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The Biological Bulletin
From 1886 to 1889 Charles Otis Whitman was director of the Allis Lake Laboratory in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The lab was established by Edward Phelps Allis, Jr. to provide a place for biological research separate from a university setting and a place where an independent scholar like Allis himself could work. Allis had hired Whitman as an instructor to establish the lab, direct it, and lead a research program there. The lab lasted for eight years, attracted several researchers, and the papers that came out of the lab included a focus on embryology. This raised the question of where to publish the work since there were few life science journals being published in the United States , which led Whitman to propose a new journal.
With Allis's support, Whitman started the Journal of Morphology in 1897 for long, almost monographic articles complete with elaborate illustrations. In addition, Whitman and his student William Morton Wheeler (who had also worked at the Allis Lake Laboratory) started a second journal for shorter articles and reports that could quickly appear in print. This was seen as a companion for the Journal of Morphology and was intended to embrace the entire field of animal biology. At first they called it the Zöological Bulletin, but after the first two years of publication in 1898 and 1899, the title changed to The Biological Bulletin. This also fit with the fact that the journal started out independently and then in 1890 became affiliated informally with the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, of which Whitman served as first director starting in 1888. The MBL also published its series of evening lectures throughout the 1890s, as The Biological Lectures Delivered at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Holl. Whitman encouraged MBL investigators to publish in the first two journals and the lecturers to contribute their lectures to the third. Very quickly, Whitman had helped the United States establish itself as a place where serious scientific research was done in the life sciences.
Most new scientific journals start with an introduction, a statement of mission, or something that tells the reader and potential subscriber or submission author what this publication is about. Not The Biological Bulletin. It began its first issue as The Zöological Bulletin in 1897 (The Biological Bulletin in 1899) with an article by Allis himself. Other investigators from Allis Lake Lab and from the MBL submitted their work, including women scientists who were generally rare among life science researchers.
By 1899 Whitman had moved to Clark University and had realized that the journal needed a broader base. The first issue from the MBL and under the new Biological Bulletin name opened with Maynard M. Metcalf on "Some Relations between Nervous Tissue and Glandular Tissue in the Tunicata." The issue includes articles by T. H. Morgan, Anne Moore, Garry de N. Hough, and C. W. Hargitt. The front matter says only the title of the journal and that it was edited by the Director and Members of the Staff of the Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Holl, Massachusetts.
This continued for two years, but in 1900 Whitman and the Ginn Company in Boston that was publishing the journal had disagreements, and finding funding for the journal was a challenge. As a result, the 1900 volume had only three spring issues and 1901 came out only midway through the year. Issues resumed full force in 1902 with the New Era Publishing Company in Lancaster, Pennsylvania (which later became Lancaster Press). This was the real solid start of the journal, with the excellent administrator and Assistant Director of the Marine Biological Laboratory Frank R. Lillie serving as Managing Editor and an appointed editorial board comprised of Whitman, Edwin Grant Conklin, Jacques Loeb, Thomas Hunt Morgan, William Morton Wheeler, and Edmund Beecher Wilson. Lillie remained as managing editor for nearly a quarter of a century and placed the journal, as he did the MBL itself, on a solid intellectual and economic foundation.
In starting again in a more formal way, the MBL staff recognized the need to explain what The Biological Bulletin was meant to be. It was meant to offer an American version of the German Biologisches Centralblatt or Anatomischer Anzeiger, they said. And it was up to American scientists to join the editors and make the enterprise successful.
The journal has remained strong through many different editors and changes in MBL administration, in large part because of a clear and coherent mission that is broad enough and yet focused enough to have remained compelling for more than a century. It has been a challenge at times, when specialty publications have become the norm, to define a valuable niche for a publication that includes all of biology in its mission. The articles have been largely reports of experimental work, often but not always with marine organisms, often concentrating on the areas in which the MBL itself excels, such as neurobiology, development, cell biology, and physiology.
The journal has helped build the MBL library into one of the world's best biological research centers, since from the beginning, the editors swapped with many other publications and thereby helped all the collections grow. Today, MBL Corporation members can choose to receive a copy of the journal with their membership, and as of 2008, all past issues are now available through open access online.
- Clapp, Pamela. "The History of The Biological Bulletin." The Biological Bulletin 174 (1988): 1–3.
- Marine Biological Laboratory Annual Reports: available in the MBL The Biological Bulletin Vols. 17 and 21–105 at http://www.archive.org/details/biologicalbullet01mari and beginning with 2004 at http://www.mbl.edu/governance/gov_annual_report.html.
From 1886 to 1889 Charles Otis Whitman was director of the Allis Lake Laboratory in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The lab was established by Edward Phelps Allis, Jr. to provide a place for biological research separate from a university setting and a place where an independent scholar like Allis himself could work. Allis had hired Whitman as an instructor to establish the lab, direct it, and lead a research program there. The lab lasted for eight years, attracted several researchers, and the papers that came out of the lab included a focus on embryology.Created: 2008-10-24
The Marine Biological Laboratory-Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Library
In 1888 when students and investigators arrived in Woods Hole for the inaugural session of the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL), they recognized the need for a library collection of books and journals. The one wooden building on campus, later known as Old Main, housed everything, with researchers upstairs and the student laboratory downstairs. Lectures were held in one corner, and shelves held what books and journals were contributed. As the first MBL Director Charles Otis Whitman noted in his 1888 Annual Report, having a library was absolutely essential for the success of the lab and would have to be provided somehow. The initial core volumes should include reference works and textbooks, and also the important journals in the four languages thought to be essential at the time.
By the second year, Whitman's report expressed gratitude for the many contributions to the library. For Whitman, a "comprehensive biological library" would be the foundation on which a first rate laboratory would be built. Both research and instruction depend on such a resource. This early commitment to building a comprehensive journal collection as well as collecting the most important books has paid off, so that the library has been called a "national treasure" and has long been arguably the best complete and focused collection of life science journals available.
The vision for a great library was essential in attracting donations of funds to purchase journals and books, of course, but there were also other strategies for collecting. Visitors to the lab were invited to submit reprints and other research materials. When the MBL began publishing The Biological Bulletin in 1899, they immediately established an exchange program with other journals and publishers. This exchange program was critical especially in the years of WWI and again in WW II, when few libraries had funds to purchase volumes and international cooperation was more challenging. Yet it was possible to continue publishing copies of their own publications and to exchange them later when regular mailings resumed. As a result, the MBL-WHOI (the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) library has complete runs of most journals even when other libraries are missing those difficult years. When funds were available, the MBL purchased back issues to fill in incomplete runs and binding of individual issues into volumes became a priority very quickly (as mentioned in the fifth annual report). In 1895 Whitman urged that $1000 per year was needed just to sustain the current level of library acquisition.
In the report for the years 1896–1899, Cornelia Clapp provided the first official "Report on the Library." Clapp had been the first student to arrive at the lab in 1888 and had returned as an investigator; she also became the first woman trustee in 1910 and served in that role until her death in 1934. It is fitting that she served as first librarian, enthusiastically growing and protecting the collection that she also used. Though referred to as "Miss Cornelia M. Clapp, Librarian," she held a PhD from Syracuse University in 1888 and another PhD from the University of Chicago, where she worked with Whitman. In her first report she acknowledged the many gifts to the lab, including the accumulating files of papers contributed by lab researchers themselves. She appealed for more funds for purchasing and binding journals. This remained the theme for many years.
At first the library collection was housed in the shelves along one end of the wooden building. One year, many of the volumes seemed to have disappeared, but the next summer they were discovered tucked up into the roof, apparently for protection from storms though not successfully protected from all the birds. As the collections continued to grow, they added to the demand for more space. Finally, when the first permanent brick building was constructed in 1914, the library had a safe and protected home. This building, funded by second MBL Director Frank Rattray Lillie's father-in-law Charles Crane, and named the Crane Building, gave the MBL a way to demonstrate to all potential donors and supporters that the MBL intended to last forever and to make an impact with its research and teaching missions.
The library budget remained $1000 a year, and despite its new secure home, collections depended very much on donations. Individuals donated money and books, journal exchanges expanded, and the librarians persuaded publishers to donate volumes that were then put on a New Book shelf as advertising, so that visiting scientists would go back home and have their institutional libraries buy them. In 1913 H. Mc. E. Knower served as librarian and in his report strongly urged that the library needed an assistant to serve as a year-round librarian. Just having a volunteer scientist in the summer was not enough, since the collections were often left in a chaotic muddle of energetic use by the end of a season and there was nobody there during the rest of the year to straighten things out. Especially as the number of donated reprints grew, and as they received a great deal of use during the summer, it was considerable work just restoring the collection to order. Also, trying to keep on top of all the donations and exchanges during the summer alone was insufficient.
With a new building and library facility, it was time to hire a librarian. Miss May E. Scott accepted the position and developed new catalogs, formally reaccessioned all the materials, and determined that the library had over 3300 volumes, plus about 1500 reprints. During the first year of her service, the library bound over five hundred volumes, replaced missing numbers, and added many more items. With a generous donation of over 2500 duplicates from the American Museum of Natural History, the library had achieved a new level of excellence.
Through the years, major donations have come at critical times from such groups and foundations as the Carnegie Foundation, and the General Education Board ($10,000 in 1926), so that after a period of intense growth, by 1926 the library had already grown to 18, 220 volumes plus a carefully catalogued 38,000 reprints.
In 1924 the library moved to what became the five permanent stacks in the Lillie Building—a substantial brick building that extended the Crane laboratories. The building was constructed with major donations of well over one million dollars, especially from Rockefeller Foundation and John D. Rockefeller, Jr. personally, Carnegie Corporation, and Charles Crane. The tremendous collaborative success shows just how highly the MBL was regarded as a place of life science research and education.
After Jane Fessenden became Librarian, the staff and collections grew considerably, as did their use. By the 1980s, it was becoming clear that the library was gathering a substantial collection, including some very valuable books and complete runs of journals that could not be replaced. The Rare Books Room and Archives opened in the 1980s after Cathy Norton took over as Librarian. The library moved to electronic publishing, with an emphasis on providing access for scientists in a way that successfully archives publications for continued use.
The Rare Books Room and Archives contain rare books, of course, a catalog of which is available to anyone since the MBL-WHOI Library is committed to making materials available for use rather than preserving them in ways that exclude legitimate scholarly access. There are some artifacts, including a few items from courses or Albert Szent-Gyorgyi's Nobel Prize for his work on vitamin C in Hungarian paprika peppers. The collection includes a few archival files, including some from Frank Lillie that were transferred to the MBL from the University of Chicago, as well as some notebooks, scrapbooks, and letters. And the collection has brought together valuable historical research materials into library exhibits, including the Leuckart Charts and other collections. In addition, the MBL is home to marvelous MBL Library Photograph Collections, featuring early photographs dating back to before the MBL was founded, a number of scrapbooks, and the wonderful Alfred Frances Huettner Collection.
Today the library serves both the MBL and WHOI, based on a decision to combine resources to make an internationally leading library rather than to compete in the same small village of Woods Hole. The MBL-WHOI library provides services for library researchers, some of whom draw mainly on the electronic journals, and Library Director Cathy Norton has become a leader in promoting bioinformatics and extending the use of the collections through networks of users.
As a result, one might be tempted to think that there is no reason to come to the actual MBL, since one can sit home and access modern journals on line. But this remains a vibrant place of science in the labs and in the courses. The library is a place where readers can find everything, pull it off the shelf, and see what else was going on in the same journal or at the same time. For at least the past decades, the MBL has seen a number of library readers who come precisely because they can find whatever they need "right there." Recently, the library has added the formal category of Library Researcher, for those who come to spend a sabbatical, finish a major book project, or to collaborate with other scholars while using the library resources. The MBL-WHOI Library is very much an active place to find many kinds of wonderful materials but also a great place to find other people who know things and know where to find more materials. This place will never become obsolete because it is leading library information systems development, as through the Encyclopedia of Life Project and the Biodiversity Heritage Library. And this is also where the archival materials are housed and where scholars will find those materials and other scholars studying them.
- Marine Biological Laboratory Annual Reports: available in the MBL The Biological Bulletin Vols. 17 and 21–105 at http://www.archive.org/details/biologicalbullet01mari and beginning with 2004 at http://www.mbl.edu/governance/gov_annual_report.html.
In 1888 when students and investigators arrived in Woods Hole for the inaugural session of the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL), they recognized the need for a library collection of books and journals. The one wooden building on campus, later known as Old Main, housed everything, with researchers upstairs and the student laboratory downstairs. Lectures were held in one corner, and shelves held what books and journals were contributed.Created: 2008-10-25
Biological Lectures Delivered at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole
The Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, began in 1888 with one building housing researchers upstairs and students in a shared lab and lecture space downstairs. For the first two years, instruction took the form of general lectures covering a range of topics in zoology. In addition, the trustees offered some public lectures in Boston to raise funds for the lab.
In 1890 the lab began a new tradition that has continued every year since. They began a series of evening lectures intended to be accessible to a wide audience of those interested in biology. Eventually these became known as the Friday Evening Lectures, and since the opening of the auditorium in the Lillie Building in 1924 (named after second Director Frank Rattray Lillie) the lectures have been held there. Every Friday evening during the summer season, the community of scientists, students, and members of the public interested in science stream into the auditorium for their weekly lecture, then move to the reception held afterward. These lectures are a high point of the MBL's summer of science.
Throughout the 1890s Charles Otis Whitman, as the MBL's first Director, persuaded the lecturers to write up their lectures and publish them. He organized the lectures of 1890 and then 1893–1899 into volumes that appeared as a serial that both showed the larger world what the MBL offered and brought leading scientists to the lab to participate in the lectures and their publications.
The Biological Lectures Delivered at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Holl provides a useful insight into what were thought to be the driving questions of the day and what were seen as productive ways of approaching them. Some years reveal a general distribution of topics, while other years are much more focused.
For an introduction to the lectures, see Jane Maienschein's introduction to Defining Biology. This volume offers a sampling of the lectures and also a complete list of lectures published during the 1890s. The MBL Annual Reports provide a list of every year's lecturers and demonstrate the shifts in emphasis over time, as well as changing trends in biology.
- Maienschein, Jane, ed. Defining Biology: Lectures from the 1890s. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1986.
- Marine Biological Laboratory Annual Reports: available in the MBL Biological Bulletin Vols. 17 and 21–105 at http://www.archive.org/details/biologicalbullet01mari and beginning with 2004 at http://www.mbl.edu/governance/gov_annual_report.html.
The Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, began in 1888 with one building housing researchers upstairs and students in a shared lab and lecture space downstairs. For the first two years, instruction took the form of general lectures covering a range of topics in zoology. In addition, the trustees offered some public lectures in Boston to raise funds for the lab.Created: 2008-10-24


