text:
- The French diet generally contains a lot of fat, mostly from traditional animal sources such as dairy and pork fat. Industrial seed oils have crept into the diet over the course of the 20th century, although not to the same degree as in most affluent nations. People seem to think that eating a lot of fat is unhealthy, particularly the younger generation, but they do it anyway. I had dinner with my family at a traditional restaurant in Lyon (a "bouchon Lyonnais" called Stepharo) last week. Before we ordered, they immediately brought out crispy fried chunks of pork skin and fat (I'm not claiming this is healthy!). The entree was a salad: a bed of lettuce piled high with chicken livers, herring, and "pig's feet". The pigs feet were essentially gobs of pork fat. It was a very good meal that I'll continue describing later in the post. I think it's worth pointing out that Lyon is in Southern France. Is this the "Mediterranean diet"?
- French people eat organs. Yes, they never got the memo that muscle meat is the only edible tissue. A typical butcher or even grocery store will have liver, tripe, kidney and blood sausage on full display next to the meat. If you want to make a French person angry, try selling them a chicken or a rabbit without the liver, gizzard and heart. The main course at Stepharo was a large "andouilette", or tripe sausage, baked in mustard sauce. This was a typical traditional restaurant, not a hangout for gastronauts.
- French people fiercely defend the quality of their food. Have you heard of the abbreviation AOC? It stands for "Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée", or controlled designation of origin. A familiar example is Champagne, which has the AOC label. You can't call your sparkling wine Champagne unless it comes from the region Champagne. However, that's only half the story. AOC also designates a specific, traditional production method, in this case called the "méthode champenoise." The AOC label can apply to a variety of food products, including wine, butter, cheese, honey, mustard and seafood, and is a guarantee of quality and tradition. 44 cheeses currently have the AOC designation, and these are commonly available in markets and grocery stores throughout the country (1). These are not fancy products that only the wealthy can afford-- many of them are quality foods that are accessible to nearly everyone. AOC defines many aspects of cheese production, often requiring a minimum amount of pasture time and specifying livestock breeds. The US has a few products that are regulated in a similar fashion, such as Bourbon whiskey, but generally we are far behind in assuring food quality and transparency.
- French people cook. There is less outsourcing of food processing in France, for several reasons. One reason is that restaurants are generally expensive. That trend is changing however.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Observations from France
40 comments:
- reglsg said...
"AOC defines many aspects of cheese production, often requiring a minimum amount of pasture time and specifying livestock breeds. The US has a few products that are regulated in a similar fashion, such as Bourbon whiskey, but generally we are far behind in assuring food quality and transparency." U.S. states regulate cheese production including pasteurization specifics. I don't understand what the advantage would be for having the government specify which livestock breeds to use. Why would that be better than freedom of choice?
- November 5, 2010 at 7:43 PM
- Stephan said...
Hi reglsg,
AOC does not limit your freedom of choice in any way, it just gives you information. You can still buy crappy cheese if you want to. What AOC does is guarantee the customer that he is getting what he thinks he's getting: a quality food produced by traditional methods. If it weren't for AOC, you could mass produce pasteurized Roquefort in Wisconsin and the consumer would have no way of knowing it's inferior without buying it.
As an analogy, imagine that Honda built a car that looks just like a Ferrari, has the Ferrari brand name but has a Civic engine under the hood. You might be pissed if you bought it not realizing it was actually a Honda.
- November 5, 2010 at 8:05 PM
- MsCFaith said...
One word... gross!
Loads of fats and organs? Yeck!
Natural Health
- November 5, 2010 at 8:55 PM
- rosenfeltc said...
Great to have you back and I hope your vacation was awesome. While you were on vacation I took the time to reread from the beginning all of your blog posts and comments; what a great journey!
You might not remember me but I emailed you almost a year ago and basically my problems were acne, tongue thrush and basically what I believe is gut dysbiosis from 2 straight years of taking antibiotics. Anyways I had changes my diet a year ago after reading some of your blog posts and emailing you and had quite a bit of health/energy improvements yet I never felt likei was 100 percent. However, with your more recent research on gut flora, it has led me to do some research on gut flora myself and I plan to start doing a supplementation protocol next week of probiotics and prebiotics and I will let you know what the results are a month after I start my protocol. Anyways keep up the awesome blog posts and don't ever change. You are the most open minded, honest and diligent researcher I know!
- November 5, 2010 at 9:23 PM
- The 100 Best Health Sites said...
I'm glad you're back. I always enjoy your insights.
- November 6, 2010 at 1:50 AM
- gallier2 said...
Saw not so recently a TV show explaining also how AOC is used in trade war against the "americanisation" of world commerce. The french way of binding the "branding" with the territory of production and the methods of production has been introduced in several other countries for the benefit of the people producing them. An example that was given is Thai and Basmati fragrant rices which can only be sold under these names when they comply to certain constraints (at least in the EU) of origin. This was to counter the offensive of US rice that tried to corner that part of the market by mislabeling hybrid fragrant rice varieties as Basmati.
This said, the AOC petard blew in the face of the french cheesemakers, as they had to stop marketing the sheep milk cheese surplus coming from the Roquefort production as Feta, as that name was changed to an AOC from the EU regulations. This touched also Danish and German cheesemakers who made fake feta from cow milk.
There's also another aspect of food in France that you haven't mentioned, French are also willing to pay more for better food. I once read that in the US (or was it UK, I don't remember) less than 10% of household budget was dedicated to food, in France it was more in the 20% to 40% range.
As for Lyon, it's the gastronomical centre of France, all big chefs come from there. It's even more prominent than Paris for that. And it's not mediterranean by any stretch (more than 400km from Lyon to Marseille).
- November 6, 2010 at 1:53 AM
- gunther gatherer said...
I've been living in Normandy for the last 6 months, and I agree with all your observations, Stephan.
One thing I would add also: the French distinguish pasture-fed and raw foods from industrially fed and pasteurised/heat treated foods. At least they do here in Normandy. That's not saying they do that in the big cities as much, but looking at the cheeses and milk, at all quality stores you will find the words "au lait cru" on the cheese, as well as indications regarding its method of production ("artesan" cheese made traditionally, or the origin).
Many of the cheeses, milk products, foie gras, meats and vegetables are made by families whose farms have been in business several hundred years, so it's a selling point among the French too. It's not uncommon to hear people ask what farm the meat comes from at the charcuterie!
- November 6, 2010 at 3:30 AM
- Edward said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- November 6, 2010 at 5:36 AM
- Edward said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- November 6, 2010 at 5:47 AM
- Edward said...
I live in Lyon – if I'd known you were coming I'd have liked to meet you; I'm a keen follower of the blog!
Anyway, I think that one of the major the reasons the French enjoy in such good health is that they maintain the link between producer and plate. Even if they do eat some processed stuff, the diet still contains vastly more fresh, local, natural food than the average American or British diet (I'm English and I've lived in the States so I know!).
Farmers' markets have started to take off where I come from in England but they're something of a special-interest middle-class thing: there's only enough demand to support one fairly small market every 2 weeks in a nearby town and people have to travel miles if they're interested. Here in Lyon there are producers selling their fresh locally produced food (some have photos of their animals grazing/pecking/gambolling around happily in fields) from at least 3 city-centre markets, every day of the week except Monday: SIX DAYS A WEEK, EVERY WEEK.
Real, natural (and damn tasty) food is niche in much of Britain and the US but it's the norm all over France. Only American style 'nutritionism' – a reductionist, joyless and apparently useless concept – could ever describe the fact that the French live long and well on such a diet as a paradox.
By the way, organ meats are something of a lyonnais speciality – I don't think they're as popular in other parts of the country. Beyond liver and occasionally kidneys, I'm (alas) a bit too squeamish to enjoy them – and I know a fair few locals who are the same!
A lot of lyonnais cuisine – especially of the sort served in bouchons – is best when the weather gets cold. I'm looking forward to keeping myself warm this winter with plates full of meat, potatoes, cream and mushroom sauces, crispy salads with lardons and poached eggs on top (salades lyonnaises) and real raw milk cheeses – all washed down with a glass or two of the local red... (possibly) followed by a crème brulée. Not anywhere near 100% paleo – but 110% pleasure. Vive la France!
Keep blogging!
- November 6, 2010 at 6:05 AM
- Stephen said...
Lyon isn't just the food center of France, it's the food center of the universe!!
The French insist on fresh local food produced using traditional methods. And yes, they eat bread and some sugar, but not like us Americans. The good animal fats they eat seem to counter that.
I think I'll have a good steak with a brandy cream sauce flavored with peppercorns and mustard, potatoes dauphinois, buttered petite peas washed down with a nice Rhone.
- November 6, 2010 at 6:45 AM
- Chris said...
Stephan - you mentioned the UK too. Where were you? Here in Scotland most people have a poor diet. The food is there - good meat, veggies, cheeses etc but people don't take advantage......
- November 6, 2010 at 11:20 AM
- Valda Redfern said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- November 6, 2010 at 11:41 AM
- Valda Redfern said...
I also live in the UK and, just going by what people buy in supermarkets here and in France, most of us here have a ghastly diet compared to the French.
Every so often I go to conferences with a mixed French and British attendance. I can usually tell which attendees are French and which British just by looking at them. The British tend to be somewhat taller, much heavier, and much more likely to have pot bellies.
It's not that I never saw a fat French person at a conference, or that middle-aged Frenchmen look like Olympic sprinters, but as a rule the French do look healthier than the Brits.
- November 6, 2010 at 11:49 AM
- Stephan said...
Hi rosenfeltc,
Glad you've been improving. Thanks for the kind words.
Hi Gallier2,
Another example is the Napa valley label. There were some European wineries that were labeling their wines Napa until there was a trade agreement that restricted it. I don't think it's quite the equivalent of AOC though, because I believe it only regulates provenance.
Hi Gunther,
Thanks for your observations.
Hi Edward,
I do think it's interesting that there has been a major resurgence of traditional/quality food in the UK, even if it hasn't reached everyone.
Hi Chris,
I was in Windsor and Cambridge visiting friends. We collected kilos of chestnuts in the great park in Windsor. Then we proceeded to stuff ourselves with them over the next few days. We also went to prince Charles's farm store, which was great. Lots of organic heirloom fruit and traditional meats and cheeses.
- November 6, 2010 at 1:20 PM
- Anna said...
Ah, Edward - not long ago I discovered "salades lyonnaises" in vintage cook book, and my idea of egg salad was forever changed. "French Egg Salad" as we are calling it, is now a favorite easy fast meal when I don't feel like cooking, though it hasn't quite supplanted "salades Niçoise" just yet.
- November 6, 2010 at 1:26 PM
- Anna said...
Every 5 years or so we join my husband's UK/Norwegian family somewhere in the UK or Europe, staying at self-catering holiday rental accommodations. My SIL is a chef and I also like to cook, too, so we really soak up the local food (and local food is a significant factor in the chosen location). We enjoy communal family meals most evenings, with only one dinner out as a big group. That strategy saves a LOT of money (though even home-prepared food is still much more expensive than in the US). It's also much easier and more relaxing with young kids and we can enjoy the wine without having to drive and so on.
We've had good food in the UK in the Devon/Dorset area. Axminster is the site of a shop and cooking classes run by the River Cottage Farm/Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall interests (there is a larger shop in Bath, where the there is a larger market for River Cottage Farm foods There are some other farm shops with local products near Axminster, too.
We also really enjoyed the availability of locally produced foods when we stayed in Brittany a few years back.
Surprisingly, we had a harder time finding non-supermarket produce in the countryside in Tuscany without driving into Sienna (parking at the market was impossible), but it may be we just didn't know where to go. We were in a fairly remote area and it wasn't as easy to ask around so we did mostly supermarket shopping, which wasn't very exciting.
- November 6, 2010 at 1:48 PM
- Jesse said...
Wow those "crispy fried chunks of pork skin and fat" sound delicious! Certainly a healthier replacement for the usual chips or bread most places bring out as appetizers.
- November 6, 2010 at 1:52 PM
- "Guppy" Honaker said...
You're back! Bienvenu notre ami.
I wonder (and one of the few "Mormons" who would) if part of their benefits from an otherwise unhealthy diet is red wine? In moderation, I think it must help them - and from what I've heard, it's the national drink.
I have a question, you mentioned seed oils as a problem food. Which seed oils? I always thought that flax seed is VERY good for a person, and etc. Certainly great for baking in bread (to help my wife avoid breast cancer).
Anyway, welcome back. You have been missed.
A la prochain (my portugues, espanol and ivrit are 100% better than my french which I can speak and undestand way better than I can write it),
- David
Top 10 Aloe Vera Juice Benefits
Holistic Nutrition and Health
- November 6, 2010 at 5:46 PM
- jon w said...
I agree, why disparage the fried pork? My wife's family in Bosnia spreads lard with bits of fried pork on bread, eats raw slices of smoked pork belly, and of course the organs of a lamb or piglet are a delicacy at every barbeque.
- November 6, 2010 at 6:12 PM
- LPaForLife said...
I was in Lyon this summer. I enjoyed the incredible fresh foods and the farmers market down by the river.
I also observed that many French like to walk alot, don't rush eating, and don't eat too much. They like quality not quatity. They also eat a light breakfast or skip it.
Edward, Have you ever had the Baba au Ruhm with fruits at Quest or East Restaurant? I cheated for this and got sick but it was worth it!
- November 6, 2010 at 9:18 PM
- Alina said...
Sounds like you had a great trip!
I love the expression "French paradox", because it's almost like overtly saying "our hypothesis lacks predictive value but we'll go with it anyway."
What's wrong with fried pork, if it's fried in its own fat? I don't eat pork, personally, but I am under the expression that bacon is edible, so wouldn't fried pork be along the same lines?
- November 7, 2010 at 5:18 AM
- bobbejaan22 said...
interesting thoughts on french food, what about the uk? any different from america?
- November 7, 2010 at 5:23 AM
- mess talker said...
I was in a theatre troupe from the U.S. that would perform in Europe and everyone would lose a few pounds after the first week of eating "real food". Probably helped that we were poor. Ha. One of my favorite meals of all time was a potatoes au gratin from a small place in Lyon or maybe Dijon. Not like mom's from a box!
I would usually eat steak tartare as it was one of the cheapest items on the menu. So good.
- November 7, 2010 at 5:37 AM
- Lorna said...
I have never been to America, so never seen American food, however every time I read something on an American site about GM food, giving grains to organic cattle, trans fats in chocolate, this and that additive etc, when I look into the UK equivilant, we don't do it - or at least nothing like as bad. And we don't have feedlots... yet...
Our supermarkets own ranges are all proudly GM free, and any GM food is labelled - apart from when it is fed to conventional animals, the meat isn't labelled ;0( - and all of them stock a very wide range of organic products.
We have great organic standards - at least 60% of all feed should be grass and the cows have to be allowed to graze outside for it. The other 40% is strictly controlled too.
We do have plenty of junk, and people do eat it: we're far less particular than the French.
So good and bad - but I do feel a day trip to France coming on. Mmmm. Although our restaurant food has improved beyond all recognition in the last twenty years. A big emphasis on homegrown veg and local quality meat. Yum!
- November 8, 2010 at 5:01 AM
- Lorna said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- November 8, 2010 at 5:14 AM
- Heather said...
How do you deal with gluten when you eat out/travel? Do you insist that everything is gluten-free, or just avoid the obvious breads and pastas, or allow yourself a cheat?
This post reminds me of several years ago when I spent a month as an exchange student in Germany, living with a local family. Germans are not particularly afraid of carbs (I never once saw anything "whole grain," and the younger people in particular often ate/drank junk food), but they're REALLY REALLY not afraid of ginormous helpings of animal fats and proteins. Not a single American in the exchage was able to finish a German family dinner (I'm guessing because our guts weren't used to having to digest so much saturated fat), but the Germans ate with gusto, and then said "but you're American...you're supposed to eat a lot!" Most Europeans I saw weren't overweight, and were pretty healthy-looking and active. Us Americans couldn't figure it out at the time...
- November 8, 2010 at 8:17 AM
- Fredrik Gyllensten said...
Interesting post Stephen. Traveling is great :-)
- November 9, 2010 at 12:53 AM
- A Girl In An Apron said...
Fabulous post! I often refer to the "French paradox" when discussing food. Thank you for sharing your lovely and important observations. Now I'm hungry!
- November 9, 2010 at 4:06 PM
- aouo said...
"Before we ordered, they immediately brought out crispy fried chunks of pork skin and fat (I'm not claiming this is healthy!)."
Hm, why you are not claiming this is healthy?
- November 11, 2010 at 1:38 PM
- Dr.Gee said...
sounds yummy.
i have trouble finding quality organ meat here (SF bay area) sigh.
why is pork skin unhealthy? (as long as it's friend in its own fat (lard)?
recently my greatest accomplishment is talk my French ballet teacher back into eating like a French. LOL. she has been living in US for too long to be a bit "brain washed" into a little "SFA phobia." then she lost weight after switching back to a more traditional diet. dont' think i can get her to quit smoking. sigh. but she does not smoke much.)
- November 12, 2010 at 1:38 AM
- Stephan said...
To Pam and others who asked about the crispy fried pork skin/fat:
I don't think pork fat and skin is inherently unhealthy, it's the frying that's bad. High-heat cooking in fat like that creates a number of compounds (oxidized lipids, AGEs, etc.) that are not healthy in my opinion. This is an issue I haven't tackled yet on the blog, but I may at some point. Or I may wait for Chris Masterjohn to do it because he's been thinking about this stuff as well. I think that gentle cooking methods are generally superior to high heat.
- November 12, 2010 at 9:33 PM
- Tom said...
And pork fat is very high in PUFA for an animal fat. Best to focus on coconut oil, beef fat, and milk fat. I eat a fair amount of pork but use ghee/butter or coconut oil for cooking.
12% PUFA, more than olive oil.
- November 14, 2010 at 8:29 AM
- Dana Seilhan said...
I do think it odd that lard is so often referred to as "saturated fat" in the popular literature and the public consciousness when it's so high in MUFA and PUFA, which should make it well nigh a health food, if people were logical. *sigh*
Cajun culture is almost dead today, but there are still people eating the traditional foods and I wish there were more of them. If you're ever in Louisiana, aside from the seafood (which I'm not sure I would trust anymore post-Deepwater Horizon), get out into the southwestern prairie and get hold of some sausage and boudin. By rights they should refer to the sausage as andouille, but the locals have been brainwashed into thinking their language inferior, and will look at you funny if you try it.
I suspect it's foods like those that have kept them from degenerating into permanent Big Pharma charity cases. Not that obesity and heart disease and diabetes aren't still major problems there.
- November 18, 2010 at 8:44 AM
- Dr.Gee said...
re. PUFA in lard,
my sources list 8%,
palm oil has 10% PUFA
& olive oil has 14% PUFA, human breast milk has 10% PUFA; tea seed oil has 10% PUFA. strange.
it seems to vary from sources.
lard has vitamin D (if the pigs are raised outdoors).
re. cooking with heat, maybe any frying with heat is bad. :-(
i have been reading Brian Peskin's book on cancer. it is interesting. esp. his opionion on n-6 & EFA's effect on cancer. but he think most n-6 is "adulterated" (= bad). also the good spacedoc thinks n-6 is important.
now i'm getting confused about n-6.
- November 20, 2010 at 4:49 PM
- Zoe said...
Observations from my grandma's diet:
My family has a long line of female centenarians and the men in my family lived well into their mid 90s. My grandparents are still alive and well, so this is what they (and I) eat:
* Greasy pork trotters, especially the skin
* Roast duck dripping in duck fat
* Chicken feet
* Wild birds roasted (my uncle hunts on the land near their farm)
* Grilled pork livers, chicken livers and giblets
* Eggs (from chickens, ducks and quails)
* Marrow soup (the marrow is so thick, you scoop it out with a small spoon)
* Fish, crabs and mussels (they also eat the fish eyeballs!)
* Lard - this is the oil they use to cook pretty much everything in
- November 30, 2010 at 7:20 PM
- skip safire said...
Hey Stephan,
interesting news. As I'm deep frying quite often, I was wondering if you could provide more specific information. I only deepfry in coconut or palm oil, the max. oil temperature is 170°C. Apparently, these oils have way better high-heat cooking properties than the other veg. oils (less oxidation, less. I also seem to remember a study/graph where palm oil, oil temperature and acrylamide content was measured (can't provide the source unfortunately): it raised dramatically when the temperature where above 175°C. Another point speaking for deep-frying in sfa may be the traditional way belgians used and still use to fry real belgian fries: with beef tallow.
Also, how else could I make potatoes that simple, quick and tasty?
- December 6, 2010 at 3:07 PM
- Alain said...
So glad to read this post.
I joined the Paleo bandwagon about two months. I feel terrific, but I don't think I'd be enjoying myself as much if it weren't for my fondness for, and knowledge of, French cuisine. It's very Paleo-friendly by default—in fact, many French meals would be Paleo if it weren't for the baguette.
French cuisine does rely on cream a lot, but I haven't cut that out and probably won't.
- March 26, 2011 at 2:26 PM
- fg said...
Like Alain, on the 'paleo'* diet since about three months ago, and everyday I thank myself for moving to France in 2001 :D
*More like the 'no industrial foods, no wheat' diet, because I eat pretty much everything otherwise.
Stephan, thank you so much for this blog, it's really a wonderful resource. I am going to make a small donation to it.
- March 15, 2012 at 1:31 AM
- gsgs said...
the paradoxal French advantage in circulatory deaths -e.g. over Germany-
developed in the 1960s and 1970s. It was not there in 1955.
So, did they change their diet in that period ?
I also saw that i.e. mortality in French women went down.
When you plot the male/female deathratio from all causes for
the middle-aged then it went up a lot (more than USA,England,Germany)
since 1890 with peak in 1985. Although CHD-deaths are mostly concentrated
in males at that agegroup. I don't understand why.
- August 14, 2015 at 6:54 AM


