text:
MPA NEWS Vol. 7, No. 4 October 2005
MPA News Poll: The Coming Challenges for MPAs, and How to Address Them
MPA Perspective Conservation Incentive
Agreements As a Tool for Developing and Managing MPAs
By Eduard Niesten, Richard Rice, and Mark Erdmann
MPA Spotlight The Tropical Eastern Pacific Corridor: Efforts to Protect Multinational Area Face Opposition from Tuna Fleet
Notes & News:
Correction - Caribbean fishery restrictions - Caribbean MPAs - Cultural MPAs - NWHI
MPA NEWS POLL: THE COMING CHALLENGES FOR MPAs, AND HOW TO ADDRESS THEM
This month's First International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC1), to be held 23-28 October in Geelong, Australia, is one of the first global conferences devoted solely to the subject of MPAs. Hopefully many more will follow. Unanswered questions still abound on aspects of MPA science (e.g. the effects of reserves on neighboring fisheries) and on best practices in planning and management. The more opportunities that exist for researchers and practitioners worldwide to share their knowledge, the sooner we will grasp the strengths and weaknesses of MPAs as management tools.
As we work toward this understanding, individual sites and the MPA field as a whole will continue to face challenges related to planning, management, science, monitoring, politics, and other aspects. In this light, MPA News this month asked several forward-thinking practitioners and researchers a question:
"What will be the greatest challenge facing the field of MPAs over the next decade, and how would you like to see this challenge addressed?"
Their responses offer readers a slate of issues to consider:
Graeme Kelleher, Senior Advisor, IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas, Australia. E-mail: email@example.com
The greatest challenge facing the field of MPAs historically, now, and into the future is human nature and how to overcome its destructive attributes. The worst attributes seem to be:
1. In users of the sea - selfishness and the ability to deny reality for the sake of immediate gain; and
2. In decision-makers and managers - the tendency to exclude the users of the sea from the very first stages of planning and management, and sometimes subsequently.
These deficiencies (which, on the evidence of their ubiquity, are probably imprinted genetically) must be widely recognized, and measures must be taken to overcome their expression and their destructive results. If this is not done, it seems unlikely that action will be taken in time to achieve a global, representative system of MPAs that is sufficiently robust to "maintain essential ecological processes and life support systems; preserve genetic diversity; and ensure the sustainable utilization of species and ecosystems." (IUCN Guidelines for Marine Protected Areas)
David Obura, Regional Coordinator, CORDIO East Africa, Kenya. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
There will be many equal challenges, but a critical one is that MPAs, planners, governments, and society must look "outside the box". While MPAs are one of the best tools we currently have for management, this is essentially because they represent a very non-subtle ownership trump card (that is, the "owner" of the location - a government agency or indigenous community, for example - is able to exclude others from using it). Much more difficult will be to improve management of waters outside of MPAs, where ownership is loose or multi-dimensional, issues are larger, and more subtle means of problem identification, resolution, and negotiation will be needed. What happens in these areas, which are by far the major part of coastal and open ocean waters, will make or break the efficacy of what is done within MPAs. The concepts of coastal zone management and "downstream impacts", where downstream means a large and diffuse three-dimensional volume of shifting waters, will need to evolve to facilitate better management.
Sibylle Riedmiller, Project Director, Chumbe Island Coral Park Ltd., Zanzibar. E-mail: email@example.com
In the developing world, the greatest challenge to MPAs is undoubtedly how to achieve and sustain effective on-site management that stops rampant overexploitation so typical for paper parks. This requires a change of paradigms in the international conservation community. MPAs need to be seen from an economic and resource-use perspective that acknowledges perverse incentives at work in present institutional arrangements. While consuming impressive (often aid) resources, inefficient state parks frequently fail to involve local resource users from the formal and "informal" private sector - mostly fisheries and tourism. (In much of Africa, the distinction between "local community" and "private sector" in fisheries is muddled; fishing is often for more than just subsistence, and much of the fish trade goes underground to avoid taxation or other governmental pressures.)
Conservation organizations and donors must broaden their policies and overcome their alliance with monopolistic state bureaucracies and bogus government-created or donor-created unrepresentative local NGOs. The tragedy is that these institutions all have an unintended but nevertheless common denominator: lack of accountability to resource users on the ground. To talk about local communities as partners in conservation and exclude the private sector is hunting a chimera.
For terrestrial parks, as a direct response to poor performance of the State, private conservation is growing fast. Southern Africa alone has more than 10,000 private game ranches, privately managed nature reserves, and conservancies. While not always a panacea, many are profitable, while effectively conserving nature and biodiversity and directly benefiting local communities. Their success needs to be acknowledged and replicated for marine conservation, where the tragedy of the commons is nearly universal, and property rights and security of tenure particularly undeveloped.
Ashraf Al Cibahy, Head of Marine Protected Areas, Environment Agency, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
The challenges may differ from one region to another depending on the socioeconomic status of each region, the dependency of development on exploitation of marine resources, and the level of environmental awareness of active sectors, especially regarding sustainable and integrated development of the coastal and marine environment.
In the Arabian Gulf region, the greatest challenges facing the field of MPAs in the next decade are:
1. Empowering institutional capacity to solve user conflicts inside MPAs in a manner consistent with the goals and objectives of these MPAs. In addition, privately protected islands in the region (often used as captive breeding centers for threatened species of interest) should be considered as part of the regional network of MPAs, and managed according to international standards of MPA management.
2. Ensuring funding for operations, surveillance, and monitoring. This challenge requires political and financial persuasion as well as governmental support.
3. Addressing transboundary issues that affect MPAs, and placing them on the agenda of regional meetings of the Gulf Corporation Countries (GCC) and the Regional Organization for the Protection of the Marine Environment (ROPME). Hopefully, this will lead to more efficient cooperation in the field of marine environmental protection in general and MPAs in particular.
Jake Rice, Director, Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat, Fisheries and Oceans Canada. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
The biggest challenge will be bringing order out of the burgeoning number of case histories that are accumulating. We have largely emerged from the "polarized period" when discussion of MPAs was too often a non-dialogue between believers (who often verged on the fanatic in their enthusiasm) and non-believers (who had a comparable share of fanaticism in their denial). Recently, discussion tends to focus more constructively on objectives and consequences of new MPAs. These discussions should be informed by lessons learned from experiences already gained with MPAs. However, we are stuck with a legacy of past overzealous claims about benefits and entrenched criticisms by skeptics. This is a dangerous situation when there are so many case histories accumulating. Partisans from both camps can cherry-pick their way, assembling advocacy cases that MPAs either (A) achieve great things and don't have the shortcomings claimed by their critics, or (B) fail to deliver on promised benefits and bring negative side-effects. Such "advocacy science" needs to be countered effectively if we are to have our understanding of the benefits and costs of MPAs reach maturity, and provide a basis for the effective use of this important tool in conservation and management. It can only be countered by comprehensive and objective evaluation of our experiences with MPAs.
Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara, Mediterranean Coordinator, IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas, Italy. E-mail: email@example.com
MPAs in the Mediterranean are testimony to the failure to avoid negative human impact on the sea: since we have been unable to manage ourselves and our activities, we have at least set aside small portions of the sea where the challenges of conserving habitats and species can be more easily (if not always effectively) addressed. If humans were able to manage their activities at sea in such a way as to use marine resources sustainably everywhere - and avoid dumping large amounts of noxious waste, destroying habitats, and impoverishing biodiversity - then the need for large, multiple-use MPAs that we now have in the Mediterranean would become questionable.
MPAs are badly needed at the moment in the region, and the greatest effort should be devoted to strengthening them through the organization of a regional system of networks. However, while we strive to refine MPAs during the next decade to conserve marine habitats and species in increasingly sophisticated and effective ways, our main challenge should be to remember that MPAs as a tool for managing human activities at sea should, ultimately, become superfluous. Reaching this awareness will require a considerable change in our current perspectives. In this process, the existing MPAs can serve as a powerful real-world demonstration that coexistence of a healthy marine environment with human economies is possible.
Bill Ballantine, Marine Biologist, Leigh Marine Laboratory, New Zealand. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
The main challenge facing MPAs is to make the concept redundant as soon as possible. As marine planning and policy advances, the idea that only some areas of the sea will be protected (which really means the intelligent regulation of human activities) will soon be seen as inadequate and, finally, as absurd. This advance could occur by an extension of terrestrial planning systems, which focus on people and their existing activities. An alternative exists, although at present it is only vaguely described in words like ecosystem management and holistic planning. The sea is very different from land and humans cannot occupy it in any permanent sense. This difference could allow marine planning to focus on the future. It could aim at maintaining the natural processes that make the planet a fit place for us to live, by curtailing our activities where these are wasteful or damaging. The first step toward this would be the widespread establishment of highly protected marine reserves, the only permanently valid form of marine protected areas.
Dan Basta, Director, National Marine Sanctuaries Program USA. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Marine protected areas dramatically reflect the problem of conserving ecosystems. Unlike terrestrial protected areas, MPAs are open to inputs from land and sea and have no hard boundaries within which to operate. They currently have more symbolic value than actual management value in terms of ensuring the conservation of ecosystems and the cultures that rely on them. The challenge for the next decade is to turn that around. To rise to this challenge, we must alter not only how MPAs are managed, but how we manage ourselves.
This is where MPAs have a special role to play: to fundamentally affect the ethics, behavior, and values of humans. Because there is intrinsic value in the relationship of humans to the sea, MPAs as real places can be leaders of behavioral change - inspiring society to place a higher value on the biota, beauty, and important services that healthy coasts and oceans provide us. The challenge is for those who manage, fund, and support MPAs to understand clearly that these sites are a means to an end (i.e., education and behavioral change), and cannot be sustained unless that end is achieved. This will require doing all the basics well - i.e., the management plan, monitoring program, enforcement, etc. - without losing sight of the endgame.
Tundi Agardy, Executive Director, Sound Seas, USA. E-mail: email@example.com
The desire for quick fixes has led to a proliferation of MPAs - many in areas where they are not needed, executed in a way that does not address the threats at hand, and planned with little consideration of long-term financial and social feasibility. This constitutes misuse of the MPA tool for a number of reasons: it initially gives decision-makers and their constituents a false sense of security that something has been done to slow marine degradation, and it can eventually make the public lose confidence in MPAs when it realizes that these MPAs confer little protection.
Even well-planned and executed MPAs are difficult undertakings, because we often expect too much of them. Those with long experience in protected areas recognize that individual MPAs can do only so much in terms of abating fisheries over-exploitation, protecting biodiversity, and safeguarding important ecosystem services. Thus we need to push for MPA networks - strategically designed to protect what is ecologically most critical and most threatened, while freeing up large areas of the coastal seas for regulated sustainable use. But implementing networks is a notoriously challenging process, not least because the timeframes needed are beyond most planning horizons of decision-makers, government agencies, and other institutions.
Overcoming society's need for instant gratification is no mean feat,
and not something the marine community can do alone. But if we are
courageous and institute a few examples that show how such networks confer
substantial long-term benefits, leaders with foresight and the public interest
in mind will pick up the gauntlet.
|Editor's note: The authors of the following perspective piece all work for Conservation International (CI), an international NGO. Eduard Niesten is director of the Conservation Economics Program at CI's Center for Applied Biodiversity Science. Richard Rice is chief economist in that program. Mark Erdmann, formerly USAID's marine protected areas advisor for Bunaken National Park (Indonesia), is senior advisor for the Marine Program of Conservation International Indonesia.
MPA PERSPECTIVE CONSERVATION INCENTIVE AGREEMENTS AS A TOOL FOR DEVELOPING AND MANAGING MPAs
By Eduard Niesten, Richard Rice, and Mark Erdmann, Conservation International
One of the most common challenges in setting up and managing MPAs throughout the world is the difficulty of "competing" against fisheries and other marine resource sectors that offer the prospect of tangible economic benefits such as employment and revenues to both governments and local stakeholders. Though the medium and long-term benefits of MPAs to sustainable fisheries and marine tourism are increasingly well-known, it can be difficult to sell this long-term view to cash-strapped governments or subsistence fishers in the face of short-term gains offered by commercial interests. One potential solution to this dilemma involves an approach known as "conservation incentive agreements" - a strikingly simple idea which immediately and tangibly benefits key stakeholders by providing continuous, long-term financial or material incentives to conserve marine resources rather than exploit them for short-term gain. Although certainly not universally applicable, this approach has scored several important successes in terrestrial conservation, and is now actively being applied to the marine realm. Below we examine the key features of this approach and how it may be used in an MPA setting.
The fundamental premise underlying incentive agreements is that if properly structured, conservation can compete on a level playing field with much of the destructive exploitation that is commonplace today. A conservation incentive agreement seeks to secure conservation services in a well-defined area of land or sea in exchange for a negotiated package of sustained benefits. The approach avoids some of the pitfalls of indirect approaches to conservation in which there is no formal conservation agreement with local beneficiaries and where success requires the creation of self-sustaining markets for non-destructive activities, often in extremely remote locations. Given its flexibility, the approach allows benefits to be tailored precisely to a given situation. Examples of benefits in ongoing initiatives include funding for school fees in a project in the Solomon Islands and financial support for protecting an indigenous territory in Ecuador.
A defining feature of the model is that continued provision of benefits depends on compliance, as verified using measurable conservation performance indicators. Thus, the approach resembles conservation easements and other incentive mechanisms that are common in industrialized nations, but whose potential remains largely untapped in the developing countries that house much of the world's remaining biodiversity.
Conservation International (CI) first used this approach after observing logging companies acquire the lease rights to large areas of forest in Guyana at very low cost, suggesting that conservation organizations might well do the same without intending to log. In 2002 the Government of Guyana granted CI a renewable, 30-year lease to manage 80,000 ha of forest for conservation. Under this agreement, CI is paying the government exactly what they would have received had the area been logged.
Since then, similar initiatives have been launched in a wide range of settings around the world, from agreements with governments involving remote lowland rainforests to agreements with traditional Indian communities in the high Andes - and, increasingly, agreements involving marine conservation as well. The tool has proven particularly useful in situations where local communities are the legal resource owners - as is true, for example, in most marine settings in Melanesia. (In industrialized nations, incentive-based approaches have been applied mostly in terrestrial settings - where resource ownership is predominantly private - as opposed to marine settings where resources are typically under government ownership. However, opportunities do exist in the marine realm: agreements can conceivably be made with government authorities or with groups of resource users, such as providing long-term compensation to fishermen for retiring their licenses.)
