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Early Years and Education
George William Frederick was born in London on June 4, 1738, the son of Frederick, Prince of Wales, and his wife, Augusta of Saxe-Gotha. Frederick died on March 20, 1751, and George II, George's grandfather, bestowed Frederick's title upon twelve-year-old George a month later. On October 25, 1760, he succeeded George II as king of Great Britain and Ireland, duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, and prince-elector of Hanover. He was the third ruler in the royal British house of Hanover, a Germanic dynasty that had come to the English throne in 1714, but the first to be born in England. "Born and educated in this country I glory in the name of Britain," he exclaimed in his first speech from the throne.
Prior to George's accession, John Stuart, earl of Bute, had served as his tutor, schooling him in the same Whig principles that would nurture America's Founding Fathers. The goal was to end factionalized politics by encouraging the monarch to act in the national interest, above the partisan fray, thereby avoiding reliance on oligarchic political parties. But Bute also may have nurtured the prince's natural tendency to be suspicious, hypercritical, and self-righteous: George's governor noted "a kind of unhappiness in his Temper" that made the young prince "Sullen & Silent."
On September 8, 1761, at age twenty-three, George III married seventeen-year-old Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz; his coronation took place two weeks later on September 22. That year he purchased Buckingham House for Charlotte, which in time became the royal palace of choice when they were in London. Theirs was an affectionate and fruitful union, resulting in fifteen children.
Like his wife, George III was of average intellectual capability. He compensated for this by being thorough, at times obsessively so, in whatever he turned his mind to: book and art collecting, music, astronomy, botany, and clocks and other technology. Such pursuits suggest the importance to him of order and regularity. Unlike his predecessors, who had been born in Hanover and raised as Lutherans, George III was a devout and sincere Anglican. His Christian faith shaped a strong sense of duty and high moral standards to which he held his friends and family members.
Seven Years' War
During George III's reign, Britain was a constitutional monarchy. As such, it was ruled by a cabinet or ministerial government. The term "the Crown" functionally referred to powerful men, acting in the name of king, who controlled parliamentary factions. Throughout the eighteenth century the direct political power of the monarch declined, a development at work since the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and the passage of the English Bill of Rights, which limited monarchical power, in 1689.
When he came to the throne, George III inherited a ministry that had started the Seven Years' War, a global conflict with France and Spain, among other powers (the fighting in North America was known as the French and Indian War). The government had borrowed huge sums of money to finance the conflict, which provoked discomfort among the English about the unprecedented level of government debt. Part way through the war, in 1757, a Whig ministry formed under Thomas Pelham-Holles, the duke of Newcastle. Guided by William Pitt (the elder), the king's first government won the war, but at a high fiscal and political cost.
It was Pitt, seeking the opposing party's support for the Whig ministry, as much as George III, who drew the Tories—Royalist supporters—into the political center after the king's accession. But rather than contributing to the goal of eradicating the dominance of politics by the political parties, this development led to increased ministerial instability, which was exacerbated when George III appointed his friend and former tutor Bute prime minister in 1762.
Though he was a dear friend of the king's, Bute was wildly unpopular with the public, in part because of his rumored (but unlikely) affair with the dowager princess of Wales. His poor health made it difficult for him to focus on his position, and he found it stressful to be in the public eye. He was replaced in 1763 by George Grenville, who introduced the Stamp Act (1765). The act taxed printed materials used in the colonies and was meant to help offset the large cost of the war and of maintaining peace in its aftermath. Grenville and the king saw eye-to-eye on many issues, including American policy and the prosecution of John Wilkes, a member of Parliament who had repeatedly insulted the king in his radical newspaper, The North Briton. But their personalities clashed, and Grenville fell from power in 1765. His administration gave way to a ministry led by Charles Watson-Wentworth, marquess of Rockingham.
American Revolution
Rockingham's tenure, like that of his predecessors, was brief. The king dismissed him in 1766 and replaced him with Pitt, who had accepted a peerage and rose from the House of Commons to the House of Lords as the earl of Chatham. George III's choice of Pitt, a critic of British taxation of Americans, to lead his government suggests the American problem did not yet loom large in royal calculation. His appointment did not result in the unified government for which George III had hoped: in the move to the House of Lords, Pitt lost the popularity and political influence he'd enjoyed as a member of the House of Commons, became ill, and suffered a nervous breakdown.
The Pitt government marked a turning point in the king's posture during the American crisis. Prior to 1767 George III had been fundamentally passive, informed about policy by prime ministers rather than helping form it; now he became more involved. In 1767 the Revenue Act, drawn up by Charles Townshend, chancellor of the exchequer, proposed duties on various goods, in particular, tea imported by the East India Company. Several colonies, including Virginia, boycotted the trade goods enumerated in the Townshend duties. The cabinet responded to the crisis by proposing to delete the Townshend duties for colonies like Virginia, which provided revenue for colonial administration, but the king commented that it "would not be proper" given the offensive criticism of the British government in the Virginia Resolves. After Augustus FitzRoy, duke of Grafton (1735–1811), replaced Pitt in 1768, George III encouraged Grafton's cabinet to reject the prime minister's proposal to repeal American taxes completely.
From the British metropolitan perspective, a financially sound imperial policy would maintain the fragile peace with France and Spain secured in 1763. But the move toward imperial centralization as the solution to both European and global situations came at just the moment many influential Americans wanted more freedom from Britain, not less, and the shifting British policies alienated the colonists further. In 1768 a new office, Secretary of State for the Colonies, was created to focus on American issues.
It was in this context that in 1770 the king asked Frederick North, earl of Guilford to form a government. Lord North's ministry, as measured by longevity, was better than any during the previous decade. He remained prime minister for twelve years, both because he and George III remained on good terms, but also because divisive issues such as the Wilkes affair and the Falklands crisis with Spain had faded away. During North's tenure George III moved away from the more active role he had assumed earlier.
North would have preferred a complete repeal of the Townshend duties, but Parliament pushed for a firm hand. The Boston Tea Party, one response to the Tea Act of 1773, led to further hardening of the parliamentary opposition regarding a compromise with the American colonists: the series of laws known as the Coercive or Intolerable Acts. The king supported taking a tough stand toward the colonists, especially in light of the First Continental Congress's intransigence regarding Parliament's right to legislate for the colonies: "The dye is now cast," he wrote to North in 1774. "The colonies must either submit or triumph. I do not wish to come to severer measures, but we must not retreat."
Some historians believe that the king was unable to recognize the impact the Intolerable Acts would have on the colonists. George III was hardly a belligerent; his desire for a quick end to the Seven Years' War had established his reputation as a peacemaker, and he believed throughout the American Revolution that "a majority of the people of America" still wanted to be British subjects. He ultimately accepted the North cabinet's more conciliatory policy to exempt colonies that provided revenues for their civil and military affairs from British taxation. But after the outbreak of armed conflict at the battles of Lexington and Concord, George III entered into the cabinet's discussion of strategy and played a critical role in encouraging North to remain in office when the prime minister repeatedly wished to resign.
Policy and personality combined to form the king's attitude toward the American conflict. In 1777 he wrote to Lord North that "the too great leniency of this country increased their pride and encouraged them to rebel," a stance that reflects his unwillingness to compromise and inability to see things from another's point of view. But he also deeply believed that if one part of the empire "cast off its dependency then the others will infallibly follow," and that failing to take a strong stand against the Americans would weaken Britain in the eyes of her European competitors—so his understanding of his nation in the context of global affairs cannot be discounted.
Following the British surrender at the Battles of Saratoga, France and then Spain entered the war in support of America. This prompted heated debate in Parliament over whether to increase troop strength overseas, move the fighting from land to sea, or withdraw from the conflict altogether. George III still hoped for victory until the debacle at Yorktown in October 1781. Following a House of Commons vote to suspend military operations in North America, Lord North almost lost a vote of no confidence in the House of Commons. On March 20, 1782, he announced his resignation.
George reluctantly accepted the new government of Lord Rockingham and William Petty, earl of Shelburne, which made peace with the American rebels. But the administration collapsed over the terms of the Treaty of Paris, which granted the Americans more territory than had been fought over and failed to protect Loyalists. Rockingham died suddenly on July 1, 1782, and in 1783 North returned in alliance with the duke of Portland and Charles James Fox. The king despised Fox, even drafting an abdication speech in protest of the current government, but he never delivered it. Instead he dismissed Fox and North and appointed William Pitt (the younger) as prime minister. Pitt's victory in the 1784 general election strengthened the government's position in Parliament; simultaneously, the end of the American conflict removed a divisive political issue. Even the king accepted the outcome of events, telling John Adams, the first ambassador of a sovereign America, that he desired to "meet the friendship of the United States as an independent power."
Later Years
Early in the 1790s war with revolutionary France broke out; this in turn encouraged the Irish Rebellion of 1798. George III played an important role in shaping the outcome of the latter crisis, advocating suppression of the rebellion and then unification of the parliaments of Britain and Ireland. The Acts of Union of 1800 did just that, creating the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Shortly thereafter, Pitt resigned because of a disagreement with the king over the political emancipation of Roman Catholics. Pitt had supported emancipation as a concession to Ireland; the king felt that granting it would be in violation of his coronation oath to protect the Church of England.
Earlier historians have argued that George III was trying to turn the clock back and reestablish monarchical authority lost to Parliament following the Glorious Revolution. Examining his role in determining policy regarding the American colonies, it is now clear that until the revolution the king backed his governments rather than dictating to them. George III defended parliamentary authority over the British empire by pushing his leading ministers to win the war. In both cases he had deep support in Parliament for his actions. Although he wished to restore the monarch's power to determine his ministers, once he chose them they were allowed a free hand to govern the kingdom.
The king's Golden Jubilee (the fiftieth year of his reign) was popularly celebrated in 1809, but soon afterward George III's mental state collapsed. This was probably provoked by the death of his favorite daughter, Amelia, from tuberculosis in 1810. He completely lost his sight and hearing; one of his doctors commented that "he appears to be living in another world and has lost almost all interest in the concerns of this." On February 5, 1811, he was declared unfit to rule and his son George was appointed as regent. George III died—deaf, blind, and lame—on January 29, 1820; he was buried two weeks later in a private ceremony in St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.
Time Line
1663 - Parliament passes the Staple Act, limiting the export of certain enumerated crops, most prominently Chesapeake tobacco and West Indian sugar, to England.
June 4, 1738 - George William Frederick, the future King George III, is born at Norfolk House in London. He is the son of Frederick, Prince of Wales, and Augusta of Saxe-Gotha.
March 20, 1751 - George William Frederick's father, Frederick, Prince of Wales, dies.
October 25, 1760 - King George II dies after suffering a stroke at Kensington Palace in London. George William Frederick succeeds his grandfather as king, taking the name George III.
September 8, 1761 - George III marries Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The couple will have fifteen children.
September 22, 1761 - George III and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz are crowned in a coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey in London.
October 1761 - William Pitt (the elder) resigns as secretary of state after failing to convince the cabinet that Britain should declare war on Spain to prevent Spain's involvement in the Seven Years' War.
May 26, 1762 - George III appoints John Stuart, earl of Bute, as prime minister of Great Britain.
February 10, 1763 - Britain, France, and Spain sign the Peace of Paris, ending the Seven Years' War, a global conflict known in North America as the French and Indian War.
April 16, 1763 - George Grenville replaces John Stuart, earl of Bute, as prime minister of Great Britain.
March 22, 1765 - Parliament passes the "Duties in American Colonies Act 1765," better known as the Stamp Act, a piece of legislation introduced by George Grenville, the British prime minister. It requires all printed materials in the American colonies to be produced on specially stamped paper manufactured in London, England.
May 29, 1765 - Patrick Henry persuades a sparsely attended House of Burgesses to adopt five resolutions condemning the Stamp Act as a violation of the ancient rights of Englishmen in Virginia, known as the "Virginia Resolves on the Stamp Act." Burgesses rescind one resolution and never formally propose or vote on two others.
March 17, 1766 - Under pressure from Charles Watson-Wentworth, marquess of Rockingham, King George III agrees to repeal the Stamp Act.
1766 - Grateful for the Stamp Act repeal, a group of New York City merchants commissions a statue of King George III, to be erected in Bowling Green Park.
1767 - Charles Townshend, chancellor of the exchequer, introduces the Revenue Act, which imposes duties on goods imported to the American colonies, including tea imported by the East India Company.
January 28, 1770 - George III appoints Frederick North, earl of Guilford, as prime minister of Great Britain.
December 16, 1773 - In response to the Tea Act, which restores the tea tax that had been repealed in 1767, a group of men, some dressed as Mohawk Indians, board three tea ships docked in Boston Harbor and throw the cargo into the sea.
July 8, 1775 - In an attempt to reconcile with England, the Second Continental Congress sends the so-called Olive Branch Petition to King George III asking him to intervene in Parliament on the colonists' behalf. The king refuses the petition.
August 23, 1775 - King George III proclaims the thirteen American colonies to be "engaged in open and avowed rebellion."
July 4, 1776 - The Second Continental Congress issues the Declaration of Independence, which labels King George III a tyrant and calls him "unfit to be the ruler of a free people."
July 9, 1776 - An angry mob, incited by a public reading of the Declaration of Independence, pulls down the statue of King George III in Bowling Green Park in New York City. The lead statue is melted down and molded into musket balls.
October 16, 1777 - After American troops surround his forces near Saratoga, New York, British general John Burgoyne surrenders his army to American general Horatio Gates.
March 20, 1782 - Frederick North, earl of Guilford, announces his resignation as prime minister of Great Britain. He is succeeded by Charles Watson-Wentworth, marquess of Rockingham.
September 3, 1783 - The Treaty of Paris is signed in Paris, France, by Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, John Jay, and David Hartley. In the document, Britain formally recognizes American independence and cedes to America all lands south of the Great Lakes and east of the Mississippi River except for the Florida colonies.
December 19, 1783 - William Pitt (the younger) is appointed British prime minister.
August 2, 1786 - Margaret Nicholson attempts to kill King George III with a dessert knife; the king is not injured in the attack. Nicholson is examined by the Privy Council, declared insane, and committed to Bethlem Royal Hospital in London.
1788–1789 - King George III's mental and physical health become so unstable that factions of Parliament begin to fight over whether his son George, Prince of Wales, should be allowed to rule as regent. The king's recovery puts an end to the regency crisis, but he will relapse in 1801, 1804, and 1810.
April 23, 1789 - King George III celebrates his recovery with a thanksgiving service at Saint Paul's Cathedral, in London.
February 1, 1793 - The French National Convention declares war on Britain, who earlier in the year protested the imprisonment and execution of French king Louis XVI by joining the First Coalition against France (a group that includes Spain, Austria, and Prussia).
1798 - In Ireland, a group including Protestants and Catholics, called the Society of United Irishmen, initiates a string of bloody uprisings against the British, who in their view exert too much control over Irish affairs.
May 15, 1800 - James Hadfield shoots at King George III before a performance at Drury Lane Theatre in London. The king is unharmed and insists on staying to watch the play.
January 1, 1801 - The Union with Ireland Act and the Act of Union go into effect, creating the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
October 25, 1809–October 25, 1810 - King George III's Golden Jubilee is celebrated, marking the fiftieth year of his reign.
November 2, 1810 - King George III's youngest and favorite daughter, Princess Amelia, dies at age twenty-seven of tuberculosis. After her death, George III's health and mental state decline permanently.
February 5, 1811 - King George III, who suffers from a debilitating physical and mental illness (possibly porphyria), is declared unfit to rule. His son George, Prince of Wales, is appointed regent.
November 17, 1818 - Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III, dies; she is buried at Saint George's Chapel, at Windsor Castle.
January 29, 1820 - George III dies at Windsor; he is buried two weeks later in a private ceremony at Saint George's Chapel, at Windsor Castle.
Further Reading
Cite This Entry
- APA Citation:
Baer, M. George III (1738–1820). (2014, September 17). In Encyclopedia Virginia. Retrieved from http://www.EncyclopediaVirginia.org/George_III_1738-1820.
- MLA Citation:
Baer, Marc. "George III (1738–1820)." Encyclopedia Virginia. Virginia Humanities, 17 Sep. 2014. Web. READ_DATE.
First published: May 25, 2011 | Last modified: September 17, 2014


