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The talent-focused solutions detailed in these pages are organized by what we call the "growth engine."
The growth engine is about the solutions you choose to close your talent gap. Many companies are looking for integrated talent management initiatives rather than a series of separate programs. Our growth engine includes solutions that span every level—from individual contributors to the executive suite—from our five major areas of expertise:
We welcome your feedback on how we can make Learning and Assessment Links a more useful and valuable information resource. Please send comments and suggestions to email@example.com.


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I am a girl who fights for what she believes is right. Someone who stands up for the ones who wont raise their voices or cant. I am a loving being with a lot of heart and soul. I believe in love and peace and that with enough voices, this world might actually have a chance to change for the better.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Tips from the C.F. Sauer Co., an industry pioneer
At one time, only royalty or wealthy people could afford to add spice to their food. Wars were fought over black pepper and other spices that today are taken for granted in developed nations, where supermarket shelves are lined with affordable flavorings.
Savvy cooks know that�in order to add taste and zest to their dishes�it�s important to keep spices and extracts properly stored and fresh. Here are a few tips from Erin Hatcher, spokeswoman for the C.F. Sauer Co. of Richmond, Va., a leader in the spices and extracts industry since 1887.
Storage: Since the enemies of spices are heat, light, moisture and air, proper storage is essential. Keep both spices and extracts in dark, dry, cool locations such cupboards or pantries and away from heat or kitchen appliances. Don�t store spices on decorative wall or countertop racks; sunlight can drain them of flavor and color.
�And don�t shake your spices over dishes in a steaming pan,� Hatcher advises. �Moisture and heat can cause clumping. Shake spices into the palm of your hand before adding them to food you�re cooking.�
Freshness test: Bottled spices don�t spoil but lose their strength over time. Many spices have distinct aromas when opened. If the aroma isn�t present, particularly for baking spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon, clove and allspice, the intended flavor won�t be imparted in your finished dish.
If you are unsure about the flavor remaining in your dried spices, you can pinch the spice between your thumb and index finger and rub gently to see if it releases the fragrance you are seeking. Another test is to place some spice in a teaspoon of warm water for five minutes and then taste or smell the product to check for flavor and freshness.
Guidelines: Here are Sauer�s recommendations for how long its products are useable:
� Pure vanilla extract has an indefinite use due to its percentage of alcohol;
� Two years for ground spices, blends, grillers, baking bags and seasoning envelopes;
� Three years for whole spices, grinders and food colors;
� Five years for sea salt grinders;
� Other extracts and flavorings may last four to six years.
Some exceptions exist, however. �Whole nutmeg, poppy seed and sesame seed all have a two-year shelf life,� Hatcher says.
Date codes: To aid consumers, many spice companies stamp sell-by dates on their products.
�If the sell-by date, for example, is January 2012, that means it was produced three years prior. Since ground spices have a shelf life of two years, that could be a problem,� Hatcher says.
The C.F. Sauer Co. stamps Julian dates on their products. Julian codes list production year first and then the number of days. It also can include a location code. If the code reads 9212R, the spice was produced on July 31, 2009, at the company�s Richmond plant. Thus, the 9 is for 2009, 212 is the 212th day of the year, and R is for Richmond. If the code has five numbers followed by a letter, the first two numbers are the year and the next three are the day of the year.
Catalog spices: Many home cooks buy spices for specific recipes that they make infrequently, making it harder to keep up with their spice inventory. An easy way to keep track is to catalog your spices. List your spices by production or sell-by dates, or the date you buy them, and tape the list to the inside of your cabinet or pantry door. Such a catalog provides quick reference when making grocery lists, and helps you know when to discard aging spices.
�A good rule of thumb: when time changes to Daylight Savings Time, check your cupboard,� Hatcher advises. �Check expiration dates and do sniff and taste tests.�
Brought to you by: American Profile


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Jason Natural, C-Effects, Pure Natural Super-C Toner, 6 fl oz (177 ml)
- You earn loyalty credit for every order you place at iHerb!
- Loyalty credit is equal to 5% of the value of your order, excluding shipping charges.
- Your loyalty credit will be applied towards your next order as soon as your current order has shipped.
- Your loyalty credits are valid for up to 60 days from the date of your last purchase.
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Expiration Date:?Jan 2021Expiration Date
The length of time for the expiration date or "best used before" date depends on the type of product, as well as the brand.
Perishable items (such as flax oils or certain probiotics) generally have shorter expiration dates. Although our warehouse is fully air-conditioned, these more fragile items are put in cold storage (freezer or refrigeration unit) for maximum freshness.
Our receiving department does its best to verify and then enter the correct expiration dates for all incoming products. However, discrepancies do occur from time to time. This being said, the exceptionally high turnover at iHerb ensures that our inventory is among the freshest in the industry.
Shipping Weight:?0.59 lbsShipping WeightThe Shipping Weight includes the product, protective packaging material and the actual shipping box. In addition, the Shipping Weight may be adjusted for the Dimensional Weight (e.g. length, width & height) of a package. It is important to note that certain types of products (e.g. glass containers, liquids, fragile, refrigerated or ice packed) will often require protective packaging material. As such, these products will reflect a higher Shipping Weight compared to the unprotected product.
- Product Code: JAS-06038
- UPC Code: 078522060383
- Package Quantity: 6 fl oz (177 ml)
- Dimensions: 7.6 x 1.6 x 1.6 in, 0.5 lbs
|Combo Discount:
|- $2.70
- New & Improved
- Natural Pioneer Since 1959
- Powered By Ester-C
- Anti-Aging Daily Mist
- Fights The Visible Signs of Aging
- Multi-Antioxidant Defense
- No Parabens, Phthalates or Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfates
Our C-Effects formula naturally purifies, refreshes and tones your skin. Our unique blend of multi-antioxidants Ester-C and Vitamin C helps fight free radicals that contribute to fine lines, wrinkles and uneven skin tone. Perfectly pH balanced and prepped, your skin is ready for the moisturizing and protective properties of our other C-Effects products.
Born in 1959, Jason was one of the first to offer natural products without harsh chemicals. For over 50 years, we have delivered wholesome, no-nonsense, natural products that happen to really work. Our products don't contain petrolatum, sodium lauryl or laureth sulfates, parabens or phthalates. And we never test our formulas on animals. We invite you to try our entire line of safe, effective, body-loving products.
Suggested Use
After cleansing, apply using a 100% cotton ball, gently sweeping over face and neck, avoiding eye area and lips.
Other Ingredients
Aqua (water), polysorbate 20, glycerin, aloe barbadensis leaf juice*, chamomilla recutita (matricaria) flower extract*, hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) extract, myrtus communis leaf extract*, ascorbic acid, calcium ascorbate, panthenol, potassium hydroxide, sodium PCA, xanthan gum, alcohol*, benzoic acid, dehydroacetic acid, phenoxyethanol, sodium benzoate, benzyl salicylate, limonene, fragrance (parfum).
*Certified Organic Ingredient
Caution: For external use only. Keep out of reach of children. Avoid direct contact with eyes. If rash or irritation occurs, stop use and consult a physician.
No animal testing
great skin product
Verified Purchase
great skin product
I use this along with the other jason ester-c products. I was only using the anti aging cream, and that worked beautifully, then I added the super- c toner to my regime. What a difference! I think it's the combonation that made the difference.
from New Zealand
Verified Purchase
from New Zealand
harsh on the skin, I have reverted to using it on my hands and arms. The best source of Vitamin C is ascorbyl palmitate.. not ester C or ascorbic acid as Dr Perricone will explain. won't purchase again
Vitamin C for skin
Posted by 5374880524936274868 on Dec 01, 2016
This product is incredible .... My wife are using it day by day and the results are wonderful
Posted by 5480294266828252504 on Oct 06, 2016
I think the product works well, but I hateeee the smell. Really, it's overwhelming.
Nothing life changing
Posted by 4648483133008147559 on Jul 13, 2016
Okay toner, refreshing scent. But nothing life changing for my oily/combo skin. Wouldn't repurchase.
good \ ممتاز
Posted by REEMO90 on Jan 17, 2016
منعش و منظف أوصي به refresh, cleaner i recommend it
So Far So Good.
Posted by beautyandtheboots on May 02, 2015
I love how gentle and fresh feeling this is, perfect for morning use. Haven't had any sensitivity while using this and think it is even providing some more moisture to my routine. The mist sprayer is great, consistent amounts every time and never clogs up. Not sure how long it will last as I am going through about 8-10 sprays a day but this product is in-expensive so it's no great loss.


