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Dear Santa:
Dear Santa:
I guess it's that time of year again. I just wanted to let you know I think you're doing a great job. And, by the way, have you been working out or something lately?
Here's my Christmas wish list. It's pretty big, but I've been very good. Well, maybe not that good. OK, I've been an SOB, but I'm trying.
Here we go.
I'd like a Corvette. It doesn't have to be new, but it has to be a 5-speed, have cup-holders and it can't be lime green.
Three hundred shares of stock in our parent company News Corp. Look out Rupert, I'll have a seat on that board of yours soon.
"Revenge of the Nerds" trilogy collection in VHS.
I'd like a conversation with my son that includes more than one-word responses.
I want my dog to stop eating everything I sit on.
A T-shirt that says "Geek." What, I don't need one?
I'd like Congress to make a deal NOW to avoid the fiscal cliff, and then, like Wile E. Coyote, find one to jump off.
I'd like more people to donate blood. It saves lives and it's constantly needed, since it can't be stored long. Think of it as payback for your good health. It's one of the most fulfilling feelings you can get for 30 painless minutes of reclining and eating cookies.
I'd like mental health issues to become a greater priority in our society. It's something we've shunned. Yet it affects not only those afflicted but also the innocent that bear the brunt of untreated illness. Children, all too often, become mental illnesses' collateral damage.
More funding for substance abuse research. We are awash in its devastating social impact. These so-called "victimless crimes" become a gateway to theft, robbery and violence. And it will no doubt continue to ruin lives.
I want politicians to stop focusing on party allegiances and start focusing on issues. We could care less if you're a Democrat, Republican or extraterrestrial. Temper the philosophical arrogance with some good ol' pragmatism. We elect you to solve problems, not preach to us.
I'd like school officials to step up efforts to ensure no child is ever bullied in school. If a zero-tolerance policy was ever called for, this is it. Bullying can be devastating to its victims, and child bullies grow up to be adult bullies.
I'd like to see harsher penalties for animal abuse. These are despicable crimes against innocent creatures. They are also precursors for brutal acts of violence against humans. All it takes is some legislation and the will to prosecute the offenses.
OK, Santa, I know my list is ambitious, but I think you're up to the job. Your milk and cookies will be in their usual place, but this year I left skim milk and fat-free treats. We need you around for a long time.
Merry Christmas, Santa, and may peace reign in the new year.


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At Safeco Field on Wednesday, there was one bad catch and one good catch. The bad: Mariners right fielder Michael Saunders ran into the outfield wall making a catch and sprained his shoulder in an 8-3 loss to the Houston Astros. The good: A Seattle fan made a spectacular catch with his beer, and chugged the beer with the ball still in the cup.
The guy gets high marks for creativity, low marks for execution, as he ended up with about $5 worth of beer on his shirt. Plus he made quite the impression on the kid behind him, who looks excited enough to try the move himself. Not 'til you're 21, young man!

subset: commoncrawl


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Guest blog post by Morgan Barr, an International Economist within the Manufacturing and Services division at the International Trade Administration. She works on sustainable manufacturing issues as well as negotiations for trade agreements.
The U.S. Department of Commerce's Sustainable Manufacturing Initiative (SMI) has developed tools and resources to help companies, particularly small and medium sized enterprises, implement sustainable business practices faster and more effectively. The benefits to manufacturers include lower energy and resource costs, increased marketability of products and services and lower regulatory costs and risk.
The Sustainable Manufacturing Initiative developed a number of business friendly resources that are available through its website:
- Sustainable Business Clearinghouse - This searchable clearinghouse provides information and links to almost 900 federal and state programs and resources dedicated to supporting sustainable business practices. It includes everything from lean and green assessments, to training, to financial assistance for green improvements. Users can search by government or non-governmental programs, geographic location, sustainability issue, industry sector and type of assistance.
- OECD Sustainable Manufacturing Metrics Toolkit - This toolkit provides a simplified set of core sustainability metrics for facilities and products that any company can use to both measure performance and make decisions on improvement.
- Sustainable Manufacturing 101 Training - This training can be used to train employees anywhere in the company from purchasing to the production line. It is designed to take users through the various aspects of the practice, from energy efficiency to designing for the environment to remanufacturing. This module is currently not available, but scheduled to be completed by October 2011 and will be available on the SMI website.
Comments Closed
Due to increased spam, comments have been closed on this content. If you wish to comment about the content, we encourage you to email email@example.com.


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Welcome to the Official Breyer® Store
Your portal to special run models, unique benefits and more!
Before purchasing your Collector Club membership, please make sure you are logged in to the account that you'd like the Collector Club membership to be linked to. If you're purchasing a Collector Club membership as a gift, please click here to purchase a Gift Certificate for the club.
The Breyer Collector Club is your official online community for Breyer collectors! It is open to all ages. When you join, you will belong to the largest group of Breyer model horse enthusiasts in the world who come together at BreyerHorses.com for special benefits, exclusive access and unique offers that only Collector Club members enjoy!
Only Collector Club members have access to purchase Breyer's Web Specials and other ONLINE COLLECTOR CLUB MEMBER ONLY offers! In 2019, Breyer will offer at least six fantastic Web Specials to Collector Club members only!
Collector Club members are automatically enrolled in the Breyer Perks Program! Breyer Perks gives you 10% off all regularly priced standard run Breyer products for twelve months*. Use the code CLUBPLUS19 at checkout once you have completed your Membership purchase for your Breyer Perks discount.**
Collector Club members get early access to sales, special offers, events and more! Collector Club members even have their own tent at BreyerFest!
Whether you are a Stablemates collector or have a special fondness for the Vintage Models of yesteryear, Breyer's specialty collector clubs let you add to your collection with models that are made just for these clubs. You're in good company with Breyer's specialty collector clubs!
Only Collector Club members receive the Just About Horses annual Collector Club edition which features the annual new products guide and sneak peeks and insider looks at upcoming models. Plus, only club members receive access to collector club forums and more!
2019 Club benefits include a coupon for your very own copy of the 2019 Breyer Calendar! Enjoy 12 months of beautiful Breyer models and offers worth over $100 in savings!
If you love to collect Breyer models, membership in the Breyer Collector Club will make your experience better in every way!
Renew now and add the 2019 Collector Club membership to your account, regardless of your current membership's expiration date. The 2019 Collector Club will expire on December 31, 2019.
10% off Terms & Conditions: Discount code valid from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019. Use discount code CLUBPLUS19 in ALL CAPS at checkout to receive 10% off your purchase of full-price regular line merchandise and select clearance regular line merchandise on www.breyerhorses.com only. You must be logged in to your account, and have a current, valid Collector Club membership for discount to apply. Discount applies to product cost only. Offer is limited to in-stock inventory only. Cannot be applied to prior purchases. Cannot be combined with any other offers. Offer does not apply to select merchandise, including without limitation special/limited run items, Web specials, bundles, event tickets/models, BreyerFest tickets and merchandise, memberships, gift certificates, special programs, club models or continuity programs, and select sale and/or clearance items. Prices and availability of products are subject to change without notice. Errors will be corrected where and when discovered. Reeves International, Inc. reserves the right to revoke any stated offer, cancel orders, and to correct any errors, inaccuracies or omissions in any stated offer or price, including after an order has been submitted and whether or not the order has been confirmed and your payment processed. Void where prohibited or otherwise restricted by law.
**Collector Club members must use exclusive perks code CLUBPLUS19 to receive discount; standard Breyer Perks discount code will not apply
Please note: Reeves International, Inc. reserves the right to terminate any membership at any time and refund the applicable pro-rated deposit or membership amount.
Members Only programs including Vintage Collectors Club, Premier Collection, and Stablemates Club require current, valid membership in the Collectors Club. See individual product pages for those clubs when released for details.
Type: Club Membership
Category: Club Membership
Our newsletter subscribers are the first to know about Breyer product releases, store specials, BreyerFest and more!


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Tool Organizers, Parts Organizers
Bucket Boss Tool Organizers
Canvas bags, tote bags, belts, bags, aprons, tool rolls and more.
Klein Tool Organizers
Canvas bags and buckets, tool boxes.
Occidental Leather Tool Belts
Leather, Nylon and Beltless Systems.
Tool Boxes
Plastic and metal.
Tool Carrying Cases
Power and hand tool carrying cases. Sturdy, all-steel construction.


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Onward avait besoin d'un nouveau design de logo et a lancé un concours sur 99designs.
2gagnants ont été selectionné parmi 131 designs proposés par 44 designers freelance.
Professional looking logo and icons/buttons for a business networking portal/site. High tech & professional.
Desired Style:
high-tech, professional, global
Accepted File Formats:
Standard Web Formats (.jpg, .gif or .png); Vector Formats (.eps, .pdf or .ai); Layered Formats (.psd or .tiff)
PrivateInvestigators.com will be a business portal and the logo needs to reflect that. I am not interested in the common things you may see associated with private investigators such as magnifying glasses, Scotland Yard detective with pipe, fingerprints, etc...I'm looking for high tech, professional and global....lawfirm like , but not quite as conservative.
Some of the challenges I see ahead that I would like addressed...
1. It is a long .com name...want to make sure it is readable and eye appealing
2. The name is plural and I want to make sure that we do not lose too much traffic to the singular version...I think a strong logo can help here.
3. I think font choice will be very important to deliver the right message
Not set on color scheme, but believe 2-3 color is needed.
This contest was originally listed in multiple categories:
- Logo Design
- Buttons & Icons
Savoir comment fonctionne un concours de design ou en savoir plus sur nos services de design de logo.


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13th October 2006, 12:48 AM
We had agility tonight and he could hardly stand waiting for his turn. :roll: He did the course perfectly twice through and was such a good boy -- I think I am going to enter him for a competition Dec 9th. This is fairly terrifying and I wouldn't have much expectation given that I hardly know what I am doing anyway, but I am interested to see how he will do with onlookers and distractions. He just enjoys it so much. I love watching cavaliers go over jumps, with their coats and ears flying!


