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I am writing again from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.
And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates. Deuteronomy 6:6-9
God wanted the Israelites to know what they were all about. He also wanted the Israelites to let everyone else know that they were all about the Gospel of their Creator and Redeemer. Sure they had other interests too from various forms of work and recreation, but what was posted on their gates and houses was what they were all about.
What are you all about?
On a recent trip from Florida to Tennessee to see my sister I became hungry for some fast Mexican food. Soon I saw the sign for Taco Bell. Now the sign and the name told me right away this would be a Mexican restaurant. Their sign told me what they are all about. That is good. I needed to know what they were all about and they needed me to know what they were all about. If I wanted hamburgers then I needed to go elsewhere. Hamburgers were not what they were about.
You may not realize it but you have signs that tell people what you are all about. What is that catchy slogan on your t-shirt? What is that poster people see on your bedroom wall as soon as they open the door? What is the first picture people see when they log into your Myspace? It is what you are all about. That's good. Really, no matter what you have on your bedroom wall or Myspace it is good that you are telling people what you are all about. That way you only attract people who need what it is that you are all about. If I want hamburgers then I don't need to waste my time going to Taco Bell, and if I am searching for Jesus and the hope the gospel brings then I don't need to waste my time on a website offering pornography and vice versa.
When Jesus walked the earth whether or not you liked Him, you always knew what He was all about. In chapter 53 Isaiah says, "There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him." NLT That's not to say he was ugly just that He was not all about His physical appearance. No doubt many women were attracted to Him but not for physical reasons but for a higher purpose. Physical attraction was not what Christ was all about. Now Christ loves beauty and He loves for people to be physically beautiful just as much as He loves a beautiful sunset or lush green meadow. Christ just made it clear what He was really all about. The nail scarred hands. The eyes of tenderness, His smile of hope tell us what He is all about.
In 1 Peter 3:3-4 Peter tells wives with unbelieving husbands to let them know what they are all about. "Whose adorning let it not be that outward [adorning] of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But [let it be] the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, [even the ornament] of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price." In this context we see Peter is not condemning physical attraction but is rather telling wives, "make it clear what you are all about. Not physical carnal things but something deeper and more spiritual from the heart."
It's all well and good for a man to be physically attracted to a woman and vice versa. However we need to attract people to what we are all about. They need to know. The Israelites did not spend all day just posting the gospel on their gates and homes, but by having it posted there people knew what they were all about. It's a different world today. We don't post things on our gates and homes necessarily but we do post things other places. What is posted on your Myspace right now? Whatever it is, that is what you are telling the world and heaven you are all about. Some children are scared to let their parents or mentors find their Myspace. If you are afraid of someone you respect finding your Myspace then you may ask yourself why that is. Are you hiding something? An inspired author writes that Christians are to be transparent as the sunlight with nothing to hide and no facades. By the way, your parents and mentors know when you have one Myspace for the world to see and then another one that is more appropriate that you try to pass off as your only Myspace. If you think they have not found it or seen what you do not want them to, still your friends and your Savior have found it and they know what you are all about. Embarrassed? I hope not. If you are, then look by faith into those tender eyes of pity. Place your hand into His nail scared hands and ask His forgiveness. Not forgiveness for an inappropriate picture or slogan you have posted but even more so for not being all about the One Who is all about you. Funny how the One who sees and knows everything about us suddenly has the worst memory in the universe when we ask His forgiveness!
Sexy pictures and dirty talk are all rampant on the Internet. You can find it anywhere and everywhere. Ask yourself if that is what you want to be. Ask yourself what you are really all about. Ask yourself if the things you have on your Myspace really represent your ambition in life. I don't know what you have on your personal Myspace but I can guarantee you, you were meant for more than what is mostly out there. Sadly many people are looking for that sort of thing but if so let them find it somewhere else not with you. Meanwhile there are people looking for more than a sexy face or dirty joke. They are looking for a Savior. Will they find Him on your Myspace?
Jesus says not to hide the light under a bushel. When I was hungry for Mexican food I needed to see the sign. I needed to know what Taco Bell was all about. They did not hide their sign from me. They made it easy for me to find them. Meanwhile there are millions starving for the gospel. Will they find it on your Myspace or will they just find what is found on any typical teenagers Myspace? Please let people know what you are all about and offer them something special that they won't find on just any Myspace. Please help people meet Jesus on your Myspace. After all, that is what you are all about, right?
Whether it is our house our gates, or our Internet, What we have posted is what we are all about.
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22
I want to apologize now if anything I have written so far has come across as being judgmental or condemning. I don't mean to assume your Myspace is inappropriate but at the same time my purpose here is to help us take a good look at ourselves and let God make the appropriate changes. I know many who desire to be all about God but temptations and peer pressure make it an uphill battle. I have had to erase my words on page and take back some spoken words when I realized that what I had said or written was not really what I wanted to be about. By trial and error and the grace of God I have found some ways to stay focused on what I am all about. The Internet can be a world of good as well as a world of evil. Please let me pass along some ideas I have found to help us remember and stay focused on what we are all about.
Preserving and protecting what you are all about.
Accountability Accountability Accountability!!! Did I mention accountability? I hope so because it is so important in keeping us honest and on the right track. Accountability does not infer that you are a bad person. Accountability is just a healthy way of life. Our church has an excellent church treasurer. She is as honest as the day is long. However every church board meeting she brings a financial report and gives accountability. Why? Not because we do not trust her of course we do! Accountability is just a way to document who we are and what we are about. On the Internet we need to give accountability. What that means is our parents and spiritual mentors need to know what is going on just like an honest church treasure lets people know what is going on. Honest people don't hide things and say 'don't you trust me?" Honest people put everything out in the open." This is especially true when it comes to the Internet.
Many people recommend having the computer in a family room where everyone frequents. It does not belong in the parent's bedroom or the child's bedroom. It belongs in the living room or some part of the house the entire family shares. This makes a lot of sense. It keeps us honest. Now in my case I am a single person who lives alone. So any room I have is a private room. Still there are measures I take to provide accountability. I do not have my own Internet connection at home so I am often on the Internet at the church or public library. This is my way of avoiding the appearance of evil or opening the door for temptations. Since I am single and have no wife or children to keep an eye on me I have an accountability system with a friend in Texas where if I go to an inappropriate site he will know about it and talk to me about it. I am glad to report that he has never had to call me so far. You can find various systems like this on the Internet.
There are various forms of evil on the Internet, not just sexual immorality. I am a mystery buff and I have caught myself staying up all night reading true life crime mysteries till it hit me that the amount of time I was spending on this subject just wasn't healthy. Many of these stories I ran across while surfing. So I simply don't surf anymore. I have an agenda when I get on the Internet. Let's say I need to pay a bill online, check my email and see what the weather will be like tomorrow for my golf game. Then I do those three things and then get off the Internet. I believe that many of us have good intentions and don't get on the computer to look for evil but when we are just aimlessly surfing we find it or it finds us, so just like when we write a grocery list and then go home as soon as we find everything on the list instead of continuing to roam the store, we need an agenda for the Internet and then get off once we have completed our agenda.
Passwords. Some one needs to know your password. If you are a teenager, then sorry, but your parents need to know your password. They need to know what pictures you are posting and what you are writing. They also need to know who you have been communicating with. You may value your privacy but I can assure you it is not as valuable as your safety and your salvation! I am not saying your folks need to read every e-mail you write or text you send but if they do then that's their business not mine. What I am saying is they need access. They need to know what is going on. They need to do "spot checks" so that there is accountability and checks and balances. Remember trustworthy people don't hide things.
Of course you don't need your dad reading the e-mail you sent Aunt Miriam about the surprise birthday party you are throwing him, but it is still okay for dad to know that you have Aunt Miriam in your address book and you do correspond with her. That's a good thing.
Now I should not have to tell you how stupid and dangerous it is to chat online with people you don't know much less trust. You may have seen the "To Catch A Predator" shows on NBC's Dateline. The predators are stupid but also how smart can you be to be 14 years old and arrange a meeting with a grownup you have never met before without your parents being there. That is just stupid! You don't really need to be meeting with any adult without your parents or other adult friends being there much less alone with a stranger. Please tell me you will never do something this stupid so we can just go on now. Thank you, I knew you were smarter than that.
I know I am not a pioneer in writing when I tell you that it is by beholding that we become changed. This cliché has been repeated a million times because it is true. We need to be careful what we see on the Internet as well as what we post. I love to write and have been writing blogs and devotionals on the Internet ever since I got my first computer. There are a lot of things I would love to write about but I don't because I don't want to distract people from my main purpose in writing and that is to bring people to Jesus. I have been tempted to write political blogs and sports blogs and all, but I have to ask myself over and over what I'm all about. I am not saying everyone should just write religious dissertations all the time. At the same time we all have a purpose and once again we need to be finding and sharing something that is not easily found elsewhere and that is Jesus. People can find sports and political blogs anywhere. I want to offer something that can't be found just anywhere. I hope you feel the same way. Lets let Paul have the final words as he says, "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things." Philippians 4:8
Sharing Jesus on Myspace
And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all [men] did marvel. Mark 5:20
In Mark chapter 5 we read about a man who was possessed by demons until Jesus came and set him free. The man now goes abroad and publishes in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him. This man like everyone else who has had an encounter with Jesus just had to share Him with others. Even when Jesus told people not to tell what He had done for them, they just couldn't contain themselves and had to share it with the whole world. It is the same today. If you have had a real experience with Jesus Christ than you too will want to share Him all over the place-including the Internet!
The man in Mark 5 published where he could. His audience was Decapolis and his venue was his mouth. Today we publish many ways but posting our story on the Internet is one of them. Our venue can be the Internet. Let's take Myspace for example.
There are several resources where you can find videos, music, backgrounds and more to help you publish and post what you are all about. Here are two places I found helpful:
Why not also include on your myspace ways for people to find out more about Jesus? Now you don't need to make a spectacle of yourself to do this. Some people get annoyed if you bang on their door asking to do Bible studies, but by just sharing a link you give them a non intimidating opportunity to check something out. Here are some ideas:
Is the website for the Discover Bible School. You may take lessons online or through the mail however they want. Lessons are available in the kidzone section for kids and early teens. Check it out!
Is the website for the cornerstone Bible Study lessons for young people. Many churches use these in their Sabbath School lessons.
Is the website for my church. You may wish to share your church's website. By sharing your church's website you are sharing a little more about your world and who you are as well as sharing Jesus.
Is a site filled with all kinds of free studies and material about Jesus.
And of course you can share my site that I have put together with all kinds of studies and inspirational stories and pictures.
Of course there are a lot more sites and resources our there that will help you share Jesus and let the whole world know what you are all about but this is a start.
Here are some parting thoughts. In Revelation 3:5 Jesus says, "He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels."
Can you imagine anything more exciting than your name rolling off the lips of Jesus as He brags about you before the Father? Jesus is just as excited when we brag about Him before our friends! In Luke 9:26 Jesus says, "For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and [in his] Father's, and of the holy angels." It is so crazy how Satan tries to get us to be too embarrassed to share Jesus. We should be proud of all that Jesus has done for us! We should never be afraid or embarrassed to share Jesus anytime and anywhere in the right way.
Isaiah says in Isaiah 50:4, "The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to [him that is] weary." There are many soul weary people today that could use an encouraging word from Jesus. Will you pass that encouraging word along on your Myspace? In Psalms 63:1 David cries out, "my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is." Many like David today are hungering and thirsting for Jesus in a land where people want to talk about their sports, fashions and looks, their money and sex lives, everything imaginable except Jesus who is the exactly what this world is hungering and thirsting for. Your Myspace could be the difference in someone's life. On Myspace you will find all kinds of people sharing their dark feelings in their profiles. Some are depressed and even suicidal. Some are struggling with self destructive addictions. All over the web they can find things to feed their addictions and suicidal tendencies. I pray that on your website they will find something different. I pray they will find Jesus.


