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Indians take one-game lead over Rays, Rangers in wild-card race
MINNEAPOLIS -- The playoff scenario for the Cleveland Indians is simple: win Sunday and they are in.
The Indians moved into sole possession of the AL wild-card lead on the next-to-last scheduled day of the regular season, beating the Minnesota Twins 5-1 Saturday behind Scott Kazmir's strong start to extend their winning streak to nine.
Seeking their first postseason appearance since 2007, the Indians (91-70) took a one-game lead over Tampa Bay and Texas (both 90-71).
"We want to keep this roll going. This is so much fun," Nick Swisher said.
Cleveland is assured of at least a tie for the AL wild card. With three teams seeking the two wild cards, Sunday's results could decide the matter or lead to one or two tiebreaker games at the start of next week.
Carlos Santana homered for the Indians, who have won 14 of their last 16.
If the three teams are tied after Sunday, Cleveland would host Tampa Bay on Monday, with the winner advancing to the postseason. The loser would play at Texas on Tuesday for the second wild card.
In the event Sunday ends with a tie for the second wild-card berth, there would be a one-game tiebreaker Monday. Tampa Bay would host Cleveland, Texas would be home against the Rays, or the Indians would host the Rangers.
The two wild cards would then meet in a postseason game Wednesday to determine which advances to the division series.
"Every time you win, it makes the next day that much more important, so we get to show up tomorrow and see if we can win a game," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "We need to be one run better tomorrow and then we go from there."
After a rain delay of 2 hours, 26 minutes at the start, Kazmir (10-9) allowed one run and six hits in six innings, and Marc Rzepczynski, Cody Allen and Joe Smith each followed with an inning of hitless relief. Kazmir won his second straight start after going 1-5 with a 5.82 ERA in his previous seven outings. He is 3-0 against Minnesota this year with a 1.45 ERA.
"I was able to attack the strike zone and expand," said Kazmir, who struck out 11 and has 43 strikeouts in 28 innings during September. "I'm going out there and getting them in swing mode, and once I get two strikes, I have quite a few pitches I'm able to set them down with."
Seven of Cleveland's first 11 hitters struck out before Jason Kipnis singled in the fourth and Santana hit a two-run homer.
"Carlos' swing was huge," Francona said. "It helped loosen up everything."
Eric Fryer singled in a run in the bottom half for Minnesota, but Michael Bourn had a two-run triple in the fifth and scored on Kipnis' single for a 5-1 lead.
"We're still very hungry, so we're going out there every day and grinding at-bats and making quality pitches," Kazmir said. "That's something we can carry into the postseason."
Hoping to make Minnesota's 2014 rotation, Cole De Vries (0-2) allowed five runs and six hits in five innings. All five runs off him came with two outs.
"You usually want to put teams away when you get two outs. That's tough, but its kind of the way it works sometimes. What are you going to do?" he said.
Minnesota has lost nine of 10, and Twins manager Ron Gardenhire will not win his 1,000th game this season. Gardenhire, who is not under contract for next year, is two victories shy.
"We just have not played good and it's not been a lot of fun," he said. "I had more than one of them come up and apologize to me. I don't need that. I know what they're giving me. They're giving me a lot. I appreciate the efforts and they don't have to apologize for anything. They come and play. We just weren't good enough this year."
Game notes
Cleveland is 20-6 in September, its first month of at least 20 wins since August 1995. ... Indians DH Jason Giambi left the game with left forearm cramping. He is day to day. ... Bourn returned after missing three games with a sprained right wrist. ... Minnesota C Josmil Pinto did not play after being hit on the right hand by a pitch Friday. He is expected to play Sunday. ... Cleveland's Ubaldo Jimenez (12-9) is scheduled to pitch Sunday against Minnesota's Scott Diamond (6-12).
CLE Wins 4-0
Game Information
- Umpires:
- Home Plate Umpire - Larry Vanover
- First Base Umpire - Greg Gibson
- Second Base Umpire - Brian Gorman
- Third Base Umpire - Tony Randazzo


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UPDATE: Her new seatmate, journalist Ernest Owens, tweeted a photo of himself with the actress, pictured above.
Amy Adams is a class act.
The five-time Academy Award nominee gave her first class seat to an American serviceman who was also on her Delta flight. Adams, 39, took his seat in coach during their flight from Detroit to Los Angeles.
Jemele Hill, co-host of ESPN's Numbers Never Lie, broke the news via Twitter Friday morning. "I'm an even bigger fan now," she tweeted. Hill was unaware that Adams was born on a military base during her father's days in the service. The family moved several times before settling in Colorado when she was 8.
Hill recounted the experience via e-mail. "When we were waiting to board, I saw her glance the soldier's way and then she said something to the person she was traveling with," Hill wrote to NBC's Today in a message from the flight. "Once we boarded, I saw she was in first class. I was upgraded to first class and she was a couple rows behind me. I think she must have said something to the flight attendant, because before we took off she had vacated her seat and the flight attendant brought the soldier to her seat."
A flight attendant told Hill that the serviceman chatted privately with Adams near the front of the plane.
"I just thought it was incredibly classy and thoughtful," Hill said of the actress' selfless gesture.
Adams has spent the past month and a half shooting Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in Michigan. The blockbuster, co-starring Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill, is scheduled to hit theaters on May 6, 2016.
(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)

subset: commoncrawl


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Pat Smith
Pat Smith started playing guitar in 1969 and began teaching in 1974. Growing up in the Chicago area he has always been deeply into Blues and R&B music. Attended two years at Coe College playing in the jazz band and show choir. Graduated from Cornell College in 1987. Many years of professional playing in many styles. Moving to California in 1987 he formed the Penguin Jazz Quartet, producing two CDs, still available on iTunes. Also formed the Brazilian band Nossa Bossa which was picked by Bose Corp to help debut the PS1 system. Moving back to Iowa in 2008 he has played with Bassist Richard Wagor, producing the CD "Iowa Duets". They added Lynne Hart on Clarinet and have been playing as the Roots of Rhythm since 2014. Pat has composed music for the Red Cedar Chamber Group and the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival. He currently teaches at Grinnell, and privately. He has also taught at Cornell and Kirkwood Colleges.


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Chevrolet driver Jeff Burton and Ford driver Carl Edwards were quickest in Friday afternoon's two Sprint Cup practice sessions at Richmond International Raceway. Teams will qualify this afternoon at 5:35 pm ET and run the 400-lap, 300-mile Federated Auto Parts 400 on Saturday night at 7:45.
Burton, for Richard Childress Racing, topped the charts at 125.412 mph during the nearly two-hour first session. Chevy driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. was second at 122.313 mph for Hendrick Motorsports, and Toyota driver Clint Bowyer was third at 125.232 mph for Michael Waltrip Racing. Dodge driver Sam Hornish Jr. at 125.110 mph was fourth for Penske Racing, and Chevy driver Kevin Harvick was fifth in a Chevy for RCR at 125.041 mph.
Toyota drivers Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr., Ford drivers Marcos Ambrose and point-leader Greg Biffle, and Chevy driver Jeff Gordon completed the top 10 in the first session. It wasn't an especially good session for six drivers hoping to gain a wild-card spot into the Chase for the Championship. Joey Logano was 13th, Ryan Newman 14th, Kasey Kahne 15th, Carl Edwards 17th, Paul Menard 20th and Kyle Busch 21st. Defending and three-time series champion Tony Stewart was 42nd.
Edwards, in a Roush Fenway Ford, ran 122.321 mph to lead the 45-minute second session. Jimmie Johnson was second for Hendrick at 122.260 mph in a Chevrolet, Burton third at 121.869 mph, Gordon fourth at 121.797 mph and Truex Jr. fifth at 121.583. The back five: Harvick, Stephen Leicht in a Chevy, Kyle Busch, Menard and Hornish.
Among others: Biffle was 11th, Ambrose 13th, Kenseth 14th, Earnhardt 16th, Logano 20th, Kahne 22nd, Hamlin 25th, Keselowski 28th, Mark Martin 30th, Kurt Busch 32nd, Newman 38th and Stewart 41st.


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Is this Technically the Best 1:1 Rollout in the World? 20 August, 2009Posted by paralleldivergence in education, ICT in Education, Internet, Life, My Thoughts, NSW, technology, windows.
Tags: 1:1, Digital Education Revolution, education, laptops, Lenovo, NSWDET, students
15 comments
October 20, 2007 – Australian Opposition Leader, Kevin Rudd is on the election campaign trail making a promise that made state governments, educational authorities and teachers shudder in their boots. While holding up a laptop which he referred to as "the toolbox of the 21st Century", he promised to provide a computer to every high school student from grades 9 through 12. Then he became Prime Minister and the pressure was really on, because while he would provide the funding, the Federal Government does not control school education and would not be responsible for implementation – the individuals states would.
Which Teachers Should get a T1 Laptop? 26 June, 2009Posted by paralleldivergence in education, ICT in Education, technology.
Tags: 1:1, classroom, education, education revolution, laptops, Laptops4Learning, NSWDET
68 comments
The initial rollout of Laptop Computers as part of the New South Wales Digital Education Revolution is pretty clear-cut when it comes to students – ALL year 9 students will get one this year. But when it comes to teachers, the T1 rollout sees high schools receiving enough to cover only one-third of their staff. This begs the question, which teachers should get a T1 Laptop?


