New Media, Ecology, & Organic Gardening Teacher – Digital Media Arts/Gardening/Ecology/Literacy/Nutrition/ Multi-Arts Teacher (K-5) (part-time, begin soon)

This position is a unique opportunity to work with a leading-edge, growing, environmental, multi-arts, educational nonprofit, Life Frames, Inc., dedicated to integrating community resources and creating a local and global network of transformative ecological and multicultural learning landscapes linked electronically. Called A Living Library & Think Park, this program works with local schools and diverse community resources, to build on-site educational organic gardens and content-rich landscapes integrated with the arts and digital technologies. A Living Library is linked to the curricula of the schools and animates all subjects through real-world experience. Students, together with adults, are involved in all aspects of research, planning, design, implementation, use, maintenance, management and communications of the transformed learning landscapes and integrated community programs.



(Life Frames, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer with a strong commitment to establishing a team of staff and volunteers who reflect the multicultural and linguistic diversity of the communities that we serve.)



Job Description:



This person will be leading groups of Elementary students (K-5), and possibly a few Middle/High School students in organic gardening, native landscapes, and using digital media, while learning to interview, document, and edit ongoing transformative gardening and research projects about the local ecology, history, and existing dynamics of the local community. You will be leading learning processes and communicating about ecological systems, gardening, literacy, health, nutrition, multi-arts, and performing community outreach activities with children and adults in a way that is both fun, relevant, and productive, resulting in a digital, multimedia archives of each Branch Living Library.



This person may also assist Project Director and be involved in developing an innovative website and framework for new media Living Library documentation and data for network of local, national, and international environmental transformation programs based on each locales’ ecological, built, and multicultural resources.



Essential Qualifications:

• Experienced multimedia artist/technologist
• Experience and success in teaching children & youth video, still photography, related technology and literacy/communications skills
• Excellent class management skills
• Early childhood and elementary education experience a must; preK experience a plus !
• Experience with organic gardening, ecology, nutrition, other arts
• Ability to create dynamic framework for new rich media documentation and data
• Ability to add to existing website and make more interactive, a plus
• Help design and implement communications linkages and public displays at multiple sites
• Excellent art and graphic design skills a must
• Resourceful and skilled in community outreach and networking
• Experience in state-of-the-art communications technologies, hardware, and software

Desirable Qualifications:

• Must be flexible and a team player
• Knowledge of ecological systems and sustainable development best practices
• An excellent organic gardener !
• Knowledge and experience with multiple art forms
• Multi-lingual a plus (Cantonese, Spanish, Tagalog)
• Must be creative, hard working, and a self-starter, able also to follow direction


To find out more about A Living Library, please visit the website at

www.alivinglibrary.org and reply to the Director with Cover Letter & Resume: bonnieora@alivinglibrary.org

• Location: San Francisco
• Compensation: tbd
• This is a part-time job.
• This is at a non-profit organization.
• Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
• Please, no phone calls about this job!
• Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

Rescuers unable to revive fisherman washed from rocks at Sydney's Royal National Park.

A man has been swept to his death while fishing off rocks with two friends south of Sydney this morning.

Florida’s Legislature wraps up its annual budget session this week. Like other states with tight budgets, Florida is setting new spending priorities. Environmental protection is one area that’s seeing big cuts. Tough Choices Driving west from Miami through the Everglades on Highway 41 — the Tamiami Trail — you can see federal dollars at work. Dan Kimball, superintendent of Everglades National Park, says ... [ This is an external blog. Read complete blog here... ]...

Heavy winter snows will likely be delaying the opening of a major road into Yosemite National Park.

Authorities say they've recovered the body of a young man from below the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.

They've been trying to fire the guy for several years, and now at the 11th hour he resigns? I like Kool-Aid, but I'm not drinking this batch.  I've lived in the Washington D.C. area long enough to know that the last place Maryland Basketball Coach Gary Williams wants to be is off the sidelines.  Dude is part of the fabric of college basketball. 

Who else is gonna upset Duke and North Carolina in the ACC?

Williams has won way too many games to simply walk away.  He says his health is fine.  He says he still loves the game.  He says it was his decision.  But I have one question: Why now? If you were truly secure in the position and had a good recruiting class why would you abandon all of that?  Williams had some great young players on the team last season.  Were they the best in the ACC? Nope.  Did they have potential? Absolutely.  He had too much going for himself to roll out the way he did.

Is there more to the story? 

Are local media types in the Washington D.C. area drinking the Kool-Aid? Perhaps.  I know a lot of these reporters play golf with Williams.  A lot of journalists  in D.C. are good friends with Williams.  There's nothing wrong with that.  He's a great guy from what I'm told.  Very friendly. Smart. Reflective. Kind.  He's the kind of guy who you'd want to be your best friend—very loyal.  But are the right questions being asked about William's so called retirement?

I doubt it.

I'm not throwing my fellow journalism brothers and sisters under the bus, but you've got to admit:  It doesn't sound right.  It doesn't look right. Why?  Because the entire ordeal isn't right.  Something is missing here folks.  There's an underlying issue somewhere, some place. A guy with this much talent, experience, and skill simply doesn't turn in his coaches playbook while Coach K is gearing up for another national championship run.

It's well documented that former Maryland Athletic Director Debbie Yow wanted Williams out a couple of years ago.  It was a nasty experience that was never fully explained or resolved.  Yow wanted more from Williams.  She wanted another national championship.  She wanted CBS Sports crews roaming the campus in College Park reporting news about the Terps being back in the Final Four or the championship game.  But it wasn't to be.  Williams and his Terps had hit mediocrity.  They were no longer a factor in the chase for March Madness. They were no longer a a serious contender in the ACC. 

To put it bluntly, Williams' program was slipping.

Fortunately for Williams, Yow took another AD job in the Carolinas.  But the feud was well documented.  It got so bad that an assistant Athletic director under Yow also criticized Williams before Yow split. Williams defiantly asked Yow's deputy:  How many national championships have you won?  Good one Williams.  Score one for Gary.  Was she Yow's mouthpiece?  Perhaps. Good Cop, Bad Cop routine? Maybe. Yow never publicly trashed Williams.  She was smarter than that.

Heck, Williams is a basketball icon in the D.C. region.  He won a national championship in 2002 with current Lakers guard Steve Blake running the offense.  He resurrected the Terps Basketball program.  It was left in shambles following the death of Len Bias, the legendary Maryland basketball superstar who died of cocaine use shortly after being drafted number one by the Boston Celtics.

The line in the sand had been drawn, and even though Yow was history, the critics were already circling Comcast Center.  The doubters were present.  The vultures had set up shop in College Park, and they weren't leaving without some fresh or dead meat.  Williams didn't help his cause by not making the NCAA tournament field this past season.  He didn't help himself by refusing the recruit the talented "one and dones" who play one year of college basketball and then bolt for the NBA. 

He didn't play the game and that may have been another nail in his coffin.

More nails were soon to follow.  Namely, the announcement of Kevin Anderson as the new Athletic Director at Maryland.  Anyone with a little sense could see the handwriting on the wall in College Park.  Shortly arriving on campus, changes began happening quickly under Anderson.  Long time football coach Ralph Friedgen was replaced.  It didn't sound like he wanted to go, but he was out.  Questions began swirling about whether Anderson approved of the Fridges' coaching staff.  Should he hire this guy or that guy to bolster the staff? 

Next, Maryland took the unusual step of announcing Freidgen's replacement before he left.  You've heard it before: The coach in waiting.  I've always thought "the coach in waiting" must produce a lot of sleepless nights for the current coach.  But what's done was done. Unfortunately for the Terps the "coach in waiting" took another job, and Maryland was left hanging.  Lucky for Anderson, he found former Connecticut Football Coach Bobby Edsall waiting in the wings to accept the job.

Anderson never gave Williams a vote of confidence.  Call him Yow-light if you will.  Did he push Williams out?  Williams says no.  He says it was time to go. Too many years in one coaching job.  His tear-filled resignation speech carried "live" nationally was hard to watch.  Something didn't seem right.  Something seemed off.  I just didn't get the sense Williams was happy or in my humble opinion, happy about the way it ended on the Maryland Campus.  From where I sat, those joining him on the stage were simply going through the motions. 

Look, I don't know much about Anderson. But I respect the fact that he has to bring some national championships back to the basketball program.  I respect the fact that he has to make the Terps football team a national contender.  The Washington D.C area is too large not have a collegiate national contender in basketball and football. His plate is full.  The pressure is on.  He's made the changes. Now let's see if they were the right changes.

Despite what everyone is saying, including Williams, it feels like the Terps now former basketball coach was pushed.  Shown the door. Nudged out. 22 years at Maryland. 668 career victories at Maryland, American, Boston College, and Ohio State.  I'll tell you folks, 668 wins is a lot of wins.  If you're Maryland do you not lean on Williams for basketball advice after 33 years of roaming the sidelines?  Do you "find a place" for him?  Just askin'.  Or, do you simply hold the plastic news conference, read a few citations, trot out some former players, and say thank you?

Gary Williams had fallen on hard times in College Park.  The landscape of college basketball was changing.  It's a slippery landscape.  Loaded with influential AAU coaches directing high school superstars to a handul of college powerhouses around the country.  But did Williams deserve better treatment at the end? I beleive so.  Was he ready to retire? I doubt it.  At 66 years old, it's not like he uses a walker to enter the arena.  Physically he looks good. He sounds good.

I have two words for you: Bobby Cremins.  Cremins shocked the basketball world when he abruptly resigned from Georgia Tech in 2000 after 22 years and more than 450 wins.  Six years later he resurfaced at the College of Charleston.  Still gettin' it done.  Still one of the best.

Have we truly seen the last of  Gary Williams?

COURT YARD HOUNDS, TIM O'BRIEN, POOR MAN'S WHISKEY,
DEAD WINTER CARPENTERS, DAVID LINDLEY, CAROLYN WONDERLAND, AND MORE

Aaron Neville

The 2011 Strawberry Music Festival is set for May 26-30 at Camp Mather bordering Yosemite National Park in California. Click here to get a look at the full schedule and check out the lineup below. Click here for single-day and weekend passes.

LINEUP
Aaron Neville
Court Yard Hounds (Martie Maguire & Emily Robison of The Dixie Chicks)
Sam Bush Band
David Lindley
Tim O'Brien Band
Jimmie Dale Gilmore with The Wronglers
Carolyn Wonderland
Poor Man's Whiskey
Assembly of Dust
MarchFourth Marching Band
Dead Winter Carpenters
Chic Gamine
Bill Kirchen & Too Much Fun
Stephanie Finch & The Company Men
Elizabeth Cook
Butch Hancock
The Blackberry Bushes
Catherine MacLellan
Old Man Luedecke
Masanga Marimba Ensemble
The Barbary Ghosts

Judd Trump caused a sensation this week when, aged just 21, he rocketed into snooker's World Championship final. So who is this new boy wonder?

