text:
May 18, 2001, Section A, Page 17Buy Reprints
In a fresh skirmish in the genome wars, a finding presented as a major discovery by the consortium of academic centers that decoded the human genome has come under attack from the camp of the consortium's rival, Celera Genomics.
The finding, one of the most surprising in the consortium's report on the human genome this February, was that 223 of the 30,000 human genes appear to have been acquired directly from bacteria. The implication was that the vertebrate and human genomes might have been shaped not just by inheritance but by weird accidents like bacterial infection of the egg or sperm cells.
The consortium cited the finding as fourth in a list of 11 major discoveries about the human genome and gave it considerable emphasis in its press briefing. Celera, in its genome analysis, made no mention of bacterial genes in the human genome.
An article published on the Web this week by the journal Science gives little credence to the consortium's idea.
''When I saw this claim in the consortium's paper I was surprised,'' said Dr. Steven L. Salzberg, the lead author of the critique. ''It's not been documented previously that bacterial genes got into the human genome. When I looked at their method, I was immediately struck by the fact it was likely to be an error, because the method was simply wrong.''
Dr. Salzberg is senior director of bioinformatics at the Institute for Genomic Research, which was founded by Dr. J. Craig Venter, now president of Celera in Rockville, Md. Dr. Salzberg said that he had not discussed his critique with Dr. Venter and that his article was a spontaneous effort to set the record straight. Dr. Salzberg's institute issued a news release today drawing attention to his critique.
The lead author of the consortium's genome article, Dr. Eric Lander of the Whitehead Institute in Cambridge, Mass., recently criticized Dr. Venter's decoding of the human genome, saying that Celera's method was a ''flop'' and would not have worked without reliance on the consortium's method, a contention Dr. Venter denied.
Dr. Lander said that his conclusions about bacterial gene transfer had been tentative and that Dr. Salzberg's criticisms were ''thoughtful'' but he declined to discuss them further.
Dr. Eugene Koonin of the National Center for Biotechnology Information, who wrote the section of the consortium's article on bacterial genes with Dr. Lander, said he could not discuss Dr. Salzberg's paper without Dr. Lander's assent. Later Dr. Koonin said he had arrived at an agreement with Dr. Lander that ''the only thing I am going to say is that I fully support what he said.''
The issue stems from the recent finding, made possible by the decoding of several bacterial genomes, that many genes in different species of bacteria are so similar that they appear to have been exchanged directly, perhaps in some act of engulfment or infection. This source of genes is called horizontal or lateral transfer to distinguish it from vertical descent, or inheritance from a common ancestor, which is the usual reason for different species to possess similar genes.
Humans have about a thousand genes similar to those of bacteria, presumably because the genes are so vital that their DNA structure has remained much the same over millions of years of descent from a common ancestor. But the consortium asserted that some of these genes were likely to have been acquired by lateral transfer. The reason was that the consortium could find no counterpart genes in the genomes of several species distantly related to humans, like the roundworm and the fruit fly. The consortium considered but rejected as less likely the possibility that these species, too, had inherited the genes and all lost them over the course of evolution.
Dr. Salzberg said that the consortium scientists had not tried hard enough to find counterpart genes in distant species and that he quickly turned up counterparts to a couple dozen of the supposed bacterial transfer genes in jellyfish. That means that humans and jellyfish probably acquired the genes the more common way, through inheritance, the critique says.
Indeed, Dr. Salzberg said, there were only 41 of the 223 genes on the list that he could not find in any other species. Even those 41 will dwindle to zero, he predicted, as more genomes are sequenced.
Dr. W. Ford Doolittle, an expert on bacterial evolution at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, said the lateral transfer of bacterial genes into the human genome was possible but the consortium's method of trying to prove it was ''awfully incautious.''
In a parallel battle, the journal Nature this week contains an article criticizing Celera's version of the fruit-fly genome, which appeared in Science last year. The article, by Dr. Samuel Karlin and colleagues at Stanford University, says there are many small discrepancies between the protein sequences that would be expected from Celera's fruit-fly genome and those of actual fruit-fly proteins recorded in SwissProt, a database of protein sequences.