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|Leskey, Tracy
Submitted to: Journal of Economic Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/1/2003
Publication Date: 4/1/2004
Citation: Bergh, J., Leskey, T.C., Zhang, A. 2004. Discrimination by male dogwood borer, synanthedon scitula harris (lepidoptera: sesiidae) to traps baited with commercially available pheromon lures. Journal of Economic Entomology. 97:344-352
Interpretive Summary: As greater restrictions are placed on use of conventional insecticides to control insect pests of tree fruit, the importance of effective monitoring systems to detect insect pests in orchard ecosystems grows. The dogwood borer is a pest of apple planted on dwarfing rootstocks. Many dwarfing rootstocks produce burr knot tissue below the graft union which is a favored egg laying site for female dogwood borers. Larvae eventually consume burr knot tissue leading to feeding on cambial tissue which can kill and girdle trees. Commercially available pheromone lures for monitoring dogwood borer have been reported to vary widely in their effectiveness. We evaluated four commercially available pheromone lures in commercial apple orchards in Virginia and West Virginia and found that those produced by Scenturion were more attractive and more selective for dogwood borer. However, data collected on adult emergence based on weekly collections of fresh pupal cases from apple trees suggest that Scenturion does not accurately reflect pest phenology or population density. The ability to accurately monitor dogwood borer activity in apple orchards will improve only when the pheromonal components from female dogwood borer are identified specifically.
Technical Abstract: The response of male dogwood borer, Synanthedon scitula (Harris) (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae) to four commercially available pheromone lures and to pheromone source concentration was evaluated in field trapping studies in commercial apple orchards in Virginia and West Virginia. Male peachtree borer, Synanthedon exitiosa (Say), lesser peachtree borer, Synanthedon pictipes (Grote and Robinson), and lilac borer, Podosesia syringae (Harris), were also captured in traps baited with all lures tested. Among the lures used, the Scenturion dogwood borer lure was the most attractive to and selective for dogwood borer. Male dogwood borer showed a concentration-dependent response to traps baited with different source concentrations of the pheromone from Scenturion. Chemical analyses revealed that all lures contained principally (Z,Z)-3,13 ODDA but that a significantly or numerically higher percentage of (E,Z)-3,13 ODDA was present in the Scenturion lure, compared with the others. Emergence data based on weekly collections of fresh male and female pupal exuviae from apple trees during the first period of flight activity of overwintering dogwood borer suggested that the Scenturion lure did not accurately reflect either phenology or population density.


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Don't program robots—train them. That's the stated goal of Brain Corporation, whose operating system is designed to allow robots to learn how to dump trash or open doors via hands-on training, not programming.
The Brain Operating System—also called BrainOS—injects a level of intelligence into robots that will allow them, like animals, to be given hands-on and visual training on how to perform home, service or industrial tasks, the company says.
Robots with BrainOS can be supervised through remote controls or other signals to "demonstrate explicitly the desired behavior," all without complex programming, the company says on its website.
"Alternatively, developers can observe the robot and reward the desired behavior, as if they were training an animal," Brain says.
If BrainOS works as designed, repetition will reinforce the process of how robots should conduct specific activities, just like it does for human brains. Programming sets strict rules on what activities a robot can do, Brain notes.
Robots with BrainOS could be trained to move around while not bumping into obstacles, and also to pick up and move items, according to the company. Robots could be trained for "yard maintenance, or cleaning up after pets," Brain says.
The techniques enabled by BrainOS would represent a change in training robots. Robots have been around for decades, but instructions still need to be programmed in. Traditional programming can be expensive, but Brain says its OS provides a more natural and easier way to train robots, by taking in sensory input and readings to manage robot hardware and behavior.
Company officials so far have not been available to discuss more specifically how BrainOS works. The company says, however, that the OS will be available in the fall, provided on a bStem developer board. The board has a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4-Pro processor, 15 sensors for visual, audio and other forms of sensory input, and an FPGA (field-programmable gate array) for robot control.
Brain, founded in 2009, is backed by Qualcomm, which is developing a chip called Zeroth that is designed to mimic the human brain, operating on neural computing principles. Zeroth may never be released, but technologies from its development are being used by Qualcomm in mobile chips. For example, some context and location awareness algorithms are being used in Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 800-series chips.
Brain has also received funds as part of the White House's US$100 million Brain Initiative to better understand the human brain.
Robots are catching the attention of major IT companies. Robotics companies are being snapped up by Amazon and Google. Amazon has plans to deliver packages using flying drones, and is testing drones in different shapes and sizes.
Robotics are also increasingly being used in schools as an interactive way to promote STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education. Many robots—like the PiBot—are created by students using Arduino, an easy-to-learn hardware and software development platform to create robots or interactive electronic objects.
Intel later this year will ship its first 45-centimeter-tall robot called "Jimmy" for $1,500. Jimmy, which will be able to walk, has the Linux OS and can be programmed in the HTML5 scripting language, which is widely used for mobile apps. Smartphones, tablets and PCs will be able to control the robot, and Intel has said HTML5 is a new way to bring robotics into the mobile era.
The newer OSes and programming tools are trying to unseat the dominant Robotics Operating System (ROS), which was introduced in 2007. ROS is used in walking robots and a self-driving car.
In addition to BrainOS, Brain is including ROS in the development kit, given its popularity among robot makers.


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Strong, Durable Fiberglass Pools in Exquisite Shapes & Designs.
Call today to go over the best shape to enhance your backyard. We can assist you with selecting the right one and show how we can then customize the concrete exterior, or add a few fun features!


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Richard Prebble spoke on Radio NZ this morning about Winston's pickle. It's well worth listening to.
I listened to it and made some quick notes.
- Nothing wrong with political figures seeking donations, for campaigns and legal cases
- He bought a court case that went to the Supreme court where he setup a blind trust fund – he didn't know and still doesn't know (except for his brother) who put money into it and how much. It may have been as high as $80,000
- Today this would have to be declared under the members' register of interests which didn't exist at the time even though Richard was quite public with what he was doing
- The donations Winston is getting are not illegal
- He is in "terrible trouble" because the register is part of the cabinet manual which declares itself ("starts off" with this actually) to be part of the constitution of New Zealand
- The manual makes clear that the obligations of a cabinet minister are higher than those for an MP, and incorporates the requirement of the members register
- You must declare any debt that you have that hasn't been paid in 90 days
- Assuming he hasn't paid that debt, it should have been recorded and has not been.
- Under Gifts, they must be declared: if they are anonymous you actually have to find out where they came from.
- Once you discover you have made a false declaration, you are under obligation to correct it immediately – not when you get back from Singapore.
- Winston says he's going to "chat to the speaker" when he returns, but the speaker is not the person he should be talking to at all – it has to be filed with the registrar
- He has known since last Friday to correct this and has not
- The PM can't actually sit back – she actually has the obligation to discuss the return with him every year. If he didn't tell her about these matters he's in trouble, if he did discuss it and she told him to file a false return she's in trouble too.
- The AG is under an obligation to make sure the register is correct too
- Richard Prebble considers Winston's position untenable


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This is vintage Owen Marshall. A contemporary novel about a baby boomer ménage à trois (although that might actually be an exaggeration and perhaps affaire is more accurate). It begins in a cemetery in Auckland where we met Sarah and Hartley, total strangers, who engage in a conversation about a fascinating inscription on a small headstone for a grave that has collapsed in on itself. Emily Mary has been shot on her way to bible class.
Sarah, is a woman in her late 50's, who hails from Hamilton but who is temporarily domiciled in Auckland in an apartment with her husband Robert while he is undergoing chemotherapy treatment. Sarah has time on her hands and as a result, she bumps into Hartley again… and again.All three key characters, Sarah, Hartley and Robert are very ordinary, leading fairly un-extraordinary lives and this is where Marshall shines. He knows how to unwrap the ordinary and show the reader the interiority of what could otherwise be quite banal lives.
The story unfolds gently, the circumstances of how Hartley and Sarah begin a sexual relationship. It seems quite natural and unspectacular. Robert is sick, Sarah has time on her hands, Hartley is widowed and looking for company. It's not the be all and end all take your breath-away sex, it's companionship with sexual benefits. But here is where Marshall takes risks. He writes of the whole messy business, details that writers often skip over, and it's not sordid or prurient, it's quite charming instead. Or does that mean it is believable?
As always, Marshall's keen observation of the human condition and people shines through. My first laugh out loud moment came early in the book when we are introduced to Hartley's ex mother-in-law:
'Her mother kept the conversation going by listing the features that made Devonport unique, and then the superiority of her own part of Auckland. It was an indication of the sort of woman she was – preoccupied with the instruction of other and the emphasis of her own significance.'
And this
'Irene was thin and always well dressed, but age ravaged her and although she kept out of the sun her skin darkened and loosened until it seemed as if she wore stockings over her limbs. Towards the end there was so little of her that she appeared in the process of mummification, with only her dark, jewelled eyes glinting from the wrappings.'
My next chuckle came when the author builds a picture of the lovers as they might be observed by an outsider.
'To others they could pass as husband and wife, except perhaps to the more insightful observer of the close attention they paid each other. A tall, slightly heavy woman in what might tactfully be termed late middle age, well and casually dressed, the colour of her thick brown hair salon reinforced.'
And so an affair begins with Hartley and Sarah that seems to some extent benign in its simplicity and almost inevitability. Sarah's husband Robert is in the shadows at this stage, as a vague figure who is being treated for cancer. Hilariously, as Hartley becomes more besotted with Sarah, he wants to buy her a frivolous gift and says:
'I'll buy you French undies.' But Sarah is having none of this. 'Like hell you will. You can buy me slippers. I need a pair. All grandmothers do.'
Hartley becomes curious and wants to meet his 'rival' Robert. 'Robert was a large, intelligent, self-centred man who had run down into needy dependence.' They do meet, and Sarah doesn't know they have and Robert doesn't know who Hartley is either.
As the story progresses, Sarah has to balance the joy of this new affair against her responsibilities as a wife, mother and grandmother. In contrast, Hartley recently widowed with a son living in London, has no such constraints and he begins to imagine a future with Sarah. Hartley begins texting Sarah when she is at home in the apartment with Robert. Sarah is disturbed by this new insistence and it amplifies the deceit as she has to rush to another room to read the text and then to lie about who is texting.
Marshall very cleverly deconstructs the mechanics of a love affair. The various components 'there's always an element of vanity in love', the competing personal imperatives as to why and how an affair might happen and then, the other lives that will be impacted.
It's a terrific story and builds to an ending that is both gripping and in some strange way on reflection probably inevitable, but I doubt many readers see it coming. I certainly didn't and I think it is a masterstroke and takes the novel into the literary thriller genre.
Highly recommended.


