text:
36 S.Ct. 206
60 L.Ed. 396
NORTHWESTERN LAUNDRY and T. R. Hazard, Appts.,
CITY OF DES MOINES et al.
No. 121.
Argued and Submitted December 9, 1915.
Decided January 10, 1916.
Mr. O. M. Brockett for appellants.
[Argument of Counsel from pages 487-488 intentionally omitted]
Messrs. Eskil C. Carlson, H. W. Byers, and Earl M. Steer for appellees.
Mr. Justice Day delivered the opinion of the court:
The Northwestern Laundry and T. R. Hazard, its president, filed a bill in the district court of the United States for the southern district of Iowa, against the city of Des Moines, Iowa; James R. Hanna, mayor; W. A. Needham, commissioner; Zell G. Roe, commissioner; F. T. Van Liew, commissioner; J. I. Myerly, commissioner; W. H. Byers, commerce counsel; R. O. Brennan, city solicitor; Eskil C. Carlson, assistant city solicitor; Harry McNutt, smoke inspector; and Paul Beer, W. H. Harwood, L. Harbach, B. S. Walker, and Geo. France, members smoke abatement commission. The purpose of the bill was to enjoin the enforcement of an ordinance of the city of Des Moines, effective September 6th, 1911, which provided that the emission of dense smoke in portions of that city should be a public nuisance and prohibited the same. To that end the ordinance authorized the appointment of a smoke inspector, and otherwise dealt with the subject with a view to effecting the prohibited purpose declared. The case was heard upon the bill and a motion practically amounting to a demurrer.
The bill and amended bill are very lengthy. For our purposes, their allegations and the requirements of the ordinance sufficiently appear in what is said in the discussion and disposition of the case.
The protection of the due process and equal protection clauses of the 14th Amendment is invoked. It is insisted that the ordinance is void because its standard of efficiency requires the remodeling of practically all furnaces which were in existence at the time of its adoption; it forbids remodeling or substituted equipment without a prescribed license; it forbids new construction without such license; it fails to specify approved equipment, and instead delegates, first to the inspector, and second, to the smoke abatement commission, the unregulated discretion to arbitrarily prescribe the requirements in each case, without reference to any other as to the required character of smoke prevention device, thus making the right of complainants and their class to own and operate such furnaces subject to the pleasure of the inspector and commission. It is averred that the ordinance exceeds the authority delegated to the city by the legislature; that it attempts to substitute its own definition of the crime and nuisance committed by the emission of dense smoke for that enacted by the legislature in the act under the pretended authority of which the ordinance is adopted; that it is unreasonable and tyrannical and exceeds the authority delegated for want of uniformity as to the whole city and because the exceptions specified are not natural and just. It is alleged that the ordinance prescribes arbitrary tests of degrees of density, and enables the inspector to present irrebuttable proof of violation; that it provides for unlimited prosecutions and successive fines, constituting excessive punishment in the aggregate, without adequate remedy or relief, and undertakes to deprive the courts of power to determine whether the nuisances have in fact been committed or maintained.
A motion to dismiss the bill covered three grounds: First, that the bill did not state any matter of equity entitling complainants to the relief prayed, nor were the facts, as stated in the bill, sufficient to entitle complainants to any relief against defendants; second, that the bill showed upon its face that the complainants have a plain, speedy, and adequate remedy at law; and third, as it appeared on the face of the bill that the complainants were all residents of the state of Iowa, and the relief demanded was against an ordinance of the defendant city, the court was without jurisdiction. The court sustained the motion, and entered a final decree dismissing the bill with prejudice. There was no attempt to make a separate issue on the question of jurisdiction, or to take an appeal upon that question alone to this court. Judicial Code, § 238, 36 Stat. at L. 1157, chap. 231, Comp. Stat. 1913, § 1215.
The decree was a general one on the merits, and, as the bill charged a violation of the 14th Amendment not so frivolous as to fail to give original jurisdiction, the appeal to this court from the final decree brings the whole case here. Holder v. Aultman, M. & Co. 169 U. S. 81, 88, 42 L. ed. 669, 671, 18 Sup. Ct. Rep. 269; Field v. Barber Asphalt Paving Co. 194 U. S. 618, 620, 48 L. ed. 1142, 1152, 24 Sup. Ct. Rep. 784; Boise Artesian Hot & Cold Water Co. v. Boise City, 230 U. S. 84, 91, 57 L. ed. 1400, 1406, 33 Sup. Ct. Rep. 997.
We are not furnished with any reference to an Iowa statute giving an adequate remedy at law, and we find none such. We have therefore to deal with the questions, Federal and state, made upon the face of the bill.
So far as the Federal Constitution is concerned, we have no doubt the state may by itself, or through authorized municipalities, declare the emission of dense smoke in cities or populous neighborhoods a nuisance and subject to restraint as such; and that the harshness of such legislation, or its effect upon business interests, short of a merely arbitrary enactment, are not valid constitutional objections. Nor is there any valid Federal constitutional objection in the fact that the regulation may require the discontinuance of the use of property, or subject the occupant to large expense in complying with the terms of the law or ordinance. Recent cases in this court are Reinman v. Little Rock, 237 U. S. 171, 59 L. ed. 900, 35 Sup. Ct. Rep. 511; Chicago & A. R. Co. v. Tranberger, 238 U. S. 67, 59 L. ed. 1204, 35 Sup. Ct. Rep. 678; Hadacheck v. Sebastian, decided December 20th, 1915 [239 U. S. 394, 60 L. ed. ——, 36 Sup. Ct. Rep. 143.]
That such emission of smoke is within the regulatory power of the state has been often affirmed by state courts. Harmon v. Chicago, 110 Ill. 400, 51 Am. Rep. 698; Bowers v. Indianapolis, 169 Ind. 105, 81 N. E. 1097, 13 Ann. Cas. 1198; People v. Lewis, 86 Mich. 273, 49 N. W. 140; St. Paul v. Haugbro, 93 Minn. 59, 66 L.R.A. 441, 106 Am. St. Rep. 427, 100 N. W. 470, 2 Ann. Cas. 580; State v. Tower, 185 Mo. 79, 68 L.R.A. 402, 84 S. W. 10; Rochester v. Macauley-Fien Mill Co. 199 N. Y. 207, 32 L.R.A.(N.S.) 554, 92 N. E. 641. And such appears to be the law in Iowa. McGill v. Pintsch Compressing Co. 140 Iowa, 429, 20 L.R.A.(N.S.) 466, 118 N. W. 786.
It is contended that the ordinance is in excess of the legislative authority conferred by the state of Iowa upon the city of Des Moines. This question does not seem to have been directly passed upon by the supreme court of Iowa.
The statute of Iowa enacted April 15th, 1911, before the passage of this ordinance, is as follows:
An Act Declaring the Emission of Smoke within the Corporate Limits of Certain Cities to be a Public Nuisance, and Conferring upon Such Cities Additional Powers for the Abatement of Such Nuisances. . . .
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Iowa:
Section 1. Declared a nuisance.—The emission of dense smoke within the corporate limits of any of the cities of this state now or hereafter having a population of sixty-five thousand (65,000) inhabitants or over, including cities acting under the commission plan of government is hereby declared to be a public nuisance.
Section 2. Abatement.—Every such city is hereby empowered to provide by ordinance for the abatement of such nuisance either by fine or imprisonment or by action in the district court of the county in which such city is located, or by both, such action to be prosecuted in the name of the city. They may also by ordinance provide all necessary rules and regulations for smoke inspection and the abatement and prevention of the smoke nuisance. 34 Laws of Iowa, chap. 37, p. 27.
The ordinance in question was passed on the 6th day of September, 1911, and became effective, as we have said, on that date. The city of Des Moines is within the terms of this act. On March 20th, 1913, the legislature passed another law, as follows:
An Act Declaring the Emission of Smoke within the Corporate Limits of Certain Cities, Including Cities Acting under Special Charter, to be a Public Nuisance and Conferring upon Such Cities Additional Powers for the Abatement of Such Nuisances and Repealing Chapter Thirty-seven (37) of the Laws of the Thirty-fourth General Assembly. . . .
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Iowa:
Section 1. Declared a nuisance.—The emission of dense smoke within the corporate limits of the cities of the state, including cities acting under commission form of government, now or hereafter having a population of thirty thousand or over and in cities acting under special charter or hereafter having a population of sixteen thousand or over, is hereby declared a nuisance.
Section 2. Abatement.—Every such city is hereby empowered to provide by ordinance for the abatement of such nuisance either by fine or imprisonment, or by action in the district court of the county in which such city is located, or by both; such action to be prosecuted in the name of the city. They may also by ordinance provide all necessary rules and regulations for smoke inspection and the abatement and prevention of the smoke nuisance.
Section 3. Repeal.—That chapter thirty-seven (37) of the laws of the thirty-fourth general assembly be and the same is hereby by repealed. 35 Laws of Iowa, p. 43.
This statute likewise includes the city of Des Moines.
The former statute was repealed by the new one. The effect of this repeal upon the validity of the ordinance is a state question, and as we understand the Iowa decisions, the authority of the ordinance here in question remained unimpaired. The statutory change did not have the effect to annul the ordinance passed under the former identical grant of authority. Allen v. Davenport, 107 Iowa, 90, 77 N. W. 532; State v. Prouty, 115 Iowa, 657, 84 N. W. 670.
It is further contended that, conceding the statutory authority, the ordinance is in excess of the legislative grant. This question does not seem to have been passed upon specifically in any Iowa case called to our attention. The statute, after declaring the emission of dense smoke within the corporate limits of such cities as Des Moines to be a nuisance, authorizes the city to provide by ordinance for the abatement of such nuisance by fine or imprisonment or by action in the district court of the county, or both, such action to be prosecuted in the name of the city; and, furthermore, municipalities are authorized to provide by ordinance all necessary rules and regulations for smoke inspection and the abatement or prevention of the smoke nuisance. The smoke inspector must be qualified by training and experience to understand the theory and practice of smoke inspection. He has the benefit of counsel of the smoke abatement commission, consisting of five members to be appointed by the city council, at least one of whom must have had experience in the installation and conduct of power and heating plants. From the smoke inspector there is an appeal to the smoke abatement commission in case of disagreement over plans for newly constructed plants or reconstruction of old ones. This grant of authority would seem to be sufficient to authorize the passage of an ordinance of a reasonable nature, such as we believe the one now under consideration to be. It delegates authority to carry out details to boards of local commissioners. That such rules and regulations are valid, subject as they are to final consideration in the courts, to determine whether they are reasonably adapted to accomplish the purpose of a statute, has been frequently held. 2 Dill. Mun. Corp. 5th ed. § 574. We find nothing in the Iowa cases to indicate that the supreme court of that state has laid down any different rule upon this question. That the courts of Iowa may be resorted to in case of an abuse of the powers vested in the inspector and commission seems to follow from the decision of the supreme court of that state in Hubbell v. Higgins, 148 Iowa, 36, 126 N. W. 914, Ann. Cas. 1912B, 822.
As to the attack upon the ordinance because of arbitrary classification, this question has been so often discussed that nothing further need be said. The ordinance applies equally to all coming within its terms, and the fact that other businesses might have been included does not make such arbitrary classification as annuls the legislation. Nor does it make classification illegal because certain cities are included and others omitted in the statute. Eckerson v. Des Moines, 137 Iowa, 452, 115 N. W. 177.
We think the District Court was right in dismissing the bill upon its merits.


