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The White Meat Market
The building complex is an axisymmetrical construction with the meat and pork market as the central building. Together the 2-storey market with saw-tooth roofs and the continuous central building form a U-shaped and broad square, Flæsketorvet (the Pork Square). The square is encircled by a row of 2-4 storey houses. Architecturally, the building complex is an early representative of the simple idiom of international functionalism. The market is listed for protection.
Poul Holsøe was City architect and responsible for the site in collaboration with Curt Bie and Tage Rue.
Last updated Wednesday, January 22, 2014


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Hi there
I'm trying to make rope out of ready roll icing, ive been told you can do it but mine keeps breaking.
Can any one give me a reliable method of getting long even rope strands.
Also cookie dough presses, does any one know if you can get some that will be okay to use on sugarpaste at all?
Really need some help
AUse a clay extractor. You can find them at a Micheals or hobby lobby. It will work with sugarpaste, just be sure to work fast. I'd use fondant, if at all possible...so you have more time to work with.
Sorry im really new to this so im not sure of the difference but im uing the ready roll icing you get in the supermarket?
i trying to avoid spending to much more money on this as im not pa professional but thanks for the advice
AI think I may have misunderstood what you are trying to do. I thought you were trying to make a rope with rolled fondant icing. What is ready roll icing?
AHi, its sugar paste effectly, the pre made icing you cover cakes with.
AI use a clay extractor I got from amazon for five pound it fab also for other shapes, especially for novicesmlike ourselves.
AOk...I wasn't confused after all. Use the extractor for rope...it'll come out great.

subset: commoncrawl


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Please ask your salesperson for complete details. This Vehicle is located at our dealership in Langhorne Pa. call us to schedule a test drive.CARFAX One-Owner. *recent oil change!*.
Price may exclude tax, title, tags, governmental fees, any emissions testing charges and any finance charges (if applicable). Unless otherwise stated separately in the vehicle details, price does not include documentation, processing, administrative, closing or similar fees. Current mileage may vary due to test drives and vehicle relocation.


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Questions of taste—let's put it simply—can tire. Like a second colonoscopy. Like a second fall of man. Do we have to go through that again?
In the beginning, one is rather blissfully innocent of taste. Then, introduced to the concept, our new Adam and Eve realize their paradisal minds contain no data concerning the charms of early polyphony, track lighting, or cocktail recipes using angostura bitters. Cover up!
Now some years back, the Spanish metaphysician Jose Ortega y Gasset had the audacity (bad taste?) to question Rene Descartes. "I think, therefore I am," he said, was based on a false premise. For some reason it didn't make the news, but wow! The foundation of four hundred years of Western thought, cracking and buckling like a fault zone. Ortega y Gasset said life comes first. "I live, therefore I think." And what a relief, right? If life comes before thought, it certainly comes before taste, too. It's time, I guess, for a long-suppressed bone- picking with taste and its vast armies. Culture-driven or inherent, it harasses with its apparent primacy, its ethos of improvement. Ostendo impeccabilem gustus, ergo sum? Not catchy, probably ungrammatical, but weirdly tyrannical.
What follow are three scenes, without metaphysical intent or merit, confronting taste from the perspective of one giddy with the possibility of living first, asking questions (of taste) later.
Scene One: Paradise Lost, Regained
I love commercial music. Maria always ridiculed me because I love commercial music. She had much better taste. Maria loved the blues. Maria loved Leonard Cohen, old-timey gospel, Elvis Costello, shape-note singing, Heifetz, the grunts of Buddhist monks. I love the Travelin' Wilburys, the Moody Blues, Frank Sinatra only after it was cool to, The Guess Who, James Taylor. Maria lived with me for three years before she left. She described herself as "long-suffering."
She took with her: a lamb's wool sweater, a long flowered skirt I'd bought her at a Renaissance fair when I had to get away from the good Elizabethan galliards; a CD of Gustav Leonhardt playing the Goldberg Variations; and my grandfather's Gibson banjo. I was glad at least to find out she liked the skirt. It bothered me about the banjo.
"I need it," she said.
"You don't know how to play it."
"I'm going to learn how to play it."
My grandfather played in a YMCA band called the Swastikas. In the 1920's they toured the logging camps and little towns of the western Sierra slopes in Northern California. The swastika (Swah STEE kah) was then a symbol—borrowed from a Native American tradition—of the Young Men's Christian Association. They displayed it proudly on their jackets and on a large banner they always hung above the bandstand. Strange. My grandfather always said, "Strange," whenever he talked about the Swastikas. He had a picture of the band that he showed me once. They were good-looking kids, the Swastikas. Later he fought in the war. "Strange."
My grandfather's banjo also had a swastika on it, burned into the face below the strings. I smiled when I thought of Maria, with her good taste, hauling out that banjo at some coffee house in Portland to play a little anti-fascist air with her friends, the scandalous logo lurking beneath what decorous mask?
Even though not having taste in music maybe led me to lose Maria, I don't really mind. It's a matter of health. At one time I worked studiously to have good taste in music and many other things in the hope that Marias of all sorts might pay me some attention. A few did, and I was miserable. I didn't like anything I claimed to like in the cultivation of taste. I didn't like the masses of Guillaume de Machaut, or Glenn Branca's symphonies for massed electric guitars. I didn't like mu tea or yoga. I didn't like the Clash. I liked the music of my youth which I heard on the radio. Most accessible stuff, least common denominator stuff. It gave me hope. It turned the air to pure oxygen.
I have no taste. I have no girl. I'm pretty happy.
Scene Two: A la Cyrano
Cyrano de Bergerac expounded upon his nose as more than just large, but multifarious. Taste, he said, just as vigorously amounts to,
"A great many things! Mon dieu, why waste
Your opportunity? For example, thus:" (Think Steve Martin in Roxanne, holding forth in the bar.)
Aesthetic: A man stands in front of Jasper Johns target at MoMA, knodding his head with apparent apprehension. Someone to reckon with.
Cosmetic: Queen Elizabeth I wore make-up combining mashed apples (pomade!), hog's fat, and chalk for colorlessness. Absolutely de rigueur for the lady-in-waiting of taste.
Sensuous: Your chili is magnificent.
Sensual: Your lips are magnificent.
Oenological: Crabapple, with overtones of paraffin and rue. Condescending: Oh, domestic . . .
Hegemonic: "We are the makers of manners, Kate." Shakespeare's Henry V simultaneously pitching woo to his future wife and asserting his royal taste-making prerogative.
Decadent: One mark of Rome's Decline and Fall: chefs became celebrities.
Incomprehensive: History has nothing to teach us.
Scene Three: Spleen and Variations, the last being a fugue of reconciliation
Okay, so I'm committing a public display of resentment against taste. And of course, I'm a hypocrite. I, like you, distinguish the firm from the fitful many times a day. Mostly without even thinking about it. I'd be lying if I claimed not to prefer the golf swings of Bobby Jones or Sam Snead to that of Tommy "Two-Gloves" Gainey, who hits it like a man wearing a tool belt around his waist, but still gets it done. So I guess I'm a snob. I also like raw oysters and the novels of Henry James. The rap sheet grows.
Nevertheless, I suspect taste mainly for what it often misses. Decorum distracts it. Decorum is simply that thing, act, or word that is expected in a certain situation. The tie rather than the tie-dyed (or the reverse). Speaking honey to power. Or truth, if your audience demands it. Decorum is a dumb automaton, not a fine instrument, and it merely keeps you out of trouble. We sometimes reject as tasteless what is merely indecorous.
If you can, I wonder if you'd do something for me. First chance you get, find a recording of Beethoven's last string quartet. No. 16 in F, Op. 135. It was one of five decorum-breaking quartets he wrote at the end of his life.
Beethoven, admittedly, was more or less a walking decoro-clast. But in this case it wasn't just to be contrary or to shock the gentry. Hundreds of clever minds have devoted themselves to explaining what Beethoven was trying to do or say in these valedictory works. A completely unauthorized distillation: dissatisfied with the musical rules he'd followed all his life and with the works derived under those rules, he looked deeply into the universe of his imagination. Somewhere out there (in there?) he found, to his ecstasy and his terror, that ANYTHING was possible.
So listen to the Op. 135, utterly incomprehensible then, and to a degree, even now. Listen to the non-sequiturs, the wall-bouncing, the silly dances. Lawless music! Now, let the third movement play and let nothing interrupt you. It's a document brought down from a mountain, curiously devoid of personality, but offering a supreme comfort. You won't forget it. You'll listen to it again. It is, to our eternal refreshment, beyond decorum, beyond taste. When we listen to this product of a human imagination—one of multitudes waiting patiently to be taken home and heart-harbored—I believe we should resolve to be proud. A human being, one of our tribe, touched the sublime. And if we can follow only a few steps along the map he left us, he still offers our sometimes unleavened spirits a reliable buoyancy, a heroic casting off of all things hollow and ephemeral.


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NAUTIS Desktop Simulators installed at Aigua Sea School
The Aigua Sea School in Mallorca purchased multiple NAUTIS Desktop Trainers to provide advanced simulator training for its students. The NAUTIS Desktop Trainers were delivered and installed by VSTEP at the Aigua headquarters in Palma.
The Aigua Sea School has two training bases in the Mediterranean, with its headquarters in Palma de Mallorca and another school in Malta. The Aigua Sea School has a longstanding exceptional reputation as a leading RYA Training Center. The NAUTIS Desktop Trainers allow the Aigua Sea School to provide certified training in compliance with the latest STCW requirements.
The NAUTIS Desktop Trainers allow training of many competencies, including ECDIS Model Course 1.27, Radar/ARPA Model Course 1.07, VHF Radio Communications, Navigational Instruments (GPS, AIS, Echo Sounder, Speed Log) and advanced ship handling and maneuvering.
Steve Brand, Director at Aigua Sea School, "We are very happy with the purchase of these advanced desktop simulators. The professional installation and support received from VSTEP during the project has been excellent. These new simulators will allow us to further enhance the training curriculum at our Sea School."
NAUTIS maritime simulators are DNV-certified, developed by VSTEP and range from desktop to full mission bridge.


