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At United Nations Biodiversity Conference, Countries Agree to Double Resources for Biodiversity Protection by 2015 Sat, Oct 20, 2012

Biodiversity-Rich Marine Areas in Focus as Countries Renew Efforts to Curb Species Loss

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Photo Credit: Willyam Bradberry/ ShutterStock

Hyderabad (India), 20 October 2012 - The world's governments have agreed to increase funding in support of actions to halt the rate of loss of biodiversity at the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, which ended today.

Developed countries agreed to double funding to support efforts in developing states towards meeting the internationally-agreed Biodiversity Targets, and the main goals of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020.

The Saragasso Sea, the Tonga archipelago and key corals sites off the coast of Brazil are among a range of marine areas to receive special attention by governments as part of renewed efforts agreed in Hyderabad to sustainably manage the world's oceans. Many of the areas are beyond national jurisdictions and, as such, receive little or no protection at present.

Other key decisions taken at the 11th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP 11) include new measures to factor biodiversity into environmental impact assessments linked to infrastructure and other development projects in marine and coastal areas.

Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity said: "These results, coming in a period of economic crisis, demonstrate that the world is committed to implementing the CBD. We see that governments are moving forward in implementation and seeing biodiversity as an opportunity to be realized more than a problem to be solved."

"We now need to move forward in the next two years, under the able leadership of India, the COP 11 president, to consolidate this work and to advance further. I look forward to other pledges in support of the Hyderabad call for Biodiversity Champions that will allow us to realize our goals" he said.

More action needed to conserve world's biodiversity

Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan, minister of Environment and Forests for India, and president of the COP said: "The present economic crisis should not deter us, but on the contrary encourage us to invest more towards amelioration of the natural capital for ensuring uninterrupted ecosystem services, on which all life on earth depends."

"The UN biodiversity conference in Hyderabad has taken forward the renewed momentum, forged two years ago in Nagoya," said United Nations Under-Secretary-General and UN Environment Programme Executive Director Achim Steiner.

"Countries have sent a clear signal and delivered additional commitments underlining the fact that biodiversity and ecosystems are a development priority and central to a transition to an inclusive Green Economy," added Mr. Steiner.

"Mobilizing the necessary financial resources from the public and private sector needed to ensure achievement of the 2020 targets remains a challenge - but here in India, many nations including developing economies have signalled their determination and sense of urgency to seize the opportunities by providing much needed additional support," said Mr. Steiner.

Agreements on Funding

Developed countries agreed at the conference to increase funding to support efforts in developing states towards meeting the Aichi Biodiversity Targets.

Using a baseline figure of the average annual national spending on biodiversity between 2006 and 2010, developed countries said they would double funding by 2015. The COP also set targets to increase the number of countries that have included biodiversity in their national development plans, and prepared national financial plans for biodiversity, by 2015.

All Parties agreed to substantially increase domestic expenditures for biodiversity protection over the same period.

These targets, and progress towards them, will be reviewed in 2014.

For the first time, developing countries at COP 11, including India and several African states, pledged additional funds above and beyond their core funding towards the work of the CBD.

Marine Biodiversity

The 193 Parties to the CBD agreed to classify a diverse list of marine areas, some renowned for containing 'hidden treasures' of the plant and animal world, as ecologically or biologically significant.

Earlier this week, UNEP launched its Protected Planet 2012 report which found that half of the world's richest biodiversity zones remain entirely unprotected - despite a 60 per cent increase in the number of protected areas since 1990.

To meet the Aichi Biodiversity Target of ensuring that 10 per cent of marine areas are protected by 2020, says the UNEP report, an additional 8 million square kilometres of marine and coastal areas would need to be recognized as protected - an area just over the size of Australia.

Parties to the Convention also called for more research into the potential adverse effects of underwater noise from ships on marine and coastal biodiversity, and highlighted growing concerns regarding marine litter. It also recognized the challenge of climate change impacts on coral reefs, which, Parties agreed, will require significant investment to overcome.

There was also a call to fisheries management bodies to play a stronger role in addressing the impacts of fisheries on biodiversity.

The series of agreements at COP 11 on oceans and coasts builds on the commitment of countries made at the United Nations Rio+20 summit in June to protect and restore marine ecosystems and to maintain their biodiversity.

National Biodiversity Plans

Much of the COP 11 negotiations revolved around practical and financial support for countries in implementing national biodiversity plans to meet the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity and the 2020 Aichi Biodiversity Targets.

In reviewing global progress in implementing such measures, the COP reaffirmed the need for enhanced technical and scientific cooperation among countries, while underlining the potential for enhanced cooperation among developing countries.

To support such efforts, a new National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans Forum (NBSAP Forum) was launch at COP11 by UNEP, CBD, The Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP). The online forum provides easy-to-access, targeted information such as best practices, guidelines and learning tools for countries.

UNEP's Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) Initiative also presented a series of practical guides for governments at COP 11 for integrating the economic, social and cultural value of ecosystems into national biodiversity plans.

COP 11 also agreed to a number of measures to engage the main economic sectors, such as business and development organizations, to integrate biodiversity objectives in their plans and programmes.

Biodiversity, Forests and Climate Change

The COP called for enhanced collaboration between the CBD and UN climate change initiatives including Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+)

Given that forests are home to more than half of all terrestrial species, initiatives such as REDD+, where developing countries can receive payments for carbon offsets for their standing forests, can potentially help achieve international biodiversity targets, as well as those concerned with cutting carbon emissions.

The decision covers technical advice on the conservation of forests, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks.

However the COP also noted discussions around the need for biodiversity safeguards relating to REDD+ and similar incentives. Actions such as afforestation in areas of high biodiversity value, or the conversion of natural forests to plantations, for example, may have adverse impacts on biodiversity.

A parallel summit of Cities and Local Authorities was convened with the support of ICLEI. Participants adopted the Hyderabad Declaration on Subnational Governments, Cities and other Local Authorities for Biodiversity, which supports the work of cities to achieve the Global Strategy for Biodiversity and calls for greater coordination between levels of government.

For more information, please contact:

David Ainsworth, Information Officer, Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Phone +1 514 561 2720 (mobile), Email:

Bryan Coll, Newsdesk, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), on Tel. +254 731 666 214, E-mail: /

Notes to Editors

Other COP 11 decisions:

The Conference welcomed the establishment of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) earlier this year and recognized the potential contribution it could make to enhance the effectiveness of the Convention. COP requested IPBES to contribute to assessments of the achievement of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. It was decided that the Convention's Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice at its next meeting would provide additional explanatory information on the tasks requested from IPBES and that it would convey this information to IPBES before the its second plenary meeting at the end of 2013.

A decision on Article 8(j), relating to indigenous and local communities was adopted which provided a major component of work on customary sustainable use. The decision also advanced three tasks that may contribute to the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol including Guidelines related to priori informed consent, mutually agreed terms and others.

Governments also provided guidance to the preparations for the entry into force of the Nagoya Protocol and agreed that a third meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Nagoya Protocol will be needed in the upcoming two years. It was further urged to complete a number of tasks in advance of entry into force in a timely manner.

The conference also saw the launch of the Hyderabad Call for Biodiversity Champions. The programme will accept pledges from governments and organizations in support of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity. The government of India this week committed over US$ 50 million as part of the programme.

The Global Environment Facility, the financial mechanism of the Convention, for the first time, was provided with an assessment of the financial resources required to meet the needs of developing countries for implementing the Convention.

For a full list of decisions made at CBD COP 11, please visit:

About the UN Convention on Biological Diversity

Opened for signature at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, and entering into force in December 1993, the Convention on Biological Diversity is an international treaty for the conservation of biodiversity, the sustainable use of the components of biodiversity and the equitable sharing of the benefits derived from the use of genetic resources. With 193 Parties, the Convention has near universal participation among countries. The Convention seeks to address all threats to biodiversity and ecosystem services, including threats from climate change, through scientific assessments, the development of tools, incentives and processes, the transfer of technologies and good practices and the full and active involvement of relevant stakeholders including indigenous and local communities, youth, NGOs, women and the business community. The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety is a subsidiary agreement to the Convention. It seeks to protect biological diversity from the potential risks posed by living modified organisms resulting from modern biotechnology. To date, 164 countries plus the European Union have ratified the Cartagena Protocol. The Secretariat of the Convention and its Cartagena Protocol is located in Montreal. For more information visit:

About the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Established in 1972, UNEP is the voice for the environment within the United Nations system. UNEP acts as a catalyst, advocate, educator and facilitator to promote the wise use and sustainable development of the global environment. UNEP works with a wide range of partners, including United Nations entities, international organizations, national governments, non-governmental organizations, the private sector and civil society. UNEP work encompasses assessing global, regional and national environmental conditions and trends; developing international and national environmental instruments; strengthening institutions for the wise management of the environment; facilitating the transfer of knowledge and technology for sustainable development; and encouraging new partnerships and mind-sets within civil society and the private sector. For more information, visit:

UNEP presented the following reports at CBD COP11:

TEEB Water and Wetlands report

Avoiding Future Famines report

Protected Planet 2012 report

TEEB Implementation Guides to Aichi Targets 2, 3 and 11

Cities and Biodiversity Outlook report

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Chinese bibliographies

Date: Mon Aug 23 1999 - 06:53:13 EDT

       I need to give a bibliographic reference in an English document
       to a work in Chinese. Can anyone tell me what the norms are, if
       any, for forming a Chinese entry (with translation)?

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Cogdill visits Frog Country

As the state budget crisis reached new depths, Assemblyman Dave Cogdill was in Calaveras County to assure local government officials there is light at the end of the tunnel.

In his "day on the district," Cogdill met with Calaveras County supervisors and department heads, toured the county animal shelter and visited Angels Camp in a bus with city administrators.

Cogdill, R-Modesto, became Calaveras County's representative in Sacramento because of reapportionment.