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Coastal Cuisine
Island-spirited but sophisticated, Pattigeorge's has a dream location, on the water right in the center of Longboat Key. The sun porch dining room offers a view of the bay, pleasure boats, mangrove islands and birds. No wonder it's a perennial favorite with seasonal visitors and locals who want a Florida-feeling eating experience.
Owner/chef Tommy Klauber has also made it a gathering place for the area's young and restless, with fun special events (including interactive dinners where the guests take a turn at tableside cooking) and a menu with plenty of small-plate foods for nibbling and sharing over fancy cocktails and gossip. They can even bring their children, since the kitchen will make pizzas and pasta dishes, and kids are encouraged to create their own artwork on the butcher paper that cloaks the white tablecloths.
Finicky gourmands generate no anxiety for Klauber, since he shares their love for exciting, exotic foods. Eight years ago this month, Klauber opened his restaurant; soon after, he married Jaymie Barrie, who's now restaurant manager and also runs Fête, the boutique catering division of Pattigeorge's.
From the outside, Pattigeorge's resembles a rambling mellow-yellow two-story summer cottage, promising comfort and coastal ambiance. The inside delivers with a pared-down modern Crate-&-Barrel kind of attitude and handsome bistro furniture.
Besides the sun porch area, you can eat in the main dining room, and there are a few high tables near the entrance. The floor plan is open and airy with plenty of natural light.
I like Pattigeorge's menu, which Klauber defines as coastal cuisine. This is a place to enjoy a genuine culinary thrill ride: things like wok-charred yellowfin tuna with an orange-tamarind glaze, or Thai green curry mussels.
On a recent visit I opted for a Mediterranean-Asian fusion concoction called Palermo pad Thai ($24.95). It consisted of fettuccine noodles, chicken shrimp and vegetables such as zucchini in a spicy tamarind-peanut sauce. Although some of the ingredients were from an Italian kitchen, the dish tasted decidedly Thai and was full of layered flavors, some of them quite sharp.
My dinner partner was grazing in another country. He selected the paella Valencia, the traditional recipe of saffron rice with seafood and meats with the addition of shiitake mushrooms. Totally toothsome at $27.95. Our appetizer was pork and prawn dim sum, and for dessert we shared a chocolate pear tart ($8). The pear slices had been poached in zinfandel and would have been delicious alone, although the chocolate added another dimension.
Other options from diverse cultures include Myakka Ranch beefsteak, New Zealand lamb, Bahamian lobster tails, Madras curry, Vietnamese rolls or five-spice calamari with orange blossom honey in the dipping sauce. The menu changes seasonally and mirrors Klauber's wide-ranging interests.
The appetizers, about eight in all, average $10 and can be shared. Then there are three stir-fry offerings, several pizzas, half a dozen salads, and almost a dozen large plates that average $27. Additionally, there are eight sides (chef calls them accessories), such as white truffle-Parmesan fries, grilled asparagus or coconut jasmine rice. All are about $6.75. There's also a stir-fry that's strictly vegetarian. Desserts are on a separate menu and tease with selections from simple banana bread pudding to fancy tarts and extra-rich chocolate ganache.
The bar offers an impressive range of beers and cocktails, and a separate wine list is brought to the table along with your menu and a basket of fresh, warm, chewy bread and a bowl of olive oil-based dipping sauce. With so many Asian-inspired dishes offered, I looked in vain for an Alsatian Riesling or even an un-oaked French Chablis. Instead, I chose a beer, and it worked just fine.
Dinner at Pattigeorge's is a satisfying experience from bread to bonbons. Chef Klauber knows how to run a quality restaurant, and how to compose a food experience for guests that will leave them talking about the meal and wanting to take the menu as a souvenir.
4120 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key
(941) 383-5111
Credit cards
Reservations accepted
Dinner: nightly from 6 to 9:30 p.m.
Wheelchair accessible
When Rick Monroe closed his restaurant around the corner from the Sarasota Opera House last year, folks who depend on downtown as a walkabout destination for restaurants worried that the charming space would be wasted on offices or retail. Well, that hasn't happened. The space is now DJ's fine-dining lunch and dinner restaurant, owned and operated by chef Donato Sassano of New York and his sister, Donna Friend. Sassano is assisted in the kitchen by pastry chef Benjamin Wilkinson, most recently of Khrome, who's turning out some imaginative sweet dazzlers in this venue.
Everything from the thin-handled but heavy silverware and double-cloaked tables to the individual table lighting and classy white china bespeaks an elegant experience, nicely offset by the modern bistro atmosphere. Brick floor, stucco walls, big paintings and a handsome dark wood bar with an etched monogram in the mirror create a space both relaxed and sophisticated. The downstairs dining room with big windows onto the street seats 30. Upstairs in two intimate and darker rooms there's seating for up to 80, and outside the Tuscan Garden provides a picturesque setting for those who want an alfresco experience.
The food is modern continental with a Mediterranean accent. For appetizers, expect herb-encrusted diver scallops, a traditional shrimp cocktail, oysters Rockefeller and onion soup among other specials averaging about $12. The DJ's signature crab cake is outstanding, crammed with crab and mildly seasoned so that most of the flavor is just crab. In the salad category, the organic Anjou pear mélange tosses raw baby spinach leaves with candied pecans, pear slices and blue cheese, all lightly drizzled with a sweet onion dressing. For a vegetarian, this would be a fabulous lunch. As a dinner salad course, it couldn't be better.
Entrées average $26 and include selections such as duck with potato gnocchi, mustard chicken, New Zealand lamb dry rubbed with cumin and coriander, sea bass (a house specialty), vegetable Napoleon and pan-roasted veal porterhouse. I had veal, presented with the chop standing on end bearing a flag of rosemary. It looked like a sailboat floating to the table and was sitting atop fingerling potatoes and porcini mushrooms in a sweet, dark vermouth sauce. This is a rich, filling preparation and wholly satisfying. Florida lobster tail, oven-roasted filet mignon and grilled New York strip steak with onion rings are other selections worth trying.
The accompanying wine list is designed to be food-friendly and is a work in progress. Currently, it leans heavily toward California offerings and boasts many chardonnays. Desserts are rich, complex and definitely meant to impress. Chef Benjamin is clearly having a good time with concoctions such as barrel of drunken monkeys, which has rum-soaked banana bread as its base. A heavy, bittersweet flourless chocolate cake coated in milk chocolate offers an embarrassment of riches, and the dark chocolate mousse pyramid comes with a shot glass of cold milk. All desserts are $9. And the kitchen hasn't abandoned the art of making good coffee (so many restaurants don't care). Our brew arrived strong, hot and flavorful, a satisfying finish to an A-plus dining experience.
1296 First St., Sarasota
(941) 952-5025
Credit cards
Lunch: Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
Dinner: Monday-Saturday, 5-11 p.m. Closed Sunday
Reservations accepted
Street parking
Wheelchair accessible
ASK MARSHA For the appetizer, chef Cliff Whatmore of Southgate Gourmet recommends Gran Canaria ($22 a pound) from Carr Valley Cheese in Wisconsin. It's a blend of goat, sheep and cow milks. "For the close of the meal," he says, "you'll want a classy choice and something a bit strong." His pick: Cowgirl Creamery Red Hawk, about $25 a pound. "This organic cow's-milk cheese is a triple-cream variety, with a washed rind that has a lovely sunset red-orange color and comes from Point Reyes, Calif.," he says. He also likes a contemporary Oregon take on a Gorgonzola-style cheese called Oregonzola ($22 a pound). This sweet-savory, cave-aged cheese is especially nice with slices of fresh pear.
Q. I'm invited to a Thanksgiving dinner, where I want to bring some cheeses for the cocktail hour and dessert course. Any suggestions?
Remember to set these cheeses out an hour before serving. Warmth brings out their flavors. Southgate Gourmet, 2157 Siesta Drive, Sarasota. (941) 954-2280.
Apple galette from Adam and Vesna Straatman
Born into the food business in Seattle, 27-year-old chef Adam Straatman was apprenticing in some of Seattle's finest by the age of 16. His most recent job there was as chef at Madison Park Café. But wife Vesna is a Florida girl who missed the sunshine, so they moved to Sarasota, where Adam quickly found a job as sous chef at 5 One 6 Burns. This past summer he assumed the top job there and now runs the kitchen.
This old family recipe for apple galette is a favorite when the couple entertains at home. "It's simple to make but looks elegant," says Vesna. "We like to serve the galette at room temperature, but it's just as good warm or cold. It would be fine for a brunch and great for dessert. We never, ever have any left over." 5 One 6 Burns Court, Sarasota. (941) 906-1884
Vesna's Apple Galette
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
5 1/2 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter
4 to 5 ounces ice water
2 Fuji apples
1/4 cup Riesling or Gewurztraminer
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup Riesling or Gewurztraminer
2/3 cup apple jelly
6 sprigs of fresh thyme, plus a few more for garnish
1 ounce goat cheese
For the crust, combine flour, butter, sugar and salt in a food processor. Empty mixture into a bowl thoroughly combined. Add ice water a little at a time until dough is formed. Cover with plastic and let rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour. For the apples, cut four sides of the apples off the core and into slices one-eighth inch thick. Toss apple slices with wine and sugar. For the glaze, combine wine, apple jelly and thyme and bring to a simmer on the stove. Cook at a slow simmer for 10 minutes until slightly syrupy.
To assemble the galette, roll out dough on a floured cutting board until one-eighth inch thick. Place a dinner plate on dough and cut around the edge to make a perfect circle. Transfer dough to a baking sheet. Arrange apple slices in a circle covering all the dough except a half-inch rim. Brush with glaze and bake in a 350-degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and glaze galette one more time. Place on serving platter and garnish with dots of soft goat cheese and fresh thyme.
Chef Derek Barnes is opening a new restaurant at 514 Central Ave., Derek's Culinary Casual, which will focus on comfort food and progressive dishes. A must is confit, especially crispy pork-butt confit served with monk fish. Expect the imaginative as well as the familiar. Lunch and dinner, closed Sunday and Monday. (941) 730-4269.
I recently couldn't find shallots at Whole Foods and risked a pricey substitute-$8.04 for a box of cippolini. They're small Italian yellow onions with a slightly squished shape, a little like a flying saucer. They're somewhat sweet and petite, nice for cooking, especially for caramelizing. They're hell to peel and to slice because of the awkward shape, but quite tasty.
Is beer the new wine? Start noticing the amount of menu space devoted to domestic and imported craft beers, and you realize that beer and food pairings are serious business. Recently, I attended a beer dinner hosted by Red Hook brewery and Fred's. The event featured five courses prepared by chef Gary Schwab and five accompanying specialty beers.
With the fourth course-hickory-smoked short ribs with roasted apples and red cabbage with caramelized onions-we sipped a rich, assertive porter, while earlier with hors d'oeuvres we were served a light ale. And so it went, each course of food matched with a specific brew. It was as delightful and as instructive as most wine dinners I've attended, with one glaring exception-the glasses.
Somebody please design a beer glass that does not hold an entire bottle in one pour, because that's too much brew for a long dinner of many courses and many beers. The glass could be similar to a champagne flute or a variation of a white wine glass.