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The King Of The '60s Sidemen Returns, 'Only Slightly Mad'
Only Slightly Mad, David Bromberg's new album, marks a substantial return for the multi-instrumentalist. In the late 1960s, Bromberg developed a reputation as a "first-call" guitarist, meaning that when artists — including Bob Dylan, Ringo Starr, Carly Simon, Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris and John Prine, to name a few — needed someone to record or play live with them, Bromberg was at the top of the shortlist.
The highly sought-after musician enjoyed years of collaborations with many of the music world's biggest players. But after a little over a decade, something changed.
"I got burned out in 1980," Bromberg says. "At one point, I was on the road for two years without being home for as long as two weeks, and I was too dumb to realize that it was burnout. I just felt I had to stop. I decided I was no longer a musician, if I had ever been one. But maybe the intelligent part of it is that I didn't want to be one of these guys who drags himself onto the stage and does a bitter imitation of something he used to love."
NPR's Robert Siegel spoke with Bromberg about his musical influences and how he occupied himself after a self-imposed hiatus from life on the road. Hear more of their conversation at the audio link.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

subset: commoncrawl


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While I still struggle to understand how my dad can eat almost an entire christmas pudding by himself each year or how anyone actually enjoys eating the fruit cake sitting under the thick layer of marzipan and fondant icing better known as christmas cake (although I do love eating the icing by itself), the first time I tried a mince pie, still warm from the oven and dusted with a thin layer of icing sugar, I was sold. There is something incredibly comforting about biting into a warm mince pie, the heady smell of the warming spices hitting you first and the way the delicate pastry shell gives way to the sweet and spicy filling of cooked apples, dried as well as candied fruit, the flavour of the filling varying slightly every time, depending on the cook's preferences.
These days, I try to make my own mincemeat and use this to either make small individual mince pies or even a larger individual pie (last year we actually made a large galette, not the most sightly baked good ever to come out of my parents' oven but delicious nonetheless with a big scoop of roasted milk ice cream melting on top). Last year, I also came across the Mince Pie Project, a great initiative where famous UK chefs sign up to create their signature version of mince pies and auction these off for charity. Browsing last year's list of chefs and their creations is enough to get me salivating. But what struck me the most when I first stumbled upon their website is that mince pies are actually perfect to experiment with – as much as I like the classical version, I am not the world's biggest fan of candied fruit or glacé cherries, and suet is not an ingredient that has ever made its way into my kitchen. Altering the ingredients slightly not only allows you to use your favourite dried fruit and spices but it also lets you nudge the mince pies ever so slightly to much warmer climes (culinarily speaking at least).
I did not realise 'quincemeat' was a thing until after I made the batch of mincemeat for these mince pies (or should I say quince pies?). But it turns out it is a thing and I am merely late to the party. Not that I mind, using quinces is a wonderful alternative to using apples. A common ingredient in many Middle Eastern dishes, both sweet and savoury, quinces, gently poached in this case, also provide the perfect base for a rich mincemeat full of dates, figs and apricots, dried fruit often used in the slow-cooked stews I so adore about Middle Eastern cooking. Once encased in a rich almond and saffron pastry and baked until the pastry is golden brown on top and the mincemeat is piping hot and surrounded by a sweet, sticky and spiced syrup, you sure won't miss traditional mince pies.
At home in Germany, we celebrate Christmas on the 24th, Christmas Eve. And while most German families celebrate with either elaborate meals involving roast goose or duck with potato dumplings and red cabbage or strangely simple fare given the holiday involved of potato salad and boiled sausages, ever since I can remember my family's dinner on the 24th has been a smorgasbord of Middle Eastern delights – three kinds of grilled and marinaded vegetables, roasted chicken, diced beet and parsley salad, bulgur with fresh mint and butter, homemade hummus and baba ghanoush topped with a generous drizzle of olive oil and some pomegranate arils for the baba ghanoush, garlicky cacik, my brother's outstanding lamb kofte and lots of warm flatbread to mop up our plates. My mum always jokes Joseph and Maria would not recognise the dishes most German families eat for Christmas and that our spread was a much more appropriate way to celebrate Christmas given Jesus' origins. I quite like her logic. Dessert varies from year to year and usually consists of a choice of 2-3 desserts at least as we can never all decide on a single dessert. I have a feeling these mince pies, together with an orange blossom water flavoured crème fraîche would be a perfect way to end our Christmas dinner, that is if the mincemeat lasts that long!
If you celebrate Christmas, what do you typically eat with your family and friends?
Quince and Saffron Mince Pies
Makes just over 1/2kg mincemeat, enough for ca. 24 generously filled mince pies, with a few spoons for the curious cook and some leftovers to be stirred into porridge, mixed with apples for an apple pie or spooned warm over vanilla ice cream. I think these mince pies taste best served while warm.
For the Mincemeat
250g quince (about half a medium quince once cored)
Zest and juice of 1 orange
80g dried apricots
80g dried figs
80g dried dates
80g raisins
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground mixed spice (or a generous pinch each of ground coriander, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, ground allspice and ground ginger)
100ml brandy
For the Pastry
200g white spelt flour
50g ground almonds
Pinch of ground saffron
125g cold butter, cubed
Zest and juice of 1 orange
A small bowl of water (simply add a few ice cubes to a bowl filled halfway with water)
2 tbsp milk
1. For the mincemeat, chop the quince finely and add to a saucepan together with the orange zest and orange juice plus enough water to barely cover the fruit. Place the saucepan on a low flame and gently poach the quince for about 45 minutes or until the quince is tender.
2. While the quince is poaching, finely chop the apricots, figs and dates and add to a large bowl together with the raisins. Add the quince together with the poaching juices to the bowl. Add the spices to the bowl. Lastly, pour the brandy into the bowl and stir to combine. Once cooled to room temperature, put mincemeat in a sealed container. Although you can use the mincemeat right away it will taste better once it has been left to macerate for a few weeks.
3. For the pastry, add the flour, ground almonds and pinch of saffron to a bowl, whisk to combine. Add the cubed butter and using a pastry cutter, a sharp knife or your hands, work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles sand. Add the orange zest and orange juice and just enough ice water to form a dough that will hold together. Wrap the dough in cling film and place the dough in the fridge for at least one hour.
4. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius and line a sheet pan with parchment paper (depending on the size of the mince pies you should be able to fit ca. 10-12 pies on a single mince pies so unless you have a fan-assisted oven, you will need to bake the mince pies in batches). On a floured surface roll the dough until it is very thin, no more than ca. 3 mm. Using a round cookie cutter, cut out 48 circles (you will likely have to re-roll the dough). Put a small spoon of mincemeat in the middle of half the circles, and, using a finger or pastry brush dipped in water, wet the border of the pastry. Using a smaller cutter or a knife, cut an opening in the middle of the remaining circles to allow the steam to escape while baking (these will be the lids of your mince pies). Place a 'lid' on each mound of mincemeat, gently pressing down on the borders all around each mince pie to make sure they stick together well and that none of the juices from the mincemeat will leak during baking. Brush each mince pie with the milk. Bake the mince pies for ca. 15-20 minutes until the mince pies are golden brown. Leave to cool for a few minutes before serving. Repeat with the remaining mince pies.


