Libertarians hopeful despite disappointing election results

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The buzz in the room is almost deafening as about 30 Libertarian candidates and party supporters gather around the three flat-screen TVs inside the dimly lit Jalisco Cantina on Tuesday night.

Fk you, dude! Tasha Heath, co-founder of the Southern Nevada Watchdogs group, shouts above the rest as local news stations show Governor Brian Sandoval making his victory speech.

Im a liberty person, not a party person, she says as she explains how her dislike of the governor stems from his forcing taxes and Republican beliefs on us.

Many others in the room echo her sentiments as they angrily call out at the television.

Sitting at a table with friends and volunteers, Libertarian candidate for Congressional District 4, Steve Brown, is oblivious to the commotion as he tracks his opponents election results through his cellphone.

Hes behind, he says, comparing Democratic incumbent Steven Horsfords numbers to Republican candidate Cresent Hardys. Hes behind by about 2,000 votes.

For the past few months, Brown and his supporters have been campaigning in the neighborhoods of Congressional District 4, which includes the area of West Las Vegas, near Bonanza Road and Rancho Drive.

He says he joined the political race with the everyday American in mind, which is why he ran on the platform of legalizing marijuana, stopping the war on drugs and halting the taxation of the American people.

Brown, who works as both a licensed masonry contractor and a table games dealer at the Four Queens Hotel, considers politics a labor of love.

Although he and many of his fellow Libertarian candidates do not expect to win any office, they thrive on the idea of making themselves heard and taking votes away from the major contenders.

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Libertarians hopeful despite disappointing election results

Miss Cayman Islands 2012 : Lindsay Katarina Japal – Miss World Bikini – Video

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Miss Cayman Islands 2012 : Lindsay Katarina Japal - Miss World Bikini
Bikini beauty - Lindsay Japal was born and raised in George Town. An avid diver, Lindsay is always trying to find ways to connect with her environment and spend time outdoors. In her free time,...

By: OceanTalent Otht

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Miss Cayman Islands 2012 : Lindsay Katarina Japal - Miss World Bikini - Video

California: Oxnard maritime museum awash in art

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Tucked away in a harbor better known for fishing and paddleboarding is the Channel Islands Maritime Museum in Oxnard, a treasure chest of maritime art that rivals some of the finest European and U.S. collections.

Among the 72 original paintings on display are seascape paintings by masters of the Dutch Golden Age of the 17th century, works from the 18th and 19th century by English Romantic painters, and French Impressionist works by Eugene-Louis Boudin, a mentor of Monet.

People often assume that maritime museums are all about rusty anchors and crusty ships, says Executive Director Julia Chambers. We have five centuries of exquisite art that sails -- truly marvelous, gorgeous art and artifacts that open up a whole world of adventurous ocean exploration for visitors who can drive an hour north from L.A., slow down, and take the time to absorb the beauty here.

Also included are works by American painters Thomas Hoyne (his famous The Widow Maker among others) and John Stobart, and the largest collection of historic ship models on the West Coast.

The 81 museum quality models include American Edward Marples work, and an amazing group of bone models carved from soup bones by French soldiers held captive during the early 19th century Napoleonic Wars. The U.S. Naval Academy Museum in Annapolis, Md., has the largest U.S. bone model collection, but the Channel Islands Maritime Museum has more on display. The museums own Model Guild has built a replica of a Ming Dynasty treasure ship for display.

Many of the master works of art and ship models are part of the Nelson Foundations collection, and are exhibited in the remodeled two-story space once occupied by the Port Royal restaurant near the entrance to the harbor. Large floor-to-ceiling windows look out over the harbor and its busy traffic -- large sailing sloops, small electric party boats, kayaks, paddleboarders, fishing and whale watching boats, heading in or out of the nearby harbor entrance. Sea lions on the dock out front also add to the view.

The museum opened in 1991 at the north end of the harbor, but moved south in 2012, and is staffed by a large roster of docents and volunteers. Many of them have been with the museum since its inception.

Upstairs from the main exhibit areas and gift shop is a large space for featured exhibits, movie nights and maritime-themed parties. A monthly speaker series covers a wide range of maritime topics -- local Chumash history, Peruvians early wave-riding reed craft and the annual presence of migrating whales in the Santa Barbara Channel.

