org will also be publicized by the Arbor Day Foundation on their branded volunteer platform, the Arbordaynow.org Volunteer Center, which reaches their 1 million members.
Think about trees this spring as you plan your Earth Day and Arbor Day events. There's no better time to plant a tree than the present, so join the webinar on Wednesday to learn how to engage the volunteers you need to plant some trees.

subset: commoncrawl


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In an effort to give you the best possible service, we would be grateful if you could take a few minutes of your time to answer a few questions.
Search current clinical trials in Georgia.
Search cancer doctors in Georgia.
Search cancer centers and clinics in Georgia.
Hearts and Minds Dedicated to Improving Cancer Care
Georgia CORE is a public-private partnership that creates collaboration among the state's cancer organizations and institutions to connect more Georgians to quality, personalized cancer care. We welcome you to this one-of-a-kind online information center for all things related to cancer and survivorship care in Georgia.


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This exotic wildcat, the lynx, ranges from gorgeous to scary. It reminds me of an over-sized domestic cat with a hefty mane and body. There are four major species, Eurasian Lynx, Canada Lynx, Iberian Lynx, (and the smallest) Bobcat. Dawn already has great information in her artist comments here: http://www.dragoart.com/tuts/8861/1/1/how-to-draw-a-lynx,-lynx.htm My tutorial is a realistic pencil approach focusing on its face. I also want to give a shout to finalprodegy for his tutorials on wildcats. I literally followed closely on how he drew fur because I never did a wildcat and short stubby fur like this. His tut is "How to Draw a Realistic Puma." I hope you learn something from this tut and please enjoy! A fav, love it or comment would be fantastic! Luv n hugs to you all and thank you!!!
DragoArt members upload artwork and drawing tutorials! They are also allowed to leave comments on tutorials, profiles, etc. Many more features, as well; it's way better than just being a boring guest! Register Now!


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Skyrim: Dawnguard
Skyrim: Dawnguard hits PSN Europe at 50% off today
Skyrim's long-overdue Dawnguard expansion will finally hit PSN Europe today. As a sweetner, Bethesda's selling it at half-price.
Skyrim: Dawnguard headlines
Dawnguard incoming for PC and PS3: but is it worth it?
Skyrim: Dawnguard has arrived on PC and is on the way to PlayStation 3, Besthesda confirmed at Quakecon today. Is the vampiric expansion actually worth it? Dave Cook provides the answer.
Skyrim: Dawnguard PS3 and PC news 'coming soon' says Bethesda
Skyrim: Dawnguard still hasn't hit PS3 or PC thanks to a 30-day exclusivity window between Bethesda and Microsoft. But the studio has broken radio silence on the incoming DLC. Full quotes after the jump.
Dawnguard bigger than Fallout 3 DLC, smaller than Oblivion's
Dawnguard, the upcoming DLC pack for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, is bigger than anything Bethesda produced for Fallout 3, lead artist Matt Carofano has confirmed.
Beta invites sent out for Skyrim: Dawnguard
Bethesda's started sending out beta invites access to Skyrim's first DLC content pack, Dawnguard.


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Cringleford SurgeryTel: 01603 977 477
Hethersett SurgeryTel: 01603 977 477
Mulbarton SurgeryTel: 01603 977 477
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of all health and social care in England. From 1 April 2013 all providers of NHS General practice services must be registered with the CQC. The CQC has the responsibility to monitor, inspect and regulate the services provided to ensure that they meet the essential standards of quality and safety that patients have the right to expect.
The Humbleyard Practice (Cringleford, Hethersett & Mulbarton Surgeries) is registered with the CQC. An important part of our registration with the independent regulator, gives patients the opportunity to share their experience on any aspect of their treatment or contact with the practice. This can be shared via our profile on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk . Further information on the role and responsibilities of the CQC can also be found on their website.
Copyright 2006 - 2020 My Surgery Website | Privacy & Usage | Edit | Staff Home | Site Map | Accessibility | Site T&C's | Service T&C's


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After the arrest this week of one of Mexico's most ruthless drug lords, "La Barbie," media coverage has highlighted his American-born, football star origins. But the kingpin is the product of America in a more profound way: We are morally responsible for his career. Indeed, we are culpable for the rise of all the Mexican drug cartels, whose $39 billion criminal enterprise has led to more than 23,000 deaths since 2006, and brought a fledgling democracy to its knees.
To attribute moral responsibility to one nation for another's domestic problems is usually a fraught process, since there are so many causal forces in play. But in this case, the connection is crystal clear. Mexican drug lords exist to feed the US drug market. And they get their guns through the US weapons market. We give the bad guys their money by buying their drugs; we sell them the guns that enable their continued existence; and they threaten a nation of more than 100 million people at our border.
Like a game of Whac-a-Mole where the moles are on cocaine, speak Spanish, and wield rocket-propelled grenades, the Mexican cartels, in existence for decades, emerged as kingpins when they filled the supply-side gap that opened up when Colombia's Cali and Medellín cartels dissolved in the 1990s, along with the cocaine trafficking route through Florida.
Mexican cartels supply American drug demands
According to the National Drug Intelligence Center, Mexican cartels now dominate the wholesale illegal drug market in the US, both by producing drugs in Mexico and trafficking those grown elsewhere in Latin America. The State Department estimates that 90 percent of the cocaine entering the US transits through Mexico. The cartels are also the biggest foreign supplier of marijuana to the United States, and a major supplier of methamphetamine and heroin. They distribute wholesale to their outlets in more than 2,500 American cities, leaving retail sales to various American gangs.
Mexico's cartels earn upward of $39 billion annually in illicit proceeds from the United States, the Justice Department estimates. To put that in context, it's roughly equal to the global annual revenue of Google and Halliburton combined.
What's more, we help them launder their money. From 2003 to 2008, Wachovia Corp. alone laundered at least $110 million, according to the Justice Department. Wachovia admitted to "serious and systematic" violations of the Bank Secrecy Act and agreed to pay $160 million to resolve the criminal case against them. American Express Bank International and Western Union have also recently agreed to huge settlements with the government for laundering Mexican drug proceeds.
Buying guns in the US
While the cartels pay fewer taxes then their fellow Fortune 100 companies, their security overhead is more expensive. They cross the border for those purposes, too, where we welcome them with (open) arms. In Mexico, civilians need approval from the military to purchase firearms and cannot own high-powered pistols or large-caliber rifles. In the US, however, gun dealers can sell multiple military-style rifles to citizens without even reporting the sales.
The cartels hire people without criminal records to buy a handful of weapons at a time, from licensed dealers – there are 6,600 along the border alone – or private individuals at gun shows, and then drive them across the border. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and Explosives estimates that 90 percent of the traced firearms recovered in Mexico originated in the US.
Flush with American money and guns, the cartels have wreaked havoc in Mexico, especially in the northern states along the 2,000-mile border. Since December 2006, when President Felipe Calderón declared war on the cartels and deployed more than 45,000 troops, at least 23,000 people have been killed in drug-related battles.
The cartels' violence features, among other tactics, beheading police officers, branding victims, shooting up newspaper offices after they post articles on corruption, intimidating voters, and assassinating leading law enforcement officials, elected leaders, journalists, and political candidates. The fear is so great that in some towns political parties cannot find anyone to run for mayor.
Intimidation and corruption
The parade of horribles is long. The list of Mexican officials either charged with drug conspiracy or placed in the cartels' crosshairs indicates the level of internal corruption and terror the cartels can generate.
Rondolfo Torre, the leading gubernatorial candidate in the border state of Tamaulipas, was gunned down about a month after Gregoria Sanchez, mayor of Cancun and candidate for Quintana Roo governor, was arrested for protecting the Beltran Levya and Zetas drug organizations. Meanwhile, former Quintana Roo Gov. Mario Villanueva was extradited earlier this summer to the US on charges of conspiring to import hundreds of tons of cocaine. Over in the western state of Sinaloa, agents of Mexico's Federal Investigative Agency are believed to work as Sinaloa cartel enforcers. And the Attorney General's Office reported in December 2005 that one-fifth of its officers were under investigation.
Through rampant kidnapping of employees, the cartels even shut down major northeastern operations of Pemex, the state oil company and largest source of national income. Their goal was not free oil – they've been stealing it for years – but rather, regional control.
Our responsibility
While it's clear that certain members of our community are complicit to the situation south of the border, why does this morally implicate the entire nation and federal government? Surely, no US leader supports our illegal drug purchases and weapon sales. The response is that there are huge numbers of fellow citizens involved, and the government does little to combat the problem. A nation can be responsible for its inaction, too.
If we take our moral status seriously, both as a people that supports young democracies and as one that doesn't inflict fatal damage on allies wantonly and glibly, then we need to prioritize this problem. From a more self-regarding perspective, consider that the chaos in parts of Mexico creates greater incentives for illegal immigration. And narco-states are not friendly neighbors.
As to the guns, there aren't any magic policy bullets, but closing down the gun shops arrayed at the border, possibly though zoning laws, is a good start. The 2nd Amendment doesn't cover Mexican drug lords, gladly. We should also increase the penalties for smuggling weapons.
As to the money, we need to think harder and faster about stemming the demand for drugs, and find the maturity to discuss the legalization and regulation of some recreational drugs, which would funnel the funds away from the cartels, even if we ultimately reject such arguments. A less dramatic start, however, would be a public advertising campaign that informs people where the money goes when they buy cocaine.
We must also fulfill our pledge under the Merida Initiative, signed by President Bush in 2006, to donate $1.3 billion worth of helicopters, police training, and other assistance for the war against the cartels.
Here's the deal we've signed on to. In return for dangerous drugs and illegal immigrants, we give brutal drug lords billions of dollars and enough weapons to take on a major army, terrorize millions of civilians, and threaten a democracy. There's no subtlety to our misdeeds. It's moral philosophy for kindergartners.
Jacob Bronsther, a law student at New York University and former Fulbright Scholar, writes for ThePublicPhilosopher.com.


