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News & Events
For the Media
Clarkson University Deepens Academic Traditions with New Regalia
Building on more than a century of global leadership and contributions to society by its graduates, Clarkson University will debut new academic regalia at its 120th commencement ceremony this Saturday, May 11.
As they continue in a lifetime of learning, mentoring and sharing, graduates receiving their doctoral degrees will represent the University throughout their careers by wearing the Clarkson regalia.
The robe, cap and hood donned at commencement ceremonies are an academic tradition, which often represents the university or college where one received a doctorate, as well as one's academic discipline.
The new attire, which will also be worn by the University's trustees and other ceremony participants, embodies the life and legacy of businessman Thomas S. Clarkson, whose family memorialized him by founding the University in 1896.
The black robe symbolizes Thomas Clarkson's work ethic, vision and integrity. Part of his favorite Biblical verse, "A workman that needeth not to be ashamed," is also the University's motto.
The green velvet and gold trim on the robe and the hood are the school colors, which represent the goldenrod, Thomas Clarkson's favorite flower. An eight-sided tam signifies the Clarkson University Values: teamwork, caring, integrity, vision, diversity, service, growth and diligence. The University's seal is embroidered on the front of the robe.
The new regalia enhances Clarkson's image as a world-class research institution that graduates doctoral students, according to Kelly O. Chezum, vice president for external relations.
"Clarkson University desired regalia that affirm our place among those institutions that value research, as well as the traditions and values espoused by all Clarkson students, faculty and staff," said Chezum. "This distinct combination will distinguish our graduates."
The new regalia followed more than a year of planning by a committee of faculty and administrators, with encouragement from the board of trustees.
Clarkson University launches leaders into the global economy. One in five alumni already leads as a CEO, VP or equivalent senior executive of a company. Located just outside the Adirondack Park in Potsdam, N.Y., Clarkson is a nationally recognized research university for undergraduates with select graduate programs in signature areas of academic excellence directed toward the world's pressing issues. Through 50 rigorous programs of study in engineering, business, arts, sciences and health sciences, the entire learning-living community spans boundaries across disciplines, nations and cultures to build powers of observation, challenge the status quo, and connect discovery and engineering innovation with enterprise.
Photo caption: Associate Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering Robert A. Meyer, who serves as the grand marshal of the Clarkson University commencement procession, tries on the University's new academic regalia. The green velvet and gold trim on the robe and the hood are the school colors. An eight-sided tam signifies the Clarkson University Values: teamwork, caring, integrity, vision, diversity, service, growth and diligence. The University's seal is embroidered on the front of the robe.
[A photograph for media use is available at http://www.clarkson.edu/news/photos/rmeyer.jpg.]


