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A few cell types are thin enough to be viewed directly in a microscope (algae, protozoa, blood, tissue cultures), but most tissues (kidney, liver, brain) are too thick to allow light to be transmitted through them. The tissues can be sliced into very thin sections provided they are first processed to prevent cell damage. The processing involves a series of steps; fixation, dehydration, embedment and subsequent sectioning with a microtome. These steps, explained in detail later in this chapter, are time consuming and often alter the cell structure in subtle ways. Fixing cells with formaldehyde, for example, will preserve the general organelle structure of the cell, but may destroy enzymes and antigens which are located in the cell.
Pathologists routinely examine tissues which have been fixed in formaldehyde and embedded in paraffin wax prior to sectioning. The process requires a minimum of 24 hours, and usually more if automated equipment is not available. This time delay can be crucial when a diagnosis of benign or malignant cancer is at stake. Valuable time can be saved by skipping the fixation and dehydration steps required for paraffin embedding, and freezing the tissue in a modified microtome, the cryostat. Sections can be prepared within minutes and diagnoses made while the patient remains on the operating table. Additionally, frozen sections will more often retain their enzyme and antigen functions. The use of frozen sections can reduce the processing time, but it is not a panacea. Freezing is not adequate for long term preservation of the tissues and the formation of ice crystals within the cells destroys subcellular detail. Frozen sections are also thicker since ice does not section as thin as paraffin. This results in poor microscopic resolution and poor images of what subcellular structures remain. If time or enzyme function is critical frozen sections are the preferred process. If subcellular detail is important, other procedures must be used. Selection of the correct procedure depends on what the cell biologist is looking for and to a point, becomes an art form. The histologist must choose among hundreds of procedures to prepare tissues in a manner that is most appropriate to the task at hand.
Since cellular decomposition begins immediately after the death of an organism, biologists must fix the cells to prevent alterations in their structure through decomposition. Routine fixation involves the chemical cross-linking of proteins (to prevent enzyme action and digestion) and the removal of water to further denature the proteins of the cell. Heavy metals may also be used for their denaturing effect.
A typical laboratory procedure involves the use of an aldehyde as the primary fixative. Glutaraldehyde is used for transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and formaldehyde is used for routine light microscopy. The formaldehyde solution most often employed was originally formulated by Baker in 1944.
Baker's Formalin Fixative contains:
|calcium chloride
|1.0 g
|cadmium chloride
|1.0 g
|formalin, concentrated
|10.0 ml
|distilled water
|100.0 ml
Blocks of tissue (liver, kidney, pancreas, etc.) of approximately 1 cm are rapidly removed from a freshly killed organism and placed in the fixative. They are allowed to remain in the fixative for a minimum of four hours but usually overnight. The longer the blocks remain in the fixative, the deeper the fixative penetrates into the block and the more protein cross--linking occurs. The fixative is therefore termed progressive. Blocks may remain in this fixative indefinitely, although the tissues will become increasingly brittle with long exposures and will be more difficult to section. While it is not recommended, sections have been cut from blocks left for years in formalin.
Formalin has lately been implicated as a causative agent for strong allergy reactions (contact dermatitis with prolonged exposure) and may be a carcinogen ---- it should be used with care and always in a well ventilated environment. Formalin is a 39% solution of formaldehyde gas. The fixative is generally used as a 10% formalin or the equivalent 4% formaldehyde solution. The key operative term here is gas -- formaldehyde should be handled in a hood, if possible. As a gas, it is quite capable of fixing nasal passages, lungs and corneas.
Fixatives, such as formaldehyde, have the potential to further react with any staining procedure which may be used later in the process. Consequently, any remaining fixative is washed out by placing the blocks in running water overnight or by successive changes of water and/or a buffer. There are myriad means of washing the tissues (using temperature, pH and osmotically controlled buffers), but usually simple washing in tap water is sufficient.
If the tissues are to be embedded in paraffin or plastic, all traces of water must be removed: water and paraffin are immiscible. The removal of water is dehydration. The dehydration process is accomplished by passing the tissue through a series of increasing alcohol concentrations. The blocks of tissue are transferred sequentially to 30%, 50%, 70%, 80%, 90%, 95%, and 100% alcohols for about two hours each. The blocks are then placed in a second 100% ethanol solution to ensure that all water is removed. Note that ethanol is hydroscopic and absorbs water vapor from the air. Absolute ethanol is only absolute if steps are taken to ensure that no water has been absorbed.
It is important to distinguish between dehydration and drying. Tissues should NEVER be allowed to air dry. Dehydration involves slow substitution of the water in the tissue with an organic solvent. For comparative purposes, consider the grape. A properly dehydrated grape would still look like a grape. A dried grape is a raisin. It is virtually impossible to make a raisin look like a grape again, and it is equally impossible to make a cell look normal after you allow it to dry.
After dehydration, the tissues can be embedded in paraffin, nitrocellulose or various formulations of plastics. Paraffin is the least expensive and therefore the most commonly used material. More recently, plastics have come into increased use, primarily because they allow thinner sections (about 1.5 microns compared to 5--7 microns for paraffin).
For paraffin embedding, first clear the tissues. Clearing refers to the use of an intermediate fluid that is miscible with ethanol and paraffin, since these two compounds are immiscible. Benzene, chloroform, toluene or xylol are the most commonly used clearing agents, although some histologists prefer mixtures of various oils (cedarwood oil, methyl salicylate, creosote, clove oil, amyl acetate or Cellosolve). Dioxane is frequently used and has the advantage of short preparation times. It has the distinct disadvantage of inducing liver and kidney damage to the user and should only be used with adequate ventilation and protection.
Be wary of all organic solvents. Most are implicated as carcinogenic agents. Heed all precautions for the proper use of these compounds.
The most often used clearing agent is toluene. It is used by moving the blocks into a 50:50 mixture of absolute ethanol:toluene for two hours. The blocks are then placed into pure toluene and then into a mixture of toluene and paraffin (also 50:50). They are then placed in an oven at 56 - 58° C (the melting temperature of paraffin).
The blocks are transferred to pure paraffin in the oven for 1 hour and then into a second pot of melted paraffin for an additional 2--3 hours. During this time the tissue block is completely infiltrated with melted paraffin.
Subsequent to infiltration, the tissue is placed into an embedding mold and melted paraffin is poured into the mold to form a block. The blocks are allowed to cool and are then ready for sectioning.
More recent developments in the formulation of plastic resins have begun to alter the way sections are embedded. For electron microscopy that requires ultrathin sections, paraffin is simply not suitable. Paraffin and nitrocellulose are too soft to yield thin enough sections.
Instead, special formulations of hard plastics are used, and the basic process is similar to that for paraffin. The alterations involve placing a dehydrated tissue sample of about 1 mm into a liquid plastic which is then polymerized to form a hard block. The plastic block is trimmed and sectioned with an ultramicrotome to obtain sections of a few hundred Angstroms. Table 2.1 presents a comparison of paraffin embedding with the typical Epon embedment for TEM.
Softer plastics are also being used for routine light microscopy. The average thickness of a paraffin-sectioned tissue is between 7 and 10 microns. Often this will consist of two cell layers and, consequently lack definition for cytoplasmic structures. With a plastic such as Polysciences JB--4 it is possible to section tissues in the 1--3 micron range with increased sharpness. This is particularly helpful if photomicrographs are to be taken. With the decrease in section thickness, however, comes a loss of contrast, and thin sections (1 micron) usually require the use of a phase contrast microscope as well as special staining procedures. The sharp image makes the effort worthwhile.
|Sample Size
|1 cm
|1 mm
|Osmium Tetroxide
|Graded Alcohol
|Alcohol or Acetone
|Clearing Agent
|Propylene Oxide
|Embedding Material
|Various Plastics
|Section Thickness
|60-90 nm
|Colored dyes
|Heavy Metals
These soft plastics can be sectioned with a standard steel microtome blade and do not require glass or diamond knives, as with the harder plastics used for EM work.
Figure 2.1 AO microtome for paraffin sectioning
Figure 2.1 presents a photograph of the AO standard microtome. This device is found universally in cell biology laboratories and remains a fundamental instrument for histology.
This rather simple device consists of a stationary knife holder/blade and a specimen holder which advances by pre-set intervals with each rotation of the flywheel mounted on the right hand side. In operation, it is similar to the meat and cheese slicers found within delicatessans. A control knob adjusts internal cams which advance the paraffin block with each stroke. It is relatively easy to section paraffin at 10 microns but requires a lot of skill and practice to cut at 5 microns. Since each section comes off of the block serially, it is possible to align all of the sections on a microscope slide and produce a serial section from one end of a tissue to the other.
While virtually anyone can cut a section within minutes of being introduced to the microtome, proper use of the microtome is an art form and requires practice and inventiveness. Many a cell biology research project has depended on the skills inherent in the use of this instrument. A microscope is nearly useless without a good thin, flat, and undistorted section from properly fixed, dehydrated and embedded tissue.
The Ultramicrotome
Figure 2.2 Sorvall ultramicrome
Figure 2.2 presents a view of an ultramicrotome. In principle, it is the offspring of the standard microtome, in that it also is a mechanical device that involves a stationary knife (glass or diamond) and a moving specimen. The specimen, or block, is a plastic embedded tissue that advances in nanometers rather than microns.
Operationally, the only difference is that smaller samples are handled, which in turn requires a binocular dissecting microscope mounted over the blade. The tissue sections are too thin to see their thickness with the naked eye, one usually estimates thickness by the color of the diffraction pattern on the section as it floats off the knife onto the surface of a water bath. The sections are also too thin to be handled directly, and they are therefore transferred with wire loops, or picked off the water directly onto an EM grid.This process requires a good light source mounted to cast the light at just the correct angle to see the color pattern.
Since the plastics are hard enough to break steel knives, freshly prepared glass knives or commercially available diamond knives are used. A glass knife costs several dollars each, while a good diamond knife will cost in excess of $3,000. Either can be permanently damaged with a single careless stroke by the operator. Diamond knives are used in research laboratories by trained technicians because they have the advantage of a consistent knife edge (unlike glass which varies with each use) and can last for years if treated properly. They can usually be resharpened several times before discarding.
To minimize vibrations (which lead to uneven sections) ultramicrotomes are cast in heavy metal, are mounted on shock absorbent tables and, preferrably, kept in draft free environments of relatively constant temperature. To further minimize vibrations, some manufacturers have replaced the block's mechanical advance mechanism with a thermal bar, which advances the tissue by heating a metal rod. This can be exquisitely precise and is the ultimate in thin sectioning. Of course with this advancement comes increased cost and maintenance, and decreased ability to withstand rough treatment. The mechanically advanced ultramicrotome remains as the workhorse of the cell biology laboratory.
The Cryostat
Figure 2.3 Modern cryostat
Whether the sectioning is performed with a microtome or an ultramicrotome, one of the major delays in preparing a tissue section is the time required to dehydrate and embed the tissue. This can be overcome by direct sectioning of a frozen tissue. Typically a piece of tissue can be quick frozen to about -15 to -20 °C (for light microscopic work) and sectioned immediately in a device termed a cryostat. The cryostat is merely a microtome mounted within a freezer box. Figure 2.3 presents a modern cryostat.
A piece of tissue is removed from an organism, placed onto a metal stub and covered with a viscous embedding compound to keep it in a form convenient for sectioning. The stud and tissue are placed within the cryostat and quick frozen.
This method has the advantage of speed, maintenance of most enzyme and immunological functions (fixation is unnecessary) and relative ease of handling (far fewer steps to manipulate). It has the disadvantage that ice crystals formed during the freezing process will distort the image of the cell (bursting vacuoles and membranes for example) and the blocks tend to freeze-dry or sublimate. Thus, the blocks must be used immediately and great care must be taken to guard against induced artifact from the freezing process.
When temperature-sensitive (or lipid-soluble) molecules are to be studied, or where speed is of the essence (such as pathological examination during an operation) this is the preferred method. Sectioning operation with the cryostat is similar to that of the microtome, with the exception that one handles single frozen sections and thus all operations must be handled at reduced temperatures.
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Game On Dude was off his game, a hockey coach had a tough weekend on and off the track and injury will keep a potential favorite out of the Kentucky Derby.
Those were just some of the highlights of a full weekend of racing excitement. Also on the docket were the successful return of Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Beholder, the first-ever All-Weather Championships in England, a "Dundeel" in Australia and a couple promising young stars in Japan.
With only two weeks until the Kentucky Derby, let's start with the 3-year-olds.
The 3-year-olds
You know it's a rough weekend when the team you coach loses its first two games in the NHL playoffs, both in overtime; you get whacked with a $25,000 fine for making a nasty gesture; AND your horse is caught at the wire to lose the Illinois Derby by a nose. That's how it went for Blackhawks Coach Joel Quenneville.
Saturday's $500,000, Grade III Illinois Derby wasn't an official Kentucky Derby prep. But it did seem like a perfect fit for Midnight Hawk, a Midnight Lute colt owned, in part, by Quenneville. And by the time the race went to the post, Quenneville needed a day-brightener as the Hawks had just suffered their second straight overtime defeat at the hands of the St. Louis Blues. He was fined for overreacting to a non-call that might have cost the Hawks the first game. And it looked like Midnight Hawk would deliver, leading most of the way -- until jockey Miguel Mena shifted the pace-stalking Dynamic Impact off the rail and onto the leader's trail. He just got there in time, winning a head-bob at the wire. Dynamic Impact finished in 1:49.07 over a fast track on a picture-perfect day. Irish You Well finished 8 1/2 lengths farther back in third at a big price. Mena said he decided to pressure Midnight Hawk because none of the other six runners went after him. "I thought, 'If he doesn't run good, I'll be in trouble,'" Mena said. "But I was happy once we got to the outside. That's when he really started running." The Tiznow colt, trained by Mark Casse, broke his maiden on his fifth try last month at Oaklawn Park and had been working since then over the Keeneland Polytrack. Asked if he thinks the colt could handle the Pimlico track in the Preakness, Mena added, "Yes. He's easy to ride. You can do what you want with him."
At Keeneland, Mr Speaker always looked to be in control of Saturday's $200,000, Grade III Coolmore Lexington Stakes. After stalking the pace while saving ground, jockey Jose Lezcano got the Pulpit colt out of traffic at the top of the stretch and he quickly asserted himself, winning off by 4 lengths. Divine Oath was the best of the rest with Supermonic just a head farther back in third after contesting the early pace. Mr Speaker got 1 1/16 miles on the all-weather track in 1:44.18. Mr Speaker has posted three wins and a second on the turf for trainer Shug McGaughey but quickly aborted a Kentucky Derby effort when he finished seventh in the Grade II Holy Bull. "I don't think that was a true indication of his dirt form," McGaughey said. "I think he probably will handle the dirt. He laid up maybe a bit closer than we wanted him to, maybe a little eager, and I don't think Jose wanted him eating the dirt. So I think one of these days we'll try him again. But it's not going to be in two weeks (in the Kentucky Derby)."
Incidentally, Mr Speaker's victory means the horses who finished seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th in the Holy Bull now have all come back to win stakes, three of them graded stakes. The 11th- and last-place finisher in the Holy Bull, Big Bazinga, was a fast-closing fourth in last weekend's Grade I Blue Grass at Keeneland. Intense Holiday, who finished third in the Holy Bull, then won the Grade II Risen Star at Fair Grounds. Cairo Prince, who won the Holy Bull, finished fourth in the Grade I Florida Derby in his only start since. However, on Saturday trainer Kiaran McLaughlin reported Cairo Prince has been ruled out of the Kentucky Derby with an ankle injury -- another setback for Sheik Mohammed bin Rasheed al Maktoum, who purchased a majority interest in the colt in furtherance of his long and so far fruitless quest to land the Run for the Roses for his Godolphin Racing empire. "It's a very sad day," McLaughlin said. "For all the owners, it's so sad and so tough."
Kid Cruz rallied from well back, then cruised to a 3 1/2-lenghts victory in Saturday's $100,000 Federico Tessio Stakes at Pimlico -- a race that frequently turns up Preakness Stakes candidates. Joint Custody finished third, a head farther back. Kid Cruz, a Lemon Drop Kid colt trained by Linda Rice, ran 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:47.38 with Julian Pimentel in the irons. Kid Kruz picked up his third win from five starts. He also won the Private Terms at Laurel. "This horse really ran a terrific race even though we had to miss a work," said assistant trainer Marsha Barrs. "We got knocked off the Derby trail after the Private Terms but after some time off he's back to his old self and our long-range options include the Preakness, pending how he comes out of this race today." The Preakness is the second jewel of the Triple Crown, run May 17 at Old Hilltop.
If the question before Saturday's $1.5 million, Grade III Charles Town Classic was whether Game On Dude was still on his game … well, the race probably didn't answer the question definitively. Game On Dude, winner of last year's edition and most recently the winner of the Grade I Santa Anita Handicap, led under pressure much of the way. But it was Imperative who came and got him in the late going, eventually kicking away to a 1 1/2-lengths victory. Game On Dude held second, finishing 1 1/2 lengths ahead of his early tormentor, Moreno. Battling that foe early may have put paid to the favorite's chances at the end. Imperative, dispatched at odds of 26-1, ran 1 1/8 miles around three turns in 1:50.56. Winning rider Kent Desormeaux said Imperative was fired up and ready to run. "By the time we got to the eighth pole I hadn't even asked him yet," Desormeaux said. "He was already passing them and when I cued him, he just exploded. I restrained him the first three-quarters. I actually had to slow him down. I took a deep pull in the second turn and then once the horse that was laying third got outrun, I pitched him into that spot and turned him loose." Trainer George Papaproudromou said he claimed Imperative last December for $50,000 because he liked his pedigree, by Bernardini, and because he thought he would run well on dirt. "We saw the horse was running on the turf, the synthetic … We just got him because of that, to run him on the dirt at Santa Anita," he said. He responded with a second-place finish in the Grade II San Antonio but finished seventh in the Santa Anita Handicap.
Frac Daddy pressed the pace in Saturday's $150,000, Grade III Ben Ali Stakes at Keeneland, took over with 3 furlongs left to run and kicked clear to win by 4 3/4 lengths. Stealcase was second and Nikki's Sandcastle and the favorite, Newsdad, came from the back of the 10-horse field to finish third and fourth, respectively. Frac Daddy, a 4-year-old Scat Daddy colt, ran 9 furlongs on the all-weather track in 1:49.61 with Alan Garcia in the irons. Frac Daddy, who finished 16th in last year's Kentucky Derby, was coming off a second-place finish in the Maxxam Gold Cup at Sam Houston and, before that, a runner-up effort in the Grade III Commonwealth Turf at Churchill Downs. "He's been training freaky good lately," said winning trainer Kenny McPeek. "From the beginning, he's been an extremely talented horse but mentally he was a horse that was a little fragile. I think the Derby was a little tough on him because of the big field and it came up muddy, but the older he's getting, the better he's getting." With Keeneland scrapping its Polytrack after this meeting, McPeek said by fall he will be looking for races on the grass for Frac Daddy.
Beholder got her 2014 campaign off to a rousing start, albeit in a controlled setting, winning Sunday's restricted $75,000 Santa Lucia Stakes by 5 1/2 lengths. Legacy finished second and Irish Presence was third but neither represented a threat to Beholder, who finished the 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:42.67, handily, with Gary Stevens managing things. The 5-year-old Henny Hughes mare won five of seven starts last year, including three in a row culminating in an easy victory over Close Hatches in the Breeders' Cup Distaff. Close Hatches, in turn, has kicked off her campaign with back-to-back wins in the Grade II Azeri and Grade I Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park, promising some interesting matchups later in the year. "We're just happy to be back," Beholder's trainer, Richard Mandella, said before the race.
Sisterly Love dogged the pacesetting, odds-on favorite, Emollient, through the early furlongs of Friday's $100,000, Grade III Hilliard Lyons Doubledogdare Stakes at Keeneland, got by and went on to win by a neck. Moment In Dixie flew down the middle of the track to take second, a neck in front of Emollient. Sisterly Love, a 6-year-old Bellamy Road mare, covered 1 1/16 miles on the all-weather track in 1:43.82. "I had a great trip," said winning rider Stewart Elliott. "She was comfortable the whole way. On the far turn, I looked over and saw Mike (Smith on the favorite, Emollient) and it looked like he was asking her already. I said, 'Man, I got a chance. I still have some horse left.' And I did. She finished up." Sisterly Love was making just the 14th start of her career and picked up her first graded stakes win but seventh overall. Emollient, who easily bested Sisterly Love and other good ones last fall in the Grade I Juddmonte Spinster over the same track, continued to be a mystery for trainer Bill Mott and Smith. "She just didn't fire her 'A' race at all," Smith said.
Flashy American and Sonja's Angel looked like the class in Saturday's $150,000, Grade III Sixty Sails Handicap at Hawthorne Race Course and that's how the race played out. Sonja's Angel made all the going but ran wide on both turns, then had no answer as Flashy American flashed by to win by 3/4 length. Gamay Noir was 3 3/4 lengths farther back in third. Flashy American, a 5-year-old Flashy Bull mare, ran 9 furlongs on a fast track in 1:50.36. It was her first graded stakes win. "I was in a perfect spot," said winning jockey Chris Emigh. "I was smiling the whole way. It was luck, the speed stayed wide. I went as slow as I could go and then went through … I had a little better trip than I expected, but I'll take it."
Filly & Mare Turf
Daring Dancer had to wait for room at mid-stretch in Thursday's $100,000, Grade III Appalachian Stakes, presented by the Japan Racing Association, at Keeneland. But once jockey Alan Garcia found her a narrow seam, the Empire Maker filly boldly shot through and went on to win by 2 1/2 lengths, remaining undefeated. Sweet Acclaim came from last to finish second and Recepta was third. The 1 mile on firm turf, restricted to 3-year-old fillies, went in 1:36.04. "The focus was to get her to finish well," Garcia said. "She broke great. She saved all the ground. We were waiting at the top of the stretch for a hole to open, and it did. She finished very strong." Daring Dancer won at first asking at Laurel Park last September, then captured an allowance event at Churchill Downs before hibernating.
Rise Up went quickly to the lead in the Robert Hilton Memorial Stakes for 3-year-olds on Saturday at Charles Town and dominated in the stretch, drawing off to win by 10 3/4 lengths. Elevated was second and Interchange completed the trifecta. Rise Up, a Rockport Harbor colt trained by Tom Amoss, ran 7 furlongs on a fast track in 1:25.00 with Leandro Goncalves in the irons. It was his first win since finishing first in the $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot last November. In the interim, he finished seventh in the Grade II Risen Star and 10th in the Grade II Louisiana Derby, both at Fair Grounds. "He broke good, but it took a while to get to the lead, and then he relaxed," said Goncalves, adding his instructions from trainer Tom Amoss were, "break and try to get the lead."
Puntrooski rallied from last of six in Sunday's $125,000 (Canadian) Woodstock Stakes for 3-year-olds at Woodbine and ran away from his rivals in the lane, winning by 5 lengths over the favorite, Jose Sea View. Go Greeley finished third. Puntrooski, a Florida-bred In Summation gelding, ran 6 furlongs on the all-weather course in 1:09.31 with Jesse Campbell in the irons.
Filly & Mare Sprint
La Verdad took the lead right out of the gate in Saturday's $200,000, Grade II Distaff Handicap at Aqueduct and was never seriously challenged, winning off by 3 1/2 lengths. Kauai Katie, making her first start since last July at Saratoga, showed good interest late to finish second. My Pal Chrisy got show money. La Verdad, a 4-year-old filly by Yes It's True, ran 6 furlongs on a fast track in 1:09.10 under Jose Ortiz. She now has seven wins and one second from nine career starts. It was her first graded stakes win. "I love that horse, and New York loves that horse," said winning owner Sheila Rosenblum. "She's a New York horse. There were great horses, but she was the best one today." John Velazquez, who rode Kauai Katie, said her run was "a good effort" after the long layoff.
Flattering Bea stalked the pace in Saturday's $200,000 Sugar Maple Stakes presented by CANTER Mid-Atlantic at Charles Town, took the lead turning for home and held on to win by a neck over the odds-on favorite, Quiet Success. More Than a Cruise was third. Flattering Bea, a 4-year-old Flatter filly, ran 7 furlongs in 1:26.00 with Garry Cruise in the irons. It was her fifth win from 14 career starts, a skein plagued by difficulty out of the gate. "In the past she's had trouble breaking. She was cautious," Cruise said. "Tonight, I wasn't going to get outrun." Trainer Crystal Pickett worked Flattering Bea out of the gate last week, saying, "We knew we had to fix that problem of slow starts."
Winning Image set a pressured pace in Saturday's $100,000 Primonetta Stakes at Pimlico, then finally edged clear to win by 3/4 length. Do Somethin was gaining late but settled for second and Red's Round Table finished third. The favorite, I'm Mom's Favorite, faded to get home fifth. Winning Image, a 7-year-old Southern Image mare, ran 6 furlongs in 1:12.16 with Anthony Black up. She has been a dependable check-earner for years in stakes races around the northeast. Black, who has 5,206 career wins for No. 23 on the North American jockey leader list, let Winning Image take the lead but kept her out toward the center of the track. "If I gave them a passing lane, they would have to come down the rail, where it's a little deeper … A fun ride for a 62-year-old."
Zensational Bunny -- an Easter hunch bet for sure -- stalked the pace in Saturday's $125,000 (Canadian) Star Shoot Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, then hopped off to win by 1 3/4 lengths over Paladin Bay. Shanagarry got show money and the favorite, Norquay, finished seventh with a troubled trip. Zensational Bunny, a Zensational filly, ran 6 furlongs on the all-weather track in 1:10.22 with Patrick Husbands in the irons. "She handled it good down the backside, she was relaxed, and when I called on her she gave me 100 percent," Husbands said. It was her third win from five career starts, with all the victories coming at Woodbine. She was third in the Grade III Old Hat Stakes at Gulfstream Park in her seasonal debut.
Turf Sprint
Ageless rallied from last of nine to win Saturday's $100,000 Giant's Causeway Stakes at Keeneland by 3/4 length over Free as a Bird. Sweet Cassiopeia finished third. Ageless, a 5-year-old Successful Appeal mare, ran 5 1/2 furlongs on firm turf in 1:03.18 for jockey Julien Leparoux. She has won half of her 12 career starts but the Giant's Causeway was her first stakes score. "We know she has a good kick and she just doesn't want to go out in front," said winning trainer Roy Jackson. "She wants to kick on from the back. It was a nice ride from Julien."
Knit One Purr Too caught pacesetting Hot Squeeze in the final jumps to win Saturday's $100,000 Stormy Blues Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Pimlico by a neck. Miss Behaviour was third and the odds-on favorite, Sweet Emma Rose, faded late to finish next-last of seven. Knit One Purr Too, an Ontario-bred daughter of Tale of the Cat, ran 5 furlongs on firm turf in 59.65 seconds under Grant Whittaker. She has three wins and two seconds from five starts, all in Maryland. She was bouncing back from a second-place finish last Friday. "She's bred for nothing but turf," said winning trainer Dane Kobiskie, "and you're so limited with straight 3-year old filly sprint turf stakes that I really couldn't let this opportunity get by. This filly's very talented."
Turf Mile
Hamp rallied from last to upset Saturday's $100,000 Henry S. Clark Stakes at Pimlico, scoring by a head over Roadhog. Nutello was a tasty third whilst the favorite, Under Control, settled for fourth after some traffic issues on the roundabout. Hamp, a 4-year-old Sky Mesa gelding, ran 1 mile on firm going in 1:39.66 with Javier Santiago in the irons. He had not won since last July at Colonial Downs. "We had a great race," Santiago said. "The trainer told me to stay behind and wait for my time."
Dirt Mile
Grand Tito shadowed the pace in Saturday's $100,000 Miami Mile at Calder Race Course, led through the stretch and held on despite drifting out to win by 3/4 length over Midnight Cello. Csaba was another 3/4 length in arrears in third and the favorite, Hey Leroy, never fired, finishing next-last of 11. Grand Tito, a 4-year-old Candy Ride colt, got home in 1:38.60 under Santiago Gonzalez. He finished fifth in the Grade III Appleton at Gulfstream Park in his last previous start.
It's a Dundeel reeled in pacesetting Carlton House late in Saturday's Group 1 Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick and then held off Sacred Falls for a narrow win. Carlton House held third and Silent Achiever was fourth. It's a Dundeel, a 5-year-old, New Zealand-bred son of High Chapparal, had finished second and third, both times while seeing Silent Achiever win, in the Group 1 BMW and the Group 1 Ranvet. "We've been aiming at this all along," said winning trainer Murray Baker. "He's still getting better," added winning rider James McDonald. "We probably haven't seen the best of him." It's a Dundeel qualified with the victory for a berth in this fall's Breeders' Cup Turf at Santa Anita but likely is headed in the shorter run for Royal Ascot. Sacred Falls last week qualified for the Breeders' Cup Mile.
Also on Saturday, The Offer bounced back from a Group 2 win just a week earlier to take the Group 1 Sydney Cup at 2 miles on the grass, beating long shot Opinion by 3 3/4 lengths with a late move. Sertorius was third. Trainer Gai Waterhouse proclaimed the 5-year-old a top chance for this fall's Group 1 Melbourne Cup.
Isla Bonita rallied strongly outside the leaders midway through the stretch in Sunday's Group 1 Satsuki Sho, or Japanese 2,000 Guineas, and went on to win by 1 1/4 lengths over To The World. Win Full Bloom was third. Isla Bonita, a Fuji Kiseki colt, won for the third time in four starts. He has finished behind only Harp Star, the filly who won the Group 1 Oka Sho, or Japanese 1,000 Guineas, last weekend. With Masayoshi Ebina up, Isla Bonita ran Sunday's 1 1/4 miles in 1:59.6 over firm turf. "I tried to race him with his own pace until the first corner and took him to the outside to avoid the crowd," Ebina said. "He was responding well and as I was able to race him towards the front, I urged him to go earlier. Although he seemed a bit distracted, he was able rally strongly with the other horses. He is able to run a smooth race and I think the Tokyo racecourse, where the Japanese Derby is held, will suit him well."
Grandeur survived a slow pace to win the featured race in Friday's All-Weather Championships card at Lingfield and may be headed to Belmont Park to pick up an earlier successful career in America. Grandeur had disappointed in the Winter Derby in his previous start in the series and trainer Jeremy Noseda said it looked for a time like Friday's Coral Easter Classic All-Weather Middle-Distance Championship might be a repeat. "Everything went wrong last time [in the Winter Derby], but to be honest I don't think too much went right today. There was no real pace for him – I'm thrilled that he's won but it's just a shame that he's made such hard work of it." Ryan Moore rode Grandeur to win by a head over Dick Doughtywylie, finishing in 2:05.59. "He's shown that he likes racing in America, so we'll probably head to Belmont Park in May and June to race on the turf there," Noseda said. The Verglas gelding, now 5, the Grade II Twilight Derby at Santa Anita in 2012, then finished second in the Grade I Hollywood Derby before capturing the Grade II Hollywood Turf Cup. He returned to the States last year, finishing seventh in the Grade I Arlington Million at Arlington Park. The Lingfield races, with total purses of 1 million pounds sterling, were staged before a sellout crowd announced at 8,777 and Tom Kelly, managing director of the ARC, proclaimed the event "a great success." Friday's runners had to qualify through a series of races at ARC tracks around the U.K. during the winter months.
Hawthorne Race Course
C'mon Feet got her feet going in the stretch run in Saturday's $100,000 Third Chance Handicap for Illinois-bred distaffers and prevailed by a neck over the pacesetter, Missjeanlouise. The favorite, My Option, checked in third with a late, wide bid. C'mon Feet, a 4-year-old Purge filly, ran 6 furlongs on a fast track in 1:10.78 with Tim Thornton in the irons.
River Bear rallied from the back of the pack with a wide move to win Saturday's $100,000 Robert S. Molaro Handicap for state-breds by 1/2 length over Four Left Feet. Sacred Gift got show money. River Bear, a 9-year-old Unreal Zeal gelding, ran 6 furlongs in 1:10.18 with Thornton up.
Santa Anita
Flamboyant was just up at the wire to win Saturday's $75,000 La Puente Stakes for 3-year-olds by a neck over Home Run Kitten. The favorite, Enterprising, finished third, 1 1/2 lengths farther back. Flamboyant, a French-bred colt by Peer Gynt, got 1 1/8 miles over firm turf in 1:47.45 for jockey Corey Nakatani. He was making his first U.S. start for trainer Patrick Gallagher. In France last year, Flamboyant had two wins, two seconds and two thirds from six starts, albeit at minor tracks.
Gulfstream Park
Stormy Rush collared pacesetting Bold Thunder in the stretch run in Saturday's $75,000 Lincoln Stakes and went on to win by 1 1/4 lengths. Bon Accord finished third. Stormy Rush, a 6-year-old Stormy Atlantic gelding, finished 5 furlongs on good turf in 55.58 seconds under Gabriel Saez.
Coarsegold rallied wide into the stretch in Sunday's $75,000 Safari Queen Stakes for fillies and mares and was just up in time to win by a head over What a Party. The favorite, Madame Giry, was just another neck back in third. Coarsegold, a 4-year-old Giant's Causeway filly, ran 5 furlongs on firm turf in 56.18 seconds with Joe Bravo riding.
Charles Town
Uncle Todd got the first run to the lead in Saturday's $50,000 Webb Snyder Charles Town Dash and the odds-on favorite, Immortal Eyes, couldn't catch him. Uncle Todd, a 5-year-old Jump Start ridgling, won by 5 lengths, finishing 4 1/2 furlongs in 51.21 seconds under Gerald Almodovar.
Down Town Allen took the lead on the backstretch in Saturday's $50,000 Original Gold Stakes for West Virginia-bred distaffers, turned back a challenge and won off by 3 1/4 lengths. Margaret High was the best of the rest. Down Town Allen, a 7-year-old Windsor Castle mare, ran 7 furlongs in 1:26.84 with Mathew McGowan up.
In the Fairway drove straight down the lane to a 4 1/2-lenths victory over Wise Mac in Saturday's $50,000 Confucius Say Stakes for state-breds. Jose Montano guided the winner over 7 furlongs in 1:26.36. In the Fairway is a 4-year-old Posse colt.
Will Rogers Downs
More Than Even was more than the equal of six rivals in Monday's $55,000 Cherokee Casino Will Rogers Downs Classic Distaff Sprint. After lingering off the pace early, the 4-year-old Stephen Got Even filly surged to the lead and won off by 4 lengths over Diamond Disco. Cliff Berry guided More Than Even over 6 furlongs on a good track in 1:11.62.
Z Rockstar was up just in time to nip pacesetting Chifforobe by a neck under the wire in Tuesday's $55,000 TRAO Classic Sprint. Johnny Whip was 2 1/2 lengths farther back in third. Z Rockstar, a 5-year-old Rockport Harbor gelding, ran 6 furlongs on a fast track in 1:09.69 with Luis Quinonez up.
Beulah Park
Conniption Fit led all the way to a 1-length victory over Doctoriat in Saturday's $50,000 Howard B. Noonan Stakes for Ohio-bred 3-year-olds. The odds-on favorite, Needmore Flattery, rallied late to finish third. Conniption Fit, a Dunkirk gelding, got 6 furlongs on a fast track in 1:10.55 with Rodney Prescott riding.


