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Best Of :: Food & Drink
You can win this hall-of-fame type of award only once, and being a great chef won't get you a ticket; you must prove your greatness over time. Past winners are Norman Van Aken, Mark Militello, Allen Susser, Pascal Oudin, Philippe Ruiz, Michelle Bernstein, Michael Schwartz, Douglas Rodriguez, Cindy Hutson, Jonathan Eismann, Dewey LoSasso, Jan Jorgensen, and Kris Wessel. Hedy Goldsmith is the first pastry chef to be inducted, and her dominance in this field has been so complete that the only surprise here is how long it took. After all, Goldsmith first dazzled us with her outrageous dessert buffets at Nemo beginning in 1995. She left that spot to join forces with the former Nemo chef at Michael's Genuine Food & Drink. This was the ideal platform to launch her honest, whimsical, highly creative desserts. Her career took off, and the rest is patisse. Now Ms. Goldsmith's creations are lauded on a national level. We add our humble kudos.
Nothing is more exciting than seeing the clock strike 5 p.m. when you're at work. You and your fellow employees dash to the front door of the office, elbow anyone who gets in your way, and head out in search of libation. We suggest Sandbar Sports Grill. Not only do the weekday happy hours offer half-priced drinks and appetizers from 4 to 7 p.m., but you can also catch almost any game on one of 26 TV sets. Sure, you might run into some UM frat bros on Thursday college nights, but the $3 bottled beer specials are worth it. The home of the fish taco also offers specials on the weekends. Grab a few $3.75 bloody marys on Saturdays and Sundays, or bring your paycheck stub in on Sundays to get 50 percent off your tab.
Though the Wynwood Arts District has evolved greatly in the past few years, its main strip has always been devoid of one key feature of any worthwhile neighborhood: a decent, no-nonsense, old-fashioned bar. Not to disrespect the venues serving drinks in the artsy area, but sometimes you just want to walk into a place with a 20-dollar bill in your pocket and leave with a few drinks in your gut. Thankfully, there's Wood Tavern. And tavern indeed is the perfect descriptor for this place, with wooden, brick, and plaid walls. There's also a buffalo head, a leprechaun statuette, and a profusion of comfy, vintage couches. Although it only opened this past December, the place has an air of familiarity. Of course, the sanely priced drinks including a pleasing selection of craft beers and signature cocktails, made us want to stick around. Forget familiarity, Wood is basically now our new best friend in Wynwood.
When you're looking for the velvet-rope experience without the South Beach parking hassle, Justin's Bar & Lounge has you covered. Promoted on Power 96 and El Zol 95, the club celebrates house, salsa, merengue, bachata, Top 40, hip-hop, and sports. The place offers ice-cold mojitos, a burning-hot dance floor, and VIP tables for very special bottle service (with $150 Grey Goose and Johnny Walker Black bottles). On weeknights, you can shoot a game of stick at the pool table, enjoy two-for-one drinks from 7 to 10 p.m., and get in with no cover charge. On Fridays and Saturdays, ladies enter free till midnight, dudes get in for $10 to $20, and the joint is packed with sexy Latinas, exotic Russian beauties, hombres, and Israeli playboys. Whether it's DJ Dudu, Berdugo, Empire, or E-Feezy on the decks, the music bangs, the people dance, and the liquor flows. Now that's what we call boozin'.
From the moment you buy your first brew, you half expect the other beer guzzlers to start chanting, "Chug, chug, chug, chug!" Owned by former Miami Hurricanes quarterback Craig Erickson, Hole in the Wall is a no-frills joint reminiscent of a college fraternity house's rec room. The décor consists of wood stools, benches, flat-screen TV sets, and a Galaga arcade game. There are also a couple of tables outside the entrance. Hole in the Wall is the spot to drink beer — and not any of those fancy microbrews either. Here, it's a steady stream of PBR, Budweiser, Miller Lite, and Yuengling. But connoisseurs can still get Guinness or Grolsch. The prices are hard to beat. Domestics run from $1.50 to $4 a glass, while imports go for $3.50 to $6. And you're gonna need a lot of cold lagers or ales to wash down the scrumptious chicken wings doused in Frank's RedHot sauce. A ten-wing platter costs $9. Or pig out on a 50-wing platter for $45 while watching the game with your friends. Hole in the Wall is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
It was after midnight on a recent Saturday when we found ourselves playing some eight ball and knocking back shots of Jägermeister as White Snake's "Here I Go Again" bumped through the loudspeakers. Cigarette smoke wafted through the Billiard Club, a strip-mall bar and sports lounge that has been happily serving the hard-working, hard-drinking middle-class residents of Miami Lakes, west Hialeah, and Hialeah Gardens for the past 13 years. The vibe is so chill you won't be surprised when you strike up a friendly conversation with owner Peter Tesser and he rewards you and your party with a round of drinks. He's the type of guy who wants all of his customers to feel like they are visiting a relative's house to watch the big game or fight. Flat-screens hanging at the main bar and over the pool tables show pay-per-view sporting events every weekend with little or no cover charge. Drinks are moderately priced. A glass or bottle of beer won't cost you more than $6, and a stiff drink will set you back no more than $10. A full-service kitchen cooks up popular bar food items plus burgers, chicken wings, and a New York strip steak that'll melt in your mouth. The Billiard Club opens at 4 p.m. daily. Last call is at 3 a.m. on weekdays and 4 a.m. on weekends.


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Lavrov: Troops in Crimea Protecting Russian Citizens
March 03, 2014 12:01 PM
Russia's foreign minister has defended the increasing presence of his country's troops in Ukraine's Crimean peninsula, ahead of a meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who is hoping to prevent a further escalation in the region.
Sergei Lavrov said Monday that the use of Russian troops in Crimea is necessary "until the normalization of the political situation" in Crimea. He spoke at the opening of the U.N. Human Rights Council session in Geneva and said his country's troops are protecting Russian nationals.
Ukraine has accused Russia of carrying out a military invasion and urged Moscow to withdraw its forces, which have surrounded Ukrainian military bases across Crimea and set up roadblocks.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden spoke by telephone Monday with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. The White House said that Biden urged Russia to withdraw its forces from Ukraine, support the immediate deployment of international monitors to Ukraine and begin a dialogue with the Ukrainian government.
Russian media quoted Mr. Medvedev's press secretary as saying that the call was initiated by the American side and that the Russian prime minister stressed the need to "protect Ukrainian citizens, including in Crimea, as well as citizens of the Russian Federation located on the territory of Ukraine."
Also Monday, Mr. Medvedev signed a decree to launch the start of preparations for building a bridge across the Kerch Strait connecting Crimea with Russia's Krasnodar region.
Meanwhile, Russia's Interfax news agency Monday quoted unnamed officials in Ukraine's defense ministry as saying that the commander of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, Alexander Vitko, had given Ukrainian military forces in Crimea an ultimatum to surrender by 5 a.m., local time, Tuesday or face attack.
Russian media reported that Russian fighter jets flew through Ukraine's airspace over the Black Sea overnight Sunday into Monday.
Russia's foreign ministry on Monday strongly criticized the Group of Eight major industrialized nations for suspending preparations for the G8 summit schedule to take place in the Russian city of Sochi in June over the events in Ukraine. The ministry said in a statement the move damages not only the G8 countries, but "the whole international community."
In a separate statement Monday, Russia's foreign ministry criticized what it called "unacceptable threats" made by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who on Sunday called Russia's dispatch of troops to Crimea "a brazen act of aggression, in violation of international law."
The ministry accused Kerry of using "Cold War cliches" and the United States and its allies of "turning a blind eye" to what it called "the militant Russophobia and anti-Semitism" of the protesters who took power in Kyiv.
Russia's foreign ministry also says Russia and China have coinciding views on the situation in Ukraine, while the leaders of the G7 group of nations are condemning what they say is Russia's "clear violation" of Ukraine's sovereignty.
Lavrov spoke to his Chinese counterpart phone on Monday. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said China wants to see a political solution to the situation.
"We understand the historical background of the Ukraine issue, and the complexity of the current reality. As I have said yesterday, to get to this point today, things happened for a reason. We hope that all parties can, through dialogue and and consultation, find a political solution, prevent further escalation and work together to safeguard peace and stability in the region."
The G7 leaders issued a joint statement calling on Russia to address any concerns it has with Ukraine through either direct negotiations or mediation led by the U.N. or the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The G7 includes the United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan.
The OSCE is holding a special meeting Monday to discuss how to best support Ukraine.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague is in Ukraine to meet with leaders, and on Monday visited Kyiv's Independence Square.
He said in a BBC radio interview Monday that Russian forces have taken "operational control of the Crimea" and that they must return to their bases there. He blamed Russia for creating a "very tense" and "dangerous" situation, and said European Union foreign ministers will discuss possible diplomatic measures against Russia.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is due to travel to Ukraine on Tuesday, and Mr. Ban has asked his deputy Jan Eliasson to go there as well to ascertain the situation on the ground.
Ukraine's interim government ordered a full military mobilization Sunday in an effort to counter what Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk called a Russian act of war.
Meanwhile, Russia's Prime Minister Medvedev said ousted president Viktor Yanukovych is still the legitimate leader in Ukraine, and that he was illegally forced from power.
On Sunday, Russian news agencies said President Vladimir Putin told U.S. President Barack Obama late Saturday that Moscow reserves the right to protect ethnic Russians in Crimea and eastern Ukraine.
Also Sunday, Russia's Interfax news agency quoted Crimean parliament speaker Volodymyr Konstanynov as saying parliament will decide Monday on the date of a Crimean referendum that will give voters a choice between independence from Ukraine, continued autonomy within Ukraine or annexation by Russia. The vote was originally set for May 25, but the report said it could be moved up to March 30.
Crimea is a Black Sea peninsula placed under Ukrainian control in 1954 by then-Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. It remained part of Ukraine when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. Crimea has a tiny border with Russia on its far eastern point. The Crimean port of Sevastapol is home to Russia's Black Sea fleet. Most of the people living in Crimea are ethnic Russians, but the region also is home to ethnic Muslim Tatars who generally show disdain for Russia.
Ukraine's troubles began in November when President Yanukovych backed out of a trade deal with the European Union in favor of closer ties and economic aid from Russia. The move triggered weeks of pro-Western demonstrations in Kyiv and elsewhere in Ukraine, and forced the pro-Russian Yanukovych to flee the capital in late February.
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text: Brave Soldier is developed and formulated for those who demand the best in shaving, grooming, skincare and athletic wound care. Brave Soldier products utilize the best available natural ingredients and are formulated to provide short and long term skin care benefits. Brave Soldier products have been recognized as some of the highest quality shaving and grooming products on the market today. Their athletic skincare products accelerate healing, minimize pain, reduce scarring and bring high performance healing power to everyday cuts, burns and scrapes at home and in the work place.


