Hair loss is no longer an inevitable march to baldness. Medical advances in recent decades mean male hair loss can be treated, and it need not break the bank.
The cause of male pattern baldness is well established as an act of nature not nurture. Identical twins go bald at the same age, rate and pattern, irrespective of diet, lifestyle or stress levels.
There's no need to go bald any more.
Baldness is a complex polygenic trait: up to five genes are involved, and it is the interplay between these genes, not unlike the interaction between the cards in a poker hand, that determine the specifics of male pattern hair loss.
So, what are the treatment options?
Finasteride is a Therapeutic Goods Administration-approved drug that dermatologists and general practitioners have been prescribing to treat hair loss for about 15 years.
It works by stopping the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone in the prostate, by blocking an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase.
You'll need a prescription for finasteride, and your doctor will explain the benefits and risks of the drug before you decide to proceed.
The benefits are clear: men who start taking daily finasteride at the first signs of hair loss will not go bald. Plus there are no interactions with other drugs.
But there is a small risk of sexual side effects such as such as erectile dysfunction, ejaculatory problems and reduced libido, which require careful management by an experienced doctor.
An added bonus is that finasteride reduces a man's future chance of developing of prostate cancer, though it does not increase longevity, as the reduction in risk is exclusively for low-risk prostate cancer, which is not the type men generally die from.
The cost for a year's supply of tablets starts at as low as about $200 (plus the extra you will need to put aside for haircuts!).
Developed in the 1950s as a tablet to treat high blood pressure, minoxidil was an abject failure because of unwanted hair growth. Reinvented as a lotion applied directly to the scalp, it was launched in the United States in 1988 and soon became popular around the world.
Minoxidil is also TGA-approved and available over the counter in pharmacies for between $15 and $60 a month, depending on the brand.
No prescription or trip to the doctor is required, but talk to your pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines, especially high-blood-pressure medication.
Hair removal laser has led to a renaissance in the use of minoxidil tablets, as doctors can now effectively manage the unwanted hair that was previously a deal breaker. Low doses of minoxidil, as low as one-40th of a tablet, can still grow hair with minimal effect on blood pressure and no need to put anything in your hair.
While finasteride works best at arresting progression of genetically programmed hair loss, some men will achieve partial regrowth. The sooner you begin treatment, the more hair there is to protect.
Minoxidil is better at stimulating new growth rather than preventing progression. A bit like the bank manager who lends an umbrella when the sun is shining, and wants it back when it starts to rain, minoxidil works better before you go bald. Men who still have hair regrow more hair than men who have lost it all.
When used together, the combination of minoxidil and finasteride is a man's best chance to both arrest hair loss progression and maximise hair regrowth.
Men whose hair is too far gone to be saved by tablets and lotions might consider hair transplantation surgery, a cosmetic surgical procedure that has improved dramatically in recent years.
Various techniques are available, but all involve taking hair-bearing skin from one part of the scalp and grafting these pieces of skin onto bald or thinning areas of the scalp.
The main downside, apart from the cost ($5000 to $10,000, depending on the number of grafts required) is the linear scar left behind on the back of the head, locking men into long-hair styles.
Another option is follicular unit extraction. Rather than a strip of skin and a scar, donor tissue comprises multiple tiny punch grafts that heal invisibly by wound contraction. Further dissection of these grafts releases single hair follicle units that can be implanted one by one into the bald scalp to recreate a natural hair line.
The only limiting factor for follicular unit extraction is whether there is enough remaining donor hair to transplant. While chest and body hair have been used when donor hair is poor, artificial hair implants, also TGA-approved, remain the last resort. Artificial hairs cover the scalp but do not grow and grey and regenerate like hair transplants.
What about other suggested treatments such as vitamins, dietary supplements, lasers, stem-cell therapy and platelet-rich plasma? At this stage the most generous interpretation of the available data is that they are unproven, expensive and poor value compared with the TGA-approved treatments.
The take-home message for boys staring at their bald fathers' scalp and wondering what their genes have in store for them is, don't panic, but don't leave it too late.
Rodney Sinclair is Professor of Dermatology, Honorary, Epworth Hospital at the University of Melbourne.


Facebook users old enough to remember watching their oxen die while fording a river, or the time when M. T. Pockets stole “the banks of the Nile” will be pleased to hear that both The Oregon Trail and Carmen Sandiego have been reborn on the popular social media site.
The Oregon Trail for Facebook was launched on February 2 and Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? launched today, February 9. Both titles make use of the Facebook credit system and allow players to team up with friends, à la Zynga hits CityVille and FarmVille.
The core games are free, but as with Farmville and CityVille, extra features will cost you.
To give you an idea of the staying power of these titles, consider that The Oregon Trail was first developed by a group of college students in 1971 — 40 years ago — and debuted on the Apple II in 1981 — 30 years ago — with a series of releases occurring every few years since. Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? was first released in 1985 — 26 years ago — with a series of games following that were based in different geographical regions.
Interested gumshoes can check out the Carmen Sandiego Facebook game trailer below.


Start your MINI FARM! NO HOA & NO RESTRICTIONS! Gorgeous 6.7+- acres with 2 ponds and mountain view! Back has fencing, 4 bdrms, 3.5 baths, +bonus room and has been remodeled w/new fixtures and fans, plantation blinds, cherry hardwood flooring, carpet, fresh paint, chimney, convertible gas-log fireplace in Family Room, and more! Kitchen has granite, refreshed cabinets w/under cabinet lighting, new SS double oven & Dishwasher, island w/b'fast bar, and HW floors. Master has HW floors, triple trey ceiling, walk-in closet, sitting room with gas log fireplace and deck access. Downstairs is all HW and tile, upstairs has carpet. New ceiling fans, fixtures, and hardware. Granite in master bath.


We're all feeling a little desensitized now, aren't we?
Another mass shooting. Ho hum.
Nothing will change, so why bother making noises about the gun sickness that pervades this country?
Congress won't do anything to tighten up gun regulations.
Politicians who advocate for stronger gun measures will be tossed out of office.
The mentally ill will continue to fall through the cracks (with or without Obamacare).
Background checks for military contractors will never be up to par.
Young men who tell police they hear voices, are being followed or sent vibrations through microwaves will never be forced into 72-hour mental health holds.
Guys who shoot up people's cars and fire bullets through ceilings into their neighbors' apartments will never have searchable arrest records.
We will simply have to make peace with the idea that mass public shootings are the price we pay to live in a "free" country.
We are so very sorry for the victims and their families (especially the little ones at Sandy Hook Elementary School). It was just terrible what happened to Gabby Giffords. And of course, we are praying for them all the time, which makes us feel so much better.
But these shooters are madmen. They watch too many violent video games. What can you do?
All we have are symbolic gestures, like the one made Tuesday by Starbucks.
In an open letter couched as a "respectful request," Starbucks President and CEO Howard Schultz announced that his chain does not want people bringing guns into its stores or outdoor seating areas anymore unless they are law enforcement personnel.
Until now, Starbucks' policy has been to welcome armed customers in states that allow people to openly carry weapons.
Schultz said that the coffee chain has grown tired of being used as an unwilling pawn in the gun debate.
"Pro-gun activists have used our stores as a political stage for media events misleadingly called 'Starbucks Appreciation Days' that disingenuously portray Starbucks as a champion of 'open carry.' To be clear: we do not want these events in our stores. Some anti-gun activists have also played a role in ratcheting up the rhetoric and friction, including soliciting and confronting our customers and partners."
People who continue to bring guns into Starbucks, wrote Schultz, will not be asked to leave. Nor will the company put up any signs about its new policy.
So what will change? Not much. It may tick off a few gun toters. It may endear Starbucks to those who have grown sick of our swaggering gun culture.
But in the end, will it prevent the next mass shooting?
When it comes to policies aimed at preventing gun violence, we're just shooting blanks.


I first lived in Quezon City in 1975, when I transferred in first-year in high school from Don Bosco Academy in Bacolor, Pampanga.
I stayed in the USA for a month and visited seven states in 30 days. It was a whirlwind visit that started when I landed at LAX, the Los Angeles International Airport.
Batty, bratty and simply crazy.
Metrobank Foundation is reminding us to honor our favorite teachers this September.
I was only able to visit the National Art Gallery upon landing in London because I had to go to the University of Nottingham for the External Examination Board meetings.
I haven’t been to London in 25 years. The last time I was there was in 1993, when I landed at Heathrow on my way to Hawthornden Castle in Lasswade, Scotland, on an international writing fellowship.
Mute with grief at the death of essayist and historian par excellence Carmen Guerrero Nakpil, I was able to retrieve an essay I wrote about her book, Legends & Adventures.
My column on politics a fortnight ago generated a storm of email that roosted in my account for weeks.
Ten years ago, J. Neil Garcia and I edited the third volume of the landmark Ladlad 3: An Anthology of Philippine Gay Writing, published by Anvil.
In the 2000 years I’ve worked as an advocate of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights, I‘ve listened to so many stories of despair but also of joy, gladness as well as gloom.
That is the title of my new book published by Ateneo de Naga University Press. It will be launched in November this year.
June is the Pride Month for the LGBT + (lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders + intersex and queer), which began in the West in 1969.
I was born in Basa Air Base, Pampanga.
It has its deep roots sunk many years ago.


Metaphysics special: Do we have free will?
“DID I really just decide to have fish and chips for lunch?” Humans have been wrestling with such questions for millennia. Maybe not about the fish and chips, but about whether we are truly in control or whether some external agent – be that an omnipotent god or the laws of physics – predetermines the trajectory of our lives.
Unfortunately, there are no easy answers. Who is the “I” who decided to have fish and chips? Your gut reaction might tell you that you are a conscious entity controlling your physical body. But that physical body includes the brain that generates your consciousness. There is no splitting the two.
Metaphysics special: What is consciousness?
We do know that any sense we have of being in control of our actions is, to some extent, an illusion. In particular, neuroscientist Benjamin Libet showed in the 1980s that mechanisms within the brain initiate actions long before that brain’s owner is aware of deciding to perform them.
It’s a big extrapolation to claim that all of our actions are outside our control. “Libet deals with the very short-term precursors of very simple actions,” says Patrick Haggard, a neuroscientist at University College London. Then again, even longer-term decisions and actions are the result of specific brain processes. “I assume this is also deterministic,” says Haggard.