subset: commoncrawl


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"For my birthday I got a humidifier and a de-humidifier… I put them in the same room and let them fight it out." Steven Wright.
Two days until the start of Fall a.k.a. Autumn. I wonder why it has two names. Actually, I really wonder how the name "fall" came about. Is it because the leaves "fall?" What if you live in a country where leaves don't fall? What if your surrounded by pines, or palms, or rubber trees? By the way, rubber trees sound cool. Trees made of rubber. I wonder if they bend like Gumby.
In winter, the snow "falls," so why didn't we call it fall? Why doesn't summer have the alias "swelter?" Spring could be called "smells like poop." I like that. People would ask, "Where are you going for Smells Like Poop Break?"
I am currently suffering through a summer cold–soon to become a Fall cold. My head is a throbbing cesspool of snot. My ears can no longer do what they are paid to do–hear. They seem to have decided to try aching instead. Even my tongue hurts. Who the hell gets a sore tongue?
On the upside, my husband is enjoying the quiet. But I am going crazy. I must yammer. Thank God for blogs. And a captive audience. Assuming you're still there. (Insert sound of crickets).
And I've never actually seen a rubber tree. If you cut one down, I'm sure the logs don't bounce. But I like to imagine they do. For some reason, this reminds me of a Seinfeld bit…
1) Speaking of bouncing, here is a ball that doesn't bounce. It's made of cling wrap. It clings.
According to the Guinness World Records people, this is the world's largest ball made of cling wrap. There have been others? And this sucker weighs over 281 pounds. The last time I looked, Saran Wrap wasn't cheap, making this one valuable ball. Not that anyone would want to use any of this cellophane now. He's put his feet on it. And I think I see dog droppings in the lawn.
2) Rubber Trees remind me of the Osmond's and their brief TV Show, The Osmond Family Show. Marie sang the song "High Hopes" about the rubber tree plant on that show. I was never a fan of Donnie & Marie, if I'm completely honest. I just remember that Donnie wore purple socks. The whole family had very nice teeth. I bet if they all smiled at once, the blinding, white light could be seen from space. And they were all horribly sweet and nice. They made the Brady Bunch look like the Manson Family. My favourite Brady was the dog, "Tiger," which is a cat's name–a fact that confused me immensely as a child. And, apparently, also as an adult. That sentence consisted of nothing but words that start with "a." Cool.
3) So, while Marie Osmond was singing about an ant and a rubber tree plant, what were Americans naming their children? According to the Social Security Administration, 1979's top names were:
Jennifer & Michael.
Out of curiosity, I checked 1929 as well. Turns out Mary & Robert were # 1 then.
That's why my bike is named Bob. And my car. Bob's a good name.
Now, I must go blow my nose.
Photo Credits: Cling Wrap Ball (Huffington Post), baby (blog.howdesign.com).


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A mother of four who was laid off in 2008, Danielle Torno had planned on turning her life around next year with the help of a Cal State East Bay business degree.
Instead, the 36-year-old San Jose resident will be searching for another solution because of a little-noticed congressional decision to reduce or eliminate Pell Grants for hundreds of thousands of the poorest college students.
The changes take effect July 1, and students like Torno will bear the brunt of the reforms, which are expected to save $11 billion over 10 years.
Among those who will lose Pell Grants in the summer are at least 65,000 new college students without high school diplomas and 63,000 who, like Torno, have spent more than six years in college. Changes in income requirements will reduce or eliminate grants for nearly 300,000 others.
Torno has been in college off and on since 2000, full time since 2008. Her time in school amounts to the equivalent of six full-time years, which is the new limit on how long a student may receive Pell Grants. The scholarships previously were available for nine years.
"You should be able to get a bachelor's degree in six years, honestly," said Torno, who received a letter last month from the U.S. Department of Education alerting her that she would lose the $5,550-a-year scholarships. "But there should be hardship exceptions. People have families."
Torno also has borrowed the maximum allowable $46,000 in federal loans, meaning her only remaining aid option could be private loans with higher interest rates. But even that is uncertain.
"My credit's too bad from not having a job," said Torno, who has been balancing child care and school by taking online courses. "I'm going to have to stop going to school."
For many students who never finished high school, the loss of Pell Grants could put college out of reach. Those students, who also will lose access to subsidized federal loans, had qualified for aid through an exam known as the ability-to-benefit test or by completing at least six college units.
A 2008 federal study found students without diplomas who had completed at least six units were as successful as other students.
"There's a lot of students who, for a lot of reasons, didn't complete high school but who have come back to school at a different point in their lives," said Emily Stone, dean of student-support services at Pleasant Hill's Diablo Valley College. "They could very well be ready to be a college student but need the financial aid."
Students without diplomas or a GED certificate, most of whom attend community or for-profit colleges, will remain eligible for Pell Grants if they have enrolled in college anytime before July 1. And they will still be able to receive state scholarships such as Cal Grants.
The impending changes were pushed by Republican members of Congress. Several of those members did not respond to repeated interview requests. In a written statement released by his office, Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., said Congress had to make "tough choices" to cut government funding for Pell Grants.
African-American and Latino students will be hit hardest, experts said. An estimated 31 percent of students who take the ability-to-benefit test are Latino, according to the American Association of Community Colleges, and 19 percent are black.
Combined, the two groups make up just 14 percent of undergraduates, the association said.
Minority students are essentially being blamed because their high schools failed them, said Manuel Alcala, a counselor at Laney College in Oakland.
"You're shutting the door on a whole group of students," Alcala said. "What kind of people are we creating?"
A coalition of groups is pushing Congress to reverse some of its Pell reforms. The most likely change would be to once again allow grants to students who have completed six college units, said Vickie Choitz, a senior policy analyst with the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Law and Social Policy.
"We've been hitting the Hill with a lot of meetings," Choitz said. "We're definitely getting interest from people who feel like this is a harsh change."
Matt Krupnick covers higher education. Contact him at 510-208-6488. Follow him at Twitter.com/mattkrupnick.


