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By Ian Urbina Jun. 15, 2007
Violence Rising In Much Of Iraq, Pentagon Says
Violence increased throughout much of Iraq in recent months, despite a security crackdown in Baghdad that at least temporarily reduced sectarian killings there, according to a quarterly assessment of security conditions issued Wednesday by the Pentagon.
The report, which analyzed data from February through early May, said it was too early to say whether the security effort in Baghdad would achieve lasting security gains. And it described in more detail than officials had previously how security conditions in other parts of the country had worsened when U.S. and Iraqi forces shifted in large numbers into the capital.
"The aggregate level of violence in Iraq remained relatively unchanged during this reporting period," the report said. "Violence has decreased" in Baghdad and in Anbar province, which have long been the country's most violent areas, "but has increased in most provinces, particularly in outlying areas around Baghdad and in Nineva and Diyala provinces." Attacks have also increased in Basra province in the south, because of fighting between rival Shiite militants, some of whom fled Baghdad because of the security crackdown, it added.
Although precise data are not included in the report, attacks on civilians and Iraqi and U.S. troops increased by two percent from the previous quarter, the report said. The average number of attacks has exceeded 1,000 per week since the beginning of this year through early May, the highest level since the U.S. invasion in 2003, it said.
Lab Head Explains DNA Report In Duke Case
The prosecutor in the Duke lacrosse case had nothing to do with a laboratory's decision to not say in a report that tests had found DNA from at least four unknown men on the body and underwear of a stripper who accused the students of gang rape, the lab director said Wednesday.
The testimony was given on the second day of an ethics trial of the prosecutor, Michael B. Nifong. Some of the most serious charges, which could result in Nifong's disbarment, involve a reported agreement between him and the lab director to exclude the DNA information from the report last year.
Brian W. Meehan, director of the laboratory, DNA Security, said it was his decision alone not to refer to the unidentified male DNA in a report. Meehan, a witness for the state agency prosecuting the case, said Nifong had asked for a report on identifiable male DNA and did not limit what else he could write in the report.
"Nifong never directed what should be in or out of the report," Meehan said, other than its main purpose of showing DNA matches to known males, like a match with 98 percent certainty between one suspect and false fingernails found in the suspect's trash can. The report also said no other DNA from the woman matched lacrosse players.
The chairman of the three-member panel hearing the case, F. Lane Williamson, repeatedly pressed Meehan, asking whether the evidence of contact with at least four unidentified males would have been important in deciding the case if it had gone to trial.
Gasoline Pushed Up Producer Prices In May
A double-digit jump in the price of gasoline pushed inflation at the wholesale level up in May, but tame increases for most other goods suggested that price increases were largely contained and businesses would not react by raising prices.
The Labor Department said Thursday that the Producer Price Index, a national survey of prices before they reach retail buyers, accelerated 0.9 percent in May, from 0.7 percent in April. From May 2006 to May 2007, they rose 4.1 percent.
But the gains in wholesale inflation were not as great as the numbers might suggest, economists said. The core level of producer inflation, which excludes food and energy costs, rose by a relatively mild 0.2 percent, a sign that inflation had been contained last month.
"The thing to notice is that core Producer Price Index has been almost flat for three straight months," Kevin Harris, chief economist with Informa Global Markets, said. "There's very little evidence that producers are pushing prices forward from the intermediate level to the consumer. They're just not doing it, and that is a definite shift."
House Votes To Bolster Database On Gun Buyers
The House voted Wednesday to close a loophole in gun control laws that allowed the Virginia Tech gunman to buy firearms even though he had been committed to a mental hospital. The Senate is likely to follow suit, marking the first time since 1996 that Congress has approved a measure strengthening gun control.
The bill's approval, on a voice vote, came on the same day as the release of a report President Bush ordered after the shootings in April at Virginia Tech, in which a student killed 32 people and himself. The Cabinet agencies that wrote the report found that schools, doctors and the police were not fully aware of what information could legally be shared in a web of confusing and overlapping privacy laws.
The House bill would provide grant money for states to update the national database that gun dealers use for background checks on prospective buyers. The update would add more criminal records and mental health information to the database.
One of the sponsors of the bill was Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, a New York Democrat who has led other efforts to tighten gun control laws.
Two co-sponsors were her ideological opposites: Rep. Lamar Smith, a Texas Republican who supports gun rights, and Rep. John D. Dingell, a Michigan Democrat who served on the board of the National Rifle Association. Both the NRA and the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence supported the measure.


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Season-to-date lift-ticket revenue at Vail Resorts' North American properties stayed relatively the same this season compared to the same period last season despite skier visits dropping 7.8%, according to the company.
By Danika Worthington Jan 18, 2020, 6:00 am
Have you ever read the fine print on a ski area waiver? Here's what you agree to when you sign.
BRECKENRIDGE SKI RESORT -- When you buy a lift pass at any ski area, you have to sign a waiver. Most people don't actually read it, but it severely limits liability for a ski resort, even in cases when claims are based on resort negligence.
By Taylor Sienkiewicz, Summit Daily Oct 31, 2019, 6:00 am
For East Coast skiers, Vail Resorts is a boon
You don't need strong math skills to realize that a recent acquisition by Vail Resorts is a boon to East Coast skiers and snowboarders.
By Andrea Sachs, The Washington Post Oct 1, 2019, 9:01 am
Vail Mountain cuts three new ski runs into its slopes
Vail Mountain's expansion up the slope on Golden Peak has taken shape, as timber removal is mostly complete on three new ski runs. Those runs will be used as ski racing competition venues and practice areas, but Average Joe Epic Pass holders will get a chance to ride them at some point, as well, as part of the Forest Service's March agreement to allow Vail Mountain to expand its boundaries by 68 acres.
By John Laconte, Vail Daily Aug 7, 2019, 7:00 am
U.S. Forest Service approves Vail Mountain ski resort's expansion
VAIL -- The U.S. Forest Service has approved an expansion of the Golden Peak area at Colorado's Vail Mountain ski resort. The Vail Daily reported the project will double the training space on Golden Peak utilized by Ski and Snowboard Club Vail.
By The Associated Press Mar 26, 2019, 9:29 pm
Vail, Beaver Creek's single-day, window lift ticket price breaks $200
The $200 barrier for a walk-up ski lift ticket was broken for the first time by Vail Mountain and Beaver Creek this season, according to industry sources.
By Scott Condon, The Aspen Times Jan 3, 2019, 9:17 am
Hey skiers, more cities are adding flights to Vail this winter
EAGLE COUNTY -- As ski season begins in Colorado, skiers headed for Vail or Beaver Creek will find expanded air service from several cities to Eagle County Regional Airport.
By The Associated Press Nov 13, 2018, 1:16 pm
Loveland Ski Area reveling in historic snowfall — 82 inches so far — as 3 more mountains announce early openings
In its 81 years of operation, Loveland Ski Area has never received as much early season snow as it is reveling in right now. Loveland opened two more lifts over the weekend, and three other Colorado areas announced early openings on Monday.
By John Meyer, The Denver Post Nov 12, 2018, 11:25 am
Your guide to all Colorado ski areas for the 2018-19 season
A chill is in the air. Snow putters to the ground. Powder begs to be shredded. It's ski season in Colorado. Colorado's ski season officially started on Oct.
By The Know Staff Nov 7, 2018, 9:56 am
One lucky person will get paid $10K to shred more than a dozen ski resorts over two months
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=2s&v=39aflbUu0Ho Cringing at the thought of having to shell out nearly $1,000 for your season pass again this year? For the most charismatic of powder chasers, hold that thought.
By Katie Shapiro, Special to The Denver Post Sep 5, 2018, 11:49 am
Denver weekend traffic: Velorama and Colorado Classic to bring bands, bikes and road closures
A four-day bicycle race and a three-day music festival are both set for Denver this weekend, which means drivers can expect road closures and potential headaches as they navigate through alternative routes and congested streets.
By Anna Staver Aug 13, 2018, 6:42 pm
Vail Resorts to acquire Crested Butte, three other resorts
Vail Resorts has announced that it is buying Crested Butte Mountain Resort and two other resorts from the Mueller family, making The Butte its fifth Colorado ski resort along with Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone.
By John Meyer, The Denver Post Jun 4, 2018, 7:38 am
Colorado Classic's new 2018 route will combine some of the Front Range's most popular bike rides
Much like its musical counterpart Velorama, the Colorado Classic has shaken things up for its second ride. The pro bike race born last year today announced details of a four-stage lineup that will unfold Aug.16-19.
By John Meyer, The Denver Post May 16, 2018, 9:00 am
Remembering Warren Miller: Friends, family and fans toast to the life of legendary ski filmmaker at Vail
VAIL -- The heavens were dumping damp spring snow and fog shrouded Vail Mountain on Saturday for a celebration of the life of legendary ski filmmaker Warren Miller, who died in January at age 93.
By John Meyer, The Denver Post Apr 9, 2018, 8:48 am
Colorado festival guide 2018: 10 music, film, dance and family events you can't miss this year
Does music own the festival world? Most of the ink about new events in recent years has gone to multi-stage, crowd-pleasing, band-centric confabs that command huge public spaces for the better part of week -- with the attendant crowds, hype and cultural sniping.
By John Wenzel, The Denver Post Mar 18, 2018, 12:01 am
Mountain Collective pass adds Montana's Big Sky, offering 2 days at 16 resorts for $409
Rumors of the demise of the Mountain Collective Pass have been greatly exaggerated. In fact, the league of independent resorts -- offering two days at each of 16 resorts for $409 -- is growing, adding Montana's Big Sky to the group.
By Jason Blevins Mar 1, 2018, 6:30 pm
Vail Resorts launches 10th anniversary celebration of Epic Pass with $99 deal for active, retired military and families
Vail Resorts' industry-shifting Epic Pass turns 10 this month and, as part of a series of upcoming deals to celebrate the anniversary, the resort operator is offering $99 passes to all active and retired military and expects to funnel $1.5 million in donations to veteran organizations.
By Jason Blevins Mar 1, 2018, 8:10 am
Crazy Mountain Brewing closes Edwards pub, moves Local's Stash production to Denver
One of Colorado's largest microbreweries will keep a Vail Valley home, but cannot say where -- yet. Crazy Mountain Brewing's Edwards location closed this week.
By The Vail Daily Jan 12, 2018, 9:06 am
Colorado's best bowls to ski or snowboard
This season's bowl games will feature some of the nation's top collegiate teams. None hail from Colorado. While our college boys won't be bowl-bound this New Year's Day, I very well may be.
By Dan Leeth, Special to The Denver Post Jan 1, 2018, 2:43 pm
As Mother Nature dawdles, ski town visitors seeking thrills beyond the slopes
VAIL -- With the slow start to winter, resorts are aching. Resort operators and community groups are hosting free dinners for idle workers and blasting grassy slopes with man-made snow.
By Jason Blevins Dec 22, 2017, 5:38 pm
Vail, Aspen on the list of ski areas best positioned to weather climate change
As Earth's climate warms, the future of skiing may be found at higher elevations. If so, then Vail and Aspen seem poised to continue their success.
By The Vail Daily Dec 18, 2017, 12:09 pm
The fees at Vail Pass aren't just keeping the peace between skiers and snowmobilers
VAIL PASS -- Over the past 25 years I have spent many wonderful days and magical moonlit nights exploring the backcountry around Vail Pass on skis.
By John Meyer, The Denver Post Dec 15, 2017, 2:00 pm
I wanted to travel, so I didn't want a dog. Then our chiweenie proved me wrong.
VAIL -- I based my case against getting a dog this past fall on practical reasons. "We won't be able to travel!" I said, leading with my priorities.
By Joshua Berman, Special to The Denver Post Dec 14, 2017, 12:01 am
Modern greats like clarinet virtuoso Ken Peplowski come to Denver, Vail's Labor Day Jazz Party
As the summer wraps up, here are some notable local club appearances and one promising mountain jazz festival to help us savor every last moment.
By Bret Saunders, Special to The Denver Post Aug 27, 2017, 12:01 am
Colorado is home to 4 of the 15 best small vacation towns in the country
If you think Colorado's mountain towns make ideal weekend getaways, you're in good company. Four Colorado mountain towns made U.S. News & World Report's list of the 15 Best Small Towns to visit in the USA.
By The Denver Post Jun 26, 2017, 10:27 am
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