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Thoughts on County Control of Volunteer FiremenAuthor: Lyle
The county has decided to fold control of the various volunteer firemen under a "superchief", essentially placing control of the volunteers directly under control of the county. From a casual reader of the newspaper coverage on this (which has not been complete or comprehensive), the initiative seems to be promoted by the county executive, the paid county firemen, and the union that represents them. The initiative is being fought by the volunteers, and some community associations. I've heard very little discussion on the issue in casual conversations during my daily travels, and not much printed as editorials or letters to the editor.
I don't have the experience to really comment on whether this is a good thing or not, since I'm not a fireman (volunteer or career) and have no particular understanding of how they are managed. However, here are some thoughts…
First, this seems to be the natural evolution of fire protection. People move to unpopulated areas and fend for themselves. As it gets more crowded communities decide on their own to set up volunteer companies. As things become suburban it becomes a mix of volunteer and paid firefighters. As it becomes urban, they all become paid firefighters. I think we're just at the point where the transition is starting to eliminate the volunteer concept. In some parts of the county (and there are still parts of the county that are not urban, or even very sub-urban) making this change doesn't seem to make sense, as the volunteer program still serves them well.
Another thought is that if you think about serving your community or have some desire to help others, its hard to think of a more noble way of doing this than volunteering to protect property and lives by being a volunteer fireman. This is incredibly dangerous stuff, and done for no compensation other than the joy of helping others or the adrenaline rush of doing something dangerous, or getting to ride on a fire truck. Admittedly very cool compensation but not something that is going to pay the mortgage. This is a calling some people have, like being a policeman or a teacher, and is a fairly selfless way to give back to the community.
Related items:
- Benjamin Franklin and the Formation of Volunteer Fire Companies. An ounce of prevention … a pound of cure.
- Washington Post May 4, 2004 Montgomery Decides To Centralize Control Over Fire Service With One Chief
- Site set up by the volunteers, who are against the move.
- Resolution by Montgomery County Civic Federation, who were solidly against the bill.


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Map of affected parking area
The safety of residents, visitors and employees is a prime
consideration when determining if on-street time limited parking enforcement
should be canceled due to icy conditions and or inclement weather. On-street
time limited parking enforcement is canceled when City Hall is closed or when
street driving and on-street parking conditions are affected by inclement
weather conditions.
2-hour parking designations, with some exceptions including 3-hour, 1-hour or 15-minute load/unload, are in effect from 9 am to 5 pm Monday - Friday, excluding holidays. Holidays are considered any time Redmond City Hall is closed. Scooters, motorcycles and disabled on-street parking is available all-day and does not require an all-day parking permit.
A limited number of monthly paid parking permits, allowing all-day parking in designated extended by permit zones, are available for sale on a monthly or annual basis. A map of the permit parking zones is available above. Permits are $50 per month or $600 per year.
To purchase a permit call 425-556-2433 and press option 1.
One-day on-street parking passes are available for purchase for $5/day at the pay station at the Redmond Central Connector Pay-to-Park lot located at the corner of Bear Creek Pkwy. and Leary Way NE, the entrance to the lot is on Bear Creek Pkwy. The pay station accepts cash or credit (no coins). Place ticket on dash. This pass is valid for on-street anywhere in the affected Downtown parking area.
Parking time limits are actively enforced by Redmond's contracted parking enforcement agency. Tickets are issued to vehicles exceeding the maximum parking time. Parking violations are $29 and payable to the King County Municipal Court.
PLEASE NOTE: Moving a vehicle and re-parking within the same day on the same street is subject to violation.
Adjacent to the Redmond Central Connector, located at 7541 Leary Way NE at the corner of Bear Creek Pkwy. and Leary Way NE. Users can enter the lot off Bear Creek Parkway. The lot has 92 parking spaces. It is open 24-hours a day, 7 days a week and is monitored Pay-to-Park lot Monday-Friday from 9 am–7 pm. Pricing: 0-4 hours free, over 4 hours $5.
This lot is managed by Diamond Parking. Parking lot citations will be issued for not paying required parking lot fee during required pay hours. Parking citations are $30. Please contact Diamond Parking for more information at 206-729-0590 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.
See Parking Map below for other available lots in Downtown Redmond.
Downtown Parking Stations
Below are parking ordinances and resolutions that affect parking within Redmond.
Contact: 425-556-2433 or email email@example.com
Section 10.52.135 - Authority to establish parking regulations.
Ordinance 2490 - Amending RMC 10.12.010 and 10.12.020, Clarifying the Authority of the Police Chief to Appoint Specially Commissioned Persons to Enforce Traffic Regulations, and the Authority for Adopting Penalties for Traffic Infractions; Adding RMC 10.52.105, Making it Unlawful to Park a Vehicle on a City Street in Violation of a Posted Time Limit.
Ordinance 2476 - Amending RMC 10.52.135, Allowing Traffic Engineer's Designee to Establish Regulations Governing Parking on City Streets, to Revise the Maximum Penalty for Parking Violations to be Consistent with State Law, and to Provide Authority for Parking Permits.
Resolution 1308 - Adopting a Penalty Schedule for Civil Traffic Infractions Pursuant to RMC 10.12.020.
Ordinance 2620 - Amending RMC 10.52.135(D) regarding/expansion of downtown time-limited enforcement zone boundaries, to allow the traffic engineer's designee to expand the enforcement zone to the east to include: (1) 165th Ave. NE on the east between NE 85th St. and NE 83rd St. and (2) the portion of 161st Ave. NE between Cleveland St. and Bear Creek Pkwy.
Ordinance 2717 - Amending RMC 10.52.135 regarding expansion of downtown time-limited enforcement zone boundaries, to allow for expansion of the enforcement zone to: (1) 166th Ave. NE on the east between NE 85th St. and Cleveland St. on the south, (2) Redmond Way on the north to Avondale Way on the south, Cleveland St. on the south to Redmond Way on the north, (3) Leary Way on the south to 159th Pl. NE on the west, (4) 159th Pl. NE on the west to Bear Creek Pkwy. on the north, and (5) Bear Creek Pkwy on the south to Redmond Way.


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|Black Einkorn
Much of the Vavilov is in boot stage, or showing a swollen boot.
|Awns on Flag Leaf
while other plants reveal just the tips of their awns above the flag leaf collar as the heads begin to emerge.
The India Jammu is currently in the lead, showing most of the heads in anthesis, or blossoming stage. This means only final seed development and ripening remain before harvest.
|India Jammu in Blossom


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Obama takes Romney to school
BOCA RATON, Fla. — At the very beginning of his third and final debate with Barack Obama Monday night, Mitt Romney turned toward the president and said: "Mr. President, it's good to be with you again."
Fact check! Ten Pinocchios! Five pairs of pants on fire!
Story Continued Below
And I would bet that, about 90 minutes later, even Romney would agree that it was not that good to have been on the debate stage with Obama once again.
At age 65, Mitt Romney probably thought he was done with school. But he got schooled by Obama on foreign policy at what will be their last meeting before Election Day.
Romney wasn't terrible. But he was on the defensive for much of the evening, a fine sheen of sweat popped out on his forehead long before the debate ended, and — worst of all — Romney was repeatedly forced to say he agreed with Obama on policy after policy.
This may not have been so bad, but Obama chose a good evening to be good. Having learned his lesson in Denver, having sharpened his skills at the second debate in Hempstead, N.Y., Obama unloaded on Romney in Boca Raton with a prepared theme: "Wrong and reckless."
"I know you have not been in a position to execute foreign policy," Obama said snidely to Romney. "But (yours) is wrong and reckless leadership that is all over the map. It is not a recipe for American strength or keeping America safe."
And what could possibly be worse than being wrong and reckless with American lives?
Being like George W. Bush and Dick Cheney!
"He's praised George Bush as a good economic steward and Dick Cheney as somebody who shows great wisdom and judgment," Obama sneered. "And taking us back to those kinds of strategies that got us into this mess is not … going to maintain leadership and take us into the 21st century."
Romney swatted back, but a little feebly. "Attacking me is not an agenda," Romney sniffed.
Oh, yeah? Since when? In what country is he running for president?
The subject of the debate, which was very ably moderated by Bob Schieffer, was supposed to be foreign policy. But both candidates managed to pivot to domestic policy time and time again, and for the very good reason that domestic policy is far more likely to decide the election.
And there is another problem with foreign policy, which Romney demonstrated when he twice mentioned Mali.
Mali? Is Romney not aware that in an oft-quoted Roper poll sponsored by the National Geographic Society in 2006, 75 percent of American young people couldn't find Israel on a map — which might be understandable considering it's pretty small — but also that 50 percent couldn't find Ohio? Or New York?


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The "sundowner" farmer is here to stay, according to a report from The Context Network. Context President Tray Thomas reports that small farmers may well be a permanent fixture in the ag industry. The company found that 54% of small farmers surveyed rely on off-farm employment for their household's livelihood. This creates a "lifestyle effect" because farm decisions are not always economically based.
"The study shows that the small farm market is significant," Thomas says. "Small farms, defined by the USDA as operations with less than $250,000 in sales, still account for 48% of the corn and soybean acreage in the Corn Belt."


