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HARRISONBURG, Va., May 22, 2013 – Senior catcher Bradley Shaban (Midlothian, Va./Cosby) drove in four runs, including a two-run home run to break a 4-4 tie in the sixth inning as James Madison defeated Delaware 9-6 in game two of the 2013 Colonial Athletic Association Baseball Championship on Thursday morning at Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park.
Sixth-seeded JMU improved to 25-28 overall and advanced to Thursday's 6 p.m. game against No. 2 seed William and Mary. The Dukes have now won five of their last seven games this year as well as nine of their last 11 CAA Tournament games dating back to 2008. UD took the field immediately for an elimination game against fifth-seeded Northeastern.
The game was suspended by weather Wednesday afternoon with JMU leading 4-2 in the top of the fourth. It resumed Thursday morning 16 hours and 21 minutes later with Delaware tying the score with a pair of runs in the fifth.
With sophomore left fielder Chad Carroll (Oakton, Va./Oakton) standing on first following a leadoff single, Shaban socked a two-run shot, his fourth of the season, over the high wall in right field in the sixth inning.
The Dukes added an RBI single from junior first baseman Matt Tenaglia (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East) in the inning and picked up a pair of insurance runs on a triple from junior second baseman Conner Brown (Richmond, Va./Godwin) in the ninth.
Sophomore right-hander Chris Huffman (Fort Defiance, Va./Fort Defiance) worked out of a jam in the seventh and also survived seeing Delaware bring the potential go-ahead run to the plate in the ninth to earn his eighth save of the season. He allowed one run on four hits in 2 2/3 innings. He moved into fourth on both the season and career (10) saves chart at JMU.
With JMU having finished the regular season with three games at Delaware, Shaban posted his third multiple-hit game in four straight games against the Blue Hens. He went 3-for-6 with a season-high four RBIs. Tenaglia posted his best game in over a month, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and his first home run of the season, a solo shot in the second. Carroll had two hits with a walk and three runs scored.
Sophomore right-hander Patrick Toohers (Florham Park, N.J./Seton Hall Prep) took the mound for the resumption of play Thursday morning and worked 3 1/3 innings allowing three runs on four hits to pick up the victory (3-8). Freshman Mark Gunst (Fairfax, Va./Paul VI), making his second collegiate start on Wednesday, allowed two runs on three hits with four strikeouts.
Dan Gatto took the loss (4-3) after taking the mound to begin Thursday morning and allowing three runs on seven hits with four strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings. Wednesday's starter, Chad Kuhl, allowed four runs on four hits with six walks in 3 2/3 innings.
Second baseman D.J. Long and first baseman Jimmy Yezzo each had three hits in the second and third spots in the order. Right fielder Nick Ferdinand was 2-for-4 while third baseman E.J. Stoltzfus and designated hitter Chris Branigan each drove in a pair of runs, Branigan's on a two-run homer.
Both teams had opportunities to put more runs on the board with 25 combined runners stranded on the bases. JMU loaded the bases in six of the nine innings and left 14 on the base paths. The Dukes had 13 hits with nine walks and a hit batter. Delaware posted 11 hits with four walks and a hit batter.
JMU took advantage of free bases to take an early lead. Following a leadoff groundout, the Dukes drew three consecutive walks to load the bases. Shaban delivered the first hit of the game with a two-run single through the right side of the infield. Goss made it 3-0 with a groundout to second base.
After Gunst got a strikeout to leave the bases loaded for Delaware in the bottom of the first, Tenaglia led off the second by unloading a solo shot to left center. It was his first home run of the season after missing the 2012 season and hitting nine as a sophomore in 2011.
The 4-0 margin was cut in half in the third as Delaware got a leadoff single then picked up a two-out, two-run home run to left from Branigan to make it 4-2.
The game resumed following the overnight suspension with JMU loading the bases in consecutive innings in the fourth and fifth before strikeouts ended both. Delaware took advantage in the fifth consecutive doubles by Long and Yezzo scoring a run. After an infield single put runners on the corners, a fielder's choice groundout by Stoltzfus knotted the score at 4-4.
Carroll led off the sixth with an infield single deep in the hole to the shortstop. After a fly out, Shaban uncorked a two-run shot over the high wall in right field to give JMU the lead at 6-4. The Dukes kept the inning going with a two-out double to right center by Gregory followed by an RBI single to left for Tenaglia for a 7-4 lead.
Delaware chased Toohers from the game in the seventh with two runners on and one out. Stoltzfus greeted Huffman with a RBI single but a popup and groundout ended the frame.
After a scoreless eighth, JMU picked up two big insurance runs in the ninth. A single and error put two runners on with one out. With the sun having emerged from the clouds just 15 minutes earlier, Brown lifted a high fly to right that Nick Ferdinand never picked up off the bat. Brown ended up with a two-run triple for a 9-5 JMU lead.
In the ninth, Delaware put its first two batters on via singles. Branigan then walked with two outs to load the bases and pinch hitter Alex Mottle singled up the middle to score a run and bring up the go-ahead run. However, Huffman was able to get shortstop Brock Niggebrugge to hit into a fielder's choice groundout to finish the win.


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Latest News
Availability of Narcotic Drugs for Medical use
The analysis of the data provided by Member States to the INCB shows that the amount of opiate raw material available for the manufacturing of narcotic drugs for pain relief is more than sufficient to satisfy the current level of demand as reported by Governments and that global stocks are increasing. Despite this, the consumption of narcotic drugs for pain relief is concentrated in a limited number of countries. Access to these drugs continues to be uneven with consumption concentrated primarily in countries in North America, Western Europe and Oceania. The reality is that, for example, 92 per cent of the world's morphine is consumed by 17 per cent of the world's population while the rest of the world population (83 per cent) consumes just 8 per cent.
Mission to Iceland
An INCB mission visited Iceland from 25 to 27 March 2014. The mission was conducted by the First Vice-President of the Board, Dr. Galina Korchagina, accompanied by Ms. Beate Hammond of the INCB Secretariat. The purpose of the mission was to discuss specific issues related to the country's implementation of the three international drug control conventions, to which it is party. This was the first mission of the Board to Iceland.
INCB participation at the Commission on Narcotic Drugs 57 th session and high-level review (13 - 21 March 2014)
- March 20, 2014 - Side event on the International Import Export Authorization System (I2ES) during the 57th session of CND
- March 13, 2014 - INCB president addresses the high-level segment of the 57th Commission on Narcotic Drugs
- March 5, 2014 - INCB encourages States to consider the abolition of the death penalty for drug-related offences
Raymond Yans
The INCB President
Our Mission
The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) is the independent and quasi-judicial monitoring body for the implementation of the United Nations international drug control conventions. It was established in 1968 in accordance with the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961. It had predecessors under the former drug control treaties as far back as the time of the League of Nations.

subset: commoncrawl


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May 23 10
yesterday i was sitting in front of sacred tattoo in downtown oakland, admiring the sun, and a whole army of dildos roll by on their segways. these weren't just any segways either, they had different colored wheels on them. the wheels were also knobby for what looked like the off road adventure that they would never take. they were a few dumb white kids, and in the pack was 3 local suits. the suits ties were flapping in the wind as they rode triumphantly up broadway. they tried as hard as they could to look tough on those things, but trying to look tough on a segway is like trying to eat a banana and not look like you are preforming a falic gesture.i couldn't stop staring, i couldn't believe my eyes!!!
May 26 10
last week a client of mine asked me to draw an octopus thrashing around in water. i busted out the sharpies, said alright russle have a seat. i tried to freehand the octopus on and started to sweat. i wasn't familiar enough with that design, so i told him after drawing on him for fourty minutes that we needed to reschedule so i can have the time to draw it out. plus, the octopus design was a half sleeve and russle is about six foot two inches. at home i busted out the sharpies again, this time on paper. i was able to have complete time to find the proper reference in my library, and do the design based off shapes how you would on the skin, but i was able to fly through it, this is a japanese style design, and i was not familiar enough with them to try to freehand it. i finished the octopus drawing, and was laying in bed looking at it. i was really happy with it, but i got an idea for a second that really exited me. the idea i had was a design that i absolutely love. it was a skull with snake tail like tentacles, thrashing around in blood, and wings at the end of the 8 tentacles. i immediately got up to tape a piece of tracing paper over it, and take notes of my idea so i could start drawing it the next day. the next day i drew it using the octopus a had drawn before for a template. today i had a consult with him to make the tattoo appt. and brought the two drawings down to sacred. i lay the designs out, hoping that he picks the one of the skull. he walks in and i show him, i say "this is the octopus(more straight foreword), and this is the skull octopus with snake tail tentacles,thrashing around in blood", he says "i like the skull one, lets set an appt. for next week". FUCK YA!!!
May 27 10
its been about a year since i've worn my hearing aid. i know that i should have, for my balance and all, but putting that thing in my ear everyday truly made me feel like an old man, but i started again. a while ago while riding my tricycle, i ripped off the handicapped placard on the basket, stopped using my cain, and rarely brought up my incident. not because it was painful, but i am sick of being disabled, and i am trying go back to the way i was, but a lefty now. i started to think that way when i had to ride my tricycle to wallgreens to grab my anti seizure medication. i went inside to pick it up and stood in line for about an hour. i come out to unlock my trike and before i could unlock it i yelled FUCK THIS!, ripped it off the basket, and threw it away. i already had my meds in my hand, was unlocking my trike, and was wearing a hearing aid. i also stopped wearing the hearing aid because i wanted to pretend. i just recently started to wear it again, because i figured that my equilibrium will never repair itself.
May 29 10
ya foo, i gotz da spinnerz on my segway, my homie in the i.c.p shirt next to me has gold datins with eagle knock offs on his shit, and my other padnah up front, well he cant afford one so he leads the pack on his sweet ass roller blades. so waddya say?, wanna ride with this crew?
May 29 10
mmmmmmbop, wawa, mmmbop, shooby doo wop mmmmbop, wah do, yayeeeyaya!!! they were how do they say now a day epic? ya i think thats the word. now you can use the word epic for anything, its not just for sword fight scenes in 12 hundreds war movies a Cialis online orderingnymore, you can say it for a tasty snack, or the band oasis even, try it. the cool kids out here in oakland are saying the word epic, or the word metal for everything. if that is the case i will stand my ground and say hansen is sooo metal and epic. zp8497586rq


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Dear valuable guest.
We are now migrating our site to a modern engine. This will be done by the end of year 2013 and we will have big relaunch then.
If you want to place an order, please send a list of the items you want via our Contact form.
Thank you, and blessings!
Tashi Dargye Eight Auspicious Symbols (Ashtamangal).
l = 90 cm / 35.
Shipped in different colors, randomly.


