text:
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a parasite protein that has all the makings of a microbial glass jaw: It's essential, it's vulnerable and humans have nothing like it, meaning scientists can take pharmacological swings at it with minimal fear of collateral damage.
The protein, calcium dependent protein kinase 1 (CDPK1), is made by Toxoplasma gondii, the toxoplasmosis parasite; cryptosporidium, which causes diarrhea; plasmodium, which causes malaria; and other similar parasites known as apicomplexans.
In the May 20 issue of Nature, researchers report that genetically suppressing CDPK1 blocks the signals that toxoplasma parasites use to control their movement, preventing them from moving in and out of host cells. They also found that toxoplasma's version of CDPK1 is easier to disable than expected and identified a compound that effectively blocks its signaling ability.
"Kinases are proteins that are common throughout biology, but the structures of CDPKs in apicomplexans much more closely resemble those found in plants than they do those of animals," says senior author L. David Sibley, PhD, professor of molecular microbiology. "We showed that these differences can be exploited to identify potent and specific inhibitors that may provide new interventions against disease."
Infection with toxoplasma is most familiar to the general public from the recommendation that pregnant women avoid changing cat litter. Cats are commonly infected with the parasite, as are many livestock and wildlife. Humans also can become infected by eating undercooked meat or by drinking water contaminated with spores shed by cats.
Epidemiologists estimate that as many as one in every four humans worldwide is infected with toxoplasma. Infections are typically asymptomatic, only causing serious disease in patients with weakened immune systems. In some rare cases, though, infection in patients with healthy immune systems leads to serious eye or central nervous system disease, or congenital defects in the fetuses of pregnant women.
Sibley studies toxoplasma both to find ways to reduce human infection rates and as a model for learning about other apicomplexans, such as plasmodium, that are more significant sources of disease and death.
The new study, led by graduate student Sebastian Lourido, began as an effort to determine what CDPK1 does for toxoplasma. Researchers genetically modified the parasite, eliminating its normal copy of CDPK1 and replacing it with a version of the gene that they could turn on and off. When they turned the new gene off, they found that they had paralyzed the parasite, preventing it from moving and from breaking into and out of host cells. Turning the gene back on restored these abilities.
Further tests revealed that CDPK1 controls toxoplasma's ability to secrete microneme proteins, sticky proteins that act as handholds and allow the parasites to move about their environment and pass through host cell membranes.
In a separate collaborative paper published earlier this month in Nature Structural and Molecular Biology, scientists in the laboratory of co-author Raymond Hui, PhD, principal investigator of parasitology at the Structural Genomics Consortium of the University of Toronto, determined the three-dimensional structure of the CDPK1 protein. Researchers found that the area drugs would normally bind in order to disable the protein was more accessible than in virtually all other kinases, including those that control signaling in humans.
"To our surprise, CDPK1 just has a naturally large keyhole for inhibitors to slide into," Lourido says. "This good fortune allowed us to exploit bulky kinase inhibitors that had been previously pioneered by the laboratory of Kevan Shokat, PhD, professor of cellular and molecular pharmacology at the University of California, San Francisco, and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator."
When tested on parasites, the bulky inhibitors successfully blocked CDPK1 function and parasite infectivity without affecting human cells.
Lourido suspects CDPK1 may play a similar role in plasmodium, but its version of the protein is predicted to be harder to selectively target with inhibitors. Little is known about what CDPK1 does in cryptosporidium, but since it shares close similarity to toxoplasma, it may also be essential and susceptible to inhibition by similar compounds.
Sibley and Lourido plan to learn more of the details of how CDPK1 controls microneme secretion, using toxoplasma as a model to study the functions of parasites and how they differ from human cells. The successful toxoplasma inhibitor is now undergoing further testing in animals to see if it can eventually be adapted for clinical use to prevent infection in humans.
Lourido S, Shuman J, Zhang C, Shokat KM, Hui R, Sibley LD. Calcium-dependent protein kinase 1 is an essential regulator of exocytosis in Toxoplasma. Nature, May 20, 2010.
Funding from the American Heart Association and the National Institutes of Health supported this research.
Washington University School of Medicine's 2,100 employed and volunteer faculty physicians also are the medical staff of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's hospitals. The School of Medicine is one of the leading medical research, teaching and patient care institutions in the nation, currently ranked fourth in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked to BJC HealthCare.


text:
Dayton Racino Could Lead To 1,000 Jobs For Region
< < Back toOfficials say the new Dayton racino expected to open in October could lead to around 1,000 jobs for the region.
The Dayton Daily News reports that harness racing will begin Oct. 3 at the $125 million Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway. It's currently being built on the 125-acre site of an old automotive plant in north Dayton.
The racino also will have at least 1,000 video slot machines, with the possibility of up to 1,500.
Gary Dewitt, vice president and general manager of the racino, said the 1,000 jobs include positions expected at the track itself and those expected through the development of new restaurants, hotels and other businesses near the site.
Dewitt says about one-third of the racino jobs are expected to be offered to Dayton residents.

subset: commoncrawl


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Just one teacher trying to make a difference for her children
April 20th 2015
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© Sway Grantham 2020 - Version: 1.14


text:
This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
President Obama's list of executive orders and legislative proposals intended to reduce firearms deaths in the United States is reasonable, balanced and worthy of support. The program, entitled "Now Is the Time," does not, and would not, violate the Second Amendment or deny any American reasonable means of defending their persons, families and property.
Suggestions such as the one that drifted up from Washington County the other day that the state of Utah can or should nullify those actions within its borders is an irrational reaction that might sound good in a tea party fundraising appeal, but makes no rational or constitutional sense.
No amount of orders or laws will completely protect us and our children from the acts of crazy people with weapons. But it would be an unnecessary and uncivilized capitulation to a life of fear and violence if we were not to take the kind of actions that the president is now behind.
What should be notable about the president's plan, announced Wednesday, is how much of it mirrors actions advocated by the National Rifle Association and other gun-rights groups. Rather than simply ban a wide range of weapons or expect that any kind of gun confiscation program would be accepted or practical, the Obama plan highlights such things as being more proactive about treating and monitoring people known to be mentally ill, stationing police officers and taking other security measures to protect schools, and doing a better job of enforcing existing laws.
The president is calling for a renewed prohibition of military-style assault weapons, of ammo clips that carry more than 10 rounds and of armor-piercing bullets. He also wants background checks for all firearm purchases, not just those conducted by a licensed dealer. Those are among the proposals that will require acts of Congress to be realized.
On his own, though, Obama is ordering a raft of actions, ranging from simple letters encouraging gun dealers to share their background-check system with individual gun sellers, to better tracking of gun thefts and illegal firearms uses. Most important is the president's plan to have agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control gather unbiased scientific data on the deaths and injury caused by guns, a most rational act that Congress has long sought to ban.
Not one of these acts should instill a shred of fear in law-abiding citizens. If Utah politicians want to gin up their constituents into active resentment of their federal government to boost the kind of states rights defiance that lost its currency way back at Appomattox Court House they should look elsewhere.


