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The Book of Wonder, by Lord Dunsany, [1912], at sacred-texts.com

The old man in the Oriental-looking robe was being moved on by the police, and it was this that attracted to him and the parcel under his arm the attention of Mr. Sladden, whose livelihood was earned in the emporium of Messrs. Mergin and Chater, that is to say in their establishment.

Mr. Sladden had the reputation of being the silliest young man in Business; a touch of romance—a mere suggestion of it—would send his eyes gazing away as though the walls of the emporium were of gossamer and London itself a myth, instead of attending to customers.

Merely the fact that the dirty piece of paper that wrapped the old man's parcel was covered with Arabic writing was enough to give Mr. Sladden the ideas of romance, and he followed until the little crowd fell off and the stranger stopped by the kerb and unwrapped his parcel and prepared to sell the thing that was inside it. It was a little window in old wood with small panes set in lead; it was not much more than a foot in breadth and was under two feet long. Mr. Sladden had never before seen a window sold in the street, so he asked the price of it.

"Its price is all you possess," said the old man.

"Where did you get it?" said Mr. Sladden, for it was a strange window.

"I gave all that I possessed for it in the streets of Baghdad."

"Did you possess much?" said Mr. Sladden.

"I had all that I wanted," he said, "except this window."

"It must be a good window," said the young man.

"It is a magical window," said the old one.

"I have only ten shillings on me, but I have fifteen-and-six at home."

The old man thought for a while. "Then twenty-five-and-sixpence is the price of the window," he said.

It was only when the bargain was completed and the ten shillings paid and the strange old man was coming for his fifteen-and-six and to fit the magical window into his only room that it occurred to Mr. Sladden's mind that he did not want a window. And then they were at the door of the house in which he rented a room, and it seemed too late to explain.

The stranger demanded privacy when he fitted up the window, so Mr. Sladden remained outside the door at the top of a little flight of creaky stairs. He heard no sound of hammering.

And presently the strange old man came out with his faded yellow robe and his great beard, and his eyes on far-off places. "It is finished," he said, and he and the young man parted. And whether he remained a spot of colour and an anachronism in London, or whether he ever came again to Baghdad, and what dark hands kept on the circulation of his twenty-five-and-six, Mr. Sladden never knew.

Mr. Sladden entered the bare-boarded room in which he slept and spent all his indoor hours between closing-time and the hour at which Messrs. Mergin and Chater commenced. To the Penates of so dingy a room his neat frock-coat must have been a continual wonder. Mr. Sladden took it off and folded it carefully; and there was the old man's window rather high up in the wall. There had been no window in that wall hitherto, nor any ornament at all but a small cupboard, so when Mr. Sladden had put his frock-coat safely away he glanced through his new window. It was where his cupboard had been in which he kept his tea-things: they were all standing on the table now. When Mr. Sladden glanced through his new window it was late in a summer's evening; the butterflies some while ago would have closed their wings, though the bat would scarcely yet be drifting abroad—but this was in London: the shops were shut and street-lamps not yet lighted.

Mr. Sladden rubbed his eyes, then rubbed the window, and still he saw a sky of blazing blue, and far, far down beneath him, so that no sound came up from it or smoke of chimneys, a mediaeval city set with towers; brown roofs and cobbled streets, and then white walls and buttresses, and beyond them bright green fields and tiny streams. On the towers archers lolled, and along the walls were pikemen, and now and then a wagon went down some old-world street and lumbered through the gateway and out to the country, and now and then a wagon drew up to the city from the mist that was rolling with evening over the fields. Sometimes folks put their heads out of lattice windows, sometimes some idle troubadour seemed to sing, and nobody hurried or troubled about anything. Airy and dizzy though the distance was, for Mr. Sladden seemed higher above the city than any cathedral gargoyle, yet one clear detail he obtained as a clue: the banners floating from every tower over the idle archers had little golden dragons all over a pure white field.

He heard motor-buses roar by his other window, he heard the newsboys howling.

Mr. Sladden grew dreamier than ever after that on the premises, in the establishment of Messrs. Mergin and Chater. But in one matter he was wise and wakeful: he made continuous and careful inquiries about the golden dragons on a white flag, and talked to no one of his wonderful window. He came to know the flags of every king in Europe, he even dabbled in history, he made inquiries at shops that understood heraldry, but nowhere could he learn any trace of little dragons or on a field argent. And when it seemed that for him alone those golden dragons had fluttered he came to love them as an exile in some desert might love the lilies of his home or as a sick man might love swallows when he cannot easily live to another spring.

As soon as Messrs. Mergin and Chater closed, Mr. Sladden used to go back to his dingy room and gaze though the wonderful window until it grew dark in the city and the guard would go with a lantern round the ramparts and the night came up like velvet, full of strange stars. Another clue he tried to obtain one night by jotting down the shapes of the constellations, but this led him no further, for they were unlike any that shone upon either hemisphere.

Each day as soon as he woke he went first to the wonderful window, and there was the city, diminutive in the distance, all shining in the morning, and the golden dragons dancing in the sun, and the archers stretching themselves or swinging their arms on the tops of the windy towers. The window would not open, so that he never heard the songs that the troubadours sang down there beneath the gilded balconies; he did not even hear the belfries' chimes, though he saw the jackdaws routed every hour from their homes. And the first thing that he always did was to cast his eye round all the little towers that rose up from the ramparts to see that the little golden dragons were flying there on their flags. And when he saw them flaunting themselves on white folds from every tower against the marvelous deep blue of the sky he dressed contentedly, and, taking one last look, went off to his work with a glory in his mind. It would have been difficult for the customers of Messrs. Mergin and Chater to guess the precise ambition of Mr. Sladden as he walked before them in his neat frock-coat: it was that he might be a man-at-arms or an archer in order to fight for the little golden dragons that flew on a white flag for an unknown king in an inaccessible city. At first Mr. Sladden used to walk round and round the mean street that he lived in, but he gained no clue from that; and soon he noticed that quite different winds blew below his wonderful window from those that blew on the other side of the house.

In August the evenings began to grow shorter: this was the very remark that the other employees made to him at the emporium, so that he almost feared that they suspected his secret, and he had much less time for the wonderful window, for lights were few down there and they blinked out early.

One morning late in August, just before he went to Business, Mr. Sladden saw a company of pikemen running down the cobbled road towards the gateway of the mediaeval city—Golden Dragon City he used to call it alone in his own mind, but he never spoke of it to anyone. The next thing that he noticed was that the archers were handling round bundles of arrows in addition to the quivers which they wore. Heads were thrust out of windows more than usual, a woman ran out and called some children indoors, a knight rode down the street, and then more pikemen appeared along the walls, and all the jack-daws were in the air. In the street no troubadour sang. Mr. Sladden took one look along the towers to see that the flags were flying, and all the golden dragons were streaming in the wind. Then he had to go to Business. He took a bus back that evening and ran upstairs. Nothing seemed to be happening in Golden Dragon City except a crowd in the cobbled street that led down to the gateway; the archers seemed to be reclining as usual lazily in their towers, and then a white flag went down with all its golden dragons; he did not see at first that all the archers were dead. The crowd was pouring towards him, towards the precipitous wall from which he looked; men with a white flag covered with golden dragons were moving backwards slowly, men with another flag were pressing them, a flag on which there was one huge red bear. Another banner went down upon a tower. Then he saw it all: the golden dragons were being beaten—his little golden dragons. The men of the bear were coming under the window; what ever he threw from that height would fall with terrific force: fire-irons, coal, his clock, whatever he had—he would fight for his little golden dragons yet. A flame broke out from one of the towers and licked the feet of a reclining archer; he did not stir. And now the alien standard was out of sight directly underneath. Mr. Sladden broke the panes of the wonderful window and wrenched away with a poker the lead that held them. Just as the glass broke he saw a banner covered with golden dragons fluttering still, and then as he drew back to hurl the poker there came to him the scent of mysterious spices, and there was nothing there, not even the daylight, for behind the fragments of the wonderful window was nothing but that small cupboard in which he kept his tea-things.

And though Mr. Sladden is older now and knows more of the world, and even has a Business of his own, he has never been able to buy such another window, and has not ever since, either from books or men, heard any rumour at all of Golden Dragon City.

Next: Epilogue


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Sacred Texts  Sagas & Legends  England  Index  Previous  Next

The unsuspecting City man who, on the point of commencing his day's work at 10 a.m. on any April 1st, receives a 'phone message from a friend desiring an immediate interview on important business, gets out at once for the place of meeting, only to find that the friend knows nothing about it, and has actually had no occasion to use the 'phone at all up to that moment. Then the City man remembers the date, and realises that he has been fooled. It is still early, just 10:30 a.m., and he begins to take his revenge on other friends, until things may be said to "hum." But whilst the fun is fast and furious, very few of these practical jokers can say how the custom of fooling on this day arose; and if one turns to his handy Encyclopaedia for information, he will read that "it is of unknown antiquity."

