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"Stairway to Heaven." Those three little words have come to mean so much. Led Zeppelin's eight-minute classic turns 40 this week, and it still sets the bar for headbanging chutzpah, if not sophisticated songcraft.
Robert Plant and Jimmy Page were woodshedding in Wales when they devised their faery-strewn folk-metal psychedelia masterwork. Bassist/arranger John Paul Jones added mood-setting recorders and drummer John Bonham brought his protean thwunk to the game. The song may or may not have borrowed key elements from an instrumental by the American band Spirit, with whom they once toured. But nobody but Zep could have molded those chord progressions into such a masterpiece of excess.
"Stairway to Heaven" set the template for the power ballad and made unwitting J.R.R. Tolkien experts out of listeners who merely intended to get their rocks off. Depending on your view, the song is the greatest achievement of one of history's most important groups ... or rock's ultimate nightmare, incessantly resurrected by awful cover bands, shrieking karaoke singers and your very drunk uncle who grabbed the microphone at your sister's wedding reception.
There have been many torturous and/or hilarious versions of "Stairway to Heaven." But at The Record, we prefer to immerse you in music that could prove pleasurable, if you let down your guard. To that end we've sought out what some might consider very hard to find: reworkings of this epic that actually reward the time spent winding on down their roads.
Stream all seven songs on Spotify. If you don't have Spotify, sign up for the free service.
1. Mary J. Blige
R&B's Golden Gloves belter recorded "Stairway" with an all-star backing band, including Steve Vai and Orianthi on snarly dueling guitars, after successfully dipping her toe into arena rock with the help of U2 in 2005. The first verse sounds oddly like a Christmas carol, but then Mary sinks in her manicured nails and just takes off.
2. Rodrigo y Gabriela
The Mexican couple responsible for bringing flamenco-flavored guitar into the 21st century (or at least to the jam-band scene) have long used "Stairway" as a set piece. A multi-phase guitar ramble, it's a natural for these fleet-fingered showboats. It's on their first studio album, but the live versions are worth checking out, just to hear the roar of the crowd whenever Rodrigo pulls off one of his gravity-defying runs.
3. Elkie Brooks
Robert Plant has acknowledged that he owes a debt to female vocalists like Janis Joplin and his occasional duet partner Sandy Denny. It's definitely true that women fare better when they tackle his technique. This take by British hitmaker Elkie Brooks, who was playing in the killer blues band Vinegar Joe when Zep was getting huge (yes, that's Robert Palmer in the band with her), has all the grit and grandiosity a lighter-waving fan could want.
4. Motohiko Hino
A thorough exploration of the myriad "Stairway" reinterpretations reveals that this song has more jumping-off points than you might think. Not every artist felt the urge to push toward the original's climax. This spare, cool reading by the late Japanese jazz drummer and his stellar ensemble (Steve Swallow on bass, Mike Stern and John Scofield on guitars) seems more inspired by Miles Davis than by Page and Plant. Hino's brother Terumasa leads with his trumpet, which is as calm and inquisitive as Plant's voice was commandeering.
5. Heart
If you're craving the particularly raucous "Stairway to Heaven" performed by a band in a bar as a drunk crowd yells for them to take it up to 11, don't settle for some no-name bunch of dudes in red pants. Here's Heart, one of hard rock's greatest bands, getting loose at the divey Aquarius Tavern in Ann and Nancy Wilson's hometown of Seattle in 1976. "Here's a song I always like to dedicate to the people who are in looooove with one another," drawls Ann before Nancy kicks into the guitar arpeggios. "Or who think they might be in looove with one another pretty soon!" Things just get wilder from there.
6. Stanley Jordan
Sure, Jimmy Page knows some tricks. He has that bow and the double-kneck signature Gibson. But when it comes to the delicate art of touch technique, jazz fusion ace Stanley Jordan is the master. The ethereal sound he gets from his instrument by playing in the style he developed using what he'd learned from his first instrument, the piano, takes "Stairway to Heaven" to stratosperic new heights.
7. The O'Jays
Okay, this isn't a cover of the Led Zeppelin song. It has no sturm, no drang and no woodland creatures. Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff's bubble bath-worthy slow jam, recorded in 1975 by the Ohio Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, is long, though, and it contains the phrase "climbing a stairway to heaven." So you might as well just relax and enjoy it.
For decades, when you heard this...
WERTHEIMER: You knew this was coming...
WERTHEIMER: This week marks 40 years since Led Zeppelin released "Stairway to Heaven." Perhaps the most over played, over covered, over the top, and yet beloved rock song of all time.
Here to help us pay a proper homage to "Stairway" is NPR music maven Ann Powers. She's at member station WUAL in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Ann, Hi.
ANN POWERS, BYLINE: Hey, how are you doing?
WERTHEIMER: I'm doing well. Why do you think this eight-minute tune has endured for so long?
POWERS: I think there is there are several different reasons. One, is that it's easy to play the introduction on guitar. So, all of those boys and girls who picked up guitars in the era of classic rock and beyond know how to play "Stairway to Heaven." Including me, I must say.
POWERS: It's kind of a gateway drug into, you know, heavy psychedelic rock. And then it's also really fun to sing in karaoke. You can do both things.
WERTHEIMER: So, now reminds us, when in 1971 - "Stairway" came out in 1971 on what is known as the "Led Zeppelin Four" album. So the band was already huge, right?
POWERS: Oh. yes. Led Zeppelin was a major commercial success. Not beloved by critics, I must say, but a huge force in rock 'n roll. They had retreated to a Welsh cottage to write some material and Jimmy Page, a very ambitious guitarist and songwriter, wanted to do the super-long song with lots of parts.
WERTHEIMER: Well, that explains where the hedgerows come from, I guess. So what do you think this song is about? I mean what are lyrics like, if there is a bustle in your hedgerow...
POWERS: Well, you know, that lyric supposedly comes from J.R.R. Tolkien's "Fellowship of the Ring." Robert Plant was very into reading fantasy novels. He was also very into reading books about magic. So I think that's one of the things about this song, it has this quality of being kind of an ancient text. But, of course, it's completely modern - so much a product of the psychedelic 1970s.
WERTHEIMER: Like something out of "Spinal Tap" perhaps? You can see the mini Stonehenge being lowered onto the stage.
POWERS: But, at the same time, it's easy to make fun of Led Zeppelin and easy to make fun of "Stairway to Heaven." And good knows, we've all done it. And yet, I think you would be hard pressed to not get sucked into this song. The ambition in it, the kind of overwhelming will that these guys had to make an epic rock song, to suck us up into their personal mythologies, it's fairly irresistible. And you might start out laughing but you're going to end up wailing along with Robert Plant.
WERTHEIMER: Ann Powers is the host of the Record blog at NPRMusic.org.
Ann, thank you very much.
POWERS: Rock on.
WERTHEIMER: You can find Ann's picks for the best coverage versions of "Stairway to Heaven" at NPRMusic.org.
WERTHEIMER: You're listening to WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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Two Granite Mountain Hotshots' families are seeking to obtain additional death benefits from a state retirement system for public safety workers.
The widows of Andrew Ashcraft and William Warneke filed claims last month with the city of Prescott, stating their husbands should be added retroactively to the Public Safety Personnel Retirement System.
City spokesman Pete Wertheim says a Prescott PSPRS board will hold a hearing May 21 to determine if Roxanne Warneke's claim holds merit.
Wertheim says a hearing for Juliann Ashcraft's claim has not yet been scheduled.
Neither fallen firefighter contributed to the retirement fund.
The claims say both men worked the same hours as a full-time worker.
Prescott officials in January denied more than 100 damage claims seeking $662 million for property owners and relatives of deceased firefighters.
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By Ken Boehlke
On July 4, 2017
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Scratching the surface of social interaction
It can be difficult to uncover the behavior of small, shy, nocturnal primates like the brown mouse lemur (Microcebus rufus), especially in the dense rainforests of Madagascar where this lemur lives. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Ecology shows that the social interactions of brown mouse lemurs can be monitored by mapping the transfer of tagged lice.
Brown mouse lemurs are the only known host of the parasitic louse Lemurpediculus verruculosus. The lice have evolved to stay attached to the sparse hair on the lemurs' ears, where they feed on the lemur's blood, and can only survive for a few hours if separated from their host. Most transfer of lice between hosts is therefore by direct contact. Sarah Zohdy from the University of Helsinki tagged individual lice from trapped lemurs using colored nail varnish to see if they were transmitted during social interactions between hosts in the wild.
The team of researchers from Finland, USA, and Madagascar, found that the lice were transferred between 43% of the population all of them males. The lice were found on their ears, testes, and eyelids and the pattern of louse transfer provided new information about the habits of these hard-to-study creatures.
Sarah Zohdy explained, "Male lemurs are known to share nest-holes (and lice) however louse transfer peaked during the breeding season, indicating a greater number of social interactions - probably conflicts over females. There was no overall association between age and louse transfer. The youngest male in the study had the worst louse infestation, but only donated one louse, indicating a low number of interactions, while the eldest male, who also had a heavy infestation, appeared to be more sociable, collecting lice from many donors. Other males appeared to be 'superspreaders' donating but not collecting lice."
The pattern of transferred lice mapped on to animal catch sites also showed that lemurs travel much greater distances and interact over a wider geographic area than previously thought.
In Madagascar the use of tagged lice has provided an extraordinary insight into the life of the brown mouse lemur (and the natural movement of parasites) in their natural habitat. Given the success of parasites throughout the animal kingdom this technique has the potential to find new (if itchy) information about other elusive animals.
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Listening to distant thunder: The art of Peter Clarke
Lize Van Robbroeck
Department of Visual Arts, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Correspondence to
]]> The last two decades have seen a spate of retrospectives of artists who had been written out of the dominant canon of White art history during the apartheid years. Exhibitions on the lives and artistic output of Dumile Feni, Louis Maqhubela, Gerard Sekoto and George Pemba come to mind, as does 'Revisions', which showcased Bruce Campbell-Smith's superb collection of work by South Africa's historically unsung artists. This retrospective of Peter Clarke at the South African National Gallery in Cape Town, a collaborative effort between art historians Elizabeth Rankin and Phillipa Hobbs, is another such revisionist project.
The exhibition is testimony not only to Clarke's prodigious talent, but also to Rankin and Hobbs' thoroughness and dedication. Their decision to present a scopic overview of Clarke's development as an artist puts the emphasis on the biographical (and hence, inevitably, socio-political) context of Clarke's career. The exhibition does not, therefore, necessarily display only the 'best' of Clarke's oeuvre, but includes juvenilia, sketch books and minor works, and sometimes multiple versions of a single design in various media, including preliminary sketches. Although exhibitions with such a biographical and inclusive slant are often criticised for a lack of selectiveness, a retrospective on decades of significant output justifies such inclusivity. I personally found the inclusion of contextual sources and historical and biographical information poignant, and the educational value of this information must not be under-estimated (two school groups visited the exhibition while I was there). For most of his life, Clarke was designated a 'Coloured' artist and unjustly made to represent the entire, complex experience of the marginalised communities of the Western Cape. The inclusion of biographical data on Clarke particularises his experiences and practice, nonetheless providing evidence of the degree to which they were shaped by the economic and political forces of the apartheid era. The fact that Clarke, to this day, does not have a studio, but works from his home in Ocean View (to which his family was relocated under the Group Areas Act), explains the small scale of most of his work, but also poignantly situates his unfortunate use of cheap and mostly inferior materials.
Clarke's output in the 1960s and 1970s consisted mostly of small linocuts and woodcuts, which display his strong sense of formal design. The small scale of these graphic works precludes complex statements, which is a mixed blessing, for there are gems among them - beautiful, simple vignettes, in which Clarke's distinctive use of strong, sweeping lines is allowed to shine. But many of these prints are rather derivative genre scenes and townscapes, indistinguishable from thousands such scenes by other artists. To my mind, it is in his paintings that Clarke's talent sparks, and it is a pity that there are so few of them.
Clarke's aptitude as a colourist emerged first in the Teslaarsdal paintings he produced as a young artist, and flourished later in powerful allegorical landscapes such as Listening to Distant Thunder, which provided the evocative title of this retrospective. Although the paintings are not big, they are monumental and very affective. While some of the lighter themes (such as his flute player), remind of Maggie Laubscher's faux naive style, it is Clarke's moody and somewhat foreboding combination of human form and landscape that most impresses. These paintings are distinctive, and while they could (and have been) compared to Picasso's proto-Cubist work, they bear a unique and unmistakable imprint. Because they mostly avoid overt political messaging, Clarke's paintings are enigmatic and suffused with atmosphere and mood. These paintings are vibrant, glowing with strong colour and a dynamic thrust of clashing diagonal planes. This contrast between idyllic subject matter and restless, almost violent, formal language makes for particularly engaging and compelling viewing.
The same can, unfortunately, not be said of Clarke's big collages, which he started producing after he attended a Thupelo workshop in 1985. Thupelo did not do Clarke any favours - I find collages such as Trojan Horse bombastic, literal and formally boring, and the use of gouache on paper makes for a tawdry effect. Compared to the earlier paintings, which relied on suggestion for effect, these collages are pedantic and entirely stripped of Clarke's distinctive formal language. In 1962, Neville Dubow wrote of Clarke's one-man show that Clarke's '...primary purpose [was] to make pictures and not social statement'. If only that had remained true. However, there is a glimpse of Clarke's playful, powerful artistic energy in his latest, small, book collages. They are delightful, small, intimate, colourful - reminiscent of the small, hand-coloured woodcuts of his youth. While one cannot but understand and sympathise with Clarke's strong identification with the political struggle, it is regrettable, on so many levels, in his practice as an artist.
In an interview with Kim Gurney in 2003 published in ArtThrob, it emerges that Clarke felt himself constrained by the political imperative:
After 1994, I started feeling that one must also explore other things beyond the statement. I felt it was a time for liberation, a renaissance... So I gave free reign to working with various kinds of material like coloured paper, cloths, labels and whatever.]]> He also said that he was particularly interested in people, and 'If I decided only to work in a figurative way, there would be no end to what I want to say about people'. Perhaps this points the way forward for Clarke? For me, his strength always resided in his treatment of the human form, and in his abilities as a colourist and formalist.
As with so many retrospectives on veteran artists who spent their entire lives working against economic, political, spatial, environmental and educational constraints, my overriding thought upon viewing this exhibition was 'if only...'. If only Peter Clarke had had a big studio, big canvasses to work on, good quality oil paints, fine materials and access to formal training, imagine what we would be seeing here? No wonder he spent so much of his time and talents opposing those very strictures...
Correspondence to:
Lize Van Robbroeck
Postal address: PO Box 3278, Matieland 7602, South Africa
Email: email@example.com


