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Debates of May 6th, 2010
House of Commons Hansard #41 of the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was environmental.
- Question Period
- Protecting Children from Online Sexual Exploitation Act
- Interparliamentary Delegations
- Committees of the House
- Petitions
- Questions Passed as Orders for Returns
- Points of Order
- Criminal Code
- Fairness for Military Families (Employment Insurance) Act
- Snowmobiling
- Canadian Red Cross
- Robert De Courcel
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Firearms Registry
- Canadian Red Cross
- Firearms Registry
- Bloc Québécois
- Firearms Registry
- Canadian Red Cross
- Ethics
- Red Cross
- VE Day
- Lobbying
- Firearms Registry
- Status of Women
- Ethics
- Firearms Registry
- Financial Institutions
- Ethics
- Poverty
- Lobbying
- Health
- Nuclear Disarmament
- Omar Khadr
- Afghanistan
- Political Party Financing
- Health
- Omar Khadr
- Fishing Industry
- Justice
- Business of the House
- Points of Order
- Fairness for Military Families (Employment Insurance) Act
- Canadian Environmental Bill of Rights
Fairness for Military Families (Employment Insurance) Act
Government Orders
1:55 p.m.
Pierre Poilievre Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
Madam Speaker, it is a great honour to rise today not only to address the fairness for military families act, but also to speak a little about its origins in which I am honoured to have had a small part.
Some time ago I was knocking on doors in the southwest Ottawa village of Osgoode. On a doorstep there, I met a soldier, Major Duquette. He told me his personal story, having served Canada in the Middle East, in the Golan Heights. He left five days after the birth of his son, Jacob. His story illustrates the immense sacrifice and courage that families in the military make all the time. His wife later said that one of the things that got them through that year while he was serving Canada abroad was the fact that he would take parental leave under employment insurance when he returned to make up some of the lost time with the newborn he was missing out on as a result of his service to Canada overseas.
When he returned after serving nobly in theatre, he applied for his employment insurance. He would have been surprised not to receive it because after all, like all members of the armed forces, he paid premiums into the employment insurance system, just like everyone else. He was shocked to learn, however, that his time for receiving those benefits had expired during the period he was serving all of us overseas. He looked in the law and found that there was no exemption to capture the fact that soldiers may be away during the time that follows the birth of their children. There was an exception, as he learned, for criminals to put off their benefits until their prison sentences are complete, an irony that I felt was untenable. I committed to him that day that I would bring this problem to the Prime Minister and that we together would get it solved.
That is why I was very proud that our Minister of Human Resources tabled in the House of Commons a government bill designed to fix that inequity. I would like to congratulate all members in the House of Commons who have committed to support that very important remedy. This is a non-partisan issue. It is about our families. It is about our soldiers. It is about giving them back the benefits for which they have paid, which I think all members in the House would agree is the very least that we can do.
Madam Speaker, I know that you share the same passion for our soldiers and I hope that all members of all parties will share it as well and we can unify in this place and show Canadians that we really can work together in the best interests of this country in order to bring fairness to our employment insurance system. Fairness is what this bill is all about; in fact, fairness is in its name.
To conclude the first part of my speech today, I will thank Major Duquette for having brought this issue to the attention of Canada's Parliament so that we could act on behalf of all soldiers who find themselves in similar circumstances.
Fairness for Military Families (Employment Insurance) Act
Government Orders
2 p.m.
The Acting Speaker Denise Savoie
The hon. member will continue his comments later.
Statements By Members
2 p.m.
Greg Kerr West Nova, NS
Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Annapolis Valley Lake and Ridge Runners for receiving Canada's Snowmobile Club of the Year award.
This is a very exciting time for the Runners, as they were chosen as the winners of this prestigious award out of 743 snowmobile clubs across the country.
These organizations not only strive to promote and foster safe snowmobiling as a family winter recreation, but also aim to boost the local economy by growing their sport at home and encouraging snowmobilers from other areas to visit.
We were all very pleased when the Prime Minister came down to the valley last year to announce a $25 million investment in Canada's trail network as part of the economic action plan. As the Prime Minister stated, "These trail projects open up new opportunities for the tourism industry in Nova Scotia and Canada-wide".
I once again would like to congratulate the Annapolis Valley Lake and Ridge Runners and wish them all the best in the future.
Canadian Red Cross
Statements By Members
2 p.m.
Larry Bagnell Yukon, YT
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of World Red Cross Red Crescent Day and Canadians like Al Alcock.
Al started his career in the field of logistics and administrative management with the Canadian Armed Forces at the age of 16. He served 16 years in Europe and locations in northern Canada and the Arctic. For the next 21 years, Al was a director of administration and purchasing with the Yukon government. He recently retired as the fire chief for his community volunteer fire department.
After hurricane Katrina, Al was the shelter coordinator for the Canadian Red Cross in Hammond, Louisiana, running three shelters and a staff of 69 Red Cross volunteers. Soon he will be off to Haiti to help those who have lost so much in order that they may regain their lives, their dignity and rebuild their communities.
The Canadian Red Cross responds to thousands of disasters every year in Canada and beyond. It trains millions of people per year in first aid and water safety, provides community health programs and education on issues ranging from humanitarian values and prevention of bullying, and other forms of abuse.
Today we all pay tribute to the 36,000 volunteers and 6,000 employees of the Canadian Red Cross.
Robert De Courcel
Statements By Members
2 p.m.
France Bonsant Compton—Stanstead, QC
Madam Speaker, the Eastern Townships are in mourning. Robert De Courcel, one of the leading figures in the townships' media and cultural scene, passed away on April 21 at the age of 70, succumbing to lung cancer.
An interviewer, columnist and journalist, Mr. De Courcel became known to young people of the 1960s through the show Le Cirque à Tonton, on which he played Tonton Bonbon. He was also the director of programming at the CHLT and CJRS radio stations, after which he returned to television and writing for print media. Robert "Ti-Bob" De Courcel was also known for his involvement in the Fondation du Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke.
On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I would like to offer my heartfelt condolences to his family. And, Mr. De Courcel, one last time, we thank him for all the good memories.
Multiple Sclerosis
Statements By Members
2 p.m.
Linda Duncan Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Mr. Speaker, the Multiple Sclerosis Society and those suffering from MS are calling for greater government support for research, including the CIHR, on the cause and cure for this debilitating disease, and help for those with MS.
Why is this relevant to me as a member of Parliament for Edmonton—Strathcona? Alberta is the MS capital of the world at two to three times the national rate.
My sister died of MS. My cousin and many family friends bravely live with the disease.
I testified, along with a family doctor, before the Alberta Energy Board on the high rates at Lake Wabamun, home to the largest and growing density of coal fired power plants in the country.
Although the cause is unknown, only a small portion of funds for health research and living support are dedicated to MS. The society seeks federal support to establish a coordinated study of potentially related neurological diseases and $10 million for clinical research. It seeks adjusted employment and disability tax benefits to better reflect the character of this disease.
I implore the government to give these requests the support they deserve.
Multiple Sclerosis
Statements By Members
2 p.m.
Patrick Brown Barrie, ON
Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to acknowledge May as being MS Awareness Month in Canada. The MS Society has worked tirelessly in the past fifty years to raise awareness about the devastating effects that MS has on its victims.
The MS Society has established itself as a leader in this cause with tens of thousands of volunteers dedicating their lives to not only helping with service programs, fundraising events and advocacy, but also to finding a cure for this disease, raising $10 million annually.
One local volunteer in my riding who has championed the cause of MS incredibly is Jeanette Elliott, who needs to be particularly commended. She has done everything from leading fundraising efforts to advancing policy change. She has also led the charge for income security and supportive housing for people affected by MS.
I would also like to pay tribute to renowned vascular surgeon, Dr. Sandy Macdonald, a Barrie resident who has invested his own time and funds toward new and emerging treatments of MS.
The dedication of the MS Society and its local chapter is an example of Canadian generosity, and I want to pay tribute to my constituents.
Firearms Registry
Statements By Members
2:05 p.m.
Judy Sgro York West, ON
Mr. Speaker, why is the member for Ottawa West—Nepean ignoring our police officers? They support the life-saving gun registry, a vital tool to keep our families and our communities safe. So do the police chiefs, police boards, and the survivors of the École Polytechnique massacre.
Why is the member for Ottawa West—Nepean not listening? The registry is used more than 11,000 times every day and it costs less than the Conservatives' wasteful government advertising. It is strange to see the member for Ottawa West—Nepean being muzzled, but his constituents deserve better.
He should speak up for them and work with us to make the life-saving gun registry work for all Canadians. Vote for gun control, vote for community safety, and vote no on Bill C-391.
Canadian Red Cross
Statements By Members
2:05 p.m.
Dean Allison Niagara West—Glanbrook, ON
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of World Red Cross Red Crescent Day to pay tribute to Red Cross staff and volunteers across the country like Douglas Mole from Fonthill, Ontario in my riding of Niagara West—Glanbrook.
After serving for 28 years in the Canadian military, Mr. Mole joined the Red Cross movement in 2001 when he responded to the tragedy of September 11 in New York. Since then, he has used his skills as a logistics delegate to help people around the world, whether it be in conflict zones, responding to natural disasters, or distributing bed nets to fight malaria.
When he is home in Canada, Mr. Mole serves as a Red Cross emergency response volunteer in the Niagara region. His partner, Christiane Muir, is also a fellow Red Cross delegate.
The Red Cross responds to thousands of disasters every year, ranging from single house fires, to floods that disrupt entire regions of this country, to large-scale natural disasters like the earthquake in Haiti.
It is Canadians like Douglas Mole who make up the heart of this leading global humanitarian organization and today we salute them.
Firearms Registry
Statements By Members
2:05 p.m.
Christiane Gagnon Québec, QC
Mr. Speaker, is there any hope that the Conservatives will vote to maintain a life-saving tool if they do not even understand why people wanted it and how it came to be in the first place?
The member for Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup believes that there is no connection between the creation of the gun registry and the École Polytechnique tragedy that happened on December 6, 1989. He does not believe that the survivors had anything to do with the creation of the registry.
Either the Conservatives are oblivious or they are simply ignorant.
It is a fact that the bill to create the registry was passed at the urging of the Coalition for Gun Control, which came into being following the Polytechnique tragedy. Denying that direct link is just bad faith.
I hope that the survivors of the massacre who are here on the Hill today will be able to refresh the Conservative members' memory and that of the eight Liberals and 12 New Democrats who voted to get rid of the registry.
Bloc Québécois
Statements By Members
May 6th, 2010 / 2:05 p.m.
Steven Blaney Lévis—Bellechasse, QC
Mr. Speaker, I really have to wonder what the Bloc Québécois has done for Quebec in the party's 20 years here in the House of Commons, apart from sitting back when it is time to act, and constantly criticizing with nothing to show for it.
With the Conservative government in power, we recognize that the Québécois form a nation within a united Canada. We have concluded an important Canada-Quebec cultural agreement concerning UNESCO and we have made huge investments in Quebec infrastructures. But the Bloc Québécois voted against that. We are also providing farmers with support for supply management, and the list goes on.
On many occasions, Bloc members stay seated when our government proposes important initiatives for workers and families in Quebec.
From the Bloc leader on down through the ranks, the Bloc Québécois is no longer achieving anything for Quebec in Ottawa. It is the Conservatives who are working for Quebeckers.
Firearms Registry
Statements By Members
2:10 p.m.
Marcel Proulx Hull—Aylmer, QC
Mr. Speaker, a spectacular democratic rally is taking place today on the Hill. Members of associations of police officers, chiefs of police and police boards; female students and graduates of the École Polytechnique; and representatives of shelters for women who are victims of spousal violence are rallying on the Hill to call on members to save the gun registry.
Quebec, its families and its police officers want to save the registry, but the Conservatives from Quebec want to scrap it, against the will of their constituents. This is no doubt because they do not know what they are talking about, just like the member for Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, who said yesterday that the gun registry and gun control had nothing to do with the killings at the École Polytechnique. The hon. member should take another look at the history of Quebec, and the NDP members should as well.
How can they stand the fact that their party is responsible for scrapping the registry? I urge all members to vote for gun control and safety in our communities.
Firearms Registry
Statements By Members
2:10 p.m.
Bruce Stanton Simcoe North, ON
Mr. Speaker, last November 12 NDP members of Parliament stood in the House, did the right thing, and voted to scrap the wasteful and ineffective long gun registry at second reading. However, they have another important decision to make.
Bill C-391 is now in front of the public safety committee. I am sure the constituents of those 12 New Democrat MPs would be interested to know that their leader and the NDP justice critic joined the Liberals and the Bloc in trying to force the committee to accept the witness list that was 85% in favour of keeping the registry. Thank goodness they did not get away with it.
We have a message for the NDP: no shifting or sliding when it comes to the committee, no shifting or sliding on scrapping the long gun registry.
The constituents of those 12 New Democrats know that they either vote to keep the long gun registry or vote to scrap it. It is just that simple.
Canadian Red Cross
Statements By Members
2:10 p.m.
John Rafferty Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of World Red Cross Red Crescent Day to pay tribute to Canadian Red Cross volunteers and delegates, delegates like Danielle Levesque, a pediatric nurse originally from the small community of Saint-Joseph-de-Kent in New Brunswick.
She spent many weeks in Port-au-Prince helping the injured or, in many cases, children of injured or deceased parents with her skills in psychological support. When the emergency health needs were met, Danielle took part in a massive vaccination program to stave off disease in many of the tent camps that had formed around Port-au-Prince.
Soon after she returned to Canada from Haiti, another earthquake devastated large parts of Chile. Once again, Danielle packed her bags and headed south to help those in need.
We must support the work of skilled emergency response delegates from across the country like Danielle Levesque. They represent Canada's goodwill and humanity to the world in times of devastating loss by providing relief, dignity and hope for recovery.
Statements By Members
2:10 p.m.
Chris Warkentin Peace River, AB
Mr. Speaker, this morning the Liberal chair of the ethics committee showed yet again the ethical bankruptcy of the Liberal Party, when it was revealed that he had a private conversation with the interim Information Commissioner about an ongoing investigation.
Is this how the Liberal Party respects the independent officers of Parliament? All members of the House should believe in respecting due process, all members should believe in respecting the independence of officers of Parliament.
No member of the House should be engaged in a private conversation with a legal authority about an ongoing investigation in the middle of that investigation.
Yet, the member for Mississauga South threw due process and respect for the independent authority of that officer completely out the window by attempting to influence, interfere or direct that independent officer of Parliament.
This is highly inappropriate, grossly unethical, and shows yet again why the Liberal Party cannot be trusted.