As might be expected, some writers attempt to trace the origin to a Nature feast--that of the Vernal Equinox--and through Nature to a starting point in Christian history. Maurice, in his Indian Antiquities (vol VI., p. 71) speaks of the first of April as the ancient feast of the Vernal Equinox, equally observed in India and Britain. He goes on to say that the date was held as a high and general festival, "in which an unbounded hilarity reigned through every order of its inhabitants; for the sun at that period of the year, entering into the sign Aries, the New Year, and with it the season of rural sports and vernal delight, was then supposed to have commenced. The proof of the great antiquity of the observance of this annual festival, as well as the probability of its original establishment in an Asiatic region, arises from the evidence of facts afforded us by astronomy. Although the reformation of the year by the Julian and Gregorian Calendars, and the adaptation of the period of its commencement to a different and far nobler system of theology, have occasioned the festival sports, anciently celebrated in this country on the first of April, to have long since ceased; and although the changes occasioned, during a long lapse of years, by the shifting of the Equinoctional points, have in Asia itself been productive of important astronomical alterations, as to exact aera of the commencement of the year; yet, on both Continents, some very remarkable traits of the jocundity which then reigned, remain even to these distant times. Of those preserved in Britain, none of the least remarkable or ludicrous is that relic of its pristine pleasantry, the general practice of making April-Fools, as it is called, on the first day of that month; but this, Colonel Pearce (Asiastic Researches, vol. 11., p. 334) proves to have been an immemorial custom among the Hindoos, at a celebrated festival holden about the same period in India, which is called the Huli Festival. 'During the Huli, when mirth and festivity reign among the Hindoos of every class, one subject of diversion is to send people on errands and expeditions that are to end in disappointment, and raise a laugh at the expense of the person sent. The Huli is always in March, and the last day is the general holiday. I have never yet heard any account of the origin of this English custom; but it is unquestionably very ancient, and is still kept up even in great towns, though less in them than in the country. With us, it is chiefly confined to the lower class of people; but in India high and low join in it; and the late Suraja Doulah, I am told, was very fond of making Huli Fools, though he was a Mussulman of the highest rank. They carry the joke here so far as to send letters making appointments, in the names of persons who it is known must be absent from their houses at the time fixed upon; and the laugh is always in proportion to the trouble given.' The least inquiry into the ancient customs of Persia, or the minutest acquaintance with the general astronomical mythology of Asia, would have told Colonel Pearce that the boundless hilarity and jocund sports prevalent on the first day of April in England, and during the Huli Festival of India, have their origin in the ancient practice of celebrating with festival rites the period of the Vernal Equinox, or the day when the new year of Persia anciently began."

Thus it would appear that All Fools' Day is not a British or even a continental monopoly, for the French "Poisson d'Avril" owes its existence to the same cause as our own. But why "All" Fools' Day? "All" is said by some authorities to be a corruption of "auld," i.e. old, mention being found in the Romish calendar of a "Feast of Old Fools." (Auldborough, in Yorkshire, now Aldborough, is always pronounced Allborough.) But this feast was held on January 1st, and although removals of feasts were not unknown in the crowded state of the Roman calendar, the theory that the ancient Druids were the old fools, whom the new Christians taunted and set apart for a day of "mafficking," is hardly tenable. The Christian interpretation is given by Bellingen in his Etymology of French Proverbs. The word "poisson" in the phrase "poisson d'Avril" is his starting point.

"Poisson," he contends, is corrupted through the ignorance of the people from "Passion"--and length of time has almost totally defaced the original intention, which was as follows: that as the Passion of our Saviour took place about this time of the year, and as the Jews sent Christ backwards and forwards to mock and torment him, i.e. from Annas to Caiaphas, from Caiaphas to Pilate, from Pilate to Herod, and from Herod back again to Pilate, this ridiculous or rather impious custom took its rise from thence, by which we send about from one place to another such persons as we think proper objects of our ridicule.

This is rather too ingenious to be convincing. The most natural suggestion was made by Dr. Pegge, Rector of Whittington, in The Gentleman's Magazine for April, 1766. After discussing the theories previously outlined, he says:--"Now, thirdly, to account for it; the name undoubtedly arose from the custom, and this, I think, arose from hence: our year formerly began, as to some purposes and in some respects, on the 25th of March, which was supposed to be the Incarnation of our Lord; and it is certain that the commencement of the new year, at whatever time that was supposed to be, was always esteemed an high festival, and that both amongst the antient Romans and with us. Now great festivals were usually attended with an Octave (see Gentleman's Magazine, 1762, p. 568), that is, they were wont to continue eight days, whereof the first and last were the principal; and you will find the 1st of April is the octave of the 25th of March, and the close or ending, consequently, of that feast, which was both the Festival of the Annunciation and of the New Year. From hence, as I take it, it became a day of extraordinary mirth and festivity, especially amongst the lower sorts, who are apt to pervert and make a bad use of institutions which at first might be very laudable in themselves."

Next: (20) Lichfield Greenhill Bower

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Welcome to Safari Septic and Home Services, LLC

Your Septic System Service

Welcome to our website! Safari Septic and Home Services, LLC is a septic system service provider, serving Orlando, FL and the surrounding area. We provide all kinds of septic and home services for the community in the region. Our company was established in 2008, and since then we have built ourselves a name that means reliability and professionalism. We are a team of reputable septic systems installers, and are fully licensed and insured.

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Our team consists of trained, seasoned professionals who have many years of experience in the trade. Their skills and expertise are unmatched by any other local company. By using our services, you can rest assured that we will provide you with results of the highest quality.

We are happy to inform you, that Safari Septic and Home Services, LLC offers competitive, affordable prices for all of our services. We believe that everyone should be able to afford professional services for their home. Our company also offers special discounts for our customers – give us a call and ask for more information. Specials are also available – on a case-by-case basis.

If you need a reliable septic system service, site preparation work or home services in Orlando, FL, do not hesitate and contact us. We, at Safari Septic and Home Services, LLC, are renowned in the area for our wide range of services, workmanship, affordable prices, and quality results. With us, you can rest assured that the job will be done right!

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We farm, harvest and pack our own product, directly accessing markets though our own seamlessly efficient value chain.

We farm, harvest and export quality table grape and citrus product, grown from the latest cultivars, throughout South Africa.

Read all about the latest news from SAFE and find out about what's happening in the industry, globally here.

At SAFE we strive to achieve and surpass global standards in the treatment of all our staff from seasonal harvesting crews to full time employees. It's not about certification but how we engage in business, with our staff and with our clients.


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Curtis J. HongSafe Drivers Hawaii is a Big Island owned and operated Highway Safety Education Company. We offer HDOT approved and certified Teen Driver Education classes, Private Adult Driving Lessons, and Highway Safety Programs for the experienced driver (Defensive Driving and Driver Improvement).

Safe Drivers Hawaii was created with the desire to promote and teach highway safety.  My name is Curt Hong and I am the owner / instructor at Safe Drivers Hawaii.  I am certified by the Hawaii Department of Transportation (DEI Lic. #0243).  I also hold an instructors certificate in Child Passenger Safety from Safe Kids Worldwide.  I am a member of the American Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association and the National Safety Council.

My passion is teaching highway safety and our goal at Safe Drivers Hawaii is to make Hawaii’s highways safer for everyone through education.

Curtis J. Hong "Curt"
President/Driver's Education Instructor/
Highway Safety Consultant


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Div. Klassen, Laser, 5.5 - North Sea Regatta - Scheveningen NED

Sunday, May 23, 2010
The North Sea Week at Scheveningen with offshore- and round-the-buoys' races for a number of IRC- and one-design-classes began yesterday in light winds. The Lasers sail their Europa-Cup regatta, the 5.5 m IJ the Dutch Championship, where Christoph Burger SUI and his team are first after 4 races with 3 bullets. 4 of the 10 teams starting are Swiss. The results. In the Lasers, the races of the 4.7 and Standards had to be abandoned shortly after the start. The only races of the Laser Radial groups were won by Yuri Hummel NED and Marit Bouwmeester NED. All other results, the event-website and the video of the day.

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Our Team
    Gary Wilson, Payroll Manager. Lyn Hague, Payroll Assistant. Gary Dickinson, MD.
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    Welcome to Salary Solutions Barnsley, your Payroll Services Company

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Pretrial set for alleged SCH gunman

June 27, 2013
Staff Reports , Salem News

LISBON - A June 27 pretrial was set in Columbiana County Municipal Court for a Salem man who allegedly caused a panic among employees at the Salem Community Hospital by claiming to have a gun.

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Tizen powered Samsung device expected in 2013

Samsung is the biggest backer of the open source Tizen OS and according to Daily Yomiuri, Tizen-powered devices will make its way in next year. While the newspaper didn’t divulge any more details, NTT Docomo is said to be the carrier in Japan who’ll carry Tizen running phone manufactured by Samsung.

The OS that Docomo and its partners are developing is named Tizen. Samsung will probably begin selling the smartphones next year and they are likely to be released in Japan and other countries at around the same time, according to sources.

Mobile World Congress (MWC) is a mobile device centric event and it would be safe to assume we’ll hear more about Tizen at the expo in February.

Samsung along with Intel announced the open source Tizen OS in September 2011.


text:
Woman Sliced With Razor During SF Tenderloin Fight

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – A woman was sliced several times with a razor blade after getting into an argument with another woman in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood on Tuesday night.

The attack was reported at 9:45 p.m. in the first block of Turk Street.

The suspect and victim, both believed to be 19-years-old, got into an argument, and the victim was cut with the razor blade, according to police.

She was taken to San Francisco General Hospital to be treated for a laceration to her chest and is expected to survive.

The suspect ran away after the attack and had not been found as of Wednesday morning. Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to call the Police Department’s anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444 or send a tip by text message to TIP411.

