text:
A number of pages are hosted here. If you are looking for the Concertina FAQ then you have arrived; just keep on reading.
If you want any of the following then click on the button below which will take you to an index page. |
Hypertextualized from the Concertina FAQ written by Chris Timson. The HTML translation of the FAQ was originally performed by Phoebe Sengers, and is now maintained by Chris Timson. Please send comments about the contents to Chris by clicking here, or visit my home page.
Alternative versions of the FAQ
Click here if you would like a copy of the FAQ as a PDF file.
The PDF version is a flattened rendition of the text without the illustrations and is about 2.5 Mb in size.
If you would like an ASCII text version then email me by clicking here.
VERSION : 1.22 AUTHOR : CHRIS TIMSON DATE : 9 April 2011
Please note that Appendix 2 does not form part of the ASCII version of this FAQ. It is only available online, and updates to it will not be reflected in the version number of the FAQ.
If you came here from somewhere else (such as the ICA web site)
and you want to return there, click this button. |
Visitors to this site since 1st January 1999:
Between 8th October 1996 and 31st December 1998 there were 9,551 visitors. We changed the counter provider when we moved the site on 11th October 2002. At that time it stood at 43,160. Thank you all. Please call again.
Copyright Statement.
Please read this if you intend to do anything else with this document other than just read it.
DOCUMENT HISTORY v1.0 11 Feb 1995 Initial release v1.1 3 March 1995 Various amendments and updates following feedback on v1.0 v1.2 8 April 1995 Minor amendments, additions and updates v1.3 6 May 1995 Quote at head of introduction added: found by Alan Clarke of Manchester Morris and quoted in Concertina World, the ICA newsletter. Other minor amendments and additions. v1.4 1 July 1995 New Internet section. Address for Frank Edgley (at last!). Substantial rewrite of text on Chemnitzer concertinas. v1.5 28 October 1995 Minor amendments, additions and updates. Another rewrite for Chemnitzers (I promise I'll get it right one day). Wheatstone dates of manufacture added in an appendix as it is of minority interest. v1.6 28 December 1995 Record change of accordion mailing list to rec.music.makers.squeezebox. One other minor tweak. (1.6a new URL for Bob Tedrow). v1.7 1 April 1996 Minor amendments, additions and updates. A few corrections of historical fact in sec. 2. v1.8 - v1.12 (June 1996 - February 1997) Further minor amendments, additions and updates. v1.13 25 January 1998 Addition of Lachenal dating formulae. Addition of Concertina Maintenance Manual details. Other assorted amendments. v1.14 30 May 1998 Major rewrite of Buying Advice section. v1.15 29 August 1999 Lots of minor amendments, plus the new Button Box concertina. v1.16 12 April 2000 8 months since the last version, many minor amendments. v1.17 18 February 2001 10 months this time, many minor amendments and some re-organisation. v1.18 1 November 2001 Some significant additions to clubs, makers and Internet sections. New home on the web at www.concertina.info. v1.19 6 October 2002 Lots of minor amendments. v1.20 5 December 2004 Lots of minor amendments. v1.21 23 July 2006 Lots of minor amendments, also (way overdue, but very sad) all mailto links converted to graphics to prevent spammers from scraping them. v1.22 April 2011 Checking and updating all links, plus the usual odds and sods.


text:
I initially investigated incorporating a laser into my practice early in 2008. I am a periodontist, and as you may or may not know, there is a general lack of laser awareness in the periodontal community. It is a complex issue that will be addressed separately.
I decided to research lasers independently. I read countless studies, spoke to laser
Continue reading »
I'm still waiting to see the studies that clearly demonstrate this, because I have tried removing calculus with the YSGG on freshly extracted teeth and it doesn't come off easily. Granted, intra-orally with the presence of saliva it might work, but????
EXCERPT: BIOLASE Announces FDA 510(k) Clearance of Its Waterlase MDTM Laser for Removing Calculus in Patients With Periodontal Disease Minimally-Invasive Treatment for Condition Impacting Over Half of Americans Over 55
IRVINE, CA–(Marketwire – December 9, 2009) – BIOLASE Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: BLTI), the world's leading dental laser company, today announced that it has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market its Waterlase MD™ laser system for removal of subgingival calculi to prevent and treat periodontitis, the greatest cause of tooth loss for adults over 35 and a condition impacting more than half of Americans over the age of 55, as reported by the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP).

subset: commoncrawl


text:
(KMOV) – A St. Louis police officer is in the hospital after she fell while trying to chase down a woman accused of stealing from a north St. Louis library Thursday morning.
Police say an officer was working at the library in the 4300 block of Margaretta when a woman stole items and ran out the door.
A female sergeant responded to the scene and was chasing down the suspect when she fell and hurt her shoulder. She was taken to the hospital for treatment.
The suspect was arrested at the scene.
Additional information was not immediately available.


text:
Start learning with our library of video tutorials taught by experts. Get started
Watch the step-by-step process as acclaimed digital agency Big Spaceship produces an animated logo.
"It is like taking college classes without leaving home. Great for total beginners and long-time veterans." —Trevor C.
more from our members »


text:
But WaitThere's More
Find other great ideas in these related stories:
- Car-Free Destinations for Your Big Summer Trip ›
- Top Islands in the World ›
- The Best Cruise Ship Cabins ›
- Natural Swimming Holes Around the World ›
- The Best U.S. Beach Resorts ›
- Last-Minute Escapes: Beach Vacations ›
- 12 Hotels with Overwater Bungalows ›
- 29 Restaurants on 11 Caribbean Islands ›
- Ten Island Escapes from the Cold ›
- Unexplored Caribbean ›
- World's Sexiest Fitness Retreats ›
Picture the gorgeous beach you spent a week on this summer.
Now picture that same beach next summer, destroyed. Perhaps it eroded so much that there's barely room to spread out a towel. Maybe a colossal concrete hotel is being built where the sand dunes used to be. Maybe it has been coated with a slick of spilled oil. Hopefully, your slice of paradise will remain well preserved. But at many beaches around the world, nightmares like these are coming true (just ask anyone who lives on the Gulf Coast).
We've selected seven beach destinations around the world in danger of disappearing forever due to forces such as erosion, pollution, rising sea levels, reckless overdevelopment, and sand mining. But there are hundreds more. If we don't curb global warming, insist on sustainable development, and protect the world's beaches against pollution and mismanagement, the idyllic shorelines we cherish will be preserved only in memory.
Published in August 2010; pictured Phu Quoc, Vietnam.


text:
Valerie, by now your dad has our Sudlow genealogy. At the time you wrote, I did not know the connection. Would you or your dad provide us with your family's names and birthdates. You can E-mail me at firstname.lastname@example.com. We now have over 113 pages of your Sudlow genealogy. Maybe the next time we are in Florida, we can get together.
Home | Help | About Us | Site Index | Jobs | PRIVACY | Affiliate |
© 2007 The Generations Network |


text:
You must be logged in to save your search, you can Register an account with SciCrunch to save your searches.
orIf you have forgotten your password, please enter your account email below and we will reset your password and email you the new password.
BACKGROUND: Mutations in the integral membrane protein 2B, also known as BRI(2), a type II trans-membrane domain protein cause two autosomal dominant neurodegenerative diseases, Familial British and Danish Dementia. In these conditions, accumulation of a C-terminal peptide (ABri and ADan) cleaved off from the mutated precursor protein by the pro-protein convertase furin, leads to amyloid deposition in the walls of blood vessels and parenchyma of the brain. Recent advances in the understanding of the generation of amyloid in Alzheimer's disease has lead to the finding that BRI(2) interacts with the Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP), decreasing the efficiency of APP processing to generate Abeta. The interaction between the two precursors, APP and BRI(2), and possibly between Abeta and ABri or ADan, could be important in influencing the rate of amyloid production or the tendency of these peptides to aggregate. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We have generated the first BRI(2) Danish Knock-In (FDD(KI)) murine model of FDD, expressing the pathogenic decamer duplication in exon 6 of the BRI(2) gene. FDD(KI) mice do not show any evident abnormal phenotype, with normal brain histology and no detectable amyloid deposition in blood vessel walls or parenchyma. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This new murine mouse model will be important to further understand the interaction between APP and BRI(2), and to provide insights into the molecular basis of FDD.
Welcome to NIF. Explore available research resources: data, tools and materials, from across the web
Search for resources specially selected for NIF community
Search across hundreds of additional biomedical databases
Search Pub Med abstracts and full text from PubMed Central
Enter your search terms here and hit return. Search results for the selected tab will be returned.
Click here to login or register and join this community.
Narrow your search by selecting a category. For additional help in searching, view our tutorials.
Displays the total number of search results. Provides additional information on search terms, e.g., automated query expansions, and any included categories or facets. Expansions, filters and facets can be removed by clicking on the X. Clicking on the + restores them.
Displays individual records and a brief description. Click on the icons below each record to explore additional display options.


