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Olivia is notorious for stealing boys and allowing...
Cover Store (OPEN)1360737179
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More "Encounters"
Posted 03 January 2012 - 03:19 AM
Posted 23 June 2012 - 04:28 PM
"Nietzsche is dead" GOD
Posted 13 July 2012 - 09:16 AM
So I downloaded an app to help me understand and deal with what I know to be ghosts. Mainly to help my son so he doesn't have to grow up afraid like I did. I read up on the dangers of EVP and opening "those doors" and I think I might have a handle on things for once.
Now, though, I have a question.
I have a ton of translated EVP messages that keep repeating, they are male, and I am trying to figure out if it is more than one person or the same man. He is asking for help but I don't know how to help him since he is not listening to me. There was a murder-suicide just outside the building here at work in July 2009, almost to the date here, and I wonder if the two are related. Anyway, let me know what you think!?
"Take it out from within"
"The water is very cold"
"The fire is close"
"My mother told me was true"
"I am cold and I am alone"
"My father is not with me"
"I don't know where my car is"
"Don't go to your bed tonight"
"I have not taken the gun"
"Leave the car well"
"Take the child and go"
"Let me go, please"
"Is dangerous to go to school"
"Dad and Mum have abandoned me"
"Come and help, please"
"Give me your hand"
"My head hurts"
"I hear noises in the mountain"
"Who you are?"
"The final day approaches"
"going to die"
"is your last day"
"get me out of this room"
"go straight and you will find me"
"do not bring children to the street"
Posted 05 August 2012 - 08:04 PM
Posted 16 September 2012 - 11:57 PM
"Nietzsche is dead" GOD
Posted 21 October 2015 - 09:19 AM
Sorry if this is not the proper forum, but I would just like to get some insight.
I've had encounters for most of my life. But it has gotten worse since I moved into my new house in 2004. We built the house so I know no one else lived there. Since we've been there, it's been struck by lightning twice, random electrical issues, TV changes channels by itself, water lines have been cut off under the sink, ice machine randomly goes off, lights come on and off by themselves, light bulbs blow and people that have stayed over mention that they feel as if someone was sitting on their bed. My cat (now deceased) would just start hissing and growling for no reason. Nothing ever sinister has happened, just random things as if to say, "Im here". Can you tell me if this may occur because a spirit is attached to me?
Posted 26 December 2015 - 01:38 AM
Before i start anything, I am telling you the absolute truth no matter how unrealistic it may seem.
So, When i was 3 or 4 i lived in Athol MA.
I remember vividly one night seeing about 8 strange dark men walking around my room wearing tophats.
When i was about 8 i brought this topic up with my mom and it turns out our neighboring house had burned down killing about 7 to 8 people.
When i was 12 my grandmother had moved in from MA (To Lexington SC) Because of her blindness.
About a year later i had started to see a tall black figure standing at the foot of my bed.
One night about a week later my parents got in a horrible argument about her and i was really hurting inside.
The very next morning i heard a clatter down the stairs along with a scream.
When i looked, it was my grandma at the bottom of the stairs in the fetal position.
She did not break any bones or even get a concussion but is still to this day in a nursing home.
A while later for some reason i was angry at my sister and later that night she told me that something had attacked her in the hallway.
The being has not given me a name yet but i call him Harold, I don't know if he is a protector or something else but i hope someone will be able to help me analyze this.
Best wishes -Jon
Posted 29 January 2016 - 05:24 PM
Doing Civil War re-enacting since I was about 6 or 7 yo., I have seen somethings I still cannot explain, not sure I'd like to know the answer(s) as to what I saw or thought I saw but what I have "seen" or "felt" on various Civil War battlefields as well as other places I have been to both here in North Carolina that supposedly had a reputation for being the "home" of various "paranormal" happenings as well as my travels to my father's family native locations in Scotland. Various "family homes" had legends of being "haunted" and what I have been exposed to tend to support such claims. Interesting to talk about or hear others talk about their encounters when the families got together on their yearly gatherings in Scotland and I guess they always will be or at least I hope they will be.
Ghosts are a fact of life. Just because we choose to or not to believe in them makes totally no difference to them or so I "have been told".
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A movie is only as good as its villain, which explains how so many grand ideas turn into terrible motion pictures. It also explains why Thor is such a great film. While Chris Hemsworth was a perfect Thor, I'd argue that Tom Hiddleston was even better as Loki. I think Hiddleston steals Kenneth Branagh's movie, and he's one of the best onscreen villains we've seen in a long time. So when I first heard that Loki was the main villain in Joss Whedon's The Avengers, I was very confident the film was headed in the right direction.
When I got to visit the set of The Avengers last year with a few other reporters, Hiddleston talked to us about collaborating with Whedon, how Loki differs in this film compared to Thor, what the character's goals are, if we'll see more of his powers, and so much more. Hit the jump to either read or listen to the interview.
As usual, I'm offering two ways to get the interview: you can either click here for the audio or the full transcript is below. The Avengers opens May 4.
Question: When you were on the set of Thor you already knew that you were going to be a part of this movie. How does it feel like to finally be on the set of The Avengers?
TOM HIDDLESTON: It's pretty spectacular. It's a funny one because I really am a piece of a huge jigsaw puzzle that Kevin Feige is in charge of. I suspected that I might be in The Avengers, but I didn't know in what way, in what capacity, to what extent, or how big my role was going to be really until I read a draft that Joss Whedon had written, printed, and sent out in February or March of this year. But it feels great, honestly. It is so exciting. It is so rare as an actor to be allowed the chance to revisit a role and to go back to a character that you already built, and lived inside, and understood. To take it further to another stage is a huge privilege.
When Joss talked to you about coming back what was his explanation to you for why Loki would be the perfect villain for this movie? Did he talk to you about why he chose Loki?
HIDDLESTON: Well, I think Joss loves Loki because he loves complexity and the great thing about Loki is that there is almost no ceiling to his complexity as a character. He is a shape shifter, he's intelligent, and he has strategic gifts but he also has reservoirs of pain. I think when you've got so much color and heroism in a film like The Avengers it needs to be balanced by a degree of pain, I think. Joss and I sat down for a long time at the end of Thor and he said, "Tell me everything about living inside of this man for 6 months. Tell me what makes him tick, what keeps him up at night. What are the nightmares of his soul?" We just shared all of our ideas from Norse mythology, the comics, and things that I developed with Kenneth Branagh. He loved it and he loved all of those ideas. He loved all of Loki's damage and that somewhere at the bottom of Loki's credentials as a bad guy he is a searching spirit. He is a damaged soul searching for the answers to something. Why he exists, what is his role in this universe, that he isn't just somebody who is evil for the sake of being evil. He has complicated reasons for that.
So I think in terms of how The Avengers come together…when you are making a film, there are so many superhero films, and there are so many films about the end of the world, and you have to think, "How can we make this distinctive and unique?" I think what Joss has done so brilliantly is that he has made it about the healing power of being part of a team. So each of The Avengers: Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, The Hulk, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Nick Fury, have their own individual pain. Loki, too, has his own pain and somehow by bringing them together their pain is eased by being part of a team, which I think is a unique selling point for this particular film.
Until the end of Thor we didn't really see Loki on Earth at all.
HIDDLESTON: Well, we saw him on Earth when he comes to visit his brother and tells him to come home.
Oh, right. That was only briefly, though. I'm curious if Loki walks around in kind of garish outfits when he comes to Earth or does he have a kind of more human outfit that he wears to get around?
HIDDLESTON: I think that Loki doesn't particularly care what the humans think of his dress sense. [Laughs] Let's remember that he is a god or at least an advanced being visiting these deeply inferior beings called humans. I think that like in a way when Thor first comes to Earth, Loki also shares an arrogance about being superior to them. The journey of Thor and for that character is to learn humility. So by the end of Thor, Thor, as played brilliantly by Chris Hemsworth, has respect, and affection, and love for the human race. I'm not sure that Loki has developed that yet. [Laughs]
How different is Loki in this film when compared to how he is in Thor? I think that he comes into his own power at the end of Thor. Is he just very angry and bitter in this film?
HIDDLESTON: Well, what can I say here? I swear to you that in that building over there, there are sniper rifles. [laughs] I think that what was interesting about the journey of Loki in Thor is that he went from second string and damaged prints to being the God of mischief and God of evil. I think somewhere between the end of Thor and the beginning of The Avengers, Loki has been to the Marvel equivalent of the 7th circle of hell. At the end of Thor you see him let go. He lets go of the spear, he lets go of Asgard, and he lets go of the need of his brother and father's affection and approval. He has bigger plans now.
I think there is a degree of self-possession in Loki in The Avengers, which was missing in Thor. As in, the Loki of Thor is a confused and damaged prince and the Loki of The Avengers is somebody who understands his own power. He understands his own anger and is able to probably, I would say, suppress it. So you see that in a way he is more mischievous. Loki is the God of mischief and I think that the way Joss has written Loki in The Avengers is that he is a mischief. He is someone whose actions are very, very difficult for the seven of eight Avengers to pin down.
You mentioned different goals for Loki. Without getting into specifics, what do you think are those goals and what do you think is his end goal? What is he getting out of this?
HIDDLESTON: I don't want to say that it is disconnected from the Loki of Thor. So I think that in thought Loki has a deep need for approval and status. As in, Loki learning that he was Laufey's bastard son, Loki learning that he had no place in Asgard. He felt unloved, abandoned, and alone. He was abandoned by Odin and that whole family. I think that is still connected to his motivations in The Avengers. I think like any completely delusional fascist in the course of human history, it comes from the lack of self-esteem. So he is just going about in the wrong ways of giving himself power. I mean, that is what all of the villains throughout the history of human race have ever really wanted – to accumulate power. So somehow in the delusion that power will give them self-respect, which it won't, but Loki thinks that having power will earn him approval and self-respect, I think.
HIDDLESTON: I think so. Yeah. I mean, the thing about Loki is that he is still…I am trying to not spill into some sort of cackling, two-dimensional villain. I am trying to retain all of the complexity that I worked so hard on the first film. It would be such a shame to just play someone who is just all evil. So I think there is obviously at the bottom of him still redemption possible. I just think that it is better hidden. He is a lot harder spiritually and he is less vulnerable. He is more powerful and he is infinitely more dangerous and more self-possessed. He is a tough nut to crack.
Does Loki in The Avengers possibly bite off more than he can chew, causing too many problems? Is it possible that it comes to the point where he might merge or work with The Avengers to stop his own devious plan because it's so evil?
HIDDLESTON: Well….no. [laughs] I think he is so smart that he has thought of everything. I've referred to him before as a kind of chess master. I think that he is 10 steps ahead in the game. He plays everyone so beautifully. He plays them better than they know, I think. But there is a flaw at the bottom of him, which is that he's motivated entirely out of selfishness and a need for approval. I think that is ultimately his flaw.
Who has been the most fun to work with?
HIDDLESTON: I find it all to be really great. What Joss has given me is a gift. It's a bunch of two handers with everyone. So I have big scenes with Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey Jr., Sam Jackson, Chris Evans, and Mark Ruffalo. So, without giving too much away, there is a wonderful…it's like Loki is pitted individually against the different skills and superpowers of all of these characters. So, you know, my scene with Chris is a continuation of all of that. It's brotherly complication. I loved playing my scene with Scarlett, which we have already shot, because Black Widow is sneaky, underhand, and she lurks in the shadows. She is smart, clever, and duplicitous and she's hard to trust. All of those adjectives could also be used to describe Loki. So the scene between Loki and Black Widow is one where they recognize each other. So I loved doing that and Scarlett was…we played a good round on that one. Sam, too, is fantastic.
Everybody is great and the chemistry is different with everyone. That is the joy of acting – you really don't know how it is going to go until you turn up. It's like playing tennis, you can't plan for the match you are going to play until you are actually up against your opponent and what happens, happens. That is the joy of being on set.
How does the Cosmic Cube play into The Avengers? There were hints of the Infinity Gauntlet too. How do they play into the film? I think that Loki doesn't need them since he is a god. Also, do you get very physical in the film?
HIDDLESTON: Yeah. It's a big action film and I am playing the villain and there needs to be fights.
But you are Loki. You can create things and do things.
HIDDLESTON: I can, but at the same time…I loved doing all of the fight stuff. I think what was so thrilling about the fights that we have already shot and choreographed is that R.A. Rondell, who is the stunt coordinator on the film, has really embraced the different physicality and superpowers of every character. So, obviously, Chris Hemsworth has his hammer and the size of his arms. [laughs] Chris Evans has his shield and Scarlett as Black Widow has been doing a lot of wuxia stuff. Robert has his suit and Loki has his intelligence and his ability to disappear and reappear and his staff. So I think the fights will be really thrilling to watch.
He is unpredictable. Thor is more predictable as a fighter, but that doesn't mean he is any less spectacular. As far as the Cosmic Cube is concerned…there is certainly a continuity I think, which is being taken from the tag scene at the end of Thor. Anyone who will see Captain America…and then it is taken a bit further in this film, but I don't want to spoil it for anyone.
We were talking earlier with Joss about the mythology of the characters, specifically Norse mythology. How much of Loki's mythology is the actual mythology? How much is he a part of what you are doing now?
HIDDLESTON: It's difficult because Marvel have this Titanic task on their hands of blending the different elements of their own universes together. So whatever we built on Thor is really what we are running with on this one. It's not like we are suddenly going back to golden apples, Loki turning into a horse, and other characters from the Norse mythology pantheon. There are still no signs of Bor and Baldur and all of these other Norse characters. It's enough to have 7 or 8 principal characters in The Avengers, which is going to be a two hour picture. So I think if we ever expand deeper into the Norse myths it would have to come later in any Thor sequels, which I genuinely know absolutely nothing about.
Do you think you will be in the Thor sequel?
HIDDLESTON: I honestly don't know. I know I've been a little bit back about coming forward before, but I truly don't know. I don't know if Chris is doing one and I honestly don't know.
Does The Avengers set up more Avengers movies? Does it have that feeling at the end of the film?
HIDDLESTON: You hope so. I mean, it is so exciting. The first time I read the script I was…it's a rare thing when you can read a script in one sitting and you haven't looked at the watch or you've gone to make a cup of tea. I got to the last page and I thought to myself, "That is amazing." Somehow Joss had managed to reintroduce characters that we all love, make them seem fresh, seem new, and then having them all together without weighting any particular character more than the other. It was really…as just a feat of writing I was so impressed. If they keep Joss on board for another one…I think, yeah, let's hope there are more.
What can we expect in terms of powers from Loki when compared to what we saw in Thor? Are we going to see shapeshifting?
HIDDLESTON: I think he takes what he has learned from Thor a bit further, you know? There is a degree of disappearing and reappearing, there's a degree of mind control, and there is a degree of self-duplication, which throws a spanner in the works for people who think that he is more predictable than that.
Can you talk about the team aspect? Does Loki have something like that? Does he need something like that, that heals him?
HIDDLESTON: He probably does, but if he was healed or healable he would be part of the team. So I think he is on the limb and on his own. The other thing is, and I love that Joss hasn't in any way diluted this fact or watered it down, is that Thor and Loki are gods on Earth. No matter how powerful the super soldiers or the scientists of The Avengers team are, they are dealing with immortals. So Loki's power is really something to contend with. What I loved about what Marvel decided to do with Thor is that they could have sent Loki to Earth instead of The Destroyer. It could have been Loki versus Thor down there, but they actually saved it in a way for The Avengers. You actually see how powerful Loki can be when he gets down among the humans.
So we see Thor versus Loki in The Avengers?
HIDDLESTON: [pauses] Yes, you do.
Are you able to find humor in Loki?
HIDDLESTON: Absolutely! I think that is definitely something that has been taken on by Joss too. I think the discovery of the humor and what happens when an Asgardian walks among mortals with Chris is something that he has expanded to Loki too. Also, Loki is enjoying himself a lot more in this one. Like he has really…I don't know. He is just having a really good time. [Laughs] Joss and I talked a lot about James Mason. We talked about how James Mason always seemed to be having a really good time even when he was playing the bad guy.
In Thor, Loki was fighting people who even though they were against him still very much cared for him. But in The Avengers, that really isn't the case. Is that more challenging for him since these characters don't understand him and are more centered on just stopping him, destroying him?
HIDDLESTON: Well, it's a bit more complicated because Thor is also part of that team. So sometimes you find Thor trying to convince The Avengers that Loki isn't as bad as they all think he is. Thor, I think, believes that Loki is still redeemable. Do The Avengers pose more of a challenge for Loki? Probably, but then Loki poses more of a challenge to The Avengers too. For example, Loki is a more complex, more dangerous villain than say either villains played by Jeff Bridges and Mickey Rourke in the Iron Man films or Tim Roth in The Incredible Hulk. I think the fact that he is an Asgardian makes him more dangerous.
What has Joss been like to work with when compared to Kenneth Branagh given their different backgrounds?
HIDDLESTON: What is interesting about Joss is his appreciation for British theater culture and for the training of British actors. I say this because that is the angle that I take. It's huge. Often when the camera team is changing a lens or in the middle of a relight, Joss and I will be talking about Sir Ian McKellen's fantastic performance in An Enemy of the People in the National Theater in 1997. He works with British actors all of the time in all of his TV shows. In fact, he has talked about the choice that he had to make in college between theater or film and he almost became a theater director. I suppose that Joss' work seems that he has catered to a particular thing, but actually as a fan of the art of acting and the art of filmmaking, and theater, and storytelling – his tastes are hugely broad.
It's really interesting actually. On the Thor junket everyone was like, "Wow. Kenneth Branagh directing a superhero movie?" In my experience, Ken loves superhero movies. [Laughs] Don't be fooled by the Shakespeare stuff. Conversely, Joss is a huge fan of Shakespeare. He is a brilliant writer and a brilliant storyteller. Of course, they are different in their methods. They are different people. I like that, though. I'm having a really good time working with him. He is so fun and I love his references. Whenever he comes back from watching the monitor with a big grin on his face…he is a worker and he likes honing things.
Many people thought that your performance in Thor was excellent. I think most of us would agree. It's very rare to get a great villain. I'm sure you read some reviews or heard some positive things. I'm curious if you feel any added pressure now for this film since you have to exceed expectations or do just a great a job on this one.
HIDDLESTON: That is a good question. I honestly try to not think about it in a way. I think that you really can't think about the end result, creatively, I think, in any art form. I think if you are a composer and you think, "I have to sit down and write a better song than the last one." or if you are an artist or a painter and you think, "My painting has to be better than the last one." I guess that is what they call "the difficult second hour", but I don't feel it to be honest. I think it is because I am just thinking of the character, the story, and trying to do the best that I can.
Even outside of Marvel, whenever I am working on a film, I try to not think about what people will think about it once it's made. It will make you self-conscious and self-aware. You just have to be thinking, "Who is this guy? What does he want? It's my responsibility to play this guy and his version of the truth is my responsibility. What other people see in that representation is up to them." I didn't know that people were going to like what I did in Thor as Loki. It's nice that they liked it I guess. [laughs] But it is that thing of "to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man."
Tom, it's the elephant in the room – what do you do when you get your hands on the Cosmic Cube?
HIDDLESTON: [laughs] Well….I will quote Sam Jackson at the end of Thor. Stellan Skarsgard's Erik Selvig says to Sam Jackson's Nick Fury "What is it?" and Nick Fury replies "Power, doctor. If we can figure out how to tap it, maybe unlimited power." So I think that is what attracts Loki to the cube.
Hypothetically speaking, what have you borrowed from the Thor set or from this set that you want to borrow?
HIDDLESTON: I haven't borrowed anything. I think if I started to borrow stuff and adverted commerce, for which I think the word in English is "steal" [laughs], I would probably lose my job. But Marvel have been sweet to me. They have given me action figures. Oh! For my birthday they sent me the scarf that Loki wears in the trailer scene in Thor. Remember when he turns up in a nice suit and overcoat? He is a wearing scarf and so now I am in possession of my Loki scarf.
Do you have the helmet?
HIDDLESTON: I don't. I think I broke all of my helmets actually. But I couldn't have done that since there was one at Comic Con. They were…in that final battle scene, which was one of the last things we shot when we were doing Thor, every time I landed on the Rainbow Bridge I kept smashing the horns against the bridge and the bridge always won basically.
For more from our Avengers set visit:
35 Things to Know About The Avengers from our Set Visit; Plus a Two-Part Video Blog Recap and 8 New Images
Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans The Avengers Set Visit Interview
Mark Ruffalo The Avengers Set Visit Interview
Chris Hemsworth The Avengers Set Visit Interview
Jeremy Renner and Scarlett Johansson The Avengers Set Visit Interview
Clark Gregg The Avengers Set Visit Interview
Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige The Avengers Set Visit Interview