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A.D. Wittman
(Artist -
The Pale Series: The Dark
A.D. Wittman graduated from Purdue University (Indiana) with a Liberal Arts degree and, in an attempt to put off homework for as long as possible while attending Franklin University in Ohio, A.D. learned the art of baking. (A.D. managed to achieve an M.B.A. from there as well). A.D., an avid music lover, listens to music constantly and (much to the chagrin of the cats) sings, plays piano and percussion. Other hobbies include: goaltending in an ice hockey league, curling, professional photography, and being hooked on Farmville on Facebook.A.D. resides with a wonderful life-partner (who, thankfully, is an awesome cook since A.D. burns anything that isnt baked) and their three cats.
A.D. is currently working on book 2 of The Pale Series: The Dark.
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Narrow your search
Angry Birds Epic, due for a soft launch in Canada and Australia this week, takes a sharp turn away from the game's traditional mechanic.
Bastion is a fun and strange adventure that almost any gamer will enjoy, with plenty of action, artistic environments, and a narrator who ties it all together.
Pricing not available
A Kickstarter project offering all-women miniature-warrior RPG armies meets its funding goal in 30 seconds, rockets to nearly $350,000 in less than a week.
If you like hack-and-slash RPGs, Wild Blood is a great option on iOS with stunning graphics and fun gameplay, but there isn't much strategy beyond kicking monster butt.
Pricing not available
Does Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning knock it out of the park or get caught on the warning track?
As with any classic role-playing-style game, EpicWin gives you experience points that help your character gain skills and move through a mystical world. But here, you have to complete your own real tasks to advance your character.
This year's entry in the epic RPG/adventure game category is Dragon Age: Origins, releasing Tuesday, November 3. Having now played a preview build of the game for the past six weeks, we can safely say it's one of the year's best.
Developer BioWare seems to have cornered the market on this new breed of RPG, following up Dragon Age: Origins with Mass Effect 2--which has quickly become the first critical darling of 2010.
Characters can buy pink ribbon face paint for their characters in Albatross 18, with part of the proceeds going to breast cancer nonprofit.
South Park: The Stick of Truth absolutely nails it. It's the perfect combination of hilarious South Park content woven into an ultra-satisfying, turn-based RPG.


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Putting their 'green thumbs' to work
Organizers are expecting another great year
Here are five ways to have fun this weekend.
Dear Whoever Picks Out the Music That Gets Piped into the Supermarket,
Every spring my dad would take the family car in for a tune-up. He would always tell me that by fixing minor issues during the tune-up he was preventing major problems down the road. My dad�s insight also applies to estate planning. Now is a great...
Tip of the Week
Reader question: Monty, as an apartment developer, I fuel future development by regularly investing in raw land. I have owned a 40-acre parcel for 20 years. I am certain I cannot rezone it for apartments, as the surrounding area has developed as...
Dear Dave, My in-laws have lots of debt. In fact, they�re always joking that the debt they�ll leave us is more than the inheritance. How will this affect my wife and family if they die with all their debt still in place? Matthew Dear Matthew, You do...
Word of the Daydeprecate \ DEP-rih-kayt \ transitive verb; [Archaic] To pray against, as an evil; to seek to avert by prayer; To disapprove of strongly; To belittle; to depreciate. � Dictionary.comWebsite of the Day
An old, rusty object can look picturesque, but you don't actually want rust taking over the objects you use and rely on every day, including tools, locks, fixtures and so forth. The war between oxidation and exposed metal can run hot and heavy, but...
March 17 deadline approaching
- Events Calendar


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CMU Opens Spring Season with First Practice
Courtesy: John Regenfuss/CMU Athletics
Release: 03/12/2013
The Chippewas held a two-hour workout in helmets and shorts indoors on the turf field at the IAC.
"I thought it was very lively with very good tempo," said head coach Dan Enos, who is entering his fourth season at CMU. "The good thing about having a lot of guys who have been around here a couple years is that they know how to practice, they know what we expect of them as far as the speed of practice, and they know how to move from drill to drill. Keeping pretty much the whole coaching staff in tact really helps as well. I thought we moved real quick and real fast. We were able to pick up right where we left off, as far as installation goes, from the bowl game and, obviously, are taking a look at some new things too. I thought it was a really, really good first day. We have a long way to go, but it was a good start to spring practice."
On offense, 2012 leading rusher Zurlon Tipton and leading receiver Titus Davis were back in action, along with two key parts of the CMU offensive line, guard Andy Phillips and center Nick Beamish. Freshman quarterback Darrien Boone, who enrolled at CMU in January, also took his first snaps as a Chippewa. Defensively, five of the team's six leading tacklers from a year ago were on the practice field.
Tuesday's practice was marked by another return, as George Ricumstrict, an All-MAC linebacker and former coach at CMU, took the field for the first time since joining Enos' staff as defensive line coach in January.
"It was spring football and I have been through a bunch of those," said Ricumstrict. "But it's great to be back in Mount Pleasant and at Central Michigan. The biggest thing was getting used to the routine and where to go sometimes, but I thought it went well. The kids gave great effort today."
Wednesday is an off day, but CMU will return to the practice field on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday this week. CMUChippewas.com will provide complete coverage of the 2013 spring season, focusing on the team by position group, beginning on Thursday with a report on the Central Michigan tight ends.
The 2013 Central Michigan Spring Game is scheduled for Saturday, April 13 at Kelly/Shorts Stadium at 1 p.m. A free youth clinic, open to children 12 years or younger, will precede the game, lasting from 11-11:45 a.m.


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101 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC | Directions 2000138.892500 -77.013177
Lunch: Mon-Fri 11:30 am-2:30 pm; Dinner: Mon-Fri 5:30-10 pm; Sat 5-10:30 pm
Neighborhoods: Northwest Washington, Washington Mall, Northwest
Steakhouse With Great Non-Steak Dishes – I'll confess that I've never had steak at Charlie Palmer's - I have had a salad with steak in it but never an actual piece of steak. And that's ok; the few dishes I have had at CP's were excellent. I'm a fan of their $25 pre fixe lunch, since the high-caliber quality of dishes here extends beyond $25 a pop. Definitely try the filet mignon salad - the poached egg is always perfectly cooked and accompanies everything well. Their fish dishes are also amazing - I've had a seasonal bass dish that was perfectly cooked with an amazing sauce I couldn't stop covering each bite with. And if they're available, try the brussels sprouts - they're perfectly roasted with pearl onions and bacon and are hard to share.
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Flambeau Masters Series Weighted Keel Gadwall Duck Decoys Pack of 6
Product #: 993863 Flambeau #: 5632MSU UPC #: 071617007171
Suggested Products
Product Information
The Master Series of decoys from Flambeau feature extremely realistic paint schemes and are carved by some of the best names in the business to give you realism that will get results. These decoys feature a weighted keel for easy deploying and are a great way to add numbers to your spread without hurting your wallet.
Technical Information:
Technical Information:
- Species: Gadwall
- Keel: Weighted
- Size: Standard
- Pack Quantities: 4 drakes, 2 hens
- Head Position: upright
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Customer Reviews
The statements and opinions expressed within Customer Reviews reflect each author's personal perspective and do not imply endorsement by MidwayUSA, its Employees or any other organization. Customers should in no way infer that MidwayUSA has validated review information as safe, accurate or appropriate.
NOTE: Prices, specifications and availability are subject to change without notice.
We reserve the right to correct typographic, photographic and/or descriptive errors.
We reserve the right to correct typographic, photographic and/or descriptive errors.


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Project Overview
1st Funding Cycle Planning Award
Project Start Date: 3/1/2005
Project End Date: 2/28/2006
Project Goal Statement: This project aims to review the screening practices of health care professionals for domestic violence in five south central Wisconsin counties. Survey results will allow implementation of more effective screening programs, prevention activities, and violence intervention strategies.
Award Amount: $18,202
Community Partner:
Primary Community Partner: Hope House of South Central Wisconsin, Inc.
Academic Partner:
Primary Academic Partner: Karen Brasel, MD, MPH, Department of Surgery
Project Progress Summary Reports:
Project Progress Report Summary March 2005 - February 2006
Project Final Report Summary
Affiliated Web Pages:
Hope House of South Central Wisconsin, Inc.
Project Dissemination Efforts (as reported by project partners)