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Sarah Palin's QE2 Criticism Includes Inflation Hyperbole
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, in remarks to be delivered today as reported by the National Review, offers a largely conventional critique of the Federal Reserve's latest round of quantitative easing. The most notable aspect may be who is delivering it, rather than the content of the message. (Read more about her remarks)
The 2008 vice presidential candidate and tea party favorite says she's "deeply concerned" about the central bank creating new money to buy government bonds. She says "it's far from certain this will even work" — joining a long line of people on the left and right with that assessment — and questions whether this will lead to more rounds of QE and an inflation problem.
A few political figures have already assailed the Fed decision, so Palin calling out the Fed chairman directly only takes the criticism one step further with her "cease and desist" line. "When Germany, a country that knows a thing or two about the dangers of inflation, warns us to think again, maybe it's time for Chairman [Ben] Bernanke to cease and desist," she says, according to the remarks obtained by National Review. "We don't want temporary, artificial economic growth bought at the expense of permanently higher inflation which will erode the value of our incomes and our savings."
Unlike most U.S. economists and politicians, however, Palin tries to draw the concerns about quantitative easing to inflation today and falls short. She says, "everyone who ever goes out shopping for groceries knows that prices have risen significantly over the past year or so. Pump priming would push them even higher."
Grocery prices haven't risen all that significantly, in fact. The consumer price index's measure of food and beverages for the first nine months of this year showed average annual inflation of less than 0.6%, the slowest pace on record (since the Labor Department started keeping this measure in 1968). Even if you pick a single snapshot — say, September's year-over-year increase in prices — that was just 1.4%, far better than the 6% annual increase for food prices recorded in September 2008.
The overall consumer price index was up 1.1% in September from a year earlier. Apart from September 2009 (when prices were down 1.3%), that was the slowest annual inflation rate for September since the early 1960s. That's not strong evidence to argue about rising prices today.

subset: commoncrawl


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Gymkhana, the "car rodeo" YouTube video phenomenon, will join the redoubtable Rally in DiRT 3 next year. Loosely described, gymkhana features a start and finish line and some obstacle to negotiate. Codemasters dropped several screenshots illustrating both modes today.
A news release from Codemasters says that DiRT 3's rally will feature "more than double the amount of content," with tracks ranging from Scandinavia to Kenya and the United States. Gymkhana will be "set in specifically created arenas packed with props." Chaining together moves is said to be a gameplay feature.