(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

One Comment

  1. tn says:

    “I’m gonna cut you!” said one hoe to the other. I mean, who walks around Turk St. at night carrying a razor with them? And who argues with another stranger to the point of physical aggression? My guess is it either has to to with a pimp, boyfriend, drugs or money. Stereo-type? Yes, but I bet I’ll be right more times than wrong.

  2. SFaThirdWorldCity says:

    Which part is actually the news??? I thought the news reported things of interest. SF, fight, homeless, gangs, shootings, stabbings, drive-by, drugs, mafia, killings, robbery, all part of everyday life in SF… what a pie hole.

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NASA's Kepler Mission Finds New World In Habitable Zone 1,400 Light Years AwayNASA's Kepler Mission may have found our cousin with the confirmation of the first Earth-size planet in the "habitable zone" around a sun-like star.
Do Life-Erasing Stellar Gamma Ray Bursts Mean We're Alone In Our Corner Of The Cosmos?An astronomer considers a recent report that indicates advanced life may be routinely destroyed by frequent high-radiation blasts from nearby stars and makes a case that we should still keep searching the sky for signs of intelligence.
Mono Lake Microbe Raises Likelihood Of Alien LifeThe Mono Lake discovery of a strange bacteria that can use arsenic as one of its nutrients widens the scope for finding new forms of life on Earth and possibly beyond.

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Families Of 5 San Francisco Men Who Mysteriously Disappeared Seek AnswersHow can you just disappear without a trace? It's a mystery, but it's been happening with increasing frequency in San Francisco. That has the families of some of the missing wondering about foul play.
Brazilian Man Visiting San Francisco Remains Missing After 1 WeekA student from Brazil visiting San Francisco is missing more than a week after he called his family with a disturbing message. Meanwhile, his family has arrived in the Bay Area to help find him.

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Tybee Island sand dune goes missing

More than three months ago someone shoveled a sizable chunk out of a sand dune in front of the Ocean Plaza Hotel on Tybee Island. It was no small effort.

“It was 30 feet wide by 20 feet with a height of 4-5 feet,” said Spud Woodward, director of the Coastal Resources Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. “It was just like they took a bulldozer and took a chunk out. You could see shovel marks.”

Law enforcement officials from CRD, along with colleagues from the Wildlife Resources Division, continue to investigate what Woodward called the “egregious” offense.

“Somebody went out and consciously moved a large section of a fully developed dune,” Woodward said. “Since that time we’ve had parallel civil and criminal investigations going. We hope to bring the matter to a conclusion some time in the near future.”

The actions were a breach of Georgia’s Shore Protection Act, which prohibits disturbance of sand dunes without a permit and allows for a fine of up to $10,000 a day for violators.

“Fines for us are a starting point to start the discussion,” Woodward said. “When we identify the party we think is responsible we will call them into the office and have a notice of violation conference. That starts the process of us working toward a resolution.”

Such resolutions typically consist of a combination of repayment of the cost of restoration plus a fine.

“Criminal penalties come to bear if it’s an extraordinarily severe situation,” Woodward said. “If it involved multiple parties, it could be conspiracy or something of that nature.”

Criminal charges would have to be brought through the district attorney’s office. A prison sentence is unlikely, Woodward said. There is also a possible, though not likely, federal component to the violation because the dunes could serve as habitat for endangered species such as nesting loggerhead sea turtles and piping plovers, a small shorebird.

Tybee City Manager Diane Schleicher said the city has erected a sand fence to keep the sand from slumping into the adjacent parking lot.

Buck Bennett, compliance and enforcement manager for CRD, said the dune is recovering.

“The dune is coming back,” he said. “It looks like we’ll have to move the sand fencing to another area, though. It’s doing a very good job but it’s 10 feet short of where it needs to be.”

Bennett was reluctant to discuss the ongoing investigation, but emphasized CRD is concerned with thoroughness.

“We want to make sure it sticks,” he said. “This is significant. If somebody else wants do something similar we want the proper case law to make it stick.”


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Homemade Laundry Soap

DIY Laundry Soap

There are many recipes for homemade laundry soap online. Some help you make a “liquid” type that you cook and others are in the powder form. I used to be very hesitant to make my own things like household cleanings. Call it laziness, because I now realize it was. I used to make all sorts of excuses: “I don’t have the time”, “It couldn’t possibly clean as well as store bought”, “It is not cheaper at all!”and even (shamefully) ” I am not some do gooder environmentalist hippie!”

Then my friend over at SimplyShan told me to just try making homemade laundry soap. I agreed to give it a go.

I have been making my own cleaning supplies such as degreasing wipes, for a little over a year now and I am very impressed with how well they clean as well as well as how much cheaper they are!

homemade laundry soap

To demonstrate how much cheaper homemade laundry soap is, let me show you my calculations.

An average box of 100 loads of laundry soap (powder form) is $18.00. This makes each load 18 cents.

To make my own 100 load  (or more!) detergent its costs:

$3.24 Washing Soda

$3.84 Borax

$0.97 Fels-Naptha soap

$1.19 Ivory soap (3 bars)

I used one bar of Ivory, One bar of Fels-Naptha, less than 1/3 of the Washing Soda and less than 1/3 of the Borax I bought so that means:

$0.74 for Washing Soda

$0.95  for Borax

$0.97 Fels-Naptha soap

$0.40 for one bar of Ivory

The total for that is $4.90 = about 3 cents a load. I will probably get more than 100 loads out of the amount I made as well, making it even cheaper.

How well does it clean?

I was seriously worried it wouldn’t. I was blown away by not only the cleaning power, but also how fresh my clothes smelled. The cool part is, it can be used in HE washers since it is so low sud. Don’t let the low suds fool you. It is the ingredients that clean, not the bubbles, as fun as they are!

I suppose you are ready for me to tell you how to make this wonderful concoction since I have you convinced to give it a try, huh? Well here you go!

To make homemade laundry soap, You will need:

2 cups washing soda

2 cups borax

1 bar fels-naptha (can be bought in the detergent aile)

1 bar ivory soap

Start by using a fine cheese grater to grate the bars of soap.

Add them slowly to a blender or food processor and grind into a finer powder. It should look like this before you put it in the blender:

Add the soap to a bowl and add your washing soda and borax. Mix well.

Store in an airtight container.

Use 1 Tablespoon for regular loads a 2 tablespoons for heavily soiled loads. Remember, since you are making this yourself, you may find you need more or less of an ingredient for your water/cleaning jobs. Feel free to play around with the recipe!

Are you going to give this a try or do you already make your own cleaning supplies? I would love to hear about it!

About Christine

Christine is a 30-something married mother of a teen daughter and a teen stepdaughter. A Montana native, living in Washington state, she enjoys the outdoors, hiking and camping, reading, and cooking. Her blog, Saved by Grace, was started in 2011 out of boredom and led to a passion for writing and sharing her tips for green living as well as frugal living, recipes, natural living and DIY's. She also blogs with her husband at NorthwestTourist.com

  1. Linda Swap-shopping Bradshaw says:

    I am going to get my supplies this week and give this a try! 😉

  2. great DIY and will save you a lot of money
    aprila recently posted..$20 Paypal Giveaway by Sublime Media ConnectionMy Profile

  3. Off to get the Borax and Ivory now! My friend made this and shared some with me. LOVE it!!!!

  4. Betty Cooksley says:

    Hi there,

    I bought my stuff to make my laundry soap but I didn’t get the Ivory soap. I did get some Oxyclean. Do you use that as well? I am so excited to try this. Also I have an HE Top loading washer and I usually put my powder in on the side. Should I put this in the washer it self. I am so excited to try this. I will run get my Ivoty soap tomorrow..

    Thanks for the nudge to do my own!!!:)

    • Christine says:

      Hi Betty, I honestly have never had an HE washer, so I don’t know if you are supposed to put it in the the top or the machine itself. I would think, since it is just laundry detergent, it should go where you have been putting it? I do not use oxyclean because I have heard you are not supposed to mix it with bleach, so I did not add it to my detergent when I made it. I am so glad you are gonna try this out! I know I have not looked back since I started making my own!

  5. Sarah W. says:

    I got all my stuff and couldn’t find a recipe that was easy to understand and short…then I found yours! I got it all made up, but didn’t add the Ivory so I hope it works. Thanks!!! Love your website.

  6. Love this simpler one. I made a giant batch using whole box of borax, one box washing soda, one box (3#?)baking soda, one 1 1/2 # container oxyclean, 3 bars Fels Naptha (grated), and a container of Purex Crystals. I store in a bucket bought at hardware store with tight fitting lid. LOVE IT !!!! Later I read that if you microwave Ivory Soap bars briefly (look all bubbly) they will simply disolve in your hands making blending even easier !!

    • Christine says:

      Thanks for the tip about the Ivory Soap, Robin! I am going to make a liquid detergent soon and I would love to hear your thoughts on it when I do 🙂

  7. Have been making my own detergent for over 5 years. My daughter does too. Recently my son bought his own home and asked that I make detergent for him. The quick way to make a batch is a food processor. It takes 5 min and you have a fine powder

    • Christine says:

      Yeah, at the time I made this recipe, I didn’t have a food processor so I had to use a blender, but I agree, a food processor works amazing!

  8. I’m still where you once were, unfortunately, but maybe I will give it a try sometime! If I do, I’m using your recipe. That’s amazing that you only need 1-2 tsp of detergent! Thanks for sharing with the Merry Monday Linky Party!
    Nicole @ Or Whatever You Do recently posted..Roasted Garlic Twisty BreadMy Profile

  9. I really need to try this!
    Winter recently posted..Confessions of a Kitchen Failure by Carrie SeaversMy Profile

  10. I apologize if this has already been answered but, do you just use 2 Tbsp in the big commercial washing machines at the laundry mat? Thanks!