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New Delhi, Jan 25 (IANS) Former India cricketer Rahul Dravid and London Olympics bronze medalist boxer M.C. Mary Kom were Friday named for the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian award while six other sportspersons were been named in the list of Padma Shri awardees.
London Olympic silver medallist shooter Vijay Kumar, bronze medal winning wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt, para athlete Hosanagara Nagarajegowda Girisha, boxer Ngangom Dingko Singh, mountaineer Premlata Agrawal, and rower Bajrang Lal Takhar were chosen for the Padma Shri Awards.
Dravid, who retired last year after playing 164 Tests and 344 ODIs piling up more than 24,000 runs in international cricket, was the only cricketer to receive the award this year.
The Bangalorean is the third highest run-getter in Tests behind former teammate Sachin Tendulkar and Australia's Ricky Ponting. The 40-year-old won the Padma Shri award in 2004.
Five-time world champion Mary Kom is the only woman boxer to have won a medal at the Olympics.
She was the only Indian boxer to return home with a medal with the rest of the contingent, which included a 2008 Beijing Games bronze medalist returning home empty hand.
The boxer from Manipur won bronze at the Olympics in the 51 kg category.
Vijay Kumar won the silver in 25 metre rapid-fire pistol shooting event at London, opening India's tally of medals at the 2012 event.
he 27-year-old hailing from Barsar village of Hamirpur district of Himachal Pradesh is presently a serving Subedar Major in the Dogra Regiment of the Indian Army
The 30-year-old, Yogeshwar won a bronze in the 60kg free style category and was the second wrestler to win a bronze. Sushil Kumar was the other wrestler, winning a silver.
At the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games, Yogeshwar overcame a career-threatening knee injury to win the 60 kg title.
At 48 years, mountaineer Premlata went into the record books after she became the oldest Indian woman to scale the world's tallest peak, Mount Everest.
Through her feats, she earned a listing in the Limca Book of Records.
Takhar, who is a Naib Subedar in the Rajputana Rifles regiment of the Indian Army, won India's first individual rowing gold medal for India at the 2010 Asian Games held in Guangzhou.
Dingko Singh, a Manipur boxer, is one of the biggest proponents of boxing in India.
He won the gold medal at 1998 Bangkok Asian Games and also won the King's cup in Bangkok in 1997.
Girisha Hosanagara gave India its first medal at the Paralympic Games after bagging a silver in the Men's High Jump event in London.