text:
The temperatures have started to drop and this is the perfect time to have fun with accessories, they can become your best friends during this time of the year. So, buckle up and get ready to rock accessories that will keep you warm and stylish this season!
I love wearing tights because it can transform any outfit in a matter of seconds. You can go for the romantic girl, rocker chic or even preppy look by just adding some cool tightsto your outfit. The best part is that you don't have to stick to plain black tights anymore; there are endless options out there for you to have fun with!
What better way to keep you hands warm than with some fabulous gloves! They come in different materials, styles, patterns and colors so you have a wide variety to choose from. And you don't have to spend a lot of money either; I recently bought some at H&Mthat were under $30.
They are one of my top accessories because they spice up any outfit. Jessica Alba kills at this! During the colder days opt for scarves that are thicker like this neon one.
I'm not sure about you, but I love to top off an outfit by throwing on a hat, especially if I have a bad hair day. I suggest having fun with them until you find the perfect match. Check out the latest from Forever 21, H&M, Target and Old Navy if you don't want to break your bank!
My favorite part of fall and winter is that I get a chance to wear boots! Not only do they keep me warm but also it can spice up any look. The great thing about boots is that with so many styles out there, you can wear them to the office as well as to go out at night, like thesetall flat boots.
For more fashion tips, visit my blog, flordemariafashion.com.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Mr. Aaron Shinn, Principal Email Mr. Shinn
Mr. Chris Gill, Assistant Principal Email Mr. Gill
Mrs. Kim Goffee, 12th Grade Counselor Email Mrs. Goffee
Mrs. Christina Barbara, 11th Grade Counselor Email Mrs. Barbara
Mr. Blue Livingston, 10th Grade Dean Email Mr. Livingston
Mr. Mark Rodan, Student Support Email Mr. Rodan
Mr. David Kaiser, Athletic Director Email Mr. Kaiser
We care about our students and want to keep them safe. Please be prepared to present identification when picking up a child.
School Day Hours
Full Day: 7:30 AM - 2:10 PM
Half Day: 7:30 AM - 10:35 AM
734.439.5000 Main Office
734.439.5085 Student Absence Line
734.439.5014 Attendance Office
734.439.5013 Special Education
734.439.5088 Athletic Office
734.439.5084 Fax in Main Office
734.439.5002 Counseling Office
If you need to order transcripts and are a Milan High School graduate please go to www.parchment.com. If you are an Adult Education or FCI graduate please call Connie Cox at 734-439-5272 for your transcript.


