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About For Pete's Sake
Helping adult cancer patients and their families
For Pete's Sake Cancer Respite Foundation (formerly Crossing the Finish Line) is a non-profit organization that assists adult cancer patients, their caregivers and loved ones. Inspired by the late Peter R. Bossow, Jr., we give these patients a break from cancer in a secure and comfortable environment.
Eligible patients, along with their caregivers, receive a one-week expense-paid excursion to select vacation locations along the East Coast and in the Caribbean. For Pete's Sake owns two respite homes near Orlando, Florida and relies on donated vacation homes to supplement additional stays. For more information about our nomination process, please visit our program page.
The lasting memories from their respites help our patients recognize that it is their priceless lives, not cancer, that defines them. We aim to strengthen the hearts, minds, and souls of these courageous individuals as they battle the psychological, emotional, economic, and spiritual trauma that accompanies a cancer diagnosis.
For Pete's Sake, join us in giving people a break from cancer!
Meet Our Staff
Our office is staffed by full and part time employees and many, many volunteers who help both in the office and behind the scenes at our special events.
Read more about our staff and email them with any questions. Some of our part time employees are not in the office everyday, but they'll respond as soon as they can. We look forward to hearing from you!
Ryann Gallagher, Program Administrator, is a recent graduate of The Catholic University of America where she received her BA in Psychology. She's also a fellow Mountie, a history that she shares with Anjelica and Marci!
Ryann bleeds green as a Philadelphia Eagles fan and her ticket season holding family enjoys tailgating all the games. She believes she has the greatest family in the world (but her teen siblings sometimes drive her crazy, like when her sister brings home a stray kitten or her brother scolds her for online shopping).
We're working with Ryann on her online shopping addiction and encourage her to pursue her latest interest – fitness boot camp classes. Ryann's favorite place to be is on the beach and we often catch her looking a little wistful when she creates the memory DVD's for our Travelers who visit the Jersey Shore.
Anjelica Hicks is our Community Outreach Coordinator. She started with FPS as a Development Intern and officially joined the ranks of staff member in Fall 2012. She has spent many months learning all there is to know about events from our Development Officer, Sarah, including how to multi-task and carry multiple boxes filled with event goodies out to her car. She now helps coordinate of all of our Community Events and loves being able to represent FPS both near and far
Anjelica attended the Mount with fellow staff member, Ryann, and graduated from Temple in May 2012 with a B.A. in Communications. When not at work, she spends her time cuddling with her "puppy" Sonny (umm, he's three), going to the movies, going out to dinner with friends, laughing, shopping and cooking.
Email Anjelica.
Marci Kuttler Bossow Schankweiler (say that 5 times fast) is currently President and founder of For Pete's Sake Cancer Respite Foundation, which she started with her late husband, Peter R. Bossow, in 1999. In her tenure as President, Marci, with her team of employees, volunteers and colleagues, has solicited funds to support the organization's goal of providing respite excursions to young adult cancer patients and their caregivers. Thousands have benefited from the life-altering services that FPS offers.
Marci's level of energy and enthusiasm leads many to question if she is, in fact, a human being. Her staff is fairly sure that she knows a secret and has found a way to inject more than 24 hours into each of her days. In her spare time, Marci enjoys presenting science projects in her daughters' classrooms, verbally insulting her Blackberry and the man who got it for her (Tom McGinn), fighting for sidewalks in her neighborhood and finding solutions to the world's most pressing problems.
Before the inception of FPS, Marci practiced law in the Philadelphia firm of Marshall, Dennehey, Warner, Coleman and Goggin and at the Law Office of Thaddeus Mikulski in Trenton, NJ. Yes, you read that correctly. She left a lucrative career in law in order to give her time, talent and money to FPS. She has never regretted the decision, but becomes nervous when she thinks about ways to fund her daughters' college careers.
She is active in her local community and can often be found at her family's bakery business in Sea Isle City, NJ and Doylestown, PA. She also was an adjunct professor in the Communications Department of LaSalle University, Philadelphia, PA and in the College of Business from The College of New Jersey. Marci is an alumna of Mt. St. Joseph Academy and pursued a teaching degree in Mathematics from LaSalle University, where she later became an honorary brother of the Sigma Phi Lambda Fraternity. She attended Temple University Law School and completed her law degree in 1995. She later received an LLM in Taxation in May, 1998, also from Temple University Law School.
Marci was raised in Doylestown, PA and is the oldest of nine children. Marci's siblings and their spouses are always on hand to fund the majority of FPS's live and silent auctions - with only minor pleading from Marci. Marci has remarried. She currently resides in North Wales, PA, with her husband, Mark (a man with great and unrelenting patience), and their two small daughters, Maura Grace and Rose Marie, who are both honorary FPS staff members.
To reach Marci, just e-mail her!
Margaret, "Peg", Eckert is currently a part-time Program Coordinator for FPS. Peg joined the FPS team in March 2009 and job shares with Mariann and Jane. It is still unclear as to whether or not Peg filled out an application, or just started showing up one day. Peg received a Bachelor of Nursing from La Salle University in 1995 and was certified by Oncology Nursing Society from 1988 until retirement 2008. Peg is also certified in Chemotherapy and Biotherapy by the University of Pennsylvania. Peg held positions at Fox Chase Cancer Center and Holy Redeemer Hospital. She also collaborated in the establishment of Medical Oncology Unit at Holy Redeemer Hospital 1986. With all of these qualifications it is clear that FPS hires program coordinators based on 3 things: nursing background, willingness to help, and whether or not you have a face. We are happy to report Peg meets all of these qualifications. It was recently discovered that she enjoys watching "Dancing With the Stars" while fast forwarding through the "junk" as she calls it. She has been married for 44 years and has two daughters and three granddaughters.
To reach Peg, write her an email.
Mariann Kuttler is also a part-time component of the Program Coordinator Team. Mariann is a native of Philadelphia, which is where her tough streak comes from, and has been a Registered Nurse for 40 years. She received her R.N. from Fitzgerald-Mercy Hospital School of Nursing, and her B.S. in Psychology from Philadelphia University. She has held a variety of nursing and nursing management positions at Holy Redeemer Health Care System, the University of Washington at Seattle, Oxford Hospital in Philadelphia, and at Fox Rehabilitation Center.
Mariann has been a business owner for over 40 years as the successful proprietor of MaryAnn Pastry Shoppe with locations in Doylestown, Pa, and Sea Isle City, NJ. She is a favorite in the FPS office due to her frequent contributions of powdered donuts, cinnamon buns and other decadent pastries. Mariann and her husband, Herb, are the parents of nine children (including Founder/President, Marci Schankweiler) and resides in Doylestown and Sea Isle City. She is active in Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish, Doylestown, and St. Joseph's Church in Sea Isle City.
If you'd like to contact Mariann, please e-mail her.
Jane Greenberg rounds out the Program Team as a part time Coordinator. She graduated from Gwynedd Mercy Junior College nursing program with an associate degree and worked in nursing in the hospital setting for several years as staff nurse, unit manager, supervisor and director of nursing. She finished her education at La Salle University in 1985 with a BSN degree. She worked in the long term care industry in PA and NJ since 1991 and became responsible for the operation and management of a 170 bed facility with gross revenues of $18 million annually. In this position, she participated in contract negotiations with labor union, contract management, vendor contracting, marketing facility, census building and personnel issues. Eventually, she served as regional director for 4 years, covering 7 long term care facilities in NJ.
Jane loves to crochet and her handiwork is exquisite. She is the proud grandmother of nine grandchildren and she is always willing and able to babysit! She likes to travel, read and cheris spending special time in Sea Isle City, NJ.
Sara O'Brien, the FPS part time Finance Director, spends her time in the office tied to the accounting needs of the organization. Sara graduated in 1998 Maxima Cum Laude from La Salle University with a BS in Accounting. After graduating she began her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as a Senior Associate in Assurance and Advisory Services. She then began her non-profit career at American Red Cross where she was Account Manager for Blood Services and worked in the Donor Resources Department. Afterwards she worked as an Accountant for Liberty Lutheran Services. Sara is married to Chris, also an accountant (nerd-love at first sight), and has two boys. She likes to run and exercise and definitely promotes the importance of exercise the lives of her colleagues at FPS.
If you'd like to contact Sara, shoot her an e-mail.
Amber Gruver, For Pete's Sake Operations and Communications Director, has been with FPS since August 2006. Like Marci, she has done nearly every job in the office! She is a graduate of La Salle University (yes, LaSalle is a favorite feeder for FPS) and has watched FPS grow in leaps and bounds through the years.
She spends her leisure time shampooing her hair, dancing to top 40 music, telling stories about her seven-year-old brother and reading really intellectual books. She is completely selfless except when it comes to sushi. When she is in the office, she is kept extremely busy by the constant questions - as Amber is the expert on everything, except computer speakers and anything electronic. If there were a major disaster in which Amber was the sole survivor, Amber would be up to the challenge of keeping FPS running. She'd be lonely, but she'd have the time.
If you'd like to contact Amber, email is your best bet.
Sarah Langevin Hopkins is our Development Officer. She has been in non-profit fundraising & special events since the beginning of time-before cell phones & laptops! With 20 years of fundraising experience with The Ronald McDonald House of Southern New Jersey, National Adoption Center and yes, La Salle University, she is excited to take our events to a new level of perfection.
Sarah's motto has always been, "events are a team sport," so don't be surprised if she calls and asks you to volunteer, help, donate, solicit or host something for an upcoming event. Sarah is type A, but with a sense of humor. In her free time she is raising her twins S & G. Sarah loves to hike, camp, read and enjoy the beauties of nature.
Sadly, Sarah did not graduate from La Salle University, but we let it slide. She did graduate from Union College, Schenectady, NY (yes she does know how to spell it).
E-mail Sarah at email@example.com.
