West Brom is committed to dealing fairly with all our suppliers . Please ensure you read our full terms and conditions for suppliers which are listed below . Particular points to note are : - Our payment terms are within 30 days of receipt of goods or services or the date of invoice ( whichever is later ) We use a purchase order system for payment of all invoices We pay direct to your bank account These conditions will apply to the supply of any goods or services unless the Society expressly agrees alternative terms and conditions in writing . Any other terms and conditions are excluded . CONDITIONS OF PURCHASE OF GOODS OR SERVICES General Any order placed by West Bromwich Building Society or any of its subsidiary companies ( ' the Society ' ) for the purchase of goods or services is subject to these conditions . No other terms or conditions ( including any terms or conditions written on or attached to any sales invoice , delivery note , form , document or correspondence ) sought to be imposed by the Supplier shall be included or implied unless agreed upon in writing and signed by authorised representatives of the Society and of the Supplier . Variations Any variation in price quantity delivery or other terms or conditions agreed orally shall be confirmed in writing or by fax by the Society and the Supplier within 7 days from the date of such agreement otherwise such variation shall not be binding on either party . Acceptance The Supplier shall be deemed to have accepted the order and these terms and conditions either by supplying the goods , acknowledging the order in writing or after 14 ( overseas orders 21 ) days from the date of the order , whichever is the earlier . Documentation All invoices ( which shall be valid for VAT purposes ) , advice notes , delivery notes , packing notes , bills of lading , certificates of insurance and other documents shall quote the Society's official Purchase Order Number and the Society's Bulk Purchase Order Release Number when appropriate , and be cross referenced to each other . Title and Risk Title to and risk in the goods shall pass to the Society when delivery is made to the Society's premises specified in the Order , unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Society . Prices Prices shall be net of carriage paid to the Society's premises and packaged to the Society's specification unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Society . No change from the quoted price will have effect unless agreed in writing by the Society . Payment The Society shall pay the net price in sterling within 30 days of the delivery of the goods or the date the invoice is received whichever is later . The Society reserves the right to deduct from any monies due to the Supplier under this order the value of any monies owing to it by the Supplier . Interest in the event of the late payment of any invoice shall be at the rate of 4 % per annum above the bank of England Base Rate unless otherwise agreed between the parties . In performing this agreement the parties agree that this rate provides sufficient remedy for the late payment of invoices . Rejection Clause If any of the goods or packages containing the same do not comply with the order or with any terms and conditions including quality , quantity or description , the Society shall be entitled to reject those goods or any part of them within a reasonable time after delivery , irrespective of whether the Society has acknowledged receipt of them . In the case of latent defects the Society will be entitled to reject the goods within a reasonable time after becoming aware of the defect . Any acceptance of such goods shall be without prejudice to any rights that the Society may have against the supplier . The Society shall be entitled to return any rejected goods at the risk of the supplier and the supplier agrees to pay the costs of carriage . Unless otherwise agreed in writing any acceptance by the Society of delivery of part only of the goods or services is contingent on the full delivery being made in due course according to the order and these terms and conditions . If it is not then the Society may reject the partial delivery and rescind the contract at a later date . Quality The goods supplied or services rendered shall comply in every respect with the terms of any specification supplied , conform to any sample submitted , be free from defects in design material and workmanship and be fit for the purposes for which they are required . In providing any service the Supplier warrants that those performing the service are appropriately qualified , trained and will take all reasonable care and skill in performing those services . When any conditions or standards imposed by Statute or Regulation or otherwise by Government , Local Government or any other official body or person apply to the goods or services , the goods or services shall comply in every respect with such conditions or standards . If there is any fault in the goods or services the Supplier shall ( at the Society's option ) either , at its cost remedy the fault , replace the faulty goods or perform the services afresh or repay any sums paid under the agreement and accept notice from the Society of repudiation . Delivery Any time or date specified for delivery of goods or performance of services shall be of the essence of the contract . If there is any delay in delivery ( even if caused by any occurrence outside the Supplier's control ) the Society shall be entitled to cancel the contract in whole or part without being liable to compensate the Supplier for any losses arising as a result of such cancellation or to make any payment to the Supplier other than in respect of goods actually delivered or services actually rendered to the Society prior to the date of such cancellation . Servicing Unless otherwise agreed the Supplier shall in all cases where machinery or equipment is supplied maintain for at least the normal life of the machinery or equipment an adequate stock of spare and replacement parts and components and an adequate number of trained and expert service personnel so as to ensure that all necessary maintenance , adjustments or repairs to the machinery or equipment shall be carried out at reasonable expense to the Society with minimum delay . Custody If the order relates to the application by the Supplier of services ( including any process ) to goods supplied by the Society to the Supplier for that purpose the following additional conditions shall apply to the contract whether the goods supplied belong to the Society or to any third party . ( a ) The Supplier shall be a bailee of the goods and shall only hold them for the purpose of applying the services thereto . ( b ) The Supplier shall at all times while the goods are in its care and control ( or the care and control of any agent or contractor to the Supplier ) insure the same with a reputable company for the full replacement value thereof against loss , damage or destruction and shall inform the Society forthwith if the goods are lost , damaged or destroyed and pay to the Society the full replacement value of such goods and shall indemnify the Society against any expenses , liability , loss , claim of proceedings by reason of , or in consequence of , such loss , damage or destruction . Breach and Liquidation The Society shall have the right to terminate the contract with the Supplier immediately if : The Supplier shall have failed to remedy any minor breach of the terms of any order within 30 days of a written request from the Society specifying the nature of the breach and requiring its remedy , or The Supplier is in material breach of a fundamental condition of the order as determined by the Society The Supplier shall go into liquidation whether voluntary or compulsory ( save for the purposes of amalgamation or reconstruction ) or have a receiver of its assets appointed or in any other way cease to carry on business . Any such termination shall be without prejudice to the rights of the Society subsisting at the date of such termination and any goods or information belonging to the Society shall be returned promptly . Intellectual Property The Supplier warrants that the provision of the goods and / or services will not infringe the intellectual property rights of any third party . The Supplier shall indemnify the Society against any contractual or tortuous liability which it may incur by reason of the sale or use of any goods supplied or services rendered infringing the claims of any patent or other intellectual property right of any other party . All tools , patterns , blocks , drawings and similar information which is the property of the Society or for which any payment is received from the Society must not be used , destroyed or otherwise disposed of without the Society's written authority . Any Intellectual Property Rights generated in the performance of services to the Society shall belong solely to the Society . Work on the Company's Premises The Supplier and its employees agents and subcontractors shall at all times whilst on the Society's premises : ( a ) comply with any rules or regulations issued by the Society and obey any reasonable instructions of the Society and ( b ) shall in any event at all times comply with the provisions of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 , any regulations made under it or any amendment to or re-enactment of that act . Indemnity The Supplier shall indemnify the Society against any liability claims proceedings costs expenses or damages : in respect of personal injury to , or death of any person whomsoever , in respect of any injury or damage whatsoever to any property real or personal , in respect of any loss of any other nature suffered by the society whether direct or indirect , caused by or arising from any defect in any goods supplied or services performed by the supplier and whether arising as a result of any act or omission of the Supplier or as a result of the negligence of the Supplier . The supplier shall adequately insure against its liability arising out of the provisions of this condition . Confidentiality The Supplier will keep confidential and not disclose to any other person any information relating to the Society , its affairs or its customers which the Supplier receives or acquires as a direct result of the Society placing the order . The Supplier will comply with any and all relevant obligations imposed by the Data Protection Act 1998 and other subordinate legislation or regulations . On request the Supplier will enter into the Society's standard form confidentiality agreement and / or its standard form data processor agreement . Arbitration The Society and the Supplier will use their endeavours to negotiate in good faith and settle amicably any dispute arising from placement of the Order . If any dispute can not be settled amicably through ordinary negotiations within 30 days the matter shall be referred to an arbitrator nominated by the President of the Law Society . The decision of the arbitrator shall be final and binding on the Society and the Supplier . Each party shall bare its own costs and the cost of the arbitrator is to be shared equally . Notices Any notice to be given under the agreement to the Society must be in writing and sent to its Principal office at 374 High Street West Bromwich B70 8LR . Any notice sent to the Supplier shall be deemed effective two days after being sent to its registered office or last known business address . Assignment The Supplier shall not assign , delegate or subcontract an order or any part of it without prior written consent from the Society . The Society may assign the benefit and / or its obligations under the agreement without notice in advance but shall notify the Supplier where necessary after the event Waiver Waiver by the Society of any of these conditions of purchase shall not in any way affect the validity of the other conditions or future enforcement of that condition . Applicable Law These conditions shall be subject to and construed in accordance with English Law and the parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts . In the event that any provision of this agreement is held to be invalid or void it shall be deleted and will not affect the validity of the remaining terms and conditions .