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Sunday, November 30, 2008
Costa Rica- The 3 Types of ExPats
Basically there are three types of gringos that call Costa Rica Home (and per the picture, can often be difficult to spot the differences at first glance). I'm sure there are exceptions, but normally they will fit into one of these three categories.
Obviously, just my observations,,,,,,,,,,,I could be wrong.
The gringo with money is the first type. Not necessarily rich rich, but maybe. This gringo comes here but doesn't really want to change their lifestyle in anyway. As a matter of fact, they fight change every step of the way, but won't actually admit to it. They may purchase a smaller house, or not, but it will have all the amenities, as this gringo will NOT do without. Not saying that's a bad thing, just sayin. They usually live in the 'burbs around San Jose, particularly, Escazu, or in pockets around the country where other gringos with money congregate, such as Tamarindo. This gringo frequently doesn't know or want to learn Spanish, and will often talk to ticos in slow, exaggerated English like that will make them understand it better, and even have the audacity to get upset when they don't. They can frequently be overheard saying things like, "That's not how they do it in the States." Whether they're aware or not, they tend to be very insulting to Costa Ricans in general. These are the ones you want to say, "Then why don't you go back where you came from if it's so much better there." These gringos want Costa Rica to be like the States and also tend to be whiners and complainers, but again, won't admit it. On returning to Costa Rica from the States, they'll stock up on trivial items because, "You just can't find those here." I should note; many gringos do this, but with this breed of gringo it's usually something stupid like Q-tips (I'm not making this up). This person was pretentious when they lived in the states and they're pretentious here. The only thing about them that has changed is their address. These gringos often make you scratch your head and say, "WTF did you move here for?"
The second type of gringo, to which I belong, came here with a little money and want to make a go of it. Typically, not independently wealthy, this gringo will eventually have to find some source of income, or if they don't need money, they're interested in getting involved in 'something.' Disenfranchised with the materialist thinking of the States, or perhaps the political climate, this gringo is usually seeking the simple life of sorts and wants to experience everything Costa Rica has to offer- the good, the bad, and the ugly. Learning Spanish would be mandatory, as this type of gringo couldn't imagine otherwise. Of course there will be problems. The concept of 'tico time,' will be a hard adjustment, and 'gringo pricing' will also take some time getting use to, but in the end, this gringo will take the good with the bad, but appreciate the difference. I think I can speak for this type of gringo when I say, "I couldn't imagine living anywhere else…at least for now."
What to say about the third type of gringo? Well, I can say they give the rest of us a bad name. Haters they are. They really wouldn't be happy anywhere. They complain, and whine, and talk (to anyone who will listen) how LIFE has dealt them a blow. They're irresponsible and blame everyone and everything for their lot in life (but with passion, they're often very believable). And yes, they're frequently running from 'something' i.e., the LAW, or other 'problems.' Outcasts in their own country- this gringo could, and does live where other riff-raff gather- beach towns, tourist spots- places where they can scam and con their way into making their next rent payment. This gringo is ALWAYS searching for the big payoff, of course without the work, or the capital, but ALWAYS with an IDEA. They could have easily landed in Costa Rica by spinning the globe and randomly placing their finger down stopping where ever… (remember that game?) They're the ones that kept spinning until they landed on Hawaii or some other exotic location, never happy. Luckily, they're easy to spot. They normally start drinking beer around lunch time and congregate where tourists are- at first, very sociable, even likable. They LOVE to talk about the state of affairs in the U.S. (all negative), as they HATE and ABHOR the political system, and in particular- anything BUSH. And I've never heard a conspiracy theory they didn't adhere too. But beware; eventually, they'll be attempting to sell you on something, usually LAND. They are the go-between, as they don't usually own the land themselves, but they might. But here, you get paid to be the go-between, and after all, it is money you can make while suckin down the suds, SWEET! Hang out with this type of gringo for ANY length of time, and you'll know. Really, they're just sad and in all actuality- I feel sorry for them.
Quick inventory- I don't care for Bush, I DO think 9-11 was an inside job to some degree, I DO have land for sale AND it's 12:20 in the afternoon and I'm on my second Imperial. Ummm…?
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Posted by Unknown
Costa Rica- The 3 Types of ExPats
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Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Saving the Sharks
Working with the Costa Rica Travel Channel and Travel Costa Rica Now, I have the opportunity to travel around Costa Rica and meet some truly remarkable people- often the one's making a difference. Randall Arauz is one such person. Randall is president of PRETOMA, an organization whose mission is to protect and restore populations of marine turtles, sharks, and other threatened marine fauna, with a vision of responsible fishing and communal based conservation.
I got a chance to sit down and talk with Randall. Check out this video. Great Info. The mouth/sound combination is a 'tad' off, but nothing too annoying. Besides, this video is worth it.
If you're looking for a cause, this may be the ONE and they could use ALL the help they can get. I'm sure the sharks would thank you.
This video and hundreds more can be viewed at the Costa Rica Travel Channel and if you're looking for tons of information about Costa Rica, visit: Travel Costa Rica Now ENJOY!
Posted by Unknown
Saving the Sharks
Arenal Costa Rica|Sea Turtles|Shark Finning|Travel Videos|Comments
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Monday, November 17, 2008
Tico Driving- EXPOSED!
Take whatever you've heard about the driving skills of Ticos, multiply by 100- and THEN you'll be in the ballpark of how bad of drivers they actually are.
Websites pertaining to Costa Rica are often subjective, unreliable, misleading etc. But every site out there seems to agree on one thing- Costa Rican drivers are among the worst on the planet. Even the Chinese come in a distant second. On second thought, they may be a PUSH.
If you've never had the opportunity to drive in a demolition derb.…..I mean Costa Rica, I'd say definitely put it on your 'Bucket List'- before the new set of dentures and after jumping out of a plane at 15,000 ft. Actually, when I think about, driving here is a peculiar combination of the two. Anyways, when in Costa Rica, expect one, or better yet, a combination of the following to occur (at any given time): an 18-wheeler using a two-lane road as if it's a one-way street. Passing on a curve - Stopping on a curve. Sudden U-turns, really, they'll do this on the highway- it's truly a sight to behold. Many WILL stop their cars when talking on a cell phone, but that doesn't mean they'll actually pull over- they just STOP. Folks, I can't make this up. Also, Ticos will rarely miss an opportunity to 'chat it up' with friends- frequently pulling alongside a friend's car, or perhaps their relatives they spotted walking to the store- oblivious to the line of cars stacking up behind them.
Remember, driving in Costa Rica is already difficult; rain, sun, darkness, fog, clouds, potholes, pedestrians, animals, mudslides, etc. can turn the shortest of trips into a white-knuckle affair in an instant. Here's OUR video about the driving conditions in Costa Rica:
Now, add a Tico driver to the mix and you have the recipe for disaster. I know you think I'm being overly dramatic- but I assure you, I've driven in numerous countries around the world, and this is the worst. Even in Rome, as a group, they drive in organized disorganization that somehow seems to work- they GET IT.
Ticos are NOT aggressive drivers per se, so what makes them think they can stop their car, on a curve no doubt, and get out and pee, regardless of traffic and/or driving conditions?
I know the answer. Hopefully I can explain it.
We're talking about a culture with no standing Army, patience to spare (tico time), a Pura Vida attitude... and loathes confrontation of any kind. They extend constant driving courtesy BECAUSE they expect it in return. It's nothing they actually think about, it's more unconscious than that, but courtesy nonetheless. They get behind the wheel and do whatever they want, whenever they want. They expect their driving indiscretions to be accepted as such, because they know and understand they would wait for the guy to finishing peeing without the slightest agitation.
So, to the untrained eye, Tico driving appears as a severe case of complacency, or at least, a total lack of regard for others. But to them, when they decide to make a U-turn during rush hour, well, it's ALL understood, because that guy peeing- he's behind the guy making the U-turn.
And so it goes…
I would like to note that although I understand…this is NOT Rome, and in my opinion, no matter how you rationalize it- it's just plain DANGEROUS. Because, let's be honest, some of us pee at the gas station.
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Posted by Unknown 3 comments
Labels: Arenal Costa Rica, Commentary/Editorial and Rants, Costa Rica Travel Info, Driving in Costa Rica, Humor, Living in Costa Rica, Tico Culture, Travel Tips
Saturday, November 15, 2008
It was reported in AM Costa Rica that the powers that be are proposing some changes in the residency laws-
"For pensionados the available monthly amount shown by a formal pension would go from $600 to $2,000. Rentistas would have to show a monthly income of $5,000 instead of the current $1,000."
Gringo Pricing seems to be taking on an entirely new meaning.
The Costa Rican government must know something we don't, or at least have some super secret agenda of some kind. This new proposed change in residency law makes absolutely NO sense for a country that could 'use the money,' so to speak. I can't help but think they're shooting themselves in the foot…..at the average gringos expense.
This is the official reason for the proposal: "..the proposal is designed to battle corruption, speed processing and integrate immigrants into Costa Rican society."
Que? Pretty 'fluffy' if you ask me. Maybe what they meant to say is: It will cost more to manipulate the system, but still doable, we'll pay our workers more, so they'll work faster, and we'd like to get the Nicaraguans/Columbians OUT and keep rich gringos IN and we just don't know any other way to do it.
This appears to be a blatant attempt to get anyone below a certain economic level out of the country. You don't have money- you need to leave. A 'catch all,' beginning with the Nicaraguans and finishing with average gringos.
Really, I don't even think they want to touch the gringos, but to say anything else would be far too discriminating and blatantly prejudicial. I just can't come up with another scenario. Since when did you need $5000.00/month to live here- that's living like a king.
Maybe I'm missing the 'big picture.' I'm sure this all makes sense on some level. I felt this same way a few months ago when I saw how strong the dollar was against the colon, that didn't seem to have made any sense either.
I need enlightened, can someone help?
I hope Oscar and the boys know what they're doing.
Don't forget to check out hundreds of videos about Costa Rica at: CostaRicaTravelChannel.com and a ton of information on Costa Rica in general at: TravelCostaRicaNow.com EnJOY!
Posted by Unknown
AM Costa Rica|Arenal Costa Rica|Commentary/Editorial and Rants|Expats|Living in Costa Rica|Comments
Labels: AM Costa Rica, Arenal Costa Rica, Commentary/Editorial and Rants, Expats, Living in Costa Rica
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
the OTHER roommate- ANTS
Right now, at this very second, I have the feeling that something is scurrying the length of my forearm- and very fast- actually, it seems to be on my shoulder now. There's another sensation on my ankle. Umm, maybe a mosquito, we have a few of those here, but no, these feel familiar.
These 'sensations' started around 3 years ago and drove me NUTS. When I would search the body part the sensation was coming from, I saw NOTHING. Of course at the time, I was in denial I needed reading glasses, so I wouldn't have seen anything anyway. Regardless, I was seriously questioning the messages my sensory receptors were sending my brain. Something was amiss, and although I experimented, I knew I hadn't done THAT many drugs.
That was then and this is now, I've learned a thing or two. I now know those weren't 'false' sensations; there really was something, or a bunch of somethings roaming around my body, and pretty much at will.
The sugar ants moved into our apartment about the same time we did, probably drawn to it for the same reason- the view of the park from our bedroom window. Actually, I think it's the wood furniture, as they seem to prefer Guanacaste (a tree here) wood even more than sugar (maybe Guanacaste Ant just didn't roll of the tongue as well). At first, we did what any gringo would have done- we sprayed the SHIT out of them. I'll be damned if we're going to have ants taking over our apartment, besides, it's not like they were paying rent or anything. Now, if they'd just confine themselves to a few out of the way locations in the apartment, then maybe, just maybe, I'd let them stay. But NOOOO….sugar ants are so controlling.
If you know anything about sugar ants, you know they're really tiny, not your garden variety ant- which is a good thing if you gotta have ants in your apartment, cause here, some varieties can be Schwarzenegger (pre 1995) big. We sprayed, And Sprayed, AND SPRAYED. We concluded that spraying was merely a band aid approach of getting rid of ants, with no real lasting results. Subsequently after spraying, we tried leaving the little dead ant carcasses scattered around the kitchen counters, hoping the surviving ants wouldn't be able to bare the devastation of it all and just retreat to our neighbors apartment.….really, it seemed sensicle at the time (who wants to stick around where a murder has taken place). Of course it didn't work. Then we tried bleach on the counters- nada. We even consulted our good friend the internet and mixed two drops of apple-cider vinegar into a cup of dish washing liquid- again, no effect, although I did notice the ants appeared to have a shine about them that I hadn't noticed before. If these (so-called) remedies were having any effect, it wasn't apparent. Personally, I would have left voluntarily if I knew I wasn't wanted, but these little boogers wouldn't pick up on any social cues.
Anyway, that was then….
Every house in Costa Rica has ants- yeah, I said it. They may leave for awhile, but they always come back. Don't like ants? Don't move here. You may adjust to culture shock, learn tico time is a way of life, hell, you might even learn how to combat gringo pricing, but you will NEVER, EVER, rid your house of sugar ants, so you had better learn to be ONE with them- I know I have. Okay, I'll admit to 'thinning the herd' every now and then, usually right before company comes over; some people just don't appreciate moving parts in their salad. Personally, I don't mind the extra protein.
Right now, at this very second, I have this feeling……………oh shit, that's not an ant!
Next article: So you've become one with the ants, what about the other big ass bugs!
Don't forget to check out hundreds of videos about Costa Rica at: CostaRicaTravelChannel.com and a ton of information on Costa Rica in general at: TravelCostaRicaNow.com EnJOY!
Posted by Unknown
the OTHER roommate- ANTS
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Friday, November 7, 2008
Border Crossing Bobblehead
I'm not sure how many times we've made the trek to the Nicaraguan border to do the whole 'passport stamp' thing, but what is certain, we've been there enough to know better. I'll get to what we know better in a minute.
Currently we are not Costa Rican residents, but hope to be soon. We're what they refer to as 'Perpetual Tourists-' gringos, living in Costa Rica that have to leave the country every 3 months in order to keep their visa current and legal. Just for the record- I do not recommend this. If you're thinking about staying in Costa Rica for the long term, then I'd say start the residency process NOW. However, I do know a lot of gringos and ex pats that do this trek to Nicaragua, and most hate it. Can you imagine, taking time from your busy Costa Rican schedule to travel through a beautiful country to another beautiful country- the horror! I actually enjoy it, a mini vacation, and actually, I'm rather fond of Nicaragua.
So, on this particular trip our best friend Mendee came along, because she's a perpetual tourist also (we like to stick together). We've decided to do some filming for our website, the Costa Rica Travel Channel, so we have our cameras and video equipment in tow. We want to film the actual 'steps' of crossing the border at Penas Blancas in order to show others the process while hopefully alleviating some of the anxiety. Crossing the border can be somewhat daunting if you've never done it before.
Reaching the border is like a homecoming party. As soon as the bus pulls up, it gets swarmed by well-wishers, greeters if you will- just happy to see a new group of gringos they can hopefully rip-off. These guys are the money changers. They wave wads of money in your face asking if you'd like to exchange your colones or dollars for córdobas, or vice versa. I don't mind these guys, hell, I actually do exchange with them. I find this convenient. There's still another bus to catch to Rivas or Granada and once I get where I'm going I don't want to worry about exchanging money.
We have the cameras out and we're filming. These guys don't care; they enjoy mugging for the camera (pun intended). Mendee wants to exchange money, and so do I. But I give her my money since I'm trying to film, as is D'Angelo. Mendee's great. We love her, but she's more of a follower in these types of situations and would rather have someone else deal with this sort of thing- 'thing' being math. But we're busy. In all actuality, exchanging for cordobas is quite easy. It's about 20 cordobas to the dollar- 100 cordobas, five bucks- pretty simple math. These guys thrive on chaos and confusion, remember, we're crossing the border, we have lines to get in. People are gathering up backpacks and luggage from the bus, scurrying off to get in line, chatting, asking questions, making new traveling friends etc. some would call this a 'madhouse'. In the middle of the fray are the money changers with their calculators that don't work, still waving the wads of money in peoples' faces. By the way, these guys love to work in groups of 2-3, which can be somewhat intimidating to the novice border crosser.
We have our guy- thin, young, bad case of acne, long hair, but an inviting smile. He seems SO nice. We're filming, Mendee's exchanging, but talking to me all the while, "Is this right mike, I gave him $200.00 and he's giving me 600 cordobas?" I'm half listening. These guys pull out their calculators and begin to punch numbers- if a calculator was a typewriter, these guys could do like 1500 words a minute. The number they're looking for magically appears on the calculator- 600. 'Acne boy' and his 2 friends quickly nod in 'bobblehead' agreement. (check above pic for one of the original bobbleheads) Mendee checks the calculator, and she too suddenly transforms into a 'bobblehead.' Later, she admitted to having no clue, but thought being a 'bobblehead' would cause the least embarrassment. I'm still filming when 'acne boy' flashes the money in front of the camera, Vegas style, as if showing off a royal flush that WE had just won- and here I am laughing and filming as if we had. He seems so nice.
Exactly 45 seconds later I knew we had been ripped off. Seriously, 45 seconds. A quick look around- these guys were GONE. We spent 30 minutes looking for them; they were gone, probably working on their second Imperial as we were crossing over into Nicaragua. Fuck!
Total border-crossing buzz kill. Mendee's beating herself up for getting scammed and I'm thinking, we film 'travel tips,' we're the experts, we've done this a thousand times, we inform others the best way to safely travel around Costa Rica- this is NOT going to look good on a resume. Needless to say, I was feeling pretty dumb, but in my view, we got cheated fair and square. I let my guard down, and they took advantage. Just another lesson learned. It could have been worse. What a stupid phrase, of course it could always be worse.
We had a hard time letting this go, well Mendee did. I was sort of laughing about it, you know, the irony and all. It came up more than a few times in our three days in Granada, with always the same conclusion- we thought we had a good chance of running into 'acne boy' and the 'bobbleheads' on our way back.
We had 3 hours to wait at the border before our bus would take us back to La Fortuna. We didn't see 'acne boy,' well not at first anyway. As luck would have it, he miraculously appeared not 15 ft. from where we were eating in the snack bar. He didn't see us and I was on him pretty quick, BUT he did remember us.
We got our money back….with interest if you know what I mean. In the end, 'acne boy' WAS nice and we learned a valuable lesson- being a 'bobblehead' is contagious.
Don't forget to check out hundreds of videos about Costa Rica at: CostaRicaTravelChannel.com and a ton of information on Costa Rica in general at: TravelCostaRicaNow.com EnJOY!
Posted by Unknown
Border Crossing Bobblehead
Anything NICARAGUA|Arenal Costa Rica|Humor|Comments
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Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Democracy at WORK
A day after the elections and I couldn't be more disappointed. I knew it was going to happen, hell, I predicted it months ago. It's just so difficult, not really difficult per se, but saddens me in this day and age of the 21st century, that ignorant, misguided folks have a say in the direction the country is going. Like THEY would know. You should have to take a test in order to vote, because a group of stupid people can really shake shit up, and as it turns out, that's exactly what happened. I don't really feel bad for myself, I live in Costa Rica and while it's true what happens in the States does effect the rest of the world, I conduct my daily affairs accordingly, and don't really change anything in particular regardless of what people in the States might be doing.
But the votes have been counted and the people have spoken- the very essence of Democracy at work............. stupid, ignorant motherf***ers, no wonder the Clinton's and the Cheney's and the McCain's of the world have to do a little manipulation to govern. You gotta make the little ignorant f**k believe he's somehow important, but keep that ignorance confined to small groups so they don't get any real power- divide and conquer if you will. Well, this time all those little ignorant f***s got together....
We have to be the laughing stock of the civilized world. I know they're snickering, I can hear them now, "Look at those dumbass Americans, they think they're so intelligent and patriotic- arrogant, cocky, judgmental, puritanical hypocrites, pretending Democracy works for the minority as well as the majority.......Democracy my ass."
All I can say is Yeah, Proposition 8 passed banning gay marriage; so speaks California and now we're another 15 years behind, and I can only wonder why these little Bible thumping, hypocritical, ignorant f***s, give a rip who I FUCK. Yeah, I said it.........I know what you're thinking, "peas and carrots, peas and carrots, La La La La La, La La La, I can't HEAARRR you."
* That said, it is a little disconcerting to know that the supporters of Prop 8 (by their own admission) focused their attentions and manipulations on the huge Hispanic community, understanding full well the majority of Hispanics being steeped in the Catholic religion and still very traditional in their thinking, would surely support the ban. They were right. They came out in droves. The Latin American community in Costa Rica is much the same way, similar to the mores of the States back in the '60's. That does concern me. But as the picture indicates, it could definitely be WORSE! But you know something, you'll have to string us up on cranes, we're not going away (Gays are everywhere) and in approximately 15 years this will be a moot issue and you'll all appear as the bigoted, neanderthals we always knew you were, I just wish you'd keep the white sheet over your heads so we know who you are. btw- I don't recall voting on your marriage.
Related Articles:
GAY Costa Rica- Same Sex Marriage Revisited
GAY Costa Rica- the Gay Traveler
Gay Traveler vs Living Gay in Costa Rica
Gay Discrimination at Rufino's in La Fortuna
Gay Friendly? Gay Tolerant? Gay Smart!
If you need Costa Rica Travel Information then CHECK OUT our travel guide at: Travel Costa Rica NOW and see all our Costa Rica Travel Tip Videos on YouTube.
Posted by Unknown 1 comments
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Next President (NOT)
I guess it just wouldn't be right not to blog about this momentous occasion taking place in the United States. So, I guess I'll weigh in.......from my little apartment in La Fortuna, Costa Rica.
I don't trust the government and I have no faith in the political process. I also don't believe politicians are working in my best interest and I believe there's a mountain of evidence which supports me on this. But I'm not mad, I take responsibility for my life and live accordingly. I do what I want. I don't hurt others or interfere in their life and I expect the same in return. If we're like minded, then maybe we can play together, and hell, bring your toys- if not, take them back to your house- it's all good. I am responsible for my situation at any given time, if not, that makes me a victim. Victims are a sad lot. That's pretty much it, and yeah, it's as simple as that.
The political process is broken. We are NOT a democracy, maybe a oligarchy or plutocracy, but definitely not a democracy....whatever. I don't get caught up in the game played in the media by choosing sides. This is a ruse in order for you to feel involved by choosing a team, like it matters. It doesn't, but it's nice to think so. We are manipulated and only receive the information that is intended, we never know the complete picture. And without having ALL the information, how can we possibly come to some sort of opinion, or choose someone that speaks for us. Money runs the show, that's it. But I'm not mad...........really. I live in Costa Rica, I came to grips with this a long time ago.
"But if we ALL work together and quit the bi-partisan politics and cut government spending and concentrate on creating a better quality of life for everyone by creating jobs and cutting taxes we can be the blueprint for the rest of the world. And not only that- I work for you, not big business.... blah, blah, blah" GEEEZZ, never heard this before. Do you honestly believe it's any different this time around? Although Obama does give a hell of a speech....
If I had to vote,,,,well, you see the pic. Two words- Central Bank
This is what I believe- WATCH IT and spread the word- Let's really make a change! Click here! to make a change.
If you need Costa Rica Travel Information then CHECK OUT our travel guide at: Travel Costa Rica NOW and see all our Costa Rica Travel Tip Videos on YouTube.
I don't trust the government and I have no faith in the political process. I also don't believe politicians are working in my best interest and I believe there's a mountain of evidence which supports me on this. But I'm not mad, I take responsibility for my life and live accordingly. I do what I want. I don't hurt others or interfere in their life and I expect the same in return. If we're like minded, then maybe we can play together, and hell, bring your toys- if not, take them back to your house- it's all good. I am responsible for my situation at any given time, if not, that makes me a victim. Victims are a sad lot. That's pretty much it, and yeah, it's as simple as that.
The political process is broken. We are NOT a democracy, maybe a oligarchy or plutocracy, but definitely not a democracy....whatever. I don't get caught up in the game played in the media by choosing sides. This is a ruse in order for you to feel involved by choosing a team, like it matters. It doesn't, but it's nice to think so. We are manipulated and only receive the information that is intended, we never know the complete picture. And without having ALL the information, how can we possibly come to some sort of opinion, or choose someone that speaks for us. Money runs the show, that's it. But I'm not mad...........really. I live in Costa Rica, I came to grips with this a long time ago.
"But if we ALL work together and quit the bi-partisan politics and cut government spending and concentrate on creating a better quality of life for everyone by creating jobs and cutting taxes we can be the blueprint for the rest of the world. And not only that- I work for you, not big business.... blah, blah, blah" GEEEZZ, never heard this before. Do you honestly believe it's any different this time around? Although Obama does give a hell of a speech....
If I had to vote,,,,well, you see the pic. Two words- Central Bank
This is what I believe- WATCH IT and spread the word- Let's really make a change! Click here! to make a change.
If you need Costa Rica Travel Information then CHECK OUT our travel guide at: Travel Costa Rica NOW and see all our Costa Rica Travel Tip Videos on YouTube.
Posted by Unknown
Next President (NOT)
Arenal Costa Rica|Commentary/Editorial and Rants|Politics|Comments
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
I recently worked on a prototype of a new system using Sketchflow, and now some key stakeholders are pushing for a sketched look & feel in the final product. To make matters worse, the people viewing the prototype were asked to provide feedback on the sketched look & feel by way of a fairly leading survey question, to which 80% of the responses were positive.
It's for an enterprise application that will mostly be for internal clients, but is also intended to be used by some external clients.
The main reasons I have for it thinking it's a bad idea are:
- It doesn't look polished or professional
- The significant effort involved in skinning an actual application in the sketched style
- The sketched style doesn't make efficient use of screen real-estate
I've been trying to figure out what the appeal could possibly be, and the only thing I can come up with is that people are attracted to the simplicity of it -- especially when compared with the existing system(s) it will be replacing.
Can anyone point me in the direction of evidence of why using a sketch look & feel is a bad idea? Ideally something based on UI research. I'm worried that my voice isn't going to be listened to unless I can point to something concrete.
I should probably add that the difficulty of skinning the application is compounded by the fact that it is intended to be delivered as one or more Silverlight webparts in a Sharepoint site. Getting a consistent sketched look & feel across both technologies could be very difficult.
Just in case anyone's not sure about what a Sketchflow prototype looks like (and therefore what the people in question are asking for) they're essentially asking for a production application to have a pencil-sketch wireframe look & feel.