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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is conducting an investigation into possible contract rigging by the general counsel at the government agency that distributes foreign aid, documents obtained by The Associated Press show.
Memos from the inspector general of the U.S. Agency for International Development also reveal that there was evidence that Deputy Administrator Donald Steinberg tried to interfere with an internal investigation.
The inspector general's office told a House committee on Wednesday that the Justice Department investigation was "ongoing."
An attorney for the USAID general counsel, Lisa Gomer, said Thursday night that he was told the Justice Department decided not to initiate a criminal investigation. He declined to say who in the department informed him there was no probe.
The Justice Department was unable to immediately clarify whether there was an ongoing investigation. When an inspector general makes a criminal referral, the department has the option of pursuing an issue such as alleged contract fraud as either a civil or criminal case.
Meanwhile, inspector general documents showed that the USAID deputy administrator, Donald Steinberg, told IG investigators they had no right to make a criminal referral to the Justice Department without going first to top USAID officials. The IG's office told Steinberg that the office was independent and did not need such approval.
Inspectors general are watchdogs within a federal agency and are supposed to operate independently.
The original investigation focused on whether Lisa Gomer, USAID general counsel, may have "wired" a contract last May so the winner of the solicitation would be the agency's retiring chief financial officer, David Ostermeyer.
The contract bidding for a "senior government-to-government assistance adviser" was canceled after questions were raised.
"If the solicitation was in fact designed for Ostermeyer to win, Ms. Gomer and USAID may have violated various federal laws, the Federal Acquisition Regulation and government ethics policies," according to a letter from two House members to USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah in November.
The letter was written by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, chairman of the panel's national security subcommittee.
On Wednesday, the inspector general's office wrote Issa's committee saying the Justice Department authorized the inspector general to give the committee documents related to Steinberg's potential interference. The Justice Department said it would continue to investigate the original allegations. All the documents were described as "law enforcement sensitive."
One document said Steinberg told inspector general officials that Shah asked him to speak with the internal investigators about the review. Steinberg, according to another inspector general document, ripped into the independent watchdog.
"When people are slapping badges down, reading rights and monitoring who is calling who as it relates to career people, it is a mistake," Steinberg was quoted as telling his agency's investigators. Steinberg added, according to the document, "We are not that kind of agency. People are being told they need to hire lawyers and that is inappropriate."
The memo also quoted Steinberg as saying "now that Justice is involved, it is like the IG is out to get these people. Justice is going to proceed criminally. This should have come through the front office first."
The law governing inspectors general says that the internal investigators "shall report expeditiously to the attorney general whenever the inspector general has reasonable grounds to believe there has been a violation of Federal criminal law."
There was no response to a message requesting comment, left on the home answering machine of a David Ostermeyer.
Gomer attorney David Schertler said in a statement Thursday that his client "did not violate any law. We understand that the Office of Inspector General for USAID conducted an investigation, in which Ms. Gomer cooperated completely, and we have been informed that the Department of Justice reviewed the matter and declined to initiate a criminal investigation. Ms. Gomer is an example of a dedicated and committed public servant who served as an excellent General Counsel for USAID and did nothing other than to further the best interests of the agency and the United States. Her decision to leave public service is a loss for USAID."
Steinberg declined to comment.
A senior USAID official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on the subject, said Gomer has been reassigned from her general counsel's position and has submitted her resignation effective Feb. 9. The official said she was not ordered to resign.
The USAID spokesman, Kamyl Bazbaz said, "We take very seriously the independence of the inspector general and the importance of the agency's cooperation with IG audits and investigations."
He added, "It is the usual practice for the IG to brief the senior leadership of the agency regarding its ongoing investigations and audits."
In an inspector general's "memorandum of interview" last June, investigators described their probe into allegations that "Lisa Gomer, general counsel for USAID colluded with David Ostermeyer, chief financial officer for USAID, by working with him to write a scope of work for a personal service contract ... in the Office of General Counsel."
"Gomer planned to select Ostermeyer for the position," the memo said.
The job Ostermeyer would have received in working with foreign governments would have paid between $123,758 and $155,500, according the USAID solicitation document. The solicitation said "the work is generally sedentary and does not pose undue physical demands," an important factor in an agency where USAID workers can live in poor conditions in dangerous countries.
According to an inspector general's document from last June, Steinberg said he "had already looked into this matter thoroughly and knows there is nothing to it." Steinberg said the contract award was canceled because of issues raised about the procurement.
"He said it is a mistake to have a criminal investigation under way," the investigative document said. "To take a matter to the Department of Justice for criminal consideration without first reporting the issues to the front office is inappropriate and a judgment error on the IG's part."
According to the document the deputy assistant inspector general for investigations, Lisa McClennon, told Steinberg "the agency never has the right to instruct the inspector general's office on whether or not something is presented to Justice."
Issa said in a statement, "This interference by the top USAID official and his deputy in a corruption investigation of other top officials is disturbing and outrageous. Inspectors general can only be effective if they are independent. Efforts to intimidate or chastise an inspector general for investigating agency corruption and submitting findings to the Justice Department are simply incompatible with honest government."


