Factory orders rise less than expected in April

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New orders for factory goods rose in April, but not enough to reverse the prior month's plunge, adding to signs of a slowdown in manufacturing activity.

The Commerce Department on Wednesday said new orders for manufactured goods increased 1 percent. March's orders were revised to show a 4.7 percent decline instead of the previously reported 4.9 percent tumble.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast orders received by factories rising 1.5 percent.

Manufacturing has been hit by a combination of deep government spending cuts and slowing global demand, especially in China and the recession-hit Europe.

Data on Monday showed a gauge of national factory activity contracted in May for the first time in six months, dragged down by declining orders.

This suggests the weakness in factory activity, also highlighted by a drop in industrial production in April, will probably persist for some time.

The Commerce Department report showed factory orders were lifted by an 8.4 percent jump in transportation equipment on the back of strong orders for automobiles, and civilian and defense aircraft.

Orders excluding the volatile transportation category slipped 0.1 percent after falling 2.8 percent in March.

Outside transportation there were gains in orders for machinery, computer and electronic products, primary metals and electrical equipment, appliances and components.

Unfilled orders for manufactured goods rose 0.3 percent and were up 0.8 percent excluding aircraft, a positive sign for factories. Shipments fell for second straight month.

Stocks of unsold factory goods edged up 0.2 percent, showing no sign inventories are piling up, which should help the sector in the long-run. Factory inventories account for more than a third of business inventories.

The inventories-to-shipments ratio was 1.31, the highest since June 2012, and up from 1.30 in March. The unfilled orders-to-shipments ratio increased to 6.26 from 6.21.

The Commerce Department also said orders for durable goods, manufactured products expected to last three years or more, rose 3.5 percent instead of the 3.3 percent increase reported last week.

Durable goods orders excluding transportation were up 1.5 percent rather than 1.3 percent.

Orders for non-defense capital goods excluding aircraft - seen as a measure of business confidence and spending plans - increased 1.2 percent as previously reported.

(Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Neil Stempleman)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/factory-orders-rise-less-expected-april-140236302.html

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How to Really Eat Like a Hunter-Gatherer: Why the Paleo Diet Is Half-Baked [Interactive + Infographic]

Image: Marissa Fessenden

• 

  Showcasing more than fifty of the most provocative, original, and significant online essays from 2011, The Best Science Writing Online 2012 will change the way...

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Meet Grok. According to his online profile, he is a tall, lean, ripped and agile 30-year-old. By every measure, Grok is in superb health: low blood pressure; no inflammation; ideal levels of insulin, glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides. He and his family eat really healthy, too. They gather wild seeds, grasses, and nuts; seasonal vegetables; roots and berries. They hunt and fish their own meat. Between foraging, building sturdy shelters from natural materials, collecting firewood and fending off dangerous predators far larger than himself, Grok's life is strenuous, perilous and physically demanding. Yet, somehow, he is a stress-free dude who always manages to get enough sleep and finds the time to enjoy moments of tranquility beside gurgling creeks. He is perfectly suited to his environment in every way. He is totally Zen.

Ostensibly, Grok is "a rather typical hunter?gatherer" living before the dawn of agriculture?an "official primal prototype." He is the poster-persona for fitness author and blogger Mark Sisson's "Primal Blueprint"?a set of guidelines that "allows you to control how your genes express themselves in order to build the strongest, leanest, healthiest body possible, taking clues from evolutionary biology (that's the primal part)." These guidelines incorporate many principles of what is more commonly known as the Paleolithic, or caveman, diet, which started to whet people's appetites as early as the 1960s and is available in many different flavors today.

Proponents of the Paleo diet follow a nutritional plan based on the eating habits of our ancestors in the Paleolithic period, between 2.5 million and 10,000 years ago. Before agriculture and industry, humans presumably lived as hunter?gatherers: picking berry after berry off of bushes; digging up tumescent tubers; chasing mammals to the point of exhaustion; scavenging meat, fat and organs from animals that larger predators had killed; and eventually learning to fish with lines and hooks and hunt with spears, nets, bows and arrows.

Most Paleo dieters of today do none of this, with the exception of occasional hunting trips or a little urban foraging. Instead, their diet is largely defined by what they do not do: most do not eat dairy or processed grains of any kind, because humans did not invent such foods until after the Paleolithic; peanuts, lentils, beans, peas and other legumes are off the menu, but nuts are okay; meat is consumed in large quantities, often cooked in animal fat of some kind; Paleo dieters sometimes eat fruit and often devour vegetables; and processed sugars are prohibited, but a little honey now and then is fine.

Almost equal numbers of advocates and critics seem to have gathered at the Paleo diet dinner table and both tribes have a few particularly vociferous members. Critiques of the Paleo diet range from the mild?Eh, it's certainly not the worst way to eat?to the acerbic: It is nonsensical and sometimes dangerously restrictive. Most recently, in her book Paleofantasy, evolutionary biologist Marlene Zuk of the University of California, Riverside, debunks what she identifies as myths central to the Paleo diet and the larger Paleo lifestyle movement.

Most nutritionists consent that the Paleo diet gets at least one thing right?cutting down on processed foods that have been highly modified from their raw state through various methods of preservation. Examples include white bread and other refined flour products, artificial cheese, certain cold cuts and packaged meats, potato chips, and sugary cereals. Such processed foods often offer less protein, fiber and iron than their unprocessed equivalents, and some are packed with sodium and preservatives that may increase the risk of heart disease and certain cancers.

But the Paleo diet bans more than just highly processed junk foods?in its most traditional form, it prohibits any kind of food unavailable to stone age hunter?gatherers, including dairy rich in calcium, grains replete with fiber, and vitamins and legumes packed with protein. The rationale for such constraint?in fact the entire premise of the Paleo diet?is, at best, only half correct. Because the human body adapted to life in the stone age, Paleo dieters argue?and because our genetics and anatomy have changed very little since then, they say?we should emulate the diets of our Paleo predecessors as closely as possible in order to be healthy. Obesity, heart disease, diabetes, cancer and many other "modern" diseases, the reasoning goes, result primarily from the incompatibility of our stone age anatomy with our contemporary way of eating.

Diet has been an important part of our evolution?as it is for every species?and we have inherited many adaptations from our Paleo predecessors. Understanding how we evolved could, in principle, help us make smarter dietary choices today. But the logic behind the Paleo diet fails in several ways: by making apotheosis of one particular slice of our evolutionary history; by insisting that we are biologically identical to stone age humans; and by denying the benefits of some of our more modern methods of eating.

??Paleofantasies? call to mind a time when everything about us?body, mind, and behavior?was in sync with the environment?but no such time existed," Zuk wrote in her book. "We and every other living thing have always lurched along in evolutionary time, with the inevitable trade-offs that are a hallmark of life.?

