Regional Transportation Improvement Program (RTIP)
Every two years, the California Transportation Commission (CTC) adopts a new Fund Estimate, which comprises of anticipated Federal and State revenues for the next five years. This adopted Fund Estimate includes County Shares, referred to as Regional Improvement Program (RIP) monies, which could be used by Regional Transportation Planning Agencies (RTPA's) to propose the financing of regional transportation projects in their Regional Transportation Improvement Program (RTIP) documents. RTPA's are required to submit their adopted RTIP's to the CTC by December 15th for programming consideration and possible inclusion in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). Only projects programmed in the STIP may request funding allocations for implementation.
Being the designated RTPA for the Merced Region, MCAG is responsible for preparing and submitting the adopted RTIP proposal to the CTC for programming consideration.
- August 19, 2021 - Concept report presented to the Board (PDF)
- August 27, 2021 - Draft 2020 RTIP (PDF)
- August 27, 2021 - Public Notice (PDF)
- Final 2022 RTIP (adopted by MCAG Board on 10-21-2021)
STIP FUND ESTIMATE
At the March 24th meeting, the CTC adopted the 2021 Mid-Cycle STIP Share Distribution of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) funds. The CRRSAA STIP share for the Merced Region is $1,561,898. MCAG proposes to program to Phase 1 of the Pioneer Road Improvements Project for construction and to also program the available PPM.
The CTC adopted the 2022 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) Fund Estimate (FE) on August 18, 2021. From the 2022 STIP FE, Merced Region’s Target Share is $5,968,000. This Target Share includes the $496,000 of unprogrammed, carryover County Share (RIP) balance. MCAG proposes to only program the available PPM and have the remainder carryover to the next STIP cycle.
PUblic Participation Process
The projects considered in the 2022 RTIP were consistent with the adopted MCAG 2018 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP), a comprehensive 25-year plan for the region's transportation systems. The RTP included a prioritized list of highest-priority, regionally-significant projects.
To kick off the development process, staff prepares the 2022 RTIP concept for presentation to the MCAG committees and board. The RTIP concept addresses the background, process, draft fund estimate (expected County Share / region’s programming capacity), schedule, and possible projects (status, costs, and prior actions). The RTIP concept provides the following information:
- What is the RTIP?
- What is the RTIP Fund Estimate?
- What are the prerequisite STIP requirements for programming?
- What are the possible projects, and their outlooks?
- What funding opportunities exist, such as partnering with Caltrans?
- What is the schedule for developing (and for submitting) the RTIP?
- What is the schedule for the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP)?
- Given available funding and circumstances, what is the staff recommendations for the RTIP programming proposal?
A RTIP development flowchart is included with the concept to visually depict the overview process for better understanding.
Following the MCAG Board’s direction, staff prepares the draft RTIP document, which gets released for a 30-day public review and comment period. This Draft 2022 RTIP proposal gets circulated through the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC), the Technical Review Board (TRB), and the MCAG Board for review and comments.
A public hearing is scheduled to receive public comments. In preparing the Final 2022 RTIP, staff reviews comments and addresses them as appropriate.
The Final 2022 RTIP will again be brought before the CAC and the TRB. In October, the MCAG board will take action on the Final 2022 RTIP.
|Draft 2022 RTIP - Public Comment Period||August 27 to September 27, 2021|
|Draft 2022 RTIP - Public Hearing||September 8, 2021|
|Final 2022 RTIP - For Board Adoption||October 21, 2021|
|Submittal of Adopted 2022 RTIP to CTC||Prior to December 15, 2021|
|CTC STIP Hearings||January 27 and February 3, 2022|
|CTC Publishes Staff Recommendations||February 28, 2022|
|CTC Adopts 2022 STIP||March 23 to 24, 2022|
PROPOSAL FOR PROGRAMMING
PIONEER ROAD WIDENING PROJECT
Phase 1 of the Pioneer Road project is the Pioneer/Ortigalita Intersection Signalization and Traffic Flow Improvements Project. Phase 1 includes installing a new traffic signal, widening the approaches to four lanes, constructing raised medians, adding left and right turn pockets, and installing ADA curb ramps.
The total project cost for Phase 1 is $5,487,000. For construction, the cost is $4,583,898 and is partly funded with the region’s $1,300,000 Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ). MCAG proposes to program the CRRSAA STIP Share of $1,483,898 ($1,561,898 – 78,000) in FY 2023/24 to supplement the cost for constructing Phase 1.
MCAG proposes to program the available PPM from the region’s 2022 STIP Target Share. The balance of the Target Share will be carried over to the next STIP cycle
MCAG proposes the programming of $78,000 CRRSAA PPM in FY 2022/23.
With the region’s 2022 STIP Target Share, MCAG proposes the programming of available PPM: $137,000 PPM in FY 2025/26 and $137,000 PPM in FY 2026/27.


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U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Marine Mammal Stock Assessments - 1995
Published Date: 1995
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) were required to produce stock assessment reports for all marine mammal stocks in waters within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone under the 1994 amendments to the Marine Mammal Protection Act. This document contains the stock assessment reports for the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico marine mammal stocks under NMFS jurisdiction. Marine mammal species which are under the management jurisdiction of the USFWS are not included in this report.

domain: biology


Spurs boss Harry Redknapp admits he LOVES watching north London rivals Arsenal
Despite the bitter rivalry between the clubs, Redknapp has nothing but praise for Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and his football philosophies.
He said: 'They play some superb football. When they're playing well their passing and movement is tremendous.
Envious eye: Spurs boss Harry Redknapp admits he loves watching north London rivals Arsenal
'I love to see teams playing that way. They're always good to watch.
'I don't know Arsene that well but I've never had any problems with him. We shake hands after a game and I'll sometimes pop in his office for a quick glass of wine before we go home but I don't really mix with any other managers socially.'
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text:
Therese Pink Babydoll
- Semi sheer midi-length babydoll featuring dainty eyelash lace detailing
- Ribbon tie back for flexible sizing and cheeky rear
- Over-bust strap detailing for bust enhancement
- Elasticated underbust
- Adjustable shoulder straps
- Complete the set with 'Therese' bottoms
One size, fully adjustable, fits AU sizes 8-14.
Hand wash only. Leave to air dry.

domain: design


text:
Señorita Mexico U.S. 2010 Mariana Rios Attends The 11th Latin Grammys Celebration at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada
November 19, 2010 at 18:07 PM EST
Adaluz International is pleased to inform that Mariana Rios the beautiful representative of The Mexican beauty in The United States, and who holds the title of SeÃ±orita Mexico U.S. 2010 attended the 11th Latin Grammys held in Las Vegas, this past Th
Adaluz International is pleased to inform that Mariana Rios the beautiful representative of The Mexican beauty in The United States, and who holds the title of SeÃ±orita Mexico U.S. 2010 attended the 11th Latin Grammys held in Las Vegas, this past Thursday November 11th. The U.S. Mexican Queen, Mariana Rios who took over the reign after the elected queen was de-crowned, received celebrity status treatment in an act which awards the biggest Latin names in the music industry.
Thousands of attendees lined up to photograph with the young Mexican U.S. Beauty Queen who showed off her curves in a tight and beautiful vivid colored dress by Latin Designer Adolfo Alvarado. Peruvian stylist Waldyr FarÃas was in charge of SeÃ±orita Mexico U.S’s hair styling and Mia Bella Salon and Spa by Connie PeÃ±a the official key salon for the 11th Latin Grammys, provided her wonderful 56 stations facilities and professional makeup artists to enhance Mariana Rios’s beauty and make her shine during the 11th Latin Grammys celebration.
Mariana was in the company of The Miss Mexico Organization’s Business Development Director Joel Torres better known as “JT”, and Leony Alvarez, Los Angeles Regional Director. Mariana said to this media “I take with a lot of pride representing the beauty of the Mexican women living in the United States”, young Mariana Rios added: “It is an honor to be part of an activity which recognizes latino music legends and up-and-coming stars”.
Mariana who was interviewed at the official after party at Mandalay Bay, then walked the red carpet on their way to the exclusive Hennessy event at THE Hotel's hottest nightclub, Mix Lounge in Mandalay Bay, she also attended the after party sponsored by Univision at Lavo night Club in the Palazzo Hotel and Casino.
Mariana’s party tour and presentations ended at the after party celebrated by Enrique Iglesias in The L.A.X club at the Luxor Hotel and Casino. Jenny Bolivar Executive Director of The Miss Mexico Organization said “We were amazed to see hundreds of people lining up to photograph with Mariana; she is without a doubt, a great representation for the Mexican beauty in The United States”
Company Contact Information
1504 S. Maryland Pkwy. Las Vegas, Nevada 89104
Press Release Distribution and Press Release Service by I-Newswire

