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Kim Owens, better known by his stage name Kem is an American R&B/Soul singer–songwriter, and producer. Born in Nashville, Tennessee, KEM was raised in Detroit, Michigan.
|Birth name:||Kim Owens|
|Also known as:||Kem|
|Born:||Jul 23, 1969, Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.|
|Origin:||Pontiac, Michigan, U.S.|
|Genres:||R&B, soul, jazz, neo soul, quiet storm|
|Occupation(s):||Singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer|
|Instruments:||vocals, piano, keyboards|
|Website:||Kem (singer)'s Official site|
R&B singer and producer whose style has drawn comparisons to old-school R&B. He is best known for Gold-selling albums like 2003's Kemistry and 2010's Intimacy.
Born Kim Owens, he grew up in Detroit and struggled with addiction and homelessness after high school.
He won a Billboard Music Award for Top Adult R&B Single of the Year or "I Can't Stop Loving You" in 2005.
He has children named Laylah and Troi.
He collaborated with Ronald Isley of The Isley Brothers fame on the 2013 single "My Favorite Thing."
Information related to Kem (singer)
- Neo soul singers
- Motown artists
- American soul singers


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Download Free Alabama Wallpaper. Find out more Alabama, Deep South, Georgia, Mexico, Mississippi, Sport, United States wallpapers.
|Image Name: alabama-wallpaper–2.png||Image Size: 2 MB|
|Dimensions: 1358 x 2939 px||Uploaded by: Cristina_Holder|
|License: Personal use only. Not for commercial usage.||Downloads: 15028|
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Alabama is a state in the Deep South region of the Southern United States, bordered by Tennessee to the north; Georgia to the east; Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south; and Mississippi to the west.

domain: geography


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Join us for the 2016 Quilts Unlimited Opening Day Lecture and Luncheon.
This year will feature a lecture by our juror of awards Kathryn Greenwold:
CLEANING UP THE LEFTOVERS or What To Do with Your UFO’s - Just like leftover Thanksgiving dinner fills your refrigerator, your UFO’s fill your studio with clutter. This clutter is potential for new quilts, just as the leftovers become turkey tetrazzini! The lecture will include a trunk show of some of my UFO’s that have been transformed and completed, with suggestions for how you might take a fresh look at the “leftovers” lurking in your sewing room.
Kathryn Greenwold has been quilting for over 30 years. Her quilting and needlework began with her grandmothers as a child, but it was a town sesquicentennial celebration in 1978 that began her serious quilting adventure. A friend recruited her to help design and create a quilt as part of the celebration. It was a success, and a life-long interest began. Kathryn has qualified as a quilt appraiser, offers a variety of instruction and design coaching, lectures, and is a quilt show judge. Her quilting classes include quilt repair and restoration, antique reproduction, ethnic piecing techniques, various appliqué techniques, and art quilt treatments such as fabric manipulation and surface alteration. Her lectures appeal to general audiences as well as quilting groups and guilds. She has been teaching for 16 years, and has been providing appraisal services for 12 years. For more information on Kathryn Greenwold click here.
The event is $20/$15 members, preregistration is required for the luncheon.