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This LibGuide was designed to provide you with assistance in your St. Pius X English course.
Rockhurst Chat
Please click on the tabs above to access course resources. Contact Danielle Theiss if you need more assistance with these resources or chat with a librarian using the chat window to the left.
Ask Danielle a Question!
Contact Info
Research, Learning and Assessment Services Librarian, Greenlease Library
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Diabetes HealthSense
Resources for living well
1-8 of 8 results
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This project works to advance nutrition and physical activity policy in schools and communities in order to prevent obesity and its associated chronic diseases. It develops research-based, user-friendly tools and resources to educate audiences on nutrition and physical activity issues and help groups take action to implement strategies that will improve nutrition and physical activity environments. En español
California Project LEAN
This bilingual Spanish and English guide provides healthy tips for reducing salt and sodium in your diet to lower your blood pressure. En español
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
This meal planning curriculum is for people living with diabetes and their support persons. The curriculum incorporates participatory nutrition education, food preparation activities, and tasting of foods. En español
Oregon Diabetes Program
This online tracking tool lets you track what you eat to manage your diabetes and prevent the onset of complications. Explore nearly 5,000 foods and find recipes and healthy alternatives to improve your meals. En español
American Diabetes Association (ADA)
This tip sheet helps Hispanics/Latinos at risk for type 2 diabetes move more and eat less to reduce their risk. En español
National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP)
This comprehensive kit includes reproducible patient education handouts on 29 topics related to cardiometabolic risk reduction, prediabetes, diabetes, and CVD. En español
American Diabetes Association (ADA)
This booklet helps people with diabetes make wise food choices to prevent health problems and keep blood glucose levels on target. En español
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
This online resource from the American Diabetes Association® provides helpful information and first steps for taking control of your type 2 diabetes. En español
American Diabetes Association (ADA)
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Blues & BBQ: Friday 5pm - Midnight and Saturday Noon - Midnight downtown Springfield. $5 admission. Kids 12 & under free. Get all details here.
Breakfast with the Animals: Saturday 8am - 10am at Henson Robinson Zoo. $9 for adults and $7 for children for Springfield Park District residents. Call for reservations at 585-1821.
Lincoln Art & Balloon Festival: Friday - Sunday in Lincoln. www.lincolnillinois.com
To Kill a Mockingbird: Friday - Sunday at 8pm each night at Theatre in the Park at Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site. www.theatreinthepark.net
E Buzz
Kathie Lee Gifford Confirms Taylor Swift Crashed Wedding
Does it seem to anyone else that Kathie Lee Gifford somehow managed to be in the middle everything? Maybe it's just me. Anyway....Thursday on "Today" Gifford confirmed reports that Taylor Swift and boyfriend Conor Kennedy crashed a wedding over the weekend. Gifford is the stepmother of the bride's mother and says Swift and her beau were asked to leave twice.
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Alanis Morissette on "Idol?"
Yet another celeb is expressing interest in being the next judge on "American Idol." This time it's Alanis Morissette. She told "Rolling Stone" she loves being a mentor and is open to the idea. Still no word on Nicki Minaj, who was rumored to be close to signing a deal.
"Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Sequel Delayed
Looks like there's been a delay in the sequel to "The Girl Who Played with Fire." The film was scheduled to come out in 2013, but a source close to the movie says the script is still being written. Both stars of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig, are confirmed for the second film.


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News & Updates
Event Calendar
April 18, 2014 (All day)
April 18, 2014 - 10:00am
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Resource Finder at Kennedy Krieger Institute
Submitted by admin on June 23, 2011 - 3:08pm
A free resource that provides access to information and support for individuals and families living with developmental disabilities.
Found 2 results
Redgrave GW, Bakker A, Bello NT, Caffo BS, Coughlin JW, Guarda AS, McEntee JE, Pekar JJ, Reinblatt SP, Verduzco G et al.. 2008. Differential brain activation in anorexia nervosa to Fat and Thin words during a Stroop task.. Neuroreport. 19(12):1181-5. Abstract
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The Smart Way to Pay Kids an Allowance
Research suggests that traditional payment methods might do more harm than good.
As for how much to pay children and when to begin, experts say it depends on the family, but they agree on some general guidelines. Henderson says that most three-year-olds are interested in learning about money, and that interest deepens as they get older, so starting conversations and even a regular allowance early can be helpful.
"As soon as a child's 'gimmes' are past the toddler stage and they recognize that it costs money to pay for things, which can be as early as four, then it's a good time to start," says Weinstein. Henderson and Weinstein, along with many other financial experts, recommend paying about $1 for every year old the child is, on a monthly or weekly basis.
Weinstein's six-year-old daughter recently used her allowance to purchase a book. On her way out of the store, she told her mom how happy she was with her purchase. The allowance system, says Weinstein, let her get "that feeling of working hard for something and now enjoying it"—which was music to her mother's ears.


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Ghost - Cream Parti Boy - F1b Home Raised Cutie!
• Male • $1,000
Cash-Adorable Goldendoodle Male
Banjo - F1b Mini Goldendoodle Male
• Male • $750
Joey - F1b Mini Goldendoodle Male
• Male • $1,100
Goldendoodle Puppy
Receive an email alert when additional Goldendoodle puppies are added. It's easy and free!
BREED: Goldendoodle Puppy
INCLUDES: Upgrade now for complete access
Puppies come with FREE Pet Insurance when adopted from NextDayPets.com! *Please ensure your breeder participates
goldendoodle puppies
Member Since: April 2012
Location: Salem, Oregon


text: Everyone loves a pregnant woman. (Proof: Stranger patting your belly on the el.)Make it a swell 40 weeks with the help of these maternity services.Stay in tip-top shape as you round out with You Grow Girl Fitness (sessions start at $100 per hour). Personal trainer Jen Dixon guides moms-to-be through stretches, cardio, and strength-training exercises in their homes, outside, or at a gym. Follow up with her postpartum to transition back to your old, nonjiggly self.Bum Bul Bee Photo + Films creates short films documenting life before and after baby ($750). Shutterbug Ashbey Riley comes to you to capture HD video, then syncs the footage to music to create a vignette available on DVD and for online sharing.Safety comes first, so set your protective eyes on classes from Chicago CPR ($35 per person). In a small group, you'll learn to handle infant choking and pick up tips on SIDS prevention, poison control, and car seat safety.Baby will need a wardrobe. Go easy on your budget and the environment with a subscription to Good Karma Clothing for Kids ($20-$45 per month). The local service delivers bundles of gently worn clothes to your door (brands commonly include Janie and Jack, Tea Collection, and BabyGap). When they're outgrown, return them for a new batch.It's just the bump you need.Photo: John Lund / Sam Diephuis / Getty Images BUYThumb & Pinky ClothingWhat: Dress the kids for sunshiney days in the locally designed line of tunics, skirts, shirts, vests, and more.Why: Fun Marimekko and African wax print fabrics are perfect for vacay.When: The temperature hits 70 degrees (again!).Where: Online at etsy.com.EXPLOREMythBusters: the Explosive ExhibitionWhat: Make like one of the Discovery Channel gurus and uncover truths behind science's popular myths at the hands-on exhibit.Why: Find out if running in the rain will keep you drier than walking.When: Thru Sept. 3.Where: Museum of Science and Industry, 5700 S. Lake Shore Dr., at 57th St. (773-684-1414). Children, $17; adults, $23.HUNTSoldier Field Spring Egg-StravaganzaWhat: Look for colored eggs and get down to a Radio Disney show.Why: A candy grab for kids 10 and under.When: Sat., 9 a.m.-noon.Where: 1410 S. Museum Campus Dr., at McFetridge Dr. (312-235-7000). Admission is free.