It truly is one of men´s biggest dreams (and the number of women is increasing day by day): To rent a dream car and enjoy driving a supercar that is usually not achievable. But watch out: There are more and more unreliable sports car rental companies flooding the market and make your supercar rental more of a nightmare than a daydream… So we from Motion Drive® as one of Germany´s leading rental companies just wanted to share some advices with you to enjoy a secure experience!
Rental car insurance: Every single rental car in Germany must be registered as a rental car by a special rental car insurance – Otherwise in case of an accident it will loose its full insurance making your rental a financial nightmare! Serious companies don´t have a problem to show the insurance policy upfront of your reservation. For your own saftey: Please don´t rent some private cars just because they are slightly cheaper!
Price comparison: You may know we´re talking about the rental of the world´s most exclusive supercars being worth more than some family houses.. But the price is just one attribute to compare and shouldn´t be overestimated as there are much more criterias to make you rental a one-of-a-lifetime-experience: High quality has it´s price or would you buy a broken smartphone just because it was cheaper…!?
Find out about the other 4 things to keep in mind and read the full article at Motion Drive.


At Avid, our mission is obvious. We engineer products for the everyday enthusiast to weekend racer to the pro's. We through the years have thrived on success by committing to research and development and strict manufacturing process. We also invest an ample amount in our manufacturing equipment and process to ensure quality out of every part that leaves our facility. When enthusiasts purchase an Avid product, they are getting the utmost engineered, quality and value in our industry. But don't listen to us, just look at our testimonial page and see pro racers as well as reputable shop owners that use Avid.


These videos and resources are an excellent resource for learning more about citing your sources and formatting MLA/APA Works Cited/References pages. Even if you feel pretty confident in your ability to properly cite your sources, these videos are a valuable refresher for even the best and most accomplished writers.
These videos refer to the MLA 7th Edition guidelines. These videos will be updated during Fall 2016 to conform with the new MLA 8th Edition Guidelines.
Welcome to MLA: What exactly is MLA formatting?
Welcome to APA: What exactly is APA format?


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The Crime Writer Summary and Analysis
FreeBookNotes found 5 sites with book summaries or analysis of The Crime Writer. If there is a The Crime Writer SparkNotes, Shmoop guide, or Cliff Notes, you can find a link to each study guide below.
Among the summaries and analysis available for The Crime Writer, there is 5 Book Reviews.
Depending on the study guide provider (SparkNotes, Shmoop, etc.), the resources below will generally offer The Crime Writer chapter summaries, quotes, and analysis of themes, characters, and symbols.
The Crime Writer
by Gregg Hurwitz
January 1st 2007
Sites like SparkNotes with a The Crime Writer study guide or cliff notes. Also includes sites with a short overview, synopsis, book report, or summary of Gregg Hurwitz's The Crime Writer.
Sites with a book review or quick commentary on The Crime Writer by Gregg Hurwitz.
BlogCritic - The Crime Writer
BlogCritics reviews use emotional language to describe the feel and content of the book, relying on colorful language and an informal tone. The reviewer describes their feelings about the story and characters along with a brief plot summary.
Estimated Read Time : 2 minutes
MostlyFiction - The Crime Writer
MostlyFiction reviews tend to be concise but informative. Along with a brief but thorough plot summary, reviews tend to include a look at the book's quality and a discussion of the language and themes included. Each review includes the average rating from Amazon.
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Kirkus Reviews tend to be brief, only two or three paragraphs long. The emphasis is on describing the writing style and quality, with a short plot synopsis included. Reviews end with a summary of the reviewer's thoughts and links to purchase options.
Estimated Read Time : 1 minute
BookReporter - The Crime Writer
Publisher of comprehensive high quality original book reviews. Helpful in understanding various critiques of the style and substance of the book.
GoodReads - The Crime Writer
More Books by Gregg Hurwitz
FreeBookNotes has 8 more books by Gregg Hurwitz, with a total of 29 study guides.
Last Shot
The Kill Clause
They're Watching


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HomeNEWSPDP Lawmakers Won't Chair Committees In Next House of Reps – Oshiomhole
PDP Lawmakers Won't Chair Committees In Next House of Reps – Oshiomhole
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, has said that lawmakers of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the House of Representatives will not be appointed as chairmen of committees in the next parliament.
Speaking at a dinner hosted by President Muhammadu Buhari for elected APC lawmakers on Tuesday, Mr Oshiomhole said the decision is because the APC has learnt from the "mistake" of 2015 when members not loyal to the party were allowed to assume leadership positions in the National Assembly.
The dinner held inside the Banquet Hall of the State House Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker Yakubu Dogara emerged against the wish of the APC in 2015. Both men, elected on the APC platform in 2015, had the support of PDP lawmakers and appointed some of them as committee chairpersons. Both men defected to the PDP in 2018.
Mr Oshiomhole on Tuesday said even as APC members, Messrs Saraki and Dogara were hostile to the APC administration led by Mr Buhari.
He accused the duo of creating tension in the system, delaying budget needlessly and creating all sorts of obstacles to frustrate the government.
"In life, mistakes are permitted. But it becomes a problem if the mistake is repeated twice. We are determined not to repeat the mistakes of 2015 in 2019, we have learnt our lesson.
"Out of 223 APC elected members, 67 were re-elected, the rest are new members.
"In other climes, you don't go into coalition when you are in the majority, you do so when you don't have the numbers. We have the numbers, out of 360, Nigerians elected 223 APC members because they don't want Mr President to face the trauma of 2015, " he said.
The APC chairman said the House of Representatives has 96 committees and that all re-elected members will chair strategic committees, adding "even new members will chair committees this time around."
He said the decision is sequel to the fact that most of those who decamped from the APC were rejected by Nigerians during the election and "even those who led it were uprooted by the Otoge movement in Kwara State."
"We cannot as a party which has a comfortable majority, entrust critical committees in the hands of the PDP or opposition.
"If Nigerians wanted them, they could have voted them. In the days of PDP, every committee were chaired by PDP members," he said.
Mr Oshiomhole also said Mr. Buhari and the leadership of the party do not expect the National Assembly to be a rubber stamp.
He said, however, that they will operate like a typical African family where issues are discussed in closed door.
"The good news," he said, "is that there is a role for everyone."
"Both the re-elected and new members are entitled to heading committees
"We have asked our people not to share what belongs to us with other party members.
"I don't have apologies against forces of retrogression," Mr Oshiomhole said.
The party chairman's stance comes a day after the APC said its elected lawmakers consulting with the PDP were right to do so.
Femi Gbajabiamila, the Lagos lawmaker favoured to be the next House speaker by APC leaders, is one of those consulting with PDP members.
Sheriff, Metuh in court today to stop PDP convention
PDP Demands Unconditional Release of Lamido, Suswam, Aliyu
Atiku Pledges Strong Representation For Women In Government, If Elected


The Alma Marina is a friendly, full service marina offering a store with boating supplies, fishing bait, and many grocery items including pop, beer, ice cream treats and ice. The Marina has two marine certified mechanics on staff all your boating needs. Hydraulic trailers are available that fit up to an 85' length to unlimited width boats and up to 40 ton weight. Find transient slips up to 120' with a deep water entrance from the Mississippi River at mile marker 754. Slips have water and electricity available with convertible power of 30-50 amps, as well as Wi-Fi and Direct TV at each slip. Slip fees include unlimited pumpouts at our gas dock. The marina hosts up to 110 slip holders on an annual basis with winter storage available on land. The Alma Marina is also just steps away from a beautiful swimming beach, tennis courts, volleyball courts, and a softball field.


