text:
The ABCs of Saving
We save money to get things we can't afford to buy now. Saving for the future requires patience but it can be worth it when we get what we want the most. Successful savings depends on three elements which are presented to students as the ABCs of saving. A is for Aim: setting a goal. B is for Bank: creating a place to put savings. C is for Coins and currency: making saving money a habit. Students participate in an activity in which they must distinquish between short-term and long-term goals. In a second activity, they discover that when they decide to save for a future goal, they are giving up the opportunity to buy something now. What they give up is their opportunity cost—the thing they wanted second most. The well-known fable about The Grasshopper and the Ants helps illustrate this point. Big Banks, Little Banks (http://???) can be used as a follow-up lesson introducing students to the advantages and disadvantages of different savings places.
Money Management, Opportunity Cost, Savings, Trade-off, Trade-offs among Goals
- Identify the steps for success in saving.
- Give examples of how saving for the future means giving up things today.
- Set a savings goal and develop a plan to reach it.
The students will be asked if they have ever wanted to buy something but didn't have enough money? They will be told this is a problem that people of all ages have. One solution is to set aside small amounts of money until you have saved enough to buy what you want. In this lesson, you will identify the steps to being a successful saver and learn how saving for tomorrow requires giving something up today.
Short Term or Long Term?: This is an interactive drag and drop activity that will help students learn about short term and long term goals of saving.
Short Term or Long Term?
Learn How to Create A Savings Place: This interactive story provides information on how to start a place to save money.
Learn How to Create A Savings Place
The Fable about the Ants and the Grasshopper
: This site tells the story about the Ants and the Grasshopper.
The ABC's of Saving: Using this activity, you can have students record their goal and plan for achieving it.
The American Savings Education Council: The ASEC offers a Piggy Bank Wrapper that can be downloaded, printed and attached to a coffee can. A space is provided for a student to draw or glue on a picture of their goal.
Ed's Bank: Ed's Bank is an interactive saving and shopping cartoon game.
The Credit Union National Association: The CUNA offers the Googolplex Saving Calculator where students can determine how long it will take to save for their goals.
[Note to teacher: The reading ability of your students will determine how you use the flash file. Older students will be able to open the file and read it it independently. For younger students, project the flash file using an LCD projector or television monitor and read the text to students. Regardless of how the information is presented, be sure to emphasize the ABCs of savings by pointing out A is for Aim, B is for Bank, and C is for Coins and Currency. The students will be told the following. This text can be found in the flash activity Learn how to create a savings place.]
Set a Goal. The first step to saving is deciding on a goal that you want to save for. It might be a toy for yourself, a gift for a friend, or money to spend on a trip you plan to take.
Things that don't cost much money and take only a few weeks or months to save for are called short-term goals. Saving money to go to the movies or to buy a small toy are short-term goals.
Things that cost more money and take longer to save for are long-term goals. Saving for a bicycle or a video game player are common long-term goals for kids. A long-term goal for an adult might be a new house, a car, or paying for college.
Remind yourself of your goal by putting a picture of it in a place where you will see it everyday. On a door or a mirror in your room are good places.
Have your students choose the "Short-Term or Long-Term?" activity to learn about other short-term (less time to save for) and long-term goals (more time to save for).
[Note to teacher: Long-term and short-term are relative terms. Reinforce the idea that long-term goals cost more money and take longer to save for than short-term goals. If students are having difficulty with this activity, suggest students consider items that cost less than $10 which most might be able to save in a few weeks as short-term goals while items that would require they save for many months or even years are long-term goals.]
Create a Savings Place. Next, you will need to create a place where you will put your savings. A piggy bank, can, or jar will work. A clear glass container will let you watch your savings grow.
To resist the urge to spend your savings, you may want to ask an adult to hide some of the money you have saved in a safe place. If you need to save a lot of money for a long time, you can ask an adult to help you set up a savings account at a bank or credit union.
Access the above information via a flash file here. This can be viewed by students via a wall projector and read aloud by the instructor.
Coins and Currency
Make Savings a Habit. Now you are ready to start saving. Do you get an allowance or money for doing chores? If you do, make it a habit to put some of the money in your bank before you are tempted to spend it. When you get money as a gift, put this money in your bank too.
The trick is to save as much as you can whenever you can. Before you know it, you'll have enough saved to buy something you are dreaming about!
Read the story about the ant and the grasshopper . Find out how the grasshopper learned about the importance of saving.
The following questions about The Ant and the Grasshopper should also be discussed and reflected upon with your students.
