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Hymenopteran, (order Hymenoptera), any member of the third largest—and perhaps the most beneficial to humans—of all insect orders. More than 115,000 species have been described, including ants, bees, ichneumons, chalcids, sawflies, wasps, and lesser-known types. Except in the polar regions, they are abundant in most habitats, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions.
Collectively, the Hymenoptera are most important to humans as pollinators of wild and cultivated flowering plants, as parasites of destructive insects, and as makers of honey. The Hymenoptera are divided into two suborders: Symphyta (mainly sawflies and horntails) and Apocrita (wasps, ants, bees, and most parasitic forms).
The order includes the best known of the social insects—ants and some species of bees and wasps. Most species, however, are solitary in habit. Hymenopterans may be parasitic or nonparasitic, carnivorous, phytophagous, or omnivorous.
General features
Hymenopterans are chiefly small to medium-sized insects, usually with four membranous wings and a narrow waist that sets off the abdomen from the thorax, or middle region of the body. The mouthparts may be either of the biting type or of the biting-sucking type. In the higher evolutionary forms—bees, for example—mouthparts are modified into a sucking apparatus, although many also retain biting mandibles. The ovipositor, or egg-laying organ in the female, is often very long and may be modified for piercing, sawing, or stinging. Metamorphosis is complete; i.e., the insect develops through four distinct stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Sex is usually determined by whether or not an egg is fertilized, with fertilized eggs developing into females and unfertilized ones becoming males.
Hymenoptera display an array of interesting behavioral characteristics, particularly in social species. The dancelike movements of honeybees communicate information from one individual to another about the location, distance, quantity, and quality of a particular food source. These movements were carefully studied and described by the German entomologist Karl von Frisch. Trophallaxis, or the mutual exchange of food between larvae and adults of bees, ants, and wasps, has been of special interest to hymenopterists. Hyperparasitism—the parasitic habit of one species upon another parasitic species—has also attracted attention. Polyembryony, the development of many individuals (as many as 1,000) from a single egg, is an unusual phenomenon occurring in some members of the families Chalcididae and Proctotrupidae. Parthenogenesis (production of young by females that are not fertilized by males) also occurs in some forms.
Certain ants are remarkable for their relationship with insects such as aphids and scales that provide honeydew or other sweet fluids. Ants that obtain sweet fluids from the caterpillars of certain species of blue butterflies (Lycaenidae) reciprocate by allowing the caterpillars to devour ant larvae. The honey ant (Myrmecocystus in the United States, Plagiolepis in Africa) has in the nest a division of worker ants known as repletes, which are fed sugary secretions. As a consequence of high food intake, the abdomens of repletes swell into globules up to 1 cm (about 0.4 inch) in diameter.
Hymenoptera, even those equipped with a sting, are sought as food by other animals. Skunks, badgers, field mice, shrews, and other animals attack bee nests for the insects as well as for the honey. The larvae of the wax month (Galleria mellonella) live in bee nests, where they eat beeswax, thus damaging the nest. The cuckoo bee (Anthophorinae), a close relative of the bumblebee, lays its eggs in bumblebee nests, where the larvae are cared for and nourished by bumblebee workers.
Size range and diversity of structure
Hymenopterans range in size from the smallest fairyflies (Mymaridae), which are about 0.21 mm (about 0.008 inch) in length, to the largest of the Pelecinidae, which may exceed 5 cm (about 2 inches) in length.
Principal differences in structure within the order include the presence or absence of wings that, when present, consist of two pairs; the presence or absence of a "waist"; modifications of the ovipositor; and adaptations of mouthparts for specific eating habits. Polymorphism, the occurrence of two or more forms of a species, is highly developed in some of the social Hymenoptera. A honeybee colony, for example, contains at least one queen, plus workers and drones, with each form being structurally and physiologically different from the others.
Distribution and abundance
Bees and wasps, as the most significant agents for the pollination of flowers, are found virtually everywhere that flowering plants occur. Social species may live in colonies of as many as 1,000,000 individuals. Ants are most numerous, both in numbers and in species, in tropical and subtropical regions. The number of ant species in arctic or Alpine regions is extremely small. The group appears to be absent over great areas north of the Arctic Circle.
The honeybee has been valued since pre-Christian times for its honey and beeswax. Beekeeping in modern times has become a lucrative and highly developed enterprise. Royal jelly, produced by honeybee workers, has enjoyed some popularity as a cosmetic, although its beneficial properties in this respect have not been satisfactorily demonstrated.
Certain parasitic forms are valuable control agents against insect pests. Notable among these are the parasitic wood wasps that attack wood-boring beetles; braconids that parasitize many Lepidoptera and wood-boring beetles; eulophids that parasitize scale insects; pteromalids that parasitize several crop pests; chalcids and trichogrammatids that parasitize a variety of orchard pests; and tiphiids that parasitize the Japanese beetle. Fig insects (Agaonidae) are valuable as the only pollinators of the Smyrna fig, an important crop in the Western United States.
Relatively few Hymenoptera species are serious economic pests. Chief among these, however, are the wheatstem sawfly (Cephidae); some seed chalcids that are also pests of wheat; the larch sawfly (Pristiphora erichsonii), which destroyed much of the larch forests in Britain and North America late in the 19th century; and the European spruce sawfly (Gilpinia), which was once a serious pest in North America. In order to control the European spruce sawfly, parasitic wasps were introduced from Europe.
The fire ant (Solenopsis saevissima), accidentally introduced into the United States from South America, feeds on young plants and seeds and is known to attack young mammals. The destructive habit of legionary ants, or army ants (Dorylinae), is of particular importance in South America. Armies of as many as 1,500,000 such insects destroy almost all animal life they encounter. Leaf-cutting ants (Atta) are serious pests, especially in Brazil, where they may ravage extensive plantings of cultivated plants overnight. These insects are used locally as a source of food by people in South America.
Natural history
The ovary of the queen bee is composed of several hundred ovarioles, each of which contains about 60 eggs and so-called nutrition cells. The so-called spermatheca, a sperm reservoir that collects sperm from the male in the course of several matings, connects with the oviduct, through which eggs are carried to the outside. The sperm can remain alive and viable in the fluid medium of the spermatheca for several years.
When an egg passes down the oviduct, it may or may not be fertilized by emerging sperm, at the "discretion" of the female. Fertilization occurs if the female relaxes a muscular ring around the sperm duct, thus allowing the duct to open and sperm to pass through. Since unfertilized eggs result in males (haploid; n chromosomes) and fertilized eggs result in females (diploid; 2n chromosomes), the queen determines the sex of the offspring by relaxing or closing the muscular ring.
In addition to this facultative (haplo-diploid) sex determination, hymenopteran reproduction is often remarkable in other respects. An extreme and pronounced dimorphism often exists between the two sexes. Some male and female hymenopterans are so different in appearance that at one time they were thought to represent different species. The consequence of such extreme difference is that the two sexes, with markedly different ways of life, also have different tasks in the insect community. As a rule, only the female cares for the brood, and males live only long enough to mate. This dimorphism also involves the senses. Female bees, for instance, are sensitive to yellow, blue-green, blue, and ultraviolet light. The drones (males), however, are blind to yellow but are particularly sensitive to ultraviolet light. The yellow colour of many flowers is of no significance to the drones since they cannot feed themselves. Sunlight, however, which contains much ultraviolet light, is important in orienting the insect during the mating flight.
Parthenogenesis, which occurs in many insect orders, is particularly common in the Hymenoptera and can occur in three forms: arrhenotoky, thelytoky, and deuterotoky. In arrhenotoky, males are produced from unfertilized eggs laid by mated (impregnated) females or by so-called secondary, or supplementary, queens, which have not been impregnated. In thelytoky, which occurs in many species of the suborder Symphyta, unmated females produce males. In deuterotoky, unmated females of some Symphyta produce females as well as males. The occurrence of these forms is not always mutually exclusive. For example, in Apis, about 1 percent of the eggs laid by secondary queens may be female.
Parthenogenetic reproduction in Hymenoptera often occurs in a cycle of alternate generations. In chalcids, the first generation, consisting of males and females, produces a second generation of females, which lay unfertilized eggs that produce both males and females, thus repeating the first generation. In some gall wasps (Cynipidae) no males have yet been observed. The females of these wasps invariably produce thelytokous females.
The first generation of the braconid Microtonus brevicollis is parthenogenetic and parasitizes the adult form of the beetle Haltica amphelophaga. The second generation, however, lives in the larvae of the same beetle, and the females are impregnated by males. The occurrence of parthenogenesis is determined by a nutritional or hormonal factor in the larva of the host. The mode of reproduction is also determined by the number of chromosomes (i.e., cell structures that contain hereditary information) in the egg.
Polyembryony, the development of more than one individual from a single egg, occurs in numerous parasitic Hymenoptera, including chalcids, encyrtids, proctotrupoids, braconids, and dryinids. In this type of reproduction, the embryo divides into several separate, identical parts at an early stage. Each of these then develops into an individual insect. In Litomatix truncatellus, which is parasitic on the larvae of the noctuid moth Plusia gamma, about 1,000 embryos develop from one egg. The offspring from one egg are all male or all female, and, as a rule, several eggs are laid at one time so that both sexes will occur in one brood. It is believed that polyembryony is controlled by internal factors, either genetic or chemical, a view supported by the fact that in some species (Platygasteridae) only part of a brood may occur polyembryonically.
Life cycle
Solitary forms
The solitary wasps, of which there are about 20,000 species, usually build nests or cells, which they provision with permanently paralyzed insects or spiders. One egg is laid in each cell, and the body of the paralyzed host provides all the nutriment needed by the developing larva. Some solitary wasps nest in woody or pithy stems, whereas others dig tunnels in the soil. The mason, or potter, wasps construct nests of mud, which are sometimes vaselike or juglike and may be found attached to twigs or other objects.
Sawflies, which are phytophagous, lay their eggs in incisions in plants, cut by the sawlike blades of the ovipositor. Species of several genera, notably Pontania, induce the growth of galls on willows.
The spider wasps (Pompilidae) usually construct single cells in the ground, in rotten wood, or in rock crevices and provision them with paralyzed spiders. The threadwaisted wasps (Sphecidae) have diverse nesting habits. Most of them nest in the ground and use leafhoppers, treehoppers, cicadas, stinkbugs, bees, winged ants, beetles, or caterpillars as food for the young, each species or group confining itself to one type of prey. Mud daubers (Sceliphron, Chalybion) build small nests of mud, often in attics, outbuildings, or eaves, and provision them with the bodies of paralyzed spiders.
The females of the superfamily Ichneumonoidea deposit their eggs in or on the larvae or pupae (rarely eggs or adults) of the host species. The legless, maggotlike larvae that hatch from these eggs feed on the body fats and fluids of the host until fully grown. At this time, the larvae usually spin silken cocoons, within which they pupate and from which the adult parasites eventually emerge. Those species parasitizing exposed hosts usually develop as internal parasites, whereas those attacking hosts concealed in wood burrows, plant stems, cocoons, or leaf mines feed externally. In the case of internal parasites, the hosts feed and behave normally until shortly before the parasitic larvae have completed their development. The hosts of the external feeders are paralyzed by the female parasites. In most cases, one parasitic larva completes its development within or upon its host, although in some species, many larvae develop in one host. Adults of ichneumon wasps feed principally on honeydew secreted by aphids and related insects or on host juices that exude from punctures made by the ovipositor.
Most cuckoo wasps (Chrysididae) lay their eggs in the nests of solitary wasps or bees. Among the exceptions is an African species that is parasitic on the tsetse fly. Tiphiidae and Scoliidae are mostly parasites of beetle grubs that live in the soil. The female wasp digs into the soil to locate the grub, stings and paralyzes it, and deposits an egg on it. The wasp larva lives on the outside of the grub.
Most species of the superfamily Apoidea are solitary bees, with each female making her own nest (usually a burrow in the ground) and provisioning it. Among such bees there are no castes (worker, queen). The female bee constructs cells—each of which is an enclosed space provided with a supply of pollen and honey—lays an egg in each cell, then closes it, and goes on to build and provision another.
