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Title: ASTM/NIBS Workshop on Building Science Education in North America
Dates: Sunday April 06 2014
Location: Sheraton Centre Toronto; Toronto, ON
Event Name: April 2014 Committee Week
Technical Chair Contact Information
Standards Development Meetings
An ASTM/NIBS Workshop on Building Science Education in North America will be held Sunday, April 6, 2014 8:00am - 5:00 pm
Sponsored by:
The workshop will be held at the Sheraton Toronto in Toronto, ON, Canada in conjunction with the April standards development meetings of the committee.
The workshop will include presentations from invited speakers representing universities in Canada and the United States recognized as subject-matter experts in Building Science education, training, and curriculum development. Topics to be discussed will include an overview of building science education as it currently exists in North America, followed by a critical review of graduate-level curricula currently available in building science and how that curricula can be further developed and refined to more effectively educate architects, engineers, and construction professionals. The workshop will conclude with a critical review of the ASTM/NIBS Building Enclosure Certification and Training Program currently under development and how that curriculum can be developed to align with curricula at colleges and universities in Canada and the U.S. to satisfy the certification requirements being developed by ASTM and offer a new opportunity for professional development, certification, and career advancement in architecture and engineering. Students, professors, and lecturers in Building Science, as well as practicing architects, engineers, and risk management professionals should attend.
Click on the link for the schedule/program of presentation times, paper titles, and presenters' names View Scheduled Program
Online registration opens approximately 8 weeks before the symposium and closes April 2, 2014. The fees to attend this symposium are listed below. These fees include:-the Sunday luncheon
Students – A student's fee is waived, provided that he/she is a full-time student and is not employed full time. After registering online, the student must check in at the ASTM Registration Desk on site and present his/her student ID. The waived fee includes admission to the technical sessions only.
All attendees, including presenters and ASTM members, are urged to register online for this event so that space requirements can be accommodated. If you do not register online by the closing date, then you must register upon arrival at the symposium. All attendees must check in at the ASTM registration desk upon arrival at symposium.
A refund of the symposium fee will be honored only if requested at least 7 business days prior to the symposium. To cancel your registration and request a refund, please contact Kelly Dennison at email@example.com or Tel: 610-832-9761.
If you have questions concerning online registration, please contact Hannah Sparks in Symposia Operations at email@example.com, Tel: 610/832-9677, or ASTM Technical Support at firstname.lastname@example.com or 1-800-262-1373 (domestic) or 610-832-9578 (international).
|On Site
|ASTM Member Fee
|Non-Member Fee
|Presenter Fee
|Student Fee
Symposium attendees interested in receiving 0.7 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) should complete a CEU application form at the adjournment of the symposium, and then submit it to the ASTM staff member on site. A certificate will be sent to the attendee approximately 4 to 6 weeks after the symposium.
Additional information about the workshop is available from Workshop Chairman Daniel Lemieux, Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc., Fairfax, VA, email@example.com 703-641-4601.
All meetings will be held at the Sheraton Centre Toronto, 123 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario M5H 2M9. Reservations may be made via our reservation link Reservation at the Sheraton Centre Toronto.
Select your dates and proceed as instructed. Reservations may also be made by telephoning the Sheraton Centre at 1-800-325-3535 (you must mention ASTM in order to receive the group rate).
Group rate will be honored until the ASTM block is full, but no later than March 7, 2014. ASTM rates are $165 single/double plus 13% tax. You may be charged a higher rate if reservations are received after the cut-off date, or when the block is full.
IMPORTANT! ASTM Rates are non-commissionable. If you book your reservation through a travel agent they must ask for a non-commissioned ASTM Group Rate. ASTM cannot adjust your higher rate if commissions were paid to a travel agency.
ADVANCE DEPOSIT: The Sheraton Centre requires a credit card to guarantee your reservation.
CONFIRMATION NOTICES: A confirmation number is provided to you electronically once your reservation has been submitted.
CANCELLATION/CHANGE POLICY: At the Sheraton Centre, notice of cancellation must be received 24 hours prior to arrival date.
Check the ASTM website for updates on overflow hotel room availability.
The Sheraton Centre is located approximately 17 miles from the Pearson International Airport. The hotel's phone number is 416-361-1000 and the general fax number is 416-947-4854. The website for the hotel is Sheraton Centre Toronto Information.
For information on the city of Toronto, visit the Toronto Convention and Visitors Bureau website at: Toronto Convention and Visitors Bureau.
AIRPORT SHUTTLE SERVICE: Airport Express Shuttle is available at the baggage claim terminal. The shuttle runs every 30 minutes at a cost of $23.95 one way and $40.00 round trip. Taxis cost approximately $58.
PARKING: Valet parking is $48.00 per night and self parking is $15.00 (day rate at city hall).
Meeting schedules of Committee E06 are posted on the ASTM web site at www.astm.org/COMMIT/COMMITTEE/E06.htm or contact the ASTM staff manager, Steve Mawn at email@example.com or tel: 610-832- 9726.
Committee E06 invites you to attend their future standards development meetings. There is no fee to attend these meetings, and membership in ASTM International is not required. For more information, visit the web page listed immediately above, and click on "Future Meetings".


text: University of Kentucky SIP METS submitted to KDL. University of Kentucky SIP METS and associated file(s) submitted in University of Kentucky Preservation Repository. c=journals;idno=2008ua008_1_7 Blue-Tail Fly, No. 7 Blue-Tail Fly, Inc., 1969- Lexington, Ky. : Blue-Tail Fly, Inc., 1969- : Lexington, Kentucky. ?? newspapers text 2008ua008_1_7 english This digital resource may be freely searched and displayed. Permission must be received for subsequent distribution in print or electronically. Physical rights are retained by the owning repository. Copyright is retained in accordance with U. S. copyright laws. Please go to http://kdl.kyvl.org for more information. Blue-Tail Fly 2010 This volume is considered in the public domain in the United States without any constraints on use.

subset: commoncrawl


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The artwork on this note card was created by 5768 WRJ Art Calendar artist Césan d'Ornellas Levine.
Our tradition teaches us that human life is of infinite value and that the preservation of life supersedes almost all other considerations. We, as Jews, believe that God endowed humanity with the understanding and ability to become partners with God in making a better world. The use of our wisdom to cure illnesses has been a central theme in Jewish thought and history.
Providing health care is not just an obligation for the patient and the doctor, but for society as well. It is for this reason that Maimonides, a revered Jewish scholar, listed health care first on his list of the ten most important communal services that a city had to offer to its residents (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot De'ot IV: 23). Almost all self-governing Jewish communities throughout history set up systems to ensure that all their citizens had access to health care. Doctors were required to reduce their rates for poor patients, and when that was not sufficient, communal subsidies were established (Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 249:16; Responsa Ramat Rahel of Rabbi Eliezer Waldernberg, sections 24-25.)
The Union for Reform Judaism has consistently supported universal health care coverage. A 1975 URJ Resolution on "Health Care and Health Insurance" called for a "national comprehensive prepaid single benefit standard health insurance with no deductible, to cover prevention, treatment and rehabilitation in all fields of health care." Similarly, in a 1976 resolution, the Central Conference of American Rabbis called on Congress to "enact a comprehensive national health insurance program."
Resolutions and Publications
Below are the Reform Movement statements regarding health care coverage and health insurance:
URJ Resolutions
CCAR Resolutions
Women of Reform Judaism Resolutions


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Get DVD Talk Feeds
A Warner Archive release, Rider on a Dead Horse utilizes original film elements in great shape, with this 16:9 enhanced widescreen, black-and-white transfer clean and crisp.
Ruthless Senn still needs seasoned scout Hayden's assistance finding his way back, as well as in avoiding the Apache warriors closing in on the pair. They decide to bury their heavy gold, but when Sam's riderless horse suddenly appears, Senn decides to take his chances and shoots Hayden in the shoulder, leaving him. (The film needlessly creates some confusion in these early scenes, as poor location audio has "Sam" and "Senn" sounding almost alike. At times it's not clear who's being discussed.)
Wounded and dying of exposure, Hayden crawls his way to some railroad construction. (Unconvincing, with Chinese workers poking at already laid track with picks and shovels.) There, Ming Kwai (Lisa Lu) greedily paws the man's pockets for valuables until he promises to share his buried fortune in exchange for her aid. Eager to get rich in San Francisco, she agrees.
Senn, meanwhile, safely reaches Lost River, where he tells dapper bounty hunter Jake Fry (Kevin Hagen, later kindly Doc Baker on Little House on the Prairie) that he saw Hayden murder Sam. Fry immediately agrees to share the inevitable $1,000 reward for Hayden's capture and begins tracking him, leaving Senn free to locate and dig up the buried gold.
If Rider on a Dead Horse cost more than $100,000 somebody was wasting money, and the actual negative cost might have been as low as $40,000 or $50,000. It's basically a four character show, a wise decision, and visually it's about comparable with the contemporaneously produced Gunsmoke TV series.
Conversely, it bears little resemblance to the B-Westerns that flourished through the early 1950s and still lingered somewhat into the 1960s. Those films had stock characters and drew on one of about eight or nine standard B-Western plots. Rider on a Dead Horse seems to anticipate Sergio Leone, playing more like "The Good, the Bad, the Ugly, and the Mercenary," with Vivyan, Hagen, Gordon, and Lu respectively in those parts. Although they are in it purely for the money. Vivyan is a cold-blooded hero and his eventual teaming with Ming is rooted in a common desire to recover the money as well as their mutual sexual attraction, rather than any hint of love and old-fashioned romance. She's especially mercenary, ready to pick Hayden clean before offering him any assistance. Senn is merely a thug (though, as played by Gordon, amusingly so), while the immaculately groomed Fry hints at the gentleman gunslingers soon played in Italian Westerns by Lee Van Cleef. The movie's title even sounds like a Van Cleef spaghetti rather than the usual Allied Artists cheapie.
Other similarities to later spaghettis are there if you look for them. Like Clint Eastwood, Hagen lights sticks of dynamite with his cigarillo. And, as in Sergio Leone's films, Rider on a Dead Horse builds to a climax in which the three men will face off, winner take all. And there's a clever and ironic conclusion I won't give away but which Leone probably would have appreciated.
None of this is to suggest that Rider on a Dead Horse is any better than very slightly above average for a super-cheap, early '60s Western, or that its parallels to the Italian Westerns soon to follow are anything more than coincidental. Still, it's a bit of a pleasant surprise.
Video & Audio
Filmed for 1.85:1 widescreen, Rider on a Dead Horse is presented in 16:9 enhanced widescreen and looks very nice indeed, with a dirt- and damage-free black and white transfer that impresses. The Dolby Digital mono audio (English only, no subtitles) is acceptable and the disc itself is region-free. No Extra Features.
Parting Thoughts
For what it is, not bad. Thus, Rider on a Dead Horse is Recommended.
Stuart Galbraith IV is a Kyoto-based film historian whose work includes film history books, DVD and Blu-ray audio commentaries and special features. Visit Stuart's Cine Blogarama here.