One concrete example of a marine application in developing countries is in the Arnavon Islands group within the Solomon Islands, where local communities recognized the impact of over-harvesting sea cucumbers, sea turtles, and other marine resources and designated an 8,558-ha marine and terrestrial area as a Provincial wildlife reserve. In exchange, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) provides training and salaries to local community members who patrol the area and monitor sea turtle nesting and foraging sites. Annual onsite project costs are less than US$25,000. TNC and CI are working to establish a US$500,000 endowment to guarantee long-term financing for this project and ensure that incentives, including employment and training, continue to flow to local communities - contingent of course upon measurable compliance with the area's protection plan.
Given some general enabling conditions, conservation incentive agreements can be applied in a wide variety of contexts. Important conditions include the ability of resource owners and users to act as a viable counterpart in an agreement, and on-the-ground capacity to effectively manage stakeholder issues, both of which can be developed with appropriate investments if necessary. Effective agreements also require a firm legal basis, which can range from private contracts to public leases. Similarly, a robust long-term agreement depends on sufficient funding to guarantee a stable flow of benefits. Project-specific endowments offer the most secure guarantee for such funding, but can present a considerable challenge for fundraising. Fortunately, as the potential of this approach is becoming more widely recognized, we are finding that donors are increasingly interested in providing the necessary long-term support. Though no substitute for more traditional approaches, incentive agreements offer a flexible complement that could greatly extend our ability to achieve conservation objectives in marine settings.
Readers interested in learning more about experiences in implementing this approach are urged to contact the authors directly.
For more information
Eduard Niesten and Dick Rice, Conservation International, 1919 M St, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20036, USA. Tel: +1 202 912 1000; E-mail: email@example.com, email@example.com
Mark Erdmann, Conservation International Indonesia, Jl. Dr. Muwardi
No. 17, Denpasar, Bali 80361, Indonesia. Tel: +62 361 327245; E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
In April 2004, government authorities from Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Panama signed a declaration to work together to protect the Tropical Eastern Pacific Corridor. This marine area, spanning 2-million km2 and including portions of the Exclusive Economic Zones of each of the signatories, would serve as a model for the protection of broad, international, ecologically connected areas. Providing cornerstones for the protection plan would be five existing island national parks and surrounding marine reserves: Galapagos (Ecuador), Coiba (Panama), Cocos Island (Costa Rica), and Malpelo and Gorgona (both of Colombia).
Now underway, the initiative is based on the following concept: that an ecosystem-based approach is necessary to protect the region's wide-ranging species (tunas, turtles, marine mammals), and that such an approach can be carried out in part by coordinating relevant management among existing MPAs in the region. In practice, the initiative's scale and international component have brought challenges. While progress has been made in the past year and a half - including initiation of regional efforts involving authorities, stakeholders, and NGOs - the initiative has also faced strong opposition, namely from the Ecuadorian tuna fleet, which relies largely on the corridor region for much of its catch and is cautious that the initiative could eventually bring restrictions.
Ultimate goal of the initiative
The ultimate goal of the marine corridor initiative, or CMAR for short (for Corredor Marino), remains a point of contention. The fishing sector fears the goal is to designate a "super-MPA" that includes the five existing sites and waters in-between. Advocates of the initiative, citing the declarations and documents signed by government officials to this point, argue the objective is simply to improve coordination of management at the existing sites and strengthen mechanisms that provide for effective conservation of protected areas and sustainable use of marine resources.
As it stands, the main challenge for advocates is to convince the industrial fishing sector that CMAR does not propose the creation of a giant no-take area. Opposition to the initiative from the politically influential Ecuadorian tuna fleet has resulted in the Ecuadorian government backing off from actively promoting the initiative, although it is still officially committed to CMAR under the declaration. "The CMAR initiative supports the sustainable use of the corridor, which is in the long-term interest of the fishing sector," says Gabriel Labbate, coordinator of the UN Environment Programme's regional office for Latin America and the Caribbean. His office will supervise dissemination of pending Global Environment Facility funds to support the CMAR initiative. "The creation of any MPA as part of this initiative will have to take into account the needs of the fishing sector," he says.
Scott Henderson, Galapagos program coordinator for Conservation International (CI), an NGO that has actively supported the CMAR initiative, says the project recognizes that tuna fishing is an important regional economic activity. He notes that there are established bodies - primarily the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission - that have the remit to ensure sustainable use. "The aim of the project is to support such bodies so that sustainable fishing can prosper," says Henderson, noting that best environmental practices by the fishing sector can ensure access to conscientious markets. "[CMAR aims] to improve management at established MPAs, not to exclude industrial fishing in the entire region."
Labbate of UNEP adds that another challenge for the project includes the existence of a portion of the corridor outside national waters on the high seas. This portion is being used by fleets from nations that are not signatories to the declaration, including Japan and South Korea. "Involvement of these fleets in the initiative is a real challenge, as they have no formal commitments to it," says Labbate.
The declaration in April 2004 established a rotating secretariat (the initial period is under the umbrella of Costa Rica's environment ministry) to oversee the initiative and coordinate the countries' work plans. Labbate says the main accomplishment so far has been the fact that this institutional space now exists for discussion of sustainable management among nations. "It has helped to strengthen the commitments of future administrations of participating countries to the CMAR," he says. "It has also been relatively successful in bringing funds to sustain this initiative."
International NGOs and intergovernmental organizations have teamed up to assist. Among them are CI and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, which are cooperating on a UN Foundation and Global Conservation Fund-financed project to promote long-term management and conservation of the five MPAs. (Three of the parks are already World Heritage sites - Galapagos, Coiba, and Cocos Island - while Gorgona and Malpelo have been proposed for such status.) The project involves fostering the networking of managers, scientists, and other professionals associated with these sites: i.e., establishing a communications network for site managers and conservation professionals in the region; providing training on the use of environmental laws and conventions; promoting collaboration among regional conservation organizations on key issues; and supporting the World Heritage nominations for Gorgona and Malpelo. CI and the World Heritage Centre have secured US$10 million to support these programs over the next four years. The US National Marine Sanctuaries Program is also engaged in capacity-building efforts for MPA managers in the region. And there has been interest expressed in creating an internet listserver for managers and a manager-training program similar to those of the UNEP-sponsored CaMPAM Network and Forum Partnership - an initiative to network Caribbean MPA practitioners (MPA News 6:1).
Marjaana Kokkonen, a marine heritage specialist with the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, says that although the idea of designating the entire corridor as a World Heritage site has been suggested, it is unlikely to happen in the foreseeable future due to the fishing-sector opposition and other obstacles. But the management of the existing sites can be improved, she says. "We should aim first to conserve the existing sites properly - and there are several problems - before aiming to nominate the whole region," she says. "For now, we can work to build the necessary collaboration so that perhaps such a designation could happen one day."
For more information
Gabriel Labbate, Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Medio Ambiente, Oficina Regional para America Latina y el Caribe, Blvd. de los Virreyes 155, Lomas de Virreyes, CP 11000 Mexico, D.F., Mexico. Tel: +52 55 5202 6394; E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Scott Henderson, Conservation International - Andes/Eastern Tropical Pacific Regional Marine Coordinator, Puerto Ayora, Galapagos, Ecaudor. Tel: +593 9871 8157; E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Marjaana Kokkonen, UNESCO World Heritage Centre, 7 place de Fontenoy,
75352 Paris 07 SP, France. Tel: +33 1 4568 1887; E-mail: email@example.com
Due to an editorial error, the September 2005 issue of MPA News misreported the dates of the upcoming Ninth Virgin Islands Nonpoint Source Pollution Conference, to be held in St. John, US Virgin Islands. The correct dates are 28-30 November 2005. MPA News apologizes for the error. The conference website is http://usvircd.org/NPS/NPSCFP2005.htm.
Report describes fishery restrictions in Caribbean
A new report from the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) in collaboration with the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas documents all areas of the Wider Caribbean region in which fishing is restricted, including MPAs. Initiated to inform managers, scientists, and policymakers on the status of regional fisheries management, the report provides data on no-take and no-entry areas, catch-and-release rules, gear bans, and other management interventions for each country, and also describes the species these measures are intended to protect. The data were gathered via surveys of fisheries and MPA managers. The report Fishery Regulations in the Wider Caribbean: Project Summary is online in PDF format at http://gipping.unep-wcmc.org/wdbpa/caribPa/lang.cfm. Funding for the project was provided by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the (US) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the United Nations Foundation. An Asia-Pacific version of the project is under development, also by UNEP-WCMC, and should be available next year.
For more information: Ed McManus, Marine and Coastal Programme, UNEP-WCMC, 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0DL, UK. Tel: +44 1223 277314; E-mail: email@example.com
Website: MPAs in Puerto Rico, Wider Caribbean
A new website serves as a clearinghouse of information on planning and management of MPAs in Puerto Rico and the rest of the Caribbean region. The site, Areas Marinas Protegidas de Puerto Rico y el Gran Caribe (Marine Protected Areas in Puerto Rico and the Wider Caribbean), provides links to relevant sources of information in fisheries management, fisheries biology, ecology, anthropology, sociology, and economics. New links are accompanied by brief descriptions in Spanish, with some translated to English. The site is managed by the Interdisciplinary Center for Coastal Studies of the University of Puerto Rico in Mayaguez, and the web address is http://www.amp-pr.org/blog.
Newsletter available on cultural, historic MPAs
Managers of MPAs with cultural or historic features face some unique challenges, not least of which is protecting such features from natural deterioration processes. A resource is available to help these practitioners stay up-to-date on the evolving science of underwater archeology and the management of maritime heritage sites. The Marine Cultural and Historic Newsletter, published monthly by the US National Marine Protected Areas Center, provides news and information on advances in research and management, with links to where readers may find more information. Although much of the newsletter's focus is on US-based work, each issue also includes news on international developments. Says Editor Brian Jordan, "We hope to promote collaboration among individuals and agencies for the preservation of cultural and historic resources for future generations." All issues of the newsletter are available at http://mpa.gov/information_tools/newsletters.html. To subscribe to the newsletter, send a message to email@example.com with "subscribe MCH newsletter" in the subject field.
Hawai'i designates refuge in state waters of Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
In September, the state of Hawai'i (US) designated a 2645-km2 no-take marine reserve in all state waters of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI), an archipelago that stretches westward from the main Hawaiian Islands for more than 1200 miles (roughly 2000 km). All fishing and other extractive activities are off-limits in the new NWHI State Marine Refuge, except for traditional practices of Native Hawaiians, which could include limited harvest.
In an announcement that accompanied designation of the site, state officials called on the federal government to institute equivalent no-take protection for federal waters of the NWHI, which are undergoing a separate management review process. These federal waters, designated in 2000 by former President Bill Clinton as the 340,000-km2 NWHI Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve, contain several no-take zones but allow fishing elsewhere by a small number of commercial bottomfishing vessels (MPA News 6:11). The NWHI bottomfish fishery, valued at US$1.5 million annually, is almost exclusively in federal waters. Should the recommendation to close the federal waters be followed, state officials propose that the federal government and/or private conservation interests purchase the fishery permits of the vessels at fair market value to help ease the industry's transition to the restrictions.
For more information: Peter Young, Board of Land and Natural Resources, P.O. Box 621, Honolulu, HI 96809, USA. Tel: +1 808-587-0400; E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
MPA News
Editor-in-Chief: John B. Davis
Editorial Board:
Chair: David Fluharty, Ph.D.
School of Marine Affairs
University of Washington
Patrick Christie, Ph.D.
School of Marine Affairs
University of Washington
Michael Murray
Advisory Council Coordinator
Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary
Direct correspondence to: MPA News, School of Marine Affairs, University of Washington, 3707 Brooklyn Ave. NE, Seattle, WA 98105, USA. Tel: +1 206 685 1582; Fax: +1 206 543 1417; E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com.
MPA News is published monthly by Marine Affairs Research and Education (MARE), a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, in association with the School of Marine Affairs, University of Washington.
All content has been written by the MPA News editorial staff unless otherwise attributed.
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text:
Northwest NEWS
ovember 25, 2002
Woodinville Light Festival-A community tradition begins Dec. 6
WOODINVILLE - On Dec. 6 the Elf Express lighted train departs the Snowflake depot at the Woodinville Community Center (W.C.C.) at 6 p.m. to take you to Brittany Park Retirement Community Center in time for Santa's arrival at 6:30 p.m. to kick off the 9th annual Woodinville Light Festival.
Capture a holiday memory with a photo with Santa, make a special craft and be entertained at Brittany Park.
The W.C.C. offers additional holiday activities, including entertainment, holiday shopping, Santa's Workshop and the Woodinville Teen Art Show. Activities and entertainment will delight you from 6 to 9 p.m. at both event locations.
The festival continues with Holiday Kidzone, Dec. 7, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at W.C.C. and the Santa Skate, Dec. 8. noon to 2 p.m., Kingsgate Ice Arena.
Activities at Brittany Park Retirement Community, 17143 - 133rd Avenue NE include:
Ą Santa Photos (Free)
Ą Brittany Park Bistro
Ą Dickens Carolers, 6 - 7 p.m.; Bear Creek Elementary School Choir, 7:15 - 7:45 p.m., and Bells of the Sound, 8 - 9 p.m. (Free)
Ą Kids Holiday Crafts (Free)
Activities at Woodinville Community Center - 17401 133rd Avenue NE include:
Ą Teen Art Show including William Wilde Zeitler performing with a glass armonica (Free)
Ą Santa's Workshop (Free)
Ą Candy Cane Stage performances include Woodinville High School Jazz Band, Dickens Carolers and 2Plus6 Wilson Family Band (Free)
Ą Holiday craft vendors
Ą Crystal CafŽ
Ą Holiday light displays illuminated Dec. 6 through 24, 6 to 9 p.m.
Holiday Kidzone, Saturday, Dec. 7, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., W.C.C.
Need a parents' day out for holiday shopping? Kidzone offers activities for children ages 5 to 12. Cost $20/per child. Pre-registration required by contacting W.C.C. at (425) 398-9327, ext. 2236.
Santa Skate, Sunday, Dec. 8, 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., Kingsgate Ice Arena, 14326 - 124th Ave NE, Kirkland
Skate with Santa and enjoy holiday music from Project LA! Free skate rental is available on a first come, first serve basis. Your admission is free. Donations of two canned food items to support Hopelink will be accepted.
Hopelink is a non-profit agency that serves homeless and low-income families, children, seniors and people with disabilities.
Event brochures are available at Woodinville City Hall and W.C.C.
For event information, go to
or call W.C.C. at (425) 398-9327, Ext. 2234.
Woodinville Light Festival is presented by Woodinville Parks & Recreation, Brittany Park Retirement Community, Woodinville Lions Club, Buyers Choice, Major Electric, Inc., Kingsgate Ice Arena, Woodinville Senior Programs and Old Country Buffet.