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Reiki - Harelaw
Harelaw is a village in County Durham, in England. It is situated to the north of Annfield Plain. Wikipedia
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Toyota Sequoia can transport eight people in comfort with room left over for cargo. Sequoia's interior is designed with generous seats, big armrests, and lots of storage for passengers, with an optional entertainment system for long trips. Toyota's STAR system, a comprehensive combination of electronic safety, stability and traction controls, is standard on all models, as are eight airbags. Properly equipped, Sequoia is rated to tow up to 7,400 pounds.
The 2012 Sequoia offers two engines. The standard 4.6-liter V8 is rated at 310 horsepower and 327 pound-feet of torque and an EPA-estimated 14/20 mpg City/Highway. Sequoia Limited and Platinum models come with a 5.7-liter V8 rated at 381 hp and 401 lb-ft of torque and an EPA-estimated 13/18 mpg City/Highway. Both come with a 6-speed automatic. With four-wheel drive, it's 13/18 mpg for the 4.6-liter, 13/17 mpg for the 5.7-liter. A flex-fuel version of the 5.7-liter engine is available for burning inefficient E85 (85 percent ethanol, 15 percent gasoline), dropping fuel economy to a dismal 9/13 mpg City/Highway with E85 or 13/17 mpg with gasoline. We recommend the 4.6-liter. It's plenty, unless you have a trailer to tow, in which case we recommend the 5.7-liter.
The Toyota Sequoia was completely redesigned for 2008. The base engine got a boost in both power and efficiency for 2010. Changes since then have been confined to options and trim levels. For 2012, Sequoia Platinum models come with a blind-spot monitor, and all 2012 Sequoia models now include the Tundra's Trailer Sway Control (TSC).
This second-generation Sequoia borrows heavily in appearance from the Toyota Tundra, looking very much like the pickup from the front. Sequoia uses much of the Tundra's running gear, but with an independent rear suspension for better ride quality and room for third-row seating.
The Sequoia represents a modern take on the traditional sport utility vehicle. It's big, built to transport people and their gear in comfort across long distances on North American super-highways. It can tow a sizable trailer or continue when the pavement ends and many other SUVs don't look so tough anymore. It's all about getting people in and out easily, keeping them comfy, and making heavy loads secure and routine. It rides quietly, steers easily, and with three models, two drivetrains, and a full complement of features, the Sequoia can meet a variety of wants, needs and price points. We think the Sequoia SR5 is the best model in the lineup for towing, with or without four-wheel drive.
In Toyota's SUV lineup, the Land Cruiser is a more upscale luxury vehicle than the Sequoia and offers greater off-road capability and towing capacity. Conversely, the smaller Highlander SUV and Sienna minivan offer similar features to the Sequoia, drive more like cars and use much less fuel due to their lighter weight and smaller engines.
The 2012 Toyota Sequoia SR5 ($40,930) comes with easy-clean cloth upholstery, tri-zone air conditioning; power windows, locks, and back window; power moonroof; eight-way power driver's seat and four-way manual front passenger's seat; 40/20/40 middle row recline/fold-flat seat; 60/40 fold-flat recline third row seat; keyless entry; an eight-speaker AM/FM/CD/SiriusXM audio system with auxiliary jack, USB port for iPod compatibility, and Bluetooth hands-free phone and audio streaming; power heated mirrors; tilt/telescoping steering; cruise control; spare tire; rear spoiler; integrated fog lamps;18-inch alloy wheels and a tow package. The SR5 is available with 4WD ($44,155). The bigger, 5.7-liter V8 is optional ($625) with either 2WD or 4WD. A Sport Package ($691) upgrades the second row bench to bucket seats (reducing total seating to seven) and adds 20-inch alloy wheels with a unique finish, and a color-keyed sport grille. A Premium Package ($3,330) is eight seats; leather; heated/power front seats; power fold/recline third row; and auto-dimming inside mirror with integrated back-up camera, compass, and HomeLink.
Sequoia Limited ($51,040) comes standard with the 5.7-liter V8 and adds heated, leather trimmed seats; upgrades front seats to 10-way power; adds leather trim to the steering wheel, seats, and gearshift knob; and a backup camera with a 3.3-inch display built into the rear-view mirror. The rear 60/40 third-row seat is power operated and all rear side windows have shades. The dash is upgraded with brighter Optitron gauges and a multi-information display, and a 14-speaker JBL Synthesis audio system. Outside, the Limited adds chrome trim, 20-inch wheels, power liftgate, and power-folding, self-dimming mirrors with integrated turn signals. The Limited is available with four-wheel drive ($54,265). Options for the Limited include a rear-seat DVD entertainment system ($1,670), second-row bucket seats (no charge), and DVD-based navigation ($1,460).
The Platinum ($58,580) is a seven-seater with heated bucket seats and a console in the middle row. It builds on Limited equipment with 20-inch diamond-finish alloy wheels, a rear load-leveling suspension and adaptive shocks, and a memory feature for the mirrors, power-adjustable steering column and power seats, which are heated and air conditioned in the front. Platinum also gets standard puddle-lamps and reverse-tilt for outside mirrors, navigation/backup camera, active cruise control, rear-seat entertainment, wood-grain trim for steering wheel, doors and shifter. The only choices on Platinum are four-wheel drive ($61,805) or adding pearl white paint ($220).
Safety features standard on all models include advanced frontal airbags, front knee airbags, seat-mounted side-impact airbags for the front row, three-row side-curtain airbags with rollover sensor, electronic stability control with trailer sway control, traction control, and daytime running lights. The new-for-2012 Blind Spot Monitor, exclusive to the Platinum model, warns drivers of vehicles traveling in their blind spots.
The Toyota Sequoia is long and wide, with a long wheelbase, and is designed to look tall and oversized, so as to project strength from a distance. It's every inch a full-size SUV. The Sequoia shares design features with the Tundra pickup from the front bumper to the B-pillar, along with numerous drive train components.
The low windshield angle accentuates bulk below the hood line, and large high-mounted headlamps add an alert look to a cabin-forward design. Exterior mirrors are large, because they have to be for towing, but careful smoothing has reduced wind noise, as does the use of partially hidden wipers that likewise must be very large to sweep the windshield. The design has a drag coefficient (Cd) of 0.36, respectable for a full-size truck, but remember that aerodynamic resistance is Cd times frontal area, so keeping highway speeds moderate will pay off in less fuel consumption for this big box.
From the side, large, strong-looking door handles are apparent, the kind you'd appreciate if you wear gloves. All the roof pillars are big as well, and the flare in the bodywork to cover the rear tires makes the area between the wheels look smaller than it is. The rear doors open wide, for easy child seat and passenger access. Parking sensors and a pair of rear camera display choices enable easier parking and the ability to avoid people or toys lurking in the driveway.
The receiver hitch is well incorporated in the rear bumper, and the bumper has decent low-slip top for loading the roof rack. To avoid damage from shopping carts or narrow tree-lined forest trails the taillights are up high and the rear reflectors are inset in the bumper where they get dirty quickly.
The Toyota Sequoia cabin is built for passenger comfort, with generous legroom and headroom. Seating is designed for long days of driving, with a comfortable, broad driver's seat with power lumbar support. The seats have soft, wide bolsters, easy to climb over getting in and out, and the kind of adjustability that allows a driver to shift around during long drives. The SR5's cloth and Platinum's perforated leather each offer two colors, Graphite and Sand Beige, each as bland as they sound; to these the Limited adds Red Rock, a still-muted but more interesting, Southwest-flavored shade suggesting of bricks or red-clay ceramics.
The Sequoia revels in bigness. The interior is conspicuously wide and offers ample legroom and shoulder room. The dash is simple and focused, with two central gauges, speedometer and tachometer, flanked by fuel, temperature and voltage gauges. Bright rings accent the instrumentation.
A very large rectangular shifter dominates the metallic center strip area, and behind it is a wide central console designed to hold 12 CDs or four DVD cases. The four-spoke steering wheel contains controls for AC, Bluetooth-capable phones and audio functions, varying by grade. The steering column tilts and telescopes, and it's electrically and memory-linked on Platinum.
Switches and dials are used to control windows and the HVAC system. The HVAC system is designed to define and maintain three different climate zones, two in the front, and one in the back. We think Toyota does a good job when it comes to switch feel and operational consistency of dials and other touch points.
Two overhead compartments are suitable for sunglasses, and the control strip has sunroof controls. An electrochromic rear view mirror is standard except on SR5, and the mirror contains built-in garage door opener buttons operating on three different frequencies. If you choose a backup camera without navigation the image is displayed in the mirror.
The sun visors are huge, and they slide on their hangers, providing effective shade for driver and passenger all day long. On the A-pillar are hefty grab handles, with grips big enough to support body weight as you swing into the seat.
The interior is notable for thoughtful features that increase utility, such as a compass, map light, automatic up-and-down jam protection for front power windows, and back door power window. There are eight cup holders, eight bottle holders, console surfaces, everything you would want for eating in the Sequoia while putting away the miles. And then, there's lots of door pocket space for trash.
Second-row seating carries two or three people; it's roomy but not as stretch-out as some other large utilities. The split bench arrangement reclines and slides fore-n-aft, and arguably makes the most sense for a truck like this. Either way, access to the third row is good enough for anyone that fits back there, and that includes adults.
The Sequoia is especially designed to make the third-row passenger seats more comfortable, and more useful, more like real seating for adults. To that end, the third-row seats have almost as much leg room as the second-row seats but lose three inches of headroom. For comparison a 1.4-inch-longer Ford Expedition offers at least two inches more legroom and a bit more headroom in the back two rows. However, for those who often make use of the third row, the Sequoia's standard interior layout is better than many SUVs we've seen, in which the third-row seats constitute emergency seating for smaller people only. Those who do not need eight-passenger capacity can configure the Sequoia with captain's chairs in the second row, which shifts the priority to second-row passenger comfort.
The Sequoia is one of the very few SUVs with a retractable rear hatch window. It also has a closed, removable ashtray that is dish-washable, and a cigarette lighter up front.
Last but not least, the Sequoia has ample cargo room behind the third row, and even more if you fold it down. It offers 120 cubic feet behind the front seats, 67 behind the second row, and 19 behind the third row. The Expedition has roughly the same behind the third row but less otherwise; if you need considerably more you'll be checking into Expedition EL and the Chevy Suburban. When Sequoia's third row is folded flat, large baggage or cargo can be loaded without removing the seat. It is a well-organized cargo area, even having tow hooks that can hang grocery bags. The seat folds flat manually in SR5's, and upgrades to a power folding feature in Limited and Platinum models.
We found the Sequoia comfortable for a 1,000-mile day. Driving the Toyota Sequoia is like sitting in your den, watching the world go by. It may be big, but it's not tiring to operate as the day goes on. It's the kind of vehicle that an American family would enjoy for a long, long day on the interstate. It's got long legs and an effortless cruising pace. There is low noise and vibration, so you can listen to the audio system or converse at a normal tone of voice. It rates 18-19 mpg on the open road, conceivably offering 500 miles between fill-ups at moderate speeds and loads. No doubt about it, the Sequoia is at home on the biggest of North American roads.
In everyday driving, the suspension is surprisingly compliant for a vehicle built to carry heavy loads. There is a minimum of tummy jiggle on broken surfaces, and yet, when hard braking is called for, the front end does not dive wildly or pitch about. The Platinum version has the active air suspension, which has the ability to maintain more even ride height with heavy loads, which we tested and found it works well. In reality there isn't much difference between the suspensions and you'll want a weight-distributing hitch for all but light trailers. The standard setup is an independent A-arm configuration at all four corners, with coil springs and anti-sway bars.
The 5.7-liter V8 has lots of power, with an impressive reserve of torque. We loafed along at 2000 rpm or less all day long without feeling the need to punch the throttle. The 5.7-liter makes most of its torque below 3600 rpm, so when you do decide to pass, acceleration is impressive. Like the 4.6 it features four valves per cylinder and variable valve timing on both intake and exhaust camshafts, and a low-friction valve train enhances efficiency.
The 4.6-liter V8 is not as strong as the 5.7-liter engine, but if you use the 5.7's extra 71 horsepower and 74 lb-ft of torque (which the EPA doesn't) you will use more fuel. And the 4.6 sounds and feels like it's the quieter, smoother choice.
The 6-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission accounts for part of the Sequoia's decent highway mileage. The transmission is controlled by a shifter that allows manual shifting, and has a lock-up torque converter for better towing efficiency and heat control. There is a Tow/Haul mode that changes the shift points for heavy loads and gives less hunting or shifting between gears on climbs and better speed control on descents.
Four-wheel-drive models come with a two-speed transfer case with 2.6:1 low-range gearing. We found low range easy to get in and out of, even on ground that was not perfectly level. And the gearing seemed low enough that the Sequoia could crawl at speeds slow enough to slog up very steep terrain. When and if a Sequoia gets stuck, it'll likely be lack of tire traction or space for the bodywork, not for a lack of power or gearing.
The Sequoia with 5.7-liter can tow up to 7400 pounds but the 4.6 will do just 500 pounds less, so if you're pulling a bass boat across the plains or through rolling landscape the 5.7-liter engine isn't necessary. A seven-pin connector and a standard four-pin connector are set up and ready to use, and there is a pre-wired brake controller connector under the dash, similar to the Tundra. The Max Gross Combined Weight Rating, the total permissible weight of vehicle, trailer, occupants, cargo and fuels is 12,500-16,000 pounds, depending on engine and equipment, so any Sequoia can pull close to its maximum even loaded.
The new-for-2012 Trailer Sway Control uses the Sequoia's electronic Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) to keep the keep the truck tracking straight and true, even when a swaying trailer tries to yank it off-course.
The limiting factor towing could easily be tongue weight, and the SR5 5.7 allows the highest at 1000 pounds (960 with 4WD). Although the Platinum has air suspension in back to level things it's the heaviest model and maximum tongue weight is 910 pounds (880 with 4WD). Based on that and the 18-inch wheels we'd suggest the SR5 5.7 as the best Sequoia for heavier towing.
The brakes are consistent with full-size pickup capability as they should be; the lightest Sequoia weighs more than the heaviest Tundra, and a top-line 4WD Sequoia is more than three tons. Large disc brakes are mounted on all four corners. The brakes feel reasonably gradual; with very strong response as foot pressure is increased.
Like some other luxo-utes the Sequoia offers active speed control (Dynamic Laser in Toyota-speak). Such systems monitor the road ahead and adjust your speed on cruise control to maintain a safe following distance, and while marketed as driver-assist like other such systems they are no substitute for paying attention; there is only so much they can do if side-traffic runs a stop or a light, or oncoming traffic drifts out of its lane.
In daily use around town, the Sequoia will seem big to those not accustomed to maneuvering full-size domestic iron. It is however, reasonably maneuverable and needs only 4-5 feet more pavement to make a U-turn than the average sedan. We notice that, like any full-size, the hood is long and tall, and the distance to the rear bumper is not easily estimated without practice. Parking sensors front and rear go a long way toward making the best of the need to fit a big SUV into an average parking space by providing audible warnings when maneuvering in close quarters.
The rearview camera that displays a video image of what's behind you on the navigation screen (or a smaller image on the mirror) is even better. We highly recommend getting this optional feature for its safety benefits. A rearview camera, in addition to the audible warnings, can help alert the driver to a child behind the vehicle or, more commonly, unseen objects you don't want to hit. It also makes the parking process easier and speedier. The camera also helps greatly when hitching a trailer, eliminating the need for trial and error or a spotter.
Steering is fingertip-easy around town. It avoids being boat-like by a variable system that adds more return-to-center and a firmer, more precise level of control as speeds increase. At higher speeds, we found the Sequoia easy to keep in its lane without undue attention. While this family SUV is not built to be a cornering machine on country roads, control is good enough for confident handling; the electronic stability control will intervene if you try anything enthusiastic.
On a vehicle this big, power windows and doors are more than just luxury options; they become necessities. It's an impossible reach across the cabin, and a long walk to open the tailgate in the rain. The power rear hatch can be opened using the remote fob, handy when approaching the vehicle in a downpour with a load of groceries, but watch overhead clearance in garages.
The Toyota Sequoia is for big loads, big roads and wide open spaces. There is ample power in reserve for towing and hauling, and a roomy, comfortable interior. There are so many small, thoughtful touches, we get the sense that the Sequoia is one of those SUVs an owner would grow to appreciate more and more as time goes on. It seats seven or eight. It's capable for traversing rugged terrain. It can tow more than 7000 pounds. The Sequoia offers full-size truck capability with roomy, comfortable surroundings.
John Stewart filed this report to NewCarTestDrive.com from Durham, North Carolina, with G.R. Whale reporting from Los Angeles.