- What were the ants saving for? [Food for the winter]
- What did the ants give up? [Time playing or relaxing]
- What was the grasshopper's opportunity cost? [Food for winter]
- What have you had to give up to get something else? [answers will vary]
As a class, discuss the following questions. Younger students can read along with the teacher during the class discussion. You may want to have older students work independently prior to the discussion preparing written answers. Explain to students that opportunity cost is the thing they give up when making a choice.
- What is saving? [Money set aside for the future and not spend on goods and services in the present.]
- Why do people save? [To buy something in the future that they can't afford today.]
- Why is it important to establish goals? [ So you aren't tempted to spend your money today and stay focused on what you really want.]
- What are your short-term savings goals? [Stuffed animal, small toys, movie tickets, carnival rides, etc.]
- What are your long-term savings goals? [Bicycle, skateboard, summer vacation, video game player, pet, computer, etc.]
- How do people get the money they want to save for their goal? [Most people work to earn money. They might get money as a gift. Some lucky people win money.]
- Where might you get money to save? [Allowance, earn it, gifts, win it, etc.]
- If you have a piggy bank, where could you put it so that you can get it easily and it will not get lost or stolen? [In a closet, under the bed, in a drawer, in a parent's safe, etc.]
Tell the students they are going to create a plan to reach one of their savings goals. Explain that when people set a saving goal it is important to know how much these goals will cost. Provide the students with catalogs and newspaper advertisements for toys and other items they might want to purchase for themselves or others. Guide the students so they choose something that is achievable for their age and available resources.
Have the students record their goal and plan for achieving it using the activity sheet "The ABCs of Saving".
When the students are done, ask them to share their plans with the other students.
As the students report their plans, ask them:
- Is your goal a short-term or a long-term goal?
- What is your opportunity cost?
Post the students' savings plans on the wall. Arrange them from the least expensive to the most expensive. Discuss why the students have different goals. [They already may already have some things, they like different things and different people value different things.]
At the end of the day, encourage the students to take their picture home and post it someplace where it will remind them of their goal so they aren't tempted to spend their money on something else.
A few weeks later, ask the students to make progress reports. Discuss what parts of their plans are working and where they are having difficulties. As a class try to come up with solutions to the problems identified.
[Note to teacher: It might be necessary to make further modifications that address the special circumstances of the students.]
Saving for the future requires patience and giving up some things you might want today. But it can be worth it when you get what you want the most.
- Access and download the "Piggy Bank Wrapper ". Print copies for the students to attach to a coffee can so that they can create piggy banks.
Have the students practice their skills of identifying coin values and using a mouse by clicking on and dragging the coins to . The money the students are able to put in Ed's bank can then be used by the students to go shopping. The students can watch Ed's quirky reactions as he makes his purchases.
- Have the more gifted students use the Googolplex Saving Calculator to see how long it will take to save for their goals.
"These economics lessons have really made a dry subject (economics) exciting for my 4th grade students."
"I enjoyed reading this."
"Great lesson for the intensive program for ESL students."
"I feel that this lesson can be very exciting for young children. Again, I like all of the interactive websites integrated into the lesson and the creative ideas. Some of the reading material is more difficult so younger children may need to read in groups or with partners. I like how the lesson incorporated the story of The Ant and the Grasshopper! It then proceeded to included follow-up assessment questions. One suggestion that I thought of while reading this lesson is to have the students create a T-graph labeling one side "long term goals" and the other side "short-term goals." The students will then need to think of several examples of each type of goal as they complete the chart. I feel that this would be more concrete for the students and give them a resource to refer back to at a later time. Overall, I like this lesson and would use it in the classroom."
"I am studying for my MS in Education; I have a 5.5 yr old daughter and this is actually perfect for her and what I've been trying to teach her about money and responsibility, and this will be great for my course study. Thank you!"
Review from EconEdReviews.org
"This lesson is great for kids to realize the value of a dollar and they can save to get what they really want. This activity gives other lessons for you to continue on through after you are done with this one! "
Review from EconEdReviews.org
"This is a great lesson to teach young students and children about the value of saving money and how to do so. "
Review from EconEdReviews.org
"This lesson can be taught to children at a young age! great to start children learning economics early on!"


text:
Palin defends GOProud participation at CPAC
posted at 10:12 am on February 7, 2011 by Ed Morrissey
No great surprise here, really; Palin has quietly backed the end of DADT and expressed support for conservative gays and lesbians in the past. Speaking here with David Brody from the Christian Broadcast Network and excerpted by Breitbart TV, Palin doesn't endorse GOProud but does defend their attendance at CPAC, and argues that the value of events such as CPAC is to debate the issues and provide as much information as possible to attendees:
Related Posts:
Breaking on Hot Air
Obama: "Despite our best efforts," Syria turned into a pretty vicious war
Montana special election: Will Gianforte give Democrats a beating?
