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08/16/15 - A natural death




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BCL-2 antagonism sensitizes cytotoxic T cell–resistant HIV reservoirs to elimination ex vivo

Curing HIV infection will require the elimination of a reservoir of infected CD4+ T cells that persists despite HIV-specific cytotoxic T cell (CTL) responses. Although viral latency is a critical factor in this persistence, recent evidence also suggests a role for intrinsic resistance of reservoir-harboring cells to CTL killing. This resistance may have contributed to negative outcomes of clinical trials, where pharmacologic latency reversal has thus far failed to drive reductions in HIV reservoirs. Through transcriptional profiling, we herein identified overexpression of the prosurvival factor B cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) as a distinguishing feature of CD4+ T cells that survived CTL killing. We show that the inducible HIV reservoir was disproportionately present in BCL-2hi subsets in ex vivo CD4+ T cells. Treatment with the BCL-2 antagonist ABT-199 was not sufficient to drive reductions in ex vivo viral reservoirs when tested either alone or with a latency-reversing agent (LRA). However, the triple combination of strong LRAs, HIV-specific T cells, and a BCL-2 antagonist uniquely enabled the depletion of ex vivo viral reservoirs. Our results provide rationale for novel therapeutic approaches targeting HIV cure and, more generally, suggest consideration of BCL-2 antagonism as a means of enhancing CTL immunotherapy in other settings, such as cancer.




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The neonatal microenvironment programs innate γδ T cells through the transcription factor STAT5

IL-17–producing RORγt+ γδ T cells (γδT17 cells) are innate lymphocytes that participate in type 3 immune responses during infection and inflammation. Herein, we show that γδT17 cells rapidly proliferate within neonatal lymph nodes and gut, where, upon entry, they upregulate T-bet and coexpress IL-17, IL-22, and IFN-γ in a STAT3- and retinoic acid–dependent manner. Neonatal expansion was halted in mice conditionally deficient in STAT5, and its loss resulted in γδT17 cell depletion from all adult organs. Hyperactive STAT5 mutant mice showed that the STAT5A homolog had a dominant role over STAT5B in promoting γδT17 cell expansion and downregulating gut-associated T-bet. In contrast, STAT5B preferentially expanded IFN-γ–producing γδ populations, implying a previously unknown differential role of STAT5 gene products in lymphocyte lineage regulation. Importantly, mice lacking γδT17 cells as a result of STAT5 deficiency displayed a profound resistance to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Our data identify that the neonatal microenvironment in combination with STAT5 is critical for post-thymic γδT17 development and tissue-specific imprinting, which is essential for infection and autoimmunity.




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The video Linda McMahon, Connecticut Republican candidate for the US Senate, may not want you to see?

Linda McMahon is running for the US Senate in Connecticut. For twenty (20) years, she ran World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) with her husband, Vince McMahon. A few years ago, a documentary film examined the WWE's celebration of violence against women. Her campaign doesn't want Connecticut voters to see that film. Watch these excerpts from the film to see why. Continue reading




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Summary of Staff Discussion Draft: International Business Tax Reform

Senator Max Baucus, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, releases a staff discussion draft on international business tax reform. Continue reading



  • Accountants CPA Hartford
  • Articles
  • Chairman Max Baucus U.S. Senate Committee on Finance
  • International Tax Reform
  • international tax system
  • November 19 2013
  • Proposals for tax reform
  • Senator Max Baucus
  • U.S. Senate Committee on Finance

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Hillary Faces Questions About Cash Donations to Clinton Foundation

Hillary Faces Questions About Cash Donations to Clinton Foundation. Continue reading




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Senator Bernie Sanders on This Week With George Stephanopoulos – ABC News

"I think I'm the only candidate who's prepared to take on the billionaire class," Sanders, I-Vt., told ABC's George Stephanopoulos on "This Week." "We need a political revolution in this country involving millions of people who are prepared to stand up and say, enough is enough, and I want to help lead that effort." Continue reading




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The response of Senator Richard Blumenthal to my letter in opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)