Pam Brumbaugh has joined the For Pete's Sake staff as the Office Coordinator. Originally from the small western Pennsylvania town of Dayton, Pam graduated high school with a class size of 57, and enrolled at Penn State University, Main Campus. (Although not from LaSalle, we will forgive her since she is a transplant!) She graduated Penn State with a degree in Economics, and actually worked in her field for the first half of her career serving the needs of Penn State, the Borough of Norristown and the Borough of Doylestown in the fields of economic development and grant writing. She then had the opportunity to be a stay-at-home mom for her daughters and became a full time volunteer for her church and her daughters' school, serving on both the Pastoral Council and the Home and School Board. Most recently Pam served as the school secretary at St. Rose of Lima.
The ultimate multi-tasker, Pam strives to attend to the needs of the office, always with a smile. Pam's family includes her husband Bob (who she met on Valentine's Day in Pattee Library at PSU), and teenage daughters, Bridget and Christine. Pam and her family enjoy traveling by motor home and have had the chance to visit many sights – Key West to Acadia, Yosemite National Park to her favorite destination: Walt Disney World. Pam is a Disney fanatic, and would be happy to help plan your trip! Feel free to contact our "Girl Friday" at firstname.lastname@example.com .
Board of Directors
Kate Shields, Board Chairperson, is an award-winning public relations and social media professional with more than 10 years of diverse experience - working both within agency and Fortune 500 corporations to develop and execute business-to-business and business-to-consumer marketing communications and social media strategies.
Kate began her career at Vault in 1998 - three days after earning her master's degree in public relations from the nationally-acclaimed S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.
In 2000, Kate moved into the in-house public affairs department for Campbell Soup Company, where she served in a number of roles including brand communications manager for the company's two largest divisions. In this role, Kate served as the internal liaison for public relations to dozens of marketing managers, while managing five public relations agencies and more than $5 million in marketing budget allocation. While at Campbell, Kate contributed to nationally-renowned public relations campaigns such as Chunky soup's "Tackling Hunger" partnership with the National Football League, the Campbell Soup Labels for Education program, the Campbell Soup Company/National Association of Letter Carriers "Stamp Out Hunger" initiative and the Pace salsa/Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association partnership on cowboy heritage. During her tenure, Kate earned the Dorrance Award, Campell's highest team honor, for her contributions to double-digit growth of the Pace salsa brand.
In 2003, Kate began a new role at ARAMARK, a $10 billion provider of food-service and facility management services. At ARAMARK, Kate served as communications manager for the company's Sports and Entertainment division, and led the company's public relations outreach for the 2004 opening of Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park, Super Bowl XXXVIII in Houston's Reliant Stadium and the 2004 All-Star Game in Houston's Minute Maid Park. Kate also held responsibility for tourism public relations campaigns for national parks managed by ARAMARK, such as Shenandoah National Park, Mesa Verde National Park, Denali National Park and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (Lake Powel).
Kate returned to Vault as Vice President & Manager Partner in 2005, and provides strategic planning input for all clients, while focusing on the agency's new business development, pro bono, professional development and client satisfaction initiatives. Currently, Kate leads strategic PR planning and social media programs for client such as Tasty Baking Company (Tastykake), Rita's Water Ice Franchise Company, Apple Vacations, Campbell Soup Company, Alouette Cheese, Airgas, FineStationery.com, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the Office of Catholic Education for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
In addition to her graduate degree from Syracuse University, Kate holds a bachelor's degree in English and communication from the University of Scranton. Kate is an enthusiastic advocate for the education of young women, the well-being of the developmentally disabled and cancer patients and their caregivers. Following suit, she is actively involved at her alma mater, Mount Saint Joseph Academy, and serves on the Montgomery County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities Board.
Marcella Bossow Schankweiler, Esq. is currently President and founder of For Pete's Sake Cancer Respite Foundation (FPS), a non-profit cancer organization started by Marci and her late husband, Peter R. Bossow, in 1999. In her tenure as director, Marci, with her team of employees, volunteers and colleagues, has solicited funds to support the organization goals: providing respite excursions to young adult cancer patients and their caregivers. More than 4,100 people have benefited from the life-altering services that FPS offers.
Before the inception of FPS, Marci held numerous positions from cake decorator to teacher to attorney. She practiced law in the Philadelphia firm of Marshall, Dennehey, Warner, Coleman and Goggin and at the Law Office of Thaddeus Mikulski in Trenton, NJ. Aside from her role in FPS, Marci is an advisory board member for Real Alternatives, an organization that provides alternatives to abortion, a former advisory board member for The Wellness Place in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, and a former member of the Alumni Board of LaSalle University. She is active in her local community and can often be found at her family's bakery business in Sea Isle City, NJ and Doylestown, PA. She also was an adjunct professor in the Communications Department of LaSalle University, Philadelphia, PA and in the College of Business from The College of New Jersey.
Marci is an alumna of Mt. St. Joseph Academy and pursued a teaching degree in Mathematics from LaSalle University. She attended Temple University Law School and completed her law degree in 1995. She later received an LLM in Taxation in May, 1998, also from Temple University Law School.
Marci Bossow was raised in Doylestown, PA and is the oldest of nine children. Marci has remarried. She currently resides in North Wales, PA, with her husband, Mark, and their two small daughters, Maura Grace and Rose Marie.
Marci was recently recognized by Major League Baseball and People Magazine as an All Star Among Us and represented the Philadelphia Phillies in Anaheim this past summer. Further, she has received the following awards the past few months:
- La Salle University's most prestigious alumni honor, The Signum Fidei Medal.
- Philadelphia Business Journal Women of Distinction Award.
- The Archdiocese of Philadelphia Distinguished Graduates Award.
With more than 16 years of commercial banking expertise, Charles "Chuck" Greenberg is your Market Executive for Commercial Banking in Pennsylvania.
Chuck leads Bank of America's team of commercial bankers developing comprehensive financial solutions for companies with revenues between $50 million and $2 billion in Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, Delaware and Eastern Ohio.
Chuck graduated with a degree in Finance from LaSalle University in Philadelphia and currently sits on the Board of Directors for City Year Greater Philadelphia and For Pete's Sake Cancer Respite Foundation.
A native of Montgomery County, Chuck currently resides in Abington Township with his wife, Amy and their four children.
Steve Harfst is currently the Chief Executive Officer and President of USA 3000 Airlines. Based in Philadelphia, PA., USA 3000 commenced commercial operations in December 2001 and was the first airline certified for commercial operations in the United States after 9/11. USA 3000 is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Apple Leisure Group, the largest vertically integrated travel company in the United States. Today, the airline operates a brand new fleet of eight (8) A320 aircraft in scheduled service from US cities to popular vacation destinations in Mexico, the Caribbean and Florida.
Mr. Harfst earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from the University of Washington in 1986. Upon graduation, he was selected to enter the U.S. Navy Aviation Officer Candidate School (AOCS) program in Pensacola, Florida. Upon completing Naval Flight Training in 1989, Ltjg. Harfst earned his coveted "Wings of Gold" and was awarded the prestigious "David McCambell Award" as the #1 graduating Naval Aviator for the year. During Lt. Harfst's ten-year Naval career, piloting the Navy's F-14 Tomcat, he flew 38 combat sorties and over 95 combat hours in support of Operation Southern Watch in Southwest Asia, earning the Flight/Strike Air Medal with "V", served as Pilot Training Officer and as a fully qualified, Carrier Air Wing Landing Signal Officer (LSO). In 1993, Lt. Harfst was transferred to Fighter Squadron 101 as an F-14 Flight Training Instructor. Lt. Harfst led the carrier qualification phase of training and was responsible for the initial and recurrent training of all F-14 pilots Navy-wide and earned the Navy Commendation Medal for his performance. In 1996, Lt. Harfst resigned his commission with the U.S Navy after accumulating over 1,600 hours of flight time and 227 arrested landings.
Upon retiring from naval service, Mr. Harfst joined North American Airlines as Assistant Director of Traffic. North American is a fully certificated U.S. Part 121 Flag airline operating a fleet, at that time, of two B737NG and two B757 aircraft. Since 1990, North American has provided domestic change-of-gauge feeder service for El Al and other foreign carriers, plus Caribbean, Mexican and Hawaiian charter flights for a variety of U.S. based Tour Operators, transportation for the White House Press Corp following the President, scheduled service in select, niche markets and U.S. Military operations. North American Airlines' corporate offices are located at JFK International Airport in Jamaica, NY and employees over 620 personnel at bases in New York and Boston.
In 1998, Mr. Harfst relocated to Seattle as the Director of Marketing for GT Development Corporation. In December 2000, Mr. Harfst re-joined North American Airlines, first as Director- Financial Analysis and then as Vice President of Finance. In July 2002, Mr. Harfst was promoted to the position of Chief Operating Officer and through his leadership the airline remained profitable, doubled in size and transitioned into a mixed fleet of B757 and B767 aircraft. By January of 2006, North American Airlines profitably operated 5 B757 aircraft and 3 B767 with an additional B767 aircraft scheduled to join the fleet by year's end. Mr. Harfst led the sale of privately owned North American Airlines to World Air Holdings in April 2005.
In March 2006, Mr. Harfst became the Chief Operating Officer of IndiGo based in New Delhi, India. Mr. Harfst joined IndiGo during the company's pre-launch phase and after beginning commercial operations on August 4th 2006 with their first of one-hundred (100) A320 aircraft, IndiGo quickly became the largest domestic, low-fare carrier in India. During Mr. Harfst's tenure, IndiGo took delivery of a brand new A320 aircraft every four to six weeks and grew to a fleet of twenty (20) aircraft with over 2,000 employees operating 120 flights per day serving 17 different cities within India. IndiGo has been recognized as the best "Low Fare Carrier" in India in both 2007 and 2008 and built a solid reputation for great customer service, low fares and on-time departures. As Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Harfst had complete operating responsibility for the airline. He left IndiGo in October 2008 and assumed his new role at USA 3000 in November 2008.
Thomas Leonard recently retired from PricewaterhouseCoopers where he spent over 38 years. During that time Tom served as Engagement Partner on numerous well known financial service companies principally in the Asset Management Area. He was also Partner-In-Charge of the Philadelphia Office Financial Service Practice and the Firm's Investment Management Practice from Philadelphia to Florida. Tom was also a member of the Firm's National Operating Committee for Investment Management. Tom is a 1970 Alum of La Salle University where Tom serves as Treasurer on the Alumni Board of Directors. Tom recruited for PWC at La Salle and in that capacity hired our own Jeff Boyle and Matt Kuttler.
