Rookie Dillon rides No. 3 to Nationwide victory

Austin Dillon runs to meet his pit crew after winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series auto race at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Ky., Friday, June 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Bud Kraft)

Austin Dillon runs to meet his pit crew after winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series auto race at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Ky., Friday, June 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Bud Kraft)

Austin Dillon tips his cowboy hat after winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series auto race at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Ky., Friday, June 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Garry Jones)

Austin Dillon, left, celebrates with his grandfather Richard Childress in the winner's circle of the NASCAR Nationwide auto race at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Ky., Friday, June 29, 2012. (AP Photo/James Crisp)

Austin Dillon celebrates after winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series auto race at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Ky., Friday, June 29, 2012. (AP Photo/James Crisp)

Austin Dillon, left, draws away from Sam Hornish Jr. (12), Kevin Harvick (33), and Brad Keselowski (22) early in the 200-lap NASCAR Nationwide Series auto race at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Ky., Friday, June 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Garry Jones)

SPARTA, Ky. (AP) ? Austin Dillon lived up to the legend of the No. 3 car, then had his victory called into question Friday night.

No one had regularly driven the No. 3 car since Dale Earnhardt's death on the track at the 2001 Daytona 500. On a warm night in the Bluegrass state, Dillon routed the field, only to have the car fail its postrace inspection.

Dillon took the lead early and was on top for 192 of the 200 laps to win the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Kentucky Speedway.

"I love running the 3," Dillon said. "It pressures me every week to give 110 (percent)."

Roughly an hour after the trip to victory lane, the No. 3 failed the inspection for being too low in the rear. NASCAR announced it would issue a ruling early next week.

Reached at the garage, Dillon's crew chief, Danny Stockman, wiped sweat from his forehead as he left a meeting with officials.

"We've had an issue before. We addressed it in a meeting," Stockman said. "It should have been addressed. That's the only comment I've got."

A similar situation took place earlier this season at Iowa where a car also failed a postrace inspection. The crew chief was fined $10,000 and six points were subtracted from the team.

The No. 3, of course, was driven to fame by Earnhardt, who raced for the Richard Childress team. Childress is Dillon's grandfather and also his team owner.

As Dillon was clinching the win, his grandfather said over the radio, "Dale would have been proud of that."

He added, "I couldn't be prouder as a grandfather and a team owner. I know Dale's looking down smiling to see that 3 win tonight."

It was the first Nationwide victory for Dillon, a rookie who captured the Truck Series title a year ago.

"It takes a little off your back when you get that first win," Dillon said with a broad smile while wearing a white cowboy hat with his black ? what else? ? driving suit.

Dillon had asked to drive the No. 3 car, which has made it's only appearances since Earnhardt's death with Dillon behind the wheel in the Truck Series ? and with Dale Earnhardt Jr. in three other races, including a victory at Daytona in the Nationwide event two years ago.

Dillon has marked himself as one of the fastest rising drivers in the sport. Childress was careful in his reply when asked if he might ever back another team in the Sprint Cup ? the big leagues of stock car racing ? in car No. 3.

"I don't plan on running the 3. Dale made that stylized 3 famous," he said. Then, with a grin, he added, "We don't have any intention of running that (stylized 3) in the Cup. That leaves an opening, doesn't it?"

Dillon, a 22-year-old native of Lewisville, N.C., also tentatively took over the series lead with the victory. He came into the night just a point back of leader Elliott Sadler after seven top-five finishes: five fifths and two fourths.

Sprint Cup driver Kurt Busch was a distant second, 9.828 seconds back. Third went to another Cup driver and the No. 2 qualifier, Kevin Harvick, who was followed by Michael Annett and Justin Allgaier.

"Austin Dillon, he was just in his own zip code," Busch said. "Congratulations to him. It's been nice to see him develop."

Busch said he thought he had a car that could run down the pole-sitter, but that charge never materialized.

"He was just too strong tonight," Busch said. "He just had that car dialed in. There was nothing we could do."

Harvick, who took over Earnhardt's Sprint Cup ride after Earnhardt's death, said he admired what he had seen out of the young Dillon.

"I'm proud to see Austin and those guys get their first win," he said. "He works hard to make himself better and he's a good kid."

Asked what he thought of seeing the No. 3 car returning to victory lane, Harvick said, "I'm sure it's important to Richard and his family. Richard started with the 3. He and Dale had a lot of success with the 3. So I'm sure it's important to them."

The race was contested in ideal conditions after gusting winds earlier delayed qualifying for the Cup Series.

Rounding out the top 10 were Sam Hornish Jr., Brad Keselowski, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Sadler and James Buescher, who won the Truck Series race on Thursday night. Keselowski won the Nationwide event a year ago in Kentucky.

The tributes to Dillon came from all quarters after the race.

"I envy his first win," said Danica Patrick, who finished 12th.

Childress beamed as he spoke of his relationship with Earnhardt and what might be for his grandson.

"Austin has come so far," he said. "To watch him tonight, he's so patient. You'd think he's been racing a long time."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-06-30-CAR-NASCAR-Nationwide-Kentucky/id-702eefc3416045e7ae14e47c7a3c10f8

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Chicago cops to work with ex-felons to curb shootings

By Jim Gold, msnbc.com

Chicago police will try to reduce the city?s growing murder rate by partnering for the first-time with anti-violence group CeaseFire, which trains ex-cons to attack violence as if it were a spreading disease.

Chicago-based CeaseFire, whose ?violence interrupters? programs have been replicated and studied in several U.S. cities, as well as in Iraq, will receive $1 million from the Windy City?s Department of Public Health beginning July 13.