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David Bishop
These individual soft-centered cakes are baked and served in ovenproof mugs. (As an alternative, eight-ounce ramekins or soufflé dishes can be used.)
Leave a Review
I have been making these for years....I use ramekins, unsalted butter, 2/3c brown and white sugar and no almond extract. After the ramekins are filled I insert a piece of 70% chocolate. When you bake them the chocolate melts and you get the lava effect. I also just top them with plain whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Overall, an excellent recipe. Very moist cake and good flavor. I just wish the chocolate was more pronounced. But then, it IS an espresso lava cake. We served with ice cream rather than the whipped cream. Very good.
I adapted a recipe based on the reviews below that there was too much sugar, too salty and buttery and had no lava centre. I tried using an adapted recipe below and it worked: Chocolate-Espresso Lava Cake with Espresso Whipped Cream. Makes for 6 ramekins Chocolate Lava Cake: ¿ 1 cup (140g) all-purpose flour ¿ 3/4 cup (80g) unsweetened cocoa powder ¿ 5 teaspoons instant espresso powder or instant coffee powder ¿ 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder ¿ 180g unsalted butter, melted ¿ 3/4 cup (150g) sugar ¿ 4 large eggs ¿ 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract ¿ 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional) ¿ Powdered sugar, for garnish. (optional) Espresso Whipped Cream ¿ 1/2 cup chilled whipping cream ¿ 1 1/2 tablespoons powdered sugar ¿ 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder or instant coffee powder ¿ Cocoa powder, for garnish (optional) Preparation: Sift flour, cocoa powder, 5 teaspoons espresso powder, and baking powder together into medium bowl. Whisk melted butter with sugar until well blended. Whisk in eggs 1 at a time, then vanilla and almond extracts. Whisk in dry ingredients. If you plan to unmold the lava cakes, butter the ramekins well. Divide batter among six ramekins (fill to about 2/3 in each). Cover and refrigerate mugs for at least 1 hour, and up to 2 days. Combine cream, powdered sugar and remaining 1 teaspoon espresso powder in medium bowl; whisk until peaks form. Chill for at least an hour. Preheat oven to 350°F (175 °C). Let ramekins with batter stand at room temperature for 5 minutes. Bake uncovered until cakes are puffed and crusty and tester inserted into centre comes out with thick batter attached, about 11 minutes. If in doubt, underbake. Run a spoon along the edge of the cake and invert to unmold. Sift powdered sugar over the top. Garnish with chilled Espresso Whipped Cream and sift cocoa powder over the cream. Serve immediately.
3 forks for great taste but this was not what I wanted and will only make it again if I want a simple chocolate cake recipe. This cake is far too sweet; I would have to cut the sugar in half and the lava did not erupt at all. I wanted a cake with a liquid centre. This one didn't work. Maybe a cooking time of 20 minutes is enough for 1000 feet above sea level. The wife loved it and loved the almond taste too. Go figure!
These are fantastic--cooking them for 30 they were still a bit underdone but the flavor was great. I doubt the nutrition facts are accurate though. There's no way one of these is 950 calories!
This is delicious & simple to make. The best part is being able put them together ahead of time, then pop them in the oven when you sit down to dinner, and a fresh, hot, decadent desert is ready for guests.
YUM! I made this recipe for a family Cupcake Wars and won for overall taste and overall cupcake!!! The whipped cream stole the show with it's subtle flavor and immense creaminess. I only have a few comments which is why I'm giving it a 3. It isn't a lava cake, there was nothing gooey and moist on the inside but I cooked it at the exact temperature for the exact time, I even took it out a little early. I think the time should be closer to 20 minutes because the cake tasted a little dry. And helpful hint, make small peaks with the whipped cream before you add the powdered sugar and espresso powder. Overall great recipe!
Does anybody know where i can get oven safe mugs for this recipe? i would love to make this for christams eve but im having a hard time figuring out if i can put mugs in the oven...
This super easy dessert is a hit every time I make it! Because it is so rich, I halve the portion size (I make 12 servings from the amount of batter the recipe makes), and use about 1 heaping tsp of chocolate chips in each ramekin.
This is a good base recipe but definitely not the best tasting or easiest to make...for those of you who are experienced with ramekins, mugs are a whole different story - I found it really difficult to gauge temperature and doneness. I like the mug look but this one takes a bit of experimenting.

subset: commoncrawl


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Hoover® Commercial Bagless Hush Upright Vacuum
by Hoover | Item #: 743278 | Model #: HOO 1660 |
We're sorry, this item is not available in your selected Club. Check another Club
About this item
Features a Twin Chamber bagless system that helps maintain maximum power while trapping dirt in sealed chamber for convenient disposal. Bagless system has Teflon® coated HEPA filtration. For heavily soiled areas, utilizes the multi-speed PowerSurge. The 15" cleaner width is great for taking on large, commercial cleaning projects. Hush® Mode allows you to operate at a quieter noise level--great for cleaning in close quarters. Easily lowers to 180 degrees, making it adept at getting under beds, tables and desks.
Assembled Country
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sherubtse wrote:Thank you for taking the time to reply to our concerns, Skyla. I am glad that you care enough about your company and its perception in the tea community to offer an explanation from your side.
I will say that I find the tone of your reply to be somewhat pretentious and patrionising. If some people have concerns with your company, it is best to respond to them as individuals and not as if you are writing a press release for the general public. Also, offer to make things right -- go above and beyond what is expected. (An apology for the confusion re the Jungpana is the least you should have done, in my opinion.) Companies that put excellent customer service first are the ones that get my business.
Re the Jungpana confusion, I would suggest that you instruct your sales associates to be more specific with their explanation to customers of the source and origin of your teas. That may well prevent any further confusion.
As to the price of your teas, that is a matter of opinion, really.
Best wishes,
AdamMY wrote:I'm trying to nurse myself back to health.... First up on that task is Keemun from Pheonix Tea Shop.
ethan wrote:javi, I drink that Simao... from YS about twice a week so am curious what you mean by "starchiness".
javi_sanchez wrote:ethan wrote:javi, I drink that Simao... from YS about twice a week so am curious what you mean by "starchiness".
I may be using the wrong word. Mouthfeel? There is a thickness that I can't really put my finger on. I will brew another batch tonight and try to pay more attention. I immediately thought of yams or sweet potatoes which is why I chose "starchiness".