Judd Trump can measure, precisely, when and how fast he got properly famous. Just over three weeks ago, on 14 April, he opened a Twitter account with the cheery "Hello twitter!!", swiftly followed by "In nandos tucking into half a chicken!!" (he is fond of exclamation marks. And food.) Initially @judd147t, "part time snooker player, full time international playboi!!" [sic] had some 200 followers – respectable, for a normal citizen. Then he went to Sheffield and played his first game in his second World Championship, which, after a wobbly – and duly tweeted – beginning ("Nervy start but gotta take 5-4 powwow!!"), he won, dispatching the title holder, Neil Robertson. The follower count jumped to 3,000. "I was shocked. And then I started publicising it a little bit, and said I'd love to get up to 10,000, or 20,000, and then one day, after, I think, my semi-final" – a game which, by fearlessly going for shots others might avoid ("If in doubt hit it as hard as you can?!!"), he both thrilled his audience and won – "it jumped from like 10,000 to 25,000, and I was really shocked. I overtook all of the rest of the snooker players." By the end of last week, over 51,000 followers were being informed that it was "time to put a dent in the bank balance in london today!!"

For said bank balance has swelled a lot in that time, too. On 3 April, the 21-year-old won the China Open, pocketing £60,000 and gaining his first ranking title; he didn't win the World Championships, but came a close second to three-time world champion John Higgins, pocketing £125,000. In some ways more important than the money, however, was the sense of a blistering new arrival in snooker, warmly welcomed. "Judd's greatest asset is his game terrifies people. Never seen anyone pot so well. Scary," tweeted Ronnie O'Sullivan, the game's last such arrival (who, incidentally, joined the Twitter-sphere on the same day as Trump). "Judd was by far the better player," said Higgins after the game. "He was playing a brand of snooker I've never seen in my life. We've got a new sensation, which is great for the game. It's just a fantastic feeling." Viewing figures peaked in the UK at 6.6 million, the best for the last five years, in no small part due to Trump's bravura showmanship (and boyband haircut); a total of 27.1 million watched the tournament overall. In China, 30 million people watched the semi-final, in which Trump beat Chinese star Ding Junhui. "The Juddernaut is the future," hyperventilated the Daily Mail, "and that future is now."

Although, right now, the future is late. When it finally pulls into the business centre car park on the edges of Romford, Essex, in a white BMW with a flamboyant spoiler, Trump, his childhood friend Ryan, and his manager Django Fung, a Hong Kong-born businessman in natty narrow trousers and velvet-lapelled jacket, are discussing the afternoon's prospective shopping trip. Fung suggests he might not come along; Trump's face falls. "Come with us?" The openness of his face, looking at his manager, the obvious, implicit trust in an elder, make him look very young. All ignore the journalist in the room.

So what was he up to this morning? He is watchful now, the vulnerabilty contained. "Sleepin'." Absently, he strokes the large, fake diamond-studded watch on his wrist. His tight white Gucci T-shirt is pristine, his belt and the obligatory band of striped underwear just so. He is fit, but incredibly skinny, a broomstick topped by an elaborately teased mop of hair. It's all very self-aware; when I mention that the swell in viewing figures seems largely to have been because of him, he says, "Yeah – I had a lot of people tell me that. A lot of younger kids and that – obviously because I'm more at their age and a little bit different to the rest of the snooker players, with my image and stuff." Image? "My whole hairstyle, the way I dress. Older people like to dress older. I dress in more flamboyant, stylish … " Has he always made this degree of effort? "More so now. I used to be quite laid back and that. But obviously the more you're in the public eye, the more you've got to … dress to impress." (There is also the fact that he simply loves to shop. "Love it. Absolutely love it." He can't wait, when the interview is over, to hit Gucci first, then Harrods.)

It's of a piece with the deliberate showmanship of his play – the supposedly impossible shots, the calculated recklessness of his pocketing, which, as he tells it, are a kind of evangelism. "I think I wanted – not to show off, but try and make [snooker] more popular, whereas other players maybe just want to play the game and don't really care about the fans as much. But I always want to go for certain shots that please the crowd, and stuff like that." Partly this is because it's just "a lot easier with them supporting you than with them against you. You enjoy it more." But also "I've just got the mindset of really wanting to open the game up to new people. I kind of want to create a massive attention around snooker."

He doesn't seem particularly arrogant, nor is there any false modesty. Snooker is almost a lone sport, played in many ways against yourself and in your head; an internal negotiation of skill and confidence practised, for hours, largely alone. Trump is obviously gregarious, as up for a laugh and night out with friends as any 21-year-old, but a lifetime of self-reliance and discipline (in the sport, at least) definitely shows. He hasn't ever had a coach, apart from the worried attentions of his father when he was much younger, and simply doesn't see the need for one. "I've just kind of learnt on my own. I literally know just by playing a shot, by the feel of it – I can tell, straight away. I don't really need anyone to tell me. Other people try and tweak their techniques and that, but I've just been exactly the same all my life, and I'd never change anything."

Trump was born in Bristol; his parents and most of his family come from either Bristol or Cornwall. His father is a lorry driver, and his mother a cook. It was all very "normal, really. Both doing quite normal jobs, nothing extravagant – just do their work, come home, eat, go to bed." He inherited his mother Georgina's shyness. "I've always been pretty shy. Unless I know someone really well" – or increasingly, if he is being interviewed – "I can't keep a conversation going more than 10 seconds, really."

He doesn't remember this himself, but his father has said that he bought him a mini snooker table when he was three, and could instantly tell that his toddler had talent and application; he played his first competitive game at six, standing on a cardboard box, and had his first sponsorship deal at eight. By nine he had been sufficiently noticed for World Snooker to arrange for him to meet his hero, Ronnie O'Sullivan, at the Welsh Open. "It was a bit weird, meeting your hero for the first time." (They have since become quite friendly, and share a manager in Fung). Trump won the national under-15s when he was 10 – "That was when I thought that I might have a future in the game" – and at 13 he beat Mike Hallett, a former world No 6, who, minutes later, saw the boy playing on some swings. "That made me feel a lot better," Hallett has said, wryly. Later in his teens Trump was playing, and winning, 40-50 tournaments a year.

He isn't oblivious to what this has cost his parents. "It was hard work for them. Obviously my dad never really had time out to go and do normal things. He was working all week, and then driving me on weekends. They've never really been on holiday. They spent all their money on me, growing up. So it would obviously be nice to repay that. I don't want to just throw money at them, I want it to be thoughtful. I'll have a think, and ask them, and see what we come up with."

It was a shock, when he turned pro, and moved to Romford (a hotbed of world-class snooker players, it turns out), to start losing games. There were far fewer tournaments at first, six or seven a year, so lots of time to brood on what went wrong. The sports press began to notch him up as a disappointment, an underachiever. Alone, and fending for himself for the first time – "I can just about use the oven. And it is hard, learning to use a washing machine and stuff" – he was, also for the first time, properly lonely. "I would come here" – to Grove Academy, where he practises; in competition season he is here for about five hours a day – "then go home, and just sit at home until the next day." Travelling, especially abroad, he sometimes now pays for a friend to come along, otherwise it is as it was in China last month: "Getting up, getting ready, playing my game, and just going back to my hotel, eating on my own, going to sleep, and that's it."

In China – where snooker is huge, even among the quite young, and he has been a pin-up, frequently mobbed by female autograph-seekers, since he was 17 – he broke up with his girlfriend of a year, a drama student. The way he describes it is somehow simultaneously honestly insightful and oblivious, both to the hurt he might cause, and to the fact that he's effectively diagnosing something fame might do to him if he's not careful. "We were never really seeing each other, because this is her last year at uni and obviously I've been travelling, nearly every two or three weeks, and so it just got to the point where it was like, 'There really is no point.'" It hasn't been too hard, though. "I won China straight away, and then I had the World Championships to concentrate on, and there's been so much attention from other people and that, it was kind of easy to put it to the back of my mind, and that was it, really. It was like a year of being with her was just gone. It was quite strange, because when I split up with my previous girlfriend [whom he had been with for a year and half] it was really hard to get over, for like, a month, but this time there was no emotion, nothing. I just kind of shut it off. I don't know – I could wake up one day and it might sink in, but obviously a year's a lot of time to just shut off, like that." In the meantime, he announced to a newspaper, with little hint of tongue-in-cheek, that "if there are groupies, bring 'em on, the more the merrier. I'm young, free and single."

And for the moment he's enjoying it. He gets recognised nearly everywhere he goes, asked for autographs and pictures; he basks in the attention. Is that what he really wants? He laughs. "Only from girls. No – obviously – when you're growing up, you kind of dream about being famous and that – but when you … I think … I won't mind it for maybe a couple of weeks, but I dunno how I'll take it after that. I think it could get quite annoying, But I'm enjoying it for the time being."

A couple of the elder statesmen of the sport have warned that he has a choice – dedication, sacrifice and world domination – or fun and fame and the occasional good tournament. What does he want? "Both. I think I dedicate myself to snooker – while I'm in season, it's just snooker, snooker, snooker – but when I'm away from it I'm completely the opposite – just go out and have fun." And what's your idea of fun? The answer is immediate. "Driving around in a supercar making as much noise as possible – getting as much attention and as much people looking at me as possible." He's definitely on his way to that particular goal.

From cheap teak tables to homemade compost, gardening is about what you put into it, not what you spend. Read our potted guide on cutting costs

1. Read up before you splash out

Back gardens can be a graveyard of wrong stuff, bought at the wrong time. Yet there are many places to get good advice for nothing before you start spending money.

First, try the Royal Horticultural Society's website. It has phenomenal amount of information, constantly updated. Other good sources of free advice are the BBC, of course, the Guardian.

Before buying expensive garden encyclopedias, visit your local library, as they often stock a wealth of gardening books. There are also online forums where gardeners exchange information and offer advice to the less green-fingered. Try the RHS's My Garden forum.

2. Become a 'trading member' of an allotment society

Yes, there are long waiting lists to find an allotment. But there's no wait to become a trading member, usually for a nominal fee. This will give you access to the allotment's trading shed, where you can buy quality compost, fertiliser, weed and pest control products, pots and trays usually for significantly less than even the giant DIY centres. The person you're buying from is also far more likely to know about the type of soil in your area and what is best for your garden. "Join your local allotment or gardening club – it typically only costs around £2.50, and because they buy by the pallet you can often find other garden materials at below retail prices. As more people join, they can buy in bulk and get bigger discounts," says Guy Barter, chief horticultural adviser for the RHS. Try the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners.

3. Grow from seeds and cuttings – but beware overpricing

It is far cheaper to grow plants from seed, and it's still not too late to sow for summer colour. Search out cheap seeds on eBay and see what's on offer at discount retailers such as Aldi, Lidl and Wilkinson, all of which sell low-cost gardening supplies.

But it's easy to overspend on "plug plants", ready-to-plant seedlings or cuttings grown in single units in modular trays. Last year, a Which? Gardening report found growers could be spending 100 times more than they needed on their vegetable patch. The study found one company, Gardening Direct, selling carrot plug plants for £1.09 each, each yielding just one carrot. Which? Gardening editor Ceri Thomas says: "£1.09 for a carrot is definitely not value for money. Carrot seed is really cheap to buy and very easy to grow – even for novice gardeners." Gardening Direct has since withdrawn its carrot and beetroot plug plants.