Throughout the day, officials told Cogdill how difficult it is for local government to run state-mandated programs without state money to pay for them.

Unfortunately, Cogdill said, the state is engulfed in its own financial woes.

"It's been pretty much the same thing we've been hearing everywhere," Cogdill said on the same day Gov. Gray Davis announced the state budget shortfall would actually be almost $35 billion, not $21 billion as first projected.

The announcement came one week after Davis declared California in a state of fiscal emergency, and proposed millions of dollars in mid-year cuts.

On Wednesday, Cogdill said many of those cuts will hit hardest at the county level.

"The budget problem seems to be worsening by the day," Cogdill said.

Cogdill's first stop in Calaveras County was the Calaveras Works building in San Andreas, where he addressed county supervisors and department heads.

Cogdill told people at the morning meeting that he and other assemblymen are "frustrated" about the budget crisis, and do not understand Davis' "thought process" on how to to solve the problem.

"We are in an extraordinary session," Cogdill said. "Not a lot is being done at the moment, at least on the surface."

The various department heads took turns questioning Cogdill.

County Public Works Director Bob Kawasaki said his department barely gets enough money to maintain county roads. Now, with cuts looming because of the state crisis, Kawasaki said the county has frozen all work orders until cuts are finalized.

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The Voluntary Sector: Together, Stronger

Unite for Our Society

Unite believes that a strong voluntary sector is the foundation for a thriving society.

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A perfect time for a bit of self-reflection!

In: Cuts, Equalities, Pay, Sector News

‘Healing a divided Britain’ is a new report published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) that represents the biggest ever review into race inequality in Great Britain and which provides a comprehensive analysis on whether our society lives up to its promise to be fair to all its citizens.  Read More »

More cuts for young people as Regional Youth Work Unit closes

In: Cuts, Sector News, Young People, Youth Workers

Cuts blamed as Learning South-West, which houses the Regional Youth Work Unit, closes in dramatic fashion with eight staff being made redundant. The Regional Youth Work Unit supports young people and the youth sector to have a voice in decisions that affect their lives.There’s no indication yet on the charity’s web site and we are told that the staff, which includes Gill Millar, a hugely respected youth work figure, had no idea this was coming.  Read More »

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Multilateral Development Institutions Support a Robust Vision for Development in Post-2015
Source: adb.org
Source Date: Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Focus: Public Institutions, Knowledge Management in Government
Created: Jul 24, 2013

The leaders of seven multilateral organizations today issued a joint appeal for global support of a report issued by a high-level UN panel that calls for ending extreme poverty and promoting sustainable development.

In a joint letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, the seven leaders – who lead the  African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, European Investment Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group – offered their support for the for the panel’s findings.  This includes contributions their institutions could make to implementation at the country level, of knowledge for development, a robust financing framework, and a “data revolution” that would enable broader public debate, as well as more evidence-based policies, and increased accountability.

The high level panel recommends five transformative shifts in the approach to development:  leaving no one behind; putting sustainable development at the core; transforming economies for jobs and inclusive growth; building peace and effective, open and accountable institutions; and forging a new global partnership.

“We strongly endorse the vision ‘to end poverty in all its forms, in the context of sustainable development and to have in place the building blocks of sustained prosperity for all’. We see investments in people, growth, and structural change as driving forces,” said the heads of the institutions, supporting a development agenda that takes into full the human, environmental and economic dimensions of development.

“We endorse ideas of…provision of economic and social infrastructure and the development of a thriving private sector, which in turn provide the growth and jobs that help to end poverty,” they added, in recognition of a stronger partnership needed between government, the private sector and civil society.

The leaders strongly encouraged full achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, and rapid convergence of ongoing discussions around a single set of goals post-2015, a move that would allow governments and donor partners to start building implementation strategies to achieve such goals.

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City of Reno and Sierra Nevada and Truckee Meadows

The University of Nevada, Reno is an ideal location to study. Students are always impressed with the beauty of the Reno-Tahoe area. The city of Reno, located on the northwestern edge of the State of Nevada, has long been famed as the "Biggest Little City in the World". With a population of approximately 500,000 the region offers the advantages and excitement of a major urban area along with the quality of life found in a safe, small, friendly community. The Reno-Lake Tahoe area is known for year-around festivals and events. Thirty minutes to the south, you can relive the Wild West era in historic Virginia City, or travel only 360 km west to reach San Francisco, California. At the scenic eastern foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and at 1500 m. above sea level, Reno boasts a mild, dry climate with four distinct seasons and more than 300 days of sunshine per year.

Reno-Lake Tahoe Area

  • Entertainment and recreation capital
  • One hour drive from Lake Tahoe resort area
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For Comment: Penn's International Dimensions

Penn's International Dimensions: Introduction

Provost's Council on International Programs 1992-93

International Programs at the University of Pennsylvania

International Dimensions of Academic Programs

Foreign Languages at Penn

Research Institutes and Centers

Additional International Resources on Campus

Other International Dimensions

Passport Magazine

Penn's Activities Abroad

Study Abroad

The Oaxaca Exchange

Complutense Universidad de Madrid

International Activities of the Twelve Schools

Further Resources for International Activities

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January 12, 1993
Volume 39 Number 17

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Jon Cryer and wife adopt daughter

Sept. 29, 2009 at 10:53 AM
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LOS ANGELES, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Jon Cryer's publicist confirmed the U.S. actor and his wife, Lisa Joyner, have adopted an infant girl.

Cryer won an Emmy Award last week for his work on the television situation comedy "Two and a Half Men."

The actor's representative told People.com that Cryer's first child with his current wife is named Daisy and was born Aug. 11.

Cryer also has a 9-year-old son, Charlie, from a previous marriage.

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Sources: Octomom will keep Internet gig

Nov. 3, 2012 at 10:41 AM

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 3 (UPI) -- A rehabilitation facility will allow "Octomom" Nadya Suleman to work at her gig on an Internet chat site while she gets straight, sources told TMZ.com.

Suleman is a regular on Deeyoon.com, which TMZ described as a debate website in which she does battle on issues such as childcare. She will be allowed to conduct video chats from the facility, the report said.

Sessions tend to include heated shouting matches between Suleman and total strangers, or familiar names such as Lindsay Lohan's dad, Michael Lohan, TMZ said.

Suleman checked in to kick a prescription-drug problem, but made it clear she needed the income from Deeyoon.com. The facility management agreed, but sources said a staff member will monitor the chats to make sure Suleman stays on the road to recovery.

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Querrey touted as next U.S. tennis star

July 11, 2006 at 11:55 AM

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., July 11 (UPI) -- Sam Querrey, an 18-year-old tennis player who turned pro just last month, has been touted by experts as the next big U.S. star for the sport.

Querrey, whose 135-mph serve and strong forearm won two of the three tournaments he has played in since turning pro, could be the answer to the USTA's fears that the U.S. tennis talent pool is drained, The Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday.

"I'm a big believer in Sam Querrey. He's the real deal," Eliot Teltscher, the director of High Performance, the United States Tennis Association's player-development program, told the newspaper. "Whether he'll be No. 1 or No. 10, or No. 50, we don't know yet. But is the potential there? Absolutely."

The USTA had fallen under criticism after players Andy Roddick, James Blake and Donald Young lost in the third round at Wimbledon.

Querrey has given the USTA reason to hope, climbing from No. 1,146 in ATP rankings to No. 207 in less than a year.

"I don't really know what other people's expectations are, but mine are definitely getting higher every day," he said to the Times.

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GOP slams IRS on planned $70 million in bonuses

June 19, 2013 at 3:54 PM
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WASHINGTON, June 19 (UPI) -- U.S. Senate Republicans are criticizing the Internal Revenue Service for plans to pay $70 million in bonuses officials say may be contractually required.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa -- a member of the Senate Finance Committee -- said in a letter to acting IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel Tuesday the bonuses would violate a White House directive that federal agencies refrain from paying bonuses because of the federal budget deficit, Politico reported.

"The IRS always claims to be short on resources," Grassley said in a statement Wednesday. "But it appears to have $70 million for union bonuses."

Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch of Utah said the bonuses appear to be "a payoff to union workers at a time when we're drowning in a sea of red ink."

IRS spokeswoman Michelle Eldridge said White House Office of Management and Budget guidelines on withholding bonuses do not apply to "legally required" payouts but CBS News reported Eldridge declined to say whether the IRS believes the bonuses in question are contractually obligated.

"In accordance with OMB guidance, the IRS is actively engaged with NTEU on these matters in recognition of our current budgetary constraints," she said.

The National Treasury Employees Union did not respond to CBS News' requests for comment.

The report came as Tea Party organizers staged a rally in Washington Wednesday to protest not just IRS policy but also U.S. immigration policy and the administration's stance on providing arms to rebels in the Syrian civil war.

The "Audit the IRS" rally on the U.S. Capitol's west lawn featured Republican Senate Tea Party Caucus member and possible 2016 GOP presidential hopeful Rand Paul of Kentucky, House Tea Party Caucus Chairwoman Michele Bachmann of Minnesota and conservative talk radio host Glenn Beck, the Tea Party Patriots tax-exempt political group said on its website.

Paul, addressing an audience estimated in the hundreds, called for termination of IRS agents, The Hill reported.

"Anybody want to fire some IRS agents?" he said.

"We're sick and tired of government bullies and we need to send them home."

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp, R-Mich., a member of the Tea Party Caucus, told the crowd congressional Republicans "will get answers" on the IRS issue.

"It will take time but we will get the facts and we will follow them wherever they lead," he said.

Rep. Sander Levin, D-Mich., said he was "disappointed" Camp took part in the rally Wednesday.

"His participation sends the wrong signal that the Ways and Means portion of the investigation is being politicized," Camp told Politico.