Booth's poverty notebooks For each of London's streets , Booth extracted information from the detailed record sheets kept by the small army of attendance officers employed by the London School Board . He and eight collaborators entered this information by hand ( mostly using pencil ) , in a total of 65 notebooks . The first 55 notebooks contain highly detailed family data , the remaining 10 notebooks contain less detailed street information . The family notebooks Early in the poverty survey , Booth began to collect information for every family in each street of London that had children . He and his collaborators entered this information into notebooks that Booth had specially printed for his inquiry . During the early part of the family survey , Booth actually had three different notebook layouts printed . As the example illustrated below reveals , the notebook entries include the street number , occupation of the head of household ( usually highly abbreviated ) , an indication of the wife's occupation ( especially if they were the household head ) , the number of childen in various age groups , the number of rooms occupied and rent paid ( often a single summary for an entire street ) , and notes on the social position of the household . Here is part of a page of the notebook recording informaiton for families in a street in Poplar : When the original information had been gathered from the attendance officers , Booth and his co-workers converted the head of household occupations into a ' section ' number , and gave each family that had children a letter ( A to H ) that indicated to which of seven social classes they belonged . Finally , each street was given a colour which indicated its general social condition . ( Booth devised a set of eight colours based largely on the social mix of street residents . ) These additional items of information can all be seen on the example notebook page above . Note how the employment section number is entered in the ' Rent ' column , and the family social class letter is written in the ' Wages' column . The street colour ( ' l bl ' for light blue ) is written alongside the street name . The street notebooks As the poverty survey progressed , Booth began to record information for entire streets ( or parts of streets ) , rather than for individual families . Again , he had notebooks specially designed and printed to record the information gathered from the School Board attendance officers . As the example illustrated below reveals , the notebook entry for individual streets includes comments on the character of the housing , the number of children of school-going age , general comments on the social character of the street , and the number of families in each social class . Because the street entries occupy a two-page spread of the notebook , the extract below is split into two sections . This is the left-hand side of the entry for five streets in Lambeth : Here is the right-hand side of the entry for the same five streets : Again , Booth assigned a colour to each street according to the social mix of its residents and its general condition . It is not entirely clear whether the street colour was assigned during discussions with the attendance officers , or following subsequent analysis of the summary data .


Indications for use : Wiron ® 99 is a nickel chromium based alloy for dental casting and suitable porcelain-fused-to-metal ( PFM ) crown and bridges . For professional use only Rx only Contraindications : No contraindications are known . However , unwanted biological reactions such as allergies to contents of the alloy or electrochemically based reactions may very rarely occur . In case of known incompatibilities and allergies to contents of the metallic material it should not be used . Warnings : Metal dust is harmful to your health . When grinding and blasting use suitable air extraction system / ventilation at the workplace and breathing mask type FFP3-EN149 ! Precautions : In case of occlusal or approximal contact with a different alloy electrochemically based reactions may very rarely occur . Safety and effectiveness in treatment of children or treatment of pregnant or nursing woman have not been established . Wiron ® 99 may influence negatively the interpretation of MRI investigations . Adverse reactions : No adverse reactions are known . Nevertheless , the rare case of occurrence of individual reactions against single components of Wiron ® 99 can never be excluded completely . In this case , the application of Wiron ® 99 should not be continued . Prescription device : Caution : US Federal law restricts this device to sale by or on the order of a licensed dentist . Wax up : Minimum metal thickness ( after grinding ) 0.3 mm . Avoid sharp edges and corners . Framework should be anatomic reduced . Connectors should be modeled as strong and high as possible ( height : min . 3.5 mm , width : min . 2.5 mm ) . In case of bruxismn stronger modellation is required . Use wax or plastic hollow sticks . Do not taper the spruing . Investing : Use only phosphate bonded investment material . Casting : Do not overheat alloy . Use only pure alloy in own crucibles . For an explicit batch tracing the use of only fresh alloy is recommended . In case of re-casting use only identical alloys . Re-casted material must be blasted thoroughly . Use min . 50 % fresh alloy . If applicable use melting powder ( REF 52525 ) . Follow the instructions of the manufacturers of the casting devices for parameters and casting procedures . After casting the mould should cool down slowly . Grinding : use tungsten carbid burs Polishing : To ease polishing blasting with Perlablast ® micro ( REF 46092 , lead free soda glas ) may be suitable . Afterwards polish with rubber polisher and brushes with suitable polishing paste . Ceramic veneering : Use veneering ceramics with suitable CTE ( ISO 9693-1 ) . Follow instructions of use of ceramic manufacturers . The oxides must be blasted ( 250 μm / 3 – 4 bar ; e . g . with Korox 250 , REF 46014 ) . Clean surface thoroughly by steam cleaning or boiling in aqua dest . Do not touch surfaces afterwards with hands . Use artery clamps or similar devices . Support the frameworks adequately during firing cycles . Acrylic veneering : For veneering with acrylic material follow the recommendations of the manufacturers Soldering / brazing : Fixate the parts with soldering investment material ( e . g . Bellatherm ® REF 51105 ) . The prepared gab shall not exceed 0.2 mm with parallel walls . Use a suitable BEGO flux . The flux residues and oxides must etched off . Clean surface thoroughly by steam cleaning or boiling in aqua dest . Laser welding : If applicable use V-seam and filler material . Follow manufacturer's instructions for use and hazard notes of the laser welding devices . Limit of Liability : Except where prohibited by law , BEGO Bremer Goldschlägerei Wilh . Herbst GmbH & Co. KG will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from this product , whether direct , indirect , special , incidental or consequential , regardless of the theory asserted , including warranty , contract , negligence or strict liability . Storage conditions : none Warranty : Whether given verbally , in writing or by practical instructions , our recommendations for use are based upon our own experience and trials and can be considered as standard values . Our products are subject to a constant further development . Therefore alterations in construction and composition are reserved . US Labeling requirements : The device labeling meets the recommendations of FDA applicable guidence documents . Any serious incident that has occurred in relation to Wiron ® 99 should be reported to BEGO Bremer Goldschlägerei Wilh . Herbst GmbH & Co. KG and the competent authority .


