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The government responded to this petition when it received 10,000 signatures. Unfortunately, the government's response was so inaccurate and selective that it appears to represent a deliberate attempt to mislead the public. There are four key inaccuracies in the government response:
(1)The response claims that recent experience in Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Dorset has shown that licensed culling "is safe, humane and effective in reducing the number of badgers needed to bring down disease levels in cattle". This statement conflicts sharply with the available evidence. An Independent Expert Panel (IEP) established by Defra to evaluate the first year of culling concluded that the free shooting approach did not meet their standards for humaneness1. When a second year of culling yielded no evidence of improvement, the British Veterinary Association called for free shooting to be abandoned2. Ministers responded by simply stating that "we don't agree"3. The government's claim that licensed culling is "humane" is thus not shared by respected authorities on animal welfare.
Likewise, evidence indicates that the culls have not been "effective in reducing the number of badgers". Defra has repeatedly stated an intention to reduce badger numbers by at least 70%, relative to their pre-cull levels, acknowledging that failing to do so would risk increasing cattle TB rather than reducing it4. The IEP concluded that the first culls fell far short of that aim1. Since then, Defra has reiterated its aim of reducing badger numbers by "at least 70%", while quietly setting targets with only a slim possibility of achieving this aim5. Defra's claim that the culls are "effective" is thus not consistent with available evidence.
The advancement of man has seen us walk on the moon and fly by Jupiter to look for new life, yet we destroy the very life that supports the planet we currently inhabit.
Wildlife has been on this planet for hundreds of millions of years and co-existed with its prey and its predators. The flora and fauna that exists has created a world that humans could evolve in; a little more than 20 thousand years ago, humans appeared in our current form.
On a clock face of the history of our planet, we arrived at around two seconds before midnight, yet the devastation we have caused is immeasurable and, I can only hope, reversible. It is the Anthropocene age (the age of man) and we should not be proud. We have removed species at an ever increasing rate. We give lip service to tick box legislations, that allows the removal of wildlife habitats for human ventures, yet offers no alternative. It is sentencing wild animals to a slow and painful, but sure death.
Our 17 species of UK bats have life expectancies of 15 - 40 years. They learn directly from their parents where it is safe, where to feed and where to hibernate; over generations the colony grows stronger through that accumulated knowledge. If you remove the habitat they will be destroyed and generations of survival knowledge will be removed along with it. This applies to all our species as we destroy habitats all over the UK with no second thought for its inhabitants - the majority do not just relocate.
The Anthropocene age is with us and is devastating our wildlife. It is up to us to fight for the protection of animals and to unite in the common goal. We must reduce the impact we have made to the planet and that time to fight is now.
Don't curse the darkness, make that one change in your life now. We partnered good friend Louis Psihoyos in his shocking film 'Racing Extinction'. We are in the Anthropocene age (the age of man) and it's still in mans power to change our future but you must act today… Watch this film, be shocked and make that change NOW.
Anne Brummer
CEO Save Me Trust
Eat less meat
Don't curse the darkness, light one candle
The last frog
Time is running out
Just a word or two to say thanks so much for all your lovely words and wishes dear folks.
I got myself in a very depleted state and have taken the decision now to clear my diary of everything until the end of the year. I'm leaving today on a big steel bird to spend some time recharging in a safe place. Need to turn off the phones and media for a while.
Apologies to everyone involved in the things I will miss. I have to get away and prioritise healing - sometimes there is no choice.
Bless ya all.
Love Bri
We're very sad today to announce the indefinite postponement of our 'candlelight' concert dates this coming December. This is a decision I've agonized over, but in the end it has become inevitable. I managed to complete the recent Queen and Adam Lambert dates in Asia but I have been increasingly battling with a persistent illness which is destroying my energy and my will.
I am now at the point where I don't feel confident to perform the scheduled shows to the standard we all expect. I've been strongly advised to rest and heal, rather than go out and risk 'falling down on the job' out there, which would be a real tragedy. I'm convinced it's much better taking the step to cancel the dates now, refunding the fans for the ticket sales, and giving all our team a chance to re-plan their time in December.
Sincere apologies to all.
Brian and Kerry Christmas Concert Tour 2016
Brian May and Kerry Ellis today announced with great regret the indefinite postponement of their December concert dates in the UK. May and Ellis were set to perform 11 'Candlelight Concerts' in the three weeks leading up to Christmas. Apologizing to fans through a personal message posted on his official website, (www.brianmay.com) Queen's Brian May explains that he is fighting 'a persistent illness which is destroying my energy and my will', and doesn't feel confident to perform the shows to the standard expected.
May comments: "I'm gutted to have to pull out - I hate letting our loyal fans down. But the advice I have had is that I must take time off to heal, rather than go out on tour again and risk falling down on the job, which would be much worse."
Kerry Ellis comments: "Brian is a dear friend of mine and obviously his health must come first. I was so looking forward to touring the UK again with Brian. I know so many of you had bought tickets for an early Christmas treat, and I am truly sorry that we are letting so many of you down. But we will be back next year for sure, with new music for you all to hear."
A consolation for disappointed fans is a newly recorded studio album from May and Ellis, titled 'Anthems II', which is scheduled for release in March.
All tickets already purchased are fully refundable at point of purchase.
SOAPBOX PAGE - Brian's apology
BRIAN NEWS PAGE - Press Release at
Both connect to each other.
The Soapbox apology item is flagged also on Home Page
Queen guitarist Brian May protests Taiji dolphin hunts
Japan Today
Queen guitarist Brian May protests Taiji dolphin hunts Brian May, guitarist of British rock group Queen, speaks during an interview in Tokyo, Friday.
Queen's Brian May Speaks Out Against Dolphin Hunts
While on tour in Japan for a series of sold-out shows, Brian May, the guitarist for classic rock band Queen, discussed his views on Japanese dolphin ...
Queen guitarist Brian May protests Japanese dolphin hunts
TOKYO – Brian May, guitarist of British rock group Queen, is taking a stand against Japanese dolphin killing, saying the slaughter of animals should ...
Queen guitarist Brian May protests Japanese dolphin hunts
TOKYO (AP) — Brian May, guitarist of British rock group Queen, is taking a stand against Japan's dolphin killing, saying the slaughter of animals ...
Queen guitarist Brian May protests Japanese dolphin hunts - Washington Post
Queen guitarist Brian May protests Japanese dolphin hunts - The Seattle Times
Queen guitarist Brian May protests Japanese dolphin hunts - Washington Times
We want a total ban on 'Third Party Sales of Puppies and kittens' to bring an end to puppy & kitten farming.
Approximately 1.5 million dogs are sold in pet shops and they are most likely from puppy farms. Almost half the people who buy a puppy never see the mum. Puppies and kittens are mostly bred on farms in awful conditions, many from sick and injured mums. Around one in five puppies bought from pet shops or the internet suffer from parvovirus; an often fatal disease which can cost up to £4,000 to treat.
If you don't buy them, they can't do this……………don't complete the cycle. Ask #WheresMum
"It goes without saying that the import of animal body parts as trophies should be banned outright by the British Government. I'm really shocked that they haven't already done it, in truth, the whole world should do it." Dr. Brian May Founder of The Save Me Trust.
The season for red grouse shooting starts today. Tens of thousands of red grouse will be shot over the next two months covering the Moors of Britain in rivers of blood.
The shooting estates claim that grouse shooting is a traditional field sport but that isn't true. The claim is similar to that made by the Countryside Alliance to defend fox hunting, but grouse shooting has a terrible impact on the environment and other wildlife to the cost of every taxpayer and 70% of the nation's homes.
On Tuesday 26th April 2016, Dr Brian May and Anne Brummer launched a joint campaign to save Britain's hedgehogs in Portcullis House, London. The campaign is called #AmazingGrace in honour of Grace a rescue hedgehog that came into Harper Asprey Wildlife Rescue last autumn, underweight and suffering from 'fly-strike' in a deep wound to her neck.
In 2015, Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon announced her government would hold a review of the Protection of Wild Mammals Act 2002. In December, it was confirmed that the review would be led by Lord Bonomy with a consultation process starting in February and finishing by the end of March.
As part of the Team Fox coalition of wildlife groups, The Save Me Trust agreed to submit to the consultation, working closely in conjunction with the League Against Cruel Sports (Scotland) and a wide range of local groups based in Scotland who have detailed information on the antics of Scottish hunt packs.
Our submission suggested three main changes to the current act. They are:
1. Reduce the number of dogs allowed to 'flush to guns' to a maximum of two.
2. Introduce a "recklessness" clause to the Act. This would stop Scottish hunts adopting 'Trail Hunting' which is viewed by Hunts in England and Wales as a short term solution to keep the infrastructure of Hunts intact, whilst they seek repeal of the English & Welsh Hunting Act.
3. Introduce a vicarious liability clause to the Act. Scotland has taken the lead on the introduction of this, in respect of the protection of raptors and we believe that extending the clause to include wild mammals would reduce the possibilities of illegal hunting immediately. Landowners will seriously consider their responsibilities and the hunts previous conduct before granting access to their land. We further believe that many private estates do not benefit or support hunting but allow it to continue as it is the line of least resistance. Landowners should have the support of the law to stop any illegal hunting on their land whilst accepting their culpability should they allow a hunt do so illegally.