At least 18 political groups alleging they were targeted by the IRS when they applied for 501(c)(4) tax-exempt status as "social welfare" organizations were to participate in the rally, Tea Party Patriots said.

The IRS has apologized for the targeting, which an inspector general's report said began in 2010 and ended last year when senior IRS officials learned of it.

The report, released last month, found an IRS unit in Cincinnati used criteria that included conservative labels such as "Tea Party" to target certain groups seeking tax-exempt status for extra questioning.

IRS rules prevent groups engaged in excessive political activity from becoming tax exempt, but the agency has struggled to develop clear guidelines on the matter.

"We are going to tell the world about how the IRS tried to crush the Tea Party movement," the patriots group said in an email to supporters.

Many in the crowd booed at the mention of Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., when the subject turned to immigration reform, Politico said.

"This bill is at its core amnesty," said Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa. "We're here to today ... to take this debate outside the halls of Congress. If it's not going to be good enough inside, we'll take it outside!"

"Thousands of volunteers will rally in the largest demonstration of Tea Party support since 2010," said the email, first reported by The Daily Caller news and opinion website.

The fiscally focused, quasi-libertarian Tea Party movement was at its height in 2009 and 2010, drawing tens of thousands of attendees to rallies, and was a vocal force in mobilizing voters to support Republican candidates in 2010.

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Polls open in Maltese election

March 9, 2013 at 10:34 AM

VALLETTA, Malta, March 9 (UPI) -- Maltese voters headed to the polls Saturday for a general election that may result in the first change in government for the Mediterranean country in 15 years.

The ruling Nationalist Party, which has been in power in Malta for 24 of the past 26 years, has trailed in opinion polls despite the party's strong economic performance amid the overall financial crisis in Europe, the BBC reported.

The election was called in December, when Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi lost his one-vote majority after a dissenting Parliament member voted against a budget bill.

Gonzi, who is seeking re-election, has urged voters to take into account his management of Malta's economy.

His main rival, Joseph Muscat of the Labor Party, has pledged to reduce Malta's electricity prices -- said to be among the highest in the world -- by 25 percent.

More than 90 percent of Malta's eligible voters were expected to vote Saturday, the BBC said.

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Chicago Bulls' Kirk Hinrich (12) watches his shot after being fouled by Detroit Pistons' Carlos Delfino (20) of Argentina during the final seconds of the fourth quarter in Chicago on March 29, 2007. Hinrich made 2 out of 3 free throws to put the Bulls ahead. The Bulls won 83-81. (UPI Photo/Brian Kersey)
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Kirk James Hinrich (born January 2, 1981) is an American professional basketball player, currently a guard for the NBA's Atlanta Hawks. He has also been a member of the USA National Team. Growing up in Sioux City, Iowa, Hinrich was exposed to basketball at an early age. His father, Jim, coached him from the third grade through high school.

As a high school senior, Hinrich was named the 1999 Co-Iowa Mr. Basketball, along with future college teammate and roommate Nick Collison. Hinrich originally committed to play basketball at Iowa State but when the coach at the time, Tim Floyd, took the head coaching position for the NBA's Chicago Bulls, Hinrich changed his mind and decided to attend the University of Kansas. While playing college basketball for Kansas, Hinrich helped his team reach the Final Four in the NCAA basketball tournament in 2002 and the championship game against the Carmelo Anthony-led Syracuse University in 2003. Hinrich played all four years at Kansas before being drafted into the NBA. He is often referred to as "Captain Kirk" because he has been voted a team captain for the Bulls for four consecutive years. Hinrich is the Bulls' all-time leader in three point field goals. After seven seasons with the Bulls, he was traded to the Washington Wizards on June 8, 2010. He then was traded to the Atlanta Hawks on February 23, 2011.

Hinrich was born to Jim and Nancy Hinrich of Sioux City, Iowa. His father had played college basketball at Briar Cliff College and later became a coach for Sioux City West High School. When Hinrich was about seven years old, Jim Hinrich visited Ray Nacke, his old college coach, and asked if Kirk could enroll in Nacke's summer camp for fourth, fifth, and sixth graders. Despite Nacke's hesitations, Hinrich was allowed to attend the camp, and played well against the older children. After just two years, Hinrich advanced to Nacke's camp for young teenagers, and excelled there, as well.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Kirk Hinrich."


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Smoke Glacken News
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Smoke Glacken (foaled 1994 in Maryland) is an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. Sired by Two Punch, a son of the important sire, Mr. Prospector, his dam was Majesty's Crown, a daughter of Irish stakes winner Magesterial who was a son of Northern Dancer.

Trained by Henry Carroll, at age two Smoke Glacken finished second in his racing debut then won four straight, including the Tyro Stakes, and the Grade II Sapling Stakes both at Monmouth Park Racetrack and his most important win of 1996, the Grade I Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga Race Course by nine lengths. He finished his two-year-old season with $284,500 in earnings.

A sprint horse best at distances of a mile or less, in his three-year-old season Smoke Glacken won six of his eight races and had a second and a third place finish in his other two starts. He won the Grade II Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash Stakes at Laurel Park, the Grade III Riva Ridge Stakes at Belmont Park, the Grade III Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park by eight lengths, the Grade III Jersey Shore Breeders' Cup Stakes, the Mountain Valley Stakes, and the Black Gold Handicap. He was second in the Grade II Lexington Stakes at Keeneland to Touch Gold, and third in the Grade III Louisiana Derby to Crypto Star and Half Watch by a half-length. He finished his three-year-old season with $475,060 in earnings.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Smoke Glacken."


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Cadence Weapon “Get On Down” Vignette. Sick Look.

Video by Jasper Baydala

Cadence Weapon Announces Dates With Liars

Tour Dates With Liars

07/05/12 - San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore (Tickets)
07/07/12 - Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge (Tickets)
07/08/12 -  Seattle, WA @ Neumos (Tickets)
07/09/12 -  Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret (Tickets)
07/11/12 -  Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge (Tickets)
07/13/12 -  Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theatre (Tickets)
07/14/12 -  Lawrence, KS @ The Granada (Tickets)
07/15/12 -  Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room (Tickets)
07/21/12 -  Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace (Tickets)

Cadence Weapon Polaris Long List Nomination
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Shout out to Cadence Weapon Hope In Dirt City for his Polaris Long List Nomination!

The 2012 Polaris Long List was announced today (June 14) at The Waldorf Hotel in Vancouver, BC.

Polaris Founder and Executive Director Steve Jordan was pretty excited about the List.

"The year's list deliciously illustrates the burgeoning sense of community in our jury," he said. "Almost half of the selections on this list were the direct result of passionate recommendations made by individual members to their peers. We hope the ultimate result of this dialogue will likewise inform the taste of adventurous music lovers from Canada and the world."

Christien Summers at NXNE

Young Lions Music Club and NXNE Present:
Christien Summers (8PM), Teenage Kicks, Paper Lions + more.
The El Mocambo
Friday, June 15, 2012 @ 8PM
464 Spadina Ave
19+ NXNE wristbands accepted
More Info

NXNE Present:
Christien Summers (1AM), w/Jon Cohen Experimental + more
Cameron House
408 Queen Street West
19+ NXNE wristbands accepted

Download Christien Summers 'Cloud One' mixtape here:

Cadence Weapon "Hope In Dirt City" Out Today

Hip Hop Authority - 4/5 - 4/5
NME - 8/10
NOW Magazine - NNNN
The Grid TO - 9/10
Montreal Gazette - 4/5
Montreal Mirror - 8.5
All Music Review - 8/10
PreFix Magazine - 8/10

STREAM THE ALBUM AT Exclaim!, MTV, MuchMusic, CBC Radio 3 , or Montreal Gazette

                    Get Your Beautiful CD DIGIPACK or PRE-ORDER Vinyl LP at the UC Boutique

Hope In Dirt City Shirt - Multi cityscape hand drawn by the lovely Jade Eden Blair
American Apparel 100% Cotton available in White & Heather Grey

A couple classic styles, Black Shark and Blue Harp, still available

"Conditioning" Live & Remixes

Watch the Video for "Conditioning" on the FADER

Pitchfork Exclusive: Cadence Weapon "Conditioning" (Grimes Remix)

Creators Project: Cadence Weapon "Conditioning" (Doldrums Remix)

Stereogum Exclusive: Cadence Weapon "Conditioning" (CFCF Remix)

PRE-ORDER "Hope In Dirt City"

Hope In Dirt City  | Track Listing
01. Get On Down
02. Conditioning
03. Jukebox
04. Cheval
05. (You Can’t Stop) The Machine
06. No More Names (Aditi)
07. Small Deaths
08. Hype Man
09. There We Go
10. Crash Course For The Ravers
11. Hope In Dirt City

PRE-ORDER ‘Hope In Dirt City’ (May 29) NOW

PRE-ORDER CD & Vinyl LP at the UC Boutique

Cadence Weapon Adds Primavera Sound to UK Tour
05/17/12 - Cardiff, UK - Clwb lfor Bach* (Tickets)
05/18/12 - Brighton, UK - Green Door Store* (Tickets)
05/19/12 - Liverpool Sound City, UK -The Kazimier (Tickets)
05/21/12 - Bristol, UK - Cooler* (Tickets)
05/22/12 - London, UK - CAMP Basement* (Tickets)
05/23/12 - Manchester, UK - Soup Kitchen* (Tickets)
05/24/12 - Glasgow, UK - King Tuts* (Tickets)
05/25/12 - Leeds, UK - Cockpit 2* (Tickets)
05/26/12 - Nottingham, UK - Bodega* (Tickets)
05/29/12 - London, UK - The Garage (Upstairs)* (Tickets)
05/30/12 - Barcelona, SP- Primavera Sound - Apollo (Tickets)
06/01/12 - Barcelona, SP- Primavera Sound - Zero (Tickets)
06/02/12 - Barcelona, SP- Primavera Sound Festival (Tickets)
06/11/12 - Seattle, WA - Neumos* (Tickets)
06/12/12 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge* (Tickets)
06/14/12 - San Francisco, CA - The Independent* (Tickets)
06/15/12 - Los Angeles, CA - The Echoplex* (Tickets)
06/16/12 - San Diego, CA - Casbah* (Tickets)
06/19/12 - Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge* (Tickets)
06/21/12 - Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall* (Tickets)
06/22/12 - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop* (Tickets)
06/23/12 - Toronto, ON - Lee’s Palace* (Tickets)
06/25/12 - Montreal, QC - La Sala Rossa* (Tickets)
06/26/12 - Allston, MA - Brighton Music Hall* (Tickets)
06/27/12 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom* (Tickets)
06/28/12 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg* (Tickets)
06/29/12 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's* (Tickets)
06/30/12 - Washington, DC - Rock and Roll Hotel* (Tickets)
07/03/12 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th St. Entry* (Tickets)
07/28/12 - Edmonton, AB - Interstellar Rodeo (Tickets)
08/10/12 - Woodstock, NB - Dooryard Festival (Tickets)

*/w Japandroids

DVAS "Questions" Remixes from Adam K, Enton Mushi and James Bradshaw Now Available On iTunes

After an exclusive run on Beatport  and holding down the #39 spot on the Prog Top 100, DVAS "Questions" Remixes by Adam K, Enton Mushi Music, and James Bradshaw is now available on iTunes.

