text:
Liberty Bernadette Bold Beanies Hat Brown Rose Gift
Unique Chemotherapy or Alopecia Hair Loss Gift to Show You Care
Soft comfy cotton women's Bold Beanie hair loss hat in beautiful brown Liberty Art Fabrics floral print rolled and packaged to look like a rose present.
We are happy to send out directly to the recipient and to include a gift note, so please just leave a message at checkout.
Limited Edition. Available while stocks last.
You may also like


text:
Italian Greyhound - Leather Flip Case
Our mobile phone cases are perfect for business use and for custom personalisation. They look fantastic with photographs and business logos. These are brilliant for advertising your company on the front of your work phone. Or even for selling with your personal photograph or graphic design.
- Premium quality faux leather sublimation case
- Premium internal oil coated plastic case
- Soft touch lining material with card slots

subset: commoncrawl


text:
8.28am: The government today released data files containing 195,000 individual items of Whitehall spending in the first five months that the coalition was in power. Francis Maude, the Cabinet Office minister responsible, says he wants the full weight of public scrutiny to fall across everyone in government so that the right spending decisions are made. The publication will also allow companies that supply the government to step in and undercut their rivals.
The Guardian Datablog team have had access to the material for a week, along with a handful of other specialist data handlers. Downing Street gave us that access in order for the experts to make the data more accessible for the public. Our team have come up with this search engine, which we hope you'll use to mine into the data and find the nuggets that tell us more about how our money is spent – or misspent.
Post any nuggets you find below or you can email me at email@example.com. All our coverage on the data release is here.
Personally, I also want to answer a couple of questions that have been bugging me since working on this data yesterday: I got two different answers to a question about what the £55,000 spent on David Cameron's offices were for. Downing Street told me it was for security, the Cabinet Office said it was for an ongoing upgrade of the buildings. Which was right?
I also want to get to the bottom of why the Department for Communities and Local Government spent thousands flying an employee of the American political pollsters Gallup over to London.
There is a health warning on this data: it's not perfect. We were promised all items of spending above £25,000 but some departments have used thresholds of as low as £100. Some give data from 1 May, some from the day after the coalition was formed, 12 May. Very few have filled in a field in their accounting systems explaining exactly what each item is for. Some is redacted for national security purposes and some is just plain missing.
Francis Maude's office told me this just demonstrated how lax the Whitehall system of accounting for its expenditure is and is something they are working hard to reform.
8.53am: A quick round-up of what other newspapers have spotted.
The Times (paywall) highlight the "coalition spending spree" and has spotted – along with the Daily Mail and the Daily Mirror (no link yet) – the interesting nugget that the Cabinet Office spent £25,000 over the period with DLA Piper, the law firm that employs Miriam González Durántez, Nick Clegg's wife. The contracts date back to 2008 and the Labour government but it does look a bit uncomfortable.
The Financial Times's round-up of the spending (paywall) highlights the £164,000 spent during the period at HMRC alone on watercoolers – we'll try to see whether we can calculate the figure across the government later if we get a chance. Like the Guardian, the FT also spotted the £750 spent by the Equality and Human Rights Commission at the Manchester bar Tiger Tiger. The EHRC told us that they didn't have space in their office for 30 people to meet simultaneously and it was cheaper than transporting those people to the London office – and that they are reviewing their procurement processes.
The Daily Telegraph has "yoga, pet food and detectives".
Mark Easton, the BBC's home affairs correspondent, says the government has released the data to encourage "armchair auditors" to hold the government to account.
I'm going to the government launch at what is billed as Europe's first Open Government Data Camp. Francis Maude, the Cabinet Office minister, will be there along with Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the worldwide web, Professor Nigel Shadbolt of the University of Southampton, Dr Rufus Pollock of the Open Knowledge Foundation and University of Cambridge and Tom Steinberg of My Society. I will file an update from there.
8.58am: Francis Maude has written a piece for Comment is free explaining the thinking behind the release of the data. The Cabinet Office minister writes:
This government has the clear ambition is to make the UK the most transparent and accountable country in the world. We have already released a plethora of information, from the salaries of high-ranking civil servants to the latest government procurement contracts. This morning marks the next step in this process; at the inaugural UK session of Europe's international data camp, we are publishing new data on central government spending. This is a world first – and it is a revolutionary step in opening up government, enabling greater accountability and setting the data free for use in new and innovative applications.
9.33am: David Cameron has sent a video message to the launch of the departmental spending launch at the Wellcome Centre in central London. He called it a
landmark moment that he hoped all future governments would stick to and said that the data would create a level of scrutiny that will "act as a powerful straitjacket on spending that will save us a lot of money" and that people would "use it to hold us to account".
He announced a couple of things: that there will be a new right to data, so people can request government records for "personal or commercial" reasons.
And from January the government will publish all contracts above £25,000, which will allow other companies to undercut and force costs down.
Francis Maude, who is the minister pushing this agenda, started his speech by citing the Guardian's headline: "A great leap forward – or a masochistic folly" (it's slightly different online). Maude agrees with it. "The programme we're embarking on is going to be very uncomfortable for government," he says.
He goes on quote Tony Blair's astonishing admission in his autobiography that the FOI act was the biggest mistake of his political career. "There's room or argument on that," he adds.
Various data experts are now presenting their analysis of the figures. The data camp conference is using the hashtag #openuk on twitter, by the way.
9.37am: For entertainment, a reminder of what Tony Blair (left) wrote in his autobiography about the Freedom of Information Act:
Freedom of information. Three harmless words. I look at those words as I write them, and feel like shaking my head till it drops off my shoulders. You idiot. You naive, foolish, irresponsible nincompoop. There is really no description of stupidity, no matter how vivid, that is adequate. I quake at the imbecility of it ...
The truth is that the FOI Act isn't used, for the most part, by 'the people'. It's used by journalists. For political leaders, it's like saying to someone who is hitting you over the head with a stick, 'Hey, try this instead,' and handing them a mallet ...
But another and much more important reason why it is a dangerous act is that governments, like any other organisations, need to be able to debate, discuss and decide issues with a reasonable level of confidentiality ... Without the confidentiality, people are inhibited and the consideration of options is limited in a way that isn't conducive to good decision-making.
10.08am: Cameron's video message is now up on the No 10 website. "We really can make this one of the most open, transparent and accountable governments there is," the prime minister says. And he tells the public to "use [the data], exploit it, hold us to account".
10.16am: Timetric, an open data group running a project to "index the world's economy", has developed another very useful tool for scrutinising this data. Have a go here. It allows you to build all sorts of graphs and charts really easily. The Guardian's searchable database is here. Do send in any other nuggets you come across.
11.18am: My colleague Michael White has been thinking about the release of the data. He has some reservations.
Armchair auditors – a fair proportion of whom will prove to be vexatious litigants, Islamists and BNP types, flat earthers and other exotics – will be poring over the fine print. More sensible folk will be helped here by the Guardian team's database, 170 spreadsheets seeking to crowdsource new insights.
They are bound to spot errors here, glitches there, a howler everywhere. Hours of highly-paid civil service time (low-paid time too) will then have to be devoted to working out why the figures look wrong – even if they're not.
A great leap forward (note the Maoist irony!) or a folly, the Guardian asks. A bit of both, I'd say. But will be hard to sort wheat from chaff and trivia.
Such data is constantly being revised; now it will have to be revised in the shop window with several million anoraks peering over shoulders and jabbering at the screen: "No, that's wrong." And I haven't even mentioned a malign, blaming media culture piling in too.
The word that constantly springs to mind when contemplating much coalition policy-making is "naive". I felt it in 1997 and was sometimes proved wrong – as I will be again. But I doubt if the gains made, via greater efficiency and less waste, will outstrip the downside.
11.50am: Very interesting details spotted by my colleague Jill Treanor:
The Treasury spent £2.5m on advisers to Sir John Chadwick, who was appointed in January 2009 to work out how much compensation policy holders in Equitable Life, which nearly collapsed in 2000, ought to be paid.
The Treasury said: "The work carried out in support of the work of Sir John Chadwick was
essential to establishing the relative loss figure for policyholders. It was the first time bottom up estimates of losses suffered by policyholders as a result of government maladministration had been calculated.
"It is important to note that this work was incredibly complex in nature. It involved looking at over 30m premium payments in 2m policies held by approximately 1.5 million policyholders. Since Sir John finished his inquiry, the government has continued to work hard towards the ambition of starting payments to policyholders in the middle of next year."
His advice to limit payouts to between £400m and £500m was described as "unsafe and unsound" by the parliamentary ombudsman, which felt between £4bn and £4.8bn would be more appropriate.
12.14pm: Francis Maude, the Cabinet Office minister, has defended the government contracting companies whose employees are related to ministers saying it would be "ridiculous" to debar them after criticisms that his department paid the legal firm that employs Nick Clegg's wife Miriam González Durántez (left) £88,000 this year.
Gonzalez's legal firm DLA Piper has a contract to monitor government compliance with employment laws, which earned it £88,000 between May and September this year, figures on government spending released today reveal. The contract is with the Cabinet Office, where her husband's office is based.
Maude told the Guardian this morning that the contract dated back to 2008 and that there were strict rules about conflict of interest and that the contract would be subject to those rules.
But he defended the situation, saying: "It would be pretty unreasonable if whenever any politician's, any minister's, relations were involved in any company, that company was automatically debarred from having business with government. It would be ridiculous."
12.48pm: The Foreign Office spent just under £150,000 on training sessions at RADA, reader Eben Marks emails in to point out. The FCO tells me it was for training to senior staff on how to increase their "personal impact". Sounds like charisma classes to me. An FCO spokesperson says:
Our diplomats are meeting and needing to influence world leaders, this training helps to influence skilfully with lots of confidence. It's about how to be influential and influence people and have personal impact doing that. We can't have diplomats going out not being able to do that.
David McCandless, a visual data journalist who works with the Guardian, has blogged about his display of the data here. He has a very good analysis of the spending by departments on basic utilities, telecoms and agency staff.
1.01pm: I'm signing off from the live-blog for now. I've leave you with the cost of flying the British (and other) flags: £95,506, as reader Sam Keir points out.
A spokesperson for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said it was responsible for providing and managing the flag-flying services for ceremonial state occasions, including state visits, trooping of the colour and special flag days, for example Commonwealth Day, UN Day and Europe Day.
The current contracts that cover the flag-flying duties required for these events were signed before May 2010. All contracts are put out to open market to ensure that the best price possible is realised for the public purse. The services provided by DCMS for such occasions enable the government to maintain the United Kingdom's international reputation as a nation that has the ability to showcase its historic heritage through its ceremonial activities. These events are also a huge attraction for the millions of visitors from both here in the UK and abroad who come to see first-hand many of these ceremonial events for which Britain is world-renowned.
Brilliant work by readers to help us identify the gems. Thank you. I think over the weeks and months to come– this data will be updated monthly – we'll start to see the trends and the bigger picture as well. Anything else you spot please do post below or email me at firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Adam The Homeless
Travelling the world, participating and spreading the sharing economy, open source programming mainly at http://backfeed.cc
I juggle pretty much everywhere at any time, got real good at showing others how to learn it quickly (current record stands on 7 minutes from never practicing to 3 throws and catches!)
Also into mind tricks and unconscious patterns.
If u have any phobias or traumas u no longer want, I can show you some things to try for that.
I eat mostly vegan, would luv to share my awesome veg cooking skills (or a meal somewhere)