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Cary News: Community
Club Notes: Feb. 23
Girl Talk
The Carolina G.I.R.L.S. (Girls Inspiring Real Life Success) chapter of Girl Talk will meet from 3:30-5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23, at the Rex Healthcare Training Room, 781 Avent Ferry Road, Holly Springs. For details, email Stacey at email@example.com.
Southern Wake Republican Club
The Southern Wake Republican Club will meet for a discussion on the Common Core curriculum with Andrea Dillon at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25, in the meeting room at the Golden Corral, 1420 E. Broadway St., Fuquay-Varina. Tonya Baker Nelson, founder and executive director of Hand of Hope Pregnancy Resource Centers, will speak.
Western Wake Democrats
The Western Wake Democrats will meet from 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25, in the private dining room at IHOP, 1301 Kildaire Farm Road, Cary. North Carolina Democratic Party chairman Randy Voller will speak. A social hour from 6-7 p.m. precedes the meeting. RSVP to firstname.lastname@example.com.
Wake County Autism Chapter
The Wake County Autism Chapter will meet from 6:30-7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27, with speaker Louise Southern at Brooks Avenue Church of Christ, 700 Brooks Ave., Raleigh. The meeting is open to people with autism spectrum disorders and their families.
Lupus support group
The Lupus Foundation of America's North Carolina Chapter will host a support group meeting for people with lupus, their families and caregivers from 6:30-8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27, at the Waters Edge Office Park Conference Room, 4917 Waters Edge Drive, suite 250, Raleigh. For more information, call 877-849-8271, ext. 2, email firstname.lastname@example.com, or go to www.lupusnc.org.
Fine Arts League of Cary
The Fine Arts League of Cary will meet at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27, at the Cary Arts Center, 101 Dry Ave. Ginger Gehres will talk about her artwork. Visitors are welcome. For details, call 919-465-1791.
Raleigh Stamp Club
The Raleigh Stamp Club meets at 7 p.m. the first Monday of the month at North Cary Baptist Church, 505 Reedy Creek Road, Cary. Visitors are welcome. For details, call 919-832-6040 or go to www.raleighstampclub.org.
The AARP Cary Chapter will meet at 12:15 p.m. Tuesday, March 4, at the Cary Senior Center, 120 Maury Odell Place. Sam Ratto of Videri Chocolate Factory will talk about making chocolate. For details, call 919-467-1424.
Fat Tuesday fundraiser
The Cary MacGregor Rotary Club will host the eighth annual Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras Fundraiser at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 4, at The Atrium, 11000 Regency Parkway, Cary. The event will include live music by The Blasting Caps, food and an auction. Tickets cost $50 in advance or at the door. For tickets, email firstname.lastname@example.com.
Golden Age Club fundraiser
The Golden Age Club will host a fundraiser from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 5, at the C.C. Jones Community Building, 309 Holleman St., Apex. Plates of chicken pastry, green beans, apples, cornbread and desserts cost $8. Plates are available for eat-in or take-out.
Cary Photographic Artists
The Cary Photographic Artists will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 6, at the Cary Arts Center, 101 Dry Ave. John Viehe will present "Shooting Video With Your DSLR." For details, call Bobbi Hopp at 919-388-3395 or go to www.caryphotographicartists.org.
Triangle Sons of Italy movie night
The Triangle Sons of Italy's seventh annual movie night will feature "Sister Italy" at 4 p.m. Sunday, March 9, at the C.C. Jones Community Center, 309 Holleman St., Apex. Admission, which includes popcorn, pizza, salad, dessert and coffee, costs $10 per member, $12 per guest and $5 per child at www.trianglesonsofitaly.org.
Cary Mayor's Task Force on Disability
The Cary Mayor's Task Force on Disability meets from noon to 1 p.m. every second Wednesday at the Page-Walker Arts & History Center, 119 Ambassador Loop. Cary or Apex residents interested in creating awareness, improving accessibility and advocating for people with disabilities are welcome, regardless of age or ability. Details: www.carydisability.org.
Arthritis-Joint Replacement Club
The Arthritis-Joint Replacement Club meets to share resources, information and support from 1:30-3 p.m. every third Wednesday in classroom one of Rex Wellness Center, 1505 Cary Parkway, Cary. For details, call 919-387-0080.
Lupus support group
The Lupus Foundation of America, North Carolina Chapter will host a support-group meeting for people with lupus, their families and caregivers from 6:30-8 p.m. Thursday, March 27, in the Waters Edge Office Park Conference Room, 4917 Waters Edge Drive, suite 250, Raleigh. For details, call 877-849-8271, ext. 2, email email@example.com, or go to www.lupusnc.org.
Outlanders, a group of kids of all ages with special needs, meets every other month for activities including fishing, racing pinewood derby cars, horseback riding and camping. To join the group's email list, email firstname.lastname@example.com.
Cary Parents of Teens Anonymous
Cary Parents of Teens Anonymous provides support, encouragement and information to parents of teens. The group meets on the second and fourth Monday of the month. Call 919-704-6895 or visit www.meetup.com/Cary-PTA for details.
Western Wake Republican Club
The Western Wake Republican Club meets at 6 p.m. the fourth Monday of the month at Mahoney's Pub, 6490 Tryon Road, Cary. Dinner starts at 6 p.m., with the meeting at 7 p.m. For details, visit www.westernwakegop.org.
Screenline, a screenwriters' group, meets at 7:30 p.m. the last Monday of the month at Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 760 SE Maynard Road, Cary. For information, contact Mike Everette at email@example.com.
• The Cary Toastmasters meet from 8-9 a.m. every Monday in room 200-C at the Western Wake Campus of Wake Technical Community College, 3434 Kildaire Farm Road, Cary. Details:carytoastmasters.toastmastersclubs.org
• Carylina Toastmasters meet to practice speaking and leadership skills from 7-8 p.m. Mondays at Carylina House, 111 McArthur Drive, Cary. Details:www.carylinatoastmasters.org
• Apex Toastmasters meet from 7-8 p.m. Tuesdays at the Spring Arbor Assisted Living Center, 901 Spring Arbor Court, Apex. Details:www.apextoastmasters.org
or call 919-303-5852.
• The Perimeter Park Toastmasters meet every other Wednesday from noon to 1 p.m. at the United Way office at 2400 Perimeter Park Drive, Suite 150, Morrisville. Details:www.perimeterpark.toastmastersclubs.org
• The Heart of Cary Toastmasters, which focuses on public speaking, meets from 7-8 p.m. the second and fourth Wednesday of the month in the second-floor meeting room of the Cary Arts Center, 101 Dry Ave. Visitors are welcome.
• The Techtalk Toastmasters Club meets from 5:30-6:45 p.m. Thursdays at NetApp Building Two, 7301 Kit Creek Road in Research Triangle Park. The club helps members sharpen communication and leadership skills. Details:techtalk.toastmastersclubs.org
Mothers of Preschoolers
MOPS meets at 9:15 a.m. Mondays at Salem Baptist Church, 1821 N. Salem St., Apex. Register at salem-bc.org/mops. Details: 919-362-7327.
Recovery International
Recovery International support group offers self-help for stress, anxiety, depression, anger and fear. The group meets from 7-8:30 p.m. Mondays at Crosspointe Church, 6911 Carpenter Fire Station Road, Cary. For more information, call 919-886-7768 or go to www.lowselfhelpsystems.org.
TOPS of Apex
The Take Off Pounds Sensibly group of Apex meets at 7 p.m. Mondays at New Horizons Fellowship, 820 E. Williams St., Apex. Call 919-345-7733 or email email@example.com.
Overeaters Anonymous
Overeaters Anonymous, a 12-step program for people with eating disorders or food/eating issues, meets from 7:30-8:30 p.m. Mondays at Christ the King Lutheran Church, 600 Walnut St., Cary. For details, go to www.triangleoa.org.
Cary Community Lions Club
The Cary Community Lions Club meets at noon on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at IHOP, 1301 Kildaire Farm Road, Cary. For details, contact President Rob Moncure at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Holly Springs Masonic Lodge
The Holly Springs Masonic Lodge No. 115 meets at 6:30 p.m. every second and fourth Tuesday of the month at 224 Raleigh St., Holly Springs. A meal is served on the second Tuesday of the month following the meeting. For details, email email@example.com or go to www.hs115.org.
Southern Wake Republican Club
The Southern Wake Republican Club meets at 7 p.m. the fourth Tuesday of each month at the large meeting room of Golden Corral, 1420 E. Broad St, Fuquay-Varina. Guests and members will receive a discount on meals and should arrive between 6 and 6:30 p.m. For details, go to www.southernwakegop.com. Club memberships are $25 per person or $40 per family.
Rotary clubs
• The Apex Sunrise Rotary Club meets at 7:15 a.m. Tuesdays at Perkins Family Restaurant, 908 U.S. 64 West. Details:www.apexsunriserotaryclub.org
• The Morrisville Rotary Club meets at noon Tuesdays at Prestonwood Country Club. New members are welcome. Details:www.morrisville.rotary-clubs.org
• The Cary Rotary Club meets at 12:30 p.m. Tuesdays at McGregor Downs Country Club, 430 St. Andrews Lane. Visitors are welcome. Details:www.thecaryrotaryclub.org
• The Apex Rotary Club meets at 12:30 p.m. Thursdays at Carrabba's Italian Grill, 1201 Haddon Hall Drive, Apex. Details: 919-387-1040.
• Cary Kildaire Rotary Club meets at 6 p.m. Thursdays at McGregor Downs Country Club, 430 St. Andrews Lane, Cary. New members and visitors are welcome. Details:www.cary-kildairerotaryclub.org
• The Cary Page Rotary Club meets for breakfast at 7 a.m. Fridays at Woodland Terrace, 300 Kildaire Woods Drive. Details: 919-522-0104 orwww.carypagerotary.org
Women in Networking
The Cary chapter of Women in Networking meets from 8:30-9:30 a.m. Tuesdays at Mimi's Café, 115 Walnut St., Cary. For details, go to win-nc.com.
Cary Greatest Generation Club
The Cary Greatest Generation Club meets from 9:30-10:30 a.m. Tuesdays at the Cary Senior Center. For details, call Page Ott at 919-467-3534.
A group meets to play cribbage at 11 a.m. Tuesdays at the Fuquay-Varina Community Center, 820 S. Main St. For details, call Dale Schleiter at 919-552-5380.
XYZ Seniors Club
The XYZ Seniors Club meets at 10 a.m. the second and fourth Wednesday of the month at the Cary Senior Center, 120 Maury Odell Place in Bond Park. For details, call Becky Furno at 919-467-8332.
Alzheimer's support group
An Alzheimer's family support group will meet on the fourth Wednesday of each month 6:30-7:30 p.m. at 901 Spring Arbor Court, Apex.
Carolina Veterans Support Group
The Carolina Veterans Support Group meets at 6:30 p.m. the last Wednesday of every month at Cary American Legion and Auxiliary Post 67, 8523 Chapel Hill Road, Cary. The organization raises awareness and solutions for homeless veterans.
Holly Springs Community Band
The Holly Springs Community Band is looking for adult woodwind, brass, percussion, keyboard, bass and guitar musicians to practice with the band from 7-8:45 p.m. Wednesdays at the Holly Springs Cultural Center. Musicians must be able to read music. Some positions are available for aspiring, talented and mature junior- and senior-level high school musicians. Details: www.hollyspringsband.net.
Apex Kiwanis Club
Apex Kiwanis meets most Wednesdays at Anna's Pizzeria, 100 N. Salem St., Apex. Details: Betty Obremski at 919-859-5810 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Cary Leads Group
The Cary Leads Group meets for networking with business owners and professionals from 9:45-11 a.m. Thursdays in the second-floor workshop at Hope Community Church, 821 Buck Jones Road, Raleigh. Meetings start at 10 a.m. For details, go to caryleadsgroup.net.
VFW Post 7383
• The VFW hosts bingo on Thursdays with $2,500 paid out each week. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. at 522 Reedy Creek Road, Cary; pack sales begin at 6:15 p.m. The early-bird game starts at 7 p.m. and the main game starts at 8 p.m.
• The VFW accepts unserviceable U.S. flags any afternoon after 1 p.m. at 522 Reedy Creek Road, Cary. Details:www.vfwpost7383.org
Kiwanis Club of Cary
The Kiwanis Club of Cary meets at 6 p.m. Thursdays at Perkins Restaurant & Bakery, 908 U.S. 64, Apex. For details, call 919-363-8209 or visit www.kiwanisofcary.org.
Keep Fit Club
Keep Fit uses the Power 90 Extreme home-fitness program to support members through their weight-loss journeys. The club meets from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Thursdays at the Connections Event Center, 1280 Buck Jones Road, Raleigh. Details: 919-324-6828.
Cary Cross Trailers Square Dance Club
The Cary Cross Trailers Square Dance Club meets from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Thursdays in the fellowship hall at Cary United Methodist Church, 117 S. Academy St. Visitors are welcome. Details: www.carycrosstrailers.org.
Open mic-Apex
Quarter Note Music hosts an open-mic event from 6-9 p.m. Fridays at 1583 Beaver Creek Commons Drive, Apex. Details: 919-387-3939.
Morrisville Community Garden
The Morrisville Community Garden is planning, planting and seeking members to join the garden. Anyone interested can visit the garden from 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays at 219 Church St. Details: email@example.com or www.morrisvillegarden.org.
Cary Multiple Sclerosis
People with MS lead monthly meetings of The Cary Multiple Sclerosis self-help group. Details: call Mary Ann at 919-779-2101.
MOMS Club
The Moms Offering Moms Support of Fuquay-Varina/Holly Springs invites all at-home moms of Fuquay-Varina, Holly Springs and Willow Spring to join the chapter. The club provides support for at-home mothers and takes part in community service projects. Details: email@example.com.


