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Mehr News Agency
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Official website
|Mehr News Agency
The Mehr News Agency (MNA; Persian pronunciation: [خبرگزاری مهر] Xabâr-gozâri Mehr; "Affection News Agency") is an Iranian news agency headquartered in Tehran, owned by the Islamic Ideology Dissemination Organization (IIDO).
History and profile[edit]
Established on 22 June 2003,[1] MNA is the most multilingual (transmitting news and photos in six languages) news agency in the Islamic Republic of Iran and its CEO and Director General is Ali Asgari (since April 2014).
Culture and Art (cinema, theater, music, visual arts); Culture and Literature (poetry, stories, books); Religion and Thought; Seminary and University; Modern Technology; Social; Economic; Political; International; Sports; Nuclear Energy; Sacred Defense, as well as Photos, and Provinces are the 14 news fields covered by MNA.
MNA has five regional centers inside the country—northern, southern, central, eastern, and western Iran—and one regional office outside the country in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
It has also stringers and correspondents in Europe, South America, Turkey, East Asia, and some Persian Gulf littoral states and CIS countries for the time–being and is extending them across the world.
It transmits news and photos in six languages of Persian, English, German, Arabic, Turkish, and Urdu.
Employing more than 300 reporters and photographers dispatched in 30 provinces of the country, MNA provides the widest news coverage in Iran.[citation needed]
International cooperation[edit]
The news agency was accepted as the 40th member of the Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA)[2] at the 13th General Assembly[3] held in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 2007. The agency was the host agency of the OANA[4] 31st Executive Board Meeting (EBM) and the 25th Editorial-Technical Experts Group (ETEG) Meeting in 2009.[5] It had also actively participated in two international summits – the 2009 World Media Summit[6][7] in Beijing, China, and the 2010 OANA Summit Congress[8] in Seoul, South Korea.
The agency was also a special guest of the III News Agencies' World Congress (NAWC)[9] in Argentina from 19 to 23 October 2010.
MNA also actively participated in the Istanbul OANA General Assembly [10] in November 2010 and the OANA 26th ETEG - 32nd EBM meetings[11] in Ulan Bator in June 2011.
According to the OANA[4] Secretary's report to the Istanbul Assembly, MNA, which has become OANA[4] member since 2007, ranked second among the OANA[4] member agencies in number of news and photos published on the organization's website. MNA initiated the OANA[4] flag,[12] and the 50-year-old OANA[4] adopted the flag.
MNA has so far signed contracts with more than 18 foreign news agencies including the Japanese Kyodo News Agency, the Spanish EFE, the Chinese Xinhua News Agency, Cuba's official Prensa Latina (PL), the Russian Interfax Ltd, the Press Trust of India (PTI), Korea's YONHAP, the Vietnam News Agency (VNA), the Turkish Cihan News Agency, Malaysia's BERNAMA, Indonesia's ANTARA, the Azerbaijani Trend News Agency, Mongolia's MONTSAME, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), and the Philippines News Agency (PNA).
See also[edit]
External links[edit]
- ^ "Media Environment Guide: Iran" (PDF). BBC Monitoring. 30 July 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 August 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
- ^ "Oana News". Oana News. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
- ^ "Oana News". Oana News. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies
- ^ "The 31st OANA Executive Board Meeting". Oana News. 17 November 2011. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
- ^ "WMS opens at Great Hall of the People in Beijing". Xinhuanet. 9 October 2009. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
- ^ http://www.worldmediasummit.org/chjbml0926-0.pdf
- ^ "Yonhap News". Yonhap News (in Korean). 24 April 2010. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
- ^ "III News Agencies World Congress". Nawc. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
- ^ "Anadolu Ajans". AA. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
- ^ "Oana News". Oana News. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
- ^ [1] Archived October 17, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.


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Cadillac Catera and Cimarron Forum Discussion, Air in the cooling system in Past Cadillac Vehicle Discussion; Can anyone here please tell me the best way to get air out of the cooling system of my 97 ...
- 12-10-05 04:16 PM #1Cadillac Owners Member
- Join Date
- Mar 2005
- Posts
- 35
Air in the cooling system
Can anyone here please tell me the best way to get air out of the cooling system of my 97 Catera? I had to drain it to replace the radiator and now I have alot of air in the system. The service manual says it will work itself out but I dont think its going to do that after several days its still giving me problems.
Thanks for any help.
Re: Air in the cooling system
You need to disconnect what ever is at the highest point in the cooling system, I believe there is a coolant hose that goes to the TB, discconnecting that should get the air out.
- 12-10-05 05:40 PM #3Cadillac Owners Fanatic
- Join Date
- Sep 2005
- Location
- Florida
- Posts
- 188
Re: Air in the cooling system
If I ever have issues with bleeding the cooling system (a major pain in certain older BMW models) is jack the front end as high as possible. This makes the overflow tank the highest point in the system.
Try getting the nose up higher (a steep drive way will do), fill the overflow tank to full and let it run.
Don't forget to put the heat on as that might have air in the exchanger.
- 12-11-05 09:05 PM #4Cadillac Owners Member
- Automobile(s): 1998 Catera
- Join Date
- Nov 2005
- Location
- Ontario, Canada
- Posts
- 89
Re: Air in the cooling system
Taking out the overflow tank is a breeze. No need to unhook the hoses. There's a clip that holds the tank in place located between the fender and the edge of the tank. Pull it out with a pair of needle nose pliers. Push the reservour toward the motor to free it from the two brackets underneath. Flip the reservour over about 90 degrees so you can disconnect the level switch. Lift the assemby up. Now it's the high point in the system. Take the cap off to allow air to exit. Piece of cake.

subset: commoncrawl


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New York Assemblywoman RoAnn M. Destito yesterday introduced a bill that would require state government to study using open document formats within agencies. According to A08961: "The director shall study how electronic documents and the mechanisms and processes for obtaining access to and reading electronic data can be created, maintained, exchanged and preserved by the state in a manner that encourages appropriate government control, access, choice, interoperability and vendor neutrality. The study shall consider but not be limited to the policies of other states and nations, management guidelines for state archives as they pertain to electronic documents, public access, expected storage of electronic documents, costs of implementation and savings."
- Applications
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Mumbai is the one Indian city that has always enjoyed uninterrupted, 24-hour power supply. Something that we in Mumbai are rightly proud of. However, following the severe power shortage faced by State of Maharashtra and the city's unprecedented lifestyle boom, this envied status of uninterrupted power is under threat. While efforts are on to plug the power deficit of 400-500 MW in Mumbai through alternate resources, with summer around the corner, we could be in for a power shortage crisis during the peak hours of 10 am - 8 pm.
But it doesn't have to be that way, if we act now. A few simple steps and we can avoid power cuts. But before we list out those steps, just ask yourself, "Am I willing to do my bit for the future of our great city?" I think we all know the answer.
Let's avoid adding to the power demand during this peak time. By simply using some of our common electrical appliances before and after this time band. Washing machines, geysers, irons, building water pumps – all can be shifted without much inconvenience.
ACs are possibly the biggest cause of any summer power crisis. Every time one more AC is switched on and every time the temperature is lowered by one more degree, a huge load is added to the system. We can however work towards uninterrupted power – if we give up 'freezing' for 'cool enough'. Let's all go 24 this summer - it's actually quite comfortable.
Whenever we leave a plug point 'ON' after switching an electrical appliance 'OFF' with the remote, power is still being consumed in 'stand-by mode'. And no small amount either – these little wastages account for an unbelievable 5% of the city's power consumption. You will agree that's a sheer waste. So, after usage, let's switch off our ACs, TVs, washing machines, microwaves, geysers and mobile chargers from the plug point. Every single time.
It is up to each one of us to make the change - if you will, Mumbai will !
Washing Machine
Air Conditioning
By following these simple hints one can save energy to a large extent.
Issued in public interest by Tata Power.


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[Date Index]
[Thread Index]
[Author Index]
Re: MatrixPlot: frame ticks starting with 0?
On 6/19/07 at 6:45 AM, robin.gruna at gmail.com wrote:
>Hi, I wonder how I can make MatrixPlot in Mathematica v6 to start
>the labeling of the frame ticks with 0? It allways starts the
>labeling with 1. Greetings, Robin
Use the FrameTicks option for MatrixPlot. For example
MatrixPlot[Table[RandomReal[], {n, 5}, {m, 5}],
FrameTicks -> {Transpose[{Range[5], Range[0, 4]}]}]
To reply via email subtract one hundred and four