text:
The Package, or the Contents?
An article written by M.W. James H. May, PGM of Arizona, published originally in the November 2001 issue of Arizona Masonry provides the basis for this message.
"Is ritual the "foundation of Freemasonry?" Nope. No more than a table of contents is a book or than a Lodge is a building."
The Contents of Masonry is, "a system of morals and ethics." Our Package is the ritual and it presents our Contents in very beautiful ways. It is the process by which we convey to our candidates and repeat to ourselves the moral and ethical values we wish to practice, and further, it reminds us of our duties to God, our neighbor and ourselves. Properly presented, it is the most beautifully wrapped gift that we can give.
I have had many discussions relative to our Ritual and even more about the "dumbing down" of our ritual in order that we maintain or improve our membership.
Quoting M.W. May:
"Our ritual has a certain beauty and grace because its language is not that of today. But it is also not the language of the ancient craftsmen whose accomplishments we celebrate. It is of far more recent vintage. It is different from place to place and also over time, having been altered by many individuals past and present. ……… Further, the ritual has continued to evolve – even up to the present day. Changes have been made consciously and unconsciously, some approved by Grand Lodges while others just "tiptoed through the back door". Most Grand Lodges that now have a written ritual made a transition from an unwritten oral ritual at some earlier point. When they made the decision to write it down for the first time, change was inevitable. Just visualize the debates over exactly WHAT to write down. Someone's viewpoint prevailed while another's did not. That's change.
Is ritual a key element of the Craft? Certainly! We wouldn't be the same without it. I wouldn't look forward to attending Lodge and hearing it time and again if it had no effect on me. It always does, and I'm convinced it helps make me a better person. It's a gentle reminder of duties and obligations, attitudes and behaviors that make life more positive and enjoyable."
In conclusion, it is my firm belief that the most beautiful aspect of Masonry is the system itself. – "The system of morals and ethics under which certain men choose to live their lives."
Lastly, it is not the "dumbing down" of our ritual that causes the biggest problems. It is the performance of the same. Any attempt to change the package from one beautifully wrapped, to one in a plain brown wrapper, certainly diminishes the effect we intend to deliver.
Robert D. Rowan, Jr.
General Secretary


text:
These are the enhancements that are included in the next release of agency management system InsurancePro (Release 22.214.171.124).
- Made a modification to enhance the SSL security protocol due to the POODLE vulnerability announced by Google a couple weeks ago.
- Added the commission column back to the new policy report.
- Corrected an issue where the file number would not increase.
- Corrected an issue when reports were exported to Excel would open multiple instances of the program.
- Corrected an issue with the recent file log.
- Corrected an issue with editing and saving system letters.
About the AuthorFollow on Twitter Follow on Linkedin More Content by Becky Schroeder


text:
This attractive 11 oz. Black Matte exterior mug with off-setting blue interior high-lighted with a glazed halo band around the crown. Is adorned with white flutes. It is top-rack dishwasher safe and 2.75 inches x 3.75 inches
Jazz it up with this 16 oz ceramic music mug with music notes all around and black interior. 6.5 x 5 x 3.8 inches. It is dishwasher and microwave safe. Gift Box included.
This high definition imprint 11 oz ceramic mug is the perfect gift for the musician in your life or a special treat for yourself to hold your favorite beverage. It is top rack dishwasher safe. Hand wash for best results.
Designed with style and function for your home or office. Hand painted ceramic details adorn this decorative tumbler plus lid piece. Overall dimensions are 4.5 inches x 3 inches x 2.5 inches


text:
How Paper Shredding Increases Your Data Protection Compliance
It is likely that your business, like many, produces a number of private documents on a regular basis. This can include anything from personal customer details to bank details, as well as pay-slips and in-house transactions. How you deal with these is important, as it is vital to make sure that your business is compliant with UK legislation about data protection. Without doing this, your business could face serious legal implications.
Compliance protects your business
If you don't dispose of your confidential documents securely and responsibly, then you can be met with all kinds of issues if your data is accessed by unauthorised members of the public. Not only do you face the risk of data being used maliciously, but also the legal effects of this. You risk huge fines as well as needing to compensate those whose data was compromised. This can cost your company thousands of pounds and have ongoing effects on your business.
Losing company credibility
When you fail to comply with data protection legislation, not only do you have the legal implications and financial ramifications but also severe damage can be caused to your brand name. If it is made public that you have had a data breach, especially due to lack of diligence on your behalf, then customers will look elsewhere for their products and services and lose trust in your company. This will have a knock-on effect on your future business and sales.
Making compliance easy
The consequences are significant should your business fail to comply with data protection laws, however compliance doesn't need to be difficult. Something as simple as shredding all of your secure documents before disposing of them will solve the problem of confidential data being accessed by anyone outside of the company.
Flexible shredding options to ensure data protection
Shredding all of your documents manually can be a long and arduous process, and a waste of company time. Shred-on-Site provides flexible shredding services to businesses so that they can continue with their day-to-day jobs without disruption and with peace of mind that their shredding is taken care of. They offer regular secure collections, or one-off collections to suit your requirements. They provide you with storage options and a certificate of destruction at the site… and they even take it away to recycle it on your behalf!
To find out more about a shredding service to help your business remain compliant with UK legislation, get in touch with Shred-on-Site today by calling to speak to one of the team 0800 181 4106.
Author: Mark Coombes - Follow me on Google+


text:
Time Management 101: Learning to Say No
Saying no is not always easy, although it is vital to time management. Telling your major professor that you do not have time to write a literature review for his or her upcoming manuscript because you have to study for your comprehensive exams will be really difficult. It might even be harder to tell your best friend that you cannot make it to his or her birthday because you have to grade papers.
Time Management Tip: Learning When to Say No
It's hard enough to say no, but it can be even harder to learn when to say no. When trying to decide whether or not saying no is a wise choice, you should consider the potential consequences and missed benefits of saying no. For example, how might your major professor respond to you declining to work on a research project? Based on your work together, do you think your professor will be supportive, or might your professor respond poorly to you saying no? Would working on one extra project open doors for further collaboration and potential publications in the grand scheme of things?
Time Management Tip: Learning How to Say No
It may also be difficult to learn the language of saying no—especially when you are saying no to someone who is in a position of power, such as a faculty member. When saying no, you should convey a message such as the following: "This is a really busy time for me right now, and I am not sure if I will be able to dedicate myself to this in the way that is needed." As you can imagine, this has a much different tone than something that conveys a message such as the following: "No, I don't want to." In many instances, the people in your life will understand and respect your decision not to take on additional responsibilities if you are unable to do so. Learning how to prioritize your activities, homework, and responsibilities is very important to ultimately graduating and earning your degree.
0 comments
You must be logged in to post a comment.


text:
If you have been to one of the PWP® presentations or workshops you have heard us say this before. When we are working with folks, especially those who are living with complex disabilities like Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) then statements like this point us in the direction of becoming solution focused and goal orientated. It also reminds us of the ARC© model for collaboration, communicate your goal, set an action and do it and then reflect on that action and outcome….
The truth of this statement has just surfaced for PWP® in a whole new context….website development! Who knew?!! A little over a year ago we embarked on the journey of developing a website, and the journey continues. And through the process we have found time and time again that website development seems to be the perfect combination of "inputting" (likely the website developers are rolling their eyes with my lingo!) in order to the desired output. Our goal? An on-line space where we could share our ideas, promote our work and continue to connect with PWP® Alumni. Seems simple enough…. well over a year later, multiple team members, timelines set, timelines re-set and then set again we are at the finish line!
We are excited to present ProfessionalswithoutParachutes.com !! Our website has been updated and includes lots of new features including…this blog! A space with links to new research, pdf resources, video resources and an online forum for our PWP® Alumni!
We are looking forward to filling the pages with useful, relevant evidence based research, resources and tools, upcoming events and we are looking forward to connecting with some of our former PWP® participants, hearing your stories, celebrating your successes and keeping the conversations going!
Check out our refurbished website, let us know what you think! We can be found at: www.professionalswithoutparachutes.com


text:
Este jogo é cortesia de nossos patrocinadores. Ele é sempre gratuito. SEM LIMITE DE TEMPO!
You will be offered to install MyPlayCity Games Search Chrome Extension with convenient internet search.
Obtain the Crystal of Eternal Light and return prosperity in the game Gnome's Garden: New Home! After defeating the sorcerer collector, the gnomes returned the castle to its old form. But it still stood in the grey wasteland, and nothing could grow around. The princess was worried that her people would soon run out of food and start to starve. And she makes the decision to set off on a journey to find the secret green recipe to make her country bloom. Get ready to help the gnomes find the way to survive and play the game Gnome's Garden: New Home!


