(BLOG) - Judo for Today's Lifestyle

Quick tips. (Know how: skills, tips, techniques)

2012-01-26T20:03:00.002-05:00

Arrow, a photo by Roger Smith on Flickr.

If the tape on the bottom end of the male side of a zipper is disintegrating, stiffen or repair it with clear nail polish.

Joe Bond, Commack, NY

Sticky Fingers

You just seam-sealed your tent, but now your fingers are glued together. To remove, the sticky seam sealer, rub acetone-based nail-polish remover on your hands with a rough cloth, then wash with soap and water.

Susan Newquist

Getting The Shaft

If you break a tent pole, you can replace it with an aluminum arrow shaft. Many are made of Easton aluminum of a similar grade to good tent poles and come in hollow 36-inch lengths that can be cut to size. An archery shop will probably have one to match the pole you broke. Use thin cord or fishing line to restring the elastic cord.

Monte Dodge, Olympia, WA

Screened To Kill

Does the entire spring hatch of black flies, snowmelt mosquitoes, and other bloodsucking terrorists migrate across your tent's bug screen each spring, just waiting for you to crack the zipper? Then spray the netting with permethrin, available from various manufacturers at outdoors stores. Not only is permethrin a repellent, but it actually kills the bugs that crawl on it. Since it's safe for human contact after it dries, use it to treat clothing, socks, and shoes, too, especially where ticks with Lyme disease are a problem.

J. Harlin

Camp Sandals

You don't need those expensive, heavy, gladiator-worthy sports sandals just to kick around camp. Pick up a pair of flip-flops from a discount store. They weigh less than half a pound and cost less than $10.

Laurie Braaten

Sherpa Rest

You waste a lot of energy hoisting a heavy pack after every trailside rest break. Instead, try the "sherpa rest," used by generations of Himalayan and Andean porters. When your shoulders are ready for a break, look for a log or fiat-top boulder slightly higher than your waist. Back up to the rest ledge, and set the bottom of your pack atop it. Then loosen your hipbelt and lean back for a quick standing rest. For a longer seated rest, seek out flat-top boulders about thigh high, or lean back against slanting slopes on the uphill side of the trail. To resume, just tighten your hipbelt and go.

Steve Howe

Source Citation
"Quick tips. (Know how: skills, tips, techniques)." Backpacker May 2002: 94+. Gale Power Search. Web. 26 Jan. 2012.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA86388522&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w

Gale Document Number: GALE|A86388522

United States Judo Association - USJA (Web-Page) http://judo.member2008.googlepages.com/Email: leonard.wilson2009@hotmail.com(Album / Profile) hhref="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=10023&id=1661531726&l=792eaa11b1">http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=10023&id=1661531726&l=792eaa11b1>Email: leonard.wilson2009@hotmail.com

THE RACING SEASON IS NEARLY OVER, BUT THERE ARE PLENTY OF OPTIONS TOKEEP YOUR ADRENALINE PUMPING AT HOME

2011-12-08T14:24:00.002-05:00

Race Car Game, a photo by Curious Expeditions on Flickr.

If you dread winter's dearth of racing action, then kick off the holiday season strapped in behind the wheel with some of the latest in-home racing software and equipment. Of course, while virtual competition is less expensive than the real thing, the dollars still add up quickly. But you're in luck. We have some games and equipment to give away to help boost your adrenaline without emptying your wallet. See "But Wait, There's More . . ." on page 88 for details.

THRUSTMASTER FERRARI F1 WHEEL

-- Formula One anoraks, your day has arrived. Thrustmaster recently launched this life-size replica of the Ferrari F150 Italia F1 car's steering wheel. It is an add-on accessory for the company's top-line T500 RS wheel-and-pedal set. Designed first and foremost for use with the F1 2011 racing game (see the review on the next page), the Ferrari wheel is covered in numerous programmable buttons and switches, just like those found on its genuine counterpart--although it's worth noting that the dial emblazoned with the Prancing Horse and the other instruments surrounding it are only cosmetic and are nonfunctional. We also wish that the metal shift paddles were independent of each other rather than made in one piece. When you pull the right-side paddle toward yourself to upshift, you'll notice immediately that the paddle on the left side moves away from you, placing distracting pressure on the fingers of your left hand. Working LED lights to indicate the revs and the gears would go a long way, too, especially considering the high price charged for the complete T500 RS setup. But if you live, breathe and game Formula One, this is absolutely made for you.

Ferrari F1 wheel, $200; T500 RS base (required), $600; compatible with PS3 and PC.

VIRTUAL RACING CHASSIS MKII

-- Bob Earl knows how to drive. For proof, see his 30- year racing r%sum%, which includes 24 career wins in IMSA's Camel GT Series, two victories in the 24 Hours of Daytona and one in the 12 Hours of Sebring, plus other highlights--such as being the only American ever to win the prestigious Macau Grand Prix.

These days, Earl enjoys simulated racing so much that he continues to refine and sell his Virtual Racing Chassis, our gaming chair of choice. A comfortable, adjustable, full-fledged car eat and revised pedal plate are now standard, and while the VRC is not as flashy as some competitors', it's not as pricey. Its steel frame adjusts easily to seat kids or adults up to six feet, six inches tall and provides an authentic driving position that lets you race comfortably. The new VRC MKII is a must-have accessory. Attach your wheel-andpedal kit, and you'll swear you're driving the real thing.

$350; available from www.bobearlracing.com.

FANATEC CSR WHEEL & CSR ELITE PEDALS

--Top-notch wheel-andpedal sets are expensive, but as several of our staffers discovered recently, once you take this big step closer to realism, there is no return.

Fanatec knocked it out of the park with its new CSR wheel and CSR Elite pedals, the official set of Forza 4. The wheel provides smooth, realistic feel and force feedback and adjustments to sensitivity, feedback, turning angle and vibration. You have to find new settings when switching to a brand-new game, but the outcome is worth the tinkering.

The wheel's construction impressed us. It feels great, with Alcantara in the right places and a digital display. Buttons are easy to reach and use, and the aluminum shift paddles' audible click--like that in real-life supercars--adds to your experience.

Perhaps even more desirable is Fanatec's CSR Elite pedal set. The aluminum unit has fully adjustable spring tensions, pedal positions and angles. A "load cell" for the brake bases braking performance on pedal pressure rather than pedal travel. That should guarantee that you shave chunks from your lap times.

Wheel, $250; pedals $150; available from www.fanatec.com; compatible with PS3, Xbox 360, PC.

F1 2011 --Codemasters' Formula 1 2010 was an Autoweek staff favorite. F1 2011 blows it out of the water with a better handling model and F1's latest tech, including KERS, DRS and Pirelli tires. Managing those variables creates an intense experience, and dynamic weather effects set the genre's standard. The safety car is a nice touch, too. F1 2011 is not perfect, with some programming glitches, and the PlayStation 3 version's graphics take a noticeable step back from 2010. Still, it's the most authentic, complete, challenging and flatout fun racing experience for a home console. With 24-car grids, 16 human players able to race online (watch out for the intentional rammers) and a co-op mode, you can challenge friends. F1 2011 also gives a great feel for each GP circuit.

$60; PS3, Xbox 360, PC, Nintendo 3DS

FORZA MOTORSPORT 4 --Turn 10 Studios has raised the bar with the excellent Forza Motorsport 4. The newest installment in the Gran Turismo-like Forza chain has many of the same circuits and cars as before, but the graphics and the play are noticeably improved. In World Tour mode--unlike in Forza 3--you don't choose what tracks to drive. The game chooses the circuit, and you pick one of three types of races. You select your car each time you advance to a higher level; you don't have to spend credits to "buy" a car and stay competitive as speed increases. The game has more responsive cars, better feedback through the controller or wheel and more aggressive computer-controlled drivers. It caters to all skill levels with optional driver aids. You can go head-to-head with up to 15 online opponents. This disc belongs in any gamer's library for the multiplayer action alone.

Source Citation
"Game Time; THE RACING SEASON IS NEARLY OVER, BUT THERE ARE PLENTY OF OPTIONS TO KEEP YOUR ADRENALINE PUMPING AT HOME." AutoWeek 28 Nov. 2011: 0050. General OneFile. Web. 8 Dec. 2011.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA273832928&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w

Gale Document Number: GALE|A273832928

Capital gains from the super-rich

2011-10-22T22:50:00.002-04:00

New Kicks, a photo by Seven31Studios on Flickr.

Suddenly it is starting to look as if the period after 1914 - when London lost its position as the financial capital of the world to New York - was an aberration, a downturn in an otherwise upward trend. Stroll around Chelsea, Belgravia and Holland Park and see the flash cars with blacked-out windows, waiting with chauffeurs inside. Listen to the foreign voices echoing down Bond Street; chat to estate agents, or to bankers or art dealers or even to a good dentist, and the message is clear: London is on the up, and the world's rich are congregating here like bees around the blossom of spring.

This week London's position as the headquarters of globalisation will be reaffirmed overtly and boldly. As I write, its wealthiest resident, Lakshmi Mittal - the very posterboy of the super-rich - is putting the finishing touches to a $20 billion offer for Arcelor, a lumbering rival to his Mittal Steel. Already Mittal's proposal has been denounced in the chancelleries of Europe, but Mittal (named after a Hindu god of wealth) was prepared for this. 'It is a strike straight at the heart of Old Europe from the New World, ' says one of his advisers. If he succeeds, he will win a great victory for shareholder value and free markets in the EU. No doubt the knowledge that he is already worth [pounds sterling]14 billion helps him maintain a zen-like calm. 'He bought well, ' I am told.

'When everybody was thinking about hightech companies like Microsoft, Mittal was sticking to a traditional metal-bashing industry in countries everybody had written off, like Romania and South Africa.' He moved to London in 1996 and runs his dynastic interests (Mittal Steel, though quoted, is family-controlled and his 30-year-old son Aditya is his finance director) from Berkeley Square, although the company is technically domiciled in Rotterdam. He spent his early years sleeping on the floor at his parents' home in Rajasthan, but these days he has money to burn on a [pounds sterling]50 million wedding for his daughter, Vanisha, and a [pounds sterling]2 million donation to the Labour party.

'London is cosmopolitan, culturally diverse, ' he explains. 'And it is in the right time zone.'

One of the things which recommended it to him as a base was Heathrow. 'It's easy to get anywhere else, ' he says. He evidently does not want to be pigeonholed as a Londoner, however. 'Mittal is a global company.' But one of the interesting things about Mittal is that he is far from unique. He is merely the best-known member of a tribe now congregating in London: foreign-born billionaires, many of whom made their fortunes in basic industries such as copper mining, steel and, of course, oil. They hail from India, the former Soviet republics and the Middle East and, as a class, they are importing a culture of private luxury to rival anything F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote about in 1920s New York.

There is Vladimir Kim, the controlling shareholder of Kazakhmys, a vast copper company from Kazakhstan, which recently joined the FTSE 100; Russian entrepreneur Leo Blavatnik, Mittal's neighbour in Kensington Palace Gardens (where Mittal set a record with his [pounds sterling]57 million house purchase in 2002); Oleg Deripaska, another Russian copper baron; Johnny Hon, the Chinese gambling tycoon; and, of course, Roman Abramovich, who rubs along with assets of [pounds sterling]4 billion, including Chelsea Football Club (assuming that's an asset and not a liability).

Forbes magazine reckons there are 28 billionaires now living in London - and that is just the ones we know about.

There are many, many others too, who are either too secretive or not quite rich enough to be considered billionaires. The super-rich are obsessed with security. This is partly because they were alarmed by the murder of the banker John Monckton in Chelsea last year; and partly because some of them made their money in what might euphemistically be described as exotic and opaque circumstances. They have dangerous enemies - such as the Kremlin, or even each other.

Perhaps the most eloquent demonstration of this paranoia is to be found in their homes.

Nick Candy and his brother Christian are property developers by appointment to the super-rich. Among the brothers' successes is selling a flat for [pounds sterling]27 million in Chelsea Square (a world record) to an unnamed foreign buyer last year. Nick Candy tells me, 'There is so much money coming into London. London is the most important global city in the world. It is not just Russians, it is Chinese, Indians, Arabs and even Irishmen. Actually, many of our clients are British but nobody ever seems interested in that.' Candy & Candy's latest project is the redevelopment of Bowater House in Knightsbridge, which is being renamed No. 1 Hyde Park. The project will include 84 multimillion-pound apartments, with underground parking, CCTV cameras, 24-hour security guards and a concierge service provided by the neighbouring Mandarin Oriental hotel. 'A lot of our clients don't want to live in houses any more, ' says Candy. 'They want lateral living, because that means you get proper security, air-conditioning and porterage. You can just drive in, get out of your car and into the lift.' So, why London? The arrival of the superrich is, of course, a sort of flattery for the British way of life, our institutions, our professional services and for the English language and culture. But let us not be naive. It carries risks too. Foreigners who are here for only a few weeks a year are creating fierce competition for scarce items. They are driving through the roof the prices of nice houses, grouse moors, Old Master paintings and domestic help. Mittal himself is a UK resident and pays tax here. But many of those who emulate him are not so scrupulous. They are technically non-residents, so they contribute little to the Exchequer. Let's face it: some of them are rather selfish, unmoved by the sense of noblesse oblige that might make them pay tax voluntarily or pour money into struggling football clubs; and a minority of them are probably crooks.

The biggest factor attracting the wannabe Mittals is not sentimentality about Britain but a series of own-goals by America. For years, New York was the natural home of the global nouveaux riches, but now they no longer feel comfortable there. The US Immigration Service makes visitors stand in long lines; the US tax authorities enforce a tough global regime (HM Revenue & Customs still has generous non-domicile rules for those who live here for only part of the year); and Congress has passed a nasty securities law called SarbanesuOxley, which is wrapping Wall Street in red tape.

That said, the long-term economic effects of welcoming the super-rich to Britain are, on balance, beneficial - and not just because we can all find work as their butlers or interior designers. Indeed, Ajay Kapur, a bright spark at Citigroup, has invented an economic theory he calls 'Plutonomy'. He believes that the Mittals of this world are putting rocket fuel into financial markets. For the super-rich are the clients of the hedge funds and private equity groups, of which there are now about 1,000 in London. Hedge funds and private equity not only provide lucrative employment for aspirational young British financiers, but are also starting to wield the sort of influence once reserved for the mightiest pension funds.

Thanks to the super-rich, a colossal arsenal of money - hundreds of billions of pounds - is now being managed in London. Our competitive advantage in financial services is being handsomely reinforced.

'I think wealth and income inequality explain many of the conundrums which vex investors, ' says Kapur - one of those conundrums being the continuing growth of the British economy, despite the punitive taxation regime of Gordon Brown. Money is flooding into London, squirting through complicated tax loopholes unavailable to ordinary Britons who plod away in salaried employment, slaves to PAYE. 'The rich are now the dominant drivers in many economies in the world, such as the US, the UK, Canada and Australia, ' says Kapur. 'Asset booms, a rising profit share, and favourable treatment by market-friendly governments have allowed the rich to prosper.' He believes we have seen nothing yet.

'Global capitalists are going to be getting an even greater share of the wealth pie over the next few years, as capitalists benefit disproportionately from globalisation and the productivity boom at the expense of labour.' It is an arresting thesis, exemplified by the princely Mr Mittal - and London will be the richer for it.

George Trefgarne

Source Citation
Trefgarne, George. "Capital gains from the super-rich." Spectator 20 May 2006. Military and Intelligence Database Collection. Web. 22 Oct. 2011.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CA147832057&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w

Gale Document Number: GALE|A147832057

Americans Can Protect Best Friends from Cancer

2011-09-25T11:24:00.003-04:00

Nike Clothing Advertisement, a photo by Lou_Tickle on Flickr.

ANAHEIM, Calif., April 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Dogs and cats with cancer now have a better chance of living longer and feeling better with a life-saving combination of early detection, technology and Veterinary Pet Insurance (www.petinsurance.com). And that's good news for American pet owners, because a recent survey conducted by the Morris Animal Foundation reports cancer as the leading cause of disease related death in dogs and cats in the United States.

Less than 10 years ago, many pets with cancer may have died for two reasons: The limits of veterinary medicine, or the inability of pet owners to pay the high costs of available treatments. According to Alice Villalobos, DVM and medical director at Coast Animal Hospital and Cancer Center in Hermosa Beach, Calif., veterinarians can use the same life-saving procedures available in human medicine, such as chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, laser therapy, immunotherapy, and even bone transplants. More advanced treatments, such as genetic therapy and bone marrow transplants, are currently under investigation for use on pets.

Dr. Villalobos sees between 400 and 500 new cancer cases a year. "The demand to treat pets with cancer has really increased in the past decade," says Villalobos. "People know that cancer in humans can be beat, and they want that for their pets."

While advancements in technology give veterinarians the tools they need to save more pet lives, the costs can be overwhelming. Cancer care can cost up to thousands of dollars and many pet owners can't afford treatment for their companion animals without financial help. However, companies such as Veterinary Pet Insurance, the nation's oldest and largest pet health and accident insurer, are making costs manageable by providing the financial assistance pet owners need to allow the veterinarian to use available technology to treat and save their pet.

Financial assistance eased the burden for Veterinary Pet Insurance policyholder Karen Penney. "The day after Thanksgiving last year, our dog, Odin, started urinating blood. With x-rays and exploratory surgery, our veterinarian diagnosed Odin with a rare form of kidney cancer.

"The veterinarian referred us to a specialist who was able to remove the cancerous kidney," Penney said. "I couldn't believe how quickly Veterinary Pet Insurance sent a reimbursement check. I work in the human health field and was expecting slow turnaround."

Early detection, according to Villalobos and veterinarians throughout the country, is the best way to win the battle against cancer. "Taking your pet in for a yearly checkup can save his or her life," Villalobos explains. "During preventive checkups, veterinarians can spot clinical symptoms of cancer and do a biopsy right away. We recommend that all pet owners think of cancer as the enemy, and then declare war by forming an alliance with their veterinarian."

When cancer is diagnosed, Villalobos has noticed that her clients who have Veterinary Pet Insurance seem less burdened by the reality of what it takes to save their pet. "They listen to all the options, choose the most aggressive approach, and commit to fighting the cancer right away."

Pet owners are often surprised when they discover how much they can save with a pet health insurance policy. With Veterinary Pet Insurance, pet owners have the choice of two accident and illness plans -- a Gold Plan that starts at $89 a year or an Advantage Plus Plan starting at $159 annually for puppies and kittens. An additional cancer endorsement, that starts at $9 a year, can be added to a policy and will double the plan's cancer benefits. For example, a pet owner with an Advantage Plus Plan would be reimbursed up to $1,025 for surgery to treat thyroid cancer. If that pet owner also carried the cancer endorsement, Veterinary Pet Insurance would pay up to $2,150, a 100 percent increase in benefits.

Terry Vinocur, a policyholder since 1995, added the cancer endorsement to her plan because she knew her dog, a Boxer named Brooke, is one of several breeds more prone to developing cancer. During the past four years, her dog has suffered several skin cancers and mast cell tumors.

"At the end of last year, I was petting Brooke and found what I thought was a swollen gland," says Vinocur. "It turned out to be a tumor the size of an egg in her thyroid. A specialist removed all of the visible cancer. Between the surgery and all of the medication, the procedure cost $1,200. Veterinary Pet Insurance paid for $800. For me, the pet insurance was a godsend. I didn't even have to consider not having the surgery done because of how expensive it was."

Founded in 1980 by 750 independent veterinarians, Veterinary Pet Insurance is the nation's oldest pet health insurance provider. Policies are licensed in 46 states and the District of Columbia. More than 850,000 Veterinary Pet Insurance policies have been sold and are exclusively endorsed by the American Humane Association. For more information on how pet insurance makes costs manageable for pet owners, call 1-800-USA-PETS (in Texas, call 877-PET-HEAL) or visit the company's World Wide Web site at www.petinsurance.com.

Source Citation
"Americans Can Protect Best Friends from Cancer." PR Newswire 15 Apr. 1999: 0815. Military and Intelligence Database Collection. Web. 25 Sep. 2011.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CA54381935&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w

Gale Document Number: GALE|A54381935

Bearcats revs up for diners in the Stutz Building

2011-09-22T22:26:00.001-04:00

Sports, originally uploaded by slagheap.

OK, so its moniker is actually tied to the Stutz sports car, but Bearcats Restaurant (1055 N. Senate Ave., 602-3509) nevertheless made this month's list of animal-named eateries--all the better to check out the latest option from serial restaurateur Tim Reuter (Bourbon Street Distillery, Living Room Lounge and Tip Top Tavern).

Located in the labyrinthine Stutz Business Center, Bearcats replaced the Loading Dock pub a year or so ago and Reuter took over in October. The good news for the directionally challenged (guilty) is that diners can bypass the Stutz's often-confusing corridors in favor of the restaurant's own Senate Avenue entrance.

We did just that and seated ourselves in the unassuming lounge, where we were greeted by a friendly server.

Sticking with her advice, we tried Onion Rings ($5.99) and a couple of standard sandwiches: Breaded Tenderloin ($7.95) and The "Dublin" Reuben ($7.95). Each was served with a mound of decent French fries and a cup of sweet coleslaw, making us wish we'd eschewed the o-rings, which were enormous, if a bit limper than we would have liked.

The Reuben, on the other hand, was stellar. Bearcats roasts its own corned beef--a lean, flavorful meat that had my mouth watering. Like most other Reubens, the corned beef was topped with grilled sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Thousand Island dressing, but it wasn't piled so high that I had to dislocate my jaw to take a bite.