domain: artistic


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Today in AgBioView From* AgBioWorld, June 14, 2010
* The Right to Choose - For Farmers in Haiti
* Fern gene for arsenic bioremediation
* Fungus speeds rice growth
* Fertilizer-free corn?
* Boosting rice photosynthesis generates optimism
* Making Sense of Statistics
The Right to Choose - For Farmers in Haiti
- Paul Driessen, Town Hall, June 12, 2010
The Monsanto Company is learning a valuable lesson in Haiti: no good deed goes unpunished at the hands of radical anti-corporate elements of Western society.
Like so many other concerned citizens, Monsanto responded to the tragic January 12 earthquake that further devastated this impoverished country. It worked for months with Haiti's Agricultural Ministry to select seeds best suited to local climates, needs and practices, and to handle the donation so as to support, rather than undermine, the country's agricultural and economic infrastructure.
>From Monsanto's extensive inventory, they jointly chose conventionally bred hybrid (not biotech / genetically modified / GM) varieties of field corn and seven vegetables: cabbage, carrots, eggplants, onions, tomatoes, spinach and melons. Instead of giving the seeds to farmers, the company worked with the USAID-funded WINNER program, to donate the seeds to stores owned and managed by Haitian farmer associations. The 475 tons of hybrid seeds will then be sold to many thousands of farmers at steep discounts, and all revenues will be reinvested in local agriculture.
Other companies and donors are providing fertilizers, insecticide and herbicides that will likewise be sold at a discount. The companies, Agricultural Ministry, farmers associations and other experts will also provide technical advice and assistance - much as the USDA's Cooperative Extension System does - on how, when and whether to use the various hybrids, fertilizers, and weed and insect-control chemicals.
The goal is simple. Help get the country and its farmers back on their feet, improve farming practices, crop yields and nutrition levels, and increase incomes and living standards.
The reaction of anti-corporate activists was instantaneous, intense, perverse, patronizing and hypocritical. Monsanto wants to turn Haiti back into "a slave colony," ranted Organic Consumers Association founder Ronnie Cummins. Hybrid and GM seeds will destroy our diversity, small-farmer agriculture and "what is left of our environment," raged Chavannes Jean-Baptiste, leader of the Peasant Movement of Papaye.
Other self-anointed "peasant representatives" waded in. The seeds are genetically modified and "will exterminate our people." Farmers won't be able to afford the seeds or feed their children. The fertilizers are carcinogenic. Fungicides on the seeds are toxic poisons. "Seeds are the patrimony of humanity." We support "food and seed sovereignty." Traditional seeds and farming practices "provide stable employment" for the 70% of Haitians who are small farmers. And of course, "Down with Monsanto."
Various U.S. churches and foundations chimbed in. "Spontaneous" protests were organized in several Haitian and American cities. At one, hundreds of marchers wore identical shirts and hats, which even at a combined value of just $5 represented two weeks' income for average Haitian farmers: 40 cents a day. One wonders how many would have shown up without these inducements.
Indeed, this abysmal income underscores the terrible reality of life in this island nation, even before the earthquake, and the perversity of this campaign against "corporate control of the food system." Instead of "seed sovereignty," the activists are ensuring eco-imperialism and poverty sovereignty.
Forty years ago, Haiti was largely self-sufficient in food production and actually exported coffee, sugar and mangoes. Today, the country imports 80% of its rice and 97% of the 31 million eggs it consumes monthly. Two-thirds of Haiti's people are farmers (roughly equivalent to the United States just after the Civil War), but their crop yields are among the lowest in the Western Hemisphere.
Few of Haiti's rural families have running water or electricity, and women spend hours a day cooking over open fires. Many contract serious lung diseases as a result, and life expectancy is twelve years lower than for people on the Dominican Republic side of the island.
Google satellite images reveal a lush green eastern DR two-thirds of Hispaniola - in stark contrast to the deforested, rutted, brown, impoverished Haitian side, from which enormous quantities of soil are washed into the ocean every year. Roads are so rutted and awful that Peace Corps workers report traveling four hours by truck to go 60 miles. Many rural people cannot afford to feed their children, leaving hundreds of kids in poor highland areas literally starving to death.
Hybrid seeds can help Haitians climb out of this morass. They're no silver bullet, but they are one of the cheapest, easiest and best investments a farmer can make. By simply planting different seeds and adding fertilizer, farmers can dramatically increase crop yields. A similar Monsanto donation of hybrid maize (corn) seeds and fertilizer to Malawi farmers in 2006 generated a 500% increase in yields and helped feed a million people for a year.
In the United States, organic and conventional farmers alike plant numerous hybrids. They cost more than traditional, open-pollinated seeds, but the payoff in yield, revenue, and uniformity of size, quality and ripening time makes the investment decision easy. Between 1933 and 2000, U.S. corn yields likewise expanded fivefold - thanks to hybrids, fertilizer, irrigation and innovative crop management practices - and today, hybrid or GM hybrid crops are planted on virtually every American field.
Some of the Haitian corn donation will be used to improve chicken farming and egg production. Most will likely be used in staples like sauce pois - corn mush topped with black or red beans combined with coconut milk, hot peppers, onions, garlic and oil. The thickness of the bean sauce reflects a family's income, and "wealthy" families often accompany the sauce with rice, instead of corn mush. The veggie seeds will add variety to family diets, and provide a source of income via sales at local markets.
The hybrids will also help Haiti adopt truly sustainable farming practices: higher crop yields, greater revenues and better nutrition for more people, at lower cost, from less land, using less water and fewer pesticides, requiring less time in fields, and enabling more farmers to specialize in other trades and send their children to school. In short, greater opportunity and prosperity for millions.
And yet, activists continue to spew forth invective, preposterous claims and disinformation - primarily through the Huffington Post and several other websites. Hybrid seeds don't regenerate, they assert; wrong - they do and can be replanted, though they will not pass all their best traits down to subsequent generations, which is one reason farmers typically buy new seeds. The seeds are poisonous, they fume; false - the seeds are treated with fungicides that are used safely all over the USA, Western Europe and Latin America, to keep seeds from being destroyed by fungus before they germinate.
(For additional information and discussions, see plant geneticist Anastasia Bodnar's Biofortified website.)
Monsanto will not force farmers to plant hybrid seeds - or say they can't replant what they collect from previous harvests. Indeed, hybrids were widely just 30 years ago by Haitian farmers, who know what they are looking for in a crop, how to assess what they have planted and harvested, and whether they want to invest in specific seeds. They should be allowed to make their own decisions - just as others should be permitted to plant whatever traditional, heirloom or open-pollinated seeds they wish.
"We reject Monsanto seeds," say anti-hybrid activists. They might, and that's fine. But thousands of other Haitian farmers want to plant Monsanto seeds. Their right to choose must also be respected - not denied by intolerant protesters, who are largely funded and guided by well-fed First World campaigners.
After years of vicious assaults by agro and eco purists, Monsanto's corporate skin is probably thick enough to survive these lies and often highly personal attacks. Other companies, however, might lack the fortitude to provide their expertise and technology after future disasters, in the face of such attacks.
That is almost certainly an objective for many of these anti-technology, anti-corporate groups. Monsanto has no maize financial interests in Haiti and only a tiny vegetable operation, and I have no financial interest in Monsanto. But for the world's most destitute people, it would be a tragedy of epic proportions.
Fern's evolution gives arsenic tolerance that may clean toxic land
- Purdue University, Press Release, June 10, 2010
Isolating a gene that allows a type of fern to tolerate high levels of arsenic, Purdue University researchers hope to use the finding to create plants that can clean up soils and waters contaminated by the toxic metal.
The fern Pteris vittata can tolerate 100 to 1,000 times more arsenic than other plants. Jody Banks, a professor of botany and plant pathology, and David Salt, a professor of horticulture, uncovered what may have been an evolutionary genetic event that creates an arsenic pump of sorts in the fern.
"It actually sucks the arsenic out of the soil and puts it in the fronds," Banks said. "It's the only multi-cellular organism that can do this."
Without a genome sequenced for Pteris vittata, Banks and Salt used a method of gene identification called yeast functional complementation. They combined thousands of different Pteris vittata genes into thousands of yeast cells that were missing a gene that makes them tolerant to arsenic.
The yeast was exposed to arsenic, with most of it dying. The yeast strains that lived had picked up the genes from Pteris vittata that convey arsenic resistance.
To confirm that this was the correct gene, its function was knocked down and the plant was exposed to arsenic. Without the gene functioning properly, the plant could not tolerate arsenic.
"It tells us that this gene is necessary for the plant to function on arsenic," said Banks, whose findings were published in the early online version of the journal Plant Cell. "We looked for a similar gene in the plant Arabidopsis. We couldn't find it. It can't be found in any flowering plant."
Banks and Salt found that the protein encoded by this gene ends up in the membrane of the plant cell's vacuole. Salt said the protein acts as a pump, moving arsenic into the cell's equivalent of a trashcan.
"It stores it away from the cytoplasm so that it can't have an effect on the plant," Salt said.
Banks said understanding how the Pteris vittata functions with arsenic could lead to ways to clean up arsenic-contaminated land.
"Potentially you could take these genes and put them in any organism that could suck the arsenic out of the soil," Banks said.
Salt said rice plants could be modified with the gene to store arsenic in the roots of plants - instead of rice grains - in contaminated paddies.
Banks and Salt found another gene in Pteris vittata that looks almost exactly the same as the one that controls arsenic tolerance. When the fern was exposed to arsenic, the confirmed arsenic-tolerance gene increased its expression while the similar gene did not.
Salt said the gene that regulates arsenic tolerance could be a duplicate of the other that has changed slightly to give itself a new function.
"The fact that it has these two genes could be a sign of evolution," Salt said. "One of the thoughts of gene evolution is that one copy could continue to do what it has always done, while the duplicate can develop another function."
The plant might have evolved to accumulate arsenic, Banks and Salt theorized, as a defense against animals or insects eating them.
Banks hopes findings such as this will lead to more research emphasis on non-flowering plants. She said there are characteristics in plants such as Pteris vittata that cannot be found in other organisms.
The next step in their research is to put the arsenic-tolerance gene from Pteris vittata into Arabidopsis to see whether it gives the new plant the same characteristics.
The National Science Foundation funded the research.
Swiss researchers uncover microscopic fungus which speeds rice growth
- MercoPress, June 11, 2010
Researchers at a Swiss university said Thursday that they have uncovered a microscopic fungus that is able to increase the speed of rice growth by five times. In a study published by Switzerland's University of Lausanne, researchers claimed that the fungus mycorrhiza would not only cut the use of phosphate fertilizers, it was also "completely natural" or GM-free.
Rice is the most produced and consumed world grain Rice is the most produced and consumed world grain
Tinkering with a type of fungus that lives in association with plant roots, researchers found a way to increase the growth of rice by an impressive margin. The so-called mycorrhizal fungi are found in association with nearly all plants in nature, where they deliver essential nutrients - specifically phosphate - to plants in return for sugar.
The findings are nevertheless a surprise, according to researchers reporting online on June 10th in Current Biology, because there has been little evidence thus far to suggest that crop plants actually respond to the fungi.
"Global reserves of phosphate are critically low, and because the demand for phosphate goes hand in hand with human population expansion, it is predicted that there will be major shortages in the next few decades," said Ian Sanders of the University of Lausanne in Switzerland.
"Unfortunately, most of our important crop plants do not respond strongly, if at all, to inoculation with these fungi. This is especially so for rice, the most globally important food plant. There are no clear reports that rice benefits from inoculation with mycorrhizal fungi."
That is, until now. In fact, the researchers started with a strain of mycorrhizal fungus of the species Glomus intraradices that clearly didn't benefit rice. They then took advantage of the fungus's unusual genetics. A single fungal filament can contain genetically distinct nuclei. Those distinct nuclei can fuse together, mixing genes up in different combinations, and fungal spores can also end up with different complements of genes, the new research shows. As such, the supposedly clonal fungi maintain a degree of genetic variation that had been overlooked.
"It turns out we can very simply manipulate their genetics to produce fungi that induce up to a five-fold growth increase in this globally important food plant," Sanders said.
The genetic changes that the researchers produced in the fungi led to changes in the activity of important genes in the rice, they report. Those affected genes are known to be involved in establishing the mutually beneficial relationship between plant and fungus and in the transport of phosphate at the interface between fungus and plant.
Sanders emphasized that the genetic manipulation the researchers undertook didn't involve any insertion of new genes into the fungal genome. It rather relied on the same biological processes of genetic exchange and segregation that normally take place in the fungus. "What we have done with these fungi is not much different from what plant breeders, and farmers before them, have done to improve crops," he said. "The only difference is that the genetics of these fungi is a little bit more unusual, and no one thought it worth doing."
On a cautionary note, Sanders did emphasize that the plants they studied were grown in a greenhouse in Switzerland under conditions that only mimicked those found in the tropics. "This is clearly not at all the same environment as a rice plant growing in a real paddy field," he said. It remains to be seen whether the same growth benefits will apply in practice.
"However," Sanders said, "our study clearly shows that the potential is there to manipulate the genetics of the fungus to achieve greater crop yields."
It could be commercialised and used in large-scale farming in two to five years, said the researchers. The team uncovered the function of the super fungus after four years of experiments on twenty different samples of its spores.
- Dan Murphy, AgNetwork, June 9, 2010
Of course, synthetic biology is still a young discipline within molecular biology. In fact, if one were to measure its maturity in "science years"-like how we estimate the relative human age of a dog or cat-then synthetic biology would be a rowdy teen-ager: full of energy and promise, but a ways away from reaching its full potential.
That said, in slightly more than a decade of activity this exciting new science already promises to generate some potentially dramatic improvements in agricultural (and many other) systems. But to appreciate how today's synthetic biological research might impact tomorrow's food production, first we've got to wade through some pretty daunting science.
A simplified explanation of synthetic biology is that it involves engineering of gene networks that can control biological processes at the cellular level. If "basic" biotechnology utilizes the transplanting of a gene from one organism to another to introduce new functionality-such as soybeans that are resistant to a particular herbicide-then synthetic biology might be understood as an attempt to reprogram more complex biological activity through construction of gene expression networks.
What the heck are gene expression networks? you're probably asking. According to Kaustubh Bhalerao, an assistant professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at the University of Illinois and one of the leading synthetic biology researchers, these networks operate as the biological equivalent of electronic control circuits. As he explained it in a recent Trends in Biotechnology article, "Synthetic biology attempts to construct artificial circuits that can control biological functions in potentially transformational ways."
Bhalerao is currently leading a multidisciplinary research team, partially funded by the National Science Foundation, that includes scientists from the University of California-San Francisco, Stanford University, the University of Cambridge and New Castle University. The team is working to build systems that enable bacteria to communicate with and control plant cells-which, by the way, is the basis of how legumes fix nitrogen.
More on that is a moment.
Already, scientists have used synthetic biology techniques to create a "toggle switch" that governs whether gene expression is turned on or off in response to a stimulus. The next phase-and where it begins to get interesting-is developing entire gene networks that could trigger more complex biological activity.
Like programming corn to fix nitrogen, for example.
The use of nitrogen fertilizer is essential for profitable corn growing, but its sustainability long-term is beginning to be questioned, and if nothing else, it represents a significant production cost. But is it really possible to "teach" corn to fix its own nitrogen, eliminating or at least reducing the need for nitrogen fertilizer applications?
Bhalerao says yes.
"We now understand enough about how genes work and how proteins are produced that we can actually think about reprogramming how cells work," he explained.
Soybeans fix nitrogen by signaling certain bacteria to colonize in the plant's roots. Then, once the right biochemical environment has developed, the bacteria being fixing nitrogen that the plant can utilize. That's why soybeans are naturally high in nitrogen and a protein-rich food source.
"Why don't we teach corn how to do this?" he asked. "This would reduce the need for petroleum-based fertilizers, which has huge implications for sustainable agriculture."
As synthetic biological research forges ahead, one of the areas of greatest progress has been the creation of a biological repository for interchangeable gene circuits that can literally be assembled in modular fashion to build progressively more complex gene expression networks. Does that sound like the way electronic devices are built? It should, because it is.
"To compare [synthetic biology] with electronics, where it's drawing a lot of its ideas and terminology from, we cannot yet foresee what the Internet of this technology is going to look like," Bhalerao said. "We are still at the stage of developing the transistor."
For more information on synthetic biology and Prof. Bhalerao's research, log onto the Bhalerao Group website at <http://abe-bhaleraolab.age.uiuc.edu/>http://abe-bhaleraolab.age.uiuc.edu/
Dan Murphy is a veteran food-industry journalist and commentator
Boosting rice yields generates optimism
- Southwest Farm Press, June 11, 2010
The goal is to increase by 50 percent the yield of rice, which about half of the world's population depends on as a staple.
Early research on improving photosynthesis in rice plants is giving investigators reason for optimism, Cambridge University plant scientist Julian Hibberd told the International Association for Plant Biotechnology (IAPB) 12th World Congress.
Hibberd's work on the C4 Rice Project is searching for ways to genetically modify rice plants, which use C3 photosynthesis, to the more productive C4 form found in plants such as maize and sorghum. He is part of a project coordinated by the International Rice Research Institute and funded by an $11 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The goal is to increase by 50 percent the yield of rice, which about half of the world's population depends on as a staple. Because rice feeds more people than any other crop and yields have started to plateau worldwide, Hibberd said, increasing production is critical to food security,
"The challenge is absolutely huge, but we should be able to understand the mechanisms underlying C4 photosynthesis with enough time and money devoted to it," Hibberd told members of the Congress, attended by about 800 scientists, science policy leaders and others from more than 50 countries around the world.
Members of the C4 rice project have started to identify mutant lines of rice that show alterations in leaf structure that could help rice to be modified into a C4 plant.
"The C4 pathway is extremely complicated, so engineering it into a crop like rice is a massive challenge," Hibberd said. "But it has evolved many times independently, so that's one reason for optimism. We also know there are a large number of enzymes that are recruited in the C4 pathways, but they are all present in plants that use the C3 pathway."
Part of the difficulty of engineering C4 rice is understanding and controlling the interaction between changes in the rice leaf's structure, biochemistry and cell biology. The leaf structure is an area with the least amount of research and on which the C4 Rice Project is intended to have an impact.
"We have to manipulate all three," Hibberd said. "We are probably still at least 15 years away from seed production, but the fact that it has evolved many times alongside some promising initial results from the C4 rice project provide cause for optimism."
This presentation was one of 60 major presentations by invited speakers and more than 200 short talks. Presenters discussed biotechnology in terms of agriculture challenges as a result of climate change and global population growth. More information is available online at <http://www.iapb2010.org>www.iapb2010.org.
Making Sense of Statistics
- Sense About Science, April 29, 2010
Statisticians, journalists and scientists today launch Making Sense of Statistics, a guide that provides a few questions you can ask and outlines the pitfalls to look out for when weighing up claims that use statistics. Making Sense of Statistics is published by Sense About Science and Straight Statistics in collaboration with the Royal Statistical Society.
Alongside Making Sense of Statistics a short guide on Making Sense of Statistics in an Election is also released. With just a week to go until the polls the guide gives four points to keep in mind as you read the manifesto pledges, watch the final televised debate and decipher the campaign promises.
Leonor Sierra, Science and Policy Manager, Sense About Science: "While statistics are sometimes hyped and sensationalized, they can also test and debunk arguments. Knowing the questions to ask and the pitfalls to avoid helps us to work out whether the figures in the headlines matter to our lives and to society, from health screening to the economy."
Nigel Hawkes, Director, Straight Statistics: "Statistics help to make sense of a confusing world. But the sheer number and variety of statistics also provide great opportunities for misrepresentation or selective quotation. Getting canny about these tricks should be part of everybody's armoury."
David Spiegelhalter,Winton Professor of Public Understanding of Risk, University of Cambridge: "We shouldn't just accept the numbers we're told as absolute truths, but ask where the evidence comes from, what it relates to, and even what we're not being told. Numbers can't tell us everything, but by understanding a bit about statistics, uncertainty and probability we can look critically at stories in the news."
Michael Blastland, writer and broadcaster: "Taking numbers for granted is naive - you become a sucker for spin. But treating them all as so many lies, turning away in cynicism, is to give up on every political, economic or social argument you follow, every public cause you love or hate. The middle way is the only way: to learn how numbers work."
Andrew Garratt, Press and Public Affairs Officer, Royal Statistical Society: "A great many of the decisions we make - or are made for us by government - are underpinned by statistics. Knowing more about how they work helps us to make better decisions and hold government accountable to the public."
Simon Briscoe, Statistics Editor, Financial Times: "The advent of widely available, good quality data is a new phenomenon. Its impact on the way we live will be just as great as the internet or mobile communications. If you don't 'get it' and know how to use it, your quality of life and understanding of the world around you will suffer. And it is fun to have the insights into our world that numbers offer."
Christina Pagel, senior research fellow, Clinical Operational Research Unit, UCL: "I think that decisions on how to use modern scientific advances, whether in health, cutting edge technology or the environment are so important that everyone in society should have a say. To do this, we all need to be informed and to understand how to interpret the scientific evidence presented so that we're not unfairly influenced by those presenting the data."
Shaun Treweek, senior lecturer at the School of Medicine, University of Dundee: "Numbers and statistics can help people to make informed decisions about what tablets to take, what food to eat, or what car to buy but they need to be handled with care because they can also be misleading. This booklet should make writing about, or reading about, statistics and numbers a little bit easier. That has to be a good thing."
*Compiled by Andrew Apel. Back issues archived at http://www.agbioworld.org