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A rather unusual ad campaign has hit television and cinema screens promoting Jim Beam bourbon whisky.
The ads all have a Tarzan theme and feature a number of people hit with a sudden inclination to yodel and/or make animal noises in the street, often reminiscent of the famous Johnny Weissmuller role.
Backed by the slogan, 'It's Time,' the $5million campaign for Jim Beam pre-mixed drinks is said to be a playful spin on the way we arrange a get together and will be a very memorable concept for the brand.
Ray Noble, Brand Director at Jim Beam said: "Jim Beam is a category leader and will again push boundaries by continually re-inventing our marketing activities to keep consumers and trade engaged in the brand.
"'It's Time' campaign is something we are confident consumers will make their own, talk about and share—when you get the call you know it's time for a Jim Beam and you're not going to miss this one!"
The new Jim Beam bourbon advert series will be appearing in two spots offering a mixture of 15 and 30 second adverts. It will also be backed by other marketing activities such as promotion on the Jim Beam bourbon Facebook page, POS and print media.


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THE National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) on Thursday flatly rejected the National Development Plan (NDP), calling it a "right-wing document" and claiming it had been copied from Democratic Alliance (DA) policy documents.
Numsa upset the careful show of unity in the African National Congress (ANC)-led alliance, with its general secretary Irvin Jim saying the ANC leadership that emerged from Mangaung was not "working-class orientated".
Ironically, Numsa's criticism of the NDP — the product of extensive, nationwide consultation — echoes a boast made by DA leader Helen Zille that the NDP's land reform section is based on DA policies implemented in the Western Cape.
Numsa's rejection of the NDP casts a shadow over its implementation as the ANC and the state have embraced it as the centrepiece of policy-making until 2030. Numsa is also positioning itself as a voice critical of the ruling party as attempts to silence Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi unfold behind the scenes.
Speaking after a meeting of Numsa's top brass in Newtown on Thursday, Mr Jim described the NDP as a "right-wing deviation from the Freedom Charter". Numsa did not elaborate where it thought DA policy and the NDP intersected. He said it would soon present its detailed critique of the document, and would then highlight the similarities.
Mr Jim claimed the NDP attacked workers. "It says workers must be dismissed very quickly, they don't want a lengthy process to deal with workers. It's a right-wing document and from where we stand, we have no option but to characterise it as such," he said.
Numsa is set to fight the NDP's implementation "in the streets" and push for policies contained in the Freedom Charter, such as nationalisation of mines and banks. "Our failure to take this thing on, will actually bring us closer to the situation where one day there will be an implosion in the country as a result of poverty, unemployment and inequality purely to buy business confidence," Mr Jim said.
Numsa president Cedric Gina suggested the ANC delegates at Mangaung who endorsed the NDP were not fully apprised of its contents.
"Those who know the NDP from page one to page 430 are its 25 commissioners, so you cannot say the same about the 4,500 delegates of the ANC in Mangaung," he said.
Important information may have been left out when a presentation was made to the delegates.
Political analyst Aubrey Matshiqi noted that the NDP was not yet a plan, rather a vision for the country, and had yet to be turned into concrete policy — despite comments from President Jacob Zuma and his Cabinet. Numsa's stance was "not surprising", given the reservations expressed by Cosatu even before the Mangaung conference about the policy direction of the ANC.
"This is basically a resuscitation of the unhappiness with the leadership and policies which emerged even before Mangaung. Where they (Numsa) are right is in arguing that the Mangaung conference did not adopt a radical economic shift."
Numsa also expressed disappointment over the stance on the economy adopted at Mangaung, as it hoped the ANC would seek to radically transform the economy. "There was no sign of the fundamental transformation of the economy, which remains in the hands of white monopoly capital," Mr Jim said.
The National Planning Commission on Thursday night responded to Mr Jim's criticism, saying he claimed for himself "power much greater than the 4,500 delegates" who participated in the Mangaung conference.
"Mr Jim suffers from an infantile disorder that manifests as an acute aversion to anything rational," said the commission in a statement posted on the Presidency's website.