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The Baltimore Ravens' Pro Bowl running back and unsigned franchise player wasn't on a football field, though. Instead, the venue was the Lardarius Webb third annual charity softball game at Ripken Stadium where Rice had a lot of fun from the pitcher's mound and running the bases. It marked one of the few times Rice had been around many of his teammates since last season because he's working out on his own due to his unresolved contract situation.
"It's like a breath of fresh air coming out here," Rice said. "We've got the best fans. It's always fun. I had fun. I'm a big kid."
Rice has been a solitary figure this offseason while his teammates participate in organized team activities. The Ravens aren't close to negotiating a long-term contract extension for the All-Pro runner.
"I miss it," Rice said when asked about not being around his teammates on a regular basis. "That's one thing you miss is the camaraderie with the guys. As far as playing football, I know I'm always going to be up to speed.
"The best thing about my situation is that we have the same offensive coordinator. I miss the camaraderie. It's sort of like the lockout last year. It's sort of that feeling for me. I know those guys are working hard. I'm just happy to be out here with these guys having fun."
Under NFL rules governing franchise players, the Ravens have until July 16 to negotiate a new deal for Rice. Otherwise, he'll play this season under a $7.742 million franchise tag.
"Honestly, I just let my agent take care of all of that stuff," Rice said. "My job, I just stay in shape and come out on days like this. I know the business side will always take care of itself.
"I know I put myself in that position to kind of let it dwindle out. Whatever it is at the end of the day, hopefully I'll be there soon."
Rice rushed for a career-high 1,364 yards and a dozen touchdowns last season.
He said he's maintaining a positive attitude.
Rice definitely didn't seem stressed out, wearing his shorts hiked up to amuse the crowd.
Rice responded to a flurry of fake punches when cornerback Chykie Brown and defensive tackle Bryan Hall jokingly charged the mound.
Rice laughed after striking out rookie safety Christian Thompson.
"At the end of the day, I wouldn't say it's a killing feeling," Rice said. "You've got to understand what's going on. Once you understand what's going on, you kind of separate yourself from it. You control what you can control, and that's staying in shape and obviously being ready when the time comes."
Large crowd for Lardarius Webb softball game
ABERDEEN -- Hours before chasing down fly balls and legging out base hits, Baltimore Ravens cornerback Lardarius Webb was greeted by a welcome sight.
As Webb pulled up to Ripken Stadium, he drove past a line of people backed up around the corner to attend his third annual charity softball game.
"When I saw the line, my heart dropped," Webb said. "I feel special. It's amazing. We have great fans."
The home of the Aberdeen IronBirds was practically filled to its capacity of 6,300 with fans taking in the sights of Webb and nearly two dozen teammates attempting an unfamiliar sport.
Webb took over a game manned for the previous two years by former Ravens Pro Bowl offensive guard Ben Grubbs, who signed with the New Orleans Saints in March.
The game benefits disadvantaged children.
"I just love seeing the smile on kids' faces when they see us out here, when we give them an autograph, when they take a picture with us," Webb said. "It does something to my heart. Just being out here, giving back to the kids and their families, it's just enjoyable."
Growing up in impoverished conditions in Opelika, Ala., Webb overcame a set of extremely difficult personal circumstances.
His mother was addicted to crack cocaine. His father was an alcoholic. And his older brother was imprisoned for armed robbery.
Both his parents are clean now, but his brother remains in jail.
And Webb is determined to give children an easier path than the one he took.
Signed to a $50 million contract this offseason, Webb is getting heavily involved in the community. That includes free football camps in his hometown and at Nicholls State, his alma mater.
"I want to let them see they can be anything they want and let them know that dreams can come true," Webb said. "Just seeing us out here, we can let them know that they can be anything they want. For me to see the smile on the kids' faces, it's a joy."
Added tight end Ed Dickson: "It's a great day. It's a positive thing. All the kids love it. It's great to give back."
Webb and his defensive teammates, including nose guard Terrence Cody, linebackers Jameel McClain and Dannell Ellerbe and rookie safety Christian Thompson, engineered a 14-13 comeback victory over a group of Ravens' offensive players headlined by quarterback Joe Flacco, wide receiver Torrey Smith, running back Ray Rice, offensive tackle Michael Oher and Dickson.
"It's fun," Flacco said. "It's getting bigger and bigger each year. It's always great to support your teammate's cause. I'm just out here having fun."
Flacco displayed a slick glove and hit a ground-rule double.
The game wasn't an intense competition and included a lot of joking around and several errors, including three in the first inning from cornerback Danny Gorrer.
Most importantly, there were no injuries.
"It's a fun game," Webb said. "It's about having a good time."
NOTES: Rookie offensive guard Kelechi Osemele said he'll be returning to practice this week after being sidelined at an organized team activity last week with an undisclosed injury.
"I feel great," said Osemele, a second-round draft pick competing with Jah Reid for the starting left guard job. "Yeah, I'll practice this week. It wasn't serious."
Among the other players who took part in the game: running backs Anthony Allen, Bernard Pierce and Damien Berry, wide receivers Tandon Doss, LaQuan Williams and Dorian Graham, offensive tackle Ramon Harewood, linebacker Josh Bynes, cornerbacks Corey Graham and Chykie Brown, long snapper Morgan Cox, center Gino Gradkowski, defensive linemen Ryan McBean and Bryan Hall
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Feb. 20, 2001
ABOUT THE BLAZERS: UAB enters the midweek road swing with a 2-2 record, coming off a 6-1 loss to Southern Illinois on Sunday (2/18) in the final game of a three-game weekend series with the Salukis....Southern Illinois took the series with an 8-7 win in 15 innings on Saturday and and the 6-1 win on Sunday...the Blazers won the Friday game -- which was not completed until Saturday because of severe weather -- 11-7...UAB won its season-opener 19-3 over Alabama State UAB vs. BELMONT: The Blazers and Bruins are meeting for the fourth time...UAB leads the series 3-0, dating back to the 1999 season...last year, the Blazers won 23-8 at Young Memorial Field in Birmingham (4/11/00)...previous meetings include an 11-10 UAB win in 11 innings (Birmingham, 4/7/99) and an 8-4 Blazer victory in Nashville (2/16/99).
UAB vs. VANDERBILT: The Commodores lead the all-time series 18-11, dating back to the 1980 season...last season the two split a pair of games, with Vanderbilt winning 6-4 in Nashville (2/22) and UAB winning 12-2 at Young Memorial Field (3/8).
STARTING PITCHERS: The projected starter for Tuesday's Belmont game is right-hander Ross Dobbins (1-0, 1.80 ERA), the projected starter for Wednesday's game at Vanderbilt is left-hander Joe Yarbrough(1-0, 1.93 ERA) . Dobbins had a terrific outing in his start vs. Alabama State on Feb. 13, working five complete innings, allowing one run on two hits, walking one and striking out nine. Yarbrough started the first game of the Southern Illinois series (Feb. 16) and was also impressive, working four and two-thirds innings, allowing one run on two hits, with two walks and six strikeouts. Both players are newcomers to the UAB team in 2001.
UNFAMILIAR FACES: The 33-man 2001 UAB Baseball roster includes 20 newcomers (nine pitchers), six of whom were in the starting lineup on opening day (Feb. 13) vs. Alabama State...so for a while at least, you truly won't be able to tell the players without a scorecard.
FAMILIAR SURROUNDINGS: The 2001 Blazers will play 19 of their first 22 games in the friendly confines of Young Memorial Field. UAB doesn't embark on a major road swing until late March, when the team plays four straight games away from home.
DO WE SEE A PATTERN HERE?: Of the 33 players on the 2001 roster, 25 have junior college playing experience, and nine played at Central Alabama Community College, not coincidentally the former employer of UAB Head Coach Larry Giangrosso...many of those from CACC played at least one season for Giangrosso and virtually all were recruited during his tenure there.
COACH GINO: Larry Giangrosso, a 1975 graduate of UAB, is in his second season as the Blazer skipper, and has a 30-34 (.469) mark. "Coach Gino" came to UAB from Central Alabama Community College (Alexander City, Ala.) where he posted a 320-183-1 (.636) mark in nine seasons (1990-99). CACC was the 1998 Alabama Junior & Community College Conference Division I champions. Prior to his time at CACC, he was the head coach at W.A. Berry High School in suburban Birmingham, where he was 254-115 (.688) in 11 seasons (1979-89). The Bucs took the 1981 AHSAA championship and were five-time regional champions.
THE STAFF: Giangrosso is assisted by Lee Hall (Auburn-Montgomery, 1990), who played for (Berry HS) and coached with (CACC) Giangrosso andFrank Walton (UAB, 1990), who played (1983-84) and coached previously (1992-99) at UAB. Tim Harradine, who served as a team manager during the 2000 season, is the volunteer assistant coach.
CURRENT STREAKS: Three UAB players, DH/first baseman Chris George, shortstop Mark Garner, and outfielder Cory Acklus, have hit safely in all four games to date.
A LONG ONE: Saturday's 8-7 loss to Southern Illinois in 15 innings was the second-longest game in UAB baseball history, surpassed only by a 19-inning affair vs. South Alabama in Mobile (5/16/81). The game was the longest home game ever for UAB and the longest ever at Young Memorial Field (the previous mark for both was 14 innings, both against South Alabama, at Rickwood Field in 1981 and at Young Memorial Field in 1990). Ironically, all of those games (including this year's SIU marathon) were one-run losses for the Blazers.
INJURY REPORT: Three UAB players are currently unavailable because of injury. Left-handed pitcher Michael Stallings (7-9 in 2000, 5.84 ERA) will miss the entire season after undergoing shoulder surgery (rotator cuff), as will infielder Matt Womble (a newcomer in 2001), who also had shoulder surgery. Fifth-year senior right-handed pitcher Lee Jolly's (4-3, 4.48 ERA in 2000) status is uncertain for the 2001 season, he has an elbow injury in his pitching arm and a decision has not been made about when he might return to the lineup.
FATHER AND SON CONNECTION(s): Blazer head coach Larry Giangrosso and redshirt freshman catcher Pete Giangrosso are indeed father and son. The Giangrosso are not, however, the first father and son coach-player duo in UAB athletic history, the first was Gene and Murry Bartow. Murry, now the head men's basketball coach at UAB, played for his legendary dad on Blazer basketball teams from 1980-85 (he was also a member of the UAB Golf team). Murry Bartow graduated from Birmingham's W.A. Berry High School in 1980, and one of his coaches and teachers there was....Larry Giangrosso.
THE NEW WALL: One major cosmetic change has been made at UAB's Young Memorial Field for the 2001 season. A new wood outfield fence -- painted Blazer Green -- was completed just before the beginning of the season, replacing the chain-link fencing that had enclosed the field since 1984. The ballpark now has slightly larger dimensions, going 330 feet down the lines, 370 feet to the left center power alley, 400 feet to dead center field, and 360 feet to the right center power alley. In addition, the large "hitter's eye" in center field (also now green) has been fused with the fence (it was previously behind the outfield fence and a ball striking it was considered a home run) and is now in play.
GARNER SHINES: Shortstop Mark Garner has reached base 10 times in 16 plate appearances thus far in 2001, and leads UAB with a .625 on-base percentage (it's no surprise that he is tied for the team lead with five runs scored in the first four games)...Garner also has the best batting average of any of the every-day players (.455) and is tied for the team lead in RBIs with six...he also hit a dramatic two-out home run in the bottom of the 12th inning in the Feb. 17 game vs. Southern Illinois to tie the game at 7-7 and keep the Blazers alive.
MR. JONES: Sophomore outfielder Mitch Jones (a Freshman All-America in 2000) is batting .368 with one home run and four RBIs through four games...Jones hit .467 in the Southern Illinois series (all of his hits, and RBIs and four of his five runs scored came in those three games)...he also leads the team in stolen bases at a perfect 3-3.
BIG FELLA: At 6-4 and close to 280 pounds, junior designated hitter/first baseman Chris George stands out just about anywhere, especially on the baseball field...George is hitting .333 through four games with two doubles (he is amazingly mobile) and is tied for the team lead with six RBIs.
ON DECK: Following the games at Belmont (Feb. 20) and Vanderbilt (Feb. 21), it's back to Young Memorial Field for a 12-game home stand, beginning with a three-game series vs. Lipscomb College
All-time record (1978- ) 629-533-1 (.541)
Home (inc. Rickwood Field) 392-236-1 (.624)
Young Memorial Field (1984- ) 306-182-1 (.627)
Road/Neutral Sites 238-297 (.445)
Current Overall Streak L2
Current Home Streak L2
Current Road Streak W1
Current Neutral Site Streak L1
UAB vs. Belmont Overall (since 1980) 3-0 Home: 2-0 Young Field: 2-0 Hoover Met: 0-0 Rickwood Field 0-0 Current Streak: W3 Road: 1-0 Current Streak: W1 2000 Series: 1-0
UAB vs. Vanderbilt Overall (since 1980) 11-18 Home: 8-9 Young Field: 7-6 Hoover Met: 0-0 Rickwood Field 1-3 Current Streak: W1 Road: 3-9 Current Streak: W1 2000 Series: 1-1