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I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that probably most of you do not have a bat house. Maybe you've never even thought about getting a bat house. Bats might even seem a little creepy or of no personal benefit to you.
So let's start out with a few intriguing bat facts.
Bats are Mammals and Pollinators
I remember seeing a show on Discovery, Animal Planet, National Geographic, or some nature channel about bats in the Sonoran Desert of northern Mexico. The videography was amazing in itself. In slow motion they showed a bat flying to a cactus to eat pollen. Big whoop, right? The WOW factor was that WHILE the mama bat was zooming from one cactus to the next getting her nibbles or slurps of pollen, her tiny pup was clinging to her AND, if I recall correctly, nursing!
Talk about a mama multi-tasking, not to mention the skill of that pup to hang on for dear life!
I just love watching stuff like that, but that part of the show was actually about the crucial role of bats in propagating the cardon cactus.
Because of the lesser longnosed bats (and other pollinators) the flowers are pollinated, the pollinated flowers produce fruit, the fruit provides nutritious food for the local people, and the fruit that falls to the ground becomes another cactus that feeds the bats that …
Bats are very important to the agave plant "… which relies solely on bats to pollinate its flowers and reproduce."(5)
Click here to read more about how bats can benefit you and your family, your garden, and your back yard.
Some Bats Are Simply Adorable
Think I'm crazy? Okay, I'll admit that some bats only its mama could find it adorable. However, there are some bats that almost everyone would find cute and cuddly. The fruit bat is one such bat species. Its face resembles a canine pup or a bear cub.
Here's a YouTube video of some orphaned fruit bats being cared for by bottle. Watch this video, and then try and tell me you didn't say at least once, "Awwwwwww!"
video by Adam Cox (link to video)
How to Attract Bats to Your Bat House
Once you have your bat house the next step is knowing where to install it for the most promising results. I did a little research recently, and there seemed to be three main points reiterated from one source to the next.
Install Your Bat House …
1. At a Height of 10-20 Feet
There were three common mounting heights I ran across repeatedly: 10-12 feet(1), 12-15 feet, and those same heights but with 15-20 feet(2) being ideal.
2. Where it Can Maintain a Temperature of 80-100°F(3)(2)
Depending on the bat species, there's some fluctuation in the temperature needs of bats, but, in general, 80-100°F is the goal. They like it HOT! Mama bats prefer these temperatures for their pups.(3)
Tip: The general consensus is to install bat houses facing a South or Southeast direction for greater sun exposure unless you live in an extremely hot area.
3. With 20 Feet Clearance in All Directions(4)
This clearance helps the bats as they fly to and from and in and out of the bat house. The last thing you want is a bunch of bats bumping their little heads and getting all disoriented. (Actually, because of their echolocation skills they probably won't run into anything; they'll just not roost in your bat house.)
Of course, other factors can play a role in whether or not bats will roost in a given bat house, but the above three points seem to be the biggies. They can be the difference between an empty bat house and a thriving bat colony.
(There's one more point I mention farther down in the post about mounting bat houses to trees. Be sure to read that.)
Three Very Different Bat House Stories
A Bat House Success
The photos in this post were taken a few weeks ago when John and I stopped by his bat enthusiast co-worker's house. His name is Paul. Paul has had a thriving bat colony roosting in his bat houses for a number of years. The bats arrive in early spring and then migrate before winter.
Four years ago, when we were at Paul's house for a cookout, was the genesis of my bat interest.
A Bat House Gone Terribly Wrong
This story is about my first bat house. Yep, four years ago, I left the cookout all psyched and ready for bats. I went home with an armful of bat goodies: a custom-made bat house, a bat magazine, and a plastic container of bat guano.
Things did not go quite as I had imagined they would with our bat house …
I've since learned that while mounting a bat house onto a tree can turn into a successful story, the odds are not in favor of such an ending. As a matter of fact, according to research done by Bat Conservation International, "Bat houses installed on buildings or poles are easier for bats to locate, have greater occupancy rates and are occupied two and a half times faster than those mounted on trees."(3)
There are at least two problems with trees: 1) trees provide cooler temperatures, possibly cooler than the recommended 80-100°F, and 2) trees are high traffic areas for bat predators like raccoons, hawks, and owls. Also, I've seen first-hand the damage squirrels can do to a bat house by chewing on it. (They do this because their teeth never stop growing. Chewing on wood is helpful to squirrels … not so much to a bat house.) A chewed-on house does not look like an inviting or safe shelter for a mama bat to start her nursery.
A Bat House with Hope
After seeing my bat house slowly disappear to squirrels, I purchased a new bat house, AND Paul gave me another one. The bat houses sat around our house for a couple years, but two weeks ago we finally mounted the bat houses.
Instead of mounting the bat houses to the side of a tree, I chose a large wooden pole at the edge of our goat pasture – the goat pasture with no goats – as the site for the new bat houses. They're mounted about 12 feet high, at least one is facing a direction where it will get ample sun exposure, there's plenty of wide open space, and they're NOT on a tree this time.
I'll keep you apprised of the progress.
The two below images are affiliate links.
(1) http://www.habitatforbats.org/?page_id=26
(2) http://bathouse.com/how-to-attract-bats
(3) http://www.batcon.org/pdfs/bathouses/attractingbats.pdf
(4) http://www.batconservation.org/bat-house/where-to-place
(5) http://blog.nwf.org/2014/06/not-just-the-birds-and-bees-6-fast-facts-about-pollinating-bats/
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Little House Friday
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The Israeli Forces have turned occupation into an "art form", former general Gadi Shamni has recently claimed. But if occupation can be art, then art can be resistance, and members of the Jenin Freedom Theatre say their month-long tour of Portugal will be a vital part of the Palestinian struggle.
Trailer of images from the life of Ghassan Kanafani
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Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and Mexican Modernism
Thursday, October 29, 2020 - 1:10 PM
Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and Mexican Modernism from the Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection features more than 150 artworks by internationally celebrated artists Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, Lola Alvarez Bravo, Gunther Gerzso, Maria Izquierdo, Carlos Merida, and others. The exhibition will take a closer role at the role art, artists, and their supporters played in the emergence of national identity and creative spirit after the Mexican Revolution ended in 1920.
- For tickets to the Member Preview click here
- For tickets to Member Exclusive Hours click here
Please note that this ticket includes general admission. If you'd like to purchase a general admission ticket without access to Mexican Modernism, click here.