    • Christine says:

      Since most laundry mat washers are more than a single load, I would say use 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp per load it is. If you are using a double loader, use 3 1/2-4 tbsp, a triple load, use 5 1/2 to 6 tbsp and so on. I would lean on the lower side unless the clothes are highly soiled.

  1. […] Homemade Laundry Soap Stain Remover Homemade Detergent Homemade Wrinkle Releaser Homemade Fabric Refreshener Homemade […]

  2. […] Homemade Laundry Soap from Saved by Grace […]

  3. […] can save just by not buying common household cleaners such as laundry soap. Did you know you can make your own for 3 cents a […]

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Friday, July 3, 2009

How Much Is That Mannequin In The Window?

This is the proud new owner of the mannequin that was recently offered for sale down at Disney Property Control. Her name is Manny and I understand she was one of the mannequins that dropped down from the ceiling upside down (with glowing eyes) during the Mannequins Medley/Mannequins Lightshow. Congratulations.....and I hope to see her out clubbing soon!

Brad said...

Go Zulmera!!! give her a good home :-)

Eric said...

How much did it end up going for?

KingBob said...

I believe she sold $275. Batteries not included.


text:
USSF Division 2

Struggling Galaxy eliminated from Champions League

A day after two MLS teams qualified for the CONCACAF Champions League group stage, the top team in MLS failed to join them.

The Puerto Rico Islanders made their 4-1 first-leg lead stand up on Wednesday as their tough defense held the Los Angeles Galaxy to a 2-1 victory in Bayamon. The victory wasn't enough to keep the Galaxy from being eliminated.

Goals by Sean Franklin in the 84th minute and an own goal off Islanders defender Marco Valez were not enough for the club to make up for a 4-1 defeat last week at the Home Depot Center.

Throughout the match, the Galaxy proved unable to create a stable attack going forward against a well-organized Islanders defense. Los Angeles controlled possession, but couldn't finish enough of its chances, with Puerto Rico's goalkeeper Bill Gaudette making several key saves for the Islanders.

Puerto Rico put the Galaxy behind early after Edson Buddle was called for a penalty after getting tangled up with defender Marco Velez in the box in the 37th Minute. Forward David Foley converted the penalty for Puerto Rico.

Galaxy defender Sean Franklin found the net late in the match, but the goal was little consolation for a Los Angeles side that had been expected to make a strong run in the CONCACAF Champions League.

Los Angeles will return to Southern California for their friendly against Real Madrid on Saturday at the Rose Bowl looking to bounce back from its recent slide. The Islanders now advance to the group stages of the Champions League for the third straight tournament. The Division 2 side will enter into Group D with Mexican club Toluca, C.D. Olimpia from Honduras and the winner of CD F.A.S. and Club Xelaju MC.

  • isthatagoal

    so is it still that much of a shocker that tfc lost 1-0 on aggregate last year?

  • the mart

    puerto ricos goalie is an embarrassment to concacaf. the ref was garbage, la was spared a red. i guess i got ahead of myself when i was thinking about beckham and donovan selling out at toluca and guatemala.

  • DadRyan

    Gaudette is infuriating to a team losing on aggregate. If you had watched any CCL for the last three years you’d know he’s perfected milking the clock. It sucks to be on the losing end of that equation, but after all I’ve seen of the guy I’d take him over Troy Perkins any day of the week. Athletic, AND smart.

    For some reason, I can accept a keeper slowing down a game far more than diving. Although I’d say Gaudette did have a moment there this evening with what should and could have been considered embellishment. One of these days a ref will wise up and catch him if he sees fit, but it’ll be tough. Dude is sneaky.

    Good for PR. Something satisfying about watching DCU cast offs like Addlery shine elsewhere. Probably has something to do with thinking that DCU’s FO is chock full of retards.

  • Aden

    I was pretty upset about the time wasting. I can understand doing it in the final minutes, but he started wasting time from the get go.

    The official missed a clear PK for Donovan, and should have red carded Buddle, no question. The PK in favor of PR was a really poor call.

  • Test

    Great, more glorified friendlies and and less meaningful matches. When is this organization going to get it’s priorities strait?

  • BetaMale

    Yup we look like dookie. Something happened 4 weeks ago and we just switched off. Donovan needs to get his act together and act like the leader he told us he’d be.

  • DaveInSLO

    Amazingly the Galaxy were +140 on the moneyline to win this game outright. If gambling were legal that would have seemed to be a safe bet. I guess an own goal and a late 84th minute tally doesn’t make it safe…but it does make for a winner.

  • Cleveland

    MLS is going to have to seperate itself in CONCACAF if the league is going to be taken serious. Maybe the Islanders need to be asked to join MLS? Or better yet, raid their best players. I know people don’t watch these games, but I believe if the MLS dominated this event then word would spread among true soccer fans and the repetation of the league would improve and so would the viewing audience of the regular season games. In the end, MLS needs to do well in Champions League over several years.

  • Kosh

    The ref and his out of position assistants were over matched last night. That’s the problem with having a CL in this region, you are not going to get many quality refs. So when you start to approach the ref assignments like FIFA does for a WC, you can barely drop one tier deep before you start scraping the bottom of the barel.

    Gaudette was embarrassing and I cannot for the life of me understand how he does not get a yellow throughout the match. I mean who starts wasting time in the first 5 min? Talented guy, but that part of his game deos suck and I see it as an affront to the spirit of the game and his fellow professionals.

    For those saying PR needs to be in MLS, chilax. PR is dead last in their own league, they would be dead last in MLS too (well, with DC United involved…man, as a DC fan that smarts, but the truth hurts). PR beat a slumping Gals side in a home and away series. I am taking nothing away from PR or their players, because they pulled it off and the way they did it was most impressive. But it was a home and away series. There is a reason why they are last in thier league and most of their players play in said league.

    Great CCL record though.

  • K-Town

    True. The fact is that both teams won on the road. PR just happened to catch LA at a slumping time of year and embarrass them for it. I am an Aztex season ticket holder and have seen all of the PR games here in Austin this year. I will say that Gaudette is AMAZING for USL. I don’t know how he isn’t in MLS. I saw him make some incredible saves against us. However, the Aztex have mostly had their way with PR. Overall they are not a good team at all, but do have some decent players that really get fired up for these kind of games. They would be dead last over a season of play in MLS though. Unfortunately, the headlines make it look otherwise, and MLS need to start proving why they are Div I. 5 MLS teams entered CCL and all but LA make it to the group stages who would’ve thunk it.

  • Bubble Boy 2.5

    Donovan looks like a player who wants to move on. PLEASE MOVE ON!!!! I’M SO SICK OF WATCHING YOU IN THE MLS, ESPECIALLY AFTER YOU DID SO WELL AT EVERTON. Sell the Yak, Moyes…and make the Donovan deal everyone wants. Donovan deserves it.

  • yankiboy

    Marco is not playing poorly. The own-goal last night wasn’t his fault. The clearance that bounced off him was a poor one. Nothing that Marco could have done about that.

    He didn’t get caught out of position or cough up the ball last night that I can recall.

    Marco had some good moements playing for TCF and he had some bad ones.

    Life goes on. I am really happy that he is back with Puerto Rico Islanders for the time being but I also hope that he moves on to a bigger club because i feel that he is capable of more.

  • paul lorinczi

    Actually, I think the problem with Donovan is he is needs a rest.

    He has been going strong since January this year with limited breaks. He frankly looks tired.

    If he does go overseas, he probably will not do well because he needs a rest.

  • yankiboy

    Bill is Bill. His timewasting would be driving me crazy when if I were an opposing team’s fan. Being an Islanders’ fan it can be really grating at times.

    Don’t get me wrong I love the guy and it is hard to argue with success but sometimes I am shouting at the tv to just get on with it.

  • yankiboy

    In a league where the federation president is suspect, and some national team stars try to injure opponents, riot squads are occasional utilized to protect visiting squads, rules for qualifying competetions are sometimes seemingly made up on the fly a guy’s annoying stalling is definite black eye on the federation…

  • yankiboy

    We don’t MLS money so it is a non-issue.

    The reason why were are at the bottom of our division is because we have underachieved and let results slip away. The club is better than the mediocre results that we have obtained this year.

    PR should be dominating the division again this year. Maybe now things will turn around.

    Thanks for the CCL props.

  • yankiboy

    I never like losing. Last night included. The bigger picture is that they accomplished the mission of qualifying tofr the group stage. It was ugly last night but it was a success.

  • Nicole

    Puerto Rico didn’t play anything that remotely looked like soccer. The time wasting by everyone, not just the goalie, from the opening minute was an embarrassment. Man up, Islanders! One dude laying around clutching his right shoulder; then the Galaxy player helps him up using that very same arm – no pain. Whatever. I hope they crash and burn in their next CL game and finish last, dead last, in their league.

    What a joke – and that applies to the ref too. Hard to get more blatantly obvious what he was doing.