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Yes, it still balances. Not taped up because I hadn't gotten around to it at this point.
I'll be the first to admit this is an unusual camera for me to bother reviewing, and an even more unusual one for me to land up buying and using fairly extensively. But I think all will make sense by the end of the post. The D5500 is the fifth and latest in the line of consumer-grade articulating-screen Nikon DSLRs, starting with the D5000. It has a single control dial, a fully tilting and reversing touch LCD, the 24MP AA-less Sony sensor of its senior D7200 sibling, 5fps 14bit (compressed, though) shooting capability, and the lightest, smallest, most compact body of any Nikon DSLR to date. Did I mention it has a carbon fiber monocoque to keep weight down and rigidity up?
This is really a very, very small camera.
All of you will be aware that there are a lot of wide to moderately wide fixed-lens large-sensor compacts available; the choices in the 28 and 35mm range are so diverse there's bound to be something for everybody. We have everything from the extremely compact Ricoh GR to the larger (but supremely versatile) Leica Q, and other niche cameras like the Fuji X100 series, Sony RX1RII and Sigma DP0 and DP1. I'm sure there are probably one or two others I've forgotten. Of these options, only the Sigma (in DP2 form, but that's arguably another camera entirely) and Fuji (via teleconverter) offer any ability to reach a longer focal length. Most of the time, we can achieve the majority of the desired photographic results with no more than two perspectives: something wide, and something in the long-normal to short-tele range. Preferably, both of reasonable speed to maximise shooting envelope handheld. The problem is, there hasn't been very much in the latter camp. Granted, we have the mirrorless options with compact lenses: M4/3 and 25mm (the most compact of which is the Panasonic GM series with a 20 or 25mm) – but tracking and low light abilities are questionable. There's the Sony A7 series, but they aren't that small or light or responsive. And the wide cameras have serviceable crop modes, to a degree. But for some reason, I'd never considered the more compact DSLRs – and here we are.
APS-C means you can have a narrower field of view with a physically shorter lens, and maintain size; the whole body can be smaller, and the field of options is a very mature one. Consumer product cycles are so fast that if the current camera is missing something mission critical, chances are the next one will fix it. And they're so cheap that if you wait a generation, you can get one for about the price of a Leica lens hood – and that price probably includes a kit lens or two, too. I'd actually argue that for the volumes produced, these things are actually almost binary products: either they work properly, and all of the machines involved in producing them are set up and calibrated correctly, or they don't – they're so out of whack you'll be able to tell straight away. For the most part, all of the consumer DSLRs I've had have worked flawlessly – even shrugging off unintentional accidents (falls, mostly) from heights that would have at least dinged a metal body, and quite possibly put the mount, sensor and finder out of alignment.
Initially, I wanted the even cheaper and more basic D3300, but two things stopped me: firstly, the camera's pipeline is 12 bit compressed only, and the grip was nowhere near as comfortable as the D5500. The D5500 is the next logical step up, but costs almost twice as much (a whopping $695 or so for body only in the US, but I've seen them below $500 in Asia). I balked because relative values seemed somewhat skewed: that's a lot of money to pay for a tilting screen, better grip, and 14 bit pipeline. In truth though, that's probably about what my A7RII depreciates in a few months.
Highlight handling is impressive. Many cameras I've tried fall flat when it comes to clouds and skies…
The D5500 has two (perhaps three, depending on the user) major limitations. Firstly, it has a single command dial – this means you have to push a button and turn for exposure compensation, and there's no easy way to access exposure compensation in manual mode (I think of this as a deliberate meter bias). Secondly, the pipeline might be 14 bit, but it's 14 bit lossy compressed. There are different compression regimes, of course – and it seems that Nikon's isn't quite as destructive as Sony's. From my experience with a couple of thousand files though, the data loss is in the deep shadows and only visible if you push the shadow recovery, and sometimes for very long exposures. Secondly, there's no AF fine tune function; this is by far a bigger problem because it will impact the overall crispness of your images in a far more visible way since small focusing errors can quickly erode resolution.
I found that in daylight, autofocus was spot on out of the box with all of the Nikon G lenses I tried it with. But the camera would back focus dramatically under incandescent light; the warmer the source, the greater the back focus. I can only assume this has something to do with the phase difference path length for longer wavelengths; I remember even the D800 receiving a firmware update to rectify this at some point in the past. My other Nikons do not display this problem, but it's been a known issue with some of the midrange lineup and some of the Pentax cameras, too. Sending the camera back to Nikon to be recalibrated did not yield an improvement. There are really only two solutions here: a filter to cut the more extreme wavelengths so the AF system does not see them in the first place; or shoot live view. I suppose one could get another body and have it adjusted to front focus in daylight so it would be correct in incandescent light, but that seems rather extreme. You could of course just go mirrorless to begin with, but you'd be giving up the D5500's responsiveness and superior tracking ability in daylight (CAM4800DX, 39 points, 9 cross type).
To me, the main reason to put up with these fairly major limitations is because it ticks the important boxes I had in mind for a tool of this purpose: it had to deliver decent image quality, be responsive in all ways, light and small enough, and offer the right lens selection. There's a bit of a catch to the second requirement, though: too small and too light would compromise ergonomics and stability, and a small sensor doesn't really cut it for printing or client applications. (I was also thinking if this could in some way replace another D800/810 body and occasionally used tele zoom for location work, then I'd gladly take the weight saving.) I think Nikon have done a great job with the grip and button placements: the camera's overall size is tiny, weight negligible at 420g and grip comfortable even with very large lenses like the Otus 85 pictured above. Like all Nikons, it powers on and shoots instantly, and there is virtually no lag between half press and capture. Unlike the higher end cameras, it does not appear to have parallel processing so you must wait for the buffer to finish writing before reviewing an image (though all other functions work as normal). Fortunately, write times are very fast and there is almost no wait in practice if you are using a sufficiently speedy card. Battery life is very good, too: I've not been able to drain one fully in a day, and I estimate somewhere around 900-1000 shots/charge in practical use.
What I find really perplexing (or surprising, depending on whether you're using the D5500 or something else) are the features that are found on this camera only, and never made it to the pro bodies:
- Fully articulated LCD.
- Touch implementation – very well done, with a responsive interface and no unnecessary virtual button clutter. There's touch to focus, touch to shoot and swipe to browse, but curiously double tap to zoom is missing.
- The LCD's touch portion remains active even when the LCD is deactivated; you can use it to adjust exposure compensation, aperture, or move your AF point around like a trackpad (similar to the Panasonic cameras). The latter function is fantastic for tracking moving subjects or dynamically changing composition. I'd say it's just as good as the Leica SL's joystick, or better.
- IR remote, with receiving ports on both front and back (I'm looking at you, Sony). Why we must be restricted to the cable only or an expensive solution that blocks the hotshoe is beyond me – surely that $15 button is good enough, and an IR receiver can't cost that much?
- Manual focus rangefinder, showing you how far out of focus you are, and which direction to turn the ring. I find this gives me a very good idea of the depth of field transition of the lens and when I'm actually in-focus – the hit rate with this camera and it's tiny finder seems higher than the binary left arrow/OK/right arrow of the D810.
- Live view implementation: firstly, there are guide marks for 16:9 aspect ratio (presumably for video use, but also useful for cinematic stills) and secondly, thanks to the touch screen, you can both quickly move the focus/zoom box to anywhere in the frame, and return to centre instantly (D-pad centre button). The pro cameras are very slow to scroll, and you either have return to centre or instant zoom, but not both.
- Carbon fiber body: the D5500 inherits this from the D750, but it's an interesting haptic feel: light like plastic, but not hollow or creaky. The body is very rigid and feels good in the hand.
There are also plenty of niggling things in addition to the big ones mentioned previously I don't like, but can live with:
- No mirror lockup or EFC
- Unnecessarily crippled manual metering: unless your lens has a chip, you're 100% manual only. Even in live view.
- Smallish raw buffer: just 7 shots at 5fps and then a noticeable wait even with very fast cards; pace your shooting and you'll be fine, though.
- Drive mode defaults back to single or continuous after a single shot with the timer, and it doesn't remember the remote option if you cycle power
- Useless button duplication: the 'i' and 'info' buttons do pretty much the same thing. Why not make at least one of these programmable?
- No way to toggle auto ISO from the shortcut screen or buttons
- No double tap to zoom to 100% in playback
- Post-capture review doesn't always show automatically
- Compressed raw
- Notchy shutter release
And then I remember it's a consumer body that will probably drop to the $400-450 price point by next year. It's almost cheap enough to have a couple of them permanently set up differently for different shooting conditions.
Lens options are one of the other fundamental reasons why you'd go for one of these over mirrorless. The D5500 has no built in focusing motor, which means you only get AF with AF-S/SWM lenses; but manual focus implementation is good, and you've got that rotating screen for waist level shooting plus fairly responsive live view. I've been using it mainly with the AFS 35/1.8 DX G, the AFS 55-200/4-5.6 DX VR II, and occasionally the AI-P 45/2.8 and Sigma 18-300/3.5-6.3 C and 18-35/1.8 lenses. The first two make for a very light and versatile pair; resolving power is high and the shooting envelope is fairly large. They're also extremely inexpensive; in Japan the D5500 is bundled with the 35, 55-200 and 18-55 for under $900 – that's insanely good value for more than enough capability to cover just about every photographic situation imaginable. The 18-55 is a bit of a dog and cannot adequately resolve for the sensor at seemingly any aperture. The 45/2.8 I really wanted to like on this camera for size and weight reasons, but it seems to be outgunned by the sensor until f5.6 or so, limiting usefulness. I'd rather carry the 55-200 with a little more bulk (but curiously, not much more weight) for the versatility and stabiliser.
A word of warning, though: a 24MP APS-C sensor is a demanding thing. Equivalent to something like 57MP full frame – you're actually going to need much better lenses than you think. Unsurprisingly, the Otuses still sing, as does the 180 APO-Lanthar and 2/135 APO, but other lenses that are very good even on the D810 – like the 45 PCE and 85 PCE – are starting to show their limitations. The humble 24-120/4 VR does well, but the 16-80/2.8-4 was a disappointment. Lastly, the Sigma 18-35/1.8 reveals itself to be a very, very impressive bit of optical engineering – it's actually better than the other primes I've got in that range, and just as fast. Better still, if you invest in the USB dock, you now also have AF fine tune capability – at four points in the zoom range and four subject distances, too.
It's time to talk about the elephant in the room: image quality. All other considerations are secondary if the camera does not deliver here; fortunately, it does. Sony continues to once again demonstrate they can make an extremely impressive sensor, but fail to fully exploit its potential themselves. The 24MP unit has an impressive amount of dynamic range – in practice, it seems to be quite close to the D810 (which I'd rate at 14.5 stops or so). You probably lose 1/2-2/3 stop at the shadow end, which is an impressive performance considering the pixel density. Nikon has also managed to retain some of the tonal response characteristics of the D810, i.e. a very gradual/natural highlight rolloff and good color accuracy. Acuity is high, but not as high as the larger pitch sensor; you'll need a bit more unsharp mask to get to the same perceptual sharpness at the pixel level (say 250 vs 180 or 200; but it is capable of getting there with the right lenses).
High ISO/low light performance is similarly encouraging: I'd use it without hesitation up to 1600; up to 3200 with careful exposure (exposing to the right is extremely critical to keep noise down in the shadows, regardless of the final brightness intention). This puts it about a half a stop to a stop behind the D810, which is consistent with the dynamic range performance and suggests both sensors are ISO-invariant to a degree. With proper exposure, the camera retains very pleasing tonal characteristics even at the higher end of the spectrum; filmic is often overused but came to mind in this case. All in all, it's safe to say you're not going to be disappointed with the image quality of this thing. It's a cut above M4/3, pretty much at the state of the art for APSC, noticeably above the 5D-series at low ISO (much better dynamic range, no AA filter) and a hair above the D750/D610 in both detail and dynamic range (again, no AA filter, newer sensor technology). It matches the Q in acuity with the right lens, and by extension, the SL. I went back a number of years to compare it with files from previous cameras, and honestly, it left the D3x in the dust, too. The repeated feeling I had was that this was really a 66% of a D810 for about 25% of the cost.
I initially bought this camera mainly because I wanted a longer lens partner to the Q, but something a bit more responsive, fun and lighter than the A7RII. I then discovered it actually had a whole bunch of features that weren't even in my D810, and that image quality was far beyond initial expectations (but also demands on optics) and more than good enough as a second camera for a lot of my professional work, too. I didn't have very high expectations going in, given the price point and intended target market – but I'm now convinced that Nikon have done themselves a huge disservice by not marketing this thing properly. It is not a mirrorless camera, but it's a really good reason why mirrorless has still got some way to go before it will unseat DSLRs even at the low end of the market.
Even though the D5500 lacks a lot of bells and whistles, but perhaps because of that it is a very good camera; it gets the photographic part of things very, very right. I enjoy shooting with it much more than I initially expected, and keep coming away with two thoughts: firstly, it's remarkable how far the consumer level product has come since the early affordable DSLRs, and that even at this level, there's a firm feeling that the camera is far more capable than the operator. It makes me question why we are willing to pay many times more for not that much more utility. It felt like an enabler rather than an onerous drag – no doubt helped by the 'less serious' feeling which in turn encourages experimentation – and for that reason alone I think it merits a strong recommendation. MT
The Nikon D5500 is available in various body or kit combinations here from B&H and Amazon.
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First-time Christian Fiction Writer Wins Christy Award for Book She Aimed at Public Schools
ST. LOUIS, Mo. – In an evening wrapped in fun, pomp and ministry, a Christian academic who prayed that her first attempt at writing Christian fiction would find its way into America's public schools won big on Monday night at the 2013 Christy Awards gala held in St. Louis, Mo.
"God is good all the time. I prayed for the book to go into the secular market first so that children in the public schools would be touched by it," author Marilyn Sue Shank told The Christian Post after winning the Christy Award in the Young Adult category for Child of the Mountains published by Delacorte Press.
"[I prayed that] the children who don't go to church might suddenly do that through Lydia's story. And then I prayed that the Christian market would find it," said Shank.
The novel, which is smartly presented in the regional dialect of the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia, follows the trajectory of its protagonist, young Lydia Hawkins, after her mother is jailed unjustly. Readers find this out simply and powerfully in the opening scene of the book reflected in the excerpt below:
My mama's in jail. It ain't right. Leastwise, I don't think so. Them folks that put her there just don't understand our family. My mama's the best mama in the whole wide world. Everbody used to say so afore the awful stuff happened. Even Uncle William. And he don't say much nice about nobody.
"I had done some work with textbooks. Wrote professional articles," notes Shank who holds a PhD in special education. "The Lord laid this novel on my heart, so I'm excited about it," she added.
The Christy Awards is an annual celebration of excellence in Christian fiction writing that was started in 1999 by nearly a dozen Christian publishers.
It was named in honor of notable Christian fiction writer Catherine Marshall, whose global fan-base of readers know her as "America's most inspirational author," as described by The New York Times. Her most popular novel, Christy, has more than 10 million copies in print and is estimated to have been read by some 30 million people according to the Christy Awards website.
Among other recognitions, The Christy Advisory Committee noted in a release the debut of the Christy Hall of Fame by inducting authors Lynn Austin, winner of eight Christy Awards, and Karen Hancock, winner of four Christy Awards.
The Christy Book of the Year Award was also launched in an attempt to showcase the novel that had the greatest impact when placed against a set of criteria including literary quality, sales, and life impact.
A jury of three people ruled that Into the Free by Julie Cantrell (David C Cook), best reflected those criteria of all the Christy Award winners.
The complete list of the 2013 Christy Award winners, as announced by the Christy Advisory Board at the gala held at the Renaissance Grand in St. Louis on Monday, is as follows:
- Lifetime Achievement Christy: Lee Hough
- Christy Award Hall of Fame Inductees: Lynn Austin (8 Christys) & Karen Hancock (4 Christys)
- Book of the Year: Into the Free by Julie Cantrell (David C Cook)
- Contemporary Romance: The Breath of Dawn by Kristen Heitzmann (Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group).
- Contemporary Series, Sequels & Novellas: You Don't Know Me by Susan May Warren (Tyndale House Publishers)
- Contemporary Standalone: Not in the Heart by Chris Fabry (Tyndale House Publishers)
- First Novel: Into the Free by Julie Cantrell (David C Cook)
- Historical: Flame of Resistance by Tracy Groot (Tyndale House Publishers)
- Historical Romance: Against the Tide by Elizabeth Camden (Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group)
- Suspense: Rare Earth by Davis Bunn (Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group)
- Visionary: Soul's Gate by James L. Rubart (Thomas Nelson, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing)
- Young Adult: Child of the Mountains by Marilyn Sue Shank (Delacorte Press, a division of Random House)


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Here Are Some Highlights of Target's Illegal Anti-Union Exploits
Last year, a Target store in Valley Stream, New York was the site of an long campaign by the UFCW to unionize the store's workers. Target has no unionized stores, and remains staunchly anti-union. The union lost the vote at Valley Stream, but last month a judge ordered a new election due to company misconduct. Let's take a look at just how brazen Target's anti-union culture of fear really is.
One interesting thing to know about Target's Valley Stream store is this: it's closed. For "a remodel," of course. Employees were informed in March that the store would shut down at the end of April and not reopen until mid-November. All "team members in good standing" were offered the exciting chance to take an unpaid leave for those six months; they can also put in for a transfer to another store (if it happens to have open positions), or just be paid through June and say goodbye. The UFCW notes (and Target confirms) that only one other Target location in the country is being closed for a similar remodeling, and that one is being closed for a far shorter period of time. So, the only almost-unionized Target store is also the only store the company needed to shut down for seven months. Not suspicious at all.
The following are excerpts from the recently issued decision of National Labor Relations Board judge Steven Davis on the Target Valley Stream case. Davis ruled that Target managers unlawfully threatened and interrogated employees. (He also found, somewhat hilariously, that Target's employee handbook was full of blatantly unlawful rules for employees.) A new union election will be held at the Valley Stream store. Click to enlarge the excerpts below.
Employee testimony of being directly warned by a supervisor not to discuss unions.
Here, Target officials insinuate to employees at a meeting that a union would lead to the closing of the store.
And this fun section recounts the time that a Target manager told organizers and employees that the couldn't speak about unions anywhere on Target's property—or anywhere in "the whole mall." LOL.
If you are a current or former Target employee who'd like to share your own experiences related to these issues, email me.
[Photo: AP]