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Our fastest Skintec ski ever – the first Skintec ski that's ready to race.
Our fastest Skintec ski ever – the first Skintec ski that's ready to race.
Nomex is structured like a honeycomb for strength, resilience and liveliness. SDS camber construction keeps kick zone high in the glide phase for no friction. Then easy to compress in the kick phase for full energy into the kick.
100% Mohair skins deliver a strong grip and fast glide in all snow conditions.
This sintered world cup base includes 6% special glide additive for a great glide in all conditions.
The Race profile with an optimized thickness curve ensures control and stability.
The Skintec takeover continues! We originally invented Skintec to help ambitious hobby racers pack in more time training, giving the feel of a perfectly waxed ski without the need to kick-wax. But this new ski takes Skintec and waxless technology to a whole new space: it's our lightest and fastest skin-ski ever, and with a Race + Carbon Laminate. Making it the first Skintec ski (and we reckon the first skin ski full stop) that's genuinely ready to race.


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Welcome to DICK'S Sporting Goods Community donation and sponsorship request page!
Are you affiliated with a Sports Team or League? Visit our Sports Teams and Leagues Donation and Sponsorship request page. Here you will find more information on how to request a donation or sponsorship for your team or league!
Please follow the link below to submit a proposal for a donation or sponsorship for your Community Organization.
DICK'S Sporting Goods believes that Sports Matter! We feel that sports play a vital role in teaching our children fundamental values like a strong work ethic, teamwork, and good sportsmanship. Today, DICK'S Sporting Goods shares our enthusiasm for and commitment to youth sports in the communities where we live and work by supporting organizations that make youth sports possible.
DICK'S Sporting Goods Community Program proudly supports leagues, teams, athletes, and outdoor enthusiasts through thousands of youth sports and outdoor recreation organizations in communities surrounding our stores. If you are interested in submitting a request for a donation or sponsorship, please create an account.
For answers to your technical support questions, please use the SponsorPort Online Help System© Conxeo. All Rights Reserved.


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On Monday, Schwab Advisor Services released its quarterly report on RIA mergers and acquisitions, and three datapoints tell the story. Rollup firms accounted for 70% of the transactions recorded in the quarter, and year-to date-transactions with a quarter to go nearly match the value of all transactions recorded in 2011. But the actual number of deals in 2012 is still lower.
In the quarter, Schwab's report on RIA M&A found that there were 10 deals completed for RIA firms—rollup firms, which Schwab calls "national acquiring firms," accounted for seven of those transactions—with a total value of $6.1 billion.
Year to date through the quarter ended Sept. 30, there were 35 transactions accounting for $42.38 billion in assets under management; in all of 2011, there were 57 deals that accounted for $43.88 billion in AUM.
Dave DeVoe (right), founder and managing partner of the advisor M&A consulting firm DeVoe & Co., said in an email message that the Q3 M&A numbers were "softer than anticipated" and what would be expected for an industry "with over 10,000 firms."
He suggested that the slowdown in transactions "is likely caused by sellers or buyers being distracted," and that one of those distractions might well be the extended volatility of the markets.
In addition, DeVoe, who formerly ran that part of Schwab Advisor Services which tracks advisor M&A, said "business management issues such as growth of new clients or partners grappling with conflicting goals" can also distract. Summing up, he characterized advisor interest in mergers and acquisitions as "high," but said advisors are "often distracted from the path to completing the transaction."
A lack of distraction might very well be why the rollup firms are accounting for a greater share of transactions, DeVoe speculated. "Consolidators maintain momentum in this environment because they have a focused acquisition plan and process." That process often includes weekly meetings with an advisor seller to work through specific issues around the proposed transaction, which "helps drives deals to conclusion."
Anecdotally, DeVoe wrote that advisor M&A interest is very high, as evidenced by his own firm, which he said has hired two new investment bankers over the past five months "to keep up with demand."
While the value of all RIA deals has approached 2011's total, the pace of deals has fallen this year from the high of 17 in the first quarter. However, the average deal size has risen this year, to $1.21 billion compared with 2011's full-year average deal size of $798 million.
Two years ago was an even busier year for deals; 2010 saw 70 total deals worth $62.68 billion.
So far in 2012, those rollup firms have completed 19 transactions, accounting for 54% of all completed transactions. In the third quarter of 2011, 17 M&A transactions were completed, according to Schwab.
In a statement, Jon Beatty, senior vice president, sales and relationship management at SAS, said that "uncertainty in the markets and the upcoming presidential election" accounts for the decline in the number of transactions. He argues that the "national acquiring firms remain dominant players" while RIA firms considering conducting a merger or acquisition "have been sitting on the sidelines waiting for the right opportunity."
The numbers support the contention that RIA firms are themselves staying on the sidelines this year. In 2011, RIA firms accounted for the largest percentage of transactions—44%—but only 20% so far this year. In 2011, the rollup firms accounted for 30% of all transactions, compared with 54% this year.


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Short controlled bursts!:
Your ammo is limited so it's important to make every shot count.
Reload during pauses:
The best time to reload is when there aren't many enemies about.
When you notice a lull in zombies, hit the R Key.
Getting A+:
To get maximum points you will not only need to survive the night, but also make sure your overall accuracy percentage is high.


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In 1982 Brian Eno made his celebrated remark about the legacy of the Velvet Underground - that they had inspired everyone who had bought their records to form a band. For my generation, the one that grew up on and grew up with guitars in the second half of the1980s, it felt as if the Velvet Underground were our contemporaries.
When VU appeared in 1985 it was the first new Velvet Underground music to have been heard since Live 1969 over a decade earlier. Within a year Polydor had also released Another VU and the band were the subject of an hour long South Bank Show, one that included those precious few seconds of the band rehearsing in The Factory in their Exploding Plastic Inevitable pomp.
The Velvet Underground was a name that was inescapable during early adolescence. It could be decoded on the back sleeve of Hunky Dory and if you managed to thread the names together, the song writing credits listed for Sister Ray on Still. In 1983 Victor Bockris and Gerard Malanga had published their Velvets biography Uptight, but before the arrival of VU it was easier to stand in a bookshop and flick through its monochrome photographs of the band than it was to hear their music, especially the four original studio albums which were often only available as expensive imports. There were other releases available. The truly committed fan could hear fifth generation recordings of the unreleased Cycle Annie and Loop on the Etc and And So On bootlegs, whereas the merely curious had to settle for the cheaply pressed Andy Warhol's Velvet Underground Featuring Nico compilation with its Pop Art-on-a-budget sleeve.
Once VU precipitated a renewed interest in the band the Velvet Underground became newly relevant, to the point of becoming a generational obsession. The band held an aura that was inviolable; they were not so much an influence as an article of faith. A cursory listen to any record made by a guitar band on an independent label in the last thirty years demonstrates how much their presence is felt across the history of contemporary music.
Lou Reed famously said he wrote songs 'so people wouldn't be alone'. Listening through to his records it became clear that he understood people with a tenderness that was at odds with the persona he often set against the media. These people include the cross dressers of the Factory, the woman who had her children taken away in Berlin, Stephanie and Caroline, Waltzing Matilda and everyone who takes part in The Halloween Parade. They are strong characters living difficult lives and many of them have problems. Reed understood them well enough not to pass judgement and by introducing them into our lives we certainly felt less alone. Most listeners would hope Reed's empathy touched the lives of those who inhabit his songs as well.
As well as being capable of a deep compassion for those inhabiting the margins of society Reed, perhaps more than anyone, understood that at its best rock and roll contains an undeniable spiritual truth.
Some people's lives - often the best people's lives, certainly the most interesting people's lives - really are saved by rock and roll. Ask anyone who has made it his or her business to be in a band how it feels to be able to sing the fourth line from Sweet Jane:
"Me I'm in a rock and roll band".
Whatever the reply there will almost certainly be a smile on their face.
The original Live 1969 version of Sweet Jane contains six words that are missing from the Loaded version:
"Thinking ways to get back home"
For reasons I don't quite understand this lyric seems to have an emotional cadence that even in a canon as poignant as the one Lou Reed has bequeathed feels overwhelming.
If your life has been saved by rock and roll, then thinking about ways to get back home is something you're just going to have to get used to.
"Anyone who's ever had a dream
Anyone who's ever played a part
Anyone who's going to live lonely
Anyone who's ever stood apart"
And then at the end of the Live 1969 version of Sweet Jane you can hear Lou Reed's voice speaking softly as he says:
"Good Night".
— Richard King