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"Bringing people together and living life is everything to me. I love entertaining, and creating beautiful spaces for living"
- Jon Vaccari
The St. Charles Avenue showroom of interior designer Jon Vaccari
exudes New Orleans elegance and crisp contemporary charm. A newly restored historical building, 1912 St. Charles Avenue offers a view into a beautiful world of design and detail. Hollywood glamour, mid-century modern, and refined style all mingle together, creating a unique tableaux that is uniquely Jon's style.


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The construction team down at the Circuit of the Americas is putting the finishing touches on the brand-spanking-new racetrack near Austin, Texas. Workers began applying fresh coats of bright red paint to the edges of the 3.4-mile course this week, giving the circuit a pretty stunning look. The track's run-off areas will feature red white and blue stripes "to commemorate the American heritage of the circuit."
Designed by famous F1 course designer Hermann Tilke, whose courses tend to draw equal parts praise and criticism, the track incorporates features from some famous international venues. Turns 5, 6, and 7 are reminiscent of the high-speed S curves of the Maggots and Becketts corners at England's Silverstone, while a flat-out multi-apex corner was inspired by Istanbul Park's Turn 8.
With the revived United States Grand Prix just more than a month away, it's astonishing that the track was just a dirt path a little more than four months ago. When F1 cars head out for the first practice laps scheduled for November 16, it will be the first time Formula 1 has run in the States since the 2007 U.S. Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
More From Popular Mechanics
And as the second to last race in the 2012 season, Austin Grand Prix should stage some interesting racing. Currently only four points separate first place Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso from second place and defending champion driver Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull Racing.


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My Anritsu
5G Lab
IoT (Internet of Things)
Optical DTF measurements The ODTF-1 module can be used with Anritsu's handheld cable & antenna analyzers to make high resolution Optical DTF (Distance-To-Fault) measurements over fiber optic cables. The ODTF-1 module is primarily intended for field use by technicians and engineers responsible for the deployment and maintenance of remote radio heads (RRH). As the majority of the next generation 3G and 4G networks utilize remote radio heads and fiber links between the radio and main unit, contractors will develop a need for sweeping both RF and fiber.
Technicians trained in the RF world will appreciate the ODTF-1 module and its ease of use. RF technicians trained to read RF DTF displays can get up to speed quickly with the Optical DTF display as the two displays are identical and interpreted in the same manner. Contractors who already have Site Masters in their inventory can upgrade their systems to sweep fiber cable by using the ODTF-1 module. The use of fiber is also growing in short haul systems such as fiber to the premise and military platforms.
Users can easily upgrade their existing site master to make DTF measurements over fiber by connecting the test port extension cable to the RF input of the ODTF-1 module. The same physics that apply to the traditional DTF measurements apply to ODTF-1 meaning highly accurate measurements can be made with event resolution as good as 10cm. The same trade-offs carry over as well so better event resolution translates to shorter maximum distance, and vice-versa. Max distance is specified at 1020 meters (3345 ft).
Site Master S33xD/S31xD and Cell Master MT8212B are equipped with a special Optical DTF mode (F/W > 5.23). This mode is similar to the normal DTF mode but it is intended to optimize the ease of use for optical use. Customers can still use other Anritsu handheld products such as the VNA Master and BTS Master products by using the normal DTF mode and setting some of the parameters such as vp and frequency manually.
The ODTF-1 module can be charged with the same 40-168-R power supply that is used to charge the Site Master/Cell Master so there is no need to maintain different power supplies.


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There is something amazing about climbing on high buildings, mountains or maybe flying. Watching the world from above, from a bigger distance gives you different view not only to the landscape but also to life. It makes you realize how small we are, just a dot on the planet and there is so much waiting to be seen, to be discovered.
I came to this conclusion previous week when I finally decided to join my husband and brother-in-law to hike to the highest point of the National Park Galicica. I've been many times in the National Park, a big part of my childhood is connected with this mountain, but I've never had an opportunity to climb the highest point Magaro (2255 m above sea level) until now.
From Ohrid to the closest point that you can go by car is about one-hour driving. Even on the way, you will enjoy the amazing views of the lake and the mountain. There are two entrances, one on the side of Lake Ohrid and another one on Lake Prespa.
The beginning of the trail will take you through a forest, which once you are out of it turns into a goat path. I'd recommend making a short stop there to rest and enjoy the nature. What follows is the steepest part of the hiking. Just follow the white and red color signs on the stones or trees.
Soon you will arrive at a flat opening with a crossroad in front of you. There is a sign telling that you should continue to the right. However the path on the left will also take you to Magaro and it is also marked with the same colors as before. We continued on the left path because that way we climbed the more steep and slippery part of the trail (would be more difficult to go down from this side) and came down the path with the more beautiful view (the lakes were in front of us).
We pass the place where there used to be a lokva (small glacier lake used by the sheepherders) which was dry at the moment.
On the way don't forget to take a closer look at the wildflowers and low bushes. There are many berries, it's not a good idea to eat them unless you are sure they are eatable. Enjoy in the smells that the wind is spreading all around you.
And when finally you will arrive at the top not only that you will feel a relief, but instead of feeling exhausted you will be full of energy. It's the adrenalin running through your veins, being excited about reaching the top and succeeding in this adventure.
Your award will be the spectacular views to the Ohrid Lake, Prespa Lake, man-made lakes in Korcha county in Albania. You will not only see the two tectonic lakes on both sides of the mountain but also two countries at the same time. Where ever you turn there's an amazing view waiting for you to enjoy it.
Unfortunately, after you've made hundreds of photos, all good things come to an end. Another reason why we choose to go down from this side was that all the time as going down we had the spectacular views in front of us. To the two lakes at the beginning, then to Lake Ohrid only.
It took us 2 hours hiking with stops in one way. Without the stops, it's approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes oneway. The best period to visit the National Park is in spring or autumn. If you plan to hike to the highest point in summer time do it early in the morning. Always use sun protection.
I'm not a professional hiker, I'm just a nature lover and I'm doing it only for fun. Here are some hiking tips:
- Before hiking, you should be in good condition for climbing.
- Check out the map on the board at the beginning of the trail, you can take a photo of it or download it on your phone and check your location later if necessary.
- Wear hiking shoes if possible or if it's dry snickers will do.
- Take a small backpack and make sure you have enough water with you, as well as some food, fruits or snack, it will be a long period of hiking.
- Depending on the time of the year wear suitable clothes and windbreaker for the top, it's always windy. In the summertime take some extra t-shirt because of sweating.
- Keep track of how much time you need to hike, that will help you easier to plan hikes in the future.
- Don't forget your camera 😉
- In case you meet some wild animal climb to the nearest tall tree. This doesn't work if you see a bear, in this case play dead! 🙂
- Never go alone hiking in the mountain.
As a conclusion, I have to say this was a great experience that motivated me to spend more time in nature and be more active. Thank you for reading, if you are a nature lover I'm sure you will enjoy the National Park Galicica. If you do decide to hike to Magaro please let me know if this post was helpful.