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Obama nigger gets his ass handed to him by Bret Baier (show with hot, HUMAN wife) in Fox News interview.
The Presidential Turd stain sucked in his gut, pushed his bull nigger head forward, and swaggered onto the set for his first (and maybe last?) formal interview with Fox news. As you know, the beast has ooked in the past that Fox News is an entertainment network and not "given to report accurate news". However when asked why he was doing it, his mouthguard Robert Gibbs said, "Alot of people watch Fox News and we want to reach them. Both Democrats and Republicans." Hmm...
So the interview started out with Baier and Shitskin sitting across from each other, Baier leaning forward with his notes on his lap and the Chimp leaning back with a "Don't touch me!" look on his face. You could tell it was going to be tense.
Things went decently well, as well as can be expected when you have a human pretend to carry on an interview with an african animal, until the nigger started shucking and jiving with his answers. Obama started repeating the same old tired talking points. You know the ones, where he reads off the teleprompter and really doesn't say anything? He didn't have his teleprompter but he did memorize the words and jibbered them back at Baier in response to the question (which was VERY Tim Russert-like, RIP Tim.) about whether or not the backdoor Slaughter vote should be used for universal healthcare.
Bret Baier Kills Obama In Fox News Interview
Obama said, "I don't think (no duh...) people outside of Washington really care how it's passed." Baier was ready for this jigaboo jump and nailed him. " These are regular people from all over the country. Lee Johnson, from Spring Valley, California: "If the bill is so good for all of us, why all the intimidation, arm twisting, seedy deals, and parliamentary trickery necessary to pass a bill, when you have an overwhelming majority in both houses and the presidency?"
Sandy Moody in Chesterfield, Missouri: "If the health care bill is so wonderful, why do you have to bribe Congress to pass it?
Obama replies, "Bret, I get 40,000 letters or emails a day." (Ha ha ha ha! Isn't that TNB? You really think he was trying to measure dicks with you over how many emails his show received vs the white house's main email AND snail mail's numbers? Boot to the head!)
BAIER: "I know."
OBAMA: "I could read the exact same e-mail..."
(At this point Baier puts a thumb on the squirming nigger animal and brings him back to the point of the question)
BAIER: "These are people. It's not just Washington punditry."
OBAMA: "...What I'm concerned with is that we're fixing a broken system."
BAIER: "So you support the Deem and Pass rule?"
OBAMA: "I am not - "
BAIER: "You're saying it's that vote."
OBAMA: "What I'm saying is whatever they end up voting on — and I hope it's going to be sometime this week — that it is going to be a vote for or against my health care proposal. That's what matters."
You can read the entire transcript here. At one point the nigger totally chimps out when he doesn't want to answer another question and starts ooking about his same old talking points when Baier re-nails him to the wall. Search the text for "BAIER: Couple more process things, quickly." and you'll get to read the entire "uh look, I uh...Look Bret...I...uh.." chimp chatter.
When it was all said and done, Obama left in a huff and probably kicked a chair on his way out. Gibbs,ever the slimy car salesman, said "OMG he should at least let the PRESIDENT answer the question." That's the problem, Gibby. Your nigger didn't answer the question, he tried to worm his way out, which Bret apparently understands is TNB. He was on guard for just that type of nigger behavior.
Today the nigger was quoted as saying, "Come on Democrats. My entire PRESIDENCY is on the line with this bill!" Like anyone cares if you get flushed down the toilet, like the turd you are. HA!
Tom Coburn, Representative with Balls
On the other side, Tom Coburn (R - Oklahoma) came out swinging with a pair of brass balls you could see from space. He said, and I respectfully quote, "If you said you'd vote no but you then vote yes, and you lose your election and you think that any nomination to a federal position isn't going to be held in the Senate, I've got news for you. It's gonna be held. Number two is, if you get a parochial deal for you or your district, I've already instructed my staff and the staff of seven other senators will look at every appropriations bill at every level, at every instance, and we will outline it by district AND we will associate that with the buying/selling of your vote…..
So if you think you can cut a deal now, and it will not come out until after the election, I want to tell you that it isn't going to happen — and be prepared to defend your vote in the House."
God bless Coburn for what, in essence, is a declaration of war on the Obama nigger's chicago politics. If you take a deal from this nigger, we will slaughter you. Period.
Until next time, VBH!


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- Home
- Face and Body Paint
- Shop by Type
- Essential face paint colours
- Cameleon baseline TEAL 30g BL3010
Product Description
30g round cake baseline is a wax based paint with a lovely creamy consistency. Activate with a little water and apply with a brush or sponge for great coverage.
Instructions from Cameleon
"Cameleon face and Body paint is easy to use and comes fully prepared. No need to add anything.
To start using and just simply open your container or bottle.
Dip a brush or sponge into a very small amount of water and you are ready for your first strokes.
Using a damp sponge.
Make sure that the sponge is not too wet by squeezing out excessive water or the finished result may be streaky.
When applying colour with a brush, keep strokes even and work in continuous lines. Confidence will come with practice.
Store your materials in a dry clean state with lids on all containers.
When finishing a session, wipe any excess moisture from the surface of the paints and store with the lids on.
Never store any make up WET with the lids on. All high quality make up is manufactured with anti-bacterial ingredients, so has preservatives in it to kill bacteria, mold or yeast. However, Cameleon Make up is not designed to be 'submerged' in water for extended lengths of time. So be carefull never to have a 'puddle' of water in your cakes.
Cameleon face paints are all water based. This makes them as easy to get off as they are to put on. Simply remove with soap and warm water. There realy is no need for scrubbing or harsh removers. Please remember that due to the high pigment Cameleon contents some colours that may stain."


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Travel at Ease
Free WiFi, fitness studio, and more
Relax, work, meet, dine, and unwind in stylish, engaging spaces designed for modern travelers who crave an innovative hotel experience. Hold meetings in our meeting rooms and stay connected with free WiFi. Recharge in our fitness studio complete with a treadmill, stair climber, bike, universal weight machine, and TV. We also offer an onsite restaurant and lounge for your enjoyment, and provide onsite parking for our guests for £5 per day, with disabled parking free of charge.
Local Flavors
Shops, restaurants, theatres, parks, and pubs are all within walking distance
The Hub
The Hub is a great place to meet friends and enjoy a relaxed dining experience. Stop in any time of day and sample our dinner and lounge menus, with English classics created with fresh, quality ingredients. You can also relax with a Rongton's coffee or a refreshing drink in our lounge.
The Perfect Space for Your Meeting or Event
Our hotel features 4 meeting rooms, which can be arranged to accommodate 20 conference guests. Plan your next meeting or special event with us. We also arrange great rates for groups — large or small.


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Home / NEWS & MEDIA / Northern Lakes Veterinary Supply and Pfizer Animal Health partner to donate $5,274 to area FFA chapters
Northern Lakes Veterinary Supply and Pfizer Animal Health partner to donate $5,274 to area FFA chapters
More than $3.6 million donated nationally through the program since 2008
MADISON, N.J. — Jan. 24, 2012 — Owner and business manager Steve Pedersen of Northern Lakes Veterinary Supply from Abbotsford, Wis., partnered with Pfizer Animal Health to contribute $5,274 to two area FFA chapters. The donations offer added support and resources for the students. Since several Northern Lakes employees are former FFA members themselves, supporting youth in agriculture is an important cause.
"The future of our business is the farm, and it is important for us to support the youth in FFA," Pedersen says. "Currently, many school systems have budget concerns, so we are happy to team up and add value to our local chapters."
This is the third year Northern Lakes participated in the Pfizer Animal Health FFA Support Program in which participating veterinarians and retail partners were able to direct the funds from a portion of their purchases of select Pfizer Animal Health cattle products to any local FFA chapter(s) or the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) Foundation – Pfizer Animal Health Veterinary Student Scholarship Fund. Since its inception in 2008, the total amount donated through the FFA/AABP Foundation Support Program nationwide has been more than $3.6 million.
After hitting a 2011 membership goal of more than 100 students, Colby FFA in Colby, Wis., was appreciative of the donation. Funds are being used to send students to the state convention and to area leadership conferences. Advisers hope that the conferences will aid students' leadership and social skills to better prepare them for college and a successful future in agriculture.
"The donation will help us build more of our members and really support them rather than just offering added benefits to our officers," says Melissa Ploeckelman, Colby High School agriculture instructor and Colby FFA adviser. "We will be able to help all of our members and allow more of our members to really see how many agricultural careers there are for them."
About Pfizer Animal Health
Pfizer Animal Health, a business of Pfizer Inc., is a world leader in discovering and developing innovative animal vaccines and prescription medicines, investing an estimated $300 million annually in animal health product research and development. For more information about how Pfizer Animal Health works to ensure a safe, sustainable global food supply from healthy livestock and poultry; or helps companion animals and horses to live longer, healthier lives, visit www.PfizerAH.com.
Click here for a photo of Colby FFA students receiving the donation from Northern Lakes Veterinary Supply.
Becky Lambert
Pfizer Animal Health
Kori Conley
Bader Rutter
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Major Section: NOTE-2-7
defcong macro has been slightly changed. The difference is that
the variable generated with suffix
-EQUIV will now be in the same package
as the name of the variable from which it is generated, rather than always
belonging to the ACL2 package. Thanks to Hanbing Liu for suggesting this
change. (Note that a couple of books have been modified to accommodate this
change, e.g.,
In Version_2.6, a change was made for rules of class
rewrite whose
conclusion is a term of the form
(EQV lhs rhs), where
EQV is
eq, or
eql: the rule was stored as though
EQV were
equal. (See note-2-6-rules.) This change has been extended to rules
of class