4. Enjoy a Seedy Saturday (or Sunday)

Today is Seedy Saturday in Brighton, when an organisation devoted to helping gardeners swap seeds and protect biodiversity will be holding its latest swap or buy event, in the city's Preston Park. Although the free event began in Brighton, it is spreading across Britain, with Bolton Urban Growers (Bugs) holding a seedy Saturday this afternoon, while another takes place in October in Bristol. Oddly, the organisation is called SeedySunday.org, as its major annual event is held on a Sunday in February.

5. Totally free stuff

Put "free plants" into Google and find all manner of offers – but their attractiveness melts away when you inquire more closely. Websites such as plantsreunited.com and gardenswapshop.co.uk were set up to allow gardeners to swap or give away excess plants. Sadly, they appear largely moribund; plantsreunited had just one offer when we searched this week, and it was a commercial advert for herbs at £2. Gardenswapshop wasn't much healthier; it had just some rhubarb plants and some summer lilac.

Better options are your local freecycle.org, on which you are likely to find garden equipment, or the "freebies" page of gumtree, where old garden tools and lawn mowers are often given away. Or keep an eye on Bumblebee Auctions, the website where the police dispose of stolen goods they can't reunite with their former owner.

6. Getting the best deal on new items

Which? Gardening carries out in-depth consumer tests on garden equipment and gives its verdict on which items are worth buying, and at what price.

May's issue focuses on lawnmowers, with 30 models on test. For a medium-sized garden (with a lawn of around 150 sq m), the Bosch Rotak 40 Ergoflex scored highest, but it costs around £170. A cheaper alternative is the Flymo Chevron 34VC, with a price tag of around £100. But it pays to study the results closely – several Flymo "Glide" models, priced at around £85-£140, scored poorly.

If you have just a small lawn, a surprise winner is the Flymo Microlite at just £40. To subscribe to Which? Gardening, call 01992 822800.

7. Cheap garden furniture

It is easy to spend a fortune on garden furniture, but you don't have to. A high quality six-seater, FSC-approved teak table and chair set can set you back £2,000. But a quick internet search will show up plenty of firms offering teak and other garden furniture at prices closer to £700.

But this is an area in which extreme caution is advised. Buy from companies with a landline phone number – mobile-only firms are to be avoided. Ideally, it will have been in business several years, and run out of proper premises – not a lock-up or a storage company. Research your chosen firm on the internet before you place your order, and always pay by credit card. For teak furniture, Money has used a discount firm called HumberImports.com without problems. Be aware that most items arrive in containers from the far east, and delivery times can be "moveable".

Or go for an cast aluminium set. They're cheaper to buy, require no maintenance, and will look as good a few years later as the day they were delivered.

8. Nurseries and garden centres vs buying online

No two shrubs or trees are identical, so comparing between garden centres and online is tricky. Interestingly, when Money tried comparing prices on a bottle brush tree (Callistemon laevis), the price at the garden centres we visited was comparable to anything online, plus the buyer has the advantage of seeing the healthiness of the shrub before buying.

But on garden tools and equipment, local garden centres struggle to compete. For the Which? best buy Bosch lawnmower named above, we found Screwfix.com cheapest at £124.99, compared with £134.95 at Amazon.com and £159.99 at Argos.co.uk.

9. Make your own compost

In spite of what the local councils say when they hand out free or discounted composting bins, making your own compost is not easy. It's all about getting the mix right, apparently. A better bet is to use the tried and tested three-compartment homemade composter, made with wood slats – old pallets would do. Put the material in the first bin, add shredded matter such as newspaper, a bit of water, and cover for six months, mixing occasionally. After six months, turn it into the second container, add water if too dry, cover and leave. After another half year in the third area, it's ready to use. Keep it going round the year. Don't add too many grass cuttings without adding other material. Peeing on your heap, so we're told, will help the process and produce compost. Consult gardenersworld.com/how-to/projects/compost/ for the perfect mix.

10. And ignore 'specialist' fertilisers

Garden centres tempt you to buy fertiliser designed especially for, say, roses, in smaller and more expensive packs. Don't bother, says the RHS's Guy Barter. "Plants can't read the labels on the bag and in any case, most people have no idea what's in their garden soil. And don't be seduced into thinking you have to feed your lawn or plants every week."

L'Orange Bleue, NYC [Photo: Michelle Rick/Eater National Flickr Pool] · Restaurants Lift Prices as Inflation Hawks See Fed Behind Curve [Bloomberg] · Operators on How 2011 Is Shaping Up [NRN] · Cops Park In Bike Lane For Emergency Papa...

Look what happened when this young man, who has autism, was singing the National Anthem at Fenway park. This gave me goosebumps. Watch it here.

If you thought Four Corners was impressive, wait till you hear about Mt Roraima. The massive mountain stands at the meeting place of Brazil, Venezuela, and Guyana, and sits in Canaima National Park. Its massive cliff face rises 1,500 sheet feet above the forest floor. Although the ascent is insane, once you’re up the 12 square [...]

Just as gas prices are threatening to soar this summer and put a damper on those roadtrippin’ plans, the country's rail network has seized the opportunity to tout the advantages of traveling by train.

"When you consider today’s average gas prices, the cost of a rail ticket on one of Amtrak’s long-distance trains is significantly less than keeping the car fueled," said Todd Powell, president of Chicago-based specialty travel company Vacations By Rail.

Vacations by Rail breaks down some of the distances of major train routes across the U.S. and what it would cost to fill up the car versus to take the train. For instance, it’s 1,547 miles from Chicago to Glacier National Park in Montana. If a car gets an average of say 25 miles per gallon, then it will take nearly 62 gallons to get there. At $5 per gallon, which is how high gas prices might get this summer, it will cost $310 to fuel the car each way.

The train ticket is $155 each way. So, of course, it also depends how many people are in the car. If there are two people in the car, that’s arguably the same price.

To further encourage families to consider training it rather than driving, as part of one of Amtrak’s summer promotions, kids can ride the Auto Train, a train the can accommodate cars, vans, motorcycles, boats and jet skis, for $19, for bookings made by June 5 for travel between June 1 and August 30.

There are more reasons to celebrate rail travel right now too.

Amtrak turns 40 this month, and to celebrate an Amtrak Exhibit Train is touring the U.S. to celebrate. Additionally, May 7 is National Train Day and Amtrak is hosting events at train stations in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Chicago that include live entertainment, exhibits, kids' activities and model train displays, and tours of Amtrak equipment, freight and commuter trains, and private railroad cars.

More from Budget Travel:

Is high-speed train travel the way of the future? The guys of Mad Men think so!

Trains versus planes? Survey shows a pull towards tracks

America's Most Scenic Train Rides

Nearly two dozen tourists decide to take an illegal stroll on Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park. Msnbc.com's Al Stirrett reports. (msnbc.com)

Members of a tour group have been ticketed for getting a closer look at Old Faithful after someone watching on a webcam several states away saw them walking on the cone of the iconic geyser, according to Yellowstone National Park rangers.

My educational philosophy is that a genuine, physical connection generates the best learning opportunities. Children can use all of their sense to explore, ask questions, and perform experiments in the giant laboratory of the natural world.

As an Eagle Scout, my husband is a lifelong outdoorsman. I also love just wandering around a beach or forest path to see what we can find. So, we get outside a lot with our young family.

Still, sometimes it helps motivate me to have a goal and focus. There are a number of free iPhone and iPad apps that encourage young children to get outside and learn.

Project Noah: This app allows you to upload sightings of local flora and fauna and get identification help from the community, sign-up for local or word-wide missions, and earn badges for your involvement. Kids will enjoy the opportunity to share their own knowledge and be part of a larger effort.

Oh, Ranger! Parkfinder: This app provides a "comprehensive database of every national park, state park and federal public land in America." An intuitive and simple interface allows you to find parks near you that offer specific activities. The description of the park provides more detail about each of the activities, hours, events, and more. The missed opportunity here is to offer readers a chance to add comments and tips, or at least ratings, to add an element of social recommendation and interactivity to the app.

Geocaching (Intro): At almost every trail we enjoy hiking, there is at least one geocache. Turning our outdoor adventures into a scavenger hunt makes the kids even more excited to go exploring our local trails. They like learning to use the compass and watching the distance countdown as we move closer to our goal. And we've learned more about the history and ecology of our favorite spots from the descriptions included.

Chirp! Lite: Although the free version will not satisfy avid birders, junior ornithologists will have fun learning the calls and practicing their identifications. You may see all birds in the database or select your region.

Planets: Scan the horizon to spot the stars, constellations, planets, and more. You can also find out when major celestial bodies are visible or view the earth from a satellite perspective. As the weather warms up, head outside after sunset and enjoy a little stargazing.

SkyView Free: This app blends your camera view with images of the stars, planets, and satellites visible in your location. The app also moves with you and uses illustrations to highlight the constellations. This is a fun visual app although the free one only includes a handful of constellations.

---

Candace Lindemann is an educational consultant and writer who blogs at Naturally Educational and Mamanista. She is also the co-founder of Bloganthropy, a non-profit dedicated to charity in social media.

A proposal released Thursday by the National Park Service would allow no more than 330 snowmobiles a

Jarhead fire burns 25,000 acres in Big Cypress National Preserve

The Jarhead fire has burned over 25,000 acres in the Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida since it started from a lighting strike on April 26. Here is an excerpt from today’s National Park Service Morning Report: Yesterday Preserve personnel verified that two privately owned hunting camps and a known Florida panther den, with four [...]

Wildfire Today - News and commentary about wildland fire

• As part of its annual conference next week in Charleston, SC, the National Genealogical Society will offer a one-day Genealogy 101 session on Saturday, May 14, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Registration costs $50. Online registration is closed, but you can register at the door. Space is limited, so get there early.

• A new organization has formed with the goal to provide in-depth genealogical education in the Mid-Atlantic region and nationally. The Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP) is planning a weeklong genealogy seminar for Monday, July 23 through Friday, July 27, 2012, in Pittsburgh. Learn more on GRIP’s website.

• If you’ll be in the Washington, DC, are next week, you can learn how to research the National Archives’ records of Union and Confederate Army units and Navy ships at one of two free workshops: May 10, 11 a.m. at the Washington, DC, Research Center; or Thursday, May 12, 11 a.m. at the College Park, MD, research center. Learn more on the National Archives’ events page. 

• FamilySearch has added more than 2 million digital images to its record collections come from Brazil, Chile, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Switzerland, U.S., and Wales. More than 1.7 million of those images were added to the Brazil Civil Registration collection, and 346,000 church records were added for Honduras. The record images aren’t yet indexed, so you’ll need to navigate to the collection of interest on FamilySearch and browse the images. You can see the list of updated collections and link to each one here. 

I work for a university, which is a large charitable corporation that does a lot of work for the government as well as private industry. I mention its structure because a lot of people think that it is a government institution, which will bear on their emotional response towards what follows. I mention this before the following meditation because I want the reader to be prepared to park their ideological assumptions at the door and read what I write instead of following the narrative that many folks follow when they think about government.