- Sarah Palin Supports GoProud | Intolerant Fox
- PALIN and KRVARIC: The GOP at 3:00 AM « Temple of Mut
- GayPatriot » Sarah Palin is okay with GOProud participation in CPAC
- Gay Conservatives Exist. Get Over It. » American Glob
- "Get Back to CPAC"
- I could not have said it any better myself « The Daley Gator
- CPAC 2012: A Gay Rights Group's Path From Center Of Discusion To Excommunication | Jon Huntsman
- CPAC 2012: A Gay Rights Group's Path From Center Of Discusion To Excommunication | Tech101
- What I read today, March 17, 2011 « 1RedThread
- NewsSprocket | GOProud returns to CPAC …

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Something I occasionally see in posts is
M$ Appl$ Andr$id XB$x Nint$ndo .. I guess it's easier to put a dollar sign into MS but if that's the only company that can be associated with money and corporate power then pershaps it's not always easy to understand how business works, and what it takes to put these nice computers on our desks and into our pockets. Microsoft just happens to be the best at what it does in particular domains. But referring to Micro$oft with the dollar sign embedded implies that they are somehow selfish or greedy or after money more than everyone else, and that is a plainly immature view of the situation. Apple is valued at $658 billion, while Microsoft is valued at $258 billion, so who should have a dollar sign in their name ? Neither I would say, but it seems to be trendy to use M$ in certain circles. If they didn't make money, they wouldn't exist, at least in their current form. And there would be someone else in their place. There are always major players in every market. There's nothing wrong with that.
Another occasionally mentioned sentiment is
I think that is a massive oversimplificiation of the global computing marking. Windows now runs on over 1 billion devices, and that figure will only grow, I've read that although PC's took 30 years to reach that mark, it will be doubled in the next 10 years. And if you look at some figures, and I present just one set of the many available figures (these figures are derived from internet usage data from w3schools). It is clear that Linux and Mac are increasing their market share (which is fantastic), but Microsoft is holding it's own quite comfortably.
M$ is losing popularity
I see the usage of 'M$' and other circulating comments about the failure of Windows as an expression of a 'fantasy of decline' which isn't uncommon. It's good to be passionate about something you love and hope for it's survival or success, or hope that the other guy doesn't crush your dreams. But to condemn without good cause or falsely represent an entity and it's failure isn't actually adding anything to the discussion IMO.
Microsoft isn't going to give up the desktop OS struggle, because there is no struggle, although I'm sure this is not a commonly held view of possibility, merely one held by a very select minority to which this article may be directed. Microsoft will probably be building desktop (and other) operating systems far beyond our personal lifetimes. And any speculation beyond that is pure fantasy and it becomes a philosophical and demographic discussion.
I would expect the trend in growth for Mac to continue, I'm not so sure about Linux though. I can't foresee either OS supplanting Windows as the market leader any time soon, and their is no one else in the running. Although if you look at more specific markets like living-room gaming or tablets or others then the situation is more complex, Microsoft isn't even a serious player in some of those markets (yet). Mac may well continue to grow as they have a strong financial position and have taken some clear and decisive steps towards new technologies and methods. But I actually would be surprised if Linux doesn't peak soon. I don't see Linux as a viable product in the wider market. And even if it were to improve to the point that it may be usable by a wider audience, I imagine it would have to be presented to us in a different package (if that's even possible) in order to grow further.
It will be interesting to see how the Surface and Metro change the playing field. I predict that either the first or second generation Surface and OEM interpretations will easily compete with iPad and Android implementations. And will give Microsoft a decent share of the tablet market. I think they've done something really right with Windows 8 and Metro. I think the nay-sayers are too stuck in their traditional views of Windows and just don't understand the dynamacy and expectations of the casual market. Most home and street users don't need Windows as we know it (likewise could be said for Linux/Mac). It's actually too flexible and configurable, too much can happen with your installation. There is a demand for simpler and domain specific devices. The growth of console gaming demonstrates that precisely. The growth of smart phones and tablets demonstrates that, and other devices, E-Readers, Media hubs etc. There are surely other markets yet unexplored.
Windows 8 and Metro represent Microsofts attack into this new battlefield, and although it's not clear yet whether this newly devised phalanx can conquer, what is clear is that Microsoft is very serious about this battle to win our eyeballs. And whether we hate it or love it, Metro is going to change the way Microsoft thinks about software and services.