It is our strong belief that the introduction of the three clauses above would have an immediate and devastating impact for those who wish to hunt illegally with hounds. We further believe that Scotland led the UK with the introduction of the protection of Wild Mammal Act 2002 and the timely review of the operation of the act. This will provide the opportunity to again lead whilst demonstrating to England and Wales that the overwhelming majority of the British public (84% in the LACS Poll of December 2015) want to see hunting of wild mammals with dogs banned completely throughout the UK.
The Save Me Trust are aware of a series of horrific incidents. We are primarily concerned with wild animals but feel that this case is so appalling and local that we should support finding this barbaric killer of animals.
Please contact us with any information that you may have.
Grace was found with a neck wound. She was treated for fly strike (myiasis) and her deep cut cleaned. Some of the fly eggs were found inside her mouth. Fly eggs can hatch into maggots just eight hours after being laid and immediately start feeding on their host. In nature, this process is essential to remove dead and decaying wildlife from the environment, but on a live animal it is usually fatal. Nature is harsh but effective.
Grace recovered with the usual fight we see from hoglets. They are strong and stoic and fight against most adversities.
At the rescue we have treated hedgehogs for over 30 years and during that time the reason for admission has changed dramatically. Hedgehogs are extremely susceptible to lungworm due to its increase in the environment. Gardens have become fortresses, keeping hedgehogs restricted and preventing their roaming to find food, nesting sites and mates, causing small populations to become isolated and more vulnerable to local extinction.
We are helping Grace the Hedgehog and her friends as they are in very serious trouble. Grace is one of our rescued hedgehogs and she needs a safe home to be released in. The areas in which we can safely release Grace are dwindling and over the last 30 years we have seen a massive decline in a safe, sustainable environment for Grace and her hedgehog friends.
The international trade in fur is highly lucrative, with an estimated global value of £10 billion per year. Conservative estimates suggest that each year 40 million animals are killed. Over 85% are bred and killed on fur farms and the rest are trapped in the wild exclusively for their fur. This figure does not include the thousands of millions of rabbits killed for the fur trade.
The most commonly bred animals on fur farms are mink and fox, but the industry also breeds and kills polecats, raccoons, and chinchillas. It is estimated that two million cats and dogs are also killed for their fur. There are 6,500 fur farms in the EU. The European Union is the world's largest producer of factory farmed fur. Around 30 million mink, 2 million fox and 100,000 raccoon dogs are killed each year in EU fur factory farms. Europe is responsible for 70% of global mink fur production, and 63% of fox fur production. The countries that farm the most animals for their fur are Denmark, China, and Finland.
The fur industry makes its huge profits by keeping production costs down to the bare minimum. On fur farms animals are kept in appalling conditions, crammed into row after row of tiny barren cages, and left to stand on metal bars for their entire lives. For species such as mink and fox, these conditions are especially appalling, as they are wild animals and would naturally travel many miles each day. Being caged in huge sheds, where thousands of other animals are also imprisoned, drives them insane with anxiety and fear, alongside easy transmission of disease. Repetitive movements, such as head-bobbing and circling, are commonplace.
Even the method of slaughter is chosen purely with profit in mind. Animals on fur farms are killed by electrocution (through the use of electrodes in the mouth and anus), gassing, lethal injection or neck breaking. These crude methods are employed to ensure that the pelts (the animals' skin and fur) are not damaged. These methods are designed only to protect the valuable pelts, without any consideration for the animal's suffering. However, the barbaric fur industry continues to thrive, fuelled by the increasing consumer demand. The renewed popularity of fur undoubtedly owes much to the expensive propaganda campaign the international fur industry has waged in recent years. Their PR campaign has been very well coordinated and funded, aimed at dispelling the moral stigma attached to wearing fur.
China is the world's largest exporter of fur clothing and according to industry sources, the biggest fur trade production and processing base in the world.
Supporters of the fur industry often claim that trapping is a tool for wildlife management and conservation. This is untrue. Many species of wild cats such as ocelots, margays and lynx are being driven to the verge of extinction by hunting and trapping. There are under 4,000 snow leopards left in the world. Sea otters were driven to the very edge of extinction and despite protection, their numbers remain very low. The sea mink paid the ultimate price for having a beautiful fur coat – extinction.
Fur farmers try to insist that the animals are looked after very well and that they do not suffer when they are killed. Yet undercover footage shows time and time again that the animals are going insane from their confinement, endlessly weaving and pacing in their desperation to be free. When they are killed, it often takes a few attempts to break the animals' necks, as they try to squirm their way out of their executioner's grip; or, if they are electrocuted, the terror as the electrodes are shoved into their mouth and anus is clear. They cry out whilst their bodies convulse - there can be no doubt that these animals are dying in agony.


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IRS Lawyer Says Scandal Was Overseen by D.C.
"Top IRS officials in Washington, D.C. planned and oversaw the agency's improper targeting of conservative groups, according to the 72-year old retiring IRS lawyer who will testify Thursday before the House Oversight Committee," the Daily Caller reports:
Retiring IRS lawyer Carter C. Hull implicated the IRS Chief Counsel's office, headed by Obama appointee William J. Wilkins, and Lois Lerner, the embattled head of the IRS' exempt organizations office, in the IRS targeting scandal and made clear that the targeting started in Washington, according to leaked interviews that Hull granted to the Oversight Committee in advance of Thursday's hearing.
Treasury Inspector General J. Russell George will return to Republican chairman Darrell Issa's committee Thursday along with two central characters in the IRS saga: Hull and Cincinnati-based IRS employee Elizabeth Hofacre, who previously gave Hull's name to congressional investigators, fingering him as her Washington-based supervisor.
Hull is naming names.
"In April 2010, Mr. Hull was instructed to scrutinize certain Tea Party applications by one of his superiors in Washington. According to Mr. Hull, these applications were used as 'test' cases and assigned to him because of his expertise and because IRS leadership in Washington was 'trying to find out how [the IRS] should approach these organizations, and how [the IRS] should handle them,'" according to Oversight Committee documents.
"According to Hull's testimony, Ms. Lerner…gave an atypical instruction that the Tea Party applications undergo special scrutiny that included an uncommon multi-layer review that involved a top advisor to Lerner as well as the Chief Counsel's office," according to Oversight Committee documents.
Much more, right after the page break.

subset: commoncrawl


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New Orlando City signing Kaka believes that MLS could become one of the leading leagues in world football.
The Brazil international was unveiled as Orlando's first designated player earlier this week, following the termination of his contract at Milan.
With the new MLS campaign not due to start until next year, the playmaker will have a stint on loan at first club Sao Paulo to maintain his fitness.
MLS has often been viewed as inferior to the major divisions around Europe, with some critics seeing it as nothing more than a place for famous veterans to make money before retirement.
But Kaka refutes such suggestions, and feels he has work to do to get in shape before the season begins.
"I will do my job [but] I have to do some special physical things to be ready," he said.
"The six months [off] at the start was a problem but I'm going back to play in Sao Paulo - where I began my professional career.
"The MLS has a great future and the Orlando City project is a serious one that I'm happy to be a part of.
"I hope the MLS can grow to be among the top five leagues in the world.
"The MLS isn't where players go to at the end of their career. It can become where they go before that - [David] Villa [who has signed for New York City] has moved and now I have too."


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Italian GP 2011
Sunday Team Quotes
Red Bull-Renault
Sebastian Vettel (1st): "It was an emotional win today. This circuit means such a lot to me and is very special. I had my first win here, so when I crossed the line I remembered every single bit of it. The podium is absolutely unbelievable here; when you stand up there you feel blessed, as it doesn't happen to many people. There are so many people underneath and you can see them all coming, even from Curva Grande - it's just unbelievable. This circuit has been tough for us for the last two years and so... to come back this year and win! The car was amazing in qualifying yesterday and in the race today it was even better. The start was not that good, Fernando was suddenly there and I didn't know where he was coming from - it took me a while to see we were three going into Turn 1. I kept second place and then after the restart, I was able to pass Alonso. He didn't give me much room there, but it was just enough, so it was very enjoyable. It was a great race for us. As it's 150 years for Italian Unity also, I think it makes it special for every one here, so thank you to all the fans."
Mark Webber (DNF, Accident): "I didn't get the best start, me and Jenson were together, so I lost a few spots there. I think also Sebastian didn't either, so there were a few different starts going on. Fernando made a phenomenal one. Then there was the restart after the safety car; I got a good one that time and managed to pass Jenson straight away. Then, on the next lap, I was lining up Felipe, breaking around the outside for turn 1, trying to get the inside line for turn two. I probably wasn't quite far enough to get completely inside, but when I tried to come out of the move the kerbing on the inside is obviously pretty high; as soon as I touched that I unfortunately made contact with Felipe and that was that. I then tried to get back to the pits, trying to lose the minimum time possible, the car wasn't too bad for the first part of the lap, but at some stage the wing got caught underneath, so I couldn't turn the car or brake. I went straight out of Parabolica and that was the end of my race."