"Oops" isn't exactly what anyone wants to hear in a high-pressure environment of vote counting, but there it was Tuesday night. The big "oops."
LAFAYETTE — "Oops" isn't exactly what anyone wants to hear in a high-pressure environment of vote counting, but there it was Tuesday night. The big "oops."
A novice election employee inserted a card from a vote machine to tally the results on it. But the election employee ejected the card before the machine counted its votes, erasing all of the information on the card, Tippecanoe County Clerk Christa Coffey said about 12:15 a.m. Wednesday.
Meanwhile, crowds gathered and waited for election returns in the Tippecanoe Room at the County Building, frequently asking why it was taking so long to count the votes.
As Coffey talked with reporters about the mistake, it had been barely 45 minutes since the final results were published on a very late election night that followed a very long Election Day.
Fortunately, the card did not erase all of its information.
Election workers matched the card to a specific machine from which it was pulled, Coffey said. Then they located where in Tippecanoe County that machine was.
It was in Dayton, Coffey said.
This launched a mad dash to the Dayton Town Hall to find the machine, which they successfully did, she said.
The voting machine stored its data in a cache, and election workers successfully downloaded the voters' selection from this backup onto a card, Coffey said.
Then it was back to the County Building downtown to put that card into the reader — and not remove it until the machine finished its task.
Long story short: No votes were lost; everyone's vote was counted, and those waiting on election returns had to wait considerably longer for the final results.


Enjoy the beautiful sunset view from this nice deep lot on St. Martins Point with a westerly big water view. The septic tank and drain field have already been installed which is a highly desirable feature for someone wanting to build a home or cottage. Part of the lot has been cleared also making it easier and less costly to begin a building project. You are able to drive a vehicle partially into the lot. This lot affords nice privacy too, and with some tree trimming on the waterfront you'd have a picture perfect site to build that dream house!
Hardwood 40 acres on Chard Road in Hessel. Timber on schedule to be another harvest in 3 years. Seller willing to consider a land contract.


There's a lot of talk these days, and a lot of evidence, of school districts getting raked by layoffs, and by forced attrition—basically not filling positions when teachers and others leave, or retire.
In a story this week, I take a look at one of the oft-overlooked consequences of that district downsizing: schools having move employees from one job to the next, again and again, to cover for lost workers and make up for their duties.
My story focuses on a couple districts in Texas: a big one, Northside ISD in San Antonio; and a tiny one, Perrin-Whitt, in the northern part of the state. Both have been forced to chop spending because of state budget cuts, and both have been forced to move a lot of people around to make up ground—while also trying to keep teachers and others in their areas of expertise and certification.
A superintendent I talked to from a Pennsylvania district recently called this people-moving process "checkerboarding." If you're working in a district that's gone through something similar, what kinds of job-shuffling have budget cuts wrought?


�A Moon Township man faces a slew of charges stemming from a drunken-driving arrest last Wednesday in Moon, township police reported.
Police said William T. Bronson, 21, of 412 College Park Drive drove into a parked car in the 400 block of Wyndhurst Drive and then struck another car at Wyndhurst Drive and Sharon Road around 6:45 p.m. June 17.
Police said they stopped Bronson�s car a short time later at Beaver Grade and Thorn Run roads. Bronson failed field sobriety tests and then became combative, police said. Bronson, who refused to submit to a blood-alcohol test, tried to kick one officer in the face and had to be subdued with a Taser gun on two occasions, police said.
Bronson was charged with drunken driving, resisting arrest, aggravated assault and two counts of being involved in an accident that caused damage to another vehicle.


The latest news on law firm technology, software, hardware and systems designed to make your law firm more efficient – and profitable.
Speech technology is the most natural way for humans to interact with technology and it is the way we’ve been brought up to think that in the future computing will be done using your voice.
Unfortunately, our computing platforms to date were designed for use with keyboards, mice and, most recently, fingers. Typing, mousing or gesturing imposes interaction methods that do not work well with voice. So voice systems to date have been restricted by the platforms that host them.
One of the interesting things about the adoption of new technology in law firms is that it is frequently small firms that lead the charge. An innovative lawyer running a smaller practice can make a decision without the delays that can accompany large firm practice.
Resolve Technology – One of the most innovative cloud hosting providers in New Zealand, Resolve Technology provides hosting services suited to the New Zealand legal environment.
Using specialised knowledge of the New Zealand legal world, Resolve Technology is able to provide both consultancy and related services to law firms that ensure efficient and secure hosting solutions based on their experience with a growing number of New Zealand law firms. Read more about Resolve Technology.
LawHawk – This software uses HotDocs automation to provide automated legal document templates to New Zealand lawyers and procurement specialists.
The LawHawk user interface prompts lawyers to input relevant details then automatically drafts a customised legal document based on those key inputs.
Resolve Technology is an innovative kiwi company providing Cloud technology services to some of New Zealand’s most innovative and successful law firms. Attuned to the New Zealand legal and regulatory environment Resolve Technology is a leading provider of Cloud hosting and related services who will provide a full costing and briefing on hosting and other issues for your law firm.
For lawyers, having a good practice management program or system is one of the keys to operating a successful law practice.
Yet, as with so many technology options, the alternatives and choices appear endless and making the correct decision is key to having the right practice management software to guide your firm successfully.


Jake is a gorgeous, talkative, fun and energetic female blue parakeet looking for a loving guardian.
Jake flew into the backyard of a family in Chicago and landed on a man's shoulder. His children named the bird Jake, but they decided not to keep the bird themselves, so I took her in.
I'm pretty sure this bird is a female based on the color of her feet, and the color of her cere (the "bump" above her beak). I understand that Parakeets can live 20 years, so acquiring a bird, like any pet, should not be taken lightly.
Personally, I love having a bird around. I've had a rescued Cockatiel for many years and she alerts me to someone coming to the door - before my dogs! They are intelligent, interactive and fun.
Feel free to read up on Parakeet care before taking the plunge. Here are a couple articles that I found interesting.
If you'd like to meet and possibly adopt Jake, please contact me directly at sheri@petraits.com or 773-777-2891. Her adoption fee is $25, or $50 if you'd also like her cage, food, toys and treats. She's being fostered in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood.


The two Marlborough men hurt in a bicycle vs. motorcycle accident on Friday were listed in good condition yesterday at UMass Memorial Medical Center.
Police say Paul Shahood, 63, was on a motorcycle that collided with a bicycle on which 25-year-old Zachary Boudreau was riding. They crashed at the intersection of Mechanic and Lincoln streets at 1:42 p.m., police said.
Both men were taken by ambulance to the UMass hospital in Worcester, one with a concussion and the other with a broken leg, police said.
A nursing supervisor said both men were recovering in good condition yesterday.
Police say the nature and cause of the crash are still under investigation. The state police accident reconstruction team is assisting.


When Apple unveiled the all-new Apple TV with an all-new remote during its iPhone 6S September event, it glossed over some really interesting features for the new set-top box.
So, we have created this feature to tell you about a few of them.
The new Apple TV is now available to buy, starting at £129 in the UK and $149 in the US, and it comes with a fresh operating system, sleek interface, and voice-command functionality, to name a few things.
With that in mind, and to help you better understand what else is awesome about the latest version of Apple's set-top box, we've dug through all the details and rounded up 14 of the coolest features.
We can't delve into Apple TV features without first addressing one major change: Apple has added a new operating system to its set-top box. The new software offers an interface that's pretty similar to the old interface, though Apple has cleaned it up and replaced the black background with white.
Apple is calling its new operating system "tvOS". It is based on iOS, with various modifications added, such as support for the new remote. Beyond the interface, core aspects of tvOS include voice search through Siri, universal search across apps, a full-fledged app store, support for gaming, and more.
The new Apple TV is all about apps, thanks to the new Apple TV App Store, which Apple wants developers to make exclusive tvOS-based apps and games for.
Gilt Groupe's CEO, Michelle Peluso, showed off the new Gilt app designed specifically for Apple TV during the unveiling of the device. She showed how you can scroll or swipe with the new remote to navigate through the Glit app.
Buy-now buttons appear on carousel views and product pages, for instance, and so with a simple press of the new remote, you can buy stuff. Netflix, Hulu, and HBO have also released new apps for tvOS.
iTunes Movies has been redesigned as well, while the Apple Music app will soon deliver Beats 1 radio.
The Apple TV has a new remote with motion-sensing capabilities. It's a slim controller decked out with a touchpad and buttons for menu, home, volume, and Siri. The dual mics for Siri are located at the top, while the black touchpad is cloaked in glass and clicks (much like the MacBook's trackpad).
You'll also notice a small IR port for issuing volume commands to your TV. And at the bottom, there's a Lightning port for charging the remote's battery (supposed to last three months on a single charge). Although you won't find a power button, it can turn new TVs on/off if they have HDMI CEC.
The remote also connects to Apple TV over Bluetooth 4.0, so there's no need to point it at the box.
So, the touchpad lets you navigate through the new interface by sliding your finger across its surface, but as if that wasn't enough, you can turn the remote sideways to turn it into a controller for gaming.
The remote has built-in accelerometer and gyroscope sensors, meaning it acts like a Wii controller.
The Apple TV comes with a new remote, and we noted below how you can use it to rewind or skip forward, but did you know it can also cue up information?
A downward swipe on the trackpad will bring up details on what you're watching.
We've already told you the Apple TV lets you play games using the new remote. But if your friends don't have a remote, don't worry. Up to four players can join a game with their iPhones or iPod touches. Apple told Pocket-lint after the event that the new Apple TV will support third-party gamepads as well.
During our hands-on, we had a look at the SteelSeries Nimbus controller, which can be used to control one player, while the remote, your iPhone, or iPad can be used to control other players.
Apple TV comes with support for Siri, bringing voice-controlled, smart search to the set-top box.
All results are sorted by popularity, and when you ask Siri to find a movie, TV show, or song, she'll search not only iTunes, but also Netflix, Hulu, Showtime, and HBO. You can also conduct searches by actors and genres. You can say, for instance, "Show me Bond movies" or "Just the ones with Sean Connery."
This is where things get clever. Apple has quietly included something Google previously described as conversational search. So, you can have a conversation with Siri in order to narrow your choices.
Siri won't just fetch stuff for you; she'll also scrub for you. She can move whatever you're watching forward or backward. All you have to say is: "Siri, skip back 15 seconds" or "What did he/she say again?" But if you don't want to use Siri for that, you can also click and slide on the new remote to scrub.
Let's not forget that Siri is a digital assistant first and foremost, and that's no different with the Apple TV. She can pull up weather reports or answer your questions, and she'll display all answers and results along the bottom of your display. If you want that in full-screen, swipe up on the remote.
The new iPhones are capable of recording 4K videos at 30fps, and you'll of course be able to play them on your television through Apple TV, but because the new box doesn't support 4K, all videos will be downgraded to 1080p.
It's been rumoured that the new Apple TV would launch with support for HomeKit - Apple's framework that is meant to simplify the current state of home automation. Apple was dodgy when asked directly if it included such integration, though it said HomeKit is in the tvOS SDK for developers.
So, theoretically, developers could one day make apps for HomeKit-enabled devices that deliver notification through Apple TV. You might also be able to control those devices using Siri. But that's all just speculation for now.
If you lose the new remote to your new Apple TV, you can program any third-party one to work with the set-top box. Just go to Settings > General > Remotes > Learn Remote. From there, choose a setting or button that doesn't control another device, and then select Start. You should see the six buttons of the Apple Remote, which you can map to your new remote. To do so, press and hold each button until the blue progress bar is done.
If you share your Apple TV with others, you can set up separate accounts using individual Apple IDs so you don't have to share your content with others. It's simple to do: from the Home screen, go to Settings > Accounts > iTunes and App Store. From there, select Add New Apple ID and enter an Apple ID.
Click Continue, then add the Apple ID password, and select Sign In. Sign out and repeat the process to add another account, them go to Settings whenever you want to switch between accounts. Simples.
The new Apple TV home screen lets you change the default icon order. All you have to do is use the new remote; select an icon by pressing down on the touch surface, and you'll then get vibrating icons (similar to what you see on iOS). Then, you can swipe left, right, up, or down to move the icon around.
When you're done, press the touch surface to set everything in place.