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Item Description
Get Up And Shine is a positive and invigorating pop track featuring acoustic guitar, piano, electric guitar, violins, and acoustic percussion.
It's a mid-tempo track with a joyful mood and can be used in commercials, adverts, corporate presentations, etc.
Files included:
Get Up And Shine.mp3 (2:20) Get Up And Shine.wav (2:20)


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Name: David Price | Organization: Tampa Bay Rays
Position: Pitcher | Drafted: 2007 1st Round (1st Pick)
Bats: Left | Throws: Left | Height: 6-6 | Weight: 215
When the Tampa Bay Devil Rays once again had the number one overall pick in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, it was no surprise when they chose a lanky-lefty from Vanderbilt. The 6-foot-6 college star named David Price was a shoe in to be the first overall pick in the draft. This kid is not only good, he's the best pitcher to come out of college in many, many years. So what makes him so special?
History: David Price has been dominating hitters for as long as anyone can remember. His stellar career started off in the small town of Murfreesboro, Tennessee pitching for Blackman High School where he would compile a 0.43 ERA and 151 strikeouts. Price would also win many, many awards for his efforts including the Rutherford County MVP Pitcher in 2003 and 2004, the Co-District 7AAA Pitcher of the Year in his senior season, the Rutherford County Male Athlete of the Year in 2002, 2003, and 2004, and also received the honor of playing in the 2004 High School All-American Game his senior season. All of this success at such a young age was only the beginning for Mr. Price.
Just as Price had set records and won awards for his brilliance on the mound in high school, he would continue this as he attended Vanderbilt University. As a freshman, Price received the honor of being named a Freshman All-American by both Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball after posting a 2-4 record, a 2.86 ERA, and racking up 92 strikeouts in only 19 games and 69.1 innings. The following season Price didn't have as dazzling of a stat line, but he did set a school single season record with 155 strikeouts (he also only gave up 43 walks for a 3.6 K/BB ratio) including one game with 17 against Arkansas.
As impressive as his first two college seasons were, he definitely saved the best for last. In his junior season (which would be his last collegiate season) Price would go 11-1 with a 2.63 ERA and would shatter his old school record as he lead the nation with 194 strikeouts (his K/BB ratio this time was an unbelievable 6.26). Price would win many awards that season but none greater than his winning of college baseball's top honor, the Golden Spikes Award. As sad as Vanderbilt's team was to see him go, it was time for him to move on.
Before we get into the 2007 draft, it is important to note Price's great work while playing for our country. In 2005 Price was a member of the United States National team where he went 2-0 with a 1.26 ERA and 39 strikeouts. Then in the summer of 2006, Price helped the United States win the gold medal in the World University Championships in Cuba. Price would post impressive numbers again going 5-1 with a minuet 0.20 ERA. The world was now on notice of just how good this kid really was.
With a laundry list of awards, achievements, and records attached to his name, David Price had pretty much made a fool-proof case for himself to be drafted first overall in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft. So with Tampa Bay possessing the first overall pick, it was a no-brainer for them to choose the dominating lefty. Price would go on to sign his first ever contract on August 15, 2007 for six-years and $8.5 million. This of course came with a $5.6 million signing bonus which stands as the second highest bonus in MLB history behind Justin Upton's $6.1 million following the 2005 draft. This was the third highest guaranteed contract ever for a draft pick and was well worth the money for such a special talent.
To see what this much money gets you (other than the obvious that we just covered) is a player with a glimmering scouting report. The Diamond Cutter scouting report that I have built shows not only how talented this kid is but, as scary as this sounds, show's he still has a little room for improvement.
Scouting Report: Price's money pitch has always been his dominating plus-fastball which sits at about 90-94 mph (it can sometimes reach upwards of 95). As a lefty, what makes him even more difficult to hit is that his fastball has excellent tailing action that moves away from right-handed hitters. This really gives no one, right or left-handers, any advantage. The two other pitches he mixes in are a 77-79 mph slurve and a plus-slider that ranges around 84-86 mph. He uses his slider very well in two-strike counts making it very difficult for hitters expecting a fastball. Price is also working on a changeup pitch to add to his arsenal (one of the areas for improvement I mentioned). Right now it is average at best but if he can work on not tipping it off by dropping his arm slot when throwing it, he could develop it as a third plus-pitch making him even more difficult to hit. This is one area the Devil Rays organization will be working very closely with him on.
Another area that can sometimes hamper Price is his control. While it doesn't happen much, occasionally he can lose control of the strike zone and start allowing walks to pile up. This happens when his mechanics begin to get shaky and he loses his fluid delivery. He very rarely walks hitters which can be seen with his very low BB/9 ratios so as long as he can keep his rhythm going with this delivery he will be just fine.
Price has the make-up, the athleticism, the overpowering stuff, and mentality to be a frontline starter in the Majors for many, many years. Once he harnesses his developing changeup as a third plus-pitch, he will be virtually unstoppable and one of the elite pitchers in the game.
With a glowing resume like this its no wonder that once Tampa Bay learned they had the first overall pick that they knew they could put their feet up and relax. Because when a star like this falls into your lap it tends to make your job very, very easy.


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The Access Office works to promote and support the participation of students from groups who have been under-represented in the University sector. The work of the Access Office may be broadly categorised into three areas, namely pre-entry school activities, post-entry student support, and outreach work in the community.
If you would like any further information please do not hesitate to contact the Access Office. We look forward to hearing from you.
Deirdre, Josephine, Donal, Seán, Clodagh, Sharon and Marie
The Access Office Team.


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"A people who do not honor the deeds of their worthy dead
will do nothing worthy of being honored by their descendants."
(a weathered tombstone, Myers Cemetery, Townsend, TN / Julie Cook / 2020)
It was hot, nearing 90, as the sun beat down on our backs.
The bugs certainly weren't bothered by the heat as they swarmed around our faces.
My husband kept slapping at his legs to fend off the ravenous bites.
On this particular July 4th, 2020 we found ourselves wandering around the oldest cemetery
in this particular part of Tennessee—
Myers Cemetery in the small sleepy town of Townsend, Tennessee.
Townsend boasts being the quiet side of the Smokies…
a far cry from nearby Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg.
We like quiet.
Townsend is one of the gateways to The Great Smokey Mountains National Park…
in particular the gateway to Cades Cove—
One of the first mountain settlements by white European immigrants in what was
originally a part of the Cherokee Nation.
Myers cemetery dates back to 1795, if not even years before.
There are approximately 300 graves, many unknown, and even many unmarked.
Out of the approximate 300 marked graves,
75 graves belong to children under the age of 12.
There was the bittersweet double tombstone of twins born in 1805—
each living 4 and 5 days respectively.
Sheep and lambs that rest atop tombstones, denote the graves of children.
Even the small etched hand, held within a larger hand.
But many of the oldest graves simply have a single stone or piece of slate marking one's place.
And so when I saw the worn weathered marker of a hand with a finger pointing upward, I couldn't
help but see the significance that even in death, we are reminded our hope and help
comes from above.
So as we find ourselves currently gripped by all sorts of angst, sorrow, fear and the unknown on this earth, it is here in a quiet mountain cemetery , walking amongst the long dead, that I am pointedly reminded that even in death,
we are to always look up…
"We must pray literally without ceasing— without ceasing—
in every occurrence and employment of our lives…
that prayer of the heart which is independent of place or situation,
or which is rather a habit of lifting up the heart to God as in a constant
communication with Him."
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper;
the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore.
Psalm 121


