An eyespot (sometimes ocellus) is an eye-like marking. They are found on butterflies, reptiles, birds and fish. In members of the Felidae family (such as the Leopard Cat and Leopard), the white circular markings on the backs of the ears are termed ocelli, and they are functionally similar to eyespots in other animals. Eyespots may be a form of mimicry in which a spot on the body of an animal resembles an eye of a different animal to deceive potential predator or prey species; to draw a predator's attention away from the most vulnerable body parts; or to appear as an inedible or even dangerous animal. In larger animals, eyespots may play a role in intraspecies communication or courtship – the most well-known example is probably the eyespots on a peacock's display feathers. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyespot_(mimicry)

Researchers studying the nature of crowds playing Foldit called some strategies “shocking” in how well they mimicked some of the methods already used by protein scientists. Gamers made headlines in September 2011 for unraveling the structure of a protein central to research on AIDS. On November 7, 2011, in a paper published online at the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, University of Washington researchers reveal the creative power of Foldit players’ strategies and compare them to the best-known scientist-developed methods. “We enabled players to create and improve each other’s best recipes to play the game. Once we looked at the variety and creativity of these recipes, we were shocked to find state-of-the-art algorithms.” said Zoran Popovic, principal investigator of the Foldit Project and the Director of the Center for Game Science. Foldit is developed by the Center in collaboration with the biochemistry laboratory of David Baker. Link to the game at: http://www.washington.edu/news/articles/paper-uncovers-power-of-foldit-gamers2019-strategies

A novella (also called a short novel, or novelette) is a written, fictional, prose narrative usually longer than a novelette but shorter than a novel. The English word "novella" derives from the Italian word "novella", feminine of "novello", which means "new" The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Nebula Awards for science fiction define the novella as having a word count between 17,500 and 40,000. Other definitions start as low as 10,000 words and run as high as 70,000 words. The novella is a common literary genre in several European languages. Famous English language novellas include John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, George Orwell's Animal Farm, Anthony Burgess's A Clockwork Orange, Isaac Asimov's Nightfall, Herman Melville's Billy Budd, Sailor, Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's, Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea, Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, H.G. Wells' The Time Machine, Philip Roth's Goodbye, Columbus, Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, Thornton Wilder's The Bridge of San Luis Rey, Jack Kerouac's The Subterraneans, Thomas Pynchon's The Crying of Lot 49 and Stephen King's Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. French examples of the novella include Voltaire's Candide. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novella

The Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976, 15 U.S.C. §2601 et seq., provides EPA with authority to require reporting, record-keeping and testing requirements, and restrictions relating to chemical substances and/or mixtures. Certain substances are generally excluded from TSCA, including, among others, food, drugs, cosmetics and pesticides. TSCA addresses the production, importation, use, and disposal of specific chemicals including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), asbestos, radon and lead-based paint. For a more detailed summary, history, compliance and enforcement , see http://www.epa.gov/lawsregs/laws/tsca.html

One hundred organizations in 35 states on March 14 formally petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate toxic lead in hunting ammunition to protect public health and prevent the widespread poisoning of eagles, California condors and other wildlife. Up to 20 million birds die each year from lead poisoning after consuming spent lead shot and bullet fragments left in the wild from hunting. The petition follows the EPA’s refusal in 2010 to review a petition asking for a ban on lead bullets, shotgun pellets and fishing tackle under the Toxic Substances Control Act, and seeks federal rules requiring use of nontoxic bullets and shot for hunting and shooting sports. It was filed by groups representing conservationists, birders, hunters, zoologists, scientists, American Indians, wildlife rehabilitators and veterinarians. In the United States, 3,000 tons of lead are shot into the environment by hunters every year, while another 80,000 tons are released at shooting ranges. Birds and animals are poisoned when they scavenge on carcasses containing lead-bullet fragments or ingest spent lead-shot pellets, which can cover popular hunting grounds at high densities. http://www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/51136/

The Ides of March (Latin: Idus Martii or Idus Martiae) is the name of the 15th day of March in the Roman calendar. The word Ides comes from the Latin word "Idus" and means "half division" especially in relation to a month. It is a word that was used widely in the Roman calendar indicating the approximate day that was the middle of the month. The term ides was used for the 15th day of the months of March, May, July, and October, and the 13th day of the other months. The Ides of March was a festive day dedicated to the god Mars and a military parade was usually held. In modern times, the term Ides of March is best known as the date on which Julius Caesar was killed in 44 B.C. Caesar was stabbed (23 times) to death in the Roman Senate by a group of conspirators led by Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ides_of_March

The 60 Plus Association began this week with a $3.5 million TV and online advertising campaign. The commercials target Democratic senators up for re-election this fall in Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Montana and Missouri. In the ad, singer and association spokesman Pat Boone called the Independent Payment Advisory Board a panel of "unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats" with the power to deny Medicare treatments. American Crossroads and an affiliated conservative group plan to make abolishing the board a prominent issue in its $300 million campaign against Democrats. Meanwhile, Republicans who control the House of Representatives plan to hold a floor vote this month to repeal the provision and dismantle the board before it can get started. The political stakes are high for both political parties among voters 65 and older, who make up 13% of the population, but accounted for more than one in five people who voted in the last election. The advisory board is tasked with finding ways to reduce spending in Medicare, the federal health program for the elderly and disabled. Its 15 members are to be selected by the president and confirmed by the Senate. None has been named yet. Starting in fiscal year 2015, the board must recommend cuts if the program's growth rate exceeds a specific target. Those recommendations will be sent to Congress for approval. If Capitol Hill doesn't like them, it must pass alternative cuts of the same size or the board's recommendations automatically take effect. http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/story/2012-03-13/health-care-ads/53520462/1

HEALTH INSURANCE DEDUCTIONS Self-Employed Requirements The IRS has two requirements to qualify for the self-employed health insurance deduction on Form 1040, line 29. The first is that you report a net profit on Schedule C - Profit or Loss From Business; Schedule C-EZ - Net Profit From Business; or Schedule F - Profit or Loss From Farming. The second requirement is that the health insurance policy be either in your name or the name of your business. Self-Employed Considerations If you are self-employed and your health insurance is Medicare, IRS Publication 535 and the instructions for Form 1040 indicate that Medicare premiums do not qualify for the self-employed health insurance deduction.
http://www.ehow.com/info_7757067_paid-health-insurance-deduction.html