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Lady Gaga Shares a Passionate Moment with Boyfriend Taylor Kinney
Sharing a personal moment, Lady Gaga posted an intimate moment between her and boyfriend Taylor Kinney on Friday (April 25).
The "Let's Dance" beauty shared the snapshot on LittleMonsters.com, showing the couple in a passionate kiss.
Taylor's flick "The Other Woman" hit theaters today, and he recently talked about playing the good guy during his interview with "GMA."
"It's not hard playing the good guy. I think there's an allure of the bad guy, trying to change him or remedy any mishaps he might have," Taylor said of his character in the film.
As for being a good guy in real life, Kinney replied, "Of course!"
Lady Gaga is a lucky woman!
Photo Credit: Lady Gaga


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Florida National Guard's 100th Deployment Ceremony Since September 11
STARKE - One hundred and counting. The Florida National Guard held its 100th deployment ceremony Thursday. More than 50 soldiers-- many from North Central Florida, will soon be deployed to southwest asia.
The 100th deployment comes at a time when the state's national guard is making cutbacks due to the sequestration. However the members being deployed won't be affected by the furloughs.
The Florida National Guard has deployed more than 17 thousand men and women since September 11. And now 50 more soldiers based out of Camp Blanding will begin their journey. While some in the battalion have deployed multiple times, for others this is their first. And deployment they tell me, is a two-way street for both the soldiers and their families.
The battalion's deployment began with a warm welcome and ended with a hopeful prayer. Families and friends gathered around their soldiers in order to bid them farewell. Chris Crews a specialist on the battalion, whose been deployed in the past says... For those going over seas for their first time, all they need is a goal. "Well with the family it's kind of tough because I am not on that side... For the soldiers I do know that you get over there keep your head down, get on a routine and keep your eyes straight ahead looking forward to the goal which is coming back," Crews said.
These soldiers will provide airfield work in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, in locations like Afghanistan. The soldiers however, aren't embarking on their mission just yet. They will first travel to texas for additional training. Before heading overseas to Southwest Asia. This battalion is expected to return home next April.
Related Stories
- 100 Deployments From The Florida National Guard Since 9-11
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- Camp Blanding Ceremony
- Deployment Ceremony
- Ocala's 351st Military Police Company Deploy To Afghanistan
- Deployed U.S. Coast Guard reunited with her son at Marion Oaks Elementary School
- Veterans Day ceremonies around North Central Florida
- September 11th in North Central Florida schools
- Two Killed In Southwest Florida Crash
- Coast Guard searches for missing Florida family in Gulf


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Good for him. Hope they catch the other guy.
This is a discussion on Another one bites the dust within the In the News: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly forums, part of the The Back Porch category; Customer shoots robber dead | www.wokv.com...
"There is a secret pride in every human heart that revolts at tyranny. You may order and drive an individual, but you cannot make him respect you." William Hazlitt (1778 - 1830)
Best Choices for Self Defense Ammunition
Good for him. Hope they catch the other guy.
"Better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt" ~ Mark Twain
Yep, the law of averages caught up with that late perp. Now hes worm food.
The other robber ended up getting away -- he is described by police as a black male about 6 feet tall and wearing a blue bandana. They didn't finish the description, "blue jeans with a brown seat"!
You can educate ignorance, you can't fix stupid
Retired DE Trooper, SA XD40 SC, S&W 2" Airweight
dukalmighty & Pure Kustom Black Ops Pro "Trooper" Holsters, DE CCDW and LEOSA Permits, Vietnam Vet 68-69 Pleiku
What, he didn't hit any innocent by-standers? Novice.
I have a very strict gun control policy: if there's a gun around, I want to be in control of it.
Clint Eastwood
they need to change the the store name to "rob mart"
Beware the armed senior citizens of Florida. They are armed, ready, able, and willing to engage and destroy the enemy. Bravo Sir, well done.