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Banking Compliance Manager
- Recruiter
- Ambition
- Location
- Hong Kong SAR
- Salary
- Competitive Compensation Package
- Posted
- 01 Feb 2012
- Closes
- 02 Mar 2012
- Ref
- Job Sector
- Banking, Commercial & Retail Banking, Corporate Banking, Investment Banking, Compliance, Regulation, Venture Capital
- Experience Level
- Entry Level, Officer
- Contract Type
- Permanent
- International Banking Group
- Regional Exposure and High Profile
- Competitive Compensation Package
Our client is a leading Investment Bank with diverse and complex product offerings in Asia. To support continued growth in the region, an outstanding opportunity has arisen for a dedicated and experienced Compliance specialist to join the team, based in Hong Kong.
Reporting to the regional and global senior management, you will support the compliance function for diverse banking businesses within Asia region with a specific focus in the China market. Your coverage will include investment banking, capital markets, leveraged finance and private equity; and main responsibility is to promote and manage the related compliance program and reputational risk, ensure appropriate policies and procedures are in place, establish controls, roll out surveillance as well as design testing and monitor controls effectiveness. Additionally, you will participate in the development and delivery of compliance training.
To qualify, individuals must possess:
- A university degree in relevant disciplines.
- Minimum 3 - 5 years of relevant Compliance experience in financial services industry.
- Solid understanding of financial products/transactions and practical knowledge of banking rules / regulations across Asia and Greater China.
- Excellent communication skills (both verbal and written) in English and Mandarin.
Contact Kimberly Chien on (852) 3101 3066 or APPLY NOW by clicking the button below quoting reference number KC17481 www.ambition.com.hk
Data provided is for recruitment purposes only


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Burma, America, The World, Art, Literature, Political Economy through the eyes of a Permanent Exile. "We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the oppressed. Sometimes we must interfere. . . There is so much injustice and suffering crying out for our attention . . . writers and poets, prisoners in so many lands governed by the left and by the right." Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace Prize Speech, 1986, Oslo. This entire site copyright Kyi May Kaung unless indicated otherwise.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Writer/survivor U Win Tin's portrait from last March
Posted by Kyi May at 10:31 AM
Labels: political prisoners, prison memoir, survivor, U Win Tin, writer
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Aussie foods - pies, lamingtons cakes, etc.
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Find a copy in the library
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Film adaptations
Musical films
|Material Type:
|Document Type:
|Visual material
|All Authors / Contributors:
Emanuel Schikaneder; Leo Goeke; Felicity Lott; Benjamin Luxon; Elisabeth Conquet; Thomas Thomaschke; May Sandoz; John Fryatt; Willard White; Bernard Haitink; John Cox; Dave Heather; David Hockney; Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Glyndebourne Festival Chorus.; London Philharmonic Orchestra.; Glyndebourne Festival Opera Company.
|OCLC Number:
|Language Note:
|Sung in German with German, French, English, and Spanish subtitles.
|Opera in 2 acts.
Originally released by Southern Television, 1978.
Program notes in English, French, and German (23 p.) inserted in container.
|David Hockney, set designer.
|Leo Goeke (Tamino) ; Felicity Lott (Pamina) ; Benjamin Luxon (Papageno) ; Elisabeth Conquet (Papagena) ; Thomas Thomaschke (Sarastro) ; May Sandoz (Queen of the Night) ; John Fryatt (Monostatos) ; Willard White (Speaker) ; supporting soloists ; London Philharmonic Orchestra ; Glyndebourne Chorus ; Bernard Haitink, conductor.
|Event notes:
|Recorded live at the Glyndebourne Festival Opera, 1978.
|1 videodisc (163 min.) : sound, color ; 4 3/4 in. + 1 booklet (23 pages : illustrations ; 18 cm) of program notes.
|DVD 9; sound format: PCM stereo.; picture format: 4:3; region code: 0 (worldwide).
|Series Title:
|Mozart Glyndebourne collection.
|Other Titles:
|Magic flute = Zauberflöte
|Glyndbourne Festival Opera ; words by Emanuel Schickenader ; produced by John Cox ; television production and direction by Dave Heather.
The young prince Tamino is being pursued by a horrible snake and finds himself in the lands belonging to the Queen of the Night. After the Queen's Ladies help kill the snake, Tamino meets Papageno, the Queen's bird catcher. It is revealed to Tamino that a distant king, Sarastro, has abducted the Queen's beautiful daughter, Pamina. After seeing her portrait, Tamino quickly falls in love. With the help of a magic flute, given to him by the Queen, Tamino and Papageno go on a quest to save Pamina. Meanwhile, in Sarastro's palace, Pamina is being tormented by the slavekeeper, Monostatos. Tamino and Papageno arrive and are surprised to find that Sarastro is not the cruel tyrant they thought. It turns out that Sarastro abducted Pamina because the gods had intended that she was to marry Tamino. After passing a series of tests by the Priests, Tamino is granted Pamina's hand.
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Related Subjects:(6)
- Operas.
- Operas -- Film adaptations.
- Opéras.
- Príncipes -- Teatro.
- Relaciones humanas -- Teatro.
- Oper.


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Amy Lee
As the founder, frontwoman and driving creative force of Evanescence, Amy Lee has already made a mark: with her band, she's won two Grammy Awards, sold over 10 million copies of the album Fallen, and been featured in the soundtracks for such movies as Daredevil and The Punisher (the latter with Seether, not Evanescence).
AppealAmy doesn't buy into the more mainstream notions of sexiness. She refuses to tart herself up or show a lot of skin just to draw attention to herself, like some other singers do -- she says such antics are tragic and sad. In any event, skimpy costumes aren't appropriate for Amy's hard-rocking goth persona.
So whether you find Amy Lee sexy depends on what you're looking for in a lady. Those who are looking for the wholesome, "vanilla" type should look elsewhere. But if a no-nonsense rock roadie is more your cup of tea (or pitcher of beer), then Amy Lee has definite appeal.
SuccessIn the few years since the late 1990s, Amy Lee has come a long way. Founding Evanescence with Ben Moody, she helped put the band together after a shaky start and saw it through to a number of awards, including two Grammys and a quintuple-platinum album, Fallen. Since the sudden departure of co-founder Ben Moody, Amy's the driving creative force behind Evanescence, and can take full credit for their future and success.
Amy's fame reflects these accomplishments. After Evanescence's singles, "Bring Me To Life" and "My Immortal" were featured in the movie Daredevil, Amy's profile has soared right along with the record sales. Now, thanks to a duet with her boyfriend Shaun Morgan from Seether called "Broken," she's fittingly reaching a mass audience on another soundtrack from a comic book-inspired film, The Punisher. Oh yeah, and the two 2003 Grammy Awards that Evanescence won might have something to do with it too.
Amy Lee BiographyBorn in California on December 13, 1981, Amy Lynn Lee moved around a lot as a child, from Florida to Illinois. Her family finally settled in Little Rock, Arkansas, and the young Amy took enthusiastically to music. In junior high, she joined the choir and attended all-state competitions; in high school, she was the president of her choir council and was involved in the all-region choir, mixed chorus, select ensemble, spring musical, and art club.
It was while she was at band camp in 1995 that Amy first met future bandmate, Ben Moody. Amy was playing Meatloaf's "I Would Do Anything For Love" on a piano, and Moody was instantly impressed. Throughout high school, the pair composed songs together and formed Evanescence.
evanescence starts small
At first, Evanescence had trouble finding an audience. For one thing, the music scene in Little Rock was caught between two extremes: "It's typically death metal or really soft, older-people music there," Amy later explained. "I don't even know of any local bands that have female singers." But the point was rather academic, since Evanescence -- still comprised of Amy Lee and Ben Moody -- didn't yet have enough cash to pay for the extra band members they would need for a live show. Still, they became a local hit with a goth anthem called "Understanding (Wash It All Away)," and they released an independent album, Origin, soon after.
evanescence finds its origin
As Evanescence was mastering Origin in Memphis, the group was overheard by producer Pete Matthews. Impressed, Matthews gave Evanescence a referral to Wind-up Records, who soon signed Amy and Moody. Then things really started rolling.
Evanescence added guitarist John LeCompt and drummer Rocky Gray to its lineup, and released its major-label debut, Fallen, which was produced by Ugly Kid Joe guitarist Dave Fortman and featured the single "Bring Me To Life."
amy lee and evanescence in daredevil
When "Bring Me To Life" was featured on the soundtrack to 2003's superhero actioner Daredevil, Evanescence exploded onto the mainstream music scene. Fallen went on to go quintuple platinum, while becoming a fixture on Billboard's Top 10. However, just when Evanescence was on its first world tour and poised to nab nominations for MTV and Grammy Awards, co-founder Ben Moody suddenly left the group. Amy was livid: "You don't do that to your band. You wouldn't do that to your friends or family. You don't do that to anyone," she told British magazine Rock Sound.
But Amy wasn't about to give up, hiring Cold's Terry Balsamo to temporarily replace the AWOL Moody. Her efforts to hold the group together seemed justified when Evanescence picked up five 2003 Grammy nominations, and then went on to win in two categories: Best New Artist and Best Hard Rock Performance (for "Bring Me To Life").
amy lee is far from broken
Early in 2004, Amy recorded a new version of the 2002 Seether song "Broken" with her boyfriend, Seether frontman Shaun Morgan. The duet was part of the soundtrack for The Punisher, which, like Daredevil, was based on a Marvel Comics character. Although the close collaboration put some strain on their relationship, Amy and Shaun were able to weather it; they are now able to spend more time together, since Evanescence and Seether are touring Europe to promote the re-release.
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If you discount the plethora of karting, party, tennis, golf and other titles that he has lent his name to over the years, true Mario platform games are few and far between – but when they arrive they are always something special.
The plumber's latest outing, New Super Mario Bros Wii continues to fare well since its release last November, when it smashed Wii sales records in Nintendo's home market of Japan. It's also been a mainstay in the UK Chart-Track Top 20 since its release.
But for Mario's next hit, the platform holder is returning to the character's space-age adventure, the critically acclaimed Super Mario Galaxy.
Galaxy 2 is more than just a variation on an already popular theme. The original SMG was regarded as a masterpiece of platforming game design – even bagging the BAFTA for Best Game in 2008 – and the sequel is set to show that Nintendo still has plenty up its sleeves.
"Super Mario Galaxy 2 is being widely acclaimed as Mario's greatest adventure yet – which is saying something, given the sheer quality of his previous outings – both on Wii and other Nintendo consoles," says Nintendo marketing manager Robert Lowe.
"We fully expect this game to be one of the biggest hits of the year, anybody who even has a passing interest in video games needs to experience this title. It's simply amazing."
Gaming legend Shigeru Miyamoto has previously claimed that work on Galaxy 2 began when the team were deciding what to do with all of the creative ideas that didn't quite make it into the jam-packed original.
As such, he has promised that more than 90 per cent of the gameplay features included in Galaxy 2 will be brand new – rather than recycled from the original Galaxy.
Most notably, Yoshi returns to the scene. Mario can ride the athletic dinosaur and use his new abilities to reach new areas. For example, Yoshi can inflate like a balloon and float up to higher platforms or initiate a dash attack that sees him run twice as quickly.
Mario himself also has some helpful new skills, courtesy of the two suits that debut in Galaxy 2. The Rock Mario power-up transforms the plumber into a rolling boulder that can smash through enemies and obstacles, while Cloud Mario can create floating platforms in the air to access new areas.
There is also a Cosmic Guide available, which is similar to the Super Guide found in New Super Mario Bros Wii. This enables less experienced players to either watch how each star can be collected, or allow an AI-controlled Mario to complete the task for them, improving Galaxy 2's accessibility.
As with the original, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is a major release – not just for the Wii, but also for Nintendo. The company has enjoyed a number of evergreen hits in recent years, and is working hard to ensure that this title continues that success.
In addition to the extensive marketing Nintendo has planned (see 'Galactic Campaign'), Nintendo is bundling a tutorial DVD with the game full of beginner's tips for those who are new to the game.
Given the title's universal appeal, Nintendo is also confident that Galaxy 2 could prove to be the biggest Mario release in its history.
The last Galaxy sold 700,000 units in the UK and was hailed as one of the greatest games ever, with a 97 Metacritic rating. This new title is already on course to match that critical acclaim, with a 10/10 from Edge and a 97 per cent score from Official Nintendo Magazine.
"We hope this will be one of the biggest Mario launches in the UK to date," says Lowe. "Mario Kart Wii is the current record holder, and the buzz around Galaxy 2 is even bigger.
"It's a very different type of game but we think the gaming public will be astounded how the EAD team have managed to improve on a virtually flawless predecessor. We also hope that those people who entered the Mario world with New Super Mario Bros Wii will make the next step onto Super Mario Galaxy 2 and find it as amazing as astounding and beautiful as we have."
Super Mario Galaxy 2 is Nintendo's biggest release of the year so far, and as such will benefit from a similarly astronomic marketing plan.
Nintendo marketing manager Robert Lowe said: "Galaxy 2 is the biggest launch of the year on Wii – and this is reflected in the campaign we've put behind it".
– A 60-second trailer will be shown in cinemas nationwide during the run-up to the game's release. These will run before some of this summer's biggest family films.
– A pre-launch campaign will also take over all major gaming sites, with creative targeted at both long-time gamers and loyal Mario fans.
– A massive three-week TV campaign will kick off from Galaxy 2's launch week, with advertisements running on key terrestrial and satellite channels.
– This will be accompanied by a separate ad campaign targeted specifically at children's programming, raising awareness among young gamers as the summer holidays approach.
– A second burst of TV advertising will run throughout July to maintain awareness of Super Mario Galaxy 2's release.
– A huge range of POS will be available to retailers, utilising the eye-catching artwork and familiar character to showcase some of Galaxy 2's key features.