domain: agronomy


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In microorganisms, one of the routes of glutamate synthesis is by combining ammonium ion with α-ketoglutarate in a reaction catalyzed by glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) (Meers et al., 1970). Since the major route of glutamate synthesis in plants occurs via the GS/GOGAT pathway, a parallel GDH-catalyzed route for glutamate seems highly redundant. However, plants possess GDH enzymes, whose metabolic functions have long been and still are highly controversial. The metabolic status of plants largely depends on mineral nitrogen availability from the soil (or from nitrogen fixing microorganisms) and carbon fixation from photosynthesis. Since the availability of carbon and nitrogen depends on environmental factors and may also be limiting, plants have evolved efficient ways to capture nitrogen and carbon and to regulate the partition between sugars and nitrogenous compounds to optimize plant growth and reproduction (Miflin and Habash, 2002; Stitt et al., 2002). Since the GDH reaction is easily reversible leading to the release of ammonium ion from glutamate, it could function in the conversion of glutamate into organic acids under conditions of limiting carbon fixation. Indeed the catabolic function of GDH in deaminating glutamate was demonstrated directly by 13[C] and 31[P] nuclear magnetic resonance studies (Aubert et al., 2001). This function has been indirectly implied by a number of physiological, biochemical, and molecular studies that have been discussed before (Hirel and Lea, 2001; Ireland and Lea, 1999; Lea and Ireland, 1999; Miflin and Habash, 2002).
In contrast to the well-documented catabolic functions of plant GDH, it is possible that the enzyme may also operate in parallel to GOGAT in the aminating direction of glutamate biosynthesis. Analyses of plants with reduced GOGAT activity, either due to genetic mutation or due to expression of GOGAT antisense constructs (Cordoba et al., 2003; Coschigano et al., 1998; Ferrario-Mery et al., 2000, 2002a,b; Lancien et al., 2002), suggested that GOGAT is the major enzyme responsible for glutamate biosynthesis in plants. Hence, a possible anabolic (aminating) activity of GDH, if it exists, contributes relatively little to overall glutamate biosynthesis. Nevertheless, isolated mitochondria from potato plants can combine 15[N]-labeled ammonium ion and α-ketoglutarate into 15[N] glutamate (Aubert et al., 2001), suggesting that plant GDH can catalyze some glutamate synthesis under specific metabolic conditions. A plausible limited anabolic activity of GDH has indirectly been supported by other studies. Melo-Oliveira et al. (1996) found that seedlings of an Arabidopsis gdh1 null mutant grew slower than wild-type seedlings, in particular with respect to root elongation, on media containing high levels of inorganic nitrogen. Thus, the Arabidopsis GDH1 appears to play a nonredundant role in assimilating ammonium ion into glutamine under conditions of excess inorganic nitrogen. Even so, the Arabidopsis GDH1 is likely to contribute minimally to nitrogen assimilation under regular growth conditions when nitrogen fertilization is not in excess.
Another indirect support for some compensatory aminating function of GDH was observed in transgenic tobacco plants in which Fd-GOGAT activity was significantly reduced by an antisense approach (Ferrario-Mery et al., 2002a). Under conditions of reduced photorespiration (high CO2), reduction of the Fd-GOGAT activity affected neither the deaminating nor the aminating activity of GDH. Yet, upon transport to air, there was a significant increase in the aminating, but not the deaminating, activity of GDH in the transgenic lines, which was also correlated with increased ammonium ion levels in these plants. These results suggest that under conditions of reduced Fd-GOGAT activity and high rates of photorespiration, GDH may compensate for the reduced GOGAT activity (Ferrario-Mery et al., 2002a).
Thus, the accumulating data suggest that in addition to the major catabolic activity of GDH, the enzyme may also assist GOGAT in glutamate biosynthesis under conditions of extensive photorespiration or excess nitrogen fertilization. Nevertheless, such an aminating activity of the plant GDH would be minor compared to that of GOGAT and may become important metabolically only when GOGAT activity is compromised. Additional studies, using dynamic flux, are needed to unequivocally demonstrate whether plant GDH enzymes function in the anabolic direction of glutamate biosynthesis.
In other studies, microbial GDH genes were expressed in transgenic plants, using the constitutive 35S promoter. Expression of an Escherichia coli GDH in transgenic tobacco plants improved plant biomass production and also rendered the plants more tolerant than wild-type plants to a glutamine synthetase inhibitor (Ameziane et al., 2000). Similarly, expression of a Neurospora intermedia GDH in transgenic tobacco plants improved plant growth under low nitrogen (Wang and Tian, 2001). These results imply that the heterologous microbial GDH enzymes contributed to nitrogen use efficiency of the transgenic plants by operating in the aminating direction of glutamate synthesis. However, whether this function is associated with specific biochemical characteristics of the microbial GDH enzymes that are either present or not present in the plant counterparts remains to be elucidated.
© 2018 Biocyclopedia | All rights reserved.