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Grand Prix: San Francisco Coverage
January 23 - 24, 1999
-Alex Shvartsman
Event Recap
Grand Prix San Francisco is as close as a public tournament gets to a Pro Tour. The who's who of pro Magic attended this event, with players coming from as far as Germany to play. Held at Neutral Ground: San Francisco (formerly known as MatchPlay), the Grand Prixattracted so many competitors, the organizers were forced to rent an empty store next door in order to accomodate everyone.
A total of 324 players competed in the Grand Prix playing Urza's Saga sealed deck, with top 64 advancing to day two and competing in booster drafts. A 5-1-1 record was needed to make day two. Surprisingly many of the top pro players in attendance were unable to make it. Randy Buehler, Dave Price, Brian Hacker, Steve O'Mahoney Schwartz, Scott Jones and several others of the Magic elite were eliminated surprisingly early.
After day one, three players remained undefeated. John Yoo of The Hitmen, Tony Tsai of the Deadguys and, in the first place, an underdog Mike Craig.
Day two featured two booster drafts and six rounds of intense competition. Finally, top 8 were announced. As it included two already-qualified players, the invitations were awarded to 9th and 10th place finishers - Tony Tsai (Deadguys) and Brian Weissman (The Legion).
Top 8 Draft and Playoff
Alan Comer quickly became Public Enemy #1, once other top 8 competitors learned that he passed Mark Schick a Morphling - one of the most powerful cards available in this set.
Comer denied ever passing the card, but Dan Gray confirmed that Comer, drafting red-green, took a Blanchwood Treefolk over it. "I did not pass a Morphling," said Comer, "but I probably would have. It was not in my colors."
In the first round, Comer faced Mike Craig, who after doing extremely well in the swiss rounds drafted a very weak deck in the top 8. Comer was able to destroy all of Craig's permanents by pulling off a Smokestack-two Fiery Mantle combo.
Meanwhile Mark Schick and Hashim Bello faced off in a blue-black vs. blue-black matchup. It was the most interesting match of the draft, as both players packed swampwalk creatures and Veiled Serpents, making their decks very powerful against each other. Bello won the first game, but lost the consecutive two because of the abovementioned Morphling.
Van Cleave's Skittering Skirge went all the way against Shawn Keller in a close race, and John Yoo's green-white deck defeated Shawn Roush's mono-white.
In the semi-finals, Richard Van Cleave managed to defeat Alan Comer in a very interesting match, despite losing a game to Shivan Hellkite. Schick got his Morphling on the table both games, and defeated Yoo, whose deck was unable to stop the versatile creature.
Finals Recap
Game 1
Inevitably, Schick drew Morphling in his opening hand. He played a few creatures early in the game which got removed by Van Cleave's pair of Pit Traps. Eventually, Schick played his Morphling, leaving a blue mana untapped. However, he severely underestimated the amount of creature removal Van Cleave's deck was packing. During Schick's discard phase, Van Cleave attempted to cast an Expunge on the Morphling, forcing Schick to tap out. Then, on his own turn, Van Cleave cast Befoul to kill Morphling.
For a dozen turns afterward, Schick kept drawing land while Van Cleave stockpiled removal. Van Cleave had a Vile Requiem and two Torch Songs in play, all accumulating counters. Eventually, Van Cleave was able to win the game dealing 13 points of damage via Torch Songs.
Game 2
Van Cleave ritualed out a first turn Looming Shade followed by a Skittering Skirge a few turns later. Schick simply didn't draw any way to deal with the Skirge and had his own creatures removed quickly. He lost the game in about a dozen turns, making Van Cleave the winner.
Winner Biography
Van Cleave, 23, of Louisville, KY has been playing Magic since The Dark expansion set, but only began playing competitively about six months before PT Paris. He qualified for that and two other Pro Tours but did not place highly in any of them.
Cleave has an excellent Grand Prix record lately, having finished 4th in GP Austin and 16th in GP Zurich
"I do not care which colors I play, as long as I draft enough removal," Van Cleave explains his strategy. "This format is much slower than Rath cycle, so you can afford to play few creatures." This strategy obviously worked for him, as Van Cleave won playing a total of 8 creatures in his final draft.


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Award-winning photographer Jodi Bieber was, in her own words, "a hungry young photographer with an assignment from the New York Times Magazine" when she covered the 2000 Ebola outbreak in Uganda. Recalling that work, and the experience of chronicling the grim story, the South African photographer recently told LightBox that "fourteen years later, I would say [covering an Ebola outbreak] is no different than playing Russian Roulette with your life."
First diagnosed in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan in 1976, Ebola is a viral disease with a mortality rate of 90%. Its symptoms include fever, headache and muscle pain, as well as—in the terminal stages—diarrhea, vomiting and internal bleeding.
In the most recent outbreak, which first originated in Guinea last March and has already spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria, more than 670 people have died, according to the World Health Organization. And it shows no sign of slowing down.
"You can't really control where you are or what to do to avoid getting infected," says Spanish photographer Samuel Aranda, who was on assignment for the New York Times in Guinea last week. "It was scary, and sad. Now, nobody is shaking hands with each other. You can see the fear in people's faces."
While Aranda received the kind of access that allowed him to photograph everything he needed for the Times, some villages remained closed to foreigners. "People are scared of Ebola, and some villagers believe foreigners brought the virus to their territories, so we were not able to enter those villages."
Aranda did not wear any particular protective gear during the seven days he spent in Guinea, but he received constant advice from Doctors Without Borders' local teams, which made sure that he cleaned his hands and arms with chlorine regularly. "I was really impressed by the work [these doctors] are doing there," he tells TIME.
Fourteen years ago, as the Ebola virus killed more than 200 people in Uganda, Jodi Bieber found herself riding with ambulance drivers to document the outbreak. "The World Health Organization had seen its share of unruly television crews and were less than happy to assist in any more coverage," she told TIME. "I was one of the last photographers on the scene—the majority of the media were leaving when I arrived."
The ambulance drivers' job was "to transport the sick and bury the dead," notes Bieber, who wore surgical plastic gowns, masks, hats, shoes and gloves at all times. Every time she left a contaminated zone, she was sprayed with bleach.
Bieber received a World Press Photo prize for her work, but she also endured the biggest scare of her life. "When I arrived back in South Africa after the assignment, I suddenly fell sick. This is when it became scary," she remembers. It takes up to 21 days for the Ebola virus to incubate. "Those were the worst 21 days of my life. With Ebola, there's no turning back. It's a bitter death, as I saw in Uganda."
Samuel Aranda is a Spanish freelance photographer represented by Panos Pictures.
Jodi Bieber is an award-winning photographer based in South Africa.
Olivier Laurent is the editor of TIME LightBox. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @ olivierclaurent
Mikko Takkunen is an associate photo editor at TIME.com. Follow him on Twitter @photojournalism.


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From an advertisement for Brown, Barnes & Bell (photographers in Liverpool, we presume) comes an optical illusion ca. 1890 that is half elephant man, half... well... something else. We don't want to spoil it. Check below the fold for the big reveal.
One more time. Here's the original view:
Aaaand the reveal (for those having trouble guessing the subject):
G/O Media may get a commission
Funny how a little perspective can be the difference between a weird case of pareidolia and a cuddly household pet.


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With all of NASA's troubles getting Discovery's STS-133 mission off the ground, maybe it's time they looked for an expert opinion. Especially when Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge has officially offered his services. But did NASA accept?
Hallelujah! LeVar Burton and NASA, together at last. Looks like we'll have that hydrogen gas leak fixed in no time. And maybe get that holodeck online, while we're at it. [Twitter via Geekosystem]