  • philmatt24

    Or maybe he looks like a player who has played 13 matches in the past 2 months (starting with the Australia tune-up on 6/5), with a few of those games requiring him to pour out his heart and soul to carry the USA, and hasn’t had more than a week or two off in about 2 years. I’ve seen at least one interview where he requested to not play in one or two of LA’s games (specifically the July 4 game when he and Buddle rejoined the team), so that he could recuperate… but of course he’s such a big asset to the team that he has to play every game, and such a big draw that MLS needs him to do the same (and play in the All-Star game…)

    Just saying, I know he wants to go to Europe, and I also know he’s not the type of guy to dog it and let down his teammates intentionally. As long as he’s with LA, he’ll be playing to the best of his abilities – he’s just worn down right now. Hopefully Everton (or Fulham, or someone) can make an offer MLS can’t refuse, and hopefully LD gets some rest at some point so he can get back to tip-top shape.

  • Tired Legs...

    I don’t think anyone will benefit from having Landon in the near future, the guy is exhausted. The last 2 years are taking their toll, he needs rest. If he keeps on like this I could see him getting injured.

  • Peretz48

    I remember one sequence late in the game where Gaudette barely touched his own player and then crumbled to the ground. That play alone deserved a yellow.

  • SaminMaine

    That was the worst soccer match I’ve watched in a very long time…no tempo whatsoever, LA looked lost, Donovan was an non factor. The penalty was legit, though. I’d like to see refs crack down on the shirt/arm pulling that defenders can get away with. I was annoyed by the timewasting of Gaudette, but he played a great game (double save on Donovan was fantastic).

  • Pete

    Why is everyone complaining about Gaudette wasting time? If the oh so great MLS LA Galaxy wouldn’t have been trounced 4-1 at the Home Depot Center, the 2-1 in PR would have probably qualified them.

  • The Tuppers

    Those can’t be LA fans complaining about time wasting, can it? Not when they have Donovan “oh my leg is broken, I can’t get up” Rickets stalling every gawd-damn time his team has the lead (which is quite often).

  • StevenG

    Why did the PRI have to play so defensively? When they’re leading by three points would it have killed them to try and play a little attacking soccer? It just seemed kind of cynical.

  • Dennis

    With respect to Donavon: Any competitive athlete needs to have a coach with the sense to give enough rest that the athlete can compete at his potential. Failure to rest a player who is so obviously overworked is the most short-sighted thing a coach can do. Hope for a short-term gain overriding sound long-term decisions seldom get the short term gain and can destroy the future.

    Arena should be ashamed for subjecting his star to that abuse. As John Wooden said, if you want to win, get good horses and don’t hurt them.

    (Good athletes seldom refuse to compete as hard as possible, but when over-tired, the result is often disappointing to everyone except the opponents.)

  • yankiboy

    Nicole, you make some great points.

    I think that when we beat your boys at the HDC that manned up pretty well.

    Yopu guys managed to score one goal in two games (minus the own goals that our guys put in).

    We wish the LA Galaxay a successful season as well.

  • yankiboy

    I would say because of fear. LA is a very, very good team. If PRI falls to pieces and actually doesn’t manage to go through to the groupstage with the advantadge that it took back to Puerto Rico then heads were going to roll.

    I would have liked to have seen more attacking. I understand that they were managing the result but I agree with you.

  • jb

    While watching this game and observing what looked like a tired performance from Donovan, I remember thinking about how many intense games he has played and for how long with little break. Then I read this article and see several posters thinking the same thing. If we amateurs can see this, then surely his coaches can. I know he is usually the main attraction to any game, but what’s he going to be worth injured? I hope somebody (listening Bruce?) gets the balls to sit him down for a few games. I’m pretty sure we’re still going to need him for the MNT the next cycle, never mind a possible (even more) lucrative deal overseas.

  • Sergio Hernandez

    Gaudette has been outstanding in these two games. Time wasting it part of the game, it is up to to referee to control this. He should have been booked.

  • guwinster

    Puerto Rico allready got raided. They lost pretty much their whole team from last year which is why they are struggling in the USL.

  • josh

    Down 4-1 going into PR with the RM friendly this weekend, and a slumping team, I would have punted this game if I were Arena. Lay it all on the shoulders of Tristan Bowen, Michael Stephens, etc. The Galaxy are going to have a tough time crawling out of this hole they have dug for themselves without some rest. And with the scheduling as it is, it is up to Arena to figure out how to provide it. The Galaxy is one of the deepest teams in MLS, they need to get results out of that depth in games like these.

  • Ski Fast!

    I think the Galaxy are not really as dominant in terms of skill as their season record seems to indicate–and this slump is exposing that aspect a bit. Buddle was on a hot streak and their defense was holding up. But, if you deny them space they struggle. Maybe it’s just a recent trend, but when I watch them they do not seem to move the ball around very fluidly.

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Advance Auto Parts Locations in Florence, SC

USA > South Carolina (SC) > Florence

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About Advance Auto Parts in Florence, SC

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Advance Auto Parts in Florence stocks parts for all kinds of vehicles, from cars and motorcycles to ATVs and lawnmowers. Whether you’re looking to complete some routine maintenance work or rebuild an engine from the ground up, you’ll find the necessary tools with us.

Our team of helpful car enthusiasts can suggest specific parts for your project and share valuable automotive knowledge. For Florence car parts and accessories, check out our online inventory or find the location nearest you.


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[personal profile] skjam
Hopefully, this won't have been posted between the time I started and the time this uploads. Cover and four pages from this week's JLA/99 #1.

For those of you who haven't been around for previous discussions, "The Ninety-Nine" is a concept created by Naif al-Mutawa, in an effort to let kids from Muslim-majority countries have superhero comics they could read with at least some cultural approval. Each of the teenagers in the 99 gets their powers from bonding with a "Noor stone" which contains a fragment of the knowledge and wisdom of the ancient Middle East. Their code names come from the 99 names of Allah, minus the bit that makes them a god's name. As part of the themes of the series, while individual members are fairly powerful on their own, they are much more powerful if they link up in threes or more to combine their abilities.

Wonder Woman's costume seems to be the "alternate universe" one solely to allow this comic to be reprinted in countries where her swimsuit outfit would be too controversial; the JLA depicted seems to be one we've never seen together before.

In the tradition of crossovers, multiple crises around the world. )

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char: Wonder Woman/Diana of Themiscrya
creator: Drew Geraci
creator: Fabian Nicieza
creator: Stuart Moore
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publisher: DC Comics
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Welcome to Schellinger Construction.

Schellinger Construction Co., Inc. was incorporated in 1961, providing work as a prime contractor and subcontractor for federal, state and county agencies, railroad and private companies. Over the last fifty years , Schellinger Construction Co., Inc. has expanded its operations to include road construction, gravel crushing, concrete, aggregate surfacing, culvert and bridge installation, subdivision construction, utility placement and asphalt surfacing. With gravel pits strategically placed around the Flathead Valley, Schellinger Construction Co., Inc. is your one stop shop for all your aggregate needs.

Schellinger Construction Co., Inc. specializes in managing and completing small to large sized highway projects by employing qualified officers, managers and superintendents who uphold the company reputation of building quality projects to the satisfaction of all our customers. Schellinger Construction Co., Inc. works with a group of experienced and qualified sub-contractors regularly who maintan our goals and reputation.

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STEPHEN A MARGLIN holds the Walter S Barker Chair in the Department of Economics at Harvard University. His recent work focuses on the foundational assumptions of economics and how these assumptions make community invisible to economists. This work, reflected in his book, The Dismal Science: How Thinking Like an Economist Undermines Community (Harvard University Press, 2008), attempts to counter the aid and comfort these assumptions give to those who would construct a world in the image of economics, a world ultimately without community.