My companion opted for the tenderloin, wavering momentarily on the grilled-or-fried question before giving in to decadence. What's the point of a grilled tenderloin, really? And what's the point of a tenderloin at all if it isn't cut fresh (as Bearcats' are) and the right balance isn't found between the crisp and the tender (ditto). At half the size, it would have been a pleasure. He also tried a cup of chili ($2.99 or part of a $6.99 Endless Soup and Salad combo), finding it heartier than standard bar fare.

Yes, Bearcats is a bar, too, with a lounge-like area for adults only. Families and artistic-minded teens can sit at the all-ages counter or one of the booths in the wide corridor that features the titular auto.

Duty called, so we couldn't stick around for a lunchtime libation--the beer menu includes selections from Indianapolis-based Sun King Brewery--but we were tempted by the couches surrounding a gas fireplace. Next time. If we have time.,

Third in our month-long series of reviews of animal-named eateries.

Davis, Andrea Muirragui

Source Citation
Davis, Andrea Muirragui. "Bearcats revs up for diners in the Stutz Building." Indianapolis Business Journal 15 Mar. 2010: 33A. Small Business Collection. Web. 22 Sep. 2011.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CA222485589&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w

Gale Document Number: GALE|A222485589

Returning to Myron.

2011-09-17T14:20:00.002-04:00

Spa and health centers , originally uploaded by YASSER AMMAR.

"Lost Books" is a weekly series highlighting forgotten books through the prism of Tablet Magazine's and Nextbook.org's archives. So blow the dust off the cover, and begin!

Remember Me To God, Myron Kaufmann's debut novel, came out 54 years ago this month. As Josh Lambert noted on the 50th anniversary of the novel's publication, the book has fallen out of favor, though it had been initially heralded by the likes of Norman Mailer and Alfred Kazin and appeared on New York Times bestseller lists. "Even excellent books fall into obscurity all the time," Lambert explained, "no matter how popular they've beenparticularly when, like Kaufmann's, they spill out over nearly 700 pages of fine print."

The novel tells the story of a Jewish family, the Amsterdams, in 1941, a year during which the older son, Richard, manages to ascend the social ranks at Harvard and earn a coveted spot on The Harvard Lampoon and induction into the Hasty Pudding Institute. His subsequent proposal to a Radcliffe-attending society girl (named Wimsy Talbot, no less) wreaks the expected havoc within his familymaking the novel, in Lambert's comparison, the emotional equivalent of an excruciatingly slow-motion car wreck, and inspiring Jewish leaders in the late 1950s to denounce the book as a literary documentation of Kaufmann's own Jewish self-hatred.

Yet, Lambert argues, it actually offers a thorough analysis of the phenomenon of Jewish self-hatred, rather than simply serving as an example of it. "It is as an unusually evenhanded entry into this rich tradition that Remember Me to God deserves to be remembered," Lambert wrote, "and as a finely wrought triumph of midcentury realism so precise in its observation that it captures perfectly the incline of streets in Harvard Square and the musty smell inside the Lampoon castle."

Read Regatta Land, by Josh Lambert

Stephanie Butnick

Source Citation
Butnick, Stephanie. "Returning to Myron." Tablet Magazine 9 Sept. 2011. Religion and Philosophy Collection. Web. 17 Sep. 2011.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CA266607064&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w

Gale Document Number: GALE|A266607064

Returning to Myron

2011-09-17T14:19:00.002-04:00

Spa and health centers , originally uploaded by YASSER AMMAR.

High life

2011-09-07T22:43:00.002-04:00

Girl hang by a rope!, originally uploaded by Periklis Ripis.

The smell of pine wafting from the shore, the whitewashed and sun-bleached terracotta houses shimmering in the midday heat-both remind me of the simple island life during the good old days, before super yachts, oligarchs and the brain-jolting cacophony of modern music emanating from so-called clubs. I'm lying off the eastern side of the Peloponnese, far from the fleshpots of Spetse and Porto Heli, having done them all last week. And I finally have my mail and The Spectator and I am happy at last.

But only for a minute. I read a New York rag that describes Dominique Strauss-Kahn as a great seducer, and I turn into Orlando Furioso quicker than you can say Errol Flynn. How dare these know-nothings call that frog-like corpulent sybarite a seducer? It's like calling the Wehrmacht's conquest of France a stealth operation.

Our phallocentric culture tends to do this sort of thing. Every whoremonger is now referred to as a seducer. Even a low-life like Boris Berezovsky. 'He's had countless lovers,' writes Richard Kay. You mean hookers, don't you, Richard? People who look like DSK and BB are either grab-ass artists like the former, or whoremongers like the latter. No one of the fairer sex would give themselves freely to such ghastly-looking individuals. It's either physical or financial weakness that does the trick, believe you me.

And I know all about the Casanova syndrome. Poor old Giacomo was not exactly a looker, he was bald and had a pot-belly, but he had the art of seduction down pat. It is called crave-ability, the knack of convincing a woman that one cannot live without her, and old Giacomo had that talent in spades. Just like DSK has grab-ability down pat.

Convince a woman beyond any doubt that you are willing to die if you can't possess her, and chances are good that you will land her. Women's emotional reactions are different from those of men. They like romance, men like porn. It makes it easy for people like Casanova, and very easy for those who look like Errol Flynn, as great a seducer as there ever was. Not many could resist him. He had great charm to go along with his great looks, and was very well read. Both his parents were academics, and he could reel off a poem for the occasion that would make a girl's head spin. What more could a girl wish for? Especially young American girls on the make in Hollywood.

David Niven used to tell us about Flynn's ability to charm the fair sex, Niven being no slouch when it came to snaring women. I only met Flynn once, in El Morocco, and he was drunk but very friendly and nice. The girl I was with went weak at the knees, but I was 20 and quick on my feet, and managed to manoeuvre her away from him, and I learnt a good lesson in the process. Always be polite and nice to women, and never try rough stuff à la Strauss-Kahn. Ditto Ali-Khan, no relation. Ali was extremely polite and romantic, and, of course, a great seducer. As was Gianni Agnelli, the Italian Fiat head who broke many a heart with his good looks and refined manners.

What is this thing about today's roughness, anyway? Does a rough manner serve as a sexual cue? Not in my book, but don't forget I'm of an age that trusted old-fashioned habits such as sweet-talking a lady into bed, not strong-arming her into taking her clothes off. One never made erotic allusions to one's intended, one just did what one had to do, gently at first, and if it worked, one went all out. Some of you oldies out there will get my drift.

Anyway, enough of this. I never feel at ease writing about sex; it's far better to do it, but then I must admit I'm intrigued by that disgusting DSK case, two liars in search of sucker justice, he paying for old sins, she looking for a payday to match her imagination. It's rich, powerful, male and white v. poor, helpless, female and black, except in reality it's the other way round. The latter's got the advantage, what with the Noo Yawk black community coming to her aid. DSK has all the lefty frogs and BHL on his side, BHL being even more disgusting and phony than DSK. A plague on both their houses is an understatement.

Otherwise, it's all hunky-dory. My daughter arrived on board from Mykonos, and my son from Paris. JT has a large dog that sprints up and down the deck, jumps on people and furniture, howls when other boats go by, and has made my life simply wonderful because people stay away. Cloudless skies, blue, blue waters, gentle breezes and lots of pines is the order of the day. I read the news back home and am appalled at the hatred and smears of the liberals hell-bent on connecting anti-Islam, anti-immigration and anti-multiculturalism with the Norwegian tragedy. The disgusting New York Times and Washington Post ditto. Yet it is they who are exploiting the mass murder, and their intolerance is the attitude that caused it, not ours. I am against immigration, against multiculturalism, against militant Islam and calling me part of the problem that led to mass murder is like calling DSK a great seducer. An outrageous lie.

Taki

Source Citation
Theodoracopulos, Taki. "High life." Spectator 6 Aug. 2011: 55. Gale Power Search. Web. 7 Sep. 2011.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CA263880768&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w

Gale Document Number: GALE|A263880768

Gym/Office (1)

2011-09-02T10:54:00.002-04:00

Gym/Office (1), originally uploaded by kevinmcgill.

China vs Japan women judo finals

2011-08-31T18:16:00.002-04:00

China vs Japan women judo finals, originally uploaded by thor_matt83.

Sure, a good pair of running shoes is the only equipment you really need. But anything that makes running easier, safer, more health-enhancing and more enjoyable is also a good idea.

So now, for the first time ever, we've collected hundreds of top-notch running products together in a complete Gear Guide for runners. Whether you're interested in big-ticket items like home gyms and stairclimbers, or smaller devices like chronographs and water carrying systems, you'll find them all here (except treadmills, which we'll review in a special article next month).

We suggest you save this guide for future references. Experience has shown that you can never tell when you'll be needing one of these products. It might not be today, but there are plenty of tomorrows in your running career.

Sports Watches

After shoes and clothing, the runner's next most important piece of equipment is the sports watch. These come in a range of functions: you can find anything from the simplest stopwatch to one that measures your blood pressure.

If all you ever want to know is how long you've been running, a running watch with a timer is all you need, but if you regularly do speedwork, you'll benefit from one that records and stores lap times.

Must-have features: Waterproofness, stopwatch, digital display

All-Sport Instalite by Armitron

This is a good basic chronograph with a stopwatch function for those who simply want to know how long they've been running. It has a night-vision display that allows you to read the time in the dark. $25. (800) 937-0050 (ask for Armitron).

BP 100 by Casio

If you're interested in quick and easy pulse and blood pressure measurement, you'll like the BP 1 00. You simply place your fingers on sensors on the watch, and your pulse and blood sure appear on the display. The BP 100 also has a stopwatch, which measures total time and split time. $169.95. (800) 962-2746.

100-Lap Ironman Triathlon by Timex

This watch offers so many features, it can just about substitute for a coach. It has an internal log that can store and recall 100 laps compiled over many training sessions. The log displays the session number, date, total time and your best and overage lap times and split times. In addition, you can program up to nine timed intervals with up to nine repetitions each. Also, the watch has a memo log for phone numbers and dates. It will hold up to 10 entries of 24 characters each. $54.9 5. (800) 367-8463.

Performance Series PSX005S by Pulsar

In addition to all the basics--stopwatch, water resistance, alarm--this watch counts up to 99 laps and can recall 30. It also has a countdown timer and a tachymeter for calculating average speed. $79.50. Available wherever Pulsar watches are sold.

Predator by FreeStyle

For serious speed training, the Predator gives 75 split times, and you can measure improvement equal-distance laps from day to day or week to week. This watch also features a countdown timer. It's so new we couldn't even get a sample to photograph. $49.95. (800) 776-6449.

Aqua Gear

One of the best ways to cross-train on your off days or stay fit when you're injured is to take your running to the pool. Pool running uses the same muscles and ranges of motion that road running does. The difference is, your body doesn't get pounded.

You don't need aqua gear to run in the pool, and you'll get a harder workout if you don't wear any. But when you want to go easy, or if you're so lean you sink like a rock no matter how hard you work to stay up in the water, use an aqua vest or belt.

Or shorts. Aqua gear comes in a variety of forms. Any of the flotation devices described here should offer you enough buoyancy. Pick what will be most comfortable for you.

Must-have features: Adequate flotation, comfortable fit

AquaJogger Pro by Excel Sports Science, Inc.

If you drop like a brick anytime you get into a pool, this buoyancy belt may be the one for you. It's thicker than the company's Classic model and provides 30 percent more flotation. $59.95. (800) 922-9544.

AquaTunners Footwear by Excel Sports Science, Inc.

"Running shoes" for the deep water, AquaRunners are worn along with an upper-body flotation device. They boost your buoyancy a little, but their primary purpose is to increase water resistance for a tougher workout. (800) 922-9544.

[H.sub.2]O Works Shorts by ERO Industries

In this piece of aqua gear, pads of EVA foam for flotation are sewn inside a purple waistband attached to neoprene shorts. Zippers on both sides of the shorts make them easy to put on and take off. $49.99-$59.99. (800) 323-5999.

Wet Vest II by Bioenergetics

True to its name, this flotation device fits like a vest over your whole torso. Because the buoyant maternal is spread over a wide area, the vest has a less bulky construction than other flotation devices and provides more stability in the water. Suggested retail price: $169.95. (800) 938-8378.

Gear Bags

Though they may look alike, all gear bags are not created equal. The most basic have just one compartment into which you dump everything--your running shoes, shorts, T-shirt, sunglasses, towel, soap, sports bars.... The best have several compartments or pockets so that you can organize your running gear and personal items for easy access.

Also, multiple compartments keep wet towels and sweaty gear separate from dry clothing so they don't all tumble together into one pile of smelly, soggy stuff. Mesh pockets on the outside of a bag are especially nice, as they allow you damp things to dry out

Must-have features: Multiple compartments, mesh pockets

Laguna by Mizuno

The Laguna has two mesh pockets, one at each end of the bag, and there are zip pockets inside and out. $50. (800) 966-1 234.

Mesh Gear Bag by TYR

If you want mesh, here it is. This is a full mesh bag with two nylon pouches on the front for personals. $27. (800) 252-7878.

Mesh Signature Duffle by Nike

A zippered mesh pocket covers one whole side of this gear bag. Inside, there's a special small pocket for personal items. $37.50. (800) 238-2775.

Mini Wet/Dry Gear Bag by Patagonia

This bag is split down the middle into two compartments: mesh on one side and nylon on the other. An interior zip pocket holds personal items. $62. (800) 638-6464.

Runner's Duffle by Asics

This bag has two outside mesh pockets, and a water-bottle holder on the front. Inside there's plenty of room for gear. $35. (714) 962-7654.

Signature-Team Duffle by Reebok

The Signature-Team Duffle has several compartments, including an interior expandable nylon pouch for wet clothes and a diagonal zippered pocket at one end shoes. $25. (800) 228-7867.

Training Duffle by Adidas

A large outer mesh pocket can hold all your wet clothes, and there's plenty of room inside for other gear. $59.99. (800) 448-1796.

Sports Cameras

Have you ever been running on a beautiful trail or in a new city and seen something that you wished you could photograph? Next time you're headed for a scenic run, take a camera with you.

Most manufacturers of photo equipment make "point-and-shoot" cameras. They're small, lightweight and fully automatic, and they take high-quality photos in a snap. Many are rugged and weatherproof, and some have zoom or panoramic features. Don't leave for your next run without one.

Must have features: Fully automatic mechanism, light weight easy operation

Infinity Mini by Olympus

Neither rain nor snow will harm the Infinity Mini. This weatherproof camera weighs only 6 1/2 ounces and takes high-quality photos. $1 80. (800) 221-3000.

IQZoom 90-WR by Pentax

At 15 1/2 ounces, the IQZoom is a little heavier than the other models reviewed here, but it's worth its weight in features. It has a zoom lens, a detachable remote control unit that operates both the zoom and the shutter, and a contour design for easy grip, and it's fully weatherproof. $402. (800) 255-0415.

Lite-Touch by Nikon

The lightest point-and-shoot around, this camera weighs in at only 5.5 ounces. It has a panorama mode for wide-view shots, and the quality of photographs you'll get with the Life-Touch is hard to beat. $1 64. (800) 645-6687.

Mermaid by Konica

Take the Mermaid on your next running/scuba vacation. It's completely waterproof for underwater photography and has a "sports finder" attachment for framing underwater shots. For wide-view shots, the lens switches easily from standard to panorama format. It weighs 12 1/8 ounces. $450. (800) 695-6642.

Mini Zoom by Leica

This supercompact camera has a zoom lens and weighs a mere 6 1/2 ounces. To try and catch those fleeting moments you encounter on the run, hold the shutter release down, and the camera will shoot continuously. $379. (800) 222-0118.

RW-1 by Ricoh

The RW-1 is weather resistant and offers a panorama mode. A databack, which imprints date and time and shows the number of pictures taken, is optional. The camera weighs 9 1/5 ounces with the databack and 8 4/5s without. $129. (800) 225-1899.

Sure Shot A1 Date by Canon

This waterproof camera will survive underwater depths of about 16 feet--in case you happen to fall in a lake or something. Two layers of glass on the lens ensure that it won't fog up. The Sure Shot weighs 11 1/5 ounces. $345. (800) 828-4040.

Weathermatic Dual 35 by Minolta

This camera is also waterproof to 16 feet. It weighs 14 1/8 ounces, and its lens changes from standard to telephoto. $320. (201) 825-4000.

Carbohydrate-Loading Drinks

Not to be confused with fluid-replacement drinks, carbo-loading drinks have a much higher concentration of carbohydrates: approximately 100 grams per serving, versus 30 grams for beverages such as Gatorade or AllSport. Most of the carbohydrates come from glucose polymer (a complex carbohydrate), and a small amount comes from fructose.

Drink these carbo-loads before a workout or race to store up carbohydrates and glycogen, and take them afterward to replace spent energy stores and speed recovery. Carbo-loading drinks are good for those runners who have difficulty with solid food before or after a long run or race. As with other food products and beverages, you need to try several brand to find what tastes best and work best for you.

Must-have features: High carbohydrate concentration, easily digestible formula, good flavor

Carb-BOOM by TriBro

Not quite liquid, Carb-BOOM is a fruit-puree base blended with a concentrated complex carbohydrate solution. One serving (4.93 ounces) provides 78 grams of carbohydrates. $7.95 per six-pack. (800) 554-2791.

GatorLode by Gatorade

GatorLode gives you 70 grams of carbohydrates (280 calories) per 12-ounce serving. $23.90 for of 24 cans. (800) 884-2867.

Ultra Fuel by Twin Laboratories, Inc.

In addition to supplying 100 grams (400 calories) of carbohydrates in each 16-ounce serving, Ultra Fuel provides 100 percent of the RDA for vitamin C and several B vitamins. Other nutrients include chromium, potassium and magnesium. Only available through GNC stores and Nature Food Centres. For more information about Ultra Fuel, write: Twin Laboratories, Inc., Ronkonkoma, NY 11779.

Water-Carrying Systems

During an hour of running, you can easily lose more than 2 quarts of water through sweat If you don't replace water as you sweat, your blood thickens, forcing your heart to work harder, transport of oxygen and nutrients to your muscles slows, and your performance suffers. If you become overly dehydrated, you may become weak, dizzy, nauseated or worse. The message is clear: Drink during your run.

Unless you know a route that takes you fountains at regular intervals, you'll need to can ids with you. Fortunately, several manufacture have recognized this need and have designed carriers for easy transport of fluids. There is a range of water-carrying systems to choose from, depending on whether you're out for a long training run or crisscrossing the Grand Canyon

Look for the lightest, simplest carrier what will meet your fluid needs. Make sure it's comfortable and won't bounce around as you run.

Must-have features: Comfortable, snug fit; easy access to beverages

Go-Be by Camelbak

The Go-Be wraps securely around your hips and holds up to 50 ounces of fluid in an insulated pouch. You drink through a plastic tube that extends from the pouch around your waist or over your shoulder, so there's no fussing with water bottles. Side pockets hold extra items. $63.95. (800) 767-8725.

[H.sub.2]O Rapido by Outdoor Products

The Rapido waistbelt carries one 21-ounce bottle in an insulated pouch. It has two side mesh pockets with zippered closures. $20. For a dealer listing, write to: Customer Service, The Outdoor Recreation Group, 1919 Vineburn Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90032.

Liquid Solo Belt and Liquid II Storage Pack by OGIO International

The Liquid Solo Belt carries a 21-ounce bottle in a foam-insulated pouch and has two zippered pockets. For trail runs, take along the Liquid II Storage Pack, which holds two 21-ounce bottles and has more room for carrying gear. Solo Belt, $20; Storage Pack, $50. (800) 922-1944.

Sierra and Stansport by Winter Creek

The Sierra has four pouches along its belt, each holds a contoured, 16-ounce bottle. A fifth pouch stores small items. The Stansport is designed more like a fanny pack. It carries two 21-ounce bottles and has a roomy compartment for carrying additional items. The Sierra uses a Velcro closure, and the Stansport a quick-release buckle. Sierra, $58; Stansport, $47.99. (714) 536-1522.

Solo, Extender and Nimbus by Ultimate Direction

All three of these carrying systems fit securely and comfortably, have insulated holders to keep beverages cool and feature zippered pockets for holding other items. The Solo carries one 22-ounce bottle and is great for long training runs. Trail runners might prefer the Extender, which holds two 22-ounce bottles and has extra space for food and other items. If you're planning an extended excursion, you'll want the Nimbus, which carries 82 ounces of fluid and 12 to 14 pounds of gear. Solo, $24; Extender, $70; Nimbus, $100. (800) 426-7229.

Energy Gels

When it comes to long runs and marathons, you'll perform best if you refuel along the way. Energy bars supply a lot of carbohydrates, but the fiber, protein and fat they contain slows digestion. Energy gels contain only carbohydrates and are more easily digested.

They come in 1-ounce plastic or foil packets that fit in the palm of your hand. Each packet provides 70 to 100 calories from carbohydrates with small amounts of electrolytes. You simply tear off the top, squeeze the gel into your mouth and swallow. Follow with water. Currently, there are four energy gels on the market. Try them all to find what works best for you.

Manufacturers recommend that you eat one packet every 30 minutes of your run or race. Of course, before using one of these gels during a race, test it out in training.