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Thursday, September 29, 2016
Taubin Tapped as DreamWorks' New Marketing Head
Dawn Taubin has been hired as the new Chief Marketing Officer at DreamWorks Animation, Deadline reveals. Taubin's appointment follows the departure of the studio's veteran marketing ... Continue Reading →
DWA Chief Marketing Officer Departs
In a regulatory filing Monday, DreamWorks Animation announced that chief marketing officer Anne Globe has decided to leave the studio immediately, according to The Hollywood Reporter. ... Continue Reading →
Jeffrey Katzenberg Is MIPCOM 2013 Honoree
DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg has been named MIPCOM 2013 Personality of the Year. He is expected to accept the award on Wednesday, October 9, during a gala dinner for ... Continue Reading →
DreamWorks Panel Is a Huge Hit at Comic-Con
The folks at DreamWorks Animation put on a terrific show on the first day of Comic-Con on Thursday (July 18). Studio chief creative officer Bill Damaschke, directors David Soren (Turbo), ... Continue Reading →
DreamWorks Signs Multi-Year Pact with Netflix
It's official: Netflix loves the green ogre and everyone else in the DreamWorks Animation family. It was announced today that the Netflix and DreamWorks have signed a multi-year ... Continue Reading →
An Interview From Abroad with Brenda Chapman
Academy Award winning writer and director Brenda Chapman recently gave a masterclass at the Verdens Beste Children's Film Festival in Tromso, Norway, meeting professionals from the ... Continue Reading →
DreamWorks to Work with China's Wanda Group
DreamWorks Animation has signed an initial co-operation deal with China's Dalian Wanda Group to work together on future projects, the heads of the two companies announced at a ... Continue Reading →
Katzenberg, Damaschke to Keynote USC Animation Event
The USC's School of Cinematic Arts' John C. Hench Division of Animation & Digital Arts (Hench-DADA) will host the 25th Annual Conference for the Society of Animation ... Continue Reading →
DreamWorks and Super RTL Sign Multi-Year Deal
German-based Super RTL, has signed a multi-year output deal with DreamWorks Animation that will see DreamWorks supply the network with around 1,200 hours of programming through 2020. ... Continue Reading →
DreamWorks Characters to Entertain in Macao
It looks like Shrek, Po, Alex and Hiccup are getting ready to take their show on the road—at the Cotai Strip Resorts in Macao, China. DreamWorks has made a deal with Sands, China ... Continue Reading →


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October 5, 2004, 09:40 AM
Is there a downloadable ar-15 owners manual. I'm building an AR, and since it's my first, I have no idea how to break it down and clean it. Since I'm building it, and not buying it, I was hoping I could download a manual somehwere.


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NORTH BRANCH, MI -- A 19-year-old North Branch resident is awaiting charges after authorities allege the suspect robbed a party store and then returned to shop there later that day, according to a press release.
Authorities reviewed store's surveillance video and witnessed a person wearing a mask enter the store and steal liquor and cigarettes from behind the counter.
The goods were put into backpacks and the suspect fled on foot.
Later that morning, authorities allege a frequent customer entered the store to make a purchase. An employee noticed that the customer fit the physical description and was wearing similar clothes to the early-morning intruder.
Deputies and North Branch Police make contact with the customer at a nearby park around 2 p.m.
The customer was arrested and authorities were able to recover the stolen property.
The suspect is currently in the Lapeer County Jail awaiting charges.
Further details on the incident were unavailable from the Lapeer County Sheriff.