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QC LAB: Gear Doesn't Last Forever - SLINGS and QUICKDRAWSWednesday, Septembre 7, 2016
Before any piece of Black Diamond gear makes it on to the shelves, it spends months, sometimes years getting put through the wringer by our Director of Quality, Kolin Powick, and his team of Quality Assurance engineers. Through extensive and meticulous testing, both in the lab and in the field, KP and his team help ensure that you can count on your BD gear to be as durable, reliable and as strong as possible every time you head into the mountains or out to the crags. Our QC Lab posts aim to answer some of climbing's most common gear-related questions.
This month, KP and the crew present Part III of their Gear Doesn't Last Forever series (check out Part I and Part II), where they investigate the complex world of slings and quickdraws. Enjoy.
Slings and quickdraws (note: the webbing part of an actual quickdraw is often referred to as a dogbone) come in many different shapes, sizes, widths and lengths and are usually made from nylon, an ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene or some combination of the two. Dynex is the BD name for the polyethylene that we use. Other common brand names are Spectra and Dyneema. For argument's sake, they're all pretty darn similar, so I'll just go with Dynex. Some are sewn together using traditional (or not-so-traditional) bartacks, some are knotted together, and some use a Chinese-finger-trap-type attachment along with sewing.
The main differences between nylon and Dynex as it pertains to use in typical climbing situations:
- Nylon stretches a bit (ie. absorbs energy) whereas Dynex doesn't
- Dynex doesn't absorb water as much as nylon
- Dynex has a lower melting temperature (~145 °C) than nylon (~245 °C)
- Nylon holds a knot, Dynex does not
CE Requirements
Pretty basic stuff here-the meat of the CE standard for slings is they must meet at least 22kN when new. No durability requirements, no cyclic requirements, no wear requirements, etc.
Previous Testing
On one hand it seems the general feeling is that metal products should last forever (which of course they don't) whereas there appears to be some unwritten understanding that fabric type products do actually wear out. Even with that said, however, I have certainly seen some people whipping and rapping off some pretty sketchy draws and slings out there.
Over the years I've been removing worn out fixed gear from cliffs I frequent and testing it, and I've published some interesting findings:
The takeaway from all of this—gear doesn't last forever. Old slings, especially those fixed on sport routes and rap anchors can have a high sketch-factor—but why?
How & Why Slings Wear with Time
Looking at all the slings and quickdraws we've tested over the years, I'd say there are two main factors that cause a reduction in strength:
- Abrasion
Now I wish I could say that we've done some high-tech super study on this stuff, but we haven't. We've tested old fixed gear (as stated above), and also helped a high school student do a science fair project a few years ago on the UV effects on slings.
His findings basically showed that nylon and Dynex have a reduction in strength when exposed to UV. Interestingly, his study showed that the drop in strength was similar between the two materials, and also it appeared that the major drop in strength (~16%) occurred during the first 10 weeks of exposure, whereas additional exposure resulted in only very incremental decreases in strength. Anecdotal testing from the field (cited above) doesn't exactly correlate to these findings, however, we must remember that there are other factors involved in real world use (falls, abrasion, etc.).
More Testing
We decided to try to compile a bit more data. BD athlete and tech rep Sam Elias stripped a bunch of old mank gear from Rifle, where they were installing steel perma-draws. He brought the gear to BD and we went to town with our tensile tester (remember-when new, slings need to meet 22 kN ultimate strength (4946 lbf)).
Results (dogbones stripped from Rifle)
The numbers represent lbf when failure occured.
Yowsa—these were all found on popular routes that people, including myself, pitch off of all the time. They all were significantly less than the requirement when new, and a few (790 and 810 lb) were well into the conceivable load range, even for a soft-catch sport climbing fall. Moral of the story—don't just blindly trust fixed gear.
And Even More Testing
We decided to do a few experiments here in the lab by setting up a few tests where we would compare new slings vs. old slings. We did our best to find representative 'old and well used' samples of what we had new, including:
- 10 mm Dynex dogbone
- 14 mm Dynex dogbone
- Variwidth nylon dogbone
- 18 mm nylon runner
- 10 mm Dynex runner
- ½" tubular webbing
- 1" tubular webbing
DISCLAIMER - these 'old and well-used' slings are non-scientific, totally random, not controlled, not a similar amount of exposure, wear, falls, etc.-just a bunch of old stuff that a few of us had lying around at home.
The tests we schemed up were:
New vs. old - ultimate strength
Basic stuff here—just to get a direct comparison of if and how much weaker old and worn slings can become
New slings - 500 cycles on our make-shift abrasion tester, then tested to ultimate strength.
This would allow us to see two things:
- how the abrasion affects the strength when compared to when not abraded
- how the different materials and material widths are affected by abrasion
New vs. old - 1000 cycles to 5kN (1124lbf) - then tested to ultimate strength
The idea here was to simulate 1000 falls of 5kN (a bit harsh but realistic) to both new and old slings, and compare to the ultimate strength of a new sling or dogbone.
New vs. old - cycled at 11kN (2473 lbf) to failure
This was a curiosity test. Exposing the slings to half their rated strength repeatedly until they broke. Not realistic in the climbing world, but maybe it would tell us something.
Results & Observations (comparative lab testing)
New vs. used - ultimate strength
Once again—no surprises—the older gear is weaker and sometimes significantly weaker than when new.
New slings - 500 cycles on our make-shift abrasion tester - then tested to ultimate strength
No surprise here—after beating up the sling for a bit on a rough edge, the ultimate strength is reduced.
Interesting that a few of the samples (both nylon and Dynex runners) didn't even make it through the abrasion portion of the test. This is possibly due to the fact that the webbing was more likely to twist and turn and be cut on an edge instead of having the stiffness of a dogbone which forced the abrasion to be consistently on across the width.
New vs. used - 1000 cycles to 5 kN (1124 lbf) - then tested to ultimate strength
Comparing after the 1000 cycles ultimate strength to no cycles then ultimate strength tested - it appears that the 1000 cycles to 5 kN had a very minimal effect on ultimate strength. Comparing the new vs. old samples, once again, the older worn slings had lower results. Two samples did not even endure the 1000 cycles.
New vs. old - cycled at 11 kN (2473 lbf) to failure
This is an unrealistic test as it pertains to the real climbing world, and gave us some results that are all over the map.
* Obviously this is all super limited data (ONE data point per test). In order to gain a more complete understanding, many more samples and controlled comparative samples should be tested.
As stated earlier, it seems that more climbers are willing to retire a piece of webbing material (or harness or rope) much quicker than a piece of metal gear-and this is a good thing. Our findings from testing old gear retrieved from the field definitely show a great reduction in strength of webbing products, sometimes to the point where field failure is a real possibility. I've definitely heard of several quickdraw or sling failures in the field (even a few in gyms) where the nylon draws are continually rubbing against the abrasive texture of the wall. Luckily there is usually another draw not too far below, so the climbers have come away unscathed short of their hearts being thrust into their throats momentarily.
Our makeshift lab tests also show the same. Webbing doesn't last forever, whether it's nylon or ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene. Abrasion and cyclic loading reduce the strength of webbing, and as the high school student science fair project showed, so does exposure to sunlight and the elements.
Now does nylon or Dynex fare better in real world weathering and use scenarios? Most literature you find states that Dynex is more resistant to cutting and therefore should do better in abrasion. Though nothing is conclusive, my findings from super non-controlled experiments by testing samples retrieved from the field actually show that nylon outperformed Dynex in ultimate strength after what is believed to be similar exposure to the elements, including abrasion.
One of the biggest takeaways if you ask me is that nylon stretches a bit, while Dynex/Dyneema/Spectra does not. It's important to realize when that makes a difference and adjust gear selection accordingly.
Next up: carabiners.
Climb safe out there,