Tom has really not retired. He serves on a number of Boards. In addition to For Pete's Sake Cancer Respite Foundation and the La Salle Alumni Board, Tom is on The Wilmington Trust Mutual Fund Board and Revolution Capital Mutual Fund Board where he also serves as Audit Committee Chair. He is also an Independent Director for TCP Capital and AlphaOne Capital. He serves as a member of the Finance Committee of Copperleaf Golf Club in Bonita Springs Florida.
Tom splits his residence with his wife Jean between Media, Pa and Bonita Springs Florida where he plays a lot of golf but he says he isn't improving. He is a fanatic Eagles fan having only missed 5 home games in 43 years. Tom has 4 children, Tom Jr. who is also a partner at PWC, Ryan who resides in Sicklerville, Danielle (Deceased) and Kimberly who just graduated from Cabrini College. Kim is the only non-La Salle alum.
Ed Mannello, R.Ph., MBA is currently the Director of the Study Recruitment Center within AstraZeneca. In that position, Ed is responsible for leading the development, execution and measurement of both strategic and tactical recruitment efforts. Prior to that role, Mr. Mannello held various positions of increasing responsibility at Covance, a clinical research organization in the pharmaceutical industry, for eight years with the majority of them focused on leading teams for the successful delivery of clinical trials.
Ed started his career in 1988 working for Thrift Drug (currently Eckerd / Rite Aid) as a pharmacy intern and spent eight years as the store manager and chief pharmacist at a number of retail pharmacies. He joined the pharmaceutical research industry in 1996 as the Clinical Director for Pennside Partners, a medical market research consulting firm.
He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh with a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy and he earned a Masters of Business Administration focused on Pharmaceutical Marketing from Saint Joseph's University.
Mr. Mannello resides in Pocopson Township in Chester County Pennsylvania with his two daughters. He was married for 8 years to Erin Mannello and then widowed in September 2002 due to the complications of breast cancer. Ed's family enjoyed the benefits of For Pete's Sake Cancer Respite Foundation in June 2002, as they were the recipients of a respite excursion to the FPS-owned Florida home.
R. Bradford Minor, Jr. has been involved with the southern New Jersey Business Community for over 24 years. In 1997 he became Vice President, General Manager for Minmar Marine in Sea Isle City, New Jersey, one of the largest privately owned marina's in South Jersey. Brad was elected to the Board of Directors for the New Jersey Marine Trades Association for two terms, from 2004-2008.
Brad and his wife Kelly have enjoyed working with a number of charity organizations, including Charlie's Fight, which helps to raise money for cystic fibrosis research in Philadelphia area, the Bradley Allen Hublien Foundation, which has raised money for local Delaware charities, and For Pete's Sake Cancer Respite Foundation. He has been involved with For Pete's Sake Cancer Respite Foundation over the past ten years hosting the annual fishing tournament.
He graduated from the University of Delaware in 1986 with a Bachelor of Arts. He currently lives in Haddonfield, New Jersey with his wife Kelly and their four children.
Christopher Selgrath, DO - Director Emeritus is Adjunct Clinical Professor of Orthopaedics at Temple University Health System. Dr. Selgrath received a B.A. in Biology from LaSalle University and his D.O. degree from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. After medical school, Dr. Selgrath completed his orthopedic surgery residency and was named Chief Resident at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine's Orthopedic Surgery Department. After residency, Dr. Selgrath was awarded a fellowship in adult hip and knee reconstruction at the Medical College of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth University for the year 2003/2004. He and his wife, Elizabeth, created and co-chaired the For Pete's Sake Cancer Respite Foundation Charity Gala for its first 3 years and helped to raise over $270,000. They are also part owners of Sylvester's Fish Market and Restaurant in Avalon, N.J. with his brother and sister-in-law, Bill and Bernadette Selgrath and younger brother Matthew, who are also involved in FPS and the Charity Gala. He currently is a member of the Board of Directors of For Pete's Sake Cancer Respite Foundation Foundation and a member of the AOA, AOAO, POS, and ACOS. Dr. Selgrath is the treasurer and holds a seat on the Board of Directors of the Philadelphia Orthopedic Society.
Dr. Selgrath and his lovely wife Elizabeth have two beautiful children Nathan and Emerson.
Loretta Shacklett is currently coordinating an outreach "Art Talk" program at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. This program services older adults, M.S. patients and people no longer able to physically visit the Museum. Simply, it brings the Art Museum to the participants via the internet and phone access.
Loretta has been involved with FPS since 2001. She has volunteered in many aspects of our program, including managing the day to day operations with Mimi Keefer during a transition period in office staff. She has been a member of the Program Committee for the past 6 years and has worked with Mariann and Mimi in the coordination of the Program.
Loretta graduated from Villanova University with a Biology and Chemistry degree and holds a Master's Degree from Chestnut Hill in Psychological Counseling and Human Services.
She resides in Blue Bell with her Husband of 30 years. She has 2 grown sons and 2 beautiful grandsons.
Eric Toppy is the Global Launch Leader, Metabolics for Johnson & Johnson. In this role, Eric leads a global marketing team located in Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the United States.
Over the past twenty years, Eric has developed innovative strategies in healthcare that include the creation of Health Policy Excellence, numerous successful brand launches, innovative health policy positions, and award winning payer strategies. He has also held leadership positions at Centocor, Biovail, Bristol Myers Squibb, Oxford Health Plans, & Pfizer.
Eric has a breadth of experience in biologics (immunology/oncology,) cardiovascular, and neuroscience and has developed numerous strategies for eighteen different brands in these therapeutic areas. Some brand examples include: Remicade, Procrit, the Glucophage franchise, Abilify, and most recently Stelara & Simponi.
Eric's work in health policy has been published in Biotechnology Healthcare and Managed Care and speaks at congresses, community, and internal J & J operating companies on the topics of marketing, health policy reform, and leadership.
Eric is active in several organizations and universities. They include Pennsylvania BIO, American Diabetes Association, For Pete's Sake Cancer Respite Foundation, Thomas Jefferson School of Population Health, and La Salle University.
Daryl Robinson is a native Philadelphian with a diverse professional background in the educational and professional fields. He is an ordained pastor/preacher and has served several years as a youth and associate pastor in the Philadelphia area. As a volunteer in local civic organizations he has served his community as a leader for Upper Darby P.A.L., Watkins Recreational Center and various youth oriented activities. He is currently a candidate to receive his B.S in the Bible and Christian Leadership from Philadelphia Biblical University.
Et-tsu Chen, MD, n is a radiation oncologist with the University of Pennsylvania Health System. She is currently the Director of Radiation Oncology at The Cancer Center at Phoenixville Hospital. She is committed to providing the highest level of oncology care in the community setting. She has worked at other Penn affiliate sites, including Chester County Hospital and Holy Redeemer Hospital. In her practice, Dr. Chen has nominated many of her patients to For Pete's Sake and recognizes firsthand the restorative power of a respite vacation, for both the patient and their family.
Dr. Chen earned her M.D. degree from Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago. She completed an internship at the University of Michigan, followed by residency training at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, where she served as Chief Resident. She also holds a Bachelors degree in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale University.
Marta Hobbsis the co-founder of CheapCaribbean.com, Inc - the largest website in the world dedicated to travel in the Caribbean and Mexico, which she started along with her husband "Caribbean Jim" in 2000.
Having immigrated to the United States from Poland at the age of 12 with her parents and sister, Marta and her family began their residence in America in Brooklyn, NY. Attending US schools with little knowledge of the English language was only the first challenge. Soon Marta was working part time while paying her way through Hofstra University and majoring in TV Production. Working for NBC and Fox Sports while taking college courses, Marta met her future husband, Jim. A few years later they married and welcomed their daughter Mira into the world. Suddenly the hours of late night TV newscasts weren't as appealing to a great family life. Marta and Jim set out on a mission to star their own company after a vacation in the Caribbean and a newly found love for the islands and their culture.
Over a decade later the two are proud founders and owners of www.CheapCaribbean.com - the largest website in the world booking travel to the Caribbean and Mexico. The company presently employs 350 people with offices in Pennsylvania, Texas and Arizona (main call center located in Doylestown, PA) and a cruise division in Florida. A basic idea of providing dream vacations at reasonable prices paired with US-based customer service and treating every client and vendor as family, quickly grew into a multi-milion dollar business. While building new offices and running the Doylestown office, Marta gave birth to the couples' son, AJ, in late 2003.
In 2011 Marta left her position at CheapCaribbean to spend more time with her children. After a decade of starting, growing and running a business along with her husband "Caribbean Jim," only one career goal was left unfulfilled... one of being involved in a charity-based organization. Even though Jim and Marta set out to give back as much as they could while running CheapCaribbean, they quickly learned this was limited if one wanted to be successful and profitable in his/her business venture. Therefore, Marta was thrilled to be approached by Marci to join the Board of For Pete's Sake, an organization with which CheapCaribbean has worked with for years. Providing respites for FPS families and support for Marci and her team was just the beginning. Marta is honored and excited to be a part of the FPS team and looks forward to dedicating herself to serving the organization and its beneficiaries on a more regular basis.
Christopher J. Solecki is currently the Director of Human Resources & Legal Affairs for Givnish Family Funeral Homes, a regional operator of funeral homes with locations throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Prior to his work with Givnish he worked in risk management at Prudential Life Insurance Company.
Chris received his Juris Doctorate from Catholic University's Columbus School of Law. He is a graduate of The Catholic University of America, where he earned an undergraduate degree in Economics and Accounting, was a member of the tennis team, a member of Alpha Delta Gamma National Fraternity and was elected to Pi Gamma Mu International Honors Society. Chris is also a graduate of LaSalle College High School.
Chris is licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources and is a Leadership Philadelphia Fellow.