On his website, Sisson writes that "while the world has changed in innumerable ways in the last 10,000 years (for better and worse), the human genome has changed very little and thus only thrives under similar conditions." This is simply not true. In fact, this reasoning misconstrues how evolution works. If humans and other organisms could only thrive in circumstances similar to the ones their predecessors lived in, life would not have lasted very long.

Several examples of recent and relatively speedy human evolution underscore that our anatomy and genetics have not been set in stone since the stone age. Within a span of 7,000 years, for instance, people adapted to eating dairy by developing lactose tolerance. Usually, the gene encoding an enzyme named lactase?which breaks down lactose sugars in milk?shuts down after infancy; when dairy became prevalent, many people evolved a mutation that kept the gene turned on throughout life. Likewise, the genetic mutation responsible for blue eyes likely arose between 6,000 and 10,000 years ago. And in regions where malaria is common, natural selection has modified people's immune systems and red blood cells in ways that help them resist the mosquito-borne disease; some of these genetic mutations appeared within the last 10,000 or even 5,000 years. The organisms with which we share our bodies have evolved even faster, particularly the billions of bacteria living in our intestines. Our gut bacteria interact with our food in many ways, helping us break down tough plant fibers, but also competing for calories. We do not have direct evidence of which bacterial species thrived in Paleolithic intestines, but we can be sure that their microbial communities do not exactly match our own.

Even if eating only foods available to hunter?gatherers in the Paleolithic made sense, it would be impossible. As Christina Warinner of the University of Zurich emphasizes in her 2012 TED talk, just about every single species commonly consumed today?whether a fruit, vegetable or animal?is drastically different from its Paleolithic predecessor. In most cases, we have transformed the species we eat through artificial selection: we have bred cows, chickens and goats to provide as much meat, milk and eggs as possible and have sown seeds only from plants with the most desirable traits?with the biggest fruits, plumpest kernels, sweetest flesh and fewest natural toxins. Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and kale are all different cultivars of a single species, Brassica oleracea; generation by generation, we reshaped this one plant's leaves, stems and flowers into wildly different arrangements, the same way we bred Welsh corgis, pugs, dachshunds, Saint Bernards and greyhounds out of a single wolf species. Corn was once a straggly grass known as teosinte and tomatoes were once much smaller berries. And the wild ancestors of bananas were rife with seeds.

The Paleo diet not only misunderstands how our own species, the organisms inside our bodies and the animals and plants we eat have evolved over the last 10,000 years, it also ignores much of the evidence about our ancestors' health during their?often brief?individual life spans (even if a minority of our Paleo ancestors made it into their 40s or beyond, many children likely died before age 15). In contrast to Grok, neither Paleo hunter?gatherers nor our more recent predecessors were sculpted Adonises immune to all disease. A recent study in The Lancet looked for signs of atherosclerosis?arteries clogged with cholesterol and fats?in more than one hundred ancient mummies from societies of farmers, foragers and hunter?gatherers around the world, including Egypt, Peru, the southwestern U.S and the Aleutian Islands. "A common assumption is that atherosclerosis is predominately lifestyle-related, and that if modern human beings could emulate preindustrial or even preagricultural lifestyles, that atherosclerosis, or least its clinical manifestations, would be avoided," the researchers wrote. But they found evidence of probable or definite atherosclerosis in 47 of 137 mummies from each of the different geographical regions. And even if heart disease, cancer, obesity and diabetes were not as common among our predecessors, they still faced numerous threats to their health that modern sanitation and medicine have rendered negligible for people in industrialized nations, such as infestations of parasites and certain lethal bacterial and viral infections.

?

Some Paleo dieters emphasize that they never believed in one true caveman lifestyle or diet and that?in the fashion of Sisson's Blueprint?they use our evolutionary past to form guidelines, not scripture. That strategy seems reasonably solid at first, but quickly disintegrates. Even though researchers know enough to make some generalizations about human diets in the Paleolithic with reasonable certainty, the details remain murky. Exactly what proportions of meat and vegetables did different hominid species eat in the Paleolithic? It's not clear. Just how far back were our ancestors eating grains and dairy? Perhaps far earlier than we initially thought. What we can say for certain is that in the Paleolithic, the human diet varied immensely by geography, season and opportunity. "We now know that humans have evolved not to subsist on a single, Paleolithic diet but to be flexible eaters, an insight that has important implications for the current debate over what people today should eat in order to be healthy," anthropologist William Leonard of Northwestern University wrote in Scientific American in 2002.

Jen Christiansen

We cannot time travel and join our Paleo ancestors by the campfire as they prepare to eat; likewise, shards of ancient pottery and fossilized teeth can tell us only so much. If we compare the diets of so-called modern hunter-gatherers, however, we see just how difficult it is to find meaningful commonalities and extract useful dietary guidelines from their disparate lives (see infographic). Which hunter?gatherer tribe are we supposed to mimic, exactly? How do we reconcile the Inuit diet?mostly the flesh of sea mammals?with the more varied plant and land animal diet of the Hadza or !Kung? Chucking the many different hunter?gather diets into a blender to come up with some kind of quintessential smoothie is a little ridiculous. "Too often modern health problems are portrayed as the result of eating 'bad' foods that are departures from the natural human diet?This is a fundamentally flawed approach to assessing human nutritional needs," Leonard wrote. "Our species was not designed to subsist on a single, optimal diet. What is remarkable about human beings is the extraordinary variety of what we eat. We have been able to thrive in almost every ecosystem on the Earth, consuming diets ranging from almost all animal foods among populations of the Arctic to primarily tubers and cereal grains among populations in the high Andes.?

Closely examining one group of modern hunter?gatherers?the Hiwi?reveals how much variation exists within the diet of a single small foraging society and deflates the notion that hunter?gatherers have impeccable health. Such examination also makes obvious the immense gap between a genuine community of foragers and Paleo dieters living in modern cities, selectively shopping at farmers' markets and making sure the dressing on their house salad is gluten, sugar and dairy free.

Illustration by Marissa Fessenden

By latest count, about 800 Hiwi live in palm thatched huts in Colombia and Venezuela. In 1990 Ana Magdalena Hurtado and Kim Hill?now both at Arizona State University in Tempe?published a thorough study (pdf) of the Hiwi diet in the neotropical savannas of the Orinoco River basin in Southwestern Venezuela. Vast grasslands with belts of forest, these savannas receive plenty of rain between May and November. From January through March, however, precipitation is rare: the grasses shrivel, while lakes and lagoons evaporate. Fish trapped in shrinking pools of water are easy targets for caiman, capybaras and turtles. In turn, the desiccating lakes become prime hunting territory for the Hiwi. During the wet season, however, the Hiwi mainly hunt for animals in the forest, using bows and arrows.

The Hiwi gather and hunt a diverse group of plants and animals from the savannas, forests, rivers and swamps. Their main sources of meat are capybara, collared peccary, deer, anteater, armadillo, and feral cattle, numerous species of fish, and at least some turtle species. Less commonly consumed animals include iguanas and savanna lizards, wild rabbits, and many birds. Not exactly the kind of meat Paleo dieters and others in urban areas can easily obtain.

