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Three Good Protein Skimmers for a Mini Reef
February 19, 2014 by Carrie McBirney
Filed under All Posts, Aquariums, Corals Mini-Reef, Saltwater Fish
Good hang-on skimmers for the lower to mid-range budgets!
There are some decent low-to-mid priced protein skimmers, though each has its own little flaws and pluses. Yet there is an aquarist for each one. Some aquarists are simply more willing to mess around with their skimmers, so as Stuart Smalley would say, "and… that's okay!"
Dating back to my newbie days in 2005 to the present, 2014, there are 3 skimmers that I have the most experience with. These skimmers I can say I have used for well over 6 months to 3 years, which is long enough, I feel, to justify reviewing them. Has it been almost 10 years? Wow, so much has changed in the saltwater world! Today there are amazing thermometers with a computer chip to monitor water temperature, turning it on or off for the exact temperature you want, and now we have LED lighting too. I have tried VHO, T5s, and Metal Halide; various substrates and tank sizes; and I have mixed various fish and seen interesting results.
I think we are all waiting for the "AquaScum 2003″ that dentist P. Sherman bought for his saltwater tank in "Finding Nemo"! Since I don't like to speak on subjects I am not sure about, or a product I have not experienced, these 3 skimmers are the 3 hang-on or HOB (hang-on-the-back) I have had experience with.
I would put these three skimmers in the low-to-mid budget range and I can tell you that all three did their job. The lowest priced skimmer I used is now $80, it originally cost me $60 in 2005. The mid-range skimmer is about $180 today, and higher priced one runs about $260.
Red Sea Prizm Skimmer
I had a Prizm Skimmer for my first saltwater tank, which was a 55-gallon. Being new to the hobby I had spent quite a bit of money on so many things, including live rock. So of course I did what most newbies do, I bought a budget skimmer.
Mind you, I did do a lot of research on skimmers in the $50 to $100 range before I bought the Prizm Skimmer. I also read the "don't skimp on the skimmer" suggestion along with countless other suggestions. So I went in knowing that someday I would have to upgrade. In my head, I had calculated that my 55-gallon tank, with 60+ pounds of live rock, would probably only hold about 40 gallons of water. So I decided this skimmer should do the job for now.
One thing I did right was to buy the cylinder shaped Pro Surface Skimmer Box along with the Prizm Pro. I will say, after about a month, the Prizm Pro did quite well for my needs. After weeks of tweaking and fiddling with it, I was able to have it product that dark nasty goo on a daily basis. Understandably, today most of us are very busy and don't have time to "play" with our skimmers! A "plug and play skimmer," the Prizm is not!
The surface skimmer box is what pulls in all the oils and goo from the water surface which saltwater fish and corals produce. The Prizm Pro Skimmer utilizes the adjustable height of the Skimmer box very well. Then an 18 blade turbo-Jet air injector sufficiently bubbles up the water to form skimmate for removal. Some nice touches with this skimmer are its slim, low profile and being available for about $100. That will include the surface skimmer box and a media chamber in which you can put carbon if desired.
Coralife Super Skimmer, Needle Wheel Protein Skimmer
By 2006 I was on to my 150-gallon reef tank. My UPS delivery guy kindly gave this huge tank to me. Yeah, that IS cool! He was delivering a package and saw my 55-gallon aquarium and asked if I would be interested in a 150-gallon tank. Of course I responded, "Why, YES I would, good sir!"
So my research for a new skimmer started up again. It needed to be another hang-on model because there were no drill holes in my new tank for a sump. Due to the location of the tank, size or bulk was not an issue. For inhabitants I had a Magnificent Anemone Heteractis Magnifica, which was about 5″ across when I bought it, and reaching 18″ across by the time it grew up. On top of that I had many other corals and lots of fish.
After a lot of research I settled on needle wheel technology, and purchased the Coralife Super Skimmer Needle Wheel 220, rated for 220 gallons. By now I had learned a few things about skimmers, so I knew that over sizing them slightly was not a bad idea. This skimmer pulled out some of the foulest smelling dark goo I had seen!
Yes, it works and it works well. On the downside, there was again, a lot of fiddling and tweaking. Inconveniently, you must turn the dial that is used for the bubble/skimming levels down all the way in order to clean the cup. This was a bit annoying, since it could take some time to find that exact "sweet spot" again for maximum goo removal! A simple fix that came to mind after the first few cleanings, was to mark the spot where the dial was set with a black magic marker, making it easy to find the original spot the red dial was set. The only time I had an issue with this skimmer was when I used products that caused mass skimmate production. And that is not the fault of the skimmer, but rather user error!
Even though the Coralife Needle Wheel Skimmer does not have a "surface" skimmer, it did quite well at producing that yuck we all want out of our tanks. By using the needle-wheel system with an aspirating Venturi, it caused tons of micro-bubbles and increased contact time, which is needed to be effective. Yes, initially there will be micro-bubbles in the tank, but don't fret. Some adjustments, doing the hokey pokey, and making a few calls to Coralife will fix the problem. Their customer care is great.
Once you have it dialed in this is truly a great skimmer for the money. Currently the Coralife Needle Wheel Skimmer comes in a 65 gallon size for under $100, a 125 gallon size for about $150, and the 220 gallon size for about for $180.
AquaC Remora Protein Skimmer
Fast forwarding several years, I downsized my tank to a 60-gallon and again bought a Coralife. Due to limited space however, I needed to buy a new skimmer so the tank was not so far from the wall. This is when I bought the AquaC Remora Series Protein Skimmer. Currently, I have an AquaC Remora Pro Hang-On Skimmer rated for 50 to 120 gallons on my 75-gallon tank. I will say it gets out some nasty stuff, even with only 3 fish and 60 pounds of live rock!
What can I say… this is a great skimmer. This one IS "plug and play", no muss no fuss! There is a break in period, as with all skimmers, but for the most part just adjust the collection cup for a darker or lighter skimmate (like you would the other two), and you're done! The AquaC Remora uses a spray-injection. This is a powerful, high-pressure, air-induction spray that causes enormous amounts of goo removing bubbles.
I also purchased the skimmer box, which neatly hid the pump. This produced a lot of gooey icky skimmate and was easy to adjust by adding a thick round rubber band around the square cup. When it comes time to clean the skimmer cup you need to be careful not to move this band. However it isn't a big deal if you do move it because the skimmer responds quickly to adjustments. The boxes are sized appropriately for the differently sized skimmers and pumps. You can also use the smaller pump and the smaller box with the larger skimmer, but that would just be silly. The square design does make it a little more challenging to clean, but hey, if that is the worst of it, I'll take it. Plus this skimmer will not overflow!
The AquaC Remora Pro Hang-On also has a drain option for both sizes, which will drain into a 5-gallon container that is hidden under the tank. I recommend getting it, especially for those vacation days. But if you choose not to use the drain, you can just turn it upward and put a plug on it. The body of the skimmer has a special cut out area for the drain plug so this is not something you can do yourself.
I honestly struggled with my decision when it came to buying a skimmer for my present 75 gallon tank. Would I buy a Coralife or another AquaC Remora Pro Skimmer? Well, the flat, wide rectangular design of the AquaC won me over. After all, the tank is already intruding in a walkway of my house, and if I added the Coralife, I may have had to build a bridge over my tank! Okay, so it isn't THAT bad! One thing I also like about the AquaC is there are just 2 small sections you have to cut out of that black strip in the back of your glass lid if you have a cover! I am planning to buy a Snake Eel, and I need a completely sealed top! Upon researching the AquaC Remora Pro Skimmer, I stumbled across an ad in my local Craigslist! I scored one that was only a few years old for LESS than 1/2 of the retail price!
Their customer service is second to none! The skimmer started to produce aa lot of excess, foamy skim production that was basically a clearish tan. Perplexed, I called their customer service number only to find out the culprit was a product called "Instant Ocean de-chlor" which is great, but has a "slime protection" for the fish. They said most skimmers over skim when this type of de-chlor is added, so avoid any that say "slime coat or slime protection." Besides the fact, our saltwater fish don't really need that like freshwater fish do! I had forgotten that little bit of information! You will typically speak to the inventor or one of his well-qualified employees! He was happy to help me, knowing full well I got this last AquaC on Craigslist! I told him that just to see what his reaction would be and he could care less where I got it, but just that I was happt with the product!