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On Tuesday, the White House got behind a National Day of Civic Hacking, an effort by computing enthusiasts to raise awareness about coding and begin using the vast arrays of federal government data for good.
Organizers explained on the main page of the White House's official blog that the day will be an opportunity for developers and entrepreneurs to use their "can-do American spirit" to create innovative solutions for common problems.
Nicholas Skytland, manager of NASA's Open Innovation Program and one of the organizers, hopes the day will change the public mindset about coding and access to government data. He notes apps like Sheltr, which coordinates services and locations for the homeless, and FiRST, which enables first emergency responders to access and enter data, that have leveraged government data to provide useful services.
"More people have begun to understand the power of the programmer, the value of data, the potential for software technology to impact the way we live," he says.
"We are hoping more local governments will realize the value of open data and empower their citizens with access to datasets that can be used to improve their cities and towns. We want more cities to deploy platforms that enable residents to effectively and efficiently distribute the coordination of food, shelter and resources for those in need."
San Francisco saw a good example of using data for good last week. Though reviews site Yelp is far from a regular citizen, the company just partnered with the city to start publishing health data of restaurants right in its reviews. Yet, the city organized and opened up the data so anyone, not just a big Internet company, could access it. The hope is that this data transparency will boost restaurants' efforts to stay clean.
Activities for the National Day of Civic Hacking are being planned around the country. San Francisco will be one of the hotbeds — obviously — but the logistics are still being ironed out. Hack for Change will have updates. The event will be June 1st and 2nd.
The term "hacker" is often associated with computer security. Headlines often report about foreign hackers — usually from eastern Europe or China — getting into sensitive government computers and messing around. The online activist group, Anonymous, has also raised debate around their hacks, as they often take down websites as a form of protest. Some equate these attacks to real-world crimes of vandalism, trespassing or even terrorism.
But at its roots, a hacker is really just a cross between an inventor and a survivalist. Someone who can take the available tools and make something useful or, sometimes, awesome.