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Mike Enzi, John Barrasso and Representative Cynthia Lummis, all R-Wyo., encourage residents who care about public access and recreation in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks to let their voices be heard on how the park should be managed. The National Park Service is ready for public review and comment on the draft environmental impact statement to guide the winter use management of the parks.

            The National Park Service has put together seven plans that range from a snowcoaches only plan, a mixed use plan that closes Sylvan Pass, a plan to return to 2007 levels of 720 snowmobiles and 78 snowcoaches per day and several more. 

            Electronic comment forms can be submitted at the National Park Service’s Planning, Environment and Public Comment website at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/yell by picking Winter Use Plan/EIS, then clicking on the ‘Open for Comment’ link in the upper left of the page. Comments may also be submitted by mail to Yellowstone National park Winter Use DEIS, P.O. Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, Wyo. 82190, or in person. Comments will not be accepted over the phone, by fax, or e-mail.

            The comment period will be open for 60 days and will end mid-July.

            There will be six public meetings:

            June 1 - Jackson

            June 2 - Cody          

            June 7 - West Yellowstone, Montana

            June 8 - Bozeman, Montana

            June 21 - Denver, Colorado                     

            June 23 - Washington, DC. 

            Two webinars are also scheduled for June 21 and June 22. Further details on meeting times, locations and instructions for the webinar will be released soon and updated at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/yell  under the “Winter Use Plan/EIS” link.

            When it comes to Yellowstone winter use, the Wyoming delegation has fought for years to increase snowmobile and snowcoach access, provide certainty for winter use policy, and keep the East Entrance of Yellowstone open. Public comments and mass attendance at public meetings has helped and will continue to help ensure the park can be enjoyed by the people, its original purpose.

Peter Facinelli invites you into his home on wheels decked out with solar panels courtesy of Energizer. Peter took his RV to the Grand Canyon for an event with Energizer and the National Park Foundation to raise awareness for supporting America’s national parks. Check out Nowthatspositivenergy.com for all the details. Via TwilightBritneyFan

  May 5, 2011 Saturdays share faith story with hundreds at prayer breakfast FYI  - THIS is  a Long Article Attendees pray for community, government, schools, businesses By Abbey Doyle The Herald Bulletin ANDERSON, Ind. — A crowd of about 500 gave Jeff and Karen Saturday a standing ovation after the two shared their faith story Thursday at the Madison County Prayer Breakfast.“It is powerful to look out on this sea of people,” the Indianapolis Colts center said. “Especially knowing that all of us are standing up united for Christ and praying for the same things. ... We are all doing it together. That is a powerful, powerful thing.”Communities across the country were hosting similar events on Thursday, the National Day of Prayer.The event at Madison Park Church of God was hosted by Anderson Mayor Kris Ockomon.“We’ve always tried to have a faith-based administration,” the mayor said after the event. “This is one way we can reach out to the community. It gives a positive image to the community.”Ockomon acknowledged the special relationship the Saturdays have with the city and his brother Skip Ockomon and said he was grateful for the couple’s willingness to come and share their story.Both Jeff and Karen Saturday received nods of appreciation and understanding and chuckles during their address. http://heraldbulletin.com/local/x1892928163/Saturdays-share-faith-story-with-hundreds-at-prayer-breakfast

Biltmore Fashion Park always seems like its own little self-contained universe. The upscale plaza offers shopping, community movie nights, and a dozen or so diverse restaurants, from national bra...

From Bristol to Brighton the festival season is in full swing

With the fabulously eclectic Mayfest kicking off in Bristol yesterday, Norfolk and Norwich starting today and the Brighton festival and Brighton fringe beginning tomorrow, the festival season is in full swing. The month will round off with Pulse in Ipswich. I'm particularly looking forward to Hilary Westlake's Dining With Alice and Graeae's The Iron Man at N&N; and will be heading to the Basement in Brighton for 5x5. There's also another chance to see Hydrocracker's The New World Order, five short Pinter plays played out in Brighton Town Hall that were a hit at the 2007 festival. I'm going to dip a toe in the Brighton fringe, too, with Billy Bud Sailor, a story of obsession and revenge performed in a bathroom.

There's plenty else happening down south. This year's Chichester festival begins with a rare revival of the lusciously scored musical She Loves Me and there is much to look forward to, including Trevor Nunn's revival of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Max Stafford-Clark revisiting Caryl Churchill's Top Girls and Jonathan Kent directing Sweeney Todd. At the Nuffield in Southampton, Sandi Toksvig considers the pressures on soldiers involved in military occupation in Bully Boy, which stars Anthony Andrews. The Globe's As You Like It heads out on a nationwide tour from the City Museum Gardens in Portsmouth. You've still got time to catch the superb Comedy of Errors at the Northcott in Exeter. Pants on Fire's irreverent Ovid's Metamorphoses is at the Drum in Plymouth until Saturday and then heads to Salisbury Arts Centre on Wednesday as part of an ongoing tour. The lives of those serving in Afghanistan is considered in Josh's Monsters which is out on tour and then heading to Pulse later in the month.

Let's head straight to Scotland where Mike Bartlett's viciously funny Love, Love, Love is at the Citizens in Glasgow. Good to hear that Headlong are reviving Bartlett's Earthquakes in London which will go out on tour in the autumn. The Mayfesto season of political work is underway at Glasgow's Tron and this week the main draw should be David Harrower's Slow Air about an estranged brother and sister. David Greig's Dunsinane, first seen at Hampstead theatre, is revived by National Theatre Scotland at Edinburgh's Royal Lyceum from next Friday. This week's A Play, a Pie and a Pint lunchtime theatre at Oran Mor is Andrew Dallmeyer's Thank God for John Muir about the aftermath of an industrial accident. There is some fantastic work for children in the Imaginate festival which takes over the Traverse and other Edinburgh venues from Monday.

In the north of England, John Ford's extraordinary tragedy of obsession and incest 'Tis Pity She's a Whore is revived at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds. At York Theatre Royal there's a revival of Arthur Miller's witch-hunt play, The Crucible. A Walk-On Part – The Fall of New Labour at Live in Newcastle is a dramatisation of Chris Mullins's diaries. Terry Hands directs Taming of the Shrew at Theatr Clwyd in Mold, and the popular 60s drama Spring and Port Wine is at the New Vic, Newcastle under Lyme. David Morrissey is in Macbeth in Liverpool. The Price plays Hull Truck, while David Lodge's Secret Thoughts opens at the Octagon in Bolton. An early Ibsen play, previously unperformed in this country, The League of Youth, opens at Nottingham Playhouse, while in Stratford-upon-Avon at the RSC Dominic Hill directs 1632 satire, The City Madam, and Patrick Stewart and Rupert Goold are previewing The Merchant of Venice. For something rather more contemporary, try Reckless Sleepers who are reviving one of their most celebrated shows, Schrodinger, at the Curve in Leicester. At the Royal and Derngate in Northampton, Hamlet the Musical should raise a smile. In Corby at the new Cube, Thickskin's Blackout is an adrenaline-fuelled examination of a young life gone wrong.

Heading into London, the excellent revival of Journey's End is at the Theatre Royal in Windsor. The big opening this week is Imelda Staunton and Penelope Wilton in Edward Albee's A Delicate Balance at the Almeida. I'm looking forward to Naomi Wallace's And I and Silence, a tale of segregation in the US southern states that premieres at the Finborough and the Simon Stephens-translated Jon Fosse play I Am the Wind at the Young Vic. At the same venue this week, you can also see Talawa's Flipping the Script project that features Walking to Obama about the pre-civil rights era in the US, and book your Michael Sheen Hamlet seats. The Edinburgh 2010 hit, Reykjavik, a multi-sensory exploration of memory, heads out on a UK tour from the Albany on Tuesday. The plays in Convictions at Soho have been written by ex-offenders, and Soho also plays host to Theatre Uncut this Sunday, which provides another opportunity to see the plays that premiered at Southwark Playhouse last month. The London Bubble's Blackbirds in Southwark Park from Monday tells the stories of Londoners who lived through the blitz and sounds pretty special.

Filed under: Turkey

Disclaimer: Today's summer travel destination isn't exactly the most widely recognizable corner of the world. In fact, some of you seasoned travel vets out there might be scratching your heads and searching for the nearest world map. But we're guessing that after a few hundred words or so, we'll have you dreaming about a trip to Cappadocia.

We're not talking about the small town of the same name in Central Italy, but rather an ancient region of eastern Anatolia, and part of modern Nevşehir Province in Turkey. Cappadocia, pronounced something akin to Kapadokya, is distinguished by its spectacular landscape of fairy chimneys, cave dwellings and expansive underground cities.

Accessible by either bus or plane from Istanbul, Cappadocia is one of the undeniable highlights of any Turkish grand tour. The centerpiece is Göreme National Park, which was designated in 1985 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and protects rock carvings dating back to the Roman era. Another major draw is the town of Ürgüp, where you can bed down in a Flintstone-esque hotel carved right out of the rock face.

Have we captured your full attention yet? If not, check out the gallery below.

Continue reading Summer Travel: Exploring Cappadocia

Summer Travel: Exploring Cappadocia originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 06 May 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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"...With less than 1,000 5-ounce silver 2010 America the Beautiful uncirculated collector coins honoring Hot Springs National Park left for sale, the U.S. Mint announced May 4 that the uncirculated collector version of the 2010 Yellowstone National Park 5-ounce silver coin would go on sale May 17....

In Case You Missed It: Republicans threaten to defund National Labor Relations Board over Boeing ruling and The Stranger live-slogs last night's rickety-ass, Santorum-covered Republican presidential debate.

Dorothy Parvaz: Still missing in Syria, as concerns for her safety and calls for her release proliferate.

Haters Gonna Hate, Terrorists Gonna Terrorize: Al Qaeda vows that Bin Laden's death will serve as a "curse that chases the Americans and their agents, and goes after them inside and outside their countries," as the terror group says in a new message. "Soon—with help from Allah—their happiness will turn into sorrow, and their blood will be mixed with their tears."

Give Us the Details: "Two United Nations human rights watchdogs have asked the US to provide details about the operation that killed Osama bin Laden, in particular whether it ever included the possibility that he could be captured alive," reports The Guardian.

Cinco de Mayo in South Park: Celebrated with groundbreaking on the forthcoming new bridge, visiting political leaders, and a 26-foot-long, 7-foot-tall bridge-shaped piñata.

V-Bar Goes Dry: Troubled Belltown bar—whose owner isn't above trying to stop on-site fights by firing a gun in the air—denied liquor license.

Trippy Dinner: Connecticut mom faces criminal charges after allegedly serving her 5-year-old daughter noodles laced with PCP.

The Limited Return of Smoke?: Washington State lawmakers look into modifying the smoking ban.

Meanwhile in Eastern Washington: "A Colville man and his stepdaughter who were found fatally shot last week were in a romantic relationship and practiced a pagan religion, according to the woman who was the man's wife and the girl's mother," reports the Associated Press.

That's Not Kosher: Israeli rabbi convicted of molesting female passenger on flight out of Tel Aviv.