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Car Deals
Truck Deals: March 2012
As the snow starts melting and spring begins to poke through, many people are starting to make their way into dealerships in search of a new vehicle. To entice shoppers into their showrooms, many automakers are offering big deals on their newest models - especially in the highly competitive truck segment. We've rounded up some of the best deals on new trucks in March to help you get a good deal on the right truck to help you tackle all of your spring projects.
Chevrolet Silverado HD
Although Chevrolet is advertising several attractive offers on its light duty Silverado pickup throughout March, there are some great deals on the heavy-duty models too. Qualified consumers interested in a 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD or 3500HD can receive zero percent interest rates for up to 72 months, or up to $2,000 cash back on the workhorse pickup. For consumers who don't need the latest model, Chevrolet is also offering the mechanically identical 2011 Silverado 2500HD and 3500HD with up to $3,000 cash back - a tempting offer considering the muscular pickup's powerful Duramax diesel engine and impressive 17,800-pound towing capacity.
Find a Chevrolet Silverado HD for sale.
Ford F-150
Ford is offering some great deals on its hugely popular F-150 pickup throughout March. While truck shoppers looking for a brand new 2012 Ford F-150 can take up to $3,000 cash back or $1,500 back combined with 2.9 percent interest rates for up to 36 months, the best deals are on leftover 2011 models. That's because Ford is offering zero percent interest for a whopping 60 months on all remaining 2011 F-150 pickups - and that rises to just 1.9 percent for buyers looking to stretch their payments out over 72 months. Better yet, buyers can also take $1,000 cash back, making a 2011 F-150 one of the smartest full-size truck buys on the market.
Nissan Frontier
Although compact pickups aren't as popular as they used to be, many buyers still appreciate their smaller size and greater maneuverability. If you're one of those buyers, Nissan has an enticing special offer on its handsome Frontier available through the end of March. According to the automaker, qualified buyers can get zero percent interest rates for up to 60 months or 1.9 percent for up to 72 months on all 2012 Nissan Frontier models in dealer inventory. For with cash in hand (or with a loan from their bank or credit union), Nissan is offering between $2,000 and $2,500 cash back on the Frontier, depending on the trim level - a great deal considering the pickup starts at less than $19,000 including destination.
Find a Nissan Frontier for sale.
Ram 1500
Shoppers interested in the critically acclaimed Ram truck will find several deals available throughout March. Nearly all versions of the light-duty Ram 1500 pickup are available with zero percent interest rates for up to 60 months plus $1,500 cash back through the end of the month. For truck shoppers who want something bigger, there are similar deals on its larger Ram models, from the heavy duty 2500 and 3500 to the commercial duty Ram 4500 and 5500 "Chassis Cab" trucks, which feature little more than a cab and a bare ladder frame. Unfortunately for buyers looking to get a steal on an older model, there are no incentives on 2011 models, meaning they're most likely almost sold out.
Toyota Tundra
Toyota is among the only automakers to advertise both purchase and lease deals for its full-size pickup truck. Consumers looking to lease the Toyota Tundra will find attractive rates as low as $319 per month with $3,318 due at signing for all 2012 and remaining 2011 Tundra Double Cab models equipped with the truck's muscular 5.7-liter V8. Meanwhile, truck shoppers looking to buy the pickup can also find an attractive deal with interest rates as low as zero percent for 36 months. Those offers strike us as impressive considering they don't apply solely to base-level models, but rather desirable well-equipped versions of the popular full-size pickup.
Find a Toyota Tundra for sale.
What it means to you: There are more great deals in March on today's most popular pickups.


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Wednesday, 17 December 2014
Dec 17th Team B Anything goes
34 comments:
- Sarah said...
Sad to see you go but thank you for the wonderful challenges xx
- 17 December 2014 at 09:29
- Laney said...
Oh so sorry to see you go but I do know what life is like and you my friend never seem to stop, I loved my time at Divas it truly was a nice place to be, may I wish you all a very merry and peaceful Christmas
big hugs
- 17 December 2014 at 11:15
- Heidi Brawley said...
Oh what very sad news!!!! This challenge will be missed greatly. Happy Holidays to you!!!!
- 17 December 2014 at 14:28
- Pat K said...
Very sad to hear the news. Thank you all for a wonderful challenge..you will be missed. hugs, Pat K x
- 17 December 2014 at 14:30
- Linda Simpson said...
So sad to hear the challenge is closing! I wish you all a Merry Christmas and all the very best for 2015. The DT projects are all fabulous as always!
Linda xxxx
- 17 December 2014 at 15:51
- ~ginny said...
Awww man!! Absolute bummer!
Rebekah & divas - I have always enjoyed your challenges... thank you for the time and effort you put into your blog! And a special thank you to the DT for their beautiful, creative and inspiring work week after week!
- 17 December 2014 at 18:35
- Sandra H said...
Congrats winners.....Gorgeous Dt creations and so sad to read your news you will be missed take care xx
- 17 December 2014 at 18:39
- Crea Astrid said...
What a beautiful creations made the DT.
Congrats for the winners.
Hugs, Astrid.
- 18 December 2014 at 09:38
- Laine said...
So sad to see you go, so many challenges seem to be closing. Good luck to everyone for all of your future endeavours.
- 18 December 2014 at 09:54
- cotnob said...
Fabulous DT inspiration, sorry to hear that this is your last challenge.
- 18 December 2014 at 10:24
- KT Fit Kitty said...
Aw, that's sad news indeed! I always enjoyed playing here! I wish you and your DT well! Gorgeous DT samples! I'll be back to play along in your final challenge
- 18 December 2014 at 16:02
- kanda said...
Sorry to hear the challenges are ending. The Dt creations are super as always. Merry christmas to you all xx
- 18 December 2014 at 16:21
- Lucy Patrick said...
Oh, this is very sad news, I will miss your fantastic challenge blog and beautiful DT creations each challenge. I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and all the best for the future. XOX Lucy
- 18 December 2014 at 23:42
- Rebecca Bradshaw said...
So sad to see Divas by Design closing but thank you for so many fantastic challenges and all the time you've put into it!
- 19 December 2014 at 08:12
- Granmargaret said...
Thank you for the challenge. Lovely cards by the design team.
So sorry to see you go and hope you will be back later next year.
Have a very happy Christmas and a blessed new year.
- 20 December 2014 at 01:31
- abusybee - DoubleClick Connections said...
Great DT! Thanks for the fun challenge! Carri~Abusybee
- 20 December 2014 at 03:35
- vinita jain said...
A very sad news and will miss your challenges in future! Hope you will come back soon! Wish you and your team A Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year
- 20 December 2014 at 13:40
- Wendy said...
Great design team samples. I'm sorry to hear that your challenge site is closing. Good luck to all the design team members.
- 20 December 2014 at 19:40
- Julia said...
Awesome inspiraion by DT.
- 23 December 2014 at 04:21
- Ellen said...
So sorry to hear this will be the last challenge. Thank you for all the inspiration. I wish you all well!
groetjes, Ellen
- 23 December 2014 at 10:14
- Susan Kennedy said...
Gorgeous DT Creations!! So sorry to see the challenge go :( That is sad! Thanks for another fun challenge!
- Susan
{Scrap A Thousand Words}
Open-Minded Crafting Fun Challenges
- 26 December 2014 at 23:00
- Beebeebabs said...
Very nice work DT
- 28 December 2014 at 14:08
- CraftyGirl said...
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! Such a fun Challenge. See you next time THANKS for having a great challenge blog! :-)
- 28 December 2014 at 15:03
- Planetsusie said...
So sad that the challenge is closing but I am so glad to have been able to enter the last one! Lots of luck to you all in the future.
Hugs to you all Sue Pxxx
- 30 December 2014 at 12:17
- Diane said...
So sad to hear this is the last challenge...the team's creations are amazing !!
hus to all,
Diane xx
- 1 January 2015 at 14:25
- Leslie said...
So sorry you're closing up shop! Have enjoyed playing in your challenges! Good luck to all of you!
Love To Scrap!
Love To Scrap! Challenge Blog
Crafty Cardmakers and more
- 2 January 2015 at 07:11
- Diana Lynn Martin said...
Oh bummer! That's sad that you're closing up but it sounds like it's in the best interest of the team. Thank you for providing a great blog for such a long time! Best wishes to all of you & happy new year!
Diana ♥
Leelee Card Designs
- 5 January 2015 at 14:46
- Ileana Carmen said...
Thank you for this last challenge.
- 6 January 2015 at 07:52
- DistinctiveLMNts said...
Lovely creations by all!
- 9 January 2015 at 01:01
- DIANA L. said...
Great DT inspiration Thanks for the fun challenge.
- 9 January 2015 at 02:21
- Gloria Shirr (purpleglo) said...
I am so sad to see you go; but I understand that life can get very hectic at times. I wish you all lots of luck and hopefully we will see you back here soon. Thanks for the fabulous challenges and all the inspiration from the DT. Hugs, Gloria
- 11 January 2015 at 00:55
- Gail said...
Do you think you'll be announcing the winner of your last challenge anytime soon? I'm sorry to see your challenge go and your DT's projects have been outstanding!
- 28 January 2015 at 18:05
- Gail said...
So sorry to see you go and I'd love to be able to close the door, also, if you'd please announce the winner of your last challenge. Thanks much.
- 11 February 2015 at 17:13
- Lucy Patrick said...
Hi Divas,
Like Gail, I am wondering if you are going to announce winners of your last challenge as I'm sure I'm not the only one that made a special effort to join your last challenge in celebration of your great blog. XOX Lucy
- 16 February 2015 at 06:14