Five roots, both bitter and sweet, are staples in the Hiwi diet, as are palm nuts and palm hearts, several different fruits, a wild legume named Campsiandra comosa, and honey produced by several bee species and sometimes by wasps. A few Hiwi families tend small, scattered and largely unproductive fields of plantains, corn and squash. At neighboring cattle ranches in a town about 30 kilometers away, some Hiwi buy rice, noodles, corn flour and sugar. Anthropologists and tourists have also given the Hiwi similar processed foods as gifts (see illustration at top).

Hill and Hurtado calculated that foods hunted and collected in the wild account for 95 percent of the Hiwi's total caloric intake; the remaining 5 percent comes from store-bought goods as well as from fruits and squash gathered from the Hiwi's small fields. They rely more on purchased goods during the peak of the dry season.

The Hiwi are not particularly healthy. Compared to the Ache, a hunter?gatherer tribe in Paraguay, the Hiwi are shorter, thinner, more lethargic and less well nourished. Hiwi men and women of all ages constantly complain of hunger. Many Hiwi are heavily infected with parasitic hookworms, which burrow into the small intestine and feed on blood. And only 50 percent of Hiwi children survive beyond the age of 15.

Drop Grok into the Hiwi's midst?or indeed among any modern or ancient hunter?gather society?and he would be a complete aberration. Grok cannot teach us how to live or eat; he never existed. Living off the land or restricting oneself to foods available before agriculture and industry does not guarantee good health. The human body is not simply a collection of adaptations to life in the Paleolithic?its legacy is far greater. Each of us is a dynamic assemblage of inherited traits that have been tweaked, transformed, lost and regained since the beginning of life itself. Such changes have not ceased in the past 10,000 years.

Ultimately?regardless of one's intentions?the Paleo diet is founded more on privilege than on logic. Hunter?gatherers in the Paleolithic hunted and gathered because they had to. Paleo dieters attempt to eat like hunter?gatherers because they want to.

Source: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=why-paleo-diet-half-baked-how-hunter-gatherer-really-eat

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Mississippi man linked to ricin letters indicted by grand jury

TUPELO, Mississippi (Reuters) - A Mississippi martial arts instructor was named in a five-count indictment charging him with mailing ricin-laced letters to President Barack Obama and two other public officials, authorities said on Monday.

The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Mississippi said James Everett Dutschke, 41, who was arrested on April 27, faced a maximum penalty of life in prison for threatening the president and others by mail and "possessing a biological agent, toxin and delivery system for use as a weapon."

The grand jury indictment was filed against Dutschke on Friday as authorities, in separate cases in Washington state and Texas, were investigating two other batches of ricin-laced letters sent to Obama.

The most recent case has centered on a man in New Boston, Texas, whose wife called the police to report suspicious activity, a law enforcement official said.

Dutschke's arrest came several days after U.S. prosecutors dropped charges against another Mississippi man, Paul Kevin Curtis, who was released from jail after a search of his home revealed no incriminating evidence.

The case drew widespread media scrutiny in the days after the bombing at the Boston Marathon.

The grand jury indictment against Dutschke included one count charging him with having "intentionally devised a scheme and artifice to make it appear that Paul Kevin Curtis had mailed threatening letters containing ricin to the president of the United States, a United States senator, and a Mississippi Justice Court judge."

Curtis, an Elvis impersonator, had already alleged that Dutschke attempted to frame him as part of a long-running feud.

Dutschke, who has been held without bail since waiving his right to a detention hearing, is due to appear in U.S. District Court in Oxford, Mississippi on Thursday, the U.S. Attorney's office said.

(Reporting by Robbie Ward; Writing by Tom Brown; Editing by Bob Burgdorfer)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mississippi-man-linked-ricin-letters-indicted-grand-jury-230116445.html

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Kofi Kingston undergoes elbow surgery

All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, logos and copyrights are the exclusive property of WWE, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. ? 2013 WWE, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This website is based in the United States. By submitting personal information to this website you consent to your information being maintained in the U.S., subject to applicable U.S. laws. U.S. law may be different than the law of your home country. WrestleMania XXIX (NY/NJ) logo TM & ? 2013 WWE. All Rights Reserved. The Empire State Building design is a registered trademark and used with permission by ESBC.

Source: http://www.wwe.com/shows/smackdown/2013-05-31/kofi-injury-update

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A hard-fought battle rages over BlackBerry sales estimates

Pretty much on the same day as Digitimes reported that BlackBerry boosting its component orders, a directly opposite message was sent by Pacific Crest?s James Faucette. He sees an enormous gap between production and demand; combined sell-through of well?below 500,000 Z10 and Q10 models with production remaining above 1.5 million units per month. If true, this would be one of the most massive discrepancies between demand and supply for a smartphone platform in recent years.

[More from BGR: Windows Phone and iOS are growing faster than Android in the U.S.]

However, there is something oddly familiar between the Pacific Crest claim. It sounds very much like a certain February note from the same brokerage. In that note, Faucette projected BlackBerry would ship between 275,000 and 325,000 Z10s during the February quarter. The company ended up shipping 1 million units, over 200% more than Faucette projected. Of course, that is a sell-in number and does not reveal how many units were bought by consumers. But Pacific Crest anchors much of its research on component order checks ? and those are supposed to?reflect?sell-in levels.

[More from BGR: Photos of Apple?s new entry-level iPhone supposedly leak]

That is far from the only weird drama surrounding BlackBerry shipment estimates in recent months. Back in February, Canaccord?executed a jaw-dropping cut in its Z10 shipment estimates, slashing the number from 1.75 million to 300,000. This also happened just before the company announced it shipped 1 million phones.

What is going on?

One major factor?motivating hysterical research notes and wild estimate swings is simply a raw need for attention. There are too many small and mid-sized brokerages out there. Most clients have slashed the funds they use to pay for research over the past decade, and many hedge funds have the habit of calling analysts with?the highest and lowest estimates on the Street and ignoring the middle.

This combination of shrinking research payment pools and attention garnered by outliers has created a perverse incentive. Some smaller brokerages can only get client attention by?moving way, way out of the consensus range with sales and earnings estimates. Many analysts no longer even seek accuracy ? the only goal is apparently to make a splash that is big enough to get some client calls returned.

As a result, the fringes of Wall Street sell-side research are starting to resemble a carnival sideshow; bearded ladies and lizard-tongued boys scrambling for dimes. The situation is likely to grow only more?garish?if buy-side compensation for brokerage research continues its grinding slide.