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|Submit your comments on this article
|All five militants dead as operation concludes in Peshawar
|[Dawn] Six people were killed Sunday as police and troops battled faceless myrmidons armed with automatic weapons, grenades and mortars in northwest Pakistain's Beautiful Downtown Peshawar
...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province), administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistan's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire.
, a day after a deadly Taliban raid on the city's airport.
Fierce firing broke out after police acting on an intelligence report stormed a building near the airport, where a suicide and rocket attack on Saturday killed five civilians and the five attackers, and maimed 50 other people.
The assault late Saturday, claimed by the Pak Taliban, sparked prolonged gunfire and forced authorities to close the airport, a commercial hub and Pakistain Air Force (PAF) base in Peshawar on the edge of the tribal belt.
Police backed by troops launched a raid early Sunday on a building under construction near the airport following reports that five faceless myrmidons who fled after the airport attack had taken refuge there, according to provincial information minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain.
In the fierce shootout that followed, three faceless myrmidons and a coppers were killed, police said, while two other officers were maimed.
The festivities ended after six hours when the two remaining faceless myrmidons detonated their boom jackets inside the building, another senior police officer, Imtiaz Altaf, told AFP.
"All five faceless myrmidons are dead now and the area has been cleared," Altaf said.
"All of them were wearing suicide jackets. Three were killed in a shoot out with police, while two others blew themselves up in the under construction building." A PAF statement said five attackers were killed on Saturday and no damage was done to air force personnel or equipment.
Doctor Umar Ayub, chief of Khyber Teaching Hospital near the airport, said five civilians had also been killed and some 50 maimed.
"The base is in total control and normal operations have resumed. The security alert was also raised on other PAF air bases as well," the air force added.
Peshawar airport is a joint military-civilian facility. Civil Aviation Authority front man Pervez George said the passenger side had reopened after an 18-hour closure and there was no damage to the terminals.
The air force said Saturday's attackers used two vehicles loaded with explosives, hand grenades, rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons. One vehicle was destroyed and the second badly damaged.
Security forces found three suicide jackets near one of the vehicles, it said.
"Security forces consisting of Pakistain Air Force and Army personnel who were on full alert, cordoned off the base and effectively repulsed the attack," the air force said.
Television pictures showed a vehicle with a smashed windscreen, another damaged car, bushes on fire and what appeared to be a large breach in a wall.
Five nearby houses were destroyed after rockets landed on them and several other houses developed cracks, while the bomb squad detonated five out of eight bombs found near the base after the attack.
Pak Taliban front man Ehsanullah Ehsan told AFP by telephone from
"Our target was jet fighter planes and gunship helicopters and soon we will target them again," he said.
|Posted by:Fred