The AquaC Remora Hang-On for 20 to 75 gallons runs about $160 and the larger AquaC Remora Pro, for 50 to 120 gallons, runs about $250. An additional $10 buys the Pro Hang-On with the drain fitting. AquaC now has a "new and improved" Remora-S for 20 to 75 gallons. I have not used that one, so I cannot comment on it, but it is supposed to be even better.
Getting the best with your skimmer
Removing the goo from the aquarium is important. Yet too large of a skimmer on any tank can cause over skimming, which is not good for your tank. There are natural things found in the water that corals and other organisms need to thrive. Many suggest, especially in Europe, that you turn the skimmer off at night once the tank is well established. Some find their corals do better with this action. Yet if the skimmer is under powered, turning it off at night wouldn't be necessary. So basically this suggestion needs to be tempered with the size of the skimmer, the contents or bioload of the aquarium, and the tank size.
Gladly, many companies are now stating the size of the skimmer based on the size of the tank and it's bio-load, which is very responsible! This makes a skimmer purchase almost dummy proof, and that is great because no hobbyist wants to buy the wrong thing.
What are your protein skimmer experiences? We all should experiment to find a happy medium with skimming, and with discovery, share our new observations with others. This is how we all learn because no one knows everything! Happy skimming!
Carrie McBirney is a team member at Animal-World and has contributed many articles and write-ups.
Brilliant New Soft Coral Species Discovered, Psammogorgia hookeri
February 17, 2014 by clarice
Filed under All Posts, Animal News, Aquariums, Corals Mini-Reef
A beautiful bright red coral species, described as Psammogorgia hookeri, has been found in the Peruvian region of the Eastern Pacific!
It was the brilliant reddish color of this soft coral that first caught the attention of Yuri Hooker in 2002, and he collect the first specimens at that time. Hooker came across it again in 2008 while he was researching marine sponges, and at that time he was able to collect new specimens.
Dr Yuri Hooker is a biologist and naturalist at the Cayetano Heredia Peruvian University in Lima, Peru. In an article published by El Comercio, A new species of coral inhabiting the waters of Paracas, he says that with the 2008 specimens he began to "start the scientific process of identification and description". It was then validated as a new soft coral species in 2014 by Odalisca Breedy, a research specialist in Octocoral Taxonomy at the University of Costa Rica (CIMAR), and her associate Hector M. Guzman, a marine biologist with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI).
Scientific description
This new coral species has been named Psammogorgia hookeri in honor of Dr Yuri Hooker. Breedy and Guzman describe this honor in their report, A new species of alcyonacean octocoral from the Peruvian zoogeographic region, published by Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2014, as bestowed "in recognition of his (Hooker) indefatigable and valuable contribution to the knowledge of the marine invertebrates and natural history of Peru."
Breedy and Guzman, both experts in soft coral taxonomy and ecology, identified this new species based on colony characteristics and examinations using both light and scanning-electron microscopy. This species is described as a member of the Alcyonacea order of soft corals in the Holaxonia suborder of gorgonians. It belongs to the Plexauridae family, which are soft corals that form branching colonies and are often known as sea rods or sea fans. Within this family it is placed in the genus Psammogorgia, which now contains 14 described species, with Psammogorgia hookeri being the newest member.
The discovery of this new soft coral has created quite a stir. The rich coral red coloring makes it an undeniable beauty, but it seems to have a very limited occurrence. It has only been found from Isla San Gallan, in the Paracas National Reserve. This reserve is located in Ica, Peru and contains the Paracas Peninsula, coastal areas, and extends inland into the tropical desert areas.
This vibrant coral is thought to possibly be endemic to the Paracas National Reserve. During his research, Hooker says he has traveled almost all of the Peruvian coasts, from Tumbes to Tacna, but has only found these soft corals in the Paracas region.
The waters of this region are cool in contrast to the more congenial waters of other eastern Pacific tropical regions, where temperatures can exceed 82.4° F (28° C). Breedy and Guzman say, "the diversity of Peruvian shallowwater octocorals may be low, but species and ecosystems have adapted to dramatic coastal oceanographic changes." They suggest that both "seasonal and inter-annual upwellings" and El Nino impact the region, changing the surface temperatures of the water. That in turn creates a "turbid green-to-brown ecosystem", and thus effects the bio-productivity.
Description and habitat
Breedy and Guzman describe Psammogorgia hookeri colonies as small, bushy, and branching. They are about 3″(8 cm) wide with branches that reach about 7 3/4″ (12 cm) in length. They are a bright coral red color with translucent polyps.
The scientists described the coral's colony habitation as clusters on rocky ledges and cliffs, and then spreading along the substrate. They say that areas they inhabit are generally "surrounded by other organisms such as sponges, worms, sea urchins and brachiopods among other sessile creatures." However this coral is not a shallow water species. It has not been found at depths of less than 65′ (20 m).
Interestingly, this soft coral has been seen attached to mussel shells in local fish markets! However its availability for the reef aquarium is pretty slim right now, as finding Psammogorgia hookeri specimens in fish stores or online is difficult, if not impossible.
Learn more about the types of soft corals categorized as Gorgonians at Types of Gorgonians, Sea Fans and Sea Whips on Animal-World, which also includes coral guides for different species with pictures, background information, and the aquarium care needed for keeping them in a mini reef.
Clarice Brough is a team member at Animal-World and has contributed many articles and write-ups.
The Coral Triangle, an Awesome Visage to be Spotlighted by Animal Planet
January 9, 2014 by clarice
Filed under All Posts, Animal News, Aquariums, Corals Mini-Reef, Saltwater Fish, Wild Animals
If you've ever had the opportunity to scuba dive, the area known as the "coral triangle" is a part of our world that offers a panorama of beauty to sate every artist's palette.
Animal Planet, a unit of Discovery Communications, plans to share a bird's eye view of the incredible life swirling beneath the waves of our vast oceans. "WILD DEEP" will be presented as a six-part televised documentary with the first episode featuring "The Coral Triangle" debuting on Tuesday, January 22, at 9:00pm ET/PT.
In the Animal Planet WILD DEEP press release they say the documentary will showcase "the amazing wonders and epic beauty that exist in Earth's seas and oceans." Their first episode will start "with a deep dive into the waters of the Coral Triangle near Asia." Subsequent episodes will involve "series dives into the waters surrounding Africa, Europe, Oceania and the Americas to showcase the dramatic, complex universes beneath their waves."
The Coral Triangle covers 5.7 million square kilometers in the Southwestern Pacific Ocean. It is a roughly shaped triangular region encompassing Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste and the Solomon Islands.
Each episode of the Animal Planet documentary should be a fascinating adventure, but the Coral Triangle region will definitely be a highlight.
The waters of this area are teeming with vast and extremely diverse life forms. Besides being known as the "coral triangle" it is also called the "Amazon of the seas", reflecting the great Amazon Basin region which is re-known for the extraordinary beauty and diversity of its own inhabitants.
When we see ocean corals and fish above water, viewed in the full spectrum of light offered by aquariums, photos, or videos, we can see the incredible colors they possess.
Yet under water, the red spectrum of light becomes reduced the deeper you go, and the animals present a much more even palette. A soothing elegance of interconnected color is created beneath the waves. Though not necessarily flamboyant, this natural deep-water setting offers an awesome, yet curiously comforting scene.
The The Coral Triangle Center states that "a full 76 percent of known coral species are found here and 37 percent of reef fish species." Now that's a lot of critters! There are extensive mangrove forests in the region. Mangrove swamps grow along coastal regions and have massive root systems that are efficient at dissipating wave energy, so they protect the coastal areas from erosion, storm surges, and tsunamis. But they also provide valuable nursery areas for all sorts of aquatic animals.