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A fun surprise arrived on my doorstep this afternoon.
And who doesn't love fun surprises?
NatureBox is a company built around the idea of delivering fun (healthy!) surprises on a monthly basis. Just like Birch Box (where subscribers can sign up to receive monthly shipments of health and beauty products), NatureBox delivers monthly shipments of healthy, locally sourced snacks right to subscribers' front door.
NatureBox is still new – and currently still developing their product and brand – but they were kind enough to send me one of their March boxes to review on the blog.
I love the idea of monthly subscription programs for packaged goods because, well, who doesn't love getting a package filled with new goodies every month? And the subscription price isn't that bad. $19.95 a month gets you all this.
March's box:
- Sunshine Veggie Chips
- Firecrackers
- Nuts for Granola
- Dried Cherries
- Figgy Bars with Honey
First of all, I was impressed with the variety of snacks in the snack box. Each snack bag contained something that was a completely different snack genre than the other (i.e. only one dried fruit, only one bag of granola, etc.). I also loved that the box included recipes for all of the items in the snacks bags and I thought that it was a great that it was all a big surprise when I opened the box.
It just so happened that the box arrived around snack time. Perfect time to try the figgy bars, wouldn't you agree?
Nutrition facts:
I had two. 🙂
Yep. Tasted just like a Fig Newton – two thumbs up. 🙂
The only downside I can see is the chance of receiving items you don't particularly care for and not having control over it (i.e. the firecrackers will probably go uneaten in this household), but I guess that would be true with any mystery service.
Do you subscribe to any monthly delivery services? What are your thoughts?
The figgy bars were great, but they didn't keep me full for long. Hunger hit hard at Whole Foods a couple of hours later and I had to purchase a pear to hold me over.
Derek and I had dinner at his brother's house tonight. His brother supplied the entertainment (his adorable 10 month old daughter) and we supplied the pizza.
I <3 Anthony's Pizza. Seriously, the best take-out pizza around. 🙂
We ordered the usual – one large meatball, one small cauliflower, and a large salad – but the cauliflower pizza tasted off. It wasn't as buttery as usual and had a bit of spice to it (I don't remember it being spicy in the past). I hope they didn't change their formula and this was just a fluke. :/
I still went back for a second piece of cauliflower. 😉
Attune chocolate bar for dessert.
And now it's time for bed.
Good night!
{ Comments on this entry are closed }


