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- Research
- Open Access
Controlled release delivery of penciclovir via a silicone (MED-4750) polymer: kinetics of drug delivery and efficacy in preventing primary feline herpesvirus infection in culture
- Samantha L Semenkow†1, 2, 5,
- Nicole M Johnson†1,
- David J Maggs3 and
- Barry J Margulies1, 2, 4, 6Email author
© Semenkow et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2014
- Received: 31 October 2013
- Accepted: 11 February 2014
- Published: 22 February 2014
Herpesviruses are ubiquitous pathogens that infect and cause recurrent disease in multiple animal species. Feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV-1), a member of the alphaherpesvirus family, causes respiratory illness and conjunctivitis, and approximately 80% of domestic cats are latently infected. Oral administration of famciclovir or topical application of cidofovir has been shown in masked, placebo-controlled prospective trials to reduce clinical signs and viral shedding in experimentally inoculated cats. However, to the authors' knowledge, other drugs have not been similarly assessed or were not safe or effective. Likewise, to our knowledge, no drugs have been assessed in a placebo-controlled manner in cats with recrudescent herpetic disease. Controlled-release devices would permit long-term administration of these drugs and enhance compliance.
We therefore engineered implantable cylindrical devices made from silicone (MED-4750) impregnated with penciclovir, for long-term, steady-state delivery of this drug.
Our data show that these devices release penciclovir with a burst of drug delivery until the tenth day of release, then at an average rate of 5.063 ± 1.704 μg per day through the next 50 days with near zero-order kinetics (in comparison to MED-4750-acyclovir devices, which show the same burst kinetics and average 2.236 ± 0.625 μg/day thereafter). Furthermore, these devices suppress primary infection of FHV-1 in a cell culture system.
The clinical deployment of these silicone-penciclovir devices may allow long-term treatment of FHV-1 infection with a single intervention that could last the life of the host cat.
- Feline herpesvirus
- Penciclovir
- Silicone
- Implant
- Ocular
- Controlled release
- Herpetic disease
Herpesviruses comprise an order of hundreds of pathogens that infect animal species as diverse as oysters to humans [1, 2]. A key feature of herpesviral infections is the establishment of latency after primary infection; once an individual is infected, the virus enters a quiescent state and survives throughout the lifetime of the host. This latent state is typically punctuated with sporadic periods of viral reactivation, from which acute-phase or chronic low-grade recrudescent disease can be observed and replicating virus recovered [1, 2].
Alphaherpesviruses, a subfamily of this larger order, typically infect epithelial and mucosal surfaces. From there, the viruses retreat into local neurons, where they establish latency. Reactivated virus travels down those same neural axons to infect similar tissues to those that were originally infected, resulting in acute, recurrent, or chronic sequelae at those sites [2–5]. The alphaherpesvirus feline herpesvirus type-1 (FHV-1), serologically detectable in 72-97% of domestic felidae [6–8], is typically transmitted via the respiratory route. The virus usually establishes latency in the trigeminal ganglia, and reactivation can result in keratitis, conjunctivitis, dermatitis, and potentially blindness in affected veterinary patients [9]. Recrudescent disease episodes currently are treated with topically applied ophthalmic solutions or ointments [10–12] or orally administered famciclovir - an orally bioavailable prodrug of penciclovir (PCV) [12–15]; however both of these interventions require consistent administration many times daily, sometimes for protracted periods, which can be associated with poor compliance especially in less tractable cats.
We therefore wished to study a different method of PCV delivery in cats infected with FHV-1. A controlled-release device that contains PCV could potentially be administered once by placement in the subconjunctival space, continuously releasing drug to prevent FHV-1 recurrences over the long term. Therefore, implantable devices, made of silicone MED-4750 (a non-biodegradable polymer that is approved by the FDA for indefinite use in other medical implants) and impregnated with PCV, were constructed for this study. Here we present the basic kinetics of drug release from these devices and their antiviral activity against FHV-1 in culture. We anticipate that these are the first steps in developing better long-term therapy for cats infected with FHV-1. Further, we believe that the highly conserved anatomy and physiology among mammalian eyes and the analogous biological behavior of herpes simplex viruses (HSVs) and FHV-1 in their respective hosts make it likely that data gathered in feline eyes infected with FHV-1 would be predictive of this implant's behavior once placed subconjunctivally in humans eyes infected with HSV-1.
Release kinetics of penciclovir
We have previously demonstrated that the silicone polymers MED-4050 and MED-4750 can be used to deliver the antiherpetic drug acyclovir (ACV) with near zero-order kinetics over at least 60 days [16, 17]. To explore the utility of this delivery vehicle for other antiherpetic drugs and to expand upon the range of herpesviruses that might be treated with such devices, we crafted implants of MED-4750 containing PCV. While both ACV and PCV show potent activity against a multitude of alphaherpesviruses [18, 19], PCV has greater in vitro antiviral activity against FHV-1 than does ACV [11] and appears to have fewer adverse effects than does ACV in cats [14, 20, 21], a key requirement for veterinary deployment of any eventual controlled release device.