domain: literature


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Researchers used artificial intelligence to discover two hidden planets at the information collected by the Kepler Space Telescope. Researchers used artificial intelligence to discover two hidden planets at the information collected by the Kepler Space Telescope. Advertising. The technique shows promise for identifying many additional planets that conventional methods couldn’t catch. Researchers at the University of Texas in Austin in the United States generated an algorithm that sifts throughout the information taken by Kepler to ferret out signals which have been missed by traditional planet-hunting procedures. The procedure, described in The Astronomical Journal, should help astronomers discover many more missed planets hiding in Kepler data.
K2 information is more challenging to work with because the spacecraft is moving around all the time, stated Andrew Vanderburg, by UT Austin. This change came into being following a mechanical failure. While mission planners found that a workaround, the spacecraft was left with a twist which AI had to take into account. The Kepler and K2 missions have already discovered thousands of planets around other stars, with an equal number of applicants awaiting confirmation. The two planets are very typical of planets located in K2, researchers stated. They’re really close into their host star they have short orbital periods, and they’re hot.

domain: news


CdM adds two turf fields, new track with athletics facilities upgrade
Several sports teams at Corona del Mar High School had been without a home since the end of the 2018-19 school year, but no longer.
Construction is complete on a $14.6 million renovation project that has brought two lighted, artificial turf sports fields and a new rubber track to the campus.
“The completion of this project is a true testament to the vision of our board, support of our community, and work of our facilities team to provide students with high-quality facilities to learn and compete for many years to come,” Newport-Mesa Unified School District Supt. Russell Lee-Sung said in a statement.
Bleachers located at the main track and field have a seating capacity of 664, while the back field has portable bleachers that can accommodate 200 spectators, district officials said.
Each field also has its own scoreboard, and the facilities are enclosed with fencing.
Sea Kings coaches whose programs will benefit from the new facilities spoke to the difference of playing on turf as opposed to natural grass.
“It’s a lot more predictable,” GW Mix, who has headed the boys’ lacrosse program since 2010, said. “Trust me, we called it the Magic Dirt, in lacrosse here. We won a lot of games on this field because we had practiced on it and we were comfortable playing on it, and many of our opponents weren’t.
“The Magic Dirt was good to us, but we’re excited just to have a facility [and] the fences where the balls won’t go all over the place. We won’t lose 20 lacrosse balls at practice.”
As the project was going on, teams would have to bus to practice. The CdM soccer teams were playing matches at Bonita Creek Park in Newport Beach. Prior to that, Bryan Middleton, the school’s girls’ soccer coach since the 2002-03 season, said it was not necessarily a given that a home game would be played on campus if rainy conditions made the field unplayable.
“We’d either play at Estancia or Bonita Creek Park, but having our own facilities like this now, I mean 100 percent if we have the home game, we’re home,” Middleton said. “It’s a huge advantage to be able to train on turf and play on turf, and if there’s rain, you’re still playing the game because these things will drain properly and we’ll be able to play the games and not have to worry about mud-balls or anything.”
Middleton enjoyed a brief passing session with CdM boys’ soccer coach Damien O’Brien Thursday on the back turf, where the former said he would likely have varsity contests played because he believed the field to be wider.
Middleton added that having two turf fields could open the possibility for the school to host soccer tournaments.
Ground was broken on the project in June of 2019, which meant the CdM football program opened training camp that year at Davidson Field on the campus of Newport Harbor High School.
CdM football coach Dan O’Shea compared the way his team traveled to other schools to practice that year to “a roving circus.” It didn’t faze the Sea Kings, as they went undefeated in winning the CIF Southern Section Division 3 title and the CIF State Division 1-A championship.
O’Shea expressed his excitement about the upgrade, saying, “We are thrilled to death, and we just cannot wait to get to practice on it in a full capacity, and hopefully the health situation allows us to do so.”
He added that he felt that the track’s brilliant shade of Sea Kings blue gave the facility “incredible appeal,” a sentiment shared by CdM athletic director Dennis Wilbanks.
“It’s good,” Wilbanks said. “I like it. It’s us. Let’s go!”
The state-issued regional stay-at-home order was lifted on Monday, returning counties to the four-tiered system regarding their coronavirus transmission. Orange County is in the purple tier, under which current guidance states that cross-country is the only fall sport within the CIF Southern Section that can compete.
Bill Sumner, the longtime cross-country and track and field coach at CdM, enjoyed a makeshift ribbon-cutting ceremony for the track and welcomed his athletes to the field for the first time on Monday.
“We had a battle because what happened was the kids were happy to be out there, but then they were miserable,” Sumner said, referring to less than ideal wind conditions. “We had a 40-to 50-mile-an-hour wind, and the temperature was in the low 50s, so that made it a bad day for a good experience.”
Sumner praised the finished product as “good, quality work.”
“It’s been a long time coming,” District Board President Karen Yelsey said. “Much of the credit for the vision of making this CdM track and field a reality goes out to Coach Bill Sumner, who led the initial charge and never gave up. The entire board is thrilled to hear how excited all our student-athletes are to now call this their home.”
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“Trump lied, people died.” This was the hot smear from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer after the first snippets of tape were leaked by Washington Post bigfoot Bob Woodward from his new anti-Trump book, Rage. The president told Woodward back in February that he wanted to downplay the coronavirus, so people wouldn’t panic, even though he said he’d been told it was an airborne threat.
Predictably echoing Schumer, MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough dug into the mud bucket: “Donald Trump says he didn’t want Americans to panic. No, he just wanted to sit by and watch them die.” Insert the MSNBC pandemic slogan: "This is who we are. We are in this together."
Let’s put aside the nagging question of why Republican presidents grant interviews to this liberal Watergate war horse. Let’s focus instead on the nastiness of blaming hundreds of thousands of deaths on the president. Imagine, for a minute, that President Hillary Clinton was in power when the coronavirus arrived from China. Would the press place a single death at the White House door?
That’s a rhetorical question.
Grant the liberals a few points and assume the death toll was only, say 150,000 at this moment. Consult the coverage of Jimmy Carter during the hostage crisis. The reporters would show Hillary valiantly working 16-hour days, consulting endlessly with scientists, and they would tenderly feel the pain of her sleepless dedication to saving lives.
Any Republican who would try to blame Hillary for a single American dying from this persistently infectious disease would face the wrath of “Pants on Fire” and “Four Pinocchios” ratings from the “independent fact checkers” for stating “without evidence” that the White House failed to combat the pandemic.
Look no further than the Obama-Biden handling of the H1N1 swine flu in 2009. The network news couldn’t even say the word “Obama” when Obama bumbled with a vaccine that October. CBS anchor Harry Smith said “Now to the H1N1 flu. Federal health officials admitted today their projected timetable for producing the vaccine was way off.” ABC’s Charles Gibson reported “The government originally predicted 40 million doses of vaccine would be available by the end of October, now says there will only about 28 million.”
When Democrats mess up, it's "federal health officials" and "the government" that get blamed. The Centers for Disease Control estimated there were 12,469 American deaths from H1N1 under Obama. Scarborough and the rest of the media were too bored to say much.
This happened all through the Obama years. In 2014, a scandal erupted when hundreds of veterans died waiting in line for treatment at Veterans Administration hospitals. When this socialized-medicine debacle was at its hottest in May, ABC's Jon Karl didn't hold Obama accountable. He told viewers "President Obama promised accountability after meeting with [VA head Eric] Shinseki last week." NBC said "Kristen Welker reports the President considers Secretary Shinseki to be on probation."
In June, NBC anchorman Brian Williams interviewed Obama in France on the 70th anniversary of D-Day....and never asked about the VA scandal. He did end the interview, however, by pushing an old Obama myth that his grandpa Stanley Dunham "fought in Patton's Third Army."
Two months later, the same song from NBC's Lester Holt: "For his part, President Obama addressed the scandal again today. In a speech to the national convention of the American Legion, he promised a new culture of accountability."
These networks aren't part of a "culture of accountability." They smear Republicans, and absolve Democrats. That's how they see their job. President Hillary would have expected their servility....and they would have delivered.