Must-have features: Easily digestible formula, easy-open package, good flavor

GU by Sports Street Marketing

In addition to its carbohydrates, GU contains tiny amounts of calcium, herbal extracts, beta-carotene and vitamins C and E. It also has a slight amount of caffeine--equivalent to 1/5 cup of coffee. GU comes in chocolate, vanilla and orange (vanilla reportedly tastes best). The bottle-shaped packaging makes it easy to use on the run. $1.25 per packet. (800) 400-1995.

Pocket Rocket by Sports Pep

Pocket Rocket comes in lemon-lime and chocolate--go with the chocolate, say taste-testers. $1 per packet, $1 4.95 for a box of 12. (800) 833-8737.

ReLode by Gatorade

ReLode is more syrupy in texture than the other gels. The banana flavor is reported to be pretty yummy. Other flavors are grape and "unflavored," which tastes like vanilla. $1 per packet, $9.99 for a box of 10. (800) 884-2867.

Squeezy by Perfect Performance USA

Squeezy comes in lemon-lime, peach, pineapple, vanilla, strawberry and banana. The lemon-lime, strawberry and banana taste best. $1 per packet, $10 for a box of 10. (800) 853-7746.

Heart-Rate Monitors

You've read those training stories that tell you to do your easy runs at 65 percent of maximum heart rate, tempo at 85 percent and speedwork at 95 percent. Great, but how do you know when your heart is beating at the proper percentage? It's easy with a heart-rate monitor.

Some heart-rate monitors use sensors that attach to the ear, and others pick up signals from your hand, but the chest-band type works best under a variety of conditions. Heart-rate monitors work on the same principle as hospital EKG equipment. Sensors in the chest band pick up signals from your heart and then send the data to the receiver on your wrist where you can read your heart rate as clearly as the time on your running watch.

The simplest monitors display only your heart rate, but others will tell you the time of day, give you elapsed running time, alert you to when you are over or under your target zone and more. Most are waterproof and highly accurate. One thing to keep in mind regarding wireless heart monitors: because they use radio-type signals, they may be affected when you are near electrical equipment (such a treadmills and stairclimbers) that can interfere with those signals.

Must-have features: Wireless construction with chest strap and wrist-band receiver (all models below are this type); easy-to-read display; simple operation

CardioChamp by Sensor Dynamics

If it's simplicity you're after, the CardioChamp is the monitor for you. It gives you heart rate only, it's a cinch to use, and its display is very easy to read. $89.95. (800) 764-4327.

Heartsafe-T by Cardiosport

This monitor displays heart rate, time of day and elapsed time and can record up to 30 sample heart rates at set intervals of 5, 15, 60 and 120 seconds. An alarm indicates when you are above or below your target zone. $129. (800) 494-4320.

Protrainer by Polar

The Protrainer, one of several excellent models from Polar, can display heart rate, lap time, elapsed running time and time of day. It has alarms that signal when you are above or below your target zone; calculates time spent above, below and within your zone; and records your average heart rate for total exercise time. $219. (800) 227-1314.

Insoles

Some insoles, such as the Cross Trainer by Superfeet, provide extra stability for your feet as you run, but most simply add an extra layer of shock absorption to your shoes.

Heel inserts or cups may provide just the adjustment some runners need in their shoes to end heel pain, Achilles tendon pain or even lower-back pain. However, insoles are not orthotics, so if you think you may have a biomechanical problem of any sort see a podiatrist

Must-have features: Comfort cushioning, breathability

Cross Trainer and Heel Cups by Spenco

Not just for cross-training shoes, the Spenco Cross Trainer has forefoot and heel-strike cushioning to protect the whole foot. Spenco's Heel Cups provide extra stability in the heel and have a neoprene heel drop for good shock absorption. Insole, $1 7.50; Heel Cups, $8.40. (800) 877-3626.

Cross Trainer Low by Superfeet Inshoe Systems

Designed to provide some stability as well as shock absorption, these insoles are semirigid. They're made from full-length foam with a 3/4-length polypropylene stabilizer cap. Superfeet has developed a Trim to Fit technology that allows you to tailor the insole to your shoe. $27.95. (800) 634-6618.

Sof Sole Insoles by Implus

The foam used to make these insoles has an open-cell structure, which allows air to move freely and moisture to evaporate for cool, dry feet. In addition to the full-foot insole--the Sof Runn Plus--Implus makes a heel pad for runners, as well as a gel pad that fits under the heel and may be a solution for those who experience lower-back pain or heel pain when they run. Sof Runn Plus, $1 5.99; Sof Sole Heel Pad, $3.99; Sof Sole Gel Heel Pad, $6.99. (800) 446-7587.

Ultra Performance Air Pro by Kiwi Performance Group

Designed to keep your feet dry and cool, this insole features a DynaPump system that pushes air through channels on the underside of the insole from the heel forward and then up to the foot through more than 100 perforations. In addition, the fabric on the top of the Air Pro wicks moisture away from your skin. $14.95. (800) 289-5494.

Ultra Sole Runner/ Walker by Spectrum Sports

Sorbothane is one of the oldest and best-known insole materials, and it's the basis of the products made by Spectrum Sports. The manufacturers ore so confident of their insoles they offer a moneyback guarantee with every product. Full-foot insole, $18.95; heel cups, $10.95. (800) 321-4145.

Reflective and Safety Gear

If you're like most runners, you make time for your run when you can, even if that means after the sun sets or before it rises in the morning. On those days when you have to head out into darkness, be sure to don some reflective gear or take along a safety light. There are several safety products available now, from the standard reflective vest to clip-on lights.

Must-have features: Reflective material or some source of fortable fit; ease of use

Jogalite Reflective Vests and Wallet by Jogalite

Just slip on one of these lightweight, easy-to-use vests and attach the straps at the front to Velcro strips. Reflective stripes across the vest let drivers know you're coming. Available in several styles and colors. $6.50 to $8, depending on model. A reflective wrist wallet is $3.25. (800) 258-8974.

Lightning Belt by Austin Innovations

Weighing around 6 ounces, this belt adjusts comfortably and snugly around your waist. It contains a light ship powered by a 9-volt battery. The green glow of the Lightning Belt is visible from 5,000 feet away. $24.95. (800) 966-2275.

OGIO Safety Light by OGIO International

This 1-ounce light attaches with a belt clip or an arm band (included). It can be seen from over a half-mile away and provides more than 160 hours of light. It's weatherproof and durable. $8. (800) 922-1 944.

Tetra-Glo Reflective Gloves by Polygenex International

Be seen day and night with Tetra-Glo reflective gloves by Polygenex. The fluorescent orange color can't be missed during the daylight hours, and reflective yarn woven into stripes makes the gloves visible in the dark from over 350 feet away. $12.95. (800) 380-0071.

Zeonz by Barker Technologies

Some running shoes have reflective stripes on them, but if you really want to be seen, consider the Zeonz. This 6-inch neon tube clips to your running shoe. At the flick of a switch, the light beams a bright red. It comes with batteries that last 80 to 100 hours. $20 for a pack of two. (618) 462-3527.

Sport Sandals

Ah, rebel That's what your tired feet will feel when you step into a pair of sport sandals after a hard run or a race. Sport sandals let your feet recuperate on a comfortable, anatomically correct footbed. And, of course, sandals protect you from all kinds of nasty stuff--from broken glass and sharp stones to locker-room bacteria.

When you consider a sport sandal, comfort, fit and stability should be your first concerns. Also think about where and for what activity you'll be wearing them--the house, yard, pool, beach or trail, for wading, hiking, even running--as recommended use varies by product

Must-have features: A footbed perimeter slightly larger than your foot's dimensions (an oversized footbed lets the foot settle comfortably and securely into the shoe and allows room for socks); a strap and closure system that's adjustable for a customized fit and made of durable fastening materials

Air River Guide by Nike

The superior control you get from the advanced "wet" traction outsole pattern is a river rat's delight. Easy-to-adjust, double-layer straps provide reinforcement and a custom fit. $75. (800) 352-6453.

Amazone Ultra by Reebok

The lugged outsoles of these sandals grip the ground with authority, and full-grain leather hook-and-loop straps will keep your sandals securely in place on land or in water. $59.99. (800) 843-4444.

Gel Sport Sandal by Asics

The padded, double-layer closure system delivers a secure fit and comfort that will keep you walking. Constructed with Asics's high-quality Gel insole. $40. (714) 962-7654.

Gulf by American Sporting Goods OP Sandals

Life's a perpetual beach when you strap on the fully adjustable Gulf. The sturdy, ridged outsole lets you comfortably and securely negotiate the steepest dune or deepest creek. $34.95. (800) 848-8698.

M'Bogo by Avia

Durable, gripping and stable, this sandal is made for aggressive outdoor use on land or in water. Adjustable mid- and forefoot strops customize fit, and the footbed's raised diamond texture eliminates slippage. $50. (800) 345-2842.

Milano by Birkenstock

Milano's "ergonomic" design lets your foot rest on an anatomically accurate contoured footbed. The shock-absorbing cork insole supports arches, and top-quality leather uppers will last for miles and miles. $89.95. (800) 597-3338.

Molokai by Merrell

A state-of-the-art closure system and an extra-supportive midsole invite you to hammer, trash and generally abuse these shoes in the great outdoors. Secure fitting features prevent "sandal flop." $70. (800) 869-3348.

Mundaka by Roof Brazil

Tired feet will rest easy on the Mundaka's soft-cushion EVA/neoprene footbed. The leather upper with quick-release buckle is easy to open and close. $64.95. (800) 423-6855.

Na-Pali by Adidas

An easy-to-use, lace-and-toggle closure system keeps you snug and secure for any outdoor venture. The rubber outsole with lug traction pattern gives you a safe foothold on soil or sand. $50. (800) 448-1796.

Shaka Whitewater by B-West

These imports from Africa were designed by the Zulus for use in rugged outback conditions. Fully adjustable ankle, arch and forefoot straps ensure comfort and custom fit. $59.95. (800) 293-7855.

Terra-Fi by Teva

Teva brought flip-flops out of the five-and-dime-store age in 1983 by adding heel straps to hold the feet in place. Now the company has cut channels in the topsole of the Terra-Fi to drain water and increase ventilation. $70. (800) 433-2537.

Topozoic Sandal Plus by Timberland

The gripping lug rubber outsole of this sandal is in a zone of its own in providing walking security on uneven topography. The strap system with Velcro fastener is fully adjustable. $85. (800) 445-5545.

Whitewater by Hi-Tec

Well-constructed yet lightweight, this sandal provides a cushioned, stable ride in both wet and dry conditions. Suede uppers with Velcro closures wick moisture away. $39.99. (800) 521-1698; (800) 558-8580 in California.

Snowshoes

Runners looking to stay fit when there's snow on the ground are finding great cardiovascular and aesthetic satisfaction in snowshoeing. Anybody who can walk--or run--can master basic shoeing in minutes. Stamp out the old image that snowshoes are big, clunky, rough-hewn things worn by grizzly mountaineers trapping for their next meal. Today's high-performance, metal-frame shoes are light fast and stable. Just strap yourself in and go.

When deciding what snowshoe is best for you, consider whether you'll be walking, running or racing in them and what conditions and terrain you're likely to encounter. For running or racing, you'll want smaller, narrower, lighter shoes than you might use for walking.

Must-have features: A cleated traction device on the bottom of the shoe for secure stepping over a wide range of conditions, especially steep climbs and ice; a solid decking for better flotation, resistance to tear and elimination of ice or snow buildup; custom-fitting, supportive bindings with the flexibility to accommodate running shoes

Redtail by Redfeather

A solid training snowshoe for runners under 160 pounds, the Redtail is light yet strong. Steel talons on the front and rear provide excellent traction in soft snow and ice. Drifts on the trail won't slow your progress, thanks to this shoe's upturned forward "shovel." $219-$244. (800) 525-0081.

10-K by Tubbs

If snowshoe racing is your thing, take a look at the 10-K. This asymmetrically shaped shoe provides superior balance and control. Light and efficient, the 10-K comes with toe and heel crampons that will steady your ride and let you air it out over packed race courses and trails. $210-$249. (800) 882-2748.

1022 by Atlas

Efficient in both the back country and the backyard, the 1022 is a small snowshoe that works well in tracked a untracked snow. Its spring-loaded binding lets you stride without drug, and its dual-cleat cleat system gives you great traction without weighing you down. $229. (800) 645-7463.

Rehabilitation & Injury Prevention

Those nagging running injuries. We've all had them, and we've all sworn to take better care of ourselves the next time. Well, now is the time to finally keep those promises. Whether you're plagued by shinsplints, plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinitis or even back pain, we've found a handful of rehab devices to help you prevent those annoying aches and pains.

Stretching Devices

Lower-leg injuries can put you on the injury list for weeks. To prevent long-term pain, you need to stretch and strengthen these important muscles regularly. Here are two devices that can help.

Flex-Wedge by Flex-Wedge

By stretching with this incline device, you can increase the mobility of your feet,, legs and lower back, which decreases your risk of shinsplints and many other lower-leg injuries. The Flex-wedge has an incline board that con be set to any one of four angles depending on your range of motion. An illustrated manual describes 12 exercises. $39. (800) 477-7466.

Step Stretch by Prism Technologies

With this rolling device, you place your foot on the flat platform and slowly rock back onto your heel until you feel tension in your muscles. The Step Stretch exercises your plantar fasciae, Achilles, calves, shins and hamstrings. An instruction manual is provided. $29.99. (800) 432-8722.

Ice Packs

What's the answer every time you ask what to do about a running injury? "Ice it" Every runner should have an ice pack in the freezer, and the pack shown here is top of the line.

Thera P Gel Pak by Norsk

Even when frozen, this pack remains flexible and conforms to the contours of your body. Velcro straps keep it in place so you can do other things while you're icing your injury. It can also be heated in the microwave when you need to soothe and loosen fight, achy muscles. Thera P Gel Paks are available in different sizes and designs for treating knees, ankles, thighs, elbows and other areas. $14.99 to $34.99. (800) 667-7510.

Back Supports

If you experience lower-back pain, you probably need to do some strength training. Strong hamstrings, abdominal muscles, obliques and lower-back muscles all help support the lumbar region. But while you're getting in shape, you can get some support and pain relief from a back wrap.

BackThing Back Support by Sportstech

Wrap your lower torso with this support, and your back will thank you. Made with a high-density, closed-cell latex foam pad that conforms to the curve of your spine, the BackThing provides good support, won't fide up while you work out and is flexible and comfortable. It increases circulation in the muscles of the lower back, keeping them warm and promoting healing. $69.95. (800) 279-7123.

Lower-Leg Supports

Injuries happen. Stretching and strengthening, ice and rest help you recover and can help prevent injuries from happening again, but sometimes you need a little extra support the following devices will provide it. They help to absorb shock, reduce the stress that running puts on your muscle relieve pain by applying compression and warmth and stabilize weak ankles and knees.

Cheetah Ankle Brace and Ankle Support with Hool Cups by Muellor

If you're prone to ankle sprains and injuries, slip on a Cheetah Ankle Brace. It can also help relieve shinsplints and pain in your heels, ankles, knees and Achilles tendons. Use the Cheetah Ankle Support when less support and stability are needed. A key feature of these products is the built-in Tuli's Heel Cup, which is very effective in absorbing shock. Brace, $29.95; Support, $19.95. (800) 356-9522.

Cho-Pat Sports Straps by Cho-Pat

If you're suffering from knee pain due to patellar tendinitis, the Counter Force Knee Wrap helps alleviate that pain and stabilizes the kneecap while allowing full mobility. The Cho-Pat Achilles Tendon Strap helps reduce the pain of Achilles tendinitis. It also promotes early heel rise for an easier push-off during running, thus lowering the stress on the Achilles. Both wraps are made from neoprene fabric and have Velcro fasteners. Knee Wrap, $23.95; Achilles Tendon Strap, $18.50. (800) 221-1601.

Count'R Force Arch Brace and Shin'aid by Medical Sports

If plantar fascritis plagues you, then the Coun'R Force Arch Brace could be your ticket to happier running. Two strops hold the once up gainst your arch. The curved design provides a wide surface of support. For shinsplints, try the Shin'aid, which can also help relieve calf injuries. Arch Brace, $15.45; Shin'aid, $22.95. (800) 783-2240.

Hyperflex Bionic Knee and Ankle Brace by Seirus

Bothered by weak knees or ankles? Try the Hyperflex Bionic Knee Bruce or Ankle Brace by Seirus. Both wraps are made of breathable neoprene, which provides maximum support and allows moisture to evaporate. The Bionic Knee uses Lycra behind the knee to provide support without bunching up or inhibiting knee-flex as neoprene would. Bionic Knee, $34.99; Ankle Brace, $7.99. (800) 447-3787.

Kneed-It and Kallassy Ankle Support by One-up Health & Sport

The Kneecht knee guard absorbs shock at the knee and relieves minor pain by applying compression and warmth to the soft tissues in front of the knee. If you're weak in the ankles, the Kallassy Ankle Support will prevent your ankle from turning or rolling over as you run. Kneed-It, $29.95; Kallassy Ankle Support, $35. (800) 997-6789.

Lastrap by Coopercare

Lastrop supports have bio-engineered Thermovibe pods, which absorb shock, lessen vibrations and retain body heat for increased blood circulation. Whether your pain is in your knee or your shin, the Lastrap can provide relief. $29. (416) 741-9675 (ask for Coopercare).

Pronation/Spring Control (PSC) and U-Wraps by Fabrifoom Products

The PSC support/control device, which wraps around the foot and ankle, boasts the holding properties of a tape wrap, the alignment effect of an orthotic and the lifting function of an arch support-all in one. The PSC is recommended for the prevention and treatment of shinsplints, plantur fascilitis, heel spurs, stress fractures of the foot and other foot and ankle injuries. U-Wraps are breathable, reusable Velcro wraps that provide support for the wrisst, ankle and knee and help relieve tendinitis of these joints. PSC, $29.95; U-Wraps, $8-$20. (800) 577-1077. Indoor exercise machines might seem about as inviting as jury duty, but they do have their place. They can help preserve fitness during injury-related layoffs from running, because most are low or nonimpact. They can target muscle groups not effectively taxed by running. They can provide a reprieve from running in less-than-friendly weather And they can offer variety, even if it's the negative kind (nothing like staring into the dashboard of a stationary bike for what seems like an eternity to make you want to hit the roads all the more). That said, here's what's out there--or, rather, in there. As a rule of thumb with all exercise devices, put function and construction ahead of frugality. Unless it works the right muscles and does so in a smooth and stable fashion, chances are an inexpensive machine is only going to exercise your ire.

Rowing Machines

Races are not won by legs alone. Upper-body strength is needed for maintaining the most efficient running form, especially as fatigue begins to set in, and that's where rowing makes a good adjunct to your running. Rowing works the arms, shoulders, chest abdominals, buttocks and back.

Even the legs get a good workout as an estimated 75 percent of the force generated by a proper rowing stroke comes from down under. Moreover, because this force is nonimpact, workouts on a rowing machine can be a good way to keep the quads, and to a lesser degree the hamstrings, in shape while you're on the mend from an impact-related injury. Let your comfort be your guide when using a rower, however. if the action in any way aggravates an injury, head for shore.

Rowers come in two basic types: flywheel and hydraulic. The flywheel design most closely replicates the feel of rowing on water. All the models described here are flywheel types, and all also have monitoring systems that show elapsed time, number of strokes and calories burned.

Must-have features: A comfortable seat and a good, smooth action (if the machine's seat doesn't slide smoothly or its rowing action feels inconsistent or clunky, you won't enjoy using it and it probably won't last)

Aerow Pro 971 by Ross Fitness

The Aerow Pro's onboard computer allows you to choose a preset workout or program your own. An ergonomically designed seat and padded pull-handle provide a comfortable fide. Guaranteed for the lie of its original owner, the Aerow Pro is certainly no toy. $999. (800) 338-7677.

Concept II Model C by Concept II

The third generation of Concept II rowers, Model C offers quieter operation, collapssibility for earlier storage and a redesigned seat With this rower, you can set up to four different kinds of workouts, and an optional interface enables you to monitor your heart rate. But perhaps best of all about the Concept II is the competition it invites you to join. Called the C.R.A.S.H.-B Sprints indoor Roxong Championships, the tournament allows you to pit your rowing prowess against that of thousands of competitors taking part in over 80 races held nationwide. Ordered from the factory: $725. (800) 245-5676.

R740 ECB Rower by Tunturi

At 119 pounds compared to 61 and 97 pounds respectively for the Concept 11 and Ross rowers, the Tunturi is more difficuff to tote around. However, this rower is stable and quiet to use ond has a comfortable, onatomically designed seat. The magnetic resistance design of the flywheel allows you to set stroke resistance at numerous levels. $1,099. (800) 827-8717.

Stationary Bikes

Stationary bikes were the first, and in many ways still are one of the best ergometers for runners, especially when ridden in a standing position, which studies show comes closer to the action of running than any other indoor exercise (except treadmill work). When shopping for a bike, stick to those that allow you to adjust pedal resistance so you can simulate hill training.

Also, keep in mind that models that provide pedal resistance by way of a flywheel or belt drive generally are more durable than those that derive their resistance from mechanical friction. And if you're intending to monitor your workouts in terms of miles covered or calories burned, opt for a bike capable of making such calculations. All the bikes presented here have monitoring systems.