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The Fifth Kingdom - Chapter 1
IDENTIFICATION - Species bar codes
(The words above are hotlinked to chapter sections)
Kingdoms - now there are (at least) Seven!
New vocabulary!
As you read the text that follows, you may come across words that are new to you. But most of them should be in colour and underlined. This means that they are hotlinked to definitions, with or without pictures. All you have to do is click on them, then click the back arrow to return to the main text. If even the definitions and pictures leave you scratching your head, I suggest you find and read a first year University Biology textbook before going much further.
You may not know it, but you are about to become a member of an elite group. Although many people are aware that there are millions of different kinds (species) of living organisms on Earth today (although our own species is doing its best to drive many of them into extinction), surprisingly few people are aware that these organisms are now divided up among no fewer than seven Kingdoms. Before I can effectively develop the theme of this book I must explain these major patterns, and those of some of the almost 100 distinctive evolutionary pathways (phyla) which make up those Kingdoms.
Archaebacteria, Eubacteria and Eucaryotes
The really basic division among life forms is between the simpler Bacteria and the more complex Eucaryotes. Look at the diagram below (after Patterson & Sogin 1992): it shows the way in which we think the Kingdoms evolved. It is based on molecular evidence: base sequences from ribosomal RNA.
|The earliest forms of life, which appeared about 3,500
- 3,800 million years ago, were
bacteria. We tend to define them by their relative morphological simplicity, and by the
absence of many features found in more modern cells. Although their modern descendants
have a single chromosome, this is
not found inside a nucleus, and their cytoplasm contains no mitochondria
or plastids (cytoplasmic organelles). These organisms make up
the baseline Kingdoms Archaebacteria and Eubacteria
(These are sometimes called Domains, and regarded as having equal 'rank'
with the whole of the Eucaryota). It is also now believed that the
earliest cells swapped genes in lateral transfers before the three domains
became distinct. Most gene-swapping now takes place within, rather
than among, domains, which is one reason they are still recognizable
Multiple symbiosis = Eucaryota
The bacteria had the world to themselves for 1,500 million years (they did, however, invent photosynthesis during that time). Not until about 2 billion years ago did life take the next giant step, the evolution of the eucaryotic cell. Many, perhaps most, biologists now believe that this arose as a result of the mutually beneficial symbiotic union of several different kinds of bacteria within another host bacterium. At least two kinds of modern organelle have been found to retain some of their original independent DNA: (1) Mitochondria, which specialize in the oxidation of 3-carbon organic acids (the Krebs cycle), providing an immediately available energy supply in the form of ATP; and (2) Plastids, which may contain photosynthetic pigments and enzymes (chloroplasts), or may store food. Some biologists also think that flagella were once free-living bacteria.
Eucaryotic cells also have their DNA organized into a number of discrete chromosomes, which are found inside a membrane-bounded nucleus. Cell division in eukaryotes involves a complex process called mitosis. The nuclear membrane breaks down, a mitotic spindle of microtubules develops, and the chromosomes are duplicated. Then the daughter chromosomes separate and are pulled to opposite poles by the contracting spindle fibres. Each set of chromosomes then becomes enclosed by a new nuclear membrane, and the cell finally divides into two.
Bacterial cells have only a single, usually circular chromosome, and do not undergo mitosis. They usually divide by a much simpler process called binary fission. Mitosis, with its very accurate duplication and sharing of the genetic material, seems to have been a crucial invention. Only eucaryotic cells, with their precisely regulated genetic mechanisms, apparently had the potential to evolve into more complex, multicellular organisms in which cells are organized into different tissues and organs.
Now look at the Kingdom diagram again (above). The eucaryotes encompass the other five Kingdoms, and it is in these other Kingdoms that the dazzling evolutionary explosion of new taxa has occurred. The diagram shows five eucaryote Kingdoms: (1) Protista (now often called Protozoa), (2) Chromista (sometimes called Stramenopila), (3) Plantae, (4) Animalia and (5) Eumycota.
New information on the fully sequenced genome of an amoeboid (Protozoan) pseudofungus, Dictyostelium discoideum, has now thrown some light on the timing of the origin of the Kingdoms. You can read about it in Chapter 2a.
The radiation of the two largely unicellular Kingdoms (Protozoa and Chromista) shows how the evolution of the eucaryotic cell expanded life's horizons. But the full potential of the new teamwork -- I call it that, since several bacteria (most as endosymbionts) cooperate to make one functional eukaryotic cell -- was not realized until cells, as well as cell components, began to cooperate. When organisms became multicellular, different cells could assume different, specialized functions. This division of labour eventually led to the development of tissues and organs, and ultimately permitted the evolution of complex beings like ourselves, beings with almost infinitely expanded capabilities (both wonderful and terrible).
Multicellular kingdoms
Three new multicellular Kingdoms arose, exemplifying three different ways of life. Multicellular organisms which could photosynthesize -- make their own food from simple inorganic precursors -- were eaten by other multicellular organisms that lacked this talent, and both were recycled after death by a third group. These groups we call producers, consumers and decomposers -- which roughly correspond to the plants, the animals and the fungi. We recognize about 9 phyla of plants, about 32 phyla of animals, and...
6 phyla of fungi (2 chromistan and 4 eumycotan).
The world being what it is, the picture is not as simple as we might like. Some of the divergent paths of evolution have come together again, almost as they did at the birth of the eucaryotes, and many organisms that seem unitary are in fact partnerships or even consortia. Lichens, for example, always incorporate both an alga (eucaryotic or cyanobacterial) and a fungus. (Other examples -- reef-building corals, animals mof the Phylum Cnidaria, always have endosymbiotic dinoflagellates, many sponges have endosymbiotic algae, plants often have systemic endophytic fungi, and in most cases also have mycorrhizal fungi associated with their roots).
How can fungi fit into two Kingdoms? The answer lies in the way we define the term fungus
(plural: fungi).
If you find this strange, consider the 'algae' for a moment -- they include representatives of three Kingdoms: the blue-green cyanobacteria, chromistans (diatoms, kelps), and protozoans (green algae, red algae, dinoflagellates, euglenids). Both algae and fungi are often defined functionally or ecologically, rather than phylogenetically.
At this point it becomes clear that this book does not, as its title implies, deal exclusively with the fifth Kingdom, Eumycota, but also discusses some elements of Kingdom Chromista. But these latter are relatively minor players on the biosphere when compared with the huge numbers and biomass of the Eumycota.
For a more detailed discussion of the fungi and their relatives, as defined by ultrastructural and molecular characters, please click here.
According to R.K. Noyd, who has published a set of mycology reference cards, the main line of evolution leading to the fungi gave off various side branches en route. First to branch off were members of Kingdom Protozoa -- the Myxostelida (slime moulds), then the aggregating amoebae of the Dictyostelida (cellular slime moulds), then the red algae, then the Kingdom Chromista (Stramenopila) which include the Oomycota. Next Kingdom Plantae diverged, then Kingdom Animalia. Later (we have now arrived at Kingdom Eumycota), the Phylum Chytridiomycota branched off, followed by the Phylum Zygomycota.
Fungi have been around for hundreds of millions of years. The next picture shows one recently recovered from 400 million-year-old rocks of the Rhynie chert in Scotland. This the new genus Hassiella, described by Taylor et al. (2006). It is amazingly well preserved.
The final, or most recent split, was into ascomycetes and basidiomycetes. Noyd treats each of these large groups as a separate phylum, but given their almost parallel sexual development, and many other similarities, I used to keep them together in the Phylum Dikaryomycota as the subphyla Ascomycotina and Basidiomycotina. But I have been outvoted, and the Phyla Ascomycota and Basidiomycota are now generally recognized, in a subkingdom Dicarya. All of these groups -- from Myxostelida to Basidiomycota -- are dealt with in some detail in the chapters that follow.
Although the outline of the Kingdoms seems relatively sound, the classification of fungi at the lower levels - class, order, family and genus, is being shaken up by an influx of molecular data. The classification presented in the chapters that follow is still to some extent based on the ideas first proposed by the great biologist, Anton de Bary, in the 19th century, and refined by many subsequent generation of mycologists using morphological, anatomical and developmental characteristics. But it now seems that a true phylogenetically based classification has become possible as a result of molecular studies.
This new system is still fragmentary, and not entirely consistent, but it holds out hope of a truer understanding of the fungi than we have ever had before. The full outline, as well as the fine details, will become clearer in the next few years, and I will try to incorporate them in future versions of this CD-ROM. Notes on recent taxonomic changes are already to be found at several points in the chapters that follow, and these will be augmented as the story unfolds.
If you want to learn a little more about the techniques used to extract, amplify and sequence fungal DNA, go to Chapter 25.
old are the fungi?
The fungi have a poor fossil record, so can be dated (albeit rather approximately) only by molecular clock extrapolations based on DNA sequence data. In advancing the most recent estimate, Lucking et al. (2009) suggest that the fungi evolved between 1.06 billion years ago and 760 million years ago. A first step toward colonization of the land may have been the establishment of lichen-like symbioses. These associations may have been partly responsible for the increase in global oxygen levels. Land plants are thought to have arisen about 600-700 Myr ago (also probably as symbioses between fungi and the plant-like algae) and to have paved the way for the explosion of animal taxa during the Cambrian. The diagram below is from Lucking et al. (2009).
|The deep time history and origins of the fungi are still rather obscure. Many of the attempts to build calendars using rates of genetic change come up with dates far older than any known fossils, so are impossible to confirm. A recent review of this subject is given by Berbee and Taylor (2010). Don't expect any early resolution of this problem.
Biological Classification
The first part of this book deals with the classification of the
fungi. You can certainly ignore chapters 2-7, and move quickly to the more accessible and,
to many people, more interesting chapters later in the book which deal with the many ways
in which fungi impact on human existence. However, I don't think I am overstating the case
if I say that unless you understand something about how the main groups of fungi differ in
morphology and behaviour, you will not be able to make much sense of the more
sections of the book. If you can develop a sort of 'cognitive map' of the main classes,
recognizing them on sight, and understanding the unique abilities of each, you will find
the study of fungi -- mycology -- infinitely more rewarding.
|This new system has just been completed.
It is based on all available information, but especially on molecular
data. It is contained in a paper to appear in Mycologia, entitled "A
Higher-Level Phylogenetic Classification of the Fungi" by no fewer than 66
authors (Hibbett et al.) Note that it does not deal
with the Oomycetes, nor with the various kinds of slime moulds, none of
which are true fungi.
I am adding it here as a preliminary to
reorganizing the first several chapters of the CD-ROM.
This second table deals with the Ascomycetes (including most lichens)
This third and last table covers the Basidiomycetes, including rust and smut fungi.
Every species of living organism is a collection of individuals which are very similar (genetically, if not always in appearance), and each species has a unique name made up of two words, which may actually be from the ancient Latin lexicon, but are far more often new, pseudo-Latin words coined for the occasion. This two-epithet name is the binomial. You and I belong to the species Homo sapiens. The supermarket mushroom belongs to the species Agaricus brunnescens. In each case the first of these two Latin words is the generic name or epithet (this places the organism in a genus, a collection of similar and/or related species). The second Latin word is the epithet applied to one particular species of the genus. But notice that the name of the species always consists of both epithets together. This is because only the two-word combination is actually unique to that species. The generic epithet is shared by all other species in that genus. The same species epithet may also be applied to species in other genera (for example, many Canadian spring flowers, though belonging to different genera, have the same species epithet, canadensis, as does the national animal of Canada, the beaver). So remember that only the two epithets together -- the binomial -- properly specify a species. Homo sapiens is the only extant species in the genus Homo, but most genera contain more than one species, and some, for example the mushroom genus Cortinarius, are made up of hundreds of species.
For purposes of classification (which is actually a method of information storage and retrieval), related genera are grouped into families, families are grouped into orders, orders into classes, classes into phyla, and phyla into Kingdoms. Here is a sample of how an organism is classified in this hierarchical (boxes within boxes) system. Note that the binomial is in italics, as it is in most scientific publications, while the names of higher-ranking taxa (families, orders, etc.) are not in italics. If you refer to a binomial in writing, it should be underlined, to show that it would be printed in italics.
Kingdom: EUMYCOTA (some prefer FUNGI)
Phylum: Basidiomycota
Subphylum: Agaricomycotina
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Agaricales
Family: Agaricaceae
Genus: Agaricus
Species: Agaricus
brunnescens -- the edible (supermarket) mushroom.
Why do we use this binomial nomenclature, which is so unfamiliar to the man-or-woman-in-the-street? Why not use common names wherever they exist?
For three good reasons:
(1) the common names of many organisms differ from country to country, and even from district to district;
(2) the same common name is sometimes applied to different organisms -- for example, the British, North American and Australian "Robins";
(3) common names can be downright misleading: Irish moss is a red alga, Spanish moss is a flowering plant, clubmoss is a fern ally, and reindeer moss is a lichen.
Let's face it, common names are too unreliable and confusing to be of much use to scientists, who rely heavily on international communication and cooperation. Please take the time to learn the proper scientific names of the more important organisms you encounter in these pages. If you ever want to know more about any of them, you'll find that their binomials are the key to almost everything that has been written about them.
Having said that, I must admit that I can occasionally remember the common name of an organism when I can't pull the scientific name out of my memory banks (this is increasingly true with advancing years as of November 2008 I am almost 75). Google and Wikipedia are wonderful memory aids which I (and I am sure all of you) use often. Many identification manuals list common names, so they can in times of forgetfulness be one way to get at the scientific name. But that's as far as I am willing to go, unless you have to give a talk to non-scientists or small children, when common names are all they will be able or willing to accept.
"But why Latin or pseudo-Latin binomials?" I can hear you saying
plaintively. That's easy too:
I do have one problem with the Latin terminology: it is that the same generic names can be used in different Kingdoms. For example, there is a hyphomycete genus called Graphium (an asexual phase of an ascomycete - see picture, below, left, and Chapter 4b). There is also a genus of butterflies called Graphium (below, right). I do not think that this is necessary or reasonable, and I personally would disallow it - especially since the affiliations of kingdoms may change: the fungi are now considered quite closely allied with the animals, rather than the plants.
It is unlikely that anything will be done about this in the near future, but you should be aware of the problem...
In recent years, followers of Willi Hennig have forcefully advanced a challenge to the traditional Linnaean hierarchical system. Their approach is called cladistics from the Greek word clados for branch. There is quite a bit of terminology to learn before we can understand this newish taxonomic philosophy.
Characters inherited from a common
ancestor are homologies.
Primitive features are
In order to establish a
classification based on true relationships we must learn to distinguish
between apomorphic (derived) homologies and plesiomorphic (primitive)
homologies. Synapomorphies are more indicative of close relationship
than are symplesiomorphies. (Rather like learning a new language,
isn't it?)