text:
Crossing the street,
I saw the parents and the child
At their window, gleaming like fruit
With evening's mild gold leaf.
In a room on the floor below,
Sunless, cooler—a brimming
Saucer of wax, marbly and dim—
I have lit what's left of my life.
I have thrown out yesterday's milk
And opened a book of maxims.
The flame quickens. The word stirs.
Tell me, tongue of fire,
That you and I are as real
At least as the people upstairs.
My father, who had flown in World War I,
Might have continued to invest his life
In cloud banks well above Wall Street and wife.
But the race was run below, and the point was to win.
Too late now, I make out in his blue gaze
(Through the smoked glass of being thirty-six)
The soul eclipsed by twin black pupils, sex
And business; time was money in those days.
Each thirteenth year he married. When he died
There were already several chilled wives
In sable orbit—rings, cars, permanent waves.
We'd felt him warming up for a green bride.
He could afford it. He was "in his prime"
At three score ten. But money was not time.
When my parents were younger this was a popular act:
A veiled woman would leap from an electric, wine-dark car
To the steps of no matter what—the Senate or the Ritz Bar—
And bodily, at newsreel speed, attack
No matter whom—Al Smith or José María Sert
Or Clemenceau—veins standing out on her throat
As she yelled War mongerer! Pig! Give us the vote!,
And would have to be hauled away in her hobble skirt.
What had the man done? Oh, made history.
Her business (he had implied) was giving birth,
Tending the house, mending the socks.
Always that same old story—
Father Time and Mother Earth,
A marriage on the rocks.
One afternoon, red, satyr-thighed
Michael, the Irish setter, head
Passionately lowered, led
The child I was to a shut door. Inside,
Blinds beat sun from the bed.
The green-gold room throbbed like a bruise.
Under a sheet, clad in taboos
Lay whom we sought, her hair undone, outspread,
And of a blackness found, if ever now, in old
Engravings where the acid bit.
I must have needed to touch it
Or the whiteness—was she dead?
Her eyes flew open, startled strange and cold.
The dog slumped to the floor. She reached for me. I fled.
Tonight they have stepped out onto the gravel.
The party is over. It's the fall
Of 1931. They love each other still.
She: Charlie, I can't stand the pace.
He: Come on, honey—why, you'll bury us all!
A lead soldier guards my windowsill:
Khaki rifle, uniform, and face.
Something in me grows heavy, silvery, pliable.
How intensely people used to feel!
Like metal poured at the close of a proletarian novel,
Refined and glowing from the crucible,
I see those two hearts, I'm afraid,
Still. Cool here in the graveyard of good and evil,
They are even so to be honored and obeyed.
. . . Obeyed, at least, inversely. Thus
I rarely buy a newspaper, or vote.
To do so, I have learned, is to invite
The tread of a stone guest within my house.
Shooting this rusted bolt, though, against him,
I trust I am no less time's child than some
Who on the heath impersonate Poor Tom
Or on the barricades risk life and limb.
Nor do I try to keep a garden, only
An avocado in a glass of water—
Roots pallid, gemmed with air. And later,
When the small gilt leaves have grown
Fleshy and green, I let them die, yes, yes,
And start another. I am earth's no less.
A child, a red dog roam the corridors,
Still, of the broken home. No sound. The brilliant
Rag runners halt before wide-open doors.
My old room! Its wallpaper—cream, medallioned
With pink and brown—brings back the first nightmares,
Long summer colds, and Emma, sepia-faced,
Perspiring over broth carried upstairs
Aswim with golden fats I could not taste.
The real house became a boarding school.
Under the ballroom ceiling's allegory
Someone at last may actually be allowed
To learn something; or, from my window, cool
With the unstiflement of the entire story,
Watch a red setter stretch and sink in cloud.
..............this was an interesting stanza....great write ~ And of a blackness found, if ever now, in old Engravings where the acid bit. I must have needed to touch it Or the whiteness—was she dead? Her eyes flew open, startled strange and cold. The dog slumped to the floor. She reached for me. I fled. ~
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem


text:
Euterpe edulis
Welcome to the PACSOA Palms and Cycads wiki !
If you have any information about this plant, please help by updating this article. Once you are registered you can contribute, change, or correct the text, and even add photos on this page. Click on the edit tab above and play around. Any mistake can be easily corrected, so don't be afraid. |
Contents |
Common Names:
Jucara Palm,
Distribution & Habitat:
An emergent rainforest palm, it is found cross large areas of south-eastern Brazil, Ecuador, Argentina, and Paraguay.
A tall, slim, solitary palm to 8m high, with an attractive crown of drooping leaves, and a coloured crownshaft.
The palm heart is very commonly eaten, typically steamed. Because this is a highly prized dish, (often called "Millioniares salad" due to its price), and it is a single stemmed plant, (and not suckering like its brother E. oleracea, so collection of the palm heart is always fatal), the populations of the plant are being put under pressure in some areas.
Warm sheltered, and moist, but well drained. Likes filtered sun when young, but can take full sun as it matures.
Contributed by:
Daryl O'Connor (Figure 1.)
Gaston Torres Vera,
Cordoba, Argentina (Figures 2)


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We are so happy to announce our newest educator at Scraps of Darkness!
Shanna Shands!
Here is a bit about Shanna!
Hi everyone. My name is Shanna, and I am one of those stay at home
mothers who went from all work and no play to all play and no work! I
have always loved various types of crafting but started really
scrapbooking in 2004. However, my true passion came forth when it was
time for daughter's first birthday in 2010. I could not find the right
birthday invite so I went on a search to make some and the
magic happened where I fell in love! That following year in 2011 I
found copics and taught myself to color. I then began the collection of
rubber stamps and papers, not looking back once. Now I have stepped
further into the creative world of art and enjoy creating pieces but not
limited to: altered art, mixed media, ATCs, cards, scrapbook layouts,
and other 3d projects.
Thanks for stopping by!


text:
AudioQuest : VICTORIA (Mini to Mini) (1.0M)
Over 50,000 people have bungee jumped off the Victoria Falls Bridge, thrilling to a drop of 111 metres (364 ft) in front of spectacular Victoria Falls. The bridge crosses the Zambezi River, which is the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia in South-Eastern Africa. While neither the highest nor widest falls in the world, Victoria Falls is the largest sheet of falling water in the world with a width of 1,708 meters (5,604 ft) and height of 108 meters (354 ft).
Perfect-Surface Copper+ has an astonishingly smooth and pure surface. Proprietary metal-processing technology protects the wire's surface at every stage of drawing and fabrication. When high-purity low-oxide copper is kept as soft, pure and smooth as possible, it becomes a wonderfully low-distortion PSC+ conductor. PSC+ is manufactured by applying the same exceptional technology to an ultra-pure copper. The resulting sound quality is even more focused and simply less in the way. For over 30 years AudioQuest has pioneered the use of superior metals; yet even we were surprised by the huge leap in performance made possible with Perfect-Surface Technology. PSC+ simply outperforms all previously available copper metals at any price. All of Victoria's conductors are solid. Electrical and magnetic interaction between strands in a conventional cable is the greatest source of distortion, often causing a somewhat dirty, harsh sound. Solid conductors are fundamental toward achieving Victoria's very clean sound.
Any solid material adjacent to a conductor is actually part of an imperfect circuit. Wire insulation and circuit board materials all absorb energy (loss). Some of this energy is stored and then released as distortion. All of Victoria's conductors use PE Air-Tube Insulation because air absorbs next to no energy, and Polyethylene is low-loss and has a benign distortion profile. PE Air-Tube Insulation causes much less of the out-of-focus effect common to other materials.
DIELECTRIC-BIAS SYSTEM (DBS, US Pat #s 7,126,055 & 7,872,195 B1):
All insulation slows down the signal on the conductor inside. When insulation is unbiased, it slows down parts of the signal differently, a big problem for very time-sensitive multi-octave audio. AudioQuest's DBS creates a strong, stable electrostatic field which saturates and polarizes (organizes) the molecules of the insulation. This minimizes both energy storage in the insulation and the multiple nonlinear time-delays that occur. Sound appears from a surprisingly black background with unexpected detail and dynamic contrast. The DBS battery packs will last for years. A test button and LED allow for the occasional battery check.
100% shield coverage is easy. Preventing captured RF Interference from modulating the equipment's ground reference requires AQ's Noise-Dissipation System. Metal and Carbon-Loaded synthetics prevent most RFI from reaching the equipment's ground plane.
Purpose designed for single-ended applications, Double-Balanced Asymmetrical Geometry offers a relatively lower impedance on the ground for a richer, and more dynamic experience. While many single-ended cable designs use a single path for both the ground and the shield, Double-Balanced designs separate the two for cleaner, quieter performance.
This plug design allows for a connection devoid of solder, which is a common source of distortion. Because the ground shells are stamped instead of machined, the metal can be chosen for low distortion instead of machinability. Red-Copper offers a cleaner, clearer sound over nickel-plated or OFHC metals commonly found in competing manufacturers' plugs. Direct-Silver Plating offers one more important step toward greater clarity and doing no harm to the signal.