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Sunday, March 10, 2013 | 3:02 a.m.
Another view?
View more of the Las Vegas Sun's opinion section:
• Editorials - the Sun's viewpoint.
• Columnists - local and syndicated writers.
• Letters to the editor - readers' views.
Have your own opinion? Write a letter to the editor.
Every Nevadan knows the truth about our boom-and-bust gold mining heritage. When the gold is gone, the multinational mining corporations will decamp for untapped veins elsewhere, leaving behind ghost towns of unemployed people, mercury in our fish and a realization that once again, the profits from our nonrenewable resource are gone forever.
In an effort to right this historic wrong, Senate Joint Resolution 15 was sponsored by the Senate's Revenue Committee in the 2011 session. As the chair of that committee, I held a frustrating series of hearings as it became increasingly clear that the mining industry has been reaping billions from our gold mines while leaving a pittance behind as their contribution to the state's general fund. In fiscal year 2011-12, a year when the price of gold continued to soar, Nevada's gold mines produced $8.76 billion in gold and paid $104 million to the state's general fund under the special Net Proceeds of Minerals (NPOM) tax, an effective tax rate of 1 percent.
Since Nevada's inception, when mining forced the state's original constitution to be rewritten in its favor, the industry has enjoyed a privileged status through taxing provisions written into the constitution to protect shareholders' profits. Over the past century, the industry has employed legions of high-paid lawyers and lobbyists to ensure these protections remain enshrined in the constitution while taking unbelievable liberties in the often overlooked regulatory process, taking advantage of every possible deduction, sometimes without statutory authority.
After a hard-fought and sometimes bitter battle, led by then-Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, the 2011 Legislature reduced some of these deductions. No longer can the industry deduct its dues to the World Gold Council, an industry marketing organization. Mining companies cannot "double dip" by deducting the cost of their employees' health care from both the NPOM and the Modified Business Tax. Out-of-state development costs are also no longer allowed to be deducted from Nevada taxes.
Although the industry insists the NPOM tax is a property tax, it actually performs like an income tax, allowing for so many deductions that some mines end up paying nothing in NPOM taxes. Zero. You won't see that fact in the "feel-good" advertising that is ubiquitous these days throughout the state. However, you won't find the ads on KSNV-TV Channel 3, which ran a series of stories that irked the mining barons. With station owner Jim Rogers standing by the series, the mining industry pulled its ads.
The Revenue Committee realized last session there is no hope of renegotiating how mining is taxed in Nevada unless the special provision protecting the industry is removed from the constitution. The committee reviewed how other states tax mining, through severance taxes or excise taxes, mechanisms unavailable to Nevada due to our constitution's prohibition.
That's why the committee sponsored SJR15 to start the process of eliminating mining's sweetheart tax deal. The resolution passed the state Senate on a 13-8 vote, with two Republican senators voting with all the Democrats.
Yet the resolution stalled in the state Assembly, under the pressure of the lobbying corps, which worked overtime behind closed doors to kill it despite their official "neutral" stand. In the end, SJR15 passed on the last day of the session, on a 27-15 vote, with no Republican support.
In the intervening two years, the Nevada Mining Association has conducted a one-on-one misinformation campaign to convince legislators that the measure would actually reduce the industry's taxes, despite extremely clear testimony by the legislative counsel that this was not the case.
The industry also continued to whine about being targeted for increased taxation while forgetting to mention it is the only industry protected from a change in taxation by the state constitution.
But the house of cards began crumbling last week when a majority of the Senate Republican caucus declared its intent to vote for the resolution, citing arguments long made by progressives about the patent unfairness of single-industry tax protection and the gross underpayment for our state's golden treasure.
If the mining industry cannot effectively deploy its head-spinning reasoning to confuse the 2013 Legislature or maximize the constant threat to take mining elsewhere, the measure will go to the ballot, where the people will decide whether it's time for Nevadans to get their share of the gold before this boom cycle bottoms out.
Our state has tremendous needs to improve funding of education, mental health care, and services for our children and seniors. Don't we deserve a little more of our own treasure?
Sheila Leslie is a former Democratic member of the state Senate. She lives in Reno.


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Asked by:
How do I add thumbnails to an asset library custom view list view web part.
This has me absolutely puzzled. I'm trying to create an image gallery using an asset library (I'm not using an image library because I want to be able to use the datasheet view to bulk edit metadata). Now I know there are thumbnails automatically created for images uploaded to the asset library and that they are stored in a subdirectory of the asset library called "/t" and have the extension changed to _ext.ext from .ext
I also know that that Thumbnails.aspx and AllItems.aspx display said thumbnails. AllItems seems to use the ThumbnailOnForm field but I'm not sure what causes it to link to the thumbnail because ThumbnailOnForm's value is the large version of the image.
How do I actually add the thumbnail to my custom view.
I'm confused to why the asset library creates thumbnails and yet doesn't include a column for the URL to said thumbnails. What was Microsoft's thinking behind this?
For what its worth I'm using Sharepoint Designer.
All replies
In sharepoint designer edit the column you want to show the thumbnail and set it up like this:
<img src="/path/library/t/{@Name}"/>
You'll need to do a substring of the @Name field to change the extension. But can't recall the exact syntax off the top of my head at the moment. Should be substring-before(@Name, ".") :)
SharePoint 2010 Extensions - http://sp2010ext.codeplex.com/ My Blog - http://www.withinsharepoint.com Twitter - http://twitter.com/#!/withnsharepoint
It's actually Library/_t/file_ext.jpg
SharePoint creates thumbnails for the files in that directory and it creates them as jpgs. So it could be myfile_png.jpg or myfile_gif.jpg.
It also creates a slighter larger file at Library/_w with the same naming as above.
So for instance when you go to a picture library what you are seeing is the _t version and when you click to DispForm.aspx you get the _w version, then you click on that you get the actual image.
-tom daly
Thanks. I wasn't sure how to do the whole substring thing, but with that term I did some more googling and found this which helped me.
- Proposed as answer by Mohamed Derhalli Tuesday, March 01, 2011 2:40 AM
- Marked as answer by fallenturtle Wednesday, March 02, 2011 12:19 AM
- Unmarked as answer by fallenturtle Thursday, March 03, 2011 5:22 PM
Thanks. I wasn't sure how to do the whole substring thing, but with that term I did some more googling and found this which helped me.
Am I correct in thinking its not possible to do something similar with the XSLT List View Webpart?
I think I'm coming to the frustrating conclusion that what I want to do is impossible because it would essentially be a combination of features from the data view web part and list view web part. Basically I want the power of the data view list part (so I can have a thumbnail that's linkable to the full size image and be able to customize the table so that its just two cells per entry, one cell with the thumbnail and to the right of that a cell with the metadata I want to display) and then have this as two columns, similar to the boxed view style. While I can do all that with the data view, the list view has the ability to allow me to have sorting and filters in the headers. While there is the List Filter web part for the data view web part, I don't like how there's no way to clear the filter and on top of that there's a bug in Sharepoint that makes the filter not pull all the values its suppose to.
This is a screenshot of how I want it to look.
The other screwy thing is that while I can setup the data view web part to look like that and it displays correctly in my browser, when I try to check the file in (after being checked out, of course) SP Designer says "Cannot perform this operation. The file is no longer checked out or has been deleted." After that, if I reload the page all my work is gone. If I check the page out again, it comes back. Sharepoint is really good at raising my blood pressure. :/


