text:
Playing At the World remains the definitive text of the creation of Dungeons & Dragons and its context in the history of games, combining as it does a high level of academic rigour with a thorough reliance on hard documentary evidence, rather than the potentially confused, biased, or misremembered anecdotes offered by participants after the fact.
However, the fact remains that, whilst the latter-day remembrances of early games industry figures should be treated with the caution for the purposes of making an academic work, there is still a lot of interesting information that has been disclosed by such people over the years – often spread out over a large number of different forum posts. Some form of collation of all this information would be handy for future researchers.
Kent David Kelly's Hawk & Moor series is a self-published attempt to produce just such a compilation, with the intent of focusing on the history of D&D from the formative experiences of Dave Arneson and Gary Gygax to 1985, when Gygax departed TSR. (A supplemental volume, subtitled The Steam Tunnel Incident, is a new edition of a pre-Hawk & Moor work by Kelly on the James Dallas Egbert case which I'll look at another time.)
The Dragon Rises kicks off the narrative by giving some biographical details on Gygax and Arneson and recounting events up to Gygax's completion of a first draft of the D&D rules, ending just as Gary is inviting his son and daughter to playtest his system with him.
To a certain extent the volume exposes the weaknesses of the oral history approach; because Gary was much more forthcoming than Arneson in later years when it came to discussing the history of the game (to the extent of becoming a regular presence on several web fora), Kelly inevitably ends up presenting a Gygax-heavy version of the history because he simply has more material to work with from Gygax. Then again, Arneson was hardly a prolific writer either, so Playing At the World had much the same problem, and Kelly does an excellent job of sifting through the stories that have come to us from those who played with Arneson in order to tease out details of his campaign events and his refereeing style.
Ultimately, the picture that emerges here is much the same as that presented in Playing At the World: Arneson made a number of important innovations at his table, but his rulings were improvised on the spot a lot of the time and there was no coherent, consistent system in a stable enough form for publication; it took Gygax to sit down and actually refine Arneson's ideas into a form that other people could pick up and use.
Far from being redundant though, the volume presents fascinating insights into the events of Arneson's original Blackmoor campaign, as well as Gygax's design methodology. For instance, we learn that Arneson's original Blackmoor campaign ran into issues which have regularly popped up ever since in the hobby – like what to do when one of the players can't make it – and Gary would modify the parameters of an encounter on the fly depending on the power level and status of the adventuring party. (In the light of this the OSR tendency to let the dice roll as they may and to sneer at tailoring encounters to character level seems less "old school" than it might like to think it is.)
Another interesting fact that emerges very clearly from these anecdotes is the way Arneson's game incorporated a big dose of player-versus-player action and didn't assume at first an adventuring party of allies; indeed it, included arch-enemies played by other players reacting to the players' activities, so the first dungeon adventure was as much a precursor to Dungeon Keeper as it was D&D. Conversely, partly due to the constraints of the demonstration game that Arneson ran for Gygax and friends on a visit to Lake Geneva, Gygax approached the initial design of the rules with the assumption that the players would play an adventuring party and (mostly) try to co-operate with each other, whereas the referee handled all the other characters. Thus, the extremely experimental format Arneson used was crystallised into the traditional RPG model by Gygax, who at least in part thought he was following Arneson's example, making the invention of the traditional format something of a happy accident attributable to no one person's inspiration.
The second volume, The Dungeons Deep, picks up the story with Gygax's first playtest session of D&D with his son and daughter towards the end of 1972, and follows the process of refinement which both shaped the Greyhawk campaign and allowed Gygax to take a second pass at the rules. This second draft would essentially form the basis of the published game – Gygax rushing it into production as soon as finances allowed to stave off the possibility of some other publisher putting something out – and this volume chronicles that process and the foundation of TSR, taking us to just after the January 1974 release date of the game.
One notable thing about this volume is how Dave Arneson is barely a presence in it – though the Twin Cities Blackmoor group would get a playtest copy of the rules, along with selected testers dotted around the country, it seems that they were not as active in providing actual playtesting feedback as other groups were – and Gygax's own Greyhawk saw intensive play over this time period. In some respects this creates a problem for this volume, since it offers up so many anecdotal stories about events in the campaign I found myself skimming at some points. Whereas some aspects of these anecdotes, like the rather self-serving behaviour of the PCs and Gygax's Dungeon Mastering decisions and technique, are rather interesting, I do wonder whether anyone who isn't a serious Greyhawk obsessive would find these anecdotes somewhat over-detailed. The fact that the Greyhawk campaign was divided into regular players who needed elite content tailored to their very powerful characters and less regular sorts who popped in on an ad hoc basis is interesting; the intimate ins and outs of each significant dungeon expedition puts the book at risk of becoming every bit as boring as being cornered by someone who wants to tell you anecdotes about a game you haven't taken part in usually is.
Still, the presentation of information here does throw into sharp relief just how much control Gygax had over the creative process behind making the game once he had crafted a first draft from the morass of rough notes Arneson had provided him, and now that the narrative has hit the publication of D&D the next volume should hopefully take the focus away from the two foundational campaigns a bit in order to take in the wider story of the game's early success. It also helps provide a clear explanation of why OD&D is as shakily-organised as it is: Gygax deliberately rushed the game to print partly because TSR couldn't afford to hang around waiting for the product to be polished, and partly because he was worried about the possibility of somebody else putting out a similar game before D&D could come out. In the long run, this is a decision which seems to have paid off, given how Dungeons & Dragons has benefitted from that "first mover" advantage over the years.
The third book, Lands and Worlds Afar, covers the immediate 1974 and 1975 aftermath of the release of the original boxed set. This includes the chaotic collapse of the original Greyhawk campaign as overt hostilities between player characters kicked off, as well as subsequent campaigning that would lead to the development of the Temple of Elemental Evil. One thing which is notable by this point is how long many early player characters managed to survive in Gary's campaigns, which suggests that he either wasn't quite the killer GM that he's sometimes made out to be, or that there was some bias (conscious or otherwise) at work, or simply that the players who knew Gary best and played with him most regularly knew his style best and were better-equipped to look out for themselves, than more transient visitors to the campaign.
As I'd hoped, the scope of this book becomes more varied and interesting now that Kelly is able to draw on a wider range of anecdotes. Now that D&D was out in the wild, people could react to it accordingly, and Kelly documents the genesis of a range of other legendary gaming franchises to boot. Since the focus of the series is on D&D, more attention is given to games which started out as variants of the D&D system, though games entirely divorced from that system also get a mention here and there. Hence, Tunnels & Trolls. a game which implements the premise of D&D through absolutely unrelated game mechanics, gets a brief discussion, but more attention is given to M.A.R. Barker's Empire of the Petal Throne, developed independently by Barker after he saw D&D in action and published by TSR to avoid potential acrimony due to the extent to which Barker borrowed the D&D mechanics, and Jim Ward's early work on Metamorphosis Alpha – the precursor to Gamma World, which came about after Jim suggested to Gary that a sci-fi take on D&D would make a good product and Gary challenged him to write it himself. We also see how the wide range of queries and comments about the game were already giving TSR the impression that perhaps some sort of easy introduction to the game – a basic set, if you will – was a commercially sensible prospect, though that idea wouldn't see fruit until later years.
This period is also crucial to the history of TSR as a commercial entity due to the unexpected and untimely death of Don Kaye, an absolutely key partner to the business. This prompted a crisis just as D&D was beginning to gain traction, and Gygax's sales predictions – scoffed at for being over-optimistic by the others – were proving if anything to be far too conservative. It was obvious to all concerned that Kaye's widow had no interest in being part of the business, and understandably just wanted to sell off her stake and go grieve and get on with her life; eventually, the solution hit on involved Gary signing a deal which saw the Blume brothers get an important stake in the business. As Kelly notes, Gygax would later say that this was the worst decision he ever made – for about a decade later, it would be this deal that allowed a boardroom coup to kick Gary out of TSR altogether and deliver the company into the hands of Lorraine Williams, a controversial figure within the hobby (though I'm increasingly of the opinion that public opinion has treated her unfairly in some respects, as accurate as it may be in others). One poignant fruit of the earlier, friendlier relations between Gygax and Blume that Kelly highlights is their completion of a Western-themed RPG – a project Kaye had talked about and had done some preliminary work on before his death. The game would be dedicated to Kaye, and the fact that it is titled Boot Hill – the traditional name for an Old West gunslingers' graveyard – becomes a little more meaningful when you know the history behind it.