The Channel Islands sit just offshore and the harbors Island Packers Cruises has daily visits to five of the islands that offer magnificent hiking and camping. Anacapa and Santa Cruz, the closest islands in the chain, are an hour away.

Harbor neighbors include restaurants and watering holes. Sea Fresh and the Whales Tale offer good fish entrees and a casual atmosphere. The Italian Job Cafe and Moqueca Brazilian Cuizine are a tad more formal, but not overly so. The Lookout Bar and Grill and Toppers Pizza at the north end of the harbor offer good grub and grog. A block off the harbor is Mrs. Olsons Coffee Hut. Its breakfast is worth getting up a little early for.

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California: Oxnard maritime museum awash in art

Book: 'Ancestors in Our Genome: The New Science of Human Evolution'

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

10-Nov-2014

Contact: Molly Grote molly.grote@oup.com 212-743-8337 Oxford University Press USA

In 2001, scientists were finally able to determine the full human genome sequence, and with that discovery began a genomic voyage back in time. Researchers are beginning to unravel our full genetic history, comparing it with closely related species to answer age old questions about how and when we evolved. New genomic evidence has also brought forth a set of questions never before considered, making the field of human evolution more vibrant than ever before.

In ANCESTORS IN OUR GENOME, molecular anthropologist Eugene E. Harris presents a lively and thorough history of the evolution of the human genome and our species. Drawing upon his unique combination of expertise in both population genetics and primate evolution, Harris traces human origins back to their source and explains many of the most intriguing questions that genome scientists are currently working to answer in simple terms.

I hope that you will bring this comprehensive account of our current understanding of the human genome to the attention of your audiences. If you would like to discuss reviews, excerpts, or would like to interview the author, please feel free to contact me.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Eugene E. Harris is Professor of Biological Sciences and Geology at the City University of New York, and a Research Affiliate of the Center for the Study of Human Origins at New York University.

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Praise for ANCESTORS IN OUR GENOME:

"Simply indispensable for any reader wishing to learn about the latest research on human origins." --Library Journal, starred review

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Book: 'Ancestors in Our Genome: The New Science of Human Evolution'

Combining The DNA Of Three People Raises Ethical Questions

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In a darkened lab in the north of England, a research associate is intensely focused on the microscope in front of her. She carefully maneuvers a long glass tube that she uses to manipulate early human embryos.

"It's like microsurgery," says Laura Irving of Newcastle University.

Irving is part of a team of scientists trying to replace defective DNA with healthy DNA. They hope this procedure could one day help women who are carrying genetic disorders have healthy children.

"We are talking about conditions for which there is currently no cure," says Dr. Doug Turnbull, a professor of neurology at Newcastle University who is leading the research. These mitochondrial diseases are caused by hereditary defects in human cells.

"Mitochondria are like little power stations present in all our cells," Turnbull says. These power stations provide the energy that cells need. If the mitochondrial DNA is defective, the cells don't work right. The cells in effect run out of energy.

"I see the anguish of the families in every clinic that I do," says Turnbull. The severity of the disease can vary, with some families seeing their babies die in the first few hours of life. For others it can be a slow, progressive illness often leading to an early death.

Mitochondria have their own DNA, separate from the DNA that helps control the color of our eyes and hair, the shape of our noses, and how tall or smart we are. The mitochondrial DNA is passed down from mothers to their children.

Replacing defective mitochondrial DNA with healthy DNA might prevent these diseases from occurring. And that's exactly what Turnbull and his team want to do: DNA transplants.

Newcastle University scientists perform DNA transplants on very early embryos. The scientists hold the embryo very still with the tip of a pipette, left. They pull out the nuclear DNA of a mother and father hoping to have a healthy baby. It's then inserted into the embryo of a donor with healthy mitochondrial DNA. That embryo has had the rest of its DNA removed.

But the idea of scientists manipulating a human being's DNA in this way is very controversial. It would be the first time genetic changes have been made in human DNA that would be passed on, down the generations, through the germline. Any baby born this way would have genes from three different people.

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Combining The DNA Of Three People Raises Ethical Questions