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After last week's narrow defeat to league leaders Maine Road Colne travelled to face second-placed Runcorn Town in what promised to be another closely contested game.
And the match did not disappoint and provided sufficient entertainment to warm up the crowd on a bitterly cold afternoon.
Nigel Coates' side made a good start and after just 2 minutes they looked likely to take the lead when Jason Hart played Mickey Saunders through the middle but with just the keeper to beat he blasted his shot over the crossbar.
But Runcorn took the lead in the fourth minute through Mark Keddie's deflected effort.
They were on level terms in the 25th minute when, after good work by Ashley Carter, Robert Grimes volleyed home into the far corner.
Play then Colne finished the first period the stronger and looking the favourites for all three points.
After an early scare in the second half when Shanley blasted the ball against the post from close range, Colne took the lead again when Grimes and Carter combined to create an opening for Hart who blasted home into the top far corner.
But after a period of poor defending the Reds surrendered the lead on 70 minutes when they failed to clear their lines and allowed Shanley the time and space to fire across Chris Thompson into the bottom far corner.
Runcorn were now pushing forward in search of a winner as the Colne defence dropped deeper and deeper being stretched down both flanks by McShane and Shanley who posed problems but could not convert the chances.
But Colne had chances to win the game in the last 10 minutes. Ed O'Neill burst into the area and played a ball that went begging in front of the goals. and Carter went close on a few occasions.
In the end, the draw was a fair result for two committed teams who had entertained the crowd.


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Hello, I looked into the patch and have some comments. From the restriction of the time for this rather big patch, please excuse that these comments are on a part of it. Others will follow in few days. ==== heaptuple.c noncachegetattr(_with_len): - att_getlength should do strlen as worst case or VARSIZE_ANY which is heavier than doing one comparizon, so I recommend to add 'if (len)' as the restriction for doing this, and give NULL as &len to nocachegetattr_with_len in nocachegetattr. heap_attr_get_length_and_check_equals: - Size seems to be used conventionary as the type for memory object length, so it might be better using Size instead of int32 as the type for *tup[12]_attr_len in parameter. - This function returns always false for attrnum <= 0 as whole tuple or some system attrs comparison regardless of the real result, which is a bit different from the anticipation which the name gives. If you need to keep this optimization, it should have the name more specific to the purpose. haap_delta_encode: - Some misleading variable names (like match_not_found), some reatitions of similiar codelets (att_align_pointer, pglz_out_tag), misleading slight difference of the meanings of variables of similar names(old_off and new_off and the similar pairs), and bit tricky use of pglz_out_add and pglz_out_tag with length = 0. These are welcome to be modified for better readability. ==== heapam.c fastgetattr_with_len - Missing left paren in the line 867 ('nocachegetattr_with_len(tup)...') - Missing enclosing paren in heapam.c:879 (len, only on style) - Allowing len = NULL will be good for better performance, like noncachegetattr. fastgetattr - I suppose that the coding covension here is that macro and alternative c-code are expected to be look similar. fastgetattr looks quite differ to corresponding macro. ... regards, -- Kyotaro Horiguchi NTT Open Source Software Center
Next: From: Simon Riggs Date: 2012-12-07 09:16:56 Subject: Re: pg_upgrade problem with invalid indexes Previous: From: Amit Kapila Date: 2012-12-07 04:55:53 Subject: Re: Setting visibility map in VACUUM's second phase


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CSUEB grad Scott Louie '87 presents a check from his employer, Chevron, to AACE Director Larry Bliss (L) and Provost Jim Houpis at CSUEB. (Photo: Garvin Tso)
Chevron helps to fund more career services for CSUEB students
- September 18, 2013 1:00pm
Chevron Corp. is investing in Cal State East Bay students. Company representatives – two of whom are CSUEB business administration grads - John H. Miller '77, Scott Louie '87 and Caroline Cunningham presented a check in the amount of $19,000 to Larry Bliss, director of the Academic Advising and Career Education Center (AACE), that will be used to support academic and career advising.
Louie said that Chevron has a long history of relying on talent from Cal State East Bay over the years, including from his field of study, finance. "At one point, we had about 450 employees who were grads from CSUEB," said Louie. CSUEB Provost James Houpis added that since 40% of CSUEB students are the first in their family to graduate from college, the support from Chevron was truly transforming families and communities
Vice President of University Advancement Ara Serjoie remarked how critical the donation was in helping CSUEB students making the bridge from college to career. Bliss said the gift enabled AACE to purchase additional flat-screens promoting its programs and to increase the services it offers to students.
Miller said that Chevron's relationship with CSUEB goes back at least 40 years, recalling his days recruiting on the campus in the 1970s. Chevron representatives also mentioned that Cal State East Bay is one of the top recruiting schools for Chevron nation-wide.
Participants agreed the event provided a critical opportunity to not only acknowledge Chevron's support for AACE, but also plan greater CSUEB alumni engagement and student career development opportunities in the future.
You can assist in creating superior educational environments at Cal State East Bay. Visit our Web site to learn more.
- © Copyright California State University, East Bay.
California State University, East Bay is the San Francisco East Bay Area's high-access public university of choice. CSUEB serves the region with campuses in Hayward and Concord, a professional development center in Oakland, and an innovative online campus. With an enrollment of more than 14,000, the University offers a nationally recognized freshman year experience, award-winning curriculum, personalized instruction, and expert faculty. Students choose from among more than 100 professionally focused fields of study for which the University confers bachelor's and master's degrees, as well as an Ed.D. in education. Named a "Best in the West" college, as well as a Best Business School, by the influential Princeton Review, Cal State East Bay is among the region's foremost producers of teachers, business professionals and entrepreneurs, public administrators, health professionals, literary and performing artists, and science and math graduates.


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My never-ending quest to learn, discover and understand pinot keeps rolling along.
Driving this journey is a deep desire to someday make pinot noir, the wine that I have come to love and thirst for above all. It may seem almost hyper-American-trendy at this point to love this grape, and all it's fruitiness, but I am an American, I live here and am resigned to that fact. If I could drink red Burgundy on a daily (and nightly) basis, I would humbly resign myself to that cast. Yet beyond the French mystique and the American reflection, I have a deep, warm spot in my heart and an almost ache in my soul for all things pinot, from California, Oregon, New Zealand, Australia and Patagonia, Argentina.
So I was out helping a friend bring in his remaining three tons of estate pinot noir fruit the past few days, on a vineyard which I corresponded from last spring, with a rather poignant piece about our individual and lively migrations and meditations; about birth and death; about our losses, our pains and about a fleeting yet attainable peace about it all.
To be back at this vineyard, on this mystic knoll, in the mist, no less, is to complete a cycle. Vines I cut, pruned, tended and amended six months ago are now hanging full with opulent fruit of gorgeous purple and blue. To date, the harvest has been steady, but with many quick and quirky turns in the weather. Two weeks ago it was nearly a hundred degrees on this sun-splashed, south-facing slope. Two days ago, it poured down with the season's first rain for several heavy early morning hours.
With the grapes still shimmering wet, sparkling in silver, we set out to bring them home to crush before mold could have its way. The sun also has its way on this piece of hillside, quickly burning off the morning dew, revealing grapes-while not yet achieving an epic period of "hangtime" — that are full of color, with nice dark skins and a sugar level somewhere around 24 or 25 brix, a perfect amount of sugar to fuel a nice fermentation. Munching several bunches from different rows and contours is all the proof you need. These grapes are as regal as pinot noir vines are noble.
And almost immediately I add my own bloodline to this developing story, as my fourth or fifth stem cut with the ARS grape scissors catches the meat on the inside tip of my middle finger. Happens to everybody at least once. Nevertheless, blood flows like red Burgundy from the wound, literally dripping over the vine I was working with. Trapped somewhere between all the obvious metaphors I was; thinking of this amazing seasonal life cycle, and thinking also of the title of Maynard James Keenan's movie, "Blood Into Wine."
It is true that grapes bleed and thus we make wine. It's clear also that we bleed for them!
With a row of bins lined up and ready to go, and my finger triple wrapped, we begin the crush. Grapes are gently tumbled into the hopper from above, where they are de-stemmed and crushed; then they fall onto a sorting table that could do some kind of double duty as a vibrating massage table. Oozing into this (no pun intended here) work is easy, as the vibration lulls one into dreamland while looking at the magical Anderson Valley below, sprawling with hilly vineyard set between stands of redwood trees. But I keep my eyes fixed on the table, as the grapes vibrate along. The goal is to pick out the tiny bits of green stems that look like kind of like psychedelic spiders.
Also, the real sorting is about removing grapes from each extremity of the growing cycle (which I poetically alluded to a few weeks back): The shriveled up raisins must go, as well as more swollen, transparent greenish-red ones called "water grapes," which are second growth and contain intense sour flavors. By culling both the old and the new, as it were, the receiving bins contain nearly all consistent, perfect fruit, destined for a small-production, estate-grown-and-bottled pinot noir from one of North America's most up-and-coming wine regions, and certainly the most beautiful and magical in the land.
Cheers! Remember, blood and wine reveal truth.
Drew Stofflet lives in Carbondale. Correspond with him at firstname.lastname@example.com