Most solitary bees are short-lived as adults. Some species may be in flight only a few weeks, having spent the rest of the year in their cells as eggs, larvae, pupae, and young adults. Other species have several generations yearly, so that adults may be found more or less continually. In temperate climates, solitary bees usually pass the winter in their cells, either as mature larvae (prepupae) or as young adults.
Several families of bees have evolved species that are called parasitic because they lay their eggs in cells of various bee species. The young larva, which usually has a large head and large jaws, destroys the egg or young larva of the host, then eats the provisions of the host. Such bees not only lack the scopa (i.e., pollen-collecting apparatus) and other structures associated with collecting and carrying pollen but also lack the various structures of the jaws and legs that other species use for making nests.
Social forms
In several families of Hymenoptera the larvae are completely dependent upon the continuous care of the adults. The colony is a family community of which every insect is an integral unit. Apart from the community, any one individual cannot properly function or survive. The essential work in the society—such as nest building, feeding and tending the brood, and defense of the nest—is performed by female workers. The fertile female, the queen, performs only one task: egg laying. The workers can be differentiated morphologically and physiologically as soldiers, outside workers, inside workers, and nest builders. The males play no part in everyday nest activities. They live only for a short time at a specific time of year, occur in limited numbers, and are virtual parasites of the colony that must feed them.
The activities of certain solitary bees of the subfamily Halictinae are helpful in understanding certain aspects of the evolution of the highly organized hymenopteran societies. The females of Halictus quadricinctus survive the hatching of their own offspring. Mother and daughter stay together in the same nest, which consists of single brood cells. Thus, although each female takes care of her own cells, they build and defend the nest together. In Augochloropsis sparsalis there is a further development in that females of one nest stay together for one summer, and a division of labour occurs. Some of the young females return, still unmated, from the nuptial flight. These individuals then take charge of gathering pollen and nectar and further building of the nest and are called worker bees. The mated females merely deposit eggs.
The social behaviour of Halictus (Evylaeus) malachurus has advanced another step. Morphological differences are apparent between the ovipositing female and the assisting females. The latter are poorly fed as larvae and, as a result, are smaller with poorly developed sexual organs. Bumblebee colonies are often highly developed, with different castes clearly established. Social companionship and division of labour become "obligatory" and, although a mated queen can build a nest independently and raise the first worker bees herself, she needs the assistance of workers to help rear sexually mature bees.
Similar preliminary stages to a social organization are found in the Vespidae. The female Stenogaster depressigaster passes several generations in the communal nest, and the daughters build their own cells and care for their own offspring. In the case of Belenogaster, however, whose nests include about 60 cells, the females not only feed their own brood but also indiscriminately feed all larvae present. Trophallaxis, or exchange of food between workers and larvae, is a further development.
The first evolutionary step toward a division of labour occurs in Polybia. Some female Polybia only lay eggs. In others, called assisting females, the gonads are poorly developed; these females take charge of repair and construction, larvae care, and food gathering. They thus are useful in the society, even though they produce no offspring. This society lasts at least one summer and possibly as long as several years before it dissolves, and young sexually mature insects establish a new nest in spring.
The life of the honeybee colony is potentially endless. Because the queen's honey-collecting apparatus and her pharyngeal glands and wax glands are degenerated, she is incapable of building a nest or feeding and tending the brood. The continued survival of the colony results from the fact that young queens replace the old and that queens mate with many males (a practice called polyandry) to promote genetic diversity within the colony. After their nuptial flight young queens return to the home nest. If, during the spring, many offspring develop, the colony population greatly increases, and the number of cells in the comb for developing young is no longer adequate. The colony then divides by swarming, during which the old queen leaves the nest with about half of the worker bees, and the old nest is relinquished to a newly hatched queen. The swarm finds a new nesting place and builds new combs. To make the task easier, all the departing workers consume honey before leaving the old nest.
For nest building, the Polistinae (paper wasps) and Vespinae (e.g., yellow jackets) use paperlike coverings, which they construct by gnawing wood particles from structures such as fences, telephone poles, and barn doors. This is then kneaded together with saliva to form a little ball. After returning to the nest, insects roll the balls into layers of paper-thin cell walls. Vespinae also build the outer nest covering in several layers to help modulate the interior temperature, the air between the layers of paper serving as insulation. Interior warmth is produced by the body heat of the larvae and by the constant contraction of the muscles of the adults. This agitation, like human shivering, generates heat and raises the temperature of the hive. If the nest becomes overheated, drops of water are carried in. Temperature regulation of the nest is so precise that on warm days a constant temperature of 35 °C (95 °F) can be maintained. An equally precise temperature regulation occurs in the hive of the honeybee.
All ant species are social in habit. The virgin queen ant, who is usually winged, mates in flight with only one male. During the flight he transfers to her seminal receptacle all the sperm she will require for the rest of her life, which may be as long as 15 years. Each fertilized queen is immediately capable of establishing or taking over a nest. After the mating flight has ended, she first seeks a place to raise her brood. Her wings then drop off, and the bulky wing muscles degenerate, providing nutritive materials from the breakdown of the muscle tissue.
As soon as the wings have fallen the ovaries become functional, and egg laying begins. In primitive species the queen leaves the nest and forages for food for the larvae. In more advanced forms, the queen rarely leaves the nest. She feeds so-called nutrition eggs or other food stores within her own body to the first brood. The larvae that survive in the nest develop into dwarf workers, which forage outside the nest for food to nourish additional larvae.
A few ant species (e.g., Atta) have developed colonies that live for long periods, with one queen succeeding another. In Eciton the young queens, which are wingless, mate in the nest and are dependent upon the help of the workers as the nest is being built.
Division of labour
The degree of social organization in a Hymenoptera colony is most evident in the division of labour. In honeybee colonies the division of labour is achieved in an especially interesting manner. Tasks are assigned according to age. The first day after the bee's emergence as an adult, female workers carry out wastes, clean the cells, and line them with a disinfectant secretion preparatory to deposition of the egg by the queen. On about the fourth day this young bee advances to brood nursing, where she provides older larvae with honey and pollen. On the sixth day she also provides young, newly hatched larvae with specific larval food from her pharyngeal glands. At about 16 days the bee becomes active in secreting wax and using it to build the comb. Soon afterward, she makes her first orientation flight outside the hive. On about the 20th day she begins serving as an entrance guard, shortly after which she becomes a forager. She remains at this job until her death. This activity sequence parallels certain physiological changes in the bee. The pharyngeal glands start to secrete larval food substances on the third or fourth day, and the wax glands become active on about the 10th day. By the time the bee moves to service outside the hive, both the pharyngeal and wax glands have degenerated.
In the division of labour among some ant forms highly specialized types of polymorphism have been developed. The Cryptocercus ants, for example, make nests in hollow stems of plants, then bore a circular entrance that remains under constant surveillance by special guards whose heads are modified into pluglike structures that fit the entrance. Each guard is relieved after several hours and another guard takes its place. Nest members who wish to enter indicate that they are members by means of a special movement of the antenna. Entrance guards are useless for other tasks. Repletes (see above General features) are a special worker caste of the honey ant. When food is plentiful, these workers are fed so much that the size of the abdomen is greatly increased. Unable to walk, they hang as living honey jugs from the ceiling of the nest, to be used as a food source when fresh food is scarce.
Social parasitism
The very close relationship between insects that are social parasites of the Hymenoptera and their hosts is made possible by the host's division of labour and by a special secretion produced by the parasite. The beetles Lomechusa and Atemeles (Staphylinidae) enter unmolested into the nests of ants, such as Formica and Myrmica. The beetle larvae are adopted, fed, and reared together with the ant brood. The adults and larvae of the beetle pacify their hosts by means of chemical secretions, which induce the ants to care for them.
The highly integrated activities of the Hymenoptera colony require sophisticated methods of passing information among its members. The so-called dance of the honeybee is perhaps the most remarkable demonstration of methods of communication in insects.
After a bee has discovered a new source of food, she returns fully loaded to the comb, delivers nectar and pollen, and notifies the other bees about the new food source before returning to the field. Information about the plant species is conveyed by the odour of the flower, which adheres to the bee's body and is sensed by other bees through their antennae. She communicates information about the quality and location of the food source by means of various dancelike movements. Information about the quality and quantity of the food source is conveyed by the liveliness and duration of the dance movements of the bee. If the food source is unusually rich and of high quality, certain sounds are also made to convey this information. The location of the food source is indicated by the rhythm of the dance and by the orientation of the axis of the abdomen with respect to gravity. If the food source is near the hive, a "round" dance is performed. A "tail-wagging" dance indicates that the food source is more than 80 metres (260 feet) away. This dance transmits precise information about direction as well as distance. The number of dance cycles performed by the bee in a certain length of time is inversely related to the distance of the food source. Thus, about 10 cycles are performed every 15 seconds for a food source 100 metres (330 feet) away, but only one cycle is made in that period if the food source is 10,000 metres (33,000 feet) away. The bee measures the distance in terms of how much energy she expends in travelling to the food source. The sun and gravity are used in conveying directional information. During the flight to the food source the bee determines the angle between the line of flight and the sun. The angle to the vertical at which she then dances on the vertical face of the honeycomb describes the angle between the line of flight to the food source and a line drawn in the direction of the sun. An upward tail-wagging run means: "The flight is toward the sun," whereas a downward run means: "The flight is away from the sun." A run 45° to the left indicates that the source is 45° to the left of the sun. Because the position of the sun changes during the day, the dance angle must also change in the course of the day. If the sun is concealed behind clouds or behind some obstruction such as a mountain or a group of trees, the bee analyzes the pattern of polarized light coming from the sky. If only a small opening of sky appears between the clouds, it reveals to the bee's eye a typical pattern that travels along with the sun. A particular intensity of polarized light is generated toward the earth's surface from every point in the sky. The sun's position is determined by virtue of the bee's sensitivity to polarization differences.
The tail-wagging dance is also performed when a swarm is searching for a new nest location. When a swarm accompanies its queen from the hive, it gathers first in the immediate neighbourhood of the original hive. Scouts fly out in all directions looking for a suitable nesting place. When a suitable site is found, the scouts return to the cluster and announce the site by means of the dance, and the swarm then moves en masse.
As the principal insect pollinators of flowering plants, the Hymenoptera have played a vital ecological role ever since the two groups evolved. The mutual dependency of many species of bees and wasps and flowering plants is firmly established. Indeed, many plants cannot reproduce without the helpful intervention of a particular insect species, most often a hymenopteran.
Parasitism, which occurs among most families of Hymenoptera, is usually apparent to none but the interested student. However, the ecological significance of parasitism within the order might well overshadow that of pollination. Hymenoptera, the most prevalent and successful of insect parasites, exert a profound, if subtle, control over populations of other insects and certain other arthropods—groups that might otherwise overpopulate and thus upset their particular ecosystem. Humans have utilized this control mechanism to their own advantage by importing, breeding, and maintaining many species of Hymenoptera parasites that prey upon insect pests.


