text:
How to Use the Images
Painting 1: Battle of Bunker Hill
by Howard Pyle, 1898.
Painting 1 is an 1898 painting of the British redcoats advancing in a frontal assault up Breed's Hill toward the redoubt.
Questions for Painting 1
1. Based on what you learned in the readings, do you believe Painting 1 portrays the scene accurately? Why or why not?
2. Closely examine the painting. Identify details of the scene that would have affected the soldiers' progress as they marched up the hill shoulder to shoulder.
3. What might the average soldier be thinking or feeling as he marched up the hill toward the colonists?
* The painting on the screen has a resolution of 72 dots per inch (dpi), and therefore will print poorly. You can obtain a high quality version of the painting, but be aware that the file will take as much as two minutes to load with a 28.8K modem.


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How's that for green chic.
Here is a story from Toronto's The Star.com with a nice quote from Messenger legend and bike shop owner Nadir Olivet of Lacarrera-Cycles.com
article link
Riding a bike made of grass
June 24th, 2009
Catherine Porter
It's light, it sucks carbon out of the air and you could compost it. What more would you want from your bike?
Move over Prius, the bamboo bike is the next hot thing for environmentalists.
"Picture a steel factory in the Midwest U.S. Now picture a place where we source organically grown bamboo in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico," says Jacob Castillo, co-founder of Panda Bicycles, a Colorado-based start-up set to begin producing bamboo bikes this fall.
"We can actually recycle all the materials used and bamboo is a rapidly growing grass. There's the carbon sequestering benefit as well."
Bamboo has long been used for scaffolding in construction sites in Asia. It is known for its strength and flexibility. And it grows like crazy – more than one metre a day, under optimal conditions.
All those things make it a perfect material for bikes, says Marty Odlin, founder of The Bamboo Bike Studio in New York City.
"It's very light and it absorbs all the vibrations of the road compared to an aluminum bike that is very clattery," says Odlin whose two-day workshops on building bamboo bicycles have a "waiting list a mile long. There's a lot of demand for this."
It is considered as strong as light steel. But unlike steel, bamboo is renewable. And it is relatively cheap. Odlin collects his from the side of the highways around New York. He hardens the fibres with flame treatment, glues the tubes together, and binds each joint, wrapping them in epoxy-soaked hemp that hardens.
A team, including Odlin, is working to open a manufacturing plant in Ghana to produce Africa's first locally made bicycles later this year. The sustainable development project, called The Bamboo Bike Project, aims to create cheap bikes to sell to locals and to create jobs.
"If you can make papier mâché, you can make a bamboo bike," says Odlin, who made his first on a living room floor with a cardboard stand.
Sound too good to be true? There is a hitch. The first commercially available bamboo bikes recently went on sale at actor Colin Firth's hip eco-store in London for thousands of dollars.
That's because each one is handcrafted by Craig Calfee, a bicycle designer based in California, explains Nadir Olivet, owner of La Carrera Cycles on Harbord St. in Toronto.
Olivet sells the bikes for $10,000. To order one, he requires a down payment of $8,000. To date, he has sold two – one to a Hollywood actor, the other to a sheik from Dubai.
"It's like owning a Bulgari (watch)," he says. "I think they are cool but I wouldn't go spend $10,000 on one."
Actually you can build one right here in NYC for only $1000.00.
Check out this article from Planet Green
on the Bamboobikestudio in Redhook Brooklyn.

subset: commoncrawl


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Washington, D.C. (August 9, 2012) — Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) Senior Vice President Matthew Bennett issued the following statement today on the recent analysis in the British Medical Journal:
"A new analysis in the British Medical Journal is not only flawed, it provides a misleading picture of the regulatory challenges that impact biopharmaceutical innovation. The reality is that the U.S. is starting to lag behind other countries when it comes to pro-innovation policies and programs that help spur research and development (R&D) and ensure patient access to life-enhancing medicines, according to a recent report by Battelle. However, the recent passage of the bipartisan Prescription Drug User Fee Act, which will help bring safe, effective, and innovative medicines to patients in a timely manner, is a step in the right direction.
"Simply put, the medicines our companies develop provide tremendous therapeutic benefits to millions of patients around the world. The Congressional Budget Office has stated that, 'Many examples exist of major therapeutic gains achieved by the industry in recent years…[A]necdotal and statistical evidence suggests that the rapid increases that have been observed in drug-related R&D spending have been accompanied by major therapeutic gains in available drug treatments.'
"To illustrate this point, last year alone, the Food and Drug Administration approved 35 new molecular entities – the highest amount of approvals over the last decade – including 11 new medicines for patients with rare diseases and Hepatitis C who previously had few or no treatment options. And earlier this year, the first treatment of its kind was approved for patients suffering from cystic fibrosis, a debilitating disease that affects about 30,000 children and adults in the U.S. It is unfortunate that the authors of the paper overlooked these incredible advancements.
"The more than 3,000 medicines in the pipeline – many of which are potential novel treatments – provide hope to patients with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, cancer and other life-threatening conditions. Biopharmaceutical research companies remain committed to moving the science forward and building on the progress that has already been made against some of the most devastating diseases worldwide, despite the enormous odds companies continue to face in the long and arduous drug discovery process.
"Contrary to the authors' assertion regarding the source of R&D funding, PhRMA member companies alone invested $49.5 billion in 2011 researching and discovering new medicines. In fact, more than 21 percent of all biopharmaceutical company domestic sales are dedicated to research and development – the largest percentage dedicated to R&Dof any industry in the U.S. In fact, between 2000 to 2008, the biopharmaceutical industry was about five times more R&D intensive – annual average R&D as percentage of sales – than all other industries in the U.S., according to the National Science Foundation. This innovation supports four million high-quality domestic jobs and enhances millions of patients' lives.
"Ultimately, to help ensure that the U.S. remains the world leader in medical innovation, a consistent pro-innovation policy framework must be in place that provides regulatory certainty, ensures patient choice and access to medicines and incentivizes future research and development."
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) represents the country's leading pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies, which are devoted to inventing medicines that allow patients to live longer, healthier, and more productive lives. PhRMA companies are leading the way in the search for new cures. PhRMA members alone invested an estimated $49.5 billion in 2011 in discovering and developing new medicines.
Find PhRMA Online:
- Website – http://www.phrma.org
- facebook – www.facebook.com/PhRMA
- Blog – www.phrma.org/catalyst
- Twitter – www.Twitter.com/PhRMA and www.Twitter.com/PhRMApress
- YouTube – www.youtube.com/PhRMApress
- E-News Alerts – www.phrma.org/updates
For information on how innovative medicines save lives, visit: http://www.innovation.org
For information on the Partnership for Prescription Assistance, visit: http://www.pparx.org
For information on ensuring the flow of medicines during public health emergencies, visit http://www.rxresponse.org


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Designed for heavy gauge metal applications where low profile head exposure is desired. Wafer head provides a greater bearing surface than Pan or Hex Drillers, with a low-profile head exposure. For 20-12 gauge steel.
Gauge: #8
Length: 1/2-in
Head Type: Wafer framing
Recess Type: #2 Phillips
Thread Type: Single lead
Coating: Clear zinc
Installation Guidelines:
Use a standard screwgun with a depth-sensitive nose piece. Suggested screwgun specification for optimal performance – 4 amps minimum and RPM range of 0 to 2,500.
All GRABBER® screw products are manufactured in facilities that are ISO 9002 and ISO 14001 certified and approved. The fasteners comply with ASTM C954, as referenced in ICCES report ER-5280 and ESR 1271, are approved for use in structures governed by the International Building Code 2006, 2009, 2012, International Residential Building Code 2006, 2009, and 2012.


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The practice of overbooking has made uncomfortable headlines lately. But how do airlines decide how many tickets to sell for a flight? Here's the maths.
The probability distribution that measures success and failure.
Polar coordinates are great for circles and spirals!
Whether you're aware of it or not, the language you use to express yourself follows strict mathematical principles.
Is maths beautiful? New research into the workings of our brains suggests that it is.
Mindless games can produce surprising results.
A brief introduction to the famous nurse and statistician.
When you shuffle a deck of cards chances are the order of cards you produced has never been produced before! Find out why and learn a card trick too!


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Easter Bento
Happy Easter!
Coloring egg shells is fun, but isn't it nice if you can make edible colored eggs?
It's cute to put the eggs in your lunch box:)
~How to make edible colored eggs~
tsp2 curry powder
tsp2 soy sauce
tsp1/2 sugar
200ml water
Put all the ingredients in a pot and bring to boil.
Turn off the stove and add eggs.
Leave until it gets the nice yellow color.
about 1/4 purple cabbage
500ml water
Boil the cabbage until the water gets dark purple.
Pour the purple water in a cup and add eggs.
Leave it until it gets the nice blue color.
Add some lemon juice into the purple water above.
Add eggs and leave it until it gets the nice pink color.
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The climbers who likely died on snow-capped Mount Rainier in Washington state this week traveled from as far as Singapore and Minnesota to ascend the glaciated peak.
The 14,410-foot (4,392-meter) mountain, southeast of Seattle, is popular with climbers of all abilities, but the victims in last week's climbing accident — two guides and four clients — were experienced climbers who were taking on a more technical and challenging route.
The identities of the two guides from Seattle-based Alpine Ascents International were released on its website Monday. The company andMount Rainier National Park have refused to release other names, citing privacy issues, but family members and colleagues have released details on three other climbers.
Intel Corp. spokesman Bill Calder confirmed Monday that his colleague Uday Marty, a vice president and managing director of Intel in Southeast Asia, was among the group of climbers.
Marty, who was based in Singapore, was "widely loved and respected at this company," Calder told The Associated Press.
"We are most definitely mourning his loss here," he said.
According to his biography on Intel's website, Marty, 40, managed sales and marketing in the region and had previously managed global notebook marketing out of the company's headquarters in Santa Clara, California. He joined the company in 1996.
"He was a guy with a great attitude, and he always had a big smile," Calder said.
It's not known what caused the climbers to fall from their last known whereabouts at 12,800 feet (3,900 meters) on Liberty Ridge — whether it was rock fall or an avalanche. They were last heard from at 6 p.m. Wednesday when the guides checked in with Alpine Ascents by satellite phone. The group failed to return Friday as planned.
It's unclear whether the climbers were moving or camping at the time of the accident. Searchers located camping and climbing gear and detected signals from avalanche beacons buried in the snow at the top of the Carbon Glacier at 9,500 feet (2,895 meters) in elevation.
Park rangers and rescuers often are able to retrieve bodies within days of an accident, but sometimes it takes weeks or months, when conditions have improved and snow has melted on parts of the mountain.
But the six bodies may never be recovered because of the hazardous terrain, authorities say.
Alpine Ascents identified the two guides on its website. Matthew Hegeman, the lead guide, was described as intense and philosophical with a good sense of humor. Eitan Green, the other guide, loved his time in the mountains and was a strong leader and quick to smile, the website said.
The Seattle Times reported Monday that Seattle mountain climber John Mullally was one of the six who died. His wife, Holly Mullally, issued a statement Monday saying that she had previously been on climbs organized by the company.
"John was an amazing husband, father, friend, mountaineer, and all around human being," Holly Mullally wrote.
Rob Mahaney told The Associated Press that his 26-year-old nephew, Mark Mahaney, of St. Paul, Minnesota, was among those presumed dead.