As mentioned earlier, Hawk & Moor takes in a wider (but less rigorously supported) range of evidence than Playing At the World, and also has a different scope, showing an interest in the entire history of TSR and D&D rather than just the leadup and immediate reaction to the game's release. This approach starts bearing major fruits here, with a particularly interesting subject being the preparation of the Blackmoor supplement. Credited to Dave Arneson, this was part of the early strategy of each D&D supplement presenting more of an alternative approach to the game rather than an additive approach; rather than expecting people to implement everything in all the supplements, the idea seems to have been that Greyhawk would showcase Gary's house rules and style rather than being an extensive setting guide, Blackmoor would do the same for Dave, and so on. Of course, the additive approach caught on sufficiently with the general public to necessitate the writing of AD&D, but that's a story for later.
Anyway, the stories around the production of the Blackmoor supplement told by TSR veterans – which are Kelly's main source for much of this stuff are often not very complimentary to Arneson, but seem dreadfully plausible given the decidedly variable (some would go so far as to say sloppy) quality of the few publications Arneson put out now and again after he left TSR, and more rigorously evidence-supported aspects of the OD&D design process. The story goes that when Arneson finally got around to sending his Blackmoor notes to TSR, they were another pile of contraductory and disorganised notes with little care given to whether they contradicted each other (or, for that matter, the published D&D rules). much like those Gary Gygax had to struggle with when designing the game in the first place. Gygax wasn't up for yet another editing-and-rewriting chore; Brian Blume, the other major player in TSR at the time, probably didn't fancy the task either.
Luckily, the duo had recently hired Tim Kask – TSR's first very first employee – to act as an in-house editor, with particular responsibility for The Strategic Review (the magazine that later became Dragon), literally gave him a basket of Arneson notes, and told him to go away and turn them into a supplement, which Kask was eventually able to do only after scrapping a lot of what Arneson had produced and rewriting it. Kask's own, unfiltered account of this process is compiled from forum posts for easy reading here. Given that Kask's pet name for Dave Arneson is "the Malignant Toad", a big pinch of salt is probably needed when reading it (and reading the Hawk & Moor account, for that matter), especially since to my knowledge Arneson never put out a rebuttal before he died. However, given how many people I've encountered in the hobby who are full of interesting ideas but can't organise them to save their life, and given what we do know about Arneson's personal style, I find the story believable and plausible – certainly, as you may note from the comments section on that blog post other people who worked with Arneson over the years found it a real chore to edit his work. (In particular, pay close attention to the comments by Chirine ba Kal in the comments – he's a Twin Cities gamer who played with both Dave Arneson and M.A.R. Barker in their foundational campaigns and also knew Gary, and as many nice things as he has to say about Arneson even he has to admit that Arneson desperately needed someone like Gygax to set down his ideas and make them actually viable as a product.)
Although Kelly's conversational, jocular style occasionally grates when he starts goofing around instead of getting to the point, he does at least know how to leave the reader excited to see what's coming in the next volume of the series. Having regaled us with the painful birth of the Blackmoor supplement, Kelly promises us an even more explosive Arneson story in the next volume – for the next year would see Arneson moving down to Lake Geneva to take up a more active role in TSR. As frustrating as he had sometimes been as a distant collaborator, reportedly given to airily dismissing requests for clarification by insisting that his notes explained everything perfectly adequately, Gygax and colleagues and Arneson had just about managed to work together enough to put out a couple of products with his fingerprints on. Dealing with him in person would, Kelly assures us, be a whole other ball game…
The fourth volume, Of Demons and Fallen Idols, covers 1976 and delves into a lot of important developments that year. For instance, whilst in retrospect the division of D&D into Basic and Advanced versions which had numerous points of incompatibility seems slapdash, we learn here that at least the early planning stages were much more structured, with Gygax and Tim Kask cloistered in Gary's office at TSR headquarters (TSR at this point being big enough to have actual offices) for about six days hacking up copies of OD&D and its supplements and deciding what should go in Basic and what would go in Advanced. It's interesting to know that the future trajectory of the game – and thus the seeds of future developments which would see the AD&D line win out over Basic, the development of 3E in response to AD&D's perceived faults and the development of 4E subsequent to it, and the return of 5E effectively to the approach Gygax and Kask took back in 1976 by conceiving of the Basic game as a subset of the Advanced, though 5E's Basic game is actually compatible with the full-fat game this time around.
1976 would also see J. Eric Holmes commissioned to prepare the first Basic Set, the release of Metamorphosis Alpha, and the rise of Judges Guild as an important third party publisher, all of which we get some insight into. There was also the roots of scandal this year; Dave Arneson would become a TSR employee at the start of the year with a nebulous "research" mandate (Kelly speculates – rather credibly – that this was an attempt to make use of Arneson's strengths by encouraging him to go spot or create the next big thing), and towards the end of the year he'd be gone, with more or less nothing of substance bearing his name published during that time in relation to D&D.
Here, Kelly's often hagiographic tone of writing becomes a liability; Tim Kask has waxed lyrical about his clashes with Arneson during this time, but whilst alluding to them Kelly is too respectful of his heroes to go into any level of detail. Nonetheless, his account of an adventure that Arneson ran at a con seems to speak for itself when it comes to Arneson's personality – with Arneson's buddy allowed to run his 14th level paladin whilst all the newcomers had to play 1st to 4th level plebs, arbitrary deathtraps aplenty, and some fairly blatant favouritism at work (NPCs deferring to the high-level paladin an awful lot), even Kelly has to concede that it probably wasn't a fun experience for any of the newcomers at the table. For a referee to show such blatant favouritism would ruin even a private game; to do it at a con, in the sight of the hobby, as a representative of your employer who publishes that game is absolutely ridiculous. In fact, I suspect would be a firing offence at any publisher these days, simply because of the sheer lack of professionalism involved; as Kelly notes, it seems to have been professionalism and his aversion to it which prompted Arneson to leave TSR, and based on the story about the convention game it seems to me that Arneson, whatever of the positive qualities of the amateur hobbyist tinkerer he displayed, also embodied a wide swathe of the worst.
Kelly's writing style continues to be gratingly pretentious at points he keeps stopping to pay effusive tribute to the people he's writing about which becomes intensely annoying, and seems to involve him really getting into this bardic pose he talked about way at the start of the series a little too much.
The fifth volume, Age of Glory, covers 1977; this volume has less in the way of actual play reports, largely because reports from this era are quite sparse (the TSR prime movers generally being too busy to play as much as previously). That's all to the good as far as I'm concerned, particularly since this year was rich enough in major events that such accounts really aren't needed to pad things out. You have major new releases like Traveller and Chivalry & Sorcery representing two different responses to D&D – the former of which was warmly regarded by TSR (because GDW didn't rip off the D&D system) and the latter of which was, in Kelly's estimation at least, an angry response to D&D by people who were really mad that it was too fun and not serious enough. (This is not actually an unfair assessment; Chivalry & Sorcery is pretty goddamn dry.) You have the release of the Holmes-penned Basic Set, along with the work which would give rise to Gamma World. You have Gen Con X taking place at the Playboy Club and the release of the Monster Manual.
At the same time, despite having less actual play reports to spill words on, somehow Kelly still manages to focus an awful lot on minutiae and gloss over more interesting issues. For instance, though it's understandable that he doesn't go much into detail about Chivalry & Sorcery itself, the story of how its developers tried to pitch it to Gary Gygax is an interesting one which could illustrate many of the points Kelly makes about the developing relationship between an increasingly professional TSR and the rest of the hobby, but it's glossed over entirely; meanwhile, an entire chapter is given over to an extended summary of the plotline of the first year of Dave Trampier's Wormy comic, and whilst Wormy is well-regarded by fans who caught it in the pages of Dragon I don't really think the ins and outs of its plot merit the amount of space dedicated to it here.
Subsequent volumes in the series have yet to emerge, and it's been some months since Kelly popped in on the Acaeum forum to give updates on it. Although Kelly's particular foibles as a writer are grating to me, the extant books are still a handy compilation of information, and whilst they're not especially academic, they at least provide enough leads on secondary sources to be of use to anyone attempting a more formal pass on the same material. Really, the major beef I have is that the Kindle versions don't properly use hyperlinking for the footnotes, which makes it enormously awkward to look them up.


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"Time to have expectation and reality aggressively at conflict with each other tonight. w00t w00t!!!
Enjoy your totally average night out everyone!!!"
So entirely on point! I'm really not much for resolutions, cuz I just get shit done, but here are few of the things that made 2013 unique:
(1) I didn't travel internationally AT ALL! A first since...2001
(2) Moved to Charlottesville
(3) Moved back to the States
(4) Lived in LA for more than 2 months since 2006
(5) Started Grad School (life bucket lister)
(6) Got my heart mega broken by my long term (now ex) boyfriend
(7) Traveled to San Antonio for the first time (not very memorable but def a first)
(8) Met a ton of new people at school that i'm happy i can now call FRIEND!
(9) Finance became by favorite class

subset: commoncrawl


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I see animal shapes in the clouds all the time, the other day I spotted a bear… :)
flower sky children dream butterfly fantasy original animal cute happy kid brown bug colorful butterflies bear bee whimsical daffodil grizzly bumble bee teddy bear brown bear grizzly bear cianna rose ciannarose blue white cloud
wonderful, magical work!!