text:
San Bernardino Solar 9 March 1958 — California Digital Newspaper Assortment
Coconut oil is one of the healthiest dietary fats that has been used for skincare, hair care and for making many sorts of medicated salves, creams and lotions other than cooking. Merck & Co said on Monday it's pursuing strategic choices for its animal health and consumer companies and expects to complete any action it takes this yr. Absolutely insured scholar health insurance policy are underwritten by Aetna Life Insurance Firm. Self-insured plans are funded by the relevant school, with claims administered on companies offered by Aetna Life Insurance Company. Aetna Scholar HealthSM is the brand title for products and services supplied by Aetna Life Insurance coverage Firm and its relevant affiliated firms (Aetna). This cuisine is like a Land Rover have to use in case of a localized in only one consider deciding the company is one thing attainable to assume out of the survival kits have totally different... Read More


text:
Zip Code or City/State:
Home » Clergy & Religious » Vocations » National Vocation Awareness Week 2020
National Vocation Awareness Week 2020
National Vocation Awareness Week calls Catholics to greater prayer, awareness in how they support vocations
Observance of Vocation Awareness Week began in 1976 when the U.S. bishops designated the 28th Sunday of the year for the celebration. It was later moved to Feast of the Baptism of the Lord in January. Last year,after extensive consultation, the Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations moved the observance of National Vocation Awareness Week to November to engage Catholic schools and colleges more effectively in this effort. This will be the first year it will be held in November.
Informational Links
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on NVAW 2020
Prayer for Vocations
Almighty and eternal God,in your unfailing love you provideministers for your Church.We pray for those whom you callto serve the Church of Jolietas priestsInspire in them a generous response.Grant them courage and vision toserve your peopleMay their lives and service call yourpeople to respond to the presenceof your Spirit among usthat, faithful to the Gospel andhope of Jesus the Christ, we may:announce glad tidings to the poorproclaim liberty to captives,set prisoners freeand renew the face of the earth.
This is the perfect time to gain permission from your pastor on the ministry's goals for National Vocation Awareness Week, such as having a guest seminarian or sister visit religious education classses, placing a downloadable bulletin insert from Vianney Vocations into each bulletin, or placing a cutout of a sister and/or priest near the front doors of the church. Also, if you want to include another endeavor that includes youth ministry, religious education classes, or the parish school, please gain permission from the appropriate leaders.
Other Resources:
Parish Vocation Committee Page
Seminarian Baseball cards - Order Form (Serra Club)
Vision Vocation Network downloadable resources page
Vianney Vocations


text:
TR Knight carrying a box full of money to No on Prop 8
It's often said that gays are on the cutting edge of most trends, but when it comes to defeating California's Proposition 8 (which would thwart the same-sex marriage laws enacted this summer), most out celebrities have fallen pitifully behind their straight allies. The first high-wattage Hollywood name to donate to the "No on 8" name was Brad Pitt, whose $100,000 donation was quickly matched by Steven Spielberg. Now, after straight B and C-listers including Pete Wentz and Chelsea Handler gave money to fill the gay gap, The Advocate (via Out) brings word that Grey's Anatomy power-gay T.R. Knight has finally become the first high-profile out star to contribute to the cause. So who's still missing?
Perhaps the most notable M.I.A. gay is Ellen DeGeneres, who has sounded off about Prop 8 on the talk show circuit, but has yet to donate to the cause (though she did find time to host a fundraiser for the animal rights-advocating Prop 2). Other gay mafiosos like Portia DeRossi, Rosie O'Donnell, and Elton John are still nowhere to be found on the donations list, while behind-the-scenes gay talents like Gus Van Sant and Bryan Singer are missing, too (for that matter, straight allies like Jay Leno and Julia Louis-Dreyfus have advocated against the proposition but have yet to put their money where their mouths are).
Their inaction comes after Tuesday's announcement that contrary to earlier reports, Proposition 8 is ahead in the polls and likely to pass next month, dealing a massive blow to the gay marriage cause. Backed by religious forces, the "Yes on 8" financial war chest has far exceeded that of the organizations working to defeat the proposition.
Ohio entrepreneur Jonathan Lewis has challenged Hollywood power players to donate, promising that he and his family will match the contributions dollar for dollar — though the only notable gay figure to donate since was Angels in America playwright Tony Kushner, who gave $15,000. Hey, Ellen? Pretend it's adorable puppies who can't get married. Got a dime to spare?


text:
Here are some updates to some recent media appearances – previous and upcoming!
Tomorrow, Wednesday 7-18-12 join Conservative BFF's Walter Myers III and myself, Mike Munzing and host Ken McClenton – The Conservative Fab Four! Tomorrow we will be discussing The Newly Released Zimmerman Tapes, Faith & the 2012 Elections, Obama care post-ruling & a number of other HOT political topics! Please join us at 9pmEDT/6pmPDT by clicking here!
This past Sunday 7-15-2012, as per my last post to you all, I held a webinar/conference call with Christian Conservative friends Walter Myers III and Hassan Nurullah to discuss "Should Christians Vote for Romney?". Well, it was a heated yet very respectful "calmversation". In cased you missed it, here is the recording:
Should Christians Vote for Mitt Romney?
And lastly…
Tonight, Tuesday 7-17-2012, I had the pleasure of being a guest on the "Southern Sass"show on Romney Radio.US with Host Gina Covell-Maddox & Co-host Joan Whittaker! I had a WONDERFUL time discussing the Romney campaign and the black Conservative movement.I wanted to share the audio with you all in case you missed it! I'm on approximately 20 minutes in to the show, Enjoy!


text:
In Celebration of the Human Voice - The Essential Musical Instrument
Home | Doo Wop | Barbershop | World | Contemporary | Christian | Vocal Jazz | Choral | Christmas | Instructional | Arrangements
When The Oxford Dictionary of Music first appeared, it was hailed by Music and Musicians as "without question the most comprehensive, detailed, reliable one-volume reference work on music now avaiable in the English language." Extensively revised and expanded for this new edition, The Oxford Dictionary of Music, Fourth Edition is a rich mine of information for lovers of music of all periods and styles, providing over 10,000 entries on musical terms, works, composers, librettists, musicians, singers, and orchestras. The dictionary's coverage is exceptional, providing comprehensive work-lists for major composers, detailed entries on living composers and performers, important choral works as well as descriptions of musical instruments and their histories. Written to appeal to general readers, musicians and musicologists alike, this volume is an indispensable addition to the reference shelf of the concert goer, the record buyer or anyone involved in music, whether amateur or professional.
|Item code: 1152B | Book | $17.95
|Instructional | Softcover


