Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.
Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/21134540/vp/52319528#52319528
trina rob dyrdek oberon donald driver donald driver robin thicke mariana trench
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Pre-caffeine tech: Instagram fight, insane TVs?
Technology 
1 hour ago
io9.com
Our pre-caffeine roundup is a collection of the hottest, strangest, and most amusing stories of the morning.
Are beetles really stoking Colorado fires? Let's find out, while we look at some pictures of bugs!
Finally! Real-life super-powered 'exosuit': Better, faster, stronger ... softer!
Ellen Page, star of "Juno" and a bunch of other movies, says this video game totally "ripped off" her likeness.
Yoinks! Facebook Reader won't Be the Google replacement of your dreams.
That said, why does everyone except Google want to build a reader?
People freaking out over Mark Zuckerberg's dog don't seem to know that's what those kind of dogs look like when they grow up.
Here's the latest on Bitcoin blah blah blah.
Are people with laptops and big phones more assertive than iPod and feature-phone users? Yes, according to this survey.
Instagram fight! Instagram fight! Rihanna and Liz Jones in an Instagram fight!
In closing: The Most Insane Television Sets in History!
Compiled by Helen A.S. Popkin, who invites you to join her on Twitter and/or Facebook.
Kate Middleton Nude Photos Coptic Christian saturday night live julio cesar chavez jr Topless Kate university of texas UT Austin
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
"Why Has Destruction Become the Default?"
A version of this story first appeared in the July 19 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.
?As a matter of cosmic history it has always been easier to destroy than to create,? observed Mr. Spock back in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, when the only actor who played him was Leonard Nimoy. But in the modern landscape of CGI-driven event moviemaking, the possibilities for both creation and destruction have become almost limitless. Suddenly, the imaginative landscapes of science fiction and fantasy that fired our imaginations as children -- from Tolkien?s Middle-earth and the futuristic battle school of Orson Scott Card?s Ender?s Game to, well, The Avengers?-- have become possible to realize on the big screen in all their breathtaking scope and detail.
Given that potential, it?s a little depressing to see how to an increasing extent Hollywood seems only interested in taking the collected talents of screenwriters, directors, animators, and previsualization artists and using it to ? blow stuff up.
To be sure, destruction always has been on the menu in moviemaking?-- explosives were a special-effects staple decades before the first computer rolled off the line -- but this summer in particular the urge to explode, implode, and collapse real and imaginary landscapes seems to have crowded out all the other forms of large-scale storytelling. We?ve already seen half of tomorrow?s San Francisco plowed through by a starship in Star Trek Into Darkness; central London get destroyed in G.I. Joe: Retaliation; Krypton, Smallville and Metropolis go boom in Man of Steel; and human civilization fall to hordes of antlike zombies in World War Z.
PHOTOS:?'This is The End' Premiere: The Apocalypse Gets Funny
Even comedies are getting in on the act, with This Is the End and the upcoming The World?s End alike playing Armageddon for laughs. In a 2013 movie, if you see a wide shot of a beautifully rendered cityscape, be assured that it?s about to get violently wrecked for your viewing pleasure.
So why has destruction become the default mode in constructing a summer event movie? Some of it is certainly on the filmmakers themselves. Any kid who?s knocked over a sibling?s block tower knows that it?s just fun to destroy things. And a $200 million tentpole film? Well, they don?t call them blockbusters for nothing.
And, yes, it?s an easy storytelling shortcut to creating ?stakes? for the hero. All too often, widespread devastation is the very manifestation of throwing money at a perceived storytelling problem. If the audience -- or, more likely, the studio exec -- isn?t feeling a sense of escalation, of big-bigger-biggest, the solution is to pummel with rubble. Though, paradoxically, the more destruction you see, the more hollow it feels.
But truth be told, a lot of it comes down to audiences and what they?re consistently paying to see. Summer after summer, American and global audiences have been rewarding bloated, thinly told movies where stuff blows up real good while rejecting flawed but interesting movies like The Lovely Bones or What Dreams May Come, where the CGI toolkit was used to create imagery to be savored rather than incinerated.
Certainly the earnest predictions that post 9/11, audiences would reject lighthearted scenes of urban destruction that felt too much like real life are looking more absurd with each film that features falling skyscrapers, crushed urban infrastructure, and dazed, ash-covered survivors and strikes it rich at the box office.
PHOTOS: 26 of Summer's Most Anticipated Movies: 'Man of Steel,' 'Wolverine,' 'The Lone Ranger'
Still, I have to think that the pendulum is about to swing away from monotonous mayhem on an industrial scale, if for no other reason than because it?s become so repetitive. Are there any major American cities or landmarks that haven?t yet been subjected to the stunt-pyrotechnics-CGI wrecking ball? And how many different ways are there to show a skyscraper falling over, anyway?