Hi Catherine, thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a lovely comment, much appreciated! Peace :)
Love it!
Thanks so much Jim, very glad to hear you do! :)
this is so so gorgeous!
Thanks much Bee, so so happy you like it! :)
I LOVE your visions hon and I love Bears- this is so so wonderful. It looks like he likes it up there xx
Hi Anita, I'm so glad to hear you like it. This one floated around in my head for quite some time until I finally got it down on paper… Bears are so expressive, no? Thanks for your sweet comment! xx :)
This is so fun!!! I love the bear's expression and the butterfly on his head. Adorable. This is an instant fave!
Welcome Beth, so glad you stopped by to take a peek! Thanks for the great comment and the Fave… you made me smile now! :)
adorable bear LIZ
Thanks so much Liz, glad you like! :)
What a wonderful X-mas day surprise!! Thanks so much for the good news Stephanie and to the Painted Nature Group for the feature!!! :)
This looks a very friendly bear Cianna. Congratulations on your feature, well deserved it is a beauty ~ Anni :) xx
Hi Anni, so glad you stopped by and that you like it! Hoping all is well in your corner of the world. xx :)
Fantastic work cianna !
I appreciate your kind comments so much Danita, thank you! :)
awww this is gorgeous work!! Love his little face :))
Hi Diana-Lee… thanks, very glad to hear you like it ! :)
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Original materials have been left exposed to show the building's history, writes David Hughes
The architect's view
Park Theatre wanted an outstanding, welcoming and friendly venue, within an old office building, providing: two playhouses (a 200-seat main house and a flexible 80-100 seat studio space); a café/bar, a multi-function rehearsal space, dressing rooms and all the back-of-house facilities needed for the theatre to run successfully.
The existing building was extended and converted, with original materials exposed and kept where possible to show the historic fabric. The entire building was privately financed through developing and selling three upper floor flats, donations, fund raising and philanthropic grants. This required discipline in the design and specification and we worked tirelessly with the client team to ensure every penny counted.
We wanted as much natural light as possible on the long thin site. Rooflights and glazing are used throughout for front of house areas, main circulation spaces, offices, dressing rooms and the large 'shop front' bay window. Both auditoria feature
large rooflights, which are blacked out for performances. They also incorporate programmable colour-changing LED house lighting which can transform the colour of the whole theatre space.
- David Hughes, director, David Hughes Architects
Project data
Start on site June 2011
Completion May 2013
Gross internal floor area 1,100m²
Form of contract JCT Intermediate 2009
Construction cost £2,500,000
Construction cost per m² £2,272
Client Park Theatre
Structural engineer Hardman Engineers
M&E consultant DSA and Apple Sustainability
Theatre lighting design Julian McCready and Roger Hennigan
Architectural lighting design Hoare Lea Lighting
Graphic and signage design Feast Creative
Theatre sound design Theo Holloway
Building acoustics Sharpes Redmore
Theatre acoustics Byron Harrison
CAD software used Vectorworks, Artlantis
Specified products
Red render to front elevation
SPS Envirowall Insulated Render system
Granol KR Acrylic Topcoat; RAL 3001; 1mm grain
Grey render to front elevation
SPS Envirowall Insulated Render system
Granol KR Acrylic Topcoat; RAL 7012; 2mm grain
Brick to ground floor front elevation
Ibstock, Bexhill Purple Multi 4033
Atrium rooflight
Roofglaze Monopitch, PPC aluminium-framed, double-glazed low-E rooflight
Colour change LEDs to auditorium
NJO Linear projector, LIN RGB; dimmable DMX driver
Downlighter, first floor bar
Concord Intro Fixed 50W Tungsten Halogen
Pendant lamp, ground floor bar
Plumen, Plumen 001
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text:
- Research article
- Open Access
Characterization of new IS elements and studies of their dispersion in two subspecies of Leifsonia xyli
© Zerillo et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2008
- Received: 22 November 2007
- Accepted: 25 July 2008
- Published: 25 July 2008
Leifsonia xyli is a xylem-inhabiting bacterial species comprised of two subspecies: L. xyli subsp. xyli (Lxx) and L. xyli subsp. cynodontis (Lxc). Lxx is the causal agent of ratoon stunting disease in sugarcane commercial fields and Lxc colonizes the xylem of several grasses causing either mild or no symptoms of disease. The completely sequenced genome of Lxx provided insights into its biology and pathogenicity. Since IS elements are largely reported as an important source of bacterial genome diversification and nothing is known about their role in chromosome architecture of L. xyli, a comparative analysis of Lxc and Lxx elements was performed.
Sample sequencing of Lxc genome and comparative analysis with Lxx complete DNA sequence revealed a variable number of IS transposable elements acting upon genomic diversity. A detailed characterization of Lxc IS elements and a comparative review with IS elements of Lxx are presented. Each genome showed a unique set of elements although related to same IS families when considering features such as similarity among transposases, inverted and direct repeats, and element size. Most of the Lxc and Lxx IS families assigned were reported to maintain transposition at low levels using translation regulatory mechanisms, consistent with our in silico analysis. Some of the IS elements were found associated with rearrangements and specific regions of each genome. Differences were also found in the effect of IS elements upon insertion, although none of the elements were preferentially associated with gene disruption. A survey of transposases among genomes of Actinobacteria showed no correlation between phylogenetic relatedness and distribution of IS families. By using Southern hybridization, we suggested that diversification of Lxc isolates is also mediated by insertion sequences in probably recent events.
Collectively our data indicate that transposable elements are involved in genome diversification of Lxc and Lxx. The IS elements were probably acquired after the divergence of the two subspecies and are associated with genome organization and gene contents. In addition to enhancing understanding of IS element dynamics in general, these data will contribute to our ongoing comparative analyses aimed at understanding the biological differences of the Lxc and Lxx.
- Inverted Repeat
- Insertion Sequence
- Premature Stop Codon
- Terminal Inverted Repeat
- IS1237 Insertion
The Gram-positive, coryneform, fastidious, xylem-inhabiting bacteria Leifsonia xyli comprises two subspecies: L. xyli subsp. xyli (Lxx) and L. xyli subsp. cynodontis (Lxc). In its unique natural host, Lxx causes ratoon-stunting disease, a malady that affects sugarcane commercial fields worldwide, promoting losses of up to 30% in susceptible varieties [1]. Sequencing of the Lxx genome has provided important insights into the biology and pathogenicity of this bacterium [2]. Lxc is an endophyte of Bermuda grass (Cynodo dactylon) and, when artificially inoculated, can grow in and colonize the xylem of agriculturally important grasses (including sugarcane, corn and rice), causing no (or mild) symptoms of disease [3, 4]. Some studies suggested that Lxc may be a potential vector for expressing heterologous proteins in plants [5–10, 4]. We have initiated a genome-based approach to compare Lxc and Lxx by sample sequencing the Lxc genome. Our goal is to comprehensively assess gene content and genomic organization of these two closely related bacteria to enhance understanding of the differences in their pathogenicity and host range. Here, we present the in silico characterization of insertion sequence (IS) elements, the most abundant type of mobile genetic element found in L. xyli [2] and their involvement in Lxc and Lxx genome diversification.
IS elements are small transposable DNA fragments ranging from 0.7 to 3.5 kbp, comprising a transposase-encoding gene and terminal inverted repeats (IR) [11]. Close to 1,500 different IS elements have been reported in the chromosomes and plasmids of nearly all bacteria studied [12]. IS elements may inactivate genes upon insertion or activate and/or enhance the expression of nearby genes. Some are known to recognize specific sites of the genome that are duplicated after IS insertion, resulting in direct repeats (DR). IS elements may provide the structural basis necessary to enable the rearrangement of genomic fragments and the incorporation of foreign DNA either by active transposition process or indirectly, mediating homologous recombination between multiple copies present in a given genome [13]. They are believed to undergo frequent horizontal transfer and cycles of expansion and extinction within a given species, most likely as a consequence of transfer between genomes and plasmids [14]. Their expansion, genome location and composition may differ among related bacteria, representing an important source of genomic diversity [15–20, 12]. Because its effects have a direct impact on cell survival, control of transposition is tightly regulated. Intrinsic regulation is basically at the transcriptional and translational level [21]. In addition, several host proteins have been identified as part of the transpososome, the assembly of which may be controlled by host factors, thus integrating transposition activity and host physiology [22].