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Raymond J. Nelson of Buckingham Springs passed away on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2014, surrounded by his loving family.
He was the husband of 24 years to his beloved wife, Nancy A. (Artone) Nelson.
Born in Philadelphia on January 24, 1924, Ray was the son of Raymond and Margaret Nelson.
Ray was preceded in death by his first wife, Eleanor Porambo Nelson.
He is survived by his children, Raymond (Carol), Andy, Susan (Jack, deceased), Pete (Helene), Patrice (Stephen), Melissa (Jack), Chris (Sharon), Tim (Eileen), Jeffrey (Robin), Lenore (Dan), and Andrea (Joe); stepchildren, Kelly (Eric), Bill (Lynn), Joelle, Mary Beth (Dave), and Sean (Danielle); 27 grandchildren and 25 great grandchildren as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Ray is also survived by his sister, Margaret Baker and her husband, Dr. Richard Baker and sister-in-law, Marge Nelson.
Ray was a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II, serving on the USS Jeffers DD-621/DMS-27 as a plank owner. Significant duty stations included the invasion of Sicily, Normandy and South France, invasion of Okinawa, radar picket survivor, Tokyo Bay, Sept. 2, 1945 Japanese Surrender Japan, post war mine clearing.
He was employed many years as a truck driver and in retirement worked as ranger at Washington Crossing Park, meter maid in New Hope as well as a school bus driver in the Council Rock school district.
Ray was so proud to have served his country and his adventurous spirit led to many trips on his motorcycle, traveling through every state in the United States except Nebraska. For him, it was never the destination but the journey and he found our country a source of beauty and wonder. His bigger than life presence, limitless knowledge and love and pride of his family will make his loss more deeply felt.
Family and friends are invited to Ray's Life Celebration, from 9 to 11 a.m., Saturday, March 1, at the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, 5175 Cold Spring Creamery Rd., Doylestown, PA 18902, and to participate in his Funeral Mass at 11 a.m. Ray will be interred privately at Washington Crossing National Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the Health and Wellness Ministry, Our Lady of Guadalupe, 5175 Cold Spring Creamery Road, Doylestown, PA 18902, Abington Hospice at Warminster, 225 Newtown Road, Warminster, PA 18974 or a charity of their choice.
To share your fondest memories of Ray, please visit the Web site below. Leaver/Cable Funeral Home


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Real-Life Apps: Organic Farm Goes Solar
By Kathryn LoConte
Since 2004, Chris Polashenski '07 Th'07 has bettered the Dartmouth Organic Farm greenhouse one innovation at a time. For an ENGS 190/290 project, Polashenski and Luke Wachter '06 retrofitted the structure to run on solar power instead of fossil fuels. "This greenhouse is typical of what most farmers have, and it's a realistic project," says Polashenski, who is now pursuing his Ph.D. at Thayer School. "A lot of universities have built prismatically shaped solar greenhouses that no farmer could ever possibly afford."
This idea reflects one of their major criteria: every adjustment must be profitable. "Just the fundamental fact that we're trying to make a profit is significant. It's a big step in the right direction," says Polashenski.
The pair constructed the building so that its ridgeline runs east-west. "It therefore has the most area facing south and gathers the most sunlight over the course of the day," says Polashenski. "We're just trying to optimize the process to capture as much heat as possible."
For additional heating, Polashenski sited 12 734-gallon concentric water tanks along the north wall to capture heat during the day and release it at night through a system of manifolds and piping that runs beneath the soil. "Circulating the warm water from those baths into the root zone of the plants is a way to store heat, but also do more with less," says Polashenski. "Agricultural studies show that only the roots need to be heated. Most greenhouses heat the air. They've got it all wrong."
The tanks will also work double duty, letting environmental science majors grow local algae and fish as fertilizer for the greenhouse and as a food source. "Originally, the plan was just to use the tanks as thermal storage," says environmental studies major Tara McNervy '09. "But they also act as a living laboratory for Dartmouth students to research aquaculture and aquatic ecosystems."
For the structure Polashenski and Wachter used insulating concrete forms, pouring concrete between two pieces of Styrofoam. "It's a slick idea," says Polashenski. "In the old method, people would strip the forms down when the concrete hardened, haul them away, and then add insulation. We eliminate that step by using the insulation as the concrete form in the first place."
Planned future additions include a vertical reflector to catch sunlight and a retractable night curtain to trap heat. Even without them, however, the greenhouse works, as Polashenksi verified last winter. "It was unbearably warm inside in late February," he says.
Polashenski is pleased with the progress. "I expect that at some point all of the designs will be done," he says. "Overall, we're posing a problem in a way that no one seems to have done before."
Categories: The Great Hall, Real-Life Appscomments powered by Disqus


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Find out how branding your business based on your expertise can pull you out of a buyer's market and make your company more attractive than the competition.
By Rick Mandel
Do your clients view you as nothing more than a printer? Is that what you want? I don't think so. You're a service provider, and that service happens to be printed graphics. These days, customers care a lot less about which printing method you use, as long as they get the quality they want and get the product on time. Successfully branding your business involves more than just being a printer. So let's expand our focus beyond simply being people who produce and sell graphics. Let's consider why we should promote our overall expertise as our brand, rather than just allowing our graphics to represent that brand.
Where do you fit?
Are you known around town as the digital printer? The fact that you may specialize in transit graphics, outdoor signage and billboards, trade-show displays, imaging on fabrics, or point-of-purchase kits is lost on the customers who simply know you as a digital printer. My previous column talked about the importance of not being put into a box. To be labeled or categorized as a digital printer only assists buyers in comparing your work quotes to those of other vendors in the area. After all, they're digital printers too.
So, what is a digital printer? Well, buyers think of anyone who can switch on a wide-format inkjet and image onto a wide variety of substrates as a digital printer. They're basically right. And based on that assumption, if 20 shops in town operate wide-format inkjets, then buyers have 20 options from which to choose. The buyer controls the market. But how many of those 20 shops are truly experts at digital printing? What makes you the expert? It's what you do in addition to the printing that creates the expertise that will make the other 19 choices in the market less desirable.
The inkjet printer is a tool that enables you to produce all kinds of graphics, but the ability to design, prototype, and install the graphics makes you the top player in a crowded market. I believe the printing part of the business is not that complicated and requires the least long-term investment. In-stead, the people who create your businesses proficiency are the key, and they should be the real focus of your company's investment strategy. Your talent is valuable intellectual property.
Did you enjoy this article? Click here to subscribe to the magazine.


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Eric i think it's great that you and other kite school owners help these kids out. because of guys like you they can learn different ways other than fighting and stealing.
you just need to remember that we're not talking about money or how much greedy we have become, we are talking about these kids safety and ours.


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Ingredients (serves 4-6):
To Cook in the Rice Cooker:
To Prepare Separately:
Measure the rice accurately and place in the inner cooking pan. Rinse white rice under water until water clears, or just once if using brown rice.
Add water by filling up to the water scale marked "3" for "Sushi Rice" if using white rice, or "Brown Rice" if using brown rice. Cook the rice using the "Sushi" setting for white rice, and "Brown Rice" setting for brown rice.
In a small glass jar with lid, add the rice vinegar, sugar and 2 tsp. salt. Cover with the lid and shake it until the sugar and salt dissolve.
When rice completes cooking, transfer the rice to a wooden sushi tub or porcelain bowl (do not use metal). Pour the vinegar dressing evenly over the rice and toss. Let the rice stand, covered with clean moist cloth, to cool for 30 minutes.
Add all of the remaining ingredients and gently fold into the rice.
Divide and serve in 4 to 6 bowls.
Pickled Ginger
Prepare a day in advance for better flavor
In a small saucepan add the vinegar, 1 Tbsp. water, sugar and salt and bring to a simmer. In another saucepan bring water to a boil. Add and cook the ginger for 40 seconds. Drain the ginger and transfer it to the vinegar marinade. Let it stand at least 3 hours. Before using drain the ginger, gently squeezing out excess pickling liquid and then mince.
© All rights reserved.


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Hello, Today W3C Advisory Committee Representatives received a Proposal to revise the Ubiquitous Web Applications Activity [0] (see the W3C Process Document description of Activity Proposals [1]). This proposal includes a draft charter for the System Applications Working Group: http://www.w3.org/2012/05/sysapps-wg-charter.html As part of ensuring that the community is aware of proposed work at W3C, this draft charter is public during the Advisory Committee review period. W3C invites public comments through 24 August 2012 on the proposed charter. Please send comments to firstname.lastname@example.com, which has a public archive: http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-new-work/ Other than comments sent in formal responses by W3C Advisory Committee Representatives, W3C cannot guarantee a response to comments. If you work for a W3C Member [2], please coordinate your comments with your Advisory Committee Representative. For example, you may wish to make public comments via this list and have your Advisory Committee Representative refer to it from his or her formal review comments. If you should have any questions or need further information, please contact Dave Raggett, Team Contact <email@example.com>. Thank you, Coralie Mercier, W3C Communications [0] http://www.w3.org/2007/uwa/ [1] http://www.w3.org/2005/10/Process-20051014/activities#ActivityCreation [2] http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Member/List -- Coralie Mercier - W3C Communications Team - http://www.w3.org W3C/ERCIM - B219 - 2004, rte des lucioles - 06410 Biot - FR mailto:firstname.lastname@example.com +33492387590 http://www.w3.org/People/CMercier/Received on Thursday, 26 July 2012 20:07:20 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.1 : Tuesday, 6 January 2015 19:57:48 UTC


