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Encore E69 Electric Guitar Outfit, Black
Encore E69 Electric Guitar Outfit, BlackDetails
Product Ref: 51685View Full Description
Full DescriptionView Full Description
Encore E69 Electric Guitar
The Encore E69 has a distinctive double cutaway design body that allows for full access to the full 22 frets on the rosewood board. The basswood body construction, combined with iconic twin humbucker pickups deliver tonality and vibrancy, characteristic with this style of electric guitar. Individual tone and volume controls for each pick up help you achieve your desired sound quickly and easily, while the three-way pickup selector switch allows for individual pickup isolation or a combination for varied sound. A tune-o-matic bridge and firmly anchored stop tailpiece help transfer string energy into the guitar's body and deliver strong sound. This light but manageable guitar is ideal for beginners to intermediate players, combining affordability with quality sound.
Encore E69 Features/Specifications
- Body: Basswood, edge chamfered and contoured
- Neck: Vintage profile maple, bolt-on
- Fingerboard: 22 fret rosewood
- Scale Length: 630mm
- Tuners: Diecast Guitar Tech chrome
- Scratchplate: Three ply
- Bridge: Tune-o-matic
- Tailpiece: Stop bar
- Pickups: 2x Guitar Tech humbucker
- Controls: 2x Tone, 2x Volume, three-way pickup switch
- Hardware Finish: Chrome
- Body Finish: Black
Outfit Contents
- Encore E4 Bass Guitar
- Kinsman Amp: 10 Watt, Input, Volume, Bass / Treble EQ, Headphone Socket
- Kinsman Guitar Lead
- Guitar Strap
- Encore Spare Strings
- Kinsman Guitar Stand: Height Adjustable, Black Foam Supports, Tripod Base
- Instructional DVD
- Plectrum
- Tuner
- Guitar Bag
The product price includes 6 years' warranty and 180 day money back guarantee.
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Kimpton Hotel's alleyway of Mexican primo spirits
1/4 ounce of creme de violet binds to scent receptors
Chad Deal 6 p.m., Nov. 22
San Diego 'Build it and they will come," the proverb tells us. Today, however, disciples of the precept have little use for its noble motivational message; they prefer instead its promise of material reward. Build a mall, a towering apartment complex, another exhibition of Impressionist paintings, and the crowds will oblige you. Even the Arcadian Vermont commune I lived near as a child proved to be little more than a playground for one man's sinful covetousness -- a bitter pill to swallow for me and half a dozen other happy kids. But another dictum tells us that cynicism is the easy way out. Tom Wilson, of Pacific Beach, preaches such a gospel. "We can form a sub-society where greatness is the norm," he announces. "The first trick is to concentrate like-minded people. In time a network of friends will form with the size and cohesion necessary to relocate in unison, like the Mormons did." According to Tom, communal urges and desires for congeniality are perfectly natural. "Many social movements join people intellectually or bring them together temporally," Tom says, "but creating a 'commune' geographically is the next important step. Many people feel compelled to live in a homogeneous neighborhood: ethnicities, gays, the rich, young families. Hippies also like to live among themselves. They are the victims of tremendous persecution. There is more than enough discontent with the system to fuel a nationwide chain of SOFT [Society of Free Thinkers]-friendly apartment buildings."
Tom is smart, and he likes, above all, to share his ideas. And though he has no job, Tom works as hard as anyone in San Diego: he's an artist, a musician, an inventor, and possibly a prophet. Tom has a plan to save the world: he is recruiting members for an alternative community called SOFT. "The closest thing to an epicenter of cool people in San Diego is a few blocks of apartment buildings around Windamear Street in north Mission Beach. I plan to declare this area the first Mecca of SOFT." Tom hopes that eventually SOFT will secede from the United States and populate a new country, possibly on land somewhere, but ideally on some sort of "floating structure" off the coast of San Diego. "I have plans for amphibious motorcycles and bikes and extremely cheap floating buildings," Tom explains. "If I try to live off the coast I will call my floating structure an oceanographic research vessel. I believe that will keep the Coast Guard and the coastal commission off my back. Unfortunately, San Diego has big waves, but it also has the best weather and lots of people with the pioneer spirit. Many people on the West Coast would have kept going west if they could have."
One could hardly make a more optimistic gesture than to invoke the spirit of those mythical pioneers who endured mother lodes of hardship on their trek to a better place. That that history has been revised to tell a different tale -- one of such imperial crimes as thievery and murder -- does not deter Tom's faith in a new colony: "The system of operation and the laws for the utopian nation that I am imagining will be as simple and libertarian as possible. Voting would be used to decide who is eligible for membership and to set the tax on different types of pollution. Banishment from the community would take the place of jails. Policing would be left to the citizens, at least at first, but there would need to be a court system."
Tom attended UCSB for a year and did well in science before transferring to UCSD. "I dropped out after a year there, deciding I could succeed as an inventor, which I still believe. I have hundreds of ideas and prototypes." Tom says that his best invention is a unique roller skate that only rolls forward and that allows your heel freedom of movement, like cross-country ski bindings. This skate permits a normal walking motion, which exercises more muscles than the current lateral push used in skating. Tom explains that he is also "working on a body board prototype that uses a small propeller, which is powered via a loop of cord connected to foot straps, allowing, again, a more natural running-like motion." Among many other clever inventions, Tom has designed a "super-easy home-brewing kit" and various safety devices for bikes and cars.
"My family likes my projects," Tom says, "and they think I'm really smart, but they are very busy themselves, so they don't get involved much." Tom's father is a judge, his brother is a lawyer, and his mother works at UCSD. "I live rent free and make $160 a month gardening for my parents," Tom explains, "but if I needed to I would much sooner camp out or live in a van than work full-time, because I love to think about my own ideas."
Tom's vision for SOFT is not as half-baked as some might think. When I balked at his explanation of a grid system, Tom patiently spelled it out for me: "If SOFT acquired land, the grids would be similar to the road systems in normal cities, except developers would lease the right to develop it from the community. To prevent abuses, two independent land grids would be set aside. This way, people would have a choice for transportation and the free-market system would force developers to provide value if they want to stay in business." As this leasing system demonstrates, what distinguishes SOFT from other "alternative" enterprises is that it embraces capitalism and all the trappings that come with it, especially money. SOFT is not for people who succumb to squeamishness in the face of cutthroat economics.
"I totally embrace capitalism," Tom declares. "Capitalism is the only way resources can be allocated without the use of force. Stealing from the rich by taxing them inordinately causes the flight of talent, lessens motivation, and puts money into the hands of incompetent people. Improvements to the standard of living originate in the top strata. Like any immoral system, using force to take the money of one group for the benefit of another...is a mistake in the long run." When trying to describe what he wants SOFT to become, Tom conjures such diverse groups and movements as the early Christians, the Mormons, the Amish, the Grateful Dead, the Merry Pranksters, and youth hostels. Tom means it, however, when he says, "I do not like socialism or communism." He continues, "One benefit of starting a new society results from the fact that land derives its value from its proximity to people and their money. If enough cool people move in unison, they can turn cheap land in the boonies into a tastefully developed and interesting place, with property values to match." As wise as Tom is to the fiscal needs of government, making money is a small part of his motivation for forming SOFT or for his inventions. "I do not anticipate ever having money problems, partly because I truly do not like fancy things. Impressing people with my creations is my goal." Tom trades in concepts, and ultimately, if Tom has his way, SOFT's currency will be deeds.

subset: commoncrawl


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Blue Whale
Discussion of the distribution and abundance of living organisms and how these properties are affected by interactions between the organisms and their environment
Moderator: BioTeam
7 posts • Page 1 of 1
Blue Whale
what is the importance of the blue whale in the ecosystem ?
they are just really big and hold a lot of fat. kinda like americans. and they eat a lot of crill. they are obviously very important to the eco system.
No one can win at war. if either side loses a man for thier own, then that immediatly make them the killers of the innocent. we are too destructive to save ourselves. we are our own version of chaos theory without the mathimatical equations.
Way to show your true colours... How long have you been holding in that prejudice for Americans?
Re: Blue Whale
There are entire ecosystems centred around dead whales. A whale carcass is so enormous that it provides food for a wide range of deep sea animals for several years.
Whales eat krill, and no doubt keep krill numbers under control. However, it is worth remembering that whale numbers are so low now, compared to what they were before people started killing them, that their role in any ecology is sharply reduced.
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102.1 KPRI-FM gave an encore presentation of Loren Nancarrow's guest DJ show Sunday, a loving tribute to the beloved San Diego TV anchorman who died of brain cancer three weeks ago.
Nancarrow's voice, recorded in 2012 months before his cancer diagnosis, sounded as strong and playful as you remember it as he spun the music you'll hear below. It was beautiful and it was emotional, especially at one point when Nancarrow talked of several artists who had died "way too young."
Here are the 13 songs Nancarrow played Sunday via the magic of radio, many that you'll know — he picked Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Suzie Q" for his wife, Susie — and a few you might not, including a tune by local singer Mike Pinto and another by Nancarrow's son, Graham. Sticking to that family theme, he played a song by Bob Dylan and another by Dylan's son Jakob's band, The Wallflowers.
The saddest moment of Nancarrow's set list, magnified in retrospect, came during a segue when he said: "I am having a ball. Warren Zevon is one of those guys that was a wonderful writer, and I love good writers. We lost him way too young. Two other people we lost way too young do a song that's not theirs, from a guy we also lost way too young. Here's Johnny Cash and Joe Strummer together on 'Redemption Song.'"
The hourlong show first aired in May 2012 and was rebroadcast once before, in February, soon after Nancarrow's cancer diagnosis; the Social Distortion song appears on that February playlist. For Sunday, Nancarrow's daughter Hannah recorded a segment about a fundraising campaign to build a healing garden for cancer patients in Nancarrow's name.
The radio show began with her words and what Loren Nancarrow called "his little San Diego speech."
I feel like I'm the luckiest guy in the whole world. I arrived here like 30 years ago and went, 'Oh no there really isn't a place this cool on Earth, and with palm trees, the beautiful flowers, the ocean out there.' And I realized that one of the first times I went to the beach, dolphins went by. I thought, 'I am never leaving.' And again 30 years later, I am never leaving.
Related: 5 lessons Loren Nancarrow taught us
See also: 12 songs San Diego Mayor Bob Filner played on the radioCopyright © 2017, The San Diego Union-Tribune