In addition to his work with For Pete's Sake, Chris is a Southeastern Pennsylvania Advisory Board Member for Best Buddies of Pennsylvania, an organization established to create increased opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
Chris and his wife Robin reside in Lafayette Hill with their four children.
Deb Rinaldi, Publicist, Business Communications, Philadelphia Phillies
Deb first started working for the Phillies in 2001, where she was involved in promoting and publicizing the progress related to the construction and development of the team's new ballpark. Since the opening of Citizens Bank Park in 2004, Deb's responsibilities have shifted to securing strategic news coverage in regards to the organization's business relations with corporate partners, philanthropy in the community, high-profile promotions and other off-field events. Her experience includes preparing and staging news conferences, writing and distributing news releases and media advisories, prepping executives and staff for interviews, and assisting with the team's social media and online efforts.
Prior to the Phillies, Deb was the Trade Show Promotion Director at North American Publishing Company (NAPCO) in Philadelphia, where she was responsible for promoting the company's various tradeshows, conferences and exhibits. She was also NAPCO's Advertising Promotion Manager for their trade publications in the commercial print and direct marketing industries.
In addition, her experience includes working for SMG as their marketing coordinator, where she was responsible for coordinating new business proposals related to the management of stadiums, arenas, theatres, and convention centers across the country.
Deb is a member of the Philadelphia Public Relations Association, a board member of the For Pete's Sake Cancer Respite Foundation, and is involved in fundraising efforts for Big Brothers Big Sisters. She attended The College of New Jersey and has a bachelor's degree in Journalism/Professional Writing. Deb resides in Marlton, N.J., with her husband, Joe, and three-year-old son, Chase Joseph.
Chris Sullivan Chris Sullivan is President & Founder at Wasabi Media & Marketing. He believes whether it be for his client, company, charities, organizations, friends or family, his passion is the creation, development and implementation of ideas that lead to positive change.
His track record for ideation that leads to business results is proven. For one of his B2B clients, it led to a 30:1 return on marketing investment. For one of his home services clients, it led to the doubling of their online conversions. For his latest venture, Wasabi 3D, it's going to lead to a paradigm shift in how consumers interact with experimental social media.
FPS Advisory Board:
- Patrick Bello
- Jeffrey Boyle, CPA
- Patricia Gambino
- Michael Keenan
- Mariann E. Kuttler
- Thomas McGinn, CMA
- J. Scott Miller
- James Murray
- Joseph Sundheim, CPA
- Stephen C. Target
- John Washlick, Esquire
Financial Stewardship
For Pete's Sake Cancer Respite Foundation is proud of its financial integrity and its commitment to stewardship using the financial resources entrusted to us by our community of family and friends. Each year we undergo an audit as required by the Pennsylvania Department of Charitable Organizations. We are proud that 75 cents of every dollar is expended for our program. We have a solid commitment to our donors to ensure their generosity is channeled directly to benefit those adult cancer patients and their loved ones traumatized by cancer.
The results of this audit are available on our website for the calendar years ending 12/31/01, 12/31/02, 12/31/03, and for the fiscal years ending 06/30/05, 06/30/06, 06/30/07, 06/30/2008, 6/30/2009, 6/30/2010, 6/30/2011, and 6/30/2012. Similarly, FPS files the Form 990 each year with the Internal Revenue Service as part of our 501(c)3 designation. This form is available for the calendar years ending 12/31/02, and 12/31/03, for the six months ending 06/30/04, and for the fiscal years ending 06/30/05, 06/30/06, 06/30/07, 06/30/08, 06/30/09, 06/30/10 and. 06/30/11 (Please note that all financials prior to 12/1/2010 will reflect our previous name, Crossing the Finish Line).
We also invite prospective donors to visit our financial and program information available on guidestar.org. We take our role as stewards of our donors' treasures and talent very seriously, and hence, we carefully watch all expenditures made by the organization.
We value our donors and their commitment to our organization. We highlight our financial accomplishments to ensure that your contribution is used to promote our mission and our patients.
- We have occupied donated office space since the beginning in 2000 thanks to Preferred Real Estate Investments and Brandywine Realty Trust.
- Our friends at iBeast have donated website service and computer support from inception.
- Thousands of dollars are donated directly to our program through use of donated homes, limousine service compliments of the Founders Service Corporation, complimentary entertainment tickets, complimentary airfare (when applicable) from Southwest and USA 3000 and general program assistance at varying levels of our mission.
- We maintain a special event cash expense ratio of 39% for combined events. Thus, for every $1.00 of ticket cost, $.61 goes directly to the charity and $.39 is used to fund the event. This ration is required as a result of our Standards of Excellence Certification by the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations.
- We hold a strong commitment to pursue in-kind donations for the entire operation and deeply appreciate all contributions. For Pete's Sake would not exist without your time, efforts and materials!
Operating Committees
For Pete's Sake Cancer Respite Foundation uses operating committees to help assist with and manage its daily operation, the annual development goals and the future strategic goals of the organization. Currently, there are six operating committees: Finance, Technology, Building/Real Property, Program and Marketing/Development.
Along with these committees, FPS has an extensive network of additional volunteers in varying capacities. These individuals serve on special event committees, office volunteer groups (evening and day), and most recently an expansion committee aimed at further resourcing the organization with the hope of reaching out to more cancer patients and their loved ones in crisis. If you are interested in volunteering for For Pete's Sake Cancer Respite Foundation, please call our office or email email@example.com.
Finance Committee
The role of the Finance Committee is to oversee and guide the Board of Directors in critical components of fiscal reporting and management in For Pete's Sake operations. The three key components of fiscal oversight are: the audit function, investment management and budget planning, and evaluation. The Committee also reviews the long-term financial plan of the organization as it relates to cash position and development opportunities. The Finance Committee consists of:
- Evan Fineman, CPA
- Eric Meck
- Tom McGinn, CMA
- Christopher Vargo
- Sara O'Brien, CPA
- Kevin Norris
Technology Committee
The Technology Committee advises management and the Board of Directors about technological advances and purchases that help smooth operation of the organization. The Committee reviews equipment purchase requests to ensure that any investment in technology will enhance the organization's efficiency and match FPS's long-term needs. The Technology Committee consists of Christopher Hartman and Scott Applegate.
Building/Real Property Committee
This committee efficiently manages real property owned by the organization and evaluates all aspects surrounded with the potential acquisition of additional properties. The committee meets on an as-needed basis. The Building/Real Property Committee consists of:
- William McGroarty, Esquire
- Dustin Laricks
- Warren Becker
- Andrew Gerardi
- Anthony Gerardi, AIA
- Patrick Bello
- William Matthews, Esquire
Patient Program Committee
The Committee oversees the planning and implementation of the Patient Program and Port Support. They specifically form the internal and external program guidelines, review patient program expenditures with recommendations for resource efficiency, formulate processes for program operation to ensure a flow of donated accommodations. They also develop Port Support services for Patients and surviving caregivers to ensure their involvement in the FPS Community. The committee reports patient statistics and program highlights to the Board of Directors monthly. The Patient Program Committee consists of:
- Mariann Kuttler, RN
- Brother Gerry Molyneaux
- Scott Miller
- Miriam Kefer
- Chris Selgrath
- LuAnn Chynoweth, LCSW
- James McCrudden
- Lisa Doncsecz, BSN
- Loretta Shacklett
- James Trainer
- Mary Oleksiak
- Jane Greenberg, RN
- Trish Gambino
- Suzanne Kuttler-Kelly, D.O.
- Mary Thomas
Marketing/Development Committee
For Pete's Sake Marketing/Development Committee works primarily to increase awareness and visibility for CFL and assist resourcing the organization with one purpose: to further the mission of respite vacation for adult cancer patients and their families. They build strong media relationships, strong business relationships and strong donor relationships in the hope that these efforts will result in annual increases in event attendance, funds raised, homes donated, and the number of excursions CFL provides. The Marketing/Development Committee consists of the following individuals:
- Amber Gruver
- Brad Minor
- Catherine Sheilds
- David Speicher
- Drew Maginnis
- Patrick Bello
- Edward Mannello
- Eric Toppy
- Joseph M. Sundheim
- J. Scott Miller
- Marcella Schankweiler
- Christopher Selgrath
- Steve Harfst
- Thomas Leonard
- James Murray
- John Washlick
- Mariann Kuttler
- Michael J. Keenan
- Patrick Bello
- Thomas M. McGinn
- Charles W. Greenberg
- Patricia Gambino
- John Swanick
- Deborah Francesco
- Jeffrey DeVuono
- Dawn Westermann
- Kevin Norris
- Kevin O'Brien
- Rosemary Russell
- Stephen Target
- John Monaghan
- Evan Fineman
- Jane Quigley
- Craig A. Jones
- Christopher Vargo
- Joseph R. Conway
- Loretta Shacklett
Our Partners
Making it all possible
We are extremely grateful not only for their cash support, but thank them for their in-kind donations as well. The following corporations have supported us with donations and in-kind contributions of $2,500 or more. Corporate Partners with a logo displayed have contributed $3,500 or more in the 12-13 fiscal year. We are always grateful for their generous support.
Travel Partners
Mission Partners
- Allegheny Iron & Metal Co., Inc
- Alliance Marketing Partners
- Astra Zeneca
- Beneficial Bank
- Cigna
- Clear Channel Outdoor
- Garman Decal
- Genentech
- givnish
- ICG, Inc.
- Johnny M Foundation
- Mary Anne Pastry
- Johnsons Popcorn
- La Salle University
- Merck
- Novartis
- The Philadelphia Phillies
- Phillips
- Quaker City English Dart League
- Quaker
- Ravenwood
- Sandy River Charitable Foundation
A- Auto Lenders
- Blue Bell Private Wealth Management
- Cancer Treatment Centers of America
- Crown Trophy
- Delran Builders Company, Inc.
- Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund
- Home Helpers
- Herr Foods Inc.
- iBeast Business Solutions, Inc.