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If you were one of many hockey fans across North America glued to a TV set or phone waiting for trades
to break, today might have dragged. A flurry of action over the past five days dried up a significant
amount of the presumed trade targets entering the deadline. However, a few GMs managed to not
A handful of minor trades in the early afternoon did little to set the market before Tampa Bay sent Cory
Conacher and a draft pick to Ottawa in exchange for Ben Bishop. While this wouldn't end up as one of
the day's biggest trades it was significant enough to get the ball rolling.
The flurry of trades that came down prior to the 3:00 deadline were punctuated by deals that saw
established scorers Marian Gaborik and Jason Pominville moved along with a list of role and depth
acquisitions. What was most surprising was seeing the surging Columbus Blue Jackets come away as the
day's most active team.
Columbus made four separate moves that included the day's biggest blockbuster in which they acquired
sniper Marian Gaborik. The Jackets sent a handful of pieces to the Rangers in exchange for Gaborik in a
move that gives them a lethal weapon on the wing less than a year removed from trading Rick Nash to
the Rangers.
Columbus' deal is the most earth shattering for a few reasons. First, Gaborik had been mentioned here
and there in rumors but wasn't truly expected to move, especially compared to a player like Ryane
Clowe (who also ended up in New York). The second reason this is so surprising is that the Blue Jackets
entered the year with a new makeup after trading Nash and with every expectation to continue their
rebuild, their recent success turned them to a buyer and they went out and bought one of the most
expensive options on the market.
What shouldn't be ignored with this deal is what the Rangers got in return. After not re-signing Brandon
Prust and trading two key depth forwards to Columbus in the Nash deal (Dubinsky and Anisimov) the
Blueshirts managed to gain a skilled depth forward (Derick Brassard) and a gritty winger (Derek Dorsett)
to go along with a late draft pick and a highly touted defensive prospect (John Moore). Add those three
to Clowe and the Rangers managed to get a little tougher despite losing a major offensive weapon.
While they gave up the most talent, they may not have lost the trade.
The next biggest deal of the day came out of Minnesota, where the Wild brought in a skilled scoring
winger in Jason Pominville. A solid two-way player, Pominville is effective in all situations (including the
PK) and is signed through next season at a relatively affordable $5.3M cap hit. Going back to Buffalo was
a plethora of pieces that includes two draft picks and two prospects.
The Wild get a lot more skill for their top six and Pominville should offer plenty of support to at roster
that already boasts Parise, Heatley, Koivu and PM Bouchard. The added bonus that Pominville doesn't
hit free agency until next summer means that they can hopefully stretch this talent beyond this year's
playoff push. Despite mortgaging quite a bit of talent, this was a strong move for the Wild as they look
to win now.
Buffalo is going all-in with their rebuilding mode, acquiring Johan Larsson and Matt Hackett with
Minnesota's first round pick this year and a second round pick next year. The picks will be extremely
valuable for Darcy Regier as he holds 11 total picks in the first two rounds of the 2013, 2014 and 2015
drafts combined. Whether or not he uses those picks remains to be seen, but that is plenty of currency
for a GM who will most certainly be looking to wheel and deal in the offseason.
One interesting trade was the Bishop for Conacher deal. The Lightning spent a few assets to acquire
Anders Lindback over the summer before realizing that he may not be the answer long-term. All the
while, they went and gave the Senators an even better return for Bishop than what Ottawa paid for
him at least year's deadline. While Steve Yzerman did good work to address his troubled goaltending
situation, he gave up quite a bit for two different pieces at the same position.
Meanwhile, Bryan Murray is probably laughing his way to the bank as he effectively traded a second
round pick for Cory Conacher and an additional fourth round pick. Conacher is going to have an impact
on the Senators roster for the foreseeable future (unless he regresses from this hot rookie year) all while
not costing Murray much of anything – as he still has Craig Anderson and Robin Lehner to protect the
The majority of the major moves at this deadline came in the days prior to April 3. The acquistions of
Iginla, Morrow and Murray makes the Penguins the immediate winners based on their return and the
fact that they sacrificed very little to acquire those three players. Of course, if the Pens don't hoist the
Cup, they won't be the long-term winners of this deadline.
Still, Ray Shero put his team in the best position to succeed by acquiring the three players he did. While
his top defensive prospect and a first round pick went out the door, not all that much went along with it.
Credit is due to Shero for the way he maneuvered prior to the deadline and for the roster the Penguins
will enter the playoffs with.
Overall I'd have to say the Penguins come away as the big winner while the Rangers (surprised?) aren't
far behind. If New York can get Clowe re-signed with the money they saved from Gaborik they will have
a bevvy of talented players to fill out the lines below the Nash-Richards power line.
I'm not sure if I can count the Bruins as winners for snagging Jaromir Jagr, but 68 should give Boston
a nice boost entering the playoffs. That type of savvy veteran can't be overlooked on a team that is
already so incredibly talented.
If there are any losers at this deadline I'd be so bold to say that it is the Blues. While St. Louis did a great
job bringing in two solid veteran defensemen, they didn't address their questionable goaltending (even
though they only allow 20 shots per game). While Leopold and Bouwmeester are great talents, the Blues
already boasted an impressive defensive corps. I wonder if these two trades will be enough to vault the
Blues into a playoff spot.
The one thing that does need to be remembered with the deadline is that you can't truly declare a
winner until the Stanley Cup has been raised. In addition, many of these trades full value won't be
realized until the draft picks have been used. When you take that into account, some of these moves
won't have full value for at least two years. However, the Kings made some waves last year and went on
to win the Cup, with that in mind be sure to look back at what moves this year's Cup winner made at the


text:
Monday, October 15, 2007
At Moschino….Anna Piaggi
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36 comments
And I thought I had the "bag of Skittles exploded on me" look down… I love her! She is having a great time.
How old is that picture?
Oh com'on Sart!
Don't waste your pixels on anna piaggi.
messy… my eyeballs hurt.
actually, i am blind.
Absolutely no idea who she is but it´s a good thing that she has that lacy hat covering her face,cause I don´t think she is dressed very elegantly.Noticed the old Dior bag though.
Playing "Dress Up" at its finest. She's havin' fun so let her be.
That watch band looks nice with the rest of it, too.
What a character! Piaggi never disappoints!
Are those cut off cycling gloves?
Actually love this.
Love the hat, with her blue hair peaking through.
rare shot of her not looking straight at the camera , it's rather poignant…but that jacket, that hat, she's something else. what a great shot!
For some reason this picture of Anna Piaggi makes me pine for Isabella Blow! Although Ms. Blow was always dizzying and unbounded, unlike Ms. Piaggi, she was never indulgent!
piaggi rules
Yay – Anna P. I love when you mix it up with fashion iconoclasts like her. Issy Blow, r.i.p.
I love Anna!! You could take a picture of her every day and I would pay to see them. My dream would be a few hours (or days) perusing her vast closets.
she really is walking the fine line between genius and insanity, but you have to give her props for that. the pose with the hat is what makes this shot for me.
Good grief, I can't believe that someone actually used the word waste and Anna Piaggi in one sentence. Here's a woman who believes that eclectic is what drives life and has probably never appeared in the same outfit twice. She deserves nothing but respect (think the Aretha Franklin song and you're heading the right way).
I wonder who made Anna's over-blouse (and when?).
I'd love to see her closet. And her house, too!
– desertwind
I hope I have the balls to carry off something like this when I get older.
I'm still too young and insecure!
Can hardly wait for the days when I am cool enough to grab this fashion thing by the throat and have some bloody fun! yay!
Jeez, if you think the Sartorialist is "wasting" his pixels on Anna Piaggi, then stop reading his blog and pick up a J.Crew catalog instead.
Anna P. is beyond fashion. She creates her own style. Sometimes she's on the verge of being grotesque but she always gets away with it. I wish there were more of her kind.
Paul Pincus's comment made me realise there will never be another photograph of Isabella Blow, she really is gone. She was unique and irreplaceable just as Anna Piaggi is unique and irreplaceable and so many of the less well known people in the Sartorialist's blog. i hope to see a collection of his work published as social commentary or documentary as well as a collection of beautiful and inspiring images.
this picture makes me miss isabella blow
aaaah. I just got back from a slightly tipsy dinner, she makes my head hurt….
there is something about a woman who doesnt follow the trend to a fiber that is timeless, she is something to be admired. applause all around for her wild style
Why is she covering her face?
this look is quite subdued for anna piagigi. maybe it's just me but she appears to have slimmed down?
i find her fascinating. she's so fearless and immensley inventive. she goes for it and has FUN with fashion. i loved how she non-chalantly stuck those bright sticker on her Dior bag. she pays attention to details.i love her jacket. tribal meets keith haring.
fashion/style is what the wearer makes it (and how life shaped it). be it minimal,elegant,trashy,
'quirky', or whatever label or no label.
anna is a colorful fashion machine. i love her style.
with fashion (and in life) there's no 'supposed to'.
Piaggi is an icon and was the muse of Karl Lagerfeld. Check out his book, "Lagerfeld's Sketch Book"
An illustrated jounal of Anna Piaggi. There are several photos of her in her younger days
anna piaggi's expression of style just can't leave you cold. i, for one, will always deeply admire it. this look is no different, and its pieces superb. i'd love to have and wear that jacket and, of course, the hat. but above all, this photo is just stunning. stunning.
I heart Anna Piaggi!!!
a creative genius!!
If you can't beat them, join them. So she did.
"Visual Pollution"
don't you just love someone who poses blatantly for the camera??
PAON Said…. Simply EXQUISITE, I've been a student of the University of Piaggi 4 years. Before Isabella Blow ( rest her soul ) There was Anna Piaggi. I adore her.
piaggi is a goddess to me in every possible way. loved the hat as usual.