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Q: Generating Statistics With Polymorphic Data I'm trying to generate the statistics based on a polymorphic relationship. Each database which it can relate to has an identifier column, so I would like to ideally group the data by identifier (once I have the rest working).
I believe you can't use the with function on a polymorphic relationship, but I have attached my code because I think it illustrates what I'm trying to do quite well.
OrderItem MorphTo function
public function item()
{
    return $this->morphTo('item');
}

Statistics generator
public function groupOrderCountByType()
{
    return OrderItem::with(['item' => function($query){
        $query->select(DB::raw('`identifier` AS `application_type`'));
    }])->select(DB::Raw('COUNT(`id`) AS `total`'))
    ->with(['order' => function($query){
        $query->where('paid', true);
    }])
    ->whereBetween('created_at', [$this->from, $this->to])
    ->get();
}

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Political Economy*, along with Prefaces by well-known Marxist scholars.
Thanks, Jerry, for the info on what happened at IWGT.
>and on the re-examination of perceived truths.
>influence of Stalinism  on Marxist thought.
>investigation* had much in common with Marx's.
>the acquisition of further knowledge.
agrarian village communities" (pp. 43-44).
required to do it right.


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All CategoriesAnimal-relatedArts, Culture & HumanitiesEducationEnvironmentHealth & Mental HealthHousing, Shelter & FoodHuman Services & Youth DevelopmentInternational & Foreign AffairsJob Training/EmploymentMutual Benefit Orgs. & AssociationsOtherParks, Recreation & SportsPhilanthropy & VoluntarismReligion-relatedSocial Action, Legal & Advocacy
Nonprofit Profiles
Sawhorse Revolution
Sawhorse Revolution fosters confident, community-oriented youth through the power of carpentry and craft. As more and more shop classes are pulled from Seattle high schools, Sawhorse Revolution seeks to provide trades, skills, career, and leadership training for the young people most impacted by this loss, offering free-of-cost carpentry and design education programs for students primarily in Central and South Seattle neighborhoods.
Schooner Martha Foundation
Since its founding in 1997, the Schooner Martha Foundation has restored the 1907 wooden sailing yacht MARTHA and operated youth sail training programs with over 60% of its funding coming from donations. All funding goes towards vessel restoration, maintenance and student sail training scholarships.
Roosevelt High School Foundation
The Roosevelt High School Foundation believes in the right of all students to a quality, personalized, public education that promotes academic excellence and helps students build the necessary skills, knowledge and self-esteem to become successful life-long learners and productive citizens. The Foundation Board is committed to providing resources to support the academic, athletic, extracurricular and enrichment needs of all students enrolled at Roosevelt High School.
We are a nonprofit, tuition-free coding school building a more resilient economy by training women and gender diverse adults within underrepresented minorities and low-income communities to become software engineers who bring diverse perspectives and experiences into teams that are making tech a more inclusive and innovative industry.
Pacific Mammal Research
Pacific Mammal Research (PacMam) is a scientific research and education organization based in Anacortes. We study the harbor porpoises and harbor seals of the Salish Sea using photographic identification (photo-ID) as well as various other methods such as acoustics and citizen science. PacMam is pioneering the use of photo-ID studies on harbor porpoises and works with groups around the world to learn more about them. Our educational outreach emphasizes engagement and environmental stewardship.
Refugee Federation Service Center
To assist refugees and immigrants in their transition to life in the United States by helping them to become self-sufficient productive members of society while maintaining their cultural and ethnic identity; to serve as a resource for local companies and agencies to foster a greater understanding of the refugee communities within King County, and to strengthen and empower the ethnic refugee communities in order to meet the needs of their respective members.
Everett Animal Shelter
Everett Animal Shelter is an open-admission shelter committed to providing care and comfort to the homeless and abused pets in our community. Your donations provide comfort, extraordinary veterinary care, special-diet food, vaccines and so much more for the cats, dogs and critters in our community who have nowhere else to turn. With so much uncertainty and the current crisis, donations are more important than ever.
Providence Hospice of Seattle Foundation
Through our vision, we seek to transform the care of all people facing serious illness, death, and grief. We honor those approaching the end of life - serving all ages, from diverse cultures, without regard to financial circumstances.
Friends of Lake Sammamish State Park
To Support, Enhance and Promote Lake Sammamish State Park. The Friends of Lake Sammamish State Park works in support of and in cooperation with the Washington State Parks Commission to create, maintain, and celebrate a highly successful park.
Smart Buildings Center Education Program
The mission of the Smart Buildings Center Education Program (SBCEP) is to accelerate the adoption and commercialization of smart building technologies and practices through education and demonstration.
Plumbers Without Borders
To connect and mobilize volunteer plumbers and industry resources with organizations and projects dedicated to increasing access to safe water and sanitation.
Columbia Choirs Association
It is our mission to unite people through the power of music to create a singing community.
Washington Farmland Trust
Washington Farmland Trust protects and stewards threatened farmland across the state. We keep land in production by making it accessible to future generations of farmers.
Melt My Heart Rescue and Sanctuary
Our aim is to re-home animals when appropriate, train permanent residents for volunteer therapy, and care for special needs or retirement animals for the duration of their life when necessary. We hope to bring awareness and education to the public about all animals and their needs.
Northwest Health Law Advocates
The mission of Northwest Health Law Advocates (NoHLA) is to achieve a health care system in which all individuals receive quality, affordable health care, provided on an equitable and timely basis, and are assured of basic rights and protections.


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$1.4M grant boosts interdisciplinary research
By Gail Glover • May 24, 2010 • News•
Binghamton University has been awarded a four-year, $1.4 million grant by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) to fund undergraduate interdisciplinary research opportunities around the theme of solving problems in the life sciences.
Fifty research-focused universities from a potential field of 197 institutions across the country were awarded grants; Binghamton University joins a list of recipients that includes Harvard, Yale, Cornell and the College of William and Mary. Binghamton and Stony Brook are the only two SUNY schools to be recognized.
With science becoming more collaborative and interdisciplinary, life science and medical research is increasingly dependent on scientists and engineers who can work across disciplines. With the help of the HHMI grant, Binghamton undergraduates will have more opportunities to cross those disciplinary boundaries.
"Biology is incorporating more mathematics, engineering, physics and computer science," said Anna Tan-Wilson, a Binghamton University distinguished teaching professor of biological sciences and HHMI program director. "In the real world, those boundaries are blurring."
The grant will fund a program that teams undergraduate majors in the life sciences with students in the physical sciences, mathematics, computer science and engineering to work on collaborative, interdisciplinary research projects in the life sciences.
Tan-Wilson expects to launch the program in fall 2010 with a series of workshops where faculty can meet to propose collaborative projects for the undergraduates. At the same time, Tan-Wilson will start taking student applications. She plans to sign up about 30 undergraduates and hopes to recruit students from underrepresented minorities in science, engineering and mathematics.
Teams will begin their research projects in summer 2011 and will continue working together for the following academic year. Along the way, they will be trained in how to work effectively across disciplines. Graduate students will also be trained as mentors.
"We also want to work with them because these PhD students will be faculty members someday," said Nancy Stamp, dean of the Graduate School and grant co-program director.
Binghamton is also interested in understanding how students in the program will develop. Krishnaswami (Hari) Srihari, dean and distinguished professor of systems science and industrial engineering in the Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science, will observe the students as they work and use data to model the social interactions of the interdisciplinary teams. They will use what they learn to determine what factors help interdisciplinary students grow into independent scholars and better match students to faculty mentors.
"What are the conditions that make for success?" asked Tan-Wilson. "Or, how can we ensure that students don't get frustrated with the challenges of interdisciplinary work? We want to find out what makes for the kind of fulfilling experience that then translates into careers in biologically-based research."
About the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI)
HHMI, a nonprofit medical research organization that ranks as one of the nation's largest philanthropies, plays a powerful role in advancing biomedical research and science education in the United States. The institute spent $730 million for research and distributed $101 million in grant support for science education in fiscal year 2009. Its scientists, located across the country and around the world, have made important discoveries that advance human health and our fundamental understanding of biology. The institute also aims to transform science education into a creative, interdisciplinary endeavor that reflects the excitement of real research.
For more information, visit www.hhmi.org.
biologyundergraduate
Campus welcomes kids for National Lab Day
Gerald Sonnenfeld accepts Clemson post