Protection of CRFK Cells from primary infection with FHV-1
Herpesvirus infections cause serious acute and recurrent diseases in a significant proportion of the population worldwide and may increase susceptibility to HIV [4, 20, 24–26]. As a widespread and serious infectious agent for cats, FHV-1 serves as an excellent model for human herpesviruses and their infections [9]. FHV-1 infections are prevalent in the domestic feline population worldwide with up to 97% of cats being seropositive [7], 80% becoming latently infected [27], and up to half of some normal populations shedding virus at any time [28, 29]. Infected cats are affected by a variety of cytolytic and immunopathologic ocular and dermatologic syndromes [9], including herpetic stromal keratitis [30], and thereby representing an excellent spontaneous model of human herpetic disease. Typically, alphaherpesviral infections in humans are treated using orally or topically administered drugs such as ACV, the first commercially available antiherpetic nucleoside analogue [9, 30, 31]. However, ACV has relatively poor in vitro antiviral efficacy versus FHV-1 [11], and is poorly bioavailable [20] and unacceptably toxic [24] in cats. By contrast, PCV is highly efficacious against FHV-1 in vitro [10–12, 32], and its oral prodrug famciclovir appears to be safe and efficacious when administered to cats [13, 21]. Therefore, while PCV is a suitable drug for treatment of FHV-1-infected cats, current pharmacokinetic data suggest that thrice daily therapy is required [14, 21, 33]. This is impractical in many clinical situations and associated with considerable expense. Therefore, a long-term, steady-state drug delivery system that could be placed in the subconjunctival space and provide constant FHV-1 suppression would be preferred in cats and might provide an alternative to daily oral maintenance therapy with ACV, famciclovir, or valacyclovir in HSV-infected humans. Such subconjunctival steady-state release systems also are likely to maintain consistent drug levels above the minimum inhibitory concentration and thereby prevent development of drug-resistant viral strains while also improving patient compliance. Similar ocular devices such as the non-biodegradable, ganciclovir-containing intravitreal implant Vitrasert [34, 35] are used in humans and bode well for the potential deployment of our subconjunctival silicone-PCV implants in cats. In the present study maximum PCV release during the initial burst phase was 190 μg/day for about 10 days. Assuming a typical adult cat of 3-5 kg body weight, this would result in a systemic dose of 38-65 μg/kg/day, which is more than 1000-fold less than doses that are currently safely administered [14]. Regardless, determination of the in vivo safety and efficacy of these devices placed subconjunctivally in FHV-1infected cats will be an important next step.
Based on the steady-state levels of PCV delivered by these implants in vitro, we expect that a single implant can continuously release drug for 3-17 years. This expectation is centered on the total starting drug quantity encased in a single implant, the initial burst of drug release (Figure 1), the steady-state daily release level in vitro (Figures 1 and 2), and an approximation of expected drug delivery at that rate for about 60% of the drug load; the 60% approximation is derived from calculations for delivery of small molecules from non-biodegradable materials according to Fick and Higuchi [36, 37]. Although our previous work with ACV release from the same silicone compound did not suggest a temperature-dependent release rate within the temperature range tested [17], it is important to note that drug release experiments in the present study were conducted at 25°C, whereas in vitro efficacy and cytotoxicity studies were conducted at 37°C. Likewise in vivo use of the implants would be at temperatures above 25°C. Therefore, we project that, given the typical lifespan of domestic cats, a single subconjunctival implant (in essence a single dose), via a single surgical intervention, has the potential to treat a cat for its entire lifetime. Over that lifetime PCV would be expected to reduce the frequency and severity of FHV-1 reactivations and to minimize transmission among cats in multicat settings.
We report the development of silicone-PCV devices that notably suppress primary FHV-1 infection in cell culture. These devices release a steady-state level of drug (5.063 ± 1.704 μg per day after an initial ten-day burst) for a minimum of 50 days. These implantable devices use an FDA-approved drug and a polymer that has been approved by the FDA as a component of other medical devices; therefore, we envision approval of these devices for medical use once in vivo safety and efficacy are proven.
Implant development
Penciclovir (EMD-Millipore, Billerica, MA and Advance Scientific, Ft. Lauderdale, FL) was combined with silicone MED-4750 (NuSil Silicone Technology, Carpinteria, CA) at a 33% drug load as previously described [16, 17], with the following modifications: after milling and mixing, the softened material was placed in a 0.5-inch i.d. polycarbonate cylinder fitted with a matching piston, and extruded through a 2-mm diameter die under pressure in a one-ton arbor press (Harbor Freight Tools, Parkville, MD). The cylinder, piston, and die apparatus were built by Robert Kuta of the Towson University Department of Physics and Geosciences Machine Shop. Implants were cured at room temperature for 7 days, then at 60°C for 24 hours. After the curing process, implants were cut to 15-mm lengths. Implants were sterilized by soaking in 40% sodium hypochlorite (household bleach) for one minute at room temperature, transferred through three changes of PBS for 30 seconds each to remove the bleach, then air-dried. Similar methods were used to create a set of silicone-acyclovir (ACV; Advance Scientific) implants containing 33% drug load (w/w) [16].