text:
Birthday Gifts For that Special Someone.
- Personalized Gifts Make Your Gift Truly Memorable.
Last Minute Gifts Need a Gift Today?
- Corporate Gifts Made Easy Easy to Order, Always Impressive.
- Gifts Under $50
- Description
- What's Inside
- Shipping
Ideal for an individual or small group, this rich and delicious assortment of award-winning foods has everything needed for the perfect gourmet experience.
Gift Includes:
- Moravian Ginger Spice Cookies
- Mixed Antipasti Vegetables
- Spanish Olives
- Wisconsin Northwoods Cheese with Wood-Handled Cheese Spreader
- Almond Roca, and more.
- Items are packaged in a lovely water hyacinth basket
- Includes complimentary scissors for easy opening
- Arrives decorated with a hand-tied satin ribbon with optional personalization
Measures 12" x 10" x 4".
Personalize It!
Gift #17074
Complete the personalization option during checkout and we'll print your message on a satin ribbon. One line with up to 45 characters; requested text repeats across entire ribbon. -
2 Day Express Delivery $0.00
Upgrade Shipping- 3 Day Express Delivery +$0.00
- Overnight Delivery +$0.00
- Standard Shipping +$0.00
For holiday delivery, GiftTree can hold your gift and have it shipped to arrive anytime. To use this option, select "Ship Later" on the next page.
AP04-011-03AP Citrus Squares-Black/Brown
Almond RocaA world famous confection from Brown & Haley. Chocolate and nuts envelop rich buttercrunch toffee for a divine mix of tastes and textures Two included, .82 oz each
Cheese StrawsThe ripe flavor of perfectly aged cheese and the crispy texture of a classic cheese straw, make this an indulgence you won't soon forget. 1 oz
Gourmet CoffeeThis international blend ground from 100% Arabica beans is sure to awaken and delight the senses. Two 1.5 oz packages included. Makes two full pots. 3 oz
Mixed Vegetables Grilled AntipastiAll natural. Fresh zucchini, eggplant, and piquilla peppers are marinated and grilled to perfection. 7.9 oz
Spanish OlivesRipe gourmet olives classically stuffed with minced pimentos. These olives are known for their rich flavor and meaty texture with a hint of sweet fruitiness. 2 oz
Wasabi PeasThe ultimate snack for those who appreciate a little heat. Sweet green peas are cooked and then coated in wasabi for a crunchy and satisfying snack. 2 oz
Aaron Bell AlmondsRoasted almonds coated in a zesty seasoning mix. Perfect with a cocktail or as an after dinner treat. 1.5 oz
Cheese KnifeA conveniently sized wood-handled knife, perfect for picnics.
Dolcetto Chocolate WafersDelicately-rolled, European-style wafer rolls that are made with premium ingredients, including rich cocoa and decadent chocolate. A decadently sweet treat! 3 oz
Lemon DropsLemon shaped hard candies with a sour sweet sensation that will make your mouth sing! 4 oz
Northwoods Hot Pepper CheeseSavory hot pepper cheese from Wisconsin. Creamy and spicy with real jalapeno peppers. 4 oz
Tropical Island MixA variety of healthy, naturally sweet & delicious dried fruits such as pineapple, papaya, mango, kiwi, banana, and coconut. 2 oz
White Chocolate Pecan Shortbread CookiesA delicious fusion of pecan, white chocolate, and buttery shortbread. From Macadams. 3 oz
Average Rating:(12 reviews) write a review
- Recommended
on time & up to high standards October 3, 2013
This gift arrived on the expected delivery date and was jut as pictured. I would trust this company for future gifts.
gift giver
- Recommended
Awesome July 4, 2013
Sent this to my uncle for his 79th birthday. He loved it and asked me for the website link so he could order from here for next christmas. I hope he sends me this!!!:)
UK friend
- Recommended
Lovely surprise May 5, 2013
This was a gift to cheer up my friend in FL who had suffered a painful injury. This gift succeeded in the cheer-up mission and diverted thoughts form the pain for a while. Definitely recommend this service and the range of gifts.
Little Sis
- Recommended
Sister loved it! March 10, 2013
My husband and I sent this to my sister as a pick-me-up after a rough week. She loved it, said the basket was beautiful and the ingredients top notch and oh so good!! Thank you for being true to the picture and description.
- Recommended
Very nice presentation February 19, 2013
This gift was for my Mother, she just loved it. What a variety of items this package has, just what I was looking for.
- Recommended
Great variety February 14, 2013
I sent this to my husband overseas and he loved everything and was impressed with the variety. It is not always easy to find a gift for a man but this one works. It was great that you ship to APO addresses. Sharing your site with family and friends. Thanks gift tree
- Recommended
Great gift January 31, 2013
I wanted to send my sister something different and special for her birthday and this was just the gift. It was definitely worth the price and free shipping offer was a huge plus!
- Recommended
Great gift January 3, 2013
The recipients of this basket were thrilled. The basket was beautiful and the quality of the products was excellent!
- Recommended
Nice selection December 30, 2012
I gave this gift to my dad and he loved the cookies so much he called to order more. He was unable to buy that one item. Other than that he loved his basket.
Shelly UK
- Recommended
Lovely basket great value December 27, 2012
First class customer service.
I live in the UK and ordered it for family in California. -
- Recommended
Beautiful Basket full of goodie December 27, 2012
Was given as a gift and they seem very pleased with basket. It arrived as was stated when order was put in. Was surprised how heavy it was. Love the extra items that came with the basket, 10 dollar coupon and small scissor to open gift. Will order from GiftTree again, very happy.
Down South
- Recommended
First Class Favorites December 17, 2012
Sent to a friend and she said it was wonderful and enjoyed it very much.


text:
Thailand should call off election, says electoral commission
Thailand should not hold an election in February because the risk of violence against candidates is too high, the electoral commission has said.
The commission called on the government to postpone the 2 February vote.
A police officer was killed earlier in clashes with protesters trying to stop parties registering for the poll.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra called the snap election after weeks of protests that demanded an unelected "people's council" take power.
In most other countries an attack on an official election site by protesters armed with slingshots and homemade bombs, resulting in the death of a police officer from a gunshot wound, would prompt a robust response from the authorities. A state of emergency perhaps, or the deployment of the army, as happened in Bangkok in 2010.
That this is not happening in Thailand - that protesters are free to block roads, occupy ministries and launch an assault on a stadium in which political parties were trying to prepare for a democratic election, tells you a lot about the polarised state of Thailand right now.
The police have a poor track record of crowd control, and are under orders to avoid serious casualties. They are also exhausted and demoralised after weeks of being pushed back by the protesters. They are seen by the protesters as partisan, favouring the governing party. They are shown little respect.
But there were also soldiers in that stadium, as there have been in other official locations attacked by the protest movement. They have stood by and let the police deal with the crowds.
Their refusal to act - the government's inability to mobilise any show of support from an army that is still an important player in Thai politics, speaks volumes.
This government has shown it can win election after election. But it does not command the loyalty of the country's most powerful institution, and that really limits its options.
The demonstrators dismissed the election, and the official opposition has refused to field candidates.
Protesters have further rejected another offer by Ms Yingluck to form a national reform council intended to run alongside her government.
They want Ms Yingluck to step down immediately.
The BBC's Jonathan Head in Bangkok says there is a sense that there is weight behind the protesters' demands, with the head of the army also urging a postponement.
Government supporters have so far kept out of Bangkok, saying they would concentrate their efforts on winning the election.
But if the election is cancelled, they will be extremely angry, says our correspondent.
On Thursday, the protesters - some of whom were throwing stones - tried to break into the stadium where the electoral commission was registering candidates.
But police responded with tear gas, dispersing the crowd.
One police officer was killed, a nurse suffered gunshot wounds, and dozens of police and protesters were injured, some seriously.
Ms Yingluck dissolved parliament and called an election on 9 December, after more than 150,000 demonstrators took to the streets calling for her government to step down.
Last Sunday, she said the election must take place and urged protesters to express their views at the ballot box.
Thailand's troubles
- Sep 2006: Army ousts Thaksin Shinawatra
- Dec 2007: Pro-Thaksin party wins election
- Aug 2008: Thaksin flees Thailand
- Dec 2008: Huge anti-Thaksin protests; court bans ruling party; Abhisit Vejjajiva comes to power
- Mar-May 2010: Huge pro-Thaksin protests; dozens killed in army crackdown
- Jul 2011: Yingluck Shinawatra elected PM
- Nov 2013: Anti-government protests
- Dec 2013: Ms Yingluck calls election
"If we don't hold on to the democratic system, what should we hold on to," she asked.
Her Pheu Thai Party won the last election in 2011 and has a big majority in parliament.
However, protesters say her brother - ousted former leader Thaksin Shinawatra - remains in charge.
Mr Thaksin is currently in self-imposed exile after he was overthrown in a military army coup in 2006 and convicted of corruption.
The latest crisis was sparked after the government attempted to pass an amnesty law that would have allowed Thaksin to return to Thailand.
He is still hugely popular in rural areas and in the north, and parties linked to him have won convincing majorities in every election they have contested since 2001.
But many city-dwellers bitterly oppose Mr Thaksin and have several times paralysed governments allied to him by launching massive demonstrations.
Did you witness the clashes? Please get in touch using the form below.


text:
Donald Sterling is paying for the racist comments he was caught saying to girlfriend Vanessa Stiviano. On April 29, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver held a press conference on the punishment — and he banned him for life from all off the NBA.
The Los Angeles Clippers owner since 1981, Donald Sterling, is not getting off easy. Adam Silver took the mic in New York City to make a strong statement, announcing that Sterling will never be able to attend another NBA event, and that he personally will be fined $2.5 million.
Donald Sterling Suspended Indefinitely
On April 29, the Clippers will return to the Staples Center for their first home game since the remarks by Sterling were leaked — and Sterling will not be there.
At the Hilton Hotel in New York City, Adam announced that Sterling is suspended "for life" from any Clippers games, events, or any other NBA events.
He added that he is personally "outraged" and will "urge" the Board of Governors to sell the team — they need a three quarter vote to do so. Adam cannot personally take the team away from him, as that is not in his job description, but did point out that the process of getting the team taken from Donald, would be beginning immediately. He also added that he thinks he will get that three quarter vote.
Dallas Mavericks owner, Mark Cuban responded to the decision right away, writing on Twitter, "I agree 100% with Commissioner Silvers findings and the actions taken against Donald Sterling."
Clippers Coach Speaks out: 'We Are All Doing Our Best'
Doc Rivers, L.A. Clippers head coach and senior VP of Basketball Operations issued a long statement about the "emotional" subject on April 28. Parts of the statement are below:
I would like to reiterate how disappointed I am in the comments attributed to [Donald Sterling] and I can't even begin to tell you how upset I am and our players are. Today, I had a meeting with the members of our organization. When you are around all these people, you realize they are just as upset and embarrassed by the situation and it does not reflect who they really are.
We want to make the right decisions here. We're doing our very best to try and do that. We know that fans are in a dilemma as well. We want them to cheer for their players and their team. It will always be their players and their team. From the fans that I have heard from, that's how they feel. 'This is my team. These are my players that I'm cheering for and that's not going to change.' I hope STAPLES Center is packed and people are cheering for the players. The players are now in the middle of this, and they have to deal with it.
We are all doing our best here. Our players are doing their best. There are a lot of people involved in this. From one man's comments, a lot of people have been affected and the conversations that we're all having do need to be had."
What do you think of the punishment, HollywoodLifers? Is it too much or still not enough? Let us know.
— Emily Longeretta
Follow @EmilyLongeretta
More Donald Sterling News:
- Donald Sterling's Wife Slams Him For Crude Racist Remarks
- President Obama Blasts 'Ignorant' Donald Sterling In Press Conference — WATCH
- Donald Sterling To Receive An NAACP Award Amid Racism Controversy
View Comment
Posted at 8:34 PM on May 28, 2014
Posted at 8:01 PM on April 29, 2014
Private comments publicised to destroy him. How many times have we all made statements in private if recorded and publicised would ruin us? I'd say plenty of times. The guy has insecurity issues but a ban for life could be interpreted as reverse racism or anti-semitism as he is a Jew. I thought the Pharisees that were about to cast the first stone were bad but that is nothing compared to the left-wing media. Baldwin also suffered their wrath as we know. What about Kerry's apartheid comments on Israel? Not a word.
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.
C.S. Lewis"
Posted at 4:59 PM on April 29, 2014
If it was his girlfriend's phone, then how did the conversation get leaked, unless she did it. I now see how an unattrictive man such as him can get a pretty, young girlfriend by buying said girlfriend a condo and fancy car. What some women will do for money, but to be with him…ugh.
At least he said black and not the N word.
a hogg
Posted at 4:11 PM on April 29, 2014