- Johnson's Popcorn
- R & M International
- Tait, Weller & Baker, LLP
- The Mourning Dove Foundation
- United Parcel Service
- University of Pennsylvania
- Valley View Community Church
- Vanguard Charitable Endowment Fund
- WorkZone, LLC
Cause Marketing
Drop your extra change into a collection box at any Tony Roni's location
Need to switch your energy supplier? Want to save costs and help the environment? Take a look at Viridian Energy! Viridian offers green energy at affordable prices. For each month you are enrolled with Viridian as your electric supplier, they will make a $2 donation to For Pete's Sake!
For Pete's Sake will receive a $100 donation each time one of our supporters purchases title insurance with ALT! Get a free quote online at www.ALTtitle.com, just mention that you are signing up because of For Pete's Sake!


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The whole problem of provision against old age or death of bread winners legitimately falls within the sphere of Social Security and it is a matter for consideration whether either the initiation or management of schemes of Provident Fund, Gratuities and Pensions should be left to employers themselves. Of course, so long as there are no schemes of social security introduced in a particular industry or area, the existing private schemes of provident fund, etc., should be allowed to continue under the management of employers. The existing schemes in this connection do not appear to be very liberal, and especially in regard to the employers' contribution to provident funds of workers; the restrictions on withdrawal of employers' contribution seem to be somewhat unsatisfactory. If provision against old age or death of bread-winner is intended to stabilise the industrial worker in employment, the employers' contribution, which is really in consideration for permanent service by the worker, should as far as possible be made available to him on early retirement, etc. The absence of social security measures like provident funds, gratuities and pensions in most concerns has largely contributed to the migratory character of Indian labour, and is one of the most important causes of the large labour turnover in factories. Though some of the larger employers have instituted tolerably good schemes, the number of such employers is very small. During the last few years, however, some progress has been achieved in this direction. Generally speaking, provident funds are most common, gratuities are given only in some cases and pensions are rather rare. Only some of the Provident Funds are registered, while most are not. As regards eligibility, there are very wide variations: in some cases, the clerical and office staff only are covered; in others only permanent workers (and the definition of permanency itself varies from concern to concern), and in others still, all employees except casual labour are covered. Some employers impose income qualifications and here also there are numerous variations. Broadly speaking, the range of income limits lies between Rs. 30 and Rs. 150 or so per month. The amount of total contribution also varies widely, generally ranging between 5 per cent. and 12 1/2 per cent. with equal monthly contributions from the employer and the worker. In almost all cases, however, the worker must have served for at least 15 years (or more in some cases) and to the entire satisfaction of the employer, before he is eligible to receive the employer's contribution to the Provident Fund; and it must be remembered that it is the employer himself who decides whether the worker has been of good behaviour or not. The funds are generally deposited in Government securities. In the case of unregistered funds, the amount outstanding to the worker's credit is attachable, but not so in the case of registered funds. We are of the opinion that all Provident Funds, wherever they exist, should be compulsorily registered and treated as trusts.
F.N. Report of Royal Commission on Labour, p. 65 * Indian Labour Gazette, October 194, p. 105.
29—2 Lab. 56.
A few employers have instituted Gratuity and Pension Schemes. The amount of gratuity generally amounts to half a month's wages for every complete year of service put in. In almost all the cases gratuity is payable only to deserving workers of proved good behaviour,—the sole judge of the deservedness being the employer himself. Hence there is always scope for discrimination, and the trade unions bitterly complain that their members are discriminated against. The rate of the gratuity is progressively reduced if the period of service is less than 20 years. Pension schemes are operated by a very few concerns. The grant of pensions is entirely at the discretion of the employer and the amount is generally small.

subset: commoncrawl


text: They say big things come in small packages and this is a perfect example of that. This amazing place is tucked away on 104 street in the downtown core of Edmonton. It's small and for that reason makes it very intimate and cozy. Be sure to make a reservation!!! We went and basically gave the waitress the green light to... More


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Mar 2, 2011 6:52 PM
Property management contract?
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Recently someone asked that I manage their vacation rental (I currently manage my own vacation rentals and do long term property management for others. I have never managed another persons vacation rental and need a sample contract to get started. Does anyone have one they could share with me? Thank you. Debbie - email@example.com
Hi Debbie,
You may want to check with the VRMA, the Vacation Rental Managers Association. They are the largest association of professional vacation rental managers, and they may have sample contracts.
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Charge: Shall serve as the liaison between non-voting affiliate members in accordance with Article III, the Chapters in accordance with Article X, and the Black Caucus Executive Board; solicit state or local organizations of Black library and information service personnel to affiliate with the Black Caucus as Chapters; maintain and transfer as appropriate records and files on non-voting affiliate members and Chapters. link: Affiliated Chapters
Charge: Shall prepare the organization's Affirmative Action Position Statement; keep abreast of affirmative action legislation, national, state and local, as it relates to Black Caucus activities; advise the Executive Board and membership of affirmative action activities as appropriate; establish procedures for Executive Board review and approval on:
Charge: Shall keep abreast of ALA Council and Divisional activities, and local, state, national, and international legislation, as they relate to Black Caucus activities; advise the Executive Board and membership of such ALA activities and legislation that require direct input by the Black Caucus; recommend action to be taken by the Executive Board and membership on such ALA activities and legislation.
Charge: In accordance with the awards manual and procedures reviewed and approved by the Executive Board, shall administer the Black Caucus awards; solicit nominations, select the recipient, and present the Annual Distinguished Service Award; present, in conjunction with the President, Certificates of Appreciation and Special Recognition Plaques.
Charge: Shall monitor fiscal affairs of the Black Caucus; audit the financial records submitted by the Treasurer, solicit in conjunction with the Treasurer budget request from officers and committee chairs and present a budget allocation request report to the Executive Board for review and approval at the Midwinter meeting; make recommendations to the Executive Board in all areas of financial management; participate in any fund raising activities reviewed and approved by the Executive Board.
Charge: Shall maintain a constant review of, and issue to the membership the Constitution and Bylaws, recommend needed changes to the Executive Board and membership, and attend all Executive Board and membership meetings.
The Dr. John C. Tyson Award Committee focuses on the accomplishments of individuals during their first ten years as professional librarians. The award, which will consist of a citation and a check, is planned to be awarded in conjunction with the Dr. John C. Tyson Memorial Lecture at future National Conference of African American Librarians. The award will be funded by interest generated by the endowment fund the Caucus has set up to handle the donations. The Caucus has been receiving in Johns memory, and in recognition of his contributions to the Caucus and to the profession.
The purpose of the award is to identify and recognize the accomplishments of individuals early in their careers. The award will also challenge each of us to be more aware of the activities of our colleagues and to focus attention on their successes.
Specific guidelines and deadlines for the award will become the work of the committee.
The Executive Board serves as the governing body of the Black Caucus. It is responsible for acting on behalf of the membership by setting policies. See the Constitution & Bylaws for additional information. link: Executive Board
Charge: In accordance with Article IX. Finance, shall coordinate and engage in fund raising activities to support the programs and activities of the Black Caucus; coordinate fund raising activities with the Treasurer, and in conjunction with the chair of the Budget/Audit Committee; solicit ideas and support for, and inform the membership of, fund raising activities, solicit donations from funding sources.
Charge: Shall develop and coordinate membership promotion activities; keep current records of membership status; recommend to the Executive Board policies relating to membership and dues; prepare a Membership Directory in cooperation with the Publications Committee. link: Membership Information
Charge: In accordance with Article V. Elections, and procedures for conducting elections reviewed and approved by the Executive Board, shall solicit nominations for office; prepare, receive and tally ballots for election; report results of elections to the Executive Board and the membership. link: Nomination Form (PDF format)
Charge: Shall plan and initiate programs and activities for the membership; recommend and coordinate programs that will enhance the growth, interest and informational needs of the membership; schedule, in conjunction with the Secretary, Treasurer, and in coordination with the President, meeting rooms for the Executive Board and membership meetings. link: Upcoming Conference & Meeting Events
Charge: Shall engage in public relations activities to highlight the Black Caucus; publicize the services, events, and activities of the Black Caucus, in coordination and cooperation with appropriate committee chairs; promote and develop media to enhance the image of Black librarians.
Charge: Shall coordinate and assist in the production of Black Caucus publications, including such publications as the Annual Report, Membership Directory and Newsletter; solicit and prepare information for inclusion in Black Caucus publications; assist the President in preparing information for publication on the Black Caucus. link: Publications
Charge: Shall promote and develop strategies for recruiting Blacks into the field of library and information science; conduct an orientation session to acquaint new or interested members with the purpose, services and programs of the Black Caucus in particular and of ALA in general; provide information and activities to facilitate Black librarians' professional career development. link: Committee Activities
Charge: The Technology Advisory Council (TAC) shall be an advocate for widening the use of technology within the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA). The primary objectives of TAC are:
Below are links to web sites and web pages of local chapters and independent organizations affiliated with BCALA:
California Librarians Black Caucus (CLBC)
Cleveland African American Library Association (CAALA)
Connecticut Chapter of BCALA
Massachusetts Black Librarians Network (MBLN)
The Black Caucus of the American Library Association New Jersey Chapter


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A collection of news and information related to Tom Hanks published by this site and its partners.
Top Tom Hanks Articles
Displaying items 111-121
Jonathan Ross gets Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock to do 'Big' scene
Tom Hanks' 'Captain Phillips' opening: Where does it rate?