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OXFORD United chairman Kelvin Thomas says manager Chris Wilder has his full backing – despite missing out on the play-offs this season.
The U's spent the majority of the campaign inside npower League Two's top seven, but a dismal run of results in the final weeks of the season proved very costly.
The club have spent this week analysing their ninth-place finish and which areas need to be improved for next season.
Changes are planned on the playing side, but one area of continuity is in the manager's seat, with Wilder set to begin his fourth full season with United in August.
Thomas said: "Absolutely, I think Chris has shown over his time here that he can continue to improve.
"There are a lot of circumstances in football that you can't legislate for and some of the injuries especially were part of that and came at bad times.
"There are a few things that have gone against Chris, but as a club we know how hard he works.
"We've got to make sure we give him the help he needs and not panic, because we didn't achieve our goal.
"Chris knows as well as anybody that we didn't achieve what we wanted, but we weren't that far off it and we've got to make sure we get there next year."
Wilder received criticism from a section of the club's fans as results deteriorated during the run-in.
The 44-year-old remains deeply frustrated his side are not in the play-offs, which start today, but is fired up to come back stronger next season.
He said: "I'm possibly more determined than I've ever been in my managerial career to take us to where we want to go.
"People will always question the job you're doing and expect more at every level, whether it's (Sir Alex) Ferguson, (Arsene) Wenger, everyone.
"There will always be people that want a change, it annoys me at times because I think some people are very dismissive of the jobs people have done.
"Everybody has always talked about the stability at this club and we've had another season of improvement.
"But for every one that's dismissive there are four or five who are supportive.
"I put more pressure on myself than anyone else does to succeed.
"I'm a very driven person and I'm absolutely gutted that we've not got in the play-offs because we worked extremely hard to get there."
Wilder joined the U's in December 2008, guinding them to promotion back into npower League Two via the Blue Square Premier play-offs 18 months later.
After three and a half years in charge at the Kassam Stadium, the former Halifax Town boss is now the 11th longest serving manager in the top four divisions.


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Over 400 attendees from across the U.S. and around the world participated in the first national conference for families and professionals, "Treating the Whole Person with Autism: Comprehensive Care for Children and Adolescents with ASD."
Autism Speaks, the world's leading autism science and advocacy organization, organized and hosted the conference in collaboration with educational partners at Nationwide Children's Hospital (NCH), The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
"Autism Speaks' Autism Treatment Network (ATN) is a key initiative aimed at improving the health and well-being of individuals with ASD," remarked Daniel Coury, M.D., ATN medical director and chief of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics at Nationwide Children's Hospital. "It provides "whole person," family-centered medical care which aims to address the individual's and the family's unique set of needs and challenges. We're excited to build upon these efforts through this national conference with Autism Speaks and our other conference partners."
The conference provided a forum for both families and professionals to learn about current guidance for addressing associated medical issues, and developing approaches to care that integrate behavioral and medical approaches across the lifespan.
"The theme of this conference, treating the whole person, reflects our ultimate goal of helping individuals with ASD to have healthy and successful lives," stated Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D., chief science officer at Autism Speaks. These themes were highlighted by the two conference keynote speakers. Ricki Robinson, M.D., M.P.H., co-director of the Descanso Medical Center for Development and Learning, who served as the first speaker, encouraged practitioners to view individuals with ASD through a wide array of "lenses" that together paint a total picture of the child's life. These lenses include the child's physical and mental health, behaviors, intellectual interests and creative pursuits. By seeing the whole child, treatment and care plans can be tailored to address the individuals' needs.
Peter Gerhardt, Ed.D., director of the McCarton Upper School and chair of the Scientific Council for the Organization for Autism Research, emphasized the need to continually think of the changing care needs across the lifespan. Dr. Gerhardt stressed the importance of making optimizing adult outcomes a much higher research priority. In particular, he noted the need to identify and focus on meaningful knowledge and skills vital for independence and fulfillment. This emphasis on care across the lifespan was further supported in the presentation by Marsha Mailick Seltzer, Ph.D., professor and director of the Waisman Center at the University of Wisconsin. A key point was the importance for researchers, clinicians, and advocates to expand their view of autism beyond childhood and to consider individuals with ASD within the context of their families. Her team's research on adolescents and adults with ASD looks at how ASD symptoms change across the lifespan. They observed in their data that overall there is stability or some improvement in symptoms and behavior problems over time. However, they noted that there can be stage-related changes, a critical one being the exit from high school, after which improvement in symptoms slows. Moreover, after high school, income level becomes a risk factor in the worsening of problem behaviors with those in low income groups at greatest risk regardless of intellectual ability.
The conference included general science sessions providing recent developments on health-related issues for individuals with ASD, and concurrent sessions tailored to families and professionals, respectively, that provided practical examples and discussion on the identification, management and treatment of medical conditions often associated with ASD. The sessions addressed immune dysfunction in autism, metabolic dysfunction, gastrointestinal dysfunction including the GI microenvironment and impaired carbohydrate digestion, nutrition, sleep disorders, the prevalence and management of psychiatric disorders and challenging behaviors, an overview of cognitive behavioral therapies, and the trajectories of development during adolescence and adulthood. The meeting concluded with family perspectives on how to coordinate and provide care both at home and in the clinical setting.
Some highlights include the presentation by Alessio Fasano, M.D. which was focused on the relationship between genes and environment in the GI problems in individuals with ASD. Dr. Fasano, professor of pediatrics, medicine and physiology, and director of the Mucosal Biology Research Center and the Center for Celiac Research at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, noted that progress is being made in the field to better understand the biology of the gut environment but that to be effective in leading to treatments, it is going to be important to integrate the findings across these areas to "connect the dots" in building a full picture of the nature of GI disorders in ASD. Brent Williams, Ph.D., associate research scientist at Columbia University reported on his on-going research looking at impaired carbohydrate metabolism in individuals with ASD, which highlights that GI dysfunction may be attributable to distinct molecular and microbial mechanisms in individuals with ASD.
"Our hope is that both the families and the clinicians who attended this conference left with practical information that they can use in their everyday lives at home or in their clinical practice." remarked Clara Lajonchere, Ph.D., vice president of clinical programs at Autism Speaks, and chair of the conference planning committee. "Our aim is to hold this conference annually to ensure that the community at large benefits from what is being learned through research and clinical practice."
About Autism
Autism is a general term used to describe a group of complex developmental brain disorders – autism spectrum disorders – caused by a combination of genes and environmental influences. These disorders are characterized, in varying degrees, by communication difficulties, social and behavioral challenges, as well as repetitive behaviors. An estimated 1 in 88 children in the U.S. is on the autism spectrum – a 1000 percent increase in the past 40 years that is only partly explained by improved diagnosis.
About Autism Speaks
Autism Speaks is the world's leading autism science and advocacy organization. It is dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism; increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. Autism Speaks was founded in February 2005 by Suzanne and Bob Wright, the grandparents of a child with autism. Mr. Wright is the former vice chairman of General Electric and chief executive officer of NBC and NBC Universal. Since its inception, Autism Speaks has committed over $180 million to research and developing innovative resources for families. Each year Walk Now for Autism Speaks events are held in more than 95 cities across North America. To learn more about Autism Speaks, please visit www.autismspeaks.org.


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Senate Republicans sell immigration plan to House
WASHINGTON -- Republican Sens. John McCain, Lindsey Graham and Jeff Flake met with key House conservatives this week to promote legislation to overhaul the nation's immigration laws and provide a pathway to citizenship for an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants, McCain's communications director said Friday.
McCain, R-Ariz.; Graham, R-S.C.; and Flake, R-Ariz., are members of a bipartisan group of eight senators working to craft a comprehensive immigration bill to enhance border security, streamline legal immigration, ensure employers don't hire illegal immigrants and provide eventual citizenship to illegal immigrants already here.
If it gets through the Senate, the legislation faces a potentially tough road with House Republicans skeptical of granting citizenship to illegal immigrants, and the meeting included at least one lawmaker known for taking a hard line on the issue.
"Sen. McCain was glad to have the opportunity to update key House members and get their advice and recommendations on this important effort. He looks forward to continuing these conversations as we move forward," said Brian Rogers, McCain's communications director.
Members present Thursday at the meeting organized by the House Republican Policy Committee included Rep. Steve King of Iowa and Rep. Raul Labrador of Idaho.
King is known for decrying amnesty for illegal immigrants while Labrador has said he supports finding a way to legalize the status of illegal immigrants already here, while rejecting the idea of giving them a special pathway to citizenship.
McCain, Graham, Flake and others argue that Republicans must tackle comprehensive immigration legislation partly to win back support from Latino voters crucial to national election outcomes, but that argument is a harder sell to House members who often represent overwhelmingly white districts.