The response of Senator Richard Blumenthal to my letter in opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Ask yourselves how American labor can compete against Vietnamese workers earning on average $0.56 per hour. Continue reading



  • Accountants CPA Hartford
  • Articles
  • foreign government contributions to the Clinton Foundation
  • Hillary Clinton
  • Senator Bernie Sanders
  • Senator Elizabeth Warren
  • Senator Richard Blumenthal
  • The Clinton Foundation
  • The response of Senator Richard Blumenthal to my letter in opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)
  • Trade Promotion Authority (TPA)
  • Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)

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Senator Bernie Sanders speaks out against the Trans Pacific Partnership Trade Agreement to the United States Senate May 12 2015

The Senate considered H.R. 1314, the legislative vehicle for trade promotion authority reauthorization.?It would give the president broad fast-track authority when negotiating trade agreements and require Congress to consider treaties without an amendment process. Senator Bernie Sanders speaks out against this bill before the Senate on May 12, 2015. Continue reading



  • Accountants CPA Hartford
  • Articles
  • H.R. 1314 the legislative vehicle for trade promotion authority reauthorization
  • May 12 2015
  • Senator Bernie Sanders
  • Senator Bernie Sanders speaks out against the Trans Pacific Partnership Trade Agreement to the United States Senate May 12 2015
  • TPA
  • TPP
  • trade promotion authority
  • Trans Pacific Partnership
  • transcript
  • United States Senate
  • video

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CNN Brianna Keilar interviews Senator Bernie Sanders on State of the Union May 17 2015

CNN Brianna Keilar interviews Senator Bernie Sanders on State of the Union May 17 2015. Senator Bernie Sanders says the American people want and deserve a serious debate on the serious issues facing our country today instead of merely the same old, endless 30 second, ad hominem, attack ads. Continue reading




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Senator Bernie Sanders interviewed by Chris Hayes on May 6 2015

The Vermont senator and presidential candidate talks to Chris Hayes about his differences with Hillary Clinton and the prospects for his presidential candidacy. Continue reading




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Senator Bernie Sanders does not think that Hillary Clinton can stand up and fight for the middle class

Senator Bernie Sanders does not think that Hillary Clinton can stand up and fight for the middle class. Continue reading




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College for ALL Act presented by Senator Bernie Sanders on May 19 2015

Read the text of Senator Bernie Sanders bill to make college tuition free for students and to be financed by a tax on Wall Street speculation. WASHINGTON, May 19 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today introduced legislation to make 4-year public colleges and universities tuition free. “We live in a highly competitive global economy. If our economy is to be strong, we need the best educated work force in the world. That will not happen if every year hundreds of thousands of bright young people cannot afford to go to college and if millions more leave school deeply in debt,” Sanders said. Under the legislation, $70 billion a year in assistance – two-thirds from the federal government and one-third from states – would replace what public colleges and universities now charge in tuition and fees. The federal share of the cost would be offset by imposing a tax on Wall Street transactions by investment houses, hedge funds and other speculators. The legislation also would overhaul student loan programs so students and their parents could reduce crushing debt loads which now exceed Americans’ credit card debt. Federal profits on loans would be eliminated, work-study programs expanded and incentives offered for colleges and universities to keep costs down. “We once led the world in the percentage of our people with a college degree, now we are in 12th place.” Sanders said. “Countries like Germany, Denmark, Sweden and many more are providing free or inexpensive higher education for their young people. They understand how important it is to be investing in their youth. We should be doing the same,” he added. Tuition at 4-year public colleges and universities rose by 50 percent in the United States during the past decade. As state governments have cut support for higher education, the burden has shifted to students and their parents. With this spring’s college commencement season underway, the class of 2015 is the most indebted class in American history, according to Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of Edvisors, a website on college costs and financial aid. Continue reading



  • Accountants CPA Hartford
  • Articles
  • College for All Act
  • free tuition bill of Senator Bernie Sanders
  • Robin Hood tax on Wall Street
  • Summary of Senator Sanders' College for All Act
  • text of Senator Bernie Sanders bill
  • transcript
  • video