domain: artistic


text:
It was the first Sunday of my mission trip to England.
My team and I gathered in the home of our British leader, James, for a time of fellowship and to cook him a traditional American breakfast for dinner- pancakes and bacon.
After we ate, James suggested we pair off and pray for each other as we begin our week of work in the school and church, as well as praying for any spiritual gifts we wanted to receive.
Abigail and I awkwardly sat down in the corner of his living room. “So we’re just praying for our week here, right?” She asked.
I nodded. “And for any gifts we wish to receive.” I wonder what that means.
We held each other’s hands, bowed our heads and quickly prayed for each other. When we finished, we glanced around the room and noticed the other groups were finished as well, except for James and his partner.
James eventually realized that everyone else had finished talking. “Yous are done already?” he asked, surprised.
We all nodded.
He raised his eyebrows.
“You guys need to learn how to pray!”
Now my eyebrows went up. Learn how to pray? Excuse you, I’ve been praying my whole life!
James motioned for us all to gather in the middle of the living room. “Alright, Vonne you stand here in the middle and everyone else place your hands on her.”
Hesitantly, Vonne took her place in the middle and we all stood around her.
“I want yous to be vocal as you pray,” James said. “I know you can pray quietly in your own hearts, and some of yous may prefer to do that. But when you pray vocally it encourages everyone around you. And you can pray vocally at the same time as someone else. Just pray as you feel led.”
He then started praying for Vonne, and a few of us joined in afterward. Then it was Katie’s turn. Then Abigail’s. As Abigail took her place in the middle, James said, “Get ready, this one is going to be deep.”
I briefly wondered what he meant as he began to pray for her. Then we all began to pray for her, voice on top of voice, prayer on top of prayer. The Holy Spirit’s presence filled the living room, and Abigail began to cry.
I heard a voice deep inside of me whisper, “Sing.” My heart began to pound. I never, ever sing solo, especially in front of other people. And this was prayer time, what would they think of me? Sure, James had sung during prayer time before, but that was different- he’s really good at singing. What if I messed up?
As the whispered prayers continued around me, I could not get the feeling that I should sing out of my head. So, I took a deep breath and decided to follow the Spirit’s prompting. “Then sings my soul, my Saviour, God, to Thee. How great Thou art. How great Thou art.”
And to my surprise, a few other of my teammates joined in on the song and Abigail began to cry harder. After that, more of my teammates started singing songs as prayers to God.
The presence of God was so strong in that room I myself began to cry. Never before had I felt the Spirit give me words to pray like this.
The praying and singing lasted for about an hour, but it seemed like merely a moment.
Later in the week, Abigail came up to me and said, “I just wanted to thank you for singing the other night during our prayer time. How did you remember that worship was my Spiritual Pathway?” she asked, referring to a test our leader had us take back in February.
I looked at her, stunned. “I- I didn’t!” I admitted. “That was totally a God thing. I never just sing aloud, so that was very new and scary for me. I just felt God telling me to sing.”
“Wow!” She paused, “Well, thank you! Once y’all started singing, I felt so much at peace. That night was amazing!”
That night was amazing.
And I am so thankful it happened at the beginning of the mission trip. My entire team had a breakthrough that night and truly learned how to pray.
In those few hours, I learned more about prayer than I have learned my whole life. And today I want to share them with you guys.
It’s no secret, really. In fact, the key to deep prayer is so obvious I don’t know how I’ve missed it all these years. It took me traveling across the ocean on a mission trip to finally learn how to truly pray. So in case it’s been hidden from you as well, here we go…
The Secret to Deep Prayer: Be Moved by the Spirit.
Often times when I pray, I know what I want to pray for, but my heart doesn’t know how to express the sentiment in words.
Typically when that happens, I use key phrases I have heard all my life.
“God, bless so-and-so.”
“Place a hedge of protection around her life.”
And I tend to throw in holy sounding fillers so I sound more confident than I feel. You know, words like “Father” or “just.”
But finally, that Sunday I realized what I had been missing all of these years:
I don’t need to sound cool or holy when I pray.
Me trying to impress others by the words I use when I pray is not the point of prayer. In fact, doing so turns my focus onto me, when really my focus should be on God. It is Him I’m praying to, after all.
Remember that parable in Luke 18 with the Pharisee and the tax collector?
He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt:
“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’
But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Luke 18:9-14 ESV
Notice the difference between these two prayers? The prayer of the pharisee was all about him and how great he was, whereas the prayer of the tax collector recognized his need for God.
I strive to be like the tax collector, focusing my heart on God rather than myself.
So when we pray what should we do?
Be open to the Holy Spirit in us speaking to God through us.
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” Romans 8:26
The Holy Spirit will form our deep heartfelt desire into a prayer for the Lord. That’s why we don’t have to be vocal when we pray because God already knows what we need.
But God already knowing our heart and knowing what we need isn’t an excuse for us not to pray vocally. However, this truth should enable us not to feel pressured to use big fancy “holy” phrases and fillers when we pray.
It should free us to pray as if we’re just talking to our best friend.
That Sunday night I was so overcome by the presence of the Spirit that I became speechless. All I could softly utter was, “You’re cool, God. So cool.” In my mind, I knew that probably sounded lame, but my heart knew that didn’t matter.
All that mattered was that I was longing to glorify God.
So if while you’re praying you get the overwhelming desire to praise God for all He has done for you but the only words you can think to say is “You’re so cool, God!” then don’t just sit there in silence until you can think of a more spiritual way to phrase that thought (like what I used to do).
Just exclaim it! “YOU’RE SO COOL!”
Who cares what other people think? Be honest with God in your prayers. He isn’t interested in holier-than-thou attitudes anyways.
On the other hand, if the Holy Spirit is leading you to pray what I classified above as a “typical prayer phrase,” then by all means still use it!
I don’t care which words you use, and neither does God.
So when you pray, pray with humility from your soul as the Spirit leads you.
And that, my friend, is just the beginning of deep prayer.
Let’s stay connected! Like Joy Because Grace on Facebook.