My fondest hope is that filmmakers and studios will try to get out ahead of the market and try harder to fill their big movies with grand vistas and imagery that invoke awe and wonder in their audiences. All of us who grew up reading science fiction and fantasy can think of amazing images that we?d love to see realized onscreen: the telepathic dragons of Anne McCaffrey?s Pern books, the dolphin-crewed starship of David Brin?s Startide Rising, or the 90-million-mile-long inhabited ribbon of Larry Niven?s Ringworld.
It?s one reason the film I?m most excited for this summer is Elysium. Writer-director Neill Blomkamp already showed a great ability to marry striking imagery with rich storytelling in District 9, and his upcoming tale of futuristic class warfare in a beautifully realized orbital habitat looks to be both visually stunning and intellectual provocative.
Let?s just hope he can restrain himself from blowing that space station up.
With his writing partner Ashley Edward Miller, Zack Stentz co-wrote the films Thor and X-Men: First Class, wrote and produced for television shows such as Fringe and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and wrote the young-adult novel Colin Fischer.
Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1927749/news/1927749/
andrew luck andrew luck trent richardson robert griffin iii dontari poe space shuttle nyc monkeypox
Texas Democrat tries to block abortion restrictions with 12-hour filibuster
By Corrie MacLaggan
AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - A Texas lawmaker who was a single mother at the age of 19 and is now a rising star of the state Democratic party was attempting to block a Republican drive for sweeping new abortion restrictions on Wednesday by speaking continuously for 12 hours.
The filibuster by state Senator Wendy Davis, 50, could derail a proposal including a ban on abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy. She must talk until midnight (0500 GMT), when a 30-day special session expires.
But Texas Republican Governor Rick Perry, a strong opponent of abortion, could revive the proposal by calling another special session of the legislature.
If the filibuster fails and the Senate approves the proposal, Texas is virtually assured of becoming the 13th state in the nation and by far the most populous, to impose a ban on abortion after 20 weeks.
The proposal also calls for stricter standards for abortion clinics, which opponents said would force nearly all the state's abortion clinics to close or be completely rebuilt.
Davis said the abortion restrictions would be the latest in a "war on women" in Texas, using a criticism leveled at Republicans nationally in the 2012 election.
During the filibuster on Tuesday, she read a stream of messages of support she said had come from women around Texas.
Davis has used the filibuster to frustrate majority Republicans before, temporarily blocking approval of education funding cuts in 2011.
Republican supporters of the tighter regulation of abortion clinics said they would protect the health of women, and the ban on late-term abortions would protect the fetus based on controversial research that suggests pain is felt by 20 weeks of development.
The U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortion nationwide in 1973, but conservative states have enacted laws in recent years that seek to place restrictions on the procedure, especially on abortions performed late in pregnancy.
A Philadelphia jury last month convicted abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell of murdering three babies during abortions at a clinic in a high-profile case that focused national attention on late term abortions.
Earlier this month, the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill banning abortions 20 weeks after fertilization. The measure is extremely unlikely to become law because Democrats control the U.S. Senate and the White House.
Twelve states have passed 20-week bans, including two states where the bans take effect later this year, according to the Center for Reproductive Rights. Courts have blocked the bans in three of the 12 states - Arizona, Georgia and Idaho.
The Texas proposal would allow exemptions for abortions to save a woman's life and in cases of severe fetal abnormalities.
(Reporting by Corrie MacLaggan; Editing by Greg McCune and Lisa Shumaker)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/texas-democrat-tries-block-abortion-restrictions-12-hour-231458778.html
chris carpenter chris carpenter dick cheney hcg drops reason rally mad hatter azerbaijan
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Boost for cars or bust? Ethanol debate heats up
WASHINGTON (AP) ? It's a dilemma for drivers: Do they choose a gasoline that's cheaper and cleaner even if, as opponents say, it could damage older cars and motorcycles?
That's the peril and promise of a high-ethanol blend of gasoline known as E15. The fuel contains 15 percent ethanol, well above the current 10 percent norm sold at most U.S. gas stations.
The higher ethanol blend is currently sold in just fewer than two dozen stations in the Midwest, but could spread to other regions as the Obama administration considers whether to require more ethanol in gasoline.
As a result, there's a feverish lobbying campaign by both oil and ethanol interests that has spread from Congress to the White House and the Supreme Court.
On Monday, the Supreme Court rejected a challenge by the American Petroleum Institute, the oil industry's chief lobbying group, to block sales of E15. The justices left in place a federal appeals court ruling that dismissed challenges by the oil industry group and trade associations representing food producers, restaurants and others.
Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy, an ethanol industry group, hailed the decision as victory for U.S. consumer, who will now have greater choice at the pump.
"Now that the final word has been issued, I hope that oil companies will begin to work with biofuel producers to help bring new blends into the marketplace that allow for consumer choice and savings," Buis said.