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|View Poll Results: What do you think of the Fistpack?
|good product
|no opinion
|not all that great
|Voters: 2. You may not vote on this poll
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Reckless Paintball Fistpack
reckless paintball is a pretty new company, with some good stuff out so far. i bought their new fistpack for only $45. link: http://www.recklesspb.com/product_in...eabef8b559c56d and theres a video on their homepage of the pack in action.
the fistpack uses an innovative idea: it holds the pods in using velcro. each pod has a wrapper thing covered with velcro that fits into "slots" on the pack. pretty cool idea.
- if you shoot a lot of paint, only holds 4 pods
- if you shoot only a little paint, only holds 4 pods
- large profile
- velcro REALLY strong until broken in
- pods can be held either way (tho meant to be held top up)
- velcro
- fast
- if you play in the woods, easy to put pods back into pack
- can mix up colors of pod wrap things and pack (extra pod wrap things sold separately)
- price. and shipping is cheap, too
- having the most innovative piece of gear on the field
- comfortable
the review
when you first get the fistpack, the velcro is really strong, so i sat there for a little while with pods and pack and stuck and ripped the pods on and off. it doesnt take a long time to ease up the velcros grip. on gameday, i got everything loaded up and my friend was like "arent your pods upside down?" so i demonstrated. its easy to rip the pods off as long as you dont stick them on there too far down into the slot. so much easier than any other pack ive used. with the pods cap up, the cap is a lot less likely to open, and if it does, you wont lose your entire pod unless you do a crazy slide.
since the velcro is strong, you cant stuff the pods as far down as they can go, or you'll never get them out during a game. and since the pods are not side by side (theres hard plastic supporting the frame and velcro between pods), this pack has a rather large profile. the plastic is bendable, and with use, the pack can have a smaller profile, but it still has a rigid frame. apparently its not too huge, because i havent gotten shot in the pack yet.
i had no problem at all with pods falling out of the pack. if you dont shove em down too hard, the pods are held firmly without jostling, and can be pulled off easily.
since you dont have to pull the pods out the bottom of the pack, it can be worn lower. for me, it was a lot more comfortable to have my pack just a little bit lower. the back and straps are pretty well padded, especially the back. its a pretty comfortable pack. the sizes are small (up to 32") and large (32" and up) so i was right in the middle. i got the larger one. and it just barely fits. it doesnt slide or move around, but it does bounce a little. not enough for me to get mad at it or even really notice it during a game, tho.
the pack takes some getting used to. the website claims that you can get the pod to your hopper in less than a second. i dont think im down to a second yet, but being able to just rip the pod off the pack definitely speeds up reload time.
the verdict
this is a great pack. but its not for everyone. if you shoot a lot or not much, get something else. it only comes in 4 pod varieties, so its perfect for me. if you have to be really small all game long, you probly dont shoot a lot either, so get something else. so...
if you dont mind learning how to use it and 4 pods is a good number to take to a game, i fully recommend this pack. its hard to beat for the price
just for me
because not all games are the same, i am keeping my old pack. a wgp 3+4. if i need a smaller pack, the 3 pods have a small profile, but if i need a lot of paint, i can carry up to 7 pods. but for the majority of recball and speedball (for me anyway. if you can really name my position, itd probly be closest to midfield) the fistpack works great. so if i feel like playing up front for a while or head off to a long scenario game, i can grab the wgp.
~*Wow, Everyone look at this review, read it, remember. Next time you do a review do it like this. Awesome review and a great example as to how it should be done to the rest of the site.*~jjr
Last edited by calebh : 10-08-2006 at 06:55 PM.
Re: Reckless Paintball Fistpack
i test dorve 1 a couple weeks ago and it was real nice. but i play woodsball so kinda noisy. and i was always using them because i was doing mad firing down on the enemy with my pimp ion.
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Greek Is Great Gain: A Method for Exegesis and Exposition
by Larkin, William J., Jr.•
Wipf & Stock 2008
Greek Is Great Gain: A Method for Exegesis and Exposition presents to students and pastors an exegetical method with a rigor worthy of Scripture and a practicality suitable for weekly use. It has additional features that enable the expositor to see holistically the role of Greek in ministry.
The introductory chapters give the rationale, basic definitions, and presuppositions for a Greek-based exegetical method. After describing ways to maintain Greek reading proficiency and ways to prepare the text in translation and, visually, in mechanical layout, Greek Is Great Gain devotes the bulk of its pages to a step-by-step exegetical method.
From surveying the text to viewing the text in its historical and literary context and genre, from engaging in analysis of grammatical and rhetorical features to addressing lexical and theological matters, the method guides expositors to unlock the meaning of the text. Then, having analyzed the text closely, the method directs expositors to view the "text whole" through exegetical outline and the relation of its message to its book, and to Scripture as a whole. Finally, after interpreting and applying the text's message in and for today's culture, the method instructs the expositor in appropriating the fruit of exegesis for the sermon or Bible lesson. A final chapter describes possibilities for periodic in-depth study.
As Greek Is Great Gain presents each part of the method, it gives a purpose or rationale for the step and any necessary background, a list of resources to use, a procedure to follow, and a sample exegesis. A "Grammar Guide" appendix gives in outline form features of form and function for intermediate grammar. And there are charts to aid in analysis. Greek Is Great Gain includes six additional appendixes:
- Additional Genre and Literary Form Analysis Procedures
- Exegetical Worksheets
- "Grammar in the Head" Charts
- In-Depth Word Study: Introduction and Aids
- Methods and Aids for Textual Criticism
- Rhetorical Features Chart
Greek Is Great Gain clearly lives up to its subtitle in providing a method that successfully moves preachers or teachers of the Word from Exegesis to Exposition.
After reading Greek Is Great Gain, you will come away ready to put your new-gained knowledge to good use with unprecedented access to resources and tools with Logos Bible Software. The powerful search features in your digital library help you locate the specific material relevant to your study. Hours of biblical research can be accomplished with the simple click of a mouse. With lightning-speed searching, instantly-viewable Scripture references, a vast library of resources, and much more, Logos is the perfect software to expand your understanding of Greek exegesis and exposition.
Key Features
- Introduction to Greek-based exegetical method
- Guidance for maintaining Greek reading proficiency
- Explanations, examples, and appendixes for further understanding
- Perfect for students, pastors, instructors, and laypeople
- Using Greek in Ministry
- Definitions and Presuppositions
- Greek Reading and Computer Resources
- Finished Translation and Mechanical Layout
- Survey
- Historical and Literary Analysis
- Genre Analysis: Epistle
- Genre Analysis: Historical Narrative and Prophetic-Apocalyptic
- Grammar and Rhetorical Features
- Word Study: Focus the Meaning
- Word Study: Illumine the Meaning
- Theological Analysis
- Synthesis
- Interpretation and Application for Contemporary Culture
- Homiletical and Didactic Appropriation
- Periodic Preparation
Product Details
- Title: Greek Is Great Gain: A Method for Exegesis and Exposition
- Author: William J. Larkin
- Publisher: Wipf & Stock
- Publication Date: 2008
- Pages: 465
About William J. Larkin
William J. Larkin is Professor of New Testament and Greek at Columbia International University Seminary and School of Missions. He is the author of Culture and Biblical Hermeneutics, Acts (IVP New Testament Commentary), and "Acts" in Luke and Acts (Cornerstone Biblical Commentary). He is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church in America.


