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A novel method for the isolation of high molecular weight DNA from plants, yeast bacteria, and animal cells or tissue employs xanthate forming compounds, such as sodium/potassium ethyl xanthogenate. The procedure does not require deproteination and yields clean DNA that is suitable for both PCR and Southern blotting. It can be utilized on a small scale without homogenizing the tissue. These features also facilitate automated screening of tissue samples, one of the labor-intensive techniques in molecular biology.
TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to the isolation of DNA from whole plants and plant cells, tissues and parts, from yeasts and bacteria, and from animal cells and tissues. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION With the increasing need for DNA fingerprinting, restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis, Southern transfers, construction of genomic libraries and transformation experiments in biotechnology, the isolation of high molecular weight (HMW) DNA becomes a major problem. Several procedures for the isolation of HMW DNA have been reported, all of which have drawbacks for various reasons. The methods generally involve physical grinding of cells or tissue followed by extraction in buffers containing detergent, EDTA, Tris and other reagents. Some of the reagents used react with various cellular organelles; the function of others is unknown. The prior art methods are often time consuming, irreproducible and give variable yields of DNA, involving more art than science. The DNA obtained also varies in terms of its purity, and all of the methods involve purification of DNA with phenol, a protein denaturant which can be hazardous to users. Finally, a method that is effective in DNA extraction in one plant or animal group often fails when used on other plants or animals. More recently, a solid phase extraction material comprising silica and having hydroxyl groups on its surface has been reported as a replacement for phenol for removal of proteins. However, the preparation of this material is cumbersome, and grinding of tissue is still needed. In view of these difficulties, a continuing need exists for a versatile method that would overcome these problems. It is an object of this invention to provide such a method. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION While not intending to be limited by theory, the isolation of DNA from plants, yeasts and bacteria is difficult partly due to the presence of a rigid cell wall which is rich in polysaccharides and therefore difficult to rupture completely with commonly used buffers. Removal of the cell wall by enzymes is tedious and not always feasible. Variations in DNA yield and quality from extraction to extraction using current methods probably arises from the varying degrees of cell wall break up. Thus, there has been a need for new technique for disrupting cell walls by a thorough, yet delimited mechanism to allow isolation of DNA in a reproducible manner without the need to homogenize cells or tissues. Polyhydric alcohols, including cellulose, have been solubilized in the past by conversion to metal xanthates. This method was discovered by Zeise in 1815 and it has been widely employed in the textile industry. Xanthates find extensive application in the separation and quantitative determination of numerous metal ions by taking advantage of the low and differential solubilities of metal xanthates under controlled pH conditions. It has now been determined that the replacement of existing reagents for DNA extraction by xanthate-forming compounds is feasible and highly advantageous. It was postulated that these compounds would dissolve the cell wall in plants by forming water soluble polysaccharide xanthates with the hydroxyl groups of polysaccharides which make up a substantial portion of plant cell walls. The reaction of xanthate-forming compounds with amines is also reported. Furthermore, xanthate-forming compounds can also bind metal ions to inhibit DNAase activity. As a result, these compounds enable selectively dissolving DNA from cell organelles, leaving contaminating proteins, metal ions and other compounds as an insoluble residue. DNA can then be precipitated from the supernatant. The same xanthate-forming compounds can be effectively used for the efficient extraction of DNA from animal cells and tissues. The isolated DNA is free of contaminants that interfere with restriction enzyme digestion. Xanthate-forming compounds The "xanthate-forming compounds" of this invention include any compound capable of forming xanthate reaction products with cell wall polysaccharides from plant cells. These specifically include carbon disulfide and its organoalkaline derivatives. While the common reagent used in industrial use of this reaction (the viscose rayon process) is carbon disulfide, for analytical isolation of DNA according to this invention the organoalkaline derivatives of carbon disulfide are preferred. By "organoalkaline derivatives of carbon disulfide" is meant compounds of the general formula ##STR1## wherein R is an unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, alkenyl or aralkyl group, preferably selected from methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, hexyl, isoamyl, vinyl, allyl, 2-3-dihydroxypropyl, phenethyl, 4-morpholinylmethyl, and hydroxyphenethyl; and wherein M is an alkali metal or NH.sub.4, preferably Na or K. These compounds are formed by reaction of carbon disulfide with the corresponding alcoholic alkali: CS.sub.2 +MOH+ROH.fwdarw.ROC(S)SM+H.sub.2 O. The most preferred of these compounds, the carbonodithioic acid o-ethyl ester, sodium salt (R.dbd.C.sub.2 H.sub.5, M.dbd.Na; sodium ethyl xanthogenate) can be prepared by standard methods, and its potassium analogue is commercially available from Fluka. The entire class of compounds useful in this invention (including carbon disulfide) can thus be represented by the formula ##STR2## wherein n is 0 or 1; R is an unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, alkenyl or aralkyl group, preferably selected from methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, hexyl, isoamyl, vinyl, allyl, 2-3-dihydroxypropyl, phenethyl, 4-morpholinylmethyl, and hydroxyphenethyl; and wherein M is alkali metal or ammonium, preferably Na or K, when n is 1 and another bond to the carbon when n is 0. The methods described herein using these compounds enable efficient DNA isolation without homogenizing tissues and without removing proteins. EXAMPLE I Tissue Grinding Protocol Fresh leaf material (0.6-0.63 g) of thirteen day old corn seedlings was frozen in a liquid nitrogen bath until it was very brittle and was ground to a fine powder using a glass homogenizer. The powder was suspended in 4 ml buffered extraction reagent (694 mM carbonodithioic acid, o-ethyl ester, sodium salt, 100 mM Tris, pH 7.5, 700 mM NaCl 10 mM EDTA, pH 8 or 625 mM carbonodithioic acid, o-ethyl ester, potassium salt, 100 mM Tris, pH 7.5, 700 mM NaCl, 10 mM EDTA) in 15 ml propylene tube. After 5 min. incubation at 65.degree., the leaf debris was removed by filtering the homogenate through Miracloth. The DNA was precipitated from the filtrate by addition of two volumes of ethanol and centrifuged for 10 minutes at 3K at 4.degree.. The pellet was suspended in 100 .mu.l TE and centrifuged for 3 min. as before to remove precipitated proteins and metal xanthates. The supernatant was transferred into 1.5 ml Eppendorf tube and centrifuged for 5 minutes. The DNA was precipitated again from the supernatant by adjusting to 2M NH.sub.4 OAC and adding two volumes of ethanol. DNA was pelleted by centrifuging for 5 min. at 735 g. After decanting the supernatant, the pellet was dried in a speed vac and redissolved in 100 .mu.l TE buffer. The yield of DNA was 20-40 .mu.g. EXAMPLE II Non-Grinding Protocol 1 g of fresh leaves in 4 ml of extraction buffer containing carbonodithioic acid, o-ethyl ester, sodium salt are incubated at 65.degree. for 20 min. and filtered. The DNA is precipitated from the filtrate and reprecipitated as above. This non-grinding method applied to corn yielded 2.56 to 6.68 .mu.g DNA per gram of leaf tissue. EXAMPLE III To evaluate the protocols of Examples I and II, DNA isolated was digested for 6 h with Bam HI and Hind III, EcoRI and Sst I and assayed by agarose gel electrophoresis. The undigested DNA showed an apparent molecular weight greater than the .lambda. marker which is 23 kb. The absence of high molecular weight DNA and presence of smear in the digested samples suggested that DNA was completely digested and was free of contaminants which interfere with restriction enzyme digestion.
EXAMPLE IV The quality of the DNA preparations was further assessed by Southern transfer experiments. Isolated DNA was digested with Bam HI, electrophoresed, transferred to MSI membrane and hybridized with 32p single copy probes. Undigested and digested DNA gave the expected hybridization pattern. The appearance of discrete bands in the digested samples confirmed that the DNA was digested completely by the enzyme and that the hybridization with the probe was successful. This is an important criterion for the quality of DNA. EXAMPLE V To further substantiate the quality of the isolated DNA for molecular biology applications, extracted DNA was assayed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). After isolation, the DNA was amplified and the products were run on an agarose gel. A control experiment was also performed in which template DNA was not included in the PCR reaction. The absence of the expected target band in the control and its presence in the DNA samples obtained from the foregoing protocols further confirmed the quality of DNA. EXAMPLE VI The yield and efficiency of these extraction procedures was tested with a grinding protocol. Addition of a known amount (20 .mu.g) of DNA to the leaf sample prior to homogenization and following the same steps yielded at least 81% DNA in the final step. This suggested that losses of DNA due to enzymatic or mechanical degradation were minimum. EXAMPLE VII-XII The grinding method has also been successfully employed for the isolation of DNA from thirteen-day-old seedlings of soybean, sorghum, sunflower, alfalfa and tobacco as determined by agarose gel electrophoresis and Southern transfers. Results are shown in Table 1.
High DNA
Ex. Plant Yield.sup.1
Southern Blot
VI Alfalfa 15-42 Yes works
VIII Canola 8-14 Yes
IX Sorghum 12-28 Yes works
X Soybean 26-37 Yes works
XI Sunflower 7-30 Yes
XII Tobacco 7-30 Yes
.sup.1 .mu.g/600-630 mg fresh leaves
.sup.2 DNA is completely digested by Bam HI
Yield.sup.1 Yield.sup.2
Ex. Plant grinding method
non-grinding method
XIII Alfalfa 15-42 1.50-2.80
XIV Canola 8-14 2.70-4.80
XV Sorghum 12-28 1.70-2.66
XVI Soybean 26-37 0.45-1.14
XVII Sunflower 7-30 0.13-1.34
XVIII Tobacco 7-30 1.00-3.74
XIX Petunia 11-19 2.07-2.27
XX Lettuce 18-43 .sup. 1.63-2.17.sup.3
XXI Wheat 7-38 1.12-4.27
XXII E. coli 50 22-25
Different Series:
XXIII Spinach 20.64 1.4346
XXIV Yeast 1.239 2.369
.sup.1 .mu.g/600-630 mg fresh tissue
.sup.2 .mu.g DNA/1 g fresh tissue
.sup.3 .mu.g DNA/2 g (marketpurchased) lettuce
Ex. Plant
XXV Celosia
XXVI Alyssum