Must-have features: A comfortable seat, smooth pedal action and basic structural integrity (if the unit wobbles or feels generally flimsy, it's probably going to find a home in your garage)

Airdyne by Schwinn

A "bike" that works your upper body, too, the Airdyne has handlebars that move in tandem with the pedals and give your arms and shoulders a great workout as you ride. With the Airdyne, resistance is created by a flywheel with numerous air-grabbing fins. $499.95 to $799.95, depending on the model. (303) 545-1 725.

F510 Executive Recumbent Cycle by Tunturi

If you're having a bout of back trouble, a recumbent bike is the way to ride. The body position you take on a recumbent, plus the back support and seat, minimize stress to the lower back, whereas the posture required on an upright bike or a stairclimber may aggravate any problems. Recumbents exercise the some muscles as upright bikes, but because the contractions occur in different areas of the muscles, recumbents give the abdomen, inner thighs, hamstrings and calves a better workout than other areas. The unit's monitor displays standard workout information. $449. (800) 827-8717.

Futura EZ 947 by Ross Fitness

Another flywheel and duabaction bike like the Airdyne, the Futura EZ 947 differs from the Aire models in that it allows you to work the upper and lower body either together or separately. Also, pedal straps enable you to pull on the pedals (good for the hamstrings) as well as push on them (good for the quads). The Futura's electronic monitor uses an ear-mounted sensor to measure heart rate. $525. (800) 338-7677.

HOMCycle by Universal Gym Equipment

Belt-driven but quiet and smooth, the HOM-Cycle is a rugged, no-nonsense ergometer. It offers three options for training by target

Lifecycle 3500 by Life Fitness

Want to combat the boredom of cycling to nowhere by playing a litfle Nintendo, Speed Racer or Pac Man? Then hop aboard an LC 3500. The unit's LED display screen interfaces with some pretty entertaining software (the Life Fitness Exertainment system), not to mention some no-nonsense fitness programs to moisten your brow. Cycle at a moderate 65 percent of your maximum heart rate, or a cardia-training regimen at a more demanding 85 percent. You can even watch TV on the bike's ample console. $999 for the lifecycle plus Exertainment system. (800) 877-3867.

MS.2E/L Personal Cycle Trainer by Precor

No belts or even wind-ressisting flywheels her--just a precission-balanced aluminum disk spinning freely between variable magnetic fields. As the magnetic force increases, so does resistance, totally without friction, so durability is this units middle nome. The bike's display panel features a host of preprogrammed as well as programmoble workouts, fitness tests, a weightloss program, plus elapsed time, RPM's, heart rate and colories burned. $1,300-$1,850. (800) 477-3267.

Wavecycle 502 by Dicor

Here's a novel and durable approach to the standard stationary bike-using water to provide pedal resistance. Difficult to wear out for sure. The patented technology uses H2O for a smooth and friction-free pedal ressistance, which can be adjusted even while the unit is in use. Resistance also increases with pedaling speed, giving even greater variety in intensifies. The computerized dashboard shows heart rate (via a sensor worn on the ear) in addition to the usual data. $399. (800) 985-8999.

Strength-Training Machines

Wait a minute--you're trying to run faster, not kick sand in anyone's face.

Chill. Strength can be a good way to do it Strength-building exercises recruit primarily fast-twitch muscle fibers. Research shows that strength-building workouts can be a valuable complement to speedwork Arm, shoulder and torso exercises also can build the upper-body power needed for faster times.

In selecting a strength-building machine, look for one capable of giving a full-body workout. Put a priority on basic structural integrity as well as smoothness of operation. And if time is important to you, be sure the adjustments needed to implement the machine's different exercises do not require a workout in themselves to employ.

Must-have features: Apparatus for a full-body workout, with exercises for the legs, arms, shoulders and back

Bowflex 210 Pro by Bowflex

The Bowflex supplies resistance isotonically (force must be generated not only to perform a lift, but also to return to the lift's starting point) via a unique system of flexible `power rods' attached to pulleys. This allows a freedom of movement not possible with many similar units, as well as an impressive variety of exercisesin 64 all. The unit is relatively light in weight and even collapsible enough to be stored in a closet when not in use. $999. (800) 269-3539.

Complete PersonalCircuit Multi-Station Gym by Nautilus

Employing the patented Nautilus cam--a device that allows smooth movement through the entire range of motion of exercise--this large unit offers 12 exercises (eight for the upper body and four for the lower). As many as three people con work out at the some time. Resistance is supplied tonically, and changing exercises takes only 5 seconds. $5,985. (800) 628-8458.

Direct Drive 200 by Cybox

"Direct Drive" refers to this unit's more-efficient-than-most cable system, which attaches to weights hidden inside the machine's center column and allows an immediate application of resistance. Exercises for all major muscle groups are possible, and in one of the smallest spaces for a multistation machine of this type--just 49 square feet. $3,595. (800) 926-4704.

Multi-function 880 by Hoist

"The simpler the better" is the main theme of this machine. The other is saving space: it requires only 13.5 square feet of floor space, yet offers 1 5 exercises that work all major muscle groups. Pulleys attached to cost-iron weights (up to 200 pounds) provide the machine's mode of actioh, and all seated exercises are possible without cable changes from just one position--a plus for exercisers in a hurry. $2,395. (800) 548-5438; (800) 541-5438 in Calgornic.

NordicFlex Gold by NordicTrack

With a patented resistance system that adjusts automatically to the amount of force you generate against it, this unique unit from Nordictrack requires no changing of weights or cables between exercises--just the position of your body. Over 30 exercises for all major muscle groups are possible, and a Power Meter measures the number of repetitions and pounds of force generated by each lift. $799.95. (800) 445-2360.

On-Line 1800 by Vectra

This rugged unit offers 29 exercises for 11 major muscle groups. It employs pulleys attached to weights (all the way up to 305 pounds' worth) and uses a cam system to ensure that resistance remains consistent through the entire range of motion each exercise requires. The unit also boasts a unique, space-saving design that allows it to be set up in a corner of a room, as opposed to the center--a limitation of most similar multistation machines. Only 65 square feet of floor space is required. $3,995. (800) 283-2872.

Pacific 2000 by Pacific Fitness

Your own body weight provides the resistance with this clever design, and yet an impressive 25 exercises are posssible for targeting all major muscles, abdominals included. Resistance levels (adjustable from 3 pounds to 129 pounds of user's body weight) are changeable without leaving the machine's seat, and the unit is a space saver, taking up only 16 square feet. $1,049. (800) 722-3482.

Persona Fitness Trainer 1000 by Paramount

The PFT 1000 features biomechanically correct positions for all of the most popular strengtl/building exercises. It uses a smoothly operating pulley system that hoists plates of cast iron. No cable changes are required during exercises, and weight selections are made extra safe via a custom-designed selector pin. The units leg-press station is optional. $2,895. (800) 721-2121.

Pro Form Cross Trainer by Icon

Versatility is the claim to fame of this multifaceted unit--an upper- and lower-body strength trainer plus an aerobic stairclimber all in one. Resistance is supplied electronically and in easily adjustable, 1-increments (all the way up to 250 pounds). Over 30 upper- and lower-body exercises are possible, two people can work out simultoneously, and the stepping machine features variable resistance as well as an electronic display of elapsed fime, distance covered, cadence and calories burned. $799. (800) 727-9777.

TriFlex by the DTX Corporation

Hydraulic cylinders provide the resistance (up to 500 pounds) in this versafile yet compact unit. The device is very user-friendly, as resistance adjusts automafically to the amount of force generated, and only changes in body position are needed to perform most of the machine's 40 exercises. $795. (800) 600-3050.

Stairclimbers

A relatively recent addition to the ergometer family, stair-climbers, like stationary bikes, can be a great low-impact way to keep the legs and cardiovascular system strong while nursing a stress-related injury. Steppers work primarily the quads, hamstrings and buttocks. (Stairclimbers generally are not effective at improving leg speed, however, so be forewarned if speed more than endurance is your training goal.)

In shopping for a stepper, expect, as with ergometers in general, to get what you pay for. what you may save in money, you'll pay for in durability and pleasure of use.

Must-have features: Variable resistance, an electronic readout showing energy expenditure, a handlebar design that's comfortable for you (if you find yourself leaning too far forward, you'll be putting undue strain on your back) and "good feel" (that is, smooth pedal motion)

Aerstep Pro 986 by Ross Fitness

The patented step-drive system of this machine uses air resistance, so that as you increase your effort, the resistance of the machine increases. Computer-controlled magnetic tension also allows you to program the base resistance level to change at certain points throughout the workout. The Aerstep includes six preset programs, or you can design your own. Time, distance, calories burned, step rate and heart rate are all displayed on the monitor. $999. (800) 338-7677.

Dynastep 759 and 859 by Dicor Fitness

Both of these steppers have independent stepping action, variable magnetic resistance, four hill programs, a manual setting and a display that features step rate and calories burned. The 759 allows you to program a target heart rate, and if that heart rate is exceeded, the stepper resets to its easiest setting to let you know you've exceeded your upper range. The 859 has a heart-rate control computer, which automotically adjusts the machine's resistance to maintain proper heart rate. 759, $899; 859, $1,050. (800) 985-8999.

4000 PT by StairMaster

Known for its "great feel," the 4000 features a patented design that provides a nearly constant spied during the entire downward motion of the pedal. This stairclimber uses an independent stepping action, so a stronger leg can't overcompensate for a weaker leg or force the weaker leg through a posssibly injurious movement or range. The monitor displays time elapsed, step rate, course and calories burned. 2,195. (800) 635-2936.

5500 by Life Fitness

This self-powered stepper has five workout programs, including a Heart Rate Zone Training program that adjusts pedal resistance automotically, based on your heart rate and stepping pace. It offers two stepping actions: independent, in which the pedols move separately from one another and you control the height of each, and dependent, in which the pedals are linked together. The monitor displays heart rate, elapsed time, colories burned, stepping rate and terrain. $999. (800) 877-3867.

M7.2E/L Personal Climber Trainer by Precor

This stepper has some of the most sophisticated fitness software around. Its computer con store information about weight, preferred work level and best performances for up to four people. The M7.2E/L offers several preprogrammed courses, or you can create your own. A fitness test measures your heart-rate response to different levels of exercise, and this stepper includes a weightloss program based on research from the Cooper Clinic, that will help you burn the most calories during a 30-minute workout. The monitor displays course, work level, time, elevation, steps per minute, calories, heart rate and your fitness score. Wheels make this stairclimber easy to move. $1,400. (800) 477-3267.

Professional 330 by Schwinn

Rugged enough to withstand commercial use, the 330 boosts friction-free electromagnetic stance, self-leveling footheds, independent leg action and multiposition handlebars for optimally comfortable stepping posture. The device also offers 16 levels of resistance, five preset workouts and digital readouts of elapsed time, steps per minute, distance covered and calories burned. $1,299.95. (303) 545-1725.

Quantum by Monark Bodyguard Fitness Corp.

Smooth, sturdy and virtually silent, thanks to new noise-reduction technology, the Quantum has three exercise modes: novice, intermediate and expert. It offers several programs, including heart-rate control and race programs, or you can manually set your own. The computer monitor displays calories burned and step rate. $1,795. (800) 665-3407.

VersaClimber by Heart Rate

The VersaClimber takes stair climbing to new and potentially more exhausting heights. It can be used as a conventional stepping machine for working the lower body only, or it can provide a more complete workout by employing the arms, chest, shoulders, bock and even abdomen when used in its "ladder-climbing" mode. Complete, too is the information the VersaClimber gives you on its digital readout: elapsed time, climbing speed in feet per minute, distance climbed, number of colories burned and (optionally) heart rate attained. $1,295; with heartrate monitor, $1,595. (800) 237-2271.

Ski Machines

Touted as effective simulators of the highest calorie-burning activity of all, cross-country ski machines work not just the legs but the chest, shoulders and arms. Because your feet don't leave the ground, there's no impact. Ski machines come in "Yugo" as well as "Mercedes" forms, however, so beware. You can spend as little as $100 for some models, but if you do, you'll soon want to heave it into a snowdrift somewhere.

Must-have features: A smooth, comfortable and stable action; padded hand grips; snug but comfortable foot grips

Achiever by Nordictrack

Unlike most cross-country skiers, the Achiever allows you to custorn-tailor your workouts by adjusting upper- and lower-body resistance independently. Resistance is supplied by a flywheel, so action is smooth, and the units platform can be filted upward to simulate the even more exhausting expedence of skiing uphill. All this effort gets closely monitored, moreover, in terms of speed, distance covered, time elapsed, calories burned and heart rate reached, by way of a digital readout mounted for easy view. $769.95. (800) 445-2606.

Abstract: An array of running gear, with descriptions and prices, is presented. The equipment includes sports watches, water gear, carbohydrate drinks, water-carrying supplies, gear bags, sports cameras, heart-rate monitors, reflective clothing, and exercise equipment.

Source Citation
"Runner's World 1995 gear guide." Runner's World Dec. 1995: 50+. Gale Power Search. Web. 31 Aug. 2011.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CA17632802&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w

Gale Document Number: GALE|A17632802

"Look sharp! No one wants to look like a dullard. That's why MF polledour style council--experts in fashion, grooming, fitness, health, andnutrition--to come up with this hot list (62 strong!) of ways to polishyour appearance."

2011-08-30T20:00:00.002-04:00

Drinking water for canyon wildlife, originally uploaded by oldmantravels.

MAYBE YOU LOST OUT ON THE GOOD-GENES SWEEPSTAKES. You've got a schnozz with its own seat in Congress. Or you've got a lace and bod like Brad but a fashion sense that is truly the Pitts. Maybe you wish you could look half as good as Danny DeVito. Whatever. You can still move from not to hot without having the Queer Eye guys ripping you to pieces like hyenas on Animal Planet.

Start with these tips, our definitive list of everything you need to do to improve your looks: from what to wear and how to work out to what to eat and health dos and don'ts. In three months, when the paparazzi are hounding you 'cause you look like a star, just turn toward the camera and wink. We'll take that as a "Thank yon."

CLOTHING

SUIT YOURSELF: When shopping for suits, worry more about fit than price: A $400 suit that fits perfectly flatters you better than a $4,000 ensemble that doesn't.

GET SHORTY: If you're under 5'10", stick with suits and jackets that have a "short" cut. They're better proportioned and won't make you look like David Byrne in Stop Making Sense.

PLAY YOUR HEAVY HITTERS. Better to own a few swanky clothing items you love than a closet full of cheap, ridiculous items you won't even wear.

MAKE AN UNDER STATEMENT: Wear a white undershirt in the office (under your outer shirt, Einstein). It soaks up sweat, plus that little bit of white poking out helps you look more put-together.

GET LOOPY: Wear a belt. Always. It's the follow-through in your backhand, the whipped cream on your Frappuccino. Plus, it gives the gals something to do (or undo) while you're kicking off your shoes.

TEE OFF YOUR WARDROBE: Everyone's real impressed by your muscles. But outside the gym, an armless muscle tee says "Clueless" before it says "Call me."

STRIPE A POSE: It's still true: Vertical stripes make you look slimmer, Fact: Rockers Jack and Meg White are actually 240 and 370 pounds, respectively.

COLOR SCHEME: Never pair a brown belt with black shoes (and vice versa). You're not a Doberman pinscher.

HANG UP YOUR TIGHTS: When your tighty-whities are no longer white, burn them. (That goes for your pit-stained tees, too, Casanova.)

PLEAT GUILTY: Take your pleated pants and donate them to the Salvation Army. Same goes for ones that taper at the bottom. They make you book top-heavy, fat, and, well, like you're trapped in 1985.

GET A LOOK: Pick a clothing style and stick with it. Don't dress like you're in Glee Club one day and like you're going to a Marilyn Manson concert the next.

PULL YOUR DAMN PANTS UP: When Britney Spears' undies stick out of her jeans, it's cute. When yours do, it's pathetic. If you've got bunching issues, wear boxer briefs--women eat 'em up.

COVER UP: Don't let chest shrubbery blossom from your undershirt. No need to hire a gardener to manicure your lawn. Just stick with a crew neck.

DON'T BAG OUT: When it comes to leather jackets, windbreakers, and winter outerwear, err on the small side. Don't be afraid to buy a fitted jacket: A baggy leather bomber is not "do bomb."

GROOMING

YOU GO, GIRLY: Dip into your girlfriend's I bag of tricks: Exfoliation and moisturizing aren't just for chicks--they'll help your skin glow. Man brands include Gillette I and Nivea for Men.

TAKE A POWDER: Use Gold Bond for your private areas--the powder cuts down on ugly red chafing. Just don't overuse or you'll puff clouds like a gymnast.

NOSE YOUR LIMITS: What's more embarrassing: plopping that nose-hair trimmer down at the checkout counter or having wheat grass protruding from your nostrils?

IT'S OK TO FLIP-FLOP: Fungus ain't fun. To avoid it, keep your bare feet from touching anything in the locker room. That means wearing flip-flops in the shower stall and standing on a towel while drying off.

MAP OUT YOUR HAIR BORDERS; When your neck hair starts to meet your back hair, it's called an "ape drape." Let your barber have at it, Kong.

GET ORGAN-IZED: Trim the hair "down there" to make it look bigger. Hey, it's far less painful and expensive than penis enlargement. Trust us.

WHO'S THE FLOSS? Think flossing once a week is OK? Try after every meal You'll keep your gums healthy and prevent receding. Bonus: free leftovers! Yum.

TELL THE TOOTH: Think about making your pearly whites even whiter. Bleached teeth brighten your whole face in a not-too-obvious, soap-actor kind of way.

ZAP YOUR ZITS: To tame acne outbreaks, use a cleanser with salicylic acid, such as Clearasil. Playing mirror hockey (squeezing them) seems like a solution, but it can leave permanent scars.

TRIM YOUR TALONS: Clip your fingernails as soon as you see the whites. Unless you're going for that '70s pimp--or worse yet, Nosferatu--look.

DON'T BE A MEISTER-BROW: One reason Sesame Street's Bert has been a bachelor for so many years may be that unibrow. All Ernie's pal needs is tweezers and as steamy bathroom, A separate bedroom wouldn't hurt either, by the way.

WAX OFF: Wanna show off your muscles and lose the Dr. Zaius look? Then don't shave your body--wax it. Shaved hair grows in at different cycles and looks uneven. Waxing keeps you stubble-free longer, which she'll appreciate.

FITNESS

UTILIZE PEDAL POWER: If it's feasible, commute on a bike. You'll get leg definition, cardio, and a healthy glow when you arrive at the office. We surest the iXi bike. It has a rubber drive belt (substituting for that greasy chain), an iPod compartment, and can fold down flat. ($1,28g @ ixibike.com)

CHART YOUR PROGRESS: Log your fitness advancements: At specific intervals, have photos taken (clothing optional) and get a trainer to tape*measure your muscles. "It shows the fruits of your labor," says former Mr. Universe Lee Labrada, founder of Labrada Nutrition, That gives you motivation to go back for more.

FOLLOW THROUGH WITH EVOLUTION: Don't get no respect? Get erect. A guy with good posture "stands taller and walks prouder," says trainer Craig Ballantyne. Practice on the seated-row machine: Use a wide overhand grip on a wide-grip handle. As you pull the bar back toward you, pinch your shoulder blades together while pushing your chest out.

GET PUMPED: Get a quick pump before a big date. No, we're not talking about cleaning out your pipes, pal. Repeating upper-body exercises like biceps curls causes fluid to temporarily increase the size of your veins and muscles, says Ballantyne. It lasts about an hour--just enough time for you to work your mojo.

BE EVEN-STEVEN: Pay attention to symmetry and proportion. If you're working lust your chest and biceps, you'll get top-heavy. "A balanced body is beautiful to the eye," says Labrada.

WATCH YOUR ASS: "Most guys ignore everything behind them, training-wise," says Alwyn Cosgrove, owner of Results Fitness in Santa Clarita, Calif., "especially what they can't see in the mirror." Cosgrove recommends stepups on a bench for booty-ful balance.

STICK IT UP: The transverse abdominis (the muscle you contract when you suck in your gut) can be trained merely by holding in your stomach--the first step to a six-pack, Tie a string tight around your belly, instructs Cosgrove, and pull in your tummy every time you feel tension from the string. You should see results in a week--even if you're already ab-ulous.

BECOME TAN-TASTIC: Bring out muscle definition with a fake (non-premature-aging, non-cancer-causing) tan (we like Clinique Skin Supplies for Men Bronzer). Darker skin brings out muscle definition better than a pasty casing. Just be sure to rub in the self-tanner carefully--streaks are for freaks.

GROW SHOULDER AND WISER: Atlas had a pretty good look, carrying the world on his shoulders and all. So take a page out of his book and work on your cannonball delts, says Cosgrove. "It makes your arms look better and your waist look thinner."

HEALTH

AVOID WET T-SHIRT CONTESTS: Change clothes after your workout, Your soaking-wet T-shirt and shorts not only smell bad, but the moisture also breeds fungus. Plus, sweat clogs pores and can lead to body zits, a.k.a. backne, chestne, and yes, the dreaded assne.

TEST NEGATIVE: Anabolic steroids cause greasy skin, acne, and premature balding. Unattractive Bonus: They make you as volatile as Tony Soprano.

EXPAND YOUR SOLE: If your shoes are tight around the toes, get them stretched. Narrow dress shoes can give you bunions, which is not another name for onion rolls but, rather, for nasty looking sores.