Previously, 50 copies of five distinct IS elements (ISLxx1–5) in the Lxx genome were reported, along with 47 other transposase-related genes from uncharacterized elements [2, 23]. In Lxc, three IS elements have previously been identified: IS1237 [24], ISLxc1 and ISLxc2 [25], located both on the chromosome and on the cryptic plasmid pCXC100 that is present in some isolates. A detailed characterization of two new Lxc IS elements (ISLxc3 and ISLxc4) and one new Lxx element (ISLxx6) is presented, as well as a comparative review of all elements found in both genomes, their distribution among families [11], and their comparative localization. The results support the hypothesis that IS elements are components involved in the diversification of Lxx and Lxc, with their influence most likely occurring after the divergence of the two subspecies from their common ancestor.
The dataset of Lxcgenomic DNA
The characterization of the IS elements were realized within the dataset of Lxc DSMZ46306 genomic DNA. The dataset is comprised of 9,766 reads, of which 5,854 were derived from the shotgun library and 3,912 from sequencing BAC ends, sub-cloning of inserts and primer-walking. All sequences were assembled into 1,064 contigs accounting for 1,368,731 non-redundant bases, representing approximately 50% of the Lxc chromosome. Comparing all the sequences of Lxc with the complete genome of Lxx, we found that nearly 70% share more than 80% nucleotide sequence identity considering a continuous segment of at least 200 bases. Two other genomes of related subspecies Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis and C. michiganensis subsp. sepedonicus that were recently sequenced [26, 27] have nearly 80% of nucleotide identity using the same criteria. These figures were derived from the Artemis Comparative Tool [28].
Lxc and Lxxeach have their own set of IS elements
Among all the contigs, 70 shared sequence similarity to transposase-encoding genes. Fifty-six of these represented copies of five distinct IS elements that were characterized based on the criteria proposed (Table 1). The remaining 14 contigs correspond to uncharacterized IS elements, since no IR, site of insertion and structural limits were identified within the available sequences. They were classified only tentatively based on homology searches with Lxx genome, and were placed within IS families (Table 2): IS3 family (eleven elements); IS256 family (two elements); and IS481 family (one element). Elements of the same families were not characterized in Lxx as well [2, 23]. These uncharacterized transposases may represent degenerated forms of old insertions, however they may also be used as site for rearrangements within Lxc genome.
Details of Lxc-IS elements.
IS length (bp)
Tpase length (aa)a
DR (host sequence)
Minimal no of copies
IS familyb
Most related Lxx-IS
3' GAGATGGTTTCAGTAGTCGc
262 (istB)
Classification of Lxc and Lxx transposase-encoding genes into IS families [11].
IS Family
% Total
Description of Lxc IS elements and comparison with related elements in Lxx
IS1237 and ISLxx6, IS5family members
IS1237 was first identified in the plasmid pCXC100 detected in some Lxc isolates [24]. Recently, 13 upstream and 10 downstream flanking sequences of IS1237 were described [25]. We identified 26 copies of IS1237 (Additional files 3 and 4) represented by two variant forms: 24 copies were 899-bp long and almost identical, with a single polymorphism in the 3'-IR; two copies were 798 bp long (Table 1 and Fig. 1). Four copies were inserted within other IS elements: one inserted within ISLxc1 and three inserted within copies of ISLxc2. There was no read-through ORF encoding an entire transposase within IS1237 [24]. If functional, the coding sequence, starting and ending at nucleotide positions 232 and 889, respectively, would have to change frame (-1) and overcome a premature stop codon (Additional file 2). Since the coding sequence of all 899-bp long copies sequenced so far were identical, it is reasonable to assume that such translational features could be involved in the negative control of transposition [21]. The putative transposase has the expected catalytic domain containing a DDE motif [25], but the number of amino acids separating these residues does not follow the pattern of the IS5 family, and the glutamic acid is located downstream of the premature stop codon. Analyzing Lxx genome sequence, we identified ISLxx6, a single copy of which is represented within the genomic island LxxGI3 [2]. In Lxx, LxxGI3, is a depository of IS elements encompassing seventeen putative transposase genes [2, 23]. ISLxx6 shows the highest nucleotide sequence similarity with an Lxc-IS element, the 899 bp-long IS1237 (Additional file 1). Interestingly, however, contrary to IS1237, the ISLxx6 putative transposase gene (Lxx22320.1) is read-through (Additional file 5). Both elements were classified as belonging to group IS427 within IS5 family based on multiple alignment using Tribe-MCl (Patricia Siguier, personal communication). However, they share conserved amino acids with elements of group IS1031 (Additional file 5). In addition, ISLxx6 presents a single ORF and recognize three nucleotides as site of insertion, also common features of elements of IS1031 group. This may indicate the existence of another group within IS5 family.
ISLxc1, an IS21family member
ISLxc1 [25] encompasses two ORFs similar to the IstA and IstB transposases found in elements of the IS21 family [11]. In our Lxc dataset, we identified one copy of ISLxc1, which was invaded by an IS1237 element. The IS1237 insertion is located 58 bp upstream of the first ORF (istA) (figure 1) and has duplicated the "TAA" site of insertion within ISLxc1 (Additional file 2). A second version of ISLxc1 not carrying a copy of IS1237 was amplified in DSMZ46306 with inwardly oriented primers complementary to the 5' and 3' IRs. However this element was not mapped on Lxx genome because we did not have the flanking sequences. ISLxc1 is 2,631 bp long and 99% identical to that previously sequenced [25]. Within both versions istA is truncated and the DDE motif was not identified, therefore istA disruption was prior to the IS1237 insertion. istB may encode a 262-amino-acid protein containing the predicted nucleoside triphosphate-binding domain. It is preceded by a purine reach site, which in other elements is an indicative of ribosome frameshifting and coupled translation of IstA and IstB [11] (Fig. 1 and additional file 2).
ISLxc2, an IS481family member
ISLxc2 is a 1,105-bp-long element (Table 1 and Fig. 1) [25]. The 16 copies identified here all contain at least one nucleotide polymorphism in different positions, none of which located in crucial sites such as start and stop codons or the DDE motif. The putative transposase contains 332 amino acids and is interrupted by an in-frame stop-codon located 111 nucleotides downstream of the initiation codon (Additional file 2). Interestingly, the transposases of ISLxc2 and also ISLxx4 of Lxx genome [2] have stop codons within the host insertion site. The NCTAGN sequence is duplicated after element insertion and flanks both ends indicating that the translational end of the transposase may impose the structural limits on these elements, as described for other elements of the same family [29, 30].
Three copies of ISLxc2 were invaded by IS1237, in all the cases the insertion was located 13 bp upstream of the putative transposase gene, duplicating the TTA site of recognition. Generally, genes invaded by IS elements become non-functional, but the IS1237 insertions were all at the same position within ISLxc2, located upstream of the transposase gene (Fig. 1). IS elements located upstream of the coding region may create a hybrid promoter between the IS element sequence and the gene and favor transcription of the later, which in this case is ISLxc2 [11, 21]. However, this should be addressed experimentally.
ISLxc3 and ISLxc4, IS30family members
Two novel elements were identified: ISLxc3 and ISLxc4 (Table 1, Fig. 1 and Additional file 2). Eight copies of ISLxc3 were found, six of which being 1,511 bp long, and two copies with 3' end deletions at different positions. One of these defective variants (occurrence number 8 – additional file 3) is associated with a reorganization event in Lxc compared to Lxx because one of the flanking regions is common to Lxx and the other one is specific to Lxc. This is an example showing that an IS element may serve as a subject for homologous recombination, independent of its integrity. An imperfect IR of ISLxc3 was defined as a twenty-six bp long sequence starting with three non-complemented nucleotides, "CTT", at the 5'-end and "GCC" at the 3'-end, which were also detected for ISLxx5 [2]. The proposed IRs were based on the experimentally proved structural limits of IS1655, an IS30 family element of Neisseria meningitides [31]. In fact, the first nine nucleotides of 3'-IR are conserved among IS1655, ISLxc3 and ISLxx5. We failed in detect a conserved target site for insertion in multiple alignment considering 20 bases upstream and downstream of the element limits, but the duplication of NTG sequence was detected flanking two copies of ISLxc3. The putative transposase was the only one described in Lxc that was not interrupted by a premature stop codon or by a purine repeat associated with a frameshift.
ISLxc4 was found in five copies represented by two variant forms. Two copies represented longer versions (1,311 bp) and the other three copies (896 bp) showed the same deletion within the core region, which were considered shorter versions of the ISLxc4 (ISLxc4d1 – GeneBank ID: EF494674). The IRs are twenty-eight bp long, and no DR was identified flanking the occurrences. Regardless of been unusual for IS30 family elements, the long version contain a cluster of purines (nucleotide position 431–437), resembling a slippery codon for the frameshift (Additional file 2). Transposases of the IS30 family encompass the helix-turn-helix (HTH) DNA-binding domain at the N-terminal part and the well-conserved D-(54–61 aa)-D-(33 aa)-E motif at the C-terminal part [30, 32]. In ISLxc4, if the +1 frameshift does occur, the transposase (OrfAB) is 380 amino acids long and contains two domains. If the frameshift does not occur, the transposase (OrfA) is 115 amino acids long, carrying only the DNA-binding domain. Truncated transposases with only the DNA-binding domain may function as negative regulators of transposition when interacting with IRs, resulting in either repression of the transposase gene promoter or competition with full-length transposases [33, 21]. Neither the DNA-binding domain nor DDE motif following the rule above were detected within the ORF of the shorter variant.