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FM BBC anthologies
Have been posted on dimeadozen. Several new tracks and some upgrades in sound.
Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac
off air tapes>??>cdr>eac
1. Sweet Little Angel
2. Bee-I-Bicky-Bop Blue Jean Honey Babe Meets High School Hound Dog Hot Rod Man
3. Where You Belong (v--Eddie Boyd)
4. Mean Old World
5. Please Find My Baby
6. Black Magic Woman
7. Peggy Sue Got Married
8. That Ain't It
9. Psychedelic Send Up Number
10. Dead Shrimp Blues
11. Sheila
12. Evening Boogie
13. You Need Love
14. May I Have A Talk With You
15. Bo Diddley
16. Wine Whiskey and Woman
17. Crutch and Cane
18. If You Be My Baby
19. Crazy For My Baby
1967 November 7th -
Long Grey Mare / Baby Please Set A Date / Looking For Somebody / I Believe My Time Aint Long / Got To Move / Fool No More
Transmitted in Top Gear November 12th and December 17th 1967 except Fool No More (not broadcast)
All 6 songs included on Live At The B.B.C. possibly sourced from Bernie Andrews tapes ???
1968 January 16th -
Can't Hold Out / Blue Coat Man (with Eddie Boyd) / Sweet Little Angel / Bee-I-Bicky-Bop Blue Jean Honey Babe Meets High School Hound Dog Hot Rod Man / The Stroller (with Eddie Boyd)
Transmitted in Top Gear Jan 21st 1968.
The two tracks with Eddie Boyd do not appear to have survived.
Cant Hold Out included on Live At The B.B.C.
Where You Belong (with Eddie Boyd) / Black Magic Woman (record, not a session track) / Don't Be Cruel / The Sun Is Shining / The World Keep On Turning
Transmitted in Top Gear March 24th 1968
Dont Be Cruel and The Sun Is Shining included on Showbiz Blues.
The World Keeps On Turning included on Live At The B.B.C.
1968 February 26th -
Mean Old World
Transmitted in The Blues Roll On July 23rd 1968.
Recorded for a proposed Blues In Britain series of 3 programmes presented by Alexis Korner,
this track was eventually broadcast in The Blues Roll On on July 23rd 1968.
1968 April 9th -
Worried Dream / Please Find My Baby / Black Magic Woman / Peggy Sue Got Married
Transmitted in Saturday Club April 13th 1968.
Worried Dream does not appear to have survived.
Available recordings from BBC Transcription disc Top Of The Pops 182.
1968 April 16th -
How Blue Can You Get / My Baby Is Sweet / Long Grey Mare / Buzz Me / Im So Lonesome and Blue
Transmitted in Night Ride April 17th 1968.
All tracks included on Showbiz Blues.
1968 May 17th -
Long Grey Mare / Stop Messing Around
Transmitted live in The Joe Loss Show.
No known recordings.
1968 May 27th -
That Aint It / Mean Mistreating Mama / Psychedelic Send-Up Number / Dead Shrimp Blues / Sheila
Transmitted in Top Gear June 2nd 1968 (first 4 only)
Transmitted in Top Gear July 7th 1968 (1, 2 and 5 only)
Track 2 included on Live At The B.B.C.
1968 August 26th -
Need Your Love So Bad / Stop Messing Around / Evening Boogie
Transmitted live in Radio One OClock on August 26th 1968 and repeated August 31st 1968.
Tracks 1 and 2 on Live At The B.B.C. Track 3 is listed on the BBC paperwork as Evening Boogie.
1968 August 27th -
A Mind Of My Own / I Have To Laugh / Youre The One / Preachin The Blues / You Need Love / A Talk With You / Bo Diddley / Wine Whiskey Women / Crutch and Kane / If you Be My Baby / Crazy For my Baby
Transmitted in Top Gear September 1st 1968 (tracks 1-4)
Transmitted in Top Gear October 13th 1968 (tracks 5-8)
Transmitted in Top Gear November 24th 1968 (tracks 1, 9-11)
Tracks 1-3 on Showbiz Blues
Track 4 on Live At The B.B.C.
1968 October 9th -
Like Crying Like Dying/Albatross/Hang On To A Dream/ Baby Don't You Want To Go
Transmitted in Radio 1 Club November 5th 1968.
All tracks included on Live At The B.B.C. (track 4 as Sweet Home Chicago).
1968 November 1st -
Hard Headed Woman / Sweet Home Chicago / Crazy About My Baby / Baby Please Set A Date
Transmitted in Rhythm and Blues November 26th 1968.
No tape known to exist.
Fleetwood Mac - 1969-1970 Complete Unreleased BBC Anthology"
1. Albatross (from 1968)
2. You'll Be Mine +
3. Roll Along Blues aka King Bee
4. Peggy Sue Got Married
5. New Morning Blues aka Milk Cow Blues
6. Shady Little Baby +
7. Hot Rodding aka What About Horses +
8. Interview--Green and Alexis
9. Good Morning Blues
10. Early Morning Come (version 2)
11. Linda (version 2)
12. World in Harmony
13. Tiger
14. Peter Green Interview
+ = 1st Gen tape from Doc Dondy. Wow!
Correction !!!
We have a correction. After listening to the version of Albatross on the various BBC Top Of The Pops Transcription discs
(the same version is used on each disc) we notice that it is different to the one featured on the official Live At The BBC collection.
The version on the official set is dated in the sleeve notes as from the October 1968 Radio 1 Club broadcast.
However, the BBC Top Of The Pops transcription version was issued in the weeks after the 1968 broadcast and weeks before the
second version was even recorded.
So you need to place the enclosed version of Albatross with the October 9th tracks and move the official release version of
Albatross to the March 17th session included in this collection.
Alright............on with the show.
1969 March 10th -
You Never Know What You're Missing Till You Try / Blues With A Feeling / Heavenly / I Can't Believe You Wanna Leave /
Tallahassie Lassie / Early Morning Come
Transmitted in Top Gear on March 16th 1969 (tracks 1 to 4)
Transmitted in Top Gear on May 11th 1969 (tracks 1 to 3, 5 and 6)
Tracks 1 - 6 on Live At The B.B.C.
1969 March 17th -
Youll Be Mine / Roll Along Blues / Peggy Sue Got Married / Albatross / Shady Little Baby / Hot Rodding
/ New Worried Blues / Interview / Good Morning Blues
Tracks 5,6,7,8,9 feature various Mac members alongside Alexis Korner and / or Duster Bennett. The interview (brief chat) is Brian Bathtubes, Peter and Alexis Korner.
Transmitted in Symonds On Sunday March 23rd 1969 (tracks 1 to 4)
Transmitted in Symonds On Sunday March 30th 1969 (tracks 5 to 7)
Track 4 on Live At The BBC (but credited to 9th October 1968).
Track 8 and 9 Included on BBC Top Of The Pops Transcription Disc no. 230 along with brief chat with Peter Green and Alexis Korner
This session has thrown up a problem or two. As noted, the version of Albatross on Live At The BBC seems to come from this session and not the October 1968 Radio 1 Club. The track was included on two BBC Transcription discs that were issued weeks after the Radio 1 Club session was recorded and months before the March 1969 version. The transcription disc version is different from the one on Live At The BBC but must come from the 1968 session which means (unless theres a third undocumented version) that the official cd contains the later March 17th 1969 performance.
The rest of the tracks (bar Roll Along Blues) come from various collectors tapes and cds except the interview and Good Morning Blues which come from a BBC transcription disc.
Roll Along Blues has never surfaced. The composer credit is Slim Harpo but there doesnt appear to be a song called Roll Along Blues associated with him. What we do have is King Bee (written by Slim Harpo) which has appeared on different tapes and cds in different places though one tape places it with the rest of this session. The track is of similar length to that credited to Roll Along Blues (3.10) but there is disagreement as to whether this even features any of Fleetwood Mac at all. Some have suggested Jeremy sings the main vocal in lower register than usual for him and Peter supplies the harmony. We have included it here but listeners are encouraged to debate this one.
1969 May 14th -
All Over Again / Talk With You / Just Want To Tell You
Transmitted in Rhythm and Blues June 2 1969 (BBC World Service)
No tape known to exist.
Just Want To Tell You has an unknown composer credit.
1969 June 10th -
Early Morning Come / Man Of The World / Jumping At Shadows / Linda
Transmitted in Chris Grants Tasty Pop Sundae June 15th 1969
Track 1 on BBC Top Of The Pops transcription disc
Track 2 lost / destroyed / missing
Tracks 3 and 4 on Live At The BBC
It was only recently discovered that the version of Early Morning Come is a different version from the earlier Top Gear performance. The disappointment of the song being introduced as Coming Your Way and not being that missing BBC track led to collectors switching their ears off. However, though Coming Your Way is listed on the BBC paperwork, this version of Early Morning Come times in at 2.26 as Coming Your Way is listed. It would seem that the person noting the session tracks for the BBC was given the wrong title. Maybe the band changed their minds at the last minute about what they were going to play ?
So thats one track uncovered but unfortunately we lose a track as no BBC Radio version of Man Of The World has surfaced. The version featured on Live At The BBC and elsewhere is in fact taken from the BBC Television show Top Of The Pops. This version was recorded from the television broadcast on April 10th and repeated several times by Transcription Services. When it came time for the songs from this session to be chosen for the transcription radio Top Of The Pops, the other three tracks were selected quite probably as Man Of The `World had already been broadcast many times.
1969 October 6th -
Oh Well Pt 1 / Although The Sun Is Shining / Linda
Transmitted in D.L.T. October 12th 1969
Tracks 1 and 2 on Live At The BBC
Track 3 on BBC Top Of The Pops transcription disc
Included on transcription disc Top Of The Pops 259, all three tracks survive.
As with Early Morning Come, the alternate version of Linda was missed by many collectors but it is indeed a different version from the June 1969 take.
(BBC Top Of The Pops transcription disc 263 has an excerpt from an interview with Peter Green by Keith Altham.)
1970 April 9th -
Under Way (actually Rattlesnake Shake with Underway) / Stranger Blues / Phyllis (actually World In Harmony) / Tiger / The Green Manalishi / Coming Your Way / Great Balls Of Fire / Twist and Shout
Transmitted in Fleetwood Mac In Concert with David Symonds April 19th 1970 and Sounds of the Seventies April 22nd 1970
Tracks 1 to 8 on Showbiz Blues
Various technical issues make a bootleg or proper release of this outstanding show very desirable.
1970 April 27th -
Sandy Mary / World In Harmony / Tiger / Only You / Leaving Town Blues (listed as Leaving Here Blues)
Transmitted in Top Gear May 23rd 1970 (tracks 1 to 5)
Tracks 1 and 4 on Live At The BBC
Track 5 on Showbiz Blues
Interview with Peter Green included on BBC Top Of The Pops transcription disc
Coming VERY soon: Major sound upgrades to many of the 1968 BBC tracks!
. . . my oh my, dino, this is outrageous - VERY promising!!!
i hope there'll be a chance for ordinary mortals like me to gain access to this wonderful stuff. (i still have no clue about dimeadozen - maybe someone out there might be so kind to lend a helpin' hand . . . ?!)
Thanks for posting all those notes, dino!
Yes - thanks, dino!
"Coming VERY soon: Major sound upgrades to many of the 1968 BBC tracks!"
According to The Johnny Kidd Fan Club, an updated and complete set including upgrades or more complete versions of some of the official stuff not allowed on Dime will follow in the next month or so. Sounds like it could be definitive unless anything else new shows up subsequently.
The Johnny Kidd Fan Club were responsible for the recent Hendrix Pop North BBC find among other cool discoveries.
Seems to be some kind of free to fans Pirate operation.
Peter Lewry's book mentions a version of 'Shake your moneymaker', possibly from the August 26, 1968 session. Does anybody know anything about this?
The continued confusion over what may or may not have been played at any given session is one of the things that I hoped to alleviate when writing my book.
Shake Your Moneymaker was the title given to a piano driven instrumental on Fleetwood Mac The BBC Sessions a bootleg on the Early Years label released in 1989.
At some point over the years, as others bootlegged the original bootleg, someone with a deeper knowledge of Elmore James catalog corrected the title to Hawaiian Boogie. (It would be great though to hear Spencer to try his hand on that number)
This in turn caused early discographers who did not have access to either the recordings or the BBC Programme Logs, to err on the side of inclusion and list both titles, as they are in fact, two different songs.
In actuality, neither of those songs were performed at the session; what was played was Spencers Evenin Boogie.
All the rusted signs we ignore throughout our lives, choosing the shiny ones instead
E. Vedder
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|FLEETWOOD MAC AUTOGRAPHED/SIGNED JOHN McVIE 8X10; CHRISTINE & LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM
|c1977 RUMOURS ERA FLEETWOOD MAC PROOF SHEET JOHN MCVIE & CURRY GRANT MID FINGER
|DENNIS WILSON of BEACH BOYS Photo CANDID Rare w/ JOHN McVIE Fleetwood Mac