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Baylor, Notre Dame set for women's regional final matchup
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Muffet McGraw and Notre Dame have been on a journey all season to get back to the Final Four.
They've met every challenge, running through the season unbeaten.
With a victory over Baylor on Monday night, the Irish will join a select group of schools to make four straight Final Fours. Only UConn, LSU, Stanford, Louisiana Tech and Tennessee have accomplished that feat.
"If that happens that would be a great thing for our program," McGraw said. "It sets us apart from others. Having Skylar (Diggins) lead us to three was fun, but now to have a different team to do that. It's a really great thing for our program."
Standing in the way is a plucky young Baylor team led by senior guard Odyssey Sims. Coach Kim Mulkey didn't know what to expect from her team which lost two-time AP Player of the Year Brittney Griner and four other seniors. Sims, who helped guide Baylor to a national championship and 40-0 season as a sophomore, would love to get them to Nashville.
"It would mean a lot, seeing all year nobody expected us to be here" Sims said. "This team has grown faster than all of us really expected. The freshmen came a long way and stepped up to the plate. They learned their role and are giving us a lot of production. It would feel unbelievable."
But now the Lady Bears are back in the regional final for the fourth time in five seasons, a year after the team was eliminated in the regional semifinals by Louisville in one of the biggest upsets in women's basketball history.
Mulkey knows it will be a tall task for her team to knock off the Irish at home. A place where they have won 27 straight games with the last loss coming against Baylor on Dec. 5, 2012.
"We don't embrace it, we have no choice," Mulkey said.
Five things to know about the matchup Monday night:
BEATING THE IRISH: The Lady Bears are 4-0 all-time against Notre Dame and are one of only two schools that Muffet McGraw has never beaten. All four contests have come in the past few years, including a victory in the 2012 NCAA championship game.
"We don't have a 6-foot-8 monster in the paint that gave us an advantage," Sims said. "It will be a grind out game, very physical, they have great guards who can shoot 3s, take you off the dribble. We got to play hard and hopefully come out with the 'W.'"
CHASING STILES: Sims is 41 points behind Jackie Stiles' single season record of 1,062 points set in 2001. Baylor's sensational senior guard is averaging 28.5 points a game.
Sims said she only knows Stiles' name because she's been asked about her before, saying "I haven't done any research on her." She did know how far she is from breaking the record.
"I'm 41 points away, but at the same time I'm just trying to play basketball. If I get it I get it, if I don't then I'll be fine with it," she said.
Coach Kim Mulkey was surprised Sims even knew Stiles' name.
"Kids tend to forget. I tell them all the time, they don't even know who Michael Jordan is," Mulkey said. "They live in the moment."
HOME COOKING: Notre Dame has gone 77-5 at Purcell Pavilion over the past five seasons, including their current 27-game winning streak.
SPELLING BEE: Mulkey had a little fun in the press conference when player Sune Agbuke's first name was spelled with an "i'' on the name card instead of an "e''
"Somebody needs to fine and punish the NCAA. Suspend them. They got the name wrong," Mulkey said laughing.
OFFENSIVE SHOWCASE: No game in the NCAA tournament has had two teams so prolific at offense. Notre Dame ranks second in scoring (86.8) while Baylor is third (84.0).
"We like to play uptempo and the fans like to enjoy a lot of offense," McGraw said. "Certainly there will be a lot of shots. I think it will be a fun uptempo game."


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The Labor Leading on Climate Initiative
The Worker Institute at Cornell University ILR School's Labor Leading on Climate Initiative advances knowledge, policies, and practices to enhance the role of labor and working people in addressing the environmental and climate crises. The initiative's efforts focus on building a truly sustainable society and economy.
The initiative also helps workers' rights advocates to better understand the employment and labor implications of environmental, climate and sustainability issues through a variety of activities:
- Engages in research and produces scholarly articles and reports
- Assists with leadership development and strategy design
- Conducts training sessions and develops training materials
- Offers technical assistance to unions, worker organizations and policy organizations
- Offers undergraduate/graduate courses on the intersection of labor-environmental issues
The initiative helps unions, workers' organizations and other advocates of workers' rights respond to the following questions:
- What does the transition to a truly sustainable, low-carbon society and economic model mean for unions, workers and their workplaces, communities and industries?
- Can environmental sustainability and climate protection policies drive job creation and promote greater equality?
- What type and how many green or climate jobs are needed in the new low-carbon economy?
- How can a just transition be achieved that protects and supports workers and communities who are negatively impacted by the transition to a low-carbon economy?
- What role do labor-environmental alliances have in building an equitable, low-carbon and sustainable society?
Selected Resources
- Advancing Workers Rights And Combating Climate Change. (Article highlighting Climate Jobs Program published in Electrical Union World, the newsletter of IBEW Local 3)
- Labor's Route to a New Transportation System: How Federal Transportation Can Create Good Jobs, First-Rate Mobility, and Environmentally Sustainable Communities (PDF, 1 MB). Lara Skinner
- Transport Workers and Climate Change: Towards Sustainable, Low-Carbon Mobility. (PDF, 1004 KB) Lara Skinner and Sean Sweeney
- Impact of tar Sands Pipeline Spills on Employment and the Economy (PDF, 968 KB). Lara Skinner and Sean Sweeney
- Pipe Dreams? Jobs Gained, Jobs Loss by Construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline (PDF, 1 MB). Lara Skinner and Sean Sweeney
- Greener and Safer Purchasing Guide. Nellie Brown
- Green Jobs: Toward Decent Work in a Sustainable, Low-Carbon World. Michael Renner, Sean Sweeney and Jill Kubit
- Indoor Environment of a Green and Healthy Home. Nellie Brown, Arthur Wheaton
Lara Skinner
Executive Director of The Worker Institute
Chair of Labor Leading on Climate Initiative
212-340-2884 | email@example.com


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Trouty Mouth is getting reeled back in!
Fox is now confirming what TVLine first told you last week: Three months after his high profile departure from Glee, Chord Overstreet has signed on to return to the show on a recurring basis.
The deal — which closed late Friday — calls for Overstreet to reprise his role as the sweet, sculpted Sam beginning with this season's eighth episode (slated to early December).
"We love Chord and have always said that we wanted him back," says exec producer Ryan Murphy. "So here's an early Christmas present for all the Gleeks—Sam is coming back to McKinley, and just in time for sectionals!" Adds Overstreet: "I had the best time on Glee and couldn't be more excited to be returning."
Glee Scoop: Major November Sweeps Spoilers!
Glee made headlines over the summer when word leaked that the show opted not to pick up Overstreet's series regular option for Season 3. Producers invited him back on a recurring basis, but he declined. "They offered me the chance to come back for a few episodes, but there was nothing guaranteed so I decided to dive into the music thing," he told TVLine in August. "And that's been my main priority the past two months."
It's unclear how Sam will be reintroduced — we learned in the premiere that he moved out of state with his family — or what his return will mean for exes Quinn and Mercedes. While I suss that out, feel free to speculate in the comments section. And while you're there, take a stab at answering this question: Are you happy Sam's back?!
Want Glee Scoop and Spoilers 24/7? Follow me on Twitter via @MichaelAusiello


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By Lori Randall
This article originally appeared on SocialMediaExaminer
Did you know that Facebook automatically lets anybody see every video, picture, and status update you've ever posted?
Whether you're using Facebook for businessor personal reasons, the good news is that new privacy settings enable you to change exactly who sees what within Facebook. And those changes impact every prior post you've ever made.
New Facebook Privacy Updates
Public outcry over Facebook's complicated privacy settings hit a peak in the spring of 2010. See this AP video below:


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|Photo courtesy Wiki Commons
We know already from social research that the family dinner is increasingly a curious practice from an earlier age. Reports suggest that as many as 10% to 20% of families never eat together, and most rarely eat together as a unit without a wide range of distractions such as television, eating standing up, at the kitchen bench and so on. Does this matter? I think it does. Not because I think all families should resemble the Waltons, but because I think we're losing the ability to listen to, ask questions of, and show genuine interest in the lives of other people. Our children are also missing out on many life lessons and key social practices that are vital for any community.
Let me offer 6 good reasons why a shared meal is something to protect:
1. The dining table is one of the few places that families sit down together and share things about their lives. The dining room table is a place where family members can let their guard down, and where previously unknown facts about school, friends, worries, hopes and frustrations can come to the surface.
3. Children learn how to ask questions of one another, and how to listen to the answers of others with patience, respect and kindness. Virtually all societies throughout the centuries have relied on the sharing of a meal as a key way to form children and build shared communities of varied kinds.
4. The dining table also trains children to listen and comprehend the conversations of others. At times a vibrant dinner table conversation will require children to keep in mind the comments of several people before framing their own responses. It also helps them to learn how to structure an argument, offer a point of view with politeness and humility, learn how to disagree calmly, and so on.
5. The dining room table also helps children to learn how to negotiate turn taking, how to be patient in conversations, when to speak and when to be quiet. They also learn what it means to be tactful and what others think it means to be rude and inconsiderate.
6. Finally, it is a place where relationships can be strained and strengthened. To be honest whether the conversation goes in a positive, or a negative direction, there is much to be learned about life.
Some quick suggestions for dining together
2. If you're a parent think about some things to share and maybe make sure that everyone has a turn to share something about their day. Don't force this all the time, sometimes richer conversation can emerge without structure.
3. Be deliberate at times in the way you try to teach your children some basic social graces around turn taking, listening well, avoiding ridicule, showing kindness and so on.
4. Vary the way you share meals together and aim for a minimum number of meals together. Eat out together if you can afford it in places where talking is easy, or maybe just eat outdoors (BBQs, picnics etc). Invite guests to share meals with you, a visitor changes everything and can enrich the experience as well as introducing complexities that children need to learn to handle.
The reality is that in our fast paced world this isn't easy. You might need to set modest goals for eating together. For most families breakfast is an impossibility (and let's face it most teenagers can't communicate before 10.00am), and lunch through the week is at work and school. This leaves dinners and a few more options at weekend. At best most families will struggle to have more than a few meals together each week, but it's important to try. Families are all different of course and I have to say that for one of my daughters eating breakfast with her each day at 6.00am before rushing for an early train to university was a special time. And of course, all meals with toddlers are critical. They can be challenging and yet they are rich and important times.