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Surge Protector - BNC male to BNC female AV5
Protect your video equipment from power surges
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- Protection for analog HD-TVI, HD-CVI, AHD & HD AVS devices
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Protect your security equipment from damaging power surges such as lightning strikes. The surge protector is compatible with multiple HD video technologies: including: HD-TVI, HD-CVI, and AHD to prevent these surges from destroying your CATV converters, monitors, recorders, cameras, and any other connected device.
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- Maximum Discharge Current 2KA Max
Protection and Warranty:
This surge protector comes with a 3-year warranty, 30-day money-back guarantee, and free US-based technical support.
|Resource Name
|Product Overview


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Your browser does not support iframes.
Sometimes perception is more important than reality. That very well may be the case in the compensation package being proposed for the Dr. Douglas Schuch, the Bedford County School Board's choice as its new superintendent.
Bouncing checks
Written to Senator Mark Warner, Virginia
This last week President Barack Obama hosted a forum on health care at the White House. The forum included Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle, representatives from the health care industry including various medical specialties, hospitals, doctors, nurses and technicians, the health insurance industry, the business community and most importantly patients, the health care consumers who must be the focus of this process. I am encouraged by the fact that so many individuals representing such diverse interests were able to come together to discuss the goal of providing
All Washington was abuzz last week over the dust-up between new GOP national chair Michael Steele and Rush Limbaugh, the self-styled king of right-wing talk radio.
The only thing larger than Limbaugh's ego is his religious devotion to conservatism. He showed that this passion means far more to him than even the fate of his country when he stated that he hopes Barack Obama fails.
Whether an activist presidency is a joyful thing, or a fearful thing, depends on what that activist president wants to do.
The greatest American president of the 20th century once said, "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'"
ow we know who Bedford County Public School's next superintendent will be. Dr. Douglas R. Schuch was introduced to the public at a press conference on Friday.
Although Dr. Schuch is taking command at a difficult budgetary time, he will face a better situation than Dr. James Blevins faced when he came 11 years ago.
For one thing, Dr. Blevins is leaving while in the good graces of the school board. Back in 1998, the school board was about ready to tar and feather Dr. John Kent and ride him out of town on a rail.
Family expresses appreciation
To all of our neighbors, friends, family, including the local businesses, churches, the Bedford Volunteer Fire and Rescue Departments, Bedford Police Department, and the City of Bedford Employees:
On every possible issue confronting the American people in this year of 2009 and beyond, the new president of the United States has made one thing clear: He intends to make his mark on all of them.
In his first address to a joint session of Congress on Feb. 24, Barack Obama demonstrated again the idealism and the belief in hoping for the best, then actually trying to make change happen that got him so easily elected.
George Clooney met with President Barack Obama last month.
Clooney, an actor, is a Darfur activist and that region of Sudan was the purpose of his meeting with President Obama. Darfur is one of several of Africa's on-going horror stories. The region is in southwest Sudan and there's been a civil war in progress since 2003.
How much
does it cost?
This week the Bedford Museum and Genealogical Library is proud to honor Carol M. Swain Ph.D.
Carol was raised in Bedford County in a shanty without running water and electricity in only two rooms. She had 11 brothers and sisters and a father that was not always there. Her mother Dorothy Henderson, "Mama Dot" had infantile paralysis as a child which made one side of the body smaller than the other and she was crippled for life.
With very little to show for his sincere efforts at bipartisanship, President Barack Obama nonetheless signed his landmark economic stimulus bill into law, thanks to the votes of Democrats and just three common sense Republicans in the Senate.
When one speaks of Republicans and uses the phrase "common sense," what is being said is a word most conservatives disdain: moderate. Those dipped deeply into the fires of right-wing orthodoxy have no compass for the center. Nor do they want one.
I had the opportunity to attend a conference on Charles Darwin last week held Feb. 15 through 17. It was scheduled to mark the 200th anniversary of his birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his Origin of the Species. Charlie's birthday is on Feb. 12.
This conference, by the way was not a Darwin Day celebration. It was sponsored by Answers in Genesis, a creationist organization that believes Darwin got it wrong and can offer data to demonstrate what's wrong with Darwin's theory.
We don't envy the folks on the county's school board, Bedford City council or Bedford County's supervisors. Perhaps some of them are wondering why they volunteered for these jobs. Are they really glad they were elected or reelected?
The seats they are now sitting in are certainly hot seats. No matter what they do, they are going to make somebody mad.
Some type of a ban on smoking in Virginia's restaurants now appears inevitable.
It's been a cause championed over the past several years by advocates of those who don't believe the business community can police itself on such matters. It's a cause that is more show than substance, especially since the bill that appears headed for approval is weak and without much bite.
The Green Revolution
Bedford County farmers are leading the way in being part of the Green Revolution.
I am proud to announce that this week, the first piece of legislation I co-authored as a Congressman became law. The "American Opportunity Tax Credit" provides $2,500 a year for the cost of tuition and related expenses (including textbooks for the first time) to individuals making less than $80,000 per year. Up to $1,000 of this tuition tax credit will be refundable, which can be particularly important for displaced workers hoping to pay for advanced training at a community college or university.
Temperatures made it feel more like May than February, but legislators didn't get to spend much time outdoors. This week, we had some of the longest days of the session, completing our work on all bills filed by delegates and approving a package of amendments to the 2008-2010 Biennial Budget.
A major project for the County is the rewriting of the Zoning Ordinance and the Subdivision Ordinance. This is being done to bring them into agreement with the recently adopted Comprehensive Plan. The objective is to combine the Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances into one simple, straightforward, and more readily understood document.
Childhood – When I say that I was born in Goode, VA, I mean that literally. I was born across the railroad tracks in my grandmother's house in February, 1970. My mother, Verna Bryant, was an unwed high school senior. She moved away to Philadelphia to work at the post office when I was eight months old. I stayed under the watchful care and guidance of my grandmother, Susan Williams.
Copyright © 2019
The Bedford Bulletin is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Bedford County and Bedford, VA and the surrounding area.


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I have a dream...
I have a dream :)
In my dream the document online will keep update with Notepad++ developements.
So for each release, the new distribution can just point to this online document site:
The online document site should be in multi-language, there is (are) one (or several) manager(s) for each language.
The end user may get a offline document with the language he/she wants for reading without Internet connection.
All he/she needs is click on a link then the offline document will be generated on the fly from its current state.
One (or several) site manager(s) who is (are) good at documentation and drupal is (are) needed.
Is it a dream or a fantasy? You tell me.


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On the first offensive play � after Edenton Holmes had just taken the lead on a 22-yard field goal � West Craven�s Tyrone Brown took off down the right sideline 62 yards and with it, took down Edenton Holmes� 19-game regular season winning streak.
EDENTON � On the first offensive play � after Edenton Holmes had just taken the lead on a 22-yard field goal � West Craven�s Tyrone Brown took off down the right sideline 62 yards and with it, took down Edenton Holmes� 19-game regular season winning streak.
The score by Brown put the Eagles on top of the Aces, 27-23, with six minutes to go.
In a game that was filled to the brim with huge plays, Brown�s turned out to be the clincher.
�It was all from teamwork. Without teamwork, I could not have gotten that TD,� Brown said. �It feels good to be 1-0 and end their streak, we were just determined to suck it up and never give up.�
Alkeim Harley passed for 110 yards and a touchdown pass to Kylikke Green, while Latrail Scott scored a rushing touchdown and returned a fumble 40 yards for another.
The Eagles took numerous punches from Holmes, but refused to stay down.
Trailing 13-7 at the half, Holmes�s playmaker Xavionne Long returned the opening kickoff of the second half 90 yards to put the Aces up 20-7.
�That could have been and at the time was devastating to us,� West Craven coach Matt Riggsbee said. �Our kids were just so tough tonight, the defense was great and these kids just hate losing more than they love winning.�
It was a defense that Stonewall Jackson would have been proud of.
West Craven�s defense allowed only three points to the Aces, with everything else coming off turnovers or special teams.
The Eagles had one defensive score in Scott�s fumble recovery and held Holmes to 155 yards of total offense.
�I just scooped and scored like my coaches always tell me to do,� Scott said. �We have heart, we are not going to quit. Being 1-0 feels great and it felt great to end their streak.�
West Craven had to fight through offensive woes early, which included five turnovers.
�Guys were tired out there, but we fought through it,� West Craven quarterback Alkeim Harley said. �After my two interceptions in the first half, James (Choyce) and Kylikke (Green) came over and told me to shake it off and I did. This win tells us and people that we are a good team and shows what we can do. We want to keep showing what we can do.�
Every senior starter returning to West Craven left their stamp on the Eagles� inspiring victory in some sort of fashion.
�Our leaders were outstanding tonight. It was the most important thing I saw in the game,� Riggsbee said. �They played their butts off, the entire senior class.�
In addition to Scott�s recovery for a score, freshman Darious Abrams made one of the most crucial plays of the game, after he had made a mistake.
Abrams threw an interception in the red zone, then ran toward Edenton linebacker Brandon Williams near the sideline and ripped the ball back from his hands, giving possession back to the Eagles.
The first play from scrimmage following Abrams� big play, Scott rushed up the middle 15 yards for a score.
With Holmes on the Eagles� 24-yard line, facing third-and-nine, West Craven defensive lineman Derek Adams sacked Holmes quarterback Devin Coston, forcing a fourth-and-19 that the Aces could not convert.
The Eagles kneeled on the ball to start the season 1-0 with a road win and will host their next three games at home in Vanceboro.
West Craven 0 7 6 14 - 27
Edenton Holmes 0 13 7 3 - 23
Second Quarter
E � Cordareous Pierce 65 interception return (Beaman kick)
E � Anthony Brownridge38 fumble return (2-point conversion failed)
WC � Kylikke Green 16 pass from Alkeim Harley (Noah Lewis kick)
Third Quarter
E � Xavionne Long 90 kickoff return (Beaman kick)
WC � Latrail Scott 15 run (kick failed)
Fourth Quarter
WC � Latrail Scott 40 fumble return (2-point conversion good)
E � William High 22 field goal
WC � Tyrone Brown 62 run (kick blocked)
First Downs: Edenton Holmes - 20, West Craven - 21. Rushes-Yards: Edenton Holmes - 38-122, West Craven 27-154.
Passing Yards: Edenton Holmes - 33, West Craven - 110. Comp-Att-Int: Edenton Holmes - 4-16-0, West Craven - 9-20-3.
Penalties � Yards: Edenton Holmes - 3-25, West Craven - 6-65. Fumbles � Lost: Edenton Holmes - 8-2, West Craven - 4-2.
Punts � Avg: Edenton Holmes - 5-31.2, West Craven - 4-33.
Individual Statistics: Edenton Holmes: Passing � Devin Coston 4-16-33 yards.
Rushing � Xavionne Long 6-77 yards, Tavis Stanley 7-35, Mike Dixon 5-9, RJ Leary 1-4, Cordareous Pierce 1-2, Trey�l Beasley 13-2, PJ Bunch 1-2, Devin Coston 9-(-35).
Receiving � Stanley 2-18 yards, Dixon 1-11, Long 1-4.
West Craven: Passing � Alkeim Harley 9-19-110 yards (TD), Darious Abrams 0-1-0.
Rushing: Tyrone Brown 1-62 yards (TD), Harley 16-31, Latrail Scott 3-19 (TD), Tyquail Raynor 4-18, D. Abrams 2-15, Kenny McDaniel 1-9.
Receiving: Malik Abrams 1-49 yards, Danny Harvey 2-23, Brown 2-16, Kylikke Green 1-16 (TD).
Jordan Honeycutt can be reached at 252-635-5670 or at email@example.com. Follow Jordan on Twitter @JHONEYnbsj29