text:
The nearly universal colonization of surfaces in marine waters by bacteria and the formation of biofilms and biofouling communities have important implications for ecological function and industrial processes. However, the dynamics of surface attachment and colonization in situ, particularly during the early stages of biofilm establishment, are not well understood. Experimental surfaces that differed in their degrees of hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity were incubated in a salt marsh estuary tidal creek for 24 or 72 h. The organisms colonizing these surfaces were examined by using a cultivation-independent approach, amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis. The goals of this study were to assess the diversity of bacterial colonists involved in early succession on a variety of surfaces and to determine the phylogenetic affiliations of the most common early colonists. Substantial differences in the representation of different cloned ribosomal DNA sequences were found when the 24- and 72-h incubations were compared, indicating that some new organisms were recruited and some other organisms were lost. Phylogenetic analyses of the most common sequences recovered showed that the colonists were related to organisms known to inhabit surfaces or particles in marine systems. A total of 22 of the 26 clones sequenced were affiliated with theRoseobacter subgroup of the α subdivision of the divisionProteobacteria (α-Proteobacteria), and most of these clones were recovered at a high frequency from all surfaces after 24 or 72 h of incubation. Two clones were affiliated with the Alteromonas group of the γ-Proteobacteriaand appeared to be involved only in the very early stages of colonization (within the first 24 h). A comparison of the colonization patterns on the test surfaces indicated that the early bacterial community succession rate and/or direction may be influenced by surface physicochemical properties. However, organisms belonging to the Roseobacter subgroup are ubiquitous and rapid colonizers of surfaces in coastal environments.
Solid surfaces that are in contact with water in natural and man-made environments are rapidly colonized by bacteria. This pervasive colonization of surfaces by bacteria and the formation of bacterial biofilm or biofouling communities have important implications for ecological function, industrial processes, and human health (14, 16, 22, 52). These surface-associated microorganisms contribute substantially to nutrient cycling and degradation of xenobiotic compounds in natural systems and are responsible for biofouling of man-made structures and for infections related to indwelling medical devices. The ability to colonize surfaces provides bacteria with important advantages, including (i) increased access to nutrients, (ii) protection against toxins (e.g., biocides, heavy metals, or UV radiation), (iii) maintenance of extracellular enzyme activities, and (iv) shelter from predation. Increased recognition of the importance of surface colonization and improved methods for studying this process have led to great expansion of research in this area. However, the dynamics of surface colonization in natural systems, particularly during the early stages of biofilm establishment, are not well understood.
It is thought that development of a biofilm community on a submerged surface occurs through a sequence of specific, but poorly understood chemical and biological processes (11, 13, 78). It begins with the formation of a conditioning film, which forms spontaneously on any submerged surface (48). Once the conditioning film is in place, bacteria attach to the surface, and a biofilm microbial community begins to form (5). It is thought that surface colonization by bacteria proceeds through an ordered series of recruitment processes. First, pioneer species of bacteria interact with the conditioning film and form the initial assemblage of surface biota and biopolymers (49). Growth and reproduction of the primary colonizing bacteria are not the only contributions of these organisms to biofilm accumulation. These primary organisms also modify the surface characteristics of the substratum (10), rendering it suitable (or unsuitable) for subsequent colonization by secondary microorganisms (12). Specific and/or nonspecific interactions between the primary colonists and subsequent recruits permits new organisms to efficiently colonize, which results in a primary biofilm community (43, 80). Finally, through synergistic and/or competitive interactions among some colonist species (15, 53, 81), as well as recruitment of some new species and/or loss of some previous colonists (50, 78), the mature biofilm community is formed. This sequence of events is well understood for human dental surfaces, and the primary colonists and the participation of these organisms in subsequent colonization stages have been elucidated. However, this detailed level of understanding has not been attained for other types of surfaces. In particular, the role(s) and surface specificities of primary colonists are largely unknown for most surface types, including surfaces in marine environments.
Several physicochemical properties of substrata, such as net surface charge, surface hydrophobicity, surface free energy, critical surface tension, surface wettability, and surface molecular topography (77), are related to bacterial attachment on surfaces (see references 7 and 23 for recent reviews). It is possible to alter surface colonization by manipulating surface physicochemical properties, as demonstrated by Wiencek and Fletcher (76) and Ista et al. (36). In the present study we investigated bacterial early colonization and succession on man-made surfaces incubated in a salt marsh estuary. Surfaces having various physicochemical properties were incubated, and colonization was examined by using a cultivation-independent approach. The goals of this study were (i) to assess the diversity of primary colonizers and the earliest successional stages on surfaces having different physicochemical properties and (ii) to determine the phylogenetic affiliations of the most common early colonists on different surfaces by analyzing 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequences.
Development of polymer test surfaces.Plastic plates (30 by 30 cm) were spray coated with a clear epoxy undercoat. After the epoxy cured, polyurethane (PU) paint was sprayed on each surface. The PU which we used has substantial weather and chemical resistance. It consists of a polyester polyol (Desmophen R-221-75) and the isocyanurate of hexamethylenediisocyanate (Desmodur N-3300), which react to form the PU. Cobalt 2-ethyhexanoate was used as a catalyst for cross-linking PU. A 10% molar excess of Desmodur was used in order to leave some available isocyanate groups for reaction with the top coat. The top coat was then applied with a paint sprayer, and the coating was allowed to cure at room temperature in a glove bag with a constant flow of nitrogen to avoid competing reactions between the isocyanate and atmospheric moisture. Each type of top coat molecule was hydroxy functionalized in order to ensure that it reacted with the isocyanate of the PU. Although some of the top coat polymers were water soluble, they were bound to the PU and did not wash off. The polymers that were utilized as top coats in order to produce surfaces that had different properties were polyethylene glycol with a molecular weight of 300 (PEG-S) or 35000 (PEG-L), polyethylene glycol monomethyl ether with a molecular weight of 350 (PEG-M), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and bis(2-hydroxyethyl ether) of tetrabromobisphenol (BR). Plastic plates that were coated with only the epoxy undercoat and PU were used as control surfaces. The PEG-S and PEG-L surfaces were hydrophilic to different degrees, the PVA, Br, and PU surfaces were hydrophobic to different degrees, and the PEG-M surface was intermediate in terms of hydrophilicity (W. R. Johnson, M. C. Roper, P. A. Noble, S. T. Lindsay, J. M. Tour, and M. Fletcher, Abstr. 99th Gen. Meet. Am. Soc. Microbiol. 1999, abstr. Q-369, p. 604, 1999). The BR surface moiety, tetrabromobisphenol, is a bromophenyl compound whose structure is similar to the structures of metabolites found in the sponge-associated bacterium Micrococcus luteus(9).
Deployment and incubation in the field.All test surfaces were randomly assigned to slots in a holder constructed from polyvinyl chloride pipes. The plates were held vertically, which allowed water to contact all surfaces. The holder was deployed at Clam Bank Creek in the North Inlet salt marsh system near Georgetown, S.C. (33°20′N, 79°11′W), at a constant depth of 1 m below the water surface on 23 June 1998. The average water temperature, salinity, and pH during incubation were 30°C, 34.9 ppt, and 7.7, respectively. Preliminary studies of bacterial colonization of the test surfaces incubated in laboratory mesocosms showed that little bacterial biomass could be recovered after incubation for less than 24 h, but substantial differences in the degree of colonization appeared within 72 h of submersion (P. A. Noble, H. Dang, C. Roper, M. Dantzler, S. Thieben, M. Kelly, S. T. Lindsay, C. R. Lovell, J. M. Tour, and M. Fletcher, Abstr. 98th Gen. Meet., Am. Soc. Microbiol. 1998, abstr. Q-66, p. 432, 1998). Replicate plates were recovered after 24 or 72 h of incubation, and the microbial biomass was collected.
Collection of colonizing microorganisms.After the test surfaces were removed from the water, they were drained well and swabbed with sterile cotton gauze. Each gauze swab was then placed in a 50-ml sterile disposable centrifuge tube and frozen on dry ice. The samples were transported to the University of South Carolina, where they were stored at −70°C. Microorganisms were recovered from the gauze by vortexing each preparation in 20 ml of SET buffer (20% [wt/vol] sucrose, 50 mM Tris-HCl [pH 8.0], 50 mM EDTA). The gauze was removed, and the suspension was centrifuged at 8,000 × g for 10 min. Either DNA was extracted from the pellets immediately or the pellets were stored for no more than 2 days at −20°C before extraction.
Genomic DNA extraction.DNA was extracted by using a modified version of the method of Lovell and Piceno (45). The modifications were as follows: (i) the DNA extraction buffer was 50 mM Tris (pH 8.0)–100 mM EDTA; (ii) a lysozyme digestion step (2 mg of lysozyme per ml, with incubation in an ice slurry for 30 min) was included before sodium dodecyl sulfate was added; (iii) a cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) purification step (4), which removed polysaccharides, was included between the two high-salt–ethidium bromide–phenol extraction steps; and (iv) the ion-exchange chromatography step in which DEAE Sephacel is used was omitted as the amount of DNA recovered was usually very small. The amount of DNA was determined by fluorometry by using Hoechst dye 33258 (Sigma) and a Turner Designs model TD-360 fluorometer.
Amplification of 16S rRNA genes.For PCR amplification of nearly full-length 16S rRNA structural genes (16S rDNA) we used domainBacteria-specific oligonucleotide primers described by Lane (42) and Marchesi et al. (47). Forward primer 27F (5′-AGAGTTTGATCMTGGCTC-3′; M = A or C) corresponded to positions 8 to 25 in the Escherichia coli numbering system. Reverse primer 1387R (5′-GGGCGGWGTGTACAAGGC-3′; W = A or T) corresponded to E. coli positions 1387 to 1404. PCR amplification was performed by using reaction mixtures (final volume, 25 μl) containing 25 ng of sample DNA, 0.625 U of Expand High Fidelity DNA polymerase (Boehringer Mannheim, Indianapolis, Ind.), 1× Expand HF buffer, 1.5 mM MgCl2, each deoxynucleoside triphosphate at a concentration of 0.2 mM, and each primer at a concentration of 0.25 μM. Reaction mixtures that were identical except that they contained no DNA were used as negative controls, and no products were obtained in all cases. The thermal cycling program used was as follows: initial denaturation at 94°C for 3 min; 5 cycles consisting of 95°C for 60 s, 40°C for 60 s, and 72°C for 90 s; 30 cycles in which the annealing temperature was 43°C; and a final extension step consisting of 72°C for 5 min. Amplified PCR products were analyzed by electrophoresis on 1.5% (wt/vol) SeaKem LE agarose (FMC, Rockland, Maine) gels in 1× TBE (89 mM Tris, 89 mM boric acid, 2 mM EDTA); PstI-digested phage λ DNA was used as the molecular weight standard.
Cloning of 16S rDNA PCR products.PCR products obtained from the amplification reactions were purified by using a GeneClean kit (Bio 101, Vista, Calif.) and were ligated into pGemT (Promega, Madison, Wis.) and the hybrid vectors used to transform E. coli JM109 competent cells (Promega) by following the manufacturers' instructions. Recombinants were selected by using X-Gal (5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-β-d-galactopyranoside)–IPTG (isopropyl-β-d-thiogalactopyranoside) indicator Luria-Bertani agar plates supplemented with 100 μg of ampicillin per ml, and clone libraries were constructed for each surface and sampling time. Clone libraries were named on the basis of the surfaces and incubation times used; e.g., the designation BR-24 indicates the BR surface that was incubated for 24 h.
Amplified rRNA gene restriction analysis (ARDRA) screening of 16S rDNA clones.Crude cell lysates were prepared from clones by using a modified plasmid miniprep method (34). Small amounts of colonies from Luria-Bertani agar plates containing ampicillin were suspended in 250 μl of glass-distilled H2O and incubated in a boiling water bath for 10 min; then the preparations were centrifuged immediately for 30 s at 10,000 × g and stored at 4°C. Cloned rDNA amplimers were reamplified by PCR by using primers homologous to the T7 (5′-GTAATACGACTCACTATAGGGC-3′) and SP6 (5′-ATTTAGGTGACACTATAG-3′) RNA polymerase binding sites that flank the insertion site in the plasmid vector. PCR amplification was performed by using 15 μl of the crude lysate in a reaction mixture (final volume, 25 μl) containing 1× reaction buffer (50 mM KCl, 10 mM Tris-HCl), 1.5 mM MgCl2, each deoxynucleoside triphosphate at a concentration of 0.2 mM, each primer at a concentration of 0.25 μM, and 0.625 U of AmpliTaq Gold DNA polymerase (Perkin-Elmer, Foster City, Calif.). The thermal cycling program used was as follows: initial denaturation at 94°C for 3 min; 30 cycles consisting of 95°C for 30 s, 55°C for 30 s, and 72°C for 30 s; and a final extension step consisting of 72°C for 2 min. Amplimers were screened for the correct size (approximately 1,550 bp) and for purity by agarose gel electrophoresis.
Amplimers were restriction digested in separate reactions by usingMspI and HhaI. The restriction fragments were resolved by electrophoresis on 4% (wt/vol) NuSieve 3:1 agarose gels (FMC) in 0.5× TAE (1× TAE is 40 mM Tris, 20 mM acetic acid, and 1 mM EDTA). The gels were stained with ethidium bromide and photographed, and the band patterns were compared in order to identify redundant clones and to define operational taxonomic units (OTUs). The estimated percentages of coverage for the different libraries were calculated as follows: [1 − (n/N)] × 100, where n is the number of unique clones detected in a subsample (library) of size N . This value approximated the probability that all species present in a given sample were represented at least once in the library (31, 55).
Statistical analyses of bacterial communities on surfaces.Similarities among the surface early colonist assemblages represented by the OTUs which we identified were determined by performing cluster analyses with the SYSTAT 7.0 statistic package (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Ill.). The following two cluster analysis methods were employed: hierarchical and k-means clustering with Euclidean distances. A corresponding dendrogram was constructed with Ward linkages for hierarchical clustering.
16S rDNA sequencing and sequence analyses.Clones representing the 26 most common OTUs identified by ARDRA were selected for sequencing. Plasmid DNA was prepared by using plasmid miniprep columns as recommended by the manufacturer (Qiagen, Santa Clarita, Calif.), and plasmid quantity and purity were assessed by using fluorometry and agarose gel electrophoresis, respectively. Both strands of sequences spanning the V3 and V5 hypervariable regions (56) of the insert DNA were amplified and sequenced by using primer RL 71A (5′-CCTACGGGAGGCAGCAG-3′), which corresponded to positions 341 to 357 in the E. coli numbering system, and primer RL 72A (5′-CCGTCAATTCCTTTGAGTTT-3′, which corresponded to positions 907 to 926 in the E. colinumbering system. The sequences were determined by using a SequiTherm EXCEL II Long-Read LC DNA sequencing kit (Epicentre Technologies, Madison, Wis.) and a model DNA4000LS sequencer (Li-Cor, Lincoln, Nebr.).
For each cloned sequence, we queried the Sequence_Match (version 2.7) online program of the Ribosomal Database Project-II (RDP-II) (46) and the advanced BLAST search program (2) for the GenBank database maintained by the National Center for Biotechnology Information for an initial determination of the nearest phylogenetic neighbor sequences. Several methods were used to verify the integrity of the sequence data and to help detect chimeras. All sequences were submitted to the RDP-II CHECK_CHIMERA program (46). For sequences that were identified as potentially chimeric, we determined the secondary structure of the 16S rRNA and looked for pairing mismatches in double-stranded regions (26). We also checked for the presence of signature nucleotides (79) in the 16S rDNA region examined.
Phylogenetic analysis of cloned 16S rDNA sequences.Sequences were aligned by using the CLUSTAL W program (version 1.7) (70) (available from the web serverhttp://www.pasteur.fr/∼letondal/Pise/ ). The alignment included sequences from representatives of the nearest-neighbor groups, as well as sequences from taxa representing several different bacterial phyla. Sequences of the organisms listed below were used to construct phylogenetic trees (the numbers in parentheses are GenBank nucleotide sequence accession numbers).
(i) Major bacterial phyla and proteobacterial subdivisions.Sequences of the following members of major bacterial phyla and proteobacterial subdivisions were used: Aquifex pyrophilus(M83548 ), Chlorobium vibrioforme (M62791 ),Chrysiogenes arsenatis (X81319 ), Coprothermobacter proteolyticus (X69335 ), Cytophaga diffluens (M58765 ),Desulfovibrio desulfuricans (M34113 ), Fibrobacter succinogenes (M62685 ), Fusobacterium necrophorum(X74407 ), Helicobacter pylori (U00679 ), Mycobacterium marinum (X52920 ), Nitrospina gracilis (L35504 ),Nitrospira marina (X82559 ), Oscillatoria agardhii(X84811 ), Planctomyces maris (X62910 ), Pseudomonas putida (L28676 ), Rhodocyclus tenuis (D16209 ),Roseobacter litoralis (X78312 ), Spirochaeta halophila (M88722 ), Thermomicrobium roseum (M34115 ), and Thermotoga subterranea (U22664 ). Thermococcus peptonophilus (D37983 ) was used as the outgroup.
(ii) α-Proteobacteria.Sequences of the following members of the α subdivision of the divisionProteobacteria (α-Proteobacteria) were used:Acidiphilium cryptum (X75265 ), Afipia felis(AF003937 ), Agrobacterium tumefaciens (M11223 ),Bartonella quintana (U28268 ), Beijerinckia indica(M59060 ), Caulobacter crescentus (AF125194 ),Erythrobacter longus (M96744 ), Magnetospirillum magnetotacticum (Y10110 ), Methylobacterium extorquens (D32224 ), Methylosinus sporium(M95665 ), Rhodobacter capsulatus (D16427 ), Rhodobium marinum (D30790 ), Rhodopila globiformis (D86513 ),Rhodoplanes roseus (D25313 ), Rhodospirillum rubrum (D30778 ), Rhodospirillum salexigens (D14431 ),Rhodovulum adriaticum (D16418 ), Rhodovulum sulfidophilum (D16423 ), Roseobacter litoralis (X78312 ), and Sphingomonas paucimobilis (D13725 ). Escherichia coli (J01695 ) was used as the outgroup.
(iii) γ-Proteobacteria.Sequences of the following members of the γ-Proteobacteria were used:Achromatium oxaliferum (L42543 ), Aeromonas salmonicida (X74680 ), Alteromonas macleodii (L10938 ),Ectothiorhodospira marina (X93476 ), Escherichia coli (J01695 ), Francisella tularensis (Z21931 ),Legionella pneumophila (X73402 ),Methylomicrobium pelagicum (U05570 ), Oceanospirillum maris (AB006763 ), Pasteurella trehalosi (U57075 ),Photobacterium phosphoreum (Z19107 ),Pseudoalteromonas peptidysin (AF007286 ),Pseudomonas putida (L28676 ), Shewanella alga(X81622 ), Thiobacillus ferrooxidans (X75268 ), Vibrio marinus (X82142 ), and Xanthomonas campestris(L24791 ). Rhodospirillum rubrum (D30778 ) was used as the outgroup.
(iv) Phylogenetic trees.Phylogenetic trees were constructed with programs of the PHYLIP package (version 3.573c) (21). For the distance matrix method, we used DNADIST with the Kimura two-parameter model (39) with a transition/transversion ratio of 2.0; phylogenetic trees were then constructed from evolutionary distances by the neighbor-joining method (66) implemented through the program NEIGHBOR. For the maximum-parsimony method, we used the program DNAPARS implemented in the PHYLIP software package. For the maximum-likelihood method (19), we used fastDNAml (version 1.1) (59). For a given input file, the sequence order was jumbled a maximum of 10 times until the best tree was found twice. A total of 100 bootstrapped replicate resampling data sets were generated for each of the three analysis methods (20). The bootstrapped values indicated the resampling percentages that supported a specific branching pattern. The consensus trees were determined with the CONSENSE program. Only topologies that were found to be similar by all three methods were used. The convergence of the results of all three methods on a single topology provided a very strong indication that the correct phylogeny was determined (35, 38).
ARDRA and bacterial community analyses.A total of 12 clone libraries of 16S rDNA were constructed, one for each of the six different types of surface and the two incubation periods for each surface. A total of 916 clones were screened, and 735 of these clones contained an insert of the proper size. The diversity of the recovered 16S rDNA PCR fragments in our libraries was examined by comparative ARDRA (Tables 1 and2). These libraries had percent coverage values ranging from 30 to 80% and encompassed substantial diversity. A total of 136 OTUs were identified by ARDRA for the 12 libraries; 93 of these OTUs occurred in only one library, while 26 OTUs occurred in at least three libraries from different types of surface. We obtained a number of clones that represented organisms which colonized most of the test surfaces within 24 h (clones D001, D002, D003, D004, D005, D009, D013, DC015, D029, and D031). Some of these clones were still obtained after 72 h of incubation (clones D001, D002, D005, D009, and D013), while others were no longer present in the assemblages (clones D015, D029, and D031). For each test surface there were also a number of OTUs that were recovered only from that surface. The PU-24 library (the control) was especially diverse.
Bacterial community successional changes were observed with all six surface types (Tables 1 and 2). Libraries that were obtained from the same surface type but after different incubation periods typically shared only six to nine OTUs, which accounted for 17% (in the PU-24 library) to 60% (in the PVA-24 library) of the OTUs recovered in our individual libraries.
Bacterial community structure was further analyzed by performing cluster analyses of the frequency data shown in Table 1 (excluding the data for clone D094, which was a chimera). The raw data were log transformed to minimize the effect of preferential PCR amplification on the cluster analyses, as several studies have shown that preferential amplification of some specific sequence(s) occurs with heterogeneous DNA samples (63, 68, 73). Cluster analyses performed by using the hierarchical (Fig. 1) and k-means (data not shown) clustering methods resulted in the same cluster pattern. There were two distinct clusters for the 12 libraries. Most 72-h libraries grouped together; the only exceptions were the BR-72 and PVA-72 libraries, which clustered with the 24-h libraries. Also, most of the 24-h libraries clustered together; the only exception was the PEG-M-24 library, which clustered with the 72-h group. This analysis demonstrated that successional changes occurred in the bacterial communities on most of the surfaces. It also suggested that succession on BR and PVA surfaces was delayed compared to succession on other types of surfaces and that succession on PEG-M surfaces was accelerated compared to succession on other types of surfaces.
16S rDNA sequence analysis.Clones that occurred on at least three different types of surfaces (a total of 26 clones) were selected for sequence analysis, and partial 16S rRNA gene sequences were determined. The clones used included all of the most abundant OTUs in our libraries (Table 1) and accounted for 79% of the clones that had the correct insert size. The sequences were approximately 585 nucleotides long and spanned the V3 and V5 hypervariable regions of the 16S rDNA. They were aligned, and their phylogenetic positions relative to known sequences were determined. Phylogenetic analyses based on alignment data were supplemented with secondary-structure and signature nucleotide analyses (34 consensus positions for members of theBacteria and 26 consensus positions for members of the α-Proteobacteria), and the results were consistent with the phylogenetic positions determined by the phylogenetic tree construction methods. Based on secondary structure, only one chimera (clone D094) was definitively identified, although some other sequences were possibly chimeric based on results obtained with the CHECK_CHIMERA program. All sequences were quite similar (levels of similarity, ≥96%) to sequences in the GenBank database, but none was identical to any 16S rDNA sequence of a cultured organism or an environmental clone available from RDP-II or GenBank.
Phylogenetic analyses that included representatives of numerous bacterial phyla and all proteobacterial subdivisions (data not shown) indicated that almost all of the sequences were sequences of members of the α-Proteobacteria; the only exceptions were clones D029 and D031, which belonged to the γ-Proteobacteria, and clone D042, which was related to members of theCyanobacteria and chloroplasts. More detailed analyses were performed by using sequences of members of the α-Proteobacteria and γ-Proteobacteria.
(i) Sequences of members of the α-Proteobacteria.In general, the results obtained by using the distance, parsimony, and likelihood methods were highly congruent. The clusters of known taxa and the positions of our clones in relation to known taxa were similar for three methods used, although the branching orders sometimes differed slightly. The results obtained with all three phylogenetic analysis methods supported placing the clones in the α-3 subgroup of the α-Proteobacteria (data not shown). More specifically, our clones fell into the Roseobacter subgroup (RDP-II designation 184.108.40.206.1.1) of the Rhodobacter group (RDP-II designation 184.108.40.206.1) (Fig. 2).
All of the cloned sequences that fell in the α-Proteobacteria were quite similar to one another, with similarity values ranging from 95.5 to 100%. The co-occurrence of closely related sequences is common in phylogenetic studies of naturally occurring bacterial communities (24, 26, 44), and the degrees of relatedness among some of the sequences may represent variation between 16S rRNA genes in different rRNA operons within the same cell, clonal variation within a population, or species differentiation (55).
(ii) Sequences of members of the γ-Proteobacteria.The results obtained by using the distance, parsimony, and likelihood methods were also highly congruent for members of the γ-Proteobacteria. The results obtained with all three phylogenetic analysis methods supported placing two clones, D029 and D031, in the γ-3 subgroup of the γ-Proteobacteria. More specifically, our clones fell into the Alteromonas group (RDP-II designation 22.214.171.124) (data not shown).
The early stages of colonization and the succession of bacterial assemblages on human dental surfaces are well documented. It is clear from numerous studies that primary colonists recognize and specifically bind to components of the dental surface conditioning film and that once established, these organisms facilitate subsequent recruitment of many additional bacterial species. In contrast, little progress has been made in defining the early stages of colonization of surfaces in natural aquatic environments. This is due in part to the limitations of the traditional cultivation-based methods used to study aquatic microbial communities. It is well known that the majority (typically, ≥95%) of bacteria in nature cannot be cultivated by using traditional techniques (3, 8). Consequently, it is unlikely that collections of bacterial isolates are sufficiently representative of in situ diversity and ecophysiology to permit meaningful analysis of community structure or specific organism functions. In contrast, culture-independent techniques that involve extraction of total community genomic DNA or RNA followed by amplification of 16S rDNA or 16S rRNA (58, 61) by PCR have revealed that the phylogenetic diversity in naturally occurring communities is immense (17, 26, 37, 44, 54, 74). These methods are also very useful for tracking the dynamics of natural bacterial communities, for defining successional stages of biofilm communities, and for identifying key organisms in biofilm development.
Grouping of 16S rDNA clones by ARDRA provided a useful, efficient way to examine the diversity of the microbial communities on submerged test surfaces and to reduce the number of clones that were analyzed further (71). Our data revealed substantial diversity in the 16S rDNA sequences recovered from surfaces incubated in coastal marine waters for only short periods of time. A total of 136 unique OTUs were identified, although the average percent coverage of the libraries was only about 60%. The control surface (PU-24) library was especially diverse, and the percent coverage for this surface was only 30%. The rapid colonization of the surfaces used and the diversity of organisms involved may be associated with specific ecological characteristics of salt marsh ecosystems and may reflect advantages inherent in surface colonization in such systems. In such environments, high loads of particulate matter are present year round (57). Much of the particulate load is detritus resulting from decay of Spartina alterniflora, the dominant macrophyte in the low marsh zones (69), and represents a resource base for microbial growth. Diverse, abundant particle- and surface-associated microorganisms may be the natural result of physiological adaptation to this environment.
Bacterial community structure comparisons in which cluster analyses were used revealed obvious bacterial community successional changes on most of our surfaces when the surfaces incubated for 24 and 72 h were compared. The results clearly showed that the early stages of surface colonization were very dynamic and involved a characteristic assemblage of organisms. This analysis also showed that the BR-72 and PVA-72 libraries grouped with the 24-h incubation libraries. This finding is interesting since it implies that the succession of bacterial communities on the BR and PVA surfaces was delayed, at least for a short time. The relative hydrophobicity of each of these surfaces may play an important role in the reduction of surface colonization by certain bacterial species, thus altering the rate or direction of the successional progression. Previous microscopic studies of bacterial colonization on surfaces incubated in laboratory mesocosms showed that after 24 or 72 h of incubation the numbers of bacteria attached to BR and PVA surfaces were also lower than the numbers of bacteria attached to other types of surfaces (Noble et al., Abstr. 98th Gen. Meet. Am. Soc. Microbiology 1998). Cluster analysis also showed that the PEG-M-24 library grouped with the 72-h incubation group. This implies that succession of the bacterial community on the PEG-M surface was accelerated. This finding is consistent with the data of Wiencek and Fletcher (76), who found high numbers of bacteria attached to methyl-terminated alkanethiol self-assembled monolayers compared to the numbers of bacteria attached to hydroxyl-terminated self-assembled monolayers. Clearly, the degree of surface hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity and the specific surface chemical functional groups influence early stages of surface colonization. It is interesting that the PU-24 library (the control) was especially diverse, which may imply that some test surfaces may have an inhibitory or selective effect on colonization by some species, at least during the very early stages of biofilm development. However, microscopic examination revealed that there was no significant difference in the extents of biofouling on the different surface types after 1 week of incubation (Johnson et al., Abstr. 99th Gen. Meet. Am. Soc. Microbiol. 1999). Thus, it is not clear that consistent or important selection against specific colonizing species occurred on any of our test surfaces.
It is important to recognize that ARDRA of environmental clone libraries reflects the number of different 16S rRNA genes recovered from a sample but not the numbers of different kinds of organisms originally in the sample. In well-characterized bacterial species, the rRNA gene copy number varies from 1 to 14 copies per cell, and for groups of related organisms, the rRNA gene copy number can vary among species in a genus and even among strains in a species (18). Consequently, some distinguishable ARDRA patterns may be derived from the same organism. In addition, PCR-based methods for recovering 16S rDNA sequences from natural samples are subject to some important biases, particularly differential PCR amplification of DNA from heterogeneous templates (18, 63, 73). As a result of amplification biases, it is possible that the relative abundances of particular 16S rDNA sequences in clonal libraries may not accurately reflect the relative abundances of different organisms in the original sample. To minimize the impact of amplification biases on our analysis of bacterial succession on the test surfaces used and to normalize the representations of different clones among the different libraries, we log transformed the percent frequency data, as PCR is thought to be an exponential amplification process. Enumeration in PCR-based systems is problematic at best, so relative abundances (32) may be the most reliable descriptive parameter that can be obtained within the limits of current technology.
In addition to characterizing succession on the test surfaces by ARDRA, we also determined partial DNA sequences and phylogenetically analyzed the 26 OTUs that were most abundant and most common in our libraries. A total of 22 of these common OTUs were affiliated with the α-Proteobacteria, and all of these fell in theRoseobacter subgroup in the Rhodobacter group. The phylogenetic affiliation determined by using phylogenetic tree construction methods is also supported by a signature nucleotide sequence, characteristic of the Rhodobacter group, that is found in all 22 sequences (27). All of these sequences also exhibited fairly high pairwise levels of similarity. The sequences of clones D005 and D009 were identical in the region which we examined, but both the MspI digest band patterns and theHhaI digest band patterns were different. The sequence differences detected by ARDRA were clearly outside the region sequenced. Several other sequences had only three or four mismatched positions. As the error rate of the high-fidelity DNA polymerase which we used is only about 8.5 × 10−6, these differences were probably not due to PCR errors. Radiations of closely related bacterial populations that coexist in relatively circumscribed microenvironments have also been observed in other studies (1, 24, 26, 44). The significance of this apparently common phenomenon is not known; it could be the result of microevolutionary divergence within a multicopy rRNA gene family or the result of microscale adaptation as a result of selection (26, 51, 67). Bacteria belonging to the Roseobacter subgroup are abundant in coastal seawater, aerobic sediments, and decaying plant material from coastal salt marshes, and they may play important roles in biogeochemical processes, such as sulfur cycling (28, 30). Not only were the sequences which we determined obtained from most of the surfaces tested, they were also the most abundant sequences in both the 24-h libraries and the 72-h libraries. This suggests that the bacteria represented by these sequences are also important primary colonizers of surfaces in coastal waters.
Two of the sequences analyzed were affiliated with the γ-Proteobacteria, and both clustered with theAlteromonas group. Interestingly, both sequences were recovered from surfaces only after 24 h of incubation. These organisms may be involved only in very early colonization of submerged surfaces, and they may be displaced by members of the α-Proteobacteria during succession. The organisms most closely related to the two sequences, members of the genusAlteromonas, represent a rather isolated phylogenetic lineage (25). To date, only one Alteromonasspecies (with a few subspecies) has been described (6, 62). However, the genus Alteromonas has been implicated as an important genus in particle (or aggregate)-associated niches (1), and members of this genus may be significant surface colonists in coastal marine systems.
One of the most important problems encountered in PCR-based bacterial community analysis is the formation of chimeras. Only a single chimeric sequence was identified positively, although the CHECK_CHIMERA program showed that chimeras may have been formed for some additional sequences. The results of 16S rRNA secondary-structure and signature nucleotide analyses (26, 33, 79) argued against these sequences actually being chimeric, although no method used to identify chimeras is foolproof (40, 64). The gentle genomic DNA extraction method employed (45) minimized fragmentation, which can greatly increase chimera formation during PCR (40, 72). All of the sequences analyzed were the most common sequences in our libraries, which were obtained from independent PCRs in which we used minimally sheared DNA and a high-fidelity DNA polymerase. It seems very unlikely that the same chimeric molecule was an abundant product in several independent PCR amplifications.
It is thought that at least some important ecophysiological traits are shared by phylogenetically closely related species (60, 79). If this is true, some key traits of our unknown organisms may be inferred from the traits of their closest evolutionary relatives. Almost all of the nearest relatives of our clones are organisms that live in marine environments. Most of these organisms are also surface-associated bacteria. Within the Rhodobacter group, both strains of Rugeria algicola were isolated from the surfaces of unicellular algae (i.e., the dinoflagellateProrocentrum lima) (41). Sagittula stellata has a holdfast structure at one pole and is able to attach to the surface of a lignocellulose or cellulose particle, and it hydrolyzes and partially mineralizes cellulose and synthetic lignin (29). Rugeria atlanticum is a marine star-shaped-aggregate-forming bacterium (65). Clone Hstp14 was recovered from an unknown microorganism obtained from the leaves of the seagrass Halophila stipulacea (75). In addition, Alteromonas macleodii subsp. fijiensiscan produce copious extracellular polysaccharides under certain conditions (62), which may contribute to its ability to colonize surfaces. All of the previously described organisms mentioned above are chemoheterotrophs and require NaCl for growth. Thus, all available phylogenetic and inferred phenotypic information suggests that our cloned sequences come from true marine surface-associated microorganisms. The high relative abundances of theRoseobacter subgroup sequences in libraries constructed from several different types of surfaces, the high degrees of phylogenetic relatedness, and the universality of surface association in closely related organisms all support our identification of these organisms as important primary surface colonists in coastal marine water. In future studies we will determine the in situ abundances of these organisms in the water column and on particles and surfaces, their interactions with other surface-associated microorganisms, and their participation in biofilm formation.
We thank Steven Lindsay and James Tour for preparing the test surfaces, Wes R. Johnson and M. Caroline Roper for developing field techniques and for collecting samples, George Matsui and Christopher Bagwell for providing technical advice, and Peter A. Noble and C. Bagwell for providing helpful comments on the manuscript.
This research was supported by grant N00014-97-1-0806 from the Office of Naval Research to C.R.L.
- Received 23 August 1999.
- Accepted 12 November 1999.
- Copyright © 2000 American Society for Microbiology
- 1.↵
- 2.↵
- 3.↵
- 4.↵
- 5.↵
- 6.↵
- 7.↵
- 8.↵
- 9.↵
- 10.↵
- 11.↵
- 12.↵
- 13.↵
- 14.↵
- 15.↵
- 16.↵
- 17.↵
- 18.↵
- 19.↵
- 20.↵
- 21.↵
- 22.↵
- 23.↵
- 24.↵
- 25.↵
- 26.↵
- 27.↵
- 28.↵
- 29.↵
- 30.↵
- 31.↵
- 32.↵
- 33.↵
- 34.↵
- 35.↵
- 36.↵
- 37.↵
- 38.↵
- 39.↵
- 40.↵
- 41.↵
- 42.↵
- 43.↵
- 44.↵
- 45.↵
- 46.↵
- 47.↵
- 48.↵
- 49.↵
- 50.↵
- 51.↵
- 52.↵
- 53.↵
- 54.↵
- 55.↵
- 56.↵
- 57.↵
- 58.↵
- 59.↵
- 60.↵
- 61.↵
- 62.↵
- 63.↵
- 64.↵
- 65.↵
- 66.↵
- 67.↵
- 68.↵
- 69.↵
- 70.↵
- 71.↵
- 72.↵
- 73.↵
- 74.↵
- 75.↵
- 76.↵
- 77.↵
- 78.↵
- 79.↵
- 80.↵
- 81.↵