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Past Reviews
Off Broadway Reviews
Lady Lurewell is a woman of many tempers and talents. Simply put, she is hell bent on exacting revenge on the cheating, philandering, thoughtless sex. Playing every bit the mouthy though virtuous gentlewoman in the presence of her foes, Lurewell plots and plans for their ridicule and gentle undoing with Parly (Robin Leslie Brown), her cohort and maid. Spurned by a nameless, faceless love some time ago, Lurewell has decided to declare war on all of her potential suitors, both the probable and the highly unlikely. In fact, she considers almost all men within her axis, including the ones that don't have a design on her. The primary contenders are the disbanded Colonel Standard (a lackluster John Pasha), the rich traveler Sir Harry Wildair (Bradford Cover), and the wolf in sheep's clothing, Vizard (David L. Townsend). Others such as Alderman Smuggler (Dominic Cuskern), a mature, unscrupulous and sleazy merchant, are slightly more blatant with their horizontal desires and fit into the highly unlikely category.
By the time Standard saunters into St. James Park searching for his lady love, Vizard is already in the middle of courting his. Having recently been rebuffed by her via letter, he is livid but not discouraged in his pursuit. Wildair joins in later upon returning from his recent travels. They all have similar news to share: a beautiful woman that they each swear is unique and above all women has stirred their hearts and loins. By description and comedic strategy, one can easily discern that they are all referring to Lady Lurewell. Vizard, however, has every intention of foiling their attempts. To distract Wildair from his conquest and to initiate the deceptions of the play, Vizard sends him to much easier prey: Angelica (Jolly Abraham), a beautiful 16-year old courtesan in town. Preceded by a letter of introduction from Vizard, Wildair is more than willing to shell out as much as 100 guineas to satisfy his lust, particularly since Lurewell won't loosen her corset anytime soon. But instead of a willing bedmate, he finds Angelica to be haughtier and more bashful than the "game" allows. After several witty and flirtatious exchanges and scenes, Wildair learns that Angelica is an honorable lady, but his repeated affronts to her have lasting consequences. From henceforward, the baton of deceit is passed off from one character to the next, with Lurewell running several legs around the track.
With a multicultural cast and contemporary inventions, The Pearl Theatre Company takes quite a few liberties with the original text of The Constant Couple. However, the newer vision is also fresh, light, and compatible with its light overtones. One of the more modern choices include the method by which Tom Errand (Orville Mendoza) gets around the stage: he glides around on those roller sneakers that by now have probably gotten on your nerves more than once on the street, but here they elicit a smile and a chuckle. Another is Lurewell's display of paintings onstage of the various men that she plays like pawns. Not only is it improbable for her to have the likeness of all of these men because there's no justification for it, but it is also impossible in the 18th century for her to have access to the art. After all, paintings are still not as accessible as photographs, and even with the achievement of the first photographic image in 1814 by Joseph Nicephore Niepce, Lurewell wouldn't even be able to get those. They do, however, do a good job of depicting her arrogance. But too good of a job. Botchan's portrayal of Lurewell is so bold that one must wonder, apart from her virginity, why she is so sought after at all? Although Botchan plays the part with a wonderful twinkle in her eye and a command of her scenes, she has no expected docility to accompany the virginity of the Restoration era, the docility that still enraptures men today. One would think that deflowering a virtuous woman back then would be challenging enough without the added attitude.
The scenic design by Harry Feiner is appropriately simple, with a carefully constructed wooden set that acts as a nice backdrop against Liz Covey's lavish costumes. Although the musical interludes that conclude some of the scenes are peculiar, they do add to the levity of the play and are a means of foreshadowing much like a Greek chorus. The fiddle and what I believe to be either a harpsichord or a Bosendorfer piano are nice touches. As a collective, the cast is delightful and funny, and demonstrate their comfort with the classics with grace and airs.
Eventually, the web of lies that comprise The Constant Couple do get untangled, but the journey to clarity and truth is full of entertainment and merriment along the way. At 2.5 hours, there's enough witty banter, lively characters, sauciness and hope for the lovelorn to make this production well-rounded and worthy to be seen.
The Constant Couple


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The Voyage of Captain Popanilla
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The Voyage of Captain Popanilla
by Benjamin Disraeli
Publisher: H. Colburn 1828
Number of pages: 262
There is an island in the Indian Ocean, so unfortunate as not yet to have been visited either by Discovery Ships or Missionary Societies. It is a place where all those things are constantly found which men most desire to see, and with the sight of which they are seldom favoured. It abounds in flowers, and fruit, and sunshine.
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Dress up a plain corner of your backyard with a free-standing pergola that is visually appealing and offers a shaded sitting area as well. Make it large enough to accommodate lawn furniture or even a hot tub along with hanging flower baskets and climbing vines. Construct it according to building codes and make it stout enough to withstand hurricane winds!
Determine where to sink the pergola's six support posts after checking for gas, water, or electric lines. Drive a stake and string at the first corner. The six-by-six posts must be aligned perfectly straight and parallel to each other.
Position a large layout triangle along a two-by-two at the pergola's front edge. Stretch string to the back corner, ensuring that the angle at the front stake is 90 degrees. Align a stake at the back corner. This pergola/arbor design is rectilinear.
Tie markers along the string for the middle and back post positions on that side of the arbor. Equally space them with a tape measure. Repeat for three post positions on the other side. Drive a stake at each marker.
Center a bottomless bucket on each of the six stakes and sprinkle powdered chalk around the outside perimeter to mark a posthole digging line. Carefully remove the stakes without disturbing the digging line for each posthole.
Dig six holes within the chalk lines with a posthole digger, making them slightly deeper than 3 feet. Building codes in this hurricane-prone area require that holes be at least 3-feet deep to keep the posts stable in high winds.
Add 2-3 inches of crushed rock to holes to promote drainage and prevent wood rot. Drop six-by-six posts into holes. Ensure pergola posts are plumb with a post level. Clamp temporary braces to stakes and posts to hold them vertical.
Fill each posthole with dry concrete mix and add a gallon of water to each. Be careful to keep it off the exposed upper portion of the posts. We used Quickcrete, a quick drying concrete that requires no mixing.
Attach temporary horizontal supports to hold up the two chamfered beams sandwiching each row of side posts. Pre-drill two holes through the side beams and posts for carriage bolts. Stagger them so they are less likely to split the posts.
Drive carriage bolts through the holes with a club hammer and secure the bolts with nuts and washers on the outside surface of the side beams. Tighten the nuts with a socket wrench until the wood begins to compress.
Chamfer the cross beams and position them on top of the side beams, equally-spaced from the pergola's front to its back. Attach them with metal hurricane ties held temporarily with a screw until you hammer in hot-dipped galvanized bracket nails.


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The arts community was saddened by the passing last week of Dame Elisabeth Murdoch AC, DBE.
On Tuesday, December 18, the ''arts angel'' will be honoured with a state memorial service at St Paul's Cathedral.
Due to the overwhelming reach of Dame Elisabeth's work in supporting Melbourne's culture, the number of people hoping to pay tribute at the service has been great.
The proceedings will be broadcast live on the screens at Federation Square across the road.
The service begins at 11am, and the family has requested that in lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute.


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Chinx doesn't give a damn about you or your weak crew. Featuring French Montana, check out his new visuals. Let us know what you think!
Champagne, caviar and women flood Jeremih's new video featuring French Montana and Ty Dolla $ign. There's no telling when, Late Nights The Album is dropping, until then press play and let us know what you think!
Who do you think of, "Early In The Morning?" Ashanti links up with French Montana to drop visuals for, "Early In The Morning" off her latest LP, Braveheart. Watch as French shows his soft side along side Ashanti. Let us know what you think!
The Game sounds hungrier than ever on his new compilation LP, Blood Moon: Year Of The Wolf.
Being sold as a "compilation album" The Game recruits only the best, for features on the Blood Moon. Artist within Game's Blood Money Entertainment Camp, as well as outside labels include T.I., Yo Gotti, Soulja Boy, Lil Wayne, Chris Brown, DUBB, Ty Dolla $ign, French Montana, Tyga, Eric Bellinger, Too Short, Freddie Gibbs, Young Jeezy, Kevin Gates and many more! Instrumentals collaborations include Boi-1da, Dre (of Cool & Dre), The MeKanics and others.
Blood Moon: Year Of The Wolf has made its way onto Spotify for purchase-free listening. Be sure to check out Blood Moon and let us know what you think!
Tracklist Below:
Bigger Than Me (Prod. By Mosley)
F You Ns (Prod. By Mathhew Burnett)
Really Feat. Yo Gotti, 2 Chainz, Soulja Boy & T.I. (Prod. By Mekanics)
Fuck Your Feelings (Prod. By Ocean and Nova)
On One Feat. King Marie & Ty Dolla Sign
Married To The Game Feat. French Montana, Dubb, Sam hook (Prod. By Boi-1da)
The Purge (Prod. By Cozmo)
Trouble On My Mind (Prod. By Pat O)
Cellphone Feat. Dubb (Prod. By Mekanics)
Or Nah Feat. Too Short, Problem & AV (Prod. By DJ Mustard)
Best Head Ever Feat. Tyga & Eric Bellinger (Prod. By League Of Starz)
Hit Em Hard Feat. Bobby Shmurda (Prod. By Amadeus)
Food For My Stomach Feat. Dubb & Skeme (Prod. By Duke Dinero)
Black On Black Feat. Young Jeezy and Kevin Gates (Prod. Mekanics)
Be Nobody Else (Prod. By Sap)
Mad Flows Feat. Skeme (Prod. By ReyReel)
I Just Wanna Be Feat. Stat Quo & Sap (Prod. By Sap)
Take That Feat. Tyga & Pharaoh
Bloody Moon (Outro) (Prod. By Nottz)
Time And Space Feat. Grae (Prod. By Grae)
Directed by Jhean Paul Bracho, Anjali provides us with a middle eastern influenced visual for her summer hit "We Turn Up" featuring French Montana! Be sure to cop this on iTunes, all proceeds go to an elephant and shark conservation. Let us know if you can turn up like her!
Inspired by The Purge, French Montana delivers the official video to his DJ Mustard-produced single, "Don't Panic." Fully equipped with a gun-wielding Khloe Kardashian.
Download the single here.