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THERA PEARL Shin Wraps - 2 Pack
Product Information:
The THERA PEARL® Shin Wraps offer an innovative, safe way to treat lower leg pain caused by shin splints and stress fractures. TheraPearl's soft, flexible design is an evolution of the age old "bag of peas" therapy. Freeze, refrigerate or microwave the knee wrap for cooling relief or heat therapy. The soothing pearls hold their temperature for the doctor-recommended 20-minute application time for simple, effective treatment.
- Includes 2 TheraPearl® Shin Wraps
- Shin wrap secures around the lower leg to dissipate pain
- Ideal for shin splints and stress fractures
- Slim design can be worn under pants
- Innovative pearl design evolved from the age old "bag of peas" therapy
- Designed to hold temperature for doctor-recommended 20-minute application time
- Pearl Technology absorbs and delivers therapeutic heat or cold
- Durable, pliable plastic construction is soft against skin
- Hypoallergenic, odorless and non-toxic
- Freeze or refrigerate for cooling relief or microwave for heat therapy
- Dimensions: 6" x 10"
Country of Origin: ChinaWeb ID: 13145681
Customer Reviews:
Rated 3.5 out of 5�by 13 reviewers.
Rated 4 out of 5�by gaylecc5 The wraps are easy to place where you need them the most. My daughter was able to position them on her shins easily and they worked well for her. The wraps also travel well. April 29, 2015
Rated 4 out of 5�by Trishster This product works well Great product. Straps keep product in place. Comfortable to wear. Easy to put on. April 8, 2015
Rated 2 out of 5�by Someone Didn't stay cold long enough even for 10 minutes It had been in the freezer for days. I took one out to use them for my arms. I do like that it bends around my arms. But it didn't stay cold enough for the doctor recommended ten minutes. September 9, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5�by Monstah95 Great Product This ice pack is ideal for lower leg and/or arm soreness. I bought this product to aid with my sons shin splints,,which he acquired playing football. It works perfectly. Store in the fridge for 2 hours and ice your sore area for approximately 20 minutes. His inflammation/soreness has been reduced via rest, compression as well as icing. I'd definitely recommend this product. August 27, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5�by matman_810 Shin Wraps I actually use these for my calf's after I tore my calf muscle. After hoops I come home and put these on, I love it because I can walk around and get things done while I'm icing. The other great thing about these is it's impossible to over ice, they warm up in 20 minutes so you don't ice for to long. May 22, 2014
Rated 1 out of 5�by Gillies Terrible This product is terrible. Even when fully frozen, it is not nearly cold enough to ice anything, let alone a major sprain. There is no weight to it, so even though it is strapped on it is still not cooling at all. It is worthless. April 1, 2014
Rated 1 out of 5�by Soccerplayer85 Does not stay cold long enough Won't stay cold for longer than 15 minutes. Velcro straps are nice and it contours well to your shin, but that's about it. I understand you don't want to ice an injured body part for too long, but <15 mins is not enough for me personally. I have gone back to using a cold compress and a tensor bandage for my icing needs. Would not recommend this product. March 5, 2014
Rated 4 out of 5�by cperficio Hands Free Much better than a zip lock baggie or a bag. They don't stay COLD for very long, less than 15 minutes but there are two so I apply the second one right after the first. I like the velcro closure so I can move around while my leg gets an ice treatment. October 22, 2013
Rated 2 out of 5�by DJ so so Does not even stay cold the 20 minutes advertisedKeep in the freezer always when not wearing and still only last about 10 minutes September 19, 2013
Rated 3 out of 5�by Judy Great Concept - Poor Quality Loved the product. It worked great and attached easily. However the inside balls or pearls started leaking out after only a few times I used them. I will ask for a refund. I would recommend the product because it works well but caution about the quality. May 28, 2013


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Welcome to Hyperion Records, an independent British classical label devoted to presenting high-quality recordings of music of all styles and from all periods from the twelfth century to the twenty-first.
Hyperion offers both CDs, and downloads in a number of formats. The site is also available in several languages.
Please use the dropdown buttons to set your preferred options, or use the checkbox to accept the defaults.
|A Bach notebook for trumpet
Jonathan Freeman-Attwood's 'A Bach Notebook for Trumpet' is a celebration of the music of the famous Johann Sebastian and ten other lesser-known Bachs, re-imagined for the combination of trumpet and piano.» More
|Bach: Piano Transcriptions, Vol. 9 - A Bach Book for Harriet Cohen
In 1931 the pianist and muse Harriet Cohen invited all her principal composer friends each to make an arrangement of a work by J S Bach for inclusion in an album to be published by Oxford University Press. Published as A Bach Book for Harriet Cohe ...» More


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Houghton seeks developer for Backroom
HOUGHTON – The City of Houghton is looking for a developer for the former Backroom Multientertainment Building in the month before it would revert to the bank.
The building has been in the city's possession since late May, when former owner Michael Jestila was sentenced to a year in jail for providing marijuana to minors. Jestila turned the building over as part of a plea agreement that also barred him from doing business in Houghton County.
MacInnes said the city would prefer retail on the first floor and a mix of office and apartments on the other two floors. He said has shown the building a number of times since late May.
"We're looking for somebody that would want to purchase and develop the building, or somebody who's interested in leasing," MacInnes said.
All three floors are 4,500 square feet, he said, and the roof and furnace are five years old. Jestila is subject to a mortgage lien and a state lien on the building.
Superior National Bank will take over the building if the city cannot find a buyer in the next 30 days.
MacInnes said it would be about six months before the bank would be able to sell it.


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Colorado Bakery Will Bake For Dogs But Not Gays
An embattled and notorious anti-gay bakery based in Lakewood, Colorado will serve a wedding for dogs but refuses to bake for loving same-sex couples. Masterpiece Cake Shop has been under fire since July of 2012 for denying service to gay couples because THE BIBLE. But when one of the discriminated couples attempted a little experiment, the true scope of Masterpiece's shocking bigotry emerged.
Stephanie Schmalz and her partner, Jeanine, wanted to order some cupcakes to celebrate their commitment ceremony. They contacted Masterpiece Cake Shop in Lakewood, Colorado, but the store refused to take their order, informing the couple that they have a strict policy against selling cakes for same-sex weddings and ceremonies.
Then Stephanie tried a little experiment. She called the bakery and told the owner, Jack Phillips, that she was planning to host a wedding celebration for two dogs. She told him that the dog wedding cake would need to feed 20 people and should be decorated with the names "Roscoe" and "Buffy." Without hesitation, Phillips quoted her a price and asked how soon she needed it.
When another couple tried to place an order with Phillips, he told them he would not provide a cake for same-sex weddings, the same way he would not provide cakes for pedophiles.
Dave Mullins and Charlie Craig visited Masterpiece Cakeshop with Charlie's mom to sample wedding cakes, but they, too, were turned away. They decided to call Masterpiece out on its discriminatory policy. After consulting with the ACLU of Colorado and ACLU LGBT Project, they filed a complaint with the Colorado Civil Rights Division (CCRD), charging the bakery with violating Colorado law, which prohibits retail businesses from discriminating based on sexual orientation. The subsequent CCRD investigation turned up abundant evidence supporting the couple's claim, including an admission from owner Jack Phillips that it is store policy to refuse service to gay couples for weddings or commitment ceremonies.
The Colorado Attorney General has filed a formal complaint against Masterpiece. The issue will go to court this fall.
(h/t: Good As You)
dear sir or vagina:
whoever the judge is that gave the order forcing the cake-makers in colorado to make a cake celebrating the "blessed" union of two masculivoids who each are outcasted from men enough to look at masculinity with a jagged and dumbfounded sense of curiosity and anticipation, well, he should not be a judge. cake-makers are artists, no artist should be ordered to make any specific kind of art. that'd be like telling madonna to stop embracing the anti-christ in her concerts, to stop making a mockery of the church, to stop - let me take a quote from her 1990 world tour - "breaking every rule we can".
madonna is an artist who is free to express herself in her art in any way that she sees fit. if a legitimate christian who knew nothing about madonna went to one of her shows (based on her very christian and very misleading name of "madonna"), could he legitimately complain to any judge about feeling slighted and discriminated against by madonna? could he have her cited for "false advertising," for using the virgin mary's name? he'd simply be told not to go to madonna's shows. well, cake-makers are also artists, why should they be mandated to create cake-art celebrating two masculivoids? if two masculivoids wanted a cake made for a heterosexual wedding, i don't believe that the cake-artists would have any problem with that. there are "no shirt, no shoes, no service" signs, there are dress-codes allowing the little gender to expose their baby-feeding MOMmary glands while not allowing men to expose their chests, there are discriminatory rules everywhere. just because a "man" lacks masculine gender-identity enough to gawk at masculine bodies in utmost reverence, shouldn't mean he doesn't have to play by the rules of society.
madonna absolutely will not compromise her artistic integrity, she actually used those words as a reason for not changing her show when she was ordered to. "i'm not changing my show...that would be compromising my artistic integrity," that's what she said in her "truth or dare" documentary about her "blond ambition" show. i don't think any artist would compromise artistic integrity - i certainly don't compromise mine in order to embrace homosexuality (or matthew shepard) at my website (matthewshepard.info), and it is the fault of pro-gay bigots like the aclu who are stifling freedom. madonna spits on conventional values with her art, she would never submit to anyone telling her what kind of art to make, so why should cake-makers be forced to submit regarding their creativity?
pro-gay bigots are murdering the freedom that they claim to embrace. yes, madonna is a pro-gay bigot. elton john is a pro-gay bigot who is intolerant of anything that is anti-gay. the aclu is full of pro-gay bigots, the media is teeming with pro-gay bigots, society is full of pro-gay bigots who have been brainwashed by 24/7 pro-gay propaganda. isn't the company responsible for madonna's 1990 "truth or dare" even named "propaganda films"
if the vaginas of the world are free to wear breast-baring shirts to work and men must dress respectably ("even in the summertime," taking a line from shiela e's "the glamorous life"), well, that is a form of bigotry which caters to the lesser gender. pro-woman bigots are usually on-board with pro-gay bigots, this is because feminists and gays are all a bunch of masculine wannabees who each will "neverbee" as masculine as they "wannabee". furthermore, if the much-repeated and never-justified tagline of "a woman can do anything a man can do" does not bring forth images of masculine wannabees, what does? if a "man" has a burning desire to get close and personal with a naked masculine body, if a "man" in the mens' locker room is as clueless and blind as the little boy who is always covering an eye/impairing his vision in the presence of the dancing girls in madonna's "open your heart" video, why is it so hard to comprehend gay "men" as just a bunch of masculine wannabees/neverbees?
if the cake-artists don't want to make art celebrating a "man" who doesn't possess the masculine self-esteem to regard himself as man enough to be his one and only man, no judge has a right to tell them what kind of cake-artistry to create. if madonna doesn't want to make art in which she repents for her valueless career by truly embracing jesus christ, would she do anything but laugh in ridicule at any judge who'd order her to?
in the immortal words of macaulay culkin, "iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii don't think so".
mr. dylan terreri, i
dr. sheldon cooper, ii
"When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm thirsty, I drink. When I feel like saying something, I say it." - Madonna
Personally if a business doesn't want to serve to gays or anyone in general, I personally wouldn't shop there. I wouldn't give them my business at all and I do mean at all. I would go to a shop that does cater to gays and recommend that place to all my gay lesbian bi and/or transgender friends so that those shops could get all the business they can get. In fact I would tell all my friends gay or straight NOT to shop at that particular place..
Personally, I think if they are soo successful that they are turning away business that, that only means that they could really do without any gay business.. and personally I would like to see how that business will thrive without the business of gays and their allies. Same concept with voting, if a politician doesn't believe in gay marriage and you do, then don't vote for them.
I personally don't think that picketing will do much good especially if they are set in their ways....