Analysis of IS element loci in the Lxc and Lxxgenomes
IS elements were randomly distributed throughout Lxx genome (Fig. 2), 25% of all insertions were located in what has been described as genomic islands [2, 23], in particular within genomic island LxxGI3. Comparatively the distribution of the elements in Lxc also seems to be random; however our approach so far does not allow us to make the same inferences about islands in Lxc genome.
To assess the impact of IS elements in gene disruption, they were classified into three categories: IS insertions within predicted genes; insertions in non-coding sequences; and insertions in non-coding sequences, but with one or two truncated genes nearby (less than 100 nucleotides distant) (Fig. 3). Truncated genes were defined as those ORFs that have a disrupted coding sequence based on BlastX results. Most of the elements were found inserted within intergenic regions for both genomes. In the Lxx genome, disrupted genes were associated mainly with degradation of polysaccharides, transport and regulatory functions, while in the Lxc genome they were linked to cell structure, regulatory functions and hypothetical genes (Additional file 3 and 4). Five of the putative genes truncated in Lxc have truncated orthologs in the Lxx genome however, in Lxx no IS insertions were detected: three of them probably encoded hypothetical proteins, Lxx05470 (Lxx genome position: 552,768–555,523), Lxx17040 (1,767,422–1,768,564) and Lxx21675 (2,229,230–2,230,675); another one, Lxx01850 (180,918–182,055), presented a conserved acyltransferase domain, associated with lipopolysaccharide modification; and the last one, Lxx14740 (1,531,157–1,531,354), presented a DNA-binding domain. Within Lxc, those genes were invaded by IS1237, ISLxc2, ISLxc3, IS1237 and ISLxc4, respectively. No DRs were detected within Lxx orthologous that could be an indicative of a prior invasion and excision event. Therefore is more likely that these genes were truncated prior to the IS elements insertion in Lxc.
Distribution of L. xyli-IS-related elements throughout Actinobacteria
Distribution of IS elements in Lxcisolates
Sequencing of approximately 50% of the Lxc genome identified 56 copies of five distinct IS elements, establishing that the Lxc chromosome contains a larger number of IS copies than the Lxx genome [2]. The IS elements of Lxc were subjected to a careful analysis and compared to the elements of Lxx and other Actinobacterial genomes, in an attempt to understand their contribution to the genome diversification of the two L. xyli subspecies. Also, taking into account that genome projects usually fail in a detailed characterization of these elements, we reviewed all the elements in both Lxc and Lxx genomes.
Apart from sharing the same IS families, there were no iso-forms in common between the Lxc and Lxx and the locations of insertions were distinct to each genome. Analysis of the impact of IS insertions revealed that, in both subspecies, most elements were inserted within intergenic regions. The higher percentage of this kind of insertion in Lxx (78%) as compared to the Lxc genome (53%) is probably due to the Lxx-genome decay process, since a higher percentage of genes were already non-functional, as previously proposed [2]. Insertions within genes or intergenic regions were independent of IS family assignment for both subspecies. The Lxc and Lxx genome comparative arrangement was assessed by mapping the flanking sequences of each Lxc-IS element in the complete Lxx sequence; some elements were associated with DNA rearrangements and others were inserted into specific fragments of the Lxc genome.
IS1237 is an unique element, with some similarity to elements of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) (NP_624431), S. avermitilis MA-4680 (NP_821293) and Frankia sp. CcI3 (YP_481128). An expansion of it was detected in the Lxc chromosome, whereas elements of the IS5 family were the least represented in Actinobacteria. Particularly intriguing is the presence of a single copy of an IS1237-related element within Lxx genome, the ISLxx6. Despite sharing 85% of nucleotide identity with IS1237, the transposase of ISLxx6 appears to be intact. One would probably expect a larger expansion of it within Lxx genome, but somehow its transposition may be controlled by mechanisms other than that regulated at translational level. This is probably an interesting model to be further analyzed. IS elements are very often plasmid-borne, and transfer events between genomes and plasmids are common [12], which may be the case of IS1237, first described in the cryptic plasmid pCXC100 present in some of the Lxc isolates [24]. The extended survey of all Lxc and Lxx-IS elements among Actinobacteria genomes showed no correlation between phylogenetic relatedness and distribution of IS families, which is probably in agreement with the hypothesis that genomes undergo repetitive extinction-reinfection cycles of different IS elements throughout bacterial evolution [14].
Most of the IS families assigned in L. xyli were characterized by maintaining transposition at low levels using mechanisms, such as regulation at the translational level [21], i.e., transposition occurs only when translation overcomes features of the sequences such as sites for ribosomal slippage and premature termination codons. So far, copies of Lxc and Lxx elements sequenced within each genome have proved almost identical, therefore, we have assumed that these features are part of the mechanism to regulate transposition, rather than being indicative of defective IS elements [21].
To assess the involvement of L. xyli IS elements carrying these types of transposases in promoting genome reorganization, the distribution of three IS elements of different families was analyzed in two strains of Lxc. The observed band polymorphism raised the hypothesis that ISLxc2 and ISLxc4 are involved in diversification, either by being active in transposition or by promoting homologous recombination. Variation was not observed for IS1237 hybridization, supporting previous experimental data where mobilization in vitro was not achieved [25]. Conversely, the elevated number of identical copies within the Lxc chromosome, the identical positioning in different isolates, and insertions within other elements suggest recent expansion of IS1237.
Transposon activity is regarded as an important source of bacterial diversity not only in promoting gene inactivation and genome reorganization but also in acquisition of new sequences [12]. Consequently, there must be some equilibrium between the impact of those events in successful maintenance of the element and host viability. How the differential expansion happens even among close related species and strains remains to be fully understood.
The impact of IS elements on genomic organization and gene content among closely related species has previously been described [16, 17], and our data further support such analyses. Although the approach used to sequence the genome of Lxc was limited, an extensive study using the data gathered was sufficient to show that the genomic diversification of Lxc and Lxx is also and perhaps primarily associated with the presence of distinct types of IS elements. In addition to that, we have made a detailed characterization of IS elements present in each genome, which is often missing in analysis of fully sequenced genomes. The set of IS elements being unique to each genome, their specific location in combination with rearrangements and horizontal gene transfer are probably the major forces of genome evolution in Leifsonia xyli and consequently should have an impact on its biology. The same is probably true for isolates of Lxc as determined by our hybridization experiments. Our study also provided information in concert with the concept that distribution of IS elements in a given genome happens in evolutionary recent events due to cycles of expansion and extinction.
These data will probably contribute to our ongoing comparative analyses aimed at understanding the biological differences of the Lxc and Lxx genomes.
Bacterial strains and growth conditions
The bacterial strains used were: Lxx CTCB07 (NC_006087) [2] (Brazil); Lxc DSMZ46306 (Taiwan); and Lxc SB (Australia). The DSMZ46306 strain was grown in a MSC New modified liquid medium [3, 2] at 28°C for 5–10 days, under agitation at 300 rpm. The SB genomic DNA was kindly provided by Dr. Steven Brumbley (Bureau of Sugar Experiment Station/Queensland, Australia).
Genomic library construction, DNA sequencing and assembly
Two DSMZ46306 genomic libraries were prepared. Genomic DNA extracted as previously described [2] was mechanically sheared and the resulting fragments cloned into pUC19 (Q-Biogene, Carlsbad, CA). A BAC clone library was prepared with 25 kbp-inserts obtained by partial digestion with BamHI [36] cloned into pIndigoBAC-5 (Epicentre®). Both ends of each insert were sequenced using an automated sequencer (model 3700, ABI Prism, Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA). Results were analyzed by ABI sequencing analysis software, and assembled using the phred/Phrap/consed package [37, 38]. All consensus sequences were generated with phred quality ≥ 20.
Characterization of IS elements
Inserts containing end-sequences similar to transposases were subcloned or primer-walked. Homology searches were performed using BlastN and BlastX [39] at GenBank [40] and IS finder [41]. Identities were considered significant only when the E-value was less than 10-05. Positive matches for transposase/integrase were manually verified to determine the presence of the following determinants of a given family: element size; presence of terminal inverted repeats (IR) and conserved terminal based pairs; target site of insertion and number of bases associated to direct repeats (DR); number of ORFs; distance among amino acids of DDE; as well as comparisons with related elements [11]. We also analyzed the presence of variants, domains, frameshifts and premature stop codons.
