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Fur Flies Over Autonomy's Alleged Cooked Books
Nov 28, 2012 12:39 PM PT
There's apparently little inclination to wait for the legal system to establish who wronged whom with respect to the allegations that Autonomy committed accounting sleight of hand prior to being acquired by HP. Both HP and the erstwhile head of Autonomy are making their claims and counterclaims public.
Mike Lynch, founder of Autonomy, came out swinging in an open letter to HP's board of directors, stating that the company's books were clean and in accordance with international accounting standards.
"I utterly reject all allegations of impropriety," he wrote.
Lynch went on to demand "immediate and specific explanations" for the allegations, as well as the interim report and any other documents provided to regulatory authorities "so that I can answer whatever is alleged, instead of the selective disclosure of non-material information via background discussions with the media."
HP's Position
HP wasted little time responding -- it fired back with a restatement of its original accusation: that it had been duped by certain former Autonomy employees who inflated the company's underlying financial metrics prior to the acquisition.
"While Dr. Lynch is eager for a debate, we believe the legal process is the correct method in which to bring out the facts and take action on behalf of our shareholders," HP says in its statement. "In that setting, we look forward to hearing Dr. Lynch and other former Autonomy employees answer questions under penalty of perjury."
A Bombshell of a Write-Down
Earlier this month, HP dropped a bombshell on its shareholders: It would be taking an impairment charge of US$8.8 billion, with $5 billion of that amount directly to the Autonomy acquisition. HP cited serious accounting improprieties, misrepresentation and disclosure failures.
HP was fairly specific with its accusations. It cited the mischaracterization of revenue from negative-margin, low-end hardware sales with little or no associated software content as "IDOL product."
That negative-margin, low-end hardware was estimated to comprise 10-15 percent of Autonomy's revenue, HP said.
HP also cited the use of licensing transactions with value-added resellers to inappropriately accelerate revenue recognition -- or worse, create revenue where no end-user customer existed at the time of sale.
Some of those practices once were commonplace in the software industry, said Andreas Scherer, managing partner with Salto Partners.
Attempting to accelerate revenue recognition through licensing deals with value-added resellers is one of the oldest tricks in the book, he said.
"It's called 'channel stuffing.' It happened a lot in the past, when companies wanted to bolster their quarterly earnings. Those days should be long gone," Scherer told the E-Commerce Times
In fact, it is such a familiar problem that it's surprising the due diligence team at HP missed it, he said.
"It's the first place someone should look for issues if rumors pop up. HP didn't do that, nor did Deloitte or KMPG," Scherer noted. "It is a strange situation."
What Lies Beneath
It gets even stranger when you consider the possible Machiavellian twists and turns suggested by David Johnson, principal of Strategic Vision.
"I would not be surprised if internally at HP there were factions encouraging Autonomy to make these demands," he told the E-Commerce Times.
"There were a lot of people who questioned Meg Whitman's appointment when she came on board," he noted. "Her failure to detect the alleged accounting fraud suggests her image as a hands-on capable CEO might be in error."
Such musings aside, both HP and Autonomy are reacting exactly as one would expect them to, Johnson continued. "HP will not want all of the details aired in public. They would prefer to see it handled by the legal system and they no doubt will be following their attorneys' advice."
Autonomy, for its part, wants to change the narrative and introduce the image of David versus Goliath, assuming the starring role of David, of course.
"Realistically, the best thing Autonomy could do was go on the offensive and start to address these charges now, in the public forum," Johnson said, "because right now, they are being blamed for the write-down, and no one is contradicting that charge in public."


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Snick first at the lights on Sandes Avenue in Kendal, coming from the South you would be turning right here, I however just go straight on. Its here your heart starts racing, what follows is 26 miles of sheer brilliance..........
Your heading for the hills.......
Adhere to the 30 and 40 limits on the transit road North, camera van often parks in th Rugby club, you will know you approaching as there is a large school and playing field on your right, stick to the next 40 limit because just before it finishes a hidden layby exits, guess who sits in there on a Sunday !!
Ok, quick check, no plod, then my friends the party starts, top gear arrives fairly quickly, whoa, that right hander was tighter than I thought, seeping into an uphill left with overtaking lane, don't leave it to late though as you need to lay it on its ear into the left and flick back right, then left, then right, then left, are you getting the picture !
It when you start rising North of Selside about 7 miles in from Kendal that the scenery starts getting good and the road starts getting faster.
Obviously common sense should always apply, there are alot of locals around that I know regularly bait other riders as sport, you come up on lorries and tourists very quickly, its almost an optical illusion sometimes because of the nature of the terrain.
Hitting the summit, wow, it has been know to lift the front over here, careful though as laybys exist both sides !
Decending the summit the corners can be deceptive, especially the first right, bit off camber you know !
Follow it through the 'twistyish' 3 carrigeway (crawler lane Southbound) bit, watch out for the manhole cover on your line, tbh its never given me any grief, just in the head !
Respect the 30 and 40 Zones through Shap village and then head out for the second section, Shap Village to Penrith, also note there is a public lav in the centre of the village on your right hand side. Should you wish !
Great road continues North of the Village but you do encounter some speed limits through the villages no, please respect them, although this road is not heavily Policed, it is Policed though, so be aware !
At the end of this section you 'pop' out at the roundabout with the A66, just pop across that roundabout and pick up the A686, look out for a report on that road by Mike.
The surface has suffered somewhat this winter and of course the gas men never do us bikers any favours, on the top wooded ( Shap) section, heading south though there is alot of overbanding 'on line' go easy.
See you there

subset: commoncrawl


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Slaughter explores 'New World Order' in book
Imagine a world where global problems are tackled collectively by government networks, rather than confronted individually by nation-states. According to Anne-Marie Slaughter, an authority on international law and foreign affairs, that new world order already is upon us, and now is the time to support the notion and practice of global governance.
In her latest book, "A New World Order," published in March by Princeton University Press, Slaughter explains why it is necessary to rethink today's political world and provides a blueprint for achieving new levels of international collaboration. The principal arguments of the book evolve out of an article she wrote in 1997 for the 75th anniversary issue of the journal Foreign Affairs. Since then, events such as Sept. 11 and the war in Iraq underscore the timeliness of Slaughter's arguments for a networked world order.
The dean of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs since 2002, Slaughter recently was named the Bert G. Kerstetter '66 University Professor of Politics and International Affairs. She writes and lectures widely on subjects such as the effectiveness of international courts and tribunals, the legal dimensions of the war on terrorism, building global democracy and international relations theory.
Discussing "A New World Order" with the Princeton Weekly Bulletin, she described the benefits of and challenges in creating effective transgovernmental links.
What global problems do you think can best be tackled by transnational networking?
Virtually all global problems, including security problems. The best weapons we have for fighting terrorism are the networks of police officials, intelligence officers, justice ministers and lower-level officials, financial regulators and military officers. But other issues like global health; the environment; global financial regulation; migration; and global crimes such as money laundering, drug trafficking, arms trafficking, trafficking in women and children, intellectual piracy -- all are ripe for a networked government response.
Read the full story in the Weekly Bulletin.
Contact: Eric Quinones (609) 258-3601


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A teaser for "Carnivore", the new video from German thrash metal veterans DESTRUCTION, can be seen below. The clip was filmed in Poland, with Mania Studio at the helm, and will make its online debut on November 12.
"Carnivore" comes off DESTRUCTION's 30th-anniversary album "Spiritual Genocide", which will be released on November 23 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was recorded at Gernhart Studios in Troisdorf, Germany with engineer Martin Buchwalter and was mixed by Andy Classen. The album features guest appearances by Thomas "Angelripper" Such (SODOM), Andreas "Gerre" Geremia (TANKARD) and Ol Drake (EVILE). In addition, the "Mad Butcher"/"Release From Agony" lineup of DESTRUCTION — featuring guitarist Harry Wilkens and drummer Oliver Kaiser — reunited for one song.
"Spiritual Genocide" track listing:
01. Exordium
02. Cyanide
03. Spiritual Genocide
04. Renegades
05. City Of Doom
06. No Signs Of Repentance
07. To Dust You Will Decay
08. Legacy Of The Past (feat. Andreas "Gerre" Geremia, Thomas "Angelripper" Such)
09. Carnivore
10. Riot Squad
11. Under Violent Sledge
Limited-Edition Digipack Bonus Tracks:
12. Princess Of The Night
13. Carnivore (feat. Harry Wilkens, Oliver Kaiser)


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Very beautiful visuals.
INSECTION is the new 4 player co-op FPS in which you join a rag-tag crew of ex-military adventurers, working on various black ops. Inspired by classic sci-fi action films the game throws you into a dark, but explosively vibrant universe filled with corrupt corporations and an alien species that will rip you apart. The core of INSECTION is killing alien monsters and completing the task at hand using powerful weapons and team tactics.
Very beautiful visuals.
Thanks a lot Templarfreak :)
Only registered members can share their thoughts. So come on! Join the community today (totally free - or sign in with your social account on the right) and join in the conversation.