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Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE: CL ) recently delivered third-quarter net sales growth of 1.5% year over year, with unit volume jumping 5%, pricing increasing 1%, and organic sales improving 6%. As if that wasn't enough good news, earnings per share came in at $0.70 versus $0.68 in the year-ago quarter. However, it gets better.
Market share and expectations
Colgate-Palmolive's global market share positions in the following categories are impressive:
- Toothpaste: 45%
- Manual Toothbrushes: 33.4%
- Mouthwash: 16.8% (record high)
If you're not familiar with the company's brands, they include Colgate, Palmolive, Softsoap, Irish Spring, Ajax, Speed Stick, and more.
Colgate-Palmolive anticipates that its growth will continue. In fiscal year 2013, Colgate-Palmolive expects EPS to grow between 4.5% and 5.5%. That's good, but not as good as the double-digit EPS growth expected in fiscal year 2014.
The company plans on focusing on oral care, personal care, and home care (its high-margin businesses) in order to drive growth. This will be done via innovation based on consumer insights. If products perform well regionally, then they will be rolled out on a global basis. Logically, Colgate-Palmolive will primarily target countries where consumers are seeing rising incomes.
The company also looks to cut costs in:
- Direct materials
- Indirect expenses
- Distribution of logistics
- Reduction of packaging material
- Raw material substitution
- Consolidating suppliers
Another company seeing organic growth and cutting costs
Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG ) sure does take a lot of heat for a company that consistently rewards its shareholders. Many investors don't realize that Procter & Gamble has averaged organic sales growth of 4% over the past three years. It also has 22 billion-dollar brands, including but not limited to, Always, Bounty, Dawn, Gillette, Pampers, and Tide.
In addition to these positives, Procter & Gamble aims to cut $10 billion in costs by the end of fiscal year 2016. The breakdown: $6 billion of savings in cost of goods sold, $3 billion of savings in overhead, and $1 billion of savings in marketing.
Flat organic sales expected
When you think of Energizer Holdings (NYSE: ENR ) , batteries might come to mind, but Energizer's brands also consist of Schick, Playtex, Banana Boat, and Wet Ones.
Energizer Holdings has outperformed Colgate-Palmolive and Procter & Gamble in stock appreciation over the past year. Energizer has appreciated 45.07%, versus stock appreciation of 28.76% and 31.28% for Colgate-Palmolive and Procter & Gamble, respectively. However, Energizer saw revenue decline 2.2% in fiscal year 2013, and the company expects organic sales to be flat in FY 2014. On the positive side, FY 2013 EPS increased 4% to $6.47, and the company expects mid-single digit EPS growth in FY 2014. Also, the company just increased its dividend 25%.
Peer comparisons
While there are positives for Energizer Holdings, consider top-line growth comparisons for the three aforementioned companies over the past year:
Colgate-Palmolive expects double-digit EPS growth in fiscal year 2014, and has seen strong organic sales. Procter & Gamble plans on $10 billion in cost savings and has seen solid organic sales. Colgate-Palmolive and Procter & Gamble yield 2.10% and 2.80%, respectively, whereas Energizer Holdings doesn't offer any dividend. Therefore, Colgate-Palmolive and Procter & Gamble appear to be more logical investment options.
However, let's take a look at some key metric comparisons prior to making that determination:
Forward P/E
Profit Margin
Dividend Yield
Debt-to-Equity Ratio
Procter & Gamble
Energizer Holdings
Procter & Gamble stands out on a fundamental basis. It's trading at a fair valuation compared to its peers, it's the best at turning revenue into profit (barely), it offers the highest yield, and it has demonstrated high-quality debt management.
The bottom line
Energizer Holdings is performing well on the bottom line, and that's likely to continue, but Colgate-Palmolive and Procter & Gamble offer both top- and bottom-line potential. By investing in these companies, you also receive generous dividend payments. In my opinion, there would be little reason to choose Energizer Holdings over Colgate-Palmolive or Procter & Gamble, unless you're simply looking for stock appreciation momentum. However, that's not what Foolish investing is about. As always, please do your own due diligence prior to investing.
Resilient dividend investments
Dividend stocks can make you rich. It's as simple as that. While they don't garner the notoriety of high-flying growth stocks, they're also less likely to crash and burn. And over the long term, the compounding effect of the quarterly payouts, as well as their growth, adds up faster than most investors imagine. With this in mind, our analysts sat down to identify the absolute best of the best when it comes to rock-solid dividend stocks, drawing up a list in this free report of nine that fit the bill. To discover the identities of these companies before the rest of the market catches on, you can download this valuable free report by simply clicking here now.


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Baby Name Poll Results
Antonia Rose vs. Olivia Adelaine vs. Rowena Tallis
These are names being considered for a girl! Adelaine is said like Adelaide, but with an "N." Please share all thoughts!
The Top Baby Name is...
|Antonia Rose Markhale
|40% (6 votes)
|Olivia Adelaine Markhale
|47% (7 votes)
|Rowena Tallis Markhale
|13% (2 votes)
I LOVE Antonia! That's a names I've always loved and wished I could use (hubby dislikes it). Plus, Antonia Rose flows beautifully together.
Olivia Adelaine also flows really well.
Rowena Tallis sounds weird to me.
Olivia Adelaine also flows really well.
Rowena Tallis sounds weird to me.
posted by guest :: 2014-01-12 18:03:56 | report
Wow, Rowena and Tallis are two of my favorite names, Rowena Tallis gets my vote!
posted by guest :: 2014-01-12 18:12:00 | report
I love Antonia and Rowena both! I voted for Rowena but they are both great choices. Both are so much better than Olivia - Olivia is like the 3rd most commonly used girl name right now, she'll be one of 4 in all her classes. If you love all these names equally, definitely eliminate that one. She will so appreciate having a more unique name.
posted by guest: Sara :: 2014-01-12 18:13:20 | report
Olivia Adelaine are gorgeous!
Adelaine Rose
Adelaine Olivia
Amelia Lily
Arabella Violet
Genevieve Eloise
Answer Mine?
Adelaine Rose
Adelaine Olivia
Amelia Lily
Arabella Violet
Genevieve Eloise
Answer Mine?
posted by guest :: 2014-01-12 18:43:12 | report
I love Antonia Rose. Rowena is also gorgeous. Olivia is pretty but extremely popular.
posted by guest :: 2014-01-13 02:05:20 | report
Post a Comment:Please keep your comments positive and helpful.
Even if you don't like the names. Thanks!
For all baby name poll questions, complaints, or improvements
contact email@example.com.


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Celebrity Central / Top 25 Celebs
Britney Spears
- 1993-1994
Mini-Mouse Pack
Spears, 11, lands a cast spot on the New Mickey Mouse Club, where she performs with Christina Aguilera, Ryan Gosling and Justin Timberlake. Timberlake will later become her first public romance.
- 1998
Proper Dress Code
Spears releases the video for ". . . Baby One More Time," in which she wears a schoolgirl's uniform and knotted shirt, revealing her midriff. "The outfits looked kind of dorky, so I was like, 'Let's tie up our shirts and be cute,'" she tells PEOPLE. The following spring, Spears, 17, poses in hot pants and a push-up bra for her first Rolling Stone cover.
- 2000
Like Mother, Like Daughter
After losing the Best New Artist Grammy award to pop rival Christina Aguilera, Spears and her mom release a coauthored memoir, Heart to Heart. "I'm living proof that you can succeed, no matter where you're from or how little you have," she writes. The two write another book together, A Mother's Gift, released in 2001.
Oops! Brit Does it Again
Spears' album, Oops! … I Did It Again debuts at No. 1 and sells more than 1 million copies in its first week. The title track touts the now-famous lyrics "I'm not that innocent."
Pop Power Couple
Spears and singer Timberlake go public with their romance when they sit together at the MTV Video Music Awards in New York. During the show, Spears performs a medley of her hit "Oops!...I Did It Again" and "Satisfaction" in a sequined, flesh-colored outfit.
- 2001
Snake on a Pop Star
Spears drapes a 7-ft. albino python around her shoulders during a performance of "I'm a Slave 4 U" at the MTV Video Music Awards. The python is so "sticky" and "slimy," she tells EW, that she breaks into hives after she touches it the first time. Her third album, Britney, makes her the first female artist to have three albums debut at No. 1.
- 2002
Ending weeks of speculation, Spears confirms that she and Timberlake are no longer seeing each other. "[The breakup] was horrible. Very upsetting and it took a lot out of me. He was my first real love, and I doubt I'll ever be able to love anyone like that ever again," Spears tells PEOPLE. "But I'd rather spend two days with my soulmate than the rest of my life with some guy who doesn't mean as much."
- 2003
'I'm Not That Innocent'
In a W magazine cover story, Spears poses like a designer-clad lap dancer, and admits to kissing actor Colin Farrell and losing her much publicized virginity to Timberlake. "I thought he was the one," the pop star says to the magazine. "But I was wrong!" On August 28, the pop princess and her pop peer Aguilera famously kiss pop queen Madonna during a performance at the MTV Video Music Awards.
Sweet Success
Spears releases her album In The Zone, and the single "Toxic" goes on to win a Grammy for best dance recording. Despite her commercial success, this is Spears' first Grammy win.
- 2004
Vegas Style
Spears weds childhood friend Jason Alexander in a Las Vegas ceremony, but the marriage is annulled after 55 hours. Spears tells Today's Matt Lauer it was an act of rebellion, prompted by a demanding performance schedule.
Photo Credits
BIOGRAPHY (top to bottom): Everett/REX USA; Kevin Mazur/Wireimage; Delacorte Press; Kevin Mazur; Beth Keiser/AP; TAMMIE ARROYO/AFF; Julie Jacobson/AP; amazon.com; Splash News
- Name
- Britney Spears
- Date of Birth
- December 02, 1981
- Birth Place
- Kentwood, La.
- Relationships
David Lucado, ex-boyfriend (2013 to 2014)
Jason Trawick, ex-boyfriend (2009 to 2013, engaged)
Adnan Ghalib, ex-boyfriend (2007 to 2008)
Isaac Cohen, ex-boyfriend (Jan. 2007)
Kevin Federline, ex-husband (2004 to Nov. 2006)
Jason Alexander, ex-husband (Jan. 3 to 5, 2004; 55 hours, annulled)
Justin Timberlake, ex-boyfriend (2000 to 2002)
- Children
Sean Preston Federline, son (9/14/2005)
Jayden James Federline, son (9/12/2006)