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Brusha brusha: Healthy teeth mean healthy heart
Austin Powers has the worst teeth. Mike Myers plays this shaggy English spy who is somehow a lady's man. I don't know why anyone would kiss someone with such bad teeth. I'd fear getting a yeast infection or something worse.
Are teeth that important?
Besides the cosmetic aspect of teeth, dental health is important to a person's overall well-being. Dental caries (cavaties) are the most common infectious disease, more so than the common cold. Ninety percent of adults have had at least one tooth cavity.
Forty-two percent of school-aged kids have dental caries. About eight percent of adults 20-64 years of age have periodontal disease. Knock on wood (or enamel), I haven't had a cavity in a couple of decades because I really stepped up my brushing and flossing.
Listen to this! A study in Taiwan showed at least one dental cleaning by a dentist or dental hygienist in a person's lifetime reduced the risk of a heart attack by 24 percent, and the risk of a stroke by 13 percent versus those who never had a dental cleaning.
On November 13, 2011, participants at the American Heart Association's annual conference reported on dental health and cardiovascular events. Research suggested that frequent dental cleanings reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. So not only do dental cleanings stave off ugly plaque and gum disease, but they might help people live healthier lives overall.
We don't know why bad teeth/gums are linked to heart disease and strokes. Perhaps the bacteria in the mouth get into the bloodstream to cause havoc in the arteries– forming plaque that can prevent blood flow to the heart muscle and/or brain. Another thought is the bacteria in the mouth trigger the immune system to cause inflammation in the arteries.
I always encourage my patients to see a dentist every six months, but I would say at least 10 percent will not go, most for financial reasons. Dental work can seem very expensive, especially if teeth need to be pulled and replaced. Others fear the dentist (so I often prescribe a sedative).
Nonetheless, I still ask my patients to at least get their teeth cleaned. If someone has heart valve problems, HIV, diabetes, or other significant medical problems, I insist on dental cleanings.
When I worked part-time in an ER in Richmond, I saw many patients with facial abscesses or severe jawbone infections from poor dentition. Patients holding cold compresses on the side of their face to soothe a throbbing tooth infection made the ER waiting room look like a bar brawl had occurred.
Pneumonia can occur when a person aspirates (inhales) bacteria from the mouth. Folks with an empyema (pus inside the chest wall) almost always have Austin Powers-style teeth.
Often, I can tell a person has bad teeth by just the smell of the anaerobic bacteria that have a Club Med party of a time within the diseased gums and teeth. An abscess can develop in the maxillary sinuses above the upper molars, and it usually requires surgery.
Initial dentist visits are recommended at the tender age of 12-18 months. As a part of teaching children hygiene, parents should supervise tooth brushing at least until the child is five to six years of age. My high school chemistry teacher flossed twice a day and got me started on flossing because she lost almost all her teeth. (Her smoking didn't help matters, since tobacco is hard on the gums.)
Smile, and the world smiles with you. I should know. I've spent thousands of dollars on my teeth (braces, gum graft, whitening, bonding). Where is the Tooth Fairy when you need her? (Info: www.ada.org)
Dr. Hook cracks a joke or two, but he's a respected physician with an interesting website, drjohnhong.com. Email him with your questions!