text:
Product Added to Basket. View basket
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text:
Friday, May 13, 2011
Blogger is Experiencing Technical Difficulties!
6 comments:
- Atif said...
"Technical difficulties"? Or was it the work of an elite team of raw-prosciutto hacktivists!
They must have been so offended that you cooked the prosciutto, that they took matters into their hands, hacked your blog and deleted the post!
I want to be wrong, Chef John....I really do...
- May 13, 2011 at 2:50 PM
This made my day: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeZlih4DDNg&feature=player_embedded
The Vegan Blck Metal Chef is not Chef John but he is funny!
- May 13, 2011 at 3:35 PM
- Dan said...
Chef John,
Time for your own hosting and a wordpress blog methinks.
Yeah, it would be a pain, but totally worth it in the long run because you would have total control over your blog! Anyhow, just my respectful .02 - love your site. Best wishes,
- May 13, 2011 at 11:46 PM
the vegan death metal chef is hilarious!!
check it out guys.
- May 14, 2011 at 2:18 AM
I saw your tweet about blogger, Chef John. It cracked me up.
- May 14, 2011 at 1:55 PM
- cdcphoenix said...
While he will never compare to Chef John, the Vegan Black Metal Chef is so worth the watch. Too funny.
- May 17, 2011 at 12:49 PM