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"I am entirely satisfied that the allegations, although untested before a court, of sexual, physical and emotional harm, and deprivation of the rights of the children to an education are sufficiently grave and serious that intervention of a court is immediately warranted," the judge said, adding that these children were at risk of suffering emotional or psychological harm.----Superior Court Justice Lynda Templeton. SOURCE
This post [started March 23, 2014] will be ongoing and will be written as it is written. It will consist of notes reflecting my random thoughts about the Lev Tahor case. It will end as it ends. I want peace and love and justice for all, even when that is what we often continue to work against.
Random Thoughts From My Disquiet.
"Documented allegations."
The wheel is still in spin and with it my feelings about the Lev Tahor case. Despite the flurry around and within, I have not budged one inch from the conclusion which I shared when I first commented on this matter. My position remains that despite the pressure of public opinion, I cannot, and must not, at this point in time and with the evidence that has been made available to us, support any of the allegations which have been made against the Lev Tahor community.
Somehow, despite energetic and intrusive investigations, those allegations of abuse have just stubbornly refused to upgrade themselves to facts. To their credit, the news reporters, though their biases are revealed in other ways, have all been united in respecting that status, and have been careful to use "alleged" and "allegations of" when referring to the stories of abuses under investigation. Sometimes I have seen "documented allegations" used, but that is as far as the envelope has been pushed towards giving the allegations more authority.
I don't feel that I have to apologise for my sluggishness, for the fact that I am handicapped by the lack of evidence. Like the lame child in the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin, my disability has prevented me from going the way of all the other fleet-footed children who danced gaily behind the Piper and were lost. Also like that child left behind, I cannot help but wonder about the destination from which I have thus far been excluded. Would my disquiet have been erased there?
"Think about the Children!"
I know that accusers, whatever their motivations, are free to make the wildest allegations without evidence and even anonymously. I understand the job of the authorities to act upon those allegations, to investigate and to ensure by finding, or not finding evidence that either the accused are guilty or not guilty. But are the authorities allowed to penalise without evidence? Is this how child protection works in this country? Are the accused guilty until proven innocent? And can children's protective services in Canada really bear the scrutiny now that it is in the spotlight? In the course of my reading I have come across dozens and dozens of articles about the nightmares that have been created by child protection services in this country, and how many innocent guardians and/or their entire families have been traumatised sometimes beyond repair.
Here are a few links if you can handle the disquiet:
Court Watch on Vimeo.
"The Rev Stephen Rudd from Hamilton, Ontario speaks about his experience with the CAS [Children' Aid Society] during his 25 years as a church Minister. He has seen countless horror stories of children and families being abused by Ontario's privately operated CAS agencies.
Rev Rudd believes that the government of Ontario must take the job of protecting children out of the hands of unaccountable CAS agencies and put this task under the direct control of government ministries who would be accountable."
Former director of the Children's Aid Society of the Districts of Sudbury speaks out. Larry Killens. Letter to the Editor – January 2012. Ontario Commission for Accountability.
The Trailer for the deeply disturbing documentary -
Recently added [Via Yakov]: Children's Aid horrors. By Michael Coren | The Interim | Thursday, April 24, 2014.
Fatal Care Series. The results of a six-month investigation by the Edmonton Journal and Calgary Herald into Alberta's child welfare fatalities. National Newspaper Awards for investigative reporting and news photography.
Barbara Kay: The problem with Children's Aid Societies. By Barbara Kay| National Post | February 27, 2013.
Alberta reveals hundreds more children died while receiving provincial care. Roundtable to review deaths in foster care. By Karen Kleiss. Edmonton Journal, January 9, 2014.
New minister Bhullar says inquiry into deaths of kids in government care not needed. By James Wood, Calgary Herald December 12, 2013
Families will be free to speak about children who have died in care: Alberta human services minister. By Karen Kleiss. Edmonton Journal, February 28, 2014.
The unlawful practice of social work in Ontario by unregulated CAS workers who provide services to the public under false pretence. Published by Vernon Beck, Child and Family Justice Advocate. Working paper – July 1, 2013.
UNDERSTANDING CHILDREN'S AID: MEANING AND PRACTICE IN ONTARIO CHILDREN'S AID SOCIETIES, 1893 - 1912 by Michael Reid.
A Thesis Submitted to the Department of Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts Canadian Studies and Indigenous Studies, Trent UniversityJanuary 2009 © Copyright by Michael Reid, December 2008.
"There's A Kind of Hush."
I need to hear some discussion about the "documented allegations" and the contents of the unsealed transcripts released thus far and how they have advanced the case of the accusers. Who has asked aloud, apart from the lawyers for the media, why there was secrecy in the first place? These are the same lawyers who successfully petitioned to have some of the court transcripts unsealed.
I agree completely with Judge Sheindlin who said:
"....closed courtrooms protect two things – bad judges and bad lawyers.
"They also protect bad institutions that serve those courts, such as social services," she continued. "They [cameras] should be there as the norm. If you have a specific exclusion, then you make it."
When finally the transcripts were partially unsealed, we got to read about such pertinent revelations as the "odd silence" heard by the social workers visiting the abandoned Lev Tahor compound. Apparently that "odd silence" has also drowned out the voices that should be asking questions. Apart from the quietly or rabidly convinced, I imagine that the undecided concerned are silently thinking thoughts like: "Where there is smoke, there is fire." "What if it turns out that they are guilty?" "What do we really know about this religious community?" What if they really are a dangerous cult?" "For the sake of the children, we just have to back off, cross our fingers and let justice take its course."
The problem for me is that in this case I find those doubts less disturbing than the "odd silence" that floods my brain whenever I ask myself the question, "Upon whom does the burden of proof rest and have they convinced me beyond a reasonable doubt that they were justified in ordering the removal of people's children?"
Thundering also is the "odd silence" from the legal luminaries and the lack of their enlightening commentary on this case. If, for whatever reasons, they cannot risk being critical at this point, then can they at least reassure us that we should not let our hearts be troubled? Instead, the few who have commented, jumped nimbly on to musings about the terrain of the ongoing chase and how domestic and international law could be used by the hunted or hunter to find refuge or to enable capture. Another reverently espoused the need for secrecy in these cases. With what we know about the appalling actions of child protection services in Canada, I think that secrecy is the last thing that we need in this case. Where are the lawyers who can explain to us how it is that the law presides over the removal of children from their families BEFORE allegations of abuse have been proven?
I keep wanting to go back to the court order issued in Quebec on Wednesday 27 November 2013 and later, almost as if under pressure, upheld in Ontario. Upon what evidence was that original order to remove the children based? What was it exactly that made the Quebec welfare authorities describe the situation for some children as "serious". How do the rest of us make the leap from things like foot fungus to separation of children from their parents?
As I said before, couldn't all of this have been resolved with the children left in situ? Can anyone explain to those of us uninitiated in the ways of the law, how the situation "establishes a presumption of neglect against children."
Is anyone sharing my disquiet? Has anyone heard the wider and odder silence? Is there nothing here to be discussed about Canada's handling of this case? Are we looking away until there is a new distracting development in a far away place called Guatemala?
"Objects in the rearview mirror are closer than they appear."
Sharpened now by hindsight is the significance of the 2007 exodus of the fifteen Mennonite farming families from Quebec. What was the disquiet that compelled them to make the drastic decision to abandon their beautiful farms and the solid connections which they had made with the community? Which authority took care then to report with equally dramatic concern on the "odd silence" which their absence must have left upon the landscape of Roxton Falls, east of Montreal?
Like the Lev Tahor community, they also were not adhering strictly to the Quebec curriculum. Because of their religious beliefs, they also could not in good conscience teach their children about ideas anathema to them. It was also alleged that authorities had threatened to remove their children and put them in foster homes.
When they fled to Alexandria, Ontario, where the laws are more accepting, they left behind the homes and farms in which they had invested their labour, love and hopes. Even though the Mayor of Roxton Falls did not want to lose the Mennonites, even though he had praised their contribution to the community and had pleaded on their behalf to Education Minister Michelle Courchesne to allow their school to stay open, eventually they had no choice but to uproot and leave.
See here, here and here.
"We hoped to grow old here," a tearful Ron Goosen, one of the Mennonites, told CBC News on Thursday. "We have our burial plots and we hoped to be buried here, but it doesn't look that way."
To be continued...