Local Print Media Is on Fire!: As vandals torch six Seattle newspaper boxes in two days.

Here Is a Thing That Exists: "The FBI has raided the Gig Harbor home of an alleged hacker suspected in a cyber attack against Kiss bassist Gene Simmons," reports Seattlepi.com.

FInally, happy birthday to Orson Welles, the legendary director and actor born on this day in 1915. In the YouTube era, Welles will perhaps be best remembered as that drunk guy trying to sell champagne, but of course he's so much more. Here's footage from Welles' greatest work, set to the song he inadvertently co-wrote with Jack White. (Film created by Jack Metier.)

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In the winning-is-everything culture of big-time college basketball, coaches typically leave their posts for one of two reasons: They’re fired for their teams’ poor performance or they quit before their contracts are up, bailing for bigger paychecks and more prestige elsewhere.

Maryland’s Gary Williams followed neither script Thursday, choosing an unremarkable afternoon to announce that he was retiring after 22 seasons, “fiercely proud” of the program he had helped build at College Park, leading his alma mater to a national championship, two NCAA Final Fours and a 461-252 record.

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Niles North's Rosen Wins National Chess Championship

The May 3 death of a Marsican brown bear ( Ursus arctos marsicanus ) has put the world's rarest bear subspecies one step closer to extinction. Just 50 or so of the animals remain in two of Italy's national parks, a population so small that the bears are "below the threshold of survival," Giuseppe Rossi, head of the National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio, and Molise, told The Christian Science Monitor .

The bear killed this week was likely struck by a car, an example of the increased bear-human conflict that has halved the population from 100 animals since the 1980s. In addition to traffic fatalities, poachers used poison to kill three bears in 2007, including a cub and his famous father named Bernardo, who was known for casually strolling around the streets of local villages. A female bear died in 2008, also from poisoning.

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The news of legendary Maryland coach Gary Williams' retirement Thursday invoked a wide range of responses from writers, coaches and administrators throughout college basketball. Here's a sampling of some of my favorites:

Dana O'Neil, ESPN.com: He was the same guy when he stalked the sidelines at Woodrow Wilson High School as he was when he paced the court at Maryland, a fiercely competitive, baldly honest and endlessly passionate basketball coach. And that was it -- a basketball coach, a throwback to an era when coaching meant making good players great instead of babysitting great players for a year or two.Williams was never a salesman or a showman or a pitchman or a charlatan. Just a coach, thank you very much, one who walks away after more than 30 years in the business with one national title and another even more difficult-to-achieve milestone -- no blemishes.

John Feinstein, Washington Post: I know he was worn out by a lot of things: 15 years of battling an athletic director who couldn't stand Williams being the face of Maryland sports; the skepticism of his own fans even after he revived a beleaguered program and delivered its only national championship; the complete cesspool high school recruiting has become; and, finally, his most talented player's misguided decision to turn pro rather than return for his junior season. Gary would never put it on any kid, but I suspect Jordan Williams's departure was the last straw. "I told Joe Smith to go; I told Chris Wilcox to go; I told Steve Francis to go," he said a couple of weeks ago. "They were lock lottery picks. Jordan's not."

Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski: "I love Gary. What he has done for Maryland and for college basketball is remarkable. He is one of the great coaches of all-time. He is a coaches' coach and an ultimate competitor. His retirement is a big loss for the ACC and for college basketball."

Jeff Goodman, FoxSports.com: Sure, Williams missed out on no shortage of the local studs. The list is endless: 'Melo, Rudy Gay, Kevin Durant, Ty Lawson, etc. Instead, Williams brought what many considered mediocre talent to College Park and coached them up. He never sold out, instead developing players and, in doing so, proving himself as one of the truly elite X's and O's guys in the business. "Gary wanted guys that were a better fit for him and the program than the best players in the country," Dickerson said. His Terps won 32 games in 2002 and cut down the nets. The best player on that team, Juan Dixon, isn't even in the NBA.

Jay Bilas, ESPN.com: Once, after a questionable call during an NIT game, Williams told an official that his team was playing in the NIT because it wasn't very good. He then proceeded to tell the ref that he was officiating this game for precisely the same reason. No technical was awarded, and both had a good laugh over the jab. That is Gary Williams. Unless you know him, you might not appreciate the quality of the person. Once you do know him, you cannot miss it.

Maryland athletic director Kevin Anderson: "Gary Williams is a legend. His accomplishments on the court have earned him a place among the elite in college basketball history. But Gary's legacy here at Maryland goes far beyond basketball. From his philanthropic efforts to his tireless work with fans and alumni to his impact with our students, Gary has left an indelible mark of excellence on this university."

Mike Wise, Washington Post: Recounted often is how Gary Williams took his alma mater, reeling from tragedy and NCAA probation, to the national title in 2002. What people forget is, he left a very good job at Ohio State to do it, gambling on his future in what many perceived as not a lateral move but an actual step down the coaching ladder. Lefty Driesell's storied program of John Lucas, Buck Williams, Tom McMillen, Len Elmore and Adrian Branch was reduced to rubble after Len Bias, one of the greatest players in the history of college basketball, died in a cocaine overdose on campus less than two days after he was drafted into the NBA. Maryland was floundering after Lefty resigned, and Bob Wade tried to cheat his way back.

Former Maryland athletic director Debbie Yow: "Gary is one of the best X-and-O coaches in college basketball. He will be greatly missed by Terps everywhere. I trust that he will be selected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame soon. Also, his name should be on the Comcast Center floor, as was proposed a year ago."

Mike DeCourcy, SportingNews.com: The 2002 team was symbolic of both Williams' greatest successes and his greatest struggles; it was the only championship team since the first McDonald's All-American came of age to win the title without one of the game's alumni on the roster. The star players — guards Juan Dixon and Steve Blake, big men Lonny Baxter and Chris Wilcox — had been undervalued by others in the recruiting process. As the assistants who uncovered those gems became head coaches — Billy Hahn, Dave Dickerson, Jimmy Patsos — locating such players became a greater challenge. Recruiting changed, as well, with the rising influence of summer coaches, AAU coaches, club coaches — whatever you want to call them, Gary didn't. Call them, I mean.

Peter Schmuck, Baltimore Sun: Don't misunderstand. Williams owes no one an apology for his decision to get on with his life at 66 years of age. He owes nothing to the university or its basketball fans, who loved his intensity but probably didn't fully appreciate what it took to run a clean program and compete year after year in the elite Atlantic Coast Conference. It's just hard to imagine an evening of Terrapins basketball without Williams sweating through his suit, and it's even harder to understand how Williams decided to walk away after a season in which the Terps missed the NCAA tournament and were snubbed by the National Invitation Tournament. He always struck me as a go-out-on-top kind of guy.

There’s a sense of natural paradise around Bar Harbor. Funny coincidence, then, that it was once named Eden – in honour of an early settler – Sir Richard Eden. From a secluded haven for artists to elitist holiday retreat, Maine’s oldest summer resort also enchants visitors with its immense natural beauty in the fall. In [...]

Bar Harbor Maine is a post from: Atlas Cruises and Tours Travel Blog | Globus Tours | Italy Tours | Trafalgar Tours

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Exeter have delighted, Saracens have excelled, London Irish have had their moment while Wasps have floundered and only Jimmy Gopperth has kept Newcastle alive

Leicester Tigers

Last season 1st (and champions) Current position 1st

Have they lived up to expectations? Nothing short of retaining their title will satisfy the Tigers but there is still work to be done. The Heineken Cup quarter-final defeat to Leinster highlighted certain issues, not least a suspicion that Ben Youngs and Toby Flood are feeling the effects of a hectic season. If they do happen to meet a resurgent Northampton in the play-off semi-finals, victory is far from certain. That said, Anthony Allen, Manu Tuilagi, Scott Hamilton, Thomas Waldrom and Martin Castrogiovanni have all done enough to merit a Twickenham finale.

Highlight of season Still to come, they hope, but their 37-6 victory at Bath was sweet.

Player of the season Anthony Allen

Predicted finish Finalists

Saracens

Last season 3rd (losing finalists) Current position 2nd

Have they lived up to expectations? No other contender is finishing faster than Sarries. Their bonding trips to Florida and the Oktoberfest may have raised eyebrows but the benefits are increasingly evident. One more win in their final game will equal the record of 18 regular season wins since the introduction of a 12-team Premiership in 1999, although losing to Quins on Saturday might suit if it secures a home semi-final against Gloucester. They have scored 28 fewer tries than Leicester but boast the meanest defence of any of the top four teams. Taking into account a glut of injuries, Brendan Venter's relocation back to South Africa and the Gavin Henson saga, this has been a cleverly judged campaign.

Highlight of season Their late-season surge, which currently extends to eight successive league wins.

Player of the season Ernst Joubert

Predicted finish Champions

Gloucester

Last season 7th Current position 3rd

Have they lived up to expectations? Yes, particularly if you saw their woeful opening-day defeat at Exeter. Consistency still eludes them and their defence has the occasional wobble but with ball in hand they can be deadly. Although Saracens blew them away in Watford recently, they are deserved play-off participants. In Freddie Burns, Charlie Sharples, Johnny May and Ryan Mills they also have a posse of talented young English-qualified backs. Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu this week scooped three awards at the club's end-of season awards: player of the year, player's player and try of the season.

Highlight of season Hard to look past their extraordinary 41-41 draw at Welford Road last month.

Player of the season Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu.

Predicted finish Semi-finalists

Northampton Saints

Last season 2nd Current position 4th

Have they lived up to expectations? They would not swap their present position but promise still has to be translated into silverware. Their first-choice XV is good enough to beat anyone, particularly up front, but their strength in depth has been less evident. If they ultimately falter, fingers will also be pointed at their half-backs. As Perpignan discovered, though, they can be mighty foes when Messrs Tonga'uiha, Hartley, Mujati, Lawes, Dowson, Ashton and Foden are all firing. Their lineout fell apart at Welford Road back in January but the Tigers will still be wary.

Highlight of season Reaching the Heineken Cup final for the first time in 11 years.

Player of the season Soane Tonga'uiha

Predicted finish Semi-finalists

Bath

Last season 4th. Current position 5th

Have they lived up to expectations? For their ambitious owner Bruce Craig, the answer has to be no. It was evident from relatively early in the campaign that other teams had more tight-five oomph and injuries to Butch James and Olly Barkley were equally damaging. Steve Meehan has been eased aside as head coach and Sir Ian McGeechan will be expected to guide the club into the play-offs next year. Nick Abendanon and Matt Banahan are maturing into fine players and Carl Fearns is an encouraging summer arrival. If Danny Cipriani wants to find somewhere in England to rebuild his reputation he need look no further.

Highlight of season Smashing Wasps 43-10 at Twickenham last month.

Player of the season Matt Banahan

Predicted finish 5th

London Irish

Last season 6th Current position 6th

Have they lived up to expectations? At the start of November, Irish sat atop the Premiership table and looked certainties for the play-offs. Once again soft mid-winter pitches slowed their progress and one or two players shrank when the going got tough. They also badly missed the experience of the underrated Declan Danaher and Sailosi Tagicakibau. Next season they will be without Seilala Mapusua, who is off to Kubota Spears in Japan. The challenge for the innovative Toby Booth will be to ensure the Exiles remain equally competitive without their midfield anchor.