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Joe sez: If you've missed the previous guest blogs, they've been fascinating and informative.
You can read Nick Spill talking about his path to publication here: http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2013/07/guest-blog-by-nick-spill.html
You can read Constance Phillips and Jenna Rutland and Joe Konrath talking about their paths to publication here: http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2013/07/guest-post-by-constance-phillips-and.html
You can read Ian Kezsbom talking about Fuzzbomb Publishing here: http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2013/07/guest-post-by-ian-kezsbom.html
You can read Gary Ponzo talk about first lines here: http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2013/07/guest-post-by-gary-ponzo.html
You can read Chris Everheart talking about technophobia here:
You can read about Joe Flynn talking about his publishing history here: http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2013/07/guest-post-by-joe-flynn.html
You can read Richard Stooker talking about bestsellers here: http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2013/07/guest-post-by-richard-stooker.html
Now here's Nikki Pill...
In 2003, I did a reading at Twilight Tales in Chicago. A writer approached me and introduced himself as Joe. He said he liked my work and wanted to introduce me to his agent. It's a vote of confidence I've never forgotten. The agent passed on my manuscript, but I picked up Joe's book WHISKEY SOUR and loved it. I've been a big fan ever since, and he's been a major influence on my decision to go indie. If you want to see how his advice panned out for me, check this out.
I did my psychology internship at hospice, so I've had the chance to see the devastating effect Alzheimer's has on the entire family. (PSA: the single biggest determining lifestyle factor about dementia and Alzheimer's is exercise, so please hop on the treadmill after you nail your word count for the day). I was thrilled to have the chance to fight the good fight against that disease while getting a chance to guest post on Joe's blog. I don't know that I have anything new to say about writing, but as a trained therapist, I can talk about practical ways to deal with your inner critic.
We all need out inner editor to do our best work. We all write sucky sentences, clunky metaphors, and boring dialogue. It's useful to weed it out in later drafts. When enough stress comes into the picture, though, that editor can become an outright bully -- usually before you start! People with good intentions will tell you to "put it out of your mind," "stop thinking about it," "get over it," or "think positive." They may tell you that people who give you negative reviews "aren't worth your time," so "don't let them rent space in your head."
But how?
We live in a culture where self-help gurus make a lot of money telling you to think positive. To replace negative thoughts with positive ones. To Just Be Happy. If it were really that simple -- if you could really just replace one thought with another by using sheer willpower -- depression and anxiety wouldn't be epidemics in our culture. The thing is, there is no such thing as unlearning. If you ever believe that you're a bad writer, that neural pathway becomes part of your brain. Think it enough, and it will get as big and crowded as Route 90 in Chicago rush hour. You might learn a more useful skill, but you can't unlearn the thought. It's like learning French and expecting to forget English.
Some people can easily practice skills we call "cognitive defusion" and "emotional regulation." Most people who grew up with that knack can't articulate it because it's just part of their unconscious mental processes. These skills are a bitch to learn later in life, especially if you're a ruminator and worrier like me!
I hit a nasty rough patch in 2006-2007. I experienced paralyzing fear when I faced the blank white page. Every idea I had was a wretched cliché. Every sentence was stilted and stupid. I could barely skim Joe's or Elizabeth Bear's blog posts on writing because I felt like such a fraud. I called myself a writer, but I wasn't writing. I felt like I'd used up all my good ideas and I'd never turn out anything good again. I would never be as good as China Mieville or Jeanette Winterson. They NEVER had ideas this bad!
I incorrectly attributed this to writers' block, to a creative failing on my part. You see, the mind is an evaluation and judgment machine. Those skills are great for predicting danger so a species can survive. No amount of positive thinking will replace a sabertooth tiger with a kitten, right? But today, when our mind is attempting to predict and prevent circumstances that cause us embarrassment or pain, we end up in a vicious mental feedback loop. We end up with a long list of situations to avoid, like Going to Parties, Asking People on Dates, or Self-Publishing a Book.
For several years, it wasn't safe for me to say anything. The abusive person in my life would twist my statements around and throw them back in my face. If something was in writing, this person could pick the statements apart and attribute all kinds of horrible, manipulative motives to me. Of course a blank page was terrifying!
Part of how I dealt with it -- my starting point in cognitive defusion -- is here, with my yoga teacher telling me "it doesn't have to be anything." I stopped trying to suppress my inner critic. I agreed with him. "That's okay. This page can be absolute shit. If Neil Gaiman and Elizabeth Bear talk about writing the Awful First Draft, then I don't have to turn out a perfect first draft. Mine can be awful too." That enabled me to detach from perfectionism, which was my mind's attempt to protect me from embarrassment and hurt. Instead of suppressing the thoughts, I just allowed them to exist in a more workable way.
1. Letting go of Unhelpful Stories
Sometimes critical thoughts come from a distance; sometimes, they clamp on like an awful H.R. Giger alien facehugger. It's not about some miracle cure so you'll never be afraid again. It's about changing your relationship with those thoughts. For instance, I remember sitting in a booth at the Roger's Park Leona's, totally stunned that The Tease made it to #5 in free suspense. My boyfriend was grinning ear to ear, and I was sick to my stomach. It had just occurred to me that over 3,600 people had my book. That meant 3,600 people could dislike the book, write negative reviews, and judge me. What was I thinking, publishing a book? Who ever said I could write?
I recognized that my mind was just telling me the same old story, and said to myself, "Here's the I'm a Bad Writer Story again." My inner critic's histrionics sputtered and quieted to a dull mutter, and I had a cheeseburger with my boyfriend while another couple hundred people downloaded the book.
The worst thing you can do is to try fighting the chatter. It never shuts off -- not even for the mental might of lifelong meditators. It's impossible. Strategies like alcohol or TV can numb them for a while, but they'll just come back.
There's a difference between having a thought, holding a thought, and buying a thought. Meditation and yoga can help create mindfulness, but they're not the only way. Simple, quick, easy mindfulness exercises can train your brain too. So when your critic starts telling you that you suck, hold the thoughts lightly, like a live bird. You are not your thoughts. They are just temporary private events. Notice the thought, thank your mind for telling you a story, and do what is meaningful to you.
2. Take Action
Another important strategy is committed action in service of your values. Many of us make this assumption that someday, we'll be happy, and then our lives will start. Our life is happening right now, though. The further we get from our values, the less satisfied we are. If you value doing creative things, and your behavior doesn't line up with that, you'll experience dissatisfaction. You might even feel like a fraud, as I did. Life is more fulfilling when we act on our values. Feel the fear, recognize that not every thought or emotion is actionable, and take action. No matter what you do, someone is going to criticize you. Do you want your tombstone to honor you as a dedicated writer, loving family member, and loyal friend? Or as a person who successfully avoided criticism?
Some people might use a technique we call "flooding," which is like getting over a fear of blood by volunteering in the ER for a night. You flood yourself with the experience to desensitize yourself. I prefer a less dramatic approach, especially for projects that take as long as writing. Todd Travis's recent post is a good example of this. His post talks about the values of bravery, creativity, hard work, and pursuing dreams. He writes about placing a higher value on those than avoiding criticism and avoiding embarrassment. If you keep your values as your North Star, it's a lot easier to live a rich, full life.
3. Exposure
My personal favorite technique for big-time worriers like me is making time for it. Give yourself 15 minutes a day to worry as hard as you can. Seriously. Go for it. Freak out about how your book will flop and you'll be remembered as the Biggest Loser Writer Ever. At the end of those 15 minutes, pick yourself up and get on with your day. Experiment with that -- 15 minutes a day for 2 weeks, even and especially on the days you feel like you don't have something to worry about -- and see what happens.
If you'd like to read more about this approach, it's called Acceptance Commitment Therapy. It's the approach I use as a therapist, and it's life-changing. I highly recommend the writers Russ Harris and Steven Hayes. I also loved Hilary Rettig's 7 SECRETS OF THE PROLIFIC and Steven Pressfield's THE WAR OF ART. They're not based in ACT, but they're great books for writers that align well with the philosophy.
And, of course, you can read THE TEASE, the novel I wrote when I changed my relationship with my inner critic. Anna is a therapist by day, burlesque dancer by night. When a serial killer stalks and murders members of her burlesque troupe, her personal and professional lives come crashing down around her.
As a special thank-you to Joe for encouraging me as a fledgling writer and devoting his resources to curing a devastating condition, I'm having a Joe's Blog Special. THE TEASE is free today & tomorrow, July 22-23. I hope you enjoy it.
Joe sez: One of the greatest journeys in life is overcoming insecurity and learning to truly not give a shit.
Of course, that's easier said than done. Remember that being brave doesn't mean being fearless. It means being able to act while afraid.
First comes action, then comes not giving a shit.
My way to combat fear is to do exactly that--to combat fear. To face it, head on. So I'll add Pavlov to Nikki's list of ways to fight fear.
4. Classical Conditioning
If you want to get over being afraid of something, keep doing it until you're used to it.
We fear the worst case scenario. But once that happens, and we survive, we can become calloused to it.
When I was a wee lad of five years old, the nurse sneezed while giving me a booster shot, jabbing me in my tiny arm with a giant needle three times in a line, powpowpow like a sewing machine.
I was afraid of needles after that. Every check-up was filled with anxiety. The very thought of going to the doctor was enough to make my palms sweat.
I carried this fear with me until I was sixteen, and then I realized what a wonderful opportunity fear presented to me. How many chances do we have in life to truly overcome something? To triumph? To conquer?
Beating fear was a way to grow as a person. To turn something that made me feel bad into something that gave me strength.
So I went and gave blood. That needle was a helluva lot bigger than a booster shot needle. Plus, my veins are hard to find. You bet your ass I was sweating like a guy on death row sitting in that chair, and when the nurse started digging around for my vein and muttering, "I can't find it" it took all I had to stay completely still.
After a minute of digging, she apologized, pulling out saying it wasn't working.
"Try my other arm," I told her.
More poking and prodding, but she found it. I gave my pint, and got over my fear of needles. Having survived the worst case scenario, I no longer needed to fear it.
Twilight Tales in Chicago was a reading group where anywhere from five to fifty people would gather on the top floor of the Red Lion, an old Irish pub on Lincoln Avenue, and read aloud from their work.
I've heard it said that more people fear public speaking than death. I've always been a pretty good public speaker, but the threat of bombing always weighed heavily in my head, and I'd never bombed before.
So during an open mike night, I read some J. Andrew Haknort poetry. (Haknort is an alter ego who writes stupid, offensive poems, such as: "My grandma wears a diaper, I really hate to wipe her.")
People who know me well enough to get drunk or stoned with me wind up appreciating the stupidity that is Haknort. The poems can, in some cases, induce hysterical laughter.
Such was not the case when I read Haknort at Twilight Tales. Instead, I induced groans and booing and catcalls to get off the mike.
Maybe I should have. I'd never been in front of such a hostile crowd, before or since.
But I took the abuse. For my entire slot, fifteen full minutes. Watching as people walked out. Enduring the increasingly hateful comments. I kept going, and by the time I was finished I'd been baptized by fire. Since it could never be worse than that, I could handle any public speaking situation that life through at me.
I've bombed a few times since, but not as spectacularly. Now, when a joke or line doesn't work, I apologize for it, promise things will get better, and move on. Nietzsche was right.
But public speaking isn't the biggest fear writers have. The biggest fear is probably bad reviews. Having people hate your work (and even hate you by extension).
Those who can't do, teach. Those who can't teach, critique. Those who can't critique, somehow wind up working for Kirkus and Publisher's Weekly.
I remember the first few major reviews I had. They were so-so, neither raves nor pans, and I was able to cull some good quotes out for my book covers and website. This was before Amazon allowed customer reviews, so printed reviews in self-important rags like PW and Kirkus were very important to authors. I knew writers who would be depressed for weeks because of a bad review, and I sometimes had to numb the sting myself with liquor.
Then Kirkus hit me with this quote:
"Konrath's prose ranges from careless to wretched."
When I read that for the first time, a dam broke in me, and I began to laugh like a hyena.
Seriously? What kind of self-important little asshat would write something like that? Did his mother not love him? Or maybe dropped him down an escalator as a baby? Was he bitter because he couldn't get laid without paying for it? Did he think trashing an author compensated for having a micropenis? Was he a frustrated writer who couldn't find an agent so he had to vent his spleen on those who could?
I realized anyone who needed to vent hate like that was seriously messed up in the head, and as such I couldn't take it seriously. So I stopped taking it seriously.
At the time I was in an anthology, and was asked to provide a quote for the back jacket copy. I did:
"Konrath's prose ranges from careless to wretched." - Kirkus
Since then, I haven't minded bad reviews. If anyone hates my work, so be it. It just isn't worth thinking about. Hell, it isn't even worth reading.
When I began blogging about self-publishing, I neatly segregated myself from the legacy world. A lot of people still part of that legacy world didn't like many of the things I said, or the way I said them. So I've been the target for a lot of hate over the years. Not just hate of my words, but hate of me, as if these pinheads actually know me.
It's ridiculous. And it doesn't effect me in the least.
If somebody wants to publicly eat a big plate of stupid with a healthy side of envy, let them. I don't care. What Peter says about Paul says more about Peter than Paul. And I truly thank all of my haters for the free publicity they've given me. That's part of the reason I make 20x as much money as they do.
We live in a scary, unfair, unkind world. One where complete strangers get off trashing you and your work. Bad reviews, rejections, boos, ridicule, envy, and hate are things every writer will have to deal with at some point.
They won't kill you. Trust me. After a while, they become amusing.
Just make sure you have a good support network (friends, family, peers) if things get tough, and remember that were aren't curing cancer or making rockets to send people to Mars. We're entertainers. No book, or person, entertains everyone.
And that's okay.
And if you do carry a grudge, remember that success is the best revenge. Ten years ago, no writer would EVER publicly denounce Kirkus or Publisher's Weekly, from fear of getting another bad review (or no review at all.) Now Kirkus and PW are so desperate they're charging writers for reviews. It's so pathetic it's hysterical, to see how those who once had power now pander and beg to delay the inevitable bankruptcy.
God, I'll really miss them.
So how do you folks overcome fear?