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Winter White Means Snow and Ice
All of us have moments in our lives that test our courage. Taking children into a house with a white carpet is one of them.
– Erma Bombeck –
A carpet of white snow is slowly blanketing our part of the world. No one minds if children trod upon it, build snowmen with it, or slide down it. Children don't seem to think winter is nearly as long as their parents do!
Across the street from the Red House, the Hay Bales got their first dusting of white a few weeks ago. The bales are looking more and more like frosted shredded wheat!
Our recent heavy frost briefly left a coat of white ice crystals on every surface. This tree stump looks like it has sprouted white feathers!
Cascade Mountain sports the first snow of the winter. It won't be long before there is enough snow in the mountains for the ski season to start!
40 thoughts on "Winter White Means Snow and Ice"
You are so right! Children love winter. I for one only think, brrrr!!!! 😉
What kind of wildlife tromp through the wintry scene?
Love the Erma Bombeck quote…and your images of early winter are absolutely wonderful!
I could stay here all day and look at your photos! They're stunning. and I love the quote about winter not seeming nearly as long to children as it does to adults. I love winter.
So much you love nature, you might enjoy this 4-minute video.


text: Self StorageNorth Carolina Self Storage Castle Hayne Self Storage Castle Hayne Self Storage Search Results We've found 1 Castle Hayne Storage Facilities that meet your criteria - Click on any one of them for more information. Refine Search Size 5x5 5x10 5x15 10x10 10x15 10x20 10x30 Features Climate Controlled Drive-up Access Auto/Boat/RV Neighborhood None Found PODS Moving & Storage Moving & Storage Solved! Castle Hayne, NC 866-602-3813 More Info Need North Carolina storage in another city? Need storage in another North Carolina zip code? View additional North Carolina self storagefacilities?


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Not only does the upcoming Wii game The Last Story features boats that sail in water, it always features star gazing.
This latest conceptual art shows the game's "Star Gazing Tower", joining Last Story art that features islands, cities and NPCs.
The Last Story is being designed by Hironobu Sakaguchi, the game developer who created Final Fantasy.
Last Story [Nintendo]


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The ARUBA study is a clinical trial to find out better ways of caring for people who have been discovered to have an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) in the brain that has never bled. It is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health.
If you are an AVM patient, the information provided on this website may help you decide if you want to participate in the trial. We also provide contact information about participating doctors and hospital centers in North and South America, Europe, and Australia .


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"On'y wan class is iligible f'r Attorney-gin'ral. To fill that job, a man's got to be a first-class thrust lawyer. If he ain't, th' Lord knows what 'll happen. Be mistake he might prosecute a thrust some day, an' th' whole counthry 'll be rooned. He must be a man competint f'r to avoid such pitfalls an' snares, so 'tis th' rule f'r to have him hang on to his job with th' thrust afther he gets to Washington. This keeps him in touch with th' business intherests."
-- Finley Peter Dunne, 1899.


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State troopers say an emu crossed a Phoenix road, got to the other side and narrowly avoided getting hurt.
Arizona Department of Public Safety spokesman Quentin Mehr says the agency received reports Friday around 10 a.m. that an emu was on the loose on Interstate 10.
According to Mehr, a responding trooper found the bird in the median.
U.S. & World
Stories that affect your life across the U.S. and around the world.
The emu then crossed the interstate and ended up on the dirt shoulder.
Mehr says a second trooper showed up and both officers drove alongside the animal to keep it from entering traffic lanes.
An officer from the Arizona Department of Agriculture arrived and used a lasso to wrangle the emu into a trailer.
Authorities say it is still unclear how the emu came into the area.
It isn't the first rare animal to get loose in the Phoenix area. Last year, two speedy llamas that escaped a local retirement community led authorities on a long, mesmerizing chase, briefly bringing the internet to a screeching halt as people watched the drama unfold in real time.