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Metallica Offer Free Download of National Anthem
Ten days ago (May 16), James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett of Metallica played the national anthem at AT&T Park before the San Francisco Giants baseball game. Now, the band have offered a free download of the rendition.
The performance was part of the Giants' second annual "Metallica Night." You can find the file over at their website, along with a few pictures of the event. In addition to the national anthem, they also announced the starting lineups, threw out the first pitch and spent time in the broadcast booth. Other Metallica-themed activities were held throughout the night, including their children singing during the seventh inning stretch.
All of the fans in attendance received an inflatable Metallica guitar and a set of guitar picks with Metallica members on one side and Giants players on the other. Proceeds from the evening benefited the the Bay Area chapter of Little Kids Rock, which provides instruments and music education classes to children in under-served communities across the country.
Metallica are currently working on a new album. Although there is no set release date, they have said that they hope to have it completed by September.


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This season's American Idol judges, Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj, seem to be getting in each other's diva hair already on the show, as the two were seen fighting to speak over one another during a contestant's critique at the NYC taping on Sunday.
A TMZ spy who allegedly saw the whole thing admitted that they got the impression that "these girls just don't like each other."
Mariah even hinted at the awkwardness everyone's been gossiping about in their first Idol taping on Twitter.
#idol NY auditions – several classic moments so far lol
— Mariah Carey (@MariahCarey) September 16, 2012
But at a press conference in the Big Apple on Tuesday, the ladies seem to have put their troubled past behind them.
When asked how the judges are getting along Nicki, with a very convincing facial expression and her sometimes-British accent, said "We're getting along wonderfully, darling," drawing laughter and looks from fellow judge Keith Urban.
When pressed further about the feuding that's been reported Mariah jumped in, saying "How we gonna feud in two days? A feud takes a little longer to… spread out. It's fun, it's music, it's singing, it's laughter."
Randy Jackson, for no reason at all, chimed in with "We're just having fun, dude!"
-Joe Cingrana, 92.3 NOW/NYC
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Early expectations for Windows 8 are that it will not receive as much attention and fanfare as the previous operating system. However, remember that with Windows 7, the initial goal was to quickly erase the memory of Windows Vista.
For advisors, being an early adopter of Windows 8 is not a quick and simple decision. If you are currently running Windows 7 successfully, then you should be thorough in researching whether it is right for your firm to upgrade. Here are some items that you should consider as part of your Windows 8 evaluation process.
The first thing everyone notices with Windows 8 is that it looks different from previous Windows releases. The familiar "Start" button in the left-hand corner is gone, and Microsoft has introduced a "tiles" approach to accessing information and programs. There are already a number of opinions—and there will be more once Windows 8 is officially released—regarding whether the new functionality and design changes are a hit or miss with users. Given all the navigational changes, the different structure of the desktop and the new system for accessing files and folders, it would be wise for those operating in a business setting to start slow. Begin with one or two users in your office who can easily embrace this level of change. Use their experience to draft a plan for upgrading the rest of your office if you decide to do so.
When considering any operating system upgrade, reviewing your hardware needs is an important step in the evaluation. For a majority of users, their first experience with Windows 8 will come when they purchase a new computer or tablet on which it is preinstalled. This is certainly the easiest way to go, but also particularly important with Windows 8, because it has new functions designed to work with the latest hardware available. Using the right hardware, Windows 8 includes "touchscreen" technology that operates very much like touch-enabled devices such as your smartphone or tablet. When interacting with a program, you can use the keyboard or mouse, or touch the screen directly. Some computer manufacturers are even building products that run Windows 8 with both a PC and tablet in one device. Samsung, for example, offers the Series 7 Slate, which is best described as a hybrid PC. In another innovation, Windows 8 offers new flexibility in how you can make better use of dual monitors. For example, Windows 8 will allow each monitor to have its own taskbar, which is like having two users operate the computer at once.
Perhaps the behavior that everyone will be most critical of with Windows 8 will be the time it takes to boot up. A lengthy start-up time can dramatically reduce the overall success of a product. Initial time trial reports are that Windows 8 boots up faster than Windows 7 and competes well with other devices and operating systems. However, just like the gas mileage displayed on the sticker of a new car, I always find the real-life experience might be a little different.
Another important area to consider when evaluating Windows 8 involves the compatibility of software used by your firm. Windows 8 includes the new Internet Explorer 10. In software- or cloud-based computing environments, you want to make sure that the solutions you use work well with this new operating system. Before using Windows 8 and Internet Explorer 10, check with your solution providers to make sure that they have certified and are now supporting these new products.
A new operating system is not something that necessarily gets advisors very excited. The reality is you want your operating system to allow you to work as efficiently as possible, while being very stable and versatile at the same time. There is no "slam dunk" here, so be sure to do your research in addressing the specific needs of your firm.


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Preet Anand is a student at Santa Clara University and a member of Team California in the 2009 Solar Decathlon
(CNN) -- The smile never came off of my face as we heard who placed third, second, and first in the 2009 Solar Decathlon.
All smiles as Team California's hard work pays off with a thrid place finish.
I smiled because I knew what each team, regardless of place, had done to get here and how this experience would not only shape our future but who we are.
Team California, the partnership between Santa Clara University and California College of the Arts, placed third in the competition.
We were first throughout the week, but the rainy weather of DC forced us to turn off certain systems to conserve energy. We slid down into third place from the resulting point losses.
However, Team California won many accolades. The Refract House, Team California's home, placed first in Architecture, successfully proving our message that Green Living isn't a compromise. We also placed first in Communications, second in Engineering, and third in Market Viability. We placed in four out of five subjective judgments, and in the fifth one, Lighting, we placed sixth out of the 20 teams. Watch video of the team on the National Mall »
Team Germany won the competition by simply generating massive amounts of energy while also sculpting an inviting interior. They understood the rules well and located photovoltaic panels on nearly every surface of their home.
Team Illinois finished second and took a different approach by focusing on extreme energy efficiency. Although they didn't feature quite as large a solar array as Team Germany, their home needed almost zero energy to condition itself, so they were able to still pump lots of energy back into the grid.
This project for me was an amazing experience and great education, from technical engineering to project management. Our team was completely undergraduate-led, undergraduate-managed, and undergraduate-designed, and I think we did tremendously well.
It is an unbelievable opportunity to be given so much responsibility and to have fans that not only believe in your project, but believe in you as people. When the weather worsened and our spirits began to darken like the clouds around us, the good wishes from home only got stronger.
The students who will come out of this project will be future pioneers and leaders in green innovation and policy. The Department of Energy, our sponsors, and our universities, did something amazing in supporting this competition: they made an investment into the future.
More than anything else though, the friends we've made will last us a lifetime. As my friend Richard Navarro, our Electrical Lead, said: "It's one team, one dream."
I think we've achieved that dream, and we're now ready to share it with the world around us.


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Mission-X: jump for the Moon
Next year's Mission-X: Train Like an Astronaut challenge is set to take off with the largest community of future space explorers ever. Thousands of students from nearly 25 countries are on their marks to start exercising like spacefarers.
This educational programme invites schoolchildren aged 8–12 years to learn what it takes to be an astronaut. Teams will leave the launch pad in January 2014 to perform physical activities and learn about healthy nutrition.
More and more countries are infected with the Mission-X fever. New to the community are Australia, Chile, Romania, Sweden and the Republic of Ireland. From Russia to Indonesia, South Africa to Canada, students will earn points by completing activities inspired by astronaut training.
The nine-week challenge encourages scientific reasoning and teamwork and involves exercise modules 'Jump for the Moon' and 'Do a Spacewalk'. There is place in the Mission-X programme for all children explorers. Ten physical activities have been adapted for children with special needs.
ESA has teamed up with NASA and other space agencies to invite young space explorers to get involved. This year's Mission-X ambassador is NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins. Talking from the International Space Station, Mike will encourage young people worldwide to participate in the challenge.
Following the Mission-X mission plan, teams of children will train to earn points during school, with tasks targeting strength, endurance, coordination, balance and spatial awareness.
Teachers will be well equipped. In addition to training days and tutorial videos, an online international forum is available online for exchanging tips on fitness exercises. Each school can follow at its own pace and update their progress via the online blog on the official Mission-X website.
The countdown to Mission-X 2014 has begun. Check out the mission plan and don't miss the opportunity to enjoy fitness, healthy eating and problem-solving the astronaut way.
Mission-X mission plan
9 December Registration deadline
13 January Launch event
15 March Mission-X ends
To find out your country point of contact send an email to email@example.com