Determining in vitro release kinetics
The in vitro rate of release of ACV or PCV from the implants was determined by HPLC analysis, as described previously [16]. Implants composed of either 33% penciclovir or 33% acyclovir in MED-4750 were placed into 1.5-mL microcentrifuge tubes with 1.0 mL of phosphate-buffered saline (HyQ® PBS; HyClone, Logan, UT) at pH 7.5 and held at 25°C; this experiment used 5 independent replicates of PCV-containing implants and 3 independent replicates of ACV-containing implants. Every 24 h for 60 days, each implant was moved into a new microcentrifuge tube with fresh PBS. Penciclovir and acyclovir were quantified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Each sample (50 μL) was prepared for analysis by dilution with 450 μL acetonitrile and analyzed on either an Agilent or Shimadzu system equipped with a Luna HILIC 3 μ, 15 × 100-mm column (Phenomenex, Torrance, CA) under isocratic conditions running 90% acetonitrile/10% formic acid (0.1%) as the mobile phase. Values were calculated against ACV and PCV standards run simultaneously.
Determining efficacy of implants at preventing viral cytopathic effect in cell culture
Approximately 104 Crandell Reese feline kidney (CRFK) cells were added to a 24-well plate (1 mL per well) at a 1:15 ratio of CRFK cells to medium (Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM; Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA) supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (Gemini Bio-Products, West Sacramento, CA) and 1% penicillin-streptomycin-amphotericin B (Mediatech Inc, Herndon, VA). Cells were incubated overnight in 5% CO2 at 37°C. The next day, sterile MED-4750 implants containing either 33% penciclovir or no drug were added to two wells for each implant type, one implant per well. Control wells contained 10 μg penciclovir in PBS (two wells) or were untreated (two wells). The cells were incubated in 5% CO2 at 37°C for a further 24 hours, at which time one well from each treatment group was inoculated with FHV-1 (102 pfu/well, for an approximate MOI of 0.002). The remaining well of each pair was not inoculated. Photographs were taken four days after infection with a Sony Cyber shot DSC-H2 12 zoom camera attached to an Accu-Scope 3032 microscope with a 10× objective. Final images were compressed and processed with Adobe Photoshop (http://www.adobe.com) and ZereneStacker (zerenesystems.com).
Bob Kuta, in the Towson University Fisher College of Science and Mathematics Machine Shop, built the die system for polymer extrusion. Dr. Teri Parsons at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, was instrumental in helping us develop the HPLC methodology. Shenika O. McGusty-Robinson initiated this study as part of an American Society for Microbiology Summer Undergraduate Research fellowship. We acknowledge the support of the Towson University Undergraduate Research Committee and Towson University's Fisher College of Science and Mathematics Undergraduate Research Committee. SLS was also partially supported by an American Society for Microbiology Summer Undergraduate Research fellowship. Parts of this project were supported by a grant from the University of California, Davis Center for Companion Animal Health. This project was also supported by Grant Number R15AI084069 from the National Institute of Allergy And Infectious Diseases. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases or the National Institutes of Health.
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Landfill owner Fred Heebe on Friday dismissed his civil defamation action against former federal prosecutor Sal Perricone, saying the case is moot now that Perricone admitted he was using an online alias to make disparaging comments about Heebe and other targets of federal investigators.
Heebe originally filed a motion in state court in March seeking to depose Perricone and fellow Assistant U.S. Attorney James Mann, two of the three prosecutors then overseeing the government's investigation of Heebe's River Birch landfill. The motion said Heebe had strong suspicions that Perricone was "Henry L. Mencken1951," a prolific commenter on NOLA.com who often ripped Heebe.
Perricone quickly admitted he was indeed Mencken, and days later, he resigned from the office. More recently, U.S. Attorney Jim Letten recused his entire office, save one prosecutor, from the River Birch investigation and several related prosecutions.
Perricone, meanwhile, remained the defendant in Heebe's civil action, and he filed a motion to move the case to federal court, suggesting that it belonged there because the defendant was a federal prosecutor.
Heebe's dismissal motion says that "Perricone's assertion that the Mencken posts ... were part of his job" raises "troubling questions about the extent of the misconduct at issue here."
Though he is dropping the case for now, Heebe's motion says that he plans to file a libel suit against Perricone in state court "at the appropriate time."
When he does that, the motion says, Heebe "will take full advantage of the ordinary discovery devices available to him in the state court ... to determine whether others in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana participated in libelous online postings about Mr. Heebe and his family."