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Marukame Udon
Niku udon, with thinly sliced beef
Now a little over a year old, Marukame Udon isn't the newest udon on the block, but it's still one of my favorites. It's cheap (bowls start at $3.75 and top out at $6.25 for a large), the noodles are made fresh, and the cafeteria-style setup is fun and fast.
There's almost always a line out the door, but it goes quickly. You can always pass the time by watching the cooks sheet and cut dough.
Slide your tray along and choose from seven different bowls. Among them: curry udon; niku udon, with thinly sliced beef; ontama udon, with a soft poached egg; kamaage udon, served in hot water and a dipping sauce with plenty of sesame and ginger; zaru udon, a cold udon with dipping sauce.
In the background: tempura; in the foreground: kamaage udon
Then you pick from an array of tempura including chicken, eggplant, asparagus, squid, soft boiled egg, kakiage (a fried puck of thinly sliced vegetables including onion and gobo). Depending when you catch the tempura out of the fryer, it may be cold, but still surprisingly crunchy.
Five bowls, five pieces of tempura and a spam musubi later, we walked out, our wallets only $36 lighter, and we were bid farewell with as much exuberance as we were greeted. The staff is at times boisterous; one half expects them to jump up on the counter, slinging noodles Coyote Ugly style.
Fun, delicious times.
Marukame Udon, 2310 Kuhio Ave., 931-6000 (We parked at the Top of Waikiki parking garage, with a $5 flat rate from 6 p.m. to midnight.)


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WWF has been working in Slovakia for more than a decade. Its main objectives are the conservation and restoration of biodiversity and ensuring sustainable development in the Danube-Carpathian region, called also the Green Heart of Europe.
From the Danube basin to the Carpathian Mountains, the Green Heart of Europe includes many of the continent's greatest natural treasures.
• Wilderness
Europe's most spectacular remaining wilderness areas outside of Russia.
• Forests
The largest remaining area of virgin and natural forests in Europe outside of northern Scandinavia and Russia.
• Rivers and wetlands
Most of Europe's last remaining intact rivers and wetlands, including the globally important Lower Danube Green Corridor.
• Large carnivores
Two-thirds of the European populations of large carnivores, including bears, lynx and wolves.
• Danube sturgeon
The Beluga sturgeon - a 7-meter fish that survived the end of the dinosaurs but now teeters on the edge of extinction.
We depend on these treasures. They provide us with essential goods and services, from timber and fish to clean water and climate regulation, and the essential "green infrastructure" that secures our livelihoods and well-being.
But they are under threat.
Miroslava Plassmann
CEO Slovakia
WWF Central and Eastern Europe,


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TIGER WOODS RELEASED a statement on Sunday afternoon about his single-car accident on early Friday morning.
This situation is my fault, and it's obviously embarrassing to my family and me. I'm human and I'm not perfect. I will certainly make sure this doesn't happen again.
This is a private matter and I want to keep it that way. Although I understand there is curiosity, the many false, unfounded and malicious rumors that are currently circulating about my family and me are irresponsible.
Read the entire statement at TigerWoods.com
−The Armchair Golfer


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Washington – In an effort to regain public trust, the Senate voted Monday to take up a bill that would prohibit members of Congress from trading stocks and other securities on the basis of confidential information they receive as lawmakers.
The vote was 93 to 2.
Senators of both parties said the bill was desperately needed at a time when the public approval rating of Congress had sunk below 15 percent.
"The American public has no confidence in Congress," said Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand, Democrat of New York, who introduced an earlier version of the legislation.
At the same time, Democratic senators moved to tap into concerns about comparatively low tax rates paid by some of the nation's top earners, introducing a bill that would require households with more than $1 million of adjusted gross income to pay at least 30 percent of it in taxes.
A handful of lawmakers have tried for years to enact restrictions on stock dealing by members of Congress. But their efforts drew little support until new attention on the practice last year — coupled with election anxiety — prompted a flood of backing for the idea and support from President Obama in his State of the Union address.
The bill states that members and employees of Congress are not exempt from the federal law and regulations that ban insider trading.
"No member of Congress and no employee of Congress shall use any nonpublic information derived from the individual's position as a member of Congress or employee of Congress, or gained from performance of the individual's duties, for personal benefit," the bill says.
Federal securities law does not explicitly exempt members of Congress, but experts disagree on whether and when lawmakers may be found to have violated the law. The bill is meant to eliminate any ambiguity.
As the world rises up against economic injustice, Truthout brings you the latest news and analysis, free of corporate influence. Help support this work with a tax-deductible donation today.
It says that lawmakers have "a duty arising from a relationship of trust and confidence" to Congress, the federal government and the citizens of the United States — a duty they violate by trading on nonpublic information.
The bill also requires members of Congress to disclose the purchase or sale of stocks, bonds, commodities futures and other forms of securities within 30 days of transactions. The information would be posted on the Web in a searchable format.
In his speech last week, Mr. Obama urged Congress to act, citing what he called "the corrosive influence of money in politics."
"Send me a bill that bans insider trading by members of Congress," Mr. Obama said. "I will sign it."
The Senate was already writing such a bill. However, the bill does not subject lawmakers to a second type of restriction suggested by Mr. Obama, who said Congress should "limit any elected official from owning stocks in industries they impact."
From talking to other lawmakers, executive branch officials and business executives, members of Congress learn potentially valuable information about military contracts, economic policy and myriad federal programs before the information becomes public. In addition, they can write spending bills in ways that, for example, benefit their own real estate investments.
The bill — the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act, or Stock Act — was drafted by Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, independent of Connecticut, and Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine. Similar bills were introduced by Ms. Gillibrand and Senator Scott P. Brown, Republican of Massachusetts.
"This is a measure that the American people are clamoring for," Mr. Brown said Monday. "We need to re-establish trust with the American people, and this is a first step in doing that."
In the House, more than 250 lawmakers, including at least 90 Republicans, have signed up as co-sponsors of a similar bill. Laena Fallon, a spokeswoman for the House Republican leader, Representative Eric Cantor of Virginia, said he "plans to move an expanded version of the Stock Act through the House in February."
Senior House Republicans said they wanted to expand the bill to prohibit lawmakers from using nonpublic information in real estate transactions as well as stock trades.
Representative Louise M. Slaughter, Democrat of New York, who has been pushing such legislation since 2006, urged House Republican leaders to stop their "continued stalling."
Academic studies have come to different conclusions about whether members of Congress have higher investment returns than ordinary investors.
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Democrat of Rhode Island, introduced the bill codifying the principle that the top earners should pay at least the tax rate of middle-class workers.
Mr. Whitehouse said he might press his legislation as a stand-alone bill or try to attach it to other legislation.
"In theory," Mr. Whitehouse said, "we have a progressive tax code in which the more successful you are, the more money you make, the greater rate you pay in taxation. Unfortunately what turns out to be the fact, in practice, is that you have these huge exceptions."
Mr. Whitehouse noted that the billionaire investor Warren E. Buffett had often asserted that he pays a lower percentage of his income in taxes than his secretary does.
The bill, following the rough contours suggested by Mr. Obama, creates what would be an alternative minimum tax for the most affluent.
Households with adjusted annual gross incomes over $1 million would prepare their taxes as they do now, with all the deductions, credits and loopholes intact. They would also calculate what 30 percent of their adjusted gross income amounts to. They would then pay whichever amount was larger.
Republicans showed no sign of coming to the table on the Buffett Rule legislation. Senator Orrin G. Hatch of Utah, the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, said he had breakfast with Mr. Buffett on Sunday, but rejected his personal entreaties. He cited an estimate by the liberal-leaning Citizens for Tax Justice that the proposal would raise $50 billion a year, a small percentage of a budget deficit that will probably top $1 trillion.
This article, "Bill to Prohibit Insider Trading by Members of Congress Advances in Senate," originally appeared in The New York Times.
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Is useful for spasmodic cough, like whooping cough. It is continual, short, hawking through the day, so constant and frequent as to have merited the description given it of "MINUTE GUN" cough. This is during the day and there is not much whooping, but at night there is more whooping. The night paroxysms are sometimes very severe.
I have found CORAL. one of the very best remedies for post nasal catarrh, with MUCH DROPPING OF MUCUS into the throat. (NATRUM CARB.) I do not know any other remedy so efficacious in the majority of cases, and generally
prescribe it, unless I have strong indications for some other remedy. I seldom fail to hear a good report from it. CORAL. has also been found useful in CHANCRE. The ulcer is red (coral red), flat and exceedingly sensitive, sometimes painful. Chancroids or soft chancre, for which the old school cauterize, may find a swift and sure cure in CORAL.