domain: literature


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The Large-Scale Applied Research Project (LSARP) Competition provides support to large-scale genomics research projects using genomic approaches to address challenges in Canada’s main economic sectors, as well as strategic initiative programs that address national and international opportunities.
Launched on May 17, 2010, the funding for this competition is targeted to projects focused on applying genomics research to create socio-economic benefits for Canada, to be realized or initiated before the end of the project
Funded Ontario LSARP Projects
2017 – Genomics and Precision Health
On January 23, 2018, Genome Canada, in collaboration with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and project cofunding partners, announced an investment of approx. $162 million over four years in 15 new genomics and precision health projects. These projects – spanning multiple disease areas – demonstrate how genomics-based research can contribute to a more evidence-based approach to health and thereby improve health outcomes for patients, as well as enhance the cost-effectiveness of Canada’s health-care system. Four (4) research projects through Ontario Genomics were approved for funding:
- Care4Rare Canada: Harnessing multi-omics to deliver innovative diagnostic care for rare genetic diseases in Canada (C4R-SOLVE)
- Personalized therapy for individuals with cystic fibrosis
- Microbiome-based precision medicine in inflammatory bowel disease
- UCAN CURE: Precision decisions for childhood arthritis
2015 – Natural Resources and the Environment: Sector Challenges – Genomic Solutions
On December 8, 2016, Genome Canada announced the $110 million investment in the 2015 LSARP competition. The thirteen projects approved for funding use genomics to address the challenges and opportunities facing Canada’s natural resources and environment sectors to drive sustainability, growth, productivity, commercialization and global competitiveness. Three (3) research projects through Ontario Genomics – with one Genome British Columbia co-lead – were approved for funding:
- SYNBIOMICS: Functional genomics and techno-economic models for advanced biopolymer synthesis
- Mine wastewater solutions: Next generation biological treatment through functional genomics
- BEARWATCH: Monitoring impacts of arctic climate change using polar bears, genomics and traditional ecological knowledge
2014 – Feeding the Future
On July 21, 2015, Genome Canada announced the $93 million investment in the 2014 LSARP competition. The eleven projects approved for funding applied genomics in the agri-food and fisheries/aquaculture sectors to address challenges and opportunities related to global food safety, security and sustainable production. Three (3) research projects received funding through Ontario Genomics:
- Towards a sustainable fishery for Nunavummiut
- Increasing feed efficiency and reducing methane emissions through genomics: A new promising goal for the Canadian dairy industry
- Sustaining and securing Canada’s honey bees using ‘omic tools
2012 – Genomics and Personalized Health
On March 26, 2013, Genome Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, announced the $149.8 million investment in the 2012 LSARP competition. The seventeen projects approved for funding were focused on the application of genomics to tailor patient treatments and therapies in fields as diverse as epilepsy, autism, HIV/AIDS, cancer, cardiovascular disease, rare neurological diseases, and stroke. Four (4) research projects received funding through Ontario Genomics, and one project was co-led with Genome Quebec:
- Enhanced CARE for RARE genetic diseases in Canada
- Autism spectrum disorders: Genomes to outcomes
- Early detection of patients at high risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma
- The microbiota at the intestinal mucosa-immune interface: A gateway for personalized health
- Personalized medicine in the treatment of epilepsy
2010 – Forestry and Environment; Multi-Sector
On May 9, 2011, Genome Canada announced the results of the 2010 LSARP competition. Three (3) projects received funding through Ontario Genomics, with a combined total investment of $23.8 million ($11.3 million from Genome Canada, $12.5 million from co-funding):
- Biomonitoring 2.0: A high-throughput genomics approach to comprehensive biological assessment of environmental change
- NorCOMM2 – In vivo models for human disease & drug discovery
- Synthetic antibody program: Commercial reagents and novel therapeutics
- Stratifying and Targeting Pediatric Medulloblastoma through Genomics
LSARP Project Descriptions:
Care4Rare Canada: Harnessing multi-omics to deliver innovative diagnostic care for rare genetic diseases in Canada (C4R-SOLVE) (2017)
Project Leaders: Kym Boycott, Michael Brudno, François Bernier, Clara van Karnebeek.
Institutions: Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Calgary, University of British Columbia
Total Project Funding: $12.9 million
There are more than 7,000 rare genetic diseases in Canada, which have a devastating impact on some one million Canadians and their families: two-thirds of these diseases cause significant disability; threequarters affect children; more than half lead to early death; and, almost none has any targeted treatment. Further, more than one-third of these diseases remain unsolved (their genetic cause is unknown). Building on the work of the Care4Rare Canada Consortium, the C4R-SOLVE project is working to identify the genetic cause of unsolved rare diseases and make genomic sequencing available to Canadians for rare disease diagnosis. Genomic sequencing will speed up the diagnostic process, thereby ending or even preventing years of diagnostic testing and visits to multiple specialists. Providing a timely diagnosis improves the care and wellbeing of patients and their families and reduces unnecessary healthcare spending.
Key to C4R-SOLVE’s success will be new sequencing technologies and improved worldwide data sharing. In addition, the group will work with provincial ministries of health to determine how best to include genomic sequencing as a clinical test to diagnose rare diseases, beginning with Alberta and Ontario. In doing so, C4R-SOLVE will more than double our ability to diagnose unsolved rare disease, while building the infrastructure and tools needed to improve rare disease diagnosis worldwide. Accurate and early diagnosis will optimize care, improve the wellbeing of patients and their families, provide new insights into these devastating diseases, and potentially save at least $28 million/year in health-care spending.
Project Leaders: Felix Ratjen
Institutions: The Hospital for Sick Children
Total Project Funding: $10 million
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common fatal genetic disease, affecting 4,000 Canadians and 80,000 people throughout the world. The debilitating disease causes difficulties in breathing, recurrent lung infections and digestive disorders before killing those who suffer from it, at a median age of 35 in Canada. Currently, treatments can ease the symptoms of the disease, but there is no cure. Newer drugs today can address the underlying genetic defect that causes CF, but only some patients respond positively to them, while others do not – and there is no way for clinicians to know in advance which category a patient will fall into. Given the side effects of these drugs and their cost (more than $300,000/year per patient for a drug that needs to be administered lifelong), there is a pressing need for robust predictors of who will respond to what treatment.
Dr. Felix Ratjen of the Hospital for Sick Children and his team are developing predictive tools that will help clinicians determine the right medicine for the right patient. The team will examine how genetic factors, which can be assessed from a non-invasive blood test, can help predict individual treatment responses. They will also examine if drug testing on patient-derived tissue samples can be used to inform the potential clinical response to drugs by each patient. The team will work with industry partners, patient organizations and the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to integrate these strategies into patient care once they have been shown to be effective.
The result of the team’s work will be a paradigm shift toward individualized treatment for CF, assistance for clinicians in making treatment decisions, guidance for policymakers on reimbursement for the most cost-effective care and better health outcomes for patients.
Project Leaders: Alain Stintzi, David Mack
Institutions: University of Ottawa, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario and University of Ottawa
Total Project Funding: $9.1 million
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) results from gut inflammation and leaves sufferers with serious health issues due to this chronic inflammation. Canada has one of the highest rates of IBD in the world, with more than 10,200 new cases each year, for an estimated total of 233,000 patients (including 5,900 children) and a cost to the Canadian economy of $2.8 billion/year. There is no cure for this lifelong condition and its cause remains unknown, although it seems to be tied to an imbalance of key beneficial and deleterious intestinal microbes.
Treating IBD can be unpredictable raising concerns of using too-aggressive treatments for some patients and risking doing more harm than good while using insufficiently aggressive treatments might not help. Drs. Alain Stintzi and David Mack will use genomics to characterize, identify and quantify the microbes that change in IBD patients during treatment. They will use this information to design simple and quick tests to reveal the optimal treatment for each affected patient, allow for personalized treatment plans based on each patient’s characteristics and be used to easily monitor each patient’s progress and modify treatment plans if needed. These tests will help clinicians use the right drug at the right time for the right patient. The researchers will also unravel the mechanisms underlying IBD development and identify new targets for future drug development. Their work will set the stage for future clinical trials aimed at restoring IBD patients’ microbes to a healthy state.
The project will reduce long-term disability and enable patients to reach deep and long-lasting remission, thereby improving quality of life and significant cost savings.
Project Leaders: Rae S. M. Yeung (), Susanne M. Benseler
Institutions: The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Calgary
Total Project Funding: $10 million
Arthritis – it’s not just for seniors. More than 24,000 children in Canada live with the painful, chronic disease that can cause fevers and permanent destruction of joints, leading to a life of permanent disability. A class of powerful drugs called biologics can dramatically reduce joint inflammation and pain and prevent joint damage in the longer term. The drugs cost as much as $400,000 per year, though, and children may only qualify after traditional treatments have failed, by which time permanent damage has occurred. Evidence shows that early short-term biologic treatment, even for as little as three months, can result in long-lasting disease control in the most severely affected children, possibly even curing the disease.
UCAN CURE will let doctors and families quickly know who needs biologics, which biologic will work best for an individual child, and when the biologic can be safely stopped. The team will develop the first genomics-based, low-cost biomarker blood test to rapidly identify the best treatment for each child, thus completely transforming the treatment of childhood arthritis. A smartphone- and web-based system of eHealth apps will give children and their families a powerful voice and establish an integrated network of patients, physicians and researchers. An updatable model of the risks, benefits and costs of biologic therapy will help inform health-policy decision makers.
The research is expected to have immediate impact on treatment for children with arthritis, improving their health and the quality of life for themselves and their families.
Project Leaders: Emma Master, Harry Brumer
Institutions: University of Toronto, University of British Columbia
Total Project Funding: $9.5 million
In a world that is requiring increasingly biological-based solutions to meet sustainably a growing need for materials, tree biomass remains one of the most abundant resources on earth. While there is general appreciation of the potential of microbial enzymes in expanding the range of products made from tree biomass, to date, biotechnology development has focused largely on the deconstruction of trees into sugars that can then be converted through fermentation to biofuels.
Drs. Emma Master of the University of Toronto and Harry Brumer of UBC are leading a team looking in the other direction. Their project, SYNBIOMICS, is focused on upgrading key biopolymers from trees using enzymes, to create materials that provide higher value than what otherwise might be realized. The project will harness the genetic potential of microorganisms to identify and develop new biocatalysts for this purpose. End users and stakeholders have helped to identify potential high-value products to target, including resins, coatings, bioplastics and adhesives.
To facilitate commercialization of the biocatalysts and bioprocesses the team develops, the project will establish roadmaps to foster small and medium-sized enterprises that will work together synergistically with nearby pulp mills. The results will expand Canada’s role in global bioproducts markets, creating lasting knowledge-based economic opportunities for Canada’s forest sector and rural communities.
The project’s GE3LS research activities include: coordinating an iterative bioproduct and biotechnology development cycle with End-users; developing techno-economic models for SME ecosystems in the forest sector; and analyzing anaerobic bioreactors to develop predictive tools for effluent treatment and energy recovery. Read more at http://www.synbiomics.ca/
Project Leaders: Lesley A. Warren, Jill Banfield
Institutions: University of Toronto, UC Berkeley
Total Project Funding: $3.7 million
The Canadian mining sector is a cross-country presence, with mines in every province and territory contributing more than $57 billion to the economy (3 per cent of Canada’s GDP) and employing over 375,000 people. As pressures on Canada’s freshwater water supplies grow, the sector as a whole, is seeking to develop the most sustainable approaches to mining possible. Mining wastewaters contain sulphur compounds, which can cause acidification and toxicity in receiving waters if not properly managed. Currently the industry lacks effective monitoring tools and innovative biological solutions to better controls these contaminants.
Dr. Lesley A. Warren of the University of Toronto, along with Dr. Jillian Banfield of University of California, Berkeley, is leading a project that will apply genomics, geochemistry and modeling to mining wastewaters to develop innovative biological monitoring, management and treatment tools. The integration of genomics will provide understanding of bacterial opportunities in these wastewaters for new flexible management and treatment options to safeguard the quality of wastewater. These new tools will enable the industry to better monitor, manage and reduce sulphur compounds in their wastewaters. Her international team will also generate new tools, to support science-informed, cost-benefit decision-making for the mining sector. This project is the first of its kind in Canada and possibly the world.
The involvement of three mining and two environmental consulting companies, provincial and national sector industry associations and government will ensure the project’s findings are applied, leading to lower management costs, decreased risk of environmental damage, reduced liabilities for the industry and better safeguards for Canada’s vital freshwater supplies.
The project’s GE3LS research component will develop a risk and options assessment for decision-making (ROAD). This process will enable translation of the team’s scientific knowledge into a nested set of decisions, to guide mining operational practices, corporate strategic planning and policy development.
BEARWATCH: Monitoring impacts of Arctic climate change using polar bears, genomics and traditional ecological knowledge (2015)
Project Leaders: Stephen C. Lougheed, Peter van Coeverden de Groot, Graham Whitelaw, Markus Dyck
Institutions: Queen’s University, Government of Nunavut
Total Project Funding: $9.5 million
Polar bears are the canary in the Arctic coalmine. Dependent on sea ice for hunting seals and land for denning, they are a sentinel of Arctic environmental change. Polar bears also play a central role in Inuit culture, spirituality and hunting practices and feature largely in their traditional knowledge system, called Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ). As sea ice quality and quantity decline, preferred food sources become less available. Polar bears’ numbers in Canada’s north – currently around 15,000, about two-thirds of the world’s population of them – are expected to decline. Canada must show international leadership in polar bear conservation, both to ensure polar bears’ persistence and to provide insight into the state of Arctic ecosystems.
BEARWATCH, led by Dr. Stephen C. Lougheed of Queen’s University, in collarboration with Drs. Peter van Coeverden de Groot and Graham Whitelaw from Queen’s University, and Markus Dyck, who is with the Government of Nunavut, will develop a non-invasive, fecal-based biomarker toolkit and a community-based monitoring program. The project will combine leading-edge genomics with comprehensive social science, developed and implemented within a framework of collaboration with northern communities, indigenous organizations and territorial and other levels of government. It will result in a database that combines IQ and other indigenous traditional ecological knowledge with polar bear genetic identity and ecological and physiological measures that permit assessment of bear health. The community-based monitoring program will provide ongoing data for tracking changes in polar bear populations, while also providing income to Arctic indigenous communities.
BEARWATCH will result in key insights for polar bear management and for tracking the changing ecosystems of the Canadian Arctic, situating Canada as a world leader in genomics-based, community-oriented research for wildlife management.
The project’s GE3LS research component will integrate polar bear Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and science as well as historical data, allowing the project team to compare insights from each knowledge system and translate findings into a community-based monitoring protocol that will track polar bear population responses to environmental change. It will also involve an evaluation of impacts of the research on Canadian polar bear management and policy, Environmental Assessments by northern resource industries, and Inuit Impact Benefit Agreements.
Project Leaders: Virginia K. Walker, Stephen C. Lougheed, Peter Van Coeverden de Groot, Stephan Schott
Institutions: Queen’s University, Carleton University
Total Project Funding: $5.6 million
Affordable access to safe, nutritious and culturally relevant food is one of the biggest challenges facing the Nunavummiut, the people of Nunavut. Food costs are 140 per cent higher in Nunavut than in the rest of Canada with eight times more Inuit households facing moderate to severe food insecurity. This lack of affordable, nutritious foods is linked to growing health problems, including diabetes and childhood rickets.