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Pop'n Music 2 – FAQ
FAQ by BAnderson
Version: 1.0 | Updated: 11/17/99
FAQ and Play Guide
Version 1.0 11/17/99
"Pop'n Music Controller" and Analog(DS) controller compatible
Memory card: 1 block Pocket station: 5 blocks
Also available for Dreamcast (Which this FAQ also can probably apply to)
By: Bodi Anderson
DISCLAIMER: This FAQ is meant for personal use only, and may only be
reproduced electronically. This FAQ can be altered as long as the disclaimer remains
unchanged. This FAQ is owned and made by Bodi Anderson. Please don't steal or
reproduce any ideas or content from this FAQ or I will track you down like the sick
creature you are! Please distribute the FAQ only in its original form to your friends and
anyone you think is cool. This FAQ cannot be sold for profitable purposes, any person or
organization attempting to do so will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law!
Pop'n Music 2 and most of the character and place names in this FAQ are copyrighted
property of Konami Japan and Sony. I, Bodi Anderson, have no professional
relationship with any of the aforementioned companies, and I am simply a fan of their
great games. This FAQ is dedicated to all of those who waste their time translating
Japanese games. Enjoy!! END OF DISCLAIMER
1. What's "Pop'n Music"?
2. How to Play the Game
3. Menu Screen Explanation
3.1 Arcade
3.2 Original
3.3 Training
3.4 Records
3.5 Save & Load
3.6 Option
3.7 Disc Change
4. Mode Explanation
5. Song List
6. Pocket Station Mini-game
7. Hints and Secrets
8. Thanks
For those of you not in the know Pop'n Music was originally an arcade game in
Japan. It follows in the footsteps of "Beatmania" a DJ-sim game. The goal of the
game is to press colored buttons in time with descending blocks that follow the rhythm
of a song. Sounds pretty simple right? But in fact, even if you're used to playing a
keyboard or guitar (along with touch typing, useful skills to have if you want to play this
game), you'll find yourself push random buttons in a flurry to catch up with the song.
Before you buy this game you should buy the controller. Using a normal
controller is technically okay, but it takes half of the fun out of the game and it makes it
a lot harder. The only drawback of this is that the controller costs as much as the game
does and you can only use it for Pop'n Music games. Still, if you ask me it's worth it. I
stopped playing Final Fantasy 8 in the height of its plot for a week straight after I
bought this game. It's also a great game for small parties (Though unlike Parappa,
intoxication makes it more difficult). This game rocks, literally!
The game will take a little while to load when you first put it in. This is because
it is known as a "Key Disc", which means that you can buy supplements for the game
( Called "append discs", with extra songs and new levels) at a later date and use them
with the game. This is a great thing since Append Discs only cost about half as much
as a normal game! As of yet there are none available put expect to see some soon
(Beatmania, for instance has five Append Discs)
After the game boots up you'll be given a choice as to what type of controller you
want to use. (Note: From here on I'll assume that you have an official Pop'n Music
Controller. if you're using a normal PSX controller see the button equivalencies list in
the options section (3.6) of the menu explanation). Use the BLUE buttons to scroll
through the choices (5,7, and 9-button-mode), and the RED button to confirm. In 5-
button-mode the WHITE and YELLOW buttons aren't used in play. In 7-button-mode
the WHITE aren't used. I suggest you start with the 5 button mode until you get used
to the controller. Once you choose you can change in the options menu.
Next the game will check for memory card saved data. After the game finally
loads press the start or the RED button to skip to the menu screen. Use the BLUE
buttons to scroll through the options. For now select "Arcade" mode. Next you'll be
shown a screen that lists 4 different challenge levels "Beginner, Normal, Excite, and
Party". Again use the BLUE to select Beginner mode (with the kitty cat) and the RED
to confirm it.
The game will now start its tutorial level. Listen to Nyami and Mimi (The Cat
and Bunny) as they explain how to play the game (Also look at page 8 of the instruction
book). Probably observing their demonstration is the best way to learn the game.
Simply press the given button for each Pop-kun (the name of the little blocks) as it hit
the line at the bottom of the screen. If you get it perfectly on the line you get a "Great"
message, partially on the line gets a "Good" and a miss gets a "Bad" message. Play
through the easy tutorial and win. Don't worry if it seems impossible at first you'll get
used to it! Also if you selected 5, or 7 button mode ignore the shaded Yellow and/or
White blocks.
As you hit the buttons in time you'll see a little gauge at the bottom. The more
"Goods" and "Greats" you get the more it will fill up. Input misses will of course cause
the gauge to go down. In order to beat a given opponent you must finish the song
within the red zone of the gauge. After you finish a level you see a screen that shows
your score for that level and total score for the game. If you won your score will be
added to your previous score and you'll advance to the next level. If you lost you total
score will be reduced to zero and you be shown a continue screen. Press the RED to
continue and either of the BLUE buttons to make the countdown speed up.
Once you've beaten the tutorial you'll be shown an opponent. Use the usual
method to scroll through given opponents and select them. Every one has a different
song and difficulty so be sure to notice the gauge that says "Easy…..Hard" on the left-
hand side of your screen. Now all you have to do is beat two opponents after the
tutorial to clear the first level. Good Luck!
As you play the game more you'll unlock more hidden songs and characters. This
is mostly done in normal mode. There are over 40 songs to find so always be on the
lookout for something new!
The WHITE and YELLOW buttons (even in 5 or 7 mode) can be used as cancel
This will bring you to the arcade screen. See mode explanation for more details.
This will bring you to the original mode screen. See mode explanation for more
Here you can train against anyone you have fought (even if they beat you). Use
the normal method to select one of the following options.
START: start training.
MUSIC SELECT: Use BLUE buttons to scroll through songs.
SETTINGS: brings up the following sub-menu
--Speed: Set from 1(slow) to 5 (fast). On speeds 1-4 you won't hear any music.
--Phrase: View the block pattern entire song in (use BLUE buttons to scroll).
--Auto: Watch the game play itself.
--Repeat: Song restarts automatically.
EXIT: well what da' ya think it does?
Pretty self-explanatory. Use the BLUE button to scroll through the "chart"
rankings. It will also display what your button configuration was for a given hi-score.
Also, easy to figure out. It's a good idea to set the auto-save function on "ON" so the
game will save your game every time you get a new song
Select an option with the BLUE button and toggle it with the RED button.
Remember to save the game after you adjust your options.
GAME LEVEL: Choose any level of difficulty from 1 to 4. On the easiest level (1), all
blocks that aren't assigned buttons (in 5 and 7 button mode) will count as "Good" when
they hit the red line.
BUTTON MOEDE: Choose from 5, 7 or 9 button mode.
RANDOM: This is good to toggle once you start to get to know the levels a little too
well. This causes the pop-kun to fall in a random pattern instead of the same preset way
each time.
HIDDEN: Much like the "ninja" pop-kun in the party mode this causes all pop-kun to
become invisible when they hit the bottom fifth of the screen. This make the game
pretty hard since you have to rely a lot more on rhythm and less on your eyes.
MIRROR: This causes the pop-kun to fall on the opposite side of the screen that they
normally do, like a mirror. Thus all blocks which normally fall on the right of a given
stage will fall on the left and vice versa.
SELECT: Choose from NORMAL or SHORT CUT. In shortcut all the animation
between enemy selection in the arcade mode is off. Thus when you play the arcade mode
the select screen looks like the FREE mode. All this does is save time, but I like to see
what song and what character are linked so I leave it off usually.
VIBRATION: If you are using a dual-shock controller this allows you to determine
when the vibrations happen. It's pretty self explanatory
KEY CONFIG: Allows you to change the key configuration on your normal PSX
controller (Doesn't work with the Pop'n Controller). The default keys are listed here so if
you aren't using a Pop'n Controller (Really you should be!) look here to see what key
corresponds with which button.
SOUND: Allows you to go into sound check mode and listen to any songs and sounds
you've collected. You can also modify the level of the BGM and SE volume as well as
change from Stereo to mono. It's all in English so don't worry.
OPTION RESET: Resets all options to their default level.
EXIT: Does exactly what you think it does…
Use this before inserting any Pop'n Music Append Discs. This will be updated
when they release a Pop'n Music Append Disc.
Using the BLUE buttons select from the below modes. You can use the YELLOW
buttons to change characters (A choice of all that you've unlocked). In Beginner mode
you can only choose Nyami or Mimi (The cat or bunny which look suspiciously like
Japanese music duo "Puffy").
BEGINNER MODE: One tutorial level then two normal battles.
NORMAL MODE: You have to defeat three characters to win. This is the mode
where unlock all new characters and songs.
EXCITE MODE: Like normal mode but more difficult in that, occasionally, enemy
characters will cause distractions such as moving the order of falling blocks or blacking
out the screen. As the name implies it's pretty exciting.
PARTY MODE: Like excite mode but more difficult due to the changing icons on the
falling blocks. The icons have the following effects when activated. A block is activated
when it scores a "Good" or "Great". (Look on page 14 of the book to see the icons)
Ninja: Causes all block to become hidden for a time. Just like the hidden option.
Nyami: Enemy character will come onto the middle of the screen and dance for a
Bomb: A blast rocks the screen and messes up the way that all pop-kun are falling.
Heart: Your level gauge goes up faster than normal for a while
Running Guy: Randomly enacts one of the other 7 listed icons.
Rocket: Causes all Pop-kun to fall faster for a period of time.
Fire: Causes fire to shoot out in the middle of the screen.
Short Pop-Kun: All pop-kun become short and harder to hit for a while.
Here you can challenge any character you want or download the game to your
pocketstation. The two middle modes marked "??????" have to be unlocked.
FREE: This is very simple it works just like arcade mode except you can choose
who to challenge and at what level. You can only play characters you've already beaten.
Any new high scores you get will be saved. At the title screen use the YELLOW buttons
to scroll through which character you want as your own.
DOWNLOAD: Downloads game information to your pocketstation. You also
need to download your current save in order to get the most out of your pocketstation.
This is done by inserting your pocketstation into the memory card slot and saving the
game (Just like when you save a normal game).
?????? (MARATHON MODE): Unlocked at the same time as Survival mode. Has
three modes "Beginner", "Half" and "Full Run". In the grueling Marathon mode you
must face 18 opponents in a row! Also the controller, despite whatever setting you
might have pre-programmed, will become a 9 button controller. This is tough but you
can unlock songs with it so good luck! If you loose once to any of your 18 opponents you
must start at the beginning again.
??????? (SURVIVAL MODE): This is unlocked after you collect all songs form the
arcade mode (including the hard to get "Lounge" number). You have to fight a number
of opponents (10, I think) in a row. You're gauge stays the same in-between levels. If it
ever falls into the zero point zone you loose the game.
EXIT: Return to main screen
Here are all the songs I've collected (or heard about) so far. They're listed in the
same order that they appear on the LOOK CHART on the pocketstation.
Songs are listed by GENRE/ TITLE/ CHARACTER
NOTE: This section contains Japanese characters, mostly used in song titles.
1. DIGI-ROCK / rose〜恋人よ薔薇色に染まれ/ Timer
2. IDOL GIRL/ love fire/ Judy
3. HEAVY METAL / I'm on fire / Dami-yan
4. VISUAL / White Birds / Yuli
5. GIRLY / love is strong to the sky / Rie*chan
6. ENKA / お江戸花吹雪 / S.B. Taro
8. MASARA / すてきなタブーラ / Kali
9. POP RAP / Smile the Night Away / Kraft
10. EURO QUEEN / What I Want (Euro Mix) / Koko
11. NEO ACO / (fly higher than) the stars /Sugi*kun
12. MELLOW / 光の季節 /Sanae*chan
13. LOUNGE / Cherry & Requel /Reo*kun
14. J-R&B / Sayonara / tourmaline
15. J-POP / Life / Pretty
16. TECHNO 80' / Water Melon Woman / Pretty
17. FUSION / Crossover 12 / Pretty
18. AFRICA / Con te sabl 2119 / Pretty
19. CLASSIC / Chaos Age / Pretty
20. POPS / I really want to hurt you / Rie*chan
21. RAP / Young Dream / Kraft
22. LATIN / El Pais del sol / MZD
23. J-TEKNO / Quick Master / MZD
24. FANTASY / Monde des songe / Boy
25. TECHNO POP / Electronic Fill / MZD
26. DANCE / HI-Tekno / Judy
27. REGGAE / Baby, I'm yours / MZD
28. ANIME HERO / Theme from Gambler Z / Hiroshi Jingu
29. DISCO QUEEN / What I want / Koko
30. SPY / Spicy Piece / MZD
31. DISCO KING / Funky Town 75' / MZD
32. BONUS TRACK / すれちがう2人 / Sanae*chan
33. RAVE / e-motion / Rave girl
34. SEXY GIRLS / 淋しい lonliness /May Fa
35. CANDY POP / Give Me Your Pain/ Cindy
36. URBAN POP / Prism Heart / Mrs. Wilson
37. NEW FOLK / まれプン!プン! / Flower
38. CARIB / 麗しいカーディガン / Olivia
39. CLASSIC 2 / R.C. / Hamanov
40. NEW WAVE / Don't Disturb / Sylvie
41. FUNNY / pulse / Boy
42. J-Garage Pop / miracle moon / Kelly
43. CUTE / again my lovely day / Anzu
44. AKIBA / E.C.M. / Sholl Kee
Some of the songs in the game are quite challenging to beat and others even to find.
Here's how you unlock those hard to get songs.
"CUTE": Clear beginner mode. It'll be in normal mode.
"NEW FOLK": Play the first level with any of the following characters..
May Fa, Cindy, Boy, Silvie, Mrs. Wilson or Olivia. Clear NEW WAVE and it will
appear in the 2nd round.
"SEXY GIRLS": In the first stage choose URBAN POP in stage two choose Euro-
Queen or Disco-queen. It will be in stage three.
"LOUNGE" This is really hard and where I was stuck in the game for a while. First,
play "NEO ACO" in the 1st round scoring at least 80% "great". Choose any song in the
2nd round getting at lest 85% "Great". It should be in the 3rd round. This may sound
very hard but don't worry. Once you've unlocked all other songs needed (including J
R&B) it should randomly appear in the 3rd stage. I'm not sure about this since I was
pretty drunk and had 6 or so friends over for an after bar Pop'n-Party one night, but this
is how I unlocked the song. Someone had unlocked the J R&B song then about ten
minuets later this appeared. Sorry if this info is all theory, though it worked for me.
"J R&B" The first number in all three of you scores (Great, Good and Bad) must be
read all 3s,5s, or 7s in the first or second round. For example 34/30/3 is okay. Also 5/54/5
is fine, etc… This is hard to get except by chance
"AKIBA" Clear beginner Marathon mode and it'll appear in normal mode.
"J-Garage Pop" I'm not as sure about this one since it's not in any book. After I got
Akiba I played normal mode using May Fa. Here I beat Anzu (Cute) the first round and
Koko (Disco Queen) in the second. Kelly appeared in the third round.
There are still a few songs I have yet to unlock (3 or 4 I think) If you know how to
get any I don't have listed please drop me an e-mail. Thanks!
The only hint I can offer is not to panic when you see tons of pop-kuns coming your
way. In my opinion VISIUAL is the hardest song to pass in the game. Like most hard
songs the trick is to ignore the blocks that don't appear much and concentrate on the
ones that do. Figure which 2 or 3 buttons have the most pop-kuns in them and
concentrate on hitting these. Sure the little ones on the side will decrease your score a
bit, but if you can get enough "Greats" this won't matter.
First go to the original mode and download the info to your pocketstation (4 Blocks).
Next go to Save & Load and save the game (1 block). Now you're ready to go!
Press the enter button on your pocketstation twice to get to the options. Here use
the left and right buttons to scroll through the options and the Enter to choose. The
following modes can be chosen.
1. COLLECT MUSIC: Shows how many songs you've collected. You'll see a star by the
number once you've gotten all the songs. Press enter to return to options screen.
2. LOOK CHART: Displays what Hi-scores you've gotten on given levels. Use left and
right buttons to scroll through the songs. Use up and down buttons to switch between
normal and beginner mode for a given song. Press enter to return to main screen.
3. AUTO PLAY: If the is on the game will play itself in "Play" mode. Use left/right
buttons to toggle and enter to confirm/exit.
4. PLAY GAME: Munch like the real game except on your pocket station and much more
difficult unless you have child-sized fingers. Below I've listed what buttons are in sync
with which lines. Press a given button as a block hits the line. At the end you'll receive a
little animation with Mimi and Nyami telling you how well you did. You're score in the
pocketstation mode doesn't affect anything in the real game (i.e. doesn't unlock any
songs). Press and hold Enter till you're given a "continue/quit" choce to return to the
main screen.
Left Button (farthest left line)
Up Button (2nd line from the left)
Down Button (Middle line)
Right Button (2nd line from the right)
Enter Button (farthest right line)
First off thanks to Konami for making such a cool game! Pop'n Music is soooo
much fun that it has become a tradition with my friends and I to play it after going out
on the weekends. Thanks to Donna, Tatsu-kun, Paul, Kimie, and Misato for helping
me unlock songs at various Pop'n Parties. Thanks to my kotatsu for keeping me warm
while I was Pop'n. Also to Umu-chan (The coolest chinchilla in Japan) simply for being
cute. Thanks to Konami's home page, which had hints as how to get some of the songs.
And don't forget the swell kids at Gamefaq's for posting all the stuff I write.
View in:

subset: commoncrawl


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Luke Bryan
Country star Luke Bryan makes his debut appearance on THE TALK, Thursday, April 4, 2013 on the CBS Television Network. Lukes preview hosting this weekend's "38th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards" and chats about his career and marriage. L-R: Sheryl Underwood, Sara Gilbert, Luke Bryan, Sharon Osbourne, Aisha Tyler and Julie Chen Photo: Lisette M. Azar/CBS ©2013 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.