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3505 Monroe Hwy
Pineville, LA 71360
Drive-Thru Fast Food Restaurant Near You | Sonic
Here at SONIC Drive-in located at 3505 Monroe Hwy in Pineville, our priority isn't just great service, it's great experiences. Whether you're coming for a Cherry Limeade on your lunch break or picking up Shakes with your team after a big win, we're ready for you. That's why our drive-in makes your burgers with 100% pure beef patties, prepares hand-dipped onion rings, and serves ice cream made with fresh milk and cream. Carhops deliver orders with a smile because "This is How We SONIC" and Pineville is our community. Download the SONIC app and order your favorites to enjoy exclusive perks and offers, including half price drinks and slushes any time. Stop by to treat yourself today!
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milesSpecial Store Hours2102 North Mall DriveAlexandria, LA 71301
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text:
Samantha Large Transitional Bag
Our Prima Transitional Bag Collection features high quality leather & tightly woven huipil. One bag, three ways. This bag is ideal for all occasions. Wear as a handbag, backpack, or crossbody bag. Roomy enough to take traveling, work or just around town. Colorfully designed using hand-stitched huipil, a traditional top worn in Central America, and real leather.
Height: 15"
Width: 14.5"
Depth: 7"
Adjustable Crossbody Strap: 38"- 43"
Adjustable Backpack Straps: 22"-26"
Handles: 6" drop.


text: This forum was made possible by Squarespace. Squarespace is the absolute easiest way to make your website. I've used them for a few different sites. I basically bought that domain to be sure nobody else could. I didn't really have the time or need to create a fancy website, so I just spent about 15 minutes to throw together a landing page. It was incredibly easy with the Squarespace template and, in my opinion at least, it looks great. Now I can give people one link that takes them to a page with the link to all my different social media profiles. You can really create a landing page like this, a blog, a store, really anything with Sqaurespace and what's best is that you can get 10% off your first order by using the code "lmao" over at squarespace.com/lmao. That also helps you help the message. So please do go check out Squarespace at squarespace.com/lmao.


text:
Have Fun With a Lie Detector (Feb, 1957)
This seems like a really, really bad idea for a party game. What questions would you ask to guarantee an interesting evening?
Also, I love how it can also be used as a kissing meter and that the girl who gets kissed is referred to as "the victim".
Have Fun With a Lie Detector
No use lying or trying to hide your emotions. This little gadget will surely find you out.
By Tony Karp
IF YOU really worked late in the office last night you have nothing to worry about if the wife wants to give you a little going over with the help of this he detector. But, if you were out with the boys, played poker or told her that the smear on your collar is red ink— watch out! This little gadget will give you away.
When a person lies, no matter how slightly, certain physical changes such as an increase in perspiration, body temperature, flow of blood, etc., take place. This increase or decrease in perspiration affects any electricity that may be passed across your body, your fingers in this instance. This change in electrical resistance is then registered on the instrument's meter.
You can have a barrel of fun with this device by using it as a kissing meter. To use for this osculatory purpose, fasten a clip to the index finger of the man and the other clip to the corresponding finger of the female victim. When their lips touch, the needle will swing to a certain point on the dial. When tried with another partner or with other couples, the needle will invariably swing to another location, as obviously no two people have the same electrical intensity when kissing! It's all in fun so please don't accuse your partner of being a cold fish if the needle doesn't swing as far as you expected it to.
Our unit's circuit is similar to the Wheatstone bridge used in laboratory instruments for precise resistance measurements. However, for the home builder, there are several drawbacks to the Wheatstone system. The meter must be very sensitive and, therefore, expensive. A battery voltage of at least 45 volts is required. With such a powerful battery there is a chance of burning out the meter if a short circuit occurs. In our system, with the addition of a transistor and another battery, the circuit is actually improved.
The transistor acts as an amplifier between the bridge and the meter. The 2N138 transistor amplifies the feeble current changes 140 times, making an expensive meter unnecessary. Low voltage batteries can be used. The current drain from the second battery is about .5 thousandths of an ampere. The second battery's current drain is about half that. The unit requires only one control and both switches are on this control.
All parts for our detector may be purchased from Lafayette Radio, 100 Sixth Ave., New York 13, N. Y., or from your local radio store. The case, ICA 3996, is made of very light steel and the. builder using even a hand drill should encounter no trouble in drilling the various holes. [Continued on page 158]
First drill the 3/8-in. hole for the control and the 1/4-in. hole for the jack. Then, use the template provided with the meter as a guide for drilling its mounting holes.
Cut the circuit board to size and drill or ream the two holes to mount it on the meter. Flea clips are used to hold the transistor, but a socket (Lafayette No. MS-275) can be substituted. Attach the two battery holders and the resistors to the board. If desired, you may tie the batteries to the board and solder the wires directly to the terminals on the batteries. Follow the schematic carefully when wiring the unit. Make the leads from the board long enough to reach to the jack and the control. Once the meter is in the case, the other parts can be mounted in their proper places using the photo as a guide. Attach the switch to the control and wire it into the circuit. Wire up the rest of the circuit following the schematic carefully. Insert the batteries into the holders and the transistor into its flea clips. Check carefully to see that the polarity of the transistor and the batteries are correct; a reversed polarity can damage either the transistor or the meter.
To adapt the clips for our purpose, take the two Mueller No. 88 clips and remove the setscrews; twist the clip until it springs open. Now, replace the screws and wire the two clips to the plug with flexible wire.
Insert the jack into the plug but do not turn the unit on. Check once again for correct polarity of the batteries and the transistor and make sure that the control is wired correctly as shown in the photos. Turn on the unit, holding the two clips together. The meter should stay at zero. If it does not, check the circuit against the schematic. Now, connect the clips to one finger on each hand. Turn the control until the needle on the meter rests at about mid-scale. The needle should drift as your body resistance changes slightly. If the unit passes all these tests, you are ready to try it out on a subject.
Connect the clips as before and balance the meter to mid-scale. Do not turn the unit on unless there is some form of resistance between the two clips.
To use the meter properly, the subject must be asked a series of questions. It might sound something like this: "What is your name? Where do you live? Do you drink? Smoke? What did you do Saturday night?" etc., etc. Somewhere in this string of questions the subject should be asked something to which he is particularly sensitive. It may take a short time for the meter to give an indication but you will soon learn just what can be expected of the unit.
This detector makes an excellent demonstration unit for a psychology or law school class. But whether it is used for serious applications or just for some fun at your next party, it is a rewarding project for both builder and user.


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You can prepare for a lot of things, but how does a driver prepare for his steering wheel popping off in the middle of a race? But, that's exactly what happened at Saturday's Porsche GT3 Cup sprint race at Sebring.
You can cut to the chase at about 15 seconds in. The driver doesn't even miss a beat sticking his wheel back on the steering column.
But man, those Porsche GT3 Cup cars. If ain't one wheel falling off, it's another.
(Hat tip to: Robb!)


text:
Join Peg+Cat as they learn about the Muslim holiday Eid-Al-Adha from their friends Yasmina and Amir. In addition to exploring how Muslim's celebrate the holiday, students also explore the mathematical concepts of less than (<) and more than (>), fractions, and how to create equal amounts.
A companion book is available for purchase on the Candlewick Press website here.
For more resources like this, see the collection Promoting Understanding: Islam.


