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research, innovation & policy
The anti-vaccinationists have launched a new campaign this holiday season to spread cheer – oops, I mean fear – to moviegoers everywhere. Yes, the folks at SafeMinds and Age of Autism have produced an advertisement that they are trying to place in AMC theaters across the country. In fact, they almost succeeded, but quick action by skeptical science bloggers at SkepChick, Respectful Insolence, and their readerships convinced AMC to cancel the ad – for now.
The ad that SafeMinds is trying to run is intended to scare people away from getting their flu vaccine, just as flu season is beginning. The vaccine this year will protect you against both the new "swine" flu, called H1N1, and the previous flu strain, H3N2. Early data from the CDC makes it clear that both strains are still around, with H3N2 showing up somewhat more frequently so far this fall. The vaccine not only protects you, but also your family, your colleagues, and the many other people you might come into contact with each day while at work, shopping, or elsewhere.
Why try to scare people? Well, the people behind SafeMinds and Age of Autism believe that the preservative thimerosal, which is used in some but not all flu vaccines, causes autism. This theory has been thoroughly investigated over the past 10 years, and just as thoroughly discredited. In fact, it never had any positive evidence to support it in the first place, but it has been promoted aggressively by a journalist, David Kirby, who wrote a book based on the thimerosal-autism hypothesis. (I'm not providing a link – Kirby has already made far too much money off this bogus claim, and I don't want to give him the web traffic.)
Thimerosal was introduced into vaccines in the 1930s, and it is a very effective means to prevent the growth of bacteria without affecting the potency of the vaccine itself. In over 60 years and hundreds of millions of doses, it has proven to be quite benign. Nonetheless, it contains a form of mercury called ethylmercury, which anti-vaccinationists claim causes autism and other neurological disorders.
The claim that thimerosal causes autism was the central question of a large, multi-year Autism Omnibus trial, which ruled definitively last year that thimerosal does not cause autism. I wrote about that ruling at some length back in March, and I won't repeat it here, except to quote again from the Special Master's decision:
"The numerous medical studies concerning the issue of whether thimerosal causes autism, performed by medical scientists worldwide, have come down strongly against the petitioners' contentions. Considering all of the evidence, I find that the petitioners have failed to demonstrate that thimerosal-containing vaccines can contribute to the causation of autism."
The anti-vax crowd will not give up, unfortunately. Rather than spending their time and effort trying to find the true causes of autism, they continue to repeat claims that have already been shown false. For example, the SafeMinds website lists 5 "key points" that are just flat-out wrong. Here are the first two:
But data doesn't seem to have any effect on the anti-vax zealots at Age of Autism and SafeMinds.
Because AMC refused to run their ad, Safeminds' Kim Stagliano is saying her family will stay away from AMC theaters this holiday season. I hope they do! Why? Because unvaccinated individuals are a genuine threat to public health. Movie theaters, and the malls in which they are located, are an ideal place for infectious diseases to spread. Without vaccines, countless thousands of people would fall ill every holiday season after mingling with other shoppers, and some would likely die. My message to the unvaccinated crowd at SafeMinds is: stay away from the rest of us.
And I encourage everyone else to get your flu shot, get your kids vaccinated, and then go see a movie at an AMC theater. Meanwhile, you can also tell them at this link that you appreciate their taking a stand against misinformation and for the benefit of public health.
Has Steven Salzberg actually watched the SafeMinds PSA? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlJKQGw-sJA
Lyn Redwood merely presents the facts about the mercury content of many of the flu vaccines available.
FACT: The ones with mercury far exceed EPA safety standards and must be disposed of as toxic waste.
FACT: The mercury-based vaccine preservative thimerosal was never tested or approved by the FDA.
FACT: It's not known if thimerosal is safe for pregnant women or nursing mothers either. Studies have never been done.
FACT: Mercury comes from many sources and one in every 6 women have blood levels that could put their unborn children at risk.
Lyn advocates for mercury-free flu vaccines. How does that make her ANTI-VACCINE? Salzberg's defense of second deadliest element on earth and a known neurotoxin makes no sense. I'd love to see an independent toxicologist who would back him up.
Anne Dachel
Media editor: Age of Autism
Anne, California law prohibits thimerosal in any vaccine. So why did SafeMinds pay to screen its propaganda in Calfornia?
That is not correct autismnewsbeat. California law only prohibits thimerosal in vaccines on the infant schedule. And there are loopholes to allow for "emergencies" when thimerosal free vaccines are not available. A very weak law, which only makes people think they are being protected.
Flu vaccines exceed safety levels of mercury. I want to know that little tidbit of information. Why is it anti-vaccine to ask for safer vaccines?
"Flu vaccines exceed safety levels of mercury."
What is your source for this statement? If you are going to cite the EPA, don't bother. Their limits on mercury exposure are for methylmercury, not ethylmercury.
You are more than welcome to my allotment of ethylmercury, aavtoddw.
"You are more than welcome to my allotment of ethylmercury, aavtoddw."
I take it you don't actually have a source for your claim that thimerosal in flu vaccines exceeds safety limits, then?
California law prohibits administering thimerosal containing vaccines to pregnant women and children under three (not just infants as sylngb asserts)
Here is a sentence from the SafeMinds website, discussing the California law:
"The Act prohibits administering mercury-containing vaccines to pregnant women or to children younger than three years of age."
So, again, why did SafeMinds pay to show their advertisement in California? If their main message was to inform pregnant women and parents of young children, they could have spent their money somewhere where that message would have an effect.
For those who are interested in what the law actually states, you can find it here: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/03-04/bill/asm/ab_2901-2950/ab_2943_bill_20040928_chaptered.html
The law limits the amount of thimerosal administered to children under 3 years of age and knowingly pregnant women to trace amounts (.5mcg/.5mL dose for most TCVs, and 1mcg/.5mL dose for flu vaccines). If the Secretary of Health and the Governor both agree that an exemption is warranted, and there is sufficient evidence that the exemption is needed, then this law can be waived for up to 12 months.
In the absence of a health emergency necessitating an exemption (and there currently is no such emergency in California for the flu vaccine), the SafeMinds PSA is pointless. Why spend the money there, as lbrbsullivan and others have pointed out, when their money would have been better spent in a different market?
that is not from the SafeMinds website, but from a page by the California Department of Public Health–linked to by SafeMinds in their "safemindsflu" website.
I do not choose any vaccine with any amount of mercury in it. The government has been asleep at the wheel when it comes to ethylmercury in vaccines. I would not allow my children to recieve Thimerosal in any form, whether in ear drops, vaccines, or any other medical product. But most consumers are not aware that mercury is in most flu shots. Hence the need for the SafeMinds PSA.
"I do not choose any vaccine with any amount of mercury in it. The government has been asleep at the wheel when it comes to ethylmercury in vaccines. I would not allow my children to recieve Thimerosal in any form, whether in ear drops, vaccines, or any other medical product. But most consumers are not aware that mercury is in most flu shots. Hence the need for the SafeMinds PSA."
Okay, so you have no evidence to support your claim that "flu vaccines exceed safety levels of mercury".
Now, do you have scientific evidence that ethylmercury, in the amounts and route of administration found in vaccines, is harmful? Or are you merely arguing from your own fears of mercury?
Uh, yeah, consumers have the right to know that mercury is in flu vaccines. That is what the SafeMinds PSA was attempting to do, let the public know. But an informed public is bad for vaccine business.
"Uh, yeah, consumers have the right to know that mercury is in flu vaccines. That is what the SafeMinds PSA was attempting to do, let the public know. But an informed public is bad for vaccine business."
Except that SafeMinds produces misinformation. They are not being accurate, and they are using misleading imagery and language. That does not serve the public. Without proper, correct information, the public cannot make an informed decision.
So, the pro-safety crowd has it all wrong?
How dismissive….is Salzberg a member of the anti-science crowd?
Because there is plenty of science showing organic mercury is very toxic and there are no safe levels. This is real science – toxicology – not pseudoscience generated by pro-vax Pharma controlled zealots $$$$$$.
There is no sane defense of injecting mercury into humans (period).
Salzberg, no autism epidemic? You are right. Autism is a misnomer. This is an environmentally triggered encephalopathy.
Time to connect the dots to all the other environmental illnesses.
KP Stoller, MD
Diplomat, Amer Board of Pediatrics
The unnamed studies you are referring to are exactly the pseudo-science/junk science I was addressing in my comment.
The studies I am refering to are more like this one:
"Hepatitis B Vaccination of Male Neonates and Autism Diagnosis, NHIS 1997-2002″ by epidemiological investigators from Stony Brook University Medical Center, Health Sciences Center, State University of New York at Stony Brook in a recent issue of the peer-reviewed Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A
In this new study, the investigators examined the association between Thimerosal-containing hepatitis B vaccination of male neonates and autism. The investigators examined data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as part of the National Health Interview Survey from 1997-2002. The investigators used logistic regression, an epidemiological method of analysis, to estimate the odds for an autism diagnosis associated with neonatal hepatitis B vaccination among boys age 3-17 years, born before 1999 (prior to 1999 almost all doses of hepatitis B vaccine contained Thimerosal added at preservative levels [i.e. 12.5 micrograms mercury per dose]), adjusted for race, maternal education, and two-parent house-hold.
These investigators reported, "Boys vaccinated as neonates had three-fold greater odds for autism diagnosis compared to boys never vaccinated or vaccinated after the first month of life…Findings suggest that U.S. male neonates vaccinated with hepatitis B vaccine prior to 1999 (from vaccination record) had a three-fold higher risk for parental report of autism diagnosis compared to boys not vaccinated as neonates during that same time period."
Finally, it is important to consider the results observed in from the aforementioned study in the context of a recently published peer-reviewed study, "Thimerosal Exposure in Infants and Neurodevelopmental Disorders: An Assessment of the Computerized Medical Records in the Vaccine Safety Datalink" in the Journal of the Neurological Sciences by epidemiological investigators, in part, from the George Washington University School of Public Health that examined the relationship between mercury exposure from Thimerosal-containing childhood vaccines and neurodevelopmental disorders.
The study evaluated possible associations between neurodevelopmental disorders and exposure to mercury from Thimerosal-containing vaccines by examining the automated Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD). A total of 278,624 subjects were identified in birth cohorts from 1990–1996 that had received their first oral polio vaccination by 3 months of age in the VSD. The birth cohort prevalence rate of medically diagnosed International Classification of Disease, 9th revision (ICD-9) specific neurodevelopmental disorders were calculated. Exposures to mercury from Thimerosal-containing childhood vaccines were calculated by birth cohort for specific exposure windows from birth-7 months and birth-13 months of age. Poisson regression analysis was used to model the association between the prevalence of outcomes and Hg doses from Thimerosal-containing childhood vaccines.
These investigators reported , "Consistent significantly increased rate ratios were observed for autism, autism spectrum disorders, tics, attention deficit disorder, and emotional disturbances with mercury exposure from Thimerosal-containing vaccines." Further, these investigators observed about a three-fold higher risk for autism following additional mercury exposure from Thimerosal-containing vaccines.
It is now apparent that multiple investigators using several different datasets collected by the CDC are consistently finding a significant link between the administration of Thimerosal-containing childhood vaccines and the risk of child being diagnosed with autism in large population epidemiological studies of many thousands of children. It is important to remember that these aforementioned studies build upon an extensive body of hundreds of studies in tissue culture, animal models, and clinical case-series of children that have repeatedly found a significant association between mercury exposure and autism.
Stoller, was that "study" every published in a journal? Wasn't it a poster presentation at IMFAR? And one of the investigators was a plaintiff in vaccine court, IIRC.
Yes, that would be the study that also showed that growing up in a one-parent family tripled the probability of an ASD diagnosis—that is, just as much as the authors suggest the probability of such a diagnosis was increased by thimerosal exposure. Do you want to argue that divorce causes autism?
Really, since the basic hypothesis is that increased prevalence is related to increased exposure to thimerosal-containing vaccines associated with birth year, you'd think that the very first thing that would have occurred to the authors would have been to stratify by birth year rather than to lump together children born a decade or more apart during a period when the apparent prevalence of ASD dramatically increased. That failure of omission renders the study meaningless, and suggests that either the authors didn't want to include that information because such a correction would undermine their hypothesis, or that they are inept. The fact that the study was published in the same low-impact journal that is favored by the Geiers (two of the journal's ten most-cited articles are by the Geiers!) suggests that either possibility—or both—could be correct.
dammit, you guys just beat me to it.
lol, mentioning a geier article… Two kooks doling our fake autism cures in their basement. Yes, that was an ad hominem, sometimes they arent fallacies.
Stoller, the Geiers need mercury to be a problem. It's the foundation for their so-called lupron "cure". No mercury no more money from their "cure".
further, the largest and most well controlled studies are the ones that are best to look at for evaluation of whether something is true or not. what you are doing is following the climate denialist handbook by cherry picking from the smaller population of poorly performed studies to validate your presumptions. Or perhaps they got it from the antivaxxers. Not sure.