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Senator Bernie Sanders tells Ed Schultz to make college tuition free for students and pay for it with a tax on Wall Street speculation

Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders says he wants to offer tuition free at public colleges and universities, paid for with a new tax on Wall Street. Ed Schultz and Sanders discuss the senator’s proposal. Continue reading



  • Accountants CPA Hartford
  • Articles
  • 50 cent tax on every $100 of stock trades
  • address student debt
  • Bernie Sanders discusses Hillary Clinton
  • Bernie Sanders for free college education
  • Bernie Sanders introduces bill for free tuition
  • Bernie Sanders tells Wolf Blitzer that college tuition should be free and paid for by a tax on Wall Street Speculation
  • climate change
  • Clinton Questioned about Income Inequality
  • CNN
  • CNN Wolf Blitzer interview Bernie Sanders
  • college education paid for by Wall Street speculation tax
  • Congressman Keith Ellison Robin Hood bill
  • create job rebuilding infrastructure
  • Democratic presidential primary 2016
  • Ed Schultz
  • Keith Ellison
  • kitchen table issues
  • make college affordable
  • Make State College Tuition Free
  • May 19 2015
  • millions leaving school in large debt
  • Race for the White House
  • raise minimum wage
  • robin hood bill
  • Senator Bernie Sanders
  • Senator Bernie Sanders tells Ed Schultz to make college tuition free for students and pay for it with a tax on Wall Street speculation
  • stop endless wars in Middle East
  • student debt $1.2 trillion
  • the Ed Show
  • transcript
  • video
  • Wall Street shake down
  • Wolf Blitzer

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Senator Bernie Sanders before the Senate December 2 2014 presenting an Economic Agenda for America: 12 Steps Forward

THE AMERICAN PEOPLE IN THIS PARTICULAR MOMENT IN OUR HISTORY MUST MAKE A VERY FUNDAMENTAL DECISION, AND THAT DECISION IS DO WE CONTINUE THE STATUS QUO WHICH INCLUDES A 40-YEAR DECLINE OF OUR MIDDLE CLASS AND A HUGE AND GROWING GAP BETWEEN THE VERY, VERY RICH AND EVERYONE ELSE, OR DO WE FIGHT FOR A BOLD AND MEANINGFUL ECONOMIC AGENDA THAT CREATES JOBS, RAISES WAGES, PROTECTS OUR ENVIRONMENT AND PROVIDES HEALTH CARE FOR EVERY AMERICAN Continue reading



  • Accountants CPA Hartford
  • Articles
  • An Economic Agenda for America: 12 Steps Forward
  • Senator Bernie Sanders
  • Senator Bernie Sanders before the Senate December 2 2014 presenting an Economic Agenda for America: 12 Steps Forward
  • transcript
  • video

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Senator Bernie Sanders appeals to the media to cover the serious issues of our country instead of political gossip during political campaigns

SANDERS: ... there is more coverage about the political gossip of a campaign, about raising money, about polling, about somebody saying something dumb, or some kid works for a campaign sends out something stupid on Facebook, right? We can expect that to be a major story. But what your job is, what the media's job is, is to say, look, these are the major issues facing the country. We're a democracy. People have different points of view. Let's argue it. Continue reading




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Senator Bernie Sanders warns the press not to underestimate him in the 2016 campaign for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) warns not to underestimate him in the 2016 Democratic race for the White House. Sanders, who is formally launching his campaign Tuesday, said he has a strong message. Continue reading




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Senator Bernie Sanders formally announces his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for President

“Thank you all very much for being here and for all the support that you have given me over the years: as the mayor of this great city, as Vermont’s only congressman and now as a U.S. senator. Thanks also … Continue reading




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Did companies and countries buy access to the State Department by donating to the Clinton Foundation?

Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter James Grimaldi of The Wall Street Journal, who has covered the Clinton Foundation for years, looks at the relationship between the Clinton Foundation and the State Department during Hillary Clinton’s time as secretary of state, and what it would be if she became president. Newly released State Department emails include exchanges between top members of the Clinton Foundation and Clinton’s top State Department advisers, including Huma Abedin and Cheryl Mills. The FBI reportedly wanted to investigate the Clinton Foundation earlier this year, but U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch pushed back. Continue reading




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Chris Hedges argues that corporate commodification of our natural resources and human capital will continue unabated. Transcript and video.

"And you know, we have to stop looking beyond this election cycle and see that this corporate driven ideology, you know, this commodification of the culture, this constant extracting of blood from us as citizens to pay what in essence were private debts of the banks which engaged in casino capitalism, has political consequences. History has taught us that. And Hillary Clinton is only going to further that process." Continue reading




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Glenn Greenwald Asks “Why Did Saudi Regime & Other Gulf Tyrannies Donate Millions to Clinton Foundation?” Transcript and video.

Questions surrounding Hillary Clinton and the Clinton Foundation continue to grow. On Sunday, Democratic National Committee interim chairperson Donna Brazile defended Clinton’s meetings as secretary of state with Clinton Foundation donors, saying, "When Republicans meet with their donors, with their supporters, their activists, they call it a meeting. When Democrats do that, they call it a conflict." Donna Brazile’s comments come in response to an Associated Press investigation revealing that while Hillary Clinton served as secretary of state, more than half of the private citizens she met with during the reporting period had donated to the Clinton Foundation. The AP investigation comes after a three-year battle to gain access to State Department calendars. The analysis shows that at least 85 of 154 people Hillary Clinton had scheduled phone or in-person meetings with were foundation donors. We speak to Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Glenn Greenwald of The Intercept. His most recent piece is headlined "Why Did the Saudi Regime and Other Gulf Tyrannies Donate Millions to the Clinton Foundation?" Continue reading




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The hit job on Keith Ellison by the Corporate Democratic National Committee

The Democratic National Committee is controlled by its big corporate donors. Tom Perez was recruited to defeat progressive Keith Ellison to keep the Democratic Party in the coffers of its corporate donors. Ellison's defeat as head of the DNC was a hit job by the corporate machine within the DNC. Continue reading




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Bob Stefanowski will make Sam Brownback look like a socialist in comparison by eliminating the income tax in Connecticut

NEWS 8 IS YOUR LOCAL ELECTION HEADQUARTERS…. AND TONIGHT…VOODOO ECONOMICS! CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT MARK DAVIS TELLING US HOW REPEALING THE STATE INCOME TAX IS THE LATEST HEATED TOPIC BETWEEN THE CANIDATES FOR GOVERNOR.   DEMOCRAT NED LAMONT IS OPENING A … Continue reading




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Новый альбом GREEN CARNATION доступен для прослушивания

"Leaves Of Yesteryear", новый альбом группы GREEN CARNATION, доступен для прослушивания ниже. Эта работа вышла 8 мая на Season Of Mist.

Трек-лист:

"Leaves Of Yesteryear"
"Sentinels"
"My Dark Reflections Of Life And Death"
"Hounds"
"Solitude" #Green_Carnation #GreenCarnation #ProgressiveRock #Progressive_Rock #AcousticRock #Acoustic_Rock #ProgressiveMetal #Progressive_Metal




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United Nations Disaster Resilience Scorecard, Developed by AECOM and IBM, Helps Cities Prepare for Disaster

An updated Disaster Resilience Scorecard to help cities and local government agencies improve their preparedness and reduce risks from disasters was launched today at the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction. Developed for the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction by AECOM, IBM with support from USAID and the European Commission, the Scorecard gives better access to information, knowledge resources, and tools to effectively reduce risks from the impacts of natural hazards and climate change.