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Soapstone (also known as steatite, or soaprock) is a talc-schist., which is a type of metamorphic rock. It is largely composed of the mineral talc and is thus rich in magnesium. It is produced by dynamothermal metamorphism and metasomatism, which occurs in the areas where tectonic plates are subducted, changing rocks by heat and pressure, with influx of fluids, but without melting. It has been a medium for carving for thousands of years.
Petrologically, soapstone is composed dominantly of talc, with varying amounts of chlorite and amphiboles (typically tremolite, anthophyllite, and cummingtonite, obsolete name: magnesiocummingtonite), and trace to minor FeCr-oxides. It may be schistose or massive. Soapstone is formed by the metamorphism of ultramafic protoliths (e.g. dunite or serpentinite) and the metasomatism of siliceous dolostones.
Pyrophyllite, a mineral very similar to talc, is sometimes called soapstone in the generic sense since its physical characteristics and industrial uses are similar,[citation needed] and because it is also commonly used as a carving material. However, this mineral typically does not have such a soapy feel as soapstone.
Physical characteristics
Soapstone is relatively soft because of its high talc content, talc having a definitional value of 1 on the Mohs hardness scale. Softer grades may feel soapy when touched, hence the name. There is no fixed hardness for soapstone because the amount of talc it contains varies widely, from as little as 30% for architectural grades such as those used on countertops, to as much as 80% for carving grades. Common, non-architectural grades of soapstone can just barely be scratched with a fingernail and are thus considered to have a hardness of 2.5 on the Mohs scale.[1] If a candidate rock cannot be scratched with a knife blade (hardness of 5.5), it is not soapstone.
Soapstone is often used as an insulator or housing for electrical components, due to its durability and electrical characteristics and because it can be pressed into complex shapes before firing. Soapstone undergoes transformations when heated to temperatures of 1000–1200 °C into enstatite and cristobalite; in the Mohs scale, this corresponds to an increase in hardness to 5.5–6.5.[2]
Historical uses
Soapstone is used for inlaid designs, sculpture, coasters, and kitchen countertops and sinks. The Inuit often use soapstone for traditional carvings. Some Native American tribes and bands make bowls, cooking slabs, and other objects from soapstone; historically, this was particularly common during the Late Archaic archaeological period.[3]
Locally quarried soapstone was used for gravemarkers in 19th century northeast Georgia, USA, around Dahlonega, and Cleveland, as simple field stone and "slot and tab" tombs.
Vikings hewed soapstone directly from the stone face, shaped it into cooking-pots, and sold these at home and abroad.[4]
Soapstone is sometimes used for construction of fireplace surrounds, cladding on metal woodstoves, and as the preferred material for woodburning masonry heaters because it can absorb, store and evenly radiate heat due to its high density and magnesite (MgCO3) content. It is also used for counter tops and bathroom tiling because of the ease of working the material and its property as the "quiet stone." A weathered or aged appearance will occur naturally over time as the patina is enhanced. Applying mineral oil simply darkens the appearance of the stone; it does not protect it in any way.[citation needed]
Tepe Yahya, an ancient trading city in southeastern Iran, was a center for the production and distribution of soapstone in the 5th–3rd millennia BC.[5] It was also used in Minoan Crete. At the Palace of Knossos, archaeological recovery has included a magnificent libation table made of steatite.[6] The Yoruba of West Nigeria utilized soapstone for several statues most notably at Esie where archaeologists have uncovered hundreds of male and female statues, about half of life size. The Yoruba of Ife also produced a miniature soapstone obelisk with metal studs called superstitiously "the staff of Oranmiyan"
Modern uses
Soapstone has been used in India for centuries as a medium for carving. Mining to meet world-wide demand for soapstone is threatening the habitat of India's tigers.[7]
In Brazil, especially in Minas Gerais, due to the abundance of soapstone mines in that Brazilian state, local artisans still craft objects from that material, including pots and pans, wine glasses, statues, jewel boxes, coasters, vases. These handicrafts are commonly sold in street markets found in cities across the state. Some of the oldest towns, notably Congonhas, Tiradentes and Ouro Preto, still have some of their streets paved with soapstone from colonial times.
Some Native Americans use soapstone for smoking pipes; numerous examples have been found among artifacts of different cultures and are still in use today. Its lack of heat conduction allows for prolonged smoking without the pipe's heating up uncomfortably.[8]
Some premium wood fired heating stoves are made of soapstone to take advantage of its useful thermal and fire resistant properties.
Soapstone is also used to carve Chinese seals.
Currently, soapstone is most commonly used for architectural applications, such as counter tops and interior surfacing. There is currently only one active North American soapstone mine. That mine is found in Central Virginia and is operated by the Alberene Soapstone Company. All other architectural soapstone is mined in Brazil, India and Finland and imported into the United States.[9]
Welders and fabricators use soapstone as a marker due to its resistance to heat; it remains visible when heat is applied. It has also been used for many years by seamstresses, carpenters, and other craftsmen as a marking tool because its marks are visible and not permanent.
Soapstone can be used to create molds for casting objects from soft metals, such as pewter or silver. The soft stone is easily carved and is not degraded by heating. The slick surface of soapstone allows the finished object to be easily removed.
Soapstones can be put in a freezer and later used in place of ice cubes to chill alcoholic beverages without diluting. Sometimes called 'whiskey stones', these were first introduced around 2007. Most whiskey stones feature a semi-polished finish, retaining the soft look of natural soapstone, while others are highly polished.
Steatite ceramics are low-cost biaxial porcelains of nominal composition (MgO)3(SiO2)4.[10] By mass, steatite is approximately 67% silica and 33% magnesia, and may contain minor quantities of other oxides such as CaO or Al2O3. Steatite is used primarily for its dielectric and thermal insulating properties in applications such as tile, substrates, washers, bushings, beads and pigments.[11]
People can be exposed to soapstone in the workplace by breathing it in, skin contact, or eye contact. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has set the legal limit (Permissible exposure limit) for soapstone exposure in the workplace as 20 mppcf over an 8-hour workday. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has set a Recommended exposure limit (REL) of 6 mg/m3 total exposure and 3 mg/m3 respiratory exposure over an 8-hour workday. At levels of 3000 mg/m3, soapstone is immediately dangerous to life and health.[12]
Other names
- Combarbalite stone, exclusively mined in Combarbalá, Chile, is known for its many colors. While they are not visible during mining, they appear after refining.
- Palewa and gorara stones are types of Indian soapstone.
- A variety of other regional and marketing names for soapstone are used.[13]
12th century Byzantine relief of Saint George and the Dragon
Soapstone slot & tab tomb in Dahlonega, Georgia, USA.
An Egyptian carved and glazed steatite scarab amulet.
Steatite scarab. The Walters Art Museum.
See also
- List of minerals
- Serpentinite
- Talc carbonate
- Ultramafic rock
- Archeological Site 38CK1, Archeological Site 38CK44, and Archeological Site 38CK45
- ↑ "About the Hardness of Soapstone" by Soapstone.com
- ↑ "Some Important Aspects of the Harappan Technological Tradition," Bhan KK, Vidale M and Kenoyer JM, in Indian Archaeology in Retrospect/edited by S. Settar and Ravi Korisettar, Manohar Press, New Delhi, 2002.
- ↑ Kenneth E. Sassaman (1993-03-30). Early Pottery in the Southeast: Tradition and Innovation in Cooking Technology. University Alabama Press. ISBN 978-0-8173-0670-0.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Else Rosendahl, The Vikings, The Penguin Press, 1987, page 105
- ↑ "Tepe Yahya," Encyclopædia Britannica, 2004. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. 3 January 2004, Britannica.com
- ↑ C.Michael Hogan (2007) "Knossos Fieldnotes", The Modern Antiquarian
- ↑ Barnett, Antony (2003-06-22). "West's love of talc threatens India's tigers". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 2007-01-09.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Witthoft, J.G., 1949, "Stone Pipes of the Historic Cherokees", Southern Indian Studies 1(2):43–62.
- ↑ "Soapstone gives countertops, tiles a look that's both new and old". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2014-01-11.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Royalty Minerals Ltd., Mumbai, India.
- ↑ Superior Technical Ceramics Corp., St. Albans, Vermont, USA.
- ↑ "CDC - NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards - Soapstone (containing less than 1% quartz)". www.cdc.gov. Retrieved 2015-11-21.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ GemRocks: Soapstone
- ↑ Hoysala.in
External links
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to soapstone or steatite.
- Soapstone Calculated Refractory Data w/ Technical Properties Converter (Incl. Soapstone Volume vs. Weight measuring units)
- Ancient soapstone bowl (The Central States Archaeological Journal)
- Soapstone Native American quarries, Maryland (Geological Society of America)
- Prehistoric soapstone use in northeastern Maryland (Antiquity Journal)
- The Blue Rock Soapstone Quarry, Yancey County, NC (North Carolina Office of State Archaeology)
- CDC - NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards


text:
Big blast planned today at Crazy Horse
Categories: Black Hills, Events, General News, Native Americans, Western SD
Tags: Crazy Horse, Korczak Ziolkowski
Seth Tupper was born and raised in South Dakota and earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from South Dakota State University in 2001. After college, he worked at a newspaper in Minnesota and then returned to South Dakota in 2003 to join the staff of The Daily Republic in Mitchell, where he is currently the publisher. Seth has won numerous awards for his writing, including the 2007 Outstanding Young Journalist award in the daily newspapers category of the South Dakota Newspaper Association's Better Newspapers Contest. Seth's day-job and freelance work have granted him opportunities to meet hundreds of South Dakotans and travel across much of the state. He also spends a lot of his free time exploring South Dakota's state and national parks, hiking trails and kayak-friendly rivers.