text:
In 1965, Karam was the designer of the Beirut City Center, a multi-use complex with an egg-shaped shell housing a cinema, surrounded by towers and at the time the largest shopping mall in the middle east. The outbreak of the civil war in Lebanon in 1975 left the structure damaged beyond repair. Most of the buildings were razed but there have been some efforts to rehabilitate the egg (also nicknamed 'sabouneh' or soap by locals) which has survived, and which now occupies an iconic place in the hearts of Lebanese nostalgic for the country's prewar era. In June 2004, a front page article in The Wall Street Journal discussed some designs to preserve and restore the egg.
This series of photos, called "A Dozen Eggs" was created to encourage saving Beirut's Egg.
0 Comments
There are no comments to display.
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new account
Sign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now


text:
Player InformationFlames Home > Track & Field Home > Track & Field Roster > Roster Detail
Ryan SmithClass: R-Senior
Position: Throws
Height: 6-4
Previous School: Athens Christian
Hometown: Winder, Ga.
2012 Outdoor Track & Field (R-Jr.)
• Voted Big South Men's Most Outstanding Field Performer, after scoring 28 points at the Big South meet
• Won his third consecutive Big South outdoor shot put title and his first discus championship, to go along with a runner-up finish in the hammer
• Became the first men's thrower to sweep the Big South shot put and discus championships since 2005
• Threw the shot put, discus and hammer at the IC4A meet, placing third in the shot put with an outdoor personal-best throw of 59-9.75
• The only NCAA Division I men's thrower in the nation to compete in the shot put, discus and hammer at the 2012 NCAA Preliminary Round meets
• Came in 17th in the shot put at the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet
• During the season, he moved up to No. 2 in program history for the shot put (59-9.75), No. 3 for the hammer (194-11 at Big South) and No. 6 for the discus (169-11 at Big South).
2011-12 Indoor Track & Field (R-Jr.)
• Swept the Big South shot put and weight throw titles, setting personal bests in both events while winning the shot put for the third year in a row
• Became the second Liberty thrower to go over 60 feet in the shot put, with his Big South meet-record mark of 60-1.75
• His Big South-winning weight throw of 63-6.25 moved him up to No. 2 in program history
• Scored 10 points at the IC4A meet, with a runner-up finish in the weight throw and a seventh-place performance in the shot put
• Won three straight Big South Men's Field Athlete of the Week honors, on Feb. 2, 9 and 16.
2011 Outdoor Track & Field (R-So.)
• Captured his second consecutive Big South outdoor shot put crown
• Also placed fourth in the hammer and sixth in the discus at the Big South meet
• Finished 18th in the shot put at the NCAA East Preliminary Round meet
• Top seasonal marks included 57-11.25 in the shot put, 145-10 in the discus and 184-10 in the hammer
2010-11 Indoor Track & Field (R-So.)
• Tabbed Big South Men's Outstanding Field Performer after winning the shot put and coming in second in the weight throw
• Posted a third-place shot put finish and a sixth-place weight throw effort at the IC4A meet
• Threw the shot put a season-best 58-6.5 to finish second at the prestigious Tyson Invitational
• Best weight throw of the season reached 61-1.25, enabling him to win the Sykes-Sabock Challenge Cup title
• Earned Big South Men's Indoor Field Athlete of the Week honors on both Jan. 26 and Feb. 17
2010 Outdoor Track & Field (R-Fr.)
• Won his first Big South outdoor shot put championship, while coming in fifth in the hammer and 12th in the discus
• Placed sixth in the IC4A shot put final and also threw the hammer at the meet
• Top shot put mark of the year, 57-8.25, produced a 16th-place finish at the NCAA East Preliminary Round meet
• Won five shot put competitions during the season
2009-10 Indoor Track & Field (R-Fr.)
• His first Big South title came in the indoor shot put
• Also produced a sixth-place finish in the Big South weight throw final
• Fourth-place shot put finisher at the IC4A meet, while also throwing the weight
• Won three of his five shot put competitions during the indoor campaign
2009 Outdoor Track & Field (Fr.)
• Did not compete in any meets for Liberty and was redshirted
• Finished 10th in the shot put at the USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships
• Won the shot put at both of Liberty's home outdoor meets, competing unattached
• Notched a season-best shot put distance of 55-10.5 at the Liberty Twilight Qualifier
2008-09 Indoor Track & Field (Fr.)
• Did not compete in any meets for Liberty and was redshirted
• Won the shot put at his first collegiate track & field meet, the Liberty Kickoff
• Graduated from Athens Christian School
• Won the Georgia state title in the shot put as a senior
• Helped his team win the state track & field team championship as a junior
• Two-time state champion as a wrestler
• Son of Tim and Tammy Smith
• Social sciences major
• Birthday is on Sept. 25
Top Efforts in a Liberty Uniform
SP – 60-6 (18.44m)
DISC – 169-11 (51.79m)
WT – 64-4 (19.61m) (Indoor)
HAM – 195-11 (59.71m)
Big South Individual Titles (10)
2010 Indoor Shot Put
2010 Outdoor Shot Put
2011 Indoor Shot Put
2011 Outdoor Shot Put
2012 Indoor Shot Put
2012 Indoor Weight Throw
2012 Outdoor Shot Put
2012 Outdoor Discus
2013 Indoor Shot Put
2013 Outdoor Shot Put
All-Big South Honors (15)
2010 Indoor Shot Put – 1st
2010 Outdoor Shot Put – 1st
2011 Indoor Shot Put – 1st
2011 Indoor Weight Throw – 2nd
2011 Outdoor Shot Put - 1st
2012 Indoor Shot Put - 1st
2012 Indoor Weight Throw - 1st
2012 Outdoor Shot Put - 1st
2012 Outdoor Discus - 1st
2012 Outdoor Hammer - 2nd
2013 Indoor Shot Put - 1st
2013 Indoor Weight Throw - 2nd
2013 Outdoor Shot Put - 1st
2013 Outdoor Discus - 2nd
2013 Outdoor Hammer - 2nd


text: Biblical and Theological Studies Department Associate Professor of Archaeology On Faculty since 2009 Office: BGC 542 Phone: (630)752-5534 Email: email@example.com Education Ph.D. Ancient Near Eastern History, University of Chicago M.A. Syro-Palestinian History, University of Chicago M.A. Biblical Archaeology, Wheaton College About Adam E. Miglio I am interested in the history and archaeology of the regions from inland Syria and northern Iraq to the southern stretches of Palestine. In particular, I have treated Akkadian texts from the ancient capital city of Mari (Tell Hariri), which was centrally located along the Euphrates River and connected the Syrian mountains and Mediterranean coastland with southern Mesopotamia and the southern Levant. Mari flourished as a capital under its king Zimri-Lim from 1775– 1762, when Hammu-rabi of Babylon destroyed it. In the ruins left by Hammu-rabi excavators have recovered nearly 20,000 cuneiform tablets, including 2500-3000 diplomatic and other official correspondences. My research on the sources from Mari has focused on the ways in which the social and cultural matrices of Syria constrained and catalyzed politics during the second millennium B.C. In addition to my research on the sources from Mari, I have worked with material culture from the southern Levant. In particular, I have published artifacts from Tel Dothan, including Middle Bronze Age scarab stamp sealings and Iron Age alphabetic epigraphic artifacts. I continue to work with materials from this region, in particular, through work with the Tel Shimron Expedition. Publications My publications include a monograph, Tribe and State: The Dynamics of International Politics and the Reign of Zimri-Lim. Studies in the Ancient Near East. Gorgias Press, 2014. Additionally, I have published articles in several academic journals, including the Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, Journal of Ancient Near Eastern Religions, Vetus Testamentum, Cuneiform Digital Library Bulletin, Journal of Old Testament Studies, and Journal of Ancient Egyptian Interconnections, among others. I have written reviews for the Journal for Near Eastern Studies, Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, and Journal of the American Oriental Society. I am currently researching a history of 'unruly' populations during the Old Babylonian period, which focuses on the letters from Mari as well as other contemporary sources. Selection of Courses Taught Ancient States: From Babylon to Rome (ARCH 554) Society and Technology in the Ancient Near East (ARCH 494) Ancient Near Eastern History (ARCH 365) Tribes, States and Ancient Israel (ARCH 554) Economies of the Ancient Mediterranean (ARCH 494) Aramaic Dialects (ARCH 360/550) Akkadian Language and Literature (ARCH 4/518) Ugaritic Language and Literature (ARCH 411) Landscapes of the Levant (ARCH 494) Classical Hebrew Inscriptions (ARCH 550) Statecraft and International Relations in Mesopotamia (NEHC 213)