CeaseFire previously received state and federal money, but not city funding, the group said.

---

The partnership was proposed after Memorial Day weekend shootings left 10 dead, pushing the city?s homicide count to 200 for the year, the Chicago Sun-times reported. By June 17, the Sun Times said, the city?s murders were running 38 percent ahead of the same period in 2011.

The new funding will boost the number of CeaseFire program workers in Chicago to about 140, up from 100, Dr. Gary Slutkin, CeaseFire founder, told msnbc.com. ?

Slutkin last weekend was on a U.S. Conference of Mayors panel with mayors from Baltimore, Philadelphia, New Orleans and Fresno to encourage other cities to support CeaseFire?s model, which can be seen online in PBS? ?Frontline? documentary ?The Interrupters.?

Slutkin, an internal medicine and infectious diseases specialist, said CeaseFire takes a public health approach to public safety.

?Violence has been misunderstood,? Slutkin said. ?In the absence of a correct strategy, violence will go up, down or sideways in waves. The only way to predictably reduce it is using methods that interrupt it.?

Violence is perpetuated as people consider it the norm, he warned.

?You get a situation where someone looks at someone?s girlfriend, now the expectation is it?s normal to shoot someone,? he said.

He said CeaseFire tries to intervene with the people who are at highest risk for violence.

Slutkin acknowledged?a Sun-Times report that six?ex-felons?have been arrested while working for CeaseFire. However, he said, it's rare. The program sees just a 1 or 2 percent relapse rate, he said, with only two people out of 600 hired over 12?years having been convicted.

Workers go through intensive training, are?hired by panels and are subjected to regular drug?tests, Slutkin said.

On the street, they work like disease-control workers.

?What we do is figure out who the people are who are spreading the disease, the people most likely to be shooters,? said Amy Ellenbogen, who directs Save Our Streets Crown Heights, a Brooklyn, N.Y., program replicating CeaseFire and serving about 20,000 residents in a 40-block area.

From an eight-member team, four work as street-outreach counselors, trying to get the people most at risk of committing violence to change their focus, perhaps toward getting a GED or job, she told msnbc.com.

?Street outreach is incredibly important, knowing the players and how to persuade them to make better choices,? Ellenbrogen said.

Another four are the interrupters, who step in to mediate potentially violent situations.

?We?ve mediated over 100 incidences? since the team was hired in February 2010, Ellenbogen said.

Like other public health campaign, the program tries to ?change the norms of the community,? which means making gun violence not acceptable.

Merchants have signs in window that count the days since last shooting; pizza boxes at a local parlor carry the words ?Stop shooting, start living?; neighborhood posters proclaim, ?Don?t shoot, I want to? grow up.?

Community meetings are held when a shooting does occur, she said. The number of shooting deaths dropped to 13 last year from 25 the year before in the area served, she said. ?

May 29: Ceasefire director and University of Illinois/Chicago epidemiologist, Gary Slutkin, featured in NBC's Kevin Tibbles' report, describes his organization's approach to reducing gang violence.

More content from msnbc.com and NBC News:

Follow US News on msnbc.com on Twitter and Facebook

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Mexico's Pena Nieto with big poll lead before election

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Analysis: Obama's election-year housing push shows a pulse (reuters)

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Make me an offer, say online shoppers

Public release date: 26-Jun-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Don Conlon
conlon@msu.edu
517-355-1878
Michigan State University

EAST LANSING, Mich. Online shoppers would rather receive an offer for a product or service than make their own offer, according to a study led by a Michigan State University scholar that has implications for the fast-growing e-commerce industry.

The findings may come as a surprise given that shopping online is an anonymous process that seemingly can give consumers more confidence to drive a hard bargain, said Don Conlon, Eli Broad Professor of Management in MSU's Broad College of Business.

But the study found that participants who made their own offers were less successful in sealing the deal and, when they were successful, worried they overpaid. Many shoppers found the process of researching an offer to be a hassle.

"Americans are very busy, and it's less time consuming to be the one receiving the offer rather than the one proposing the offer," Conlon said. "People tend to be happier when they're in the receiver role."

Online spending in the United States is expected to jump 45 percent in the next four years, from $226 billion this year to $327 billion in 2016, according to Forrester Research Inc.

Conlon got the idea for the study after considering the difference between two popular sites for hotels and airline flights: priceline.com, which takes bids, and hotwire.com, which provides offers.

Using these two models, Conlon and his fellow researchers conducted a series of experiments with more than 850 people who were charged with booking a fictional hotel room and acquiring a fictional antique car.

Not only did participants prefer to receive bids, Conlon said, but they also made more deals in that receiver role. Further, when they had to make the bids, they were left more mentally taxed and regretful.

From an industry perspective, putting customers in the receiver role may help fill more hotel rooms and airplane seats. "If you're a business with a lot of product," Conlon said, "you may want to be the one making the offers."

However, when selling single items, such as an antique car, accepting bids may be a better option since that typically drives up the price, he said.

The study appears in the research journal Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes.

###

Conlon's co-researchers are Catherine Tinsley of Georgetown University; Samuel Birk and Aleksander Ellis of the University of Arizona; and Stephen Humphrey of Penn State University.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 26-Jun-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Don Conlon
conlon@msu.edu
517-355-1878
Michigan State University

EAST LANSING, Mich. Online shoppers would rather receive an offer for a product or service than make their own offer, according to a study led by a Michigan State University scholar that has implications for the fast-growing e-commerce industry.