The reef areas are also rich in life, with animals ranging from corals and fish to many types of invertebrates and algaes. They offer spawning and breeding grounds too, for whales and dolphins, sea turtles, and huge fisheries. According to the Coral Triangle Center, the life encountered in this region has "sustained sea faring island people for millennia."
The Center says that today this incredible habitat "is recognized as the global centre of marine biodiversity and a global priority for conservation." The diversity of these reef are the seeding stock for future coral reefs, and can help "ensure adaptation as our natural communities respond to climate change and other global trends."
GMA News reports that the Coral Triangle region has been recognized "as an area of acute ecological importance and of great concern by many governments". Countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and the Solomon Islands have come together to form 'The Coral Triangle Initiative'. GMA reports that the Initiative's purpose is to urgently spread "ideas about sustainable fishing practices" and to set up "marine reserves across the region to ensure pockets of this fragile ecosystem are protected and allowed to thrive."
Animal-World provides pictures and information on a large selection of Coral Reef Animals and Saltwater fish, along with detailed information on the care necessary to keep them in a marine aquarium or reef tank.
Clarice Brough is a team member at Animal-World and has contributed many articles and write-ups.
Making Babies! Once a Year Coral Spawn Event
October 5, 2013 by clarice
Filed under All Posts, Animal News, Corals Mini-Reef
All Photos included here courtesy Richard Ross
California Academy of Sciences
The Octo Mom pales in comparison to the Florida Keys Coral Spawn
An event that happens just once a year yet results in hundreds of thousands of babies. Imagine have just one such happening to produce all the offspring you could ever want! That's the annual spawning of Elkhorn, Staghorn and other corals off the Florida Keys.
For just a short period of time each year, by a phase of the moon, thirty thousand coral colonies or more are synced-up and driven to reproduce. This happens in August or September, usually just a few days after a full moon.
Now that type of baby making is enough to stir the envy of any mom, Octo or otherwise! Granted, there's not the same type of physical interaction mammals have, making babies in the animal world. There's no dating or marriage, nor ongoing obligations.
Coral parents never actually have sex, nor do the mothers (or fathers) then host and provide sustenance for the developing offspring. Rather corals are sessile invertebrates that spew their gametes (eggs and sperm) into the ocean's water column in one mass spawning exchange.
Buoyant gamete bundles float about the water column until they meet up with gametes from neighboring colonies. Cross-fertilization, resulting is baby corals, is then a happen stance event.
Acropora cervicornis
Coral Spawning, Gamete Bundles
Hundreds of thousands of fertilized gametes quickly evolve into coral planula, which soon becomes free-swimming larvae. A few days later they will begin making their way down to the reef. They will seek a suitable area to on the reef area to settle, attach and form polyps.
These polyps grow into beautiful new coral colonies, expanding the reef.
Coral spawning is a curious event similar to being in an upside down snowstorm. Tons of tiny little flakes begin swirling about. But corals only spawn at night, so to watch this wondrous "dance of the gametes", it helps to be a scuba diver. It also helps to be experienced in diving at night so that you don't miss any of this exciting event. This years spawning lasted for 4 consecutive days.
Acropora palmata
Restoration of Corals in the Florida Keys
The Coral Restoration Foundation (CRF), based in the Florida Keys, has been working to restore various threatened coral species. I had an opportunity to see some of their cultured specimens of staghorn corals just a few weeks ago at the SuperZoo trade show. Ken Nedimyer, president of the foundation, was very excited about their ongoing efforts in creating offshore coral nurseries, as well as an onshore lab for studying reproduction.
For this years spawning event, CRF joined with 8 other organizations from across the country. Representatives from Akron Zoo, California Academy of Science, Florida Aquarium, Mystic Seaquarium, NOAA, Seaworld and Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund joined with CRF to provide help and support. 25 people in all worked to collect spawn from the open waters as well as from selected staghorn specimens spawning in their lab.
During a Coral Spawn
You and I, and everyone are invited to volunteer and participate in CRF dive programs to help plant specimens. Although the spawning season has passed until the fall of 2014, the restoration efforts are ongoing. The ultimate goal of CRF is to test the fertilization of selective gametes in an effort to propagate more resistant corals and help ensure their survival.
Clarice Brough is a team member at Animal-World and has contributed many articles and write-ups.
The California Hydrocoral
June 23, 2012 by Jasmine
Filed under All Posts, Aquariums, Corals Mini-Reef
California Hydrocoral
Stylaster californicus
"I'm related to the beautiful Fire Coral, but without its fiercesome sting!"
The California Hydrocoral has many brilliant color variations, including a
beautiful yellow!
The California Hydrocoral Stylaster californicus grows in many different formations. They can have tangled and dense networks of brittle branches or have pointed tip and delicate lace-like formations. They have a variety of colors from orange to purple and pinkish purple, and these are most attractive on a smooth surface.
These corals can be arborescent (tree-like) or encrusting on occasion, but generally are more delicately laced branches which grow on the same plane. Stylaster corals have smooth surfaces with thick tissue. Most of their common colors come in orane, white, yellow, purple, and pink with white margins. Their colors are known for being quite bright. Other names the California Hydrocoral goes by include just the Hydrocoral, the Fire Coral, the Lace Coral, and the Rose Lace Coral… Read More
The Giant Sun Polyp
March 14, 2012 by Jasmine
Filed under All Posts, Aquariums, Corals Mini-Reef
Giant Sun Polyp
Protopalythoa grandis
"I'm the largest button polyp out there, with a small bit of sunshine too!"
The Giant Sun Polyp is the biggest Zoanthid with its large oral disc!
The Giant Sun Polyp Protopalythoa grandis, is also called a Zoanthid. It is one of the very attractive button polyps. Their colors include white, green, and brown mottling. Iridescent coloring is also not uncommon, with occasional striations which look similar to wagon wheels. The Giant Sun Polyp is considered to be one of the largest Zoanthid species, just like most of the other Protopalythoa genus. Because this polyps oral disc can reach up to 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter, this polyp is actually thought to be the largest one of all.
In fact, it is not completely agreed upon as to whether the Giant Sun Polyp belongs to the Protopalythoa genus or the Palythoa genus. Originally they belonged to the Palythoa genus, but were later switched to the Protopalythoa genus because of their growth form. But now there are experts believing they should go back to the Palythoa genus and consider them to be. The scientific community has not yet settled completely on one or the other… Read More
The Blasto Coral
January 20, 2012 by Jasmine
Filed under All Posts, Aquariums, Corals Mini-Reef
Blasto Coral
Blastomussa wellsi
"What's the best way to have a blast?… Consider adding a Blasto Coral to your aquarium!"
The Blasto Coral is a unique coral and is popular among aquarists!
The Blasto Coral is one of the Blastomussa Corals and they have many color variations. The Blasto Coral Blastomussa wellsi is actually one of two Blastomussa corals that many people like. The other one is the Pineapple Coral Blastomussa merleti.
Most people actually prefer the The Blasto Coral B. wellsi over the B. merleti because it can be aquacultured into many colors – such as purple, green, pink, red, yellow and occasionally blue, as well as a many combinations of these colors. But it does have downfalls, such as being more difficult to care for and maintain. This coral also goes by the names Open Brain Coral, Swollen Brain Coral, Wellsi's Brain Coral, Blastomussa Coral, Big Pipe Blastomussa, Pineapple Coral, and Blastomussa Wellsi… Read More
Moon Polyps
January 15, 2012 by Jasmine
Filed under All Posts, Aquariums, Corals Mini-Reef
Moon Polyps
Palythoa sp.
"This is a sea mat type of button coral! They form clusters of polyps on "mats" of sand!"
Moon Polyps received their name from the way their clusters of polyps appear –
in the shape of half moons!
The Moon Polyps Palythoa sp., are called by other names as well, including Encrusting Anemones, Sea Mats, and Zoanthid Button Polyps. They are actually colonial anemones and are fairly common in home reef aquariums. This genus alone, however, has lots of variety. They have polyps which are partially embedded in a mat and are quite short. Every polyp has flat discs that are covered with tentacles on their rims. Some species have tentacles which are very long and thin while others are knobby and short. Colors range from white, yellow, brown, cream, coffee, or yellow!