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Accra International Book Festival’s First Book Award celebrates new writers whose work is invaluable to the literary market.
Every debut novelist in Ghana and elsewhere has the opportunity to be included in the award. This is where the future literary legend is discovered. There is no entry fee for this award.
Download this form: 2018 AIBF First Book Award
Deadline: August 10, 2018
Entries should be mailed to:
Accra International Book Festival
C/o Box DC 878, Dansoman – Accra
Phone: +233(0) 277293124/050 726 0414


text:
11-17-09. Homey, but good. I usually don't try recipes with cream of ANYTHING soup in it because I don't want my food tasting like it came from a can. This recipe is an exception. I couldn't detect the canned soup flavor at all. It's a good way to use up leftover ham & a couple potatoes. I mostly halved it using: 2 Idaho potatoes (cubed & boiled till just tender), 1/2c fatfree (with all the fat in the butter & cheese, it didn't separate) sour cream, 3T melted butter, all the soup, 1c cheese, 1/4t onion powder, 2c ham & not much crumbs & 1T melted butter. I think if I used even half listed, it would be too much. It is a dressed up sidedish, but it gets you out of making something new for a night! 8-7-11. Boy, 14, had two servings. VERY unusual. I must have used more than two potatoes the first time. Too much sauce this time, which I faked using chicken broth, a little milk & cornstarch. Two parts breadcrumbs, one part parmesan cheese, one part melted margarine on top.
11.12.03 ... https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/33129/corned-beef-hash/ ... I'll get less corned beef next time. For hash, though, it was good. Use less potatoes or it will never go away. Ha.
I wanted to love this recipe. Afterall, fairygodmother rice is a great name. Unfortunately, it's onion-flavored rice with crispy noodles. I halved the butter & soup mix; & used instant brown rice. It was okay the first night. The rest was put into soups.
3.28.11 ... https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/32385/best-lemonade-ever/ ... Really good. I doubled the recipe & used 3 cups sugar & it was just right. Two & a half was too little. 'Served it at a summer birthday party & got raves from kids & adults. Note4Me: April2012: Tried w 3c sugar& the 2c water it's dissolved in. Divided that in 2 jars = simple syrup. To each simple syrup jar: Add 1 2/3 c lemon juice & 7c water. Better, but may need more water still. May 2012 Think to each jar of simple syrup, adding 1 2/3c lemon juice & 8 - 9 cups water is "right". I'm adding 9 & it may be a little too "light". Try 8 next time.
As the other reviewers said, only butter edges & none in the middle. I served them at kid's summer birthday party. Great for speed, but a little too crouton-like for my taste. Some were more than just crispy. Those babies were hard. I did them 4-5 on each side at 400.
A dish I'd order at a restaurant & finish, but wouldn't order again.
Good way - relatively - to use leftover fish. I had leftover red snapper. I didn't add the butter, but instead added about 1 tsp horseradish, 1 Tbsp parmesan cheese, & fish stock to moisten. I subbed wheat bread crumbs instead of cracker crumbs, too. I also made patties instead of a loaf. No, I'm not very good at following a recipe. ;D 'Cooked them about five minutes each side. Be sure to make some cocktail sauce to go with them.
Only okay. I used half to one teaspoon lemon pepper & that was plenty. More wouldn't have improved the taste.
11.13.03 ... https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/20119/pumpkin-bars-iv/ ... To reduce oil, I subbed 3/4c oil & 1/4c water. To reduce sugar, 1 3/4c sugar & 1/4c applesauce. I also didn't add the ginger & reduced the nutmeg to 1/4tsp. I wanted pumpkin bars, not gingerbread-tasting pumpkin. It was very good, but takes longer to bake. I'll try a larger pan next time or maybe I'll skip the water. I added half cup raisins, too. It was a good idea.
11.13.02 ... https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/12209/pumpkin-crisp/ ... I messed up the cake mix part, my family loved it. Use less butter in the crust for sure. Nutmeg goes a long way so I reduced it to 1/4t. I didn't have evaporated milk so I subbed 3T melted butter & enough whole milk to equal 2/3c. I'll try it again without talking. That should help. Ha.

domain: food


text:
gry dziewczyn i gry dla dziewczyn
Najlepsze gry o dziewczynach na dziewczynygames.com, gry o przebieraniu, gry o urodzie, gry o dekorowaniu, gry o gotowaniu, itd.
Play as a pair cats as you dive in the ocean, catch as many fishes as you can while avoiding dangerous ones in this fun fishing game!
Language: english, español
Rating: 4 out of 5
Keywords: fun online game,fishing
Sticky fingers and gelatin desserts! Jelly Slice is a unique brain and puzzle game in which you use your fingers to slice the jelly and collect the stars. There is only one rule: Slice the jelly so that each slice contains only one star. Sounds simple? You will need a good dose of creativity and skill as you progress. Do you think you can get a perfect score for every level by collecting all the stars? Find out now. This free version of Jelly Slice will take you through 3 jelly packs for a total of 60 sticky levels filled with challenge and fun. Get ready for some slicing action!
Puzzle Games, Skill
Candy Rain 4
The Sweetest Candy Puzzle Game Ever: Candy Rain 4. Enjoy the best candy match and candy crush puzzle! Match three or more candies to have magical combos and to advance in the hundreds of levels! Be careful, It is not that easy to match,collect and crush candies while your moves are limited! Do not worry, your skills along with sweet and colorful boosters like swap,candy crusher will help you in the way! No more crushing same old candies, breaking diamonds, crunching cookies or farming! It is time for a brand-new candy themed puzzle with amazing combos, levels full of surprise gifts and exciting social leaderboard to compete with your friends and competitors! Get ready for the cutest rain of all time! Time for brand new Candy Rain 4!
Puzzle Games, Games for Girls
In this free online game everything revolves around juicy berries and how to collect them. Following the much-loved match3 gameplay you have to look for at least three berries of the same color lying next to each other and tap on them to harvest the berries. To collect even more berries in one move you should try to get those berries with a bonus modifier. With every berry you collect, you do not only come closer to solving a level, but you also earn a tiny little bit of mighty boosters. These boosters can save your day if you run in trouble getting a level done by adding extra moves or collecting all berries from one color.
Puzzle Games, Board Games

domain: game


Microsoft has enlisted Sam Altman, the former CEO of OpenAI, to spearhead a new advanced artificial intelligence (AI) research team.
This strategic move follows Altman’s departure from OpenAI, where more than 500 employees had expressed their intention to resign and potentially join him at Microsoft if he was not reinstated.
Given Microsoft’s status as OpenAI’s largest shareholder with a substantial $13 billion investment, the company has warmly welcomed Altman and Greg Brockman, OpenAI’s former President and Board Chair, to lead the newly formed AI research team.
Expressing enthusiasm about this development, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella highlighted the commitment to providing the necessary resources for the success of the team. Following the announcement, Microsoft’s shares experienced a 1.5% increase.


text:
Tri-Ball Pro Volleyball Set
The Tri-Ball Professional Volleyball Set from Park and Sun Sports was specifically designed for competitive use and adds to the fun by letting you play 3-way volleyball to add strategy and fun to the game. This volleyball kit has everything you need and comes with a heavy-duty equipment bag to carry it all. The net system allows more players on the court and adds a twist to the standard game of volleyball.
- 1-3/4" Telescopic, aluminum poles (2 pc.)
- Offers 3 height adjustments for men, women and coed play
- 3' x 32' 3-way, multi-color sleeve volleyball net (pre-attached)
- 1/4" Guyline sets with tension rings -10" Steel ground stakes (6)
- 1/4" Pre-measured boundary with handwinder -EB-1000 carrying bag with full zipper
- Complete rules and playing instructions included.

domain: sports


Rapid Wear - Butter Comfort Biker Shorts (pink)
Material: 87% Nylon & 13% Spandex
Care instructions: Not suitable for dryer, machine wash at 40 ° C, do not iron, gentle wash
✓ Super soft
✓ Squat safe
✓ Can be adjusted in length
Butter Comfort Biker Shorts are the perfect shorts for your collection. Like their name, their best feature is their soft buttery material. One can say the most comfortable material for training ever used! These shorts sit at a high waist and can be worn longer (just above the knee) or pulled shorter. They do not have a center seam in front, so there is no need to be afraid of cameltoe !; they are created for comfort and are extremely portable!


Mike Melvill flew SpaceShipOne into space and history on this date in 2004. Melvill piloted the small space plane to an altitude of 100.124 km (62.2 miles) on a flight lasting 24 minutes and 5 seconds. Melvill was the first pilot to fly a privately-built aircraft into space. Thousands gathered at the Mojave Air and Space Port to watch this historic flight. After the flight, Melvill climbed aboard his craft and held up a sign that read, “SpaceShipOne, Government Zero.”
It was the fourth powered flight for the Scaled Composites vehicle, which was funded by billionaire Paul Allen. The space plane would fly two more times, in September and October 2004, to capture the $10 million Ansari X Prize. SpaceShipOne was then retired and shipped to the National Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
Sir Richard Branson and his company, Virgin Galactic, subsequently licensed the technology and hired Scaled Composites to develop a pair of successor vehicles, SpaceShipTwo and its WhitKnightTwo carrier aircraft. Development and testing is ongoing in Mojave.