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There're no two ways about it . . . a store-bought fish dinner just can't match the flavorful goodness of a meal of piscatorial delicacies that you've caught yourself. Unfortunately, though, the sport of angling—like many forms of recreation—has been inflated and complicated to the point where anyone who buys enough gear to be considered well-equipped will also likely be well on his or her way to bankruptcy.
Worse yet, folks who do their fishing in salt water seem to bear an even heavier financial burden than do freshwater anglers. Big, high-powered boats, sophisticated fish-finding sonar sets, and jewel-bearinged reels often raise the effective per-pound price of the ocean fisherperson's catch to somewhere near that of pure gold!
There's a way to beat the high cost of snaring yourself a finny dinner, however. All you have to do is put aside complication-for-complication's-sake and join the leisurely, happy—and productive—world of pier fishing!
While in some eastern coastal states the pier fisherman or woman may be required to purchase a fishing license and even shell out a dollar or two in order to obtain admittance to a promising dock or jetty (neither expense is likely to apply to folks fishing from public wharfs along most parts of the West Coast), pier fishing equipment can be just about as inexpensive as you want to make it. In fact, whatever tackle you happen to have in your garage—or even a simple handline made up of nothing more than cord, hook, bait, and sinker—will do the job (make sure that your line is 20 pound test or more, though, because there are likely to be a few "big'uns" lurking around your favorite pier).
The simplicity of most pier fishing gear doesn't mean that this back-to-basics angling won't fill your stringer, either. In fact, while folks who pursue salmon (a species which is a good example of "glamour" game fish) only average one-half fish per outing—according to fisheries statisticians—pier anglers (who regularly tie into such tasty bottom fish as cod, flounder, bass, or perch) average 2.44 fish every time they spend a day fishing! And as long as you don't mind the weather, or can dress to offset it, pier fishing is good all year round!
Several factors contribute to the good success ratio enjoyed by wharf anglers. For one thing, the shade provided by the large docks attracts fish . . . as the critters have no eyelids and like to get out of the sunlight on bright days. Then, too since most pier anglers clean their fish on the spot and return the innards to the ocean the water around such wharfs is rich in food.
And, though catches of bottom fish are common, a pier angler never knows just what might grab hold of his or her bait next! Large game fish often cruise such locations in search of the smaller species that congregate around the pilings, for instance, and the lucky angler can sometimes land a trophy that would put many of the fish caught on budget-breaking charter boat expeditions to shame!
Pier Group Pleasure
The catch isn't everything, though, because piers are also wonderful places just to relax with your fishing rod and shed your everyday concerns. The atmosphere is usually a social one, and you'll find that most wharf anglers are gregarious sorts . . . always ready to share a net and a helping hand, a bit of "special" bait, and probably a little advice and instruction.
Many public piers also feature bait and tackle shops . . . where an angler who chooses to do so can—for a few dollars—rent all the equipment he or she will need. If, however, you decide to purchase your own pier fishing outfit, the following guidelines will help you make sure that your choice of tackle is right for the job:
The best rod for pier angling is long (from 6 1/2 to 10 feet), flexible enough to cast well, and sturdy enough to discourage a lunker that's dead set on wrapping your line around a piling. Either a conventional casting or a spinning reel will work well . . . as long as it's wound with strong line (again, at least 20-pound test).
Most pier "pros" keep their bait in plastic buckets, and use a gunnysack (or a cooler) to haul their loot home. Another handy accessory is a drop net or gaff attached to a rope that will reach from the pier to a foot or so below the water level . . . to winch up any line-busting monsters you might catch.
The well-equipped pier angler will also carry a half-dozen sinkers (in weights ranging from two to six ounces), a variety of hooks, a pocketknife, a club to kill (quickly and humanely) his or her catch, a rag, and a pair of long-nosed pliers to remove hooks from the jaws of sharp-toothed species.
And, while you can buy bait at most piers, the savvy angler will find all the fish-enticing morsels he or she needs by simply foraging the beach at low tide. In fact, if I had to choose one all-around pier-fish lure, I wouldn't hesitate a minute before naming easily gathered pile worms. The critters can be found in mussel beds (or in the mud and gravel area between low and high tide lines). Besides holding a fatal fascination for most kinds of fish, pile worms (unlike the garden variety) have very tough skins . . . and it takes a fair bit of time for a "nibbler" to clean one off your hook.
Small mussels make good bait, too. Just remove 'em from the shell, turn the meat inside out (so the juices can "milk" into the water), and place it on your hook. Clams will also bring in the fish . . . especially if the bivalves are used while they're fresh. It's best to bait up with pieces of the "neck" or other tough portions of meat, though, to be sure your lure will stay on the hook long enough to attract a finny prize.
Of course, on the days when you want to concentrate on tryin' to tie into one of the big cod that often lurk around piers, you'll need an enticement that's more substantial than any worm, mussel, or clam. For such lunkers I use a number 3-0 hook and a whole herring for bait . . . fished on—or just a bit above—the ocean bottom.
Jigs and spoons will also tempt the big'uns if you simply lower the artificial lures to the bottom and then bounce 'em up and down. There's no need to buy a jig, either . . . just take a three-inch length of "pencil lead" sinker, bend it into a loose S-shape, and crimp its ends to your line just above the hook. The jury-rigged lure will work as well as any attracter that can be bought for $5.00-plus in a sporting goods store.
From Pier to Platter
No matter how successful your day's fishing might be, the catch won't cook up as tasty as it ought to if you don't give it proper care. Fish should be cleaned as soon as possible—before you head for home—if they're to taste their delectable best. Many pier fisherfolk do their cleaning on the spot, and store the fish—with ice—in a cooler or burlap sack. Should you want to wait until the day's angling is over and do all your cleaning at once, simply wrap your catches—as you reel 'em in—in damp newspaper . . . and set the packaged fish in a shady spot on the pier until you're ready to do the job.
And although some of the critters that you'll haul up from the deep won't look too tempting, most fish that are caught from piers are every bit as nutritious and palate-pleasing as are the better-known game fish. In fact, many seafood fanciers prefer the flavor of bottomfish to that of "sport" species.
A cabezon, for example, isn't much to look at. Even after the fish has been gutted and filleted, the raw meat has a decidedly unappetizing green color. The strange hue disappears when the meat is cooked, however, and the resulting delectable fillets are flaky, white, and similar to catfish in flavor.
Should you need advice on how to prepare your haul, you'll likely find your fellow pier fishers to be a treasure house of information. You can also consult a seafood cookbook ( if you don't own such a volume, your local library is sure to have several good ones on hand). And whether you serve your catch simply broiled with butter and lemon, or use it as the basis for a complicated gourmet masterpiece, the memories of your day of fun and companionship on the pier will add to the flavor of every bite!