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Two weeks ago my 3 year old Luke, weighing 30 lbs, walked past a fallen hive and was attacked by a swarm of angry bees. He sustained 31 bee stings, 27 on the legs, and others on the head, back, armpit and ear. He experienced no signs of anaphylactic shock, but was miserable from a flaming sensation in the skin for a full day, followed by a week of intense itching. Luke received Benadryl by mouth for the first few days to help the itching, but no other drugs were used. Initially the stings flared up as red bumps, but quickly disappeared within a few hours. Exactly one week later, they reappeared as itchy chicken-pox style bumps, and itched for another week. Today, three weeks later, he has stopped itching, and the red dots are healing. Is there anything else we should be aware of in Luke's management of future bee stings after this severe exposure? Is there a way to test him in advance for any hypersensitivity he may have developed?
Gale Wilson – MedSeek
It's good to hear from you, Gale, but I'm sorry to hear about Luke's misadventure! Thirty one stings! I can almost imagine the series of expressions on his face during the onslaught. He must have been terrified. I'm glad Luke has recovered from this as well as he has.
Of the more than one million species of insects on our planet, bees and their close relatives (wasps, yellow jackets, yellow hornets, white-faced hornets, and fire ants) pose the greatest danger to humans. Ironically, they are also perhaps the most beneficial to humans of all insect groups. Dealing with bee stings is relatively simple — unless the child develops an allergy or is stung by many bees.
Bee venom contains at least nine different components that work together to cause reactions in those stung. When a bee injects its venom under the skin, the child may have immediate reactions (those symptoms beginning within 4 hours), delayed reactions (symptoms that don't appear until more than four hours after the sting), or both (as in Luke's case). Classifying the reactions is important both for immediate management and for predicting future problems (Allergy Principles and Practice, Mosby 2003; Allergy Asthma Immunol Res. May 2013; 5(3): 129–137).
Some immediate reactions are classified as local (a two – or three-inch area of swelling, redness and pain that lasts less than 24 hours). Others qualify as large local reactions (those that are larger — often an entire limb — or that last longer, but all symptoms are adjacent to stings). Systemic reactions are allergic responses distant from the sting and include symptoms such as hives, generalized itching, generalized swelling, low blood pressure, difficulty breathing, or anaphylactic shock — a severe reaction involving most or all of these symptoms.
A sting on the forehead with swelling of the eyelids is a large local reaction, while a sting on the foot with swelling of the eyelids is a systemic reaction. Large local reactions are rarely serious and rarely portend future severe allergies. Systemic allergic reactions, though, are present and future warning signs.
A fourth type of immediate reaction is the toxic reaction which can follow multiple stings. This is a direct result of bee venom, and not an allergic reaction. Symptoms can include fever, weakness, nausea, vomiting, and pain. It sounds like Luke's flaming sensation was probably a toxic reaction from his many stings. Toxic reactions are rarely serious, but do sometimes sensitize the child and herald future allergic reactions.
Delayed reactions result when the body's immune system prepares for future stings, but some of the exuberant defense measures inadvertently turn against the body itself. These symptoms begin more than four hours after the initial sting. Delayed reactions include serum sickness (fever, weakness, rash, swelling, and/or intense itching which begin a week after the sting), nephrotic syndrome (inflammation of the kidney), neuritis (inflammation of the nerves), or inflammation of other parts of the body. It sounds like Luke's second round of itchy bumps was a serum-sickness like reaction.
Two types of tests can help predict whether someone will have an allergic reaction to future bee stings. Neither test is perfect, but each can be useful as a supplement to the other. Skin testing is clearly positive in the majority of patients with a convincing history. On the other hand, up to 46% of nonallergic individuals have positive skin tests (Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 76:803, 1985). Patients with a history of bee-sting related anaphylaxis and a negative skin test should have blood testing as described below and a repeat skin test in 3-6 months (Allergy Principles and Practice, Mosby 2003; Allergy Asthma Immunol Res. May 2013; 5(3): 129–137). Skin testing must be done carefully to prevent systemic reactions in extremely sensitive individuals. It is important to be aware that the degree of positivity of a skin test does not reliably correlate with the severity of the allergic reaction.
A blood test called the RAST test has only about 20% false-negative and false-positive results. Like with skin testing, the level of positivity of the test gives no information about the degree of allergy present.
Neither form of testing is indicated following local or large local reactions alone.
Treatment of allergies includes preventing stings, carrying epinephrine (that should be injected following a sting whenever there are any systemic symptoms such as dizziness, swelling of the lips or tongue, or difficulty breathing), corticosteroids, antihistamines, and/or possibly allergy shots. Allergy shots can often desensitize people to bee stings. They are usually reserved for those who have had both a systemic allergic reaction and either positive skin or positive RAST tests. (If the tests were both negative, one wouldn't know which type of bee allergy shots to give).
Even without treatment, most children outgrow their allergies to bee stings. In one study of 174 untreated children aged 3 to 16 with previous systemic allergic reactions following stings, there were 196 stings over a subsequent four-year period. Only 18 (9.2%) of these subsequent stings produced systemic symptoms — none more severe than the original episode. Symptoms of anaphylactic shock are the greatest predictor of future severe reactions (New England Journal of Medicine, 323:1601, 1990).
More than one million people in the United States are allergic to bee stings. Thankfully, only about 40 deaths occur in the U.S. each year — mostly adults. Although I would recommend, Gale, that you consult an allergist, Luke has a great chance of outgrowing (without treatment) any allergy he may have developed from this unpleasant incident (yeeouch!).


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I once had the amazing opportunity to interview Jack Welch at a Cisco event. For 60 minutes we sat side-by-side on stage, within a few inches of each other, but there was no doubt he was the only person in the room in the eyes of the audience. While his wisdom had the audience captivated, it was his extroverted personality that made the discussion truly fun and engaging. As an extrovert, Welch fed off the audience's rousing responses to his thoughts – and his occasional finger-wagging at the leaders in the audience about the future of competition. The audience loved it.
Sometimes people mistake the behavior of extroverts as "showing off" or trying to command too much attention. What Jack Welch taught me about extroverts is that their energy rises when they're connecting with people; extroverts get excited when other people are excited to be with them. As collaborators, extroverts can play a crucial role in group dynamics. Action-oriented by nature, extroverts can compel a group forward – especially at key points of agreement or action.
My colleague Carl Wiese and I decided to devote an entire chapter of our book, The Collaboration Imperative (www.thecollaborationimperative.com), to the importance of personal communication styles and how to accelerate authentic conversations by collaborating in your natural style. We even created a tool to help you improve your inter-personal communication profile:
- Click here to take a quick online assessment to discover your authentic communication style (Click on the green "Take GAC Survey" button). This confidential assessment is a bit like Myers-Briggs and provides a customized profile of your unique communication style; it reveals how you naturally process information, and how you prefer to deliver that information to others. Most importantly, the assessment provides a simple vocabulary to communicate your style to others.
My message is simple: both introverts and extroverts can help collaborative teams move faster and be more innovative – as long as you play to your strengths. We've all seen people trying to be someone they're genuinely not – it's not only ineffective personally, it can slow a team down. The nature of work today is such that teams come together very fast and disband equally as fast. Modern teams work better when the members of the team understand each other faster.
So for you introverts out there (I'm one of them), here's what I have learned working with extroverts and how extroverts can turbo-charge collaboration teams. I call these the three "E's of collaboration":
- Explain where you are coming from. This is true for introverts, too. One of the most important things we can do as collaborators is to declare our authentic styles to others. The quicker your teammates know you as a thinker, the faster you can play to your strengths in the group. Extroverts need to let the introverts know that their passion, enthusiasm and expressiveness are natural states and nothing else – not over-confidence, not a power trip. We're often told as leaders to be more vulnerable. Tell people you're an extrovert; let your team know you can't help yourself when the group gets excited, you get excited.
- Ease in. Being self-aware of your authentic style is critical to knowing when to leverage your strengths in a group or team setting. Extroverts by nature are enthusiastic and quick to action. But not everyone on a team moves at the same pace. As extroverts, plan ahead for team meetings; examine the agenda and content areas of a team dynamic; try to pinpoint where your extroverted leadership will be most important to advance team cohesion and focus – typically when it's time to inspire a team to decide something or start execute something.
- Engage the introverts. The single most consistent question I get from extroverts is this: how do I get introverts to talk? I'm sure there are a few psychology books written on the topic, but I've found that there is one simple, sure-fire way: Ask a question. You'd be surprised how this elegant gesture of interest can bring someone's perspective to the forefront of a discussion. Most importantly, acknowledge their thoughts as a means of demonstrating that you also listened to their perspective.
Collaboration can speed up the pace of execution in any organization and that's why CEOs are so attracted to its potential. Extroverts and introverts alike are wired in their own ways to collaborate. The more in-touch you are with your authentic style, the more effective you can lead your team in the race to execution success.
Let me know your ideas in the comments!