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Daily Archives: July 31, 2012
The Berkeley Wire: 07.31.12
Iconic Everett & Jones BBQ slightly damaged in fire (Oakland Tribune)
Richard Muller, climate change skeptic, changes view (Chronicle)
Cal epidemiologist who led seminal AIDS studies, dies at 90 (UCB)
Berkeley Unified School District begins begins moving offices (Daily Cal)
Berkeley eyes eminent domain for mortgages (Chronicle)
Tagged Berkeley Wire
Shop Talk: The ins and outs of Berkeley businesses
POOR SALES FORCE ALKO CLOSURE Alko Office Supplies, which has been operating in one form or another at 2225 Shattuck Avenue for 104 years, announced Tuesday that it is shutting its doors. Gary Shows, president of the Cliff Radston Company, said in a press release published in the Daily Planet that the store is closing because of declining purchases from UC Berkeley, changes in the shopping patterns in downtown Berkeley, and the perception of shoppers that chains offer better deals than small, locally owned businesses.
"We sincerely regret disappointing loyal retail customers," Shows said in the release. "We are appreciative and grateful; there just are not enough of them to sustain us." The retail operation will remain open and "fully stocked" until the building is sold. After that, the company will continue to supply business and Internet customers in a "less costly location." … Continue reading »
Tune into Berkeleyside Radio, hear artists playing locally
The editors of Berkeleyside, truth to tell, are not regulars at local rocks gigs. It's perhaps a question of age and taste, but it's also a result of a common problem: how do you know whether you'll like a band you've never heard?
We've now provided an answer (not to age and taste, but to unfamiliarity). Berkeleyside Radio, which launches today, plays songs only by artists who will be performing locally in the next two weeks. You can access it either through the link above or by clicking the button in the central column on our homepage.
Berkeleyside Radio comes courtesy of Berkeley startup DeliRadio, the brainchild of Wayne Skeen. … Continue reading »
Hundreds of bike crashes near UC Berkeley over 5 years
By Zusha Elinson / Bay Citizen
Shlomo Bentin, a world-renown neuropsychologist, bought a bicycle last summer to commute to UC Berkeley from his home two miles away. An expert on facial recognition, the 65-year-old Israeli was on a one-year research sabbatical at the university.
"He took up biking in Berkeley because people in Berkeley bike," said Lynn Robertson, a friend and colleague. "He was very cautious. He was the kind of bicyclist who would stop at stop signs and signal."
On July 13, Bentin was riding home from the campus gym on Bancroft Way when he was killed. Police received reports that a dump truck might have hit Bentin west of Fulton Street. Jennifer Coats, spokeswoman for the Berkeley Police Department, said investigators are trying to determine whether the truck was a factor in the collision. … Continue reading »
Brainy B-movies at free Summer Cinema series
Demented surgeons who know no bounds, crazed doctors keeping brains alive, abductions and decapitations — you can tell Steve Seid had an enormous amount of fun putting together the program for this year's Summer Cinema on Center Street, a free outdoor movie series which kicks off on Saturday August 4.
"I wanted something different from common currency films. I wanted to pull out some of our more disgraceful examples," he says, laughing.
Seid, Video Curator at Pacific Film Archive, delved into the museum's 18,000-strong collection of films to come up with his selection of 16-mm prints for the series, which takes place over three weekends in August and is organized jointly by Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive and the Downtown Berkeley Association. The event was launched last year and proved immensely popular, drawing up to 400 people to the Bank of America parking lot for each screening.
The films, which will be shown on the wall of the future Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive, are all in the classic B-movie "mad scientist" genre. … Continue reading »

subset: commoncrawl


text: WND POLL Michelle-shocked Published: 02/25/2013 at 7:15 PM Text smaller Text bigger Cast your vote now. All answers are stored anonymously. Sound off on Michelle Obama's appearance at the Oscars It was truly a treat and made the evening She was such a strong and stunning presence She stole the show It always adds to the grandeur of an event when the first lady makes an appearance I think it's the launch of her presidential campaign I regret that I didn't watch I'm so glad I didn't watch I wonder how much that appearance cost taxpayers She fit right in with the Hollywood misfits Her remark about Hollywood's positive impact on children almost made me lose my dinner I thought I was watching a horror movie It was despicable the way she used military personnel as props She completely hijacked the show It's highly ironic she gave an Oscar to a picture about an embassy rescue, when her husband let 4 Americans die at Benghazi Other View Results Loading ... ADD THIS POLL TO YOUR SITE (copy the code below) <iframe src="http://www.wnd.com/michelle-shocked/" style="width: 600px; height: 582px; border: 1px;"></iframe> Text smaller Text bigger


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No matter what you say or what you do
When I'm alone, I'd rather be with you
I'll be right by your side 'til 3005, hold up
from Childish Gambino – V. 3005 Lyrics on Genius
He doesn't care what the girl says about him or what she does (for example mess around with other dudes), he'll still always rather be with her than without. He'll be right by her side until "3005", in other words, until he dies.
As Kanye noted in "Blame Game":
Gambino himself also stated that the real meaning of the hook could be interpreted as however the listener wants; it's more of an "existentialist" type of song and could refer to a girl, money, God, or whatever.
For Gambino, he's scared of the future because he doesn't want to be alone. In an interview, he brings up a story of how he was afraid of a dog that lived in his neighborhood as a kid, but when he was with his little sister, he wasn't afraid of the dog anymore because he knew he had to protect her. Similarly here, as long as he's not alone, he won't be as afraid of the future (or the year 3005) as he would've been.
Made more evident by the official music video, Gambino's usage of the phrase "Hol' up" is intentional (hole up, as in flee from society due to his fears and anxieties).
The entire flow of the hook — especially the repeated "Hol' Up" seems to be inspired by the Kendrick Lamar track of the same name. It also has a similar flow to Drake's song "Come Thru".
To help improve the quality of the lyrics, visit "V. 3005" by Childish Gambino Lyrics and leave a suggestion at the bottom of the page


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We've all been lured in by those claims: Lose weight fast! Watch the fat just melt away! Those come ons are hard to resist, especially when you are desperate to lose weight. But what really hooks us are those unbelievable before and after photos proving how amazing this product is. Well, one blogger is accusing a diet site of stealing her year-long weight loss photos and marketing them as a 30-day weight loss plan.
According to Roni Noone, a diet program stole her photos and used them to lie to unsuspecting customers. In reality, it took her a year and she didn't use some sounds-too-good-to-be-true diet plan to do it. Chronicling her weight loss on her website RonisWeigh.com, she did it the only way that has proven to work time and again: watching what she eats and exercising.
Roni was understandably upset. First they had used her photos in an advertisement without her permission and second, they were lying. "I can't even tell you how many times I bought into a diet or supplement based on the before and after photos. After all, pictures don't lie," she wrote.
But it just goes to show that a lot of these diet companies are dishonest about the weight loss and the timing. It gives us false hope that it can happen fast and there's a quick fix. But truth of the matter is, there just isn't. There is no magic pill. There is no miracle weight loss cure. Slimming down just doesn't come easy. It's a downer, I know. I have been on the quest for that get-thin-quick product for years. Oh well, it's back to salads and the treadmill.
Do you usually believe those before and after photos diet plans use?
Image via ronisweigh.com
I don't believe any of those diet claims. I only believe in diet and exercise. The rest is sales and marketing bs that a lot of people fall for and waste a lot of money on.
Agree with youthful soul. Diet and exercise every time. The only secret if finding healthy food and a workout you enjoy because its lifestyle change not a diet.