Transposases sharing more than 95% of amino acid identity were grouped. Their nucleotide sequences in addition to 300 bases up and downstream were aligned using ClustalW [42]. For each cluster of sequences, the first sixty bases of the 5'-end was aligned with the reverse complement of the first sixty bases of the 3'-end. Best matches were considered as IR candidates and compared to IRs of other characterized IS elements. IRs were selected when the minimum number of non complemented nucleotides followed the pattern of a given family. In an attempt to identify the target sites of insertion and the DR, an alignment of up to 20 bases flanking each IS element was done and the sequence was compared to the already described target sites of other IS elements. Features such as stop codon in frame and purine rich sites related to ribosome frameshift were sought in ORFs whose alignment partially matches transposases, based on BlastX results. Domains were identified within the Blast results at the CDD database [40]. DDE motifs were identified following IS finder pattern [41]. Minimal numbers of occurrences were determined based on flanking sequences.
Comparing Lxx and Lxcsequences
Lxc-IS element loci were compared to those of the Lxx genome using adjacent sequences as anchors and a cross_match program, which is part of the swat/cross_match/phrap package [38], with default parameters. Lxc-specific loci were annotated using SABIA [43].
Analysis of IS element distribution within Actinobacteria
Amino acid sequences of putative transposases were used as queries within completely sequenced genomes of Actinobacteria. Genomes were downloaded from GenBank (IDs in Fig. 4). Searches were performed using BlastX and tBlastN [39].
Southern blot hybridization
Lxc genomic DNA (1 μg; DSMZ46306 and SB) was digested completely with PstI, EcoRI, BamHI and EcoRV. Fragments were separated in a 0.8% (w/v) agarose gel and transferred to a Hybond N+ membrane (Amersham, Piscataway, NJ). Probe labeling, hybridization and detection were performed with an ECL kit (Amersham) according to the manufacturer's guidelines and under high stringency conditions. Inserts of shotgun clones containing the entire fragments of three Lxc-IS elements (IS1237, ISLxc2 and ISLxc4) were amplified and used as probes. The same membrane was stripped and re-used according to the manufacturer's recommendations.
We thank: Steven Brumbley from the Bureau of Sugar Experiment Station (Queensland) for kindly providing genomic DNA of Lxc isolated in Australia; Maria Cristina Rodrigues Rangel and Daniela Truffi from the Laboratório de Genética Molecular (ESALQ/Brazil) for technical assistance; and Mariana Cabral de Oliveira from the Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Plantas (USP/Brazil) for assistance in constructing the consensus phylogenetic tree. This work was supported by grants from Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) to CBMV, MAVS and LEAC, and a scholarship to MMZ.
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- Altschul SF, Gish W, Miller W, Myers EW, Lipman DJ: Basic Local Alignment Search Tool. J Mol Biol. 1990, 215: 403-410.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- GenBank. [http://0-www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.brum.beds.ac.uk/]
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- Chenna R, Sugawara H, Koike T, Lopez R, Gibson TJ, Higgins DG, Thompson JD: Multiple sequence alignment with the Clustal series of programs. Nucleic Acids Res. 2003, 31: 3497-500. 10.1093/nar/gkg500.PubMed CentralView ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Almeida LG, Paixão R, Souza RC, Costa GC, Barrientos FJ, Santos MT, Almeida DF, Vasconcelos AT: A System for Automated Bacterial (genome) Integrated Annotation SABIA. Bioinform. 2004, 20: 2832-2833. 10.1093/bioinformatics/bth273.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Suzuki KI, Suzuki M, Sasaki J, Park YH, Komagata K: Leifsonia gen. nov., a genus for 2,4 diaminouyric and acid-containing actinomycetes to accomodate Corynebacterium aquticum Leifson 1962 and Clavibacter xyli subsp. cynodontis Davis et al. 1984. J Gen Appl Microbiol. 1999, 45: 253-262. 10.2323/jgam.45.253.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Evtushenko L, Dorofeeva LV, Subbbotin SA, Cole JR, Tiedje JM: Leifsonia poae gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from nematode galls on Poa annua, and reclassification of Corynebacterium aquticum Leifson 1962 as Leifsonia aquatica (ex Leifson 1962) gen. nov., nom. rev., comb. nov. and Clavibacter xyli Davis et al. 1984 with two subspecies as Leifsonia xyli (Davis et al. 1984) gen. nov., comb. nov. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol. 2000, 50: 371-380.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
This article is published under license to BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.


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The girls had a great first day of school! Molly said her favorite thing about her day was Spanish class. Rayna said her favorite thing was that her class got to make up their own rules. :-)
They both said they had great days and they are excited to go back tomorrow. I kept asking Aaron if he missed his sisters and he kept telling me "no" but he sure was happy to have someone to play with when they got home!


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Monday after Reminiscere Sunday
Scripture: Deuteronomy 16-18 (NKJV)
16:1 "Observe the month of Abib, and keep the Passover to the LORD your God, for in the month of Abib the LORD your God brought you out of Egypt by night. 2 Therefore you shall sacrifice the Passover to the LORD your God, from the flock and the herd, in the place where the LORD chooses to put His name. 3 You shall eat no leavened bread with it; seven days you shall eat unleavened bread with it, that is, the bread of affliction (for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste), that you may remember the day in which you came out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life. 4 And no leaven shall be seen among you in all your territory for seven days, nor shall any of the meat which you sacrifice the first day at twilight remain overnight until morning.
5 "You may not sacrifice the Passover within any of your gates which the LORD your God gives you; 6 but at the place where the LORD your God chooses to make His name abide, there you shall sacrifice the Passover at twilight, at the going down of the sun, at the time you came out of Egypt. 7 And you shall roast and eat it in the place which the LORD your God chooses, and in the morning you shall turn and go to your tents. 8 Six days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a sacred assembly to the LORD your God. You shall do no work on it.
9 "You shall count seven weeks for yourself; begin to count the seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the grain. 10 Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as the LORD your God blesses you. 11 You shall rejoice before the LORD your God, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite who is within your gates, the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are among you, at the place where the LORD your God chooses to make His name abide. 12 And you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and you shall be careful to observe these statutes.
13 "You shall observe the Feast of Tabernacles seven days, when you have gathered from your threshing floor and from your winepress. 14 And you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant and the Levite, the stranger and the fatherless and the widow, who are within your gates. 15 Seven days you shall keep a sacred feast to the LORD your God in the place which the LORD chooses, because the LORD your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you surely rejoice.
16 "Three times a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles; and they shall not appear before the LORD empty-handed. 17 Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you.
18 "You shall appoint judges and officers in all your gates, which the LORD your God gives you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with just judgment. 19 You shall not pervert justice; you shall not show partiality, nor take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous. 20 You shall follow what is altogether just, that you may live and inherit the land which the LORD your God is giving you.
21 "You shall not plant for yourself any tree, as a wooden image, near the altar which you build for yourself to the LORD your God. 22 You shall not set up a sacred pillar, which the LORD your God hates.
17:1 "You shall not sacrifice to the LORD your God a bull or sheep which has any blemish or defect, for that is an abomination to the LORD your God.
2 "If there is found among you, within any of your gates which the LORD your God gives you, a man or a woman who has been wicked in the sight of the LORD your God, in transgressing His covenant, 3 who has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, either the sun or moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded, 4 and it is told you, and you hear of it, then you shall inquire diligently. And if it is indeed true and certain that such an abomination has been committed in Israel, 5 then you shall bring out to your gates that man or woman who has committed that wicked thing, and shall stone to death that man or woman with stones. 6 Whoever is deserving of death shall be put to death on the testimony of two or three witnesses; he shall not be put to death on the testimony of one witness. 7 The hands of the witnesses shall be the first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So you shall put away the evil from among you.
8 "If a matter arises which is too hard for you to judge, between degrees of guilt for bloodshed, between one judgment or another, or between one punishment or another, matters of controversy within your gates, then you shall arise and go up to the place which the LORD your God chooses. 9 And you shall come to the priests, the Levites, and to the judge there in those days, and inquire of them; they shall pronounce upon you the sentence of judgment. 10 You shall do according to the sentence which they pronounce upon you in that place which the LORD chooses. And you shall be careful to do according to all that they order you. 11 According to the sentence of the law in which they instruct you, according to the judgment which they tell you, you shall do; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left from the sentence which they pronounce upon you. 12 Now the man who acts presumptuously and will not heed the priest who stands to minister there before the LORD your God, or the judge, that man shall die. So you shall put away the evil from Israel. 13 And all the people shall hear and fear, and no longer act presumptuously.
14 "When you come to the land which the LORD your God is giving you, and possess it and dwell in it, and say, 'I will set a king over me like all the nations that are around me,' 15 you shall surely set a king over you whom the LORD your God chooses; one from among your brethren you shall set as king over you; you may not set a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. 16 But he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the LORD has said to you, 'You shall not return that way again.' 17 Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself.