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What is Basal Cell Carcinoma?
Basal cell carcinomas are growths or lesions that appear on the skin surface in varying forms, including red patches of skin, pink growths, open sores and shiny bumps. Basal cell carcinomas are commonly caused by overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays. Basal cell carcinomas are rarely life-threatening, though their appearance can be highly unsightly.
What are the symptoms?
One common symptom of a basal cell carcinoma is a wound or sore that will not heal. Typically, the wound or sore may bleed or ooze and remain unhealed for an abnormal length of time before eventually healing. It will then reopen and start to ooze or bleed. This process can repeat itself several times.
Basal cell carcinomas present themselves as reddish areas of skin on the parts of the body that are exposed to the sun, including the face, neck, arms and legs. Itching is an occasional side effect.
Basal cell carcinomas can also appear as a scar, pink growths, or as shiny bumps that appear red, pink or white. These shiny bumps are often mistaken for moles.
Who gets it?
Almost three million people each year are diagnosed with basal cell carcinomas. Basal cell carcinomas appear most frequently in people whose lifestyles expose them to unsafe levels of UV rays. Though the average age of basal cell carcinoma patients is declining, it is still most frequent in people over age 40. People with fair skin, blond or red hair are also more susceptible as are people with blue, green or grey eyes. Men are also at higher risk.
Treatment Options
A biopsy is often used to confirm a diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma. Once confirmed, basal cell carcinomas can be treated through:
Mohs micrographic surgery – Uses local anesthesia to remove tumors. Advantages of Mohs surgery include its ability to spare healthy tissue and a high cure rate of approximately 90 percent.
Excisional surgery – Unlike Mohs surgery, this procedure calls for the removal of small areas of surrounding healthy tissue as a preventive measure. Cure rates average about 90 percent.
Electrodessication and curettage – Also uses local surgery. Here, the growth is scraped off and cauterized to destroy any remaining tumor cells and to stop bleeding. Usually not suitable for advanced cases or for growths in hard-to-reach areas.
X–ray – Over the course of several weeks, beams are aimed precisely at the tumor. This option has the risk of radiation exposure.
Cryosurgery – Destroys tumors through freezing with liquid nitrogen.
Topical ointments – There are also ointments available such as Imiquimod and 5-Fluorourcil – ask your Forefront Dermatology physician if these are a viable option for you.


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The Nutritious Rice for the World (Rice) project, a World Community Grid BOINC project, ended a few weeks ago. BOINC (Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing) is a non-commercial program and infrastructure which allows volunteers to donate their computer's spare computing resources to take part in very interesting, computing intense scientific projects. Many people around the world contributed their CPU-resources to help figure out the structure of proteins of the most common strains of rice. In the end, about 25,761 years of CPU-time were contributed to the project. IBM heavily contributed to this project through their World Community Grid (WCG) program, offering Rice a massive userbase and community.
Rice is one of the most common foods in various parts of the world. It's in the interest of us all to find varieties and breeds of rice which are most nutritious or resistant against pests; the project's goal is to find out which varieties of rice interbreed with others to give the best results so that we'll get new strains of rice which are harder, better, faster, stronger.
A lot of BOINC-users who contributed to the project (like myself) are now asking themselves a lot of questions. Who are the people behind the scenes? How much work is necessary to get a project like this into operation? What was IBM's role? What will happen with the contributed results? And after all, who will benefit from the project?
I think no one can give better answers than Ram Samudrala, PhD and Principal Investigator of a computational genomics research group at the University of Washington. Rocker, scientist and Emacs-admirer – he was so kind to answer me some questions about the project.
Tell us a little about yourself and how you got involved in the Rice-project.
Ram: I'm a professor researching computational biology at the University of Washington Seattle. My overarching interest has been to understand and model how the genome of an organism (genotype) specifies its behaviour and characteristics (phenotype). We develop computational algorithms to this end that are applied to whole genomes and we work on many organisms. Rice was specifically chosen since our collaborators at the Beijing Genomics Institute had just finished sequence (and we annotated the refined version) and I also got a $1.9 million grant from the US National Science Foundation (NSF) to predict the structure and functions of all proteins encoded by the rice genome. We developed algorithms to do this and we applied it to all rice proteins. Then IBM came along and offered us the means to redo some of our calculations on the most difficult proteins using the WCG and then we ported our code over to work on the Grid.
When was the first time you considered using voluntary distributed computing for your project?
Ram: Since the days of SETI@home, and since we built our own local clusters to do structural computational biology, but porting our code to BOINC was always a inertial challenge.
Did you consider using other DC-infrastructures except BOINC, like distributed.net? If yes, why did you decide using BOINC?
Ram: No, we used BOINC since it was what was supported by IBM WCG.
Have you considered asking the NCSA for computing resources?
Ram: Yep, but it's a cumbersome process, like applying for a grant, and again, porting software to work on different architectures. The barrier is that we get grant money to do research and not develop software. I have used NIST supercomputing resources in the past.
You said you would need 200 years of computing time using your available resources. Besides voluntary distributed computing and the University of Washington, were there other universities or institutes directly contributing computing-resources to your project?
Ram: Not for this project, no.
You were using algorithms from the Protinfo website. Which one did you actually use, how much effort did you put into customizing it for using it in BOINC? Can you tell us if those algorithms and implementation are released under a free license?
Ram: It's the Protinfo AB algorithm, which is our ab initio or de novo simulation protocol. IBM spent a fair amount of time porting the code
to work with BOINC. The original algorithms/software are all freely available without any claim of copyright (i.e., in the public domain).
Could you explain "de novo" and "ab initio" for non-scientists, please?
Ram: "De novo" and "ab initio" generally are translated to mean "from first principles". In the old days, this used to mean using pure physics energy potentials for protein folding. These days, to us, it means any set of general principles that is not biased to a particular protein or organism.
If the algorithms you used are under a free license, did you already manage to publish the modifications, if there are any?
Ram: The modifications involving the porting are with IBM and they are unpublished.
(Ed. note: Since the software was released in the public domain there's no requirement to publish the modifications.)
IBM helped you out in customizing the protein-prediction algorithms for various platforms. Can you tell us how much they contributed?
Ram: All the customisation was done by IBM engineers. We just gave them the original software and ran sanity checks on the output. I'm a strong free software and anti IP proponent, to the degree that I encourage commercial use without restrictions on the software (people can always use the public domain versions if they want to).
How much time did you save by using the World Community Grid's infrastructure compared to if you would've set it up all on your own, like other projects do?
Ram: IBM took about six months or so to port our software, so I presume it would've required that kind of an investment. Keep in mind that they had a lot of prior experience with BOINC. IBM now maintains the code and does the PR and runs the predictions for us. I'd say this would be a full time programmer/sysadm type of person and if I had that extra money, I'd rather spend it on someone doing the basic research.
If there are flaws about BOINC, which would you like to be addressed first?
Ram: I can't think of any in the way we did it with IBM, but without IBM, the PR machine has to be powerful to get people on board. It's more than just recruiting people, but also motivating them as IBM does with badges and giving them a sense of community and providing a support infrastructure. This is hard for a research lab to do on their own (it can be done, but is it really the best use of our talents is the questions).
Programming and debugging is an iterative process. Looking at your sourcecode-repository, how many releases of the software were necessary until you got the cow flying?
Ram: For this case, internally we probably had about 10 or so iterations in total, but the basic science part of the software is something that has evolved over 18 years.
How did you do beta-testing, did you use the publicly available beta-projects at WCG? Or, were you actually just doing it in your lab?
Ram: It was mostly in our group. We just submitted sequences for which we knew the answers and we did a dry run initially with the same sequences.
I'm curious there – were these structures predicted by other algorithms or was that done the hard way, using X-ray crystallography?
Ram: These were done the hard way, at the bench. These are our gold standard for when we know we're right or wrong, so we benchmark our methods against all this. When we did the rice project, we did sequences with known answers to see how well things would work and that there was no chance of anything going wrong.
How was is like getting in touch with the community? Was the feedback helpful? How many people from your team were actually dealing with the community?
Ram: At its peak, we had 3 people dealing with the community, our sysadm and project lead Michal Guerquin, our programmer and scientist Ling-Hong Hung, and myself. Opening our software to the Grid and the community definitely presented some challenges, which I believe will be the focus of our first paper. An interesting tangent of that is that we've had to port some of our analysis software to work on GPUs so we could handle all this data. So some good technological developments here that we'll be writing about shortly.
A lot of people are concerned about "Frankenfood". Your project's website explicitly states that this is not about genetic engineering, but about finding the most nutritious rice-strains for interbreeding with other rice-crops. Is there anything you'd like to explain to people who are still concerned?
Ram: We're simply extending what farmers have been doing for millenia in a more rational way, and also what has been going on in nature for billions of years. The problem to us is scientific and all knowledge that is produced (which from our end will be completely free and transparent) can be used in various ways according to the will of the people. But we have governments and politicians to handle the deeper societal implications. What I mean by this is that people should petition their representatives, as they are doing successfully in many parts of the world, to decide where to go with genetically modified organisms, which I see as ultimately having a socioeconomic/political solution.
Your project is one of the very few with a fixed end, almost all other projects are handing out work-units for new phases. How comes that you're finished now? Is everything from the rice-genome now analyzed from a computational point-of-view and nothing else left to do?
Ram: Not at all. We obtained a huge amount of data and we're now pressed to analyse it. I honestly can say that we were overwhelmed with this data. My goal as a scientist though is not just to develop technical tools and produce large tables and graphs but try to come up with something tangible that is prioritised and can be tested at the bench that really changes the make up of rice in a desired manner. The computations and the Grid are the means by which we arrived at this step, but our job now is to figure out where the best low hanging fruit is in collaboration with rice researchers (which we are doing with researchers around the world including IRRI, Phillipines). [Ed. note: IRRI, International Rice Research Institute]
Focussing on the data: Now that you know how those proteins really look like, where do you draw a line and say "this protein is more nutritious than others"? My basic understanding is that the nutritious parts in rice is actually carbohydrates (starch), proteins and some fat. How do I have to imagine this analysis?
Ram: So the proteins we're talking about are gene products, that carry out almost all the functions in rice (or any other organism). So we use
the protein to refer to a molecule that does this, rather than the nutrition use of the word "protein" which refers to these biological molecules broken down and aggregrated (see "Protein" and "Protein (nutrient)" in Wikipedia).
By nutrition we mean anything that leads to higher range of bioavailable substances like dietary minerals and vitamins. In rice, examples include elements like iron or organics like vitamin A. Incidentally the "golden rice" GMO is a product of Monsanto that has higher beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A ("Golden Rice" at Wikipedia). We'd like to get to something like that by crossbreeding without the use of genetic engineering, working on both micro and macronutrients.
So in the end, we need to be able to create a rice strain that does have enriched nutrients and is perhaps better than current strains in
terms of yield and/or hardiness. Before we go off and start crossing rice, there are a number of molecule biology bench experiments that
can be done to say whether predictions we make about the activity of certain proteins will be correct so we'd do them first.
Do you plan to publish all your results in an Open Access Journal?
Ram: Yep, that would be the ideal. Publishing in Open Access Journals also sometimes costs money. I'm not a big fan of the "pay to publish"
model—it's not a lot of money and some scientists have grants to do this, but it's not a good principle.
Thank you very much for this interview!
Ram: Thanks; I enjoyed the questions!
Dr. Ram Samudrala is a tenured Professor at the University of Washington, Seattle. He's head of the Nutritious Rice For The World project and one of the inventors of protein prediction algorithms. He's a notorious contributor of scientific papers and generally a very nice guy I'd like to buy a drink.
Dieses Werk bzw. Inhalt ist unter einer Creative Commons-Lizenz lizenziert.
The rice picture is copyrighted and CC-BY-SA by Flickr-user kadaoor.
The rice-paddy picture is copyrighted and CC-BY by Flickr-user ~MVI~
The pictures of the teammembers were used by permission of the Rice-team.
The BOINC splashscreen is copyrighted by IBM and the World Community Grid and was used with permission.