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In-store purchasing of electronics is going the way of the horse and buggy.
Best Buy recently announced the closure of 50 stores and experts are speculating the inevitable demise of the big-box company, thanks to stiff competition from e-retailers like Amazon.
In 2011, Amazon's revenue rose 69 percent in electronics and general merchandise sales alone, according to the Associated Press. And Circuit City accepted its fate years ago when it closed its brick-and-mortar locations and now operates exclusively online.
Convenience and better prices are the name of the online-purchasing game, but that doesn't mean there aren't pitfalls to the practice. Before you invest in your next pricey gadget, consider these do's and don'ts before clicking "purchase."
DO Compare Prices
Most people know to consult online prices when shopping at brick-and-mortar stores, but the same diligence should be applied when purchasing something online. Though Amazon offers competitive prices, it behooves you to look at other sites and take advantage of sales and promotions.
DON'T Skip the Promo Code Box
If you notice a space for "coupon code" or "promo code" upon checkout, that means there's likely a code lurking out there to save you even more. Sites like FreeShipping.orgmake it easy to search for current deals from trusted electronics e-retailers like Tiger Direct.
DO Track Price History
Knowing the price history of an item helps you determine the best time to buy it. The aptly named Decide.com provides a quick "buy" or "wait" recommendation when you enter the product you covet, based on the item's price history.
DON'T Forget About Open Box
You may think open box items are reserved for physical store locations, but think again. Popular electronics e-retailer Newegg has a page dedicated to open-box items, all guaranteed in quality by the company and available for a fraction of the original price.
DO Consider Used or Refurbished
Just like open-box items, used or refurbished electronics are a great alternative to pricey new items. If you just can't swing the cost of a new TV, there's no need to abandon your dream of owning one when refurbished sets often come with a warranty and include new parts and accessories.
DON'T Buy Extended Warranties
Shopping online helps you avoid the annoying song-and-dance about extended warranties at checkout, but that doesn't mean online retailers won't try to sell you on the extra. Don't let their reasoning talk you into an unnecessary purchase; The warranty offered by the manufacturer is almost always sufficient. For other ways sellers try to pitch extended warranties, check out this article from The Consumerist.
DO Shop Safely
Online shopping offers convenience unparalleled by physical stores, but it's not without its perils. To avoid being victim to identity theft, make sure your anti-virus software is up to date and don't make purchases on public networks. Use your credit card for extra security and always look for "https" in the checkout URL.
DON'T Leave it On Your Doorstep
Once you determine the best time to buy, the best website from which to purchase, and the most secure payment method, don't allow your new gadget to sit unprotected on your doorstep. If your workplace allows it, send it to the office or to a trusted friend or family member who will be home during delivery time.
Andrea Woroch is a nationally-recognized consumer and money-saving expert who helps consumers live on less without radically changing their lifestyles. From smart spending tips to personal finance advice, Andrea transforms everyday consumers into savvy shoppers. She has been featured among top news outlets such as Good Morning America, NBC's Today, MSNBC, New York Times, Kiplinger Personal Finance, CNNMoney and many more. You can follow her on Twitter for daily savings advice and tips.


text:
by Carol Levine, Director of the Families and Health Care Project, United Hospital Fund and WSA Member
I've been a family caregiver for my disabled husband for nearly 17 years, and in that time I've been given all kinds of unsolicited advice, unwelcome criticism, and undeserved praise. I've developed a thick skin and some stock replies. But, I wondered, am I alone in feeling frustrated at the insensitivity of some of these comments, particularly when they come from casual acquaintances or marginally involved professionals? Apparently not! I sent a query to a caregiving listserv and other caregiving venues, and was deluged with responses.
I've edited, collapsed, and compiled the results, many of which match my own favorites but some of which relate to other situations. Not every response could be included and every caregiver will probably have a different list or a different ranking. Here then are my candidates (with a nod to David Letterman):
No. 10 "Doesn't Medicare (or your insurance) pay for that?
People who have no experience with long-term chronic care are unaware that Medicare and private insurance do not cover most of what is needed to keep a family member at home or in assisted living or nursing homes beyond short stays after hospitalization. Only Medicaid, which requires impoverishment, pays for long-term care, and even that program varies by state and is still biased toward institutional care. Enlightening the uninformed is tedious but perhaps serves an educational purpose. If these folks understood the financial burden and unending responsibilities of long-term care, then maybe they wouldn't say things like Where are you going on your vacation? or...
No. 9 "It must be hard to work and take care of your husband, so why don't you just quit your job?
My guess is that this is a question asked only of women, since men are presumed to have a greater personal and financial attachment to their jobs. Beyond the financial necessity, especially for women who are heads of households, work for many caregivers is an affirmation of their worth beyond caregiving, a source of friendship and stimulation, and a welcome balance to their lives. Others do leave the workforce, but at considerable cost to their current financial status and future retirement or employment opportunities. It's not a decision to be taken impulsively. A good friend or concerned family member can certainly help a caregiver weigh the options objectively.
No. 8 "Your mother belongs in a nursing home. OR: I could never put my mother in a nursing home.
This is one of those statements that offends either way it is offered. The first formulation suggests that the caregiver is not capable of providing good care, or that Mother is dispensable. The second is a clear criticism of the caregiver who, after considerable anguish, decides that the only solution is indeed a nursing home. Well-wishers should avoid making quick judgments, which mainly serve to make the caregiver feel guilty. There is a place, of course, for candid discussion about whether the caregiver can continue to provide care at home. (Big exception: If Mother is truly being neglected or abused, then a professional intervention is in order.)
No. 7 "You have to take care of yourself; your husband (mother, father) needs you!
Of course, caregivers should take care of themselves; but why does it have to be linked to another person's need? Am I not worthy of good health for myself? And how exactly am I to find time to rest, exercise, prepare balanced meals, see the doctor, and do all the other things I should do? And if I don't do them and my health suffers, is it my own fault? Unfortunately, many caregivers do see themselves only as extensions of the person they are caring for, and still they don't take good care of themselves. And if a caregiver starts to explain why she doesn't follow all the good health rules, she is likely to be asked...
No. 6 "Why don't you get your family to help out more?
This deceptively simple question steps on a huge emotional landmine. Some families cooperate without any hesitation or difficulty; in others, sharing responsibility is fraught with emotional traps. Some caregivers choose, for their own reasons, not to rely on other family members; others would like the help but either don't get it or find it comes with too many conditions. A trained professional can mediate and perhaps work out an acceptable division of labor. When some family members are not closely involved in care, they may say things like...
No. 5 "I don't see what you're complaining about. Dad seems fine to me.
Elderly Dads and Moms have an uncanny ability to marshal their resources for the occasional visit of the out-of-town or uninvolved child, making the caregiving child's accounts of their behavior seem unreasonable. This statement has many variations: Dad always got lost and drove too fast; Mom never could balance a checkbook; I forget things too. Less-involved siblings should make it a point to drop in unannounced and stay for a long enough time to see how Mom or Dad act under everyday circumstances.
No. 4 "I don't know how you do it. You must be a saint.
For a caregiver beset with frustration, depression, anxiety, and exhaustion, being told that you're a saint is decidedly unhelpful. (There may be some exceptions among those who aspire to martyrdom.) While this statement is surely meant to express admiration, it has the unintended or perhaps unconsciously intended result of distancing the speaker from the caregiver. After all, how many saints are there in the world? And if the caregiver is one, then the noncaregiver certainly won't be called upon to be one. Instead of sanctification, most caregivers would prefer a little help, which leads me to...
No. 3 "Just call me if you need some help.
This is sometimes phrased as I wish there were something I could do to help. Most caregivers have learned that imprecise, indefinite, offhand offers of help are expressions of good will but little else. The speaker feels better ---After all, I did offer, and she never called, while the caregiver thinks, What exactly does she mean by 'help'? Friends or other family members who really want to help should make specific offers such as, I'm going to the farmer's market; can I bring you some vegetables? I can stay with Mom on Saturday so you can do some shopping or go to a movie. I know it's hard for you to get out for dinner, so I'd like to bring dinner to you one night this week. These are small things; the list could get progressively more complex and demanding. But whatever the offer, it should be firm and nonrefundable.
No. 2 "I know just how you feel.
This is another attempt at solidarity that fails. The caregiver is probably thinking, No, you don't because sometimes I don't even know myself how I feel. Caregiving involves a complex and dynamic array of emotions, which each person experiences and internalizes differently. This statement shifts the focus away from the caregiver to the speaker, who frequently follows it up by talking about his or her own caregiving experience.
No. 1 "God doesn't give you more than you can handle.
No. 1 on my list showed up surprisingly frequently on other people's lists, including members of the clergy, as well. This statement, sometimes phrased as Don't worry, God will be good is intended to be comforting, and for many people it may be. They need read no further. Why then do so many people find it upsetting? For me, the primary reason is that it is demonstrably untrue. Millions of individuals succumb to what God, fate, natural disaster, violence, or political, social, or economic turmoil have wrought. For caregiving specifically, studies have demonstrated that spousal caregivers are at increased risk of dying compared to their noncaregiving peers. And even if they don't die, their health and well-being are permanently affected. Unlike patient, long-suffering Job in the Bible, caregivers' losses are not repaid twice over when the challenge match between God and Satan is concluded. (What would I do with 6,000 camels anyway?) As Rabbi Gerald Wolpe, himself a caregiver, points out, Mrs. Job, the caregiver, is disdained and disregarded, and the new children given to Job do not replace those she has lost. From the Christian tradition, Kenneth Doka, a Lutheran minister and gerontologist, says, Only the caregiver knows the extent to which he or she can bear a particular burden, and such comments could make the caregiver feel inadequate and unworthy. Rev. Andy Calder, an Australian minister, says: People hear these statements as clichés of judgement "of God being against them." The recipients are cast as people whose faith is perhaps suspect, as people who have perhaps incurred God's wrath for some misdeed, and as people who have no control over their circumstances: indeed, as victims. For me, the most helpful approach comes from Rabbi Harold Kushner, author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People, who says: "[Bad things] do not happen for any good reason which would cause us to accept them willingly. But we can give them a meaning." Prayer, spiritual solace, and religious rituals can help give meaning to caregiving, as can many other responses. Easy answers do not suffice.
So that's my how not to list. And here are a few additional suggestions for the how to list.
No. 3 "I have a friend who is having a lot of difficulty getting started as a caregiver. Would you be willing to talk to her?
Generally caregivers are very willing to help each other, as long as there are clear boundaries. Giving back what one has learned from painful experience can be gratifying. The decision, of course, depends on timing and mutuality of experiences.
No. 2 "I haven't seen you in a while, and I miss our (lunches, shopping, bowling, volunteering, whatever).
Caregivers are isolated, and phone calls can be welcome invitations to rejoin the world. Ideally, of course, the caller will follow up with a specific plan to meet.
No. 1 "How are you doing?
Some people ignore the caregiver altogether, looking the other way so that they do not have to have any conversation at all. Many people will ask about the ill person but not the caregiver. It's appropriate for family and friends to ask about the care recipient but they should be sure to follow it up with concern about the caregiver. And then they should follow the caregiver's lead. Sometimes he or she will want to talk about caregiving, and sometimes about something -- anything -- completely different. Listening well is the best support one can give, and the best support a caregiver can receive.
Carol Levine is director of the Families and Health Care Project at the United Hospital Fund in New York City. She is the editor of Always On Call: When Illness Turns Families into Caregivers, 2nd edition, Vanderbilt University Press, 2004; and co-editor, with Thomas H. Murray, of The Cultures of Caregiving: Conflict and Common Ground among Families, Health Professionals, and Policy Makers, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2004.
Copyright: 2006 by Carol Levine. No charge to reprint, but permission must be obtained from the author.
First published by the United Hospital Fund of New York. Accessed 20130719 on their website, here: http://www.uhfnyc.org/publications/417469