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You're probably wondering where we have been lately! Well, at least I hope you have…
Right now I'm in New York City for my first Fashion Week ever. I arrived Friday morning and am flying back home to Seattle tomorrow afternoon. It has been a great experience, one that has been exciting and terrifying all the same time.
Backstage at Peter Som
I have lots to share with you when I get home. I went backstage at the Peter Som, Academy of Art, Chris Benz, Rachel Roy and Tibi shows so I have some photos and information to share with you. I also did some really, really good shopping here in New York that I am completely in love with and dying to try. Right now everything is safely secured in my luggage so I'll spill the details soon as I get home and unpack all my goodies.
Until then, cross your fingers that my flight will leave on time tomorrow! I'm ready to go home to the comfort of my bed and get out of this weather. 🙂


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34 Montaque Square, London. 14-10-200
The cellar and the ground floor belonged together. Here lived Ringo and Maureen Starr in 1965.
In 1966 Paul McCartney had a little studio in the cellar.
The apartment was lent to Chas Chandler who got Jimi Hendrix settled here. When they moved, Lillian Powell, Cynthia Lennon's mother moved in.
Later John Lennon moved in here when he and Yoko Ono had got together and Lillian Powell moved out and into the house in Weybridge.


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The alternative is to have your baby at home. The best environment for you to birth your baby is the place in which you feel the most comfortable and, of course, safe..
Because the quality of care and available facilities may vary from hospital to hospital, it is a good idea to do some research first - either by taking a labour ward tour or talking to women who have delivered babies at the maternity hospital closest to you. Large public maternity hospitals generally have the widest range of facilities and services - offering standard delivery wards, as well as birth centre options. Some hospitals also support home-birth midwives.
Public hospital delivery ward
If you will be using the hospital-provided doctor, Medicare will cover the cost of all pregnancy and birth-related treatment in a public hospital - including accommodation for you and your baby after the birth.
If you have private health cover, or if you have agreed to pay the cost, you are also able to use the facilities of a public hospital and choose your own obstetrician to treat you there. Your doctor does need to be registered with the hospital.
Hospital delivery wards are generally equipped to cope with any possible circumstance that may occur during the birth of your baby, including most medical emergencies.
Private hospital birth
For many women, the choice of a private hospital is determined by their own obstetrician and which hospitals that specialist visits. If you do not have your own obstetrician, you can book in to the private hospital first and ask to be provided with a list of their obstetricians.
Find more:
This article was written by Claire Halliday for Kidspot - Australia's parenting resource for during your pregnancy.