text:
Greg Grunberg
Bio: Funny "Heroes" actor-dad jams for charity with all-star band The Band from TV and tweets for epilepsy awareness for his afflicted son.
Recent Tweet: "Playing spelling Bee with the kids in bed. They're beating me. Are you smarter than a 5th grader? A Third Grader? & a Pre-K...'er?!! NO"
Follow Greg Grunberg: http://twitter.com/greggrunberg
More on Twitter & Celebrities
- We Want to Know...Do you use Twitter?
More Entertainment Features
Discuss Twitter


text: Like the article says, sharp hip pain is usually not serious, and may even be just from over-exerting yourself. If it persists, a quick trip to the doctor will help ease your mind. Then, plenty of rest and a gradual return to your normal activity level should help you feel better.


text:
NEWTON's HOME PAGE
Privacy Policy
Swan Mimic Behavior
Name: mary Status: other Age: 30s Location: N/A Country: N/A Date: 4/29/2004
Awhile ago, I had an encounter with a swan, and I thought it was very interesting. I hope you can enlighten me. I was on a jet ski waitng for a friend to launch a boat.I was slowly idling around at the launching docks. I noticed 2 adult swans and one smaller one swimming around off in the distance. Paying no attention, I patiently waited for my friend. Unaware to me, but as I sat there, one of the swans was suddenly about 5 feet away from me. I was pleasantly surprised. I did not notice any defensive behavior, it was just sitting there. But this swan started to "copy cat" my every move. If I spun in a circle, it spun in a circle. If I slowly increased my speed,and proceeded in a straight line, it did the same. If turned to my left or right, it did the same. This went on for a few minutes.It made no sounds and just sat there if I did the same.I was not near the other 2 swans, they were off in the distance. Was this actually some form of defensive behavior that myself,as a lay person, would be unaware of, or just a characteristic nature of the species?
Mimicing behavior is well known to occur in almost all animals...in young animals such as geese it is very well documented that young geese imprint the behavior of even humans that they are associated with. I have watched dogs numerous time watch another dog and mimic their behavior...it is a bit harder to pick up a dog mimicing human behavior but I have seen this also.
Click here to return to the Zoology Archives
NEWTON is an electronic community for Science, Math, and Computer Science K-12 Educators, sponsored and operated by
Argonne National Laboratory
Educational Programs
, Andrew Skipor, Ph.D., Head of Educational Programs.
For assistance with NEWTON contact a
System Operator (firstname.lastname@example.com)
, or at Argonne's
Educational Programs
Educational Programs
Building 360
9700 S. Cass Ave.
Argonne, Illinois
Update: June 2012


text:
I'll never forget this. We did a skit at a variety school at my local junior high school in Gander, Newfoundland, Canada. I was the biggest AC/DC fan ever in that town. That's me on the right doing Angus. I was shaking so violently that my hair stood up straight. It was Shook Me All Night Long! I was a kid in his glee.
- ‹ previous
- 122 of 316
- next ›


text:
Friday, May 17, 2013 - 12:18pm
Waco, TX (KETK) — It's a three-peat for the team from Bullard.
Brook Hill won its third straight state championship Wednesday in Waco.
The Guard beat Bryan Brazos Christian, 7-to-5.
The baseball title game was moved to Waco from Belton because of rain in Central Texas.
The game was delayed twice in Waco.
But Brook Hill beat the wet weather and the competition to win it all for the third time in a row.
Brook Hill has become a baseball dynasty.
No YouTube


text:
Today on Offworld, still feeling the holiday pinch of a games industry still not running on all rotors until after the New Year, we looked instead at a number of happenings on the fashion front, from a hoodie fit for Punch-Out!'s Little Mac, to the latest in the series of gawpingly gorgeous Pokemon t-shirts (!), to a shirt fit to be Offworld's own.
We also saw plaintive graffiti in Left 4 Dead, a fantastic new energy drink commercial from the man behind epic pixel-art explosions 'Pirate Baby's Cabana Battle Street Fight 2006' and 'Kings of Power 4 Billion %', listened to a live four-man Korg DS-10 jam, and saw how Japan has channeled Chris Cunningham to advertise its newly released version of BioShock.
Finally, we took a long look at Spelunky, a new procedurally generated freeware PC game that blends the best bits of Rogue/Nethack with 8-bit platforming, and is setting the bar very high for 2009's indie ilk.


text:
Some political collectors, to put it bluntly, can be campaign snobs. They'll only collect political items that were used in campaigns.
I can honestly say I'm not a campaign snob. I specialize in Theodore Roosevelt, but it doesn't really matter to me whether an item was produced for any of TR's campaigns or not. What I do require, however, is that the item be from the era it represents. I don't want some 1960s button of Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt died in 1919. I'll collect memorial items for him, but not much after a year or two from the anniversary of his death.
What brought me to this thought was a couple of items I picked up recently that aren't campaign, but do represent an important event in Theodore Roosevelt's presidency: The Panama Canal.
I'm not going to blog here about how it came about that the United States got involved in building the canal. You can read about it elsewhere and scholars can debate the way the Panamanian revolution from Colombia happened and if our part in that was correct. Regardless, however, it happened and it's part of history.
There aren't a lot of items related to TR and the canal, so to find two of three such items in my collection in about a month was a treat. I've owned a celluloid button tying TR to the canal for about 15 years now, possibly longer. It's a special pinback that rarely turns up in the collecting hobby.
Earlier this summer, I came across a 1915 calendar trivet with a map of the canal on it. I had seen this image on a plate before, but not a trivet.
Finally, through an online auction site, I recently found one of the Panama Canal medals given to those who worked at least two years on the canal. The metal and pinbar show Theodore Roosevelt on the front, with the name of the person getting the award and the years of service. Less than 3,000 of these medals were made and given out. I feel fortunate to have one of these wonderful medals in my collection now.


text:
Teriyaki Sauce
Excellent with fish (especially salmon, swordfish, tuna, or sea bass), chicken, or beef. Rub a little sesame oil on the fish, poultry, or meat prior to grilling. Use this sauce for basting near the end of the cooking time, as the high sugar content encourages burning. Serve the rest of the sauce on the side, with some steamed rice.
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
1" piece lemon peel
1/4 cup white wine
1/3 cup sugar
1" piece ginger root, crushed
Combine the soy sauce, wine, vinegar, sugar, garlic, ginger and lemon peel in a saucepan. Bring to a boil on the sideburner of your barbecue, and simmer until the sauce is reduced by about half and is quite thick. Cool and remove the garlic, ginger root, and lemon peel.


text:
As Obama and other electeds settle into the White House, Right to the City Alliance is cooking up a movement for homes, sweet homes. Twenty-two member groups of the Right to the City Alliance have been meeting to iron out the strategy, tactics and goals to build a national movement and campaign for the expansion of affordable, sustainable and quality housing in our cities.
To kick off the campaign this week, Right to the City Alliance members brought this message to Fannie Mae in Washington DC. Right to the City and its allies submitted 96 cases, each including the person's name, home address, proposed solution and contact information. The demands proposed included principal reduction, the right to rent, repairing poor conditions and transferring Fannie Mae owned properties to non-profits to become affordable housing. In this meeting, Fannie Mae agreed to discuss both individual cases and broader policies including donating properties for $1 or at a low cost to nonprofits, to be converted to affordable rentals. They also agreed to fulfill their statutory commitment to creating affordable housing through funding the National Housing Trust Fund. Fannie Mae committed to reviewing the 98 cases we submitted prior to our meeting, including cases from member organizations Springfield No One Leaves, City Life/Vida Urbana, Causa Justa/Just Cause, DARE, and Nobody Leaves MidHudson. Fannie Mae staunchly refused to do principal reduction. The Vice President said that decision is in the hands of Federal Housing Finance Agency. Right to the City looks forward to ongong communication and clearly will be expanding our organizing and continuing our fight for principal reduction among other issues connected to the housing crisis.
Meanwhile local member groups City Life, Vida Urbana and Springfield No One Leaves are having victories and winning homes for people.
Last week, members of the Brockton Bank Tenant's Association witnessed an 11-0 vote by the Finance Committee of the Brockton City Council that approved an order to study the idea of using the City's eminent domain power to address the foreclosure crisis in Brockton. Under this proposal, the City would seize mortgages (not buildings) by eminent domain at their real current value (far less than face value) and then renegotiate the terms with borrowers. Brockton is the first municipality nationally to agree to study the idea.
See Huffington Post coverage here.
The Brockton Council vote is part of a growing effort by Massachusetts municipalities to be more aggressive in foreclosure and eviction protection. Brockton has already pulled its payroll account out of Bank of America. Springfield and Worcester have passed strong ordinances fining banks for failure to keep up foreclosed properties. The Mayor of Malden is robo-calling all the town's residents to set up a community forum to address the foreclosure crisis. Other municipalities, including Boston, are looking at similar ordinances.
The vote would not have been possible without the steady work of Right to the City member organization City Life, Vida Urbana and the Brockton Bank Tenants Association (BBTA). The BBTA is sponsored by Brockton Interfaith Community, City Life/Vida Urbana, and the Coalition for Social Justice. The BBTA was formed a year ago to bring together homeowners and tenants facing bank evictions and foreclosures. It uses the "sword and shield" method popularized by City Life, which combines public protest (sword) and legal defense (shield) to keep people in their homes and negotiate permanent solutions.
"I'm living in the City of Champions," declared Auria Torres (referring to Brockton's nickname).
The Clark Family of Springfield can breathe in the next few days. Christine and Howard Clark, and their three children, with the support of Springfield No One Leaves (SNOL) Bank Tenant Association effectively stayed their eviction that was scheduled to take place on Monday, January 15, 2013.
The Clark family used to own their home. In 2007 Christine Clark was in a car accident that set the family back financially. After the accident Mrs. Clark wasn't able to lift anything heavy - not even her kids (as she states in this letter to Fannie Mae). She still lives with the pain of herniated disks in her neck and a tear in her rotator cuff. In 2010, Fannie Mae and CitiMortgage made Mrs. Clark aware that she was being foreclosed on. She called to ask about the mortgage insurance she had purchased and was told that that would not sufficiently cover her payments. She was then sent a letter saying that her house had been sold.
After mobilizing with SNOL, the Clark family made the case that this was both inhumane treatment and that they hoped to negotiate the terms of the loan. RTC member group SNOL announced in a press release, "Fannie Mae informed the Clark family today that they would be putting off the eviction for 30 days to work on a potential buyback deal through Boston Community Capital! This is a huge victory due to the dedication of the whole movement fighting back against evictions and foreclosures!"
Posted originally in http://originatortimes.com
SPRINGFIELD – Neighbors and activists, who stood in the bitter cold for more an hour on Wednesday morning to protest the planned eviction of Jeffrey Solivan of 32 Edgemont St., cheered after hearing that Fannie Mae had canceled its action.
The protest kicked off just before 8 a.m., initially with about a dozen people and grew to about 30 people when word came that the eviction was off. No date has been given for a new eviction.
Solivan said he hopes something can be negotiated with the lender that will allow him to keep his home in the Pine Point neighborhood.
1 Million Homes for People Not Profit
Meeting with Fannie Mae
Eminent Domain in Brockton Creates Hope for Underwater Homeowners
2 Families Win Stay of Eviction in Springfield
Support the California Homes and Jobs Act
Urban Encuentro: National and Global Perspectives on the Right to the City January 31, 2013
Research for Organizing: A Toolkit for Participatory Action Research This toolkit was a collaborative effort between the Community Development Project at the Urban Justice Center (an RTTC resource ally) and various grassroots organizations. Download Toolkit »