The findings may come as a surprise given that shopping online is an anonymous process that seemingly can give consumers more confidence to drive a hard bargain, said Don Conlon, Eli Broad Professor of Management in MSU's Broad College of Business.

But the study found that participants who made their own offers were less successful in sealing the deal and, when they were successful, worried they overpaid. Many shoppers found the process of researching an offer to be a hassle.

"Americans are very busy, and it's less time consuming to be the one receiving the offer rather than the one proposing the offer," Conlon said. "People tend to be happier when they're in the receiver role."

Online spending in the United States is expected to jump 45 percent in the next four years, from $226 billion this year to $327 billion in 2016, according to Forrester Research Inc.

Conlon got the idea for the study after considering the difference between two popular sites for hotels and airline flights: priceline.com, which takes bids, and hotwire.com, which provides offers.

Using these two models, Conlon and his fellow researchers conducted a series of experiments with more than 850 people who were charged with booking a fictional hotel room and acquiring a fictional antique car.

Not only did participants prefer to receive bids, Conlon said, but they also made more deals in that receiver role. Further, when they had to make the bids, they were left more mentally taxed and regretful.

From an industry perspective, putting customers in the receiver role may help fill more hotel rooms and airplane seats. "If you're a business with a lot of product," Conlon said, "you may want to be the one making the offers."

However, when selling single items, such as an antique car, accepting bids may be a better option since that typically drives up the price, he said.

The study appears in the research journal Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes.

###

Conlon's co-researchers are Catherine Tinsley of Georgetown University; Samuel Birk and Aleksander Ellis of the University of Arizona; and Stephen Humphrey of Penn State University.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

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JLIPNICKI: Hey all you FACEBOOK people, please do me a HUUUUGE favor and Like my moms page Fight Sports Entertainment!

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Vardan Aslanyan, Chase Suspect, Asks Police 'What Is Drugs?' (VIDEO)

Dylan Edward Contreras. 19, was arrested for providing false information about his identity after an encounter with Twin Falls police. Police then noticed that Contreras had his last name tattooed on his arm. He was arrested on three outstanding warrants.

Dylan Edward Contreras. 19, was arrested for providing false information about his identity after an encounter with Twin Falls police. Police then noticed that Contreras had his last name tattooed on his arm. He was arrested on three outstanding warrants.

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Stock index futures point to lower Wall Street open

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FOMC Interest Rate Decision - Business Insider

(Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

The Federal Reserve monetary policy announcement is out.

Rather than go on with full on QE3 (more bond buying), the Federal Reserve is extending what's known as "Operation Twist" which means that the Fed will buy long dated Treasuries and finance that with sales of short-dated government bonds.

The idea is to pump more liquidity into the system and hold rates low without expanding the Fed balance sheet.

It's essentially a half-measure, which acknowledges that the economy isn't so hot, but which doesn't go all the way into pumping.

The Dow is off 70 on the news. The Dollar is higher.

Bloomberg has spit out the key headlines.

• Fed prepared to take further action as warranted.
• Fed says inflation has decline.
• Fed says employment growth has slowed.
• Fed to buy Treasuries due in 6 to 30 years at current pace.

So the market is down a bit, but Bernanke is having his press conference at 2:15, and he may use that as an opportunity to sound more dovish and hit at more QE coming at a future meeting.

The first analyst reaction actually comes from Morgan Stanley, on Twitter. Morgan Stanley had predicted QE3 and thought more was warranted.

--------------

Here's the full Fed announcement

For immediate release

Information received since the Federal Open Market Committee met in April suggests that the economy has been expanding moderately this year. However, growth in employment has slowed in recent months, and the unemployment rate remains elevated. Business fixed investment has continued to advance. Household spending appears to be rising at a somewhat slower pace than earlier in the year. Despite some signs of improvement, the housing sector remains depressed. Inflation has declined, mainly reflecting lower prices of crude oil and gasoline, and longer-term inflation expectations have remained stable.

Consistent with its statutory mandate, the Committee seeks to foster maximum employment and price stability. The Committee expects economic growth to remain moderate over coming quarters and then to pick up very gradually. Consequently, the Committee anticipates that the unemployment rate will decline only slowly toward levels that it judges to be consistent with its dual mandate. Furthermore, strains in global financial markets continue to pose significant downside risks to the economic outlook. The Committee anticipates that inflation over the medium term will run at or below the rate that it judges most consistent with its dual mandate.

To support a stronger economic recovery and to help ensure that inflation, over time, is at the rate most consistent with its dual mandate, the Committee expects to maintain a highly accommodative stance for monetary policy. In particular, the Committee decided today to keep the target range for the federal funds rate at 0 to 1/4 percent and currently anticipates that economic conditions--including low rates of resource utilization and a subdued outlook for inflation over the medium run--are likely to warrant exceptionally low levels for the federal funds rate at least through late 2014.

The Committee also decided to continue through the end of the year its program to extend the average maturity of its holdings of securities. Specifically, the Committee intends to purchase Treasury securities with remaining maturities of 6 years to 30 years at the current pace and to sell or redeem an equal amount of Treasury securities with remaining maturities of approximately 3 years or less. This continuation of the maturity extension program should put downward pressure on longer-term interest rates and help to make broader financial conditions more accommodative. The Committee is maintaining its existing policy of reinvesting principal payments from its holdings of agency debt and agency mortgage-backed securities in agency mortgage-backed securities. The Committee is prepared to take further action as appropriate to promote a stronger economic recovery and sustained improvement in labor market conditions in a context of price stability.