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IBM Announces Collaboration with Leading Fortune 500 Companies, Academic Institutions and National Research Labs to Accelerate Quantum Computing

IBM today announced the first clients to tap into its IBM Q™ early-access commercial quantum computing systems to explore practical applications important to business and science. They include: JPMorgan Chase, Daimler AG, Samsung, JSR Corporation, Barclays, Hitachi Metals, Honda, Nagase, Keio University, Oak Ridge National Lab, Oxford University and University of Melbourne.




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IBM Teams with Eurobank to Deliver First-Ever Cloud-Based Digital Experience for International Trade

Today IBM and Eurobank announced the first cloud-based digital platform for online international commercial trading. Using IBM's industry-leading Digital Experience software, with advanced cloud capabilities and social offerings, Eurobank is uniting exporters and importers from around the globe to enhance international trade operations and increase transactions.




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IBM Brings Cloud-native Environment to Private Clouds

IBM today announced a new IBM Cloud Private software platform to help companies unlock billions of dollars in technology investment in core data and applications and extend cloud-native tools across public and private clouds.



  • Banking and Financial Services

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Tax Incentives and the Human Imagination

[Image: Der Wanderer über dem Nebelmeer by Caspar David Friedrich (c. 1818).] It would be interesting to look at locations of the American popular imagination, as seen in movies and TV, mapped against regional tax breaks for the film industry. There was a brief span of time, for example, when rural Pennsylvania stood in for … Continue reading "Tax Incentives and the Human Imagination"




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IBM Services and Retail Analytics to Support Walgreens Field Service Nationwide

IBM today announced a new agreement with Walgreens, one of the country’s largest drugstore chains, to deploy IBM retail analytics at more than 8,100 locations nationwide to help improve the efficiency of field service support for these locations.



  • Services and solutions

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IBM lidera iniciativa Global ‘Call for Code’ para utilizar Cloud, Data, IA y Blockchain para mitigar el impacto de desastres naturales

IBM y organizaciones aliadas lanzaron la iniciativa global 'Call for Code', el esfuerzo más grande y ambicioso para reunir a desarrolladores del sector académico y empresarial, para resolver uno de los problemas más acuciantes de la sociedad de nuestro tiempo: prevenir, responder y recuperarse de desastres naturales.




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IBM Donates More Than 2.5 Million Hours of Volunteer Service to Communities Worldwide as Part of Centennial Day of Service

IBM today announced that as part of its Celebration of Service, designed to allow employees, retirees, clients and business partners to donate their time and expertise during the company's Centennial year, 300,000 IBMers around the world -- close to three quarters of its global workforce -- are volunteering in more than 5,000 projects in 120 countries, meeting civic and societal challenges and serving millions in need.




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IBM Safeguards Mobile Devices at Arrow International

IBM has implemented a cloud-based enterprise mobility management and security solution at Arrow International.




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IBM Storage Supports Rakon’s International Growth

Rakon has selected the IBM Storwize V7000 SAN as part of a strategic storage upgrade to meet the needs of its rapidly expanding international quartz crystal manufacturing business.




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Drakes Supermarket and Thomas Foods International collaborate to pilot IBM Food Trust in South Australia

Australia’s largest 100% family-owned meat processor, Thomas Foods International, and largest independent grocery retailer, Drakes Supermarket have signed on as members to the blockchain-based food ecosystem solution, IBM Food Trust™. The successful pilot can trace the entire lifecycle of a food product, from region to plate, and update the record in real-time.




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IBM Announces New National Cyber Security Centre In Canberra

IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced the IBM National Cyber Security Centre in Canberra (NCSC). The NCSC aims to foster greater collaboration with government and business aligned to Australia’s new national Cyber Security Strategy. IBM has appointed Kevin Zuccato, one of Australia’s most experienced cyber security experts to lead the NCSC, where he will oversee a team of cyber security specialists. The team will work within Australia’s cyber security eco-system to ensure a strategic and proactive approach to cyber resilience.




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NEHTA Selects IBM to Secure the National E-Health Agenda

IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced it has been awarded a $23.6M dollar contract with the National E-Health Transition Authority (NEHTA) to design and build Australia’s National Authentication Service for Health (NASH) project.