Windows 8 released October 26, just over a week ago has already sold millions of copies but it's uptake may be slower when compared to Windows 7. But it's still an absolute player in the OS stakes. Looking at the steam survey page, the figures for Windows 8 users shows :
Windows 8 64 bit 1.85% +0.71%
I'm not sure if that's a good or underwhelming uptake of the new Windows, remembering that the figure is specific to gaming systems. But looking back at the internet access figures XP will continue to drop it's user-base and Vista has a few percentage points there too that will probably move to Windows 8. Within 2 or 3 years from now, Windows 8 will be in 2nd position after Windows 7. And it's evident that a new edition of Windows immediately stops the 'relative' growth of the previous edition. This trend should continue even with the mighty Windows 7, but we will have to wait to see if that happens given the uncertainty about the new Windows.
Any notion that Microsoft [Windows] is losing popularity however does not seem to me to be well founded. The worlds technologies are diversifying and major OS providers are scrambling to position themselves within these new emerging markets. This is a good thing for the consumer. And it's a good thing for developers. I for one am looking forward to the ensuing technology wars.
Edited by Gavin Williams, 04 November 2012 - 07:12 AM.


text:
VIDEO: Marcia Clark Discusses the "Physically Painful" O.J. Simpson Verdict
Mar 7, 2016 12:15 PM EST
Marcia Clark, who was the lead attorney on the O.J. Simpson murder case, says she doesn't believe there was anything she could have done to get the jury to convict the star athlete. During a sit-down with Dateline that aired Sunday, the former Los An… Read more


text: Hello guys, We have a number of server with litespeed running and most of them is having issues with the cleancache script running. While running these we are not even able to do any thing on litespeed admin, not able to switch to Apache nor even able to get the sites working while running these scripts. Any body facing the same issue any suggestion or fix for this. 4346 ? DN 0:00 find /tmp/lshttpd/swap/e -type f -mtime +1 -delete 14347 ? DN 0:00 find /tmp/lshttpd/swap/e -type f -mtime +1 -delete We are not even able to kill these process and only thing we can do is to reboot the server to get the apache/litespeed working. Any idea why those are not able to get killed ? and what can be done to get this fixed for ever


text:
Council receives update on abatement bond projects
The Nisswa City Council on Wednesday, Sept. 18, received updates on projects funded with $610,000 in General Obligation Abatement Bonds that were issued earlier this year.
• $343,584 is funding a new public restrooms/chamber building where the former building stood on the Paul Bunyan Trail. The building should be ready for occupancy by the end of October or early November.
• $119,857 is funding improvements to Nisswa Park, which are about half complete. Improvements include: repair backstop fencing on both fields, replace counters in restrooms with new faucets that are the metering style, re-work dugouts on a field with blocks to be donated, new cement pad for shed, storage bunker for infield material, replace overhead door on small garage, replace hockey rink lights with energy efficient lighting, upgrade electric motor and switches for the cooling equipment, install power to both scoreboards, new hose and nozzle for rink flooding, pleasure skating rink east of the hockey rink, sprinkler system throughout the park, white pines and a new garage.
• $110,183 is funding improvements to the Nisswa Community Center, which are about half complete. Improvements include: furniture and fixtures, replace kitchen flooring, replace carpeting, fix hump in floor between the two additions, refurbish exterior doors (weather stripping), new urinal flush valves, replace roofing with metal, sprinkler system on lawn, replace existing light fixtures with energy efficient fixtures, metal roll up covering and storage room.
Also, the Highway 371 project is scheduled to be complete by early November.
Discussions are ongoing regarding the Clark Lake Road/Highway 371 intersection. The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) had planned to close the median crossover at that intersection for safety reasons. Residents raised concerns about southbound emergency vehicles reaching them in a timely way.
After about a year of back and forth discussions, state Rep. John Ward, DFL-Baxter, got involved recently and MnDOT now will leave that crossover open for southbound vehicles. There will be no way to turn south onto Highway 371 from Clark Lake Road.
However, Nisswa Mayor Brian Lehman said MnDOT indicated it wanted that to be a whole new project next year. The city wants it part of the Highway 371/County Road 18 project for funding reasons.
Temporary left turn lanes will be put in this fall, and the project will be finished next spring.
Public safety
Police reported 176 calls for service, 64 traffic warnings, 24 agency assists, 19 medicals, 10 traffic citations, 10 alarms and two arrests.