Voting for the FOMC monetary policy action were: Ben S. Bernanke, Chairman; William C. Dudley, Vice Chairman; Elizabeth A. Duke; Dennis P. Lockhart; Sandra Pianalto; Jerome H. Powell; Sarah Bloom Raskin; Jeremy C. Stein; Daniel K. Tarullo; John C. Williams; and Janet L. Yellen. Voting against the action was Jeffrey M. Lacker, who opposed continuation of the maturity extension program.

Attachment (60 KB PDF)

More to come..

--------------

The moment global markets have been waiting for is finally here: At 12:30, the Federal Reserve will announce its latest monetary policy decision.

In recent months, the crisis in Europe has worsened, and it appears that the US recovery has lost a lot of steam, and so the big question is whether the Fed will use its firepower to once again goose the economy.

Will the Fed announce a third round of Quantitative Easing (injecting liquidity into the market by buying long-dated Treasuries or mortgage-backed securities) or will it extend its current program known as Operation Twist, which involves keeping the size of the Fed balance sheet the same by buying long-dated assets financed by the sale of short-dated assets.

If the Fed chooses neither of the two options, it could still technically ease conditions by changing the language. For example, the Fed currently is indicating that its zero interest rate policy (ZIRP) will last through 2014, but it could say that it now sees zero interest rates going to 2015 or beyond.

Or Bernanke might do nothing, but perhaps hint that conditions have gotten worse to the point whereby any worsening at all will prompt QE3 at the next meeting.

Wall Street analysts are all over the map, with some expressing confidence at QE3, and others expecting nothing.

Following the policy announcement at 12:30, the Fed will then deliver a new economic forecast at 2:00 PM, followed by a Bernanke press conference thereafter.

We'll be covering it LIVE.

At the moment, markets are all modestly lower (The Dow is off 30 points), gold is down over 1%, and yields are just a hair higher. Basically everything is in a holding pattern.

Click here to see Wall Street's predictions for today's big announcement >

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Nano-pesticides: Solution or threat for a cleaner and greener agriculture?

Public release date: 20-Jun-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Thilo Hofmann
thilo.hofmann@univie.ac.at
34-142-775-3320
University of Vienna

Nanotechnology has developed tremendously in the past decade and was able to create many new materials with a vast range of potential applications. Some of those innovative materials are promising to reduce environmental pollution. For instance, carbon nanotubes and metal nano-particles are great candidate materials for cleaning polluted water and soils.

However, the risk that nano-particles may pose to human and environment health is not yet fully understood. The precautionary principle therefore suggests keeping environmental release of nano-particles minimal until their fate and toxicity is better understood. "A good understanding of nano-materials is essential to evaluate whether the benefits overcome potential new risks", explains Thilo Hofmann, dean elected at the Faculty of Geosciences, Geography and Astronomy of the University of Vienna.

Among numerous proposed applications, nanotechnology has the potential to revolutionize agricultural practices and food systems. Research has been extremely active over the past few years to develop new pesticides products based on nanotechnology. "Nano-pesticide research is emerging at high speed at the agrochemical labs, however, this topic has not reached public awareness or state authorities so far, nor are any products available at the marked. Since those nano-pesticides have new or enhanced properties, this will change in near future and will inevitably result in both new risks and new benefits to human and environmental health", states Thilo Hofmann.

Nano-pesticides encompass a great variety of products, some of which are already on the market. The application of nano-pesticides would be the only intentional diffuse input of large quantities of engineered nano-particles into the environment. Innovation always results in both drawbacks and benefits for human and environmental health. Nano-pesticides may reduce environmental contamination through the reduction in pesticide application rates and reduced losses. However, nano-pesticides may also create new kinds of contamination of soils and waterways due to enhanced transport, longer persistence and higher toxicity.

The current level of knowledge does not allow a fair assessment of the advantages and disadvantages that will result from the use of nano-pesticides. As a prerequisite for such assessment, a better understanding of the fate and effect of nano-pesticides after their application is required. The suitability of current regulations should also be analyzed so that refinements can be implemented if needed. Research on nano-pesticides is therefore a priority for preserving the quality of both the food chain and the environment.

###

Publication in "Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology" Nano-pesticides: state of knowledge, environmental fate and exposure modeling: Melanie Kah, Sabine Beulke, Karen Tiede and Thilo Hofmann. Critical Reviews of Environmental Science and Technology (2012) http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10643389.2012.671750

Scientific contacts

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Thilo Hofmann, Dr. Melanie Kah
Department of Environmental Geosciences
University of Vienna
1090 Vienna, Althanstrae 14
T +43-1-4277-533 20
thilo.hofmann@univie.ac.at
melanie.kah@univie.ac.at

Press contact

Alexandra Frey
Press Office of the University of Vienna
Research and teaching
1010 Vienna, Dr.-Karl-Lueger-Ring 1
T +43-1-4277-175 33
M +43-664-602 77-175 33
alexandra.frey@univie.ac.at

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 20-Jun-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Thilo Hofmann
thilo.hofmann@univie.ac.at
34-142-775-3320
University of Vienna

Nanotechnology has developed tremendously in the past decade and was able to create many new materials with a vast range of potential applications. Some of those innovative materials are promising to reduce environmental pollution. For instance, carbon nanotubes and metal nano-particles are great candidate materials for cleaning polluted water and soils.

However, the risk that nano-particles may pose to human and environment health is not yet fully understood. The precautionary principle therefore suggests keeping environmental release of nano-particles minimal until their fate and toxicity is better understood. "A good understanding of nano-materials is essential to evaluate whether the benefits overcome potential new risks", explains Thilo Hofmann, dean elected at the Faculty of Geosciences, Geography and Astronomy of the University of Vienna.

