text:
By David Ibata
Today, an official of the Atlanta Regional Commission talks about a public opinion poll that found the vast majority of metro residents are happy where they live and, rather than looking to new construction for future growth, favor redeveloping older areas and living in walkable communities. Also contributing to today's page are builders of two Developments of Excellence recognized by ARC as "cutting-edge, livable designs": a model senior housing project in Decatur, and a pedestrian-friendly new-home community in Woodstock.
Even though all of us can find something about the Atlanta region that we would improve, most of us who live here think it's a pretty good place to be.
That's the feedback that the Atlanta Regional Commission received when it recently conducted a public opinion poll of nearly 2,200 residents of the 10-county Atlanta region. The responses show that people like where they live, and most plan on staying put.
More than 80 percent of respondents rated their neighborhood as good or excellent, and 67 percent gave the same rankings to the Atlanta region as a whole. When asked, "If you could move, where would you move?" 76 percent of respondents said they would "stay where they are" or move to a different neighborhood in metro Atlanta. Only 23 percent would leave the region.
A couple of questions give us a glimpse into the future. The survey asked, "If you could move, to what kind of place would you move?" The majority (58 percent) of respondents said they would prefer single-family housing. Interestingly, however, 39 percent said they would choose mixed-use development. And, when asked, "What is the best way to accommodate growth?" 76 percent of respondents answered, "Redevelop older areas" rather than "continue to build new suburbs."
These responses tell us that most residents of the region would like to see the region's growth occurring in places where the supporting infrastructure, like sewer and roads, already exists. This represents a shift in demand compared with the last several decades, when our regional footprint expanded, unabated.
This new trend did not happen overnight. Beginning in the late 1990s with the assistance of ARC's Livable Centers Initiative, investments by local governments and Community Improvement Districts began to create more walkable places in town and employment centers.
While these walkable centers were a niche market in years past, today they are attracting the lion's share of new investment. Since 2009, approximately 60 percent of new office and retail space and multifamily developments in the Atlanta region has occurred in Walkable Urban Places, or what George Washington University research professor Chris Leinberger calls WalkUPs.
Mr. Leinberger's recent study finds that the Atlanta region is a leader in walkable, urban development, even in the suburbs, and a harbinger for the rest of the country. In WalkUP Wake Up Call: Atlanta, Leinberger reports that "sprawl in metro Atlanta is approaching an end" and that WalkUPs will be the primary locations for economic growth here and around the country. That is good news.
So, what does all this mean? Residents feel good about where the region stands today. And, since we are already building the types of places residents and future residents want to call home, they should continue to feel hopeful about new community choices. On top of that, national experts are optimistic about the region's economic future, telling us that metro Atlanta is in a good place and on a good path.
Douglas R. Hooker is executive director of the Atlanta Regional Commission.
By Douglas S. Faust
The Decatur Housing Authority was honored to receive the Development of Excellence Award from the Atlanta Regional Commission for the Oliver House at Allen Wilson, a community of 80 senior apartments developed by DHA. To grasp the importance of this award, it is essential to understand the context of the development, site, design and community efforts that made this award-winning community possible.
Allen Wilson Terrace was a 200-unit public housing community built in 1941 in a historically African-American community. Due to serious design deficiencies and the obsolescence of its utility systems, in 2005, DHA and the residents determined that the community required revitalization. The housing authority and its strategic partners, including the city of Decatur, undertook to develop new, market-quality units that would transform the former row housing into a community of change and hope.
With exceptional proximity to downtown Decatur, it was essential to capitalize on the access to public transportation and employment, shopping, restaurants and churches, as well as, parks, recreation and cultural facilities. The site is within two blocks of Decatur's thriving downtown government, business and retail district, including a MARTA station.
Decatur embraced affordable housing in the core of the city as DHA, the Allen Wilson residents and larger community established and then met four key goals: retaining 191 of the 200 original units, minimizing off-site relocation to only 40 volunteer families (with a right to return), accommodating the growing senior population with 80 designated homes, and developing an exceptionally energy-efficient community with access to Decatur's amenities.
Oliver House includes state-of-the-art energy and water conservation features, including a photovoltaic solar power array, geothermal heating/cooling in common areas, hybrid geothermal water heating, rainwater harvesting for toilet operation and landscape irrigation, low-water-use fixtures (toilets, showerheads and faucets), Energy Star appliances, efficient HVAC units, three-quarters of an acre of permanent greenspace and connections to a half-mile of paved walking trails. In recognition of its energy efficiency, Oliver House was awarded 2012 Earthcraft Multifamily development of the year by Southface and Greater Atlanta Home Builders.
Seniors enjoy a roof garden terrace, equipped fitness center, craft/card room, computer room, sun/media rooms, conference rooms, full kitchen and a catalogued library. Adjacent to the covered porch/patio, residents grow vegetables and flowers in raised gardens.
Allen Wilson is a superior project in many ways. It is affordable housing easily accessible to needed services, excellent educational prospects and employment opportunities. Low-income families are able to remain within the small-town-yet-urban community of Decatur, and benefit from an exceptional quality of life.
Douglas S. Faust is executive director of the Decatur Housing Authority.
By David Knight
Walton Communities shares the dedication of the Atlanta Regional Commission to developing communities that will positively impact residents and communities while ensuring long-term sustainability.
When we began to consider developing a new community in downtown Woodstock, we quickly realized that the city of Woodstock offered a unique opportunity for Walton Communities to be a part of a modern, walkable neighborhood that would offer residents access to a vivid cultural arts community, a growing culinary scene, and a lively entertainment district.
By working together, we were able to further develop the city's grid street initiative and complement the long-term plans for Main Street Woodstock. The city has been very welcoming and accommodating, and we are honored to have been a part of such a forward-thinking initiative.
Woodstock West by Walton offers residents the opportunity to extend the lifestyle of Main Street
Woodstock to their front door, and offers a destination in itself. Our community features 308 apartment homes and convenient access to both the Greenprints bike trail and the Elm Street Cultural Arts Village.
Amenities include a community room that offers complimentary Wi-Fi, coffee bar and library, and a fitness center with the latest in cardio and toning equipment. Our pool and cabana area provides a tanning ledge, water feature, outdoor kitchen and fire pit. Residents also enjoy our complimentary vehicle charging stations and Bark Park, and they can breathe easy — we are a smoke-free community.
We take pride in our neighborhoods and are committed to supporting our residents through exceptionally maintained communities and unique service programs. Woodstock West was constructed according to Sustainable Woodstock guidelines with a focus on energy efficiency and community connectivity.
Walton Communities goes beyond building neighborhoods where people live by creating communities where people thrive.
We appreciate the warm reception provided by the city of Woodstock, the Main Street business district, and the amazing neighbors that make up this community.
We have been fortunate to welcome nearly 400 new residents and have only a few new homes remaining.
The overwhelming interest in Woodstock West by Walton combined with the great positive feedback from our first residents are our greatest indicators of success.
We are honored to share the Atlanta Regional Commission's "Development of Excellence" Award with the city of Woodstock and look forward to serving our residents and the community of Woodstock in the years to come.
David Knight is principal at Walton Communities.


text:
When it comes time to get your $111 share of Indiana's surplus, take the money and run.
The refund is automatically triggered by law when the budget reserve tops 10 percent of the next year's budgeted spending.
Which it has.
There are some suggesting or outright asserting that this budget surplus of $360.6 million was pretty much stolen from the public schools.
But it wasn't.
In fact, outgoing Gov. Mitch Daniels said it was state revenue growth and restrictions on state spending.
It's money derived from you. The average Hoosier pays $850 annually in state income taxes.
It's only $111, you say? Send it to the public schools, where one person who claimed teachers now spend $35,000 to $40,000 on supplies because of budget cuts.
That might shock the average teacher, who makes about $50,801 in Indiana, according to teacher/portal, a website aimed at teachers.
It was amazing how much unsubstantiated "fact" was generated by the story over the rebate.
Maybe people just don't trust rebates.
In 1982, President Ronald Reagan, not having any cake handy, released about 30 million pounds of warehoused government cheese.
It wasn't bad cheese. It was not a simulated cheese product. It was given to our military, to our schoolkids and to the needy.
But the government farm subsidy program just made too much, and rather than let the cheese mold in a warehouse, it was given away.
Blocks of cheese, lunch of champions.
Then there was the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008, the brainchild of George W. Bush, which doled out on your tax form 1040 from $300 (filing singly) to $1,200 (married filing jointly).
But the king of the rebates was former Mayor Chester Stranczek, of nearby Crestwood, Ill., who gave back nearly all municipal taxes as well as giving back his $6,000 mayoral salary.
(He owned a trucking company in Phoenix, Ill., which his son Robert now runs. Robert has been Crestwood's mayor since 2007.)
Unfortunately, the village largess was cut short after a whistle blower released the story of how the village's water supply came from a well tainted with dry cleaning fluid.
The village has spent about $1 million in legal bills since 2009, but Chet Stranczek gave $48 million back to the 11,251 folks of Crestwood.
Whether the water was tainted is still in litigation.
Strange thing about all this, though. Reagan, Bush, Stranczek and Daniels are all Republicans, those greedy politicians who want to keep your tax money and spend it on themselves and their friends.
Could it be we've had it wrong all along? How much free cheese did you get from President Barack Obama this year?