text: Dear colleagues: A novel international Biotechnology Discussion List (BIZ-BIOTECH) has been created. Subscription address: listserv at netcom.com Biz-biotech owner address: grunwald at netcom.com Posting address: biz-biotech at netcom.com * How to SUBSCRIBE to biz-biotech: Send the following message SUBSCRIBE BIZ-BIOTECH to LISTSERV at NETCOM.COM * How to UNSUBSCRIBE from biz-biotech: Send the following message UNSUBSCRIBE BIZ-BIOTECH to LISTSERV at NETCOM.COM One of the major goals the of BIZ-BIOTECH list is to bring together scientist and business professionals from industry and academia that work on biomedical and biotechnical projects. To share information on ideas, projects, resources etc., creating a world-wide information and communication-forum around BIOTECHNOLOGY and its business applications and opportunities. Topics of BIZ-BIOTECH include discussion about: Technology Transfer Public and private sector R&D efforts and resources Technical expertise and resources Technologies available for licensing and/or cooperative R&D Funding requests Venture capital sources Discussion about new product ideas Announcement of new products on the market Novel or existing biotechnological companies Biotechnology stocks Job opportunities etc. Subscribers to this list may be researcher from academia, industry professionals, clinicians, students and other individuals interested in the topic of biotechnology and its commercial possibilities. Subscribers are encouraged to send messages of interest to BIZ-BIOTECH at NETCOM.COM. Personal messages and personal replies should be sent to an individual and NOT to the whole list. Otherwise, it might annoy other colleague BIZ-BIOTECH subscribers. Obviously, replies of general interest should be send to the entire list. BIZ-BIOTECH is currently an open, unmoderated list. Any postings are automatically accepted. The list owner is Stefan Gruenwald (e-mail: grunwald at netcom.com). Subscribers are encouraged to support BIZ-BIOTECH actively within their own organizations and personal or professional net-works. The larger BIZ-BIOTECH becomes, the more useful it will be to all its subscribers. Commercial messages which are of general interest to the subscribers are allowed on BIZ-BIOTECH. For further information about BIZ-BIOTECH, please send an e-mail to Stefan Gruenwald (grunwald at netcom.com) BIZ-BIOTECH listowner


text:
IMLS Press Contact
Mamie Bittner, email@example.com
Washington, DC—The Institute of Museum and Library Services announced today that the Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has been awarded a Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program grant in the amount of $99,168 for "Inclusive Gigabit Libraries: Learn, Discuss, and Brainstorm." With this IMLS support, GSLIS will hold a series of four continuing education forums to enhance understanding of how libraries can adopt and use next-generation Internet networks to address social inclusion through the organization US Ignite. "Including libraries in the US Ignite effort has tremendous promise," said Susan Hildreth, Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. "I am expecting great results from the upcoming forums."
Professor Jon Gant, director of the proposed Center for Digital Inclusion at GSLIS and the principal investigator on the grant, said, "The project aims to help libraries develop applications and services that will meet the needs of the public, particularly underserved populations. Case studies will examine efforts to leverage ultra-high-speed Internet service to deliver socially inclusive library experiences that meet critical human development needs. The forums will give library leaders an opportunity to shape the next generation of the Internet."
The forums will provide an opportunity to discuss current practices and needs in libraries and to brainstorm new applications or service models that take advantage of ultra-high-speed connectivity, ultimately resulting in better and more robust service to library patrons. The first forum will be held in October 2012 at the Library and Information Technology Association Conference in Columbus, Ohio. Subsequent forums will be held at the California Library Association meeting in November, the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition gathering held in March 2013, and the 2013 ALA Conference in Chicago.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. Through grant making, policy development, and research, we help communities and individuals thrive through broad public access to knowledge, cultural heritage, and lifelong learning. To learn more about IMLS, please visit www.imls.gov.
US Ignite
US Ignite is an initiative to promote US leadership in developing applications and services for ultra-fast broadband and software-defined networks. It will foster the creation of novel applications and digital experiences that will transform healthcare, education and job skills training, public safety, energy, and advanced manufacturing. By serving as a coordinator and incubator of this ecosystem, US Ignite will accelerate the adoption of next-generation networks. For more information see http://us-ignite.org.


text: Our love for solar projects continues on with this method to make your own solar panels. [Mike] built a 60 watt solar panel from individual solar cells he purchased off eBay. Procuring parts off of eBay normally causes others hardship when they try to duplicate the project, however in this case there are so many types of cells people can use to produce their own unique solar panel. Even cells that are extremely damaged my still be used, as in this example. To charge a 12 volt battery the number of cells in series just needs to be 16-18 volts, and the rest in parallel will supply more current. Charging a battery without a charge controller is not recommended, but commercial ones are easily had. Those not interested in jumping all the way in with solar may want to test the waters by building their own panel and putting it to use as a charging station for your portable gadgets.