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Extortion is Not Supposed to be a Fad, Senators
First, Sen. Richard Shelby put a blanket hold on all executive branch nominees to extort the executive branch into rigging procurement to guarantee that the company he favored won a bid on a defense contract. Oh, and he wanted the FBI to build a crime lab in his state, too.
And now Sen. Lindsey Graham is copycatting, placing a hold on the closing of Gitmo hostage to extort the Department of Justice into not having a civilian trial for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. And Graham's not being subtle about it. In a well-researched piece for The New Yorker, Jane Mayer breaks some amazing scoops:
"Rahm had a good relationship with Graham, and believed Graham when he said that if you don't prosecute these people in military commissions I won't support the closing of Guantánamo. . . Rahm said, 'If we don't have Graham, we can't close Guantánamo, and it's on Eric!' "
Graham told [Mayer], "It was a nonstarter for me. There's a place for the courts, but not for the mastermind of 9/11." He said, "On balance, I think it would be better to close Guantánamo, but it would be better to keep it open than to give these guys civilian trials." Graham, who served as a judge advocate general in the military reserves, vowed that he would do all he could as a legislator to stop the trials.
Okay, Senators Graham and Shelby? This is the U.S. Senate, not middle school. This blackmail thing? It's not like, "Oh, the cool kids are wearing Hello Kitty wristwatches" and you need to follow the fad.
There is zero logical nexus between whether or not to close Gitmo and whether or not to have civilian trials, so the only reason for making the kind of statement quoted above, is quid pro quo. While I'm not suggesting that this is a Hobbs Act violation (read the link, trust me), it certainly smells just as bad.
Kate Martin, the Center for National Security Studies director, warns, "We can't have a situation where political pressure forces the federal government to forgo criminal prosecution. That would mean the system is fundamentally broken."
Message for Rahm, from Marcy Wheeler:
Remind me. Didn't Rove and the Bush White House get in trouble for this kind of tampering with DOJ issues?
Really, the White House needs to BACK OFF and let the Department of Justice and the federal courts do their job. And a bunch of non-lawyers with ZERO expertise in this area should NOT be part of the decision making process, much less driving that process. Hasn't Rahm done enough damage to the President with his mishandling of the healthcare bill? Why do you want him to screw up something he knows even less about?


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We propose and demonstrate a polarization splitter and rotator (PSR) built on a silicon-on-insulator platform. The PSR is constructed with a tapered waveguide followed by a multimode interferometer and can be simply fabricated in a single lithography and etching step. A low insertion loss ( with minimum insertion loss of 0.6 dB) and a low polarization crosstalk () over a wide operation bandwidth () with a large fabrication tolerance () are experimentally demonstrated.
© 2013 Optical Society of AmericaFull Article | PDF Article


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Auction Ends: Apr 11, 2010 11:59 PM EDT
1776-1976 Virginia Independence Bicentennial "Cradle of Liberty..Mother of Presidents"
- Item Number
- 1162
- Sold
- 15 USD to midastouch
- Number of Bids
- 1 - Bid History
Item Description
Virginia Independence Bicentennial Sterling Round "Cradle of Liberty..Mother of Presidents Washington*Jefferson*Madison*Monroe*Harrison*Tyler*Taylor*Wilson".
Special Instructions
Winning bidders are responsible for the full amount of their purchases, as well as any applicable shipping and handling fees. Winning bidder may elect to pick up their item(s) at the GCS High School campus, if school is notified within 48 hours of close of auction. If notification of desired retrieval of the item(s) is not received within 48 hours of the close of the auction, all items will be shipped to the winning bidder.
Donated By:
Rocky & Brenda's Gold and Silver


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Unearth a Real Adventure
Bet if you knew that when you had kids you'd be sentenced to years of shelling out wads of cash to see dim-witted 3-D films created for the sole purpose of parental wallet-shredding (we are looking at you, Mastermind), you'd have gotten that puppy, right? And maybe built that wet bar. Vacationed in Europe. But now you're stuck with the screamers, and even they're getting bored with formulaic pop-out movies. The solution: Give 'em real-life action in the form of Dinosaurs Unearthed at the Dallas Museum of Nature and Science. Instead of filtering the terrible lizards through dorky glasses, Dinosaurs Unleashed features nine full-size robotic replicas that move and roar. So bring extra diapers. Kids can dig up imitation fossil specimens and watch demonstrations on how dinosaurs defended themselves. And if you want to dump the little ones overnight, the museum's also hosting sleepovers and camps--finally, an opportunity for you to watch a movie featuring people doing grown-up things like having sex or serial killing. Dinosaurs Unearthed runs through May at the museum, 1318 S. 2nd Ave. in Fair Park. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $15 for adults and $12 for kids, museum exhibits included. Visit natureandscience.org.
Oct. 21-May 1, 2010
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When temperatures start to drop, chef and registered dietitian Jennifer Stack turns on her oven and starts braising.
"This popular moist-heat cooking technique can take a tough cut of meat and make it fork-tender with succulent gravy," she said. "For the beef, start with a two-pound boneless beef shoulder or chuck roast that will easily serve eight people or make wonderful leftovers for a second meal."
One of her favorite dishes: Beef Braised in Beer and Onions "It should be made a day or two in advance so the fat solidifies at the top and can be skimmed off before reheating. In addition, braised dishes always taste better a day or two after they are prepared," said Stack.
Stack says her mantra for braising is "season, sear, sweat, and simmer." She seasons the meat with salt, pepper, and one tablespoon of flour to create a dry surface. "This is an essential step for properly searing the meat and developing the maximum amount of flavor," said Stack. "Make sure you are using a heavy pan with a lid, such as an enameled cast iron Dutch oven, and get it very hot. The sound of the sizzle when the meat hits the pan lets you know you got it right."
Next she sears the meat on all sides until it is well-browned "Remove the meat once it is well-browned, reduce the heat, and add the sliced onions," said Stack. "As they sweat, they will loosen up the browned bits of meat at the bottom of the pan. Take your time and slowly let the onions develop a golden-brown color, as this is a key step to developing flavor in the dish. When the onions are done, add the meat, broth, tomatoes, and beer to the pan and place, covered, in the oven to slowly simmer until the meat is fork-tender."
She shares the recipe, which can be found in her new book, The Diabetes-Friendly Kitchen (Wiley, 2012)
Beef Braised in Beer and Onions
Makes 8 servings
? 2 pounds boneless chuck pot roast
? 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
? 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
? 1 tablespoon flour
? 2 tablespoons canola oil
? 4 medium onions, sliced
? 4 garlic cloves, minced
? 1 pint dark beer
? 1 quart low-salt beef broth
? One 14.5-oz can low-salt diced tomatoes
? 1/2 small onion, chopped
? 1 small carrot, chopped
? 1 stalk celery, chopped
? 1 small parsnip, chopped
? 1 bay leaf
? 1 sprig parsley
? 1 sprig thyme
? 1 garlic clove
? 3 black peppercorns
1. Season the meat with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Heat the canola oil in a heavy Dutch oven and sear both sides of the meat. Remove browned meat from oven and set aside.
2. Add the onions to the pan and allow to slowly brown. Add in the garlic and continue to cook until garlic is soft. Return the meat to the pan and add the beer, broth, and tomatoes.
3. Simmer covered, in a 350? F oven for about an hour and a half. Wrap the chopped onion, carrot, celery, parsnip, and remaining seasonings in cheesecloth and add to the stew.
4. Allow the stew to simmer at least another 30 minutes, or until the meat is fork-tender. Cool the stew and refrigerate overnight. Skim the solid fat off the top of the stew before re-warming for service. If desired, you can thicken the stew with a slurry of arrowroot and water.