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The #1 Selling Mobile Battery Case Brand in the U.S.*
Reliable power in an ultra-thin design.
Our thinnest iPhone juice pack yet is perfect for when you need an extra boost to make it through the day. The high-density battery provides over 14.5 hours of extra talk time for your iPhone 6s Plus / 6 Plus to ensure you're connected when you need it most.
Full protection with an ultra-slim design.
Rubberized support pads inside of full case protection guards your phone from drops and hard falls.
The raised bezel around the front edge of the juice pack creates a recess to prevent the screen of your iPhone 6s Plus / 6 Plus from being scratched when placed face down on a surface.
The raised bezel around the front edge of the juice pack creates a recess to prevent the screen of your iPhone 6s Plus / 6 Plus from being scratched when placed face down on a surface.
Pass-through volume and lock buttons give a premium feel and seamlessly blend the design of the juice pack case with your iPhone 6s Plus / 6 Plus.
Edge-to-edge protection and built-in rubberized support pads protect your iPhone 6s Plus / 6 Plus from everyday wear and tear.
The forward-facing acoustic speaker ports redirect the iPhone audio towards you, optimizing playback and maximizing your speaker performance.
Rechargeable for over 500 full cycles, mophie batteries contain first-class lithium-ion polymer cells that are engineered to deliver the most efficient charge with the highest battery density.
mophie cases are assembled using ultrasonic welding, creating a nearly unbreakable bond that assures maximum durability and long-lasting performance.
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Great add-on accessories for your juice pack.
Protective belt clip with leather construction works with mophie cases for iPhone 6s Plus/6 Plus.$39.95
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Industry-leading battery life enables our products to hold their charge for an extended period of time, making them more reliable than other battery cases in the market.
WARNING: Cancer and Reproductive Harm - www.P65Warnings.ca.gov
Tech specs
Battery Capacity
iPhone 6s Plus/6 Plus
3.27 x 6.85 x 0.57 in (83.1 x 174.0 x 14.5 mm)
3.9 oz (110.6 g)
Product Skus
3084, 3085, 3086
2 Year Warranty
In the Box
juice pack, micro USB cable, headphone adapter
Frequent Questions
How does the extra battery work?
When you slide your phone into the juice pack case, a connector at the base of the case plugs into the port at the bottom of the phone. Flip the standby switch on the back of the case from red to green to start charging your phone. After using up all the power in the juice pack case, just recharge it with the included micro USB cable for more on-the-go power.What is the best method for charging my iPhone using the juice pack case? Assuming that your iPhone and juice pack case are both fully charged, we recommend waiting until your iPhone has 20% battery left. When the phone's in the red, flip the juice pack case's standby switch to green and let the case do the heavy lifting. The phone requires more power to charge past 80%, so if you want to get the greatest battery boost from the juice pack case, we suggest flipping back to standby mode until your phone battery is low again. This isn't the end-all-be-all, but we like it.What is the best method for charging my juice pack case? After using up all the power in the juice pack case, connect it to a power source using the included micro USB cable. You can plug the cable into your computer or any power source with a USB out, like the USB wall adapter included with your iPhone. You do not need to remove your phone from the juice pack case to charge. In fact, leaving your phone in the juice pack case while charging will actually charge both your phone and the case together!Why aren't the LEDs blinking while my juice pack case is charging? After connecting the juice pack case to a power source, the LED status indicators will start blinking to indicate charging. The lights will turn off after 30 seconds allowing for a good night's rest. Remember to check the status indicator before you disconnect. When all four LEDs are lit, your juice pack case is fully charged.How many charge cycles can I get out of my juice pack case? Or, in other words, how long will the juice pack case last? You can recharge your juice pack case for over 500 full cycles. A full cycle is when you recharge the case from 0% to 100%. Partial cycles, like charging from 25% to 100%, will not count as a full cycle until all of the partials equal 100%.
For example, if you recharge from 25% to 100% one day (a 75% charge), then a couple of days later you recharge from 50% to 100% (a 50% charge), and a few days after that you recharge from 25% to 100% again (another 75% charge), you will have recharged two full cycles over that period (75% + 50% + 75% = 200%).
After 500 full cycles, the battery in the juice pack case may provide less than 75% of its original capacity. This is normal for any product with a lithium polymer battery.Does the juice pack case block the speaker, microphone, camera, or any other ports?
Of course not. In fact, the juice pack case is designed to act as a virtual speaker box! Sound is redirected from the bottom of the phone to the front, resulting in a richer, fuller sound quality.Does the juice pack case interfere with my phone's antenna reception? Not a chance.How do I insert my iPhone into the juice pack case? For top-load juice pack cases: (Click to view)
1) Separate the juice pack case sections.
2) Slide your iPhone all the way into the bottom section of the juice pack case so that the juice pack case's Lightning connector is fully inserted into the phone.
3) Slide the top section of the juice pack case all the way over the exposed top of the iPhone so that it snaps into the bottom section of the case.
For front-load juice pack cases: (Click to view)
1) While holding down the back of the juice pack case, pull up on the front corner with your thumb to separate the case sections.
2) Keeping it flat against the case, slide your iPhone straight down onto the Lightning connector in the bottom of the juice pack case back.
3) Fit the juice pack case front section onto the back section.
4) Press the two juice pack case halves together at all four corners. The case will audibly snap at each corner when it is successfully closed.