The API had argued that E15 was dangerous for older cars.
Putting fuel with up to 15 percent ethanol into older cars and trucks "could leave millions of consumers with broken down cars and high repair bills," said Bob Greco, a senior API official who has met with the White House on ethanol issues.
The ethanol industry counters that there have been no documented cases of engine breakdowns caused by the high-ethanol blend since limited sales of E15 began last year.
"This is another example of oil companies unnecessarily scaring people, and it's just flat-out wrong," said Bob Dinneen, president of the Renewable Fuels Association, an ethanol industry group.
The dispute over E15 is the latest flashpoint in a long-standing battle over the Renewable Fuel Standard, approved by Congress in 2005 and amended in 2007. The law requires refiners to blend increasing amounts of ethanol into gasoline each year as a way to decrease reliance on fossil fuels and lower greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming.
The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a 16.5 billion-gallon production requirement for ethanol and other gasoline alternatives this year, up from 15.2 billion gallons last year. By 2022, the law calls for more than double that amount.
Biofuel advocates and supporters in Congress say the law has helped create more than 400,000 jobs, revitalized rural economies and helped lower foreign oil imports by more than 30 percent while reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
But the oil industry, refiners and some environmental groups say the standard imposes an unnecessary economic burden on consumers. Using automotive fuel that comes from corn also has significant consequences for agriculture, putting upward pressure on food prices, critics say.
"The ever increasing ethanol mandate has become unsustainable, causing a looming crisis for gasoline consumers," said the API's Greco. "We're at the point where refiners are being pressured to put unsafe levels of ethanol in gasoline, which could damage vehicles, harm consumers and wreak havoc on our economy."
Along with the E15 court case, the API and refiners have swarmed Capitol Hill and the White House to try to have the current mandate waived or repealed.
Charles Drevna, president of the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, which represents refineries, accused the EPA of putting politics ahead of science.
An EPA official told Congress earlier this month that the agency does not require use of E15, but believes it is safe for cars built since 2001.
"The government is not saying 'go ahead' " and put E15 in all cars, said Christopher Grundler, of the EPA's director of the office of transportation and air quality. "The government is saying this is legal fuel to sell if the market demands it and there are people who wish to sell it."
Ethanol supporters say E15 is cheaper than conventional gasoline and offers similar mileage to E10, the version that is sold in most U.S. stations.
Scott Zaremba, who owns a chain of gas stations in Kansas, scoffs at claims that E15 would damage older cars. "In the real world I've had zero problems" with engine breakdowns, said Zaremba, whose station in Lawrence, Kan., was the first in the nation to offer E15 last year.
But Zaremba said he had to stop selling the fuel this spring after his gasoline supplier, Phillips 66, told him he could no longer sell the E15 fuel from his regular black fuel hoses. The company said the aim was to distinguish E15 from other gasoline with less ethanol, but Zaremba said the real goal was to discourage use of E15. New pumps cost more than $100,000.
The American Automobile Association, for now, sides with the oil industry. The motoring club says the government should halt sales of E15 until additional testing allows ethanol producers and automakers to agree on which vehicles can safely use E15 while ensuring that consumers are adequately informed of risks.
A spokeswoman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, which represents 12 major car makers, said E15 gas is more corrosive and the EPA approved it before it could be fully tested.
Older cars were "never designed to use E15," spokeswoman Gloria Bergquist said. Use of the fuel over time could create significant engine problems, she said.
The API cites engine problems discovered during a study it commissioned last year, but the Energy Department called the research flawed and said it included engines with known durability issues.
For now, E15 remains a regional anomaly. About 20 stations currently offer the fuel in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
___
Follow Matthew Daly on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MatthewDalyWDC
Associated Pressjon bon jovi Kliff Kingsbury Amish Mafia Dave Grohl 121212 Cal State Fullerton Pacific Rim
CyanogenMod 10.1 goes stable, set for release tonight
Just over a month has passed since CyanogenMod 10.1 went into a release candidate phase, and now it's getting ready to emerge from its development cocoon as a stable release. The code isn't available for most gadgets just yet, but it's set to arrive on the project's servers sometime tonight. Support for all Tegra 2-infused hardware and some Samsung devices with Exynos chips has been left out of this distro, but a "status report" for those machines is due later in the week. Now that the the Cyanogen Mod team has reached the 10.1 milestone, it'll focus on monthly releases to bake in other features and functionality. Click the second source link to check if your device's build has gone stable.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile
Source: CyanogenMod (1), (2)
Taken 2 Venezuela Elections Skyfall Chicago Marathon 2012 texas rangers steve jobs meningitis
Field Sales Representative - San Diego Biotechnology Network
Hiring Company: R&D Systems
Job Code: FS/71
Location: San Diego
Job Type: Field Sales Representative
Compensation: $ Salary, commission
Description: Research and Diagnostic Systems, Inc. (R&D Systems) is a specialty manufacturer of biological research reagents. We have two operating divisions: Biotechnology and Hematology. The Biotechnology division services the basic research, clinical research, and clinical diagnostic markets with cytokine and growth factor related products. The Hematology Division continues to rank among the world?s leading developers and manufacturers of hematology controls. We are located in Northeast Minneapolis just minutes away from the University of Minnesota campus and downtown area. More company information can be found on our website, at www.RnDSystems.com.