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Benjamin Wachs: Protecting the wrong rights
Let me get this straight: we can't implement campaign finance laws because corporate money is protected free speech, but we can arrest Occupy Wall Street because nonviolent protest in a public place is not?
The Occupy movement has forced us to look at the truth. Twenty-first century America has a business model where its conscience ought to be.
Deploying a weapon of mass economic destruction against the American people gets you a bonus check that the government won't tax because that might discourage you from doing it again; peacefully protesting against a system that polls show over 75 percent of Americans know is broken gets you pepper sprayed, beaten and arrested.
If people can't protest the banks, then the banks sure as sin shouldn't be allowed to spend money to influence an election.
Yet this isn't the first time we've had to face a gaping inconsistency like this. Every so often America comes to the same crossroads. When is it acceptable for the government to use force against its own citizens as they petition for the redress of grievances?
In the late 19th and early 20th century the government took the side of businesses against unions. Protesting against unsafe and unfair working conditions was deemed too great a threat to the Republic to be allowed. (Remember, these weren't union advocates for bigger pensions or the right to take more breaks — these were unions advocating for the right to have safe working conditions and a reasonable wage.) Union organizers were arrested, beaten and sometimes murdered for being union organizers.
But eventually the people won.
In the middle of the 20th century, television news carried footage of peaceful civil rights marchers being beaten by police, attacked by police dogs and sprayed with fire hoses. Once again, Americans had to decide, was this an appropriate response to people marching for their rights? Did whatever laws they were violating truly outweigh their right to assemble peacefully and demand redress for an injustice? It took shamefully long, but America rallied more quickly this time than it had the last, attacking a civil rights march with dogs was a greater injustice than violating laws about segregated drinking fountains and buses.
Eventually the people won.
At the UC Davis campus this month, peaceful Occupy protestors were assaulted — there's no other word for it — by police using pepper spray. The video captures it clearly. Protesters were sitting on the ground, threatening no one, when an officer in no danger doused them with pepper spray, over and over again. This follows video footage of peaceful Occupy protestors in other cities across America being assaulted, beaten and violently arrested.
It cannot be justified. Whatever laws they are violating are city statutes, while the First Amendment of the Constitution states that Congress shall make no law abridging "the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."
I'll grant you that they're petitioning in a way that is inconvenient to the government, but they are peacefully assembling and petitioning for a redress of very serious grievances. If freedom means anything at all it means that one can be inconvenient to the government and to big business. If we don't have that we ain't got nothing.
Besides, this isn't a question of what's legal and illegal, it's a question of what's right and wrong.
If this injustice could be addressed at the ballot box, that would be one thing. But Republicans and Democrats have both passed campaign finance reform, only to see it invalidated. Republicans and Democrats have both presided over administrations that let Wall Street and big banks destroy the economy and arrested no one. Republicans and Democrats have both bailed out big businesses with taxpayer dollars and then demanded that the middle class accept cuts to education, Social Security and the armed forces so that the people whose wealth we protected won't have to pay their fair share of the burden.
A country that says corporate money is protected free speech but peaceful protest isn't deserves to be protested.
A country that protects the money of its businesses more than the rights of its citizens is wrong. A country that arrests peaceful protestors for violating civic code in pursuit of civil justice is wrong. A country that lets them be violently attacked is immoral.
Apparently we need to rediscover that over and over again.
Benjamin Wachs writes for Messenger Post Media, and is the editor of Fiction365.com. Email him at email@example.com.


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India has offered to allow Apple to import mobile handset components intended for use in local manufacturing tax free, a top government official said on Tuesday.
The tax concessions will be subject to the condition of increasing local value addition over a period of time.
Apple Inc wants to expand its contract manufacturer's facility in the southern Indian tech hub of Bengaluru, a federal minister said on Tuesday, as the iPhone maker seeks a bigger share in one of the world's biggest smartphone markets.
Cupertino, California-based Apple last week started making iPhone SE at its Taiwanese contract manufacturer Wistron's plant in Bengaluru..
Apple (AAPL), which sold over 50 million iPhones in the March quarter, down 1% year-on-year, is looking for new markets as its sales in China have weakened.
Among a set of tax concessions, Apple had initially sought a 15-years tax holiday for all components that it would import for setting up a manufacturing facility in India.
A panel of ministries rejected that demand and has offered a phased program to increase the share of local production in the manufacturing, Aruna Sundararajan, Secretary at the Ministry of Electronics and IT said.
"We have offered them tax exemptions on those components which could not be manufactured in India," Sundararajan told Reuters, adding that local manufacturing component would have to be increased gradually.
Apple has agreed to increase local share in production over a period of time, but there was a difference between the plans of the two sides, she said.
Apple was not immediately available for comment.
India wants Apple to raise value addition share in phases of 3,5,7 and 10 years as the local capacity builds up, part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's plans to boost manufacturing.
Industry estimates the phased manufacturing program could increase local value addition in mobile phones manufacturing to 40-50% in the next three years.
Earlier, Ravi Shankar Prasad, the federal minister for Electronics and IT said government officials were in touch with Apple and other mobile phone manufacturers about expanding facilities and setting up new plants.
"It will be a little early to say that India and Apple have agreed on the common ground," said the official, adding India was ready to work out a roadmap to encourage manufacturing.
Industry estimates total value of mobile phones produced in India touched near 900 billion Indian rupees ($13.90 billion) compared with 540 billion rupees in the previous year.
"We are waiting for Apple to come back," said Sundararajan.


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Hale Aina Happenings: Keep Wining
"We've got the Greens part of Greens and Vines down," says owner Sylvia Thompson. "Now, we're going for the Vines side." In addition to being Honolulu's raw and vegan champions, she and hubby Pete Thompson are some of the most avid wine enthusiasts around town, and, with their new happy hour, they're opening up their wine list to the rest of us at bargain prices. Plus, every wine is offered by the glass, even the most expensive bottle.
"Our wine list is the best it's ever been, with a good balance of French, Italian, California (wines) and from all over the world," Thompson says. Also available: sakes, such as the Tamagawa "Time Machine" from Kinoshita Brewery, an aged sake which resembles a port in sweetness and color.
5 to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday
HASR Bistro starts serving breakfast: Starting Saturday, September 6, HASR opens early, serving omelets, corned beef hash and banana Fosters pancakes. Need a bottle of bubbly to go with breakfast? There's no corkage fee when you pick up a bottle from HASR Wine Co. next door, which opens at 10 a.m. on Saturdays.
8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturdays
Join Jim Clendenen of Au Bon Climat for a winemaker dinner at Vino. Master sommelier Chuck Furuya says of Clendenen: "He is one of the real and true game changers of California, not only because he championed the once little-known Santa Barbara appellation, but more importantly, he has continually featured an Old World sensibility, purity and balance in his wines, even during the times when big, lavish, opulent and loud wines were in fashion." In addition to the five-course meal prepared by Vino, expect to taste some of Clendenen's "most unique and vanguard" wines, says Furuya.
$75, September 6 at 6 p.m., reservations required, 533-4476 or email firstname.lastname@example.com
Have you voted for your favorite restaurants yet? Vote in HONOLULU Magazine's Hale Aina Awards, now in its 31st year.
Vote now, and you'll get 10 percent off your ticket to the Hale Aina awards event, Sunday, November 9, at The Royal Hawaiian, where we announce the winners and you get to graze from a dozen restaurants serving food, including Roy's, Morimoto and Stage. You have until September 15 to cast your ballot.


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Mass. bill would soften flood insurance rules
Concerns raised that measure would leave some homeowners underinsured
The Massachusetts House on Wednesday unanimously approved a bill designed to soften the impact of new federal flood insurance rules on many of the state's coastal homeowners.
The measure, sponsored by Democratic House Speaker Robert DeLeo, would tie the level of flood insurance that must be purchased to a homeowner's outstanding mortgage balance, rather than the full replacement value of the home.
It also would prohibit mortgage lenders from requiring coverage for the contents of a home or including a deductible of less than $5,000.
Lawmakers representing coastal districts said constituents were facing the threat of dramatic increases in flood insurance premiums as a result of the new federal regulations that were put into effect in an effort to keep the National Flood Insurance Program solvent.
"This bill is going to help people stay in their homes," said Rep. James Cantwell, D-Marshfield.
Congress in 2012 approved the law, which included a redrawing of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's flood zone maps and the elimination of federal subsidies, in an effort to keep the National Flood Insurance Program solvent after claims from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
The program is currently $24 billion in the red, officials said, mostly because of huge losses from Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy.
Rep. Josh Cutler, D-Scituate, said the new maps issued last year by Federal Emergency Management Agency added more homes to the flood zone and changed the flood elevation levels for many homeowners. He said concerns were immediately raised about the accuracy of the maps, including what he said was the use of wave calculations from California instead of the East Coast.
"This bill is in effect a circuit breaker to prevent homeowners from being forced literally underwater by federal flood insurance regulations," Cutler said.
While the bill, which now goes to the Senate, passed the House without opposition, concerns have been raised that the measure would leave some homeowners underinsured in the event of a catastrophic flood.
Attorney General Martha Coakley, who worked with lawmakers in crafting the measure, said in a statement that homeowners would retain the option of buying additional insurance, and noted that the legislation includes a requirement that consumers be notified in writing that their insurance premiums may not be enough to pay for all repairs or property losses.
Tying mandatory insurance coverage to the outstanding mortgage balance, rather than full replacement value, would soften the blow for homeowners, Coakley said.
Federal lawmakers, meanwhile, also appear to be responding to pressure to ease the requirements after complaints about sharp increases in premiums.
The U.S. Senate has backed a measure calling for a four-year delay in implementation of the law, and the U.S. House approved a bill earlier this month that would allow sellers to give their subsidized, below-market insurance rates to new buyers and lower the cap on how much flood insurance premiums can rise each year.