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The 2014 Great TV Auction is Friday, April 25th – Saturday, May 3rd.
The Channel 10 Great TV Auction is a Milwaukee tradition! It is a unique on-air fundraising event which airs live on Milwaukee Public Television Channel 10 to Southeastern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois. New merchandise, certificates, services, art, antiques and collectibles are auctioned off to viewers who bid both by telephone and via the internet.
The Auction is also an excellent opportunity for companies, corporations, small businesses and individuals to garner valuable television exposure with our loyal Public Broadcasting audience and devoted Auction fans.
The money the Auction raises is used to purchase quality programming and maintain equipment for Milwaukee Public Television. The majority of funding for Milwaukee Public Television comes from community support.
The Channel 10 Auction facts at a glance:


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Nike's latest advertising campaign on Twitter has been halted by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), who have deemed the posts by famous footballers, Wayne Rooney and Jack Wilshere, as not being explicitly linked to the brand name.
The latest 'Make it Count' strapline has been promoted within tweets by the Manchester United and Arsenal English footballers over recent weeks, and they are well known affiliates of the popular sportswear retailer. However, it is the nature and ambiguity of the tweets which are said to have been misleading in the eyes of the ASA, and Nike has been warned about its future advertising techniques.
Talismanic striker, Rooney, who has over four million followers on the social networking site, tweeted: "My resolution — to start the year as a champion, and finish it as a champion...#makeitcount gonike.me/makeitcount".
Similarly, his English teammate Wilshere posted: "In 2012, I will come back for my club — and be ready for my country.#makeitcount.gonike.me/Makeitcount"
While both included Nike and 'Make it Count' within their hash-tags, it was still concluded by the ASA that these could easily be lost in a crowd of tweets among users.
They argued that within the sea of tweets that regular users peruse daily, the tags would not easily be processed by the wandering eye and that, therefore, they were breaking the laws of the code which dictates that advertising needs to be extrinsically linked back to the brand it is promoting.
This is the first advert that has been banned on Twitter by the ASA, and they have stated that by merely adding an '#ad' hash-tag, the legitimacy of the tweets would have been improved.
This decision comes only a few months after Snickers survived a similar scare in relation to their use of Rio Ferdinand and Katie Price in advertising their chocolate bar.


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Name: Hilo
Case Number: #2348:
Hi there, I'm Hilo. I am a 1-year-old Cairn Terrier mix who came to Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter in Wantagh as a stray. Now, I am looking for a loving family to give me a fresh start.
If you think I'm adorable, just wait till you meet me!
I've already been altered, I'm up to date on my vaccines and can be microchipped upon request.
To learn how you can adopt Hilo, contact the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter in Wantagh at (516) 785-5220. Adoption hours are Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.


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Related Boards
Forget the kids - I want to do this! How cool! Linked to directions. Way easier than it looks.
FOR CRAYON OUT LOUD - these melted crayon heart treat bags went down so well for #valentines last year mollymoo.ie/...
Easy to make and cute shabby chic pencil holder. Happy Happy Nester


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The Bugatti 16C Galibier - yeah, the same concept that we saw in Geneva earlier this year - was spotted out and about and getting some sun recently in Molsheim, France, leading to more speculation that the car may be further along in the production pipeline than we thought.
We don't know for certain what the 16C Galibier is doing outside Bugatti headquarters at this time since the rumored launch for the super-duper luxury car isn't scheduled for at least a few more years - possibly in 2013 - when the brand's current top dog, the Bugatti Veyron , is eventually phased out. If we can speculate, though, it looks like the 16C Galibier is currently being shown out on private shows to the interested - and obscenely rich - customers who may want a piece of the pie if and when it's released.
According to Bugatti, feedback for the 16C Galibier has been overwhelmingly positive saying that the 16C Galibier is "the most exclusive, elegant, and powerful four-door automobile in the world."
With a twin-supercharged 8.0-liter 16-cylinder engine with 800 PS to 1,000 PS, it's hard not to argue that assumption, but similar to the Veyron, the 16C Galibier is likewise expected to come with a pretty hefty price tag which, according to Bugatti, could be up to $1.31 million.


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Are you a student a Duke University? Due to financial constraints, are you unable to afford spending $90 for a ticket to the Chick-fil-A Bowl to watch your beloved football team play the Texas A&M
Fighting Manziels Aggies on New Year's Eve? Well you're in luck, then, because you can attend the game for free thanks to alumni donations!
Thanks to alumni donations, tickets for the Chick-fil-A Bowl will be free for all Duke students—originally valued at $90 apiece.
— Chronicle Sports (@chroniclesports) December 9, 2013
Sure, you'll still have to pay travel expenses and whatnot, but think about all the money you'll be saving. Imagine how many gallons of face paint and how many crazy costumes you'll be able to purchase before the basketball season shifts to conference play!
In all seriousness, kudos to the Duke alumni for the nice gesture. You students better take advantage of their generosity!
[Source: For the Win]