Among those Heebe intends to depose in the future, according to the motion, are Perricone, Letten and Mann.
That threat comes a week after Buddy Lemann, a lawyer representing the chief financial officer of Heebe's landfill, filed a motion asking a judge for an evidentiary hearing. At such a hearing, Lemann's motion claims he will produce a witness with evidence that "higher management" in Letten's office knew of Perricone's online antics. Lemann has not named the purported witness.
Lemann's client, Dominick Fazzio, had been set for trial May 14, but prosecutors asked for a delay.
U.S. District Judge Ginger Berrigan on Friday granted the government's motion, setting a new trial date of July 23. She has yet to rule on Lemann's request for an evidentiary hearing, or a related request to toss out Fazzio's indictment.
Gordon Russell can be reached at email@example.com or 504.826.3347.

subset: commoncrawl


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I like to take any opportunity I can to snoop. I like to check you out, give you the once-over, peer inside your house and take in all I can see from where I stand. I assess, discern, listen to my gut and then create an opinion about you all within a few seconds. I may be completely wrong, but can only hope that I'm not.
This is how I see it. You – another parent, get my kid; for a play date, overnight, birthday party, trip to the zoo….I get to snoop. It's my job to create a quick opinion of you. As it is yours to create one of me. We size each other up while making small talk long enough to sniff out any crazy. That is our parental responsibility.
No, I will never be that mother who drops my 14 year old daughter off at her new boy friend's house without checking to see if you're home. Nor when I come to pick her up will I text from the driveway to tell her I'm outside waiting in the car! Nope, not me – I will get out of my car, ring the doorbell exchange pleasantries and check you out some more.
I will always open my door and welcome you in, hey I'll even put the kettle on to make us a cup of tea. Please take this chance to check me out for the sake of your kids. For though I may appear a little wacky at best, I actually think I'm one of the good parents; friendly, kind, with a touch of messy. I'll try to make your kid laugh, feel safe, and have an all round pleasant experience in my company. But please, judge me as you will, take me or leave me. But you will have to get out of your car and knock on my door, because I'll be knocking on yours.


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Kava Roots
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Lateral Roots look more like a typical root of a plant or tree. A mature kava plant is approximately 20% roots. Kava lateral roots have the highest content of kavalactones in the kava plant. After the kava roots are harvested they are chopped up with a machete by hand into more manageable pieces and dried as seen below.
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Part of my growth as a real estate investor has come in understanding the many various ways I can use OPM (other people's money) to grow MOP (haha, not that we use this term, but… MY OWN PORTFOLIO!). There are a million ways (well, close to it anyway) that you can fund real estate deals.
OPM is such a vital part of growing your portfolio that it's crucial you understand how to see deals in different ways. For this post we are going to spend some time thinking about rental deals and different ways you can structure them with the use of OPM for YOP (your own portfolio).
4 Ways to Use Hard Money & Private Financing for Your Rental Business
1. Hard/Private Money Front-End Finance
If you are buying a property that is in need of a lot of work, you may need to be a cash buyer, or at least not need to have a financing contingency in your offer. We use hard money all the time to buy our rental properties. This is very useful because we are able to buy whatever deals we want to, whether they are cash only purchases or not.
Another great reason for using this kind of transaction is because you won't need to go through a long, drawn out process with the bank, between appraisals and an inspection (which most likely will kill your deal if there is a lot of work or it doesn't meet traditional financing criteria). The hard or private money lender will generally lend on the value of the property, its ARV (after repair value), or what it will rent for.
Related: 8 Things The Real Estate Experts Won't Tell You About Hard Money
Remember, in this kind of scenario, your costs of money will be lower because you are bringing the rehab costs to the deal, or at least part of them. So you are paying less for the financing because it's a lower loan amount, but you ARE bringing money out of your pocket for the rehab. If it's a $30k purchase and $10k to rehab, you need to be prepared to have the cash to pay as the work is completed.
2. Hard/Private Money Upfront Finance Including Rehab Funds
This idea goes along with option number one. If you are buying a house with LTVs that meet the hard money/private lender criteria, and especially once you have had several of these under your belt, have your numbers down and have established a relationship and trust with your lender, you can get nearly all or all of your funds needed for the rehab upfront with no money out of pocket.
For me, I send a spreadsheet with the approximate costs for the purchase, holding, and rehab, and these funds are available for me after closing to complete the rehab on the property. Every lender works a little differently, and it's important to understand how each party works in the transaction upfront.
Think through and talk through each other's expectations, costs, timeframe, and above all, exit strategy for the funds to be repaid.
So you've gone through and put together a totally awesome rental house, gotten everything together, the rehab and make ready work are done, the house is ready to rent or already rented… what do you do now?