All classifications can be presented as nesting tree diagrams, but those produced by cladists, which are based on synapomorphies, are called cladograms. Each node or branching point in the tree represents the common ancestor of the branches arising from that point. Cladists emphasize the importance of what they call clades, each of which consists of the common ancestor and all of its descendants.
All recognized taxa are clades.
The primates are a clade containing all men, apes, monkeys, lemurs and
tarsiers right back to their common ancestor who existed about 65 million
years ago. The mammals are a larger clade, including all primates,
horses, rodents, etc., right back to the first mammal, which lived in the
Triassic, about 210 million years ago.
Since birds arose from a group of dinosaurs, it is common to hear cladists speak of 'non-avian dinosaurs' when referring to the older group.
If we want to separate reptiles and mammals, we need to compare both to an outgroup, for example a salamander, which is related to both groups but not part of either. Cladograms always include an outgroup.
All of this theory is now gradually being applied to the fungi, especially as new molecular data come in to supplement (or in some cases, conflict with) morphological and developmental data.
Different strokes for different folks. For some people, place names are evocative, calling up vivid memories of past experiences. For me it is the names of organisms I have seen that bring back those experiences. Metrosideros excelsa conjures up Christmas in Auckland, New Zealand, where the red flowers of this tree adorn beaches in December. Protea cynaroides takes me back to the amazingly rich Fynbos plant community in South Africa, where this flamboyant shrub flourishes, and has been adopted as the national flower. Amphiprion places me on the Barrier Reef in Australia, where these agile little damselfish with blue-white stripes live unscathed among the tentacles of large sea anemones. Such organisms, and the communities and ecosystems of which they are parts, are the real reasons I leave home. I hope that some of you will also come to think of the biodiversity you encounter as a measure of your quality of life.
Biodiversity was one of the buzz-words of the nineties, and I for one hope that it will continue to be a newsmaker in the new millennium. Biologists know from the earliest years of their training that the Earth is blessed with an amazing number of different living things. As you have just read, systematists have tried to catalogue and describe all these riches, but with widely varying degrees of success. We know practically all the birds, and almost all the mammals, that inhabit the earth. But we know only a small fraction of the arthropods and fungi. How can I make those two statements so confidently? Because although there are many ornithologists and mammalogists scouring the globe for new taxa, they rarely find any. At the other end of the scale, entomologists and mycologists find new taxa every day. They have so far described approximately a million insects and about 100,000 fungi, but it is obvious to the professionals who work in these areas that huge numbers of both groups have not yet been described. I began my mycological career examining the sequence of fungi involved in the slow decomposition of Scots pine needles. Almost immediately I found several microscopic fungi which turned out to be new to science, and I had the privilege of describing these fungi (You can see some of them in Chapter 11 of this book). Since I moved to Vancouver Island, off the west coast of Canada, in 1994, I have seen many mushrooms that could not be identified using the existing literature. I am convinced that many of these fungi are actually undescribed.
How many fungi are waiting to be discovered? David Hawksworth (1991) came up with an ingenious answer. Noting that Britain is among the most intensively investigated areas on Earth for plants and for fungi, he pointed out that almost all the flowering plants are known, and that there are about 2,000 species. Although the fungi of Britain are definitely not as fully known, since new ones are still being described, about 12,000 species have been recorded there. This gives a ratio of about 6 fungi to each plant species. Extrapolating (perhaps rather ambitiously) from Britain to the entire globe, Hawksworth suggested that since there appear to be about 250,000 species of flowering plants in the world, there are probably six times as many fungi - about 1,500,000 fungi, in fact. Even if this figure is an over-estimate, and there are only half-a-million fungi, we have still described only 20% of the total, and a huge task lies before us.
But if we accept this figure as a working approximation (and no-one has yet come up with a different formula), it brings us to a realization that about two centuries of mycology have so far succeeded in describing only about 7% of the world's mycota -- a pretty shocking state of affairs. Over the years I have been involved in describing probably three hundred fungal taxa, and have now basically run out of steam in this area of mycology. But even if all the mycologists alive today were to publish 100 species apiece, they would still manage to describe only about 300,000 taxa.
Where are all the undiscovered fungi? Hawksworth returned to the fray in 2004, and suggested that: (1) many of them live in tropical forests - for example, mycorrhizal fungi associated with leguminous trees; (2) many will be found in as yet only partially explored habitats - for example the guts of arthropods, or the soil of Australia, where many new taxa of hypogeous fungi are just now being discovered; (3) some are lost or hidden (lost inside broadly defined taxa, or collected but as yet unidentified) for example, the presumably well-known Fusarium graminearum has been found to embrace nine separate species.
Recently, the use of molecular techniques to detect fungal DNA has shown that soil contains many fungi that do not reveal themselves to normal microscopic investigation (at least, not in an identifiable form), and do not grow on ordinary culture media. Some are similar to known species, and may simply be new (undescribed) species, but others are novel, and may exemplify new and unknown higher taxa. It has also been pointed out that only about 20% of the approximately 1,000 new fungal taxa formally described every year have been added to public databases such as GenBank. So there is a growing disjunct between our morphological knowledge of fungi and our genetic knowledge of DNA sequences which will undoubtedly take many years to bridge.
The preceding discussion assumes a steady state, in which no species are added, and none subtracted, from the global total. But we know that this is not the case. New species are arising constantly, albeit at an unknown rate, as results of the combined effects of selection pressure and genetic recombination. Our own species, by sticking its fingers into every existing niche and ecosystem, as well as creating new ones, is undoubtedly providing the fungi with new challenges at every turn, and they are surely responding to those challenges by spawning new taxa.
But now we come to the tragic bit. Human activities are undoubtedly driving some fungi into extinction. We don't know which or how many are being lost, and it is absurd for anyone to suggest that we are losing two species each week or twenty each day. Information on extinctions is extremely hard to obtain: How can you tell when a particular microscopic fungus, which can be detected only by culturing the soil, or a macroscopic fungus that may fruit only once in 20 years, has finally succumbed? Nevertheless, we have good reason to suspect that these things are happening. For example, the huge fruit bodies of Bridgeoporus (Oxyporus) nobilissimus, a polypore that grows only in old-growth forests on the west coast of North America, are seen less and less frequently, and (along with the forests in which it lives) this species may certainly be considered endangered.
But our problem in North America is that we do not have extensive records of the mycota from the past -- a base-line with which present-day comparisons can be made. Fortunately. some European countries, with centuries of data collection to draw upon, have been able to document the decline in numbers of many fungi, and have published what they call Red Lists. These lists highlight the increasing rarity of many fungi, and the apparent disappearance of some.
|So what does a fire-bellied toad from North Vietnam have to do with preserving fungal diversity? Read on...
Dr. Bob Murphy, Director of the Royal Ontario Museum's Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, reports in the Globe and Mail for July 12th 1999 that he has just returned from collecting herpetiles (amphibia and reptiles) in the North Vietnam rainforest. His comments about his animals are worth repeating here. "Because they're beautiful, aesthetically appealing, wonderful animals, you can get them protected. If you can get them protected, you protect the forest. If you protect the forest, you protect everything that's there, especially the fungi (my italics), which are producing the majority of new pharmaceuticals that are coming out." You will find an echo of that statement in Chapter 24, in the discussion of antibiotics, immunosuppressants and other fungal metabolites.
Are there still exciting new fungi out there waiting to be discovered? Terry Henkel knows the answer. He has found a new fungus so radically different from anything that had ever been seen before that it was almost filed in the wrong subphylum. Here is a picture of this strange fungus, which he discovered when surveying the ectomycorrhizal partners (see Chapter 17) of Dicymbe trees in the Pakaraima mountains of Guyana.
|This fungus was almost described as a new genus of basidiomycetes not far from Tulostoma, which it resembles in many ways. But molecular work on a succession of specimens pointed to the ascomycetes, and eventually it was realized that this was a totally new and different member of the Elaphomycetales (see Chapter 4b) which usually fruit underground. Pseudotulostoma obviously has a volva and a stalk, unlike any other member of the Elaphomycetales. But it clearly belongs to that order, and has developed these adaptations to get its spore mass above an extremely wet forest floor. It has been called, perhaps with some hyperbole, the find of the century, but it is certainly a dramatic new kind of fungus which eluded mycologists until the year 2001. It has now been discovered to be ectomycorrhizal with the tree Dicymbe, a member of the Caesalpiniaceae.
So our efforts to collect and describe the world's mycota need to be redoubled. As you will learn from many of the other chapters in this book, and perhaps most accessibly from Chapter 24, many fungi confer enormous benefits on Mankind. I am not just referring to the producers of antibiotics such as penicillin and immunosuppressants like cyclosporine, but also to the myriad species which recycle organic matter, especially plant debris, and to the others that establish obligate mutualistic symbioses with many of our most important plants.
Another reason for learning more about the fungi lies in the problems they cause for us and other organisms in which we are interested (for whatever reason). If you will consult the web site: http://www.issg.org/database/welcome (the global invasive species database) you can easily find out that of the 100 invasive taxa (usually aliens introduced to new areas) considered to cause the worst problems, 5 are fungi.
Awareness of our ignorance of biodiversity has generated proposals to compile what are called "All-Taxa Biodiversity Inventories" or "ATBI" for short. A meeting to discuss such an ATBI for a forested area in Costa Rica came up with a figure of $20 million for the fungi alone. Although the Costa Rican venture didn't fly, it spawned a marginally less ambitious project for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee. Setting other organisms aside, it has been estimated that there are 20,000 fungi in the Park, of which only 2,250 have so far been described. (Hey, that's more than 10%, so we are already ahead of the game.) A two-year pilot project aimed at refining sampling methods and data protocols was begun in March 1999, and mycologists everywhere will be watching with interest (or will be co-opted) as this unfolds. To learn more about this project, visit the web site http://www.discoverlife.org
Finally, the last few years have seen the emergence of a global project aimed at cataloguing all known biodiversity. "Species 2000," based in Britain, is attempting to produce a database containing the names of all known organisms. You can check your favourite taxa at this web site: http://www.sp2000.org/AnnualChecklist.html
Give it a
test drive...
|For many people, the whole point of this chapter
is not to give them an insight into the grand scheme of things, but to
allow them to gain entr�e to a
taxonomic system that will help them to
identify particular organisms. The
following six chapters are aimed, not simply at displaying the grand
taxonomic scheme, but at helping you to put a name on an organism you
haven't seen before. Over the past few hundred years, the way in
which organisms have been identified involved detailed morphological
comparisons (assisted more recently by developmental and perhaps
physiological or biochemical features).
But in recent years, molecular techniques have been increasingly used to pin down relationships and identities (see Chapter 25 for the ways in which these molecular techniques are carried out). Now it seems that DNA 'fingerprints' will soon be used to separate species. Paul Hebert, of the University of Guelph, found that he could easily identify all 260 species of butterfly and moth encountered where he lives, on the basis of sequencing the nucleotides in a small part of the mitochondrial DNA. He has called this a 'species bar code', and many other scientists are now trying to apply this technique across the biological spectrum.
Basically, DNA is obtained from each organism, the mitochondrial DNA is separated from that, then the first 648 base pairs of one mitochondrial gene, the CO1 (cytochrome C oxidase 1) are amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) before being sequenced. Each species is believed by Hebert and his colleagues to have a unique sequence for this gene. So far, differences within species have not generally exceeded 2%, while interspecific differences are much larger. Many biologists have been surprised that this choice of gene works so well, and there is still scepticism about its universal application.
The next target is a hand-held 'species detector'. The idea is being worked on, but I'm not sure when these devices will become generally available. In the meantime, remember that it will always be important to know what an organism looks like, how it behaves, and how it interacts with other organisms and the environment. The DNA is only a blueprint - not the whole story.
� Mycologue Publications 2010
Web Sites and Further Reading on
http://phylogeny.arizona.edu/tree/phylogeny.html contains information about the phylogenetic relationships and characteristics of organisms, to link biological information available on the Internet in the form of a phylogenetic navigator.
gives a taxonomic overview of the phyla placed in the Kingdom Chromista.
http://tectonic.nationalgeographic.com/2000/biodiversity/ has pages and maps that document loss of biodiversity (though not in fungi).
Berbee, M.L. and J.W.Taylor (2010) Dating the molecular clock in fungi - how close are we? Fungal Biology Reviews 24: 1-16.
Cavalier-Smith, T. (2001) What are Fungi? Chapter 1 (pages 3-37) in The Mycota, Vol VIIA. (Eds.) D.J. McLaughlin, E.G. McLaughlin & P.A. Lemke. Springer, Berlin.
Crowson, R.A. (1970) Classification and Biology. Heinemann, London.
Dawkins, R. (1995) River out of Eden: a Darwinian view of life. Harper-Collins. Paperback edition 1996, publ. by W.W. Norton.
Hawksworth, D.L. (1991) The fungal dimension of biodiversity: magnitude, significance and conservation. Mycological Research 95: 641-655.
Hawksworth, D.L. (2004) Fungal diversity and its implications for genetic resource collections. Studies in Mycology 50: 9-18.
Heckman, D.S., D.M. Geiser, B.R. Eidell, R.L. Stauffer, N.L. Kardos and S.B. Hedges (2001) Molecular evidence for the early colonization of land by fungi and plants. Science 293: 1129-1133.
Hibbett, Binder, Bischoff, Blackwell, Cannon, Eriksson, Huhndorf, James, Kirk, Lucking, Lumbsch, Lutzoni, Matheny, McLaughlin, Powell, Redhead, Schach, Spatafora, Stalpers, Vilgalys, Aime, Aptroot, Bauer, Bergerow, Benny, Castlebury, Crous, Dai, Gams, Gaiser, Griffith, Gueidan, Hawksworth, Hestmark, Hosaka, Humber, Hyde, Ironside, Koljalg, Kurtzman, Larsson, Lichtwardt, Longcore, Miadlikowska, Miller, Moncalvo, Mozley-Standridge, Oberwinkler, Parmasto, Rogers, Roux, Ryvarden, Sampaio, Schussler, Sugiyaa, Thorn, Tibell, Untereiner, Walker, Wang, Weir, Weiss, White, Winka, Yao and Zhang. (2007) A Higher-Level Phylogenetic Classification of the Fungi. Mycologia: in press. (see http://www.clarku.edu/faculty/dhibbett/index.html and click on AFTOL Classification Project)
Jaques, H.E. (1946) Living Things: How to Know Them. Wm.C. Brown, Dubuque.
Kirk, P.M., P.F. Cannon, J.C. David and J.A. Stalpers (Eds) (2001) Ainsworth and Bisby's Dictionary of the Fungi, 9th Edition. CABI Bioscience, UK Centre, Egham, UK. 624 pp.
Lucking, R., S. Huhndorf, D.H. Pfister, E.R. Plata and H.T. Lumbsch (2009) Fungi evolved right on track. Mycologia 101: 810-822.
Margulis, L. and R. Guerrero (1991) Kingdoms in turmoil. New Scientist, 23 March 1991, 46-50.
Margulis, L. and K.V. Schwartz (1982) Five Kingdoms. Freeman, San Francisco.
Miller, O.K. Jr., T. Henkel, T.Y. James & S.L. Miller (2001) Pseudotulostoma, a remarkable new volvate genus in the Elaphomycetaceae from Guyana. Mycological Research 105: 1268-1272.
Patterson, D.J., and Sogin, M.L. (1992) Eukaryote origins and protistan diversity. in The Origin and Evolution of Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells. (Eds.) H. Hartman and K. Matsuno. World Scientific Pub. Co., NJ . pp. 13-46.
Ross, H.H. (1974) Biological Systematics. Addison Wesley, Reading.
Taylor, T.N., M. Krings, and H. Kerp (2006) Hassiella monospora gen. et sp. nov., a microfungus from the 400 million year old Rhynie chert. Mycol. Res.110: 628-632.
Woese, C.R., O. Kandler and M.L. Wheelis (1990) Towards a natural system of organisms: Proposal for the domains Archaea, Bacteria, and Eucarya. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science 87:4576-4579.