Among numerous proposed applications, nanotechnology has the potential to revolutionize agricultural practices and food systems. Research has been extremely active over the past few years to develop new pesticides products based on nanotechnology. "Nano-pesticide research is emerging at high speed at the agrochemical labs, however, this topic has not reached public awareness or state authorities so far, nor are any products available at the marked. Since those nano-pesticides have new or enhanced properties, this will change in near future and will inevitably result in both new risks and new benefits to human and environmental health", states Thilo Hofmann.

Nano-pesticides encompass a great variety of products, some of which are already on the market. The application of nano-pesticides would be the only intentional diffuse input of large quantities of engineered nano-particles into the environment. Innovation always results in both drawbacks and benefits for human and environmental health. Nano-pesticides may reduce environmental contamination through the reduction in pesticide application rates and reduced losses. However, nano-pesticides may also create new kinds of contamination of soils and waterways due to enhanced transport, longer persistence and higher toxicity.

The current level of knowledge does not allow a fair assessment of the advantages and disadvantages that will result from the use of nano-pesticides. As a prerequisite for such assessment, a better understanding of the fate and effect of nano-pesticides after their application is required. The suitability of current regulations should also be analyzed so that refinements can be implemented if needed. Research on nano-pesticides is therefore a priority for preserving the quality of both the food chain and the environment.

###

Publication in "Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology" Nano-pesticides: state of knowledge, environmental fate and exposure modeling: Melanie Kah, Sabine Beulke, Karen Tiede and Thilo Hofmann. Critical Reviews of Environmental Science and Technology (2012) http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10643389.2012.671750

Scientific contacts

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Thilo Hofmann, Dr. Melanie Kah
Department of Environmental Geosciences
University of Vienna
1090 Vienna, Althanstrae 14
T +43-1-4277-533 20
thilo.hofmann@univie.ac.at
melanie.kah@univie.ac.at

Press contact

Alexandra Frey
Press Office of the University of Vienna
Research and teaching
1010 Vienna, Dr.-Karl-Lueger-Ring 1
T +43-1-4277-175 33
M +43-664-602 77-175 33
alexandra.frey@univie.ac.at

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

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Rio +20 Summit kicks off amid global pessimism

Expectations are low at the UN conference that seeks to preserve Earth's ecosystems amid a growing population.

By Kenneth R. Weiss,?Los Angeles Times / June 19, 2012

Brazilian army soldiers patrol the entrance of the Brazil Pavilion for the Rio+20 United Nations sustainable development summit in Rio de Janeiro June 19, 2012. More than 50,000 policymakers, environmentalists and business leaders from around the world are meeting in Rio de Janeiro this week for the U.N. Conference on Sustainable Development, marking the 20-year anniversary of the landmark Earth Summit that paved the way for the Kyoto agreement on greenhouse gases.

Nacho Doce/REUTERS

Enlarge

The United Nation?s biggest conference in history began in earnest in Brazil on Monday, with representatives from around the world looking to craft a plan to help lift billions of people out of poverty without exhausting the planet.

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More than 115 presidents, prime ministers and other officials this week are planning to attend the U.N. Conference on Sustainable Development, which has drawn at least 50,000 people from 190 countries. Yet expectations remain low because of the world?s many economic woes.

?The European Debt crisis, U.S. joblessness and even the Chinese economic slowdown has sapped some people?s enthusiasm,? said Timothy Wirth, president of the United Nations Foundation.

President Barack Obama has no plans to attend the conference. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will lead the U.S. delegation, along with EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and Todd Stern, a special envoy for climate change.

Negotiators worked into the night Monday trying to finalize a master plan for social progress and managing natural resources. They hope to finish before Wednesday, when many international leaders plan to arrive to review proposals to slow down environmental degradation while providing enough food, clean water and clean energy for a worldwide population of 7 billion that?s expected to reach 9.3 billion by midcentury.

?This is a once-in-a generation opportunity,? said U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who has been pushing to move beyond political promises and begin accomplishing goals.

Yet criticism has mounted in recent weeks over the details, with detractors raising concerns that the plan is being watered down and could result in weakened commitments from world leaders.

Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, who was at the conference Monday, joined others who have complained that the plan appears to be backsliding on commitments for deep cuts in carbon-dioxide emissions and other greenhouse gasses needed to avoid tipping into a danger zone of climate-related floods and droughts.

Jacob Scherr of the New York-based Natural Resources Defense Council, attended the first Earth Summit in Rio in 1992 and the followup meeting a decade later in Johannesburg, South Africa. He?s back in Rio watching a messy process that demonstrates how difficult he said it is ?to get 190 countries to negotiate and agree to a plan that will result in real action.?

The first Earth Summit 20 years ago was filled with promise, as nations supported international agreements to protect biological diversity and establish a framework to curb climate change. About 180 nations signed off on a long list of goals and agreements, including a plan for the 21st century called Agenda 21, which instituted long-term planning for sustainable development and an agreement to halt the advance of deserts claiming farms and grazing land.

Since then, little progress has been made.

Deserts continue to expand. The loss of plant and animals species has accelerated, with scientific tallies showing one fifth or more of all species of mammals, birds and amphibians now at risk of extinction. And greenhouse gasses have continued to build up in the atmosphere, despite ongoing deliberations under the climate convention, which included the Kyoto Protocol, and series of unsuccessful efforts to negotiate a new climate treaty.