THE POSITION:
We have 4 full-time Field Sales Representative positions available located in Southern California, San Francisco Bay area, Boston, and D.C./Maryland. These positions will be responsible for achieving sales targets through application of professional, consultative, and strategic selling skills for maintaining business, developing incremental business in existing accounts, and obtaining new accounts. The Sales Representatives will achieve this through Field Sales located in the assigned territory and visiting customers 60% of the time. Must be knowledgeable of standard scientific methods, techniques and reagents/equipment relevant to R&D Systems? product lines to fully relate to customer research needs and presenting R&D Systems reagents as solutions. These positions will be responsible for planning and executing account management to accomplish goals while following the company?s vision. These positions will also be providing technical support, seminars, and demonstrations to new and existing customers ensuring that customers are made aware of features, benefits, competitive advantages, and applications of all relevant products.
WHO YOU ARE:
Successful candidates must have a Bachelors degree in biological/medical sciences with a minimum of 6 to 10 years related field sales management in life sciences combined with laboratory/research or technical support/sales experience, or a Masters degree with a minimum of 4 to 7 years related experience. It is required that candidates have demonstrated skills and experience in sales with a thorough understanding of scientific principles behind the use of R&D products. Candidates must have excellent communication skills and be proficient in MS Word and Excel. Valid driver?s license and the ability to travel are also required.
We offer a competitive salary, commission, and benefits package. Relocation assistant is not available for this position.
HOW TO APPLY:
Interested candidates must refer to job code FS/71 and submit a cover letter and resume on-line at www.rndsystems.com/career_opportunities.aspx
EOE/AA
Link for more information: http://www.rndsystems.com/about_us_CareerOpportunities.aspx
Source: http://sdbn.org/2013/06/24/field-sales-representative/
shaka smart hungergames bagpipes aspirin aspirin 21 jump street illinois primary results
Monday, June 24, 2013
Meatless Monday: Portobello and cumin spiced eggplant burgers
Mushrooms instead of bread as a 'bun' for your burger? It may sound crazy, but mushrooms work great as a gluten-free alternative, and the possibilities for fillings and topping are endless.
Maybe you've heard of using mushrooms instead of meat as a 'burger,' but what about using mushrooms as the bun? Try filling your 'bun' with eggplant, another grilled veggie, or even a beef or lamb patty.
Beyond the Peel
EnlargeHow does a person make up for a week of mac and cheese, popcorn for dinner, and brownies??With veggies of course. Lots and lots of veggies.
Skip to next paragraph France Morissette and Joshua SpragueBeyond The Peel
Cookbook author, France Morissette, and her husband Joshua Sprague believe that healthy food should be uncompromising when it comes to flavor. They creatively explore the world of natural, whole foods, leaving no stone unturned in their quest to create mouth watering, flavor packed, whole food meals. Through stories, photos, recipes and their online show Beyond The Peel TV, they're on a mission to help you eat healthy and enjoy every last bite in the process.
Recent posts
' +
google_ads[0].line2 + '
' +
google_ads[0].line3 + '
Subscribe Today to the Monitor
A year ago I saw this idea to use portobello mushrooms as a burger bun as a gluten free way to enjoy a good ol? beef burger. So I decided to try it. I was amazed at how well it actually works. It was super juicy and surprisingly satisfying. I also recently saw a great idea in a?Denis?Cotter?cookbook?to use thick slices of eggplant as an interesting burger bun option. So I decide to mash those two ideas together. As it turns out it ? it's great!
I love this whole ?thinking outside the box??thing. Mushrooms as bread? Crazy right??Until you?ve tried it of course!
Everything goes in the oven at 450 degrees F. on one cookie sheet. Twenty minutes later the burgers are quickly assembled and dinner is ready. Serve it with your favorite salad and voil?, a healthy alternative to typical barbecue night. And if you?re not an eggplant fan, no big deal. You can still use this concept with whatever filling you like.
Now I?m thinking about eggs benedict with a portobello mushroom instead of that tired old English muffin. I?ve also seen these bad boys of the mushroom world used as the base for a pizza. Such a fabulous idea. Really there are so many possibilities. Fried egg sandwich, tuna melt sandwich ? the list goes on.