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|Agave Nectar: Worse Than We Thought
|Written by Sally Fallon Morell and Rami Nagel
|Friday, 01 May 2009 00:54
The Lowdown on High Fructose Corn Syrup and Agave ŌĆ£NectarŌĆØ
High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) entered the market place in the early 1970s and within twenty years, accounted for over half the refined sweeteners used in the U.S. food supply. Produced mainly by the two food processing giants, Archer Daniels Midland and Cargill, it is the main sweetener in soft drinks and is increasingly replacing sugar in baked goods, bread, cereals, canned fruits, jams and jellies, dairy desserts and flavored yoghurts. Sweeter and less expensive than sugar, HFCS represents the major change in the American diet over the last forty years. Although the food industry made this change very quietly, consumers are beginning to ask a lot of loud questions about the new sweetener as research accumulates to indicate that it is much worse for us than we thought.
Although the corn industry claims that HFCS received GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status when it filed for it in 1983, the FDA did not grant GRAS status until 1996 after considerable pressure from the industry, which was becoming nervous with the publication of negative research findings described in the first anti-HFCS articles.1
Growing consumer resistance to HFCS is the likely explanation for a recent industry campaign to put the new sweetener in a favorable light. Ads run on television and in popular magazines portray HFCS as benign and its critics as bossy, overbearing, unqualified and misinformed.
For example, a full-page ad in Better Homes and Gardens portrays two attractive women engaged in the following conversation: ŌĆ£My dry cleaner says high fructose corn syrup is loaded with calories.ŌĆØ
The reply: ŌĆ£A registered dietitian presses your shirts?ŌĆØ
Then comes the official statement: ŌĆ£ThereŌĆÖs a lot of misinformation out there about sugars made from corn. Truth is, high fructose corn syrup is nutritionally the same as table sugar. The same number of calories too. As registered dietitians recommend, keep enjoying the foods you love, just do it in moderation. We welcome a healthy discussion. Get the facts. YouŌĆÖre in for a sweet surprise. www.SweetSurprise.com.ŌĆØ2
On the surface, the official statement is true. Both HFCS and sugar have approximately the same number of calories, both are pure carbohydrate and both are virtually devoid of vitamins and minerals. For this reason alone, HFCS should be strictly avoided. Since refined carbohydrates, sugar and HFCS included, tend to be addictive, it is difficult to follow the platitudinous advice of registered dietitians who urge us to consume them in moderation. In fact, the entire food industry has succeeded very well over the past thirty years in getting Americans to consume far more than moderate amounts of refined sweeteners, particularly high fructose corn syrup. Between 1970 and 2000, the per capita consumption of HFCS in the U.S. increased from less than one pound per person to over sixty pounds yearly.3
There can be no debate about the fact that both sugar and HFCS, with their empty, depleting, addictive calories, are bad for you. But the real question is whether HFCS is actually worse for youŌĆömore depleting and more damagingŌĆö than ordinary sugar. The research indicates that it is.
The Obesity Debate
The public became aware of the possible downside of HFCS with the publication of a 2004 paper in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.4 Authors Bray and others noted the parallel increase in obesity and HFCS consumption in the U.S., and a number of columnists publicized his theory that, calorie for calorie, HFCS is more likely to cause weight gain than sugar.
The Bray paper provides an explanation for the mechanism whereby fructose would be more fattening. Sugar is a disaccharide that breaks down into two monosaccharidesŌĆöglucose and fructoseŌĆöin the intestinal tract. After absorption, fructose must pass through the liver. Small amounts of fructose added to glucose in the diet increase the production of glycogen (stored sugar) and reduce the release of glucose into the bloodstream, an outcome that is theoretically helpful to those suffering from type 2 diabetes. However, large amounts of fructose in the diet rapidly turn into fatty acidsŌĆöa process called ŌĆ£de novo lipogenesisŌĆØŌĆöwhich are then stored as fat or released into the bloodstream as triglycerides.
Small amounts of D-fructoseŌĆöthe type of fructose that human beings have traditionally consumed in fruitŌĆöcan actually be beneficial to diabetics because L-fructose does not stimulate insulin secretion. However, research indicates that insulin concentrations in the central nervous system have a direct inhibitory effect on food intakeŌĆöwhen insulin secretions increase, food consumption declines. Furthermore, insulin increases release of leptin, a hormone that also inhibits food intake. Individuals who are genetically unable to produce leptin are massively obese; low leptin concentrations are associated with increased hunger and gains in body fat.
Thus, to the extent that fructose inhibits insulin and leptin levels, one would expect an increase in food intake in a diet that includes HFCS. Bray cites a 2002 study by Teff and others, published in Diabetes, in which consumption of high-fructose meals reduced 24-hour plasma insulin and leptin concentrations and increased triglyceride levels in women.5 (Although published in a major medical journal, this study does not appear in a Medline search.)
According to Bray: ŌĆ£Because insulin and leptin act as key afferent signals in the regulation of food intake and body weight, this suggests that dietary fructose may contribute to increased energy intake and weight gain.ŌĆØ6
There is another difference between fructose and glucose metabolism. Glucose enters the cells through the action of insulin; fructose enters the cells through the action of something called Glut-5 transporter, which does not depend on insulin. This transporter is absent from pancreatic B-cells and the brain, which indicates limited entry of fructose into these tissues. Glucose provides ŌĆ£satietyŌĆØ signals to the brain, which fructose cannot provide because it is not transported into the brain.
Once inside the cells, fructose facilitates the formation of triglycerides more efficiently than does glucose. Bray references a study by Bantle and others in which a diet containing 17 percent fructose (very typical of todayŌĆÖs consumer), caused a highly significant increase of 32 percent triglyceride levels in the blood in male subjects, although not in female subjects.7
Bray also discusses the fact that sweetened beverages in general, as compared to sweeteners added to solid foods, have a greater tendency to cause weight gain, citing a randomized, double-blind European study by Rabin and others, which found that drinking calorically sweetened beverages resulted in greater weight gain over the ten-week study than did drinking diet drinks.8 Since the beverages in this study were sweetened with sucrose, Bray called for a second randomized controlled study to compare sucrose- and HFCS-sweetened beverages.
Industry Response
But instead of support for such a study, the industry has responded with a wallop of damage control in the form of a report by the Center for Food, Nutrition and Agriculture Policy.9 The study was supported by a gift from British sweetener company, Tate & Lyle, Inc.
The magnitude of deleterious effects from fructose varies depending on such factors as age, sex, baseline glucose, insulin levels, triglyceride concentrations, the presence of insulin resistance, and the amount of dietary fructose consumed.10 Some people are more sensitive to fructose than others. They include hypertensive, hyperinsulinemic, hypertriglyceridemic, non-insulin dependent diabetics, those with functional bowel disease and postmenopausal women.11 The expert panel was able to confuse the issue by citing studies carried out with individuals known to be less sensitive to fructose. Conspicuously absent in their review were the Teff, Bantle and Rabin studies cited by Bray.
The report dismisses both the epidemiological correlation and the large amount of research showing that HFCS is metabolized differently from sucrose. It also dismisses the fact that U.S. fructose consumption has increased over 30 percent since 1970, claiming instead that the fructose: glucose ratio (F:G) in the U.S. food supply has not appreciably changed since the introduction of HFCS in the 1960sŌĆöan amazing claim given the fact that the HFCS in sodas has a F:G ratio of 55:45, and the HFCS used in diet foods has a F:G ratio of 90:10.
While admitting that ŌĆ£studies analyzing the differences between HFCS and sucrose consumption and their contributions to weight gain do not exist,ŌĆØ the authors do not join Bray in calling for such a study. Instead, they conclude that HFCS ŌĆ£does not appear to contribute to overweight and obesity any differently than do other energy sources.ŌĆØ
The Big Dirty Secret About HFCS
Many researchers have pointed out that the fructose in HFCS is free, unbound fructose; it is not the same as the fructose in fruit, which is bound to other sugars and is part of a complex that includes fiber, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals.
Leaving this obvious difference aside, the industry would have the public believe that the fructose in fruit and in HFCS are chemically identical. However, in the chemical processing of high fructose corn syrup, the polarity of the molecule is flipped; the fructose in HFCS is not the same isomer as that of fructose in fruit. Moreover, in nature, fructose occurs as di and olgio saccharides, not free fructose, and this fructose sugar comes as a complex with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, pectin and fiber whereas enzymatically produced fructose does not. As explained by Russ Bianchi, Managing Director and CEO of Adept Solutions, Inc., a globally recognized food and beverage development company, the fructose in HFCS is therefore not recognized in the human Krebs cycle for primary conversion to blood glucose in any significant quantity, and therefore cannot be used for energy utilization.13 Instead, these refined fructose sweeteners are primarily converted into triglycerides and adipose tissue (body fat). In fact, a new study, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, found that obese people who drank a fructose-sweetened beverage with a meal had triglyceride levels almost 200 percent higher than obese people who drank a glucose-sweetened beverage with a meal.14
Chronic high triglycerides translate into increased insulin resistance, inflammation and heart disease. Thus, according to Bianchi, HFCS is a recipe for obesity, lack of energy and metabolic syndromeŌĆöthe very portrait of the modern American addicted to a diet of HFCS-sweetened sodas.
Agave ŌĆ£NectarŌĆØ to the Rescue
As the educated public has shied away from foods containing HFCS, the industry has brought a new sweetener on the scene, one used especially in foods aimed at the health-conscious consumer: agave ŌĆ£nectar.ŌĆØ Agave nectar is advertised as a ŌĆ£diabetic friendly,ŌĆØ raw, and ŌĆ£100% natural sweetener.ŌĆØ Yet it is none of these.
Agave nectar is found on the shelves of health food stores primarily under the labels, ŌĆ£Agave Nectar 100% Natural Sweetener,ŌĆØ and ŌĆ£Organic Raw Blue Agave Nectar.ŌĆØ In addition, it can be found in foods labeled as organic or raw, including ketchup, ice cream, chocolate and health food bars.
The implication of its name, along with the pictures and descriptions on the product labels, create the impression that agave is an unrefined sweetener that has been used for thousands of years by native people in central Mexico. ŌĆ£For thousands of years natives to central Mexico used different species of agave plants for medicine, as well as for building shelter.ŌĆØ Thus reads the copy on an agave package. And it is true that natives would allow the sweet sap or liquid of one species of agave to ferment naturally, which created a mildly alcoholic beverage with a very pungent flavor known as pulque. They also made a traditional sweetener from the agave sap or juice called miel de agave by simply boiling it for several hours. But, as one agave seller explains, the agave nectar purchased in stores is neither of these traditional foods: ŌĆ£Agave nectar is a newly created sweetener, having been developed during the 1990ŌĆÖs.ŌĆØ33
The Big Dirty Secret About Agave
In spite of manufacturersŌĆÖ claims, agave ŌĆ£nectarŌĆØ is not made from the sap of the yucca or agave plant but from the starch of the giant pineapple-like root bulb. The principal constituent of the agave root is starch, similar to the starch in corn or rice, and a complex carbohydrate called inulin, which is made up of chains of fructose molecules.Technically a highly indigestible fiber, inulin, which does not taste sweet, comprises about half of the carbohydrate content of agave.34
The process by which agave glucose and inulin are converted into ŌĆ£nectarŌĆØ is similar to the process by which corn starch is converted into HFCS.35 The agave starch is subject to an enzymatic and chemical process that converts the starch into a fructose-rich syrupŌĆöanywhere from 70 percent fructose and higher according to the agave nectar chemical profiles posted on agave nectar websites. 36 (One agave manufacturer claims that his product is made with ŌĆ£naturalŌĆØ enzymes.) ThatŌĆÖs right, the refined fructose in agave nectar is much more concentrated than the fructose in HFCS. For comparison, the high fructose corn syrup used in sodas is 55 percent refined fructose. (A natural agave product does exist in Mexico, a molasses type of syrup from concentrated plant nectar, but availability is limited and it is expensive to produce.)
According to Bianchi, agave ŌĆ£nectarŌĆØ and HFCS ŌĆ£are indeed made the same way, using a highly chemical process dependent on genetically modified enzymes". The manufacturing process also calls for caustic acids, clarifiers, filtration chemicals and so forth in the conversion of agave starches. The result is a high level of highly refined fructose in the remaining syrup, along with some remaining inulin.
In a confidential FDA letter, Dr. Martin Stutsman of the Food and Drug AdministrationŌĆÖs Office of Labeling Enforcement, explains the FDAŌĆÖs food labeling laws related to agave nectar: ŌĆ£Corn syrup treated with enzymes to enhance the fructose levels is to be labeled ŌĆśHigh Fructose Corn Syrup.ŌĆÖŌĆØ According to Mr. Stutsman, agave requires the label ŌĆ£hydrolyzed inulin syrup.ŌĆØ37 Even though, like corn, agave is a starch and fiber food processed with enzymes, it does not require the label ŌĆ£High Fructose Agave Syrup.ŌĆØ Agave ŌĆ£nectarŌĆØ is a misnomer; at the very least, it should be labeled ŌĆ£agave syrup.ŌĆØ
Agave syrup comes in two colors: clear or light, and amber. What is this difference? Mr. Bianchi explains: ŌĆ£Due to poor quality control in the agave processing plants in Mexico, sometimes the fructose gets burned after heat treatment above 140 degrees Fahrenheit, thus creating a darker, or amber color.ŌĆØ However, the labels create the impression of an artisan productŌĆölike light or amber beer. As consumers are learning about problems with agave syrup, the label ŌĆ£chicory syrupŌĆØ is beginning to appear as a non-conforming word for the product. Consumer beware!
The Saponin Problem
Yucca species are known to contain large quantities of saponins. The industry describes saponins in agave syrup as beneficial: ŌĆ£AgaveŌĆÖs rich density of saponins increases hydration as the soapy, surfactant nature of saponins change the wetting angle of water it contacts. This eases and accelerates cellular water uptake, especially when used with a high-quality salt.ŌĆØ38
However, the truth is that the saponins found in many varieties of agave plants are toxic steroid derivatives, capable of disrupting red blood cells and producing diarrhea and vomiting,39 to be avoided during pregnancy because they might cause or contribute to miscarriage by stimulating blood flow to the uterus.40 At the very least, agave products should carry a warning label indicating that the product may cause a miscarriage.
Just Say No to Agave
Since the FDA makes no effort to enforce food-labeling laws, consumers cannot be certain that what they are eating is what the label says it is. New sweeteners like agave syrup were introduced into the market to make a profit, not to make consumers healthy. Clever marketing has led many consumers to believe that the high level of fructose in agave syrup makes it a safe and a natural sweetener. Agave syrup labels do not conform to FDA labeling requirements, thus deepening the illusion of an unprocessed product. As we have demonstrated here, if a sweetener contains manufactured fructose, it is neither safe nor natural, especially at levels up to 70 percent.