This article was originally published on BGR.com

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hard-fought-battle-rages-over-blackberry-sales-estimates-174000462.html

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Toshiba refreshes its PC lineup with new mainstream notebooks, a gaming laptop

If you're going to unveil a completely refreshed PC lineup, you may as well do it the week Intel launches some new processors (and, you know, the week a big computer show is going on). Toshiba just announced a slew of new models, including an all-in-one, a redesigned gaming notebook and mainstream laptops in various sizes. It'd be silly to overwhelm you with details right here, since everything from the designs to the GPUs have changed, but if you follow us past the break we've got a neat summary of everything Toshiba introduced today, complete with pricing, specs and a few hands-on photos too.

Filed under: Laptops

Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/IDnAn9qiKQk/

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2013 Welcome Letter | The Northfield Conference

WELCOME TO THE 2013 NORTHFIELD CONFERENCE!

YOUR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:

Conference Coordinators: Audrey Kern, Judi Blum, Allison Bishop

League Officers: Andrew Mason, President; Connie Walsh, Secretary; Ron McClain, Treasurer

Registrar: Peggy Andreas Youth Program Coordinator: Ron McClain

Program Co-Chairs: Tracey Briscoe & Betsy Taylor

We are so excited that we will all be gathering at Northfield in only a few weeks!

We have a unique and fun week lined up, and to ensure that you have a good time

we want you to have information that will help you prepare.

ADDRESS : 28 Mt. Hermon Station Road, Gill, MA TELEPHONE: 413-498-3610

DIRECTIONS:

From I-91: Take the Bernardston/Northfield exit. Go east on Rt. 10/63; the Northfield-Mt. Hermon campus will be on your right

Off Rt. 2 to Erving: After passing Erving paper mill and a small white church on right, take immediate right at Erving Municipal Building (Church Street). This route takes you over the mountain to the junction of Rt. 63. Turn left on to Rt. 63. Turn right onto Rt. 10. The Northfield-Mt. Hermon campus will be on your left.

REGISTRATION: Saturday, June 23rd ? 1:00 to 5:00 in Grandin Auditorium

Everyone must register at this time!!

ROOM & BOARD: Payable at Registration to: Northfield Conference

ROOMS: Most rooms are doubles, although there are some singles and triples.

NO LINENS, PILLOWS, BLANKETS, OR TOWELS WILL BE PROVIDED. Please bring whatever you need. (Bring twin bed flat sheets. Do not bring fitted sheets, as the beds are extra long.) ALSO: NO soap, shampoo or bathroom cups are provided. Please bring what you need.

WE ASK THAT?you bring UNscented body products to the Conference as we have members of our community who are extremely sensitive to scented products (cologne, perfume, hair spray, lotions, etc).

RECOMMENDED ITEMS TO BRING: alarm clock, wastebasket, clothes hangers, a reading lamp, fan, extension cord, flashlight, umbrella.

OTHER OPTIONAL ITEMS TO BRING: Books/readings to share with others during Sacred Circle, a journal & pen, iPods, CD?s, instruments, cards, games, puzzles, tennis racquets, soccer ball, softball glove, bats, balls, a Frisbee, a Yoga mat, mosquito repellent, suntan lotion, bathing suit, beach towel.

FAMILIES WITH SMALL CHILDREN should bring toys & other playthings, and provide any special requirements for eating and sleeping (e.g. rubber sheet for bed, highchairs, maybe a portable crib).

VALUABLES: We cannot be responsible for valuables taken from the rooms. Rooms should NOT be locked (you won?t be able to unlock them without help); thus, unwanted entrance to them cannot be controlled.

Please bring a FOLDING BEACH CHAIR (one that is LOW to the ground) for Conference Hours.

CLOTHING: Dress is casual ? slacks, shorts, T-shirts, sweaters, sneakers, sandals, swimsuit. (A raincoat or umbrella is useful.) Loose, comfortable clothing is essential for dance and movement workshops.

NOTE: Weather can change from very hot & sunny to cold & wet! Be prepared!!

WATER BOTTLES: Please bring your own water bottle to be used all week to save on the use of disposable paper cups.

JAMMING: Bring instruments (drums, guitars, rattles, percussion instruments, etc.) for spontaneous music making and for Singing on Rainbow Point!!

SACRED CIRCLE: This is the time for our community to gather together to share readings, prayers, songs, dances, etc. Please bring a special/sacred object for our altar. Also, bring your ideas to the daily Sacred Circle planning meeting.

CLUB NORTHFIELD: Our time to talk, play, and dance the night away! Bring your iPod with your favorite play list for everyone?s enjoyment! If you would like to help raise money and have good food to nibble on in between dancing & socializing, please bring home-baked goodies for us to sell!

SPECIAL EVENING ACTIVITIES (in addition to Club Northfield):

COMMUNITY DANCE & PLAY (Sunday Evening). An all-community participatory dance extravaganza! Come join Barb Siftar as she guides us through a fun evening!

COFFEE HOUSE (Monday Evening)): An opportunity to share your literary talents with the community! Read your original prose or poetry or sing an original song. Sign up early, as there is a limit to the performances. There is a strict 5-minute limit, so practice and time yourself.

RAINBOW POINT/LABYRINTH WALK/CLUB NORTHFIELD/ARTS & CRAFTS SALE

(Tuesday Evening)

This evening?s Sacred Circle will be held on Rainbow Point with lots of group singing. The meditative Labyrinth Walk will follow. After singing and meditating, Club Northfield will have us dancing and admiring the artistic talent of Northfielders who bring their wares to sell at the Arts & Craft Sale. If you have items (art, crafts, CDs, jewelry?) to sell, please let Tracey Briscoe know in advance (traceybriscoe@gmail.com). 20% of all sales are donated to the Northfield Scholarship Fund.

TALENT SHOW (Wednesday Night): Skits, music, drama, and things that can?t be categorize or even explained?. you will see it all! If you have a talent, come prepared with the accessories you need. Again, sign up early as there are strict limits on how many acts can be accommodated, and the 5-minute limit also applies.?PLEASE, NO REPEAT ACTS FROM THE COFFEE HOUSE.

THEME DANCE (Thursday Night) We end our week with our annual night of dancing, laughs and photo ops. This year the theme for the dance is:??BLING IT.? This is our time to sparkle and shine and spangle and?BLING! Bring what you need to make a spectacle of yourself!

WORKSHOP LEADERS: If you plan to have hand-outs for those who attend your workshop, please make copies ahead of time and bring them with you. The School?s charge to us for photocopying is rather high.

COMPUTERS AND CELL PHONES: Our goal is to be as ?unplugged? as possible during our week together and we hope that everyone can work together toward this end. We ask that if you need to use a computer or cell phone, that you do so in private spaces. ALL CELL PHONES MUST BE TURNED OFF DURING COMMUNITY GATHERINGS (Conference Hour, Families, Sacred Circle, Labyrinth Walk, Workshops, etc.) For those who need to get onto their computer, there is free WiFi in many spaces on campus, but in the dorms you may need a cable to hook up to the internet ? specifically a CAT-5 ethernet cable.