text:
Powerhouses in The Body: The Muscles
Acar has one single engine. Airplanes often fly with two or four. How many "engines" enable you to hold this book in your hand, or to take a single step?
Whatever you may be doing, countless microscopic engines produce the power necessary for you to perform that action. The engines in question are your muscle fibers. There are more than 6 billion of these tiny engines in your body, which allow you to drink, drive, walk, speak, allow your heart to beat, your eyelids to blink, and let you eat and turn your head. Even as you read these lines, the movement of your eyes takes place thanks to the energy produced by these tiny motors.
The size of the muscle cells depends on where they are used. Some may be no more than 1/100,000th of a centimeter in size, whereas others can be 3 centimeters (1.18 inches) long. 73
These tiny muscle fibers come together to constitute larger powerhouses—the muscles themselves. For example, the muscle that permits you to contract your forearm consists of the combination of millions of tiny motors.
There are more than 400 of these powerhouses, large and small, in your body. Some—those that regulate the amount of light entering the eye, for example—are very small. of whatever size, however, all are powered the same way: Billions of tiny engines work together to allow the muscles to act. When you pick up a pen, for example, more than 100 individual muscles go into action. 74
The working systems of all the muscles in your body have been set out within very sensitive bounds. In addition, your muscles need to cooperate in order for you to be able to move. One of the muscles' most important features is their being linked to a control system that permits us to survive.
Every muscle in the body consists of large numbers of muscle cells. We are able to survive thanks to these cells' harmonious actions.
The Control System in the Muscles
Human muscles are divided into two kinds: those voluntary muscles that you can control and those involuntary ones that you cannot.
In order to be able to move our voluntary muscles, you need to think and make a decision. For example, when you want to bend your arm, the muscles contract in the light of the command from your brain, and movement then takes place.
Control of the involuntary muscles, however, does not depend on your wills. Since these involuntary muscles' functions are of vital importance, their expansion and contraction is controlled by the autonomous nervous system. Thanks to this, your heart, stomach and intestines perform their vital functions, all beyond your volition. This is a most essential precaution to preserve human life.
1. Muscle fiber
2. Myofibril (thread-like protein with a contraction- expansion property)
3. Contraction Unit
4. The end with myosin is broken down into ADP+PO4
5. Folded edge leaving used ATP
6. Myosin fiber
7. Actin 8. Myosin
Myosin and actin are some of the proteins comprising the myofibrils. When at rest in the muscles, the myosin and actin do not touch one another, because a molecule called troponin lies between them. As soon as the muscle receives the instruction to contract, it produces calcium ions, which permit the troponin to leave its location. In as little as 1/1000th of a second, the top of the myosin molecule bends towards the sides and attracts the actin. As the calcium emerges, the muscle fiber is pulled again and again, and contraction takes place.
What would happen if the control of the muscles in question were at this very moment left up to you? Imagine that the control of just one involuntary muscle—, your heart muscle, for instance—was left up to you. You would have to devote all your time to contracting and expanding your heart, to the total exclusion of everything else. As soon as you fall asleep death will inevitably follow, since you will be unable to supervise your heart's functioning. Your heart muscle must never stop working, not even for a moment, not even when you sleep: The heart continues working, though it does slow down. You therefore need to adjust your heartbeat according to prevailing circumstances.
This one example is enough to see how truly wise and flawless are the boundaries set out with regard to the muscles.
Certain muscles are under the individual's control at some times, and outside it at others. For example, you can open and close your eyelids at will as well as by blinking—a reflex beyond your control. The diaphragm muscle that allows you to breathe is another that can be consciously controlled, but it works automatically during the course of your day-to-day life.
Many other muscles have their own particular ways of working. Many people are quite unaware of when they should be working and when not, but thanks to the perfect control system created inside the body, there is no reason ever to think about such things. In the face of this considerable facility, a person's only responsibility is to give thanks to the Lord, the infinitely merciful and compassionate, and to behave ways that will be pleasing to Him.
Who could do greater wrong than someone who is reminded of the Signs of his Lord and then turns away from them, forgetting all that he has done before? We have placed covers on their hearts, preventing them from understanding it, and heaviness in their ears. Though you call them to guidance, they will nonetheless never be guided. (Surat al-Kahf: 57)
High-Performance Engines
Muscle fibers work with a 25% efficiency level—more or less the same as that of modern car engines.
But how do the muscle fibers actually work? Again, we can answer that question with a comparison to a car's engine.
Any engine needs fuel to make it work. The fuel used by the muscles is the sugar, or glycogen, carried in the bloodstream. Some of this high-octane fuel is stored in the muscles. In car engines, fuel is injected into the pistons, and a spark ignites the atomized gasoline. The piston expands, and the car's regular motion is ensured by means of a series of explosions— all features built into engines by industrial design.
However, the creation of a muscle cell is far superior. This tiny cell performs both the ignition and piston functions, extracting the energy from the sugar molecule and using it in its own contraction. Both the extraction of energy from chemical molecules and the transformation of that energy into physical force take place within the muscle cell.
1. Shoulder bone
2. Cartilage
3. Tendon
4. Upper arm bone
5. Joint fluid
6. Collateral ligament
7. Meniscus
8. Tibia (Shin Bone)
9. Patella (Knee cap)
10. Tendon
11. Hip muscle
The shoulders bear a great weight. For that reason the bones in both shoulders are covered in cartilage. There is also joint fluid between the bone and the cartilage. Any bone that is to move at a joint is connected to the appropriate muscles by powerful fibers known as tendons (left). Above is shown the general structure of the links and tendons that permit the knees to resist heavy weights.
The energy produced affects the proteins that constitute the muscle cell. As the proteins attract one another, the muscle cells contract. As a result of thousands of cells moving at the same time, an entire muscle contracts and shortens. Tendons attaching the muscles to the bones move the bones as a result of that contraction.
These contractions can produce considerable force. For example, in order for your arm to bend at the elbow, it's enough for your forearm muscles to contract by 2 centimeters (0.8 inches). This contraction pulls the arm bone and leads to the whole arm bending.
All the muscles you use to move work in basically the same way. But even the simplest actions, such as opening and closing your eyelids, require several muscles working together.
Igniting the Fire: the Engines in the Muscles
1. Triceps muscle at rest
2. Biceps muscle at rest
3. Forearm at rest
4. Triceps expands
5. Biceps expands.
6. Forearm at semi-elevation
7. Biceps fully contracted
8. Triceps fully expanded
9. Forearm fully elevate
10. Triceps contracts
11. Biceps expands.
12. Forearm half lowered
13. Triceps Muscle again at rest
14. Biceps again at rest
15. Forearm again at rest
When you go to bend your arm, an electrical signal departs from your brain. During its complicated journey, the signal first passes to the spinal column, from where it proceeds at high speed to the organ where the message needs to be delivered. An electrical current moves over the muscle surface. The millions of muscle fibers receive the signal react immediately and "fire the ignition" by contracting. These events all take place in the blink of an eye: in as little as one thousandth of a second. In other words, the electrical current moving through the muscles turns the ignition switch in the muscle fibers by moving at a speed of 1/1,000th of a second (1 millisecond).
The command reaching the muscles is produced and transported in the nervous system. The muscular system therefore functions under the command of the nervous system, but the way the muscles work together in harmony results from the coordination of the body.
The Body's Communications Network
The first condition for coordination is obtaining accurate information. Only with accurate information can new analyses be performed. And in order for the muscles to function correctly, there is a magnificent reception network in the body.
To carry out a coordinated action, first the location involved in that action must be known. That information comes from the eyes, the balance mechanism in the inner ear, the muscles, the joints and the skin. Every second, billions of pieces of information are processed, analyzed, and new decisions taken as a result.
Millions of receptors located in the body provide information. Inside the muscles and joints, billions of micro-receptors provide information at any given moment. Messages from these receptors reach the central nervous system, and new instructions are issued to the muscles in accord with the analyses performed there.
During the course of the day, you move your arms constantly, yet they never require any maintenance. This would lead to serious faults in any machine, but instead demonstrates the flawless creation in the human body.
For a clearer example of this coordination, simply raise your hand. Your shoulder has to bend, the biceps muscle must expand and the triceps must contract. Muscles between your elbow and wrist have to turn your arm, and the muscles controlling your fingers have to give your hand the correct shape. At every stage of this action, millions of receptors in the muscles report the status of the muscles to the central control system. A moment later, the center tells the muscles what to do next. You are of course unaware of these chemical and physical reactions taking place at breathtaking speed; you merely want to raise your hand.
Nor do you make any special effort in order to speak. You never sit down and calculate what sounds you want to emerge from your mouth, how much your vocal chords need to vibrate and which of the hundreds of muscles in your mouth, tongue and throat need to contract and expand—how many times, in which order and at what level—how much air to take into your lungs, or at what speed and intervals you need to exhale that same air.
The nervous system is aware of not just the muscles, but also of the status and functioning of the internal organs. This information too is processed and the necessary measures taken. Even while you sleep, your vital organs continue to function, thanks to instructions received from another part of the nervous system—the sub-brain and spinal cord. Your heart beats, your lungs work, and you breathe.
The body's speed of information-processing is far beyond that of any computer. Whatever you do, from the simplest task to the most difficult, your body performs unbelievable calculations.
Clearly, all this takes place as the result of a creation requiring infinite might. That infinite might belongs to Almighty Allah, Creator of the entire universe.
... No, everything in the heavens and Earth belongs to Him. Everything is obedient to Him. (Surat al-Baqara: 116)
1. Inner ear
2. Brain
3. Sensory nerve impulses
4. Motor nerve impulses
5. Muscle
6. Thigh bone
7. Muscle covering
8. Tendon
9. Kneecap
10. Tibia
An astonishing coordination takes place in our bodies when you move, without your ever being aware of it. As you move your head, notify your location in space through the movement of fluid in components in the inner ear. Receptors in the joints respond to different angles of the joint. At this time, nerves in the muscle register the level of muscular contraction; and the golgi tendons prevent nerve signals reaching the muscles by acting in accordance with the level of contraction. This chain of processes prevents excessive contraction in the muscles.
The Harmonious Working of the Muscles
For just a small smile, seventeen separate muscles have to act at the same moment and perform their correct functions. If just one of those 17 muscles fails to function correctly, then the smile will not appear, and furthermore the person's facial expression cannot be interpreted.
In the human face, there are 28 muscles whose sole task is facial expression. By contracting in various combinations, these muscles can produce thousands of different expressions. The human face has an expression, shaped by the muscles, for every state of mind, such as anger, surprise, comfort, and enjoyment.
For you to take one simple step, 54 separate muscles in your feet and back have to work in harmony together. Holding a flower or drinking a glass of water is possible thanks to the help of 27 bones and the perfect muscular and nervous systems that direct them.