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electronic lexical database of English language
DescriptionWordNet(C) is an on-line lexical reference system whose design is inspired by current psycholinguistic theories of human lexical memory. English nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs are organized into synonym sets, each representing one underlying lexical concept. Different relations link the synonym sets. WordNet was developed by the Cognitive Science Laboratory at Princeton University under the direction of Professor George A. Miller (Principal Investigator). WordNet is considered to be the most important resource available to researchers in computational linguistics, text analysis, and many related areas. Binary and manpages of WordNet as well as general manpages.
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text:
Save the Date!
The Michigan Coral Expo & Swap (aka Lansing Swap) will be on February 21, 2016.
MCES is the largest reef event in Michigan...now in its 10th year! The event is hosted by two clubs...The Mid-Michigan Marine Club and Grand Rapids Marine Aquarium Society. Both clubs are busy making preparations and working on speakers and raffle to make it even better. Last year, MCES brought together over 800 hobbyists from around the state and upper midwest with 50 vendors from across the country. If you are a reef keeper in the midwest, you do not want to miss this event!
Date: February 21, 2016
Where: Causeway Bay Hotel and Convention Center (formerly Best Western)
6820 South Cedar Street
Lansing, MI 48911
Admission is $10 per person (kids under 16 are free)
The itinerary for the 2016 Michigan Coral Expo & Swap is as follows (raffle time to be announced):
10:00: Admission for morning speaker session
10:30-11:30: Morning Speaker Session
11:30-12:00: early exhibition hall admission for morning speaker attendees
12:00: doors open to exhibition hall for general admission
4:30: end
The vendor reservation system is now active for those wanting to save their spot at the Expo!
Vendor Registration


text:
Blatent market pumpers square off with someone who looks beyond the headline BLS numbers. The same bozos who never saw the crisis coming still don't know what's happening. Biderman is exactly correct.
I have news for all of them… The REAL LEADING INDICATOR is DEBT to INCOME. This ratio is getting FAR worse on all levels because the DEBT has not been cleared from the system and money printing does NOT eliminate debt when incomes are not going up – they are going down. In regards to the TIPS comment by Biderman, again he is correct about the rampant, and now exposed, printing of the Fed and Treasury. Manipulated data and money printing do not a recovery make.
Please follow this link to view... VIDEO LINK
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Charles Biderman – One eyed man in the land of the blind!
Posted byAmy Jamison at4:02 PM


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Bill restricting access to Wisconsin mines fails to make Senate agenda
Republican leaders have decided not to place a bill that would restrict public access to a northern Wisconsin mine site on the Senate's agenda this week, throwing the measure's future into doubt.
The bill appeared to be on the fast track to passage less than two weeks ago after the Senate mining committee held a public hearing and approved the bill in two days. Bill author and mining committee chairman Sen. Tom Tiffany, R-Hazelhurst, said during the meetings the measure is desperately needed to protect mine workers and environmental regulators from bands of protesters roaming the forest around the site.
But the proposal wasn't on the Tuesday floor session agenda that Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald released on Monday. The Senate isn't scheduled to convene again until October.
A Fitzgerald spokesman didn't immediately return messages inquiring about the bill's status. Tiffany and Senate President Mike Ellis, R-Neenah, also didn't return messages.
Tiffany said Monday he doesn't have the votes to pass it right now.
Gogebic Taconite wants to dig a 4½-mile long iron mine in the Penokee Hills just south of Lake Superior. The mine has been a flashpoint of controversy for more than a year. The company insists the project will create thousands of jobs; opponents counter the mine will ruin the area's pristine wilderness and pollute the region's water.
A band of protesters emerged from the woods around the site in June and started cursing at mine workers. One protester was charged with stealing a geologist's camera. The group has vowed to return to the site.
About 3,500 acres around the site are part of the state's managed forest program, which grants landowners reduced fees in lieu of property taxes if they keep the land open for recreation. Tiffany's bill would automatically close that land to the public until the state Department of Natural Resources decides whether to grant Gogebic Taconite a final mining permit.
The company would have to pay the state for closing the land but could reach agreements with the DNR to open up sections before the final permit decision comes down.
Democrats have complained the bill is an overreaction to single incident and gives Gogebic Taconite too much authority over the land. They say the measure would punish law-abiding hunters, hikers and anglers who have used the area for years.
Gogebic Taconite spokesman Bob Seitz said in an email that he believes senators are still discussing the bill's details among themselves. He didn't elaborate in the message and didn't immediately respond to a follow-up inquiry.