Fresh off his monster track "Tomahawk" alongside BT and out on Armin Van Buuren's Armind imprint, ADAM K drops a serious bomb with a tough main room prog stormer.  After a brief hiatus, Hotbox Digital returns with an absolute monster of a track that showcases our very own DVAS “Questions” getting the royal remix treatment.

 This mix has been getting serious heat from Adam's SiriusXM Radio show, and Podcast, as well as in his live sets.

Also included on the trance tip from Toronto's rising talent Enton Mushi who brings a driving, melodic remix that layers the lush vocal over rolling percussion and smooth chord progressions.

Lastly, 2 time Juno award winner James Bradshaw gives us a more chilled out, luscious club mix perfect for early night grooves or terrace vibes that brilliantly showcases DVAS' rich vocals over moody, memorable synths.

Check out a preview of Adam K's mix on YouTube

Get it now at iTunes.

Christien Summers Joins We Are Serenades May 14
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Embrace and Filter Magazine Presents We Are Serenades & Christien Summers

Currently recording their debut album, Christien Summers have shared the stage with Nightbox, the Balconies, Memoryhouse and Meligrove Band to rave reviews!

"Christien Summers fuse prime '70s dance beats with electronic sounds, striking an excellent balance between vintage sounds and modern sensibility" chartattack

Monday, May 14, 2012
The Garrison
1197 Dundas Street West TORONTO
  Doors 9pm - $10 adv

Tickets available at TicketWeb, Rotate This & Soundscapes

Facebook event

Download Christien Summers 'Cloud One' mixtape here:


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Presidential reading list

In case you're wondering how President Obama spent his time on Ait Force One after leaving Wisconsin, WisPolitics reports:

GOP guv hopeful Mark Neumann delivered a signed copy of his campaign book to Barrett's campaign office and asked him to give it to the president.

"Hopefully, some of those conservative ideas he can pick up and use because they're applicable across the country," Neumann said.

Talk about your futile gesture. Maybe if he'd bought a ticket he could have handed it over in person.  Or had his photo taken.  That  apparently would have been the closest Neumann is going to to get power in a long time, the way things are going.

No surprise: Sierra Club backs Larson

No surprise in this announcement:

The Sierra Club announced the endorsement of Chris Larson for election to Senate District 7. Larson has earned the Sierra Club’s endorsement by virtue of his responses to a candidate questionnaire, his environmental platforms, public service, and public statements. Sierra Club-endorsed candidates are those judged to be the best advocates for Wisconsin’s clean air, clean water, and special places.

“Chris Larson’s commitments to fight climate change, enact real renewable energy policies and standards and his support for intercity high speed rail and Regional Transit Authorities make him the Sierra Club’s choice,” said Dave Blouin, Political Committee Chair. “Voters in District 7 can count on Chris Larson’s commitment to protect Wisconsin’s environment.

Larson is challenging incumbent State Sen. Jeff Plale in the Democratic primary.  Plale almost single-handedly killed the Clean Energy Jobs Act, a top priority for environmental groups,  last session.  Now he may finally have to pay the piper for his years of working on behalf of the special interests instead of his constituents.

Feingold and Obama: BFF?

There's a small buzz among folks who attended the Obama fundraiser for Tom Barrett on Monday -- why did Obama mention Herb Kohl and Gwen Moore in his remarks at the event, and not Russ Feingold?

Did Feingold ask not to be mentioned because Obama is poison?  Is Obama angry with Feingold for voting against the recent financial reform package?

Fox News, whose parent company just gave $1-million to the Republican Governors Assn., speculated that Feingold might not show.  Wishful thinking, trying to turn everything into a negative.  If Obama were poison, why would Barrett welcome him?

But before the Obama visit, The Hill actually asked Feingold (who would have thought of that?) whether he had any hesitation about being with the President:

"Absolutely none," Feingold said when asked if he has any qualms about appearing with Obama, according to a pool report.

Ron Johnson making unauthorized calls

Robocall on our machine:

This is Ron Johnson, calling to invite you to take part in the Summer Showdown on Saturday, Aug. 21.  Momentum is behind us and we need your help to deliver our message statewide.  On August 21 we will attempt to make 100,000 voter contracts across Wisconsin.  But we need your help to connect with these voters.  Can I depend on your support?  We will be working from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at dozens of victory centers across Wisconsin.  To RSVP for a shift, please visit or call 608-257-4765.  There is a lot at stake in the elections this fall, and we hope to see you on August 21.

So far, so good.  Then the disclaimer:

On Online Brainstorming, Or, "Hey, Unions...Wanna Grow?"

Sometimes stories happen because of planning; other times serendipity intervenes, which is how we got to the conversation we’ll be having today.

In an exchange of comments on the Blue Hampshire site, I proposed an idea that could be of real value to unions, workers...and surprisingly, employers.

If things worked out correctly, not only would lots of people feel a real desire to have unions represent them, but employers would potentially be coming to unions looking to forge relationships, and, just to make it better, this plan bypasses virtually all of the tools and techniques employers use to shut out union organizers.

Since I just thought this up myself, I’m really not sure exactly how practical the whole thing is, and the last part of the discussion today will be provided by you, as I ask you to sound off on whether this plan could work, and if so, how it could be made better.

It’s a new let’s all put our heads together and rebuild the labor movement, shall we?

Plale-Larson profile: A firm grasp of the obvious does a profile on the Chris Larson-Jeff Plale Dem primary in the 7th State Senate District, and reaches this shocking conclusion:

But it’s obvious Larson is running to Plale’s left.

There is no room to run anywhere but to Plale's left in a Democratic primary.  He has hogged the right lane and no one's going to pass him on the right.  That's what the race is all about -- Plale running as a Dem but operating like a moderate Repub.

Rain, Rain Go Away

“Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day,” the little Eau Claire girl sang to her mom. The rain came down in sheets.

When the rain and storms did go away, left in the wake was a trail of destruction. From Martel Township in the north to Little Fall Township in the south, our Senate District saw substantial damage.  Downed power lines, trees toppled, tin from barn roofs blown off, semi trailers and campers blown over.

Roads and bridges were washed out or damaged. Many saw blocked culverts turn into substantial road damage for town roads and private drives.

In Buffalo County homes were flooded, some perhaps damaged beyond repair. Cows were stranded. Pierce County deputies assisted a farmer who had about 80 heifers “floating down” the Rush River. Thankfully, most of the animals were recovered alive.

It’s been a tough summer.

From high winds, tornados and now, lots of rain, Western Wisconsin has seen more than its share of extreme weather events.

To solve the problems spawned by the storms, people turn to local government.

Walker expecting a primary blowout

The Journal Sentinel may be on to something.

First, it noted that Mark Neumann seems to be pulling his punches of late in the Republican primary for governor, after earlier going aggressively after rival Scott Walker.

Neumann insists that's not because he's giving up. But Walker, by all accounts, has a big lead, and if Neumann is to have any hope of winning a month from now he will need to be on the attack.

Sunday's JS story on a Neumann-Walker debate reinforces the idea that Walker is already looking beyond Neumann to the general election race against Tom Barrett.

It doesn't have to be that way, but Neumann -- maybe responding to criticism from some Repubs when he went negative earlier -- is now running hokey upbeat commercials that will not beat Walker. To win, he needs people now leaning Walker's way to change their minds. And his spot speaking to a group of fawning, head-nodding admirers in a very clean barn just won't get it.

No wonder Walker and his campaign have moved on to the general.

Where is Whistling Straits again?

The Sunday NY Times writes of different datelines used to file stories from Whistling Straits, where the PGA golf championship is being played this weeekend, and says:

It depends whom you ask. On all its materials, from its Web site to the I.D. cards it issues to staff members and reporters, the P.G.A. declares that Whistling Straits is in Kohler. Kohler County, which owns the place, says so, too.

There is no Kohler County, of course. It is in Sheboygan County. It is corrected in the online version. It is Kohler Company that owns the course, which looks georgeous on national TV.

There's more:

... [R]ight by the entrance to the Whistling Straits course is an unincorporated community called Haven (home to Haven Bar and Grill, the only watering hole within miles of here).

Walker still fudges on college record

Scott Walker, the degree-less candidate for governor, continues to describe his college career in ways that are terribly misleading if not outright fibs.

The latest came after Saturday's debate with Mark Neumann, and it unfortunately is a paraphrase so we don't have Walker's exact words, just the essence, from the Journal Sentinel:

Walker said he didn't graduate because he got a job and he suggested that in the current economy college students close to graduating might consider doing the same.