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Nurses to cover shifts in London
- Recruiter
- Day Webster
- Location
- London & Surrounding Counties
- Salary
- High Rates of Pay, please call for further details
- Posted
- 23 Feb 2012
- Closes
- 22 Mar 2012
- Ref
- Nursing Field
- Academic, Accident and Emergency, Allied Health Professionals, Armed forces, Care Home, Commissioning, Community Care, Education, Elderly Care, GP Practice, Hospital, Intensive care, Learning Disability Nursing, Mental Health, Midwifery, Occupational Health, Oncology, Paediatric Nurse, Prison Service, Private Healthcare, Public Service, Theatre
- Function
- Anaesthetist, Care Assistant, Care Manager, Charge Nurse, Chief Nurse, Chiropodist, Clinical Lead, Clinical Nurse, Clinical Skills Facilitator, Clinical Specialists, Dean / Head of School, Dietician, Director, District Nurse, Family Support Worker, Forensic nurse, Health Visitor, Healthcare Assistant, Home Manager, Learning and Development, Lecturer, Manager, Matron, Mental Health Nurse, Midwife, Nurse Consultant, Nurse Practitioner, Occupational Health Nurse, Occupational Therapist
- Job Type
- Temporary
Nurses to cover shifts in London Job Description
Due to an overwhelming demand from our clients, Care Providers are always looking for Registered Nurses with flexible availability to cover shifts in London.
Care Providers is recognised as a specialist healthcare agency and our staff been recruiting professional nurses in London for over 18 years. Care Providers is a contracted supplier to more hospitals than any other agency in London, with guaranteed work to meet your needs.
The opportunities are endless in London and surrounding areas for assignments of varying lengths from ad hoc shifts to long-term assignments.
Successful Candidates will: -
§ Have at least 6 months current clinical experience
§ Be proficient with all aspects of nursing
§ Have excellent communication skills
§ Be able to work autonomously and within a multi disciplinary team
§ Have the ability to adapt to different hospital environments
§ Be flexible and reliable
In return Care Providers will offer you: -
§ Top pay rates
§ Flexible hours to meet your needs
§ Immediate employment opportunities in your preferred locations
§ Discounts of up to 60% on a wide range of exciting products and services with new discounts available every month
§ Same Day Pay
§ Holiday pay options
§ Free CRB
§ Free mandatory training
§ Experienced consultants and support staff who take the complications out of your registration
If you want to be the first to hear about the best agency nursing opportunities in London then apply now online.
Job Requirements
- Current CV
- Full professional reference details of two senior nursing staff
- NMC Statement of Entry & NMC PIN Card
- Evidence of right to work in the UK (for non EU passport holders)
- Nursing Certificate
Please feel free to search further opportunities on our website www.daywebster.com or call the Nursing team on 020 8498 8200


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What do you do while lying in bed with a fever? If you're Christopher Ashley, artistic director for La Jolla Playhouse, you dream up the wildly imaginative production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" opening in previews next week at the Playhouse.
Ashley's topsy-turvy vision of the William Shakespeare comedy--- complete with flying fairies, puppets, acrobats and an onstageorchestra ---- resets the story in two worlds: the strict,constrained court of Victorian England and the liberated,hedonistic forest, which is the court's mirror opposite. As theyoung lovers enter the forest, their entire world turns upsidedown. Hanging chandeliers flip and become trees of light, windowcurtains float up to the ceiling and become the silken vines theacrobats swing on, and sheet music from a suddenly inverted pianoflutters down and turns into flying white birds.
"The concept came to me when I was lying in bed with a fever, looking up at the ceiling and imagining everything in the room being upside down," Ashley said in an interview last week. "My main idea is how when you're in love, everything is upside-down and weightless. To me, it's a metaphor for falling in love --- what's disturbing, terrifying and mystifying about falling in love."
Ashley first directed "Midsummer" when he was 21, but he said he wanted to return to the play "because it has such a rich, playful, extraordinary mix of light and dark in it."
"Midsummer" is the story of two sets of young lovers at court who escape into the forest and fall prey to the mischievous pranks of the forest fairies, who use a love potion to mix up the affections of both the lovers and the fairy king and queen, Oberon and Titania. There's also a comic subplot involving a troupe of laborers who stage a silly play for the wedding of the duke and his bride, the Amazonian queen Hippolyta.
The Playhouse production will star Playhouse veteran Charlayne Woodard ("Pretty Fire," "Night Watcher") as Hippolyta and Titania, J. Smith-Cameron ("As Bees in Honey Drown" and HBO's "True Blood") as Helena, one of the lovers who flees into the forest, and Martin Moran ("Spamalot," "Cabaret") as the fairy Puck. And making his Playhouse debut (after appearing in more than 200 productions at the Old Globe) is Vista actor Jonathan McMurtry as Egeus.
The production will be one of the biggest-scale shows ever produced at the Playhouse, with 23 actors and acrobats and an onstage 20-piece orchestra, including six professional musicians and 14 members of the San Diego Youth Symphony.
"You never get 20 instruments for a show anymore," Ashley said. "The new thing on Broadway is four to six musicians. We'd never have been able to do it if not for this wonderful collaboration with the youth symphony. I was watching the pros working with the deeply talented and energetic youth symphony musicians at a rehearsal, and everyone's eyes were sparkling."
The production's score will mix original music and songs by composer Mark Bennett with familiar pieces from Felix Mendelssohn's 1842 "A Midsummer Night's Dream" score.
"Mark Bennett has created a score that weaves together the Mendelssohn and his own pieces," Ashley said. "It will be a mix of the classic storytelling of Mendelssohn ---- and these are pieces of music that everyone will recognize, like 'The Wedding March' ---- with some of Mark's modern, spare and eccentric voice."
The musical moments will also serve as the bridge for the play's flights into fancy, Ashley said.
"That's where we'll let the fantasy begin," Ashley said. "The music will be the impulse for the acrobats and silk artist to begin."
The play's cast has 10 fairies and 10 mortals, and in the enchanted forest, the fairies have the power to affect the gravitational forces on the mortals. Some fairies will be played by circus silk artists, tumblers and acrobats. And Ashley has commissioned puppeteer Basil Twist to "animate" some of the everyday objects (chairs, curtains) to help them come to life when things go topsy-turvy.
Ashley said he moved the play's setting from ancient Athens to 1860s England because that was when Victorian morality was at its most severe, with plain, restrained clothing and hairstyles that can be colorfully liberated in the forest. He also sees the Amazonian queen Hippolyta as an exotic, sensual character who would inspire wonder and lust in the repressed Victorian court.
Even though the Playhouse's "Midsummer" will be running at the same time as the Old Globe's Summer Shakespeare Festival, Ashley said he thinks there's plenty of room for both in San Diego, because local audiences love the Bard and look forward to seeing different interpretations of their favorite plays by different directors, including himself and the Globe's Adrian Noble and Ron Daniels, along with past Globe director Darko Tresnjak.
"I think it's a really interesting moment for San Diego audiences," Ashley said. "Seeing a play done again by a different director clarifies what's individual about the play or the director. They can say 'I've seen how Darko, Ron and Adrian approach Shakespeare' and now they can see how Chris does it."
With "A Midsummer Night's Dream," the Playhouse last week announced it will produce Pig Iron Productions' "Cankerblossom" as its next Page to Stage production, Aug. 12-15. Developed by the Philadelphia theater company in a recent workshop, "Cankerblossom" is inspired by the tale of the changeling baby that Titania and Oberon fight over in "Midsummer." In "Cankerblossom," a couple wake up to find a two-dimensional cardboard baby on their doorstep, and when the baby is kidnapped, they enter a cardboard world to bring him back. The play will use puppetry, video projection, stop-motion animation and live music. "Cankerblossom" is designed for family audiences.
"A Midsummer Night's Dream"
When: previews, Tuesday through July 24; opens July 25 and runs through Aug. 22; showtimes, 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays; 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays; 7 p.m. Sundays; 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays
Where: La Jolla Playhouse at the Potiker Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse complex, UC San Diego, La Jolla
Tickets: $31-$66
Info: 858-550-1010
Web: lajollaplayhouse.org


text:
With more cable subscribers relying on online video from Netflix and other online video providers, cable MSOs will begin adopting usage-based billing for broadband subscribers, Sandford C. Bernstein & Co. analyst Craig Moffett predicts.
Moffett told Bloomberg that he expects Cox Communications, Charter Communications (Nasdaq: CHTR) or Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC) to be the first MSO to implement usage-based billing. "As more video shifts to the Web, the cable operators will inevitably align their pricing models," Moffett said. "With the right usage-based pricing plan, they can embrace the transition instead of resisting it."
Cox could be setting the stage for usage-based billing by deploying usage meters that tell its cable modem subscribers how much bandwidth they are consuming, and warning subscribers that exceed usage allowances. Suddenlink Communications recently began charging subscribers fees for exceeding its bandwidth caps.
For more:
- Bloomberg has this story
Related articles:
Cox warns high-speed Internet subscribers who exceed usage allowances
Suddenlink to launch broadband caps


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Woody's RV prides itself on the service and support customers receive when visiting one of its four RV showrooms in Alberta. In order to recreate this experience online, Media Dog has developed a robust set of tools to fit the needs of our client.
With full control over their entire product inventory using the Conductor CMS, Woody's RV can easily classify their RV's as New, Old or Used, set weekly sales, upload multiple product images, floor plans and pdf brochures, manage standard and optional features and edit a variety of product details. Combined with the website's robust search tool, Woody's RV Showcase is fully capable to serve up custom tailored results on a 'per customer' basis.
Woody's RV email marketing program has been a highly utilized and effective way to inform Woody's RV customer base of the latest events, sales and developments in RVing. Through Media Dog's Email Marketing software, Woody's is able to manage its recipients list and has access to a wide range of statistical data such as links clicked, by whom and time spent viewing.
As a result of Media Dog's solutions, the Woody's RV website has experienced year over year exponential growth in site visits, recently passing a landmark 10 million + page views since the site's launch three years ago.


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I am almost 18 weeks and I was lying on my left side. Then I turned over on my back and you can def see it bulging to my left side. Also if you press on my right side, It is a lot softer that my left. Has this happened to anyone else?:shock:
Quoting MsMcNeely:
The baby is laying on your left side, lol.
Yep all the time you baby is just over to one side no worries its normal
I'm almost 20 weeks and mine does that, When I'm standing even the left side bulges out more. It's crazy.
my son was on my left side 90% of my pregnancy lol
my baby does that too! Im due the day after you, it happens all the time esp when I wake up and have been sleeping on one side, baby curls up and gets comfy on that same side.
my belly ALWAYS bulged on the left side...i think he was on the right side...hmm...once maybe?
Quoting MissMommy02(soon to be 3):
i had just noticed the same thing last night for the first time =) the left side was definitely a lot firmer and i could barely press on that side of my stomach because of the pressure. i was pressing down a lot more on the right side and could tell the baby was not on that side. i was showing my boyfriend and all of a sudden the baby started kicking or moving alot on the left side where we were trying to feel him. lol
That happens to me allllllllllllll the time. I'm suuuuper tiny, 5'3" and 98 pounds at 29 weeks so you can almost see where he's sitting at all times. It just sucks when I'm trying to sleep and he's bulging out on the side that I want to lay on so I have to wait for him to move :/
oh yes!! I'm almost 19 weeks and baby LOVEES my left side...which is VERY uncomfortable but i shoulda expected it since thats where my daughter laid 90% of my pregnancy 3 1/2 years ago...
I am in my week 16 and just started noticing that. Mine has started bulging on right side.
mine does that all the time, its just where the baby is positioned. now he prefers the right side lol although hes big enough now that sometimes he pushes himself out against both sides at once xD
Yeeeep. I'm 33 weeks and my belly is like always lopsided. My girlfriend's son stayed on her right side throughout her pregnancy and after she gave birth, her belly was still lopsided! It was crazy looking because it was extra deflated where baby had been, lol.