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South African Journal of Science
versão On-line ISSN 1996-7489
versão impressa ISSN 0038-2353
S. Afr. j. sci. vol.107 no.9-10 Pretoria Out. 2011
Effects of non-thermal mobile phone radiation on breast adenocarcinoma cells
Barend A. StanderI; Sumari MaraisI; Carin HuyserII; Zen FourieIII; Dariusz LeszczynskiIV; Annie M. JoubertI
IDepartment of Physiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
IIReproductive Biology Laboratory, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
IIISouth African Bureau of Standards, Pretoria, South Africa
IVFunctional Proteomics Group, Radiation Biology Laboratory, STUK Radiation and Safety Authority, Helsinki, Finland
Mobile phone usage currently exceeds landline communication in Africa. The extent of this usage has raised concerns about the long-term health effects of the ongoing use of mobile phones. To assess the physiological effects of radiation from mobile phones in vitro, MCF-7 breast adenocarcinoma cells were exposed to 2W/kg non-thermal 900-MHz mobile phone radiation. The effects investigated were those on metabolic activity, cell morphology, cell cycle progression, phosphatidylserine (PS) externalisation and the generation of reactive oxygen species and nitrogen species. Statistically insignificant increases in mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity were observed in irradiated cells when compared to controls. Fluorescent detection of F-actin demonstrated an increase in F-actin stress fibre formation in irradiated MCF-7 cells. Cell cycle progression revealed no statistically significant variation. A small increase in early and late apoptotic events in irradiated MCF-7 cells was observed. No statistically significant changes were observed in reactive oxygen and reactive nitrogen species generation. In addition, quantitative and qualitative analyses of cell cycle activity and nuclear and cytosolic changes, respectively, revealed no significant changes. In conclusion, exposure to 1 h of 900-MHz irradiation induced an increase in PS externalisation and an increase in the formation of F-actin stress fibres in MCF-7 cells. Data obtained from this study, and their correlation with other studies, provides intriguing links between radio frequency radiation and cellular events and warrant further investigation.
Mobile phones form an integral part of the daily life of billions of users worldwide and this number is ever-increasing.1 Because mobile phone technology emits low-energy electromagnetic fields (EMF), concerns have been raised as to whether exposure to non-ionising electromagnetic radiation in this radio frequency range can modify biological material, leading to possible adverse health effects.2,3 In spite of previous in vitro and in vivo studies on the influence of mobile phone radiation on cell proliferation, cell differentiation, apoptosis induction, phosphorylation and changes in global gene expression, several questions still remain because of study limitations and conflicting results.
Leszczynski et al.4 studied the activation of heat shock protein (HSP) 27 after 1 h exposure of EA.hy926 human endothelial cells to 900 megahertz (MHz) non-thermal radiation.4 They observed an increase in the phosphorylation levels of HSP27, mediated by the p38 mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, which was also found to be transiently activated in response to radio frequency (RF)-EMF exposure.4 Data suggested that the p38MAPK/HSP27 stress response pathway was induced as a result of RF-EMF exposure at non-thermal power levels.4 In another study, the influence of 1 h of 900-MHz 2.4-W/kg specific absorption rate (SAR) exposure was investigated on EA.hy926 cells.5 Protein expression levels of vimentin, which plays a role in cytoskeleton rearrangement, were statistically significantly affected. A 1-h exposure of EA.hy926 and EA.hy926v1 to 900-MHz 2.8-W/kg SAR and the effects of 900 MHz and 1800 MHz at 0.77 W/kg SAR on various immortalised and primary cells lines also demonstrated that the response is cell line specific. Different cell lines show diverse sensitivity levels to low level stimulus.6,7
Merola et al.8 investigated the influence of 900-MHz radiation at 1 W/kg SAR at a maximum exposure time of 72 h on cell proliferation, cell differentiation and apoptosis in a neuroblastoma cell line (LAN-5) and no significant changes were observed. No statistically significant variation was observed in gene expression profiles after exposure of U87MG glioblastoma cells and C3H 10T1/2 mouse cells to RF-EMF.9,10 A 2-h exposure of leukocytes to 900 MHz between 0.3 W/kg and 1.0 W/kg SAR, as well as lymphocyte exposure to 935 MHz at either 1 W/kg or 2 W/kg SAR for 24 h, also revealed no genotoxic effects.10,11,12 Yu et al.13 reported no significant differences in the formation of mammary tumours and the proliferation thereof in female Sprague-Dawley rats. The rats were exposed to 900-MHz global system for mobile communications (GSM) radiation at SAR levels of 4.0 W/kg, 1.33 W/kg, 0.44 W/kg and 0 W/kg for 4 h per day, 5 days per week for a duration of 26 weeks.
Thus, because of the conflicting results reported and because epidemiological studies lack the necessary sensitivity to detect minor effects of mobile phone radiation, the need for a new approach in this field was proposed.2,3,14 Because low level EMF radiation may cause subtle physiological changes, the need for sensitive high-throughput screening techniques exists in order to more accurately measure the effects of EMF radiation on human tissue. In vitro data can rapidly increase the knowledge pool regarding the influence of mobile phone use on human health and supplement epidemiological studies. The aim of this in vitro study was to determine the influence of non-thermal 900-MHz mobile phone radiation on metabolic activity, cell morphology, cell cycle progression, phosphatidylserine (PS) externalisation and reactive oxygen species and nitrogen species generation in the MCF-7 breast adenocarcinoma cell line.15
Materials and methods
Heat-inactivated foetal calf serum (FCS), Dulbecco's minimum essential medium Eagle (D-MEM), penicillin, streptomycin and fungizone were purchased from Highveld Biological (Pty) Ltd. (Johannesburg, South Africa). Sterile cell culture flasks and plates were obtained through Lasec SA (Pty) Ltd. (Johannesburg, South Africa). Glass Petri dishes (with diameters of 55 mm) were supplied by Merck Chemicals (Pty) Ltd (Johannesburg, South Africa). An Annexin V-FITC kit from Miltenyi Biotec (GmbH, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany) was purchased from BIOCOM Biotech (Pty) Ltd (Pretoria, South Africa). An Alexa FluorTM 488 phalloidin antibody was procured from The Scientific Group (Johannesburg, South Africa). A fluorescence-activated cell sorting FC500 system flow cytometer equipped with an air-cooled argon laser excited at 488 nm was acquired from Beckman Coulter South Africa (Pty) Ltd (Pretoria, South Africa). All other chemicals were of analytical grade and were obtained from Sigma Chemical Co. (St. Louis, MO, USA).
Cell culture
The MCF-7 cell line (human breast epithelial adenocarcinoma) was supplied by Highveld Biological (Pty) Ltd (Johannesburg, South Africa). Cells were grown and maintained in 25-cm2 tissue culture flasks in a humidified atmosphere at 37 ºC and 5% CO2 in a Forma Scientific water-jacketed incubator (Marietta, OH, USA). MCF-7 cells were cultured in D-MEM and supplemented with 10% heat-inactivated FCS (56 ºC, 30 min), 100 U/mL penicillin G, 100 µg/mL streptomycin and fungizone (250 µg/L). Experiments were conducted in Duroplan 55-mm-diameter glass Petri dishes. Exponentially growing cells were seeded at 500 000 cells per Petri dish in 3 mL maintenance medium. After a 24-h incubation period at 37 ºC to allow for cell adherence, the medium was replaced to remove debris.
Experimental set-up and dosimetry
The RF-EMF exposure system was calibrated by T. Tiovo from the Functional Proteomics Group, Radiation Biology Laboratory (STUK, Helsinki, Finland). Cells were irradiated by an exposure system previously described.4,16,17,18 Briefly, the RF-EMF signal was generated with an EDSG-1240 signal generator and modulated with a pulse duration of 0.577 ms and repetition rate of 4.615 ms to match the GSM signal modulation scheme. The signal was amplified with a RF-EMF Power Labs R720F amplifier (Radiation Biology Laboratory, STUK Radiation and Safety Authority, Helsinki, Finland) and fed to the exposure waveguide via a monopole type feed post. Cells were exposed for 1 h to a 900-MHz GSM-like signal at an average SAR of 2.0 W/kg. The SAR distribution in cell culture was determined using SEMCAD 1.8 software with a graded simulation grid.19 More than 70% of the cells were within ±3 dB of the average SAR. A total of 440 000 voxels was used to simulate the medium, with the largest grid size in the culture medium being 0.1 mm x 0.1 mm x 0.1 mm. Simulation results were verified with temperature rise-based SAR measurements using a calibrated Vitek-type temperature probe (BSD Medical, Salt Lake City, UT, USA). Temperature measurements were also recorded to ensure constant temperature levels during exposures. SAR level (2 W/kg) temperatures ranged from 36.8 ºC to 37.2 ºC. MCF7 cells placed outside the RF-EMF exposure chamber acted as controls.
Determination of metabolic activity
Metabolic activity was spectrophotometrically determined using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) to measure intracellular levels of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH).20 After a 1-h exposure carried out in triplicate, 300 µL of MTT (5 mg/mL in Phospate Buffered Saline) was added to each Petri dish containing 3 mL medium. The Petri dishes were incubated for 4 h at 37 ºC in a 5% CO2 incubator. Medium was carefully removed without disturbing the cells. Dimethyl sulphoxide (3 mL) was added to each Petri dish by gently pipetting up and down. The solution (100 µL) was transferred to wells (three wells per sample to give three technical replicates) of a clean microtitre plate and the absorbance was determined at 570 nm (reference 630 nm) with an ELx800 Universal Microplate Reader from Bio-Tek Instruments Inc. (Winooski, VT, USA). The percentage of inhibition of the reduction of MTT was calculated in relation to control cells in each experimental series (control cells were assumed to have 100% metabolic activity).
Cell morphology: Haematoxylin and eosin staining
MCF-7 cells were seeded in a Petri dish on heat-sterilised cover slips. After 24-h attachment, the medium was discarded and the cells were exposed for 1 h to a 900-MHz GSMlike signal at an average SAR of 2.0 W/kg, before the cells were stained by standard haematoxylin and eosin staining procedures.21 The cover slips were transferred to staining dishes and fixed with Bouin's fixative for 30 min. The Bouin's fixative was discarded and the cover slips were left in 70% ethanol for 20 min before they were rinsed with tap water. Mayer's haemalum was added and left for 20 min and then discarded. The cover slips were rinsed with tap water for 2 min and then with 70% ethanol before being subjected to 1% eosin for 5 min. The eosin was discarded and the cover slips were consecutively rinsed twice for 5 min with 70% ethanol, 96%ethanol, 100%ethanol and xylol. The cover slips were mounted on microscope slides with resin and left to dry. Cells were viewed using an inverted Carl Zeiss Axiovert 200 MRc5 microscope (Carl Zeiss (Pty) Ltd, Johannesburg, South Africa) and morphology recorded.
Cell morphology: Nuclear fluorescent microscopy
A dual fluorescent dye staining method utilising Hoechst 33342 and propidium iodide fluorescent dyes was used to detect nuclear morphological changes. Hoechst 33342 is a fluorescent dye that penetrates intact cell membranes of viable cells and cells undergoing apoptosis and stains the nucleus. Propidium iodide is a fluorescent dye that is unable to penetrate an intact membrane and therefore stains the nucleus of cells that have lost their membrane's integrity as a result of oncotic or necrotic processes. Exponentially growing MCF-7 cells were seeded in Petri dishes onto heat-sterilised cover slips. Immediately after exposure, 0.5 mL of Hoechst 33342 solution (3.5 µg/mL in PBS) was added to the medium to provide a final concentration of 0.9 µM and incubated for 30 min at 37 ºC in a CO2 incubator. After 25 min, 0.5 mL of propidium iodide solution (40 µg/mL in PBS) was added to the medium to provide a final concentration of 12 µM. Within 5 min the cover slips were mounted on microscope slides with mounting fluid (90% glycerol, 4% N-propyl-gallate, 6% PBS). Cells were examined with a Zeiss inverted Axiovert CFL40 microscope and Zeiss Axiovert MRm monochrome camera under Zeiss filter 2 for Hoechst 33342-stained cells and Zeiss filter 15 for propidium iodide-stained cells (Carl Zeiss (Pty) Ltd, Johannesburg, South Africa). In order to prevent fluorescent dye quenching, all procedures were performed in a dark room.
Cell morphology: F-actin fluorescent microscopy
The effect of a 1-h exposure to 900-MHz GSM RF-EMF on the formation of stress fibres and F-actin polymerisation was determined using fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)conjugated phalloidin. Cells were seeded on glass cover slips and fixed with 3.7%paraformaldehyde in PBS after exposure. After rinsing with PBS, cells were permeabilised with 0.1% Triton X-100, rinsed with PBS and incubated in 0.1% bovine serum albumin (BSA) reconstituted in PBS. The BSA solution was removed and the cells were stained with Alexa FluorTM 488 phalloidin, rinsed with water and mounted on a cover slip with Sigma Mounting Medium containing sodium phosphate and citric acid in glycerol. Cells were viewed and counted with an inverted Carl Zeiss Axiovert 200 MRc5 microscope (Carl Zeiss (Pty) Ltd, Johannesburg, South Africa).
Cell cycle progression: Flow cytometry
Flow cytometric analysis utilising propidium iodide as a nuclear stain was employed to monitor cell cycle progression. Cells were trypsinised and resuspended in 1 mL growth medium immediately after the 1 h exposure. Cells (1 x 106/mL) were centrifuged for 5 min at 300 g. The supernatant was discarded and the cells were resuspended in 200 µL of ice-cold PBS containing 0.1% FCS. Ice-cold 70% ethanol (4 mL) was added in a dropwise manner on a vortex to avoid cell clumping. Cells were stored at 4 ºC for 24 h and subsequently centrifuged at 300 g for 5 min. The supernatant was removed and the cells were resuspended in 1 mL of PBS containing 40 µg/mL propidium iodide and 100 µg/mL RNase A. The solution was incubated at 37 ºC and 5% CO2 for 45 min. Propidium iodide fluorescence (FL3) was measured and data from at least 10 000 cells were analysed using the CXP software (Beckman Coulter South Africa (Pty) Ltd.). Data from cell debris (particles smaller than apoptotic bodies) and clumps of two or more cells were removed from further analysis. Cell cycle distributions from histograms generated by the CXP software were calculated with Multicycle (Phoenix Flow Systems, San Diego, CA, USA). Results are expressed as a percentage of the cells in each phase.
Apoptosis detection analysis: Flow cytometry
Annexin V was employed to measure the translocation of the membrane phospholipid phosphatidylserine (PS), which is associated with apoptotic processes. Annexin V is a 35 kDa - 36 kDa, calcium-dependent, phospholipid binding protein with a high affinity for PS. Cells were trypsinised and 1 x 106 cells were double-stained with Annexin V-FITC and propidium iodide, according to the manufacturer's instructions immediately after the 1-h exposure. Propidium iodide fluorescence (FL3) and Annexin V fluorescence (FL1) were measured and data from at least 30 000 cells were analysed using CXP software.
Hydrogen peroxide, superoxide and nitric oxide measurement: Flow cytometry
Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) generation was assessed using 2,7-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFDA), a non-fluorescent probe, which, upon oxidation by reactive oxygen species and peroxides is converted to the highly fluorescent derivative 2,7-dichlorofluorescein (DCF).22 Superoxide generation was assessed using hydroethidine (HE). HE is oxidised by superoxide and not by hydroxyl radicals, singlet O2, H2O2or nitrogen radicals, to a red fluorescing compound.23 Relative nitric oxide (NO) was measured by using the non-fluorescent probe, 4,5-diaminofluorescein diacetate (DAF2-DA). DAF-2 (4,5-diaminofluorescein) does not react with stable oxidised forms of NO such as NO2-, NO3-, nor with other reactive oxygen species such as superoxide, H2O2, and ONOO-24 DAF2-DA is cell permeable and is hydrolysed by cytosolic esterases to DAF-2. In the presence of NO, the fluorescent product triazole (DAF-2T) is formed and measured via flow cytometry. After 1 h exposure, cells were trypsinised, washed with PBS and 1 x 106 cells were resuspended in 1 mL PBS. To prevent unnecessary loss of converted fluorescent compounds through membrane leakage, reactive oxygen species probes were added after trypsinisation. Cells were incubated with 20 µM DCFDA for 25 min and with 10 µM HE for 15 min at 37 ºC. Hydrogen peroxide (20 µM) was added 5 min prior to measurement as a positive control for DCF formation. For DAF2-DA, 5 µM was added to the cells in PBS and incubated for 45 min at 37 ºC. DCF (FL1) fluorescence, DAF-2T (FL1) and the HE fluorescent product fluorescence (FL2) were measured (as described above) and data from at least 10 000 cells were analysed using CXP software.
Statistical analysis
Data were obtained from three independent experiments for all quantitative studies, expressed as the mean ± s.d. and statistically analysed for significance using the analysis of variance single factor model followed by a two-tailed Student's t-test. Means are presented in bar charts, with error bars indicating standard deviations; p < 0.05 was regarded as statistically significant. Qualitative studies were performed in triplicate. Percentage differences were calculated as follows: Percentage difference = [(Control/Exposed) (Control + Exposed)/2] x 100.
Determination of metabolic activity
MTT was used to determine the ability of MCF-7 cells to reduce MTT to purple formazan crystals as a measurement of metabolic activity after 1 h of exposure to 900-MHz GSM radiation. Results indicate that metabolic activity and the ability of NADH to reduce MTT to formazan crystals were not affected by 1 h of 900-MHz GSM irradiation (Figure 1).
Cell morphology: Haematoxylin and eosin
The qualitative effects of a 1-h exposure to 900-MHz GSM on cell morphology were investigated by staining the nucleus and cytoplasm of MCF-7 cells with haematoxylin and eosin. Qualitatively no differences could be observed between the control (Figure 2A) and exposed cells (Figure 2B).
Cell morphology: Nuclear fluorescent microscopy
Qualitative analysis on nuclear morphology was conducted by staining the nucleus of control cells and cells exposed to 1 h of 900-MHz GSM radiation. No qualitative differences were observed and irradiated cells, when compared to the control cells (Figure 2C), exhibited normal nuclear morphology and cell division (Figure 2D).
Cell morphology: F-actin fluorescent microscopy
FITC-conjugated phalloidin was used to visualise F-actin filaments and fibres. As a positive control for thermal denaturation of F-actin, cells were exposed to 43 ºC for 1 h. Aggregation of F-actin filaments and denaturation of F-actin fibres were observed in the thermally elevated (43 ºC) positive control cells (Figure 3). The 900-MHz GSM-exposed cells did not exhibit any form of F-actin aggregation (Figure 4). However, actin stress fibre formation was observed and was more pronounced in irradiated cells when compared to control cells (Figures 4 and 5). A 'fuzzy-like' distribution of F-actin filaments was observed in the control cells; however, this was less pronounced in irradiated cells (Figures 4 and 5).
Cell cycle progression: Flow cytometry
DNA content analysis was conducted by means of flow cytometry (Figures 6A and 6B). Data analysis showed no statistically significant changes in cell cycle progression (p > 0.1) (Table 1).
Apoptosis detection analysis: Flow cytometry
Quantitative analyses of the externalisation of membrane phosphatidylserine with Annexin V were performed in order to detect early and late apoptotic processes (Figures 7A, 7B and 7C). Propidium iodide was used to measure the number of necrotic cells. Cells exposed to 900-MHz GSM radiation showed a statistically significant increase in PS externalisation relating to early and late apoptosis (percentage differences were 28.889% and 49.206%, respectively) (Table 2). Consequently, a small decrease in viable cells was also observed (percentage difference = -1.045%) (Table 2).
Hydrogen peroxide, superoxide and nitric oxide measurement: Flow cytometry
In order to investigate whether excess hydrogen peroxide and superoxide were produced in 900-MHz GSM-exposed cells compared to the control cells, flow cytometric analyses of MCF-7 cells loaded with the H2O2-sensitive fluorophore DCFDA, the superoxide sensitive probe HE and the NOS sensitive probe DAF2-DA were conducted. Figure 8A reveals a slight mean fluorescence decrease (0.87-fold; p = 0.15) in 900-MHz GSM-exposed cells (Figure 8B). HE mean fluorescence intensity was lower in 900-MHz GSMexposed cells (0.95-fold that of control cells), but was also not considered statistically significant (p = 0.09) (Figures 9A and 9B). Average DAF-2T mean fluorescence intensity was lower in 900-MHz GSM-exposed cells (0.94-fold that of control cells), although also not statistically significantly so (p = 0.21) (Figures 10A and 10B).
We investigated the effects of a 1-h exposure to 900-MHz GSM radiation on the metabolic activity, cell morphology, cell cycle progression, PS externalisation, and reactive oxygen species and nitrogen species generation of MCF-7 cells. Results revealed that metabolic activity and cell cycle activity were not affected and no nuclear and cytosolic changes were observed. Data are consistent with previous in vitro research conducted employing HEI-OC1 immortalised mouse auditory hair cells (exposed to 1763 MHz RF), Jurkat leukaemic T-cells (exposed to 1763 MHz RF) and U937 leukaemic monocyte lymphoma cells (exposed to 900 MHz RF) that also showed no difference in cell cycle distribution.25,26,27
However, conflicting data exist concerning the generation of reactive oxygen species in response to RF exposure in the literature. No changes in reactive oxygen species formation after 10 min and 30 min of exposure to 900 MHz RF were detected in L929 murine fibrosarcoma cells, whilst several studies on rats reported an increase in oxidative stress (an increase in malondialdehyde as an index of lipid peroxidation) and a decrease in superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase activity.28,29,30,31,32 Yurekli et al.33 also reported an increase in oxidative stress and an increase in superoxide dismutase activity, whilst Balci et al.34 reported an increase in oxidative stress and catalase activity in EMF-irradiated rat corneal tissue and no significant changes in rat lens tissue. Our results did not demonstrate any statistically significant differences, even though all the averages of the irradiated samples were less than the controls (H2O2< 13%, superoxide < 5% and NOS<4%).
An Annexin V-FITC assay was employed to measure the amount of PS residue translocated from the inner to the outer membrane as an indication of apoptosis. Differences in the externalisation of PS between control and exposed cells were observed. However, these changes revealed a less than 1% increase in early and late apoptosis and a small decrease (1.33%) in viable cells. No visible signs of increases in apoptosis were observed in morphological studies. It has been previously reported that cell death was not induced in monocytic U937, neuroblastoma SK-N-SH or neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells after exposure to 900-MHz RF.27,35 An increase in caspase 3 activation in Jurkat T cells has been previously reported; however, this increase did not correspond to differences observed in the externalisation of PS.36 Because MCF-7 cells do not express caspase 3,37 the reason for the small increase in PS externalisation in response to a 1-h exposure to 900-MHz irradiation remains to be determined.
In this study, increased formation in F-actin stress fibres in irradiated cells was revealed when compared to the control. Our results are consistent with those of Nylund and Leszczynski5. These researchers reported a change from a 'fuzzy-like' to a 'fibrillar-like' staining of actin with phalloidin-stained EA.hy926 endothelial cells in response to 1 h of 900-MHz GSM RF radiation. Beta-actin exists as globular actin (G-actin) and filamentous actin (F-actin). G-actin polymerises into F-actin in response to extracellular signals.38 G-actin also regulates NO synthesis activity through the regulation of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) at the post-transcriptional and post-translational levels.39
In the same study by Su et al.39, it was also observed that vimentin, a class III intermediate filament, was up-regulated. Remondini et al.7 reported an up-regulation of caveolin 1, although it was not statistically significant. Interaction between caveolin 1 and NOS results in an inhibitory effect on NOS activity and NOS needs to be released from caveolin before it can be activated.40 Nylund et al.6 demonstrated that heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) was down-regulated in the EA.hy926 cell line. HSP90 is another NOS-interacting protein and needs to bind to actin to activate NOS. Activity of purified NOS-3 is higher when incubated with G-actin than when incubated with F-actin and NOS-3 does not co-localise with F-actin stress fibres.39,41 Our findings that F-actin stress fibre formation was increased, can possibly be linked to NO signalling events linked with decreased HSP90 expression and increased caveolin 1 in response to RF radiation.
In conclusion, we found no statistically significant changes in mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity, or in reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species generation. Also, quantitative analysis of cell cycle activity and qualitative analysis of nuclear and cytosolic changes revealed no significant effect. An increase in PS externalisation and anincrease in the formation of F-actin stress fibres observed in MCF-7 cells after a 1-h exposure to 900-MHz irradiation were demonstrated. Data obtained from this study and their correlation with other studies provide intriguing links between RF-radiation and cellular events and warrant further investigation.
This research was supported by grants from the Medical Research Council of South Africa (AG374, AK076), the Cancer Association of South Africa (AK246), the Struwig-Germeshuysen Cancer Research Trust of South Africa (AJ038, AN074) and the South African Bureau of Standards (AK386, AK387). Flow cytometric analyses were performed at the Department of Pharmacology at the Faculty of Health Sciences (University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa). The authors would like to acknowledge Dr Nadia Falzone (Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa) and Mr Tim Tiovo of the Functional Proteomics Group, Radiation Biology Laboratory, STUK Radiation and Safety Authority, Helsinki, Finland for maintenance and calibration of the RF-EMF exposure system.
1. Ahlbom AGL, Kheifets L, Savitz D, Swerdlow A. International Commission for Non-ionizing Radiation Protection Standing Committee on Epidemiology: Epidemiology of health effects of radiofrequency exposure. Environ Health Perspect. 2004;112:1741-1754. PMid:15579422, PMCid:1253668 [ Links ]
2. Leszczynski D, Nylund R, Joenvaara S, Reivinen J. Applicability of discovery science approach to determine biological effects of mobile phone radiation. Proteomics. 2004;4(2):426-431. doi:10.1002/pmic.200300646 , PMid:14760712 [ Links ]
3. Leszczynski D, Meltz ML. Questions and answers concerning applicability of proteomics and transcriptomics in EMF research. Proteomics. 2006;6(17):4674-4677. doi:10.1002/pmic.200600414, PMid:16888768 [ Links ]
4. Leszczynski D, Joenvaara S, Reivinen J, Kuokka R. Non-thermal activation of the hsp27/p38MAPK stress pathway by mobile phone radiation in human endothelial cells: Molecular mechanism for cancer-and blood-brain barrier-related effects. Differentiation. 2002;70(2-3):120-129. doi:10.1046/j.1432-0436.2002.700207.x , PMid:12076339 [ Links ]
5. Nylund R, Leszczynski D. Proteomics analysis of human endothelial cell line EA.hy926 after exposure to GSM 900 radiation. Proteomics. 2004;4(5):1359-1365. doi:10.1002/pmic.200300773, PMid:15188403 [ Links ]
6. Nylund R, Leszczynski D. Mobile phone radiation causes changes in gene and protein expression in human endothelial cell lines and the response seems to be genome- and proteome-dependent. Proteomics. 2006;6(17):4769-4780. doi:10.1002/pmic.200600076, PMid:16878295 [ Links ]
7. Remondini D, Nylund R, Reivinen J, et al. Gene expression changes in human cells after exposure to mobile phone microwaves. Proteomics. 2006;6(17):4745-4754. doi:10.1002/pmic.200500896, PMid:16878293 [ Links ]
8. Merola P, Marino C, Lovisolo GA, Pinto R, Laconi C, Negroni A. Proliferation and apoptosis in a neuroblastoma cell line exposed to 900 MHz modulated radiofrequency field. Bioelectromagnetics. 2006;27(3):164-171. doi:10.1002/bem.20201, PMid:16437547 [ Links ]
9. Qutob SS, Chauhan V, Bellier PV, et al. Microarray gene expression profiling of a human glioblastoma cell line exposed in vitro to a 1.9 GHz pulse-modulated radiofrequency field. Radiat Res. 2006;165(6):636-644. doi:10.1667/RR3561.1, PMid:16802863 [ Links ]
10. Whitehead TD, Moros EG, Brownstein BH, Roti Roti JL. Gene expression does not change significantly in C3H 10T(1/2) cells after exposure to 847.74 CDMA or 835.62 FDMA radiofrequency radiation. Radiat Res. 2006;165(6):626-635. doi:10.1667/RR3560.1, PMid:16802862 [ Links ]
11. Zeni O, Romano M, Perrotta A, et al. Evaluation of genotoxic effects in human peripheral blood leukocytes following an acute in vitro exposure to 900 MHz radiofrequency fields. Bioelectromagnetics. 2005;26(4):258-265. doi:10.1002/bem.20078, PMid:15832336 [ Links ]
12. Stronati L, Testa A, Moquet J, et al. 935 MHz cellular phone radiation. An in vitro study of genotoxicity in human lymphocytes. Int J Radiat Biol. 2006;82(5):339-346. doi:10.1080/09553000600739173, PMid:16782651 [ Links ]
13. Yu D, Shen Y, Kuster N, Fu Y, Chiang H. Effects of 900 MHz GSM wireless communication signals on DMBA-induced mammary tumors in rats. Radiat Res. 2006;165(2):174-180. doi:10.1667/RR3497.1, PMid:16435916 [ Links ]
14. Leszczynski D. The need for a new approach in studies of the biological effects of electromagnetic fields. Proteomics. 2006;6(17):4671-4673. doi:10.1002/pmic.200690099, PMid:16933341 [ Links ]
15. Collection ATC. Product description: MCF-7 [homepage on the Internet]. c2009 [cited 2011 July 19]. Available from: https://www.atcc.org/ATCCAdvancedCatalogSearch/ProductDetails/tabid/452/Default.aspx?ATCCNum=HTB-22&Template=cellBiology
16. Falzone N, Huyser C, Fourie F, Toivo T, Leszczynski D, Franken D. In vitro effect of pulsed 900 MHz GSM radiation on mitochondrial membrane potential and motility of human spermatozoa. Bioelectromagnetics. 2008;29(4):268-276. doi:10.1002/bem.20390, PMid:18163440 [ Links ]
17. Falzone N, Huyser C, Franken DR. Comparison between propidium iodide and 7-amino-actinomycin-D for viability assessment during flow cytometric analyses of the human sperm acrosome. Andrologia. 2010;42(1):20-26. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0272.2009.00949.x, PMid:20078512 [ Links ]
18. Falzone N, Huyser C, Becker P, Leszczynski D, Franken DR. The effect of pulsed 900-MHZ GSM mobile phone radiation on the acrosome reaction, head morphometry and zona binding of human spermatozoa. Int J Androl. 2011;34(1):20-26. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2605.2010.01054.x [ Links ]
19. SEMCAD X. Reference manual for the SEMCAD simulation platform for electromagnetic compatibility, antenna design and dosimetry. Zurich: SPEAG-Schmid & Partner Engineering AG. Available from: http://www.semcad.com [ Links ]
20. Liu Y, Peterson DA, Kimura H, Schubert D. Mechanism of cellular 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) reduction. J Neurochem. 1997;69(2):581-593. doi:10.1046/j.1471 4159.1997.69020581.x [ Links ]
21. Lillie RD. Histopathologic technic and practical histochemistry. New York: McGraw-Hill; 1965. [ Links ]
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23. Zhao HKS, Zhang H, Joseph J, Nithipatikom K, Vásquez-Vivar J, Kalyanaraman B. Superoxide reacts with hydroethidine but forms a fluorescent product that is distinctly different from ethidium: Potential implications in intracellular fluorescence detection of superoxide. Free Radical Biol Med. 2003;34(11):1359-1368. doi:10.1016/S0891-5849(03)00142-4 [ Links ]
24. Kojima H, Nakatsubo N, Kikuchi K, et al. Detection and imaging of nitric oxide with novel fluorescent indicators: Diaminofluoresceins. Anal Chem. 1998;70(13):2446-2453. doi:10.1021/ac9801723, PMid:9666719 [ Links ]
25. Huang TQ, Lee MS, Oh E, Zhang BT, Seo JS, Park WY. Molecular responses of Jurkat T-cells to 1763 MHz radiofrequency radiation. Int J Radiat Biol. 2008;84(9):734-741. doi:10.1080/09553000802317760, PMid:18821387 [ Links ]
26. Huang TQ, Lee MS, Oh EH, et al. Characterization of biological effect of 1763 MHz radiofrequency exposure on auditory hair cells. Int J Radiat Biol. 2008;84(11):909-915. doi:10.1080/09553000802460123, PMid:19016139 [ Links ]
27. Gurisik E, Warton K, Martin DK, Valenzuela SM. An in vitro study of the effects of exposure to a GSM signal in two human cell lines: Monocytic U937 and neuroblastoma SK-N-SH. Cell Biol Int. 2006;30(10):793-799. doi:10.1016/j.cellbi.2006.06.001, PMid:16877012 [ Links ]
28. Elhag MA, Nabil GM, Attia AM. Effects of electromagnetic field produced by mobile phones on the oxidant and antioxidant status of rats. Pak J Biol Sci. 2007;10(23):4271-4274. doi:10.3923/pjbs.2007.4271.4274 [ Links ]
29. Guney M, Ozguner F, Oral B, Karahan N, Mungan T. 900 MHz radiofrequency-induced histopathologic changes and oxidative stress in rat endometrium: Protection by vitamins E and C. Toxicol Ind Health. 2007;23(7):411-420. doi:10.1177/0748233707080906, PMid:18536493 [ Links ]
30. Oral B, Guney M, Ozguner F, et al. Endometrial apoptosis induced by a 900-MHz mobile phone: Preventive effects of vitamins E and C. Adv Ther. 2006;23(6):957-973. doi:10.1007/BF02850217, PMid:17276964 [ Links ]
31. Ozguner F, Altinbas A, Ozaydin M, et al. Mobile phone-induced myocardial oxidative stress: Protection by a novel antioxidant agent caffeic acid phenethyl ester. Toxicol Ind Health. 2005;21(9):223-230. doi:10.1191/0748233705th228oa, PMid:16342473 [ Links ]
32. Sokolovic D, Djindjic B, Nikolic J, et al. Melatonin reduces oxidative stress induced by chronic exposure of microwave radiation from mobile phones in rat brain. J Radiat Res (Tokyo). 2008;49(6):579-586. doi:10.1269/jrr.07077, PMid:18827438 [ Links ]
33. Yurekli AI, Ozkan M, Kalkan T, et al. GSM base station electromagnetic radiation and oxidative stress in rats. Electromagn Biol Med. 2006;25(3):177-188. doi:10.1080/15368370600875042, PMid:16954120 [ Links ]
34. Balci M, Devrim E, Durak I. Effects of mobile phones on oxidant/ antioxidant balance in cornea and lens of rats. Curr Eye Res. 2007;32(1):21-25. doi:10.1080/02713680601114948, PMid:17364731 [ Links ]
35. Joubert V, Leveque P, Rametti A, Collin A, Bourthoumieu S, Yardin C. Microwave exposure of neuronal cells in vitro: Study of apoptosis. Int J Radiat Biol. 2006;82(4):267-275. doi:10.1080/09553000600649232, PMid:16690594 [ Links ]
36. Palumbo R, Brescia F, Capasso D, et al. Exposure to 900 MHz radiofrequency radiation induces caspase 3 activation in proliferating human lymphocytes. Radiat Res. 2008;170(3):327-334. doi:10.1667/RR1098.1, PMid:18763855 [ Links ]
37. Janicke RU. MCF-7 breast carcinoma cells do not express caspase-3. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2009;117(1):219-221. [ Links ]
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Correspondence to:
Andre Stander
Postal address: Private Bag X323
Arcadia 0007, South Africa
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Received: 18 Nov. 2010
Accepted: 05 May 2011
Published: 14 Sept. 2011
© 2011. The Authors. Licensee: AOSIS OpenJournals. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.