Gov. Greg Abbott refused to pick sides Wednesday in a growing squabble over how best to cut state taxes, and moved away from an earlier promise to “insist” that Texas lawmakers cut property taxes before the session ends on June 1.
*Editor's note: This story has been updated with comment from Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
Gov. Greg Abbott refused to pick sides Wednesday in a growing legislative squabble over how best to cut state taxes, and moved away from an earlier promise to “insist” that Texas lawmakers cut property taxes before the session ends on June 1.
At a press conference coinciding with the dreaded April 15 income tax filing deadline, Abbott hailed the Legislature’s heated debate over taxes as a sign of fiscal health when other states are struggling financially.
Abbott said he still feels property taxes are too high and noted that cutting them is “definitely on the table.” He was referring to the $2.15 billion property tax proposal being pushed by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the Tea Party Republican who presides over the Senate.
In a statement Wednesday afternoon, Patrick repeated his support for the property tax cut.
"I agree with Governor Abbott that I too will not support any budget that does not have franchise tax relief," Patrick said. "I also will not support any budget that does not have property tax relief, as well."
But in his remarks to reporters, Abbott also suggested that sales tax cuts — being pursued by House leaders who have battled with Tea Party-backed lawmakers and activists — represent another legitimate alternative.
“There is the possibility of property tax reduction. There is the possibility of sales tax reduction on top of the margins tax reduction,” Abbott said.
House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, issued a statement saying he was "certain the House and Senate will work well together in the final weeks of the session."
Shortly before Abbott spoke, more than 100 conservative activists rallied outside the Capitol to mark Tax Day, the impetus for some of the original Tea Party protests several years ago. Michael Quinn Sullivan, leader of the conservative advocacy group Empower Texans, hailed the ongoing discord over tax relief as a sign of how much the Tea Party has come to influence the legislative process.
"Today this chamber and this chamber are in a fight over what taxes to cut and who can do the biggest tax cut," Sullivan told the activists. "You are winning."


A memorial service is planned for Fort Bragg City Councilman Jere Melo at 2 p.m. Sept. 10 at the Timberwolf Stadium on Chestnut Street in Fort Bragg.
The high school football stadium has been called his greatest legacy to the community since its construction was one of many efforts he undertook during his 15 years as a councilman, which also included building firehouses and public parks. Melo also served as Fort Bragg”s mayor between 2000 and 2004.
Melo, 69, was shot to death Saturday morning when he and a companion stumbled on an opium poppy garden while looking for an illicit marijuana grow site on private timber land near the Noyo River and the Skunk Train rail lines, about four miles east of Fort Bragg.
Cal Fire announced Tuesday that it closed Camp One and the public firewood gathering areas of the Jackson Demonstration State Forest until further notice, and authorities are urging the public to stay out of the entire forest while the manhunt for the alleged gunman continues.
Details about the shooting and suspect Aaron Bassler, a Fort Bragg transient in his 30s, are emerging as the Mendocino County Sheriff”s Office continues to lead the multi-agency search. The search focuses on a six-mile area from the Noyo Harbor in Fort Bragg east to Northspur, in and around the forest.
“We have no reason to believe he left the forest area,” MCSO spokesman Capt. Kurt Smallcomb said Tuesday.
Melo and a friend, whose identity hasn”t been released, went into the remote, rugged terrain looking for an illicit pot garden Saturday morning, intending to report the garden”s GPS coordinates to law enforcement — something Melo did frequently in his property management capacity with a local timber company, according to Smallcomb.
The men instead found a garden of more than 100 opium poppies Bassler was allegedly growing, according to Smallcomb. He said Bassler was on higher ground and began shooting down at the men from about 10 yards away, using a high-caliber, “high-powered” long rifle of an SKS type that some said was an automatic weapon.
Smallcomb could not confirm that the weapon Bassler allegedly used was automatic, or its caliber.
Melo was unarmed, but his companion exchanged gunfire with Bassler and was then able to escape, running “a long way” before hitting a lucky break, according to Smallcomb. He met a Skunk Train rail maintenance car and rode with it, calling law enforcement on a cell phone when he reached an area with better cell reception, Smallcomb said.
Melo died of multiple gunshot wounds, according to the results of a Monday autopsy.
Authorities do not believe Bassler was hired to guard the garden, but was growing it himself, according to Smallcomb. He said authorities believe Bassler was also associated with illicit marijuana growing in and around the area where Melo and his companion were searching.
“Marijuana has historically been all through the area,” Smallcomb said.
Melo would frequently search the timber land for illicit pot gardens and report their GPS coordinates to law enforcement in his property management capacity to keep the properties clean, according to Smallcomb.
“We were in weekly contact with him,” Smallcomb said.
Dan Gjerde, a fellow Fort Bragg City Councilman, posted on Facebook Tuesday that he remembered last seeing Melo at an Aug. 16 meeting the Board of Supervisors held in Fort Bragg.
“It was just days after the murder of Matt Coleman,” Gjerde writes, referring to an Aug. 11 incident where Coleman was shot and killed while conducting property management on rural property near Cape Vizcaino, between Westport and Rockport, for the Save the Redwoods League.
Bassler has a history of misdemeanor convictions dating back to 2001 and prior, according to Smallcomb. They include charges of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol and firearm-related charges, he said, including an incident earlier this year where Bassler was arrested for driving under the influence after allegedly running a truck into a middle school tennis court in Fort Bragg.
Bassler was also brought up on federal charges after he allegedly threw packages containing drawings and writings over a fence at the Chinese consulate in San Francisco in four separate 2009 incidents that each brought the city police department”s bomb squad, according to the SF Gate.
The county of Mendocino lowered its flags to half-staff in memory and honor of Jesse Pittman, a Willits U.S. Navy SEAL who was killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan. The flags will remain at half-staff in Melo”s memory and honor, the Mendocino County Executive Office announced Tuesday. County flags will remain at half-staff until Councilmember Melo”s interment.