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Comics have been around for centuries, but the iconic Action Comics #1 featuring Superman in 1938 is widely considered to be the beginning of the "Golden Age." Other metalliferous ages followed: silver, bronze, iron. Now, comics are in the "Modern Age." And the biggest question both today and going forward—will comic books largely remain on glossy paper or transition to backlit LED?
Perhaps this question became more difficult in 2007, when comiXology launched as an online community for readers. In five years it has grown into the niche equivalent of iTunes. With more than 20,000 titles by dozens of publishers including Marvel and DC, Comics by comiXology has become the dominant platform for finding, buying, and reading comics on Web, tablet, or smartphone. The underlying technology is licensed, too. Branded apps from Marvel, DC, BOOM! Studios, IDW, and others use it and are linked. If you are reading comics on a tablet, you might as well be reading Comics.
Similar to iBooks, Comics (free) functions as store and reader. The Store is easy to navigate and search, much faster than rifling through bagged copies in storage boxes. Select a specific comic and the display shows a coverflow of the series, price, credits, summaries, and a few preview pages. There's even a link to buy in print directing users to local stores. Prices are comparable to print, usually from $0.99 to $2.99 for single issues. Comics also provides a decent "taste" of 500 free titles and counting. An increasing number of titles are also available the same day as print, eliminating another advantage of paper. Whatever benefits the physical medium holds, the new iPad threatens to take those away.
"Resolutionary" Comics
Saving shelf space is the obvious advantage of digital comics. A single issue takes up anywhere from 10 to 20MB. In terms of physical size, an iPad single page is slightly smaller diagonally than paper,—9.7 versus about 12 inches. It's hard to imagine using a smaller tablet to read comics, or one of those Macrocephaly smartphones. Virtually all smartphones would be eliminated too were it not for Guided View.
This trademarked and controversial technology presents individual panels in sequence. It zooms in on each panel, or even multiple parts of a panel, optionally showing the entire page upon entering and exiting. While the benefit is obvious on the small screen of a smartphone, the risk is the destruction of the page as art. Does anyone think Michelangelo frescoing the Creation of Adam expected it to be experienced like this?
- Zoom out to Jehovah in fluttering red cape backed by Team Cherub flying to rescue Adam lost and nekid on a mountain.
- Zoom in to Jehovah's face, eyes alight with the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
- Zoom in to Adam's innocence.
- Zoom in to the outreached hands for the "ET" moment.
Guided View is, in my opinion, just awful. Favoring the parts over the sum of the page, it transforms the experience without the reader even realizing they are the worse for it.
ComiXology offers a technically better alternative called CMX-HD. That's what the company dubbed the comic format for the new iPad, designed for a resolution of 2048x1536. Upgrading to the new format is painless, outside possible storage issues. A copy of Saga #1 (a double issue) took up 18 megabytes on an iPad 2, but it was 38MB for the new iPad. What do you get for double the size?
Glancing at these two images from an iPad 2 and a new iPad at the same resolution, you might not notice a difference. Look for a moment longer and you should. The new iPad is sharper in comparison, though in isolation at 1024x768 on an iPad 2 the difference is negligible even in the hated Guided View. There is, however, one important exception.
Typography in e-books isn't terribly important to publishers or readers, but it matters in comics. In the above example, Baron Robot XXIII "speaks" with a monospaced accent. That's no accident. Every visual element matters in comics, a process broken down into stages beyond the story itself: penciling, coloring, inking, and lettering. Merging the above panel from an iPad 2 and new iPad, the difference is clear. On the new iPad, digital comics have superseded paper in one key aspect. It's a better read. Not that this matters.
Infinite Non-crisis: Digital Versus Analog
No matter how many new iPads Apple sells, there are other tablets (including ones from Apple for this year at least) running at a lower resolution. More importantly, there will be many, many more smartphones with physically smaller displays. Despite the new iPad obviating the need for assisted reading due to fuzzy text, the future of the digital comic is guided (ugh). Even if it is optional, how long before artists painstakingly guiding the eye by panel layout opt to let software do the work? How long before someone decides to add voices and sound effects? You have to wonder what this kind of transformative tech means... so I sought out a subject matter expert.
Ultimate Comics is, bar none, the best comics store near me that doesn't smell like Cheetos. I mentioned in passing to CEO Jeremy Tarney the first title I ever read, Incredible Hulk #189 from July, 1975. With savant-like ease, he instantly knew he had it (now I do, too). This is an area where digital comics currently fail. There's a lack of back catalogs beyond a few, likely high-profit, titles. After buying my comic touchstone, Tarney took a few minutes to speak with me about digital comics, but first the obvious question:
Do you remember your first comic? "Uncanny X-Men #181," Tarney said. "They fought some dragon. I remember flipping through the pages at the drug store."
I asked about the impact of tablets on the business, whether there's been either a halo or perhaps pitchfork effect on paper sales due to digital comics.
"The impact of iPad has been minimal at most," Tarney said. "It's been positive because they've been able to read things they might not have picked up because there's been a free preview… The fact of the matter is most people who are our customers are—not necessarily hardcore—but they've been reading comics for a while. They collect comics. They like the physical, actual comic book."
No, I did not ask what, exactly, "hardcore" readers were like. It's a scary thought no matter the interpretation and not salient to the future of paper comics. To that end, I did query whether paper comics including codes for digital versions had influenced buyers.
"It really doesn't seem like most people care that much. When they first started doing it they made a big deal about it," Tarney said. "They bagged the issues so you couldn't get the code out without buying the comic… people didn't like it… you couldn't flip through to see if you liked the artwork before buying."
Tarney wasn't worried about the future of paper comics. To him and his customers, it's about the "physical," the visceral connection between reader and paper in hand. Digital cannot emulate it. Unlike music, the digital reader remains the outlier. It would appear for the casual comic reader, enjoying Hulk battling Mole Men and self-esteem issues on a tablet is a good enough experience. For for the sake of the art form, it appears thankfully not.


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Do you love retail jobs, but want more flexibility and variety than working set hours in a single location/department? SPAR Merchandising and Assembly Inc. (SM&A) could be the right fit for you!
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Because SM&A is nationwide, in almost every zip code in the country, you can work close to home, in stores you may now shop in or work at, and communities you know, building valuable relationships.


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Charmed TorontoWedding Invitation by Racheal Bumbolo for Bella Figura
Eco friendly letterpress wedding invitations featuring the unique skyline of this refined Canadian city, Charmed Toronto invitations are perfect for glamorous urban weddings.
View additional pieces in the Charmed Toronto sample suite.
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10 business days to print for almost all designs.
+ 3 business days for first proof.
+ 1 business day for each revision.
rush service is available.
Everything about this design is customizable!


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We've all spent a sleepless night channel surfing at 3a.m. Flicking around at that hour, you're sure to come across an infomercial for a Revolutionary Floor Cleaner or an Abs-of-Steel Machine urging you to be one of the first 500 callers and get a free set of steak knives. Bolstered by breathless, off-their-meds hosts, these feature-length commercials are wildly profitable. (Americans bought more than $91 billion worth of products hawked on TV in 2011). Now Orabrush, a 20-person company based in Utah, is using that formula to become the QVC of YouTube.
The Orabrush, as you might have guessed from the picture, is a tongue scraper. Invented by Dr. Bob Wagstaff, the product is essentially a modified toothbrush with a wider head. While it may be effective in scraping bacteria and other gunk off your tongue to cure bad breath, it's not an easy sell. Dr. Wagstaff tried to hawk it for eight years, spent $40,000 on a slick TV infomercial, and sold about 100 units.
Frustrated by his lack of traction, Wagstaff visited a class of MBA students to get new marketing ideas.
One student, Jeffrey Harmon, argued that the Orabrush should be marketed on the web. Wagstaff disagreed, but still paid Harmon $500 to produce a video to test his hypothesis. Over a hundred YouTube videos later, Harmon heads up the marketing team that has helped Orabrush sell 2.1 million units and land national retail distribution at Walmart.
This tiny company with a single wince-inducing product has more online viewers than P&G, Crest and every other product in the oral care category, combined.
With crowdfunding and access to production services, it has never been easier to bring a product to market. But that ease also creates noise and competition. As Dr. Wagstaff's experience proves, many inventors fail to consider marketing until it's too late.
Shooting a quirky video for your product doesn't ensure it will go viral. "Only one in a 1,000 videos go viral," Harmon says, "and even people who have had viral videos can't usually repeat them."
Only one in a 1,000 videos go viral, Harmon says.So what was Orabrush's secret sauce? Harmon offered a few tips:
- Inventors should make videos that tell compelling stories about their product and experiment with different approaches until sales improve. Orabrush tested video formats that included technical demonstrations and other, more surreal fare. One series was a soap opera starring Morgan "The Foul-Mouthed Tongue" who was constantly alienating potential love interests with his surly attitude and horrible halitosis. This cheeky, low-budget series starring a guy in a foam rubber suit generated 300 percent more views than all of the high-budget commercials on the supposedly youth-focused, YouTube friendly Mountain Dew channel.
- Don't underestimate the optimization process. Orabrush videos look casual, but take days to write and shoot, and often require months of refinements, edits and testing before they go live. This high barrier to entry gives creatives a huge advantage. It's relatively easy for entrepreneurs to experiment with pay-per-click or banner ads, but making a video requires specialized skills.
- Forget the focus group. Use your video channel to find out what customers think. Hundreds of Orabrush users have posted testimonials on YouTube that provide the team with constant feedback and video footage of their product in use. This wealth of customer data has led to a number of product improvements. For example, the bristle pad was originally white, because Dr. Wagstaff thought dental tools should look sterile, but that made it hard to see the gunk -- the holy grail of obsessive oral hygiene. In response, Harmon introduced vibrantly colored bristles. The gunk now took center stage, making the product seem more effective.
YouTube is the new cable. Top stars on YouTube get more views on each of their uploads than Jay Leno or Conan O'Brien get on TV. According to Harmon, a respectable cable TV channel has approximately 400,000 viewers who watch regularly. Orabrush gets 185,000 -- for a tongue scraper.
In other words, if you're building a product or are part of a company that's preparing to launch one, your marketing plan should set its sights one thing only: earning the badge "As Seen on YouTube."