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Topic: Executing PHP code in Rails
For a project I'm working on I need to be able to execute a PHP include file from within my ruby code. The way it should work is a user inputs some data into a form, that data is stored in a database but also passed to a PHP file in the form of GET variables. The PHP file then works on the data and returns an output to ruby. Ruby then has to accept that data and use it. Any ideas on how this would work?
An example would be something like this:
1. User inputs data via a form.
2. The controller does two things. Stores the data in a db and then passes that information on to a PHP file.
3. The PHP file receives the data and then works on it and outputs a result.
4. Ruby accepts the result back and works on it.


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- Description
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Directions: Steep in hot water before adding to food. For 1 tsp. of Saffron, use 3 tsp. of liquid.
Ingredients: 100% Pure La Mancha Spanish Saffron (Crocus sativus)
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Short Sellers Think These 3 Dividend Tech Stocks Are Ready For Upside
When considering stocks, it's always helpful to gauge what the rest of the market thinks. One source for that is the number of shares shorted. Companies seeing significant increases in shares shorted are being viewed more negatively, and vice-versa.
To create the list below we screened the technology sector for stocks that are seeing the most significant decreases in shares shorted month-over-month. This indicates that growing number of short sellers are no longer bearish on these names.
Then we screened for stocks that paid a dividend of at least 1% but not more than 5%. This allowed us to stay away from the high yield space.
Our final list consisted of 3 stocks that met the criteria.
Interactive Chart: Press Play to compare changes in analyst ratings over the last two years for the stocks mentioned below. Analyst ratings sourced from Zacks Investment Research.
A Closer Look
We looked at Lexmark International (LXK) in more detail. The stock trades around $23.21 versus its 52-week high of $38.34, down 40% in the past 1-year. The stock trades with a P/E multiple of 6 times, and pays a 5% dividend. The company's competitors Canon (CAJ), and Hewlett Packard (HPQ) pay a dividend of 4.3%, and 3.2%, respectively.
On January 29th, 2013, Lexmark International reported fourth quarter earnings per share of $0.61 versus consensus of $0.90. The primary reason for the miss in earnings was an increase in costs, which impacted the company's bottom-line results. More importantly, the company expects to realize $85 million in savings in 2013. Do you think this will trigger a turnaround for the stock?
EXCLUSIVE OFFER: Jim Cramer's Protégé, Dave Peltier, only buys Stocks Under $10 that he thinks could potentially double. See what he's trading today with a 14-day FREE pass.
The List
Do you think these stocks will outperform too? Use this list as a starting point for your own analysis.


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Fun Upswept Pixie Cut
A nice short hairstyle like this is perfect as the hair is easy to manage. The hair is spiky and has a messy appearance. The hair is layered throughout with the fringe styled over on the forehead.This haircut is short.Warm and rich in colour, this light brown looks fabulous.
Sanrizz International Salon "Luster Glam" Hair: Maria O'Keefe Make up: Lee Pearson Photography: David Goldman Styling: Rachel Bakewell


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Three Health Benefits an Athlete Can Gain from Acupuncture
Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slug=ycn-10907377
Acupuncture is a natural treatment option that is available for athletes, and it can help prevent a number of diseases. Acupuncture treatment consists of small needles being inserted into the body at different points, in order to prevent or treat a specific condition. There are a lot of health benefits that can be gained by using acupuncture treatment, which can help athletes during sports.
Here are three of the best health benefits that an athlete can gain from acupuncture therapy, which can improve his or her performance on the field.
Can Relieve Muscle or Joint Pain
If an athlete is suffering from muscle or joint pain, he or she might decide to try acupuncture, since it can relieve these symptoms. Acupuncture has long been used to treat all sorts of pain, which can include pain coming from the muscles and joints. An athlete might have muscle or joint pain as the result of an injury, which can hinder his or her athletic ability. Acupuncture can help reduce the inflammation associated with the injury, and it can help treat the source of the pain or inflammation. If an athlete regularly participates in sports, then acupuncture therapy might help prevent pain or inflammation from starting in the first place. Acupuncture can help with spasms in the muscles, contusions under the skin, arthritis, osteoporosis, and a variety of different conditions that cause muscle or joint pain.
Can Ease Stress or Anxiety
An athlete that is suffering a lot from stress or anxiety should try acupuncture therapy, because acupuncture can basically eliminate stress or anxiety. Acupuncture helps unblock various energy channels within the body, which can eliminate stress or anxiety. An athlete is likely to become stressed or anxious at some point during his or her sport, especially right before an upcoming game. If an athlete is under too much stress, then he or she will likely perform poorly during the competition, and he or she is also more prone to injuries. An athlete that is always anxious is also more likely to suffer injury, since anxiety can hinder his or her concentration. Acupuncture is a great way to help an athlete overcome anxiety or stress related to his or her sport, and can help improve his or her overall mentality. Stress or anxiety can also cause an athlete to become depressed or feel worthless, so it is important that he or she treat these symptoms promptly.
Can Improve Circulation and Promote Healing
Acupuncture can also improve circulation, which can help speed up the healing process, and this is a huge benefit for an athlete. If an athlete has suffered an injury, which is bound to occur sooner or later, he or she will want to recover as fast as possible. Poor circulation throughout the body can hinder healing, because oxygenated blood is what helps repair damaged cells. If an athlete is trying to recover from an injury, then he or she will likely want to do everything possible to increase the circulation throughout the body. Acupuncture can help move blood throughout the body, which means that oxygenated blood is getting to vital organs to help promote healing. Since acupuncture can help reduce pain or inflammation, an athlete will heal faster because he or she will not suffer from muscle spasms as often. Acupuncture can help release and regulate hormones, which are important for healing, and endorphins will naturally be released within the body to also promote healing.
Jeanne Rose worked as a dietary clerk in a hospital for three years, obtained certification in nurse assisting, and went to vocational school for Allied Health.


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mccartney76 wrote:BTW - If you want to hear Paul laying down serious bass, give "Rain" a listen!
The song was slowed down after recording, which means in the studio Paul played that bassline even faster. What I love about Macca as a bassist is his obvious ability to go on improvised flashy flights of fancy (witness "I Want You (She's So Heavy)") but instead he just keeps it to an insanely good groove or melody which adds to the song so much.


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Share Your Reflection

In the introduction of this story, it states that "Native
In the introduction of this story, it states that "Native Americans" held African-Americans as slaves. The problem with that statement is that it reflects on all "Native Americans" so unless you have evidence that all tribes held African American slaves, you must identify the people to whom the historian is referring--in this story it is the Cherokee.

A fair point, Marilyn. Thank you.

A fair point, Marilyn. Thank you.

And more specifically, one specific family.

And more specifically, one specific family.

 Thanks so much for this program. Tiya Miles is a new
Thanks so much for this program. Tiya Miles is a new hero.
And thanks to Krista for the comment about Southern Baptists and slavery. I left that church 45 years ago; still, it never occurred to me that slavery played a role in the separation of Southern and Northern Baptists. And I doubt that my mother knew, even though she was born in 1912 and spent her entire life in the church. My mother was convinced that doctrinal differences were the cause of the distinction; and for her, being correct in her doctrine was always a paramount concern. If anyone can steer me to written material (in print) on this topic, I would be grateful.