SLEEP IT OFF: Not getting enough sleep may contribute to obesity. While you're sleeping, your body peaks in producing hormone called leptin, which regulates fat stored in the body. Not sleeping throws your leptin production out of whack and disorients your fat monitors, leading your body to store fat instead of burning it.

STEER CLEAR OF THE SUN: Apply sunscreen--always. Even when you're skiing, the snow reflects the sun's rays and amplifies them up to 80%. And the higher the altitude, the greater the UV exposure. Look what happened to Robert Redford after years of his sun dance.

BANG A GONG: Get laid. A lot. A Scottish researcher found that sex helps slow the aging process by reducing stress, increasing contentment, and bettering sleep. Which means, get some at least three times a week, and you'll look better longer. (Yeah, it's our favorite study, too.)

THE SALINE SOLUTION: Keep your salt intake low, especially late at night. Too much puffs up the circles under your eyes. And retaining water not only sounds feminine, it gets in the way of looking ripped.

IGNORANCE IS BLISTERS: If you're prone to blisters, invest in some double-layer socks. And once the painful little suckers pop, apply antibiotic ointment like Bacitracin for your sake. Then cover the mess with a bandage for everyone else's.

UNCOVER THE MOLE: Frequently check your body for new freckles and moles (or have your woman do it). Larger or raised, ones should be monitored to make sure they're not risk factors for melanoma, Unattractive Bonus: Find a third nipple and become a documentary subject.

GRAPE ADVICE: Take grape-seed extract, which significantly speeds up wound recovery for bruises or cuts by allowing tissue to repair itself more quickly.

DRY UP: Take fewer, faster showers. Water--especially hot water--robs your skin of natural oils, which help keep you looking natural and young.

DOG YOURSELF OUT: You'll never be as cute as Desmond, your dachshund. But owning him makes you that much more attractive. A study conducted by the U.K.'s University of Warwick found that women are much more likely to talk to a man walking his dog than one walking himself.

NUTRITION

STIFF DIET: Eating the right foods contributes to a healthy sex life. A diet rich in fruits, veggies, legumes, and grains keeps your arteries clear, increasing blood flow to you-know-where. And you don't have to be Ozzy to know that an Iron Man is more impressive than Mr. Softy.

WASH AND WEAR: Look shampoo-commercial fabulous by loading up on B vitamins, especially one called biotin. (Make sure your multivitamin includes it.) Your 'do will shine like the top of the Chrysler Building.

COMBAT FREE RADICALS: Sounds like a call to arms against anarchists, no? But those nasty free radicals actually kill cells and age you. Fight them by ingesting antioxidants, such as lycopene, which you can find by juicing a grapefruit or a tomato. Hey, who wants lycopene-a-coladas?

TASTE THE RAINBOW: The more colorful your grub, the more packed it is with essential vitamins and nutrients. So load up on orange peppers, blueberries, and red snapper (just kidding about the fish). But careful on the preparation: Cook the hell out of them and you lose some important ingredients. The best advice? Steam veggies to maximize their powers.

STAY REGULAR: We're not advocating a daily bowl of Colon Blow, the Saturday Night Live cereal that clears your innards and more. But do have a daily dose of fiber. Familiar with the Michelin Man? Never had a gram of fiber.

DON'T DO THE DEW: A study found that canned sodas and teas--even diet versions--damage tooth enamel. If you must go that route, root beer--with the fewest additives--does the least harm.

BONE UP: Unless you're chugging milk or crunching sardine bones, you may not be getting enough calcium. This raises your risk for osteoporosis, which will wreck your posture and make you shorter. (Ed. Note: Men's Fitness does not recommend ingesting milk and sardines simultaneously, if only for the awful breath consequences.)

REEL-A-MEAL: Eat more fish--especially salmon and tuna. They're high in omega-3 fatty acids, which improve blood flow, giving you better color. Omega-3s also boost your mood, which will make you smile more. (Fish can't smile, can they?)

Five things you could do ...

1. Stop hogging the remote.

2. Lose that ugly posse of yours.

3. Figure out why you've lost interest in giving me oral sex.

4. Buy me something expensive.

5. Shut up. Seriously.

POLL SOME CHICKS: Ask your girlfriend, wife, or coolest gal pal for five suggestions on how to look better. They'll give you the most honest, up-to-date advice. (But don't call Mom. She means well, but she thinks Dad's suspenders look "neat.")

HAVE BALD AMBITION: If your hair's thinning, take a tip from Air Jordan, Vin Diesel, and Mr. Clean--shave that chrome dome. Unless you have a head like Freddy Krueger, you'll come off cool, confident, and bad ass. And a sweet 'stache never hurt nobody nohow, Geraldo.

GO NATIVE: Planning a trip abroad? Leave the baseball caps and ironic T-shirts at home--unless you want to be easily identified as an SUV-driving, Toby Keith-listening tourist from the Land of the Great Satan.

GET INTO THE GROOVE: Find gear that inspires you to work out longer. The Nike MP3Run by Philips plays music and also wirelessly tracks your time, distance, and pace. You'll know when you're done running--and when you've earned the right to play "We Are the Champions." ($299 @ nike-philips.com)

LAY OFF THE CANCER STICKS:

Seriously, dude don't smoke. Lung damage aside, it causes premature wrinkles and yellow teeth, making you look like those old ladies who play the slots in Atlantic City. Ditto for chewing tobacco, which may appear enticing when baseball players chomp on it, but seems less cool when your gums are rotting. Unattractive Bonus: Nothing in the world a woman loves less than spittle juice on your chin!

ACID TEST: Lack of linoleic acid can give you lizard skin. Scrap the scales by munching on nuts and seeds or drizzling some safflower oil on your chow.

SAY YES TO JOE: This ain't no java jive. A recent study says coffee's high antioxidant content (four times that in green tea!) makes it one of the best sources for fighting wrinkle-producing free radicals. Drink too much, though, and you'll never get off the pot.

New York Daily News fashion editor Amy Diluna always looks great.

Diluna, Amy

Source Citation
Diluna, Amy. "Look sharp! No one wants to look like a dullard. That's why MF polled our style council--experts in fashion, grooming, fitness, health, and nutrition--to come up with this hot list (62 strong!) of ways to polish your appearance." Men's Fitness Nov. 2004: 94+. Gale Power Search. Web. 30 Aug. 2011.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CA124007835&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w

Gale Document Number: GALE|A124007835

Eco yarn: can you really trust those green claims on your next item ofclothing or pair of shoes?

2011-08-22T22:44:00.002-04:00

clothes for twin baby, originally uploaded by Tsuyoshi Adachi as thin-p.

Many Australians rate sustainability as one of the most important issues facing the nation; we feel there is a real need for more sustainable products but are only willing to pay a small premium for them. Although slower to embrace consumers' desire for more ethical and sustainable products, the textile, clothing and footwear industries are catching up on the ethical fashion trend.

The environmental footprint of textile manufacture is huge. On top of energy and water consumption, toxic gases are released and up to 200 tonnes of water polluted per tonne of processed fabric. Increased global awareness about rural poverty, climate change and sustainability has also increased consumers' interest in the origin and manufacturing process of textile products. CHOICE highlights some common traps to avoid when you're next eco-fashion shopping.

'Eco'-fibres

Most people think of "natural" fibres, such as hemp, silk, wool cotton and bamboo, as environmentally friendly or sustainable options. Cotton and wool are considered the "eco-fibres" of choice in Europe and the UK; Japan is big on organic cotton, while the US is embracing bamboo. But according to Keith Cowlishaw, Head of the School of Fashion and Textiles at RMIT University, some natural fibres, such as cotton and wool require large amounts of land, water and energy to produce. Cowlishaw believes that despite its fossil fuel-origins, polyester is in fact one of the most sustainable fibres. "Polyester is recyclable, little arable land is used and huge amounts of energy aren't consumed in its production."

Sustainable compromise

Although the key to buying sustainably is to consider the impacts of a product's entire life cycle, this is a near-impossible task for consumers armed with a plethora of environmental claims but little immediate, supporting information. Until Australian consumers are better informed about environmental claims, Cowlishaw says the greatest direct action consumers can take to help the environment is in apparel-care. "Washing full loads in cold water with a biodegradable washing detergent and line-drying will have the greatest impact on water and energy use in the life cycle of your clothes."

In 2009, Target introduced their "Think Climate" label which shows customers can reduce their energy use by cold-washing and line-drying tagged products. While Target should be commended for their initiative, its potential positive impact is undermined by subsequent care instructions that state "warm machine wash".

Common green claims and greenwash

A report last year by US environmental marketing agency TerraChoice found that the number of home and family products with "greener" claims had increased by 73% since 2009. Although there are signs that greenwashing has reduced slightly, an astonishing 95% of "greener" products are still committing a greenwash sin (see opposite). CHOICE recommends treating the following claims with caution and looking for supporting information:

* "Green" "environmentally friendly", "eco-friendly" Businesses should clearly and accurately explain why their products are "greener" or more environmentally "safe" or "friendly" than other similar products.

* "Certified products" are assessed against a mandatory or voluntary standard, which can relate to a product's quality, performance, composition and/or means of production. Certification is usually signalled by a symbol or logo on the product (see Common Certification Symbols, opposite).

* "Carbon neutral" claims can be made about greenhouse gas emissions associated with the manufacture of a product and how businesses have offset them.

* "Recyclable" and "recycled": These claims (the mobius loop symbol) can be misleading if the product is not recyclable or if the facilities to recycle them are not available to you.

* "Sustainable": All processes involved in a sustainable product must be able to be sustained indefinitely.

What CHOICE found

A recent visit to the underwear and baby sections of big department stores highlighted a lack of immediate, credible information available on labelling to assist consumers in their search for environmentally preferable products. Instead, most companies are relying on transferring brand-trust from their regular clothing to their eco-ranges. Our spot-check found mostly organic cotton and bamboo products from brands including Ambra "Ecostyle", Bubba Blue, Jockey, Red Robin, littlebamboo, Natures Purest, Mitchdowd "green" and Purebaby. Environmental claims for bambooderived products include "hypo-allergenic", "naturally antibacterial'; "environmentally friendly'; "sustainable fibre" and "pesticide free".

Bubba Blue's super-soft Jersey Wrap claims to be 10% bamboo, while only Ambra and Jockey label bamboo content as viscose bamboo.

Natures Purest provides information on organically grown, naturally coloured cotton--which is less than helpful considering the boxed product is in fact a baby blanket claiming to be made from 100% reconstituted bamboo fibre.

The Mitchdowd green underwear range has swing-tags on its products that provide information on their selected fibres and the process behind their "carbon neutral underwear" claim.

Organic claims on Ambra Ecostyle's organic cotton socks, as well as others such as "allergy free" were poorly substantiated on almost all product packaging.

We found the Purebaby brand to be most consumer- to the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and are part of the MADE-BY scheme, which support companies that use sustainable materials and work with manufacturers that have good working conditions (see right).

Question the claims

Before you buy any clothes claiming to be sustainable and/or environmentally friendly in any way, see if you can answer these questions. If the information isn't available on the product packaging, ask the retailer or manufacturer:

* Are there specific eco-claims relating to the product, or are "eco" or "green" merely part of the brand name?

* Is there evidence to support the environmental claims being made?

* For blended-fibre products, do claims relate to all or just a single fibre?

* Do the environmental claims refer to the entire product life cycle or just a stage? "Organically grown cotton", for example, doesn't mean the final product is certified organic.

* What standards/certification scheme are used--is the certification scheme reputable?

* Are both environmental and labour conditions considered?

* Do claims relate to emissions from the production of the product, emissions from the product's use or both? How are the offsets generated?

NUTSHELL

* Eco-fibres and apparel can be beneficial to the environment in some part of their life cycle, but not across their entire life cycle.

* Manufacturers need to provide clear and credible information so consumers can make informed choices that suit their needs and values.

* The greatest consumption of energy and water in a garment's life cycle occurs in product-care; use cold water and biodegradable detergent, and line-dry your clothes where possible.

DID YOU KNOW?

New and improved consumer law

The Competition and Consumer Act 2010- formerly the Trade Practices Act 1974-states that businesses must not mislead or deceive consumers, or make false or misleading representations. The Act applies to all representations a business makes to you about their products, whether it is in an ad, over the phone, on their website or on product packaging.

Recent amendments to the Act have provided the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) with new tools to enforce the law. As part of its investigations, the ACCC can issue substantiation notices requiring traders and suppliers to provide evidence that supports any claims they make, including green claims. The amendments have also provided the ACCC with new enforcement powers to protect consumers, including the ability to issue infringement notices.

DID YOU KNOW?

Bamboozled by bamboo

The advantages of bamboo compared with other textile crops are its quick growth rate and ability to be grown with little or no pesticides, which lessens its environmental impact. Bamboo fabric is widely marketed as hypo-allergenic, having naturally antibacterial deodorising and thermal control properties.

In 2009, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) concluded that only mechanically processed bamboo products can be advertised or labelled as bamboo; the soft "bamboo" fabrics on the market today are rayon, a generic term for a manmade fibre created from the cellulose in plants such as bamboo and known in

Australia as viscose. According to the FTC, there's no evidence that rayon retains the antimicrobial properties of the bamboo plant, or that any traits of the original plant are left in the finished product.

Ben Wilson, of Australian clothing company Little Bamboo, says there's great debate as to what should determine labeling--the process or the plant of origin. He says although there are no bamboo-specific labelling requirements here, his company has chosen to re-label products to reference both bamboo and viscose and thereby avoid confusing consumers. Bamboo-viscose is processed with harsh chemicals that are known for their hazardous air pollution. Some companies are now using the less-polluting "Lyocell" process for the manufacture of their bamboo products. Dane Totham, CEO of Mitchdowd, says they use this chemical manufacturing process as it's a closed-loop system, so 99.5% of the chemicals used during the processing are captured and recycled to be used again.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

DID YOU KNOW?

Common certification symbols

Environmental standards and certification, or "eco-labels", began appearing in the 1980s to increase transparency and protect against greenwash in eco-products. Globally, many certifying bodies and standards exist that cover organic and eco-textiles. A selection of legitimate certification symbols is listed here; for more, log on to www.choice.com.au/greenclothes

Organic Certifiers

* Australian Certified Organic (ACO)

Eco-textile standards

* Oeko-Tex

* MADE-BY

Ethical Production and Fair Trade

* Ethical Clothing Australia (Aus)

* Fairtrade Labelling Organisation (FLOI

Optional Organic Textile Standards

* Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)

SEVEN SINS OF GREENWASHING

Greenwash is when companies exaggerate the environmental friendliness of their products and policies. According to US greenwash experts, TerraChoice, the evolution of greenwashing has seen an increase in both the "sin of no proof" and the "sin of worshipping false label" over the past 12 months.

1. Sin of the Hidden Trade-off is committed by suggesting a product is "green" based on a very narrow set of features without considering other important environmental issues.

2. Sin of No Proof is committed by an environmental claim, such as "organic", that cannot be substantiated by easily accessible supporting information or a reliable third-party certification.

3. Sin of Vagueness is committed when a claim is so poorly defined or broad that it's likely to be misunderstood by the consumer. "All-natural" is one example; formal dehyde is naturally occurring yet is a toxic carcinogen commonly used in the textile finishing process.

4. Sin of Irrelevance is committed by making an environmental claim that may be truthful but for the product for which it's made is unimportant or unhelpful. See Natures Purest example above under "What CHOICE Found".

S. Sin of Lesser of Two Evils is committed by claims that may be true within a product category, but risk distracting consumers from the greater environmental impacts of the category as a whole.

6.Sin of Fibbing is committed by making environmental claims that are simply not true. Consumer demand for easily accessible, credible information to verify environmental claims will help trap the sinners.

7. Sin of Worshipping False Labels is committed when a product, through words or images, gives the impression of third-party endorsement that doesn't exist. Familiarise yourself with legitimate eco-labels to avoid this trap.

Grew, Hannah

Source Citation
Grew, Hannah. "Eco yarn: can you really trust those green claims on your next item of clothing or pair of shoes?" Choice [Chippendale, Australia] Feb. 2011: 17+. Gale Power Search. Web. 22 Aug. 2011.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CA249683377&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w

Gale Document Number: GALE|A249683377

Ancient Painting

2011-08-10T12:31:00.002-04:00

Ancient Painting, originally uploaded by mccoryjames.

The 2011 PhotoEspana festival focuses on portraiture, and how it exposes the photographer and viewer as well as the sitter

Portraiture is one of our most ancient and enduring art forms. The earliest surviving portraits stretch back to ancient Egypt, and the fascination with documenting our own image has been a feature of art and photography ever since. Today it is easier than ever to record ourselves, and share the resulting imagery with others. As with portraiture throughout history, these depictions may not present the whole truth: Facebook and other social media sites are littered with photographs designed to articulate a certain projection of ourselves, one that is largely sunny, with little room for darkness or even shades of grey.

It is this complexity at the heart of portraiture that makes it so fascinating, and thus a rich subject matter for a photography festival. As Gerardo Mosquera, the main curator of this year's PhotoEspana event in Madrid explains, the face is "a place of exchange". A portrait communicates messages about the sitter, but also reveals much about the attitudes of the artist or photographer, and in turn of the viewer. The exhibitions at the centre of PhotoEspana aim to explore this triangular relationship.

Perhaps the most ubiquitous form of portraiture in the modern age is the documentation of celebrities. Images of the famous (and infamous) litter our media, provoking fascination and revulsion in equal measure. For many, the paparazzi, the source of most of these pics, represent the lowest form of photographer, obsessed with money rather than art. And yet, as the two exhibitions at PhotoEspana by 'paparazzo extraordinaire' Ron Galella demonstrate, their images are difficult to resist.

Galella's most celebrated pictures are from the 70s and 80s, a golden age of celebrity, prior to the obsessive control of PR consultants and the face-melting effects of plastic surgery on stars. And Galella shot them all: Brando, Streisand, Presley, Onassis, Redford, Burton and Taylor. He captured them looking happy, and he paved the way for today's paparazzi by also snatching images of them drunk, scared and angry. His photographs are captivating as historical documents, not least due to our knowledge of how the lives of those snapped were to unfold, so often tragically. Their presence in a gallery environment inevitably provokes debate, and is likely to unsettle traditionalists. Yet, Galella's work reveals much about our uneasy relationship with fame; we happily study the famous as if they were family and friends, but equally we despise them, and revel in their transgressions.

A different world

The Circulo de Bellas Artes is displaying its expansive Galella show on its top floor, but offers a counterpoint to its glossiness in the basement. Here can be found a series of work by Columbian photographer Fernell Franco, which documents the lives of a number of prostitutes in the city of Cali. The images are also shot at roughly the same time as Galella's, the early 70s, but capture an entirely different world. Unbearably young girls are posed provocatively on dingy mattresses, gazing out at the viewer, while less contrived shots show the girls bathing and laughing, seemingly oblivious to the photographer's presence. The contrast is unsettling, giving the impression of Franco both as impartial observer but also pimp.

PhotoEspana has established a reputation for excellent shows of archival work, and this year historical photography dominates the festival. Alongside Galella and Franco are shows of work by Jacques Henri Lartigue and Ecuadorian photographer Carlos Endara, whose series of early 20th century studio portraits of the residents of Panama, both rich and poor, are fascinating. Fundacion Telefonica is hosting an exhibition that brings together Cindy Sherman's compelling Bus Riders series with portraits by Thomas Ruff, and the photographs of Mexican photographer Frank Montero. Though he was born in the mid-19th century, Montero's series reflects ideas of identity inherent within Sherman's work as he stages dramatised images of himself acting out various (presumably fake) occupations and situations.

The proletarian eye

If you were to see only one historical show from PhotoEspana this year though, it should be Museo Reina Sofia's enormous survey of the Worker- Photography Movement from 1926-39. The exhibition traces the long development of the movement, from the early, amateur shots of everyday working life that were solicited by German communist magazine AIZ (Arbeiter-Illustrierte Zeitung) to images of the Popular Front and later the Spanish Civil War by photographic luminaries such as Robert Capa, Chim and Gerda Taro. The grinding poverty captured in many of the images is interspersed with choreographed propaganda shots of triumphant workers, smiling as they toil, illustrating the two primary discourses of proletarian documentary photography of the time. With over 1,000 images, many also shown within the original publications they first appeared in, it is difficult to imagine a more detailed and concise exploration of this important period of photography.

Contemporary art is represented at this year's festival by several group exhibitions that showcase a wide variety of artists from all over the world. The principal of these is Face Contact, curated by Gerardo Mosquera and showing at Teatro Fernan Gomez Centro de Arte. It is ambitious in scale, with 31 artists shown. The works are linked by the theme of the contemporary portrait, and there are many interesting pieces here - especially a series of coming-of-age photographs of Cuban teenage girls - but with little textual guidance and a huge variation of styles, the show is ultimately perplexing.

This is the first of a three-year curatorial stint at PhotoEspana by Mosquera, and he arrives at the festival with Spain in the midst of a recession, complete with enormous cuts to the arts. In this difficult situation, he has done well to choose a theme that will no doubt prove popular amongst gallery-goers and sponsors alike. The festival is slimmer this year, though contains much to entertain and excite newcomers to the world of photography, plus enough rare and thought- provoking treats to please those well-versed in the medium.

Source Citation
"REVIEW: The many faces of portraiture." Creative Review 18 July 2011: 62. Gale Power Search. Web. 10 Aug. 2011.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CA261556348&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w

Gale Document Number: GALE|A261556348

Survival

2011-07-28T12:44:00.001-04:00

Clothes, originally uploaded by codey.