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Add a bit of sparkle with our jewellery range. We've got you covered for the ideal gift with our Personalised Jewellery and unique Bracelets and Bangles. Remember it's not just about gifts – spoil yourself with our huge selection of Earrings, from handmade sterling silver drop earrings, to gorgeous delicate studs, we've got a style to suit you.
The perfect Anniversary or Birthday gift, our selection of rings come in a variety of styles. Our ever popular Stackable Rings come hand stamped with your choice of words – so you really can say it with words.
Children's Jewellery
Our jewellery isn't just for grownups! At Bouf.com we offer some truly special Personalised Bracelet Kits Our kits are beautifully presented in luxury white matchbox style gift boxes with metallic trim and matching paper insert. Perfect for parties or sleepovers!
Whatever style your looking for, many of our stunning necklaces and pendants can be personalised. They make a great gift idea for Mother's Day showcasing your children's names. Some hand stamped necklace ideas could also be initials, a special date such as an anniversary or wedding, or even a short phrase such as I Love You.
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Membership can bring you many benefits, whether you are a courier, haulier, owner / driver, Manufacturer or Supplier...
Examples of successful Returnloads.net stories
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The Returnloads.net freight exchange has thousands of registered transport companies ranging from owner drivers with one vehicle all the way up to international haulage companies with thousands of trucks and vans. Our haulage exchange helps all sizes of businesses to find haulage work and get haulage contracts as well as network to gain key connections within the haulage industry.
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Our freight exchange members not only benefit from sustainable transport with reduced empty running but they also save fuel by not having to travel far to collect their next delivery job, returning to base in quicker time too. The Returnloads.net UK freight exchange makes member contact quick and effective, without the need for endless phone calls. Members are reviewed by each other after every completed haulage job through a 'star rating system', which allows feedback to be left by both the delivery company and the company placing the load, encouraging a reliable and high quality delivery service.
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Earlier this summer in a small yellow house on West Central Avenue in Tredyffrin a group of children and their parents went to a birthday party.
Some children made birthday cards in a room on the first floor; others played drums, xylophones or another instrument in a room upstairs; and others tried to hula hoop and learned to dance in a separate room upstairs. But all of the children wore a name tag with his or her birthday month on it because it wasn't just one child's birthday party; it was Everybody's Birthday Party – an event for children with autism held at the Center on Central.
'It really touched my heart,' said Katie Opher, program manager at the center. As many parents came up to her and said things like, ''well my kid has never really been to a birthday party before, or never been invited, or we were not able to have a party.' So I felt like we were really providing a service to the families.'
The event was free and full with about 40 people. The center's space is limited, so in the future Opher said maybe they could have a second party at a different time or on a different day.
It was organized by Honey Rinicella and Pattie Moor from Talk About Curing Autism (TACA), Pennsylvania chapter, a national nonprofit organization that educates and supports families affected by autism.
'Kids with autism almost never get invited to birthday parties,' said Rinicella, of West Whiteland, who has twin boys on the spectrum. That can be because 'people don't understand, they are scared of judgment,' or the 'sensory stimulation sometimes can be too much' for the children.
Rinicella and Moor chose the Center on Central as the venue because they have worked with Opher before and felt it was a 'safe environment,' said Rinicella.
The center holds birthday parties regularly, but it also offers creative arts activities for children through adults. It was not only a great space for the event, but Opher was also able to staff the event.
'I provided creative arts therapists because it was really important to have group leaders for the special needs kids who would make the activities meaningful,' said Opher.
There was a music therapist, an arts therapist and dance movement therapist at each of the stations that were set up in a different room of the house. But the children were welcome to switch activities as they pleased.
'It was also very free flow, coming and going. So if a kid had had enough of one activity, they didn't have to sit still and be in a group for 45 minutes which sometimes happens at a regular birthday party,' said Opher. 'The way the center is set up, it's a house, so people felt comfortable and the kids kind of just went from group to group.'
Jess Houser, the music therapist at the event, thought that the free flow worked because some children who came into her room seemed overstimulated by the instruments, but others never wanted to leave.
'I was just focusing on making sure that everybody was safe and that they were able to have access to the different things that they wanted to try,' Houser said. 'A lot of the kids are very sensory so they wanted to be able to touch things.'
This event was the first of its kind for both TACA and the center, and both are interested in doing it again. But next year Rinicella would like to provide more activities that engage the children for longer and more therapists for support.
'The first time you do something is great, the second time is always better,' she said.
But on the whole, she felt it was a success.
'The happiest component for me was seeing children accepted in a safe environment with their peers of all varying abilities,' said Rinicella. 'Our goal is to offer a family friendly accepting environment, and I feel like we accomplished that.'
After about an hour and a half of art, music and movement everyone went outside for cupcakes, a goodie bag and more free play for about a half hour. Opher said that she noticed how some children came in uncomfortable and reserved but watched their interactions progress throughout the day.
'It's neat how the arts can help. It takes down those verbal barriers so then people can be together in their arts activity like the hula hoops, or the instruments,' said Opher. 'It's very accessible.'


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Sprain? Strain? The terms for these injuries sound so similar, what's the difference? Find out by taking this quiz.
Other times to see your healthcare provider for a sprain:
You should follow the RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) treatment for the first 1 to 2 days after the injury:
Your healthcare provider may recommend a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicine such as ibuprofen to help ease pain and swelling. A moderate to severe sprain or strain may need a cast or brace to hold the joint still while it heals. A severe sprain or strain may need surgery to fix the tear. How long it takes a sprain or strain to heal depends on how severe the injury is. A moderate ankle sprain might need up to 6 weeks to heal. A severe sprain might take 6 months to a year.
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Dec. 8, 2011 — If your blood pressure is higher than normal, but not high enough to be considered high blood pressure, then you have prehypertension. And that means you may have a higher risk for stroke and heart disease.
Now, new research shows that blood pressure-lowering pills may help lower the risk of stroke in people with prehypertension.
More than 50 million Americans have mildly elevated blood pressure or prehypertension. It is defined as systolic blood pressure (the top number) between 120 and 139 or diastolic blood pressure (the lower number) between 80 and 89. High blood pressure is defined as 140/90 mm Hg or higher.
High blood pressure (hypertension) is major risk factor for stroke and heart disease. It is treated aggressively with lifestyle changes and medications. The American Heart Association encourages lifestyle changes, not drugs, for people with prehypertension. This includes losing weight (if necessary), eating a healthy, low-salt diet, exercising regularly, and quitting smoking.
Medication Lowers Stroke Risk
Adding blood pressure-lowering drugs to lifestyle changes may prevent more strokes in people with prehypertension, according to the new research.
Researchers reviewed 16 studies of more than 70,000 people with prehypertension who were treated with blood pressure medication or a placebo. Those who took blood pressure-lowering medications were 22% less likely to have a stroke, compared with those who did not. The findings appear in Stroke.
"If lifestyle changes do not fix your prehypertension, then [medication] can help reduce your blood pressure and your stroke risk," says researcher Ilke Sipahi, MD. Sipahi is an assistant professor of cardiovascular medicine at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.
"We think that our findings need to be discussed extensively … before a change in guidelines is implemented," Sipahi says via email. "For the prehypertensive patient with additional risk factors for stroke, such as high cholesterol or smoking, [medication] can be very helpful to reduce the risk, especially if blood pressure levels do not normalize with lifestyle changes."
Treat With Diet Changes First
Outside experts say there is not enough evidence to warrant a shift in the guidelines … yet.
"Prehypertension is important for physicians to recognize and begin treating with lifestyle modifications," says Ralph Sacco, MD. He is chairman of the neurology department at the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami. "It is still not totally clear whether we should be jumping to provide medicine to all people with prehypertension."
Medication is costly and does come with its share of side effects.
Risk factors that may tip the scales in favor of adding blood pressure-lowering medication include history of heart disease, diabetes, or mini-stroke, he says.
"We are not ready to change anything," says Gordon F. Tomaselli, MD. He is the chief of cardiology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and president of the American Heart Association. "For prehypertension, we use lifestyle measures first and hold off on medications to allow for these measures to take hold."
Lifestyle changes are the cornerstone of prevention, he says. But new guidelines due out in early 2012 from the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure may sway the debate toward earlier use of medication, he says.
Samuel Mann, MD, treats high blood pressure at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City. Most of the participants in the new study had other risk factors for stroke besides prehypertension, he says. "It may not be cost-effective to treat people with drugs if their only risk factor for stroke is prehypertension."


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ALAMEDA — Running back Darren McFadden was conspicuous by his absence Wednesday during the media window as the Raiders began preparations to face the San Diego Chargers.
McFadden, who departed in the second quarter of a 24-14 loss to Washington with a hamstring strain, was neither on the field nor working with the athletic training staff.
Given McFadden's injury history, the Raiders could be considering sitting McFadden against San Diego Sunday night and Kansas City on Oct. 13 with the bye week coming in Week 7. That would give McFadden until Oct. 27 against Pittsburgh to return.
Fullback Marcel Reece, who had a negative MRI on a knee strain, was on the field and going through drills with teammates, as was quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who was working with the first team.
For the purposes of practice drills, undrafted rookie free agent Matt McGloin was getting more work than Matt Flynn, who started against Washington.
Raiders coach Dennis Allen said Monday Pryor would not play until he was free of concussion symptoms.
Also not practicing was center Stefen Wisniewski, who was watching practice with his right knee wrapped. During line drills, Andre Gurode remained at left guard with Lamar Mady taking reps at center.
Free safety Charles Woodson was not practicing, and it's not known whether he is injured or simply getting a day off. Defensive tackle Stacy McGee (shoulder) was present but not practicing.
Among those who returned to practice is rookie tackle Menelik Watson, out since undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery following the final preseason game, and defensive end Jason Hunter (quadriceps), who missed the Washington game.
For more on the Raiders, visit the Inside the Oakland Raiders blog at ibabuzz.com/oaklandraiders. Follow Jerry McDonald on Twitter at twitter.com/Jerrymcd.