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The Simpsons are Going to Israel
Thursday, 26 March 2009
What do Ben Stiller, Barack Obama, Helen Mirren, Homer Simpson and the Pope all have in common?
They have all recently visited, or are soon going to visit, Israel.
The Simpsons will be heading to Israel next year after having already visited Australia, Britain, France and Japan. The show's producer said "The premise will be that the Christians, the Jews and Muslims are united in that they all get mad at Homer. It's the only thing they can agree on."
Be Cool in Israel


text:
1996 Optical Fiber Communication Conference
Optical Society of America, Jan 1, 1996 - Technology & Engineering - 326 pages
From inside the book
46 pages matching bit-error-rate in this book
Where's the rest of this book?
Results 1-3 of 46
What people are saying - Write a review
We haven't found any reviews in the usual places.
TuC Surface Emitting Lasers Devices
TuE Network Architecture and Performance
35 other sections not shown
Common terms and phrases
achieved all-optical AOTF array AT&T Bell Laboratories bandwidth bit rate bit-error-rate broadband cavity chirp circuit configuration coupler coupling cross talk cross-phase modulation degradation demonstrated demultiplexer device DFB laser dispersion dispersion-shifted fiber EDFA effect efficiency Electron erbium-doped fiber amplifiers experimental setup extinction ratio eye diagram fabricated fiber grating fiber laser fiber-optic Figure 1 shows filter frequency function gain Gbit/s header high-speed IEEE Photon input power integrated laser diode layer length Lett Lightwave Technol linear loop measured mode mode-locked modulation node noise nonlinear operation optical amplifier optical fiber optical network optical power OSA Tech output power paper parameters performance phase Photon polarization port pulse pump power receiver shown in Fig soliton spectral subcarrier switch technique temperature transmission systems transmitter tunable wave waveguide wavelength converter Wavelength nm wavelength-division multiplexing wavelength-division multiplexing WDM width


text:
The Forex world is constantly evolving and during its weekly trading hours there is a wealth of news a trader must keep on top of if they want to make the most money possible. Indeed, because the market can be affected by a number of dynamics, it is essential they know exactly what's happening at all times in order to avoid any unprofitable deals.
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Knowing the value of each currency based on various internal and external factors is crucial and the reason why FXBrokerSearch.com's Forex news centre is a vital resource. Drawing on a number of resources, our information section provides the latest information and data from which users can refine their trading activity.
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Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Ohio, and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. President Gary Cohn, who's from Cleveland, are friendly enough that Brown has been known to rib Coh ..
China's economy still faces "relatively big" downward pressures and timely policy fine-tuning is needed, Premier Li Keqiang was quoted by state radio as saying ..
From workers in Congress and at the White House to active duty troops, more than 318,000 federal employees and retirees owe just over $3.3 billion in back taxes, the Internal ..
Despite global markets seemingly taking the Federal Reserve's tapering in stride, a new concern could be on the horizon. ..
Russia and China have agreed on a $25 billion prepayment under a supply deal signed earlier this week, Alexander Medvedev, chief executive of Gazprom Export, said on Friday. & ..
Barclays Plc (BARC.L) has been fined 26 million pounds ($43.8 million) for failures in internal controls that allowed a trader to manipulate the setting of gold prices just a ..
Asian shares hit one-year highs on Friday and bond yields were on track to notch up a broad-based rise on the week, but European markets softened after a closely watched measu ..
China's economic slowdown is "manageable" as the country is in a stage of development where reforms and environmental protection take precedence in policy consi ..
A closely watched survey shows that German business confidence has dipped, with companies less optimistic about both their current situation and the outlook for the next six m ..
With Tesla shares just a few dollars shy of analysts' average target price of $214, will the stock run out of gas (or, in this case, electricity)? ..
Risk Disclosure: fxBrokerSearch.com will not be held liable for any financial loss or damage caused by users acting upon any information contained within this website, not limited to and including: all numerical data, quotes, charts and buy/sell signals. Moreover, please be advised that Forex trading is one of the most volatile investment forms in the world and all trades should be placed with full consideration of the risks and costs.
fxBrokerSearch.com does not support nor encourage the execution of any investments. Trading with a margin is high risk endeavour and not suitable for everyone, therefore, each investor should carefully consider all relevant trading conditions, such as experience, risk and cost, before taking part in any type of trading, including Forex.
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text:
Available ebook formats: epub
Robert Paul Wolff received a doctorate in Philosophy from Harvard University in 1957. He has taught at Harvard, the University of Chicago, Columbia University, and the University of Massachusetts, where he has been a faculty member since 1971. He has published twenty-one books on the history of modern philosophy, social and political philosophy, the philosophy of education, economics, and Afro-American Studies. Among his best-known books are Kant's Theory of Mental Activity and In Defense of Anarchism, which has just been translated into Croatian, Korean, and Malaysian. In 1992, he was invited to join the W. E. B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies to assist in the establishment of a doctoral program, which he has coordinated since it was established in 1996. Wolff is now the director of the new university- wide Program for Undergraduate Mentoring and Achievement which provides mentoring and instructional services to traditionally underrepresented students in their first year at UMass. In 2005 Wolff published Autobiography of an Ex-White Man, a meditation on the experience of joining an Afro-American Studies Department and what it taught him about America. In 1990, Wolff founded University Scholarships for South African Students, a charitable organization that offers financial aid to poor Black students studying at South Africa's historically Black universities and technikons.


text:
Stock options is not the only way that Facebook employees are getting rich. Some executives are doing just fine their salaries.
Facebook's Security and Exchange Commission filing earlier this month revealed how much its top executives took home in 2011.
Fortune took that number -- $83 million -- and compared it to what the top firms on Wall Street pay their top executives.
The money magazine was left asking: Where's the Occupy Facebook movement?
While the top banks -- Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, JP Morgan Chase -- haven't released how much they have paid their top executives in 2011, the numbers for 2010 don't even come close.
Bank of America paid its top eight executives $28 million, while Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg made $31 million alone.
Goldman Sachs paid its executives less than 1 percent of its total profits, Morgan Stanley took home 1.2 percent and Wells Fargo dished out 0.4 percent of its total profits.
Facebook paid about 8 percent.


text:
Onyx Appoints Despain R&D Director
He oversees teams responsible for workflow software.
August 20, 2013
Onyx Graphics, Inc., recently announced that Jeffrey (Jeff) L. Despain has been named director of R&D. Jeff oversees the engineering teams dedicated to producing the company's workflow-software products.
Despain comes to Onyx Graphics from Digital Gateway, a business-management and enterprise-resource planning-software company, where he served as director of product development and solutions architect.
He holds a bachelor's degree in computer science from Weber State University. Despain is based at Onyx Graphics headquarters in Salt Lake City, UT.
View more from this Screen Printing issue


text:
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USB-C to USB-A Cable - M/M - 1m (3ft) - USB 2.0
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Compliance Letters
Safety Measures
- If product has an exposed circuit board, do not touch the product under power.
- If Class 1 Laser Product. Laser radiation is present when the system is open.
- Wiring terminations should not be made with the product and/or electric lines under power.
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- Cables (including power and charging cables) should be placed and routed to avoid creating electric, tripping or safety hazards.
* Product appearance and specifications are subject to change without notice.


text: Americans don't care much for the handling of federal spending by Republicans in Congress or President Obama. But they dislike the Republicans more. A Washington Post/ABC poll showed 26 percent of Americans approve and 67 percent disapprove of the GOP's approach to spending. Obama's numbers are 43 percent and 52 percent. Just 44 percent of Republicans said they approved of their party's approach, compared to 51 percent who disapproved. That 51 percent might want to think about it before they pull the lever in the next election.