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Check out my recent interview with Irene Watson at Inside Scoop:
|Topics of conversation:
After earning a Ph.D. in British literature, Tyler R. Tichelaar began writing and publishing a series of historical novels including "The Marquette Trilogy" and "Narrow Lives," which won the Reader Views Literary Choice award for best historical fiction for 2008. These novels are family saga type pioneer stories about the growth of America and specifically the town of Marquette, Michigan. Tyler's interest in genealogy has inspired his novels and his study into the Arthurian legend. He first fell in love with the legend when he was fourteen and read "The Boy's King Arthur" by Sidney Lanier with N.C. Wyeth's marvelous illustrations. His reading of Marion Zimmer Bradley's "The Mists of Avalon" made him begin to see the fictional possibilities in the story beyond simply retelling it and inspired him to write his own fiction about King Arthur.
Tyler's newest book "King Arthur's Children: A Study in Fiction and Tradition" is a scholarly work that explores treatments of King Arthur's children from the Middle Ages to twenty-first century novels, including claims by several families to be King Arthur's descendants, a claim that if true, Tyler can claim for himself. He is currently working on a novel about King Arthur.
King Arthur's Children: A Study in Fiction and Tradition
Tyler R. Tichelaar, Ph.D.
Read interview with author on ReaderViews.com
Read the review on ReaderViews.com
Synopsis: Did you know King Arthur had many other children besides Mordred? Depending on which version of the legend you read, he had both sons and daughters, some of whom even survived him. From the ancient tale of Gwydre, the son who was gored to death by a boar, to Scottish traditions of Mordred as a beloved king, Tyler R. Tichelaar has studied all the references to King Arthur's children to show how they shed light upon a legend that has intrigued us for fifteen centuries.
King Arthur's Children: A Study in Fiction and Tradition is the first full length analysis of every known treatment of King Arthur's children, from Welsh legends and French romances, to Scottish genealogies and modern novels by such authors as Parke Godwin, Stephen Lawhead, Debra Kemp, and Elizabeth Wein. King Arthur's Children explores an often overlooked theme in Arthurian literature and reveals King Arthur's bloodline may still
Tyler R. Tichelaar, Ph.D. is the author of King Arthur's Children: A Study in Fiction and Tradition, available at www.ChildrenofArthur.com


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(via Giordano Cipriani)
(Also on Sb)
(via Giordano Cipriani)
(Also on Sb)
Audley Darkheart (liar and scoundrel) says
If only I could find a real flower that spectacular…
Reginald Selkirk says
Teh Easter Bunny!
I believe.
Zeno says
Is there a doctor in the house? Any highly skilled and informed hypochondriacs?
If so, can you tell me what the hell this is?
anuran says
Much cuter than lolcats
Glen Davidson says
Squishiness is ok in a cephalopod?
Brownian says
Flamboyant cuttles, looking like flowers? This calls for a…
Hai~Ren says
If I ever manage to learn scuba diving, I would definitely want to go see flamboyant cuttlefish in the wild.
Oh, wanted to alert some of the Pharyngulites to a comment thread over on Dinosaur Tracking, where Brian Switek's slamming of the nonsense regarding dinosaurs in Ancient Aliens has led to an outpouring of idiocy from people who seem to think that there is any validity in thinking that dinosaurs were wiped out by aliens, or that aliens had a hand in building ancient civilisations. If anybody is in the mood to engage them and rebut their nonsensical ideas, feel free to say something over here:
microraptor says
Your link doesn't work.
JohnnieCanuck says
Hai~Ren says
Thanks JohnnieCanuck for pasting the correct link!
F says
a3kr0n says
OMG Bunnies!
Pareidolius says
Noadi says
Like little poisonous flowers. Flamboyant cuttles are so pretty.
alfajrisyp says
nice flowers
thebookofdave says
They look more like Bunny Peeps to me.
evader says
Looks like a crawler from Final Fantasy XIII to me!
Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven says
…is it just me or is that thing pretending to be a mantis shrimp? O.o


text:
BULK POWDERS® offer one of the UK's leading ranges of protein supplements, including powders, shakes, snacks
and much more. Our range is also suitable for virtually all dietary requirements, so whether you're after gluten-free, vegan or paleo varieties,
you're guaranteed to find it here.
Protein is known as the building block of muscle, but it's actually a lot more than that. Our skin, hair, nails, immune system and digestive system all rely on it, to name a few. However, the human body isn't great at storing it, so regular consumption via the diet is essential. That's why it's best to stock up and have a readily available supply.


text:
We have a baby
This card is a mini version of my illustration "We have a baby" and completely unique!
Perfect for collecting or even framing!
A lovely card for a special person! :)
Size - about A6 (148 x 105 mm or 5.8 " x 4.1")
Card is blank inside.
Each card comes with an envelope.