text:
Caladium Bulbs - Florida Moonlight Pre-Sale Now; Ships Spring 2021
- Perennial; Grows up to 18-24 Inches
- White leaves with fine Green veins and edges
- Prefers Sun/Partial Shade
Availability & Turnaround Time
All seeds are shipped year-round, while flower bulbs are shipped on a seasonal basis. Typical turnaround times for in-stock items is between 2 – 5 business days.
|Shipping Period
|All Seeds:
|Zones 2 – 10
|Spring Planted Bulbs & Perennials (March - June):
|Zones 8 – 10 Pre-Orders
|Mid March
|Zones 7 Pre-Orders
|Late March-Early April
|Zones 6 Pre-Orders
|Early-Mid April
|Zones 5 Pre-Orders
|Mid-Late April
|Zones 2 – 4 Pre-Orders
|Late April-Early May
|All Zones Ship Until Inventory is Sold Out
|May - June
|Saffron Crocus & Bearded Iris (Late August - November):
|All Zones
|Start Shipping late August
|Fall Planted Bulbs & Perennials (September - January):
|Zones 2-4 Pre-Orders
|Mid September
|Zones 5 Pre-Orders
|Mid-Late September
|Zones 6 Pre-Orders
|Late September
|Zones 7 Pre-Orders
|Late September - Early October
|Zones 8-10 Pre-Orders
|Early October
|All Zones Ship Until Inventory is Sold Out
|Mid October - January
|NOTE: Amaryllis Bulbs, Hosta Roots, Lily Bulbs, Papaver Roots, Paperwhite Bulbs, Peony Roots & Siberian Iris Roots ship to ALL ZONES beginning in October.
We try our utmost to maintain reliable inventory of all products, and are very proud of our record in doing so. However, as we are a company engaged in what Mother Nature provides, we do sometimes experience shortages and crop failures beyond our control. If, for any reason, we are required to backorder any portion of your order, rest assured we will keep you apprised of updated shipping information and/or any other options that may satisfy your needs and wishes.
Product Description
Caladium Bulbs -Florida Moonlight
A luminious, almost entirely white leaf makes this caladium variety a total standout! Simply glowing in shady areas, Florida Moonlight is an excellent choice for container planting.
Caladium can be grown in any region as an indoor plant, but take care to only start outdoors once nighttime temperatures are high 60's and above.
Fast Facts
Name: Caladium Bulbs - Florida Moonlight Botanical Name: Caladium hortulanem (Fancy Leaf) Bulb/Tuber Size: No. 1 Color: White with fine green veins and edge Height/Bloom Size: 18-24 Inches Planting Season: Spring Planting Depth: 2 Inches Light Requirement: Partial Sun/Shade Bloom Time: July - Frost Life Cycle: Tender Perennial - Lift prior to frost in zones 7 & below Hardiness Zones: 8-11 Ships: Spring
Planting Instructions
Caladiums are tropical foliage plants that provide a splash of color in summer flower beds. They grow well in shaded areas, containers, hanging baskets, and as borders. Caladiums are easy to grow; they are tropical plants, native to Brazil. So, it's no surprise that these plants love a warm, shady, humid environment. It grows to it's full height of 12" to 30" in one season. You can add drama to any landscape with the addition of caladiums. Their brightly-colored leaves, in shades of red, pink, white and green, are perfect in a grouping or as an accent for other plants.
1- When to Plant your Caladium Bulbs:
If you wish to give your Caladium bulbs a head start, you may plant them indoors 6 weeks before the last frost date. If you start outdoors, make sure the soil is warm before planting your Caladiums bulbs –the night temperature must reach the high 60's or warmer on a consistent basis.
2- Where to Plant your Caladium Bulbs:
Finding the right location for your outdoor caladium is important and well-draining soil is a must. Partial sunlight is best for the caladium. Caladiums bulbs also like rich soil; if the soil is poor, add generous amounts of compost and manure. Last, plant the caladium where it will not be affected by strong wind. Too much wind can damage the plant's large leaves.
3- How to Plant your Caladium Bulbs:
Plant the caladium bulbs in holes that are 2 inches deep. When you hold the tuber up, look for the part of the tuber which has something similar to the eyes on a potato. Gently put the tuber in the ground, with the part with the eyes pointing up. Add a little bone meal to the soil and plant other tubers about 12 inches apart. Water them generously to encourage the caladium to take root. Caladium bulbs should be kept moist during germination, without allowing the soil to become soggy. Cool nights and excessive moisture can cause the bulb to rot. Once the caladiums breaks ground it is easy to tell when to water as they will droop very easily if thirsty. You will need to adjust your watering schedule based on your climate and the amount of sun the plant receives.
Caladium grows well with little care or attention. Fertilize outdoors once a month with a general purpose fertilizer. Indoors, use a liquid fertilizer every couple of weeks. During the growing period, remove any dead or damaged leaves. Trim the yellow growth from the foliage when the growing season has passed. Where winter is a concern, dig up the caladium bulbs before the frost sets in. Lay them out in a cool, dry area and, when the caladium bulbs are dry, remove the dead leaves and store them in net bags until spring. Make sure that the temperatures in the area where the bulbs are stored do not drop below 60 degrees.
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text:
Christopher Newport Captain's Classic
@ Christopher Newport University
Newport News, Va.
Weather: Partly Sunny, 65-70 degrees
Newport News, Va. - The men's and women's outdoor track team traveled to Newport News, Virginia to compete in the Captain's Classic Invitational hosted by Division III powerhouse Christopher Newport University. The team excelled at the meet winning six events and posting seven ECAC qualifying performances. They also had six second place finishes and six third place finishes.
In the running events, Andrew Sanchez won the Men's 800-meter in a time of 2:01.55, while Chris Herbst also placed atop his event, the 400-meter Intermediate Hurdles. The men's 4x400-meter Relay of Kensely Norian, Jason Chin Chitty, Azell Green and Akil Williams finished first in 3:23.96, also qualifying for the ECAC's.
The field events called for three first place finishes by the Rams. Akil Williams had a first place, ECAC Qualifying High Jump of 6'6" (1.96 meters). Reuben Hairston won the Long Jump with a leap of 20' 6 1/2". David Casillas set a personal best with a 131' 7" Hammer Throw to move into 3rd place All-Time in the Farmingdale record books for his event.
The women's 4x100-meter Relay of Nicole Zarek, Kerri Ann-Samuels, Brianna DeVito and Ivory Elder placed 2nd in the meet with a time of 55.71 which moves them to 7th All-Time in the Farmingdale record books. DeVito also placed 3rd in the High Jump and moved to 4th All-Time at Farmingdale with a 4' 9 3/4" jump.
Farmingdale will compete next on April 14th at the Coach "O" Invitational at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y.
Meet Highlights
Men's 400-meter: Kensley Norian - 2nd place - 49.91 - ECAC Qualifier, Personal best
Men's 800-meter: Andrew Sanchez - 1st place - 2:01.55; Ray Thomas - 3rd place - 2:03.66
Men's 110-meter High Hurdles: Chris Herbst - 3rd place - 15.68 - ECAC Qualifier
Men's 400-meter Intermediate Hurdles: Chris Herbst - 1st place - 58.45
Men's 4x100-meter Relay: Jason Chin Chitty, Azell Green, Reuben Hairston, Kensley Norian - 2nd place - 43.14 - ECAC Qualifier
Women's 4x100-meter Relay: Nicole Zarek, Kerri Ann-Samuels, Brianna DeVito, Ivory Elder - 2nd place - 55.71 - #7 on All-Time Farmingdale list
Men's 4x400-meter Relay: Kensley Norian, Jason Chin Chitty, Azell Green, Akil Williams - 1st place - 3:23.96 - ECAC Qualifier
Men's High Jump: Akil Williams - 1st place - 1.98m (6'6") - ECAC Qualifier
Women's High Jump: Brianna DeVito - 3rd place - 1.47m (4' 9 3/4") - #4 on All-Time Farmingdale list
Men's Long Jump: Reuben Hairston - 1st place - 6.26m (20' 6 1/2")
Men's Triple Jump: Reggie Routier - 2nd place - 13.48m (44' 2 3/4") - ECAC Qualifier - #10 on All-Time Farmingdale list; Reuben Hairston - 3rd place - 13.24m (43' 5 1/4")
Men's Hammer Throw: David Casillas - 1st place - 40.12m (131' 7") - #3 on All-Time Farmingdale list - Personal best; Chris Okolie - 3rd place - 34.84m (114' 4") - #4 on All-Time Farmingdale list - Personal best; Alex Rubino - 6th place - 31.51m (103' 5") - #6 on All-Time Farmingdale list
Men's Shot Put: Chris Okolie - 2nd place - 12.69m (41' 7 3/4")
Men's Discus: Alex Rubino - 2nd place - 38.67m (126' 10"); Chris Okolie - 3rd place - 37.51m (123')


text:
Photo Friday: Occupy Oakland Candlelight Vigil
I'm not a full time occupier, but I do drop by the Camp a couple of times a week. After a leisurely ride around the lake last Thursday, I stopped by the corner I'd been scrubbing walls of the week before.
I could tell instantly that I had clearly just missed something big.
I hung back, secured my bike, and leaned against the railing of the 12th St BART stairs. The crowd was agitated. Someone was on the ground, surrounded by concerned people. Police broke out the yellow barrier tape and established an expanding perimeter – which my bike was now 10 feet inside of.
A few minutes later, ambulances and fire trucks arrived, a gurney was wheeled to the scene, and the injured person was taken away leaving a pile of evidence and blood behind. The cops maintained a peaceful blocking of the crime scene, and life at camp continued, albeit with many whispers. That someone was shot was the only thing people knew.
An hour or so later, the #OccupyOakland Twitter hashtag announced the sad news – Kayode Ola Foster was pronounced dead at Highland Hospital (the same hospital where Scott Olsen was taken).
Feeling once again moved to act, but not knowing how to help, I saw a couple of lit candles and had an idea. I looked up, saw a Walgreens across the street, and decided to buy some more candles. In the candle aisle, I met a young woman who had the same idea. Her name was Mimi, and she had brought her visiting-from-out-of-town mother to the Camp, and they too wanted to help. What they didn't grab, I took the rest. Together we brought our armloads of candles bought from a 1% corporation, and gave to the 99%. We deposited boxes at several locations where candles were already being lit, and they were put to sombre use.
(Related articles of the Occupy Oakland shooting can be found
at SFGate, the LA Times, and CNN.)