Stylized Facts and Experimentation Charles Crabtree , Christopher J. Fariss University of Michigan Abstract : In this comment , we clarify and extend Hirschman's ( 2016 ) discussion of " stylized facts . " Our focus is on the relationship between stylized facts and experimentation . Given the continued increase in experimentation across the social sciences , we think that it is important to consider the exact role that experiments play in the production and testing of stylized facts . We make three related contributions here . First , we describe how experiments can both provide new evidence to support existing stylized facts as well as produce new stylized facts . Second , we argue that the stylized facts produced through experimentation differ from other stylized facts . Third , we extend Hirschman's ( 2016 ) definition of " stylized facts " so that it distinguishes between those that describe correlation relationships and those that describe causal relationships . Keywords : stylized facts ; experimentation ; philosophy of science ; validity ; causation ; mechanisms In this comment , we clarify and extend Hirschman's ( 2016 ) discussion on " stylized facts . " Our focus is on the relationship between stylized facts and experimentation . Given the continued increase in experimentation across the social sciences ( Jackson and Cox 2013 ) , we think that it is important to consider the exact role that experiments play in the production and testing of stylized facts . We make three related contributions here . First , we describe how experiments can both provide new evidence to support existing stylized facts as well as produce new stylized facts . Second , we argue that the stylized facts produced through experimentation differ from other stylized facts . Third , we extend Hirschman's ( 2016 ) definition of " stylized facts " so that it distinguishes between those that describe correlation relationships and those that describe causal relationships . Citation : Crabtree , Charles , and Christopher J. Fariss . 2016 . " Stylized Facts and Experimentation . " Sociological Science 3 : 910914 . Received : August 12 , 2016 Accepted : August 28 , 2016 Published : October 12 , 2016 Editor ( s ) : Jesper Sørensen , Sarah Soule DOI : 10.15195 / v3 . a39 c 2016 The AuCopyright : thor ( s ) . This open-access article has been published under a Creative Commons Attribution License , which allows unrestricted use , distribution and reproduction , in any form , as long as the original author and source have been credited . c b Creating Stylized Facts with Experiments Hirschman ( 2016 ) defines " stylized facts " as " simple empirical regularities in need of explanation " ( p. 606 ) . Although they might imply causal relationships , they are not " causal claims [ but ] typically simple associations that have yet to be ' explained , ' either through more complicated analysis ... or through some appeal to underlying mechanisms , or through some inferential technique relying on experimental or quasi-experimental manipulations " ( Hirschman 2016 : 607 ) . This suggests that the relationship between stylized facts and experimentation is unidirectional . In this conceptualization , scholars first produce stylized facts . They then conduct experiments to test whether the relationship described in the stylized fact is causal . For example , scholars might first note that voters tend to evaluate incumbent candidates based on economic conditions . They then might conduct experiments to test the causal claim implied in this stylized fact . 910 Crabtree and Fariss Robust Stylized Facts We argue , however , that the relationship between stylized facts and experimentation is frequently circular . In our conceptualization , scholars conducting experiments to test stylized facts can also contribute to the creation of new stylized facts . Continuing with the example above , this would mean that scholars conducting experiments to test whether changes in economic conditions cause changes in incumbent evaluations might also help produce new stylized facts about voting behavior . To further illustrate our point , we briefly discuss the growing experimental research program on racial bias in the United States . 1 Nearly all the studies in this program are ( implicitly or explicitly ) motivated by the stylized fact that racial minorities experience discrimination . This is a widely known empirical regularity based on decades of lived experiences , case studies , and correlational research . Until recently however , the causal effect of race on discrimination was largely unknown . In the last decade , researchers have tested this potential causal relationship with a staggering number of experiments across a dizzying range of contexts ( Butler and Crabtree 2015 ; Butler 2014 ; Bertrand and Mullainathan 2004 ; Broockman 2014 ; Grose 2011 ; Gaddis and Ghoshal 2015 ; Pager and Western 2012 ; Pager , Western , and Bonikowski 2009 ; Yinger 1995 ) . The results from each experiment , in isolation , provide additional empirical support for the stylized fact that originally motivated them – racial minorities in America are discriminated against . Taken together , the results from this experimental research program also create an additional empirical regularity . The content of this new stylized fact is being a racial minority causes discrimination . This discussion suggests that stylized facts produced by experimentation differ from other stylized facts . The key difference is in regards to their limitations . Hirschman ( 2016 ) describes two limitations of stylized facts . One is that we rarely know whether the described relationship is causal . This is why Hirschman ( 2016 ) refers to stylized facts as " claims of non-robust dependence " ( Hirschman 2016 : 607 ) . A second is that we rarely know why the relationship described exists . Stylized facts are often " explicitly agnostic as to why X is associated with Y " ( Hirschman 2016 : 607 ) . Stylized facts then are associations that invite additional empirical examination as well as theoretical explanation . Both limitations , however , do not apply to stylized facts produced by experimentation . For that subset of facts , the question of causation is settled . Questions about theoretical mechanisms , however , often still remain ( Clark and Golder 2015 ) . In other words , stylized facts produced by experiments can tell us whether X causes Y but not why it does . An Expanded Conceptualization of Stylized Facts To account for this and other differences , we propose a new conceptualization of stylized facts . In this conceptualization , " stylized facts " are " empirical regularities in search of theoretical , causal explanations " ( Hirschman 2016 : 604 ) . These facts , as discussed above , do not make causal claims and are typically produced by correlational studies . As we discuss below , these facts are not necessarily supported by internally valid findings . " Robust stylized facts , " on the other hand , are empirical sociological science | www.sociologicalscience.com 911 October 2016 | Volume 3 Crabtree and Fariss Robust Stylized Facts Table 1 : Conceptualization of stylized facts . Definition Stylized Facts Empirical regularities in search of theoretical , causal explanations Robust Stylized Facts Empirical regularities in search of theoretical explanations No No No Yes Yes Yes Makes causal claims Produced by experimentation Based on internally valid findings regularities in search of theoretical explanations . These facts make causal claims , are produced by experimentation , and are supported by internally valid findings . Table 1 compares these two types of facts to each other . 