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Timberwolves blow largest lead of season in loss to Suns
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Hours before Phoenix completed its biggest comeback of the season, coach Jeff Hornacek said the Suns needed to approach each remaining game as their last if they wanted to make the playoffs.
The Suns played more desperately than Minnesota on Sunday and inched closer to the Western Conference's final playoff spot. They also delivered a serious blow to the Timberwolves' fading postseason hopes.
Markieff Morris scored 25 points as the Suns overcame a 22-point deficit and a near triple-double by Kevin Love to beat the Wolves 127-120 and move within a half game of eighth-place Memphis.
Suns 127, Timberwolves 120
"We've had a few of those, haven't we?" Hornacek said. "I'm always proud of the way they come back at the end of games, they never give up. We were playing horribly for a half, maybe partway into the third quarter and somehow they ended up pulling that game out."
While Hornacek lamented his team's tendencies to start slow, the Suns were fortunate the Wolves — who fell six games behind Phoenix — have a habit of starting strong before fading. Now the Suns are hoping the Wolves' psyche can recover in time to put up big points again when they play at Memphis on Monday. Phoenix, meanwhile, continues its road trip in Atlanta.
"If we want to be contenders and be in the playoffs, we got to start showing it by winning these kind of games," P.J. Tucker said. "We came out and played in the second half."
Phoenix's bench outscored Minnesota's 61-20, and the Suns shot a season-high 57 percent from the floor to overcome Love's 36 points and 14 rebounds. The Wolves' All-Star forward fell an assist short of a triple double and committed a crucial turnover in the final minute.
With the game tied at 118, Love lost the ball in the paint and Eric Bledsoe made a fast-break layup. Gerald Green, Bledsoe and Tucker each hit a pair of free throws in the closing seconds.
"If we start out the game like that we'd probably be up 20," Bledsoe said.
The Suns tied a season high by allowing 41 points in the first quarter and trailed 103-93 heading in the final period, but they outscored the Wolves 34-17 in the fourth. Minnesota, meanwhile, blew its largest lead of the season.
"That was our playoffs right there, and we lost. So this one hurts a lot more than the others," a visibly frustrated Love said.
The Wolves scored a season-high 73 first-half points — they needed every one of them because the Suns shot 61 percent and still found themselves trailing by 11 at halftime.
Minnesota built its early lead thanks to a 14-0 first-quarter run fueled by a balanced offense. Every Wolves player who checked in scored. But Morris shot Phoenix back into the game with 15 points in the second quarter on 6 for 8 shooting.
"We should've won that game, plain and simple," Love said.
Phoenix has won five of its last six. Bledsoe had 21 points for the Suns, Tucker had 19 and Goran Dragic 18.
The Suns won for only the fifth time when trailing after three quarters.
"I'm so tired of doing that," Tucker said. "We get 20-25 down and it's like, `let's play.' It's unreal."
Notes: The officials hit Phoenix with four technical fouls, including one on an assistant coach. . . . Crews scrambled to prepare the court after Target Center hosted the National Collegiate Hockey Conference championship game Saturday night. They didn't have enough time to remove the ice, so they constructed the court above it for Sunday's game. . . . Wolves G J.J. Barea scored two points in his first game since spraining his left foot in Thursday's loss to Houston. Barea was questionable heading into the game but told coach Rick Adelman he felt better after warming up Sunday. . . . The Wolves have scored 30 points in the first quarter five straight games.