text:
The Mirage
A Novel
Other Editions of This Title:
Paperback (2/12/2013)
February 2012 Indie Next List
— Tegan Tigani, Queen Anne Books, Seattle, WA
View the List
A mind-bending novel in which an alternate history of 9/11 and its aftermath uncovers startling truths about America and the Middle East
11/9/2001: Christian fundamentalists hijack four jetliners. They fly two into the Tigris & Euphrates World Trade Towers in Baghdad, and a third into the Arab Defense Ministry in Riyadh. The fourth plane, believed to be bound for Mecca, is brought down by its passengers.
The United Arab States declares a War on Terror. Arabian and Persian troops invade the Eastern Seaboard and establish a Green Zone in Washington, D.C. . . .
Summer, 2009: Arab Homeland Security agent Mustafa al Baghdadi interrogates a captured suicide bomber. The prisoner claims that the world they are living in is a mirage—in the real world, America is a superpower, and the Arab states are just a collection of "backward third-world countries." A search of the bomber's apartment turns up a copy of The New York Times, dated September 12, 2001, that appears to support his claim. Other captured terrorists have been telling the same story. The president wants answers, but Mustafa soon discovers he's not the only interested party.
The gangster Saddam Hussein is conducting his own investigation. And the head of the Senate Intelligence Committee—a war hero named Osama bin Laden—will stop at nothing to hide the truth. As Mustafa and his colleagues venture deeper into the unsettling world of terrorism, politics, and espionage, they are confronted with questions without any rational answers, and the terrifying possibility that their world is not what it seems.
Acclaimed novelist Matt Ruff has created a shadow world that is eerily recognizable but, at the same time, almost unimaginable. Gripping, subversive, and unexpectedly moving, The Mirage probes our deepest convictions and most arresting fears.
Praise For The Mirage: A Novel…
— The Associated Press
"Like Philip Roth's The Plot Against America, the premise behind Ruff's alternate-history novel is chilling."
— The New York Post
"An unnerving but intriguing premise forms the backbone of Matt Ruff's latest novel, The Mirage, one of the most daring 9/11-inspired novels to emerge after that horrific day
— The Seattle Times
"Ruff embraces his twisty concept with an attention to detail that suggests many months, more likely years, of fervent research. . . . He is a world-class world builder who, perhaps better than any other writer, can create exotic, mysterious worlds and communicate their unique rules and consistent logics."
— The Stranger
"A funhouse-mirror mash-up where H.G. Wells and Graham Greene collide with The Arabian Nights and The Matrix. . . . Ruff dizzies and dazzles the reader with a fantastic-and fantastical-story."
— BookPage
"Sci-fi/fantasy/post-cyberpunk cult author Matt Ruff imagines an alternate world in which Arabia becomes the earth's dominant superpower and America is a dictator-led, fundamentalist backwater. More than half the fun here comes from discovering all of the intricately clever consequences Ruff derives from that simple premise."
— Details
"The alt-historical framework is in many ways the best and most entertaining part of the book, and you want it to expand beyond the mere 400 pages of The Mirage."
— Seattle Weekly
"Furious entertainment. . . . It echoes Michael Chabon's The Yiddish Policeman's Union or Steven Barnes's Lion's Blood, but more comparisons will be made to Philip K. Dick's World War II reimagining The Man in the High Castle."
— The Onion's AV Club
"If you amalgamated the methodical, punctilious, world-building skills of Ian McDonald with the reality-distortion powers of Philip K. Dick and then folded in the satirical, take-no-prisoners savagery of Norman Spinrad, you might be able to produce a book approximating The Mirage."
— Barnes and Nobles Review
"That The Mirage shares DNA with airport-kiosk genre exercises is nothing to be ashamed of. A good thriller is hard to pull off. The ingredients are clear enough: propulsive action, sympathetic characterization, and enough detail to ground the story without slowing things down."
— The Philadelphia City Paper
"This book quite successfully challenges the ideas of Christian moral supremacy and the unchallenged political agenda of superpowers. It is a deeply satisfying novel which excites hopes of a long and productive career for this young writer."
— Examiner.com
"The Mirage is an intriguing addition to the genre . .. . Ruff spices up his tale with a wealth of arresting details. . . . Ruff keeps you reading, [out of] eagerness to see what twist he'll think of next."
— The New York Times Book Review
"An audacious new novel. . . . . The Mirage is a topsy-turvy tour de force, another winner from a truly inventive and unpredictable storyteller."
— The San Francisco Chronicle
Harper, 9780061976223, 432pp.
Publication Date: February 7, 2012
About the Author
Matt Ruff is the author of The Mirage, Bad Monkeys, Set This House in Order, Fool on the Hill, and Sewer, Gas & Electric. He lives in Seattle.


text:
Frutas y HortalizasFeb. 27, 2013
EE.UU: venta de frutas y hortalizas frescas 2012 mostraron un aumento de 4% en comparación a las ventas totales del 2011
While tomato sales dropped sharply, the 2012 report card on retail fresh produce performance showed big gains for berries, apples, grapes and value-added fruit compared with 2011.
Tom Karst
Steve Lutz, executive vice president of the Nielsen Perishables Group, said that 52-week sales data through Dec. 29 of 2012 showed overall produce sales for the year were up 4.4% compared with 2011. Volume of fresh produce sold rose 3.4%, Nielsen figures showed, with the average price for all produce items rising an average of 1%.
Nielsen statistics show that the top 10 produce categories — berries, packaged salad, apples, bananas, grapes, potatoes, tomatoes, citrus, value-added fruit and cooking vegetables — account for about 57% of produce sales in the U.S.
Nine of those 10 categories showed volume growth in 2012, Lutz said.
Potatoes were the only category with a volume decline and one of three categories, with tomatoes and cooking vegetables, with year-over-year declines in overall sales compared with 2011.
Tomato sales for 2012 were off 7.2%, pulled lower by a 8.9% drop in average prices despite a 2% increase in volume.
Meanwhile, potato sales slipped 4%, with volume off 0.4% despite a 3.6% drop in average potato prices.
"Some of these categories get in kind of a rut and consumers don't respond to the price cues," Lutz said.
Fruits, typically eaten as snacks, are usually more responsive to changes in price than are vegetables, Lutz said.
Top performers
Berries topped volume growth in 2012, recording 10.5% gain in volume and a 2.1% increase in average prices helping contribute to a 12.8% rise in sales.
Berries continue to steal the spotlight for the fresh produce department with their strong performance, Lutz said. Among the top 20 produce categories, berries were second in the number of new items added within the category in 2012, according to Nielsen data.
"What that suggests is that you are getting more package types at retail to appeal to smaller consumer segments," he said. Consumers now have more choices in berry package sizes, whether that would be 4-ounce, 6-ounce, 8-ounce or bigger packs.
"That impression growth is typically associated with space allocation, so you are getting a category that is getting a larger footprint at retail," Lutz said.
Another strong performer in 2012 was apples, he said. Even with a 7.3% increase in average prices, Lutz said apple volume was able to increase 2.2%. Overall apple sales for the year rose 9.7%, Nielsen figures showed. Even in the fourth quarter of 2012, despite short crops in Michigan and New York, overall apple volume rose 1.2%, he said.
"That's a pretty good story for apples, to be able to come through a year where we knew there was going to be a shorter crop in the U.S." he said.
Lutz said the consumer demand for all the fresh departments in the supermarket is being largely driven by trends toward of health-oriented products, convenience-oriented products, global items and premium indulgent items. "Part of what you are seeing is a greater than average increase in health-oriented products in fresh foods, including fresh produce," Lutz said.
He cited strong-performing examples in the produce department, including select varieties of grape tomatoes and apples, as evidence of the appeal of premium and convenience items.
In that vein, the Nielsen numbers showed an 11.8% rise in value-added fruit sales in 2012, with volume rising 4.7% and average prices up by 6.8%
Looking ahead to the rest of 2013, Lutz said fresh produce marketers should be optimistic.
"The economy is improving, consumers value our products and there is all sorts of messages in the press about health and why produce is important to diet," he said.
Consumer expectations for taste, quality and convenience are being met with new varieties and packages, Lutz said.
"If you look across produce, there is a lot of innovation going on within the category and suppliers continue to work hard to continue to get products consumers want to pay for," he said.


text:
Metro Briefing | New York: Buffalo: Abortion Provider's Killer Apologizes
By DAVID STABA; Compiled by John Sullivan
Published: January 10, 2007
A man convicted of killing a doctor who performed abortions as part of his practice apologized to the victim's widow in Federal District Court yesterday, the first day of his trial on charges of violating a federal law forbidding forceful interference with reproductive services. The man, James C. Kopp, 52, who is acting as his own lawyer, told Lynne Slepian, whose husband, Dr. Barnett Slepian, was killed by a rifle shot from woods outside their suburban home on the evening of Oct. 23, 1998, ''I respect you and your family.'' Mr. Kopp, who spent more than two years as a fugitive in Mexico and France, is serving a sentence of 25 years to life after his conviction on state murder charges. If convicted in federal court, he faces a possible sentence of life without parole. DAVID STABA