Agave syrup is a manmade sweetener which has been through a complicated chemical refining process of enzymatic digestion, which converts the starch and fiber into the unbound, manmade chemical fructose. While high fructose agave syrup wonŌĆÖt spike your blood glucose levels, the fructose in it may cause mineral depletion, liver inflammation, hardening of the arteries, insulin resistance leading to diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and obesity.
If you want something sweet, eat a piece of fruit, not a candy bar labeled as a ŌĆ£health food.ŌĆØ If you want to create something sweet, use sweeteners known to be safer. For uncooked dishes, unheated raw honey or dates work well. For cooked dishes or sweet drinks, a good organic maple syrup, or even freshly juiced apple juice or orange juice can provide delicious and relatively safe sweetness; dehydrated cane sugar juice or maple sugar may be used in moderation in cookies and desserts that contain nutritious ingredients and good fats such as butter, egg yolks and nuts.
However, to be healthy, we cannot eat sugar all day, no matter how natural the form. One should limit total sweetener consumption to less than five percent of daily calories. For a diet of 2500 calories per day, thatŌĆÖs less than three tablespoons of honey, maple syrup or dehydrated cane sugar juice, or several pieces of fruit. And many people do best by avoiding sweeteners completely.
The lack of standards in the health food world comes as depressing news; but let this news encourage you to consume more pure and unrefined foods and sweeteners. Good health depends on wise food choices, and wise food choices depend on constant vigilance.
How Corn Sweeteners Are Made
Called ŌĆ£one of the greatest achievements in the sugar industry,ŌĆØ the development of the various types of corn syrups, maltodextrins and high-fructose corn syrup from corn starch sources, represents the pinnacle of food processing. Corn starch can be hydrolyzed into glucose relatively easily, but it was not until the 1970s that it became a major commercial product, bringing about major changes in the food industry.
Corn starch is processed and refined from the kernels of corn by using a series of steeping (swelling the kernel), separation and grinding processes to separate the starch from the other parts of the kernel (which are used for animal feed.).The starch is hydrolyzed using acid, acid-enzyme, or enzyme-enzyme catalyzed processes. The first enzyme is generally a thermally stable alpha amylase which produces about 10-20 percent glucose. Further treatment with the enzyme glucoamylase yields 93-96 percent glucose. The final corn syrup (glucose syrup) products include dried corn syrup, maltodextrin and dextrose (glucose).
With the development of glucoamylase in the 1940s and 1950s, it became a straightforward matter to produce concentrated glucose syrups (corn syrup). However, these have shortcomings in the sweetener industry. D-glucose has only about 70 percent of the sweetness of sucrose, on a weight basis, and is comparatively insoluble. Fructose is 30 percent sweeter than sucrose, on a weight basis, and twice as soluble as glucose at low temperatures, so a 50 percent conversion of glucose to fructose overcomes both problems, giving a stable syrup that is as sweet as a sucrose solution of the same concentration.
According to food industry literature, one of the ŌĆ£triumphsŌĆØ of enzyme technology so far has been the development of glucose isomerase, which in turn led to the commercialization of high fructose corn syrups. Several types of bacteria can produce such glucose isomerases. The enzymes are resistant to thermal denaturation and will act at very high substrate concentrations, which means that they are stable at higher operational temperatures and can be used over and over during processing. This is key to the production of an inexpensive substitute for sugar.
Glucose isomerases convert the glucose in corn syrup into fructose, resulting in high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). HFCS comes in three different formulations. Forty-two percent fructose corn syrup is used mostly in processed foods like pastries, cookies and ketchup. However, soft drink manufacturers requested a higher-fructose blend, one containing 55 percent fructose. This is produced by using vast chromatographic columns of zeolites or the calcium salts of cation exchange resins to absorb and separate the fructose from the other components. A very sweet 90 percent high fructose corn syrup is used as a sweetener in low-calorie ŌĆ£dietŌĆØ products.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_fructose_corn_syrup
A Return to Sugar?
A recent Wall Street Journal article (January 11, 2006) reports that many outfits are importing Coca-Cola from Mexico into the U.S., not because Mexican Coke is cheaper (itŌĆÖs actually more expensive), but because in Mexico it is made with sugar, which many consumers prefer. By one estimate, such imports have eroded up to 25 percent of total U.S. sales. Pepsi and Coke are testing demand with Kosher-for-Passover versions of the soft drinks containing sugar rather than HFCS. (Corn is one of the grains forbidden at Passover.) According to one report, Pepsi and Mountain Dew will test consumer preferences with sodas made from sugar for a limited time starting in April, and Snapple has made a permanent switch from HFCS to sugar (webstv.com, February 23, 2009).
Mercury in HFCS
Almost half of tested samples of commercial high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) contains mercury, which was also found in nearly a third of 55 popular brand-name food and beverage products where HFCS is the first- or second-highest labeled ingredient, according to two new U.S. studies.
In the first study, published in Environmental Health, researchers found detectable levels of mercury in nine of twenty samples of commercial HFCS. And in the second study, the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), a non-profit watchdog group, found that nearly one in three of fifty-five brand-name foods contained mercury. The chemical was found most commonly in HFCS-containing dairy products, dressings and condiments.
ŌĆ£Mercury is toxic in all its forms. Given how much high-fructose corn syrup is consumed by children, it could be a significant additional source of mercury never before considered. We are calling for immediate changes by industry and the [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] to help stop this avoidable mercury contamination of the food supply,ŌĆØ said Dr. David Wallinga, a co-author of both studies.
The most likely source of the mercury is mercury-containing caustic soda, used in the production of HFCS. ŌĆ£This study appears to be based on outdated information of dubious significance,ŌĆØ said Audrae Erickson, president of the Corn Refiners Association, in a statement. ŌĆ£Our industry has used mercury-free versions of the two re-agents mentioned in the study, hydrochloric acid and caustic soda, for several years.ŌĆØ
However, the IATP told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that four plants in Georgia, Tennessee, Ohio and West Virginia still use ŌĆ£mercury-cellŌĆØ technology that can lead to contamination.
ŌĆ£The bad news is that nobody knows whether or not their soda or snack food contains HFCS made from ingredients like caustic soda contaminated with mercury. The good news is that mercury-free HFCS ingredients exist. Food companies just need a good push to only use those ingredients,ŌĆØ Wallinga said in his prepared statement (Washington Post, January 28, 2009).
The industry response: ŌĆ£The articleŌĆÖs authors and IATP engage in unfounded claims and speculations based on scant data of questionable quality. High fructose corn syrup is safe for use in foods and beverages. To imply that there is a safety concern based on this incomplete and flawed report is irresponsibleŌĆØ (www.sweetsurprise.com).
Other Concerns About HFCS
Bees on HFCS
According to USDA, approximately 420 million pounds of honey is produced each year for human consumption in North America. Most people believe that honey is produced throughout the year. However, true natural honey, whether USDA-certified or not, in various grades, is only produced in the mid spring to late summer, when the biological materials are readily available for bees to digest, convert and regurgitate.
So how is honey production in many regions maintained continuously into the fall and early in the spring, when the sources for conversion do not exist? The answer is the widespread practice of feeding bees refined sucrose or refined crystallized or liquid HFCS during the months when pollen and nectar are not available. The bees then run the sweetener through their digestive tracts. The resulting product is labeled as honey but it may not have the same quality as natural honey.
Millions of beehives worldwide have emptied out as honey bees mysteriously disappear, putting at risk nearly a hundred crops that require pollination. One explanation is the toxic effect of HFCS on the bees, in addition to the stress of additional months of honey production, leading to reduced immunity and eventually to mite infestation.
The Agave Industry
In the year 2000, with warrants in hand, federal agents from the Office of Criminal Investigations of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) came banging on the door of North AmericaŌĆÖs largest agave nectar distributor, Western Commerce Corporation in California. In an extremely rare case of the FDA protecting consumer interests (rather than supporting big business, while shutting down legitimate and health consciousness competition), they discovered that Western Commerce Corporation was adulterating their agave syrup with high fructose corn syrup (to lower the cost even more and increase profit margins). While the federal agents confiscated material in the warehouse, the owners of Western Commerce Corporation were nowhere to be found. Those who ran the company fled the country with millions of dollars in assets to avoid criminal prosecution.
This adulterated agave syrup (refined fructose) was also labeled as certified organic to fool consumers into thinking they were getting a pure product. This shows you how unverified organic labels are used in the USA.
Today, high fructose agave syrup is made primarily by two companies: Nekutli, and IIDEA. A third agave marketer, by the name of Volcanic, has a suspicious claim on their website. ŌĆ£If your agave comes from one of the other two companies in Mexico, something has been added.ŌĆØ They are referring to Nekutli and IIDEA. Their claim is based upon an analysis, which they say shows that VolcanicŌĆÖs agave nectar has a lower level of refined fructose.
After Western Commerce Corporation was shut down, the large retail establishments in the food industry stayed away from agave syrups. They knew better than to risk lawsuits and consumer fraud. ŌĆ£They understood that agave was criminally mislabeled per the U.S. Code of Federal Regulation labeling laws, with an untried sweetener, new to the market, that contained saponins, and was not clearly approved as safe for use,ŌĆØ explains Mr. Bianchi.
For many years following this bust, the supermarket and health food store industry avoided using agave. But recently, some sellers in the agave syrup field, once quiet, have begun sneaking back into the food and beverage chains. And retail food giants like Whole Foods, WegmanŌĆÖs, Trader JoeŌĆÖs and Kroger, who should know better, and who should know the food labeling laws and requirements, still have no hesitation in selling the toxic, unapproved and mislabeled refined fructose agave syrup, as well as products containing it.
Source: Russ Bianchi
The Snack Bar Business
A good example of the recent shift in consumer awareness about food ingredients is found in the category of snack, diet, functional and energy bars. In 1989, in the USA and Canada, the total granola, breakfast, snack and energy bar market was less than $60 million yearly, with twelve major brands. In 2004, according to several industry sources, the market share was approximately $3.2 billion with twenty-five major brands. During this period, the major multinationals acquired many of the smaller brands, and when they did so, often switched to cheaper ingredients such as HFCS.
We have clear economic evidence that consumers are reading ingredient labels and avoiding refined sweetener intake, because the bar sector that has used more natural sweeteners has taken almost 100 percent of its market share from those made with refined sweeteners. The successful bar brands avoid polyols (like malitol and xylitol), glycerin, HFCS, maltodextrin and refined sucrose. Multinationals that failed to heed the lesson on why these brands were successful have lost market share to those that do understand this fact. The days of confusing or tricking the consumer are waning.
A similar economic shift has occurred in the European Union (EU) over genetically modified organisms, and to a lesser extent organic ingredient sourcing. American suppliers lost hundreds of millions of dollars in market share, virtually overnight, to suppliers who had foreseen the fact that authentic GMO-free raw material sources were not merely requested by consumers, but demanded.
The refined sweetener category is equally problematic in the EU, as elsewhere, because consumers are increasingly likely to read ingredient labels. Many major brands on American supermarket shelves in the early 1990s have been acquired or have disappeared, because their labels looked like chemistry catalogs. Consumers are waking up to phony and illegal avoidance labeling, often found in the American natural health food sector, with such fanciful labels as hydrolyzed protein to avoid the term ŌĆ£MSG,ŌĆØ ŌĆ£evaporated cane juiceŌĆØ to avoid the term ŌĆ£sugar,ŌĆØ and ŌĆ£agave syrupŌĆØ or ŌĆ£chicory syrupŌĆØ for hydrolyzed high fructose inulin syrup.
Source: Russ Bianchi
The authors are grateful for the information provided by Russ Bianchi, Managing Director and CEO of ADEPT SOLUTIONS, INC, a Soquel, California, based global product development creation, conversion, and stabilization company. Mr. Bianchi has three decadesŌĆÖ experience in many thousands of successful food, beverage, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, confectionery, flavor, and functional, as well as dietary supplement and brand development.
This article appeared in Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts, the quarterly magazine of the Weston A. Price Foundation, Spring 2009.
About the Authors
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Comments (34)
Stop thinking everything is for financial gain.
written by Megan, Mar 04 2014
It's somehow easy for people to believe that corporations, because they are businesses, do you everything for financial gain. This simply is not true. Craporations do not actually need money that badly that they could not make up for it by actually producing products that are not compromising to humans. And if organizations such as the FDA cared about humans, they would be strong enough to stop craporations from creating ridiculous products.
Here's what might come as a newsflash: the FDA has such ridiculous standards, because they want corporations to be able to wriggle their way past them. Yes. They WANT.
And corporations create these products because they are designed and operated to make your life full of hardship. Think of all of the things that they know, that they do NOT do in your favor, and maybe you'll see this.
For instance: peanut butter is made from PEANUTS. But if you buy peanut butter at the store, no doubt it usually has more than just peanuts in it. And the varieties with the least amount of "extra" ingredients are the most expensive. The varieties with the MOST "extras" are the least expensive. And what are those extras? Sweeteners, salts, various oils, and at times other ingredients. which do you think costs LESS to make? You must be thinking that it costs less to make it with added ingredients...and you'd be right.
That's because these companies are subsidized to add ingredients to EVERYTHING...and that is to make an effort to make sure that you ingest some of it, somehow, somewhere...if only by chance.
Of course, lest you allow yourself to be distracted by the word "subsidized", and think that that means "for profits", just try to think again. The percentage that the subsidy applies to one jar of peanut butter is so negligible as to be worth one peanut. Which means, that all they'd have to do to offset the lack of the subsidy is ask for the retail value of one more peanut from the customer.
How much do you think that sales would fall if they were do that for a jar of peanut butter made from just peanuts?
Corporations do not need money. They were started by people who have endless surpluses of financial resources...otherwise they wouldn't have had the money to start their big company.
The only ones who do need the money are the smaller ones, and they are controlled and often owned by larger corporations. The only way to make sure that you aren't ingesting unwanted invaders is to make your own, grow your own, and take care of your own.
