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The Longest Day [Blu-ray]

This special collector's commemorative edition has been issued in honor of the June 6, 1944 Allied invasion of France, which marked the beginning of the end of Nazi domination over Europe. The attack involved 3,000,000 men, 11,000 planes and 4,000 ships, comprising the largest armada the world has ever seen.
The Longest Day is a vivid, hour-by-hour recreation of this historic event. Featuring a stellar international cast, and told from the perspectives of both sides, it is a fascinating look at the massive preparations, mistakes, and random events that determined the outcome of one of the biggest battles in history. Winner of two 1962 OscarsA(r) (Special Effects and Cinematography), The Longest Day ranks as one of Hollywood's truly great war films.

The Longest Day is Hollywood's definitive D-day movie. More modern accounts such as Saving Private Ryan are more vividly realistic, but producer Darryl F. Zanuck's epic 1962 account is the only one to attempt the daunting task of covering that fateful day from all perspectives. From the German high command and front-line officers to the French Resistance and all the key Allied participants, the screenplay by Cornelius Ryan, based on his own authoritative book, is as factually accurate as possible. The endless parade of stars (John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Robert Mitchum, Sean Connery, and Richard Burton, to name a few) makes for an uneasy mix of verisimilitude and Hollywood star-power, however, and the film falls a little flat for too much of its three-hour running time. But the set-piece battles are still spectacular, and if the landings on Omaha Beach lack the graphic gore of Private Ryan they nonetheless show the sheer scale and audacity of the invasion. --Mark Walker

In the Spiny Desert between Fort Dauphin and Amboasary. I'm not sure which species this is. I was told it might be Catharanthus roseus, but the petals seem narrower than the type if it is.

From Wikipedia -
Catharanthus (Madagascar Periwinkle) is a genus of eight species of herbaceous perennial plants, seven endemic to the island of Madagascar, the eighth native to the Indian subcontinent in southern Asia. Catharanthus roseus goes by its common name "sadaphuli" (perennially flowering) in parts of Western India. The genus is a member of the family Apocynaceae.

Catharanthus coriaceus Markgr. Madagascar.
Catharanthus lanceus (Bojer ex A.DC.) Pichon. Madagascar.
Catharanthus longifolius (Pichon) Pichon. Madagascar.
Catharanthus ovalis Markgr. Madagascar.
Catharanthus pusillus (Murray) G.Don. Indian subcontinent.
Catharanthus roseus (L.) G.Don. Madagascar (formerly known as Vinca rosea).
Catharanthus scitulus (Pichon) Pichon. Madagascar.
Catharanthus trichophyllus (Baker) Pichon. Madagascar.

The species are self-propagating from seed; the seeds require a period of total darkness to germinate. Cuttings from mature plants will also root readily.

One species, C. roseus, has been widely cultivated and introduced, becoming an invasive species in some areas.

Catharanthus roseus has gained interest from the pharmaceutical industry; the alkaloids vincristine and vinblastine from its sap have been shown to be an effective treatment for leukaemia and lymphoma. Although the sap is poisonous if ingested, some 70 useful alkaloids have been identified from it. In Madagascar, extracts have been used for hundreds of years in herbal medicine for the treatment of diabetes, as hemostatics and tranquilizers, to lower blood pressure, and as disinfectants. The extracts are not without their side effects, however, which include hair loss.

Vinca alkaloids are anti-mitotic and anti-microtubule agents. They are now produced synthetically and used as drugs in cancer therapy and as immunosuppressive drugs. These compounds are vinblastine, vincristine, vindesine and vinorelbine. Periwinkle extracts and derivatives, such as vinpocetine, are also used as nootropic drugs.

Catharanthus lanceus contains up to 6% yohimbine in its leaves.

Catharanthus roseus (Madagascar Periwinkle) is a species of Catharanthus native and endemic to Madagascar. Synonyms include Vinca rosea (the basionym), Ammocallis rosea, and Lochnera rosea; other English names occasionally used include Cape Periwinkle, Rose Periwinkle, Rosy Periwinkle, and "Old-maid".