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POLS260-2 Introduction to Comparative Politics
Department of Political Science
Fall 2009
Instructor: Professor Kikue Hamayotsu Office: Zulauf Hall 414
Lectures: M/W Office Hours: M ;W 11-12
Room: DU459 Phone: 815-753-7048 E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Teaching Assistant: Mr.Adam Cox
E-mail: email@example.com
Office Hours: T/TH 11-12:30
Course Outline:
This course will teach you about politics around the world and is designed as an introduction to the basic concepts and themes in Comparative Politics such as democracy, the political roots of development and poverty, and how contentious politics plays out in different forms across countries. If you are interested in political science as a major, this class helps prepare you for more advanced political science courses. If you just want to better understand what is going on in the world, this class will provide you with useful theoretical frameworks, as well as factual background, on a number of important countries and regions in the world.
The course will focus on the three
essential themes of comparative political analysis: (1) The State, Political
Regimes and Institutions; (2) Political Participation and State-Society
Relations; and (3) Political Economy. In the final sections, we will also
review some major contemporary issues. The underlying purpose of the course is
to identify and explain differences/similarities in political systems and political
life across a set of diverse countries and regions of the world. Through the
comparison of politics in different countries, we will shed light on some of
the most fundamental questions about politics: why are some countries
democratic and other not? Why does conflict within a society turn violent in
some cases but not in others? And, how are politics and economics related? To
explore these questions, we will be primarily (but not exclusively) focusing on
six countries—
This is a lecture course. In order to encourage discussion among students, however, class meetings consist of lectures followed by discussion. Students will make brief oral presentation and discuss the section's readings.
Course Requirements:
1. Class attendance:
a. Students are required to attend all the classes. More than three unexcused absences will jeopardize your attendance grade and you will risk failing the course. Please notify your TA in advance if you must miss class.
a. Students are expected to come to class having done the reading beforehand and to actively participate in discussion. It is helpful to approach the readings with the following questions in mind: (a) what is the central question/debate? (b) what is the main argument? (c) what is the evidence for the argument? (d) what are the problems with the argument? (e) can you think of counterarguments? Students should also address these questions in writing assignments.
3. One class presentation (10%):
a. On the first day of class, students will be asked to sign-up for a particular section in which to present.
b. The presentation should be a critique of the readings of the session and must address central controversies to stimulate class discussion. Students may want to choose an article from a national/international newspaper or other publication (such as The Economist, the Chicago Tribune, or the New York Times) that relates to the section's readings (you can be creative). The presentation should be approximately 10 minutes.
4. Random quizzes (10%)
a. A handful of brief quizzes will be given randomly throughout the semester. They will focus mainly on the required readings. The purpose of this component of the evaluation is to encourage the students to do the assigned readings, and to come to class prepared to discuss the material. If it becomes clear that people are not coming to class prepared, the instructor reserves the right to take the drastic action of giving pop quizzes. Otherwise, quizzes will be announced the class before they are due.
b. Two in-class exams (20%+40%)
Ø The mid-term exam: consists of a short-answer section and essay questions. The exam will cover the first half of the course. Students will be expected to write clear and coherent essays.
Ø The final exam: consists of a short-answer section and essay questions. The exam will primarily cover materials from the second half of the course, but test your overall understanding of the materials covered in the course.
c. One term paper (20%)
Ø Students will be required to write a short term paper (5-6 pp). The paper topic will be given in class. The paper due is November 18. A hard copy should be submitted in class.
Ø The paper must be typewritten (12 font), double-spaced, and properly footnoted.
Grade distribution:
1. Class presentation (10%)
2. Quizzes (10%)
3. Exams (20%+40%)
4. Term paper (20%)
5. Class attendance and participation (additional but crucial for upgrade)
Course rules (please also see the other important information attached below):
a. Late submission will result in grade reduction for a 1/3 the letter grade per day (e.g., "A" will be lowered to "A-" if submission is a day late). No paper will be accepted that is more than one week late.
b. Plagiarism Policy: According to the NIU Undergraduate Catalogue "Students are guilty of plagiarism, intentional or not, if they copy material from books, magazines, or other sources without identifying and acknowledging them. Students guilty of, or assisting others in, either cheating or plagiarism on an assignment, quiz, or examination may receive a grade of F for the course involved and may be suspended or dismissed from the university." In short, all ideas that are not your own or well known must be footnoted. A general rule is that if the information cannot be found in three or more commonly available sources it should be footnoted. All direct quotations must be placed in quotation marks. If you are unsure as to what should be footnoted either play it safe and footnote, or ask for assistance. Failure to adhere to the University's plagiarism policy will result in punishments ranging from a failed course grade to suspension and even expulsion, depending on the egregiousness of the infraction. Please refer to the following link for more information: http://polisci.niu.edu/polisci/audience/plagiarism.shtml
c. Basic classroom manners:
Ø Turn off your electronic devices (e.g, I-pod, I-phone, Cell phone)
Ø No crossword, Sudoku, or any other game is permitted
Course readings:
The following textbooks have been ordered at the university bookstore and should be available for purchase. The rest of the readings are uploaded in Blackboard. A number of Internet links have been made to on-line journals. Students may either download the articles or read them on line. The required readings and textbooks will also be kept in library reserve.
Textbooks to purchase:
Kopstein, Jeffrey, and Mark Lichback, eds. 2008. Comparative Politics: Interests,
Identities, and Institutions in a Changing Global Order. Third ed.
Patrick H. 2007. Essentials of Comparative Politics. Second ed.
Fareed. 2007. The Future of Freedom: Illiberal Democracy at Home and Abroad.
Revised ed.
Class Schedule:
n What is Comparative Politics? Why do we have to care to study?
Kopstein and Lichback, Ch.1-2
PART II: States, Regimes and Institutions
n What is the state and why use it as a unit of analysis?
O'Neil, Ch.2 (pp.20-43)
n Why and how have we got state institutions that we have now?
Case: Europe (
Kopstein and Lichback, Ch.4 (especially pp.87-112)
n Ethnic and national identities
n Where does a "national identity" come from? Who reserves the right to define it?
O'Neil, Ch.3 (especially pp.44-53)
"Accidental Immigrants"
n Who should be included and in what terms?
Ø Video:TBA
Brubaker. 2001. "The Return of Assimilation?" Ethnic and Racial Studies, 24 (4), pp.531-548.
"Our Town", NYT Magazine,
n What is democracy and what is not?
n What are the requisites for democracy?
Almond, Gabriel A. 2004. Comparative Political
System. In Essential Readings in Comparative Politics, edited by P.
O'Neil and R. Rogowski.
Zakaria, Introduction.
n Parliamentary democracies
How did
Kopstein and Lichback, Ch.3 (especially pp.54-81)
n Illiberal Democracy
Zakaria, Ch3
Kopstein and Lichback, Ch.7 (especially pp.219-53)
n What is authoritarianism?
O'Neil, Ch.5 (pp.110-133)
Kopstein and Lichback, Ch.8 (pp.271-93)
n What explains resilience of some authoritarian regimes?
Kopstein and Lichback, Ch.8 (pp.293-301)
Nathan, Andrew J. 2003.
n Civil Society and Social Capital
Case: US
Fukuyama, Francis. 1995. The Primacy of Culture. Journal of Democracy 6 (1):7-14.
Putnam, Robert D. 1995. Bowling Alone:
n Are certain cultural traits required for democracy?
n Is Islam an exception?
Zakaria, Ch.4 (pp.119-159)
PART III: Political Participation and State-Society Relations
n Why do people rebel?
Tilly, Charles, and Sidney Tarrow.
2007. Contentious Politics.
n Video: Tiananmen uprising
Perry, Elizabeth J., and Jeffrey N. Wasserstrom.
1994. Casting Chinese "Democracy" Movement: The roles of Students, Workers,
and Entrepreneurs. In Popular Protest and Political Culture in Modern China,
edited by E. J. Perry.
Fuller, Graham E. 2002. The Future of Political Islam. Foreign Affairs 81 (2):48-60.
Wickham, Carrie Rosefsky. 2004. Interests, Ideas,
and Islamist Outreach in
n What are the causes of ethnic violence?
O'Neil, Ch.3 (especially pp.53-56)
Varshney, Ashutosh. 2001. Ethnic Conflict and
Civil Society:
§ Radical Islam
Ø Video: "War Within" (CNN)
Economist Special Report, "Faith and Politics"
O'Neil, Ch.3 (pp.65-74)
PART IV: Political Economy—State and Market
n What is Political Economy?
O'Neil, Ch.4 (pp.77-109)
n Why are some countries resource-poor but rich while others are resource-rich but poor?
n Shall state intervention facilitate development? If so, how?
Kopstein and Lechback, Ch.6 (
n Does economic growth promote democracy/ Does democracy promote economic growth?
Zakaria, Ch.2
Kopstein and Lichbach, chap.10 (especially pp.354-67)
Varshney, Ashutosh. 1998. Why Democracy Survives. Journal of Democracy 9 (3):36-50.
Kopstein and Lichbach, chap.10 (especially pp.367-77)
PART V: Contemporary Challenges
O'Neil, Ch.10 (pp.250-276).
Wolf, Martin. 2001. "Will the Nation-State Survive Globalization?" Foreign Affairs, Jan/Feb. pp.160-77.
n Does globalization facilitate a universal identity or a clash among different cultural identities?
Ø Video: TBA
Huntington, Samuel P. 1993. The clash of civilizations? Foreign Affairs 72 (3)
Tips for Doing Well in this Class
1. Do the readings AND come to class. Lectures will refer to the assigned readings but they will not summarize them and they are not an adequate substitute. Likewise, lectures will cover material that is not in the readings, and that may appear on the exams.
2. Read critically. As you read, note questions that you would like to raise in lecture or section, and think critically about the author's evidence and arguments.
3. Think comparatively. Ask yourself how the particular case you are reading about compares with similar developments in other countries, regions, or periods.
4. Participate actively in discussion sections and in lecture. Take notes on lectures, and be engaged in the question and discussion periods that will be held during the final minutes of class.
5. Keep up with current events. If you do not already do so, read the international pages of at least one major national / international paper every day. Examples include The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, The Financial Times, and The Wall Street Journal. Think about how contemporary events relate to the themes and cases studied in class.
6. Know the locations of the countries and regions we cover. Geography is critically important for understanding a nation's historical development and importantly influences national security interests and many other areas of political life. If a name of a country is mentioned that you can't pinpoint on a map (a vague sense of where it is located is insufficient!), locate it on a map. Also note what its neighboring countries and regions are. Maps of the countries and regions of the world we will cover can be found in the Essentials of Comparative Politics text.
7. Follow up on topics you find particularly interesting by reading beyond the assigned texts. Look for hints of where to find additional materials by looking at footnotes and references in the readings or by asking your T.A. or me for suggested additional readings.
8. Take advantage of office hours. The T.A.s and I are here to help if you're having trouble understanding concepts or if you are simply interested in further discussing topics covered in class (see #7 above).
Other Important Information
Academic Dishonesty
Regarding plagiarism, the NIU Undergraduate Catalog states: "Students are guilty of plagiarism, intentional or not, if they copy material from books, magazines, or other sources without identifying and acknowledging them. Students guilty of, or assisting others in, either cheating or plagiarism on an assignment, quiz, or examination may receive a grade of F for the course involved and may be suspended or dismissed from the university." The above statement encompasses a paper written in whole or in part by another; a paper copied word-for-word or with only minor changes from another source; a paper copied in part from one or more sources without proper identification and acknowledgment of the sources; a paper that is merely a paraphrase of one or more sources, using ideas and/or logic without credit even though the actual words may be changed; and a paper that quotes, summarizes or paraphrases, or cuts and pastes words, phrases, or images from an Internet source without identification and the address of the web site.
Students with Disabilities
Under Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, NIU is committed to making reasonable
accommodations for persons with documented disabilities. Those students with
disabilities that may have an impact on their course work must register with
the Center for Access-Ability Resources (CAAR) on the fourth floor of the
Department of Political Science Web Site
Undergraduates are strongly encouraged to consult the Department of Political Science web site on a regular basis. This up-to-date, central source of information will assist students in contacting faculty and staff, reviewing course requirements and syllabi, exploring graduate study, research career options, tracking department events, and accessing important details related to undergraduate programs and activities. To reach the site, go to http://polisci.niu.edu
Undergraduate Writing Awards
The Department of Political Science will recognize, on an annual basis, outstanding undergraduate papers written in conjunction with 300-400 level political science courses or directed studies. Authors do not have to be political science majors or have a particular class standing. Winners are expected to attend the Department's spring graduation ceremony, where they will receive a certificate and $50.00. Papers, which can be submitted by students or faculty, must be supplied in triplicate to a department secretary by the end of March. All copies should have two cover pages – one with the student's name and one without the student's name. Only papers written in the previous calendar year can be considered for the award. However, papers completed in the current spring semester are eligible for the following year's competition even if the student has graduated.
Classroom Decorum
Students are to arrive at class on time. Two tardy arrivals are equivalent to one class absence. Students are to remain for the entire session unless excused by the professor beforehand or confronted with a serious personal emergency. For instance, it is not acceptable to students to walk in and out of class to answer cell phones, take casual bathroom and smoking breaks, or attend to other personal matters. Cell phones, pagers, or any electronic devices that make noise must be turned off during class unless the instructor has been notified beforehand of a special circumstance (e.g., sick family member, pregnant wife, special childcare situation, etc.). No one should talk while someone else is talking; this includes comments meant for a classmate rather than the entire group. What may seem like a whisper or a harmless remark to one person can be a distraction to someone else, particularly in a small room. Overall, classroom dialogue and behavior should always be courteous, respectful of others, and consistent with the expectations set forth by the university.