text:
Today's best solution for measuring brand advertising comes from Google, the 800-pound gorilla in digital. They have been demonstrating over and over again that measuring brand lift and brand recall can simply solve all our problems. Many do not believe that to be the case.
Back in 2007, Radcliffe and Partrick first defined uplift of brand lift metrics at the same time the Marketing Accountability Standards Board (MASB) was founded to establish marketing metrics for continual improvement in brand recall. This movement in metrics was in response to a growing demand for accountability, standards and scaling at the time of web 1.0. Much as they did back in 2007, Google, Nielsen and Comscore continue to use surveys through qualitative measures, but these simple measures are not helpful in the present real-time marketing world. This new world requires a fast, simple measure with mobile, local and big data incorporated as needed.
A recent study found that during Q1 of 2014, 90% of buyers of digital video purchased their ads in similar fashion as they did for TV with a cautiously fixed CPM. Buyers do what they are accustomed to. Despite this inertia, there is a bright spot that these brand marketers want to measure more than click-through rate and completions. According to the video study, cross-screen buys are looking for a fast and simple brand metric or score with brand action, impact, sales, lift and recall as these buying habits are moving into premium programmatic.
Many chief marketing officers (CMOs) care deeply about helping with the company's business goals, increasing the brand value and winning awards. These CMOs are engaged at Cannes Lions to win their respective creative awards while they live and die based on their company's respective Interbrand Best Global Brands rank, product Q Scores or their contribution-based business KPIs. The CMOs I know want more than search metrics, CTR's, completions, viewablity, and antiquated 2007 brand lift survey results. They want a simple measure, score or metric they can use in digital and cross-screen in the fast-paced world of marketing.
Many of the world's ecosystems use single scores or ratings that many can agree on, build, evolve and make into a standard. A CMO's new best friend is the chief data officer. This key figure helps internally, and now externally, using big data science and measurement as the key executive-defining strategy for the next growth opportunities, product offerings, markets to pursue – and for competitors to look at.
John Wanamaker gave us the one of the oldest clichés in advertising when he said, "Half of the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half." We solved this dilemma quite a few years ago with qualitative and quantitative analysis and Web 2.0 techniques. However, a Brand Score using meta-analysis and a single, simple real-time analytics tool will make premium programmatic really take off for brand advertisers. These new sophisticated brands want a single brand metric that can incorporate cross-screen measurement and use the "KISS" ("Keep It Simple Stupid") principle when incorporating mobile, local and big data into a real-time score.


text:
22 Comments on "Touhou – Little Reimu"
January 25th, 2013 at 11:35 pm
Little Reimu sounds kawaii uguu
January 25th, 2013 at 11:50 pm
sooo what is this?
January 26th, 2013 at 12:14 am
Not surprising even with my extensive knowledge of anime, I'v never really been able to figure out the story behind Touhou. According to reports it makes up about 25% of all fan art that comes from Japan It's sort of like the holly grail of anime.
January 26th, 2013 at 12:18 am
Does this even count as anime? It was just a collection of still images with what seemed like an incoherent random plot.
If I could go back in time, I wouldn't download this again.
January 26th, 2013 at 12:26 am
@ IzzyData.
wow, thanks for the warn bro, i cancel my 2% download because of you :)
January 26th, 2013 at 12:32 am
>>According to reports it makes up about 25% of all fan art that comes from Japan It's sort of like the holly grail of anime.
Can it really count as the Holy Grail of anime if it hasn't get a decent anime (aside from music videos) yet?
January 26th, 2013 at 12:50 am
January 26th, 2013 at 12:55 am
Touhou is kinda strange in the anime world. It's more of an archetype to work off of for a writer or artist, providing interesting yet simple environments and characters that can be woven together quite easily. Also, because of the immense popularity of Touhou, large percentages of the fans will be familiar with the characters and as such a standard can be wrought from each character design.
For instance everyone knows what Cirno is supposed to look like. Giving her a different outfit or even hat will be easily noticeable, and making slight changes that are generally accepted is a good way to practice many things such as angles and clothes while taking away some of the needed creativity.
Doujin, such as I'm lead to believe this particular download is, are good ways for people who have broken just beyond the skillcap of single character drawings to experiment in much more complex fields while still enjoying some form of success.
A very simple way to sum it up is people like the Touhous so much they have become archetypes of current popular art style while remaining for the most part pre-made. They are simply easy and fun to draw and work with.
January 26th, 2013 at 12:59 am
I really don't know what to call it… It's basically a bullet shooter. I really do not dout that 25% of all fan-art is Touhou related, just look at danbooru.
January 26th, 2013 at 1:02 am
What you just said, just make a scary amount of sense.
January 26th, 2013 at 1:09 am
Ok nvm it's gay not even animated
January 26th, 2013 at 1:24 am
In the case that you are a Touhou fan, I recommend this video.
January 26th, 2013 at 2:55 am
>mfw touhou … anime …
touhou is not an anime
omq people
yes, there a few fan made doujin animated pieces out there, but that hardly counts as an 'anime'
January 26th, 2013 at 3:11 am
My regards/props to anyone who sits through this entire video.
January 26th, 2013 at 3:30 am
@ NeuroscientistX
The story was really good. I was skeptical about it at first, but I'm glad I watched the whole thing. It was really well made and it was very moving.
January 26th, 2013 at 4:54 am
I was glad I watched the whole thing. For a fan made graphic novel, it was well made. This made me an even bigger fan of Touhou. Thanks to Mazui for subbing this and to Dao for uploading.
January 26th, 2013 at 6:11 am
Is that good?, i don't really watch anime movies
January 26th, 2013 at 6:19 am
If you are a hardcore Touhou fan you will appreciate any fan-made works of even substandard quality, just because you know how much work goes into it, even for professionals.
January 26th, 2013 at 7:00 am
I have no regret after watching this (´ω`)b
January 26th, 2013 at 7:54 am
@Deuchems: Pretty much. They can be just 1 person working on it. Really dedicated and great.
January 26th, 2013 at 11:14 am
For those of you unfamiliar with the Touhou universe, I've included a short primer below.
This is a movie made from a series of 8 manga-style Touhou videos that tell the (unofficial) backstory of Reimu when she was young. It is by far the most amazing Touhou story I've personally come across, and every care was taken to make sure the resulting translation and typesetting matches the spirit of the original.
Since these were released over the course of several months on Nico, they do come with credits, but don't skip them because they contain story bits. I've taken all the videos and stitched them together to form a more or less cohesive movie a little under 2 hours long.
January 26th, 2013 at 11:58 am
After watching this… It's not about good or bad, but I think it doesn't belong here. Isn't it one of those nicovideo tributes or something that can be fatched on youtube? And it is definetly not OVA.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.