Unless you are paying cash afterwards, you need to be able to have back end financing for your deal. There are a few routes you can go with the financing; again, just be prepared to know how to move from the short term funds to the long term funds. Here are two examples of what I use:
3. Hard Money Front-End/Private Money Back-End Financing
In this scenario I use the hard money upfront, funding nearly all or all of the upfront costs of the rehab. This way I have control of the house and get the rehab done with little or no money out of my pocket. Once the rehab is done and the house is ready to rent or already rented (lenders love to see the house rehab well done and the house rented), you let your back-end lender know you're ready.
One of the people I use looks at a CMA and wants the basic rent of the area, a workup of the property, and its projected cash flow after all expenses. Another one knows the area pretty well, wants to know what we are all in for, what the ARV is, and that's pretty much it.
Some lenders want to see a full or drive-by appraisal of the property. Each lender is a bit different; just know what they are looking for, and prepare your property, your pocketbook, and your efforts for whatever they are asking for.
So, let's say the back-end lender funds up to 65% LTV, and our ARV is $70k. That means the lender will loan up to $45,500. Let's say we are all in our property for $48,000, including our hard money costs, so we would need to bring the closing costs of the second transaction (if it's a full closing with title insurance, etc.), plus the difference of the hard money loan.
(For the example, I am not adding anything with our closing costs for the second transaction for simplicity.)
$48k – $45,500 = $2,500.
In this scenario, for an asset worth $70k, with $45,500 financed, that would rent for $800-900 monthly, I would be out of pocket $2,500.
Can you say HELLO #CASHONCASHRETURN?
The wonderful thing about private financing is how easy it is to work with a private money lender. The downside is that you may pay points and have a higher interest rate than you would at a bank.
4. Hard Money Front-End/Bank Loan Back-End
In this scenario, we have done everything we talked about in option 3, except now we go with a bank loan instead of a private lender loan. I have a wonderful community bank that I work with, and they will loan up to 65-70% LTV, but they require we have a certain percentage into the deal of our own funds. The costs upfront in regard to points are usually lower, and the interest rates are significantly lower.
Related: How to Expand Your Real Estate Portfolio Using Hard (or Private) Money
However, remember in this scenario, if they require we have 20% or our own funds into the deal, we would need to have 20% of the $48k all in number — so we would need to be able to come up with:
$48k * 20% = $9,600 out of pocket, plus any other bank closing fees.
Now, that comes off the loan balance, leaving us with $48k – $9,600 = $38,400 loan balance (which is close to a 50% LTV), but it also means we have to be able to come up with nearly $10k at close.
Not all banks require that, but just KNOW what you are getting into before you are a day or two from closing and have thousands of dollars to come up with that you aren't prepared for!
There are many ways you can finance your rental properties. What is the way that is working best for you, and why did you chose that path?
Leave your comments below, and let's talk!


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April 13, 2012
•IADT Seattle, Interior Design
• 0 Comments
Consulting a bedding glossary is a good idea for interior designers who work on bedrooms. After all, who else needs to know 20 different names for what appears to be a simple blanket?
Actually, anyone who wants to spruce up their bedding can benefit from learning a few bedroom design terms. Knowing the types of pillows and covers out there can help you coordinate your bedroom's style and color scheme. By arranging a variety of bedding types, you can create a bedroom that conveys personality as well as comfort.
Check out the bedding glossary below to get started on your bedroom interior design plans.
Bedding—the useful catchall term for everything design-related that adorns your mattress, including sheets, pillows, blankets, and pillowcases
fitted sheet—a sheet that fits around the mattress with the help of its elastic corners
Top sheet—the flat sheet used on top of the fitted sheet
Bed or sheet set—a convenient package designed for a particular bed size that typically contains a fitted sheet, top sheet, pillowcases, and sometimes pillow shams and a bedspread
Blanket—a bedding cover used for warmth, typically made out of woven cotton
Comforter—a thick bedcover filled with an insulating material, usually natural down or a synthetic substitute, used to provide extra warmth
Duvet—usually refers to a decorative cover that can be buttoned or zipped around a comforter, either to protect it or spruce it up
Quilt—a type of bedspread that's traditionally hand-stitched together from multiple squares of fabric
Coverlet—a light bedcover that has aesthetic appeal and is used to cover heavier bedding
Bedspread—a term used for the cover that lies on top of all the other bedding. Bedspreads can include quilts, coverlets, comforters, and duvets, although the term is most often used for lighter covers rather than comforters.
Throw blanket—a type of blanket that's smaller than normal bedding. Throws can be found on couches, chairs, and the foots of beds to provide additional warmth when needed.
Bedskirt or dust ruffle—decorative fabric that attaches to the bed frame around three of its sides
Pillow sham—a type of pillowcase that typically coordinates with the bedspread. Most shams are made out of a heavier or more textured fabric and embellish the pillow with a rim of fabric around the edge called a flange.
Throw pillow—a pillow that adds style to a bed. Throw pillows don't have to be functional and are taken off the bed prior to sleeping.