In 1981, Ken Stoller filed a civil rights action against the College of Medicine of the Pennsylvania State University. Stoller was dismissed from the college after he failed microbiology, biochemistry, as well as his surgery and pediatrics clerkships. Stoller lost the case, and finished his medical education at a Caribbean med school. Now he shills for fringe anti-vaccine advocacy groups.
Steven Salzberg: That is absolutely wrong! If autism was only diagnosed more because they changed the DSM-IV then other illnesses would be on the major decline. If it is not a rise in something then where the heck did all these children come from??? Do you remember a lot of children in your childhood spinning, being sensitive to noises, stimming, fecal smearing, being overly impulsive and the list goes on and on. This is an autism epidemic. We are not scaremongering! YOU ARE LYING! For some reason people believe the media propaganda but refuse to listen to common sense. Autism is an epidemic. It is on the rise. It has nothing to do with broaden definitions.
According to his Facebook page, Dr. Stoller has some interesting opinions. He appears to believe the Illuminati are real. He seems to be a 9/11 Truther. And, oh yes, he also believes that vaccines are very very dangerous.
Actually, two-thirds of the apparent increase in the administrative prevalence of autism can be explained by only a few factors, including changes in diagnostic practices and criteria. Increased parental age at conception is apparently responsible for a true increase in prevalence: about 11 per cent. (This isn't surprising given the genetic evidence for the association with de novo mutations with ASD—just think of how the genetic errors that cause Down syndrome are associated with increased maternal age.) It's not yet clear how much, if any, of the remaining minor portion of the alleged increase will turn out to be real, but it is clear that investigators are turning their attention to prenatal factors that might be associated with ASD, since the chemical exposure in the first trimester and maternal infection during pregnancy do increase the risk.
The idea that vaccines are responsible for an apparent increase in ASD prevalence has been so thoroughly discounted by experts in the field that you'd be hard pressed to find a presentation or abstract from the recent International Meeting for Autism Research that discussed vaccines, except to ask why some parents still wrongly believe that vaccines cause ASD.
Stoller used to advertise his services with the Wisconsin Hyperbaric Center, even though there was reportedly no record of him being licensed to practice medicine in Wisconsin.
"If autism was only diagnosed more because they changed the DSM-IV then other illnesses would be on the major decline."
Diagnoses of MR declined during the 1990s as ASD diagnoses increased. Is this what you are looking for?
and one more thing – Cochrane Review pretty much nails the flu vaccine for lack of efficacy: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20614424
Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2010 Jul 7;(7):CD001269.
Vaccines for preventing influenza in healthy adults.
Jefferson T, Di Pietrantonj C, Rivetti A, Bawazeer GA, Al-Ansary LA, Ferroni E.
Vaccines Field, The Cochrane Collaboration, Via Adige 28a, Anguillara Sabazia, Roma, Italy, 00061.
BACKGROUND: Different types of influenza vaccines are currently produced worldwide. Healthy adults are presently targeted mainly in North America.
OBJECTIVES: Identify, retrieve and assess all studies evaluating the effects of vaccines against influenza in healthy adults.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Influenza vaccines have a modest effect in reducing influenza symptoms and working days lost. There is no evidence that they affect complications, such as pneumonia, or transmission.WARNING: This review includes 15 out of 36 trials funded by industry (four had no funding declaration). An earlier systematic review of 274 influenza vaccine studies published up to 2007 found industry funded studies were published in more prestigious journals and cited more than other studies independently from methodological quality and size. Studies funded from public sources were significantly less likely to report conclusions favorable to the vaccines. The review showed that reliable evidence on influenza vaccines is thin but there is evidence of widespread manipulation of conclusions and spurious notoriety of the studies. The content and conclusions of this review should be interpreted in light of this finding.
Would that be the same Cochrane Review that also found this (emphasis added)?
"Inactivated parenteral vaccines were 30% effective (95% CI 17% to 41%) against influenza-like illness, and 80% (95% CI 56% to 91%) efficacious against influenza when the vaccine matched the circulating strain and circulation was high, but decreased to 50% (95% CI 27% to 65%) when it did not. Excluding the studies of the 1968 to 1969 pandemic, effectiveness was 15% (95% CI 9% to 22%) and efficacy was 73% (95% CI 53% to 84%). Vaccination had a modest effect on time off work, but there was insufficient evidence to draw conclusions on hospital admissions or complication rates. Inactivated vaccines caused local tenderness and soreness and erythema. Spray vaccines had more modest performance. Monovalent whole-virion vaccines matching circulating viruses had high efficacy (VE 93%, 95% CI 69% to 98%) and effectiveness (VE 66%, 95% CI 51% to 77%) against the 1968 to 1969 pandemic. Influenza vaccines are effective in reducing cases of influenza, especially when the content predicts accurately circulating types and circulation is high. However, they are less effective in reducing cases of influenza-like illness and have a modest impact on working days lost. There is insufficient evidence to assess their impact on complications. Whole-virion monovalent vaccines may perform best in a pandemic. (Jefferson TO, Rivetti D, Di Pietrantonj C, Rivetti A, Demicheli V., Vaccines for preventing influenza in healthy adults, Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2004;(3):CD001269.)"
Unfortunately, I don't have access to the full study. Anyone else reading this that has access and can take a look at the study's quality?
Of course, you might want to consider information published since the last date of the items considered for the Cochrane Review you mentioned. For example:
Heinonen S et al. Effectiveness of inactivated influenza vaccine in children aged 9 months to 3 years: an observational cohort study.
Lancet Infect Dis. 2010 Nov 22. [Epub ahead of print] The authors concluded: "Trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine was effective in preventing influenza in young children, including those younger than 2 years."
Benowitz I et al. Influenza vaccine given to pregnant women reduces hospitalization due to influenza in their infants. Clin Infect Dis. 2010 Dec 15;51(12):1355-61. Epub 2010 Nov 8. The authors concluded: " Influenza vaccine given to pregnant women is 91.5% effective in preventing hospitalization of their infants for influenza in the first 6 months of life."
Campitelli MA et al.Influenza vaccination and all-cause mortality in community-dwelling elderly in Ontario, Canada, a cohort study. Vaccine. 2010 Oct 31. [Epub ahead of print] The authors concluded: " After full adjustment, influenza vaccination was associated with a statistically significant reduction in all-cause mortality during influenza seasons."
Do try to keep up.
The 2010 Cochrane flu study also says that when the right flu vaccine strain is chosen, a vaccinated subject has a 1% chance of getting the flu, compared to a 4% among unvaccinated subjects.
When they don't get it right, a vaccinated subject has a 1% infection rate, vs. 2% for unvaccinated.
So even the "wrong" flu vaccine strain has a benefit.
BTW, the lead author on the 2010 Cochrane "revised findings" review skipped an NVIC conference, where he was to receive an award, after he heard that Andrew Wakefield would also be granted an award at the same conference.
"FACT: The ones with mercury far exceed EPA safety standards and must be disposed of as toxic waste."
Except that the EPA safety standards refer to methylmercury exposure, not ethylmercury. Further, the EPA limits are for *daily* exposure. Finally, used tongue depressors must also be disposed of as toxic waste. Are you going to claim that tongue depressors are also hazardous to humans?
"FACT: The mercury-based vaccine preservative thimerosal was never tested or approved by the FDA."
Technically, true, as thimerosal was developed prior to current drug regulations and was grandfathered in. Also, FDA is not in the business of conducting their own trials of drugs. That is more in the realm of the NIH or CDC. However, thimerosal has been tested by other researchers, some not even affiliated with pharmaceuticals or government agencies, and has been found to be safe in the doses found in flu vaccines.
"FACT: It's not known if thimerosal is safe for pregnant women or nursing mothers either. Studies have never been done."
False. It has been studied and found to be safe, as a quick search of PubMed reveals.
"FACT: Mercury comes from many sources and one in every 6 women have blood levels that could put their unborn children at risk."
Yes, mercury comes from many sources, predominantly food and environmental pollutants at levels much higher than those found in any vaccine and in forms (e.g., methylmercury) that are much more hazardous. So, why focus on vaccines and not more common and pervasive modes of exposure?
"How does that make her ANTI-VACCINE? Salzberg's defense of second deadliest element on earth and a known neurotoxin makes no sense."
Because she focuses pretty exclusively on vaccines as a causal factor, despite evidence to the contrary. And ethylmercury is hardly the second deadliest element on earth…several radioactive elements come to mind as much worse. Elemental mercury is not particularly bioavailable (though I wouldn't go around sniffing any). The form found in vaccines (ethylmercury…not an element) is toxic in high doses, but those levels are significantly above what can be found in any currently available vaccine.
Do try to get your facts right, Ms. Dachel.
Lyn's commentary makes it clear that she's addressing the danger of MERCURY in vaccines.
Read what the EPA said: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/mercury.html
"Mercury exists in three forms: elemental mercury, inorganic mercury compounds (primarily mercuric chloride), and organic mercury compounds (primarily methyl mercury). All forms of mercury are quite toxic, and each form exhibits different health effects."
ALL FORMS ARE QUITE TOXIC–so why is any of it in any vaccine?
Anne Dachel
Media editor: Age of Autism
Ms. Dachel deliberately misleads parents. She's a publicist for an anti-vaccine advocacy group. It's her job to spread fear, uncertainty and doubt any way she can.
You are being purposefully misleading, again. First off, you know what does not appear anywhere on the page to which you linked? Ethylmercury, the compound found in thimerosal.
Second, you also failed to quote the bit about exposure to organic mercury compounds. Specifically:
"Acute exposure of humans to very high levels of methyl mercury results in CNS effects such as blindness, deafness, and impaired level of consciousness. Chronic exposure to methyl mercury in humans also affects the CNS with symptoms such as paresthesia (a sensation of pricking on the skin), blurred vision, malaise, speech difficulties, and constriction of the visual field. Methyl mercury exposure, via the oral route, has led to significant developmental effects. Infants born to women who ingested high levels of methyl mercury exhibited mental retardation, ataxia, constriction of the visual field, blindness, and cerebral palsy."
So, the concern is with chronic exposure and "very high levels" in acute exposure. TCVs represent an acute, rather than chronic, exposure, and they certainly do not have "very high levels".
I also noticed that you got your talking points from Dan Olmsted and Mark Blaxill, quoting verbatim the "second deadliest element" bit. I would rethink quoting them, since they can't even get the history of the term "autism" correct (it was first used around 1911, before thimerosal was invented in 1927 and its first use in vaccines in 1931). The conditions which came to bear the autism moniker were described in 1906 and 1908 by DeSanctis and Heller respectively.
See this post and the one that follows it, where I discuss the issue in a bit more detail:
The failed effort from SafeMinds closely followed the publication of yet another paper that demonstrates that thimerosal-containing vaccines are not responsible for the apparent increase in the diagnosis of ASD. In California, Sweden, Denmark, and now, again, in Quebec the incidence of autism did not decrease following dramatic reductions in exposure to thimerosal in vaccines. [Lazoff T et al. Prevalence of pervasive developmental disorders among children at the English Montreal School Board. Can J Psychiatry. 2010 Nov;55(11):715-20]
Note that that publication followed numerous others which show that ASD is unrelated to thimerosal exposure, including a recent, large, case-controlled study which demonstrated that there is no increased risk of ASD associated with the receipt of thimerosal-containing vaccines. [Price CS et al. Prenatal and infant exposure to thimerosal from vaccines and immunoglobulins and risk of autism. Pediatrics. 2010 Oct;126(4):656-64. Epub 2010 Sep 13]
The hypothesis promoted by SafeMinds is dead.
Good god anne, what is wrong with you?
you are purposefully equivocating very different chemicals.
sodium is and explosive metal
chlorine is a deadly gas
Are you telling me that table salt is dangerous too?
everything is dangerous in some quantity. if you are going to speak on a matter of poisoning rationally, somewhere in your soliloquy should be mention of dose and cumulative effect of different chemicals.
Otherwise you continue to add nothing to a discussion
An interesting article.
What an utterly disgusting piece of garbage disguised as "journalism". Your author, Mr Salzberg, cleary has problems with the first ammendment. Furthermore he did not even refute specifics of the advertisement itself, he delved into what the organizations behind it believe in not whether the actual advertisement itself had factual errors, which makes his rant even more misguided. Recent studies have shown that Vitamin D is up to 800% more effective at preventing influenza than the flu vaccine. The FDA recently admitted that the single dose influenza vaccines are useless for the most at risk group for influenza death, the elderly, and are now recommending they take a quadruple dose influenza vaccine instead. http://www.latimes.com/health/os-high-dose-flu-vaccine-20101022,0,5321058.story Forbes I think it's a huge shame that you have such an uneducated tool writing articles for you who is encouraging the eroding of our rights in this country. All because it's oh so popular to fearmonger and bully the people who choose not to vaccinate, who choose self education over blindly agreeing with physicians who don't know hide nor hair about the drugs they are peddling ineptly named "immunizations".
Read this-The Age of Autism-Mercury, Medicine, and A Man-Made Epidemic by Dan Olmsted and Mark Blaxill. Brilliantly researched.
Autism is simply a word used to describe certain conditions and it needs to be dumped. These kids suffer from encephalopathy, oxidative stress, inflammatory bowel disease,as examples–
This article uses scare tactics-calling us anti-vaccine(unture-safe vaccines), telling people to go and get their flu shots like it's the most important thing they will ever do. And there is no compassion in it whatsoever–for the tens of thousands of sick children everywhere.
This article on SafeMinds PSA's is completely without merit. It's like reading the Enquirer-only worse. I wonder where all Salzberg's anger comes from
"This article uses scare tactics-calling us anti-vaccine(unture-safe vaccines) "
Apparently, antivaxava didn't get the memo.
Can you tell me how this showed up on my then 3 year old?http://tinypic.com/r/ogz49d/7