Agave syrup...I don't know anything about it. But have seen it, tried it, but don't and never have trusted it. The same with honey that I find in Walmart, or ANY other foodstore. Even that found in organic food stores. If you can get it from someone who has hives and find out what they feed their bees. Some producers of honey feed their bees with HFCS like substances.
If the govt cared about your health, they would subsidize right practices, like peanut butter with only peanuts and honey from bees fed with their own honey.
Nice details but it lacks the important ones.
written by Charles Yarbrough, Feb 12 2014
If Agave is mass produced with chemicals like HFCS than what is the process and what is the chemicals? I would think one paragraph could sum this up,
By just generalizing with the term chemicals, it seems like you are just trying to say something bad with the facts.
tell us something we don't know
written by demelzabunny, Jan 06 2014
Ya think big food conglomorates want us to consume mass quantities of HFCS? You betcha! Why? 'Cause it raises their profit margins; duh!!! Sound like something we're very familiar with? A clue: you can smoke them...
Is this article poorly researched and inflammatory? Also true! It would be nice to find out what foods are REALLY good and bad for us, but until everyone - and I do mean everyone - is willing to give up their personal agendas to supply consumers with the truth about what we eat, we ain't never gonna know what's good for us and what isn't.
Dan's Low Carb Journey
written by Dan Moffett, Jan 03 2014
I would like to think the Weston A Price Foundation for the role they played in helping me lose 160 pounds and lots of health problems. Since I first saw the video you did on the USDA food pyramid I have been a fan.
written by health-seeker, Dec 07 2013
This is a shock! My co-worker (thinner than me) had said Agave is healthy; but we were misinformed; because while the agave growing in nature & Sugar Cane growing in nature is healthy; the processed foods created from them (sugar & Agave nectar) are bad.
I use Stevia extract as sweetener which i heard is good for Diabetics etc. I eat only whole grain products; no white flour aloud. Some whole fruit is great; but the juice is bad (sugar) From my reading it seems we should eat lots of vegetables, leafy greens, sweet potatoes, coconut oil, unsweetened coconut milk, cinnamon, beans, pistachios, creamy unsweetened peanut butter, along with some wild-caught fish, cage-free humane organic eggs, cage-free organic meats (Organ meats are cheap and nutritious & Lamb ok too) , some Stevia extract, .
Combine this with physical activity, vitamin D, fiber, good books, fun, fairness, freedom , independence, good jobs, fun with friends and family, good sleep, . Avoid sugar, soda, white flour pasta, white flour bread, white rice, baloney, booze, cigarettes, drugs, torture of people, torture of animals, sugary drinks, potato chips, ; like the PLAGUE!
Is Grade B Maple syrup good? Is blackstrap molasses good? I read that if you get sugar cane from field , rinse it and squeeze out the juice; that this is healthy and low-glycemic; used by natives. It is the sugar that is bad.
We should never torture humans or animals. We should never waste or kill for sport; use everything logically. Hunting is far LESS cruel and dirty than factory-farms.
written by April, Oct 10 2013
This article is so full of blatant untruths it actually astounds me. Even the reply from Russ Bianchi, through someone else, is factually incorrect. I'm amazed this was written at all. Does Bianchi actually know what saponins are?? Found in many foods we eat.... as is fructose. I think anyone that reads this, should do their own research. Research Agave Nectar, HFCS ( two different things), and Russ Bianchi. I think this man and Dr Mercola need to be exposed for the frauds they are, not agave nectar. I'm totally baffled as to how people read such a poorly written, factually incorrect article and believe it.
Is this the article you cannot find?
written by katier, May 03 2012
written by Notmybody, Mar 13 2012
I feel the HFCS industry has teamed up with the agave industry in fear of losing profits, once the bad news got out that HFCS was damaging to our health. So they've treacherously, continued to profit off sugaring us all up with such misleading products! Unfortunately, I haven't just discovered this product and used it briefly, I've been duped for the past 13 years using this freely and excessively, since I have a sweet tooth! I have been getting all health-related symptoms for the past 10 years, which agave has been documented as causing! I'm wondering how many people have been damaged by the use of this product over a long period of time, and if there is any class A lawsuit being taken against this industry?
written by Mari, Feb 08 2012
I have always been confused about agave nectar, thank you for clarifying it for me!
Please Correct
written by Andrew, Aug 22 2011
As an amateur in organic chemistry, I found this article mind bogglingly confusing. I usually relish the well researched articles I read here and am shocked by false statements like these:
"Small amounts of D-fructoseŌĆöthe type of fructose that human beings have traditionally consumed in fruitŌĆöcan actually be beneficial to diabetics because L-fructose [sic.] does not stimulate insulin secretion."
"However, most of the fructose in fruit is in the form of D-fructose or levulose; the fructose in HFCS is a different isomer, L-fructose."
Is there any way a correction to this article could be written (if it already exists please excuse me)?
The fact that this misinformed article is the first link that pops up when I search for "fructose" on the site is a bit disgraceful.
I apologize for my tone, but I hold the WAPF in such esteem that I find it really hard to see misinformation tainting the otherwise beautiful resource that is presented here.
written by darla, Aug 18 2011
yeah...and when soy milk came on the market....the milk producers say soy milk causes breast cancer! boy oh boy! what a shame!
Is the correct Fructose ID'd here in the article
written by Michael Koren, May 06 2011
I know this seems like a minor point in an article that is so well done summarizing the recent research, but all my previous reading says that the BAD Fructose is the D-Fructose, the the L-Fructose which is the reverse stated in this article.
D-Fructose is also known as Levulose for the molecule being twisted in a clockwise (or right) direction. The kind in fruit. Additionally, some authorities in the industry have requested that authors stop using capital D and L and change to lower case, again from what I've picked up in reading on this very serious issue.
So while I have closely admired and followed Sally Fallon and the Weston Price organization, it looks to me like these points were sloppily handled and it is worrisome when so much garbage is being thrown around by the sugar industry in the public domain.
written by erin, Apr 25 2011
I've really come to trust WAPF as a nutrition resource. Incredibly disappointed at the level of inaccuracy and vitriolic tone of this article.
coconut nectar
written by park, Mar 27 2011
does anyone thing coconut nectar would be a good replacement?
written by sabrina vollers, Mar 24 2011
the blanket statement that "Glucose enters the cells through the action of insulin," is not true and is entirely misleading in its stated context of glucose versus fructose metabolism.
There are 14 different glucose transporter (GLUT) proteins in the body (you mention GLUT 5, which also transports fructose, as do several other class 2 GLUTs). While GLUT 4 (expressed in cardiac, skeletal, and adipose cells) is insulin-sensitive, GLUT 1, which is the basal and ubiquitously expressed glucose transporter, is not insulin-sensitive at all. Cellular glucose uptake by the vast majority of the glucose transporters is independent of insulin, so your assertion that this represents a major difference in glucose and fructose metabolism is incorrect.
written by Polyanna1, Sep 17 2010
I have a bottle of 'Raw Pure Organic Agave Nector' produced at temps below 115 degrees F. The brand is Madhava. Product of Mexico. Is this OK to consume?
Mary is right
written by Sarah, Jun 17 2010
The commenter Mary below is absolutely right, which begs the question - why doesn't Bianchi publish his own articles and why is his response posted by Tim Boyd? The science presented about agave in this article is entirely wrong.
Among many other problems, you've confused your left-handed and right-handed isomers -- see the full explanation here: http://betterworldcookies.blog...on-of.html
There is so much valuable information on this website which is rigorously researched and well presented -- sloppy articles like this one are disappointing, to say the least. Ms. Fallon, please look more closely at Mr. Nagel's contribution to this article and clean it up.
Reply to Mary from Russ Bianchi
written by Tim Boyd, Mar 08 2010
1. Agave is an ILLEGAL ingredient descriptor per US Federal Code of Federal Regulation. It must be labeled as HYDROLYZED HIGH FRUCTOSE INULIN SYRUP per FDA written affirmation as of May 2000 amd recently recorded as such in the US Fedral Registewr by the FDA..
2. The illegal and fraudulent ingredient is NOT fructans as falsely cliaimed, it is a highly refined and bad-for-you chemically altered fructose that causes obesity and increases insulin resistance and diabetes complications.
3. The illegal ingredient is NOT Generally Recognized As Safe. (GRAS), which is required by law for use in the American food Chain.
4. The illegal ingredient was and remains abandoned in main stream brand use.
5. The illegal ingredient is highly allergenic and organic certification is fraudulent.
6. The illegal ingredient contains saponins that cause internal red blood cell membrane deterioration and hemmoraghin which leads to red blood cell clumping, and it is proven to cause spontaneous abortion in pregnant women.
7. The illegal ingredient remains one of the single largest consumer frauds in the history of the natural health food industry and was successfully criminally prosecuted by the Office of Criminal Investigations of the FDA.
this article is poorly researched
written by Mary, Mar 06 2010
While it is true that 90% of the agave nectar on the market is highly processed in spite of marketing claims, Russ Bianchi has some serious holes in his arguments. As another commenter stated, Agave does not have stored starch, only fructans. Fructans have been studied & shown to be highly beneficial acting as a pre-biotic selectively feeding & stimulating the growth of beneficial bacteria/flora in the digestive tract. They are not broken down in the stomach acid, but instead are able to persist to the intestines where they promote colonization of good bacteria subsequently assisting in the elimination of yeast & bad bacteria thus greatly promoting overall health. This is also a contributing factor to it being such a healthy sugar as your body can only break it down slowly. Additionally this article states that Agave comes only the starchy root ball. This is all wrong. The plant heart is tapped for free flowing nectar for years until the plant reaches the height of its prime (approx 10 - 15 yrs.), then all the leaves are cut off leaving the heart - that round pineapple looking ball - which is then cut off from the root, split into pieces & mechanically pressed for any remaining nectar. Again, this is the heart, similar to a palm heart, not a dug up root. The root remains in the ground which will produce a new plant or "clone" plant. Overall, of course one must be careful & know their source of Agave Nectar. There have been many reports & independent lab analysis showing that some Agaves have been cut with cheap corn syrup. Sally Fallon I am usually your biggest fan, but this witch hunt is ill-informed & disadvantageous at best. Rami Nagel also re-wrote this story on Natural News as a guest citizen writer, for which Mike Addams(founder of Natural News) so troubled by the inaccuracies in Nagel/Bianchi's story, felt it necessary to publish a follow-up Rebuttal to what he called a "misinformed attack" on the natural sweetener. You can read it here: http://www.naturalnews.com/025...ugars.html
sugar and yeast free diet
written by Jill, Mar 04 2010
My autistic daughter and I are on sugar yeast free diets. Stevia does not affect us at all and we make virtually everything with this. Tried agave syrup...affected my daughter immediately so we don't use it. However, there is a ketchup which has the agave syrup in it, and NO vinegar and this does not affect her.
What about other stuff?
written by J Brad Britton, Feb 16 2010
Wow! This article is quite enlightening! So what do we know about stevia and xylitol?
written by Katherine, Feb 16 2010
So many other natural less complicated, less processed sweeteners out there! I'll stick to honey, maple, molasses and stevia, thank you!
Advertising Exec
written by Meghan, Feb 16 2010
I'm also curious what your thoughts are on Yacon Syrup. And Palm sugar.
I'm a hypoglycemic who loves sweets and feeling like there really may be no healthful alternative to sugar that won't negatively affect my blood sugar levels. I sometimes use small quantities of maple sugar or xylitol and mix in sweet fruits like dates (but those are so high in sugar) but have issue with both of those products as well. Is there nothing else?
written by Sharon Finnegan Terleski, Feb 15 2010
Thank you so very much for this article which clarifies and expands what I've observed for years about the increasing levels of sweetness from dubious sources. I have sensitivities to most commercially-produced "edible products", known euphemistically as "food", and have for perhaps twenty years advocated a return to "homemade from scratch" foods, and an avoidance of processed pre-packaged convenience "foods". Thanks to this article, I can now present my family and friends with a clear, concise "crash course" in sugar-related nutrition which I hope will result in better overall health for all of us. Again, thank you for this article; you may have saved some lives today!
written by Agavin, Feb 15 2010
Your information about agaves is way off. There is no storage starch in agaves, its carbohydrate load is entirely fructans (and, again, not actually inulin, but agavin [L├│pez, M.G. and Ur├Łas-Silvas, J.E. 2007. PREBIOTIC EFFECT OF FRUCTANS FROM AGAVE, DASYLIRION AND NOPAL. Acta Hort. (ISHS) 744:397-404
Agaves have been eaten by people for 10,000 years across arid North America. While there may be issues with the industrial processing of the plant for sweeteners, the plant itself is a perfectly safe food when prepared properly. Saponins break down
written by daralyn, Feb 12 2010
This is amazing about agave, and so awful for diabetics who think agave is safe for them. I will go back to raw honey maple syrup. Thank you
Meetup Organizer
written by Heather D, Feb 04 2010
Great, now I have to throw away another bottle of something thanks to this site.
But I'm glad I only got halfway through before learning the truth. The wholesome looking label on my Agave Nectar had me convinced I'd found the perfect coffee sweetener, but something kept nagging me to look further into any new and exotic product, especially after becoming so aware of the HFCS dangers.
Thank you Weston A. Price for turning me into a skeptic of the new foods the scientists and food processors push upon us.
Neither as scurrilous nor as healthy as believed
written by Karen Vaughan, Feb 02 2010
While there are different manufacturers with different processes, many do not use GMO enzymes or caustic chemicals. Still it is fructose, while not as stripped down as HFCS is still responsible for five times the de novo lipogenesis as glucose. I don't think the saponins are a serious problem unless one gorges on the stuff.
written by pAL, Jan 26 2010
I find that all grain sweeteners especially corn, including agave, contribute to "jitter-wobbling" while in yoga balance postures. When I avoid these sweeteners for a few days, 3-5, I'm as solid as a rock -__- Fresh corn, corn chips and
The truth is sweet.
written by Steve Vandever, Jan 25 2010
I followed the "Sweet Surprise" link only to be greeted with the familiar "WARNING! This site has a poor reputation." notice from Word of Trust (WOT). I highly recommend Word of Trust as a tool for consumer protection on the web, like I recommend WAPF for protection from food poisoners.
Great Investigation
written by chris, Jan 21 2010
I am grateful we have people here who are willing to investigate the real truth.
Trickery and mockery-
written by Bonny Jones, Jan 17 2010
Here we are once again fooled by corporations who have no interest in our health, just in their pocket books.
Thank Goodness for Sally Fallon and Organizations like Weston A. Price Foundation, and OCA to help pave the way for those of us. I feel so offended when I read about this. It is vitally important to do our due diligence so we are made made fools by the industry.
written by Gregg Webber, Jan 11 2010
The wholesome foods website states that their product does indeed come from the blue agave plant. Since the product is also labeled organic would this not require no chemicals to be used in processing?
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|Last Updated on Friday, 04 November 2011 16:01