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Paper Planes: Homeland Security Remixes: M.I.A.: Music
M.I.A. kicks bum. Buy & listen to her song "Paper Planes" if you haven't already.
A combination of music composed specifically for the movie by AR Rahman (who has received several Academy Award nominations);"Paper Planes" by M.I.A.; a few slick remixes; and more, this album is a feast for the ears.Tags: movies, music, film, entertainment, CD, India, iTunes, songs, soundtracksAdded 9 Years Ago from Apple
I'll put it this was, I know a significant amount of people that count this as one of their favorite albums of 2008. If you're into progressive electronic or crazy experimental, this is for you. I've never heard anything like it.Tags: ipod, music, digital, CD, electronica, dance, mp3, indie, alternativesAdded 9 Years Ago from Spiralfrog
Cherish every moment you get to enjoy the music of MIA. Why? Because she could up and quite and any given time. I mean, she has before. Oh, and this album is amazing.Added 9 Years Ago from Amazon.com
I knew the first time I heard this song it was hittin'


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Easy question for me~Ruger Super Blackhawk or Blackhawk.
My druthers: A Three Screw Super Blackhawk in .44 Magnum. Though I have my "Super" Blackhawks in .45 Colt also. These are Blackhawks set up with the Super Blackhawk grip frame. Also set up my Super Blackhawks with the Blackhawk hammer.
These my pet .44s:
And, here a couple of New Model .45s:
Yep, thats my pick.
Bob Wright


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There are enough seasoned motorcycle riders out there swearing by their 250cc bikes to get beginners excited about owning their first. In fact, even riders who ride the largest models tend to have a small, fun bike in the garage. The responsiveness and zip of a 250cc ride will always hold a place in bikers' hearts.
Though consumers have plenty of choices in small cars these days, the selection of small bikes is limited in the United States. Riders can choose for lightweight bikes that jump from a standing position to nimble machines that beg for taking the long way home through the forest. Here are six motorcycles that serve up real fun in an affordable 250cc package. Base prices are included before destination charge for each bike in parentheses.
1. 2014 Honda CRF250L ($4,999)
If all-around thrills are what's on the menu, the Honda CRF250L is known as a bike that strikes a balance between off-road fun and zippy rides through city streets. Powered by a single-cylinder, fuel-injected engine, the CRF250L has an electric starter capable of igniting in any weather and unique suspension with a curb weight of 320 lbs.
Top speeds above 80 mph are possible for highway driving, so distance riders may consider upgrading the saddle for added comfort. Still, the main draw will be transitioning from back roads to paved streets without batting an eye. New riders are bound to appreciate the versatility, while seasoned vets will know exactly how to adjust the bike to do your bidding. To top it off, the 2014 Honda CRF250L can get better than 70 mpg and go from 0-60 in about 8.5 seconds.


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I'm thinking of getting a used WRX. I'm comparing two, each for sale by local private sellers. They are both basically the same price. Here are the options:
1) A 2006, Factory SPT performance package, factory Recaro seats, factory Momo steering wheel, Momo shift, Boost gauge, Hybrid Garret GT35R compressor ball bearing turbo, Cobb Accessport with custom staged map. 4" to 3" turbo back exhaust.
80K miles.
2) A 2004, COBB Accessport tuner currently running stage 2, lowered with COBB springs and has 17' bronze Rota wheelsnew Yokohama S.drive tires.
The 2004 also has some custom audio parts, and only 60K miles.
So, I guess my real question is about the Garret Turbo on the 2006 model. Does that trump the new tires and lower mileage of the 2004? It seems kind of obvious to go with the '06.
Anything I'm overlooking? Any reason the '04 has an advantage?


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AWARD Tags Blues Browns Vintage Inspired by SweetlyScrappedArt
1 Recommendation
SweetlyScrapped's recommendation
This is for a set of 12 tags and they measure 1 1/2 inches wide by 2 3/4 inches tall. I've stamped in the center, an award! I've stamped this in a bold blue. On the edges I have added blues and browns to give these tags a vintage feel. At the top I've punched holes and added cream twine to coordinate with the manilla colored cardstock. Rather have these in a different color palette? Send me a message. I can create a custom listing just for you. What you will receive: -Set of 12 tags -Prestrung with cream twine -1 1/2 " X 2 3/4" -Packaged in cello bag -Shipped in rigid mailer for safe shipping -AF, LF and Archival safe If you have any questions, please send me a message.