2 One additional way of thinking about these two types of stylized facts is in terms of validity . When we call something a " stylized fact , " we assume that it has external validity . We believe this because we can generalize this relationship to other persons , settings , and times ( Trochim and Donnelly 2008 : 22 ) . As Hirschman ( 2016 ) points out , we usually do not know , however , if stylized facts possess internal validity . That is , we might have expectations that X causes Y , but we do not have robust evidence that this is so . The lack of evidence for one type of validity or another can be a problem because the " validity types build on one another " ( Trochim and Donnelly 2008 : 22 ) . If we do not know that the relationship between X and Y is causal , as is usually the case with " stylized facts , " then we might gain very little by knowing that the perceived relationship generalizes across different contexts . The fact that the relationship generalizes could suggest that it is a good candidate for additional investigation , but it does not increase our confidence that the relationship is not spurious . In the case of " robust stylized facts , " however , we have strong evidence that the relationship is not spurious . This means that the generalization tells us more about the real world . Why Does This Matter ? We consider it very important to distinguish between these two types of facts . When developing theory , researchers often treat stylized facts as either explanada or empirical inputs ( Most and Starr 1989 ) . This means that in many cases , theories are either motivated by or based on claims that " are taken as empiricial truths without real demonstration " ( Snidal 2008 : 330 ) . While this might be acceptable in the early stages of theory development , researchers should eventually pursue " stylized facts that have more accurate empirical content " ( Snidal 2008 : 331 ) . Robust stylized facts can provide this internally valid content . In this brief comment , we have clarified and extended Hirschman ( 2016 ) ' s discussion of stylized facts . We have shown how experiments can be used to produce stylized facts , highlighted the particular characteristics of these facts , and proposed a new conceptualization that distinguishes between stylized facts based sociological science | www.sociologicalscience.com 912 October 2016 | Volume 3 Crabtree and Fariss Robust Stylized Facts on correlational research and stylized facts produced by experimentation . This distinction matters : stylized facts provide evidence of external validity but not the internal validity obtained from an experiment or the deductive validity obtained from a logically rigorous theory . Robust stylized facts , however , provide additional evidence that the empirical relationship is an internally valid one . Overall the validity of any inference ( conclusion validity ) is enhanced when evidence for each of these types of validity ( external , internal , construct , and deductive ) is obtained . 3 We hope that our remarks provide a useful complement to Hirschman ( 2016 ) and encourage others to produce robust stylized facts . Notes 1 We focus on this experimental research program only because we have both contributed to it . Our general claims apply to a broad swath of experimental research programs . 2 See Houy , Fettke , and Loos ( 2015 ) for a detailed comparison of stylized facts to scientific laws . 3 For a discussion of enhancing the validity of observational studies , see Fariss and Jones ( 2015 ) . References Bertrand , Marianne , and Sendhil Mullainathan . 2004 . " Are Emily and Greg More Employable Than Lakisha and Jamal ? A Field Experiment on Labor Market Discrimination . " American Economic Review 94 ( 4 ) : 991-1013 . http://dx.doi.org/10.1257/0002828042002561 Broockman , David E. 2014 . " Distorted communication , unequal representation : constituents communicate less to representatives not of their race . " American Journal of Political Science 58 ( 2 ) : 307-321 . http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ajps.12068 Butler , Daniel M. 2014 . Representing the Advantaged : How Politicians Reinforce Inequality . Cambridge University Press . http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139871969 Butler , Daniel M. , and Charles Crabtree . 2015 . Moving Beyond Measurement : Adapting Audit Studies to Test Bias-Reducing Interventions . Working Paper . Clark , William Roberts , and Matt Golder . 2015 . " Big Data , Causal Inference , and Formal Theory : Contradictory Trends in Political Science ? " PS : Political Science & Politics 48 ( 01 ) : 6570 . http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1049096514001759 Fariss , Christopher J. , and Zachary M. Jones . 2015 . " Enhancing Validity in Observational Settings When Replication is Not Possible . " Political Science Research and Methods . Forthcoming . Gaddis , S Michael , and Raj Ghoshal . 2015 . " Arab American Housing Discrimination , Ethnic Competition , and the Contact Hypothesis . " The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 660 ( 1 ) : 282-299 . http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0002716215580095 Grose , Christian R. 2011 . Congress in black and white : Race and representation in Washington and at home . Cambridge University Press . http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511976827 Hirschman , Daniel . 2016 . " Stylized Facts in the Social Sciences . " Sociological Science 3 : 604626 . http://dx.doi.org/10.15195/v3.a26 sociological science | www.sociologicalscience.com 913 October 2016 | Volume 3 Crabtree and Fariss Robust Stylized Facts Houy , Constantin , Peter Fettke , and Peter Loos . 2015 . " Stylized Facts as an Instrument for Literature Review and Cumulative Information Systems Research . " Information Systems Research 37 : 10 . Jackson , Michelle , and David R Cox . 2013 . " The principles of experimental design and their application in sociology . " Annual Review of Sociology 39 : 27-49 . http://dx.doi.org/10. 1146 / annurev-soc-071811-145443 Most , Benjamin A. , and Harvey Starr . 1989 . Inquiry , Logic , and International Politics . Columbia , SC : University of South Carolina Press . Pager , Devah , and Bruce Western . 2012 . " Identifying discrimination at work : The use of field experiments . " Journal of Social Issues 68 ( 2 ) : 221-237 . http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j. 1540-4560 . 2012 . 01746 . x Pager , Devah , Bruce Western , and Bart Bonikowski . 2009 . " Discrimination in a low-wage labor market a field experiment . " American sociological review 74 ( 5 ) : 777-799 . http : // dx . doi.org / 10 . 1177 / 000312240907400505 Snidal , Duncan . 2008 . " Commentary on the special issue . " The Journal of Conflict Resolution 52 ( 2 ) : 326-333 . http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0022002707313694 Trochim , William M.K. , and James P. Donnelly . 2008 . Research Methods Knowledge Base . 3rd ed . Mason , OH : Atomic Dog . Yinger , John . 1995 . Closed doors , opportunities lost : The continuing costs of housing discrimination . Russell Sage Foundation . Acknowledgements : We thank Volha Chykina and Rose McDermott for their helpful comments . Charles Crabtree : Department of Political Science , University of Michigan . E-mail : ccrabtr@umich.edu . Christopher J. Fariss : Department of Political Science , University of Michigan . E-mail : cjf0006@gmail.com . sociological science | www.sociologicalscience.com 914 October 2016 | Volume 3


ISSUE # 1 AUGUST 2002 Welcome to the Business Express brought to you by the Daventry Express Online . Click on the links below for all our business stories and please visit our featured businesses also listed for some great promotions . Index of Stories CUMMINS GETS QUEEN'S AWARD FOR THE FIFTH TIME DAVENTRY 'S A FINE CATCH HOTEL'S £ 7M FOUR STAR LUXURY REFIT NEW ERA FOR BABY SHOES STAFF SAY FAREWELL TO LONG SERVING ROSALIE GETTING IN A SPIN AT WHILTON MILL BREAKFAST HEROES - ALL OTHER STORIES - Local Business Index Please note that some of these need the free Acrobat Viewer to see them . COMMERCIAL RECRUITING CONSULTANCY LAMBERT SMITH HAMPTON HELLIDON LAKES HOTEL JR PRESS FASTWAY COURIERS STAVERTON PARK GUGLIELMI MOTORSPORT DAVENTRY DISTRICT COUNCIL IMAGE IT DAVENTRY DRY CLEANERS JONES VEHICLE SERVICES GLOBAL MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS GLASS D SIGN SUBURBAN ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES LTD THE CLAYDON FOX COACHES STEERS PRINTING DRAKE & PARTNERS G-STAFF PREMIERE PEOPLE FIRST CHOICE PERSONNEL Submit Business News If you 've got any business related news you feel would belong suitably in Daventry's Business Express , please do n't hesitate to email us . Request for Advertising For advertising information regarding the Business Express Online and in-paper , please email our team here . Local Business Listings Visit our Business Directory Online for hundreds of businesses locally and thousands throughout the country .