Highlight of season Beating the Ospreys to end a ruinous 10-game losing streak in all competitions.

Player of the season Alex Corbisiero.

Predicted finish 6th

Harlequins

Last season 8th Current position 7th

Have they lived up to expectations? Not yet. They are finishing the season strongly but have too often lacked the ability to finish their forwards' approach work. Two draws and seven losing bonus points, more than any other team in the league, betrays a campaign of near-misses; the good news is that they are a young side who look set to improve further next year. If Joe Marler and George Lowe continue to progress they will be candidates for national recognition sooner rather than later.

Highlight of season Beating Munster at Thomond Park to reach the Amlin Challenge Cup final.

Player of the season Chris Robshaw

Predicted finish 7th

London Wasps

Last season 5th Current position 8th

Have they lived up to expectations? Rarely have Wasps caused their supporters more angst. Very little has gone right on or off the field, to the point where the future looks worryingly murky. Showpiece games in Abu Dhabi and at Twickenham attracted plenty of attention but heavy defeats in both fixtures swiftly diluted the promotional benefits. The Andy Powell saga, the departure of the director of rugby, Tony Hanks, a succession of injuries, a crumbling pack ... hoicking Josh Lewsey out of retirement betrayed the collective yearning for former glories. A failure to qualify for the Heineken Cup may offer short-term breathing space but the rebuilding job could take a while.

Highlight of season Beating Toulouse in the Heineken Cup pool stages.

Player of the season Joe Simpson

Predicted finish 8th

Exeter Chiefs

Last season Championship play-off winners Current position 9th

Have they lived up to expectations? To their lasting credit, the Chiefs have confounded almost everyone. Not only have they stayed up, they have claimed some significant scalps – Saracens, Northampton, Gloucester, Harlequins – along the way. At no stage did they appear relegation candidates, with Rob Baxter and Ali Hepher proving a shrewd managerial combo. The matchday atmosphere at Sandy Park also compared favourably with any ground in the Premiership. With a raft of new signings to bolster the existing settled squad, this could be just the start.

Highlight of season All of it.

Player of the season Tom Johnson

Predicted finish 9th

Sale Sharks

Last season 11th Current position 10th.Have they lived up to expectations? Mike Brewer was hired as head coach to oversee a dramatic improvement but it ended bitterly. The Sharks have won only six league games all season and Brewer's no-nonsense regime prompted their linchpin Charlie Hodgson to agree a summer move to Saracens. The arrival of Steve Diamond appears to have steadied the ship but the landscape has changed drastically since Sale were crowned Premiership champions in 2006. The promise of James Gaskell is undeniable but the loss of Carl Fearns to Bath is another significant blow. The only way is up.

Highlight of season The departure of Brewer.

Player of the season Sisa Koyamaibole

Predicted finish 10th

Newcastle Falcons

Last season 9th Current league position 11th

Have they lived up to expectations? Alan Tait has done his best but the Falcons looked short of firepower from the outset. Barring a last-weekend disaster they should now be safe but it is a brave man who insists they will prosper next season. Only the accurate kicking of Jimmy Gopperth, the Premiership's leading points-scorer, has kept them afloat; no team in the league, Leeds included, has scored fewer tries. Luke Fielden, Ally Hogg and Tim Swinson all deserved better but Micky Young's switch to Leicester will hardly boost battered northern morale.

Highlight of season Beating Leeds 22-5 at Headingley in February to boost their survival hopes.

Player of the season Jimmy Gopperth

Predicted finish 11th

Leeds Carnegie

Last season 10th Current position 12th

Have they lived up to expectations? Neil Back had challenged Leeds to push on towards the top half of the table. It never looked like happening, particularly when Hendre Fourie, Steve Thompson and Marco Wentzel were missing. The departure of the director of rugby, Andy Key, did little to improve things and, ultimately, Leeds possessed insufficient quality to compete with their wealthier rivals. How they must have cheered when Bedford looked like upsetting Worcester last week; it is now hard to see them escaping. If they do finish bottom, they will have to rely on the Cornish Pirates overcoming Worcester over two legs in the Championship play-off final.

Highlight of season Beating Northampton would rescue a wholly forgettable campaign

Player of the season Hendre Fourie

Predicted finish 12th

Filed under: Africa, Kenya, Ecotourism, News

More than 500 elephants strayed out of Tsavo West National Park in Kenya, destroying crops and scaring villagers before being herded back onto park property, the Nairobi Star reports.

The elephants were simply grazing and looking for water, park officials say, but that doesn't reassure villagers who saw their fields trampled. The elephants wandered through five villages and there are reports that they attacked people, although these haven't been confirmed. Many people hid for days indoors until Kenya's Problem Animal Control Unit took care of the problem.

Locals are complaining of threats to their livelihood. Many farmers live in poverty and one ruined crop can be disastrous. Park warden Samuel Rukaria told them they should invest in tourism businesses to cash in on the hugely popular park in their back yard. Not bad advice for someone with capital and a knowledge of the tourism business, but it's unrealistic to expect everyone in the region to be able to do this. This story is just another example of how difficult it is to reconcile the needs of tourists and wildlife to those of local residents. With Africa's expanding population putting ever more pressure on parks and game reserves, incidents like this will only become more common.

[Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons]

Elephants break out of Tsavo West National Park, locals go into hiding originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 06 May 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Maryland basketball coach Gary Williams announced his retirement Thursday, saying "it's the right time" for him to end a career that included leading his alma mater to the 2002 national championship.

Williams coached for 33 years, the last 22 at Maryland, where he played as a guard from 1964-67.

In celebration of the Diversity in YA Fiction Tour, enter to win a copy of two, randomly selected books by participating authors!

Join the authors this month in San Francisco, Austin, Chicago, Cambridge and New York. See schedule and details!

To enter the giveaway, comment here or email me (scroll and click envelope) and type "Diversity" in the subject line. Deadline: midnight CST May 27. Note: author-sponsored; U.S. entries only.

Cynsational Giveaway Reminder

Enter to win a signed copy of The Owl Keeper by Christine Brodien-Jones (Delacorte, 2010). First prize: a hardcover copy. Second and third prize: paperback copies. To enter the giveaway, comment at this link or email me (scroll and click envelope) and type "Owl Keeper" in the subject line. Deadline: midnight CST May 27. Note: Author sponsored; U.S./Canada entries only. See also Christine on Writing Scary But Not Too Scary for Tweens.

More News & Giveaways

An Address and a Map Discovering Your Genius as a Writer by Tim Wynne-Jones from The Writers' League of Texas. Peek: "...I’m talking about the genius that each of us possesses to some degree: a natural ability or capacity or quality of mind; the special endowments which fit each of us for our work."

Children's Choice Book Awards Announced (PDF) from The Children’s Book Council (CBC) in association with Every Child A Reader, and the CBC Foundation. Rick Riordan was named author of the year, and David Wiesner was named illustrator of the year. See the complete list of winners.

JanePeddicord.com Space Blog: Where Kids Question the Cosmos. Peek: "SpaceBlog is place for kids to ask questions, to exchange ideas, and always to discover more about space. Of course, educators, parents, and space enthusiasts of all ages are welcome to join in, too!" Learn more about Jane Ann Peddicord.

Author Interview: Tim Tingle by Marie Penny at The Hub from YALSA. Peek: "My mentor, the Choctaw tribal storyteller Charley Jones says, 'tell the stories', but make sure the origin is acknowledged. The Choctaw tribe is very open, you don’t have to be Choctaw to tell the story, but you must respect the tribal origins." Source: American Indians in Children's Literature.

Lee B. Hopkins Poetry Award Teaching Toolbox: teacher guides and book trailers for the LBH award books.

The Interminable Agency Clause by Victoria Strauss from Writer Beware. Peek: "...language inserted into an author-agency agreement whereby the agency claims the right to remain the agent of record not just for the duration of any contracts it negotiates, but for the life of copyright." See also On Agency Agreements by Jennifer Laughran from Jennifer Represents...

Spaghetti Agents by Nathan Bransford. Peek: "They sign up a bunch of writers even when they're unsure about a project, they throw the manuscripts at publishers, and they see what sticks." See also Nathan on Separating Confidence from Self-Doubt.

Book Talking and Preparing for Focus Meeting by Little, Brown editor Alvina Ling from Blue Rose Girls. Peek: "....because I only have between 1 and 2 minutes to present each title, the presentation needs to be really tight. I want to touch on the summary of the book...."

Castellucci Joins 'Los Angeles Review of Books' as YA and Children's Editor by Wendy Werris from Publishers Weekly. Peek: "'So few venues review YA and teen books regularly, and even then it’s usually bestsellers and known authors, so this is an opportunity to assign reviews to the quieter books and older titles,' Castellucci says."

From Publishers Marketplace: "Nikki Loftin’s debut novel The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy, pitched as Coraline meets Hansel and Gretel, about a young girl whose seemingly delightful new school hides frightening secrets, to Laura Arnold at Razorbill, in a two-book deal, for publication in Summer 2012, by Suzie Townsend at Fineprint Literary Management (World)." Congratulations, Nikki!

Twitter Tutorial: The Long Version by Lynne Kelly from Will Write for Cake. Peek: "It's not okay to pitch your novel or query an agent or editor via Twitter, but following them is a great way to find out what's going on in the publishing industry and with their own work...."

Attention New Yorkers: anticipated budget cuts in NYC would effectively shut down many libraries, reduce hours and staff. Please stop by your local library or click to your local library website to sign a petition to save the libraries. See Queens Library, Brooklyn Public Library, and New York Public Library.

Pay-It-Forward ARC Giveaway Contest from Dawn Metcalf. Enter to win advanced reader copies of Dreamland Social Club by Tara Altebrando and Luminous by Dawn Metcalf (both Dutton, 2011). Deadline: May 7. See more information.

Career Planning: Who, Me? by Kristi Holl from Writer's First Aid. Peek: "...making a writing budget–the nuts and bolts of figuring out how much income you need, where it’s going to come from (all possible sources,) and what to do to get it. You’ll want to study this too." Note: Kristi references Chip MacGregor's excellent post Strategic Planning for Writers, but her pep talk/insights/summary are worth considering, too.

Author Advances: How Much You'll Get and When by Author/Agent Mandy Hubbard. Peek: "If you sell a book to one of the big six publishers, and it's a single book deal, and it's something deemed more quiet or literary, you may see $7,500-$10,000. if it has a bigger commercial hook, but still seems a little risky, you may get $15,000." Note: keep in mind that authors also make money from royalties, sub rights sales, public speaking, etc.

Career Insurance: Five Ways to Sell Your Next Book Before Its Written by Roni Loren from Fiction Groupie. Note: emphasis on series writing. Peek: "Unless you're writing the next blockbuster of the century, one book does not a career make. One book is just the gun going off at the starter gate." Source: QueryTracker.netBlog.