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UUA International Blog
UUA International Blog
UUA International Blog
International Engagement & Building Peace
World Refugee Day and our Interdependent World CommunityBy Kate Mays Every year, June 20 marks World Refugee Day, a time to honor the courage and strength of those who are forced to flee their homeland because of conflict, violence, or persecution. This year, bringing awareness and supporting refugees is more important than ever....6/20/2017
2017 Religious Freedom Conference in IndiaThe India Chapter of the International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF) conducted a national conference in Pondicherry, India from the 26th to 27th of May, 2017. Representatives from many states attended - giving all participants a good opportunity to...6/2/2017
Climate-Induced Migration: United Nations Forum on Indigenous IssuesBy Lyle Davison The Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (PFII) is a two-week long conference that was established on July 28th, 2000 by the United Nations to address the unique issues indigenous comminutes face related to economic and social development, ecological and...By UUA International Resources: UU United Nations Office | 5/17/2017
First in Asia: Progress towards Marriage Equality in TaiwanFor the past two years, it has been my honor to chair the NGO/DPI Executive Committee, which represents about 1,500 Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) affiliated with the Department of Public Information (DPI) at the United Nations. For many years, the chair of the NGO/DPI...By Bruce Knotts | 5/8/2017
Seeking Reproductive Justice: Roadblocks to Women's Economic Empowerment Around the WorldBy Emma Langsner The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is a two week long conference where events are hosted in and around the United Nations Headquarters by member states, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and civil society. During the conference, which takes...4/19/2017
International Flower CommunionThis exciting invitation to Unitarian Universalists in the United States comes from the Unitarian community in Prague, on the occasion of the 95th anniversary of the Flower Communion this June. Dear Friends, Unitarians in Prague are celebrating the 95th Anniversary of...3/27/2017
Defend Our United Nations from US Budget CutsDonald Trump destroys what he doesn't have the knowledge to understand nor appreciate. This has been clear since the 1980s, and on numerous occasions he has shown tragic disregard for historical and artistic treasures. Fast forward to 2017. The President's proposed budgets...By Bruce Knotts | 3/21/2017
An Afternoon of Accepting Others and Breakings StigmasBy Emma Langsner The afternoon of Friday January 27, 2017 I experienced one of the most empowering events at the United Nations Headquarters. It was the 18th annual Committee on Teaching About the United Nations (CTAUN) conference titled: Refugees the 21st Century Challenge....By UUA International Resources: UU United Nations Office | 3/2/2017
Thinking Equal in VietnamBruce Knotts is the Director of the Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office. In January, he travelled to Vietnam to endorse the Think Equal initiative and to China to encourage greater civil society participation at the United Nations. Here, he writes about his experience...By Bruce Knotts | 3/1/2017
Weaving Global Partnerships at the Third International Women's ConvocationAs the orange sun set over the Pacific Ocean on Thursday, February 16, 2017, women gathered from around the world in Pacific Grove, California to begin a three-day convocation exploring issues important to women's rights and justice. It was the Third International Convocation of...By Allison Hess | 2/24/2017
Responding in the Wake of the Storm: Hurricane Matthew Relief and Environmental RacismBy Kwanique Andrews Tuesday, October 4th, 2016 will be a day that will never be forgotten in South Haiti. About 90 percent of the area that Hurricane Matthew struck was completely destroyed, affecting residents in a variety of ways. Due to the destruction, the people living...2/20/2017
Asian LGBT Communities: Creating Safe and Tolerant SpaceBy Mengxi Zhao Recently the Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office (UU-UNO) held a discussion panel themed "Creating Safe and Tolerant Space for Asian LGBT Communities" in the UN Church Center. Four panelists: Robert Kaku Gunn, Lu Jun, Rashima Kwatra, and Omair Paul...2/14/2017
Religious Freedom ain't what it used to beCelebrate Religious Freedom Day this week, and keep in mind that "Religious Freedom" ain't what it used to be. Yes, the historic meaning it typically brings to mind for religious liberals continues to be relevant in present day struggles: freedom of...By Rev. Eric Cherry | 1/11/2017
If we hate haters for hating...A refugee justice rally was held at South Australia's Parliament house on Saturday, December 3rd, organized by the University of Adelaide's Students Against Racism group. Rev. Rob MacPherson, Minister of the Unitarian Church of South Australia, was asked to speak at that rally...12/12/2016
Human Rights Day in an unjust worldEvery year on December 10th, the world celebrates Human Rights Day. It is the anniversary of the day the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. This year marks 68 years since these rights were acknowledged to belong inherently to every human...By Allison Hess | 12/8/2016
Unitarians in Poland - Then and Now: A Historical Study Tour with the Rev. Dr. Jay AtkinsonUnitarians in Poland - Then and Now: A Historical Study Tour with the Rev. Dr. Jay Atkinson June 6-11, 2017 JOIN US on a visit to the 16th century's Unitarian "heartland" where early religious dissenters —who called themselves the Polish Brethren—first...By UUA International Resources Staff Group | 12/6/2016
Day of Religious Freedom - 13th JanuaryIn 1568, on January the 13th, the Diet of Torda (Transylvania) proclaimed: "His majesty, our Lord, in what manner he—together with his realm—legislated in the matter of religion at the previous Diets, in the same matter now, in this Diet, reaffirms that in every place the...12/2/2016
The Future of Human Rights Protection at the United NationsA troubling new initiative has just been proposed at the United Nations which threatens all human rights protection, but focused on sexual orientation/gender identity human rights. On Monday, the NGO Committee on Human Rights, of which I am a co-chair, met the newly...By Bruce Knotts | 11/14/2016
Refugee Crisis - Where is the world?This guest post is from the Unitarian Universalist Peace Ministry Network (UUPMN). It was written by Ann Lundberg, a member of UUPMN and of The Unitarian Church in Westport, CT. Whether the global refugee crisis is the worst humanitarian crisis of our time-- or just the most...11/8/2016
Hurricane Matthew - Why we careThis blog post is written by Rebecca Bowe, an intern at the Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office working on the Racial Justice Initiative. This summer she spent 9 days in Haiti with a mental health team, aiming to implement a mental health component to a medical...By UUA International Resources: UU United Nations Office | 10/20/2016