When disaster strikes in sizzling heat, key skills could keep you alive. Are you prepared?

1. On average, what time of day is the hottest?

A) 9 a.m.-11 a.m. B) 11 a.m.-1 p.m. C} 1 p.m.-3 p.m. D) 3 p.m.-6 p.m.

2. Fill in the blank Carbonated soft drinks are not good Liquids for rehydration because they contain too much__and not enough__.

3. True/false Drinking when you get thirsty will keep you hydrated.

4. Match the cooling tactic with its heat-transfer method.

TACTIC

1) Resting on coot ground

2) Wearing loose clothing

3) Seeking shade

4) Sweating

BENEFIT

A) Radiation: Heat dissipates directly into environment with no solar absorption.

B) Evaporation: Conversion to gas moves heat away from skin

C) Convection: Air moving between layers transfers heat.

B} Conduction: Heat moves from warm to cool surface.

5. True/false Close-fitting clothing keeps you cooler by enhancing moisture transfer,

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

6. During a strenuous hike in a hot climate, you should drink about __Liters of water per hour.

A) 1/4 to 1/2 B) 1/2 to 1 C)1 to 1.5 D) 2 to 3

7. True/false It's possible to acclimatize to an extremely hot environment.

8. Fill in the blank Essential desert hiking gear includes sunglasses, tight-colored clothing, sunblock, plenty of water, a bandanna, and a

9. Which symptoms indicate heat exhaustion and which indicate

A) Minor confusion

B) Extreme confusion

C) Irrational behavior

D) Rapid, weak pulse

E) Weakness

F) Dizziness

G) Unconsciousness

H) Shock

I) Vomiting

J) Nausea

K) Diarrhea'

L) Shortness of breath

M) Headache

N) Red skin rash on chest

10. You're feeling hot, sweaty, and dizzy. In addition to drinking more, you should eat__.

A) Beef jerky B) Protein bar C) Nothing

D) Trail mix with salted peanuts

11. True/false When you feel overheated, you should stop, rest, and eat a big meat.

12. Fill in the blank You forgot sunblock. Quick, rub __ on your exposed skin to boost your protection.

13. After a hot afternoon hike, you feel sharp pains in your legs and stomach. You have

A) Heat exhaustion

B) Heat edema

C) Heat cramps

D) Prickly heat

14, According to the heat index, which calculates temperature and humidity, an 85[degrees]F day with 80 percent humidity feels like:

A) 85[degrees]F B) 88[degrees]F C) 97[degrees]F D)101[degrees]F

l5. One day to go, and only one liter left. You should...

A) Sip regularly to keep thirst at bay.

B) Gulp infrequently.

ANSWER KEY I. D; the delay between maximum sun exposure (at noon) and the highest daily temperatures is called the thermal response. 2. Sugar; salt 3. False; satiating only Immediate thirst does not completely replace fluids lost in hot, humid, strenuous, and/or high-altitude environments. 4. ]/D, 2/C, 3/A, 4/B 5. False; loose-fitting clothing encourages more airflow, cooling the skin through convection 8.C; drinking plenty of cool water before and during exercise-and eating salty foods to replace lost electrolytes--will keep you hydrated. 7. True; after 8 to 10 days, your body will learn to sweat efficiently (decreasing electrolyte loss), boost kidney function, allowing you to excrete less salt, and dissipate heat better, promoting convection and radiation. 8. Full-brim hat g. Heat exhaustion: A, C, D, E, F, J, K, M; heat stroke: B, E, F, G, H, I, J, L, N. 10. D; salty foods replace electrolytes. 11. False; food digestion increases metabolism and raises your core body temperature. 12. Charcoal. or ashes from a burnt Log or fire 13.C; excessive salt toss can cause temporary muscle cramps. Massage the muscles and increase salt intake. 14. C; 97[degrees]F 15. B; drink infrequently but deeply. Sips won't rehydrate your organs, where water is needed most.

NUMBER OF CORRECT ANSWERS You could survive with ... 13-15: your bare hands; 9-12: a knife; 5-8: a SPOT: 0-4: a guide.

Source Citation
"Survival." Backpacker Aug. 2011: 35. Gale Power Search. Web. 28 July 2011.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CA261318572&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w

Gale Document Number: GALE|A261318572

English longbow: a medieval take on long-range artillery

2011-07-27T19:02:00.001-04:00

arrows, originally uploaded by Citrushearts.

The earliest known English reference to a "longbow" appears in the 15th century. Until then it had been known simply as the Welsh or English bow. The Welsh introduced the weapon (or at least its projectiles) to the English during the 11th century Anglo-Norman invasion of Wales. The English first used the weapon to effect at the 1138 Battle of the Standard, when William of Aumale defeated King David I of Scotland. By the late 13th century King Edward I was having his archers practice weekly, a discipline that led to such decisive English victories as Crecy (1346), Poitiers (1356) and Agincourt (1415).

As described by Gerald of Wales, archdeacon of Brecon (c. 1146-1223), the original Welsh bows were primarily of elm, "ugly, unfinished-looking weapons, but astonishingly stiff, large and strong, and equally capable of use for long or short shooting." They could also be of ash or yew, with horn nocks on either end to hold strings of hemp, flax or silk. Dried for one to two years and worked down when wet into a D-shaped cross section--heartwood in the center, sapwood in the back--these "self-wood" bows boasted a natural laminate property similar to that of modern-day composite bows. After drying, the bow staves were preserved with wax, resin or fine tallow. With a lifetime of training a bowman could hit targets out to 180 yards, though the bows were effective in volley well beyond that range.

Illustration by Gregory Proch

Guttman, Jon

Source Citation
Guttman, Jon. "English longbow: a medieval take on long-range artillery." Military History Sept. 2011: 23. Gale Power Search. Web. 27 July 2011.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CA261150717&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w

Hail the conquering hero! Kayla Harrison wins the world judo championships, prepares for 2012 Olympics.

2011-04-11T12:54:00.001-04:00

judo kiddies, originally uploaded by akakumo.

When Kayla Harrison stepped on the mat in Tokyo in mid-September 2010, it had been 11 years since the United States produced a world judo champion and 26 years since that champion was a woman. The pressure might have overwhelmed a lesser judoka but not Harrison. The 20-year-old bagged the United States' fourth world-championship gold medal in judo.

But that victory is only the tip of the iceberg. By the end of 2010, Harrison had struck gold at five world-cup events that year, establishing herself as one of the strongest grapplers on the planet.

A STAR IS BORN

Originally from Middletown, Ohio, Harrison was enrolled in judo class by her mother, who'd studied the style in college. Her mom's reason was an old one: "She wanted me to learn self-defense," Harrison said.

The girl got serious about competition and moved to the Boston area when she was 16 to become part of Team Force at Pedro's Judo Center. Under the direction of two-time Olympic medalist and 1999 world judo champ Jimmy Pedro, she met with much success. The keys to her wins, Pedro said, were proper preparation and a training schedule that permitted her to peak at precisely the right time.

"One of the things that contributed to her success is the Pedro Judo Center system," Pedro said. "We focus on preparing athletes for the biggest events of their careers." The center is not the largest one out there--Pedro usually trains 25 to 30 athletes, while European and Japanese facilities often boast 100 or more. However, it has a track record of helping young athletes rise to the top of the ranks in judo.

Pedro runs the program, but he receives extensive help from his father, Jimmy Pedro St., the man who transformed him into a world champion. The son doesn't shy away from giving credit to his father for the success of the program and its martial artists, including Harrison. "His passion is training serious athletes for the biggest events," he said. And train is what Harrison does.

HARD TRAINING

She typically practices judo twice a day. She engages in plenty of randori, although her morning sessions have more drilling. She runs every day--sometimes longer jaunts with a few sprints mixed in and sometimes short two-milers with 15 to 20 sprints. She also does circuit training twice a week and heavy lifting once a week.

A critical aspect of Harrison's preparation is peaking, which Pedro said is difficult to get right but essential for success at world-class competitions. He has her concentrate on high-volume training during the months before a major event, and as it approaches, he has her back off the volume while increasing the intensity. That ensures sufficient rest periods are in her schedule.

Harrison said the shift usually happens a couple of weeks before a tournament. "We slow down the randori," she said. "We do a ton of drilling, practicing our throws. We keep training but also rest our bodies."

UPHILL BATTLE

Pedro pointed out that American judoka face an uphill battle whenever they're pitted against competitors from other nations--in Europe, particularly--because they're professional athletes. That's why he treats his judoka as pros, giving them a stipend and constantly reminding them that winning at judo is their job.

That mental conditioning no doubt helped Harrison win the Junior World Championships in 2008. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite enough to enable her to do the same at the 2009 World Judo Championships, where she didn't even place.

"What a lot of people don't know is she was sick," Pedro said. "She had mono and didn't go to Europe and didn't compete in January or February 2009, and then was injured in March."

In the end, it was a lack of experience that held her back. "She didn't have any fights where she had to gut it out," Pedro said. "She didn't have the experience."

GAINING THE EDGE

So what was different for Harrison in 2010 as she headed for the World Judo Championships? "I had 80 really tough matches" she said. "Brazil, El Salvador, Poland, Germany, Hungary, Japan--I went everywhere."

"We sent her everywhere with a coach who adjusted her technique as she competed," Pedro added. That experience, during which she went toe-to-toe with the best, ingrained the belief that she could win.

"The mental game is a huge part of her judo and her success" Pedro said.

Offered as evidence: Harrison competed in two international tournaments after the World Championships. She flew to Uzbekistan and came home with a silver medal, which is not quite what a newly crowned world champion expects. A week later, she fought in England, where she dominated the field, throwing four opponents and winning the gold at the World Cup--even though she was ill.

"I think it gave me back a little confidence I might have lost in Uzbekistan," Harrison said. "It showed me I can continue to win."

THE MENTAL WIN

As with many elite competitors, the mental game for Harrison manifests itself in routines that start weeks before the big day. "Something I really believe in is Visualization," she said. Long before she sets foot on the mat at an international meet, she imagines herself beating her opponents.

"I started visualizing for the World Championships in July, and every night, the visions would turn into dreams, and then they became more and more real to me;' Harrison said. "So by the time I got to the World Championships, I had already won the tournament dozens of times in my head."

Routines Harrison runs through on tournament day include listening to Eminem music during her warm-up, wearing lucky pieces of clothing and being the first woman in her division to weigh in.

They may sound quirky, but they work for her, and with any luck, they'll continue working for the next two years, which should be sufficient to see her through the 2012 Olympics.

Pedro is confident she has what it takes to win the gold, and with the right coaching, that's what she'll do. He plans to continue expanding her repertoire of techniques and "get her a ton more matches," he said.

With roughly two years to go, Harrison has plenty of time to internalize the teachings of the Pedro system and become America's best shot at winning its first gold medal in Olympic judo.

photos by robert reiff

Clay Morgan is a public-relations consultant and freelance writer based in Nashville, Tennessee. He holds a third-degree black belt in judo and a black belt in jujutsu.

Source Citation
Morgan, Clay. "Hail the conquering hero! Kayla Harrison wins the world judo championships, prepares for 2012 Olympics." Black Belt Apr. 2011: 78+. General OneFile. Web. 11 Apr. 2011.
Document URL
http://find.galegroup.com/gps/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T003&prodId=IPS&docId=A249790973&source=gale&srcprod=ITOF&userGroupName=18551_mcpls&version=1.0

Gale Document Number:A249790973

A viking mystery: beneath Oxford University archaeologists have uncovered a medieval atrocity that colored the course of English history.

2011-02-22T13:46:00.001-05:00

Neolithic stamps, originally uploaded by diffendale.

BEFORE CONSTRUCTION COULD begin on new student housing at one of Oxford University's 38 colleges, St. John's, archaeologists were summoned to investigate the site in January 2008. After just a few hours of digging, one archaeologist discovered the remains of a 4,000-year-old religious complex--an earthwork enclosure, or henge, built by late Neolithic tribesmen, probably for a sun-worshiping cult. About 400 feet in diameter, the temple was one of the largest of Britain's prehistoric henges, of which more than 100 have been found.

Later, the archaeologists found pits hall of broken pottery and food debris suggesting that people had used the henge as a medieval garbage dump millennia after it had been dug. Excited, they began searching for items that might reveal details of daily life in the Middle Ages. Instead they found bones. Human bones.

"At first we thought it was just the remains of one individual," says Sean Wallis of Thames Valley Archaeological Services, the company that did the excavating. "Then, to our surprise, we realized that corpses had been dumped one on top of another. Wherever we dug, there were more of them. Not only did we have a 4,000-year-old prehistoric temple, but now a mass grave as well."

After one month of digging at the grave site and two years of lab tests, the researchers concluded that between 34 and 38 individuals were buried in the grave, all of them victims of violence. Some 20 skeletons bore punctures in their vertebrae and pelvic bones, and 27 skulls were broken or cracked, indicating traumatic head injury. To judge from markings on the ribs, at least a dozen had been stabbed in the back. One individual had been decapitated; attempts were made on five others.

Radiocarbon analysis of the bones convinced the archaeologists that the remains date from A.D. 960 to 1020--the period in which the Anglo-Saxon monarchy peaked in power. Originally from Germany Anglo-Saxons had invaded England almost six centuries earlier, after the Roman Empire had fallen into disarray. They established their own kingdoms and converted to Christianity. After decades of conflict, England enjoyed a degree of stability in the tenth century under the rule of King Edgar the Peaceful.

But "peaceful" is a relative term. Public executions were common. British archaeologists have discovered some 20 "execution cemeteries" across the country--testifying to a harsh penal code that claimed the lives of up to 3 percent of the male population. One such site in East Yorkshire contains the remains of six decapitated individuals.

The Oxford grave, however, didn't fit the profile of an execution cemetery, which typically contains remains of people put to death over many centuries--not all at once, as at Oxford. And execution victims tended to be various ages and body types. By contrast, the bodies buried at Oxford were those of vigorous males of fighting age, most between 16 and 35 years old. Most were unusually large; an examination of the muscle-attachment areas of their bones revealed extremely robust physiques. Some victims had suffered serious burns to their heads, backs, pelvic regions and arms.

The most telling clue would emerge from a lab analysis, in which scientists measured atomic variations within the skeletal bone collagen. The tests indicated that the men ate, on average, more fish and shellfish than did Anglo-Saxons.

The mounting evidence increasingly pointed to an astonishing conclusion: this was a mass grave of Viking warriors.

IN THE LATE EIGHTH CENTURY A.D., the Vikings--a Scandinavian people from Denmark, Norway and Sweden--began a 300-year campaign of pillaging and piracy throughout Europe. Some scholars say that political changes (especially the emergence of fewer yet more powerful rulers) forced local Viking chieftains to seek new sources of revenue through foreign conquests. Others point to advances in shipbuilding that enabled longer voyages--allowing the Vikings to establish trade networks extending as far as the Mediterranean. But when an economic recession hit Europe in the ninth century, Scandinavian seamen increasingly turned from trading to pillaging.

Most historians believe that England suffered more from the Vikings than other European countries. In the first recorded attack, in A.D. 793, Vikings raided an undefended monastic community at Lindisfarne in the northeast. Alcuin of York, an Anglo-Saxon scholar, recorded the onslaught: "We and our fathers have now lived in this fair land for nearly three hundred and fifty years, and never before has such a terror been seen in Britain as we have now suffered at the hands of a pagan people. Such a voyage was not thought possible. The church of St. Cuthbert is spattered with the blood of the priests of God."

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a contemporary historical account, records that the Vikings waged some 50 battles and destroyed or ravaged scores of settlements. Dublin, one of the largest Viking cities in the British Isles, became a major European slave-trading center, where, historians estimate, tens of thousands of kidnapped Irishmen, Scotsmen, Anglo-Saxons and others were bought and sold.

"In many respects the Vikings were the medieval equivalent of organized crime," says Simon Keynes, a professor of Anglo-Saxon history at Cambridge University "They engaged in extortion on a massive scale, using the threat of violence to extract vast quantities of silver from England and some other vulnerable western European states."

"Certainly the Vikings did all these things, but so did everyone else," says Dagfinn Skre, a professor of archaeology at the University of Oslo. 'Although admittedly, the Vikings did it on a grander scale."

Martin Carver, an emeritus professor of archaeology at the University of York, characterizes the antagonism between the Anglo-Saxons and the Scandinavians as part of a wider clash of ideologies. Between the sixth and ninth centuries, Vikings in Scandinavia preferred to be organized "in loose confederations, favoring enterprise," says Carver. But other parts of Europe, such as Britain, yearned for a more orderly centralized government--and looked to the Roman Empire as a model.

Only one Anglo-Saxon kingdom--Wessex, ruled by Alfred the Great--is known to have withstood the Viking invasion. Alfred and his son, Edward, built up an army and navy and constructed a network of fortifications; then Edward and his successors wrested back control of those areas the Vikings had taken over, thus paving the way for English unification.

After decades of peace, Vikings again raided England, in A.D. 980. At the time, the Anglo-Saxon ruler was King Aethelred the Unraed (literally "the ill-advised"). As his name suggests, popular history has portrayed him as a mediocre successor to Alfred the Great and Edgar the Peaceful. The 12th-century historian William of Malmesbury wrote that Aethelred "occupied rather than governed" the kingdom. "The career of his life was said to have been cruel in the beginning, wretched in the middle and disgraceful in the end."

To avert war, Aethelred paid the Vikings some 26,000 pounds in silver between A.D. 991 and 994. In the years that followed, the king employed many of them as mercenaries to discourage other Vikings from attacking England.

But, in A.D. 997, some of the mercenaries turned on their royal employer and attacked the Anglo-Saxon southern counties. In early A.D. 1002, Aethelred again tried to buy off the Vikings--this time with 24,000 pounds in silver.

The geopolitical situation changed in England's favor only when Aethelred made an alliance with Normandy and sealed the deal by marrying the Duke of Normandy's sister in A.D. 1002. Possibly emboldened by the support of a powerful ally Aethelred decided to take pre-emptive action before the Danes again broke the truce.

According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Aethelred was "informed" that Danish mercenaries intended to "beguile him out of his life." (It is unknown whether an informer learned of an actual plot, or if Aethelred and his council fabricated the threat.) Aethelred then set in motion one of the most heinous acts of mass murder in English history, committed on St. Brice's Day, November 13,1002. As he himself recounted in a charter written two years later, "a decree was sent out by me, with the counsel of my leading men and magnates, to the effect that all the Danes who had sprung up in this island, sprouting like cockle [weeds] amongst the wheat, were to be destroyed by a most just extermination."

PRIOR TO 2008, the only known inhabitants of the St. John's College garden had been the songbirds and squirrels that darted across the neatly cropped lawn and hid in an ancient beech tree. Generations of dons and students had strolled across that greenery, unsuspecting of what lay beneath.

The lab data indicating that the men buried there for 1,000 years had eaten lots of seafood, plus the burn markings and other evidence, convinced the archaeologists that the grave probably held victims of the St. Brice's Day massacre. Aethelred himself recounted exactly how the residents of Oxford killed the Danes in a local church: "Striving to escape death, [the Danes] entered [a] sanctuary of Christ, having broken by force the doors and bolts, and resolved to make a refuge and defence for themselves therein against the people of the town and the suburbs; but when all the people in pursuit strove, forced by necessity, to drive them out, and could not, they set fire to the [building's] timbers and burnt [it] down."

Wallis, the archaeologist in charge at Oxford, surmises that the townspeople loaded the corpses onto a cart and drove out through the north gate of the city, past land that today encompasses the Oxford colleges of Balliol and most of St. John's, then threw the Vikings into the prehistoric henge--the largest ditch nearest the city's northern exit.

A year after this discovery another team of investigators, from the company Oxford Archaeology, were looking for evidence of prehistoric activity at a site 90 miles to the southwest in the English county of Dorset, near Weymouth, when they discovered a second mass grave. This one held the skeletons of 54 well-built, fighting-age males, all of whom had been decapitated with sharp weapons, most likely swords. Lab tests of the teeth suggested the men were Scandinavians. The ratio between various types of oxygen atoms in the skeletons' tooth enamel indicates the victims came from a cold region (one man from inside the Arctic Circle). Radiocarbon dating placed the victims' deaths between AD. 910 and 1030; historical records of Viking activities in England narrow that to between A-D. 980 and 1009. The corpses had been unceremoniously dumped in a chalk and flint quarry that had been dug hundreds of years earlier, possibly during Roman times. Although no historical account of the massacre exists, the archaeologists believe the Vikings were apprehended and brought to the site to be executed.

The discovery of the two mass graves may resolve a question that has long vexed historians. In the centuries following the St. Brice's Day massacre, many chroniclers believed that the Danish community in England (a substantial percentage of the population) was targeted for mass murder, akin to a pogrom. Certainly there was undisguised hatred for the Scandinavians, who were described by contemporary writers as "a most vile people," "a filthy pestilence" and "the hated ones." But more recently the massacre has been seen more as a police action against only those who posed a military threat to the government. The discovery of the two mass graves supports this view, since victims were found where the rebellious mercenaries would have been stationed: close to royal administrative centers (usually towns or important royal estates) on or near England's south coast and in the Thames Valley By contrast, no such graves have been found in the region of eastern England once known as the Danelaw, which was populated by descendants of Scandinavian settlers. "I would estimate that out of a total population of around two million in England, perhaps half were of Scandinavian or partly Scandinavian origin--most of whom were loyal subjects," says Ian Howard, a historian writing a biography of Aethelred. "I think it inherently unlikely that the king ever intended to kill them all, as it would obviously have been impossible to do so."