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Related Articles
- Science in culture. Williams, Megan // Nature;7/12/2001, Vol. 412 Issue 6843, p122
Reviews the art exhibition `The Venice Biennale,' the 49th International Exhibition of Contemporary Art.
- Jacks are wild! Karr, John F. // Bay Area Reporter;3/21/2013, Vol. 43 Issue 12, p17
The article reviews the exhibition "The Art of Jacks," presented at the Center for Sex and Culture in San Francisco, California on March 24, 2013.
- EXHIBITIONS. // Art Monthly;Jun2014, Issue 377, p38
A calendar is presented of art exhibitions taking place in Great Britain and around the world in 2014 including exhibitions featuring works by artists such as David Hockney, Phyllida Barlow and Thomas Ruff.
- Kunsthaus Dresden. Alberti, Sarah // Frieze d/e;Winter2012, Issue 7, p116
The article reviews the exhibition featuring twelve art works dealing with the principle of staging.
- EXHIBITIONS. // Art Monthly;May2014, Issue 376, p38
A calendar is presented of art exhibitions taking place in 2014 including works by artist Lee Holden at the Angus Hughes gallery in London, England, works by artist Marc Wilson at Peacock Visual Arts in Aberdeen, Scotland, and works by artist Lena Svedberg at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Sweden.
- exhibitions. // Westchester County Business Journal;8/31/2015, Vol. 51 Issue 35, pA14
The article previews exhibitions in New York including "Art of Healing Exhibit" at Blue Door Gallery until September 5, 2015, "Inside the Outside" at Katonah Museum of Art until October 11, 2015, and "Gold" at Neuberger Museum of Art until October 11, 2015.
- Pushing boundaries: 25 years of 'Desert Mob'. RAJA, CHRISTOPHER // Art Monthly Australasia;Aug2015, Issue 282, p16
The article reviews the exhibition "Desert Mob" at the Araluen Arts Centre in Alice Springs, Northern Territory.
- New exhibits at Framations. // St. Charles Journal;10/3/2012, Vol. 47 Issue 40, pB1
The article reviews the exhibition "Circle of Eight" at the Framations Art Gallery from September 28 - November 1, 2012.
- The Mechanical Hand: Artists' Projects at Paupers Press. Coldwell, Paul // Art in Print;Jul/Aug2012, Vol. 2 Issue 2, p22
The article reviews the exhibition "The Mechanical Hand: Artists' Projects at Paupers Press" at Kings Place Gallery in London, England from July 6, 2012 to August 24, 2012.


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Botutonuo Love Hill is now visited by many tourists, even some of travelers come from outside the region. They come to enjoy various manmade ornaments that are placed on the hill. However, the charm of Love Hill is not only on the contemporary ornaments that deliberately constrained the manager, but also theere is top of Botutonuo Love Hill. From the peak of this hill, tourists can see directly the amazing scenery of Tomini Bay. The view is increasingly exotic when the sunrise comes.
Love Hill is located in Botubarani Village, Kabila District, Boneolango Regency, Gorontalo. The location of Love Hill is not far from the center of Gorontalo City. Just less than 1 kilometer from Botubarani Beach. Love Hill Tourism is still relatively new, but Love Hill has been visited by many travelers. Love Hill can be a great choice to spend a weekend break because the sights that are offered at this location will not be disappointing.
Source: www.liputan6.com
Botutonuo Love Hill is located at an altitude of about 100 meters above sea level. So from the top of the hill, visitors can see the beauty of Gorontalo City and Tomini Bay. A number of villages around Kabila Bone Subdistrict are also visible. Besides on that, Love Hill also offers a number of shooting spots that are a pity to miss. One of the most popular photo-taking spots is a stage made of heart shaped board. The photo spot also comes with the ornament of the letter "I love U" which is jutted into the edge of the cliff.
You only pay about 5,000 Rupiah for retribution fee when you visit this Botutonuo Love Hill. You are also charged for vehicle parking cost about 2,000 Rupiah for motorcycles and 5,000 Rupiah for cars.
Source: https://kitaina.id/gorontalo
Article Source: https://www.liputan6.com/regional/


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Burning Star Core
Papercuts Theater
Click images for larger detail
Thank you for coming by the new site. Over the next few months I will be writing in some of the back stories on each of the projects/arworks. In the meantime dig around, enjoy and please come back often.
Related Works
A Life Once Lost A Perfect Murder Across Tundras Animosity Balboa/NitroMegaPrayer Battlefileds Beyond the Sixth Seal Bodies in the Gears of the Apparatus Burning Star Core Byla Chiodos Circle Dead to Fall Death By Stereo Decibel Magazine Earth Earth Crisis Embrace the End Godflesh Hate Eternal Hell Within Himsa In Pieces Ion Dissonance Jedi Mind Tricks Laddio Bolocko Look What I Did Mastodon Nights Like These None More Black Pharaoh Overlord Rambo Revolver Magazine Rosetta Saudi United Bands Seemless Sleep Terror Starkweather The Acacia Strain The Red Chord The Tossers This Morning After Through the Eyes of the Dead Trivium Turmoil We Came As Romans Withered Year of Desolation dälek final


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Water Damage Restoration in Union Center, South Dakota
Once a home has been infected with water damage, finding water remediation specialists in Union Center, South Dakota is extremely important with mold thriving in a moist environment. For the best water remediation and mold removal in Union Center, South Dakota, let American Home Quotes find reliable and professional water damage restoration companies to serve your water remediation needs.
With bacteria and mold relying on water to thrive, delaying the water remediation process in Union Center can lead to more damage, as well as issues related to allergic reactions to mold and even disease. By relying on innovative technology and mold removal techniques, water remediation companies in Union Center, South Dakota can assess the damage and implement a water damage restoration plan to help restore your home to pre-damage conditions.
The amount of water remediation repair in South Dakota varies depending on a variety of factors with mold removal taking days and weeks to complete. Issues that affect the mold removal process include:
- Water Source: Water damage from clean and sanitary sources in Union Center, South Dakota including sinks and faucets requires less repair than water damage from unsanitary sources like sewers and floods from rivers in South Dakota.
- Water Location: Depending whether water damage has occurred in the walls, carpets, foundation, and ceiling will impact how long the water remediation process can take in Union Center, South Dakota.
- Water Amount: Water that has seeped into the walls throughout an entire room in your house in Union Center is one of the more costly and extensive water damage restoration projects to go through.
Water Damage Restoration Process in Union Center, South Dakota
With numerous water damage scenarios capable of causing catastrophic damage to your home, water damage restoration in Union Center, South Dakota is a crucial home service industry.
Whether water damage has affected appliances or the home's foundation in Union Center, the various ways homes can be damaged from water include:
- Flooding and storm damage in South Dakota.
- Leaking appliances, plumbing and hot water issues in your home in Union Center.
- Overflow from sinks, dishwashers, bathtubs, laundry machines, and toilets.
- Natural disasters including tornadoes, hurricanes, and flash floods in South Dakota.
- Sewage system backups and overflows in your house in Union Center.
- Flooding from construction or firefighting in South Dakota.
Once water damage does it, water remediation specialists in Union Center, South Dakota are dispatched to determine the severity of the issue. Once a plan is formalized to tackle the issue, water remediation specialists in Union Center can then begin the process of drying, cleaning, and restoring the property to its previous condition.
Regardless of the size or extent of the water damage restoration needed, having water remediation specialists in Union Center, South Dakota inspect your property can help alleviate any unforeseen damages lurking between walls.
Mold Removal Services in Union Center, South Dakota
Along with water causing structural damage to your home in South Dakota, one of the biggest concerns during water remediation is the mold removal process. It only takes one occurrence of flood damage to cause mold and mildew to begin growing inside the home. Once mold and mildew buildup are underway, immediately finding a water damage restoration company in Union Center, South Dakota is crucial to mitigate the issue.
With allergic reactions and even disease a result of a mold infestation in your home in Union Center, finding where mold spores are occurring in the home is critical. Mold removal services include:
- Identify the source where the problem is occurring in your home in Union Center, South Dakota is the first step in mold removal.
- Remove all water and moisture sources to prevent mold from reoccurring.
- Contain and eliminate any mold spores to prevent them from spreading to other areas of your house in Union Center.
- Use air filtration to dry out your Union Center's home and remove any remaining spores.
- Remove and decontaminate all damaged items and materials.
Mold removal is not something to take lightly. Whether you experience catastrophic water damage or just slight damage, hiring professional and reliable mold removal companies in Union Center, South Dakota can not only help the repair process, but also alleviate any future problems.
Importance of Water Remediation in Union Center, South Dakota
With water damage also occurring in parts of your home in South Dakota you can't see, hiring a licensed and professional water remediation professional in in Union Center, South Dakota helps ensure there are no unknown issues lurking in your walls.
When looking for water remediation specialists in Union Center, South Dakota, you can't just hire any company and rely on them to properly conduct the work. Homes damaged by a flood, broken pipe, or leaky roof are in need immediate need of a South Dakota's water restoration professional.
At American Home Quotes, connecting you to a water remediation companies in Union Center, South Dakota helps you start the restoration process with a licensed and reliable professional.
With the structural integrity of the home, as well as your health at stake, it's critically important to work with reputable water remediation companies in South Dakota.
With American Home Quotes, finding water remediation companies in Union Center capable of providing the home restoration services you need is a simple process.