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Get over the stigma of box wines: the Wine Geek explains why.
Coffee and spices enhance the flavor of Dave's Sticky Chocolate Cake.
Cranberry sauce goes festive with orange juice and pulp and fennel seeds.
Surprise friends and family with this twist on everyone's favorite burgers.
Dave's hot spiced Cabernet is the perfect way to toast a cold winter night.
Pastry-wrapped spinach and feta bake up fast for everyone's favorite bites.
A topping of crushed gingersnaps adds spicy crunch to this pumpkin mousse.
Dave shares tips he learned in Memphis for perfect, flavorful dry-rub ribs.
Dave drizzles his sweet potato bundt cake with a spiced buttered rum glaze.
Dave's fruitcake is a sweet classic for holiday desserts and gift-giving.
Get Cooking Channel on your TV.


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Color State Quarters
Most Popular
You really cannot appreciate the quality and... Review by ET
You really cannot appreciate the quality and beauty of these colorized coins, until you hold them in your "gloved" hands! A lot of imagination and creativity have gone into the colorization process. They look especially great in one of the large U.S. Map Folders!!
Within a brightly colored Map Folder, the quarters look truly awesome. They fit in the "pockets" very snug and secure. With the history of the coins presented in the folder, you have a very complete and historic collectible. The only thing I wish, is that they could be housed in Airtites before being put into the Map's slots. Other than that, I am totally happy I made the investment of purchasing the colorized coins and the Map Folder.
Everyone I have shown are truly impressed with the overall beauty and quality of the coins too. For a collector, they are a "must have". I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.
ET (Posted on 8/23/2009)
|UPM - American Treasures
|Model Number
|Part Number


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by Anton Shilov
Microsoft Corp. on Monday said that its motion sensor Kinect will start shipping on November 4, 2010, along with fifteen game titles. The device will cost $149, which is equal to the new price of the Xbox 360 Arcade game console.
The Kinect sensor can be plugged directly into any Xbox 360 and features a camera, audio sensors, and motion-sensing technology that tracks 48 points of movement on the human body. Kinect has the abilty to recognize faces and voices. Kinect can perform full-motion tracking of the human body at 30 frames per second. Initially Kinect will be available in North America for $149, product launch in Europe and Japan are expected to take place at a later date.
The price of Microsoft Kinect motion sensor for Xbox 360 seems to be surprisingly high. An accessory that costs the same amount of money as Xbox 360 Arcade and slightly lower than Nintendo Wii game consoles does not have a lot of chances of becoming popular. Moreover, casual gamers – who currently own and use Nintendo Wii – will likely find the price of Xbox 360 with Kinect (over $300) too high.
This holiday season there will be 15 titles of different genres that are supported by Kinect motion sensor, including "EA Sports Active 2", Deca Sports Freedom, "Dance Masters", "Adrenalin Misfits", "Zumba Fitness", "Sonic Free Riders", "The Biggest Loser: Ultimate Workout", "Motion Sports", "Game Party: In Motion", "Kinectimals", "Your Shape: Fitness Evolved", "Kinect Joy Ride", "Kinect Sports", "Kinect Adventures" and "Dance Central".


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In celebration of our 20th year, we have developed a Food Vault Program. Our branches are now official drop-off locations for area food banks. Help us make a difference in our community and donate today!
For a list of branch locations click here.
Proudly serving these communities in North Carolina:
Archdale, Asheboro, Asheville, Brevard, Burlington, Cary, Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Concord,
Durham, Greensboro, Harrisburg, Hendersonville, High Point, Kernersville, Lexington, Mooresville,
N. Davidson, Raleigh, Randleman, Salisbury, Thomasville, Winston-Salem
Proudly serving these communities in South Carolina:
Charleston, Greenville, Mt. Pleasant, Myrtle Beach, Murrells Inlet, North Myrtle Beach,
Surfside Beach, Hilton Head Island
© 2014 Bank of North Carolina | Privacy
Statement | Lost or Stolen


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Here's more proof that the debate continues to simmer over whether to deny Communion to Catholic politicians who support abortion: Msgr. J. Gaston Hebert, administrator of the Diocese of Little Rock, Ark., (the diocese has been without a bishop since the transfer of Bishop J. Peter Sartain to Joliet, Ill., last year), says in a column in the Arkansas Catholic that "it may be time for a showdown" on the issue. His conclusion: "Had Hitler been a Catholic and made known that he was killing Jews and others to create a super race, would I have denied him Communion? I pray I would have had the courage to do so."
Filed under: clients


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A good flashgun is one of the most essential and versatile DSLR accessories. It's not just for dark times, when you're shooting indoors or at night - a flashgun is equally useful for filling in unsightly shadows in bright, sunny-day portraits.
Unlike the pop-up flashes in most Nikon DSLRs, flashguns give you more power, greater flexibility over lighting techniques and, in some cases, advanced facilities for wireless multi-flashgun shooting.
The maximum power of a flashgun is indicated by its guide number (GN). This is usually stated for shooting at a sensitivity of ISO 100 and a focal length of 105mm. That's because most flashguns have motorised zoom heads that automatically adjust as you alter the zoom setting of your lens, or fit prime lenses of varying focal lengths.
As you stretch from wide-angle to more telephoto focal lengths, the light used to illuminate the periphery of a scene is wasted. So, by zooming the flash head, its light is concentrated on the area that will appear in the photo.
The GN enables you to know the maximum range of the flashgun at any given aperture. You simply divide the GN by the aperture you're using.
As an example, a flashgun with a GN of 40 would enable you to shoot an object from up to 10 metres away with an aperture of f/4, or from up to five metres away with an aperture of f/8. That might sound like more power than you'd ever need, but there are other factors to take into account.
Directing flash
The GN gives maximum distances only when you're aiming the flashgun directly at a target. However, one of the most essential features of any good flashgun is a bounce and swivel head.
Due to the small physical size of a flash head, direct flash produces 'hard' lighting that can be unflattering for portraits, and cause dark shadows. By tilting the flash head upwards in indoor portraiture, you can bounce the flash off a white ceiling. This effectively gives a much larger source of light, which makes for softer lighting.
The downsides of this are that the distance between the flashgun and target is increased and not all of the light is reflected, so flashguns with extra maximum power come into their own. The swivel facility does the same job when you're shooting in portrait orientation.
Working out the manual flash setting, especially when bouncing flash off walls or ceilings, can be a nightmare. Thankfully, all the flashguns in this test are fully compatible with Nikon i-TTL (intelligent Through The Lens) flash metering. This aims to ensure accurate and consistent flash power for correctly exposed images in any conditions.
A practically imperceptible burst of pre-flashes is fired to work out the correct flash exposure for the scene, just before the camera's shutter opens and the shot is taken. That's the theory, anyway, although we found the accuracy of i-TTL metering varies with different flashguns in our tests.
The zoom range of most flashguns is about 24-105mm, but this is for full-frame cameras such as the Nikon D700. However, DSLRs such as the Nikon D3100, D5100 and D7000 and D300S have a smaller APS-C sensor. With the 1.5x crop factor of these cameras, the effective zoom range translates to 16-70mm.
With many flashguns, this means that some light is wasted because there's no facility for setting them up for use on DX (APS-C) rather than FX (full-frame) cameras. It's not always the case, as the Nikon SB-700, SB-900 and recently announced SB-910 are clever enough to sense what type of DSLR they're attached to and adjust themselves to DX or FX mode automatically.
With the Metz 50 AF-1, you can make the change manually in the custom settings, although the correlation between effective focal length and flash zoom setting still doesn't display accurately between 16 and 24mm.
For ultra-wide-angle shooting, most flashguns feature a diffuser panel, which usually flips down from the top of the flash head when required.
This diffuser often shares its stowaway area with a fill‑in reflector card that can slide forward and be used to bounce flash. It's handy in portraiture, where you can use the flashgun in its vertically upright bounce mode while reflecting a little light into the subject's eyes.
Another useful feature is an AF (autofocus) assist beam. This typically fires a red coloured grid onto the target to help the camera autofocus in gloomy light.
When you're only using a small fraction of the flashgun's total available power, recycling times (the time it takes the flash to get ready to fire again) are usually short. However, there can be quite a delay after a full-power flash is fired. This can be anything from 4-22 seconds when you're using alkaline batteries.
Recycling speeds can generally be increased by using NiMH rechargeable batteries, and these are a much more cost-effective option for extended shooting sessions too.