text:
RELATIVES of men who died during the First World War will lay rosemary and flower sprigs at a Basingstoke event as a mark of remembrance to commemorate the centenary of the four-year conflict.
The Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane Councillor Roger Gardiner will host a civic service at St Michael's Church, in Church Square, on August 4 - exactly 100 years to the day the First World War broke out.
The service, which will be led by Reverend Canon Jo Stoker, will start at 7pm and will include music, poetry and stories from, and about, the war.
Basingstoke resident Mick Smith, who lost both his grandfathers and three other family members during the war, will be among a group of people giving a reading at the special event.
Others reading at the service will include North East Hampshire MP James Arbuthnot and Corporal Samuel Thompson, from the 443 Squadron Air Training Corps.
At the start of the ceremony, the church's choir will lead the Mayor through a guard of honour made up of cadets from the 3 Platoon Basingstoke, the 443 Squadron Air Training Corps, the Basingstoke Sea Cadets and the Vyne School Combined Cadet Force, into the church.
He will be followed by the clergy, the Deputy Lieutenant Air Vice Marshal, Paul Luker CBE OBE AFC and standard bearers.
At the end of the service, relatives of people named on war memorial will then be invited to visit the memorial chapel, built in 1919 to commemorate Basingstoke men lost in the four-year conflict, to lay flowers in their memory.
Cllr Gardiner said: "I am honoured to be holding this service as part of a programme of commemorations taking place around the borough, and I hope residents will take this opportunity to join us.
"It is very important to take this time to reflect on the sacrifices made by people from our communities, both those who fought and those who contributed in other roles."
Other church services will take place around the borough to remember those who died in the war, including a service by Reverend Rosalind Rutherford from 7pm at All Saints Church, in Southern Road, Basingstoke on August 3.
On August 4, a candle-lit vigil will be held at Whitchurch Town Hall, in Newbury Street, from 10pm to remember the those who fought and died for their country between 1914 and 1918.
In addition, an hour-long candle-lit commemoration ceremony will be held at Winchester Cathedral from 10pm and will feature time for reflection, music and readings. During the service, lit lanterns will be taken from the Cathedral to symbolise soldiers leaving to fight in the war.


text: Ming Xing Wang Hotel-Shenzhen is located at Nanhua Village on Huaqiang South Road in Futian District, offering easy access to attractions and transportation links. With the convenient location, it is a great choice for accommodation when visiting here. The hotel boasts various kinds of guest rooms. All rooms here are well equipped with free toiletries, electric kettle, slippers, television, hair-dryer, indoor washroom, indoor bathroom, shower, mahjong table. The hotel offers access to a vast array of facilities and services, including free wi-fi, fee-paying parking lot, baggage storage service and so on. Tips: Credit card payment is not available here.


text:
(Redirected from Abstract)
Abstraction is the process or result of generalization by reducing the information content of a concept or an observable phenomenon.
|This philosophy-related article is a stub. You can help Wikiquote by expanding it.
- For me, abstraction is real, probably more real than nature. I'll go further and say that abstraction is nearer my heart. I prefer to see with closed eyes.
- Joseph Albers, quoted in: Arts/Canada, Vol. 23 (1966), p. 46.
- An abstraction is one thing that represents several real things equally well.
- The UN is not just a product of do-gooders. It is harshly real. The day will come when men will see the UN and what it means clearly. Everything will be all right — you know when? When people, just people, stop thinking of the United Nations as a weird Picasso abstraction, and see it as a drawing they made themselves.
- Dag Hammarskjöld As quoted in The Times [London] (27 June 1955).
- The abstraction is often the most definite form for the intangible thing in myself that I can only clarify in paint.
- Georgia O'Keeffe Some Memories of Drawings (1976).
- Words are a medium that reduces reality to abstraction for transmission to our reason, and in their power to corrode reality inevitably lurks the danger that the words will be corroded too.
- Yukio Mishima. Sun and Steel (1968), p. 9.
- Denotation by means of sounds and markings is a remarkable abstraction. Three letters designate God for me; several lines a million things. How easy becomes the manipulation of the universe here, how evident the concentration of the intellectual world! Language is the dynamics of the spiritual realm. One word of command moves armies; the word Liberty entire nations.
- Novalis, Blüthenstaub (1798) Fragment No. 2.
- Everything abstract is ultimately part of the concrete. Everything inanimate finally serves the living. That is why every activity dealing in abstraction stands in ultimate service to a living whole.
- Edith Stein Essays on Woman (1996).
- I discovered the works of Euler and my perception of the nature of mathematics underwent a dramatic transformation. I was de-Bourbakized, stopped believing in sets, and was expelled from the Cantorian paradise. I still believe in abstraction, but now I know that one ends with abstraction, not starts with it. I learned that one has to adapt abstractions to reality and not the other way around. Mathematics stopped being a science of theories but reappeared to me as a science of numbers and shapes.
- Alexander Stepanov, . Bjarne Stroustrup: Evolving a language in and for the real world: C++ 1991-2006. ACM HOPL-III. June 2007.. Archived from the original on 2007-11-20. Retrieved on 2008-04-25..


text:
Given that financial crises are caused by herd-like behaviour by banks, it is hard to know whether to be encouraged or dismayed by the latest mass shift – away from investment banking and toward retail and commercial banking.
The Bank for International Settlements annual report, published today, finds that one-third of banks that entered the financial crisis in 2007 as wholesale-funded or trading institutions switched to retail banking by 2012 (19 out of the 54 in its sample). Read more


text:
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 5/6/2014 (1175 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
During the nightmarish inaugural season at Investors Group Field, one of the few silver linings for the Winnipeg Football Club was the eventual success of the game-day transportation plan.
A year ago this month, getting to and from the new stadium was an unmitigated disaster. Long lines of vehicles stalled on the way to IGF, there weren't enough buses for passengers, fans arrived well after kickoff and then got stuck on the U of M campus long after the final down.
By July, the situation had improved, thanks to the collective brainstorming of the Bombers, Winnipeg Transit, the Winnipeg Police Service and a number of city officials and consultants.
By the fall, the Bombers actually boasted more than 1,000 fans rode bikes to the games, an average of 10,000 took buses and a total of about a third of the crowd got to and from the 33,500-seat venue by means other than personal vehicles.
In a city as car-reliant as Winnipeg, this was an achievement. Convincing people in the Manitoba capital to walk, ride or take buses is no easy task.
When presented with a proposition -- you could get to and from games faster, more comfortably and less expensively if you left your car at home -- Winnipeggers proved to be entirely logical.
Now, these fans have been rewarded for their co-operation with the announcement of new user fees only days before the start of the CFL pre-season.
On Thursday, the Winnipeg Football Club announced bus rides to the stadium along regular transit routes would no longer be free, but $2.55 -- the same fare charged by Winnipeg Transit. Rides home along these routes would remain free. Park-and-ride fares will be $5 when the regular season starts later this month, assuming there is no CFL players' strike.
This is an insult to fans who went along with everything the club asked them to do last year.
The result will likely mean some won't take transit and will take cars instead. If this clogs up Pembina Highway, more fans will get fed up with going to Bomber games altogether.
This potential backslide is the result of a communication breakdown between the Bombers and the City of Winnipeg, who share the blame for the ridiculous situation where fans are told on a Thursday about a new plan for a game on a Monday.
How did we get there? Originally, the Bombers signed a moronic transportation deal. Somehow, the football club agreed to cover the entire cost of game-day transit instead of maintaining the 2012 situation, where the city ate a portion of the cost.
Last year, the city charged the Bombers $1.1 million in total and then informed the club it would cost $1.25 million this year. This means the city plans to charge the Bombers $12.50 per round trip to the stadium, as opposed to the $5.10 it charges for a pair of regular transit rides. (Yes, regular transit rides are subsidized.)
Bombers president and CEO Wade Miller tried to negotiate a better deal last fall, knowing his team has to start forking over millions worth of stadium-building-loan repayments this year. Miller asked for a deep discount and was instead offered a more modest one in April.
Mayor Sam Katz then yanked that offer off the table in May, claiming the club is doing too well to deserve a deal Winnipeg Transit director Dave Wardrop considered fair.
Katz then successfully spun a portion of the public on the idea the Bombers would have just been receiving another subsidy, when in fact the club is being charged more than double the going transit rate.
Miller, meanwhile, has compounded the situation. After failing to manage a key relationship with one of the club's stakeholders, the Bombers president now appears to be playing chicken with the city over the transportation plan.
Even if just as many fans continue to take transit to the stadium this season with user fees up front, collecting fares at crowded bus stops will slow down the entire process. This is why transit warned against the idea.
The Selinger government, meanwhile, is dithering on the sidelines, afraid to either criticize Katz for reneging on a deal or provide more cash to the team.
The province offered to split the additional cost with the city, something the province does with all transit costs. But the Katz administration won't give the Bombers another penny, even if the Selinger government picks up half the tab.
Surely, someone in this city has the leadership skills to put these squabbling children in a room and settle the impasse.
There was a game-day plan that worked last year. Screwing it up over egos would be pretty lame.


text:
Sephora Indulgences - Winter Nights Holiday Collection
A trio of warm, holiday-inspired Sephora Indulgences Whipped Body Delights in a deliciously-adorned gift box. For these cold winter nights that can leave your skin dry, flaky, and parched, try these body blends! They are sure to leave your skin feeling smooth, quenched, and nourished and your spirit uplifted with holiday cheer! Smooth 'em on! Set includes three 2.25 oz Whipped Body Delights in Eggnog, Peppermint Mocha, and Hot Apple Cider.