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Masters champion Bubba Watson ready for more
Recommended Video:
KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. (AP) -- Bubba Watson has been texting Olympic champ Michael Phelps and joking with Mets ace Johan Santana. Now, the Masters champion says it's time for more winning golf at the PGA Championship.
Watson believes the glow from his win at Augusta National last April is starting to fade as he enters the season's final major at the PGA Championship. He's focused on breaking through again this week at the Ocean Course
Watson's played just 20 competitive rounds since winning the green jacket in a playoff. He missed the cut at the U.S. Open and his best finish the past four months was second at The Travelers in June.
Watson's got a good excuse, though, as he and wife Angie finished the adoption process for son Caleb on Monday.
"Somehow it all worked out and now we're parents," he said Tuesday.
It's been a landmark year for the big-hitting Watson, who says his first major title ranks way down the list of what's driven him this season. Nothing tops the joy of seeing his 5-month-old son after a round, no matter how Watson finishes in a tournament.
"You know, if I never play golf again, I can still be a great dad," he said. "So that's the key and that's where my life stands. Golf is there, but I'm not going to pout when I go home."
Watson's hasn't had much to pout over away from the course. He's got a text friendship going with Phelps, whose 22 medals made him the most decorated Olympian. Watson even sent Phelps messages in London during the games. Phelps has says he admirers Watson's game and there's a chance the two might soon connect in person.
Asked which sport they'll play, Watson said jokingly, "We'll be playing golf. We're definitely not going swimming together."
Watson met Santana In June, when he threw out the first pitch before a Mets game at Citi Field. The New York star threw the team's first no-hitter against St. Louis that month.
Santana kidded with Watson, saying he wrecked his golf fantasy team by missing the cut at the U.S. Open. Watson came right back, saying he'd dropped Santana from his fantasy baseball team because he was pitching so poorly.
"Your no-hitter didn't help me because I didn't have you on my roster," Watson said with a smile.
Watson's ready to get serious about winning golf. He expects to have a shot at the Ocean Course, set to be the longest layout in major championship history at 7,676 yards. Watson's excelled at PGA Championships over Pete Dye courses before, making the playoff in 2010 at Whistling Straits before losing to Martin Kaymer.
"Yes, everything about it, it feels like that," Watson said. "But I think here, it seems like the rough is not as demanding here as it was at Whistling Straits. Now that I've said that, I'll probably miss every fairway."
Not that it mattered much to Watson at the Masters. He was nowhere near the fairway after his tee shot on No. 10 in the playoff at Augusta National and looked like he'd handed the title to rival Louis Oosthuizen. Instead, Watson hooked that memorable gap wedge some 40 yards and onto the elevated green, a shot that led to his first major title.
Watson has enjoyed the perks that come with success. He's ready to add to the resume.
"Being a major champion, it's great," Watson said. "But I don't know, that was like four or five months ago, so we've got to try to do something else now."
Watson played just once in July, finishing 23rd at the British Open. He opened with a 66 at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational last week before fading to 19th.
No one knows how difficult the adjustment back to solid golf can be than the PGA Championship's last winner, Keegan Bradley. He said he barely slept the week after his triumph at Atlanta Athletic Club because he was so excited. His game was over the top at times, too, as Bradley struggled to regain the steadiness that won him the major.
It took him nearly a year to discover it again, when Bradley won the Bridgestone Invitational last weekend.
"It's just a matter of getting back to what you've always done and that's play golf and not put too much pressure on yourself," he said.
Watson believes the pressure is off, particularly after completing the legal hurdles and paperwork to make Caleb's adoption complete.
''We got that done," Watson said. "And now we're on to trying to win this tournament, trying to play good golf, trying to get better in the game."


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ALLIANCE, Ohio -- Kevin Burke (Westlake/Lakewood St. Edward) matched his career-high with five touchdown passes as No. 1 ranked Mount Union set school and conference records beating Marietta, 84-14 Saturday night in an Ohio Athletic Conference football game at Mount Union Stadium.
The 84 points set a Mount Union team record and matched the conference record of 84 points in an OAC that Ohio Northern did against then OAC-member Hiram in 1993. The 12 touchdowns also matched a conference record.
Mount Union (3-0, 2-0 OAC) extends the nation's longest winning streak to 18 games while winning its 76th consecutive regular season game and 69th straight home game.
Burke completed 22-of-30 passes for 336 yards with Brian Gainer (Tampa, Fla./Steinbrenner) and Jack Nicholls (Galion/Galion) each catching two touchdowns and Luc Meacham (Toldeo/Toledo Central Catholic) with another.
Gainer had his first 100-yard receving performance with 112 yards on seven catches while Nicholls had his second 100-yard plus day of the season with eight catches for 105 yards.
Germany Woods (Cleveland/Lakewood St. Edward) rushed for 76 yards on 16 carries with two touchdowns in the first half while backup quarterback Taurice Scott (Alliance/Alliance) ran for 99 yards with two touchdowns in the second half.
Marietta (0-3, 0-2 OAC) took the opening kickoff and went 75 yards to take a 7-0 lead when Tim Conner ran it in from one yard out.
The Mount Union defense then took over and surrendered 93 yards the remainder of the first half.
The Purple Raider offense put up 49 points in the first half to lead 49-7. For the game, Mount Union rolled up 690 yards of offense.
Alex Kocheff (Chagrin Falls/Kenston) and Joshua Scott (Hamilton/Fairfield) each had a team-high five tackles while Tom Lally (Fairview Park/Lakewood St. Edward) had 1.5 sacks to pace the Raider defense.
Mount Union goes on the road next week to play Ohio Northern at 1:30 pm Saturday, Oct. 5 at newly artifical turfed Dial-Roberson Stadium in Ada.


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There are no Upcoming Shows listed for this comedian.
Robbie Peron
They say the greatest journey begins with a single step and Robbie Peron has taken the biggest step of his life...right into the
spotlight. "As long as I can remember, I've always wanted to be a comedian" recalls the 31 year old Tampa native whose mentors include comedy legends, Redd Foxx, Mom's Mabley, Leroy Skillet and Richard Prior. Robbie received his professional start at the Comedy Store at the tender age of 16 which he credits to a high school teacher who chastised him for being the class clown. The teacher told him if he thought he was so funny to go to the club and see if anyone else agreed. With just his first performance he displayed the talent of a vet. That talent did not go unnoticed.Since his auspicious arrival on the comedy scene, Robbie has been grabbing the attention of industry professionals and has opened for some of the biggest acts in entertainment including; Eddie Griffin, Paul Mooney, Earthquake, Brian Mc Knight, The Whispers, and Frankie Beverly and Maze, just to name a few. It didn't take long for Robbie to parley his growing career with being recognized by casting directors interested in placing the handsome comedian in front of the camera. Robbie has been featured in such movies as, "The Reverend Do-Wrong," "For the Luv of Money" and "Heist." His television credits include appearances on "Malcolm & Eddie," "In the House," "The Drew Carey Show" and, most recently, "Days of Our Lives." When he is not working as a featured act or appearing on a popular television show, Robbie can be found touring clubs and colleges across the country. Robbie's other credits include the Def Comedy Jam 2000 tour, pay-per-view's "Raw & Naked Comedy," B.E.T./ACTION'S Strip Comedy and B.E.T's Comic View 2001. Robbie can be seen regularly at the Improv, Laugh Factory and Comedy Store where he's still working with the big boys honing his natural gift and incredible talent.
Robbie Peron's Upcoming Shows
Robbie Peron is Known For