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To briefly revisit my position, I believe that there are three key components to a green program for any hospitality or foodservice operation. First, there are the operational practices and decisions. Second, there are the building related practices which have been developed by other industries and which can be readily adopted. And finally, there are the initiatives, both operational and building related, which are specific to the hospitality industry. These are programs and practices that we must develop - because no one knows our industry better than we do. In the first installment, I explored some simple operational initiatives. This time, I want to explore initiatives related to the building and physical infrastructure.
No Need to Reinvent the Wheel
Nearly every restaurant and hotel has at least one thing in common - they are housed in a physical structure, a building of some sort. Fortunately, there are experts who have been working for years to develop green building practices which consider the environmental impact of the initial construction phase as well as the upkeep and maintenance throughout the building's life cycle. These guidelines are the result of countless hours of work and research which can be readily adopted by the hospitality industry. There is even an accreditation that has been established for professionals who are skilled in the specific art of helping to create environmentally friendly and sustainable buildings called LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
Green initiatives that have already been established for other building types can be implemented for both new construction and renovation projects. Below are just a few examples of green building practices that any foodservice or hospitality facility can implement. Please note, however, that there are many others which can be found both on-line and in printed literature.
� Selection and use of energy efficient appliances
� Use of sustainable building materials
� Use of building materials that are derived from recycling of other products
� Construction using materials that use reduced or no toxic chemicals in fabrication
� Use of energy efficient light bulbs, such as compact fluorescent bulbs
� Implementation of energy management systems that lower energy usage, especially during off-peal periods
� Use of water conserving devices
Taking the Next Step
While the implementation of general green building practices is a great first step, to rely solely on these existing initiatives for foodservice and hospitality facilities would, in my opinion, be a half-hearted effort. Our buildings are unique. Specifically, per square foot (or square meter), commercial kitchens are one of the highest ranking users of energy. Consider that according to the Green Restaurant Association's 'A Guide to Creating Environmentally Sustainable Restaurants and Kitchens,' the restaurant industry accounts for a disproportionate one-third of all retail energy use in the United States. The same guide also indicates that restaurants produce an average of 50,000 pounds of garbage per year, of which 95% could be recycled or composted, and use nearly 300,000 gallons of water annually.
It is my belief that we need to begin looking at commercial kitchens in a completely different way - through green colored lenses, if you will. We need to evaluate the kitchen as a complete system, carefully scrutinizing what is going in and what is coming out of our establishments. Because our operations are so distinctive, we cannot simply rely on others to develop a system specific to our needs. We know hospitality operations better than anyone else. It is our responsibility to develop our own industry-specific green practices. We must take the initiative, and we need to do it now.
Sounds Great, But I Need Specific Examples
Okay, all of this may sound great in theory - but let's talk in specifics. What can we really do? Where would we start? How would we implement these new solutions? These are all valid questions, so let me start the discussion right here, right now by proposing a few such initiatives:
Recycling: It sounds so basic. Many of us recycle at home, where it has become second nature. But how many of us recycle in our restaurants? Why should the restaurant be any different than your home, when the restaurant is generating far more waste? It may be as simple as installing recycling bins, setting aside the space for them in the ware washing area, and training the staff. This is an easy first step.
Packaging: A significant portion of the waste generated by restaurants is from food packaging that has been discarded. Cardboard boxes, aluminum cans, and plastic strapping all contribute this waste. When was the last time that the operations community challenged the packaging decisions made by food manufacturers and purveyors? A comprehensive evaluation of current packaging practices would yield better alternatives that could reduce the amount of waste, and potentially reduce waste related cost at time of purchase and discard. The use of alternative packaging materials combined with new equipment that might be used to reduce the volume of packaging waste could save the environment and perhaps a few pennies at the same time.
Composting: With an estimated 50% of restaurant waste being food, it is quite shocking that composting programs have not become commonplace. This raw food waste, if properly separated, would be quite valuable to growers. Valuable enough, perhaps, that this waste might be removed for little or no cost, thereby reducing the volume and cost of standard waste removal. Who knows - it may even be valuable enough for operators to get paid for their garbage!
Biodiesel: With the 'green buzz' in the air and the rising cost of fuel in recent years, you have likely heard about cars which have been converted to run on spent restaurant oil. Did we ever stop to think that there might be a way for us to use that spent oil instead of just giving it away - or even paying for its removal? What if we were to develop an appliance that ran on spent oil? Perhaps it is a water heater, a compressor, or a cooking appliance. Consider that doing so would save energy usage and reduce waste and costs all at the same time. This certainly sounds like a win-win scenario to me.
Energy Efficiency: There is no polite way to say this - modern day cooking equipment is incredibly inefficient. A handful of manufacturers are focused on energy star ratings, but for now they are still in the minority. Consider that the gas used by a six burner range with an oven base may have an hourly gas rating equivalent to two residential heating units. US equipment manufacturers are some of the worst offenders, promoting quantity of BTU's over efficiency and falling significantly behind their European counterparts. In exploring energy efficiency, we need to look beyond more efficient ways to do what we are doing now. We need to explore different ways to do what we are doing now.
Energy Harvesting: Even with improved efficiency, nearly every piece of commercial foodservice equipment will still reject some energy, often in the form of heat. Consider that gas fryers, quite common in kitchens throughout the United States, typically hover around 50% efficiency. That means that roughly half of the energy these appliances require is being wasted, sent right up the exhaust hood. Now let's take it one step further and analyze the additional costs associated with this inefficiency. The hood must exhaust the heat and effluent, which increases the quantity of air that must be removed. When more air is removed, more air must be replenished, thus increasing the size of the fans and energy used. It gets worse. Often the fresh air entering the building must be conditioned (i.e. heated or cooled), which results in more energy usage. This same snowball effect exists for nearly every appliance in the kitchen, impacting an operator's costs to bring energy into the building as well as its removal after use. Here is another example - fluorescent lighting. Have you ever noticed that a solar calculator works just fine indoors, powered by fluorescent lighting? This means that we are literally raining down energy in our buildings that could potentially be used for other purposes.
Green(backs) Make Sense
These are just a handful of suggestions that could be further explored, and there are numerous other comparable initiatives. But did you notice a common denominator with these proposed ideas? In one form or fashion, they all yield potential cost savings for the operator. By going green, you can actually save the environment and some money at the same time. Further, those with an entrepreneurial spirit will identify business models that capitalize on the new opportunities created. It is very simple - the greening of hotels and restaurants is happening. It has already started. So why not jump in and help develop these industry-specific initiatives? What are you waiting for?
About the author
Lee Simon is an award winning foodservice designer with The General Group. Lee is also the author of The Restaurant Dream?, a new book offering an inside look at restaurant development from concept to reality. As a practicing designer, Lee uses his operational experience on a daily basis to assist his clients with the planning of new and renovated foodservice facilities. His past projects, located domestically and internationally, include all types of foodservice operations. For questions or information, log on to www.thegeneralgroup.com or e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com.
Be sure to check out Lee's new book The Restaurant Dream?
Logos, product and company names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.


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People of Stockton, California! Do not play Grand Theft Auto IV! Do not!! It's turning local residents batty. According to the Stockton Record:
"My son Peter was never really aggressive, but once he got into video games, 'GTA' being one of them, he started to push, hit, talk back, and just become a different person," said Stockton parent Greg Within, 46.
Stockton's Mark Wellis, 19, said he was involved in an altercation a week after he purchased "Grand Theft Auto IV." At the time he noticed that he had become less sensitive to violence.
Wellis doesn't completely blame the game for his violence, but it did affect him.
This is the stuff of Pulitzers.
GTAIV Criticized [Recordnet via GamePolitics]


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Written to help make planning your charter escape to Cayman Islands even easier, this section reveals the very best things to see and do while visiting Cayman Islands by superyacht. Our in-depth articles aim to bring you the latest travel tips and insider secrets from charter professionals with expert knowledge on the region.
Speak to your charter broker or let us help you find the perfect yacht.