subset: commoncrawl


text:
1927 Ford Track T Roadster VIN: T14699024 Hot Rod magazine cover car August 1958 Fully restored to original condition Won three awards at the... More
1923 Ford T-Model. Black of course with a black leather interior. This thing is bone stock down to the hand crank. All metal and... More
This 1923 Ford Track T Roadster has a Toyota 4.0 Liter 241 C.I. Aluminum Hemi V8, Toyota A40 Automatic Transmission, 8.5'' Rear... More
It's not every day that you see an iconic vehicle that shaped the world we live in today. Yes, 1914. Think about what did... More
Full 12V conversion and tons of brass make this a very stylish 100 year old T! New top and ready for touring! Ford Model T... More
Beautiful dark green brass era T Touring car! 101 years old and as stylish as ever! A perfect piece for the seasoned Ford collector... More
Paint it any color as long as it's black. This beautiful touring enjoyed a complete recent body up restoration. Frame painted, body clad in... More
1927 Ford Model T Ford Fordor titled as 1927 but I believe to be 1923. Restored, New Tires, New Battery, New Interior upholstery kit... More
ONE OF A KIND 1923 FORD MODEL T ROADSTER FINISHED IN BLACK WITH FLAMES OVER BLACK BUCKET SEATS. THIS ROADSTER COMES EQUIPPED WITH A... More
Additional information coming soon!... More
1913 Ford Model T touring, blue with new brass radiator, restored and in good condition, in storage in Oklahoma City, OK. ** NO ACCESS TO... More
Ford 1926 Model T roadster, restored in good condition, with wire wheels, in storage in Oklahoma City, OK ** NO ACCESS TO EMAIL, PHONE CALLS... More
1915 Ford Model T RunaboutTo be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Auction' Hershey event, October 9-10, 2014. Click here to view this... More
This vehicle just arrived. A complete description is coming soon. Please call us for full details.... More
1926 Ford Model TThis beautiful 1926 Ford Model T is all original completely restored it has Been repainted Ford Maroon color with Black fenders... More


text:
I have fond memories of melon with prosciutto while traveling in Italy so I thought this woud be fabulous. However, rapping the meat around the 1 inch sized cubes (too big) of fruit lead to a strage texture sensation and weird tastes. The best way to serve this combination is next to one another so they can be enjoyed nearly together but not in exactly the same bite. I will not make this again.
Prosciutto-Melon Bites with Lime Drizzle
Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Cindy Barr
Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 2 skewers)
More From Cooking Light
Nutritional Information
Amount per serving
- Calories: 61
- Fat: 3g
- Saturated fat: 0.8g
- Monounsaturated fat: 1.7g
- Polyunsaturated fat: 0.5g
- Protein: 4.2g
- Carbohydrate: 5g
- Fiber: 0.3g
- Cholesterol: 13mg
- Iron: 0.3mg
- Sodium: 282mg
- Calcium: 5mg
- 16 (1-inch) cubes cantaloupe
- 16 (1-inch) cubes honeydew melon
- 16 (1/4-ounce) very thin slices prosciutto, cut in half lengthwise
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh mint
- 1. Wrap each cantaloupe cube and each honeydew cube with 1/2 prosciutto slice. Thread 1 wrapped cantaloupe cube and 1 wrapped honeydew cube onto each of 16 (4-inch) skewers. Arrange skewers on a serving platter.
- 2. Combine juice, oil, and pepper, stirring with a whisk; drizzle evenly over skewers. Sprinkle evenly with mint.
My Notes
Only you will be able to view, print, and edit this note.Add Note
Prosciutto-Melon Bites with Lime Drizzle Recipe at a Glance
- COURSE: Appetizers, Hors d'Oeuvres
- CONVENIENCE: Entertaining, Make-Ahead, No-Cook
- CUISINE: American
- MAIN INGREDIENT: Fruits
- DIETARY CONSIDERATION: Low Carbohydrate, Low Fat, Low Saturated Fat
- OCCASION: Spring
- PUBLICATION: Cooking Light
More Recipes Like This
Melon Ball Salad with Lime SyrupAll You
Honeydew SpritzerOxmoor House
Prosciutto-Wrapped Mango BitesSouthern Living
Find out what we've got cooking...
Get our Free Weekly Specials Newsletter filled with our favorite recipes, seasonal menus, and special features.
We Respect Your Privacy. Privacy Policy


text:
As many of you know, Atlanta's long-standing destination for all things pirates and fondue, Dante's Down The Hatch, is closing its doors on July 30th. The space will be cleared to make way for an apartment tower.
After being in business for over 43 years, Dante's has accumulated a large and diverse crowd of loyal Atlanta fans. Mark Davis over at AJC.com recently joined one of the groups gathering at Dante's to say their final farewells.
Check out the full story at AJC.com here.
With a little over a month and a half to go, the window to get one more night at Dante's is closing. Do you plan to revisit Dante's one last time?
- By Jon Watson, Food & More blog
June 12th, 2013
3:13 pm
[...] Article from http://blogs.ajc.com/food-and-more/2013/06/12/getting-in-one-last-meal-at-dantes-down-the-hatch/?cxn... Share this:FacebookLinkedInGoogle [...]
June 12th, 2013
3:53 pm
So they're not moving somewhere?
June 13th, 2013
12:00 am
Nope – and if there were some way to erase the first and only time I went there, I'd do it.
June 13th, 2013
10:53 am
Nice blog. I have really enjoyed reading your blog.
June 13th, 2013
12:32 pm
Went there once. There is only so much fondue one can ingest in making a meal. An interesting place as far as decor and style, but that just doesn't sustain a restaurant. Reality came knocking. Hope they got some good money for the site (if they owned it).
June 13th, 2013
3:44 pm
He owned the site, if I recall correctly from when the story first broke. Part of the reason for closing, maybe a big part, was that the real estate taxes were becoming a huge burden on his cash flow. Another case of the land being worth far more than the business/house/building located thereon.
June 19th, 2013
5:10 am
[...] Getting in one last meal at Dante's Down The Hatch [...]


text:
It was a glorious sunny afternoon last month when the Garden City Pool was host to the Garden City Pool Swim Across America fundraiser. Swimmers old and young swam as much or as little as they liked and raised almost $13,000 to fight cancer. Swim Across America, Inc., [SAA] is a national organization that focuses on local cancer centers and hospitals and is dedicated to raising money and awareness for cancer research, prevention and treatment through swimming related events. Beneficiaries of the Garden City Swim Across America fundraiser include the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; the Cold Spring Harbor Lab; the SAA Stacey Leondis Fellowship at the Children's Hospital at Montefiore; the Feinstein Institute of North Shore- LIJ; the MIRACLE Foundation Pavilion at Mercy Medical Center and the Fighting Chance center on Long Island.
Established in 2010, the Long Island Thunderbolts was founded by Coaches Carmine Mazzaro and Peter Janowsky. What started out as one team the first year has now grown to five, as they look to expand on that. The club's mission is to teach its players the game of softball one pitch at a time. This is accomplished through discipline, respect for each other, trustworthiness and poise as each player pushes and encourages one another to strive for greatness on and off the field.
"Some girls want to play and some are college driven" said 18U Head Coach Janowsky. "We take pride in teaching respect, education and integrity." The major attribute of this organization is helping the girls develop as players and getting them ready to pursue an opportunity to play softball in college. Players are also assisted with the recruitment process.
Garden City resident David Dillmeier, president of Dillmeier Enterprises, wants to inspire leadership and commitment in students through sports. A lacrosse player as a Saint Michael's College student in Vermont, who graduated in 1991, Dillmeier was impressed with the Saint Michael's lacrosse coach, Paul Schimoler, who led the team from 2004 to 2011, amassing the best record of any Saint Michael's lacrosse coach.
Paul Schimoler died February 15, 2013, following a short battle with cancer, and his former player decided to honor the coach and his alma mater with an award and a contribution.
Summer Camp Registrations Ongoing
School has ended. Have you registered for the recreation department's summer camps yet? The recreation camps are rapidly filling. Many one-week camps are offered for ages 3 to 14 in the village in various activities. To find a list of offerings, please visit the recreation office at 108 Rockaway Ave. or www.gardencityrecreation.org.
Come Play Miniature Golf At Community Park
Come visit the recreation department's beautiful 18-hole miniature golf course that is open to residents and non-residents alike to enjoy. Newly constructed in 2008, the course provides enjoyment for both young and old. The course has twists and turns that will excite players of all ages. A beautiful setting is offered with a shaded picnic area, a playground and a snack bar. The course is located behind the Garden City Pool complex, adjacent to the tennis center. For fees and hours of play, please call Community Park at 516-483-2525.
The Garden City Men's Association (TMA) held its annual golf outing and dinner to honor the coaches of the high school and middle school for the 2012-13 seasons. Garden City teams won an outstanding nine county championships and any number of individual accolades for Garden City student athletes.
The golf outing was postponed because of heavy rains but the dinner went on as planned last month at Cherry Valley Country Club. Attended by more than 50 varsity, junior varsity and middle school coaches, assistant coaches and administrators the night was a celebration of the outstanding job that the staff does for Garden City.
Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum was buzzing with excitement at the 13th Annual Draft Party. With the New York Islanders qualifying for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since the 2006-07 season, expectations for building off this past season's success are running high. Given the fact that the team is slated to move to Brooklyn's Barclays Center for the 2015-16 season, the window is closing fast for the Isles to make a run while still playing in the team's original barn.
As in past years, the draft party offered plenty to check out whether it was fun and games for children such as NHL Super Deker, where they can show off their puck handling skills or NHL Shut Out, where kids could practice blocking shots as a goalie in a virtual reality world. There were also carnival related rides and bounce houses. Adult attendees were treated to a tour of the team's locker room in addition to several hockey memorabilia displays catering to old and new generations of hockey fanatics.
Approximately 75 of the village's best young soccer players got to experience what it is like to play with one of the best players in the world. On a recent Friday evening, the Garden City Centennials held a clinic given by U.S. National Team player Heather O'Reilly for the Under 10–12 girls travel teams. O'Reilly began her career with her first international goal in 2002 and has been a key player in three Olympic gold medal wins and two World Cups, as well as owning the longest consecutive games played for the U.S. Women's team.
School has ended. Have you registered for the recreation department's summer camps yet? The recreation camps are rapidly filling. Many one-week camps are offered for ages 3 to 14 in the village in various activities. To find a list of offerings, please visit the recreation office at 108 Rockaway Ave. or www.gardencityrecreation.org.
The Department of Recreation and Parks is pleased to announce the list of performers for its Summer Gazebo Concert Series.
July 11 – Buddy Merriam and Back Roads
The Garden City youth lacrosse program, along with the Jay Gallagher Memorial Foundation, hosted the Sixteenth Annual Jay Gallagher Memorial Tournament on June 15 and 16. The tournament annually raises funds and public awareness for the Andy Foundation, the Mollie Biggane Melanoma Foundation and the Miracle Foundation. The Jay Gallagher Foundation, through gifting to The Cancer Center for Kids at Winthrop University Hospital, is dedicated to improving the lives of children and adults diagnosed with cancer, concentrating on building cancer awareness with the ultimate goal of a cure.
Over the last 15 years, the tournament has raised over $700,000 for the various programs that it supports. The tournament memorializes Jay Gallagher, Andrew Palmeri, Mollie Biggane, Ryan Kohart and David Leistman. Ryan and David were lost in the September 11 tragedy and both were significant contributors to lacrosse programs in the area.
The fourth time proved to be the charm for Adelphi University's athletic program as the Northeast-10 Conference announced them as the 2012-2013 President's Cup recipients earlier this month.
In its fourth year in the conference, Adelphi scored a total of 177 points to beat out school such as Bentley and Stonehill. The Presidents' Cup is presented annually to signify overall athletic excellence in the conference and awarded to the institution that compiles the most overall points, based on their final regular-season standings from all of their programs.
Page 11 of 52<< Start < Prev 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Next > End >>