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Strongyloides stercoralis
|First stage larva (L1) of S. stercoralis
|Scientific classification
|S. stercoralis
|Binomial name
| Strongyloides stercoralis
Bavay, 1876
Strongyloides stercoralis is a human pathogenic parasitic roundworm causing the disease strongyloidiasis. Its common name is threadworm. In the UK and Australia, however, the term threadworm can also refer to nematodes of the genus Enterobius, otherwise known as pinworms.[1]
The Strongyloides stercoralis nematode can parasitize humans. The adult parasitic stage lives in tunnels in the mucosa of the small intestine. The genus Strongyloides contains 53 species,[2][3] and S. stercoralis is the type species. S. stercoralis has been reported in other mammals, including cats and dogs. However, it seems that the species in dogs is typically not S. stercoralis, but the related species S. canis. Non-human primates are more commonly infected with S. fuelleborni and S. cebus, although S. stercoralis has been reported in captive primates. Other species of Strongyloides, naturally parasitic in humans, but with restricted distributions, are S. fuelleborni in central Africa and S. kellyi in Papua New Guinea.
Geographic distribution
S. stercoralis has a very low prevalence in societies where fecal contamination of soil or water is rare. Hence, it is a very rare infection in developed economies. In developing countries, it is less prevalent in urban areas than in rural areas (where sanitation standards are poor). S. stercoralis can be found in areas with tropical and subtropical climates.[4]
Strongyloidiasis was first described in the 19th century in French soldiers returning home from expeditions in Indochina. Today, the countries of the old Indochina (Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos) still have endemic strongyloidiasis, with the typical prevalences being 10% or less. Regions of Japan used to have endemic strongyloidiasis, but control programs have eliminated the disease. Strongyloidiasis appears to have a high prevalence in some areas of Brazil and Central America. It is endemic in Africa, but the prevalence is typically low (1% or less). Pockets have been reported from rural Italy, but current status is unknown. In the Pacific islands, strongyloidiasis is rare, although some cases have been reported from Fiji. In tropical Australia, some rural and remote Australian Aboriginal communities have very high prevalences of strongyloidiasis.[5]
In some African countries (e.g., Zaire), S. fuelleborni was more common than S. stercoralis in parasite surveys from the 1970s, but current status is unknown. In Papua New Guinea, S. stercoralis is endemic, but prevalence is low. However, in some areas, another species, S. kellyi,[6] is a very common parasite of children in the New Guinea Highlands and Western Province.[6]
Knowledge of the geographic distribution of strongyloidiasis is of significance to travelers who may acquire the parasite during their stays in endemic areas.
Because strongyloidiasis is transmittable by textiles, such as bedclothes and clothing, care must be taken never to use hotel bed sheets in endemic areas. Personal sleeping bags and using plastic slippers when showering are very important when travelling in tropical regions.
Life cycle
The strongyloid's life cycle is heterogonic—it is more complex than that of most nematodes, with its alternation between free-living and parasitic cycles, and its potential for autoinfection and multiplication within the host. The parasitic cycle is homogenic, while the free-living cycle is heterogonic. The heterogonic life cycle is advantageous to the parasite because it allows reproduction for one or more generations in the absence of a host.
In the free-living cycle, the rhabditiform larvae passed in the stool can either molt twice and become infective filariform larvae (direct development) or molt four times and become free-living adult males and females that mate and produce eggs from which rhabditiform larvae hatch. In the direct development, first-stage larvae (L1) transform into infective larvae (IL) via three molts. The indirect route results first in the development of free-living adults that mate; the female lays eggs, which hatch and then develop into IL. The direct route gives IL faster (three days) versus the indirect route (seven to 10 days). However, the indirect route results in an increase in the number of IL produced. Speed of development of IL is traded for increased numbers. The free-living males and females of S. stercoralis die after one generation; they do not persist in the soil. The latter, in turn, can either develop into a new generation of free-living adults or develop into infective filariform larvae. The filariform larvae penetrate the human host skin to initiate the parasitic cycle.
The infectious larvae penetrate the skin when it contacts soil. While S. stercoralis is attracted to chemicals such as carbon dioxide or sodium chloride, these chemicals are not specific. Larvae have been thought to locate their hosts via chemicals in the skin, the predominant one being urocanic acid, a histidine metabolite on the uppermost layer of skin that is removed by sweat or the daily skin-shedding cycle.[7] Urocanic acid concentrations can be up to five times greater in the foot than any other part of the human body. Some of them enter the superficial veins and are carried in the blood to the lungs, where they enter the alveoli. They are then coughed up and swallowed into the gut, where they parasitise the intestinal mucosa of the duodenum and jejunum. In the small intestine, they molt twice and become adult female worms. The females live threaded in the epithelium of the small intestine and, by parthenogenesis, produce eggs, which yield rhabditiform larvae. Only females will reach reproductive adulthood in the intestine. Female strongyloids reproduce through parthenogenesis. The eggs hatch in the intestine and young larvae are then excreted in the feces. It takes about two weeks to reach egg development from the initial skin penetration. By this process, S. stercoralis can cause both respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms. The worms also participate in autoinfection, in which the rhabditiform larvae become infective filariform larvae, which can penetrate either the intestinal mucosa (internal autoinfection) or the skin of the perianal area (external autoinfection); in either case, the filariform larvae may follow the previously described route, being carried successively to the lungs, the bronchial tree, the pharynx, and the small intestine, where they mature into adults; or they may disseminate widely in the body. To date, occurrence of autoinfection in humans with helminthic infections is recognized only in Strongyloides stercoralis and Capillaria philippinensis infections. In the case of Strongyloides, autoinfection may explain the possibility of persistent infections for many years in persons not having been in an endemic area and of hyperinfections in immunodepressed individuals.
Whereas males grow to only about 0.9 mm (0.04 in) in length, females can grow from 2.0 to 2.5 mm (0.08 to 0.10 in). Both sexes also possess a tiny buccal capsule and cylindrical esophagus without a posterior bulb.[8] In the free-living stage, the esophagi of both sexes are rhabditiform. Males can be distinguished from females by two structures: the spicules and gubernaculum.
An unusual feature of S. stercoralis is autoinfection. Only one other species in the Strongyloides genus, S. felis, has this trait. Autoinfection is the development of L1 into small infective larvae in the gut of the host. These autoinfective larvae penetrate the wall of the lower ileum or colon or the skin of the perianal region, enter the circulation again, travel to the lungs, and then to the small intestine, thus repeating the cycle. Autoinfection makes strongyloidiasis due to S. stercoralis an infection with several unusual features.
Persistence of infection is the first of these important features. Because of autoinfection, humans have been known to still be infected up to 65 years after they were first exposed to the parasite (e.g., World War II or Vietnam War veterans). Once a host is infected with S. stercoralis, infection is lifelong unless effective treatment eliminates all adult parasites and migrating autoinfective larvae.
Many people infected are asymptomatic at first. Symptoms include dermatitis: swelling, itching, larva currens, and mild hemorrhage at the site where the skin has been penetrated. Spontaneous scratch-like lesions may be seen on the face or elsewhere. If the parasite reaches the lungs, the chest may feel as if it is burning, and wheezing and coughing may result, along with pneumonia-like symptoms (Löffler's syndrome). The intestines could eventually be invaded, leading to burning pain, tissue damage, sepsis, and ulcers. Stools may have yellow mucus with a recognizable smell. Chronic diarrhea can be a symptom.[9] In severe cases, edema may result in obstruction of the intestinal tract, as well as loss of peristaltic contractions.[10]
Strongyloidiasis in immunocompetent individuals is usually an indolent disease. However, in immunocompromised individuals, it can cause a hyperinfective syndrome (also called disseminated strongyloidiasis) due to the reproductive capacity of the parasite inside the host. This hyperinfective syndrome can have a mortality rate close to 90% if disseminated.[11][12][13]
Immunosuppressive drugs, especially corticosteroids and agents used for tissue transplantation, can increase the rate of autoinfection to the point where an overwhelming number of larvae migrate through the lungs, which in many cases can prove fatal. In addition, diseases such as human T-lymphotropic virus 1, which enhance the Th1 arm of the immune system and lessen the Th2 arm, increase the disease state.[12] Another consequence of autoinfection is the autoinfective larvae can carry gut bacteria back into the body. About 50% of people with hyperinfection present with bacterial disease due to enteric bacteria. Also, a unique effect of autoinfective larvae is larva currens due to the rapid migration of the larvae through the skin. Larva currens appears as a red line that moves rapidly (more than 5 cm or 2 in per day), and then quickly disappears. It is pathognomonic for autoinfective larvae and can be used as a diagnostic criterion for strongyloidiasis due to S. stercoralis.
Locating juvenile larvae, either rhabditiform or filariform, in recent stool samples will confirm the presence of this parasite.[14] Other techniques used include direct fecal smears, culturing fecal samples on agar plates, serodiagnosis through ELISA, and duodenal fumigation. Still, diagnosis can be difficult because of the day-to-day variation in juvenile parasite load.
Ideally, prevention, by improved sanitation (proper disposal of feces), practicing good hygiene (washing of hands), etc., is used before any drug regimen is administered.
Ivermectin is the drug of first choice for treatment because of higher tolerance in patients.[5] Thiabendazole was used previously, but, owing to its high prevalence of side effects (dizziness, vomiting, nausea, malaise) and lower efficacy, it has been superseded by ivermectin and as second-line albendazole. However, these drugs have little effect on the majority of these autoinfective larvae during their migration through the body. Hence, repeated treatments with ivermectin must be administered to kill adult parasites that develop from the autoinfective larvae. This means at least two weeks treatment, then a weeks pause, then again treatment. Follow-up treatment and blood tests are necessary for decades following infection.
In the UK, mebendazole and piperazine are currently (2007) preferred.[15] Mebendazole has a much higher failure rate in clinical practice than albendazole, thiabendazole, or ivermectin.[16]
This parasite depends on chemical cues to find a potential host. It uses sensor neurons of class AFD to identify cues excreted by the host.[17]S. stercoralis is attracted to nonspecific attractants of warmth, carbon dioxide, and sodium chloride. Urocanic acid, a component of skin secretions in mammals, is a major chemoattractant. Larvae of S. stercoralis are strongly attracted to this compound.[7] This compound can be suppressed by metal ions, suggesting a possible strategy for preventing infection.
See also
- ↑ Vanderkooi, M. (2000). Village Medical Manual (5th ed.). Pasadena: William Carey Library. ISBN 0878087788.
- ↑ Speare, R. (1989). "Identification of species of Strongyloides". In Grove, D. I. Strongyloidiasis: a major roundworm infection of man. London: Taylor & Francis. pp. 11–83. ISBN 0850667321.
- ↑ Skerratt, L. F. (1995). "Strongyloides spearei n. sp. (Nematoda: Strongyloididae) from the common wombat Vombatus ursinus (Marsupialia: Vombatidae)". Systematic Parasitology. 32 (2): 81–89. doi:10.1007/BF00009506.
- ↑ Segarra-Newnham, M. (2007). "Manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment of Strongyloides stercoralis infection". Ann Pharmacother. 41 (12): 1992–2001. doi:10.1345/aph.1K302. PMID 17940124.
- 1 2 Johnston, F. H.; Morris, P. S.; Speare, R.; McCarthy, J.; Currie, B.; Ewald, D.; Page, W.; Dempsey, K. (2005). "Strongyloidiasis: A review of the evidence for Australian practitioners". The Australian Journal of Rural Health. 13 (4): 247–54. doi:10.1111/j.1440-1584.2005.00710.x. PMID 16048468.
- 1 2 Dorris, M.; Viney, M. E.; Blaxter, M. L. (2002). "Molecular phylogenetic analysis of the genus Strongyloides and related nematodes". International Journal for Parasitology. 32 (12): 1507–17. doi:10.1016/s0020-7519(02)00156-x. PMID 12392916.
- 1 2 Safer, D.; Brenes, M.; Dunipace, S.; Schad, G. (2007). "Urocanic acid is a major chemoattractant for the skin-penetrating parasitic nematode Strongyloides stercoralis". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 104 (5): 1627. doi:10.1073/pnas.0610193104.
- ↑ Roberts, L.; Janovy, J., Jr. (2005). Foundations of Parasitology (7th ed.). Boston: McGraw Hill. p. 412. ISBN 0071112715.
- ↑ Thamwiwat, Alisa; Mejia, Rojelio; Nutman, Thomas B.; Bates, Jeffrey T. (6 July 2014). "Strongyloidiasis as a Cause of Chronic Diarrhea, Identified Using Next-Generation Strongyloides stercoralis-Specific Immunoassays". Current Tropical Medicine Reports. 1 (3): 145–147. doi:10.1007/s40475-014-0026-7.
- ↑ Roberts, L.; Janovy, J., Jr. (2005). Foundations of Parasitology (7th ed.). Boston: McGraw Hill. pp. 414–415. ISBN 0071112715.
- ↑ Igra-Siegman, Y; Kapila, R; Sen, P; Kaminski, ZC; Louria, DB (1981). "Syndrome of hyperinfection with Strongyloides stercoralis". Reviews of infectious diseases. 3 (3): 397–407. doi:10.1093/clinids/3.3.397. PMID 7025145.
- 1 2 Marcos, L. A.; Terashima, A.; Dupont, H. L.; Gotuzzo, E. (2008). "Strongyloides hyperinfection syndrome: An emerging global infectious disease". Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 102 (4): 314–318. doi:10.1016/j.trstmh.2008.01.020. PMID 18321548.
- ↑ Newberry, AM; Williams, DN; Stauffer, WM; Boulware, DR; Hendel-Paterson, BR; Walker, PF (Nov 2005). "Strongyloides hyperinfection presenting as acute respiratory failure and gram-negative sepsis.". Chest. 128 (5): 3681–4. doi:10.1378/chest.128.5.3681. PMID 16304332.
- ↑ Roberts, L.; Janovy, J., Jr. (2005). Foundations of Parasitology (7th ed.). Boston: McGraw Hill. p. 415. ISBN 0071112715.
- ↑ NHS Direct Health Encyclopedia by: Dr. Dave Cheever
- ↑ Boulware, DR; Stauffer, WM; Hendel-Paterson, BR; Rocha, JL; Seet, RC; Summer, AP; Nield, LS; Supparatpinyo, K; Chaiwarith, R; Walker, PF (June 2007). "Maltreatment of Strongyloides infection: case series and worldwide physicians-in-training survey.". The American Journal of Medicine. 120 (6): 545.e1–8. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2006.05.072. PMC 1950578. PMID 17524758.
- ↑ Forbes, WM; Ashton, FT; Boston, R; Zhu, X; Schad, GA (2004). "Chemoattraction and chemorepulsion of Strongyloides stercoralis infective larvae on a sodium chloride gradient is mediated by amphidial neuron pairs ASE and ASH, respectively". Veterinary parasitology. 120 (3): 189–98. doi:10.1016/j.vetpar.2004.01.005. PMID 15041094.