Clarithromycin belongs to the group of medications called macrolide antibiotics. It is used to treat infections caused by certain bacteria. It works by killing or stopping the growth of bacteria that can cause certain infections. Clarithromycin may be prescribed for people with bacterial throat infections, sinus infections, ear infections, bronchitis, pneumonia, and skin infections such as impetigo and cellulitis.
Clarithromycin may also be used to prevent and treat certain infections (mycobacterium avium complex or MAC), associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Clarithromycin can be used in combination with other medications to kill H. pylori, a bacteria known to cause ulcers in the digestive tract.
Each bright yellow, oval, biconvex, film-coated tablet engraved "CLA250" on one side and plain on the other side contains 250 mg of clarithromycin. Nonmedicinal ingredients: crospovidone, magnesium stearate, stearic acid, colloidal silicon dioxide, hydroxyethyl cellulose, polyethylene glycol, titanium dioxide, D&C Yellow No. 10, and sunset yellow.
Each light yellow, capsule-shaped, biconvex, film-coated tablet engraved "CLA500" on one side and plain on the other side contains 500 mg of clarithromycin. Nonmedicinal ingredients: crospovidone, magnesium stearate, stearic acid, colloidal silicon dioxide, hydroxyethyl cellulose, polyethylene glycol, titanium dioxide, and D&C Yellow No. 10.
Adults: The recommended adult dosing of clarithromycin tablets is 250 mg to 500 mg twice daily (every 12 hours) for 7 to 14 days, depending on the condition being treated.
The recommended adult dosing of the extended release form of clarithromycin is 1,000 mg (2 tablets) once daily for 5 to 14 days, depending on the condition being treated.
For the treatment and prevention of MAC, the usual dose of clarithromycin is 500 mg twice daily. When used with other medications to kill H. pylori, the usual dose of clarithromycin is 500 mg twice daily for 10 days.
Children: The recommended total daily dose for children is 15 mg per kilogram of body weight (to a maximum of 1,000 mg per day). This total daily dose should be divided in 2 equal doses given 12 hours apart. Total treatment duration is usually 5 to 10 days, depending on the condition being treated. For the treatment and prevention of MAC, the usual dose of clarithromycin is 7.5 mg per kilogram of body weight twice daily (up to 500 mg twice daily).
If the child is receiving an oral suspension of clarithromycin, use an oral syringe to measure each dose of the liquid, as it gives a more accurate measurement than household teaspoons.
Clarithromycin tablets and clarithromycin suspension (given twice daily) may be taken with or without food. Taking this medication with food may cause less stomach upset.
The extended release tablets of clarithromycin must be taken with food. The tablets must be swallowed whole and not crushed or broken.
Finish all of this medication, even if you have started to feel better.
Store clarithromycin tablets at room temperature, protect them from light and moisture, and keep them out of the reach of children.
Store clarithromycin oral suspension at room temperature with the bottle tightly closed and protected from light. Do not refrigerate. Any unused oral suspension should be thrown away after 14 days. Rinse the dose measuring oral syringe between uses. Do not store the suspension in the syringe.
Abnormal heart rhythm: Clarithromycin may cause a heart rhythm problem called QT prolongation. If you have a history of QT prolongation, a medical condition associated with QT prolongation, or are taking certain medications (e.g., amiodarone, sotalol), discuss with your doctor how this medication may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of this medication, and whether any special monitoring is needed.
Allergy: If you have had some form of allergy to erythromycin or azithromycin, you may be more likely to have an allergic reaction to this medication. If you develop symptoms of an allergic reaction such as a rash, contact your doctor. If you develop hives; difficulty breathing; or swelling of the face, mouth, throat, or tongue, stop taking this medication and get immediate medical attention.
Antibiotic resistance: Medications such as clarithromycin should only be used to treat infections caused by bacteria. Misuse of overuse of this medication may result in the growth of bacteria that are no longer killed by clarithromycin, particularly in people who are also infected with HIV. Take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor.
Diarrhea: As with other antibiotics, clarithromycin is associated with a serious infection called Clostridium difficile associated diarrhea, caused by the bacteria C. difficile. This can occur as late as 2 months after your last dose of this medication.
If you have loose, watery bowel movements especially if they are green, foul-smelling, or bloody and accompanied by fever, either during or after taking clarithromycin, get medical attention as soon as possible.
Dizziness, confusion, and disorientation: This medication can cause dizziness, confusion, or disorientation. Do not drive or operate machinery until you are certain that this medication does not affect your ability to perform these tasks safely.
Kidney function: Kidney disease or reduced kidney function may cause this medication to build up in the body, causing side effects. If you have reduced kidney function, discuss with your doctor how this medication may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of this medication, and whether any special monitoring is needed.
Liver problems: Liver disease or reduced liver function may cause this medication to build up in the body, causing side effects. If you have reduced liver function, discuss with your doctor how this medication may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of this medication, and whether any special monitoring is needed. This medication should not be used by people with severe liver problems.
If you develop symptoms of liver problems (e.g., loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine, itchy skin, abdominal pain), contact your doctor immediately.
Myasthenia gravis: This medication can worsen or cause symptoms of myasthenia gravis. If your symptoms worsen or you develop new symptoms such as double vision, drooping eyelids, muscle weakness, or difficulty chewing or swallowing, contact your doctor.
Pregnancy: Clarithromycin should not be used during pregnancy, especially the first 3 months of pregnancy, unless there is no appropriate alternative therapy. If you become pregnant while taking this medication, contact your doctor.
Breast-feeding: This medication passes into breast milk. If you are a breast-feeding mother and are taking clarithromycin, it may affect your baby. Talk to your doctor about whether you should continue breast-feeding.
Children: The safety and effectiveness of using clarithromycin oral suspension have not been established for children younger than 6 months of age. For pneumonia, the use of clarithromycin oral suspension has not been studied for children younger than 3 years of age. The safety and effectiveness of using clarithromycin to prevent MAC infection has not been studied for children under the age of 20 months. The safety and effectiveness of using clarithromycin tablets have not been established for children less than 12 years of age.


First they bought Skyera, erstwhile all flash array startup. Now WD's HGST unit is buying Amplidata, a scale-out object storage software vendor. Is the world's largest disk drive vendor moving into the storage systems business or not?
For those coming in late, HGST is the mashup of Hitachi's former disk business with IBM's former disk business. Western Digital bought HGST a couple of years ago, and is keeping the respected HGST brand alive.
Skyera was a late-entry into the all-flash array market that HGST bought last year. While it wasn't clear if Skyera had shipped a v1.0 product, the buy was surprising because, traditionally, drive vendors have not competed with their storage system customers.
But the reasons for that traditional non-compete stance are fading. All major drive buyers want a 2nd source, but with only 2.5 drive vendors - WD, Seagate and Toshiba - drive buyers can't threaten to walk away.
How does Amplidata, a Belgian object storage software company that I've done work for, fit with HGST's plans? Object storage is optimized for large data stores - 500TB and up - where disk drives will be the storage medium of choice.
HGST has publicly stated their intent to enter the active archive market where Amplidata is a great fit. But how far will they go?
The could package up an HGST-branded archive product. They could offer an unbranded version for resellers. Or they could simply offer the software.
Both WD and Seagate have enjoyed great success with their branded consumer storage products. It's looking like WD would like to extend their reach into the enterprise with the Skyera and Amplidata acquisitions.
The critical issue is how the products get sold to enterprises. HGST has no enterprise sales force and they are expensive to hire.
I'm betting that they will use resellers and service providers to reach the market. When they make a product announcement we'll see if WD has finally broken the long time taboo against competing with customers.
Comments welcome as always. The storage market keeps getting more interesting.


An aerial view of the coast near University of Delaware's Hugh R Sharp campus in Lewes.
Newswise — As more carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere, the global ocean soaks up much of the excess, storing roughly 30 percent of the carbon dioxide emissions coming from human activities.
In this sense, the ocean has acted as a buffer to slow down the greenhouse gas accumulation in the atmosphere and, thus, global warming. However, this process also increases the acidity of seawater and can affect the health of marine organisms and the ocean ecosystem.
New research by University of Delaware oceanographer Wei-Jun Cai and colleagues at Université Libre de Bruxelles, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, University of Hawaii at Manoa and ETH Zurich, now reveals that the water over the continental shelves is shouldering a larger portion of the load, taking up more and more of this atmospheric carbon dioxide.
The study findings, published in Nature Communications on Wednesday, Jan. 31, may have important implications for scientists focused on understanding the global carbon budget.
Understanding how carbon flows between land, air and water is key to predicting how much greenhouse gas emissions the earth, atmosphere and ocean can tolerate over a given time period to keep global warming and climate change at thresholds considered tolerable.
The study authors used recently available and historical data from the past 35 years to calculate global trends of carbon dioxide concentration increases in the coastal ocean. The analysis revealed that, while the amount of carbon dioxide in the open ocean is increasing at the same rate as in the atmosphere, these same carbon dioxide concentrations are increasing slower in the coastal ocean.
"This is because the coastal ocean is shallower than the open ocean and can quickly transfer sequestered carbon dioxide to the deep ocean; this process creates an additional and effective pathway for the ocean to take up and store anthropogenic carbon dioxide," said Cai, the Mary A.S. Lighthipe Professor in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment.
Though relatively small in comparison to the open ocean, the coastal zones are where an extremely large amount of the carbon dioxide is exchanged between air and water.
"If this conclusion is confirmed by future observations, it would mean that the coastal ocean will become more and more efficient at removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere," said Goulven Lurallue, the paper's lead author and a researcher with Université Libre de Bruxelles in Belgium.
Until recently, these trends were extremely difficult to calculate due to a lack of data about carbon dioxide in coastal waters. Complicating matters further, coastal zones behave differently depending of their location and topography. For example, in higher latitudes such as northern Canada and Greenland, coastal waters usually act as carbon sinks, absorbing excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. In in tropical areas such as the South China Sea, coastal waters are generally considered a source of carbon dioxide.
At the same time, human activities have increased the amount of nutrient pollution entering coastal waters from things like fertilizer on land. These nutrients stimulate the growth of algae within the continental shelves, which subsequently removes more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, the researchers said.
According to the research team, this suggests that the continental shelves are becoming a crucial element in the global carbon cycle and for the climate system.
"It is important that scientists take into account the contribution of continental shelves to calculate global carbon budgets," said Pierre Regnier, professor at Université Libre de Bruxelles. "The possibility of shelves becoming a more important carbon dioxide sink in the future should be considered in global carbon cycle models and flux assessments."


RANT: To the irresponsible young adults who park their vehicles at Winter Haven Christian Church on Sixth Street and then leave trash and empty beer bottles for others to clean up. Those involved should attend Sunday service and learn the meaning of respect.
NT: To the irresponsible young adults who park their vehicles at Winter Haven Christian Church on Sixth Street and then leave trash and empty beer bottles for others to clean up. Those involved should attend Sunday service and learn the meaning of respect.
RAVE: I grew up in Winter Haven, but I have lived elsewhere for many years. While here visiting recently, I discovered a terrific local place to eat, the Third Street Cafe. It's located downtown at the corner of Third Street and Avenue A, S.W., and offers breakfast and lunch. It's cozy and friendly, with good food and good service. Several members of my family went there day after day, sometimes for coffee, sometimes for breakfast and sometimes for lunch. The people running it (a husband and wife, I believe) were always pleasant and attentive, and it was very nice to enjoy more personalized service. I highly recommend that others try it.
RANT: One of the best and most caring doctors my husband and I have ever had, Dr. Raphael Lopez, is no longer with Gessler Clinic. Words cannot express my feelings of loss. The clinic has lost a gem of a doctor!
RANT: To the hoodlums who have vandalized the men's restroom at the new�city bus terminal. I hope they are proud of themselves. Nobody else is.
"Rants & Raves" is a Monday feature of the News Chief opinion page. Send yours - signed or unsigned - by fax to 863-294-2008 or by e-mail to letters@newschief.com.