The U.N. Environmental Program examined more than 500 internationally agreed goals and objectives adopted at the Earth Summit and other such meetings. It found this month significant progress in just four: eliminating chlorofluorocarbons that punched a hole in the Earth?s protective ozone layer; the removal of lead from gasoline that caused human health problems; improved access to clean water; and boosting research to reduce ocean pollution.

Nikhil Seth, the U.N. director of sustainable development, said the U.N. Environmental Program report illustrates the need for this week?s conference, known as Rio +20, to refocus the world?s attention on important, long-term issues.

?We?re depleting everything,? Seth said, ?the land we depend on to grow food, the air we need to breath, the oceans we need for fish.?

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Bendtner gets 1-match ban for underwear stunt

[ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['Titanic', 7]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/titanic-anniversary/', ' ', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/b/4e/b4e5ad9f00b5dfeeec2226d53e173569.jpeg', '550', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]

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Celebrity Real Estate: Kenny Rodgers folds 'em

By Staff, Zillow

?This week in celebrity real estate circles, Jim Carrey listed his Malibu home for nearly $14 million, Kenny Rogers' estate is headed to auction, and Real Housewives' Melissa Gorga heaves another home on the market.

Jim Carrey lists Malibu hideaway for $13.95 million

Zillow

Jim Carrey's home includes three decks facing the ocean.

?

Malibu real estate ? especially 24-hour guard-gated beachfront?real estate ? comes at premium. Even more so if a celebrity name is tied to it.

Jim Carrey's Malibu home recently hit the market for $13.95 million. Situated in the Malibu Colony, the contemporary home features all the necessary amenities for entertaining: an expansive deck with removable walls, master suite balcony, and rooftop deck with hot tub and mood lighting. Likely, the funnyman hosted some of his nearby celebrity neighbors here.

Carrey bought the home in 2002, shortly after filming a serious role in "The Majestic." Known primarily for his humor roles in movies like "Dumb and Dumber," "Liar Liar," and "Bruce Almighty," Carrey also has a host of dramatic roles under his belt, including starring roles in "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and "The Truman Show."

Besides extensive outdoor entertaining space, Carrey's home has 5 bedrooms, 5.5 bathrooms and 2,800 square feet. The open floor plan leads to much of the outdoor space and large picture windows allow sunshine to stream in. Described as "move-in" ready, the private home will no doubt appeal to someone searching for a piece of celebrity-worthy slice of real estate.

Listed by real estate agent Janelle Friedman of Sotheby's, a monthly payment on Carrey's home would be $50,300, assuming a 20 percent down payment on a 30-year-mortgage, according to Zillow's mortgage calculator.

Zillow

Carrey's rooftop deck features mood lighting and spa.

Zillow

The home is described as "move-in ready" with recently updated finishes, including granite countertops in the kitchen.

See more photos of Jim Carrey's home on Zillow.

Kenny Rogers wants you to have the key to his house-- after June 26

Zillow

Kenny Rogers' home was custom designed.

?

You've got to know when to hold them. And know when to fold them. That's the gospel according to Kenny Rogers, the Grammy and Country Music Award-winning singer who outlined this strategy in one of his most famous hits, "The Gambler."

Well, Rogers is still out on tour, racking up good reviews for his latest appearances, but his latest real estate move would definitely have to fall in the "Fold 'Em" category.

On June 26, the stunning Athens, Georgia-area home designed and built in 2009 by Rogers on 150 acres of wooded property will go up for an absolute auction.

That means there is no reserve necessary to bid on the 5-bedroom, 5.5-bathroom house at 7356 Brockton Road, which is about 10 minutes outside of Athens. All it takes is a $100,000 certified check to register for your chance to buy the stunningly elegant spread.

Rogers first listed the 5,681-square-foot, Polynesian-inspired home for $3.5 million in January 2012, and reduced the price to $2.85 million in April. By mid-May, however, Rogers decided to take another tactic, enlisting an auction company to take over the sale ? an increasingly more common practice for some high-end properties for which it is difficult to establish market value.

Rogers, who has built and sold other luxury estates, including another massive resort-like estate in the Athens area, says this Georgia special "one of a kind." Must be, since it has its own Kenny Rogers Auction website that indicates previews of the property begin on June 22.

Zillow

Rogers' house includes extensive outdoor patio space.

Zillow

High-end features abound in Rogers' immense kitchen.

See more photos of Kenny Rogers' home on Zillow.

Melissa and Joe Gorga list "smaller" home

Zillow

Melissa Gorga of "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" has listed her beah getaway home for sale.

?

Not only are "Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Melissa Gorga and her husband, Joe, trying to sell their home in Montville, New Jersey for $3.8 million, it looks like the couple is also looking to divest themselves of their summer pad.

Weighing in at a fraction of the size and price of their massive 9,500-square-foot main home, the tidy little home at 11 Mermaid Road in Toms River?just saw a $15,000 price reduction to make its current list price $520,000.

The 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom Toms River house has an outdoor saltwater pool and patio area complete with outdoor kitchen and fireplace. The main point of this place seems to be as near to the water as possible.

According to Zillow's mortgage calculator, a monthly payment on this home would be $1,886 a month, assuming a 20 percent down payment on a 30-year-mortgage.

Zillow

The Gorgas' home includes a salt-water pool.

See more photos of the Gorga home on Zillow.?

Read more celebrity real estate posts on Zillow.

?