Accelerated melting of Arctic sea ice due to climate change is increasing access to arguably the last remaining under-exploited fishery in the Northern Hemisphere. This increased accessibility, primarily to Arctic char, but also to Arctic cod and Northern shrimp, coupled with a developed, sustainable, science-based fishing plan will offer opportunities for employment and economic benefits for Nunavut communities as well as greater food security. It is the Nunavummiut that should be the beneficiaries of these resources, rather than foreign fishing fleets.
Understanding the genetic differences among these fish populations is key to developing that plan. Dr. Virginia K. Walker of Queen’s University and colleagues together with the Nunavut communities will integrate traditional and local knowledge with leading-edge genomic science and bioinformatics to gain an understanding of the genomes of these fish populations. This will allow monitoring of their migration, characteristics and adaptation and inform strategies to maintain genetically diverse and healthy stocks. The project will work toward strengthening Nunavut fisheries, augment sovereignty claims in the Canadian Arctic, increase employment and economic development opportunities, ensure access to a healthy food source, and improve food security for the people of Nunavut.
The Walker Project website is www.arcticfishery.ca
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Increasing feed efficiency and reducing methane emissions through genomics: A new promising goal for the Canadian dairy industry (2014)
Project Leaders: Filippo Miglior, Paul Stothard
Institutions: University of Guelph, University of Alberta
Total Project Funding: $10.3 million
The Canadian dairy industry adds $16.2 billion to Canadian GDP each year (2011 figures). That figure is forecast to increase as international demand for dairy products grows in the coming years, due to growing middle classes in emerging economies, demand for high-quality milk proteins in developing countries and world population expansion more generally. That figure can also grow (by an estimated $100 million annually) by improving two key traits in dairy cattle: their ability to convert feed into increased milk production and a reduction in their methane emissions (methane being a powerful greenhouse gas).
Dr. Filippo Miglior of the University of Guelph and Dr. Paul Stothard of the University of Alberta are leading a team that will use genomics-based approaches to select for cattle with the genetic traits needed for more efficient feed conversion and lower methane emissions. To date, it has been both difficult and expensive to collect the data required for such selection. The latest genomic approaches and the award-winning phenotyping platform developed by Growsafe in Alberta offer an opportunity to address these problems and collect and assess the required data to carry out the selection.
The results of this project will assist dairy farmers and the industry more broadly to develop cattle that will carry these two important traits. Farmers will save money (as feed is the single largest expense in milk production), while the international competitiveness of Canada’s dairy industry will increase. The environmental footprint of the dairy industry will also be reduced, in part due to lower methane emissions, but also because more feed efficient animals produce less manure waste. Broad application of the project’s findings will be enhanced by the involvement of several industry organizations and international research partners in the project, not only benefiting Canada’s dairy industry, but also contributing to global food security and sustainability.
Genome Alberta Press Release
Project Leaders: Leonard Foster, Amro Zayed
Institutions: University of British Columbia, York University
Total Project Funding: $7.3 million
Honey bees play a critical role in Canadian agriculture. They produce 75 million pounds of honey each year and are responsible for pollinating many fruits and vegetable crops, nuts and oil seeds like canola. Through these activities, they contribute more than $4.6 billion to the Canadian economy each year.
Given this critical role, the high rate at which bee colonies are dying off is particularly alarming, posing a serious threat to the productivity of Canadian agri-food industries and jeopardizing Canada’s food security. Canadian beekeepers have lost more than a quarter of their colonies each winter since 2006-07 with certain provinces experiencing significantly higher death in some years. Replacing these losses by purchasing queen bees from offshore, as beekeepers have been doing, risks importing new diseases or invasive strains of honey bees (such as “killer” bees from the US).
Dr. Leonard Foster of the University of British Columbia and Dr. Amro Zayed from York University are leading a project to guard the safety and sustainability of the beekeeping industry in Canada. The team will develop genomics and proteomics tools that will provide markers to selectively breed 12 economically valuable traits. This will enable beekeepers to quickly and costeffectively breed healthy, disease-resistant, productive bee colonies that are better able to survive harsh Canadian winters. While this will lessen, it will not eliminate, the need to import bees from other regions, so the team will also develop an accurate and cost-effective test to detect bees with Africanized genetics (“killer” bees). The team will work with beekeepers and other stakeholders and end users to ensure its tools are implemented and accessible to beekeepers by the end of the project. This will provide measurable economic benefits to Canada, including to beekeepers and the agri-food industry and social benefits to the Canadian public. These benefits range in value from $8 million to $150 million per year.
Project Leaders: Kym Boycott, Alex MacKenzie
Institutions: Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, University of Ottawa
Total Project Funding: $11.7 million
Gene mutations cause not only well-recognized rare diseases such as muscular dystrophy and cystic fibrosis, but also thousands of other rare disorders. While individually rare, these disorders are collectively common, affecting one to three percent of the population. It is estimated that as many as half of Canadians with rare disorders are undiagnosed. Drs. Kym Boycott, Alex MacKenzie and team will use powerful new gene sequencing technologies to identify the genes implicated in many of these rare diseases. Besides providing important new understanding into human disease, this project will yield other benefits, including: avoiding invasive procedures, stopping ineffective treatments, developing earlier and better diagnoses, devising more appropriate treatment, and predicting the chances that one of these rare diseases could be passed on to offspring. Once the disease-causing genes have been identified, researchers will test drugs that are currently on the market to identify those that might be effective against these rare diseases.
Project Leaders: Stephen Scherer, Peter Szatmari
Institution: The Hospital for Sick Children
Total Project Funding: $9.9 million
Genome Canada and CIHR-funded research has already led to some exciting breakthroughs in our understanding of autism spectrum disorder, a complex condition that affects normal brain development, social relationships, communication and behaviour. Among these breakthroughs is the identification of specific DNA anomalies associated with the illness. Now, Drs. Stephen Scherer, Peter Szatmari and team are going to the next level, aiming to identify the remaining genetic risk factors. This ground-breaking work will mark Canada’s contribution to an ambitious international initiative that aims to sequence and analyze the genomes of 10,000 people with autism spectrum disorder. With a more complete understanding of the genetic elements of autism, doctors will be able to make earlier diagnoses, provide better, more personalized care to patients and reduce the enormous cost autism imposes on our health care system.
Project Leaders: Lincoln Stein, Tony Godfrey
Institution: Ontario Institute for Cancer Research
Total Project Funding: $3.2 million
Chronic heartburn can damage the lining of the esophagus, leading to a condition known as “Barrett’s esophagus”. Patients with Barrett’s esophagus have a much higher chance of developing cancer of the esophagus. Until recently, the only way to diagnose Barrett’s esophagus was through endoscopy—an uncomfortable and time-consuming procedure. However, a swallowable sponge under development in the United Kingdom allows for quick and painless diagnosis of Barrett’s esophagus in a doctor’s office. The team led by Drs. Lincoln Stein and Tony Godfrey aim to supplement this test with genomic technologies, allowing doctors to follow patients over time to identify and treat those progressing to cancer. Early detection, treatment and even prevention of these cancers could save the healthcare system over $300 million a year.
Project Leaders: Alain Stintzi, David Mack
Institutions: Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, University of Ottawa
Total Project Funding: $2.9 million
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, are incurable debilitating lifelong diseases that can affect children. Early detection is critical to avoiding complications and improving their quality of life. At the moment, however, there is no single test to determine the presence or type of IBD and the tests that exist are very uncomfortable for children. Drs. Alain Stintzi, David Mack and team are developing a simple, non-invasive approach to detecting IBD that will also be more cost effective. Using cutting-edge technology, the scientists will examine intestinal bacteria to develop better ways of identifying IBD and determining its severity. This work could also lead to new treatment, enhancing the quality of life for children everywhere.
Project Leaders: Patrick Cossette, Berge Minassian, Jacques Michaud
Institution: Centre hospitalier universitaires de l’Université de Montréal
Total Project Funding: $10.8 million
Every time someone with epilepsy has a seizure there is a risk of brain damage. This is particularly true for children. Unfortunately, today’s anti-epileptic drugs simply don’t work on about one third of patients. The team led by Drs. Patrick Cossette, Berge Minassian and Jacques Michaud will identify genes that are associated with epilepsy and that are predictive of the response to various antiepileptic drugs. This will result in earlier and more effective care and potentially prevent cognitive decline in children.
This project is co-led with Genome Quebec.
Biomonitoring 2.0: A high-throughput genomics approach to comprehensive biological assessment of environmental change (2010)
Project Leader: Mehrdad Hajibabaei
Institution: University of Guelph
Total Project Funding: $3.1 million
Sustainable development of the Canadian economy requires wise stewardship of our environment and natural resources; this is particularly true given the anticipated impacts of climate change. Biomonitoring seeks to describe and understand biological diversity at multiple ecological levels, both as a means to learn the typical mix of species that can be found in different habitats, and to establish “biological early-warning systems” that can tell us when environmental stresses are reaching a critical point. Canada is recognized as a world leader in biomonitoring, however, current practices have limitations. They are personnel-intensive, which limit the frequency and intensity of sampling, particularly in remote areas. Also, present biomonitoring methodologies focus on a very limited subset of all species that can be found at a given location. Our project introduces ‘Biomonitoring 2.0’, a system based on cutting-edge DNA-sequencing technologies and state-of-the-art computational analysis, which will simultaneously reduce sample costs while dramatically increasing the knowledge gained from biological samples. Our test bed for this new system is Wood Buffalo National Park, a globally unique region spanning Alberta and the North West Territories that is under considerable threat from oil sands activities and other human impacts, in spite of its remoteness and protected status. By integrating our new genomics tools and technologies into a well-established Canadian biomonitoring framework, we will greatly increase our potential to manage our cherished national resources. The project team has been working closely with stakeholders including industry, government departments, First Nations and Métis, and environmental organizations. By developing a sophisticated, yet user-friendly Web-based portal, with client-based customized tools, we will be able to communicate much richer summaries of environmental health and impacts to society, through direct interactions with local stakeholders. www.biomonitoring2.org
Project Leaders: Colin McKerlie, Steve Brown
Institution: Mount Sinai Hospital
Total Project Funding: $10.9 million
Identification of the genes associated with human disease is essential to the development of new prognostic, diagnostic, and treatment options. However, to understand what happens when genes go wrong, we need to understand the normal function of all our genes. This can’t be done using humans, so experimental models similar to humans in their development, physiology, and disease state that are easy to study and genetically manipulate are needed. The mouse meets these criteria so it is the most widely used animal model in biomedical research today. In fact, 99% of the coding genes (genes that make a protein) present in humans are also present in the mouse. Therefore, the mouse will help us with one of the greatest scientific challenges ahead; to understand the function of each of our 20,000 genes. This is an enormous task and the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium has been formed by scientists in North America, Europe, and Asia to take on the challenge in a coordinated global effort.
The Project is made up of a team of Canadian and UK scientists who, over the next three years, will use publicly available resources to study the developmental problems and diseases that occur in 280 mouse models. Each of these models contains one mutated gene (different in each model) that no longer works or only partly works. The differences in the mutant models compared to normal mice will help us determine the function of that gene. This Project will represent a significant contribution by Canadian scientists to the international effort. We will use clinical tests like those used for humans (e.g. blood work, X-ray) to determine the effect of each mutation and whether the gene or the protein it produces could be a drug target or used in a diagnostic test. Our Canadian group brings specialized expertise to examine mutations in genes that cause embryonic death as well as world-leading experience in pathology screening for disease. Our team includes social scientists who will examine how this and other international research efforts can best be managed and share data and other resources to increase their real-world impacts. The global effort to understand the function of every gene is a huge project that will take the next 10 years to complete. Canada has a critical role to play. Like our UK partners, we have expertise and state-of-the-art facilities that have enabled us to establish a leadership position in this field. The knowledge generated and new discoveries made in this Project will enable the development of new drugs and new therapies by Canadian researchers in academia and the biopharmaceutical industry. Our Project has already partnered with drug discovery scientists at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research and commercialization partners at MaRS Innovation in Toronto to create an opportunity to attract contract research to Canada and support Canadian companies that can capitalize on the mouse models that we generate. www.NorCOMM2.org
Project Leaders: Sachdev Sidhu, Charles Boone
Institution: University of Toronto
Total Project Funding: $9.8 million
Cancer is now, or will shortly become, the number one cause of death in developed countries. Hence, there is an obvious and urgent need to accelerate the development and rational application of new therapies. The central premise of our program is that achieving this goal will require the identification of new therapeutic targets, the rapid development of specific and effective drugs directed against these targets, and the testing of these agents in relevant models of human cancer. Over the past decade, recombinant antibodies that target cancer-associated proteins have emerged as one of the most effective and major classes of targeted therapeutics in oncology. Moreover, while the production of small-molecule drugs remains a costly and slow process, technological advances have enabled the development of therapeutic grade antibodies in an academic setting, which now expands the cancer therapeutic domain beyond that of pharmaceutical companies.
To take advantage of these new developments, the Donnelly Centre at the University of Toronto has established the Toronto Recombinant Antibody Centre (TRAC), a state-of-the-art antibody platform that can be applied to the generation of therapeutic grade antibodies against hundreds of antigens in a high-throughput pipeline. In turn, the TRAC has partnered with the Centre for Drug Research and Development (CDRD) in Vancouver to leverage additional expertise in therapeutic antibody development. Importantly, we have assembled a consortium of leading cancer biologists from the Canadian research community, and together, we have compiled a panel of cancer related proteins that are high-value targets for next-generation cancer therapeutics. Taken together, our program represents a unique and complete platform for the development of antibody therapeutics in a Canadian academic environment. In a three-year framework, we will generate and validate hundreds of antibodies against a host of cancer-associated targets. These antibodies will be powerful tools for discovery research and a significant subset will be candidates for new therapeutic entities. In summary, the program will have major impact on basic research in cancer biology, on therapeutic options for cancer treatment, and on the development of commercial biotechnology in Canada.
Project Leaders: Michael Taylor, David Malkin, Marco Marra
Institution: The Hospital for Sick Children
Total Project Funding: $4.8 million
Understanding childhood brain cancer. Brain cancer is the leading cause of pediatric cancer deaths. Children who survive have a much poorer quality of life due to the aggressive treatment used to fight the disease. This results in a staggering burden of suffering for them and their families as well as economic costs of over $100 million annually to the health system. Studies indicate that children with a good prognosis are often over-treated and could be spared complications by reducing the amount of treatment they receive. At the same time, children with a poor prognosis are often subjected to painful treatments which may, in fact, be futile.
With support from Genome Canada, scientists are using genome wide approaches to study medulloblastomas, the most common form of childhood brain cancer, to develop markers that will more accurately classify the tumors for treatment. Researchers are also identifying genetic changes that may reveal the risk factors that predispose children to this type of cancer. As they unravel the genetic basis of brain cancer, the research team is also working with families to determine what additional risks they are willing to assume in reducing therapy to improve quality of life. It is anticipated that the results of this research will lead to new ways to treat childhood brain cancers more effectively and to enhance the quality of life of children struck by this devastating disease.