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Hi Bellas,
Happy Friday! I'm glad for the weekend because it's been a busy last few days. A lot of birthdays have been going on over here along with makeup gigs, and more. Wednesday I had a makeup tutorial scheduled with a client who is also a model. She told me that she gets her makeup done a lot, but has no idea how to put it on herself. I think that if you're in the modeling industry it definitely helps to learn a thing or two about makeup application. This is especially true if you're just starting out and trying to build your portfolio on a budget.
One thing that came up that I have to remind you guys about, is don't keep reusing the sponge in your compact. She told me she goes through her crème compact foundation really quickly and doesn't know why. I looked in and noticed that her sponge inside looked beat up, thin and lanky, and overused. Yuck! Sponges absorb more foundation and on top of it, need to be changed regularly due to bacteria buildup. I explained this to her and she realized that might have been a source of her recent breakouts. If you want to use a sponge, it's perfectly fine. Just make sure to change it out regularly. They sell compact sponge refills in any beauty aisle. If you want to reduce how much you use…dip a sponge in water, wring it out, and then apply the foundation. This helps you get a lighter coat of coverage.
Today I have my hair appointment scheduled. I'm excited! I'm still not sure what I'm going to do but it's going to look a heck of a lot better than what it's looking like now. I'll post pics soon!
Tomorrow I have the wedding gig booked…hopefully all goes well. Till next time, have a great weekend. Ciao bellas!
Friday, June 27, 2008
Happy Friday!
Posted by MakeupByRenRen at 3:12 PM
Labels: makeup tip, rambling
5 comments:
- (g)ezebel said...
renren!! that is soooooo exciting about all your makeup gigs. girl, you're gonna be ultra famous very soon!!
- June 27, 2008 at 4:17 PM
- Ethereal Prey said...
w00t girl! can't wait to see how sexy you come out, i mean sexier!
- June 27, 2008 at 4:21 PM
- Bliss said...
Oooo nice to hear your happening news hhehe, and i cannot wait to see your new hair heheh ;)
- June 28, 2008 at 11:25 AM
- jstar said...
just found your blog! =)
- June 30, 2008 at 2:47 AM
- Christiana Divine @ Memoirs of A Shopping Addict said...
i'm so happy for you. :) it's always great reading about your successes. imagine, when i first found your blog you were just prepping for getting into the makeup biz and now you're doing such great things. very proud of you sis. ;)
- June 30, 2008 at 3:41 AM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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States and districts are launching online public schools, reports the Wall Street Journal in My Teacher Is an App.
In just the past few months, Virginia has authorized 13 new online schools. Florida began requiring all public-high-school students to take at least one class online, partly to prepare them for college cybercourses. Idaho soon will require two. In Georgia, a new app lets high-school students take full course loads on their iPhones and BlackBerrys. Thirty states now let students take all of their courses online.
Nationwide, an estimated 250,000 students are enrolled in full-time virtual schools, up 40 percent in the last three years, and more than two million take at least one class online.
Achievement appears to be lower for virtual students, though it's possible apples are being compared to oranges.
Districts hope to save money by outsourcing classes to online providers, reports the Journal.
In Georgia, state and local taxpayers spend $7,650 a year to educate the average student in a traditional public school. They spend nearly 60% less—$3,200 a year—to educate a student in the statewide online Georgia Cyber Academy, saving state and local tax dollars. Florida saves $1,500 a year on every student enrolled online full time.
If your teacher is an app, you'd better have an educated, at-home parent, who can answer questions immediately. Not every student has that.


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Way back when, someone around here mentioned some teas they bought which were from a small private farm in the country of Georgia (not the state of Georgia, USA but the country near the Black Sea).
If I recall correctly there was mention of two varieties from different small private farmers; something like an "old man" and an "old woman" tea. I've probably got that wrong - but whoever you are, if you have any idea about this, could you please enlighten me as to where to find them and what they were like?


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Day THREE with Scor-Pal
December 12, 2012 by Ellen
Filed under Core Blog, May Arts Ribbon, Queen & Co., Scor Pal
Wow, this week is just flying by, isn't it?
First up we have important giveaway information. We are sponsoring DAY THREE of Scrapbook & Cards today's 12 Days of giveaways. You have until NOON Dec 22nd 2012 to post on their blog HERE to win ONE EACH of our 6×6 collection packs!
If you were here earlier then you know we are having a super fun week with SCOR PAL. Do you have one of these? Well, if you are a paper craft you better. AND if you love Core, then you BETTER! Scoring, then sanding with Core'dinations ColorCore Cardstock is the only way to go.
Scoring raises the cardstock so you can sand it and release that inner Core. It's gorgeous AND both design teams are going to show you easy and fabulous ways the Scor Pal products and Core'dinations can add interested to your papercrafting projects.
Did you know we have a Scoring Video? Check out our Technique videos for some awesome ideas on what you can do with Core, including the scoring video.
PLEASE make sure you check out the Scor Pal blog for some INCREDIBLE designs this week (I think there might be a prize over there 😉 ). They SIMPLY rock. You know we always have something up our sleeve for you when we do these fun blog events so keep commenting for a chance to win some great Core'dinations Cardstock!
Today we have some gorgeous designs from Designer Shaunte Wadley. She created this beautiful flower on the card just by using some simple scoring. The flower is a Lifestyle Crafts die so you could really do this with any flower.
See how Shaunte scores from the back? That is important so the raised line is on the front of the cardstock. Especially when you are sanding.
And a close-up of it on the card. Keep in mind sanding the Gemstones will take off the shine so you may not want to sand it.
AND Shaunte created her frame on this card by scoring and using the VERY FUN Scor Bug Embosser!!! It makes these fun dots that look so great sanded.
AND she scored the woodgrain on the branch using some Vintage Cardstock. So you can see all the really amazing details you can get on your projects just by scoring and sanding. The base of the card is Whitewash.
And another card for you from Shaunte using Core Essentials and loads of scoring.
Bling is from Queen & Co and Ribbon is from May Arts.


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Breeding Planning
Ask TheHorse
So, You Want to Breed Your Mare!
Breeding a mare is exciting but not without challenges. Learn about stallion selection, breeding soundness, and more!
Photo by iStock
Before You Breed: Costs and Considerations
Ensure your decision to breed is the right one and that you're prepared to handle the costs and commitments involved.
Photo by iStock
Breeding the Newly Retired Stallion
Owners can take several steps to ensure a successful transition from athletic to breeding performance.
Photo by Anne M. Eberhardt/The Horse
So, You Want to Breed Your Mare!
January 12, 2017
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A young raw, but extremely satisfying. 2007 Wisteria Hong Yin (Red Label)
Thanks Brandon for the treat! T
shah82 wrote:...
Also note that Dayi bokchoy cakes, the good ones (like the one Apache got) are advertised at well over $1k/357g. Moreover, there are *lots* of bokchoys around. I didn't see a wrapper at Origintea, so I wouldn't know which 2001 it is. Albeit, from my vague memories from the last time I surfed Donhetea, there aren't many different versions of the very old ones.
JakubT wrote:I enjoyed the 2007 Wistaria's Hongyin yesterday. Not really my top-favourite style of puerh, but in the genre, it is a very good piece.
Now, I'm having 2001 Dayi Banzhang from Origintea in a tester. I quite like it. It had some weird storage or something aroma when dry and even when rinsed, the aroma is rather chaotic. But it works kind of well in mouth, with some activity. And it is not too dry; I had a bit of an issue with that with some of Origintea's teas.
I don't think there is too much of Banzhang leaves in there, but there should be some.
quikstep wrote:Had this in the afternoon where it's scorching hot outside.
Image credit YS. CNNP 2003 Meng Song Qiao Mu Iron Beeng.
The cake is very nice smelling with a hint of osmanthus flower. No more wet storage smell or taste.
Taste wise, has plenty of chaqi and is very clean taste. Not bitter or astringent anymore. Maybe just a hint. Very good for thirst quenching. The soup is only dark yellow/light orange in color.
Other than that, there's not much to be described. Maybe it's still slumbering as the shop keeper told me it spent a very great part of it's decade in Yunnan.
According to YS, it's probably an unauthorized CNNP product. Does not disturb me at all as it's clearly qiao mu material.