Christian Horner, Sporting Director: "A phemonenal race today. To win in Monza is a dream come true and it was a really dominant performance by Sebastian today. We had great pit work, strong strategy and Seb made a really brave overtaking move to retake the lead from Fernando after the safety car. Thereafter it was a very controlled and well executed race. Unfortunately Mark's race came to a premature end after contact with Felipe Massa. The front wing was tucked under the car on the approach to Parabolica, when Mark was trying to get back to the pits as quickly as possible. It prevented him from being on the podium today, but I'm sure he will bounce back in Singapore. It was a great day for the team and a phenomenal result at a circuit which, on paper, wasn't our best. Very sadly, we lost a team member earlier in the week, Erin Pezzella, a young lady who has been with the team for four years. She lost a very brave fight against cancer and we would like to dedicate this result in her memory today."
Cyril Dumont, Renault: "I'm very pleased. To win the race already is something quite fantastic, but for an engine manufacturer to win Monza - well... that's the race to win - so this victory has a very special taste for us. Also with the new agreement we have announced with Red Bull this weekend. We have worked with them for five seasons now and I think this partnership is something really solid. I think it was good race from Sebastian today, his pace was incredible. Unfortunately Mark's race was too short; he had shown good enough pace to potentially finish on the podium. I would like to say thank you to all the people working at Renault and Red Bull Racing for this great result today."
Jenson Button (2nd): "It's nice to have fought my way back through to second - but it's frustrating to have had a problem at the start with the clutch, because it cost me dearly. I dropped back to sixth, then, at the restart, I had no way of keeping Mark [Webber] back, because his straightline speed was so strong, so I slipped to seventh. Obviously, that enabled the leaders to get a long way out in front, and I was delayed by a further four or five seconds when Mark and Felipe [Massa] tangled in front of me at Turn One. After that, I was able to get my head down and passed Lewis and Michael [Schumacher] within the space of about five corners, which was really satisfying. After that, I set about closing down Fernando [Alonso], it was great to be able to secure second because we got some good points for the team. On the whole, the team's done a great job this weekend, but it's the little problems that are frustrating: if you have one of those, then you're not going to beat Red Bull and Sebastian [Vettel]. Hopefully, we'll have no problems at the next race because if we can get everything together then we can challenge for a win."
Lewis Hamilton (4th): "It was a good race: I finished and I got some points, so I can't really complain. At the restart, Michael [Schumacher] was on my outside; I was looking at him in my mirrors, then, all of a sudden, the guys ahead had gone, so I missed an opportunity to slipstream Sebastian [Vettel]. So they caught me napping. We were a little bit slow on the straight today, which meant it was hard to get past Michael, who was faster along the straight even when I had my DRS activated. I had to really fight Schumacher, but the fact that I finished ahead of him meant everything was okay. That's racing. The support we've had in Italy - the weather, the fans - has all been incredible and I'm really looking forward to coming back here again next year.I doubt it's still possible to beat Sebastian for the title, but we'll keep pushing. For now, I'm looking ahead to the flyaways - they're going to be exciting and I'm really focused on getting some more wins for the team."
Martin Whitmarsh, Team Principal: "Today our cars were the quickest of the lot - Lewis posted fastest lap, while Jenson took second-fastest lap - but unfortunately our drivers didn't get off to good enough starts. The result was that they spent much of the race stuck behind Michael [Schumacher], whose Mercedes-Benz was remarkably quick in a straight line and extremely 'wide' on the approaches to the corners. Meanwhile, Seb [Vettel] was able to pull away, which was deeply frustrating for us because we knew we had the pace to take the race to him, had our guys got off to better starts. But that's motor racing: you've got to qualify well, start well and race well. Well, this weekend we qualified pretty well, we raced very well, but we didn't start well enough. Even so, we scored 30 world championship points this afternoon, consolidating our second place in the constructors' world championship and pulling out a margin of 71 points over our closest challenger. Now, we embark on a tough run of six fly-away races, starting in Singapore in two weeks' time and ending in Brazil in late November. There are still a lot of points up for grabs, and we'll be doing our damnedest to bag as many of them as we possibly can."
Fernando Alonso (3rd): "Returning to this magnificent podium wearing the Scuderia race suit is always very exciting. I said it yesterday: a podium place is within our grasp. We knew we needed to get a great start and we managed it, partly down to a great preparation job done with the engineers over the past two days. The start was really a magical moment, like in Barcelona, although we knew this was not our true position and that sooner or later we would have been passed. However, it was still very nice to see our fans cheering during those laps at reduced speed behind the Safety Car. There was nothing we could about Vettel, he was much quicker than us and passed me easily. The situation was better up against the McLarens: with the Softs, we could defend well, but on the Mediums they still have a significant advantage and I think that if the race had gone on a few more laps, I would have been off the podium. Having said that, I am happy with this result: we were better in the race than in qualifying, but that has been a constant factor since the start of the season. Sure, it would have been fantastic to do the double after 2010, but we must stay cool and concentrate and try to reach targets that are within our reach: today we did just that. It's true the title has gone now, but there is still great motivation: we want to win races and try to defend the position I have just reached in the Drivers' championship."
Felipe Massa (6th): "I can only be disappointed with this sixth place, because today I could definitely have fought for a place on the podium. Unfortunately, the incident caused by Webber cost me too much time and I dropped to tenth place. That meant I had to pass so many drivers to try and catch up to the leaders again, but by then it was anyway too late. The collision with Webber did not do any damage: he hit my wheels and that pushed me into a spin when we were at the second corner. I braked slightly late, taking the inside line and, going round the outside, he would never have got past. I am really disappointed, because the car was not bad today in terms of pace and even when we were running the Medium tyres in the final stint of the race, we were reasonably quick and degradation was pretty low. Now we hope to have a bit more luck in the final six races of the season."
Stefano Domenicali, Team Principal: "Honestly, this result is the best we could have hoped for, given our current technical situation. The fact Fernando is second in the Drivers' championship is amazing and I think it highlights the stuff our driver is made of. Once again today, he delivered a majestic performance, either attacking, as he did at the start, or defending as in the closing stages. Felipe also did well and I am sure he could have been right up there in the fight behind Vettel, if he had not been pushed into a spin by Webber: all the same he delivered a good race. Clearly Ferrari must always aim for victory and a third place is not and should not be something to get excited about, but the team worked well, keeping its cool and concentrating and, step by step, the situation is improving. Our aim for the final part of the season remains the same: we will try and win races and always do our best. We owe that to ourselves and to our fans who once again today, were magnificent. I am sure Fernando felt goose bumps up on the podium: standing there in a red suit is something special..."
Pat Fry: "We expected a very close race and that's what we got right from the start. These twenty three points are more or less in line with what we could have expected from our potential at this track. Over the weekend, we worked a lot to improve the performance of the car and the result of that was there to see, considering where we started from on Friday morning. The drivers were great, always getting the most out of the car and the guys were also impeccable during the pit stops. From a strategy point of view it was a relatively simple race to interpret and, given how the early stages of the race evolved, we tried to cover what our main competition was doing. We knew that on the Medium, the performance gap would be higher than on the Soft, but we still managed to maintain this podium place which was our realistic target going into the race. The European season is over and the final part begins, which will see us travel the world for two months: we will look to do our best and bring home some wins."
Mercedes GP
Michael Schumacher (5th): "It was an exciting race today, both for me and I think for all of our fans, and that is why I am happy. The fighting against Lewis was big fun, and my mirrors seemed to be very small at times. We are both known for driving on the limit, and that is what we did. I had to make my car as wide as a truck, and had to stretch the possible as much as I could, but in the end, as expected, he was still faster. The start was ideal, I held back on purpose at first in order to use the grip perfectly afterwards, and then the left side was all free. To make the most of your possibilities is the maximum possible at times, and that is why I had fun today, especially knowing that there is more to come in the future, with all the support we have from Mercedes."
Nico Rosberg (DNF, Accident): "It was a disappointing race for me today in Monza. I had a difficult start on my prime tyres but still managed to gain a place at the first corner, so it was quite good. Then Liuzzi flew like a torpedo over the grass and put me out of the race. It's a pity because I had a strong strategy and, as Michael's good result showed, our car was very strong this afternoon."
Ross Brawn, Team Principal: "A fantastic drive from Michael today, and I'm sure he really enjoyed his racing out there. The boys have done a great job with our starts this year, and Michael was able to get away well and show his race craft in the first part of the race. Then he settled into a really tough battle with the McLarens, particularly Lewis, which was great racing and vintage Michael. We haven't quite got a car that's quick enough yet but we are all pleased with Michael's fifth place today. For Nico, it was a short and not at all sweet afternoon. We had an exciting strategy starting him on the prime tyres, and looking at how those tyres performed on other cars at the beginning of the race, it would have been very interesting to see how it developed. It's doubly frustrating that he was taken out by a car starting in 24th position. If you get tangled up at the first corner because you are vying for position, that's racing, but to be swiped out by someone that far back is hard to take. However, we have shown as a team that when we do have the right car, we will be able to compete at the front, and that's our inspiration for next year."