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Grindlestone San Francisco, California
Grindlestone began in 1999 with musicians Douglas Erickson (Zesty Enterprise) and Don Falcone (Spirits Burning). Their first single released was on MARGEN: MUSIC FROM THE EDGE VOL. 4 with fellow artists: Steve Roach, Absolute Zero, Camp Blackfoot etc. So far they have perfected two full-length CDs entitled "one" and "tone" released on Noh Poetry Records. ... more
Streaming and Download help


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|Products - Contact Us - Home
Welcome to Lightwaves Engraving and Gift Shoppe!
We are located on Historic Route 6 in the beautiful town of Smethport, Pennsylvania.
We started business in 2002 and began supplying the local businesses with Equipment Identification Tags. Soon after, we expanded our business to offer custom engraving. We engrave/etch on a wide variety of materials, including: wood, glass, plastics, metal, and more!


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Published: September 9, 2007 at 5:03 PMLol and some parks pay that much for 1 roller coaster
Published: September 9, 2007 at 6:16 PMPersonally, I never really liked Cypress Gardens. It's got that unique feel to it, yes, and it's definetely a good family destination. However, I'm more familiar with Universal and Disney, and prefer to visit those locations in lieu of Cypress Gardens or Busch Gardens.
Published: September 10, 2007 at 1:32 AMPoor Cypress Gardens, it has a long and proud history. But in recent years, it just couldn't compete with the big boys. As Disney and Universal added their new theme parks (IOA, AK, Disney/MGM) to soak up all those extra vacation days, Cypress Gardens really took it hard. When you look at how many major attractions there are in the Orlando area, it's awfully tough to for a family to choose a day at Cypress Gardens in place of far more elaborate options.
In my case, I've been to Orlando six times and while I've always been curious about CG, I've never gone. Next trip, I would try Gatorland for the first time over CG... not to be mean, it does interest me but just not enough to drive there and give up time at other places that interest me more. I do with them luck keeping it going, but my guess is that someone may develop the land for another purpose given the number of failed owners that have come and gone.
Published: September 10, 2007 at 3:17 PMIt's kind of the same as when Home Depot moves into town and the local hardware store that's been there since you were a kid closes down. Kind of sad, but with Universal selling tickets for $85 for the week, or the Disney package deals, who has time for Cypress Gardens? I, personally have never been. I probably would have liked it as a kid, but be bored by it now, anyway.
Published: September 10, 2007 at 3:46 PMWe went to Cypress Gardens last winter. It was lovely. After all the hassle and BS at Disney, the two hour lines, it was heaven to be able to walk up to a ride, wait maybe FIVE minutes and get on a ride. The surroundings are beautiful,and the park clean. I hate to see this happen. I hope it is able to stay open. It is such a nice alternative to the big parks.
Published: September 10, 2007 at 4:17 PMI support Cypress Gardens, and having all the parks annual passes I think Cypress Gardens gives more for the buck if consider traveling to GA. to Wild Adventures I have always felt that they were here when I was a kid and it was a great pleasure when my family and I went to this park. My personal outlook if you want to compare parks I believe that Disney World is way out of the price range compared to Universal Studios and IOA and Sea World/BuschGardens on the annual passes. I have to say that I have more fun if you compare rides at Universal Studios /IOA than I do at Disney World and the thing at Wild Adventures in GA. this park has a lot of cool rides and if you have never been there you need to go for the exp. I'm not baggering Disney but when they charge for two annual passes what I pay for the other three parks all to gether you go figure. My girlfriend loves Disney but she feels the same way, I hope for best with Cypress Gardens I sure would hate to see a historical park like this one go to waste just like the Marco Polo park did
Published: September 10, 2007 at 4:56 PMwhat!!!!!!!!
Published: September 12, 2007 at 1:18 PMI have never visited Cypress Gardens but have been to sister park Wild Adventures many, many times. Given how clean and friendly WA is, I can assume CG is no different. I cannot imagine Wild Adventures being shut down and redeveloped by new ownership as the land underneath it is not of particular value (it was wide-open farm land before the park arrived).
I wish both parks the best of luck. I plan on renewing my Passport as long as there is a park to visit. If I could just win the state lottery, I would probably buy the place.


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One of my more popular posts here on Beauty Fool is Smoking and Its Affects on Your Look. In fact, I still get new comments on it even though I wrote it almost a year ago, which is great! In the comments section readers Kelly and Krib both asked about the effects of alcohol as the two normally go hand-in-hand.
I really didn't want to come across as judgmental so I was a little hesitant at the thought of writing this post. However, when I was in a cab this weekend and passed through a popular 'hot spot'; only to see a young girl passed out on the ground with vomit all over her, I thought it needed to be talked about. But not only on the physical effects alcohol brings, but also the damage it is doing to your health – especially when you drink to the point where you pass out.
Health and Body Effects
I first want to start off with what alcohol and binge drinking does to your body. Studies have proven that yes, a small amount of red wine is beneficial to your heart – but that's where the advantages end. I want to quote Jason Vale, a highly successful health and lifestyle coach and the bestselling author of a book my parents keep raving about, The Juice Master Slim for Life: Freedom from the Diet Trap. He paints a very scary picture of what happens when you are intoxicated:
You do not need to quit alcohol altogether in order to have a slim, energy-driven body.
However it is certainly worth looking at this highly-toxic, fat-producing substance with our eyes very much wide open. This can only happen when we are sober for when we are drunk, we really do become totally blind. Blind to our feelings, blind to our emotions, blind to our behavior, blind to what's going on around us and totally blind to what we are actually putting into our body – and I don't simply mean the insulin-robbing, fat-producing alcohol. Alcohol is rarely seen for what it is and we all have this 'happy-jolly' image and rarely take a good hard look at what it is doing to us.
But what choice do you have when you are drunk? You've lost your normal control, your sugar levels are out of sync, and your body has been stripped of essential fats, vitamins and minerals.
The body now has so much poison going into it that it needs to shut down in order to keep you alive. You are now in a comatose state. The body has such a need to repair itself that even if someone was to pick you up by the feet, swing you around the room and through the window – you still wouldn't wake up.
The reality is that alcohol kills 40,000 people a year in the UK alone, that's 100 people a day. Worldwide that figure is about 1 million people. It batters your liver, kidneys, and pancreas; it dehydrates your body; destroys brain cells and can shrink your brain. It eats away your stomach lining, speeds up the aging process, weakens eyesight and causes impotence, diabetes, and obesity. It is a highly addictive drug that can and mostly does keep you a slave for life.
Excerpt, Jason Vale, Slim for Life, Chapter 25, 'Blind Drunk', pgs. 209-214.
Scary, no? You can read more diet and life tips from his book The Juice Master Slim for Life: Freedom from the Diet Trap. My doctor and parents recommends it!
Physical effects
And now, for the physical effects alcohol does to your body. (Unfortunately, you won't look as cute as the puppy in the pictures here!):
- You skin will gradually lose its healthy skin tone. As you drink, the alcohol dilates the blood vessels in your skin. Worse thing is, they stay that way.
- Your skin will lose its glow and turns dull and sallow. Alcohol deprives your body of Vitamin A, a very powerful anti-oxidant that helps the skin turnover process which generate new skin cells and replace the old ones.
- Could cause skin disorders whose characteristics include redness, flushing, and bumps. People with acne are also more prone to acne rosacea, a skin condition that causes the complexion to look constantly irritated and flushed.
- You much look older than you are. A lot of the 'party animals' I know look a good 10-15 years older than their age. I am not even exaggerating. Their complexion looks aged, dull and lifeless. Worse of all, a lot of them think they can 'detox' for a month to turn back the clock, but what is the point? The damage is done and irreversible.
So, some pretty hard stuff to swallow, huh? I hope this post has given you some idea of what alcohol is really doing to yourself – inside and out. Does anyone have any thoughts on this issue?