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"We had suspicions when she was about 3 months old. Then, we watched our pediatrician write, 'Blind' and circle it on her chart. We knew from there she would be a Braille reader."
Related quotes
"It helped me a lot. It helped me realize that I wanted to be a pediatrician and gave me the skills to be ready for college."
"We were lucky that the pediatrician caught it and ordered the MRI, ... It's a radical procedure. There's an ear-to-ear incision. But you have to do this or the brain isn't allowed to develop. [After the surgery], there were plates and screws in his head, and he had to be on his back for two months. But it sure as hell beat the alternative."
"When you are old and grey and full of sleep, and nodding by the fire, take down this book and slowly read, and dream of the soft look your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep."
"He believed someone had slept in his bed. This suspicion was heightened when the deceased and Smith found a bag containing toiletries outside the homestead,"


text: The 6-foot-4, 14-year-old guard is being recruited by the Cyclones, Iowa, Nebraska, Creighton, Wisconsin and many others. "Pretty much looking for what's close to home, a safe campus and a good education,†Myles said. Any other info on this fine young man? Did you see him shooting before the KSU game? If those 3 items are his criteria we ought to be a lock. He would look great in Cardinal & Gold. What is he.... class of 2015-16?


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Does anyone have/use a Sweet 16 sit down machine? Would love to get your comments, pros, cons, if you do. I am really interested in this machine for quilting.
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Does anyone have/use a Sweet 16 sit down machine? Would love to get your comments, pros, cons, if you do. I am really interested in this machine for quilting.
I do believe everyone who has one loves it! They seem as if they are very easy to use. I have to admit that I've only test-driven one, but it did make me want one!!
I also looked at Sunshine 16's at $1750 and the Bailey home machines. In the end, I decided against a machine that doesn't have feed dogs. I wanted a machine with a large throat that I can use a walking foot on too. The machines with a 9 inch throat weren't worth it, IMHO. So I wrestled with the decision and finally decided on an 8700 industrial machine. It has a table, 12-inch throat, adjustable speed and feed dogs. Yes, I can FMQ on it and yes, it can sew thru a pair of shoes! :) Final cost for me was $420
12-inch harp is a lot and enough for me. I still need much more practice on it (keep shredding thread, but that might be the thread and not the machine) and I haven't quite figured out how to fill a bobbin all the way, but the $5000 I saved is all worth it to me!! On the other hand, if somebody offered me a S16, I'd take it!!
I have a Babylock Tiara sit-down machine. It is the same machine as the HQ Sweet 16, but has the Babylock brand on it. The Tiara is made by HQ. I have had the machine since November and absolutely love it. I would suggest that you join the HQ Sit Down Model group on Yahoo. I joined before I made my purchase. The group is really friendly and not shy at all about responding to your questions about both machines. You will enjoy whichever one you choose. Good luck. Betty
I would suggest joining the HQ_Sit_down_Model · HQ 16 Handi-Quilter Sit-Down Table Model - Yahoo group. You will hear all the wonderful reviews and any issues that come up.
I got mine at the beginning of December 2012 and love it!
I have the Babylock Tiara also and love it. I previously used the Babylock Jane which is a great machine, but doesn't compare to the Tiara for larger quilts.
I do not have it but would love to have one. I was set to buy one a couple years ago but my husband let me buy a long arm with frame, instead, as he knew that is what I really wanted and I had the room for it. I love my long arm and frame. However, if I ever need to downsize someday for any reason, I will definitely buy a HQ Sit Down in a heart beat! And just so you know--my long arm machine is not a Handi Quilter--but I love the HandiQuilter sitdown machine.
I LOVE mine, but I do sometimes wish it had straight line stitching available without the use of rulers. I just went back to my Janome 6600 to SITD a ginormous king size quilt and it was NOT fun. I know I just need more practice on the 16 with rulers, but right now I just have to get this quilt finished! Do check out the Sweet 16 groups, I belong to 2 of them and they are very helpful.
I did not buy the extensions for the table, but have it set up in a corner of the room with my homemade ironing table on the side. I can puddle this quilt and have no problem moving it around, its a dream!
Bailey's has a sit down version now.
I may have given him the idea when I called and asked about a table that my Bailey would fit in.


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Please remember to follow the manual of style and code of conduct at all times.
Check BNN and Bulbanews for up-to-date Pokémon news and discuss it on the forums or in the Bulbagarden Discord server.
Talk:Pokémon in Latin America
Pokemon 1st reached Latin America
The article implies that Club Nintendo first talked about Pokemon in 1998, however this is wrong. Club Nintendo actually covered the japanese craze for the game and G/S beta way before R/B were ever even confirmed to be localized. I don't have the magazine anymore but it must have been 1996/7.Sdp
- I do have the magazines. Not only that, they even covered the original release in February 1996 when the game was furst shown at Shoshinkai '95. Then they forgot about the game until late '97 when in Space World '97 Nintendo announced they'd export Pokémon to the US and showed demos for Stadium, Hey you Pikachu and the GS beta. Because of that, they dedicated about half the issue to Pokémon. Veggietable 22:58, 9 February 2011 (UTC)
Place your votes guys: do we keep using the current image with all flags, or do we program it to rotate the flags (same way that Arceus rotates types)? --electAbuzzzz 16:24, 25 October 2009 (UTC)
- It's a good idea, but I also think that instead of going the flags should be a picture like this. --Toonamimaniacolatino 17:32, 25 October 2009 (UTC)
Translation error
There's a section in the acrticle that talks about the "Elegidos Pokémon" special. However, when pointing at the text, it shows the English translation to be "Choose the Pokémon". The correct translation is "Pokémon chosen" (as if "Pokémon" is the adjective in the sentence and "chosen" is the noun, like in the terms "Pokémon Battle" or "Pokémon Gym"). Can someone correct this or teach me how to do it? Veggietable 23:02, 9 February 2011 (UTC)
- I've corrected it. In the future, just edit the section and in the template
{{tt}}you set the parameters like
{{tt|Spanish name|Translation}}so that
{{tt|Los Elegidos Pokémon|The Pokémon Chosen}}would be Los Elegidos Pokémon. --ZestyCactus 23:33, 9 February 2011 (UTC)
First Broadcast
"The Pokémon anime followed after with the first broadcast of Pokémon, ¡Yo te elijo! in Latin American Spanish on Cartoon Network Latinoamérica on September 6th, 1999."
This was actually the second broadcast. The first one was in June 14 of the same year but by a mexican TV channel "(XHGC) Canal 5". For some weird reason the Cartoon Network broadcast have more priority to the point that even Wikipedia mentions it was the first one and the Canal 5 one was after :/
I can't believe I still remember that day, ha.LurKasumi 16:42, 29 April 2011 (UTC)