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It seems like its official. I cant find Red Ice Creation's live stuff on Youtube any longer. Around the year of '08 they started doing these live shows where guest would use visual aids. Jake Kotze did this specific one about all things JC. I can understand how it can get over looked on such a new forum and am sad that I can't review it now. I do however remember somethings about it. And there is the video above expressing J.ennifer C.onnelly's involvement with Mirror's and glass that he, Jake, did around the same time. Her name being JC is fitting with all of the Mirror scenes. One could chose to find the mirror hinting at our understanding of the external world. It's the only image that we get of what our consciousness emanates from. Sense that line of thinking leads to paradox, and a myriad of philosophical questions, the mirror has stood in as a simple symbol to rely the ideas. Story's like Dionysus and Narcissus are ancient examples of this with their exclusive use of reflection and infatuation. These are the topic's of almost every savior story and capitalized by Jennifer's initials, she is Jesus tangled in the material.
Check out g8ors.blogspot.com for more.
Narcissus perhaps comes from the word "Narke" and means "Sleep or numbness". In fact the root is the source of the word Narcotics as well. Above Richard Arrowsmith made a video of an artistic nature that explores these concepts again. Notice the use of mirror's and the re birth themes in The Hulk(with JC) and Avatar(by J.ames C.ameron). Once again savior story's all hold the secret to the meaning of "born again". I also like the accompanying "Dream" theme throughout Richard's video. Requiem for a Dream with Connelly explores the realm of Narcotics with the Dream Theme in the title itself. Interesting Kotze sourced this movie in his interview with Red Ice because here Connelly is seen at Conney Island on the pier, in the movie it is a symbol of the life taken away by the sleep walking world of drugs.Dark City with Connelly sees the same. In this movie, man, as a race, has been highjacked and is stuck in a labyrinth maze of city and dream scapes. The social commentary of the movie is blatant and of course Connelly is found as a goal at the end of a pier, once the bondage is broken... Once the dream is over.Connelly works at a theater in Dark City which promises the movie Book Of Dreams to come soon.D.avid B.owie tries to give Connelly her dreams within the Crystal Balls he tosses around in her earlier film Labyrinth. The Material world again paired with Dark Cities maze symbolism. Bowie appears to Connelly as a Man In Black. A theme that crosses her career in movies like The Day The Earth Stood Still, Beautiful Mind, and of course Dark City. The understanding that Dreams are at the heart of Bowie's intention doesn't deserve to be over looked and in fact he drugs her to sleep to fulfill these dreams and distract her into forgetfulness. She finds herself in a masquerade ball as we explore one of the scenes that Kotze used in his video on JC, for this particular scene ends with shattered glass.Bowie sweeps her off her feet and although this is a kid friendly movie the hint's of sexuality tight rope between subtle and subliminal. This can be associated to an initiation of sorts following secret society history and cults of Dionysus, of the mirror once again. Of course Connelly breaks the illusion and cracks the mirror but the hint of Dream is still present. A waking dream. In Requiem she is not so lucky. Identical scenario however. The individual who leads her to this initiation is one Keith David, of course he is known for showing us a reflection of our world and the ones that lie like dreams just side ways to it.


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Wilson disease is an inherited genetic disorder associated with abnormal copper metabolism that results in excess storage of copper, primarily in the liver and brain. Copper is an essential mineral that is absorbed into the body through the diet. It is incorporated into enzymes that play a role in the regulation of iron metabolism, formation of connective tissue, energy production at the cellular level, the production of melanin, and the function of the nervous system and brain.
Copper is absorbed in the intestines, bound to a carrier protein, and transported to the liver. The liver stores some of the copper and binds most of the rest to a protein called apoceruloplasmin to produce the enzyme ceruloplasmin. About 95% of the copper in the blood is bound to ceruloplasmin, and most of the rest is bound to other proteins, such as albumin. Only a small amount is normally present in the blood in a free (unbound) state. Excess copper is normally excreted into the bile and removed from the body in the stool. Some copper is also eliminated by the kidneys into the urine.
Wilson disease is an autosomal recessive disorder, which means it takes two altered gene copies, one inherited from each parent, to cause the disorder. Those with only one copy are carriers and can pass the mutation on to their children but do not have symptoms of the disease.
The gene mutation in Wilson disease is at the ATP7B gene. This gene is needed both to attach copper to the developing ceruloplasmin molecule and to excrete copper into the bile. An alteration in both gene copies (homozygous) leads to excess copper storage in the liver and to a decrease in ceruloplasmin in the blood. As the build-up becomes toxic, copper begins to damage the cells and tissues in the liver, spills into the blood, and begins to form deposits in other organs such as the brain and kidneys. Free (unbound) copper concentrations in the blood increase and can cause oxidative damage to cells. Those affected may have signs and symptoms associated with liver dysfunction, neurologic damage, or both. The severity of the condition depends partly upon the gene mutations present but will also vary from person to person.
About 1 in 30,000 people in the United States have Wilson disease and as many as 1 in 90 are estimated to be carriers. There are currently about 40 known normal variants of the ATP7B gene and over 260 different mutations of the ATP7B gene that have been associated with Wilson disease. Only a few of these mutations are common, however, with their prevalence varying with ethnicity throughout the world. Those affected may have two copies of the same genetic mutation or two different mutations.


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The Lifetime Network is serious about making a biopic about screen icon Elizabeth Taylor. And they want to cast Lindsay Lohan in the lead role.
OK, so maybe they're not so serious.
Learning nothing from the "Gotti" film debacle or the prematurely-hyped "Inferno," Lifetime told Hollywood Reporter that the project is moving ahead with producer Larry Thompson steering the ship and that LiLo is their #1 choice to play the late Taylor.
U.S. & World
At this rate, Lohan is racking up "comeback" films the way Guillermo Del Toro is racking up "in development" projects, and neither have much of anything to show for their alleged efforts.
But we'll see. Playing a beloved grande dame of cinema is certainly a smarter move than playing a horribly abused porn star or a mobster's daughter, and we all know that Lohan loves her some classic icons. She's one themed-photoshoot away from officially having more pictures of her as Marilyn Monroe than there are pictures of the real Marilyn Monroe.
Well, sooner or later one of these has to get made, right? Right?