'Parkland' U.K. Release to Coincide With JFK Assassination Anniversary
Story | Oct 14, 2013 | 12:30 PMThe U.K. release for "Parkland," the John F. Kennedy assassination drama, has been moved back two weeks by distributor Koch Media to Nov. 22 -- when it will coincide with the 50th anniversary of the day Kennedy was killed in Dallas. Five other markets --... -
'Breaking Bad' has an Oscar-winning fan in Anthony Hopkins
How 'Captain Phillips' Shows Modern Piracy in All Its Complexity
Story | Oct 14, 2013 | 2:30 PMWith all due respect to Johnny Depp and Errol Flynn, piracy is a lot more complicated than Hollywood makes it look. How refreshing, therefore, that Paul Greengrass and company go out of their way to provide valuable context while also avoiding reductive... -
Mia Wasikowska, George Brandis Make Marks on Oz Movie Convention
Story | Oct 14, 2013 | 2:30 AMHONG KONG - Mia Wasikowska will this week be named as 'star of the year' at the Australian International Movie Convention (Oct. 14-17.) Her award is one of several lighter notes in a conference that otherwise takes on heavyweight issues of piracy,... -
Tom Hanks navigates 'Captain Phillips' to first-class reviews
'Gravity' to crater newcomer 'Captain Phillips' at box office
Somali actor Barkhad Abdi makes most of his chance in 'Captain Phillips'
Review: 'Captain Phillips' a gripping game of cat and mouse
'Gravity' No. 1 again; 'Captain Phillips' sails to 2nd place


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Rose and Kutcher make a Web show
What a pairing: Hollywood slacker-hottie icon Ashton Kutcher and Silicon Valley slacker-hottie icon Kevin Rose have teamed up to create 24 Hours at Sundance, a Web-based reality show set at the eponymous film festival in Park City, Utah, later this week.
Backed by mobile live-streaming start-up Qik, the competition-focused show will pit four "social media mavens" against one another for 24 straight hours as they complete a set of challenges surrounding the annual film festival and broadcast them via Qik software on Nokia handsets. Rose (best known for founding Digg) and Kutcher, the Dude, Where's My Car … Read more


text: Father's Day is celebrated throughout the world on different days, with different histories and traditions. But the American holiday, the third Sunday of June, has its origins in the church. In 1908, Grace Golden Clayton organized the first Father's Day celebration in a Methodist church in Fairmont, West Virginia, to memorialize men killed in a local mining disaster. Today it serves as a time to reflect on the role dads play in their children's lives and, in many churches, the Fatherhood of God.


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Artpark Shows 2012
Tuesday Lineup:
Tickets are $10 and available beginning May 19th:
Kansas - June 19
Foreigner - June 26
Huey Lewis & The News - July 3
Sublime with Rome - July 10
YES with very special guest Procol Harum - July 17
Heart - July 24
Steve Miller Band - July 31
Peter Frampton - August 7
Sheryl Crow - August 14
Roger Hodgson of Supertramp - August 21
The Machine performs Pink Floyd - August 28
The Charlie Daniels Band - September 4
Wednesday – Free Shows:
Coors Light Wednesdays at Artpark FREE outdoor concert series offers a more eclectic collection of nationally reowned acts. Featuring the best in rock and jam bands.
Ziggy Marley - June 20
Tokyo Police Club - June 27
Lowest of the Low- July 11
The Trews with special guest illScarlett - July 18
Citizen Cope - July 25
O.A.R. with Rebelution - August 1
One Response to Artpark Shows 2012
Roger Hodgson "The voice of Supertramp" is playing August 21st has the magic. His voice sounds better then ever and it becomes quickly apparent why he collects more and more fans where ever he performs…… A Roger Hodgson performance is beyond description……from the minute he and the band hit the stage, it is ALL TO CLEAR he is there for the fans. Roger spends his time on stage connecting with his fans. He makes eye contact, points, responds to shout outs, laughs, giggles and last but not least "Smile continually".
Now, let's talk about the voice that sounds better then ever and the musicality of all on the stage…. An evening with Roger Hodgson is time well spent….. Go, travel…..see Roger live. It will be an adventure that is life changing……..
check out his website: http://www.rogerhodgson.com/documents/tour.html
major warning……..you will need to see him again and again…


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from BBC News Online
UK researchers have developed a porous material that can preferentially soak up CO2 from the atmosphere. NOTT-202 is a "metal-organic framework" that works like a sponge, absorbing a number of gases at high pressures.
But as the pressure is reduced, CO2 is retained as other gases are released. The development, reported in Nature Materials, holds promise for carbon capture and storage, or even for removing CO2 from the exhaust gases of power plants and factories.
Metal-organic frameworks have been considered promising structures to trap gases for a number of years. They are so named because they comprise atoms of a metallic element at their core, surrounded by scaffolds of longer, carbon-containing chains. These complex molecules can be made to join together in frameworks that leave gaps suitable for capturing gases.
Read more...
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from the Guardian (UK)
A team of Japanese astronomers using telescopes on Hawaii say they have seen the oldest galaxy yet discovered. The team calculates that the galaxy is 12.91bn light years away, and their research will be published in the Astrophysical Journal. The scientists with the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan used the Subaru and Keck telescopes on the summit of Mauna Kea.
A light year is the distance that light travels in a year, about 6 trillion miles (9.66 trillion kilometres). Seeing distant galaxies is in effect looking back in time.
Richard Ellis of the California Institute of Technology, an influential expert in cosmology and galaxy formation, said the latest work was more convincing than some other claims of early galaxies. He said the Japanese claim was more "watertight," using methods that everyone can agree on. But he said it was not much of a change from a similar finding by the same team last year.
from Nature News
Why are there no more woolly mammoths? The last isolated island populations of these huge beasts disappeared about 4,000 years ago--well after the Pleistocene extinction that wiped out much of the world's megafauna--but what triggered their demise remains a frustrating mystery. According to the latest study to contribute to the ongoing debate, the last mammoths disappeared after a long, slow decline in numbers rather than because of a single cause.
Woolly mammoths (Mammuthus primigenius) once roamed over cold, dry grasslands in the Northern Hemisphere called mammoth steppe. Their remains are especially common in Beringia, the bridge of land that connects eastern Russia and western Alaska. Now, palaeoecologist Glen MacDonald at the University of California, Los Angeles, and his colleagues have tracked the pattern of the Beringian mammoth's extinction. Their results are published today in Nature Communications.
MacDonald and his colleagues combined a geographical database of mammoth finds with radiocarbon dates for mammoth specimens, prehistoric plants and archaeological sites to follow how woolly mammoth ranges expanded and contracted during the past 45,000 years.
from NPR
The details sound like something out of a bad science-fiction movie. A freezer storing human brains for research went on the fritz, and nobody at the Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center knew for days. Two separate alarms that should have alerted staff to the problem failed to sound late last month.
By the time one of the managers at the federally funded repository opened the affected freezer May 31, the temperature was well above freezing and 150 brains had begun to thaw. The Boston Globe first reported on the mishap, which looks like a painful blow to autism research.
Johns Hopkins neuroscientist Carlos Pardo-Villamizaro told the Globe the damage to the brains in the autism collection could slow research on the disorder by 10 years. About one-third of the brains in the malfunctioning freezer (one of 24 at the bank) were from people who had been diagnosed with autism, said Adriana Bobinchock, a spokeswoman at McLean Hospital, site of the brain bank. "Yes, this is a significant loss, but there's still a lot available for autism research," she told Shots.
from the New York Times (Registration Required)
White. Pink. Blue. Yellow. On restaurant tables everywhere, the colors of the sweetener packets instantly identify the contents. Sugar. Saccharin. Aspartame. Sucralose.
Reaching for one to pour into a cup of coffee or tea can sometimes feel like sweetener roulette, with the swirl of confusing, conflicting assertions about which are safe and which are not.
Alissa Kaplan Michaels, for one, never picks pink. She still associates saccharin with cancer. The Food and Drug Administration sought to ban it in the 1970s, because rats that gorged on the chemical developed bladder cancer.
from the Los Angeles Times (Registration Required)
CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- Here in the shortgrass prairie, where being stuck in the ways of the Old West is a point of civic pride, scientists are building a machine that will, in effect, look into the future.
This month, on a barren Wyoming landscape dotted with gopher holes and hay bales, the federal government is assembling a supercomputer 10 years in the making, one of the fastest computers ever built and the largest ever devoted to the study of atmospheric science.
The National Center for Atmospheric Research's supercomputer has been dubbed Yellowstone, after the nearby national park, but it could have been named Nerdvana. The machine will have 100 racks of servers and 72,000 core processors, so many parts that they must be delivered in the back of a 747. Yellowstone will be capable of performing 1.5 quadrillion calculations--a quadrillion is a 1 followed by 15 zeros--every second. That's nearly a quarter of a million calculations, each second, for every person on Earth. In a little more than an hour, Yellowstone can do as many calculations as there are grains of sand on every beach in the world.
from Science News
Ordinary baking flour isn't the most electrifying substance, but spilling a box of the stuff yields a jolt of voltage that has scientists excited about their prospects for sensing catastrophic events like earthquakes and industrial accidents.
Scientists have known for years that materials including rock, crystals and adhesives like ordinary office tape can produce an electrical signal as they fracture or crack under a load. It's also known that before a granular material can flow, the space it takes up has to enlarge--think of a traffic jam in which another lane opens up and cars begin to move again. The voltage measured in the flour may be a signal of this 'dilation,' which indicates flow is about to happen.
"We've known about dilation and that there's an electrical signal when things fail, but nobody has put these two together before," says chemical engineer Joseph McCarthy of the University of Pittsburgh, who wasn't involved in the work. "This is a really, really interesting observation."
from ScienceNOW Daily News
Your immune system protects you from bacteria and viruses, but you need specialized cells to protect you from your immune system. Overaggressive immune responses can cause everything from autoimmune diseases to organ rejection. Now, scientists have identified a new group of these specialized cells that seem to keep the immune system in check--at least in the short term.
The cells are a type of regulatory T cells, or Tregs. Researchers already know that Tregs serve as a mute button for the immune system. Last year, a team in the United States and another in Italy reported that infusions of Tregs forestall an often-fatal complication of bone marrow and stem cell transplants called graft-versus-host disease, in which immune cells in the transplant attack the recipient's cells. And several groups are planning clinical trials to determine whether Tregs curb the rejection of transplanted organs such as kidneys. To turn down the immune system, Tregs often latch onto a protein called TIM-3 on the surface of helper T cells--which orchestrate immune counterattacks against a pathogen--killing the helper T cell in the process.