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22 January 2013
Newel post
This one is real - not Photoshopped - as explained by the craftsman's son in a discussion thread at Reddit. It was featured in a JLC magazine article in 2005; the post is hand-carved from mahogany and modeled after a tropical strangler fig tree. Carving and installing the handrail required 800 man-hours.
5 comments:
- AnonymousJanuary 22, 2013 at 9:35 PM
Gaudi would have loved this!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJanuary 26, 2013 at 3:45 AM
800 hours?? It's gorgeous but I'd be ashamed to take that much time on something.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousFebruary 2, 2013 at 7:56 PM
to bad he did not save time to get the light switches levelReplyDelete
was he paid by the hour at Journeyman's rates? or was it billed to the taxpayers on a congresmans house?ReplyDelete
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County hires new building and zoning administrator
ESCANABA – The Delta County Board of Commissioners approved hiring a new building and zoning administrator for the county. The action took place at Tuesday's regular county board meeting.
Dan Menacher, of Wallace, was hired to fill the position of current building and zoning administrator Tim Callahan, who will retire June 1.
Menacher was one of four candidates who were recently interviewed during a committee of the whole meeting, but according to Delta County Administrator Nora Viau, was the only candidate who was an Act 54 registered building inspector and plan reviewer – one of the main requirements for the position.
Menacher has 20 years of experience as a Michigan licensed residential builder, 17 years of experience as a licensed contractor in Wisconsin, and 28 years of involvement in the building trade.
A third-generation home builder, he has nearly three years of experience working for the Menominee County Building Code Department, is a certified soil erosion and sedimentation control enforcing agent, a designated county flood plain administrator, and a certified lead safe renovator.
Members of the board expressed their thoughts about the interview process.
"I thought that Dan interviewed very well," said board vice-chair Mary Harrington. "He came prepared for the interview and he meets all of the qualifications that we requested for applicants to have."
Harrington noted Menacher currently works part-time for Menominee County and he wanted to make sure he was not putting them in a problematic situation if he was hired by Delta County.
"We have very good relations with Menominee County and that really helps to solidify those relationships. I was impressed by him and he has my support for that position," she said.
Commissioner Dave RIvard agreed with Harrington, and said he felt Menacher was very energetic about the position.
"He was very enthused about it and, in turn, asked us a lot of questions … about how we worked and operated," said Rivard. "And living in proximity to where he does now, which is not right in Escanaba, he is very familiar with Delta County as a whole. When you read his resume, he has a very good background, a lot of experience."
The board voted 4 to 0 to approve hiring Menacher. Commissioner Dave Moyle was absent from the meeting.
In other business the board:
approved a resolution for Emily DeSalvo to fill the position of district court administrator/magistrate.
approved a request by Ken Gartland of K Enterprises, LLC, to rezone a piece of property located south of County 426 M.5 Road and east of 18th Road in Wells Township from industrial to commercial 2. A portion of land is desired for the development of a new building to house the Delta Animal Shelter.


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Meet at 3:00 and ride at 3:30 monday route!
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I wanted to inform everyone that I was renaming the group Alamo Bicycle and Multisports to go back to the roots of the group which was bicycling and add the multisports for the runners, swimmers, tennis players, raquet ball players etc......
The whole concept is to get together and enjoy ourselves doing whatever we wanted concerning an agreed upon activity. I really didn't want to rename the group but it seemed strange not to have bicycle in the group name when a majority of our members are bicyclist.
My name is Glen and I joined the group after a terrible accident at work that has left me scared and my blood pressure through the roof after my third surgery, I am a disable veteran of the army in which I served 13 years. I know alittle about exercise and love to play a little tennis, basket ball, volley ball and go swimming when ever I can squeeze those activities into my busy schedule. If anyone has a suggestion of any kind just through it out there in the discussions with a time and a place and I will make a meet up for that activity on the calender.
I just wanted to say hello to everyone and hope this group will serve your needs. Have a great day and I hope this message finds you and finds you well.
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Gary Allan Neckers
Gary Allan Neckers, 55, of East Main Street, Clymer, N.Y., died suddenly at his home on Friday, Feb. 22, 2013.
He was born on Nov. 29, 1957, in Camp Lejeune, N.C., a son of Barbara Maas Neckers of Corry, Pa., and the late Kenneth B. Neckers.
Gary was raised and educated in Clymer, N.Y., graduating from Clymer High School in 1975. Following graduation he went to work for Maplevale Farms Inc. in Clymer, N.Y., which has been a family-owned business since its inception. Gary was the current president and CEO of Maplevale Farms Inc., which is now located in Falconer, N.Y.
He served on the board of directors of the Chautauqua County Corvette Club. He also was a member and regional executive of the Misery Bay Region of SCCA, (Sports Car Club of America) Erie, Pa. Gary had received several awards from them over the years including Member of the Year and Driver of the Year. He enjoyed Corvettes, racing, basketball and spending time with his family. He especially loved watching and teaching his grandkids to play sports, and traveling on family vacations. Gary will always be remembered for his great sense of humor, and his gentle, kind and intelligent nature.
In addition to his mother, Gary is survived by his wife, Sandra A. Miller Neckers, whom he married on June 17, 1977, in Findley Lake, N.Y.; three children: Bruce Neckers and his wife Amy of Clymer, N.Y., Heather Kinal and her husband Murl of North East, Pa., and Shawn Miller and his wife Julia of French Creek, N.Y.; and three brothers: Doug Neckers and his wife Wendy of Corry, Pa., Andy Neckers of French Creek, Pa., and Bruce Randall and his wife Jacki of Richmond, Va. Gary is also survived by five grandchildren: Dustin and Alexys Neckers and James, Colt and Dalton Miller; and many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.
Family and friends are invited to call at the Bracken Funeral Home, 315 N. Center St., Corry, Pa., on Tuesday from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. and attend the funeral service there on Wednesday at 11 a.m. The Rev. John Zimmerman, of the First United Methodist Church, Corry, will officiate.
Burial will be in Pine Grove Cemetery, Corry, Pa.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Clymer Volunteer Fire Dept., Clymer, NY 14724 or a charity of one's choice.


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10 Most Expensive Beers In The NFL
Hike the price of beer, however, and you'll give fans enough rage to keep them nice and toasty through the waning regular season games of winter.
The NFL fans who dislodge themselves occasionally from their cushy, screen-and-snack-filled game day caves, turn off DirecTV's
That isn't exactly doing wonders for the argument the NFL is a family-friendly experience. The average cost to take a family of four to a game, park, have a beer, hot dog and soda and go home with a program and cap also jumped 3.7%, to nearly $460. If you're a beer-swilling single, however, it's not such a bad year. After beer prices that jumped from an average of 42 cents an ounce in 2011 to 43 cents an ounce last year, they actually sank to roughly 41 cents an ounce this year.
That's still $7 for little more than a pint, but it seems as if teams are making beer an actual concession to fans feeling otherwise squeezed by ticket prices. In Ohio, fans of the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals still enjoy $5, 12-ounce beers for 42 cents an ounce. That's still costly compared with the 35 cents per ounce paid by folks watching the Miami Dolphins (20 ounces for $7) and New Orleans Saints (24 ounces for $8.50). The Carolina Panthers have easily the lowest per-ounce price in the league at 27 cents per ounce (22 ounces for $6), but the biggest surprise may be in New England. Despite having the league's highest average ticket price at $118 and making the AFC Conference Championship last year, the 38 cents per ounce the team charges for beer ($7.50 for 20 ounces) is the lowest of any team that made the playoffs last year.
Other fans aren't nearly as fortunate. With help from Team Marketing Report's Fan Cost Index, we found the Top 10 beer prices in the league and the teams that view their fans as a keg of cash with a tap that's always open:


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Brief Summary
The Kingdom Animalia (=Metazoa) is one of a handful of lineages rooted far back in the branching "tree" that represents the history of life on Earth. This lineage that is composed of those organisms we know as "animals" represents one of the three major origins of multicellularity (the other two large and diverse groups of multicellular organisms are the fungi and the green plants).
It is difficult to list characteristics that apply to all animals, since various branches of the animal tree have undergone a range of significant modifications. However, most animals obtain energy from other organisms. They generally feed on them as predators (killing and eating a prey item); parasites, including herbivores feeding on plants (feeding on their "prey" without killing it, at least not immediately); or detritivores (ingesting tiny bits of decomposing organic material such as fallen leaves). In contrast to animals, most plants make their own food, through the extraordinary process of photosynthesis, using energy captured from the sun; most fungi break down decaying organic material (without ingesting it) into its chemical constituents and absorb released nutrients. Animal cells lack a rigid cell wall (some form of which is typical of plants and most fungi) and their cell biology and physiology differ in a variety of ways from other organisms.
The diversity of animals is impressive. Zhang (2011; 2013) recently coordinated an effort to outline a classification scheme for all known animals and to estimate species richness (i.e., number of species) in different parts of the animal tree. Results from this publication are enlightening. More than 1.5 million animal species have been described (and many more continue to be discovered and formally described each year). The phylum Arthropoda (insects, spiders, crustaceans, etc.) accounts for around 80% of this total; around 2/3 of the total is accounted for by the insects alone. Well over a third of all known insects (and around a quarter of all known animal species!) are beetles: nearly 400,000 different species of beetles have already been described. Among the known species of insects are also nearly 120,000 Hymenoptera (ants, bees, and wasps) and nearly 160,000 Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies). More than 40,000 spider species and over 50,000 species of Acari (mites and ticks) have been described. Nearly 70,000 species of Crustacea (crabs, shrimps, barnacles, pillbugs, and many groups completely unfamiliar to those who don't study them!) are known. The Myriapoda (millipedes, centipedes, and relatives) includes around 12,000 described species. The Mollusca (clams, snails, octopuses, and relatives) is among the largest of the animal phyla, with nearly 120,000 known species. There are over 17,000 known species of Annelida (segmented worms, including earthworms, "polychaete" worms, leeches, and their relatives), Even some groups most people have never even heard of are quite diverse. For example, there are over 1000 described Acanthocephala, over 3000 Pseudoscorpiones, and more than 1500 Rotifera species (and rotifer specialists believe this last number may represent just a tenth or less of the true global rotifer species diversity). By comparison with these invertebrate clades, the generally more familiar vertebrate groups are less diverse, but many people may still be surprised to learn, for example, that there are around 32,000 species of described "fishes" and nearly 6,000 described mammal species. The numbers presented here are merely an appetizer. Anyone seriously interested in biodiversity will thoroughly enjoy studying the original volume by Zhang and colleagues which is freely available online.
Comprehensive Description
Description of Animalia
Description of Animalia
Carnival of Animals
human wandering through the zoo
what do your cousins think of you
- archie the cockroach (aka Don Marquis)
A quality control inspector in a widget factory has an ideal form for widgets, and is only interested in how close each widget off the assembly line comes to this ideal. Too much variation means a widget won't work, and something is wrong. Quality control inspectors are essentialists. For them to define what a widget is would be straightforward. The mathematical abstraction or ideal is the widget.
But in the world of living things there is no ideal form "animal" from which the "real" animals depart. Biologists have shifted from essentialism to "population" thinking. Evolution can only work if it has variations to work on. Ernest Mayr, the great Harvard evolutionary biologist, wrote: "For the populationist the type is an abstraction and only the variation is real." (Mayr, 1959).
There is no lowest common denominator "animal". What is real is all of the variation. All of the variations that make you unique from all of the other specimens of the species Homo sapiens, or all of the other members of the animal kingdom. The sum total of all of these differences makes up the definition of animal.
Obviously I can't describe or list all of the ways every animal that exists, or has ever existed, varies from every other. Even identical twins have different fingerprints. And even if I could write such a definition of animal no one would be able to read it. It would be easier writing an article explaining what is a Blue Buck. This species of antelope (Hippotragus leucophaeus) became extinct around 1800, before any scientist could study it. There are only 4 specimens in museums. You can read the entire scientific literature in under an hour. And no one could dispute your findings because no one knows much of anything about this animal
In the children's guessing game 'animal, vegetable, mineral' the world is divided into three groups. Science has revealed that there are more things in the world than are dreamt of in children's games. The scientist Carl Woese divided life into three kingdoms - Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukaraya, with animals a subdivision of the later (together with protists, fungi, and plants). Other more recent taxonomic systems divide life into several kingdoms: bacteria, archaea, chromista, protozoa, animals, fungi, and plants (and sometimes add viruses as another kingdom for good measure). As of yet there is no consensus about how these kingdoms are related, or should be arranged, or even if they should all have the taxonomic status of 'kingdom.'
Taxonomists divide the animal kingdom into between twenty and thirty phyla. One recent textbook, Kingdoms and Domains (Margulis, 2009) recognizes as many as 37 animal phyla. Some of the more visible or well known include the annelids (earthworms and leeches), arthropods (crustaceans, arachnids, and insects), chordates (including amphibians, birds, fish, mammals, and reptiles), cnidarians (corals and jellyfish), echinoderms (starfish and sea urchins), and mollusks (including snails, squids, octopods, and oysters). Some phyla, like poriferans (sponges), people sometimes don't even realize are animals. For others that you may never have heard of see the gateway articles on invertebrates and worms.
The most diverse phylum is arthropods. Within this phylum the most diverse class is insects, and within this class the most diverse order is Coleoptera (or beetles).
Animals are likely monophyletic – that is to say they are all descended from a common ancestor (Conway Morris, S., 1998). (Mammal is a monophyletic group because it contains an ancestral species and its descendants. Although birds and mammals are both warm-blooded, 'warm-blooded animals' is not a monophyletic group because the last common ancestor of both was neither a bird nor a mammal, but a reptile.)
The cells in your body contain DNA, the hereditary information that allows them to reproduce copies of themselves. (The usual textbook analogy is that DNA is like a computer software program.) The genes that regulate limb development in humans and other mammals also regulate limb development in insects. The great diversity of animal life mentioned above is not so much the product of new genes. It is the product, via evolution, of ancestral genes being deployed in new ways during the development of an organism. In fact, all animals share in common certain genes called Hox genes, that plants and fungi lack. These might be thought of as traffic cop genes that specify positions, so that other genes know where to make an eye rather than an antenna (Erwin, 2002).
Animals, like plants and fungi, are eukaryotic – their cells contain a nucleus (which houses the DNA), and cell organelles like mitochondria that have special functions and structures.
Bacteria on the other hand are made of cells without a nucleus. As some bacteria can live inside of the cell walls of others, it is theorized that eukaryotes evolved from such symbiotic bacteria.
All animals are multicellular. Bacteria can form colonies, but each bacterium is more or less the same. In an animal's body the cells are differentiated and have many forms and functions. Plants and fungi are likewise multicellular; in fact multicellularity probably evolved many times - in lineages separate from the three well known ones.
It was once thought that sponges may have evolved from different ancestors than the rest of the animal kingdom. They have pronounced differences from other animals, even though they are multicellular. What enabled mutlicellularity in animals to evolve? They evolved the biological equivalent of Velcro to stick cells together. These adhesive molecules and their receptors (the technical term is extracellular matrix or ECM for short) are something all animals have in common, even sponges, and is something that makes them a monophyletic group (Willmer, 1990).
If the fact that the cells that make up our bodies evolved from single celled ancestors seems academic, consider this. These single celled ancestors had to compete against one another, and try and multiply and produce more copies than other cells. But now they have evolved to be team players, and have to keep down their inherited ability to make more and more copies of themselves, so the whole body, with all its parts, will work as one.
But sometimes some of them break free of this rule, rather like when you were a kid playing dodge ball, there was always one other kid who hogged the ball and didn't let anyone else have a turn. Well, when our cells break this bondage, although it is good for them to make lots of copies of themselves, it is not good for us. In fact we have a name for when this happens. We call it cancer.
If you think frogs get their energy by eating flies, rather than the other way around, this is not always true. The larvae of one fly species (Tabanus punctifer) bury themselves in mud, grab toads with hook-like mandibles, and eat them by sucking on the amphibian's bodily fluids (Jackman, 1983).
The most visible distinction between the three multicellular kingdoms of animals, plants, and fungi is their source of energy. Just as your computer needs a power source to work, so living things need a source of energy. The sun is the ultimate source of energy for most living things, though there are bacteria that live deep underground, and communities of organisms around deep-sea hydrothermal vents, not dependent on the sun.
Plants produce energy by photosynthesis. They turn water, carbon dioxide, and sunlight into sugar. (Though not every plant photosynthesizes. Some, like Sarcodes sanguinea, don't. They live as parasites of other plants.). Organisms like plants, or bacteria, which produce their own energy, are called autotrophic.
Fungi absorb the nutrients they need to survive from dead organic matter, by secreting enzymes. They are saprophytic.
Animals are called heterotrophic – they get their energy by ingesting organisms that produce it. Some are herbivores, they eat plants. Some are carnivores, they eat other animals that eat plants, and some are omnivores, they eat both. (But as is well known, there are some carnivorous plants, like Hellamphora heterodoxa, that eat animals.) The ecosystem thus contains a chain of matter-energy transfer known as the food chain or the food web. And not every animal is heterotrophic. There are some photosynthetic animals, like Elysia chlorita, that contain photosynthetic symbionts. They are solar powered animals (Rumpho, 2011). And there is even a species of sponge that metabolizes methane, Cladorhiza methanophila (Vacelet, 1995).
Animals, like plants, develop from an embryo. But animal embryos take the form a blastula – a hollow ball of cells that no species of plant, fungus, or anything else forms.
A sperm cell fertilizes an egg cell, and from this, the adult animal develops through a process of coordinated multiplication and differentiation. In some animals this process is internal, and they give birth to live young (most mammals, with a few exceptions like the platypus). Other animals, like birds, lay external eggs.
In some animal phyla (rotifers, nematodes, ribbon worms, flat worms), the cavity of this ball of cells or blastula goes on to form the body cavity of the animal.
In other phyla (called coelemates), the blastula folds inwards and forms a three-layered ball of cells with an opening.
These coelemates are further divided into two groups: the protostomes and the deuterostomes. In protostomes (like earthworms, mollusks, and arthropods), the first opening of the ball of cells becomes the mouth of the adult organism. In deuterstomes (like echinoderms and chordates, including humans) the first opening of the ball of cells becomes the anus. Later in development another opening is created and develops into the mouth.
Subsequent development varies greatly from species to species. Some insect species, for instance, undergo several stages of development, like the well-known butterfly metamorphosis from larvae to pupa to adult.
The development of many species is still unknown. Of all the species of sponges, the life cycles of only about a hundred have been studied. And a new discipline of evo-devo or the evolution of development has grown in the past couple of decades, to study how development has evolved.
The Canadian porcupine (Erithizon dorsatum) is nocturnal, so its behavior is not always apparent to us. Its mating season begins in the autumn. Although males exhibit sexual urges throughout the year, females exhibit a shorter period of sexual urges. They experience 3 or 4 months of gradually developing heat, during which time they will stimulate their genitals, by, for example, riding a stick. Males will sing from a "very inaudible low whine to a high-pitched piercing whine." (Shandle, 1946). The height of the mating season occurs between November and January. Males will stand up on their hind legs. If a female is receptive to his advances, she will stand up as well. The male will then urinate over her. Often they repeat this behavior several times. The rest I will leave up to the reader's imagination. Or readers can consult the scientific literature in the references.
In bacteria, reproduction, in the sense of making a copy of an organism, and in the sense of exchanging genetic information, are separated. A bacterium can make a copy of itself by splitting into two. No DNA has been exchanged with anything else. But bacteria can exchange DNA directly, like people sharing computer software. No new bacteria need be born in the process. The technical term is lateral gene transfer, or LGT for short. This led the Harvard scientist Richard Lewontin to describe the tree of life "…as an elaborate bit of macramé." (Lewontin, 2001).
In animals, by comparison, making a copy is intertwined with exchanging genetic information. All animals are sexually reproducing, or have sexual ancestors. Some species, of aphids for instance, produce alternating sexual generations and asexual clones. In some species, hermaphrodites, (like the snail Felix aspersa), both sexes are contained within a single organism. Sometimes simultaneously, or sometimes sequentially. In other species, the sexes are separate organisms. Sometimes the sexual differences (or sexual dimorphism as it is called) in a species are not very pronounced; in other species they are considerable. In some insects for example, the strepsiptera, males have wings and fly and females are legless and wingless. In the spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) the female's genitals mimic male genitals. In some species sex is genetically determined, and in others sex is determined by the environment. Even homosexual or bisexual behavior has been found in the animal kingdom (Bagemihl, 1999). (There is a vast literature about how sex evolved, and why it persists. For a recent survey see Ellgren, 2007.)
Looking at ourselves as members of the animal kingdom, the most undeniable fact about us is that we are mortal, though we spend a lot of time ignoring this or pretending otherwise. Why do animals die, and how did death evolve?
Like many creative artists, Woody Allen has been asked: "Would you like to survive through your work?" His reply: "No, I want to survive by not dying." Instead of surviving through our children, or our work, why don't we survive by just not dying?
Thinking of organisms as engineered machines can sometimes be misleading. For example, like all vertebrates, your digestive tract (how you eat), crosses with your respiratory tract (how you breathe) in your throat, putting you in danger of choking to death on honey garlic chicken wings. No engineer would design a machine in such a suboptimal way. But natural selection has to make do with historical legacies; it is less an ideal engineer than someone who tries to fix problems by using duct tape.
Organisms, unlike your car, can be self-repairing. You may ask, so why can't your body just go on repairing itself and never wear out? The answer came from the scientist George Williams. Imagine you are car shopping. One model is very durable and doesn't rust for ten years but that is because the material it is made of is heavier, more expensive, and makes it a gas-guzzler. Another is lighter, cheaper, and less gas greedy but will start to rust after only five years. Do a cost-benefit analysis. If the car gets stolen or totaled in an accident in five years then the extra cost of the non-rusting material will not pay off – it will have gone to waste.
Nature, likewise, has to make trade-offs. It chooses something more beneficial to a young organism than something that is good but spread out over a longer life span. This is because there is a greater statistical likelihood of being a young person or a new car, than there is being an old person or car. So adaptive traits that favor young organisms' survival will, over time, get selected for. As George Williams wrote: "Senescence might be regarded as a group of adaptively unfavorable … changes that were brought in as side effects of otherwise favorable genes, and which have only been partly expunged by further selection." (Williams, 1957). Hence the existence of what doctors call senescence and necrosis, or in plain English, old age and death. Nowadays bureaucrats and the medical profession have euphemisms for death like 'Negative Patient Care Outcome.' Only two things in life are certain, negative patient care outcome and taxes. (Again there is a large literature about how death evolved. For a recent survey of various theories see Mitteldorf, 2004.)
The most salient fact about the story of animal life is that for the longest time there wasn't any. Animals are like people who arrive at a party fashionably late. The Earth is 4.6 billion years old. The oldest fossils are three and a half billion years old, and life perhaps first evolved around 3.8 billion years ago, though some evidence from biochemistry suggests it evolved earlier, perhaps even as early as 4.3 billion years ago. Between 4 to 3.8 billion years ago the Earth underwent a 'late heavy bombardment' (or LHB for short) of comets and/or asteroids, and if life did evolve earlier, it went through a bottleneck (Miller, 1995).
The earliest undisputable fossil evidence of animal life comes from towards the end of a period of time geologists call the Ediacaran, a mere 635-542 million years ago. The current record holder is a possible sponge-like animal from just before a worldwide glaciation called the Marinoan glaciation 650 Myr ago (Maloof, 2010). There is some evidence of trace fossils going back a billion years: fossils of tracks that may have been made by worm-like animals (Seilacher, 2007), but the evidence is debatable. (No sooner did I finish the final draft of this article, and then researchers at the University of Alberta announced the discovery of fossils of worm-like animals from about 585 Myr ago, making me behind the paleontological fashion curve. See Pecoits, 2012.)
In addition to fossil evidence, there is genetic evidence. By comparing the genes of various animals, it is possible to discover which are more closely related. It may also be possible to measure when the evolutionary divergence between them took place, using what has been dubbed the 'molecular clock' – if changes in the genetic code take place at a regular rate. Using this molecular clock method, it has been estimated that animals branched from all other living things between 700 Myr and one and a half billion years ago (Wray, 1996). But again, this evidence is still debatable. More recent studies have suggested the last common ancestor between a fruit fly and a mouse lived 600 – 540 Myr ago.
So the origin of animals, perhaps more than 700 Myr ago, and the subsequent diversification of them - during an event paleontologists call the Cambrian explosion - are separate events.
The paleontologist Dolf Seilacher has argued that the Ediacaran fauna were not precursors of modern animal phyla, but represents a separate experiment in animal evolution that produced many species unlike anything produced later (Xiao, 2009).
Since then there has been exponentially growing diversity, punctuated by several mass extinction events. The Cambrian explosion, 535-530 Myr ago, saw a vast radiation of animal diversity in a relatively short time (short geologically speaking of course, not in human terms). All of the 30 or so phyla mentioned above evolved by the end of the Cambrian. But there were far more phyla back then. Some paleontologists have identified as many as a hundred. So although the number of species has been increasing, the number of higher taxa has declined. Nor have new phyla evolved since.
( Gould, 1989)
The mother of all mass extinctions was the Permian one around 250 Myr ago that may have killed off as much as 90% of animal species. There were more than 50 species of mammal-like reptile at the time. If one of these species, thrynoxodon, does not eke its way through this extinction, mammals like us may not be here wondering just what an animal is. The more famous K-T mass extinction 65 Myr ago was almost certainly caused by the impact of a giant asteroid with the Earth, and if it had not occurred, dinosaurs might still be around, and mammals like us might be tree shrews that tyrannosaurs chow down on.
There is evidence that we are currently in the midst of another mass extinction, this one human caused. There is now a large literature on this subject. (See for example, Ward, 1995, or Wilson, 1999.)
Thus animals have been around for only a fraction of the time life has. And our species is only about 200,000 years old. As Mark Twain once quipped, if the Eiffel tower represented the history of life on Earth, we would be the lick of paint on the tip.
The cancer researcher Lewis Thomas suggested that:
"… introductory courses in science, at all levels…be radically revised.
Leave the fundamentals…aside for a while, and concentrate the attention
of all students on the things that are not known. You cannot possibly
teach quantum mechanics without mathematics…but you can describe
the strangeness of the world opened up by quantum theory. Let it be known
early on, that there are deep mysteries, and profound paradoxes…Teach…the
imponderable puzzles of cosmology. Let it be known, as clearly as possible,
by the youngest minds, that there are some things in the universe that lie
beyond comprehension, and make it plain how little is known..." (Thomas, 1995,
In that spirit, rather than describe or summarize more things we know about animals, here are some things we don't know.
How many animals are there?
This may mean how many actual organisms there are, a measure called biomass. Or how many species are there? The answer to the first we don't know. The Harvard entomologist E. O. Wilson, for instance, guessed that there might be ten quintillion insects in the world. The nematode roundworm is the most abundant animal on the planet.
How many species are there? So far taxonomists have described approximately one and a half million animal species (Zheng, 2011). To estimate the total number of species scientists extrapolate. For instance, they will put a tree in a giant baggie, fog it with insecticide, and then collect the dead insects. They then compare the insects already known to science, to those that are newly discovered, and try and extrapolate from this data, and guess the total number of species remaining to be discovered. Various such attempts have led to estimates of between 3 and 100 million species yet to be discovered. So science does not yet even know the order of magnitude, let alone the actual number of species.
These different estimates are due to different sampling procedures and statistical techniques. So it may be true that there are between 3 and 100 million animal species, but also not a very useful bit of information. It's rather like a cake recipe that says 'add between 3 and 100 cups of flour.' In one recent study, Camilo Mora, of Dalhousie University in Halifax, has estimated that there are approximately 7.77 million animal species in the world today (Mora, 2011). And even if taxonomists have named a species there is still much to be learned about it. Nor should we forget that a statistically significant number of all of the species that have ever lived are extinct. In fact, probably 99% of animal species that have evolved are now extinct, and relatively few of those have left any trace in the fossil record.
bladder of Utricularia is predator of Animalia
Known predators
Fulmarus glacialis
Alle alle
Gavia stellata
Clangula hyemalis
Based on studies in:
Norway: Spitsbergen (Coastal)
This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.
- V. S. Summerhayes and C. S. Elton, Contributions to the ecology of Spitsbergen and Bear Island, J. Ecol. 11:214-286, from p. 232 (1923).
Evolution and Systematics
Functional Adaptations
Functional adaptation
Defensins are naturally produced peptides that inhibit pathogen growth and degrade pathogen toxins by binding to the pathogens
"In addition to their bacterial membrane permeabilizing capacity, defensins have been shown to neutralize bacterial invasion by directly binding to bacterial toxins….Similar properties have been described for retrocyclins, a class of circular defensins found in non-human primates, which were shown to bind to the anthrax lethal factor with high affinity [66]." (de Leeuw and Lu 2007:69)
Learn more about this functional adaptation.
- Zou, G.; De Leeuw, E.; Li, C.; Pazgier, M.; Li, C.; Zeng, P.; Lu, W-Y.; Lubkowski, J.; Lu, W. 2007. Toward understanding the cationicity of defensins. The Journal of Biological Chemistry. 282(27): 19653-19665.
- de Leeuw, E.; Lu, W. 2007. Human defensins: turning defense into offense?. Infectious Disorders Drug Targets. 7(1): 67-70.
Functional adaptation
Mucins of animals stop invading pathogens by being coated with sugar chains that trap the invaders.
"Researchers at the University of Massachusetts and Yale University are looking for ways to trap viruses. In order to reproduce, viruses need to invade a host cell and replicate using the cell's own DNA-replication system. The researchers figured that if they could lure viruses to decoy cells, they could reduce the viral load enough for someone with HIV or other disease for that person's own immune system to successfully fight off the attack. Mucins are proteins found in most body fluids. They are coated with sugar chains that trap invading pathogens. Red blood cells also appear to act as pathogen traps. One approach is to coat nanoparticles with viral receptors. Another approach is to add decoy attachment sites to red blood cells. One advantage of using viral traps is it would be hard for viruses to evolve resistance to them." (Courtesy of the Biomimicry Guild)
Learn more about this functional adaptation.
Functional adaptation
The metabolism of animals oxidizes fat-soluble organic chemicals into excretable water-soluble substances, via P450 enzymes.
"The number of P450 genes cloned from various organisms such as animals, plants, yeasts, fungi, bacteria and sequenced is presently over 2000 and still increasing…P450s are major enzymes in drug metabolism in animal tissues and organs because they convert the pharmaceutics to more hydrophilic metabolites which are easily excreted into urine." (Hara 2000:103)
Learn more about this functional adaptation.
- Hara, Masayuki. 2000. Application of P450s for biosensing: combination of biotechnology and electrochemistry. Materials Science and Engineering: C. 12(1-2): 103-109.
Functional adaptation
The arterial walls of many animals resist stretch disproportionately by incorporating non-stretchy collagen fibers in a particular arrangement.
"In effect, Laplace's law rules out the use of ordinary elastic materials for arterial walls, requiring that an appropriate material fight back against stretch, not in direct proportion to how much it's stretched, but disproportionately as stretch increases. Which, again in obedience to the dictates of the real world, our arterial walls do--aneurysms, fortunately, remain rare and pathological. We accomplish the trick first, by incorporating fibers of a non-stretchy material, collagen, in those walls, and second, by arranging those fibers in a particular way. Thus, as the wall expands outward, more and more of these inextensible fibers are stretched out to their full lengths and add their resistance to stretch to that of the wall as a whole." (Vogel 2003:7-8)
Learn more about this functional adaptation.
- Steven Vogel. 2003. Comparative Biomechanics: Life's Physical World. Princeton: Princeton University Press. 580 p.
Functional adaptation
Aquatic organisms move effectively through water by maximizing propulsion efficiency.
"It [the Froude propulsion efficiency] says that for highest efficiency, the velocity of the fluid issuing from the propulsive unit--paddle, propeller, jet, or whatever--should be as close as possible to the velocity of the craft...Clearly the way to maximize Froude propulsion efficiency consists of moving the largest possible mass-per-time (m/t) of fluid and giving it the least possible increase in speed (v2-v1). In practical terms that means maximizing S, the cross section of the propulsive flow stream."
While the Froud efficiencies "vary in quality and involve differenty underlying assumptions and simplifications, the picture that emerges is satisfyingly consistent with our expectations."
"* Moving water with undulating body, beating wing, or swinging tail beats squeezing water out of a jet, as anticipated. A squid may jet fast, but when it wants to go far, it's more likely to use its fins.
"* The same undulating devices do better than systems that move water back-wards with a paddling system, with its alternating power and recovery strokes. We'll return to this comparison between 'lift-based' and 'drag-based' propulsion in chapter 13.
"*Bigger (or at least moderate size) is better than smaller. Except for one questionable datum for a bacterial flagellum, no creature below about a centimeter in length does better than ηf = 0.5. The pernicious effects of low Reynolds number (chapter 11) cannot be denied.
"*The broad hydrozoan medusae (essentially small jellyfish) may use jet propulsion, but they do it by pushing out an especially large volume (relative to their own) through a wide aperture. So they have a much higher m and lower v2 than the other jetters, and thus evade most of the difficulty inherent in equations (7.5) and (7.6)." (Vogel 2003:142-143)
Learn more about this functional adaptation.
- Steven Vogel. 2003. Comparative Biomechanics: Life's Physical World. Princeton: Princeton University Press. 580 p.
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text: Case | HBS Case Collection | July 2004 (Revised May 2016) Opium and Entrepreneurship in the Nineteenth Century Geoffrey G. Jones, Elisabeth Koll and Alexis Lefort Concerns the growth of multinational trading companies in the first global economy. Examines two Scottish-owned merchant houses, Jardine Matheson and James Finlay, and shows their changing trade and investment strategies as well as their use of an organizational form later known as business groups. Also demonstrates the role of ethnic networks in globalization during this historical period. A rewritten version of an earlier case. Keywords: History; Globalized Economies and Regions; Ethnicity; Multinational Firms and Management; Groups and Teams; Trade; Social and Collaborative Networks; China; Citation:Jones, Geoffrey G., Elisabeth Koll, and Alexis Lefort. "Opium and Entrepreneurship in the Nineteenth Century." Harvard Business School Case 805-010, July 2004. (Revised May 2016.) View Details CiteView DetailsEducatorsPurchase Related