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Full Article
President Trump called the F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, weeks after he took office and asked him when federal authorities were going to put out word that Mr. Trump was not personally under investigation, according to two people briefed on the call.
Mr. Comey told the president that if he wanted to know details about the bureau's investigations, he should not contact him directly but instead follow the proper procedures and have the White House counsel send any inquiries to the Justice Department, according to those people.
After explaining to Mr. Trump how communications with the F.B.I. should work, Mr. Comey believed he had effectively drawn the line after a series of encounters he had with the president and other White House officials that he felt jeopardized the F.B.I.'s independence. At the time, Mr. Comey was overseeing the investigation into links between Mr. Trump's associates and Russia.
Those interactions included a dinner in which associates of Mr. Comey say Mr. Trump asked him to pledge his loyalty and a meeting in the Oval Office at which Mr. Trump told him he hoped Mr. Comey would shut down an investigation into Mr. Trump's former national security adviser, Michael T. Flynn. Mr. Trump has denied making the request.
The day after the Flynn conversation, Reince Priebus, the White House chief of staff, asked Mr. Comey to help push back on reports in the news media that Mr. Trump's associates had been in contact with Russian intelligence officials during the campaign.
Mr. Comey described all of his encounters with the president and the White House — including the phone call from Mr. Trump — in detailed memos he wrote at the time and gave to his aides. Congressional investigators have requested copies of the memos, which, according to two people who have read them, provide snapshots of a fraught relationship between a president trying to win over and influence an F.B.I. director, and someone who had built his reputation on asserting his independence, sometimes in a dramatic way.
Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, said in a statement on Thursday that "the sworn testimony" of both Mr. Comey and Andrew G. McCabe, the F.B.I.'s acting director, "make clear that there was never any attempt to interfere in this investigation. As the president previously stated, he respects the ongoing investigations and will continue working to fulfill his promises to the American people."
It is not clear whether in all their interactions Mr. Comey answered Mr. Trump's question or if he ever told him whether he was under investigation. In the letter Mr. Trump sent to Mr. Comey last week in which he informed him that he had been fired, Mr. Trump told Mr. Comey, "I greatly appreciate you informing me, on three separate occasions, that I am not under investigation."
The F.B.I.'s longest-running director, J. Edgar Hoover, had close relationships with several presidents. But in the modern F.B.I., directors have sought an arm's length relationship with the presidents they serve and have followed Justice Department guidelines outlining how the White House should have limited contact with the F.B.I.
Those guidelines, which also cover the F.B.I., prohibit conversations with the White House about active criminal investigations unless they are "important for the performance of the president's duties and appropriate from a law enforcement perspective." When such conversations are necessary, only the attorney general or the deputy attorney general can initiate those discussions.
Mr. Comey has spoken privately of his concerns that the contacts from Mr. Trump and his aides were inappropriate, and how he felt compelled to resist them.
"He had to throw some brushback pitches to the administration," Benjamin Wittes, a friend of Mr. Comey's, said in interviews.
Mr. Wittes, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, the editor in chief of the Lawfare blog and a frequent critic of Mr. Trump, recalls a lunch he had with Mr. Comey in March at which Mr. Comey told him he had spent the first two months of Mr. Trump's administration trying to preserve distance between the F.B.I. and the White House and educating it on the proper way to interact with the bureau.
Mr. Wittes said he never intended to publicly discuss his conversations with Mr. Comey. But after The New York Times reported earlier this month that shortly after his inauguration Mr. Trump asked Mr. Comey for a loyalty pledge, Mr. Wittes said he saw Mr. Trump's behavior in a "more menacing light" and decided to speak out.
Mr. Wittes said that Mr. Comey told him that despite Mr. Trump's attempts to build a personal relationship, he did not want to be friendly with the president and thought any conversation with him or personal contact was inappropriate.
Their conversation took place after Mr. Comey's phone call with the president, Mr. Wittes said, and Mr. Comey told him that his relationship with the president and the White House staff was now in the right place.
"'I think we've kind of got them trained,'" Mr. Wittes said, paraphrasing what Mr. Comey told him.
But he said Mr. Comey had also described other encounters with the president that had troubled him.
One of those occurred at the White House on Jan. 22, just two days after Mr. Trump was sworn in. That day, Mr. Trump hosted a ceremony to honor law enforcement officials who had provided security for the inauguration.
Mr. Wittes said that Mr. Comey told him that he initially did not want to go to the meeting because the F.B.I. director should not have too close a relationship with the White House. But Mr. Comey went because he wanted to represent the bureau.
The ceremony occurred in the Blue Room of the White House, where many senior law enforcement officials — including the Secret Service director — had gathered. Mr. Comey — who is 6 feet 8 inches tall and was wearing a dark blue suit that day – told Mr. Wittes that he tried to blend in with the blue curtains in the back of the room, in the hopes that Mr. Trump would not spot him and call him out.
"He thought he had gotten through and not been noticed or singled out and that he was going to get away without an individual interaction," Mr. Wittes said Mr. Comey told him.
But Mr. Trump spotted Mr. Comey and called him out.
"Oh and there's Jim," Mr. Trump said. "He's become more famous than me."
With an abashed look on his face, Mr. Comey walked up to Mr. Trump.
"Comey said that as he was walking across the room he was determined that there wasn't going to be a hug," Mr. Wittes said. "It was bad enough there was going to be a handshake. And Comey has long arms so Comey said he pre-emptively reached out for a handshake and grabbed the president's hand. But Trump pulled him into an embrace and Comey didn't reciprocate. If you look at the video, it's one person shaking hands and another hugging."
Mr. Comey told Mr. Wittes of another encounter, on March 1, that also troubled him.
Mr. Wittes said that Mr. Comey said that he received a call from the White House and was told that "the president needs to talk to you urgently."
"He's about to get on the helicopter, so he doesn't get on the helicopter," Mr. Wittes said. "And then when the president gets on he just wants to chitchat."
Mr. Wittes said that Mr. Comey told him that he perceived the call as Mr. Trump still "trying to get him on the team and he saw it in light of his refusal to give him his loyalty."
"Trump was still trying to get him on board," Mr. Wittes said.
Mr. Wittes said that in another conversation he told Mr. Comey he was encouraged by the fact that the Senate was likely to confirm Rod J. Rosenstein, a longtime federal prosecutor, as the deputy attorney general.
To Mr. Wittes's surprise, Mr. Comey did not completely agree with him.
"He said, 'I don't know. I have some concerns. He's good, he's solid but he's also a survivor and you don't survive that long without making some compromises and I'm concerned about that.'"
Weeks after his confirmation, Mr. Rosenstein wrote a memo that Mr. Trump initially cited as the justification for firing Mr. Comey. Mr. Rosenstein told members of the Senate on Thursday that Mr. Trump had already decided to fire him when he wrote it.
Source: nytimes.com
Date Posted: Thursday, May 18th, 2017 , Total Page Views: 3845
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text:
April: Child Abuse Prevention Month
Dear Editor:
Every year, April is designated as Child Abuse Prevention month. The solution to ending child abuse is up to all of us. Everyone in Palo Alto County can and should do all they can to prevent child abuse, because protecting children is everyone's business.
Being a parent is a tough job. At times, it can be rather overwhelming. We want everyone to know that it's okay to ask for help. Prevent Child Abuse Iowa and Palo Alto Child Care Council are teaming up to provide support for families in?Palo Alto County.
PCA?Iowa is the only nonprofit organization with the mission of ending child abuse in the entire state of Iowa. PCA?Iowa's goal is for Iowa to become a place where children are valued, living in families that are nurturing and safe. PCA?Iowa seeks to ensure that parents receive the social support, respite child care, and education they need to be good parents.
Here in Palo Alto County, Palo Alto Child Care Council is funded in part by a grant from Prevent Child Abuse Iowa to provide Family Outreach services and Abuse Prevention education. Palo Alto Child Care Council serves over 500 children, 50 adults, and over 300 families through these projects.
As individuals and as a community, it is essential that we support and encourage parents and families. To learn how you can help, contact Palo Alto Child Care Council at 712-209-0649.
Please partner with Palo Alto Child Care Council and Prevent Child Abuse Iowa to promote and support safe, healthy families and help create a community that truly values all children.
April's observance of Child Abuse Prevention month reminds us all of our collective responsibility to do all we can to protect children. Remember "Protecting Children is Everyone's Business."
(signed)?Patty Kelly
Project Coordinator
Palo Alto Child Care Council
Emmetsburg, IA