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text:
Heard from Susan Campbell, Department Chairs, Academic Coordinators
Drafted by Renée Brown and Jason Mittell
In surveying department chairs and coordinators, as well as casual discussions with many faculty, frustrations with our current web design and system run deep. Key problems mentioned include lack of design flexibility, difficulty in updating, poor navigation and organization, inability to easily embed images and media, and the static nature of information and site design. There was widespread enthusiasm for the makeover and willingness to participate in the process. Given that every academic department has different needs and specific uses, it is difficult to assess the relative importance of various features, but this document attempts to synthesize key needs and requirements as expressed across the curriculum.
Needs for Departmental Sites
We have identified a number of types of information that departments feel are important to their sites, broken into four major areas:
- Department Overview: brief mission statement, central contact info, feed of news/events, and visual vibrancy for splash page
- People: lists of faculty & staff with links to detailed profile pages, office hours & contact info, updates of publications/grants/achievements, alumni & student profiles
- Curriculum: major requirements (including potential concentrations & sample sequences for more complex programs like ENVS and AMST), independent project guidelines, downloadable forms (both departmental and from the registrar), courses/schedule, links to class websites
- Resources: departmental library guide, career info, study abroad recommendations, departmental newsletter, facilities & equipment overviews/policies, external links (research sites, grad programs, opportunities for community outreach, etc.), guide to "what can be done with a XXX major?", feeds from external blogs, video/images of specialized facilities
Many departments indicate that they currently underuse their websites, with minimal information that is rarely updated. There was consensus that this makeover process could help show people some new ways to use the web effectively. During sessions where other websites were demoed, there were frequent "a-has" upon seeing capabilities that other schools are using, so we feel there will be enthusiasm for innovation. Some specific innovations that seemed particularly popular include dynamically generating course listings (a "modular catalog"), faculty pages feeding & linking to schedules and courses, feeds of sponsored & relevant events, and integrated links to Banner information.
We discussed the option of choosing among a group of templates, customized for both visual variety and optimized for different needs (such as more graphics/media, more text-based, etc.) – most coordinators and faculty seem to embrace this option. Coordinators wanted more flexibility with fonts and sizing of text. There was a clear desire for more graphic and media capabilities, especially within the Arts.
Some faculty embraced the idea of student and/or alumni work being profiled and displayed on the site, especially in the Arts. Potential links with the library's thesis archive is an option worth considering.
Some departments currently publish newsletters, and many would consider publishing them to the web instead of, or in addition to, paper and mailing. Ongoing updated departmental blogs were of interest to a few departments as well.
Needs for Individual Faculty
Faculty pages were noted for being rarely updated, dry, and lacking variability or personality. Faculty were interested in being able to edit their own profile, recognizing that some faculty would be less likely to do so (although no less likely than emailing the updates to coordinators, which could still be an option). Arts faculty specifically want the ability to host images and media of their creative work.
An idea discussed with coordinators was to have a central database for faculty publications/achievements – either faculty or coordinators would enter the information about a new publication (including link to online version or Midd subscription through JSTOR, etc.), which would then feed to the faculty's homepage, their department(s) page, a college-wide faculty achievement page (which would be useful for library acquisitions as well as PR), and into the annual report for faculty given to the Provost. Coordinators thought this would be a better option than updating individual faculty pages, and expected between 1/3 and 1/2 faculty would enter their own info, growing over time with increased technological fluency.
The idea of automatically feeding a faculty's scheduled teaching with links to courses to their profile page (as on Amherst) was quite popular. It's uncertain how many faculty would maintain separate pages through Segue or the community.middlebury.edu server if the core website were more flexible – one option would be to embed separately designed pages into the core departmental site.
The current CMS restricts editing to coordinators, although some faculty have edited on the platform. A number of chairs expressed interest in editing their pages, having other faculty edit, or having student workers edit. Coordinators generally want to be involved in the editing process, both to oversee consistency and maintain their web skills, but recognize that the current workflow leads to infrequent updates and little input from faculty.
An easy-to-use editing and authoring system, especially for incorporating media and images, was seen as essential, with the ability to increase participation of faculty in the editing process. One issue expressed by some faculty was that the new system not be tied to a specific browser or platform (e.g. must be usable on Mac/PC and Firefox/IE).
Coordinators were concerned that expanded content on the department site would lead to increased workload. Sharing editing responsibilities would help. Additionally, the ability of sites to be dynamically assembled, rather than static updates, would be useful – for instance, feeding events, faculty publications, career links, library research tools, and alumni news from other offices and systems would make the site update regularly without requiring manual changes.
In imagining the workflow model that would work best for academic departments, coordinators endorsed a system where many users could be given editing ability for the department page (including faculty and student workers), but that all edits must be approved by the coordinator before publishing (via a notification system). This should increase updates from faculty on the content they know best, and allow delegation and distribution of work more effectively, without sacrificing consistency and appropriate form & use of media. Some thought it would be helpful to be able to turn the approval requirement on and off, allowing the possibility of all authorized editors to publish directly.
The idea of a student/alumni section of the site that could be updated (with approval) by students and alumni themselves was mentioned as a way to encourage participation. Another option is a simple webform for alums to send in info to feed into the site, perhaps at the college-wide level with tags to majors and field of employment.
Other Desired Features
- Many coordinators were enthusiastic about being able to easily customize their own user profiles to make their web use more efficient – after a clear explanation, all coordinators present at the meeting said they'd definitely use this feature.
- One consistent theme with coordinators and faculty was that as much Banner information as possible should be accessible from the website directly without using BannerWeb. Course rosters (linked from course pages, as on Amherst), student schedules, faculty schedules, lists of majors, and the like should be accessed via links rather than BannerWeb login.
- More sophisticated use of feeds and targeted info via the web was endorsed, especially as an alternative to email-driven communication.
- One idea would be to have lists of new library acquisitions in a certain discipline feed into the departmental site.
- Better management of events and calendar info was mentioned, both in terms of flexible feeds by tag, department, location, medium (lecture, performance, film), and the ability to click "Add to my Calendar" to export to Outlook or other systems.
- Some language departments mentioned the need for varying language character sets (such as Cyrillic and Greek).
- Some arts departments want the ability for students to create their own portfolios of their work, as Teacher Ed currently does. This would ideally be embedded directly into the core department site, not externally hosted on Segue.
- A few faculty expressed interest in having the ability for social networking, and a couple said they have used Facebook pages to coordinate with current majors and alums.
- A few mentioned the use of wikis, but only for specific purposes (for instance, a wiki for documentation of FMMC equipment).
- Some suggested a "majors-only" area, although there was not a clear sense of what information and material should have restricted access.
- One coordinator suggested that departments could have a list of current majors on the site, potentially with links to student pages/profiles.
- One coordinator suggested the possibility of online sign-up for scheduling of meetings and appointments. Another suggested the use of an online order form for equipment requests (currently used on CHEM site), which might also be expanded to request access to facilities (like MUSIC practice rooms), reserve specialized equipment (like FMMC cameras).
- A few faculty expressed interest in having the departmental website offer the possibility for discussion and community involvement, not just a one-way flow of information. Options include blog-like updates with comments, an open "wall" to make announcements/promotions, and a department wiki open to Midd users as a workspace for engaging with the department.


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|location_on Atlantis, FL — Winston Realty, Inc.
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Putting the experience aside, does anyone know how long it's going to take before the market sees a stable foundation again? Have we seen the bottom yet? Are things really improving? Bottom line is I'm having the best half of the year and can't wait until 2012 begins. I'm projecting the new year will be off the charts.
Why should you care? If you're a Palm Beach seller in this buyer's market, it's more important than ever to have someone who knows all the ins and outs of the counties hidden opportunities. If you are a Palm Beach buyer, how do you size-up hundreds of choices and, oh, the ever-complicated sales agreements, to get the best deal in the best place for you?
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Over 30 years of construction and real estate sales and with a unique Wealth of knowledge. Serving all of Palm Beach county.


text: Shanghai Shooting in China for a client I had the final Saturday off before flying out on a night flight back to the UK. The client had gone for a hotel massage and soon realised you have to be quite precise when asking for a massage in Shanghai. I had most of the day to explore and so went for a wander. The following images are a selection of those I took in the few hours I had to myself. I hope you enjoy looking at them. Initially I stumbled across a fascinating fairground with rides that felt as though they belonged in a different era. A few people were taking rides on some while some lay unused like forgotten toys. An overhead car took passengers on a slow squeaky ride through the trees while men and a few women played Mahjong and gambled on benches and at tables. I tried communicating by sign language and smiles but soon realised they were so engrossed in gambling that I was ignored. In one area a toothless man was flying a kite. I could see him holding a wire taught but the kite was so high it was lost in the clouds well above the height of the skyscrapers. Different from my days of running along a beach with 20 to 30m of thread. I jumped on a very modern and clean metro and ended up in another part of the city. There was another park. People sat behind rows of umbrellas with notes in Chinese on top and occasional pictures of young men and women. At first I thought these were people who were missing but it transpired this was where parents went to advertise their sons and daughters for marriage. It was the Shanghai version of Match.com. When I realised what it was I must have looked like a prospective suitor, window shopping, which given I had glanced at pictures of men and women they must have thought I couldn't decide which way to go! They had Japanese, Australian, American and German Flags but not a Union Jack that I could see. Finally I hit the modern part of Shanghai with it's Gothamesque skyscrapers above which an eerie mist hung. It's a city I cannot pretend to know well but has a wonderful juxtaposition of Western Modernism and old Eastern Communism. Not speaking the language meant I viewed the city visually with fewer distractions. By the time I reached the skyscrapers I would have liked to go to the top but time was running out and I only had time to jump on the metro back to my hotel before it was a fond farewell to Shanghai.