Norbert Haug, Mercedes Motorsport Director: "A thrilling drive from Michael again today - the first half of the race delivered probably one of the best television shows of the year and I am sure lots of people at home were standing rather than sitting in front of their televisions, which was the case for us on several occasions today. Michael repeated his Spa result today and everybody realised during his drive how committed and hard-fighting he is - it was a joy to watch, and certainly not just for us. It was a shame for Nico to be in the middle of a first-lap shunt at Turn One. With two fresh sets of option tyres available - which none of the top drivers had today - I am sure he would have been in a good position to fight for a strong result. We all are now looking forward to the Singapore night race where we want to consolidate our recent performances from Spa and Monza."
Bruno Senna (9th): I'm happy to score my first F1 points today, especially as it was only my second race for the team. Although I started 10th, it was not been an easy job to finish ninth. We suffered some bad luck in the first corner; everybody was cutting the chicane which forced me to drive on the outside, and in the process I lost all the places I had fought so hard for in qualifying. It makes me very happy to know that I am able to put myself in the position of scoring points, and also to fight with the guys who have been doing this for a long time. The pace of the car was clear for all to see, but I wish the race was just one lap longer because I may have been able to pass Paul (Di Resta) for eighth. The team chose a great strategy, the tyre was fast enough where I needed it to be and I am very happy to get my name on the points board. The team did a great job and I am really looking forward to Singapore."
Vitaly Petrov (DNF, Accident): "Naturally I am very disappointed with what happened today. I had a reasonable start and, as I was heading into the first chicane, Vitantonio's HRT came from nowhere and hit me big time, which brought my race to an end. There's nothing I could have done to avoid this. First of all, I'm happy not to be injured, as the impact was quite strong and it could have been a nasty accident. We have put in so much effort since Spa, at the track, Enstone and Viry, so I'm sorry that wasn't translated into points today. This is part of racing, but I can't help thinking that we could have secured a good result. We must now concentrate on Singapore, which will be a real test for us. We will be bringing another technical upgrade with us, before going on to quicker tracks like Japan and Korea, which should suit our car better. On the upside, the car has felt good since the first practice session here; we definitely made a step forward performance-wise and we should have a strong end to the season."
Eric Boullier, Team Principal: "I have mixed feelings because that first corner cost us dear today; Vitaly was very unfortunate to be out of the race, and Bruno was in eighth at the end of the first lap. However, the team mapped out a very strong strategy, which helped Bruno come all the way back from to ninth. It is good to see him score his first points in F1, and it is clear that if we have a trouble-free race we can finish much higher. We still have some upgrades to come, and if you combine that with the fact that our car has really been on the pace this weekend, we should be confident we can push on from here. As a sport, Formula 1 has once again put on a good show for fans today and we should all be delighted with the quality of racing we have witnessed."
Alan Permane, Chief Race Engineer: "It goes without saying that without the first corner incident, it would have been a very different race for us. Vitaly lost his rear suspension and retired on the spot, whilst Bruno lost many places and finished up 15th behind the safety car. We started him on the medium tyre because we thought Nico (Rosberg) could start on this tyre and we didn't want to get stuck behind him on softs. The early safety car gave us the opportunity to switch strategy with the hope of overtaking others, as they had to go onto the medium tyre at the end. It worked up to a point. We were certainly quicker than the cars around us but even with DRS and better top speed, overtaking was difficult. To come from 18th to ninth is not bad, but we could have scored more points today. Having said that, our performance showed that we can have a strong end to the season."
Riccardo Penteado, Engine Support Leader: "Monza is the hardest track of the year for the engine, which is why we introduced new units here. Having said that, all weekend the car has been very quick and the top speed, which peaked at nearly 350kph yesterday in qualifying, was particularly impressive. It was a great result for Bruno to score points in only his second race for the team. He demonstrated his speed and reliability, and if he hadn't been caught up in the accident he may have scored even more points. Vitaly was very unfortunate today to get caught up in the incident at the first corner. Singapore is a very different circuit from Monza, but the team will look to build from this and score more points."
Pastor Maldonado (11th): "I had a great start and made up a lot of positions while also avoiding the accident. The pace at the beginning was quite strong, but in the second stint we started to lose time and it was difficult to maintain that good rhythm. At the end of the race we had a consistent pace but unfortunately it just wasn't quick enough."
Rubens Barrichello (12th): "I had a brilliant start, gaining three or four positions as we headed into the first corner, but then I saw an HRT come past. I was lucky he didn't hit me but I was then in the middle of the action and so had to stop the car. I didn't hit anyone, but when Rosberg started to move he hit my nose, it was a difficult situation. It's a shame I got caught in that, as with the pace and the strategy I could have scored some points for the team today."
Sam Michael, Technical Director: "We didn't have the pace to score points today. Rubens was caught up in the first corner incident through no fault of his own but recovered the car to change his front wing. He then began chasing up to the back of the pack during the safety car, although not making it to the back of the field as the race restarted. From that point onwards, we had him scheduled to make just one more stop to try to take advantage if something unusual happened. Pastor had a great position after the safety car and a decent first stint, but we didn't have the pace in the following stints to hold on to the position. Our focus is now on Singapore to put the next upgrade on the car for the remaining races."
Force India-Mercedes
Paul di Resta (8th): "Of course I'm really happy to finish eighth today after what hasn't been the easiest of races. My launch was not great, but the guys around me didn't get away well either. Going into turn one I could see a Williams coming towards me so I moved as far to the outside as possible, but there was no option but to bump across the chicane. After that we went aggressive with the tyre strategy and I think we extracted as much as we could because our ultimate lap time in race trim was not quite there today. So it's great to pick up four more points, which helps us move up a place in the championship."
Adrian Sutil (DNF, Hydraulics): "I made a good start, but I was in the middle of a lot of cars and I couldn't really gain any positions. Then the biggest problem was Liuzzi spinning and hitting the field at turn one. I was on the inside and I had to go into the gravel to avoid the crashed cars, which cost me a lot of time. Fortunately my car was fine with no damage so I was still able to continue. I was running on the medium tyre so things looked okay and I felt points could still be possible. A few laps later the power steering went so I knew I had a problem. I tried to downshift into turn three and I couldn't so I had to park the car. As we saw with Paul's result, we missed out on getting two car in the points today."
Dr. Vijay Mallya, Team Principal: "Another very entertaining race at Monza and a great performance from Paul and the team to finish eighth. We always believed that points were possible, but we had to fight hard and stay out of trouble. Paul did well to avoid a messy first corner and went on to drive a very mature race and beat some cars that were perhaps quicker on absolute pace. The strategy came to us and we made the tyres work to score four important points, which moves us up to sixth position in the constructors' championship. As for Adrian, he was out of luck today. He lost a lot of time during the first lap, but that soon became academic when his car suffered a hydraulic problem. So we end the European season full of optimism and look forward to racing in Singapore in a couple of weeks' time."
Sergio Perez (DNF, Gearbox): "Despite our poor grid positions, we were doing well in the race, but then both of us retired, and that is tough. I started 15th and our race strategy was to do a very long stint on the harder tyres - the medium compound - and in the end only a short stint on the soft tyres. From lap 20 I had been in seventh. I had a gap in front and one behind, so it all looked good, but then first of all I could not use third gear and then after that couldn't shift in any gear. We missed a great opportunity to score points today."
Kamui Kobayashi (DNF, Gearbox): "This is, of course, disappointing for everybody. I had no power anymore no matter which gear I selected. Until then it had been quite an exciting and difficult race for me. I had a set of the new harder tyres - the medium compound - for the start and, of course, the plan was to stay out with them for a long time. Sergio proved later that this was possible, but after the accident in turn one, which involved a couple of cars, everybody tried to stop so as not to run into the accident. I touched the car which braked in front of me. Not only did my front wing come lose, but I also damaged a tyre and therefore I had to change to a set of used soft tyres. Because of this our strategy was ruined, but I was still very confident about scoring points today. It is a true shame."
Peter Sauber, Team Principal: "We deliberately put all our focus on the race, accepting that this would compromise our qualifying performance. Our performance today proved that this approach worked out perfectly. We were faster than our direct competitors. Today it would have been easy to score many points, but both our drivers were stopped by gearbox problems, Kamui on lap 23, and Sergio on lap 33. Sergio drove an excellent race and was safely in seventh at that time, and running on a one stop strategy which was perfect today. In addition, our car was as fast as expected today."
Giampaolo Dall'Ara, Head of Track Engineering: "As expected, our pace in the race was much better than in qualifying, and the strategy was also very good. Sergio was on a one stop strategy, drove very consistently and didn't suffer on the medium tyres in the beginning. Over 33 laps he set very respectable lap times. He was 15 seconds ahead of the competition, and we were just waiting for them to stop and then do the same. In Kamui's case we had to bring him in after his first lap incident. We then changed to a two stop strategy, using two sets of the soft tyres, which would also have worked well in his case. Unfortunately the gearbox failures stopped all our efforts."