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Netbooks have some drawbacks to go along with their tiny size and low price, one of which is an occasional inability to play HD video particularly smoothly. But Via's definitely making inroads—check out this video for proof.
Intel's Ion also runs HD video pretty nicely, but Via's really paying attention to media playback. Via's EPIA-P710 motherboard, a Pico-ITX, is the first to pack the VX855 Media System Processor, which allows some of that 1080p HD output despite needing only a heatsink and not a fan. Look for this combo to start popping up in higher-end netbooks soon—a wimpy Atom just isn't going to cut it anymore with this on the market. [Engadget]


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Samantha Harris will undergo a double mastectomy later this month, People reports.
The former Dancing with the Stars co-host detected a lump in her right breast during a self-examination last fall. Harris, 40, went to a breast cancer specialist a few months later and was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Angelina Jolie reveals she underwent a double mastectomy
"It felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest," Harris recalls.
"I was sick of feeling the way that I did in the days after the diagnosis. I knew I needed to take control," she says of exploring multiple treatment options.
After considering a double mastectomy and a lumpectomy with radiation, Harris opted for the former. Once she settled on the decision, she says, "I felt so much calmer."


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Madonna reveals she was raped in her 20s
Madonna said she was raped at knifepoint after she moved to New York City as a young woman.
The singer wrote about making it at a young age, being "daring" and raising four children in the latest issue of Harper's Bazaar. She also wrote about dealing with violence and crime while trying to make it big.
"New York wasn't everything I thought it would be. It did not welcome me with open arms," she wrote, according to E! News. "The first year, I was held up at gunpoint. Raped on the roof of a building I was dragged up to with a knife in my back, and had my apartment broken into three times. I don't know why; I had nothing of value after they took my radio the first time."
"I was poised for survival. I felt alive. But I was also scared (expletive)less."
The pop culture icon also weighed in on becoming a star in her 20s and behaving accordingly.
"When you're 25, it's a little bit easier to be daring, especially if you are a pop star, because eccentric behavior is expected from you," she wrote.
"Years later, here I am, divorced and living in New York. I have been blessed with four amazing children. I try to teach them to think outside the box. To be daring. To choose to do things because they are the right thing to do, not because everybody else is doing them. The idea of being daring has become the norm for me. Of course, this is all about perception because asking questions, challenging people's ideas and belief systems, and defending those who don't have a voice have become a part of my everyday life. In my book, it is normal."


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Steelers cut Chris Rainey after arrest
Pittsburgh running back charged with simple battery in Florida
The girlfriend of Chris Rainey, who the Pittsburgh Steelers cut after his Thursday morning arrest, says she was not assaulted by Rainey and the state of Florida should drop his charge of simple battery (dating violence).
That's according to Rainey's lawyer, Huntley Johnson, who read an email from the woman during a bond hearing Friday. The Gainesville Sun posted video of the hearing and quotes from the email on its website.
Rainey, 24, was released from jail after the hearing, and a judge ordered him not to have any contact with his girlfriend while he awaits his day in court.
Gainesville police said they got a call around 8 a.m. Thursday about a verbal altercation that allegedly turned physical between the woman and Rainey, a fifth-round draft pick who had just completed his rookie season with the Steelers.
According to the police report: "Witnesses told officers that Rainey and the victim got into an argument over Rainey's cellphone. The female victim entered the vehicle of Rainey's roommate, and Rainey confronted her on the passenger side of the vehicle, and began pulling her out of the vehicle. Witnesses then observed Rainey slap the victim across the face with an open hand. Both Rainey and the female victim then fell to the ground. The victim was able to run away, but Rainey chased after her because his cellphone was in a bag the victim was carrying. Rainey grabbed the bag again, and they both fell to the ground again. Neither party suffered visible injuries from the encounter. Multiple witnesses confirmed the incident."
The girlfriend's email on Friday said the witnesses were mistaken, and Johnson pointed out that officers found no marks on the woman's face.
With Rainey still behind bars on Thursday afternoon, Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert released this statement: "Chris Rainey's actions this morning were extremely disappointing. Under the circumstances and due to this conduct, Chris will no longer be a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers."
"I think it's great they're taking a stance and trying to hold their players to a level of professionalism," Steelers fan Jodi Lincoln said. "But at the same time, I think it's really ironic that we also sign people like Plaxico Burress who had the unregistered gun incident."
"I'm not judging him. I don't know the exact circumstances of what happened with him," said another Steelers fan, Brandon Sample.
At the Women's Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh, the Steelers' swift move to cut ties with Rainey was applauded. "I'm delighted the Steelers took it so seriously and acted immediately, that's what we were hoping the NFL would do in the past years," said Executive Director Janet Scott-Mace.
Scott-Mace has criticized the Steelers in the past for being too slow to act against players like former Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes -- who was charged with domestic violence seven years ago -- but she said she now believes the organization is sending the right message.
Rainey, a native of Lakeland, Fla., played college football in Gainesville for the University of Florida. He was briefly kicked off the team after a September 2010 arrest that saw him get charged with felony aggravated stalking for allegedly sending a former girlfriend a threatening text message. He agreed to a plea deal and eventually returned to the field for Florida.


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Editor's note: Each week in "Apparently This Matters," CNN's Jarrett Bellini applies his warped sensibilities to trending topics in social media and random items of interest on the Web.
(CNN) -- Justin Sylvester's wife is pregnant. With a baby.
I'm told that's how it works.
Mind you, this isn't Justin's first baby rodeo. This is the second child for him and Meghan. Another daughter.
But it's still a wildly exciting time. Though maybe not quite as wildly exciting as an ACTUAL baby rodeo.
Reckless? Perhaps. Quality entertainment? Definitely.
Of course, now, Justin and Meghan are at that age (both 31) where your social media feed becomes a shameless, cascading waterfall of friends' baby photos and professional maternity shoots -- these gentle little reminders that maybe we ain't that young anymore.
Plus, the occasional Instagram update confirming, yes, your college roommate, Diane, apparently had pasta for dinner.
There's still a lot of that, too.
"OMG! Rigatoni! #YOLO"
So, being that this is what people seem to do when there's a bun in the oven, Justin asked Meghan if she was interested in having photos done to commemorate the pregnancy of their soon-to-be daughter, Ruby June Sylvester.
Meghan said no.
But Justin said yes.
"I was studying for my accounting exam and the idea popped in my head that it would be funny if I took them since she didn't want to."
He laughed about the idea for a couple of days, and finally called up his photographer friend, Kerri Lohmeier. This would be Justin's surprise present to his wife. All he needed were some Superman underpants and maybe a pair of Meghan's Lululemon shorts to achieve the "full maternity effect."
Plus a few other odds and ends. You know. Props.
Lohmeier recalls getting the photo shoot request.
"It was very unusual," she says. "It's never happened."
But, as a true, seasoned professional, she embraced the weirdness, and promptly gathered the aforementioned props.
Ice cream and pickles.
I don't know much about being pregnant, but I suppose it somehow makes women eat like Jerry Garcia.
To be fair, it actually sounds quite nice.
Of course, in reality, pregnancy is a grind. And in some very minor way, Justin got a little taste of what it's like.
"By the end of the shoot, my stomach hurt, and my lower back hurt. I feel as if I had a brief glimpse into the sacrifice that women make on their bodies when they become pregnant."
Granted, he was doing a lot of pushing to get that gut out. Despite gaining 15 pounds of "sympathy weight" since injuring his shoulder doing CrossFit, Justin swears his belly's not really that big.
But there's a fair amount of Abita Strawberry Harvest Lager and Austin's Pizza that says otherwise.
Naturally, everyone got a kick out of Justin's photos. And, by this point, it might literally be EVERYONE.
Reality kicked in when a friend called him to say he had just seen the photos on the website for Cosmopolitan.
Yes, things move pretty fast when you make little hand hearts over your belly. And you're a dude.
Still, Meghan is his No. 1 fan. And his dad is right up there, too, having left him a fatherly voice mail that said, "You are crazy, boy. The world could use a little laughter right now."
And trust me. The world is laughing.
I mean -- that belly. It's beautiful.
Speaking of which, Justin says his favorite photo is the one where he's kissing his stomach -- that it was the perfect amount of funny and creepy.
And the one he's most embarrassed by? That would be the black and white one where he's on the bed. He told me, "It looks so real."
Justin says the hardest part was actually keeping a straight face. But, he managed, and it's all been worth it.
Maybe even REALLY worth it.
He says, "I have publishers calling me for book ideas, people wanting to buy my photos."
But, truthfully, there's just one thing he wants.
"I'm still holding out for an ice cream sponsorship!"
That, or pickles.
Follow @JarrettBellini on Twitter.
See more content with questionable news value at CNN Comedy.


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I get a lot of parents asking me for camera recommendations. Currently, these are the best, high-end, point and shoots on the market. No shutter delay, and a large sensor. (Between $350-500)
I just got the Olympus EP2, mini 4/3 camera. It's a mirrorless digital with interchangeable lenses, and I love it! For parents wanting to spend a little more, this is a great option, and much more tote-able than the SLR's. (Around $700)
(Editors' note: Juliana is a super successful photographer, who also has two kids, so she knows this stuff.)