Olate runs a partner scheme for any individuals or companies interested in adding value to their existing products and services . We operate several structures to our partner scheme : Partner Structure Bundle Partners If you develop and sell your own software products that you think will compliment our own product range , we would be interested to hear from you . By selling related applications at the same time , you can capture potential customers that might not otherwise discover your software . Find out more . Resellers Offer our products to your own customers with the option to rebrand under your own name and company . Find out more . Affiliates Let us handle everything but still recommend our products and earn 15 % on every sale referred . Find out more . Development Outsource your development to Olate to take advantage of our experience in web application design and development . Find out more


GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE Version 3 , 29 June 2007 Copyright © 2007 Free Software Foundation , Inc. < http://fsf.org/ > Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this license document , but changing it is not allowed . Preamble The GNU General Public License is a free , copyleft license for software and other kinds of works . The licenses for most software and other practical works are designed to take away your freedom to share and change the works . By contrast , the GNU General Public License is intended to guarantee your freedom to share and change all versions of a program--to make sure it remains free software for all its users . We , the Free Software Foundation , use the GNU General Public License for most of our software ; it applies also to any other work released this way by its authors . You can apply it to your programs , too . When we speak of free software , we are referring to freedom , not price . 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Wind energy is abundant , inexhaustible , widely distributed , clean , and mitigates the greenhouse effect . It is estimated that 3 % of the energy from the Sun that hits the earth is converted into wind energy . This is about 50 to 100 times more energy than is converted into biomass by all the plants on Earth through photosynthesis . Most of this wind energy can be found at high altitudes , however there is still sufficiently high energy at ground levels to be useful . In 2005 , worldwide capacity of wind-powered generators was 58,982 MW , their production making up less than 1 % of worldwide electricity use . Although still a relatively minor source of electricity , wind power generation has more than quadrupled between 1999 and 2005 . Most modern wind power is generated in the form of electricity by converting the rotation of turbine blades into electrical current by means of an electrical generator . In more traditional windmills wind energy is used to turn mechanical machinery to do physical work , such as crushing grain or pumping water . Wind power is used in large-scale wind farms for national electrical grids as well as in small individual turbines for providing electricity in isolated locations . It is helpful to understand some background information about wind power as a renewable energy resource .


Britain to suspend Kenya flights due to " imminent threat " : travel industry Britain is suspending all of its flights to and from Kenya from 10 : 00 pm ( 2100 GMT ) because of an " imminent " threat , the Association of British Travel Agents said . Blair sets June 9 for euro verdict London launches multi-billion dollar Olympics dream All UK news >> International News US chides Riyadh over bombings , as foreign investigators join probe Israeli kills three in new Gaza raid as US insists peace hopes still alive Four dead after rampage on doctors' offices in Germany All International news >> Chechnya View Animations >> " Matrix " sequel wows Cannes with eye-popping special effects " The Matrix Reloaded " , the sequel to the smash-hit sci-fi film that added a new dimension to action films , generated an enthusiastic buzz when it premiered at the Cannes film festival in the presence of Keanu Reeves and its other stars . New prize for " The Magdalene Sisters " -- this time from EU ! Pope marks 83rd birthday on Sunday All People news >> Clijsters and Capriati into last eight at Rome Masters Brazilian Kuerten knocked out of Hamburg Harrington tops Woods in Deutsche Bank opener All Sport news >> London launches multi-billion dollar Olympics dream British premier Tony Blair finally gave the go-ahead to a 3.85 billion dollar bid to bring the 2012 Olympics to London .