WORKSHOP ATTENDEES: In order to fully participate in several workshops, you might want to come prepared with some objects or materials. Some workshops require that you bring notepad and pen, others a yoga mat and comfortable clothing for movement. Here are some workshops that have specific needs:

Indra?s Net

Please bring any objects you would like to attach to this creative imagining of our theme!

Intentional Collaging

Please bring collage materials: cards, photos, magazines, artsy papers, poster board, scissors

Tie Dye Workshop is a Northfield tradition.

Please bring all things white or light-colored: T-shirts, socks, sheets, etc. to make beautiful colorful creations.

FRIDAY, JUNE 28, 2013: The Conference ends after breakfast and Closing Ceremony, general clean up of dorm rooms and common areas. Everyone must leave by 10:00 a.m.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

THE SILENT AUCTIONS! (One for Children, one for Adults)

The Children?s Auction is for items suitable for our children to purchase. The Adult Silent Auction is for ANYTHING that someone might wish to purchase ? there?s a place for it. The more offerings we have, the more interesting the auctions! So, check your attics and basements and see what could be an enticing addition to our Auctions! Here are some ideas of ?big money? items and services for the Adult Silent Auction for you to

consider, or get you to think of what you can offer that would benefit the Scholarship Fund:

Use of your vacation home for a weekend or a week

A work of art

Homemade cookies sent to someone 1/month for 3 months, or 5 x year

A piece of Custom Designed Furniture

Photography ? Family Photo Shoot for holiday card or a Pet Photo Shoot

SURPRISE PACKAGE ? Items from your area (San Francisco, Arizona, Canada?.)

Creating a Custom CD of favorite photos

Knitted socks, sweaters, hats, etc.

Send a fine bottle of wine every month or 4 times/year

Send a surprise book 4 times a year

Handyman for a day (someone in MA, CT, NH)

Donate Concert / Theater Tickets

Help plant a garden or gardening design advice

Massage or Reiki work

Weekend in Boston/Cambridge, Canada, or NYC

Golf or tennis Lesson ? AND ANY OTHER IDEAS!!!!!!!

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

NEWCOMERS (First year attendees) :

PLEASE LET US KNOW OF ANYONE AT THE CONFERENCE TO WHOM YOU ARE VERY CLOSE OR RELATED. THIS WILL HELP US FORM THE ?FAMILIES?? FOR THE WEEK.

Please Email Peggy Andreas at NPCregistrar@comcast.net THANK YOU!

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Source: http://northfieldconference.org/2013/06/02/2013-welcome-letter/

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Reformation Bible College | HOMESCHOOLING TEEN

Reformation Bible College (RBC) is located in Sanford, Florida, just 30 minutes north of Orlando. It?s a perfect setting for students to grow in their knowledge of God while enjoying both His creation and the culture of Central Florida. Students have quick access to the scenic wilderness preserves and waterways of Seminole County. Sanford?s historic downtown is vibrant with restaurants, art galleries, antique shops, and a palm-lined promenade along the shoreline of Lake Monroe. Movie theatres, bookstores, a marina, zoo, and one of the largest malls in Central Florida are readily available ?close to home.? Nearby, the large city of Orlando features world-famous theme parks such as Disney World, Universal Studios Florida, SeaWorld Orlando, and Gatorland.

RBC?s campus sits on 42 acres of prime lakefront property adjacent to the international headquarters of Dr. R.C. Sproul?s Ligonier Ministries and the majestic architecture of Saint Andrew?s Church, where Sproul is co-pastor. The distinctly Reformed college was founded by Dr. Sproul in January 2009 as a subsidiary of Ligonier Ministries, continuing the Ligonier tradition of teaching Christians to think deeply, critically, and obediently about every aspect of faith by mining the riches of Scripture.

Academics

Both institution and curriculum adhere to the centuries-old tradition of the reformers and are aimed at providing disciples of Christ the proper foundation to glorify God, proclaim God?s kingdom, and foster an ongoing reformation throughout their lives and in their churches, homes, and workplaces. The cornerstone of academics at RBC is rigorous study of God?s Word?holding that the living and active Word of God is still the greatest need in the world today. RBC offers a deep, meaningful encounter with the author of history, the source of truth, and the sustainer of faith. ?For we know that when the Bible is taught clearly, God is seen in all of His majesty and holiness, and hearts are conquered, minds renewed, and communities transformed.?

In addition to studying the Bible and the doctrines of historic Reformed theology, RBC?s academics are rooted in the grand tradition of classical education through a Great Works emphasis. You will study the great works of art, literature, philosophy, theology, and music from a Christian perspective. With a critical eye formed by God?s eternal truths found in Scripture, you will be equipped to discern good from evil, truth from falsehood, and beauty from ugliness?providing a framework from which to examine everything you learn in college and beyond. This foundation prepares you for success in pursuing any vocation to which God has called you.

Degree Programs

RBC?s degree programs are specifically designed to give graduates a thorough knowledge of the English Bible; an introduction to basic principles of hermeneutics (text interpretation); a basic grounding in systematic, biblical, and historical theology; and an appreciation and knowledge of the context of Scripture throughout church history and in the broader history of ideas. Knowledge of the classic works of literature, philosophy, and music is essential to basic literacy; many of these works also shaped the intellectual world within which the great theologians of the church lived and wrote.

RBC offers bachelor?s degrees in Biblical Studies, Theological Studies, and Sacred Music, as well as an Associate of Arts in Biblical and Theological Studies. A degree completion is available for people who already have at least 60 hours of well rounded undergraduate studies or an Associate of Arts degree at another institution. These students can then take 60 hours of RBC?s core Biblical and Theological courses and be awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biblical and Theological Studies.

RBC is not presently accredited, which is not unusual for a new institution since the process ordinarily takes several years to complete. In general, the benefits of accreditation are that it indicates that the school provides a quality education, that its credits will transfer to other schools, and that it is eligible to participate in the federal student loan program. According to the RBC Academic Catalog, ?Because of the high standards set for RBC?s administration and faculty, we are poised to be considered ?accredited? and have already developed solid relationships with several of the leading seminaries in the United States.?

Student Life

At RBC, students can participate in a community of learning populated by serious, like-minded individuals, bound together by a deep respect for God?s Word and a desire to live a life that glorifies and enjoys Him. A low student-to-professor ratio enables in-depth discussion with both students and professors. All classes are taught by a world-class faculty led by Dr. R.C. Sproul, including some of the brightest scholars and theologians in the Reformed world, who have earned recognition in their fields and hold advanced degrees.

The freshman class size averages only about 30 students. RBC intentionally keeps their incoming class sizes small to ensure that professors, not assistants, teach each class and that you?ll also enjoy strong and personal discipleship. Additionally, small class sizes help to develop strong ties between classmates, resulting in a unique closely knit community. At RBC you?re not a number; you?re part of a community where you?re known and loved.