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Global scientists team to hunt for Loch Ness monster
Story highlights
A global team of scientists plans to scour the icy depths of Loch Ness next month using environmental DNA (eDNA) in an experiment that may disover whether Scotland's fabled monster really does, or did, exist.
The use of eDNA sampling is already well established as a tool for monitoring marine life like whales and sharks.
Whenever a creature moves through its environment, it leaves behind tiny fragments of DNA from skin, scales, feathers, fur, faeces and urine.
"This DNA can be captured, sequenced and then used to identify that creature by comparing the sequence obtained to large databases of known genetic sequences from hundreds of thousands of different organisms," said team spokesman Professor Neil Gemmell of the University of Otago in New Zealand.
The first written record of a monster relates to the Irish monk St Columba, who is said to have banished a "water beast" to the depths of the River Ness in the 6th century.
The most famous picture of Nessie, known as the "surgeon's photo", was taken in 1934 and showed a head on a long neck emerging from the water. It was revealed 60 years later to have been a hoax that used a sea monster model attached to a toy submarine.
Countless unsuccessful attempts to track down the monster have been made in the years since, notably in 2003 when the BBC funded an extensive scientific search that used 600 sonar beams and satellite tracking to sweep the full length of the loch.
The most recent attempt was two years ago when a high-tech marine drone found a monster - but not the one it was looking for. The discovery turned out to be replica used in the 1970 film "The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes", which sank nearly 50 years ago.
Gemmell's team, which comprises scientists from Britain, Denmark, the United States, Australia and France, is keen to stress the expedition is more than just a monster hunt.
"While the prospect of looking for evidence of the Loch Ness monster is the hook to this project, there is an extraordinary amount of new knowledge that we will gain from the work about organisms that inhabit Loch Ness," Gemmell said on his university website.
He predicts they will document new species of life, particularly bacteria, and will provide important data on the extent of several new invasive species recently seen in the loch, such as Pacific pink salmon.
Their findings are expected to be presented in January 2019.


text: In this course we will talk about Concept Art. As a final project we will create a fully finished environment concept, ready for presentation. Throughout the 4 week modules will dive deeply into composition and digital painting techniques to bring your art skills to the next level! So, let's get started!


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And virtual blood is better than the truth.
Techno-Panic Headlines: 'Enhanced Ebooks Are Bad For Children'
from the sensationalism dept
It's no secret that the media loves techno-panic stories, especially when they can quote some scientist or researcher condemning a new technology. Sometimes the studies they point to are bogus, but more often than not the fault lies with the reporters, who oversimplify or flat-out misrepresent the findings. The Guardian recently published a perfect example of this, where even the story itself seems to admit that the facts are far less sensational than the headline.
And that headline is pretty blunt: Enhanced ebooks are bad for children finds American study. Bad for children, huh? That must mean there were some pretty clear negative results in whatever this study looked at, right? Not so much. When you read the details, you discover that the study was looking specifically at a book's ability to promote literacy and reading comprehension, where it found that ebooks with interactive graphical bells and whistles distract focus from the text and are inferior in that regard. But the study's authors also note, quite firmly, that this is simply something for parents and educators to keep in mind when deciding on activities for their kids, and that enhanced ebooks are still fantastic for helping to engage kids who are otherwise uninterested in books. Basically, they say a lot of enhanced ebooks fall more on the play side of things than the study side—but kids play, and it's actually great if some of that play involves storytelling and reading, even if it's done in a lighter fashion. In short, they absolutely do not say that enhanced ebooks are "bad for children".
Children reading enhanced ebooks also "recalled significantly fewer narrative details than children who read the print version of the same story", said the researchers, speculating that the extra features may be distracting. But while "print books were more advantageous for literacy building co-reading", ebooks, and particularly enhanced ebooks, were better "for engaging children and prompting physical interaction".
Chiong told the Guardian that enhanced ebooks "absolutely still have a place. Kids seem to love them. If enhanced books can engage kids who might not be as interested in reading, we will achieve an important goal. In our study, we were specifically looking at book-reading with a focus on learning and comprehension. That is only one of many purposes for reading. If the purpose is to just have fun or explore a classic tale in a new way, enhanced books are great."
What's not mentioned, but seems obvious, is the fact that this same argument could be applied to books with sound effects, pop-up books, and for that matter just books with illustrations—all things that potentially detract from "pure" literacy but serve to make kids more interested in reading. The researchers also note that enhanced ebooks can be done well and done poorly: the right kinds of interactivity, actually relating to the narrative, can be far less distracting and maybe even beneficial—it's the unnecessary ornamentation that is the core problem. That's not unlike any form of entertainment, even for adults: just see debates about the use of 3D in movies for an example.
So what we actually have here is a pretty interesting study that sheds some light on the way kids interact with enhanced reading material while refraining from taking any extreme positions on the technology. Every newspaper headline writer just fell asleep while reading that sentence.
Filed Under: ebooks, education, learning, techno-panic


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🕮 Here's an interview I've had in the queue for a long time: an interview with Ruchel Louis, Jewish author of Pulani: A Memoir of Growing Up in Apartheid South Africa. I met Ruchel at Book Expo America in 2010, and had a great time interviewing her while we sat waiting for the keynote address, Barbra Streisand, speaking about her book on interior design. I think Ruchel was the more interesting speaker!
- Produced by: Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel
- Supported in part by: Association of Jewish Libraries
- Theme music: The Freilachmakers Klezmer String Band
- Facebook: facebook.com/bookoflifepodcast
- Twitter: @bookoflifepod
Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to email@example.com or call our voicemail number at 561-206-2473.


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The Supreme Court on Wednesday heard oral arguments in a case that raises a fundamental question: whether a physician can infringe a patent merely by using scientific research to inform her treatment decisions.
Unfortunately, this issue was barely mentioned in Wednesday's arguments. A number of influential organizations had filed briefs warning of the dire consequences of allowing medical patents, but their arguments were largely ignored in the courtroom. Instead, everyone seemed to agree that medical patents were legal in general, and focused on the narrow question of whether the specific patent in the case was overly broad.
This should make the nation's doctors extremely nervous. For two decades, the software industry has struggled with the harmful effects of patents on software. In contrast, doctors have traditionally been free to practice medicine without worrying about whether their treatment decisions run afoul of someone's patent. Now the Supreme Court seems poised to expand patent law into the medical profession, where it's unlikely to work any better than it has in software.
Sorry, that correlation is patented
The case focuses on a patent that covers the concept of adjusting the dosage of a class of drugs, called thiopurines, based on the concentration of a particular chemical (called a metabolite) in the patient's blood. The patent does not cover the drugs themselves—those patents expired years ago—nor does it cover any specific machine or procedure for measuring the metabolite level. Rather, it covers the idea that particular levels of the chemical "indicate a need" to raise or lower the drug dosage.
The patent holder, Prometheus Labs, offers a thiopurine testing product. It sued the Mayo Clinic when the latter announced it would offer its own, competing thiopurine test. But Prometheus claims much more than its specific testing process. It claims a physician administering thiopurine to a patient can infringe its patent merely by being aware of the scientific correlation disclosed in the patent—even if the doctor doesn't act on the patent's recommendations.
This extraordinary claim prompted a broad coalition of public interest groups to write amicus briefs urging the Supreme Court to invalidate the patent and others like it. The American Association of Retired Persons and the American Civil Liberties Union both wrote briefs arguing the patent should be invalidated. The ACLU brief argued that regulating doctors' thoughts runs afoul of the First Amendment. A coalition of three libertarian think tanks filed a brief (which, full disclosure, I played a small part in drafting) warning that legalizing medical patents will cause the same kinds of problems in the medical profession that it has in the software industry.
Also opposing the patent was a broad coalition of medical providers led by the American Medical Association. "If claims to exclusive rights over the body's natural responses to illness and medical treatment are permitted to stand, the result will be a vast thicket of exclusive rights over the use of critical scientific data that must remain widely available if physicians are to provide sound medical care," the medical organizations' brief argued.
"Conscientious physicians will be unwilling and unable to avoid considering all relevant scientific information when reviewing test results," the doctors wrote. "Thus, as medical knowledge accumulates, patent licenses increasingly will be required for physicians to conduct even well established diagnostic tests."
"Everybody agrees with that"
Unfortunately, the justices seemed oblivious to these arguments. And the man who should have been making them, Mayo counsel Stephen Shapiro, completely ignored them. Instead, he seemed to concede the legality of medical patents in general, and focused on nitpicking the details of Prometheus's patent. Specifically, he noted that the patent covers a broad range of metabolite levels and applies for many different autoimmune diseases, and argued that this made the patent invalid.
Asked by Justice Kennedy if a more specific and complex diagnostic technique involving "two or three different drugs" could be eligible for patent protection, Shapiro said yes. "If it leaves room for others to have their own tests with different numbers and different procedures so that it isn't just one test for the whole country, then yes, if it's specific enough," he said. "The specificity is the key."
Justice Scalia pointed out that making patent-eligibility turn on how complex the diagnostic strategy was, or on how many diseases it claimed to address, was totally unworkable. Shapiro's proposal, he said, was "not a patent rule that we could possibly apply."
Justices Scalia and Breyer showed some skepticism that patents could cover the use of scientific correlations in medical practice. But the other justices expressed no such skepticism. At one point, Justice Kagan offered some advice to Prometheus's lawyer. "What you haven't done is say at a certain number you should use a certain treatment, at another number you should use another treatment," she said. "I guess the first question is why didn't you file a patent like that? Because that clearly would have been patentable. Everybody agrees with that."
Of course "everyone" does not agree with that. In particular, the American Medical Association (and, presumably, many of the nation's doctors) doesn't. Neither does the ACLU, the AARP, or the Cato Institute. Yet if any members of the high court disagreed with Kagan, they didn't speak up.
We've long argued that the Supreme Court should overturn the lower courts' de facto legalization of software patents. Instead, the Supreme Court appears poised to take a step in the opposite direction and expand patent law to cover the medical profession. And they seemed oblivious to how dramatic a step that would be.
We really hope the justices will read some of those amicus briefs before they make their ruling.
Listing image by Photograph by Harvard Law Record