It's not spam, it'sa photo of his urine toxic metals results. Also, can you explain to me why on earth you want the unvaccinated people to stay from you? aren't you PROTECTED if you are vaccinated? shouldn't those poor unvaccinated souls be the worried ones? or is that like those measles reports you hear in the news that hits the VACCINATED people (though they never mention that do they). Oh and another question,do you mean better diagnosing as in teachers and doctors were too stupid to notice a kid who was banging his head in the corner, flapping his arms, throwing himself on the floor screaming and having poop accidents IN 8th GRADE? did they write him off as the "quirky kid"? I mean, I am just confused. In your world, clearly doctors thought those kids were just odd and getting a vaccine to protect you means you have to fear the very virus you were just protected from. Like we say in my country " que clase de come mie*da"
danzol, you cut off the part of the test results where they mention that the norms have not been established for provoked tests. You did do a provoked test, didn't you? Those tests are complete nonsense. Almost everyone will show heavy metal excretion on those provoked tests.
Nope! I tested myself, my husband and my other son ( the typical unvaccinated one) in the same way and we are all BELOW AVERAGE! Everyone has metals in them because of our man madr environment A 3 year old is not supposed to have those results! If that was your child, you would not be alarmed? For the record, I am not on the "autism is caused solely by mercury" train but I do believe that combined with other enviromental insults it WAS a factor in my son not being able to dodge the bullet like his brother did. Why are women not encouraged to eat fish during pregnancy? We KNOW mercury has no place in our bodies much less a babies. I don't understand why that is so controversial.
Mercury is in everything we eat and drink, and has been since the earth cooled, danz. It's spewed by volcanoes, and lingers in the environment when rocks decay.
"Your author, Mr Salzberg, cleary has problems with the first ammendment."
@ antivaxava, I think you better check yourself. This isn't a first amendment right issue.
"Read this-The Age of Autism-Mercury, Medicine, and A Man-Made Epidemic by Dan Olmsted and Mark Blaxill. Brilliantly researched."
@ maurine meleck, are they hurting for booksales? Rhetorical question of course. If by 'brilliantly researched' you meant that they put some words on paper, sure, I'll agree. But considering they stumbled right past a clinic for autistic children in the heart of Amish country and declared the 'Amish have no autism', 'brilliantly researched' suddenly becomes pretty laughable.
"It's like reading the Enquirer-only worse. I wonder where all Salzberg's anger comes from"
Funny, I have that very same thought whenever I read an AoA post and comments.
First off i find this article funny! You posted your article and in it you say "I hope they do! (unvaccinated ppl stay away from public places)Why? Because unvaccinated individuals are a genuine threat to public health. Movie theaters, and the malls in which they are located, are an ideal place for infectious diseases to spread. Without vaccines, countless thousands of people would fall ill every holiday season after mingling with other shoppers, and some would likely die." First off….what the H**L are you so afraid of??? If your child is vaccinated then why do you have such a concern??? Im willing to bet not one of you have a child/adult that has been injured by a vaccination and still willing to inject yourself let alone your child(ren) with that crap! Let me ask you another question…Do you know exactly what is in EACH vaccination??? I mean really know??? To the peds dr that posted above: Would really love for you to share the ingredients listed for each vaccination. Dr's cannot legally tell you NOT to vaccinate your child (any dr will tell you that or atleast beat around the bush while trying to answer) I cant wait for the day when research can actually come out (as ppl are already coming around on this topic) bc the government wont beable to stop everyone and they will be in a bind. And i cant wait to hear you all try and cover it up. Its fine, go ahead. We know by not injecting our children with all the nasty ingredients we are safer that way! You also mentioned in this article that the ppl who are against vaccinations to put our time towards finding the "real" cure and leave the vaccinations alone. First off research is starting to lean that way and it will only b a matter of time. Im not talking Whether or not autism is caused by vaccinations but lets talk about all the children and adults that have died from vaccinations or injured. And how about your group focuses on this topic (as it has been proven vaccinations DO cause INJURIES and DEATHS each yr, month, day and minute) How about your group focuses on how you can make a difference and MAKE THE VACCINATIONS SAFE!!! Maybe then we will vaccinate our children. Until then…your nothing! Parents that have a child with autism will go on trying to help with research, try to find solutions, fight for our children everyday and make the best decisions for our children. What will you do???? Im sure you'l keep posting this garbage but really…your doing nothing to fix it! Vaccinations still have junk in them that you will allow to inject in your children, Our future! It's time for you to get out and do something about it! Untill then, go read books, talk to dr's about the ingredients and do your own dang research instead of following others bc its something that you believe in bc thats what your parents did and you turned out ok. Well….maybe one day you will experience the other side!
For a short, clear explanation of why vaccines are effective, why not vaccinating puts others at risk, and how herd immunity works, see http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2010/11/08/facts-are-facts/
Ok as a mother of one of those babies that miraculously developed autism after his 18 month old vaccinations, I find this article appalling and offensive. Not only did he almost die from an allergic reaction to them but within a week was different. Now instead of the baby book filled with milestones, I have to worry about who will take care of my first born child when we are not around. Lets be clear about one thing, this is not about anything but money. You people are out of your minds if you think that mercury is good for the human brain, body or society. It's only good for one thing and that is the profit margin for the vaccine manufacturers. What I find interesting is that even if you are vaccinated or vaccinate your children, there is no guarantee that you will not get ill with the disease that you were inoculated for in the first place. There is an epidemic and it's on the rise. "Because unvaccinated individuals are a genuine threat to public health." how? If your precious vaccines work so well than why do you worry? You are obviously protected and don't need worry about some kid sitting next to you that isn't. You can try to say that "mercury doesn't cause autism" and that it has been discredited all you want, that's not going to change the fact that more and more parents and medical professionals are changing there tunes about it.
Mr. Salzberg, I don't understand this comment made in your article
"…Without vaccines, countless thousands of people would fall ill every holiday season after mingling with other shoppers, and some would likely die. My message to the unvaccinated crowd at SafeMinds is: stay away from the rest of us."
You are scolding the anti-vaccination advocates for fear mongering, yet you make an emotional, illogical argument. The only reason that vaccinated folks would have to fear the unvaccinated would be if the vaccines were not effective. Why not drop the emotional arguments based on your personal bias and instead answer these questions that many Americans have:
(1) Was there a time in America where there was no such thing as autism? Why?
(2) Why are the symptoms of mercury poisoning and autism identical?
(3) What does the government say is a dangerous level of mercury in your body? Did the combined amount of mercury in the recommended vaccinations ever exceed this level? The answer to this question is difficult to defend.
(4) How many serious adverse reactions to vaccinations occur each year? (Hint: Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS))
(5) If you had a family member's life forever changed by an adverse reaction to a vaccination would your opinion change? Be honest.
Please address these questions with factual data and reasonable analysis. Then I will consider your opinion to be better supported and more reliable.
"(1) Was there a time in America where there was no such thing as autism? Why?"
Probably not. For a very long time, what we now call autism was called childhood schizophrenia or precocious dementia. Take a look at some of the work of DeSanctis, Heller and others.
"(2) Why are the symptoms of mercury poisoning and autism identical?"
They aren't. There are some similarities, but autism generally does not lead to paralysis or death. Also, autism generally does not have significant impairments of vision or hearing as a clinical feature. A tingling sensation is difficult to diagnose in those with autism, due to varying levels of communication ability. Then there are the effects of mercury poisoning on the organs that do not appear in autism.
"(3) What does the government say is a dangerous level of mercury in your body? Did the combined amount of mercury in the recommended vaccinations ever exceed this level? The answer to this question is difficult to defend."
I don't recall a formal upper limit of ethylmercury in the body being established by the government. Even if they had, however, such limits are generally set considerably lower than levels that result in toxic effects.
"(4) How many serious adverse reactions to vaccinations occur each year? (Hint: Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS))"
Here's a hint about VAERS: you cannot simply look at the reports and use it as a realistic reflection of what is happening. The reports need to be verified to determine a causal relation. Otherwise, if you take it at face value that every injury reported is true, accurate and caused by a vaccine, you would also need to accept that a vaccine can turn people into The Hulk, since that has been reported as a vaccine reaction, too. Given the number of vaccinations given every year, the percentage of serious adverse events is quite small.
"(5) If you had a family member's life forever changed by an adverse reaction to a vaccination would your opinion change? Be honest."
Emotionally, I might be more nervous, and that's understandable, if it were actually the vaccine that caused the adverse reaction. If it were, then I would want to find out what about the vaccine was the cause (e.g., allergy to an ingredient), then avoid vaccines that have the potential to cause the same reaction. I would not advocate that others stop vaccinating, because, due to my family member not taking further vaccines for medical reasons, they would now be at greater risk of communicable diseases. In short, their medical reason for avoiding other vaccines means they need to rely on herd immunity. It would be even more important to advocate that other people vaccinate.
If the problem were a faulty vaccine, and other alternatives were available, I'd say use the alternatives. If it were a new vaccine and no alternative were available, well, I'd have to weigh the risks of the disease against the risks of the vaccine. If the disease's risks still outweighed the risks of the vaccine, then keep using the vaccine, but advocate for improvements.
[This comment has been awaiting moderation for two days, so I'm going to break it up:]
In addition to aavtoodw's points:
Re (1), I recommend reading Paul Collins' Not Even Wrong, as it includes investigations into the history of individuals with autism, as well as Kanner, Asperger, and Bettleheim. Recent review: http://is.gd/i0518.
Re (5) Most autism parents no longer blame vaccines. My son was diagnosed with autism in 2003, and as at the time people believed Wakefield, so did I — I blamed vaccines. But since then Wakefield has been exposed as a fraud, research has repeatedly discredited an autism-vaccine link, and I have taken a hard look at his immunization records contrasted with his developmental records, plus my journals, photos, and videos. It wasn't the vaccines. Full story:
To start with, no, vaccines aren't 100% effective. That's not the same as "not effective". 95% is very effective – it's just not 100%.
If you have a population of (say) one million, 95% of whom are vaccinated with a vaccine that prevents infection 95% of the time, and lets say that a disease will infect 50% of non-vaccinated people, if the whole population are exposed to the disease, then:
50,000 non vaccinated people – 25,000 will get the disease.
950,000 vaccinated people – 47,500 will get the disease.
So, yes, in this simple example, 65% of those who got the disease were vaccinated.
If no-one had been vaccinated, around half a million would have caught the disease.
Kind regards,
You are missing the point we are making and you are trying so hard to be civil, but you are just plain wrong. We are not advocating that everyone should stop vaccinating. That is how this writer portrays us and the ND community. We are PRO-SAFE vaccines. This PSA does not tell you "don't vaccinate"–it tells you that if you are getting a flu shot-ask for one without thimerosal. That's it. You can write a book on the 30 second PSA, but it won't change the fact that it's suggesting a safer alternative. We want and demand freedom of choice on whether or not to vaccinate. We are never going away, I promise you.
@ maurinemeleck, The SafeMinds propaganda piece was just that and did not present factual information. Claims of toxicity, irrespective of dose is false, presenting a syringe with pools of elemental mercury and hazardous waste disposal were intentionally misleading and inflammatory.
But the facts are much more mundane than that aren't they? They don't make your point at all do they?
You claim you aren't anti-vaccine? What a load of bollocks: http://tinyurl.com/2da2ldm Now you are co-opting neurodiversity? Give me a break. Your groups have no credibility; get used to it.
I will believe that Age of Autism, Generation Rescue, and SafeMinds are "pro-safe vaccines" when they start publishing stories about the efficacy of vaccines and vaccines' centrality.
The money involved in the vaccine cover up is massive. We as consumers no longer have the right to access information that can help us make informed choices. What a sad state of affairs. I support SafeMinds, and would encourage others to investigate the issue instead of labeling anyone who questions vaccines safety as "anti-vaccine". Vaccines are responsible for tens of thousands of disabilities. Would you like to know before hand so you can prevent it, or wait untill you are one of the statistics?
Making an informed choice requires accurate information. That excludes whomever told you that vaccines are responsible for tens of thousands of disabilities.
But many of you forget that we did vaccinate our children and we saw the results so how can you claim we are anti-vaccination? Our children are now in the catagory that includes immune dysfunction
and are therefore vulnerable to more harm from vaccinations.(even if, as you say, their original vaccines didn't cause them to get the autism label). You have other opinion on what cuaes the autism label other than to say it's not vaccines and they were always there. Well, I was a special ed teacher years ago and I saw everything but autism. It's the craziest thing ever to say there were kids(1 in 58 boys) banging their heads on the walls and wearing diapers into teen years. You are just full of excuses for not being able to admit it's now an epidemic.