text:
Trending Topics
Enterprise Linux
|Gabor Farkas' Practical GIS (Packt Publishing)
|May 26, 2017
|The Current Phase of the Moon
|May 25, 2017
|Mastering ATA over Ethernet
|May 24, 2017
|The Family Dashboard
|May 23, 2017
|Retro United Ltd.'s Write!
|May 22, 2017
|Wibu-Systems CmASIC
|May 19, 2017
- Download "Linux Management with Red Hat Satellite: Measuring Business Impact and ROI"
- The Family Dashboard
- The Current Phase of the Moon
- Understanding Firewalld in Multi-Zone Configurations
- Mastering ATA over Ethernet
- A Switch for Your RPi
- Adding IoT Flare to a Hot Springs and Spa Business
- Non-Linux FOSS: Control Web-Based Music!
- Simple Server Hardening
- Gordon H. Williams' Making Things Smart (Maker Media, Inc.)


text:
Dort Federal's Bill Payer service lets you pay bills easily, quickly and always on time, right over the Internet – it's a convenience you'll grow to love and appreciate.
You're Always in Charge
Get started now by logging into Online Banking, clicking on the 'Bill Payer' button, and then clicking on the 'Click here to sign up for Bill Payment' link.
Learn how to sign up for online banking
Bill Payment Disclosure


text:
According to the Forum Rules, I don't think that I'm in violation by posting this eBay link:
Poorly Made Boba Fett Armor Prop A Complete Set of Expensive Junk | eBay
I got a chuckle.
Printable View
According to the Forum Rules, I don't think that I'm in violation by posting this eBay link:
Poorly Made Boba Fett Armor Prop A Complete Set of Expensive Junk | eBay
I got a chuckle.
Poor guy. Funny though! Many points for style!!!
That's a great way to get a rant across
Man that armor is terrible. I feel bad for him, but like I try to tell every new member, stay away from eBay unless the seller is MOW.
I know some people will disagree about public criticism but I find this helpful. This saves someone from making the same mistake he did. I laughed. Way to spread the word and saves someone's hard earned money.
Hey guys. Thanks for the encouraging words. I'm not a noob, though I should have known better. I have bought stuff from Cucblack, (swprops) a few times over the years and haven't had any problems. He's known on this board and has a decent rep. What pissed me off so bad was that his package got damaged when it was shipped... I understand that. But when I emailed him he basically told me it wasn't his problem. Then... he just flat out ignored me. It's true that I have no recourse because by the time I received the product the time had expired for me to file a claim, but the least he could have done was work with me... not ignore me. I struggled with that, but decided the best way to handle it was to post my listing so others who might purchase the product would see my story. He may have an overall good rep - even on TDH, but ignoring problems doesn't make them go away; especially if I'm the problem!
And I plan to leave this posting up indefinitely. It's worth the $1.50 a month to me. I'm sure ebay will pull it down when they catch wind of it, but who knows. Anyhow, thanks guys!
Well, it was an entertaining read, and, like the title states, it's nice that you can laugh it off.
But if I recall the timeline correctly, you sold your RKD armor to purchase this set?
Sort of. The RKD is nice, no doubt. It just seems a little big to me. I'm 6'0" and 200 lbs and to me it just looked big. Anyhow, I thought I'd try the fiberglass stuff from Cucblack and... what can I say. I didn't want to wait all that time for Boba Maker or FP, that's what happens when you let impatience get the better of you.
- - - Updated - - -
And there are some good reviews on Cucblack's armor on here. I don't see how since even undamaged the stuff isn't really that accurate.
ignorance....i blame ignorance
Well aren't you superior
I think you misinterpret my directness...I was responding to your previous statement about the good reviews of the armor here. People can unknowingly get this stuff and use it get "approval" from the 501st and think theyre walking around in what is an accurate Boba Fett suit. And write good comments about it. So I blame their ignorance.
I can appreciate people being direct; and I agree with what you said. You should be clear up front tho- I hate misunderstandings.
Rubio95: I appreciate it. I have an almost complete set of BM armor, I just need to contact him about getting a new back plate. I should be good, thanks for the offer tho.
I was pretty clear in my mind, only when you said something did I think otherwise.
I think trashing culcbacks Rep is wrong you didn't buy the armor without seeing it first so you knew in advance what you were getting as for the shipping carrier damaging the stuff yes he should have found a way to satisfy you on that issue.
Either way, I'm sorry to hear about this and I wish you the best in getting it all figured out :)
RKD, nice looking armor.
RKD - No offense. It is nice stuff. It was just my opinion. I didn't want to turn this into anything about your product.