text: Grim Reaper combines an aggressive tread pattern with deep wrap-around shoulder lugs to give you uncompromising performance and traction. This new 8-ply rated all-terrain radial is constructed with a zig-zag center ridge line, for superior puncture resistance and enhanced rider comfort. GBC Motorsports carries a wide line of performance ATV tires for all types of terrains and riders.


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Juvenile Court Restorative Dialogue Programs
Victim Offender Dialogue Programs
Victim offender mediation, group conferencing and talking circles offer victims of crime a forum in which they may ask the offender questions related to the crime, share their feelings and the resulting impact of the harm caused by the crime and to have a voice in deciding what should happen to help to repair the harm done. Offenders have the opportunity to take personal responsibility for their actions and to make amends for their behavior directly to the victim and the community.
Victim offender dialogue helps to reinstate responsibility for crime prevention and resolution of crime with individuals, neighborhoods and communities. It promotes participation of all stakeholders affected by crime and provides a process in which all stakeholders are directly involved to repair harm and reach resolution.
Victim Offender Dialogue Programs are administered by local juvenile courts with assistance and support provided by the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Department of the Utah Administrative Office of the Courts. All of the mediators and facilitators in the programs are volunteers from the community or court personnel. By utilizing community volunteers, the program costs are reduced and community involvement is broadened.
The Utah State Courts mission is to provide the people an open, fair, efficient, and independent system for the advancement of justice under the law.


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This comic is called 'Bug'. It's my first attempt at colouring a whole comic story. I learned a lot about how to colour stuff in a way that takes a really really long time to edit together.
'Bug' was shortlisted for the Lord Mayor's Creative Writing Award (for 'graphic short story'), so that's pretty nice really.
All the shortlists and winners.
The winning graphic short story 'The Bolt Report', by David Blumenstein.
Page one was also used as the cover art for a single by my band Dear Plastic.
I think the story is too short to publish, and I'm not really sure what to do with it other than share it here. The girl is based on my little sister Paisley.


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Kylie is a total trendtrailblazerhairInstagram
! Here's the latest from the style star: a new dye job! Her black locks are majorly beautiful! Last week, Kylie tweeted about wanting to change her color, and we're so glad she did! She posted this photo to just yesterday, with the caption: "I love you more." Who does she love? If she's talking about her new 'do, then we agree! Hairstylist George Papanikolas is responsible for the new look, reposting Kylie's pic with the caption: "Back to Black!" Looks like they're both digging the change!
What do you think of Kylie's new look? Let us know in the comments!


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There's an inevitable problem with trying to find trends in data that is subject to a great deal of random variability: unless the most recent point was a record high, it will always look like there's a downward trend. We're currently seeing that happen with the global temperature record, where the warmest year ever recorded, 1998, is receding into the past. As a result, reports of "global cooling" are appearing in the popular press, and smaller percentages of the US public are confident that the globe is warming. Unfortunately, all of this seems to be a misdirection; the Associated Press has performed a statistical sanity check on the claims of global cooling, and found that there's little to them.
As the AP report notes, the cries of global cooling have become increasingly obvious, with the phrase appearing on the cover of the new book Super Freakonnomics and the BBC asking "What happened to global warming?"
But, as we noted in February, the recent drop in temperatures has been so small that 2008 was still the 10th warmest on record. Other recent years were equally warm or warmer, while the hottest year on record, 1998, was unusually warm compared to the surrounding years. In fact, if you started tracking trends in either 1997 or 1999, you saw a general increase in global temperatures.
The AP went beyond this analysis by sending out temperature data to four statisticians, without informing them what the data represented, and asked them to identify any trends in the data. Apparently, none of them saw any sign of global cooling. All of them detected the upward trend that is apparent when periods longer than a decade are examined, while the ups-and-downs of the last decade appear similar to the statistical noise that occurs in other decades within the data set. One of the statisticians is even quoted as saying that seeing a downward trend in recent years involves "people coming at the data with preconceived notions."
Statistically valid or not, the high profile of the sites where claims of global cooling are being given credence appears to be weighing in with the public. Last week, the Pew Research Center released the results of a poll of 1,500 US adults, who were asked about climate change. Over the past year, acceptance of the data showing that the Earth has warmed plunged, dropping from 71 percent of respondents to 57 percent. Far fewer accept the verdict of most scientists, namely that human influences are the primary driver of recent climate changes. Here, only 36 percent of the public agreed.
Although the partisan divide remained—Republicans are far less likely to accept the science—the decline occurred across all party affiliations, and was most dramatic among independents.
The poll also registered the typical confusion that the US public experiences when faced with scientific matters. About half of those surveyed either don't think the evidence for warming is solid, or think it's the result of natural variation. But a third of those still consider it a serious problem.
It would be tempting to view the recent drop in the acceptance of climate change as an indication that the public is losing its taste for the cap-and-trade legislation and negotiations for a binding international treaty that are leading up to the UN's Copenhagen meeting on carbon emissions limits. But the poll provides little evidence of that. Half of the respondents favored limits on carbon emissions, including 31 percent of those who think that there's no solid evidence of global warming. That doesn't necessarily mean they favor the current cap-and-trade legislation, however, as about half admitted they knew nothing about it.
An even higher percentage (55 percent) favors joining in an international agreement to limit carbon emissions, with another third saying we should set our own limits.
So, it appears that statistically bogus arguments remain popular with those who write about climate change for popular audiences, and that may be contributing to a general drop in the acceptance of the evidence and conclusions of the scientific community. But, so far at least, the plunging acceptance levels haven't translated into a backlash against policy initiatives.