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Blogs home Staff blogs Weather Watch
Storm chances looking better for Thursday
Since storms are first expected to develop late Wednesday in the high plains of western Kansas and western Nebraska, that puts a lot of uncertainty into the timing of the cold front and dryline on Thursday itself for eastern Kansas.
Storms have tendency to give fronts an added "push" to the east. Which for us, would mean an earlier arrival time. If the front arrives earlier in the day on Thursday, we would have less time to see moisture return into the area, lower temperatures at that time of the day and ultimately lower (and less intense) storm chances.
However, all indications from the speed of the overall system that has now moved inland over the Pacific Northwest is that the cold front and dryline will push east into Northeast Kansas by mid- to late-afternoon hours on Thursday. With that, the storm chances will be maximized along and just east of the front during the second half of the day.
Although October is typically a pretty quiet month, set ups like Thursdays are not out of the realm of possibility. With the surface low pressure forming northwest of us, our winds will be from the south and southeast for a long enough period of time to bring higher levels of moisture back into the area prior to the front's arrival. With daytime heating peaking out ahead of the front, we'll see warm, humid air ahead of a surface cold front and possibly even a dryline just ahead of the front. Those features are capable of lifting the air and triggering thunderstorms is the overall conditions are primed.
It does appear that the conditions will be moderately favorable for strong to severe storms. Main threats appear to be high winds and large hail, although there may even be a brief window early in the event for a few storms to spawn tornadoes.
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Lime Triangles
You can prepare Lime Triangles up to a day ahead through step 4, but do not top with confectioners' sugar. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar before cutting into triangles.
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- Yields:
- 48
- Total Time:
- 1 hr 15 mins
- 3/4 c. butter
- 2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
- c. confectioners' sugar
- 1 tbsp. confectioners' sugar
- 5 large limes
- 6 large eggs
- 1 3/4 c. granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- Step 1Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13" by 9" metal baking pan. Line pan with foil, extending foil over short ends; lightly grease bottom and sides of foil. (If you prefer, line pan with nonstick foil, but do not grease foil.)
- Step 2In food processor with knife blade attached, pulse butter, 2 cups flour, and 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar until mixture is moist but crumbly. Dough should hold together when pressed between 2 fingers. Transfer mixture to prepared pan; spread evenly. With fingertips, press dough onto bottom of pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Step 3While crust bakes, prepare filling: From limes, grate 1 tablespoon peel and squeeze 2/3 cup juice. In large bowl, with wire whisk, beat eggs. Add lime peel and juice, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and remaining 1/4 cup flour; whisk until well blended.
- Step 4Whisk filling again and pour onto hot crust. Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until filling is just set and golden (filling will jiggle slightly in center). Transfer pan to wire rack. Sift remaining 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar over hot filling. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
- Step 5When cool, transfer with foil to cutting board. Carefully pull foil from sides of lime bar. If you like, trim edges. Cut lengthwise into 4 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 6 pieces. Cut each piece diagonally in half to form 48 triangles. Refrigerate any leftovers.Nutritional information is based on 1 triangle.
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Spotlight: Bien Nacido Vineyard's Nicholas Miller
Bien Nacido is an awfully nice place to be in December, a time of the year when most of the rest of the country is in the deep freeze. I've been here when there was frost on the bare vines, and the wind off the sea—just miles away—was bitter. But that's rare.
Today—yesterday, as you read this–as the sun sets in the west, the temperature is close to seventy-five. If you've ever visited this part of the Santa Maria Valley, you know how the hills (I think they're an extension of the San Gabriel Mountains) bunch up on the east side, but the valley itself is a broad, open plain, with nothing to keep the maritime influence from blowing in from the Pacific. That is, of course, what makes it such a cool place (in both senses of the word), ideal for varieties like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah.
It's a fine vineyard, Bien Nacido, one of California's best. I looked up all my reviews over the years from wines with a Bien Nacido Vineyard designate on the label, and found about 300. The scores are quite high. About half are above 90 points, an astonishing record.
Young Nicholas Miller, whose formal title is VP, sales and marketing, runs the place. His dad, Steve, and uncle Robert planted the first vines in 1973, making them pioneers on this property that traces its roots back to the old Rancho Tepusquet Land Grant [1837].
Now, of course, Bien Nacido is one of the most coveted sources of fruit in California. More than 600 acres are planted to vines, but Nicholas explains that "the vast majority doesn't go into Bien Nacido Vineyard- [designated] bottlings," but is sold off for anonymous inclusion in blends. This is to ensure a strict quality level for anything that bears the vineyard's name. About 45 wineries currently source fruit from the vineyard; over the years, there have been far more. "There's always some attrition of buyers," Nicholas says, "but we're always looking for up-and-comers, like La Fenetre, Tyler and Chanin." Count among those up-and-comers Miller's own Bien Nacido brand, which he started a few years ago. They bottle outstanding Syrah, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and as you might expect, Nicholas has no problem gaining access to the best blocks!
Nicholas inherited that passion of giving younger winemakers a chance from his dad and uncle, who built a small winery for a young Jim Clendenen (Au Bon Climate) and Bob Lindquist (Qupe) to make their wines. Both men are still there, tucked into a small valley on the property. Nicholas judges his family's biggest impact on the Santa Barbara wine scene "has been to support small boutique winemakers." This includes their two custom crush facilities "to host small artisanal producers to focus on this region."
Bien Nacido Vineyard will celebrate the 4oth anniversary of its first plantings next year, an event that surely calls for some kind of party. Never content to rest of his laurels, Nicholas is now actively engaged in The Chardonnay Symposium, scheduled for July 19-21, 2013, at which I'll moderate a panel. Nicholas is never content with the status quo; he would like to see Santa Maria Valley and Santa Barbara County recognized as the world-class producing regions they are.
Steve we were able to grab a little Syrah from them this year. Very professional operation from start to end and the fruit speaks for itself. Can not wait to open a barrel of BNV up next year and see what we have.
I think what impressed me the most when I visited last summer was the incredible diversity of sites and possibilities. Some of the older blocks on the mesa have been very special over the years, but now, with the careful addition of vines to the steep, shallow-soils on the hills, Bien Nacido is now producint yet another kind of wine that it tighter and longer-aging.
There is no question that the Miller family have been remarkable stewards of the property, and it is also significant that they have been equally remarkable for the support of the entire wine industry in that part of the world.
mmm, Louis Lucas was one of the first developers of Tepusquet in 1970….
I had the opportunity to try their 2009 Syrah and 2009 Pinot: Two of some of the very best wines I've had in quite sometime. I would love to make a trip out there one day….
Great article as always, Steve.
Another great small producer is Vino V Wines, making Syrah from Bien Nacido and Chardonnay from Solomon Hills Vineyard (also owned by the Millers).


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These are the top ten articles that I wrote that were shared to other places, including Facebook and Twitter. I left out my Follow Friday posts as those are just compilations of other people's links.
Over half of the shares were to Facebook. I'm surprised that Twitter was less than Google.
I'm pleased that one of my very first posts "How Eight Children Ended Up Living Along in 1930" is on the list. Finding that information about my grandmother was a significant genealogy moment for me. Also, the post which has a recently discovered picture of my Uncle Paul, sister and me.
It also appears that some of my articles on sourcing struck people as useful as well. I find it very encouraging that people care about sourcing. I'm not an expert by any means. But I do know that if I had started sourcing earlier in my genealogy career I would have been a happier camper.
- Sorting Saturday — Making Sense out of the Mess or Sources Matter
- Treasure Chest Thursday — Sourcing Presentations
- Tuesday's Tip — Ancestry Magazine on Google Books
- Citing Your Sources Can Be Fun!
- How Eight Children Ended Up Living Alone in 1930
- Tuesday's Tip: Public Profiler Worldnames
- Wisdom Wednesday: Uncle Paul and Andy Griffith
- Motivation Monday — I'm on the Clock!
- Sorting Saturday — Good Source, Bad Source, Exhaustive Search
- Sunday Obituaries — James Calvin Donald


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The MOTION ALERT ALARM mounts easily (vertically or horizontally) near any entry area and is battery operated, eliminating any need for wiring. Unit can be coded with a personal security code and can be set to utilize a two tone entry chime, instead of the alarm sound. Mounting screws included. 9-volt battery (not included).
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This is Week 32 in my Beyond the Internet series in which I explore the sources of information beyond our computer screens and the topic is Journals. This is part of the Archives and Libraries section of the series and follows on from the discussion of university and reference libraries in Week 29 and books in Week 30. Please do join in and write comments or posts on your experiences with these.
What Journals?
My main focus here is the academic journals published by various academic societies. These include short articles written by academic experts in a particular field. In most cases, their articles will only be published if they pass a process of peer-review. This involves the journal editors seeking an assessment by other academics with similar expertise to ascertain the rigour of the research and the merits of the argument. Once published, the article will be subject to sometimes vigorous critiquing by their world-wide peers. In short, this is cutting-edge information in any particular field.
What's it got to do with Family History?
Well as we advance further into our family history we usually decide we want to know more about the general regional and world influences on their lives. We also want to know whether our families' experiences fit a norm eg was their migration experience typical. This is where academic journals can be of great help. Yes, you can also learn much from published books, academic or more general, but remember journals represent research almost as it's happening whereas books do take time to publish. Like theses, journal articles may never make it into book form (though the pressure on academics to publish does increase the chances).
In my own reference library I have innumerable copies of articles on migration with a focus on Irish migration. What about articles on how typical Scottish illegitimacy was in the time your great-grandmother had her illegitimate child? No, they're not "sexy" and sometimes they can be hard work, but you may be surprised by how readable these articles can be, especially those written by historians.
I also use Economics journals as reference sources because so much of life is affected by financial considerations and the state of the economy.
Where do you find them?
Based on what I've already said, it's reasonably obvious that the first place to look is in a university library near you. This worked well when all journals were received in paper form as you could just go and take them off the shelves to review, having first trawled the library catalogue for relevant articles. However many are now being published in electronic form. This makes it challenging as you usually can't read them, even in situ, without some form of university library card.
Nevertheless help is at hand for all of us without valid access to university journals. Assuming you have already got your library card from the National Library of Australia, you can access many of the same journals through the NLA's electronic resources. Once you've logged in using your card number and name, you'll see an alphabet option across the top. Click on J and choose JSTOR. This is your gateway to those same journal articles. You will soon have a long list of topics to choose from. Let your inner researcher loose and have fun exploring! One that's just caught my eye is Archivum Hibernicum. I can feel a detour coming on.
Overseas researchers probably have access via a similar facility. I'd suggest checking with your national library or a key reference library.
Other journals
On a more prosaic note, there are other journals we can profitably use. They are the journals published by the various family or local history societies. I'm probably as guilty as many others of not paying enough attention to these. The content of each journal is quite variable and it's worth searching widely as a story relevant to your region of interest may be published in a society journal far from that region.
For example in the Toowoomba and Darling Downs FHS journal, there has been a series on London churches and another on some early properties on the Downs which are of interest to me. Ances-tree, the journal of the Burwood & District FHS, has a superb series on German migration, mainly written by Jenny Paterson. These go back over many years so do trawl back through them if you have an interest in this topic.
Other journals which are useful to family historians are those published by the state and national historical societies. These also contain informative and reliable articles by eminent historical researchers. Your regional reference library is likely to have a copy so keep an eye out when you visit.
I hope I've managed to convince you that journals can be far from boring. They can really give you an historical and economic structure on which you can hang your family's story and make it all the richer.


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ATLANTA -- Frank Gore ran for two second-half touchdowns, and the San Francisco 49ers rebounded from a 17-0 deficit to beat the Atlanta Falcons 28-24 in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday, sending the 49ers to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1995.
On NFL Network
NFL Replay will re-air the San Francisco 49ers' 28-24 win over the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship Game on Tuesday, Jan. 22 at 8 p.m. ET.
The top-seeded Falcons tried to pull out another season-saving drive at the end, but Matt Ryan's fourth-down pass for Roddy White with 1:13 remaining was knocked down by 49ers linebacker NaVorro Bowman.
The 49ers will meet the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII on Feb. 3 and will try to join the Pittsburgh Steelers as the only teams with six Super Bowl championships.
The victory was sweet redemption for the 49ers, who lost an overtime thriller to the New York Giants a year ago in the NFC title game.
Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press


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