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Syrian activists report renewed shelling in Homs

In a Tuesday, June 5, 2012 photo, a Syrian man stands next to a grave of 40 Syrians were killed in a military raid by the Syrian army in April 2012, in the town of Taftanaz,15 kilometers east of Idlib, Syria. At dawn on April 3, Syrian forces shelled the town in the first volley of what residents say was a massive assault after a string of large protests calling for the end of the autocratic rule of President Bashar Assad. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

In a Tuesday, June 5, 2012 photo, a Syrian man stands next to a grave of 40 Syrians were killed in a military raid by the Syrian army in April 2012, in the town of Taftanaz,15 kilometers east of Idlib, Syria. At dawn on April 3, Syrian forces shelled the town in the first volley of what residents say was a massive assault after a string of large protests calling for the end of the autocratic rule of President Bashar Assad. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Protesters chant slogans against the Syrian regime and Russia's support of President Bashar Assad as they burn a banner depicting Assad, top, his brother, Maher Assad and Russian President Vladimir Putin, bottom, in the southern port city of Sidon, in Lebanon, Sunday, June 17, 2012. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

FILE - In a Tuesday, June 5, 2012 file photo, an elderly Syrian man stands on the side of a street in the town of Taftanaz, 15 kilometers east of Idlib, Syria. At dawn on April 3, Syrian forces shelled the town in the first volley of what residents say was a massive assault after a string of large protests calling for the end of the autocratic rule of President Bashar Assad. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra, File)

BEIRUT (AP) ? Syrian forces renewed shelling of the central city of Homs on Monday, one day after the head of the U.N. observers' mission demanded that warring parties allow the evacuation of women, children, elderly and sick people, activists said.

Regime forces have been waging a fierce offensive through towns and villages nationwide, trying to root out rebels by shelling urban areas with tanks and attacking from helicopters. Rebels also have attacked Syrian forces, mostly trying to burn tanks.

"There is renewed shelling and shooting in the city of Homs," said the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an activist group that cited witnesses on the ground.

Gunfire and explosions also were reported in Homs, the Observatory said.

Opposition groups say more than 14,000 people have been killed since the Syrian uprising began in March 2011 with mostly peaceful protests against President Bashar Assad's autocratic regime. But a ferocious government crackdown led many to take up arms, and the conflict is now an armed insurgency.

The Observatory says more than 3,400 soldiers and militiamen loyal to the government have also been killed since the revolt began.

On Sunday, the head of the U.N. observers' mission in Syria Maj. Gen. Robert Mood said the monitors had been trying for the past week to bring out families and wounded trapped in Homs by heavily shelling of rebel-held areas. The offensive is part of the broader push by Assad's forces to regain rebel-held villages and towns throughout the country.

"The parties must reconsider their position and allow women, children, the elderly and the injured to leave conflict zones without any preconditions and ensure their safety," Mood said in a statement. U.N. "attempts to extract civilians from the line of fire over the past week have been unsuccessful."

"This requires willingness on both sides to respect and protect the human life of the Syrian people," he added.

On Saturday, the U.N. said its 300 observers based in Syria were suspending all missions because of concerns for their safety after fighting intensified over the previous 10 days. But the monitors said they were remaining in Syria in Damascus.

The conflict in Syria has brought broad international condemnation, but the regime has appeared largely impervious to the pressure.

U.S. Sen. John McCain on Sunday characterized the lack of American aid to Syrian rebels as "shameful" and said helping their cause would deal "the greatest blow to Iran in the Middle East in 25 years." His remarks sought to maintain political pressure on President Barack Obama as violence in the region escalated.

"The fact that the United States of America is not helping these people ? and we can ? is shameful," McCain, who ran against Obama in 2008, said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press."

So far, the U.S. has refused to arm Syrian rebels in part to avoid a proxy fight with Iran and Russia, which both back Assad's regime.

Associated Press

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Awesome Gifts For Geeky Dads ? And Total Father?s Day Luddites

We may be hardcore gadget freaks at Wired, but that doesn?t mean our dads are cut from the same nerdy cloth. In the lead-up to this year?s Father?s Day -- it?s this coming Sunday -- we hand-picked a variety of presents to give to our patres familias, and the gear runs the gamut from borderline Luddite to full-fledged geeky.

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Samsung refreshes Series 5 laptops with AMD Trinity processors

We recently got a look at Samsung's new Ivy Bridge-enhanced Series 5 laptops, but it turns out that's not the only refresh the line has gotten this month. Samsung's also now rather quietly introduced a pair of new AMD-based models on its website, including an $850 14-inch version with a quad-core A10-4655M APU, and a $700 13.3-inch model with a quad-core A6-4455M (both otherwise known as Trinity processors). You'll also get an AMD Radeon HD 7500G GPU on the 13.3-incher (while the 14 relies on integrated graphics), but their specs remain pretty much in line with their Intel-based counterparts beyond that, including a standard 4GB RAM on both models and 500GB or 750GB hard drives. You can find the full rundown on each at the links below.

Samsung refreshes Series 5 laptops with AMD Trinity processors originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Jun 2012 19:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canada Travel: Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan?s ?Friendly City,? captures spirit of old Prairies

Shannon Leahy

Special to the Star

MOOSE JAW, SASK.?At first, I blame it on the ?parlour splits.?

Was I really looking at a penis sheath, a dried out gourd from New Guinea, hanging on a restaurant wall in Moose Jaw?

?That?s the owner?s son,? says our server, Heidi, as she hands me a two-for-one ?parlour split? shot special, and points to a photograph of a tall Western man surrounded by short, smiling men and women. ?I don?t know what it was, but he just loved visiting Papua New Guinea and living with the Pygmies.?

Storytellers are everywhere in Moose Jaw. That morning at Temple Gardens Mineral Spa Resort, our coffee binge is interrupted by a server wanting to know if we like CBC Radio. We?re told the hotel?s Morningsides Caf? is a tribute to the late Peter Gzowski, who broadcast his last Morningside radio program here on May 30, 1997.