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Multistate Outbreak of Human Salmonella Heidelberg Infections Linked to Ground Turkey (Final Update)
NOTICE: This outbreak is over. The information on this page has been archived for historical purposes only and will not be updated.
Posted November 10, 2011
Outbreak Summary
CDC collaborated with public health officials in many states and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) to investigate a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Heidelberg infections that was caused by eating ground turkey. Public health investigators used DNA "fingerprints" of Salmonella bacteria to identify ill persons who were part of this outbreak. The Salmonella bacteria were obtained from diagnostic testing; pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was used to determine DNA fingerprint patterns. Investigators used data from PulseNet, the national subtyping network made up of state and local public health laboratories and federal food regulatory laboratories that performs molecular surveillance of foodborne infections. The outbreak strain of Salmonella Heidelberg was resistant to several commonly prescribed antibiotics. This antibiotic resistance may have been associated with an increase in the risk of hospitalization or possible treatment failure in infected individuals.
A total of 136 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Heidelberg were reported from 34 states with illness onset dates between February 27 and September 13, 2011. The number of ill persons identified in each state was as follows: Alabama (1), Arkansas (1), Arizona (3), California (7), Colorado (4), Connecticut (1), Georgia (2), Illinois (16), Indiana (2), Iowa (2), Kansas (3), Kentucky (2), Louisiana (1), Massachusetts (4), Maryland (1), Michigan (12), Minnesota (2), Mississippi (2), Missouri (7), Nebraska (2), Nevada (1), New Jersey (1), New York (3), North Carolina (4), Ohio (12), Oklahoma (2), Oregon (1), Pennsylvania (8), South Dakota (3), Tennessee (2), Texas (18), Utah (1), Vermont (1), and Wisconsin (4).
Among persons for whom information was available, illnesses began on or after February 27, 2011. Ill persons ranged in age from less than 1 year to 90 years old, with a median age of 23 years old. Fifty-five percent were male. Among the 94 ill persons with available information, 37 (39%) were hospitalized. One death was reported.
The outbreak can be visually described with a chart showing the number of people who became ill each day. This chart is called an epi curve. For more details, please see the Timeline for Reporting Cases of Salmonella Infection for more details.
Investigation of the Outbreak
Collaborative investigative efforts of state, local, and federal public health and regulatory agencies indicated that ground turkey was the likely source of this outbreak. Among the 94 ill persons with available information, 51 (54%) reported consuming ground turkey. This proportion was significantly higher than results from a survey of healthy persons in which 11% of persons interviewed reported consuming ground turkey in the 7 days before they were interviewed. Product information (such as date and location of purchase of ground turkey) was collected from ill persons and was used by local, state, and federal public health, agriculture, and regulatory agencies to further the investigation.
Cultures of five ground turkey samples purchased from five retail locations between March 7 and June 27, 2011, yielded Salmonella Heidelberg with the outbreak strain. PFGE patterns from these Salmonella bacteria were added to the PulseNet database between April 11 and July 12, approximately a month after each sample was collected. Preliminary information indicated that all of these products originated from a common food-production establishment (Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation in Springdale, Arkansas). These products were obtained as part of routine sampling in the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) and were not linked to illnesses.
This was a multidrug resistant strain of Salmonella Heidelberg. As of September 12, 2011, investigators collected antibiotic resistance information on isolates from 12 samples of ground turkey collected at retail and from 23 ill persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Heidelberg. The isolates from the ground turkey samples were resistant to antibiotics including ampicillin, streptomycin, tetracycline, and gentamicin. The sensitivity testing results indicated that isolates from humans were also resistant to ampicillin and tetracycline, and some were resistant to streptomycin and gentamicin. All human isolates were sensitive to several common antibiotics used in clinical practice such as ciprofloxacin, ceftriaxone, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Antimicrobial resistance may increase the risk of hospitalization or possible treatment failure in infected individuals.
A sample of leftover unlabeled frozen ground turkey was collected by public health officials from the home of an ill person infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Heidelberg in Ohio. Culture of the ground turkey sample yielded the outbreak strain on July 29, 2011. In addition to the outbreak strain, with the "initial" PGFE pattern, a Salmonella Heidelberg with a second closely related PFGE pattern was identified in the contaminated leftover product. Since February 27, 2011, a total of 27 ill persons have been reported to PulseNet with this closely related PGFE pattern. Among the 13 such patients who have been interviewed, 12 (92%) reported consumption of ground turkey in the week before their illness began. The closely related PGFE pattern was also found in a retail sample of ground turkey taken as part of NARMS surveillance. This retail sample originated from Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation establishment in Springdale, Arkansas. Based on these findings, the 27 ill persons with this second closely related PFGE pattern of Salmonella Heidelberg were included in the total count of outbreak cases.
On July 29, 2011, USDA-FSIS released a public health alert for frozen or fresh ground turkey products. This alert reminded consumers of the critical importance of following package cooking instructions for frozen or fresh ground turkey products and general food safety guidelines when handling and preparing any raw meat or poultry. The alert advised that, while cooking instructions may give a specific number of minutes of cooking for each side of the patty in order to attain 165°F internal temperature, consumers should be aware that actual time may vary depending on the cooking method (broiling, frying, or grilling) and the temperature of the product (chilled versus frozen). Therefore, it is important that the final temperature of 165 °F be reached for safety. The alert recommends that consumers not rely on the cooking time for each side of the patty, but use a food thermometer. For more information on this public health alert, please see FSIS Issues Public Health Alert for Frozen, Fresh Ground Turkey Products.
Recall Information
On August 3, 2011, Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation, a Springdale, Arkansas, establishment, recalled approximately 36 million pounds of ground turkey products that may have been contaminated with a multidrug resistant strain of Salmonella Heidelberg. The products subject to recall were all comprised of ground turkey meat and had the establishment number "P-963" inside the USDA mark of inspection.
On September 11, 2011, Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation recalled another 185,000 pounds of ground turkey products after product samples at the plant tested positive for the outbreak strain of Salmonella Heidelberg based on sample results from an intensive in-plant investigation performed by FSIS. On September 27, 2011 FSIS reported that one positive sample was confirmed to have the outbreak strain and the isolate was multidrug resistant.
Clinical Features/Signs and Symptoms
Most persons infected with Salmonella bacteria develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most persons recover without treatment. However, in some persons, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and then to other body sites and can cause death unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics. Older adults, infants, and those with impaired immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness from Salmonella infection.
Advice to Consumers, Retailers, and Others
This particular outbreak appears to be over. However, Salmonella is still an important cause of human illness in the United States. More information about Salmonella, and steps people can take to reduce their risk of infection, can be found on the CDC Salmonella Web Page and the CDC Vital Signs Web Page.
While the shelf-life of the recalled ground turkey products has been exceeded, consumers might still have recalled products in their homes if the ground turkey was frozen.
- Consumers should check their homes for recalled ground turkey products and not eat them; restaurant and food service operators should not serve it. Consumers with questions about recalled ground turkey products may contact Cargill's consumer relations toll free telephone number (1-888-812-1646).
- Wash hands, kitchen work surfaces, and utensils with soap and water immediately after they have been in contact with raw meat or poultry including frozen and fresh ground turkey. Then, disinfect the food contact surfaces using a freshly prepared solution of 1 tablespoon unscented liquid chlorine bleach to 1 gallon of water.
- Cook poultry thoroughly. Ground turkey and ground turkey dishes should always be cooked to 165 °F internal temperature as measured with a food thermometer; leftovers also should be reheated to 165 °F. The color of cooked poultry is not always a sure sign of its safety. Only by using a food thermometer can one accurately determine that poultry has reached a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F throughout the product. Turkey can remain pink even after cooking to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F. The meat of smoked turkey is always pink. Be particularly careful with foods prepared for infants, older adults, and persons with impaired immune systems.
- If served undercooked poultry in a restaurant, send it back to the kitchen for further cooking.
- Avoid cross-contaminating other foods. Uncooked meats and poultry should be kept separate from produce, cooked foods, and ready-to-eat foods. Hands, cutting boards, counters, knives, and other utensils should be washed thoroughly after touching uncooked foods. Hands should be washed before handling food, and between handling different food items.
- Refrigerate raw and cooked meat and poultry within 2 hours after purchase (1 hour if temperatures exceed 90° F). Refrigerate cooked meat and poultry within 2 hours after cooking. Refrigerators should be set to maintain a temperature of 40 °F or below.
- Persons who think they might have become ill from eating possibly contaminated ground turkey should consult their health care providers. Infants, older adults, and persons with impaired immune systems are more likely than others to develop severe illness.
Key Resources
- FoodSafety.govExternal
- AskKaren.gov (FSIS virtual representative)External
- 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854), USDA English/Spanish Meat and Poultry Hotline
CDC's Role in Food Safety
As an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), CDC leads federal efforts to gather data on foodborne illnesses, investigate foodborne illnesses and outbreaks, and monitor the effectiveness of prevention and control efforts. CDC is not a food safety regulatory agency but works closely with the food safety regulatory agencies, in particular with HHS's U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Food Safety and Inspection Service within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). CDC also plays a key role in building state and local health department epidemiology, laboratory, and environmental health capacity to support foodborne disease surveillance and outbreak response. Notably, CDC data can be used to help document the effectiveness of regulatory interventions.
Final Case Count Map
Persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Heidelberg, by state, as of November 7, 2011 (n=136)
A total of 136 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Heidelberg were reported from 34 states with illness onset dates between February 27 and September 13, 2011. The number of ill persons identified in each state was as follows: Alabama (1), Arkansas (1), Arizona (3), California (7), Colorado (4), Connecticut (1), Georgia (2), Illinois (16), Indiana (2), Iowa (2), Kansas (3), Kentucky (2), Louisiana (1), Massachusetts (4), Maryland (1), Michigan (12), Minnesota (2), Mississippi (2), Missouri (7), Nebraska (2), Nevada (1), New Jersey (1), New York (3), North Carolina (4), Ohio (12), Oklahoma (2), Oregon (1), Pennsylvania (8), South Dakota (3), Tennessee (2), Texas (18), Utah (1), Vermont (1), and Wisconsin (4).
Final Epi Curve
Persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Heidelberg, by week of illness onset*
*n=134 for whom information was reported as of November 7, 2011. Onset data not currently available for all persons with reported illness.