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The Madrid perspective
As United head to the Bernabeu for Wednesday's Champions League match, ESPNFC Real Madrid correspondent Nichlolas Rigg answered some questions for us on the game.
- The Manchester United perspective
- Video: How will Madrid beat United?
MP: How do you think Madrid will/should line up Wednesday?
NR: I'd go with Diego Lopez in goal, with a back four of Alvaro Arbeloa, Raphael Varane, Sergio Ramos and Fabio Coentrao, a midfield two of Xabi Alonso and Sami Khedira, an attacking trio of Cristiano Ronaldo, out of the left, Angel di Maria on the right and Mesut Ozil just behind Karim Benzema.
Most of that Jose Mourinho should go with, but Pepe returned at the weekend from the bench so he could feature in place of Raphael Varane. Either way, Madrid shouldn't line up much differently to a usual La Liga match, pressuring all over the park, massively dangerous on the counterattack and vulnerable from set pieces.
MP: How are confidence levels of getting a good result at the Bernabeu and progressing to the next round after the Old Trafford leg?
NR: Good question. Confidence levels around the Bernabeu, on the whole, are pretty low given the season Madrid has endured so far, but there's a sense that the slate has almost been wiped clean for the Champions League, the club's obsession -- a 10th possible triumph this season. The league is a write-off and the Copa del Rey is minor, leaving Los Blancos fully focused on Europe and leaving confidence levels for this competition high.
Madrid always believes it can win the Champions League, regardless of the season the team is having. The starting 11 may have been "Jekyll and Hyde" this season, but Madrid should be confident that starting 11 can win the competition this season -- they're capable of beating anyone on their day.
MP: What would be a good result for Madrid on Wednesday?
NR: Madrid will be looking to take an advantage from the home leg, no doubt about it. Confidence is already brittle thanks to the current poor showing domestically, and a failure to beat United at home would probably hit that confidence for the return leg -- the pressure would be on. As much as Mourinho, his men, and Madridistas would love a comfortable victory, a slender 1-0 win would be almost ideal. A lead, without conceding an away goal, and tactics that suit playing away from home and hitting on the break down to a tee.
Madrid has been better away from home in the big matches of late -- just ask Barcelona -- so a failure to make their progression signed, sealed and delivered at home will be no big worry for Mourinho's men.
MP: Madrid are a shambles in La Liga this season -- how have things gone so wrong after last season's record-breaking exploits?
NR: The team is the same one that broke records galore in the league last season, plus a few extra players. Problems have been present throughout the squad all season, however, and mainly off the pitch. Mainly between the manager and key personnel in the dressing room, it's been said that some -- Iker Casillas, Ramos -- have not been playing for their boss this term. Arguments here, arguments there.
Injuries, too, haven't helped. Madrid's defence has been ravaged, with Marcelo out for large parts of the season and Coentrao, too. Ramos has missed plenty because of suspension -- discipline has been another big problem within the squad. Possibly a lack of hunger, too, given just how good Madrid were last season.
MP: What do you think about Ronaldo being "sad" earlier in the season? Do you think we might see him back at Old Trafford?
NR: United fans know as well as Madrid fans that Ronaldo is the kind of player who loves to be loved. He needs to be the centre of attention and he needs the love of his teammates, his manager and the supporters. He felt he didn't have that at the start of the season -- now he does. Good news for Madrid, bad news for United. I don't think it's down to money -- Ronaldo said as much. Never say never about a return to Manchester. I think he'll see out his contract but I'm sure there will be offers elsewhere -- if someone can afford him. Think PSG and Milan, although the Italians would have trouble stumping up the cash.
MP: Who will be your key men, in your opinion?
NR: Ronaldo is a given, but so much focus is being put on him that many are forgetting the world-class lineup Madrid has. Ozil has not been far behind Cristiano this season and he'll be a tricky customer for United. For me, Alonso and Khedira are the heartbeat of the team and the latter has been an absolute machine in 2013, adding attack to his stubborn defence in the engine room. They make Madrid tick and they will be crucial over the two legs in defence and attack.
MP: And what about any weaknesses you're afraid United may exploit?
NR: Defending set pieces has been Madrid's obvious problem this season. I don't have the stats, but it's safe to say plenty of goals have been conceded from corners and free kicks. A lack of understanding between the back four and Casillas was bad enough, but with Casillas' injury, Mourinho brought in Lopez as cover and he's still fashioning an understanding with a back four that continues to change.
MP: Do you think Mourinho will stay or go? Why? Which would you prefer? Who could they go for next?
NR: I'd love him to stay, but I think it's too late for that. It's a shame that players can dictate a manager's outcome, but I think that's the way it will go. Too much has happened this season for Mou to stay, whether he wins the Champions League or not. PSG has been mentioned, but Mourinho said this week his next stop will be England. If I was a betting man, I'd go for a return to Chelsea come the summer. Plenty of names have been bandied about: Joachim Loew, Carlo Ancelotti, Jurgen Klopp, even Rafa Benitez and former player Michael Laudrup.
Follow Mark on twitter @markjpayne; Follow Nicholas @Nicholasrigg