text:
The Sakyong has said again and again that the core messages of Shambhala are basic goodness and enlightened society. He has also encouraged us to make our offerings "more like life, less like school". Inspired by the this, the Boulder Shambhala Center is pleased to announce a gathering for warriors to connect with basic goodness, and celebrate our society - the Sun Day Assembly.
Everyone is welcome, whether it is your first time in a Shambhala shrine room or whether you have been practicing for years. Please join the community!
Sun Day Assembly takes place on the first Sunday of each month, starting at 10:30 am (doors open at 10:20).
The first part, which will last at most an hour, includes some meditation, some talking, some listening, and even some singing. That will be followed by a social with tea, coffee, food, and good company from 11:30 am-12:30 pm.
Parts of the official activities are geared towards children. Childcare will also be available from 10:20 am until 12:30 pm.
Your involvement, comments, and feedback are most welcome - whether you want to help shape the future direction of the event, suggest a topic for discussion, participate in the ceremony, make flower arrangements, bake cookies, or even just complain about what went wrong.Looking forward to seeing you there!
Shambhala Online Teleclasses
Intro Meditation Programs
Find a Meditation Centre
Quick View of Programs by Center


text:
Applications for our off-campus graduate programs are accepted on a rolling basis.
Off-campus cohorts begin at various times throughout the year. For
information on the start term for your program of interest near you,
please contact Debbie Mosher.
Lesley University programs operate on a rolling admissions basis.
Applications are accepted throughout the year and admissions decisions
are determined once all materials are received and all other
requirements are completed.
All applicants are encouraged to submit their application materials
early. Please check with an admissions representative for the recommended application submission date for each start term.
Lesley was the perfect choice for me because of the flexibility of the weekend courses. The professors were wonderful and understanding that the class consisted of full time teachers, mothers, grandmothers, etc. with many obligations. The classes were designed for working teachers. I was able to integrate new material in my classroom after every course. Well designed handouts, websites, etc. were always available to enrich the classes. I grew professionally through the Lesley University Master's Degree Program as I fully embraced change and was committed to learning about best practices in Education. Lesley presented information that was on the cutting edge of Education.
I gained a confidence in myself that I was doing what was best for kids. And.....I had fun. The 18 month experience was years ago, but the relationships formed during that time are forever. Lesley University encourages teachers to be life long learners. This is a philosophy I totally embrace.
- Barbara Preston
Off-Campus Programs
Information Sessions
Off-Campus Academic Calendar
Application Deadlines
Tuition and Fees
Financial Aid
Net Price Calculator
Scholarships and More
Request More Info
Ways to Apply
Application Requirements
International Students
Non-Native English Speakers
Academic Calendars
Request more information
Schedule a campus visit
Get your application started today!
We offer select graduate education programs at off-campus locations throughout Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine. Our off-campus programs follow an 8-week format, with each course meeting one weekend a month. Register to attend an information session »


text:
Is There Any Help I Can Get at Court?
We can:
We have three drop-in locations: Alameda, Oakland and Hayward. The Oakland office, located at 1225 Fallon Street, 2nd Floor, is open Monday through Friday 8:30am – 12:00pm. The Hayward office, located at 224 W. Winton Avenue Room 179, is open Monday through Thursday 8:30am – 12:00pm. The Alameda office, located at 2233 Shoreline Drive, is open Wednesdays from 1:00pm – 4:00pm and Fridays from 8:30am – 1:00pm. We also have phone hours Monday through Thursday from 2:00pm – 4:00pm. The telephone number is: 510-272-1393. Phone calls are taken only during the stated hours. Calls received outside those hours are not returned. You can write to Family Law Facilitator's Office/Self Help Services at: 1225 Fallon Street, Room 250, Oakland, CA 94612.
NOTE: the Self Help Center will be CLOSED on September 22, 2014.
NOTICE RE EARLY CLOSURE OF SIGN-IN: Notwithstanding our posted hours of operation, please be aware that self-help services are provided on a first-come, first-served basis according to the sign-in sheet. Given volume and staffing limitations, and so that we can provide full service to everyone who signs in, sign-in may be closed earlier than the posted closure time. We will be unable to assist anyone who arrives after sign-in has been closed for the day.
In a court action, the people involved each have a title. This helps make clear each person's role in the court.


text:
CORNELIANI Half-lined single-breasted wool jacket
cmCreatePageviewTag( sfcm_makePageId( 'Info', true ), sfcm_makeCategoryId( '548589' ), '', '', '10052-_-Info-_--_--_--_--_-'+ (_sfcm_isVIP ? 'Y' : 'N') +'-_-');
Half-lined for comfort and coolness, Corneliani's wool jacket is a year-round way to keep your sartorial composure. The three-buttoned style is a stylish, flattering option for those wanting to smarten up and comes made in Italy for lifelong quality.
cmCreatePageviewTag( sfcm_makePageId( 'Details', true ), sfcm_makeCategoryId( '' ), '', '', '10052-_-Details-_--_--_--_--_-'+ (_sfcm_isVIP ? 'Y' : 'N') +'-_-');
UK icon UK delivery
Standard £4.95
Nominated or next day From £8.00
Same day (order by 4pm for delivery within M25) £16.00
Click & Collect icon Click & Collect
We'll deliver this product to your nearest store Complimentary
International icon International delivery
Delivery within Europe £15.00
Delivery to the rest of the world £25.00
Returns icon Returns
It's okay if you change your mind, we offer a 14 day returns policy.


text:
American Shifter Company Universal Neutral Safety Switch
America Shifter Company is the leading creator of vast selection of auto parts with an option to customize its designs. Each items are manufactured by American Shifter Company comes with patented designs to meet your desired trends.
American Shifter Company Universal Neutral Safety Switch is constructed from excellent grade substances to build specific products that can stand against the test of functionality and time.
Item Details: 2 Terminals, Roller Ball Switch


text:
- Subscribe
- Magazine
- Contract Packaging
- Education
- Leaders in Packaging
- Calendar of Events
Alert: Packaging World now enhanced for the iPad and iPhone. Watch a quick video preview
Article | June 30, 2000
Markem-Imaje: Ink jet printer
Imaje's (Kennesaw, GA) S7 Supra marks 4 to 8 lines of 70- or 120-dpi characters at speeds to 1갺'/min. New ink and additive cartridges hold 0.8 L, which can supply 46 million characters of print before needing to be replaced.
As many as 880 messages can be stored in memory.
42 Best Package Designs
Sign up to receive timely updates from our editors and download this e-book consisting of our editors' picks of most notable package designs. Updated for 2014!


text: Seymour, Iowa is located in Wayne County. Seymour has a population of 714 and has shown -12.7% growth since 2000. Of the 292 households in Seymour, 66.8% are owned, 18.4% are rented and 15% are not currently occupied. The median age of homes in Seymour is 62 years and 33.0% of the homes have been occupied by the same residents for more than 5 years. Learn more about Seymour, Iowa real estate at coldwellbanker.com.


text:
Team Ratings
C. Abbiati
After an early save from Floccari the goalkeeper was untested for much of the game. A simple stop to keep out a Hernanes free kick was as difficult as it got and he will be pleased with the clean sheet.
C. Zapata
Was a bit careless in possession in the first half, but had very little to do in terms of defending as Lazio struggled with 10 men. He was then withdrawn at half-time and replaced by Zaccardo.
I. Abate
Used his pace to torment Lazio throughout an energetic 90 minutes. He offered plenty of width on the right and although he saw his 40th minute shot saved, Pazzini tucked in the rebound.
M. De Sciglio
Showed real intent to get forward and cause problems for Lazio. His delivery was brilliant from the wide areas, regularly putting it in the right place for his team-mates in what was a decent outing.
M. Yepes
The veteran Colombian looked a bit sloppy in possession and gave the ball away needlessly a couple of times. Defensively though, he was resolute and did not allow Floccari to cause him any problems.
M. Ambrosini
It was a standard performance from the veteran midfielder as he patrolled the middle of the park to good effect. He kept his game simple and never pushed himself too much, coasting for most of the game.
R. Montolivo
Looked to orchestrate the way in which Milan attacked with a good array of passing from midfield. He was always looking for the ball and then similarly for somewhere to put it and advance the play.
M. Flamini
An efficient display from the former Arsenal man who gave Milan bite in midfield and prevented any hope the visitors had of getting back in the game.
K. Boateng
A quality display from the Ghanaian as he linked up superbly with Pazzini and El Shaarawy. He was creative in possession and scored Milan's second after seeing an early effort cleared off the line.
S. El Shaarawy
Proved to be a real threat from the opening moments, forcing Marchetti into a save after two minutes and then creating a chance for Boateng. His excellent run forced Candreva's dismissal in a formidable outing from the youngster.
G. Pazzini
The striker was in superb form, continually worrying the Lazio defence by getting into dangerous areas. Deserved the opening goal after some earlier misses and then had a hand in the second as his header was followed up by Boateng.
F. Marchetti
A busy night for the 'keeper as Milan dominated from start to finish. Saved well from El Shaarawy early on but should have dealt with Abate's shot better in the build-up to the first goal. He was then unlucky that Boateng tapped in after he made a great stop from Pazzini.
Ş. Radu
It was an ill-tempered performance from the Romanian as he was frequently late with some rash challenges. He also made a complete mess of two clearances that directly led to goals for the hosts.
G. Biava
Made a brilliant goal-line clearance in the fifth minute but found himself increasingly stretched after Candreva's dismissal. He struggled positionally and was pulled apart time and again.
André Dias
The centre-back struggled after his side went down to 10 men. His lack of pace was exposed by the Milan attack and he looked laboured and immobile at the back.
The Brazilian never really managed to get involved in the game as Lazio were on the back foot throughout. He could not offer support to Floccari as Milan controlled possession and a rather tame free kick, that was easily saved by Abbiati, was his highlight.
A. Candreva
The wide man hardly had a chance to get going before he was shown a red card for bringing down El Shaarawy on the edge of the box.
C. Ledesma
The Argentine could not have as much of an input on the game as he would have liked due to Lazio's lack of possession. When things got tough he got back and helped his team to defend.
Bruno Pereirinha
The right-back will be having nightmares about Stephan El Shaarawy for weeks. He was continually found wanting up against the youngster and was beaten far too easily time and again.
S. Lulić
Not a convincing performance from the Bosnian as he allowed Abate the freedom of his flank. His defensive input was not up to standard and he never gambled and tried to get forward.
Á. González
A typically tireless performance from the Uruguayan as he did his fair share of running over the 90 minutes. His attitude did not change after the sending off and he worked his socks off for his team.
S. Floccari
Scuffed a great chance to score early on straight into the arms of Abbiati, and it ended up proving to be a rare chance for the visitors. Once down to 10 men he was practically starved of all service and could do very little to change the game.
C. Zaccardo
Had a successful debut for the Rossoneri after replacing Zapata at half-time. He will no doubt come up against sterner tests, but will have been pleased to get through the game unscathed.
M. Niang
It was a good cameo from the Frenchman after coming on for Pazzini in the 68th minute. His pace proved to be a real danger and he rattled the bar in the closing stages.