Children with severe autism are generally not in public schools (I'm assuming you were a Special Ed teacher in a public school). The head-bangers and faeces-smearers would have been, and still largely are, institutionalized (or in group homes, etc.). Public schools just don't have the kind of resources to deal with "classic" autism. Coupled with that, consider where parents with severely autistic children would go; would they opt for districts with more resources to help them or areas without adequate support? So, I wouldn't be all that surprised that you hadn't seen many cases of head-banging or diaper-wearing.
Part of what groups like SafeMinds or Age of Autism do that garners the anti-vaccine label is that they spread misinformation (e.g., that thimerosal causes autism) despite being shown how and why they are wrong. They promote themselves as autism-oriented groups, yet quickly latch onto anything that might show vaccines are bad.
Take, for example, the Desiree Jennings case from last year, when AoA promptly put up a site supporting Ms. Jennings and claiming all kinds of ills about the flu vaccine. When it came out that Ms. Jennings most likely suffered from a psychogenic illness, rather than a vaccine injury, AoA dropped their support. The web page they put up disappeared, and they gradually stopped using her as an example.
Then there is the fact that they focus almost exclusively on vaccines. Even with the mercury issue, there are far greater and more common exposures to various forms of mercury than vaccines, yet SafeMinds and AoA remain surprisingly silent about them. If mercury causes autism, then why no protests of coal-burning power plants? Why no focus on mercury in foods, particularly fish? The focus is always on vaccines.
@ maurinemeleck, you say, "But many of you forget that we did vaccinate our children and we saw the results so how can you claim we are anti-vaccination? Our children are now in the catagory that includes immune dysfunction
and are therefore vulnerable to more harm from vaccinations.(even if, as you say, their original vaccines didn't cause them to get the autism label)."
You decided after the fact that vaccines caused the autism so it is disingenuous of you to use that as a platform for claiming you aren't anti-vaccine. Your claims and posts are quite contrary to your contention that you aren't anti-vaccine. We didn't come in the mail yesterday you know.
You also say, "You have other opinion on what cuaes the autism label other than to say it's not vaccines and they were always there. Well, I was a special ed teacher years ago and I saw everything but autism. It's the craziest thing ever to say there were kids(1 in 58 boys) banging their heads on the walls and wearing diapers into teen years. You are just full of excuses for not being able to admit it's now an epidemic."
You fail to recognise the numerous factors that have contributed to the rise in ASD diagnoses such as a massive change in the DSM-IV criteria, children being misdiagnosed, children being diagnosed younger, the vast majority of ASD diagnoses are not classic autism but PDD-NOS, i.e. high functioning that you would have missed years ago. That along with the concomitant cultural adaptations such as reduction in institutionalisation, increased enrolment in mainstream schools and increased awareness. You also fail to recognise that this isn't a U.S. phenomenon.
To adhere to the ridiculous notion that autism is misbranded mercury poisoning, encephalopathy or mitochondrial disorders is delusional at best. All based upon the mental meanderings of a handful of attention-seeking, inept dullards. Do you really think that autism magically sprang into existence when it was named? I guess you have never heard of Eugen Bueller or Langdon Down. I guess rotavirus didn't exist before 1973, or rubella didn't exist before 1962 or bipolar disorder didn't exist before 1957.
James Coplan explains where all the not-formerly-diagnosed-with-autism but still autistic older kids and adults are, as part of his series on why there is no autism epidemic: http://is.gd/i0l3w
Most parents of kids with autism no longer blame vaccines.
Those who still wonder about causation need to have an unbiased party compare their children's immunization schedules with their developmental milestones, medical records, and any other information they have (journals, videos, emails, holiday letters) to rule out the most likely link between their child's autism & vaccines: coincidence.
"Most parents of kids with autism no longer blame vaccines"—did you take some sort of poll around the country? Can you please give us the link to this poll or study? No we don't need an unbiased party to compare our kids with anything except to compare them in an unboased study with kids who were never vaccinated.
James Coplan is an idiot. Nobody in our groups pays attention to psychologists-they got a hold of autism in the first place and never should have–anlong with the shrinks. They know zilch about the neuro-biological ailments of our kids.
The Today Show took "some sort of poll" earlier this year; 82% of the respondents do not believe vaccines are related to autism, and a large % of those were autism parents. That 82% held despite the anti-vaccination movement's frantic social media efforts to enlist their followers' votes:
As for refusing to revisit your child's records, why not? What could be the harm?
As for Dr. Coplan you can disagree with him without attacking him, you know — but only if you want readers to respect your opinion.
Maurine attacks people because she lacks the fund of information needed for a coherent argument. That is very typical of anti-vaccine activists.
murinemeleck wrote: "Nobody in our groups pays attention to psychologists . . . "
Ah! That's part of the problem, isn't it? Yes, the problem does seem to be that you don't listen to experts.
Apparently, though, some parents do listen to vocal nonexperts such as Generation Rescue's JP Handley, whose son reportedly "was a happy, healthy baby who reached all his developmental milestones until he turned 18 months, his parents said. Then, he started spinning in circles and standing on his toes and no longer responded to his name." Handley said, "My kid got six vaccines in one [day], and he regressed. You don't have any science that can show me that the regression wasn't triggered by the six vaccines. There is no real-world study that shows me that those six vaccines didn't cause my son's autism"
Later, confronted by new evidence from prospective studies that parents routinely miss early signs of autism, Handley said, "Between 6 and 12 months, that's when Jamie started going awry."
So, Handley thinks that six vaccinations his son received at a single appointment caused his son's autism that he later said began six months to a year before her received those vaccines. So, um, how does he know that vaccines were responsible?
Parental anecdotes associating the onset of ASD symptoms with vaccination are clearly unreliable. Dramatically reducing exposure to thimerosal does not reduce the apparent prevalence of ASD. MMR does not cause ASD. Get over it.
I'd like to make a point that I think both Ann Dachel and the SafeMinds people are missing. The video shows a syringe loaded with elemental mercury. What is missing is the perspective on how much mercury is actually in the MINORITY of flu shots that do still contain mercury. It's 25 micrograms. Do you actually understand how small a microgram is? Using the density of elemental mercury, it turns out that 25 micrograms corresponds to a tiny ball with a diameter of 0.15 mm. That's how much mercury. (And I know there's no liquid mercury in the shot, but that's what they show).
It's extremely misleading to show the puddles of mercury around the needle. Even the smallest little ball of mercury in that image is thousands of times larger than the amount of mercury in the shot. You couldn't even SEE the mercury if it was properly represented.
That's just one example of how this commercial is so misleading.
I don't naturally think in metric units, so I like to use homely images to visualize.
Do most people have whole peppercorns at home? I do. I've measured a sample & they are about 3.5 mm in diameter. So 3.5/0.15 = 23 times bigger in diameter — let alone the volume calculation.
Do most people have whole rice at home? I do. Raw long grain rice is about 2 mm wide, or 13.3 times wider across than the imaginary ball of ethyl mercury in vaccines.
Hair from a human head is normally between .04 and .25 millimeters, averaging normally .1 So here's how to visualize the diameter of a drop of ethyl mercury:
Take a single hair from somebody who has somewhat coarse hair. Clip off the end at a 90-degree angle. You have made a one-hair brush. Dip the hair in black ink and gently dot the one-hair brush straight down on a clean piece of non-absorbent paper.
I am pretty sure that I could not see the resultant dot with my naked eye, or with my usual glasses. I'm guessing I'd need at least 10x magnification to even spot it, let alone measure it.
I'd like to make a point that I think both Ann Dachel and the SafeMinds people are missing.
@ Broken Link, I think you are being generous. They knew exactly what they were portraying with pools of elemental mercury around a huge syringe. They knew exactly what they were saying when they made the blanket statement that mercury, in all forms, is toxic (with no regard to type and dose). They knew exactly what their images of a person in a hazmat suit, a pregnant woman and a baby would invoke. Yet they continue with cloying insistence they were just offering a public service announcement.
Shame on you Mr. Salzberg. You are another example of big pharma and a government highly influenced by big pharma spewing misleading information to the general public. And shame on Forbes for allowing such one-sided crap to be published.
First of all, there was not a single word muttered encouraging the public to be anti-vaccine. It simply stated that when choosing your flu shot, choose a thimerosal free shot. And frankly why in the world would someone CHOOSE a shot containing thimerosal if they had an option not to. My only guess is because they didn't know better. The goal of this ad was exactly that … a Public Service Announcement … to inform the public about their options. Your article was blatantly misleading. In my eyes, journalists have a responsibility to their public … your one-sided rant did the public a disservice.
Secondly as a parent of an ASD child, it has become ever apparent that the children "recovering" from spectrum disorders are those that are uncovering then ridding the toxins that plague these young bodies. Do vaccines CAUSE autism? Frankly I don't think so. However evidence is piling up that autism is often times IS A RESULT of vaccine injury. I don't expect you to see this connection as obviously your views are so incredibly single-minded that you look for studies that back your opinion rather than open your eyes to the big picture.
Vaccine injury is real. The government has paid out millions and millions of dollars from the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Just because pharma companies and the government say something is safe doesn't mean it is. If that were the case this fund wouldn't be necessary and drugs wouldn't be pulled off the market after causing numerous deaths.
Lastly, better diagnostic tools have absolutely increased the number of ASD cases on the books, but saying that is the main source of the skyrocketing numbers is just ignorant. Talk to any seasoned educator or child care provider, someone who has worked with children for years and they will tell you that the number of kids affected by this terrible disorder has multiplied tremendously over the past 15 years. This isn't scientific research. This is real life. Coming from the mouth of people who are in the trenches doing their best to help these challenged children lead a somewhat "normal" productive life.
All of us ASD parents aren't anti-vaccine. Many of us are for smart, educated vaccine schedules. Believe me, the thought of not vaccinating my child is scary, but the thought of vaccinating him per the AAP guidelines is terrifying.
I would venture to say you don't know anyone who's child was a happy, glowing, normal kid and then immediately following an MMR vaccine … their eyes turn dark, they lose their communication skills, and start spinning in circles. You don't know any parents of children on the spectrum and the resulting huge emotional and financial stress, or ever visited a message board for parents that are fighting for their kids' futures.
Please spend some time with these families. Hear their stories. Then do some real journalism.
"And frankly why in the world would someone CHOOSE a shot containing thimerosal if they had an option not to."
Perhaps so that those for whom thimerosal is contraindicated (e.g., those with thimerosal allergies) can have the thimerosal-free version? Perhaps because they know that thimerosal is not harmful in the doses found in flu vaccines?
"The goal of this ad was exactly that … a Public Service Announcement … to inform the public about their options."
No, it wasn't. It was meant to scare people away from thimerosal. Why else the imagery? Why the misleading statements, which I corrected in a comment early on in the responses here?
"Vaccine injury is real. The government has paid out millions and millions of dollars from the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Just because pharma companies and the government say something is safe doesn't mean it is. If that were the case this fund wouldn't be necessary and drugs wouldn't be pulled off the market after causing numerous deaths."
No one says that vaccines are 100% safe. Nothing in life is. That does not mean that they are ZOMG! dangerous, though. Further, the compensation program exists because the government knows that there will be some rare injuries for which people should be compensated.
"All of us ASD parents aren't anti-vaccine. Many of us are for smart, educated vaccine schedules."
So, you are more educated than the organizations that study all of the data to come up with a safe schedule? Tell me, upon what information do you base your schedule. We already know that Dr. Sears and Jay Gordon do not base their recommendations on any evidence, opting instead for their hunches. So, what makes you so much smarter than the people who actually study this for a living?
"ever visited a message board for parents that are fighting for their kids' futures."
Actually, I have. They tend to be echo chambers where anyone who says anything contrary to the "vaccines cause autism" line are quickly shouted down and insulted or even banned from the forum. There are other, more rational places, where the ASD parents want to find out the real cause.
Steve Salzberg,
I am pro-natural immunization (without vaccine toxicity). New NASA technology renders vaccines obsolete – debate over. This is backed by a $1 million reward that has been unclaimed for over two years regarding NASA/ISS technology-based Bionaid and ZeoHeal. Care to jump up on the reward – prove vaccines are more safe and effective? I'd bet that you wouldn't touch that offer, Steve.
I work with some of the world's top scientists, and there is no need for vaccines – people can be safe without them now that we have the new technology available and in ample supply.
You go too far in stating that unvaccinated people are "a genuine threat to the public health". You're calling me, a person that is more safe, naturally immunized, to the public health than those spreading vaccine-induced live viruses, a threat? Now who is the fear-mongerer (rhetorical) – YOU.
It probably would be a waste to try and educate you, Steve, but for those that are interested here is a white paper on the new rtechnology that renders vaccines obsolete and the vaccine debate a moot issue:
So – colloidal silver is the "miracle" drug of the ages? I don't see a single item in that white paper (certainly no references to actual medical information or journals, or experts for that matter) that reference how this is supposed to "natural" vaccinate someone. Care to explain?
Astella Pharmaceutical US is focused on providing safe and effective products that improve people's lives