18 "Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. 19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, 20 that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel.
18:1 "The priests, the Levites—all the tribe of Levi—shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and His portion. 2 Therefore they shall have no inheritance among their brethren; the LORD is their inheritance, as He said to them.
3 "And this shall be the priest's due from the people, from those who offer a sacrifice, whether it is bull or sheep: they shall give to the priest the shoulder, the cheeks, and the stomach. 4 The firstfruits of your grain and your new wine and your oil, and the first of the fleece of your sheep, you shall give him. 5 For the LORD your God has chosen him out of all your tribes to stand to minister in the name of the LORD, him and his sons forever.
6 "So if a Levite comes from any of your gates, from where he dwells among all Israel, and comes with all the desire of his mind to the place which the LORD chooses, 7 then he may serve in the name of the LORD his God as all his brethren the Levites do, who stand there before the LORD. 8 They shall have equal portions to eat, besides what comes from the sale of his inheritance.
9 "When you come into the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11 or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. 12 For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD, and because of these abominations the LORD your God drives them out from before you. 13 You shall be blameless before the LORD your God. 14 For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the LORD your God has not appointed such for you.
15 "The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, 16 according to all you desired of the LORD your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, 'Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die.'
17 "And the LORD said to me: 'What they have spoken is good. 18 I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. 19 And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him. 20 But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.' 21 And if you say in your heart, 'How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?'—22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him."
As the words of Moses are directives from the LORD, they are charged with a sense of crisis and finality. In these chapters Moses gives reviews of the Passover, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles. Obviously God is reminding His chosen people of His gracious care for them as He brings them to remember His working their escape from Egypt. Yet, through the other Feasts He reveals the inclusion of foreigners, who are also called upon to celebrate God's gracious provision.
In continuing to reveal Himself a jealous God, He forbids all forms of false worship, even as He provides for instruction in His truth. Fallen mankind, however, is by nature inclined to despise God's Word and rely on the ways of his own imagination.
Although our flesh will ever be taunted and desire to go its self-reliant ways as well, what a gracious blessing to be brought to repentant faith (and sustained in that faith through His Word and Sacraments); for God declares you justified by grace alone, because of the fully atoning merits of Christ Jesus alone, through faith alone!
Prayer: O God, Who seest that of ourselves we have no strength, keep us both outwardly and inwardly that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ.


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PC tune-up software: does it really work?
Part One: Windows XP
Round-up We love hardware, and if you ask us how to make an old computer go faster, we'll recommend a hardware upgrade. But 34 million people opt for a software tune-up in the US alone, estimates Iolo, a company that makes tune-up software.
Iolo's System Mechanic 9 does a good job of finding services you don't use
Click for full-size screen grab
Can such a large number of people be wrong? We thought we'd take a look at some popular tune-up apps that explicitly claim they will speed up your computer or, when more carefully worded, are "designed" to speed up your computer.
We didn't set out to see if these applications really could fix registry problems and related crashes because it's difficult to objectively measure such abilities, especially as every program claimed to be able to fix more than 1000 registry problems, most of which were simply dead links and things like having Windows updates disabled. Handy, perhaps, but not as interesting to us as the performance promises.
The five packages on test cost up to £40 and we've also tested a small Ram upgrade, which cost us £27, for comparison's sake. Upgrading memory won't appeal to everyone, since finding the right Ram for an older PC may not be simple, novices may find opening a laptop or PC daunting, and there may be Bios Ram limits to deal with too.
The test system was a five-year-old Sony laptop running Windows XP Pro 32-bit. It packs a 2.2GHz Pentium 4 CPU, 512MB DDR PC2100 - the upgrade was 1GB DDR PC2700 - and a 60GB 7200rpm hard drive. It last had XP reinstalled two years ago and has been used on a weekly basis since. When first installed, XP booted up in 35 seconds but it now takes over two minutes with all the junk it's had on it over the last two years.
TuneUp's claim of reducing the size of the registry is questionable
We re-imaged the hard drive before each application was installed. We also re-imaged the hard drive for both 512MB and 1GB Ram tests. Each test was repeated a minimum of three times, with a reboot between each test, to get a good average for comparison. Anti-virus monitoring and Windows updates were disabled, and our internet connection was unplugged.


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Monday, June 29, 2015
Mung Beans Dosa / Mung Beans Savory Crepe
Mung Beans - 2 cups
Grated Ginger - 1 tsp (optional)
Soak green mung beans in plenty of water overnight.
Drain and wash in running water once. Add a little water and grind in a blender to make a smooth paste.
Add salt and mix the batter well with your hands.
Cover with a plastic cling loosely (or make a few holes on the cling) and place the batter inside the oven to ferment for 8 hours.
Remove and mix the batter well. You can add some ginger paste and chopped green chilies to the bather. Heat an iron skillet. Brush with oil and pour a ladle full of the batter. Spread with the back of the ladle. Add a few drops of oil to the edges of the dosa.
Cook till the bottom browns. Flip and cook on the other side till brown and crisp. Serve with sambar and potato curry.
Labels: Dosa / Crepes, Lentils / Dal, South Indian
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Not all fuel sources were created equal. Five-hundred tons of coal, 3 million cubic feet of natural gas and 56 pounds of uranium will produce the same amount of energy. Renewable forms – wind and solar – are long-term prospects.
Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Cabinet granted a company permission to build two nuclear generators and 88 miles of transmission lines in Miami-Dade County, despite opposition from local governments.
Even big cities like L.A. don't have the capacity to collect energy data in a timely fashion. But a federal program helps the city's building owners measure consumption.


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Moving to a new home is stressful. All of the work that goes into a relocation can be overwhelming, but fortunately, there are plenty of California movers to make the process easier. However, not all movers in California have the experience that you will find at Blue Chip Moving & Storage. We have been providing outstanding service to the area for over 50 years, so you can trust us to handle all your upcoming moves.
Trust Our Manhattan Beach California Movers
Blue Chip Moving & Storage's Manhattan Beach moving company can assist you in your next move. We take pride in offering the highest quality, customer-oriented service, so you can be sure that our Manhattan Beach local movers will care for your personal belongings as if they were their own. When you choose Blue Chip Moving & Storage, you will be able to choose from the following moving solutions:
- Residential Moving: Leave it to the professionals to get you to your new home – safely and stress free!
- Long Distance Moving: Moving through unfamiliar locations can make long distance moves difficult; so, don't worry about all the variables and call Blue Chip Moving!
- Interstate Moving: Moving out of California and wondering how to get all your families belongings to another state? Entrust the expert long distance movers!
- Intrastate Moving: Moving somewhere else in California? We know California like the back of our hands and get all your belongings to where they need to be!
- Local Moving: If you're staying in the Manhattan Beach area but don't want to drag out your move, the local moving experts at Blue Chip can make it fast and easy!
- Full-Service Moving: From everything to packing, breakdown, and wrapping, Blue Chip Moving & Storage can handle every part of your move. Find out today!
- Professional Moving: When you want the Manhattan Beach professionals to safely and securely move your fragile belongings, Blue Chip Moving can be your first & only call!
- Commercial Moving: Moving your commercial business throughout Manhattan Beach can be tough, so make it easy and use Blue Chip Moving!
- Office Moving: When moving office space there can be a lot of elements at play so leave it to the professional office movers at Blue Chip take care of it for you!
- Business Moving: Have you heard of a business move being quick and easy? Leave it to the professional business movers at Blue Chip Moving & Storage.
- Storage: We can cut out the middle man and save you money when you choose to use our storage units over a Manhattan Beach local storage company.
- Portable Storage: We also offer portable storage solutions in Manhattan Beach to give you added convenience and the ability to work at your own pace.
Plan Your Manhattan Beach Move Today
When you are ready to start planning your Manhattan Beach move, you will want to trust our experienced and well-trained staff to assist you. To learn more about the variety of moving services we offer at Blue Chip Moving & Storage, you can call us or fill out our online form to request a free estimate!


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Medaille College is classified as a college or university with a large master's program. Colleges and universities with a large master's program typically award over 200 master's degrees and less than 20 research doctorate's during the academic year. This mid-sized four-year institution has an estimated annual full-time enrollment of 1,000 to 2,999 degree-seeking students. Fewer than 50% of students are enrolled full time, and fewer than 25% of undergrads reside on campus. This institution awards 60-79% of its bachelor's degrees within professional fields. Graduate degrees are available in up to half of the fields available to undergraduate majors, and the school awards master's degrees in arts and sciences and professional fields. The majority of graduate degrees are awarded within the education field. According to data for fall enrollment, 80% of undergraduates are enrolled full-time. Enrollment data shows that both graduates and undergraduates are enrolled at this institution, with the majority of students enrolled in undergrad programs. 25-49% of students are enrolled in graduate programs.