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The Rev. Edward F. McNally, a Roman Catholic priest who later became executive director of the Franciscan Center, died Saturday of lymphoma at the University of Maryland Medical Center. The Mount Washington resident was 46.
"Ed had volunteered here when he was a seminarian at St. Mary's. Afterward, he saw an ad in the paper for executive director of the Franciscan Center and applied," said Sister Ellen Carr, former interim director of the center and now a member of its board.
"I hired him and felt totally comfortable turning over the reins to him," said Sister Ellen. "He had such wisdom and knowledge that he brought to his work at the center. He was at it all of the time. He was a real advocate and his death is such a tremendous loss."
Edward Francis McNally was born and raised in Manlius, N.Y., where he graduated in 1984 from Fayetteville-Manlius High School.
"Ed was born with the worst poker hand that God could have given him. He was premature and legally blind but it gave him strength and he accomplished much in his life," said a brother, Richard J. McNally Jr. of Valley Falls, N.Y.
Mr. McNally earned a bachelor's degree in 1988 in history and religious studies from Le Moyne College in Syracuse, N.Y.
He came to Baltimore to study and after earning a master's degree in divinity and theological studies from St. Mary's Seminary and University in 1995, he was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Syracuse.
He was an associate priest at St. Margaret's Roman Catholic Church in North Syracuse when he left in 1995 to become chaplain and director of the Newman Center at the State University of New York at Oswego.
While at Oswego, he earned a master's degree in business management in 2005, taught comparative religion and coached the university's crew team.
Mr. McNally returned to Baltimore in 2005 and earned his law degree in 2008 from the University of Baltimore Law School.
He clerked for Baltimore Circuit Judge Timothy J. Doory and was a member of the Maryland Bar Association and the Thomas More Society, but it was his time at the Franciscan Center in the 100 block of W. 23rd St. that came to define his life's work.
The center provides emergency outreach services and bags of groceries or hot lunches, and also helps people with legal problems and securing birth certificates. It also provides counseling services and helps those dealing with electricity turn-off notices, evictions, transportation, flu shots, dental care and prescription drugs.
Mr. McNally, who became executive director in 2010, was a ubiquitous presence at the center, where he easily mingled with those who came for assistance. He'd sit in the lunchroom and share a meal with them or stop them in the hallway for a chat.
"The first word that comes to mind is that Ed was passionate about the work of the center. He loved it. He wanted to help people and it was a great outlet," said Christian J. Metzger, who succeeded Mr. McNally as executive director.
"He took a lot of pride in it and enjoyed walking into the lunchroom to talk to the clients. It takes a strong person to walk around such poverty, but he looked upon it as an opportunity," said Mr. Metzger. "It was always a pleasure working with him."
He said that one of Mr. McNally's No. 1 projects was the Healthy Food Initiative and food pantry.
"He was the catalyst for that and it is now one of our top programs," said Mr. Metzger. Another program that the two men worked on was a program that provided suits for men applying for jobs.
"He even came up with the name 'Attire 4 Hire,' which he had registered," said Mr. Metzger.
In a 2010 interview with The Baltimore Sun, Mr. McNally explained how he confronted the mission of the center.
"We operate as a community effort. We get donations and help — time, talent and treasure — from parishes, high schools, universities, foundations and individuals," he said.
Sister Ellen said: "He did a lot of networking and if you were a friend of Ed, you were very vulnerable. He'd have you drawn in and you'd soon be a part of it."
Mr. McNally, who was diagnosed in July 2011 with the cancer that eventually claimed his life, stepped down as the center's executive director on a medical leave earlier this year.
Mr. McNally offered his last Mass at the time of his mother's death in 2008. Mr. McNally had not formally resigned the priesthood but was on official leave, said the Rev. Timothy Elmer, chancellor of the Diocese of Syracuse.
Mr. McNally enjoyed reading and traveling.
"He was vitally interested in social justice issues and was very politically oriented," said his partner of a year and a half, Jennifer Maurer of Mount Washington, who is a clinical social worker at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
"He was also into fitness and cycling, and it wasn't uncommon for him to ride 20 or 30 miles at a time," said Ms. Maurer.
A Mass of Christian burial will be offered at 10 a.m. Thursday at SS. Philip and James Roman Catholic Church, North Charles and 29th streets.
In addition to his brother and partner, Mr. McNally is survived by his father, Richard J. McNally Sr. of Syracuse; another brother, Adam McNally of Fairport, N.Y.; five sisters, Margaret Mahon of Oswego, N.Y., Eileen McNally of Chester, N.J., Jeanne Keller of DeWitt, N.Y., Katherine Hannah of Manasquan, N.J., and Virginia Reznik of Orange, N.J.; and many nieces and nephews.


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Chris chaired a recent Kavli-MRS Bulletin Workshop on Brain-Machine Interfaces in Phoenix, AZ. This event brought together luminaries across many disciplines to better understand how materials can improve the performance and translation of brain-machine interfaces to clinically relevant applications.
Chenchen publishes work on hydrogels in J Mater Chem B
BME PhD student Chenchen Mou has recently published an article in the Journal of Materials Chemistry B to provide guidance on the design of hydrogels crosslinked with redox active coordination bonds.
Bettinger featured in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The work of the Bettinger Group on edible medical devices is highlighted in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in a feature called "Patented in Pittsburgh".
Ik Soo publishes paper on polydopamine
Ik Soo publishes a Highlights article on polydopamine for applications as a medical material in the Journal of Materials Chemistry. Congrats, Ik Soo!
Chenchen passes BME qualifying exam
Chenchen passes her qualifying exam for her project on ultracompliant electrodes for peripheral neural interfaces. Congrats, Chenchen!


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Take a look at today's homepage to learn more about this week's best bag trend: Metallics. You can really never go wrong with a bag in silver, gold or bronze–these colors become neutrals that work with any outfit. I love a little glitz or glitter for summer, and metallics are showing up all over fashion–not just in bags and jewelry. Here are a coupe of my recent favorite looks:
Dakota Fanning in Marie Claire magazine. She's all grown up and looking gorgeous! You can't go wrong with a sequined metallic top–it adds a rock and roll edge to a pair of jeans or shorts.
Blake Lively on the Paris set of Gossip Girl. Gold sequins + structured shoulders = totally on trend. Want to see our curated selection of great metallic bags? Click right here to shop.