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You are here:Home / Limyaael Rants / Non-Angsty Werewolves
Limyaael's Rant #325: Non-Angsty Werewolves
I could write a rant about how boring angst is and how much prettier joy is, but instead I choose to write about non-angsty werewolves.
1) Make them happy about living as wolves.
Werewolves are not, after all, either completely normal, non-shape-shifting humans, or wolves who are not intelligent. That is, indeed, the whole point. But they spend most of their time in many stories moaning about not being one or the other, which rather misses the point. (See also point 2, which is tired of being ignored and will now beat angsty-werewolf-authors with a large pointy stick. *clears out of the way*).
Consider this: Many humans admire animals. Beauty, speed, strength, grace, power—there's even a variety of psychological theories saying that we get freaked out by certain animals, such as snakes, and admire others, such as horses, because of the way they move, of all things. Take that admiration and apply it to wolves. Now you're cooking with charcoal.
Relatively little body-centered description comes through in most werewolf stories; indeed, I've read authors who spend more time describing the full moon than they do the sensation of running on four legs, or how a werewolf judges which prey animal is weak and which isn't, or what it feels like, instead of sounds like, to howl. Maybe you assume that you can't describe that. Piffle. Fantasy is supposed to include plenty of things that you'll never experience. Write it anyway. Then write it again, until you're good at it.
Wolves are not inherently admirable animals, and they may seem inherently evil, depending on the viewpoint of the human culture involved. But they can seem inherently admirable, too. Nothing says they can't. The likelihood becomes even stronger when the person doing the admiring is not one who has to fight wolves for her livelihood, such as a farmer. Of course, then you have the possibilities of someone who does fear them, and has to confront, not becoming a monster, but fighting through to the harder realization: that she's not a monster at all just because she's changed from an ordinary human being.
Now I want to write one.
2) Shapeshifting can lead to themes of transgression, in-betweenness, crossing boundaries.
It often doesn't. Why? Because the werewolf spends the entire story moping about not being human—this is angst of the "Woe! I am a monster!" variety—or "embracing the wolf" and sneering about how much better she is than those dirty, nasty humans who pollute the environment.
And sure, the theme of being between two worlds can lead authors to write characters who really, really hate being stuck there, and who end up making a choice. Why there are so few characters who are flexible and adaptable enough to accept their stuckness, to be both instead of either/or, baffles me.
It's not as though themes of peace and reconciliation are really less common than ones of conflict. (They show up at different places in the story, maybe, usually at the end, but they're not less common). Perhaps they are harder to write, because many authors end the story once they're introduced, rather than working with them in the main plot? Maybe.
But non-angsty werewolves should not brood on their differences from both species, because that way lies angst. Let them exult in their differences, in how humans can't change shape and run nine miles an hour for hours on end, or in how wolves can't change shape and walk into a grocery store to buy ice cream. Or, if both species persist in rejecting them, as many authors choose to show—because the werewolves are so often helpless victims—then let them form their own communities that don't care about the other species' opinions. Let a few generations pass, and such communities would probably produce werewolves who've never known anything other than acceptance and confidence in who they are, and react to rejection from "their parent species" with the appropriate snorts of scorn.
There's something deep and rich here, something that saddens me when authors turn their backs and refuse to explore it. I don't mind richly-done conflicts with richly-drawn antagonists and heroes, but helpless suffering werewolves, snapped at by wolves because they smell wrong and hated by humans for something they can't help, aren't it.
3) "Oh, the full moon controls me." "So?"
If you want to stick to the full moon mythology, then I respect that decision (even as part of me is really, really hoping that the wolves get described more often than the moon). But there is no reason for moon angst, wherein the werewolf watches fearfully out the windows and moans when the moon crests the horizon. Moon angst is infinitely more annoying than the most crudely-described PMS. PMS is at least, often, bitchy anger. Moon angst is—well, look at the second word.
People, people, people. If you assume that the moon's cycle in your world is the same as Earth's, or if you're writing urban fantasy, and that the werewolf is taken out of commission three nights in a row while the full moon shines, then that's still—*does math*—only 39 days out of 365 or 366 days a year.
*deep breath*
What the hell is the werewolf doing those other 326 or 327 days a year?
You'd think all the angsting would chafe.
Yes, becoming a werewolf with no control over your body, regular as clockwork, would suck. But it's still a small portion of the character's whole life, and the side effects on days when the moon isn't full are usually minor (to avoid revealing the secret. See point 4 for what I think about that). There are characters who can't at all escape their conditions, such as those with chronic illnesses or missing limbs, and they often do better than healthy, able-bodied werewolves who only have to take precautions 39 times a year. Fantasy women whomenstruate seven days every month, on a less predictable cycle than the full moon's coming, do better (when the authors bother to mention the menstrual cycle, of course).
I see no reason for sitting around and doing all the angsting. It's silly.
4) There is life after someone finds out you're a werewolf.
The most tiresome—not bothersome, because that's the angst, but tiresome—part of an angsty-werewolf story for me is often the lengths to which the werewolf goes to keep the secret from anyone else. It doesn't work from either viewpoint. If you're writing from the shapeshifter's viewpoint, then the audience already knows, and the other characters begin to seem idiotic for not figuring it out. If you're writing from another character's viewpoint, you still have a chance of making them look like an idiot, because there's very, very little in the way of clues that will not either give away the secret at once to a werewolf-savvy audience or be so obscure as to make the secret a bolt from the blue.
And then there's the fact that the need to keep this "problem" a secret is usually because of a Random Angst Factor, such as all humans in the world hating werewolves for being ravening monsters when they are not, in fact, ravening monsters.
So explode the secret at once. And then write about what happens after.
What? What is this, you say? Do that? And give the whole game away?
Well, yes. As I think I've shown, it's not really that much of a game.
Have a werewolf trust his lover enough to confess his secret. Have a werewolf befriend someone who's shown that she can look past boundaries and the skin, and have that friend stay true instead of crying out in horror and running off—since that cues the angst. Have a relationship between a werewolf and a human, or a werewolf and a wolf, that doesn't rest on one betraying the other, where the difference is open and accepted.
Secrets will get you into trouble, in many stories, since so often there's not a good reason for either keeping or revealing them. And in this case, it's a particularly clichéd secret. Dare the cliché. Have the werewolf walk out in the sunlight, or moonlight as the case may be, and smile at everybody, and accept what comes. It's a lot harder to angst when you're smiling.
5) Show what werewolves define themselves by.
This is related to point 2, but as point 2 is still up there beating authors with the large pointy stick, I can ramble on about this some more.
Werewolves get defined in many stories by what they can't do: can't resist the change at full moon, can't wear or be around silver, can't tell normal humans what they are, can't run with a normal wolf pack, can't lead any semblance of a normal life. It's tiring. And, once again, it's conducive to angst. Thinking about what restrains us and stands in our way—as opposed to, you know, doing something about it—usually is.
So, what do werewolves do? Do they wear gold, instead of silver? Do they go dancing when they're wolves and run around on all fours as humans, to prove that they can? Do they play limbo, with two wolves holding the stick in their teeth and people trying to go as low as they can in either form, until everybody explodes in laughter or yips and the game is over? Do they play chicken with normal wolves, until the normal wolves lay back their ears in confusion and run away?
Their cultures can be a mishmash, unique—as strongly suggested by point 2—or just the mingled normal lives of mingled normal people, whose strongest similarity is that they happen to change shape once a month, or all the time.
6) Can we get rid of the "lone wolf" stereotype, please?
Yes, there are lone wolves. They're usually older cubs, especially males, who have left the pack in order to seek out a mate and territory elsewhere, since, as long as they remain under the dominion of an alpha pair, their breeding is controlled and they won't have pups. So they're lone wolves until they gather or join a pack, and only until then. And even then, they don't automatically travel alone; it's not unheard of for siblings of the same age to depart a pack together, and travel in company for a time, or even form the kernel of a new pack.
I'm also sure that I don't need to tell you that humans are social creatures, and that many interesting stories can be written with them behaving that way. Loner humans are often regarded suspiciously in fantasy. They don't need to be. On the other hand, I don't think that loners treated always as recipients of horrible, unfair judgment are good, either, because—yes, here comes the angst again! Record time!
So why would werewolves, with both their shapes being social creatures, spend so much of their time brooding and alone?
*Limyaael replays sentence*
Oh, yes, I forgot. There's that brooding thing that so many authors believe is so attractive again. Arggh. If you have a werewolf who's not mistreated, or has been mistreated but has recovered from and is not angsty about it, then you don't have to write lone wolves. It would make more sense not to, and to show them acting in concert, whether it's with others of their kind, or with others of one of the "parent" species, or even with shapeshifters of different kinds. (What about a werewolf who lives with a family of werecoyotes?)
Society is not always harsh and cruel. There are plenty, both humans and wolves, who travel in it and revel in it. And there could be more werewolves who do the same.
See? Aren't smiling werewolves pretty?