Here's the thing: Walker was not "close to graduating," although he has given the impression over the years that he might be just a few credits shy of a degree.

But here are the facts:

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Union Pacific Recognizes Chemical Customers for Safety Excellence

Omaha, Neb., April 21, 2008 – Union Pacific today announced recipients of the railroad’s 12th annual Pinnacle Award for chemical transportation safety. This year, the award recognized the safety achievements of 31 of Union Pacific’s 1,200 chemical and petrochemical customers that were selected to receive the 2008 Pinnacle Award.

"The Pinnacle Award gives Union Pacific the chance to acknowledge and thank our customers for their continuing efforts to eliminate chemical releases from rail cars," said Diane Duren, vice president and general manager-chemicals. "We work closely with all customers to help prevent an accidental release during transit of chemical shipments and jointly demonstrating a commitment to the safe transportation of hazardous materials."

All Union Pacific chemical and petrochemical customers were invited to apply for the annual award. Applicants were judged on safe loading techniques, securement of shipments and zero non-accident releases.

Since 2000, non-accident releases of hazardous material on Union Pacific’s network have declined 40 percent, due in part to increased inspections by the railroad’s hazardous material safety field personnel and the Pinnacle Award criteria.

Recipients of a 2008 Pinnacle Award are:

  • Afton Chemical Corporation
  • BASF Corporation
  • BP Products North America
  • Canexus Chemical Canada LP
  • CF Industries, Inc.
  • Chevron Oronite
  • Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. LP
  • Chevron Products Company
  • Cytec Industries, Inc.
  • Georgia Gulf Chemicals
  • Koch Sulfur Products Company LLC
  • Marathon Petroleum Company
  • Mexican Fluor, S.A. De C.V.
  • Norfalco
  • NOVA Chemicals
  • Old World Industries
  • Olin Corporation
  • PCS Sales (USA)
  • PPG Industries Inc.
  • Rohm & Haas Texas Inc.
  • Sasol North America
  • SI Group
  • Sunoco, Inc.
  • Targa Resources
  • Tesoro Refining & Marketing
  • Texas PetroChemicals LP
  • Tronox
  • US Magnesium LLC
  • Valero Marketing & Supply Company
  • VeraSun Energy Corporation
  • Westlake Chemical

About Union Pacific

Union Pacific Corporation owns one of America’s leading transportation companies. Its principal operating company, Union Pacific Railroad, links 23 states in the western two-thirds of the country and serves the fastest-growing U.S. population centers. Union Pacific’s diversified business mix includes Agricultural Products, Automotive, Chemicals, Energy, Industrial Products and Intermodal. The railroad offers competitive long-haul routes from all major West Coast and Gulf Coast ports to eastern gateways. Union Pacific connects with Canada’s rail systems and is the only railroad serving all six major gateways to Mexico, making it North America’s premier rail franchise.

For further information, contact James Barnes at (402) 544-3560.

The statements and information contained in the news releases provided by Union Pacific speak only as of the date issued. Such information by its nature may become outdated, and investors should not assume that the statements and information contained in Union Pacific's news releases remain current after the date issued. Union Pacific makes no commitment, and disclaims any duty, to update any of this information.


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Eric Wolhford

Eric Wohlford

Eric studied the effects of malaria on B cells in Kenya. Read More...

Major Research Areas

Brian Howell, PhD

Brian Howell, PhD
Appointed 10/01/08
4701 Institute For Human Performance
505 Irving Ave.
Syracuse, NY 13210

315 464-8154

Current Appointments

Hospital Campus

  • Downtown

Research Programs and Affiliations

  • Biomedical Sciences Program
  • Neuroscience Program
  • Neuroscience and Physiology
  • Physiology Program

Education & Fellowships

  • PhD: McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, 1992
  • BS: University of Western Ontario, Canada, 1985

Previous Appointments

  • NIH, Bethesda MD, 1999–2008

Research Interests

  • The signal transduction events that regulate the functional organization of neurons in the brain, and the phenotypes caused by defects in the genes that encode these signaling molecules.

Link to PubMed External Icon (Opens new window. Close the PubMed window to return to this page.)

Brain development is an exquisitely regulated phenomenon, whereby waves of differentiation produce diverse classes of neurons, oligodendrocytes and finally, astrocytes. Ultimately these cells, particularly the neurons, organize into functional networks that receive, integrate and transmit information. My lab studies how molecular signaling regulates the migration of neurons from their site of origin to destinations where they extend processes, form synapses and integrate into networks. One of our focuses is to investigate how the Reelin signaling pathway influences the positioning of distinct neuronal classes into stereotypical layers in the brain. Reelin, a secreted ligand, induces the tyrosine phosphorylation of the intracellular docking protein Dab1 by clustering the neuronal receptors ApoER2 and VLDLR and activating Src-family kinases. The tyrosine phosphorylation of Dab1 generates signaling complexes that includes the molecules Nckβ, Crk, CrkL and PI3K. These complexes regulate the behavior of neurons as they migrate, enabling them to settle into layers. We have shown that Reelin signaling influences the extension of the Golgi apparatus into neuronal dendrites and the ability of neurons to polarize. We are currently investigating how these cellular behaviors influence neuronal positioning and other neuronal properties regulated by Reelin signaling.

We have recently expanded our focus to include genetic causes of autism spectrum disorder (ASD); specifically RELN mutations, more than 40 of which have been identified in ASD patients. We have found that mutations are enriched in an Arg-X-Arg motif in the core of the Reelin subrepeat domains. The function of the paired Arg residues is unknown. Therefore, we are working to resolve the consequences of mutations in this motif in Reelin biosynthesis and signaling with the ultimate goal of determining how they contribute to ASD.

Selected Publications

1. Howell, B.W., Hawkes, R., Soriano, P., and Cooper, J.A. (1997). Neuronal position in the developing brain is regulated by mouse disabled. Nature, 389: 733-737.

2. Pramatarova, A., Ochalski, P.G., Lee, C-H., Howell, B.W. (2006) Mouse Disabled 1 regulates the nuclear position of neurons in a Drosophila eye model. Mol. Cell. Biol. 26:1510-1517.

3. Pramatarova, A., Chen, K.-L., Howell, B.W. (2008) A genetic interaction between the APP and Dab1 genes influences brain development. Mol. Cell. Neurosci.37:178-186.

4. Matsuki, T., Pramatarova, A., Howell B.W. (2008) Reduction of Crk and CrkL expression blocks Reelin-induced dendritogenesis. J. Cell Sci. 121:1869-1875.

5. Matsuki, T., Matthews, R.T., Cooper, J.A., van der Brug, M.P., Cookson, M.R., Hardy, J.A., Olson, E.C., Howell, B.W. (2010) Reelin and Stk25 have opposing roles in neuronal polarization and dendritic golgi deployment. Cell 143:826-836.

6. Matsuki, T., Zaka, M., Guerreiro, R., van der Brug, M.P., Cooper, J.A., Cookson, M.R., Hardy, J.A., Howell, B.W. (2012) Identification of stk25 as a genetic modifier of Tau phosphorylation in dab1-mutant mice. PLoS ONE 7(2): e31152.

7. Teixeira, C.M., Kron, M.M., Masachs, N., Zhang, H., Lagace, D.C. Martinez, A., Reillo, I., Duan, X., Bosch, C., Pujadas, L., Brunso, L., Song, H., Eisch, A.J., Borrell, V., Howell, B.W., Parent, J.M., Soriano, E. (2012) Cell-autonomous inactivation of the Reelin pathway impairs adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus. J. Neurosci. 32:12051-12065.

8. Matsuki, T., Chen, J., Howell, B.W. (2013) Acute inactivation of the serine-threonine kinase Stk25 disrupts neuronal migration. Neural Dev. 2013, 8:21 doi:10.1186/1749-8104-8-21.

9.Abadesco, A.D., Cilluffo, M., Yvone, G.M., Carpenter, E.M., Howell, B.W., and Phelps, P.E. (2014) Novel Disabled-1-expressing neurons identified in adult brain and spinal cord. Eur. J. Neurosci. 39:579-592.

10. Lammert, D.B., and Howell, B.W. (2016) RELN mutations in autism spectrum disorder. Front. Cell. Neurosci. 10:84 doi: 10.3389/fncel.2016.00084

Faculty Profile Shortcut:


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Top Definition
A weak fantasy ball team that is usually owned by a man named William.
Man !! I get 55 point team easy. I have a ton of power, but most of my players hit .226 and are always banged up. I also have a ton of shaky closers. I know I won't get the no protection penalty this year.
by Rotoking March 24, 2011
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Top Definition
modern-day mystifier, daredevil and mindfreak, able to read minds, bend forks, float napkins and eat razors. Has survived: being underwater for 24 hours, being lit on fire, walking 200ft above ground blindfolded, being blown up, run over with a humv, hung from hooks...
Criss Angel is awesome.