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I purchased this iron and was amazed at how light it was. The stainless steel sole plate really does glide through ironing. It produces lots of steam and the compact sole plate makes ironing fiddly items easy. But equally good at the larger items.The iron stand detaches from the base unit so you can out it on the ironing board removing the need to have the base unit on the board, giving you lots more room.
Short name: Breville IR18


text:
Beach-Combing Emerald Isle and Topsail Island, NC
(Note: As always, click image for better versions - these are heavily compressed)
Emerald Isle, NC
Last weekend we had a short but nice going away get-away with some friends (psychology graduate students, a parole officer, and a lawyer/rockstar) in Emerald Isle, North Carolina.
My dorky goal was to find more fossilized shark teeth (see previous awesome finds here), in addition to the obvious general goal of having a salty time.
Unfortunately, a storm kept most of the cool ocean debris from washing ashore until Sunday morning. Nevertheless, I found quite a few interesting things.
First off: fossil shark teeth!
The Haul:
Skate Egg Case:
Unknown wicked fish jaw:
Shell Fossils in matrix:
A cool fossil of what I think is a bryozoan.
I found a nice piece of fossilized bone. Of what? Who knows? Probably whale or dolphin. Or perhaps mermaid.
I also found several chunks of what I believe is either anthracite coal, or the next metamorphic step - graphite (I'm no geologist - thoughts?). It's very light weight, very hard, and very faceted - which doesn't come across very well in still shots:
One of the coolest things I found is a relation to organisms I will soon be working with in my new lab: starfish!!
I found two of these, both beautifully colored and still alive. They were washed ashore by the storm, so I tossed em back. I have no idea the likelihood of their survival, but I can say they didn't wash back ashore over the next two days. (I'm awaiting the expertise of Christopher Mah of the Echinoblog for species identification).
Update: it's a Royal Sea Star, Astropecten articulatus. Quoth the EchinoMaster: "Basically..they are your stereotypical "sand star" predatory on infaunal bivalves and pretty common on sandy-muddy bottoms of the Northeast US. Attractively colored animals to be sure!" Thanks Chris!
We also got to hit the NC Aquarium in Pine Knoll Shores. It's a pretty rad place, so I was way more interested in pointing my eyes at all the ocean wonders, rather than pointing a camera. But I did get this cool shot of a gator.
Ooh - and apparently someone else took a shot of us there - me and John playing with the rays (the ray touch tank was by far the coolest part!).
Topsail Island, NC
A month ago, we also had the opportunity to hit Topsail Island, NC.
Fun was had. Things were seen.
Shark Teeth (Yes - I showed these before).
Mole Crabs (Emerita sp.)
Ghost Crab (Ocypode sp.)
And that's it - images are all I have for you at the moment. Enjoy.
I swear, I will have slightly more posts once I get moved to Pittsburgh and settled.
And just because I never show her (she's camera shy), I'm sneaking in this shot of my wife:
A Tale of the Hunt for Fossil Shark Teeth
As someone who has been a lifelong fossil collector, I have a terrible, unforgivable sin to admit: I lived for eight years in North Carolina and never knew of the existence of Aurora, NC.
Mind you, since moving here for graduate school, fossil hunting had fallen off of my priority list, largely owing to the fact that central Carolina rocks are basically all metamorphic (melted and recrystallized by heat and pressure). And I've never been the gung-ho research-fossil-sites-and-go-hunting type. Since I began collecting while living in the Ozark mountains, it was more of a walk-through-my-parents-woods-and-see-what-fossils-I-find-today sort of hobby, with a few far-flung excursions in the mix.
Well that all changed a few weeks ago. My wife, some friends, and I spent a couple of days at Topsail Beach, NC.
Actually - scratch that - it began a few month's ago, when Christie at Observations of a Nerd reported an awesome find of fossil shark teeth in Florida, and then - like the wonderful person she is - sent me a handful of them.
Back to Topsail Beach, circa a few weeks ago.
I said to myself, "Self - it's the ocean - there are bound to be fossil shark teeth. You (I) will not allow me (myself) to leave this beach without finding at least one shark tooth."
So I spent all my beach time on Saturday perusing the sands for teeth.
To no avail whatsoever. I never saw one.
The next day, I began again, searching much more intently. While combing the fresh tide-swept beach, I saw a tiny black triangle amidst the shells. It was a shark's tooth!!
The filters through which my perception is sifted were now calibrated. Within the next few hours I had a nice handful of tiny teeth. I was ecstatic.
(Note for the fossil pros and beach inhabitants out there: feel free to laugh at my ignorance of what constitutes awesome shark teeth. But these were just about the coolest things I had ever found - at the time.)
Thus was I hooked on shark teeth.
The next necessary stops in my tale are the mountains of West Virginia and hills of Pennsylvania.
Some of you know that I will recently begin a new job at Carnegie Mellon University. As such, we have driven there twice recently. I am utterly awed by the massive amount of roadcuts through the mountains of the two states, all of which reveal millions upon millions of years of Earth's natural history in it's geological strata. I felt the fossil-hunting bug really kick up several notches while driving through those strata.
Thus, in anticipation of my move, I began hunting online for potential fossil sites in Pennsylvania. In this endeavor I discovered The Fossil Forum. Through this forum, I discovered not only a huge community of avid fossil hunters, experts, and enthusiasts, but also that North Carolina has some of the most amazing shark tooth sites in the country.
"Self," says I, "it's bad enough that you've been here so long without discovering North Carolina's fossil sites - but now you are leaving? I forbid you (myself) from leaving until you have visited these sites. Got it?"
It was decided - the July fourth weekend was my only free one from now until the move, thus I would make it a fossil-hunting weekend. I would spend Friday in Aurora, NC and Saturday at Green's Mill Run, a creek in Greenville, NC.
As fate would have it (though we will soon see that the result would have been the same with any weekend, fate or no) a dude by the name of MikeDOTB (Michael Taggert) on the Fossil Forum, was also making the exact same trip this weekend. We decided to meet at the shark-digging piles at the Aurora Fossil Museum on Friday (Note to parents in NC - TAKE YOUR KIDS HERE! Free digging teeth by the thousands to their little hearts' content). Mike said he would be there by 7AM and I would try to get there by 9AM (it's a 3.5 hour drive for me).
NOTE: See Mike's Trip Report here - he has some amazing shark teeth!
I was too excited. I couldn't sleep at all the night before. So I slid out of bed and out the door at 3AM arriving at the piles in Aurora by 6:30AM. (The piles are Pungo River Formation sediment - age ~18-22 million years - donated by the nearby PCS phosphate mine).
It was just me. Not a soul in sight anywhere. Alone - in a beautiful dawn with giant piles of Miocene sediment to sift through at my leisure.
I saw my first tooth within about ten seconds of glancing at the piles. My collection grew fast and linearly from that point onward. Before too very long, a nice man showed up to sift as well. It turned out that he was a Fossil Forum member too (runner50) - a Kansas Science teacher on a trip around the country to spread his recently deceased wife's ashes at their favorite locations (including St. Claire, Pennsylvania which has some amazing fern fossils, which he showed me). Many of the ancient teeth he was collecting were for his students/class. Despite the sadness of his tale, it was incredibly heartening to meet such a man teaching in Kansas, a place we all probably know needs good science teachers!
Mike showed up later than he had planned, but as soon as he got there we hit another nearby pile, meeting a guy named Brian in the process. We chatted for quite a few hours as the three of us sifted for teeth in a couple different locations. Brian, another Fossil Forum member, gave me a dolphin vertebra among other things.
Fossil enthusiasts are awesome people, based on the few I've met!
Before the day was up I had amassed a huge pile of little shark teeth, though no lunkers had given themselves up. I had already watched in envy as Mike pulled several beautiful teeth from the piles. However, I wasn't really jealous, as I was too excited from the insane numbers of teeth I was finding with my smaller 1/4" mesh screen. After about 13 hours straight (no lunch break or anything), darkness began to loom. So Mike decided to collapse the pile we had been digging into. Wet internal sediment began falling and we both began picking through it as more fell. In about a third of a second a shiny glint caught my eye in the muddy dirt. I snapped at it like a greedy hungry chicken.
It was a big Extinct Giant Mako (Isurus hastalis)!
Also, it had a small bit of feeding damage at the very tip (which makes it only cooler to me). Now go back and compare that to my first teeth from Topsail...
Without further ado, I give you the rest of my collection from Friday, filled with makos, tigers, sand tigers, snaggletooths, cow sharks, and even one small nearly complete tooth and some pieces of megatoothed sharks (C. megalodon and/or chubitensis).
Note: I have zero tooth ID skills, so forgive any errors. There are almost certainly teeth "out of place"! I arranged these pretty quickly.
(Click for larger)
A few of these were given to me by Mike - I don't remember which ones. Thanks Mike! He also gave me the coolest thing I now own...keep reading.
And of course, I found some other cool stuff as well...
So I had a great haul - and searing back and arms as payment to Mother Nature for her bounty. But back pain or no, we had another whole day to go.
Mike and I high-tailed it to Greenville and crashed at the Motel 6, after spending at least an hour rinsing and gawking at our fossils. Mike gave me most of his teeth, except for the near perfect ones he deemed fitting for his collection. What an awesome dude!
Then again, this is a guy who has 30,000 teeth! Also, he seemed to know every single shark species, their scientific names, whom is thought to have begat whom evolutionarily, and he could instantly tell the ID of each tooth. Oh yeah, and remember how I said "Fate" had led me to want this trip at the exact same time that Mike announced that he was planning a trip? Yeah, well, he has gone on this trip almost every weekend since January.
Yeah - he's an enthusiast alright... Thanks Mike - you rock!
We awoke the next morning and headed for the dirty, trash-filled, broken glass-laden creek running near East Carolina University campus known as "Green's Mill Run." This place is famous for yielding big megalodons and great whites (and ancient soft drink bottles and bongs). The creek cuts through layers from the cretaceous to the pliocene, so things found in it can range from about 2.5 to 145 million years old!
The story was much the same at "GMR". I found quite a few great teeth (though I didn't feel as inclined to pick up every tiny tooth after the previous day), including another awesome Mako.