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Our WorkRead about our Service Projects centered in and around Washington, D.C.
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Do you have a Revolutionary Ancestor in your FAMILY TREE? Do you enjoy learning about American HISTORY? Do you want to gain LEADERSHIP experience and improve your PUBLIC SPEAKING skills? Do you enjoy having FUN with kids who have similar interests? Learn how to become a member >>
Congratulations Past State President Elizabeth Leon for winning the State President's Gold Award at the 2013 National Convention.
The Nominating Committee is pleased to annouce the 2014-2015 Slate of Officers
2011 National Convention
Click photos to enlarge.
74th Annual State Conference
33rd Annual Potowmack BallClick photos to enlarge.
State Theme
We All Need a Friend
This year's State President's project will be to support Jill's House and the special needs children and families it helps. Jill's House provides respite for children with intellectual disabilities and their families in the Greater Washington, DC area. They serve boys and girls, ages six through seventeen, with intellectual disabilities without regard to race, religion, or ethnicity. Their mission is to be a safe haven to which parents can entrust their children, allowing the parents a time of rest. To ensure that parents and caregivers get a real break, typical siblings are welcome to stay at Jill's House.
Daisy will be focusing on volunteering at Jill's House and looks forward to your support of this year's State Project.
Local D.C. Societies
Benjamin Harrison
George Washington
Harriett Lothrop
Mount Vernon
2013 Program Packet
Program Packet
Contest Entry Form
2013-2014 National Project
The goal for this year is to get EVERY local and state society more involved in supporting Student Veterans of America, www.studentveterans.org. Everyone can participate by visiting local SVA chapters, meeting with veterans, sending care packages to soldiers and so much more! The possibilities are endless and any way that we can support our veterans, their families and their schooling dreams is a major support to them!
Visit the NSCAR Website!
Email the Senior State President
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News Advisory
Breast Cancer Awareness Month Programs at St. Lawrence-FDR Power Project Hawkins Point Visitors Center
Two events are scheduled to promote October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month at the Hawkins Point Visitors Center at the St. Lawrence-FDR Power Project.
On Thursday, October 13 at 7 pm, Jackie Dow, health associate, Canton-Potsdam Hospital, will offer a breast health presentation. It will include a question and answer session. Dow also represents North Country Mobile Mammography Services. North Country Mobile Mammography Services operates within a coach-type bus and makes scheduled stops to bring mammography to underserved populations in the North Country.
Prior to the presentation, experience the wide array of interactive exhibits, at the newly constructed $5 million visitors center, which will re-open at 6 pm. Exhibits include Water Power and the St. Lawrence facility, Basics of Electricity and Uses of Electricity. Visitors are also sure to enjoy the panoramic views of the power dam from Hawkins Point.
On Friday, October 14, the North Country Mobile Mammography Coach will be on hand to perform mammograms, by appointment, from 9 am to 1 pm. Appointments are scheduled by calling 1-877-MAMMO2GO or 1-877-626-6624. North Country Mobile Mammography accommodates women who do not have health insurance and for those women who have insurance, all insurance is accepted. The visitors center is open normal hours.
EVENT: Breast Health
DATE: Thursday, October 13
TIME: 7 pm (Visitors Center re-opens at 6 pm.)
EVENT: Mobile Mammography
DATE: Friday, October 14
TIME: 9 am – 1pm, By Appointment.
(Visitors Center open normal hours, 9 am – 5 pm)
DIRECTIONS: From Massena: Take State Route 37 east to Route 131 (across fromSt. Lawrence Centre Mall), turn left and proceed through the Eisenhower Lock tunnel. Then take the second right onto Robinson Bay Road and continue for two miles. Turn left onto Hawkins Point Road and follow the entrance road to the visitors center.
Carol Simpson, Community Relations, regional manager, NYPA, at (315)
764-0226, ext. 304, or (800) 262-NYPA, if calling from New York State.
Jackie Dow, Women's Health Associate, Canton-Potsdam Hospital, at (315) 261-5935, or 1-866-507-0593