text:
Journal of Entrepreneurship and Public Policy
Description: Institutions - especially public policies - are a
significant determinant of economic outcomes; entrepreneurship and
enterprise development are often the channel by which public policies
affect economic outcomes, and by which outcomes feed back to the
policy process. The Journal of Entrepreneurship & Public Policy (JEPP)
was created to encourage and disseminate quality research about these
vital relationships. The ultimate aim is to improve the quality of the
political discourse about entrepreneurship and development policies.
Language: English
Country: United Kingdom
Publisher: Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Frequency: Biannual
Fee information current as of 8 August 2013
Subscription fee or article fee: Yes
Publication fee for authors: No
Abstracts: Yes
Abstracts language: English
Email: email@example.com
Start year: 2012
Keywords: Entrepreneurship, Economics
Subject: Public Policy
Date posted: 8 August 2013


text:
Chapter 2: Antibodies and the Cells That Make Them
Antibodies, also called "immunoglobulins", are one of two important protein molecules of the immune system that engage in the recognition of pathogens or other foreign material. This process is called "antigen recognition" and is a pivotal process in the immune response (see Appendix 3 – Normal Antibody Levels). The other antigen recognition molecule is found on the T cell and is called the T cell receptor (TcR). Antibodies act as recognition units on the surface of B cells (where they are called the B cell receptor) but usually, when we think of antibodies, we are thinking of the antigen specific soluble proteins secreted into the blood and tissue by antibody producing cells. Soluble or secreted antibody is structurally slightly different from the antibody on the surface of B cells but the antigen recognition sites are the same. There are five different classes (isotypes) of immunoglobulins: IgD, IgA, IgM, IgE and IgG. There are subclasses of some of the five classes and they vary among species. Each of the antibody classes will be considered separately in this book but let us first consider the basic function of antibodies. Later we will look at the structure and how the genes for these proteins make the amazing diversity of these proteins possible. Antibodies recognize antigen. If you are unclear what an antigen is, then take a minute and read about it. The ability of antibodies to recognize specific antigen is an important characteristic. Antigen recognition and binding allows antibodies to perform four important effector functions. 1. Opsonization for phagocytosis 2. Activating Complement 3. Neutralizing toxins 4. Blocking attachment of pathogens to cells or tissue
1. Opsonization: This is the process by which things like bacteria, viruses and small parasites are 'tagged' for destruction by macrophages and neutrophils. Antibodies are the 'tags' (or opsonins) because the antigen binding (Fab) area of the antibody binds to an antigen on the surface of the organism. The other end of the antibody (Fc) binds to receptors on phagocytic cells. The antibody signals the phagocytic cell to engulf and destroy the organism. If the organism is too big to engulf (like a parasitic worm for example) the phagocytic cells will release destructive enzymes and other factors onto the surface of the organism (sometimes called "frustrated phagocytosis). IgG is the most important antibody for this because it is very abundant and fits nicely into the Fc receptor on the surface of the phagocytic cells. IgM and IgA are very poor at this because they are secreted as multimers. 2. Activating Complement: This refers to the process by which antibody binds to an antigen on the surface of a pathogen by its Fab section. This leaves the Fc section free to bind the first component of Complement (C1). This binding of C1 (often called "fixing Complement") activates an enzyme cascade which results in lysis of the organism by the membrane attack complex (the MAC attack, see section on Complement). IgM and IgG are very good at this. 3. Neutralization of Toxins: Some pathogens secrete dangerous toxins (such as tetanus toxin). In the circulation, tissues and secretions (such as mucus), antibody will bind to these toxins and neutralize their activity. Antibodies also form easily recognized antibody-toxin complexes which are removed from the body by phagocytosis. 4. Blocking Attachment: Antibodies can immobilize and agglutinate infectious agents by binding to their surface antigens and preventing them from attaching to tissues like the intestinal mucosa or from penetrating cells (in the case of viruses).
Antibody Structure
2.1 Antibody Structure
Antibody is made up of four polypeptides or "chains". Actually, each antibody molecule is composed of two sets of two chains. The general structure is shown below: The heavy chain is the largest (and thus the heaviest). There are two identical heavy chains and two identical light chains in each antibody. The heavy and light chains are folded into domains and are held together by disulphide bonds. In humans there are two different kinds of light chain (kappa and lambda) and five different kinds of heavy chains (m, d, g, e, a; more about these below). Once the heavy and light chains are assembled, however, the areas or "regions" of the antibody become more important than the chains. The two important regions of the antibody are: - the Fab region - the Fc region The antigen binding region (Fab) is the recognition region of the antibody. It has great diversity so that antibodies can be made to recognize any and every antigen the body encounters. The Fc region is responsible for the effector function of the antibody (such as opsonization or Complement activation) and also defines the class of antibody (IgG versus IgA for example). Fab Region of Antibodies
The Fab region of antibody is involved in antigen binding. This region is composed of the entire light chain (either kappa or lambda) and a part of the heavy chain. Often this region is called F(ab)2 because the two Fab regions of the antibody (like the two arms of a human) are joined together in the middle by bonds. The N-terminal end of the Fab region consists of a "hypervariable" area of the heavy chain and a hypervariable region of the light chain. This hypervariable region is the area encoded by the gene elements that undergo random gene rearrangement, thereby generating amino acids and thus structural diversity.
Fc Region of Antibodies 2.2.2 Fc Region of Antibodies
The Fc region of the antibody is limited in variability and is responsible for the biological activity of the antibody (as opposed to antigen binding). The Fc region is made up of only heavy chain elements. There is no light chain in the Fc region. The Fc region varies between antibody classes (and subclasses) but is identical within that class. The Fc region of an IgA molecule that reacts with an antigen on E. coli will be identical to the Fc region of an IgA molecule that reacts with an antigen on Salmonella but the Fab regions of these two antibodies will be different. However, the Fc region of an IgG molecule that reacts with a Salmonella antigen and an IgA molecule that reacts with the same antigen would be different. The C-terminal ends of the heavy chains form the Fc region. The Fc region plays an important role as a receptor binding portion and in binding Complement. The Fc portion of antibodies will bind to Fc receptors in two different ways. For example, IgG binds first to a pathogen by its Fab portion before its Fc portion can bind to receptors on phagocytic cells (like macrophages) inducing phagocytosis. In contrast, the Fc portion of free floating IgE binds to Fc receptors (FcE) on mast cells before the antibody reacts with antigen. The Fc portion of antibody also binds Complement and initiates the classical pathway of Complement activation which leads to lysis of the pathogen by the MAC attack. Antibody Diversity
One question immunologists have struggled to answer is how antibodies can be made to recognize virtually any and every foreign antigen the body is confronted with. Extensive work in molecular genetics has revealed how this comes about. A brief discussion of the gene rearrangements responsible will be included here but a more complete discussion can be found in immunology texts. Each antigen binding region (Fab) is made of a variable domain of a heavy chain and a variable domain of a light chain. It is these variable domains that create the diversity in antibodies. Let us consider the heavy chain first. In the gene for the heavy chain, there are many segments. From the 5' end to the 3' end, the segments are called variable heavy (VH), diversity heavy (DH) and joining heavy (JH), then the constant (C) regions. In the human immunoglobulin gene locus there are 300-1000 different VH segments in tandem, 13 different DH's and 4 JH's. During the development of young B cells they undergo a process called "immunoglobulin gene rearrangement". In this process most of the gene segments in the immunoglobulin gene locus are randomly spliced out and deleted and the remaining segments are recombined so that one VH segment is combined with one DH segment and one JH segment. The rest of the gene segments are discarded. Since there are so many different segments to choose from, many thousands of different combinations can be made. Each combination has a slightly different gene sequence. In addition to the segment selection, the unique mechanism for splicing the segments together adds further diversity by randomly adding or removing nucleotides to the segments as they recombine. Even one nucleotide difference can have dramatic effects on the final antigen binding structure. Both of these processes result in many different amino acid sequences of the mature variable region protein, resulting in many unique conformations. The same segment selection and recombination process takes place to create the variable region of the light chains except that there are no D segments in the light chains. The result of all this random recombination is the ability to produce a tremendous spectrum of antibodies because many thousands of possible heavy chains can combine with thousands of possible light chains. This is reflected in the fact that millions of different B cells exist in our bodies at any one time and within that B cell population is the ability to produce antibodies able to recognize a huge diversity of antigens. Antibody Classes
This antibody class has the mu (m) Heavy Chain. It can be found as "surface antibody" on the surface membrane of B cells or as a 5-subunit macromolecule secreted into the blood by activated B cells and plasma cells. Surface IgM (sIgM) is structurally different in the Fc region from secreted IgM because to be stably expressed on the surface of the B cell it must be tethered to the B cell surface membrane. Surface IgM binds directly as an integral membrane protein so it has a "transmembrane domain" attached to the bottom of the Fc region. sIgM does not bind to an FcR like IgE or IgG does. Secreted IgM is found as a "pentameric" molecule in blood at moderate levels (1-3g/l in adults). The five IgM subunits are held together by a polypeptide (J-chain, for joining). Because each IgM subunit has two antigen binding sites, this means that the IgM pentamer has 10 binding sites for antigen. Pentameric IgM binds to antigens on the surface of a pathogen like a spider. Because of its pentameric configuration, IgM is particularly good at activating Complement, via its Fc regions, and causing agglutination but it is very poor at opsonization. IgM is the first antibody to be produced in response to infection since it does not require "class switch" to another antibody class.
This antibody class has the gamma (g) Heavy Chain. It is the most abundant class of antibody in the blood (serum concentration is 8-16 g/l !). There are four subclasses of IgG (with slightly differing g chains). They are all monomeric and they usually have a very high affinity for antigen. Unlike IgM, IgG is able to rapidly leave the blood stream and enter tissues, especially at sites of inflammation. This is primarily because pentameric IgM is very large (about 900kDa) and IgG is much smaller (about 160kDa). IgG is also the only class of antibody to be actively transported across the placental barrier. Therefore IgG provides the only antibody protection for newborns until their own immune system begins to produce antibodies in response to antigen. The subclass of IgG produced is dependent on the cytokines present (especially IL-4 and IL-2) and each class has its own special activity. In general though, IgG is very good at activating Complement, and is the best antibody for opsonization using Fc receptors on phagocytes. This is because phagocytes have a large number of Fc gamma receptors (FcgR) on their surface. IgG also plays an important role in neutralizing toxins produced by pathogens in the blood and tissues.
This antibody class has the alpha (a) Heavy Chain. IgA is found in low levels in the blood (1.5-4 g/l) in both monomeric and dimeric forms but IgA is most abundant and most active in secretions at mucosal surfaces where it appears as a dimeric protein. The two IgA molecules are held together by J chain polypeptide (not the same as the J region of the antibody gene). To pass through epithelial surfaces, a secretory component is transiently attached to dimeric IgA. The dimeric IgA provides the primary defense at mucosal surfaces such as bronchioles, nasal mucosa, prostate, vagina, and intestine. IgA is also abundant in saliva, tears and breast milk, especially colostrum.
This antibody class has the epsilon (e) Heavy Chain. The blood concentration of this antibody is normally very low as most IgE is tightly bound to its Fc epsilon receptors (FceR) on mast cells and basophils. The production of IgE is controlled by specific cytokines and this class of antibody is responsible for Type I hypersensitivity reactions (allergy, asthma and anaphylaxis). IgE is increased greatly in response to helminth (worm) parasite infection.
This type of antibody is found on the surface of most B lymphocytes just like sIgM. So far, the exact function of this antibody is unknown but it appears that it acts as an antigen receptor and that it is needed for B cell activation. A very small amount of IgD is secreted, and its functions as a secreted antibody are unclear.
B cells