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Zero Turn Mower
How-To Articles
How to Change the Air Filter in Zero-Turn Lawn Mower
Changing the air filter in your zero-turn lawn mower is very easy with a little direction. Watch our instructional video that will take you step by step through
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Change the mower deck belt on your Cub Cadet zero-turn mower with these helpful tips. Cub Cadet has the mower deck parts and advice you need to do a mower deck belt replacement on your own. Learn mower about repairing your
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Learn how to change the oil in a riding lawn mower with instructions from Cub Cadet. Our video and tips make changing the lawn mower oil on your zero-turn
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Learn how to keep your mower running smoothly with Cub Cadet's zero-turn mower maintenance schedule and tips.
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Find out how to use a zero-turn riding lawn mower with these tips from Cub Cadet. Zero-turn mowers allow you greater control over your lawn, especially


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The cyber security firm IntelCrawler said on Friday it has uncovered at least six ongoing attacks at merchants across the United States whose credit card processing systems are infected with the same type of malicious software used to steal data from some 40 million credit cards at Target Inc.
Andrew Komarov, the firm's chief executive, told Reuters that his firm has alerted law enforcement, Visa Inc and intelligence teams at several large banks about the findings.
The report from IntelCrawler is the latest evidence to suggest that disclosures from Target and upscale department store Neiman Marcus about cyber attacks that resulted in the theft of payment cards and other customer data may only be the tip of the iceberg.
Komarov said retailers in California and New York were among those compromised with BlackPOS, the same malicious software used in the attack on Target. Their names could not immediately be confirmed.
A Visa spokeswoman said she could not immediately comment.