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Raptor center releases eagle
OLD MISSION — Wings of Wonder is inviting the public to a bald eagle release scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 20, at Bower's Harbor Park on Old Mission Peninsula. Leave the dog at home, remember your camera, and arrive on time as the release will begin promptly at 3 p.m. Wings of Wonder eagle releases usually draw large crowds, so allow enough time to arrive and park.
For more information, contact Wings of Wonder at 326-4663.
Garden club holds meeting
TRAVERSE CITY — The monthly social hour and business meeting of The Periwinkle Garden Club will be held at noon Friday, Nov. 19, at St. Ann's Church. The public is invited to attend. The social hour and business hour will be followed by an "Introduction to Permaculture" program by Sharron May. For more information, call Sally Cook at 352-8159 or Eliza Forrest at 352-4151.


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The CVMedHome Sales Associate is responsible for sales of Singulex Comprehensive Panels as part of its CLIA testing services to physicians and medical groups specializing in cardiology and disease management specialties in a broad territory. The position requires daily6/16/2014 San Francisco, CA Save This Job
Magnum Semiconductor is a leading provider of silicon, modules, software and IP for the professional broadcast infrastructure and compression-enabled living room clients. Magnum provides top of the line products, tools and technologies for the entire video content creation and6/16/2014 Milpitas, CA Save This Job
Your Mission: In the post-iPhone/Android era of consumerized IT, employees expect to use their personal devices at work, without ceding privacy or control over their data. Moka5 has built the industry?s only centrally managed, cross-platform enterprise container that enables6/16/2014 Redwood City, CA Save This Job
Your Mission: We are looking for a talented and driven Technical Support Engineer to join our high-powered team. Partner with M5?s customers, development team and product management to provide great customer experience with a market-leading solution that keeps personal data6/16/2014 Redwood City, CA Save This Job
Description Summary: The primary responsibility of this position is the investigation, analysis, resolution, trending and corrective action of all complaints. Specific responsibilities include; maintaining the complaint files and supporting the resolution of complaint CAPAs6/16/2014 Pleasanton, CA Save This Job
LIMS ANALYST Laboratory Information Systems Analyst Summary The Laboratory Information Systems Analyst reports to the Associate Director, Laboratory Information Systems and will be primarily responsible for EMR connectivity support, which includes project coordination,6/16/2014 Alameda, CA Save This Job