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The Chicken Whisperer's Guide to Keeping Chickens is a great beginners guide for those just starting out, but experienced chicken keepers will also benefit from reading it! Learn more about the Chicken Whisperer's newest book...
Through personal experience, the Chicken Whisperer promotes products that are proven to be worth their value.
Everyone wants to meet the Chicken Whisperer! Andy Schneider will travel to your location to provide backyard poultry workshops and host book signings.
The Chicken Whisperer is a well-known public speaker. He has shared his knowledge across the nation to promote backyard poultry. He has been featured in local and national news media, articles, websites, and magazines.
The Chicken Whisperer®
In 2019, The Chicken Whisperer is proud to announce the opening of the Chicken Whisperer Farm School. We will be offering classes where students have the opportunity to experience farm life first-hand.
We will be offering a variety of courses on gardening, homesteading skills, and the raising of a variety of animals including poultry, rabbits, goats, cows, and more.
For more information about this year's classes, CLICK HERE!
Statements are posted daily on the internet in places like Facebook, Twitter, Chicken-related blogs, and forums. Are they always true? No! Some statements are Chicken Poop! These statements read as factual information could be detrimental to the health of your chicken flock. The Chicken Whisperer and other chicken experts are here to help debunk this information and provide you with science-based, fact-based, and study-based information to protect your flock.
The Chicken Whisperer is proud to present, Chicken Whisperer Magazine! Check it out and learn how to subscribe! Science based, study based, and fact based information for backyard chicken keepers.
Andy Schneider, better known as the Chicken Whisperer®, has become the go-to guy across the country for anything chickens. He is the host of the very popular, Backyard Poultry with the Chicken Whisperer web radio show.
Power to the Poultry!


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VMware Workstation 4.5
Features | Documentation | Knowledge Base | Discussion Forums
This section explains how to configure the video driver in a Windows 98 raw disk installation using VMware Workstation. The steps below assume you are using Windows 98 as one of the operating systems in a dual-boot or multiple-boot configuration. Following these steps, you create separate hardware profiles for your virtual machine and your physical machine. For more details on hardware profiles, see Setting Up Hardware Profiles in Virtual Machines.


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Extended Care
Learn more about .
More deals you may like
The DJI Spark Fly More Combo will allow you to enhance your Spark experience with everything you will possibly need to capture stunning photos and videos.
- Activates on facial recognition
- Control Spark with hand gestures, remote control or a smart device
- GPS, advanced obstacle sensing and target following
- Perform preset flight manoeuvres with a single click
- Edit your videos instantly on your smart device
- 12MP CMOS sensor; Full HD video resolution
- Compact and portable – only 300g
With all the accessories you could possibly need, you can make sure your DJI Spark is always at the ready and capable of capturing all those breath-taking views and moments. Included in the DJI Spark Fly More Combo is your DJI Spark, propeller pair, intelligent flight battery with charger, micro USB cable and storage box.
Spark your creativity
DJI Spark is the powerful flying camera you can take anywhere. This brilliantly clever mini drone features all of DJI's signature innovations, with a portable, ultra-manoeuvrable design made for spectacular on-the-go footage.
Silky smooth images and video
DJI Spark takes the shake out of your shots, thanks to perfect chassis balance, seamless obstacle avoidance and gimbal stabilisation. Spark hovers precisely in place for superbly still shots while automatically adding shallow depth of field to your photos.
intelligent Flight Modes and intuitive controls help you create cinematic aerial videos with just a few taps.
Look, no hands!
This incredibly intelligent drone activates by recognising your face and can launch from the palm of your hand. Use PalmControl to move the drone up, down, left or right simply by moving your hands. It even returns to you when you call it back with the return gesture. Spark always knows exactly where you want it to be, always ready for photos and videos worth sharing with the world.
An array of flight modes at your fingertips
- QuickShot – make Spark perform preset manoeuvres
- ActiveTrack – recognises target objects and automatically tracks them
- TapFly – Spark will fly where you tap on your phone screen (in FPV mode)
- Gesture – control Spark with your gestures
Edit and share with ease
Download the DJI GO 4 app to your smart device to instantly edit your footage or add an array of filters to your photos. Once you've turned your content into a masterpiece, you can share it straight to social media in a few taps.
This Product is offered and supplied by Dick Smith pursuant to the Terms and Conditions.
Related CategoriesSecurity CamerasWeb CamsCamera AccessoriesDronesMemory CardsHome SecurityDrone AccessoriesAction CamerasAction Camera AccessoriesTripods & Mounts


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Government transparency nonprofit Sunshine Review awards the most transparent government websites.
Florida, Virginia and Illinois may be considered the most transparent states in the nation after jurisdictions within their borders won the most 2013 Sunny Awards – given to government agencies by the Sunshine Review to recognize efforts in transparency.
The announcement of the awards on Wednesday, March 13, falls during Sunshine Week – a national initiative celebrating open government.
The Sunshine Review, a national nonprofit organization that focuses on government transparency, graded more than 1,000 qualifying government websites. Cities, counties, states and school districts' sites were graded according to the organization's 10-point transparency checklist. Of the total number of sites evaluated, 247 websites received awards.
"The Sunny Awards recognize governments that make transparency a priority," said Michael Barnhart, president of Sunshine Review, in a statement. "The winners of the Sunny Awards are cities, counties and school districts that proactively share the public information that empowers citizens and keeps government accountable to the people."
To determine eligibility for receiving a Sunny Award, the government websites were analyzed by Sunshine Review editors on information such as their budgets, meetings, lobbying and financial audits. Each of the winners received an "A" grade during the grading process. Florida, Virginia and Illinois took top honors, with Florida earning a total of 25 awards, and Virginia and Illinois each earning 19.
Kristin McMurray, managing editor of the Sunshine Review, said that since the Sunshine Review began the Sunny Awards in 2010, Florida has earned more awards than any other state, mostly due to diligence at the local level to put data online.
"In regard to their state website, their policy toward responding to public records, they're not as high performing," McMurray said. "But when you look at their websites, they really are proactive about putting information online."
But while local government websites fared well in this year's awards, no state government website received an "A" grade, due to the Sunshine Review's 2013 "raising the bar" initiative. According to the Sunshine Review, the initiative required additional budget information, an online checkbook register and a Freedom of Information ACT (FOIA) request compliance report.
McMurray said the "raising the bar" initiative was aimed at keeping up with the rapid evolution of technology. She said the original checklist for state governments developed in 2010 had become outdated and needed more stringent requirements.
Last year, about 13 state government websites qualified for a Sunny Award, but due to the new initiative, she said, the Sunshine Review expected none of the state websites to qualify this year for the award.
"We do think we posted achievable goals for state websites and we hope that they'll respond to the grades accordingly," McMurray said.
McMurray said it's important for citizens to be able to access information on government websites so they can continue to stay engaged. Some governments recovering from scandals related to their failure to disclose information have improved their websites during what McMurray calls the post-scandal "healing process".
For example, the city of Bell, Calif., which has a population of nearly 40,000, made headlines in 2010 after it was revealed that nearly $1.6 million was spent annually on the salaries of just three government employees. Controversy surrounded the city's lack of disclosure of expenditures including employee salaries.
McMurray said that despite the city's previous transparency scandal, Bell was a recipient of a Sunny Award this year.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
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|Institution Type:
|Campus Setting:
|Southwest Large City
|Highest Degree Offered:
|Non-degree granting
|Level of Institution:
|At least 2 but less than 4 years
|Differs by program
A great school for radiologic technology. The labs are spacious and the instructors really take pride in making sure you are a competent radiographer. The clinical facilities and…
It's a great school. I attend the Vision Care Technology,and it and the teacher are absolutely amazing. I love this school.…
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Gregory Breeden accused of urinating in public
A man once suspected in the slayings of seven women has been accused of urinating in public.
Cass County prosecutors charged Gregory W. Breeden, 67, with second-degree sexual misconduct, which is a class B misdemeanor.
According to court documents, Breeden exposed himself while urinating outside.
Raymore police said were called to the 400 block of South Sunrise Drive on Oct. 7, where a witness told officers that Breeden had been working on a minivan in his driveway when he walked toward the back of the vehicle and urinated.
The witness told police that children were playing in the neighborhood at the time.
Breeden denied urinating outside.
Breeden was linked to a seven women whose bodies were all found in the Missouri River over a period of 12 years. He was charged with killing one victim, Viola McCoy, but the charge was later dropped.
He did serve about seven years of a 10-year sentence for writing bad checks.