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IBM Announces Natural Resources Solution Centre for Mining, LNG & Petroleum Industries

IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced it will establish a Natural Resources Solution Centre (NRSC) in Perth to help mining, LNG and petroleum companies accelerate the development and adoption of innovative technologies and business strategies.



  • Energy & Utilities

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dollypopinspiration: nanushka Open space with natural light in...



dollypopinspiration:

nanushka

Open space with natural light in the Lousiana Museum of Modern Art ✨ via

@mariavannguyen




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Fun Historical Costumes from National Museums in Edinburgh and Dublin


I visited both the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh and the Naitonal Museum of Ireland in Dublin, here's some fun fashion related stuff that I saw...

In Dublin




In Edinburgh 











Retro Rack is also on facebook where I post additional images and fashion thoughts.

You can shop my recommendations via the following lists:
Steampunk, Retro Jewelry, Makeup, Retro Clothes, Lifestyle


Product links on this blog are usually to Amazon using my associate code. At no additional cost to you this means I get a slight kick back if you make a purchase. Thank you! This allows me to continue to produce this blog without sponsors.




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International Unicorn Day -- April 9, 2020

This Thursday (4/9), eighteen authors (including yours truly!) will be doing live readings to celebrate International Unicorn Day!!! At 10:30am ET, I'll be on Facebook Live on my author page here: https://www.facebook.com/sarahbethdurst

And I may be wearing a unicorn onesie... 



Hope you'll join me!  And feel free to invite along any unicorns who want to listen too!  I'll be reading from my kids book, THE GIRL WHO COULD NOT DREAM, which features the winged unicorn Glitterhoof.

For the full schedule of the day's events, visit: https://www.internationalunicornday.com/events



#OperationStoryTime #InternationalUnicornDay




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Great Western National Parks Itinerary and Pictorial

There was a time – before I sank my teeth into the board game hobby and before I took on the demands of being a stepmom to three children - that I planned frequent trips for my friends circle. Each month would see us jet setting off to a different part of the United States (or a different part of the world) in search of adventure and great cuisine. I would pour myself into the research project that proper trip planning requires and create a custom itinerary for our group, working to ensure we caught all the highlights of our destination. This post is about the one I worked up for our last trip to some of the great Western National Parks in the United States.  I share it here with the hope that you might find the itinerary useful in planning your trip out west.

 

--> Full Photo Gallery – Come and Explore 

DAY ONE

MORNING

Depart for Butte, Montana

Pick up rental car

AFTERNOON

Lunch (& ice cream) at Matt’s Place (Butte)

Transfer to Grand Teton National Park (4.5 hrs)

Grand Teton National Park Visitors Center (open till 7pm)

EVENING

Stop for photos @ Mormon Row Historic District (Antelope Flats Road, Grand Teton National Park, WY)

Dinner @ Peaks Restaurant, Signal Mountain Lodge

Check in @ Colter Bay Village

DAY TWO

MORNING AND AFTERNOON

5:45am Sunrise excursion to Schwabacher's Landing

• Roughly four miles north of Moose off of the main highway. The 1.5 mile gravel access road is currently closed to vehicles due to sequestration; 20 min walk is therefore required to reach the trailhead. The trail follows along the water, heads northwest then turns north to follow a trail along a smaller stream. Five minutes of hiking you should come to a large beaver dam that creates a pond. Circle around the water on the maze of paths that travel north through the woods for 5 more minutes and it will lead to an opening with the classic view. A log bench marks the area, and if you are arriving for sunrise, a photographer usually will also mark the spot.

Breakfast @ Ranch House

8am Assemble in lobby to depart for morning tour

Sightseeing in Grand Teton NP:

• Lake Jenny- Hidden Falls, Inspiration Point, & Cascade Canyon Hike

o Starts with a boat ride ($12; service from 8am) across beautiful Jenny Lake to where the trail starts. The half mile hike to Hidden Falls is short and easy. Half mile further to Inspiration Point. The hike from the boat dock to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point is like a traffic jam after 9am. Option to continue onto Cascade Canyon where the crowds thin and moose and other wildlife are abundant.