Boudoir pillow—a rectangular type of throw pillow used as a design accessory
Neckroll or bolster—a throw pillow that's shaped like a cylinder, meant to provide neck support but most often used for decorative purposes
Down—the filling in pillows that's also used to insulate comforters. Traditionally goose down, or soft goose feathers, is used, but hypoallergenic down has been developed as a synthetic alternative.
Thread count—the number of threads found horizontally and vertically in each inch of a fabric. Often higher thread counts are considered an indicator of good sheet quality.
If you want to put your bedroom design skills to the test, consider enrolling in an interior design program.
This article is presented by IADT-Seattle. Contact us today if you're interested in developing marketable knowledge and career-relevant skills with an industry-current degree program from IADT-Seattle.
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Angelina Jolie Behind the Camera 'In the Land of Blood and Honey'
(NEW YORK) -- Academy Award-winning actress Angelina Jolie often tackles violence and war in her action films.
But her latest film, In the Land of Blood and Honey, she tackles it in entirely different way, delving into the lives of innocent people caught in the middle of the war in Bosnia in the 1990's.
For the first time, Jolie stepped behind the camera, writing and directing the film that examines the Bosnian conflict through the eyes of characters witnessing the systematic violence and genocide that enveloped the region for over three years.
"I was thinking and meditating on these international themes of violence against women, lack of intervention, and how human beings are changed and warped by war, and how some people come out stronger and some people are truly broken," Jolie told This Week anchor Christiane Amanpour, who covered the conflict in the 1990′s. "There's no safe way to tackle these subject matters, but I think the important thing is to discuss them and tackle them."
While the United States was heavily involved and finally ended the Bosnian conflict in 1995, the war that raged for more than three years in the heart of Europe was considered one of the greatest collective failures of international diplomacy since World War II.
While Jolie is a Hollywood star known more for her high-profile film roles and her relationship and family with actor Brad Pitt, she says those who know her well know that tackling such a serious subject matter as the Bosnian war is not out of character.
Jolie serves as a Goodwill ambassador to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Jolie did extensive research for In the Land of Blood and Honey, pouring through articles and photos to try to capture individual stories from the conflict.
Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio


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|Video Archive
|Recent Topics
|Moderated by: Spurno
|Page: 1 2 3
|The quality of shows in the UK - Model Railway Shows. - Model Railway Layouts. - Your Model Railway Club
Barry Miltenburg
Full Member
My photos:
I recently posted a bit of a toys-out-of-the-pram rant on the Much Muckle site about the quality of exhibitions - nothing aimed at Nick & the team because they were good at what they did - but at the vast majority of the layouts for the following reasons;
I see absolutely no excuse for the first group of complaints and unfortunately, they appear at both national and local shows. Most of the list appeared at Hornby's GETS. I commented on the Much Muckle site because they avoided all of them and it's clear why they had been awarded Best In Show a few times recently. Only they and the Hornby (professional) boys seemed to understand the concept of entertainment.
Like it or not, model railway exhibitions are in the entertainment business.
Last weekend, I drove about 50 minutes to a local show which, on paper, offered a wide range of layouts showing pre-grouping to modern, N to O, end-to-end & terminii. Good trader support and, on approach, excellent signage from the motorway direct to the venue where lads directed cars into the various car parks. A Leisure Centre venue usually (IMHO) provides a good start as the cafeteria, toilets, car parking, hall sizes are well suited.
The traders were good offering RTR, tools, bits and beaks as you would expect so 10/10 there.
The layouts were appalling.
No I correct that - the operation of the layouts was appalling.
Beautiful models in all scales were destroyed by a lack of activity and poor running. Operators with high-spec digital controllers running locos that chuffed, woofed, tooted and hissed at all the right moments committing fouls 1, 3, 4, 5 and 7 above. Not just one train or one layout - nearly all of them.
I lost count of the number of times a child complained "nothing's happening Dad", to which the poor Dad had to explain that something was bound to come along in a minute. When it became clear that the operators were still chatting about the new X kit of the Y wagon they had just finished and that the public show was somewhat secondary, we all moved on. Unfortunately the same story played out at the next layout, and the next.
One beautiful layout stood idle whilst the operator chatted to a lady about holidays in the area when she was a girl. I'm all for interaction but I stood watching the stationary layout for over 5 minutes whilst most people stopped briefly and then kept walking.
I am not the greatest railway operator in the World and I'm not perfect. I have committed some/all of the fouls (except the egg sandwich one because I hate egg sandwiches!!). Now, I have a home layout and a small portable layout in the course of construction. Going forward I will have a new mega home layout. In all cases, friends and guests always like to look at the trains so I expect the layouts to run any time at the flick of a switch. Yes, I do get occasional melt-downs when dirty track meets dirty wheels or I'm too busy chatting to realise that I have not closed a section switch but I try desperately to avoid most of the second group of failings and all of the first group. Even when the visitors don't really know what they are looking at, it's scale speeds, proper consist, appropriate locos with headcodes. Wagons have loads and coaches have people.