text:
Life on Mars?
Review of the "evidence" of past life on Mars from the meteorite AHL84001 shows that only those already persuaded could be convinced. The organic compounds found lack the oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur that compose the amino acids that form protein. The authors of the report in Science readily admit that "organic compounds" does not mean "biogenic compounds." The "evidence" from AHL84001, like Rorschach inkblots, tells us more about the role of preconceptions than about Mars.
President Clinton gave a news conference on the South Lawn of the White House on August 7, 1996. He spoke about the meteorite Allan Hills 84001 or for short, ALH84001 (See Figure 1). The President noted that ALH84001 had been picked up on a glacier in Antarctica in 1984. He discussed briefly the history of ALH84001 from its formation four billion years ago on Mars, its escape as a consequence of the shock from the impact of a body striking Mars, the 16 million-year journey through space and its arrival 13, 000 years ago on a glacier in Antarctica. He expressed both enthusiasm and caution on the question that ALH84001 carries "evidence" of past life on Mars. He supported an aggressive plan for the robotic exploration of Mars and noted that an unmanned mission to Mars is scheduled to lift off from Kennedy Space Center in November, 1996 and a second mission will lift off in December, 1996. He noted that the first mission is to land on Mars on July 4, 1997--Independence Day!
|Figure 1. ALH84001, the meteorite causing the controversy. Much debate exists over what its composition actually means and over where the rock may have originated. Associated Press photo from NASA.
Those scientists and their supporters who steadfastly desire manned missions to Mars were alarmed by the President's emphasis on robot exploration by unmanned missions. Robot explorations will be made before the "evidence" attained will persuade Congress to fund the enormously expensive manned missions to Mars. That will push the scheduling of manned missions, if they are ever made, to the middle of the twenty-first century and beyond the lifetime of living manned-mission enthusiasts.
Mr. Daniel Goldin, NASA Administrator, held a briefing on the "Discovery of Possible Early Martian Life" at the NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC. Mr. Goldin is well-known for his enthusiasm for the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, life on planets around stars, manned missions to Mars and the search for "evidence" of life on Mars. The several members of the team of scientists, McKay et al.1 reviewed the "evidence" provided by the scientific examination of ALH84001:
Each member of the team cautioned that the observations were neither conclusive nor confirming evidence for a biological origin. They pointed out a number of times that the term "organic compounds" does not necessarily mean "biogenic compounds". This provides a window of deniability that NASA ever said that ALH84001 had evidence of life on Mars. At the same time that is just what the President, the Congress, the press, and the public now believe.
In judging the "evidence" that ALH84001 may provide, let us remember that the President, the Vice President, and most of the members of the Senate and House are lawyers. Their concept of "evidence" differs from that in science. For example, a witness testifies that he saw me sitting on a bench across the street from a bank on three consecutive days at the same time. The bank was robbed the next day. That testimony is "evidence" or "probable cause" that I was casing the joint. Although I was just reading the morning paper, I would be put on the witness stand under oath and required to justify my suspicious actions. This, I argue, is a misleading use of "evidence," and distracts Congress and the public from the real scientific issues.
Mars is often portrayed to the public as our "brother" and most Earth-like planet, now that surface temperature and other factors have eliminated Venus in the search for life in the solar system. The question of life on Mars has a long and dismal history.2 Giovanni Schiaparelli (1835-1910) thought he saw "canali", or "channels", often mistranslated from the Italian as "canals." Percival Lowell (1855-1916), nearly a century ago, believed he could see markings on Mars he called "canals", that had been made by intelligent beings. He prepared a detailed map showing how the courageous Martians, superior to humankind on Earth, were building public works to aid in their survival on an aging and desiccating planet. This view of Mars has since proved to be poetical fantasy. Nevertheless, Mars has long been the darling of space enthusiasts.
The Martian sidereal day is 24.6229 hours, slightly longer than the Earth's sidereal day of 23.9345 hours. The inclination of the equator of Mars to the orbit is 23.98x; that of the Earth is 23.45x. But there the resemblance vanishes. Mars may be Earth's "little brother" because it is only 10.74 % as massive as the Earth. Its gravity is only 38% that of Earth--a 300-pound football player on Earth would weigh 114 pounds on Mars.
The sparse atmosphere of Mars, a near-vacuum pressure only 0.6% of that on Earth, is composed of 95.3% carbon dioxide, 2.7% nitrogen, 0.13% oxygen and traces of water and the noble gases. The mere trace of oxygen does not provide an ozone shield to protect the surface from the intense ultraviolet radiation from the Sun. Mars does not have an appreciable magnetic field to protect the surface from the ionizing radiation of solar flares. Because of its thin atmosphere, Mars has been subjected to sterilizing ultraviolet rays, the solar wind, and ionizing radiation since it lost its primeval atmosphere 4.5 billion years ago.
In spite of the well-known inauspicious nature of the climate of Mars for the survival of life, and even more so for the origin of life, five robot spacecraft were sent to the red planet to search for life in the early 1960s, at great expense to United States taxpayers.2 The flybys of Mariners 4, 6 and 7 returned television pictures that showed ancient impact craters much like those on the Moon. The features Percival Lowell had imagined disappeared like a wraith. Mariner 9 went into orbit in 1971 and operated for 11 months, returning pictures that showed four gigantic extinct volcanoes and a multitude of channels, some hundreds of kilometers long. (These channels are invisible from Earth and have nothing to do with the canals of Percival Lowell.) However, the number of meteoritic impact craters that overlay these channels showed that they must have been made very early in the history of Mars. Evidence for even very short-lived oceans on Mars can be seen only by the dedicated advocates of future Mars exploration.
In the summer of 1976, two Viking spacecraft arrived at Mars and were placed in orbit. Lander 1 touched down on July 20, 1976, andLander 2 on September 3, on the opposite side of Mars. The two orbiters and Lander 2 operated for two years while Lander 1 operated for six years. The instrument used to measure and identify organic matter, called a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer, is sensitive to parts per billion. The only carbon compounds found on Mars were traced to the cleaning solvents used in the manufacture of the instrument.2 Thus two speculations fell with one blow: the existence of life on Mars, and one of the sources that had been proposed for organic matter in the ocean of primeval soup on Earth. Other tests for life on Mars also failed to detect any evidence of life, past or present. Nevertheless, further exploration of Mars is one of NASA's top priorities.
NASA must adhere to its official policy on the origin of life as it applies to Mars. The standard model for the origin of life is given by Christopher P. McKay3 in his NASA Urey Prize Lecture: Planetary Evolution and the Origin of Life:
The standard model of the origin of life on Earth was first given form by Oparin4 and Haldane and begins with the abiotic production of organic molecules. Abiotic chemical evolution is then thought to occur in the presence of liquid water, resulting in more complex structures leading to life itself and the onset of biological evolution. The standard model for the origin of life posits that life is a naturally emergent property of matter in Earth-like environments and would develop rapidly on any similar body.
This conjecture, coupled with theories for planet formation, results in the prediction that life should have originated on Mars in its early warm and wet period, from 4.0 to 3.0 billion years ago. The proposal that Mars, early in its history, had some complement of water and an atmosphere of carbon dioxide and nitrogen much more dense than today is not unreasonable.5,6,7,8 This is shown by channels that are very similar to canyons cut on Earth in catastrophic floods. But the mere presence of water flowing in channels is not sufficient; an ocean is required to develop a "primeval soup" that, according to standard theory, is necessary for the origin of life. The prospects for large oceans on Mars are much less than on Earth.
As the primeval magma cooled, the Earth's steam atmosphere condensed to provide enough water to cover the surface to 2,700 meters, or about 8,900 feet, deep. Estimates of the amount of water on the much smaller surface area of Mars vary from 10 or 20 meters to 200 meters. Proposals by both reduction mechanists and dialectical materialists for the required time to generate a "primeval soup" of prebiotic carbon compounds on a "suitable" planet vary from 100 million years to a billion. Proponents of the "life on Mars" scenario must establish that there were substantial oceans with a "primeval soup" on Mars for comparable lengths of time. I have showed in previous publications9,10,11 that there never was a "primeval soup" in the Earth's ocean, and by the same token, there never was a "primeval soup" on Mars.
McKay et al.1 call for Martian and earthly biomarkers suitable for identifying biogenic activity on Mars. Among such markers is the conspicuous fractionation of the light isotope 12C in the conversion of carbon dioxide to living matter by biochemical pathways. 13C is retained in the aqueous medium in which the inorganic reactions occur, primarily in dissolved bicarbonate.12,13 Consequently, on Earth or on Mars, substances generated by organisms capable of metabolism exhibit a decrease of carbon 13 between -20 and -40 x with respect to the atmosphere. This is consistent with the formation of kerogen, a fossilized biogenic substance related to petroleum, in the 3.8 billion-year-old sedimentary rocks found at Isua in Greenland. Schidlowski12 shows that inorganic carbonate, formed by well-known principles of physical chemistry, and the organic carbon of kerogen, are divided clearly into two groups by their isotopic composition.
According to the NASA standard model, one may take the isotopic character as a Martian biomarker by which one can judge the validity of the claim of McKay et al.1 of having found evidence of fossil life on Mars in the ALH84001 meteorite. Romanek,14 one of the authors of McKay et al.,1 reported that the 13C of the Martian atmosphere is x + 41.3 x and compatible with the atmosphere of Mars being the source of carbon in the carbonate of ALH84001. McKay et al.1 do not report kerogens or their graphitic derivatives in ALH84001. This is a telling blow to the belief that the carbonate in ALH84001 was generated by living organisms. ALH84001 is an igneous orthopyroxenite, not a sedimentary rock. Accordingly, this is a second telling blow to the belief that the carbonates in ALH84001 reflect biogenic activity.
Amino acids, the components of protein, are found in a number of meteorites, but not in ALH84001. The aromatic hydrocarbons found in ALH84001 do not show a propensity for the selection of 12C. They are composed solely of carbon and hydrogen. A proteinous sample of amino acids shows considerable oxygen and nitrogen as well as sulfur. These polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are not a biomarker for ALH84001.
McKay et al.1 rely on the morphology of the carbonate globules in their interpretation of biogenic origin, rather than on their isotopic composition. Speculations on the morphology of models of living organisms have a long and dismal history. Oparin4 referred to much of the literature on the origin of life in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, which proposed that life emerged from a primeval soup in the early ocean from "coacervates" or colloids. That was first proposed by Haeckel15 in 1866, and was widely discussed by scientists, theologians, and the public in the nineteenth century. The discussion of these efforts was so widespread among the theater-going public in 1878 (sixteen years before Oparin was born) that Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (1836-1911) ridiculed it by having Pooh-Bah, a comic, greedy, and conceited character, introduce himself by declaring that he could trace his ancestry back to a "pre-Adamic protoplasmal atomic globule".16
Jacques Loeb17, a convinced mechanist, cautioned in 1906 against the value of building models of living organisms that, like the round granules in colloidal material, merely resemble them but are not capable of development, growth, or reproduction.
We often see what we want to see. Coacervate droplets, colloidal precipitates or "proteinoids" proposed in attempts to imitate or to model the first cells and the origin of life are like Rorschach inkblots. They tell us more about the philosophical preconceptions of the investigators and space exploration enthusiasts than about the origin of life.
Mr. Goldin stated, at the NASA briefing, that if it is confirmed that ALH84001 and, perhaps, other meteorites actually do contain microfossils as "evidence for primitive life on Mars" that means that life originated independently on a planet other than Earth. It would follow then that life is common in the Milky Galaxy. But is it possible that there was a two-way flow of meteorites18 between Earth and Mars? The kerogen in the sedimentary rocks at Isua in Greenland tell us that life was swarming in the oceans of the Earth, 3.8 billion years ago. After the last sterilizing event of the Late Heavy Bombardment, and before 3.8 billion years ago, bodies as large as 100 kilometers in diameter continued to hit the rapidly spinning Earth. Could ejecta from the sedimentary rocks have escaped Earth, orbited about in space and struck Mars entering the primeval oceans of the time, carrying life with them? Only one successful inoculation from Earth is necessary for life to flourish in the oceans on early Mars.
|Figure 2. This is a high-resolution scanning electron microscope image of an unusual tube-like structural form, less than 1/100th the width of a human hair, found in the meteorite ALH84001. This structure will be the subject of future investigations that could substantiate whether or not it is fossil evidence of primitive life on Mars 3.6 billion years ago. Associated Press photo from NASA.
These Earth-born meteorites will not be destroyed on Mars as those from Mars are on Earth. There is no plate subduction on Mars and for about three billion years, no ocean. Virtually the entire inventory can be found on the surface of Mars, a much larger area and for a very much longer window of time than is available for the preservation of meteorites on Earth. There may be a treasure trove of Earth-based meteorites lying about on Mars for the picking.
When at last Mars is explored by humans, some of the meteorites they find may have come from the impact that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs, 65 million years ago. The colliding object must have been about 10 kilometers in diameter--that would be a rock bigger than Mount Everest, which is only 8.8 kilometers high. The object collided at a speed of 11 kilometers per second and developed an energy of 100 million megatons of TNT. This energy is sufficient to excavate a transient crater 45 to 60 kilometers deep. After the walls slumped, the crater would still have been 17 to 20 kilometers deep. The prime candidate for the site of collision is the buried Chicxulub crater in the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico.19 The Chicxulub multi-ring basin is about 180 kilometers in diameter, the result of one of the largest collisions since the Late Heavy Bombardment during the formation of Earth and Mars. The astronauts exploring Mars will have no doubt about what to look for. Borings at the Chicxulub crater have shown that in addition to the dolomite limestones, the crater is underlain by anhydrite (CaSO4). The evidence for exchange of meteorites between Earth and Mars is much stronger than the evidence for "primitive life on Mars" presented by McKay et al.1
McKay et al.1 conclude: "None of these observations is in itself conclusive for the existence of past life. Although there are alternative explanations for each of these phenomena taken individually, when they are considered collectively, particularly in view of their spatial association, we conclude that they are evidence for primitive life on early Mars."
The "evidence" that McKay et al.1 present is no better than "probable cause" in the legal sense, which justifies no conclusion but only further investigation. It is clear that the contrary conclusion equally fits the data. In science we are forced by the data to one or several credible conclusions, eliminating others. The measurements of the carbon isotopes do not show the required selection of 12C; ALH84001 is an igneous orthopyroxenite, not a sedimentary rock. The Martian carbonate globules are neither Pooh-Bah's "pre-Adamic protoplasmal atomic globules," Rorschach inkblots, nor evidence of primitive life on early Mars. To assert that ALH84001 exhibits evidence for life is to ignore genetics17 and accept Oparinism3.
The facts on the question of life on Mars are that we must leave the poetic fantasy of science fiction and reconcile ourselves that life on Earth has no complement on Mars. The question of funding manned missions to Mars reminds me of the great pyramids of ancient Egypt. Those magnificent engineering achievements served no practical purpose for the people of Egypt or the Pharaoh. They were all looted in antiquity. The Romans were more practical. They built aqueducts, bridges and roads.
Copyright © 1997 Hubert P. Yockey. All
rights reserved. International copyright secured.
File Date: 5.1.97