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SAMADHAN . A Pension Grievances Cell 'SAMADHAN' has been set up in the Directorate of Pay and Allowances to resolve difficulties of Naval Pensoiners/ Family Pensioners. The Cell would provide assistance for solving Pension problems based on letters/ phones calls received from Pensioners/ widows. The Contact Nos. of the Cell are as follows :-
† Telephone No.††††††††††††††:†††††††††††† 011-23010382 / Extn. No.: 222
† Fax No.††††††††††††††††††††:†††††††††††† 011-23792057†
† E-mail†††††††††††††††††††††:†††††††††††† email@example.com†††
1. The Information in respect of SBI pension account holders regarding queries arising out of realization of benefits from the 6th CPC received from Mumbai Charter is reproduced below:-
(a) Understand SBI has recently opened Ē Centralised Pension Processing CentreĒ in Navi Mumbai.
(a) Address: Centralised Pension Processing Centre
6th Floor, CBD Belapur Rly Station. Complex
ITC Belapur, Navi Mumbai-400614.
(b) e-mail: email@example.com
(d) Fax : 022 -27580963
(e) Tel : 022-27565475 and 022-27563214
Ext: 30
Some FAQs relating to pension are given below for general information:
1. Can the pensioner draw his/ her pension through a bank branch?
Yes. Even the Government employees earlier drawing their pension from a treasury or from a post office will have the option to draw their pension from the authorized bank's branches.
2. Who is the pension sanctioning authority?
The Ministry/ Department /Office where the Government servant last served is the pension sanctioning authority. The pension fixation is made by such authority for the first time and thereafter the refixation of pay, if any, is done by the pension paying bank based on the instructions from the Central/ State Government authorities.
3. Is it necessary for the pensioner to open a separate pension account for the purpose of crediting his/ her pension in authorized bank?
The pensioner is not required to open a separate pension account. The pension can be credited to his or her existing savings/ current account maintained with the branch selected by the pensioner.
4. Can a pensioner open a Joint Account with his/ her spouse?
Yes. All Central Government Pensioners (except the pensioners of the Telecom Department) and those State Governments which have accepted such arrangement can open Joint Account with their spouses.
5. Whether Joint Account of the pensioner with spouse can be operated either by ''Former or Survivor" or " Either or Survivor".
The Joint Account of the pensioner with spouse can be operated either by ''Former or Survivor" or "Either or Survivor".
6. What is the minimum balance required to be maintained in the pension account maintained with the banks?
RBI has not stipulated any minimum balance to be maintained in pension accounts by the pensioners. Individual banks have framed their own rules in this regard. However, some of the banks have also permitted zero balance in the pensioners' accounts.
7. Who sends the Pension Payment Orders (PPOs) to the authorized bank branch?
The concerned pension paying authorities in the Ministries /Departments/ State Governments forward the PPOs to the bank branches wherefrom the pensioner desires to draw his/her pension.
8. When is the pension credited to the pensioner's account by the paying branch?
The disbursement of pension by paying branch is spread over the last four working days of the month depending on the convenience of the pension paying branch except for the month of March when the pension is credited on or after the first working day of April.
9. Can a pensioner transfer his/ her pension account from one branch to another branch of the same bank or to the branch of another bank?
(a) Pensioner can transfer his/ her pension account from one branch to another branch of the same bank within the same centre or at a different centre;
(b) He/ She can transfer his/ her account from one authorized bank to another within the same centre (such transfers to be allowed only once in a year);
(c) He/ She can also transfer his/ her account from one authorized bank to another authorized bank at different centre.
10. What is the procedure for payment of pension in the case of the transfer of PPO to another branch or bank, as the case may be?
Pension will be paid on the basis of the photocopy of the pensioner's PPO at the transferee (new) branch from the date of the last date of payment made at the transferor (old) branch. During this time, both the branches (old and new) are required to ensure that all the required documents are received by the transferee branch within the period of three months.
11. Is it necessary for the pensioner to be present at the branch of the bank along with documents for the purpose of identification before commencement of pension?
Yes. Before the commencement of pension, a pensioner has to be present at the paying branch for the purpose of identification. The paying branch shall obtain the specimen signatures or the thumb/toe impression from the pensioner.
12. What is the procedure to be followed by the bank branch if the pensioner is handicapped /incapacitated and is not in a position to be present at the paying branch?
If the pensioner is physically handicapped/incapacitated and unable to present at the branch, the requirement of personal appearance is waived. In such cases the bank official visits the pensioner's residence/hospital for the purpose of identification and obtaining specimen signature or thumb/toe impression.
13. Has the pensioner got right to retain half portion of the PPO for record and to get it updated from paying branch whenever there is a change in the quantum of pension due to revision in basic pension, dearness relief, etc.?
Yes. The pensioner has right to retain half portion of the PPO for record and whenever there is a revision in the basic pension/DR etc. the paying branch has to call for the pensioner's half of the PPO and record thereon the changes according to government orders/notifications and return the same to the pensioner.
14. Whether the paying branch has to maintain a detailed record of pension payments made by it in the prescribed form?
Yes. The pension paying branch is required to maintain a detailed record of pension payments made by it from time to time in the prescribed form duly authenticated by the authorized officer.
15. Can the pension paying bank recover the excess amount credited to the pensioner's account?
Yes. The paying branch before commencement of pension obtains an undertaking from the pensioner in the prescribed form for this purpose and therefore, can recover the excess payment made to the pensioner's account due to delay in receipt of any material information or due to any bonafide error. The bank has also right to recover the excess amount of pension credited to the deceased pensioner's account from his/ her legal heirs/nominees.
16. Is it compulsory for a pensioner to furnish a Life Certificate/Non-Employment Certificate or Employment Certificate to the bank in the month of November?
Yes. The pensioner is required to furnish a Life Certificate/Non Ė Employment Certificate or Employment Certificate to the bank in the month of November. However, in case a pensioner is unable to obtain a Life Certificate from an authorized bank officer on account of serious illness / incapacitation, bank official will visit his/her residence/ hospital for the purpose of recording the life certificate.
17. Can a pensioner be allowed to operate his/ her account by the holder of Power of Attorney?
The account is not allowed to be operated by a holder of Power of Attorney. However, the cheque book facility and acceptance of standing instructions for transfer of funds from the account is permissible.
18. Who is responsible for deduction of Income Tax at source from pension payment?
The pension paying bank is responsible for deduction of Income Tax from pension amount in accordance with the rates prescribed by the Income Tax authorities from time to time. While deducting such tax from the pension amount, the paying bank will also allow deductions on account of relief to the pensioner available under the Income Tax Act. The paying branch will also issue to the pensioner in April each year a certificate of tax deduction as per the prescribed form. If the pensioner is not liable to pay Income Tax, he should furnish to the pension paying branch, a declaration to that effect in the prescribed form (15 H).
19. Can old, sick physically handicapped pensioner who is unable to sign, open pension account or withdraw his/ her pension from the pension account?
A pensioner, who is old, sick or lost both his / her hands and, therefore, can not sign, can put any mark or thumb/ toe impression on the form for opening of pension account. While withdrawing the pension amount he/ she can put thumb/toe impression on the cheque/withdrawal form and it should be identified by two independent witnesses known to the bank one of whom should be a bank official.
20. Can a pensioner withdraw pension from his/ her account when he/ she is not able to sign or put thumb/toe impression or unable to be present in the bank?
In such cases, a pensioner can put any mark or impression on the cheque/ withdrawal form and may indicate to the bank as to who would withdraw pension amount from the bank on the basis of cheque / withdrawal form. Such a person should be identified by two independent witnesses. The person who is actually drawing the money from the bank should be asked to furnish his/ her specimen signature to the bank.
21. When does the family pension commence?
The family pension commences after the death of the pensioner. The family pension is payable to the person indicated in the PPO on receipt of a death certificate and application from the nominee.
22. How the payment of Dearness Relief at revised rate is to be paid to the pensioners?
Whenever any additional relief on pension/family pension is sanctioned by the Government, the same is intimated to the agency banks for issuing suitable instructions to their pension paying branches for payment of relief at the revised rates to the pensioners without any delay. The orders issued by Govt. Departments are also hosted on their websites and banks have been advised to watch the latest instructions on the website and act accordingly without waiting for any further orders from RBI in this regard.
23. Can pensioners get pension slips?
Yes. As decided by the Central Government (Civil, Defence & Railways), pension paying banks have been advised to issue pension slips to the pensioners in prescribed form when the pension is paid for the first time and thereafter whenever there is a change in quantum of pension due to revision in basic pension or revision in Dearness Relief.
24. Which authority the pensioner should approach for redressal of his/ her grievances?
A pensioner can initially approach the concerned Branch Manager and, thereafter, the Head Office of the concerned bank for redressal of his/her complaint. They can also approach the Banking Ombudsman of the concerned State in terms of Banking Ombudsman Scheme 2006 of the Reserve Bank of India (details available at the Bank's website www.rbi.org.in) This is applicable only in respect of complaints relating to services rendered by banks. For other issues the complainant will have to approach the respective pension paying authority.
25. Where can a pensioner get information about the changes in the pension/ Dearness Relief or any pension related issue?
The pensioner can visit the Official Website of the concerned Government Department as also Reserve Bank of India Website (www.rbi.org.in) to get the information about pension related issues
Click Here for Important Notice on Formation of Pension Grievances Sub Cell at IESM HQ
Click here for Amendment dated 16th July, 2009 to SAI/SAFI/SNI No. 2/S/2008 regarding grant of HAG Scale to Lt. General/Air Marshal/Vice Admiral
Orders for Lt Col/Cdrs/Wg Cdrs - Pre 01-01-06 Pensioners
Pension arrears as calculated by NHQ from the 6PC report (04 May, 2008)
Download the calculation
Revision of pension 'post 16 DEC 2004 retd CDRs' (05 September, 2007)
Govt. of India
Ministrry of Defence
Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare
New Delhi, 27th April 2007
The Chief of the Army Staff
The Chief of the Army Staff
The Chief of the Air Staff
Subject: Revision of pension in respect of post-16.12.2004 retired Lt. Col.
I am directed to refer to AHQ's letter no. 2/41000/T/AG/P5-5, dated 15.9.2005 and to state that the matter regarding revision of pension
in respect of post 16.12.2004retired Lt. Col and equivalent ranks in the Navy and Air Force has been under consideration of the Government
for sometime. The President is now pleased to decide that the pension of post 16.12.2004 retired Lt. Col. shall not be less than the
pension which would have been admissible to him/her as a Majorand the equivalent as the case may be, had he/she not been promoted to
the higher rank.
2. PCDA(P), Allahabad will take necessary action accordingly.
3. These orders will take effect from 16.12.2004 and arrears wherever applicable shall be paid to the pensioners but no interest is admissible.
4. This issues with the concurrence od MOD(Fin) wide their U.O. No.2039/Fin(P)/07, dated 25.4.2007.
Yours Faithfully
(S.R. Sharma)
Revision of Pension/Fmily Pension in Respect of Pre 1.1.86/96 Pensioners/Family Pensioners
1. Govt. orders were issued wide MOD letter No.1(3)/98/D(Pen/Sers) dated 27 May 98 and Govt. letter No.1(2)/98/D(Pen/Sers) dated 14 Jul 98
for revision of pension/family pension, post V Central Pay Commission, in respect of pre 1.1.86/96 Officers and PBORs respectively.
As per these orders each pre 86/96 pensioners/fmaily pensioners were required to apply for revision of their pension latest by 28 Feb 99 on
the prescribed application form.
2. As a large number of pensioners could not submit their applications for revision of pernsion/family pension, the last date i.e. 28 Feb 99 for
submission of application forms for revision of pension/family pension in respect of the Armed Forces Pensioners was extended from time to time by Ministry of Defence.
The last extension has been given upto 31 Dec 07.
3. Department of Pension & Pensioner's Welfare have reiterated that this is the last opportunity and no further extension in the matter would be granted by them.
4. Naval pensioners/family pensioners who have not submitted their applications for revision of pension/family pension, post V Central Pay Commission orders so far,
are advised to forward their claims on the prescribed proforma as per enclosure, duly filled in, and countersigned by the respective Pension Disbursing Authority to
Naval Pay Office, Mumbai in respect of officers and Commodore Bureau of Sailors,Mumbai in respect of PBORs.
1. Download Form for Officers (2 pages)
2. Download Form for PBOR (2 pages)
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Facts & Arguments is a daily personal piece submitted by readers. Have a story to tell? See our guidelines at tgam.ca/essayguide.
I have never given much thought to the value and efficiency of the spoken word. That changed recently when a callus on my vocal cords rendered me voiceless.
After seeing a throat specialist, I decided to stop talking to speed my recovery and let things heal. Now I communicate through charades or by writing on an erasable LCD board. My wife and I are not good charades partners. I am too impatient. I get frustrated and start shaking my head and thrashing my arms around wildly. Without the board I would be lost.
The board is less efficient at work, where I oversee a 20-man construction crew. I have to write everything down, and the guys sometimes misunderstand what I am trying to convey. Also, getting their attention on the job site is next to impossible unless they are looking directly at me while I flail my arms. For a while I tried whistling if their backs were turned, but in my desperation nothing would come out.
I needed to go buy a whistle. Brilliant solution, I thought. With my erasable board in hand, I headed to a nearby outdoor-outfitter store.
"Do you have whistles?" I wrote, showing my board to the man at the gun counter.
"Yes, we have dog whistles," he said. Without giving me an opportunity to clarify things, the gun guy flagged down a clerk to give me a hand.
"Audible whistle!" I wrote on the board, but before I could show it the man from the dog-whistle department showed up.
"This man needs a whistle for his dog," said gun guy. I shook my head wildly and waved my board: "Audible whistle!"
They both puzzled over why I would need a dog whistle that would be audible. Dog-whistle guy, who seemed excited at the prospect of selling a whistle, asked me to follow him.
I frantically tried to think of a way to get my message through, and wrote: "Bear whistle!"
Stroke of genius. That should do the trick, I figured. If I got a whistle that could scare a bear away, it would surely be loud enough for my workers to hear. I showed both clerks my board and their faces lit up.
"You need bear spray," said gun guy.
Again I shook my head wildly. In my mind I was yelling "NO, JUST A WHISTLE!" I pointed to my board: "Audible whistle!"
Dog-whistle guy asked me to follow him to the bear department, where he explained the situation as he understood it to a bear guy.
"This guy can't talk and is going out into the woods and is looking for a whistle to scare away the bears," he said.
Bear guy looked at me sadly. "You need bear spray," he said.
Thankfully, dog-whistle guy was still there. He told bear guy that I didn't want spray, just a whistle. Bear guy looked at me with concern. I could see what he was thinking. "This guy is going into the woods without bear spray and thinks he'll scare bears away with a whistle? How stupid can he be?"
Bear guy thought about it for a second and said, "We don't have bear whistles, but we have bear bells."
Dog-whistle guy got excited and enthusiastically said, "Yeah, those would work great!"
He grabbed some colourful bells off of the rack and started shaking them. At this point I was about ready to just take the bells and leave, but I thought I'd give it one last try.
I wrote: "The whistle is for me to communicate with my workers – to get THEIR attention, NOT BEARS."
It was as if I'd taken all the air out of their balloons. The mood suddenly changed. They looked at each other.
"Hmmm, I don't think we have anything like that, but maybe we should look in the camping department."
Off I went with dog-whistle guy to the other end of the store. Dog-whistle guy explained the whole story to a tent guy, who said, "We don't have anything like that."
I looked down at the shelf where we were standing. Before me hung an array of whistles: whistles with thermometers, whistles with compasses, with mirrors or even waterproof matches. Who would have thought?
Then I saw it: a beautiful blaze-orange whistle with an orange string. It matched my orange construction vest and everything! I didn't even bother trying it out. I'd take it. I smiled and nodded enthusiastically to dog-whistle guy and tent guy. Off I went to the checkout counter with my whistle.
At the checkout, there was a serious hunter in front of me buying lots of ammo. I put my prized whistle down on the counter. As I waited, I texted my wife about the humorous encounter I'd just had.
After ammo guy had been rung through, I looked up from my phone to pay for my whistle. The counter was empty. My whistle wasn't there. I assumed the checkout guy had already taken it. We looked at each other for a few awkward moments.
Finally he asked, "Can I help you?"
He had sold my whistle to ammo guy!
Never had I imagined that buying a whistle would be so difficult.
Fred Klaszus lives near St. Albert, Alta.Report Typo/Error
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