text:
- Home /
- Party Ideas /
- Punch Recipes /
- Wonderful Winter Sangria Recip...
Wonderful Winter Sangria Recipes
These Sangria recipes will have you singing Fa-la-la until the very last signs of the winter season are upon us.
These Sangria recipes will have you singing Fa-la-la until the very last signs of the winter season are upon us.
Infused with the irresistible flavors of the season, we've rounded up some of favorite must-try winter Sangrias that will turn any get together into a snow-filled fiesta! Be sure to sweeten things up with some of our winter-approved desserts for the ultimate solution to rid of those cold weather blues.
White Christmas SangriaComplement those snow-filled skies with a white winter drink that looks great in your hand and is bursting with seasonal flavors. Bay Area Bites took this sip a step further by dressing up this drink with "snow" covered rosemary sprigs.
Mamacita's Mulled SangriaRed wine, fruits, brandy, and a blend of irresistible spices make this mulled sangria from Outlander Kitchen a must-try at your next winter party.
Holiday Sangria
This holiday sangria is fruity, tart, and sweet – the perfect combination for a seasonal sip! Fat and Happy's recipe for spiced cranberry simple syrup will take your taste buds above and beyond.
Apple Cider and Cranberry Sangria
Why simply sip on apple cider when you can turn it into a savory winter sangria?! Cooking and Beer mixed up this must-try sip using white wine and a blend of freshly sliced apples.
Pomegranate Sangria
This sweet yet tangy Pomegranate Sangria is the perfect spiked sip to stir up when you're craving something a little bit fruity. We used frozen berries so this tasty drink can be enjoyed even when warm weather produce is scarce.
Winter Apple and Pear Sangria
If you're a sucker for anything pear flavored, you'll want to "pear" this sangria from Luci's Morsels with the rest of your party spread. Imagine how delicious this fruity mix would be if you substituted the rum for our Vanilla Pear Infused Vodka recipe?! Mix it up and let us know!
The Winter SangriaWe call this must-try concoction "The Winter Sangria". As the name suggests, this drink was made for enjoying during the colder months, thanks to the must-try combination of citrus and cinnamon - sure to warm your insides.
Pomegranate Vanilla Sangria
Fizzy pomegranate soda is the secret ingredient to this must-try sangria from How Sweet It Is. Is it happy hour yet?!
See how Dawn Sandomeno and Elizabeth Mascali elevate the every day with their fantastic recipes and ideas!Read More »


text:
- 82% virgin wool 18% cotton
- Trim: 70% wool 30% rayon
- Aztec geometric design
- Size: 32" X 44"
- Made in the U.S.A
- Dry clean only
Perfectly sized for the crib or as an accent piece for the bed or sofa, this Chief Joseph Blanket would make a great piece no matter where it sits. This geometric design features Native American symbols of strength and bravery-- two attributes that were given to the great Chief Joseph whose courage and determination won him respect in times of peace and war. Chief Joseph was known for resisting the U.S when they ordered Nez Perce onto the reservations in Idaho. Though he won many battles, in 1877 Chief Joseph surrendered to save his people from a harsh winter with little food and no blankets. Made in the USA, this blanket is made with the softest blend of wool and cotton. Keep this in your home and tell the tale of Chief Joseph to all your friends and family.
Style(s): ZD632-51106, ZD632-51124, ZD632-51130


text:
Welcome to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons' Informed Patient Program. These online learning modules have been developed by orthopaedic surgeons to help you better understand your condition and the treatments your doctor recommends.
The buttons at the bottom of this screen will help you navigate through the learning module. You may choose to turn the audio off or back on at any time during the module.
We also offer a printer-friendly version of this module. Simply click the "Print" button in the bottom left corner to create a paper copy.
Click the "Next" button to begin your learning module.