text:
Plague (cont.)
Medical Author:
Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD
Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD
Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.
Medical Editor:
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
In this Article
What are plague symptoms and signs?
Comment on this
The symptoms of plague can be progressive; however, most investigators break the symptoms into three different groups because plague is often described in three types: bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic. A patient can also present with the symptoms of only one type of plague. Untreated plague may show progressive symptoms that can overlap; however, the following will describe those symptoms and signs that predominate during the three general types of plague:
Untreated bubonic plague may progress and produce symptoms of both septicemic and pneumonic plague, while septicemic plague may progress to produce pneumonic plague. However, pneumonic plague is the most serious and lethal form of plague, and while the patient may develop septicemic symptoms, the pneumonic symptoms are the most serious. Nonetheless, all three plague types can be fatal to a patient.
Medically Reviewed by a Doctor on 10/30/2013
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NETHERWORLD Haunted House is a walk-through dark attraction filled with terrifying live actors, amazing special effects, and incredible monsters.
Thanks for a GREAT season! See you September 2014!
A NETHERWORLD Haunted House Inspired Movie?
Some big Netherworld fans (who also just happen to be film-makers) want to make it so!
Check out their Kickstarter here! http://bit.ly/NWFilmProject
"It's called the Netherworld Film Project. A project with the simple goal of creating a feature length film shot on location in the Netherworld Haunted House using its' amazing creatures and horrifying characters."
We've had lots of productions shoot on location at Netherworld, including the Smash Hit Zombieland, but if this project gets off the ground it will be the first time that the haunt itself will be one of the stars. Help spread the word by sharing and maybe this crazy idea will become a reality!
What are your thoughts? Who out there would be interested in seeing this film if it gets made and just out of curiosity, if it does get made, what would you want to see more of?
(please note: the above notification is for information purposes only and is not a solicitation for investment)
Missing the screams and fun of Haunted House season?
Missing the screams and fun of Haunted House season? Sit back and enjoy some classic scares from NETHERWORLD Haunted House 2013!
<< Visit the Netherworld News Blog for More Stories


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Stan Soloway praises the Obama administration's procurement memos as evenhanded, but insourcing is still an issue.
I agree that these memorandums are on the right track, and it is certainly a good time to consider President Obama's directives. Still, let's keep in mind that insourcing should be done in a way that truly resolves the problems with contracting and contractor oversight. GAO and the Commission on Wartime Contracting were on target with their recent reports that identified the critical need for improved acquisition practices. Whatever new policies are instituted, their results should be measured against criteria for improved government contracting and industry's ability to deliver better support to the government.
This is all well and good but it is equivalent to curing a symptom (in this case contractors) instead of the cause (the procurement system). The Federal Government must think like a commercial enterprise, not a loose "Federation" of independent agencies, departments, and other entities.
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Fixed Leg Bipod, Shooting Sticks
- Lightweight and easy to carry
- Ultra stable, large diameter 13mm one-piece aluminum legs
- Gripper yoke secures lower legs when hiking
- Approximately 40" length
- All-terrain gripper feet with carbide steel tips are easily removed to add leg extensions
- Rubber coated yoke secures gun, but allows for easy repositioning
- Textured, powder-coated poles minimize reflections
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