RBC doesn?t require daily chapel or even flawless class attendance, but it does mandate membership in a church. There is no housing on campus, but RBC partners with families in local churches who are willing to rent housing to students and to connect incoming students in order to facilitate their making housing arrangements together. Some nearby apartment complexes offer discounts for RBC students. RBC does not have a cafeteria; however, students are welcome to use the kitchen with refrigerator and microwaves when they bring meals to campus. The college is outfitted with the latest WiFi capability.

A Student?s Perspective

Thomas Booher, who dropped out of three other colleges before discovering RBC at the age of 21, wrote on his blog: ?My first year at Reformation Bible College is now almost over? and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn the reformed faith in an environment conducive to growing spiritually as well as theologically? It?s great, and humbling, to be around so many smart people, people whom God has graciously blessed with insight and wisdom. I am not only talking about the professors, but fellow students. When you are sitting at home, cut off from other reformed folk, you can begin to think that you are the only person left in the world that cares about the deeper things of God and wrestling with Scripture to discern Truth. Thankfully? being part of a Christian community where the Christians actually act like Christians has been the most refreshing thing?. I?ve said a lot about Christian colleges negatively in the past, even some in my own denomination, and I think justifiably so. But so far, I can without hesitation recommend Reformation Bible College as being a very wonderful, and unique, Christian experience indeed.?

Admissions

Since RBC?s class sizes are so small, space is limited and admission is competitive. The credentials leading to admission into one of RBC?s undergraduate programs encompass a range of factors: educational background, intellectual achievement, personal and spiritual maturity, and vocational aspirations. Sacred Music applicants are required to have an audition, demonstrate basic musicianship skills, and take a music theory exam.

All applicants must successfully complete a public, private, or homeschool high school (or its equivalent) program prior to enrollment at RBC, unless you?re a Dual Enrollment applicant desiring to take classes while still in high school. All applicants need to provide transcripts, ACT/SAT scores, two general references, a church reference, and a parental acknowledgement. To graduate from RBC, students must earn a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 which equals a B.

Homeschoolers have always been welcome at RBC. If you are home educated, RBC suggests this link for examples on how to generate a transcript: http://www.hslda.org/highschool/academics.asp . Heidi Zeller, the administrative assistant and registrar for RBC, was homeschooled in a Christian family. She lived many years in a Seminary community where knowing God was central, then studied for and received a Bachelor?s degree from a Christian College (Covenant College, History, 2009). She joined the RBC team in April 2011.

RBC offers affordable tuition, and financial aid is available. Limited Work Study positions are also available. Visit http://www.ReformationBibleCollege.org or contact the admissions office at 888-RBC-1517 to learn more. You can view the college catalog at http://reformationbiblecollege.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/RBC_Catalog.pdf . Prospective students are invited to visit the campus, join RBC?s Facebook page, and/or follow RBC on Twitter.

FREE Online Course for Dual Enrollment Students

As Reformation Bible College develops and grows, they plan to make some of their courses and materials available to students who are unable to move to central Florida. These courses will be facilitated by an RBC faculty member via an online learning system incorporating recorded video/audio lectures, reading assignments, and discussion forums. Being online means there are no set days or times for class meetings. The online system enables students to access all assignments and study material, and also provides the vehicle by which they interact with their teacher and classmates. All homework, tests, and quizzes will be due on Saturdays, leaving Sundays for rest.

There are currently two online courses to choose from: 1. The Doctrine of God (a study of the existence and attributes of the Trinitarian God revealed in Scripture), and 2. Theological Prolegomena (a study of the nature, method, and sources of theology), both of which begin on July 29, 2013. The future cost of these online courses have yet to be determined; however, at this time because they are still in the test phase, RBC is offering one course free for new dual enrollment students (students still in high school who have never taken a free class from RBC) and $300 ($100/credit hour) for everyone else. Additionally, students will need to pay a $35 application fee (new students only) and a $35 online technology fee. The application procedure for online courses is a condensed process:

? Complete and submit an online application, select ?Online Courses? as your program.
? Distribute the Church Reference form to be completed and mailed directly to the Admissions Office.
? Arrange to have your transcripts?even if no program was completed?sent to the Admissions Office.
? Submit the applicable application fee. Payment may be made by check or money order via mail, or by phone using a credit or debit card.

For more information, see: http://reformationbiblecollege.org/academics. Completed applications are due by June 28, 2013.

Source: http://www.homeschoolingteen.com/2013/06/reformation-bible-college/

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HitFox-Incubated Mobile Games Marketing Platform AppLift Raises $13M Series A

As mobile gaming has exploded, it follows that startups helping to feed and in turn feed off the mobile gaming ecosystem are poised for growth. One such company is AppLift, the mobile games marketing platform co-founded and backed by games distribution incubator HitFox, which today is announcing that it's closed a $13 million Series A round from Prime Ventures.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/ujXwRfm_vrc/

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Why sharks generate more money alive than dead

Shawn Heinrichs

Shark ecotourism currently generates more than $314 million annually, according to researchers from the University of British Columbia in Canada.

By Denise Chow, Live Science

Sharks that are free to swim around in their natural habitats are a valuable part of tourism around the world, a new study finds, which suggests sharks are worth more in the world's oceans than they are on restaurant menus.

The new research provides evidence of the value of conservation against the rampant killing of sharks for food, said study lead author Andr?s Cisneros-Montemayor, a Ph.D. candidate in the fisheries economics research unit at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada.

A team of scientists pored through data from 70 sites in 45 countries to compare how much money is generated each year by fisheries that fuel the global shark fin trade, and how much is generated by ecotourism, which encompasses all forms of shark-watching activities.

Currently, shark ecotourism brings in $314 million annually worldwide, and this sector is expected to continue growing. Surges in shark tourism are particularly evident in the Caribbean and Australia, the researchers said.

"That figure is projected to double to over $700 million per year within the next 20 years," Cisneros-Montemayor told LiveScience.

In comparison, the landed market value (which refers to the market value of goods on the day they are offloaded from a vessel) of shark fisheries around the globe is $630 million per year, but has been in decline over the past 10 to 15 years, the researchers said. [ On the Brink: A Gallery of Wild Sharks ]

Approximately 38 million sharks are killed each year to meet the demands of the controversial shark fin industry, which uses the fins to make shark fin soup, a dish that is considered a delicacy in some Asian countries. Sharks are often thrown back into the ocean to die after their fins have been removed.

But, there are other important reasons to promote shark conservation beyond economics, Cisneros-Montemayor said. For one, sharks play a vital role in the ecosystem of the oceans.

"Studies have found that if you remove top predators, like sharks, you change the structure of the ecosystem itself," he explained. "This significantly changes the ecosystem, and it puts you in danger of all kinds of bad things happening."