You gotta love the babies ! But milk supply is crucial to their survival . As if the anticipation of a newborn foal and a healthy delivery were n't stress enough , there is nothing scarier than questioning whether or not a foal has had enough colostrum within 12-24 hours of birth . And believe me , a mare that does n't seem to be producing sufficient milk afterwards , will make you question that very fact . First and Foremost : Colostrum is the life-giving substance which prepares a newborn foal for life . Since a brand new baby horse is totally and immunologically , vulnerable to the challenges of the outside world , colostrum deriving from the mare's teat immediately after birth is Mother Nature's way of delivering precious antibodies into a foal's system . A new foal must get enough colostrum through passive transfer , within 12-24 hours of birth . Therefore , if you find yourself in a situation where a mare is not producing enough milk several hours later , or the next morning , you must ascertain whether or not the foal received adequate colostrum . I can not stress this aspect enough . A mare without milk is almost the same situation as an orphan foal . You have to make wise decisions and fast . Determining colostrum intake is often done via a SNAP test or serum chemistry , to ensure antibody levels are adequate . Of Second Importance : The results of a SNAP test are obtained very quickly – in something like 7 minutes . If it is determined that plasma or frozen colostrum is necessary , it is still important to remember that the foal also needs nutrition for energy . There are a few equine replacement supplements on the market that can help to feed the foal . These include ; Equilac , Foalac or Kid Milk ( the latter primarily being used for cattle ) . But it 's important to note that milk replacers DO NOT substitute colostrum . Once a foal is is verified to have sufficient colostrum levels , providing adequate nutrition is the next big hurdle . Dr. Dennis Rach of Moore & Co. in Calgary , Alberta , gave me this helpful tip recently : Dextrose is used as an aid in the treatment of glucose deficiencies in cattle . When added to 2 % milk , it provides the nutrients a foal requires , plus , it helps to " sweeten " the milk slightly , to better simulate the taste of a mare's milk . If milk replacer is necessary , a foal needs to consume milk replacer every 2-4 hours . ( This makes life very difficult , but it needs to be done . ) And a foal must consume 16-18 % of its body weight in milk per day . For example , a 60 pound foal must consume 6 pounds of milk per day . It also possible to induce lactation . Certain treatment protocols have resulted in milk production ranging from 25 % to 82 % in success rates . However , induced lactation does not begin with a production of colostrum . Domperidone ( check it out at equitoxpharma.com ) has been used in recent years with good success , to increase endogenous prolactin secretion in mares ( either in advancing the onset of reproductive activity in early spring or to counter the ill effects of fescue toxicosis in pregnant mares at term . ) And of course , check out www.cyberfoal.com in you have an orphan foal , or have a mare suffering from agalactia ( non-production of milk ) . This website works !! It has proven to be a valuable tool for matching orphan foals with nurse mares . At CyberFoal.com , you can apply for a nurse mare or post your own mare up for a newborn foal adoption ( if she has lost her foal ) and help to benefit someone else who may have an orphan . You can also apply for colostrum or read listings as to where colostrum banks may be located . Altogether , CyberFoal.com is a brilliant , valuable website for owners in dire need of colostrum or nurse mare matches . Share this : Alright , I know Mother's day was this past weekend . And it 's not that I 'm trying to make up for not calling and visiting with my beloved Mother ( s ) and Grandmothers . ' Cause I did . My Mom has a very special place in my heart . She was a single mother who struggled , but somehow managed to raise two healthy , vibrant daughters . So although it 's belated , I thought I 'd share a couple of " Mother Scenes " out in our front pasture right now . Since I do n't yet have kids of my own , these are what my Mom proudly refers to as her " Grand-fillies and colts . " And on that note – why do we need one day to celebrate our Moms anyways ? They have been there for us 365 days a year since our lives began . We should be thanking God and commemorating everything they have done for us – every day . Our mothers have taken care of us . Nurtured and fed us , without question . They have stood by our sides , even when we may have been a little " nerdy " at times . Moms are always proud , no matter what we do . They protected us from danger . They taught us how to run and play . And how to survive . Share this : Okay , since this colt starting entry has spanned over several days , let 's go back to the beginning of Clay's first saddling concept . Yesterday , my husband desensitized Mercedes to the saddle pad . Now , he 's going to throw his colt starting saddle ( one that he does n't mind if it gets beat up a little bit ) , directly onto Mercedes' back . He does n't pause or creep up to her with the saddle – Clay simply throws it over like it 's no big deal . Of course , Mercedes is not sure what to make of the object but just the same , she allows it to remain on her back . Note the cinch is not done up at this point . Clay moves Mercedes around , so she feels the weight of the pad and the saddle on her back . Next , Clay drops the cinches on the near side and walks around to the horse's left side to do them up . Very carefully , Clay begins doing up the front cinch . Notice , he has moved Mercedes closer to the fence in case Clay needs to jump up on it quickly to get out of harm's way ... Then Clay slips the rope halter off Mercedes' head and places it around her neck instead . This is because Clay will now – carefully – do up the back cinch . And it 's likely that once the filly feels the back cinch for the first time she will be outta there ... Whew ! The lesson is n't done for today , Clay will continue to do some roundpen reasoning with Mercedes until she responds correctly to him , while still wearing the saddle . Then , he find a good note to end the lesson on . Clay will halter Mercedes and safely remove the saddle ( by undoing the back cinch first ) . And the filly will be allowed an extensive cool-down period , followed by a good grooming session . Finally , she is returned to her stall . In all , Mercedes has handled Clay's first saddling lessons extremely well . There was a little excitement , but nothing out of the ordinary . Neither Clay , nor Mercedes was hurt and a lot was accomplished in terms of the filly's training in a very short time . Please let me reiterate – Clay is a professional horse trainer . Therefore , he has a tonne of experience in the colt starting department . He also has specific roundpen equipment that he uses . The blog entries appearing in My Stable Life are by no means , a recipe for DIYers ... They are merely an inside view into the art of training young horses . I hope you enjoyed these sessions and we will be back with more " Insider Training " very soon . Cheers ! Share this : Clay intends to saddle Mercedes today , for the first time in her life . But for the purposes of breaking the concept up into easy-to understand portions , I will separate the steps into two more blog entries ( today and tomorrow ) . To get Mercedes used to the sensation of a front or back cinch ( since she has never worn one before ) , Clay tosses a lead rope around her barrel . Mercedes is not tied , she is allowed to move around the roundpen as she pleases . However , the goal is for Clay to apply light pressure to her barrel with the rope and when she yields , Clay releases the pressure . If at any time , Mercedes decides to run off , Clay releases his grip on the lead rope and lets her go . There 's no sense in either of them getting hurt or Mercedes becoming scared . In this case , Clay would simply re-catch Mercedes and try again . Today , Mercedes stays put and really puts a lot of effort into trying to comprehend what Clay is asking . Here , she investigates the rope and even tries relieving the pressure by biting it . Although biting is never desirable , Mercedes is clearly curious . Mercedes yields to the pressure and Clay releases the pressure by putting slack in the rope . Next , Clay will introduce the saddle pad to our