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Love is a short film describing affection in three different chapters through an impact on a distant solar system. Abstract haiku-like situations reveal the change in atmosphere on one planet, caused by the change of gravity and light.
On his journey from Somalia to Europe, shipwrecked Moussa is picked up by a wealthy couple on their luxurious catamaran.
Every single night, Ambroise gets bored. To pass the time, he makes random phone calls. His calls often result in a failure… Until he reaches Charlotte, a curious young girl looking for an extraordinary adventure.
Michael is 18 years old and prefers listening to loud music rather than thinking about his future. But there is a problem: His father, a hunter, loves the quiet and has Michael's future planned out already. Whey they go hunting together, this becomes an inevitable issue.
Hong-Kong. A multitude of high-rise concrete buildings without personality. Inside, close studios where people live withdrawn into themselves. Until the day where Chung, a bachelor, decides to hang a picture on the wall.
Shot in West Africa with a local cast and crew, this short explores the social and cultural impact of the Ebola epidemic from the perspective of an orphaned brother and his sister.
New York City, 2016. She's white, he's black, they love each other, without boundaries, in plain sight. But tonight, the bad encounter: a group of extremists won't let it go.
The viewer is taken on a journey through the beauty and chaos of Kampala taxi park.
Hermes has a well-organized life: a good job, friends, and a nice flat. Everything is fine, as long as he does not forget to take his medicine. Otherwise his humor can be surprising to say the least. One evening, he goes to a silent party, but he was not able to take his medicine...
A single mother is forced to hide her child's existence because of the social and cultural context, in order not to become the subject of judgement and condemnation.
The old single man is waiting for his gone sweetheart in a station.
The beach of a Chinese resort is packed. People are enjoying the summer holidays. An abrupt thundershower makes them run around in a flurry.
Noli. The head of a ruthless Philippine gang needs to get his visa permit for Italy. In order to cover his criminal activities, he buys some fake documents and pretends to be the director of a catering service business.
A visual bedtime story recalling the atmosphere of early cinema. A travel back in time, when watching films was a dangerous experience, especially for children. Mr Sand is a mysterious character moving through this story.
Once upon a time, there was a girl named Catalina who lived in Jujuy, northern Argentina. Her grandmother Rosa is one of the last remaining storytellers from the Andes. Grandmother Rosa is already very old, and still everyday she tells a story to the sun Tata Inti.
Varanasi is a psychedelic and spiritual journey in the heart of northern India.
It is a story about a little pig who goes from "P town" to the metropolis "City ELE", where elephants live.
Two fishing buddies, Big Brother and some fish stew. Two workers from an old factory face the transition from socialism to capitalism.
Squame explores the body's sensitive envelope, the skin. The ephemeral animated desquamations, created with the help of sugar casts, evoke fragile landscapes in a world at the edge of abstraction.
Absurd superhero comedy about the mechanic turned superhero who is fighting to preserve the things he loves the most: the trolleybuses.
Central Marshes were a large complex of wetlands in Iraq that were part of the Tigris. The Ilisu Dam is a project of Turkey that, when it is finished, will destroy the marshes. The film is about how the water bedouins' lives and culture will change when it's done.
An old and retired cook gathers his old gang to compete with a famous Norwegian chef in an absurd cooking challenge.
A boy lives with his parents in a remote village in the mountains. His family has several prejudices against immigrants.
1963. After many years, Italo is forced to go back to Elcito, his hometown in the mountains of the Marches region. There, together with his boss, he will have to organize a TV casting: the two of them are looking for illiterates for a new educational television show…
Two neighbors jump into an unexpected friendship outside their windows.
A parade for three managers and four performers, mixing quotes from French composer Erik Satie's essays on the music he composed for the 1916 ballet "Parade". The famous realist ballet is brought back to life.
September 10, 1977. 4:30am. Prisoner Djandoubi is removed from his cell and led to execution. He only has fifteen more minutes to live. Just enough time to smoke two cigarettes. Not three.
In the woman's room, memories constantly accumulate and disappear like dust. The man spends his time in this room creating futile little games with woman's memories.
A creature settles down in a young man's room and feeds him, but at the same time it kills him. His life is falling apart, and he has no choice but to struggle to death against this dependence.
A 75-year-old widow with Alzheimer's decides it's time to have her very first orgasm ever. (It takes a few tries).
Among the candidates waiting in the room for shooting a porn movie, a father and a son unexpectedly meet.
Film entirely made using seeds, stop-motion, time lapse and VFX. Pulses and grams and sprouts in motion were used to create scenarios as a metaphorical representation of the growth and the future of a nation.
Memento mori – remember that you must die. The journey of a butterfly becomes a melancholic metaphor of a human life, lost in an unknown world.
While driving along a road in the Tunisian desert in an old battered van on their way to the market to sell their sheep, and old man and his grandson are stopped by two policemen. In order to be allowed to leave, they have to accept a strange and unusual deal.
A documentary about a house and characters that cannot be shown. On a desk, with changing sceneries, two tenants create a miniature world with the objects they find, that tell what people try to hide.
Edgar, an opera lover who works in a slaughterhouse, thinks his life is over when he catches his fiancée with her boss and subsequently exchanges his voice for that of a dying pig.
Their love and deep religious belief drive Joseph and Liza, a criminal couple, to kidnap a priest to marry them before they are found and taken in by the police.
In a world where everything runs as a clockwork, a clockmaker embarks in a desperate attempt to beat time and find "true love".
Lukas, a young dedicated metal head, is visiting his recently departed grandfather at the hospital. Despite the bloodline, he doesn't want the old man to be buried in the family grave. Dark secrets come to light, and when opportunity comes, he seeks revenge.
Andrea, a six-year-old boy, just lost his dog. But his love for the pet will never end: it gets transformed, and it is the metaphor of renewable energy.


text:
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customer reviews for large windows
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Ex-Corrie star to host acting masterclass
Former Coronation Street star Suranne Jones will be in Belfast next month to host an acting masterclass for teenagers.
The actress, who played feisty Karen McDonald in the soap, will help young people aged 13-18 develop their acting skills in a three-day intensive masterclass called Cinemagic Stars.
The masterclasses - part of Cinemagic's International Film and Television Festival - will take place at the Waterfront Hall and the Grand Opera House from Friday, November 16 to Sunday, November 18 and will offer budding starlets the chance to learn the skills of contemporary or musical theatre from leading industry professionals.
Joining Suranne will be ex-Hollyoaks star Mikyla Dodd, actor Chris Hoyle, who has starred in The Bill and The Royal, and musical director Lee Bryn Heywood.
The organisers of Cinemagic are now looking for young people to participate in the masterclass.
To secure a place on the three-day course, would-be actors must explain in no more than 200 words why they deserve to be selected for a masterclass of their choice, whether it be contemporary or musical theatre acting. Include your name, age, address, phone number, email address and your college/university's name, address and phone number, if applicable.
Entries should be sent to Cinemagic Stars, Cinemagic, 49 Botanic Avenue, Belfast BT1 1JL or email firstname.lastname@example.com. Closing date for entries is Friday, October 26.
Later in the month Cinemagic will run a number of Talent Labs for the 16-25 age group.
Actor John Thomson, star of Cold Feet and The Fast Show, will lead a two-day masterclass in acting at Castlereagh on Thurdsay, November 29 and Friday, November 30, while Pauline Quirke of Birds of A Feather fame will deliver a masterclass on the techniques used when acting in television on the same dates.
There will be a £40 fee for both the three-day intensive masterclass and the Talent Labs hosted by John and Pauline.
Belfast Telegraph


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It's thumbs down for Thumbs Up after draw
The only good news for Caspar Fownes after yesterday's barrier draw for the HK$18.5 million Singapore Airlines International Cup is that the trainer can stop blaming himself because he wasn't even there.
Thumbs Up continued an extraordinary run of bad gates for Fownes-trained runners in major events when he came up with barrier 11 in the field of 13 runners, severely denting what looked a great chance for him to win the big event he always promised.
Fownes' other stable star, Lucky Nine, has had very wide draws in several of his major targets this season but Thumbs Up has fared even worse, with the seven-year-old in gate 11 or wider in four of his previous seven races this season.
The trainer recently banned himself from drawing the gates, so was blame-free this time, already in the air and on his way back to Hong Kong after spending 36 hours overseeing the final touches to the gelding's preparation in the past two mornings' soggy track sessions.
'The horse is great in himself - I couldn't be happier. The warm weather here suits him and there are no signs of the internal bleeding that everyone knows has been a niggling issue with Thumbs Up for a long time,' Fownes said before departing. 'His final serious work on Tuesday was great, he looked very well this morning just out for something light. The horse is great and I think he has the form to win the thing - all we need is a low draw because on the short course here, you just can't win coming from last.'
Dale Bussey, who is travelling with Thumbs Up for Fownes and riding his work, literally gave Tuesday's gallop a 'thumbs up' then his face creased with pain at the draw. 'Everything else was perfect and it looked his race - now it is complicated again,' Bussey said.
Barrier 11 will almost certainly force a negative 'ride for luck' tactic from Brett Prebble.
In a race that promises the same stop-start pace which brought California Memory unstuck 12 months ago as favourite,the Tony Cruz-trained grey fared better than the 13 marble he had in 2011.
'I think barrier six is OK for him. It will give him a chance to be a little closer without having to push him - like he was in the Hong Kong Cup he won in December,' said Cruz.
And John Moore-trained Zaidan, a solid fourth in the QE II Cup recently making use of a soft draw in gate five, drew even better with gate three at Kranji on Sunday.
'That's a nice draw - everyone seems to think the pace is a real query so Zaidan won't be too far away from the lead out of that draw,' said trainer John Moore's son, George, who is travelling with the four-year-old. 'He has been trouble free here, doing well. That draw is going to make him one of the chances.'
Godolphin's City Style, third in the Dubai Duty Free, also pulled a poor position in gate 10 but the big winner from the draw looked the German horse, Zazou, the mount of Andreas Suborics.
He was always on the speed finishing third in a muddling tempo in Hong Kong in December behind California Memory, and was already listed as favourite for the race by some internet bookmakers even before gate two ensured he can be right on the lead again without being used up.
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Patriots do right by Conn. middle schoolers
So we all remember the story last week when the Patriots were falsely blamed for leaving some middle schoolers on Connecticut in the lurch — when school officials were expecting a player visit they were never promised for participating in the Fuel Up to Play 60 program, kids were disappointed…right?
Well even though it wasn't their responsibility — the New England Dairy & Food Council claimed blame — the Pats made it up to the kids and staff at Lebanon Middle School in a major way on Wednesday: Bill Belichick and Dan Koppen traveled to visit the kids and brought Pat Patriot along for good measure.
Here's a clip of the festivities…and kudos to the Patriots for going out of their way to correct a mixup they weren't responsible for causing.
(Photo from the Patriots' Twitter feed.)