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SAMJ: South African Medical Journal
On-line version ISSN 2078-5135
Print version ISSN 0256-9574
SAMJ, S. Afr. med. j. vol.100 n.12 Cape Town Dec. 2010
Emergency medical services - poor response time in the rural Eastern Cape
To the Editor: Emergency medical services (EMS) throughout South Africa are of unequal quality owing to historical population inequalities and under-resourced EMS in rural areas.1 There are no data regarding the quality of ambulance services in the rural Eastern Cape. The assessment of EMS is not easy, but an assessment tool has been established.2 We prospectively audited the response time to ambulance requests from a community health centre in the rural Eastern Cape.
Ngcwanguba Health Care Centre has a catchment population exceeding 60 000 and is staffed by one full-time doctor and 10 professional nurses. Ambulances are stationed at Mthatha and have to use an 80 km-long tarred but severely pot-holed road. They return on this road to the nearest tertiary referral hospitals or take a gravel road of 25 km to the district hospital.
All calls for ambulances made in the period from 1 July 2009 to 31 September 2009 to refer patients to one of the two referral hospitals were included. No calls were done by the doctor.
Table I summarises the number of ambulance arrivals and the time involved, over the review period.
The Department of Health in Eastern Cape Province recently published a poster with 'generic standards' that states: 'Emergency medical services (EMS) - All citizens in need of emergency services will be attended to with courtesy by qualified personnel and a fully equipped ambulance within 1 hour in the rural areas and 45 minutes in urban at all times'. This standard is clearly failed by the local EMS provider, who achieved this aim in only 3.3% of ambulance requests. The average response time of an arriving ambulance of almost 4 hours is unacceptably high. The 16.7% of EMS cases that did not arrive at all is worrying, and a challenge for health carers remaining with the critically ill patient.
An analysis of perinatal deaths in the district hospital showed that, among the 8 avoidable factors, the unavailability and delay of transport were the most common.3 Sixteen years after the end of the apartheid era, South Africa shows an unacceptable EMS response time (which is an important and basic component of health care service4) in the former Transkei. EMS services must be assessed and improvement wisely planned to ensure the basic rights of government sector patients. Although a new EMS station was begun to be built next to the Ngcwanguba Health Care Centre, there has been no progress for a year.
E Meents
Ngcwanguba Community Health Care Centre
Eastern Cape Province
T Boyles
Division of Clinical Pharmacology
University of Cape Town
1. MacFarlane C, van Loggerenberg C, Kloeck W. International EMS systems in South Africa--past, present, and future. Resuscitation 2005;64(2):145-148. [ Links ]
2. Doherty J, Price M. Evaluation of rural ambulance services. World Health Forum 1998;19(3):315-319. [ Links ]
3. Gaunt CB. Are we winning? Improving perinatal outcomes at a deeply rural district hospital in South Africa. S Afr Med J 2010;100(2):101-104. [ Links ]
4. Kotzé JM. The role of the ambulance service as part of the health profession. S Afr Med J 1990;78(6):320-322. [ Links ]


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From the desk of John Hanson, SVP of Communications at the USO:
Okay, Patrick Kennedy got my attention. Not because of the screaming – more because of what he said. Fact is, he probably SHOULD have been shouting. The media (and the public's) failure to address two wars – and a larger, arguably global extension of that war – is disturbing.
Reflections on a Magic 8 Ball
A few months ago I watched a video of a focus group in a mid-size city (for focus group mavens, it "tests larger"). At first, I thought the group was a bit skewed in its political views, but when asked how many liked/disliked the president, the split was just about even. That might not mean anything, but at least the playing field was somewhat even.
Answers to questions about the wars we're in were, well, interesting. "This isn't MY war," one said. "Doesn't affect me at all."
[caption id="attachment_1615" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Edward "Babe" Hefron (L) and William "Wild Bill" Guarnere © two of the World War II veterans that inspired the book and HBO miniseries "Band of Brothers" greets US Army csm Keith West during one of the Persian Gulf stops of the USO/Armed Forces Entertainment "Band of Brothers" tour on September 17, 2008. (USO Photo by Fred Greaves)"][/caption]
For almost 30 years I've either advocated on behalf of veterans, worked at a policy level to ensure they got benefits or worked to lift the spirits of active duty troops and families, honoring their service and sacrifice. "Doesn't affect me at all" isn't the right answer in my mind. I've seen what these troops and families go through, and, believe me, it affects us all. All that John Donne stuff you might not have read lately. Or at all.
But, as I've mentioned in an earlier blog, I recently had a revelation.
Bear With Me. This isn't sociology
My father was born the year the U.S. entered World War I. My brother was born a week or so after Pearl Harbor (my mother said the attack distracted her until the baby got her attention again). I was born the year the Korean War started, and THAT year was just 34 years removed from the start of World War I in Europe, and about 4 years before the last draftees were born. I was reared in a town of around 50,000, and I think every one of those people had some close connection to the military.
That means that my parents, my brother and I – and those we knew – knew someone touched by wars going back at least to the Spanish American War, and I'd bet my father might have met a Civil War veteran at some point in his life.
From my perspective, every person I grew up with was affected by military service in one way or another. Parents or friends either served, were killed or wounded or maybe even just disappeared in the service of their country. The woman who ran the cafeteria at Alberta Elementary lost a son on D-Day. He just vanished. The father of one of my buddies lost his leg in the Korean War. That means my friend had faint memories of his dad having both legs, and then had to deal with his return as a changed man. One of my best friends had parents who were both attorneys (this was unusual in the 1950s in Alabama. Trust me). His father had been a Marine in World War II. He came back blinded by a grenade blast somewhere in the Pacific. My friend would bring his dad's old wristwatch to show and tell, and demonstrate how the crystal could be raised so you could tell time by touching the watch face. There were children of Army cooks, quartermaster corps veterans and Air Corps tail gunners. There were former officers and enlisted folks … and they were all heroes. Those who returned, put away their uniforms, went to school, got jobs and started families. They were our politicians, our cops and our PTA leaders.
Everyone I met knew war stories. Every one had some skin in the game. Sometimes it led them to join veterans groups. Sometimes it led them to work for peace. For all the awfulness for some in the country, there was a common thread that linked us – military service.
Hang in there, this might actually go somewhere.
The disconnect begins
Living through the Vietnam years wasn't great. Simply living through them was not as bad as actually fighting in Vietnam, though.
While troops were fighting in Vietnam, many of their contemporaries were delaying service by going to college. I was one of those for a while, but when I was a junior at the University of Alabama, I enlisted in the Air Force. It was one of my better decisions, but it had some practicality. I figured that I'd go to Europe or stay stateside, but come nowhere near Southeast Asia or the war.
So, after I got to Thailand, where I worked as a B-52 mechanic, I discovered that the draft was over. A friend mailed a note (we did that then) with an article about the end of compulsory service. The note said, "I think you made your move too soon." He was a big blues fan.
In those days, whenever service members traveled commercially, we didn't wear our uniforms (Marines did, but that's always a different story). We tried to blend in. But, we could grow our hair only so much, so the results were mixed. The point is, it was important to blend in, because there was a great deal of animosity and scorn toward the military. That came not just from the flag burning bomb throwers, but also from fine, upstanding generally conservative folks, who looked at us as if we were the chumps. If you were there, you know it was a strange time.
I went back to college, got that behind me and started working. Except for a short time working for a really great governor and then the National Governors' Association, 80 percent of my work life has been focused on troops, families and veterans. I've been inside the bubble, so any notion that these issues were not on the minds of most Americans would have been dissonant.
But, now it makes sense. People are focused on their jobs, their families and their lives. Unless any of those happen to cross with the military, nothing could have been farther from their minds.
Finally, at the USO we talk a lot about the difference between the price and the cost of war. Discussions by the wise people in the media almost always focus on the price. "Can we afford this?" "It's driving up our deficit." "If it weren't for the war, we'd be in better economic shape now."
And other blah, blah, from the right and the left.
War has a price, and we can decide to pay it or not. But, military service – especially war service – has a cost that goes on and on. It's a cost in human lives and suffering; it's a price in rehabilitation from serious injuries that would not have been survived in earlier conflicts. It's also a cost in human – especially American – decency. Our vocabulary is filled with trite over-worn quotes about honoring military service. They're often attributed to people who didn't serve, but didn't mind sending someone else to serve.
As far as I know, George Santayana never served in anyone's military, but he left us with an important thought: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
I lied earlier, there's no real point here. The struggle is in getting the message out that there are several hundred thousand of our neighbors doing some pretty tough work on our behalf. Thinking that each of us does not have a stake in their wellbeing or in their successful return to our communities is worse than shortsighted…it's potentially dangerous.
Because, Santayana also told us, "Only the dead have seen the end of war."
As the COVID-19 outbreak is evolving, the USO has pivoted resources across the entire global enterprise in an approach that helps care for military members and their families.
More from the USO
Oct 19, 2020
As National Guard Moves to Help with Hurricane Delta Response, the USO Provides Support
As communities begin to assess the damage caused by Hurricane Delta, the National Guard and local authorities have sprung into action to help in the aftermath – and the USO is there to support them in their efforts.


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Okay, news is definitely slowing down today in advance of the Christmas holiday. But we do have a couple quick things to report today.
First, Warner Home Video and the BBC have set Being Human: Season 4 for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 1/15. However, Bits reader Brian B. reports (thanks, Brian!) that it's already available at Walmart as a retail exclusive. Adjust your plans accordingly.
Warner and Viz Media have also set Inuyasha: The Movie - The Complete Collection for release on Blu-ray on 3/26 (SRP $29.99).
20th Century Fox has announced A Late Quartet for Blu-ray and DVD release on 2/5, followed by Atlas Shrugged: Part II on both formats on 2/19.
PBS has set Downton Abbey: Season 3 for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 1/29 (SRP $54.99 and $49.99). This is the U.K. edition with more than 2 hours of bonus content.
Lionsgate has set Abducted: The Carlina White Story, The Bay, Thomas & Friends: Go Go Thomas and Tyler Perry's House of Payne: Volume Ten all for DVD release on 3/5.
And Gaiam Vivendi Entertainment and Nasser Entertainment will release The Bouquet on DVD only on 2/5.
Finally, all of those newly-announced Criterion March Blu-rays are now available for pre-order on Amazon, including Terrence Malick's Badlands, Charlie Chaplin's Monsieur Verdoux, Robert Bresson's A Man Escaped, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, Fritz Lang's Ministry of Fear and Irvin S. Yeaworth Jr's cult classic The Blob.
And that's all for now. Stay tuned...
- Bill Hunt