Woody - I'm not trashing his rep with any lies or omissions. The damage to the butt piece is from shipping. I included that in the posting. Also, the gel coat chipping off had nothing to do with shipping. That's poor glassing. The warped knees? That's also too little material used to keep them rigid. Nothing I received looks much like the photos. Anyhow, if you want to stand up for a guy who won't even stand up for his own product... c'mon man, I've dealt with you on several things here and I know you have more wisdom than that. Cucblack - Agustin - Christian, whatever name he wants to use, ignored nearly every attempt to rectify this. I've been trying to contact him since October and he has flat out refused to communicate with me. I'm a reasonable person, but this was BS. I would have worked something out - but you can't work anything out if the other person ignores you. I appreciate your opinion though, I knew some people here might have an issue with it and I can respect that.
RKD - Just so I don't leave a bad taste or anything; here are the photos of your armor after I painted it up. It really is nice stuff and I think you can tell by the effort I put into painting it that I mean that.
Attachment 66988Attachment 66989Attachment 66990Attachment 66991Attachment 66992Attachment 66993Attachment 66994Attachment 66995Attachment 66996
And I should have clarified, really the only part I thought was big on me was the back piece.
Aw I'm sorry bro, I didn't take offense at all and I value your feedback as a peer and customer! :) I think you did a great job on the paint on it, sorry it didn't work out for you.
I know that my armor isn't for everybody and I try to be up front and honest with them about the sizing before they buy
Thanks Jc!
Anyway, sorry for the derail, back on track now!! :cheers
What about this seller who clearly hates America! :) And look at the dimensions.
Boba Fett Helmet Prop Kit | eBay
- - - Updated - - -
If you paid by credit card, see if you dispute the charge.
That's an odd one
[QUOTE=SPY007;596021]What about this seller who clearly hates America! :) And look at the dimensions.
Boba Fett Helmet Prop Kit | eBay
- - - Updated - - -
America is a hole? I've only been a couple of times but I thought the parts I went to were okay and not worthy of such an unkind description.:)
As for the original post about the other eBay sale; I thought it was quite funny and a novel way to get back at someone who he feels has wronged him. Don't mess with that guy!
I think the guy's english is lacking. I'll bet ge meant to say "no shipping to the whole U.S.A.". At least I hope so anyhow...


text:
Stay connected with us to get the latest health and fitness news, innovative workouts, healthy recipes and wellness tips.
Change Location
ACE Fit Share
Dazzle your guests, and keep the kitchen cool, by baking pizza on the backyard grill. For convenience, this recipe uses prepared pizza dough, found in most supermarkets, and pesto from a jar.
Nutrition Profile:
High Calcium
High Fiber
Low Cholesterol
Serves 4
Prep Time 30 min
Total Time 30 min.
Step 1
Heat grill to medium-high.
Step 2
Meanwhile, place dough on a lightly floured surface. Divide into 4 pieces. Roll each piece into an 8-inch round crust, about 1/4 inch thick. Place crusts on a floured baking sheet. Carry crusts and toppings out to the grill.
Step 3
Lay crusts on grill (they won't stay perfectly round). Cover grill and cook until crusts are lightly puffed and undersides are lightly browned, about 3 minutes.
Step 4
Using tongs, flip crusts. Immediately spread pesto over crusts. Top with tomatoes. Sprinkle with feta and pepper. Cover grill and cook until the undersides are lightly browned, about 3 minutes more. Sprinkle with basil and serve immediately.
Featured Workouts
Check out our 12-week fitness plan designed to boost your strength, endurance, muscle definition, energy level and overall health.
Flatten your stomach and build strength in the muscles that provide stability and mobility for the spine, pelvis, ribs and hips.
Focus on pulling, rotating and building strength with workouts created alongside Olympic Gold Medalist Dominique Dawes.
This workout provides a challenging total-body workout that can be done from the comfort of home with no equipment other than bodyweight and space.


text:
DNA sequences of extinct hominins could rewrite human ancestry
Catherine Clabby
A research team led by Svante Pääbo of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology dropped two bombshells on the field of paleoanthropology last year. But how the new data may rewrite our understanding of human ancestry remains uncertain today.
After sequencing multiple genomes of Neanderthals, our extinct but closest known relatives, the researchers concluded that Homo sapiens early to reach Eurasia from Africa had interbred with Neanderthals. The evidence: Non-Africans living today share distinctive DNA sequence with Neanderthals, who lived in Eurasia from 200,000 to 28,000 years ago, they say.
Later, they identified a new group of extinct hominins—called Denisovans—using DNA retrieved from a young female's finger bone recovered in Denisova Cave in Siberia. Denisovans, they say, also interbred with Homo sapiens, but only a small group of modern people—those living today in Papua New Guinea—are known to retain evidence of that ancestry in their genomes.
"The situation is fantastic and a bit of a first in genetics," says Nick Patterson, a computational biologist at the Broad Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts who is closely involved in the research. "The normal thing is that you have a species, maybe even an ancient species. But the physical characteristics are very well known. Then you learn about the genetics."