2011 Jane Addams Children's Book Awards from Mitali Perkins. The younger children's category winner is Emma’s Poem: The Voice of the Statue of Liberty by Linda Glaser, illustrated by Claire A. Nivola (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), and the older children's category winner is A Long Walk to Water: Based on a True Story by Linda Sue Park (Clarion). See honor books. Note: "Since 1953, the Jane Addams Children's Book Award honors books published in the U.S. during the previous year that engage children in thinking about peace, justice, world community, and/or equality of the sexes and all races. The books also must meet conventional standards of literary and artistic excellence."

From Publishers Marketplace: "Brian Yansky's Fighting Alien Nation, the sequel to Alien Invasion and Other Inconveniences, which continues the story of the survivors of an alien invasion, again to Candlewick, with Kaylan Adair to edit, by Sara Crowe at Harvey Klinger (world English). Congratulations, Brian!

For Writers: Race and Science Fiction and Fantasy by Mary Anne Mohanraj from Whatever. Peek: "...it’s easy to be paralyzed by that fear, to retreat back to only writing characters who are just like you, or so vague that they can’t possibly be mistaken for anyone real. But again — that makes for bad fiction. If you’re going to write well, you have to get past those fears." See also Your Process of Creating Characters Across Culture or Class from Mitali Perkins from Mitali's Fire Escape.

Point of View in Picture Books in Celebration of National Picture Book Writing Week from Paula Yoo from Write Like You Mean It. Peek: "Look at picture books that are written from different points of view. Compare a picture book written in first person versus third person limited. What are the differences?"

"Birthing a Book: Revelations about the Publishing Process," the transcript of a chat with Bonny Becker from the Institute of Children's Literature.

I Live in the Middle of Nowhere. How Can I Promote My Book? by Kristina Springer from Author2Author. Peek: "...it's hard to get a book faced out at the book store for more than a couple of months. So what can I do?"

Hunger Mountain Critique Auction

Hunger Mountain Critique Auction: Bid for a chance to win critiques from authors, illustrators, and agents from picture books to YA and beyond. See details on:

• 50-page YA manuscript critique with author Holly Cupala;
• illustrator's portfolio critique with Julian Hector;
• picture book critique with agent Jill Corcoran;
• full childrens/YA manuscript critique with agent Elena Mechlin; 50-page middle grade/YA manuscript critique with author Sara Zarr;
• picture book/poetry for children critique with Janet Wong;
• 30-page middle grade/YA critique with agent Joan Slattery;
• newly listed 50-page middle grade critique with agent Erin Murphy;
• 50-page middle grade/YA critique with agent Ammi-Joan Paquette;
• children's/middle grade/Y​A critique with agent Emily Van Beek;
• YA novel (20-page) or poem/story critique with author G. Neri;
• 50-page children's literature critique with author Sara Pennypacker.

Note: Hunger Mountain is the Vermont College of Fine Arts Journal of the Arts, featuring an in-depth focus on children's-YA literature.

Cynsational Screening Room

Check out the book trailer for Bats at the Ballgame by Brian Lies (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010).



Edit Letter Fun: Butcher or Coddler? from lynnekelly2000.



More Personally

This week I turned in my revision of my upcoming YA Gothic fantasy novel, which will be the next fully prose addition to the Tantalize series.

To the left, we see Bashi in the guet room, helping to guard the manuscript as I read through it, tweaking text.

To the right, we see Leo, lounging on Greg's copy of the draft in the parlor. Greg, the kitties, and I read the manuscript out loud to catch typos, missing words, and other minor issues. I'm especially include to skip right over two-letter words like "to," "of," "on," and "so."

See also Official Writer Cat Bios.

I'm pleased to announce that actress Kim Mai Guest will be reading as the character Quincie P. Morris for the audio edition of Blessed for Listening Library/Random House.

Kim Mai also performed as Quincie in the audio production of Tantalize (Listening Library, 2008).

Reminder: all blurb requests must come from editors or agents. Never authors. No exceptions.

Tantalize Reviewed by Anna from Troublingly Good Teen Lit. Peek: "This book could help teens who find themselves with more responsibility than they can handle, or whose parents/guardians are absent. It could also help teens who feel they may have a drinking problem."

Holler Loudly Reviewed by Becca Huttman from South Sound Book Review Council. Peek: "This is a cute story that is just fun. It has lots of action, adventure and fun illustrations."

Holler Loudly Reviewed by GAHome2Mom from Loving Heart Designs. Peek: "...a wonderfully humorous book to share with any young child."

Check out the Holler Loudly Teacher Guides by Shannon Morgan for PreK, Kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 2!

Personal Links of the Week:

• The Beginning: Or As Nike Advertises: Just Do It from Bethany Hegedus
• Possibly the Best Thing About My Job from Jennifer Ziegler
• The Right Word from Brian Yansky
• Look for the "No" to Find the "Yes" by Lindsey Lane from The Meandering Lane
• Interesting Stats on Librarians by Naomi Bates from YA Books and More
• Look for Susan Salzman Raab's latest "To Market" column, "Social Media: Time Well Spent - and Time Consuming" in the May/June 2011 SCBWI Bulletin.
• Cynthia Leitich Smith at Wikipedia

Cynsational Events

Diversity in YA Fiction: Austin Tour Stop 7:30 p.m. May 9 at BookPeople. Featuring authors With authors Bethany Hegedus, Malinda Lo, Guadalupe Garcia McCall, Cindy Pon, Dia Reeves, and Jo Whittemore, and moderated by Varian Johnson.

Chris Barton will be signing Can I See Your ID? True Stories of False Identities, illustrated by Paul Hoppe (Dial, 2011) at 7 p.m. May 14 at BookPeople in Austin. See discussion guide. See also Chris on Unbridled Silliness and Carefully Researched Truth-telling.

The Chills and Thrills Book Tour will be stopping at 2 p.m. May 15 at BookPeople. Turn out for authors Mari Mancusi, Tera Lynn Childs, Sophie Jordan, Jordan Dane, Lara Chapman, Jennifer Archer, and Tracy Deebs.

The First Annual BooksmART Festival will be from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 11 as part of Arts & Letters Live from the Dallas Museum of Art. Peek: "Come spend the day with authors, illustrators, musicians and actors, and enjoy talks, workshops, gallery tours, and entertainment, designed to appeal to every member of the family and every age group." Featured children's-YA book creators include Rick Riordan, Norton Juster, Laurie Halse Anderson, David Wiesner, Jerry Pinkney, Gene Luen Yang, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Duncan Tonatiuh, Antonio Sacre, Joe McDermott, Jan Bozarth, and Ann Marie Newman.

Authors Jennifer Ziegler and Cynthia Leitich Smith will speak to YA readers at 2 p.m. June 18 at Bee Cave Public Library in Bee Cave, Texas. Mark your calendars for book talk and pizza!

Austin Bat Cave Offers YA Writing Workshop with Margo Rabb from May 31 to July 5. See more information.

Telaprevir SVR & African-Americans, Latinos & Advanced Fibrosis -
Reported by Jules Levin

62% of African Americans/Blacks achieved SVR with telaprevir compared to 25% of African Americans/Blacks who were treated with pegylated-interferon and ribavirin alone. Additionally, 62% of people with advanced liver fibrosis or cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) achieved SVR with telaprevir compared to 33% who were treated with pegylated-interferon and ribavirin alone. Old studies of peg/rbv in African-Americans yielded SVR rates of 5-26%.

African-Americans treatment-naïve: 61% had undetectable viral load at week 4 (RVR) and 46% at weeks 4 and 12 (eRVR)- 72% with RVR achieved SVR & 85% with eRVR achieved SVR. Similar for Latinos...

Hepatitis Awareness Month --- May 2011 Weekly
May 6, 2011 / 60(17);537

This month marks the 16th anniversary of Hepatitis Awareness Month in the United States. Viral hepatitis, particularly infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV), is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. This issue of MMWR includes a report that focuses on a recent trend in HCV infection.

The report shows an increase in cases of HCV infection during 2002--2009 among adolescents and young adults aged 15--24 years in Massachusetts and highlights the fundamental role of surveillance in identifying emerging patterns of transmission and developing appropriate public health response. The Massachusetts cases were reported from all areas of the state, primarily among non-Hispanic whites. Injection drug use (IDU) was the most common risk factor for HCV transmission, and the increase in case reports suggests an epidemic of HCV infection related to IDU in this age group in Massachusetts.

In 2010, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academies of Sciences issued a report on viral hepatitis outlining recommendations for the prevention and control of HBV and HCV infection, including improvement in public health surveillance for viral hepatitis and viral hepatitis screening linked with prevention and care (1). In response to the IOM report, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is developing a comprehensive viral hepatitis action plan that will set forth strategies to improve viral hepatitis prevention, care, and treatment in the United States. Additional information regarding viral hepatitis is available from CDC at http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis

Most patients with NASH who develop hepatocellular carcinoma are men

A study in the most recent issue of Clinical Gastroenterology & Hepatology investigates characteristics of patients with NASH who develop hepatocellular carcinoma.

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) can progress to hepatocellular carcinoma. Dr Kohichiroh Yasui and colleagues characterized the clinical features of NASH patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. In a cross-sectional multicenter study in Japan, the team examined 87 patients with histologically proven NASH who developed hepatocellular carcinoma. The clinical data were collected at the time hepatocellular carcinoma was diagnosed. Obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension were present in 62%, 59%, 28%, and 55% of patients, respectively. In nontumor liver tissues, the degree of fibrosis was stage 1 in 11% of patients, stage 2 in 17%, stage 3 in 21%, and stage 4 in 51%. The research team observed that the prevalence of cirrhosis was significantly lower among male patients compared with female patients. Dr Yasui's team concluded, "Most patients with NASH who develop hepatocellular carcinoma are men." "The patients have high rates of obesity, diabetes, and hypertension." "Male patients appear to develop hepatocellular carcinoma at a less advanced stage of liver fibrosis than female patients." Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2011: 9(5): 428-33 06 May 2011 Composite prognostic model for hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence A study in May's issue of Gastroenterology combines clinical, pathology, and gene expression data to predict recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma. In approximately 70% of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma treated by resection or ablation, disease recurs within 5 years. Although gene expression signatures have been associated with outcome, there is no method to predict recurrence based on combined clinical, pathology, and genomic data. Dr Augusto Villanueva and colleagues from Spain evaluated gene expression signatures associated with outcome in a large cohort of patients with early stage, single-nodule hepatocellular carcinoma and heterogeneity of signatures within tumor tissues. The research team assessed 287 hepatocellular carcinoma patients undergoing resection and tested genome-wide expression platforms using tumor and adjacent nontumor, cirrhotic tissue. The team evaluated gene expression signatures with reported prognostic ability generated from tumor or cirrhotic tissue in 18 and 4 reports, respectively. In 15 additional patients, the team profiled samples from the center and periphery of the tumor, to determine stability of signatures. The researchers found that gene expression signatures that were associated with aggressive hepatocellular carcinoma were clustered, as well as those associated with tumors of progenitor cell origin and those from nontumor, adjacent, cirrhotic tissues. The team observed that the tumor-associated signature G3-proliferation, and an adjacent poor-survival signature were independent predictors of hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence, along with satellites. Samples from different sites in the same tumor nodule were reproducibly classified. Dr Villanueva's team concluded, "We developed a composite prognostic model for hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence, based on gene expression patterns in tumor and adjacent tissues." "These signatures predict early and overall recurrence in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, and complement findings from clinical and pathology analyses." Gastroenterol 2011: 140(5): 1501-1512 05 May 2011

Show and Shines to support liver society

Two years and nine months: that's how long Karen Stacey has been on the waiting list for a liver transplant.