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Follow-up: Have you done your part to fight the Left's war on Wisconsin and conservative women?
This week, I called your attention to the Left's ongoing war on Wisconsin's brave fiscal conservative leaders. Yesterday, the state's Government Accountability Board certified the recall elections against top GOP officials.
Please spread the word — and thanks to all of you have dug into your pockets to help the recall targets.
I published links in my newsletter to all of the recall targets' campaign donation pages and I'm doing it again here:
Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald
The Wisconsin GOP will run protest candidates in all the races to ensure that primaries are held:
"The protest candidates will run as Democrats to guarantee that there is one clear date for the primary election and one clear date for the general election," said Stephan Thomas, the party's executive director.
He said the move was made because otherwise some or all of the general elections for state senators would happen the same day as the primary for governor – when Democrats flood to the polls to pick their candidate for governor.
John Nolte at Big Journalism challenges the liberal media silence on the vile, misogynist attacks against Lt. Gov. Kleefisch — which I first reported in January 2011. John notes:
Here's the mocking of the Lt. Governor's children:
"I love it that your kids have actually have to hear about what evil things you're doing. I hope they have to hear it every day. And I hope they come home right to you. And just because you're good looking — and she is — and just 'cuz you're cutes and I'm sure you got a precocious little daughter you put in little Jon Benet contests, and I'm sure you have a little jock son, and they come home and say 'Mommy, they're saying you're a witch.' You are a witch!"
The attack on the Kleefisch's children is quite intentional. We've seen the media do the same to Sarah Palin. The idea is to gut-punch the target, to attempt to make the price of staying in the public arena awful and toxic. The left's hope, obviously, is that the target will shrivel up and go away. Well, this evil tactic didn't work on Palin and I doubt it will on Kleefisch.
But where is the media on this?
AWOL, naturally, because Rebecca Kleefisch is an apostate — a self-made Republican woman who became the Lt. Governor of a swing state Barack Obama desperately needs to fall his way if he's to have four more years to be more, uhm, flexible.
The fact that this is a local matter is no excuse for the mainstream media covering it up, either. For over a year now, the state of Wisconsin has seen plenty of national media attention surrounding every twist and turn of these recall elections.
Badger Pundit and Brian Simka of Media Trackers add that many liberal journalists in Wisconsin continue to frequent the program of Kleefisch smear-monger and liberal radio talk show host "Sly" Sylvester:
Sly Sylvester is a guy that's respected not only by the Democratic establishment but by the mainstream media. John Nichols of the Capital Times is a regular contributor to his show. Dan Bice of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel regularly goes on that show. None of these individuals has come out and condemned Sly Sylvester for comments that were reprehensible!
Like I've said before: Acknowledging the the war on conservative women would obliterate The Narrative.
Break the silence.
In related news, a federal judge ruled on Gov. Walker's union/budget reform law yesterday — upholding most of it, but striking down the compulsory union dues reforms. It will go to appeal
Walker considered Friday's ruling something of a victory. Cullen Werwie, Walker's spokesman, said the administration was still trying to figure out what the ruling meant in terms of increased costs to the state and enforcement, but felt the judge affirmed the constitutionality of nearly everything in Act 10.
"We are confident that the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals will continue to uphold the constitutionality of the law," he said.
Secret code name of Clinton cover-up operation revealed: 'Clinton cover-up operation'
September 27, 2016 11:38 AM by Doug Powers
Debate postmortem: Candidate who deleted 30,000 emails & smashed Blackberrys accused the other of 'hiding something'
September 27, 2016 10:03 AM by Doug Powers
The Coughstra at Hofstra: Hillary Clinton vs. Donald Trump debate open thread
September 26, 2016 02:13 PM by Doug Powers
Obama gives Hillary unintentionally hilarious debate advice (Sunday open thread)
September 25, 2016 09:26 AM by Doug Powers
Obama used a super-secure pseudonym for emails with Homebrew Hillary, so no problem
September 23, 2016 08:08 PM by Doug Powers
Categories: Barack Obama, Corruption, Democrats, Feature Story, Hillary Clinton


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The shifts in health care delivery have led to shorter visits, which can leave less time for patient counseling. Today's patients, however, have ready access to more information via the Internet, social platforms, and mobile apps than patients in the past. The variable and unvetted quality of that information is concerning.
Cohen et al provide a model for how physicians can work to provide reliable educational resources for their patients via a mobile app. Bhatia points out that the underutilization of mobile devices for patient education and patient-physician communication represents a practice gap, and it behooves dermatologists to step in and fill this gap.
Thank you for submitting a comment on this article. It will be reviewed by JAMA Dermatology editors. You will be notified when your comment has been published. Comments should not exceed 500 words of text and 10 references.
Do not submit personal medical questions or information that could identify a specific patient, questions about a particular case, or general inquiries to an author. Only content that has not been published, posted, or submitted elsewhere should be submitted. By submitting this Comment, you and any coauthors transfer copyright to the journal if your Comment is posted.
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Top Definition
When one farts as one walks, to create the effect of the ass cheeks to slide over each other on a cushion of gas.
I have a wicked case of hover cheeks today, man.
de Mark Grehan 10 Decembrie 2006
Trending Now
Can you define these popular missing words?


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Important delivery notice
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Lilies and tree lilies are easy to grow, exotic flowers and will delight you with their fragrance and colours. Our range features a wide selection - orientals, tiger lilies, tree lilies, 'carpet' varieties for ground cover and even lilies that are resistant to the dreaded lily beetle!
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Double layers of candy pink petals give this Asiatic Lily a special elegance. A sprinkling of dark spots at the centre of each bloom adds to its charm. The flowers of Lily 'Elodie' are full-size, but the shorter height makes this variety a superb choice for small gardens or for growing in containers. The fully double blooms are pollen free making them perfect for adding to cut flower arrangements. Bulb size 12/14. Height: 50cm (20"). Spread: 20cm (8").
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What is the Nittany Lions TicketExchange?
UPDATE: The 2012 Nittany Lion TicketExchange will be available for sellers and buyers on Friday, July 27th!
Buy great tickets to Penn State Football and Basketball games!
The Nittany Lions TicketExchange is the only ticket resale site officially and exclusively endorsed by Penn State Athletics. This purchasing option is available to all Penn State fans. However, selling tickets through this site is the sole privilege of our Nittany Lion Club members and season ticket holders. Unlike other resale options, Penn State Athletics can guarantee that the ticket you purchase through Ticket Exchange will get you through the gates and into the games at Beaver Stadium and the Bryce Jordan Center!
To offer the most secure and versatile option, Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics has partnered with Ticketmaster to allow for the legal internet resale of Penn State tickets, in accordance with PA Senate Bill 86 passed into law in July, 2007.
Here are some TicketExchange benefits to the ticket seller and the ticket buyer:
1. Convenience. The transaction, and the ticket, is entirely electronic. This eliminates any delays with the mail, anxiety about illegitimate tickets and no meeting will have to be arranged between buyer and seller. The buyer will print the ticket at home and the seller will receive an email confirmation. Easy!
2. Guaranteed Entry. This is a guaranteed ticket and Penn State Athletics will stand behind it. These tickets are guaranteed to get the buyer through the Gate and into the game. Other sites promise refunds, but that is small consolation when the buyer is being turned away at the Gate with an invalid ticket.
3. Flexibility. The Nittany Lion Club season ticket holder can now be flexible with their season ticket plan by being able to sell or forward tickets when if they cannot make it to University Park for every home game.
4. Team Support. The event ticket will now be used by another fan rather than being an empty seat. Having healthy attendance is just the kind of home team advantage that is so important to our student-athletes.
The seller will automatically receive credit in their ticket account following the sale. These funds can be used to purchase additional tickets for Penn State athletic events. If no purchases are made, the proceeds will be refunded via credit card or University check following the season.
When you are ready to buy or sell, just click to enter the Nittany Lions Ticket Exchange!


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Vacancy has expiredShow me jobs like this one
|Clean Water Services
|Job Category:
|Water and Sewers: Stormwater
|Job Type:
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|Oregon (OR)
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|$75,077 - $103,232
|Post Date:
Within the Conveyance Department, this position plans, organizes, directs, and reviews the work of staff assigned to plan review and permitting of District water quality facilities including Low Impact Development Approaches (LIDA), riparian corridors and water quality sensitive areas, sanitary and surface water conveyance systems and erosion control.
Experience and Training Guidelines
Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge, skills and abilities would be:
- Increasingly responsible experience in review, design, and/or construction of stormwater treatment and control, riparian corridor/wetland mitigation or restoration projects, surface water or sanitary conveyance system improvements
- Supervisory and/or managerial experience
- College-level coursework in civil engineering, storm water conveyance and treatment design, environmental science or engineering, construction technology, construction management, wastewater technology, erosion control, or a related field
To see the full job announcement and how to apply for this position, please go to www.cleanwaterservices.org and clikc on 'Job Openings'.


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Written on Sark, where Peake went to live in the immediate postwar years, Gormenghast takes up the story of Titus Groan at the age of seven. Brought up in a community that ignores the rest of the world, he plays truant one day and rides his pony out beyond the walls. When he looks back from a crest and sees his castle home from a distance, he gains a whole new perspective on his life. Shortly after, he enters a forest and glimpses a sculpturesque girl, seemingly floating from branch to branch above him. It is the bastard daughter of his wet nurse, Keda, known as "the Thing". Cast off by her people, she has run wild. The sight of her "explodes at the very centre of his conventions" and he becomes "haunted by …
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Winnington, G Peter. "Gormenghast". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 31 May 2006
[http://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=4905, accessed 27 September 2016.]