Not all paleoanthropologists are convinced by these findings. Richard Potts, director of the human origins program at the Smithsonian Institution, says the Neanderthal-human interbreeding evidence was highly convincing, in isolation. But when the Denisovan argument emerged later, he wondered if the scientists had found something other than what they concluded. He suspects the sampled Neanderthal, Denisovan and Homo sapiens genomes could retain DNA sequences from an earlier hominin, possibly Homo heidelbergensis.
"What we may be seeing instead is the parceling and division of DNA from a last common ancestor. That could have a different echo in different groups of modern humans," Potts says.
Pääbo's team is trying to strengthen evidence for their findings. Patterson, for one, is working on what he calls a genetic recombination clock to better estimate when Homo sapiens and Neanderthals might have interbred. Pääbo says they are also analyzing more bones from the Denisova Cave and from other locations in the hope that they will yield more DNA. "It would be interesting to see how widespread Denisovans were in the past," he says.
Pääbo, director of evolutionary genetics at the Max Planck Institute in Leipzig, hopes that DNA can also be retrieved from Homo sapiens who reached Eurasia during our species' first sizable dispersal from Africa about 80,000 years ago. Potts of the Smithsonian sees promise in the same line of research. He is hopeful that DNA someday can be recovered specifically from the Qafzeh fossils from Israel, which are about 130,000 years old, and from the Liujiang fossil from China, which is at least 68,000 years old. Sequences from H. heidelbergensis, he says, could be awfully interesting too.
"Getting genes out of fossil bone is terrific. It opens new possibilities," he says.
Community Guidelines: Disqus Comments
The Art and Science of Communicating Science
American Scientist Classics
Women in Science
Purchase a Back Issue
2014 Annual Index
The Age of Nuclear Weapons
25 Years in North Carolina
Of Possible Interest
Perspective: Taking the Long View on Sexism in Science
Spotlight: Briefings
Spotlight: New Information from Ancient Genomes
© 2016 Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society


text:
We were headed to the South Pole! Travelers were told to report to the passenger pick up in McMurdo at 6:45 am. But passenger-service staffer Kristy Queen informed us that because of a mechanical issue, our flight would be delayed. Nearly 12 hours later we would finally take off from McMurdo and head south. Because of weather and the complications of flying in Antarctica, our experience wasn't unusual, explained Queen. This is her fourth season at McMurdo. She is considering "wintering over" this year, which means she will stay to work during the dark Antarctic winter. Queen grew up in Granville, Michigan, and read TFK in school. She says she was inspired to seek adventure and look for a job in Antarctica after talking to a friend who served in the Peace Corps.
Pilot Dave LaFrance of the New York Air National Guard has been flying to and from the Pole since 1997. He piloted the plane that took us to the Pole and back. I was lucky to sit next to him in the cockpit. As we fly over the spectacular Transantarctic Mountains, LaFrance points down to the extraordinary view. "This is our milk run," he says. "I've flown this hundreds of times." As remarkable as the view is, LaFrance says he prefers the views he sees on flights to the "deep camps" way out in the middle of nowhere. He has taken research teams that look for meteorites and others that look for dinosaur bones to these deep camps. Flights to deep camps are not routine.
From the window, I observe large "wrinkles" far below the plane in the snow. LaFrance explains that the wrinkles are large cracks in the ice called crevasses. They are one reason flights to deep camps are not routine. Glaciers move fast—some move more than three feet in a day. When they rub and push against each other or against mountains, the result can be cracks and tears in the ice. "Back in 1998, one of our planes landed on a crevasse that was covered by snow," says LaFrance. "It was big enough for the plane to get stuck in it and we lost an engine. But it was actually lucky we ran into it. Two hundred yards further, there was a crevasse that would have swallowed the plane."
Scientists at Work
While I was waiting for the flight to take off, I had the opportunity to talk to Jason Gallichio. He is a physicist who worked for nearly a year at the South Pole Telescope. The telescope is used to look at the universe far beyond what can be seen with the naked eye. Visible light is just a narrow portion of the electromagnetic energy that fills the universe. Electromagnetic energy of different wavelengths can tell astronomers things about the universe that visible light can't.
The South Pole Telescope isn't the only large science experiment at the Pole. There is a project called Ice Cube that consists of a large grid of detectors buried deep into the ice. The detectors are designed to "catch" particles called neutrinos that constantly bombard the Earth from space. Neutrinos are produced by nuclear reactions in space, including those that take place in the Sun. These particles are much smaller than even atoms. They are so unimaginably tiny that they pass right through the Earth. That's what makes them so incredibly hard to detect.