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Seacliff Liquor & Deli
Huntington Beach, CA 92648
- Daily 8am-7pm
- $
- Kid Friendly, Patio/Sidewalk Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair accessible
- Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch
- Full bar
- Free Parking
- Reservations Not Accepted
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Seacliff Deli & Liquor: Sandwich Soliloquy
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Baron Roofing and Siding
set to open 2013 David
King of Crates Series and
Turn 4 Collision 4
Cylinder Triple Crown at Merrittville
Jim Irvine Merrittville Speedway Public Relations 905-892-8266 … email@example.com or www.twitter.com/merrittville
For Merrittville Speedway's Rick's Delivery Sportsman Division – the David Chevrolet King of the Crates Series is over their heads and Baron Roofing and Siding can help!
Niagara's Roofing and Siding Specialist will help continue the month of June with the Opening Round of the Mini-Series set for 40 laps in addition to the rain-delayed Turn 4 Collision 4 Cylinder Triple Crown Series as part of the 5 Division Lucas Oil Weekly Racing Series Event – Saturday June 8th.
"If the Series unfolds anywhere near how it did last season race fans are in for some exciting and unpredictable action ," reveals (Merrittville GM) Erica Bicknell-Jones, "the race to be the David Chevrolet King of the Crates went right down to the final lap with Cody McPherson winning taking home the crown by a single point!"
Looking back – McPherson beat his brother Tyler in a thrilling battle in the Series' Opener … survived a 10 caution … 2 red flag 40 lap marathon to win the second and fought back from a flat tire in the finale.
To date in 2013, Brad Rouse leads the point standings with 276 going in to June 1st's Archer Truck Services/Semenuk's Esso Night – a mere 4 points ahead of Gary Lindberg.
McPherson however is still looking for his first win of the season and sits in third spot – 26 points behind. McPherson's cousin BJ Willard is in fourth just 2 points behind while Greg Panunte rounds out the top 5 – just 36 points out of top spot.
The GM Crate Engine is a bullet-proof 350-horsepower, 350-cubic-inch factory-sealed racing engine and is a tough combination of power and reliability, and it fits almost any racing budget.
Home of the Bow Tie – David Chevrolet Corvette Buick GMC has been voted the #1Dealer for new and used vehicles.
At David Chevrolet you will find friendly, knowledgeable and professional staff who are guided by a relentless focus on superior customer service, honesty and delivering the highest value to our customers. David Chevrolet is committed to building relationships that will last generations.
Visit their dealership at 915 Niagara Street in Welland. On line at www.davidchev.com you can search new inventory, request quotes on service and repairs, body shop and parts.
David Chevrolet offers an extensive inventory of genuine GM Performance parts and accessories. To place your order call 888-682-8140.
"The 4 Cylinder Drivers put on some of the best racing every week … the Turn 4 Collision Triple Crown is their chance to be in the spotlight," informs Bicknell-Jones, "it's one of our most fan favorite divisions … no other division has so many different makes and models – whether you like Ford … GM … Volkswagen … Nissan and other brands …you'll definitely have someone to cheer for!"
Rocco Conte is the defending Mini-Series and Overall Champion and has yet to visit Victory Lane this season as Kyle Pelrine has taken two of the three events in the books so far. Tyler Lafantaisie is the most recent 4 Cylinder Feature Winner.
"Baron Roofing has become renowned for excellent service and quality work … and that reputation is really important to us," points out Baron's Terry Keagan, "there are so many roofing companies that are not qualified to do legitimate work and as a result – a lot of people have had bad experiences. People need peace of mind when they want work done – we can give them that."
Baron Roofing and Siding consistently keeps pace with technology
and researching new products. The crews are constantly up
grading and increasing their knowledge and expertise. The staff
of 55 include certified technicians who participate in ongoing
in-house and manufacturers' training.
Whether it's your home, cottage, community centre, business or church, the Baron Roofing team of honest and dependable professionals will ensure you never pay for services you don't need, and that you are sure to benefit from the proper repair or replacement services.
Baron Roofing and Siding invites you to make the right choice by choosing them for all your roofing related needs. Visit their showroom at 2448 Turner Road at Hwy 20 in Fonthill … on line at . www.baronroofing.com or call 905-708-0099 for your free estimate.
Join us Saturday June 8th when the 2013 David Chevrolet King of the Crates Series opens up for the Rick's Delivery Sportsman Division. Showtime for the Baron Roofing and Siding Special is 7:00 PM. Gates open at 5:30.
Merrittville Speedway is located at 2371 Merrittville Highway in Thorold. For directions click on http://www.merrittvillespeedway.com/directions.html or call 905-892-8266 or via e mail – ebicknell@cogeco,net.
For all the news on Merrittville Speedway's 62nd Consecutive Season in 2013 – visit www.merrittvillespeedway.com. Race fans and Race teams alike can follow Merrittville on Face Book (Facebook.com/Merrittville Speedway) and Twitter (Twitter.com/Merrittville).
Join us next season on a Saturday Night for a LUCAS OIL WEEKLY RACING SERIES EVENT featuring FIVE Divisions with local heroes and up and coming new stars. Make your plans … call your friends and maybe even get a carpool together and enjoy a staycation at the speedway with plenty of free parking and camping spots – a night at the races is so much fun and so close to home! Your Local Dirt Track is where it's at and the countdown to Saturday April 27th's Spring Sizzler has begun at Merrittville Speedway - the Best Family Entertainment in Niagara!
MERRITTVILLE SPEEDWAY SPONSORS The 2013 62nd Anniversary Lucas Oil Weekly Racing Series for Merrittville Speedway's 5 Divisions is brought to race fans and racers by division sponsors – Bobcat of Hamilton, Rick's Delivery, J&S Heating and Air Conditioning, Hoosier Tire Canada and Turn 4 Collision in addition to many marketing partners Visit them at . http://www.merrittvillespeedway.com/sponsors.htm and visit them when you require their products and/or services. Lucas Oil Products is one the fastest growing additive lines in the consumer automotive industry featuring a premium line of oils, greases and problem solving additives. Through innovative product research and development along with aggressive marketing programs, Lucas Oil Products has established itself as the top selling additive in the industry. Look for Lucas Oil Products at your favorite automotive retailer or maintenance centre including B&C Truck Centre, Drummond Home Hardware, KC Auto Parts, RCM Racing Equipment and Tim Phillips Garage


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US call to let Suu Kyi go
GEORGE BUSH criticised Burma's military junta and called for the release of opposition figures in a surprising intervention to get the oppressive state onto the APEC agenda.
"I am looking forward to speaking out about Burma at the APEC conference," he said. "It's inexcusable that we've got this kind of tyrannical behaviour in Asia.
"It is inexcusable that people who march for freedom are then treated by a repressive state and those of us who live in comfort of a free society need to speak out about these kind of human rights abuses."
Decrying the imprisonment of Burma's opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, Mr Bush said it was incumbent on free nations to speak out against injustice.
Mr Bush snubbed an invitation to a meeting of the Association of South-East Asian Nations this year, a group that includes Burma. Many of its members - such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam - are also members of APEC.
Mr Bush has also been characterising the war in Iraq as a quest for democracy around the world.
When news happens: send photos, videos & tip-offs to 0424 SMS SMH (+61 424 767 764), or us.
Did you know you could pay less than $1 a day for a subscription to the Herald? Subscribe today.


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On 13.07.2004 17:05 -0300, Volker Wieban wrote:
> is it possible to bring kind of a system into this? i think it
> would be good to make language-files or something like this hold
> the translated text and can be replaced by another one easily.
> these language-files could be uploaded via webgui and get stored on
> floppy/sd-card. on booting m0n0 should parse this file and build a
> translated gui. this would help adding new languages and we
> wouldn't have to start again when a m0n0wall update arrives. what
> do you think of it? are there any helpful tools to implement this?
Nice idea, but does this really make sense (i.e. is it worth the
effort)? My native language isn't English either (as some of you
might have noticed ;), but I'd never set my appliances (firewalls,
access points, routers, etc.) to any language other than English even
if I could. I just have this horrid image of incomplete, wrong (very
likely to happen if the translator doesn't know all about each and
every feature) or mixed (with English) translations... This is a huge
amount of work, and each time new features are added the translations
will have to be adapted as well. Will the initial translators be
available at that point in time? Judging from the "success" of the
m0n0wall documentation project, the long-time commitment has a
tendency to not get particularly high. Needless to say, it also makes
the webGUI pages a lot more complicated (and slower?) because every
single text string has to be obtained via a function call/macro
expansion (or something like that).
Right now, I feel that the documentation has higher priority, as
anyone who wants to go the "open source firewall route" will have to
deal with English sooner or later anyway.
Comments? Flames? Suggestions? Sometimes I feel like I'm the brake
block of this project...
- Manuel