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Saturday, February 6, 2010
Live from Falls Church, Virginia, It's the Third Annual iGene Awards!
It's Academy awards time... time for the Academy of Genealogy and Family History, aka AGFH, to honor their best blog posts of 2009 in the following 5 categories: Best Picture, Best Screen Play, Best Documentary, Best Biography, and Best Comedy. Start digging back into your archives and choose which of your blog posts deserve to be recognized for outstanding achievement. This is not a competition between bloggers but a chance for you to spotlight your own shining efforts at recording your genealogy and family history in 2009.
Thanks to Jasia at Creative Gene for sponsoring this 90th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy.
Best Picture: I have been extremely lucky during my four and a half short years in genealogy to be on the receiving end of some amazing generosity by my "research cousins," and this year I received from my cousin George a picture of my paternal grandfather, Lawrence Carroll Brinlee, as detailed in Wordy Wednesday: About That Happy Dance. Having been born after both of my grandfathers died, I have always felt there was something missing, but at least I now know what they both looked like and know a bit about their lives. And if you look at the picture of Grandpa Lawrence, you might see some resemblance to my Uncle Bill.
Best Documentary goes to a series of posts, though I did not present them as a series, on my music-making Moore family: Memory Monday – Fiddles and My Family, I Was Wrong, and Musical Instruments – More on the Fiddling Moores. The first outlines how fiddles came to occupy such a place of importance for the Moores, the second has a picture and obituary of my Uncle Howard the fiddle-maker, and in the third I share some additional materials I found on my Uncle Howard and Aunt Joy as well as a video featuring the Violano Virtuoso, an unusual mechanical instrument that my Uncle Howard owned. If you made a movie from these posts, the best part would be the soundtrack (think O Brother, Where Art Thou?).
Best Biography goes to Uncle, Uncle – William Henry Lewis: A Little Man Who Stood Tall. W. H. Lewis was such a fascinating person and led such an interesting life in his 95 years that this article practically wrote itself. And yet, I almost missed learning all of this; only my curiosity at seeing him and his wife twice listed as boarders in the household of another family led to a series of events that ended in one of my biggest finds and a real genealogical treasure chest.
Best Screenplay would go to the two-part series submitted for the Orphans and Orphans Carnival of Genealogy: Searching for Preston Moore and The Two Preston Moores. It is in the form of a mystery and takes place in two centuries, the 19th and the 21st. At the heart of the story is the "why" behind our search for our ancestors; it is not just an endless pursuit to learn the names and accomplishments of our direct ancestors, but often becomes a heartrending quest to find our "forgotten" relatives. Filling the main roles would be Gary Cooper and Mildred Natwick as Preston's parents Spencer and Emily Moore, with a young Jeffrey Hunter or a teenaged Tommy Rettig as Preston, and as the researcher … hmm … how about Sharon Gless?
Best Comedy goes to The Language of Cats: An Illustrated Glossary. Another post that wrote itself. After I spent hours selecting the pictures, that is. The cinematographer never gets any real credit.
Now for my long-winded acceptance speech.
This is usually the part of my blog post where the "spoof" starts. However, I'm going to buck the trend and get serious here (even though the purpose and spirit of the iGenes is mainly a light-hearted self-review of our blogs over the past year).
I have often said that I never really learned how to research until I started genealogy. The other thing that has surprised me is that writing a genealogy blog and reading others' blogs has taught me a lot about writing.
When I say that the geneablogging community is like an online university, I mean it. And this applies to our writing efforts. When we submit our work, however, instead of getting a paper back all marked in red, we see what attracts our readers' attention initially and what keeps their attention and compels them to comment. And by reading others' blogs we see what works for them. So it is a very gentle way of "teaching." We learn that we should strive to do our best, but that we cannot always be perfect and occasionally we have to hit the PUBLISH POST button when we can tweak no longer. The information should be shared, whether or not the post has been polished to gem-like perfection. And when we learn that lesson, we are able to write and publish quickly enough and often enough that we can learn from the experience – practice may not make perfect, but it sure makes a heckuva lot better.
We have learned to develop our own styles. Some are chatty; some are laconic. Some are matter-of-fact, while others exercise their imaginations to walk a few steps in their ancestors' shoes. Some of our fellow GeneaBloggers came to blogging from professions or avocations that were centered around their writing skills, so blogging has been a way to focus and sharpen these skills even further. "If you enjoy writing, you should start a blog!" The problem was, I did not enjoy writing…. In my profession, where I translate other people's words, I used to see writing my own words as a time-consuming chore. Everything had to be perfect, as though it were a paper submitted for a grade in a class. The way I got around that inhibiting "need to be perfect" was to imagine myself speaking to another person, a sympathetic audience of one, write the words down as they came into my head, and then edit out excess verbiage and make corrections and improvements. And I learned that sometimes we need to remove that mask of insouciance and detachment and write with sincerity.
I do not kid myself that blogging has made me a "real" writer or that my skills do not still leave much to be desired, but I am enjoying my "classroom experience" in the GeneaBlogging community. I enjoy seeing new bloggers take those first few tentative steps, just as I did in the fall of 2008, interact with their readers and fellow bloggers, and acquire the skills and confidence to try new things and write about their genealogy research and other subjects with both precision and panache.
To my fellow GeneaBloggers, to those such as Jasia, Thomas, footnoteMaven, Amy, and Randy who orchestrate Geneablogging community efforts and encourage new genealogy writers, to those who write blogs, and to those who read and comment on my blog: Thank you. You are my teachers.
14 comments:
Me thinks you write just fine, and snow storms seem to bring out the best in you.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousFebruary 6, 2010 at 3:44 PM
Don't kid YOURSELF - you ARE a REAL WRITER!!!!ReplyDelete
that was inspiring! T'was a worthwhile university leture/course in itself!
You are a true shining star in the Genealogy-blogging community Greta. I count you among the best writers and I always enjoy reading your blog posts.ReplyDelete
Your choices for the iGene awards are terrific!
I love how you write! :) Keep 'em coming!ReplyDelete
I mentioned you in my SNGF post! :) http://herstoryan.blogspot.com/2010/02/sngf-super-bowl-of-genealogy.htmlReplyDelete
Carol, Donna, Joan, Jasia, Lori, and Herstoryan - thank you for your kind comments; I am flabbergasted! And Herstoryan, thank you for including me on the team - I am ready to do my defensive duty! All the fun (SNGF) and reminiscing (iGene) this weekend in the snow has certainly been enjoyable!ReplyDelete
Greta, Greta, Greta! If I could only write half as well as you do, I'd have it made. You always make me feel like I am right there in the story.ReplyDelete
Oh, Sheri, you make me blush! And I am in awe of your writing - your personality comes through so well in what you write. It's really hard for me to do that; sometimes it's as through the words want to tie themselves in knots.ReplyDelete
Yes, my friend you are a writer. But more than a writer, you are a storyteller. Storytelling is a gift. A gift you polish and hone with every post and memorable comment.ReplyDelete
Thank you for naming me. I started just like you after a publisher told me that to get published I must come blogging. But it is turned into "romancing the blog." Much more fulfilling than I ever thought it would be.
The GeneaUniverse is so much better for having you among its shining stars.
Oh Greta, the "Language of Cats" post is priceless. I missed it when first posted, so I'm so glad you included it here.ReplyDelete
fM, you have brought tears to my eyes - I am so touched by your words. And what makes me proudest is to be deemed a friend. The GeneaUniverse - I love it!ReplyDelete
Tonia, I am so happy that you enjoyed that post. And it gives me an idea - I think I'll make a separate page for all my "Language of Cats" posts (there are a couple of others and I hope to add a few). Thanks!ReplyDelete
Great post, truer words were never spoken! I also loved your post about William Henry Lewis.ReplyDelete