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Basics of DNA
This article originally appeared in "The Foundations of Family History Research" by Sandra Hargreaves Luebking, FUGA, and Loretto Dennis Szucs, FUGA in The Source: A Guidebook to American Genealogy This article was written by Donn Devine, CG, CGI.
One of the newest developments in genealogy is the use of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) as a source of genealogical information. DNA is the substance within every living cell that carries the code for passing on its exact makeup to new cells, and although DNA is uniquely different for each individual, it is similar in cells of related individuals. As applied to genealogical research, distinctive DNA patterns can be used to determine whether and how closely individuals are related to other individuals whose DNA patterns are known.
Genealogical DNA testing looks at the non-coding portions of the DNA strand (sometimes misleadingly called junk DNA) that have no known function. For the most part, these stretches of DNA remain unchanged from generation to generation. However, chance changes, called mutations or polymorphisms, do occur at infrequent intervals, and it is these changes that let us distinguish different lines of descent and determine how closely people may be related to each other from the closeness of their DNA matches. A DNA sequence that is passed on unchanged from one parent to a child is called a haplotype, and these are the distinctive patterns we use to establish genealogical links.
Three Types of DNA
Y chromosome DNA is found only in males and is the type most frequently used in genealogy because almost all of it passes as a single haplotype from father to son, essentially unchanged except for chance mutations. This type of DNA is used to identify a common male ancestor in all-male genealogical lines.
mtDNA is a haplotype that children inherit only from their mothers and can be used to identify all-female genealogical lines. Two people who share the same mtDNA haplotype have a common female ancestor in their all-female maternal lines. But, because mtDNA mutates much more slowly than Y-DNA, she may be too many generations back to identify or be of genealogical significance.
Autosomal DNA is found in our 22 chromosomes numbered one to twenty-two. Autosomal DNA is a fairly recent and better way of determining ancestry because it provides concrete evidence of a cousin relationship. Sharing DNA segments which are identical by descent (IBD) indicates common ancestry. A higher percentage of DNA shared indicates a closer ancestor. For example, a person might share 50.23% with a child; 25.88% with a grandparent, and 1.5% with a 3rd cousin. Cousins identified through autosomal testing can share ancestry notes and insightful genealogical clues. It is not uncommon to find cousins who share DNA living on distant continents.
Genealogical Uses for DNA Tests
Additional Identity Item
For those ancestors at the head of an ancestral line, for whom we may know little more than a name and event date or place, a DNA sample from an appropriate descendant will provide the same pattern present in the ancestor, in the absence of any chance mutation along the way. For many family historians, a test of their own DNA is often their first step, providing a genetic signature for a distant paternal-line or maternal-line ancestor. Matching samples from two descendants through different lines provides assurance that the common ancestor's DNA sequence descended unchanged, with no mutation in either line.
Verifying Probable or Suspected Relationships
Verifying relationships is perhaps the most frequent use being made of DNA, as tests can quickly determine whether any two men descend from a common ancestor through their all-male surname line or whether any two people of either sex are related through their all-female maternal lines to a common female ancestor. However, the number of generations to the common ancestor, if not known from other sources, can be only estimated. A widely publicized example of this application was the Jefferson-Hemings study. There were no sons from President Thomas Jefferson's marriage, but DNA tests showed that a male-line descendant of his slave Sally Hemings shared the same DNA as descendants in two male lines from the president's Jefferson grandfather, proving that a Jefferson fathered at least one of Hemmings's children.<ref>E. A. Foster, et al., 'Jefferson Fathered Slave's Last Child,' Nature 396 (5 November 1998): 27'28.</ref>
Sorting Family Lines
People with the same surname frequently come from very different ancestral origins. DNA can show which share a common heritage, can show which are unrelated, and, with enough samples associated with ancestral localities of origin, can point modern descendants to their family's geographic origin. For example, there were four families named Smolenyak living near each other in the tiny Slovak village of Osturma, but DNA tests on male Smolenyak descendants from each of the four families showed they were unrelated through the surname line.<ref>Family Tree DNA, 'Spotlight: Smolenyak DNA Project,' Facts and Genes 2 (11 August 2003), downloaded 30 May 2004 from http://www.familytreedna.com/facts_genes.asp?act=show&nk=2.>.</ref>
Family Reconstruction
Family and surname associations use DNA to confirm links in lines where records are ambiguous or less than convincing. Associations are also establishing previously unknown links of some members' lines to known founder-ancestors. The Stidham Family Association sought proof that two lines, with problematic record links, truly descended from a seventeenth-century ancestor. DNA provided the assurance, but also revealed that another line, with clear documentary evidence of descent, was not biologically connected to the ancestor.<ref>Richard L. Steadham, 'The Saga of How Our Project Evolved,' with link to 'Current Results of the Stidham DNA Study,' updated 24 February 2004, downloaded 4 June 2004 from http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~tstiddem/Pages/dna.html. </ref>
Future Promise
The DNA, called autosomal DNA, is widely used for forensic identification and for verifying paternity because individuals receive a full copy of DNA from each of their parents, which then pairs to form the individual's DNA. During production of an individual's egg or sperm, the paired DNA is randomly shuffled and recombined to create a combined version of a person's parent's DNA. This shuffled recombined copy is passed fully to the child. In each following generation, the genetic code is further randomly shuffled and recombined as DNA passes to a new generation. Small sequences of genes that pass unchanged over many generations are called haplotypes. A haplotype can occur when all the grandparents share an identical sequence of genes within a chromosome, so quite naturally no shuffling can occur on that particular segment for the resulting grandchild, because all the original combining segments were identical.
Most sections of one's autosomal DNA represent a fully randomized mixture of unidentifiable DNA from your ancestors. The human genome consists of just over 3 billion DNA base pairs. But the shuffling process is very imperfect and oftentimes perfect, unshuffled, duplicate copies of DNA pass from a grandparent to parent to child. Over time homogenized groups of people who are relatively isolated also can come to share duplicated haplotype DNA sequences among the related population. In Tibet, for example, it was recently discovered that the Tibetan population shares a common, duplicated gene sequence that gives them resistance to high altitude cold weather. This haplotype sequence, unique to Tibetan's, is believed to have occurred fairly recently.
Small haplotype sequences can be inherited from a relatively small number of unknown ancestors among the thousands we had tens of generations back. But newer haplotype sequences can also be inherited from more recent ancestors. Large, stable populations tend to result in a diversity of haplotype gene sequences. Autosomal DNA is likely to find more uses in genealogy as a result of research now underway to identify inheritance patterns for haplotype segments in the DNA of the recombining chromosomes. The Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation is testing sample donors from all over the world, comparing inherited DNA sequences on all their chromosomes with genealogies submitted by the donors (visit http://smgf.org for more information.)
Another worldwide research project, the National Geographic Society's Genographic Project, is also searching for DNA markers that can be matched with geographic areas of ancestral origins.
Other laboratories are working on direct to consumer applications of data from one's autosomal chromosomes, using comparisons to known reference populations or to scientific studies. These genetic consumer applications using autosomal DNA can help illuminate deep roots. The results of genealogical significance are given in percentages, with rather wide confidence limits, and indicate how much of one's genetic heritage compares to reference populations that originally lived in Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe (including western Asia and the Mediterranean fringe), East Asia, and the Americas. These consumer test results may suggest avenues of research that might otherwise have been overlooked.
Autosomal consumer testing enables genetic cousins to discover each other and directly share ancestry information, through sites such as 23andMe.com, FTDNA.com and decodeme.com. Autosomal testing can also be a clever method for adopted children to find their blood relatives, and learn more about their ancestry or when a brick wall exists in one's tree, because an ancestor's parents are not known.


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Our Man in Tehran (Part Two)
Season 2018 Episode 15 | 1h 54m 46s
Thomas Erdbrink is one of the last Western journalists living in Iran. In this two-part series, he goes beyond the headlines and gets Iranians to reveal the intricacies of their private worlds as their country goes through a rollercoaster of changes — with a modernizing society pitted against ideologically conservative clerics.
Aired: 08/14/18Video has closed captioning.
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Funding for FRONTLINE is provided through the support of PBS viewers and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Major funding for FRONTLINE is provided by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Additional funding is provided by the Abrams Foundation, the Park Foundation, The John and Helen Glessner Family Trust, and the FRONTLINE Journalism Fund with major support from Jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of the Jon L. Hagler Foundation.


text: Can you recognize the top five logical fallacies lobbed so far in this year's presidential campaign? spxChrome/iStockphoto.com hide caption toggle caption spxChrome/iStockphoto.com It's All Politics A Guide To Spotting Pretzel Logic On The Campaign Trail August 25, 2012 President Obama and Mitt Romney routinely put forth arguments on the campaign trail that wouldn't pass muster at a college-level debate. Top debate coaches and Logic 101 professors help break down the top five fallacies lobbed. It's a "no Latin required" election-season primer.


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You will find below information about North Ronaldsay airport. Use the links below to read detailed information about North Ronaldsay airport: location, route maps, live departures and arrivals etc.
Skyscanner allows you to find the cheapest flights to North Ronaldsay airport without having to enter specific dates or even destinations, making it the best place to find cheap flights for your trip to North Ronaldsay airport. Use the links at the side of the page to browse for flight information or use the flight search controls above to start a new search.
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- See all airports in United Kingdom.


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Rihanna, Noted Hair Chameleon, Shaves Half Her Head [PHOTO]
In the past decade, Rihanna has rocked bobs, bright red locks, multi-toned blonde and black hair, blonde fringe and the blood of her enemies. But these days, she could pass for the long lost sister of Skrillex.
The singer was traveling from JFK to LAX on Jan. 31 when she was spotted with a new asymmetrical 'do -- shaved on one side with long extensions on the other.
So why all the hair changes? Well obviously Rihanna is in the strangest kind of witness protection program ever and must continuously look different in order to confuse her aggressor, current boyfriend Chris Brown, into thinking she's someone else.
It's kind of like when Superman combs his hair and throws on some glasses and no one notices.
In other hair-related news no one should care about but everyone seems to anyway, Lil Wayne apparently tied back his famous dreads and sent a bunch of celeb sites into a tailspin because they thought he'd actually lopped them off. Because as we all know, the rapper's power is in his hair so without it, something something ZOMG something.
But hey, at least Britney still has all HER hair. And that's what really matters.