filly . Note he has now put a rope halter on Mercedes . Clay presses the blanket to Mercedes' sides , an attempt to desensitize her to it . Then he quickly and assertively throws the blanket on her back . At this point , Clay always says " Do n't mess around here . Just throw the blanket up there like she 's had it done numerous times . " Otherwise , if Clay had tried throwing the pad on Mercedes in a fashion that implied she should be afraid of it , she probably would spook away . He lets the pad rest on Mercedes' back . Clay moves the pad all over Mercedes' body and desensitizes her to it . He wants her to realize she has nothing to fear in the saddle pad . Repeating the process over and over , Clay throws the pad over Mercedes' back until she is comfortable and relaxes with the concept . He will even move her around a bit and let Mercedes feel the pad on her back in motion . If it falls off , that 's okay . It simply gives Clay another chance to throw the pad on her again . When Mercedes relaxes her body and displays such body language as lowering her head , licking her lips and relaxing her tail , he is confident with her progress . This concludes the first portion of the first saddling lesson . Share this : In Mercedes' first roundpen lesson ( posted April 4 , 2010 ) , the young yearling filly was brought into our arena roundpen and taught the basics of human handling . While this filly is already halter broke , Clay basically wanted to teach her to have her attention on him at all times . The first session took approximately 25 minutes and when it was done , Mercedes willingly allowed Clay to approach her and touch her shoulders with his lariat . He did this using an " Approach and Retreat " philosophy . In this next lesson , Clay will put Mercedes through the same paces as in the first session , but the goal this time is to be able to touch her in several areas of the body without Mercedes retreating . Clay tests out what was learned in the first lesson . Mercedes is definitely unsure but she has not moved away from Clay's lariat yet . Clay was unable to really " touch " Mercedes , so he sends her around the roundpen to work . He wants the filly's heart , lungs and muscles to help explain to Mercedes that it would be a lot easier to just stand and allow Clay to touch her body . Still , Mercedes declines Clay's invitation to stand , so he sends her around to work again , taking great care to stand back from her hindquarters . Finally the filly thinks about it a little bit and turns to face Clay . He approaches her . Clay wants to be able to rub her all over , with the lariat . Share this : # 10 – You cheer for yourself after every maneuver you perform in a reining pattern . # 9 – You ask the judges if they can hold your coffee for you until you finish your run . # 8 - You stop – mid rundown – and position your horse so the photographer can get your " good " side . # 7 – You wear a red shirt , with a blue saddle pad , no chaps , dusty hat and a pair of gloves in your back pocket . # 6 – You spend the night before your early morning class , at a hockey game . # 5 - You ride your reiner into the ring without sliding plates . # 4 – You refrain from checking your cinch , thinking , " Cinches are for wussies anyways . " # 3 – You walk into the show ring chewing tobacco . # 2 – You walk into the show ring talking on your cell phone . # 1 – You arrive in the warm-up ring , cock your hat back on your head and announce , " You can all go home now , the winner just walked in the pen . " Share this : Our mare is a 2007 model which we purchased from a reputable breeder . Upon picking her up , we discovered a fungus-like patch extending from her right wither down to her right gaskin . The condition did not seem to be bothering her ( it was n't itchy ) , however if it was a fungus that could be transferred to another animal , this was a concern to us . Therefore , following several veterinarian examinations and various topical anti-fungal preparations , one of our vets suggested that we do a skin biopsy . This test produced accurate results . And while knowing what we were dealing with was a huge relief , we could n't help but feel slightly forlorn when we finally did get a proper diagnosis . Equine Linear Keratosis occurs as vertical linear areas of alopecia ( or near alopecia ) , scaling and crust formation on the sides of the horse's neck , or shoulder or chest . The condition is characterized by the gradual development of annular areas of alopecia , usually in a linear , vertically oriented configuration . In our mare's case , her shoulder looked as though someone had spilled a chemical down her body – a scenario we even considered for a while . The lesions are usually 2 to 10mm wide by a few cm to more than 1m in length . The lesions are neither painful nor pruritic . Our horse is n't itchy and the skin seems healthy otherwise . Linear keratosis accounts for 0.67 per cent of the equine dermatology cases seen at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine . Meaning , the condition is very rare . At the blue arrow , you can faintly see the change of coat color that occurs due to the linear keratosis . Since the diagnosis , we have learned that it is possibly a hereditary condition and it may never disappear . However , linear keratosis is not contagious and luckily , it can not pass from our mare to her stable mate or any other horses she may come into contact with . And aside from its blemish appearance , our mare's skin disorder really does n't affect her . She is not sore in that area and it had never affected her training . Share this : This is Mike Oden of Oden Cattle Company . You can probably tell , Mike is quite a character . Here he offered to " pose " for me . Oden cattle company is a unique operation in that it is one of the remaining ranches that still relies heavily on horses to get the work done each day . With ranches in Northern Arizona and North Eastern New Mexico , Oden Cattle Company has the capacity to run 1,400 to 1,500 mama cows : therefore , the proper term in the industry for what Oden Cattle Co. does is " Cow Calf Operator . " Here 's a close-up of Mike's Arizona boots . In order to graze this many cows , Mike needs a lot of land . At Oden Cattle Co. there are about 100,000 acres or 156 square miles of land . They gather cows two-three times per year for branding , weaning , and shipping , or just to move them from one pasture to another . That 's why they have such a big need for horses . Horses at Oden Cattle Co. all wear the 7Up brand . Mike , along with his wife and head book keeper , Jamie , are crucial elements to the operation . They also have two children – Abigail is now 6 and Sam is 12 . Sam won 10th place in the 2009 AQHYA in Oklahoma City in heading , aboard Topless Valentine . Last year was Sam's first world show and he continues to do well with his horses . Sam loves to play all sports but roping is his passion and he has even started to win some money doing it ! The other cool aspect about Oden Cattle Co. is their chuckwagon - they honestly have an ol ' time wagon that can be rented for parties , weddings or reunions . However , you will have to do the cooking and hosting yourself ! Photo courtesy of Oden Cattle Co. The Odens are neat people . They have an impressive herd of horses and place a big emphasis on their mares . For that matter , they place a lot of emphasis on their heifers as well . " In order to raise good calves you need a good bull , but most important is the cow . Same goes for horses , " Mike says . Share this :


Schools are able to screen pupils for weapons using " arch " and " wand " metal detectors , the government has said , after a quick check of what the law actually says on such issues . Education Secretary Alan Johnson is also giving headteachers and school staff new powers to search pupils for weapons as part of his policy to ensure schools are " knife and weapon free " zones and safe and secure places to learn . Staff will be able to use blanket non-contact or minimal contact screening for weapons without needing consent or grounds of suspicion to do so . Random checks could be used to catch offenders unawares . If screening arouses suspicion that a pupil is carrying a weapon , school staff will then be able to use the new powers in the Violent Crime Reduction Bill to carry out a hands-on search . Screening involves pupils walking through a " bleeping " arch or being checked with a metal detector wand . Heads will still be able to call in the police if they need to in order to deal with incidents .