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Annuity companies vary on how much they expect to earn on investments. One might require 13%, whereas another wants 11%. These returns can influence how they'll invest your money and the renewal rates you'll receive.
Suppose you're looking to put money into a tax-deferred annuity and you've narrowed down your choice to four products in two categories: two fixed annuities and two index annuities. Each annuity has the same initial interest rate, the same minimum guarantee rate, the same surrender charge and the same withdrawal features as the other in its category. They appear to be virtually identical, but will they pay the same renewal rates when the initial rate term is up in, say, one year? It's doubtful. Let's look at why and how this happens.
Fixed Annuities
Regulations require that annuity companies invest most of their portfolios in bonds. As such, they won't have much in stocks, real estate, or other assets. However, the companies have flexibility on the quality and average maturity of those bonds. Consequently, they can alter the yield and the risk.
Yield vs. Ratings
The higher a bond's rating, the lower the yield. The return is less because there is less chance the bond issuer will default. As a result, the managers of a fixed annuity might buy only high-grade bonds, such as 'AAA' rated bonds and accept lower returns. Conversely, another company could be willing to accept more risk in return for higher renewal yields than its competitors.
Yield vs. Maturity
Generally, the longer a bond's maturity, the higher the yield.
To keep the numbers easy to work with, let's say the two fixed annuities you're checking out look like this:
- Annuity No.1: 10-year average maturity portfolio that pays a 5% initial rate
- Annuity No.2: 20-year average maturity portfolio that pays a 5% initial rate
Suppose we look ahead a year. The initial rate guarantee has now passed and prevailing rates have dropped. Here's what the renewal rates could be:
- Annuity No.1: 4%
- Annuity No.2: 5%
Annuity No.1's rate dropped because its bonds are close to maturity, and the money might have to be reinvested at the current, lower prevailing rates.
On the other hand, Annuity No.2's managers have time on their hands - an extra 10 years, in fact. As such, they don't have to worry as much about reinvesting money right now.
But what happens if prevailing interest rates skyrocket over the first year? For our example, the renewal rates could be:
- Annuity No.1: 6%
- Annuity No.2: 5%
Because Annuity No.1's portfolio will have a number of bonds maturing soon, it will have cash to reinvest at the higher prevailing rates. Conversely, Annuity No.2 will continue to pay the same rate based on its longer term portfolio. Plus, if it does not sell its long-term bonds to reinvest at higher rates, it might face a loss if those bonds drop in value. (To learn more about fixed annuities, see Watch Your Back In The Annuity Game, Exploring Types Of Fixed Annuities and Selecting The Payout On Your Annuity.)
Index Annuities
Index annuities offer the potential to participate in the growth of an index, such as the S&P 500. Index annuity managers have to consider issues that differ from fixed annuities when they calculate renewal rates.
When the initial rate has expired, you might have to face changes in the following:
- Cap: The maximum interest rate you can earn
- Participation Rate: The percentage of the index's growth used to determine the interest credited for the year or for the index period
- Spread: The amount deducted from the index's growth to calculate the interest credited for the year or the index period
The portfolio managers buy options to give you index-linked growth potential, but the options can have several variations that could make a difference in your renewal rates. (To read more about options, see our Option Spread Strategies tutorial.)
Exchange-Listed Options
Options that trade on an exchange, such as those listed on the Chicago Board Options Exchange, can cost less than synthetic, over-the-counter options created by sellers. And lower costs can mean higher caps or participation rates at renewal time.
Big Buyers
There are discounts for annuity companies that buy large numbers of options. If your index annuity's managers go in with $50 million in hand, they'll get more options for their money than they would with just $10 million. And you'll stand a better chance of higher caps or participation rates.
Dynamic Hedging
Your index annuity's managers might not even buy options. Instead, they may seek to duplicate an option's performance by putting together a portfolio of other investments. This could increase returns, which might lead to lead to higher caps or participation rates. Or it might increase the risk that your renewal rates could drop. (To keep reading about annuities, see Taking The Bite Out Of Annuity Losses and An Overview Of Annuities.)
To help you through your decision process, you can ask your annuity company for its rate renewal history. You can also try to find out what type of bonds it holds and whether options are used. However, it often just comes down to the people who manage your annuity because people, with their emotional biases, make the final decision on where to invest and ultimately set the renewal rates.


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About Moyea Web Player:
Moyea Web Player is an easy-to-use FLV player creator, with which, customizing skinning streaming FLV player and FLV player (flash video player) for website only needs a few mouse-clicks. And the created player can be easily edited via flashvars code.
Its official website is:
The example about how to implement this in different way:
By Moyea Web Player:
The configurations about whether your customized web Flash video player loads flash video automatically or not, can be configured on the following interface.
When the "Auto load" option is checked, the flash video in the web video player will be loaded automatically once the web page is opened, otherwise, it won't be loaded until click the Play button.
By flashvars code:
To implement the first demo above with flashvars code, the embed code will be as below:


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Children's museum receives book donation
Rockland — Coastal Children's Museum recently received a donation of a batch of Barefoot Books from local educator and Barefoot Books Ambassador, Dena Davis.
This summer Davis sold her lovely collection of books at the Lobster Festival Children's Tent and decided to give back a percentage of all sales to a local nonprofit. Because of the gift, the museum was able to order books on topics ranging from pirates, to the genius of Leonardo Da Vinci.
Davis also presented a Penguin Play workshop to honor the museum's Penguin Week during February vacation. Children heard stories and sang songs and even waddled around the museum in a penguin parade.
"We would like to express our deepest gratitude for this donation of books by Dena," said Coastal Children's Museum Program Coordinator Megan Rogers in a news release. "She has been a wonderful friend to the museum and to our whole community. She never tires of doing fantastic things and thinking of others in all she does, whether it be her workshops teaching children the joy and excitement of writing or her work at Dena's Barefoot Book Nook sharing wonderful stories with us. She really is a wonder and a true treasure of a person and we are all lucky to have her in our community."
For more information about the workshops Davis offers, visit her Facebook page at facebook.com/StoriesByTheSea or at denadavis.barefootbooks.com. On March 18, Davis will host a family stories workshop at the Rockland Public Library. Call the library at 594-0310 to sign up.