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You can probably tell we plan to go pretty fast in our '63 Nova hardtop project by the extensive rollcage you see in this story's lead image. When you last read about our latest street/strip project we were fitting our Flex-a-lite fan and radiator combo between the 'rails; in this installment we completely upgrade the chassis with a Chris Alston's Chassisworks kit (PN 7021), as well as some of their optional upgrades in order to keep us safe if something tragic happens during dragstrip runs. But safety wasn't the only reason to put an 8.50 quarter-mile–certified rollcage in the stock-but-worn X-body, chassis flex from hard launching a little old car was also a concern. You may remember in the first story in this build ("Master Blaster," Dec. '12 issue, page 36) we stripped the '63 to bare metal in search of cancer or any detrimental body damage. Well, we didn't find any major exterior damage, so we were pleased, but what we didn't see with the soda blast was the superthin '60s sheetmetal that had our bodyman cursing the car every time he'd put a grinder to agitate an area for Bondo work. The slightest pressure and the abrasive disc would punch through, meaning the car was even more of a "potato chip" than we thought. We decided to install a 'cage that would not only protect us in a crash, but also ensure that our fire-breathing small-block we have planned won't twist the six-cylinder two-door. Another thing we considered about the lean and blasted body panels was the weight we were saving by not having four coats of paint and primer. The goal with this street-legal project car is to build it is as light as possible, while being safe and structurally sound. Thanks to a chassis parts supplier with decades of experience and a skilled fabricator with the knowledge of the NHRA rulebook, our vision for this car is a step closer to becoming reality.
We contacted Casey Steinman at Overkill Fabrications in Upland, California, for the installation of the Chassisworks 'cage kit (as well as few other upgrades) to prepare the car for the SBC/TH400 powertrain. On the to-do list for the primered hardtop included deleting the back seat and designing and NHRA-legal bulkhead that keeps flames, smoke, and fumes away from the driver; fastening the Harwood fiberglass cowl-induction hood (PN 5750) and trunk lid (PN1067) down using Dzus fasteners, and installing a pair of subframe connectors from Chevy 2 Only (PN 2000). Since the early Novas have a subframe (making the body more of a structural part of the car when uncaged), the guys at Chevy 2 Only designed some mild steel connectors that make the Nova have a fully connected chassis. This also gave Steinman something to tie the whole 'cage into the stock frame, essentially.
In keeping with the lighter-faster-stronger theme, we opted for Chris Alston's chrome-moly 'cage kit instead of mild steel for a few reasons; the weight savings (see sidebar Bar Thickness and Diameter), and it also will allow us to upgrade to an SFI cert that will allow the car to run as quick as 7.50 in the quarter-mile. While we plan on competing in a street-legal NMCA class, we envision this car becoming an even quicker animal. Coincidentally, some may say this 'cage is "overkill", but we built it with even higher speeds in mind. In other words, this car is only destined for the street for so long. That's why we also ordered Chris Alston's Funny Car addition (PN 7227). If you want to see Alston's ultimate drag race 'cage for a door car, check out the sidebar on Editor Henry D's third-gen Z28, Project True 10.5, that he plans to run over 200 mph.
So, you want to go fast without dying? Read this article to find out what we did to make our Nova project structurally sound.
1. Bar Thickness and Diameter: When it comes to rollcages, the bar diameters and thickness vary depending on the material you choose. For mild steel 'cages, fabricators use 13/4-inch diameter, 0.134-inch wall tubing (on right), which is the heavier option. Chrome-moly 'cages use a lighter 15/8-inch diameter, 0.083-inch wall tube (on left), but are more expensive and cost more to install. Other sizes are also used in further upgrades, such as Funny Car hoops and gussets, and typically measure 11/4 in chrome-moly. The idea is to increase the overall rigidity of the 'cage in critical areas. One thing to consider when choosing material is how soft it is; chrome-moly is more rigid, but mild steel is considered a soft metal.
Cage Styles
2. Here is an example of a basic Chassisworks steel four-point rollbar kit (PN 7000). This will allow you to run no quicker than 11.49 in the quarter-mile.
3. The eight-point kit (PN 7001) is also a mild steel 'cage kit with the added bars SFI requires to run 10.00 in the quarter-mile. Both the 7000 and 7001 can be MIG welded in.
4. While there are many variations to the rollcage kits Chassisworks offers, this is an example of a rollcage that can be certified to run up to 8.50 in the quarter-mile. The one pictured is available in mild steel (PN 7003) and chrome-moly (PN 7021). All of these kits come via UPS in boxes filled with metal raw bars and need to be fitted.
5. Fitting the main hoop and some of the crucial bars in the 8.50 cert design is the first step to the 'cage installation process.
6. Here, Steinman welds in the steel floor plates that come with the Alston 'cage into place. Keep in mind these only connect to the sheetmetal floor to the main hoop behind the seat and don't tie into the frame; however, it's not required to do so per NHRA guidelines.
7. As you can see, without the subframe connectors, the early Novas have a leaf-spring mount that looks largely unsupported. These tubular connectors enforce this critical suspension attachment point, while connecting the frame.
8. The bars that extend to the rear actually line up over the frame and didn't need to be triangulated like the main hoop in this build.
9. This shot shows the Chevy 2 Only subframe connectors and driveshaft hoop/crossmember we had welded in by Overkill.
10. We opted for crossbraces in the doors. This was done with the intention to make this car legal for quicker dragstrip times.
11. To further strengthen the cage, Steinman also made some kickers that extend from the front floor plate to the factory Nova frame. Triangulation like this works by simple physics: It dissipates impact into a larger surface.
12. Another added option we went with was a crossbar behind the main hoop—convenient for if and when we decide to upgrade.
13. This junction behind shows all the bars join the main hoop; this will be behind the driver seat.
14. With the 'cage all TIG welded and tied into the upgraded frame, we painted the bars satin black with Dupli-Color engine paint. The final step will be getting a literal seal of approval from an NHRA tech that we'll have to show off at a later date. Look for the following article in this build where we put a shiny coat of DuPont's Redline Red on the Hellion's exterior, then it's time for that fire-breather we wrote about earlier.
Project True 10.5
Several years ago we started dreaming up a third-gen Camaro to compete in the True 10.5 class, a class reserved for both stock suspension and back-halved cars like ours, but one that also requires competitors to retain the factory firewall. Up front, aftermarket suspension is allowed, however it must bolt into the factory location as well. Since then, we ended up purchasing a '91 Z28 that we completely tore apart, and delivered to Bill Hickok of Hickok Race Cars in California City, California, where he's been assembling and fabricating the 25.2 chassis. In past issues, we've shown you the Chris Alston's Chassisworks FAB9 rearend build and install. This time around, we wanted to showcase the basics of a 'cage install with the '63, all the while updating you on the '91 Z28 chassis. We're proud to say that Bill has been keeping his welder busy in order to meet NHRA's strict chassis certification requirements and it's only a matter of time before we get our dedicated track machine onto the tarmac. —Henry D
1. If you're looking to build a third-gen like ours, Chris Alston's Chassisworks offers a complete kit to transform your chassis into a 25.2 roller. Per NHRA requirements, the chrome-moly tubes feature a 15/8-inch diameter and 0.083-inch wall thickness.
2. Compared to the 8.50-certified 'cage, the 25.2 is a lot more elaborate and requires the entire floor to be removed for the lower bars and trans tunnel. This is a single-rail design that'll eventually be covered with aluminum floors; however, we're placing steel floors underneath the driver seat to meet certification requirements. It's also good for wear and tear.
3. Our Chassisworks antiroll bar is a tubular spline piece featuring a 1.25x0.188-inch wall with steel endlink tubes.
4. The lower main crossbar connects the rear four-link.
5. Out back, the rear tree is a critical component to the chassis structure by housing the mounts for the shocks and the antiroll bar, and it also supports the chassis side four-link brackets. This area alone is what can make or break a chassis from being stable on the big end and producing consistent repeatable performance numbers on the track.


text: Julia Garrison of the Sarah Elizabeth Shop in Rockport recently updated the shop's interior and displays. I love the way the black storage/display pieces complement the antique acorn press. Check it out at 10 Whistlestop Mall in Rockport. And if you can't make it to Rockport, you can see Julia's line at www.sarah-elizabeth-shop.com. By the way, the shop's previous owner was the very talented Isabel Natti. Joey did an interview with her before she passed away, which you can find through this link.


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Indiana investigators look for cause of an explosion that killed two, injured seven people. WTHR's Jennie Runevitch reports.
Updated at 9:16 p.m. ET: Officials have called in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to investigate a thunderous explosion that killed two and left 27 homes uninhabitable in a south Indianapolis neighborhood late Saturday night, NBC affiliate WTHR reported.
The blast was reported shortly after 11 p.m. near South Sherman Drive and Stop 11 Road on the south side of Indianapolis, WTHR said.
"Multiple houses engulfed in flames. Even the police officers that got to the scene before I did were not sure what happened. Kind of a surreal scene, even for police officers," Marion County Sheriff John Layton told the station.
Emergency crews rescued Glenn and Gloria Olvey from their home, the Indianapolis Star reported, and were reportedly "battered, bruised and sore."
Matt Kryger / The Indianapolis Star
Two houses were leveled by an explosion that sparked a fire and killed two people early Sunday morning. The powerful nighttime blast shattered windows, crumpled walls and could be felt at least three miles away.
The cause of the explosion and fires wasn't immediately clear, but Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard dismissed reports of a possible plane crash as he arrived at the scene. Fire officials said separately that investigators would be checking whether natural gas was possibly involved but they had no further details on what was behind the blast that sent tall flames skyward.
Ballard said at least two homes had been destroyed by the powerful blast and that the damage went on "for blocks on end."
Read more from NBC affiliate WTHR
Television video showed tall flames shooting overhead and spreading to numerous homes shortly after the blast reported around 11 p.m. Saturday. Hours after the flames pierced the skyline, firefighters had begun containing the flames and thick clouds of gray smoke billowed overhead.
Matt Kryger / AP
Authorities say a loud explosion has leveled a home in Indianapolis and set four others ablaze in a neighborhood, causing several injuries.
"It was so strong that it clearly had an effect for blocks," Ballard said from the area. Beyond the burning homes there was wider damage in the neighborhood: windows shattered in nearby homes, walls caved in and garage doors were knocked off their hinges.
Residents were told to evacuate to a nearby elementary school and people could be seen shivering in white blankets handed out to them as they moved off.
IFD works to control the fires from the the multiple home explosions on the southside of Indy. @indystar twitter.com/MattKryger/sta…— Matt Kryger (@MattKryger) November 11, 2012
Ballard said investigators will have to see what they find in coming days.
"We're going to need some comforting in the next few days," he said.
Earlier, Capt. Rita Burris with the Indianapolis Fire Department told The Associated Press that the scene looked like something out of a war zone. "It's really messy," she said soon after it began.
More content from NBCNews.com:
- Officials: Complaint about Broadwell sparked FBI inquiry that indicated Petraeus affair
- Earthquake rattles eastern Kentucky
- Petraeus' biographer under FBI investigation over access to his email, officials say
- Up to 4 feet of snow in Montana as storm hits West
- Ideas on protecting New York from future storms float to surface
- Volunteers help clean up areas hit hard by Sandy
Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook