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What is it with roses or peonies in buckets that almost makes my heart stop beating for just a second? I cannot get enough of such photos. Speaking of photos. That top photo is by LizRusby who has a beautiful Flickr account (think Paris and flowers). I discovered her only this morning and realised that I had seen some of her work online without being credited. That girl deserves a credit!
How is life treating you these days? I'm busy but finding time to daydream while enjoying my latte. The daydreaming is mainly about travels. Some time ago I told you that I was reading about Spain and lately I've been longing to visit Andalucia. It seems like all my blog friends have been there and they're just killing me with photos. Igor of Happy Interior Blog has been there and Franka of ... meine Dinge ... spent her Easter holiday there. One day it'll be my turn!
1: liz.rusby on Flickr via Encore! Life/Tumblr
2: Kevin Wu on Moto-Mucci via Pinterest
3: Café Constant via Pinterest


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From Psych Central. (H/T Stuart Schneiderman)
Intimate partner violence is two times more likely to occur in two income households, compared to those where only one partner works, according to a new study.
Conducted by Sam Houston State University researchers Cortney A. Franklin, Ph.D., and doctoral student Tasha A. Menaker and supported by the Crime Victims' Institute, the study looked at the impact of education levels and employment among heterosexual partners as it relates to domestic violence.
While the researchers found that differences in education levels appeared to have little influence, when both partners were working, intimate partner violence increased.
"When both male and females were employed, the odds of victimization were more than two times higher than when the male was the only breadwinner in the partnership, lending support to the idea that female employment may challenge male authority and power in a relationship," said the researchers.
The study was based on telephone interviews with 303 women who identified themselves as either currently or recently in a serious romantic relationship.
[…]The study found that more than 60 percent of women in two-income couples reported victimization, while only 30 percent of women reported victimization in cases when only the male partner was employed.
[…]The study is scheduled to be published in the journal Violence Against Women.
Dr. Schneiderman comments:
To the best of my knowledge the research does not show whether the wives in question were using their income as a way to diminish and disrespect their husbands.
Feminism has long been claiming that the male role of provider or breadwinner is a social construct designed to oppress women. If, however, the role is instinctive, and if it is intrinsic to male pride, then the feminist derogation of it is a losing fight.
In my own case, I would never, ever ever marry a woman who expected to work at all if there were children under 5 in the home. What a woman does in marriage is care for her husband and her children. If she is dismissive of the needs of men and children, then marriage is not for her. That's why it is so important to talk to women about what they believe marriage is, why they want to get married, and why they want to have children. Ask them what the needs of men are in a marriage. Ask them what the needs of children are through their development. What is her plan for her husband and children? How does she intend to achieve those plans? What decisions has she made to prepare? What actions has she performed to show where her priorities lie?
Marriage is not just whatever people decide marriage is. It's the joining together of two opposite sexual natures, and there are rules and guidelines about how to do that. It is a tense, close-quarters situation that requires that both parties understand that the sexes are different and have different needs. A man has to make certain choices and perform certain actions to fuel his wife and keep her engaged. And a woman has to make certain choices and perform certain actions to fuel her husband and keep him engaged. You can't have a real marriage with a feminist who repudiates sex differences and the obligations that natural marriage imposes on each partner. It's fine if a woman says things like "I want to keep working after I get married" or "I will put my children in day care a few weeks after they are born". All that means is that she isn't qualified for marriage. Cohabitation is a better option, or maybe just hook-up sex, divorce, single motherhood and spinsterhood. Those are the options – either marriage or feminism.
By the way, please note that research shows that women are as likely to commit domestic violence as men. That's not my opinion, that's what studies by the Canadian and UK governments show.


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Every year, there are about 150,000 cases of a disease whose impact in the deserts of the American Southwest "is equal to the impact of polio... before the vaccine," John Galgiani, an infectious-disease physician told Dana Goodyear.
Reported cases have increased tenfold between 1998 and 2011, "and in the most severe cases," Goodyear writes in The New Yorker, there is "no cure."
What is it?
A little-researched and little-known disease called valley fever (or "cocci"), which people can get when they inhale a fungus named Coccidioides immitis, found in dirt and dust. Two-thirds of cases occur in Arizona, where "in 2012, valley fever was the second-most-reported disease."
The fungus infects the lungs, but can also spread to the skin, bones, liver, brain, heart, and the membranes that protect the brain and spinal cord.
Sixty percent of people infected with valley fever show no symptoms, and even in those who do, it can resemble a simple flu and clears itself without treatment. But in some, specifically those patients in which the fungus spreads beyond the lungs, it is far worse. Goodyear writes:
A small subset of patients will suffer long-term health problems; in fewer still, cocci will disseminate from the lungs into other tissue — skin, bones, and, often fatally, the meninges of the brain. For those with cocci meningitis, the treatment can be brutal. Three times a week, in the hospital, patients are administered an anti-fungal called amphotericin B — "amphoterrible" is how doctors refer to it — with a needle to the base of the skull. To prevent headaches, patients sometimes rest for several hours with their feet elevated above their heads.
One patient, a twenty-six-year-old white woman who caught valley fever four years ago, told me that the medicine made her vomit non-stop on a negative incline. She was temporarily paralyzed, underwent three brain surgeries, and has had twenty-two spinal taps. Not long after her diagnosis, the doctors told her mother to make funeral arrangements. Now they tell her she will be on anti-fungals, funnelled through a shunt in her brain, for the rest of her life.
Activities like construction and drilling can kick up the spores of Coccidioides immitis, which are easily spread by the region's hot, dry desert winds.
"With the Southwest drying out and heating up, and development pushing deeper into uninhabited terrain," Goodyear writes, "the range of cocci is likely to increase."
Spores can also travel to faraway places in shipping containers and even donated organs. One Michigan man Goodyear talks to fell sick after buying a used car from Phoenix.
While valley fever is easy to catch and can be extremely serious — even fatal — there is little research funding available for a disease whose impact is so geographically limited. (Beyond Arizona, other affected areas include California, New Mexico, Nevada, Texas, and parts of Central and South America.)
Working with the spores in a lab also poses a major hazard. Goodyear notes that "a group of obstetrics students got [valley fever], though their classroom was two stories above the cocci lab."
A upcoming clinical trial in California has been designed to establish treatment guidelines for those already infected, but most research toward a vaccine still has a long way to go.


text: UPDATE: Paradise Artist Retreat Giveaway Four Free Booths Up for Grabs (VIDEO) By Gabe Ripley: To have a chance to win a free booth please click the link below and fill out form.Each winner will get a weekend pass. Passes are good for a few activities a day, a 5'x 5' artist spot, entry into open bar at the opening party. Winners will be chosen at the start of next week: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dENTeUV2QTJfdE1VMXBOMWo0S1JOclE6MQ The Paradise Artist Retreat will be held February 20-23rd at the amazing Tamaya Resort in New Mexico. While many painters toil away alone in their basement, this art retreat is an opportunity for artists to create alongside over a hundred other artists in a beautiful environment! Through the course of four days artists of all skill levels, from first time beginners to seasoned accomplished professional artists, will participate in numerous workshops, seminars, discussion panels, critiques, and art creation... While the event is supported by the tattoo community with the large portion of the attending artists tattooing for a living and traveling in, this event is free of tattooing, and open to artists of nearly any medium. Artists passes are moving, rooms are being reserved, and many of the seminars are on their way to selling out, so register for seminars, book your rooms, and buy your tickets soon to save your spot! Each attending artist will have a 5' x 5' space to set up and create and sell art. Last year the art rooms were the busiest from midnight to 3 a.m., so we made sure the room will be open to create 24-hours a day to accommodate all the night owls! There are many learning activities that are included with the artist pass, including a live portrait painting workshop with Shawn Barber, business for artists by Chet Zar, figure drawing workshops, a critique, a still life workshop and entry into the opening party with an hour and a half of drinks on the house! Other workshops and seminar teachers include Nick Baxter, Cory Norris, Damon Conklin, Chris Dingwell, Paul Abbott, Tom Strom, Chris Lowe, Teresa Sharpe, Adrian Dominic, Dan and Tim Plumley, and Ian McKown. Topics include oil painting, character creation, acrylics, achieving effects with pastels, realistic colored pencils, the holistic process of art creation, painting on a budget, heads and hands, Photoshop, and more! The opportunity to be able to learn and create alongside so many artists, including some of the industry's leaders, is truly exceptional. Don't take it from us, go to the site to read the reviews! The Tamaya Resort in Santa Anna Pueblo New Mexico is a perfect match for this event. Meaning, "A quiet, special place..." the Tamaya is on a pueblo. Voted "Best in the World" by Conde Nast Traveler in 2010 and one of the top in the United States and Canada by Travel + Leisure magazine, this unique resort reflects an attention to detail unlike any you've ever experienced. The venue is very family friendly, in fact the many activities open to children and families throughout the week were recently raved about in Forbes magazine of all places. Check out this slide show of the Tamaya resort: [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsE8W9YrEWw&w=560&h=315] The food at the resort is delicious, and everyone in the room block will receive 15 percent off their meals and beverages as well as 10 percent off the Spa! In the past four years, the Paradise events have sold out the resort ahead of time and the room block rate and deals are only good until January 20th so make your plans sooner rather than later! Thanks, Gabe For more information and registration please visit the Paradise Artist Retreat website: http://www.paradiseartistretreat.com/