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12 Top Tourist Attractions in Rotterdam & Easy Day Trips
The second largest city in the Netherlands, Rotterdam lies on both banks of the Nieuwe Maas, the tidal southern arm of the Rhine, where it's joined by the little River Rotte. It's also the world's largest port, home to the massive Europoort facility through which so much freight passes on its way to and from the continent. Although almost completely destroyed by German air attacks in 1940, central Rotterdam was energetically rebuilt after the war and re-planned with modern shopping streets, residential districts, and high-rises, making it one of the most modern and architecturally interesting cities in Europe. Despite it's modernity, the city dates back to medieval times and was already prosperous by the 13th century when a dam was built to separate the Rotte from the Nieuwe Maas (hence the city's name). Rotterdam has also long been important as a cultural hub, its early prosperity leading to the birth of Rotterdam's most celebrated citizen, the humanist Erasmus, born here in 1467. Today, it's as popular a destination for its vibrant entertainment options as it is for its many fine museums and splendid architecture.
See also: Where to Stay in Rotterdam
1 Grote of Sint-Laurenskerk
Great St. Lawrence Church - Grote of Sint-Laurenskerk - is all that's left of Rotterdam's medieval buildings, most of which were destroyed during WWII. In Grote Kerkplein, Sint-Laurenskerk dates from the 15th century and was built on once marshy ground giving the building a peculiar lean that was only halted after its foundation was rebuilt in 1650. Upon entering the church, you'll be struck by the beauty of the bright interior, an effect heightened by the colored glass of its windows. The church is famous for its three Danish organs, the largest of which stands on a marble base on the inside wall of the tower. The bronze doors of the main entrance, on the theme of War and Peace, are by the Italian artist Giacomo Manzu, and in front of the church is a statue of Rotterdam's most famous son, Erasmus. Guided tours and special tower climbs are available.
Address: Grotekerkplein 15, Rotterdam
2 Museum Boymans-van Beuningen
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, one of the Netherlands' most important art establishments, is known around the world for its superb collections of paintings, sculptures, and applied and decorative arts from across Europe. Painters of the 14th to 16th centuries are particularly well represented, with works by Hubert and Jan van Eyck, Hieronymus Bosch, and Pieter Bruegel the Elder. The 17th century is represented by Rembrandt and Rubens (26 of the latter's works can be viewed), while later centuries are represented by Monet, Gauguin, and Van Gogh. Contemporary painters represented include Picasso, Matisse, and Chagall. Another museum of note is the Wereldmuseum Rotterdam, an ethnographic museum established in 1883 with excellent displays of artifacts from ancient and modern cultures from around the world.
Address: Museumpark 18, 3015 CX Rotterdam
3 Kinderdijk's Windmills
On the River Noord just 23 kilometers east of Rotterdam is the beautiful little village of Kinderdijk (the "children's dyke"). Taking its name from a famous legend that describes a baby's cradle being stranded here during the St. Elizabeth's Day flood of 1421, it's one of the most visited places in the Netherlands thanks to its 19 perfectly preserved 18th-century windmills, each designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built between 1722 and 1761, together they comprise the largest surviving concentration of windmills in the country, a history that's celebrated during special Mill Days when their sails are once again set in motion.
4 The Euromast
One of Rotterdam's most distinctive landmarks, the Euromast lies at the north entrance to the Maas Tunnel. Erected in 1960, this 185-meter-high tower boasts two restaurants with superb views over Rotterdam, each at the 92-meter mark. For thrill seekers looking for more than just great views there's the chance to abseil down the building, while those looking for a unique overnight stay can book one of two stunning suites located at the 100-meter point. (English language guided tours are available.)
Address: Parkhaven 20, 3016 GM Rotterdam
5 Better by Design: The Cube Houses
Rotterdam is home to many fine examples of modern architecture, much of it inspired by the city's waterside setting as well as a response to the devastation of WWII. Pushing the architectural envelope to the max are the city's famous Cube Houses (Kubuswoningen). Designed by Dutch architect Piet Blom, this block of houses with their unique cube-shaped upper stories can be enjoyed as part of a walking tour of the city (one of them, the Show Cube, is open to the curious and contains displays regarding the design and history of the buildings). Another architectural gem is the White House (Witte Huis). Once Europe's tallest building, this stunning ten-story Art Nouveau structure was built in 1898 and is now a National Heritage Site with superb views from its rooftop. Finally, those with an interest in the design of buildings should visit the Netherlands Architecture Institute, home to a superb museum outlining the development of various architectural movements over the decades.
Address: Overblaak 70, 3011 MH Rotterdam
6 Editor's Pick Europoort and Boat Tours
Rotterdam's massive port occupies half the city's total area of 247 square kilometers, much of it in turn occupied by Europoort, a huge complex known as the Gateway to Europe. It's a fascinating area to visit as part of a boat tour, and numerous tourist options are available sailing from various locations around Rotterdam, often in conjunction with tours of other parts of the city. In addition to countless massive ships, you'll see mile after mile of quays and storage facilities built to service the world's busiest port. One of the most popular excursions begins at Maeslantkering near Hoek van Holland (Hook of Holland) and includes a close-up look at the city's massive surge barrier. Evening tours are also fun, especially with Rotterdam's most famous landmarks, including the superb Erasmus Bridge, being spectacularly illuminated.
7 Diergaarde Blijdorp: The Royal Zoo
Established in 1857 - and one of the oldest zoos in the Netherlands - Rotterdam's Royal Zoo (Diergaarde Blijdorp) makes for a very pleasant outing. The zoo is well known for its successful breeding programs, highlights of which include a number of young elephants, as well as the rare red panda, fascinating creatures to watch as they explore the large enclosures designed to resemble their natural habitats. Other features of note are the Asian section, complete with a swamp forest with two large aviaries for exotic birds, a Mongolian steppe, a bat cave, a Chinese garden, and numerous creatures indigenous to the region. Also worth exploring is the Oceanium, an excellent aquarium featuring a large collection of marine life from the Americas.
Address: Blijdorplaan 8, 3041 JE Rotterdam
8 Sea-Themed Museums and the City Center
Established in 1873, Maritime Museum Rotterdam provides a fascinating look into the city's connection to the sea and its many waterways. The museum boasts a large collection of material on the history of shipping and seafaring, including ship models, a reconstruction of a 2,000-year-old vessel, and numerous seafaring paintings. Another marine-related tourist attraction is the adjoining Harbor Museum, an open-air facility that's home to the wonderfully preserved 19th-century Buffel, an ironclad ram ship, as well as an old lightship (all told, more than 20 historic vessels are on display). Both facilities offer English language guided tours. A recent addition to Rotterdam's roster of important old vessels is the SS Rotterdam, launched in 1958 and considered the finest Dutch-built passenger vessel. A truly memorable experience is taking lunch or dinner aboard this sumptuously decorated vessel, which is now a hotel and museum.
Walk about eight minutes north from the Maritime Museum and you'll come to Coolsingel, the main street of Rotterdam's city center. Here, you'll find the Town Hall (Stadhuis), built between 1914 and 1920 in Dutch Renaissance style, with a handsome tower graced by a carillon and a richly decorated interior. Opposite the Town Hall, in Stadhuisplein, is a war memorial designed by Mari Andriessen. Other Coolsingel highlights include the World Trade Center, a high-rise building with a facade of greenish-blue glass, and the Bijenkorf ("Beehive") department store (by Marcel Breuer, 1958). Fronting Bijenkorf is the 26-meter-high work of sculpture, Construction (1957), by Naum Gabo, a French sculptor of Russian origin. Wander a few blocks northwest from Bijenkorf, and you'll come to De Doelen, a concert hall and congress center rebuilt in 1966 after its destruction in 1940. It offers seating for 2,200 and excellent acoustics. Nearby is the Schouwburg (Municipal Theater), which opened in 1988.
Address: Leuvehaven 1, 3011 EA Rotterdam
9 Kunsthal: Rotterdam's Art Hall
Another example of Rotterdam's modern-yet-functional architecture is the Kunsthal, or Art Hall. This trendy gallery opened in 1992 and hosts a variety of constantly changing exhibits of visual arts, design, architecture, and culture from across the globe. Another gallery of note is the Chabot Museum featuring the works of Dutch painter and sculptor Henk Chabot, housed in a superb white villa built in 1938. For those with an interest in photography, a visit to the Netherlands Photo Museum (Nederlands Fotomuseum) is time well spent; highlights include a broad collection of historical images by numerous Dutch photographers.
Address: Museumpark, Westzeedijk 341, 3015 AA Rotterdam
10 The Church of Our Lady (Grote Kerk), Dordrecht
About 24 kilometers southwest of Rotterdam in the town of Dordrecht, the Church of Our Lady (Onze Lieve Vrouwekerk) has one of the most picturesque settings of any Dutch church. Built on the site of an earlier 15th-century church, it overlooks a quaint canal that dissects the old town center. As a result of a fault in construction, the tower began to sink, resulting in its present half-finished appearance (it was later topped by four Baroque clock faces and a carillon of 49 bells). Interior highlights include its magnificent oak choir-stalls, carved in Renaissance style in 1541 and the finest of their kind in the Netherlands, along with stained glass windows depicting important events in the town's history. Also of note is the large organ, built in 1671 and decorated with the coats of arms of Dordrecht. Afterwards, be sure to explore Dordrecht itself, famous for its many surviving historic buildings such as the Old Town Hall (Stadhuis) from 1544.
Address: Groenmarkt, Dordrecht
11 Delfshaven and the Pilgrim Fathers
The old district of Delfshaven, which unlike much of Rotterdam survived WWII largely unscathed, is consequently one of the most popular spots in this big bustling city. Famous as the birthplace of Admiral Piet Hein, a 16th-century hero of the country's long war against Spain, it's also where, in the Old Church (Oude Kerk), the last service was held in 1620 by the Pilgrim Fathers before sailing for the New World (the event is commemorated with a memorial and bronze tablet). Also worth visiting is Dubbelde Palmboom Museum housed in a 19th-century warehouse containing a large collection of material on the history of Rotterdam, including archaeological finds, implements, and equipment.
12 Schoonhoven
Schoonhoven, halfway between Rotterdam and Utrecht, is a wonderful excursion due to its many superbly preserved medieval buildings. A must-see is St. Bartholomeuskerk, founded in the 13th century and notable for its tendency to lean off the vertical, and its stalls carved with scenes from the life of Christ. Other features are the 17th-century pulpit with its figures of the 12 Apostles, and the tomb of Olivier van Noort, the first Dutchman to circumnavigate the globe in the early 1600s. The Schoonhoven Town Hall (Stadhuis) is also worth a look. Built in 1452 in Late Gothic style but much altered in later centuries, it possesses a domed hexagonal tower containing a carillon of 50 bells. Other town highlights include the picturesque Weigh House (Waag) from 1617 on top of a dam above the harbor; the Gold, Silver, and Clock Museum (Nederlands Goud-, Ziver- en Klokkenmuseum) with its displays relating to the crafts of gold- and silversmithing and clock making; and the Edelambachtshuis, a granary built in 1566 that now houses a collection of jewelry from the 1600s to the 1900s.
Where to Stay in Rotterdam for Sightseeing
If you're visiting Rotterdam for the first time and want to see some of the city's top sights, the best area to stay is in the city center. From here, you are near attractions such as the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen; the Euromast; Erasmus Bridge; and Coolsingel, the city's main street. Here are some highly-rated hotels in and near the city center:
- Luxury Hotels: In a prime location, a five-minute walk from the city center, Mainport Hotel presides over impressive views of the city skyline from the banks of the river Maas and blends influences from East to West in its sultry, modern style. The spa features a Finnish sauna and hamam. Across the river from the city center, steps away from public transport, the Green-Key-certified, Suite Hotel Pincoffs occupies a historic 19th-century customs house and frequently rates as the city's best boutique hotel with its affordable yet swanky suites. If you prefer a large chain hotel, the pet-friendly Hilton Rotterdam, with a 24-hour fitness center and Michelin-star restaurant, is within walking distance of Central Station and the shopping district.
- Mid-Range Hotels: At the top-end of the mid-range hotels, citizenM Rotterdam, steps from Blaak station and a short stroll to the maritime museum and Coolsingel, bills itself as affordable luxury, with a wall-to-wall window in each room, a homey lobby that feels like a living room, and an innovative design concept. The nearby Ibis Rotterdam City Centre, on a small canal, is also great-value, with small, bright rooms, while the Holiday Inn Express Rotterdam - Central Station sits a short stroll away from Central Station and fabulous shopping.
- Budget Hotels: Near the Museumpark, Central Station, and great shops and restaurants, easyHotel Rotterdam City Centre offers small, clean rooms in the heart of the city. The Hotel Baan is near a train station and within walking distance to the Euromast, while Bienvenue, a two-minute walk from the city center, offers basic rooms for a budget-friendly price.
Day Trips from Rotterdam
Many pleasant excursions await within an easy commute of Rotterdam. One of the most popular is Bergen op Zoom, a historic old town some 67 kilometers south that is noted for its large squares and pleasant pedestrian zones. It's also where you'll find Markiezenhof Palace, a 15th-century mansion that now houses a cultural center and museum with numerous fine paintings and period furniture. Also worth a visit are Breda, 52 kilometers southeast of Rotterdam, with its museums and monuments, and the town of Gorinchem, 44 kilometers to the east. Another must-see is the Witches Weighhouse (Museum de Waag) in Oudewater, famous for once having been used to weigh those suspected of witchcraft; if you were considered light enough to ride a broomstick, the theory was that you were a witch (fortunately for the women of Oudewater, none of the accused were considered light enough to be punished). About 70 kilometers from Rotterdam, Zierikzee on the island of Schouwen-Duiveland lures tourists with its yacht harbor, a picturesque old town center, and beautiful beaches fringed by wooded dunes.


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TEL's sales rise but company sees flat year ahead
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TOKYO --- Although chip equipment sales increased 12 percent year-on-year at Tokyo Electron Limited (TEL), the company announced an annual loss for the second year running on Wednesday (April 30, 2003) and stated its intention to cut 1000 jobs and streamline development and manufacturing operations worldwide.
TEL, the world's second largest vendor of chip-making equipment, had warned investors earlier this month that it would take a charge of about $200 million to pay for a reduction in headcount and expected to make a loss of about $340 million (see April 3 story).
Today the company reported that its consolidated net loss was 41.55 billion yen (about $346.5 million) in the year to March 31, 2003, more than doubling the net loss of 19.9 billion yen recorded in the previous year.
Total sales revenue from all divisions was 460.6 billion yen (about $3.85 billion) up 10.2 percent from the previous year. Sales of the semiconductor production equipment division amounted to 364.7 billion yen (about $3.05 billion), an increase of 12.0 percent from the previous year.
For the next financial year TEL predicted that semiconductor-related capital investment would get underway in the second half of its fiscal 2003, after September 2003.
The company said that because of the delayed rebound in chip-related spending and continuing global uncertainty the company is implementing restructuring measures to "thoroughly" reduce costs, and to return to profit before income tax on flat sales.
For the current fiscal year, started April 1, the company predicted a net loss of 6.0 billion yen (about $50 million) on net sales of 465 billion yen (about $3.9 billion) with about 78.5 percent of the sales revenue or 365 billion yen (about $ 3.1 billion) attributed to semiconductor processing equipment.