On the caf? wall overlooking the sapphire-blue mineral pool, a small plaque attests to the CBC icon?s love of Moose Jaw, a city Gzowski called ?the most Canadian of all cities.? By the time our coffee break is over, we know Moose Jaw is Saskatchewan?s ?Friendly City,? which explains why citizens are such shiny, happy Canadian people.

The stories perking at Hopkins Dining Parlour are just as sweet, but spooky too. The 1905 mansion is one of the most haunted places in Saskatchewan.

Minnie Hopkins, the home?s original mistress, is believed to still linger here and regularly bangs doors, levitates candlesticks and throws food around. But some servers and ghost hunters believe Minnie isn?t the only spirit to blame for all the hijinks happening at the Hopkins mansion, a structure built the same year that Saskatchewan became a province.

One night, an unseen trickster collected all of the freshly laid table utensils and created an elaborate crucifix of forks, spoons and knives on the stairway.

Not surprisingly, staff seldom, if ever, stick around after they?ve shut off the lights and locked up for the night. The few brave souls who?ve dared glance back at the restaurant have seen a woman looking down at them from the third-floor window. Sometimes a dog, a cocker spaniel believed to be Minnie?s beloved pet, joins the ghostly vigil.

We know none of these strange tales when we decide to sit directly beneath Minnie?s favourite perch and dine outside on the Hopkins?s quiet, tree-lined patio.

When I visit the ladies? room (later revealed as Minnie?s favourite stalking grounds!), I?m amazed by the dozens of autographed posters and cards from Canada?s iconic Snowbird pilots, who train in Moose Jaw and clearly party at Hopkins. Do Snowbirds see dead people?

Outside, it?s a cool night and the restaurant?s twinkling lights and flickering candles add a warm, festive vibe that makes Heidi?s roster of Moose Jaw stories a tad less chilling.

?Minnie Hopkins was considered a bit of a teetotaller,? Heidi explains, ?but Moose Jaw was where people came to drink in those days. We were considered the ?sin capital of the Prairies? because we had everything.?

What did ?everything? mean in Moose Jaw? Girls, gambling, guns and bootlegging starting from 1882 when pioneers first arrived, right up until the 1920s when this ?little Chicago? was a favourite haunt for big city gangsters, most notably Al Capone, who supposedly used Moose Jaw?s underground tunnels as part of his rum-running operation and as a hideaway from Prohibition super agent Eliot Ness.

But gangsters aren?t the bee in Minnie?s ghostly bonnet. Her supernatural disdain for drink is legendary among staff, especially since the ghost doesn?t always wait for darkness to show her feelings about the spirits being served in her house.

Heidi gives an involuntary shudder as she recalls carrying a large tray of drinks for a party on the third floor one night.

?I was reaching over to give a customer his drink and felt a poke in my ribs, so strong and sharp, it hurt a little bit and I almost dropped the tray.?

After that charming story, we bolt inside and snuggle up in the cozy Victorian-style parlour. With the promise of a final parlour split, we accept Heidi?s dare to watch Minnie?s 2003 television debut on Creepy Canada.

When the episode gets too creepy, I stare at the penis sheath on the wall and think about friendly Pygmies and Peter Gzowski, not Minnie and her deliciously scary dining parlour.

JUST THE FACTS

ARRIVING West Jet and Air Canada offer daily flights to Saskatoon and Regina starting from $135. Moose Jaw is a scenic two-hour drive southeast from Saskatoon and 45 minutes west of Regina.

SLEEPING Temple Gardens Mineral Spa Resort is in the heart of Moose Jaw and within walking distance of the city?s best shopping, dining and sightseeing. The 179-room hotel is famous for its rooftop, 43C geothermal pool, posh accommodations and adjacent access to Casino Moose Jaw. Standard rooms and luxury Jacuzzi suites range from $155 to $435 per night. templegardens.sk.ca. Capone?s Hideaway Motel overlooks busy train tracks and a heritage CPR Station, now an 11,500-square-foot liquor store. Located at 1 Main St., the rustic motel offers 24 rooms and kitchenettes (most are non-smoking) from $69 to $99 per night.

TOURING Free guided tours of the Hopkins?s house are available from 2 to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday. Stroll along Main Street and visit the Tunnels of Moose Jaw, an entertaining underground spectacle that recreates ?The Chicago Connection? and the horrific working conditions of early Chinese immigrants labouring in laundries in the ?Passage to Fortune? tour. Each interactive tour is 50 minutes and well worth the time and money ($23 plus tax for both tours). tunnelsofmoosejaw.com.

DINING Hopkins Dining Parlour is located on a quiet side street (65 Athabasca St.) five blocks from the Tunnels and a leisurely walk from Temple Gardens. Don?t be misled by the 25 flavours of chicken wings; Hopkins also serves chicken cordon bleu and filet mignon. Be sure to order a ?parlour split,? two shots for the price of one, served in one glass or two. Dinner for two with pre- and post-dinner cocktails plus dessert, $78 plus tip. hopkinsdining.com. Bobby?s Place Olde World Tavern serves traditional pub grub plus more than 40 brands of single malt and blended scotches. Ignore the tavern?s seedy location beside the bus station and Salvation Army. Ask staff to tell you Bobby?s life story. Closed Sundays. Join Bobby?s Place drinking team on Facebook. 63 High St. E. (behind the Temple Gardens parking lot).

Shannon Leahy is a freelance writer based in Toronto. Her trip was subsidized by Tourism Saskatchewan.

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