Palythoa sp. have a "mat" called the coenenchyma which connects the polyps. These polyps have little parts of sand and/or sediment that they use in the mat to make it more stiff and easier to support a colony. These extra bits of sand and sediment which make up the debris account for about 45% of the weight. The colonies grow in half-moon shapes (convex) and grow anywhere from 4″ to 12″ (10 – 30 cm) in diameter… Read More
The Corky Sea Finger
December 21, 2011 by Jasmine
Filed under All Posts, Aquariums, Corals Mini-Reef
Corky Sea Finger
Briareum asbestinum
"This coral actually gets its shape by growing on and over other Gorgoninas – which makes him more "quirky" than corky!"
The Corky Sea Finger reproduces easily and is quite easy to care for – making it a great
beginner coral!
The Corky Sea Finger Briareum asbestinum, also goes by the name of the Purple Corky Finger. It is quite beautiful and has a finger shape, which is helped formed because it actually grows over and on other gorgonian species. These Gorgonians thrive in many conditions and are native to areas all over the Western Atlantic Ocean, including pristine and clean waters as well as more nutrient rich areas of water. They most often inhabit knee deep shallow waters. These corals are extremely popular and are collected more often than any other species. Other names this species goes by include the Purple Corky Finger, the Caribbean Corky Finger, the Moss Coral, the Deadman's Finger, and the Sea Stalk Briareum.
These Gorgonians have another neat quality – if they have green tentacles with a purple base, then they have a fantastic glow when kept unter actinic lighting! The mat of the Corky Sea Finger is usually tan or purplish and gray with calyces that are basically just nubs and which are slightly raised… Read More
The Leaf Coral
December 18, 2011 by Jasmine
Filed under All Posts, Aquariums, Corals Mini-Reef
Leaf Coral
Pavona decussata
"What looks like a head of Romaine lettuce, but feels like a rock? You got it…me!"
The Leaf Coral is another coral which makes a great beginner coral!
The Leaf Coral Pavona decussata is attractive and has a frilled appearance. Quite like the Cactus Coral P. cactus, it has upright and flat fronds but they are thicker and not quite as twisted looking. Horizontal plates can also be formed. It has a surface that looks spiked due to tentacles that are spindly and pointed. Colors come in anything from brown, to green, to yellow cream. Other names for the Leaf Coral are the Frilly Coral, the Lettuce Coral, and the Cactus Coral. Other specimens of the Leaf Coral that have been aquacultured have names such as Green Pavona Decussata, Green Decussata, or Pavona Sp.
The genus which this Leaf Coral belongs to, the Pavona genus, typically has corals with small polyps stony (SPS) and are best for starting aquariums with. They do best with strong currents and high lighting but can also thrive in more moderate conditions… Read More


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NEWS BLOG (WSAU) I would have liked to hear more of Pastor Stephen H. Wright's sermons. For several years, I heard him almost every Sunday. He was heard on WSAU at 7am on Sunday mornings for a half-hour each week.
First Presbyterian Church in Wausau used to purchase a 30-minute block of time on WSAU. Since their church service was usually 60-minutes, the broadcast was an abbreviated "best of" presentation. The church would record the prior week's worship, and deliver the tape to the Broadcast Centre for editing. The actual broadcast would usually consist of an opening hymn, Pastor Wright's sermon, and a closing blessing. Usually one of our part-timers would make the edits. Sometimes the job fell to me... I am richer spiritually for those times.
I've been told I would not like Stephen Wright's politics. He was a publicly professed progressive. No matter. I believe in the great Protestant tradition of 'privilege of the pulpit'; I don't have to agree with everything a minister says. What I remember most about Pastor Wright was his frequent topic of science and religion -- which many preachers simply ignore as too divisive. It is one of the most difficult issues facing religion today. What do we do when modern scientific discoveries conflict with biblical text? Wright was always rejected an either/or answer, insisting that science and faith could, and do, coexist. We will never have a definitive scientific answer to the question 'is God there?' That would crowd out faith, and eliminate the choice that we all must make about the Almighty. But what about science that challenges the Old Testament? Carbon dating, dinosaur fossils, evolutionary evidence and big bangs don't seem to square with the Bible. Wright argued - forcefully at times - that it was un-Christian to reject science. Our intellect and our scientific minds are also Divine gifts. The Lord holds no malice towards inquisitiveness. God did not intend for mankind to know everything -- we'd have no need for a Deity if we did.
Stephen Wright was a thought-provoking man. I believe that's how he'd like to be remembered.
Wright died in a car crash last Thursday, a tremendous loss for our community. He was 56. My condolences for his parishioners at First Presbyterian and to his family and many friends.
Image: Stephen H. Wright, First Presbyterian Church, Wausau, WI

subset: commoncrawl


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Truck in fatal crash was inoperableDecember 03,2013ACWORTH A Bellows Falls man killed in a crash Friday night in Acworth was in a truck that wasnt fit to drive, according to police.
Police said 45-year-old Thomas Garrow was driving a truck with no steering and limited brakes because he was trying to move it. No further details were available on where he was moving the truck from, and to.
Garrow was killed when he crashed into a tree on Grout Hill Road in Acworth. Police said he lost control of the vehicle coming down a steep hill, as the truck picked up speed and didnt have proper brakes.
Police say Garrow was killed on impact and was found dead inside the vehicle. He was the only occupant in the truck.MORE IN This Just InVermont author and activist Bill McKibben and fellow organizers of Sundays Peoples Climate... Full StoryVermonts official state bird, the hermit thrush, was selected in 1941 for its flute-like song. Full StoryPROCTOR Vermont State Police said they are investigating a suspected methamphetamine lab at 9... Full Story
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Honesty... Integrity... Customer Service Merchant Assurance Policy
National Payment Corporation is COMMITTED to providing you, our customer, with honest merchant processing at very competitive rates. We understand the industry as well as some of the antics companies may use to promote their products. Have you ever been told a very low rate plan while the other fees were left out. Things like a monthly minimum or batch fee? The fees that are left out are often the ones that will cost you the most money each month. Dont get pick-pocketed, be thorough. At National Payment Corporation, we have a No Hidden Fees Policy that assures every client that we explain each program in its entirety. No surprises, just honest and up front plans. Once you have chosen to set your account up with National Payment Corporation, we will extend our Merchant Assurance Policy to you. It states that if you are approached by another provider with a deal that sounds too good to be true (like a free credit card machine!), we will give you $100.00 if our program cant meet or beat it! To take a look at the details of this offer, click here.Many providers will dance around a program and focus on one rate, the lowest one they can offer you. What you really need is the whole picture. When you bought your last car, I am sure you negotiated a number of things, the price of the car, the term of payments, the interest rate, warranties, etc. You would never purchase a car on just an interest rate alone! The reason of course is that there are more factors needed than just the rate to determine your loan payment. The Merchant Service industry is no different. When the next sales rep smiles and says, I can save you money! Think twice, get all of the paperwork and fax it to us. We will provide you with a side by side based on your actual processing. Let us do the work for you, then show it to you in black and white. Our goal in all of this is to simply prove to every one of our clients that we provide the most up front and honest credit card processing at the most competitive prices available. It is our hope that you take the time to discuss a program with one of our experienced account representatives or take advantage of the information available in this site. We want your business, today and for years to come!