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KARACHI — A day after Pakistan's social media star Qandeel Baloch was choked to death in Multan city, her brother Muhammad Waseem, who confessed to killing her in the name of 'honour,' has been arrested in Dera Ghazi Khan.
In a press conference, the 25-year-old admitted that he had drugged and strangled his sister as "she brought dishonour to the Baloch name" due to risqué videos and statements that she posted on social media, the Dawn reported.
Referring to a recent controversy over Qandeel's selfies with Mufti Qavi, he said, "There are other issues as well… Like the maulvi issue."
Revealing how he killed the 26-year-old model-actor, Waseem said, "She wasn't aware I was killing her. I gave her a tablet and then strangled her."
According to city police chief Azhar Akram, Waseem had killed her by covering her mouth and nose.
Akram said, "After that he fled to Dera Ghazi Khan with two of his friends. We are working on catching the friends and I expect they will also be caught soon. After speaking to them, we will be able to determine whether they were involved or not."
In a First Information Report, Qandeel's father Muhammad Azeem revealed that his daughter came to Multan from Karachi to celebrate Eid with the family. They were joined by Waseem on July 14.
He alleged that Waseem, who was against Qandeel working in showbiz, had taken this extreme step at the behest of his brother Mohammad Aslam Shaheen.
Arrangements were being made to send Qandeel's body to her hometown of Shah Saddardin in Dera Ghazi Khan for burial.
Qandeel had recently taken the internet by storm as she shared a couple of selfies and a video of herself with Mufti Qawi, a former member of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee.
Some days back she starred in a Pakistani music video, 'Ban,' by Aryan Khan featuring twerks, a slashed bodysuit and lots of laces.


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Holidays are usually a time for tradition and memories, but after Christmas some families will be torn apart. Early indicators may help women or men leave before the abuse begins.
"Get help now, while you can," advises the Betty Griffin House, St. Johns County's Safety Shelter for abuse victims.
Each year the domestic violence center sees a spike in women and children needing shelter after Thanksgiving and Christmas. This year, calls increased in weeks between the two holidays, said Beth Hughes, executive director of the Betty Griffin House.
"Most of the women tell us they try to hold it together during the holidays," Hughes said. They want it make it through for the children, she said.
Looking out for certain behaviors may help people escape becoming victims.
Penny Morrill, president of the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence, offered traits to be alert for.
Signs of an abuser include: the person calls constantly to find out where you are, controls the checkbook, abuses family pets, threatens to take the children if you are fighting.
Signs a friend or family member may be a victim of abuse: changes in demeanor, bruises not noticed before, the abuser is calling repeatedly at work.
Cpl. John Olsen of the St. Augustine Police Department said the calls about domestic violence increase during any holiday or three-day weekend.
Some of the reasons for this trend include, families being together for a longer amount of time, alcohol, money issues and other holiday stresses, Olsen said.
"Any kind of stress due to holidays causes aggressors to become aggressive more quickly," Olsen said.
Sgt. Chuck Mulligan at the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office said during the day on Christmas, reports of domestic violence are quiet. They go up at night.
Hughes said, "If you are being abused with all of these other things going on, you might feel like you have to tend to the other things." She added that the shelter is always available.
Betty Griffin House tries to keep the holidays as traditional as possible in respect to all religions. Santa Claus doesn't skip over the shelter.
About 25 percent of all women will experience domestic violence in their lives, according to the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
Last year, more than 1,200 calls were made to the crisis hot line from St. Johns County.
© 2017. All Rights Reserved. Contact Us