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RAGBRAI rolls through Council Bluffs
Annual bike ride kicks off on Sunday
One of the biggest cycling events in the country kicked off Sunday with the first day of RAGBRAI.
Thousands of bicyclists are on the move and KETV was in Council Bluffs as they moved through.
In downtown Council Bluffs, there was a different kind of traffic where the sounds of car engines were replaced by the clicking of bicycle gears and chatter, all part of the renowned party atmosphere that RAGBRAI has become famous for.
"We've been getting bikes ready for years for RAGBRAI," said cyclist Mike Turman, a bike shop owner from Omaha who is hopping in on the first leg of the ride. "I've never taken the time to do it. I've been in the bicycle business off and on for close to 15 years, so I've known about it, I just never took the time to do it."
Some of the first people the thousands upon thousands of riders on the 400-mile trek was a couple with a sign that said, "Where are you from? To get an idea about the atmosphere on the ride, all a cyclist had to do is say hello and they'd make friends instantly.
Riders traveled from Council Bluffs to Underwood for the third stop of the 55-mile day that ends in Harlan. About 20 miles back from the stop, the Kieffer brothers said their biggest challenge on RAGBRAI will be surviving the week with each other.
"We'll see if that's the case at the end of the trip," said Ben Kieffer. "A week in one tent with three brothers."
By the end of the tour on Saturday, riders will have traveled more than 400 miles. On Monday, they'll ride about 83 miles from Harlan to Perry.
Credit: KETV.com


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21 August 2013 | News | By BioSpectrum Bureau
Medical Research Innovation Fund (MRIF) will invest $125 million of public funding and $125 million of private sector funding
Singapore: Australia has plans to establish $250 million Medical Research Innovation Fund (MRIF), to provide capital for early stage development of innovative biotechnology ventures, modelled on successful venture capital co-investment program, Innovation Investment Fund.
The fund will seek to bridge the gap between Australia's world-class medical research and commercialization by investing $125 million of public funding, to be matched to $125 million of private sector funding.
The new $250 million MRIF will assist Australian researchers and entrepreneurs to successfully commercialise new medical treatments and healthcare technologies.
AusBiotech Acting CEO, Mr Glenn Cross said, "Access to venture capital funds is vital for early stage companies commercialising medical research if they are to deliver life-saving and enhancing biotechnologies to the community. AusBiotech looks forward to the release of the conditions and further details, as these will determine the MRIF value to the industry."
The MRIF funds, like the IIF funds, will be invested via licenced fund managers; the size of the tranches and number of fund members are yet to be determined. Mr Cross noted that the need for the $125 million of public funding to be leveraged with $125 million of private sector funding is illustrative of the important central role that government can play to act as a stimulus, however the key to its success is in its attractiveness to the private sector.


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Capac Real Estate - Find Your Perfect Home For Sale!
Capac Listings Summary
Capac - Town vs. County Stats
Avg Price in Capac: $256,700 / County Avg $336,500
Avg Taxes in Capac: $2,100 / County Avg $3,400
Avg Sq. Ft. in Capac: 1,872 / County Avg 1,962
Avg Price per/ft2 in Capac: $137 / County Avg $171
Avg Walkscore in Capac: 30 / County Avg 23
Avg Year Built in Capac: 1958 / County Avg 1965
Avg Days on Website in Capac: 78 / County Avg 80
Capac Real Estate Market Health
Capac was founded and platted by a group of men from Romeo headed by George R. Funstan and Judge DeWitt C. Walker in 1857. The judge named it after Huayna Capac, Sapa Inca of the Inca Empire. A nearby post office named "Pinery" was transferred to and renamed "Capac" in January 1858. The Grand Trunk Railroad opened a station in 1866. Capac incorporated as a village in 1873.
Preston Tucker, designer of the 1948 Tucker Sedan, was born near Capac in 1903. Tucker is the subject of the 1988 movie Tucker: The Man and His Dream.
|Areas in Capac MI
|Imlay Twp
|Mussey Twp
|Neighborhoods in Capac MI
|Suprvrs John Bowers
|Village Of Capac


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In a wide-ranging keynote address to investors, famed money manager Bob Rodriguez warned that the U.S. has a narrow window ahead to escape the kind of sovereign debt crisis that Europe is now experiencing.
Rodriguez, FPA Capital's managing partner and CEO, said next year would be the most crucial in the past 80 to right our fiscal path before "budgetary financial pressures will explode" starting in 2018.
Speaking to an Institute for Private Investors audience in New York last week, Rodriguez said that every year beyond 2013 without structural reform would "increase the size and scope of the necessary fiscal response" amid likely negative capital market reaction of the kind we're now seeing in Europe.
Rodriguez, a rare money manager who has outperformed in both equity and fixed-income spaces, has in recent years developed a reputation for issuing stark warnings about the direction of the economy. But in his talk, he rejected accusations of being some kind of perma-bear disaster monger, calling himself a "realist" instead and showing through extensive citations that his predictions have been accurate while official forecasts of economic growth or of budget trends have tended to be overly optimistic.
To cite one example, in a year he described as pivotal in his career in investment management, he began holding high levels of cash in 1998 during the dot-com bubble. Anticipating the 2000 stock market bust and 2007 credit bust, Rodriguez maintained cash levels averaging more than 25% in his FPA Capital Fund and peaking at 45% in 2007, compared to 1% to 3% levels in the 14 years in investment management leading up to 1998.
From March of 1998 to the end of 2009, when he left active management for a year-long sabbatical, a 3-month Treasury bill returned 3.1% per year on average compared to the S&P 500 annual average return of 1.9% and an average inflation rate of 2.5%. His FPA Capital Fund achieved an annual average return of 8.2% during that time.
A lesson Rodriguez shared with investors is that stock and bond markets are slow to respond to structural economic shifts. His high liquidity position went against the norms of investment management at that time, and he lost clients in the process. Rodriguez has not shied away from bold moves since then, as when he liquidated all corporate debt holdings in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac–representing 40% of his funds' fixed income assets–after a nightmare in 2006 when he envisioned the two government-sponsored enterprises going into bankruptcy.
Rodriguez argues that we are entering a new time of danger in the global economy and that the Great Recession of 2007 to 2009 was merely Phase 1. If the U.S. does not make significant structural changes including entitlement reform, budgetary reform and a simpler tax system, he foresees another financial crisis of possibly greater magnitude in the years ahead.
Says Rodriguez: "For starters, entitlement reform should include benefit cuts, an increasing of the age for qualifying, and means-testing. Congressional budgetary reform must include statutory controls that prevent a future Congress from overturning expenditure cuts enacted now but are to be implemented later."
He also calls for simplifying a tax code that has grown to 72,000 pages–tripling in size since 1984.
Finally, Rodriguez calls for a grand fiscal compact in 2013 after the election, and failing that the arduous task of effecting these structural changes through Constitutional amendment.
Read Bob Rodriguez' predictions he made in interviews with AdvisorOne in October 2011 and February 2011.


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As someone who has invested way too many hours in my daughters' NYC public school and education issues beyond those four walls, I have come to realize that the worst thing educators and administrators can do is look at various subjects – math, literacy, science, art, music, gym, social studies – as isolated fields of study. But, unfortunately that does happen, and more often than not the arts are deemed "extras" instead of integral to bringing alive math, science, literacy and the other "core" subjects.
In my daughters' school the parents pay tens of thousands of dollars to supplement the meager art budget in the school. We cover supplies for the art teacher, a separate art program through Studio in a School for the 4th and 5th Grades since they don't get a dedicated art class, art supplies for the classroom teachers so they can do curriculum based art projects, and fund the school art show, chimes music program, dance programs, and more. We are lucky. Our parents have the means, time and know-how to fundraise this kind of money. Most schools are not this lucky. So, I was thrilled to participate in the Blick Art Materials Art Room Aid program.
"Art Room Aid was created in 2009 by Blick Art Materials. As a company focused on educational and professional art supplies, Blick has also consistently supported arts education in diverse ways. Whether sponsoring art scholarships or creating lesson plans that address national standards of learning while easing the burden on busy educators, we at Blick understand just how important collaboration is. And we know that big dreams start small- after all, Blick is a family-owned company that began at Mr. and Mrs. Blick's kitchen table in Galesburg, Illinois, 100 years ago.
Today, we're continuing to nurture that deeply rooted investment in the arts and in educational communities with Art Room Aid. As the world becomes increasingly linked, skills like visual communication and creative problem-solving are more important than ever."
I knew I wanted to find a teacher who worked at a school that didn't have the kind of support that my daughters' school has and fortunately, my sister connected me with Laura Pawson, a Visual Arts and Special Education teacher at Juan Morel Campos Secondary School in Brooklyn. The school's population made up of low-income students, including many homeless children, and almost 25% English Language Learners.
Ms. Pawson immediately jumped at the opportunity to stock up on supplies for a mosaic project she has been developing for her students. She created a wish list through Blick Art Materials Art Room Aid that you can now help fund and fulfill! In addition, she will be given $100 by Blick Art Materials to help kickstart this campaign and get these kids creating amazing art!
So, please click on over and help fund this fabulous project. You can click here: Juan Morel Campos Mosaic Project and give as little as $10 to bring art into a child's life.