text:
county school counselors
collaborate frequently regard-ing
the curriculum, grant
funds, and other ways to
reach our students, parents,
and other community mem-bers
to share information
about the dangers of meth
and other drugs.
Coalition members
as well as students, teachers,
and administrators agree that
the grant has provided our
county an opportunity to
include a curriculum to our
students. We will continue
to monitor data and know
that this curriculum will make
a difference!
The Washita
Methamphetamine Prevention
Initiative (WMPI) is an Okla-homa
Department of Mental
Health and Substance Abuse
Services funded program that
collaborates with the City of
New Cordell using the
Washita Health Action Team
(WHAT) Coalition to imple-ment
evidence-based strate-gies
utilizing the Strategic
Prevention Framework (SPF)
to tackle the methampheta-mine
use problem in Washita
After beginning the
process of evaluating our
communities in 2006 using
OPNA data, it was deter-mined
that Washita County
would in fact receive the
Meth Prevention Grant.
Since that time, each school
in the county has imple-mented
the "To Good for
Drugs" Curriculum, the
WHAT Coalition—Washita
Health Action Team was
created, a "Crystal Darkness"
Watch Party was thrown, and
and extensive media campaign
has been launched. We have
used the funds from the grant
very wisely and have seen a
decrease in the number of
people being incarcerated and
needing treatment services in
our county.
All members of the
WHAT Coalitions regularly
meet to discuss the progress
of the Meth Prevention
Grant . Additionally, the
Too Good for Drugs
Too Good for Drugs
is a K-12 prevention educa-tion
curricula that teaches
kids that they are indeed too
good for drugs and violence.
These programs effectively
build protective factors that
all kids need both in the class-room
and beyond.
It teaches kids how
to make good decisions in the
context of goals, outcomes,
and consequences. The pro-gram
lessons and activities
give them concrete, how-to
skills to counter social influ-ences
and refuse peer pres-sure.
It teaches them the
facts about drugs – alcohol,
tobacco and other drugs – as
they relate to their health and
well-being. Through role
plays and age appropriate
activities, it models healthy
pro-social behaviors and atti-tudes,
including identifying
and managing emotions
Washita County Meth Prevention
Inside this issue:
Too Good for Drugs 2
Highlights and
Achievements 2
Challenges and Solutions 2
Special points of
• Too Good for Drugs has
been implemented in all
five county schools.
• All school counselors
have been trained and
certified to teach the
• WHAT Coalition
continues to oversee the
• The WMPI will continue.
and communicating effectively.
After a lengthy process, Too
Good for Drugs was selected
because it was the best fit for
Washita County.
According to the
Mendez Foundation, Too Good
for Drugs is a science-based,
research based, field tested
curriculum that generates posi-tive
results now and in the
Parents are included
in the learning process through
newsletters and homework
assignments designed to in-volve
the whole family. Com-munications
sent home in-cluded
information about top-ics
covered in the curriculum
along with nutrition and fit-ness
fact sheets, simple meal
preparation information, and
was to help the family incor-porate
physical activity into
their lives.
The program Too
Good for Drugs has been des-ignated
a Model Program by
the Substance Abuse and Men-tal
Health Services Administra-tions
All five schools in
Washita County implemented
the program in 5th, 8th, and
11th during the 2008-2009
school year. Over 2000 stu-dents
in our county have al-ready
gone through the cur-riculum
and have been im-pacted
either directly from the
curriculum itself or through
other related activities.
has since flourished.
Through the WHAT
Coalition, communication
channels were opened and the
coalition maintains a profes-sional
standard to this day. All
members of the coalition have
valuable input and play an ac-tive
roll in overseeing the grant
funds and the decisions that
affect our entire county com-munity.
This process has
been a very positive one and
At the implementation of the
program, there were a few
challenges presented. The
selection process was quite
lengthy and many of the mem-bers
were not present
throughout the entire process.
Additionally, there was a lack
of communication among
members, so the implementa-tion
was slow to begin. How-ever,
after a thorough examina-tion
of the WPMI, changes
were made and the program
we all are committed to ensur-ing
that our program is sus-tained
when the funds are ex-hausted.
Many of the schools
in our district have given verbal
commitment to continue pur-chasing
the workbooks in the
Too Good for Drugs Continued from page 1
Challenges & Solutions
Highlights & Achievements
teachers, and other community
members attended this event.
The grant also af-forded
the opportunity to send
some of our members the first
annual Oklahoma Metham-phetamine
Prevention Regional
Training Conference. Those
who attended the conference
received invaluable training and
information that is being used
to help others seek the neces-sary
Additionally, program
strengths include a spectrum of
collaboration and reliable com-munication
has been estab-lished
through the develop-ment
of the WHAT Coalition.
The leadership is accessible and
well connected to the commu-nity
and the WHAT members
activity contribute to their
quota to the success of WMPI.
The Washita Meth
Prevention Initiative is making a
difference. Schools in our
county have worked closely
together involving many other
members of each community
represented. We worked
together and with Red Rock
APRC to host a very successful
"Crystal Darkness" watch
party in January of this year.
Nearly 200 students, parents,
"Too Good for Drugs
is a science based,
curriculum that
generates positive
results now and in
the future."
Page 2
A Division of the C-WHAT
101 E. Main Street
Cordell, OK 73632
Phone: 580-832-3825
For immediate help call 211
Washita Health Action Team
Click tabs to swap between content that is broken into logical sections.