My research for the layout includes the usual activity but I include video footage of real railway operation. Take care with old B&W footage as the record/play-back speeds can be wrong but there are plenty of preserved lines showing speeds, operational correctness etc. Even the RailSim programmes can help to steer you towards best practice and give a guide to what 30 mph looks like.
Maybe I'm asking too much but if I am expected to continue to pay to look at layouts, the least they can do is entertain me and look like model railways. Once again, the Best In Show last weekend was the Thomas layout - it ran faultlessly
My photos:
|An interesting insight to the exhibition scene Barry and a shame really when you think of the time,effort and money that those operators/owners have put into their layouts only to fail at the last hurdle in showing it properly.Makes you wonder why they bothered in the first place.
Born beside the mighty GWR.
Full Member
My photos:
| Hi Barry,
I sympathise with your concerns and have heard them many times before and yes, I too would have hoped exhibitors would think more about the spectator experience, rather than keeping themselves topped up with tea and sarnies.
However, the exhibitors are a mixed bunch, some with professionally run layouts such as Nick's MM, others being hobby layouts of various standards, all of which they enjoy and want to share with others.
For that I'm grateful and as such, often have to accept the mixed bag and not over worry that the hobby is being reduced. If it was, I wouldn't have so many exhibitions to choose from.
We all enjoy certain aspects of the hobby more than others and are more capable with certain aspects than others, but hopefully will enjoy more and more as we gather greater expertise. I suppose the last aspect we experience, having researched and built a layout sometimes over a long period of time, is running it. I don't mean just playing trains here, but developing a sequence, testing it and operating it successfully many times.
This last aspect clearly needs some brushing up with some and this will hopefully come with practice. Unfortunately, the only practice many get with a larger layout, is at the exhibitions!
Just as well we all like railways.
At 6'4'', Bill is a tall chap, then again, when horizontal he is rather long and people often used to trip over him! . . . and so a nickname was born
Full Member
My photos:
Whilst I agree with many of Barry's comments, I do wonder why the model railway hobby is so hung-up over movement. Presumably, a static cameo scene should never be allowed as there would be no movement. Having said that, there is just such a model doing the rounds in SE England which depicts the events on the night of The Great Train Robbery. To view it you have to enter a kind of tent in which the lighting is controlled to give the effect of night time. Basically the model consists of a static train. Nothing moves. Strangely, on the occasions I have seen it, I have never heard anyone complain about lack of movement.
To ignore a well detailed and realistic scene simply because a train is not moving through it is a shame. No point then in going to view the vast countryside depicted on the model at Pendon?
Actually, of more real concern to me are the number of layouts which are being shown but are not of a standard that justifies them being exhibited. Many of them fall into the category of 'dire'! Whilst I understand that we all have differing levels of modelling expertise and this will probably improve over time, surely we should strive to exhibit the best of the bunch to offer something to which others can aspire? Sadly, as with so much of modern life, certainly in the UK, it seems as if we are engaged in a constant race to the bottom!
Full Member
My photos:
|Very well put Terry. It's not just the operating side of the hobby on show.
At 6'4'', Bill is a tall chap, then again, when horizontal he is rather long and people often used to trip over him! . . . and so a nickname was born
DON'T SHOUT my hearing is fine
My photos:
|Just for completeness I have copied below the relevant part of my response to Barry's comments on my Much Murkle (note spelling) thread
"My team try to put on an entertaining show with a limited track plan compared to many layouts and we always try to keep something moving.
I take great pains to ensure that track and wheels are clean, the main requisite of good running, and that operations follow as near as is practicable to the prototype. We do have the odd derailment but they are few and far between, fortunately and are usually the result of operators being distracted.
One thing that is not often appreciated by the paying public, which often results in erratic running, is that the environmental conditions can greatly influence how a layout behaves. Taking a layout such as Much Murkle from its storage in an unheated garage and transporting it into a very warm exhibition hall can have unexpected consequences.
We experienced problems with our auto-couplers and some electrical continuity with our cassettes for the first hour or so, and other layouts were also having running problems due to the very warm temperatures in some parts of the venue. Whilst you have complimented me and my team on how well Much Murkle ran please bear in mind that some problems that layouts have are not always within the operators / owners control."
To add further to the discussion; taking up one of Bill's points, I would not consider myself and the Much Murkle team as professional operators, but we do try very hard to put on a show that will please the enthusiast as well as the parents bringing along their young train mad offspring. The later generally know little about steam train operation in the early 1900's. Indeed many have never seen a lump of coal. To those we try (not always successfully) and engage them in a discussion about how coal was essential to daily living and how other goods were transported around the country. I would add that it is just as important to use the exhibition environment to try and educate the younger generation on how railways dominated the transport scene before the second World War.