text:
Flying Dutchmen Stuns Wisconsin-Oshkosh In NCAA Tournament
Goals from Logan Sikkenga and Matthew VanZytveld powered the Hope men's soccer team to a 2-1 upset of ninth-ranked Wisconsin-Whitewater on Friday in the NCAA Division III Tournament.
The Flying Dutchmen (17-4-2 overall) advanced at the Waverly, Iowa, Regional to face host Wartburg College in Saturday's second round. Kickoff is 5 p.m. Central Standard Time.
Sikkenga struck first for Hope. The junior back from Hudsonville (Hudsonville HS) scored off a throw-in 12 minutes, 37 seconds into the match. Senior back Grant Neil of Holland (West Ottawa HS) had the first of his two assists for the match.
It was Sikkinga's seventh goal of the season.
Neil helped the Flying Dutchmen extend their lead to 2-0 in the 54th minute when he set up senior Matthew VanZytveld of Grand Haven (Grand Haven HS) for his second goal of the season.
That was enough for Hope goalie Ethan Beswick. The sophomore from Grand Haven (Grand Haven HS) stopped two of the three shots he faced. Wisconsin-Oshkosh (16-2-4) scored in the 87th minute.
(16-4-2 overall) blanked Dominican (Ill.) 4-0 in Friday's first match.
Michel Levine put the Knights on the scoreboard with his second goal of the season in the 31sst minute. Wartburg then scored three times during the second half.
Chris Nothnick, Peter Tran and Paris Martins chipped in goals for Wartburg. It was Martins' eighth this season, Nothnick's second and Tran's first.
Hope Beats Otterbein In Regional Semifinals
Sophomore Lauren Hazekamp sprinted toward the scorer's table on the opposite side of her net, then flipped the ball over her head.
Her timely save kept the ball in play for the Hope volleyball team, so that the Flying Dutch could earn match point on an Otterbein (Ohio) hitting error.
On the second match point, senior Mari Schoolmaster buried a kill to secure a 20-25, 25-15, 25-21, 25-22 win for second-ranked Hope and a berth in Saturday's Great Lakes Regional Final.
The Flying Dutch (31-2 overall) are one win from clinch a spot in the NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship they are hosting next week at DeVos Fieldhouse.
"When she made that play," Hope coach Becky Schmidt said of her sophomore from Fruitport (Fruitport HS), "I felt very confident we were going to have some really good things happen in the next few points just because she's able to go on some of these runs with just her will. She's a gamer."
Hope will face either regional host Elmhurst or Washington University in St. Louis in a 7 p.m. CST final. The Flying Dutch defeated both teams earlier this season.
Hazekamp said her drive led her to make a gutsy and successful retrieval of an errant dig.
"I really don't like to lose. I knew it would have been a momentum shift," Hazekamp said. "My team will tell me if it's too dangerous for something to get. I could hear them cheering me on to get it. I felt confident. I just really didn't want that play to end."
Senior Courtney Earles of Kentwood (East Kentwood HS) said Hazekamp's dig gave the Flying Dutch the final push they needed to clinch their second regional final in school history and first since 2009.
"It's easy to feel a lot of pressure at the point of the match like that," Earles said. "We were trying to stay calm, but that got us excited. We knew if we could do that we could win these next (two) points."
Junior Jenna Grasmeyer of Jenison (Hudsonville Unity Christian HS) topped Hope with 18 kills. Earles finished with nine.
Hazekamp, who's in her first season as a starter, recorded a match-high 39 assists. She also was second with 15 digs and tied for second with 1 ½ blocks.
The Flying Dutch needed every play to grind out a win against a team they swept earlier this season.
Hope hit .170 as a team while Otterbein finished .007.
Otterbein closed with a 27-8 record.
"I've watched Lauren for a long time before she came to Hope. I knew with her we were getting a winner," Schmidt said. "She just puts her team in positions to be successful. That's exactly what I want out of a setter. I don't need somebody who's left-handed and 6-foot-2 … because she's not. But she makes things happen."
Flying Dutch Handle Bluffton In Season Opener
Senior Anna Kaufmann scored a career-high 14 points to lead the nationally ranked Hope women's basketball team to an 83-59 win vs. Bluffton (Ohio) in Friday's season opener.
The Flying Dutch advanced to play in the championship game of the Chicago Marriott Naperville Tip-off Tournament on Saturday at North Central College. Tipoff is 5 p.m. Central against either North Central or Ripon (Wis.).
Kaufmann, a guard/forward from Davenport, Iowa (Davenport Central), scored 12 first-half points off the bench to help stake the Flying Dutch to a 49-24 halftime lead. Her previous career-high was eight points in a game.
In 13 minutes, Kaufmann finished shooting 3-of-4 from the field, including 1-of-2 from 3-point range. She made all seven of her free-throw attempts.
All 15 Hope players saw action in the game, and 13 of them scored.
Junior forward/center Rebekah Llorens of Grayslake, Ill. (Grayslake Central HS), started and totaled 12 points.
Senior guard Brittany Berry of Grand Rapids (Catholic Central HS) started and netted 11 points in 19 minutes. She shot 4-of-6 from the field, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range.
The Flying Dutch outscored Bluffton (0-1) in the paint by a 42-24 margin and outrebounded them by a 43-33 margin.
Flying Dutchmen Skate Past Michigan State
The Hpoe ice hockey team beat Michigan State 8-1 in American Collegiate Hockey Association action on Friday at Edge Ice Area.
It was the sixth consecutive win for the Flying Dutchmen (10-2 overall).
Senior goalie Drew Cook of Columbus, Ohio (Upper Arlington HS), stopped 18 shots for Hope.
1. Jamie Haak from Justin Glick and Caleb Morgan
2. Jared Lehman from Ryan Restum and Drew O'Brien
3. Justin Glick from Rob Calvert and Zach Schaap
4. Justin Glick from Zach Schaap and Jared Lehman
5. Eric Webb from Drew O'Brien and Ryan Restum
6. Caleb Morgan from Elliott Digison and Caleb Digison
7. Drew O'Brien from Ryan Restum
8. Caleb Digison from Elliott Digison and Drew O'Brien


text:
Left Photo Credit to: prometeus / 123RF Stock Photo
Outside of a few rare cases, one of the keys to building a strong blogging platform is being able to maintain a certain sense of credibility in your chosen niche. To do that, you need a variety of skills and experiences on display, the sum of which must lead to authority. Though authority is often given…
It Must First
Be Claimed,
If You Will !
But when it comes to new bloggers, there's always one thing that trips them up and keeps them from being able to claim that authority. That mistake is what I call 'newbie syndrome,' and happens when a blogger tries to act smart, but looks dumb, and as a result…
Never Completes
Their Ascent to the
Top of the Ranks !
Here's what I mean…
1. Still Using the Default Theme of Your Blogging Platform
Take stock of every popular blog you know of, be it Techcrunch, Mashable, Social Media Examiner, Huffington Post, etc, and tell me what you see. I can tell you what you won't see, and that's a stock theme design. Look, themes aren't that expensive, even when purchased or designed custom, and in this day and age when every detail matters…
There's No Excuse
for Sticking With a
Stock Theme !
To those of you who say building a custom theme is expensive, I say that's the price of running a business. You're either a business owner or a novice, and if you are the latter, then you have nothing to complain about. If you are a business owner, then…
It's Time to
Act Like One !
Browse sites like Dribbble, Forrst, or Creattica and look for designers that catch your eye. Contact them and see what they charge to do some custom work. If you try hard enough, you'll find someone that can do it on a budget, and still create…
Results !
2. Still No Fucking Logo
99 Designs has made the process of getting a logo very easy and affordable. Additionally, if you look through the sites I just mentioned above, you'll probably be able to find a logo designer for similar prices. The truth is every single business should establish itself as a brand, and part of branding process requires a custom logo treatment. I'm sorry, but colored text with a shadow…
Does't Make Up
to Be a Logo !
3. Still Using "Uncategorized" While Posting Content
I know WordPress makes it incredibly easy to start a blog, which is great, but that's absolutely not a reason to skimp on the details. You're saving time by using a great CMS, so use that saved time to learn more about how it works, and…
How You Can
Customize it !
Every blog should have its own set of categories, and 'Uncategorized' should NOT be one of them. Fixing this issue takes just two seconds…
Delete it Or
Rename it and
You're done !
4. Still No Comments
Having a blog with zero comments is like posting a big sign that says "I'm still new here." You're far better off keeping comments disabled until you have a bigger audience, and then enabling them once your audience is consistent. You can also test your audience's willingness to engage by asking them to reach out on Twitter and Facebook. If you can build up some engagement on your Facebook page, then…
You Can Probably
Do it On Your Blog Also !
5. Still No About Me Page
Above Photo Credit to: bartekwardziak / 123RF Stock Photo
If you're looking to hire someone, what's the first thing you do? You look for a resume right? The same goes for consultants, freelancers, teachers, babysitters, and anything else you can think of – you want to vet them to make sure…
They Are
Worth Your Time !
So tell me why you, as an 'authority blogger,' do not have an about me page that explains why people should take the time to read your blog, let alone give you money? Even if you aren't selling anything, and maybe want to place ads on your blog, potential advertisers will still want to know more about you. Remember…
Having an About Me Page is
Essential to a
Successful Blog…
Period !
6. Still Have Not Tried Guest Posting
I don't know how many times myself and others have to say it – guest posting works! It gets you traffic, it places you in front of new audiences, it builds rapport with other bloggers in your domain, and it gives you a chance to become better as a writer. Many people fail here because they are too scared to reach out. That's pathetic.
You're a Professional,
Being Afraid
is Not
an Excuse !
The same goes for those of you who just can't seem to write guest posts deserving of an audience. Clearly if you are going to be a professional blogger, you need to become a proficient writer. If not, then you either need to…
a) accept defeat and try something else, or
b) write until you are good at it…
Then Go Write
Some Damn
Guest Posts !
7. Still Figuring Out What to Write On Your Next Post
There's no better way to write piss poor content than by waiting until the last minute to crank a blog post out, without the time to edit, and hitting publish. Unless you have a legion of associate editors and writers, it's very important you have and maintain a list of upcoming topics to write about, and better yet…
An Editorial Calendar !
Thinking forward like this allows you to take the time to write about topics when you're excited about them, while allowing additional time for editing and review. Unless you're a beat reporter against the clock…
There's No Reason to
Crank Out Shit
Just for the Sake of it !
So if you can get past these 7 newbie syndrome, you're doing something right. I won't promise success, but I can promise you'll have a chance of looking like you know what you're doing, and thankfully…
That Puts You Ahead of the
99% Who Don't !
Stay Professional,
Also Known As "The Professional Bad Blogger"