text:
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text:
Read the full article here:Guo Gu wrote:The Chan tradition does not usually refer to steps or stages. Its central teaching is that we are intrinsically awake; our mind is originally without abiding, fixations, and vexations, and its nature is without divisions and stages. This is the basis of the Chan view of sudden enlightenment. If our mind's nature were not already free, that would imply we could become enlightened only after we practiced, which is not so. If it's possible to gain enlightenment, then it's possible to lose it as well.
Consider a room, which is naturally spacious. However we organize the furniture in the room will not affect its intrinsic spaciousness. We can put up walls to divide the room, but they are temporary. And whether we leave the room clean or cluttered and messy, it won't affect its natural spaciousness. Mind is also intrinsically spacious. Although we can get caught up in our desires and aversions, our true nature is not affected by those vexations. We are inherently free.
In the Chan tradition, therefore, practice is not about producing enlightenment. You might wonder, "Then what am I doing here, practicing?" Because practice does help clean up the "furniture" in the "room." By not attaching to your thoughts, you remove the furniture, so to speak. And once your mind is clean, instead of fixating on the chairs, tables, and so on, you see its spaciousness. Then you can let the furniture be or rearrange it any way you want—not for yourself, but for the benefit of others in the room.
http://www.thebuddhadharma.com/web-arch ... tened.html