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Drug Chirality
View Single Post
Jul29-11, 10:43 AM
Other Sci
Sci Advisor
In the example I posted, I'm talking about synthesizing levobupivacaine from scratch. You begin from a chiral starting material (L-lysine) and end up with a chiral product. If you were to start with a racemic mixture of lysine and follow the same procedure, you would end up with a racemic mixture of the two enantiomers of bupivacaine. This approach of planning your drug synthesis so that you obtain only the desired enantiomer at the end is called
asymmetric synthesis
If you have a racemic mixture of bupivacaine and want to isolate only one enantiomer, then you would need some strategy for
chiral resolution
, the separation of two enantiomers. Chiral resolution is based on the principle that, while enantiomers have identical chemical and physical properties in an achiral environment, their properties differ in chiral environments. In the case of resolving enantiomers using salts, you can take your racemic mixture and react it with the pure enantiomer of a chiral acid or base to form a what is called a
salt (basically a salt having at least two chiral centers). Having the chiral acid/base around creates a chiral environment where the two enantiomers of your drug will show different properties (e.g. solubility).
These strategies represent the two main approaches to creating a chiral drug. You can either design an
asymmetric synthesis
to produce only the desired enantiomer at the end, or you can design a normal synthesis, producing a racemic mixture, and employ a
chiral resolution
strategy to separate out the two enantiomers at the end.


text:
Books are sort of like the TARDIS.
Their content exceeds their mass.
And they take us to worlds and times we've never dreamed of seeing.
(Source: westeroni)
O_O What Is Wrong With You!?
Rose went away
So the Doctor is blue.
Ask Donna, "Where's the Doctor?"
She'll reply, "Doctor Who?"
Sarah Jane, and Martha,
And now both the Ponds
Had their fun with the Doctor
And now they've all gone.
So ask me again
Why the TARDIS is blue:
There's a sad man inside
With both hearts torn in two.
Freaked Out.
I thought I heard a TARDIS outside. It was just an airplane. The disappoint is strong with this one.


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What this bull market needs to continue
Stocks are set to reach a big milestone Monday. Here's how the upswing can keep going.
U.S. stocks enter their sixth year of a bull market this Monday, joining a rare group of multi-year stock surges that can support early retirements, pay off college debt, and make pension funds whole.
Or not. The fifth year of the last bull market ended spectacularly and painfully for investors in October 2007, leaving many so scarred they avoided stocks years into this latest rebound.
The good news: The few cycles that make it past their fifth birthday keep motoring along, churning out as much as a decade of gains. Momentum is your friend: On average, the sixth year has produced 26 percent growth.
The bad: There's plenty that's different this time around, starting with the Federal Reserve's full-throttle bond buys to flatten yields. The S&P 500 already produced an eye-popping 30 percent gain last year. The economy needs to get back its mojo -- the 3 percent growth rate that's been elusive since 2005.
"What ended nearly every [bull market] was a recession, so we need continued economic growth," said Jeff Kleintop, chief market strategist at LPL Financial.
The almost five-year-old bull market started on March 10, 2009, when the Standard & Poor's 500 Index ($INX) and the Dow Jones industrials ($INDU) both rebounded 6 percent in one day off their respective multi-year lows reached March 9.
At the low, the S&P 500 closed at a bottom of 676.53, a drop of nearly 57 percent from its October 2007 highs. The Dow closed at 6,547.05. Since then, the S&P 500 has climbed 177 percent and the Dow has gained 150 percent.
Concern that days are numbered for the current bull market are not unfounded. A minority of bull markets since 1945 have made it to their sixth birthday.
Including the current bull market, there have been 12 since the end of World War II. Of those, only half made it to a fifth birthday, according to Sam Stovall, chief equity analyst at S&P Capital IQ, in a recent note.
After that, the list gets halved again for those making it to a sixth birthday. Those bull markets include the seven-year bull market that ended in August 1956, the six-year bull market that ended in November 1980, and the nearly 10-year-old bull market that ended in March 2000. Those go-go days of the 1990s bull market, which ended in the Internet bust, fattened nest eggs with an S&P 500 gain of over 400 percent.
The history is tantalizing, particularly for investors still repairing the damage from the last bear market and a concurrent housing market collapse.
Here's what this bull market needs to do to make it to its sixth birthday, says Stovall:
- U.S. economic growth needs to ramp up and reach 3 percent by the end of 2014 supported by gains in auto sales and housing.
- Earnings per share growth needs to increase in the mid-to-high single digits in 2014 coupled with gains in revenue. Stovall expects an 8 percent advance in EPS with revenue rising 3.7 percent.
- Congress needs to indicate that it is working toward meaningful tax reform legislation by 2015 to help spur increased capital expenditures and repatriation of foreign earnings.
- Valuations based on price-to-earnings ratios remain supportive.
That last part can be troubling given concerns that stock prices have grown faster than their supporting earnings. Stovall said that while the trailing 12-month P/E is above average since 1947, it's actually below the average when the consumer price index has been in the 1.5 percent to 2.5 percent range.
For the economy, a 3 percent growth rate for the U.S. isn't a slam dunk. The U.S. economy hasn't grown 3 percent or more in nine years. A recent revision of fourth-quarter GDP figures showed the economy growing at 2.4 percent, down from a previous figure of 3.2 percent.
In this aging bull's favor, it's still cheap to borrow to buy and build. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note is in the 2.7 percent range -- in contrast to 4.65 percent at the end of the last bull market in October 2007.
Back in March 2009, P/E ratios for stocks in the S&P 500 had fallen below 11x. Now, they're back over 17x, where they were at the end of the last bull market in 2007. That means that earnings growth has become even more crucial to cool off those multiples.
Bull markets tend to tap out when trailing 12-month P/E ratios get into 17x to 18x territory, Kleintop said. Earnings can support valuations for now but are not enough to support another big market surge, Kleintop said.
"We know what expensive looks like, so we're pretty shackled to earnings growth," Kleintop said.
That view is pretty consistent with what many strategists were calling for in December: After a big jump in 2013, stocks will likely grow in the mid-to-high single digits in 2014.
Another indication the current bull market will see a sixth birthday is that market breadth is relatively stable, meaning no one sector or handful of stocks is fueling the market.
The biggest drivers of the current bull market have been consumer discretionary stocks, followed up by financials, industrials, and tech stocks.
That's opposed to the bull market that ended in 2000, where tech stocks were far and away the sole market driver, according to Kleintop. In the current bull market, growth is being driven by cyclical stocks, which are closely linked to the economy. While they may be expensive, consumer discretionary stocks have been more productive than they have ever been, and are therefore deserving of a higher multiple, Kleintop said.
Notable consumer discretionary stocks that have jumped in price by more than 1000 percent over the past five years include Wyndham Worldwide Corp. (WYN), CBS Corp. (CBS), Priceline.com Inc. (PCLN), Wynn Resorts (WYNN), Expedia (EXPE), Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG), and Netflix (NFLX), according to FactSet.
In 2013, financial and consumer discretionary earnings led the pack with gains of 16.3 percent and 11.3 percent, respectively, according to John Butters, senior earnings analyst at FactSet. That's compared with the 4.9 percent increase in the S&P 500 for the year. In addition, consumer discretionary stocks also saw an above-average gain in revenue at 4.8 percent in 2013.
Outside of GDP growth in the 3 percent area, the key to economic growth in 2014 will have to come from capital expenditure spending and hiring from corporations, which are sitting on record cash piles. That's crucial because capital investment accounted for no GDP growth in 2013, according to Kleintop.
Capital expenditure spending may improve in 2014, according to a recent note by Russ Koesterich, BlackRock global chief investment strategist.
Given the lackluster recovery, Koesterich said companies are still conservative given the overindulgences and excess capacity of the past two bull markets. Also, consumer confidence is just beginning to recover with current levels still under the long-term average. As the consumer strength returns to speed, certain industries are likely to benefit.
"In terms of specific beneficiaries, we believe spending is likely to be led by financial, telecom and service industries," Koesterich noted. "This suggests that technology companies may be beneficiaries if capital spending begins to accelerate."
More from MarketWatch
The market has more of a 25 P/E ratios not 17 if you look at key players and some like Telsa are at -250 P/E ratios right and got a price upgrade of like 10 dollars in the near term???
Yep when the fundamentals tell you to sell and get out of Dodge and you hang around as some people who are paid to remove you from your money tell you things are rosy you should sell and move on.
NOW IS THE TIME TO SELL OFF FOLKS -- last warning.