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Talking Time Code of Conduct
Code of Conduct
When Talking Time was first established, it was a cool place where cool people could kick back and talk about video games or whatever else struck their fancy. In the past few years, the popularity of our content has attracted many new members. We dont want Talking Time to be like other gaming forums, and based on past discussions, neither do you. Therefore, weve drafted this code of conduct to outline the behavior that is expected from all members. By posting here you implicitly agree to these conditions.
Weve tried to make these rules as unrestrictive as possible while still maintaining a baseline of comity. This isn't intended to be an exhaustive, hard and fast laundry list, and discretion is always a part of the process of managing any community. The golden rule applies as always.
This forum is made up of a number of different communities. Each of these communities is here for different reasons and has different ways of interacting. While these can be valid, in and of themselves, when they interact with each other, problems can arise. Don't assume the worst of each other or the best. Take a step back and consider your reactions. When knees jerk, noses can be broken.
Note: Activity outside this forum (Discord, Twitter, IRL conversations, etc.) is fair game to be considered when determining whether someone is operating in good faith and within the spirit of this code.
No Personal Attacks
As much as you may disagree with someones opinion on a video game, or style of expression, or political position, or ideology, that does not mean they are not a person deserving of respect, civility, and kindness. We want to encourage discussion and debate, so address the arguments, evidence, reasoning, whatever, but leave comments about their person out of it. Note that this not only includes outright attacks but accusatory tone and implied insults as well. Don't be a bully or a creeper. This applies to any interactions on the site (PMs included). If you are the subject of any of this kind of thing, bring it to a moderators attention. Posting of PMs as a retaliatory act or getting down in the mud in responses is no better than being the initiator.
No Hateful or Violent Language
This may seem obvious but intolerance can be subtle and insidious. We want all members to feel safe and comfortable on Talking Time. No sexist, racist, classist, ableist, intolerant, or any other harmful speech.
No Passive Aggression
This is hard to define, but is a problem that plagues the forum. This rule is a catch-all for behavior that attempts to dance along the edge of propriety or skirt the rules (honoring the letter, but not the spirit). Passive aggressive snark under the guise of innocence, trolling, spam, or any other post that only exists to antagonize others is the kind of thing that is covered here. Passive aggression is still aggression, so if you want to rile up others for fun, find another place to do it.
Failure to follow these policies will generally result first in a warning. This is exactly what it is: a warning that you are infringing on the code of conduct and an invitation to change your behavior. The offending post may be edited or deleted at the discretion of the moderators. Repeat infractions will result in a temporary ban, and then a permanent one if the behavior persists. Particularly egregious violations may not follow all of these stages and repeat offenders will receive much less leniency.
If you feel like any of these rules have been violated, please PM any of the moderators. They are all listed on the various forums on the front page. We promise to review every report with seriousness and consideration to all parties involved. We want to have an open-door policy. If anything is bothering you, please let us know.
Likewise, if you have any questions, feel free to PM any of the moderators.
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Kanye West was captured yelling all kinds of things while performing at the Met Gala on Monday night.
The rapper, who is famous for his captivating on-stage rants, made use of the opportunity to serenade his baby mama Kim Kardashian, by singing "Let nobody bring you down, you're so awesome."
A video of the moment was lated posted on Vine by super model Coco Rocha who was deeply touched by it.
"Kanye telling Kim not to worry what anyone says that she's awesome. Quite touching really," Rocha wrote on the video's caption.
West was also filmed by Vine user Jaime King, yelling "I am a God" while performing his new single "I Am a God."