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This article is more than 1 year old
Mozilla girds Firefox with 'hang detector'
They're down with OOPP. And then some
The next version of Firefox will include a "hang detector" that automatically terminates plug-ins that quit talking to the outside world.
Set to arrive next week - after a bit of a delay – Firefox 3.6.4 is designed to minimize crashes by running Flash, Silverlight, Java, and other plug-ins as processes separate from the core browser. Mozilla calls this OOPP, for out-of-process plug-ins, and as part of this effort, says Firefox man Benjamin Smedberg in a blog post, the open sourcers have also included their hang detector.
If a plug-in process takes more than 10 second to respond to a call, Firefox will terminate the process and display the OOPP "crash" UI that gives the user the opportunity to reload the plug-in. This UI also pops up when a plug-in process, well, crashes. The plug-in will not relaunch unless you reload the page.
"Web page scripts often have state associated with a plugin," Smedberg said in an earlier blog post on OOPP. "If we reload the plugin without reloading the entire page, those scripts will have an unexpected state and can get very confused. Overall, it causes fewer problems for the user to simply refresh the page."
The hang detector takes care of plug-ins when a script gets caught in an infinite loop or if Firefox's own OOPP tech causes a plug-in deadlock. If you're developer doing debug work, you can change the hang-detector's timeout period or disable it entirely here by visiting "about:config" via the Firefox address bar and changing the preference "dom.ipc.plugins.timeoutSecs." Setting the value to -1 disables the hang detector. ®


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Nancy Marshall and John McWilliams, Low Country Travelers sign, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, 2010. |
In their photo essay, Nancy Marshall and John McWilliams explore the history, mission, and significance of the "Low Country Travelers," an African American car club in the South Carolina town of McClellanville.
"Low Country Travelers: An African American Car Club of Charleston County, South Carolina" was selected for the 2009 Southern Spaces series "Documentary Expression and the American South," a collection of innovative, interdisciplinary scholarship about documentary work and original documentary projects that engage with regions and places in the US South.
John McWilliams, Hampton Plantation, McClellanville, South Carolina, 1973. |
In the early 1970s, John was teaching photography at Georgia State University when we discovered McClellanville through Robert Frank's photograph "Barber shop through screen door - McClellanville, South Carolina" in The Americans. During the discussion of this iconic image, one of John's students from nearby St. Stephens offered to introduce us to his friends. We began travelling to McClellanville often, built a marsh cabin there in 1981, and eventually moved there. The barber shop Frank photographed has been torn down but was located directly across the street from our studio on Pinckney Street.
McClellanville was settled by plantation owners after the Civil War as a summer refuge and remained remote until the construction of bridges across the Santee River to the north and the Cooper River to Charleston in the 1920s. Today, the town's largely white population numbers around 450. Conversely, the surrounding communities of Germantown, Tibwin, Pinelands, Buck Hall, and South Santee have a predominantly African American population of about three thousand. Most of the the families have lived in the area for at least 250 years.
Nancy Marshall and John McWilliams, Homecoming parade preparation, McClellanville, South Carolina, 2010. |
A few years ago, Gussie Humes, the only African American member of the McClellanville town council, and Selden B. Hill, the white director of the Village Museum, proposed a parade to foster interaction between racial communities. We first encountered the Low Country Travelers Car Club as the parade passed our studio. We were struck by the vibrancy of the club and the parade's manifestation of the parallel black and white worlds within McClellanville.
We wanted to photograph the members of the car club alongside their cars. They agreed. In exchange, each member would receive copies of the photographs. We worked in a straight-forward manner to best present the car and its owner. Car club members suggested locations for their significance in the local African American communities: Old Bethel A.M.E. Church, Buck Hall Landing, and Jeremy Creek in McClellanville, the Deer Head Oak, River Road near M&M Garage, Lincoln High School, and Thompson Hill Playground in Awendaw.
A fraternal organization of approximately forty men who reside in McClellanville, Awendaw, Mt. Pleasant and Charleston, the Low Country Travelers began in March 2005 when Frank Ancrum had the idea of getting together men who were interested in owning and restoring "old school" cars. At a small gathering of old school car enthusiasts at James Island County Park, Ancrum had noticed his fourteen year-old son's growing interest and decided to buy a car to restore. His original impulse was "to promote unity of the brothers." Ancrum asked two men from each area of the county to identify others. More than thirty attended that first meeting. Since its inception, the purpose of the club has been to promote interest in street-rodding activities, to create fellowship, and to encourage youth to develop an interest in mechanics and restoration as an alternative to less constructive activities. Ancrum stresses that the club is not a "social club," but has a historical mission through preservation of the cars.
Nancy Marshall and John McWilliams, Award truck at Low Country Travelers car show, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, 2010. |
By-laws state that members must have good character. Behavior "should not consist of sagging pants [associated with prisonwear], loud music and profane languages." Displaying club colors of red, black, and silver and wearing red monogrammed sport shirts and hats, members like to look "sharp and pressed." The Low Country Travelers consists entirely of African American men, although the bylaws do not prohibit members of other races or women. Members' ages range from twenty-somethings to the retired. Dues are $36 per year. Women and children wearing club colors are included in activities such as the annual car show, but do not attend the monthly meetings.
Club members must own American-made classic cars ranging in model year from 1900 to 1972. Restoration need not be completely authentic, as owners frequently paint their cars in colors used on a later models of completely different makes, such as "Mustang Yellow" on a much earlier Chevrolet. Younger members are influenced by muscle car styles which can involve pneumatic operations such as "air rides." Not driven daily, the club cars are kept garaged or covered.
Nancy Marshall and John McWilliams, Homecoming parade, McClellanville, South Carolina, 2010. |
Low Country African American social life remains centered around churches and there is a strong spiritual camaraderie between car club members. As prescribed in the bylaws, Travelers members take turns every fourth Sunday visiting each other's churches. These rules also extend to associates of the group: if a club member attends a different church than his wife or girlfriend, then that wife or girlfriend can also invite club members to visit her church. Club members drive their "old school" cars to church and afterwards go as a group to a restaurant for lunch or to a park where the members gather to talk and look over the cars.
In addition to the town parades, club members regularly bring their cars to the annual Lincoln High School Homecoming and have driven in Fourth of July and Christmas events, as well as Charleston's Martin Luther King Day Parade and the Emancipation Proclamation Day Parade. The club hosts events for Black History Month, as well as a car show and judging every year with raffle prizes and trophies given for various categories such as "furthest distance traveled" and "best in show." Money raised by the car show goes to charities such as a children's hospital, and helps purchase school supplies. The club joined with other area clubs such as the Corvette Club to support a benefit for Haiti. Aside from events and charitable activities, the club has a strong sense of pride in its work. Frank Ancrum talks about the joy of driving his beautiful car down the highway and living for "the moment when he passes a little kid who gives him the thumbs up" when he sees the cool car go past.
Recommended Resources
Print Materials
Frank, Robert. The Americans. New York: Aperture, Inc., 1958.
Johnson, Cassandra Y., Angela C. Halfacre, Patrick T. Hurley. "Resistant Place Identities in Rural Charleston County, South Carolina: Cultural, Environmental, and Racial Politics in the Sewee to Santee Area." Human Ecology Review 16, no.1 (2009): 1-16.
South Carolina African American Organizations
Town of McClellanville