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Oliver Gettell is a writer and editor based in Los Angeles. He has contributed to such publications as the Los Angeles Times, Metromix, Brand X, the Los Feliz Ledger, the Mid-City Press and KCET. These are a few of his stories.
'The Wire's' talented cast still delivers a charge
An interactive graphic charting the landmark series' casting connections
July 21, 2013 | Los Angeles Times
By Oliver Gettell
Five years after the end of "The Wire," HBO's sprawling drama about drugs, policing, politics and daily life in Baltimore, praise for the landmark series continues to mount. Last month the Writers Guild of America ranked "The Wire" ninth on its list of the 101 best-written television series in history, and Entertainment Weekly recently named it the greatest TV show ever.
Over five seasons, the show's critical acclaim outstripped its audience, which peaked at around 4.4 million viewers, and its awards recognition — it never won any major awards. …
See the full graphic at latimes.com, or download the print version as a PDF.
Photo: HBO
Through her eyes, his vision of war
Canadian writer-director Kim Nguyen's fourth feature film stars young Congolese actress Rachel Mwanza, who was abandoned by her parents at age 6 and fended for herself on the streets of Kinshasa.
March 5, 2013 | Los Angeles Times
A decade ago, Canadian writer-director Kim Nguyen started working on the script that would become "War Witch," a film about a girl in sub-Saharan Africa who is kidnapped by rebels, conscripted as a child soldier and forced to commit horrific acts of violence.
Around the same time, Rachel Mwanza was abandoned by her parents in the Democratic Republic of the Congo at age 6, living with her grandmother for a time and then fending for herself on the streets of Kinshasa, the capital.
Nguyen was finally able to put his film into production in 2011 and cast Mwanza in the title role. The experience has profoundly affected them both. …
Read the full story at latimes.com, or download the print version as a PDF.
Photo: Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times
A long-delayed goodbye
River Phoenix died in 1993 while 'Dark Blood' was filming. It's now been finished.
Feb. 17, 2013 | Los Angeles Times
Nearly 20 years after the death of River Phoenix, the actor's final film, "Dark Blood," screened before an international audience last week at the Berlin International Film Festival. Perhaps the only thing more surprising than the film's tumultuous two-decade journey to completion is the fact that Dutch director George Sluizer, now 80, was able to finish it at all.
"Dark Blood," which began production in 1993, survived not only the loss of its leading actor, who died of an accidental drug overdose at age 23 outside a West Hollywood nightclub, but also the near-destruction of the original footage and a life-threatening ailment that struck its director. …
Read the full story at latimes.com, or download the print version as a PDF.
Photo: Sluizer Films
The 'Dawn' of an anxious time
The original 1984 film that became a cult classic fed into our Cold War worries and fueled our patriotic fervor
Nov. 22, 2012 | Los Angeles Times
Released during the 1984 Olympics and in an election year rife with Cold War tensions, the original "Red Dawn" is unmistakably a product of its time — a slice of Reagan-era anxiety with a healthy dose of jingoistic action.
Written and directed by John Milius, whose macho credits also include "Conan the Barbarian," "Red Dawn" starred then-rising young actors Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen and Jennifer Grey as a ragtag group of Colorado teens who wage a guerrilla war against Soviet-led invaders. One of the indelible images from the film is when a swarm of gun-toting, camo-clad paratroopers nonchalantly descend into an ordinary American town, then swiftly take it over.
That image is faithfully reproduced in a new remake of the film, also titled "Red Dawn," which changes the identities of the invaders and updates the setting but follows many of the same narrative beats. Time will tell if the remake, which opened Wednesday, can also re-create the cult success of its predecessor. …
Read the full story on latimes.com, or download the print version as a PDF.
Photo: MGM
His own rules
David Ayer, who knows L.A.'s mean streets, doesn't follow the familiar cop genre route in the gritty 'End of Watch'
Sept. 19, 2012 | Los Angeles Times
The streets of South-Central Los Angeles that serve as the backdrop for the new police drama "End of Watch" are familiar turf for writer-director David Ayer. He grew up in the neighborhood, and over the last decade the 43-year-old filmmaker has specialized in telling gritty Southland cop tales.
"I'm comfortable there," Ayer said in a recent interview at his house in the hills above Los Feliz, talking about his childhood home in a very different part of the city. "It's like my living room." …
Photo: Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times
Future shock
The new show at Griffith Observatory uses the Mayan 2012 phenomenon as a jumping-off point to explore time, and includes a vision of a later L.A.
May 29, 2012 | Los Angeles Times
A scene depicting the total destruction of Santa Monica — complete with fiery meteorites, land masses shearing off into the sea and swarms of flying monkeys — might seem better suited to a Hollywood disaster movie than a planetarium show. But "Time's Up," opening at the Griffith Observatory on Thursday, is not the kind of planetarium show you might remember from grade school.
The imagery goes way beyond the traditional static view of the stars, while the presentation forgoes canned narration and gesturing at constellations. A project 15 months in the making, "Time's Up" combines high-tech multimedia and the age-old tradition of oral storytelling. …
Photo: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times
A broader view
Cinerama gives 'How the West Was Won' proper perspective
April 12, 2012 | Los Angeles Times
At 9:30 on a recent Wednesday morning, projectionist John Sittig is stationed in the darkened, submarine-like projection room of the Cinerama Dome at the ArcLight Hollywood. Flanked by whirring machinery, he and his crew are monitoring three synchronized 1961 movie projectors, a vintage sound dubber and 85,000 feet of film (that's 16 miles).
In the theater below, a panoramic view of a rustic homestead fills the Dome's expansive curved screen, which is 86 feet wide and 32 feet high. The picture is pristine, save for two faint vertical lines dividing the image into thirds.
Sittig is conducting a test screening of the 1962 epic "How the West Was Won," which will play Sunday morning in its original Cinerama format as part of the third annual TCM Classic Film Festival. …
Photo: Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times
This could be just her thing
Mary Elizabeth Winstead on living up to John Carpenter's legacy
Oct. 14, 2011 | Los Angeles Times
The most frightening element of the 1982 John Carpenter horror classic "The Thing" is the title creature, a shape-shifting alien parasite brought to gruesome life with detailed practical effects. For actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead, the scariest part about starring in a new prequel to the film, also called "The Thing" and opening Friday, was the risk of not living up to a cult favorite.
"I think there was some pressure going into it knowing that we were going to be watched very closely and that if we didn't do it justice, there was going to be a lot of anger," Winstead said in Los Angeles.
But the 26-year-old actress, known for her roles as a Hollywood starlet in Quentin Tarantino's "Death Proof" and as the object of Michael Cera's affection in "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World," saw in "The Thing" a chance to do something different. …
Photo: Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times
Tall, dark — and very busy
'Boardwalk Empire's' Michael Shannon stars in the film 'Take Shelter' and will play a villain in the upcoming Superman movie.
Sept. 29, 2011 | Los Angeles Times
Michael Shannon, star of the new drama "Take Shelter," is not the typical everyman.
With a 6-foot-4 frame, deep-set eyes and facial features that seem as if they were carved from granite, Shannon strikes an imposing figure. It's served him well playing intense characters such as the troubled Prohibition agent Nelson Van Alden on the HBO series "Boardwalk Empire," but it also makes him an unconventional choice for the guy next door.
Then again, "Take Shelter," which opens Friday in Los Angeles and New York, is no ordinary family drama. …
Read the full story at latimes.com, or download the print version as a PDF.
Photo: Ringo H.W. Chiu / Los Angeles Times
Who ya gonna frame?
Comedic actor Bill Murray is the inspiration for R&R Gallery's new exhibit.
Sept. 16, 2010 | Los Angeles Times
Actor Bill Murray has played an array of roles in his decades-long career, including that of an unhinged greenskeeper, a paranormal exterminator, a weather-man caught in a time loop and an idiosyncratic undersea explorer. Now he can add muse to the list.
Murray is the inspiration behind the new exhibition "Mr. Bill Murray," opening Friday at R&R Gallery in the downtown Arts District. The group show features work by 47 artists and Murray aficionados. …
Artwork: Candace Jean
L.A. High named low-achieving school
Designation opens the door to possible takeover
July 1, 2010 | Mid-City Press
After years of substandard academic performance, Los Angeles High School, the oldest high school in the city, faces an uncertain future.
On May 24, Los Angeles Unified School District officials named L.A. High one of eight district wide low-achieving "focus schools."
The designation, which is determined by low student performance on standardized testing, opened the campus to possible takeover by an external group, such as a charter operator or nonprofit, beginning with the 2011-2012 school year.
Download the full story as a PDF.
Economic eating at Hometown Buffet
Is all-you-can-eat all it's cracked up to be?
Nov. 12, 2008 | Metromix Los Angeles
Given the shaky economy and the mortgage mess, it would seem the American dream has lost a bit of its luster. But if there's any place that can calm recession woes, restore consumer confidence and promise good value, surely it's the Hometown Buffet (locations citywide). With its comfort-food menu and all-you-can-eat buffet, HTB would seem the perfect restaurant for lean times. The notion of an endless buffet is, after all, an apt metaphor for the American dream. It is a place of opportunity, a land of plenty, a multicultural melting pot where minestrone, enchiladas and kielbasa peacefully coexist under one roof. …
Photo: Shane Redsar
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"This invitation came out beautiful. On the sample that we ordered, the font was very small. This made me nervous that I wouldn't be able to increase the font, and fit all of the information that we needed on there. However, it turned out not to be an issue. They are able to do so much to customize your order, and after a few rounds of proofs, the designer had nailed it. And the customer service staff was so helpful throughout the whole process."
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Owners Abroad - Individual Private Seller Properties
Apartment for sale in Ossana, Italy – 1501
Beautiful 1 bedroomed apartment for sale by owner in Ossana in northern Italy. Ideal for the skiing regions of the Italian Alps. A first floor apartment with one bedroom and one bathroom nicely finnished with traditional wooden...view the listing
Land for sale in Western Cape, South Africa – 1528
This property is part of deceased estate. It is based in the beautiful town of Stilbaai, which is known to be one of the growing tourist destinations of the Garden Route. The property is a 3.1 ha stand in a Private Nature...view the listing
Apartment in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt -1523
Viewings by the owners will be between 30th March – 15th April 2014. Thereafter shown by the Hilton Management team. This property in for Sale, due to putting retirement plans into action. The property has been used as a very...view the listing
Land For Sale in Paros, Greece – 1509
A beautiful piece of land for sale, situated on the island of Paros – one of the prettiest and best connected Cycladic Islands. The plot is up on a hill just outside of the main port town of Parikia, offering breathtaking...view the listing
2 Bed Apartment in Madeira – 1521
Do you want to buy a place under the sun where a good quality of living is achievable,where the infrastructure is good and where crime rate is low? You have found it! The island of Madeira is the place that offers all that and...view the listing
7 Bed Farmhouse in Morzine, France
Le Chant du Nant is an exquisite farmhouse and is the very epitome of quality, tradition and style. The kitchen is a bespoke Italian design of the highest quality. The atmospheric dining room with its double height ceiling and...view the listing
Selling Your Property Abroad
There comes a time when for whatever reason you need to think about selling your property abroad and returning home. You've enjoyed the sunshine, the laid back lifestyle but now it's time to move on whether to...view the listing


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Founded in December 2001 by Donald Patnaude & Supawan Inbunna. Donald had just arrived in November 2001 for what was to be another vacation to Thailand. He ended up staying and teaching English, and now, 12+ years later, has taught the language to more than 6,500 people ages 3-60 years old (mostly teenagers and young adults). During this time he has worked for four private language centers, has taught for four years at three Thai government schools, and has provided consulting services on a wide range of educational topics for local schools and businesses.
Today's Mission: Ajarn Donald's wants to be able to provide within the Kingdom of Thailand to every person who chooses to learn English the best educational products & services to meet their demands, ultimately leading to a successful and productive future in any professional, academic or personal capacity they desire. This also must be done without allowing limitations such as income, religion, nationality etc. stand in the way in our efforts to achieve our goals and that is to find ways to teach everyone who wants/needs to learn the English language. A decision to learn or improve your English language skills + Ajarn Donald's English Language Services together with English-Attack! Thailand = success to your destiny. http://www.ajdon.info/
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San Diego Chargers safety Kevin Ellison was arrested Monday in Redondo Beach, Calif., on suspicion of possessing a controlled substance after police stopped him for speeding in a school zone near his former high school.
Ellison's agent, Jerome Stanley, told The San Diego Union-Tribune on Tuesday that his client didn't realize the Vicodin he had in his center console was a controlled substance.
"He thought it was a good idea to get enough pain killers to last the season," Stanley said. "They were for him to use because of his knee surgery."
Redondo Beach Sgt. Phil Keenan revealed to the newspaper that during the traffic stop, police officers "asked if it was OK to search, and he allowed them to search. That's when they found, in the center console, the 100 Vicodin."
Ellison, 23, was booked and released on $10,000 bail. He's due to appear in court in July.
Reached by The Associated Press, Redondo Beach Sgt. Peter Grimm said Ellison didn't have a prescription for the Vicodin, and even if he did, it was an unusually large amount of pills for a pharmacist to distribute.
"It's disappointing to hear about the issue involving Kevin Ellison," Chargers general manager A.J. Smith said in a statement released by the team. "We'll continue to monitor the situation and let the legal process run its course."
Ellison played four seasons at USC and started nine games as a rookie for the Chargers in 2009. His older brother, Keith, is a linebacker for the Buffalo Bills.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.


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Rolex Rankings #65
Rolex Rankings #1
Will Shanshan Feng defend her title?
Will Lexi Thompson defend her title?
Ernst's victory another big step in her career
The Social Scene for September, 2014
Morgan Pressel talks about the struggles of being injured last year and how it has come full circle to this year.


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We're willing to bet you have things in your home that you can use to help your young child develop the foundations needed for school. These household items will help develop skills such as listening... read more
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Tears at the school drop off, a universal answer to a universal question, sleep-deprived students and more. That's what caught Minnow's attention this week. >moreSavvyBlog
Kids really do gobble up kale, we swear. Here's how to get kids to eat (and like) kale. >moreEatSavvy Blog
Here are a few easy and fabulous ways you can include apples in your early fall decorating. >morePartySavvy Blog
You'll be singing in the rain (and snow, and wind) with this stylish pick.