text:
Speedmaster 38 Co‑Axial Chronograph 38 mm
Steel on leather strap
Your selection
Speedmaster Speedmaster 38 Co‑Axial Chronograph 38 mm
Steel on leather strap
finale price
The Speedmaster 38 mm collection has been crafted with simplicity, size and colour in mind, yet still retains the look and heritage of OMEGA's most famous chronograph.
This model features a stainless steel case and bezel which includes a tachymeter scale on a black aluminium ring.
The sun-brushed grey dial includes horizontal oval subdials and a vertical oval date window at 6 o'clock. The indexes are rhodium-plated while the hands are also rhodium-plated or orange.
The watch has a Novo Nappa leather strap, a Seahorse medallion on the caseback, and is driven by the OMEGA Co-Axial Calibre 3330.
5-Year Warranty
All OMEGA watches are delivered with a 5-year warranty that covers the repair of any material or manufacturing defects. Please refer to the operating instructions for specific information about the warranty conditions and restrictions.
Complicated watch with a function for measuring short time periods in addition to its function for permanently displaying hours, minutes and seconds.
Label given to a watch which has undergone precision tests and received a certificate from an official body (COSC).
The day of the month, displayed in a window on a watch dial typically at the 3 o'clock or 6 o'clock position.
Small seconds
A hand on a sub-dial which tracks seconds typically it completes a full rotation in one minute.
A tachymeter is an instrument for measuring speed. It is a chronograph with a graduated dial on which speed can be read off in kilometres per hour based on 1000 metres distance.
Technical Data
- Between lugs: 18 mm
- Bracelet: leather strap
- Case: Steel
- Case diameter: 38 mm
- Dial colour: Grey
- Crystal: Scratch‑resistant sapphire crystal with anti‑reflective treatment on both sides
- Water resistance: 10 bar (100 metres / 330 feet)
Movement CALIBRE OMEGA 3330
Self-winding chronograph with column-wheel mechanism and Co-Axial escapement. Free sprung-balance equipped with Si14 silicon balance spring. Officially certified chronometer.
- 52 hours Power reserve
- Self winding
Variations of Speedmaster 38 mm Co‑Axial Chronograph 38 mm
Find a store
Order a Catalogue
Get the latest edition of our official Omega catalogue "The Collection".