Just so we?re clear, I?m talking about a grilled or cooked portobello mushroom. I don?t want you trying this with a raw mushroom. That wouldn?t be as tasty.
Try this idea with:
- Roasted peppers and brie
- Grilled zucchini, feta and olive tapenade
- Your favorite burger patty: veggie, fish, beef, or lamb
- Mashed avocado, cilantro, and sliced tomato
- Gooey melted buffalo mozzarella, tomato, and fresh basil
Note: In the photos I used one baby eggplant. Use three mini slices of roasted eggplant per person. One baby eggplant?serves two?people. Cut eggplant spice recipe in half if only roasting one baby eggplant.
Portobello and cumin spiced eggplant burgers
Makes 4 burgers
8 portobello mushroom caps
1 large eggplant
Olive oil
Eggplant spice (see below)
Roasted Red Pepper Sauce?or a very flavorful sauce of your choice like roasted tomato jam or chutney
1. Set the oven to 450 degrees F. Using a paper towel, wipe clean the mushroom caps. Remove the stem.?Brush?the mushroom caps on both sides with olive oil and season the underside with salt and pepper. Set them on a baking sheet with tops facing down.
2. Slice the eggplant into 3/4-inch to 1-inch slices.?Brush?the eggplant slices with olive oil and toss them with the spice mixture and place them on a cookie sheet.
3. Bake the mushrooms and eggplant for 20 minutes, flipping the eggplant halfway through.
4. To assemble, top 4 portobello mushroom caps with 1 to 2 slices of roasted eggplant, roasted red pepper jam, and fresh cilantro. Cover with second mushroom cap and serve. Bring a big napkin. These are juicy.
*Alternately, this can be done on the grill. The mushroom caps only take about 8 minutes per side. Eggplant will be approximately the same.
Eggplant spice
For each large eggplant:
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
Mix the 3 seasonings together and toss with eggplant before roasting.
Additional topping suggestions:
- Guacamole or Avocado Aioli
- Salsa and cheddar
- Grilled Haloumi and Mint Pesto
- A whole roasted pepper (seeds and skin removed) and feta
The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of food bloggers. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by The Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own and they are responsible for the content of their blogs and their recipes. All readers are free to make ingredient substitutions to satisfy their dietary preferences, including not using wine (or substituting cooking wine) when a recipe calls for it. To contact us about a blogger, click here.
weather.com Leyla Ghobadi Dodgers brawl Sebastien De La Cruz farrah abraham national weather service superman man of steel
The Lazy Lizard's Tales: Flashback: wildlife news in 1960s Singapore
A 6 metre long whale shark (Rhincodon typus), shot by police after it was trapped at a kelong near Pulau Sebarok in 1964. This is the only record of this species in our waters;
The Straits Times, 7 June 1964
This year's theme for the Singapore Blog Awards is "60s Fever", and I thought it would be nice to take a look back at what it was like for Singapore's biodiversity in the 1960s.
Singapore's Master Plan from 1958. Some of the Southern Islands are not included in this map.
Singapore, according to the Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA) Master Plan 2008. You can see how much our coastline has changed since 1958.
It's difficult to characterise the 1960s as being better or worse for our wildlife as a whole. On the upside, there was less urban development. Forest patches were still connected to one another in a mosaic of agricultural land, plantations, secondary scrub, and other rural landscapes. And this was a time before extensive land reclamation changed our coastline and affected the clarity of our waters. The seas were extremely rich in marine life, and numerous communities along our shores depended on such bounty for both livelihoods and recreation.
Species now very rare or even extinct in Singapore, like the cream-coloured giant squirrel (Ratufa affinis), were still found in many areas. This photo was taken in the Panti Forest in Johor;
(Photo by K S Kong)
On the flipside, protecting wildlife and habitat conservation were not high priorities among the people, both before and immediately after we became an independent nation. Many of the articles I've found are reports of wildlife being dealt with through lethal means, when today we place emphasis on live capture and relocation, and promote education and changing human attitudes as a better strategy to resolve human-wildlife conflict. And strange as it may seem, some species that we now find in Singapore today were absent during the 1960s, having first vanished during the initial wave of deforestation during the 19th century and early 20th century. It is only in recent years that some of these formerly extinct animals have been rediscovered or returned to their former haunts, possibly due to a combination of extensive planting of urban greenery and the creation of parks and other green spaces, as well as increased habitat loss in southern Johor.
The Oriental pied hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris) died out here in the 19th century, but made a comeback during the 1990s;
(Photo by kampang)
Here are ten articles that provide us with a glimpse of Singapore's wildlife during the 1960s...
The Straits Times, 15th April 1965
I haven't heard of any recent records of sawfishes in Singapore waters, but as this article shows, they used to be found locally. In 1960, another massive sawfish was caught, and was described as a monster that had been "terrorising fishermen and picnickers."