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The U.S. Army presented awards to two Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Wildlife Division personnel at a ceremony at Fort Polk on March 31.
Leonard Bennett, wildlife technician, received a "Certificate of Appreciation" for his work with the military managing the wildlife resources on Fort Polk. Bennett also received the "James Brooks' Technician of the Year Award" from the National Wild Turkey Federation for his management work with wild turkeys on the Fort Polk Wildlife Management Area (WMA). Biologist Manager John Robinette accepted a "Commander's Award for Public Service" for his professionalism and dedication to the stewardship of Fort Polk's natural resources. Brig. Gen. Michael Barbero, who is the commanding general at Fort Polk, presented both awards.
Robinette is the Wildlife Division's Region 5 biologist manager in Lake Charles and oversees all wildlife management activities in southeastern Louisiana. Bennett is the Fort Polk WMA area supervisor. Robinette and Bennett, along with other Region 5 Wildlife Division personnel, were also heavily involved with restoration and recovery activities following the two hurricanes.
In return, LDWF's Wildlife Division presented a "Certificate of Appreciation" to outgoing Garrison Commander Col. A. Wade Woolfrey Jr. for his dedication and support in helping the department manage the wildlife resources for public recreational opportunities on the Fort Polk WMA. Col. Woolfrey, who is transferring to a base in Virginia at the end of April, was very instrumental in building the working relationship between the Army and LDWF. Fort Polk and LDWF will continue their working relationship with new Garrison Commander Col. David G. Sage when he takes over the command May 2.
The Army and LDWF have developed a cooperative partnership in the operations and management of the wildlife resources which exist on the 145,000 acres of the military training complex known as Fort Polk and Peason Ridge. These military facilities are located mainly in Vernon Parish and were first established in the 1940s. Fort Polk's mission has been to train military troops during World War II, the Vietnam Conflict and Gulf Wars. Today, Fort Polk is the command center of the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment Transformation and the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC), which involves training military personnel for current assignments around the world.
About half of Fort Polk and Peason Ridge is owned by the Department of Defense. The other half is owned by the U.S. Forest Service, which leases that half to the U.S. Army for training. LDWF leases both areas from the U.S. Army for both Peason Ridge and Fort Polk WMAs.
The areas habitat consists of rolling hills and sandy creek bottoms of mixed hardwood and pine timber. The area supports good populations of many species of wildlife, but is hunted mainly for deer and turkey. The area also supports the highest number of Red-Cockaded Woodpecker (RCW) colonies in the state.
Region 5 Wildlife Division personnel have been working with the U.S. Army since 1994 to understand each organization's prospective mission and how to meet each other's goals in a cooperative manner. Over the past 12 years, an efficient line of communication has evolved among the U.S. Army, U.S. Forest Service and LDWF. Today, military training and the management of the habitats and wildlife species have merged to benefit the U. S. Army, U.S. Forest Service, LDWF and also the thousands of people who utilize these areas for outdoor recreation.
EDITORS: For more information, contact John Robinette at 337-491-2575 or email@example.com.


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Sonic Youth made walls of guitar noise a standalone form of rock. Now, after a quarter-century of evolution—and eventual incorporation into many mainstream styles—detuned distortion has become just another technique in the musical toolbox. Along the way, noise rock lost some of its raw aggression and audacity. On its aptly named sophomore album, Tempest, Olympia, Washington trio Broken Water hits the reset button on the genre, rewinding back to the late-'80s reverb revolution that took hold in its home state. Tempest is droning, it's heavy, and it's noisy: Broken Water isn't trying to sneak in catchy pop riffs, enticing vocal harmonies, or anything else that might interest the casual listener.
With its indiscernible lyrics, psychedelic flourishes, and a preference for volume over melodies, Tempest mostly stays true to noise rock's pre-grunge-era roots. Highlights like "Drown" and the crunchy jam "Underground" are buried in a landfill of sludge-fuzz, and it takes a little time to dig them out. Only the album's closer, "When You Said," sounds like a bridge to accessibility, though even that song eventually detonates with amplifier-exploding fury, obliterating all traces of a pop-friendly hook. While Broken Water's disinterest in convention is commendable, there isn't much else in the maelstrom of Tempest grab hold of. If the band isn't going to pursue melody, it needs to have some other worthwhile destination in mind. Tempest brings the noise, but not much else.


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Out of this World (PC) review
"The year is 1991. A young boy that will one day grow up into a roguish, jaw-droppingly handsome man - let's use the initials D.E - is home alone. At his side a single 5.14 inch black floppy disk which contained something new. Something different... "
Community review by darketernal (November 15, 2008)
Occasional reviewer of random stuff.
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January 27, 2011 in iTunes (E)
[prMac.com] Oakland, California - SuperSync, the industry leading iTunes sync utility, announced its 4.0.1 update will be released during Macworld Expo (Booth #948). SuperSync 4.0.1 adds the ability to watch video files from your iTunes library using a web browser.
"We are looking forward to MacWorld 2011 and are excited to announce the immediate availability of version 4.0.1," noted Brad Lowe, president of SuperSync. "With this release, users can browse video clips as well as songs with the built-in browser."
SuperSync 4.0, enables users to visually compare, access, sync, and merge iTunes libraries including music, audio files, podcasts, and video, across multiple Macintosh and Windows PCs, iPhones, iPads, and iPods.
SuperSync 4.0.1 is available now for purchase online for as little as $29 (USD) for a 2-Pak, $39 for a 5-Pak, and $49 for 10-Pak. SuperSync 4.0 is a free upgrade for all current SuperSync owners. Visit SuperSync at Macworld Expo, Booth #948, for special show pricing.
SuperSync 4.0.1 includes fixes for a few minor issues from the 4.0 release, including additional menu shortcuts, removal of a bogus warning about overlapping library names, an unexpected error message when comparing some types of playlists, and web playback of audio on the iPhone.
SuperSync includes a web browser interface that lets you browse and play and view your iTunes collection - within a local network, or from anywhere on the Internet. Now you can play your MP3 and MP4 files from any modern web browser. iOS users can view their library and play individual MP3 files.
"SuperSync gives users an All Access Pass to their iTunes content," explained Lowe. "And these updates expands that control with the ability to preview clips as well as music using the built-in browser"
With SuperSync's built-in client/server software, users can instantly retrieve a song left on your laptop, play a song on your home computer while using your office PC, or copy your entire iTunes library on to a new computer.
By placing a copy of SuperSync 4.0 on each Mac or PC, users can easily compare and merge two iTunes libraries to see what tracks are missing, select them, and click "Synchronize" to begin merging the two libraries. SuperSync 4.0 includes a basic audio player so you can organize, sync-up, and play all of your songs directly from SuperSync, with no external player required for MP3/M4A music files.
SuperSync offers complete back-up functionality that lets users quickly and easily create a "master library" with other computers in the house or office having a subset or mirror image. SuperSync can also recover the contents from most Apple iPods, iPhones, and iPads that are paired with an unavailable computer.
Located in beautiful Oakland, California, SuperSync is a privately held company founded in 2003. SuperSync is a personal music library synchronization software company, committed to building tools for easy-to-use access to personal music collections. SuperSync is licensed only for reproduction of non-copyrighted materials, materials for which the copyright is owned, or materials users are legally permitted to reproduce. Tivo is a registered trademark of Tivo, Inc. Mac, iPod, and iTunes are registered trademarks of Apple, Inc.