Check out Criss Angel this summer on A&E!
by Loyal Jess May 03, 2005
one of the greatest illusionists ever (in my opinion)
this man is beautiful,
very talented
by loner August 09, 2003

A man who is obviously a closet homo, and uses creative camera angles and middle aged women to give him credit as an "Illusionist"

"I am Criss Angel. Where is my eye liner and hair gel?"
by Criss Angels Hairspray December 09, 2008
The best ilusionist ever! (Despite what other people may tell you.)
Watch Criss Angel on A&E at 10:00 P.M., like i do!
by Word Master123 August 24, 2006
A man who can make magical illusions happen to appear very very real. He has had A television show for years now and he can do many amazing things. He is most definitely ftw. He is also known by his stage name Mindfreak.
I am going to Las Vegas to See the amazing magician Criss Angel.
by the future mrs. bieber December 28, 2010
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The sound that an Orc makes.
*Clicking on a random place on a map*

Orc: Dabu!
by skick March 08, 2003
family or clan originated from lubao, pampanga, philippines
abelardo dabu
by rey dabu January 28, 2004
Used to describe someone or something as stupid.
Justin wore a leather jacket to school today, and it was one of the most dabu things I've ever seen him do.
by Dabumonster August 08, 2016
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Person1: That's ghey!
Person2: Dude, don't use that word.
Person1: But I'm spelling it g-h-e-y.
Person2: Dude, that doesn't matter, it's still offensive.
Person1: Well, that's ghey!
Person2 thwacks Person1
by Loser February 18, 2005
Photos & Videos
Top Definition
a derivation of gay meaning lame. meant to be non-offensive to individuals of a homosexual persuasion.
"That coffee cup is broken. How ghey."
by mad nasty sarah April 17, 2005
It means the same as "gay." This term began as a way to get around videogame servers and other profanity filters. Gay is blocked, but "ghey" is just fine.
that movie was ghey

you are ghey
by DigitalLion April 13, 2006
a way to take the guilt out of offending homosexuals by calling something unfavorable gay.

since verbally, the new spelling is virtually unnoticeable, this rationale is rendered a waste of time, but as mentioned, it serves its purpose in the mind of the homophobe-in-denial.
"that album was GAY as hell... no offense, (homosexual bystander), i don't mean it in a bad way" ...

i hope he thinks i said "ghey" instead of "gay", so he won't take me for the idiot i am, since i can't think up a better adjective to put in place of "bad"
by ghey is ghey October 09, 2006
postmodern redevelopment of the word "gay" - it now implies all the formerly offensive stereotypes of uselessness / weakness then associated with effeminate homosexual men in 1970's sitcoms, whilst carrying with it no actual implied sexuality connotations.
My computer is being ghey.

by Lady Jane January 17, 2007
An alternative way to type gay. It has, after all, the same pronounciation. Commonly found wherever "l33tsp33kers" are found as an attempt to replace gay with something else.

Note that this word was used in "Retarded Animal Babies #10" on
*puppy from R.A.B.*
"Uhh. Gay."
by Death By Zobb December 13, 2004
Quite possibly the stupidest word ever created by modern hipsters.
On the scale of stupid made-up words, ghey is right up there with pwned and teh
by HelloChild August 01, 2006
A word used by homophobes who don't like to admit they are homophobic, so they hide behind a misspelling of a derogatory word so they can pretend like they aren't completely free of morals.
Do you think calling someone "ghey" instead of "gay" is totally okay?

If I call you a "stoopid fukking dooshebag", does it mean I don't think you're not a total asshole?

by stop-to-THINK February 16, 2009
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Top Definition
The best movie of all time. A group of gangster vampires
Deeaamnnnnnnnn nucka, Vampiyaz is the shit.
by RatedTforTeen March 26, 2005
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Bamboo Montage-08 Riding Buckle Knee High Boot

Breeze through your day with these stylish riding knee high boots. Features round toe front, wrap around buckle strap detail at the ankle, stitching details, and low flat heel. Finished with side zipper closure, cushioned insole, and soft faux fur interior lining for all day comfort.

~Material: Leatherette (man-made)
~Sole: Treaded

heel height: 1" (approx)
shaft length: 16.75" (including heel)
top opening circumference: 14.5" (approx)

fitting tips:
foot model is a true size 6.5, foot measures 9.5" from heel to toe, width measures 3.5".
model's review: true to size.

have you seen these yet?
Customer Reviews

Burlington, IA 52601

October 10, 2012

I really like these boots. They're exactly what the picture looks like. They scuff up easily, so be careful not to wear them too much. Great purchase!

Port Deposit, MD 21904

October 10, 2012

I love these boots! I received so many compliments on them when i wore them. They run true to size also! My only complaint would be that i didnt know there was a thin layer of like fur on the inside...but at least i will stay warm!

Madeline Mill

troutdale, OR 97060

August 08, 2012

I love these. They are a little shiny for my taste, and are kinda big on my feet (size 10), but none the less, I love them and look forward to wearing them

Resa Carpenter

Granger, WA 98932

August 08, 2012

These aren't bad, the material just looks a little cheap. Almost like pleather or plastic or something. It's weird. But the rest of the boot is fine so I can't complain too much. Fit is true to size.


text:
Hot Water Systems

Act NOW to Secure Rebates and Start Saving!

Get your Free Quote for gas or solar hot water. Simply fill out and submit the form below! (WA Only)

Master Plumbers & Gasfitters Association Waterwise Specialist Ureco Facebook Page Ureco YouTube

Solar Hot Water Testimonials

We are not shy to shout about our high level of service. Nor are our customers. This is them having their say...

Product Review

Home Improvement Reviews

"Thanks to the team at Ureco....was very pleased with every aspect of the transaction - from the initial call on Saturday, quote process and installation was all exceptional. You should all be proud of the services you provide."

Doug & Deb Smith, Rockingham Area, June 2016

"Thank you for the fast installation. The team of guys installing my unit were thorough professional and even fixed a few areas on my roof. So far I would highly recommend Ureco to anyone looking for a new hot water system."

Clint Allan, Rockingham Area, May 2016

"Just wanted so say a big Thank You to yourself and your team that installed our new hot water system last week. You we're a pleasure to deal with as my initial contact with UrEco and the guys doing the job were very professional and readily answered any of my queries on the spot. I thoroughly enjoyed my nice warm shower that night after installation and the system has been working great since. I will happily recommend your company should any of our friends and family ask."

Emma & Dan Spada, Armadale Area, April 2014

"Many thanks for prompt response to the leak in my new solar. It was fixed within 2 hours of me reporting it. I have been most impressed by the service you have given and you can be sure I will be passing this on to friends and colleagues."

Roy, Yanchep Area, March 2016

"In an industry where it is common to pay too much and suffer poor service, it was a breath of fresh air dealing with Alex from Ureco. He responded within 20 minutes of requesting a quote and was at the property one hour later! He made an assessment of the existing faulty HWS and gave us options to fix or swap for a new one. The cost was reasonable and the new one was installed quickly. When an issue came up (not Ureco's fault), Alex took ownership of the problem and provided us a resolution which we were pleased with. Two thumbs up for Alex and Ureco, I cannot recommend them enough!"

Terry Young, Perth Metro, Dec 2015

"My solar water tank with back up gas booster suddenly stopped working, after calling a plumber he said it was most likely the pump which was failing. I called the manufacturer who said that a technician would call me the same day to book a time to repair it. I am still yet to hear from this technician. I phoned UrEco desperate for someone to help fix my hot water system and was connected with Alex Brown Technical Manager. Alex asked me a few questions about the system to do some checks so he could ascertain what the problem was before sending a technician out for no reason. Alex was so friendly and polite and extremely knowledgeable, the problem with my hot water system was that the power had tripped turning off the power supply to the solar tank and back up gas booster which meant there was no hot water. Alex solved my problem without me needing to pay for labour or replacement parts. Outstanding Customer Service is hard to find these days and Alex went above and beyond to help fix my hot water system. I would be out of pocket and still waiting for the technician if I hadn't given UrEco a call. Highly recommend a call to them first for any problems you may have."

Jessica, Perth Metro, Nov 2015

"Called these guys regarding an Edwards solar hot water booster issue on one of my rental properties in Perth. Their team liaised with my tenant and went out same day to replace what turned out to be a faulty element. They also took the time to explain how the supplied element is better suited for hard water areas. Quick, Friendly and Price Competitive! I would recommend them to anyone and use them again."

Sharney, Rockingham Area, Sept 2015

"We had an Apricus Solar Hot Water system installed one year ago and it has been totally trouble free and economical, only requiring the gas booster for a couple of months in winter. The team were efficient, reliable and very friendly with the installation and Alex provided excellent after sales service recently, when we had a power problem that wasn't even the fault of the hot water system. I highly recommend UrEco."

Erin, Western Suburns, Sept 2016

"Thanks for installing the gas booster for me on last Friday. They are very professional and did brilliant job!!  I already recommend you to all my mates."

Jing Wu, Bassendean, Sept 2015

"Thank you for your prompt efficient service - I am very impressed by your work ethic and professional attention to detail. Although I was not present during installation, my family reports your staff were on time, courteous, and did an excellent job. I shall not hesitate to recommend your company to any of my friends and colleagues seeking solar products."

D Flockhart, Armadale Area, July 2015

"This company could not do enough for us. My Mum is a pensioner, and Alex and his team did everything to get hot water to her at an affordable price. The product is superb. The gentlemen that attended gave my Mum the courtesy of answering all of her questions. Can not recommend them highly enough."

Debi, Perth, April 2015

"We appreciate your company's products and support. We are so happy to be able to write a testimonial for your company

We experienced from when we first talked to your sales team to the completion of instillation a very professional approach. From first discussions about the hot water system hot water systems to the final cleanup , the job was professional, fast and we have been left with a SOLAR HWS that is so efficient and Hot far more so than our previous system. The installers were clean,professional and friendly . Timing was spot on and we will happily recommend your company."

Ross and Anne Martin, Banjup, April 2015

"Just wanted to provide some positive feedback on our new hot water system and professional installation. Really impressed - thanks."

David Kipling, Hillarys, March 2015

"This company was very easy to deal with, gave great advice and service and the installation was of a very high standard. We recommend!"

Grant & Rochelle, Fremantle Area, March 2015

"Switching from the old gas storage to a new heat pump hot water system was quick and efficient. The 4 tradies chosen by Alex were excellent. The unit is smaller than the old 'clunker' (taken away for free) with the bonus that the new bueaty is unseen from any window"

Ian & Nina, Trigg, Feb 2015

"Ureco Solar Hot Water were excellent in installing our hot water system. They're very efficient and fast"

Verity, Fremantle, Jan 2015

"Just like to say we are extremely pleased with our HWS installed in November. As an added bonus, our  power bill just arrived and came in under 50% of what we were previously paying!"