Green sawfish (Pristis zjisron), Underwater Adventures Aquarium in Minnesota, United States of America;
(Photo by Zoodiver)
Today, all species of sawfish are listed as Critically Endangered, and all international trade has been banned since 2007. Live trade for public aquaria was still allowed for one species of sawfish, but that too came to an end this year, after it was agreed that the largetooth or freshwater sawfish (Pristis microdon) should receive the same amount of legal protection against trade as the rest of its relatives.
Sawfish caught off the West Coast, 1965;
(Photo from Singapore Waters - Unveiling Our Seas)
It's sobering to think about the marine giants that were once abundant here, but which have since vanished from the seas around Singapore. Uncontrolled fishing of species that are slow to mature and reproduce certainly played a role, but it's also likely that habitat destruction was an important factor behind the disappearance of sawfish and other species. Our coastal waters still support a diverse range of marine life, but for now, these large predators are still absent.
The Straits Times, 11th July 1967
It seems as if Pasir Panjang has plenty of literal big fish stories. Sharks were once very common in Singapore waters, and could be found patrolling coastal areas. In one incident, a large shark that was caught at Siglap was simply dumped at sea instead of sold in the market, due to its supposed worthlessness.
We do still have sharks on our reefs, but besides rare sightings, the large species seem to have all but disappeared.
The shark that had been found with human remains in its stomach was a tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier), and its jaws used to be on display in the Public Gallery of the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research (RMBR).
Tiger shark, Bahamas;
(Photo by echeng)
After Singapore became an independent state, there were concerns that coastal development and reclamation were destroying our reefs and other marine habitats.
Singapore Waters - Unveiling Our Seas, a book published in 2003 by the Marine Conservation Group of the Nature Society (Singapore), shares many more photos and accounts of life by the sea during the 1960s, and the marine life that was once commonly found in these waters.
The Singapore Free Press, 29th December 1961
Long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) are no longer found in the Singapore Botanic Gardens, save for the occasional wandering loner, but in the 1960s, the resident troop was accused of wreaking havoc. I'm sure much of it was due to overpopulation as a result of feeding by people. This led to lots of conflict between humans and macaques, although ultimately, the monkeys lost.
Long-tailed macaques, Upper Peirce;
(Photo by NatureInYourBackyard)
There are also reports of monkeys causing trouble in places where they're no longer found today, such as in Fort Canning and Sembawang, although some of the culprits were actually pets that escaped from captivity.
Speaking of captive primates...
The Straits Times, 31 August 1962
Singapore was an important location for wildlife trade in the region, and many people had exotic pets. In 1963, a female proboscis monkey from Sabah escaped from captivity at Alexandra Barracks, although there is no news as to whether she was recaptured.
The Singapore Free Press, 4 July 1960
Seriously.
The 1960s were a time when Singapore was beginning to expand into the ornamental fish industry, with the breeding of aquarium fish for export being seen as a profitable business. Then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew had an aquarium worth $560 outside his office, to "put guests in a nice frame of mind" before meeting him.
It was also a time when the Van Kleef Aquarium (opened in 1955) was an extremely popular and well-renowned attraction, and when plans were still being made for the Singapore Zoo and Jurong Bird Park.
Undated postcard featuring the Van Kleef Aquarium;
(Photo from ofey)
The Straits Times, 13 May 1960
Even today, reticulated pythons (Broghammerus reticulatus) continue to thrive in Singapore, although it seems like the irrational fear that people often have of snakes also continues to exist. There are many articles from the 1960s of pythons being reported in all sorts of places, causing panic among residents. Most were killed, others sold, while a few were brought into captivity. An editorial from 1965 about local snakes even noted that the king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) was "fairly common", when today, not many can claim to have seen this snake in the wild.
Juvenile reticulated python, Queenstown;
(Photo by Anne Devan-Song)
King cobra, Sungei Buloh;
(Photo by myrontay)
It's also worth noting that during the 1960s, hunting was still a popular hobby, and many people owned rifles and shotguns. Some travelled over to Johor in search of game, while others pursued flying foxes, civets, birds, crocodiles, and pythons locally.
One of the favourite targets of Singapore's hunters in the 1960s, the Malayan flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus) is one of the world's largest bats, and is sadly now no longer resident in Singapore. It's likely that hunting at roosting sites not only killed large numbers of flying foxes, but also drove the survivors to seek sanctuary elsewhere. Today, these large fruit-eating bats are only rare visitors to Singapore, flying over from Peninsular Malaysia (where they are still hunted) or Indonesia to look for fruiting trees.
Malayan flying fox, Singapore Zoo;
(Photo by Will Symons)
The Straits Times, 23 June 1968
I'm particularly amused by this person's luck in encountering pythons while swimming. But seriously, even though the Singapore River has been cleaned up (another way in which the environment is actually better now compared to the 1960s), I still wouldn't swim in there. I certainly don't think that the waters off Boat Quay in the 1960s were a very pleasant place for a dip.