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Spring cleaning is a great way to freshen up our homes and liven up our spirit partway into the year. It is an opportunity for us to get rid of old closet items and clean up around our living space to brighten up our rooms and make way for the new things we want in life.
Besides tidying up around the house, one area that we often leave behind is the inside of our fridge. Cleaning and reorganizing our fridge is a must because it will help keep our food safe and make it last longer.
Heres what you can do once you start tackling clean fridge on your spring cleaning checklist.
First things first: Do a temp check on your fridge. If your fridge does not come with a thermometer, make sure you buy one that can attach to the inside of your fridge. The inside of your fridge should be at a consistent temperature of 35 - 40o F (2 - 4o C). Any temperature greater than that can cause food spoilage, and temperatures below that range can cause freezing issues. Doing temp checks often is one of the best preventative ways to help keep food safe and lasting longer.
Next, get rid of expired items and leftovers that are more than three to four days old. Expired items and leftovers are lower in nutrition compared to fresh foods and can increase your chances of food poisoning, so it is a good idea to check dates and get rid of old foods. Plus it helps free up space in your fridge, allowing air to circulate better which can help keep the temperature in your fridge more stable, helping it run on less energy.
Then, reorganize the items to help lengthen the life of your perishable items in your fridge and keep them safe.
Once you have an idea of how your fridge is organized, consider getting a turntable for your shelves to easily find items and keep them accessible as well as expiration dates visible. Also, if you do not have these handy already, get clear stackable containers for leftovers; this will help keep your fridge neat and organized. Lastly, keep a permanent marker close to your fridge to label items with the date it was opened as a reminder for how long it has been opened and when to eat it by before it needs to be tossed out.
Lastly, make sure to clean your fridge often. You can repeat the steps above when going through your fridge. In addition, empty and clean each drawer, wipe up spills right away before they dry up and store an opened box of baking powder in your fridge or freezer to help eliminate odors replace it every three months. When your fridge is neat and clean, it will not only help you stay within a budget by knowing what you already have before making a run to the store, but also keep your family safe from foodborne illnesses.
By: Jamie Coleman Luu, RD, LDN


text: Planet Money Shipping Is Underwater April 2, 2010 So there was a big shipping bubble that inflated about the same time the housing bubble did. It grew for some similar reasons — a go-go economy, easy credit, a belief that prices never decline, etc. And, like housing, it's now turned ugly. Shipping Is Underwater Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/114599047/127416670" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">


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Some consider young people delaying marriage and a career progess, while others sense a real problem.by Alex and Brett Harris
Meet Matt Swann. Matt is a 27-year-old American male who took six and a half years to graduate from college with a degree in cognitive science, and is just getting started figuring out what he wants to do with his life.
Matt was asked if he was looking forward to marriage, family, and owning a home. His answer? "I don't ever want a lawn. I do not want to be a parent. I mean ... why would I? There's so much fun to be had while you're young."
Matt's living in what social scientists have identified as a new stage of life development: extended adolescence. Dubbed "adultescence," it covers the ages of 18 to 29 and beyond. Sociologists claim that putting off adulthood has become a permanent trend among American youth, and now, young adults. As young adults ourselves, and as Christians, we have no choice but to come to grips with this social phenomenon.
Adultescents (we'll refer to them as "kidults") often live with their parents, even after college, while hopping from job to job and relationship to relationship. They generally lack direction, commitment, financial independence, and personal responsibility, while somehow managing to spend more time and money than the average American on clothes, movies, music, computers, video games and eating out.
For kidults marriage and family fall in the zone of "maybe, someday, but that's years away." The typical kidult isn't committed to any particular local church. They're doing all sorts of things, but getting nowhere, just living from day to day in their own Never-Never Lands. They're Peter Pans who shave.
Surprisingly (or perhaps unsurprisingly) some sociologists see all this as a positive development. "This is the one time of their lives when they're not responsible for anyone else or to anyone else," says developmental psychologist Jeffrey Arnett. "[Kidults] have this wonderful freedom to really focus on their own lives and work on becoming the kind of person they want to be."
His advice to kidults? "Enjoy it.... Once it goes, it ain't coming back. Sooner or later, you'll have a family, a mortgage and a retirement plan."
Arnett and those in his camp favor "emerging adulthood" to describe kidults. Their argument goes something like this: "After decades of American affluence, society has finally evolved to the point where pursuing the pleasures of irresponsibility is practical into your late 20s and beyond! Adultescence is good!" In their minds, to fight this development is to fight progress.
According to other scholars, it's just the opposite. For them, the world has become increasingly complicated, and because of that they worry that young people are trying to grow up, but can't. To these researchers, adultescence is a desperate attempt at self-preservation.
So who's right? Good question. Both of these positions are rooted in distinctly Darwinian principles (i.e., "we're evolving, habitats are changing, some are surviving, others are not"), but to properly address this problem, we need to go to the only source of ultimate truth: God's Word.
You can't read very far in your Bible before God addresses two things at the very heart of the kidult controversy: living with your parents, and getting married. In Genesis 2, we read, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh" (ESV). The biblical pattern is for young people to leave their parent's household in order to begin their own.
This strongly implies that living with your parents before you get married can be a very good thing; provided you're doing it for the right reasons. If you haven't found Mr. or Mrs. Right, and it's more helpful to you and your family for you to remain at home, it's not just fine, it's biblical! Unfortunately, most kidults "stay-and-delay" not out of biblical conviction, but out of self-indulgence and sloth. And even more unfortunately, many of us tend to think and act more like kidults than biblical young adults.
For kidults, Mom and Dad's house just means easier access to Mom and Dad's checkbook and credit card. With the 'rents paying for food, electricity, and insurance, the kidult's limited income can be funneled into more "important" things, like clothes, eating out, lattes, flat-screen TVs, and video games. As one columnist put it, "I'll bet Mom does a great load of laundry and makes a mean lasagna."
Sarcasm aside, the kidult mentality that uses Mom and Dad to subsidize an extravagant lifestyle is blatantly unbiblical. It directly violates the Fifth Commandment: "Honor your father and your mother." Sometimes we need to be reminded that this commandment doesn't expire at age 18.
Kidults aren't using their time at home to prepare for marriage or to serve others; they're using it to stall and to serve themselves. Sadly, just like Matt Swann, who we met earlier, marriage is exactly what kidults are trying to avoid.
And his sentiments aren't atypical. Consider 26-year-old Jennie Jiang, for example, who admitted, "I want to get married, but not soon. I'm enjoying myself. There's a lot I want to do by myself still." Or Marcus Jones, another twentysomething, who stated that he might be interested in marriage, just not anytime soon. "It's a long way down the road," he said. Right now, Marcus explained, "I'm too self-involved."
What are all these "important," self-involving things that kidults are delaying marriage for? Well, it's embarrassing to say it, but it's for toys, games, fun, and "stuff." According to Dan Morrison, president of Twentysomething, Inc., kidults have become the dream demographic for a host of products and services, from consumer electronics, Game Boys, flat-screen TVs, and iPods, to tailored and designer clothing, cars, and vacations.
"Most of their needs are taken care of by Mom and Dad, so their income is largely discretionary," explained Morrison. "[They're] living at home, but if you look, you'll see flat-screen TVs in their bedrooms and brand-new cars in the driveway."
The sad thing is that we know people like that. The scary thing is that we're often like that ourselves. We may not be splurging on video games or brand-new cars, but are we spending our time and money right now to prepare for what God has called us to?
In 1 John 2:15-16, we're commanded, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world — the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions — is not from the Father but is from the world."
The desires of the flesh and the eyes? The pride in possessions? Sounds just like a kidult, doesn't it? Do you think that Scripture could be telling us that "adultescence" is really just a symptom of a culture in love with the world?
This looks like the answer to the puzzle. With a biblical understanding, we can forget all the complex sociological and psychological theories about what produces kidults. According to the Bible, a "kidult" is just a world-focused young person.
Think about it. Kidults are self-absorbed. Everything is a means to feed their own selfish desires, whether it's college, parents, a job, a girlfriend/boyfriend, or even a church. If something threatens to get in the way, like marriage, family, or other responsibilities, they just avoid it. Besides, if they can get many of the worldly benefits of those things without the cost of commitment, why commit?
The answer to that question is found in 1 John 2:17: "The world is passing away along with its desires...." John is telling us that this world won't be around forever. More importantly, neither will we. If we're spending our time and money on our earthly desires and lusts, we may gain the world, but we've lost our souls.
Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters." If Jesus is Lord in our lives, then the world is not lord. And neither are we.
Our culture constantly lies to us, telling us to just goof off, have fun, and live for the next "buzz." It pretends like it's giving us something, but in reality we're being robbed. We're buzzing ourselves numb — losing out on the delights of knowing God and His ways, the joy of godly marriage, the beauty of sexual intimacy as God intended it, the incalculable reward of fatherhood and motherhood, and the blessings of genuine, responsible adulthood.
So how do we fight against the kidult mentality and for God's plan in our own lives? To start, we have to be willing to surrender every aspect of our lives to Christ (not just Sunday morning, not just 20 minutes a day) and embrace the God-given responsibilities and calling that accompany adulthood.
Paul instructed Timothy, "Let no one despise you for your youth." But he didn't stop there. He went on, "but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." It's not just that we aren't to let people look down on us, we're actually supposed to set an example for our fellow Christians by how we live and interact with others. Interestingly enough, the Greek word Paul uses for "youth" denotes the Hebrew military age, which covered ages 20-40. It's like this verse was tailor-made for kidults! This quite a mission, but it's the only way to truly live life to the fullest.
Practical steps? Try some of these:
Be creative. There's no limit to the things you'll come up with once you get past yourself and start loving God and the people around you as He intended. This is an uphill battle, but if you've ever wanted to be counter-culture for the right reasons, this is it. Our world will not survive another generation of Christians who fit in.
Adultescence represents our culture's addiction to the world and to self. It's time we kicked that habit.
Copyright © 2006 Alex and Brett Harris. All rights reserved. International copyright secured.