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In a presidential campaign marked by nasty rhetoric and little actual discussion of policy, one idea espoused by candidates of both parties would add layers of government red tape to how Americans buy prescription drugs.
A handful of states, led by California, might be beating the would-be-presidents to the punch.
Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton have voiced support for federal regulations on the prices of prescription drugs — though neither will point out that slowing the growth of drug costs was supposed to be a key component of the Affordable Care Act — and both candidates gleefully blast drug companies supposedly making piles of cash off unsuspecting, or at least helpless, Americans.
On the Republican side, Donald Trump has made noise about the same issue, claiming the United States could save billions of dollars annually by using the muscle of the federal government — which is what he means when he says that Trump-as-president would be "making deals" with anyone — to negotiate against drug companies.
"We don't do it. Why? Because of the drug companies," Trump told the crowd at one of his signature rallies last month in New Hampshire.
Whether all that is campaign trail bluster or actual policy that could be implemented by a future presidential administration won't be known until 2017 at the earliest.
This year, however, voters in California are being given a chance to weigh-in directly on the issue.
A ballot measure in November will ask Golden State voters if they want to implement new government regulations intended to curb high drug prices by banning some government-run health insurance programs from buying drugs at higher prices than those paid by the federal government. Critics of the proposal say the intentions won't align with reality, and voter approval of the initiative would result in drug shortages and further complications to a health care system already overwrought with regulatory burdens.
If approved, the ballot measure would prohibit some state agencies from entering into contracts for prescription drugs unless the contracted prices are the same or lower than the prices paid by the U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Advocates say the regulation will give government the upper-hand in setting drug prices, slowing their steady increase.
Groups such as the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, a trade association of drug companies, worry the regulations will hurt the development of new drugs — 7,000 of which are currently in the pipeline. Prescription drugs are expensive, yes, but trying to lower those costs with government regulations can carry unintended consequences.
And the California initiative would only apply to certain state-run health insurance programs. For example, it would exclude some 10 million people enrolled in the managed care program run by MediCal, the state's Medicaid program for the poor.
"It's flawed in many ways," Kathy Fairbanks, spokeswoman for PhRMA, told Watchdog. "We're worried this initiative will end up raising drug prices, causing delays for patients and will cost taxpayers who will have to pay for the state to face litigation over how this would be implemented."
Proponents of the new regulations have obtained enough signatures to get the measure on the ballot in November. California state law allows advocates to voluntarily withdraw ballot measures until June 30, but there is little reason to think they will do so.
The primary force behind the California ballot initiative is the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit.
"Our primary purpose here is to strengthen the hand of government in negotiating prices, and make clear the public ire over the cost of drugs and the lack of transparency, and that profit is an issue that has to be dealt with," Michael Weinstein, co-founder and president of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, told the San Jose Mercury-News.
It's not just happening in California, though. A similar ballot measure could be considered by Ohio voters this November, and lawmakers in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania have drafted bills to create new government commissions to regulate the price of drugs. Those efforts are also backed by AHIP.
Voters and state lawmakers might buy into the promise of lower drug prices via government regulations. History and economics suggest price controls won't be that simple, easy or consequence free.
"Regulating prescription drug prices stifles competition and will result in limited access to new and innovative treatments for patients as they seek care," said Mia Heck, director of the health and human services task force at the American Legislative Exchange Council.
"This often leads to poorer health outcomes, lost productivity and a significant decrease in quality of life," she said.
That's not what you'll hear from Sanders, Clinton or Trump. But that's why savvy voters don't believe every promise made on the campaign trail.


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Shalane Flanagan starts fast at cross country worlds
Shalane Flanagan's bronze medal in the IAAF World Cross Country Championships made a strong statement Sunday, considering she finished behind two reigning world champions.
Kenya's Vivian Jepkemoi Cheruiyot won the women's eight-kilometer race in Punta Umbria, Spain, in 24 minutes, 58 seconds. Cheruiyot is the world champion at 5,000 meters. Linet Chepkwemoi Masai of Kenya was second. She's the world champ in the 10,000.
Flanagan, the USA's 2004 Olympic bronze medalist in the 10,000, finished 12 seconds behind Cheruiyot, becoming the first non-African born medalist in the event since 2004. She was 12th at last year's cross country worlds.
After finishing second in last November's New York City Marathon (2:28.40) — her debut at that distance — Flanagan said she planned to run in the 2012 Olympic Trials for both marathon and track.
In next month's edition of Runner's World, she says she'll focus on the 5,000 and 10,000 this season.
Flanagan, 29, won't need to go far from her training base in Portland, Ore., for this year's track and field national championships. The meet at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., on June 23-26 will determine the U.S. team headed for the world championships in Korea beginning in late August. Hayward Field will also host the 2012 Olympic track and field trials.
Posted | Updated


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Web Office News
General Use Templates Updated
We have added a third general use template for official HSU sites. All three templates are available for download on the General Use Templates page.
Each template includes a home page and two types of interior pages, and are developed to be easily used with Dreamweaver. Templates A and B have had minor updates to their CSS files; see the changelog included in the download package for details.
Live demos of the templates are available here: Template A and Template B, and Template C.
02/14/06 • Permalink
Page 1 of 1 pages


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Travel Photography Photos tagged as historical
293 photos | Tags: historical Show as stream
This reliquary was made, by command of the Emperor Frederic II, for the deposition of the saint's relics in 1236. In about 1000AD, a late classical, Byzantine or German agate bowl was turned into a splendid drinking vessel through the addition of a foot, handles and rim of gold, encrusted with garnets, pearls and sapphires. Then, in the 13th century, the drinking vessel was converted into a reliquary by making for it a lid of silver-gilt on which a hooped crown was fitted, embellished with precious and semi-precious stones and beads set off by a dense carpeting of filigree, and by adding a silver-gilt foot richly decorated with relief figures, precious stones and gems. In medieval times the reliquary was kept in St Elizabeth's Church, Marburg. It was taken as loot in the Thirty Years' War. Gold Room, National Historical Museum (Historiska Museet), Östermalm, Stockholm, Sweden
You might find some more related photos through these galleries


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The parrot had learned to speak Canadian French to the extent of demanding his crackers and water in the lingo of the habitant.
No wonder Canadian French and English speech is full of sea terms.
This last is a name given them by the Canadian French, and without any special reason.
The girl I married had a smack of the Canadian French about her.
Nor was it Canadian French, the only other speech he could make any sense of.
Adolf was now seated at the end of a bench, rolling a cigarette, while he chattered volubly in Canadian French to his companions.
A keelboat was generally manned by ten hands, principally Canadian French, and a patroon or master.
A keel-boat was generally manned by ten hands, principally Canadian French, and a patroon or master.
There may have been some excuse pleaded for the Canadian French.
Here the females were hospitably received, and treated with that kindness which marks the character of the Canadian French.


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Consumer Protection Law
Consumer Protection Law Questions? Ask a Lawyer Now.
I called the the attorneys office that is working this case and I got transferred to the attorney when I asked for my signature agreeing to this. I don't recall signing anything and I have an excellent memory, in addition, they granted the credit immediately AND I am 120 miles away. SO it is very unlikely I signed anything at any point. The attorney that I talked to that practices in Minnesota tried the " you are morally liable here" thing to get me to pay this. He admitted that he was unfamiliar with WI law Thank God I spent my early career adjudicating Unemployment claims and I am immune to his wrangling .. We are still negotiating. He admonished me for dictating terms and I reminded him that this is called negotiating when we have a dispute. He is going to review the principal amount owed and get back to me ... thanks for the answers. Let me know if you want to know where it comes out.
the silence is deafening.


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Environmental Factor, November 2009, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Extramural Update
November 2009
NIEHS American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) Funding Overview
NIH received $10 billion under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA). Of that NIEHS received $168 million for environmental health research grants and $19.4 million for the Superfund program, to be awarded over fiscal years 2009 and 2010. In fiscal year 2009, the NIEHS funded 325 grants, allocating approximately $133 million and $27 million respectively for awards and supplements. NIEHS received an additional $11.5 million from the NIH Office of the Director, which allowed NIEHS to award additional 24 grants.
To achieve the ARRA spending goals NIEHS extended the pay line for applications already reviewed, including the percentiled R01 and P01 mechanisms and the unpercentiled R03, R21 and R15 mechanisms. In addition, NIEHS made awards under the following ARRA initiatives:
- Administrative supplements (within scope of parent grant, up to 24 month awards)
- Research Project Grants, Centers, Careers, Diversity Supplements, summer Supplements, Worker Education and Superfund
- Competitive revisions (expands the scope of the parent grant)
- Challenge Grants (RC1)
- Grant Opportunities program (RC2)
- Research to Address the Heterogeneity in Autism (ARRA 09 RFA)
- Research and Development contracts
The distribution of the awards is shown in the two figures for ARRA Grants Awarded and ARRA Dollars Awarded. The top figure shows the ARRA grants approved for funding, including the number and type. The bottom figure shows the dollars allocated to the various categories.
The graphic below shows the distribution of grants supported through the NIEHS ARRA expenditures.
NIEHS has approximately $8 million in ARRA funds for FY 2010. Potential funding announcements are shown below.
|RFA Number
|Release Date
|Receipt Date
|Recovery Act Limited Competition: Biomedical Research, Development, and Growth to Spur the Acceleration of New Technologies (BRDG-SPAN) Pilot Program (RC3)
|Recovery Act Limited Competition: Small Business Catalyst Awards for Accelerating Innovative Research (R43)
|Recovery Act Limited Competition: Academic Research Enhancement Award (R15)
|Recovery Act Limited competition: Building sustainable Community-Linked Infrastructure to Enable Health Science Research (RC4)
Over the coming months NIEHS will provide more detailed information on the FY2009 ARRA Awards. For information on how Recovery Act funds are being spent, see http://www.recovery.gov/Pages/default.aspx
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November 2009 Cover Page