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Genome engineering is the field of research dedicated to developing site-directed DNA sequence modification methodologies and applications. Historically, such methodologies have been lacking in plants species and crops in particular, thereby thwarting advancements in functional genomics and trait development efforts. Desired DNA sequence modifications are initiated or stimulated by a double-stranded break (DSB) in the target DNA molecule (Fig. 1). Engineered nucleases are designed to catalyze the DSB at a specific location in the genome, thus stimulating the desired DNA modifications to occur at or near the break site. Here we provide a brief description of the most common forms of DNA sequence modifications that have been achieved using nuclease-based genome engineering methodologies:
(i) Mutagenesis: Mutagenesis is perhaps the easiest type of site-directed modification to achieve. To initiate mutagenesis, the engineered nuclease is designed to generate a DSB at a specific chromosomal site. Mutagenesis is achieved by simply expressing the nuclease within the plant cell. The DSB created by the nuclease is repaired by the host cell's non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) DNA repair pathway that often results in small DNA insertions or deletions (indels) at the break site. Insertions or deletions introduced into nuclease target sites located in a gene's open reading frame (ideally within an exon near the 5′ end of the gene) can cause frame shift mutations, in effect creating a nonfunctional gene "knock-out." Populations of transformed plant cells expressing nucleases are then molecularly screened for the desired mutations.
(ii) Gene replacement or editing: While targeted gene knockouts have considerable value for basic and applied plant research, a potentially more powerful means of genome engineering involves modifying a gene rather than eliminating its function. It is possible to specifically alter a gene's sequence in a nonrandom manner using the homologous recombination (HR) pathway to repair a nuclease-induced DSB. In this case, the DSB is repaired using a DNA donor template that contains sequences homologous to those flanking the break site (Fig. 1). This strategy is more complex than mutagenesis in that the donor template has to be delivered to the cell at the same time the nuclease mediates cleavage. The HR pathway uses the homology in the donor template to repair the DSB, thereby incorporating the donor sequence into the chromosome. The donor sequence can be tailored to the desired outcome, including changes to promoter regions or sequence modifications that alter the catalytic activity of an enzyme.
(iii) Gene insertion: The goal of gene insertion is to introduce a transgene or transgenes at a specific chromosomal location through HR. Sites of gene insertion are chosen that are conducive to high levels of gene expression. Furthermore, the insertion of multiple transgenes at the same chromosomal locus (stacking) makes it easy to move the transgenes into other germplasm by crossing, because the linked transgenes behave genetically as a single locus.
(iv) Site-directed structural changes (e.g., deletions and inversions): In this case, a nuclease or a combination of two nucleases can be targeted to cleave neighboring locations along a chromosome. Some of the events will be repaired by merging the respective outer breakpoints, thereby deleting the sequence space separating the two cleavage sites. One can imagine that this might be useful for removing gene clusters that may be detrimental to fitness (e.g., yield or some other desirable trait). Alternatively, it is possible that the released fragment will invert before DSB repair, thereby resulting in an inversion event between the two cleavage sites. Similar methods can be used to stimulate chromosomal translocations if the two nucleases target sites are on different chromosomes.
The four steps necessary for modifying a plant gene through genome engineering include (i) designing and developing an engineered nuclease construct, (ii) delivering the construct and perhaps donor molecule into the plant (typically by genetic transformation), (iii) inducing nuclease expression, and (iv) screening the plants for the desired DNA sequence change. Figure 2 depicts an example of the events that may occur (starting from plant transformation) to derive a novel mutation. It is important to note that there are two independent loci of interest, the transgene locus and the target locus (in the vast majority of cases these two loci will be unlinked).
In recent years, the major advances in genome engineering have focused on the design and delivery of proteins that reliably generate DSBs at specified loci. In this review we focus on the research advances in three distinct engineered nuclease systems that have been developed (and continue to be refined) for stimulating DSB events. Furthermore, we review recent studies that have implemented these strategies to target genes in crop plants.
Engineered Nuclease Systems for Targeted Genome Modification
The critical step in site-directed genome engineering is generating a DSB at a specific chromosomal location. Three types of engineered nucleases have been used to date for this purpose: zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), and LAGLIDADG homing endonucleases (LHEs), often termed meganucleases (Fig. 3). All three nucleases operate by the same general principle, as they are engineered proteins consisting of a DNA binding domain (which accounts for site specificity) and a endonuclease domain (which functions as the DSB-causing enzyme).
Zinc Finger Nucleases
The pioneering work that started this technology began more than a decade ago when researchers at John Hopkins University attempted to generate novel restriction enzymes (Kim et al., 1996). The work focused on type IIS restriction enzymes such as FokI, which recognize specific DNA sequences and cleave several base pairs downstream of the recognition site. The researchers reasoned that if they could fuse the catalytic domain of FokI to another DNA binding domain then they could alter the DNA specificity of the restriction enzymes. They ultimately selected the zinc finger as the DNA binding motif of choice, because zinc fingers can be linked together in custom arrays to recognize novel target DNA sequences. The hybrid enzymes proved effective and were called zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs). Two landmark papers demonstrated the utility of ZFNs for making targeted modifications to the Drosophila melanogaster and human (Homo sapiens sapiens) genomes (Bibikova et al., 2003; Porteus and Baltimore, 2003). To date, DSB-mediated gene disruption and correction have been shown to work effectively in other animal models, including rats (Rattus norvegicus), mice (Mus musculus), and zebrafish (Danio rerio) (Cui et al., 2011; Geurts et al., 2009; Mashimo et al., 2010). The initial successes in plant genome engineering with ZFNs were reported in Arabidopsis thaliana and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) (Lloyd et al., 2005; Wright et al., 2005).
There are a number of engineering platforms that can be used to construct custom ZFNs. One of the first publicly available platforms was modular assembly (Wright et al., 2006). This method involves the creation of multifinger DNA-binding arrays using individual zinc fingers with predetermined DNA-binding specificities. Modular assembly can be used to easily and inexpensively build ZFNs by standard restriction digestion-based subcloning techniques; however, many of the ZFNs made by this approach are not highly active (Ramirez et al., 2008). The reason is that modular assembly treats each finger as an independent unit, failing to account for context-dependent influences on DNA binding caused by neighboring fingers in the array. To overcome this shortcoming, selection-based engineering platforms were developed that take into account context effects on DNA binding. The oligomerized pool engineering protocol (OPEN) is a publicly available, selection-based platform used to identify highly functional multifinger arrays (Maeder et al., 2008; Zhang et al., 2010). The improved success of OPEN-constructed ZFNs is due to the identification of zinc finger combinations that function well together. Putative ZFN target sites can be identified every 200 bp using OPEN; however, construction of a ZFN requires a highly trained person approximately 2 to 3 mo. To address these limitations, a third platform was developed that combines the easy-to-assemble aspect of modular assembly yet uses genetic selections to take into account context effects. This platform, called context-dependent assembly (CoDA), makes it possible to engineer ZFNs in under a week. Context-dependent assembly allows a researcher to target a DNA locus on average once in every 500 bp. Work in zebrafish, Arabidopsis thaliana, and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] revealed that CoDA ZFNs function effectively at approximately 50% of sites targeted (Curtin et al., 2011; Sander et al., 2011b).
Transcription Activator-Like Effector Nucleases
Plant bacterial pathogens of the genus Xanthomonas infect a wide range of species including rice (Oryza sativa), citrus (Citrus spp.), tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), and soybean (Boch and Bonas, 2010; Kay and Bonas, 2009). During infection, Xanthomonas delivers to plant cells a battery of proteins known as transcriptional activator-like effectors (TALEs) (Boch and Bonas, 2010; Bogdanove et al., 2010). TALEs modify the host's transcriptome by binding to specific DNA sequences in promoter regions, effectively mimicking host transcription factors (Kay and Bonas, 2009). TALEs have a central DNA binding domain, which typically consists of 16 to 20 single repeat monomers. Each monomer is 34 amino acid residues in length and is highly conserved except for hypervariable amino acid residues at positions 12 and 13 called repeat-variable di-residues (RVDs). Recent computational and molecular biological analyses made it possible to decipher the TALE code for DNA recognition (Boch et al., 2009; Moscou and Bogdanove, 2009). Each RVD recognizes a different DNA base; for example, repeats with RVDs NI, HD, NG, and NN bind to adenosine (A), cytosine (C), thymine (T), and guanine (G) or adenosine (A), respectively.
The decoding of the TALE DNA recognition mechanism immediately attracted the attention of genome engineers who recognized its potential for biotechnological applications (Bogdanove et al., 2010). One of the initial experiments was to fuse the TALE DNA binding domain to the catalytic domain of the FokI endonuclease thereby creating TALENs. The fusion of both native and custom DNA binding domains to FokI made it possible to create targeted DSBs at specific DNA sequences (Christian et al., 2010). To date TALENs have been used to generate targeted modifications in a variety of organisms such as Arabidopsis thaliana (Cermak et al., 2011), tobacco (Mahfouz et al., 2011), rice (Li et al., 2012), yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) (Li et al., 2011), zebrafish (Huang et al., 2011; Sander et al., 2011a), rats (Tesson et al., 2011) and humans (Miller et al., 2011). In addition to custom TALENs, designer TALEs (dTALEs) have also been developed (Mahfouz et al., 2012; Morbitzer et al., 2010) that activate or repress gene expression in planta.
There are currently several publicly available platforms for constructing TALENs or dTALEs. They include Golden Gate assembly methods that allow seamless construction of TALE repeat arrays (Cermak et al., 2011; Engler et al., 2009; Sanjana et al., 2012; Zhang et al., 2011) as well as ligation-based systems (Reyon et al., 2012; Sander et al., 2011a). These platforms make it possible to rapidly generate TALENs. One of the main advantages of TALENs is that they allow a researcher to target a DNA locus on average once every 10 bp, which is much more frequent than ZFNs. Furthermore, the vast majority of engineered TALENs are functional, making them the reagent of choice for many genome engineering applications.
LAGLIDADG Homing Endonucleases
The third class of proteins used to generate targeted DSBs is the LHEs, also termed meganucleases (Stoddard, 2011; Taylor et al., 2012). LHEs differ from ZFNs and TALENs in that they are naturally occurring gene-targeting proteins encoded by mobile introns (Arnould et al., 2011). LHEs form homodimers comprising two identical subunits each 160 to 200 amino acid residues in size. They can also function as a single peptide of two tandem repeat monomers joined together by a linker sequence (Stoddard, 2011). The DNA target site for LHEs is typically 20 to 30 bp, which provides remarkable specificity, and it is for this reason that LHEs have been developed as a genome modification platform. In contrast to ZFNs and TALENs the cleavage and DNA binding domains of LHEs are not clearly demarcated. Attempts to reengineer DNA contact points of the endonuclease can be challenging and often compromise nuclease activity (Taylor et al., 2012). Numerous methods have been developed to assess mutated LHEs for activity and altered target specificities (Gao et al., 2010; Stoddard, 2011). For example, high-throughput assays have been developed in bacteria and yeast to measure LHE-induced cleavage and the ensuing reconstitution of reporter genes. Furthermore, computational approaches have been developed whereby the DNA binding affinities of modified enzymes are assessed using various algorithms. Because of these engineering challenges, only a handful of academic groups and companies routinely engineer LHEs that target novel DNA sites.
Examples of Targeted Mutagenesis in Crop Species
While most work in genome engineering has focused on model species, there are some examples of heritable site-directed mutagenesis and editing of endogenous genes in crop plants. Tzfira et al. (2012) recently compiled a list of published genome modification studies in both model and crop plant species. In the following sections, we will highlight some of the recent advances in nuclease-based site-directed mutagenesis and gene editing of crops.
Site-directed mutagenesis has been reported in a small number of crop plants, including maize (Zea mays L.), soybean, rice, tobacco, and petunia [Petunia ×atkinsiana (Sweet) D. Don ex W. H. Baxter (syn. Petunia ×hybrida hort. ex E. Vilm.)] (Curtin et al., 2011; Gao et al., 2010; Li et al., 2012; Marton et al., 2010). Gao et al. (2010) used a reengineered I-CreI LHE to target a sequence neighboring the maize liguleless locus and effectively generated heritable monoallelic and biallelic mutations at the target site. This result was the first report of the redesigning of a LHE to target a chromosomal locus of choice in a crop species. Targeted mutagenesis of paralogous genes in the soybean genome was performed using the CoDA ZFN platform (Curtin et al., 2011; Sander et al., 2011b). Soybean is a paleopolyploid in which approximately 75% of its genes are duplicated. Site-directed nuclease technologies appear to be an excellent technology for soybean (and other species with duplicate genomes), as single engineered nucleases can be designed to target multiple gene duplicates. Before whole plant transformation, Curtin et al. (2011) used a "hairy-root" inducing strain of Agrobacterium rhizogenes (K599) to rapidly identify seven genes that could be mutated by specific ZFNs. A ZFN designed to target both soybean DICER-LIKE4 (DCL4) gene copies generated mutations of both genes in the hairy-root assay and a heritable mutation in DCL4b.
Nuclease-mediated site-directed mutagenesis was recently shown to generate disease-resistant rice. This breakthrough was one of the first successful demonstrations of a nuclease-mediated modification of agronomic importance (Li et al., 2012). The phytopathogenic bacteria Xanthomonas oryzae is the causal agent of a devastating blight responsible for large yield losses in both temperate and tropical climates. During infection the bacteria secretes effector proteins that target DNA sequences in the promoter region of the rice sucrose-efflux transporter gene (OsSWEET14). This binding transcriptionally activates OsSWEET14, which thereby contributes to pathogen survival and virulence. Since OsSWEET14 plays an important role in the development of the plant, obtaining a knockout mutant to circumvent the effects of the pathogen was not feasible. Therefore the authors reasoned that if they could disrupt the promoter sequence bound by the effector (without disrupting the TATA box) they could eliminate the pathogen's ability to induce OsSWEET14 and thereby reduce the pathogen's virulence. A pair of TALENs that targeted the necessary sequence were designed and transformed into rice. Several independent mutant lines were recovered, some of which showed resistance to Xanthomonas oryzae. Rice plants that were resistant to the bacterial assay were further screened for their mutation status and were shown to be either homozygous monoallelic or heterozygous biallelic mutants at the targeted site. Resistant plants were morphologically identical to wild-type, indicating that the mutations had not resulted in adverse developmental phenotypes consistent with the disruption of OsSWEET14.
One of the potential advantages of genome engineering is that one can create a plant that has novel genetic variation and does not have a transgene. In their experiments with ZFNs and TALENs, respectively, both Curtin et al. (2011) and Li et al. (2012) genotyped T1 (first generation of a transgenic event) segregants to identify plants that had maintained the site-directed mutation while segregating away the engineered nuclease transgene (Fig. 2). (However, whole-genome sequencing will be required to confirm the absence of any transgene fragments in these lines.) Alternatively, viral-based methods for delivering engineered nucleases offers the possibility of circumventing transgenesis altogether. Marton et al. (2010) recently demonstrated that they could transiently deliver ZFNs to tobacco and petunia using a novel tobacco rattle virus (TRV)-based expression system (Marton et al., 2010). The TRV was capable of moving to developing buds, enabling the ZFN-mediated mutations to be transmitted into the next generation of the plant. Since the host plant genome is never genetically transformed, this viral-based delivery system may offer regulatory advantages for researchers interested in commercializing the resulting plant materials.
Examples of Targeted Gene Editing in Crop Species
The first reports of targeted gene editing in crops were published in tobacco and maize (Shukla et al., 2009; Townsend et al., 2009). Townsend et al. (2009) demonstrated high-frequency modification of tobacco acetolactate synthase genes (SurA and SurB) in which specific mutations of these genes confer resistance to certain herbicides. The authors used a yeast assay to identify three ZFN pairs that could promote DSBs at the target sites. Cleavage activity of the three candidate ZFNs were then tested against their endogenous gene targets in tobacco protoplasts. Gene disruption and repair by the NHEJ pathway was observed in the tobacco protoplasts. To test for HR-based gene replacement, the ZFN plasmids were electroporated into tobacco protoplasts along with SurB donor templates modified at positions known to confer herbicide resistance. Successful gene replacement was observed at frequencies ranging from 0.2 to 4%.
Another example of gene editing using ZFNs was published by Shukla et al. (2009). The authors generated ZFNs that targeted the maize IPK1 gene encoding the inositol-1,3,4,5,6-pentakisphosphate enzyme. This enzyme is an important catalyst in the phytate biosynthesis pathway, contributing to increased levels of total P in maize seed. Reduction of phytate by disruption of the IPK1 gene is of agricultural interest, since phytate is considered to be of limited nutritional benefit in feed and has been implicated as a pollutant in animal waste. A total of 66 ZFNs were designed across five targets sites of the IPK1 locus using an archive of prevalidated two-finger modules (Shukla et al., 2009). Based on the ability to initiate DSBs and NHEJ repair in cultured maize cells, four ZFNs were selected to target the second exon of IPK1. The IPK1 locus was disrupted by ZFN-mediated DSBs and repaired by HR using donor templates with an herbicide resistance gene and short, locus-specific homology arms. Approximately 600 transformed herbicide resistant calli were screened for gene targeting events, and several monoallelic and one biallelic insertion of the herbicide cassette at the IPK1 locus were observed. All progeny exhibited the expected segregation frequencies, indicating that the insertions were effectively transmitted to the next generation.
Targeted Structural Changes in Crop Species
The advent of nuclease technology has also raised the potential to create site-directed structural changes, such as large deletions, in the genomes of crop species. These types of structural rearrangements have been demonstrated in human cell lines (Lee et al., 2012). Published examples using nuclease technology for structural alterations in plants include efforts to remove transgenic reporter and marker genes. Removal of a transgene flanked by ZFN cleavage sites was achieved by crossing it with a plant harboring the ZFN (Petolino et al., 2010). The resultant progeny had a complete deletion of the 4.3 kb transgene. The implications of this technology for crop improvement include the ability to remove unwanted marker genes after transgene integration, which may have important regulatory benefits. Other applications of the technology include the deletion of large regions of highly repetitive DNA. Such site-directed deletions may one day become an important tool for generating new traits in crops through the deletion of repetitive DNA or other unwanted loci.
Combining multiple transgenes into a genome is typically performed through standard breeding practices. Depending on the number of transgenic loci to be combined, this may necessitate the screening of large populations of progeny to obtain a plant with the desired assortment of loci. The molecular stacking of linked transgene loci has been a coveted technology in crop sciences. Current technologies include recombinase-mediated gene stacking (e.g., using the Cre-lox, a site-specific recombinase technology, or FLP-FRT, a site-directed recombinase technology analogous to Cre-lox, systems) (Ow, 2011). The arrival of engineered nuclease approaches may accelerate the implementation of molecular stacking technology, enabling multiple transgenes to be inserted at the same locus through HR.
Additional Considerations for Crop Improvement
As illustrated above, sequence-specific nucleases clearly enable a wide variety of targeted modifications to plant genomes, and because of their many applications, one can anticipate that plant varieties generated through genome engineering will be regulated by governmental agencies in ways different from traditional transgenic plants (Kuzma and Kokotovich, 2011; Waltz, 2012). At present, regulatory authorities worldwide are reviewing the technology and making decisions as to how best to regulate plants modified using sequence-specific nucleases. It is likely that not all implementations of the technology will be regulated in the same way. Targeted gene knockouts, for example, do not necessarily involve the introduction of foreign DNA into the plant chromosome, but rather, DNA sequences are typically deleted. Other applications of sequence-specific nucleases, such as targeted gene replacements, can be used to create a broad spectrum of sequence alterations. But if a single nucleotide change is introduced into a plant gene and this is the only alteration to the genome, should the plant be regulated? Clearly traditional methods of mutagenesis could achieve the same outcome. Changes to regulatory policy will have important economic ramifications: the costs of attaining regulatory approval are considerable, and as such, only large multinational companies have traditionally had the requisite resources to advance genetically modified crop plants through the regulatory process. Furthermore, the crop species that have been genetically modified have been limited to those that are sufficiently profitable to recover the regulatory expense.
Considering the technology itself, it is clear that many of the technological barriers that currently limit the usefulness of genome engineering will be overcome within the coming years. However, this alone does not guarantee that genome engineering will significantly augment or replace current approaches to crop improvement. In fact, there are several species-specific external factors that may limit the future application of genome engineering practices toward crop improvement. For example, genome engineering is most immediately feasible in crop species that have a reference genome sequence that can be used to identify targets for DNA sequence modification. Furthermore, most applications of genome engineering currently require the capacity for efficient genetic transformation. Moreover, crop communities that are replete with genetic resources (e.g., mutant stocks) may be better positioned to make phenotypic predictions based on specific DNA modifications.
Many crops species currently lack some or all of these resources. Efficient genetic transformation pipelines have not been worked out for all crop species. Pre-genome resources, such as large-insert and expressed sequence tag libraries, do not provide sufficient genomewide information to allow for a good prediction of the impact that a given engineered nuclease may have on the genome (e.g., the number of targeted loci). Furthermore, even if a crop species is transformable and has a complete reference genome sequence, limitations in functional genomic resources can make it difficult to predict the phenotypic outcomes of targeted modifications. In species with poor functional genomics tools, there may be few genes that have been characterized. In this case, it will be difficult to assess which genes should be targeted for a specific trait outcome. The pool of good candidate genes will be small, and only the most promising may be worth the investment required for targeted modification. Functional characterization of orthologous genes in related model species may offer the best assessment of candidates for many crop species.
Despite the difficulties associated with implementing the technologies, genome engineering remains one of the hottest areas of genetic research at present. A decade ago the idea of purposefully targeting and modifying a specific nucleotide to create a given trait was a fanciful wish of crop breeders and geneticists. As the field of crop genomics has advanced and the technological barriers of genome engineering have been overcome, scientific fantasy has become reality.