EDINBURG — The Hidalgo County call center is activated and answering residents calls for assistance regarding weather related issues and sandbag distribution, according to a news release. Residents can call (956) 292-7750 for more information.
There is one shelter open is at the Donna Recreation Center located at 307 Miller Avenue in Donna.
No proof required. Limit 6 sandbags per household.
Five bags per household. ID or utility bill required.
No proof of residence required. Limit six sandbags per household.
ID required. Limit 5 sandbags per household.
This story has been updated to reflect the correct address for the Precinct 2 sandbag distribution location.


SEYMOUR -- VFW Post 12084 will hold a special "Remember When¦" event Aug. 22, featuring displays of old military vehicles and equipment.
The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the grounds of the post's headquarters, 30 Great Hill Road. Post Commander Al Yagovane said anyone interested in displaying their military vehicles or related equipment should contact him as soon as possible at 888-1934 or 736-7981.
"We're losing about 1,000 World War II veterans each day," he said. "We're trying to remember the people who are currently serving in the military, as well as those who have served in the past."
There is no charge for admission or for those interested in displaying their equipment.
In addition to the displays, military recruiters will be on hand, as well as several veterans and military members who will talk about the equipment and their branch of the service.
The event is intended to raise awareness about the number of veterans the country is losing every day, Yagovane said.


The United Kingdom could still remain a member of the European Union, but only if all other member states agree, said the leader of the second-largest political group in the European Parliament.
“Our door remains open, if the UK wants to change its mind,” said centre-left MEP, Gianni Pittella, on Tuesday evening (4 April).
Pittella spoke to journalists in Strasbourg at a dinner organised by his group, the centre-left Socialists & Democrats (S&D).
He said it was “difficult” to see how the UK could revert its decision to leave the EU, taken last year through an in/out referendum, with prime minister Theresa May at the helm.
“It's a theoretical possibility, it's an option. All can happen in life,” said the Italian MEP, who noted that the UK's change of heart should come “through a democratic process”.
“You don't forget. Our position was not for Brexit,” he said.
“For us it's not a victory that we now we have to start the negotiation. ... It's a reason of sadness, profound, deep sadness. I think this is a loss for Europe and a terrible mistake for the UK," commented Pittella.
“So, our hope is always that they change their mind. But we have to respect the democratic will,” he added.
However, Pittella argued that, in his opinion, there should be unanimity among the remaining 27 member states to take the UK back.
“It's not up only to the UK to decide if this reversibility can work. It's up also to the European counterpart,” he said.
Pittella's stance on EU-27 unanimity is a political message, there is no legal clarity on how this would work. The legal text that allows the UK to leave the EU, article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, does not explain how a country could decide to remain part of the EU after negotiations for its departure have started.
Pittella's comments came after one of his political allies in Germany, Sigmar Gabriel, said “the burden [of Brexit] for the Brits is higher than for the Europeans”.
Former leader of Germany's social-democratic party (SPD) and current German foreign minister, Gabriel rejected May's stance that “no deal is better than a bad deal”.
“Having no deal is not the best idea for Britain and the European Union,” Gabriel said on Tuesday, after speaking with his UK counterpart Boris Johnson.
“It would bring a burden on both sides, for the Brits as well as the Europeans,” the top German diplomat added.
“Of course we want to see negotiations about Brexit being fair. … Fair for Britain, but also from our point of view, fair for the remaining 27 members of the European Union,” he said.
Both Gabriel and Pittella stressed that a country outside the EU cannot have the same or more advantages than an EU member.
Pittella spoke to journalists to outline his group's position ahead of a debate in the European Parliament on Wednesday (5 April).
MEPs will discuss Brexit and adopt a non-binding resolution.
The draft text says that the EU-UK deal on the latter's departure should include reassurances of the legal status of EU citizens in the UK, and British citizens living in the EU.
It also states that there should be clarity on the settlement of the UK's outstanding financial liabilities and the EU's external border.


A couple of weeks ago, I read that popular painkillers can cause irregular heart rhythms. I stopped taking Aleve for pain because I do experience A-fib and atrial flutters. Since going off Aleve, this heart problem has dropped to almost nothing.
The trouble is that I switched to aspirin instead. Now I am having big-time bruising with the slightest bump. That convinced me to stop the aspirin.
I am going to try Tylenol, but I hope my liver enzymes don’t act up. They have been elevated in the past. Is there anything else I can do except stop everything and endure joint pain?
You have reason to be cautious with pain relievers. A recent online article in the British journal BMJ (July 4, 2011) suggests that anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, naproxen and diclofenac are “associated with an increased risk of atrial fibrillation or flutter.” Such heart-rhythm abnormalities can trigger blood clots that may lead to strokes.
Although aspirin does not appear to trigger arrhythmias, it can thin the blood enough to cause easy bruising. If acetaminophen (Tylenol) raised your liver enzymes in the past, there is a potential risk if you start taking it daily.
You may wish to try a home remedy to ease your joint pain. You will find details about dozens of options in our new book from National Geographic (“The People’s Pharmacy Quick and Handy Home Remedies”), online at PeoplesPharmacy.com. Fish oil, turmeric, tart cherries, pineapple or pomegranate juice, gin-soaked golden raisins, plant pectin and purple grape juice as well as herbs like ginger and boswellia may ease your discomfort.
I read a question in your column about smelly gas, and I have a suggestion: Take a Pepto-Bismol tablet. It helps control that odorous gas.
Pepto-Bismol will turn your stool black, but there’s no harm in occasional use. I take the tablets with me on trips to prevent traveler’s diarrhea.
Pepto-Bismol (bismuth subsalicylate) has been shown to control the odor in flatus. It reduces hydrogen sulfide (the smelly stuff) from the colon quite dramatically (Gastroenterology, May 1998).
Regular use of Pepto-Bismol could be problematic, though. Excessive bismuth can be toxic, leading to symptoms such as nausea, rash, diarrhea, stomach pain, mouth ulcers and kidney damage. Too much salicylate can interact with other medications such as warfarin (Coumadin).
I have suffered from excessive perspiration since I was a child. I have used countless deodorants, antiperspirants, crystals, baking soda — you name it. Nothing worked for very long, not even the prescription formulas.
I’ve been using MoM (milk of magnesia) for roughly four months, and I will never switch to anything else. I use it on my underarms as well as my groin area, and I swear by it. I use a regular generic formula and have never experienced any issues. On days that I shave my armpits, I skip it just in case I might absorb too much magnesium.
Milk of magnesia is usually thought of as a laxative to be taken orally, but many people report that it is an effective deodorant when used topically.
Although MoM seems to be gentle, some people develop a skin reaction and should avoid it. We doubt there is much absorption, but loose stools would be a sign of too much magnesium.
I am surprised and disappointed by your answer to the lady asking for help with her hot flashes. Her doctor took her off hormones because of serious side effects, and she was suffering.
Although the Women’s Health Initiative demonstrated the dangers of PremPro, no comparable studies exist for bioidentical hormones.
Researchers have long known that the estrogen a woman makes herself has a significant impact on her risk of breast cancer (International Journal of Cancer, Oct. 15, 2010). The longer a woman has active menstrual periods, the higher the risk (International Journal of Epidemiology online, Aug. 13).
Since bioidentical hormones mimic a woman’s own hormonal production, we cannot assume that this therapy would be entirely safe. Women who would like to learn more about other ways to manage hot flashes, such as yams, Pycnogenol or vitamin E, may find our Guide to Menopause helpful. Anyone who would like a copy, please send $3 in check or money order with a long (No. 10), stamped (64 cents), self-addressed envelope to Graedons’ People’s Pharmacy, No. W-50, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027. It also can be downloaded for $2 from our website, www.peoplespharmacy.com.
I recently burned two of my fingers on a hot oven. They had already started to blister when I remembered reading about the soy sauce remedy. It was like magic: both the pain and the blisters went away quickly. The next day, I just had two small red marks.
I’ve been fascinated with this. When my son got his fourth huge mosquito bite of the week, I wondered if soy sauce might help reduce the swelling. His eye had swollen shut from a bite on his forehead, so when he was bitten on the cheek, I applied some soy sauce to it.
Within minutes, the swelling had receded, and it was completely invisible before he went to bed. Everyone should have soy sauce packets in his or her first-aid kit!
Thank you for the hint on mosquito bites. We’ve never heard that soy sauce might help.
My 92-year-old mom began having excruciating ankle pain about four months ago. She has seen five doctors, including three podiatrists, and a chiropractor, and had an emergency-room visit. They all said her pain was due to osteoarthritis or plantar fasciitis.
While researching ankle pain, I discovered that gout can sometimes affect other joints besides the big toe, and that celery seed extract may be helpful. I bought some for my mother, and after a week or two, she says her ankle pain is gone, although she still has occasional shooting pains into her big toe.
I feel better having her on celery seed extract rather than the ibuprofen she was taking. We were both worried about the possible side effects of that drug.
Gout can indeed affect other joints besides the big toe, and the pain can be excruciating. Many medications can raise uric-acid levels and increase the likelihood of developing gout.
Drugs to lower uric-acid levels can help manage gout. Celery seed extract and tart cherries are home remedies for gout, and celery seed has anti-inflammatory effects (Inflammopharmacology, December 2003).


43, of Deerfield Beach, Fla.; assigned to the Military Transition Team, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died Nov. 25 in Baaj, Iraq, after being shot by an Iraqi Security Force soldier while he was conducting a dismounted humanitarian food drop.
Anthony Davis trained and mentored Iraqi army members and delivered food and relief supplies to poor villages. He was part of a team that assessed schools and then planned renovations and organized supplies.
His daughter Diana, 18, also collected soccer balls to ship to her father, who distributed them to children on his missions.
“Anthony volunteered for humanitarian assistance duty so he could devote himself to the soccer ball plan and really reach out to the surrounding Iraqi communities in need of assistance,” said Joe Albuquerque of the Kerril Woods Homeowner’s Association.
Davis, 43, reared in Baltimore and lately of Triangle, Va., died Nov. 24 in Baaj after being shot by an Iraqi soldier while on a relief mission. He was assigned to Fort Riley.
“We must remain vigilant and pray that we a getting through to the younger generation, who will one day inherit this nation, so that they remember us as peaceful and encouraging not intruders and invaders,” Davis wrote in an e-mail.
He is survived by his wife, Anna, and five children between the ages of 9 and 26 and a 4-year-old grandson.