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Just how flawed is the land averaging policy that the City of Vancouver uses to adjust — or manipulate — property tax assessments?
Well, I don't know of anyone who has crunched the numbers to document how many homeowners this policy will hurt in the coming year — although I can tell you the number will be large. But consider this analysis of business impacts that was distributed by Vancouver Fair Tax Coalition after I wrote about the issue on Tuesday:
• Companies in 18 of 22 Business Improvement Associations will see their properties' taxable values rise higher with averaging than without — in some cases much higher.
• The lucky few in two of the four remaining BIAs won't see any difference at all.
• The even luckier properties in the final two BIAs, Chinatown and Hastings North, will be cushioned from the initial impact of rising property values — which is the ostensible reason the policy is imposed on the entire city.
It's reasonable to assume the numbers will be just as unjust and shocking if or when a neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood breakdown for homeowners becomes available. Because this averaging policy is a zero-sum game, where every winner's gain must be offset by somebody else's losses.
The policy worked fairly well back in the day when virtually all Vancouver properties increased in value virtually every year. Only a relative few shot up dramatically faster than the rest of the pack, so the cost of cushioning these property owners tended to be spread over a great many others, and none were hit particularly hard.
In the financial turmoil since 2008, however, city real estate values have been all over the map. Some are still rising sharply, thus gaining big advantages when the policy reduces the taxable value of their land to the average of the last three assessments. Other properties are losing value, yet averaging drags up the amount on which their tax bills are based.
The difference can be big. According to figures from Paul Sullivan, a partner in the property tax consulting firm of Burgess Cawley Sullivan and the coalition's technical co-chair, what would have been a one-per-cent average increase in Dunbar Village BIA will, under averaging, soar to nine per cent. And far from cushioning the Hastings Crossing BIA, which without averaging would be hit with a 17-per-cent increase, the policy will push it even higher to 19 per cent.
And, thanks to the rubber-stamp factory at Vancouver City Hall, this policy is here to stay for at least another year. Perversely but predictably, a sizable majority of councillors — all but Adriane Carr of the Greens — voted in a committee meeting on Wednesday to accept a staff recommendation to continue with averaging.
The strong case against averaging shouldn't be news to City Hall. The issues were spelled out thoroughly last year — when council made the same perverse decision on the policy, which is required by law to be reaffirmed annually.
To what I thought was council's credit at the time, they asked staff last year to examine this and other fairness issues and recommend options before this year's vote.
The staff report on which the council decision was based did propose the reconvening of the city's Property Tax Policy Review Commission, which was disbanded six years ago after making some fairly tepid but generally sensible recommendations for reform.
But, beyond this, "If staff did do any further investigation, it doesn't appear in the report," Carr noted when we chatted after the vote.
In other words — my words, not hers — council once again put off any attempt to make a real stab at fairness and common sense for at least another year.


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National Insect Week returns in 2020
Saturday, June 16, 2018 - 10:00 to 17:00
See hundreds of live butterflies and moths up-close in our tropical butterfly house.
This technicolour exhibition features a huge variety of these beautiful insects, ethically sourced from Africa, Asia and the Americas.
Follow the trail through a jungle habitat in the heart of London as butterflies fly around you. You will pass hungry caterpillars, insects emerging from their chrysalises and busy feeding stations.
Kids and families can find out fascinating butterfly facts and learn more about the behaviour and diversity of these much-loved creatures.
Natural History Museum websiteNatural History Museum London
Antennal shape reflects insect ecology, male moths have feathery antennae to detect female pheromones at night.
Tweet this or follow @insectweek


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At Kearns Funeral Service we view it as a privilege to assist with your family's funeral needs, a privilege we take very seriously. Our commitment to provide objective, principled and sympathetic care extends beyond the funeral to individuals who choose to plan their funeral in advance and to families after the service.
The role of Kearns Funeral Service is to help families navigate through the emotionally challenging time of losing a loved one. We do this by fully explaining all of the available alternatives so that you can make an informed decision. Once the decisions are made, we are here to help carry out your wishes where requested.
With three locations, Kearns Funeral Service works diligently to provide advice and guidance to the Cedar Valley, since 1924. Kearns Funeral Service located: on Kimball Avenue in Waterloo, at Garden View Chapel, and in La Porte City, is committed to providing trusted professional guidance.
Take the guess work and uncertainty out of sending a sympathy expression by ordering online through our website. We will coordinate delivery with the florist and ensure that your expression arrives on time.
Meet our caring team of funeral professionals who are here to assist you through every step.
With three locations, Kearns Funeral Service can serve your family from our facility on Kimball Avenue in Waterloo, at Garden View Chapel in Waterloo, and in La Porte City.


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Thank you for visiting our meter reads page. Please fill out the form below or call us at 610.696.1290.
Locate the Equipment ID tag on your machine. Typically, this will be in the upper right corner of the front panel of the machine and will look like this:
We have tried other companies, and while they were price competitive and made all sorts of glowing promises about service, no one has come close to the level of service we have experienced, day after day, year after year, from Rothwell.
The service they provide is simply unbeatable and far superior to any other printing solution out there.
Township records are available in a matter of seconds resulting in a 100% increase in productivity. Thank you!
We recently installed a new document management system through Rothwell and it has made our document storage and retrieval tasks so easy!
The employees are attentive, knowledgeable and accommodating. It's a pleasure to work with them.
We have received nothing but the best service beginning with the company's representative to technicians, office staff and the owner.
It is so important to us to have stellar customer service, and Rothwell delivers just that, above and beyond.
Unfailingly prompt in providing excellent service, accurate information and valuable advice relating to our copier systems.
We have been a customer of Rothwell for many years and could not have had better service.
© 2018 Rothwell Document Solutions | 590 Hannum Avenue, West Chester, PA 19380 | 610.696.1290 | powered by Convergo