Continuing our extensive review of the best water softeners, we're turning our attention to finding the perfect water softener system for well water. We've listed the 4 top hard water models and the 3 salt free options and the 3 to use when your water has iron in it. We also checked out the top products for the whole house. Some of the units include Fleck 5600 SXT Water Softener Ships, Eddy Water Descaler, ABCwaters Pentair Fleck 5600 SXT, and Fleck 9100 SXT Twin or Dual Tank.
We've rated each model for its efficiency, expected life, cost, maintenance needs, and ease of use. You can read our evaluation of what we've found to be the perfect product or learn about the factors you should take into account when choosing your own new water softener.
Click the link to check the price on Amazon.com.
We got a team of evaluators and tried a number of products from different brands to see which will give peak performances according to specific purposes. We also logged in the number of hours that we spent in testing the models.
These are our favorites. We've arranged the list with well water softeners that are specialized in some way (iron removal, salt-free) at the top with the more generalized models following. We've included the grain capacity and price for each model and their features.
If you're looking for products for this purpose, these 3 models are what you need to be looking at. All of them are high-quality choices effective at not only removing regular hard water grains but also iron. The second two also remove sulfur.
If your home operates on a well, there's a high chance that you have a significant amount of iron in your water. Iron discolors tubs, sinks, and clothes worse than the regular calcium and magnesium grains. Regular water softeners will help, but if you really want to stop the iron flowing through your pipes, try the ABCwaters built Fleck 5600 SXT 64,000 Grain Water Softener with Iron Mesh.
It is one of the perfect units to begin with, even without the iron removal specialization. The specially licensed control head features our favorite Fleck valves. The 5600 SXT series monitors the amount of water being processed through the resin filter and triggers a regeneration cycle as it nears its grain capacity (64,000 grains in this case).
The large grain filtering capacity provides an economical use of water for familes of up to 7 people. Less family members means even fewer regeneration cycles and thus less water and salt wasted.
You can adjust how often the water softener regenerates by keeping an eye on your water and turning the GPG setting up or down. Small adjustments will keep your water clean while conserving more it.
With the power to provide 13 gallons of softened, iron free water every minute, you'll never experience a lack of water pressure in your busy home.
The difference with this model, part of the Iron Man Series, is that the resin mesh is finer so that it's able to filter iron and larger hard water grains. With a 64,000 grain capacity capable of regulating itself and regenerating as needed, this is truly great ones that you can buy.
The Fleck control valve comes on this model comes with a 5-year warranty. Both the brine and resin tank come with a 10-year warranty.
You can purchase other Iron Man Fleck models with lower grain capacities, but the larger size will prove to be the more economical choice in the long run. It's comes with an easy installation kit.
The ABCwaters built Fleck 5600 SXT 64,000 Grain Water Softener with Iron Mesh even comes preprogrammed to save a little more time, but you can easily change the settings if needed. It's one of those available at the most affordable price.
Released as an improvement on their Iron Pro series, the AFWFilters New Iron and Sulfur Filter Pro 3 5600 SXT 64,000 Grain Water Softener helps to remove the eggy sulfur smell that some water carries.
Water that stains everything orange and smells like hardboiled eggs is almost unusable. If it carries both, the Iron and Sulfur Filter Pro 3 will take care of both.
It has the same grain capacity as the ABCWaters model above, meaning that it will filter 64,000 particles of hard water mineral grains before it needs to regenerate, or flush the filter with salt water. It also features a Fleck 5600 SXT control head and valve.
The Fleck SXT valves automatically trigger a regeneration cycle when your home's water use approaches the 64,000 grain setting. The frequency is determined by how many grains per gallon you've programmed into the control head. A lower GPM estimate allows more gallons of water to flow through the tank while a higher GPM triggers it flush more frequently, providing you with cleaner water.
The AFWFilters New Iron and Sulfur Filter Pro 3 also has a fine mesh resin for filtering iron particles. In addition, it has KDF-85 added to the resin to remove sulfur and manganese. If you've ever seen a black, slimy stain in your shower, dishwasher, or sink basin, you've seen manganese in your water.
With a high grain capacity regulated by a Fleck SXT valve, the ability to remove sulfur and manganese, and a flow rate of 16 gallons per minute, the AFWFilters Pro 3 is a great model available.
It comes with a 4-month money-back guarantee.
The Fleck 5600 SXT 48,000 Grain Iron & Sulfur Eradicator 2000 is made by Fleck itself, so you know it's going to be a high-quality water softener.
It perfectly filters hard water that has up to 50 grains of minerals per gallon. That will take care of some very hard water. We do wish that it had a higher grain filtering capacity though. In a home with hard water, iron, and sulfur-rick water, this model might be used by families of 2-3 people.
It does feature the 5600 SXT control valve common to all of these units. If you know or have accurately estimated the grains per gallon in your water, you can set the SXT to regenerate as needed. It will use the gallons per grain you program into it to automatically perform regeneration after processing so many gallons.
The Eradicator 2000 also comes with a fine mesh resin to filter iron. Added KDF-85 Mediaguard helps to filter sulfur and manganese. Calcium, magnesium, iron, sulfur, and manganese will all be captured and flushed away into your septic system.
The Fleck Eradicator 2000 comes with the standard 5-year warranty on the control head and a 10-year warranty on both the resin and brine tanks. That's a little steeper than the ABCwaters Fleck model for less grain capacity, but you're also getting iron and sulfur removal in this model by the original manufacturer of the industry-standard valve system.
For a fair price, mineral, iron, and sulfur removal, we're confident in calling this one of the top water softeners for water with iron available today. It's easy to install and comes with all the connections you'll need.
If you want to skip the salt and save on water consumption, these are the three rated salt free water softeners options available on the market. Salt-free water softeners are used with well water that isn't too hard. If you have very hard water but still want to use a salt-free softener, consider using a combination of these options or couple them with a magnetic water softener, such as the Magnetic Water Technology Two-Unit Combo.
This is the Hard Water Bullet Poly Softener. It's different from a conventional water softener in that it does not remove hard grains from your water. Instead, it crystalizes and coats the grains in polyphosphate so that they don't stick to your pipes, sinks, tubs, hair, and clothes.
Polyphosphates are used in city water treatment facilities and pose no risk to your health, to your appliances, or your plumbing. It does have a 30-micron filter to catch sediment and provides 30 gallons of softened water per minute.
The Hard Water Bullet connects as a pass through onto your water supply line. Weighing only 4 pounds with a 9" x 10" profile, you'll hardly know it's there. Just bolt it to the wall with the bracket, and save yourself some floor space.
The Hard Water Bullet Poly Softener is greatly made and durable. To care for it, simply turn your water supply valve off, run a faucet until the line is empty, and unscrew the softener's lid. Remove the filter and rinse it in a washtub while you flush the core with a vinegar solution.
You'll also need to re-fill the Hard Water Bullet with polyphosphates every 6-12 months. Adding polyphosphates is an easy task. Simply turn the water off and empty the water line before unscrewing the lid and pouring in the polyphosphates.
You can purchase the Hard Water Bullet Softener Poly at a relatively low price. Its effectiveness in softening water, along with its maintenance needs and a low price make this model the a top choice. Note that this water softener won't help with iron or sulfur though.
If you have softer water or want to add one of the other salt-free water softeners to your supply line, you might enjoy the Aquasana Whole House Water Filter and Salt-Free Softener.
Like the Hard Water Bullet, this Aquasana model crystallizes hard water grains so that they'll flow harmlessly through your pipes and drainage system. It uses no water to flush itself and no salt.
It is an in-line water softener and filter that yields 7 gallons of soft, clean water per minute. That's a high enough flow rate for a family of 3-4 people to never experience low water pressure, even when running two showers, a washing machine, and a kitchen faucet at the same time.
The Aquasana Whole House Water Filter and Salt-Free Softener's price might seem high but it is guaranteed to last 10 years or to process 1 million gallons of water. That's a total yearly cost of a whole lot of water.
You will, however, also need to replace the water filter every six months. You can purchase 4 replacement pre-filters (10-inch) and 4 replacement post filters (20-inch) cost very cheap. The SimplySoft polyphosphate material should be replaced approximately every 5 years.
Despite its higher initial price tag and filter replacement needs, the Aquasana Whole House Water Filter and Salt-Free Softener remains one of our top picks. It is effective at removing hard water grains and filtering sediment from pumps. It is not effective for iron or sulfur control.
The Eddy Water Descaler is a surprisingly effective water softener for well water. It is a small unit that plugs into a standard 110-volt outlet and softly clamps onto your hot and cold water supply lines. The box and coils deliver an electro-magnetic wave to passing water, suspending the grains in the water until they eventually exit your home through the drainage system.
Because it is not even a pass-through system in your supply line, it does nothing to hinder your plumbing's flow rate. There are no filters to change and no chemicals to add. It's also the least expensive models.
If that weren't enough, the Eddy Water Descaler comes with a lifetime warranty. If you have particularly hard water, you can add the Eddy to a Hard Water Bullet Poly or an Aquasana water softening system for added effectiveness.
Because homes with hard water will have calcium and magnesium deposits built up in their pipes, you should give the Eddy Water Descaler a month before judging its performance. It might take that long to clear your pipes of past mineral grains and show the true effectiveness of the electro-magnetic technology.
The Eddy Water Descaler does run continuously, so you might see a slight increase in your energy bill. The amount, however, is negligible compared to the cost of salt, water consumption, and electricity needed to run a conventional water softener.
For its effectiveness, low price, long warranty, small size, and minimal energy costs, the Eddy Water Descaler is one of our top picks for salt free water softeners. Once again, however, this water softener will not help with iron or sulfur in your well water.
These are conventional water softener options. The main differences between them are grain capacity and price.
The Fleck 5600 SXT 64,000 Grains is another model by Fleck itself and is one of the great products that you'll find. The high grain filtering capacity ensures that it can go 5 or more days without regenerating even in homes with very hard water. The Fleck SXT control valve measures your home's water flow rate and ensures that it regenerates at just the right time.
The control valve also features a back-up power supply that prevents the control head from losing its settings and memory in a power outage. The back-up capacitor keeps it charged and operational for 48 hours. After that, it's a simple task to reprogram the head and trigger regeneration, ensuring that you won't miss a cycle.
Like all Fleck SXT's, the valve keeps tracks of the gallons of water it processes and triggers an automatic regeneration cyclebased on the grains per gallon you've programmed into it. If your water still seems hard after installing, increase the grains per gallon setting to allow it to regenerate more often and clear your water of any pass-through minerals.
The flow rate for this model is 18 gallons per minute, one of the highest flow rates you'll see in an in-line model.
The Fleck 5600 SXT 64,000 Grains comes with a full replacement warranty of 5 years on the SXT control head and valve and 10 years on both resin and salt tank. The actual lifespan is expected to be 20 or more years.
Its low price with high grain filtering capacity makes this one of the top water softeners for hard water that you can buy. Note, however, that this model is not designed to filter iron or sulfur.
When you need even longer intervals between regeneration cycles or want the water to keep flowing during a regeneration cycle, the Fleck 9100 SXT Twin Tank 80,000 Grain Water Softener is a smart choice. The twin tanks ensure that you're never without soft water.
Each tank filters 40,000 grains of hard minerals. As they reach their filtering capacity, the 9100 SXT control valve triggers one tank to regenerate and then the second when the first is finished. A single-tank water softener can't process water while it's regenerating. Having two tanks allows your system to continue processing water through one tank while the other cycles.
This SXT model also features the anti-memory loss back-up power capacitor common to 5600 models and above. It remembers how many gallons you've used and when the next regeneration cycle should be up to 48 hours after your power goes out.
The flow rate is 22 gallons per minute. That's enough to supply a small business, and, in fact, we do recommend this as a commercial model. You can take advantage of commercial power and capacity at home. The 80,000 grain filter capacity will also save you money by regenerating less frequently, less than once per week in most cases.