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Gary Murphy announced his resignation as a Montville Town Councilor at the end of tonight's meeting. Murphy, Oakdale Fire Chief and corrections officer, said his doctor told him to leave the council. He did not elaborate on what illness or condition he is suffering from.
And within a few minutes of that announcement, the council voted to appoint former Montville Mayor Democrat Joe Jaskiewicz to replace Murphy.
"I just want to thank you for hanging in there," Council president Candy Buebendorf said to Murphy. She went on to explain that Murphy had "given us a heads-up so we could find a replacement that would do a good job."
Two people in the audience said there were other Democrats that would have been interested in serving. And one resident, Jim Andriote, said Murphy and the council handled the situation badly and should have opened the position up to other interested individuals.
"I hope the press gives it to you for this," Andriote said.
Jaskiewicz was not in attendance at the meeting. There was audible consternation and groans from residents seated in the chambers when it was announced that the panel would appoint a new councilor then and there.
Councilor Billy Caron said Murphy has "served us well with quality and dignity." And Councilor Chuck Longton said he has tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to "model my behavior after (Murphy)."
This was not the only surprise from the council Monday night. Check back with Montville Patch in the morning for that story.
Original Story:
After serving as a member of the Town Council since 2007, Councilor Gary Murphy announced Monday night that he is resigning from his position.
Citing health reasons, Murphy, a Montville High School graduate and longtime chief of the Oakdale Fire Company, said it was time to step down.
The council accepted his decision at its meeting Monday night.
In his place will come a familiar face; soon after Murphy shared his decision, the council appointed former mayor Joseph Jaskiewicz.
Jaskiewicz has been part of town government for more than two decades, most recently serving as mayor, and prior to that as a member of the council, including acting as the council president.
Check back to Montville Patch for more information as it becomes available.