Toro Rosso-Ferrari
Jaime Alguersuari (7th): "I am very happy with my race today. I think I would like to start even further back on the grid for the next one, because it seems that whenever I have a poor grid position, I finish in the points! I am also very pleased for the team, as they got both cars home in the points. I am a bit surprised at the way the car performance came good on Sunday in the race, because I did not expect to be quicker than Force India and Sauber. Getting this great result at our home race, also makes it extra special. We need to keep on working like this and try and improve our qualifying performance on Saturday. If we do that, I think we can finish in the points on a regular basis."
Sebastien Buemi (10th): "I am bit disappointed with the way the race panned out. I made a very good start, but then when an HRT triggered a big accident, I took a knock at the back of my car and it was definitely damaged in some way, as it did not work at its maximum potential from then on. If that had not happened, maybe I could have finished ninth or eighth. But while tenth is therefore a bit disappointing, losing out to Senna right at the end, when he was on the Soft tyre and I was on the Medium, it's time to look ahead and think about doing better in two weeks time in Singapore."
Franz Tost, Team Principal: "Our home track always appears to be a lucky one for us, because we seem to finish regularly in the points here at Monza. Jaime's seventh place finish was the best result of his Formula 1 career and it was the team's best so far this season and a good result overall as we got both cars home in the points, with Sebastien Buemi tenth past the flag. The points we got today see us close the gap to both Force India and Sauber in the Constructors' Championship. Jaime drove an excellent race, making up eleven places from his grid position. He was especially quick on his second set of tyres, putting in one fastest lap after another. Sebastien was lucky to finish the race, after being involved in a collision when he clipped another car with the left rear tyre. Well done to the entire team, who delivered a good strategy and executed it well during the race. This was a good way to end the European leg of the season and I am now looking forward to seeing if we can continue like this in the remaining six races of the championship."
Heikki Kovalainen (13th): "I had a great start, passing Jarno and then seeing the HRT coming into T1 in a pretty hardcore style so I avoided that and was then up into a good position early on. I managed to hold that place for a good number of laps and found the tyre degradation pretty easy to manage. The pitstops were really good today - the calls to come in were made at the right times and the whole crew did a great job to get me out so quickly, so thanks to them and the whole team for a good end to the weekend."
Jarno Trulli (14th): "For once I didn't have a great start but I managed to avoid the crash at the first corner and luckily Heikki and I were able to get through that and avoid damaging our cars. While I was racing Heikki, I think Massa got into trouble into the first chicane, so I had to go off track to avoid hitting him. When I rejoined the track he shut the door on me, so I went down the inside, kept flat out and managed to overtake him. Then, going into the first corner I had two faster cars behind me with KERS - they had just pressed the button and while going into the second corner Massa lost the car under braking and hit me which forced me into the car next to me, damaging the front end of the car and the front wing. It was really unlucky as I was basically in a sandwich and I was the only one that was damaged! The team did a great job to bring me in , change the nose and then rethink the strategy, switching me to one stop strategy pretty much straight away. From there my lap times were really good and I enjoyed the whole of the rest of the race. I'm really happy about the performance today and the pace was excellent all afternoon. In fact, throughout the whole weekend I have been very happy with the pace of the car overall and this morning's news about next year's contract has made this a fantastic home race for me - thanks to the whole team for that!"
Tony Fernandes, Team Principal: "It has been a great day for Team Lotus and, for me, about the best race I have been to so far! To come 13th and 14th at Monza is way above my expectations so I am very proud of both drivers and the whole team. Obviously the race had a number of incidents which helped our final grid positions, but there are two key points for us to take out of today - we were there at the end to take the advantage of the positions that were available and our pace over the race distance was strong enough to keep up with a number of the established teams. Both Heikki and Jarno did an absolutely fantastic job throughout the whole afternoon and they were helped by the pitstop crew who performed brilliantly, and the engineers who made the right calls at the right times. Well done to all. This has been a pivotal few days for our team and we will be making anumber of announcements over the next few weeks that will show just how well we have laid the foundations for the future of our team. But now for me it is back to London and Loftus Road!"
Mike Gascoyne, Technical Director: "That was a great race for us. Both drivers managed to avoid the carnage at the start but then Jarno lost a bit of time early on after being hit by Massa. That incident meant we had to bring him in to change his front wing, putting him back a few places but we switched his strategy and put him onto a long stint on the soft tyres tyres before changing to the mediums. That change, and the fact he was pushing throughout the whole race, helped him get back in front of his direct opposition and he did well to finish 14th. Heikki was also strong all afternoon and was holding the places he had gained at the start as long as he possibly could - we are all delighted that he brought his car home in 13th without any issues at all as that was the primary goal for today. After a difficult Friday this performance was a great recovery from the team to show how we can bounce back from a difficult start to the weekend. It is been an extremely positive result which sets us up well for Singapore, so well done to everyone."
Thierry Salvi, Renault: "From the engine perspectivse that was a pretty tough race but one that we are very pleased to have finished so well. Jarno's pace today was really good - he was easily able to pull away from Timo once he passed him and to have both cars finishing so closely together after the incident Jarno had is a very positive result. Monza is extremely testing for the engines as the drivers spend so long at full throttle, but we managed to get both cars home without any problems so that is a good afternoon for us and the whole team."
Daniel Ricciardo (Not classified): "The race started as bad as it could, for some reason the car went into anti-stall, jammed in third gear and then the engine switched off. I couldn't get restarted and had to get the car back into the box. The mechanics got it going again and I was back on track but the engine temperature rose and they called me back to check it and it took us a few more minutes until we could rejoin the race. I went straight into a bit of traffic which made it hard to get a bit of rhythm. But at least in the second stint at the end of the race I was able to get in quite a few good laps and we got some data out of that. A little bit is better than nothing but I need to keep pushing for a better result in Singapore."
Vitantonio Liuzzi (DNF, Accident): "I was really looking forward to my home race and, although I knew it was going to be tough, it all ended prematurely. I had a good start getting past both Virgins, Lotuses and Daniel but then I went for another overtaking manoeuvre and got closed out. That put me into the grass and once I was there I tried to slow down but completely lost control of the car and unfortunately hit other cars. I am really sorry for Petrov, Rosberg and the other drivers who were forced to retire because of this. Now it's over but we are fighters and we have to look ahead to the next race."
Colin Kolles, Team Principal: "This was a weekend to forget after losing both cars before the first corner of the first lap. The mechanics managed to fire up the car and Ricciardo completed 39 laps. We knew that Monza would be difficult but everything was set up for a satisfying race. It is a pity for both our drivers, but lets look ahead to a much better weekend in Singapore."
Timo Glock (15th): "The race today was okay, even though the car was a bit difficult to drive, which is a little disappointing after yesterday's qualifying. Over the weekend we have definitely seen a step forward. The car felt better, but we have to look at why the car wasn't so good in race trim and see how we can develop the package for Singapore."
Jerome d'Ambrosio (DNF): "A really disappointing end to the weekend. I was really looking forward to the race and then during the formation lap I realised that I had no second gear. I started the race but the car was undriveable, so I had to come back into the garage and retire. It's a real shame because today's race looked like a close one but we just have to move on and get ready for the next race, as the initial signs from the upgrade have been positive."
John Booth, Team Principal: "Timo had an absolutely outstanding start and picked his way through the chaos in the first corner to end the lap in 14th position. From this point on, unfortunately we didn't quite have the pace to stay with Heikki, however Trulli's early stop meant that at least we were racing him. We perhaps could have pitted a little bit earlier on the first stop, but overall we didn't quite have the pace to stay in front. Nonetheless, the very fact that we are back racing with Team Lotus shows the improvement we have made for this weekend. With Jerome, it's very unfortunate that the gearbox failed on the formation lap. We had no indication of any issues up to this point, so we will review this back at our technical base in order to understand how this happened. We have a very busy week ahead, with half of the team moving on to an aero test in Vairano, Italy, on Tuesday and the other half will be back at base to finalise our preparations for the final flyaways. The team and the drivers are very much looking forward to heading to Singapore where, if our simulations are correct, this upgrade should yield greater gains."


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Cylinder liners
Due to the lift motion of the piston and piston rings, their partner—the cylinder surface—is also subject to high mechanical loads and must withstand increased ignition pressures and speeds. In order to reduce wear, the running surface should be smooth and the lubrication between the sliding partners must be ensured. The type and quality of the running surface effects oil consumption as well as the wear of the two components.
MAHLE offers a product range that is based on state-of-the-art technology. The development competence for individual solutions has grown over the years.


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Route 28 is a route connecting Mt. Silver to the Reception Gate. This route is filled with tall grass and various lakes and has a house where a person lives to hide away from fame. This area is only accessible after obtaining all 16 badges.