GREER, SC-- Dustin Dewayne Anders, 21, of 124 Skyland Circle, died August 24, 2007.
A native of Greenville County, son of Albert Anders of Greer and Curtis Anders and Teresa Redden of Greer, he was a member of Washington Baptist Church.
Also surviving are his wife, Kristen Thomas Anders of the home; a son, Justin Blake Anders of the home; two brothers, Steven Anders and Jamie Anders both of Greer; and two sisters, Tracey Anders and Casey Anders both of Greer.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM Tuesday at Washington Baptist Church, conducted by Dr. Drew Hines. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
Visitation will be held from 7:00-9:00 PM Monday at the Wood Mortuary.
The family is at the home of his brother, Steven Anders, 5 Fairview Road, Taylors.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Dustin Anders Fund c/o Greer State Bank, P. O. Box 1029, Greer, SC 29652.


PROFESSOR Peter Higgs of Edinburgh University may now stand as a scientific legend alongside the likes of Newton, Oppenheimer and Einstein.
But the Noble laureate-in-waiting is far from the only Scottish scientist behind one of the greatest achievements in physics in the last century: the discovery last week of the elusive Higgs boson – the God particle. Although Higgs proposed the theory of the particle nearly 50 years ago, behind the scenes, dozens of physicists from Scotland played a vital role in the experiments which led to the identification of the Higgs boson – a particle which holds the key to explaining how matter attains its mass, and how the universe works at its most fundamental level.
The discovery awaits full endorsement from the scientific community.
Around 50 academics, researchers, technicians and postgraduate students from both Glasgow and Edinburgh universities were part of the Atlas experiment team at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Cern, Switzerland, which announced the breakthrough on Wednesday.
Here we talk to some of those Scottish scientists about their work on the Atlas experiment and their thoughts on the significance of the likely discovery of the Higgs Boson particle.
Robson, 32, is a lecturer in physics at Glasgow University and first started working on the Atlas project when he was a student.
He analyses data from Atlas – an essential part of proving a discovery is bona fide.
Robson said finding the new particle was a "huge milestone". While the world is celebrating the achievement, scientists are a lot more reserved. The discovery is yet to be fully signed-off in scientific terms, and it is Robson's role to make sure it is.
He said: "We have discovered a new particle, but have really still to show that it is a Higgs boson. First of all the challenge is to collect a lot more of these particles, so we can make really precise measurements and see whether the particle does have the properties that the theory predicts – or whether it is actually something a bit more exotic."
Robson said the "scientific quest" had produced huge benefits along the way, including hopefully encouraging more young people into physics. He said: "Along the way to discovering [the Higgs boson] we have had to overcome all sorts of technological hurdles and that is what has the real effect on everyday life. Whether it is detectors with medical or security applications, or touch screens – which were first made at Cern to control the accelerators – all these 'by-products' do have a huge effect on everyday life.
"Students coming in to study physics at university say it's the big science, the particle physics and the astronomy that really excites them. I hope they will see that we are making huge advances in our knowledge in particle physics and it is an exciting time to be doing it."
Martin, 38, is a lecturer in particle physics, involved in experiments at Cern and a former student of Higgs.
She co-leads the team in Edinburgh University which has been involved in analysing the data collected in the Atlas experiment to search for signs of the Higgs boson.
She said: "This is a fantastic moment. So many people have worked on it for so long. There is a phrase – we have only seen further because we were standing on the shoulders of giants – and it really feels like that."
As an undergraduate student Martin was lectured by Higgs and remembers him as being a "tough, no-nonsense" but inspirational teacher.
She said that to her there were as yet no apparent practical consequences as a result the discovery of the Higgs boson particle but pointed out there had been huge benefits as a result of the building of the experiment.
She said: "For scientists it is really exciting to complete this picture in their head, but on the way to building the LHC and running it and operating it, there has been so many technological spin-offs which the public use nowadays.
"The most common one is the world wide web, which everybody uses, but was invented as a tool for physicists at Cern to communicate with each other."
Martin said another recent development was improved solar panels, based on new vacuum technology created to extract air particles in the LHC. She said: "These have been installed on the roof of Geneva airport and they are much more efficient than the solar panels that had been developed up until then."
Doyle, 49, Cern associate from Glasgow University, is in charge of the publications from the Atlas experiment.
He is currently working on submitting the results of the discovery of the Higgs boson to journal Physics Letter B, which will be published at the end of July.
Doyle said scientists from Glasgow University had been involved in the hunt for the Higgs boson particle for around 20 years, with the current team involving 35 people – a relatively large group.
He said: "Within the collaboration there are 3,000 [researchers] at 175 institutes worldwide, so it is an average number of 15 or so in a team.
"Our group is more than double the size of the average group. It is because we have been working on lots of elements and we have led the way in which all the data is analysed and distributed all over the world."
Doyle was at the seminar last Wednesday when the results were announced and said it was unlike any previous scientific event he had attended.
"It was like a rock concert, everyone was queuing up," he said. "Not everyone could fit into the auditorium, as there are thousands of people here. So there were different rooms which were being used around Cern to show it."
Doyle likened the process of searching for the Higgs boson to the space mission which was a test run for Apollo 11's successful moon landing.
He added: "My analogy is that last year was like Apollo 10, where we developed the technologies that we required. Now the eagle has landed."
Clark, 38, is reader in physics at Edinburgh University, another former student of Higgs and a key scientist on the Atlas project at Cern.
He also played a key role in the development of a computer system called Scotgrid, a joint enterprise along with the universities of Glasgow and Durham, which enables vast quantities of data from the experiments to be sent around the world to researchers.
He said: "All the computers around the world are hooked up to the experiment software. We run continually about 120,000 computer programmes across the world to simulate the particles that are produced at the LHC and also to analyse the data."
Clark said it was difficult to predict the future potential of the Higgs boson discovery, but pointed out the implications of great scientific breakthroughs in the past had been similarly unknown.
He said: "It just gives us so much more understanding of the fundamental particle interactions, and how they actually come about.
"To relate that to everyday life is really quite difficult and it could be very far into the future when we find there is something we haven't thought of.
"For example, when the electron was discovered, we didn't think about the whole internet revolution that is completely dependent upon the electron 100 years later.
Of the Higg's boson's significance he said: "I think I would liken [this discovery] to finally understanding the DNA mechanism, in that the scientific achievement is of similar scale."
St Denis, 52, senior lecturer in experimental particle physics at Glasgow University, has been involved in the project since 1991, when he helped to design what would eventually become the Atlas experiment.
He said it was difficult to envisage the application of such scientific theories, but pointed out they often had an impact on everyday life.
He said: "Einstein's theory of relativity is one you might have thought was a bit of an esoteric thing – what could that have to do with my life?
"The answer is in your cellphone and your satnav. Your position locator will not work without it as if you tried to do the calculations without general relativity it wouldn't find you."
St Denis said the discovery of the Higgs boson had triggered discussion and excitement equivalent to the first moon landing.
"The way to describe this is that it is like the Lord of the Rings – one particle shall rule them all," he said.
He said the importance of the Higgs boson discovery was comparable to the work of Sir Isaac Newton, who "made sense out of complete chaos and explained how planets move and at the same time explained how an apple fell. I think that is the level we are at with this."
Although the Higgs boson has been nicknamed the "God particle", because of its fundamental role in answering questions about the creation of the universe, St Denis said its discovery would not impact on anyone's religious beliefs, adding: "It strikes me as a term that was invented to be a little devilish."
Buttar, 49, is group leader of the Atlas project at Glasgow University and a reader in the university's school of physics and astronomy.
He started working on the Atlas project in around 1990, helping to build the experiment and develop a "tracker" at the centre of the Atlas detector to collect data and find the particle.
Buttar said the discovery of the particle which appears to be the Higgs boson could be the "last part of the jigsaw".
"One of the critical things is going to be to start looking at this and to check it is a Higgs," he said.
"The chances are it is a Higgs, but science has got to be more rigorous than that and we have got to go and do the measurements. That is going to take a while." Buttar pointed out that the search for the Higgs boson was not the only purpose of the LHC, which is going to be shut down next year to allow final repairs to be carried out following an accident four years ago.
A fault caused helium to leak into the tunnel that houses the collider, just nine days after it was switched on in September 2008.
Buttar said: "We have found the Higgs – that was definitely the main target – and in the next few years we have got to confirm it is the Higgs and what its properties are.
"The LHC will shut down next year and they are going to do the final repairs – when it comes back on its energy will have doubled.
"That will give us approximately double the reach in terms of looking for new phenomena."
He added: "It is a bit like a telescope – the Higgs is one of the big name items we are after, but there are many, many things going on at the same time."
Professor Peter Higgs, 83, came up with his theory while working as a researcher at Edinburgh University.
An honorary Scot, he was born in Newcastle and graduated with a first-class honours degree in physics from King's College London.
He moved to Edinburgh in 1960 to lecture in mathematical physics – a city which he had grown to love after once hitch-hiking to the Edinburgh Festival.
The scientist hit upon the concept of the Higgs boson while walking in the Cairngorms in 1964 and returned to his lab declaring he had had his "one big idea".
That moment has led to numerous accolades and he is now in line to win the Nobel prize.
But he has spoken of the toll his search to understand the building blocks of the universe has taken, with the stress of his work leading to the breakdown of his marriage to American wife, Jodie, in 1972.
He has previously said: "We split up because I had put my science career above the family. I backed out of a family holiday when we were meant to be going to America. Then I got on a plane and went to a conference."
The notoriously shy professor retired in 1996 and became emeritus professor of physics at Edinburgh University.
He lives in the capital's New Town and doesn't have a television or use a computer – someone else checks his email for him – and rarely answers the phone.
In typically unassuming manner, when asked about his reaction to the discovery which is likely to confirm his life's work, his answer was: "It's very nice to be right sometimes."