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From submitted reports
Staff Writer
McALESTER —
To celebrate the Month of Love the Hartshorne School Choir will perform at McDonalds in Tandy Town, Feb. 9 from 10 to 11 a.m., according to organizers of the event.
The performance is free and part of an effort to encourage the arts in local schools, said Deborah Stone a McDonalds crew manager who is also one of the organizers.
The restaurant is at 1758 E. Carl Albert Parkway.


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NORMAN — Georgia Faye Kelso, 86, died Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013, in Norman. Graveside services will be 1 p.m. Tuesday at Easthill Cemetery in Roff. The family will receive friends during visitation from 6 to 8 p.m. today at Havenbrook Funeral Home, which is handling arrangements.
For local news and more, subscribe to The Norman Transcript Smart Edition, or our print edition.


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Kids' Habitat
SDNHM Home
Visitor Information
FAQs About Dinosaurs
What is a Dinosaur?
What's in a Name?
Mesozoic Era Time Line
(printable page)
Dinosaur Dig
Also on this website
Fossil Mysteries
Fossil Mysteries: Online Activities
Regional Fossils
Fossil FAQs
Geologic Time Line
Jurassic Park FAQs
What is a Dinosaur?
Dinosaurs were reptiles that lived through three periods of Earth's geologic history: Triassic (208-245 million years ago), Jurassic (145-208 million years ago), and Cretaceous (65-145 million years ago). Different species of dinosaurs flourished and then became extinct throughout these three periods.
All dinosaurs were reptiles, but not all reptiles were dinosaurs. Even though the name "dinosaur" means "terrible lizard," dinosaurs were not lizards at all.
Some Key Dinosaur Facts
All dinosaurs had four limbs. Some walked on all four legs; others, on their two back legs.
Dinosaur legs were positioned below their bodies, making it possible for them to walk upright.
Lizard legs are positioned outward from their bodies, giving them a sprawling posture.
Dinosaur legs were positioned under their bodies. They were able to walk and run very efficiently.
Dinosaurs lived on land. They did not fly in the air or live in water.
Some dinosaurs were carnivores (meat-eaters), but most were herbivores (plant-eaters).
Not all dinosaurs were large. The smallest, Compsognathus, was about 3 feet long (1 m). One of the largest, Barosaurus, reached 80 feet (24 m). Tyrannosaurus rex measured 46 feet (14 m).
Dinosaur Dig |
Kids' Habitat
© San Diego Natural History Museum


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Each week, Patch puts together a list of local activities and events going on in your area this weekend. Check back weekly and tell us in the comments if you know of any additional activities coming up.
To submit an event in the Columbia Patch events calendar, click on "Events" at the top of the page and then click on the green "Add an event" button on the right side of the page.
Gymboree Play & Music Open House
- Where: Gymboree Play & Music, 6470 Dobbin Rd, Columbia
- When: Friday, Jan. 11 – Tuesday, Jan. 15, 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.
- Description: Winter open house allows participants to come join in a free class including art, music and more.
- Cost: Free
American Girl Fashion Show Model Search
- Where: The Mall in Columbia, 10300 Little Patuxent Pkwy, Columbia
- When: Saturday, Jan. 12, 12 p.m.
- Description: Baltimore's 2nd annual American Girl Fashion Show, to benefit Cool Kids Campaign and University of Maryland Children's Hospital. Auditions are free and open to all.
- Cost: Free
Atholton High School Music Department Pops Concert
- Where: Atholton High School, 6520 Freetown Rd, Columbia
- When: Saturday, Jan. 12, 6:30 p.m.
- Description: Dessert, coffee and musical performances.
- Cost: $5
Peter and the Wolf-National Marionette Theatre
- Where: Howard Community College, 10901 Little Patuxent Pky, Columbia
- When: Sunday, Jan. 13, 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
- Description: The classic tale of Peter and the Wolf, with music by Sergei Prokofiev performed with hand-crafted marionettes.
- Cost: $10
Talent Show Auditions (Ages 8 -13)
- Where: 6151 Daylong Ln, Clarksville
- When: Saturday, Jan. 12, 8 a.m.
- Description: Kids ages 8-13 are welcome to try out for the Starlicious Talent Show.
- Cost: Free
- Where: B&O Railroad Museum: Ellicott City Station, 2711 Maryland Ave, Ellicott City
- When: Friday, Nov. 23 – Sunday, Jan. 27, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- Description: B&O Railroad museum's annual holiday celebration of toy trains and model railroading. New this year is a custom built 360 degree LEGO model train layout created by The Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area LEGO Train Club.
- Cost: $16 (50% off admission for new, unwrapped toys for donation to Toys for Tots)
US 1 Flea Market
- Where: US 1 Flea Market, 7540 Washington Blvd, Elkridge
- When: Saturday, Jan. 12, 8 a.m.
- Description: Indoor-Outdoor flea market includes everything from clothing to fowl.
- Cost: Free
Infant and Toddlers ~ Play Partners
- Where: Howard County Library Elkridge Branch, 6540 Washington Blvd, Elkridge
- When: Saturday, Jan. 12, 10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
- Description: Activities, stories, music and more for infants to age 23 months. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
- Cost: Free


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By CHRIS MORRIS
The year was 1967. Beverly Seitz was a senior at New Albany High School and, as part of her school day, attended classes in the morning and worked in the afternoon.
Seitz was handpicked by one of her teachers to help out at the New Albany-Floyd County Consolidated School Corp. administrative office. She filed papers, typed and did whatever was asked of her.
That was 45 years ago.
Seitz, 62, is still the model employee at the school corporation, but no longer files papers or runs errands. She is the corporation's insurance services manager — but not for much longer. After 45 years of dedicated service, she will be retiring Oct. 30. She will be leaving her only job, one that she truly loves.
"I did what nobody else wanted to do," she said of her early days with the corporation. "For the past 34 years I have worked in insurance ... I did everything insurance. Whether it was health, property or auto, it came through my office."
The job will soon be divided up now that Seitz is retiring. She said when she started with the school corporation, there were 500 employees. Today, there are 2,000. She moved into her current office along Grant Line Road on July 19, 1990. She has worked for seven different superintendents.
"I've really enjoyed it. No two days were the same and it was a challenge every day when you came to work," she said. "I've seen a lot of people come and go. Now it's time for me to move on to the next chapter in my life."
She said she thought about retiring at 55 but decided to work a few more years. She said after her son died, working for the school corporation and being around her friends was therapeutic. She and her husband adopted a 9-year-old grandchild.
She said she wants to spend more time with her husband, children, grandchildren and 100-acre farm in Harrison County.
"I love to garden and farm. I love to be outdoors," she said. "I am really looking forward to it. I am an outdoors person. Now instead of having to cram everything in at night or the weekend, I will be able to enjoy my family a little more."
While Seitz has mixed emotions about leaving her job, she said the corporation hired "a wonderful person" to take her place. She has been working with her replacement for the past month.
She said there were opportunities to make more money in the private sector during the past four decades, but she loved working for the school corporation and never considered leaving.
"This is like family to me. That is going to be the hardest part about leaving," Seitz said.
She said since she has dealt with thousands of school employees through the years who have had insurance questions, she knows a lot of people. And many have become her friend.
"She has meant so much to everybody. Everyone who has insurance goes through her," said co-worker Judy Dooley, who has worked with Seitz for 37 years. "Everyone knows her. It's going to be hard to lose someone who has worked here so long and has that much experience. She keeps up with all the retirees ... I am going to miss her. She is a good friend."
There will be a reception for Seitz from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 22, in the board room of the Educational Support Center, next to the school administration building, 2813 Grant Line Road, New Albany.


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Islamic Leaders Issued Fatwa Prohibiting One-Way Trips to Mars. The fatwa committee of the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowment in the United Arab Emirates issued the fatwa after determining that "such a one-way journey poses a real risk to life, and that can never be justified in Islam." They continued, "There is a …
Category Archive: Stupidity
Feb 25 2014
Sometimes I just can't stop laughing.
May 10 2013
Fuck you Mr. Archbishop!
Mexican Archbishop Fabio Martinez Castilla says, "abortion is much more serious than rape of children by priests." Enough is enough. Time to stop appointing pope, bishop, cardinal, priest etc. They are just stupid people sitting in a big chair preaching hatred, misogyny, lies and illusions.
Apr 23 2013
Stupid celebrities!
Cupping therapy is an ancient alternative medicine in which a local suction is created on the skin. Many people including celebrities fall for ancient medicine. They believe cupping can cure almost all kinds of diseases. But the truth is, ancient medicine men did not have much scientific knowledge about diseases and cures. People who have …
Apr 17 2013
The world is changed.
The world is changed. We sane people get harassed, arrested, jailed, killed not because of our big books anymore but for our facebook or twitter one-liners. Fazil Say, a Turkish pianist, is sentenced to prison for a tweet. In one tweet, Fazil Say joked about Azan, a call to prayer that he said lasted only …
Apr 15 2013
Don't be so stupid, Turkey!
The 13th-century Church of Hagia Sophia in the Black Sea city of Trabzon, which has been a museum and contains irreplaceable examples of its time period – will be converted to a mosque. There is also a plan to rebuild a mosque on the ruins of Istanbul's St. John Studios Monastery. The Monastery was founded …
Mar 12 2013
Silly Hats!
Priests and KKK.
Feb 13 2013
CNN and Asteroid
CNN anchor sounds like Sarah Palin. She asked a stupid question to Bill Nye the science guy, 'did global warming cause the Asteroid that will soon fy past Earth?' Bill Nye did not laugh, but others did. Some said, 'Makes me wonder if a basic intelligence evaluation should be required of reporters. Pretty dismal demonstration …
Jan 08 2013
The Gods are anti-women, so are the Godmen!
There are thousands of godmen in India. They fool people using their little magic tricks. They walk across hot coals, burp out gold eggs, make ash out of thin air, turn water into blood etc. These charlatans are called 'baba'. Baba business flourishes in India because a large number of people are ignorant and idiot. …
Jan 06 2013
The Rape of The Minor
"A cult of masculinity is behind the constant violation of women around the world — that some men brutalize women against their own self-interest because of an addiction to control or domination. Rape is not about sex, rape is about violence, proving 'masculine' superiority; often inserting guns and other objects into women's bodies; playing out …
Dec 18 2012
The 'world ending' business!
Bugarach, south-west region of France


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Paint.ly looking for beta testers
We've just launched Paint.ly into beta and are looking for 500 eager mobile artists to test it. If you are such an artist then go ahead and sign up at http://paint.ly/signup with invite code 'earlybird'.
Hopefully this'll allow us to iron out major bugs and get some feedback from an exciting new community of people. Your feedback is really important to us so drop us an email with any comments and suggestions.
We look forward to seeing what you do with it!
Paintl.y is a new website that aims to make mobile art social. We've built the site from the ground up to work with the devices people are creating art on - tablet computers and mobile phones. We want the people who are driving the digital art revolution to have a place where they can share their work, as well as enjoying the work of their peers. Whether you're new to art or been in the game a while, we'd love you to be a part of this community.