Like the helper T cells they target, the newly identified Tregs have TIM-3 on their surface. Researchers led by transplant immunologist Terry Strom of Harvard Medical School in Boston found the new Tregs in abundance in mice that had recently received skin grafts. The cells gathered in the lymph nodes near the grafts and wriggled into the transplants themselves. In the culture dish, the TIM-3 sporting Tregs were better at shutting down immune cells than were ordinary Tregs, the researchers report online today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
from the Salt Lake Tribune
Bozeman Pass, Mont. -- A gray-whiskered former fly-fishing guide waded through a horse pasture whacking weeds for his neighbor, the rumbling machine in his hands slicing thistles and sparing a robust tangle of grass and wildflowers, while on mountain ridges all around him, the trees silently died. Beetles.
Here, along the pine-scented exurban glory of Trail Creek, Lester DuChane and his sparse neighbors are the latest Westerners to watch their green valley turn red and fade to gray as swarms of rice-grain-size beetles eat the Rocky Mountain forest. He cannot figure out why the government never launched an aggressive counterattack against an epidemic, which has swept through neighboring ranges almost since he settled here in 1994.
"They say they're working on it," DuChane sneered, remembering his pleas with Gallatin National Forest rangers. "It's the government. It ain't doing anything." His is a complaint echoed by Western politicians, who think government land managers heaped disaster on the region by letting forests grow so thick that the trees cannot get enough water and sunlight to defend themselves from the pests.
The pressurized, cylindrical chamber fits in the palm of Margaret Murnane's hand. Yet out of one end of the device comes an X-ray beam that packs almost as much punch as the light generated by massive particle accelerators.
Murnane and Henry Kapteyn, both physicists at JILA in Boulder, Colorado, a joint institute of the University of Colorado and the US National Institute of Standards and Technology, have reported the first tabletop source of ultra-short, laser-like pulses of low energy, or 'soft', X-rays.
The light, capable of probing the structure and dynamics of molecules, was previously available only at large, billion-dollar national facilities such as synchrotrons or free-electron lasers, where competition for use of the equipment is fierce. But the report by Murnane, Kapteyn and their colleagues, published in the 8 June issue of Science, suggests that the devices might soon lie within the grasp of a university laboratory budget. "For us, it's incredible that we can do this at all in a tabletop system," says Murnane. "Three years ago, people would have said 'only large facilities can do that'."
Only one person ever has been cured of an HIV infection, and a presentation about the man at a scientific meeting in Sitges, Spain, last week has caused an uproar about the possibility that he's still infected.
Timothy Brown, initially referred to as "the Berlin patient" until he went public about his cure, received unusual blood transplants 5 years ago to treat his leukemia. The blood came from a donor who had mutant cells resistant to HIV. Following the procedure, Brown stopped taking antiretrovirals (ARVs), the virus never returned, and his doctors reported that he had been cured.
But new research presented on 8 June at the International Workshop on HIV & Hepatitis Virus "challenge[s] these results," asserts Alain Lafeuillade of the General Hospital in Toulon, France, a well known HIV/AIDS cure researcher. Lafeuillade issued a press release, "The So Called HIV Cured 'Berlin' Patient Still Has Detectable HIV in His Body," that questions whether Brown was reinfected and may still be infectious to other people. Lafeuillade also posted a blog item, "The Weird Story of the Berlin Patient," raising similar questions.
When Lewis and Clark started exploring the West, they didn't know much about what lay beyond St. Louis. Neither, at first, did astronomers know much about cosmic realms beyond Uranus.
But just as 19th century explorers filled in huge blanks on the American map, so did 20th century skywatchers flesh out a much greater map--of frontiers far beyond the solar system, out across the entire Milky Way. Now, in the last few years, cosmic cartography has again redrawn modern science's picture of the galaxy, from the inside out.
Surprising new findings from this endeavor begin at the Milky Way's heart, where astronomers recently spotted a tendril of gas streaming toward the galaxy's central black hole. Next year, scientists will have a ringside seat for the first time as the matter swings perilously close to its doom.
from National Geographic News
Bacteria can use minerals in soil as electrical grids, which helps the microbes generate chemicals they need to survive, a new study says. The process involves different bacterial species trading electrons--negatively charged subatomic particles.
Electrons are key to all life-forms, from microbes to people. For instance, the human body constantly swaps electrons from one compound to another to help assemble and dismantle vital chemicals, such as natural sugars. Scientists had known that different species of microorganisms can work together by trading electrons, helping each species process food sources they couldn't otherwise digest easily.
These cooperative interactions were known to happen either via direct contact or by piggybacking electrons on molecules spread through the microbes' surroundings. But the new work is the first to show that microbes can use conductive minerals as "wires" for boosting their electrical transfers.
from the Scientist (Registration Required)
HIV's rapid mutation rates can lead to the evolution of drug resistance in HIV-positive patients receiving antiretroviral therapy, but naturally occurring resistance mutations can also accumulate to establish highly resistant HIV strains, according to new models published today (June 7) in PLoS Computational Biology. If true, the models suggest new interpretation for why HIV drug therapy can fail right off the bat.
"The paper is interesting, and may be important for getting scientists to think about evolution of drug resistance," said Andrew Read, an evolutionary biologist at Pennsylvania State University who did not participate in the study. "The mechanism of drug resistance seems straightforward, but it's not." Even relatively simple questions, like whether drug resistance can be avoided by cycling between two different drugs, randomly assigning the drugs, or giving all patients both, have yet to be answered, added Read, who studies the evolution of malaria drug resistance.
Scientists have been debating the relative contributions of pre-existing mutations and mutations that arise after therapy begins to HIV drug resistance since the mid-1990s, explained Robert Shafer, who studies mechanisms of evolved HIV drug resistance at Stanford University but was not involved in the project. It's generally understood that a multi-drug regimen works to prevent resistance from becoming established by forcing the HIV virus to acquire several mutations--raising the "genetic barrier" to resistance--and making it highly unlikely that viruses carry enough mutations before therapy, said Shafer.
According to results of a study presented to the American Society of Clinical Oncology at its meeting last week in Chicago, a drug that delivers a powerful poison to tumors without some of the side effects of traditional treatments can delay the worsening of breast cancer and also appears to substantially prolong lives.
In other biomedical news, researchers say multiple CT scans in childhood can increase the risk of developing brain cancer or leukemia. The British-led team examined the medical records of almost 180,000 young patients. But writing in The Lancet the authors emphasized that the benefits of the scans usually outweighed the risks.
A blood sample from the mother and saliva from the father have been used to sequence the genome of a fetus in the womb, just 18 weeks into the pregnancy. The findings could eventually lead to fetuses being screened for thousands of genetic disorders in a single, safe test. But it would also raise "many ethical questions."
NPR featured an Australian scientist's 20-year quest to defeat dengue fever. Dengue sickens tens of millions and kills tens of thousands every year. There's no cure, no vaccine and pretty much no way to prevent it. It's one of those diseases transmitted by a mosquito, like malaria.
An antibody-based treatment developed at the Johns Hopkins University either eliminated or shrank tumors in 49 of 236 patients with certain types of advanced skin, kidney and lung cancer. Previous cancer immuno-therapies have worked in smaller percentages of patients. The results of the phase I clinical trial were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Among the many apartment buildings in the London borough of Hackney, the nine-story structure on the corner of Provost Street and Murray Grove stands out, its exterior a mix of white and gray tiles rather than the usual brick. But it's what's underneath the tiles that makes the 29-unit building truly different. From the second floor up, it is constructed entirely of wood, making it one of the tallest wooden residential buildings in the world.
In other technology news, this is the era of Big Data, in which more and more information about our lives--where we shop and what we buy, indeed where we are right now--is stored on computers. Big Data probably knows more about us than we ourselves do, but is there stuff that Big Data itself doesn't know it knows? Big Data is watching us, but who or what is watching Big Data?
A solar-powered plane landed in Morocco last week after flying from Spain, completing the second leg of its pioneering journey. Solar Impulse landed in Rabat--19 hours after taking off from Madrid. The plane is the size of a jumbo jet and is powered by 12,000 solar cells turning four electrical motors. Made of carbon fiber, the plane is the size of an Airbus A340 but only weighs as much as an average family car.
The IceCube Neutrino Observatory, a telescope at the South Pole that detects the subatomic particles known as neutrinos, has measured the highest-energy neutrino oscillations yet. IceCube was designed primarily to study neutrinos streaming from astrophysical objects such as supernovae and x-ray bursts. But the detection of neutrino oscillations--the transformation of one type of neutrino into another--represents new scientific territory for the experiment.
Scientists are drawing a tree of life that includes every known species. A tree with about two million branches. "I think it is an amazing step forward for our community if it can be pulled off," said Robert P. Guralnick, an expert on evolutionary trees at the University of Colorado, who is not part of the project.
In other environmental news, the ship formerly known as the Exxon Valdez is floating off India in a kind of high-seas limbo as a court decides whether the vessel that dumped 11 million gallons of crude oil into Alaska's unspoiled Prince William Sound in 1989 can be hacked apart in this graveyard for once-mighty ships. Local environmentalists have petitioned the High Court in the western state of Gujarat to block its entry pending an onboard inspection for toxic chemicals, including mercury, arsenic and asbestos.
Researchers say hundreds of crown-of-thorns starfish found on a beach in southern Japan in January stranded themselves because they were starving. More than 800 were discovered on a 300m stretch of sand on Ishigaki Island. The starfish population "boom" was first identified in 2009, when masses of juveniles were seen feeding on the island's outer coral reef. The coral-eating starfish then took three years to move onto the beach where they perished.
Little is known about the condition of the many tropical glaciers that descend off the three peaks of mounts Baker, Speke and Africa's third highest peak, Mount Stanley. But last month, an expedition led by a London-based Danish photographer returned from Uganda with the best evidence yet that the 43 glaciers are still mostly there, but are in dire condition and can be expected to disappear in a decade or two.
Working with a small band of astronomers for the past couple of months, NASA has come up with a plan to re-purpose an ex-spy telescope that had been declared surplus by another U.S. agency.
In other space news, Pluto and its newest moons may tell us a lot about how other worlds orbit distant stars. A new computer simulation not only zeroes in on the masses of two of the moons but predicts that planets orbiting double stars are more widely spaced from one another than are the worlds of single stars such as the sun.