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A long, richly detailed debut novel from prizewinning short-story writer Orringer (How to Breathe Underwater, 2003), unfolding from a little-explored area of the Holocaust.
The brothers Andras and Tibor Levi, Hungarian Jews, are models of aspiration. As the narrative opens, Andras is bound for Paris to study architecture, Tibor for Italy to study medicine. The year is 1937, far enough along in the proceedings that neither should be surprised to learn that bad things are about to happen; yet both are so resolutely set on their paths that, it seems, the outside world does not always figure. Andras is helped along by a few fellow Jews at the Parisian academy, as well as a seemingly sympathetic artist who inspires him to contemplate, at 22, converting to "become a Christian, and not just a Christian—a Roman Catholic, the Christians who'd imagined houses of God like Notre-Dame, like the Saint-Chapelle, like the Mátyás Templom or the Basilica of Szent István in Budapest." This will not be the first time Andras gives free play to lofty-mindedness, but the mood gives way to earthlier concerns when he meets a woman who has an engagingly complex past—and whose story will travel alongside Andras's through the labor-camp system and, eventually, the Nazi death machine. Tibor's story is a quieter version of Andras's; indeed, the reader sometimes wonders whether Orringer has forgotten about him, though only for a time. The author works large themes of family, loyalty and faith across a huge sweep of geography and history. Her settings are the smart avenues of world capitals, snowy dirt tracks on the road to Stalingrad, even the woods of upstate New York. Her story develops without sentimentality or mawkishness, though it is full of grand emotions. Though the events of the time, especially in Hungary, are now the stuff of history books and increasingly fewer firsthand memories, Orringer writes without anachronism, and convincingly.
Written with the big-picture view of Doctor Zhivago or Winds of War—and likely to be one of the big books of the season.


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Amer - Zara ZAR72 Green Rugs
- Style : Contemporary
- Collection : Zara
- Brand : Amer
- Material : Wool
- Weave : Flat Woven
- Origin : India
- Returns : Returns Accepted Within 14 Days of Delivery.
Description : The flat-woven kilim has been a staple of the rug world for centuries, and has regained some of its former glory in recent years. Amer�s Zara collection is a nod to the current trend in the home d�cor market, but with fun colors and updated patterns that make Amer�s Zara collection unique. Too, the Zara collection is thicker than a typical kilim, making it more stable and durable over time, and thus, a better overall rug. Lovable from the outset, the Zara collection will win hearts without breaking the bank. Zara: discreet comfort.


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On the Rebound
Scientists revive search for new rubber sources
E. Otwell
In the summer of 2008, Jan Kirschner led an expedition to the highlands of southeastern Kazakhstan in search of a dandelion. Not just any dandelion: He was hunting kok-saghyz, a flower much like the common roadside weed that flourishes all over the world. But kok-saghyz (pronounced "coke-suh-GEEZ") grows only in remote valleys of the Tien Shan Mountains.


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Opinion – RPGs With Tedious Starts Shouldn't Get A Free Pass
Tedium is inherently subjective. Some folks like turning over every last stone on the hunt for that last powerful item. Others like grinding for hours in RPGs to maximize their entire party's potential. However, it's safe to assume that the broad majority of gamers are interested in having a fun with a game as soon as they press start. Many role-playing games, specifically of the Japanese variety, have notoriously slow starts. I'm tired of ignoring the elephant in the room: A game shouldn't take six or more hours to truly begin.
I fired up two JRPGs recently, Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch and Ys: Memories of Celceta. Ni no Kuni parses out its simple systems over an excruciatingly long time. Hours pass where protagonist Oliver whacks enemies with a stick while casting fireball. After a few hours, he finally gets a familiar in the form of Mitey, a tiny swordsman who aids in combat. Several more hours pass with these two heroes beating down low-level enemies in overly simple encounters.
I enjoyed the gorgeous Studio Ghibli artstyle and the melancholy outset touching on loss, nothing else remarkable happened during the first leg of Oliver's journey to compensate for the hundreds of dull battles. I understand that new characters and big worlds take time to set up, but Ni no Kuni's archetypal cast and predictable plot isn't compelling enough to make up for the initially sparse gameplay. It's hard to get into the battles when you know it's just a shadow of what it will be many hours from the outset. No matter how breathtaking beautiful it is. I didn't unlock a second party member until 10 hours in, which is when more interesting battle systems like AI routines and evolving familiars come into full swing. I write about my time with Ni no Kuni in more detail here. Ultimately, I enjoyed what the game became after unlocking three party members and a means to traverse the world more quickly, but it took overly long to get there.
Ys: Memories of Celceta takes about three hours before letting players loose to explore the sprawling world. The introductory hours are dense with JRPG clichés, and parse out an incredibly basic battle system as if it were advanced calculus. I enjoyed the game that Ys eventually became, but less patient gamers might never endure the boring intro.
I've always told myself that you can't really judge an RPG without sinking at least five or six hours into it. Why do we give an entire genre a free pass when there are such clear examples of other RPGs that come out of the gates swinging? Chrono Trigger pairs you up with two party members and drops you into a time-traveling adventure within 30 minutes. Final Fantasy VII begins with a dramatic assault on an energy reactor, setting up the world, story, and a full party battle system within minutes.
Western RPGs have done a great job of simultaneously moving along story and deep gameplay. Mass Effect offers plenty action up front as well, providing a solid mix of story development and intense action. The first game in the series takes only about an hour to set up before you're chasing the main villain, and the sequels start with serious bangs as well. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim sets up the basic premise and hides the deeper stories in sidequests and tomes, allowing players to quickly start playing how they like. Of course Western RPGs aren't exempt from bloated intros. We have clear examples of RPGs that know how to hit the ground running, so what's with all the stragglers?
When Square Enix released Final Fantasy XIII, many fans praised its unique battle system while criticizing its confounding story and linear gameplay design. Discussing the linear design, many players often point to a later section set on Gran Pulse as a beacon of hope. Gran Pulse is a more open environment with wandering monsters and multiple paths. The catch is that Lightning and her crew don't arrive on Gran Pulse until 30 hours in. The less restrictive Gran Pulse section is a hint of the Final Fantasy experience most fans were looking forward to. Players shouldn't be expected to sink in over a day's worth of time to get to the best stuff.
I used to be the kind of gamer that committed myself to beating every game I start. I've endured some terrible games just for the sake of it, but as more great games come out and my time is spread thin I grow impatient with bloated beginnings. I understand many JRPG fans wrap themselves in these archaic gameplay designs like a comfortable blanket. Nostalgia and familiarity are enough to entice some to overlook these shortcomings. While we all have our specific genre preferences, only RPGs demand such a time investment to blossom into their full potential. Gamers and critics accuse the Call of Duty series of delivering the same experience year after year, so why should RPGs be exempt from these repeated offenses?
To be clear, I don't want the distinct Japanese flavor or methodical RPGs to be replaced with gonzo action. I love the art styles, intricate battle systems, and fantastic universes that JRPGs offer. However, I believe developers are talented enough to introduce game mechanics and worlds at a more reasonable pace. Even Nintendo, a developer notorious for its extended tutorials, has quickened the pace with Pokémon X & Y. How many potential RPG fans have sworn off the incredible genre due to a sluggish drip-feed of game mechanics?
I'll be starting Final Fantasy XIII-2 for the first time this holiday break. Square Enix was upfront about responding to fan criticism regarding FF XIII's shortcomings, and I'm excited to see what the developer considers progress for the genre. I've wanted to finish the game to prepare for Lightning Returns for some time, but if it expects an inordinate time investment to settle in as its predecessor, I'm not sure if I'll see the series through to its conclusion.


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|5.85 / 10
|November 18, 2016
|Kelly Fremon Craig
|James L. Brooks, Julie Ansell, Richard Sakai
|VVS Films
|Hailee Steinfeld, Woody Harrelson, Kyra Sedgwick, Haley Lu Richardson, Blake Jenner, Hayden Szeto
|103 minutes
Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld) feels like she's all alone in the world. Her mother doesn't understand her and her older brother Darian (Blake Jenner), who's popular and handsome, doesn't seem to have a care in the world. When Krista (Haley Lu Richardson) lets her share her caterpillar, the two become inseparable best friends.
Years later, the two are juniors in high school. When Krista and Darian begin dating, Nadine, who already felt awkward and unpopular, feels more alone than ever. When her classmate Erwin (Hayden Szeto) is nice to her, it gives Nadine an unexpected friendship and a glimmer of hope that her life in high school might not turn out to be as wretched as she'd feared.
Canadian Connection: Filmed in British Columbia.
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With the news that Maria Shriver is separating from Arnold Schwarzenegger after 25 years of marriage, we thought we'd put together a gallery of Maria and 7 more celebrity cougars. If you're fantasizing about dating older women, you'll love this gallery.
We start with one of our favorites, Jennifer Aniston, who looks more like a 20-something hottie than a cougar, and we naturally included Courtney Cox as well, the beautiful brunette who stars in ABC's "Cougar Town."
We also made sure to add some bombshells who love to sport their impressive cleavage, with Sofia Vergara, Monica Bellucci and Elizabeth Hurley fitting nicely in that category. Of course we added the most famous cougar, Demi Moore, who is most known for scoring a younger guy well into her forties. And then we have Cameron Diaz, who has been very open about how women her age still love sex! God bless them!
Improve your game today!
You've got to brush up on your game to get the girl! Find your hookups with this online dating guide.
Tags: "Cougar Town" actress, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Cameron Diaz, Cameron Diaz cougar, Cameron Diaz sex, celebrity babes, celebrity cougar gallery, celebrity cougar slideshow, celebrity cougars, celebrity divorce, cougar gallery, cougar slideshow, Cougar Town, cougars, Courtney Cox, dating celebrities, dating older women, Demi Moore cougar, Elizabeth Hurley, Jennifer Aniston, Maria Shriver, Maria Shriver cougar, Monica Bellucci, Sofia Vergara


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10 Inspiring Small Space Balcony Gardens
A small balcony can be the best little hideaway as long as it isn't just a forgotten chair and a dead plant or two. Yes even a really tiny outdoor space has the potential to be a refuge from the rest of the house, a place to start and end the day. Jump below for some of our favorites:
1. Sandras Little Balcony Nook
2. Small Balcony Idea: Line it With Fabric
3. A Growing Canopy Balcony
4. A Camouflaged Balcony
5. Tiny Tokyo Garden
6. Before and After: The Potted Balcony
7. MVW's Sunday Morning Balcony
8. Alex and Matt's Outdoor Living Room
9. Karamel's Sunrise Sunset Balcony
10. Robin's Mini Outdoor Balcony


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Solar Concentrators - A Quick Primer
Here is an excellent primer on solar concentrators.
As the name suggests solar concentrators concentrate solar power onto a solar (photovoltaic) cell. So the cell gets more sunlight and that improves its efficiency. Today the additional components that a concentrator has wipes out the cost advantage of using fewer solar cells per unit of output power. But as the efficiency of the solar cell goes up, the output of the concentrator multiplies, and it is estimated that with solar PV cells of efficiency 18% and above the concentrators offer significant price advantages.
However many believe that solar concentrators are merely a transitory technology. As solar cells get so cheap that we can incorporate them on our walls and even our clothes, the cost advantage offered by the concentrators might not amount to much.
Do check out the primer linked above if you want to answer the following questions:
- What are the primary forms of solar concentrators?
- Why is there interest in concentrating photovoltaics?
- Why not just improve solar cells?
- OK, concentrating light onto solar cells means more power output. But does that mean it's more cost-effective?
- So what do these solar concentrators that use photovoltaic cells look like?
- What are the tradeoffs of this approach?
- Are these concentrating photovoltaic systems commercially available?
- How will things look a few years from now?