Pre B Cell to B Cell For a B cell to be functional it needs to have a functional antibody on its surface. The stages in B cell development are concerned with the generation of that surface antibody and testing to make sure it works (it can activate the B cell signaling pathways). B cells develop from stem cells in the bone marrow. At the youngest stages in the bone marrow, pre-B cells rearrange the gene for antibody heavy chain. If they successfully transcribe and translate the heavy chain protein they attach two heavy chain molecules together as a "dimer". Then they attach to this dimer two molecules of a light chain substitute called "surrogate light chain". At this stage this composite molecule looks a lot like normal antibody. They bring this composite molecule to the surface of the cell to be sure that it will insert properly into the membrane using the transmembrane region of the heavy chain. They also test to make sure that all the right membrane signal transduction elements associate with the heavy chain. This is essentially a test of the heavy chain. So much gene rearrangement goes on that you have to be sure that the end result has an Fc region that works and that the other end will bind to light chain. Heavy chain passes the test if the composite molecule on the surface activates Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK). Activation of this signal transduction molecule will ensure that a cascade of events will occur that leads to continued life and happiness for the pre-B cell. Failure to activate BTK will lead to pre-B cell death. Remember that the B cell gets a second chance at this process because there are always two alleles (maternal and paternal) for every gene. It can try again on the second allele. If the first allele is successful the other one is shut down by a process called "allelic exclusion". If the heavy chain looks OK then the pre-B cell will go ahead and rearrange the light chain gene (again it has two tries because it has two alleles.) Successful light chain gene rearrangement leads to the expression of fully developed IgM (and IgD) on the surface of the B cell. These surface antibodies have a transmembrane domain so they are attached directly into the membrane, not to Fc receptors. The expression of surface antibody marks the transition from "pre-B cell" to a mature naive B cell.
Naive B Cells The new (naive) B cells then enter the circulation and travel through the blood to lymphoid organs. The B cells are called naive because they have not seen antigen yet. It is important to know that each and every naive B cell (and there are many millions in the body at any one time) has a different antibody on its surface. Actually, each B cell has hundreds of thousands of antibodies on its surface but for each individual B cell all the surface antibodies are identical and all bind to the same site on the recognized antigen. In contrast, surface antibody varies from B cell to B cell. Thus the surface antibodies on all the millions of B cells are not identical. The B cell population achieves this "diversity" by random gene re-arrangement. This concept was discussed earlier in the antibody section but essentially it means that every B cell makes changes to the DNA that code for the heavy and light chains which form an immunoglobulin molecule. Since there are millions of such changes that could be made, and they are random changes, then the resulting antibody produced by each B cell is different. In addition, once a B cell makes surface IgM it can then make a different class of antibody (class switch). However, class switch only involves a change in the Fc region of the antibody, not in the antigen binding (Fab) region. That means class switch changes the class (and function) of the antibody but not its antigen specificity. In the lymph nodes, naive B cells may encounter an antigen recognized by their surface antibodies. As you might imagine, there are many (more than 99%) that circulate their entire life span without encountering antigen. These cells die within a few days. That's not nearly as exciting as what happens to B cells that do encounter antigen. The results are: B cell activation B and T cell interaction Differentiation into plasma cells Antibody secretion and class switch Production of B memory cells
see B cell Malignancies Clinical Notes (Appendix 7)
B Cell Activation
B cells can recognize antigen in its native form as soluble protein, unlike T cells which require antigen to be degraded and presented on the surface of an antigen presenting cell in the context of MHC (see section on T cell activation). The antigen recognition unit of the B cell is the surface immunoglobulin. Surface antibodies are antigen specific but, remember, the naive B cell has never been in contact with an antigen. The antigen-specificity arises from random gene rearrangements (antibody diversity) in the cells while in the bone marrow. These naive B cells leave the bone marrow and migrate to the spleen and lymph nodes. If the B cell comes in contact with the antigen, the B cell becomes activated. After antigen recognition, the B cell ingests the whole protein antigen and processes it into peptides for presentation to activated T cells. The peptides are placed into the open grooves of specialized molecules called Class II MHC molecules (see Chapter 6) held within vesicles in the B cell. The MHC/peptide is then brought to the surface for presentation to T cells. In addition, the B cell increases the expression on its surface of molecules involved in B cell/T cell interaction – called co-stimulatory molecules.
T and B Cell Interaction 2.5.3 T and B Cell Interaction B cell clonal expansion and the production of plasma cells and memory cells require T cell help. This help is in the form of cytokines. The steps that must happen are:
1. The B cell must present processed antigen plus MHC class II to an activated Th cell specific for that antigen. 2. The B and T cells must form a conjugate, and cytokines must be produced and released by T cells. 3. Cytokine induced signals in the B cell must stimulate proliferation and differentiation.
Let us consider each step in more detail. 1. B cells present antigen plus MHC II. After the antigen is recognized and binds to the surface antibody on the B cells, a process called receptor-mediated endocytosis takes place. The antibody and antigen are internalized by the B cell in an endocytic vesicle. This vesicle is merged with a lysosomal vesicle which contains digestive enzymes which break the antigen down into individual peptides. This endo-lysosome then merges with another vesicle which contains "empty" Class II MHC molecules attached to the vesicle membrane. When these vesicles merge the free peptides bind to the MHC in the empty pocket (groove) of the MHC molecule. Think of a hot dog slipping nicely into a hot dog bun – it is a very close analogy. The peptides are now bound to MHC II on the vesicle membrane and when this vesicle is brought to the cell surface the MHC/peptide complex appears on the B cell surface ready for presentation to activated CD4+ T helper (Th) cells. There are a couple of important points to remember about antigen presentation by B cells. The first is that B cells do not phagocytose whole bacteria like macrophages do. They bring in soluble protein antigen by receptor-mediated endocytosis. The second, and very important point, is that B cells only successfully present antigen to activated (or memory) Th cells. They cannot activate naive Th cells like dendritic cells do.
2. Formation of the T and B cell conjugate. When an activated Th cell recognizes the B cell-displayed peptide plus MHC II, the Th cell and the B cell form a conjugate. This means that the T cell receptor (TcR) and accessory molecules bind to the antigen-MHC on the B cell. The T-B contact sends signals to both the Th and B cell. In the Th cell, the receptor-binding stimulates the production of cytokines and receptors. This Th cell activation is covered in more detail in the section on T helper cell activation. 3. Proliferation of activated B cells. The release of cytokines from the activated T cells provides an important second signal to the B cell. The contact signal and the cytokine signals are both required for the B cell to become activated to grow and divide or proliferate. The cytokine that is particularly important for proliferation is IL-4. Other cytokines are involved and some are necessary for the proliferating B cells to differentiate.
B Cell Differentiation into Plasma Cell
B cells are small lymphocytes and have a thin rim of cytoplasm around the nucleus. They look very much like T cells. Plasma cells, on the other hand, are much larger and contain abundant endoplasmic reticulum in the cytoplasm. Cells with abundant endoplasmic reticulum are involved in the production and secretion of large amounts of protein. In the case of the plasma cell this protein is antibody (immunoglobulin). The differentiation of B cells into plasma cells occurs as the cell divides in the presence of cytokines. Some daughter cells continue to divide, many differentiate into plasma cells and a few differentiate into B memory cells. Different cytokines are known to stimulate B cells to become plasma cells secreting different classes of antibodies such as IgG, IgA or IgM etc. This change of antibody production from IgM to other classes is called "class switch". Antibody Secretion
Plasma cells are the final stage of development of B cells which have recognized antigen and been stimulated by T cell-derived cytokines. These plasma cells reside in the spleen, lymph nodes, mucosal lymphoid tissue and bone marrow and secrete the antibodies found in the circulation. The first time antigen is seen, the antibody response is called the primary response. The level of antibodies in the blood takes a few days to increase and the first antibodies detected are usually IgM. The primary response also includes some IgG. Persistence of the antigen, or re-exposure to the same antigen, amplifies the IgG response. The secondary response is much faster and more robust than the primary response and IgG predominates. The antibody in blood to a given pathogen is a mixture of antibodies produced by a large variety of B cells that have responded to this pathogen. This pooled product from a variety of B cell clones is called "polyclonal antibody". In fact, since there are a number of different sites on any given antigen which can be recognized as foreign (called epitopes), even the same antigen will elicit a variety of B cells to produce different antibodies, all directed to the same antigen but a different epitope on that antigen. This is also called a polyclonal response. However, one activated B cell and its clonal progeny will all produce the same antibody directed to the same site (epitope) on the antigen. This is referred to as a "monoclonal" response and is the basis for the production of monoclonal antibodies for research and clinical therapies.
Class Switch
Class switch is a process whereby the B cell, as it develops into a plasma cell, can switch the immunoglobulin class (also called isotype) of antibody it produces while retaining the same antigen specificity. The class of antibody (IgG or IgM etc.) is defined by the Fc portion of the heavy chain. Class switch involves rearrangement of this area of the immunoglobulin gene. Other rearrangements that take place in the Fab regions of the genes of all the naive B cells in a person define antibody diversity (breadth of antigen recognition). Class switch does not occur until after B cell activation and proliferation. It is under the control of cytokines such as IL-4 and IFN-g. Since B cells initially express IgM they are initially using the constant (C) heavy chain gene for IgM (the mu gene). The immunoglobulin heavy chain gene locus has the constant region genes for mu (m), delta (d), gamma (g), epsilon (e) and alpha (a) in tandem. In class switch to IgG for example the m gene and the d gene are spliced out such that the portion of the gene that defines the variable region of the heavy chain (VDJ) is brought into apposition with the g constant region gene. This results in IgG being produced. B Memory Cells
The secondary response is dependent on a population of long-lived B memory cells. These cells are generated in lymphoid tissue after B cell activation and proliferation and reside in the bone marrow, the lymph nodes, the lymphoid tissue in mucosal sites and the spleen. They express high affinity surface immunoglobulins which enable them to be activated by lower levels of antigen than naive B cells.
2.9 Antigens and Antigen-Antibody Interaction 2.9.1 Antigens An antigen is a substance capable of inducing a specific immune response. The term is derived from the generation of antibodies to such substances. Specific immune responses require recognition molecules like the T cell receptor on T cells or surface antibodies on B cells. These molecules recognize the antigen, or parts of it, and stimulate a response by the specific arm of the immune response (T or B cells). Antigens are usually foreign proteins (or parts of them) that enter the body via an infection. Sometimes, however, the body's own proteins are treated like antigens by the immune system and the result is autoimmune disease. It is important to recognize that bacteria or viruses are not themselves antigens but they contain antigens both on their surface and inside them. Such antigens can be isolated and used to safely vaccinate against infection by the whole organism (see Vaccine section). It is also important to recognize that the T cell receptor on T cells and the B cell receptor (surface antibody) on B cells recognize different forms of antigen. T cells recognize only small peptides derived from a protein antigen by digestion. B cells generally recognize antigen motifs caused by the tertiary folding of whole soluble protein. Each part of the antigen that is recognized by either an antibody or a T cell receptor is known as an epitope. Depending on the size of the protein or polysaccharide, there may be hundreds of B cell epitopes (recognized by different antibodies) or T cell epitopes (presented by antigen presenting cells to different T cells) in the same molecule. This actually helps the body have a better response to the antigen as many T and B cells can be activated to respond to one antigen.
2.9.2 Antigen-Antibody Interaction
The antibodies on the surface of B cells and the soluble antibodies in the blood and tissues recognize antigens in the native form. This means that antibodies can recognize antigen on the surface of bacteria or viruses as well as antigen free-floating in the tissues (for example bacterial toxins). For example, an HIV-infected person will develop a vigorous antibody response to the gp120 glycoprotein on the surface of the HIV virus. Antibodies of this type help prevent viral spread by blocking attachment of viruses to their target cells and are often called "neutralizing" antibodies.
In addition to interacting with antigen on the surface of pathogens, antibodies can also interact with free antigen in the blood or tissues. This antigen is usually released by the pathogen or the result of pathogen lysis by the other immune components. Antibody binds to this free antigen and creates antigen-antibody complexes (immune complexes) of various sizes. Most immune complexes are taken out of circulation in the liver by phagocytic cells but some can be deposited in tissues and initiate inflammatory responses which can lead to significant tissue pathology and chronic inflammatory conditions (discussed in Chapters 8 and 9).
See Clinical Note: B Cell Malignancies (Appendix 7)