For one, sharks keep the ocean's complex food webs in balance by feeding on aging or slower populations of fish. This keeps fish species lower down on the food chain from becoming too populous, or from overfeeding on their respective prey. Without sharks, this delicate system could collapse, Cisneros-Montemayor explained.Shark conservation efforts are also imperative in order to ensure the health of the species, the researchers said.

"Sharks are slow to mature and produce few offspring," study co-author Rashid Sumaila, director of UBC's Fisheries Center, said in a statement. "The protection of live sharks, especially through dedicated protected areas, can benefit a much wider economic spectrum while helping the species recover."

The results of the study were published Thursday (May 30) in Oryx ? The International Journal of Conservation.

Follow Denise Chow on Twitter@denisechow. Follow LiveScience@livescience,Facebook?&Google+. Original article on? LiveScience.com.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653377/s/2cb76d09/l/0Lscience0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A60C0A10C186838760Ewhy0Esharks0Egenerate0Emore0Emoney0Ealive0Ethan0Edead0Dlite/story01.htm

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Jean Stapleton, TV's Edith Bunker, dies at 90

FILE - Cast members of "All in the Family," from left, Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, and Sally Struthers pose with their Emmys backstage at the 24th annual Emmy Awards in Hollywood, Ca., Sunday night, May 14, 1972. O'Connor and Stapleton won outstanding continued performance by an actor and actress in a leading role in a comedy series. Struthers tied in the category of outstanding performance by an actress in a supporting role in a comedy. Stapleton has died at the age of 90. John Putch said Saturday, June 1, 2013 that his mother died Friday, May 31, 2013 of natural causes at her New York City home surrounded by friends and family. (AP Photo)

FILE - Cast members of "All in the Family," from left, Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, and Sally Struthers pose with their Emmys backstage at the 24th annual Emmy Awards in Hollywood, Ca., Sunday night, May 14, 1972. O'Connor and Stapleton won outstanding continued performance by an actor and actress in a leading role in a comedy series. Struthers tied in the category of outstanding performance by an actress in a supporting role in a comedy. Stapleton has died at the age of 90. John Putch said Saturday, June 1, 2013 that his mother died Friday, May 31, 2013 of natural causes at her New York City home surrounded by friends and family. (AP Photo)

FILE - Actress Jean Stapleton speaks during an interview in Washington on Wednesday, March 3, 1977, saying she will increase speaking out to the "Edith Bunkers" of the land to try and muster support for the Equal Rights Amendment. Stapleton, who played Edith Bunker in the groundbreaking 1970s TV comedy "All in the Family," has died. She was 90. John Putch said Saturday, June 1, 2013 that his mother died Friday, May 31, 2013 of natural causes at her New York City home surrounded by friends and family. (AP Photo/Jeff Taylor)

FILE - Co-stars Art Carney, left, and Jean Stapleton stand together during a rehearsal for the play "You Can't Take it With You" in Los Angeles on May 14, 1979. Stapleton has died at the age of 90. John Putch said Saturday, June 1, 2013 that his mother died Friday, May 31, 2013 of natural causes at her New York City home surrounded by friends and family. (AP Photo/Brich)

This 1991 file photo shows Jean Stapleton in the off-Broadway musical theater piece called "Bob Appetit." (AP Photo)

Actress Jean Stapleton answers a question from a Soviet artist at a U.S.-Soviet round table discussion of mutual concerns in April 1983. From left actors: Earle Hyman, Edith Behr, Stapleton and Barbara Colton. Stapleton has died at the age of 90. John Putch said Saturday, June 1, 2013 that his mother died Friday, May 31, 2013 of natural causes at her New York City home surrounded by friends and family. (AP Photo/B.Y.)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Jean Stapleton's Edith Bunker was such a dithery charmer that we had to love her. And because she loved her bombastic husband Archie, we made room for him and TV's daring "All in the Family."

It took an actress as smart and deft as Stapleton to create the character that Archie called "dingbat," giving a tender core to a sitcom that tested viewers with its bigoted American family man and blunt take on social issues.

Stapleton, 90, who died Friday of natural causes at her New York City home, was the sweet, trusting counterpoint to Carroll O'Connor's irascible Archie on the 1970s groundbreaking show from producers Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin.

"No one gave more profound 'How to be a Human Being' lessons than Jean Stapleton," Lear said Saturday.

While Edith faced problems, including a breast cancer scare, with strength, it was the demanding Archie who presented her greatest challenge. Stapleton made her much more than a doormat, but the actress was concerned about what the character might convey.

Edith's flighty manner, cheerfully high-pitched voice and family loyalty enchanted viewers, while Stapleton viewed her as oppressed and, she hoped, removed from reality.

"What Edith represents is the housewife who is still in bondage to the male figure, very submissive and restricted to the home. She is very naive, and she kind of thinks through a mist, and she lacks the education to expand her world. I would hope that most housewives are not like that," Stapleton told the New York Times in 1972.

Her character regularly obeyed her husband's demand to "stifle yourself."

But Edith was honest and compassionate, and "in most situations she says the truth and pricks Archie's inflated ego," Stapleton added.

"She was unforgettable in that role," Bette Midler posted on her Twitter account Saturday.

Roseanne Barr lauded Stapleton in a tweet as a "great actor whose range was unbelievable, deep and majestic."

The stage-trained actress was little known to the public before "All In the Family," the top-rated CBS sitcom that also starred Sally Struthers as the couple's daughter and Rob Reiner as their liberal son-in-law Mike, aka Meathead.

"Jean was a brilliant comedienne with exquisite timing. Working with her was one of the greatest experiences of my life," Reiner said in a statement.

Stapleton was surrounded by family and friends when she died.

"It is with great love and heavy hearts that we say farewell to our collective Mother, with a capital M," said her son and daughter, John Putch and Pamela Putch, in a statement. "Her devotion to her craft and her family taught us all great life lessons."

She proved her own toughness when her husband of 26 years, William Putch, suffered a fatal heart attack in 1983 at age 60 while the couple was touring with a play directed by Putch.

Stapleton went on stage in Syracuse, N.Y., that night and continued on with the tour. "That's what he would have wanted," she told People magazine in 1984. "I realized it was a refuge to have that play, rather than to sit and wallow. And it was his show."

She received eight Emmy nominations and won three times during her eight-year tenure with "All in the Family." The series broke through the timidity of U.S. TV with social and political jabs and ranked as the No. 1-rated program for an unprecedented five years in a row. Lear would go on to create a run of socially conscious sitcoms.

Stapleton also earned Emmy nominations for playing Eleanor Roosevelt in the 1982 film "Eleanor, First Lady of the World" and for a guest appearance in 1995 on "Grace Under Fire."

Her big-screen films included a pair directed by Nora Ephron: the 1998 Tom Hanks-Meg Ryan romance "You've Got Mail" and 1996's "Michael" starring John Travolta. She also turned down the chance to star in the popular mystery show, "Murder, She Wrote," which became a showcase for Angela Lansbury.