The Fleck 9100 SXT Twin Tank 80,000 Grain Water Softener comes with a 5-year warranty on the 9100 SXT head and a 10-year warranty on all tanks. You can install it as easily as a single-tank water softener and will enjoy just as few maintenance needs.
With the highest grain filtering capacity between regeneration cycles, a reasonable price, extremely high water flow, and alternating regeneration tanks, this is definitely one of the top water softeners for hard well water.
Going down in capacity and a little in price is the Fleck 5600 SXT 48,000 Grain Water Softener. This is our favorite water softener overall and might be the product for hard water well water if you have a smaller family. Its filtering performance is just as high as a 64,000 grain model, but regeneration will take place more frequently in a busy home.
Even if you do have a larger family, its flowrate of 12 gallons per minute ensures that it can keep up with 3 showers, a dishwasher, a laundry machine, and two sinks running at the same time. It would simply need to regenerate more frequently and thus use more water and salt than a higher grain model. For reduced costs, we recommend using this model in a home with fewer people or only slightly hard water.
As a bonus, this model comes with a USB drive detailing installation instruction, programming the control head, and how to care for your water softener. It even comes with a water test kit so that you'll have a better idea of what to input as the grains per gallon.
The control is covered by the standard 5-year warranty and the salt and resin tank for 10 years. You can purchase the Fleck 5600 SXT 48,000 Grain Water Softener and get an expected 27-year lifespan. This is the water softener for hard water in smaller family homes.
Note that this water softener does not filter iron or sulfur.
The mid-priced ABCwaters Pentair Fleck 5600 SXT 80,000 Grains with 10% Resin provides the higher filtering capacity of the twin-tank model in a single tank. You won't need to worry about the 10% resin upgrade in homes with well water (it helps preserve the life of the resin in chlorinated city water), but you will enjoy the savings of less frequent regeneration cycles.
This is the highest grain filtering capacity you'll find in a single-tank model. It features the improved Fleck 5600 SXT control head that can last up to 27 years. It's guaranteed for 5 years in case of manufacturing defects or early failure and the tanks are guaranteed for 10 years.
It doesn't have the alternating tanks like the twin tank model, so you'll have to wait for softened water until it's finished running its regeneration cycle. It does, however, keep track of your water usage and will run the regeneration cycle at a typically low usage time (usually in the middle of the night) before it reaches its filtering capacity.
As an added bonus, you can purchase this model in blue, black, or almond to blend in or appear more attractive in finished basements. It also comes with video instructions for installation and programming. Follow along and complete the job in a couple of hours.
The ABCwaters Pentair Fleck 5600 SXT 80,000 Grains with 10% Resin is available with such a long lifespan and infrequent regeneration cycles. It's one of the top water softeners for hard water. Unfortunately, it doesn't help with sulfur or iron.
Assuming that you don't also have problems with iron and sulfur in your well water, the one that you can buy for the price is the Fleck 5600 SXT 64,000 Grains.
It's built by Fleck with a Fleck 5600 SXT metered valve and control head. It has a high grain filtering capacity to limit regeneration cycles and a back-up power capacitor so you don't lose your settings in brief power outages. It has a flow rate of 18 gallons of water per minute, meaning it can fill your hot tub, run 3 showers, and every sink and appliance in your house without a problem.
It can reliably last more than 20 years. Why wouldn't you buy this model? It's the perfect whole house water softener for well water.
The Fleck 5600 SXT 48,000 Grain is the top unit for its price. Once it's installed, it will run itself with automatic regeneration cycles and continue to provide you with a 12-gallon per minute flow rate.
The resin filtering system is the most effective at removing hard water grains, and the salt flush periodically cleans the resin. You don't have to perform any maintenance other than checking the salt level once a month.
It comes with instructions for easy installation, and will most likely last more than 20 years.
You can also check out other options here.
How to Pick the Right One for Your Needs?
When you're looking for the top product, you also don't want it to cost more than it needs to. We'll help you decide what you need in a water softener to meet your home's needs.
Conventional water softeners are rated by grain. Your source supplies water that contains hard water "grains" or mineral particles of calcium, magnesium, and others. A conventional water softener will state how many grains it can remove before it has to regenerate.
What is the regeneration cycle? Regeneration is when the salt water rinses the filter of mineral grains so that it can continue filtering. The salt is then rinsed with fresh water, sending the minerals and salt safely away into your septic system.
What grain rating do you need for your home?
That depends on how hard your water is (how many grains per gallon it contains) and how many people live in your home.
To determine the hardness of your water, you can either test your water or estimate its hardness by the effects it leaves on your plumbing, basins, appliances, and clothes.
Your water might contain as high as 40 grains per gallon. City water contains an average of 15 GPG.
If the average person uses 80 gallons of water per day to shower, do laundry, wash the dishes, wash their hands, and cook, you can multiply that number by the number of people living in your home. A four-person family, for example, will use 320 gallons per day. That means that their water softener would need to filter 12,800 grains of hard water minerals per day.
Now comes the question of regeneration. How often do you want your water softener to regenerate? It will use approximately 30 gallons of salt and fresh water as it rinses the resin (the filtering material). Purchasing a water softener with a higher grain capacity will ensure that it regenerates less often, saving you money on water usage and salt over time.
You can tell if you need a water softener with a higher grain capacity or need to increase how often your water softener needs to regenerate by paying attention to the following signs.
You'll also want to note the flow rate of each water softener. The flow rate is how many gallons of water they can supply per minute. A shower needs 2 gallons of water per minute, a dishwasher or washing machine 1.5, and a faucet 1. Running any of them simultaneously requires adding the water supply demands together, so running the shower and a washing machine at the same time would take 3.5 gallons per minute.
You can combat hard water by purchasing a water softener with a higher grain rating and increasing the estimated grains per gallon you program it into it, signaling it to regenerate at the appropriate time.
The number of people in your home who need to use water at the same time will determine how high of a flow rate you need. You typically want a minimum of 4 gallons per minute (GPM) with an additional 1-2 for every person.
4 people = 7 GPM, etc.
Besides mineral grains in your water, you might also have iron creating orange stains, sulfur smelling like hardboiled eggs, or manganese leaving black stains. Be sure to select a water softener specifically designed to combat these problems.
To filter out iron, sulfur, and manganese, a water softener needs to have additional material in the resin tank. KDF-85 is what you need for filtering these troublesome elements. It also controls algae and bacteria that might be present in your water.
Water softeners function in different ways. Conventional models will be excellent for hard water, but if you have naturally softer water or want to combine smaller water softener models into a system, you could use the salt free options.
Small beads called resin filter mineral grains out of your water. Salt water cleanses the beads when they reach their filtering capacity. The models we have selected as options range in price.
Salt-free water softeners can be electronic, magnetic, filtering, or coating.
Electronic and magnetic options suspend hard mineral grains in the water so that they pass through your pipes and drainage system. Electronic models use an electro-magnetic wave while magnetic options use hard magnets. These range in price.
Filtering water softeners crystalize mineral grains, stopping them from sticking to pipes or other surfaces. Coating softeners also crystalize the grains but then coat them with polyphosphate for additional effectiveness. Filtering and coating models require filter changes or added chemicals and range widely in price, but you can see the cost of our recommendations below.
Just because you might have learned how to live with water scale doesn't make it a good idea. The residue of scale causes a lot more problems than people realize. It starts out when you notice that pale, white residue that sticks inside your tea kettles or cooking pots after you've boiled water, and it also shows up inside the coffee pot. That is actually the residue of mineral deposits that are slowly starting to block the pipes in your plumbing throughout your entire home. It's mainly calcium and magnesium bicarbonate, a chalk-like substance.
Hard water will also leave lots of stains in your sinks that are very hard to clean unless you use a highly acidic solution like vinegar. It also stains glassware very easily, and it will eventually make the glass become more brittle and fragile by "aging it" so that it breaks with very little effort. It will make both your skin and your hair start to feel more dry and itchy because most soaps and shampoos can't completely remove the mineral deposits that settle on your skin. That's why many people with hard water get more skin irritations, blocked pores and more breakouts.
The scale buildup is actually clogging your pipes, and you'll gradually get more plumbing problems as the pressure inside the pipes prevents water from flowing as fast and smoothly as it should. These plumbing problems become serious quickly. Limescale that collects around the valves of your washing machines and dishwashers stops the valves from closing and creates leaks, so your appliances won't last as long as they should.
Even worse, your bills will begin to skyrocket because your pipes have to work so much harder to get a good flow through them. Call your local utility company to analyze it and find out how "hard" the water really is in your home. Then you'll know which kind of unit you need most.
The Popular Types Used and How Does It Work?
There are many types of options our there. Here is a brief description of how each one works and the reasons why you might want them, along with the price of our favorite models in each category. See our more complete evaluation of each model in the next section.
These appliances use resin beads to filter incoming water and then regenerate the resin with salt or potassium. They are still the most effective at removing mineral grains and come in a variety of grain filtering capacities. The following options are all resin and salt-based.
Single-tank downflow: The standard. Ex. Fleck 5600 SXT 48,000 Grain.
Single-tank upflow: More efficient. Ex. Fleck 5600 SXT 48,000 Grain with Upflow Carbon Filtration.
Alternating twin tanks: Ensure 24/7 supply for busier homes. The Fleck 9100 SXT 64,000 Grain.
Compact combinations: The resin and salt tanks are combined into one unit for smaller homes. GE, Morton, and Whirlpool all have high-quality options.
Both of these solutions function by magnetizing the water passing through your supply types. Electronic systems send an electromagnetic wave. Magnetic systems rely on magnets changing the physical properties of the passing water.
Neither removes the mineral grains from your water. Instead, they keep the grains suspended so that they pass back out through your drainage system without clinging to pipes or other materials. Electronic and magnetic softening systems are suitable for homes with pre-treated supply or as additions to conventional models.
These salt-free solutions are small and easy to install on the outside of your pipes. They include the following types.
Electronic: Plugs into a standard 110-volt. Ex. Eddy Descaler.
Magnetic: Does not use electricity. Ex. Magnetic Technology Two-Unit Combo.
These options alter the physical properties of the minerals in your water, transforming them into crystals, or coat them in a poly-phosphate so that they pass cleanly through your pipes, appliances, and drains. Full filters will also remove chlorine and chloramines as well as herbicides, pesticides, bacteria, and viruses from well water.
We recommend most filter systems for homes. By removing chlorine, they will help you get softer skin and hair, while also conditioning your water for any remaining mineral grains.
Filter systems include the following.
Coating: Ex. Hard Bullet Triple Action Poly Salt-Free.
Because of the advancement of technology, it is quite easy to install your unit nowadays. But if you are a novice in the assembly, do not worry. All products come with instructional guides and complete manuals in placing them in your own home. Some even come with videos and USBs for the convenience of the consumers.
Find the control valve to stop the flow of water to your home. Close the valve and check if there is any flow inside the pipe.
Decide on the portion in which you will install the unit. Make sure that you are buying the right size for your house.
Locate your meter and cut the pipe after it. You will install 3 valves on the line. One to hold it prior to the unit, one as a bypass for maintenance purposes, and the third one after the unit.
Check all fittings that you connected. If you need to solder some parts, do so.
Connect the tanks to be used. See if the tubing are already included in the package. If not you have to buy from your nearest hardware store. They have standard sizes so you need not worry about the measurements.
A drain line is used during cleanup and maintenance. Connect it using a clamp.
Connect the pipe from the unit to the line going to the inside of the house.