text:
Burns wins GOP bid for Dist. 4 Executive Council seat by 99 votes
Thursday, September 13, 2012
ROCHESTER — By a 99 vote lead, Robert Burns became the Republican candidate for the District 4 Executive Council seat in Tuesday's primary. During the November general election, he will be running against Christopher Pappas, a Democratic candidate who ran uncontested in the primary. |


text:
The classic is made extra-easy with Bisquick® mix. The veggie filling and cheese make these crepes perfect fare for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
©2015 General Mills, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This information will only be used to send an email to your friend(s) and l not be saved. Please read our Privacy Policy
Crepes can be frozen up to 3 months. Stack cool unfilled crepes with waxed paper between. Wrap in foil, or place in airtight plastic bag; label and freeze. Thaw at room temperature about 1 hour or in refrigerator 6 to 8 hours.
Veggies left from last night's dinner? Add them to the filling.
© 2015 ®/TM General Mills All Rights Reserved


text:
By Jennie Macfie
Once upon a time, the Celtic Connections Festival Club happened in hotels – latterly, in the peeling paint and fading glory of the old Central Hotel, with its long deserted corridors which could have doubled for the set of The Shining.
There was space and time enough to house a dozen different sessions in any nook and cranny that happened to be free as well as the main stage and the House of Song. It was perfect.
Bands who had performed had a chance to see the other bands whose gigs they'd missed and socialise with them while they wound down after the adrenaline rush of performance. Impromptu collaborations evolved spontaneously and sometimes turned into permanent performing relationships. Tentative ideas for bands were tried out; the Treacherous Orchestra was one which, despite or perhaps because of an initially disastrous outing, regrouped, rehearsed furiously, and went on to become the festival force it is today.
Since the restoration of the Central, the Festival Club has wandered around various city centre night clubs – Glasgow School of Art, Apollo, and this year Walkabout. It's better than nothing but it's never recaptured the legendary vibe of the Central Hotel. Instead of sitting around complaining, a group of younger musicians started gathering for sessions in the congenially scruffed-down-student-flat environment of the Flying Duck.
Piper Calum Macrimmon (Breabach) and mandolin player Laura-Beth Salter (The Shee) went a step further and started 'Folkytown' nights which recreates some of the chaotic ambience of the Central Hotel and fills the gaps that the Festival Club leaves in the first half of the week.
It's the start of a Celtic Connections Fringe, as bands who are playing under the official umbrella are joined by bands who aren't – like Babelfish. Babelfish are Session A9 fiddler Adam Sutherland, ex-Blazin Fiddles pianist Andy Thorburn, Treacherous Orchestra's John Somerville on accordion, ex-Peatbog Faerie drum powerhouse Iain Copeland and rap poet Jock Urquhart.
Poetry and music – sounds a bit prog-rock, doesn't it? But it's miles away from twee or fey; it packs a considerable political punch, something that's less unexpected when you learn Urquhart is the son of ex-SNP MSP Jean.
Musically Babelfish swim in that rich, increasingly crowded ocean where indie, jazz, traditional, world and classical meet. There are nods to Booker T and the MG s in Aird Onions and obeisance to Hendrix in Little Wing. There's a reggae dub feel here and a whirling Sufi dervish tinge there. The whole thing is tight and loose, as the best music is, ending in a storming finish which stops on a sixpence. Cue cheers and riotous applause, before DJ Angus Binnie takes the evening off into a dance marathon. Rarely was a fiver better spent.


text:
The Millionaire Fastlane is a book written by MJ DeMarco about how to become rich.
Here are some highlights from the book (via here).
If you're not getting wealthy, then STOP doing what you've been doing.
Becoming wealthy is not about having the right prerequisites(a prestigious background, a great business plan, and so on ); it's about taking smart risks, putting in the hours, and not quitting.
Being wealthy means being healthy, being surrounded by great friends and family, and the freedom to live life how you want to live it. DeMarco calls these the 3 Fs (family, fitness, freedom).
It's easier to avoid debt if you don't buy useless things. When you're thinking about buying something, think about whether you really need it, whether you'll still be using it 6 months from now, and so on.
Your goal net worth should be about 20x of your yearly requirements (5% return is a good, safe ROI to assume for your assets). Your money system/business goal should be about 5x of your monthly requirements, so that 40% goes to taxes, 40% goes into the money system, and 20% goes into your lifestyle.
Fastlaners view debt as a useful tool for growing their systems, time as their most important asset, and making something of value as their primary means of wealth accumulation.
The Fastlane is all about "Get Rich Quick", but that is NOT the same thing as "Get Rich Easy". It will take a lot of work and you might spend 5-10 years focusing on your business before you reach the kind of success that you want.
The key to the Fastlane is producing instead of consuming. Don't be the guy who buys a franchise, be the guy who sells franchises.
Fastlaners are frugal with time while Slowlaners are frugal with money.
Process and Event
People focus on events like selling their company or winning a big contract, but the real story is not the events but the processes and hard work that made those events more likely. If you skip the process, you won't get the events.
A good process creates events that others view as luck.
Luxury Life
Faux wealth is the illusion of wealth. It's having nice, flashy things that you can't afford which take away your freedom and make you even more dependent on your existing sources of income.
Can You Afford It?
If you think you can afford it, you can't. When you buy something cheap, like a candy bar or a pair of $10 sandals, you never ask "can I afford this?" or "how can I make this purchase work?". If you are trying to justify a large purchase to yourself, then you can't really afford it.
Wealth is best enjoyed when you're young, and not after decades of soul-sucking work.
People don't take action because they're waiting for someday. Someday I'll start a business, someday I'll do this or that, etc. The problem is, someday never comes. Making plans but not acting on them is dangerous and paralyzing. Make someday today.
Your time is precious, don't waste it (on video games, tv, etc.) and don't trade it away for pennies (e.g. wait in line for 4 hours on Black Friday so that you can get a $30 discount on a TV). Don't value your time at zero. Your time is finite and always decreasing — treat it as such.
Money buys free time and eliminates indentured time.
Having to work limits your choices. When you're making a big purchase, consider its time cost. Is that $50k BMW worth 1 year of your life?
Don't trade time for money.
Your Job
In general, jobs suck because you have limited leverage (being 50% more productive will not get you a 50% raise) and limited control (what if you're fired? What if your company is doing poorly and forces you to take a pay cut? etc.)
Hope is not a good plan. If you don't control the variables in your plan, then you can't control the outcome.
You'd learn much more running your own business for a month than working for someone else for a year.
Things that are too niche to work on a local level can be big successes with a global audience.
You can make two types of choices: what to think and what to do. The first step to making better choices is to work on how you think and perceive things — that will dictate the actions you decide to take.
If you want extraordinary results, you need extraordinary thinking.
You can't experience success without failure.
Never start a business just to chase money, start a business to chase needs, pain points, etc.
Accept rent and royalties, not pay them.
Can the business be automated? Are margins large enough to hire others to do your work? Could you (eventually) get the business to operate without spending much of your time on it?
The "do what your love" meme is nice, but in order to work, what you love must solve an actual need.
You do need to be passionate about your business, however, and you will need to find a source for the passion.
Basically, you want a compelling reason to get out of bed every morning and give 100%. Passion erases the suffering of work.
If your advertising shop makes \$100k/year in profit, and the multiple for the advertising industry is about 2.9, then your business is worth approximately \$290k. Multiples range from 3-5 for traditional stores to 6-10 for computer and engineering related businesses to 15+ for things involving patents, medical devices, etc. If the multiple for your industry is 10, then making an extra \$1 of profit raises the sale value of your business by \$10.
The problem is education is expensive in terms of time and money. Becoming a doctor will get you a $200k salary, but it will also take 10 years (leaving you fewer years to work) and saddles you with a lot of student debt.
A lot of times, your spouse will be you biggest detractor or your biggest supporter.
"By working faithfully eight hours a day you may eventually get to be boss and work twelve hours a day" — Robert Frost
"Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go." T.S. Eliot