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No results were found for serving Indianapolis IN 46285.
- Try changing your search above to get different results.
I was told that a person on permanent disability cannot have their disability garnished for back rent. ... - 2 Answers
I recently signed a purchase agreement to purchase an inventory home with a builder. The home is currently ... - 4 Answers
I have 4 bedrooms and 1.5 bathrooms. - 1 Answer


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Availability: The Standard Downtown LA
GiganticMax Occupancy: 2 guests (up to 1 child, 1 infant)
HumongousMax Occupancy: 2 guests (up to 1 child, 1 infant)
WowMax Occupancy: 2 guests (up to 1 child, 1 infant)
MediumMax Occupancy: 2 guests (up to 1 child, 1 infant)
LargeMax Occupancy: 2 guests (up to 1 child, 1 infant)
Extra LargeMax Occupancy: 2 guests (up to 1 child, 1 infant)
Double StandardMax Occupancy: 4 guests (up to 3 children, 3 infants)
HugeMax Occupancy: 2 guests (up to 1 child, 1 infant)
In the heart of downtown LA, with rooftop pool, biergarten, and a sleek, fun vibe
A stay at The Standard Downtown LA places you in the heart of Los Angeles, walking distance from Los Angeles Central Public Library and Macy's Plaza.
This 4-star hotel is within close proximity of U.S. Bank Tower and World Trade Center Los Angeles.
Make yourself at home in one of the 207 air-conditioned rooms featuring iPod docking stations and flat-screen televisions. Cable programming and DVD players are provided for your entertainment, while complimentary wireless Internet access keeps you connected. Partially open bathrooms have designer toiletries and hair dryers. Conveniences include phones, as well as safes and desks.
Don't miss out on the many recreational opportunities, including a nightclub, a health club, and an outdoor pool. Additional features include complimentary wireless Internet access, gift shops/newsstands, and a hair salon.
Enjoy a meal at a restaurant or in a coffee shop/café. Or stay in and take advantage of the hotel's 24-hour room service. Relax with your favorite drink at a bar/lounge or a poolside bar.
Featured amenities include a business center, complimentary newspapers in the lobby, and dry cleaning/laundry services. Event facilities at this hotel consist of conference/meeting rooms and small meeting rooms.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!
The Standard Downtown LA Amenities
- General
The lobby at the mid-century Standard Downtown LA has been designated a historic landmark and DJs spin nightly in the lobby lounge, which features fuchsia couches and a Calder-inspired mobile. The 24-hour retro diner serves new American cuisine and has an outdoor patio.
Views of the downtown skyline surround the rooftop, which features a heated outdoor pool, red astro-turf sundeck, waterbed cabanas, outdoor fireplace, poolside bar and café, and dance floor. The hotel hosts live performances, billiards competitions, and other events, and showcases performance art and video installations.
14,496 square feet (1,350 square meters) of indoor and outdoor event space includes fully equipped meeting rooms and lofts with customized audio-visual equipment. A Rudy's Barbershop, business center, and gift shop are also on site. Wireless Internet access is complimentary in public spaces. Valet parking is available (surcharge).
- 24-hour front desk
- ATM/banking
- Number of floors - 12
- Valet parking (surcharge)
- Bar/lounge
- Breakfast available (surcharge)
- Business center
- Coffee shop or café
- Complimentary newspapers in lobby
- Conference space
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Elevator/lift
- Gift shops or newsstand
- Hair salon
- Health club
- Free Wi-Fi
- Meeting rooms
- Multilingual staff
- Nightclub
- Total number of rooms - 207
- Poolside bar
- Restaurant
- Room service (24 hours)
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Shopping on site
- Smoke-free property
- Outdoor pool
- Internet
Available in all rooms: Free Wi-Fi
Available in some public areas: Free Wi-Fi
- Parking
Valet parking (surcharge)
- Room Amenities
- DVD player
- Air conditioning
- Phone
- Bathrobes
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- Cable TV service
- Climate control
- Complimentary newspaper
- Designer toiletries
- Desk
- Hair dryer
- Daily housekeeping
- Hypo-allergenic bedding available
- In-room safe
- Iron/ironing board
- Flat-panel TV
- Free Wi-Fi
- iPod docking station
- Minibar
- Partially open bathroom
- Pay movies
- Premium bedding
- Refrigerator (on request)
- Dining
24/7 Restaurant - California brasserie with yellow booths and diner-style counter serving American cuisine. Outdoor patio with flaming water fountain. Open 24 hours a day.
Rooftop Bar - Adjacent to the pool, the bar has a dance floor and outdoor fireplace, and features panoramic views of downtown. Serving light fare and drinks.
Lobby Lounge - The lounge features fuchsia-colored couches, a billiards table, and photo booth. Light fare and drinks are served while DJs spin nightly.
24-hour room service is available.
- Recreation
The hotel has a rooftop outdoor heated pool surrounded by a red astro-turf sundeck with sun loungers and vibrating waterbed cabanas. The hotel also has a 24-hour fitness center.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
- Accessibility
To make requests for specific accessibility needs, complete the "Special or Accessibility Requests" section of "Trip Preferences" when you book your hotel.
- Accessibility equipment for the deaf
- Accessible bathroom
- Accessible path of travel
- Braille or raised signage
- In-room accessibility
- Roll-in shower
The Standard Downtown LA Policies & Fees
- Check-in
Check-in time starts at 3 PM
Minimum check-in age is 21
- Check-out
Check-out time is noon
- Payment types
Accepted at this hotel: Cash not accepted, American Express, Diners Club, Discover, JCB International, MasterCard, Visa
- Pets
Pets allowed, Only dogs are allowed
- General
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
- Fees
- The following fees and deposits are charged by the property at time of service, check-in, or check-out.
The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.
- Valet parking fee: USD 35 per night (in/out privileges)
- Pet fee: USD 100 per stay
- Deposit: USD 150 per night
- Rollaway beds are available for an additional fee


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If it's been your dream to see the beauty of South America, you're going to want to hear about this special deal. Our AAA Travel expert, Lisa Anciaux, is here to show us different trips that you can take through-out South America. She explains trips to Rio de Janiero, Cruising around Cape Horn, Ushuaia, Argentina, and Punta Arenas.
For more information on AAA Travel Deals, click HERE.


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The Mankato Free Press
---- — For the ever-growing chorus of Twins fans-critics who hold pitching coach Rick Anderson responsible for all that ails Minnesota moundwork, Francisco Liriano is Exhibit A.
Liriano is having a superb 2013 for Pittsburgh. He was 16-8, 3.02, with more strikeouts than innings pitched in the regular season. He has even better so far in the playoffs, with 13 innings of three-run ball in two starts.
Liriano has been here before. Three times with the Twins — in his dazzling rookie season of 2006, in the second half of 2008, for much of 2010 — he appeared to be on the road to stardom.
But that road always led to another detour. Injuries and ineffectiveness overrode success for the big lefty, and in 2012 there came the inevitable parting of the ways. He was traded to the White Sox, where he was no better and arguably worse than he was with the Twins.
He signed for a relative pittance with Pittsburgh as a free agent, and started performing brilliantly for his new team.
Liriano has always defied simple analysis, but one thing about his 2013 season is glaringly obvious: He's changed his mix of pitches.
He's still slider-heavy, and understandably so. His slider is one of the most devastating pitches in the game.
But he throws his changeup much more often now than he ever did with the Twins. On Tuesday against the Reds, he threw a fastball only 25 percent of the time.
This turns pitching convention on its head. For virtually every hurler other than knuckleball specialists, pitching begins with the fastball.
Standard pitching procedure: Locate the fastball to get ahead in the count, then finish off the hitter with a breaking ball or changeup.
This is what Anderson tried to get Liriano to do with the Twins. This is almost certainly what Don Cooper, the veteran pitching coach of the White Sox, tried to get Liriano to do after the Sox traded for him.
The problem is that Liriano's fastball is his third best pitch. Yes, he has velocity, but he lacks command of it. Always has, probably always will.
The Twins (and their broadcasters) used to tout Liriano's changeup, but he never really featured the pitch. He was always about the power: fastball and slider, with the change as an afterthought.
If you want to blame Anderson for that, go ahead. But I do find this interesting: The two best starting pitchers the Twins have had over the past two decades, Johan Santana and Brad Radke, featured outstanding changeups.
Anderson tried too hard to turn Liriano into a typical Twins pitcher, the critics say. I would suggest that Liriano's revival in Pittsburgh is the result of him shifting to a more Twins-like approach.
Edward Thoma (344-6377; email@example.com) maintains his Baseball Outsider blog at fpbaseballoutsider.blogspot.com. Follow him on Twitter @bboutsider.


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Jul 13
SMART's Railcar Decision
Posted by Bruce Robinson in transportation , technology , Sonoma County , policy , planning , nonprofit orgs , Marin , government , finances , environment , energy , economy , design , construction , community , carbon , business , budget , air quality
The Sonoma-Marin commuter train faces a pivotal decision this week, as its directors choose the type of rail cars they will design the rest of the line to match.
The SMART Board of Directors Meets on Wednesday, July 15 at 12:30 pm in the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors chambers to consider the railcar purchase and other business.
The regulatory standards set by the US Federal Railroad Administration are the biggest single factor shaping SMART's choice for new rolling stock (as railroad cars are often called). SMART General Manager Lillian Hames explains those standards are especially stringent in situations where freight and passenger trains share the same set of tracks.
The global financial woes of the past year are also affecting SMART, Says Hames, particularly their plans to issue bonds against future sales tax revenues. They are hoping to bridge the funding gap with grants, cost savings in planning and construction, and other measures.
One of the variables tied to the choice of rail vehicles that SMART will use is the height of the floor height above the tracks, which is a function of such design considerations as fuel tank placement and structural engineering. The difference could be 24 inches or more, but either way, the passenger loading platforms at each of the 15 stations along the line will have to be built to match the train's floor level, so that wheelchair users can easily access the cars. These new platforms, says Hames, will likely look quite different than the wooden decks seen along historic train stations.{mp3remote}http://media.krcb.org/audio/nbr/platformsremote}