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Onesie To Monitor Baby's SleepRebekah Kuschmider
New parents will go to a lot of lengths to keep an eye on their baby all the time. Video monitors, daycares with webcams that they can check all day, those pads that sound an alarm if the baby doesn't move enough during the night. Now a company is developing a onsie that can monitor baby's breathing, temperature and movement.
A Boston startup called Rest Devices hopes to have the product on the market later this year, aiming for a price somewhere between $100 and $200. The package would include three onesies, a small turtle-shaped transmitter that clips onto the front with magnets, and a plug-in base station that would send data from the nursery over a home's WiFi network. (Another option is that the transmitter could communicate directly with a Bluetooth phone.)
I'm not sure how to feel about this. I think the technology is cool, and has implications for sleep research but as a consumer product? It may be overkill. And would it work on a swaddled baby? Because the swaddle is key to infant sleep in my house. On the other hand, it might really reduce SIDS risk if it could alert parents to breathing problems while a baby sleeps. So there are pros and cons.
What do you think? Would you buy a onsie that monitored your baby's sleep?
Read more from Rebekah at Mom-in-a-Million, The DC Moms & The Broad Side
Follow Rebekah on Facebook and Twitter too!
Photo credit: Boston.com
- The Insider's Guide to Baby Poop
- The Accidental Baby-Wearer
- Anatomy of Bedtime
- 10 baby items this second-time mom would buy again


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Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso
Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso (ca. 44 BC/43 BC – 20 AD), Roman statesman, was consul in 7 BC;[1] subsequently, he was governor of Hispania and proconsul of Africa. He belonged to one of Rome's most distinguished Senatorial families, whose members included Calpurnia, third wife of Julius Caesar.
Piso was a man of violent temper, without an idea of obedience, and a natural arrogance. He saw himself as superior to the children of Tiberius.[2] Piso was married to Plancina, a woman of noble rank and wealth. This, combined with Piso's natural character, inflamed his ambition. His sons with Plancina were Gnaeus, who after Piso's death had to take the name of Lucius Calpurnius Piso,[3] and Marcus.
Governorship of Syria[edit]
In AD 17 Tiberius appointed him governor of Syria (with an army of 4 legions).[2] Some Roman sources of the period suggest that Tiberius gave Piso secret instructions to thwart and control Germanicus, who had been sent to supervise all Eastern provinces.[2] Piso and Germanicus clashed on several occasions and, in AD 19, Piso had to leave the province.
Alleged Murder of Germanicus, Trial and Death[edit]
As the death of Germanicus occurred during the same year most people suspected Piso of having poisoned him (although no definite proof was available). The armed attempt of Piso to gain once more control of the province of Syria immediately after the death of Germanicus only aroused more indignation, and Tiberius was forced to order an investigation and a public trial in the Roman Senate for Piso and his wife. Piso committed suicide, though it was rumoured that Tiberius, fearing incriminating disclosures, had put him to death. Tiberius and his mother Livia were able to avoid incrimination of his wife Plancina.
Piso in fiction[edit]
He was played by John Phillips in the ITV series The Caesars and by Stratford Johns in the BBC TV serial I, Claudius.
- ^ Sherk, Robert K. (1984). Rome and the Greek East to the death of Augustus. Cambridge University Press. p. 160. ISBN 978-0-521-27123-3.
- ^ a b c Tacitus, The Annals 2.43
- ^ Tacitus, The Annals 3.16
- Tacitus, Annals, Books 1-3
- R. Syme, The Augustan Aristocracy. Oxford University Press 1986.
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Piso". Encyclopædia Britannica. 21 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
- Seneca Minor, de Ira I, XVIII, 3 - 4
External links[edit]
- Calpurnius Piso entry in historical sourcebook by Mahlon H. Smith
- Senatus Consultum de Cn. Pisone patre - recently discovered decree of the senate summarizing the results of Piso's trial (in Latin)
|Preceded by
Gaius Marcius Censorinus and Gaius Asinius Gallus
|Consul of the Roman Empire
|Succeeded by
D. Laelius Balbus and C. Antistius Vetus


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PORT MATILDA - Barbara was born there. Violet likes to hang out in her "office." Sammy talks a lot, Steven lives a comfortable life, and Helen Keller takes naps in her little wooden box.
They are some of the permanent residents of Centre Wildlife Care. Their stay there is comfy, but they also work part-time.
Barbara is a 6-foot-long black rat snake; Violet is a skunk; Sammy, a saw-whet owl; Steven, a hog-nose snake; and Helen, a blind gray squirrel.
"These are animals that are handicapped in some way or another and can't be released into the wild," said Robyn Graboski, wildlife rehabber and director and founder of the facility.
She holds educational programs for the public, using the animals to teach people about wildlife. Topics cover a variety of subjects, including bats, reptiles and birds.
"We can modify it for people who maybe want a program on just birds, raptors and songbirds," she said. "We will do programs at any function and take the appropriate animals for that group."
Fact Box
TAKE A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE: Choose four to six animal representatives from the available mammals, birds and reptiles.
BATS ARE THE GOOD GUYS: Live bats are used in this program, which can be adapted for adults or children.
MY COLD-BLOODED FRIENDS: Live exotic and native reptile species, in addition to a preserved rattlesnake.
REHABILITATION: Slideshow with or without one animal representative. Best suited for a formal setting.
BATS & RABIES: Slideshow on bats of Pennsylvania, with information about rabies. Live, healthy bats involved in program.
- All programs include information about Centre Wildlife Care, natural history of the wild animals featured in the program and what to do if you find a wild animal that needs help.
At a large outdoor enclosure near her home, Graboski indicates a red-tailed hawk named Andromeda. She is a permanent resident that is used for some of the educational programs.
Andromeda is very large for a red-tail, but Graboski said she is a great bird to take to programs.
"I mainly try to educate people so that they can understand and appreciate wildlife," she said. "Any time there is intolerance for anything, it's because they don't understand the topic or issue. We bring these animals in and give them an up close and personal experience."
If people develop a personal interest in wildlife, then they might think twice about putting poison in their yards or doing other things that can harm wild animals.
The programs are available for a fee, which benefits Centre Wildlife Care.
For more information, email firstname.lastname@example.com or call 814-692-0004.


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Full CoverageBreaking News
Canine officer in stable condition after shootingUPDATED 6:22 PM MDT Mar 21, 2014
After an overnight swat situation, a canine officer entered surgery Friday.Video Transcript
AN ALBUQUERQUE K-9 HAS BEEN SHOT AND THE SUSPECTED SHOOTER IS DEAD. IT HAPPENED DURING A STANDOFF THIS MORNING IN NORTHEAST ALBUQUERQUE. KOAT ACTION 7 NEWS REPORTER MIKE SPRINGER IS LIVE ON OAKLAND AVENUE NEAR SAN PEDRO WITH MORE, MIKE? ROYALE, POLICE K-9 RICO WAS SHOT IN THE HEAD AND THE NECK. HE EVEN HAS A BULLET LODGED NEAR HIS SPINE. THE DOG JUST GOT OUT OF SURGERY. AND RIGHT NOW, POLICE SAY HE IS IN STABLE CONDITION, BUT DOES HAVE SOME SEVERE TRAUMA. A LONG AND CHAOTIC MORNING IN NORTHEAST ALBUQUERQUE. We woke up when a gas bomb, I think. Something like boom. We just woke up and there were police cars exactly outside my house. A HEAVY POLICE PRESENCE BLOCKED OFF MUCH OF OAKLAND AVENUE NEAR SAN PEDRO FRIDAY. OFFICERS WERE CALLED OUT HERE FOR A SWAT SITUATION. They told us something was going on in the area. It wasn't really scary. It was normal. POLICE SAY A BURGLARY SUSPECTED WAS SPOTTED NEAR HERE AROUND 4 A-M. THEY TRACKED HIM TO ONE OF THESE WAREHOUSES JUST OFF OF OAKLAND. HERE'S WHAT POLICE SAY HAPPENED NEXT... Police set up a perimeter and then sent the k-9 in. Police heard multiple shots go off and the K-9 came retreating out. He was hit multiple times and taken to the vet. POLICE EVENTUALLY WENT ONTO THE PROPERTY. THAT'S WHEN OFFICERS SAY THEY FOUND A MAN DEAD. Now we are doing a multi-jurisdictional investigation but at no time did officers fire their weapons. THE POLICE K-9, RICO, WAS RUSHED TO A VETERINARIAN CLINIC WHERE HE UNDERWENT SURGERY. POLICE HAVE NOT IDENTIFIED THE SUSPECT INVOLVED IN THE SHOOTING AT THIS TIME. OFFICERS DO NOT BELIEVE ANYONE ELSE WAS HURT IN THE INCIDENT. REPORTING IN NORTHEAST ALBUQUERQUE, MIKE SPRINGER KOAT, ACTION 7 NEWS A-P-D COULDN'T TELL US THE LAST TIME ONE OF ITS K-9 OFFICERS WAS HURT IN THE LINE OF DUTY. I-40 EASTBOUND NEAR THE ROUTE 66 CASINO WAS CLOSED FOR NEARLY 7 HOURS OVERNIGHT... AFTER A WOMAN WAS HIT AND KILLED WHILE TRYING TO WALK ACROSS THE INTERSTATE. IT HAPPENED NEAR MILE MARKER 140, WEST OF ALBUQUERQUE. OFFICERS TELL US THE WOMAN TRIED TO WALK ACROSS THE INTERSTATE AFTER SHE WAS INVOLVED IN A MINOR CRASH, WHEN SHE WAS HIT BY AN S-U-V. THE WOMAN'S NAME HASN'T BEEN RELEASED. A MAN IS RESCUED FROM THE RIO GRANDE AFTER HE GETS STUCK IN THE MUD. IT ALL HAPPENED NEAR COORS AND ST. JOSEPHS AS PEOPLE WERE HEADING TO WORK AND SCHOOL. ALBUQUERQUE FIRE PERSONELL RUSHED TO THE RIVER AFTER THE MAN CALLED FOR HELP. IT TOOK A COUPLE MINUTES TO GET TO HIM AND ONCE POLICE AND FIRE GOT THERE... THEY FACED SOME CHALLENGES. "45 he was a relatively large guy and it was a pretty steep hill" 49 RESCUE CREWS THREW SOME ROPE TO THE STRANDED MAN AND FREED HIM FROM THE RUSHING WATER. HE WAS LOADED IN AN AMBULANCE AND TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL. A-F-D SAYS BECAUSE THE RIVER IS SO DANGEROUS,
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Six shows with substance coming to television
The recent qualitative drop in Hollywood films has left a "creativity vaccuum," which is now being filled on the small screen.
Mozart, propagandist, in new rendering of old classic
The current version of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's The Magic Flute at Los Angeles Opera raises two essential artistic questions (plus, perhaps, eyebrows).
"Arrow" takes aim at wealthy elite
This show has, surprisingly, said a lot of things about corporate America that other heroes have been rather tight-lipped on.
McBride's "Good Lord Bird," Packer's "Unwinding": National Book Award winners
The Good Lord Bird, the adventures of a disguised black child caught up in John Brown's abolitionist crusade, was the winner of the National Book Award for fiction.
In Verdi's "Falstaff," all the world's a jest
What better way to celebrate Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi's bicentennial than with a production of Falstaff?
"Thor" sequel another hard-hitter
As superhero flicks go, this one is still pretty standard fare for the casual viewer, but that doesn't mean it's not enjoyable.
"Dallas Buyers Club": We're surprised you're even alive
Dallas Buyers Club is an uplifting morality tale that's about as good as the art of cinema gets.
Syd Hoff and A. Redfield: Two sides of the same coin
An almost unknown dimension of his amazing career, discovered by his heirs only after his death in 2004, was Hoff's work for left-wing periodicals in the '30s.
Marvel unveils new Muslim superheroine
Marvel has introduced a new Ms. Marvel, a 16 year-old Pakistani-American, and the first Muslim superheroine to star in her own mainstream ongoing series.