Liddlelow Family, Mandurah, Jan 2015

"Following the birth of our baby girl at 15.32 today I have just come home to hot water. To have not only a temp hot water solution provided within hours of our old one breaking, followed then by a completely brand new Rinnai Solar system installed and the old removed all within 48hrs..... Exceptional!

To Alex, Adam and anyone else involved a massive thanks!"

Family Coghlan, Perth South Western Suburbs, Jan 2015

"Ureco and Sanden heat pump. The service, information and professionalism we received from Ureco and in particular from Alex Brown were outstanding. The Sanden 250 litre heat pump was installed near Dunsborough exactly a week after my first enquiry. These pumps are amazing! Hot water starting within 20 minutes, and almost silent. Ours is installed outside our bedroom window - inaudible. Daily power draw of only 1-2 kW after start up. Marine grade stainless steel tank with 15 year warranty. Cheaper to run than any other system, and free when powered by solar PV. Not cheap, but a real quality product and definitely worth the money. So impressed that we have arranged for Ureco to install one at our Perth house."

Johnson household, South-West WA and Perth, Dec 2014

"Ureco Solar Hot Water was very responsive and was helpful in sorting out my hot water unit issue rather than selling a whole new unit, they were able to fix my existing unit and that saved me money."

Michelle, Perth, November 2014

"Ureco were very professional and very helpful. With their help I found out I did not need a new solar hot water system as it was only a replacement element that was needed. I would highly recommend this company."

Shirley Palmer, July 2014

"Ureco Solar Hot Water responded to my request very promptly and delivered a great service and some good advice"

Peter Duff, July 2014

"I congratulate your guys for doing a professional job and they left everything neat and tidy."

Cooper Family, Perth North-Eastern Suburbs, July 2014

"Thanks for the Professional job you and your team did on Friday, most impressed! And will be recommending you to others if they require a hot water replacement or upgrade. Nice to have Hot water 24/7"

Fairfield Family, Perth Northern Suburbs, July 2014

"I would like to take the opportunity to thank you and your team for the prompt and professional installation service.
I was very impressed with the efficient way the installers went about their business, and the care taken taken on the job was impressive."

Hubble Family, Perth Hills, June 2014

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank you immensely for installing the Ureco Solar Hot Water System at our property . From the initial contact to the final installation and commissioning stage you have displayed professionalism , utmost customer care /service and prompt response to an emergency situation with meticulous attention to finer details . Your service ticked all the boxes of quality, efficiency and most importantly value for money . I assure you that I will do the best to spread the good word in the community and my social network. I hope I can help you generate more business and good will for your business.  I am happy for you to use me as a reference or testimony for promoting your service ."

Mr Joseph, Perth Southern Suburbs, Feb 2014

"I wish to compliment your company on the service provided by your employees Adam and Rob. They were prompt, courteous, thorough, efficient and clean workers....a credit to themselves and your company.

The electrician Brad was also a thorough professional in every way.

Thank you for a pleasant buyer experience:-) I shan't keep it a secret."

Mrs Browne, Perth Northern Suburbs, Feb 2014

"Just like to state my sincere thanks for the no nonsense approach to my inquiry and the rapid response to my emails and the great advice you gave me.

I would also like to praise Rob (our in-house plumber and gasfitter) for this professionalism, friendliness and for doing such a great job on my installation.

I will be recommending Ureco whenever I get the chance.

  • Great service
  • Great advice
  • Amazingly fast installation
  • High standard of work
  • Professional and friendly

I can not praise you guys enough.

A job very well done!!"

Bailey Family, Perth Northern Suburbs, Feb 2014

"Thank you for all your help. Please pass on our thanks to Rob (our in-house plumber and gasfitter), he was very professional and the job he has done for us is very neat and tidy. If anyone I know ever has hot water problems I won't hesitate to recommend your company."

Travaglini Family, Perth Southern Suburbs, Jan 2014

"Ureco clearly has a strong focus on excellent customer service……professional and prompt from start to finish. The new solar hot water system was installed and the old system removed with a minimum of fuss and the new system performs very well."

Ms Gregory, Perth Northern Suburbs, Nov 2013

"Very good and prompt answering all my questions and supplying information. Installation team worked well together and very helpful to me. All recommended."

Mr Freeman, Perth, July 2013

"Thank you very much for excellent customer service.

From my initial contact with your company, subsequent telephone conversations and agreement to proceed, followed by you calling to confirm scheduled installation date, and then reconfirming the day before. Arrived on the day and at the time they said completed a 1st class installation, and left the place clean and tidy.

I will be mentioning this to anyone I know that is considering solar hot water system."

Prior Family, Perth Southern Suburbs, June 2013

"Thanks for the prompt service guys.  When it became evident that my old solar hot water system was well-and-truly dead, I had a shiny new conergy 300L up on the roof within mere days, even with the storms looming!  A big thumbs-up!"

Bacon Family, Perth Hills, May 2013

Perth Gas Bill after Solar"Solar makes a big difference. Your solar has made my bill shrink"

[This customer removed their old gas storage system replacing with a gas boosted Conergy Solar system. Their gas bill has now dropped more than 90%, see picture!]

Hunter Family, Perth South Estern Suburbs, Feb 2013

"Thanks for good service"

Di Stefano, Perth Northern Suburbs, Jan 2013

"Great Job, didn't expect it so fast.

Very happy with my dealing with Ureco, Everything was planned and executed.

Cheers for a professional job done well."

Wade Family, Perth Northern Suburbs, Jan 2013

"System working efficiently, water staying hot without boosting during cold days. Fan setting during off peak times not noisy.

Really pleased with product choice, price very competitive to similar units."

Niemann Family, Perth Northern Suburbs, July 2012

"The installers were friendly and professional. They left the job very tidy and answered all my questions."

Sheirff Family, Armadale, June 2012

"Just a quick note to express our thanks to all of you and your team!

From the time I spoke and met with you to the arrival of the Hiab operator, the plumber and his offsider, the electrician and finally yesterday your young lady in admin. everyone was very professional and pleasant.

We haven't used the booster so far and tapping into the hot water line to the kitchen in the roof was the right thing to do. We now get VERY HOT water there and in seconds. GREAT PERFORMANCE!"

Mr Delbost, Perth Northern Suburbs, May 2012

"Wow what a difference! Finally a decent shower. The team did an excellent job and I would highly recommend your company."

Mr Guyler, Perth Southern Suburbs, May 2012

"Everyone we dealt with from ureco was great. Ureco was the only company to call me back after calling numerous companies. Installers were friendly and approachable. Overall very pleased with our new system."

Mr Wicki, Perth North-Eastern Suburns, April 2012

"All Very helpful and lovely to deal with. Very happy with the can do attitude, great service"

Ferreo Family, Perth Northern Suburbs, March 2012

"We are very pleased with our Conergy Heat Pump hot water unit and would recommend ureco to others trying to reduce their energy bills"

C Bainbridge, Armadale, March 2012

"We have had a lot of renovations and repairs done at this house in the last 6 years and we have never came across a more professional organisation in that time. You were responsive, on time and knew what you were doing. You certainly exceeded our expectations.

The service was outstanding in every respect. Knowledge, timing and quality of the product were fantastic."

Tucker Family, Perth, March 2012

"Very friendly, helpful and polite. Very happy with the whole installation and system. Thank you!"

Kannemeyer Family, Perth Northern Suburbs, March 2012

"Would not hesitate to use again and recommend to others."

Weatherston Family, Perth Hills, March 2012

"Very satisfied with all aspects of the job. Appreciated greatly the promptness and anticipation of Alex and the rest of the team. My gas hot water system broke down on a Friday and the new system was in place Monday morning after a consult on Saturday."

D'Almeida Family, Perth North Eastern Suburbs, March 2012

"The job was done on the agreed date and time, quickly, neatly and without fuss."

Kaufman Family, Mandurah, March 2012

"Fast and efficient service and installation. We had hot water within 3 hours of installation."

Johnson Family, Perth Metro, February 2012

"Ureco were very prompt in responding to my enquiry and were able to install a new system within days. Overall it was a hassle-free, positive experience."

Ricci Family, Fremantle, January 2012

"The installed system is working perfectly and I'm very happy with it"

Mrs Tan, Perth, November 2011

"Very satisfied. Recommend you!"

Mr Worth, Perth, November 2011

"After much searching for the right heat pump for our home, we purchased a Heat Pump at the 2010 Bunbury Home Show. Since we replaced the LPG Gas storage unit we have saved over $600 in replacement gas bottles. We also have not seen an increase in our electricity bill that we have been monitoring for the past year.

We have and will continue to recommend this product and the service we've received from ureco."

Atanackovic Family, South-West WA, August 2011

"Your service has been extremely helpful. Overall, taking the quality of the product into account I would say that you are offering a better value, hopefully other potential customers can appreciate that too."

MacGill Family, Perth, May 2011

Electricity Bill Reduced "After replacing our electric hot water system with a heat pump in July 2010 we found our electricity bill dropped 33%! Furthermore we could have longer showers without ever worrying about running out of solar hot water. We are happy with our heat pump system and recommend ureco."

Tomuli Family, Perth, April 2011

"The service I received from Alex Brown has been exceptional. My questions were always answered in a professional, yet friendly manner. I found the ureco hot water system to be the most efficient and effective for my needs - the system works wonderfully well in providing hot water, and the best part, for me, is that with the timer I save on the use of electricity (by combining with my solar power system). I am happy to recommend the product to any prospective buyer."

L Footman, Perth, October 2010.

"The hot water system we installed in July provides copious quantities of hot water for our family of 6. The advice, assistance and service provided has been excellent and I recommend both the product and the ureco team."

Clarke Family, Perth, September 2010.