text:
More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease today – and that is expected to skyrocket to 16 million by 2050, according to a report released this week by the Alzheimer's Foundation. The research also reinforces earlier findings about the prevalence of the illness in women, who have a one in six chance of getting Alzheimer's disease in their lifetime if they live past age 60. The odds in men are one in 11. In this video, Dr. Paul Eslinger, a neuropsychologist at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, discusses the findings as well as risk factors for the disease – and some potentially promising treatments for early-stage Alzheimer's.
Last Updated March 20, 2014


text:
The Federal Reserve has a choice to make this week, whether or not to attempt to shake markets out of their complacency by highlighting that the first rate hike may come sooner than expected or that rates could rise faster than expected.
After all, Fed Chairwoman Janet Yellen already said as much in her testimony to Congress earlier this month.
"If the labor market continues to improve more quickly than anticipated by the Committee, resulting in faster convergence toward our dual objectives, then increases in the federal funds rate target likely would occur sooner and be more rapid than currently envisioned. Conversely, if economic performance is disappointing, then the future path of interest rates likely would be more accommodative than currently anticipated," she said.
Yellen's comment seemed to get lost, with only some Fed watchers highlighting it.
"You might think this is a statement of the obvious, but she did not make this point in her February testimony and neither does it appear in the FOMC statement," Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said at the time.
Putting it in the statement would get it noticed, economists agreed.
Lewis Alexander, U.S. chief economist for Nomura Holdings, said there was a certain logic to the Fed adding this language to its policy statement, but said the Fed would be playing with fire if it added it.
"It is hard to craft it in a way so it is seen as neutral," Alexander said. Even if the statement was two-sided, "people are going to focus on one side," in other words, higher rates sooner.
Laura Rosner, economist at BNP Paribas in New York, said markets will be sensitive to the smallest of tweaks in the statement.
On the other hand, minutes of the last Fed meeting show the Fed was uneasy over the market's complacency.
Michael Hanson, a senior economist for Bank of America, said adding the language is possible but doubtful.
"I am skeptical the Fed is going to intend to send a more hawkish signal" that the threshold for the first rate hike has been lowered in some way, he said.
"The market would react quite strongly [and] the Fed doesn't want to introduce volatility for its own sake," he said.
Joseph LaVorgna, chief U.S. economist at Deutsche Bank, echoed the view of many economists when he said the Fed will be patient at this week's meeting and save any tougher language for a rewrite the statement at the next meeting in September.
"If the Fed (and Yellen) is going to make a change in rhetoric, it is likelier to come at the September 16-17 FOMC meeting because that is the next time the Fed updates its forecasts and holds a press conference," he said.
So overall, Wall Street economists are expecting a quiet Fed policy meeting this week, with the statement only changed to reflect the recent economic data. That statement is due Wednesday at 2 p.m. Eastern.
The Fed is expected to reduce the monthly pace of its bond purchases by another $10 billion to $25 billion, and signal that it intends to end QE3 in October.
-- Greg Robb
Follow Greg on Twitter @grobb2000
Follow Capitol Report @capitolreport
More must reads on MarketWatch:
Get ready for 48 hours of economic fury


text:
It was his first lick of frosting, ever!
I love party sandwiches but wanted something a little different and healthy since I knew the babies would be eating too.
It really was about him. I don't care what anyone says about first birthdays being all about the parents. Come on. When do babies get to shake parachutes, play with bubbles and shove frosting in their face? Yes, on their first birthday.
The cake was a train. He celebrated with two of his buddies so I figured that a train would be something that all the little boys would agree on.
I got the instructions from Betty Crocker. I had to adapt the decorations a bit since the babies were very young and I didn't want any tiny candies for babies to choke on. I also used India Tree natural food coloring which I found on Chef Shop.Com .I went to pick them up since they are located in Seattle. They also have other hard to find spices and imported food products.
I tried to limit the use of artificial flavors except for the licorice, jujubes and mini Oreo cookie wheels.
I love party sandwiches but wanted something a little different and healthy since I knew the babies would be eating too.
I made three different spreads for the sandwiches the night before. This morning I went to Macrina to pick up 6 loaves of bread and I assembled the sandwiches.
The three types:
Tahini-eggplant yogurt sandwiches with roasted peppers
Cilantro-basil pesto with goat cheese
Olive tapenade with mozzarella and arugula
Olive tapenade with mozzarella and arugula
I will leave you with the recipe for the tahini-eggplant sandwiches. It was a hit with the babies and parents. Yogurt adds a special creaminess to this Baba Ganoush.
I used ciabatta but you can use any bread.
The tahini spread recipe is from a Hebrew Cookbook called " The Healthy Kitchen" . "The Healthy Kitchen" is a compilation of recipes from "On the Table" which is a Hebrew food magazine.
roasted peppers in a jar
Recipe for spread:
1 eggplant
2 tablespoons of tahini
1-2 cloves of garlic
6 tablespoons of yogurt (I used low-fat)
juice of half a lemon
1. Roast Eggplant (I poked holes in it and put it in oven at 450 for one hour)
2. Scoop out eggplant and mix well with all the other ingredients. Season with salt.
This spread can be kept in the fridge for up to one week.
3. Spread on Ciabetta with roasted peppers.


text:
Description: Dress of striped cotton broadcloth. The "house dress" style garment is street-length, in various patterns of woven striped cotton broadcloth. It has a center front opening that extends the length of the dress and secures with 7 gold-colored metal buttons set with colored rhinestones and on hidden hook-and-eye closure at waist. The wide collar is primarily in yellow with very narrow stripes of orange and blue. The bodice is of vertical stripes of reds, purples, pinks, etc. The skirt, which gathers into the natural waist, is in vertical stripes of blues with thin maroon and green accent stripes. The short sleeves are in stripes of blues, red, yellow and white, and have french cuffs secured with metal rhinestone-set cuff-links. The dress is unlined. The accompanying belt/sash is of the same fabric as the sleeves, and is finished at the ends as cuffs with sewn-on cuff-links matching the sleeves. Designer's label sewn inside at back collar: "Todd / Oldham". Four labels sewn inside skirt at side seam: Content: "100% / Cotton" Care: "Dry Clean / Only" Size: "S" Origin: "Made / In U.S.A." From Oldham's Spring 1994 collection.
Date: 1994
Creator: Oldham, Todd
Item Type: Refine your search to only Physical Object
Partner: UNT College of Visual Arts + Design


text:
Man Shot and Killed at Motel 6 in SeaTac Friday Morning
A man was shot and killed Friday morning (Sept. 7) at a Motel 6 in the 20600 block of Military Road in SeaTac (map below), according to the King County Sheriff's Office.
Witnesses told police that the victim pulled up in a white SUV and went to a motel room in the complex. The victim appeared to try to enter the room with a key but when the door did not open he knocked on the door and was let in the room.
Within a few minutes an argument was heard and then a gunshot. The victim stumbled out of the room and collapsed.
Witnesses said two men and two women fled the room with their faces partially covered by shirts. They were seen driving away in a dark colored vehicle, possibly a BMW.
King County Sheriff's Detectives are investigating the case.