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Helsinki Plant Tram is a participatory urban gardening project in which a stunning garden—with planters that form a representation of a "magical tram line"—was populated with plants that were donated by members of the public who traveled, en mass, via public transit to bring their contributions to the garden. The project was designed and produced by the London-based landscape practice Wayward Plants, in collaboration with the local environmental organization, Dodo, and it was commissioned by the British Council for World Design Capital Helsinki 2012.
The article above was submitted to us by an Inhabitat reader. Want to see your story on Inhabitat? Send us a tip by following this link. Remember to follow our instructions carefully to boost your chances of being chosen for publishing!
Wayward Plants describe that "The Plant Tram Urban Action… take[s] passengers on a journey to celebrate urban growing in Helsinki and to strengthen the network of growing spaces throughout the city. In partnership with Culture Tram and their mobile exhibition and performance platform, the Urban Action utilises the local tram network to create a mobile garden that journeys through the city of Helsinki to pick up passengers bringing donated plants."
Once passengers arrived at the garden, located at Suvilahti, a disused power plant and gasworks in the north east of the city, they were able to relax in amongst the extraordinary raised beds. The "magical tram" was inspired by both the public transit lines of the city as well as by the "iconic wooden roller coaster found at the Linnanmäki Amusement Park, which opened in Helsinki for the 1952 Olympics." The timber used for the structure was all recycled from the Wastelands XXXII European Students Assembly. Additionally, shipping containers were converted into an impromptu tram station, providing visitors with "filled with maps detailing the journeys that the plants have traveled."
The exhibition ran from September 6-16th, 2012, and the space is now being reconfigured to create a lasting legacy as a permanent urban garden at Suvilahti for Dodo.
+ Wayward Plants
+ The British Council
+ World Design Capital Helsinki 2012
All images © Wayward Plants
The article above was submitted to us by an Inhabitat reader. Want to see your story on Inhabitat? Send us a tip by following this link. Remember to follow our instructions carefully to boost your chances of being chosen for publishing!