Far from being just a ghoulish footnote to medieval history, Aethelred's massacre of the Danes likely reinforced Danish determination to attack England and set in motion a chain of events that would change the course of England's future. In A.D. 1003, the year after the massacres, King Svein of Denmark launched his own assault against a much wider swath of Anglo-Saxon England. This renewed aggression continued off and on for more than a decade, inspiring a level of terror the Anglo-Saxons had not faced since the first Viking invasions a century and a half earlier. An Anglo-Danish text, the Encomium Emmae Reginae, written around A.D. 1041 or 1042, described the Danish war fleet of 1016: "What adversary could gaze upon the lions, terrible in the glitter of their gold ... all these on the ships, and not feel dread and fear in the face of a king with so great a fighting force?"

Both circumstantial and historical evidence suggests that revenge was at least part of the motivation for Svein's invasions. There were almost certainly blood ties between Aethelred's victims and Danish nobility. According to medieval chronicler William of Malmesbury, Svein's sister (or, possibly, half sister) Gunnhild was a victim of the St. Brice's Day massacre (although her body has never been found). Neither her gender nor her royal blood saved her, probably because she was the wife of Pallig, one of the turncoat mercenaries. Wrote William of Malmesbury: "[She was] beheaded with the other Danes, though she declared plainly that the shedding of her blood would cost all England dear."

Gunnhild's words proved prophetic. The Danes ultimately conquered England, in A.D. 1016, and Canute, the son of Svein, was crowned the nation's king in London's St. Paul's Cathedral in January 1017. Twenty-five years later, the Anglo-Saxons would regain the crown, but only for a generation. The Scandinavians, who had refused to renounce the throne, embarked on yet another onslaught against England in September 1066--less than a fortnight before William the Conqueror, the Duke of Normandy launched his own invasion of the country

Although the English pushed back the Scandinavian invaders, the effort so weakened the Anglo-Saxons that they were defeated by William at the Battle of Hastings, also in 1066. The Norman Conquest consolidated the unification of England, as the new rulers introduced a more centralized, hierarchal government. The Anglo-Saxons would rise again, their culture and language merging with that of their oppressors to produce a new nation--the predecessor of modern England, and eventually an empire that would span half the globe.

DAVID KEYS is The Independent's archaeology correspondent.

Source Citation
Keys, David. "A viking mystery: beneath Oxford University archaeologists have uncovered a medieval atrocity that colored the course of English history." Smithsonian Oct. 2010: 64+. General OneFile. Web. 22 Feb. 2011.
Document URL
http://find.galegroup.com/gps/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T003&prodId=IPS&docId=A243456953&source=gale&srcprod=ITOF&userGroupName=18551_mcpls&version=1.0

Gale Document Number:A243456953

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Jude Narita: no exotic flower. (stage actress and dramatist's play 'Coming Into Passion/Song for a Sansei').

2011-02-14T15:34:00.001-05:00

Writing our names in Japanese on a pink origami heart, originally uploaded by blmurch.

Jude Narita didn't fit the stereotype of Asian actors. So, in a tradition both old and new in theatre, the Japanese-American actress decided to write her own roles.

Her subject: stereotypes.

"I was always the tallest Vietnamese villager in the room," says Narita, who is 5'7", of auditions that rarely landed her stage, television or film work. "I didn't fit the mold of the small, exotic flower."

Narita's solo show, Coming into Passion/Song for a Sansei, is an hour-long series of vignettes about several Asian women--none of them small, exotic flowers. The lineup includes a Filipino mail-order bride, a Vietnamese prostitute in Saigon during the war, a Cambodian woman adjusting to life in America, and a teenage, third-generation Japanese-American, or sansei. At first, each character seems a familiar stereotype--the impudent prostitute, for example--but then Narita humanizes them.

What is this inner fire?

Coming into Passion/Song for a Sansei ran for two years in Los Angeles, where Narita won several acting awards, including the Los Angeles Drama Critics' Circle Award. Now she tours colleges and produces short runs at theatres from New York to Portland, Ore. Occasionally an audience member will tell her she's the first Asian actress they've seen on stage. But Narita's gallery of characters speaks to a wide audience. "The first person to come up and say, 'You wrote about me' was a young Jewish woman," she declares.

"When I was growing up, either there were no Asians on television, or they were portrayed as the enemy, or the goofy person, and certain mannerisms were exaggerated," Narita remembers. "Theatre has not meant much to Asians in America because the basis of the culture is European."

Narita grew up in Long Beach, Calif., one of seven children that her mother--who was relocated to a detention camp in Gila, Ariz. during World War II--raised alone. She got some experience in community theatre when she was young (not surprisingly, in the musical Flower Drum Song), then studied with Stella Adler in New York and Lee Strasberg in Los Angeles.

After her studies, she began teaching acting in Los Angeles. And she auditioned. She was in the Los Angeles production of The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel with Jon Voight, and a few other plays and television shows. But more often than not, she was not cast.

"It was a shock that I wasn't getting hired," Narita says. "There is definitely a time you question whether you're good enough. But then you ask, what is this inner fire? I had other things to do than sit and bemoan the fact that there are no parts. I wanted to act. Artists of the '90s have to take some responsibility for the art being produced."

When her mother, by then a producer of jazz concerts in New York, hired Narita to perform at a concert in 1986, the actress wrote three of the characters that appear in Coming into Passion. She kept writing, borrowed $5,000 from her mother, and rented the tiny Fountain Theatre in Hollywood where word-of-mouth and eventual glowing reviews brought her audiences of all races.

Coming into Passion is narrated by an articulate, educated Japanese-American character whose dreams, in the scheme of the show, are invaded by Narita's coterie of alter-egos. "We have nothing in common," the narrator maintains when she encounters the prostitute, the mail-order bride, the Cambodian refugee, the sansei teenager. "What do they have to do with me?"

But the woman (ironically, the least interesting of Narita's creations, perhaps because there is less of a stereotype to bust) finds that she actually has a great deal in common with her dream-world visitors: She, too, is caught between American culture and her Asian heritage.

The model minority myth

Although the women have all been manipulated--by men, by war, by the forces of assimilation--Narita makes her point with poignant humor rather than finger-pointing. "I'm not into theatre that blames," Narita says. "And I don't want these characters to be interpreted as victims. They have a great sense of humor. They're going to survive."

Her portrayal of various Asian races is accepted, she says, because it is done with respect. "There has been such an absence of these voices on stage, and I respect the cultures being depicted. A Cambodian woman told me that when I said 'Cambodian' on stage, she thought 'At last!'"

Narita continues to tour Coming into Passion (including a stop on April 10 at Williams College in Williamstown, Mass.), to conduct workshops in Los Angeles for actors who want to write and perform their own pieces, and to work on two new shows. Both continue her exploration of stereotypes, including what she calls "the model minority myth"--that Asians can do it all.

"I'm spoiled," Narita says of the freedom her show has given her. "I get to say what I see. It would be hard for me to be small again."

Rebecca Morris is a free-lance critic and writer based in New York.

Source Citation
Morris, Rebecca. "Jude Narita: no exotic flower." American Theatre Apr. 1993: 28. General OneFile. Web. 14 Feb. 2011.
Document URL
http://find.galegroup.com/gps/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T003&prodId=IPS&docId=A14081106&source=gale&srcprod=ITOF&userGroupName=22054_acld&version=1.0

Gale Document Number:A14081106

The middle kingdom's dilemma: can China clean up its environment without cleaning up its politics?.

2011-02-12T12:56:00.003-05:00

Cleaning up, originally uploaded by deekea.

In January 2007, a geologist named Yong Yang set out from his home in China's western Sichuan Province with four researchers, two sport utility vehicles, one set of clothes, and several trunks of equipment for measuring rainfall and water volume; a camping stove, a rice cooker, canned meat, and more than sixty bottles of Sichuan hot sauce; a digital camera, a deck of cards, and several CDs of Tibetan music; and as many canisters of fuel as his team could strap to the roofs of their SUVs. No roads cross the part of China to which Yong was traveling, so he also brought topographical charts and satellite photos of the region. His final destination, deep in China's wild western frontier, was the unmarked place on the Tibetan plateau from which the Yangtze River springs.

For several weeks the two vehicles followed the Yangtze west, as the river turned from running water to ice. The thermometer became useless when the temperature dipped below the lowest reading on its scale. Occasionally they spotted an antelope, and once wolves devoured their fresh yak meat. As they climbed in elevation, tracing the course the Yangtze had cut through the Dangla Mountains many millennia ago, the air grew thinner and the wind fiercer. When the ground rose too steeply into the surrounding peaks for the SUVs to maneuver along the riverbanks, they drove on the frozen river itself, though this approach was not without its perils. About a month into their trip, on the auspicious first day of the Lunar New Year, Yong heard a great crunching sound as his front and then back tires slid through the ice, trapping his vehicle midstream. Fortunately, the vehicle wasn't too far submerged, and the backseat passengers managed to clamber out and signal to the second SUV. With a rope tied to the rear bumper, they dragged the vehicle from the frozen river, with Yong still in the driver's seat, transmission in reverse.

Yong and his companions made it safely out of the river. But since then he's continued to travel, in many senses, on thin ice. A vital question had propelled his journey up the Yangtze: the Chinese government is embarking on the most colossal water diversion project ever attempted, and Yong had taken it upon himself to discover whether it would work.

Water is an unevenly distributed resource in China. Traditionally, the south has been lush while the north has been a land of dry tundra and frozen desert. In 1952, Mao Zedong conjured a solution to this inequity: "Southern water is plentiful, northern water scarce," he said. "Borrowing some water would be good." Ever since, China's leaders have dreamed of diverting water from one of the country's great rivers to the other--from the southern Yangtze River into the northern Yellow River. (To fathom the scale of this undertaking, imagine watering the American Southwest by diverting the Mississippi River into the Colorado.)

In recent years, this eccentric scheme has become increasingly appealing to Chinese authorities, as water shortages in northern cities have become more and more dire. In 2002, China's highest executive body, the State Council, converted Mao's grandiose notion into a plan known as the South-to-North Water Transfer Project. Construction on two sections of the project have already begun, but the most ambitious stage is scheduled to begin by 2010. This phase will divert water from the Yangtze in southwestern China to the north, across mountains that rise to 15,000 feet above sea level. The entire project will cost at least an estimated $60.4 billion, and has aroused intense opposition because it is expected to displace hundreds of thousands of people and devastate fragile ecosystems.

Between January and March, Yong's team traveled more than 16,000 miles in the Yangtze River basin, threading every bend in the western reaches of the river. The previous summer they had driven roughly the same route, so they could compare water levels in different seasons. On both trips they collected data on rainfall, geology, receding glaciers, and other trends that affect the volume of water in the river. Yong had learned from firsthand experience that for about four months each year the upper Yangtze is a ribbon of ice; only an engineering miracle could transport the frozen water north. After he spent the summer and fall compiling data and circulating it among several dozen peer-researchers for feedback, he found more reasons to be skeptical of the ability of the project to live up to the government's vision. The bounteous stream of Beijing's imagination became, in Yong's careful calculations, a trickle.

The fact that Yong is free to conduct such inquiries at all says much about the recent political evolution of China. Fifteen years ago, the government wouldn't have tolerated public questioning of large-scale infrastructure projects. But in recent years, criticism from independent scientists and environmental organizations has prompted the government to postpone two planned western dam projects. In September, officials even acknowledged (after the fact) that unsound planning for the controversial Three Gorges Dam project had created a potential "environmental catastrophe." This isn't a sign that China's Communist Party is throwing the country's political system open to full democratic participation. But China's leaders know that a rapidly deteriorating environment could stall the country's economic miracle and ignite political unrest, and so they're experimenting with limited openness to help avert these hazards. It remains an open question, however, just how much scrutiny the government will tolerate, and how much impact Yong will be permitted to have. His midwinter expedition was only the first stage of his odyssey into uncharted terrain.

On my first visit to Beijing, last spring, I wheezed all the way from the airport to my hotel. The thick smog hid any hint of direct sunlight, and for a week I didn't see my shadow. When I returned in mid-October, the city appeared to be a changed place. I was surprised to see clear blue skies. Skyscrapers were visible from a distance, not shrouded in haze. There were other changes, too--swept sidewalks, a sudden absence of bootleg DVD hawkers, more policemen on the streets.

A week later, the city looked, sounded, and smelled like her familiar self again. The street vendors were back, along with the curbside cobblers and the men waving Bourne Identity 3 DVDs. The skies were gray, the sun obscured, and cigarette butts and orange peels once again speckled the sidewalks.

The temporary makeover had coincided--not accidentally--with the Seventeenth Communist Party Congress, the meeting of party bigwigs that happens once every five years and attracts numerous domestic and international visitors. During the congress, the central government, eager to punctuate its new talk of environmental protection with some proof of its commitment, had directed its might toward cleaning up a targeted area for a discrete period of time, reportedly putting regional factories and Beijing's public vehicles on a compulsory holiday. The results were eerily impressive. (Expect an encore for the 2008 Olympics.) But the greater significance of this fleeting transformation was that it exposed the limits of the party's power. The central government can clamp down abruptly and indomitably, but it can't do so everywhere, all the time.

As I wrote in these pages last summer ("The Green Leap Forward," July/August 2007), China's political leaders have in recent years embraced the environmental cause, not out of sentiment or idealism but as a matter of survival. China's environment is becoming so degraded that it risks choking off the country's booming economy: the West balks at buying mercury-contaminated grain, while water shortages threaten Chinese paper mills and petrochemical plants. Also at risk is the country's political stability: peasant riots over land seizures and polluted rivers are becoming increasingly common (see "Pollution Revolution," page 42). But while the central government has issued stern directives aimed at reducing air and water pollution, it lacks the means to enforce them. That's because, in order to promote economic growth over the last three decades, Beijing has gradually relinquished certain types of authority to provincial governments. The result has been dramatic gains in the country's gross domestic product, with new factories multiplying across the countryside. However, provincial autonomy has also enabled local officials to ignore cumbersome central directives, including regulations on matters ranging from food safety to environmental standards.

Understanding their diminished ability to enforce green statutes locally, China's leaders have turned cautiously to civil society for assistance. Since 1994, Beijing has empowered nongovernmental groups to expose polluting factories. Today there are more than 3,000 citizen green groups in China. In 2003 and 2004, the government enacted laws requiring environmental impact assessments and citizen input on major public works projects. (These measures took effect shortly after construction commenced on the first two phases of the water transfer project.) In 2005, China's first national public hearing--over the fate of the Old Summer Palace--was broadcast on national television. Progressive environmental officials are introducing the concepts of "public participation," "hearings," and "rights" to the public. Environmental lawyers are litigating China's first successful class-action lawsuits. Compared to a decade ago, the situation is remarkable.

Still, there are limits to the government's spirit of reform, and perhaps some in the party feel they've been moving too fast. Around the time of high-profile events like the Party Congress, the flashpoints become more apparent. For instance, the first promotion resulting from the congress was Li Yuanchao, former party secretary of Jiangsu Province, who was elevated to a seat on the Politburo, the inner circle of Chinese leadership. In announcing his ascent, newspapers extolled Li's "environmental" record. A few months earlier, however, his province had shut off water to 4 million people for a week because chemical pollution and algae blooms had turned the local water source, Lake Tai, a brilliant pea green. An environmental activist named Wu Lihong had tried to alert the authorities and the public to the problem. For his trouble, he was arrested on the orders of local officials and sentenced to three years in prison. (His case was recently written up in the New York Times.) To many observers, it seemed odd that Wu was silenced while more prominent environmentalists were allowed to operate freely. But Wen Bo, a veteran environmentalist in Beijing, decoded the message for me: Wu was thrown in jail for questioning the real record of Li's Jiangsu government. "Li is a protege of Hu Jintao," Wen said. "Jiangsu Province is the stronghold of Hu Jintao. If that area is quiet, their power-hold is strong."

The government does want citizen groups to help combat pollution, and it has created an opening for them to do so. But political power in China is still wielded behind closed doors, and that opening can constrict without warning when an activist crosses the agenda of an influential official. It is within this unpredictable sphere that Yong Yang is attempting to operate.

This October, I spoke with the forty-nine-year-old Yong in Beijing. (We first met last spring in western Sichuan Province.) He had thick black hair and hadn't shaved for a day or two. He was dressed in a black jacket, a gray sweater, and black jeans. Despite his rugged appearance and the adventurous nature of his research, his eyes seemed more sad than rebellious. "I am not against the government," he explained, snuffing out what was likely his sixth or seventh cigarette of the evening. "What I want is to get the facts."

In Yong's hotel room, we hunched over his laptop to look at slides from his trip. There were photos of his SUV crashing through the ice; of someone pouring hot water from a teakettle to defrost the engine's water tank; of Tibetan herders who offered Yong and his colleagues meat and milk along the way.

Then Yong opened a spreadsheet. On one side was a series of estimates, based on Yong's research, of the volume of water in the Yangtze. On the other side were the official estimates prepared by the government's Yellow River Conservancy Commission. The government data was supposed to be secret, but Yong had obtained it from a network of friends and former colleagues inside the government.

Yong found that the official figures were often "way off." In one section of the river, the government's plans call for diverting between 8 and 9 billion cubic meters of water north each year. However, Yong's research--supported by thirty years' worth of reports from hydrology monitoring stations--indicates that the average annual water flow for that section includes a low estimate of 7 billion cubic meters. This means that when the river flow is low, the government would be hoping to divert an amount of water greater than the total volume in the river. Moreover, no sound engineering plan should call for redirecting all of the water in a river, since downstream communities, including Shanghai, will still depend upon the Yangtze for agriculture, industry, and hydropower.

Yong is not alone in doubting the feasibility of the final section of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project. More than fifty scientists in Sichuan contributed to a 2006 book, South-to-North Water Transfer Project Western Route Memorandums. The collection of scientific articles and reports raises serious concerns about construction at high altitudes, seismic stability, pollution in the Yangtze, climate change (the river's volume is expected to diminish as Tibet's glaciers melt), and the potential for reduced river flow to shut down hundreds of downstream hydropower stations, perhaps inflicting blackouts on millions. According to one former government researcher, there are even critics within the Ministry of Water Resources.

Why are the official projections so fantastically optimistic? Yong, who once worked as a government scientist in the Ministry of Coal Industry, thinks he has some idea of how the numbers were produced. "The government, they will make a goal," he explained. "Then their researchers think their job is just to say it works. Everybody will just say the good word, and try to find data to support it," he said, shrugging. "It's not a very scientific way of doing research."

Yong says he has asked the Yellow River Conservancy Commission how they arrived at their figures, but their staffers have refused to respond. "They just emphasize that there won't be much problem," he said. (My request for an interview with the commission was referred to the Water Ministry's Propaganda Department, where an official said that no one would be available for comment for at least two months.) No matter whose figures are correct, what worries Yong most is that there is no independent system in place to determine whether such a colossal and disruptive undertaking will work.

Yet informed sources say that the project has a champion in retired President Jiang Zemin--still a powerful force in Chinese politics--and a handful of influential retired army officers. And many entrenched interests have a reason to hope that construction proceeds. The steering committee that manages the water transfer project is led by Premier Wen Jiabao, and its members include high-ranking officials from the national government. A similar bureaucracy has been replicated in affected provinces, creating hundreds of titles and salaries dedicated to moving the project forward. Five state banks have major investments in the plan, and expect loans to be repaid when water user fees are assessed. The two companies with multibillion-dollar contracts to build the early phases of the project are hungry for more. Yet the environmental impact assessment required by the 2003 law has still not been released, and the real deliberative battle over the project remains invisible.

The perennial unreliability of information pervades all aspects of China's environmental protection system, from water management to pollution control. Dr. Zhao Jianping, sector coordinator for energy in the World Bank's China Office, for example, told me he was dubious of the government's ability to achieve its goal of having 15 percent of China's energy come from renewable sources by 2020. Having looked at the official plans, he told me that Beijing's characterization of the potential of wind energy was somewhat realistic, but the discussion of biomass potential was, in his judgment, wishful thinking. "In most other countries, you do the analysis first, then set goals," he said. "In China, you set the goal first, then you do the research and set the policy to try to achieve it."

Similarly, Yang Fuqiang, vice president of the Energy Foundation, a research center and partnership of major international donors, told me about Beijing's efforts to stem rising coal consumption. To monitor progress, the central government relies on local cadres to report the number of new mines, but these officials often give faulty estimates--either for lack of accurate information or out of a desire to please Beijing. "Collecting reliable data is a major challenge," Yang said. There are no independent watchdogs to verify official statistics, which, unsurprisingly, often turn out to be wrong. In 2003, Beijing went back to review prior estimates of annual coal consumption, and discovered that its estimates for 2000 had failed to account for 50 million tons of coal burned--"a rather large oversight," Yang remarked.

Optimists say that what China needs most is more technical training for its officials: to ensure that regional administrators are better equipped to count coal mines, and local lawyers and judges understand the nuances of new environmental laws. China does need those things. But others are beginning to think that further changes are needed, too.