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text: Volume 24, No. 1 – 1982 : Hawaiian Entomological Society http://hdl.handle.net/10125/10665 Sun, 28 Aug 2016 10:38:22 GMT 2016-08-28T10:38:22Z The "Forcipomyia ingrami" Complex in Hawaii (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) http://hdl.handle.net/10125/11148 Abstract: Biting midges of the genus Forcipomyia are some of the most important pollinators of cacao and other tropical crop plants. A study of the species known as F. ingrami revealed that it has been misidentified, and that the African species formerly known as ingrami, now psilonota, does not occur in Hawaii. Instead there are at least four other species: palikuensis Hardy, a large, shining blackish species from Hawaii and East Maui; kaneohe n. sp., a small shining species from Oahu; pholeter n. sp., a small pale species living in lava tube caves on Hawaii; and hardyi n. sp., a dull brownish species which is extremely common on all the islands; all probably endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. The immature stages of these midges, which breed in wet, decaying vegetation, leaf axils, and aquatic vegetation, have excellent characters diagnostic for species. Characters are illustrated and discussed showing how these species may be distinguished from their closely related congeners from the Pacific, Asia, and Africa. Forcipomyia clara Chan and LeRoux from Singapore is a junior synonym of F. sauteri Kieffer (N. SYNONYMY). Fri, 01 Jan 1982 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10125/11148 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z Wirth, Willis W.; Howarth, Francis G. Parasitization by Trichogramma chilonis Ishii (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) of Corn Earworm Eggs on Sweet Corn in Hawaii http://hdl.handle.net/10125/11147 Fri, 01 Jan 1982 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10125/11147 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z Vargas,R.I.; Nishida, T. Some Sexually Dimorphic Characters in the Mediterranean Fruit Fly Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) and their Variations http://hdl.handle.net/10125/11146 Abstract: Sexually dimorphic traits in the Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata are described. The significance of these sexual differences to genetical and behavioral research is discussed. Fri, 01 Jan 1982 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10125/11146 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z Saul, Stephen H. Introductions for Biological Control in Hawaii: 1979 and 1980 http://hdl.handle.net/10125/11145 Fri, 01 Jan 1982 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10125/11145 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z Lai, P.Y.; Funasaki, G.Y.; Higa, S.Y. Food Preference of Seven Stored Product Insects to Dried Processed Taro Products http://hdl.handle.net/10125/11144 Fri, 01 Jan 1982 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10125/11144 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z Jang, E.B.; Lin, C.S.; Mitchell, W.C. Survey of Beneficial Insects in Undisturbed Cattle Droppings on Oahu, Hawaii http://hdl.handle.net/10125/11143 Abstract: Insects were collected from cattle droppings at 2 locations on Oahu, Hawaii; one on the wet east side (Kualoa) and one on the dry northwest side (Poamoho). From these areas, 7 species of Scarabaeidae were collected. The most numerous species were Onthophagus gazalla F., Onthophagus sagittarius (L.), and Aphodius lividus (Oliver). Four species of Hydrophilidae were collected of which Cercyon quisquilius (L.) was the most numerous. Of the predator beetles, 9 species of Staphylinidae [Oxytelus sp., Philonthus (probably longicornis Steph.), Philonthus rectangulus Shp., Philonthus discoideus Grav., Philonthus sp., Platystethus sp., Lithocharis sp., Eulissus sp., and Xantholininae gen. sp.] and 2 Histeridae [Pachylister caffer (Erich.) and Hister nomus Erich. J were collected; all low in numbers except the Oxytelus species. Dipterous larvae, in 6 families and other unidentified families, were collected. In general, beetles were more abundant at Poamoho than at Kualoa and dipterous larvae were more abundant at Kualoa. Fri, 01 Jan 1982 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10125/11143 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z Harris, R.L.; Onaga, K.; Blume, R.R.; Roth, J.P.; Summerlin, J.W. The Genus Schistopterum Becker (Schistopterinae: Tephritidae: Diptera) http://hdl.handle.net/10125/11142 Abstract: The genus Schistopterum is discussed and the known species keyed. S. ismayi n. sp. is described and figured. This is the first record of the genus outside Africa and southern Europe. Fri, 01 Jan 1982 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10125/11142 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z Hardy, D. Elmo A New Species of Hemicheyletia (Acari: Cheyletidae) from Kure Atoll, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands http://hdl.handle.net/10125/11141 Abstract: Hemicheyletia kureatollensis is described as new from leaf litter and soil collected on Kure Atoll, Northern Hawaiian Islands. Fri, 01 Jan 1982 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10125/11141 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z Goff, M Lee Hylaeus pubescens and Associated Arthropods at Kilauea, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (Hymenoptera: Apoidea and Chalcidoidea; Mesostigmata: Ameroseiidae) http://hdl.handle.net/10125/11140 Abstract: The nest and larva of the endemic bee Hylaeus pubescens are described. Nests are constructed during the winter and spring months. The larva is the first of the subgenus Nesoprosopis to be described. The mite Afrocypholaelaps africana is phoretic on the bee and recorded for the first time in Hawaii. Taxonomic notes and mating behavior are given for the encyrtid parasitoids Coelopencyrtus kaalae and C. sexramosus. Fri, 01 Jan 1982 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10125/11140 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z Daly, Howell V.; Coville, Rollin E. Insects, Poisons, and Medicine: the Other One Percent http://hdl.handle.net/10125/11139 Fri, 01 Jan 1982 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10125/11139 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z Chang, Franklin Field Investigations on the Interrelationships of the Big-Headed Ant, the Gray Pineapple Mealybug, and Pineapple Mealybug Wilt Disease in Hawaii http://hdl.handle.net/10125/11138 Abstract: The population density of the big-headed ant was higher during the second (ratoon) crop than during the first crop of pineapple at both Poamoho and Molokai. At Poamoho, no mealybug wilt plants were found in plots where ants had been controlled, while the number of such plants increased sharply during the second crop in plots where ants were not controlled. The incidence of mealybug wilt was higher at the edges of plots than toward the middle reflecting the greater abundance of ants and mealybugs on the margins on the plots. Wilt spread in a contagious manner with the number of diseased plants increasing at a logrithmic rate over time. The coefficient of correlation between the number of ants caught in pitfall traps and the percentage of mealybug infested plants was very high (r = 0.97). Infestation of the Molokai experimental planting by big-headed ants started at the edges of plantings adjacent to abandoned fields and waste areas. Invasion progressed slowly, and two and one half years elapsed before all plots had become infested. Ant and mealybug populations in infested plots increased gradually and appeared to be strongly influenced by the phenology of the pineapple plants during the first fruit crop. Unusually heavy rainfall during March and April 1979 may have caused the dramatic reduction in ant populations observed then. Highest ant population levels occured about three years after planting when all untreated plots became nearly uniformly infested. Pest management strategies for pineapple ants and mealybugs are discussed, and it is suggested that a program of ant surveillance using bait stakes, coupled with treatment of field margins and adjacent infested old fields or uncultivated areas when ants are discovered, can prevent migration of these pests into plantation fields. Fri, 01 Jan 1982 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10125/11138 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z Beardsley, John W.; Su, Tsong Hong; McEwen, F.L.; Gerling, Dan A Key to the Late Instar Larvae of Some Hawaiian Noctuidae http://hdl.handle.net/10125/11137 Fri, 01 Jan 1982 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10125/11137 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z Beardsley, John W. On the Taxonomy of the Genus Pseudopsylla Froggatt, with a Redescription of the Type-Species (Homoptera: Coccoidea) http://hdl.handle.net/10125/11136 Abstract: The history of the genus Pseudopsylla Froggatt and the rediscovery of the type specimens of P. hirsutus Froggatt, the type species, are discussed. Pseudopsylla is placed as a junior synonym of Lachnodius Maskell on the basis of the morphological and biological similarities between the type species of these genera which are enumerated. Froggatt's species is redescribed and illustrated from the type specimens as a new combination, Lachnodius hirsutus (Froggatt), and a lectotype is designated. Fri, 01 Jan 1982 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10125/11136 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z Beardsley, John W. Reproductive and Sexual Maturity of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) http://hdl.handle.net/10125/11135 Abstract: The data presented suggest temporal differences between reproductive maturity and sexual maturity in males as well as females of Ceratitis capitata. Males were reproductively mature near the time they eclose though they were not sexually mature until 48 h later. Females, on the other hand, were sexually mature at 48 h but were not reproductively mature until 4 days old. Thus, in comparision, sexual maturity in both sexes was reached at about the same time while reproductive maturity differed by about 4 days. Fri, 01 Jan 1982 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10125/11135 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z Arita, Lorna H. 24:1 Proceedings - PHES http://hdl.handle.net/10125/11134 Fri, 01 Jan 1982 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10125/11134 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z 24:1 Table of Contents - PHES http://hdl.handle.net/10125/11133 Fri, 01 Jan 1982 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10125/11133 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z


text:
Re: LTSpice Error Massage: time step too small

Elk wrote:

I try to simulate a circuit, but I always get an error message:

Analysys: time step too small; initial timepoint: trouble with
u3:mm-instance m:u3:1

u3 is a Mosfet IRF4905.

Has anyone an idea how I can solve the problem?

Look for a reason why the circuit might want to oscillate at some insanely high frequency. This sort of thing tends to happen when you have inadvertantly created an unstable numerical problem for the solver. It tries its best and repeatedly decreases the time step to try and get an accurate solution until it gives up.

Martin Brown
** Posted from **


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Home, Space Home

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Home, Space Home

On the ground, the International Space Station would be an odd looking building -- but space is an odd place to live!

Marshall Space Flight Center

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see captionMarch 14, 2001 -- Homes on Earth provide shelter from the wind and rain. But a home in Earth orbit must shield its occupants from the solar wind, and it must withstand a steady rain of dust-sized meteoroids, many moving faster than a speeding bullet!

A terrestrial house has insulation to keep the air inside cool or warm, but a space home must be tightly sealed just to keep the air inside.

The structure of earthbound buildings must support a constant gravitational pull of 1-g. In contrast, an orbiting structure's design should make sense in microgravity, and at the same time be able to withstand the tremendous 3-g acceleration of a rocket blasting into space.

For these and other reasons, building a structure for living in space poses a different set of design challenges than building homes on the ground.

Above: The International Space Station looks quite unlike homes built here on Earth. The unique conditions of space lead to a design that looks more like modern art made from soup cans than what most people think of as a home! [click image to enlarge]

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The first thing an architect would notice about building in space is the pull of gravity -- or rather the lack thereof! A freely-falling space home in Earth orbit can take a wider variety of basic shapes than homes on the planet below.

"It's in free fall, so there's no need to say 'this is up' and 'this is down' from the standpoint of the station's architecture and structural integrity," said Kornel Nagy, structural and mechanical systems manager for the International Space Station (ISS) at NASA's Johnson Space Center.

For example, science fiction writers often imagine that a space station would be wheel shaped. As seen in the Stanley Kubrick / Arthur C. Clarke science fiction classic 2001: A Space Odyssey, these ring-shaped outposts would slowly rotate to create a centrifugal pull that acted as a false gravity. Other visionaries, such as NASA's own Wernher von Braun, also saw a spinning wheel as the most likely space station design.

So why does the ISS look more like an Erector Set than a big hamster wheel?

"Even though (the wheel design is) an elegant concept," says Nagy, "you have to think in terms of the current launch vehicles that we have and how you get all the pieces on board and assembled into a unified body."