Mike found an AMAZING great white, and lot's of other great teeth - many of which he gave to me.
I sat and watched an awesome freshwater eel hunting minnows in one beautifully sunny pool - a first for me. We didn't have freshwater eels in NW Arkansas (that I'm aware of).
Mike found and gave me what I easily consider the coolest fossil I now own (he already has several): the fossilized inner ear bone of a whale. What kind? not a clue.
We visited one particular spot in the creek that cuts through this crazy shell layer filled with huge scallops and various mollusks.
By 6PM my back and arms would not let me sift a single more shovel load. Thus we called it a day.
Here's the total haul from Saturday:
Another cool fossil that exists by the millions in GMR is the belemnite. Belemnites were cephalopods related to modern cuttlefish. Only one part of it's body is normally fossilized: a calcite rod in it's body that assists in maintaining proper buoyancy. These things are just cool looking - orange and long and pointy, with a translucent character in the water.
And finally, the creek has quite a lot of pieces of whalebone:
All in all, this was by far the coolest natural history excursion I've been on (or perhaps second best behind a trip to Big Bend where I found an ammonite 4 feet in diameter - I left it there). If you read this far - I hope you enjoyed my tale. If you didn't...well... you can't see this anyway.
Next up: fossil hunting in Pennsylvania in the next month or two! When exactly or where I don't know. But it will be fun!
Grandpa's Pet Therapod
I hang out online sometimes with a bunch of like-minded fossil-enthusiasts (The Fossil Forum).
Tonight somebody posted this:
Just watched the new this evening and they were talking about a dig going on right now outside of Glen Rose, on the McFall ranch. The news showed the footprints of the therapod and the human prints together. It was interesting. For report go to cbs11tv.com
So I mosied over to the Dallas, TX CBS news site and found the article "Local City Known As Dinosaur Capital Of Texas, by Arezow Doost."
Sounds innocuous enough for a title, right? Then I read the first three sentences:
"Did you ever think that there were dinosaurs in North Texas?
As it turns out, this is one of the most prolific areas for dinosaur tracks in the state. One group of scientists have even found tracks dating back millions of years."
Read that last sentence again:
"One group of scientists have even found tracks dating back millions of years."
Cause, you know, all those other groups found tracks that weren't millions of years old...
(for those of you who missed out on elementary school, dinosaurs went extinct at the end of the Cretaceous sixty-five million years ago.)
Absolutely hilarious...and mind-numbingly maddening.
After reading a bit more, then you learn what it is really about:
"Scientists believe that one of the most unique findings is human prints dating back to the same period as the dinosaur prints. "We are looking for the truth," said Baugh. "We don't want anything else but the truth.""
I rolled my eyes. Obviously, I had a feeling what I would find out with a little search, but I decided to check out the scientist quoted in the piece, because I thought it was a bit odd that he said "We are looking for the truth. We don't want anything else but the truth."
You see, that is a very non-scientist thing to say in a media piece, and it instantly threw up a red flag to me. I say this because when one is actually in the practice of being a good scientist, a statement like that is like a commercial fisherman saying "no really, we're just out here to catch fish." What else would a fisherman be fishing in the ocean for? If you're a scientist, a statement like that is less than unnecessary.
Yeah this guy, Carl Baugh, is a young earth creationist discredited in the scientific community and with a questionable education. He is obviously seeking to prove his own wrong beliefs - not actually do what good scientists do, which is let the data speak for themselves. Check this out for some rather hilarious reading on Baugh: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Baugh
Sigh...it is Texas after all (I was born and raised in east Texas, FYI)
As an added moronic bonus, if you look at the url of the story you'll see that it's filed under "pets."
What kind of of idiots are running that station?
One thing about the fossil record - it's insanely consistent across both time and continental space, if fragmentary. And it has consistently shown us that human and therapod existence is quite a few tens of millions of years apart.
Hell, mammals were barely existent back then, compared to today. But primates? LOL - no.
Side note: I'm going fossil hunting in Aurora, NC tomorrow and at Greens Mill Run in Greenville, NC on Saturday!! Shark teeth here I come. Please just let me find a megalodon.
Waking the Baby Mammoth – a Tale of Science Bringing the Past to Life
"Only a handful have ever been found before. But none like her. Her name is Lyuba. A 1-month-old baby mammoth, she walked the tundra about 40,000 years ago and then died mysteriously. Discovered by a reindeer herder, she miraculously re-appeared on a riverbank in northwestern Siberia in 2007. She is the most perfectly preserved woolly mammoth ever discovered. And she has mesmerized the scientific world with her arrival - creating headlines across the globe. Everyone wants to know... how did she die? What can she tell us about life during the ice age and the Earth's changing climate? Will scientists be able to extract her DNA, and what secrets will it uncover?" - NGC
Waking the Baby Mammoth, a new program by the National Geographic Channel premiering Sunday, April 26th at 9PM, tells the tale of a single accidental discovery of a frozen baby mammoth in the Siberian tundra and how this discovery has enriched our understanding of these extinct magnificent beasts. (My quick review: 5 stars. watch it! it's beautiful and fascinating.)
However, this is not a standard paleontological nature show about mammoths in general or what life was like during the Pleistocene. Nor is this program purely about the science behind this bountiful discovery, though the arduous nature and reality of the scientific process is certainly one of the show's stars. In fact, one of the most fascinating aspects of this program is its focus on the one man and his strange culture (from an American perspective) that led to the discovery of one of the most important findings in mammoth biology. Waking the Baby Mammoth is as much an education on the hardy nature, harsh lifestyle, and animist beliefs of the reindeer herding Nemets nomads of Siberia as it is a show about the mammoth.
Without spilling too many details, the show begins with the incredibly fortuitous discovery of Lyuba, a 40,000 year old mammoth calf, by the nomadic Yuri Khudi (and his sons), a man whose animism dictates that disturbing the remains of the dead will lead to a curse. Too often with such paleontological findings as this, the preserved creature would be dug up and put on the market, leading to irreversible decomposition and the loss of a treasure trove of valuable information. However, Yuri had enough understanding and foresight to contact authorities in Russia, which began the intensive examination and retrieval of Lyuba (including a short drama during which Lyuba disappeared due to thievery). It is implied though not fully explained that Yuri had some inkling of what he had found - in fact he believed that the corpse had been put in his path for a reason, though he dared not disturb it himself.
The program subsequently follows a very well-done modern scientific storyline, detailing the scientific process and hurdles in understanding from whence Lyuba came, how she died, and what she can tell us about her Pleistocene life. That being said, apart from specific experiments involving high tech C-T scans, internal tissue extraction via some remarkable endoscopy, and dental examinations, the program does not delve overly deep into the intricate data. It's impossible to watch the work on Lyuba without feeling the anxiety the researchers must have felt in getting everything done right the first time on so precious a specimen.
From my own scientist perspective, I think the program goes as deep as it needed to portray the scientific importance of Lyuba's discovery. More importantly, the show succeeded best at precisely what it is intended to do: to bring drama and a deep emotional human connection to a quite amazing story. Throughout the program, we are presented with many truly stunning 3D animations of Lyuba and her mother. In cinematic form fitting with the story's message, Lyuba has been brought to life as an active furry baby mammoth tromping along next to researchers as they contemplate the frozen carcass' secrets. The visuals are beautiful, as the light shines off the baby's fur at just the right angles and her shadows dance in just the right way to really make her come alive - like a corporeal ghost watching her own ancient body bring her back to life in our own minds. Some of the more touching scenes involve Yuri himself near the end. A full year after his initial discovery, he was finally given the chance to suit up in aseptic surgical gear and join the researchers in the lab to witness first hand what his discovery meant to the rest of the world so foreign to him. It's hard to imagine what must have been going through this relatively "simple" man's mind, but his own expressions make it clear that he had come to understand the importance of his discovery and its impact as a blessing - not a curse - on our understanding of life's history. In his final farewell we see him and the animated Lyuba together in a quite touching cinematic juxtaposition of this nomadic reindeer herder and his now eternal connection to baby Lyuba.
Waking the Baby Mammoth is a tale that depicts the contrasting of cultures, worldviews, and personal beliefs of humanity amidst the backdrop of a seminal scientific discovery. Where this program succeeds remarkably well is in making the viewer understand the integral importance of these disparate cultures and the fortuitous convergence of good fortunes that allowed Lyuba to give us a new view of a lifeform long lost to us.
It is in this sense that NatGeo has truly woken the baby mammoth and placed her firmly within our modern human minds and hearts.
Be sure to check it out on the National Geographic Channel on Sunday, April 26th at 9PM. Lyuba will also grace the cover of the May edition of National Geographic Magazine on newstands April 28th.
Christie over at Observations of a Nerd also has a glowing review up now.
Once again I'd like to thank Minjae Ormes (Digital PR Consultant for NatGeo) for 1) the opportunity to review the NGC programs and 2) for being so cool in our communications.
If your interested, also check out my recent review of NatGeo's Kingdom of the Blue Whale.
The National Geographic Press Release
Scientists Embark on a Paleo-Detective Expedition to Reveal the Secrets of this 40,000-Year-Old Phenomenon, as Centuries-Old Indigenous Culture Meets Modern-Day Science
"This baby looks like you could snap your fingers and she would wake up and walk."
Narrated by Award-Winning Actor Victor Garber,
Waking the Baby Mammoth Premieres Sunday, April 26, 2009 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