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The growing popularity of the Internet has spawned discussion groups that offer something for just about everyone, from lovers of Jean-Luc Picard (try alt.sexy.bald.captains) to haters of a certain children's television program (alt.barney.dinosaur.die.die.die) to obsessives consumed by politics, computer lore, comic books or the hidden messages embedded in a single rock song (alt.meter-maid.lovely.rita). Few newsgroups, though, have drawn the kind of following now evident on alt.religion.scientology (a.r.s.), an international debating circle concerning the Church of Scientology.
Always controversial, in recent months a.r.s. has become the primary battleground in cyberspace in the dispute over Scientology's Advanced Technology documents--and a test of the Internet's vaunted ability to police itself. Postings of the documents to a.r.s. by FACTNet director Arnaldo Lerma and others have led to raids on computer users by representatives of the Church, legal threats against other posters, and what appear to be extra-legal, retaliatory actions against a.r.s. by anonymous, pro-Scientology forces.
Established three years ago by ex-Scientologist Scott Goehring, a.r.s. had a distinctly anti-Church bias from the start. On his own World Wide Web page, Goehring boasts that he "forged" an e-mail message from Scientology leader David Miscavige to start the group. (Actually, anyone can start a newsgroup; whether it's carried by service providers depends on the level of usage it attracts.) Although few Scientologists joined the discussion, the group soon attracted a stream of postings from critics of the Church, including "free-zoners"--ex-members who believe in the basics of Hubbard's teachings but prefer to make their own E-meters and audit themselves rather than submit to the Church hierarchy.
As with other controversial newsgroups, "flaming" and other forms of rowdy speech are common on a.r.s. But last Christmas the group began to encounter a new phenomenon--forged cancel messages that zapped other users' postings off the system. In most cases, what was being zapped were discussions of Advanced Technology secrets.
Canceling someone else's message is more than a violation of "netiquette"; under federal law, it can be a felony, comparable to destroying mail. One outlaw known as the "Cancelmoose" has been canceling messages on the Net for years, but the Cancelmoose only goes after "spam"--annoying commercial messages, usually, that are sent out to dozens of newsgroups indiscriminately.
The a.r.s. cancels were another matter, and they soon attracted the interest of computer experts and Net administrators who had never paid any attention to the Scientology debate. "This was the first time I'd seen this done on a large scale, canceling messages based on content," says Dick Cleek, a professor of geography and computer science at the University of Wisconsin.
Cleek and other tech-heads decided to join forces to trace the cancel messages to their source. Some of the early postings came from accounts at Netcom, which responded by suspending the accounts. Increasingly, though, the canceler began to use bogus account names such as "robocanceller" and "noman" and to go to greater lengths to disguise the path of the messages to a.r.s. Every time the computer experts tracked down an account and had it suspended, the canceler moved to another account.
Ron Newman, who operates a Web site detailing the a.r.s. battles, dubbed the intruder the "Cancelbunny," after the Energizer bunny that keeps going and going. Cleek's team became known as the Rabbit Hunters.
By examining log files at telnet sites (a form of Internet server that can be accessed from a remote terminal), studying usage activity and other indicators, a few weeks ago the Rabbit Hunters managed to track the Cancelbunny back to an account in the name of Brian Stone at a California newsserver, kaiwan.com. "Every time they logged on, another cancel got sent," Cleek notes.
One night Cleek watched "bstone" in action, tracking his movements by computer. "We could see him telnetting frantically from site to site, trying to find a newsserver that would take the [cancel] command," he says. "He found one in Taiwan, but that one only sends news to Chinese groups, so that didn't fit his purposes. He telnetted to twenty or thirty places, and then he must have given up.
"We got a cancel message the next day, and guess what the origin was--kaiwan.com. He telnetted to his own newsserver and issued the cancel from there."
Although the "bstone" account was eventually disabled by kaiwan.com, a.r.s. continues to be plagued by cancel messages from fresh accounts. The Cancelbunny has even taken to signing his work, advising, "This message was canceled due to copyright violations--Cancel Wabbit."
But the bunny's effectiveness is diminishing. Many newsservers don't honor cancel messages, and any savvy a.r.s. reader can find the unexpurgated version without too much trouble. In addition, an ex-Scientologist has devised a program called Lazarus that automatically alerts a.r.s. readers to the cancel messages--in effect inviting the censored author to repost. And the Rabbit Hunters have turned their findings over to the FBI for investigation.
"I thought long and hard before calling the FBI," Cleek says. "You open a door there, and maybe we could have policed it ourselves. But we want to stay within the law. We don't want to become like the other people.
"It seemed to me, and to a number of other Rabbit Hunters, that the situation was so clearly criminal, and we were up against [people] that had such resources, that maybe here was a case where the Net couldn't police itself. But I've had second thoughts about it."
To date no charges have resulted from the cancel messages. Scientology officials deny any connection to the Cancelbunny. The group's international president, Heber Jentzsch, says that the Church doesn't condone such activity and that any suggestions to the contrary are "total garbage."
"We don't have any proof of who's behind the messages," says Rabbit Hunter Ron Newman. But some of the suspect accounts, Newman notes, had been used months earlier to post "pro-Scientology propaganda" on a.r.s.
The Church has taken credit for other actions against a.r.s., though. A few months ago Scientology attorney Helena Kobrin sent an "rmgroup" ("remove group") message to Usenet servers in an attempt to get the entire newsgroup taken off the system. Among other reasons for the request, Kobrin stated that the group was being "heavily abused with copyright and trade-secret violations and serves no purpose other than condoning these illegal practices"--and that the use of "scientology" in the group's name "is a trademark and misleading, as a.r.s. is mainly used for flamers to attack the Scientology religion."
According to Newman, most Usenet administrators simply ignored the message. Kobrin was flamed mercilessly across the void of cyberspace, by Scientology critics and free-speech crusaders alike.
"If you're for free speech, why would you issue an `rm' command?" asks FACTNet's Wollersheim. "When you remove a whole newsgroup, that's wholesale library burning. It's destruction of a whole post office."
"We were kind of new to dealing with the situation," Kobrin says now. "People were providing so-called bright ideas, and somebody suggested that was the way to approach it. Apparently, it was not the way to handle the problem."
Kobrin has since sent dozens of e-mail messages to users of a.r.s. who have posted snippets of the Advanced Technology writings, warning them of possible legal action by the Church. At one point she posted a message to the entire newsgroup, demanding an end to the alleged copyright violations; but anonymous postings of the disputed material continue, along with announcements of Web sites carrying more extensive excerpts of the documents.
A few Scientologists have logged onto a.r.s. with lengthy testimonials to the benefits of the religion. Church representatives have also used a.r.s. to launch personal attacks on their most vocal critics--a tactic known in a.r.s. argot as "dead agenting." The primary target appears to be Wollersheim, who has been blasted online and in Church press releases as a drug user, a trickster who put peanut butter in his underwear to duck the draft, a con artist "involved with scams ranging from selling bad meat to tacky laser prints," and a plagiarist who borrowed heavily from Scientology in his book The Aspen Diet, written under the pseudonym Robert Lawrence.
"They tried to sell the same stuff for six months in my jury case," Wollersheim says. "It was false then, and it's false now. I've gotten to the point where I tell people, `Believe the worst things they say about me, but then go to the documents and make up your own mind.' If I was the worst person in the world, I could still be telling the truth."
Cleek suspects that members of the Church may also be behind the persistent spamming of a.r.s. with messages concerning Windows 95 and other unrelated topics in order to "submerge" the newsgroup in babble.
Some users, wary of the Church's monitoring of a.r.s., have taken to posting anonymously or impersonating other writers--to the extent that it's hard to know who's who any more. One ex-member called "Capricorn" has even suggested that the most vicious attacks on the Church are being posted by Scientologists themselves in an effort to discredit a.r.s.
Kobrin believes that the continual reposting of Hubbard's writings on a.r.s. and other copyright violations on the Internet may ultimately lead to government action. "Law, morality, ethics don't go away just because the Internet was created," she says. "Frankly, I think it's only a handful of users on the Net that are this irresponsible, but they're the noisier ones. And the more they insist on their rights to `free speech'--and posting someone else's materials I don't consider speech at all--the more likely it is that legislation will be needed."
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Cleek, who testified about newsgroup operations as a defense witness in recent hearings regarding the FACTNet computer seizures, says the most significant actions to address abuse of the Net, including cancel messages, are coming from Internet administrators themselves.
"I don't see any realistic discussion in any government agency or task force," Cleek says. "Look at the constituency of those task forces. You've got people there who don't even know what a newsgroup is."
But more people are finding out all the time. According to Cleek, a.r.s. is now drawing at least 65,000 to 75,000 users a month, making it one of the busiest newsgroups on the Net. Message postings now average 500 to 600 a day, more than most readers can keep up with. And Cleek thinks the Cancelbunny is responsible.
"Half of the people on a.r.s. now are there because they're outraged about the cancel messages," he says.
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Authorities say a 26-year-old man who allegedly rushed into the ring and assaulted wrestling super star Bret 'The Hitman' Hart while he was delivering a speech at a WWE Hall of Fame ceremony, is facing assault and trespassing charges.
Zachary Madsen, 26, is being held by police after telling them that he "just felt like it was the right moment," to attack Hart at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on Saturday.
Madsen was ordered held on $1,500 bond at his arraignment on assault and criminal trespassing charges in Brooklyn criminal court. The judge also issued a protection order against Madsen to Hart and the WWE security guard, Thaddeus Jones, who was also injured in the attack.
The incident was not a "work" (the wrestling term for the story lines presented as real to fans) with the WWE describing Madsen as an "over-exuberant fan."
"An over-exuberant fan surpassed our security at ringside and made his way briefly into the ring," WWE told ESPN in a statement. "The individual has been turned over to the proper authorities."
Hart was previously inducted into the WWE's Hall of Fame for his solo work with Saturday's ceremony to induct 'The Hart Foundation,' a tag-team Hart formed with his brother-in-law, Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, in the mid-1980s. As Hart was delivering his speech, Madsen allegedly jumped on stage, and tackled the 61-year-old former wrestling super star.
Rhonda Rousey's husband, UFC heavyweight Travis Browne was joined by several other wrestling stars who jumped into the ring to pull the man off Hart.
The live broadcast of the Hall of Fame ceremony quickly cut away from the melee, confirming to many at home that the incident was a shoot (a wrestling term for an unscripted, real-life occurrence in the ring).
This isn't Madsen's first run-in with the law. Last September, the 24-year-old was busted for allegedly stalking mixed-martial artist Haris Talundzic, according to Lincoln Police Department records.
Hart resumed and finished his speech after the ring was cleared.


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For a company known for colorful, cute games, Nintendo's Kyoto headquarters is anything but. The first floor lobby—covered in white marble—looks more like an insurance company's than one of Japan's most creative companies.
During a recent video presentation, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata noted that the room he was speaking from was plain. However, above Iwata, there was the kanji "dokusou" (独創) written in calligraphy.
In Japan, it's not uncommon for companies to hang kanji that conveys corporate ideology and inspires workers.
According to Iwata, it's a term that has guided Nintendo since the early days of the company. "In English, it means 'creating something unique,'" Iwata explained. It was in this room that Nintendo tried to think what it should do to create something new with the Wii U.
One of Nintendo's strengths has always been that the company seems incredibly Japanese and traditional, yet at the same time, incredibly innovative and unique.
That plainly furnished office with that kanji bursting with creativity is a metaphor for Nintendo itself: Japan's most unassuming rebel, always looking to shake things up with something new, something different, and something dokusou.


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A unit of Ukrainian officer cadets was recently sent to the Donetsk region, in the east of the country, to help reinforce the border, after Russia annexed Crimea earlier this month. One of those - Maxim Garmash - was born in the area. And with many of the people in the region supporting Russia, he found the cadets were far from welcome.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Ukrainian border guard: 'We didn't come here to fight'
Posted by Oleg Bezverkhnii at 08:49
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Tracey Henly with her take on our inspiration artwork this month. I am a huge fan of the use of white space so this layout in it's simplicity really appeals to me.
My Inspiration came from the beach/ocean theme of the painting and the beautiful earthy colours.
I am a wife to a fire fighter, happily married nearly 30 years, and mother of three, 2 boys and a girl.
I have been scrapbooking since 1998 and my style is eclectic.
I have been told numerous times that I have multiple personalities when I scrapbook. My main style revolves around layers and chipboard.
I love to learn new things from all the beautiful scrap bookers who share their talents and then play with them to add variety to my pages.
My blog link is; http://witchescraftcupboard.blogspot.com.au/
Thank you for joining us this month Tracey. We have loved seeing your gorgeous work.
Remember ....


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Mammoth Fire Dept. warns CFL bulb users
We have all seen and are probably using compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) bulbs. In many states, these will be the only light bulbs that will be available as the incandescent bulbs are phased out.
Compared to the incandescent bulb, the CFL produces the same amount of light but consume less power (from 1/5 to 1/3) and have a longer service life (8 to 15 times). But these light bulbs have some issues that must be considered in our quest to be better stewards of our planet.
These new bulbs have several names: compact fluorescent lamp, compact fluorescent light, and compact fluorescent tube, all describing the replacement of the incandescent light bulb.
The federal government has called for a total replacement of the incandescent bulbs with CFL bulbs by 2014. In many places around the country, CFL bulbs are all that one can purchase. Do NOT use CFL bulbs in a light fixture with a dimmer switch as the bulb may explode.
The CFL bulbs have small electronic ballasts in their base. CFL bulbs do not burn out the way that incandescent bulbs do. As a CFL bulb gets older and reaches the end of its life, the bulb will grow dimmer. Some CFL bulbs will just quit producing light, while others will produce a dramatic popping sound and then generate a distinct odor (a sort of electrical smell).
A few of the CFL bulbs will generate a volume of smoke and a blackened area near the base of the bulb as the ballast breaks down.
The odor and smoke can quickly fill a normal sized room. Unfortunately this characteristic is a normal part of the burnout of the CFL bulb. It may appear that the bulb has caught fire due to the smell, the blackening of the base, and amount of smoke, but the bulb is performing as designed.
There has been a recall of one manufacturer of CFL bulbs. The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a recall of CFL bulbs manufactured by Chinese-manufactured Trisonic brand. There have been four reported cases of incidents with the use of these bulbs, including two reported fires that resulted in minor damage.
There are no reported cases of a fire resulting from the use of any other manufactured CFL bulbs.
A second item of concern is the mercury that is contained in the CFL bulbs. This makes disposal practices of these bulbs very critical.
If the tube of the bulb is broken, extra care must be exercised to ensure that the liquid or vapor emitted is not inhaled or allowed to come in contact with human skin.
Symptoms of mercury poisoning include sensory impairment, lack of coordination, skin discoloration, and/or tingling, itching, burning or pain, or shedding of the skin.
Injection due to cuts or lacerations into the body by broken bulbs is of particular concern.
Mercury poisoning to the body can be significant and dramatic.
If introduced into the body through a cut, damage can occur to the cells in the area that requires long-term medical treatment. Amputation is also a possibility.
In the event of a broken CFL bulb, evacuate the room, taking care not to step on the broken glass; ventilate the room for a minimum of 15 minutes; do not use a vacuum to clean up the debris (this spreads the particles throughout the house); wearing gloves, spray lightly with a water mist, then sweep the debris into a dustpan (gently not to develop any dust) and place debris into a plastic bag; seal the bag.
Do not dispose of in an ordinary refuse receptacle.
The debris is lawfully designated a hazardous material and must be disposed of properly. Mammoth Disposal will accept these bagged bulbs and working with Mono County will see that the bulbs go to the proper reclamation site.
A CFL might look benign, and make you feel good about "going green", but a degree of awareness is necessary to properly use the bulbs and protect your loved ones.
For more information or for any questions pertaining to fire related issues, please feel free to contact the Mammoth Lakes Fire Department at 760-934-2300.