text:
Nine months after its official launch, Australian developers have already extended the capabilities of the world's first non-proprietary Linux powered mobile phone.
Linux-based OpenMoko was officially launched at the start of this year in partnership with Taiwanese manufacturer First International Computer (FIC).
Late last month National ICT Australia (NICTA) spin-off Open Kernal Labs (OK) and Australian-based Fluffy Spider Technologies (FST) announced the availability of OKL4 for FIC's OpenMoko Neo1973 smart phone featuring FST's FancyPants advanced GUI (graphical user interface) platform.
This is the first product coming from the joint development agreement signed by OK and FST on July 25 this year.
OK's open-source microkernel operating system, OKL4 is designed to offer high proven performance with a focus on virtualization, real-time programming, security, encapsulation and componentisation of software for increased fault isolation and robustness.
FST Business Development manager, Stan Ghys said in a press release that the FancyPants user interface demonstrates the ability for third parties to easily develop advanced graphics and include high-performance multimedia applications for the OpenMoko software, proving the platform's robustness to OEMs of high-end and low-cost mass market devices.
"In addition, this is the first device to illustrate the ability to simultaneously run multiple applications on multiple operating systems running on the OKL4 microkernel on a single processor core. The result is a seamless, user-configurable interface with a very small footprint that reduces hardware resource requirements and costs," he said.
Ghys said the product is attracting a lot of interest from original equipment manufacturer's and original design manufacturer's around the world.
"We (OK and FST) currently have a joint research and marketing arrangement and look forward to being contracted together for customer-specific projects," he said.
OK Labs CEO Steve Subar agreed that the interest level is high, and that the response from developers at the ARM Developers Conference where the product was shown this month was positive.
"We are at a crossroads of a very exciting time in the industry," he said.
"(We are seeing the) coming together of requirements for feature rich devices addressing the needs of service providers."
Subar also said in a press release that OpenMoko is one of the hottest new open source devices available today.


text: You are a Criminal. The sentence is the same for all convicted criminals within the Imperium. You are to be cast into the dungeons to fight for your innocence. Five miles of monster infested prison lay between you and freedom. Only those strong enough to survive will emerge from… The Dungeons of Quarn


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text:
"Jill Carroll" wrote:Advances in surgeries with robots reduce risks and trim recovery times
By Jill Carroll
What if you could have a major surgery with only a short hospital stay, very little pain, low risk of infection, little blood loss, minimal scarring, and a fast recovery and return to normal daily activities?
Such a scenario is becoming increasingly possible thanks to the developing field of medical robotics and the increasing use of robots in surgical procedures. By using robots, surgeons can perform complex operations more easily and precisely, and in a less invasive way that improves results for patients.
"Robotics is an extension of laparoscopic surgery," said Dr. Surena Matin, an associate professor in the department of urology at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Matin also is medical director of MINTOS - the Minimally Invasive New Technology in Oncologic Surgery Collaborative Group at M.D. Anderson. "The improvement over laparoscopic techniques comes in terms of improving the surgeon's visibility and dexterity. Surgeons don't have to remove their eyes from the scene of surgery, and they have more range of motion through the wrists of the device than through scopes. (Laparoscopy) is like operating with chopsticks compared to the dexterity of the microwrists on the robotic system."
At least two of the most advanced surgical robotics systems are in use in the Houston area. Surgeons at Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital recently began using the da Vinci Si Surgical System robot to perform procedures in urogynecology, gynecology, oncology and general surgery. St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital has added the same system to its suite of robotics technology to perform urological and gynecological procedures, and perhaps procedures for ear nose, throat and abdominal specialties in the future.
Dr. Nina Dereska, a surgeon at Memorial Hermann Sugar Land, has been using the da Vinci robotic systems for surgeries since 2009. The system allows for more surgical options with certain patients for whom traditional surgery presents a problem.
"With robotic surgery, small mechanical arms are inserted into the patient through tiny incisions," she explained. "Surgeons will be able to control the robotic movements, or the arms, through special hand and foot controls at a console several feet away from the operating table." The robot translates the surgeon's hand, wrist and finger movements at the control console into corresponding micro movements of the instrument's tip.
In other words, the robot can be set to scale down surgeon's movements so that a 1-inch movement on the surgeon's finger becomes a movement of only a fraction of an inch at the tip of the robotic instrument. Similar movements also control the camera to allow the surgeon to see inside the patient's body. The surgeon, sitting at the console, is able to continuously view the scene of surgery and perform highly precise surgical movements without nearly as much fatigue as in traditional surgical procedures, including "straight-stick" laparoscopy.
"Straight-stick surgery is hard on the body - my elbows are up in the air, my shoulders are hunched; it's very fatiguing," Dereska said. "Robotics surgery is much easier on the surgeon, which translates to being better for the patient."
Surgeons at the Methodist Hospital recently became the first to use the Magellan Robotic System to treat patients with peripheral vascular disease. "This new intravascular robotic system represents a fundamental step forward in the transformation of vascular intervention," said Dr. Alan Lumsden, chair of the department of cardiovascular surgery and medical director of the Methodist Debakey Heart & Vascular Center. "It allows us to offer less invasive endovascular options to a broader group of patients suffering from complex vascular disease."
The system allows a surgeon to more precisely steer a catheter inside and around blood vessels. Lumsden said it can be used for any procedure involving complex catheterization and will be especially useful in lower-extremity arterial interventions and branched endografts. In addition, the technology will help reduce both the procedure time and radiation exposure.
The chief drawback of robotics in surgery is the lack of haptic feedback - the ability surgeons have to visualize in their mind what they are feeling with their hands. "We don't have our fingerpads to feel and guide, so we have to learn with our eyes to see how the tissue reacts in order to get a 'feel' for it," Matin said. "This is more of an issue for late-stage cancers where the tactile feedback plays a heavier role in determining where to cut."
Increasingly, surgeons are being trained to use robotic systems in various specialty areas. Peter Herrera directs the Memorial Hermann Surgical Innovation and Robotics Institute in the Texas Medical Center. "The institute has trained numerous robotics surgical teams from around the country since we first opened in 2003," he said. "We are the largest training site for robotic surgery in the nation and the only one in the southwest USA."
Source: http://www.chron.com/news/health/articl ... 293686.php
John Greenewald, Jr.
The Black Vault Website Owner / Operator
12:56 am
April 9, 2009
One of my robotics instructors back in 1985 left my company to work in the medical robotic field. He was very smart in robotic programming and the advanced engineering part of them. I am sure he went on to do great things in the medical field with them. He was very passionate about heading into that field. I know they do a lot of robotic microsurguries on eyes.
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A collection of scholarly works about individual liberty and free markets. A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.
1685 - 1750
Historical Period:
The 18th Century
Bach was one of the most prolific and original composers in the Western classical tradition. His cantatas, passions and oratorios played an important part in Lutheran church music.