text:
Joe sez: If you've missed the previous guest blogs, they've been fascinating and informative.
You can read Ann Voss Peterson talking about pacing here: http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2013/07/pacing-by-ann-voss-peterson.html
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 path 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
Now here's Richard Stooker...
How high is the sky?
How big is the pie?
Most importantly, how can we writers get our share of the moolah?
Model success.
Fortunately for us, the good folks at FORBES MAGAZINE make that easier by listing the 15 writers who have made the most money in that particular year, plus estimates of their income.
You can see the latest lists at these links:
Hopefully, they will publish the list for 2012 this August, but who wants to wait? (Besides, at the rate writers are signing up to guest blog for Joe, if I wait that long, this post may not be published until 2015.)
Just for LOLs, before we get started, you might also want to look at the FORBES list for highest paid actors and actresses in 2011. Compare their incomes to those of the 2011 writers.
Notice something interesting? The highest paid actor of 2011, Tom Cruise, earned $75 million -- less than the highest paid writer, James Patterson. The highest paid actress, Kristen Steward, made a "mere" $34.5 million, just a shade over Janet Evanovich.
And you thought Hollywood stars made more money than writers.
(Now it's time to issue a disclaimer. FORBES is a magazine, not the IRS, so they have no access to anybody's tax returns. However, they can research, and therefore come up with respectable, ballpark estimates. I'm operating on the assumption their estimates are relatively, though not precisely, accurate. Besides, the tax returns of these authors no doubt reflect the influence of legal advice regarding corporations and trusts, so their gross income is a better measure of how their works compare in the marketplace than their net incomes, which reflects how many business expenses they hope they can get away with.)
Let's focus on the 2011 list of highest paid writers. I doubt anybody's surprised to see James Patterson at the top, or Stephen King in the number 2 spot.
One thing that should encourage all us fiction writers: 14 out of the 15 are primarily fiction writers. Bill O'Reilly is the only nonfiction writer who made this cut, and he has a tremendously large, major media platform.
So the marketplace of book buyers primarily prefers stories to facts. That too should encourage us.
Now, we're looking for career lessons here. I don't care that you don't like so-and-so's books. The point is, these 14 writers are highly successful. Most of them have been so for decades. What can we learn from them?
Something else to encourage us all: the variety of these authors. Thrillers of various kinds (including legal and horror), mysteries, young adult, fantasy, middle-school, and romance. Only adult science fiction gets the shaft. (Though some of these authors have dabbled in it, none are primarily known for it.)
Their average age: 57.7.
Age range: 39 to 70 years.
Average number of years in publishing (since first novel's publication -- I'm as well aware as anyone they wrote for years before first publication, but that can't be determined.) -- 26.
Range: 6 to 45.
Average number of books published by each (based on Wikipedia) -- 65.9.
Range: 6 to 290.
It's obvious some of these authors have made the list through having tremendously successful, breakthrough blockbuster bestsellers (standalones or series). Others because, although they often make the New York Times bestseller lists, they have published a lot of books, for many years.
The "blockbuster" authors:
Jeff Kinney
Suzanne Collins
J.K. Rowling
George R.R. Martin
Stephanie Meyer
The "prolific" authors:
James Patterson
Stephen King
Janet Evanovich
John Grisham
Nora Roberts
Danielle Steele
Dean Koontz
Ken Follett
Rick Riordan
I realize the line is not always clear. Certainly King and Grisham have had some tremendous bestsellers. But neither has had a blockbuster (as opposed to ordinary bestseller) in the last few years, and yet they remain on this list. George R.R. Martin has published a fair amount of novels over the decades, but it's his Ice and Fire fantasy series that makes him most of his money.
It's worth pointing out Dan Brown is not on the 2011 list, although he wrote the single bestselling blockbuster of all time. Of course he would have been on the list for the year The DaVinci Code came out, but he published only 3 previous books, and evidently his royalties are not high enough to put him in the top 15 list for 2011.
Therefore, it's safe to conclude, while writing tremendous blockbusters is nothing to sneeze at (and Dan Brown should never qualify for food stamps), longterm career success is more likely to come from having a large backlist of popular books than from publishing just a few blockbusters.
We already know the 2012 list is going to contain at least one new name: E.L. James. Who is she going to bump off? I don't know, but I'd bet Suzanne Collins (8 books including The Hunger Games trilogy) and Stephanie Meyer (6 books including the Twilight series) are at greater risk than Nora Roberts (290 titles), especially since their blockbuster series have already peaked.
I'd also guess E.L. James will not remain on the list for many years if she doesn't soon publish more popular novels.
So -- is there a common denominator?
To me, the answer's fairly obvious. All 14 of these authors are good at accomplishing the main task of fiction: arousing -- and satisfying -- powerful emotions. When they finish your story, you want the reader to feel choked up.
That should be Fiction 101, but not all writers learn the lesson as well as they have.
Granted, not all of them accomplish this in the same way or for the same audience, but all of them do it for a large slice of the market.
Sure, Patterson has a knack for gut-wrenching murders with a dramatic flair, nutso killers, and bizarre plot twists, but if that's all people wanted, Michael Slade would be the household name. His Mounties actually perform real police work. But Alex Cross has Nana Mama, cute kids, and a steady stream of girlfriends.
You may also argue about E.L. James. Yes, 50 Shades of Grey is full of sex, some of it BDSM, but it's basically a fairy tale romance. Clumsy young virgin attracts a hot billionaire by rebelling against his kinky desires. She takes some of the pain, but never signs his contract for submissives. Before long, he is sleeping with her and having vanilla sex -- and enjoying it because he loves her. It's a good girl taming the bad boy. Apparently, many women enjoy that.
That leads me to another observation: this list validates the proposition (not original with me) women constitute a majority of book buyers.
That they buy almost all romance novels (many by Steele and Roberts), is not news. Many women enjoy thrillers, too, and seem to influence which thriller writers make the most money.
From Carrie on, King has always written about girls and women as well as men and boys. Koontz is particularly careful to write about strong women. Follett enjoys creating young women who rebel against an unfair world. Martin made women and little girls strong players in a work of high fantasy.
Grisham isn't quite so female-oriented, but two of his early books, The Client and The Pelican Brief, had strong female protagonists. His other books often feature a David versus Goliath theme, always good for arousing sympathy.
James, Meyer, and Evanovich however have attracted a large female audience by writing about women who are anything but SuperWomen, but who succeed despite their klutziness. And Ana, Bella, and Stephanie all have strong attitudes.
The number of female book buyers may even account for the lack of adult science fiction writers on this list. (The Hunger Games is SF, of course, but is young adult, featuring a sixteen year old girl worthy of Robert Heinlein.)
All of us -- trad, indie, self, and mixed -- can learn from them.
And us self-published writers should be targeting them. Not in a mean way, but simply because the tide of history is running in our favor.
They're making megabucks from selling gazillions of books, and yet they get only a small percentage of the total book price. They share the gross with their publisher, timber and paper companies, printers, Manhattan landlords, bookstores, truckdrivers, and many others. Their agents get 15% of their incomes.
Their book prices -- certainly of new releases -- are much higher than ours, and they can't change that.
When the 2012 list is announced, be sure to check not only what authors are on the list, but compare the total annual income to that of 2011. Sales figures for one particular author will constantly fluctuate of course, but if their incomes are down across the board . . . that's further confirmation us self-published revolutionaries are winning with the book buying public.
To my knowledge, no self-published author has sold any one book in meganumbers, but now we're regularly hitting the bestseller lists, a self-published blockbuster is only a matter of time. Yes, getting 70% for a megamillion seller -- think of how much money in total the reading public spent buying The DaVinci Code (and how relatively little of it landed in Dan Brown's pocket, though he still wound up wonderfully rich) -- seems like a dream, and it will remain so for most of us.
My point is, the overall numbers are bigger than we realize, and will just keep getting bigger as the trad publishers and all their associated baggage are pushed out. Not to mention as ereaders become more popular and adopted over the planet.
Eventually, the FORBES reporters are going to face a problem. Their list won't be accurate without including self-publishers.
Will they consider the money we earn as "real" as the money garnered through traditional publishing?
I enjoy publishing contemporary dark fantasy thrillers under my own name, such as Virgin Blood.
And, as L.A. Zoe, I just published a time travel, interracial romance: The Time for Love: Now!
The first is also available in paper. Both are also available from B&N, Apple, and Kobo.
Joe sez: In 2010 I wrote about the End of the Bestseller.
My prediction is still ahead of its time, but I believe it's going to happen. In fact, it is happening.
In February 2010, we didn't have self-pubbed authors on the NYT and USA Today Bestseller lists. Now it is a regular occurrence. And for each spot an indie occupies, a legacy pubbed author is bumped down. We've watched ebooks sales continue to grow, bookstores go out of business, publishers go bankrupt and merge, major authors self-publish, and readers vote with their wallets what they want to read.
It has always been about visibility, and in the past paper distribution was the key to visibility. It's still a huge money maker, and paper books aren't going away anytime soon.
But bookstores are.
I'd be surprised of Barnes and Noble survives until 2014. And once they go, the paper midlist will disappear. With no other option, all the authors who have refrained from self-publishing will do so. And all the readers who refrained from buying a Kindle will do so, because that will be the only way to get their fix.
The future is bright. But only if you keep writing.
I've blogged before about how self-pubbing isn't zero sum. But as more and more ebooks get published, visibility is going to continue to be the key to success.
So write more. The more virtual shelf-space you have, the more new projects you can sell to your fans, the more you can get your name out there, the better off you'll be.
Remember: No one owes you a living. No one said this would be fun, fair, or easy. Ebooks aren't a bubble or a gold rush--they're a long term path to success.
But only if you feed the beast.