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You report a few examples of all-party parliamentary groups which confer dubious benefits on MPs – the wine group's corkage, or the Bahrain group's flights – to suggest that they are corrupting influences (MPs' £1.6m backing raises fears over lobbyists' influence; Lunches, and the 'quiet word', still flourish despite Cameron's pledge, 25 February). One MP said they risked appearing to the public as "merely a way for lobbyists to buy influence".
As the founding MP and former chair of the climate change APPG I would reject such a presumption, which ignores the excellent work of many such groups. Tory MP Douglas Carswell's belief that "constituents should make the judgment on whether such fringe benefits are legitimate" is not accompanied by concrete suggestions for useful reforms. And his leader David Cameron saying "it's time we shone the light of transparency on lobbying … and forced our politics to come clean about who is buying power and influence" begs questions about what happens beyond Westminster.
Everybody can see on the parliamentary website a frequently updated list of MPs' declarations of interests. As you report, donations received by all-party groups are published on an online register split across 485 pages. So the information is there. The climate-change APPG from the start published an annual report on its activities, its accounts and its full membership. All groups should do the same.
A trip to Bahrain by MPs "funded by the country's government" is now presented as questionable. But by the same token, there are many people in other countries who regularly condemn the UK government (eg for the illegal invasion of Iraq). Should we have a worldwide ban on MPs visiting each other's countries? Or if such trips were considered worthwhile, should they only be funded by their own taxpayers? That would be tough on developing countries.
Of 232 new MPs last year it appears 207 have joined APPGs: "In this respect the 'new politics' barely differs from business as usual," you report. But what of the role of APPGs in developing cross-party agendas, sometimes seen as a good thing in contrast to yah-boo politics? Our climate change group looked into reaching a cross-party consensus on global warming. I am sure we aided the passage of the climate change bill.
In Westminster the climate change group hosted speakers such as Al Gore and Mikhail Gorbachev; enabled parliamentarians and public alike to question ministers; facilitated expert discussions with scientists, NGOs and representatives of developing countries; and campaigned for strong climate action.
Nobody could disagree with greater transparency, but if the disinfectant need only be applied within the curtilage of the Palace of Westminster it may be ineffective – why not extend the treatment to the Tories' exclusive Carlton Club, for example? How easy it is to distract us from the bigger picture of political influence – say between the Conservative party and its City backers – with tales of MPs enjoying "fringe benefits".


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Public registration for the 2011 Saguaro BioBlitz inventory teams is now open. Interested participants are invited to join scientists in the field to find and identify species that live in Saguaro National Park during the BioBlitz on Oct. 21-22.
Online registration can be found at www.nationalgeographic.com/bioblitz. Due to limited space on inventory teams, advance registration is required to ensure a spot on a team. Online registration will close on Oct. 13.
Teams will be located in both east and west districts of the park, and check-in may take place in field stations where appropriate. This information will be available on the registration site.
Sponsored by the National Geographic Society in partnership with the National Park Service (NPS), the BioBlitz is a 24-hour event with teams of many scientists, and hundreds of students and the general public who work together to find and identify as many plant and animal species as possible.
One park from among the park service's 395 units is selected each year to host the event, for 10 years leading up to the NPS's 2016 Centennial.
Saguaro National Park will simultaneously host a Biodiversity Festival, where the public can interact with scientists as they come in from the field to identify and catalog species.
The festival will be held at the Red Hills Visitor Center at 2700 N. Kinney Road (west side) and will include activities at science and conservation exhibit booths, demonstrations, speakers, art, music and entertainment.
No advance registration is required to attend the Biodiversity Festival, which takes place both Friday and Saturday, Oct. 21 and 22, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Off-site parking and shuttle service is mandatory and will be provided from the nearby Old Tucson Studios.
BioBlitz is free and open to the public. The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and Friends of Saguaro National Park are also key sponsors of the event.
For more information, please go to www.nps.gov/sagu.


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