Special Moves used in :CutSurf
Wild Pokťmon


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Research Entomologist
Carl Hayden Bee Research Center
Ph.D., Entomology (2003)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
M.S., Entomology (1997)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
B.A., Natural Sciences (1993)
New College of the University of South Florida (Sarasota, FL)
My research focuses on the effects of stressors, such as poor nutrition, parasites, pathogens, poor queen quality, chemical treatments, and environmental extremes, on the nutrition, function and health of honey bee colonies. Specifically, this includes: 1) the effects of stressors on colony cohesion, communication, and performance, 2) mechanisms of individual and colony responses to colony stressors, 3) key factors (nutrients, biochemical pathways, semiochemical cues, colony microbes, and behaviors) that regulate food processing and the nutritional state of honey bee colonies, and 4) novel chemically-mediated interactions that impact honey bees, both within the colony and between bees and their natural enemies. As a social unit, honey bees show remarkable adaptation to colony stressors under adverse conditions. Changes in behavior and physiology allow bees to maintain colony functions and cohesiveness under a wide variety of challenges. Likewise, colony decline and death often represents a failure to fully adjust to stressors, whether through natural decline (aging queens, degraded colony infrastructure, pathogens), limitations on the efficacy of responses (starvation during poor forage, hygienic behaviors), or novel challenges (Varroa mites, chemical treatments). A key challenge is to understand how the internal state and perception of the stressed individual translates into effective colony-wide responses to stress. Bees readily adjust as a unit through individual responses to stressor cues and effective communication among colony members. To this end, my collaborators and I employ a highly-integrated, multidisciplinary approach that uses chemical ecology, behavior, biochemistry, microbiology, and functional genomics to understand how honey bees maintain a complex society in a constantly changing environment.
My primary focus is on nutritional ecology and physiology, since nutrition is a critical arbiter of health and stress responses in honey bees. Our understanding of how these honey bee social systems work includes consideration of the residential microbial communities associated with the colony. Beneficial microbes are intimately involved in nutritional processing and digestion, as well as the preservation of food stores and hive materials against other microbes. Given that honey bee colonies represent one of the most dense and microbially-vulnerable aggregations of animals on earth, inclusion of the beneficial microbial community in honey bee stress ecology is paramount.
Current research interests include:
- changes in the "internal state" (hormones, stress markers, pheromones, nutrient reserves, etc.) of honey bees during stress events, such as malnutrition and starvation
- the effects of stress and nutrition on pheromone production and perception (queen pheromones)
- novel chemical cues (nutrients, pheromones and semiochemicals) that regulate colony functions and nutritional outcomes, especially food processing, food storage, food sharing (trophallaxis), brood rearing (workers and reproductives), and larval-worker feeding interactions
- key nutrient and semiochemical cues used by workers to maintain colony hygiene, food stores, and beneficial microbial communities
- nutrient and biochemical changes in colony food stores (honey and bee bread (stored pollen)) during formation (food processing), storage, and eventual long-term degradation
- contributions of beneficial microbes to honey bee nutrition and health
- chemical cues that mediate interactions between honey bees and their natural enemies (Varroa mite attractants, hygienic cues from pathogens)
- effects of agricultural and apicultural practices (chemical treatments) on colony stress, communication, food stores, and microbial balances
Two key technical approaches that I use to better assess the chemical world of bees are:
- the development of less intrusive techniques that allow for repeated sampling and chemical manipulation of the colony environment
- innovation of more sensitive, accurate, and applicable analytical techniques to evaluate honey bee chemistry
October 2009 to present: Research Entomologist, Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA-ARS Pacific West Area, Tucson, AZ
May 2008 to October 2009: Visiting Scientist (Postdoctoral Associate), Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
May 2004 to May 2008: Research Entomologist (Postdoctoral Associate), Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology (CMAVE), Chemistry Unit, USDA-ARS, Gainesville, FL
August 1993 to May 2003: Graduate Teaching Assistant/Research Assistant, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
August 1992 to July 1993: Department of Entomology Graduate Fellow, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
The publication of my research on honey bee chemical ecology (2007-2010, 4 to 6 publications) is on hold pending approval of a patent covering Varroa attractants isolated from bee brood.
Carroll, M. J., Duehl, A., and P. E. A. Teal. 2010. Methods for attracting or repelling Varroa mites. U.S. Patent (pending).
Graham, J., Ellis, J., Carroll, M., and P. Teal. 2010. Aethina tumida Murray (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) attraction to volatiles produced by Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) and Bombus impatiens Cresson (Hymenoptera: Apidae) colonies. Apidologie, in press.
Sammataro, D., Finley, J., LeBlance, B., Wardell, G., Ahumada-Segura, F., and M. J. Carroll. 2009. Feeding essential oils and 2-heptanone in sugar syrup and liquid protein diets to honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) as potential Varroa mite (Varroa destructor) controls. Journal of Apicultural Research 48: 256-262.
Carroll, M. J., Schmelz, E. A., and P. E. A. Teal. 2008. The attraction of Spodoptera frugiperda neonates to cowpea seedlings is mediated by volatiles induced by conspecific herbivory and the elicitor inceptin. Journal of Chemical Ecology 34: 291-300.
Carroll, M. J., Lampert, E. C., Berenbaum, M. R., Noyes, J. S., and P. J. Ode. 2007. New records of Copidosoma sosares (Walker) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), a parasitoid of the parsnip webworm (Depressaria pastinacella (Duponchel)) (Lepidoptera: Elachistidae), in western North America. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 80: 309-318.
Schmelz, E. A., LeClere, S., Carroll, M. J., Alborn, H. T., and P. E. A. Teal. 2007. Cowpea chloroplastic ATP synthase is the source of multiple plant defense elicitors during insect herbivory. Plant Physiology 144: 793-805.
Carroll, M. J., Schmelz, E. A., Meagher, R. L., and P. E. A. Teal. 2006. Attraction of Spodoptera frugiperda larvae to volatiles from herbivore-damaged maize seedlings. Journal of Chemical Ecology 32: 1911-1924.
Schmelz, E. A., Carroll, M. J., LeClere, S., Phipps, S. M., Meredith, J., Chourey, P. S., Alborn, H. T., and P. E. A. Teal. 2006. Fragments of ATP synthase mediate plant perception of insect attack. PNAS 103: 8864-8899.
Carroll, M. J. and M. R. Berenbaum. 2006. Lutein sequestration and furanocoumarin metabolism in parsnip webworms under different ultraviolet light regimes in the montane west. Journal of Chemical Ecology 32: 277-305.
Carroll, M. J. and M. R. Berenbaum. 2002. Behavioral responses of the parsnip webworm to hostplant volatiles. Journal of Chemical Ecology 28: 2191-2201.
Zangerl, A. R., McKenna, D., Wraight, C. L., Carroll, M., Ficarello, P., Warner, R., and M. R. Berenbaum. 2001. Effects of exposure to event 176 Bacillus thuringiensis corn pollen on monarch and black swallowtail caterpillars under field conditions. PNAS 98: 11908-11912.
Carroll, M. J., Zangerl, A. R., and M. R. Berenbaum. 2000. Heritability estimates for octyl acetate and octyl butyrate in the mature fruit of the wild parsnip, Pastinaca sativa (Apiaceae). Journal of Heredity 91: 68-71.
Wraight, C. L., Zangerl, A. R., Carroll, M. J., and M. R. Berenbaum. 2000. Absence of toxicity of Bacillus thuringiensis pollen to black swallowtails under field conditions. PNAS 97: 7700-7703.
Carroll, M., Hanlon, A., Hanlon, T., Zangerl, A., and M. R. Berenbaum. 1997. Behavioral effects of carotenoid sequestration by the parsnip webworm, Depressaria pastinacella. Journal of Chemical Ecology 23: 2707-2719.


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The experts explain 14 important handling terms, and tell you why some cars handle great and others need big help
When it comes down to it, there's no easy way to explain the engineering behind suspension design. It's a complex science where tweaking one variable affects a dozen other variables, and the resulting domino effect can be quite frustrating for a weekend warrior trying to shave off a tenth or two on the autocross. To compound the situation, once you start diving into suspension tuning, you're met with a roadblock of fancy terminology that few people can clearly explain. That's what this story is all about. Think of it as a glossary of common suspension terms defined by the leading engineers and manufacturers in the aftermarket. We got our field of experts to uncover the secrets behind everything from Ackerman and antisquat, to scrub radius and instant center. Let's dig in!
As a car negotiates a corner, the inside front wheel travels in a tighter radius than the outside wheel. Ideally, it would be possible for the inside tire to turn at a tighter angle than the outside tire. Ackerman refers to any tricks or tweaks in the suspension geometry to help the inside tire travel in a tighter arc, but this can be difficult to accomplish. One method is to set the front tires to toe-out. While this does help situate the inside tire at a more advantageous angle during cornering, it also points the outside tire in the wrong direction. Alternately, some chassis builders have experimented with intentionally dialing in a small amount of bumpsteer to toe-out the tires during cornering. Ultimately, the benefit of Ackerman geometry is up for debate. Many experts agree that its benefits are questionable in a street car, and some racers swear by it while others don't. "The theory behind Ackerman geometry is that without it, the inside tire scrubs and chirps, resulting in a loss of cornering speed. On some tracks, you can also set a car up for reverse Ackerman, where the outside tire turns at a sharper angle than the inside tire," Dale Schwartz of Schwartz Performance explains.