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For the 4th six weeks staff members selected students who displayed the character trait of being able to communicate with purpose, integrity and poise. The following students were selected.
Alma Rodriguez Aubrey Posey Ava Britton Bryce Bennett
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Trading Radar: Did the Government Shutdown Slow the Economy?
Economics, earnings reports, and market events for the week ahead.
Next week, the primary theme from economic data releases will be whether or not the government shutdown had a material effect on the economy. Thus far, preliminary manufacturing surveys have shown unabated growth during October. Auto sales for the month tailed off slightly, but generally remained strong. However, October and November consumer confidence indices from the University of Michigan, Bloomberg, and the Conference Board have remained significantly lower than their summer peaks.
October retail sales are due out on Wednesday. Economists are estimating that growth will have remained unchanged after declining 0.1% in September. National gasoline prices had declined by 3.48% from $3.39 to $3.275 per gallon during the month on average, which should reduce the headline figure by 0.04%. ICSC chain-store sales had been up only 0.17% during the month and Redbook same-store sales had fallen 1.7%, which isn't a strong endorsement for strong growth from clothing & merchandise during the month.
What is most concerning is the YoY growth rate for retail sales. It remains subdued at +3.2% and recorded the second lowest level of growth since 2009 in September. One thing to keep in mind for retail sales, the building materials subset typically has a strong correlation to the month's building permits and tends to move housing-related stocks.
The minutes of the October Fed meeting will be released on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. EST. In the statement released following the meeting, the Fed removed comments about tightening financial conditions and added slightly more positive comments on the improvement of the economy. Speeches from FOMC members since then, which typically divulge the topics discussed during the meeting, have centered around "cumulative" and "significant" improvement in the labor market -- notably, St. Louis President James Bullard, who was very dovish over the summer. Additionally, comments from dovish member Dennis Lockhart indicated that there has been discussion amongst FOMC members over the efficacy of large-scale asset purchases (LSAPs). Lastly, it is clear there was serious discussion on how to explain to the market how the two main policy tools of forward guidance and LSAPs are different.
Also due for release next week are the consumer and producer price indices. Economists estimate that CPI will decline to a 1% year-over-year rate. Excluding the 2008 recession, a reading that low would be the slowest rate of consumer price increases since 1965. Producer price gains from a year ago are estimated to remain unchanged at 0.3%.
Only retail companies have yet to report earnings for the third quarter. Notable reports in the coming week include Home Depot (NYSE:HD), Urban Outfitters (NASDAQ:URBN), Salesforce.com (NYSE:CRM), Best Buy (NYSE:BBY), Saks (NYSE:SKS), Lowe's (NYSE:LOW), Deere (NYSE:DE), JC Penney (NYSE:JCP), Target (NYSE:TGT), Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE:ANF), and Sears Holding (NYSE:SHLD). I would pay particular attention to management comments and guidance from retailers on how they see the holiday season shaping up. Thus far the indications are not stellar.
Monday, November 18
US Economics (Time Zone: EST)
09:00 Total Net TIC Flows – prior -$2.9B
09:00 Net Long-Term TIC Flows – prior -$8.9B
10:00 NAHB Housing Market Index – expected 56, prior 55
11:00 Fed buying $1.25b-$1.75b bonds in 23 to 30-year range
11:30 Treasury selling $32b 3-month, $28b 6-month bills
02:00 Fed buying $3b-$4b notes in 6 to 7-year range
1:00am Rosengren speaks in Abu Dhabi
12:15pm Dudley speaking in New York
1:30pm Plosser speaking in Philly
7:45pm Kocherlakota speaks in Minneapolis
Global Economics (Time Zone: GMT)
01:30 CNY October Property Prices
Tyson Foods (TSN)
Urban Outfitters (URBN)
Salesforce.com (CRM)
Tuesday, November 19
US Economics (Time Zone: EST)
08:30 Employment Cost Index (3Q) – expected 0.5%, prior 0.5%
11:00 Fed to purchase $2.75b-$3.5b notes in 8 to 10-year range
11:30 Treasury selling 4-week bills
2:15pm Evans speaks in Chicago
7:00pm Bernanke speaks in Washington
Global Economics (Time Zone: GMT)
00:30 AUD RBA Minutes from November meeting
05:00 JPY Leading Index
10:00 EUR Eurozone ZEW Economic Sentiment Survey
Home Depot (HD)
Dick's Sporting Goods (DKS)
Best Buy (BBY)
Medtronic (MDT)
Saks (SKS)
Wednesday, November 20
US Economics (Time Zone: EST)
07:00 MBA Mortgage Applications
08:30 Retail Sales – expected 0.1%, prior -0.1%
08:30 Retail Sales ex-Auto – expected 0.1%, prior 0.4%
08:30 Retail Sales ex-Auto & Gas – expected 0.4%, prior 0.4%
08:30 CPI YoY – expected 1.0%, prior 1.2%
08:30 CPI ex-Food & Energy – expected 1.7%, prior 1.7%
10:00 Existing Home Sales saar – expected 5.16M, prior 5.29M
10:00 Existing Home Sales MoM – expected -2.5%, prior -1.9%
10:00 Business Inventories – expected 0.3%, prior 0.3%
2:00 FOMC Minutes (Oct meeting)
11:00 Fed purchasing $1.25b-$1.75b bonds in 23 to 30-year range
10:00am Dudley speaking in NY
12:10pm Bullard speaks in Chicago
Global Economics (Time Zone: GMT)
JPY Trade Balance
04:30 JPY All Industry Activity Index
09:30 GBP BoE Minutes
10:00 CHF ZEW Economic Expectations Survey
Deere (DE)
Lowe's (LOW)
Staples (SPLS)
JCPenney (JCP)
Williams Sonoma (WSM)
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR)
Thursday, November 21
US Economics (Time Zone: EST)
08:30 Initial Jobless Claims - expected 335k, prior 339k
08:30 Continuing Claims – expected 2875K, prior 2874K
08:30 PPI YoY – expected 0.3%, prior 0.3%
08:30 PPI Ex-Food & Energy – expected 1.3%, prior 1.2%
08:58 Markit US Preliminary PMI – expected 52.5
10:00 Philly Fed – expected 15.0, prior 19.8
11:00 Fed to purchase $4.25b-$5.25b notes in 4 to 5-year range
01:00 Treasury selling $13b 10-year TIPS (reopening)
9:45am Powell speaks in NY
12:30pm Lacker speaking in North Carolina
1:00pm Bullard speaking in Arkansas
Global Economics (Time Zone: GMT)
Japan Investors Purchases of Foreign Bonds/Stocks
Bank of Japan Rate Decision
01:45 CNY HSBC/Markit Flash Manufacturing PMI
02:00 NZD Credit Card Spending
06:00 JPY Machine Tool Orders
07:00 CHF Trade Balance
09:00 EUR Eurozone Manufacturing & Services PMI
09:30 GBP Public Sector Borrowing
15:00 EUR Eurozone Consumer Confidence
9:00am Draghi speaks in Berlin
Target (TGT)
Sears Holdings (SHLD)
Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF)
Gap (GPS)
Ross Stores (ROST)
Autodesk (ADSK)
Pandora (P)
Splunk (SPLK)
Gamestop (GME)
Fresh Market (TFM)
Friday, November 22
US Economics (Time Zone: EST)
10:00 JOLTs Job Openings – prior 3883
11:00 Kansas City Fed – expected 5, prior 6
11:00 Fed purchasing $1.25b-$1.75b bonds in 23 to 30-year range
Global Economics (Time Zone: GMT)
JPY Small Business Confidence Index
07:00 EUR German GDP (final estimate)
09:00 EUR German IFO Economic Expectations
13:30 CAD Retail Sales
Foot Locker (FL)
Twitter: @MichaelSedacca
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One of the topics the Election Review Committee has discussed is how best to score the interview portion. Because of the nature of the interview, it's not something that can really be put out there for review by the world at large. If you're thinking, why not? Imagine you just had a job interview. And it went smashingly bad. As in, "It doesn't matter what my resume says, I won't be hired" bad. Would you want that put out there for the whole world to see? We know some folks don't interview well, but that doesn't mean they have poor verbal communications skills. Nervousness plays a huge part in the interview process.
The question then is how to score the interview itself. There are basic two methods available. They are:
- By Ranking
- By Component
By Ranking:
In this scenario, all candidates are ranked from first to last. First place gets the maximum number of points, with a sliding scale from that point forward. So if the interview is worth 50 points, 1st gets 50, 2nd gets maybe 40, 3rd gets a little lower than that, and so on. There's also a discussion about whether the Nominating Committee (NomCom) has to come to consensus for the ranking or if it works like a lot of the Hall of Fame voting, where you get so many points for 1st, less for 2nd, etc. and then you determine who is first from the aggregated points of all the members of the NomCom. The first is harder, because consensus can be hard to get, but it ensures that all of the NomCom are behind the rankings and therefore, the points.
By Component:
Let me try to approach this from the times competing for the All-* bands (All-County, All-Regional, etc.) or when I was in charge of being a judge for an All-County Band (flutes). There were several sections we were to score:
- major scales
- music terminology
- prepared piece
- sight reading
Each component was worth a certain amount of points. If I remember right, music terminology was worth 10 points, or 2 points per music term asked. The prepared piece was worth the most, because it was more difficult than the major scales, and you had an opportunity to work on it before you walked into the room. But each component had a certain point total and you could get some or all of the points (technically, you could get zero, and the only time I saw this was when a competitor came in and didn't know a single music term). All of these points are added up for each judge, and then the judges' totals are added up and you determine your chairs accordingly. For the interview you'd go through a similar process where the points would add up and be counted as part of the overall whole.
Pros and Cons:
The first method, by ranking, allows for a definite point scale that's easy to determine. The issue comes in ranking the candidates. A second issue is that if you have two candidates who are neck-in-neck, one candidate is going to receive less points based on the scale. But it also means that even if one does poorly on the interview, there are still some points to be had.
The second method, by component, adds in a lot more subjectivity, but it allows for more granular scoring. It means that if you have two candidates really close on the interview, they'll get about the same score. It also means that since you are looking at components, it's still hard to do so bad on an interview that you don't get any points at all. The bigger issue is that since the interview isn't available to the public, this is an area, because of the breakdown by components, that can be a firebrand to an argument as to why a candidate did or did not make the slate.
We'd Love to Hear From You:
Because interview scoring can be an issue and because of the lack of transparency with the interview, we'd love to hear your opinion as to the two methods. If you would, please visit the forum thread on the ERC site devoted to this topic.