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Feral vs. wild horses
The question of whether mustangs in the West are feral versus wild is a controversial one; it's got a knack for appearing in the comment section of many a mustang story. Mustang advocates are adamant the wild horse is a bona fide North American wildlife species – on par with deer, elk, bison and pronghorn. Scientists, ever the party poopers, beg to differ.
Horse evolution is well documented in North America's fossil record – first as a small dog-sized animal that walked on five toes over 50 million years ago, on to larger equines that bore their weight on single hooves. Horses went extinct on North America some 12,000 years ago – likely due to some cocktail of climate change and overhunting by man – but not before they migrated over the land bridge into Asia (where they further diversified into asses and zebras).
Despite their extinction on North America, horses guaranteed themselves a permanent spot in history when humans domesticated them some 4,000-5,000 years ago on the Asian steppes (possibly earlier). A partnership was born, and equines became a catalyst for human migration (and war).
Once domesticated, horses carried Gengis Khan's empire into power. They were painted by Egyptians, Romans and Greeks. They bore the weight of the Crusaders on their backs (nobody said being friends with humans was easy). And 500 years ago, Spanish conquistadors couriered horses back to their evolutionary homeland aboard ships. Some escaped and became the seed stock for what would become a burgeoning wild horse population.
But are the horses here today the same animals that left 12,000 years ago? That is, how much did horses change in the 4,000-5,000 years since they were domesticated?
In wild species, nature selects for traits that best equip an animal for survival. But when humans are involved, we select for traits that meet our needs – a practice dubbed selective breeding. A new study in Nature suggests that by domesticating animals (dogs, in this case), we actually cause changes in their genetic hardwiring.
Selective breeding is generally obvious to the naked eye -- no need to zoom-in on genetics. Take a golden retriever for example. Its wild ancestor (by tens of thousands of years) is a wolf. Generation after generation, humans selected for the traits they desired: a caramel-colored coat, a can-do attitude, and an endearing tendency to slobber. Likewise, horses brought to the Americas by Europeans were purposefully sculpted beasts of burden.
Today's wild horses often exhibit certain breed characteristics: Oregon's Stinkingwater Herd Management Area (HMA) has a noticeable influence of draft horse; many of Wyoming's HMAs are notorious for paints. Despite living in the wild, their domestic origins are clear.
One equine geneticist, Dr. Philip Sponenberg of Virginia Tech, points to color as a prominent indicator of mustangs' domestic origins: wild populations generally have a single color and no white markings, he told me.
In North America, most native fauna are brown (think of deer, elk, bison, etc.). White isn't an advantageous color in the wild (well, not in North America anyway) – but to humans who adore unique markings, perhaps it's irresistible. Many mustangs bear white snips, stars or blazes in addition to sporting a variety of coat colors: palomino, sorrel, dun, grulla, chestnut, bay, and so forth.
A lot of mustangs don't behave entirely like wild animals either (though this varies depending on the HMA). In the Pryor Mountains of Montana, for example, the Bureau of Land Management posts signage asking visitors not to approach the horses – because visitors can approach the horses. That approachability is a non-reversible remnant of domestication.
While science has soundly established that America's mustangs are feral, not wild – the issue of whether horses are a native species keeps cropping up among mustang advocates.
Dr. Jay Kirkpatrick is one of the few scientists to strike a middle ground on the issue. He calls horses a "reintroduced native species" – but also says that it doesn't matter which biological category you put them in (feral or wild), their fecundity begs for outside management. Though horses evolved on North America, today their population is no longer naturally controlled. Left alone, modern horse herds can double in size every 4-5 years (where are those darn saber-toothed cats?). Kirkpatrick is a pioneer in wildlife contraception, and has already shown that birth control can be an effective means to control wild horse numbers (read more about his work on Assateague Island).
So does the label really matter?
Some advocates argue it does, feeling that formal designation as a native North American species would entitle mustangs to more stringent protection.
In his HCN feature story, "Nowhere to run," author Dave Philipps describes mustangs as "technically feral, non-native transplants like hogs or knapweed," but notes that their relationship to humans and history makes them different than other invasive species.
"Centuries of living alongside people in the West had made [mustangs] an emblem of the wide-open landscapes, and of the grit, defiance and hardiness that Americans still believed defined their nation."
Even though mustangs are not a native wild species – they are feral – most will agree America's mustangs are a species of cultural importance, and one that deserves protection as such.
Monica Gokey is finishing a master's degree in journalism at the University of Montana. She is producing a radio documentary on mustangs in the West, with a focus on the Pryor Mountain mustangs of Montana. In getting to know the horses, Monica has also gotten to know their cohort of people – an equally colorful bunch (she says that fondly).
Essays in the Range blog are not written by High Country News. The authors are solely responsible for the content.
That said the issue isn't horses, it's people, and it pervades our relationships to animals wild or domestic. Feral horses or cats, wolves or mountain lions, stray dogs or pets, modern affluent peoples detached from the natural world have a difficult time dealing with animals.
There is no balance of nature. The year is 2013.
I also disagree with true wild animals all have a fear of humans. Lots of wildlife will not fear humans unless given a reason. There are many documented cases of deer,bear,birds,wolves never touched by man coming up to a human.I myself have had fawns come up to me in the wild.Animals have a curiosity and will approach humans under certain circumstances.
I also disagree with wild horses not having natural predators....they do. Mountain lions,bear,coyote and wolves are all predators of horses. The problem arises when ranchers are allowed to kill the predators out thus throwing the balance of nature off. Leave the horses out there,stop killing the predators and they will in turn go back to killing deer,elk and horses instead of cattle. Cattle which are most likely grazing on the land set aside for the wild horses in the first place.
New translations of Spanish Explorers logs tell us they found horses here not only in South and Central America but even on some of the islands in the Caribbean. Think about it...have you ever seen a replica of the Nina, or Pinta or any other Spanish galleon? They were entirely too small to carry the sailors, the exploration forces, armaments, food and water to survive the months on the high seas to be carrying a couple of hundred horses. That argument is just silly.
As to the white coloration...the Spanish bred to brown horses as uniform as possible. We know that Native American History tells us that there were thriving horse cultures on the plains hundreds of years before Columbus much less the Spanish. The Natives had a multitude of colors (white being perfect camouflage during the winter months or hiding in the aspens.)
Now connect the dots... the spotted horses pictured in caves in France and the appaloosa bred by the Nez Perce. Needless to say not all the horses in this country were derived from the Spanish herds.
As for Dr. Kirkpatrick you fail to quote his summary..."The key element in describing an animal as a native species is (1) where it originated; and (2) whether or not it co‐evolved with its habitat. Clearly, E. 6 caballus did both, here in North American. There might be arguments about "breeds," but there are no scientific grounds for arguments about "species.""
Simply using the wild horses of the Pryor Mountains, who have become accustomed to people because of the volume of visitors each year as an example to "prove" that wild horses are not actually wild is ridiculous. I am sure you have witnessed other wildlife that gets used to human encroachment, and do not call deer or fox "feral."
There is plenty of room for our wild horses on our public lands, and right now the fight is on to save half of Wyoming's wild horses because of the greed of a grazing association who considers all the public land as their own. Our wild horses are a precious resource, and it would be very refreshing for the High County News FOR ONCE to publish and article about wild horses that is not slanted toward needing to remove them as a pest or a nuisance. How about having a wild horse advocate do an article for a change? Sincerely, Carol Walker
"feral" huh? it is a travesty that your "publication" is based on propaganda and chooses to perpetuate this throughout your reading community. and it is propaganda, as your editorial really misses the mark and quite honestly i think you are writing so you can advocate charging the american tax payer more by removing our horses and replacing them with cattle, and that your publication feels that the american tax payer should pay for this welfare ranching industry on OUR public lands. why do you never write an article exposing the truth and facts of this - surely you are not unaware. these cattle are ruining our land and ruining the american budget- WE pay a hefty price for them to have that land at SEVERELY reduced rates. your article is slanted as you would like to paint a picture that our horses are not indigenous- you could not be more wrong. i never quite understand the outward, almost hatred the ranching community has for our horses that you have launched an all-out smear campaign against them...oh that's right - MONEY. these ranchers want this land and they have abused our horses and the american tax payer in doing so. people are starting to wake up and realize what is actually going on and just how much we are being taken advantage of. these rancher's are the same ones that want horse slaughter to resume on our soil even though they have seen the massive economic destruction from the horse meat scandal in the EU and the TONS of beef that have been recalled for horse meat contamination.
not to mention that the land these ranchers are allowed to have - OUR public land that OUR NATIVE SPECIES horses hold be on - is used for cattle and the beef is EXPORTED, doesn't stay here - doesn't benefit the american people. this meat is exported and then we turn right around and IMPORT beef - wow, what a deal of us.
in closing, please do not continue to manipulate the truth. the scientific statement presented to Congress by BY JAY F. KIRKPATRICK, PH.D. AND PATRICIA M. FAZIO, PH.D. - clearly shows and blatantly states that our horses are in fact a native species and are not "feral" as you choose to say. and yes, people comment on "these mustang" articles b.c we are tired of the assault on our horses and the misinformation the likes of your publication and the cattle industry continue to spread.
please print correct information for your readers, as the truth does matter, and the american tax payer deserves the truth at the very minimum.