text:
Globalization is us: We now import a huge amount of our food from overseas. But is it safe? In the aftermath of the contaminated pet food disaster, the New York Times last week asked readers whether they felt the American food supply is safe. The issue attracted 175 comments in a matter of hours. Not surprisingly China took a beating, but, as many point out, the issue is so much larger than one country.
It makes me angry. We do everything but bar code our spinach leaves at the same time we're importing crap from China (literally and figuratively).
There is no point in China bashing. We could do the same for all of North and South America, for Eurasia, for Africa. The globalization system does not work for food supply and cannot be safe no matter how much surveillance.
WAKE UP AMERICA! We've allowed giant multinational corporations to take control of our food supply, and … [t]hey will provide the cheapest ingredients they can get away with, fooling us with slick and misleading packaging and excess sweeteners and salt. … [R]eal nutrition costs a lot of money, stop buying the cheapest stuff you can find.
Do any of you who call for a total ban of foods from China understand that you have been eating foods or food stuffs from China for years and nothing has happened to you or your loved ones? You just didn't know it.
But there are also suggestions and solutions to be found—at the very least people are taking a look at what is at stake. As one reader points out, "Before you blame China, blame yourselves for insisting on cheap food. Buying locally and paying more for quality from smaller or local companies eliminates many possible problems. … [Y]ou get what you pay for."
Other readers mention the need for a country of origin labeling system (required under the 2002 Farm Bill, but twice postponed by laws signed by the president). At the end of the day it's up to consumers to demand the changes they would like to see. As one reader wisely wrote, "No one can save us except us."