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Berkshire Museum
39 South St (route 7), Pittsfield, MA 01201
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Art, history, natural science. Make surprising connections! Berkshire Museum offers a unique array of exhibitions, activities, and attractions for visitors of all ages. From fine art and ancient objects to fossils; from an aquarium of native and exotic creatures to the Feigenbaum Hall of Innovation, we are your community museum: a place where everyone, from toddlers to elders, can learn, play, explore, innovate, be engaged and inspired.
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How To Experience Cranberry Season in Massachusetts
Nearly two hundred years ago, Massachusetts' first commercial cranberry crop was cultivated in Dennis, MA....
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Plus Size Charmed Queen Costume Adult includes:
More on our Plus Size Charmed Queen Costume: This queen of hearts costume features an exquisite dress with red heart accents, a ruffled neckline, puffed sleeves, bows down the bodice and metallic gold trim. Finish with the black elbow length gloves, heart-print thigh-highs and headband with a red heart crown.
Hand wash cold, line dry.
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Guide Gear® Triple Wigwam Tent
Item # WX2-174280
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Guide Gear® Wigwam Tents. Compact camping comfort... with room for the whole family! SAVE !
FAST setup and the space your family needs to stretch out! Based on the classic lodge style that's stood the test of time for centuries. Keeps your kids happy or provides enough space to keep all your gear safe and sound.
Makes a good investment for any youth group or scout troop. Designed exclusively for The Sportsman's Guide for a direct-from-the-factory price you can't get anywhere else! Get your Wigwam here for LESS!3 sizes of the same space-saving Wigwam design:
- Strong 800-denier polyester shell with 1,000 mm water resistant coating for dependable weather protection
- Bathtub-style floor keeps out moisture
- Incredibly easy setup... erect the center poles (1, 2 or 3 depending on size), stake out guy ropes and you are done!
- Enough room to maintain privacy, but the centralized design encourages conversation... no corners.
Dependable camping excellence at a price you can live with!
4-6 person capacity. 12 x 12', generous 8'10" height. 1 door, 1 window and 1 roof vent for cool ventilated comfort. Weighs 16 lbs.
Double Wigwam Tent,
Click to Zoom
Sleeps 8-10
20 x 12'
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8-10 person capacity. 20 x 12', generous 8'10" height. 1 door, 3 windows and 2 roof vents to adjust for climate. Weighs 25 lbs.
Triple Wigwam Tent,
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12-14 person capacity. 24 x 12', huge 8'10" height. 2 large doors in a pass-through design. 4 windows, 3 roof vents for air-circulated comfort.Weighs 30 lbs.
Built to Sportsman's Guide's exact specifications, Guide Gear ® stands for dependability, long-lasting quality and unmatched value! Guaranteed!
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Customer Reviews
Great tent
My shopping experience was superb. I ordered this tent as a unit tent for my military unit. It arrived promptly and was deployed as a unit shelter just 2 days later. The soldiers who utilized it were very satisfied with it. Since it was used during nice weather our only significant concern is how well it will hold up in inclement weather ie heavy rain. We'll let you know.
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Here Are 9 More Media Companies That Test Employees for Drugs
Earlier this month, Gawker named eight big media companies that continue to screen prospective employees for drug consumption. This drew dozens of emails and hundreds of comments from working journalists willing to talk about their own company's testing practices. It's time to spill their secrets. »


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WAMC New York News
1:59 pm
Tue March 25, 2003
National Shrine of Divine Mercy Prays for Peace.
By Arlen Cellana
Stockbridge, MA – Everyday, for the last 70 years, the bells have rung on Eden Hill in Stockbridge at the Marian Fathers' National Shrine of Divine Mercy. Those bells have taken on added significance now that our country is at war and Father David Lord, rector of the National Shrine, has invited all who hear them to pray for peace and calm in the world. Berkshire Bureau Chief Arlen Cellana spoke with Father Lord and asked him how the Marian Fathers view this war.


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The Power to Persevere
from Steven Lawson Sep 19, 2014 Category: ArticlesEternal life means I have God's supernatural grace within me that enables me to live the Christian life. His power strengthens me to run the race in a way that glorifies Him. Paul said, "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13). God's ... Keep Reading
$5 Friday: Apologetics, Islam, & Reformed Theology
from Nathan W. Bingham Sep 12, 2014 Category: Ministry NewsIt's time for our weekly $5 Friday sale. This week's resources cover such topics as apologetics, Islam, Reformed theology, John Calvin, predestination, covenants, and more. Keep Reading
Choosing Hymns
from Nathan W. Bingham Sep 11, 2014 Category: Tabletalk MagazineHere's an excerpt from Choosing Hymns, Matt Boswell's contribution to the September issue of Tabletalk: Keep Reading
The Necessity of Biblical Preaching
from Daniel Hyde Sep 10, 2014 Category: ArticlesThe chief and primary means by which the Holy Spirit communicates the grace of God to us is the preaching of the gospel. It is by preaching, first of all, that He creates faith within us. As Paul says, "Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ" (Rom. 10:17). Keep Reading
Get R.C. Sproul's New Book for a Gift of Any Amount
from R.C. Sproul Sep 09, 2014 Category: Ministry NewsThere is an undercurrent of irrationalism in modern scientific writing. Despite scientific advances, "chance" is put forth as the cosmic power behind creation. As such, it's tempting to believe science is the enemy of faith. Keep Reading
The Blessing of Great Teachers
from Nathan W. Bingham Sep 09, 2014 Category: Tabletalk MagazineHere's an excerpt from The Blessing of Great Teachers, R.C. Sproul's contribution to the September issue of Tabletalk: Keep Reading
Are You Seeking After God?
from R.C. Sproul Sep 08, 2014 Category: ArticlesWe have all heard evangelists quote from Revelation: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me" (Rev. 3:20). Keep Reading
Social Media Highlights (09/07/14)
from Nathan W. Bingham Sep 07, 2014 Category: Ministry NewsHere are highlights from our various Facebook and Twitter accounts over the past week. Keep Reading
Having Boldness to Enter the Holiest
from L. Michael Morales Sep 06, 2014 Category: ArticlesThe Book of Leviticus is the heart and center of the Pentateuch. The theological heart of Leviticus—and, therefore, also of the Five Books of Moses—is the Day of Atonement (Lev 16). Keep Reading
Creeds and Confessions: Biblical and Beneficial
from Daniel Hyde Sep 05, 2014 Category: ArticlesDespite claims that the creeds and confessions are unbiblical, that they are merely Roman Catholic traditions, or that they stifle the Spirit of God in the life of God's people, they are, in fact, biblical and beneficial. Keep Reading
$5 Friday: Prayer, Parables, & the Holy Spirit
from Nathan W. Bingham Sep 05, 2014 Category: Ligonier ResourcesIt's time for our weekly $5 Friday sale. This week's resources cover such topics as prayer, parables, the Holy Spirit, oaths, God, love and more. Keep Reading


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Elastic Bond is the latest Miami band to get some well-deserved time in the national spotlight. For years, the crew's smooth and melodious global rhythms have flowed through the nights and mornings of the city's clubs, bars, festivals, and parties, luring a legion of local fans that's set to grow ... More >>
You may have noticed quite a bit of coverage for this LAMC thing on Crossfade lately. Like this, this and this. But we've got a good reason. Going strong for over a decade now, the Latin Alternative Music Conference is the biggest of its kind, a sort of mecca for the indie scene's&nbs ... More >>
You know Toto Gonzalez (AKA Mr. Pauer) from around town. He's not so much a local music act as an institution. A DJ, producer, party promoter and founder of Latin music and lifestyle website Fabrika, Mr. Pauer has played a big role in helping to bridge the gap between our city's cultural sensib ... More >>
You've been enjoying Suénalo right here in the MIA for years. And they just won New Times' pick for Best Latin Band in this year's Best of Miami issue. But New York is only just about to learn the true meaning of Afro-Latin-baby-makin'-descarga-funk. After all, we can't be stingy. We need to sha ... More >>
July draws near, and with it, one of the biggest events for Latin music in the US. LAMC, or the Latin Alternative Music Conference, is an annual industry powow featuring events of all sorts -- panels, cocktails, and of course, a whole shitload of live shows by some of the badest Latin acts in the ... More >>
The Latin Alternative Music Conference, or LAMC, descends once again on the normally peaceful city of New York. Okay, it's never peaceful, but from today through Saturday, at least one of the causes for all the ripples on the surface will come from the annual Latin Alternative Music Conference.&n ... More >>
Pardon the cheesy pun, but Bomba Estereo is blowing shit up! The Colombian outfit has made quite a name for themselves internationally since forming in Bogota. After letting the creative juices simmer abroad, 2009 is the year they finally take over the States, winning over fans with their unique ... More >>
And plans for the next Blue Man Group are in the works.
Ernest Barteldes Cucu Diamantes, lead singer of Yerba Buena, performing at Central Park in New York. Latin Alternative Music Conference, Day 1 Wednesday, July 9, 2008 Central Park Summerstage & Mercury Lounge, New York An overcast sky over Central Park and a severe weather forecast that never came ... More >>
This year's Latin Alternative Music Conference was a genre-bending confluence of reggaeton, folk, prog rock, and beyond
Babasonicos just wants to make a decent wage -- and some really weird music
When a little girl named Nicole takes on Cristian Castro, all bets are off
Circo takes a stab at pop monuments -- and scores pop success
Forget crossover: Selling a Colombian rock band in the United States is a mission for the custodians of culture -- or a very powerful magician
Shooting for 10,000
Julieta Venegas is no one's plastic pop diva
From the issue of August 31, 2000
A report from the Latin Alternative Music Conference