"feral" huh? it is a travesty that your "publication" is based on propaganda and chooses to perpetuate this throughout your reading community. and it is propaganda, as your editorial really misses the mark and quite honestly i think you are writing so you can advocate charging the american tax payer more by removing our horses and replacing them with cattle, and that your publication feels that the american tax payer should pay for this welfare ranching industry on OUR public lands. why do you never write an article exposing the truth and facts of this - surely you are not unaware. these cattle are ruining our land and ruining the american budget- WE pay a hefty price for them to have that land at SEVERELY reduced rates. your article is slanted as you would like to paint a picture that our horses are not indigenous- you could not be more wrong. i never quite understand the outward, almost hatred the ranching community has for our horses that you have launched an all-out smear campaign against them...oh that's right - MONEY. these ranchers want this land and they have abused our horses and the american tax payer in doing so. people are starting to wake up and realize what is actually going on and just how much we are being taken advantage of. these rancher's are the same ones that want horse slaughter to resume on our soil even though they have seen the massive economic destruction from the horse meat scandal in the EU and the TONS of beef that have been recalled for horse meat contamination.
not to mention that the land these ranchers are allowed to have - OUR public land that OUR NATIVE SPECIES horses hold be on - is used for cattle and the beef is EXPORTED, doesn't stay here - doesn't benefit the american people. this meat is exported and then we turn right around and IMPORT beef - wow, what a deal of us.
in closing, please do not continue to manipulate the truth. the scientific statement presented to Congress by BY JAY F. KIRKPATRICK, PH.D. AND PATRICIA M. FAZIO, PH.D. - clearly shows and blatantly states that our horses are in fact a native species and are not "feral" as you choose to say. and yes, people comment on "these mustang" articles b.c we are tired of the assault on our horses and the misinformation the likes of your publication and the cattle industry continue to spread.
please print correct information for your readers, as the truth does matter, and the american tax payer deserves the truth at the very minimum.
As to the social benefit of horses, I suggest that Ms. Gokey had it right, they have a cultural value, despite their origins, and some limited protection and management for that value is warranted. They are however, descendants of domesticated horses and as a result are feral animals, no matter how many generations removed or how much horse advocates wish they weren't. Perhaps a less value-laden term like free-ranging horses is one we can all agree upon and move on from this argument over labels.
The issue might be simplified if the fossil record could provide evidence of modern horses in the western hemisphere, after their presumed extinction 12,000 years ago and before their presumed reintroduction from Asia or Europe.
Don't Pet the Horses -- The reason BLM advises visitors to the Pryors not to approach the horses is for the same reason that Park Rangers tell tourists not to feed the bears: It's dangerous. You could get hurt. Many ignorant persons even offer wild horses treats, which creates an association between humans and food. Subsequently, upon spotting humans approaching, the horses expect treats. If food is not forthcoming, they deem it a breach of the social contract, and they can become aggressive. Here are links to articles regarding the Assateague and Shackleford Banks herds, and the perils of getting too close.
Approachability v. Domestication -- The blog conflates certain terms that are not identical, such as "feral" with "non-native" and "approachability" with "domestication." A number of wild animal species exhibit approachability to humans. Rather than being a "non-reversible remnant of domestication," it's just their nature. Think dolphins. People capture them from the ocean and before you know it, they're performing somersaults at SeaWorld. Think cheetahs and hyenas. Apparently ferocious predators, they are easily tamed.
Per Zeder (2012), to be a candidate for domestication, a wild species needs to possess certain "pre-adaptive" attributes, and "the degree to which a species is pre-adapted to domestication is positively correlated with the degree to which its behavior in its natural environment resembles its behavior in its captive environment." Specific behavioral traits are favorable, and one of those is "response to humans." It includes the following characteristics, which certainly apply to wild horses:
Short flight distance away from humans
Low reactivity to humans or sudden changes in environment
May solicit attention
Readily habituated.
Zeder finds it " ... interesting to note that none of the traditional markers used to track domestication in animals that followed the commensal or prey pathways is useful in documenting horse domestication. There are no apparent morphological markers that can be used to discriminate domestic horses from wild horses (E. ferus) ...." See pages 4-5 and 20 at the link below.
Native Species -- There is, in fact, scientific consensus: the horse originated in North America. Therefore, it is a native species. Below are the links to academic discussions regarding the origin of the horse.
Reintroduced Native Species -- When a native species goes extinct in a particular habitat, efforts are often made to reestablish it. Horses may or may not have gone extinct in North America. But if they did, they were reintroduced in their ancestral homeland, for which they are perfectly suited, about five hundred years ago. The descendants of those horses have since become rewilded. However, it must be noted that Native American oral tradition maintains that horses were always here, that they never left. That tradition also recounts how the horses were then exterminated, when, why, and by whom.
Introduced, Non-native Domesticated Species -- In this regard, one must cite livestock, mention of which was conspicuously absent from the blog-post. On public lands, non-native domesticated livestock outnumber native wild horses by nearly 30 to 1. BLM allots approximately 8,600,000 monthly grazing units to livestock in the ten Western states that have wild-horse herds. Even in herd management areas, which are legally designated primarily though not necessarily exclusively for wild horses, cattle typically get apportioned 90 percent of the grazing slots. And, because the cattle are turned out for less than a year, at least double the number of livestock are placed on the public range than would be the case, were they instead to graze year-round. Their impact is enormous because BLM does not require permit-holders to practice Holistic Management.
Non-native Species that Migrated to America -- Although the blogger characterized American bison as "native," the ancestral species originated in Eurasia, where it went through a lot of cross-breeding. Interestingly, the American bison is related to the yak, which is a domesticated species. The bison's forebears migrated over the Beringian Land Bridge to North America. As is commonly known, America's bison were hunted into near-extinction in the 19th century but, fortunately, through reintroduction and conservation, they were saved.
Bighorn sheep are another non-native. The species evolved in Siberia and, just like the bison, crossed over the Beringian Land Bridge to North America. Bighorn too were on the verge of extinction by around 1900. It was only through reintroduction and conservation efforts (famously, by the Arizona Boy Scouts) that the species was restored.
Translocated and Farm-bred Non-natives -- Reportedly, all California bighorn translocated into the U.S. were imported from British Columbia. Surplus bighorn from Nevada have been moved to Texas. There are projects in which bighorn are raised on farms or ranches and then released into specific areas identified as suitable habitat. In many cases, the animals are radio-collared for monitoring of these restocking projects. Often, "soft releases" are necessary to ease the transition from captive to free living, and native predators, such as mountain lions, are culled to protect the non-native bighorn. Despite all this support, many captive-reared bighorn fail to survive in the wild.
The propagation of the bighorn is indeed quite involved. In California, one of the state universities developed guidelines for constructing and maintaining a captive-breeding facility for Sierra Nevada bighorn. Considerations included selection of founder breeding stock, animal husbandry, veterinary care, and a summary of diseases that can impact a captive herd. Start-up and first year costs were estimated to range from $600,000-$1,000,000. Moreover, it was recommended that such a facility would need to practice well-planned breeding, with pedigree and genetic analyses conducted per consultation with a geneticist experienced in ungulate captive breeding.
Are selectively-bred, hand-reared bighorn wild? If contact with the humans who cared for them during lambhood makes these bighorn more approachable after release, have they been tamed? Domesticated over succeeding generations? Would approachability be considered a desirable trait by hunters who want to bag a quick trophy? Are farmed bighorn really feral creatures?
Imported Non-native Wild Species -- Then there are the exotics, such as Chukar Partridge (from India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan) and Hungarian Partridge. These species were officially imported to the United States by game departments, sportsmen's clubs, and interested individuals. The birds were propagated on game-farms and then released in those ten Western states that are home to native wild horses. In Nevada alone, the current statewide population of Chukar is estimated at more than 500,000. The blog-post did not address imported non-native wildlife.
Brown Coat-Color -- The blogger declares that brown coat-color evidences that animals such as bison are "wild." In fact, the bison's brown coat hides "tainted" DNA within. Most bison carry genes from the domesticated cattle with whom their ancestors were cross-bred. Does that make them feral? At this time, only four bison herds in the United States appear to be free of hybridized domestic cattle-genes. Conservationists are endeavoring to breed-out the cattle DNA from the other bison herds. That humans -- rather than Nature -- are managing those projects to eliminate the cattle-DNA through selective breeding of captive bison, does such intervention constitute a form of domestication? Or is it human-driven rewilding?
Reversion to Unique Ancestral Markings -- Many of America's wild horses exhibit primitive markings -- a dorsal stripe down their back, a transverse stripe across their withers, and horizontal "zebra" stripes on the back of their forelegs. The Pryor mustangs are among those displaying these retro markings. Might such throwbacks reflect rewilding?
Saber-toothed Tigers? -- The blogger cites the absence of long-extinct saber-toothed cats as the reason wild horses need to be contracepted. What about the extant mountain lions which, studies have shown, are well-able to serve as population-control agents for wild horses? The Pryor Mountains' mustang population used to be kept in check exclusively by mountain lions. But BLM wanted to experiment with PZP; so, the Agency had the lions exterminated. That is why the herd continues to be managed artificially with PZP. To restore the natural balance of the ecosystem, the native mountain lions should be reintroduced and conserved. Here are the links to two studies for reference:
Wild at Last -- The shallow imprint of domestication has faded from the descendants of the horses released into the American West five centuries ago. The mustangs' success -- surviving, thriving, reproducing, and dispersing independently of humans, both immediately and subsequently -- shows them to be fully functional, bona fide wild animals. Evidently, the domestication of their ancestors did not eliminate the wild DNA but merely suppressed it. The wildness genes lay dormant, ready to re-emerge as soon as given the opportunity.
The blemish of domestication has finally been erased. Feral is not forever. America's mustangs can and should now -- at long last -- be called wild.
I still think if everyone just called them free-roaming horses instead of either wild (the political/advocate label) or feral (the scientific label), we could focus on the issue of appropriately managing populations that have the potential to double in size every 4-6 years in the absence of any controls.


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Monday, May 28, 2007
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