domain: medical


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This story will make you laugh and cry, but most importantly it will inspire you and give you the perspective and push you need to accomplish whatever challenge you are facing.
Great book, inpowerment and motivational. Show how small are our regular problems and how we can achieve greatness if we really want and chase, focus and dedicate ourselves to achieve it.
Say something about yourself!
Like many books about living in New York City, the author treats absolutely everything that happens in a normal person's life like it is amazing just because it happened in New York. If the same events were told of a person living in Iowa, it would be called boring.
Truly inspirational. If you didn't feel like you had to go and achieve something after listening to this well then you are not normal. Feeling all the POSI vibes from Matthew. ++
Matthew set himself a goal and no matter what he found a way to achieve it. Living the true YOLO lifestyle
Loved the audio so much if it was in print I would have read the book through the night! Well put together and inspiring.
Matt Long and all his family and buddies!
Rough sexy voice!
Lots of insights, importance of family and friends! Reminds me how much I love running! Most interesting part for me as a South African woman living in Maputo it was so interesting learning re NY! Only thing missing was - did he meet girl of his dreams yet?
Just love books.
The narration was good, the story incredible!
I like the fact that Mathew Long didn't cover the fact that at times he had a bad attitude about the situation he found himself in but he eventually found his way. We are not all positive thinkers all of the time as the experts like to tell us to be.
I cried at the marathon. What an achievement.
Excellent book and so inspiring. So great to listen to while out for a bike ride or a run.
Yes, the blackest points in his life and how he managed to crawl back up and keep trying.
This book is very inspiring.
I know of his family and have spent time with his father, This book kept me wanting to listen and run more. I enjoyed the narrators take on his accent and found it endearing. His story is truelly awe inspiring. The ups and downs paint a great picture.
The book was emotional at times, but it doesn't stick to a low point for any length of time.
Great read for anyone who likes to be inspired, who needs to be reminded of how blessed they are. Would be good for a younger person too.