text:
Assessment |
Biopsychology |
Comparative |
Cognitive |
Developmental |
Language |
Individual differences |
Personality |
Philosophy |
Social |
Methods | Statistics | Clinical | Educational | Industrial | Professional items | World psychology |
Biological: Behavioural genetics · Evolutionary psychology · Neuroanatomy · Neurochemistry · Neuroendocrinology · Neuroscience · Psychoneuroimmunology · Physiological Psychology · Psychopharmacology (Index, Outline)
|cannabinoid receptor 1 (brain)
|6 q14 -q15
|EC number
|cannabinoid receptor 2 (macrophage)
|1 p
|EC number
The cannabinoid receptors are a class of receptors under the G-protein coupled receptor superfamily. Their ligands are known as cannabinoids or endocannabinoids depending on whether they come from external or internal (endogenous) sources, respectively.They are components of the endocannabinoid system
There are currently two known subtypes, CB1[1][2] which is expressed mainly in the brain, but also in the lungs, liver and kidneys and CB2 which is mainly expressed in the immune system and in hematopoietic cells. Mounting evidence suggests that there are novel cannabinoid receptors[3] that is, non-CB1 and non-CB2, which are expressed in endothelial cells and in the CNS. In 2007, the binding of several cannabinoids to a GPCR in the brain was described.[4]
The protein sequences of CB1 and CB2 receptors are about 44% similar.[5] In addition, minor variations in each receptor have been identified. Cannabinoids bind reversibly and stereo-selectively to the cannabinoid receptors. The affinity of an individual cannabinoid to each receptor determines the effect of that cannabinoid. Cannabinoids that bind more selectively to certain receptors are more desirable for medical usage.
- Main article: Cannabinoid receptor type 1
Cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1) receptors are thought to be the most widely expressed G-protein coupled receptors in the brain. This is due to endocannabinoid-mediated depolarization-induced suppression of inhibition, a very common form of short-term plasticity in which the depolarization of a single neuron induces a reduction in GABA-mediated neurotransmission. Endocannabinoids released from the depolarized neuron bind to CB1 receptors in the pre-synaptic neuron and cause a reduction in GABA release.
They are also found in other parts of the body. For instance, in the liver, activation of the CB1 receptor is known to increase de novo lipogenesis,[6] Activation of presynaptic CB1 receptors is also known to inhibit sympathetic innervation of blood vessels and contributes to the suppression of the neurogenic vasopressor response in septic shock.[7]
A study done on CB1 knockout mice (genetically altered mice who cannot produce CB1) showed an increase in mortality rate. They also displayed suppressed locomotor activity as well as hypoalgesa (decreased pain sensitivity). The CB1 knockout mice did respond to Delta9-Tetrahydrocannabinol. This shows that either CB2 or unknown cannabinoid receptors also have pharmacologic significance[8] .
- Main article: CB2 receptor
CB2 receptors are mainly expressed on T cells of the immune system, on macrophages and B cells, and in hematopoietic cells. They also have a function in keratinocytes, and are expressed on mouse pre-implantation embryos. It is also expressed on peripheral nerve terminals. Current research suggests that these receptors play a role in nociception, or the perception of pain. In the brain, they are mainly expressed by microglial cells, where their role remains unclear.
Other cannabinoid receptorsEdit
The existence of additional cannabinoid receptors has long been suspected, due to the actions of compounds such as abnormal cannabidiol which produce cannabinoid-like effects on blood pressure and inflammation, yet do not activate either CB1 or CB2.[9][10][11] Recent molecular biology research suggested that the orphan receptor GPR55 should in fact be characterised as a cannabinoid receptor, on the basis of sequence homology at the binding site. Subsequent studies showed that GPR55 does indeed respond to cannabinoid ligands.[12][13] This profile as a distinct non-CB1/CB2 receptor which responds to a variety of both endogenous and exogenous cannabinoid ligands, has led some groups to suggest GPR55 should be categorised as the CB3 receptor, and this re-classification may follow in time.[14] However this is complicated by the fact that another possible cannabinoid receptor has been discovered in the hippocampus, although its gene has not yet been cloned,[15] suggesting that there may be at least two more cannabinoid receptors to be discovered, in addition to the two that are already known.
Cannabinoid receptors are activated by cannabinoids, generated naturally inside the body (endocannabinoids) or introduced into the body as cannabis or a related synthetic compound.
After the receptor is engaged, multiple intracellular signal transduction pathways are activated. At first, it was thought that cannabinoid receptors mainly inhibited the enzyme adenylate cyclase (and thereby the production of the second messenger molecule cyclic AMP), and positively influenced inwardly rectifying potassium channels (=Kir or IRK).[16] However, a much more complex picture has appeared in different cell types, implicating other potassium ion channels, calcium channels, protein kinase A and C, Raf-1, ERK, JNK, p38, c-fos, c-jun and many more.[16]
Separation between the therapeutically undesirable psychotropic effects, and the clinically desirable ones however, has not been reported with agonists that bind to cannabinoid receptors. THC, as well as the two major endogenous compounds identified so far that bind to the cannabinoid receptors —anandamide and 2-arachidonylglycerol (2-AG)— produce most of their effects by binding to both the CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors. While the effects mediated by CB1, mostly in the CNS, have been thoroughly investigated, those mediated by CB2 are not equally well defined.
Gastrointestinal activityEdit
Inhibition of gastrointestinal activity has been observed after administration of Δ9-THC, or of anandamide. This effect has been assumed to be CB1-mediated since the specific CB1 antagonist SR 141716A (Rimonabant) blocks the effect. Another report, however, suggests that inhibition of intestinal motility may also have a CB2-mediated component.[17]
Cardiovascular activityEdit
Cannabinoids are well known for their cardiovascular activity. Activation of peripheral CB1 receptors contributes to hemorrhagic and endotoxin-induced hypotension. Anandamide and 2-AG, produced by macrophages and platelets respectively, may mediate this effect.
The hypotension in hemorrhaged rats was prevented by the CB1 antagonist SR 141716A. Recently the same group found that anandamide-induced mesenteric vasodilation is mediated by an endothelially located SR 141716A-sensitive "anandamide receptor," distinct from the CB1 cannabinoid receptor, and that activation of such a receptor by an endocannabinoid, possibly anandamide, contributes to endotoxin-induced mesenteric vasodilation in vivo. The highly potent synthetic cannabinoid HU-210, as well as 2-AG, had no mesenteric vasodilator activity. Furthermore it was shown that mesenteric vasodilation by anandamide apparently has 2 components, one mediated by a SR 141716-sensitive non-CB1 receptor (located on the endothelium) and the other by an SR 141716A-resistant direct action on vascular smooth muscle.
The production of 2-AG is enhanced in normal, but not in endothelium-denuded rat aorta on stimulation with Carbachol, an acetylcholine receptor agonist. 2-AG potently reduces blood pressure in rats and may represent an endothelium-derived hypotensive factor.
Anandamide attenuates the early phase or the late phase of pain behavior produced by formalin-induced chemical damage. This effect is produced by interaction with CB1 (or CB1-like) receptors, located on peripheral endings of sensory neurons involved in pain transmission. Palmitylethanolamide, which like anandamide is present in the skin, also exhibits peripheral antinociceptive activity during the late phase of pain behavior. Palmitylethanolamide, however does not bind to either CB1 or CB2. Its analgetic activity is blocked by the specific CB2 antagonist SR 144528, though not by the specific CB1 antagonist SR 141716A (rimonabant). Hence a CB2-like receptor was postulated.
In experiments on mice, a chemical designated JZL184 that inhibits a naturally occurring enzyme MAGL from degrading a pain relieving endocannabinoid called 2-arachidonoylglycerol (AG) increases the brain concentration of AG and thereby induces analgesia.[18][19]
Cannabinoid treatmentsEdit
- Main article: Medical cannabis
Cannabis sativa preparations have been known as therapeutic agents against various diseases for millennia.[20] The native active constituent, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) was found to be the principal mediator of the effects of cannabis.[21] Synthetic Δ9-THC is prescribed today under the generic name Dronabinol, to treat vomiting and for enhancement of appetite, mainly in AIDS patients.
Several synthetic cannabinoids have been shown to bind to the CB2 receptor with a higher affinity than to the CB1 receptor.[22] Most of these compounds exhibit only modest selectivity. One of the described compounds, a classical THC-type cannabinoid, L-759,656, in which the phenolic group is blocked as a methyl ether, has a CB1/CB2 binding ratio > 1000.[23] The pharmacology of these agonists has yet to be described.
Certain tumors, especially gliomas, express CB2 receptors. Guzman and coworkers have shown that Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and WIN-55,212-2, two non-selective cannabinoid agonists, induce the regression or eradication of malignant brain tumors in rats and mice.[24] CB2 selective agonists are effective in the treatment of pain, various inflammatory diseases in different animal models,[25][26] osteoporosis[26] and atherosclerosis.[27] CB1 selective antagonists are used for weight reduction and smoking cessation (see Rimonabant). Activation of CB1 provides neuroprotection after brain injury.[28]
Several studies have also concluded that certain cannabinoids might have the ability to prevent Alzheimer's disease.[29]
NMR Imaging Edit
The protein image was created using nuclear magnetic resonance to determine crystal structure. The picture represents the fourth cytoplasmic loop of the CB1 cannabinoid receptor.
See also Edit
- ↑ Matsuda LA, Lolait SJ, Brownstein MJ, Young AC, Bonner TI (1990). Structure of a cannabinoid receptor and functional expression of the cloned cDNA. Nature 346 (6284): 561–4.
- ↑ Gérard CM, Mollereau C, Vassart G, Parmentier M (1991). Molecular cloning of a human cannabinoid receptor which is also expressed in testis. Biochem. J. 279 ( Pt 1): 129–34.
- ↑ Begg M, Pacher P, Bátkai S, Osei-Hyiaman D, Offertáler L, Mo FM, Liu J, Kunos G (2005). Evidence for novel cannabinoid receptors. Pharmacol. Ther. 106 (2): 133–45.
- ↑ Ryberg E, Larsson N, Sjögren S, Hjorth S, Hermansson NO, Leonova J, Elebring T, Nilsson K, Drmota T, Greasley PJ (2007). The orphan receptor GPR55 is a novel cannabinoid receptor. Br. J. Pharmacol. 152 (7): 1092–101.
- ↑ Munro S, Thomas KL, Abu-Shaar M (1993). Molecular characterization of a peripheral receptor for cannabinoids. Nature 365 (6441): 61–65.
- ↑ Osei-Hyiaman D, DePetrillo M, Pacher P, Liu J, Radaeva S, Bátkai S, Harvey-White J, Mackie K, Offertáler L, Wang L, Kunos G (2005). Endocannabinoid activation at hepatic CB1 receptors stimulates fatty acid synthesis and contributes to diet-induced obesity. J. Clin. Invest. 115 (5): 1298–305.
- ↑ Godlewski G, Malinowska B, Schlicker E (2004). Presynaptic cannabinoid CB1 receptors are involved in the inhibition of the neurogenic vasopressor response during septic shock in pithed rats. Br. J. Pharmacol. 142 (4): 701–8.
- ↑ Zimmer A, Zimmer AM, Hohmann AG, Herkenham M, Bonner TI TI (1999). Increased mortality, hypoactivity, and hypoalgesia in cannabinoid CB1 receptor knockout mice.
- ↑ Járai Z, Wagner JA, Varga K, Lake KD, Compton DR, Martin BR, Zimmer AM, Bonner TI, Buckley NE, Mezey E, Razdan RK, Zimmer A, Kunos G. Cannabinoid-induced mesenteric vasodilation through an endothelial site distinct from CB1 or CB2 receptors. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. 1999 Nov 23;96(24):14136-41. PMID 10570211
- ↑ Ho WS, Hiley CR. Vasodilator actions of abnormal-cannabidiol in rat isolated small mesenteric artery. British Journal of Pharmacology. 2003 Apr;138(7):1320-32. PMID 12711633
- ↑ McHugh D, Tanner C, Mechoulam R, Pertwee RG, Ross RA. Inhibition of human neutrophil chemotaxis by endogenous cannabinoids and phytocannabinoids: evidence for a site distinct from CB1 and CB2. Molecular Pharmacology. 2008 Feb;73(2):441-50. PMID 17965195
- ↑ Johns DG, Behm DJ, Walker DJ, Ao Z, Shapland EM, Daniels DA, Riddick M, Dowell S, Staton PC, Green P, Shabon U, Bao W, Aiyar N, Yue TL, Brown AJ, Morrison AD, Douglas SA. The novel endocannabinoid receptor GPR55 is activated by atypical cannabinoids but does not mediate their vasodilator effects. British Journal of Pharmacology. 2007 Nov;152(5):825-31. PMID 17704827
- ↑ Ryberg E, Larsson N, Sjögren S, Hjorth S, Hermansson NO, Leonova J, Elebring T, Nilsson K, Drmota T, Greasley PJ. The orphan receptor GPR55 is a novel cannabinoid receptor. British Journal of Pharmacology. 2007 Dec;152(7):1092-101. PMID 17876302
- ↑ Overton H, Babbs A, Doel S, Fyfe M, Gardner L, Griffin G, Jackson H, Procter M, Rasamison C, Tang-Christensen M. Deorphanization of a G protein-coupled receptor for oleoylethanolamide and its use in the discovery of small-molecule hypophagic agents. Cell Metabolism 2003; 3(3):167-175.
- ↑ De Fonseca FR, Schneider M. The endogenous cannabinoid system and drug addiction: 20 years after the discovery of the CB1 receptor. Addiction Biology 2008; 13:143-146.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Demuth DG, Molleman A (2006). Cannabinoid signalling. Life Sci. 78 (6): 549–63.
- ↑ Mathison R, Ho W, Pittman QJ, Davison JS, Sharkey KA (2004). Effects of cannabinoid receptor-2 activation on accelerated gastrointestinal transit in lipopolysaccharide-treated rats. Br. J. Pharmacol. 142 (8): 1247–54.
- ↑ Cannabis-like drug dims pain without the high. News. COSMOS magazine. URL accessed on 2008-12-02.
- ↑ Long JZ, Li W, Booker L, Burston JJ, Kinsey SG, Schlosburg JE, Pavón FJ, Serrano AM, Selley DE, Parsons LH, Lichtman AH, Cravatt BF (November 2008). Selective blockade of 2-arachidonoylglycerol hydrolysis produces cannabinoid behavioral effects. Nat. Chem. Biol. 5: 37.
- ↑ Pacher P, Bátkai S, Kunos G (2006). The endocannabinoid system as an emerging target of pharmacotherapy. Pharmacol. Rev. 58 (3): 389–462.
- ↑ Gaoni Y, Mechoulam R (1964). Isolation, structure and partial synthesis of an active constituent of hashish. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 86 (8): 1646–1647.
- ↑ Ashton JC, Wright JL, McPartland JM, Tyndall JD (2008). Cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptor ligand specificity and the development of CB2-selective agonists. Curr. Med. Chem. 15 (14): 1428–43.
- ↑ Ross RA, Brockie HC, Stevenson LA, Murphy VL, Templeton F, Makriyannis A, Pertwee RG (February 1999). Agonist-inverse agonist characterization at CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors of L759633, L759656, and AM630. Br. J. Pharmacol. 126 (3): 665–72.
- ↑ Galve-Roperh I, Sánchez C, Cortés ML, del Pulgar TG, Izquierdo M, Guzmán M (2000). Anti-tumoral action of cannabinoids: involvement of sustained ceramide accumulation and extracellular signal-regulated kinase activation. Nat. Med. 6 (3): 313–9.
- ↑ Whiteside GT, Lee GP, Valenzano KJ (2007). The role of the cannabinoid CB2 receptor in pain transmission and therapeutic potential of small molecule CB2 receptor agonists. Curr. Med. Chem. 14 (8): 917–36.
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 Ofek O, Karsak M, Leclerc N, Fogel M, Frenkel B, Wright K, Tam J, Attar-Namdar M, Kram V, Shohami E, Mechoulam R, Zimmer A, Bab I (2006). Peripheral cannabinoid receptor, CB2, regulates bone mass. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 103 (3): 696–701.
- ↑ Steffens S, Veillard NR, Arnaud C, Pelli G, Burger F, Staub C, Karsak M, Zimmer A, Frossard JL, Mach F (2005). Low dose oral cannabinoid therapy reduces progression of atherosclerosis in mice. Nature 434 (7034): 782–6.
- ↑ Panikashvili D, Simeonidou C, Ben-Shabat S, Hanus L, Breuer A, Mechoulam R, Shohami E (2001). An endogenous cannabinoid (2-AG) is neuroprotective after brain injury. Nature 413 (6855): 527–31.
- ↑ Ramíirez, B. G., C. Blázquez, T. Gómez del Pulgar, M. Guzmán, and M. L. de Ceballos (2005). Prevention of Alzheimer's disease pathology by cannabinoids: neuroprotection mediated by blockade of microglial activation. Journal of Neuroscience 25 (8^): 1904–1913.
External linksEdit
- Cannabinoid Receptors. IUPHAR Database of Receptors and Ion Channels. International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology.
- The Endocannabinoid System Network (ECSN) - CB1 receptor
- MeSH Cannabinoid+Receptors
|This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Wikipedia (view authors).


text:
Students have signed up to work as volunteers as part of an event to encourage them to lend a hand to people in need.
More than 25 organisations and 3,000 students looking for volunteering opportunities attended Barnet Borough Council's first Community Action Fair at Middlesex University, in The Burroughs, Hendon.
During the event, over 400 students agreed to take on a role as a volunteer for various charities.
Just under one in three of the estimated 1,400 organisations active in the borough have an income of less than £5,000, employ no staff, and rely solely on volunteers.
Sophie McKay, Middlesex University Students' Union deputy president and vice president of health & education, science & technology schools, made a pledge in her student officer manifesto to develop a volunteering programme during her time in office.
She said: "400 students signing up to be change-makers in their local community through volunteering is incredible – particularly in these tough economic times.
"This is the start of the only local university volunteering programme and I believe this will ultimately see our students turn into long-term volunteers with local charities and have a real, lasting impact on their local community."
Sophie attributed the success of the Community Action Fair to the partnership approach, which was to addres Students can still view the full list of volunteering opportunities at www.mdxsu.com and register their interest by emailing email@example.com


text:
Team Italy confident despite 'underdog' status
Italy has won 10 European championships, including the past two. However the Italians are in a pool with Canada, Mexico, the United States and are viewed largely as an underdog.
The Italians know what people expect of them and know the other teams are talented, but they have confidence in themselves and believe they have the talent necessary to turn a few heads.
"We're going to go with the underdog mentality," first baseman Anthony Rizzo said. "No one is going to expect us to win. [We want to] just sneak up and play good baseball."
Rizzo knows other teams may appear to have more talent, but the World Baseball Classic is a brief tournament, as opposed to a 162-game season, where any team can catch fire for a few weeks.
"It's not about [batting] average or ERA in this tournament," Rizzo said. "It is all about who is going to get that big hit in the right situation."
Alex Liddi is one of the players Italy will be leaning on to get that big hit.
Liddi hit .224 in 38 games with the Mariners last year and .375 in the 2009 World Baseball Classic.
As the first Italian-born player to reach the Major Leagues, Liddi has overcome obstacles and is familiar with the role of the underdog.
"It's kind of the story of my career, too," Liddi said. "I'm kind of used to that, because no one expected me to be here. It doesn't really matter to me. We just have to play the game and beat the other team."
Despite the lack of attention the Italian squad is receiving, Liddi feels their resume speaks for itself and that the team has nothing to prove. The 24-year old third baseman simply wants to win and is ignoring the outside expectations.
"We don't have to prove anything to anyone, but we really want to win so they better come ready for us," Liddi said.