Functions such as smiling, speaking, blinking, walking and running may be very familiar, but nonetheless everyone who reads about them must stop once again and think. All the muscles, bones and cells operate independently of the individual. No one has any power to add any new organ. Even modern technology can not produce systems similar to those in the human body. For that reason, people must not forget for even a moment that they are indebted to this flawless system in their bodies—in other words, to Allah Who created it for them—every time they smile, and must give thanks for it.
Laughing, speaking, eating and opening and closing your eyes all occur through muscles acting in harmony. In your face, 28 muscles s work to produce facial expressions alone. It is of course Allah, our Lord, Who creates this harmony in our bodies.
Allah has created human beings in a perfect manner. As is revealed in verses He has formed and proportioned them. The human body is one of the proofs of Allah's power and infinite knowledge. Everyone capable of using his or her reason will clearly see this truth. "O man! What has deluded you in respect of your Noble Lord? He Who created you and formed you and proportioned you and assembled you in whatever way He willed. . . . " (Surat al-Infitar: 6-8)
How Does Muscle Contraction Take Place?
A muscle cell can be described as a kind of biological engine that converts chemical energy into force and mechanical work.
Energy is essential for your every action. The glucose in the blood provides this energy, in the same way that fuel runs a machine, by breaking down glucose into carbon dioxide and water. The energy given off during this process is used by the muscle proteins for contraction. This chemical reaction requires large amounts of oxygen, but this much oxygen is not easy to provide. To overcome this difficulty, the muscles can convert glucose into lactic acid without the help of oxygen. The oxygen they need emerges during the course of this process.
There is, of course, a limit to the way we use our muscles. When that limit is exceeded, movement first becomes difficult, then impossible. After muscles contracting for a while, lactic acid accumulates in the muscle tissue, and excessive levels of it lead to muscle tiredness and cramps.
Oxygen is needed to get rid of the lactic acid in the muscles. That's why you begin breathing rapidly following excessive fatigue. A muscle will not work until lactic acid which leads to fatigue in the muscles, has been removed with the oxygen carried by the blood.
When you go to raise your arm, your elbow bends. When you eat, our jaw muscles work. When you walk or run somewhere, your leg muscles go into action—and when they grow fatigued, your muscles immediately take requisite precautions.
A great many activities are carried out every second inside your body, without your ever being aware of them, and the microscopic cells in the muscles perform these actions.
Nitric Oxide: The Miracle Molecule That Lets The Veins Expand
Three scientists shared the Nobel Physiology and Medicine prize in 1998 for having discovered that the nitric oxide (NO) molecule, which is secreted in the veins, possesses an expanding property and regulates tension in the vein walls. However, nitric oxide molecules also serve as intermediaries in the expansion of the vein wall.
The diagram overleaf will help you acquire a better idea of how this chain of processes is carried out, comparable to the way that the first domino to fall will knock down in turn others lined up behind it. In order for a vein to expand, certain signal-forwarding hormones in the blood first initiate this process by adhering to receptors in the vein membrane. This may be compared to the way that the first domino to fall will in turn knock down any others set out in a line behind it. Immediately after the first domino has fallen—in other words, after the signal-forwarding hormone has adhered to receptors in the cell membrane—the cell understands what it has to do and begins producing nitric oxide. Some of the NO molecules, which seem to know what they must do from the instant they are produced, head rapidly towards the vein's smooth muscle cells.
Here, in the second stage, they enter a cell and combine with an enzyme known as GTP. However, a subsequent stage is also necessary in order for the vein to expand. After the nitric oxide has combined with the GTP, another enzyme called cGMP begins to be produced. In order to perform its own role in this chain, this new substance sets myosin into action.
The final stage has now been reached. When the myosin goes into operation, the final domino falls and the muscle cells expand.
Now try and envisage all these stages in your mind. Close inspection reveals that the hormones and cells involved in this process act in an apparently conscious manner. The signal-forwarding hormones in the blood go to their appropriate places in the vein membrane, and affect those regions to initiate the process. The same consciousness can be observed in the processes that follow. Every stimulus heads to the correct locale to produce the desired result, all in the dark interior of human body, with no error ever made.
But how can these cells, hormones and molecules perform such apparently conscious actions? of course consciousness cannot possibly belong to them. Yet a cell needs a mind to tell it what to produce and when, to guide the hormones and molecules where to go—in short, to direct the whole process. This infinite intelligence belongs to Allah, Who creates the cells, hormones and molecules, and inspires in them the knowledge of how they are to behave.
a. Stimulus Transmitter or Hormone
b. Receptor
c. Endothelial Cell
d. Smooth Muscle Cells
e. Nitric Oxide
f. Contracted Vein
g. Nucleus
h. Actin
i. Myosin
j Storage Area
k. Relaxed Vein
1- The signal-forwarding hormone adheres to receptors on the vein, after which nitric oxide (NO) emerges.
2- NO molecules in the endothelial layer head towards the smooth muscles and stimulate the enzyme guanine cyclase (or GC).
3- GC converts guanocyn triphosphate (GTP) into cyclic guanosine monophosphate (or cGMP).
4- cGMP causes calcium ions (Ca++) to go to the storage areas in the cell. The reduced concentration of calcium ions carries out cell reactions that allow actin and myosin to separate from one another.
5- The smooth muscle cells expand.
6- The blood vessels expand in turn.
Blinking and Load-Bearing
Every one of the hundreds of muscles in the body has unique features such as its length, lifting power, ability to perform sensitive processes, and elasticity.
Muscles perform a great many different functions, from simple actions such as blinking the eyelids to lifting heavy weights. In their structure, for example, the eye muscles are very different from those in the arms or legs. One feature all muscles have in common, however, is that they work at a high productivity, in flawless harmony and produce considerable force.
The total power of all the muscles in your body is so considerable that if it were possible to employ all the muscles at once, then you would be strong enough to lift a large truck. 75
As we'll consider in detail in the following sections, that every muscle has its own particular attributes shows the existence of a manifest creation. The location of every muscle in just the right place, their ideal sizes, elasticity and capacities are all very different, but cannot be explained in terms of chance. Every muscle has been located in just the right place, with just the right features. For example, it would be meaningless for an eye muscle to have the same features as ones in the arm. Far from being beneficial, it would be positively damaging for a muscle similar to the heart muscle, which works involuntarily, to be in our leg muscles. Indeed, none of these mismatches occur. Every muscle is in just the right location, with just the right characteristics.
Like the other muscles in the body, the eye muscles work in great harmony and are exceedingly efficient.
If you want to lift anything, your central nervous system has to know the present length of your arm muscles, their condition and tension, to provide the most appropriate contraction. When your arm has reached the object in question, the central nervous system must halt the contraction while setting into action the muscles of the hand that will take hold of the object. Once you have grasped the object, the necessary information for extending your arm must be transmitted to the special sense organs known as muscle marrow. If the chemical mechanism essential for us to perform any action is obstructed for any reason, the end result is paralysis.
Paralysis means the loss of a muscle's function, due to the incapacity of the nerves leading to it. Someone with a paralyzed arm, for instance, is quite unable to move it. The nerve cells extending to the bicep and triceps have lost their function and are unable to forward on instructions from the brain telling these muscles to contract. The arm is thus unable to function, even if it is otherwise healthy.
One single nerve cell failing to forward a signal is sufficient for an organ failing to work. Therefore, the lack of just one component of a system will result in its collapse. In addition, as you have seen, there is stage-by-stage flow of information in the working of the muscles. Wherever information exists, intelligence is also needed for all the elements in the system to understand and act on the arriving messages. In this case, the muscles act in accordance with the instructions they receive from the spinal cord. In addition, your voluntary muscles work when you want them to—so in order for them to act, the need to know what you are thinking.
View in this way, it's clear that the information possessed by the muscles, the system that ensures the links between them, or their ability to obey our thoughts can never come into existence by chance. Yet also, muscle cells clearly cannot exhibit intelligence.
This system has existed since the first human came into being, and has been working perfectly ever since. The muscles of the first human possessed the same information as will those of every other human who ever comes into the world.
That is because Allah has created human beings in a perfect proportion. Everything we have learned leads us to the glory and superior might of Allah.
It is Allah Who made the Earth a stable home for you and the sky a dome, and formed you, giving you the best of forms, and provided you with good and wholesome things. That is Allah, your Lord. Blessed be Allah, the Lord of all the worlds. He is the Living–there is no deity but Him—so call on Him, making your religion sincerely His. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds. (Surah Ghafir: 64-65)
The Reason for Ease of Movement: Flawless Harmony
Muscles in the human body always move in one direction. The bicep, for example, bends the arm, but cannot restore it to its former position. The triceps muscle is therefore needed to straighten the arm out again, to its former position. These muscles have to act consecutively; otherwise, if one were to start contracting while the other was still functioning, the arm could not move at all. Flawless coordination regulates the order in which the muscles in the body act.
There is no doubt that the bones are the most important factor in the transformation into energy of the power produced in the muscles. As a muscle contracts, it pulls on a bone and enables it to move. Opposing muscles are perfectly and securely attached to the bones by ligaments so that they can move in both directions. Were it not for the bones, the strength the muscles produce could not be translated into movement. Similarly, were it not for the muscles, the bones could not move at all.
In order for a human to move, more than 200 bones and 400 muscles must work together in a coordinated manner. The bones are joined to one another to permit the most ideal movement. Each muscle has been located in such a way as to allow the bones to move comfortably. Obvious creation can be observed in every detail, from the movement permitted the body by these dual systems, to the structure of the tendons joining muscle to bone. Bones never separate from one another because they are loosely connected, and muscles are never prevented from moving because the joints between bones are too tight.
Of course, the bone tissue or the cells that comprise that tissue do not make these decisions. Cells and tissues are devoid of consciousness. Nor is it possible for this information to be placed inside the cell in any way. There must therefore be some Force that installs this information in the cell, that teaches it how to behave—that rules it, in other words. This incomparable knowledge and might belong to Allah, Who maintains everything under His control.
Do you not know that Allah is He to Whom the kingdom of the heavens and the Earth belongs and that, besides Allah, you have no protector and no helper? (Surat al-Baqara: 107)
The Hand: Amazing Creation
When you stir your tea, write or turn these pages, you employ an unbelievable marvel of engineering design.
Your hands are some of the proofs of Allah's creative artistry.
Closely examine the structure of your hands, and you can see the general lines of this mechanism that fulfills so many functions, from drinking to writing, from opening doors to combing your hair. The hand, with its 27 bones and the muscles and nerves that controls them, is without equal in the living world.
The hand owes its mobility to its numerous muscles and tendons, both large and small, and which are also exceedingly strong. A normal person opens and closes his hands at least 25 million times during his life—a record that no artificial device can match.
73.John Farndon, Angela Koo, Human Body Fact Finder,p.85.
74.Prentice-Hall Science, Human Biology and Health, p.39.
75. John Farndon and Angela Koo,Human Body Fact Finder,p.91.