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To promote my horror novel, AFRAID, which debuts March 31, I'm appearing on different blogs every single day in March.
Please follow my daily journey, and broaden your blog-reading horizons.
Today I'm visiting the group blog, The League of Reluctant Adults, invited by author Mark Henry. Group blogs are always fun, and this one features a bunch of paranormal suspense and romance writers, many of whom I've hung out with.
My guest blog post is about pushing the envelope in fiction, and if it's possible to go to far. You might be surprised by my answers.
Also, many of you following this blog tour are undoubtedly curious if the book I'm flogging, Afraid, is any good. As mentioned in my last newsletter, I offered free copies in exchange for reviews. As these reviews trickle in, I'm linking to them...whether they're good or bad.
So far, Afraid has been reviewed by Shots UK:
Dark Scribe:
The List:
And be prepared to scroll down to read what Publishers Weekly has to say about my paperback original horror thriller:
There are still 24 days left on the blog tour, and I promise a lot of new, and radically different, posts in the oncoming weeks. I will not repeat myself.
Thanks for tuning it.
Saturday, March 07, 2009
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There is some doubt hanging over news that Apple has obtained permission to use the Swiss railway clock design for its iPad clock logo. The company who until now had an exclusive license to use the design of the iconic clock for watches and clocks has expressed "surprise" at the news of the license to Apple.
Apple got into trouble with the Swiss railway operator SBB when the new clock logo appeared in the iPad version of iOS 6.
On 13 October SBB announced that it had come to a licencing agreement with Apple regarding the use of the iconic design.
However, now Mondaine, who have had a long-term exclusive licensing agreement to adapt the design of the Swiss Railways Clock for watches and clocks for consumers, say they were "surprised" about the agreement.
In a press release the company said: "Mondaine holds a long term exclusive licensee according to a contract with SBB to produce, distribute and market watches and clocks based on the SBB design since 1986 and got surprised to hear about a license agreement between SBB and Apple."
Wishing to put a positive spin on the news that they will have to share their 'exclusive' license with Apple, Mondaine co-owner Andre Bernheim said: "Apple shows great taste by choosing this design for their clock on their devices, and now, the owners of Mondaine watches and clocks as well as iPad owners can even enjoy the same distinct design."
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Oracle Application Express (APEX) has a "hidden" gem (ok, there are a lot of others too) which in my opinion isn't widely used by the developers.
Be honest, how often do you use the little "View" select list on page definition?
You should, because it has several useful entries which can make your life easier! But let's have a quick look at the different options.
That's a really useful feature for Oracle APEX beginners, because it shows you for the current page the flow of events when a page is processed or rendered. If you check the "View All" radio option it Continue reading


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The Home of Fashion Film and Live Fashion Broadcasting
Report by Kiki Georgiou on 19 September 2012.
When she took her bow at the end of her show, held at the Savoy's jewel box of a ballroom, she wore a dress from her new collection (long with a contrasting pointed collar) and instantly brought it to life. On the models it looked divine, on Ilincic it had purpose.
How to get the Roksanda Ilincic ss13 look using @cwhairlondon #lfw http://t.co/YFwvqNiv
The under raising worked so well in our look for Roksanda Ilincic ss13! Well done to all the @CWHairLondon Art Team http://t.co/QxPhXfvO
First exit...Roksanda Ilincic http://t.co/jwEeBz36
The Savoy Ballroom - perfect location for Roksanda Ilincic's super chic collection http://t.co/AgAFIQ57
A funky soul soundtrack, mixed media shifts, baker boy caps, models walking the wrong way - Roksanda Ilincic SS13 was a LOT of fun. #LFW
# LFW Anna Wintour in Roksanda Ilincic front row http://t.co/auNDrQ9H
Giant purse bags at Roksanda Ilincic SS13 #fashion http://t.co/zOIy23iP
Roksanda Ilincic is giving us 70s-tinged power tailoring to a disco soundtrack #lfw http://t.co/rPIQYT1p
Roksanda Ilincic show .... Now! @ The Savoy Hotel http://t.co/Trg4uKkr
At Roksanda Ilincic, models in colour blocked frocks march to Rick James in the historic Savoy ballroom.
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The pic probably doesn't do it justice but the Roksanda Ilincic show is in the prettiest location #LFW http://t.co/6qNDLXuA
First stop @RoksandaIlincic at The Savoy #londonfashionweek


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Players on the 49ers and Ravens are finding out one of the down sides of playing in the Super Bowl this week: Your friends and relatives assume you have free tickets to give them.
In reality, players in the Super Bowl get two free tickets and the opportunity to buy a limited number of tickets at face value, which ranges from $850 to $1,250. Some players are spending tens of thousands of dollars to bring large contingents of friends and family to the game — and even then they're finding that relatives are asking for more.
"It's been very difficult, to be honest with you," Ravens cornerback Corey Graham said. "Everybody in your phone book is calling you and asking you if they can get tickets to the Super Bowl. Everybody assumes they're free. It's a tough situation. I just tried to put it all off on my wife and let her handle all that, all the hard work. I just try to prepare and get ready for the game which is the most important thing. You come out here, and it's a great thing, but we're here for one reason and that's the most important thing is to play the game and have a good game and hope we win the game."
Said Ravens linebacker Dannell Ellerbe, "Everybody was thinking they could come to the Super Bowl and wanted me to pay for everything. That was the craziest. They were asking for food, new clothes, and everything. It was all from family. I've got 15 people coming. When I told them how much a ticket was they understood. I think they were just thinking the tickets were free. We only get two free."
Players on both the 49ers and the Ravens have said this week that the most important thing was getting all ticket requests taken care of last week, so that they could focus on actually preparing to play in the game this week. When you're playing in the Super Bowl, you don't want to spend your time worrying about all your relatives who want to go to the Super Bowl.


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SOCORRO, N.M., April 15, 2002 -- The findings of two geological research projects focusing on the geochronology of rocks encountered in two different areas in New Mexico recently were presented by two New Mexico Tech geoscientists at the 36th annual meeting of the South-Central Section of the Geological Society of America, which was held last week in Alpine, Texas.
Shari Kelley, an adjunct professor of geology at New Mexico Tech, and Virginia McLemore, senior economic geologist with the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources (NMBGMR), presented the results of their research studies at the annual convention of more than 325 geoscientists.
The NMBGMR is a research and service division of New Mexico Tech and serves as the state geological survey.
Kelly's presentation, "Age and Characteristics of DeBaca Terrane, East-Central New Mexico," reviewed field and laboratory work performed on rocks encountered in well drillings in the Tucumcari Basin. Her project was a collaborative effort with fellow researchers Jose Amarante of New Mexico Tech, Matthew Heizler of the NMBGMR, Melanie Barnes of Texas Tech, and Kate Miller of the University of Texas at El Paso.
McLemore's presentation, "Geochronology of Proterozoic Granitic and Mafic Rocks in the Northern Burro Mountains, Grant County, New Mexico," was also partly the result of geologic dating techniques employed by Heizler at the New Mexico Geochronology Laboratory, as well as McLemore's own field research in southwestern New Mexico that was conducted in collaboration with geoscientists O. Tapani Ramo and Paula Kosunen of the University of Helsinki in Finland and Michael Hamilton of the Geological Survey of Canada.