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It's ironic that the Barack Obama's appearance on the series coincides with the death of Joe McGinniss, an early chronicler of the political-entertainment nexus.
Zach Galifianakis Grills Barack Obama on Healthcare, Disconcerting Diagnosis
In a literal sense, Barack Obama's presidency was made possible by the tradition of black politics—he could not have won in 2008 without the proportional allocation that came out of Jesse Jackson's campaign 20 years before. Considering this history, and considering the valence of African-American culture and heritage in our collective lives, in the very founding of this country, in our politics, I am not sure how much comparisons with European countries can tell us.
Barack Obama was not prophecy. Whatever had been laid before him, it takes gifted hands to operate, repeatedly, on a country scarred by white supremacy. The significance of the moment comes across, not simply in policy, by in the power of symbolism."
— Ta-Nehisi Coates on Barack Obama, black America, and the White House.
Comparing the Failures of Bush and Obama
Can President Obama learn anything from the most significant failures of his predecessor? Are the failures of the Bush and Obama Administrations alike in any ways? These are the questions Ron Fournier has taken up over at National Journal. "Claiming a mandate he never had, the newly reelected president foisted a bold agenda upon Congress and the public, then watched it collapse within months—a victim of scandal, cynical opponents, and his own hubris," he writes. "That was George W. Bush in 2005. Or was it Barack Obama this past year?"
As the article continues it purports to show parallels between George W. Bush circa 2005 and Barack Hussein Obama today. Decide for yourself whether you're persuaded. What struck me was the way that President Bush's failures were identified and characterized. With a few exceptions, the focus was on political mistakes that the Bush White House purportedly made, stuff like "assuming that victory came with spoils," and pursuing domestic agenda items like social security reform. Fournier also argues that Bush was thwarted by a partisan opposition.
My assessment of Bush's failures is very different in emphasis. Erroneous political assumptions? Items on his domestic agenda that he prioritized without success? They're inconsequential compared to his catastrophic mistakes of substance.
Read more. [Image: Reuters]
As President Obama decides who will succeed Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., might get the short end of the stick once more.
Created by: Matt Vasilogambros & Rachel Fauber
Today in goofy things that make us laugh.
'Lucy' Obama and His 'Charlie Brown' Progressives
Lucy just had one Charlie Brown. Obama has a whole roster of would-be kickers, and a habit of teeing up the ball only to callously pull it away.
Don't progressives see this?
- Obama tricked the cannabis community into thinking his Justice Department would go easy on medical marijuana in states where it is legal, broke his promise, then misled voters about his options.
- Obama tricked anti-war voters into thinking that he wouldn't order American troops into battle unless there was an imminent threat to America or a declaration of war from Congress, then went to war in Libya, violating the War Powers Resolution, even though neither condition was met.
- Obama tricked transparency advocates into thinking he'd celebrate whistleblowers and set new standards in open government. He has prosecuted whistleblowers as aggressively as any president in history, and presided over a dramatic escalation in what the federal government does in secret.
- Obama tricked executive-power critics into thinking he would roll back the excesses of the Bush Administration. He has transformed those excesses into matters of bipartisan consensus, and gone farther in some respects, as when an American citizen was killed extra-judicially on his order.
- Obama tricked immigration-reform advocates into thinking he was a fellow traveler, then upset them with Secure Communities, record-breaking deportation levels, and a failure to improve immigration detention.
- Obama tricked Iraq War opponents into thinking that he would exit the country by the withdrawal date that George W. Bush negotiated. The Iraqi government wouldn't let him keep troops in the country beyond that date, although he tried to break his promise. Now the Obama Administration pays a small army of private-security contractors to protect America's presence in that country.
- Obama tricked critics of indefinite detention into thinking that he abhorred the practice, only to sign a bill that institutionalized it.
- Obama tricked critics of signing statements into thinking he wouldn't issue them. But he's done so on many occasions.
- Obama tricked critics of the state-secrets privilege into thinking he'd reverse Bush-era uses of the tactic. Instead he's continued it.
This isn't an exhaustive list, but these examples are sufficient to draw a conclusion: Progressives shouldn't trust what Obama says, or what they think he believes. They should judge his actions. It's the only way to distinguish between promises he aims to keep and things he's said to mislead small constituencies into thinking he'll do more for them than is justified by reality.
[Images: Charles Schultz/Reuters, edited by David A. Graham]
Dear Mr. President Obama,
I have the pleasure to send a congratulation note for the first time to an American president, and on behalf of all Africa, and of Cen-Sad, the base of the African pyramid, and on behalf of the Arab Maghreb Union, and in the name of all Arab leaders as I am their dean.
I salute the American people who have chosen you in these historical elections for such a high position, so that you may lead the change that you have promised them and for which they have rallied around you.
We hope that you lead the United States of America on the path of good and respect peoples' sovereignty and observe the policy of neutrality.
Muammar al-Qadhafi
— Muammar Gaddafi's congratulatory letter to the newly elected President Barack Obama. (via aheram)
(via soupsoup)


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Uruguay legalizes marijuana: Crowds cheer and applaud vote
- Nofork160
- uploaded: Dec 11, 2013
- Hits: 91
Uruguay has become the first country in the world to legalize both the sale and production of marijuana. President Jose Mujica has championed the measure as a way of combatting the illegal drug industry that has decimated parts of Uruguay. READ MORE: LIVE to RT! us on Facebook us on Twitter us on Instagram us on Google+ +RTRT (Russia Today) is a global news network broadcasting from Moscow and Washington studios. RT is the first news channel to break the 1 billion YouTube views benchmark.
1 comments
Knowsys December 12, 2013 2:49:38 PM CET
But please use the term Cannabis, not the US-founded bad word to discredit Cannabis, "Marijuana". And watch this, fuc.... UN: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-25340324