When most street cars accelerate forward, weight transfers rearward and causes the back of the car to squat. In an effort to enhance the forward bite of the rear tires, the suspension can be set up to counteract this squatting force and drive the rearend housing into the ground. Aptly referred to as antisquat, this effect is very well optimized in drag cars, but it can also benefit road course machines as well. "Drag cars can actually have so much antisquat that they raise the back end of the car during acceleration. What's happening is that as the pinion gear rotates the ring gear and torques the rearend housing, that force is being used to drive the tires into the pavement," Matt Jones of Art Morrison Enterprises (AME) explains. In cars with a four-link rear suspension, angling the control arms upward to move the instant center height closer to the center of gravity height increases antisquat. "Antisquat is calculated based on the instant center location in relation to the center of gravity. As long as it doesn't compromise other aspects of suspension geometry, antisquat can help put the power down when exiting a corner."
Bumpsteer is sometimes described as how much the steering direction jerks when a car hits a bump, but that's just part of the story. A more complete description of bumpsteer is the amount and direction the toe changes during suspension travel. This condition changes the steering angle as the suspension compresses and rebounds. Since the steering tie rods and the upper and lower control arms travel in separate arcs, it is this disparity in movement that causes the front tires to toe-in or toe-out during suspension travel. According to Steve Gorski of Unisteer: "The idea is to get the pivot points of the steering rack to match the pivot points of the chassis as closely as possible. Global West's Doug Norrdin concurs: "The key to reducing bumpsteer is making the arcs, the tie rods, and control arms travel as similar as possible. Some people think that the bumpsteer will be minimized if the tie rods are parallel to the ground, but that's not entirely accurate," he explains. "After setting the ride height, at our shop we dial 2 inches of suspension travel in the upward and downward direction, which is quite a bit. Then the bumpsteer can be adjusted by changing tie rod length and height, or if that's not enough, by moving the entire steering rack. On many production cars, this might get you 3 inches of travel in which you have little to no bumpsteer, with some bumpsteer starting to creep in at the extreme ends of suspension travel. Any time you lower a car, you have to readjust the bumpsteer."
Camber and Caster
Camber and caster are very easy to understand, yet both profoundly impact the handling of a car. When viewed from the front of a car, camber refers to the direction in which the tops of the tires are leaning. A tire that leans inward has negative camber, while a tire that leans outward has positive camber. Since the laws of physics force the outside tire to lean outward during cornering—which reduces the contact patch and cornering grip—most modern suspension systems have negative camber built-in. "Negative camber increases the contact patch, and increases turning thrust to help a car change directions. Lower sidewall tires give less thrust, and taller sidewalls allow running more negative camber," says Danny Nix of Classic Performance Products (CPP).
On the other hand, caster refers to the angle the spindle is set at when viewed from the side of a car. If an imaginary line was drawn from the upper ball joint to the lower ball joint, the angle of that line would reflect the caster. With positive caster the spindle angles rearward, while with negative caster the spindle angles forward. "The distance from the contact patch to steering axis is called the trail, and the larger the trail, the more the car wants to go straight," Nix explains. "Likewise, the more positive caster you have, the more camber you can gain while turning. Increasing caster increases steering effort and the self-centering effect of the steering wheel. The downside is that it also reduces steering feedback."
Camber Gain
If negative camber increases the size of the contact patch during cornering—and therefore increasing grip—camber gain expands upon that concept. Proper chassis tuning can result in a suspension that yields an increase in negative camber as body roll increases, a condition known as camber gain. "One of the biggest performance limitations of a stock suspension is the limited amount of camber gain that can be achieved with them. In fact, compressing the suspension in many muscle cars results in positive camber, which is the exact opposite of what you want," says Roadster Shop's Jeremy Gerber. "There isn't much you can do to increase camber gain with a stock suspension because it's difficult to move the pickup points around. You can lower the attachment point of the upper control arm, but that's about it. With an aftermarket frame, however, you can radically change the length of the control arms, and relocate the pickup points. A car like a stock C6 Corvette will pick up half a degree of negative camber for every inch of suspension travel. We set up our frames to pick up 1 degree of negative camber for every inch of travel."
Instant Center
Conceptualizing instant center is best done by looking at the side profile of a car. If you drew a line from the back of the rear control arms to the front of the rear control arms, then extended the lines to the front of the car, a car's instant center is the point where those lines intersect. Raising the instant center, or moving it farther rearward, results in a chassis that transfers weight from the front to the rear more quickly. Lowering the instant center, or moving it farther forward, decreases weight transfer. "There are lots of opinions on where the instant center should be positioned, but we've learned a lot through track testing," RideTech's Bret Voelkel explains. "With our four-link rear suspension systems, we have had positive results by running the lower control arm parallel to the ground, and angling the upper control arms downward 2 to 3 degrees. This puts the instant center right at the back of the crankshaft, and gives a car excellent forward bite. If the upper and lower control arms are close to parallel, it puts the instant center way out in front of the car and compromises traction."
Roll Center
The point in space where the suspension and body rotates as a car leans from side to side is the roll center. If plotting a scale drawing of a suspension on paper, the first step in determining the roll center is to establish the instant center location based on the angles of the control arms. Next, a line must be drawn from the left and right contact patches of the tires to the instant center. The intersection point of these two lines is the roll center, which can be located above or below the ground. "Moving the roll center changes the roll stiffness of a vehicle," Matt Jones of AME says. "The farther away from the center of gravity the roll center is, the more a car will roll. Raising the roll center reduces body roll. That said, the roll center couldn't be moved much at all within the confines of stock suspension pickup points."
Roll Steer
Just like bumpsteer changes the steering angle of the front tires, roll steer changes the angle of the rearend housing, resulting in understeer or oversteer. This can happen for several different reasons. Imagine a leaf-spring car hustling hard around a left-hand turn. Since the right-side spring increases in overall length as it compresses, which lengthens the wheelbase on that side of the car, the rearend will point to the right, inducing roll oversteer. For street cars, a slight degree of roll understeer results in more predictable handling, and this can be accomplished by relocating the lower control arm in cars with a four-link or torque-arm style rear suspension. Angling the lower control arms downward shortens up the wheelbase on the right side of the car when turning left, which increases understeer. Pointing the lower control arms upward has the opposite effect. As an alternative solution, Hot Rods to Hell's unique center-drive truck arm system uses a crossmember positioned 51 inches in front of the rear axle centerline. "Since the lower control arms are so long and anchored to the center of the car, there is no change in wheelbase as the suspension compresses," Steve McClenon explains. "This system eliminates roll steer and binding. The central mounting also eliminates chassis flex and results in incredible forward bite."
Roll Stiffness
A suspension's ability to resist body roll is known as roll stiffness. In essence, it is simply the combined stiffness of the springs and sway bars. Certain applications call for stiff springs and smaller sway bars, while softer springs and larger sway bars are more prevalent in other applications. For cars that see both street and track duty, many suspension tuners prefer a spring that is barely stiff enough to prevent a car from bottoming out. This affords a more compliant ride quality, and enables the tires to more closely follow the contours of the road. "The most important factor is determining how a car will be used. For a street car that sees occasional track time, we recommend softer springs and larger sway bars," Heidts' Mike Hawley explains. "If you're setting up a car that will only be driven on the autocross, you can get away with stiffer springs and smaller sway bars. If that's still not stiff enough, you can make the sway bars even bigger. Every application is different, so we ask our customers lots of questions to make sure we know their goals for their car. We can get things pretty close right off the bat, but we will let our customers swap out springs if necessary."
Scrub Radius
Like bumpsteer, scrub radius is something that must be minimized for optimal handling. Let's say you're looking at the front suspension while standing directly in front of a car. If a line was drawn through the upper and lower ball joint, the angle this line creates with the ground is the kingpin inclination. If a second line was drawn from the wheel centerline to the ground, the distance between it and the kingpin inclination line is the scrub radius. Bumps and cornering loads transmitted through the tires exert a twisting force on the steering system that's proportional to the length of the scrub radius, so it's imperative to keep it to a minimum. Consequently, cars with zero scrub radius can be driven easily without power steering. "Scrub radius can be kept to a minimum by keeping the ball joints as close to the wheel centerline as possible," RideTech's Bret Voelkel says. "You can also affect scrub radius significantly by changing wheel offset. Most of the time, you end up with a scrub radius that's in an acceptable range by special coincidence."
Shock Compression and Rebound
In the rest of the world, shocks are called spring dampers. That's because the springs control the motion of a car's body, while the shocks control the gyrating motion of the springs. This is accomplished by pushing the piston into the shock body during compression, and after dissipating the shock load, it extends back out of the body during rebound. "When designing a shock, we put it on a shock dyno to test how it reacts to carefully measured units of force in both compression and rebound. The pounds of force exerted on the shock rod is charted on the Y-axis of a graph, and the acceleration of the rod in inches per second is mapped on the X-axis," Stacy Tucker of Detroit Speed and Engineering (DSE) explains. "A shock must be matched to the spring rate, and the rest of the suspension. After we build a prototype shock and install it on a car, we take it on a very specific street route, test it at the track, and drive some more on the street. During this process, we'll fine-tune the compression, rebound, and jounce bump characteristics. This can take several months to complete. Overall vehicle weight, front and rear axle weight, wheelbase length, track width, suspension geometry, and spring location relative to the tire all affect how a shock must be valved."