Medaille College
18 Agassiz Circle, Buffalo, NY 14214-2695
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About Medaille College
School Information
General Information
Student Body SizeUndergraduate1,816
Student Age% Under 2555%
% 25 and Over44%
% Age Unknown1%
Attendance Type% Full-time89%
% Part-time11%
Race/Ethnicity% White49.0%
% Black11.3%
% Asian0.6%
% Latino1.5%
% Native American0.8%
% Race Unknown19.8%
% International student16%
Student ServicesCareer CounselingYes
Student Employment ServicesYes
Graduate Placement ServicesYes
Study AbroadNO
Day CareNO
Religious AffiliationNO
Campus settingCity
Intitution typePrivate
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Academic Information
Art-Related Areas of StudyWeb Design & New Media
Art Degrees OfferedProfessional Certificate
Distance Learning Available
Calendar SystemSemester
Admissions Information
Open AdmissionNo
% Admitted69%
% Admitted Who Enrolled39%
Application RequirementsHigh School GPA
High School TranscriptRequired
High School RankingNeither required nor recommended
College Prep CoursesRecommended
Letter of RecommendationRequired
Demonstration of CompetenciesRecommended
Admissions ExaminationRequired
Test of English as a Foreign Language (International Students)Required
Standardized Tests% of Applicants Submitting SAT85%
% of Applicants Submitting ACT22%
Admitted Student SAT Scores 25th Percentile75th Percentile
SAT Critical Reading / 800500 / 800
SAT Math410 / 800520 / 800
Admitted Student ACT Scores 25th Percentile75th Percentile
ACT Composite18 / 3623 / 36
Tuition and Financial Aid
Tuition & FeesUndergraduate Application Fee$25
Graduate Application Fee$35
In-State Tuition & Fees$20,570
Out-of-State Tuition & Fees$20,570
Financial Aid% Undergraduates with Financial Aid100%
% Undergraduates with Loans87%
% Undergraduates with Grants100%
Average Undergraduate Financial Aid Award$ 0
Other CostsBooks and Supplies (Estimated)$1,100
Typical On-Campus Room and Board Cost$9,570
Off-Campus Room and Board Cost (Estimated)$8,500
On-Campus Living Expenses (Estimated)$3,100
Off-Campus Living Expenses (Estimated)$3,600
Living with Family, Living Expenses (Estimated)$3,100
Neighborhood Data for the Buffalo Area
Median Age33.5
Median Household Income$30,230
Total Population263,914
Age/Gender % Men % Women
Total47.2% 52.8%
Age 0-950.7%49.3%
Age 10-1751.7%48.3%
Age 18-2448.9%51.1%
Age 25-2946.4%53.6%
Age 30-3948.6%51.4%
Race/Ethnicity% White51.9%
% Black37.9%
% Asian3.0%
% Latino9.1%
% Native American0.6%
% Pacific Islander0.0%
% Indian (South Asia)0.9%
On Campus Housing ProvidedYes
Meal Plan ProvidedYes, number of meals per week can vary
Typical On-Campus Room and Board Cost$9,570
Off-Campus Room and Board Cost (Estimated)$8,500
Median Rent (Rental Units of Any Size)$480
Rental Price Distribution StudioOne BedroomTwo Bedroom
Under $50048.4%41.0%16.6%
$500 to $74938.8%42.2%0.0%
$750 to $9997.1%12.0%22.6%
Over $10005.7%4.8%7.4%
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Erie Community College(Buffalo, NY)
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Villa Maria College(Buffalo, NY)
University at Buffalo(Buffalo, NY)
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Technical Career Institutes(New York, NY)
CUNY College of Staten Island(Staten Island, NY)
Fulton – Montgomery Community College(Johnstown, NY)
Orange County Community College(Middletown, NY)
Siena College(Loudonville, NY)
CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College(New York, NY)
Briarcliffe College(Bethpage, NY)
New York Institute of Technology(Old Westbury, NY)
Corning Community College(Corning, NY)
Joffrey Ballet School – American Ballet Center(New York, NY)


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About AW
Other than the WCG, my previous ecclesial communities are the Lutheran Church of New Zealand (as a youngster) and a Baptist church. Several of my blog posts have appeared in print in The Journal: News of the Churches of God.
For those who are pedantic about spelling, AW alternates between American forms (because most readers come from the US), and British forms (because that's the Kiwi way) with absolutely no logical consistency. Anything else is probably a typo.
The contact address is at firstname.lastname@example.com.
As well as Ambassador Watch I blog at Otagosh. Content there is of a more general 'biblioblog' nature. A third smaller blog called Gully Heights has a teaching and education focus.
I hope you enjoy your time here. If it's any consolation, in real life I'm much less opinionated!
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Back to Church Sunday 2013 is September 29th !
Here are a few thoughts which you might find useful as we seek to encourage our members to invite family, friends, neighbours and strangers to church and enter into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ in a local church community.
· Invitations and advertising material can be ordered thru Augsburg Press/Anglican Book Center athttp://store.afcanada.com/store/product/18746/Back-to-Church-Sunday-2013-Resource-Kit (Tel: 800-265-6397). Augsburg will ship them directly to any parish that orders them.
· The Diocese of Toronto's website (www.toronto.anglican.ca) has some resources you are welcome to use:-www.toronto.anglican.ca/parish-life/congregational-growth/welcoming-ministry/back-to-church-sunday/ - there is a link in the left-hand menu to the resources page, including the winning video from last year's competition, a PowerPoint presentation, bulletin insert, sample sermons and video resources to help parishes prepare for Sunday Sept. 29th, the date set aside for B2CS. Browse around and see what might be of use to you.
· Michael Harvey, the indefatigable founder of B2CS,has visited many diocese/synods and would love to accept more invitations. He has written a book which I highly recommend: Unlocking the Growth: You will be amazed at your church's potential. Michael is learning a lot and his material has really matured. Additionally he is expanding his ideas to include seasonal invitations (Christmas, Easter etc.) and has a better understanding of trends. ( www.backtochurch.co.uk)
Flyer from Augsburg: gives details of this year's Back to Church Sunday (B2CS) kits, which this year include a training DVD for Church Leaders, along with information on Michael Harvey's book, Unlocking the Growth.
© 2019 The Diocese of Algoma - Anglican (Episcopal) Church of Canada. All rights reserved. Business/registration Number: BN 11923 8202 RR0001. Powered by Miramar Design Studio


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Airplane / Aviation Accidents
Some of the greatest tragedies in American history involve plane and aviation accidents. Investigating airplane and aviation crashes can be very complicated. Many times specialized experts such as avionics experts, metallurgy experts and accident reconstructionists are needed to re-create the incident to determine a cause. Determining a cause of a crash can sometimes be very difficult but is crucial to bring a claim for the injuries sustained. The Goss Law Firm, P.C. will hire the experts needed to determine the cause of a crash so that you can recover for the losses you have sustained.


text: Join us (8am-1pm) for a morning of service as we spruce up the church property. We were blessed to hold our first worship service in June of 2011 and since our grand opening our building has taken it's fair share of abuse. With a little bit of elbow grease and team work we can have it looking brand new again. Breakfast and lunch will be provided! Sign up today!


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Sheryl Bower
Sheryl Bower (Administrative Computing): Sheryl Bower has demonstrated outstanding customer service to our department time after time. She was the project lead for upgrading our training software, which required working with the vendor extensively. She was so patient with our requests and many desired changes throughout the process. By the time all was said and done, she was able to get upgrades to our upgrade and completed the install before the deadline -- and very efficiently! Thank you so much, Sheryl, you are a joy to work with! -- Robert Beck (Workplace Learning and Development)


text: Check it. . . Autocar - Mazda plans Volt rival Mazda Building a Volt of Its Own | Autopia from Wired.com "Mazda Said to Be Developing Hybrid System Very Similar to the Chevy Volt's" Green Car Advisor What this means. . . . Mazda's rotary engine has potential advantages in this application. It has the potential to be smaller and lighter than the Volt's 4-cylinder engine, which means the Mazda could carry more batteries, or it could simply be a lighter weight vehicle and gain efficiency on that front. Mazda have a great reputation for producing reliable cars, and also for producing cars with sporty performance and well-tuned suspension. They can make something exciting when they set their minds to it, not just a people-mover. The link between Mazda and Ford, however, is something that could cut either way. If Mazda build something like this, they would (I'm sure) want to share the platform, or at least the power train, with Ford in order to get volumes up and per-unit costs down. Thus far Ford have shown little enthusiasm for electric power. Ford management fully expects the Chevy Volt to be a disaster for GM. (As most big car makers do, but some are starting to hedge their bets.) I'd say any Mazda PHEV is a just-in-case project. Just in case the price of gasoline spikes again, or the Chevy Volt becomes the next fad and sends the public stampeding to GM dealerships (hard as that may be to imagine), Mazda and Ford will be able to throw together some kind of an answer.