"What this bull market needs to continue"
More govt intervention, manipulation and falsified economic reports on housing, jobs, unemployment etc. Our govt should be ashamed of the this false economy they have created by putting our country trillions of dollars in debt. The 1%'ers are driving this bus and the rest of us are watching it go by as there is no room on the bus. Pretty sad...
Let's let the Fed cut QE to "0", (which is what it should have been all along), and then let's see how well the markets hold up on their own.
Over the last 5 years, I've done very well, but unfortunately, America still feels like it is in a recession, even though, (if you believe the powers that be) the gubment says we ended the recession in 2009. If so, why do you have the lowest labor participation rate since the mid 1970's? The reason the unemployment rate has dropped, in large part, is because they no long include those that have given up looking. Why do you have more people in poverty today....after spending trillions since the 1960's, on a useless war on poverty that does nothing more than create larger and larger dependence on a government nanny state? Why do you have more people on food stamps today? And on and on it goes.
There is hardly any metric you can point to in economic terms that is not worse off today than 5 years ago, if you use real numbers, and not the manipulated government numbers.
Not to mention the debt is well on it's way to 18 trillion and beyond because the out of control government does not know how to reign in spending. Everyone can see that the price of many things is increasing, yet the government is still telling you inflation is not a problem.
Why do you think the government would say that? I mean, who ya gonna believe, the government, or your own lying eyes and wallet? The reason is pretty simple. The Fed has backed itself into a corner. If they told you the real inflation rate, they would have to raise interest rates. Even with the fake unemployment number, they know raising rates would make it worse. But, the biggest reason the Fed will never admit to the real number is because they also know that raising the interest rates would cause the deficit to grow astronomically as the rate the government pays on bonds would suddenly start to spike. You see the Fed also sets the rates for the money the government borrows, as well as everyone else. So, in essence, the Fed has done this to themselves, but as usual, it is we the people who will have to pay for their foolishness one way or the other. Not to mention that when the Fed starts raising interest rates, there will be a lot of folks heading to the exits in the markets.
The problem we have with the checks and balances in government is that they write the checks, and we are stuck with the balance.
Yeah, just what we need... MORE QE!!!
That's right you idiots at the fed, make the rich [who own the MAJORITY of stocks] even RICHER.
what the HELL, has that policy done for the REST of the American people?
Maybe the rest of the country should feel GRATEFUL that Wall Street is ONLY screwing us financially?
"U.S. stocks enter their sixth year of a bull market this Monday, joining a rare group of multi-year stock surges
"Or not."
The good news: The few cycles that make it past their fifth birthday keep motoring along, churning out as much as a decade of gains."
So to be or not to be, that is the question. So far, so good as massive Stock Buybacks and low Rates have kept the Party going like it's 1999, all over again. Same denials now, as then. However we have far higher National and Global Debt issues and we literally never solved the Problems that caused the Great Recession.
So as long as the current perceptions hold and Easy money keeps flowing, this will continue until Gravity takes holds. The Ride up was about most Fun speculators could ever have, too Bad most don't realize all Hades will eventually takes it's place. You can't Rob Peter to Pay Paul and not pay the Ultimate Price. Hold to Infinity types will of course suffer the most pain. They will never see it coming, they never have.
The DOW is only a "marker" of 30 components in the overall Stock Market..
I believe a "couple" of those components have been changed since 2007..??
The S&P is a much better Indicator, measuring the Health of Wall St. and/or Stock Markets...
It covers about 500 stocks/companies/components, a much wider selection..
The S&P has been setting new records almost on a weekly basis..
There are larger or wider Indices, with more components; Most except the S&P 500, Worldwide.
Whether the S&P 500 has went up 2-3% per year or even 5-7% makes little difference to me.
What our "Fair Market Value" (FMV) has increased in our Accounts, is of importance to us.
The overall Dollar or "money gains" from 2007, is the only thing that matters..
And that is based on equities owned or traded, in that time frame...
And that has been well over the average of the gain on the DOW...
Even throwing out the last 5 months of 2009 and all of 2010..(the biggest gain or recovery)..
We still handedly beat the DOW's 2% gain per year, since 2007; If that is correct ??
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ABS MagazineOctober, 2014
In this Month's issue...
ABS' BPPP Online provider Opango, Inc., tells ABS that the BPPP Online iPad app is not supported by the new iPad iOS8 software. Adobe Flex Builder, which is the software used to write iPad apps, is incompatible with OS8 also. ABS is working on a solution that permits using the Safari browser to use BPPP Online on an iPad, but Opango has no timeline for implementation. For now, members wishing to access BPPP Online on an iPad must not install the iOS8 upgrade. Otherwise, you'll need to use a laptop or desktop computer to access BPPP Online until we are able to launch a new solution for iPad.
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Kid Power is the Key to Getting Young People to Eat Healthy
September 28, 2011 | Story
A Portland, Ore., Ladder to Leadership team partners with 4th graders to help a community learn more about living healthy.
You are now viewing 1 - 10 of 16 results
September 28, 2011 | Story
A Portland, Ore., Ladder to Leadership team partners with 4th graders to help a community learn more about living healthy.
January 1, 2009 | Journal Article
Children's Futures is a a 10-year RWJF initiative, developed a comprehensive, citywide program in Trenton, N.J. focusing on the critical time period of prenatal care to age three to ensure health and school readiness.
August 10, 2009 | Audio
RWJF President and CEO Risa Lavizzo-Mourey delivered the keynote address at the Strand Union Building at Montana State University on August 10, 2009.
January 13, 2004 | Program Results Report
The Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition conducted eight focus groups to assess community health workers' knowledge of breastfeeding and lactation management and to learn how they perceived the value of using technology in their work.
August 27, 2004 | Program Results Report
The Partnership for Children developed a campaign to mobilize community support for children and youth in Greater Kansas City.
November 1, 1998 | Program Results Report
The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation carried out a planning project to incorporate a specific focus on health into the National School and Community Corps program funded by AmeriCorps.
November 22, 2011 | Story
Children also have had access to federally funded snacks in afterschool programs.
November 22, 2011 | Story
Winning Strategies in the Fight Against Childhood Obesity.
March 27, 2014 | Journal Article
As evidence grows about the benefits of policy and environmental changes to support active living and healthy eating, effective tools for implementing change must be developed.
September 6, 2011 | Human Capital Blog Post


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Law enforcement officials may now stop US drivers based only on the information gleaned in an anonymous tip phoned in by a caller who dialed 911, the Supreme Court ruled in a tight decision Tuesday.
A court in France has fined a Burgundy winemaker €500 after he refused to use pesticides on his vines in a controversial case in which the wine grower was backed by environmental groups like Greenpeace.
The Twitter ban imposed by Turkey's government violates freedom of expression and individual rights, said the country's Constitutional Court after a unanimous vote on Wednesday. The ban caused mass protests and public uproar.
A Delaware man convicted of raping his three-year-old daughter only faced probation after a state Superior Court judge ruled he "will not fare well" in prison.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has rejected claims by EU justice commissioner Vivian Reding that it threatened the independence of the Irish judiciary in seeking to place a regulator for the profession under the aegis of the Department of Justice.
Israeli soldiers shot and killed a Palestinian judge from Jordan on Monday in an altercation at a crossing point between Jordan and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Palestinian officials said.
The head of Italy's anti-establishment Five Star Movement party (M5S), Beppe Grillo, was sentenced to four months in prison on Monday for breaking a police seal on a building during a protest.
Two French citizens, who are former inmates at the notorious Guantanamo Bay prison camp have asked a French judge to subpoena a former prison commander thay accuse of overseeing an alleged "systematic plan of torture and ill-treatment".
Spain's top legal watchdog has weighed into the heated debate about the country's tough draft Citizen Security law, saying proposals such as allowing private security firms to arrest people are unconstitutional.
Ukrainian judge who recently sentenced several political protesters to house arrest has been shot dead by unknown attackers, police said Wednesday.