domain: library


Kentucky is once again in the news, and once again it is for defending the rights of homosexuals and standing up against religious bigotry.
Earlier this month, Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear told county clerks to either issue marriage licenses or resign from the jobs. Now a recently uncovered document for the Department of Juvenile Justice states that volunteers and others “shall not imply or tell LGBTQI juveniles that they are abnormal, deviant, sinful or that they can or should change their sexual orientation or gender identity.”
This is great news. Pastors have been volunteering to offer counseling to the youth in the DJJ system, and the state has put in place safeguards to protect these children. But of course, those like Ken Ham see this rule as an attack on religious freedom, especially after one such pastor was terminated for breaking the policy.
The story was uncovered by Liberty Counsel as part of a story by Bob Unruh on the fundamentalist website WND, whose false headline implies that the state is making it illegal for all pastors to say such things, not just those actually working for the government.
Liberty Council sent a letter to the commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice, Bob Hayter, demanding that the state religious test be dropped and that Christian minister David Wells, who was dismissed for breaking the policy, be reinstated.
“Liberty Counsel writes regarding the blatantly unconstitutional revocation of volunteer prison minister status of ordained Christian minister David Wells, who has provided voluntary spiritual counseling and mentorship to juvenile inmates under the control of the Department of Juvenile Justice. … This revocation was issued by Warren County Regional Juvenile Detention Center on the basis of the April 4, 2014, DJJ Policy 912, which mandates full DJJ support of homosexuality and transvestism.”
What Wells wishes to say inside his own church is his business, but he is not allowed to walk into a government facility and say whatever he pleases if he wishes to be a volunteer.
All Wells is trying to do is connect with troubled youth and make them feel even more isolated and more alone. By reaching out to homosexual youth who are struggling through life and already in the prison system and then to call them abnormal, deviant, etc. is only going to hurt the well-being of the juveniles in the state’s care.
This is once again a religious plea to be allowed to oppress, discriminate against and shame those they do not agree with. Ham says this policy and others like it are simple proof that homosexuals are fighting to ban religion and silence all religious opposition to homosexuality.
Quoting The Federalist website, Ham closes with, “Legal gay marriage is not the endgame for the gay-rights movement. It never was. Moral approval is the endgame. The agenda is not tolerance for different beliefs and lifestyles. The agenda is a demand that everyone get on board with the moral revolution or be punished. That means if you or your church won’t get with the program, then the revolutionaries will endeavor to close you down.”
If you have ever wondered what a lunatic sounds like, look no further than Ham and his ilk.
[Image: YouTube screen capture]


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A Vodafone Group consortium and MTN Group submitted bids for permits to function in Ethiopia that had been a lot lower than what was sought by the federal government of Africa’s second-most populous nation, folks with data of the matter mentioned.
Vodafone’s consortium, which incorporates Safaricom of Kenya and the UK provider’s South African unit Vodacom Group, submitted a bid of $850 million, in line with the individuals who declined to be recognized as a result of the outcomes should not but public. MTN, which is in a partnership with The Silk Highway Fund of China, provided $600 million, in line with the folks.
The federal government is now weighing a call to just accept one or each of the bids, or cancel the method and restart, in line with the folks. An announcement on the matter will likely be made in days, they mentioned.
“We expect now we have obtained sturdy provides,” Balcha Reba, Ethiopian Communication Authority’s director common, mentioned ina televised presentation on Thursday. “Nonetheless, there was a 29.4% distinction between the very best and second highest provides,” he mentioned, including that authorities will resolve to both cancel the method and restart or award one or each licenses.
Representatives of Vodacom and MTN declined to remark when contacted on Friday.
The federal government has been in a protracted bidding course of for the licenses and is about to promote a part of government-owned monopoly Ethiopian Telecommunication Corp. as a part of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s plan to open up Ethiopia’s state-dominated financial system to extra international capital.
Buyers coveted Ethiopia, with 110 million folks and one of many final remaining massive telecommunication markets on the earth. However their enthusiasm was curbed by the authorities’ non permanent exclusion of the supply of the profitable cell cash or financial-technology providers from the licenses. That call could have made the licenses about $500 million much less invaluable, in line with the federal government.

domain: economics


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He blinks thoughtfully, then turns to his computer. “However, let me show you something.” On his screen flash two MRIs of a rat’s brain. The animal has a large mass lodged in the right hemisphere, caused by human brain tumor cells Guzmán’s researchers injected. He zooms in. The mass bulges hideously. The rat, I think, is a goner. “This particular animal was treated with THC for one week,” Guzmán continues. “And this is what happened afterward.” The two images that now fill his screen are normal. The mass has not only shrunk—it’s disappeared. “As you can see, no tumor at all.”
Further testing found what the world now knows: This compound is the plant’s principal active ingredient, its mind-altering essence—the stuff that makes you high. Mechoulam, along with a colleague, had discovered tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). He and his team also elucidated the chemical structure of cannabidiol (CBD), another key ingredient in marijuana, one that has many potential medical uses but no psychoactive effect on humans.
Look for brands who source their cannabinoids from organic-certified, hemp-grown farms in pristine regions of Europe. “The German regulatory system is strict and enforced, providing confidence in the superiority of their harvest, processes, and extraction quality,” adds Moriarity. Organic hemp grown in Europe must also adhere to EU’s strict organic standards, which are stricter than in the U.S. and highly audited. Also, look for ingredients that are certified organic and wildcrafted.
Hello. I have stage 4 thyroid, secondary lymphoma..And many other health issues.I use 50mg of cbd vapor oil. 5 drops with each use. Total equals 250mg, about hits per dose, three times a day. I'm also on subsys, which is fentanyl. Idk about anyone but myself, but it's helped me with pain, with sleep, and in general my moods. So I dint have anything negative to say. I just hope that with time, proper diet, low dose chemo, and some other herbal usage, that I can shirk some of the cancer eating at my body... Thanks and good luck to you all.
After Legalization of medical use of CBD, It will become the prime focus. Various different CBD products, Specially CBD Oil is in more demand. CBD Oil contains Hemp seed oil and Kosher-Grade Vegetable Glycerin. CBD Oil Can help to cure Anxiety, Alzheimer, Insomnia, Parkinsons’ disease and many more diseases. CBD Oil Can use as a best pain controller.
Hemp oil has never been as popular as other marijuana products. With little to no THC, CBD-rich strains of cannabis don’t deliver the pleasant buzz recreational users seek out in marijuana. In the 1970s, however, scientists found that cannabidiol was effective in reducing seizures. The brain’s endocannabinoid system contains receptors that respond to CBD, producing anticonvulsant effects. Being plant-derived and native to the brain’s own chemistry, CBD is therefore one of the most natural options for seizure treatment available today. Still, not many people took interest in CBD until 2013, when a CNN documentary special, Weed, hosted by the network’s chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, highlighted CBD’s effectiveness in combating seizures. Since then, demand for hemp oil products has exploded.
Many users of CBD oil have reported a number of benefits to adding the supplement to their daily lives. From experiencing feelings of calm and relaxation to assisting in the relief of some symptoms associated with chronic illness, anxiety, and inflammation, CBD oil is certainly earning its fast-growing reputation as a powerful support for wellness.
It’s a truism to state that pain is an inevitable part of life. And it’s true that we all, from time to time, experience pain that is short-lived and treatable. But those who deal with chronic pain know the debilitating, life-sucking reality of this condition. And traditional medications often come with long lists of side effects which can be as debilitating as the pain itself.
While CBD is most commonly used to treat physiological symptoms, there’s a growing body of research that indicates it can also be used in the therapy of a range of mental health conditions, including anxiety. A study by the University of São Paulo found that CBD significantly reduces subjective anxiety, leading investigators to conclude that “These results suggest that CBD reduces anxiety in [social anxiety disorder] and that this is related to its effects on activity in limbic and paralimbic brain areas.”
Conversely, to preserve most of the plant’s trichromes – these are the cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids – look for Supercritical (or subcritical) CO2 extraction. This method uses carbon dioxide under high pressure and extremely low temperatures to isolate, preserve, and maintain the purity of the medicinal oil. While this method is more expensive and involves complex equipment and expertise, it ensures quality.
In short, Cannabidiol – or CBD – is a cannabis compound that has many therapeutic benefits. Usually extracted from the leaves and flowers of hemp plants – though marijuana can also be a source – CBD oil is then incorporated into an array of marketable products. These products vary from the most common, like sublingual oils and topical lotions, to the less common (think CBD lattes). Basically, if you can dream it, you can buy it.
Research suggests that CBD may exert some of its pharmacological action through its inhibition of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), which may in turn increase the levels of endocannabinoids, such as anandamide, produced by the body. It has also been speculated that some of the metabolites of CBD have pharmacological effects that contribute to the biological activity of CBD.
Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of dozens of non-psychoactive cannabinoids found in the hemp plant. Cannabidiol, and all the other cannabinoids, were patented by the United States Government in 2003 as neuroprotectants and antioxidants (Patent No. 6,630,507). Cannabinoids are characterized by their ability to act on the cannabinoid receptors that are found throughout the body. CBD and other cannabinoids are naturally occurring compounds that display potent anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties. They can promote the body’s healthy regulation of the central nervous, immune, and endocannabinoid systems.
Cannabidiol is quite recognized for its role in the treatment of anxiety disorders. It is a neuro-protective agent, and has profound effects as an anti-inflammatory and anti-psychotic agent. It has been studied that cannabidiol interacts with various receptors in the brain, such as, 5-HT1A, delta-opioid receptor (DOR), and mu-opioid receptors (MOR), all of which control the mechanism of anxiety. for more read cbd oil for anxiety
At least one benefit of CBD is well-supported by science: It can be effective in treating children with rare, genetic seizure disorders. Adults, children and even animals with epilepsy have been shown to benefit from the chemical too, the World Health Organization reports. There's also some evidence that CBD can help with anxiety, says Dr. Robert Carson, an assistant professor of neurology and pediatrics at Vanderbilt University who focuses on children with epilepsy. "In children, especially those with autism spectrum disorders, this may manifest as improved interactions with others," he says. Other preliminary research shows CBD holds promise for conditions including Alzheimer's disease, cancer, psychosis and Parkinson's disease – and is pretty much impossible to abuse or become addicted to, WHO says.
I have lower back pain with some arthritis and arthritis in my hands.ive recently tried CBD Oil. It really does work. I have the drops and ointment. They both work. Because of the back pain I never would have been able to go on a hike with my family. We had a lot of fun. And "No Pain", all day. I'm also Type 2 diabetic. Anxious to see what my A1C is next month. I'm a believer.
DiPatrizio says, “There may be some benefits outside of improving epilepsy outcomes, but a lot more research is required.” Any research on athletic claims would almost certainly come from the industry; there are more urgent public health CBD topics to investigate than whether it reduces runners’ knee pain. For the foreseeable future, runners interested in CBD’s effectiveness will have to rely on anecdotal, subjective reports.
Cannabis has been used for centuries to treat nerves and anxiety, as well as other mood problems. CBD may help to improve both depression and anxiety, at least in part through its interactions with serotonin receptors in the brain. Research shows that CBD can reduce both mental and physical symptoms of anxiety. A study of CBD given to people before a public-speaking event indicates that CBD can help reduce stress—this and other research has shown that CBD can be an effective treatment for social anxiety.
Zuardi, A. W., Crippa, J. A., Hallak, J. E., Bhattacharyya, S., Atakan, Z., Martin-Santos, R., … & Guimarães, F. S. (2012). A critical review of the antipsychotic effects of cannabidiol: 30 years of a translational investigation [Abstract]. Current Pharmaceutical Design, 18(32), 5,131–5,140. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22716160
Medical Disclaimer: Statements in any video or written content on this site have not been evaluated by the FDA. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medications, or have a medical condition, consult your physician before using this product. Representations regarding the efficacy and safety of CBD oil have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA only evaluates foods and drugs, not supplements like these products. These products are not intended to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease. The material on this site is provided for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult your physician before beginning any supplement program.
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domain: chemistry