text:
LOS ANGELES - There's nothing inferior about Houston.
That's the approach UCLA coach Jim Mora is taking as the No. 22-ranked Bruins host the Cougars tonight at the Rose Bowl.
There's something to be said about a Houston team that's prideful, a team desperate to not let its season unravel three weeks in. The Cougars (0-2) are at the tipping point.
"When you're 0-2 and you're prideful like they are 0-3 doesn't look real good," Mora said. "So we're going to absolutely get their best shot, and that's good."
But Houston's best might not be enough. The Cougars enter the game without two offensive-line starters at center and right tackle. For UCLA (2-0), it's a chance for the defensive front to rotate as many as eight players while also relishing the opportunity to wreak havoc on Houston quarterback David Piland.
While the Cougars hope to keep their season afloat, it's the Bruins who hope to continue riding their wave of momentum. There's been a lot of talk about UCLA's sudden success, and that talk has expanded with Johnathan Franklin getting consideration in Heisman polls, but the hype has not affected the way the Bruins go about their business.
"They've demonstrated a level of maturity that offers hope," Mora said. "We just have to protect the work we've done."
UCLA's body of work speaks for itself. The Bruins have the nation's leading rusher in Franklin, who in two games has racked up 431 yards and four touchdowns. He's averaging nearly 11 yards per carry. The offense didn't skip a beat last week as freshman quarterback Brett Hundley led the Bruins to 653 total offense. That's good for third in the nation.
Houston enters with an explosive offense similar to UCLA's, except without the wins to show for it.
Houston suffered an embarrassing 31-13 loss to first-year Football Bowl Subdivision school Texas State in the season opener two weeks ago. The fallout continued later that week when Mike Nesbitt quit as offensive coordinator.
Travis Bush assumed play-calling duties, and the offense improved, albeit without the end result Houston wanted. The Cougars lit up the scoreboard last week against Louisiana Tech in a 56-49 loss. In that game, Piland threw an NCAA-record 77 passes without an interception. He passed for 580 yards and four touchdowns.
"When you watch them on film you see an explosive group of guys," Mora said. "They put up 49 up the other night, and that was their first game with that new play caller."
Mora said the Cougars run similar schemes and tempo like the Bruins.
"Offensively, they play a four-down front and mostly a nickel scheme with a lot of zone," he said. "Some bump-and-run bail stuff. I'm sure they'll be fired up to come play us."
For the UCLA secondary, it's a challenge they're relishing going up against a quarterback of Houston's caliber who has the ability to quickly set and initiate long drives. The Cougars rolled out nearly 120 total plays last week.
"We'll have our work cut out for us," UCLA cornerback Sheldon Price said. "We can't sleep on them at all. They have a really good core of receivers who are good after the catch. If they do catch the ball we'll have to be good on our tackling."
Houston receivers Daniel Spencer (13 catches, 206 yards) and Dewayne Peace (13 catches, 154 yards) will be a tough assignment if they slip into the UCLA secondary.
"It's a challenge for the DBs," Bruins senior cornerback Aaron Hester said. "We always say count on us. I feel like we're ready for the challenge."
Piland, however, might not have the luxury of solid protection. Houston will be without starting center Kevin Forsch and right tackle Ralph Oragwu, who are recovering from leg injuries. Redshirt freshman Bryce Redman will start at center and DeAnthony Sims will play at right tackle. Suddenly, the Cougars become vulnerable up front.
Houston beat UCLA last year 38-34, but all indications point to this one being more lopsided in favor of the Bruins, who count on added depth and speed in the backfield with Damien Thigpen and Jordon James.
The Cougars defense gave up 598 yards of total offense against Louisiana Tech, and their defense ranks 114th in the nation, which doesn't bode well for Houston going up against UCLA's high-powered offense.


text:
NEW ORLEANS – Super Bowl XLVII forever will be remembered as a battle of brothers, right?
Well, that, and how the matchup of Baltimore and San Francisco produced one mother of a game.
The Ravens threw repeated knockout blows, and the 49ers went everywhere but down. The game, once a rout, turned out to be rousing. In a city that, like no other, can be hangover helper, a bunch of football players sent heads spinning.
One of the quarterbacks was named MVP. The other was the one who passed for 300 yards and made Super Bowl history with his legs, running for the longest touchdown ever for someone at his position.
The scores came on plays as long as 108 yards and as short as 3 feet. There was a fake field goal, a safety and a missed 2-point conversion attempt.
We'd write that Baltimore's 34-31 victory Sunday was lights out, but that would take away from the fact that the lights actually did go out.
This was a game played indoors – on a perfectly clear, pleasant night, mind you – and it was still delayed by outside forces, a power outage halting things for 34 minutes in the third quarter.
After an intriguing regular season topped by three stirring rounds of playoffs topped by two weeks of Super hype, what was another half-hour of eerie, indoor twilight, teetering like the cherry on top?
It was heavy, certainly, all these elements stacked up. But the Ravens and 49ers, God bless them, made it worth the weight.
"Baltimore! Baltimore!" Ravens safety Ed Reed shouted. "We won it in paradise. Baltimore! We said, 'Stay buckled up, Baltimore.' Now, here we are."
This started out as the night of a John versus a Jim – Harbaugh against Harbaugh, head coach against head coach – but it ended up being more about a Joe.
Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco isn't as interesting to look at as his San Francisco counterpart Colin Kaepernick, who has much of the Bible tattooed on his body.
He isn't as fun to impersonate, Kaepernick the one whose post-touchdown celebration – pretending to kiss his biceps – has become a national sensation.
He isn't as fascinating to talk to, even Flacco admitting here the other day, "I don't know if I would say I'm dull, but I'm probably close to it."
On Sunday, though, Flacco's play wasn't dull. It was the difference, and today he has the MVP award to prove it.
Flacco completed 22 of 33 pass attempts for 287 yards and three touchdowns, the damage having so much impact that the Ravens won despite their offense producing nothing more than two field goals in the second half.
"We don't make anything easy," Flacco said. "I think we gave the country a pretty good game to watch. Not to our liking, necessarily, but that's the way it goes sometimes. That's the way we do things."
That does seem to be the way for these Ravens, who finished the regular season by losing 4 of 5 games and switching offensive coordinators.
But Flacco remained steady throughout, just like he did Sunday. He passed 13 yards to Anquan Boldin for one touchdown, 1 yard to Dennis Pitta for another and 56 yards to Jacoby Jones for the third (converting a third-and-10, too).
Yet, his most telling throw led to no points, in the first quarter, as he was being chased by two 49ers toward the sideline. Flacco flung the ball – honestly, it looked like he was throwing it away to avoid a loss – into an open space.
Pitching a football 30 feet under the circumstances would have been impressive enough. But Flacco had the arm strength to heave the thing 30 yards, where Boldin suddenly appeared to make the catch.
"We've been there before," Flacco said. "We've failed before. We've succeeded before. We're not worried about the outcome. We just go out there and play football, execute and we believe that if we do that …eventually it is going to work out."
Ah, Joe, you sure you're not dull?
Regardless, Sunday was a great day to be Joe Flacco, and it wouldn't be a bad thing to be him in the immediate future, as well.
Flacco has no contract for next season and now possesses the ultimate hammer to swing in negotiations. He could have signed an extension earlier but, when he and the Ravens couldn't settle on a dollar figure, Flacco decided it would be best to wait.
Smart man. The rumors – before this game – had him in the same neighborhood Peyton Manning and Drew Brees call home. That's approaching $20 million annually. All three of those quarterbacks, by the way, now are Super Bowl winners.
But that's the business side of football. Super Bowl XLVII wasn't about business.
It was about two teams putting on quite a show, lighting up a stadium on a night when the power went out, and a quarterback named Joe, simply Joe.
"That's why I call him Smokin' Joe," Jones said.
Smokin' Joe? He was a fighter, too. And a champion.
Contact the writer: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Did you know?
There are a number of De Stijl art collections in museums in The Netherlands and Belgium in particular.
As you drive down through the southern Free State on the N1 highway between Johannesburg and Cape Town, you'll pass South Africa's biggest body of water: the Gariep Dam.
If you detour from the highway into the village of Gariep, initially established to house the army of dam workers who built this magnificent water catchment, you'll see what looks like a multi-coloured set of boxes on the crest of the hill.
Drive up and have a look. You may be astounded at what you see in the De Stijl Gariep Hotel, a relatively new arrival to the overnight offerings in this part of the vast Karoo.
In this ancient world, you would normally expect to find lodgings that follow traditional Karoo Victorian lines like, say, in Matjiesfontein, Philippolis or Cradock.
The De Stijl Gariep Hotel, however, is a singularly smart establishment that takes its inspiration from a Dutch artistic style also known as neo-plasticism. De Stijl (Dutch for 'the style') was founded in 1917 by Theo van Doesburg, a painter and writer of some prominence in his time.
It's all to do with abstract ideas, straight lines, primary colours, squares and rectangles. This school of artistic philosophy was taken up by the artist Mondrian and the composer Jakob van Domselaer, who put together a minimalist piece of 'De Stijl' music called Experiments in Artistic Style.
Times changed, however. Van Doesburg graduated to the Bauhaus style, Mondrian went his own way and the De Stijl group splintered after the founder's death in 1931.
But no matter. This fabulous new hotel in the Karoo, which overlooks 1 of the most spectacular bodies of water in southern Africa, has carried on with the De Stijl way of seeing life.
The 43 rather chic rooms at De Stijl Gariep Hotel offer the kind of sunset views favoured by romantics and honeymooners the world over. Beyond the Gariep lies a series of dream-like conical hills, all part of the Karoo's geological formations.
The suites are large, the décor appropriately wide-angle and colourful, and the balconies great for room-service breakfasts within sight of the Gariep Dam.
The restaurant, named after Mondrian himself, takes its produce from local vegetable gardens, while the menu has added a touch of international cuisine class to the regular Karoo fare.
And once you've enjoyed the Dutch-inspired hotel, venture down to one of South Africa's best-kept aquatic secrets (the Gariep Dam) and go for a sailing session in the Karoo.
Travel tips & Planning info
Who to contact
De Stijl Gariep Hotel
Tel: +27 (0)51 754 0060
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
How to get here
Gariep is about 200km south of Bloemfontein on the N1, and 700km south of Johannesburg, also on the N1.
Best time to visit
Gariep is at its best in spring (September to early November) and autumn (April to end May).
Around the area
The Gariep Route will present you with an interestingly mixed bag of visits to surrounding towns, South African (Anglo-Boer) War sites and memorials – and even a visit to a tiger ranch (Tiger Canyons) near Philoppolis.
Tours to do
Try a helicopter flip over the Gariep Dam – ask for details at the hotel reception.
Get around
Self-drive is the best way to get to Gariep because of its relative isolation from major centres. This also gives you the freedom to explore the Gariep Route, which includes many of the small towns in the area.
What will it cost
De Stijl rates range from R750 to R1 000 per person per night. Contact the hotel for seasonal rates.
Length of stay
De Stijl Gariep Hotel is a good overnight option for travellers going to and from Cape Town and Johannesburg by car. For those wanting to see more of the southern Free State, one or two nights at Gariep will do.
What to pack
Pack swimming gear in summer (November to March) and warm clothing going into the winter months of June to August.
What to eat
The chefs at De Stijl are always trying something new, so tell them what you like and ask them to surprise you.
What's happening
There's a lot to do around Gariep Dam, including flying in a glider, horse riding and quad biking on nearby farms.