Spring Rate
The amount of force required to compress a spring 1 inch is its spring rate. For example, a 400 lb-in spring requires 400 pounds of force to compress 1 inch. Wheel rate, on the other hand, is the actual spring rate as measured at the wheels. The length of the control arms creates a linkage ratio in the suspension, which means that adding 100 lb-in of spring rate increases wheel rate by a lesser amount. Furthermore, for any given wheel rate, positioning a spring closer to the control arm mounting points requires using a stiffer spring rate. As such, it's impossible to compare the spring rate from one model of car to another. Moreover, when shopping for springs, hot rodders have the option of linear and variable rate units. "With a linear rate spring, the rate is constant throughout the suspension travel, whereas a variable rate spring starts out soft and gets stiffer as it's compressed," explains DSE's Stacy Tucker. "Variable-rate springs are used more in OEM applications because they require very specific suspension tuning requirements. Since ride heights, wheel sizes, and vehicle weight are all over the map with hot rods, linear rate springs often work more effectively."
Let's say you're in a helicopter looking straight down at the roof of a car. The suspension's toe angle is how much the front of the tires point inward or outward. Toe-in is where the front of the tires points inward, and toe-out is where the front of the tires points outward. Changing this angle is easily accomplished by adjusting the tie rods. "Toe-in increases stability, but the trade-off is that it makes a car less responsive. If you have very wide front tires, you can dial in some toe-in to intentionally scrub the tires to build heat," CPP's Danny Nix explains. "Conversely, toe-out reduces stability and makes a car feel darty. For a car that's driven on an autocross or a slow road course, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Dialing in .25 to .50 inch of toe-out is good for low-speed track use because it allows a car to change directions quickly."
As a car turns left or right, it rotates around a specific point located in the center of the chassis. Drawing an imaginary line through this point, from the roof to the pavement, establishes the vertical axis around which a car understeers or oversteers. The movement around this axis is called yaw, and how the mass of a car is distributed within the chassis plays a major role in yaw rate. "If you take a dumbbell and try to rotate it end over end, it's very difficult because the weight is distributed on the far ends of the dumbbell. However, if you could move all that weight to the center of the dumbbell, it would be much easier to rotate even though the overall weight of the dumbbell has not changed," says Danny Nix of CPP. "That's why it's important to reduce the polar moment of inertia in a car, which is a measure of a car's resistance to rotating around its vertical axis. A mid-engine car is very responsive and rotates extremely well because the weight of the engine is concentrated near the center of the chassis, which reduces the polar moment of inertia. Moving weight that's located on the far left or right sides of a car closer to the center of the chassis will net a similar effect."


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Podcasting is a great way to get your message out to the masses. Your listeners can even take you on the go. While it is hard to read a blog post or watch a video and drive, listening to a podcast can be done safely!
Podcasting Basics with Shannon Hernandez
As you will hear in this video, you do not need a bunch of fancy equipment to get started. You can have the basics, get your podcast up and going and then if you want some fancier equipment fine. Don't let "Not having what the pros have" stop you!
Knowing what topics you want to cover, personality and regularity in your shows seems to be more important than a mic that cost big money.
If you have a podcast or are just starting a podcast, you need to watch this video…the timestamps are in the description, so you can find just what you want!


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Wage and Hour Division (WHD)
Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.
Press Releases
Date: May 9, 2013
Contact: Michael D'Aquino or Lindsay Williams
Phone: 404-562-2076 or 404-562-2078
U.S. Department of Labor
Wage and Hour Division
Release Number: 13-745-ATL (98)
US Department of Labor recovers more than $1 million in back wages and damages for 196 employees misclassified as independent contractors
Employees worked for Kentucky-based cable installer
COVINGTON, Ky. -- The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent judgment in federal court ordering Bowlin Group LLC and Bowlin Services LLC to pay 196 employees a total of $1,075,000 in back wages and liquidated damages.
The judgment resolves a Labor Department investigation conducted by the Wage and Hour Division which found that the defendants misclassified 77 employees as independent contractors and violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by denying those workers and others overtime compensation, and failing to maintain accurate payroll records. The judgment also permanently enjoins the defendants, as well as former Bowlin Group Vice President James "Jay" Martin, from violating the FLSA in the future.
"This judgment rightfully provides wages to the workers who earned them," said acting Secretary of Labor Seth D. Harris. "The misclassification of employees as independent contractors cheats workers of wages and benefits to which they would otherwise be entitled to under the law, subsequently hurting our economy. It also leads to unfair competition because businesses that play by the rules operate at a disadvantage to those that don't."
Bowlin Group LLC maintains its principal office in Walton, Ky., and operates five subsidiaries throughout Ohio and Kentucky. One such subsidiary is Bowlin Services LLC, which until May 2012 performed installation services under contract to Insight Communications, a cable, telephone and Internet provider in Kentucky. An investigation by the division's Louisville District Office found that this employer classified some of its cable installers as employees but misclassified other installers doing the same work as independent contractors.
The agency's investigation found that all nonexempt employees, regardless of their classification by the employer as either an employee or independent contractor, were paid based upon the pieces of equipment they installed rather than at an hourly rate. They were thereby denied overtime compensation, which should have been time and one-half their regular rates of pay for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. Additionally, the employer failed to keep accurate records of the number of hours worked by each installer as well as employees performing fiber optic splicing, and falsified payroll records to minimize the numbers of hours worked.
"The misclassification of workers as something other than employees, typically as independent contractors, presents a serious problem for affected employees and employers, and to the economy," said Mary Beth Maxwell, acting deputy administrator for the Wage and Hour Division. "Misclassified employees often are denied access to critical benefits and protections to which they are entitled, such as minimum wage and overtime, family and medical leave, and unemployment insurance. Misclassification of workers may also generate losses to the U.S. Treasury, and Social Security and Medicare funds, and to state unemployment insurance and worker compensation funds."
The Department of Labor and the Internal Revenue Service, through an interagency memorandum of understanding, are working together and sharing general information to reduce the incidence of misclassification of employees, reduce the tax gap and improve compliance with federal labor laws.
Memorandums of understanding with the IRS and state government agencies arose as part of the department's Misclassification Initiative, with the goal of preventing, detecting and remedying employee misclassification. In addition, under the terms of the information-sharing agreement, the department may share specific case information with the IRS. This case is typical of those the department may refer to the IRS. More information is available on the department's misclassification Web page at http://www.dol.gov/misclassification.
The FLSA requires that covered employees be paid at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25 for all hours worked, plus time and one-half their regular rates, including commissions, bonuses and incentive pay, for hours worked beyond 40 per week. Employers also must maintain accurate time and payroll records. The FLSA provides that employers who violate the law are liable to employees for their back wages and an equal amount in liquidated damages. Liquidated damages are paid directly to the affected employees.
For more information about whether a worker is an "employee" under the FLSA, visit http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs13.htm.
The Nashville, Tenn., branch of the department's solicitor's office filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Northern Division, which is located in Covington.
Accessible and searchable information on enforcement activities by the U.S. Department of Labor is available at http://ogesdw.dol.gov/search. For more information about the FLSA and other federal laws administered by the Wage and Hour Division, call the division's toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243) or its Louisville office at 502-582-5226. Information is also available at http://www.dol.gov/whd.
Case No. 12-00076 in E.D. Ky.
U.S. Department of Labor releases are accessible on the Internet at www.dol.gov. The information in this news release will be made available in alternate format (large print, Braille, audio tape or disc) from the COAST office upon request. Please specify which news release when placing your request at (202) 693-7828 or TTY (202) 693-7755. The Labor Department is committed to providing America's employers and employees with easy access to understandable information on how to comply with its laws and regulations. For more information, please visit www.dol.gov/compliance.


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PhotoScapes Photography
At NZ Photo Info we're photographers too.
We have a passion for Panoramic, Landscape and Fine Art Photography. We have a small sample of our photography portfolio online for your enjoyment.
PhotoScapes (our definition) - are photographic representations of landscapes, seascapes or cityscapes, often displayed in a panoramic format.


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text: Service is one of the cornerstones of our business. Empire Today® is committed to complete customer satisfaction throughout the consultation process and long after installation is complete. As a testimony to our dedication to serving our customers, we have been recognized with some of the industry's most prestigious customer service and business ethics awards. Most recently, these awards include:


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For a very long time I've been having problems with the fading feet in Touch of Darkness flickering as they fade. I've only just worked out why, and it's not obvious so I'm posting here in case it helps anyone else with the same problem.
The issue was simple but only became obvious when at one point every foot flickered in sync (I think this was due to changing the fade algorithm).
I was using Create Dynamic Material Instance with an existing Dynamic Material Instance as input, when what I should have been doing was using a new Material.
Even though it allows a Dynamic Material Instance as an input to the node it appears to just use the exact same instance and apply it to the mesh.
Just use the Get Base Material node and use the output from that instead.