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"Highlights for me included the passage through the Corinth canal, the week on the dhow, my first visit to China and a stunningly beautiful rail crossing of America," he wrote. "And, of course, making it home with only half a day to spare."
Since then, he has undertaken "Pole to Pole"; "Full Circle," in the Pacific Rim; "Hemingway Adventure," following the author's footsteps; and "Sahara."
Then someone suggested the Himalaya, and thus was born, in May 2003, a 3,000-mile, 125-day journey among the world's tallest mountains, from Pakistan to southwest China.
"The scope of our journey means that this is not a mountaineer's account of the Himalaya," he writes in the introduction to the book. "It's a traveler's account."
"What I feel we have achieved is to put the Himalaya in a human perspective."
In this excerpt from "Himalaya," which is to be published in late summer in the U.S., he leads us on an eye-opening and very real journey in Nepal from Pokhara to the Annapurna Base Camp, accompanied by his guides, Wongchu Sherpa and Nawang Dorjee Sherpa, photographer Basil Pao and a BBC film crew.
We leave Pokhara this morning for our first serious assault on the mountains. Because of time constraints, we shall be taken by helicopter to our start point at Chomrung. A 20-minute flight instead of what would be a two-day walk.
Once the helicopter has delivered us, we're left in deep and almost sensuous silence, hemmed in by the steep, thickly wooded walls of a valley, one side in brilliant sunshine, the other in impenetrable shade. At this height—we're at just over 7,000 feet—even the most precipitous slopes are cultivated. Across the valley, I can see a farmhouse with 40 terraces, descending the hillside below, one after the other. Rising high in the distance, the summits of Annapurna and Machhapuchhre (Fish Tail Mountain) mark the parameters of our adventure—our constant companions on the trail, the objects of our pilgrimage.
For now, the atmosphere is relaxed. We sit outside the hotel in warm sunshine surrounded by all the trappings of an English country garden: thickets of marigold, chrysanthemum and nasturtium, butterflies fluttering round hydrangea bushes. The trail up to Annapurna runs through the hotel and a steady stream of walkers comes by.
Three Israeli students tell us they have been approached by Maoists and asked for 1,000 rupees (about $15) each. They pleaded student poverty, but the Maoists were insistent, and, as one was armed, they thought it best not to argue. They were dealt with very courteously and issued receipts. Nevertheless, Wongchu doesn't think we'll have trouble with the Maoists.
There seem to be plenty of other things to worry about, if a large sign just outside the hotel is to be believed. We are, apparently, in an avalanche risk area. "Cross the Risk Area before 10 a.m.," the sign warns.
If you avoid the avalanche, you could still fall victim to acute mountain sickness. Symptoms are divided into "Early," which include "Headache, Loss of Appetite, Dizziness, Fatigue on Minimal Exertion" and "Worsening," characterized by "Increasing Tiredness, Severe Headache, Walking Like Drunk and Vomitting" (sic). "What To Do?" asks the big metal signboard. The answer is unequivocal. "Descend! Descend! Descend!"
Day 50 // Chomrung to Dovan
We set off about 8 a.m. Our 35 porters, though expertly marshaled by our 13 Sherpas, are not used to the stop-start interruptions of filming, and by 9:30 we have reached only as far as the Chomrung General Store. More worryingly, our progress up to Annapurna has been entirely downhill. We'll surely have to pay for this.
The store, crowded with schoolchildren buying sweets, is our last chance to buy "sophisticated provisions." The range of goods gives a foretaste of the weapons we might need: Pringles, porridge oats, toilet paper, vodka, "Man's Briefs," chocolate, "Bandage for Knee Caps," nail clippers, Chinese playing cards and rum.
Once outside the village we continue down on paths occasionally stepped with wide stone slabs until we cross the River Modi and at last the ascent begins. The porters bend to their work. As I watch their rubber sandals nimbly negotiate the rocks ahead of me, I'm ashamed to think how long I spent deciding on which kind of boots to wear. And some of them are carrying 88 pounds in their wicker backpacks.
For a while it's idyllic. Prayer flags festoon the trees at intervals, fat bees feed off the cornflowers, lizards sprint across the mica-sparkling rock.
"Namaste," I say cheerfully to everyone we pass.
Wongchu sticks fairly close to me. He's been given the impression that I'm someone of consequence, though he's not sure why. He's in his late 30s, solidly built with broad features and high cheekbones. He's horrendously overqualified for this sort of work, having twice summitted Everest.
He talks in staccato bursts of heavily compressed English, a lot of which I miss.
I ask him what he thinks about the situation in Nepal.
He looks around with a shrug and a sweep of the arm.
"Nobody in charge of the country anymore."
We climb over a spur and begin moving down through thick rhododendron and then bamboo forest. The way becomes increasingly dark, overgrown and claustrophobic. The sun has disappeared behind the mountains and a white mist is descending as we reach our overnight stop at Dovan. There are three long, gray stone buildings with blue painted tin roofs to choose from: the Dovan Guest House, the Annapurna Approach Lodge and Restaurant Hotel Tip Top. All are identical and all are full. In the courtyards, a largely Western crowd of trekkers is resting, washing, snacking, lolling and generally looking exhausted.
"Tourism," mutters Wongchu, contemptuously. Though of course he makes his living from it.
The Sherpas set up camp. We've had a long, hard day's walk and only 1,000 feet to show for it. The talk at supper is not uplifting, turning mainly around the choice of our next camping spot, bearing in mind the risk of avalanche farther up the mountain.
As we sit at the table after supper, Wongchu, unbidden, comes round and massages shoulders, arms, heads. He has fingers like steel.
"Sleep well, now," he assures me.
How wrong he was.
Day 51 // Dovan to Derali
Temperatures fell sharply in the night, and when I push back the flap of my tent it's ice cold with condensation. As we approach the toughest part of the trek, I can no longer ignore the inconvenient fact that I am feeling pretty lousy.
I stubbornly resist offers from Nawang and Wongchu to carry my backpack for me. It's become a matter of pride for me to carry it.
We set out at 7:30 a.m., climbing up steep stone staircases through a tangle of semi-tropical woodland, with wispy lengths of Spanish moss trailing from the branches of the trees like a trail of feather boas. When we emerge from the trees the sunshine is still way up in the mountaintops, but the air is cool and fresh.
The distance between us and the tantalizing ceiling of sunlight high above us is gradually decreasing, but it's not until 10:15 a.m. that it tips over the rim of the mountains and spills into the valley. The temperature change is dramatic. Off with fleece and on with 35 factor sun cream.
The scenery change is equally dramatic. After 24 hours of sometimes oppressive forest, the valley now opens and widens out and for the first time I have a sense of the monumental scale of what we are heading into.
The 40-mile-long wall that stretches from Annapurna I in the west to Annapurna II in the east has no fewer than nine summits above 23,000 feet. Even closer to us are Annapurna South at 23,678 feet, Hiunchuli, over 21,000 feet and, barely five miles due east, the mesmerically eye-catching Machhapuchhre, the highest of its two pinnacles rising just short of 23,000 feet. Not much time for wonder, as we have to keep moving, stopping, filming and moving, eventually stopping for a more substantial breather beneath a soaring overhang called the Hinko Rocks.
We reach the Sangri-La (sic) guest house at lunchtime and decide to go no farther today. It turns out to be a good decision. By 2:30 p.m. a swirling, vaporous cloud has descended, bringing the temperature down with it. Out of T-shirts and shorts and into scarves, hats, gloves and eventually thermals. We have a grandstand view of Machhapuchhre, revealing itself in tantalizing Garboesque glimpses between the drifting cloud.
It's a holy mountain. It is forbidden to slaughter any animal within its sacred valley, and Wongchu says his attempts to obtain permission to climb it have always been refused.
As the conditions become increasingly cold and inhospitable, the only members of our expedition who look at all cheerful are the porters. Released from their loads half a day early, they spend the afternoon noisily gambling away their take-home pay. We eat early, sitting on wool-covered benches around a rectangular table that is usually heated from beneath by a kerosene stove, but it isn't working tonight. Freshly made Gurung bread, thick, yet light and filling, then anodyne vegetable noodle soup and fried rice. The staple diet of the mountains is dal baht, lentils and rice, but our cooks seem unwilling to offer us this and instead try manfully to provide us with what they think Westerners want.
The night is cold. I take an analgesic and hope that it will help me sleep. It knocks me out for two-hour periods and tames the coughing but provides little relief from an increasingly angry sore throat. One word repeats itself in my disordered dreams. Descend! Descend! Descend!
Day 52 // Derali to Machhapuchhre Base Camp
At breakfast Wongchu asks me how I am. I give him quite a detailed progress report on cold, cough, sandpaper-like throat and general collapse of system. He ponders this before narrowing his eyes like Sherlock Holmes confronted with a new and unexpected clue.
"You have beer last night?"
I try to cast my mind back. "A little."
Wongchu nods gravely. "No beer."
The sun is setting fire to the crests of the mountains, but it is still a long way from delivering us from this bitter morning chill. We fall to reminiscing about the good old days in the heart of the Sahara desert.
The porters, so ebulliently happy yesterday afternoon, are quiet and subdued. They will be paid $8 for each day on the mountain.
Though we have only about 1,000 feet to climb today, the path rises and falls in a frustrating switchback.
I've given up saying Namaste to everyone who passes, but I'm momentarily cheered when I plod up to the top of yet another stone staircase and come level with two middle-aged American ladies. I see a look of recognition on one of their faces and hear a gasp of excitement as I pass.
"Oh, my God!"
I nod appreciatively, straighten my back and move on.
"It's Eric Idle!"
This precipitates serious psychological collapse. Half an hour later, exhausted by the pain of swallowing and the increasing effort required to pull in oxygen at this height, I finally yield my backpack to Wongchu. He takes it with a quiet smile, as if accepting the surrender of a garrison after a long siege.
Shedding the weight doesn't make things any better.
Stagger into Machhapuchhre Base Camp around lunchtime. It's a much more open, jollier place than last night's guest house, full of infuriatingly happy campers sitting outside their tents.
Even the majestic scenery—shapely Fish Tail and chunky Annapurna—fails to lift my spirits. I feel completely busted. The merest movement to take food, to peel off a coat, to unpack an overnight bag, requires major physical effort. After a cup of garlic soup I decide there is nothing to do but take to my bed. Because of my condition, I'm upgraded from tent to room.
It's a standard mountain lodge accommodation, a stone-walled cell, 8 by 10 foot, with a flagstone floor that traps the cold and damp, and a wooden bed frame on which is a thin mattress and a pillow.
There is not much else to do but turn my back on one of the finest mountain panoramas in the world and climb, fully dressed, into my sleeping bag until whatever it is passes.
"You eat," orders Wongchu when I surface a few hours later. "Need food." Force down some garlic soup, enlivened with shards of spring onion and green pepper. My neck and forehead are feverishly hot, and once I've finished, all I want to do is to go back to bed.
Wongchu and Nawang deal with me most tenderly. Despite all my protestations, they prepare a bowl of steaming inhalant and insist I use it. Nawang gets fresh hot water and helps me bathe my feet. Then they guide me into my sleeping bag. I feel rather as if I'm being laid out, and I must say at this moment the Grim Reaper would not be an unwelcome visitor.
I close my eyes and wait.
Day 53 // to Annapurna Base Camp
I wake up, wrenched from sleep by some chest-racking cough, and am seized by near panic. Everything is pitch black, silent and cold as ice. I have no sensation of where I am. I scrabble around for my headlamp, sending a bottle of pills clattering across the hard stone floor. For a few minutes I simply lie there.
All sorts of things go through my mind. The one thing I can't dismiss: For the first time in any of my journeys, I may have to face the possibility of failure. I'm 60, after all, and there must be a point at which the body puts its foot down, as it were.
For a depressing hour or so I can't escape this profound feeling of being defeated, physically and mentally, by the Himalaya.
When I next wake, though there is absolutely no physical sign of time passing, I know, even before I search for my flashlight, that I've been out for a while. And in that time some sea change has taken place. I'm no longer hot and feverish, and the sense of survival seems stronger than the sense of doom.
With some effort I pull myself up and take sips of hot water from the thermos Nawang insisted I keep beside me. It's 4 a.m. and as sure as I was three hours ago that I wouldn't make it, I know now that there can be no question of turning back.
This morning, I feel I'm emerging from hibernation. Last night was winter and this is spring.
I leave the camp, climbing due west. The snowfields of the Annapurna Himal lie dead ahead, shining and brilliant in the rising sun.
Nawang stays beside me all the way, making sure I take regular slugs of water. Wongchu, who, reassuringly, seems to think I no longer need his personal supervision, walks ahead, looking like Geronimo and pausing occasionally to chat to some descending female trekker. These encounters really seem to cheer him up, as well as make up for my dawdling.
So it is a tired but unrecognizably happier band that pulls itself up the last, agonizingly long and steep flight of steps to Annapurna Base Camp.
Appropriately enough for Annapurna, the Hindu goddess of fertility, a dal baht lunch is waiting, and on the sun-filled terrace I can sit and enjoy a combination of relief and release. For the time being, at least, I don't need to go any higher.
There's quite a crowd of trekkers already at the camp and, with a captive audience, Wongchu is in his element. Like many climbers I know, he has an inexhaustible supply of disaster stories. He points out a small Buddhist shrine just outside the camp, which marks the spot where Anatoli Boukreev, a Russian climber, was killed by an avalanche. Annapurna I has taken the lives of some 15 people. Some, he adds mysteriously, have died because they offended the mountain gods.
"By eating meat?"
"Eating meat, yes. But also having sex."
"Having sex?"
He nods knowingly. As there has been absolutely no question of my having sex on Annapurna, the gods seem to be positively smiling. For once the sunset is not lost in the mist, and at 6 o'clock, 40 or 50 people from all over the world gather to watch the light show on the peaks of Machhapuchhre. A small act of homage to the Himalaya.
Day 54 // Annapurna Base Camp to Pokhara
Last night my chest and lungs were better behaved but I was kept from deep sleep by an avalanche of images that roared through my brain, unbidden and unstoppable. At least I had no recurrence of the sensory deprivations of the night before.
We're due to be taken off by helicopter sometime this morning. I must be honest and say that, for me, it's not a moment too soon. I think back to the enthralled group silent in the face of the majestic beauty of Machhapuchhre, and I wonder if we aren't all in danger of falling into the romantic delusion that by staring at these great massifs of rock and ice we achieve some form of communication with them, as if something so forbiddingly colossal must somehow be friendly.
The mountains are far more likely to be enemies than friends. We take them on at our peril and, despite all nature's warnings, long to go higher. And the higher we go, the more the mountains tighten their grip, squeezing the life out of most people, gently in some cases, more severely in others. Human beings are not meant to live at these heights, and they should expect trouble if they do.
If there is a reward for reaching this height (13,400 feet), it is the exhilaration of the immense. Because we're that much closer to the top of the peaks, the sunlight reaches us earlier than it did below, and the dazzling clarity of the light sharpens and intensifies every detail of this mighty bowl of mountains.
My skepticism thaws a little with the sun, and as we walk beyond the camp and look out over the monumental sweep of the glacier that unwinds from the Annapurna Ridge, gouging a valley from the sheer rock, I realize how extraordinarily lucky I am to have seen all this.
From the book "Himalaya," by Michael Palin. Copyright © 2004 by the author. Photographs copyright © 2004 by Basil Pao. Reprinted by arrangement with Thomas Dunne Books, an imprint of St. Martin's Press LLC.