"So the option that was looked at is to take the pressurized compartments up in segments that are as big as you can lift in a particular launch vehicle," he continued. "In our case, it's the Shuttle payload bay."

see caption

Above: Building a home for living in space requires a little more than plywood and two-by-fours. Titanium, Kevlar, and high-grade steel are common materials in the ISS. Engineers had to use these materials to make the structure lightweight yet strong and puncture-resistant.

Because each of the aluminum-can shaped components of the Station has to be lifted into orbit, minimizing weight is crucial. Lightweight aluminum, rather than steel, comprises most of the outer shell for the modules.

This shell must also provide protection from impacts by tiny meteoroids and man-made debris. Because the ISS zips through space at about 27,000 km/h, even dust-sized grains present a considerable danger. Man-made debris, a drifting legacy of past space exploration, poses an even greater threat.

To ensure the safety of the crew, the Space Station wears a "bullet-proof vest." Layers of Kevlar, ceramic fabrics, and other advanced materials form a blanket up to 10 cm thick around each module's aluminum shell. (Kevlar is the material used in the bullet-proof vests used by police officers.)

see caption"This protective shielding was tested by shooting at it with high-velocity guns to verify that it is indeed a good protection material," Nagy said.

Left: Layers of Kevlar and other impact-resistant materials reduce the chance that small debris could penetrate the modules' walls and endanger the crew. [click image to enlarge]

Designers had to leave a few holes in this armor so the crew could occasionally enjoy the spectacular view.

A typical window for a house on Earth has 2 panes of glass, each about 1/16 inch thick. In contrast, the ISS windows each have 4 panes of glass ranging from 1/2 to 1-1/4 inches thick. An exterior aluminum shutter provides extra protection when the windows are not in use.

The glass in these windows is subject to strict quality control, because even minute flaws would increase the chance that a micro-meteoroid could cause a fracture.

In orbit, a major force is the pressure of the air inside the ISS, which presses on each square inch of the modules' interior with almost 15 pounds of force. (Homes on Earth also have this internal pressure, but the external pressure of the atmosphere balances it out.)

But even before reaching orbit these modules must also hold up to the massive stresses of launch.

"The structure has to withstand the loading it will see while being transported to orbit, which is a pretty intense environment," Nagy said.

As the Shuttle climbs toward the edge of space, every piece of the ISS module inside will "weigh" three times normal. The structure of the modules must handle both this loading along the long axis during launch and the internal air pressure while in orbit.

see captionRight: The interior of the ISS modules falls a little short of Martha Stewart standards! Form follows function in the Space Station's utilitarian design. Notice the air-tight hatch of the Common Berthing Mechanism at the far end of the module.

Once the Shuttle has carried a module into orbit, the task remains to securely attach it to the rest of the Station.

The US-designed Common Berthing Mechanism (or CBM) links together the modules. To ensure a good seal, the CBM has an automatic latching mechanism that pulls the two modules together and tightens 16 connecting bolts with a force of 19,000 pounds each! This huge force is needed to counteract the tendency of the internal air pressure to push the modules apart and to ensure a good air-tight seal.

"A lot of development work, a lot of testing, and a lot of certification went into the CBM to be able to achieve that reliable seal," Nagy said. "So far it's worked well."

This is the first in a series of articles about the construction of the ISS. Future installments will examine the plumbing, heating/cooling, and ergonomics of the Station.

Web Links

International Space Station -- home page by NASA

Seeing the International Space Station from your own backyard -- Science@NASA article: With the aid of free NASA software you can spot the International Space Station from your own back yard.

Looking Forward to the ISS -- Science@NASA article: Scientists at a recent media forum say they are eager to begin using the International Space Station as an innovative orbiting research laboratory.

Wheels in the Sky -- Science@NASA article: The pioneering space station concepts of the mid-1950's don't look much like the erector-set habitat in orbit today.

A New Star in the Sky -- Science@NASA article: Something in the heavens is growing brighter and it will soon become one of the more eye-catching stars in the night sky. No, it's not a supernova. It's the International Space Station!

Breathing Easy on the Space Station -- Science@NASA article: Life support systems on the ISS provide oxygen, absorb carbon dioxide, and manage vaporous emissions from the astronauts themselves. It's all part of breathing easy in our new home in space.

Water on the Space Station -- Science@NASA article: Rationing and recycling will be an essential part of life on the International Space Station. In this article, Science@NASA explores where the crew will get their water and how they will (re)use it.

Microscopic Stowaways on the ISS -- Science@NASA article: Wherever humans go microbes will surely follow, and the Space Station is no exception.

Join our growing list of subscribers - sign up for our express news delivery and you will receive a mail message every time we post a new story!!!

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The Science and Technology Directorate at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center sponsors the Science@NASA web sites. The mission of Science@NASA is to help the public understand how exciting NASA research is and to help NASA scientists fulfill their outreach responsibilities.
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I just have time for a short take today. (If you need more, fortunately, Bora has posted the 33rd Meeting of the Skeptics’ Circle for your edification. Yes, my preamble was just an excuse to plug the Skeptics’ Circle one more time.)

In the comments of yesterday’s post about a medical student who is a young earth creationist, Karl asked a most interesting question:

I hope that you saw “House” last night (on FOX, of all places). A 15 year old faith healer shows up in the hospital. At one point he touches a patient who has been dignosed with terminal (Liver?) cancer. The cancer shrinks. House spends 45 minutes trying to figure it out, all the while arguing with everyone else that there has to be a rational explanation. At the end, he figures it out (amazing, considering that this show is on FOX).

I don’t know whether this show is in reruns or whether you will ever be able to see it, but there is a synopsis at http://www.tv.com/house/house-vs.-god/episode/633814/recap.html.

The explanation is that the boy has Herpes and that that particular version attacks cancer cells – when he touched her he passed the virus to her. So, the questions are 1) Is that valid? and 2) If it is, why isn’t that knowledge being used as a tool in combatting cancer?

Fortunately for you (and for me, because I’ve only managed to catch House a few times this year and missed all but the last 20 minutes or so of last night’s episode, but, more importantly, because it means I don’t have to write nearly as much), Scott has already taken this question on at Polite Dissent. (Of note, each week Scott reviews new episodes of House for medical content. It’s well worth checking out.) I’ll add my two cents below the fold.

Herpes virus can indeed be oncolytic (capable of lysing tumor cells). Indeed, weakened versions of the herpes simplex have been widely tested in preclinical tumor models (animal models) as cancer therapy because of its ability to preferentially infect and lyse certain kinds of tumor cells. The bottom line as I see it is that it’s theoretically possible for a herpes infection to cause temporary tumor shrinkage. However, in the brief time I took to look for them, thus far I’ve been unable to locate any case reports of this ever actually happening outside the context of clinical trials using herpes virus as an experimental treatment for cancer. (If anyone is aware of any studies or case reports showing tumor shrinkage due to herpes infections acquired outside the auspices of a clinical trial designed to test the activity of herpes against tumors, please chime in in the comments.)

So what cancers have oncolytic herpes viruses been tested in? Well, they’ve been tested in a variety of preclinical animal models in many different tumor types, for one thing, and have shown promise in these models since 1991. Here’s a report of a study describing the use of a weakened herpes simplex virus to treat pediatric neuroblastoma in mouse models, in which the virus nearly completely dissappeared.

But what about humans? Last summer at the European Society for Medical Oncology, there was a report of a phase I trial done at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center using herpes simplex to treat colorectal cancer metastatic to the liver, although apparently it hasn’t yet been published in a medical journal. Other altered herpes viruses are being used in clinical trials as treatments for glioma, melanoma, head and neck cancers, astrocytomas, and glioblastomas. Herpes viruses modified to express immunomodutors such as GM-CSF are being tested against breast cancer, head and neck cancer, and melanoma. There are also a number of different kinds of oncolytic viruses other than herpes in preclinical development for cancer therapy.

It would not surprise me if one of these oncolytic herpes viruses is approved by the FDA for treatment of specific cancers sometime in the next five years or so, maybe even sooner.

  1. #1 Urinated State of America
    April 27, 2006

    It’s an odd coincidence that you make the prediction about therapeutic use of oncolytic viruses, and phage therapy (used for many years in Russia) being increasingly mentioned as a solution to antibiotic resistance.

  2. #2 tgibbs
    April 27, 2006

    For me, the last straw with House was the episode that asserted that there were specific antidotes for different organophosphate poisons, which is (a) false, and (b) stupid, because organophosphates all phosphorylate esterase and it’s the same esterases.

    Of course, I was already fairly annoyed with House because of the horrible example of medical ethics he sets for medical students, not to mention that in most of the episodes he seemed to go off half-cocked and nearly kill his patient before finally figuring things out in time for the final commercial

  3. #3 Hank Barnes
    April 27, 2006

    The explanation is that the boy has Herpes and that that particular version attacks cancer cells – when he touched her he passed the virus to her.

    cough, cough,.. bullsh%t,..cough, cough

    Hank Barnes

  4. #4 Bronze Dog
    April 27, 2006

    I don’t watch this sort of thing, but the explanation certainly sets off a few red lights in my head. But, as weird as it sounds, it seems there’s some promising angle to it, or at least some grain of truth. I’ll wait until Orac blogs about a Phase III trial or something, though.