A young Spanish woman has been given a one-year suspended sentence for tweeting "highly radicalized and violent" content in which she glorified Spain's extreme-left terrorist group GRAPO.
Remember that awful case in which a couple of high school football stars in Steubenville, Ohio, raped a young girl? Trent Mays and Ma'lik Richmond were brought to justice thanks to an anonymously hacked cellphone video that revealed the teenage victim was in fact unconscious at the time of the crime.
As the five-year statute of limitations approaches for the wrongdoing that bequeathed us the Great Recession, the question of why no high-level executives have been prosecuted becomes more urgent.
Prosecutors in Turkey have charged 36 people with terrorism in connection with massive anti-government protests that rocked the country last year.
The American Civil Liberties Union has filed an appeal against the US National Security Agency's indiscriminate collection of telephone metadata after the group's suit seeking to halt the policy was dismissed last week.
The Obama administration's Department of Homeland Security is brazenly violating U.S. law and participating in criminal conspiracies to smuggle illegal immigrants into the United States, U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen said in a December ruling. He also noted that the schemes were helping to fund Mexican drug cartels and jeopardizing the lives of children. According to Hanen, the apparent Obama administration policies in question are part of a trend and represent a "dangerous course of action," costing taxpayers huge sums while enriching criminal syndicates.
A political commentator criticizes as "window dressing" and "comic opera" the recent ruling by a US judge that the National Security Agency's bulk collection of telephone and Internet records was legal.
A Wake Up call to a sleepy world
A zombie world, a beaten world
Who forgot what it means to be alive
A US judge in the State of Wisconsin has struck down an anti-union law signed by the state's Republican governor in 2011, reigniting a controversial issue that prompted recall elections just weeks before Election Day.
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Co-founder and Managing Director.
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text:
The Stomach Flu Makes a Visit
Words every mom dreads hearing: "Mommy, I think I'm going to throw up!"
Blythe Newsome: This week, one by one, all my children got the stomach flu. I tried to quarantine the first one, but realized there was no way to quarantine a toddler. If the CDC and WHO can stop the bubonic plague, can they please find a cure for the stomach flu?
I raced around the house wiping everything that wasn't moving, but in spite of the scrubbing, they all got it. There is no way to be prepared for six little people getting sick. Every time I would get one cleaned up, I would hear, "Mommy, I need you."
And then I got it.
I would rather give birth to a 9-pound baby without an epidural than throw up. And of course, by the time I got it, all the kids are healthy and ready to play, eat, jump, and dance.
How can children bounce back so quickly? One minute they are throwing up so much you expect their heads to start spinning, and the next minute they are fine and ready to play. I don't recover so quickly. In fact, it may be a long time before I get over this health crisis.
Now that we are all healthy, it is time for the clean-up. Is there a federal disaster fund for this? I have to rip up the carpet, repaint the walls, and throw out every pillow. I wonder if this falls under our homeowner's insurance as a catastrophic event. Better yet, maybe by next flu season, there will be a cure!
|Blythe Newsome is a single mother of six children and host of a morning radio show. Featured on an episode of the Supernanny, her life and what hides underneath her couch cushions have been seen by many. Flirting with Forty is the journey of how she takes her life back.
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Just to let you know… your website looks extremely strange in Mozilla on a Mac
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Great artical, I unfortunately had some problems printing this artcle out, The print formating looks a little screwed over, something you might want to look into.
Thanks for sharing, please keep an update about this info. love to read it more. i like this site too much. Good theme ;).


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So sorry to hear the sad news about Cath. I could not believe it when I read the news this morning.
She will be greatly missed.
My thoughts go out to her family and friends.
Type: Posts; User: Ingrid1963; Keyword(s):
So sorry to hear the sad news about Cath. I could not believe it when I read the news this morning.
She will be greatly missed.
My thoughts go out to her family and friends.
I love it! Great layout.
Congratulations on LOTD *smile
Owww, so cute! Great layout.
Congratulations on LOTD
Beautiful! Great photo.
Congratulations *smile
Wow, gorgeous!
Congratulations on LOTD *smile
I hope you get well soon.
Take care!
What a fun page!
Congratulations on your LOTD *smile
Great layout and lovely photo *smile
Congratulations on your LOTD
I'm late but nevertheless... Happy birthday Andrea :party:
I hope you have had a wonderful day!
Thank you all for playing The Story Continues in November.
We all have created another great story *smile
You will receive a bonus for playing the November game soon.
As I told you before, I...
Maybe we'll meet again tomorrow in the next traffic jam.
The end
*** not part of the story ***
Just a quick message to let you know that I am having problems (again) with my computer. I cannot use it anymore and I am waiting to hear if the problem can be solved...
Thank you *smile
My, my, a week is over before you know it :twitcy:
Here is my layout for week 1
I used:
2 papers:...
Unbelievable!!! For the 3rd time this week I am in a traffic jam!
This is not a challenge and it doesn't count for the Scrappin'7!
but we do have a bonus for playing both...
Time flies!
Great layout *smile
I did not make it to the finish :cry:
Better luck next month.
I love all the great layouts made this month *smile
It's amazing to see how many different layouts are made with the same...
Great layout!
Congratulations on your LOTD *smile
Happy birthday :party:
Great layout and a beautiful story!
I wish you both many more happy years together.
Thank you so much for playing this month's game *smile
Things like that can happen :laugh:
Well, did the book have a surprise ending? :wink:
J - Jane
Beautiful layout!
I love the way you have used some portions of the story in your layout... only the required word "suprise" is missing :wink:
Thank you so much for playing this month's game...


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" Brand: Boots / Texture: Cream / Type: Night Cream / Skin type: for dry skin and for all types / What it does: Protects / Product line: Boots No7 "
* Prices may differ from that shownMore Offers
Last year for Christmas I received a Boots No7 skin care set which contained the range of protect and perfect serums and creams. One of the creams which was in the set was the protect and perfect night cream.
This cream currently sells for £23.00 for a 50ml pot and is exclusive to Boots to purchase in store or online. As my cream came in a gift set it was packaged in a tube instead of a pot and contained 25ml. This cream is very expensive but it is always worth looking for offers such as 3for2 or the £5 No7 vouchers which are often given out in store.
When the protect and perfect range of skincare was introduced by Boots it caused quite a stir as people claimed to have seen dramatic results with the reduction of lines and wrinkles. This night cream states that it 'protects young skin to delay first signs of aging, boost radiance and visibly reduce lines'. It also contains a pro-retinol complex to help boost the skins elasticity and is hypo-allergenic. To me it sounded just perfect as I have now reached my 30s and am slowly starting to see my skin change with the first few fine lines appearing.
It states to use this cream at night after cleansing and for better results to use the protect and perfect serum before the cream. I luckily did receive a tube of the serum in my gift set too so was able to follow this routine as I wanted to see if I really did notice a difference after all of the hype.
The cream itself is white in colour and has a lovely light, fresh fragrance, it is really easy to dispense from the tube and personally I think this is a much better way of packaging the cream than in a pot as it is more hygienic. The cream was really easy to apply onto my skin and a little does go a long way. After applying I loved the way my skin feels as it is instantly absorbed leaving my skin feeling soft and smooth and the cream does not feel in anyway sticky or gloopy as I find some night creams can. Since using the cream my skin looks more radiant and feels smoother to touch, the dry patches that I am prone to around my nose also seem to have improved and I think the slight fine lines around my eyes have become less noticeable.
Overall I have been really impressed with this night cream, it is a little on the expensive side but my tube has lasted over a month so far and I think results are worth the extra cost.
I enjoy using Boot's own range of skincare products and for approximately the last two years or so I have been using a night cream called No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Night Cream. This comes in a jar with a twist off lid and the jar contains 50ml of face cream with a shelf life of one year. I have used a lot of these jars and whilst I can vouch for the fact that they each last a long time, they do run out before the year is up - quite a bit before, actually.