In the wild, it is an endangered plant; the main cause of decline is habitat destruction by slash and burn agriculture. It is also however widely cultivated and is naturalised in subtropical and tropical areas of the world.

It is an evergreen subshrub or herbaceous plant growing to 1 m tall. The leaves are oval to oblong, 2.5–9 cm long and 1–3.5 cm broad, glossy green, hairless, with a pale midrib and a short petiole 1–1.8 cm long; they are arranged in opposite pairs. The flowers are white to dark pink with a darker red centre, with a basal tube 2.5-3 cm long and a corolla 2–5 cm diameter with five petal-like lobes. The fruit is a pair of follicles 2–4 cm long and 3 mm broad.

The species has long been cultivated for herbal medicine and as an ornamental plant. In traditional Chinese medicine, extracts from it have been used to treat numerous diseases, including diabetes, malaria, and Hodgkin's disease. The substances vinblastine and vincristine extracted from the plant are used in the treatment of leukemia.

This conflict between historical indigenous use, and recent patents on C.roseus-derived drugs by western pharmaceutical companies, without compensation, has led to accusations of biopiracy.

It can be dangerous if consumed orally. It can be hallucinogenic, and is cited (under its synonym Vinca rosea) in Louisiana State Act 159.

As an ornamental plant, it is appreciated for its hardiness in dry and nutritionally deficient conditions, popular in subtropical gardens where temperatures never fall below 5 °C to 7 °C, and as a warm-season bedding plant in temperate gardens. It is noted for its long flowering period, throughout the year in tropical conditions, and from spring to late autumn in warm temperate climates. Full sun and well-drained soil are preferred. Numerous cultivars have been selected, for variation in flower colour (white, mauve, peach, scarlet and reddish-orange), and also for tolerance of cooler growing conditions in temperate regions. Notable cultivars include 'Albus' (white flowers), 'Grape Cooler' (rose-pink; cool-tolerant), the Ocellatus Group (various colours), and 'Peppermint Cooler' (white with a red centre; cool-tolerant).

C. roseus is used in plant pathology as an experimental host for phytoplasmas. This is because it is easy to infect with a large majority of phytoplasmas, and also often has very distinctive symptoms such as phyllody and significantly reduced

These tiny blossoms are a surprise... so bright, so vibrant and exciting!

From the eastern slope of the Bolivian Andes and southwestern Brazil. Blooms primarily in winter and spring. Bright filtered light. Leaves are elliptic, 3-4 inches long, dark green and roughly hairy. Episcia cupreata is an extremely popular species of the genus Episcia, grown for its dazzling variegated foliage. It is a herbaceous evergreen perennial that is low-growing and has a stoloniferous habit with succulent and hairy stems. It reaches a height of about 22-30 cm and with a creeping growth habit, it can spread as far as 60 cm or more on ground. From the leaf axils, it produces a stolon or runner with a new plant sprouting at its tip and by reproducing repeatedly in this manner, rooting readily wherever it touches bare soil, it can easily cover a wide area. Planted in a hanging basket or raised planters, the trailing stolons, heavy with a continuous supply of new plants at the nodes at various intervals, will hang downwards in a dramatic cascading form.

Both Check Mate and Bolivian Sunset are members of the Gesnericeae Family which includes houseplants such as gloxinias and African violets. Leaves are simple, often fleshy and hairy, often with purple coloration. Flowers are bell-shaped or tubular with 5 fused petals, the lower 2 lobes more or less differentiated into a lip. The fruit is a dry capsule or occasionally a berry

Gloxinia sylvatica Bolivian Sunset, Gesnericeae
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Miami, FL.

This book will demystify the complicated process of health policymaking. It provides a framework for putting the various aspects of policymaking into perspective and provides you with the background knowledge you need to understand the political environment. You will also learn techniques for influencing the policymaking process. Key aspects of this process are brought to life through many real-world excerpts from congressional testimony, news stories, and executive orders. New to this edition: Overview of Medicare and Medicaid that will clarify these complex policies. Expanded discussion of how to analyze and influence public policy, a skill that is increasingly important for leaders committed to improving care. Many additional examples of congressional testimony, news stories, and other documents that illustrate real-life policy issues.