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Update for 9:30 a.m. ET: Tuesday's massive solar flare has forced the commercial spaceflight company Orbital Sciences to postpone the planned launch of a private cargo mission to the International Space Station today. Read the full story here: Huge Solar Flare Delays Private Rocket Launch to Space Station
A massive solar flare erupted from the sun on Tuesday (Jan. 7), rising up from what appears to be one of the largest sunspot groups seen on the star's surface in a decade, NASA officials say.
NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured a video of the huge solar flare as it developed, showing it as an intense burst of radiation from a colossal sunspot region known as AR1944. The sunspot group — which is currently in the middle of the sun as viewed from Earth — is "one of the largest sunspots seen in the last 10 years," NASA officials wrote in a statement. It is as wide as seven Earths, they added.
Tuesday's big flare was an X1.2-class solar event on the scale used to classify sun storms. It occurred at 1:32 p.m. EST (1832 GMT) and came just hours after an M7.2-class flare. Space weather officials at the the Space Weather Prediction Center overseen by NOAA are expecting the flare to spark geomagnetic storms in Earth's magnetic field when a wave of super-hot solar plasma associated with the flare - known as a coronal mass ejection - reaches Earth in the next few days. [Photos: The Biggest Solar Flares of 2014]
"This is the first significant flare of 2014, and follows on the heels of mid-level flare earlier in the day," NASA spokeswoman Karen Fox of the agency's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., wrote in a statement. "Each flare was centered over a different area of a large sunspot group currently situated at the center of the sun, about half way through its 14-day journey across the front of the disk along with the rotation of the sun."
X-class solar flares are the most powerful solar storms on the sun. Mid-level storms are dubbed M-class events and can supercharge Earth's northern lights displays, with weaker C-class flares rounding out the top three.
When aimed directly at Earth, the strongest X-class solar flares can pose a risk to astronauts in orbit and interrupt communications and navigation satellite operations.
Tuesday's solar flare did force the commercial spaceflight company Orbital Sciences to delay the launch of its first Cygnus cargo mission to the International Space Station from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Va.
NASA officials told SPACE.com today that the crew of the International Space Station will not have to take measures to shelter themselves from the solar flare's radiation effects. There are currently six astronauts living on the station as part of the outpost's Expedition 38 crew. The team includes three Russian cosmonauts, two NASA astronauts and one Japanese astronaut.
The sun is currently in an active phase of its 11-year solar cycle. The current cycle, called Solar Cycle 24, began in 2008.
Editor's Note: This story was updated at 9:26 a.m. EST to include new details about the effects of the solar flare for astronauts on the International Space Station and its delay of an Orbital Sciences Cygnus cargo mission to the station from Wallops Island, Va.
Email Tariq Malik at email@example.com or follow him @tariqjmalik and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on SPACE.com.


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It's that time again! Time for the BOOK BLOGGER HOP, brought to you by Jennifer over at Crazy-for-Books! This idea was created as another means of finding, sharing, and otherwise connecting those in the blogosphere! How can you participate? Check out the main post on Jennifer's page, add your blog name and link into the MckLinky, and get "hopping" over to the other sites listed to make those connections!
Now that I've spread the news, I'm off to "hop" on over to a few other sites!
Until next time....happy reading!


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"Ignus Fatuus" drawstring bag
- In stock, ready to ship
- Inventory on the way
Combine your love for vibrant prints and a sporty style with a cool drawstring bag. It's a must-have gym essential that can be worn as a backpack with drawstring closure at top, and narrow, contrasting shoulder straps.
• 100% spun polyester
• One size: 15″ × 17″ (38.1 cm × 43.2 cm)
• Fabric weight in the US (may vary by 5%): 7.22 oz/yd² (245 g/m²)
• Fabric weight in the EU (may vary by 5%): 6.64 oz/yd² (225 g/m²)"
• Maximum weight limit: 33 lbs (15 kg)
• Twin cotton handles
• Drawstring closure
SHIPPING: Getting your orders to you safely is a priority of ours. Please allow 7-10 business days to ship your order. Once shipped, you will receive an email with your tracking information.
USPS Priority Mail is a shipping option that you can choose. Please keep in mind that our processing time is still 7-10 business days, however once your order gets to the Post Office it is their goal to get your order to you in 1-2 days.
Please make sure your address is correct- down to the apartment number. We are not responsible for orders returned/lost due to incorrect or incomplete address details. If an order is returned, there is a fee to reship.
If a package is returned to us, we will send you an invoice to reship.
RETURNS: This item is non-refundable.


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Alabama finds plenty to improve before Texas A&M
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Alabama center Ryan Kelly said the postgame mood in the locker room was subdued and players were upset with their performance in the season opener.
Never mind that the top-ranked Crimson Tide beat Virginia Tech 35-10 Saturday night. It wasn't pristine or dominant enough, especially on offense, to satisfy the two-time defending national champions.
"Obviously we're 1-0 but we knew as a team afterward that we didn't make them quit," he said Tuesday night. "We felt like they walked away with a better sense that they didn't let Alabama take control of them. I think that's what everybody was disappointed about. We should have played a lot better."
The offense did sputter at times during the game, when two touchdowns came on special teams and one on an interception return. The Tide likely won't be able to afford such uneven offensive play in next week's grudge match against Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel and No. 7 Texas A&M in College Station.
Alabama has an extra week to prepare to face the only team to beat the Tide last season.
The circumstances are decidedly different from last season, when Alabama was fresh from a down-to-the-wire win over LSU with a week to prepare for Manziel and the Aggies' fast-paced offense.
Texas A&M jumped ahead 20-0 after the first quarter en route to a 29-24 victory.
Coach Nick Saban said the Tide won't start working on Texas A&M until Thursday's practice, giving them two extra days "which is usually the most we do on a team."
"But we have a lot of work to do as a team to be able to play the way we're going to need to play to have any chance of being successful when we play out there against Texas A&M," he said.
Cornerback John Fulton said Tide players have been hearing about this game "since we lost" last year's meeting. Have they heard too much about it?
"We won the national championship last year," Fulton said, "so we'll be all right."
The offense produced only 206 yards against the Hokies, who also had four sacks. Kelly said there were some first-game jitters among the three new starting offensive linemen.
"We played hard. We didn't always play physical at times," Kelly said. "This week is very important, because we can get back to what an offensive line is about, and that's being physical and making the D-line quit. I think that's what we're going to bring to Texas A&M."
The team did have some drama on Tuesday.
Saban said he gave wide receiver Kenny Bell a "personal day" from practice on Tuesday but expected him to miss only one day.
Bell had posted on his Twitter page Tuesday afternoon that "it's been a nice run but I'm hanging up my cleats," saying he wanted to focus on taking care of his kids.
Later, though, he posted an update, referring to quarterback AJ McCarron: "I'm back with the team!! Just needed time to myself for a day but I couldn't leave my boy @10AJMcCarron we ended this run together."


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No matter how sad or somber things might get, there is one thing that one must never lose and that is hope. I think we all have those days at one point where we throw up our hands and shout out to heaven out loud :" Why?". At times it even seems that there is never going to be any light at all. But…I have always found that eventually there will always happen things that make life worth living. I certainly have my faith in God, and though at times it might falter, I have never lost it completely.
And as for the things that make life worth it: meeting people such as yourself is definitely high on my list of those things! 😊😍😘 I hope your upcoming holiday weekend will bring you much love and all around goodness, because if there is anyone that deserves that: it is you😉


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Tree Huggers Unite: May 16 Is National LOVE A Tree Day
Not that I want to be a god or a hero. Just to change into a tree, grow for ages, not hurt anyone. (Czesław Miłosz)
A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people. (Franklin D. Roosevelt)
Look at the trees, look at the birds, look at the clouds, look at the stars… and if you have eyes you will be able to see that the whole existence is joyful. Everything is simply happy. Trees are happy for no reason; they are not going to become prime ministers or presidents and they are not going to become rich and they will never have any bank balance. Look at the flowers — for no reason. It is simply unbelievable how happy flowers are. (Osho)
Fast! Run out today, May 16, and hug your nearest tree! Today is National Love a Tree Day — on this day, trees are celebrated and recognized for their multitude of wonderful gifts. National Love a Tree Day is a relative of Arbor Day, and sits in the middle of Garden for Wildlife Month. Use #LoveATreeDay to post on social media, and discover Five Awesome Ways to Celebrate Love a Tree Day.
As caretakers of this beautiful sphere, it remains our utmost responsibility to honor, safeguard, and protect these living entities. Upwards of 5,000 years old, they've borne witness to the rise and fall of entire civilizations. R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Plant a tree…Recycle…Go paperless… Follow those conservation groups diligently working to protect these lovely, ancient living citadels. Or just show them some love and respect, and give them a nice big pat or hugggggg.
In honor of LOVE A TREE DAY, check out this brief Nat Geo clip of a most amazing man, Payeng — who single-handedly reforested his devastated wasteland of an island, which is now (thanks to him), home to thriving native wildlife. Awe-inspiring and endless gratitude can't convey enough.
With as many horrific stories of needless and careless deforestation as there are today, such stories do exist… There are so many wonderful people and groups helping to sustain the planet's flora ecosystems. Trees are not something we can live without as a species, after all.


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It took ten days for Microsoft's Kinect to hit one million sales. Now Microsoft reveals that the device has sold 2.5 million units in 25 days. This can only mean one thing: Someone is buying 100,000 Kinects a day.
It's either that, or Kinect is simply selling at a relatively steady rate. The latest numbers come following brisk Black Friday sales, with retailers like Target reporting strong movement for Microsoft's hands-free controller accessory.
"Kinect on Xbox 360 was a top performer at Target this weekend," said Nik Nayar, vice president, merchandising, Target. "We expect Kinect will be a must-have gift this holiday season, so Target will continue to receive consistent shipments of Kinect throughout December. The hands-free, active gaming experience that Kinect offers is something that everyone in the family can enjoy."
According to Microsoft's president of the Interactive Entertainment Business Don Mattrick, the company is working with manufacturing partners to keep up with demand, and are working to make sure the Kinect stays on store shelves.
"With sales already exceeding two and a half million units in just 25 days," says Mattrick, "we are on pace to reach our forecast of 5 million units sold to consumers this holiday."