text:
Iguassu - the majesty of natures power!
The Iguassu Falls are spectacular. Twice as wide as North America’s Niagara Falls and rivalled only by Africa’s Victoria Falls, Iguassu thunders over the border between Argentina and Brazil. It is among common folklore that Lady Eleanor Roosevelt exclaimed “Poor Niagara!” when she encountered the tumbling cascade the first time. It is most likely to be a very common sentiment to be felt.
This is because the much loved but very imposing falls never ceases to leave visitors in awe. It is this exact overwhelming sense of nature’s power that continues to bring hoards of visitors from around the world each year to admire the ecosystem that engulfs more than 2.7 kilometres of South American cliff.
In the minds of travellers from around the world, the section of the falls that are most significant is the aptly-named Devil’s Throat. The U-shaped 150-metre wide, 700-metre long cliff is the most impressive section of cliff to be found along the whole stretch. It is commonly said that while the Argentines have more of the Iguassu territory, Brazilians have the best view of the Devil’s Throat. Of course, the Argentines disagree.
But even before the travellers get to hear the thunder in their ears and feel the rumble through their feet, they will have to travel through the natural wilderness that is Iguaçu National Park. Many travellers who are heading to the falls will most likely travel from the main town of Foz do Iguaçu as a first stop before traveling into the lush forests of Brazil’s spectacular Iguaçu National Park (as opposed to Argentina’s Iguazú National Park). The region has proven itself to be more than just a thundering waterfall; many travellers from around the world can be found trekking through the forest greenery that is so famed that it has made it onto the exclusive list of designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The falls are a part of a practically virgin jungle ecosystem that is protected by both countries on either side of the falls and proves to be a difficult trek for even the expert traveller. This is why it is not always the preferred choice of exploration for all travellers. The trip through the jungle is quite breathtaking, but the offering of helicopter rides over the falls and boat trips out to the tumbling cascade is much more comfortable.
Tens of thousands of people visit the region each year. Be one of them to feel a splash of misty water flying from the collision of two countries. For more information about visiting Iguassu or travelling through Brazil, visit the Brazil Tourism website at www.braziltourism.org.

domain: geography


text:
Los Angeles -- Whether catching
up on a current favorite or consuming an entire series over the weekend,
watching multiple episodes of a series back-to-back benefits both the consumer
and the network.
That was according to panelists at Wednesday's
"Measuring the Binge Viewer: Fad or Future?" session moderated by
Zach Rosenberg, executive VP, chief growth officer, Horizon Media, during the 2013 PromaxBDA Conference.
John L. Young, VP of marketing for Comcast,
suggested that binge watching is not a new trend, just one that current
technology has made easier, recalling how he would spend hours in front of the
TV in the 70's watching Star
At least now, he said, viewers can discover
past seasons of a current series at any time and become regular watchers, echoing
a point made several times during other PromaxBDA sessions. "There's a
desire to watch something close to live and to be in that conversation,"
he said, which is a boon to networks and advertisers.
"There's an opportunity for monetization
for companies," agreed Cathy Hetzel, corporate president and president, AMI division, Rentrak.
And for subscribers to Netflix, Hulu, or a VOD service, she said,
"it's also an opportunity to watch a show that you wouldn't normally
While the panel agreed on the mutually
beneficial relationship between networks that offer up large numbers of
episodes at once and their customers, they also identified some potential areas
"The primary viewership is still
happening on the TV set," said Hetzel. Young attributed that partially to
a lack of downloadable content, explaining that when he's on a plane -- he
recently binge-watched old episodes of True
Blood -- he typically has to
resort to DVDs. "There are times when your best available screen can't
access the content. So we're asking for download rights," he said, adding,
"Viewers shouldn't be punished for a bad connection."
Dounia Turrill, senior VP, client insights,
Nielsen, agreed, acknowledging that companies have a ways to go in taking
seriously consumers' binge-viewing habits. She said that Nielsen is currently
devising ways to measure its impact. "Currently we capture live and VOD content well, and we
have a pilot for digital program ratings, that will give numbers for online
programs, and eventually we want to measure viewing on tablets and smart
The smarter way to stay on top of broadcasting and cable industry. Sign up below.
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domain: news


text:
The Tolerance Caravan ages 12-14 is a unique awareness activity focused on the issue of bullying at school. By creating a space where grade 7 and 8 students can speak openly, the workshop aims to equip and mobilize them to take a stand against bullying in their school.
The workshop’s goal is to show the extent to which bullying affects all of us and that each of us has the power to intervene.
Our two experienced facilitators lead students in an interactive discussion on the phenomenon of bullying, its causes and its consequences. Using short videos and games, young people explore viable solutions that they can use themselves to stop bullying in their school.
Rather than using a traditional approach focused on the victim and the bully, our workshop concentrates on the key role of witnesses and what they can do to curb bullying. Our goal is to turn around defeatist attitudes held by students by showing them that even a small act can make a big difference when it comes to bullying.
The workshop lasts a whole period (i.e. 50 to 75 minutes).
The Tolerance Caravan team can host up to 16 groups per week.
After our visit, we find that …

domain: sociology


text:
Don Perkins, Mark Of The Beast
Don Perkins is one of my favorite teachers in end times prophecy. He has a God given ability to make deep truths simple. I will list the key scriptures for this study, and then review the seven points listed by Don Perkins.
Revelation 13:16-18 King James Version (KJV)
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
Revelation 16:2 King James Version (KJV)
2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.
Revelation 19:20 King James Version (KJV)
20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 King James Version (KJV)
9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Refer to the above listed scriptures in reference to the following seven points made about the mark of the beast.
1)What is the Mark of the Beast? It is a physical mark in the tribulation period, given to those who submit to the Antichrist. (Revelation 13:16-18). They will give over their will and life to the Antichrist. There will be a cashless society. One cannot buy or sell without the mark.
2)How will it come into use, and how will it be enforced? Revelation 19:20. II Thessalonians 2:9-12. The culture is gradually becoming conditioned to receive this mark en masse. Great delusion will come upon all of the populace. Most people do not even realize that we are ALREADY primed to receive the mark. The False Prophet will enforce the mark. Christians and Jews will be persecuted.
3)How long will it be used? It will be used for three and one half (3 1/2) years, during the second half of the tribulation period.
4)Who will receive the mark and why? Everyone will receive it (Revelation 13:16). They will receive it in order to conduct any kind of transaction. The Antichrist desires for everyone to worship him only, and not God.
5)Our culture is conditioning people to receive the mark. Barcodes have been placed on people’s foreheads. We were shown images of this. One day it will become mandatory. These chips can lead to a tremendous invasion of privacy.
6)What happens to those who take the mark of the beast? They cannot repent and are damned to hell for eternity. They will also receive noisome and grievous sores because they received the mark of the beast. Revelation 14:9-10, 16:2.
7)A warning is given against receiving the mark of the beast. Revelation 14:6, 9-10. Three angels will be preaching for the first time, and the third angel will warn people of the consequences for receiving the mark of the beast!