Despite the obvious stress experienced as well as impact on her day-to-day health, Stacey, 50, has not only stayed patient, she's stayed positive, dedicating herself to helping others facing a similar diagnosis with a liver disease. From family members to her community, Stacey has always been active in helping others. In 2008, she took her community activism to the next level by founding the Happy Liver Society, a non-profit providing advocacy and support services to liver disease patients. "I've always been that person that looks after people . . . It just is a comfortable role for me," she says.

Two new clinical trials registries established

1. The Cuban Public Registry of Clinical Trials / Registro Público Cubano de Ensayos Clínicos (RPCEC). This is the first Primary Registry to include trials in both Spanish and English. Spanish speakers might be interested in watching a video of the event held to make the announcement by the Ministry of Health in Havana, Cuba on 5th April 2011. Go to http://youtu.be/STeI9F-lnM0

2. The Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry / Registro Brasileiro de Ensaios Clinicos (REBEC) will focus on trials recruiting in Brazil. Announced on 12th April by the Brazilian Ministry of Health, it is the first Primary Registry in the Latin American region to include trials registered in Portuguese, and also allows registration in Spanish and English. Other Portuguese-speaking countries including Angola, Cabo Verde, Guiné-Bissau, Moçambique, Portugal, São Tomé e Príncipe and Timor-Leste are also encouraged to use the registry. Prospective registration of clinical trials is a legal requirement in Brazil (http://www.anvisa.gov.br/eng/index.htm).

REBEC is the first registry to use the open-source clinical trial registration software developed by Bireme (http://reddes.bvsalud.org/projects/clinical-trials/wiki) in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology/MoH and FIOCRUZ/MoH, called "Open Trials".


Imaging For Full-Body MRIs Significantly Improved By New Algorithm
A new study reveals an improved algorithm that can dramatically improve how radiologists capture and interpret full-body MRIs, particularly in the abdominal region. Motion artifacts in MRIs, such as patient movement, often...
,
Dramatic Shift In Understanding Of Personalized Medicine Suggested By New Research

Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, in collaboration with researchers at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, have made a critical discovery that may lead scientists to abandon the use of broad conventional ethnic labels - African-American, Hispanic, and Caucasian - to estimate a patient's genetic risk for disease. This first-of-its kind study conducted with diverse patients receiving care at a single urban academic medical center, marks an important step in the clinical application of personalized medicine.

The data are published online in the peer-reviewed journal PLoS ONE.

The Mount Sinai Biobank, a program of the Charles R. Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine, enrolls consented patients representing the diverse communities surrounding The Mount Sinai Medical Center, who confidentially provide DNA and plasma samples to aid in genomic and personalized medicine research. Researchers used state-of-the-art genomic technology to determine the genetic make-up, or genotype, of nearly 1,000 local Biobank participants who self-identified as European American, African-American, or Hispanic. They found that there was a continuum in ancestral genetic heritage at the individual level of African-American and Hispanic patients receiving care at Mount Sinai - meaning considerable fractions of their genome came from mixed European or African ancestry, respectively - and with it genetic variants that indicate risk for developing disease.

"Our data indicate that historical population labels may not be helpful in predicting disease risk or guiding how a patient will respond to certain medications," said Erwin Bottinger, MD, Director of the Bronfman Institute, and the Irene and Dr. Arthur M. Fishberg Professor of Medicine. "Rather, a spectrum of mixed ancestry is emerging in the largest U.S. minority groups. These findings further validate the importance of considering the unique genotype of the individual patient rather than grouping patients by self-reported ethnicity."

To date, genomic studies have overwhelmingly focused on populations with European ancestry, causing concerns about the applicability of their findings to determine disease risk and responsiveness to therapies for non-European, and in particular, mixed genetic backgrounds receiving care at urban medical centers.

"Our data indicate how important it is to evaluate patient populations at a local level," said Dr. Bottinger. "Now that we can determine the genotypic breakdown of our patients, we can begin to develop tests and tailor therapies for the diverse community we serve, allowing us to provide highly effective, personalized care."

On the basis of their findings, researchers at the Bronfman Institute are evaluating the clinical use potential of hundreds of genetic markers for major diseases, such as heart disease, kidney disease, liver disease, and diabetes, and various drug responses, in all Biobank samples. The goal is to identify those genetic markers that may be useful to predict disease risk in local people with mixed genetic backgrounds. The project will be completed with all 20,000 Biobank samples by the end of 2011.

"We anticipate the results, for the first time, will lead us to select the right genetic markers, and allow us to bring personalized genomic medicine to patients in the diverse Mount Sinai community who are being treated for diabetes and heart, kidney, and liver diseases, among other conditions," says Dr. Bottinger.

Also, Dr. Bottinger and his team at the Charles R. Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine are able to help guide other medical centers around the country in replicating their study. Additionally, they are continuing to broaden the number of consented donors in the Mount Sinai Biobank in an effort to uncover more genetic markers of disease and connections between self-identified population groups.

This study was supported by The Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies, Inc.

Source:
Mount Sinai Press Office
The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine


Type 2 Diabetes Patients on Medication Report High Rates of Hypoglycemia

If you’re like me, you don’t want to separate work and travel. As a freelancer, you don’t really have to either. As long as you can find an Internet connection, you can get your work done.

Recently, I took a trip and was also able to get some work done from my tablet. While the trip wasn’t a permanent switch to a location independent life, I learned quite a lot. In this post, I’ll share what I learned about working “on the road.”

Planning is Essential

The most important part of traveling and doing freelance work is the planning. Proper planning will help you to ensure that you have everything you need to get your work done. Here are some planning steps that I took:

• Be sure to bring the right equipment. For taking short trips with a relaxed workload, bringing a tablet may work fine. For longer trips, you may wish to bring more of a workhorse such as a netbook or even a laptop computer.
• Learn where the WiFi hotspots are. Knowing where to stop to find an Internet connection can be a huge timesaver. Deb Ng’s Kommein blog has a great list of places that offer free WiFi.
• Notify key clients. If you’ll be unavailable for an extended period of time (such as when you are driving or flying), you can notify key clients of your travel plans. You may wish to give them an alternate way to contact you.
• Make sure that you can access your workfiles. Tools like Dropbox and Google Docs allow you to access files online from nearly anywhere.
• Don’t expect to work full-time during a vacation. If your trip is intended to be a vacation, for goodness sake, take at least some time off and relax. Getting the opportunity to relax is important for keeping your creativity fresh.
• Discuss working with those who will travel with you. This is particularly important if you are traveling or visiting folks who don’t really know much about freelancing. Explain when you’ll be working and when you’ll be visiting.

Once you’ve done a little planning, you’re almost ready to travel. However, there are some additional factors that you should be aware of.

Beware of the Following

If you are a traveling freelancer, you do need to be careful. Be aware that, even with the best plans, things may not go exactly as you intended. Here are some obstacles that you may face:

• Internet “hot” spots that aren’t so hot. Just because a place is supposed to have wireless Internet available, doesn’t mean it will be available when you get there. The connection may be down or they may have even discontinued the service.
• Scope creep may ruin your vacation. If you schedule your time too tightly and your project requires more work than you realized, you may find yourself tied to your computer while everyone else is having fun.
• Security problems. Not all public WiFi access is equally secure. There are also applications that unscrupulous people can use to spy on your activities and even to steal your personal information. Be sure your system has proper security precautions.
• Some places are still unconnected. A few years ago, I visited Yellowstone National Park (which is absolutely beautiful, by the way). At the time, I discovered that there are many places in the park where you just can’t get a cell phone signal.

Naturally, you should never ever try to drive and access your computer equipment at the same time. Likewise, don’t leave your computer equipment unattended–even for a few minutes.

Also, don’t log into a secure site on a public computer and leave the site open. You don’t want to take the risk that someone else can access your information. Even a social media site like Facebook should be closed as soon as you are done using it.

Other Thoughts on Traveling and Working

Since the main purpose of my recent trip was other than working, I did scale my workload back. Working while traveling on this occasion was a convenience, not a permanent lifestyle change (yet) for me. Having a lighter load definitely took a lot of the pressure off of me.

I was pleasantly surprised at the number of connectivity options that a traveling freelancer now has available. Working in public spaces is becoming increasingly common. So, you don’t need to worry about lugging your tablet or laptop into a restaurant, hotel lounge, or other public space. Chances are, you won’t be the only one.

Likewise, hotels and other facilities are becoming used to hearing the question, “do you offer an Internet connection?” If you aren’t sure if there is a connection where you are going, don’t be afraid to ask.

Your Thoughts

It’s a great time to be freelancing! The expansion of Internet connectivity means that most freelancers will have many choices about where they perform work tasks. For some, this will mean fully embracing a location independent lifestyle. For others, it will mean that taking a trip no longer means taking a break from freelancing.

What tips can you add for combining traveling and working?

Image by Nicholas_T

Related posts:

1. Freelancer Road Trip: Essential Supplies
2. 15 Tips to Keep Your Freelance Business Going While on Vacation
3. How to Plan for a Long Vacation from Your Freelancing Business

It was an early start from Taupo to go to Tongariro National Park. The park has three active volcanos and apparently they feature as Mordor in the Lord of the Rings films I am going to have to watch it now. Again we were a bit let down by the weather the cloud was low and so we didn39t get the full impact of the impressive scenery. The park also famous for the Tongariro Alpine Crossing w

On the North Carolina-Tennessee line, more than 20 miles of trails and a number of campsites in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are closed because of extensive tree damage from tornadoes that ripped through the area.

MEDIA RELEASE Superintendent’s Compendium for Puuhonua o Honaunau and Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Parks is now available for review. The Superintendent’s Compendium is a supplemental document that addresses specific management needs and concerns of an individual national park area. The compendium is authorized by Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 1 through 7, which allow [...] Related Posts Superintendent’s compendium for Kaloko-Honokohau NHP Update on West...

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Travelling around Australia in our Kombi- Part 2

AFP

Will GNP Need to 'Ram' U.S. FTA, NK Rights? Wall Street Journal (blog) Kang Ki-Kab, an opposition party lawmaker, holds a sign rather than voting as National Assembly Speaker Park Hee-tae, lower left, presides over the ratification of the South Korea-EU free trade agreement Wednesday night. ... North and South Korea Far ApartInter Press Service Foreigners Held in North Korea Pose Diplomatic ChallengeVoice of America A Look at Mirim College, Hotbed of Cyber WarfareDaily NK Daily Mail -The Chosun Ilbo -Vancouver Sun all 38 news articles »