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UNEP FI project seeks framework for assessing government bonds
Could an abundance of natural wealth be a factor in positively influencing a country's credit rating and the quality of its bonds? Could a resource-guzzling economy be cause for a downgrade?
The UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) in collaboration with Global Footprint Network and leading financial institutions will endeavor to shine a light on these questions with a groundbreaking project to explore the role of natural resource accounting in strengthening risk models for government bonds. The project seeks to incorporate how much natural wealth countries have – and how much they spend – into assessments of long-term credit risk.
Tightening constraints on resources and their potential impacts on national economies have been largely absent from financial analysis. Yet such factors are thought to have growing implications for the long-term credit risk of many government bonds, especially those with long-dated maturities.
"The global financial crisis has taught us more than anything that some of the core risks that affect the value of debt securities and derivatives can simply run ahead of our ability to understand them," said Paul Clements-Hunt, Head of UNEP FI. "This is why we must deepen our understanding of the risks posed by climate change, water scarcity and the overuse of natural resources for securities. We should not be caught off-guard again. This project is one of the first that tries to quantitatively and systematically consider the linkages between the use of natural resources and its impact on a country's core economic indicators that in turn influence the quality of its bonds."
The bond project was launched yesterday at workshop at a side-event to the UNEP FI Global Roundtable, which is taking place in Washington D.C. this week. The Roundtable draws hundreds of leading financial experts along with high-level government officials seeking to address the link between financial stability and environmental sustainability.
The project has two aims: it will investigate the linkages between ecological risk and country-level risk in sovereign bonds, and develop a methodology to explore how credit rating agencies, investors and financial information providers can integrate ecological data into their respective models. In particular, the analysis will look at the risks to countries whose populations and/or industries require more resources than is domestically available and which are hence reliant on ecological services from abroad.
"As resource constraints tighten globally, countries that depend heavily on ecological services from other nations may find that their resource supply becomes insecure and unreliable. This has economic implications – in particular for countries that depend upon large amounts of ecological assets to power their key industries or to support their consumption patterns and lifestyles," said Global Footprint Network President Mathis Wackernagel. "Meanwhile, those countries with reserves of valuable natural capital may find themselves in an advantageous position."
The project will substantiate the business case for financial institutions and ratings agencies to include ecological criteria as a key component of financially material country credit risk analysis. Institutions will thus be enabled to work towards better inclusion of financially-material environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues in financial products and services.
Learn More
Read the Investment & Pension Europe article: Forests into Fixed Income.