The Straits Times, 24 March 1962
Another big snake story, and one that's far larger than any of the longest reticulated pythons ever measured! For what it's worth, giant pythons always shrink whenever a tape measure turns up.
Pulau Ayer Merlimau was eventually joined with other neighbouring islands to create Jurong Island.
(Map from chemicals-technology.com)
The Straits Times, 18 March 1960
Another large reptile that generated much fear in Singapore during the 1960s was the estuarine crocodile (Crocodylus porosus). Although considered rare, even locally critically endangered today, it appears that back then, crocodiles were quite widespread and seen quite often in coastal areas. Some of these may have escaped from crocodile farms; Singapore was a major importer and re-exporter of crocodile skins.
Estuarine crocodile, Sungei Buloh;
(Photo by Mendis)
The Singapore Free Press, 15 August 1960
The common palm civet or musang (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) is one of several native mammals that are relatively tolerant of human activity. It's not surprising that during the 1960s, civets were often found near villages, where they made a living by feeding on rats, and raiding fruit orchards and chicken coops, although 700 does seem like a lot of chickens. Is it possible that not all the chickens were taken by civets? And how did the people know that there were 30 civets? Maybe the especially industrious civet at Serangoon Gardens that was said to have snatched 300 fowl over two months that same year was also at work in Yio Chu Kang!
Common palm civets, Siglap;
(Photo by kwokwai76)
Based on these news articles, and many more that I've looked up, the 1960s would have been a very interesting time for wildlife enthusiasts and naturalists in Singapore! Although it does seem that some accounts might be the result of exaggeration or hyperbole, and need to be taken with a lot of salt.
D.S. Johnson's An Introduction to the Natural History of Singapore was first published in 1964, and gives an excellent overview of Singapore's biodiversity, as known during the 1960s. A revised edition, published in 1992, may still be found in public libraries.
There are lots of other interesting articles about wildlife in and around Singapore that can be found in the online news archives, and I'll share more of them another time.
(Cross-posted to SBA Plus)
Source: http://lazy-lizard-tales.blogspot.com/2013/06/flashback-wildlife-news-in-1960s.html
live news nbc UMass Dartmouth Katherine Russell MBTA Fox News Live Boston lockdown
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Maturitas publishes 2013 update on diagnosis and management of osteoporosis
![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 19-Jun-2013[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Greyling Peoples
g.peoples@elsevier.com
31-204-853-323
Elsevier
Update presented by National Osteoporosis Guideline Group
Amsterdam, June 19, 2013 Elsevier, a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, announced today the publication of the National Osteoporosis Guideline Group (NOGG) Update 2013 on diagnosis and management of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women and older men in the journal Maturitas.
Published in 2009 in Maturitas, the original guidelines have been highly cited and this update is timely with an additional focus on the management of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis, the role of calcium and vitamin D therapy and the benefits and risks of long-term bisphosphonate therapy. In all these areas, there have been new developments over the past few years that have had an impact on clinical practice and require modifications and/or additions to previous guidance.
The recommendations in the guidelines are intended to aid management decisions but do not replace the need for clinical judgement in the care of individuals in clinical practice.
###
These and other recommendations presented are published in the article:
"Diagnosis and management of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women and older men in the UK: National Osteoporosis Guideline Group (NOGG) Update 2013" by J.E. Compston, Claire Bowring, Alun Cooper, Cyrus Cooper, Cyril Davies, Roger M Francis, John A Kanis, David Marsh, Eugene V McCloskey, David M Reid and Peter Selby. The article appears as an article in press in Maturitas (June 2013), published by Elsevier.
Original guidelines published in 2009:
"Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women and men from the age of 50 years in the UK" by J. Compston, A. Cooper, C. Cooper, R. Francis, J.A. Kanis, D. Marsh, E.V. McCloskey, D.M. Reid, P. Selby, M. Wilkins, on behalf of the National Osteoporosis Guideline Group (NOGG). The article appears in Maturitas, Volume 62, Issue 2, (February 2009), published by Elsevier.