"As a plumber, I install lots of different hot water systems. Recently I have installed a new ureco system and I was impressed with the modular concept as it is user friendly and can be adapted to suit most situations at a realistic price."

K Harper, WA Plumber, May 2010

"The unit we installed has functioned faultlessly. As a result of the efficiency and reliability of this initial unit, we have successfully installed these units as stand alone hot water systems in other buildings at CSIRO.

They have proven to be a good investment, in both reliability terms and energy efficiency. I would thus be happy to recommend these units."

P Paterson, CSIRO Property Services, March 2010


text:
Grand Coulee Dam and Partners Receive National Award

Media Contact: Annette Ross, (208) 378-5322
Lynne Brougher, (509) 633-9503

For Release: May 13, 2013

Grand Coulee Visitor Center StaffGRAND COULEE, Wash. - The Bureau of Reclamation's Pacific Northwest Region along with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Chelan County Public Utility District were honored on April 23 at the 2013 National Hydropower Association annual conference in Washington, D.C.

The agencies received the Outstanding Stewards of America's Waters Award (OSAW) for Public Education for their collaborative educational program called the "D3 Geocache Challenge", a high-tech treasure hunt offered at Grand Coulee Dam, Chief Joseph Dam, and Rocky Reach Dam, all located on the Columbia River.

Geocaching uses GPS (global positioning system) devices or a Smartphone to receive clues to search for hidden items and learn about clean, renewable energy in a fun way.

Upon completing the specific geocaches at Grand Coulee Dam, treasure hunters return to the Visitor Center to receive their prize, a piece of the overhead power lines that once carried electricity from the largest powerplant in the United States. To receive a distinguished D3 patch, visitors must also complete additional geocaches at Chief Joseph Dam and Rocky Reach Dam.

"This was truly a partnership project," said Lynne Brougher, Grand Coulee Dam Public Affairs Officer. "Coordinating the program with the other dams was fun and it was a great opportunity for the participants to learn interesting facts about the dams and a great way to promote local tourism. It took a lot of teamwork. The staff members at the Grand Coulee Dam Visitor Center worked diligently to ensure the program succeeded by assisting visitors in their quest to complete the challenge."

Due to the success of the program in 2012, it is being expanded to 10 additional Northwest dams this summer through the Foundation for Water and Energy Education.

The Grand Coulee Dam Visitor Center is open daily from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. with extended hours during the summer season. Geocache locations are accessible from dawn to dusk.

For more information about geocaching at Grand Coulee Dam, contact the Visitor Center at (509) 633-9265.

# # #

Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier and the second largest producer of hydroelectric power in the United States, with operations and facilities in the 17 Western States. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit our website at and follow us on Twitter @USBR.


text:
Faculty books and recordings

Rogues in Shining Armor

What’s the source of our stereotypes about the press? A handful of Frank Capra films, argues this celluloid/social study.

Frank Capra and the Image of the Journalist in American Film
by Joe Saltzman
IJPC, $34.95

A conversation with his mother started Joe Saltzman thinking about how journalists are depicted in the media and how those portraits – true or false – shape public opinion of the profession.

“She knew more about Mary Richards, Lou Grant and Murphy Brown than she knew about her own family and friends,” says Saltzman. “Everything she knew about the media she got through TV and films.”

An award-winning broadcast journalist and professor of journalism in the USC Annenberg School for Communication, Saltzman has spent the last 15 years researching and cataloging how newshounds are represented on film, TV, radio, in commercials, cartoons and pop literature. His video and audio collection alone spans thousands of hours.

Saltzman’s archive led to his book, Frank Capra and the Image of the Journalist in American Film, which takes a close look at nine films from the 1920s to the 1950s. The book is also the first publication of the Image of the Journalist in Popular Culture, an ambitious project of the USC Annenberg School’s Norman Lear Center. Besides publishing scholarly books, the IJPC makes its immense collection – much of it donated by Saltzman – publicly available through a Web site ( A journal, symposia and new classes are in the offing too.

Capra’s films were a natural starting point for Saltzman. Enormously popular, they inspired later filmmakers and introduced a range of archetypes. There was the opportunistic reporter, e.g. Clark Gable’s character in It Happened One Night, “an amoral, alcoholic rogue who will lie, cheat, do anything to get a scoop,” says Saltzman; the cub reporter ridiculed by seasoned journalists; the angry, cynical editor obsessed with getting the story first; the “sob sister,” a sarcastic female assigned to get the emotional angle; and the ruthless media baron who uses the press to advance his own agenda.

“I think [Capra’s] fictional images are not that off the mark,” Saltzman opines. But that’s not the point. “It doesn’t matter if [these types are] true to life, because this is the image people base their decisions on.”

Capra, who had once been a Los Angeles Times delivery boy, collaborated with veteran journalists to create realistic characters. That’s a major departure from today’s movies, made by people whose only contact with the media is through unsavory tabloid journalism. Consequently, reporters often figure as villains now, anonymous packs chasing the hero without respect for privacy. “That probably is the worst image of the journalist in modern times,” Saltzman says.

Film critic and historian Leonard Maltin said he was hooked on Saltzman’s book from page one, predicting it “will be consulted for many years to come by film buffs and media scholars alike.”

– Usha Sutliff

Photo by Michele A. H. Smith

Jazzed About Teaching

Jazz trumpeter Ron McCurdy has fronted countless classes. He’s headed an international association, directed an institute, chaired a department. But he hasn’t, until now, released a CD.

The title track on his debut recording, Once Again for the First Time, refers to how the 46-year-old jazzer feels about his return to teaching. McCurdy arrived at USC in 1999 to direct the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance. Last fall, he joined the faculty of the USC Thornton School of Music.

“I was teaching again, but it felt so fresh,” he says. “My classes are as much about sociology, political science and economics as they are about music. I use music as a vehicle to teach about life.”

McCurdy’s pedagogical gigs began in 1983 as director of jazz at his Ph.D. alma mater, the University of Kansas in Lawrence. He went on to the University of Minnesota as professor of music and chair of African-American studies before joining the Monk Institute. With fewer administrative duties than in his previous jobs, McCurdy at last has some time for playing and composing. “I love the environment here at USC – it’s so positive and so fertile,” he says.

Besides blowing trumpet and flügelhorn on Once Again for the First Time, McCurdy also tries his hand – or, rather, his throat – at vocals. Joining him are five friends and colleagues whose names read like a “Who’s Who” of Los Angeles jazz musicians: Jeff Clayton, of the Clayton Brothers, on sax; Grammy-winner Patrice Rushen, a former Monk Institute colleague, and Shelly Berg, jazz chair at the USC Thornton School, on piano; cousin Roy McCurdy, who has played with the likes of Sonny Rollins and Cannonball Adderley, on drums; and Kenny Davis of the “Tonight Show With Jay Leno,” on bass.

Four of the tunes are McCurdy originals. “Most of my music emanates from personal experience,” he says. “I look at my life and transform those things into sound.”

“Twin Pines,” for example, is a jazz waltz that recalls a trip to northern Minnesota. “Madeleine’s Lullaby” is a tribute to McCurdy’s 3-year-old daughter. Since finishing the CD, McCurdy has composed three more stand-alone pieces.

Both as a teacher and a musician, McCurdy worries about the future of jazz. Though more schools than ever teach it, this uniquely American art form is not faring as well as might be hoped in its homeland, McCurdy says. While European jazz festivals are sold out, U.S. festivals are introducing non-jazz elements to stay solvent.

“We, as Americans, tend to be so commerce-driven and flavor-of-the-month,” he says. “Jazz requires patience and mandates that you bring something to the table. It’s like a Picasso: You have to see it from different angles, come back to it several times. It can’t be, like so much of our pop, wallpaper music. You don’t have to have a studied ear to listen, but it does require that you listen.”

– Inga Kiderra

Photo by Mark Tanner

People Watch: page 2

Words and Music

Traumatic Pasts: History,
Psychiatry and Trauma
in the Modern Age, 1870-1930
edited by Mark S. Micale and Paul Lerner
Cambridge University Press, $60

Providing a window on the critical intersection between trauma, science and social change, USC historian Paul Lerner and his co-editor offer a unique historical exploration of trauma in Europe and America over a 50-year span, with a dozen essays on railway accidents, female sexual trauma, shell-shock, male hysteria and more.

The Gift of the Nile: Hellenizing
Egypt from Aeschylus to Alexander
by Phiroze Vasunia
University of California Press, $45

Ancient Greeks had firsthand contacts with Egypt, yet Aeschylus, Herodotus, Euripides and Plato deliberately distorted the facts, constructing a barbaric “Greek myth of Egypt” that flies in the face of history. USC classics scholar Phiroze Vasunia sets out to prove this bold claim and unravel the significance of these misrepresentations. “Egypt haunted Greece for 150 years,” he writes. “If not for the myths, would Alexander have conquered the Nile Valley?”

Outlaw Representation:
Censorship and Homosexuality
in Twentieth-Century American Art
by Richard Meyer
Oxford University Press, $35

In a pioneering study illustrated by nearly 200 works from artists both obscure and famous, USC art historian Richard Meyer recounts the conflicts over censorship and homosexuality that have shaped modern art. He argues that gay artists responded to suppression by producing their own outlaw representations, proposing new forms of social, sexual and creative life.

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Slip of the Lips
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Muscling in on Alzheimer's
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Rogues in Shining Armor
Capra's films argue press stereotypes

Jazzed About Teaching
Jazz Trumpeter Ron McCurdy releases CD

Grants are a Girl's Best Friend
$20M goes to Women's careers Science, Engineering

Young and the Estrus
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Water Works
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Marshall Arts and Sciences
A Fourth Trojan Receives Marshall Scholarship

In the Mood
One Little Helpful Enzyme, A Lifetime of Solutions

In Tune With Science
Elaine Chew harmonizes music and engineering