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exclusion at early yrs settings and preschool.(7 Posts)
Last sep our egg and milk allergic dd2 started pre school, well I say started but I was not allowed to actually leave her untill:
Pre school had done the epi pen training they were not up to date with
The ins company had said it was ok for dd2 to be there without me
And I had to provide letters from gp and a consultant written care plan. Then they insisted on me staying till they were happy and dd was happy there, it took till mid december!
Then dd got ill and was diagnosed diabetic end dec so back to beginning and I am again not allowed to leave her even for half an hour, nurses have been in 3 times to do training sessions but they are still not confident enough for dd to attend without me.
Dealing with this at the moment & we are:
-training all staff on the specific circumstances of any individual child
-snacks take place on the floor, at a small table or in the kitchen at a high table depending on levels of allergy and food content
-high chairs marked for use by children with allergies and trigger foods not consumed by children using these chairs
But we get it wrong sometimes - we never considered food smeared underneath the table top as a potential problem (although we did think about foods smared on the high chairs and table top); so now the table gets wiped both sides
& we struggle with 'what is OK for one child with allergy is not OK for another child' hence the training stuff
Thank you.
I have had similar experiences when our son was younger. Our son is 17 now, so its about time the early years practitioners smarted up their act by now.
once I have got this degree under my belt, am seriously going to consider how I directly change some of this. any ideas gratefully accepted here!!!LOL
I think written information as you are proposing, if it could be adopted by the Childminding Association / similar body along with sample policies etc would have helped and made her feel less like we were asking her to do something desperately dangerous / unusual...
We were turned down by a childminder within days of day my DS due to start because she became convinced that he was going to drop down dead and we were going to sue her. Despite me providing lots of letters from consultant and endless reassurance about the need to accept some inevitable level of risk and plan for accidents, ways to manage them etc. He had a CMPA and it was relatively mild - no hx of anaphylaxis etc...
I'm glad that it panned out that way because she would have been so anxious that he would have picked up a feeling that he was in imminent danger and despite my best efforts to help him become confident about food, it wouldn't have helped his long term adjustment... However, I felt very sad for him at the time that he had been excluded in this way...
Yes! we have never actually been kicked out, but DS has been excluded in other insidious ways...
- not allowed to bring our own food, even though there was nothing safe provided (at a SureStart toddler group)
- eventually being allowed to bring our own food, but having this explained very apologetically by a member of staff (in an embarrassingly loud voice) to all other parents in front of DS X has allergies, thats the only reason he is allowed to eat stuff that his mum has brought with him, otherwise he wouldnt be allowed because our policy is that all children eat the healthy food that we provide...
- children allowed to smear yoghurt and other food allergens all over toys (SureStart toddler group and local voluntary groups)
- routines not being suitable (e.g. snack time taking part in the same room as subsequent playtime and food being left all over the floor)
-staff not being made aware of DSs allergies (local preschool that we tried) so he was asked to help with making Angel Delight (he has severe milk allergy and reacts on skin contact)
- staff promising to keep him safe at snack time, but then allowing another child with buttery fingers to touch his food and try to feed it to him (local preschool that we tried)
- staff forgetting about DSs allergies, so that he was left unsupervised around allergens (e.g. lentils in water, chocolate cereal boxes etc.) and activities were planned which could possibly have killed him had he taken part (local preschool that we tried)
The list goes on... Reading these boards, I dont think our experiences are anything unusual I never raised my concerns at the SureStart group, as I didnt feel confident to do that when DS was very young. At the voluntary groups, I felt that the lovely, elderly ladies running those were doing such a great job with all the other children that I didnt want to make their lives harder. And at the preschool, I simply couldnt be bothered the staff were so dreadful that I didnt think they could possibly keep DS or any other allergic children safe!
Anyway, I have replied on your other thread
I wondered if anyone has had any experience of exclusion at a school / nursery for their allergic child?
Did you raise this issue with the staff?
how did they handle this?
(please see my other thread on inclusive work for uni, am trying to see if I am on the correct path iyswim. btw am mum of allergic /intol kids if you dont know me already!)
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« Previous · Tax Update Blog Home · Next »
As part of Hurricane Preparedness Week, the IRS has issued guidelines for taxpayers to prepare your finances for natural disasters.
The best leaders set a good example for the rest of us. Congressman William Jefferson of New Orleans, a member of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, is a case in point. We will review the IRS guidelines and note how well he complies with them in his own financial life.
The IRS says:
Take Advantage of Paperless Recordkeeping
Many people receive bank statements and documents by e-mail. This method is an outstanding way to secure financial records. Important tax records such as W-2s, tax returns and other paper documents can be scanned onto an electronic format.
It appears that Congressman Jefferson falls short in this area:
William Jefferson, a Democratic congressman from New Orleans who is being investigated for bribery, was caught on camera taking the money in $100 notes from an FBI informant, according to the document. His conversations were also recorded.
"All these damn notes we're writing to each other as if we're talking, as if the FBI is watching," he allegedly told the informant posing as a businesswoman, who was wearing an FBI recording device.
Far too much paper under the circumstances. Of course, he may have scanned his notes into digital format later. And it's entirely possible that he made sure that no records existed, on paper or otherwise.
The IRS says:
Document Your Valuables
One option is to photograph or videotape the contents in your house, especially items of greater value. The IRS has a disaster loss workbook (Publication 584) that can help you compile a room-by-room list of your belongings.
Give the Congressman an inadvertent A+ here:
A Louisiana congressman, said by the government to have been videotaped accepting $100,000 in $100 bills from an informant, said Monday he would not resign. He called an FBI search of his Capitol office "an outrageous intrusion."
"I believe that it's totally inappropriate to use the police powers of the federal government to come into the office of a congressman. This hasn't happened before," Democratic Rep. William Jefferson told reporters.
Jefferson, under investigation for bribery, declined to talk about the videotape or other details alleged in an FBI affidavit presented to a judge as evidence for a warrant to search his office Saturday night and Sunday.
Not only were his valuables videotaped, but his videotape was secured offsite. Well done.
The IRS says:
Check on Fiduciary Bonds
Employers who use payroll service providers should ask the provider if they have a fiduciary bond in place. The bond could protect the employer in the event of default by the payroll service provider.
No evidence that Mr. Jefferson did anything like this. Would such a search have turned up the government informant who is causing the Congressman so much trouble?
The IRS says:
Update Emergency Plans
Emergency plans should be reviewed annually. Personal and business situations change over time and so do preparedness needs.
One important aspect of emergencies is to make sure you have enough emergency cash, and that your refrigerator is stocked. Hat's off to the congressman on this score:
The dilemma was complicated by new details contained in an 83-page affidavit unsealed on Sunday, including allegations that the FBI had videotaped Jefferson taking $100,000 in bribe money and then found $90,000 of that cash stuffed inside his apartment freezer.
Mr. Jefferson also had a backup plan for dealing with his house in Louisiana during Hurricane Katrina:
Amid the chaos and confusion that engulfed New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina struck, a congressman used National Guard troops to check on his property and rescue his personal belongings — even while New Orleans residents were trying to get rescued from rooftops, ABC News has learned.
Finally, the IRS has comforting advice:
Count on the IRS
In the event of a disaster, the IRS stands ready to help. The IRS has valuable information you can request if your records are destroyed.
I think that in the coming months, Mr. Jefferson truly can count on some attention from the IRS.
So how does the congressman stand up? A B, I'd say. He kept his refrigerator full, had solid backup plans to secure his property in an emergency, and had his valuables videotaped; his failure to get bonding for his associates and his excessive use of paper records keep him from getting full marks. We can all learn from his fine example.
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The items included in the Tax Update Blog are informational only and are not meant as tax advice. Consult with your tax advisor to determine how any item applies to your situation.
Joe Kristan writes the Tax Update items, and any opinions expressed or implied are not necessarily shared by anyone else at Roth & Company, P.C. Address questions or comments on Tax Updates to


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Business Leaders gathered at Heartland Bank's main office on October 31st for a Power Breakfast presentation to help them better understand the impact of state and local taxes. Presenting was Laurence Jones, Director of the State and Local Tax Practice at Brixey & Meyer, and he led the discussion with information about how to reduce your risk of non-compliance on state and local taxes, as well as taking advantage of all incentives available when you invest in your business.
Included in this discussion was a lively conversation on the how a business could be at risk of a Use Tax audit, nexus in other states, withholding and remitting payroll taxes to additional cities and maximizing incentives to the fullest extent.
At the close of his presentation, Jones talked about the three new programs that are available. The presentation is also available for download.
- Business Investment Program provides at 10% non-refundable personal income tax credit for investments up to $10 million to investors that infuse new equity (cash) into Ohio small businesses to acquire an ownership interest in the company.
- Vacant Building program grants to an employer that moves operations into a facility that has been vacant for 12 month and increases payroll by hiring and employing employees at the facility. The grants are equal to $500 per employee.
- Training Program – Ohio has $20M in training funds from casinos to be used for training on a first come first serve basis with application opening as soon as October.
G. Scott McComb, Chairman, President and CEO of Heartland Bank closed the breakfast with comments on the state of the economy and stated, "These Power Breakfasts help Heartland Bank continue its tradition of helping clients by bringing them sound financial advice and excellent resources to help make valuable decision."
Laurence's practice areas include business and tax incentives, tax consulting/compliance, sales/use tax and property tax. The Brixey & Meyer team has negotiated and secured more than $330 million in incentives for clients with credits and cash grants at the federal, state and local level, including jobs creation tax credits, investment tax credits, training grants, training credits, New Market Tax Credits and the Work Opportunity/Welfare-To-Work Tax Credit.
Prior to joining Brixey & Meyer, Laurence was with Ernst & Young's Ohio Valley State and Local Tax Practice where he secured over $200 million of incentives representing global and national organizations. Laurence is a member of the International Economic Development Council and the Ohio Economic Development Association.
To learn more about Laurence Jones and Bixey & Meyer services you can visit www.brixeyandmeyer.com.
About Heartland's Power Breakfast Series
Power Breakfasts are held bi-monthly at the Corporate Office in Gahanna, Ohio. The purpose of these informative meetings is to have an open dialog with a guest speaker and guests to discuss topics of importance to Small Business owners and their partners. If you are interested in attending or being the guest speaker, please contact us.
If you're a small business owner and looking for a bank to be your "partner in success" be sure to check out all of our helpful business banking services. We'd be honored to help!