I like this night cream a lot, primarily due to the fact that it not only improves the tone and texture of my skin and helps me to look fresh when I wake every morning, but also due to it's really excellent absorption qualities. With a lot of night creams, I personally find that they can be very thick and heavy and feel quite greasy on my skin and consequently, they can take absolutely ages to sink in. I hate to go to bed with my face feeling like I have rubbed a pack of lard all over it, but I am happy to report that No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Night Cream sinks in beautifully, with no greasiness or tackiness left o the skin afterwards.
It seems to tone and lift my skin and I am sure that during he past two years I have been using this product, it's actually eliminated the finer lines which have been forming around my eyes. It also has a gorgeous light and fresh fragrance, but it isn't too heavily perfumed.
There is really nothing negative I could say about this night cream. It costs a fair bit at £24 a jar but I usually buy mine whenever I have a £5 off coupon for a No7 product. If you are looking for a night cream which won't make you feel weighed down and which won't clog your pores, then I would definitely recommend this one.
It's perfect.
I think its extremely important to look after your skin at night. I always make sure I remove my make up and I always apply a night cream so it can work its magic whilst I am sleeping. I remember a television advertisement years ago that said, "nighttime is a magical time for your skin," and that has stuck with me ever since. During the night is the time when the skin can really look after itself so a night cream definitely makes sense.
I have been using Boots No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Night Cream for quite a few years now. There was quite a buzz about it a few years ago and it became the IT cream and so I jumped on the bandwagon too and began using it but it just goes to show how good it is because I am still using it all these years on and so are other people too.
Boots say that this cream, "visibly improves deep lines, wrinkles and boosts radiance for younger looking skin in 4 weeks." I really like the way my skin looks in the morning when I wake up, my face does look fairly fresh and I don't have too many wrinkles yet so hopefully it's working.
The cream is easy to apply and fairly thick but not too heavy and greasy which would put me off if I had to sleep in it with my face like that. A few minutes after application I feel the cream has sinked in and that it's doing its job. My face is nice and soft in the morning too and not dry in any way.
According to Boots, they've, "blended their patent pending antioxidant complex with skin firming pro-retinol complex containing Lipopeptides and Alfalfa Extract to help restore skin's structure and maintain elasticity.Also contains Matrixyl."
A 50ml costs £24 which I think is a really good price in the world of fancy night creams and a pot does last for a long time. All in all, a cream I will be using for quite a few more years to come.
I recently reviewed the Protect and Perfect Serum that is in the same range as this night cream so I will now review the actual night cream.
This Night cream from Boots No 7 range costs £22 and there are 50ml in the pot. The pot itself is originally packaged in a neat, square cardboard box but this can be discarded once you start using the cream. The pot is quite pleasing to the eye, it is more oval than round and has a very thick clouded glass bottom to it and a plastic top. The only drawback is the weight of it. It feels very heavy so it's not great for travelling with. I left this one at home when I went away recently as I just feel it's too heavy to take. You could decant some for a holiday but that sounds like too much effort to me, I just take smaller tubes with me for breaks away!
The plastic lid screws off and reveals the lovely smooth, glossy white cream inside. The design of having the cream in a pot is great as it means you can scrape out every last bit of it with your finger and you don't feel like you're wasting any. I just dip my finger in and smooth the cream onto my face. It retains its shape in the pot but is loose enough to rub all over my face very easily. You don't need too much to cover your face and neck. It does not feel greasy at all but it does look quite shiny on my face afterwards when I look in the mirror.
It has a lovely fresh smell to the cream. It's always hard to describe the smell of a cream but it is very pleasant, I like it a lot. Once on,my skin feels soft and nourished and cared for and I do like the way my skin feels with it on. I also use the day cream which I feel complements the use of this one.
It is fairly expensive but I have found that this one has lasted me several months now and I've still got quite a bit left in the pot. I'd definitely recommend the use of this cream to others looking for a nice night cream.
It's a sad fact that as men and women grow older, not only does gravity take over but our skin develops faint lines which with the passage of time develop into deeper, more permanent wrinkles. Now for men, the deep lines seem to make them more attractive, garnering such descriptions as rugged or craggy. With one or two rare exceptions, once women develop wrinkles they tend to lose their beauty and their powers of attraction becoming practically invisible or, even worse, described as being not like a crag but more of a hag! For those of us women who don't fancy going down the route of botox or surgery we have to start the fight against wrinkles as soon as possible and beginning a skincare regime before lines appear could help to ward off the inevitable for a few extra years. This means cleansing skin regularly, using a good moisturiser and an equally good night cream.
Although night cream, as such, is a twentieth century product, the history of night preparations is a long one and women have been applying lotions and potions to their faces at bedtime for millennia. There are even records of women in Ancient Rome going to bed with fine olive oil applied to their faces to help moisturise their skin and reduce the possibility of wrinkles and as time progressed, more refined and perfumed lotions were developed until the present day where these creams now take into consideration age and skin type and contain ingredients to nourish, replenish and protect the complexion.
What is a night cream?
These creams tends to be a much heavier moisturiser often containing a higher level of oils, which makes it too greasy to wear during the day, especially under normal make up. Because of this higher oil content, the cream is absorbed into the skin over a longer period of time and as skin cells are renewed during periods of sleep, this is the time when applying cream has most effect.
No. 7 Protect & Perfect Night Cream is currently retailing in Boots for £22 for a 50ml jar. This product is very occasionally included as part of Boots' 3 for 2 promotions, so if you shop cannily this price can be reduced.
My opinion
I've been a fan of Boots No. 7 range for many years and now use their Protect & Perfect products for both daytime moisturising and at night. Over the years, I've used several other night creams from various manufacturers previously but have always found them so greasy that they actually feel unpleasant on the skin. Not only that but because of the higher level of grease which remains on the surface of the skin, there is the risk of it transferring onto the bed linen. No. 7, however, seem to have developed a cream which, although containing higher levels of oil doesn't retain any greasiness on the skin.
The cream is sold in the Protect & Perfect livery of an aqua blue box with gold and black lettering. The jar itself is a pearly white coloured, slightly opaque glass with an aqua blue lid. The cream is hypo allergenic so is suitable for even the most sensitive skin with an ingredients list that is, of course, full of long chemical names which mean absolutely nothing unless you're a chemist. Boots' claim this is "A rich formulation which contains our patent pending next generation antioxidant complex, to protect against damaging effects of free radicals. Includes skin-firming pro-retinol complex containing lipo-peptides to boost and maintain elasticity." I've found nothing about this product which disputes their claim.
Once opened, the first thing to note is the perfume which is light, floral and pleasant, with a fragrance reminiscent of lily-of-the-valley. This cream is only slightly thicker in consistency that the Protect & Perfect Beauty Serum, which I use as a daily moisturiser, and when rubbed between the fingers it has a silky rather than greasy feel to it. The cream is extremely easy to apply, going on very smoothly because of the higher oil content and a little of this product goes a long way.
The main difference I've found with this night cream as opposed to others I've used, however, is the speed of absorption. It sinks into the skin very quickly so that there isn't any greasy residue remaining on the surface of the skin at all and yet it leaves the complexion feeling moisturised and soft. It's almost as if the cream is just lying beneath the top layer of skin. In the morning the complexion feels soft and smooth and is, hopefully, replenished and ready to face the day ahead. Boots sometimes claim it leaves skin radiant but I'm not sure about that one. It will be a cold day in Hell before I wake up on a work day morning feeling radiant!
With regard to negatives, it's very hard to think of any other than that the cream has a shelf-life of 24 months and in my experience a 50ml jar will last longer than that time. I'm not sure what ingredients in the cream are likely to degenerate after the two years is up, but I shall continue to use this cream until the jar is empty!
I know we all age at separate rates and some of us have been luckier with regard to the gene pool from which we've come, but I really do feel that over the couple of years I've been using this cream it's helped me keep my skin smooth, supple and relatively line-free. It won't give you the complexion of a twenty-something (unless you actually are one) but it does seem to reduce that coarseness of the complexion which develops as skin matures.
To my mind, this is an excellent mid-priced night cream which does the job for which it's intended and definitely deserves 5 stars.