text: Hello, I am new to Linux, i have installed centos 5.7 on my laptop.I also got a Desktop with no monitor.I want to install Centos on the desktop also, Is it possible to do that? How can i do that. I have Centos dvd, centos installed laptop, desktop with no monitor and no OS, 4 port switch and cables Looking forward for some advices Thanks newcomer


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Silly Pants
Five balls of DK weight Shetland wool from the actual Shetland islands (brought back from a relative's vacation) and a desire to knit another pair of EZ longies united to form this silly pair of pants. I changed colors and patterns on a whim and had a grand old time. Still need to do some finishing, but all of the loose ends are woven in thanks to the intended recipients mother (she wanted her child to get them before she was too big). The Ravelry link is here: Silly Pants


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Learn About the Used 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee near Grapevine
The 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee near Grapevine, arrives with premium upgrades on an already incredible SUV with a choice of powertrain options, available clean-diesel technology, and world-class craftsmanship. Engine choices include a 3.0-liter EcoDiesel with 240 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque, a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 with 290 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, and an available 5.7-liter V8 that puts down 360 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque. Each of these engines are mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission on the 2015 Grand Cherokee near Grapevine.
Your Used 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee Options near Grapevine
Outside, the 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee near Grapevine front and rear LED lighting, available bi-xenon high-intensity discharge (HID) headlamps, and signature LED running lamps. Other highlights include Jeep's classic seven-slot grille and trapezoidal wheel arches, unique lower fascias, and an aerodynamic rear spoiler. Three available 4x4 systems are offered, as is a Quadra-Lift air suspension and Selec-Terrain traction management systems. AutoNation Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM North Richland Hills has 2015 Grand Cherokee inventory near Grapevine.
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Inside, the 2015 Grand Cherokee near Arlington has a Uconnect 5-inch or 8.4-inch touchscreen, a leather-wrapped E-shifter, a leather-wrapped three-spoke steering wheel with standard paddle shifters mounted on the back. Grand Cherokee Summit models up the ante with Premium Natura-Plus leather seating with heated, ventilated and memory front seats, open-pore wood trim, and Copper accents. For even more comfort, rear seats recline to 12 degrees. The used 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee is available near Arlington. Call us to make your appointment and take a test drive today!


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What's the biggest alteration they've made in Spartan: Total Warrior? Well, rather than controlling an entire army made up of hundreds of troops and dozens of specialized squads, you'll be charging into battle with just one man. That's right, the folks at Creative Assembly (correctly) figured that most console gamers want to be in the action themselves, not controlling strategies and micromanaging from high above the battlefield. This means that Spartan won't be an RTS in any way. Instead, it will be an intense hack-n-slash actioner, similar to Dynasty Warriors. We recently got a chance to check out a number of the game's levels, and it's shaping up to be an interesting addition to the Total War universe.
The game puts you in control of "The Spartan," a nameless warrior tasked with protecting Mother Sparta from the hordes of Roman soldiers at her gates. Although the title is historically accurate in a few ways, it's not going to make anyone forget that it's an action game at heart, not a history textbook. There are plenty of elements of Greek mythology (including the ability to use Medusa's head to turn your enemies to stone) in the game, as well as a few liberties that would make Homer blush. While it's not as over-the-top as Sony's God of War, it's a far cry from Rome: Total War.
For the most part, the game finds you slaughtering wave after wave of Roman soldiers with whatever weapon happens to be in your hand. Like most hack 'n slash games, this is generally pulled off by mixing up light and heavy attacks, with a few special moves thrown in for good measure. Rather than simply offering up attacks that can be used on a single enemy, however, Spartan gives you the option of focusing on one foe or taking on multiple baddies at a time. This actually leads to a surprising number of options in battle, especially once you combine them with the block button. Before long, you'll learn how to knock an enemy back with your shield and slash at him a few times before chopping his head clean off.


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Comparative Interactomics
By creating maps of the body's complex molecular interactions, Trey Ideker is providing new ways to find drugs.
This article is the first in a series of 10 stories we're running over two weeks, covering today's most significant (and just plain cool) emerging technologies. It's part of our annual "10 Emerging Technologies" report, which appears in the March/April print issue of Technology Review.
Biomedical research these days seems to be all about the "omes": genomes, proteomes, metabolomes. Beyond all these lies the mother of all omes – or maybe just the ome du jour: the interactome. Every cell hosts a vast array of interactions among genes, RNA, metabolites, and proteins. The impossibly complex map of all these interactions is, in the language of systems biology, the interactome.
Trey Ideker, a molecular biotechnologist by way of electrical engineering, has recently begun comparing what he calls the "circuitry" of the interactomes of different species. "It's really an incremental step in terms of the concepts, but it's a major leap forward in that we can gather and analyze completely new types of information to characterize biological systems," says Ideker, who runs the Laboratory for Integrative Network Biology at the University of California, San Diego. "I think it's going to be cool to map out the circuitry of all these cells."
Beyond the cool factor, Ideker and other leaders in the nascent field of interactomics hope that their work may help uncover new drugs, improve existing drugs by providing a better understanding of how they work, and even lead to computerized models of toxicity that could replace studies now conducted on animals. "Disease and drugs are about pathways," Ideker says.
Ideker made a big splash in the field in 2001 while still a graduate student with Leroy Hood at the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle. In a paper for Science, Ideker, Hood, and coworkers described in startling detail how yeast cells use sugar. They presented a wiring-like diagram illustrating everything from the suite of genes involved, to the protein-protein interactions, to how perturbing the system altered different biochemical pathways. "His contribution was really special," says geneticist Marc Vidal of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, who introduced the concept that interactomes can be conserved between species. "He came up with one of the first good visualization tools."
Last November, Ideker's team turned heads by reporting in Nature that it had aggregated in one database all the available protein-protein interactomes of yeast, the fruit fly, the nematode worm, and the malaria-causing parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Though there's nothing particularly novel about comparing proteins across species, Ideker's lab is one of the few that has begun hunting for similarities and differences between the protein-protein interactions of widely different creatures. It turns out that the interactomes of yeast, fly, and worm include interactions called protein complexes that have some similarities between them. This conservation across species indicates that the interactions may serve some vital purpose. But Plasmodium, oddly, shares no protein complexes with worm or fly and only three with yeast. "For a while, we struggled to figure out what was going wrong with our analysis," says Ideker. After rechecking their data, Ideker and his team concluded that Plasmodium probably just had a somewhat different interactome.
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