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Talk:Gregory the Dialogist
Formatting of Quotations
Is there a way to format the quotations so it is clear they are distinct? I know in academic usage, if a quotation ends in quotation marks that indicates the passage has come to an end and the next quotation is from a different work...but not everyone knows this shorthand. Bullet points, maybe? --Willibrord 20:42, August 23, 2008 (UTC)
To my knowledge, no. I occasionally forget to sign but if I stamp it later I would think it makes it worse? I can try it.--JosephSuaiden 01:40, August 24, 2008 (UTC)
Including the "Liturgy of St Gregory the Great" on this link
I am stating this here, because I do not want to start an edit-war.
The Liturgy of St Gregory the Great was revised by St Gregory and those revisions are reflected in pre-schismatic usages. The Tridentine Mass is essentially a heavy revision of the Gregorian Liturgy, and Willibrord is fully aware of this, based on his previous edit wars. I would suggest that you could say that the Gregorian Mass forms the *basis* of the AWRV's "Liturgy of St Gregory the Great" (which is primarily-- and no one denies this-- an edited Tridentine Mass), but to imply that the two are one and the same is intellectually dishonest.
I am not saying that this is not a good or proper liturgy, as you may assume-- it's not perfect, but it is certainly better than the "Liturgy of St Tikhon". However, it is NOT the liturgy St Gregory authored, unless we wish to link the Sarum, Braga, and other variations of the Roman rite which have a better claim to authorship by St Gregory.--JosephSuaiden 18:34, August 23, 2008 (UTC)
- All this because I linked a reference of the Liturgy of St. Gregory to the OrthodoxWiki entry about the Liturgy of St. Gregory? I fail to see the outrage.
- My edit listed this saint's exact contribution to the Roman Mass, remarks it bears his name in his honor, then links to the OrthodoxWiki entry proving the fact: the Liturgy of St. Gregory (as I note on that Talk page, it is not called "The Liturgy of St. Gregory the Great"). The Mass he celebrated at Rome was heavily edited long before the Great Schism, perhaps nowhere moreso than in the Sarum Use. (Ironically, the Tridentine Mass actually arrested medieval, post-Schism development as found, e.g., in the Sarum Mass, and turned back toward pre-Schism Liturgy -- but all this is immaterial to the entry.) As this is not a private blog, frankly your opinion of the Mass referred to on another entry is immaterial.
- I'm adding back the edits, simply because as this entry stands there is a non-word "ss" where "as" should be and an extra space where you deleted "erroneously." I also added a word about Gregorian chant. (I'm holding out hope perhaps there will be no edit war on the grounds the monks at Solemnes reconstructed Gregorian chant....) --Willibrord 19:33, August 23, 2008 (UTC)
You say "and turned back toward pre-Schism Liturgy". That is a Roman Catholic argument. However, factually it is incorrect, and Roman liturgical scholars have noted for centuries that the attempt to make the Liturgy "pre-schism" largely failed. It *did* standardize the liturgy. It did *not* restore it to a pre-schism usage.
BTW, the Sarum liturgy's usages can be traced back to the time of the schism, so you are incorrect.
You also added back the link, and I will update accordingly to reflect the reality, and I will leave your link as is while fixing the factual information.--JosephSuaiden 01:40, August 24, 2008 (UTC)
- Am I the only one who finds this entire discussion off-topic for this entry? --Willibrord 19:41, August 23, 2008 (UTC)
What is off topic is claiming St Gregory's authorship to a 20th century usage.--JosephSuaiden 19:48, August 23, 2008 (UTC)
- ...Which my edits to this entry didn't do. I simply said there's an Orthodox liturgy that bears his name, because he made a contribution to it. Then I linked the liturgy (where the entry I link states "1570," "Tridentine," etc.) Discussion of liturgical minutiae are off-topic to this entry. --Willibrord 19:58, August 23, 2008 (UTC)
Nice try. But you added the link. The reality is that St Gregory did not author this liturgy and so the link did not belong there. You are correct-- this discussion does not belong to a hagiography. So you should stop introducing mythology into it. It has no place in an encyclopedia.--JosephSuaiden 20:03, August 23, 2008 (UTC)
- The facts are clear:
- -I said there is a liturgy in Orthodoxy named in St. Gregory's honor;
- -I listed the exact contribution he made to that liturgy;
- -I added an internal link to the liturgy in question, which is good form on OrthodoxWiki.
- I didn't say he authored the entire thing, that the liturgy has not been edited in any way since his day, etc. (Those are strawman arguments.) This entry is not a discussion of the liturgy at all; it's a discussion of his life. And these are facts. I think any admin will agree, now that you've undoubtedly gotten their attention. So, I'll set this entry right one last time and leave it to them to ajudicate, if they feel it necessary. (Deep sigh.) --Willibrord 20:42, August 23, 2008 (UTC)
Somehow I doubt this would be your last time. Your exact words were "He added the commemoration of the Apostle Andrew to the embolism on the Lord's Prayer in the ancient Roman Mass; ss a result, it is sometimes called the Liturgy of St. Gregory" (You included the "ss", not me.) Therefore you equated the linked liturgy to St Gregory's liturgy, or the ancient Roman Mass. The Liturgy of St Gregory is neither.
I have made the statement factually correct, since we do not know how many Orthodox refer to the Roman Mass as "St Gregory's liturgy". We do know that some do. We also know that they are in the minority among the Orthodox as a whole. (And I would bet there are many more Orthodox who know about the Tridentine Mass and do not refer to it at the "Liturgy of St Gregory". See below conccerning the Presanctified. --JosephSuaiden 01:33, August 24, 2008 (UTC)
Whether St Gregory should be ascribed authorship to the Presanctified Liturgy
I have also removed the word "erroneously" from the question of authorship of the Presanctified Liturgy. When confronted with a choice between "modern research" that makes a general (but unproven) assumption versus what the Church has continuously taught-- that St Gregory is the author of a particular liturgy-- we go by what the Church teaches, and can note that modern scholarship debates that claim. Ironically, we find ourselves in a reverse of the above predicament, where we are adding a Saint's name to a liturgy codified ten centuries after his death and fourteen after its introduction into the use of the Orthodox Church. --JosephSuaiden 18:44, August 23, 2008 (UTC)
- There seems to be a confusing of "Tradition" and "traditions." The authorship of the Presanctified Liturgy and title given thereto are not Orthodox dogmas.
- Nor is there much question St. Gregory the Great had little-to-nothing to do with the Presanctified Liturgy of the Eastern Church. The way his name got appended to this text is outlined in the indicated pages of Uspensky. One can also turn to The Year of Grace of the Lord, p. 132. Even the website of one Orthodox jurisdiction states, "The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is traditionally considered to be the work of the sixth-century pope, Saint Gregory of Rome. The present service, however, is obviously the inspired liturgical creation of Christian Byzantium." If anyone is interested in this argument, this link may also be interesting.
- Not to pile on, but you have talked yourself into a twist: on the one hand, you insist on keeping his name appended to the Presanctified Liturgy, to which St. Gregory made no contribution whatever, but you refuse to hear the Church call the other text "the Liturgy of St. Gregory," although he made significant contributions to it. --Willibrord 19:33, August 23, 2008 (UTC)
I wasn't aware the vicariate consulted St Gregory 14 centuries after his repose, but I am glad to see he is still working on new redactions! Kudos! I see that you wish to not read ANYTHING I said, which was based upon factual standards. In case you haven't noticed, I am trying to include your POV while remaining factual. By contrast, you are deleting POV's and ignoring fact.
The quote above says NOTHING about the authorship of the liturgy, save that traditionally St Gregory is considered its author. NOTHING supports the idea of it being 'erroneous' and you don't have a basis for the claim. --JosephSuaiden 19:45, August 23, 2008 (UTC)
- The links provided demonstrate just that, if you read them. This saint, as far as can be told, made no contribution to the Byzantine Presanctified whatever. That is important, as it also deals with a part of his life (in this case, a false legend).--Willibrord 19:58, August 23, 2008 (UTC)
I believe you are calling black white and vice versa-- St Gregory did not author the liturgy you claim he did; and without proof he didn't write the Presanctified (though the Church has always taught he did) you claim he was not the author. --JosephSuaiden 20:04, August 23, 2008 (UTC)
- I do not claim he is the "author" of the entire liturgy; for one thing, parts of it long predate him. I made a specific (and undeniable) statement about his contribution to the Roman Mass; and a specific (and undeniable) statement that it is named in his honor. The liturgy is not at question here, nor is anything I wrote controversial.--Willibrord 20:42, August 23, 2008 (UTC)
You have not provided any evidence that St Gregory was not involved in the formation of the presanctified. He is the first known person to record the existence of the service, and was the apocrisarius of Pope Pelagius II in the court of Byzantium for six years. He was heavily involved in liturgical work and translations at that time and after, and there is no reason to assume, as you have, that he "was not involved in its development". --JosephSuaiden 01:38, August 24, 2008 (UTC)
"Mass of St Gregory"
I have never heard anyone use the term "the Mass of St Gregory" as a reference to the Roman liturgy, including at our gatherings of medieval liturgical specialists. In doing a quick Google search, the first three pages of results for "Mass of St Gregory" referred to paintings or musical compositions. I have heard some Orthodox refer, somewhat misleadingly, to the "Gregorian liturgy" or the "Gregorian canon." --Fr Lev 02:01, August 24, 2008 (UTC)
The hodgepodge you see is my miserable attempt at compromise with someone who is dead set on presenting the idea that the Dialogist wrote the St Andrew's Service Book. Please correct it as you will, and at your own risk. --JosephSuaiden 02:13, August 24, 2008 (UTC)


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We've come to that moment in a nomination fight where supporters of a nomination are suddenly seized by forgetfulness about such basic facts as: what the job to be filled actually does.
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