Signal Mountain Summit Road . The scenic Signal Mountain Road is a five mile, 1,000 foot climb of switchbacks to an observation area at the top of Signal Mountain. Set far apart from the next highest mountain peak, Signal Mountain provides breathtaking views of the Tetons’ towering peaks, the flat glacial plains below, Jackson Lake and the Snake River beyond. From Lake Jenny, travel N on the Grand Teton Road and take a right onto Signal Mountain Road.

Lunch @ Signal Mountain Lodge (Trapper’s Grill or Leek’s Pizza)

Afternoon at leisure at Colter Bay Village (horseback riding, kayaking, canoe rentals, etc)

EVENING

Dinner @ Ranch House or Chuckwagon

DAY THREE

MORNING

Breakfast @ Ranch House

Transfer to Yellowstone National Park (1.5 hrs)

Optional brief stop at West Thumb for photos (keep bear spray handy)

Sightseeing in the Upper Geyser Basin:

• Old Faithful

• Black Sand and Biscuit Basin Trails (1/2 mile easy boardwalk trail each)

• Geyser Hill Loop Trail (1.3 miles easy boardwalk trail)

• Morning Glory Pool

AFTERNOON

Lunch @ Old Faithful Inn Deli

Sightseeing in the Midway and Lower Geyser Basin:

• Despite its small size Midway possesses two of the largest hot springs in the world. Grand Prismatic Spring, nearly 370 feet in diameter, sits upon a large mound surrounded by small step-like terraces. The other feature, Excelsior Geyser, erupted nearly 300 feet high before the 1900s. It is now a dormant geyser and is considered a hot spring, discharging more than 4050 gallons of boiling water per minute. Other colorful springs include Turquoise and Indigo springs, known for their pale and dark blue colors. Across the Firehole River from Excelsior and Grand Prismatic springs are a series of small isolated, pristine springs and mud pots. The Rabbit Creek drainage possesses some colorful and unusual features and most are unnamed. Caution should be exercised while exploring this vicinity since the ground is unstable and trails are not maintained.

• The Lower Geyser Basin encompasses nearly 12 square miles, with most of the thermal features widely scattered in small groups. We will visit the Fountain Group, White Dome Group, & White Creek Group at minimum and venture onto the Firehole Lake Group and the Imperial Group if there is time. The Lower Geyser Basin possesses a large variety of thermal features, including mud pots, geysers, pools, springs, and fumaroles. Great Fountain Geyser is one of the grand geysers in the Lower Geyser Basin. It erupts from a large, terraced platform with massive bursts exploding up to 150 feet high. White Dome Geyser does not have spectacular eruptive displays, but it does have one of the largest pink and white streaked cones in the Park.

EVENING

Check in @ Old Faithful Inn

Dinner @ Old Faithful Lodge Cafeteria

DAY FOUR

MORNING AND AFTERNOON

Breakfast @ Old Faithful Inn

Traverse the Fishing Bridge Sightseeing in Hayden Valley:

• Wildlife Viewing

• Sulphur Caldron

• Mud Volcano Interpretive Trail (3/4 mile, easy)

Sightseeing in Canyon Area:

• South Rim Drive

o Picnic Lunch at Artist Point

• North Rim Drive

o walk from Inspiration Point to Grandview Point

o Brink of the Lower Falls Trail (1/2 mile, steep/moderate)  Especially scenic, this trail branches off of the North Rim Trail at the Brink of the Upper Falls parking area

• Canyon Visitor Center

EVENING

Check in @ Canyon Lodge

Dinner @ Canyon Lodge Dining Room

DAY FIVE

MORNING

6am Depart for wildlife viewing in Lamar Valley (snacks in the car)

9am Breakfast @ Roosevelt Lodge

Sightseeing in Northern Yellowstone:

• Tower Falls

o Stop at Tower General Store to pick up Picnic Lunch supplies

• Undine Falls

o Scenic pullout on the right

• Gibbon Falls

• Mammoth Springs (2 hrs)

o Lower Terraces including:

Opal Terrace

Liberty Cap

Palette Spring

Minerva Terrace

Cleopatra Terrace

Jupiter Terrace

Main Terrace

Canary Spring

Overlook

o Upper Terraces including:

Prospect Terrace

New Highland Terrace

Orange Spring Mound

Bath Lake

White Elephant Back Terrace

Angel Terrace

• Fort Yellowstone, time permitting

• Optional stop @ Norris Geyser Basin, time permitting

EVENING

Check in @ Three Bears Lodge

Dinner @ Taqueria Las Palmitas ($) or Madison Crossing Lounge ($$)

Ice cream @ Espresso West

DAY SIX

MORNING

Breakfast @ Woodside Bakery in West Yellowstone (world famous cinnamon rolls)

Check out & transfer to Butte (2.5 hrs)

AFTERNOON

Lunch on the road

Depart for home from Butte airport




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SETI@home hibernation

On March 31, the volunteer computing part of SETI@home will stop distributing work and will go into hibernation.

We're doing this for two reasons:

1) Scientifically, we're at the point of diminishing returns; basically, we've analyzed all the data we need for now.

2) It's a lot of work for us to manage the distributed processing of data. We need to focus on completing the back-end analysis of the results we already have, and writing this up in a scientific journal paper.

However, SETI@home is not disappearing. The web site and the message boards will continue to operate. We hope that other UC Berkeley astronomers will find uses for the huge computing capabilities of SETI@home for SETI or related areas like cosmology and pulsar research. If this happens, SETI@home will start distributing work again. We'll keep you posted about this.

If you're currently running SETI@home on your computer, we encourage you to attach to other BOINC-based projects as well. Or use Science United and sign up to do astronomy. You can stay attached to SETI@home, of course, but you won't get any jobs until we find new applications.

We're extremely grateful to all of our volunteers for supporting us in many ways during the past 20 years. Without you there would be no SETI@home. We're excited to finish up our original science project, and we look forward to what comes next.




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How to Respond to the National Emergency

CEOs of the major Wall Street banks have been summoned to the White House to discuss the coronavirus...




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Happy International Women's Day

To the women from all over the world I'm privileged to know, and everybody who loves international women.

I have been saving up some articles for the occasion: here are two marvellous bios of trans lesbian elders.

Jan Morris. [Content note: the article is in the Guardian which takes a somewhat transphobic editorial stance, though this article is very positive towards trans women. However it does deadname Morris and includes a picture of her from back when she was presenting as male.]

Sandy Stone, a couple of years old from Vice but it came to my attention recently.

comments




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Native Plants From Etsy

So, I ordered a bunch of native plants on Etsy, and they were WAY cheaper than they are in stores around here. They came as chunks of root, essentially. It only occurred to me after I ordered to worry about why they were so cheap — is it possible they’re being illegally harvested from woodlands? … Continue reading "Native Plants From Etsy"




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CALL FOR NOMINATIONS: The 2019 Theszies (the rec.sport.pro-wrestling Awards)

This is the Call for Nominations for the 2019 Theszie Awards (the rec.sport.pro-wrestling Awards). To nominate candidates for all categories, you may use this form. Nominations are due by January 5, 2019. Finally, to see previous years’ results, click here for 2018, click here for 2017, here for 2016, here for 2015, here for 2014, […]



  • Interactive Fun Time Party
  • The RSPW Awards / The Theszies
  • Wrestling


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Free National Theatre: FRANKENSTEIN (Cumberbatch Version)

A new play by Nick Dear, based on the novel by Mary Shelley. Watch Danny Boyle’s monster hit Frankenstein with Benedict Cumberbatch as the creature and Jonny Lee Miller as Victor Frankenstein. Frankenstein with Benedict Cumberbatch as the creature is streaming for free from 7pm UK time on Thursday 30 April. Available on demand until […]