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Local Arts Council Directory
Carson City
Brewery Arts Center
The Brewery Arts Center (BAC) is located in downtown Carson City. Constructed in the 1870s, the BAC contains two theaters, classrooms, meeting rooms, offices, a studio, an art gallery and an artisan's store. The BAC provides art and cultural classes and presents music, dance, and theatrical performances. The BAC is funded through memberships, grants, donations and facility rental fees.
Carson City Cultural Commission
The Carson City Cultural Commission, assembled in 2008, acts as the primary advisory body to the Carson City Board of Supervisors for matters relating to Arts and Culture. For the benefit of residents and tourists alike, our goal is to promote awareness, outreach, and excellence within our state's capital, engaging the arts on a state and national level.
Carson City Visitors Bureau
716 N. Carson Street
Carson City, NV 89701
Mark Salinas
Arts & Culture Coordinator
Carson City Visitors Bureau
Office: 775.687.7410
Cell: 347.546.0435
Follow us on Instagram! @carsoncityarts
Elko Arts and Culture Advisory Board
The Elko Arts and Culture Advisory Board is an appointed body that serves as an advisory roll to the Elko City Council and also as a temporary Arts Council in the community. They will take on both rolls until funding becomes available to establish a true Arts Council. The EACAB represents arts interests in local government and helps facilitate public art projects and activities including The World Trade Center Memorial at City Hall, The Nevada Sesquicentennial Sagebrush in the main City Park and are developing the Elko Shakespeare Festival which will bring Elko's four theatre companies together in a joint effort to educate and entertain. The board also recently held the first annual Elko Mayor's Arts Awards program.
Bristlecone Arts Council
The Bristlecone Arts Council believes that art is an important part of a community and human development. It is comprised of artistic and dedicated volunteers in White Pine County, with a passion for creating community involvement, fostering talent, and promoting opportunities for artistic application for all ages in Northern Nevada. This includes all mediums, including but not limited to; performing arts, visual arts, handicrafts, cultural art and presentation. We bring the arts to the community through hard work and support.
Churchill Arts Council
The Churchill Arts Council brings arts events to Fallon, Churchill County and Northern Nevada. For more than two decades, it has enriched the cultural and social life of Northern Nevada by offering opportunities in the arts on many levels - performances, art exhibitions, films, literary readings and conversations with artists in all disciplines. The council is committed to excellence in multi-disciplinary programming.
Mineral County Council on the Arts
To promote the arts in Mineral County.
City of Henderson - Cultural Arts and Tourism Department
The City of Henderson's Cultural Arts & Tourism Department is dedicated to creating and promoting innovative events, programs and venues that celebrate the arts and cultural diversity, enhance tourism, involve and serve community members of all ages, and enrich the economic and cultural fabric of Henderson.
Las Vegas
City of Las Vegas - Office of Cultural Affairs
The Office of Cultural Affairs (OCA) of the City of Las Vegas offers a breadth of accessible and innovative arts and cultural experiences to residents and visitors, and facilitates the planning and communications required to develop informed cultural public policy for the community. OCA partners with numerous private and public entities to strengthens the artistic, cultural and historic resources vital to the region's cultural landscape, and oversees a multiplicity of cultural centers, gallery spaces and events throughout the year.
Metro Arts Council of Southern Nevada
Metro Arts Council of Southern Nevada (Metro Arts) is designed to encourage and strengthen the cultural life of Southern Nevada, and to further the development and appreciation of the arts. It is a nonprofit, coordinating body representing the arts and culture.
Mesquite Arts Council
The Mesquite Arts Council (MAC) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to develop appreciation for and participation in the performing arts, demonstrating ethnic and cultural diversity in both the professional and amateur ranks. Throughout the year, the MAC provides various performing arts events at multiple venues in the community including theatre, dance, concerts, and local talent contests.
Carson Valley Arts Council
The Carson Valley Arts Council (CVAC) is a local arts agency/umbrella organization/presenter bringing arts events to Western Nevada/Lake Tahoe region. For the past ten years, CVAC has enriched the cultural and social life of Western Nevada by creating an environment for the arts to flourish in the community; by providing support for the arts through program development and education; and offering a diversity of cultural events for all ages and income levels.
North Las Vegas
City of North Las Vegas Arts and Culture Board
The City of North Las Vegas Arts and Culture Board is an advisory committee to the Mayor and City Council on matters relating to arts and culture within the City of North Las Vegas. The purpose of the Board is, to promote understanding, support, appreciation and involvement of artists and residents in conformance with the policies and goals of the City of North Las Vegas, to host, sponsor or support artistic and cultural special events and to raise the aesthetic standards of the City of North Las Vegas.
Moapa Valley Performing Arts Council
The Moapa Valley Arts Council (MVAC) is a nonprofit community organization whose purpose is to foster the awareness, understanding and appreciation of a broad spectrum of the performing arts among all residents of Moapa Valley. Each year, MVAC organizes community events such as concerts, talent showcases, and performances that are hosted in the Ron Dalley Theatre at Moapa Valley High School.
Pahrump Arts Council
The Pahrump Visual and Performing Arts Council's is an arts umbrella organization/presenter that aims to create an environment for the arts to flourish in the community by providing support for the arts through program development and education, offering a diversity of cultural events for all ages and income levels.
City of Reno - Arts and Culture Division
The Reno Arts and Culture Division, an agency within the City of Reno's Parks, Recreation & Community Services Department, serves as the official advisor to the City of Reno on matters related to the cultural life of the community.
Sierra Arts Foundation
Sierra Arts Foundation is a local arts agency for northwestern Nevada. The foundation's emphasis is on teaching, nurturing and supporting the arts (dance, theater, visual, literary and music) in the community. SAF provides education opportunities for artists of all ages, as well as development and training, financial support and promotional and marketing assistance. Sierra Arts also creates and manages spaces and venues throughout the community for artists to perform and display their work.
South Lake Tahoe
Tahoe Arts Project
The Tahoe Arts Project (TAP) is a nonprofit organization established in 1987 by a group of parents, professional musicians and teachers with a shared goal to bring performing arts and cultural enrichment to the residents of the South Lake Tahoe region of Nevada and California.TAP introduces performers from various genres and cultures to its community members for a rich and lasting experience.
Arts For The Schools
Arts For the Schools (AFtS) is a non-profit organization presenting cultural performances and residency programs for public school students and community members. Venues include a high school auditorium with fly tower seating 300 and other multi-purpose rooms. Arts For The Schools provides art education to more than 10,000 preschool and K-12 students including 1,898 low-income children through its two programs each year.
AFtS is a bi-state organization located on Lake Tahoe's north shore that was founded in 1984 to inspire individuals and communities through the power of culture and diversity, and ensure that the arts remained an essential part of a complete education for the region's children.
Northern Nevada Arts Council
The Northern Nevada Arts Council was founded to aid, encourage, advise and coordinate activities dedicated to promote the arts and to provide cultural enrichment and education to members of the community by creating opportunities to experience and to participate in the performing and visual arts in the Winnemucca area.
Yerington Theatre for the Arts
Yerington Theatre for the Arts is a local arts agency dedicated to increasing opportunities for all people to participate in and understand the arts. Yerington Theatre for the Arts proudly maintains and operates historic Jeanne Dini Cultural Center where it presents performing arts, visual arts exhibition, art education program and cultural heritage events.


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Opera unleashes Kestrel
What's the new browser like?
After months of public inactivity, Opera has been racing to release the latest version of its desktop browser. No guesses why. For the first time since 2003, Mozilla's FireFox looks like a modern browser, and not a skinnable memory heap testing tool.
Opera 9.50 is out today, and we've been on the case of Kestrel since the first public preview last autumn.
Long time users will clock that speed and compatibility have been addressed in the new version. Not that you could ever call Opera slow, but JavaScript execution is noticeably faster in 9.50. I found the speed-up to be most noticeable on the Mac, where Opera now reigns supreme: easily beating Apple's own Safari for speed and usability.
Opera has long been the place where browser ideas are generated, only to be copied by Mozilla and Microsoft and later incorporated into their browsers years later. Well, the latency has shortened: one of the key innovations of 9.5, full history search from the address bar, has been pinched by FireFox.
The new version also sees the first significant upgrade to the built-in email client M2 since it first appeared five years ago. M2 baffles people as much as if a strange piece of alien metal fell to earth - but I suspect the confusion is lower amongst Pick or BeOS users. The mail client is built around a very fast database, so queries are returned almost instantly.
Originally, the idea of folders was rejected (as it is today by GMail) and users were expected to organise their mail via filters, which were real-time search queries. It's made a few concessions over the years - but the main improvement here is technical, rather than presentational. The mail client now runs in a separate thread, so it no longer holds up web browsing if the client is stuck on, say, an IMAP transaction.
Coming from the Mac world, I'm horrified by the choice on offer when I have to use a mail client on Windows. There's The Bat! - a Moldovan mailer which is well written, reliable and long on features, but a bit like having to juggle rusty knives. There's Thunderbird, which is neither well written, nor reliable, and very short on features. And Outlook Express (now called Windows Mail). 'Nuff said. So I've always been grateful that Opera provides a quick way of accessing multiple accounts with minimum fuss.
Opera makes much of its "Opera Link" feature, which began life as synchronized bookmarks. In practice I haven't found it all that useful: if I want to view Slashdot, eBay or the BBC's footie scores on a mobile, I'll use the mobile versions of the sites. However, with the addition of notes this could get more popular.
Bittorrent is ready and present, although you'll have to rummage around in the about:config settings to set the upload and download rates.
At the last minute, a new skin was introduced as the default. It's one "that feels inspired by high-end audio equipment and Scandinavian design", according to CEO Jon von Tetzchner. It's not too bad on the Mac (I prefer Opera's current Mac skin) but the Windows default is glossy, like Vista, as you can see:
Opera's new skin
So how does Opera stack up? As I mentioned earlier, FireFox has seen the biggest improvement in years, which is very welcome. But it still takes hours of downloads and tweaks which come built-into Opera. I was happily using FireFox the other day for eBay, and when I went to find the "Refresh page at x minutes" option. And there wasn't one! Isn't this a default in every browser? Apparently not.
I've been an Opera user for too long.
But quite disconcertingly, the fastest browser I've used recently has been ... IE7, on Vista, on my MacPro at home. Er, yes: I know: Microsoft in decent browser shocker!
It comes at a price, though. It's Vista, which means you must leave the system on for a couple of days while it thrashes (over nothing) before settling down. But once it does, it loads pages instantaneously. This may not be enough to make this particular user want to defect to Vista, but once you load up IE7Pro to add mouse gestures and lots of other nice features to the bare bones (and ugly) IE7, and you probably won't want to seek out an alternative.
Opera remains perhaps the meanest piece of consumer code in the world, with the wazoo optimized out of out it. And it's also the most helpful to an intelligent user: that usability remains streets ahead of the competition. Unlike the non-profit with the $500,000 a year CEO, Opera knows that it has to sell on quality, not political correctness, or religion. So unlike some modern religious cults, they still put people first. ®
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