text:
Occupation: Engineer — Plastics manufacturing Education: Lamar University, B.S., Industrial Engineering, 1968 Legislative Experience: Senate Member, 2007 - present Hometown: Jacksonville, Texas Party: Republican
First elected to the Texas Senate in 2006, Robert Nichols represents 19 counties including the greater part of East Texas and Montgomery County.
In the Texas Senate, Nichols serves as Chairman for the Transportation Committee. He is also serves on the Senate Finance, Natural Resources and Economic Development, and Intergovernmental Relations Committees. He is a member of the Legislative Audit Committee and a former Vice Chairman of the Sunset Advisory Committee.
During his four sessions as a state senator, Nichols authored and passed legislation to protect landowners' rights, increase educational opportunities in East Texas and reform transportation policies. He has worked to reduce Medicaid fraud, and promote free-market principles. During his time with the Sunset Advisory Committee, he was able to help eliminate six state agencies which saved the tax payers $161.9 million. He has been named a 'Champion for Children' by the Equity Center, a 'Courageous Conservative' by the Texas Conservative Coalition, a 'Friend of County Government' by the Texas Association of Counties and a 'Champion of Free Enterprise' by the Texas Association of Business.
Before running for Senate, Nichols served as transportation commissioner for eight years where he established a reputation for increasing efficiency without compromising quality.
Nichols is a businessman from Jacksonville, Texas. In his hometown he served on city council, was elected mayor, built four successful manufacturing facilities, earned 32 U.S. patents, 128 foreign patents, and created more than 900 jobs for East Texas families.
Working his way through college by selling fireworks and ironing clothes for other students, Nichols earned a bachelor's degree from Lamar University in 1968. He married his high school sweetheart, Donna, and they are the proud parents of three children: Brittney, Joshua, and Collynn'rae. He is a member of the First United Methodist Church in Jacksonville.
February 24, 2015Press conference regarding legislation relating to transportation funding
February 19, 2015My five cents...
February 12, 2015My five cents...
February 5, 2015My five cents...
February 3, 2015Nichols Files Motor Vehicle Sales Tax Bill
Newsletter — Legislative Session 2011 (PDF)


text:
Phil Smith Snoworks Ski Course Director reports on the magnificent Snoworks Tarentaise All Terrain Safari.
In one week you could have the opportunity to:
• Ski two of the biggest ski areas on the planet, The Espace Killy and Paradiski.
• Ski another three resorts in the same week, La Thuile, Rosiere and St Foy.
• Ski in two countries, France and Italy.
• Develop your all-terrain skills beyond recognition.
• Ski some amazing off piste backcountry routes.
• Experience exceptional powder.
• Dine on gourmet food.
• Be waited on by a team of hand picked chalet staff.
• Have your personal in-house ski tuner.
• Sip pre-dinner drinks in an outdoor hot tub.
• Have your own personal minibus service.
• Plus, ski with your very own Snoworks instructors guiding you around the best ski routes in the Tarentaise helping develop your all-terrain skills.
….and if that doesn't tempt you. Take a quick look at a proposed itinerary. Don't forget like all Snoworks itineraries these remain flexible to make the most of the prevailing snow and weather conditions and all routes described are pending appropriate weather and snow conditions.
Pick up from Geneva or Bourg St Maurice depending on whether you fly or go by train and be whisked up to the Chalet Auberge Sur La Montagne for a fabulous welcome gourmet meal. If you've taken the train, it's a morning arrival at Bourg St Maurice, 15 minute shuttle to the Auberge and you can be skiing in St Foy for the day.
Free ski warm up using the local lift system in St Foy. Unspoilt and uncrowded this is a mecca for off-piste skiing. When everywhere else is tracked out you can still be skiing fresh tracks. In the evening a welcome chat from the Snoworks Team and another gourmet meal at the Auberge.
A taste of Italy, It's Cappuccinos & Pasta. Transport up to La Rosiere with a days skiing in and around Rosiere (France) and into La Thuile (Italy).
Transfer up to the most famous ski area in the world, L'Espace Killy. Drop off in Brevieres and ski in and around Tignes and Val D'Isere. For those with limited off-piste experience, a day to work on the skills for all-terrain. For experienced all-mountain skiers you've got the opportunity for some amazing off-piste descents.
• A short hike up to Mickey's Ears and a steep descent to Lac du Chevril followed by a heli-pickup. Unfortunately we can't include the helicopter in the price of the course but for only 30 Euros it's a chance not to be missed. Click for details
• Alternatively head across to Val D'Isere to the top of La Fornet Glacier. A short 30 minute hike and you can descend off-piste all the way to Bonneval Sur Arc. Ski the local lift system and catch the helicopter back to Val D'Isere with a drop off at the top of Solaise so you still have time for a final ski back across to Tignes and Brevieres. Cost: 130 Euros. Click for details
Back to the Auberge for a soak in the outdoor hot tub with a glass of wine followed by another amazing gourmet meal.
10 minutes from the Auberge and you're in Villaroger with access to the biggest ski area in the world. What would you like to do today? Continue developing your skills to ski everywhere and begin putting those skills into practice with some easy off piste, bumps and steeper terrain? Or ski some amazing descents – how about these for starters.
• Head across to La Plagne, up to the top of the Bellecote Glacier then take the North face route off-piste to Peisey Nancroix.
• From the Grand Col chairlift a 20 minute easy hike to the Col followed by a magnificent north east off-piste bowl below the Aiguille Rouge and Mont Turia. A steep entrance followed by a magnificent off-piste descent to Villaroger.
• Col de Chal – A 1,100m off-piste descent to Peisey with a 5 minute bus ride back into the Les Arcs system.
A night off at the Auberge and instead an atmospheric night out at La Ferme in Villaroger (not included in price).
Another day using the local lift system. For level 4′s this is the perfect opportunity to put all those skills you've been using to the test. The terrain in and around St Foy is perfect for introduction to off-piste, bumps and steeper terrain. For those looking for more off-piste experience you have the option of taking two classic off-piste descents in one day.
Take the top lifts and in one direction ski into the Fogliettaz and down to the village of Mazure. A minibus pick up, back round to St Foy and you still have time to do another classic route in the other direction down to the tiny summer hamlet of Monal. Time to ski on and off-piste using the local lift system the back to the Auberge for the customary tea and cakes and gourmet evening meal. Wonderful! Click for details
Today is flexible so we can go wherever the best snow is. The choice is ours – Rosiere, La Thuile, Tignes, Val D'Isere, Les Arc, La Plagne or St Foy. More work on developing performance on and off-piste or go for some more great off-piste routes including:
• Spatule – Val D'Isere Click for details
• Pisteurs Couloir (steep) – Val D'Isere Click for details
• Or many of the other routes in and around Espace Killy or Paradiski.
A farewell meal at the Auberge joined by the Snoworks Team of instructors.
For those taking the train, an extra days skiing in St Foy followed by a private transfer to Bourg St Maurice. If you've a flight to catch a private transfer to Geneva.
….and if all the above does not entice you then here are some comments from the last Safari:
Lovely, especially the gourmet food! Thank you so very much for looking after us so well. I particularly liked the drinks in the hot tub. Celia.
Let's hope Snoworks runs the same course next year. I'll be there. Charles
Superb week – lovely food, no, really exceptional food! Everyone so very helpful. Loved the hot tub. Anne
Great chalet and ski area. Friendly team. AWESOME WEEK. Martin
Wonderful week. Great food and company. Brilliant snow conditions and weather. Lets hope this becomes a regular Snoworks venue. Pat
Great chalet and staff who go over and above to make your stay even better. Thanks very much. Louise
Fab week. Great chalet, great food, great course, great people. Never been this well looked after before. Nick & Ian
A very relaxed atmosphere, extremely pleasant staff. Facilities great as was the food. I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone! Alan
Very cosy, lots of lovely food and a great Snoworks course. Alan
Auberge Sur La Montagne – Click for details
Prices, Levels etc - Click for details


text:
Start learning with our library of video tutorials taught by experts. Get started
Start drawing now with CorelDRAW, the flagship vector-based illustration and layout application.
"My biggest problem is figuring out what I want to watch next. Just when I think I'm all set, I find something ELSE that is fascinating." —John O.
more from our members »


text:
About the Designers
Hans and Torrey Butzer and Sven Berg
Butzer Design Partnership
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Butzer Design Partnership was established in 1990 shortly after its partners, Hans and Torrey Butzer, graduated from the University of Texas at Austin. For a period of two years, they completed various residential projects and graphic commissions. In January of 1992, they relocated to Germany, where they spent 5 ½ years working with several architectural firms.
In early 1997 while living in Berlin, Germany, they participated in an international design competition for the Outdoor Symbolic Memorial component of the Oklahoma City National Memorial. Hans and Torrey's associate Sven F. Berg assisted with the submission of their design. Their entry was selected as one of five finalists from a pool of 624 entries. As part of their final submission, Butzer Design Partnership submitted a list of team members that would act as consultants in the case that their entry be selected for construction. Included in that list were Sasaki Associates (Watertown, MA) and The Benham Group (Oklahoma City, OK).
The team, along with the other finalists, took their design to a 3-D model, proved their design could be built within budget and resubmitted their design to the Selection Committee, which consisted of fifteen voting panelists and one nonvoting recorder. This panel included eight members of the families, survivors and rescuers, along with civic leaders and design professionals.
Following the selection of their design for the Oklahoma City National Memorial in July of 1997, Hans and Torrey Butzer relocated to Cambridge, Mass., where Hans began graduate studies at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design. Throughout the phases of schematic design, design development, and construction documents, Butzer Design Partnership maintained artistic control of the design. Hans and Torrey Butzer traveled to Oklahoma City to present the design as it was developing to the Oklahoma City National Memorial Foundation and the group of family members, survivors, and rescuers.
The Oklahoma City National Memorial Outdoor Symbolic Memorial was dedicated on April 19, 2000, by U.S. President Bill Clinton.
Groundbreaking on the Outdoor Symbolic Memorial was held in September 1998. In January of 1999 with construction just underway, Torrey relocated to Oklahoma City. Torrey was on-site almost daily, assisting the Memorial Foundation with the interpretation of the design during construction. In June of 1999, Hans received his Master of Architecture from Harvard University and promptly joined Torrey on-site.
Currently, the Butzers reside in Oklahoma City. Hans is a professor at the University of Oklahoma in Norman. He and Torrey continue to pursue new projects for their Partnership both in the United States and in Europe through their affiliation with Sven Berg.
620 N. Harvey, Oklahoma City | 405.235.3313 888.542.HOPE
©2011 Oklahoma City National Memorial