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Dexmedetomidine for Sepsis in ICU Randomized Evaluation Trial (DESIRE)
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01760967
Recruitment Status : Completed
First Posted : January 4, 2013
Last Update Posted : February 28, 2017
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- No Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Dexmedetomidine, a highly selective arfa2-adrenergic agonist, is known to be a unique sedative agent which causes less acute tolerance, drug addiction and withdrawal compared with gamma-aminobutyrate (GABA) agonists. Dexmedetomidine was approved for short-term ICU sedation in 2004 in Japan, and it has been used particularly for surgical ICU patients. In August 2010 dexmedetomidine was approved in Japan for sedation lasting more than 24 hours.
Recent evidence demonstrated that dexmedetomidine has organ protective effects including neuroprotection, cardioprotection, renal protection, gastrointestinal tract action, and anti-inflammatory action. Dexmedetomidine was shown to significantly decrease the infarct size in isolated rat hearts. Additionally, dexmedetomidine exhibited a preconditioning effect against ischemic injury in hippocampal slices, and this result was considered an apoptosis suppression effect of dexmedetomidine. Aydin C et al reported that dexmedetomidine enhanced the spontaneous contractions of the ileum in peritonitis rats compared with propofol and midazolam. Taniguchi and colleagues demonstrated that dexmedetomidine reduced high mortality rates and the plasma cytokine concentrations, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha in endotoxemic rats.
A meta-analysis has shown that perioperative alfa2-adrenergic agonists, including dexmedetomidine infusion, decreased cardiovascular events on patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Dexmedetomidine treated patients undergoing thoracotomy indicated increase in urine output, reduction in serum creatinine, and the suppression of diuretics in a randomized placebo-controlled double-blind study. Septic patients receiving dexmedetomidine had improved 28-day mortality rates compared with septic patients receiving lorazepam in a sub-group analysis of MENDS randomized controlled trial.
These positive effects of dexmedetomidine on the cardiovascular system, neurons, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract action, and an anti-inflammatory action, are expected to improve mortality in septic patients. However, large clinical research studies have not been conducted yet. We designed and conducted the DESIRE trial (DExmedetomidine for Sepsis in ICU Randomized Evaluation trial) to test a hypothesis that dexmedetomidine may improve clinical outcome and has these organ protective effects on septic patients.
To determine whether dexmedetomidine improves clinical outcome and has organ protective effects on septic patients.
|Condition or disease
|Drug: Dexmedetomidine
|Phase 4
|Study Type :
|Interventional (Clinical Trial)
|Actual Enrollment :
|203 participants
|Intervention Model:
|Parallel Assignment
|None (Open Label)
|Primary Purpose:
|Official Title:
|Effect of Dexmedetomidine on Mortality, Duration of Mechanical Ventilation and Multi-organ Function in Sepsis Patients Under Lighter Sedation by Randomized Control Trial
|Study Start Date :
|January 2013
|Actual Primary Completion Date :
|January 2016
|Actual Study Completion Date :
|January 2016
Active Comparator: Dexmedetomidine
administer dexmedetomidine (0.1-0.7ug/kg/h) from the beginning of ICU treatment
Drug: Dexmedetomidine
intervention to administer dexmedetomidine or not
Active Comparator: non-Dexmedetomidine
administer sedatives except Dexmedetomidine
Drug: Dexmedetomidine
intervention to administer dexmedetomidine or not
- mortality [ Time Frame: on 28 days ]mortality of patients on 28 days or on a day of discharge if patients are discharged earlier than 28 days
- duration of mechanical ventilation [ Time Frame: up to 28 days ]duration of mechanical ventilation in the ICU involving non-invasive ventilation
- length of stay in the ICU [ Time Frame: up to 28 days ]
- length of stay in the hospital [ Time Frame: up to 28 days ]
- Evaluation of restlessness and delirium [ Time Frame: up to 28 days in the ICU ]evaluation of Richmond agitation-sedation scale (RASS) and Confusion Assessment Method for ICU patients (CAM-ICU)
- Evaluation of cognitive function [ Time Frame: on 28 days or on the day of discharge ]evaluation of Mini mental state examination (MMSE) on the 28 days or on a day of discharge if patients are discharged earlier than 28 days
- Occurrence of arrythmia or myocardial ischemia [ Time Frame: up to 28 days in the ICU ]
- Renal function [ Time Frame: up to 28 days in the ICU ]blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), daily urinary output, need of renal replacement therapy
- infection control [ Time Frame: within 28 days until discharge ]Duration of antimicrobial agents use within 28 days or a day of discharge if patients are discharged earlier than 28 days
- inflammation marker [ Time Frame: for 14days ]Laboratory marker of inflammation (CRP, PCT) on 1,3,7,14 days
- organ failure control [ Time Frame: up to 28 days in the ICU ]Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score during in the ICU
- coagulopathy control [ Time Frame: for 14 days ]Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC) score by the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine during in the ICU
- nutrition control [ Time Frame: up to 28 days in the ICU ]daily energy intake by enteral nutrition
- sedation control [ Time Frame: up to 28 days in the ICU ]dose of sedative drugs and analgesic drugs during in the ICU
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|20 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- adult
- transferred to ICU
- anticipation of a need for mechanical ventilation at least 24 hours
Exclusion Criteria:
- sever chronic liver disease (Child B or C)
- acute myocardial infarction, heart disease (NYHA 4)
- Drug dependence, alcoholism
- Psychological illness, severe cognitive dysfunction
- patients who have allergy for dexmedetomidine
- attending physician's decision
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT01760967
|Tohoku University
|Sendai, Miyagi, Japan, 9808574
|Study Chair:
|Yu Kawazoe
|Tohoku University
|Study Director:
|Hitoshi Yamamura, doctor
|Hirosaki University
|Study Director:
|Takeshi Morimoto, doctor
|Hyogo Medical University
|Responsible Party:
|Yu Kawazoe, Assistant Professor, Tohoku University
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|Other Study ID Numbers:
UMIN000009665 ( Other Identifier: UMIN-CTR )
|First Posted:
|January 4, 2013 Key Record Dates
|Last Update Posted:
|February 28, 2017
|Last Verified:
|February 2017
duration of mechanical ventilation
organ failure
Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome
Pathologic Processes
Hypnotics and Sedatives
Central Nervous System Depressants
Physiological Effects of Drugs
Analgesics, Non-Narcotic
Sensory System Agents
Peripheral Nervous System Agents
Adrenergic alpha-2 Receptor Agonists
Adrenergic alpha-Agonists
Adrenergic Agonists
Adrenergic Agents
Neurotransmitter Agents
Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action


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Many people have their own definition of "wealthy." Some say it's $1 million, others say $100 million. Some say it means making more than your brother-in-law. Others say it means not having to work or having strong relationships with family and friends.
But a new survey from UBS shows that most investors say "wealthy" means $5 million—with at least $1 million of that in cold, hard cash.
The UBS Investor Watch asked 4,450 investors if they consider themselves wealthy. Fully 60 percent of those worth $5 million or more said they're wealthy, while only 28 percent of those worth $1 million to $5 million said they were wealthy (those were the only two categories given).
(Read more:Top 1% control 39% of world's wealth)
Half of the respondents said that, more broadly, being wealthy means having "no financial constraints on activities." Only 16 percent said it meant "surpassing a certain asset threshold" and 10 percent said it means "not having to work again."
Yet being wealthy doesn't just mean having millions in investments or assets. It means having plenty of cash on hand to handle any expense. Driven by the bad memories of the crisis, when many of the so-called wealthy were caught short of cash, investors currently have an average of 23 percent of their overall asset allocation in cash or equivalents. That's the highest number since at least 2010.
(Read more: We're rich again! We just can't feel it)
And they don't plan to draw down their cash anytime soon. About two-thirds of investors feel they have the right amount of cash. As long as they take risk with some of their money in equities, they want a large pile of cash to balance the risk.
"Current investor asset allocations tend toward the 'barbell' approach," UBS said in the study, "with more cash than the industry would typically recommend but also sizable equity holdings."
Among the top reasons to keep cash were to cover emergencies, to "give me peace of mind" and to "make large purchases without selling assets."
—By CNBC's Robert Frank. Follow him on Twitter @robtfrank.
More from TODAY Money:
- Britons -- and Range Rover -- cheer Royal family
- When is vacation not vacation? 61 percent of the time
- What's wealthy? $5 million and plenty of cash