text:
Old vs new Croplands Pinto 3000 sprayer
The new Croplands Pinto 3000 boom sprayer builds on the strengths of earlier versions. Tom Dickson checks out the new features and draws on his own experience with a 2008 model
Pinpointing the most important piece of equipment to own on a farm – other than a tractor, of course – is a difficult task, because everyone you ask will have a different opinion depending on the type of property they operate.
My response is, and always will be, a boom spray. It doesn’t matter if it’s trailing, linkage or even self-propelled. If you have one, controlling weeds and pests in a quick and effective manner will boost production enormously. If you don’t, then waiting days or even weeks for a contractor to arrive can often result in serious losses. The spray unit can also be a useful tool in the application of liquid fertilisers.
THEN VS NOW
Eight years ago I bought a brand-new Croplands Pinto 3000 boom sprayer from my local Croplands dealer, Windmill Ag (it has since been taken over by John Deere dealer Cervus Equipment) in Hamilton, Victoria. It was destined for use on our 607-hectare (1500-acre) sheep and cattle property for weed and pest management, plus I wanted to explore the benefits of applying liquid fertiliser. I had come to the decision that the Pinto 3000 was the right unit for me after searching around a bit and looking at units from the four or five major brands. It held 3000 litres, had a chemical induction hopper and probe, bottom and top filling options, and four points of filtration. The boom rode on air bag suspension – which has since been upgraded to hydraulic suspension on the new units. It was equipped with hydraulic lift and fold and was plumbed for sectional shut-off.
I optioned up to the MT3405 auto-rate controller to maintain precise application rates regardless of speed.
All the features that made my earlier-model Pinto 3000 a great sprayer are included on the newest version, along with a few extra modifications, making it one of the best spray units on the market for farmers and small-to-medium contractors.
The Pinto 3000 has a height-adjustable hitch so it can be set-up to sit perfectly level on any tractor. For the record, my 90hp
John Deere 6220 pulled it easily. The tractor requires two sets of remotes, a PTO and a power source to operate the electrics.
The pump on the new version of the Pinto 3000 is still the same as I had on mine. It’s an A&R positive displacement, oil-bath diaphragm pump with chemical-resistant diaphragms.
The AR160 delivers 160L/min with a maximum pressure of 2000kPa (284psi). A Series 4 PTO drive is standard.
Checking the glass oil reservoir and running some fresh water through the pump at the end of each use will ensure you get years of trouble-free operation out of it. Filtration An 18-mesh basket filter prevents larger contaminants getting into the tank when filling through the top, but in all honesty I very rarely used it. I always thought that climbing onto a spray rig covered in chemicals was not the smartest thing to do, so the only time I journeyed up the side to open the top lid was to see if the tank had been properly rinsed out. I always filled the tank through the bottom fill point and mixed the chemical in through the induction hopper.
A 50-mesh suction filter, 80-mesh pressure line filter and 100-mesh nozzle filter collect the majority of the smaller contaminants in the water to prevent nozzle blockages.
It goes without saying that regular cleaning of all of the filters is highly recommended. Tank
Back when I made my purchase, there were two tank sizes available: either 2000 or 3000 litres. Today, the two options in the Pinto range are 3000 or 4000 litres. I went with the 3000-litre version because I felt 2000 just wasn’t quite enough. The bigger tank allowed me to apply higher volumes per hectare without having to be continually filling up.
Made from polyethylene, the tank has a quick-release hinged lid, filling strainer, top/bottom fill, hydraulic venturi agitation, antivortex suction, tank drain outlet and calibrated volume gauge.
“For the majority of the time, with only a few exceptions, I used to spray at about 15km/h, which equated to about 24 hectares or 60 acres per hour”
The 3000-litre tank was an ideal size because it allowed me to complete a 30-hectare paddock at around 100L/ha, and with one fill.
Contractors are often reluctant to put out high water rates because it slows them down, but it’s a proven fact that many pesticides are only effective when applied with high water rates. Sometimes up to 200L/ha.
When you own a spray unit, you are better placed to get the job done right. Doing it right the first time often eliminates the need for follow-up applications. Chemical handling
All your chemicals, either liquid or powder, can be mixed directly into the tank through an integrated suction probe, or through the optional 60-litre chemical induction hopper. I never actually used the probe, but did use the Induction hopper every time, meaning I never had to scramble up the side of the spray unit with heavy drums to pour in the top.
With a flick of a lever, the hopper comes down to about waist height and chemicals can be easily poured in. With the pump running, the chemical is transported into the tank by opening a tap at the bottom of the hopper. Rinse nozzles clean and flush the remaining chemicals out of the hopper and into the spray tank. Automatic rate control
Having the luxury of the optional automatic rate control unit made the job of spraying an absolute breeze. I could drive to the conditions and, regardless of how much I altered my speed, the MT 3405 ensured the application rate remained exactly what I had set it at.
Most electronic devices can take a bit of getting used to, especially for the more mature farmer, but that is not the case with the MT 3405. Its functions are clearly labelled. Basically, once you set your desired rate, all you have to do is turn it on and drive.
It features two large, easy-to-read liquid crystal displays and a lighted panel for night use.
The right-hand display always shows the application rate and the left-hand display shows data relating to the litres used, the litres applied per minute, the litres remaining in the tank, and the distance travelled.
It also keeps a record of the area covered in acres or hectares, as well as current speed. It has an on/off switch allocated to each boom section and pressure adjustment.
NOT AN OPTION
Some optional extras can be left off to save a few dollars, but I found the double-sided 50-litre foam marker a handy asset on numerous occasions. There were times for various reasons that I lost the use of my GPS mapping device, but the Bestway foam marker allowed me to continue spraying.
And definitely consider adding the polyethylene mudguards and mudflaps. Even in the muddiest conditions in the middle of winter, my Pinto stayed nice and clean. There’s nothing worse than having to scrape off a thick layer of mud to use the functions or do a bit of maintenance. I mentioned before that I optioned up to the MT 3405 control unit and never regretted it.
Other machines on the market have gone with the trend of using plastic panelling to create a shell that fully encloses all the componentry of the spray rig. It looks great but serves no practical purpose. Croplands put no panelling or covers on the Pinto to hide its network of plumbing and wiring. Some might say it looks a bit old school or lacking style, but its nakedness allowed me to be able to see exactly how it worked. Seeing is understanding.
It has long been said that there are two types of agricultural operators: competent ones and steerers. Steerers are fine under normal conditions but are as good as useless when something goes wrong. An experienced operator, on the other hand, knows exactly how the machine works and can get the best out of it and keep it functioning when things invariably go wrong.
To understand how it operates, you first need to be able to see how it operates. This leads me back to why I liked the Pinto’s styling in the first place. It was easy to see if flow was coming from the main tank or rinse tank, and how to divert that flow to the induction hopper for mixing in chemicals.
In fact, if every identifying sticker fell off, which they eventually do, most operators could still work out how to use all the functions. Leaking hoses and connections have nowhere to hide, so they can be spotted and repaired early before they become a serious problem.
Of course, price had to be considered as well. To my delight, after ticking all the boxes of what I was looking for in a sprayer, it came in considerably cheaper than the opposition. I covered about 4000 or 5000 acres every year for five years and never experienced any problems, never had a breakdown, and never once regretted my choice of boom spray.
At the time, I was given the choice of having either tandem Simplicity-style axles with independent suspension and 15-inch Landcruiser-style wheels or large tractor-type 18.4 x 30 single wheels. I went for the latter, believing they would handle uneven ground and wet conditions better than the smaller option, and lift the chassis higher for better ground clearance.
I remember having to slosh through deep mud in a crop sown on raised beds, thinking if not for the larger wheel package, I would have sunk the sprayer up to its belly and probably bogged the tractor as well. The 30-inch wheels are fitted to a heavy-duty axle matched to the sprayer capacity to provide easy towing and a smoother ride. New models have gone a step further with the option of 11.2 x 42 wheels for even higher clearance.
At the time, I opted for a 16m hydraulic lift and fold boom with very effective airbag suspension. It travelled over uneven ground exceptionally well. In fact, the faster I drove, the better it performed.
Like my older version, the new 16m, 18m, 21m and 24m-wide self-levelling hydraulic fold booms are epoxy powder coated to help protect them against corrosion. The air bag suspension has been replaced with hydraulic accumulator boom suspension and, instead of using a single ram for lifting the boom, it has hydraulic parallelogram boom lift.
It’s fitted with adjustable boom breakaways, is divided into three sections for sectional shut-off, and comes fitted with non-drip quick-release nozzle bodies with drift-reducing AirMix air-induction nozzles. Though the air bag system was very effective, this new style takes the performance and ride of the new boom to a whole new level.
My Croplands Pinto 3000 boom sprayer was great to use, but the taps and valves for tank filling, the suction and the chemical induction hopper were not that well placed.
The new unit uses a central control unit where all controls and filters for filling, flushing, chemical induction and hand washing are mounted on a central control panel. Everything is clearly marked for simple and quick operation.
The 200-litre flushing tank on my Pinto always seemed to hold enough fresh water to properly rinse out the tank and boom at the end of the day, but the new one has upsized to a 275-litre flush tank which will allow for a much more thorough rinse.
Unlike the one on mine, which was just a plastic drum strapped to the frame in front of the main tank, this new one is moulded to fit snugly and very unobtrusively into the front of the spray tank.
It also serves as a handy reserve in case you run out of mixture with only a few hectares to go – you can pump the water from the flush tank into the main tank, add a bit more chemical, and finish off the job.
The flushing tank provides better boom hygiene. Rinsing can be done in the field as soon as the job is done.
THE BOTTOM LINE
If you haven’t worked out my opinion yet, I loved the Pinto
3000. So much so that spraying became my favourite job on the farm, because I knew every time I used it I was improving the productivity of the farm and could get the job done on time and without a hitch.
For the majority of the time, with only a few exceptions, I used to spray at about 15km/h, which equated to about 24 hectares or 60 acres per hour.
If I ever go back to farming full-time, the first piece of machinery I buy, after I get a tractor, will definitely be a trailing boom spray, and without a doubt it will be a new Croplands Pinto 3000.
If I may make just one suggestion, I would like to see a hazard light and a couple of rear lights installed, and maybe even a work light over the central control station to help with operation and safety at night and on the road.
Oh, I nearly forgot to mention that I always wished I had added the electric fence line kit. It takes the risk out of damaging the boom on the fence on the first lap.
A few new design features make the Croplands Pinto 3000 boom sprayer an even better setup for medium-sized properties and contractors
3 1: A parallelogram boom lift coupled with hydraulic accumulator boom suspension protects the boom and improves the ride
2: All controls and filters for filling, flushing, chemical induction and hand washing are mounted on a central control panel. Everything is clearly marked for simple and quick operation
3: The Bestway double-sided foam marker is a cheaper alternative to a GPS guidance system or just a handy backup if you lose satellite connection
Based on years of personal experience, when you have your own Pinto in the stable, you can get the job done on time
A large 60-litre Chem-e-flush hopper swings down to waist height for ease of chemical handling
The AR160 PTO-driven diaphragm pump is shown mounted to the heightadjustable drawbar. A swivel eye hitch minimises stress on the drawbar on uneven ground


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- Body: 56% Polyester/ 43% Polyethylene/ 1% Elastane wtih Polyurethane Laminate Skirt: 100% Polyester
- Machine wash cold, gentle cycle / Do not bleach/ Do not use fabric softener / Tumble dry low heat/ Do not iron/ Do not dry clean/ Reposition during drying cycle for even drying/ Always allow for free motion in both washer and dryer
MATTRESS SIZE DIMENSION FITS MATTRESS UP TO Twin 75 x 38" 18" Twin XL 80 x 38" 18" Full 75 x 53" 18" Queen 80 x 60" 18" King 80 x 76" 18" Cal King 84 x 72" 18" Split King (2-piece) 80 x 76" 18" Split Cal King (2-piece) 80 x 76" 18"