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Fluorescence Excitation and Emission Spectra
by cardinal72491
Tags: emission, excitation, fluorescence, spectra
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Dec16-13, 09:44 PM
I need help understanding the relationship between the excitation and emission spectra for a fluorescent material. This is not homework.
Let's say we have the following graph which plots the two spectra for a given material:
Two curves are shown - the excitation spectra and the emission spectra as well as the stokes shift (the difference in nanometers between the peak amplitudes of both curves).
From looking at the graph, the peak amplitude of the excitation spectrum is around 450, while the peak for the emission spectrum is around 550, making the stokes shift roughly 100 nm.
So my question is this: using this information how would I calculate the the emission wavelength given a particular light source. Below is my interpretation of what to do:
Step 1)
Let's say we have a monochromatic light at 400 nm with a spectral intensity value of 100. I would first look at the graph for the excitation spectra and see what the absorption value is for 400 nm. Let's call this value "A" (in the graph above the y axis is not plotted so let's say its 0.1 for the sake of this example). I would then multiply light intensity * A (100 *0.1) and get an intensity of 10.
Step 2)
Next, to find the corresponding emission wavelength, I shift up the incoming wavelength by stokes shift. So stokes shift in this case is around 100 so we get 400 + 100 = 500 nm for the emitted light.
Step 3)
To find the intensity of the emitted light, I look at the emission spectrum graph and find the value for 500 nm (since the Y axis is unplotted let's say its value is 0.25). I would then modulate the absorbed light intensity by this outgoing value (10 * 0.25) and get an intensity of 2.5.
So based on my understanding a 400nm beam of light with a spectral intensity of 100 would cause this particular material to emit a beam of light at 500 nm at an intensity of 2.5.
Is the above a correct interpretation? The biggest thing I am unsure about here is whether stokes shift uniformly shifts over all wavelengths in the excitation spectra or if it is used only as a reference for measuring difference between peak amplitudes.
Dec16-13, 10:22 PM
Other Sci
Sci Advisor
The emission wavelength is independent of the excitation wavelength. The emission spectrum looks identical to regardless of the wavelength you use to excite the fluorophore. The only difference is how efficiently your excitation light gets absorbed (for example, since it looks like the fluorophore in the diagram absorbs at ~ 450nm about ten times as strongly as at 350nm, the emitted fluororescence will be ten times weaker when exciting your dye with 350nm light versus 450nm light of the same intensity.
Calculating the amount of fluorescence emission from the amount of excitation light also requires knowledge of the quantum yield of the dye (what fraction of excited electons relax to the ground state via fluorescence versus non-fluorescent relaxation pathways).
Dec16-13, 10:38 PM
Oh okay, I see. Thank you for your reply.
Just a few more questions though.
- So if the emission spectrum is exactly the same regardless of incoming light/excitation (and just the magnitude changes) - then what accounts for fluorophores that appear different colors under UV lighting vs daylight? Based on what you described, it would seem that a fluorophore would always emit the same exact color just at different brightness levels.
-From an observers point of view, is the light we see from a fluorophore just the light from the emission spectrum or is it excitation + emission?
-If the light you're using to excite your dye is of multiple wavelengths, does the intensity of the emitted fluorescence increase linearly?
Sorry if my questions are very simple
Dec16-13, 11:30 PM
Other Sci
Sci Advisor
Fluorescence Excitation and Emission Spectra
Because you cannot see UV light, however, illuminating a dye with UV in a darkened room will allow you to see the fluorescence (assuming the UV light can excite the dye).
In general, when measuring the fluorescence of a compound, you will shine your light through a solution of the dye in one direction, then place the detector perpendicular to your light path. That way, none of the transmitted light reaches the detector and only the light emitted by fluorescence (along with scattered emission light) reaches the detector. If your detector were on the opposite side as your light source, you would basically just see the absorbance spectrum of your dye, not the emission spectrum.
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5 Hated Stocks Poised to Pop on Earnings
3D Systems
Another potential earnings short-squeeze trade is 3D Systems (DDD), a provider of 3D content-to-print solutions, which is set to release numbers on Thursday before the market open. Wall Street analysts, on average, expect 3D Systems to report revenue of $87.29 million on earnings of 27 cents per share.
During the last quarter, 3D Systems reported revenue of $83.6 million. GAAP reported sales were 52% higher than the prior year quarter at $55.1 million. Also during the last quarter, earnings per share came in at 16 cents. GAAP earnings per share of 16 cents for the second quarter were 38% lower than the prior-year quarter of 26 cents per share.>>3 Tech Stocks Hedge Funds Are Buying The current short interest as a percentage of the float for 3D Systems is extremely high at 21.1%. That means that out of the 50.36 million shares in the tradable float, 10.62 million shares are sold short by the bears. The bears have also been increasing their bets from the last reporting period by 2.9%, or by about 300,000 shares. This is a huge short interest on a stock with a relative low float. If the bulls get the news they're looking for, then this stock could explode higher post-earnings. From a technical perspective, DDD is currently trading above its 200-day moving average and just below its 50-day moving average, which is neutral trendwise. This stock has been uptrending slightly for the last month, with shares rising from a low of $32.35 to its recent high of $40.59 a share. During that uptrend, shares of DDD have been making mostly higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed DDD within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade post-earnings. If you're bullish on DDD, then I would wait until after its report and look for long-biased trades if this stock can manage to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $40.59 to $40.96 a share with high volume. Look for volume on that move that tracks in at near or above its three-month average action of 1.4 million shares. If DDD triggers that breakout, then this stock will setup to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance level and its 52-week high at $44.80 a share. Any move above $44.80 should setup DD to trend north of $50 a share. I would avoid DDD or look for short-biased trades if after earnings it fails to trigger that breakout, and then drops below some key near-term support levels at $36.18 to $32.35 a share with high volume. If we get that action, then DDD will setup to re-test or possibly take out its 200-day moving average of $30.11 a share post-earnings.
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Listen to Podcasts of previous broadcasts of the Not Alone radio program.
To search by date of broadcast, click on the months below for a list of previously aired broadcast. You may also search by guest name or topic by clicking on the appropriate button.
August 6, 2013 – The Author's Perspective
Julia Cook writes stories for the child in each of us about social or emotional issues children experience but perhaps haven't words to describe. Children are able to relate to the pony or the tree, the butterfly or the balloon, who is the 'hero' of the story and experiencing distress. Ms. Cook will share excerpts from her newest books including addictive video games children play, cancer in children, and coping with peer pressure. My favorite book, The Blueloon about childhood depression, now has an activity book that we will discuss as well.
August 13, 2013 – The Provider Perspective
Ruth Henrichs, CEO with Lutheran Family Services, John Jeanetta, CEO for Heartland Family Services, and John Griffith, CEO at Catholic Charities share perspectives regarding how the provision of behavioral health care has changed for agencies over the past 10 years, and what direction we will probably be moving towards in the next 10 years. How will charitable organizations providing behavioral health care services receive the funding needed to continue their meaningful programs?
August 20, 2013 – The Parent Perspective
There is a growing need for mental health care for youth, and for more timely access to appropriate care. Young people do experience depression, become involved with substance abuse, or seriously consider suicide. What happens when parents try to access an assessment, a diagnosis, a treatment plan, and a recovery plan for their child, teen, or young adult. Are families meeting with success?
August 27, 2013 – The Consumer Perspective
Three of our special friends who've experienced a lifetime of mental health challenges share their stories and share great perspectives on what motivated them to reach deep inside to claim the spirit of recovery and resiliency they knew could happen. This will be our last Not Alone broadcast; we felt it appropriate to close with words by the very people who inspired us to initiate Not Alone programs six years ago.
July 2, 2013 – Physician Assistants and Their Role in Helping Those with Mental Disorders Maintain Wellness
July 9, 2013 – The Value of Peer Support in Recovery and Wellness
July 16, 2013 – Keystone Treatment and Outreach Center Services for
Substance Abuse and Gambling Disorders
July 23, 2013 – Opportunities for Veterans at Nebraska Community Colleges
July 30, 2013 – Magellan Health Services
Changes for Nebraska
June 4, 2013 – Dr. Mary Moller
June 11, 2013 – Dr. Mary Moller
June 18, 2013 – Advancing Mental Health Care
June 25, 2013 – Family Perspective
May 7, 2013 – GOALS
May 14, 2013 – Nebraska Families Collaborative
May 21, 2013 – Parent Voices
May 28, 2013 – Premier Psychiatric Group
April 2, 2013 – Peer Support
April 9, 2013 – Veterans Administration
April 16, 2013 – Senior Health and Healing with Lila Starr
April 23, 2013 – UNO Department of Gerontology
April 30, 2013 – Mary Lanning HealthCare Center
March 5, 2013 – Epworth Village
March 12, 2013 – Problem Gambling Awareness
March 19, 2013 – Alternative to Incarceration
March 26, 2013 – Mosaic
February 5, 2013 – RESPECT
February 12, 2013 – At Ease
February 19, 2013 – Dating Violence
February 26, 2013 – Youth Emergency Services (YES)
January 1, 2013 – Gayle Bluebird
January 8, 2013 – Mental Health: A Personal Perspective
January 15, 2013 – WRAP
January 22, 2013 – Hoarding
January 29, 2013 – Personal Courage
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Ron Browz
|Ron Browz
|Background information
|Birth name
|Rondell Turner
|Also known as
December 6, 1982
New York City, New York, United States
|Hip hop, R&B
|Record producer, songwriter, singer, rapper
|Keyboards, sampler, vocals, Auto-Tune
|Years active
|Ether Boy/Universal Motown (2008-2009)[1]
Ether Boy (2010-present)
|Associated acts
|Fat Joe, Jim Jones, Busta Rhymes, Nas, Papoose
Rondell Turner,[2] better known by his stage name Ron Browz (/ˈbraʊz/), is an American record producer and rapper. He has his own record label called Ether Boy Records. He is best known for producing the prolific Jay-Z diss song "Ether" by Nas. After the popularity of the song, he adapted the nickname "Ether Boy".
Turner first worked in the studio with rapper Big L and later produced Nas's song "Ether," which dissed rapper Jay-Z.[3] In late 2008 Ron Browz started working on a solo album, Etherboy. The first single was "Pop Champagne" a collaboration with fellow Harlem rapper Jim Jones featuring Juelz Santana.[4] "Pop Champagne" was included in Jones's 2009 album Pray IV Reign. The second single was "Jumping (Out the Window)" the music video was released on January 27, 2009[citation needed]. He was also featured on Busta Rhymes' first single "Arab Money" off his album Back on My B.S. and Capone-N-Noreaga's comeback single "Rotate" off their album Channel 10 . Browz has also been thrust into popculture thanks to the use of his song "20 Dollars". His Etherboy album was never released and Browz parted ways with Universal in 2009. On July 20, 2010 Ron Browz released his debut album, Etherlibrium on his newly founded record label Ether Boy Records.[5]
Recently, Browz has been giving fans free downloads of songs from his upcoming double album Random/Awkward. It has been announced that Browz' next album will not be the double disc set Random/Awkward Browz had been talking about on Twitter and will instead be a brand new mixtape entitled The Christening. On October 17, 2011 The Christening was released. Browz is currently promoting the record, doing frequent interviews and live shows. Browz followed The Christening with another free mixtape 'Stranded On Lenox'. Ron Browz continues to tour the world currently performing songs from his most recent release "BLVCK CIRCUS".
It was announced in the summer of 2015 that Ron Browz will be making his acting debut in the music-based dramedy The Mint, written by Samuel C. Morrison, Jr..[6]
- Timeless EP (2009)
- Etherlibrium (2010)
- Etherboy: Browz Reloaded (2013)
- 2009, Best Collaboration ft. Jim Jones & Juelz Santana 'Pop Champagne' (Won)
- The Mint (2015)
- ^ http://allhiphop.com/stories/news/archive/2009/10/05/21966292.aspx Hit Rapper/Producer Ron Browz Off Universal Motown. Retrieved 2009-10-28
- ^ Ron Brownz Discography
- ^ Jeffries, David. "Ron Browz > Biography". allmusic. Retrieved 2009-09-11.
- ^ Reid, Shaheem (2008-10-17). "Jim Jones Kick-Starts Major-Label Solo Debut With 'Pop Champagne' And A Hip-Hop Play". MTV News. Retrieved 2009-09-11.
- ^ Ron Browz Etherlibrium coming July 20 to iTunes!
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2631761/
External links[edit]


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Welcome to the Great Ocean Walk
A comprehensive free guide to planning your Great Ocean Walk
The Great Ocean Walk is Victoria's premier long distance walk, hugging the dramatic coastline between Apollo Bay and the landmark Twelve Apostles along the Great Ocean Road. It offers a great variety of contrasting habitats, historical interest points, wildlife and beautiful remote beaches to explore – bounded by the wild Great Southern Ocean. Many people are familiar with the Great Ocean Road but the Walk offers completely different perspectives, far from the roads and people.
The Great Ocean Walk can be tackled as an extended trip of up to 7-8 days or broken down into smaller sections and day hikes, with accommodation options nearby accessed from the Great Ocean Road. This web site is intended to provide useful information to the would-be walker and help you get the most from your exploration of this fabulous Walk and coastline, whether you are taking an organised tour or walking independently.
This site is compiled and maintained by staff at RAW Travel, a tour operator specialising in active walking and cycling trips who are experts in Great Ocean Walk tours. This is not the "official" site but a very useful one – we do not register people for the Great Ocean Walk, which is done through Parks Victoria.