Notes for Editors
Full text of both articles are available to credentialed journalists upon request, contact newsroom@elsevier.com. For further details about the clinical guide or to contact the authors or EMAS, contact g.peoples@elsevier.com or +31 20 485 3323
About NOGG
The National Osteoporosis Guideline Group (NOGG) was established to provide a clinical guideline for the management of men and women at high fracture risk, particularly to address the need to integrate the expression of a patient's fracture risk as a 10-year probability (the output from FRAX) with current clinical management of osteoporosis. This included the need to define thresholds for bone mineral density measurement and treatment. http://www.shef.ac.uk/NOGG/index.html
About Maturitas
Maturitas is an international multidisciplinary peer reviewed scientific journal of midlife health and beyond, publishing original research, reviews, consensus statements and guidelines. The scope encompasses all aspects of postreproductive health in both genders ranging from basic science to health and social care. http://www.maturitas.org/ http://www.journals.elsevier.com/maturitas
About Elsevier
Elsevier is a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. The company works in partnership with the global science and health communities to publish more than 2,000 journals, including The Lancet and Cell, and close to 20,000 book titles, including major reference works from Mosby and Saunders. Elsevier's online solutions include ScienceDirect, Scopus, Reaxys, ClinicalKey and Mosby's Suite, which enhance the productivity of science and health professionals, and the SciVal suite and MEDai's Pinpoint Review, which help research and health care institutions deliver better outcomes more cost-effectively.
A global business headquartered in Amsterdam, Elsevier employs 7,000 people worldwide. The company is part of Reed Elsevier Group plc, a world leading provider of professional information solutions. The group employs more than 30,000 people, including more than 15,000 in North America. Reed Elsevier Group plc is owned equally by two parent companies, Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV. Their shares are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York Stock Exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RUK and ENL.
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Public release date: 19-Jun-2013[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Greyling Peoples
g.peoples@elsevier.com
31-204-853-323
Elsevier
Update presented by National Osteoporosis Guideline Group
Amsterdam, June 19, 2013 Elsevier, a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, announced today the publication of the National Osteoporosis Guideline Group (NOGG) Update 2013 on diagnosis and management of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women and older men in the journal Maturitas.
Published in 2009 in Maturitas, the original guidelines have been highly cited and this update is timely with an additional focus on the management of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis, the role of calcium and vitamin D therapy and the benefits and risks of long-term bisphosphonate therapy. In all these areas, there have been new developments over the past few years that have had an impact on clinical practice and require modifications and/or additions to previous guidance.
The recommendations in the guidelines are intended to aid management decisions but do not replace the need for clinical judgement in the care of individuals in clinical practice.
###
These and other recommendations presented are published in the article:
"Diagnosis and management of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women and older men in the UK: National Osteoporosis Guideline Group (NOGG) Update 2013" by J.E. Compston, Claire Bowring, Alun Cooper, Cyrus Cooper, Cyril Davies, Roger M Francis, John A Kanis, David Marsh, Eugene V McCloskey, David M Reid and Peter Selby. The article appears as an article in press in Maturitas (June 2013), published by Elsevier.
Original guidelines published in 2009:
"Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women and men from the age of 50 years in the UK" by J. Compston, A. Cooper, C. Cooper, R. Francis, J.A. Kanis, D. Marsh, E.V. McCloskey, D.M. Reid, P. Selby, M. Wilkins, on behalf of the National Osteoporosis Guideline Group (NOGG). The article appears in Maturitas, Volume 62, Issue 2, (February 2009), published by Elsevier.
Notes for Editors
Full text of both articles are available to credentialed journalists upon request, contact newsroom@elsevier.com. For further details about the clinical guide or to contact the authors or EMAS, contact g.peoples@elsevier.com or +31 20 485 3323
About NOGG
The National Osteoporosis Guideline Group (NOGG) was established to provide a clinical guideline for the management of men and women at high fracture risk, particularly to address the need to integrate the expression of a patient's fracture risk as a 10-year probability (the output from FRAX) with current clinical management of osteoporosis. This included the need to define thresholds for bone mineral density measurement and treatment. http://www.shef.ac.uk/NOGG/index.html
About Maturitas
Maturitas is an international multidisciplinary peer reviewed scientific journal of midlife health and beyond, publishing original research, reviews, consensus statements and guidelines. The scope encompasses all aspects of postreproductive health in both genders ranging from basic science to health and social care. http://www.maturitas.org/ http://www.journals.elsevier.com/maturitas
About Elsevier
Elsevier is a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. The company works in partnership with the global science and health communities to publish more than 2,000 journals, including The Lancet and Cell, and close to 20,000 book titles, including major reference works from Mosby and Saunders. Elsevier's online solutions include ScienceDirect, Scopus, Reaxys, ClinicalKey and Mosby's Suite, which enhance the productivity of science and health professionals, and the SciVal suite and MEDai's Pinpoint Review, which help research and health care institutions deliver better outcomes more cost-effectively.
A global business headquartered in Amsterdam, Elsevier employs 7,000 people worldwide. The company is part of Reed Elsevier Group plc, a world leading provider of professional information solutions. The group employs more than 30,000 people, including more than 15,000 in North America. Reed Elsevier Group plc is owned equally by two parent companies, Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV. Their shares are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York Stock Exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RUK and ENL.
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-06/e-mp2061913.php
UT Austin Lizzie Velasquez NFL Network att libya twin towers gizmodo
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)