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Aviva Premiership - Round 3
Jones inked in for Wasps debut
ESPN Staff
September 14, 2012
Stephen Jones will call the shots at Adams Park on Saturday © Getty Images
Wasps have handed British & Irish Lions fly-half Stephen Jones his debut ahead of their clash with London Irish on Saturday.
Dai Young will hope that the good feeling around the club following the completion of their takeover will manifest itself onto the pitch for the visit of the Exiles and he has called on Jones to provide them guidance against Brian Smith's outfit.
Young's side have lost their opening two matches of the 2012-13 Aviva Premiership season and he has not shirked from making big calls ahead of their third match with England flanker James Haskell dropped to the bench. Springboks No.8 Ashley Johnson and Joe Launchbury come into the back-row with Haskell and Billy Vunipola dropping missing out. Young highlighted a need to improve their defence ahead of the match and this may be the reason behind the tactical move.
"London Irish present a potent attacking threat and we will need to step it up in defence to try and keep them out," Young said. "Like us, they are a new looking squad, still finding their feet but home games are vital in this league and we want to get off to a winning start at Adams Park."
Elsewhere at the weekend, Scotland winger Nikki Walker will make his debut for the Worcester Warriors while England duo Danny Care and Owen Farrell have earned recalls to the Harlequins and Saracens starting line ups respectively.
For a full rundown of the weekend's team news click here.
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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by Shawn Skene
In the American Midwest today, it was dentist and professional triathlete David Kahn who recorded race best swim and bike splits to set up the second IRONMAN 70.3 win of his career. In the women's race the lead exchanged hands a number of times before eventual winner Cait Snow acquired the lead in the last half of run.
Kahn out of the Great Lake first
David Kahn (USA) drilled the swim in Lake Michigan recording a 26:20 that saw him with a clear lead of 37 seconds over James Hadley (USA) and pre-race favorite Christian Kemp (AUS). Alex Reithmeir (AUS) exited the water on his own 45 seconds back of the leader and sitting in fourth, while a chase pack of six ran out of Lake Michigan over two minutes back and contained Nathan Reevan (USA), Paul Eicher (USA), Andrew Hodges (USA), Yanik Leduc (CAN), Ryan Bates (USA) and Frank Silvestrin (BRA).
With 36 miles completed, Kahn was ruling the bike ride as he built up a five minute lead over a chase pack of five (Bates, Eicher, Bretscher, Hadley and Kemp) who were all riding within seconds of each other but were over five minutes back of Kahn. Entering into T2, Kahn managed to pad his lead another 15 seconds over the final 20 miles on the chase pack that had now been reduced to four, when a disappointed Bates flatted at 50 miles into the bike.
Race shakes up behind Kahn
Kahn headed out on the run strong, with Eicher, Bretscher and Hadley matching his pace in the opening two miles. At five miles, Bretcher, now in second, had broken clear of Eicher and Hadley and clawed back a minute on Kahn who was still enjoying a four minute lead. Eicher and Hadley were running in third and fourth and looking at over five and half minutes separating them to the leader.
Over the closing miles, Bretscher made a gallant attempt at bridging the gap to the Kahn but was running out of real estate. In conclusion, Kahn held off all the challenges being mounted behind him over the last half of the run and was crowned the 2013 Maytag IRONMAN Steelhead champion in 3:55:57. Bretscher came up 1:31 short of the winner, finishing second (3:57:28), and Hadley completed the podium stopping the clock at 3:59:35.
Vodickova dominates the swim
In the women's race, Radka Vodickova's (CZE) 27:43 swim time placed her well over three minutes over Cait Snow (USA), Miranda Tomenson (CAN) and Melanie McQuaid (CAN). The remainder of the field faced an uphill battle as they surrendered well over six minutes to the leader before they even mounted their bikes.
Over the first half of the bike, Vodickova paraded the field over the rural roads of Michigan but saw her lead shrink to under a minute as McQuaid pushed hard towards front. Snow was also making inroads and found herself sitting comfortably in third, 2:40 back at 36 miles and chomping at the bit to get to the run where she is in her element. The rest of the field were fading back and out of contention as it appeared that the race would come down to Vodickova, McQuaid and Snow.
McQuaid to the front
McQuaid grabbed the lead over the closing 20 miles and carried a 1:08 advantage over Vodickova as the lead duo dismounted their bikes. Snow entered T2 and hit the run looking comfortable but was looking at a three and a half minute deficit to overcome.
Over the first two miles, nothing changed. Then over the next three miles, the dynamics of the women's race changed drastically as McQuaid faded to third with Vodickova vaulting into the lead; Snow in second charged hard towards the front of the race only 1:30 back. At seven miles, Snow was seconds back of Vodickova with McQuaid faltering and running in third over four minutes off the pace
Snow storms into the lead
Snow was just getting wound up as she raced into the lead at seven miles and built up a 1:17 lead over Vodickova as the pair ran through mile ten. Once again, Snow used her signature scorching run to capture the win with a 4:13:53 finish time, 2:51 better than Vodickova's 4:16:44 second place time. McQuaid gutted the race out over the final miles of the run to finish off the podium in 4:26:08.
Top 5 Men
|David Kahn
|Daniel Bretscher
|James Hadley
|Paul Eicher
|Ryan Rau
Top 5 Women
|Cait Snow
|Radka Vodickova
|Melanie McQuaid
|Miranda Tomenson
|Beth Shutt
Commemorate the race and buy your Steelhead merchandise here.


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Nalco Water
1601 W. Diehl Road
Naperville, Il 60563
Thank you for your interest in our Pulp and Paper process and utilities products and services.
POSITEK 9000 colloidal silica dispersion functions as one component of a comprehensive POSITEK papermaking performance package. POSITEK 9000 is typically used in combination with a cationic coagulant or starch, and a high molecular weight flocculant to maximize retention, drainage, and formation