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A Night Unto The Nations by Gilad Atzmon
In his latest Haarertz commentary, the Israeli political analyst Yoel Marcus wonders "How Israel became a night unto the nations?" Marcus is obviously nostalgic about the days where the great powers "were not only sympathetic to Israel's establishment, but admired its valor in repulsing the Arab states' onslaught."
Proudly he mentions the 'renowned foreign journalists' who came to Israel in 1948 and wrote "glowing reports about this war of David against Goliath". Noticeably, Marcus fails to mention or to grasp that the expulsion of the indigenous Palestinians from their villages and cities wasn't exactly a repetition of a 'David against Goliath' narrative. Quite the opposite, it was a story of a young organised Jewish army that ethnically cleansed a defenseless civilian population consisting mainly of peasants.
As it happens, just three years after the liberation of Auschwitz the newly formed Jewish state ethnically cleansed the vast majority of Palestine's indigenous population. Young IDF soldiers were following a racist doctrine that was categorically no different from the Nazi agenda. It was all about the establishment of a 'Jew only' state. For some peculiar reason Yoel Marcus is convinced that back then Israel was a light unto the nations. Miraculously, the Israelis are pretty efficient in forgetting their original sin. Like their Diaspora ancestors they adopted a banal vision of their historical narrative. This narrative repeats itself in many Jewish and Israeli holidays(1) and is usually described humorously as:
'They wanted to kill us, we survived, let's eat'.
But times have changed according to Marcus "admiration for Israel's strength gradually turned into resentment". Marcus grasps that "Israel's military might and its unrestrained use of this might have turned the David-versus-Goliath analogy into an asset for the Palestinians." Interestingly enough, Marcus fails to understand that for some time now, the public perception has reversed the roles. In the eyes of Palestinians, Israel has never been an innocent little kosher 'David'. In fact it has always been a crude monstrous genocidal entity. True, Zionists managed to fool the nations for many years presenting Israel as an harmless lost child who 'returned' home after 2000 years. The facts are now disclosed. The Jewish nation is an invention. The return saga is based on a fantasy. The only facts surrounding the Jewish state are the barbarian and merciless tactics it performs day by day.
Marcus notes that the reputation of Israel shifted radically. It is now regarded as aggressive and domineering. Unlike Alan Dershowitz who myopically insists that Israeli support in American campuses is guaranteed, Marcus is honest and brave enough to admit that American universities are becoming pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli. "That is dangerous" he says "because this is where America's future leaders are bred."
Marcus, however, is obviously extremely naive. Like most Israeli leftists he believes that Israel's trouble started in 1967 with the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. Marcus, like most Israelis, is convinced that once occupation ends the Jewish State would once again surf the waves of glowing admiration. Marcus fails to understand that Israel has past the no-return-zone. In spite of the fact that he has written for Haaretz for decades and must be familiar with the most intimate details of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Marcus, like most Israelis, manages to miss what the Palestinian cause is all about. He somehow dismisses the 1948 Nakba and the refugee issue.
Shockingly enough, in the eyes of the Zio-centric journalist, Palestinians and Goyim in general are an easy target for manipulation. It is this exact tendency that led to the birth of Israel's 'unilateral' philosophy. We the Jews will do what we have to do, the world will follow. In Ben Gurion's words: "it doesn't matter what the Goyim say, all that matters is what Jews do."
Marcus is concerned. Israel's reputation is falling apart "From a light unto the nations, Israel has become a maligned and ostracized nation".... "Ever since Operation Cast Lead in Gaza officers in the Israel Defense Forces have been at risk every time they land in an international airport". However, Marcus is not at all concerned with the fact that he himself is living on stolen land. Morality seems to be beyond him. There is not a single reference to ethics in his entire article. For Marcus and other Israeli leftists, it is all about the exchange rate. It is all about give and take rather than self reflection that may lead into a long overdue ethical realisation.
Marcus wants Israel to be a light unto the nations. He doesn't understand that this is not going to happen. The window of opportunity is closing down. The disclosure of Israeli barbarism together with the exposure of its relentless lobbies around the world makes it very clear. Israel is not just night unto the nations. It is actually a total nightmare and embarrassment to humanity and humanism.
(1) Hanukah, Passover, Israeli Independence day etc.


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|Author Spotlights
Featured Author: Jojo Moyes
Jojo Moyes was born in 1969 and grew up in London. After a varied career including stints as a minicab controller, typer of braille statements for blind people for NatWest, and brochure writer for Club 18-30, she did a degree at Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, London University. In 1992, she won a bursary financed by The Independent newspaper to attend the postgraduate newspaper journalism course at City University.
She worked as a journalist for ten years, including a year at South China Morning Post in Hong Kong, and nine at The Independent where she worked variously as News Reporter, Assistant News Editor and Arts and Media Correspondent.
Jojo has been a full time novelist since 2002, when her first book, Sheltering Rain was published. Since then she has written a further eleven novels. She has won the Romantic Novelist's Award twice, and Me Before You has been nominated for Book of the Year at the UK Galaxy Book Awards. Me Before You has since gone on to sell over 8 million copies worldwide.
Jojo lives (and writes!) on a farm in Essex, England with her husband, journalist Charles Arthur, and their three children.
Website: https://www.jojomoyes.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JojoMoyesAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jojomoyes
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jojomoyesofficial/
Still Me - 2018
Honeymoon in Paris - 2017
After You - 2016
After You - 2015
Paris for One & Other Stories - 2015
The One Plus One - 2014
Me Before You - 2012
Honeymoon in Paris - 2012
The Girl You Left Behind - 2012
The Last Letter From Your Lover - 2010
The Horse Dancer - 2009
Night Music - 2008
Silver Bay - 2007
The Ship of Brides - 2005
Foreign Fruit - 2003
Sheltering Rain - 2002


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Winter sunrise
Sunrise over the Athabasca River at Old Fort Point
First Frost
First frost at Saturday Night Lake in Jasper National Park
Waning moon
Waning moon over Jasper National Park
Mt Edith Cavell by full moon
The full moon lights up Mt. Edith Cavell from the shore of Cavell Lake, Jasper National Park.
Standing Guard
The Ramparts tower over Amethyst Lake in Jasper's Tonquin Valley
Tonquin spring
The Ramparts guard over the Astoria River in the Tonquin Valley, Jasper National Park
Fall among aspens
Aspen Forest on MIette Lake trail, Jasper National Park
Weathering a storm
The cliffs of Mt. Kerkeslin in afternoon winter light, Jasper National Park
Sunrise over Brussels Peak in Jasper National Park
Jasper lake in winter
Shore of Jasper Lake in winter
Jasper lake dunes in winter
Dunes along shore of Jasper Lake in winter
Ice Flowers
Ice flowers on Patricia Lake
Forest on shore of Pyramid Lake in the snow
Amethyst lake beach
The Ramparts tower over a small beach at Amethyst Lake in the Tonquin Valley
First light on the Medicine Lake Slabs on a cold winter morning in Jasper National Park
Mt Colin Slabs
The slabs of Mt Colin in winter
Rippled sand formations in the Athabasca River, Jasper National Park
Melt water mixes with fresh snow on Pyramid Lake in Jasper National Park