Pulitzer Prize-winning author Philip Roth resorts to public channels to get a Wikipedia entry changed...and succeeds.
After writing an open (and, of course, extremely eloquent) letter that was published in the New Yorker, Philip Roth got his wish: Wikipedia has changed its entry on his novel The Human Stain to indicate the proper source for its protagonist Coleman Silk. Rather than listing the late New Yorker critic Anatole Broyard as the inspiration, the entry will now indicate that Princeton professor Melvin Tumin, also deceased, was the one who spoke the key sentences from which the novel grew.
Roth's original request to Wikipedia was denied, even though he was the author of the work, because the site administrator claimed it needed "secondary sources." Because Wikipedia is an open-source site that, theoretically, anyone can edit, all Roth needed to do was have an assistant (one presumes he has at least one) go in and make the change. However, with enough street cred, which the Pulitzer Prize winner obviously has, not only can you write a letter and get it published in a major magazine and expect results, you can have that same letter referenced in the Wikipedia entry itself.


I spend most of the time at Women and Children’s Hospital of Buffalo taking care of routine Surgical Pathology, and Frozen sections. We cover a broad spectrum of cases which are received not only from children but also from adult patients.
We have a very close relationship with Gastroenterology Group. All endoscopic biopsies are reviewed every week in a joint conference attended by Physicians, Fellows, Residents and Medical students.
Pathology Residents from SUNY program rotate through this hospital for Pediatric Pathology training. I serve as Site Director for this training.
Neonatal and Pediatric autopsies are performed here and they are later discussed with a group of pediatricians, surgeons, radiologists and OB/GYN, whoever is involved in that particular case.
I am and Assistant Director for the Clinical Laboratories of Women’s and Children’s Hospital and also Assistant Director of Blood Bank at Buffalo General Hospital. I am responsible for all hemoglobin electrophoresis performed at the specialty lab of Women’s and Children’s Hospital and, on rotation basis, cover Immunofluorescence at Kaleida Health Lab at Flint Road.
I represent Roswell Park Cancer Institute as Principal Investigator of Pathology at National Children Oncology Group (COG) and as an Investigator for NIH- Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program. We discuss all malignancies at Tumor Board. The Tumor Board is held every week at Women’s and Children’s Hospital with video link to Roswell Park Cancer Institute.
Lee JJ, Baker RD, Khan AR, Baker SS. Childhood esophagitis: then and now. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2009; 48(1).
Katz MS, Hess DJ, Caty MG, Khan AR, Glick PL. Of snakes and babies: intrathoracic stomach and vertebral rachischisis. A serpentine-like syndrome? J Pediatr Surg. 2008; 43(7).
Khan GM, Grillo IA, Abu-Eshy SA, Khan AR, Mubarak J, Jastaniah S. Pathology of the appendix. J Natl Med Assoc. 2000; 92(11).
Archibong EI, Sobande AA, Sadek AA, Ajao OG, Khan AR, Fawehinmi O. The changing pattern of malignant neoplasms among females in Asir region of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Med J. 2000; 21(9).
Khan AR. Comparison of H. pylori-gastritis among young and old patients by using "the modified Sydney system of classification and grading". Saudi J Gastroenterol. 1999; 5(2).
Khan AR. Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the stomach with heterologous elements. Ann Saudi Med. 1999; 19(2).
Khan AR, Al-Homrany M. IgA nephropathy accompanied by silica-deposited interstitial hephritis. Ann Saudi Med. 1999; 19(1).
Khan AR. S-100 protein in the diagnosis of tuberculoid/borderline tuberculoid leprosy. Ann Saudi Med. 1998; 18(4).
Bhattachan CL, Khan AR. Mixed osteoclastic and pleomorphic giant cell carcinoma of the pancreas. Ann Saudi Med. 1998; 18(2).
Khan AR, Abu-Eshy SA. Variants of papillary carcinoma of the thyroid: experience at Asir Central Hospital. J R Coll Surg Edinb. 1998; 43(1).
Khan AR. An age- and gender-specific analysis of H. Pylori infection. Ann Saudi Med. 1998; 18(1).
Shamim A, Kameswaran M, Thomas R, Khan AR. Primary laryngeal amyloidosis. Ann Saudi Med. 1996; 16(3).
Abu-Eshy SA, Khan AR, Khan GM, al-Humaidi MA, al-Shehri MY, Malatani TS. Thyroid malignancy in multinodular goitre and solitary nodule. J R Coll Surg Edinb. 1995; 40(5).
Abu-Eshy SA, Malik GM, Khan AR, Khan GM, Al-Shehri MY. Schistosomal appendicitis. Ann Saudi Med. 1995; 15(4).
Abu-Eshy SA, Al-Shehri MY, Khan AR, Khan GM, Al-Humaidi MA, Malatani TS. Causes of goiter in the Asir region: A histopathological analysis of 361 cases. Ann Saudi Med. 1995; 15(1).
Morad N, Khan AR, Al-Saigh A, Malatani T, Hussain N. Pattern of primary gastrointestinal tract cancer in the southern province. Ann Saudi Med. 1992; 12(3).
Khurana P, Morad N, Khan AR, Shetty S, Ibrahim A, Patil K. Impact of schistosomiasis on urinary bladder cancer in the southern province of Saudi Arabia: review of 60 cases. J Trop Med Hyg. 1992; 95(2).
Morad N, Malatani T, Khan AR, Hussain N. Peripheral lymphadenopathy as a primary presenting sign: A study of 324 cases from Asir region. Ann Saudi Med. 1992; 12(1).
Khan AR, Hussain NK, Al-Saigh A, Malatani T, Sheikha AA. Pattern of cancer at Asir Central Hospital, Abha, Saudi Arabia. Ann Saudi Med. 1991; 11(3).
Annobil SH, Benjamin B, Kameswaran M, Khan AR. Lipoid pneumonia in children following aspiration of animal fat (ghee). Ann Trop Paediatr. 1991; 11(1).
Seixas-Mikelus SA, Khan A, Williot PE, Greenfield SP, Khan AR. Three-month-old boy with juvenile granulosa cell tumor of testis and ossifying renal tumor of infancy. Urology. 2009; 74(2).
Broderick K, Thompson JH, Khan AR, Greenfield SP. Giant cell reaction with phagocytosis adjacent to dextranomer-hyaluronic acid (Deflux) implant: possible reason for Deflux failure. J Pediatr Urol. 2008; 4(4).
el-Shoura S, Sheikha A, al-Janadi M, Morad N, Khan AR, Westmuckett A. Visceral leishmaniasis: II. Histiocyte ultrastructure in bone marrow associated with low level of parasitaemia and mimicking malignant histiocytosis. Appl Parasitol. 1993; 34(4).
Fisher JE, Khan AR, Heitlinger L, Allen JE, Afshani E. Chronic granulomatous disease of childhood with acute ulcerative colitis: a unique association. Pediatr Pathol. 1987; 7(1).
Green DM, Marinello MJ, Fisher J, Mindell ER, Zak TA, Allen JE, Khan AR, Brecher ML. Ewing‘s sarcoma of the scapula with metastases to the lung and eye. Am J Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 1986; 8(2).
Khan AR, Min B, Chai SW, Englander LS. Biphasic malignant mesothelioma (malignant adenomatoid tumor) of paratesticular tissue. Urology. 1984; 24(1).


Mick Foley Talks Why Daughter Noelle Isn't Pursuing A WWE Career - Wrestling Inc.
Even during his various hiatuses from WWE, Mick Foley has never strayed far from the WWE Universe. From 2016-17 Foley's family was depicted on the WWE Network show, Holy Foley! The show was received favorably but hasn't had any new episodes in nearly two years. Foley joined Andy Malnoske of Wrestling Inc where he discussed the current status of Holy Foley!
"We really enjoyed doing it… But it was an expensive show for the [WWE] Network to make, and when you look at some of their other shows, it's a GoPro on a windshield," Foley said referring to Ride Along.
"I think if this was a show that was on USA or E!, there probably would have been a better home because you could have a big budget for it. It would have found fans who are not WWE loyalists. I think Total Bellas has probably half of their viewership who are not actively watching wrestling.
"I was glad they took a chance on it. We really enjoyed those 10 weeks together... and to get paid. But it just didn't work out. It was the highest-rated show [on WWE Network] of all-time for a little while, but there's only so many times people can watch 10 episodes over and over and over."
The breakout star of Holy Foley! was Mick's daughter, Noelle. There was even some thought that Noelle would join WWE after she expressed interest in becoming a women's Superstar. But she opted against doing that and Foley addressed why Noelle stopped pursuing an in-ring career.
"No, she got banged up quite a bit," Foley said of Noelle's training. "Injured, not just banged up but injured."
Noelle may not follow in her father's footsteps by joining WWE, but another Foley kid has already. Mick's oldest son, Dewey, joined WWE as a creative assistant in 2016 and was recently promoted to the writing staff.


This past weekend the Fleming Lady Wildcats were on the road and came away with a 1-1 record. On Friday evening, they trounced the Weldon Valley Warriors 61-40 and Saturday fell short in a 43-45 contest to the Genoa-Hugo/Karval Pirates.
Friday's game found the Wildcats with three double figure scorers. Whitney Chintala and Kendyl Kirkwood with 22 points apiece. Jenna Lengfelder put up a solid 15. Jordan Alvarez rounded out the scoring with two points. Kirkwood was also a force on the boards, with 15 rebounds followed by Chintala with seven. Chintala added to her complete game with six steals and eight assists to lead her team in those catagories.
Saturday's trip to Hugo found the Lady 'Cats coming up just a bit short to the 13-1 Pirates. Chintala once again led her team in scoring, pouring in 21 points. No other Wildcat ended up in double figures in the contest, either in scoring or rebounding. Kirkwood led the team with eight rebounds. Lengfelder led the team in assists with three, and Chintala added seven steals.
The Lady Wildcats will take on the Prairie Mustangs at Northeastern Junior College on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. They close out the regular season on Tuesday, Feb. 12 in an away conference game against Peetz.