One person who has helped fund Yong Yang's research is Dr. Yu Xiaogang, founder of the nonprofit organization Green Watershed. Yu is also the architect of the greatest success story of Chinese environmentalism to date. In 2004, he coordinated opposition to a proposed series of dam projects on China's last wild river, the Nu. (Activists and scientists presented convincing evidence that the dam would have had a ruinous effect on local communities and ecosystems.) After a sustained campaign, Premier Jiabao personally suspended the project, pending a new environmental impact assessment. When I visited Green Watershed's offices in western Yunnan Province, Yu surprised me when he said that his success was only temporary. "There will always be another dam proposal, another financier," he explained. He said he wants a reliable process for gathering public and expert input while plans are being drafted, not when the bulldozers are ready to roll.

"What we have got to do," Yu said, "is change the system." The veteran environmentalist Wen Bo also told me, "For China's environment to improve, I think the political system needs to change. I don't know exactly what the future needs to look like, but it needs to be more democratic, more free society, more free media."

In America, the popular and political momentum for creating our modern environmental apparatus was inspired by the work of a scientist, Rachel Carson, who challenged conventional wisdom and official policies governing the use of pesticides. After Congress passed a series of landmark environmental laws in the 1970s, independent environmental lawyers ensured that those statutes were upheld by suing the government when it failed to enforce legislation such as the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act. When Washington has dragged its feet, independent scientists and reporters have uncovered White House obfuscations and pushed for government action. Every industrialized country--apart from Singapore, a green authoritarian city-state--that has cleaned up its environment has done so with the help of civil society and a free press.

In countries where the government hasn't been able to control pollution, environmental crises have sometimes helped spur momentum for broader political change. Two decades ago, many in eastern Europe had grown resigned to life under a repressive government. That changed on April 26, 1986, when a nuclear reactor exploded at the Chernobyl power plant in the former Soviet Union, sending vastly more radiation into the air than an atomic bomb. In downwind Poland and Slovenia, uproar over nuclear reactors and official secrecy (the state presses initially refused to report on the disaster) provoked the first mass demonstrations against the government. "Chernobyl [alone] did not topple Communism," Padraic Kenney wrote in A Carnival of Revolution, a history of democracy movements in the former Soviet bloc. "But it became a popular symbol of government breakdown, a rallying cry for dissenters, a wake-up call for the population at large ... and helped galvanize dissent in the years leading up to 1989."

Another case--closer to home for the Chinese--is Taiwan. The country was under martial law until 1986; any kind of open political opposition to the ruling Kuomintang Party was strictly forbidden. As long as the government was delivering security and economic growth, the middle class tolerated one-party rule. Then the effects of environmental problems began to affect their daily lives. The dissident groups that later became the Democratic Progressive Party first coalesced around environmental issues, especially air pollution and opposition to nuclear power. One former U.S. embassy official told me, "Pollution was the one issue Taiwan's middle class couldn't tolerate."

China's leaders are aware of these historical parallels. David Lampton, the director of the China studies program at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies, explained Beijing's conundrum: "The Chinese are caught between the logic of what they know they need to effectively implement environmental policy, and the fear of whether these groups could become the opening wedge to political liberalization."

During my time in China I often found myself wondering whether Beijing's experiment could succeed. Can a limited form of public participation help avert environmental ruin? Or are independent oversight, the rule of law, and the ability to vote out bad officials essential components of effective environmental protection?

Perhaps China will, once again, elide the apparent contradictions of its environmental politics in the same way that it has somehow melded capitalism and communism. Or perhaps smoggy cities, dwindling water supplies, and peasant protests over pollution will force the party to accept greater political openness. Or perhaps the environmental activists themselves will call for it. Whatever happens, the consequences will be epic. If China continues on its current course, within twenty-five years it will emit twice the carbon dioxide of all the OECD countries combined. The Middle Kingdom's dilemma is ours, too.

For now, China's environmental politics have a slightly schizophrenic quality. This summer, for instance, Beijing police shut down a long-running national environmental Web site, China Development Brief, which had pages in both Chinese and English and was closely monitored by experts inside and outside the country. Observers speculate that authorities were worried about the site's role as a hub for green groups to network nationally without any kind of state supervision. In October, however, the State Environmental Protection Administration sanctioned a national conference of green NGOs, which gave environmentalists the opportunity to conduct their national networking in person.

I attended the conference in Beijing, and saw representatives of more than 300 citizen groups from across China behaving anything but furtively, exchanging business cards and debating President Hu's environmental theories in nearby restaurants. A few government officials showed up on the first morning to commend the work of notable attendees and encourage citizens toward greater "public participation" in environmental protection. The program of speakers had been approved by the government, but as one participant told me, "The most important thing is not the schedule, but the chance to meet other environmentalists from everywhere in China." Some of the activists I spoke to said they wanted to be a "bridge" between the government and the public, helping to disseminate information about green priorities, while others said they wanted a greater role in setting or overseeing policy. Nearly all of them mentioned "the line"--the boundary between safe and potentially punishable forms of advocacy--which is perceived differently by the government and the public and fluctuates with changing political tides.

Yong Yang was at the conference too. He debuted a new PowerPoint presentation of his research, sharing information and gathering feedback. Having failed to open a direct line of communication with the government, he is now trying to telegraph his concern about the South-to-North Water Transfer Project through informal networks. (Over the summer, he had spoken with a reporter for the South China Morning Post, but the article was never published because, he thinks, it was scheduled to appear right before the National Party Congress.)

Although Yong's activities appear to bring him into increasingly open conflict with the government, he insists that his aim is not political--he sees himself as a scientist first, an environmentalist second. ("Science," he told me, "is the most damning kind of criticism.") Still, he is aware that his work is, as he put it, "a direct challenge to the system--to the government's decision-making process, and to the interest groups that benefit from it."

Yong has walked the line before. Two years ago, while researching power stations along the Min River, local business interests attempted--unsuccessfully--to silence him with bribes and threats. I asked if he was ever nervous for his safety. "Once you make up your mind to do this," he told me, "you have to be prepared for everything that happens."

Related Article: Pollution revolution.

In 2005, China was shaken by 51,000 pollution-triggered "public disturbances"--demonstrations or riots of a hundred or more people protesting the contamination of rivers and farms--according to the government's own statistics. (The real figures are almost certainly higher.) The Ministry of Public Security has ranked pollution among the top five threats to China's peace and stability.

One hotbed of such environmental unrest is Hunan Province, a former stronghold of Sun Yat-Sen's anti-imperial forces and the birthplace of Mao Zedong. This southern province has twice nurtured agitated peasant movements that have risen against the central government.

In October, I met the unlikely instigator of a pollution riot: an unassuming forty-seven-year-old farmer named Chen Li Fang. With her husband, Chen grows rice and raises pigs, chickens, and ducks in the village of Shutangshan, in northeastern Hunan. In 2001, a chemical processing plant opened less than a mile from their farm. The owner of the factory had first considered setting up shop in a neighboring town, but the local government badly wanted to attract both the jobs and tax revenue. According to China Economic Times, it offered the owner of the Hunan Jingtian Science and Technology Company generous financial incentives to open its plant there.

By 2003, Chen and other villagers had compiled a troubling list of problems that had materialized since the factory opened. Dozens of people reported stomach pains, migraine headaches, and vomiting. Local media reported ten new cases of cancer among people who lived within a mile and a half of the factory--an alarming number for a village of only a few hundred people. Farmers watched their cattle die and rice yields decline. Chen and other villagers believed that wastewater discharged from the factory had poisoned the Xiang River, a source for drinking water and irrigation, and that the dark smoke rising from the plant's chimney had fouled the air. (The factory owner insisted to the local press that while his plant had pollution problems, the villagers' ailments could not be traced conclusively to its emissions.)

Groups of villagers visited the factory repeatedly to talk to the management, requesting that the emissions-control equipment be upgraded or the most polluting production lines be discontinued. The owner offered small payments to those who complained loudest--enough to temporarily placate poor farmers, if not enough to cover their losses. Gradually, even those who were initially satisfied with their compensation demanded that the factory close. They also petitioned the environmental protection bureaus of Wangcheng County, where the factory is located, and nearby Changsha City, but officials approved the factory to continue operations.

Having exhausted peaceful channels, the villagers turned to force. Twice in the summer of 2004, more than a hundred residents marched onto factory grounds to disconnect its electricity. Chen Li Fang organized the second effort. She split the villagers into two groups, with the first storming the front gates, the second approaching from behind. The manager cowered in his office and called the police. Someone ripped the power-supply unit off the wall. The factory was shut down for three days before the equipment could be replaced. Chen served a short jail term.

But Chen was undeterred, feeling that she had less and less to lose. In January 2006, she traveled to Beijing for the first time. She camped for two weeks in a train station's waiting room as she struggled to get an audience with the national environmental ministry. Finally, she met with an official from the State Environmental Protection Administration, China's understaffed and overstretched version of the EPA, and was sent home with a letter directing the provincial government to examine her case. Nothing much changed.

In November she returned to Beijing, but this time she met with an organization of public-interest lawyers, the Center for Legal Assistance to Pollution Victims. Founded in 1998, the center is staffed by volunteers--mostly law professors and young law students--and operates a free legal advice hotline. Since it launched, it has fielded about 10,000 calls. Lawyers from the center have personally taken up more than eighty callers' cases; they've won a third of those cases, lost a third, and a third are still pending.

China has had environmental laws on the books for thirty years, but teaching citizens to use them is a relatively new enterprise. So, too, is the expectation that laws should be enforced. Local environmental officials have surprisingly limited authority to implement Beijing's green regulations, as these cadres receive both their orders and their salaries from local government, which has an economic interest in shielding local industry. In recent years, growing pollution concerns have prompted Beijing to pass stricter environmental legislation, including a 2003 law that requires factories gain approval for onetime "environmental impact assessment" reports from local authorities. At the moment, China's officials face what may appear to them to be an uneasy choice: allow citizens to use these laws to their fullest extent, or risk a precipitous rise in protests. The environmental minister said in 2005 that pollution-related protests had increased in recent years by an annual rate of 29 percent.

In 2003, the factory in Chen's village submitted the requisite report detailing its projected environmental impact and plans for pollution control, which the local environmental protection bureau then approved. But according to Zhou Guangming, an environmental lawyer who has examined the document, the report was flawed and misleading. Most obviously, the report claimed that no wastewater would be discharged directly into the Xiang River, although a walk around the factory grounds reveals a pipe that does exactly that.

Rather than planning another raid, Chen and other villagers--aided by their new allies in Beijing--are preparing a lawsuit that would force local officials to shut down the factory. In 2007, Xu Kezhu, an attorney from the legal aid center, visited the village. She collected evidence of factory conditions and interviewed residents, environmental officials, and plant workers. When the factory owner bragged that some of his technology had been imported from the United States, she retorted, "If you learned about commercial processes from America, why did you not also learn about environmental protection processes from America?" Inspired by the U.S. system, in which Sierra Club lawyers routinely sue the EPA for administrative breaches, Xu plans to sue the local environmental protection bureau for rubber-stamping what she deems a faulty environmental-impact report. As she told me, it is easier to definitively prove administrative failure than to establish a direct link between the factory's emissions and the illnesses suffered by the villagers. The lawsuit is shaping up to be a test of China's tentative collection of environmental laws and accompanying oversight mechanisms.

I visited the factory one Sunday afternoon in late October, when the plant was closed for the weekend. But the metal gate wasn't locked, and Chen's husband, who has visited dozens of times, led me onto the premises for a tour. (He told me that when he last spoke to the factory owner, he was told, "It [would be] a good thing for you to be dead." That hasn't cowed him.) The walls inside the factory were black with soot; the equipment was rusty and looked poorly maintained. Sacks of chemical additives, ready to be shipped to customers, sat beside rusted barrels that oozed dark liquid onto the floor.

We were accompanied that afternoon by several villagers, all shouting. Each had a complaint to air. "We cannot endure anymore," yelled Li Qiu Liang, whose father-in-law has spent the last five years unable to work; she claims pollution has made him sick. A sixty-six-year-old farmer, Wen Yun Kai, showed me a series of wrinkled letters he'd sent to local environmental officials after his cattle became sick and died; a local veterinarian had "verified" his claims and written at the bottom, "It is truth." A sixty-year-old fisherman, Xiao Xiang Lin, said his nets were empty because the Xiang River had "no more fish."

Chen's husband and I also followed the pipeline that led from the wastewater holding basin into the river, a few hundred meters away. This is the pipeline the environmental impact report claims doesn't exist. Then he showed me a hole in the pipe where the villagers had smashed it open in order to confirm the presence of wastewater inside.

For the moment, the villagers are placing their faith in the lawyers. "I want them to make the law work," Chen told me, sitting at a table in her modest home. "If there is no government action to solve the problem, I will go to Beijing, again and again." Chen isn't going away--and nor are millions like her--until the problem does.--C.L.

Christina Larson is an editor of the Washington Monthly. She traveled to China in the spring and fall of 2007. Her research was supported by the International Reporting Project at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C. Photographs by Liu Yan. Research assistance provided by Yang Yang in Beijing.

Source Citation
Larson, Christina. "The middle kingdom's dilemma: can China clean up its environment without cleaning up its politics?" Washington Monthly Dec. 2007: 37+. General OneFile. Web. 12 Feb. 2011.
Document URL
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Gale Document Number:A173149805

The middle kingdom's dilemma: can China clean up its environment without cleaning up its politics?.

2011-02-12T12:56:00.001-05:00

Cleaning up, originally uploaded by deekea.

It's go time: Cardinals ready for Region 3 Meet this weekend.

2011-02-01T19:48:00.001-05:00

Judo Throw, originally uploaded by aeschylus18917.

May 21--A high school track and field regular season can be compared to a warm-up of sorts. It's a period of time where relay teams can be fine-tuned, throwing techniques can be perfected and coaches can juggle athletes through events to see where optimal team finishes can be attained. A team's final score and position in a particular meet throughout the regular season really doesn't bare much impact. It's the potential of where that team can go, what it can learn and where it can finish when the gloves are finally off. For the Carrington Cardinals, the gloves come off on Saturday. Both the Carrington girls' and boys' track and field teams have been finishing near or at the top of all the meets they've competed in throughout the 2010 season -- the girls' team has won all but two. But the postseason finally starts on Saturday in Carrington, as the Cardinals host the Class B Region 3 track and field meet, starting at 11 a.m. "We really don't try to win meets until the end of the year," Carrington coach Greg Hoeckle said. "For this one, we'll be going full force trying to score as many points as we can." Those words should be scary for any other Region 3 girls' team competing on Saturday, considering the Cardinal girls have been nearly unstoppable this season. The Cardinal girls dominated the 24-team field at the Well County Invitational last Saturday in Fessenden, rolling up 150 team points to defeat runner-up Benson County by a staggering 77 points. The girls' team also finished second (123) to the Jamestown Blue Jays (165) at the 21st Annual Last Chance Meet on Monday at Jamestown's Taylor Stadium. "We've been pretty solid all year. But our region is pretty tough as far as girls' teams go, with Benson County, Langdon and Wells County-New Rockford-Sheyenne." Hoeckle said. "We feel that we have a good chance to come into the meet and do well. The girls have prepared well, and they're also prepared mentally." The team has qualified for state 10 girls already and has been led on the track by freshman sprinter Josey Page and senior hurdler Hope Carr. Page has state qualified in both the 100 -and -200-meter dashes, and defeated defending 100-meter state champion Julie Dinius, of Langdon, at the Wells Co. Invite. Pages' blistering time of 12.54 defeated Dinius by two one-hundredths of a second (12.56) in the 100 finals. The state-qualifying standard in the event is 13.04.

Carr has qualified in both the 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles, and, along with Page, has been a staple on the team's sprint relays. The Carrington girls have state qualified in all of their relays this season, the 400, the 800, the 1600 and the 3200. "Those are two of our main girls, but we have a big supporting cast," Hoeckle said. "We have the luxury of covering more area than in year's past. We have good people in the jumping and throwing events, javelin especially." Carrington's Sierra Rosenau currently has the top javelin mark in the state. The sophomore heaved a toss of 133-5.5 -- the longest toss in the state so far -- to win last Saturday's javelin event in Fessenden. The state qualifying standard is 115 feet. Carrington eighth grader Kayla Hochhalter has also qualified in the javelin and is also consistently throwing over the 100-foot mark in the discus. Hochhalter's state-qualifying javelin toss of 126-4.5 at the Wells County Invite was good enough for third place at the meet. "We are able to cover a lot more area this year, and we've got girls that can step up which makes us a good team, especially when it comes to the region," Hoeckle said. We'll need some things to go our way." The Carrington girls' track and field team has won 6 state championships, but when it comes to winning No. 7 this season coach Hoeckle prefers to err on the side of caution.

"At the state meet, the level of competition is quite a bit different once you get everyone together. Usually, in Class B, you need three powerful athletes," Hoeckle said. "Benson County has to be one of the favorites at the state level, with the way they control the distance races, and Langdon is also real tough. "We'd really need to have the girls step up to get into that top five, but we definitely have the capability to. We have a couple of athletes in that top tier, but it takes a lot of firepower to compete in the Class B girls' division."

On the Carrington boys' side of things, senior Devin Barton, and juniors Easton Page and Jordan Mittleider have been leading the way.

Source Citation
"It's go time: Cardinals ready for Region 3 Meet this weekend." Jamestown Sun [Jamestown, ND] 21 May 2010. General OneFile. Web. 1 Feb. 2011.
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Gale Document Number:CJ227025637

Animals in armor: having a hard body is a good thing if you're an animal under attack.(includes information on armor worn by knights)(Cover Story).

2011-01-31T12:06:00.001-05:00

Armor and Intrigue, originally uploaded by Snap551.

You've heard of knights in shining armor. Even today, some people wear bullet- proof vests or ride around in armored vehicles. It's all to protect the body from harm.

But guess what--nature did it first! Many animals come with ready-made suits of armor. In fact, they make their own best bodyguards! Here are just a few.

Everybody knows about the armadillo--probably the world's most famous armored animal. Its name even means "little armored one" in Spanish. Its armor is made of super-tough skin and bony bands.

There are many kinds of armadillos. Some have bands all the way down their backs. Some have just a few bands. The nine-banded armadillo below can curl up, but not all the way into a ball. Only three-banded armadillos from South America can do that.

Watch a millipede if you want to see flexible bands in action. a pill mil- lipede shuffles along, minding its own business. But what if something dangerous comes sniffing around? Fwwwipp!--the millipede pulls itself into a tight little pill-like ball. It can do that by bending at each place where two bands are joined. All the soft parts--head, back end, and underneath--are now protected.

You won't find this kind of millipede unless you're visiting a tropical rain- forest in Borneo. But you might find other kinds right in your own neighbor- hood. Watch to see if they also curl up their hard, banded bodies when threatened. Or look for a millipede lookalike called a pillbug (also known as a sowbug or wood louse).

Some animals carry their own shields with them wherever they go. Take this tropical snail, for example. Like any garden snail, this slimy guy can draw completely into its hard shell. Snails aren't the only soft-bodied creatures that live a "shell-tered" life. The ocean is chock full of armored creatures such as scallops, oysters, clams, and barnacles.

And don't forget lobsters and crabs. They don't have shells that they can open and close or go in and out of. Their whole bodies are wrapped in a shell. That king crab looks as if its body armor could take a lot of hard knocks.

Like all turtles, the desert tortoise lives inside a kind of bony shell sand- wich. The top and bottom halves of its shell can't close up completely, as they can in a box turtle. But the tortoise can pull in its head and seal off the opening with its strong, scaly legs. The tortoise looks as if it's warning a predator: You can knock, but you can't come in!

Check out the tortoise copycat. Just like the tortoise, it has a shell. But it's really a kind of insect called a tortoise beetle. All insects wear their skeletons on the outside. But this skeleton forms a super-duper shield that covers even the insect's head and legs.

Scales form the most flexible armor of all. They aren't exactly like a knight's metal "cloth" (called chain mail), but they work just as well.

All reptiles--from snakes to crocodiles--have scales. The spiny lizard has scales that end in sharp points. This lizard might make a prickly mouthful. But it can usually make a quick getaway first. While thick bands and big shells can add weight to an armored animal, scaly armor doesn't slow this lizard down!

Most fish, including the parrotfish, have bodies covered by hard scales. In some fish, the scales are thick and heavy. In others, they're small and thin. And some fish, such as sharks, have scales that are tiny but very rough.

There's even a mammal with scales--the pangolin (PANG-guh-lin), which is some- times called a scaly anteater. Believe it or not, the scales on that pangolin mom and her baby are made from a weird, extra-hard form of hair.

The pangolin isn't a fast mover. But it is flexible. If it can't escape danger fast enough, it just rolls up into a ball. Mom can even curl up with her baby tucked inside! The scales have sharp edges, so it's not a good idea to mess with a pangolin that doesn't want to be messed with.

Bands that bend. Shells that shield. Scads of scales. These forms of body armor all help protect the animals that wear them. They may not keep the roughest, toughest, or sneakiest pests and predators away. But they help make the armored ones' lives a whole lot safer.

Solid sheets of metal armor protect this knight in a big way. But they're stiff and clunky and make it hard for him to move around. Narrow bands joined together let the body bend.

A big, heavy shield works great to fend off weapons. A warrior can duck behind it or move it around to cover unprotected parts of the body.

A knight's chain mail armor is made of interlocking pieces of metal. It's lighter in weight and much more bendable than solid metal sheets or even bands.

Source Citation
Lambeth, Ellen. "Animals in armor: having a hard body is a good thing if you're an animal under attack." Ranger Rick May 1997: 40+. Popular Magazines. Web. 31 Jan. 2011.
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