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Action Alert: Tell USPSTF to change their aged based rating to a "B"
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Fails
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Please Take 30 Minutes to Help Save Over 100,000 Lives
Tell the USPSTF to increase their rating for age based screening to "B"!
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has updated its recommendations on hepatitis C testing and released a draft on November 26th. The draft recommendations on testing hepatitis C among injection drug users and others at high risk is a major improvement over previous guidelines (a grade "B", meaning testing is recommended). However, the Task Force failed to match the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's lifesaving recommendation of testing all those born between 1945 to 1965 for hepatitis C. It recommends only a "C" grade, which does not recommend testing everyone in this birth cohort and states that there is only a "small benefit" for testing those who do not have symptoms. The USPSTF's recommendation also conflicts with the U.S. Health and Human Services' Viral Hepatitis Action Plan, and the commitment from the federal government to mount a real fight against the hepatitis C epidemic. The hepatitis C treatment landscape is changing and improving rapidly. People need to know their hepatitis C status and be linked to care to benefit from treatment advances.
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Egypt: 44 killed in new bout of street violence
CAIRO - Clashes erupted on Sunday across much of Egypt between security forces and supporters of the ousted president, leaving 44 killed, as rival crowds of supporters of the military and backers of the Islamist Mohammed Morsi it deposed poured into streets around the country to mark a major holiday.
The capital, Cairo, saw multiple scenes of mayhem as street battles raged for hours in some neighborhoods, with Morsi supporters firing birdshot and throwing firebombs at police who responded with gunshots and tear gas.
In some cases, pro-military crowds set upon supporters of the former president, with the two sides pelting each other with rocks. By late evening, several parts of the city resembled combat zones, with fires burning, black smoke rising and the crack of gunfire piercing the air, thick with tear gas. Streets were strewn with debris.
An Associated Press photographer saw nine bodies lying on the floor of a clinic in the Cairo district of Dokki, scene of some of the heaviest clashes. Most of the bodies had gunshot wounds to the head or chest.
The Health Ministry reported 40 people killed in Cairo and four others killed in provinces south of cairo, with more than 240 people injured. The Interior Ministry, which is in charge of the police, said 423 Morsi supporters were detained across the nation.
The clashes took place on the 40th anniversary of the start of the 1973 Mideast war with Israel, a holiday the military-backed government had wanted to use to pay tribute to the armed forces, whose chief ousted Morsi in a popularly supported coup on July 3.
The clashes were the last chapter in the turmoil roiling the country since the ouster in February 2011 of longtime ruler Hosni Mubarak and are certain to set back efforts by the government to revive the economy, especially the vital tourism sector, and bring order to the streets of Cairo, where crime and lawlessness have been rife.
The scene of the fighting contrasted sharply with a carnival-like mood in Cairo's central Tahrir Square, where thousands of supporters of the military waved Egyptian flags, blew whistles and touted posters of army chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. Adding to the festivities, a military band in green jackets and off-white pants played, and men spun in whirling dervish-style dances.
Earlier in the day, soldiers had barricaded entrances to central Tahrir Square with barbed wire and armored personnel vehicles. Metal detectors were installed at the entrances and demonstrators pouring into the square were searched by troops.
Late on Sunday, el-Sissi and interim President Adly Mansour attended a fireworks extravaganza at a military-owned stadium in the eastern part of Cairo.
El-Sissi's predecessor, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, was among those attending the ceremony, making his first public appearance since Morsi removed him and his chief of staff, Sami Anan, in August last year. Tantawi served Hosni Mubarak as defense minister for 20 years and took over the reins of the country when his mentor was ousted in a 2011 uprising.
Anan, who has presidential ambitions, was not present.


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text:
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Three suburban Boston high school soccer players used a broomstick to rape one freshman boy and try to rape two others last week at a sports team-building retreat in western Massachusetts, a prosecutor said Tuesday. One was held pending a hearing to determine whether he is a danger to the public.
That suspect, Galileo Mondol, 17, and two 16-year-old boys attacked the freshman and attempted to rape the others Aug. 25 in a cabin at Camp Lenox in Otis, in the Berkshire Mountains, a prosecutor said in court Tuesday. Mondol was not involved at first but joined in, Berkshire Assistant District Attorney Rachel Eramo said.
"I want to have a crack at that," Mondol is reported to have said, according to Eramo.
The three defendants then tried to convince the accusers not to report the attack, she said.
The allegations have shaken the Boston suburb of Somerville, including Mayor Joe Curtatone, a volunteer football coach at the camp. Somerville High was holding a team-building retreat at the camp for the soccer and football teams. The defendants and accusers all play soccer.
Mondol pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated rape of a child, assault on a child with intent to commit rape, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, indecent assault, and witness intimidation Tuesday. His dangerousness hearing was scheduled for Friday.
Under Massachusetts law, a 17-year-old is considered an adult and automatically charged as one. The two 16-year-old boys, whose names were not released because of their age, were to be arraigned in juvenile court on similar charges.
They were arrested Friday, and Mondol was held over the weekend on $100,000 bail. A judge refused to lower bail Tuesday, even though his lawyer William Korman said his client had nothing to do with the alleged assault.
"Even the other defendants and the victims said my client had nothing to do with the incident in question," Korman said, adding that Mondol tried to stop the attack. He called the bail amount outrageous.
Mondol's parents were in court but made no comment outside. Mondol was to start his junior year of high school Tuesday, Korman said.
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Arts Review
A moving portrait of John McCain, in all his contradictions
Arts Review
Netflix's 'Rebecca' is pale specter of Hitchcock's original film
Maine Voices
Maine Voices: Let's stay united as Mainers amid our religious, political differences
Hunting: Deer hunting has its share of myths and misconceptions
Arts & Entertainment
Play by the rules: Portland Stage welcomes a live audience and the responsibility that comes with it


text:
originally by: The Observer
published: 3 June 2012
The death of Janey Antoniou ("Campaign calls for open investigations into deaths of mental health patients", News) brought into sharp focus the serious anomaly that exists when someone dies in mental health detention.
Unlike deaths in police or prison custody, where the inquest is based on the investigation conducted by an independent body, no such equivalent independent mechanism exists. It is unjust that institutions responsible for the care of mentally ill people should not be subject to the same scrutiny given to other forms of state detention.
In 2004, the parliamentary joint committee on human rights recommended that there should be an independent body to investigate the deaths of people detained under the Mental Health Act.
Earlier this year, the Equality and Human Rights Commission noted that no single person or agency is responsible for investigating deaths in mental health settings and this was a key area needing improvement.
The government must urgently address this gap to ensure proper public scrutiny and to protect lives and prevent deaths in the future.
Helen Shaw and Deborah Coles, co-directors, Inquest; Paul Jenkins, chief executive, Rethink Mental Illness; Paul Farmer, chief executive, Mind; Shami Chakrabarti, director, Liberty; Roger Smith, director, Justice; Matilda MacAttram, director, Black Mental Health UK
Other Information:
Lining with mental illness
Rethink – Information & Support


text:
Description: Printed on Cotton twill; this versatile fabric is perfect for baby bedding, kids bedding, curtains and soft furnishing.
(Available in lightweight Cotton poplin on request - for apparel and sheets)
Designed and printed in South Africa, for Studio Collection.
(Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery)
Washing Instructions: Use cold water and mild detergent (Woolite). Tumble drying is not recommended - Air Dry Only - Do not Dry Clean.
While every effort is made to represent colors accurately, every monitor is different and we cannot guarantee the colors you see match the colors of the actual fabrics