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December 2008 cotton futures will have the job of buying back U.S. cotton acreage lost to corn come next spring, so cotton producers can look for some price appreciation around that time, according to Memphis cotton merchant Joe Nicosia, speaking at the Cotton Roundtable at the New York Board of Trade in New York City.
How high prices will go, however, or even if they move up at all, is tough to forecast. But one thing is pretty much a given — ethanol demand and corn prices will drive any move.
"We're in the middle of a cultural revolution," said the president and CEO of Allenberg Cotton Co., Memphis. "High energy prices have caused a diversion of agricultural products to be used for fuel, and last year as corn prices exploded, acreage switched to corn, setting off a chain reaction in crops of all commodities. Although the rest of the world has been slow to react to these changes, the United States has been swift and definitive in its response."
Corn acreage climbed 14.6 million acres in one year in the United States, thus alleviating the perception of a potential corn shortage. "Corn demand for ethanol is expected to rise to 3.4 billion bushels in 2007-08 and ethanol biofuel will still only account for less than 5 percent of the motor fuel used in the United States. So there is plenty of room to strain the agricultural system and the need to expand acres."
The strain so far has been costly for cotton — to the tune of 4.2 million acres lost from last year. "In the Southeast, we lost a million acres, with 800,000 acres going to corn; in the Delta, we lost 1.5 million acres, with 800,000 acres going to soybeans and 700,000 acres to corn. In Texas, Oklahoma, we lost 1.5 million acres, 400,000 acres to corn and 900,000 acres to sorghum. In the Far West, cotton acreage is down 127,000 acres while corn acreage is up 150,000 acres."
The 28 percent decline in cotton acreage from last year is the greatest one-year change since the 30 percent decline under the PIK (payment in kind) program in 1983, a time when cotton prices were roughly 55 cents, corn prices were $3.80 to $4 and beans ranged from $7.60 to $9.30.
"But the real excitement could come early next year, when we determine how much of the 4.2 million acres we need to bring back into production for 2008. In response to that, December 2008 futures have already climbed 12 cents in the last two months. There will come a point in time in the very near future when the back end of the futures market, December 2008, is going to dictate where prices go. It will be the job of December 2008 to regulate the level of our carryouts going forward, especially for 2008-09."
Meanwhile, the response in the rest of the world to high grain prices has been surprisingly little, Nicosia says. Worldwide, cotton area is forecast to be down a little over 3 million acres, which means foreign acreage outside the United States is actually up.
World production is expected to reach roughly 120 million bales in 2007-08, compared to 121 million bales in 2006. Nicosia expects consumption to grow to 126 million bales this year and to 130 million bales by 2008-09, "and we must bring cotton acreage back around the world for next spring. The question is the price level we need for December 2008 futures to rise to in order to accomplish this."
If current projections hold true, Nicosia said, the United States will need to plant roughly 2 million additional acres of cotton in 2008 to meet export and domestic needs.
The problem is that pegging cotton supplies in China is like counting sheep in a snowstorm. From 2004 to 2007, USDA has added 11.4 million bales into the balance sheet as unaccounted cotton in China, "which are massive changes to the cotton balance sheet."
Nicosia also pointed out that import opportunities for the United States "begin to fade with the prospect of Chinese new crop coming off around the end of September, so we have a very difficult task at hand. On top of that, China recently announced that it will begin the auction of 300,000 tons of its own reserve cotton to provide additional supplies to its textile mills.
"The risk that we have is the U.S. export number being wrong. A year ago, USDA put our exports at 16.6 million bales, our carryout at 4.9 million bales. Now that the season is over, we find that our exports are less than 13 million bales and our carryout is 9.7 million to 9.8 million bales.
"Clearly, if we do not get our export number right, we can misjudge the entire season. Half the export number can depend upon China, the other half depends on the balance of supply and demand in the rest of the world. And all our exports depend on our farm program, and whether we can compete effectively."
Another big surprise for the U.S. export market has been the rising importance of India, according to Nicosia. "India has now become a very significant and effective competitor in many important export markets. The Indian textile industry has grown rapidly, however, and the key question is going to be whether or not the Indian yield advances will continue to outstrip their increases in consumption.
"The big risk is that the Indian consumption will be huge and eat into the U.S. export number once again in the year ahead."
We would not be surprised to see the Indian number be substantially above 30 million Indian bales, easily surpassing the United States as the second largest world producer."


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Fence Collective | FENCE907 | Released: 01/01/02
A largely instrumental East Neukian album featuring works from King Creosote, Clock, Cheehi, Lone Pigeon, Weasel Squeezer, James Yorkston, Pip Dylan, MC Quake and of course John. Also includes the full length version of Lone Pigeon's "the rain king" (an abridged version appears on Concubine Rice). 26 tracks worth of folkytronic ramblings.


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NBC Cancels Mr. Robinson, But Renews The Carmichael Show
Sep 14, 2015 7:28 PM EDT
The music has come to an end for NBC's Mr. Robinson. The network has canceled Craig Robinson's sitcom, about a music teacher with bigger dreams of stardom, TVGuide.com has confirmed. On a happier (non-musical) note, NBC has renewed The Carmichael Sho… Read more


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Axis wrote:Pablo also played a set on the Jah Youth sound at 'Planet Venus' club in Bradford in '95. It was arranged by Cojo Bushrocker, who's sound system played alonside mine last month.
I remember Pablo dropping a dubplate of 'Words of my mouth'...I have never had the hairs on my back stand up so much since hearing that.
Is there a recording of that session ?
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Porters of Racine was founded in 1857 providing furniture of distinction well before Abraham Lincoln was President of the United States. My understanding of the history is that fine furniture was brought into port of Racine, Wisconsin and that people traveled from across the Midwest to Porters of Racine to purchase fine furniture. Fast forward […]
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