text: Are there any experiences out there about how long many miles it takes for a Prius to be down a quart of oil? Do you have to check the dipstick frequently? Is there a readout on the dash that tells you your oil level? My dealer offers free oil changes twice a year, and since I don't drive that many miles (<7500), I expect I wouldn't have to check the oil between changes. Thanks.


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Performa/Dance's inaugural project IGNITE: Three Works will feature a full evening of choreography by Jennifer Hart.
59 backers pledged $4,103 to help bring this project to life.
Premier by Jennifer Hart
Dear Friends and Supporters-
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support of my work as a choreographer and for your contributions and encouragement of Performa/Dance.... Read more
Successfully raised $4,103 with 59 backers
Less than a week to reach our goal, less than two weeks until the shows!
Rehearsals are progressing nicely, we are extremely fortunate to have such dedicated, hardworking, and giving dancers. Up until this point we have mostly been working in sections, it will be... Read more
Project launched


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The 4-Down Podcast, Episode 46: Darius Soriano of Forum Blue and Gold
Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant are both firmly entrenched on the down side of their careers. This cannot be argued. However, they have both continued to play well and have team success despite their obviously diminishing athleticism. And when these two leads their teams against each other, it's always a treat.
I don't really need to tell you how important Spurs-Lakers game always seem to be. But I will, because I feel like I need to give some sort of intro to this podcast. Regardless of the standings, there's enough mutual respect between these two teams to give this matchup an extra bump. It just so happens that both the Lakers and Spurs are pretty high up in the Western Conference standings. As things stand right now, San Antonio and Los Angeles are slated to face-off in the second round of the playoffs if things go according to plan.
A couple of seasons ago, the Spurs beat the Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs and were swept by the Suns in the second round. I was really hoping for the Spurs to advance past the Suns and play the Lakers in the Western Conference finals. The Spurs looked to be on their last legs as a competitive team in the Western Conference playoff picture, and we thought this might be their last shot (we were wrong), so I was hoping for something of a greatest hits playoff run. A playoff stretch where the Spurs faced all the teams that gave us so many playoff memories over the years, both good and bad. It didn't happen, and while there's still a chance things could fall that way this season, it's a long shot.
Either way, we get to watch the Spurs and Lakers play three times in the next 10 days, so it's almost like a mini playoff series. There's just other games in between. Otherwise, exactly like a mini playoff series.
To preview tonight's game and update us on this season's Lakers, I had Darius Soriano of TrueHoop Network Lakers blog Forum Blue and Gold on the podcast to chat about the purple and gold taking on the silver and black.
Subscribe to the 4-Down Podcast via iTunes. Or you can keep up using the RSS feed. Below you can download the audio file (39:27, 9.6 mb) or listen to the file streaming. Whatever you do, please go to iTunes and leave us good ratings and reviews, it will help spread the word about the show. Email firstname.lastname@example.com if you have any questions or comments for the 4-Down Podcast.
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Pa. girl doing well after 2nd lung transplant
PHILADELPHIA -- A 10-year-old Pennsylvania girl who underwent a double-lung transplant amid a national debate over the organ allocation process received a second set of lungs after the first failed, and has now taken some breaths on her own, the girl's parents said Friday.
The first set of lungs failed within hours of the June 12 transplant at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and Sarah Murnaghan was placed on machines, according to her mother. She was placed back on the lung transplant list the night after her surgery and received a second set of lungs on June 15.
"We were told ... that she was going to die," Janet Murnaghan said at a news conference Friday as she explained why Sarah's second transplant was not publicly disclosed. "We weren't prepared to live out her dying in public."
The suburban Philadelphia girl initially received lungs from an adult donor after her parents sued over national rules that place children behind adolescents and adults on the priority list for adult lungs -- even if the children are sicker and are capable of accepting adult organs.
Janet Murnaghan said Sarah's condition began to "spiral out of control" shortly after the first surgery. A second set of lungs was found and transplanted even though the donor once had pneumonia, making the surgery extra risky. The second set was also from an adult donor.
Sarah's mother said the second transplant was a success and the girl was able to take a few breaths on her own.
The failure of the first transplant is not uncommon. A 2005 University of Pennsylvania study found nearly 12 percent of lung transplants experienced what's called primary graft failure, where the organ almost immediately begins to fail.
Sarah Murnaghan is slated for surgery on Monday in an effort to repair her diaphragm.
"There's still a lot in front of us," Janet Murnaghan said, but then added: "Sarah's a fighter. She's always been a fighter."


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Saturday morning, Aug. 4, at Woodstown's dedication ceremony for the Marvin L. Watson Memorial Park, I was proud! I was so proud!
Proud to be a part of a community that comes together to honor one of its own whose life was sacrificed serving our country in the Vietnam War, and to remember all veterans' sacrifices.
Proud to be humbled by the raising the flag, by joining in the flag salute, by hearing the "Star Spangled Banner" sung by one of our own (with that extra high note that sent a shrill through the crowd), and by praising God with a moving invocation and choir rendition — Spencer U.M.A.E. style!
Proud of the Watson family (I remember each of you) who championed the idea, and to Joe Hiles and councilmen who made it happen in a grand way! Thank you!
I was moved; I felt so blessed and privileged to have lived sharing in so many lives!
May God continue to bless this very, very special community of Woodstown!
Follow @salemsunbeam


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In addition to generating wonderful ideas, faculty at leading universities are able to secure meaningful government and other non-dilutive grants to launch projects that have potentially compelling commercial applications. Many of these projects will become the great venture-backed companies of the future. The government has been aggressively funding many bio-IT projects; it is these grants which serve as an important source of validation and raises their visibility within the investment community.
An area of particular focus has been the molecular detection field. "With the sequencing of the human genome, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) has been very focused on being able to detect cancer better and sooner," observed Professor Bill Hancock at Northeastern University, who chairs the Chemistry Department. Hancock recently secured a meaningful grant from the NCI, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is funding a new $15.5 million, five-year initiative to discover, develop, and clinically validate cancer biomarkers by targeting the carbohydrate part of molecules.
The Northeastern team recognized that many of the genetic tests available today are inadequate and require greater insights from the proteomics field. Tissue analysis is acceptable but expensive and laborious. The challenge today is identifying proteins of interest which may be in low abundance. This analysis may be facilitated by glycosolation which researchers expect will lower the detection thresholds by 10-20 times. Ultimately this should meaningfully magnify the disease signal to make detection more readily available.
Particularly notable about this grant is that Northeastern worked across a number of labs and academic centers to secure this commitment. Thirty-seven labs competed for aspects of the overall grant. The Northeastern consortium developed a comprehensive proposal. This approach had important benefits: it allowed individual labs to focus on their core competencies and permitted the consortium to refine the overall strategy based on multiple inputs.
The complexity of the problems being studied demanded a multi-lab, multi-disciplinary approach. "Treatment will ultimately be a data-driven decision...it will be a combination of all the "omics" fields such as genomics, proteomics, glycomics, peptidomics which solve these issues around cancer, and bioinformatics will be in the center of it all," stressed Hancock. It is this lack of clarity around the complexities of the biology surrounding cancer which drives these types of grants.
"Within a couple of years, informatics will generate "actionable" data and truly specific biological insights...my guess is that occurs over the next five years and then another five years from that point we may begin to see real clinical benefits. The black box may be a little more transparent with our work," said Hancock.
Ordinarily you don't expect a venture capitalist to be overly supportive of government's intervention in the funding of promising technologies but there may well be complex cross-discipline examples which underscore the value of such grants. The promise of bio-IT will only be realized by the interactions of various disciplines focused on solving a common set of problems. It is this broader ecosystem which the government and other academic/philanthropic entities can support.
Many VC's track grant recipients as well as encourage our portfolio companies to aggressively seek similar grants. Applications can be painfully long and decision insufferably slow to be reached but are often well worth it; many times winning is more important than the actual dollars received. The attention and notoriety with securing an award can serve to attract additional venture capital dollars as well as facilitate recruiting of other management team members and scientific advisors.
My advice to would-be entrepreneurs is to also pay close attention to these academic thought leaders. There is plenty of capital available to fund innovation, and there is a reasonably strong pipeline of innovative ideas coming out of academic environments; the most important missing ingredient in this equation is competent management talent to drive these projects forward. It would serve you well if you aspire to start a company to mine carefully the list of grant recipients at leading universities. You do not need to be the technical inventor to be a founder of a venture-backed company, but you do need to be there early.
Michael A. Greeley is managing general partner of IDG Ventures. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
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