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Home > The impact of Covid-19 on productivity
The impact of Covid-19 on productivity
Nicholas Bloom, Philip Bunn, Paul Mizen, Pawel Smietanka, Gregory Thwaites 18 January 2021
The Covid-19 shock has had asymmetric effects across sectors of the economy, with those sectors that involve the most social contact in consumption bearing the brunt. This column uses data from the Decision Maker Panel business survey data to assess how the spread of Covid-19 and measures to contain it are likely to affect productivity. It estimates total factor productivity in the UK private sector is likely to be lower than it would have been, by up to 5% in 2020 Q4, falling back to a 1% reduction in the medium term. Firms anticipate a large reduction in 'within-firm' productivity, primarily because measures to contain Covid-19 are expected to increase intermediate costs. Since the pandemic disproportionally affected firms in low-productivity sectors, and the least productive firms within these sectors, these become a smaller part of the economy and therefore a positive 'between-firm' reallocation effect partially offsets the negative 'within-firm' effect.
How the COVID-19 crisis is reshaping remote working [1]
Alex Bartik, Zoe Cullen, Edward Glaeser, Michael Luca, Christopher Stanton
Coronavirus expected to reduce UK firms' sales by over 40% in Q2 [2]
Nicholas Bloom, Philip Bunn, Scarlet Chen, Paul Mizen, Gregory Thwaites, Pawel Smietanka
The COVID crisis and productivity growth [3]
Filippo di Mauro, Chad Syverson
The economic impact of coronavirus on UK businesses [4]
Nicholas Bloom, Philip Bunn, Scarlet Chen, Paul Mizen, Pawel Smietanka
The spread of Covid-19 and measures to contain it are likely to have important implications for productivity (e.g. di Mauro and Syverson 2020, Bartik et al. 2020). To assess this we make use of survey data collected by the Bank of England, Nottingham and Stanford Universities through the monthly Decision Maker Panel [5] (DMP) survey, a large and representative online panel of UK firms established in 2016 (see Bloom et al. 2020a and Bloom et al. 2020b for two previous posts that use these data). An important advantage of the DMP survey relative to other business surveys is the quantitative and forward-looking nature of the data that it collects. This has been particularly important in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, where the extent to which conditions have become better or worse has varied greatly across firms. It is this feature of the data that allows us to generate quantitative estimates of the impact on productivity in our new paper (Bloom et al. 2020c).
Whilst the DMP survey does not ask about productivity directly, panel members have been asked about the impact of Covid-19 on all of the main components of productivity, covering inputs, outputs, and prices. We take pre-Covid measures of firm-level productivity derived from company accounts data as a starting point and project them forward using more timely and/or forward-looking data from the DMP on the impact of Covid-19 on variables such as sales, employment, and unit costs. We assess the impact of Covid-19 on both measures of labour productivity and total factor productivity (TFP). Using the framework of Baily et al. (1992), we then build our results up from the firm level and decompose the aggregate impacts into 'within-firm' and 'between-firm' effects. In contrast to other studies that must infer the impact of a shock on productivity from some natural temporal or cross-firm variation in exposure, the DMP data allow us to ask this of firms directly.
Covid-19 is likely to lower total factor productivity
Our results suggest that Covid-19 will reduce TFP in the UK private sector, relative to what would otherwise have happened, by about 3% on average between 2020 Q2 and 2021 Q2, peaking at 5% in 2020 Q4 (see the blue line in Figure 1). We estimate that the pandemic will reduce TFP by about 0.7% over the medium term, equivalent to about around one year of pre-pandemic UK productivity growth.
In contrast to a fall in TFP, labour productivity per hour is estimated to have increased in 2020 Q2 as hours worked fell by more than total capital/labour inputs weighted together (see the orange line in Figure 1). But the effects on labour productivity per job are estimated to be negative throughout, particularly in 2020 Q2 and Q3, as the number of jobs has fallen by much less than hours worked (see grey line on Figure 1).
Figure 1 The estimated impact of Covid-19 on productivity varies depending on the measure of productivity used
The overall effects of Covid-19 on productivity mask some large and offsetting forces. Businesses anticipate a large reduction in productivity within firms, partly because measures to contain Covid-19 are expected to increase intermediate costs (see the orange bars in Figure 2). The negative within-firm effect is partially offset by a positive between-firm effect as low productivity sectors, and the least productive firms among them, are disproportionately affected and consequently make a smaller contribution to the economy (see the blue bars in Figure 2). We examine these two effects in a little more detail below.
Figure 2 Negative within-firm effects are likely to be partially offset by positive between-firm effects
Higher intermediate costs are likely to reduce productivity within firms
Figure 3 summarises the inputs into our productivity calculations, using the most recent observation for each firm between July and November. Businesses, on average, estimated that Covid-19 led to a very sharp fall in sales of around 30% in 2020 Q2, relative to what otherwise would have happened. After 2020 Q2, sales were expected to recover, particularly between 2020 Q2 and Q3, but they were still expected to be around 5% lower than they would otherwise have been by 2021 Q2. Over the medium term (2022 onwards), the effects on sales were expected to be small at around -0.5%. Total hours worked were estimated to have fallen by more than sales in 2020 Q2 and Q3, but with the effect becoming closer to the impact on sales in later quarters. Sales falling by less than hours worked implies that Covid-19 led to an increase in sales per hour within firms in 2020 Q2 and Q3.
Increased costs associated with measures to contain Covid-19 (such as social distancing, hand washing, masks, and other measures) will have acted to reduce value-added and productivity within firms. Businesses estimated that Covid-19 increased average unit costs by around 7% in 2020 Q2 and Q3. The unit cost impact of Covid-19 was then expected to taper off somewhat to around 4% by 2021 Q2 (Figure 3). A smaller impact on costs of just under 2% was expected to persist into 2022 onwards.
Figure 3 Covid-19 has had a large impact on firms
The net effect of these two effects on within-firm labour productivity per hour is estimated to be negative (see Figure 4). The contributions from real sales per employee are typically positive. But the overall within effect is negative throughout because of persistent negative contributions from higher intermediate costs, although this contribution starts to become smaller into 2021 and beyond as the extent of these additional costs is expected to fall back. Within-firm TFP is also expected to perform worse than labour productivity given that elasticity-weighted inputs are expected to fall by less than labour input.
Figure 4 The negative within-firm effects are driven mainly by rising intermediate costs related to implementation of measures to contain the pandemic
Aside from these two forces, DMP data imply that Covid-19 has lowered R&D expenditure by around 14% in 2020. And Covid-19 has also been extremely time-consuming for senior managers – CEOs have spent about a third of their time directly dealing with the pandemic, which is time that has presumably been taken away from other longer-run productivity-enhancing activities. To some extent these channels may be factored into businesses' longer-term expectations and may help to explain why TFP is expected to be around 1% lower over the medium term. But it may also take time for these effects to become apparent and there may potentially be some additional longer-run negative effects on productivity within firms from diminished innovation and intangible investment by firms.
Between-firm effects push up on average productivity as low-productivity firms and sectors become a smaller part of the economy
Covid-19 has affected some firms and industries more than others. Figure 5 shows how the fall in hours worked in 2020 Q2 was largest for firms in recreational services and in accommodation and food, which are also the two lowest productivity industries that we consider. These are both industries where a large proportion of activity involves face-to-face contact and/or social activity and where it is particularly difficult for these services to be provided from home. This gives rise to a positive between or reallocation effect.
Figure 5 Firms in low productivity sectors recorded largest drop in hours worked
The between effects are positive and large in 2020 Q2, around 10% in hourly labour productivity terms and 7% for TFP (Figure 2). The effects then diminish sharply over the subsequent four quarters as overall hours worked begin to recover and as differences between the most- and least-affected sectors/firms become smaller. A positive effect of just over 1% was expected to remain by 2021 Q2 on both measures, although this was expected to decline further over the medium term.
Reallocation between industries, or inter-industry effects, plays an important role in explaining the overall reallocation effects, but there is still some effect from firms within industries, or intra-industry effects. On average, inter-industry reallocation between industries accounts for around 85% of the total between effects on hourly labour productivity. For TFP, the inter-industry component accounts for more like 75% of the positive effect in 2020 and 2021. We estimate that reallocation between surviving firms is the main source of between effects, but firm entry and exit can contribute too. To date, Covid-19 has not had a large impact on net firm entry, but our estimates assume some rise in business failures in 2021, which might add around 0.3% to the level of productivity (given that low productivity firms are more likely to fail).
The positive between-firm effect of Covid-19 on productivity is not entirely the usual Schumpeterian process of creative destruction, whereby lower productivity firms are replaced by higher productivity firms. Much of this is simply destruction of low productivity sectors. Industries like accommodation and food, and recreational services have experienced substantial contractions with limited expansion of other sectors. So, while the between effect may increase average productivity, it will reduce total economic output, and hence is likely to reduce overall welfare.
We present a detailed bottom-up analysis of the impact of Covid-19 on productivity in the UK, which has experienced a similar impact of Covid-19 to the US and other advanced European countries. Our results suggest that Covid-19 will reduce TFP in the UK private sector by up to 5% in 2020 Q4 and by around 1% in 2022 and beyond. The effects of Covid-19 on hourly labour productivity are estimated to be less negative than those on TFP because hours worked fall by more than elasticity-weighted capital and labour inputs.
The overall effects of Covid-19 on productivity mask some large and offsetting forces. Businesses anticipate a large reduction in productivity within firms, partly because measures to contain Covid-19 are expected to increase intermediate costs. The negative within-firm effect is partially offset by a positive between effect as low productivity sectors, and the least productive firms among them, are disproportionately affected and consequently make a smaller contribution to the economy. The size of these two offsetting effects is estimated to be largest in earlier quarters, but over time both effects are expected to become smaller.
Baily, M N, C Hulten, D Campbell, T Bresnahan and R E Caves (1992), "Productivity dynamics in manufacturing plants", Brookings Papers on Economic Activity. Microeconomics 1992: 187-267.
Bartik, A, Z Cullen, E Glaeser, M Luca, and C Stanton (2020), "How the COVID-19 crisis is reshaping remote working [1]", VOXEU.org, 19 July.
Bloom, N, P Bunn, S Chen, P Mizen, and P Smietanka (2020a), "The economic impact of coronavirus on UK businesses: Early evidence from the Decision Maker Panel [4]" VoxEU.org, 27 March.
Bloom, N, P Bunn, S Chen, P Mizen, P Smietanka and G Thwaites (2020b), "Coronavirus expected to reduce UK firms' sales by over 40% in Q2 [2]", VoxEU.org, 20 May.
Bloom, N, P Bunn, P Mizen, P Smietanka and G Thwaites (2020c), "The Impact of Covid-19 on Productivity", NBER Working Paper No. 28233.
di Mauro, F and C Syverson (2020), "The COVID crisis and productivity growth [3]", VOXEU.org 16th April.
[1] The Bank of England regularly publishes aggregate level results from the Decision Maker Panel. Visit https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/decision-maker-panel/2020/november-2020 [6] for the latest data. The Decision Maker Panel survey also has a standalone website too. Visit www.decisionmakerpanel.co.uk [7] for more details.
Topics: Covid-19 [8] Productivity and Innovation [9]
Tags: COVID-19 [10], productivity [11], TFP [12], UK firms [13], Decision Maker Panel [14]
Source URL: https://voxeu.org/article/impact-covid-19-productivity?mc_cid=2f5d36dc54&mc_eid=e5c51b617e&qt-quicktabs_cepr_policy_research=1
[1] https://voxeu.org/article/how-covid-19-crisis-reshaping-remote-working
[2] https://voxeu.org/article/coronavirus-expected-reduce-uk-firms-sales-over-40-q2
[3] https://voxeu.org/article/covid-crisis-and-productivity-growth
[4] https://voxeu.org/article/economic-impact-coronavirus-uk-businesses
[5] https://decisionmakerpanel.co.uk/
[6] https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/decision-maker-panel/2020/november-2020
[7] http://www.decisionmakerpanel.co.uk
[8] https://voxeu.org/content/topics/covid-19
[9] https://voxeu.org/content/topics/productivity-and-innovation
[11] https://voxeu.org/taxonomy/term/135
[12] https://voxeu.org/taxonomy/term/5656