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Published in November 1962, this map of Southern Africa appeared in National Geographic with three articles including "South Africa Close-up." South Africa had just become a republic the year before and the struggle against apartheid had begun. Nelson Mandela was arrested and imprisoned just months before this map was printed.
Coverage Area: Southern Africa


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Gardner's Art through the Ages: A Global History, Volume 1
Cengage Learning, Jan 3, 2008 - Art - 576 pages
As fascinating as a real visit to the world's famous museums and architectural sites, GARDNER'S ART THROUGH THE AGES: A GLOBAL HISTORY gives you a comprehensive, beautifully illustrated tour of the world's great artistic traditions—plus all the study tools you need to excel in your art history course! Easy to read and understand, this 13th Edition of the most widely read history of art book in the English language is the only textbook that includes a unique scale feature (accompanying the book's photographs of paintings and other artworks) that will help you better visualize the actual size of the artworks shown in the book. You'll also find materials that will help you master the key topics quickly and help you study for your exams—for example, The Big Picture overviews at the end of every chapter, a special global timeline, and ArtStudy Online (a free interactive study guide that includes flash cards of images and quizzes).
Important Notice: Media content referenced within the product description or the product text may not be available in the ebook version.
What people are saying - Write a review
STUDY GUIDEUser Review - suitcase08 - Overstock.com
Please be aware that this is NOT a paperback version of Gardners Art Through the Ages e13 v2 but a STUDY GUIDE for that book. The only indication you can receive that this is not the material you are ... Read full review


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SAN JOSE — City officials have moved a step closer to housing a small portion of San Jose's growing homeless population in local motels and are now looking for a nonprofit to manage the unusual arrangement with landlords.
The City Council late Tuesday night voted unanimously to advance toward the final stage of the proposed program, which could get the homeless off the streets as soon as this summer.
In the works for more than a year, the idea is for San Jose to use a portion of its housing vouchers for homeless people to rent vacant rooms in motels and lower-priced hotels. More than 100 people who qualify for federal Section 8 rent subsidies still can't find a home because a tight apartment market has left landlords with plenty of high-earning tenants to choose from.
While the plan was outlined to a council committee last month as a two-year program, city officials now say they envision giving the homeless rooms for up to five years at a time.
The next step is for the city to find a nonprofit organization that would act as an intermediary between the motels and the homeless, managing the leases and the upkeep for the rooms. They would also provide the homeless with services, such as helping them find jobs and longer-term housing.
At Tuesday night's meeting, advocates for the homeless and affordable housing voiced support for the plan but others said they were concerned it would contribute to the run-down nature of many neighborhoods around motels.
The City Council could give final approval to the plan as soon as May and it would take a few more months to find interested motel owners and the best candidates to get rooms.
"I see this as an opportunity to supplant the incentive of motel owners to rent rooms to pimps with an incentive to do right by our community, by getting the homeless off the street," said Councilman Sam Liccardo, who first proposed the plan in September 2012.
The exact number of people who would be housed is still unknown, though as an example it would cost $1 million per year to give rooms to 60 homeless people. The city has 4,770 verified people living on its streets, up 16 percent in two years, and only a few million dollars for homeless services each year.
Contact Mike Rosenberg at 408-920-5705. Follow him at twitter.com/RosenbergMerc.


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I recently took umbrage at Richard McNider and John Christy's claims, in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, to being like the "scientific skeptics" who "dared question" a "scientific consensus" of a flat Earth. The idea of a globular earth was first bruited about for theological/numerological/philosophical reasons, and was established as a consensus well before a recognizably modern science could be said to exist. But what of the claim McNider and Christy were responding to, Secretary of State Kerry's charge that the climate change denial movement is like "a meeting…of the Flat Earth Society."
That comparison is actually quite instructive. Bob Schadewald's Worlds of their Own and Christine Garwood's Flat Earth: The History of an Infamous Idea survey a lot of this history in great detail; Schadewald, a past board president of NCSE, was close friends with International Flat Earth Research Society of America founder Charles Johnson, and was offered IFERSA's presidency in the event of Johnson's death (he declined, citing ethical concerns given his lack of belief in a flat Earth).
The modern flat Earth movement starts with Samuel Rowbotham, who started developing flat Earth arguments under the pen name Parallax in the 1830s. He arrived at his flat Earth beliefs through the sort of supposedly literal Biblical interpretation favored by modern young Earth creationists (whether he actually believed these religious claims is unclear). He resurrected a geography that is probably not so far from what the ancient Hebrews would have had in mind in assembling texts like the Apocrypha's Book of Enoch. Purporting to support that view with observations from flat water in the Cambridgeshire fens as well as Biblical authority, Rowbotham argued that the Earth was flat, with the North Pole at its center and surrounded by an insurmountable wall of ice. "How far the ice wall extended, how it ended, and what existed beyond it were questions," Garwood explains, "that Parallax believed no human being could answer."
And what inspired Rowbotham's public crusade? "Evidently an ingenious character, who delighted in controversy and dispute, he could not resist the ultimate challenge of toppling orthodox ideas and a fact so established as the earth's rotundity…he had seen the passions that scientific and religious topics could evoke and, moreover, the money that people would pay to listen to a feisty debate on these themes." His 20th-century intellectual heirs shared the religious fervor that Rowbotham drew on in his writings. They had the advantage of being able to tap into the existing creationist milieu, and a large body of people who had committed themselves to the idea that a tortured reading of the Bible was a preferable source of information about the world than empirical evidence. They created their own newsletters and journals.
Charles Johnson, founder of the International Flat Earth Research Society of America, proclaimed himself "a natural sceptic." Johnson, who referred to the globe as a "grease ball" because people would naturally slide off a sphere, explained that he was driven to debunk "Satanic Grease Ball Science" by his having been "plagued or blessed or whatever you want to call it by having a critical mind."
Was Secretary Kerry fair in drawing a parallel between the climate change denial movement and groups like Johnson's? I'd say so. Decades after humanity's role in causing climate change was well-established, they continue concocting fanciful reasons to reject that science. They purport to be skeptics, and create Potemkin journals and conferences to create a semblance of scientific rigor, yet focus their efforts on political and cultural agendas, not on engaging with real science. Just as the flat-earthers piggybacked on the work of creationist groups, climate change deniers could draw on anti-science attitudes stirred up by the tobacco industry, and by a host of industry-funded anti-environmental campaigns.
In the end, the key issue with science denials is how useful the ideas are. Evolution gives us medicine, old Earth geology helps us find coal seams and drill oil wells, globes let us plan travel efficiently and explore the stars, and climate science lets us understand, anticipate, and prepare for imminent dangers. Denying each of those sciences cuts us from those benefits.
That was Secretary Kerry's point in Jakarta:
Now, President Obama and I believe very deeply that we do not have time for a meeting anywhere of the Flat Earth Society. One of the arguments that we do hear is that it's going to be too expensive to be able to address climate change. I have to tell you, that assertion could not be less grounded in fact. In fact, it's exactly the opposite. Serious analysts understand that the costs of doing nothing far outweigh the costs of investing in solutions now. You do not need a degree in economics or a graduate degree in business in order to understand that the cost of flooding, the cost of drought, the cost of famine, the cost of health care, the cost of addressing this challenge is simply far less – the costs of addressing this challenge are far less than the costs of doing nothing. Just look at the most recent analysis done by the World Bank, which estimates that by 2050, losses from flood damage in Asian ports–fishing ports, shipping ports–the losses in those ports alone could exceed $1 trillion annually unless we make big changes to the infrastructure of those ports.
This point is, if anything, even more urgent in schools. Today's school children will be confronting the consequences of climate change for their entire lives. Even if we instantly switched the entire world economy to carbon-neutral energy sources, the inertia of the climate system means that a high school student today would live in a climate shaped by past emissions until well into her retirement. For our children to navigate this changed world, and make the critical decisions they'll have to make, they need accurate information about what climate change is and how it's playing out. Allowing climate change denial into their classrooms, or omitting climate change instruction, holds them back from being able to take part in those crucial decisions, just as surely as it would hold them back to take globes out of their classrooms.


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Mayor's Office
Mayor Chris Beutler today announced that Miki Esposito has been named Director of the City Public Works and Utilities Department effective immediately. Esposito has served as Interim Director since September 6, and she was the Compliance Administrator for the department before then.
"Over the past three months, Miki has proven to be a strong leader for the department," Mayor Beutler said. "I have great confidence in her ability to move Public Works and Utilities forward in a way that meets the needs and expectations of City leaders and the residents of our community."
"I am fortunate to be surrounded by a competent, hardworking and dedicated staff," Esposito said. "As a team, we look forward to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in keeping our City a wonderful place to live. I'm very honored by this appointment and recognize that the services provided by Public Works and Utilities affect so many lives in our community. I take that responsibility very seriously and am truly committed to serving the needs of our citizenry in the most positive and productive way."
Miki began her career as an attorney for the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality specializing in Environmental and Natural Resources Law. In 2006, she joined the City Attorney's Office and represented the Public Works and Utilities Department in legal matters, including civil litigation, contract negotiation and legislation. After a temporary post as a Senior Policy Aide to Mayor Beutler in 2010, Miki took a position as Compliance Administrator for Public Works and Utilities. She is a graduate of Washburn University School of Law in Topeka, Kansas and received a bachelor's degree in biology at Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas.
Esposito's salary is $105,000 annually. The Public Works and Utilities Department is the largest in City government and includes seven divisions: Business Office, Engineering Services, Special Projects Development, StarTran, Watershed Management, Wastewater and Solid Waste and the Lincoln Water System.


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Rick Rodgers, author of Celebrations 101, shares this menu for casual, low-key entertaining:
Fresh Rolls, Mustard, and Mayonnaise
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