text:
Rapid Initiation of Antiretroviral Therapy to Promote Early HIV/AIDS Treatment in South Africa (RapIT Study) (RapIT)
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01710397
Recruitment Status : Completed
First Posted : October 19, 2012
Last Update Posted : January 4, 2019
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- No Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
One of the most serious challenges facing antiretroviral therapy (ART) programs for HIV/AIDS in resource-constrained settings is the failure of ART-eligible patients to complete the steps required to initiate treatment. The high rate of loss to care of patients who are treatment-eligible at HIV diagnosis may be due in part to the large number of steps required between receiving an HIV diagnosis and obtaining the first dose of antiretrovirals (ARVs). In South Africa, these steps usually require approximately four clinic visits over a period of 2-8 weeks before a patient can start treatment. One strategy proposed for reducing losses among those eligible for ART is to simplify and condense the steps required for starting treatment. This is now possible because new, point-of-care (POC) tests for CD4 counts and tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis are available. These technologies can be combined with changes to clinic schedules to allow all steps required for ART initiation under South African guidelines (lab tests, physical exam, education) to take place on the day the patient presents for an HIV test.
This study is a randomized strategy evaluation of the feasibility, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of rapid ART initiation. Outpatient, non-pregnant, HIV-positive adults who come to a South African clinic for an HIV test, consent to study participation, and are eligible for ART will be randomized 1:1 to rapid ART initiation or to standard care. Those who are assigned to rapid ART initiation will have the possibility of receiving their first dose of ARVs as early as the same day, while those who are assigned to standard care will follow the clinic's usual procedures for starting ART. Rapid ART initiation for HIV-positive pregnant women, which has recently become the standard of care in South Africa, will also be assessed in a programmatic evaluation conducted alongside the randomized evaluation, with a retrospective comparison group. The primary study outcome for non-pregnant adults will be remaining alive, in care and virally suppressed 10 months after having a positive HIV test at the study site or making a first HIV-related visit. The primary study outcome for pregnant women will be adherence to ART until delivery. The cost effectiveness of the rapid initiation strategy will be assessed as the cost per patient achieving the primary outcome for each population.
|Condition or disease
|Other: Rapid ART initiation
|Not Applicable
|Study Type :
|Interventional (Clinical Trial)
|Actual Enrollment :
|531 participants
|Intervention Model:
|Single Group Assignment
|None (Open Label)
|Primary Purpose:
|Health Services Research
|Official Title:
|Rapid Initiation of Antiretroviral Therapy to Promote Early HIV/AIDS Treatment in South Africa (RapIT Study)
|Actual Study Start Date :
|May 2013
|Actual Primary Completion Date :
|July 2015
|Actual Study Completion Date :
|June 30, 2018
No Intervention: Standard group, non-pregnant adults
Comparison group (prospective enrollment)
No Intervention: Standard group, pregnant women
Comparison group (retrospective record review)
Experimental: Rapid group, non-pregnant adults
Rapid ART initiation
Other: Rapid ART initiation
Subjects offered the intervention who are eligible for antiretroviral therapy under South African guidelines will be offered the opportunity to initiate ART immediately, if possible on the same day as testing positive for HIV. Rapid testing technologies and an accelerated schedule will be used to allow all steps required prior to initiating ART to take place in approximately a half-day period.
Experimental: Rapid group, pregnant women
Rapid ART initiation
Other: Rapid ART initiation
Subjects offered the intervention who are eligible for antiretroviral therapy under South African guidelines will be offered the opportunity to initiate ART immediately, if possible on the same day as testing positive for HIV. Rapid testing technologies and an accelerated schedule will be used to allow all steps required prior to initiating ART to take place in approximately a half-day period.
- Proportion non-pregnant subjects virally suppressed at routine six-month viral load [ Time Frame: 10 months after study enrollment ]The primary outcome for non-pregnant adults is the proportion of subjects in each group alive, in care and virally suppressed at the routine six-month monitoring visit within 10 months of a positive HIV test or initial HIV care visit if previously diagnosed. The analysis period will start at study enrollment and continue through the earlier of the patient's six-month viral load or 10 months after the patient's HIV test.
- Proportion of pregnant subjects who adhere to ART or the prior PMTCT regimen until delivery [ Time Frame: Up to 9 months after study enrollment ]The primary outcome for pregnant women is the proportion of subjects in each group who adhere to ART or the prior prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) regimen until delivery. The number of weeks a pregnant woman is on ART before delivery is the most important predictor of perinatal HIV transmission7. The guideline change to immediate ART initiation for pregnant women is likely to lead to earlier initiation for most pregnant women, but the intervention will be effective only if patients adhere to ART through the duration of pregnancy. Adherence will be measured as making monthly medication pickups to allow a continuous supply of ARVs through delivery. The analysis period for the primary outcome will start on the day of study enrollment, which is the date of a positive HIV test or the first antenatal visit of the current pregnancy, for women previously diagnosed, and end at the actual or estimated delivery date.
- Average cost per non-pregnant patient who is alive, in care, and virally suppressed within 10 months of study enrollment [ Time Frame: 10 months after study enrollment ]
- Average cost per pregnant patient who initiates ART within 4 weeks [ Time Frame: 3 months after study enrollment ]
- Proportion virally suppressed at six-month intervals and final date of data censoring [ Time Frame: 24 months after enrollment ]Proportion of subjects in each track and group alive, on ART, and virally suppressed at six-month intervals and the final date of data censoring
- Average time to ART initiation [ Time Frame: 24 months after enrollment ]
- Average gestational age at ART initiation and average duration on ART prior to delivery [ Time Frame: 3 months after study enrollment ]
- Patient-level predictors of treatment uptake, retention in care, and viral suppression [ Time Frame: 10 months after enrollment ]
- Prevalence of TB symptoms, confirmed TB, time to initiation of TB treatment, and time to initiation of ART among patients with TB [ Time Frame: 10 months after enrollment ]
- Acceptance of rapid initiation strategy [ Time Frame: 10 months after enrollment ]Acceptance of rapid initiation strategy (% of patients offered rapid initiation who accept)
- Time from HIV test to treatment [ Time Frame: 10 months after enrollment ]Average time elapsed (days) between HIV test and dispensing of first dose of ARVs
- Cost to patients [ Time Frame: 10 months after enrollment ]Average cost to patients of initiating treatment, including travel and other out-of-pocket costs and time spent in clinic
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Adult patients (>18 years)
- Tested HIV-positive at study site's outpatient testing service or antenatal clinic on day of study enrollment or previously tested HIV-positive but making first visit to study site for HIV-related care or antenatal care for the current pregnancy
- Eligible for antiretroviral therapy under prevailing South African guidelines
Exclusion Criteria:
- Currently or previously on ART (three-drug combination; previous PMTCT regimen exposure for an earlier pregnancy is not an exclusion criterion)
- Stated intention to seek further HIV or antenatal care at another site, not at the study site
- Not physically or emotionally able to participate in the study, in the opinion of the investigators
- Not willing or able to provide written informed consent to participate in the study
- Previously screened for the same study
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT01710397
|South Africa
|Thuthukani Primary Health Clinic
|Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa, 2092
|Themba Lethu Clinic, Helen Joseph Hospital
|Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
|Principal Investigator:
|Sydney Rosen
|Boston University
Publications of Results:
|Responsible Party:
|Sydney Rosen, Prinicipal Investigator, Boston University
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|Other Study ID Numbers:
1U01AI100015-01 ( U.S. NIH Grant/Contract )
|First Posted:
|October 19, 2012 Key Record Dates
|Last Update Posted:
|January 4, 2019
|Last Verified:
|January 2019
|Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement:
|Plan to Share IPD:
|Plan Description:
|Data will be made publicly available in the Dryad repository (http://www. datadryad.org/) after the protocol has been closed (anticipated closure December 2018).
|Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product:
|Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product:
Antiretroviral therapy
South Africa
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
HIV Infections
Lentivirus Infections
Retroviridae Infections
RNA Virus Infections
Virus Diseases
Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Slow Virus Diseases
Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes
Immune System Diseases


text:
Please allow up to 1 hour at the venue.
During registration, you may be offered an optional damage waiver at a cost of £25 for the first car and £5 for any additional car you drive. By purchasing the damage waiver you will not be liable for the first £2000 excess as a result of damage to any of the cars.


text:
Abstract and Keywords
As places of dense habitation, cities have always required coordination and planning. City planning has involved the design and construction of large-scale infrastructure projects to provide basic necessities such as a water supply and drainage. By the 1850s, immigration and industrialization were fueling the rise of big cities, creating immense, collective problems of epidemics, slums, pollution, gridlock, and crime. From the 1850s to the 1900s, both local governments and utility companies responded to this explosive physical and demographic growth by constructing a "networked city" of modern technologies such as gaslight, telephones, and electricity. Building the urban environment also became a wellspring of innovation in science, medicine, and administration. In 1909–1910, a revolutionary idea—comprehensive city planning—opened a new era of professionalization and institutionalization in the planning departments of city halls and universities. Over the next thirty-five years, however, wars and depression limited their influence.
From 1945 to 1965, in contrast, represents the golden age of formal planning. During this unprecedented period of peace and prosperity, academically trained experts played central roles in the modernization of the inner cities and the sprawl of the suburbs. But the planners' clean-sweep approach to urban renewal and the massive destruction caused by highway construction provoked a revolt of the grassroots. Beginning in the Watts district of Los Angeles in 1965, mass uprisings escalated over the next three years into a national crisis of social disorder, racial and ethnic inequality, and environmental injustice. The postwar consensus of theory and practice was shattered, replaced by a fragmented profession ranging from defenders of top-down systems of computer-generated simulations to proponents of advocacy planning from the bottom up. Since the late 1980s, the ascendency of public-private partnerships in building the urban environment has favored the planners promoting systems approaches, who promise a future of high-tech "smart cities" under their complete control.
Keywords: Cities, suburbs, metropolitan regions, city planning, public policy, public works, urban housing, highways
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text:
Wendy Williams' badly blistered feet earned a reprieve Tuesday, as the talk show host became the second celebrity voted off "Dancing with the Stars."
It wasn't much of a surprise that Williams got the ax, as her fox trot Monday had landed her at the bottom of the leaderboard with 15 out of 30 points. Hours earlier, Williams posted a photo on Twitter that showed her feet swollen with blisters.
Williams said Tuesday night that if she had been judged on personality alone, she'd win.
U.S. & World
The day's top national and international news.
She also claimed to be the "busiest" contestant, having to juggle a marriage and motherhood with weekly commitments in New York and Los Angeles.
Still, Williams acknowledged her struggles on the ballroom.
"Despite stereotypes, this is one black girl who can't even do the running man," Williams said, adding that she would give a fuller report on her talk show.
Head judge Len Goodman said Williams' story was of someone who "overcame her fears."
With Williams out, Kirstie Alley was spared an early exit from pro-partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy having dropped the Emmy-winner Monday during their rumba.
Asked what she was thinking when Chmerkovskiy's knee buckled and Alley took a tumble, the actress deadpanned, "Where Am I? Who am I?"
Other celebrities still in contention for ABC's mirrorball trophy and returning next week are: NFL-er Hines Ward, model Petra Nemcova, Disney star Chelsea Kane, reality star Kendra Wilkinson-Baskett, wrestler Chris Jericho and original "Karate Kid" Ralph Macchio.