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The sacred valley of the Incas and its archeological monuments
Pisac was the site of an astronomical observatory of the Incas.
More Exhibit Items
Sacred Rock = Titi-Kala. Island of the Sun in Lake Titicaca (Inca)
Palace of the Inca. Lake Titicaca. Island of the Sun (Inca)
Palace of the first Inca on the Island of the Sun in Lake Titicaca (Inca)
Temple of the Sun. Cuzco, Peru (Inca)
Main gateway to Pisac's observatory (Inca)
Gold disk and pin found at Cuzco (Inca)
Document Actions


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Musical Instrument Museum
While Rob and I were in Arizona for Christmas, my mom took us up to Phoenix to explore the Musical Instrument Museum, devoted to musical instruments and traditions from around the world. The museum was full of wonderful cultural artifacts …
(Bonus) Photo of the Day: Invasion of the Domos
My desk collection of tiny Domo-kun figures is getting a little out of control. But they're so fiercely cute!
Photo of the Day: Daffodils
We're getting into one of my favorite times of year here in D.C., where the weather starts to warm up (albeit in fits and starts) and daffodils bloom en masse along the George Washington Parkway. I picked up a small bouquet of daffodils this weekend at Trader Joe's to brighten up my kitchen.
The people scurry by in comical little hops and starts, cups of coffee in their hands, cellphones at their ears, ID tags slapping at their bellies, a grim danse macabre to indifference, inertia and the dingy, gray rush of modernity.
— From "Pearls Before Breakfast," by Gene Weingarten of The Washington Post (source)
At Work in Syria, Times Correspondent Dies | NYTimes.com
Rick Gladstone writes, "Anthony Shadid, a gifted foreign correspondent whose graceful dispatches for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe and The Associated Press covered nearly two decades of Middle East conflict and turmoil, died, apparently of an asthma attack, on Thursday while on a reporting assignment in Syria." What a tremendous loss. The Post has a collection of some of his Pulitzer-winning work.
Photo of the Day: Christmas Cookies
This was taken while decorating Christmas cookies with my siblings in late December.
NPR GOP Delegate Tracker
Looking at GOP delegate trackers from different news organizations, you might notice that they often have different numbers. There are a lot of factors to consider, including whether to factor in projections / estimates, how to interpret state / party rules, or whether to keep tabs on how independent, unpledged RNC members are going to vote (and whether they change their votes later). There's no one canonical delegate list to refer to.
This week, NPR launched its own delegate tracker. It's likely among the most conservative out there in terms of delegate allotment (right now we have MItt Romney at 73 delegates, while the New York Times has him at 93, and the AP at 112), but the goal is to tally up only those delegates that have been officially or unambiguously apportioned — no estimates or projections based on what's "likely" to happen, no unpledged delegates whose vote could change at any time.
Who Pinched My Ride? | OutsideOnline.com
"When thieves stole his beloved commuter bike on a busy street in broad daylight, Patrick Symmes snapped — and set out on a cross-country plunge into the heart of America's bike-crime underbelly."
My Dinner With Clay Shirky, and What I Learned About Friendship | Media Decoder | NYTimes.com
David Carr on online / offline interactions and relationships. "As it turns out, Mr. Shirky became very good at bread eating at a young age, so his mother decided that he should also be good at bread making. We all chewed on the bread as Mr. Shirky told the story of learning how to make bread as a 10-year-old. Now, he could have told that story in a blog post or in an e-mail chain, but it became a very different story because we were tasting what he talked about. The connection in an online conversation may seem real and intimate, but you never get to taste the bread. To people who lead a less-than-wired existence, that may seem like a bit of a 'duh,' but I spend so much interacting with people on the Web that I have become a little socially deficient."
Photo of the Day: Morning Commute
WMATA Yellow Line. Friday morning.
Halftime Show
All the talk about Super Bowl halftime shows brought back memories of my all-time favorite: U2 in 2002. It was a strong performance made all the more powerful by the strong emotions of that time. It was perfect for that moment and, watching it again 10 years later, still makes me a little teary-eyed.
(If you can't see the video above, it's available on YouTube.)
Delaware Cottage Weekend
Rob has been musing aloud for months about wanting to rent a cottage by the beach in Delaware and spend a week away — perhaps using that time to dig in on a subject he's especially wanted to study or …
The iEconomy
If you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend The New York Times' new series about the economics of Apple's supply chain and working conditions at the Chinese plants that manufacture Apple products. Stories so far:
- "How the U.S. Lost Out on iPhone Work" (Jan. 21, 2012)
Building Apple's iPhone in the United States would demand much more than hiring Americans — it would require transforming the national and global economies.
- Video: "The iPhone Economy" (Jan. 20, 2012)
Apple's iPhone is a model of American ingenuity, but most of its components are manufactured somewhere else. The decline of manufacturing can lead to the loss of other kinds of jobs, a factor in the American economy right now.
- "In China, Human Costs Are Built Into an iPad" (Jan. 25, 2012)
A staggering manufacturing system in China has made it possible for Apple and other companies to make devices almost as quickly as they can be dreamed up, but for workers, it can be dangerous.
Year-End Campaign Finance Reports
Yesterday, in addition to being the date of the Florida GOP primary, also was a major Federal Election Commission deadline for candidates and political action committees to submit their year-end financial disclosures. Candidates had last filed at the end of the third quarter. Possibly more interesting was what might be gleaned from superPAC disclosures: Most of the ones that we tracked were not particularly active as of the last superPAC filing deadline (mid-2011) — if they even existed — and this would be the first chance to really see the kind of money going their direction.
So, during lulls in election night coverage, I haunted the FEC website (and former Post colleague Derek Willis's Twitter account) for new filings, adding data to this table as it came in:
"2012 Money Race: Battling For The Bottom Line" (NPR, Feb. 1, 2012)
This table built on what we set up for third-quarter campaign disclosures, adding corresponding superPAC info for each candidate. I couldn't necessarily add the candidate and superPAC totals together — legally, the two are independent and non-coordinating — but we did want to draw a visual connection between the two, grouping them together in the table.
My NPR colleagues Robert Benincasa and Peter Overby did an analysis of the various filings and, among other things, parsed out funds raised by the campaigns / superPACs by week. I fed those numbers into an interactive chart, built using the jQuery graphing library Flot. I set up this template a few months ago and have used it many times — including the third-quarter financial disclosures. This time, I modified it slightly so that when the user selects a candidate, the graph displays the weekly data for both that candidate and the superPAC that supports him.
Important note about these graphs: We're not able to graph small-donor contributions at the weekly level, as campaigns are required to itemize contribution info only for donors who have contributed over $200. So while these graphs may give an idea of the general trend of a candidate's fundraising, they are not a complete picture.
"2012 Campaign Cash, Week By Week" (NPR, Feb. 1, 2012)
NPR stories that have come out of this round of FEC disclosures so far:
Wrangling Election Data With Google Tools
WNYC developer John Keefe has some great tutorials on how to use various Google Tools to process / display elections data. Instead of building a database, he uses Google Fusion Tables.
- When the Data's Free: For the Iowa Caucuses (and this Saturday's Nevada Caucuses), Google worked directly with the state GOP to get live results and then shared them via Google Fusion Tables.
- When the Data Comes from AP: For the other primaries to date, Keefe has used data from AP's subscription election results service. This tutorial outlines his process for getting data from AP's FTP site to Fusion Tables (and then refreshing it every few minutes).
Photo of the Day: Secure
A favorite NPR sign, in the elevator lobby off the parking garage.
Going for a Ride
When you select something for purchase at photo / video superstore B&H in New York City, the salespeople, instead of the item to you, will put the item on a conveyor belt that runs overhead throughout the store. When you're done shopping, you can pick up your goodies at a kiosk by the checkout. Here, take a virtual ride on that conveyor belt.
Farewell To An Unlikely Hero: Why 'Chuck' Packed Such A Potent Punch | Monkey See | NPR
Linda Holmes writes, "Against overwhelming odds and in spite of eternally low ratings, Chuck's life and death speaks in surprisingly potent ways to how television is changing. More than anything, Chuck is a story about the rise of the fan … And Chuck fans, in their businesslike enthusiasm, sold themselves as a product."


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Steve Lawhead
Adult Fiction LAWHEAD
Summary: Robin Hood:nbsp;The Legend Begins Anew For centuries, the legend of Robin Hood and his band of thieves has captivated the imagination. Now the familiar tale takes on new life, fresh meaning, and an unexpected setting. Hunted like an animal by Norman invaders, Bran ap Brychan, heir to the throne of Elfael, has abandoned his father's kingdom and fled to the greenwood. There, in a primeval forest of the Welsh borders, danger surrounds him--for this woodland is a living, breathing entity with mysterious powers and secrets, and Bran must find a way to make it his own if he is to survive. Steeped in Celtic mythology and the political intrigue of medieval Britain, Stephen R. Lawhead conjures up an ancient past and holds a mirror to contemporary realities. Prepare yourself for an epic tale that dares to shatter everything you thought you knew about Robin Hood.
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Bran ap Brychan
Father is killed in an ambush; lost faith in himself; flees to the forest; determined to rescue his people from the oppression they are under.