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Insurance linked securities (ILS) are now well established in the insurance industry. ILS as an asset class offer, according to its many fans, the benefits of diversification and low correlation to other asset classes whilst offering a stable and attractive risk/reward return. The impact of the new capital on the traditional market has been profound and wide ranging (and a much posted upon topic in this blog – here, here & here for example).
ILS fund managers maintained an "aggressive posture" on price at the recent April renewals according to Willis Re as ILS capacity continues to demonstrate its cost of capital advantage. ILS fund managers are also looking to diversify, moving beyond pure short tail risks and looking at new previously uninsured or underinsured exposures, as well as looking to move their capital along the value-chain by sourcing primary risk more directly and in bulk.
An industry stalwart, John Kavanagh of Willis Re, commented that "with results on many diversifying non-catastrophe classes now marginal, there is greater pressure on reinsurers to address the pricing in these classes" and that "many reinsurers remain prepared to let their top line revenue growth stall and are opting to return excess capital to their shareholders". The softening reinsurance market cycle is now in its fifth year and S&P estimates that "even assuming continued favourable prior-year reserve releases and benign natural catastrophe losses, we anticipate that reinsurers will barely cover their cost of capital over the next two years".
Rather than fight the new capital on price, some traditional (re)insurers are, according to Brandan Holmes of Moody's, "deploying third-party capital in their own capital structures in an effort to lower their blended cost of capital" and are deriving, according to Aon Benfield, "significant benefits from their ability to leverage alternative capital". One can only fight cheap capital for so long, at some stage you just arbitrage against it (sound familiar!).
A.M. Best recently stated that "more collateralised reinsurance programs covering nonpeak exposures are ceded to the capital markets". The precipitous growth in the private transacted collateralised reinsurance subsector can be seen in the graph from Aon below.
Nick Frankland of Guy Carpenter commented that "the capital landscape is ever-changing" and that "such capital diversity also elevates the position of the broker". Some argue that the all-powerful role of the dominant brokers is exacerbating market softness. These brokers would counterargue that they are simply fulfilling their role in an efficient market, matching buyers and sellers. As Frankland puts it, brokers are "in the strongest position to provide access to all forms of capital and so secure the more beneficial rates and terms and conditions". Dominic Christian of Aon Benfield commented last year that "to some extent alternative sources of capital are already, and have already uberized insurance and reinsurance, by bringing increased sources of supply".
Perhaps alone amongst industry participants, Weston Hicks of Alleghany, has questioned the golden goose of cheap ILS capital stating that "some new business models that separate the underwriting decision from the capital provider/risk bearer are, in our view, problematic because of a misalignment of incentives". Such concerns are batted aside as old fashioned in this new world of endless possibilities. Frighteningly, John Seo of ILS fund manager Fermat Capital, suggests that "for every dollar of money that you see in the market right now, I think there is roughly 10 dollars on the sidelines waiting to come in if the market hardens".
As an indicator of current ILS pricing, the historical market spread over expected losses in the public CAT bond market can be seen in the exhibit below with data sourced from Lane Financial. It is interesting to note that the average expected loss is increasing indicating CAT bonds are moving down the risk towers towards more working layer coverages.
In a previous post, I argued that returns from an ILS fund index, with the net returns judgementally adjusted to get to comparable figures gross of management fees, were diverging against those from a pure CAT bond index. I argued that this divergence may illustrate that the ILS funds with exposure to the private collateralised reinsurance sector may be taking on higher risk exposures to pump returns (or may be passing risks amongst themselves in an embryonic spiral) and that ILS investors should be careful they understand the detail behind the risk profiles of the ILS funds they invest in.
Well, the final 2016 figures, as per the graph below, show that the returns in my analysis have in fact converged rather than diverged. On the face of it, this rubbishes my argument and I have to take that criticism on. Stubbornly, I could counter-argue that the ILS data used in the comparison may not reflect the returns of ILS funds with large exposure to collateralised reinsurance deals. Absent actual catastrophic events testing the range of current fund models, better data sources are needed to argue the point further.
In their annual review of 2016, Lane Financial have an interesting piece on reducing transparency across both the public and private ILS sector. They characterise the private collateralised reinsurance sector as akin to a dark pool compared to the public CAT bond market which they likened to a lit exchange. Decreased transparency across the ILS sector "should send up warning flags" for all market participants as it makes calculating Net Asset Valuations (NAV) with monthly or quarterly frequency more difficult. They argue that the increased use of a relatively smaller public CAT bond market for pricing points across the ILS sector, the less credible is the overall valuation. This is another way of expressing my concern that the collateralised reinsurance market could be destabilising as it is hidden (and unregulated).
In the past, as per this post, I have questioned how the fully funded ILS market can claim to have a lower cost of capital against rated reinsurers who only have to hold capital against a percentage of their exposed limit, akin to fractional banking (see this post for more on that topic). The response is always down to the uncorrelated nature of ILS to other asset classes and therefore its attraction to investors such as pension funds who can apply a low cost of capital to the investment due to its uncorrelated and diversifying portfolio benefits. Market sponsors of ILS often use graphs such as the one below from the latest Swiss Re report to extoll the benefits of the asset class.
A similar exhibit, this time from a Lombard Odier brochure, from 2016 shows ILS in an even more favourable light!
As anybody who has looked through any fund marketing metrics knows, performance comparisons with other investment strategies are fraught with bias and generally postdictive. The period over which the comparison is made and the exact indices chosen (look at the differing equity indices used in the comparisons above) can make material differences. Also, the size and liquidity of a market is important, a point which may negate any reliance on ILS returns prior to 2007 for example.
I thought an interesting exercise would be to compare actual historical ILS returns, as represented by the Swiss Re Global Cat Bond Total Return Index, against total returns (i.e. share price annual change plus dividends paid in year) from equity investment in reinsurers across different time periods. The most applicable business model for comparison would be pure property catastrophe reinsurers but unfortunately there are not many of them left.
I have chosen RenRe (RNR) and Validus (VR), from 2007, as representatives of the pure property cat business model, although both have diversified their portfolios away from pure short tail business in recent years. I also selected three of the biggest European reinsurers – Munch Re, Swiss Re and Hannover Re – all of which are large diverse composite reinsurers. Finally, I constructed a US$ portfolio using equal shares of each of the five firms mentioned above (RenRe represents 40% of the portfolio until 2007 when Validus went public) with the € and CHF shares converted at each year end into dollars.
The construction of any such portfolio is postdictive and likely suffers from multiple biases. Selecting successful firms like RenRe and Validus could validly be criticised under survival bias. To counter such criticism, I would point out that the inclusion of the European reinsurers is a considerable historic drag on returns given their diverse composite footprint (and associated correlation to the market) and the exclusion of any specialist CAT firm that has been bought out in recent years, generally at a good premium, also drags down returns.
The comparison over the past 15 years, see graph below, shows that Munich and Swiss struggle to get over their losses from 2002 and 2003 and during the financial crisis. Hannover is the clear winner amongst the Europeans. The strong performance of Hannover, RenRe and Validus mean that the US$ portfolio matches the CAT bond performance after the first 10 years, albeit on a more volatile basis, before moving ahead on a cumulative basis in the last 5 years. The 15-year cumulative return is 217% for the CAT bond index and 377% return for the US$ equity portfolio.
The comparison over the past 10 years, see graph below, is intriguing. Except for Validus, the CAT bond index beats all other firms and the US$ portfolio for non-volatile returns hands down in the first 5 years. Hannover, Validus and the portfolio each make a strong comeback in the most recent 5 years. The 10-year cumulative return is 125% for the CAT bond index and 189% return for the US$ equity portfolio.
The comparison over the past 5 years, see graph below, shows that all firms and the portfolio handily beats the CAT bond index. Due to an absence in large loss activity over the recent past and much more shareholder friendly actions by all reinsurers, the equity returns have been steady and non-volatile. The 5-year cumulative return is 46% for the CAT bond index and 122% return for the US$ equity portfolio.
Overall then, ILS may offer less volatile and uncorrelated returns but I would personally prefer the, often lumpier, historical equity returns from a selected portfolio of top reinsurers in my pension pot (we all could have both in our pension funds!). Then again, the influx of new capital into ILS has put the future viability of the traditional reinsurance business models into question so future equity returns from the sector may not be too rosy.
At the end of the day, the bottom line is whether current market risk premia is adequate, irrespective of being supplied by ILS fund managers or traditional reinsurers. Based upon what I see, I have grave misgivings about current market pricing and therefore have no financial exposure, ILS or equity or otherwise, to the market at present.
Additional Comment, 29th April 2017: The ILS website Artemis.bm had an interesting piece on comments from Torsten Jeworrek of Munich Re during their March conference call. The applicable comment is as follows:
"And now I give you another example, which is not innovation per se or not digitalization, but you know that more and more alternative capital came into the insurance industry over the last years; hedge funds, pension refunds, participating particularly in the cat business and as a trend that not all of the limits they provide, cat limits are fully collateralized anymore. That means there are 10 scenarios; hurricane, earthquake, [indiscernible], and so on; which are put together, but not 10 times the limit is collateralized, let's say only 4 times, 5 times.
That means these hedge funds and pension funds so to speak in the future if they don't have to provide full 100% collateralized for all the limits they provide, they need a certain credit risk for the buyer. The more they entertain, the more there's a likelihood that this reinsurance can also fail. The question is how far will that go and this kind of not fully collateralized reinsurance, will that be then accepted as a reinsurance by the regulator or will that be penalized at a certain time otherwise we don't have level playing field anymore, which means the traditional reinsurer who was strongly monitored and regulated and also reported as really expensive and a burden for our industry and for us and on the other hand, you have very lean pension and hedge funds who even don't have to provide the same amount of capital for the same risk."


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Is Britney Spears Engaged or Even Married?
Britney Spears sent tongues wagging on Saturday when she showed up at her son's sporting event flashing a thin gold band on her wedding finger.
Could it be that the singer, currently killing it with a Las Vegas residency, is taking it to the next level with boyfriend David Lucado?
Britney told ET's Rob Marciano only last November that she was unsure if she would wed again but that she'd like more children.
She told Rob of David, "I'm in love ... I like the fact that he is very stubborn and he's stuck in his ways. He's just a simple man. I adore him. He's really funny and he's really passionate. I love the fact that anything he's involved in, he's passionate about and it's contagious."
Spears went on to confirm that she met Lucado through friends and her father ran a background check on him, "My dad's a little crazy like that," the pop princess quipped.
Spears was previously wed twice, both times in 2004, once in Vegas quickie marriage to childhood friend Jason Alexander that lasted only 55 hours, and for a second time with Kevin Federline, with whom she has her two sons, Sean, 8, and Jayden, 7.