The three-part drama series, which aired Tuesday November 27th, was filmed on location in Northern Ireland and received funding from Northern Ireland Screen supported by the Department for the Economy.
Award-winning actress Ruth Wilson ('The Affair', 'Luther') and 'Game of Thrones' actor Iain Glen star in 'Mrs Wilson', a new original original series about the life of Wilson's own Grandmother. Alison Wilson (Ruth Wilson) returns home to find husband Alexander (Iain Glen) dead. Blinded by grief, Alison is bewildered when a woman unexpectedly arrives at the door, claiming to be Alec's 'real wife' Gladys (Elizabeth Rider).
Wilson had been carrying around the story with her for several years, wondering whether she should, or could, tell it on the screen. This complex tale of espionage, betrayal and polygamy is a co-production from BBC One and British production company Masterpiece Productions.
The second episode of Mrs Wilson will air on BBC One on Tuesday, December 4th at 9.00pm.


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OPSIN 3; OPN3
Alternative titles; symbolsPANOPSINENCEPHALOPSIN; ECPNHGNC Approved Gene Symbol: OPN3Cytogenetic location: 1q43 Genomic coordinates (GRCh38): 1:241,593,123-2...
PANOPSIN
ENCEPHALOPSIN; ECPN
HGNC Approved Gene Symbol: OPN3
Cytogenetic location: 1q43 Genomic coordinates (GRCh38): 1:241,593,123-241,640,368 (from NCBI)
Opsins, including OPN3, are members of the superfamily of guanine nucleotide-binding protein (G protein)-coupled receptors, which function through the activation of a G protein and an effector enzyme. Opsin proteins consist of a single polypeptide chain of 340 to 500 amino acids that form 7 alpha-helical transmembrane regions connected by cytoplasmic and extracellular loops.
By screening an EST database with a putative Xenopus extraretinal opsin, followed by RACE, Blackshaw and Snyder (1999) obtained full-length cDNAs encoding mouse and human OPN3, which they called encephalopsin. The predicted 403-amino acid human OPN3 protein shares 85.5% identity with the mouse protein. Northern blot analysis of mouse tissues revealed strong expression of Opn3 in cortex, cerebellum, and testes only, with faint expression in heart, liver, and kidney. In situ hybridization localized Opn3 to pachytene spermatids in testes. Blackshaw and Snyder (1999) also detected high expression of Opn3 in the preoptic area and paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. Opn3 showed developmentally regulated, highly patterned expression in other regions of the brain, being enriched in selected regions of the cerebral cortex, cerebellar Purkinje cells, a subset of striatal neurons, selected thalamic nuclei, and a subset of interneurons in the ventral horn of the spinal cord. The authors observed rostrocaudal gradients of Opn3 expression present in cortex, cerebellum, and striatum, as well as radial stripes of Opn3 expression in cerebellum. Blackshaw and Snyder (1999) concluded that Opn3 may play a role in encephalic photoreception.
By searching an EST database for sequences related to mammalian nonvisual opsins, followed by further database searches and RACE, Halford et al. (2001) assembled a cDNA sequence encoding OPN3, which they called panopsin. The predicted protein differed slightly from the sequence predicted by Blackshaw and Snyder (1999). OPN3 contains features characteristic of functional opsins, including a C-terminal region enriched in serine and threonine residues, an N-linked glycosylation site, a C-linked palmitoylation site, 2 conserved cysteine residues, and a conserved ERY tripeptide. Northern blot analysis of human tissues detected 2 major OPN3 transcripts of 2.1 and 2.5 kb resulting from the use of 2 alternate polyadenylation signals. OPN3 expression was observed in all tissues examined, including brain, liver, placenta, heart, lung, skeletal muscle, kidney, and pancreas. PCR analysis detected OPN3 in retina cDNA. Halford et al. (2001) noted that they detected a wider tissue distribution of OPN3 expression compared with Blackshaw and Snyder (1999), who did not detect mouse Opn3 in retina.
By comparing genomic and cDNA sequences, Halford et al. (2001) determined that the OPN3 gene contains 4 exons spanning approximately 47 kb.
Using a somatic cell hybrid panel and FISH, Halford et al. (2001) mapped the OPN3 gene to chromosome 1q43. They concluded that the OPN3 gene overlaps with the KMO gene (603538) and that the 2 genes are transcribed from opposite strands. Halford et al. (2001) also noted that the CHML gene (118825) lies within intron 1 of the OPN3 gene.
Tags: 1q43
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Al-Infitār (arabiska: سورة الانفطار) ("När himlen rämnar") är den åttioandra suran i Koranen med 19 verser (ayah). Den domineras av föreställningen om den nalkande uppståndelsens dag, Yawm al-Qiyāmah (يوم القيامة ), att de gudfruktiga ska finna salighet och de som syndat ska finna helvetets eld (verserna 13-14).

Externa länkar
Al-Infitār på svenska (Koranens budskap) samt ljudfil med arabisk recitation

Infitar

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The solution to inadequacy, after all, is to become adequate. It's more useful to look at the success of other people and think, "Awesome, so it can be done. Let's do it!"
And hopefully, in a few years you'll be able to sell your business and retire while you are still young and handsome and don't need a Viagra pill to achieve an erection. I assume you are at this blog right now because you want to regain control of some aspects of your life, well…take control of your income.
In 2014, even the gnarliest crocodile-hippo hybrid can craft herself a Tinder or Okcupid profile and get laid within the hour. Conversely, I know "nice guys" with a solid education, who've worked part-time as models that were virgins at age 27.
This is a typical girl's world, where men are constantly offering money, status, power, etc. to sleep with her. When she goes off and cheats on the man with the aforementioned traits, she goes off and sleeps with other men - for free. When I used to get women by displays of wealth, I was always jealous and worried about men richer than I am.
One of goals of The Red Pill Generation is to educate you on how to jump start your self-development process. Even if you're a hard nut, borderline Elliot Rodgers case and your ideal self seems very far away, I believe you can get there. You can become your best self, or pretty close to it if you are willing to put in the work.
The Red Pill Generation, an audio/visual dose of Red Pill philosophy, helping open the eyes of young men of action, modern conquistadors if you will, everyday. We are alpha males in training. That entails, taking control of your life, facing fears, not settling for a life of boredom or monotony. We strive to embody entrepreneurship, travel, seduction, self improvement and honesty..


I've decided to revive my blog! I sort of let things trail off last year when my life got super busy, but recently I have had so many moments where I thought to myself "that would be such a good blog post!" that I just had to start back up. Since I last blogged I have moved into a purchasing position with Jimmy Beans Wool. Yes, that means I literally buy yarn for a living all day, though not with my own money of course! It is a super exciting job for a person like me, because I get to see what is new before it hits the market. I also have a small bit of influence over what we will and will not carry, and occasionally I am just forced to do research on Ravelry and by reading blogs. I know, it's a hard life!
In the last few months I have decided to give knitting pattern design a try. I have flirted with the idea before and certainly gone off-pattern for easy designs, but now I want to give it a real effort. This is in part because I have already had a couple designs accepted for publication (coming later this year and next!). But it is also because sometimes I am smacked in the face by inspiration and just have to put what's in my head down on paper. I suppose it is becoming my latest way for creative release. Unfortunately pretty much all personal knitting has been set aside in favor of designing. At first I thought this would make me sad, but it turns out that I am just as happy knitting my own designs as I am knitting someone else's. I guess I am more of a "process" knitter than I thought!
With designing, more than anything else, I worry about rejection. It's a hard thing to do, putting yourself out into the world, and hoping that people will like and accept what you have created. I must admit that having a couple acceptances under my belt definitely boosts my confidence, but that's not to say I haven't been turned down! I certainly have and if there is one thing I have learned so far, it is to not feel bad or take it personally! Rejection, as it turns out, is part of the process and I am doing my best to learn from it. For example, I didn't completely read the instructions for one of the design submissions and I was over the yardage allowance. Of course that one was turned down! And you can bet I will carefully read all submission guidelines from now on.
It helps that I work somewhere that is very supportive of my decision to try and launch an independent design career. I am excited to say that earlier this month JBW released my first design, the Spangled Tote. As you can imagine, it is knit in red, white, and blue and is representative of an American Flag. And of course it is felted which makes it nice and sturdy for carrying around all your summertime accessories. I used Cascade 220, but any wosted weight 100% feltable wool will do! Also, if the flag design is not really your thing, you could totally knit it in a solid color, or stripe two colors all the way to the top. The possibilities are endless! You can download the pattern for free here, or purchase the kit with everything you need to make the flag version here! There is also a matching crocheted water bottle sling to go with it designed by one of my wonderful co-workers.