text:
25% off Spiral Notebooks, Mugs, and Tote Bags. Use code BOOKMUGBAG
Timber Wolf
Taken in Quebec, Canada
Nikon D8001/400F5.6ISO 1600EV -0.67Pattern MeteringNo Flash420 mmTripodWB Sun
timber wolf timber wolf pics timber wolf pictures timber wolf images wolf images wolf pictures wolf photographs wolf photography eastern gray wolf eastern gray wolf pictures gray wolf images gray wolf photography canus lupus framed art pillows cups scarves timber wolves timberwolves canada wolf wolves grey wolves grey wolf
2014/02/08*1 x 24hrs*Stunning capture!
February 8, 2014Beautiful work!
What a beauty! The light is perfect as well.
Gorgeous!! Congrats!!
Loading more work by Michael Cummings...
10% off
for joining the Redbubble mailing list
Receive exclusive deals and awesome artist news and content right to your inbox.
Free for your convenience.


text:
Results 21 to 40 of 121
- Join Date
- Nov 2011
- Posts
- 289
- Join Date
- Sep 2012
- Posts
- 1,983
I think it will be a linux box with a modified OS that lets people like Carmack go around the API. If they wanted to be really futuristic they would reduce video streaming lag (look at the Nintendo WiiU as an example of what can be done), use biometric feedback, and includes some AR stuff.
Last edited by Internet; 09-12-2012 at 08:25 PM.
- Join Date
- Nov 2011
- Posts
- 289
This, incidentally, is what happens when one company accrues that level of influence in an industry. Sooner or later, they decide there's no reason to continue sharing with the other children.
Every move Valve has made since Steam was launched has been an attempt to consolidate greater control of the industry. If this quasi-console gambit works (and, fortunately, there's a real chance it won't), then closed architecture (both hardware and software) will undoubtedly be their path forward.
Last edited by vinraith; 09-12-2012 at 09:48 PM.
The irony of this entire thing is that Valve are trying to justify their own Linux-based OS with Steam taking pride of place by saying that they want to get away from Microsoft's Windows Store, which has nothing to do with the desktop and doesn't impact on Steam at all, and their "attempts" to control software distribution. So basically we're swapping one "walled garden" (which doesn't affect x86 apps and never will) for another one (run by Valve).
A Steam OS with their own hardware is just another strategic move to try to corner the market, which could easily backfire and cost Valve a sizable sum of money. The attempts to justify it as a counter to Microsoft's new Windows Store go out the window when you realise that MS aren't trying to compete with Steam and the Windows Store doesn't have anything to do with x86 apps. x86 won't be locked down because it'd be the death of Windows, the vast majority of software and legacy support would disappear overnight. So what possible reason are you left with? To capture more of the market and keep it under Valve's thumb.
Valve may be benevolent at this point in time, but a benevolent monopoly on distribution is still a monopoly, and Valve are pushing hard to be your only choice of distribution. And they won't have to fight very hard because we want them to achieve that level. If it was any other company people would be outraged. If you went back to 2003 and said to us then that Valve want to come out with a store that handles all your PC games distribution, we'd have been concerned. Today we call it utopia.
I love Valve's games as much as the next guy and they're far and away one of the best companies in the PC gaming sector, but we're willingly following the Pied Piper which could lead us into a prison. Valve are first and foremost a business out to make money.
- Join Date
- Nov 2011
- Posts
- 289
Valve can create a walled garden by making a locked hardware platform, installing Steam OS on it and telling everyone "you may never change the contents of this box or else". Then they'll have a walled garden. I see no reason for them to do so.
It's also not a monopoly in any sense. Not even close.
On Linux their slice of the pie will be even larger if they find a way to encourage more ports, since they'll effectively be the only game in town. You think people are going to screw around with other sources when Steam can do it all for them? No way.
For the same reason anyone buys ANY pre-made PC? Because they are either stupid or buying something that isn't a desktop.
Nonsense, you're trying to redefine the term. Hardware doesn't have to factor into it though it makes it a lot more restrictive. A walled garden is one where an entity (like Apple, or Amazon, or Valve) control what applications or content or whatnot are provided over their platform. Valve are the gatekeeper for Steam, even with Greenlight, hence it's a walled garden.
You're right that it's not (yet) a monopoly, but plenty of PC gamers are pushing for it to become the sole distribution method, as well as being remarkably hostile to other attempts to introduce a digital content distribution system. Even if they never achieve true monopoly status, the way things are going they'd have an effective monopoly on PC gaming since few people are interested in any of the alternatives, and more and more games are being integrated with Steamworks and requiring Steam as a form of DRM. Remember GFWL? Nobody likes it. Steam's palatable because it's got a store that has excellent sales and is one of the less intrusive forms of DRM which is somewhat reliable (since they've fixed offline mode anyway).
1. Most of the other services suck. They have awkward clients that don't provide me any benefit greater than a downloader
2. I know that if something is using Steamworks for MP, then the multiplayer will work. I know that if something is using Steamworks for achievements I (probably) won't need forty different accounts.
On Linux their slice of the pie will be even larger if they find a way to encourage more ports, since they'll effectively be the only game in town. You think people are going to screw around with other sources when Steam can do it all for them? No way.
That's why Origin has carved out a sizeable niche. Yes, it is required for EA products, but it is also a pretty decent client/service. Desura has yet to be anything other than "the thing you use for indie games that aren't good enough for Steam" because their client is wonky as hell (seriously, every time I open it I have to check every tab before I remember that "play" is where I go to download and install games)..Steam: Gundato
PSN: Gundato
If you want me on either service, I suggest PMing me here first to let me know who you are.
1) It's not Steam
2) It's EA
3) EA made it required for certain games
If I see a service that is as crappy as Steam was during the CS 1.6 years, I won't use it. Because those developers should know better by now
That's partly a fair point but also illustrates the complacency with having Steam as the sole system. "I don't need to worry about multiple accounts/multiple sources/whatever it's all just there for me." Apply that to any other company and people start to get nervous.
I generally buy all the same brand of kitchen appliances because they last long, are cheap, and have user interfaces I don't have to read a manual for (even with a microwave!)
Why should that be any different for the serivce I buy games from?
Yes, they will. If they fail because their client is terrible then they deserve to fail. But it's like there's a desire to see them fail, that anything that even remotely resembles Steam needs to be shunned because it isn't Steam. People are attached to Steam because it's Valve, and we've had it since 2003. It's well and truly entrenched and Valve have done an excellent job of being the most loved in PC gaming and fortifying that position since 2007.
Microsoft had a "monopoly" because they provided the best OS. Maybe Mac and whatever Linux distros were around got a few things better, but MS Windows was the overall best. When Apple got their stuff together, they started tearing people away.
Brand loyalty only goes so far. When there is a better product out there, people will buy it.
I'm not going to give Desura or Origin a handicap because Steam is better. I'm going to use whatever is the best service out there.
Except everybody hates it, because:
1) It's not Steam
2) It's EA
3) EA made it required for certain gamesSteam: Gundato
PSN: Gundato
If you want me on either service, I suggest PMing me here first to let me know who you are.
It illustrates that people will stick to something and ignore alternatives not necessarily because alternatives are bad (though in this case I agree that nobody's yet to match Steam, but the bulk of Steam's appeal comes from its catalog of games and sales) but because they're already tied to Steam and don't want to leave. How do you fight that? You've already got a big, black mark against you because you're not Steam.
Why was I screamed at because I said I didn't care if AMD died because their CPUs weren't meeting the needs of the market? Why did people run with GabeN's (largely scare-mongering) statements about Windows 8? Why is a monopoly always seen as a bad thing? Why don't people like having to log into everything with Facebook? How much longer do you want me to carry on?
It illustrates that people will stick to something and ignore alternatives not necessarily because alternatives are bad (though in this case I agree that nobody's yet to match Steam, but the bulk of Steam's appeal comes from its catalog of games and sales) but because they're already tied to Steam and don't want to leave. How do you fight that? You've already got a big, black mark against you because you're not Steam.
Except Steam is so heavily entrenched that getting people to even consider a different service is an issue. You said you've been sticking with the same kitchen appliance retailer. Have you tried the alternatives lately? Have you considered them? Considered them enough to use them? Or just running on a "Oh well that doesn't look different it must be the same let's ignore it" mindset.
When I bought a new microwave a few months back, I took a brief look at my options, saw none of them were anything special, and stuck with the brand I know is good.
I don't expect you to, and again I said that I agree that those services (moreso Desura, Origin's given me less trouble in its short life compared to Steam over its 9 year lifespan) have issues. But by way of comparison I was screamed at because I said that I didn't care if AMD fell down and died because they can't put out a CPU that adequately competes with Intel's offerings, so why should a potential or hypothetical Steam monopoly be any different? Is it the emotional attachment to Valve as a benevolent developer and not a business?
Pretty much the only thing you have right is this: Right now, if a service is equally as good as Steam (or doesn't distinguish itself), people won't try it. But that is CORRECT. Because if they want to compete, they have to try and out-do their competitor.
They don't really have a choice unless they don't want to play it, which is basically what Valve did back when WON shut down. That doesn't mean people like it, or accept it, or actually want to use it.Steam: Gundato
PSN: Gundato
If you want me on either service, I suggest PMing me here first to let me know who you are.
correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the arguement so far is: People trust Valve, and as yet, they haven't done anything to betray that trust. What you and Vinrath are saying is that Valve are in good position to, and could well betray it in the future.
That said I think the bigger issue is what you said about people with the mindset of "but all my games are already on Steam!" as it's true and worrying, because that's only going to get worse the longer/more Steam is used.
We're still, however, talking about luxury entertainment, which is not so necessary.
That said, Origin isn't horrible, but other than ME3 I haven't found a good reason to buy games off of that instead of Steam, mostly as the interface is still wonky for me.
Last edited by RakeShark; 10-12-2012 at 07:58 AM.


text:
So we'll be covering today's event live with our quasi-live-blog or mash-up of all the live info and images right here in this post at 10:00 am PST. No refreshing needed to get all the event news as it happens . . . yes click the article link or "Read More" to see the live-blog
Coveritlive died, enter the backup plan. SO to read the event, start out on coveritlive, then switch the the scribble live, and then it returns to the coveritlive. Sorry about that you guys kept crashing everything! I think we managed to cover it all however