text:
DETROIT (WKZO) - It appears from e-mails that the bankruptcy filing last week for the city of Detroit had been in the works for months.
Labor activist Robert Davis has released emails he obtained as part of his lawsuit challenging the appointment of emergency manager Kevyn Orr.
The emails indicate Governor Rick Snyder's administration had been looking at the bankruptcy option since at least January.


text:
Product DescriptionThe promise of any great helmet is that you'll forget you have it on. Bell engineers undertook that task by keeping the Volt helmet light and making sure it was ventilated. At 320g, it's one of the lightest out there. The Volt's 22 vents direct air into the helmet, over the head and out the back to keep airflow constant, just like riding sans bucket. The carbon fiber Fusion In-Mold Microshell adds carbon fiber strength to the internally reinforced EPS foam for greater durability. Cam-lock Levers make for quick strap adjustment.None of this matters if the helmet doesn't fit. Those who have a round head shape have always fared well with Bell helmets, as opposed to the more oval-fitting Giros. The addition of the TAG Fit System means riders can adjust the helmets fit around the Occipital Lobe (that bump at the back of your head) both in width and height for a more conforming fit. And if you've ever picked up your helmet and thought, "What's that smell?" you'll appreciate the X-Static Padding which combines a quick-dry material with an anti-microbial coating. Bell's most impressive achievement may be the always-right graphics package. The Bell Volt is available in 3 sizes, includes the adjustable and removable VPV Visor (and plugs, should you choose to ride without) and comes in a number of stunning finishes. Choose from Black/Carbon, Blue/White, Matte Blue/Black, Red/White, or Silver/White.
Review Options: Sorted by Latest Review | Sort by Best Rating
|Reviews 1 - 7 (7 Reviews Total)
User Reviews
Date Reviewed: June 30, 2012
Strengths: lightweight, excellent fit, and great colors.
Weaknesses: mininimal padding but the fit is exact.
Bottom Line:
Date Reviewed: July 7, 2011
Strengths: light and looks good
Weaknesses: completely inadequat padding, uncomfortable - again lack of padding and speaking of padding - its all coming apart
Bottom Line:
Expand full review >>
Duration Product Used: 1 Year
Price Paid: $109.00
Purchased At: online
Similar Products Used: Gyro,Fox,Specialized
Bike Setup: Niner Rip9
Date Reviewed: May 7, 2011
Strengths: Fit
Weaknesses: Padding is thin.
Bottom Line:
Expand full review >>
Price Paid: $110.00
Similar Products Used: Variant, E2, X-ray
Date Reviewed: March 31, 2011
Strengths: I've been using a fox flux for 3 years and wanted something with more air flow and better adjustment system. Found both with this helmet. Its also a lot lighter. This is the most expensive helmet I've ever bought but it was so comfortable right out of the box that I knew it was worth it. Its like its not even on your head.
Bottom Line:
Expand full review >>
Price Paid: $130.00
Purchased At: ebay
Similar Products Used: Fox flux, don't remember what I had before that.
Date Reviewed: December 17, 2009
Strengths: Fit, easy of adjustment, looks, weight
Weaknesses: price
Bottom Line:
Rather than 1/1 chili he should have rated it 2/5. Clearly he likes the helmet but is dissatisfied with teh price. My rating is 3/5 but I'm going to 5/5 to offset his rating which skews the average.
If you have the cash and don't mind spending it this is a going choice, you won't have any regrets.
Expand full review >>
Price Paid: $175.00
Similar Products Used: Decibel, X-Ray, Bell Sweep, Giro's ....
Bike Setup: Pivot 429, XO, Marta SL, I9, Thomson, 3ti, Rotor 3ds 2x9....
Date Reviewed: July 7, 2009
Strengths: Looks, ventilation, comfort, comes with detachable visor
Weaknesses: Price, weight, dial fit system
Bottom Line:
I have a Giro Atmos that's still good actually, but I tried on a Bell at REI one day and the Bells fit my head WAY better than Giros. So I decided to switch. I guess my head is a bit narrower, because there's a lot of extra room on the sides of my head in the Giro.
The Bell fits my head absolutely perfectly. It feels great.
I love that Bell helmets come with the detachable visors. Great idea. I also really love the dial system in the back. It's head & tails above the roc-loc system in Giros. So easy to adjust with one hand.
However, with an MSRP of 175.00....that's quite steep. The Atmos I bought 3 years ago was about 50 bucks cheaper, and it came with a helmet pod case. Also the Atmos is several grams lighter. If I'm dishing out top dollar for a top of the line helmet, it needs to be lighter than one that's cheaper.
If I had to do it again, I'd probably just buy a Bell Array.
Expand full review >>
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid: $130.00
Purchased At: eBay
Similar Products Used: Giro Atmos
Bike Setup: n/a
Date Reviewed: March 15, 2009
Strengths: Color and style
excellent fit
comes with a visor
Weaknesses: none yet
Bottom Line:
Expand full review >>
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $140.00
Similar Products Used: Specialized Decibel, Giro Xen
|Reviews 1 - 7 (7 Reviews Total)
Review Options: Sorted by Latest Review | Sort by Best Rating
Related Volt Forum Posts
Anyone tried 2013 Camelbak Volt or Charge?
I'm in the market for a new hydration pack and was curious if anyone has tried the new Volt or Charge packs. I've always used a camelbak Lobo and just want to see if the hype about carrying the pack lower on your back is warranted. I've checked out a couple of the Osprey packs and they look and feel ... Read More »
WTB Volt saddle?
Anyone ridin one? I'm currently using a Silverado and I like the fit where I sit, though a little more padding on the nose would be nice for unexpected bumps on climbs.Read More »
newbie question regarding 12 volt battery night rider and magicshine
Ok, so I have this battery... [IMG]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WunCLjhtSXs/TtZuJxRx22I/AAAAAAAADBw/5GDKusqeIUg/s640/2011-11-30_12-32-43_893.jpg[/IMG] Its a 71 watt 4amp 12 or 13.1 volt battery. I orginally got it to power this bazooka setup for the South Florida MS150 charity ride. [IM ... Read More »
Magic shine on 12 volt
I just bought a car that I am turning into a rally car. and I have 2 magicshine 808's (I think, they're the "900" lumen ones). Anyway from what I remember the batteries were aroughly 8.8 volt. I am wondering if it would be bad for the LEDs to run on a 12 volt car system. Or, if there is anything ... Read More »
12 volt stator
Hi,was wondering if anyone knows or heard of a 12 volt stator and mag. for the 80cc chinese motors.I bought a racing cdi and coil for my bike ,but need a 12v. source.Can anyone help?Read More »


text:
Availability: In Stock
Usually Ships Next Business Day
Other small leather good include key chains and bike tabs. When you buy the Help Haiti Bracelet, 100% of the proceeds will be donated to support the Canadian Red Cross in Haiti. Made from left over leather from our state-of-the-art factory in Toronto and embroidered with the Red Cross's cross, show that you're supporting this great cause.