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I Chose Withdrawal And I Knew What I Was Doing
One of my testimonios for the Latina Week Of Action For Reproductive Justice focuses on my experience using the withdrawal method. I am not a victim, I am not ashamed, and I knew what I was doing.
Rewire is participating in The Latina Week of Action for Reproductive Justice, an effort meant to raise awareness and spur dialogue about unique perspectives of and by Latina's on reproductive justice. As part of this week, the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health is hosting a blog carnival, encouraging Latina bloggers to write posts about contraception (our theme) from their perspectives. Bianca's article today is one of those piecs. The week of action runs August 9 to 15th.
Many media outlets and educators will lead us to think that the withdrawal method is not a birth control method at all. When I was being trained as a sexuality educator there was a joke that went around. It went something like this: "Q: What do you call people who use the withdrawal method? A: Parents." The logic was that there is no protection from STIs or from pregnancy using this method.
Although this is true, as someone who has used the withdrawal method several times, even after having that sexuality education and training, I knew what I was doing. I was not in a relationship where my power was taken away from me because we chose withdrawal, we knew we didn't want to have children, and we also knew of our STI and HIV status.
We chose withdrawal for several reasons but the main one is this: We wanted to. Now I know several of my friends, followers, and students may be floored at finding this out about me, but it is true and I am not ashamed, if anything I'm proud.
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Just because I provide someone with all of their options and support what they choose does not mean I am always already going to choose what someone else may consider the "right" option for myself. This non-judgmental approach to working with people (for me, especially with youth in my community) in the sexuality field is difficult, but it's something that is essential to the work we do. I know the risks involved with various activities and with partners and make decisions based on (perceived) trust and respect I have with my partnter(s). Judging someone based on their choices is not going to help them or you. Understanding where they are coming from and where they wish to go and what is sustainable for them is useful and often something that many underrepresented communities and individuals rarely receive in their interactions with health care providers, educators, and the like.
So, what was the scenario that led me to make this decision? I was living in the south, just started grad school part 2 in a PhD program. No matter what anyone tells you about doctoral programs, if you don't have some money saved you WILL be broke, unless your family is independently wealthy. I was living below the poverty line and eligible for food stamps when I was in graduate school. The man I was partnered with was, and still is, amazing. He was a federal police officer, because that's what some of your main choices are for an over 25-year-old woman of Color living in Washington, DC wanting to date a man of Color with a similar social justice agenda. Our first date was 8 hours long and I knew he was the person I wanted to spend most of my time with (i.e. this to me meant being monogamous) when he called me that night to make sure I got home okay, ignoring all those "rules" of when to call someone you like spending time with (which I have heard is anywhere from 2-6 days!).
He got check ups regularly through his work and had his most recent STI and HIV test results to share with me as did I. My last lover before him was almost two years prior to that time and I had had regular check ups. He was the kind of partner I wish all people had the opportunity to have: generous, patient, honest, and communicated well. He was the first man who asked for my consent verbally and actually said to me: "I think we should kiss each other now, is that okay with you?" And he would joke later in the relationship when we were ready to kiss in other positions or move onto other activities and say "If you keep kissing me I'm going to assume it is okay to do XYZ, is that alright?" and I would consent or we would stop and discuss, but more so I would consent. Because I wanted to.
As I look back on this relationship I realize that I never once asked him for consent. I wonder what this means about me today, where I ask the people I'm interested in kissing, hugging, holding hands with, if they are open to that form of affection. These are difficult conversations and questions to ask. I've had and heard my shares of "no" to such queries and it is a sting to the ego, but at least I know what my potential partners are comfortable with and/or where I stand with them and if I should move on.
Our withdrawal conversation was similar to our kissing conversation. We had already discussed sexual health histories, had engaged in some forms of penetrative activities with condom usage, and discussed the challenges and consequences. It was at that time that I chose to talk to him about spermicide. As a police officer I assumed he would know what spermicide is because he dealt with homicides all day long, but he didn't. It became my opportunity to share with him what I knew. He is not the first partner I've had (who is now over 40 years old) who I have shared with what spermicide does. I've had at least 3 other partners where that conversation was a part of our birth control discussion.
We sometimes used the spermicide and we enjoyed one another and we checked in and it, to this day, was one of the most enjoyable relationships I've had because we communicated with one another and received consent. When he got an offer for his dream job which would take him throughout the Caribbean, enforcing what I consider questionable international drug laws, I knew that was not the type of relationship I wanted and we ended our relationship. However, we have remained in touch and the last time we spoke he was very impressed and even said he was proud of me for making a name for myself in the sexuality field. That felt really good to hear.
Now I really hate it when researchers, sexologists, educators, and they often judge young people, people of Color, working class people and so many others who chose withdrawal or even spermicides alone as their birth control option. For many of us it is one of the safest and only ways possible for us to engage in sexual activity (which may not always be consensual and if you think it is please take a moment to consider the billions of ways consent is not always present for many people) and decrease pregnancy without having a hormonal or latex connection (many people have allergies to latex, as we get older our vaginal canals change as does our vaginal secretions, and a ton of other things many readers can imagine).
Yes, there is discomfort and resistance in discussing withdrawal methods with patients/youth/clients/partners. Why don't we look at what that resistence is, where it comes from and why that discomfort is there? How have we learned from our feelings of discomfort in the past? Many of us know that if we are sitting in a class or reading a book or experiencing something that makes us uncomfortable it is a good idea to try and pinpoint what it is about that situation that leads to that discomfort. Until we can honestly figure this out for ourselves, our abilities to provide care and support to communities may not be as helpful as we hope.
I'll be writing more about birth control for the Latina Week Of Action for Reproductive Justice also at VivirLatino and on my Media Justice column at Amplify.


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NYC Introduces Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program
A roundup of news clippings we're reading that affect the way we eat.
New York City Deputy Mayor Linda Gibbs and Health Commissioner Thomas Farley announced this week that New York will launch a new chapter of the Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program, or FVRx, a program that allows doctors to "prescribe" fruits and vegetables to families at risk for obesity and diet-related illness. Patients can receive a dollar per day for each member of their family—a family of four could receive $28 per week—to redeem at New York City farmer's markets. Each month, patients meet with their doctors for prescription renewal and to have their weight and BMI measured. Hospitals will try to retain participants for at least 4 months.
FVRx is a program run by Wholesome Wave, a Bridgeport-based organization working on hunger and food issues across the northeast. Wholesome Wave launched their pilot FVRx programs in 2011 in Massachusetts, Maine, California and Rhode Island. The program was then expanded to Connecticut, New Mexico, Texas, and Washington, D.C. in 2012.
Wholesome Wave's 2012 FVRx impact report shows many positive results from the program. According to their data, 55% of participants in FVRx reported increased fruit and vegetable consumption, and almost 40% of child participants reduced their BMI. A large majority of participants in FVRx are from low-income families and have limited access to healthy food. Wholesome Wave touts the ability of the FVRx program to empower these families to seek out healthier food options.
Lincoln Medical Center and Harlem Hospital Center are the first two medical centers to launch the program; each aims to enroll up to 70 patients in the FVRx program. FVRx is a next step in ongoing efforts by GrowNYC, the NYC Department of Health, and the mayor's office to increase access to local and healthy food to New York's low income residents.
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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Rapper and business mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs was involved in a car accident that he later called a "close one."
Diddy was a passenger in a Cadillac Escalade that was driving along Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles Wednesday when a Lexus sedan made a left turn in front of the vehicle, ending in a collision, Beverly Hills police Lt. Lincoln Hoshino told The Associated Press.
TMZ posted one picture showing Diddy lying on grass and another of the banged up Escalade.
Although Diddy complained about pain, nobody involved in the accident was taken to the hospital, according to the AP.
U.S. & World
Diddy tweeted picture on his Instagram Thursday of a sign that read, "Woah...that was a close one!"
Selected Reading: Huffington Post, TMZ


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The 2012 Tri-State Dairy Nutrition Conference will be held April 24-25 in Fort Wayne, Ind.
The conference agenda includes the following topics:
- Nutrition and immunity
- Water quality
- Economic value of milk components
- Issues related to milk sampling and analysis
- Circadian patterns of feed intake and milk composition variability
- Bioactive supplements for relief of milk fat depression
- Milk fat variation in fresh cows
- What's new with corn silage for dairy cattle?
- Feeding value of different grasses
- Advantages and disadvantages of homegrown forages
- Food Modernization Act - What it means to the feed and livestock industries
- Management tips for calves fed with automated milk feeders
- Variation in feed and diet composition
- Harvesting and storing high moisture corn
- Managing a profitable dairy farm
The conference also includes a student research competition with presentations by graduate students from Michigan State University, Purdue University and The Ohio State University.
For more information or to register, click here.