A third major project at the South Pole Station is the Atmospheric Research Observatory, which is run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It is referred to as the "Clean Air" Observatory and is responsible for collecting information on changes in the global atmosphere, particularly the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. (Carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas produced by human activity that scientists believe is responsible for climate change.) Antarctica is a perfect place on the planet to sample air and detect changes in the atmosphere. That's because the continent's air is so clean and not affected by the pollution from the rest of the world.
An Epic Journey
What's more difficult than getting to the South Pole? Building a research station there! The current research station was completed in 2008. LaFrance said it took five years to build it. "Crews were making five flights a day to the pole," he says. The planes carried construction materials, equipment, and workers.
It's possible to drive to the South Pole. But vehicles only make the trip a two to three times a year. The trip is done for one very special reason: to bring fuel to the Pole. In Antarctica, all equipment —from power plant generators to bulldozers that travel at a speed of four miles per hour—use jet fuel. It doesn't freeze or thicken at low temperatures like other fuels do. A plane can bring only a relatively small amount of fuel. This is why a few times a year, a special expedition called the South Pole Traverse is mounted from McMurdo to the Pole. Heavy tractor-like vehicles drag large thick bladders of fuel that sit on thick plastic sheets. The bladders look like huge, super-tough balloons. One traverse can drag 120,000 gallons of jet fuel to the Pole.
The South Pole Traverse is an epic journey. It takes four weeks to drive to the Pole. That's about 45 miles each day, driving 12 hours a day. A special vehicle goes ahead with a radar instrument on a long boom, which is used to detect crevasses. "The first traverses were done back in the 1950s. It was very dangerous and there were accidents," says McMurdo Station Area Manager Steve Dunbar. "Aerial images helped map out a route." He explains that the jet fuel that Antarctica runs on is a special blend that not many refineries make. This year's supply comes from a refinery in Athens, Greece. It will be delivered by ship to McMurdo in the next two weeks.
More than a 100 years ago, the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen was the first to reach the South Pole. Just a month later, the British explorer Robert Falcon Scott also reached the Pole, but tragically died on the return trip. Reaching the South Pole was an extraordinary achievement. Traveling to the Pole today, as well as living and working there, may have become more routine, but it is every bit as remarkable.


text:
Selena's Looks Throughout the Years!
Demi is so lucky to have such full, thick hair! She looked stunning at the 2011 VMA's with caramel highlights and lots of loose curls. Plus, her silver eye shadow complements her sequins, but is subtle enough to keep her from looking like a fembot.
We love a modern take on a classic updo! Demi's updated beehive looks chic, not outdated, especially paired with super-shimmery shadow, matte red lips, and soft, pink blush.
Recreate Your Fave TV or Movie Character's Beauty Look!


text:
Movie Review: Drive
Ryan Gosling's latest is a classic in the making.
Director: Nicolas Winding Refn Rating: R Studio: Odd Lot Entertainment
Drive stars Ryan Gosling as a loner with a toothpick constantly stuck inside his noncommittal smirk, a taciturn Hollywood stunt driver—a wheelman—who moonlights on getaway runs for the likes of a former movie producer turned crime boss (Albert Brooks in a killer performance). Gosling lets down his tough guy stance long enough to get deeply involved in the lives of a neighbor (Carey Mulligan), and her young son (Kaden Leos) just as the neighbor's apparently no-good husband is being paroled and blackmailed into pulling a job he doesn't want to do.
Set in a dreamlike, retro, damaged underground Los Angeles, the minimalist, brainy, deeply cool world of Drive is one of a heist gone wrong, nasty plot twists, random violence and propulsive action. It may not sound like the most original thing out there, but the movie is quirky, mordantly funny, hypnotically paced and brilliantly acted with humor, mystery and complexity by Gosling, with tasty support from Bryan Cranston, Christina Hendricks and Ron Perlman. It's one of the great movies of the year, possibly a classic in the making—smartly adapted by Hossein Amini from James Sallis's book and directed to perfection by Nicolas Winding Refn (Bronson) who deservedly left the recent Cannes Film Festival with a best director award. There may not be much driving in Drive, but it's the kind of tense, terse movie that even a Steve McQueen or Lee Marvin might be proud to have on his career resume.
About the Author
Playboy Contributing Editor Stephen Rebello has written many Playboy Interview and 20 Questions features. He is the author of such books as the notorious Bad Movies We Love (with Edward Margulies) and Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho, the latter of which has inspired a dramatic feature film set for production in 2012. His most recent Playboy Interviews include Josh Brolin and Cameron Diaz.