  5. #5 Laura
    April 27, 2006

    It is really interesting that there may be some truth to the idea. I watched the episode but dismissed it at first. I am curious though because herpes viruses tend to emerge when the immune system is suppressed (like shingles in the elderly, and CMV in AIDs patients as well as Type I and II infections) could that in itself affect the liklihood of this being a successful treatment? I mean a cancer patient likely already has an impaired immune system from the cancer or chemo where I think introducing a new infection could be problematic. Any thoughts?

  6. #6 TheRidger
    April 27, 2006

    The point of House is not the medicine.

    I blogged about this episode – the boy’s attitude. As I admitted, the boy was fictional, but recognizable. And then I discussed the whole “lying to people to bring them to God” tack.

    If you’re interested, you can check it out.

  7. #7 Ian B Gibson
    April 27, 2006

    Hugh Laurie (House himself) is from England (he’s been in Blackadder amongst other shows), so what amused me was hearing people saying he sounded so pretentious in his interviews with that obviously fake English accent!

  8. #8 epador
    April 27, 2006

    In 20 years of Oncology, I would have been happy to see just one cancer patient with herpetic complications (oral/esophageal/or type II areas) have tumor shrinkage. Not one I can think of (unless you count the concurrent use of effective chemotherapy or radiation).

    The only reason I liked House initially is the battering of TV doctor stereotypes. Now it rates below American Idol and Survivor in content and originality.

  9. #9 epador
    April 27, 2006

    And Geez o Peet, breaking into her apartment but not doing a complete physical exam on male admission, or at least once he’s febrile? Gimmee a break. If I were House I fire the lot of them for not finding the skin rash on admission. But then what would have the episode been about then?

  10. #10 decrepitoldfool
    April 27, 2006

    I assume the show has nearly zero medical content – all that guff is on a level with “reverse the polarity” or “induce a tachyon field”. It’s a comedy and I just enjoy the highly improbable characters including the main one. The writing is very sharp and acting first-rate.

    That god-shouting kid seemed pretty familiar to me. I knew quite a few guys like him and his father in Tennessee.

  11. #11 Karl
    April 28, 2006

    Thanks for the explanation.

    It seems to be an unfortunate fact of (TV) life that any program that attempts to display real behavior of any profession, always gets caught up in having to tell an interesting story rather than being very precise about the specifics of the profession.

    My father-in-law was a lawyer. He always complained about Perry Mason – said they got the law wrong. And I’ve read that complaint about one of my other favorite shows: Boston Legal. There are two other programs of this type currently running: Numbers. It would be interesting to hear what mathematicians have to say about that. And the CSI’s. What do the Forensic scientists think of that?

    Of course the prime example of this genre is the space travel (Star Trek) type. There has been much written about the fallacies of the science.

    In order to watch such shows, you have to suspend disbelief and enjoy them for what they are – works of fiction – with requirement to fit introduction, complication and resolution into one hour. What makes these programs fun to watch are the stories, the acting, the character development, and , in some cases, the philosophical or political points that they make.

  12. #12 atlheel
    April 28, 2006

    I mean, if you want real, accurate portrayals of medicine, watch Discovery Health, I don’t really see the point in berating primetime shows for their lack of accuracy when it comes to the finer points of exotic (or even not-so-exotic) conditions.

    But thanks, Orac, for letting us know this one was at least based in reality!

  13. #13 cfeagans
    April 28, 2006

    I work nights and Tivo a couple of shows I’ve found myself addicted to: NCIS, The Unit, Battlestar Galactica, and even House.

    I happened to watch both House and The Unit in the same evening and was disappointed at both for their introduction of “faith” as dilemas for characters. One of House’s doctors commented at the end (or something to the effect of), “it had to be just the right type of cancer, just the right type of virus, and they had to meet at just the right moment,” implying that God was still responsible. Wilson even comments to House that he is “just as God made [him].”

    The Unit dealt with an Army wife who was rejecting God and religious teaching to their daughter because a loss of “faith” and ended up commenting to her husband that she found herself “praying” for him at the end. Great episode other than the “faith” dilema.

    On a different note, I’m one of those that doesn’t watch House for the medical content… I just love hearing the House character say to others what I wish I had the nerve and tenure to say on a daily basis! The show is more comedy than drama for me.

  14. #14 RavenT
    April 29, 2006

    And the CSI’s. What do the Forensic scientists think of that?

    Although I can’t answer the question you asked, I can tell you that my friend, a chemist who serves as an expert witness, has observed some effect on juries from it. She says that juries have newly unrealistic expectations of what science can and cannot establish, and that, in her opinion, it’s TV shows like CSI that convey the idea that science always yields fast, immediate, decisive answers that they’re getting the expectations from.

    I guess nobody would tune in to find out how my other friend, a biologist, spent two days teasing through her results to find out at exactly what point the test tube rack in her immunoassays accidentally got turned around, reversing the results from then onward.

    But this is not a new phenomenon; when William Shatner did Rescue 911 back in the 80s, they showed CPR as always working. In reality, it works only a small percentage of the time; there are recorded instances when people who try it have actually been verbally abused when their efforts don’t bring the person back. I can’t prove it, but I think that behavior derives from unreasonable expectations of CPR’s effectiveness, based on shows like that. Now DNA analysis seems to be undergoing a similar fate.

  15. #15 Nina
    May 3, 2006

    Orac, you say:
    Here’s a report of a study describing the use of a weakened herpes simplex virus to treat pediatric neuroblastoma in mouse models, in which the virus nearly completely dissappeared.

    Should the last sentence be “in which the tumor nearly completely dissappeared?”

    I like House. And I also like Medium. So there you go!

  16. #16 Clark
    May 7, 2006

    Even if Herpes Virus isn’t eventually approved for Cancer treatment, it is very likely that some other viral treatment will be approved – e.g. Oncolytics is using a Reovirus (although they also hold a patent for a Herpes virus targeting the Ras pathway). And they have had some interesting results.

    BTW – the interesting thing is that it isn’t just that the virus kills the tumor, but that it appears to unblind the immune system to the cancer.

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DreamWorks Animation Announces Feature Film Release Slate

Posted Monday, March 14th, 2011 08:01 am GMT -4 by

DreamWorks Animation is a powerhouse when it comes to delivering high quality entertainment.  Whether you’ve got a family of your own or you’re young at heart, the movies that DreamWorks Animation releases have something for everyone.  Recently they’ve announced their upcoming schedule of movies and from now until 2014 we’re in for a sweet surprise (that is, unless the Mayans are right and the world does end in 2012).

 Here’s what you can expect to see from DreamWorks Animation in the near future:

‘Kung Fu Panda 2’ will be released on May 26, 2011.  It is being directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson (‘Kung Fu Panda’), produced by Melissa Cobb (‘Kung Fu Panda’) and written by Jonathan Aibel & Glenn Berger (‘Kung Fu Panda’). It stars Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Gary Oldman, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, James Hong and Michelle Yeoh. In the sequel, Po is living his dream as The Dragon Warrior, protecting the Valley of Peace alongside his friends and fellow kung fu masters, The Furious Five.  But Po’s life of awesomeness is threatened by the emergence of a formidable villain, who plans to use a secret, unstoppable weapon to conquer China and destroy kung fu.  Po must look to his past and uncover the secrets of his mysterious origins… only then will he be able to unlock the strength he needs to succeed.

‘Puss In Boots’ will be released on November 4, 2011. It is directed by Chris Miller (‘Shrek the Third’) and produced by Joe Aguilar (‘Merry Madagascar’) and Latifa Ouaou (‘Monsters vs. Aliens’).  It is being written by Tom Wheeler (‘The Cape’). Andrew Adamson (‘Shrek,’ ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’) and Guillermo del Toro (‘Pan’s Labyrinth’) are serving as executive producers on the film, which stars Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Zach Galifianakis, Billy Bob Thornton and Amy Sedaris.  Way before he ever met Shrek, the legendary Puss In Boots goes on a heroic journey, teaming up with mastermind Humpty Dumpty and the street-savvy Kitty Softpaws to steal the famed Goose that lays the Golden Eggs.  It’s the adventure of nine lifetimes!

‘Madagascar 3’ will be released on June 8, 2012. It is directed by Eric Darnell (‘Madagascar,’ ‘Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa’) and produced by Mireille Soria (‘Madagascar,’ ‘Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa’) and Mark Swift (‘Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa’).  It is being written by Noah Baumbach (‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’) and once again stars Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric The Entertainer and Andy Richter. Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Gloria the Hippo, and Melman the Giraffe are still fighting to get home to their beloved Big Apple and of course, King Julien, Maurice and the Penguins are all along for the comedic adventure.  Their journey takes them through Europe where they find the perfect cover: a traveling circus, which they reinvent – Madagascar style.

‘Rise of the Guardians,’ based on the forthcoming books by William Joyce, will be released on November 21, 2012. It is directed by Peter Ramsey (‘Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space’) and co-directed by Joyce.  The film is being produced by Christina Steinberg (‘Bee Movie,’ ‘National Treasure’) and Nancy Bernstein, long-time head of Production at DreamWorks Animation. ‘Rise of the Guardians’ is being written by Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire (‘Rabbit Hole’) and executive produced by Guillermo del Toro and Michael Siegel.  It stars Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin, Hugh Jackman, Isla Fisher and Jude Law. More than a collection of the well-known childhood legends, ‘Rise of the Guardians’ is an epic adventure that tells the story of a group of heroes – each with extraordinary abilities.  When an evil spirit known as Pitch lays down the gauntlet to take over the world, the immortal Guardians must join forces for the first time to protect the hopes, beliefs and imagination of children all over the world.

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