World Usability Day at User Vision User Vision , November 2005 The User Vision office was a hive of activity on November 3rd as over 50 visitors tried to meet the challenges of User Vision's ' Usability Obstacle Course ' . Visitors from a wide variety of companies came to User Vision to learn about usability first hand by trying to meet some of the common usability challenges we face in our modern world . User Vision prepared a series of ' obstacles ' to reveal the design features that can make or break the user experience , and everyone had a chance to see if they could succeed in the tasks such as : Setting the VCR to record a TV programme Buying a product online from a website Changing the ring tone on a mobile phone Transferring a song to an MP3 player - and then playing it Guessing the icon functions on a printer Opening the plastic packaging on a product - without using their teeth ! The epic battle : Man vs. VCR Some of the results are worth noting : Only half the vistors could change the ringtone on a Nokia 6630 mobile phone and most gave it a rating of ' very difficult ' , whilst 92 % could perform the task on a Samsung D500 It took an average of 3.12 minutes to set the VCR ( the slowest was over 6 minutes , and there was notable ( and audible ) exasperation in front of the telly ! Opening the packaging of a plastic wrapped CD took nearly 1 minute on average with the record being set at 9 seconds ( and a few broken nails in the process ! ) In the battle of the MP3 Players , the iPOD won handily over Creative's Zen Micro , although previous familiarity with the popular pod no doubt helped some 9 % were unable to make an e-commerce purchase due to difficulties in using the site - something that many e-retailers should note Less than 60 % of people could figure out what the icons on our printer mean ( that 's why we 've had to stick little labels on them ! ) Printer icons - are these symbols supposed to MEAN something ? Now , there must be ringtones in here somewhere .. Many Eyes on Usability Testing - and Ears on Accessibility The other main event of the afternoon was a rolling programme of usability tests on a variety of sites , including e-government , finance , online travel and e-commerce . On one side of a one-way mirror in User Vision's Usability test lab a test subject worked through tasks and described their impressions to a User Vision consultant , whilst on the other side up to a dozen observers were riveted on their every move and comment . There were some moments of teeth-gnashing frustration from the observers , who thought they could see what would be the most logical next step , which often was not seen by the test subject . The value of usability testing was clearly demonstrated , and the subject's comments and actions clearly showed up some issues in the sites tested . In User Vision's focus group room a demonstration of screen readers used by blind and partially sighted web users was a compelling introduction to web accessibility . Many visitors took the opportunity to ' hear ' their sites as a blind user would , whilst User Vision consultants explained the accessibility features or shortcomings . Certainly the importance of creating accessible sites was highlighted after getting an insight to how many disabled people use the web . Overall , World Usability Day at User Vision proved to be very successful and enjoyable for everyone taking part in the event . Not only did it help to raise awareness of usability but it allowed people to have an understanding of some of the obstacles that consumers and end users have when faced with the task of using an everyday product , software or website . More photos from the day A room with a view . Observers in User Vision's usability test lab Viewers watching a compelling usability test from the observation room If you think its so funny , just wait until you try it ! Serious concentration from web and MP3 users Press enquiries : For further information on User Vision members of the media should contact Richard Leonard at Brazil PR on Tel : 01865 725 269 or email :


Editor Picks is a list series for Britannica editors to provide opinions and commentary on topics of personal interest . With over 4,000 species of parasitic flowering plants in the world , there are a lot of incredible species out there . This list represents my picks as Britannica's plant editor for the five most-impressive parasitic plants . What do you think ? Frans Lanting / Corbis Rafflesia arnoldii , the world's largest individual flower , is kind of nasty . Found in the forests of Malaysia and Indonesia , its giant red-brown blossom is nearly 1 meter ( 3 . 3 feet ) in diameter and weighs up to 11 kg ( 24 pounds ) . It smells like rotting flesh to attract carrion-feeding flies as pollinators and its sticky fruit is spread by rodents . If you 've ever seen a picture of this " corpse flower , " you may have noticed its lack of leaves . This delightful organism is actually an obligate parasite and can not photosynthesize on its own . In fact , 100 % of its unpleasantness is fueled with nutrients it steals from the roots of neighboring Tetrastigma vines ! Rafflesia makes parasitism pay off in a big smelly way . On the opposite end of the size spectrum is the minute Pilostyles thurberi , or Thurber's stemsucker . Native to the deserts of southwestern North America , P. thurberi is an obligate parasite on the stems of shrubs in the pea family ( Fabaceae ) . Measuring only about 6 mm ( 0 . 25 inch ) long , the tiny plant lives entirely within the stem tissues of its hosts and lacks roots , leaves , or chlorophyll . Its presence is only made known when it breaks through the bark of its host to flower . Each individual plant produces only male or female flowers and scientists are still unsure what exactly pollinates these teeny-tiny flowers or how populations coordinate their flowering . Mysterious and adorable ? It gets a spot on my favorites list for sure . E.R. Degginger Dodder ( Cuscuta sp . ) is a fairly well known group of parasitic plants that form iconic masses of yellow , leafless vines over their hosts . Dodder plants are aggressive and use root-like organs called haustoria to penetrate the stems of their hosts and siphon off their water and nutrients , often to the point of host-death . Given that dodder species have little to no chlorophyll with which to make their own nutrients , it is crucial for young seedlings to find a host before they run out of the energy supplied by their seeds ( usually about 5-10 days ) . Studies have shown that these seedlings can use airborne volatile organic compounds to locate their host plants , almost like a plant-y sense of smell ! Cuscuta seedlings can even detect which of their neighboring plants are more suitable hosts and will actively grow towards them . Once a young plant successfully reaches a host , its embryonic root rots away and it becomes wholly dependent on its parasitism . The fact that this plant can sense its hosts makes it a candidate for a creepy plant-horror film and earns it a place amongst its esteemed parasitic brethren . S. Kenaley Not to be confused with their Christmas-y namesake ( which , incidentally , is also a parasite ) , dwarf mistletoe ( Arceuthobium ) species are found throughout the world and primarily parasitize conifer trees . Like dodder , dwarf mistletoes employ haustoria to exploit their hosts' vascular tissues and do little to no photosynthesis of their own . While many parasitic plants spread to new hosts with the help of animals or the wind , dwarf mistletoe spreads from treetop to treetop using high-velocity projectile seeds ! Yes , this plant actually explodes bullet-shaped seeds onto new hosts . Dwarf mistletoe fruits each house a single seed covered in a sticky substance . As the fruit matures , pressure builds up inside and causes the thick skin to rupture , shooting the seed away from the plant at speeds of up to 90 km / hr ( 56 mph ) ! The sticky covering helps the seed attach to the surface on which it landed , ideally the branch of a nearby conifer . Ballistic parasitic embryos . Enough said . W.H. Hodge A tall and beautiful flowering tree , the Australian Christmas tree ( Nuytsia floribunda ) is an elegant parasitic plant . Native to dry regions in southwest Australia , N. floribunda towers over the other plants in the landscape and flowers when many other species are dormant . Equipped with green leaves , the plant is able to photosynthesize and provide its own nutrition , but acts as facultative parasite and steals water from its neighbors as necessary ( which enables both its size and dry-season flowering ) . In fact , the tree maintains an extensive network of parasitic root connections with numerous other plants to exploit their various water supplies . Incredibly , the plant establishes these connections by severing the hosts' xylem vessels with haustoria equipped with a guillotine-like structure ! This mini-guillotine is so strong that it has mistakenly chopped through numerous underground power and fiber optic cables . Any plant with a guillotine gets brownie points in my book .


Duuuuh . Bloggers' block . This is worrying : " A controversial chain of schools teaching Biblical " creationism " has been given Tony Blair's personal support despite serious doubts raised by parents and teachers , The Independent on Sunday can reveal . Mr Blair , said to be the most religious Prime Minister since Gladstone , has backed the millionaire car dealer Sir Peter Vardy in his attempt to take over seven comprehensives and turn them into Christian Academies promoting Old Testament views of the world's creation . This includes the claim that it was made in six days , 10,000 years ago . " ( more ) The man is mad , is n't he ? Right , off to the pub . Fingers crossed for tonight ... - posted by Inspector Sands @ 4 : 30 PM