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The obstacles created by administrative reform of 2004, which provides the legislative basis for research, testing, study, approval, and registration of genetically engineered agricultural and food products, have not been changed. Crop registration for import and food use resumed at the end of 2005, but registration procedures are complicated. Registration of crops for use in feed and registration of biotech feeds have not yet resumed.
Many different pieces of legislation address genetically modified plants in Russia. Consequently, a wide range of authorities are involved. Co-existence is not yet a topic.
GMO regulation in Russia is currently in limbo as discussed above as there is no political leadership or interest. The Ministry of Energy has assumed much of the technical aspects of GMO regulation from the Ministry of Science and Education, but is not conducting any biosafety evaluation of GMOs. Food safety is within the mandate of the Ministry of Health, and feed safety is controlled by the Ministry of Agriculture.
The state regulation for genetic engineering in 1996 (amended in 2000) mandated the development of the GMO Commission and the InterAgency Commission on Genetic Engineering (IACGEA) in 1997. The IACGEA was re-established in May 2005, and consists of the Ministry of Education and Science (chair), as well as deputy chairs from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Natural Resources, and the "Bioengineering" Centre from the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Under the state regulation for genetic engineering, 78 regional biosafety commissions were also established.
However the IACGEA has not officially reported on its meetings or on any decisions for some time and is basically non-operational. There has been very limited activity by the regional biosafety commissions except in response to some experimental requests.


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Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science
Elia Kacapyr, Professor and Chair
The Department of Economics curricula offer majors broad coverage of the economic discipline and opportunities for specialization in any of several major areas, such as analytical, quantitative, or international economics. General courses are also available for students in other disciplines who want to gain an understanding of economics.
The curricular offerings are a B.A. in economics, a B.S. in applied economics (both housed in the Department of Economics), and a B.A. in mathematics-economics (housed in the Department of Mathematics). The B.A. in economics is a traditional liberal arts degree, with a core set of requirements surrounded by elective courses.
The applied economics curriculum includes policy courses in the economics department, and finance and accounting courses in the School of Business. This B.S. program offers students a wide range of career and graduate school options. With most college graduates changing jobs or occupations six or more times in their working careers, this applied economics program is most appropriate.
Requirements for Honors in Economics
The honors program for economics, applied economics, and mathematics-economics majors is designed to encourage in-depth study and research. For economics department honors, a special honors paper is required; it may be an extension or improvement of a previously submitted paper. Students majoring in economics, applied economics, and mathematics-economics with an overall cumulative GPA of 3.00 and a GPA of at least 3.30 in economics courses may qualify for honors in economics. The student selects an economics faculty member as a sponsor and tutor. The research should be conducted during the fall and spring semesters of the student's senior year. The student is required to defend the honors paper before a committee of tutorial instructors and the chair of the department. The committee approves, at its discretion, departmental honors for individual students.
Requirements for the Major in Economics -- B.A.
Credits in the major -- Economics
Credits outside the major -- Mathematics
One course selected from the following
One course selected from the following
Other outside credits
Requirements for the Major in Applied Economics -- B.S.
Credits in the major
Credits outside the major -- Mathematics
One course selected from the following
One course selected from the following
Other outside credits -- Speech communication electives
One course selected from the following
Requirements for the Major in Mathematics-Economics -- B.A.
See Requirements for the Major in Mathematics-Economics -- B.A..
Requirements for the Minor in Economics
Credits in the field
Credits outside the field
A. Ozolins, Office of Creative Services, 15. July, 2005


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QATAR. Qatar is seeking contracts to sell liquefied natural gas to Asia for as many as 20 years as the prospect of booming supplies from Australia, the US and Africa raises the likelihood of a slide in prices.
Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Co., a venture between Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) and the Qatari state that's the biggest supplier to India, agreed last month to boost shipments to South Korea by 2 million metric tons a year in the next two decades.
The company signed a similar commitment with a Taiwanese buyer in December. Qatar Liquefied Gas Co., the world's largest LNG exporter, said March 1 it's negotiating a multiyear sale of the fuel to Pakistan.
Qatar, which produces more LNG than any other country, is seeking to complete larger and longer export deals amid a surge in global supplies that's encouraging buyers to call for an end to costing the fuel based on oil prices.
The world may face an LNG "glut" in the next eight years as production from hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, of shale deposits swells inventories, Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. said in a February 14 report. U.S. gas traded at the lowest level in 10 years on January 23, while Brent crude jumped to a 3 1/2-year high on March 1.
"It's better to lock in oil-indexed prices today than have competitors from 2019 offering a price based on the U.S. spot market," Thierry Bros, a senior analyst at Societe Generale SA in Paris, said in an e-mail February 29. "Qatar can no longer sell LNG to the North American market, as was originally planned, after the U.S. shale-gas revolution."
Gas at Henry Hub in Louisiana fell to US$2.23 per million British thermal units on January 23, the lowest price since 2002, and traded at US$2.33 today. The U.S. benchmark price averaged US$3.26 per million Btu in December, about one-fifth of the average Japanese LNG import price that month, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Brent traded as high as US$123.20 a barrel today on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange, bringing its gain this year to 15% as the standoff over Iran's nuclear program raised concern that supply will be disrupted.
Qatar typically tries to sign agreements at prices tied to crude on an energy-equivalent basis, Ibrahim Al Ibrahim, the Qatari emir's economic adviser, told reporters at the February 9 RasGas signing in the capital, Doha. Neither RasGas nor its Asian buyers disclosed the pricing of their new contracts.
"The price is quite good," Ibrahim said of the Korean agreement. "It's way different from the prices in other markets. The gap is huge between the Far East and Europe and, of course, if you put in the U.S., it's even bigger."
The RasGas agreements, Qatar's first multi-decade pacts with Asian buyers since 2008, coincide with a 10 percent cut in long-term prices by Russia's OAO Gazprom, the world's biggest gas producer, to its pipeline customers in Europe.
"What we are hearing is there is pressure on the long- dated pricing of LNG contracts, and it's possible that Qatar is looking at securing long-term offtake in anticipation of reduced spot prices because of a glut five years down the line," Neil Beveridge, a senior analyst at Bernstein in Hong Kong, said by phone February 29. "The sense is that the current spot market remains tight but pricing is coming off on the longer-dated contracts."
Global supply of LNG, natural gas chilled to a liquid for ease of transport, will swell by as much as 250 million tons during the next eight years from Australia, North America and Africa, according to Bernstein. World capacity was 270 million tons in 2011, according to the International Energy Agency.
Qatar raised annual LNG capacity to 77 million tons last year with the start of its 14th liquefaction plant. The country originally earmarked as much as one-third of its supplies to North America before diverting some to Asia.
Australia is developing eight LNG ventures to take advantage of growing Asian demand for less-polluting alternatives to coal. The projects will add a combined 70 million tons a year of capacity, according to Beveridge. Chevron Corp., Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Woodside Petroleum Ltd., ConocoPhillips and BG Group Plc (BG/) are among those building export plants to supply countries including China.
The U.S. will be able to produce about 45 million tons of LNG a year by 2020, according to BG, the U.K.'s third-largest producer. The U.S. exported less than 500,000 tons in 2010, according to U.S. Energy Department data. The U.S. would overtake Qatar as the world's top LNG producer if planned projects are built, Bros said in a report today.
GAIL India Ltd. (GAIL), India's biggest natural-gas distributor, said in December it agreed to import 3.5 million tons from Cheniere Energy Partners LP in Louisiana.
"U.S. LNG is a game-changer, in that Qatar is effectively worried that its oil-linked formula could be at risk after 2020," Bros said last month.
Rising U.S. gas output is attracting Qatari interest in investing in the resource.
Chesapeake Energy Corp. (CHK), the second-largest U.S. natural gas producer after Exxon Mobil Corp., has fielded inquiries this year from the emirate about investing in onshore North American gas projects, Aubrey McClendon, chief executive officer of the Oklahoma City-based company, said yesterday in an interview.
Qatar Petroleum International, the foreign investment unit of the state-run energy company, may invest in North American shale gas with an international oil company, Chief Executive Officer Nasser al-Jaidah said December 7.
Rising demand in Asia may still soak up some of the additional supply, according to Beveridge. Japan, the world's biggest LNG consumer, bought record volumes in January after most of its atomic reactors closed following the March 11 disaster at the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant, forcing power utilities to increase their dependence on fossil fuels.
Japanese import prices for LNG climbed 51% last year to US$16.66 per million Btu at the end of December, according to LNG Japan Corp. data compiled by Bloomberg. U.S. gas futures declined 32 percent over the same period on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Yemen LNG Co. said last month it has redeployed fuel exports to Asia amid weaker demand in the U.S. The Sana'a, Yemen-based company will supply Korea Gas with 20 cargoes a year through 2014, it said in an e-mailed statement February 18.
"New centers of LNG supplies are emerging with the rise of unconventional gas and new exploration in North America and East Africa, and the world could be faced with a new global LNG glut by 2018," Beveridge said.