text: CamelBak has bottled the perfect hydration solution—the eddy Insulated .6L bottle's easy-sipping Big Bite Valve is simple, effective and won't spill if left open. An integrated handle makes it a cinch to carry the Bottle with a finger or clip it to a carabiner. The articulated stem allows the Bite Valve to flip flush with the bottle to keep it clean. Like all of CamelBak's bottles, it's 100% BPA free.


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Ecuador: Wikileaks' Assange seeking asylum
Updated 3:46 PM ET
(AP) QUITO, Ecuador - Ecuador's foreign minister said Tuesday that WikiLeaks chief Julian Assange has taken refuge in the South American nation's embassy in London and is seeking political asylum.
Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said Ecuador is weighing the request.
The move comes less than a week after Britain's Supreme Court rejected Assange's bid to reopen his attempts to block extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning after two women accused him of sexual misconduct during a visit to the country in mid-2010. He denies the allegations.
Assange extradition closer after U.K. ruling
His legal struggle to stay in Britain has dragged on for the better part of two years, clouding his website's work exposing the world's secrets.
Patino told a news conference that Assange had written to leftist President Rafael Correa saying he was being persecuted and seeking asylum.
He said that Assange, who is Australian, had argued that "the authorities in his country will not defend his minimum guarantees in front of any government or ignore the obligation to protect a politically persecuted citizen."
He said it was impossible for him to return to his homeland because it would not protect him from being extradited to "a foreign country that applies the death penalty for the crime of espionage and sedition."
The reference is to the United States, as Patino says the letter spells out.
Assange, 40, claims the U.S. has secretly indicted him for divulging American secrets and will act on the indictment if Sweden succeeds in extraditing him from Britain.
In the letter, he accused Swedish officials of "openly attacking me" and investigating him for political crimes, according to Patino.
The foreign minister said his country would consider the asylum request "taking into account the respect for the norms and principles of international law as well as Ecuador's policy of protecting human rights."
In November 2010 Ecuador's deputy foreign minister said the country was offering residency to Assange. However, Correa told reporters the following day that neither he nor Patino had approved the offer and that it would need to be studied.
Assange shot to international prominence in 2010 with the release of hundreds of thousands of secret U.S. documents including diplomatic cables and a hard-to-watch video that showed U.S. forces gunning down a crowd of Iraqi civilians and journalists whom they had mistaken for insurgents.
Australian authorities have cooperated with the United States in investigating WikiLeaks' conduct. The Australians have concluded that Assange has broken no Australian law.
Last month, Australian Prime Minister Julie Gillard said her country could not protect Assange, a former computer hacker, from other countries' justice systems.
Her foreign minister, Bob Carr, said Washington had said nothing to indicate an indictment was planned there.


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(Reuters) - Oklahoma City's high-octane offense has powered the team to the best record in the NBA, but it was defense that got the job done on Sunday as the Thunder rolled to their eighth straight win, a 104-93 victory over the visiting Indiana Pacers.
Oklahoma City, who came into the game averaging more than 106 points, trailed the Pacers by four midway through the third quarter before seizing the momentum with a 17-3 run.
"We really got after it on defense in the second half," Thunder coach Scott Brooks told reporters. "We made them take tough shots in the third and fourth quarters and made them miss."
Kevin Durant scored 10 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter, while reserve Kevin Martin added 24 for the Thunder, who are tied with San Antonio at the top of the Western Conference with a record of 17-4.
David West had 21 points for the Pacers (10-11), who saw all of their starters reach double figures scoring.
With last season's leading scorer Danny Granger sidelined with a knee injury, Indiana averaged less than 91 points per game coming into Sunday's contest, which is last in the NBA.
The Pacers managed to stay close before Oklahoma City kicked things into another gear.
Durant began the game making just four of 17 shots but missed only two of his last seven.
Indiana pulled to 94-91 in the fourth quarter but the Thunder netted a couple quick baskets and Russell Westbrook made a big block on Roy Hibbert to quell the Pacers.
"Plays like that can change the whole momentum of a game, and that was one of those plays" Westbrook said.
Westbrook chipped in 21 points, seven rebounds and six assists for the defending Western Conference champions, who were coming off an impressive win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday.
(Editing by Peter Rutherford)


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A-Rod homers in first rehab game at Double-A
Yankees' third baseman collects pair of hits, contributes sharp defense
READING, Pa. -- While Major League Baseball's All-Star Week trappings were all over Broadway, Alex Rodriguez continued his Yankees rehabilitation assignment in one of Minor League Baseball's classic ballparks, FirstEnergy Stadium, on Monday night.
Rodriguez, who is coming off January left hip surgery and will turn 38 on July 27, hit a two-run homer during the first of what could be three games with the Trenton Thunder, the Yankees' Double-A Eastern League affiliate. Trenton (48-46) held off the Reading Fightin Phils, 6-5, before 6,506 fans.
Rodriguez had to be pleased with Monday's results. He finished 2-for-4 with a strikeout and is 5-for-25 in nine rehabilitation appearances with Class A Charleston, Class A Advanced Tampa and Trenton. The fifth-inning home run was a towering, 400-foot drive to left-center, and it followed a 12-pitch at-bat in the third inning during which Rodriguez fouled off six pitches before producing a line-drive single off Reading third baseman Maikel Franco's glove.
Rodriguez struck out in his fourth at-bat, chasing a pitch out of the zone from Reading's Colby Shreve.
"It's a process, one game at a time, but this is the best I felt by far," said Rodriguez. "The home run felt good. I couldn't remember my last one."
Rodriguez played seven innings at third base on Monday night and is scheduled for the same on Tuesday, when the Thunder will again face Reading at 6:05 p.m. ET. Rodriguez's status for Wednesday's game, to start at noon, is still up in the air.
"We're leaving [Wednesday] open right now," said Rodriguez, whose 20-day rehabilitation assignment is set to end on July 22. "It will depend on how I feel and how things go in the first two games. I'm just trying to get back to doing things I can do on a baseball field. I want to feel good swinging and making contact. That's how I rate myself. I really started feeling better with the way I impacted the ball Sunday.
"I thought it would take until about the 10th game to start making an impact. I am hoping to be back [with the Yankees] in six days. I'm in Reading. I'm excited."
The biggest issue for Rodriguez, as well as many of the other Yankees who have followed the rehabilitation path this season, is the time he has spent away from baseball. Facets of the game that had long been performed by instinct have gotten rusty.
To Rodriguez's credit, his swing looked in sync. His hip motion was fluid. He displayed power on his homer, a majestic blast that easily cleared the left-center-field fence and earned Rodriguez applause from the crowd.
Rodriguez also looked fluid at third base, charging balls, picking up hops and executing strong throws to first.
"I want to get as many at-bats as I can and play as much third base as I can, especially after the rain we had in Florida," Rodriguez said. "It got to the point where we were taking ground balls in hallways.
"It's good to get here and play baseball. We'll do it again tomorrow."
Rodriguez also praised the Yankees' Tampa, Fla.-based medical staff, which he said went out of its way to be supportive during his recuperation from surgery.
"They were great -- with me 24 hours a day," Rodriguez said. "They constantly did all I can ask. They helped get me this far.
"For me, this has been a long process, having had surgery so many months ago. I don't know how anyone else feels about this process, but for me, it's been an education. It's been different at each level of the Minors.
An interesting sidelight to Rodriguez's rehab game at Reading is that he often visited family in the Pennsylvania city back when he was between the ages of 10 and 13.
"My aunt loved Reading," Rodriguez said. "She drove me all around, to places like Hershey. I enjoyed it. It was so different than Miami."
Rodriguez sidestepped questions about his recent contact with the Yankees as well as the investigation into his involvement with Biogenesis, a former Miami-area clinic alleged to have provided players with performance-enhancing drugs.
"I keep all my conversations with the team private," Rodriguez said. "We're fine."
"I expected the question. With the process, I can't answer right now."