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Transform your photos into one-of-a-kind, hand painted masterpieces!
by Paul Fell
Image Size
The image is near the edges of the product but doesn't cover the entire product. Some of the background color may appear around the outside edges of the image.
Background Color
Our tote bags are made from soft, durable, poly-poplin fabric and include a 1" black strap for easy carrying on your shoulder. All seams are double-stitched for added durability. Each tote bag is machine-washable in cold water and is printed on both sides using the same image.
Ships Within
2 - 3 business days
Good choice for the 'Lucky Captures' contest, Paul! Voted, Liked!
this is a wonderful capture!! v
Paul Fell replied:
Thanks :) I watched this guy playing in that pool of water for about 40 min. He was first playing with a stick until he found that old bone :)
Average Rating (5 Stars):
Sally Nydokus
May 22nd, 2019
Sally Nydokus
May 22nd, 2019
brown bear playing with bone in water
Hi. My name is Paul and I was born in a small mining town called Mufulira located on the copper belt in Zambia. I was born with the bush in my blood and I love the outdoors. When I was still very young my family moved to South Africa which is where I grew up and lived for thirty two years. In 1997 I left South Africa to pursue an international career in the power generation field. My work has allowed me to travel to many countries and to experience a multitude of cultures. In late 2011 the shutterbug bit me and I have now developed a passion for travel, wildlife, nature and landscape photography. I still have so much to learn but that is half the fun :) I currently live in the Seattle, WA area where my life is shared with...
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Location: Pest Management ResearchTitle: Synthetic cis-jasmone exposure induces wheat and barley volatiles that repel the pest cereal leaf beetle, Oulema melanopus L Author
|Delaney, Kevin
|Wawrzyniak, Maria - University Of Technology And Life Sciences
|Lemanczyk, Grzegorz - University Of Technology And Life Sciences
|Wrzesinkska, Danuta - University Of Technology And Life Sciences
|Piesik, Dariusz - University Of Technology And Life Sciences
Submitted to: Journal of Chemical Ecology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/26/2013
Publication Date: 5/1/2013
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/56455
Citation: Delaney, K.J., Wawrzyniak, M., Lemanczyk, G., Wrzesinkska, D., Piesik, D. 2013. Synthetic cis-jasmone exposure induces wheat and barley volatiles that repel the pest cereal leaf beetle, Oulema melanopus L. Journal of Chemical Ecology. 39(5): 620-629.
Interpretive Summary: The plant volatile organic compound, (Z)-jasmone (also called cis-jasmone), is being increasingly recognized as an important plant semiochemical that can influence plant resistance to herbivores, and attract or repel herbivores and their natural enemies. However, whether plant volatile induction is influenced by cis-jasmone exposure dose and duration, and whether plant exposure influences cereal leaf beetle (CLB; a widespread invasive US small grain pest) attraction or repellence, has not been studied so we conducted studies with spring barley and winter wheat. There were eight volatiles induced after cis-jasmone exposure to wheat or barley: four terpenes commonly induced after insect herbivory, indole, and three green leaf volatiles usually induced after injury. Despite a 10,000-fold difference between the highest and lowest cis-jasmone exposure doses, there was only 50-250% higher emission levels of volatiles from the two cereals exposed to the highest cis-jasmone dose. There was also often a 50-100% greater emission level of most volatiles when cis-jasmone exposure lasted 6 hours compared to 1 hour. CLB adults were repelled more by barley than wheat volatiles after plant cis-jasmone exposure, with stronger repellence: by females than males, at higher cis-jasmone exposure dose and duration, and when air with plant volatiles was delivered to beetles at a faster rate. Females were attracted to plants not exposed to cis-jasmone but only when plant volatiles were delivered to beetles at the highest airflow rate. These lab results suggest that barley and wheat volatile induction after cis-jasmone exposure might repel CLB, but this would need to be confirmed with field studies. Also, CLB repellence responses were generally stronger to barley than wheat, which may relate to higher barley volatile emission levels than wheat at each cis-jasmone exposure dose * duration. CLB was repelled by the two highest test doses of both terpene and green leaf volatile synthetic blends, but were attracted to the lowest dose of the green leaf volatile blend. These results suggest that terpenes and indole may be somewhat more important volatiles for barley and wheat repellence to CLB, while supporting a previous study suggesting that GLV may play a role in CLB attraction.
Technical Abstract: The plant semiochemical cis-jasmone primes/induces plant resistance to deter herbivores and attract natural enemies. We studied the induction of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in winter wheat and spring barley after exposure of plants to three synthetic cis-jasmone doses (50 ml containing 1, 100, and 10000 ng cis-jasmone per ml) and durations of exposure (1, 3, and 6 hr). Cereal leaf beetle, Oulema melanopus, adult behavioral responses were examined in a Y-tube olfactometer to cis-jasmone induced plant VOC bouquets and to two synthetic blends of VOCs (3 green leaf volatiles (GLVs); 4 terpenes + indole). In both cereals, eight VOCs ((Z)-3-hexanal, (Z)-3-hexanol, (Z)-3-hexanyl acetate, (Z)-ß-ocimene, linalool, ß-caryophyllene, (E)-ß–farnesene and indole) were usually induced 100- to 1000-fold after cis-jasmone exposure. The degree of VOC induction in both cereals was usually positively and linearly associated with increasing exposure dose and duration. However, the VOC emission rate was only ~ 2-fold greater from plants exposed to the highest vs. lowest cis-jasmone exposure doses (10000-fold difference) or durations (6-fold difference). Male and female O. melanopus were deterred by both cereal VOC bouquets after plant exposure to the high cis-jasmone dose (10000 ng per ml), while females were also deterred after plant exposure to the low dose (1 ng per ml) but attracted to unexposed plant VOC bouquets. Both O. melanopus sexes were repelled by terpene/indole and GLV blends at two concentrations (25 ng per min; 125 ng per min), but attracted to the lowest dose (1 ng per min) of a GLV blend. It is possible that the biologically relevant low cis-jasmone dose has ecological activity and potential for inducing field crop VOCs to deter O. melanopus.


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Wordless Wednesday: Coldbrook Springs, A Town No Longer
(Original Image and Text, (c) 2010 Cynthia Shenette) Memorial marker on Route 122 in Barre for the village of Coldbrook Springs, Massachusetts.
Labels: Massachusetts, Wordless Wednesday
2 comments:
- Barbara Poole said...
Cynthia, what a great series, you covered everything, it was interesting and I love your detailed research and the fact that you didn't use Ancestry! What a good magazine article this would make. I loved it, and thank you.
- September 10, 2010 at 2:07 PM
- Cynthia Shenette said...
Thank you Barbara. What a nice comment! The Naramore story is an intriguing one and was interesting to research. I'm use to French-Canadian and Polish research so this was a nice change. If anything comes of my writing project, I'll be sure to let you know!
- September 10, 2010 at 6:24 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, this artist takes the written word and uses it to carve rolling hills and steep mountains. Artist Guy Laramee transforms the pages of a book into a breathtaking a landscape by carving and shaping its pages into different geography. He uses books like encyclopedias and dictionaries to create mostly cliffs and steep rock formations. These tiny environments are incredibly detailed, as you can see each small tree, bush, and layer of earth. It is as if the pages have been corroded away, producing new form in the books. Erosion is a heavy theme in Guy Laramee's body of work. Interested in ethnography, he explains that parts of cultures are often eroded away, lost to the hands of time. As technology advances, in print materials, such as encyclopedias, are on their way to being obsolete. The artist uses these "archaic" tools and utilizes them in a new way. Once a source for knowledge, now questions what is at risk of being lost culturally if these physical books do indeed disappear.
Guy Laramee is not just a talented paper sculpture, as you can see from the covers of the books he uses. He beautifully paints birds and sky on the covers and displays them upright so that you can see both sides. Both the inside and outside of these books are transformed into something amazing, showing different forms of nature. His miniature environments and ecosystems now live in the pages of books, reminding us of what stories and knowledge could possibly lay between the pages.


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A late-night fire destroyed a single-wide mobile home Thursday night on Cox Lane, south of Palermo.
The fire was reported shortly before 10:30 p.m. in the 1700 block of Cox Lane.
A neighbor helped the resident of the mobile escape before fire crews arrived, according to a Cal Fire-Butte County press release.
Power lines were also reported down during the incident.
Firefighters were able to fully contain the blaze within an hour, but the home and its contents were a total loss.
Vehicles and equipment on the property were saved, the press release stated.
The loss from the fire was estimated at $75,000.
Crews from three engine companies, two truck companies, two volunteer companies and two water tenders responded to the fire.


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The World of Tibetan Buddhism (Paperback) - Preface
Over a period of four days in the spring of 1988, His Holiness the Dalai Lama gave a series of lectures on Tibetan Buddhism in London organized by the Tibet Foundation, London. His lectures were, as usual, conducted in a personal and informal style that, nevertheless, in no way compromised the seriousness and the profundity of the subject matter. Looking back, I feel that those lectures marked an important turning point in His Holiness's method of teaching Buddhism to a modern audience. On that occasion, he put into full swing a novel but sophisticated system of presenting the Buddhist path. Based on four simple premises, that there is suffering, that it has an origin, that there is an end to suffering, and finally, that there is a method for ending suffering, His Holiness presents the entire superstructure of Tibetan Buddhism—its philosophy and practice—including the esoteric path of Vajrayana Buddhism. He beautifully demonstrates how all aspects of the Tibetan Buddhist path must and can be perceived as both emerging from and being firmly rooted in the framework of the Four Noble Truths. In short, His Holiness shows us with convincing explanation how Tibetan Buddhism is, in the true sense of the phrase, "complete Buddhism." The result is a unique overview of Tibetan Buddhism that combines His Holiness's incisive, penetrating insight, profound reflective analysis, and deep spiritual experience, woven with a breathtaking scope of scholarship in all areas of Buddhist thought—all of this, of course, in a style that never fails to radiate a joyful exuberance of life and true affection toward all.
It has been a real joy to work on this project, and I am very happy that now others can also share in the experience. Many people have made significant contributions towards the success of this endeavor. I would like to thank Sally Ward for undertaking the difficult task of transcribing the tapes from the teachings, and Venerable Sarah Thresher, my first editor at Wisdom, for doing a second transcription with the necessary initial editing. I would also like to thank my editor at Wisdom, Venerable Connie Miller, for her valuable comments and criticisms, which contributed a great deal toward improving the English. My thanks also go to Vincent and especially Maria Montenegro and Robert Chilton for hours and hours of editing and research.
It has taken a long time for the lectures to appear in book form. As much as I had wished to see this teaching published, three years of study at Cambridge, England, between 1989 and 1992 delayed work on the manuscript. In retrospect, however, this delay has had a significant consequences in that when I finally had the time to work on the book, I was in a better position to appreciate the subtleties of many important English philosophical terms. For this, I am deeply grateful to the Inlaks Foundation, London, and my friends Geoff Jukes, Morna White, and Isabelle White, whose generosity made it possible for me to study at Cambridge.
In this book, I have attempted to adopt a style of translation that reflects, as faithfully as possible, His Holiness's thoughts as if he were expressing them in English. In this, I have had a ready guideline in His Holiness's own lectures as many of them have been at least partially given in English. These lectures often present a comprehensive overview of Tibetan Buddhism; correspondingly, I have tried to provide extensive footnotes and a bibliography for the benefit of those who wish to explore specific areas of Tibetan Buddhism in greater depth. For similar reasons, a glossary of important terms with their Tibetan and Sanskrit equivalents has been compiled. For their assistance in providing Tibetan and Sanskrit transliteration equivalents, as well as checking the translation of textual citations, I would like to thank John Dunne, Sarah McClintock, David Reigle, Venerable Michael Roach, and Artemus Engle. I would also like to thank Sophie Boyer for reading the entire manuscript and providing a valuable lay perspective.
It is my sincere hope that this book will bring joy into the hearts of many people and a deeper appreciation of the richness of the Tibetan spiritual tradition.
Geshe Thupten Jinpa
Gaden, India
How to cite this document:
© Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, The World of Tibetan Buddhism (Wisdom Publications, 1995)
The World of Tibetan Buddhism by The Dalai Lama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at http://www.wisdompubs.org/book/world-tibetan-buddhism-paperback.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.wisdompubs.org/terms-use.