When the Kepler spacecraft finds a giant planet closely orbiting a star, a new study found that there's a one in three chance that it's not really a planet at all. Study results suggest that 35 percent of candidate giants orbiting close to bright stars are impostors, known in the planet-hunting business as false-positives.
Venus put on a show for skywatchers last week, moving across the face of the Sun as viewed from Earth. The transit is a rare astronomical event that will not be seen again for another 105 years. Observers in North and Central America, and the northern-most parts of South America saw the transit begin just before local sunset. The far northwest of America, the Arctic, the western Pacific and east Asia witnessed the entire passage.
It looks as though the Milky Way will collide with its closest neighbor, the Andromeda galaxy, in 4 billion years. Andromeda is our closest fellow spiral galaxy. Spiral galaxies have flat, rotating, disc-shaped bodies with spiral arms anchored by a supermassive black hole at the center.
Finally, two mysterious bright spots in a distant galaxy suggest that astronomers have found the best evidence yet for a supermassive black hole being shoved out of its home. If confirmed, the finding would verify Einstein's theory of general relativity in a region of intense gravity not previously tested. The results would also suggest that some giant black holes roam the universe as invisible free floaters.
A nearly complete mammoth skeleton has been found buried on an Iowa farm about 60 miles southwest of Des Moines. The bones were largely undisturbed, which has allowed scientists to gather evidence that could help show what the area was like more than 12,000 years ago, when the animal died.
In other news of the ancient past, a warship submerged for two centuries in the Patuxent River about 20 miles from Washington, D.C., could provide new insight into the War of 1812. Archaeologists are preparing to excavate the wreck.
Researchers say the world's oldest fish traps have been found off coast of Sweden. Wooden fish traps said to be some 9,000 years old have been found in the Baltic Sea. Marine archaeologists from Stockholm's Sodertorn University found finger-thick hazel rods grouped on the sea bed.
About 150 million years ago, insects of monstrous size met their doom battling the ancestors of modern birds. The epic struggle ended an era of insect growth spurts that coincided with upticks in the amount of oxygen in the air. Starting with the Cretaceous period, predators kept the sizes of insects down, researchers report online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Well-preserved remains of Shakespeare's original "wooden O" stage, the Curtain theater, where Henry V and Romeo and Juliet were first performed, have been discovered in a yard in east London. The Curtain theater in Shoreditch preceded the Globe on the Thames as Shakespeare's first venue, showcasing several of his most famous plays. But it was dismantled in the 17th century and its precise location lost.
A study of Amelia Earhart's last radio transmissions before her disappearance was the most-viewed item last week by subscribers to Science in the News Daily. Other popular stories focused on the Creationism Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky, and a New York Times Magazine assessment of "32 Innovations That Will Change Your Tomorrow." Subscribe for free daily updates.
The US team is visiting museums around the world to photograph all of the ant specimens in their collections. They are using a technique that, for the first time, allows microscopic anatomical detail of the insects' bodies to be photographed.
The aim is to make an online catalogue called Antweb, providing a unique tool for scientists who study the insects. It will also allow anyone with access to the internet a detailed glimpse of the diverse world of ants.
Brian Fisher from the California Academy of Sciences is leading the study. He and his colleagues have started their "world ant tour" at the Natural History Museum (NHM) in London.
from the Boston Globe (Registration Required)
A freezer malfunction at Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital has severely damaged one-third of the world's largest collection of autism brain samples, potentially setting back research on the disorder by years, scientists say.
An official at the renowned brain bank in Belmont discovered that the freezer had shut down in late May, without triggering two alarms. Inside, they found 150 thawed brains that had turned dark from decay; about a third of them were part of a collection of autism brains.
"This was a priceless collection,'' said Dr. Francine Benes, director of the Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center, where the brains were housed. "You can't express its value in dollar amounts,'' said Benes, who is leading one of two internal investigations into the freezer failure. The damage to these brains could slow autism research by a decade as the collection is restored, said Carlos Pardo, a neuropathologist and associate professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins University.
from the San Francisco Chronicle
When three U.S. astronomers won the Nobel Prize in physics last year, for discovering that the expansion of the universe was speeding up in defiance of cosmic gravity--as if change fell out of your pockets onto the ceiling--it reaffirmed dark energy, the glibly named culprit behind this behavior, as the great cosmic surprise and mystery of our time.
And it underscored the case, long urged by U.S. astronomers, for a NASA mission to measure dark energy--to determine, for example, whether the cosmos would expand forever or whether, perhaps, there might be something wrong with our understanding of gravity.
In 2019, a spacecraft known as Euclid will begin such a mission to study dark energy. But it is being launched by the European Space Agency, not NASA, with U.S. astronomers serving only as very junior partners, contributing $20 million and some infrared sensors.
At first glance, the contents of the 15 glass jars in Sam Droege's collection do not look like much--bivalve shells, twigs, a fishhook. But they hint at a story that would fill a vast ornithological library. In fact, they once did.
The jars are the remnants of the federal government's first major study of birds. From 1885 to the 1940s, scientists from the Division of Economic Ornithology in the U.S. Agriculture Department dissected at least 230,000 bird stomachs. The aim was to determine which species were helping farmers and which were harmful.
To do so, the government scientists went out shooting and recruited local hunters to donate birds' innards to science. At the dissection table, the scientists recorded the stomach contents of each bird in meticulous detail--for one mallard duck, a scientist estimated that it had eaten 72,710 seeds from various plants--and preserved many of them in jars at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Maryland.
For the first time, health officials in West Africa have begun a vaccination campaign to try to control cholera during an active epidemic.
In collaboration with the Ministry of Health in Guinea, the charity Medecins Sans Frontières (MSF; also known as Doctors Without Borders) has been administering the cholera vaccine Shanchol in the region of Boffa, 150 kilometres northwest of the country's capital, Conakry. The programme began in late April, with patients receiving a two-dose oral vaccine. In total, almost 150,000 people received at least one dose of vaccine, and just over 110,000 people received a second dose.
Iza Ciglenecki, project manager for diarrhoeal diseases at MSF, ran the campaign in Guinea. She hopes that the results will lead to more widespread use of the vaccine in epidemics. "Until very recently, no one was using this as an extra tool to control cholera," she says. "We hope to add to the evidence base regarding this vaccine to help develop an intervention criterion for the control of cholera in outbreaks."
SAN ANTONIO -- Drilling rigs in the midst of cow pastures are hardly a novelty for Texans. But on a warm May day at a site about 30 miles south of San Antonio, a rig was not trying to reach oil or fresh water, but rather something unconventional: a salty aquifer. After a plant is built and begins operating in 2016, the site will become one of the state's largest water desalination facilities.
"This is another step in what we're trying to do to diversify our water supply," said Anne Hayden, a spokeswoman for the San Antonio Water System.
More projects like San Antonio's could lace the Texas countryside as planners look to convert water from massive saline aquifers beneath the state's surface, as well as seawater from the Gulf of Mexico, into potable water. The continuing drought has made desalination a buzzword in water discussions around the state, amid the scramble for new water supplies to accommodate the rapid population and industry growth anticipated in Texas. But the technology remains energy-intensive and is already causing an increase in water rates in some communities.
WASHINGTON -- When the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee meets on Wednesday to consider President Obama's choice to head the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, three themes are likely to dominate the questioning: waste, waste and earthquakes.
Collegiality and diplomacy may also be mentioned, given that the commission's current chairman, Gregory B. Jaczko, has drawn criticism for his aggressive management style. The nuclear industry would, no doubt, prefer more uplifting confirmation hearing topics, like new reactor construction or progress on radical new designs that would make nuclear plants more useful or economical.
But for the first time, the president has chosen a geologist for the post, Allison M. Macfarlane of George Mason University, and her expertise aligns with the pressing concerns facing Congress and the nuclear industry. She is a longtime critic of the idea of burying waste at Yucca Mountain, a volcanic structure about 100 miles from Las Vegas chosen by Congress in the late 1980s, considering its geology too unpredictable. With little new plant construction, the commission's main responsibility these days is assuring the safety of the 104 plants now operating, and what to do with the decades-old problem of waste.
China has announced it will carry out a manned space flight at some point in the middle of June.
A rocket carrying the Shenzhou 9 spacecraft has been moved to a launch pad in the north-west of the country.
According to state news agency Xinhua, it will carry three astronauts--possibly including a woman--to the Tiangong 1 space station module.
from USA Today
The 30% of working adults who routinely sleep less than six hours a night are four times more likely to suffer a stroke, says a new study. The findings are the first to link insufficient sleep to stroke; they're also the first to apply even to adults who keep off extra pounds and have no other risk factors for stroke, says Megan Ruiter, lead author of the report. It will be presented Monday at the 26th annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies in Boston.
"People know how important diet and exercise are in preventing strokes," says Ruiter, of the University of Alabama in Birmingham. "The public is less aware of the impact of insufficient amounts of sleep. Sleep is important--the body is stressed when it doesn't get the right amount."
The number of people who report eight or more hours of sleep a night has dropped from 38% in 2001 to 28%, says the National Sleep Foundation. A government study in May found 30% of working adults get six hours or less. Experts recommend seven to nine.
Not long ago, a woman in Tacoma, Wash., received a suggestion from Facebook that she "friend" another woman. She didn't know the other woman, but she followed through, as many of us have, innocently laying our cookie-crumb trails through cyberspace, only to get a surprise.
On the other woman's profile page was a wedding picture--of her and the first woman's husband, now exposed for all the cyberworld to see as a bigamist.
And so it goes in the era of what is called Big Data, in which more and more information about our lives--where we shop and what we buy, indeed where we are right now--the economy, the genomes of countless organisms we can't even name yet, galaxies full of stars we haven't counted, traffic jams in Singapore and the weather on Mars tumbles faster and faster through bigger and bigger computers down to everybody's fingertips, which are holding devices with more processing power than the Apollo mission control. Big Data probably knows more about us than we ourselves do, but is there stuff that Big Data itself doesn't know it knows? Big Data is watching us, but who or what is watching Big Data?
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