(WASHINGTON, D.C. - APRIL 1, 2009) Only a handful have ever been found before. But none like her. Her name is Lyuba. A 1-month-old baby mammoth, she walked the tundra about 40,000 years ago and then died mysteriously. Discovered by a reindeer herder, she miraculously re-appeared on a riverbank in northwestern Siberia in 2007. She is the most perfectly preserved woolly mammoth ever discovered. And she has mesmerized the scientific world with her arrival - creating headlines across the globe. Everyone wants to know ... how did she die? What can she tell us about life during the ice age and the Earth's changing climate? Will scientists be able to extract her DNA, and what secrets will it uncover?
Now, from behind the headlines, National Geographic Channel's (NGC) Waking the Baby Mammoth sets out around the world on a cutting-edge forensic investigation into Lyuba's life and death, 10,000 years after most populations of her species became extinct. Narrated by award-winning actor Victor Garber, the two-hour special premiering Sunday, April 26, 2009 at 9 p.m. ET/PT tells Lyuba's incredible story with insight from her indigenous Siberian rescuers and the scientific community so captivated by her, as a centuries-old nomadic tribe meets modern-day science in this fascinating cultural exchange. The discovery of this baby mammoth gives researchers their best chance yet to build a genetic map of a species that vanished at the end of the last ice age. Through her DNA, Lyuba could finally explain why the prehistoric giants were driven to extinction, share clues about their migrations, and perhaps shed light on climate change. Could she even some day help to resurrect mammoths? With research funded in part by the National Geographic Society, Lyuba's journey will also be the May cover story of National Geographic magazine.
Filmed on three continents, Waking the Baby Mammoth presents a 21st century paleo-detective expedition that takes viewers from the tundra of remote Siberia to cities in Japan, Europe and North America as we join a nomad and leading scientists to "awaken" this startlingly lifelike baby. We travel back to the ice age with Lyuba via CGI animation and then fast-forward to the present to reveal the latest innovations in woolly mammoth research, including advanced computed tomography (CT) scanning and DNA analysis, searching for clues to her species' life, extinction and scientific future.
Waking the Baby Mammoth first follows paleontologist Dan Fisher and mammoth "hunter" Bernard Buigues back to the spot where Lyuba was discovered in May 2007. She was found on a snowy riverbank by Yuri Khudi, a nomadic reindeer herder in Russia's remote arctic Yamal-Nenets region. Named after Yuri's wife, Lyuba was turned over to the scientists at the Salekhard Museum in Siberia, which is where the next chapter in her journey began.
The film next accompanies Lyuba to Japan's Jikei University School of Medicine, where her body undergoes three-dimensional computer mapping that produces detailed images of her internal organs and structure, providing scientists with insight into the possible cause of her death. With all but her tail and woolly coat of fur, the CT scans showed that the 200-pound baby was in excellent health when she died, with healthy fat tissue and no damage to her skeleton. The scientists conclude that Lyuba met her end by drowning or falling into deep mud, as there are large amounts of sediment packed into her trunk, mouth and trachea. They believe that her final muddy resting place became part of the region's permafrost, preventing decay and keeping her remarkably intact, down to her perfect trunk and largely unblemished skin.
Researchers have long debated whether woolly mammoths' extinction was due to climate change or overhunting by humans. Now they hope to compare her DNA with that of other mammoths from the ice age to trace the migrations of mammoth populations over time and help solve the mystery of her species' disappearance.
Finally we travel with Lyuba to the Zoological Institute in Saint Petersburg, Russia, to follow the scientists as they conduct an autopsy and analyze her tissue, bone and teeth to reveal insight into the structure of mammoth organs and muscles. Their study is able to confirm Lyuba's age, her diet, the season of her death and environmental conditions for her mammoth herd in Siberia during her short life. In fact, they are even able to extract pollen that remained in her lungs, which can be used to reconstruct prehistoric plants that grew on the site where Lyuba died. The bone and tissue samples that are collected will also be used for future DNA analysis and shared among mammoth research teams worldwide, so experts across the globe can learn from her.
For mammoth scientists, discoveries like this truly come once in a lifetime. As Alexei Tikhonov of the Russian Academy of Science says, "Lyuba is a creature straight out of a fairy tale. When you look at her, it's hard to understand how she could have stayed in such good condition for 40,000 years ... This is the most amazing discovery since we've been studying mammoths."
For more information on the best-preserved baby mammoth ever discovered, visit natgeotv.com/mammoth beginning in early April 2009.
Waking the Baby Mammoth is produced by Woollyworks, Inc. Producer is Adrienne Ciuffo and director is Pierre Stine. Special thanks to The International Mammoth Committee. For National Geographic Channel, executive producer is Chris Valentini; senior vice president of special programming is Michael Cascio and executive vice president of content is Steve Burns.
Based at the National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., the National Geographic Channel (NGC) is a joint venture between National Geographic Ventures (NGV) and Fox Cable Networks (FCN). Since launching in January 2001, NGC initially earned some of the fastest distribution growth in the history of cable and more recently the fastest ratings growth in television. The network celebrated its fifth anniversary January 2006 with the launch of NGC HD which provides the spectacular imagery that National Geographic is known for in stunning high-definition. NGC has carriage with all of the nation's major cable and satellite television providers, making it currently available to nearly 70 million homes. For more information, please visit www.natgeotv.com.
Russell Howard, National Geographic Channel, 202-912-6652, email@example.com
Chris Albert, National Geographic Channel, 202-912-6526, firstname.lastname@example.com
National Broadcast: Dara Klatt, 202-912-6720, email@example.com
National & Local Radio: Johanna Ramos Boyer, 703-646-5137, firstname.lastname@example.com
National Print: Christie Parell, The Fratelli Group, 202-822-9491, email@example.com
Local Print: Licet Ariza, The Fratelli Group, 202-496-2126, email@example.com
Digital: Minjae Ormes, Independent Digital Consultant, 917-539-7646, email@example.com
Photos: Christine Elasigue, National Geographic Channel, 202-912-6708, email@example.com
Fossil Challenge #1 – Marine Carboniferous Invertebrates from the Ozarks
I am a fossil collector.
Ever since I was a small child I have been collecting fossils. In fact, I can trace my own fascination with biology directly to my discovery that the very house in which I lived (actually a trailer back then), was set upon land literally made of these long dead and formerly ocean-dwelling ancestors and distant cousins. I'll never forget the awe that crept into my little brain as I tried to imagine enormous oceans covering my forested Ozark mountains.
When I was very young, my Mamaw (paternal grandmother) gave me a simple large toolbox for Christmas - a toolbox with a myriad little compartments intended for the sole purpose of housing my growing "rock collection."
For years I filled this box and a couple more with fossils, rocks, gems, shed snake skins, feathers, arrowheads, seashells, and all manner of relatively non-decomposable animal and plant remains - almost all of which I found myself.
The time came when I was not content to let my collection sit in toolboxes in a closet. Thus I built a shadowbox coffee table during graduate school (with super thick glass so my cats could leap onto it from 10 feet away without smashing my fossils...er...the glass and themselves). Now my collection fills my coffee table and almost every bookshelf in my home.
I've amassed a decent collection - I'm proud of it anyway, though any paleontologist or geologist would almost certainly laugh at it. Most of them are simple ocean invertebrates, as most of them came from Carboniferous Period limestone of the Ozark Mountains (the entire region is pretty much made of pure crinoids).
All of the above being said, I'm a bit ashamed to admit that I don't know that much about many of my fossils.
Thus, I am starting this series of posts to catalog my entire collection and to see what the experts out there can teach me and all of us about some of our long lost branches of life. Please, if you can add any information whatsoever, it would be much appreciated - i.e. taxonomy, factoids, comments, conjecture, anything. And please point out if I have identified anything incorrectly - a very real possibility.
For this first installment, I am going to begin with my most recent additions - all found this weekend in Bella Vista, Arkansas where I returned for my mom's wedding.
A hat tip goes out to my four nieces (ages 9 to 12) for helping me find them.
Location: Bella Vista, Benton County, Arkansas
What I know: based on my limited understanding of the region's geology, these rocks are primarily limestone from the carboniferous period (and I believe they are towards the boundary between Pennsylvanian and Mississippian - but I could easily be wrong. I know very very little about geology).
Note: You can click on all images for higher res/quality images. These are highly compressed for bandwidth. I've tried to give multiple views of each fossil.
#1 - Crinoid
#2 - Productid Brachiopod - Order Strophomenida
Update: information provided by Chris Nedin, of Ediacaran: "looks like a productid brachiopod. Order Strophomenida, Suborder Productidina. They can be distinguished by being large, very rounded, with a thick, heavy shell, and along the top, a very straight hinge line, with almost nothing appearing above the hinge line. An example is here at image 408."
#3 - Spirifid Brachiopod - Order Spiriferida
Update: information provided by Chris Nedin, of Ediacaran: "an internal mold of a spirifid brachiopod, Spiriferida, Suborder Spirifieridina. The shell has been filled with sediment and that has hardened. Then the original shell has dissolved away, leaving the sediment inside, which is what you see. The shape is caused because the shell tapers down to a point away from the centre, and curls somewhat. An example is here."
#4 - Rhynchonellid Brachiopod
Update: information provided by Chris Nedin, of Ediacaran: "I think the brachiopod here is a rhynchonellid. Order rhynchonellidida. An example is here."
#5 - Spirifid Brachiopod
Update: information provided by Chris Nedin, of Ediacaran: "another spirifid, this time weathered (see the spirifid link above)."
#6 - Crinoid
#7 - Possible Spirifid Brachiopod
Update: information provided by Chris Nedin, of Ediacaran: "not sure, maybe another spirifid."
#8 - Shelly strata
I know - these aren't exactly impressive specimens. However, I already had them unpacked and laid out so I figured I'd start with these. I definitely have some other cool ones to come in future posts.
If you know of any fossil aficionados, please send them this way, as I would really like to know at least a little bit more about my collection. If any of you end up being particular helpful, I may just send you one of my awesome limestone rocks made of pure crinoid discs (they're much cooler than those above), assuming you don't already have some or consider them too bland