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The Comeback
Vail, Colorado's Ellen Miller returns to the top with a little help from titanium
When Ellen Miller, 52, of Vail, Colorado, stood on top of the world's eighth-highest mountain, Nepal's Manaslu, ...
Photo by Jack Affleck
When Ellen Miller, 52, of Vail, Colorado, stood on top of the world's eighth-highest mountain, Nepal's Manaslu, at 26,759 feet, last October, it was not even close to her highest summit view. The Colorado runner and climber had already beheld the world from its highest vantage point—twice. She became the first North American woman to summit Mount Everest from both sides when she reached the top via the South Col route from Nepal in May 2002, a year after climbing the Northeast Ridge route from Tibet in 2001.
But for Miller, the view from Manaslu's summit may have been the sweetest. The mountain's name comes from the Sanskrit word manasa, meaning soul or spirit. And Miller's successful climb of the peak last autumn was a cherished homecoming to the mountains, one that may speak louder about her essence than any other climb she has done.
In 2007, the USATF certified running coach and manager of the Women's United States Mountain Running Team (USMRT) began experiencing pain in her hips. After traveling to Europe and competing in the GoreTex Transalpine Run stage race that summer, she went to see a physician in Vail. He sent her in for an MRI, which revealed that Miller's hip cartilage was shot. Hip specialist Dr. Michael Dayton's summation was succinct: Most human joints are made to last about 100,000 miles, and hers were worn out.


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New Markdowns
Lovely Chemise
Style: 570065194
Out of Stock
A silky soft chemise in our exclusive Cool Nights® fabric and soft animal and wildflower print. Shimmery ivory floral stretch lace overlay and narrow band of sheerness along the empire waist in front. Beautiful with Embraceable Cool Nights Carnation Short Robe.
- Cool Nights® breathable knit keeps you cool and dry.
- Luxurious lace-covered bodice, with wide, gorgeous sheer lace straps and a double-V neckline.
- Adjustable picot-edged straps.
- Satin bow center front.
- Integrated shelf bra provides light lift and soft support.
- Wide scalloped lace hem.
- Approximate length: 35.5".
- Non-cling stretch knit retains shape and silky drape, even after countless washings.
- 97% Rayon, 3% Spandex. Machine wash, cold. Imported.
Read more… Read less…


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adidas Youth L.A. Clippers Chris Paul #3 Road Red Replica Jersey
Product Information:
Let your little one rival the players on the court in the adidas® Youth Los Angeles Clippers Chris Paul #3 Replica Basketball Jersey. With the team wordmark and player name on this team-colored jersey, you'll score major points for ultimate team spirit with your youngster. Your little one will be a triple threat in the adidas® Youth Chris Paul #3 Replica Basketball Jersey.
- adidas® Youth Replica jersey
- Screen-printed team graphic and player number on front
- Player name and number screen-printed on back
- adidas® interior back neck taping
- Screen-printed Official NBA® logo
- NBA® logo placement may vary
- Rib knit arm openings and collar
- adidas® locker tag above left hem
- Officially licensed by the NBA®
- Fabric: 100% polyester
- adidas
Country of Origin: HondurasWeb ID: 16669486
Customer Reviews:
Rated 3 out of 5�by 2 reviewers.
Rated 5 out of 5�by Darkdrag Amazing I love Chris Paul and this jersey says it all. It is the most amazing jersey in the world June 25, 2015
Rated 1 out of 5�by Blinville4 Peeling off on the letters The letters were peeling off when we received the jersey in the mail. My son was so disappointed! January 23, 2013
1-2 of 2


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full size
Product Details
What makes our Italian cashmere so special? Not only do we insist on using the best yarn out there, but each season we develop completely custom colors that you'll find only at J.Crew (we work hand in hand with a centuries-old Italian mill to ensure that each shade has just the right depth, saturation and brightness). The flower on this chic drop-sleeve sweater is based off a photograph our designers took at NYC's famous flower market. (The design is intarsia knit into the sweater instead of on top—a much more difficult process, but it's the key to getting these rich colors).
Size & Fit Details


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TRAINING LEVEL: Basic
CLASS SIZE: Minimum: 20 Maximum: 30
The Bridge Construction Inspection Course (BCIC) is one of the core curriculum initiatives cited by AASHTO, FHWA, and the five regional organizations. These core curriculum initiatives are being pursued in order to maximize regional, public, and industry resources in the development of core training and qualification-based certification programs, improve the quality of bridge construction, and promote uniformity in training content and qualification requirements.
Overall, the BCIC improves quality, ensures uniformity, and establishes minimum competencies for bridge construction inspection. The underlying themes of the course can be broken down into key segments. The BCIC will provide the construction inspector with:
1. The requisite knowledge of construction that will make him/her an effective inspector
2. An overall awareness of the problems and consequences that can arise during construction and how these factors will impact the safety and service life of the structure
3. A knowledge of the inspections that should be performed to confirm conformance to the contract documents, or document contract nonconformance
Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to:
Construction supervisors, transportation department field inspectors, field engineers, resident engineers, structural engineers, materials engineers, and other technical personnel involved in the construction inspection of bridges. The course is developed for participants without an in-depth engineering background. However, more knowledgeable persons can attend and will add to the overall effectiveness of the training through their active participation.
If you have questions about this NHI training, please contact NHI at
firstname.lastname@example.com or 877.558.6873.
Sign up for session alerts
to receive email alerts when sessions of this course are scheduled.
The National Highway Institute (NHI) has been accredited as an Accredited Provider
by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET).
In obtaining this accreditation, NHI has demonstrated that it complies with the
ANSI/IACET Standard which is recognized internationally as a standard of good practice.
As a result of their Accredited Provider status, NHI is authorized to offer IACET CEUs
for its programs that qualify under the ANSI/IACET Standard.


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The Digital Skeptic: 'Amazon Dot-Org' as Vulnerable as Anyone Else
LAS VEGAS ( TheStreet) -- Gary Shapiro is not concerned whether Amazon (AMZN) makes money. He's not concerned whether it's a so-called "Web retailer" or not. In fact, he is not concerned at all.
"This is a brutal business," he said to me. "The barriers to entry are low. Companies are trending up. They trend down. Things change."
Shapiro and I were digging deep into what was working -- and not working -- in consumer technology retailing. We were sitting in what had to be the only quiet room at last week's Consumer Electronics Show: Shapiro's extravagantly silent temporary office smack in the middle of the Las Vegas show floor.
Shapiro is the president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association. That makes him the evil genius that crams 100-thousand-plus tech vendors, retail buyers, IT nerds -- and yes, throwback columnists such as me -- into the Coachella of U.S. geekdom, the 2013 International CES.
And -- to his credit -- he was gracious when I admitted I questioned most of his latest book on creating and profiting from new ideas: Ninja Innovation . He laughed. He knew my stuff. He figured it came with the territory.
What Shapiro and I were hashing out was not CES, but his larger role of working for the Consumer Electronics Association. He answers to a board that includes such tech heavies as Scott Burnett from IBM (IBM) , Mike Dunn from Twentieth Century Fox , Joe Hartsig from Sam's Club , Tim Baxter from Samsung and Luis Pineda from Qualcomm (QCOM) , just to name a few.
I wanted Shapiro's take on the hip -- but telling -- new Vegas nickname for Web retail bellwether Amazon.com. Profits have gotten so thin for the Internet sales giant that CES hipsters were winking and calling it "Amazon Dot ORG."
To Shapiro, he'd seen it all before.
"Amazon has done a great job by providing a great experience and great customer service," he said. To him, the biggest issue in his business is the perception that players in the space are trying to control the market, which can lead to antitrust issues.
"So you come to trust the markets to tell you what companies are or are not worth," he said. "The numbers are the numbers."
I pointed out that said numbers for Amazon are now hard for me understand: price-to-earnings ratios of roughly 3,600 times earnings and net margins that make T-bills look rich. Shapiro walked this skeptic through the history of selling technology to customers, with the lesson that what works one minute may simply does not work the next.
"Retailers come and go," he said.
Whatever works is what works
Shapiro pointed out that original discounters such as E.J. Korvette essentially invented selling at a lower retail price by leveraging the buying power of its many stores to sell below the manufacturer's suggested retail price, even as showroom merchandiser and catalog showroom fads brought many brands into one store.