text:
Game of Thrones diary part four: staying alive in Crusader Kings 2′s Westeros
Welcome to the Game of Thrones diary, in which Rich plays as Ned Stark and tries to stay alive in the excellent Game of Thrones mod for Crusader Kings 2. The diary may contain spoilers for Game of Thrones book one and season one of the TV show. Missed the start? Here's part one, part two and part three.
My wife is dead and I am sad. Catelyn Stark died last month, and Ned Stark – still ruler of the North of Westeros, and still alive at my hands – is in some serious mourning. Crusader Kings II codifies that mourning in the form of negative character traits: my Ned is now 'depressed', 'chaste', and a 'widower' – traits that conspire to make him about as fertile as a socially awkward panda. That's a problem when Crusader Kings II's explicit aim is to create as strong a dynasty as possible, and my eldest son Robb is useless in a fight, diplomatic or otherwise.
Ned's sad right now but I'm confident, thanks to some Wiki reading, that his malaise will lift. I'll get over Catelyn, shake off my temporary chasteness and get back to the business of making strong little babies to continue the Stark name. But to do that, I need a new wife.
That's another problem. Ned's a Lord, meaning that he'll be wanting to marry into one of Westeros's powerful families: the Tyrells, the Arryns, the Baratheons, that class of people. If Ned was to marry someone beneath the Starks in terms of influence, I'd take a massive hit to my prestige – and prestige is the main measure of success in Crusader Kings II. But these similarly highborn families have already been stripped of their eligible womenfolk. Even Asha Greyjoy, hard-faced daughter of piratical plunderer Balon Greyjoy, is married - to Tyrion Lannister, no less.
Shuddering at the thought of their brittle, political union, I scan around Westerosi highborn family trees. I find almost everyone is taken or dead, except for one: Pia Arryn, the daughter of Jon Arryn and Lysa Tully. Lysa is Catelyn's sister, lending an air of creepy serendipity to a potential betrothal, but more importantly, she's currently the first in line to the Arryn lordship. With it, command of Westeros's eastern Vale, one of the continent's seven kingdoms. Excited, I check her relationship status. She's single! Brilliant, I've found a second wife for Ned after only a few months of searching, and she's soon-to-be head of one of the world's most powerful families. I click through to the 'suggest marriage' menu and start to draw up wedding terms, when I realise there's a small problem with my plan.
"I'm 38, with six kids and a dead wife."
Pia is eight years old. I'm 38, with six kids and a dead wife. I've seen the world, I've cut off my best friend's head with a sword; my potential bride is probably still learning how to tie her shoelaces. I understand these unions are necessary for the peace of the land, but a 30-year age gap might be a bit too far. What would we talk about? She's an 8290s kid, all my references are from the 8260s. I cancel the wedding proposal.
But this is business. Ned's not the only one in the family currently unattached. My son Bran is single, and crucially, not 38 years old. He's about the same age as her, able to talk to her about wooden blocks or skateboards or kicking a severed head around a courtyard, whatever it is Westerosi kids like talking about. In the interests of getting his dad as much glory as humanly possible, I lock him into an arranged marriage with Pia. I like to think I've convinced the Arryns that marrying Bran off to Pia was my plan all along, but I imagine they're probably watching me head back up the road to Winterfell with the kind of shifty eyes reserved for 38-year-old men who try to show off to eight-year-old girls.
I'm happy for Bran – who, thanks to a careful regimen of not hanging around in windows while the Lannisters are visiting, has retained the use of his legs – but Ned is still flying solo, and is not getting any younger. This fact is further drilled home when I get notification that I've contracted a severe illness.
"Maesters are basically pigeon fanciers in whizzo robes"
It's a gutpunch. The closest Westeros gets to doctors are its Maesters, and they're basically pigeon fanciers in whizzo robes. My chances of survival are lessened by my advancing years, and the lengthy winter that's already killing a good proportion of my northern populace. I pause the game, take a deep breath, and make preparations for my end.
Good news arrives on my apparent deathbed. Robb and Daenerys have had their first child, and it's a son. They've named it Eddard. In my weakened state, I find this act of tribute surprisingly emotional: I picture stoic Ned wiping away a single tear as his firstborn boy tells him of his news; in reality, I Alt+Tab to look at a picture of a cat that's very attached to cheeseburgers.
Proud of my grandson, I check little Eddard's character sheet and find a honkingly huge negative character modifier in place already. It seems that as a child born of Targaryen parents – Dany's familial house, which famously married brother with sister – he's a child of incest. The poor bugger is only a few days old, and half the populace already hate him.
Tags: Turn based strategy, Paradox, Crusader Kings II, Game of Thrones, Diary, Interactive, Game of Thrones diary,


text:
Skip to content. |
Skip to navigation
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, March 2012.
Art Theft
March 2012 LEB Table of Contents
Back to the Cover
Protecting Cultural Heritage from Art Theft Art crime on local and international levels potentially can fund organized crime and terrorist activities. By Noah Charney, Paul Denton, and John Kleberg
Leadership Spotlight Count Your Blessings
Notable Speech Be a Lion
ViCAP Alert Unsolved Homicide
Perspective The Disease of Certainty
Focus on Training Training for Deadly Force Encounters
Bulletin Honors Lantana Police Fallen Officer Memorial
The Exigent Circumstances Exception After Kentucky v. King The Supreme Court's decision in this important case provides valuable guidance for officers in matters related to the Fourth Amendment. By Michael T. Pettry
Bulletin Notes
Patch Call
LEB Home


text:
MMA News
Watch Tonights UFC on FX 2 Post-Fight Press Conference Live on BJPENN.COM (Midnight ET)
UFC on FX 2 is slated to go down this Friday from Sydney, Australia's AllPhones Arena and in the main event we will see a welterweight showdown between Martin Kampmann and Thiago Alves. Also on the card will be the first round of the UFC's Flyweight tournament.
You can watch the post-fight press conference live on BJPENN.COM immediately following the conclusion of tonight's main event.
Read More: Thiago Alves (News), Martin Kampman (News), UFC on FX 2


text:
If you've ever seen Dr. Oz's show, you know that he is all about promoting the things that will make you the healthiest so you can get the best out of life. Now, he's promoting his new weight loss challenge, Just 10, which encourages everyone to lose at least 10 pounds, if only to gain the health benefits from losing the weight. He's even got just 10 very compelling reasons to lose 10 pounds that have nothing to do with your appearance or self esteem.
The benefits of losing just 10 pounds are enormous for your heart, liver, knees, pancreas and blood pressure. The incidence of heart disease, diabetes and arthritis can be cut in half," Dr. Oz explains.
5 of the 10 Reasons To Lose Just 10 Pounds:
Lower Your Cholesterol. Studies show that there is a direct correlation between being overweight and high LDL (bad cholesterol) levels. It is bad because while circulating through your blood, it deposits plaque in the your arteries that can lead to blockages as it narrows the arteries. Conversely, increasing your HDL (good cholesterol levels) stops LDL from being deposited into your arteries. This can be accomplished by exercising regular and partaking of a healthy diet.
Losing just 10 pounds could possibly lower your cholesterol by at least 10%.
Lower Your Blood Pressure. Your blood pressure is the measure of the amount of pressure on your artery walls and too much plaque build up on the artery walls increases blood pressure. Increased blood pressure causes the heart walls to thicken, increasing risk of heart failure due to the heart having to work harder. Additionally, hypertension can lead to kidney damage or failure.
Losing just 10 pounds decreases blood pressure, reducing risk of heart and kidney problems.
Reduce Your Heart Attack Risk. High LDL levels and high blood pressure both contribute to heart attack risk as the artery walls narrow and the heart works harder. When the coronary artery becomes completely blocked oxygen can no longer reach the heart. Lack of oxygen to the heart can be fatal.
Losing just 10 pounds can reduce your heart attack risk by at least 50%.
Reduce Your Risk For Dementia. Too much visceral fat, abdominal fat around the internal organs (AKA belly fat). These fat cells release chemicals into the body that cause inflammation, resulting in memory loss and an increased risk for dementia. The risk for dementia and Alzheimer's is actually increased by any kind of fat because high blood pressure and high cholesterol can cause silent strokes, occurring without any symptoms but still cutting off oxygen to the brain. Every time the brain is without oxygen it is at a higher risk for developing dementia.
Losing just 10 pounds can reduce your risk for having one or more strokes that may cause dementia.
Reduce Your Risk of Developing Sleep Apnea, a potentially fatal sleeping disorder. Obesity causes extra tissue to develop on the walls of the windpipe, narrowing your airway. Due to the smaller airway, the tongue and tonsils tend to be in the way when a person is lying down. Your body cannot take in enough oxygen and is shocked awake by the brain in order to take in more oxygen. You can potentially be awakened hundreds of times a night, resulting in a chronic feeling of fatigue due to lack of sleep. You may not even realize you have sleep apnea.
Losing just 10 pounds can effectively widen the airway, allowing you to breath correctly though the night as well and sleeping well increases your levels of leptin, the hormone that signals your belly is full, possibly helping you lose even more weight.Dr Oz, Just 10, Weight Loss Tips
Related posts
Free Diet Profile and OMG Fat Loss ReportEnter the type of foods you eat in my Free Diet Profile and you'll get:
- 10 personal recommendations to help you lose body fat right now.
- You'll also get my special Fat Loss report and discover this "1 trick to losing body fat."
Just enter your first name and email below and your diet profile and free bonuses will be emailed to you.
Your email will NEVER be sold or rented. We guarantee your confidentiality. Be sure to check your "bulk","spam" or "junk" folders in your email as sometimes they get mistakenly filtered.