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Missoula County Attorney Fred Van Valkenburg offers an opinion on a case that came before a Lincoln County judge regarding the constitutionality of language in a partner or family member assault.
Lincoln County Justice of the Peace Stormy Langston dismissed a partner or family member assault case filed against Dale Miller in May, saying the law unconstitutionally applied to people of the opposite sex who were involved in intimate relationships, but not to same-sex relationships.
Van Valkenburg says Missoula County prosecutors would avoid the possible problem by charging the offending partner with simple assault, to avoid the potentially unconstitutional language.
Miller was charged with slapping and choking his girlfriend until she nearly passed out.
Missoula County Attorney Fred Van Valkenburg


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As wet and windy weather sweeps across Sussex this afternoon (Friday February 3) the Met Office has revealed that Storm Doris never existed!
A statement from the Met Office says: "A Yellow National Severe Weather Warning for wind has been issued for Friday across southern England and Wales.
"Despite much speculation in the media, this low pressure system has not been named Storm Doris and is not going to be."
Although there's no Storm Doris most of us will see periods of wet and windy weather this weekend as typical winter weather continues for the next few days with some cold and frosty mornings too.
A series of low pressure systems created over the Atlantic and directed towards the UK by a strong jet stream are bringing this period of unsettled weather.
Today (Friday) strong winds will impact the south-west of England as well as heavy rain, the strong winds will track eastwards and the strongest gusts will then be felt in the south-east this evening.
It is likely gusts of 40-50mph will occur inland with the chance of 50-60mph and maybe isolated gusts of 70mph in exposed coastal locations.
In between the strong winds and heavy rain there will be interludes of relatively pleasant conditions for many over the weekend, with most areas likely to see some breaks in the cloud and lulls in the wind strength.
Andy Page, Chief Meteorologist, said: "We have not named the low pressure system moving through the UK on Friday and Saturday as its impacts are within what we would expect to see for regular winter weather."
Gareth Morrison, Lifesaving Delivery Manager for the RNLI said: "The water can be unpredictable at the best of times, but it is particularly dangerous during bad weather. We are urging everyone to respect the water and to keep safe during the upcoming rough weather and would remind people not to underestimate the distance waves can travel up the beach or harbour wall. Although it can be tempting to get close, it isn't worth risking your life to take photos or to dodge waves.
"If you plan on going out walking this weekend, be wary. High winds and big waves change our landscape through coastal erosion so pay attention to warning signs, and don't leave designated paths to look over the edge of clifftops."
RAC Traffic Watch spokesman Rod Dennis said: "Anyone travelling a serious distance in the south of the UK and driving on more exposed routes should expect strong, gusty winds on Friday. Reduce your speed, be extra vigilant of other road users and be particularly careful when overtaking high-sided vehicles, as you can buffeted off course.
"Standing water also represents a serious risk to drivers. The golden rule is if you don't know how deep the water is, do not attempt to drive through it. Where possible we recommend avoiding pools of water on the road altogether to cut the risk of aquaplaning.
"Modern vehicles are better equipped to deal with bad weather than ever before, but they are still by no means water proof. You are risking expensive damage, and putting yourself and passengers at risk, if you drive into water that is of an unknown depth."
Looking further ahead into the beginning of next week, a frontal system will move eastwards across the country bringing further wind and rain. This will ease midweek before slowly returning westward, allowing much colder conditions to spread at least into eastern areas later in the week, however details may change over the coming days.


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RISD Museum
The Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, is commonly referred to as the RISD Museum. With a collection of 84,000 pieces of art, RISD Museum is the leading museum of fine and decorative art in Rhode Island. The museum is a complex of public galleries spread among five buildings, the first of which opened in 1893. The museum's collection is categorized by ancient, Asian, decorative and contemporary art; costume/textiles; painting and sculpture; and prints, drawings and photographs. The museum also hosts a variety of special exhibits throughout the year. Other arts programs open to the public include lectures, workshops, gallery talks and tours. The RISD Museum is closed on Mondays and major holidays.


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Ok, so I know the drill, HL2 has an old stuttering problem, but here is the deal. Since the Steam update HL2 stutters on both my main system and my Alienware Laptop. Main system used to run it smooth as silk. Laptop is new. Main system is running 6800gt, laptop running 6800 go Ultra. It is really aggrivating. Steam has a post about it, but no dice. I have tried different drivers and no improvement. Anyone have suggestions??
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Words and Photography by Yoon Sul
When Jeff "JetSki" Henderson asked me to go on a small weekend skate trip to AZ to go see the GOAT, all I could say was "HELL YES!" I've been dying to see a GOAT show for days, and if I have to go to Scottsdale, Arizona to see the show, f—k it: a small price to pay to go see the GOAT live. If you don't know, the GOAT is Shane Heyl, Andrew Reynolds, BEAGLEONEISM, and Kevin Long. Unfortunately, Kevin could not make it, so Dustin Dollin filled in with a magic stick of harmony—yeah, I'm still trying to figure out what it was myself. So I got in the van with JetSki, Figgy, Marquis Preston, Jon Miner, and Braydon Szafranski, and we headed to Arizona for a very entertaining weekend of the GOAT and a little skating. The show was everything I imagined it to be: awesome. Shane Heyl just got the crowd pumped with his passionate lyrics as Andrew Reynolds killed it on guitar, while BEAGLEONEISM banged away on the drums. Seeing the GOAT perform "Luv Dat Sh-t" and "Jimmy Beamin'" was worth the Fear Factor experience I had at the bar: Don't eat Chipotle before going to a bar. At the end of the show, the crowd demanded a encore performance of "Luv Dat Sh-t" and the band gave it to them ending the show with a banger. Seriously one of the best shows I've ever been to. Oh yeah, the rest of the trip involved skating, Marquis and his jack shack, Figgy just living in his dimension where everything is SO TIGHT!, Braydon getting a banger, Miner and I conquering our fears, JetSki driving a mini van like it was NASCAR, Cheba Hut, pissed-off Republicans, dust storms, and five meals a day. Can't really say my job sucks—wambalam thank you mamm.


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September 2010 Plant Profile: Begonia grandis 'Heron's Pirouette'
Probably one of the most elegant of all late summer to fall blooming perennials, this hardy begonia has been loved and admired by many avid gardeners since plantsman, Dan Hinkley, brought it back from Japan in 1997. It is somewhat late to emerge in the spring and it grows from a hardy tuber. The large, almost succulent leaves and stems provide a backdrop to airy inflorescences that dance in the breeze and soft pink, bubble gum flowers have a very faint, but pleasing fragrance. They produce little baby bulbils on the nodes of the stems so there's always volunteers to share with gardening friends!
Common Name: Hardy Begonia
Location: Soest Garden Bed 5 (with a few volunteers in Bed 7 where it used to be)
Family: Begoniaceae
Origin: Japan
Height: 15-24″
Spread: 1.5-2ft.
Bloom Time: August-October
Bloom Type/Color: Pendulous racemes of soft, shell-pink with bright yellow stamens.
Exposure: Part to Full Shade
Water/Soil: Well drained, but consistently moist.


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RenegadeMonster wrote:Interesting Rumor.
Anymore info on the Siemen Chargers that would be helpful to pull up more info and pictures of them on google and would they be new?
RenegadeMonster wrote:Also, if urea-water freezes at 11 degrees, does that mean the Cummings are not reliable in the winter in colder climates?
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One surprising fact from the Heinrich Böll Foundation's new "Meat Atlas" is that India, a country where many people have a religious veneration for cows and a third of the population is vegetarian, has emerged as a major player in the world beef market. Just not cow beef:
The star of the day is India, thanks to its buffalo meat production, which nearly doubled between 2010 and 2013. India is forcing its way onto the world market, where 25 percent of the beef is in fact now buffalo meat from the subcontinent. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, India became the world's largest exporter of beef in 2012—just ahead of Brazil. Buffaloes are inexpensive to keep. This makes their meat a dollar a kilo cheaper than beef from cattle. In addition, the Indian government has invested heavily in abattoirs. Faced with the high price of feed, Brazilian cattle-raisers are switching to growing soybeans. This presents an opportunity–albeit a small one–for Indian buffalo-meat exporters.
Though buffaloes are less venerated than cows in India, the country's emergence as a major player in the beef market is still controversial among Hindu nationalists and has been criticized by Narendra Modi, currently the favorite to become prime minister after this year's elections.
While killing cows for food is illegal in many part of India, there's a flourishing illegal trade. Not surprising given that there are more than 280 million cows in India, more than any other country. In one highly publicized incident, violence broke out between students during a beef-eating festival at a university in Hyderabad in 2012.
Another eye-opening stat from the report is that it takes an average of 15,455 liters of water—about 110 bathtubs—to produce a kilogram of beef.
Via Mona Chalabi


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Fernhill House acts on dementia exercise studies
The new head of dementia at a Worcestershire care home is to add more exercise classes and brain training activities to its already packed diary to help those living with dementia lead vibrant and fulfilled lives.
Paul Turvey, who arrives at Fernhill House from Age UK Hereford and Worcester, says numerous studies show physical exercise and challenging the brain can slow the progression of dementia by as much as ten years.
He plans to bring in more dance, music and exercise therapists and step up the number of quizzes, board games and craft activities.
Fernhill House, which opened earlier this year, is regularly adding to its packed programme – with dancers, musicians and speakers coming to the home in the coming weeks.
The home already holds a weekly exercise class to keep the brain as well as the body active, alternative therapies such as sound therapy and reiki, and mental stimulation exercises such as quizzes.
Studies say the definition of exercise is wide ranging and include activities such as gardening – something which takes place on a regular basis with residents working in the home's specially designed indoor potting shed and its two-acre garden.
Paul explained: "One study showed that a stress hormone which keeps mental facilities sharp is produced by the brain during exercise. Another demonstrated that even moderate exercise can boost memory and mental processing speed. Just walking at a moderate pace three times a week can reduce mental decline by up to 10 years in older adults.
"Keeping your mind active can help slow the effects of dementia by reducing cell damage and supporting the growth of new cells. So, learning a language, doing puzzles, enjoying board games or playing an instrument can all help."
* New head of dementia at Fernhill House, Paul Turvey, helps residents prepare the home's entry into the village scarecrow competition.


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Established in 2009, Paia Tattoo Parlor is dedicated to upholding the highest standards in professional tattooing. Our spacious shop is located on the beautiful North Shore of Maui in Paia, a town known for both its burgeoning art scene and its laid back surfer/hippie vibe. Paia Tattoo Parlor houses some of the most experienced artists on the island, and is a custom shop specializing in traditional, Japanese, Polynesian, black and grey, and photorealism. Whether seeking a small memento of your trip to Hawai'i or an entire bodysuit, we are committed to pairing you with the right tattooist to fulfill your needs.
Shop hours are 10-7 Mon-Sat 10-6 Sun, later for appointments. Conveniently located at 120 Hana Highway, just 10 minutes from Kahului Airport. Appointments are recommended but walk-ins are always welcome.
Driving directions: From Kahului follow Hana Highway to Paia Town. Go straight through the light at Baldwin Avenue, then park behind Charley's Restaurant. We are located up the staircase to the right of Rock n Brews, and across the street from Minit Stop and The Shops at Paia Bay.
For more information call us at (808) 579-8515.