The theater was Stapleton's first love and she compiled a rich resume, starting in 1941 as a New England stock player and moving to Broadway in the 1950s and 60s. In 1964, she originated the role of Mrs. Strakosh in "Funny Girl" with Barbra Streisand. Others musicals and plays included "Bells Are Ringing," ''Rhinoceros" and Damn Yankees," in which her performance ? and the nasal tone she used in "All in the Family" ? attracted Lear's attention and led to his auditioning her for the role of Archie's wife.

"I wasn't a leading lady type," she once told The Associated Press. "I knew where I belonged. And actually, I found character work much more interesting than leading ladies."

She confounded Archie with her malapropos ? "You know what they say, misery is the best company" ? and open-hearted acceptance of others, including her beleaguered son-in-law and African-Americans and other minorities that Archie disdained.

As the series progressed, Stapleton had the chance to offer a deeper take on Edith as the character faced milestones including a breast cancer scare and menopause. She was proud of the show's political edge, citing an episode about a draft dodger who clashes with Archie as a personal favorite.

But Stapleton worried about typecasting, rejecting any roles, commercials or sketches on variety shows that called for a character similar to Edith. Despite pleas from Lear not to let Edith die, Stapleton left the show, re-titled "Archie's Place," in 1980, leaving Archie to carry on as a widower.

"My decision is to go out into the world and do something else. I'm not constituted as an actress to remain in the same role.... My identity as an actress is in jeopardy if I invested my entire career in Edith Bunker," she told the AP in 1979.

She had no trouble shaking off Edith ? "when you finish a role, you're done with it. There's no deep, spooky connection with the parts you play," she told the AP in 2002 ? but after O'Connor's 2001 death she got condolence letters from people who thought they were really married. When people spotted her in public and called her "Edith," she would politely remind them that her name was Jean.

Stapleton was born in New York City to Joseph Murray and his wife, Marie Stapleton Murray, a singer. She attended Hunter College, leaving for a secretarial stint before embarking on acting studies with the American Theatre Wing and others.

Stapleton had a long working relationship with playwright Horton Foote, starting with one of his first full-length plays in 1944, "People in the Show," and continuing with six other works through the 2000s.

"I was very impressed with her. She has a wonderful sense of character. Her sense of coming to life on stage ? I never get tired of watching," Foote told the AP in 2002. He died in 2009.

Her early TV career included guest appearances on series including "Lux Video Theatre," ''Dr. Kildare" and "The Defenders."

Her post-"All in the Family" career included a one-woman stage show, "Eleanor," in which she portrayed the wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Stapleton spent summers working at the Totem Pole Playhouse near Harrisburg, Pa., operated by her husband, William. She made guest appearances on "Murphy Brown" and "Everybody Loves Raymond" and even provided the title character's voice for a children's video game, "Grandma Ollie's Morphabet Soup."

For years, she rarely watched "All In the Family," but had softened by 2000, when she told the Archive of American Television that enough time had passed.

"I can watch totally objectively," she said. "I love it. And I laugh. I think, 'Oh,' and I think, 'Gee, that's good.'"

___

Associated Press writers Jake Pearson in New York and Nedra Pickler in Washington contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-06-01-Obit-Stapleton/id-4f7abd4d56114332b024a391dbc24dd0

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Frogs Fading? Amphibian Census May Guide Recovery Leaps (Op-Ed)

Karen Lips, an amphibian ecologist and tropical biologist, is an associate professor at the University of Maryland in College Park. She contributed this article to LiveScience's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights

It was a dark and steamy night and clouds of insects were biting our faces and hands as we carefully examined a tiny emerald glass frog. I was with my team of researchers in the middle of the jungle in the mountains of Panama. We were standing on slippery rocks in the middle of a stream doing our annual census of amphibians and reptiles in Parque Nacional Omar Torrijos. Every year since 1998, we've been following individually marked frogs to see how long they live, where they live, and how many frogs are in this population.

We used to spend hours every night capturing and marking dozens of these glass frogs, but in 2004, a pathogenic fungus called Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) invaded this site and wiped out hundreds and hundreds of amphibians.

The emerald glass frog survived, but it is much less abundant today and it takes us only an hour to run the same transect. Because we marked animals before the epidemic and after the epidemic, we can compare how many infected frogs live as long as uninfected frogs. This can tell us why some populations persist, but are not recovering; it tells us why some populations continue to decline; and it can tell us how fast or slow those populations are changing. It might help us figure out whether the problem is the death of adults, or lack of survival in young stages, and it can help identify habitats where populations are improving and places where they are doing worse. [In Photos: 40 Freaky Frogs]

A really good example of the importance of population studies is a recent paper featuring research from the Australian tropics. Those scientists showed that after two decades of coexisting with Bd, populations of the common mist frog continue to decline, even though the scientists never found any dead frogs. They were able to link the decline in population abundance to intensity of infection by Bd. This is really important, because Bd is now found across the globe, and in hundreds of species of amphibians, but dead frogs are detected only occasionally. This paper shows us that just because we do not see die-offs does not mean amphibians are not dying and that population declines are not happening. [Frog Fungus Causes Grisly Death by Dehydration]

A few weeks ago, a group of scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey published a paper that described slow, but steady, population declines in 48 species from 34 sites across the United States. What was most concerning was that even widespread species we thought were relatively stable were declining. This matches with the many stories I hear from concerned citizens who say that they don't see or hear as many frogs in their backyards as they used to. Because those scientists spent the time to count amphibians, they were they able to detect the slow loss in those populations.

We need more studies like these that can go beyond the distribution of threats and can show us how amphibian populations respond to disease so that we can design appropriate conservation and management actions to protect those species.

For example, if population declines are slow and steady, we might have time to experiment with different management practices; but if populations are declining quickly, we might need to establish captive assurance colonies or take tissues for cryopreservation to protect evolutionary lineages.

Likewise, we need to know which age class, sex or subpopulation might be the limiting step in population recovery. If the problem is in the tadpole stage and none survive to become adults, then we might want to design a reintroduction program that adds more adults to the system. If adults are very rare, we might do better to add hundreds of eggs, tadpoles or juveniles to jumpstart recovery.

Numbers are also important because they are the currency of conservation. The IUCN Redlist makes decisions on the level of species endangerment based on the number of individuals and the number of populations, and how quickly those numbers are going up or down. The official listing of species is the first step in prioritizing research and conservation efforts to address those threats, and is used to dedicate funding and other resources.

Today, anybody can contribute data to online databases of plants and animals (e.g., http://www.inaturalist.org), or participate in research projects through citizen scientist programs. Whether the frogs are increasing or decreasing, we need to know: Just how many frogs are there?

So count with me: one frog, two frog, red frog, blue frog.

Follow Lips on Twitter @kwren88.

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. This article was originally published on LiveScience.com .

Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/frogs-fading-amphibian-census-may-guide-recovery-leaps-020408009.html

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