text:
Hey Everybody! Sorry for the silence, but I'm in the midst of the move, and it has been crazy around here!
I am pretty excited today though, because I am guest posting today over at Project Run and Play (I LOVE that blog!) with a fun little sundress that I made for Emmie,
so if you hop on over there, you can see a tutorial for my dress!


text:
"A father is neither an anchor to hold us back nor a sail to take us there, but a guiding light whose love shows us the way."
– Unknown
A father's love is a strong sturdy love. It weathers through the good and the bad times in a child's life. In the mind of a child, everything is a BIG DEAL; Misplacing a special toy, not having the right snack, or even not playing the game "correctly". In our adult minds, these are very insignificant issues, but for our kids, these are enormous life altering circumstances. Fathers don't handle every one of these circumstances the same way or even correctly all the time. The imperative element of being a father, however is the strength and energy one puts into their child's life. The time we spend with our kids, as a father, is significant in their developing behaviors.
Yes, more then we like we routinely play the "bad guy" when it comes to "correcting" and "educating" our kids. Which sucks because our kids tend to run to mommy or want to spend more time with the "fun" aunts and uncles while all we said was a simple "no" on milk and said it was time for water. Guess what dads, that time will pass. Once it does, every moment with that son or daughter will become a blast! Now, when my daughter does something she knows isn't ok she has this little thing called "sass" and let me tell you. It's so hard to keep a straight face when it comes to dealing with her now! The way she gets all confidant in her actions and her justification, my God it's hard not to laugh!
Dads, guess what? It's ok to show compassion, its ok to show affection, its ok to show sadness with your kids. No man cards can ever be taken away due to sharing special moments with our children. When my daughter paints my nails, she does more than my nails… my entire toes are one color! If I would ever have to take my shoes/socks off in public place, people will question my lifestyle 100%….. Dads, our lifestyle is "the dad life", embrace it. Having a rock concert in one's car to My Little Pony is completely acceptable when you're making a long drive fun…. Count those short drives also!
To the dads who embrace their dad lifestyle, their dadbods, daddy bracelets, and who truly enjoy spending moments with their little ones. Happy Father's Day!
– Joe "YoungJediDad"


text:
Act III – The Fourth Kind
I awoke the next morning confused, unable to remember anything that happened after my bathroom encounter with the strange, overly-touchy woman. Adding to my confusion was that fact that I had…Continue
Added by Ryan on March 30, 2011 at 12:43pm — No Comments
Just thought I'd share a small (very tiny, so as not to bore the socks off you) excerpt from the novel I have been working on. It's not much, but lately I've been picking up some steam on it, and would like to finish the first draft before the end of the year.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Before embarking on our trip to Costa Rica, Rick had assured me that his Spanish was… Continue
Added by Bubba Licious on March 28, 2011 at 7:44pm — 6 Comments
Old-Fashioned, SLOW-ROASTED SEX Results. Tha…Continue
Added by theDIRTYmidget.© on March 26, 2011 at 11:30pm — 57 Comments
My story starts just as any other second-rate tale of comeuppance -- in Atlantic City. On a whim, a friend and I decided to make the trek, our minds and hearts filled with hitting it big. I had a side-agenda for the trip, as well. I've always had a dream to interview a hooker. I wanted to ask her a series of both serious and comical questions; maybe even get her co-workers in on the action; and compile it in my…Continue
Added by Ryan on March 26, 2011 at 1:30am — 2 Comments
This is what I do now.... I make music.... Got a band as well but I am just trying to promote my stuff.
Check the video out if you get a chance.
Also If you are on Facebook. search "The Ricky Morse" and give the "LIKE" button a try!
Added by Rick Morse on March 25, 2011 at 11:04am — 2 Comments
You may find this hard to believe, but I was cute as a child. I was very cute, actually. I was so cute that had I been a pedophile, and not myself, I would have fucked me. I was so cute that if I were a pedophile now, I would build a time machine to travel back in time and fuck the child version of myself. I would risk causing that big of a rift in the Time-Space Continuum, and my little boy butthole -- that's how cute I was. Luckily for me, I won't be giving a new…Continue
Added by Ryan on March 24, 2011 at 1:01am — 6 Comments
Added by chuckkling on March 20, 2011 at 11:30pm — 15 Comments
This will be the final results for ECB Caption Nation. I bought my friends some beer to help me move the contest to the front page under the CONTESTS tab named Kling's Caption Nation. All contests and results will be posted there for a one stop shop for your hilarity needs.
Added by chuckkling on March 19, 2011 at 3:30pm — 3 Comments
Here are the current power rankings through 3/17.
3 points for Gold, 2 for Silver, 1 for Bronze.
1. MacSpruce - 26 points
2. theDIRTYmidget - 24 points
3. JJJ23…Continue
Added by Comedy Whirled on March 19, 2011 at 12:00pm — No Comments
Sparklingly A'GAY-GAY GONE Results.
Thank You For Gaying. …
Added by theDIRTYmidget.© on March 17, 2011 at 4:00pm — 26 Comments
In my last blog, I asked for tips how to seduce Shakira.
I have updates! But I am still a virgin. :(
This is the woman I love, her name is Shakira. My friend works in her building. He used to let me in so I could try to talk to her, but now he calls the police.
I have done things to try to reach Shakiras heart. I sent her…Continue
Added by Jesus on March 16, 2011 at 6:00pm — 5 Comments
Another installation from Casa del Lloyd: Our five year old son badly wanted to watch a cartoon or nature-type program online but I needed get some dinner started. It's not always an easy task to find something PG so I thought a program on Lions or similar would be safe. Hurriedly, I searched YouTube for a National Geographic documentary (The trick is to find a lengthier clip of five plus minutes). BINGO! I found a clip…Continue
Added by Lloyd Christmas on March 14, 2011 at 11:30am — 2 Comments
Added by Mervin97 on March 12, 2011 at 8:20pm — 4 Comments
Check this website out. It's my brother's website and he hooked us up with the number one slot under the comedy blogs.
Added by chuckkling on March 12, 2011 at 11:30am — 2 Comments
ECB Wednesday Edition 2/23/11
Chuck's Mystery Cap -…Continue
Added by chuckkling on March 12, 2011 at 11:20am — No Comments
Those Wigged-Out Results. Thank You…Continue
Added by theDIRTYmidget.© on March 11, 2011 at 9:00am — 39 Comments
ECB Wednesday Edition 2/16/11
Chuck's Mystery Cap - "Junk in the front"
No match this time.…Continue
Added by chuckkling on March 7, 2011 at 9:02pm — No Comments
Charlie Sheen got all kinds of notoriety last week when his name was everywhere. To Charlie Sheen (pictured above) from Topeka, Kansas, it was a nightmare.
Added by Gerhardguffaw on March 7, 2011 at 2:16pm — 4 Comments
Added by theDIRTYmidget.© on March 7, 2011 at 9:00am — 42 Comments
Here are the current rankings. March's winners are not included in these totals. 3 points for Gold, 2 for Silver, 1 for Bronze.
1. MacSpruce - 23 points
2. chuckkling - 19 points…Continue
Added by Comedy Whirled on March 6, 2011 at 6:30pm — 3 Comments
© 2020 Whirled Wide Network Powered by Windmills