text:
Thomas Trainer Appointed to Chairman of the Board; Mark Noffke Appointed CFO
SAN FRANCISCO, CA. / ACCESSWIRE / July 3, 2014 / EFactor Group Corp. (OTCQB: EFCT) ("EFactor Group Corp." or "the Company"), owners of a group of entrepreneur-focused service companies and EFactor.com, a niche social network providing content and resources for entrepreneurs worldwide, today announced the appointment of Thomas Trainer to Chairman of the Board and Mark Noffke to Chief Financial Officer of EFactor Group Corp.
Adriaan Reinders, CEO of EFactor Group Corp. and exiting Chairman of the Board commented, "With our most recent round of acquisitions, the Board of Directors and I decided that concentrating my efforts and that of our management team on the operations and growth of EFactor Group Corp. is the best use of my time. Having an experienced corporate executive such as Tom lead the Board will help us focus on the positioning and value of our operations. I am equally excited to have Mark work with us as CFO. His contributions have been important throughout his years of service and he is supremely qualified to serve as CFO."
Newly appointed Chairman of the Board, Mr. Thomas Trainer, is a well-recognized and awarded leader in the business technology field. Throughout the course of his 40-year career, he has assisted companies such Citigroup, PepsiCo, Reebok, Eli Lilly &Company and Joseph E. Seagram to the forefront of their Industries, in his role as their Global Chief Information Officer. For these accomplishments, Tom received in 2005 "The Albert Einstein Award for Career Achievement in Information Technology", to add to his other awards of "CIO of the Year" and "CIO of the Decade" from various industry magazines.
In 1996, Mr. Trainer helped found "The Working Council of CIOs of The Advisory Board" and "The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association (PHARMA) CIO Forum". He has lectured internationally on business and technology issues, including "The World Congress of Information Technology" in Washington, DC; and various conferences sponsored by The Economist, Forbes, BusinessWeek, Fortune, and Financial Times. In 2009 he was the keynote speaker at the "Inaugural Sino-American CIO Conference" in Beijing. Mr. Trainer has also been profiled on CBS TV's "American Edition" and CNBC's "Technology Edge" Broadcast programs.
Effective July 1, 2014, Jim Solomon stepped down as CFO and board member of EFactor Group Corp. and was replaced by Mark Noffke, the Company's Executive Vice President of Finance since 2012. Mr. Noffke was also appointed to the Company's board of directors. Mr. Noffke has over 37 years of experience as a seasoned financial and management professional. He has served as Chief Financial Officer of several small cap public companies since 2004. Mr. Noffke also founded a professional service company that provides accounting services to both public and private companies. Mr. Noffke was a Managing Director of a boutique investment bank, where he conducted due diligence and acquisition analysis in various industries, including waste recycling, forest products and automotive and has served as the chief financial officer and a Director of U.S. Forest Industries, Inc., a timber manufacturing company, where he was responsible for developing the company's accounting infrastructure. Mr. Noffke, is a Certified Public Accountant and has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Valparaiso University in Indiana.
About EFactor Group Corp.
EFactor Group Corp. (OTCQB: EFCT) has at its core EFactor.com, a niche social network for entrepreneurs. EFactor.com provides its members with the people, tools, marketing and expertise to succeed and make real, trustworthy and lasting connections. At the core of the network lies a strong algorithm that allows members to not only connect with people, but with the right people. In addition, EFactor.com provides knowledge, facilitates preparing for funding and resources to reduce business costs, delivered through a mix of online social networking and offline domestic and international events.
EFactor.com has over one million members in 222 territories across 240 industries. It is incorporated in Nevada and headquartered in San Francisco. For more information, visit http://www.efactor.com
EFactor Group Corp. also has various subsidiary service organizations including a UK communications and public relations agency and a company that delivers matching software for mentees to get matched to the perfect mentor. For more information about EFactor Group Corp. please visit, http://efactorgroup.com/
The EFactor.com Value – The Entrepreneurs Wingman
EFactor.com is a social network designed to support you as your business grows, along every step of your journey. We'll be there to congratulate you every time you win and will coach and inspire you whenever you feel frustrated by setbacks. You can count on us to connect you with the right people for you and your company and offer you the resources and talent that will help you succeed. We are highly motivated everyday people who genuinely care about our team and customers. We cheer each other on and have each other's back. We get to see our ideas come to life every single day. We're entrepreneurs, contributing our expertise to the community.
See our Company Video here: http://ir.efactorgroup.com/videos/view/4/efactor-video
Forward-Looking Statements:
Safe Harbor: This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and is subject to the Safe Harbor created by those sections. This material contains statements about expected future events and/or financial results that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements by definition involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of EFactor Corp., to be materially different from the statements made herein.
Company and Investor Relations
Marion Freijsen – Co-Founder/COO
EFactor Group Corp.
Main: +1 650 380 8280
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
EFactor email: http://www.EFactor.com/marion
John Mattio – Investor Relations
EFactor Group Corp.
Main: +1 203 297 3911
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
SOURCE: EFactor Group Corp.
ReleaseID: 417493


text:
Shawnee Carnett ensured herself of a spot at the NCAA Division II Indoor
National Championships by running the 800-meters in an automatic
qualifying time of 2:08.51 to lead the Concord University women's track
and field team at the Virginia Tech Challenge.
In addition to being a school record, Carnett's time is currently the
second fastest 800-meter mark in all of the Division II. Carnett, who
was over two seconds faster than her nearest competition Saturday,
trails only Helen Crofts' (Simon Fraser) time of 2:07.34 in the national
Other standout Concord athletes from the Virginia Tech Challenge
included Ashleigh Taylor, who broke her own school record when she
cleared 1.60 meters in the high jump. Taylor's former record jump was
1.59 meters.
Concord's WVIAC-leading 4x400-meter relay team of Carnett, Demi Kirk,
Casey Ord and Lydia Powell clocked a time of 3:56.20 to come in fourth
Powell also set a new PR in the 400-meter dash, completing the race in
1:00.18. Micalyn Miller qualified for the WVIAC Championships in the
800-meters with a personal-best time of 2:33.15.
Before shifting their attentions to the outdoor season, Concord track
and field athletes will have one more opportunity to qualify for the
Indoor National Championships when CU heads to the Virginia Tech Last
Chance Meet on March 2.


text:
John Paul Kissock
- Born: 02/12/1989
- Birthplace: Liverpool
- Nationality: English
After joining the Academy, JP impressed immediately, becoming a regular with the under 18s and the reserve side.
A quick-footed midfielder, he also has excellent vision and a strength that belies his small stature.
His performances caught the eye of the international selectors as he was placed on stand-by for the England under 19 squad but the call-up never materialised.
John Paul was called up to the first-team squad ahead of the game in Alkmaar but did not make the substitutes' bench.
However, his regular appearances in the reserve side mean he is knocking on the door for first team recognition.
In January 2008, Kissock went on loan to SPL side Gretna for the duration of the season.
Despite the club enduring a difficult end to the campaign, Kissock did catch the eye with some gutsy showings.
He was a step closer to first team action at Everton in the 2008/09 season, making the bench on a number of occasions.
He also spent time on loan at Accrington Stanley but was released by the Blues at the end of the season.
After a short-lived spell at Hamilton Academical, JP then entered the football wilderness, turning out occasionally in the non-leagues while working as a DJ.
In 2010, he earned a contract with Southport and impressed to such a degree, a move to Luton Town followed the very next summer.
- Previous Player Bjarni Vidarsson
- Next Player Darren Dennehy