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03 May, 2011 | (01 hr)
Sign In to access this Webcast
In a time of distrust between the public and business and increasing pressure on government to act as a result of the 2008-2009 recession, the government is stepping up already increased enforcements. One area of particular focus has been the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). This is creating a need for business to revisit practices and controls around compliance with FCPA and to increase the dialogue that takes place with regulators. In this webcast, we start that dialogue by hearing from the SEC and DOJ on their renewed focus and collaboration on FCPA enforcement and gain insight on their focus areas. Participants will have an opportunity to hear from the chief enforcers and understand their perspectives.
This webcast will be of interest to executives concerned with the changing legal and regulatory environment for corporations, including Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel, Corporate Secretary, Directors, Chief Ethics Officer, Chief Risk Officer, Contributions Manager, Director of Corporate Relations, Investor Relations and Corporate Social Responsibility
Nathaniel Edmonds
Nathaniel Edmonds is responsible for directly supervising half of the FCPA Unit's investigations into transnational bribery and leading certain FCPA investigations. Mr. Edmonds joined the Fraud Section through the Attorney General's Honors Program and has handled a variety of wh...Full Bio
Charles E. Cain
During his tenure with the SEC, Charles Cain has been responsible for numerous significant investigations and cases across a broad range of areas, including financial fraud, insider trading, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, offering fraud, market manipulation, prime bank fraud, and broker dealer pr...Full Bio
Steven A. Tyrrell
Steven A. Tyrrell serves as co-chair of Weil, Gotshal & Manges' White Collar Defense and Investigations Group. His practice focuses on white collar criminal defense, regulatory enforcement matters, and internal investigations. Before joining Weil, Mr. Tyrrell had a distingui...Full Bio


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Tom Brady on Aaron Hernandez: Time to focus on football
Tom Brady was guarded in his initial public comments on former teammate Aaron Hernandez, who faces murder charges and stood before a judge for a preliminary hearing on the day many of Brady's teammates traveled to report to training camp.
"I think everyone had a certain range of emotions, whatever they might have been, but those were very personal, and I dealt with them," Brady said. "Certainly, it's a very tragic thing that happened. Someone loses their life. But all those things were out of the players' control here. We're not really part of that situation, so I don't think it does a lot for us to get too much involved."
Brady said the locker room is ready to move on. He was advised by team spokesperson Stacey James not to directly respond to questions regarding his last contact with Hernandez, who was reportedly considering moving his offseason home to California, where Brady has traditionally hosted offseason workouts with his receivers.
Brady paused momentarily when asked if Hernandez called him or reached out after the incident.
"Stacey told me ... that's a good question, but I'm just not supposed to comment on any of those things. I'm really not supposed to comment on Aaron."
Brady said the players all have a responsibility to live up to the so-called Patriot Way, and cited specific leadership role models from past New England rosters, including Willie McGinest, Rodney Harrison, Kevin Faulk and Larry Izzo.
The rest of the roster now turns to Brady, 36, to guide them back into football. He welcomes the return to what is the new normal in New England.
"The fate of our season is going to be determined by the guys in this locker room and hopefully nothing else," Brady said. "You talk about the Patriot Way, and to me that means mental toughness. It means dealing with different situations and adversities over the course of a season and offseason and how you can put those things behind you and focus on your job."
Brady began the offseason answering questions about losing favorite receiver Wes Welker, had to talk about operating without Rob Gronkowski, the All-Pro tight end who went through multiple surgeries in the offseason, was quizzed about the presence of new arrival Tim Tebow and finally hit training camp with another hard-to-ignore distraction.
"Hopefully we can go out and do something our community can be really proud of," Brady said.


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PHILADELPHIA - Even with all of measurables in football, a sport ultimately based on nothing else, there is no way to gauge what Michael Vick saw, felt and heard the other day at the NovaCare Complex. Mostly, heard.
There is no way to measure the enthusiasm that defined the Eagles' first practice of the minicamp season - the first official step toward where they want to go but never do. There was no way to declare that the yelling was louder, the coaching more acute, the speed at a peak, the competition between offense and defense more intensely healthy.
There is no way to conclude that, yes, the Eagles are more passionate than in many, many years this summer, for who is to say, anyway, that Bill Bergey wasn't as passionate, or Jerome Brown, or Brian Dawkins? So, it was left to the trained ear to declare that there was something more lively this year than in too many others.
And Vick's ear was as handy a place as any to start.
'There's a lot of energy, man - a lot of energy,' the Birds' quarterback was saying, breaking into a smile, recognizing that something was just a little different this time. 'As a football team, we are very confident.'
It has been close to three decades since the Eagles were not confident. From Buddy Ryan ripping the Cowboys at West Chester, to Reggie White predicting championships, to Randall Cunningham posing as football's ultimate weapon, to Donovan McNabb forecasting skyrocketing, to Jeffrey Lurie supplying an inside-football commentary as it might relate to the strength of precious metals, that's what the Eagles do: They make themselves believe that the rest of the NFL is there only to provide game-day foil.
But there was something that cannot be measured at the minicamp this year, and it wasn't just because rain had pushed a workout indoors, elevating the decibel levels. The Eagles were loud, enthusiastic, happy. Even when they met at the end of practice in a huddle to thrust their helmets in the air and shout 'One, two, three … Birds!' like a high school team might, it seemed to be with a battle-cry enthusiasm, not a through-the-motions obligation.
'We understand that in order to go out and play good football, you've got to be relaxed,' Vick said. 'You've got to have fun with it. Although we know it's our job, you have got to be at peace while you are playing. Even though it is a tough game, that's why we play it. That's why we are professional players. We should be able to create that balance.'
That's the Eagles' chore this time - to embrace the opportunity to be champions. That could have happened last year, but the Birds started slow, had some injuries, sputtered with a trainee defensive coordinator and started to play good football after it was too late to matter.
They have lost Jason Peters to injury since then, but otherwise not only improved but made certain to give the nucleus another honest try, re-signing DeSean Jackson and strengthening their commitment to LeSean McCoy. Vick should benefit from his first labor-strife-free offseason as the starter. The franchise, it was said, drafted smartly.
So … maybe. And maybe that's why they were so bubbly last week, so alive, so crisp so early. They seem to know that at some point, it all will matter.
'It's very important to take this as seriously as possible,' Vick said. 'We have to get the most out of this and continue to get better each and every day. Nothing has really changed since the OTAs, but the intensity has picked up. The defense played well. The offense did a good job. So we are just learning.'
The won the last Super Bowl and, oddly enough, the topic of their first minicamp practice somehow was lost in the bubbly postgame discussion. By then, the scoreboard had done all the necessary measuring. For now, the Eagles can be measured by their enthusiasm. Consider them 1-0.
Follow Jack McCaffery at twitter.com/JackMcCaffery. To receive breaking news first, text the word delnews to 22700. Standard msg+data rates may apply.


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A person could be forgiven for not immediately connecting Ladenburg Thalmann to the independent space; the firm's sea change in strategy occurred only a few years ago, after all. Even so, their outsized impact is already being felt.
"We feel very good about our decision in 2007 to focus on the independent broker and advisor spaces," Richard (Dick) Lampen, president and CEO of Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services, explains. "Our legacy business was as a traditional Wall Street investment bank and all that it entails. We focused on raising capital for small- and mid-cap companies, which is a volatile space. It can be great, but then of course it can shut down."
As Lampen relates, the firm had a good 2007, but for the sustained value and growth it wanted, it decided to "foray into the independent space." And foray the firm did, with high-profile acquisitions of Investacorp, Triad Advisors and, most recently, Securities America.
"We now have 90% of our revenue coming from that side of the equation," Lampen says. "It's stable and recurring."
However, Lampen stresses that the firm is "keeping our foot on the investment side of the business" as well. It's a boost to business when times are good, he notes, but the firm no longer has to "depend on the vagaries of the capital markets."
"The greatest potential for growth in financial services is on the independent side," Lampen adds. "With the demographics that will result from the 'graying of America' and baby boomer retirement, we're seeing that growth on a parallel track with assets leaving wirehouses. The strong pickup in assets, plus 401(k) rollovers into IRAs, makes us very bullish on the independent advisor and brokerage businesses."
One might wonder if the firm has exhausted itself of more acquisitions, or whether it will continue to be a growth strategy moving forward.
"We are certainly open to new acquisitions opportunities, but our objective is not scale for scale's sake in order to grow large enough to self-clear," he explains. "We get this question a lot from our advisors, and that is most definitely not our plan. We feel it's not right for us or for our advisors."
Attendees of January's FSI OneVoice Conference in Orlando will most likely remember conference organizer Jim Nagengast's opening remarks. In a nod to the importance of attending hosted networking events, Nagengast, president and CEO of Securities America, happened to mention that he first met Lampen at just such an event the previous year. Securities America was acquired by Ladenburg Thalmann soon after. A simple coincidence? Probably, but a great story nonetheless.
"Assets like Securities America almost never come on the market," Lampen says. "I think the only comparable situation in recent years is when ING put three of its broker-dealers up for sale in 2009. I still remember within an hour of SA's assets becoming available on April 23, 2011, I put a call into Ameriprise CEO James Cracchiolo to let him know that we were interested. Was it dramatic? Yes, but we never planned on a Securities America-type firm coming available."
As for the issues that will most likely affect advisors in the near term, Lampen points to regulation and the type of SRO the industry will adopt, a discussion in which Ladenburg Thalmann is actively involved through its work with the Financial Services Institute. The firm is also keeping a close eye on the Department of Labor's proposed rules for retirement plans.
"The other issue I see is the transition period the industry currently finds itself in as it relates to the convergence of certain products it recommends," he concludes. "Non-traded products have been somewhat unique to the independent channel. I think that you'll see more of the traditional IPO products, typically reserved for wirehouses, become more prevalent in the independent space, and that represents opportunity."
Find out who was named on the 2012 IA 25 in Investment Advisor's May issue.
Check out more extended interviews of the 2012 IA 25 at AdvisorOne.


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6 months after Sandy, thousands homeless in NY, NJ
Photo: AP
Flags decorate a fence Thursday, April 25, 2013, in Brick, N.J., around the burned remains of more than 60 small bungalows at Camp Osborn which were destroyed last October during Superstorm Sandy. Six months after Sandy devastated the Jersey shore and New York City and pounded coastal areas of New England, the region is dealing with a slow and frustrating, yet often hopeful, recovery. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)