A short service will be held at the Cross of Sacrifice and the Roll of Honour read out.
At approximately 11:00 am two minutes silence will followed marked by the firing of the saluting guns on Victory Green.
The elected government of the Falkland Islands has made the following arrangements for Sunday 9 November 2014, Remembrance Sunday, which will begin the annual service to be held at Christ Church Cathedral commencing at 09:30 am and led by Reverend Canon Paul Kerr and other local ministers.
His Excellency the Governor, Commander British Forces, Members of the Legislative Assembly, visiting and resident South Atlantic veterans, together with Senior Officers of the Armed Services will be attending this Service. The Armoured Corps & Prince of Wales Division Band will provide musical accompaniment. During the Service a collection will be made for the Poppy Appeal.
The congregation is requested to be seated in the Cathedral by 9.15 am. Seating will be on a first come first served basis.
The Guards procession, Associations and SAMA Veterans will march to the Cross of Sacrifice after the service with accompaniment provided by elements of the Band. The flow of traffic will be controlled on Ross Road, Crozier Place and Ross Road East to permit this march. Youth organisations will be present at the Cross of Sacrifice.
At 10.48 am HE the Governor, a Member of the Legislative Assembly and the Commander British Forces will arrive at the Cross of Sacrifice. A short service will then be held and the Roll of Honour read out. There will be two minutes silence at approximately 11.00 am marked by the firing of the saluting guns on Victory Green.
HE the Governor, an Elected Member of the Legislative Assembly, the Commander British Forces, will lay wreaths. Others wishing to lay wreaths will then do so.
Gilbert House points out that this is an important public occasion and it is earnestly hoped that as many members of the community as possible will attend this observance ceremony and play an equal part in honouring and remembering all those who have given their lives for the peace and freedom we enjoy today. It is appropriate for medals to be worn on this occasion.
All those arriving by vehicle at the Cross of Sacrifice should do so before 10:30 a.m. Drivers are requested to note that parking in the cordoned areas is not permitted and are asked to switch off their engines. The flow of traffic will be controlled, during the observance ceremony, at the junction of Snake Hill and James Street, the junction of Hebe Street with Ross Road and Ross Road East, east of the Cross of Sacrifice, in the vicinity of Lafone House. Drivers of vehicles are requested to await the departure of the parade before moving off.
Remembrance Day (also known as Poppy Day or Armistice Day) is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries since the end of World War I to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty.
Tags: Falkland Islands, Poppy Appeal, Remembrance Sunday, Victory Green.
Brazil and Argentina are to hold negotiations over the possible procurement of Brazilian-made, but Swedish-designed, jet fighters.
Brazil and Argentina are to begin negotiations over the purchase of Swedish-designed Gripen fighters to be manufactured in Brazil.The decision was announced in Brazil by visiting Argentine Defense Minister Agustín Rossi.
Brazil's Ministry of Defense said the talks over the possible purchase of 24 Brazil-produced Gripens would include not only the conditions of purchase but also Argentina's participation in the production of the Saab-designed aircraft.
Some may well be plotting the next offensive.
Where do they get the money ?
The Gripen has systems from the USA and Britain in it. You might be able to replace electronics, but ejection seats and engines are a bit tougher.


The survival of cricket in a country where soccer is everything can be attributed to the likes of Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge and other cricketers at the Vatican. Source: The Weekend Australian.
The young Mark Coleridge was preparing to take the field in a cricket match in a park surrounding Rome’s picturesque Villa Doria Pamphili in the 1980s when a bemused local approached.
It was not an entirely surprising reaction. Cricket was virtually unknown in Italy at the time, having been outlawed by Benito Mussolini before World War II, as it was considered to be inextricably connected with England.
“There was always a bit of a crowd stopping to watch us playing,” Archbishop Coleridge said.
Nonetheless, there was one place in Rome where Mussolini could not entirely exert his power: the Vatican.
“Religious cricket” was still played there and in Catholic seminaries and monasteries by British, Australian and South African members of the Church, says Simone Gambino, president of the Italian Cricket Federation.
Arthur Hinsley, who became Archbishop of Westminster in 1935, is credited with keeping the flame of the game alive. After arriving at the Vatican in 1917 as Rector of the Venerable English College in Rome, he bought land that was adapted as a cricket pitch.
The game survived and slowly emerged in post-war Italy, with members of the Church joining local teams, alongside English-speaking expats, and, increasingly, the “new Italians” from Sri Lanka, India and other parts of the subcontinent.
And according to Mr Gambino, Archbishop Coleridge — an opening batsman who also bowled right-arm orthodox spin — was one of the best players in Italy in the 1980s.


Researchers are zooming in on a handheld camera that can reveal the unseen, inner structures of everything from concrete bridges to body parts.
Remember those X-ray glasses advertised in the back of comic books? Imagine a handheld camera that can reveal the unseen, inner structures of everything from concrete bridges to body parts.
Researchers at Missouri University of Science and Technology under engineering professor Reza Zoughi have developed a patented device that can show the inner structures of objects in real time by using millimeter and microwave signals.
Potential applications include the detection of cancerous skin cells, termite damage to buildings, or concealed weapons at secure zones like airports.
The tech could also be used for finding "defects in thermal insulating materials that are found in spacecraft heat insulating foam and tiles, space habitat structures, aircraft radomes and composite-strengthened concrete bridge members," Zoughi was quoted as saying in a release.
The prototype camera has been in development for several years--check out the vid below, from 2009.
In its current form, objects have to be placed between a transmitter for the microwave radiation and a collector. It can run for several hours on a laptop-size battery.
The researchers are planning to upgrade it to a single unit that works more like a video camera, according to the university. It may eventually produce "real-time 3D or holographic images," Zoughi said.
That would be pretty nifty. Can X-ray glasses be far off?


"Amid all the noise, we are getting on with the job," Prime Minister Theresa May wrote in the Sunday Telegraph.
London: Prime Minister Theresa May said on Sunday she would not be derailed from leaving the European Union, laying the groundwork for difficult meetings this week in which she will try to unite a divided cabinet behind her vision for post-Brexit Britain.
May was applauded by European Union leaders in Brussels on Friday after securing an agreement to move previously-deadlocked talks forward onto the topic of interim and long-term trading arrangements.
The progress has gone some way to easing concerns of businesses and investors who fear Britain could crash out of the bloc without an exit deal, or that May's fragile government could collapse under the pressure of delivering Brexit.
"Amid all the noise, we are getting on with the job," May wrote in the Sunday Telegraph. "My message today is very clear: we will not be derailed from this fundamental duty to deliver the democratic will of the British people."
But May can expect some difficult exchanges this week when she and senior ministers discuss the so-called "end state" of the Brexit negotiations for the first time since Britain voted to leave the EU in a referendum in June 2016.
The type of long-term relationship the country should have with the EU is a vexed question at every level in Britain, including within May's cabinet where some want to keep close ties with the EU and others want a more radical divorce from Brussels.
Mindful of the need to keep both sides happy, May has so far plotted a careful path.
May says she wants a wide-ranging free trade deal with the EU and a more outward-looking trade policy, but has largely steered clear of the more contentious issues such as whether Britain should stay aligned with EU trading rules and the future role of European courts.
Meetings expected to take place on Monday and Tuesday are likely to force those issues out into the open.
One of the key pro-Brexit voices in the cabinet, foreign minister Boris Johnson, has set out his own view ahead of the meetings, warning May that Britain must avoid becoming subordinate to the EU.
"What we need to do is something new and ambitious, which allows zero tariffs and frictionless trade but still gives us that important freedom to decide our own regulatory framework, our own laws and do things in a distinctive way in the future," he told the Sunday Times newspaper.
He said that mirroring EU laws would leave Britons asking "'What is the point of what you have achieved?' because we would have gone from a member state to a vassal state."


WEST DES MOINES, Iowa -- A family-run business in West Des Moines is celebrating a big anniversary Saturday.
Sisters in Valley Junction is celebrating 35 years in business. The boutique shop is run by two sisters, Sara Davis and Greta McCarty, who took it over from their mother.
“There's always been ups and downs, but we love the Junction and it's always been a great place to be. And right now it's really thriving with so many great businesses down here,” said co-owner Davis.
The shop is known for its unique clothing items and handmade jewelry you can't find anywhere else.
Sisters is located at 202 5th Street in West Des Moines.


The Boy Scouts of America’s blanket ban on gay adult leaders could end Monday when a top policy-making board plans to vote. Church-sponsored Scout units, however, could be allowed to maintain the exclusion.
NEW YORK – The Boy Scouts of America’s blanket ban on gay adult leaders could end Monday when a top policy-making board plans to vote. Church-sponsored Scout units, however, could be allowed to maintain the exclusion.
The new policy, aimed at easing a controversy that has embroiled the Boy Scouts for decades, would take effect immediately if approved by the organization’s 80-member National Executive Board. Its members were convening for a closed-to-the-media meeting conducted by teleconference.
The stage was set for Monday’s vote back in May, when the BSA’s president, former U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, told the Scouts’ annual national meeting that that the long-standing ban on participation by openly gay adults was no longer sustainable. He said the ban was likely to be targeted by lawsuits that the Scouts were apt to lose.
Two weeks ago, the new policy was approved unanimously by the BSA’s 17-member National Executive Committee. It would allow local Scout units to select adult leaders without regard to sexual orientation — a stance that several Scout councils have already adopted in defiance of the official national policy.
In 2013, after heated internal debate, the BSA decided to allow openly gay youth as scouts, but not gay adults as leaders. Several denominations that sponsor large numbers of Scout units — including the Roman Catholic church, the Mormon church and the Southern Baptist Convention — have been apprehensive about ending the ban on gay adults.
The BSA’s top leaders have pledged to defend the right of any church-sponsored units to continue excluding gays as adult volunteers.
The BSA faced potential lawsuits in New York and some other states if it continued to enforce its ban. And the exclusionary policy prompted numerous major corporations to suspend charitable donations to the Scouts in recent years.
Like several other major youth organizations, the Boy Scouts have experienced a membership decline in recent decades.