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Contract a secret for three years
THE Port of Melbourne Corporation's contract details with dredging firm Royal Boskalis Westminster have been kept secret for more than three years, despite a Victorian Government policy requiring all major contracts to be made public.
The port, a State Government agency, entered into an "alliance" agreement in July 2004 with the Dutch company to undertake the $1 billion project to deepen the Port Phillip Bay and Yarra River shipping channel. In 2005, the port-Boskalis alliance conducted trial dredging in the bay at a cost of $32 million.
But despite the extensive work already undertaken by the port-Boskalis alliance and the widespread public interest in channel deepening, no information about the contractual arrangements has been published.
The Government, which has repeatedly used commercial-in-confidence reasons to not release the contract, was this week forced to confirm Boskalis would receive $500 million after the company told a European stock exchange about the size of its channel deepening fee.
The Government's refusal to publish the channel deepening contract is contrary to a 2000 policy announced by then premier Steve Bracks that stipulates all contracts worth more than $10 million would be published.
Under the policy, overseen by the Victorian Government Purchasing Board, contracts are published online, with information deemed commercial-in-confidence deleted. Contracts for major projects such as the Docklands film and television studio, the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds upgrade, the Melbourne Convention Centre development and Southern Cross Station have been published.
Opposition leader Ted Baillieu yesterday said the dredging contract should be made public immediately and accused Premier John Brumby of "obsessive secrecy". "European financial markets know more about this contract than the people of Victoria," he said.
Despite the secrecy over the channel deepening contract, The Age can reveal key elements of the port's arrangement with Boskalis.
A Government-commissioned review of the alliance agreement by law firm Freehills shows the port and Boskalis have foregone their rights to sue each other except in limited circumstances. The legal review of the 2004 agreement advises that instead of litigation or arbitration, an "independent expert" will adjudicate. Other details include:
■Boskalis will receive more money if the channel deepening works are done on time and under budget. However, the company's profit will be at risk if there is a blow-out in costs.
■Both parties can terminate the dredging contract at their convenience. But a compensation payment would be required, deterring termination for "frivolous reasons"
■In 2004, the port signalled it was unlikely to take out insurance for channel deepening, choosing instead to rely on Boskalis' policy.
A spokeswoman for Ports Minister Tim Pallas last night said questions about the Boskalis contract should be addressed to the port, despite it being the Government's responsibility to ensure contracts are published.
Port chief executive Stephen Bradford said the port and Boskalis had agreed that the contract remain confidential. He said that as part of the agreement, both parties had to open their books to each other to show all their costs.
"No dredging company in the world is going to agree to have their costs revealed to their competitors," he said.
Meanwhile, Boskalis chief executive Peter Berdowski has sought to soothe concerns about the environmental impact of dredging in the Yarra, saying on Wednesday the company could not afford to risk its reputation by taking a cavalier approach.
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America celebrates its heritage this week as we honor our national parks.
National Park Week is an opportunity to get to know all 401 units of the National Park Service - parks, battlefields, natural areas and historic sites - but for those of us in Tucson, it's a chance to appreciate the national park in our own backyard. And Monday through Friday all park admissions are free.
The two districts of Saguaro National Park offer nearly 200 miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails - presenting visitors of every ability with a variety of recreational experiences. The park's wide range of elevation supports extraordinary biodiversity within a relatively small geographic area, and the distinct Sonoran Desert /Sky Island eco-region has been described as "unique on the planet."
Not only does the park protect the iconic saguaro cacti, but it conserves some of the region's most distinctive wildlife. Sonoran desert tortoises, Gila monsters, mountain lions, bobcats and lesser long-nosed bats are all species that are essential to sustaining the overall health of this ecosystem - and they all help to define the unique "sense of place" that makes Tucson so appealing (described by the Metropolitan Tucson Convention and Visitors Bureau as "The Real Southwest").
We know that national parks are powerful economic engines for local communities. A recent Park Service economic-benefits study found that visitors to Saguaro National Park spent $21.9 million in the Tucson community - spending that supported 294 local jobs.
Statewide, the 22 national parks in Arizona welcomed 10.3 million visitors in 2011; and, according to the Outdoor Industry Association, those national parks are fundamental to the state's $10.6 billion outdoor-recreation economy and its 104,000 Arizona jobs.
Unfortunately, our national parks are economic assets at risk, as the national parks budget has been cut by 11 percent (or roughly $380 million) over the past three years. With the federal budget outlook grim, the need for local, private-sector support for our parks becomes absolutely critical. Nationally, more than 150 nonprofit Friends Groups (such as Friends of Saguaro) help connect communities to their national parks and catalyze private-sector investments.
Friends of Saguaro invests in science-based resource management to help protect the park's native biodiversity. We invest in place-based environmental education to help "reconnect youth with nature" (reaching nearly 13,000 Tucson-area students last year alone). And we provide investments - such as new interpretive exhibits at the Rincon Mountain Visitor Center - that enhance the overall visitor experience at the park.
In the past three years, Friends of Saguaro has provided the park with more than $225,000 in direct project support, and each year more than 400 volunteers provide the park with more than 30,000 hours of service. But so much more needs to be done.
If you'd like to celebrate National Park Week by helping us invest in Saguaro National Park, just donate on our website at www.friendsofsaguaro.org. You can help other national parks through the National Park Foundation at www.nationalparks.org or the National Parks Conservation Association at www.npca.org.
Protecting our national parks - and preserving our collective heritage - is a responsibility we share as a society and a critical investment in our future.
Robert Newtson is executive director of Friends of Saguaro National Park. Contact the organization by emailing firstname.lastname@example.com


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Blacksburg VA (SPX) Sep 11, 2007
The fossil record seems to indicate that the diversity of marine creatures increased and decreased over hundreds of millions of years in step with predator-prey encounters, Virginia Tech geoscientists report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. For decades, there has been a debate between paleontologists, biologists, and ecologists on the role of ecological interactions, such as predation, in the long term patterns of animal evolution.
John Warren Huntley, a postdoctoral scientist in the Department of Geosciences at Virginia Tech, and Geosciences Professor Micha� Kowalewski decided to look at the importance of ecology by surveying the literature for incidents of predation in marine invertebrates, such as clams and their relatives.
"Today, certain predators leave easy to identify marks on the shells of their prey, such as clean, round holes," said Huntley. "Such holes drilled by predators can also be found in fossil shells."
The researchers also looked for repair scars on the shells of creatures that survived an attack.
The study was conducted by looking at studies which reported the frequency of drill holes and repair scars in fossil species from the last 550 million years.
First Huntley and Kowalewski found that predation increased notably about 480 million years ago, some 50 million years earlier than previous studies have found. "The earlier studies were based on changes in morphology - predators with stronger claws and jaws and prey with more ornamented shells. We looked at the frequency of attacks, which increased about 50 million years before the changes in armor," said Huntley.
But the most notable discovery is the observation that the incidence of drill holes and repair scars are strikingly parallel to Sepkoski's diversity curve for marine invertebrates. This diversity curve, compiled by the late Jack Sepkoski of the University of Chicago, records the origination and extinction of marine animal genera through the last 540 million years (Phanerozoic). "There is a strong correlation between predation intensity and global marine biodiversity in the Phanerozoic," Huntley said.
In their article, "Strong Coupling of Predation Intensity and Diversity in the Phanerozoic Fossil Record," the researchers offer three rival hypotheses to explain the correlation. "It's the classic problem with interpreting a correlation," said Huntley "you have to be careful when ascribing a cause. Let's say factors X and Y are correlated. A change in X could cause a change in Y, a change in Y could cause a change in X, or X and Y could both be controlled by another factor."
The first hypothesis is that predation intensity could be driving diversity. "In this case, ecological interactions would matter in evolution," said Huntley. "Organisms evolve over the long term in response to their enemies, and with increased predation intensity more species evolve."
The second hypothesis is that as biodiversity increased, by chance predators with more complex feeding strategies evolved. "Predatory techniques like drilling and peeling shells are more evolutionarily-derived than more primitive forms of predation like whole ingestion. In this scenario you would expect to evolve sophisticated forms of predation only when diversity is high," said Huntley.
And the third hypothesis is that something else is driving both predation and biodiversity. "Some periods have more sedimentary rocks, and therefore more fossils, preserved than others," said Huntley. "There is less diversity to be observed when there are fewer fossils to study. Perhaps this sampling bias affects our ability to find samples with high predation intensities as well."
"Now we will try to pick this apart," said Huntley. "We can test these hypotheses by examining relevant linkages between predation intensity and diversity in modern oceanic environments. Also, understanding the true nature of Sepkoski's curve will help us interpret our findings. Is it biological" Is it the product of uneven sampling""
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Bacterial To Animal Gene Transfers Widespread; Implications For Evolution, Control Of Diseases And Pests
Rochester NY (SPX) Sep 10, 2007
Scientists at the University of Rochester and the J. Craig Venter Institute have discovered a copy of the genome of a bacterial parasite residing inside the genome of its host species. The research, reported in today's Science, also shows that lateral gene transfer-the movement of genes between unrelated species-may happen much more frequently between bacteria and multicellular organisms than scientists previously believed, posing dramatic implications for evolution.
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text: Ya gotta admit, even if you're not into One Direction's music (which is crazy talk!), they still have a great sense of fashion. The blazers, the colored pants, the cardigans… It's swoon city! Wanna know which One Direction style your guy — boyf, crush, whatever — should try? Quiz it to find out!