text:
Homes, businesses and yards in a section of Grove, East Bank Demerara, were Wednesday night inundated by flood waters from the nearby Demerara River as a result of a damaged koker (sluice), authorities said. The Civil Defence Commission (CDC) said the Diamond Secondary School has been identified as a temporary shelter for residents affected by the breached koker in the ...Read More »
Man burnt while rescuing children from burning house in Mahdia
Three children, who were left at home by their parents, were rescued from a burning house in Mahdia by a neighbour who was burnt during the heroic act, police sources said. The fire destroyed the two-apartment, one-story wooden house at Dandro Hill, Mahdia, at about 7:45 pm. Police said 42-year-old Seon Garraway was admitted to the Mahdia Hospital where he ...Read More »
GBTI gives GYD$2M to Bahamas hurricane relief
The Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry Limited (GBTI) says it has generated almost GYD$2 million through the GBTI Hurricane Relief Fund – Bahamas. That fund began shortly after Hurricane Dorian ravaged sections of the Bahamas early in September. The Bank says it immediately committed GYD$3 million and encouraged its customers, staff and members of the public to join the ...Read More »
Homes, farms, livestock under high tide floods in Region 5
Release from the Civil Defence Commission: The Civil Defence Commission (CDC) received reports of flooding in the Mahaica-West Berbice Region (Region 5). The floods are as a result of above-normal high tides predicted at approximately 3.31 meters. The effects of the tides have been exacerbated by a breach in the Danzic sea defence dam. Over 200 meters of the structure ...Read More »
High tide floods several West Coast Demerara villages
Several villages on the West Coast Demerara were earlier today flooded as a result of a tide that was more than nine feet high. The Civil Defence Commission (CDC) says "there was no breach of the seawalls. The water has begun to recede". However, water over-topped the sea defence causing floods at Blankenburg, Den Amstel, Fellowship, Cornelia Ida, Anna Catherina ...Read More »
Fire leaves 2 dead, 15 jobless
Fire early this morning left two persons dead and about 15 people out of work. One of the destroyed buildings, located near the Vreed-en-Hoop junction, was owned by 85-year old Fazal Raymond, the first Regional Chairman of Region Three. He was assisted out of the upper flat of his building by a family member. Fire Chief Marlon Gentle said fire ...Read More »
GTT facilitates help for those in hurricane-ravaged Bahamas
The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) says it is making it easy and possible to assist with hurricane relief efforts in The Bahamas. "GTT appreciates that we a part of a wider Caribbean – and that when our regional neighbors need help, we must do what we can, with what we have, to offer assistance," said Justin Nedd, GTT's ...Read More »
28 Guyanese signal interest in returning home from The Bahamas; family of 5 back home: "I know despite wherever we go, Guyana will not refuse its citizens out there,"- teacher
Even as the government finalises arrangements to facilitate the evacuation 28 other Guyanese from storm-torn Bahamas to their homeland, a man and his family Sunday night were the first State-sponsored returnees. "We dealt with this first five, this family, and we anticipate there are others…We do not leave Guyanese in distress outside of Guyana," said Minister of Citizenship and Immigration ...Read More »
Hurricane-weary Guyanese ask Guyana gov't to evacuate them to their homeland
Guyanese in hurricane-battered Bahamas on Sunday appealed to the Guyana government to assist many of them to be evacuated back to their home country as they have lost all of their belongings, homes and jobs. "What we would like the Guyanese authorities to do is to coordinate evacuations for the return home of those Guyanese who will want to come ...Read More »
Severe flooding in Mahdia; clean-up begins as water level drops
Residents of the town of Mahdia, Potaro-Siparuni (Region 8) were Friday battling severe flooding caused by extremely heavy rainfall, resulting in the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) considering opening shelters for affected residents and rushing in relief supplies. Director-General of the CDC, Colonel Kester Craig said cleaning supplies were being rushed to the gold mining-dependent town as the water level has ...Read More »


text:
The National Security Agency (NSA) has been given the green light to continue its controversial bulk collection of Americans' telephone records, albeit only a temporary go-ahead by the U.S. courts.
Back in May, an appeals court had ruled that the USA Patriot Act did not give authorization for the NSA to collect Americans' phone records in bulk.
The eavesdropping program was exposed by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.
U.S. surveillance court rules NSA can resume spying on Americans:
The USA Freedom Act, which is a new law, was signed off by U.S. President Barack Obama a day after the existing USA Patriot Act program lapsed on June 1. The new law has greatly reformed and narrowed the bulk phone data program. It also will allow the existing surveillance program to continue on for a further 6 months as a transition period, but it remains in a legal limbo pending Monday's ruling by a judge of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court [FISC], according to Reuters.
Michael Mosman, a judge on the surveillance court, wrote: "In passing the US.A Freedom Act, Congress clearly intended to end bulk data collection… But what it took away with one hand, it gave back—for a limited time—with another."
Mosman had rejected the May ruling by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan that the Patriot Act had never authorized the NSA to collect Americans' phone records in bulk in his ruling, reported The New York Times.
NSA allowed to resume bulk data collection on Americans:
Mosman wrote: "Second Circuit rulings are not binding on the FISC, and this court respectfully disagrees with that court's analysis, especially in view of the intervening enactment of the USA Freedom Act."
Wyn Hornbuckle, a spokesman for the U.S. Justice Department, has welcomed the decision saying: "We agree with the Court's conclusion that the program is lawful, and that in passing the USA Freedom Act, Congress provided for a 180-day transition period for the government to continue the existing collection program until the new mechanism of obtaining call detail records is implemented."
The USA Freedom Act requires companies to collect and store telephone records in the same way that they do now for billing purposes. But no longer have to give the data to U.S. intelligence agencies until they have a government request approved by the FISC. The telephone companies only give data about phone calls, such as the number dialed, and the time and length of the call, but not the call's actual content. At least, that's what they tell us.
Click here to read more World stories, LIKE us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.


text:
Product Overview
Ideagen's Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) software solution fully integrates risk management processes, from identifying and assessing risk business-wide, to assigning and monitoring mitigation plans, all the way through to reporting and defining a long-term strategy for enhanced performance.
With Pentana Risk, businesses can establish an ERM framework that allows them to manage operational, financial, IT and strategic risks in a single, easy-to-use risk management system. Our innovative risk software solution provides real-time metrics on all aspects of risk, such as performance, processes and assets, ensuring that business leaders have complete visibility and are able to exercise agility in risk management.
Ideagen have been recognised as a CHALLENGER in Gartner's 2019 Magic Quadrant for Integrated Risk Management report.
Key features of our ERM software.
Identify, analyse and evaluate risk with optimised heat maps and charts. Compare current risk status with original and target status to guide future decision making.
Visualise performance against targets in real-time and perform data analysis on KPIs. Quickly identify risks through traffic-lighted gauges.
Promote a more flexible, engaging and intelligent work environment, enabling you to employ greater accessibility, agility and deeper analytical awareness at an enterprise level.
Consolidate all actions into streamlined milestones with the ability to track progress and set auto-reminders.
Align strategic objectives to individual performance with personal dashboards for every employee, including overall score, weighted score and target performance.
Proactively manage incidents with complete data capture, intuitive workflow, consolidated reporting, and investigative case management.
Work collaboratively on draft policy reviews and simplify the publishing, distribution, approval and change control process.
Improve collaboration and transparency in progressing recommendations with high-level reporting and executive dashboards for compliance and control objectives.
"Pentana Risk allows us to get crucial information in front of senior stakeholders through Portals and periodic reporting. Senior managers are fully engaged with the risk program and Pentana Risk enables this."
— Huw Thomas, Enterprise Risk Manager, Admiral Group PLC
Business benefits of our risk software.
Improve business performance
Increase your agility in making clear, calculated decisions that make your business more productive, and saves you time and money.
Ensure compliance with internal and external standards
Implement effective risk management and ensure up-to-date compliance with ISO 31000, ISO 27001 and other industry standards.
Engage with senior and executive level
Provide complete visibility to senior managers and the Board, with personal dashboards and reports that allow for quick informed decisions.
Advance clear risk-awareness throughout your business
Make risk a top consideration from top to bottom, and easily collaborate with any part of your organisation to instil mature risk management processes.
Intuitive user interface
Simplify risk management with an easy-to-use, feature-rich software application that takes less than a day to learn.
Safeguard company reputation
Protect your business against damaging incidents and ensure you are recognised as a leader of the industry.
"Our risk management software provides a single version of the truth by integrating data from back office and third-party systems and so delivers clarity, control and the ability to make the right decisions with the right data."
— Stephanie Jones, Product Manager at Ideagen


text:
Sneakersnstuff teamed with Finland's finest sportswear brand, Karhu again to present "The land of a thousand lakes" featuring the Aria, Karhu's mid 90s mono sock classic. Get inspired from brands native landscape: the water.
The shoe's upper has been fully outfitted in pigskin suede and features a clear outsole, which resembles the water. The collaborating partners are highlighted on the sublimated water printed sock liners, another reference to the concept. To top it off, each pair comes with 3 sets of laces with aglet branding.
Shop Karhu Aria x Sneakersnstuff "The land of a thousand lakes" at Sneakersnstuff.