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Your comprehensive resource for ladybug facts, crafts, products & fun!
Whether you just want to collect them or send your packages, letters and invitations in style ladybug postage stamps are the way to go.
How cool would it be to have a ladybug themed birthday party or shower with matching ladybug invitations that were mailed using ladybug postage stamps!
Below is a sample of the ladybug postage stamps we've made and there are more available at our ladybug shop here.
More cool ladybug products you may like...
|Ladybug Stickers
|Ladybug Bags
|Ladybug Business Cards
|Ladybug Bumper Stickers
|Ladybug Buttons
|Ladybug Hats
|Ladybug Keychains
|Ladybug Magnets
|Ladybug Mousepads
|Ladybug Mugs
|Ladybug Aprons
|Ladybug Postcards
|Ladybug T-shirts
|Ladybug Shoes


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Sun HPC Software, Developer Edition 1.0 for OpenSolaris
By Lubomir Petrik on Jun 29, 2009
Just couple days ago, Sun announced the Sun HPC Software, Developer Edition 1.0 for OpenSolaris. It's a fully-featured HPC development environment that is distributed as a virtual machine (VM). It is based on OpenSolaris 2009.06 and includes pre-configured:
- Sun Grid Engine 6.2u3
- Sun HPC ClusterTools 8.1
- Sun Studio 12u1
- Sun Studio IDE Plugins
- Examples of DTrace and performance analysis
- Accounting and Reporting Console (ARCo)
The compelling feature for HPC developers is that this VM can add cluster resources from Amazon EC2 when local simulated 3-node cluster is insufficient. See the architecture diagram here.
If you wish to give it a try on VirtualBox rather than on VMware follow this blog post.
Additional links:
Download page
Wiki documentation
Release notes


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Missing: No reason for Hancock-area man's disappearance
Tracking tracks in the winter woods/Brian Hess
With snow on the ground and more coming, there are plenty of opportunities to get out and explore. There are a number of activities that are popular this time of year that get people outdoors.
No matter where you are or what you are doing when you're out in this winter wonderland you have probably noticed tracks in the snow not made by you or your companions. These signs tell a story of who or what was previously in the area.
Many of our local fauna are still very active and they leave their tracks behind for us to see. Besides the tracks, other signs can also be spotted, such as their droppings and remains from their feeding. The morning after a fresh dusting of snow is probably the best time to hunt for these tracks. When there is a light dusting of snow over old snow the prints will be more distinct and easier to identify. Plus, many of the animals leaving these tracks are more active at night, so the tracks tend to be fresher.
Although tracks are common throughout the area, some places are better than others for spotting tracks if you are interested. Coniferous forests tend to be loaded with tracks because there is a lot of cover and the snow is not as deep, making it easier for the animals to move around. The forest around streams and rivers is also a good place to look. I suppose it's because it is an area that the animals can get a drink but also because some of them are normally around water.
Probably the most common tracks to be seen are from squirrels, which seem to be everywhere. Other tracks that are easy to find are mice and similar rodents, snowshoe hares, rabbits, deer, foxes, coyotes, and birds such as grouse.
In deeper snow, grouse will sometimes burrow into the snow to insulate themselves from the colder weather. Evidence of this appears like a small fist-sized hole in the snow with wing marks from their feathers on the surface of the snow on either side.
Some of the less common finds are wolf, otter, fisher, and bobcat. Even these can be found if you know where to look. If you spend time along the local rivers in the winter it is not uncommon to see an otter slide, where they literally slide their bodies over the snow and usually down a stream bank. Fisher tend to hang in the dense pine forests near swamps. Wolves are far roaming so you never know where you'll see their sign.
There are several good books available to help in identifying tracks and sign that you find. It's easy to identify the cloven hoof tracks of a deer but not as easy to distinguish say, the tracks of a muskrat from the tracks of a mink.
With the help of a guidebook this task becomes easier. I think the most unique tracks I found were spotted while I snowshoeing in to Sandy Lake to do some ice fishing. The trail ahead of me had tracks of a snowshoe hare leading along till they just disappeared. When I got closer to where the tracks vanished I could see brush marks from the wing feathers of the raptor that carried the bunny away.


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2012 Inline Speed Skating World Team
Congratulations to the 2012 Inline Speed Skating World Team. The team is currently training at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. They will be competing at the 2012 World Championships in Ascoli Piceno (track) and San Benedetto Del Tronto (road), Italy from September 6-15, 2012.
Zephaneah Akana, Midlothian, Va.
Misha Averill, Puyallup, Wash.
Nicole Bischoff, Stanhope, N.J.
McKenzie Browne, Coopersburg, Pa.
Benjamin Carey, Stockton, N.J.
Kevin Carroll, West Chester, Pa.
Michael Cheek, Greensboro, N.C.
Devin Firek, Fredericksburg, N.C.
Courtney Grzech, Fort Pierce, Fla.
Brandon Hall, Federal Way, Wash.
Kelsey Helman, Hagerstown, Md.
Erin Jackson, Ocala, Fla.
Ananda Jolliff, Moreno Valley, Calif.
Hailey Leech, Crystal Lake, Ill.
Darian O'Neil, Clinton TWP, Mich.
Jarrett Paul, Tampa, Fla.
Melissa Perry, Dighton, Mass.
Jake Powers, Greensboro, N.C.
Donavon Sellers, Des Moines, Iowa
Annette Stapleton-Heywood, Port Huron, Mich.
Justin Stelly, Kaplan, La.
Mario Valencia, Bushnell, Fla.
Harry Vogel, Vero Beach, Fla.
Tanner Worley, Wichita, Kan.
Coach: Jay Ingram, Royal Oak, Mich.
Manager: Tammie Powers, Greensboro, N.C.
Manager: Vicci King, Bonney Lake, Wash.
Alternate Manager: Joe LeGault, Hayden, Idaho
Athletic Trainer: Kevin Schar, Colorado Springs, Colo.


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Otsu Hotels > Otsu Prince Hotel > Overview
Otsu Prince Hotel
The hotel is located on the shores of Lake Biwa, the largest lake in Japan. The 38-story Otsu Prince Hotel is adjacent to the Convention Hall Ohmi, one of the biggest conference venues in Japan. It is conveniently located 10 minutes from Otsu Station by car. Otsu Station is 9 minutes from Kyoto Station by train. It is 75 minutes by the -HARUKA- train from Kyoto station to Kansai International Airport. Prince Hotel Welcome Counter (Kyoto station JR Shinkansen Hachiho Exit) Our Welcome Counter offers convenient service to those sightseeing in the Shiga Prefecture and Kyoto areas. Simply leave your luggage with us, and set out to see the sights, unencumbered by your belongings.
7-7 Nionohama 4 Chome
Otsu, 520-8520 JP
Check In Time: 14:00:00
Check Out Time: 11:00:00
Hotel Amenities
- Meeting rooms
- Outdoor pool
- Wireless internet connection
Room Amenities
- Air conditioning


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Lacoste Glasses
Lacoste has a lot to celebrate given its 80 years in fashion and evolved focus on classic sportswear. Founded in 1933 by René Lacoste, an avid tennis player and member of the France Davis Cup team, Lacoste has effortlessly established itself as the unconventional chic sportswear company. The elegant, yet audacious crocodile logo, which is synonymous with the brand, came to life after René Lacoste was given the nickname "the Crocodile" from his tenacity on the tennis courts. The epitome of Lacoste style combines athletic appeal with traditional design. Casual neutrals are often paired with vibrant pops of colour for a playful aesthetic. A brand known for reinventing classic designs, Lacoste glasses feature traditional elements, such as horn rimmed acetate, while playing with bold shapes and colours. Lacoste eyewear displays universal appeal with fine lines and cutting-edge styles. The unique combination of sporty athleticism and urban sophisticate unite to position this collection in a class of its own. Made with the highest quality materials and superior attention to detail, these frames are the perfect combination of durability and high fashion for the discerning trendsetter. A seamless blend of tradition and innovation makes Lacoste eyewear a longstanding leader in the eyeglasses industry.


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Historically, it was relatively unusual for Supreme Court justices to publicly express their views through published writings outside of their opinions. Recent exceptions include Justices Scalia and Stevens, who maintained a long-running debate about how the Constitution should be interpreted, both in their judicial decisions and public speeches and writings.
Recently, sitting Justices have published several books, including Clarence Thomas, My Grandfather's Son: A Memoir (2007); and Stephen Breyer, Active Liberty: Interpreting Our Democratic Constitution (2005) and Making Our Democracy Work: A Judge's View (2010). Justice Scalia's 1997 book, A Matter of Interpretation: Federal Courts and the Law (1997), engaged scholars in a debate about Constitutional originalism; more recently, he co-authored (with Bryan Garner) Making Your Case: The Art of Persuading Judges (2008).
See also these comments by the recently retired Justices:
- John Paul Stevens, On the Death Sentence (reviewing David Garland, Peculiar Institution: America's Death Penalty in an Age of Abolition)
- David Souter, Harvard Commencement Remarks (May 2010)
- Sandra Day O'Connor's comments on various issues have made news since her retirement in 2006


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UGAChemDawg,It would help to know what style of pizza you like most. I personally think that the Chicago deep-dish style is the easiest to make but that doesn't help if you can't stand that style or if you prefer the New York style or some other style popularized by the major pizza chains. It is also important to know what appliances you have on hand. For example, do you have a stand mixer (such as a KitchenAid), food processor (e.g., a Cuisinart) or bread making machine, or do you plan on kneading dough by hand? I assume also that you will most likely be using flour and other ingredients that can readily be purchased at your local supermarket. At least until you decide that you have become hooked on making your own pizzas and want to upgrade them by using better and more specialized ingredients.