text: Family Life Fun Arts & Crafts Kid Crafts Simple Wood Crafts These easy-to-make wood crafts will have both you and your little ones creating animals out of wooden clothespins and train tracks out of Popsicle sticks. Time to start crafting! By Margaret VanEchaute; Designs by Lisa Storms Published on June 3, 2014 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos 01 of 11 Train with Tracks Jay Wilde Your child will delight in playing conductor with this easy-to-make train and track set. Make It: Give your child three wooden blocks, a wooden spool, and six pieces of wagon-wheel pasta to paint. Cut a chipboard rectangle for the top of the train and two squares for train windows; let your child paint the pieces. Once the chipboard is dry, glue the pieces together as shown. Glue a tuft of cotton to the spool for smoke. To make the tracks, cut a strip of chipboard a little wider than the length of one mini craft stick. Glue mini craft sticks at short intervals along the strip and top with regular craft sticks. For extra fun, create several sets of tracks for your child to place together. Find the craft supplies you need 02 of 11 Ant Tablecloth Clips Scott Little Solve a classic picnic dilemma -- a blowing tablecloth -- with our fanciful ant buddies. These clever tablecloth clips will be your new picnic favorites. Make It: Paint four clothespins black. Thread a 4-inch-long black chenille stems through the two holes of a large black button. Twist and curl the ends of chenille stems where they meet to form antennae. Glue googly eyes just below the antennae. Next, cut three 3-inch pieces of black stems for each ant. Have your child help you thread all three though the spring hole in each clothespin and adjust to form the legs. Glue the face and two more black buttons to the top of each clothespin. Then use the clips to secure your tablecloth, and enjoy a carefree meal in the summer sun. 03 of 11 Clothespin Giraffe This lovable giraffe can stand up all on its own thanks to sturdy clothespin legs. Make It: Cut an oval from chipboard; paint it and three clothespins yellow. Add black paint to the tip of each clothespin as shown. Once the paint has dried, let your child use his fingertips to create brown paint spots all over the oval body and clothespin legs and neck. Clip the legs and neck onto the body and glue in place. Glue a yellow pom-pom face onto the neck and adhere a folded chenille stem along the back of the neck to complete the giraffe. Watch How-To Video: Clothespin Giraffe 04 of 11 Magnetic Airplane Clip Jay Wilde Add to your fridge's growing collection of homemade art by constructing this magnetic airplane clip. Use it to show off your child's latest artistic endeavors. Make It: Paint one spring-style clothespin, two craft sticks, and one mini craft stick in your child's favorite colors. Once dry, glue a craft stick on top and bottom of the clothespin as wings, and the mini craft stick as the tail. Cut a triangle from crafts foam and glue it upright atop the mini craft stick. Once dry, glue strong magnets on the bottom of the clothespin. Shop Paint supplies for kids 05 of 11 Craft Stick Barn Scott Little Build an iconic Midwestern barn from painted craft sticks -- it will look wonderful hanging on the kitchen fridge. Make It: Paint nine craft sticks red, six craft sticks white, and four mini craft sticks white. Let them dry. On a rectangle piece of cardstock, have your child create a blue sky and green grass with colored paper or markers. Then help her create the bottom of the barn by gluing on a row of 11 craft sticks vertically in the following pattern: two red, one white, five red, one white, two red. Glue white sticks horizontally along the top and bottom and cross two in the middle as shown. Glue the mini craft sticks to red cardstock to form the barn roof. Adhere the barn roof to the background above the barn. Cut out a rectangle from black paper and adhere it to the barn. Cut strips from a paper bag and crumple for the look of hay; adhere to black rectangle. 06 of 11 Star Wand Scott Little Create a little magic at the craft table with this mystical star wand. Make It: Have your child paint a wooden dowel her favorite color with a foam brush. Allow to fully dry. On a wooden craft star, draw lines in glue from the center to each point. Line up sparkly beads in the glue or sprinkle the star with glitter. Assemble the wand by gluing the dowel and colorful ribbons to the back of the star. 07 of 11 Craft Stick Wind Chimes Scott Little Hanging craft sticks make a soft, pretty sound when the summer breezes blow -- and they look great while waving in the wind, too. Make It: Have your child paint 10 craft sticks and allow them to dry. Put a line of glue on the back of five sticks. Sandwich a piece of string between a glued stick and an unglued stick; clip them with clothespins to hold the glue securely. Let dry. Run glue along an unpainted craft stick, lay it horizontally and stick on the five strings as shown (don't let the sticks hang too low or they'll tangle in the wind). Top with another unpainted stick and add clothespins to hold the glue securely. Once dry, tie the strings together and cut off the excess. Hang outdoors and let the wind do its work. Stock up on craft suppiles 08 of 11 Jumbo Wooden Dice Jay Wilde Challenge your children to come up with original games to play with these large, multicolor dice -- or simply watch them have a ball using the dice for their favorite board games. Make It: Have your children paint each side of two wooden blocks a different color. Select a variety of paper colors and punch out circles as the dice dots. Have your kids count out two sets of dots to glue on each of the blocks. 09 of 11 Magnetic Dragonfly Clip Display your child's artwork in style by creating this cute magnetic dragonfly clip to hang on your fridge. Make It: Let your child choose a few bright colors to paint his dragonfly. Paint a wood clothespin to be the body and paint two mini craft sticks to be wings. Once dry, cross the craft sticks on top of the clothespin and glue in place. Add googly eyes to the front and glue a strong magnet to the bottom of the clip. Display it on the fridge and your little one will feel very proud. Watch How-To Video: Magnetic Dragonfly clip 10 of 11 Crab Hat Scott Little Feeling crabby? Perk up with a crab hat made from a paper bowl and clothespin claws! Make It: Paint four clothespins and a paper bowl red; paint two large wooden beads white. Glue eight thin 4-inch strips of red cardstock around the edge of the bowl to make legs; when dry, fold them in the middle for dimension. Glue the clothespins together as shown and adhere them to the front of the crab. Glue on the eyes and draw or cut out a mouth from black cardstock and attach. Complete the crab by punching a hole on each side; attach elastic cords to fit your child's head. 11 of 11 Magnetic Fishing Game Scott Little Provide your kids with interactive amusement by constructing this magnetic fishing game with a few simple materials. Make It: Help your child paint a square wooden dowel and wooden spool his favorite colors and allow to dry. Glue white string around the spool and adhere it near the bottom of the dowel. Attach a long string to the far end of the dowel and tie a magnet to the opposite end (magnetic barrels from the jewelry section of the craft store work well). Make clothespin "fish" by painting them fun colors with pink lips. Let paint dry and help your child glue on sequin scales and googly eyes. Now he'll be ready to go fishing! Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit


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British Contractor Agrees to Plead Guilty to Wire Fraud Conspiracy Related to Iraq Reconstruction Efforts
WASHINGTON – British contractor APTx Vehicle Systems Limited agreed today to plead guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States, the Coalition Provisional Authority that governed Iraq from April 2003 to June 2004, the government of Iraq and JP Morgan Chase Bank. A civil settlement agreement resolving a related action filed under the False Claims Act was also announced today.
APTx was charged with one count of wire fraud conspiracy in a criminal information filed today in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts. As part of the plea agreement filed with the information, APTx agreed to pay a criminal fine of $1 million.
The charges and resolutions were announced today by Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department's Criminal Division, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart F. Delery of the Justice Department's Civil Division and U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Carmen M. Ortiz.
According to the criminal information, APTx engaged in a fraudulent scheme involving an August 2004 contract valued at over $8.4 million for the procurement of 51 vehicles for the Iraqi Police Authority. The contract was initially awarded to a different, "prime" contractor, which in turn subcontracted the procurement to APTx for over $5.7 million. Payment under the contract was by letters of credit issued by JP Morgan Bank.
The criminal information further charges that in May and June 2005, APTx submitted shipping documents to JP Morgan to draw down on the letters of credit, which falsely and fraudulently asserted that all 51 vehicles were produced and ready to ship to Iraq. In fact, as APTx knew, none of the vehicles had been built, none of the vehicles were legally owned or held by APTx and none of the vehicles were in the process of transport to Iraq. The fraudulent shipping documents also listed a company as the freight carrier that APTx knew was not a shipping company and named a fictitious company as the freight forwarder.
In a related civil settlement agreement, APTx, along with Alchemie Grp Ltd., a United Kingdom corporation, and Haslen Back, the director and shareholder of Alchemie, agreed to pay $2 million to the United States to resolve claims originated by Ian Rycroft, an individual retained by the prime contractor to oversee transportation of the vehicles, under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act in the District of Massachusetts. The False Claims Act authorizes private whistleblowers to bring suit for false claims submitted to the United States and to share in any recovery. Rycroft's estate will receive $540,000 as its share of the settlement amount.
Benjamin Kafka, a representative for APTx in the United States, was charged on April 13, 2009, with one count of misprision of a felony in connection with his role in the wire fraud conspiracy. According to court documents, Kafka allegedly allowed APTx to use his corporate name and identity as the freight carrier and freight forwarder on the fraudulent shipping documents presented to JP Morgan.
The criminal case is being prosecuted by Director of Procurement Fraud Catherine Votaw and Trial Attorney William H. Bowne III of the Criminal Division's Fraud Section, and by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eugenia M. Carris and Jeffrey Cohen of the District of Massachusetts. The civil case is being handled by Trial Attorney Diana Younts of the Civil Division, and by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Wichers of the District of Massachusetts. The investigation was conducted by the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service Boston Resident Agency and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations in Washington, D.C.


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Nowhere has the apparent death of Paula Loyd been officially reported, nor is there any apparent notice of her passing or of a funeral notice posted in any paper that is also on the Web. In addition, the website of the Human Terrain System does not have an entry for her under its "In Memoriam" tab.
Paula Loyd was a member of a Human Terrain Team in Afghanistan when she was doused with petrol and set alight by an Afghan on November 4, 2008. Her attacker was executed while detained, and she was flown back to Texas for treatment. Previous posts about Loyd on this blog, including a video, are here and here, with additional discussion here and here. This makes her the third researcher to have did while employed with the Human Terrain System.
In recent days, despite the discussion of Gaza taking place on this blog, there has been a large spike in the number of visitors searching this blog for Paula Loyd, as well as new comments on a story several weeks old. Many of the visitors seem to be clicking links in email messages, which to me suggested that the link to one of the posts was being circulated. This motivated me to find out what the possible reason was for what seemed to be an attempt to distract, or perhaps a coordinated attempt to counteract the positions taken on this blog — mere speculation of course. As I searched for possible reasons for the recent renewal of interest, by chance I was led to what is news that at first appeared to be a month old.
[Update: anonymous comments on another site state that Paula Loyd died yesterday, January 7, 2009, which might explain the increased interest in her story. Another comment says her death happened on January 6.]
Quite by accident, through Twitter, I found a rather romantic article in a San Antonio site, to which the following comment was posted:
Kelly Loyd:
Paula was my aunt and we loved her very much, unfortunately she passed away this morning after an incredible battle for her life. She and her life will hopefully serve as an inspiration to others. She spent her life helping people. In know that sounds ironic to say about a military woman, but her goal in the military was to rebuild, both lives and services. She loved her job and her family and her country and, in the end, sacrificed her life for it. She is truly one of many American heroes and I loved and respected her greatly.
Why was her death not reported by the media? Why does even the HTS website not mention her death? Or is this almost invisible announcement a hoax? If a hoax, it would be a rather twisted mind that produced it, and I am inclined to believe that the source is instead genuine. I can also appreciate that for matters of privacy the family would want to keep news of her funeral private. That does not explain HTS not acknowledging her death.
[Update: since this blog broke the story first, it is now being picked up by others, and the news has not been contradicted by any source.]
Following the report's appearance on this blog, Wired's Danger Room picked up the story and seems to have confirmed its veracity by speaking to HTS employees. In addition, another anonymous commenter claiming to be a family member of Loyd's is confirming her death in a comment below.
UPDATE #2: "Contractor dies from Afghanistan burn injuries," By Matthew Barakat – The Associated Press – Posted : Friday Jan 9, 2009 13:15:17 EST – in Army Times (thanks for the notice from a commenter below).
UPDATE #3: More on the now reported death of Paula Loyd:
BAE Systems Statement Regarding the Death of an Employee, Friday, January 9, 2009.
So this brings me back to "Keltorttruth", posting here, here, and here, between January 6 and yesterday, January 7: what a coincidence that you should be engaging me in debate about Loyd just on those particular days, and at the same time you and/or other anonymous commenters were announcing her death on more sympathetic blogs. What were you hoping to set up? I am assuming that only family, close friends, and people in the military would have been privy to knowledge of her death. Which one are you? Silence.