A new app that may help diagnose cancer in patients early by using information about symptoms, signs and images of what to look out for has been launched in the UK.
The app developed by the Scottish Centre for Enabling Technologies, based at the University of the West of Scotland, can be continually updated when the user is in a Wi-Fi zone, giving them the latest information as quickly as possible. It can also be used offline.
The app features a quick reference guide for health professionals, including information on symptoms, signs and images of what to look out for, BBC News reported.
“This app, which has been developed in partnership with health professionals and patients, will make it easier and quicker for doctors, pharmacists and senior nurses to access information on referral for those suspected of having cancer,” said Scotland Health Secretary Shona Robison.
“The earlier a cancer is diagnosed and treated, the better the survival outcomes,” said Robison.
“Improving the number of patients diagnosed at an early stage will reduce premature deaths from cancer and have a positive effect on overall life expectancy,” she added.
In February, scientists announced they had designed a set of shape-shifting nanoparticles attached to strands of DNA that can deliver drugs directly to cancer cells, while minimising side effects such as hair loss and skin damage.
Many cancer drugs target fast-growing cells. Injected into a patient, they swirl around in the bloodstream acting on fast-growing cells wherever they find them. That includes tumours, but unfortunately also hair follicles, the lining of your digestive system, and your skin. The research was published in the journals PNAS and Science.


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July Chamber Luncheon catches up with Industry Appreciation Awards
Dr. Ron Newcomb, president Chattahoochee Technical College (CTC) addressed Paulding business leaders last week at the Chamber of Commerce Luncheon, held at the New Season Church in Hiram, which was followed by the presentation of this year’s Industry Appreciation Awards.
Dr. Newcomb along with CTC's Executive Director Missy Cusack provided an update on the school’s growth and the impact that the pandemic has had on the college and its mission.
Newcomb noted that “this too will pass” and stressed that the mission of the college remains unchanged and that that is to prepare students for the workforce.
Newcomb gave a nod last week to Paulding’s legislators for their efforts to limit budget cuts leveled at education at this year’s General Assembly, as well.
CTC is the largest technical college in the state with eight campus locations serving the counties of Bartow, Cherokee, Cobb, Gilmer, Paulding, and Pickens. CTC awards more than 70 certificates, diplomas, and associate degrees in 45 programs of study through traditional classroom courses as well as online training. The economic impact prior to the pandemic on the six-county region has been estimated at $100 million.
CTC’s student population tends to be divided between about a third in health-related fields, another third in core programs and another third in business and tech programs including media production and interior design.
Students have come to the Paulding campus from several neighboring counties for the nursing program and it’s expected that an aviation academy will serve to draw students from all over the state. The academy is to be established at Paulding’s NW Atlanta Airport. Georgia will join Texas, California, and Florida in supplying the growing demand for aviation mechanics as Baby Boomers begin to retire and leave the workforce. CTC also provides the community with other learning opportunities, including customized workforce training, adult literacy, and continuing education programs.
Industry Appreciation Awards
Honorees for 2020 included the Service Industry of the Year Award to E Dennis Air Conditioning and Heating, located in Dallas, the company was established in 1993.
Top Flight Aerostructures was awarded Industry of the Year.
Top Flight, established in 2005, is an aerospace manufacturing and repair company that specializes in the manufacture of aerospace composites and adhesively bonded components of military aircraft structures. Top Flight operates a 40,000 square foot production facility in Dallas.
Industry Appreciation Awards 1. 2020 Service Industry of the Year Award went to E Dennis Air Conditioning and Heating, located in Dallas, and established in 1993. Chamber Chairman Greg Perry (left) and E Dennis team. (Photo: R. Grant)2. Top Flight Aerostructures was awarded Industry of the Year. Chamber Chairman Greg Perry and Top Flight team. (Photo: R. Grant)3. Dr. Ron Newcomb, president Chattahoochee Technical College spoke at the Chamber of Commerce Luncheon, held last week at New Season Church in Hiram. (Photo: R. Grant)


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Ready to Bake
Serve our scones hot and fresh when you want, where you want. Frozen shipped to you.
The ingredients we use are always natural ingredients you would find in your own home.
Small and large packages are available. Order depending on your needs.
Dere Street Irish Raisin Tea Cake
Inspired by our delicious Irish Soda bread, Dere Street’s Golden Irish Raisin Tea Cake is an easy dessert to serve with your St. Patrick’s Day Corned Beef and Cabbage.
It’s also a homey, delicious Irish baking recipe that’s perfect any time of year. This sweeter version is studded throughout with raisins and sprinkled with sugar. It’s delicious on its own or slathered with good Irish butter


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Once upon a time, in the year of our Lord 5th August 2023, in the heart of Takoradi, a group of lecturers from Federal Polytechnic Ilaro together with some lecturers of Takoradi Technical University embarked on an unforgettable journey of learning and exploration.
The stage was set on that sunny morning at 10:15 a.m. right on the campus grounds. There, Ekua Stephens and I elected by our editor joined the group of lecturers.
As the lecturers disembarked from the bus from their hotel, a warm and welcoming atmosphere enveloped us. Curiosity got the best of some of the Ilaro lecturers, and they approached us, quickly striking up engaging conversations.
It didn't take long for these newfound acquaintances to discover that we shared a common interest: a desire to explore the wonders of Kakum National Park.
The decision was made, and the group of lecturers, now united by our shared adventure, prepared to embark on this exciting journey.
Guiding our exploration were Professor Ramos Agyei and his colleague, who graciously took on the role of chaperones, ensuring the safety and organization of the group.
At 11:20 a.m., we set off for the destination, armed with provisions of food and water to sustain us throughout the day. Songs played in the background, bridging the language barrier that existed among the diverse group of travelers.
Laughter and chatter filled the bus as we made our way to Kakum National Park, leaving behind the bustling campus life for a day of natural wonder.
Hours later, at 3:10 p.m. we arrived at our destination, Kakum National Park. Stepping off the bus, we were greeted with pristine natural beauty.
Kakum Park entrance
The park was impeccably clean and well-maintained, a testament to the dedication of the staff who cared for it. The park's staff themselves were a reflection of professionalism, dressed neatly and ready to welcome visitors from far and wide.
The adventure took an unexpected turn when Professor Ramos Agyei approached the receptionist to inquire about the price of the canopy walk, only to discover that it exceeded our budget.
Undeterred, we decided to explore the surrounding area, capturing the beauty of the park through the lens of our cameras.
During our exploration, Ekua and I spoke with - the Rector, Dr. Akinde of Federal Polytechnic Ilaro.
Portia (in red), Dr. Akinde and Ekua Stephens
We seized the opportunity to interview him, and he spoke highly of the deliciousness of Ghanaian cuisine and the warm, friendly nature of Ghanaians, which had left a lasting impression on him.
With our interview completed, we took pictures with Dr. Akinde and captured more memories of the journey.
As the day drew close, we continued our adventure, heading toward Takoradi. Along the way, we made a memorable stop at Hutchland Club on the Beach, indulging in some well-deserved fun before resuming our journey.
Funfare at the Beach
The clock struck 8:30 pm as we arrived in Takoradi, our final destination. It was here that Ekua Stephens and I, our hearts filled with unforgettable memories, bid each other farewell.
As we parted ways, each carried with us a profound appreciation for the beauty of nature and the rich cultural experiences shared with our Nigerian friends.
And so, the journey of learning and exploration came to an end, leaving an indelible mark on our hearts and minds of the wonders of Kakum National Park, transcending borders and languages in our quest for adventure and knowledge.

domain: travel


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Dodge executive announces retirement
By Tim Packman
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (Dec. 18, 2000) Lou Patane, vice president of motorsports operations for Dodge, will retire during the 2001 NASCAR season. An integral member of the Dodge motorsports program has announced his retirement. Lou Patane, vice president of motorsports operations for Dodge, will be leaving his position sometime during the 2001 NASCAR season. He will remain actively involved with the manufacturer's return to NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing until a replacement is named.
He has been the lead man in the DaimlerChrysler-owned company's return to NWCS competition supervising everything from the templates to the motors for the Dodge Intrepid. Prior to his hiring with Dodge in 1994, he operated dealerships in Ariz. and would like to return to his retail roots.
He will remain as a consultant for Dodge and assist its teams as they get ready for next season. Mike Rosen, senior manager, product public relations for Dodge, said that Patane has served the company well, and will continue to do so for awhile.
"A majority of the leadership role from Dodge, as far as setting up the teams and getting approval from NASCAR, is almost over," Rosen said. "Lou will be with the teams in Daytona and through the first months of the season for the last bit of help."
Rosen also said that Patane's move has nothing to do with recent financial losses by Dodge's parent company and that Dodge is not backing off from its financial commitment to the motorsports program. The manufacturer will have five teams, with a total of 10 drivers, competing in its Intrepid.
The move was a voluntary one on Patane's part and he just wanted the employees and NASCAR teams to know what his intentions were well in advance.
"He has expressed a desire to get back into the retail side of the business and wants to open a dealership with his family," Rosen said. "The Charlotte area is the base for motorsports and our focus is there now as well. With Lou moving there to continue working with the teams, he can also get started on his business venture." -nascar.com-


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|Courtesy of my daughter|
It's here, it's here, that spooky time of year!
I love Susanna Hill's Halloweensie contest, and after a long year of playing mom and dad while my husband served overseas, and another move across the ocean, I'm so excited to have something to add.
The rules for this year are: "Write a (children here defined as 12 and under) (title not included in the 100 words), using the words , and ."
And coming in at 100 words (and with the added fun of my daughter's artwork), here's my Halloween poem:
The Were-Cauldron’s Bite
A pinch of shiver, a dash of scream,
one werewolf’s howl, a blood-moon beam.
A hard stir left, a quick swirl right.
The witches mix up this year’s fright.
The cauldron shakes, and sprouts long fangs.
Its feet grow claws. Its rim grows bangs.
Two ears pop out atop its lid,
and listen for that one scared kid …
Who’s clutching candy—all alone—
trembling on his way back home.
It hears him now, that poor, doomed soul,
and lurches from its fiery hole.
The cauldron’s teeth snap through the air.
The candy’s gone! So kids, BE-WERE!