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The classic birding binocular. Ideal for beginners.
Specially adapted to capture natural wonders. The most remarkable species are those most adapted to their environment. To see them, your binos must be equally versatile. Bringing bright, sharp views in most environments, NatureView® binos are ideal for outdoor lovers of all ages.
We've enhanced our entire lineup for 2013, highlighted by our compact, powerful and clear 6x 30mm model. Everything you see here delivers high optical performance with extended eye relief for more comfortable viewing. And all are made with environmentally friendly, lead-free glass, helping to protect nature's sights for generations to enjoy.


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2015 Keystone Passport GT 3320BH Travel Trailer
Passport GT 3320BH
Passport GT
The Passport Ultra Lite line offers three great brands including the Passport Grand Touring. This light weight model is great for a couple not looking for anything too big or for a family that needs extra sleeping space. With floorplans ranging from models with just a queen bed or models with a full bunkhouse for the kids you can find it here.
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Specifications are based on the latest product information from the manufacturer. Each manufacturer reserves the right to make changes to the specifications at any time without notice.
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I had the opportunity to visit managed services provider CMIT Solutions of Erie not long ago and met with CEO Beth Burnside and her team. During my visit, the MSP fielded a call from a new client, which had previously lost its IT person and needed help with its network, including updating its antivirus on 26 workstations. I visited the client with the MSP's lead tech support person and got to see first hand how an install works.
For those of you already familiar with RMM (remote monitoring and management) and the process of "deploying an agent," you can attest that it sounds a lot more exciting than it actually is. However, I picked up an important tip worth sharing. While installing the RMM solution, the technician created three separate passwords:
* one for the lead contact at the client,
* one for the MSP, and
* one for the MSP's outsourced NOC (network operation center) provider, which is based in India.
"These are the three authorized administrators of this network," he said. "In the future, if something goes wrong with the network — a worker gets logged off the network for some unknown reason, a server reboot fails, or something else goes awry — I'll be able to see which administrator was logged in to the system at the time of the problem. Too many times an MSP will create one username and password to save time, but he or she will lose this important visibility in the process."
He shared with me a specific example of when this feature came in handy. His outsourced NOC provider is based overseas, more than 9 hours ahead of eastern standard time. While setting up a new client, he forgot to specify on the work order that server reboots should be scheduled after 6 p.m. EST (i.e. during nonworking hours for the client). He became aware of the oversight when his client called complaining that all the users were logged off the network and couldn't get back on for several minutes. "As soon as I checked the RMM screen, I saw that the NOC provider had logged in recently and did a server restart. I was able to contact them immediately and clear up the problem. Without that visibility, I would have had to go on-site to visit the customer, and I would have wasted a lot of time trying to diagnose the problem. That experience was a good reminder that spending a few extra minutes up front setting up separate administrator logins is time well spent."


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Car News
2014 Ford Transit Courier Unveiled
- Transit Courier is based on Fiesta platform
- Aimed at big-city commercial van buyers
- Transit Courier's future in U.S. is uncertain
Ford recently unveiled an all-new van for commercial shoppers. The 2014 Ford Transit Courier is a car-based cargo van that sits below the larger Transit Connect in the brand's lineup. It's also much smaller than the full-size Transit cargo van that Ford unveiled earlier this year at the Detroit Auto Show.
According to Ford, the Transit Courier shares its platform with the Fiesta subcompact. That makes it both small and fuel-efficient -- a perfect mix for businesses in busy urban areas. Indeed, the van is just 163 inches long. That makes it a foot and a half shorter than the already compact Transit Connect.
Ford says European versions of the van will be offered with three engines. Base models get a 1.5-liter turbodiesel that makes 74 horsepower. Mid-level Transit Courier models will use a 1.6-liter diesel with 93 hp. At the top of the van's range is a 98-hp gas-powered 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine, which uses a turbocharger.
If the engines sound small, that's because the Transit Courier was designed with European van buyers in mind. In Europe, high gas prices and small cities mean drivers don't need vehicles with big engines. And they want small, maneuverable vans to squeeze in and out of tight spaces.
As a result, the van's future in the U.S. market is uncertain. Ford hasn't announced plans to sell it here, though the automaker did say it will reach European customers next spring. If it did come to the U.S., we would expect it to occupy a slot below the Transit Connect's base price of around $23,000 with shipping.
Beyond the Transit Courier and Transit Connect, the Ford Transit lineup will soon expand in the U.S. with the addition of the full-size Transit. Designed to replace the E-Series cargo van, the 2014 Transit offers a tall roof and four configurations -- passenger setup, cargo setup and two "chassis cab" models for buyers looking to create a box van, ambulance or other heavy-duty vehicle.
What it means to you: If the 2014 Ford Transit Courier comes to the U.S., it could mean good news for commercial buyers in big cities.


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|Jepson Flora Project: Jepson Interchange
previous taxon |
next taxon
Jepson Interchange (more information)
©Copyright 1993 by the Regents of the University of California
Perennial, shrub, tree
Stem: bark often peeling distinctively
Leaves simple, generally cauline, alternate, opposite, rarely whorled, evergreen or deciduous, often leathery, petioled or not; stipules 0
Inflorescence: raceme, panicle, cyme, or flowers solitary, generally bracted; pedicels often with 2 bractlets
Flower generally bisexual, generally radial; sepals generally 45, generally free; petals generally 45, free or fused; stamens 810, free, filaments rarely appendaged, anthers awned or not, dehiscent by pores or slits; nectary generally at ovary base, disk-like; ovary superior or inferior, chambers generally 15, placentas axile or parietal, ovules 1many per chamber, style 1, stigma head- to funnel-like or lobed
Fruit: capsule, drupe, berry
Seeds generally many, sometimes winged
Genera in family: ± 100 genera, 3000 species: generally worldwide except deserts; some cultivated, especially Arbutus, Arctostaphylos, Rhododendron, Vaccinium
Reference: [Wallace 1975 Wasmann J Biol 33:188; 1975 Bot Not 128:286298]
Subfamilies Monotropoideae, Pyroloideae, Vaccinioideae sometimes treated as families. Nongreen plants obtain nutrition from green plants through fungal intermediates.
Shrubs, small trees
Stem prostrate to erect; fire-resistant burl sometimes present at base; bark generally reddish, smooth or gray, rough, and shredded; hairs generally alike on twig, inflorescence axis, bract
Leaves alternate, spreading to ascending, evergreen; blade surfaces generally alike, sometimes convex, differing in color (stomata restricted to lower surface) or hairiness; margin flat to rolled
Inflorescence: raceme or panicle-like, terminal; branches raceme-like; flowers bracted; bracts leaf-like, generally flat or scale-like, generally folded, keeled; immature inflorescence present late summer through winter
Flower radial; sepals generally 5, free, persistent; corolla generally 5-lobed, urn-shaped to ± spheric, white to pink; stamens generally 10, included, filament base glabrous or hairy, anther 2-pored, awns 2, recurved; ovary superior, base surrounded by nectary disk, chambers 210, ovule 1 per chamber, style 1, stigma head-like
Fruit: drupe, berry-like, generally ± spheric; pulp generally thick, mealy; stones 210, free, separable, or strongly fused
Species in genus: ± 60 species: North America (especially CA) to C.Am, Eurasia
Etymology: (Greek: bear berries)
Reference: [Wells 1988 Madroño 35:330341]
Observation of hairs requires 10X magnification. Distribution of many species local; hybridization occurs in areas of overlap
Horticultural information: Beautiful but mostly DFCLT due to fungus and often salinity and alkali. Avoid overhead watering in hot weather. CVS are the easier garden subjects.
Shrub 14 m; burl present or 0
Stem: twigs glabrous or puberulent
Leaves erect; petiole 615 mm; blade 37 cm, 27 cm wide, ± round, round-, oblong-, or lanceolate-ovate, base ± rounded, margin entire, surfaces alike, glabrous, subglaucous or white-glaucous, dull, smooth
Inflorescence open; branches 27; axis, bract hairs like twig hairs or ± glandular; bracts 36 mm, generally scale-like, deltate to linear-lanceolate, ± keeled, acute or acuminate; lowest bract 812 mm, leaf-like, lanceolate; pedicel 48 mm, glabrous; immature axes 23 cm, stout, spreading
Flower: ovary glabrous
Fruit 1016 mm wide, ± spheric, glabrous, dark mahogany-brown
Chromosomes: n=26
Ecology: Uncommon. Chaparral, coniferous forest
Elevation: 5001800 m.
Bioregional distribution: Sierra Nevada.


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As depicted in the map below, the number of confirmed cases of swine flu and related deaths continues to grow. Here's how some in the philanthropic community are responding.
- The CDC Foundation, via its Emergency Preparedness & Response Fund, is providing funds to CDC responders so that they "immediately purchase the equipment, supplies or services they need to respond to the outbreak situation in their area."
- Direct Relief International sent special respirators to several health clinics in California and Texas. The charity says it has offered assistance at the national, state and local level.
- Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation is working with the CDC to help combat the outbreak.
- Healthcare providers, like the Mayo Clinic, are working closely with the CDC, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Homeland Security to provide proper care to its patients and to assist in our country's response to this outbreak.
View H1N1 Swine Flu in a larger map


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It was working fine on chrome and firefox, but recently I am not sure when I have been unable to see it. I have uninstalled the extension from chrome and re-downloaded it and re-installed it. Before you say reboot your machine I have powered up and down numerous times. It's been missing for awhile now.
It's weird I cant see it in firefox as I wouldve assumed it would work there first before chrome.


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Best definition
An alias who is secretly known as Simon Wong. He resides in the area South Strathfield and moves from house
to house due to living a nomadic life. He is of skinny physique and looks like a pretty girl. Sometimes mistaken for his beautiful sister, (name cannot be shown for various reasons).
Hey Wongtree come pick me up.