text:
Please confirm that your email address is correct, so you can successfully receive this alert.
OBJECTIVE: The assumption that psychotic patients assigned to placebo in clinical trials of antipsychotics are exposed to substantial morbidity and mortality is not based on data about what actually happens to such patients. This study assesses symptoms and risks of suicide and suicide attempts in psychotic patients assigned to receive placebo in clinical trials. METHOD: The authors used the Food and Drug Administration database to assess suicides, suicide attempts, and psychotic symptom reduction in clinical trials of three new antipsychotics. RESULTS: Among 10,118 participating patients, 26 committed suicide and 51 attempted suicide. Rates of suicide and attempted suicide did not differ significantly between the placebo-treated and the drug-treated groups. Annual rates of suicide and attempted suicide based on patient exposure years were 1.8% and 3.3%, respectively, with placebo; 0.9% and 5.7% with an established antipsychotic; and 0.7% and 5.0% with a new antipsychotic. Symptom reduction was 16.6% with new antipsychotics (N=1,203), 17.3% with established antipsychotics (N=261), and 1.1% with placebo (N=462). CONCLUSIONS: These data may help inform discussions about the use of placebo in antipsychotic clinical trials.
Recent years have seen intense scrutiny of clinical research involving psychotic patients, particularly those with schizophrenia (1, 2). The risks of symptom provocation, drug withdrawal, and placebo treatment continue to be debated. The concerns about these research strategies, and the new research regulations and consent requirements arising from these concerns, are based on few or no empirical data. The supposed risks of placebo treatment are a case in point.
During the past half-century, the double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial has become the gold standard for treatment evaluation. In the United States, many scientific investigators and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) widely regard placebo controls as necessary to establish the efficacy of a putative treatment. Nonetheless, in recent years the scientific community, the federal government, and the popular press have questioned the scientific and ethical grounds for placebo controls.
Placebo treatment of psychotic patients involves several potential risks. Among them are the distress and disruption produced by the continuation of psychotic symptoms and, most ominous, the risk of suicide. The actual risk of suicide in psychotic patients treated with placebo, however, is unknown. Information about suicide risk is required for a rational risk-benefit analysis of placebo-controlled clinical trials. Such information could usefully inform investigators, potential subjects, and their families.
To address this issue, we examined the FDA database for the four antipsychotics approved between 1987 and 1997: clozapine, risperidone, olanzapine, and quetiapine fumarate. We determined the incidence of suicide and suicide attempts for patients participating in these antipsychotic clinical trials. We then examined the data from pivotal studies (those deemed well designed and well controlled) to assess comparative symptom reduction among patients who were assigned to antipsychotic and placebo treatments. Clozapine was not included in this analysis because those trials did not contain placebo controls.
The FDA database on investigational medications is uniquely suited for providing relatively unbiased data on the fate of psychotic patients who are assigned to placebo. First, the FDA requires full disclosure of all data from all studies conducted worldwide for a drug under development. Second, the FDA determines whether a new antipsychotic is efficacious on the basis of studies deemed well designed and well controlled (i.e., pivotal) under Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations (3). For antipsychotics, these pivotal studies by convention and practice are randomized, double-blind, and placebo controlled and include established criteria for the sample under study as well as defined criteria for response. The data from these studies must be sufficient to assess effects according to specific methods of analysis. Typically, these are phase II and phase III studies with several hundred patients. Third, studies are designated as pivotal without regard to outcome; many pivotal studies do not demonstrate statistical superiority of antipsychotics over placebo.
We used the entire FDA database for the three antipsychotics (N=10,118) for assessing frequency of suicide and suicide attempts, and we used FDA data from seven selected pivotal studies (N=1,926) for efficacy analysis. These two databases are summarized and reported separately by the FDA staff.
We obtained FDA clinical trial data for four antipsychotics approved in the United States during the 6-year study period. Specifically, under the Freedom of Information Act (4), we obtained public domain data on FDA-reviewed studies for clozapine, risperidone, olanzapine, and quetiapine fumarate by a specific request to the FDA (Freedom of Information Staff, 5600 Fishers Lane, HFI-35 Rockville, MD 20857). The data were sent on microfiche for a small fee. Since the clozapine FDA data did not contain any placebo-controlled studies for review of suicide risk or symptom reduction, we did not used these data for our analysis.
To assess safety, we reviewed the available clinical data for incidence of suicides and suicide attempts. These data encompassed all worldwide clinical trial data obtained during the drugs' development (t1), including both pivotal and nonpivotal studies. We were able to estimate the incidence of suicide and suicide attempts on the basis of patient exposure years (i.e., cumulative time that subjects were exposed to a new antipsychotic, an established antipsychotic, or placebo while in a research program).
Chi-square analysis was used to assess the statistical significance of differences in the frequency of suicide and suicide attempts among those taking placebo, new antipsychotics, and established antipsychotics.
To access efficacy, we used the data from clinical trials reviewed by the FDA in support of a drug's indication. From the research programs of the three antipsychotics, the FDA considered 10 studies to be pivotal; of these, three were excluded from our analysis because they did not include a placebo control (t2). The seven studies we included are risperidone 201 and 204, olanzapine HGAD and HGAP, and quetiapine fumarate 0006, 0008, and 0013.
The available symptom intensity scores were the mean total Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) (5) scores at double-blind random assignment to drug or placebo (baseline); the mean total BPRS scores of the last observation carried forward at 1, 2, 4, and 6 weeks of treatment; and the mean total BPRS scores at observation cases at 1, 2, 4, and 6 weeks of treatment. We first used the last observation carried forward technique, in which patients prematurely terminating from the trial are assumed to experience no further improvement; thus, the last measured BPRS scores are considered the final (or end-of-trial) scores to assess symptom reduction. Because of a high rate of trial discontinuation (54% of those assigned to antipsychotics and 66% for those assigned to placebo), we also used the observation cases technique. In observation cases analysis, only the BPRS scores of patients still participating in the study are included. We used the mean total scores on the intent-to-treat population, defined as those having at least one dose of double-blind medication and at least one efficacy rating during the double-blind phase.
Because none of the available FDA reports included the standard error of the mean or standard deviation for the mean change in total BPRS score from baseline to last observation carried forward or observation cases, we were unable to calculate the effect size.
Of the seven studies analyzed (t2), three were two-armed (study drug versus placebo), and four were three-armed (study drug versus established antipsychotic [haloperidol] and placebo). Study duration was 6 weeks for six studies and 8 weeks for one study.
Each of the studies used the following standard subject inclusion and exclusion criteria: 1) 18 years of age or older; 2) met DSM-III or DSM-III-R criteria for schizophrenia; 3) signed informed consent form (witnessed); 4) minimum score at screen evaluation of at least 30 on the BPRS; 5) 4 to 10 days of placebo run-in; 6) not actively suicidal or posing a serious suicidal risk; and 7) no significant concurrent or previous other psychiatric illnesses.
Each study has the following design features: 1) primary efficacy measures included the BPRS; 2) mean total raw scores and change in scores on the BPRS were available for calculations and comparisons; 3) psychotic patients underwent evaluation at weekly intervals during the first month and at least biweekly after 4 weeks; and 4) the dose of the antipsychotics was adequate based on standard practice. (Four of the 18 treatment arms had doses lower than those approved for marketing [t3 and t4].)
t1 describes the incidence of suicides and suicide attempts for the 10,118 patients participating in clinical trials evaluating the three antipsychotics. Twenty-six patients committed suicide, 22 while receiving a new antipsychotic, three while receiving an established antipsychotic, and one while receiving placebo. Overall incidence of suicide based on patient exposure years was 752/100,000 per year (26/3455.8). Among patients receiving an established antipsychotic, incidence of suicide was 950/100,000 per year (3/315.7); among patients receiving a new antipsychotic, 713/100,000 per year (22/3083.4); and among patients receiving placebo, 1,763/100,000 per year (1/56.7). The differences in suicide did not approach statistical significance (χ2=0.99, df=2, p=0.6).
A total of 51 patients attempted suicide, 43 while receiving a new antipsychotic, seven while receiving an established antipsychotic, and one while receiving placebo. The overall risk was 5,048/100,000 per year (51/1011); among patients receiving new antipsychotic, the risk was 5,011/100,000 per year (43/858); among patients receiving the established antipsychotic, the risk was 5,704/100,000 per year (7/122.7); and among patients receiving placebo the risk was 3,378/100,000 per year (1/29.6). The differences in rates of suicide attempts did not approach statistical significance (χ2=0.21, df=2, p=0.7).
t2 describes the seven pivotal studies of the three antipsychotics. A total of 1,926 patients participated in these studies; 1,203 (62.5%) received a new antipsychotic; 261 (13.6%) received an established antipsychotic; and 462 (24.0%) received placebo.
t3 shows the mean baseline total BPRS scores and mean change in total BPRS for weeks 1, 2, 4, and 6 using the last observation carried forward. Among the 1,203 patients receiving a new antipsychotic, the mean decrease in total BPRS score at last observation carried forward (week 6) was 16.6%; among the 261 patients receiving an established antipsychotic, 17.3%; and among the 462 patients receiving placebo, 1.1%.
t4 shows the mean baseline total BPRS scores and the mean change in total BPRS for weeks 1, 2, 4, and 6 using observation cases. For the 839 patients considered (observation cases at week 6), the mean decrease in total BPRS was 32.3% among the 575 patients continuing a new antipsychotic; 29.5% among the 108 patients continuing an established antipsychotic; and 22.4% among the 156 patients continuing the placebo.
The patient study completion rates (t3) favored a new antipsychotic. In the seven studies, six favored a new antipsychotic and one favored an established antipsychotic.
Our aim was to assess the fate of psychotic patients who were assigned to placebo treatment in antipsychotic clinical trials. Specifically, we assessed risks for suicide and suicide attempt and the magnitude of change in BPRS scores for patients who were randomly assigned to either placebo or antipsychotic drug.
Overall incidence of suicide and attempted suicide was 752/100,000 per year and 5,048/100,000 per year, respectively. The differences in rates of suicide and attempted suicide among new antipsychotics, established antipsychotics, and placebo (t1>) did not approach statistical significance.
The annual suicide rate for the general population of the United States is approximately 11/100,000 per year (6). We found that the annual suicide rate of patients participating in antipsychotic clinical trials was almost 70 times higher than that in the general population. The suicide rate we found is higher than some published estimates of the annual suicide rate among patients with schizophrenia, which is 5–50 times higher than that of the general population (7, 8). Furthermore, is has been reported that 20%–40% of all patients with schizophrenia will attempt suicide in their lifetimes (8). Approximately 5% of the patients in our sample of clinical trials attempted suicide in a year's time, an extraordinarily high rate. The suicide and suicide attempt rates in these patients is similar to that of patients participating in antidepressant clinical trials (9, 10).
Clozapine reportedly reduces suicide risk among psychotic patients by 80%–85% (11). Currently underway is the International Clozaril/Leponex Suicide Prevention Trial (11), testing the hypothesis that clozapine therapy can reduce suicide risk. These data should be available in 2001. In the FDA database, we noted two suicides among 1,080 patients exposed to clozapine during clinical trials. These clozapine trials did not include a placebo group, and the FDA report did not include data on suicide risk rate among patients treated with established antipsychotics such as chlorpromazine and haloperidol.
It should be noted that the studies of risperidone, olanzapine, and quetiapine fumarate that we reviewed were not designed to assess whether these antipsychotics could reduce suicidality. In fact, several factors limit the interpretation of the suicide risk data among these studies. Exposure time was not similar for the patients assigned to placebo or typical or atypical antipsychotics. Since many studies include a lengthy open-label safety study after the acute (double-blind, placebo-controlled) trial is over and because the acute trial is customarily among inpatients but the safety study is among outpatients, use of long-term outpatient data should not be confused with inpatient data. It is much easier to commit suicide as an outpatient. Thus, the most admissible finding in this report is that there was only one suicide in the placebo groups during the development phase of three antipsychotics.
Regarding efficacy based on last observation carried forward analysis, placebo-treated patients had almost no reduction in symptoms according to mean total BPRS scores. Patients treated with a new antipsychotic or an established antipsychotic experienced about a 17% reduction in mean total BPRS scores. Since the dropout rate for patients in the antipsychotic trials was so high (54% for patients assigned to an antipsychotic and 67% for those assigned to placebo), we used the observation cases technique for assessing outcome in addition to last observation carried forward analysis.
It is interesting to note that the magnitude of the difference between antipsychotics and placebo in reduction of symptoms according to mean total BPRS score was smaller with the observation cases technique than with the last observation carried forward method of analysis. Perhaps patients who respond nonspecifically to antipsychotics or placebo or patients who have a better prognosis and likelihood of better response may be overrepresented among those completing the trial. These finding raise questions about the validity and utility of placebo in antipsychotic clinical trials.
Shamoo and Irving (1) pointed out that many patients who prematurely discontinue a study have no aftercare and have a high risk for relapse. This is a factor to be kept in mind when conducting antipsychotic clinical trials. Specifically, criteria for aftercare among these patients should be established at the time of consent. Thus, three factors—suicide risk, magnitude of difference between antipsychotics and placebo in symptom reduction, and high dropout rates—need to be considered in the design and execution of future antipsychotic clinical trials.
Clinical trials for evaluating new antipsychotics are not primarily designed to identify the optimal effect of antipsychotics but, rather, to assess their efficacy rapidly. Therefore, dose, duration, and diagnosis in clinical trials are not necessarily ideally suited to identify the optimal effects of antipsychotics. Accordingly, clinical trials may identify only the lower bound of the effect size. The studies' inclusion and exclusion criteria select groups of psychotic patients who are not representative of those seen in clinical practice.
Several features of the FDA database limit our conclusions. We were unable to calculate specific response rates to drug versus placebo, to establish acceptable confidence intervals between drug and placebo, or to establish effects on patients who terminated the clinical trials prematurely. However, degree of symptom reduction is a valid method to assess outcome in acute treatment clinical trials and is routinely used in reporting results in antipsychotic clinical trials.
In conclusion, the risk for suicide and suicide attempts is high among psychotic patients and is similar among those assigned to placebo and those assigned to active treatment. Surprisingly, patients assigned to placebo did not achieve improvement in symptoms. Those assigned to active treatment experienced a modest reduction in symptoms, the statistical parameters of which are influenced by the dropout rate. The suffering and the consequences that placebo-treated patients experience as a result of being denied the modest symptomatic improvement offered by active treatment warrants careful consideration.
Received July 11, 2000; revisions received Nov. 13, 2000, and Feb. 13, 2001; accepted Feb. 28, 2001. From the Northwest Clinical Research Center, Bellevue, Wash.; the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, N.C.; the Department of Psychiatry, Brown University, Providence, R.I.; and Tufts University, Boston. Address reprint requests to Dr. Khan, 1900 116th Ave., N.E., Rm. 112, Bellevue, WA 98004; email@example.com (e-mail).
Download citation file:
Web of Science® Times Cited: 68