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Things to do in Glasgow
The City of Glasgow
Things to see/do
Glasgow Necropolis & Glasgow Cathedral – free entry to both
Glasgow Mural trail – walking around Glasgow city centre seeing all the street art
Mackintosh Lighthouse (currently closed but may reopen soon) and Mackintosh at the Willow / Tea Rooms – for tea lovers
Pollok Park & the Burrell Collection – Lovely country park located south, ~20 mins train from Central, free entry to both so to walk around and you may spot some Highland cows!
Glasgow Botanical Gardens – free entry and in the West End area
Kelvingrove Museum & Park – free entry and lovely
Restaurants & Cafes
KEMBER & JONES DELI CAFE – Best cinnamon buns ever
Travelling to SSC 23
Venue: Clarice Pears Building, University of Glasgow, 90 Byres Road, Glasgow, G12 8TB
Travel to the venue within Glasgow
Arrival by train: Glasgow has two main national train stations, Glasgow Central and Glasgow Queen Street. From either station we recommend taking the subway from Buchannan Street to Hillhead. Hillhead subway station is 4-minute walk from the Claire Pears building. Alternatively, it is an approximately 45-minute walk or 15-minute taxi journey from either station.
Arrival by air: Glasgow International Airport is an approximately 15-minute taxi ride or 45-minute journey via public transport (500 Airport Express Bus then subway as above) from the Clarice Pears building.
Arrival by car: There is no car parking available within the University campus. The nearest public pay and display carparks are at Lilybank Gardens (6-minute walk) and Bunhouse Road (8-minute walk).


Ghostly pad created by adjusting parameters on a QS6 keyboard stripped from a track in one of my song intros.
Single note sampled from an analog synthesizer by Modular Samples.Modular Samples provides samples of vintage and modern synthesizers for Apple ...
Deep and dark dramatic pad with alot of disonances. Starts low, builds upwards to the dark skies.
A giant robot taking a single step described using various instruments in a crescendo fashion.


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30ml / 600mg CBD – (30 servings per container).
Added to food during mealtime or dropped directly onto pets tongue.
- Small dog / cat – 5mg (5 drops per day)
- Medium dog – 10mg (10 drops per day)
- Large dog – 15mg (15 drops per day)
- Extra large dog – 20mg (20 drops per day)
Helps provide relief for dogs, cats and other mammals from and treat the following:
- Separation issues
- General anxiety and noises
- Sleep issues
- Chronic pain and inflammation
- Treatment for arthritis and dysplasia
- Skin and coat renewal
Please contact us and request one at: [email protected]

domain: medical


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Fralin Museum of Art students adapt to virtual education
As University of Virginia students were sent home due to COVID-19 in March, staff at the Fralin Museum of Art had to get creative to complete a one-semester docent training course preparing students lead tours in the museum.
Le Fralin has arranged for the students to conduct practice tours for each other through Zoom. As the docents grew in confidence, they were eager to try their skills with real students, so the Fralin team organized 30-minute tours with elementary students for the docents to teach. These sessions gave rise to a rich conversation; elementary students were enthusiastic and talkative, and their teachers immediately requested additional programs.
Building on the success of these pilot sessions, Fralin began to offer Focus on art in May to serve families across the region as well as elementary classes at the request of teachers. Initially envisioned as a 30-minute discussion about a work of art, the Fralin team quickly discovered that participants had a strong desire to share their art and make art together. As a result, the staff introduced an artistic creation component to the program. Each week, a discussion of a different work of art was followed by a five-minute demonstration of artistic creation on video. Then the group would spend the rest of their time making art together. The weekly Wednesday morning schedule quickly grew to 60 minutes. As demand from families increased, Fralin was able to offer up to three concurrent sessions using newly trained AVU student-docents to lead the program.
âOur undergraduate docents play a vital role in the educational work of the museum,â said Emily Lazaro, docent coordinator at Fralin. âThis fits with the fact that we would continue to support their professional growth over the summer when so many museum internships have failed due to COVID-19. Our student educators are dynamic animators and they have brought creativity, confidence and dedication to the many challenges of teaching with works of art through Zoom. Between early April and late July, Fralin educators conducted over 30 virtual tours and will continue to offer tours throughout the fall.
Build on what they have learned while riding Focus on art, the Fralin team took over Early visions – their After-school arts mentoring partnership with the Boys and Girls Club – as a weekly virtual program for June and July. As clubs reached out to their youth audience to register participants, Fralin staff reached out to their regular AVU student mentors and assembled packages of art supplies and snacks to send to the children. Staff from both organizations met weekly with club members while AVU student mentors focused across the country.
“Pursue the Early visions Virtually this summer’s program has allowed us to support children’s artistic interests in a meaningful way, âsaid Riley McCall, tour coordinator at Fralin. âClub members were thrilled to receive home art supply deliveries and they continued to work on their projects long after the session ended for the day. They were eager to share with their mentors the following week.
âThis moment of need allowed Fralin’s educational team to grow, to find new ways of working and teaching,â said Matthew McLendon, director of the J. Sanford Miller family. âAs a university museum, it is our responsibility to be as creative and innovative as possible during this pandemic. I’m proud of our team and our students for finding ways to stay relevant and connected to our community.
All current virtual offers can be found on the Fralin from home website page.


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Woo-hoo! It’s the first Things I Love Thursday for 2013! Are you ready to dive in? Great, let’s get to it.
This week I love:
-Ringo’s fascination with the Christmas tree. The little tyke loved napping underneath it and snuggling the presents.
-Skyping with my little cousins on Christmas morning. It was adorable.
– Wearing my Stitch Kigurumi over to Mum and Dad’s place to open Christmas presents.
– Making plans to be baptised this year.
-The fact that our cats loved their Christmas presents this year. We bought them a cat apartment, with several levels for climbing, cubby holes to crawl into and scratching posts. Jelly loved it so much she spent the entire day sleeping on it, surrounded by the new mice she got from my parents.
– My epic Christmas haul. I got some pretty fab presents this year that I needed to share with you guys.
Ross got me an awesome eyeshadow palette with so many delightful colours. I want to use them all at once (but that would look terrible, so I’m sticking to one or two at a time).
He also got me this bottle of Katy Perry perfume. He believed that I would like it solely based on the fact that the bottle is shaped like a kitty. What can I say? The boy knows me well. The perfume itself is lovely too: very fruity.
I also got this Nightmare Before Christmas mug from Ross. It was perfect timing because I broke my favourite Hogwarts mug on Boxing Day. When you pour hot water into the mug, the background changes. It’s way cool.
I was lucky enough to receive two teapots. The big one is from my parents and the little one is from my boss.
These tree ornaments came from Ross’s uncle and his girlfriend.
This gorgeous handbag was a gift from Ross’s sister.
Ross’s uncle also got us this kick-ass Harry Potter lego boardgame. I am really looking forward to playing this one.
And my brother got me this Discworld board game. I had no idea that this even existed until I unwrapped it on Christmas morning.
I was very excited to get this crochet set from my parents. It has such a brilliant range of hooks, and my mind is spinning with ideas for projects now.
My other gifts included a giant bottle of gin, chocolates, a pretty apron, Alice in Wonderland buttons, a jewellery box, an ottoman, Coca Cola lipsmackers, A box set of Jamie Oliver’s cook books, a photography book of dogs underwater and a gigantic stash of yarn from my Nana.
– Wreck it Ralph. Ross and I went to see it on Boxing Day. We picked a session time that coincided with The Hobbit, which was perfect because the cinema was deserted. I adored Wreck it Ralph. I might go out on a limb and say that it’s my favourite Pixar film ever.
What are you loving this week? And what did you get for Christmas? Don’t be shy, leave a comment and tell me all about it.
Eee! Great presents! I love the bag! I have the Katy Perry perfume, I love the container, but luckily it does smell nice!!
I love that perfume! I got it for the exact same reason, haha. Well, that and it’s the only perfume that I found that didn’t make me sneeze. But the bottle always makes me smile ^^
It’s a lovely scent. I’ve worn it practically every day since Christmas. The bottle looks so pretty on my dressing table.
You and I have such similar tastes! Those eyeshadows are beautiful and I love that perfume bottle! For Christmas, Jen’s parents bought us each a month sub for Star Wars: The Old Republic, our new fav game! It’s a SW MMORPG! They also got us each a tablet, which is what I am on right now! I got a leather jewelry box and art stuff, while Jen got a humidor amd cigars for us to share! Plus stuff from our sisters!
Ooooh, what awesome gifts! You’re so lucky.
wreck it ralph- suprisingly not a pixar movie just disney they only realese one pixar movie a year and i think the new one coming out this pear is monsters university a prequel to monsters inc
Oh wow. I guess I was fooled because they showed the short animated film at the beginning (the way they usually do with Pixar movies).
i no! confusing disney dont do this to us at least we will get 2 good animated movies this year!
That’s true. I’m really looking forward to Monsters University.
Ohhh that nightmare before christmas muuuuug ^_^ lovely!!
I know right? I love it.

domain: hobby