text:
JERSEY CITY -- The sentencing of a man who fatally struck a 7-year-old girl with an SUV in West New York in February 2016 was adjourned at the last minute Friday because his lawyer could not attend.
Fabian Rodriguez, 33, of Newark, was to be sentenced for
of Shaila Pichardo, 7, at Van Buren Place at 61
Street on Feb. 19, 2016. He faces up to 11 years in prison.
But at 2:45 p.m. Hudson County Superior Court Judge Mark Nelson told those gathered in court that he received a call from an Essex County judge who told him Rodriguez's lawyer could not make it because she is representing a client at trial in Newark.
In December, Rodriguez also pleaded guilty to endangering an injured victim by leaving the scene while the girl's mother had suffered significant injuries and was helpless.
At his plea hearing, Rodriguez admitted that after striking the mother and child he got out of the vehicle, saw the fatally wounded girl, got back into the SUV and fled the scene.
He also pleaded guilty to hindering his own apprehension by falsely reporting to police after the incident that his vehicle had been stolen.
Joanna Rosas-Alvarez, 26, was not in the SUV at the time of the collision but was charged with tampering with evidence by allegedly lying to police and saying the SUV was stolen at the time. Authorities also allege that she had the car washed and stickers removed from it, in an attempt to change its appearance. She was also charged with obstructing a government function.
Rosas-Alvarez, who was also in court Friday, has applied to enter the pretrial intervention program but the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office objected, saying that issue will be worked out only after Rodriguez is sentenced.
Pretrial intervention provides a route for first-time offenders charged with lesser crimes to undergo a period of supervised release. If the person fulfills their obligations in the program, the charges are wiped from the defendant's record.
Shaila's parents were in court Friday afternoon but said they did not want to comment at this time. They said they would have something to say after Rodriguez's sentencing.
Rodriguez is now slated to be sentenced on March 31 at 9 a.m. by Nelson in the Hudson County Administration Building in Jersey City.

domain: law


text:
An active lifestyle is at the heart of the John's Island Club experience. Whether playing golf on one of three magnificently-designed golf courses, returning volleys on the tennis courts, smashing a serve on one of two squash courts, strategizing your next move on one of two croquet courts, or working up a sweat in the state-of-the-art Fitness & Wellness Center, John's Island Club offers some of the highest-quality recreational facilities in the country.
For water enthusiasts, an inviting pool overlooks the Atlantic Ocean and is perfect for swimming laps, playing Marco Polo with the kids, or simply cooling off from the warm Florida sun. An adjacent kiddie pool – with playful sprinklers – keeps the little ones entertained.
And let's not forget the water sports: surfing, paddle boarding, sailing, kayaking and so much more.

domain: hobby


text:
Okay, there really was not a "squash challenge" but it was so difficult growing squash this year, so that is what I am calling the summer of 2016. First a basic primer on squash. There are many varieties of squash but for simplicity I am going to break them down into summer and winter varieties.
Summer squash fall into the genus of Curcurbita pepo and are squash that are eaten when immature with a soft outer peel. Zucchini and yellow summer squash are the two most familiar varieties. My favorite is Zephyr squash which is a yellow bodied summer squash with a green end. It is a bush variety, is very prolific, hardy and is a sweeter than zucchini or yellow squash.
Where I live in Wisconsin and throughout the Midwest, zucchini is very common and well liked. It is grown to be very large (even though it is most flavorful when picked at the 5 - 6 inch size). Commonly people shred them and bake them into sweet breads or bread and deep fry them. Eating zucchini raw or cut into "zoodles" is also a great way to eat zucchini.
Winter squash, also in the genus of Curcurbita, is grown in the summer as well, but remains on the vine longer until fully mature with a hard shell. Winter squash, when not blemished on the outer shell, can store for many months and often becomes sweeter with time. There are many varieties of winter squash: acorn, butternut, spaghetti, turban, Lakota and blue hubbard to name a few. And let's not forget pumpkin which as you know, comes in all shapes and sizes!
If you are new to my blog, you may not know that I have a large vegetable garden in my back yard and a straw bale garden in the front of my house. The front of the house is a perfect place to garden as it is facing the sun, has a water source and is protected from the wind by the house as well as it is extra warm when the lannon stone is heated by the sun.
This past winter , on a rare slow day at work, I happened upon my Rare Seeds catalog and had this great idea of growing new varieties that I have not tried before. My plan was to leave them in a bucket by my mail box for the neighbors as they walked by as well as to try some new food. Sigh, this did not happen this year.
There are newer varieties of squash that are bush types to save space in the garden. The majority of squash are vines and can grow out of control and go everywhere, up trees, houses, across lawns and into other parts of the garden. I have found that they grow great up a trellis. Any vine can handle up to a 30 pound fruit so I train them up a net in a trellis system. Here is a photo of my garden squash bed early to mid season.
In the straw bales, I failed to come up with a decent plan this season and over planted zucchini, zephyr, sweet meat, turban, Lakota, butternut and spaghetti squash. Perfect, I thought, lots of sun, water, room to grow through the grass and a new yearly growing medium as the bales are new each year without overwintering eggs and larva. I planned ahead and got an early start at planting and the vines grew fast and were very vigorous. The vines grew up the trellis easily and put out many male flowers. Squash plants have male and female flowers, the plant first puts out a few weeks of male only flowers followed by female flowers that have the start of the squash at its base. the bees fly between the flowers spreading the pollen thus creating fruit. In the past I have not had a lot of bees and have had to hand pollinate the flowers but with a change in garden practices and the addition of many specific flowers that bloom in all seasons, the bee population has greatly increased in my yard.
This year the heat came on early and fierce here in my zone 5a and there was little to no female flower production in the summer squash thus very few fruits. The theory is that every plant has a window of time when it is crucial to have the right growing conditions, like warm days and cool nights in order to be most productive The early heat stunted the plants and greatly reduced any female flower production. On the other hand, the winter squash put out female flowers and produced a lot of fruit over a 3 - 4 month time span.
In the straw bales, I failed to come up with a decent plan this season and over planted zucchini, zephyr, sweet meat, turban, Lakota, butternut and spaghetti squash. Perfect, I thought, lots of sun, water, room to grow through the grass and a new yearly growing medium as the bales are new each year without overwintering eggs and larva.
Then arrived the bugs. The cucumber beetles arrived in droves. There are two types a yellow spotted and a yellow striped. I have had intermittent problems with the beetles in the past and they overwinter in nearby brush and debris, but this year they came with a vengeance! They were everywhere! I hate them, I hate them with a passion. They are most visible after dusk and in the early morning and are difficult to kill unless you are willing to spray your plants with chemicals and the only effective chemicals also kill bees so that is not an option in my yard.
I hand picked and killed thousands of the destructive beetles utilizing tweezers and scissors from an old incision and drainage kit ( I AM a nurse after all). The problem with the beetles is that they inject a bacteria both into the roots of the plant and into the leaves themselves that causes wilt, malformed fruit and plant demise. The little yellow jerks were everywhere, all summer and ruined cucumbers and pumpkins as well. Squash vine borers are red seslid moths with black wings, orange/red bodies and black spots that bore into the vine at the base of the plant and lay an egg that turns into a larva and destroys the whole vine. I did have success cutting open a vine, removing the larva and then taping the vine back together but this takes time, vigilance and some good luck. next year I will need a new plan that will include later season plantings and tunnels that I will discuss in a later blog post.
All this being said I am not giving up! First of all, butternut squash are my favorite fruit and growing them and storing them for the winter is something that brings me great pleasure. You should taste my butternut squash soup! Secondly, this is what gardening is all about for me. I plan a garden and plant seeds that turn into long and crazy vines that produce fruit that I can eat and share with my family and friends. Yes, the beetles came and the beetle war sucked up a lot of my time this summer but then the temperature changes, the vines are put into the garbage or compost and I am already starting to plan for next year.

domain: agronomy


~ A Remington Rolling Block Rifle Model 4 ~
This is a 32 calibre rifle and this model was first introduced in 1890.
This is one of the approximately 356,000 copies made.
The piece bears the manufacturers trademark on the barrel " Remington", and the manufacturing adress " Remington Arms--Union Metallic Catridge CO. Remington Work, Ilion, New York, U.S.A.".
The metal buttplate also bears the manufacturers trademark "Remington UMC".
~ Dimensions ~
The barrel is 21 ½ inches (55 cm) long and the overall length of the rifle is 37 inches (94 cm).
It weighs 1.84 Kg.
~ Condition ~
The rifle is in good condition for its age.
It has been cared for over the years and it has been preserved well for the most part with the exception of light scratches to the woodwork.
The piece half cocks, cocks and releases with a strong spring.
There is some pitting to the metal but the bore is free of pitting or damage.
~ Postage ~
UK postage is £24, or it can be picked up from our shop in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.
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