I also agree there are many beautiful layouts poorly operated, and a few scenically poor layouts which are operated very well. Much Murkle is only a small branch line terminus which many people at exhibitions only give a glance to as they head for the bigger layouts with long trains. Those who do stay for a while at the front of MM hopefully feel their time spent was worthwhile. Me and my team are not in the exhibition scene to win cups and accolades although it is very nice when it happens. We do it because we enjoy doing it.
Nick AKA Woody
Much Murkle GWR a layout in the making
Much Murkle website
DON'T SHOUT my hearing is fine
My photos:
|Reading Terry's point about static scenes made me think about how important it is to have well presented scenes, particularly when no trains are moving.
Having now done approx 20 exhibitions with MM, I have noted that those attending can generally be put into 4 groups
1. Rail enthusiasts - Really interested in railways and operation, may or may not also be a good modeller.
2. Modellers - Marginally interested in the prototype but like building things.
3. Artists - Like trains a little but the creation of a detailed scene apeals more (many women fit into this category), not bothered about operation at all.
4. Aspirers - Would like to build a layout but not sure where to start. May or may not have a young child(ren) in tow.
When no trains are moving Modellers and Artists are the ones most likely to engage us in discussion about how this or that was made or how or take the time to study the cameo scenes around the layout.
Rail enthusiasts will generally ask about the auto-couplings or the stock that is on the layout.
Aspirers will ask about track and control systems.
This is of course only a generalisation but I feel that most people at shows fit into categories 2 & 3 although they may have a leaning towards 1 and/or 4 as well. Therefore I agree with Terry that it is important to have well created scenes and cameos that can lead people to ask questions or inspire them to go and creat something for themselves.
Nick AKA Woody
Much Murkle GWR a layout in the making
Much Murkle website
My photos:
|I have some difficulty in following this discussion - and I think that it must be that here in Oz, the trains run differently.
We live near a railway right of way which has one track for interstate freight and the other for local passenger trains.
Well, I say trains - they're not like proper trains with a loco and carriages/wagons; they are just carriages with motors in them. But I digress.
One may pick any place on our rail network and sit and watch the proceedings - like at an exhibition. Most of the time one is staring at empty tracks. At the Blackwood station we will see/hear a freight train every few hours, and the passenger rail cars run a couple of times per hour in the peaks in the mornings and the afternoons; and then virtually nothing.
Having discovered the delights of Chris Tarrant and Michael Portillo's TV shows, I have gleaned that British trains appear to run more frequently than ours; but surely not continuously.
I rather enjoy the luxury of being able to ogle rolling stock standing around, or waiting at the station. It looks very natural to me.
What I think is appalling however, is the unrealistic speed at which operators hurl their charges around their layouts. Racing through the same station over and over and over.
My friend Ian took his scale speedometer one year and asked permission to place it on a British outline layout - only to find the Flying Scotsman hurtling along at 280 miles per hour.
As I said, it's probably different here.
Port Elderley
Barry Miltenburg
Full Member
My photos:
|Firstly, may I apologise for mis-spelling "Murkle" into "Muckle". I'll do the 100 lines..........
If it didn't come across, may I stress that the real shame of the operation issues are that the layouts on show are, generally, very good in terms of scenery, subject matter, setting etc. I have not come across many (if any) layouts that might fall into the category mentioned by Terry (Col Stephens) which beg questions as to whether they are good enough to exhibit. I have found that, whatever the subject and genral standard of production, layouts invariably have some lessons or other that I can take away - often colours or textures, scenic treatments and the like.
There was an N gauge Settle & Carlisle line at the local show on which the scenery was very good and the O gauge layouts included some interesting well modelled cameos and some humorous scenes. Yes I like this sort of thing and agree that a branch terminus with a schedule like the London Underground looks as silly as the TPO vehicles. Operationally, neither ticked my boxes though and I confess, at heart, to like good operation within a realistic environment. Great modelling but no trains or nice trains on bare baseboards is not my thing. I fully accept that we are all different (fortunately) and what I like is not what others like. Perhaps I am asking too much that exhibitions please all of the people all of the time?
Movement includes shunting as well as running and I am sure the operators of terminus stations know all too well that a bit of shunting helps to give a show even when there are no arrivals or departures. I am not sure why the bigger layouts include lineside sidings, lay-byes etc and then never use them. A Stopping Freight train doing it's thing is every bit as interesting as an express pasenger - in fact, more so as it tends to be on the scene a lot longer!!
I give each layout at least 2 or 3 views at a show and each time, watch for at least 5 minutes. That way, I hope to miss the quiet times and hope to see as wide as possible range of trains on show. In today's hectic lifestyle, maybe operators are trying to get through the shunting/running sequence as quickly as possible - hence the manic speeds - but that is at odds with the long periods of sweet nothing?????
Perhaps more Members like Nick with an exhibition pedigree can offer an insight. Perhaps I'm just too fussy and should just sit down?
The Q
Full Member
My photos:
|Having people watched at our own and others shows, I do notice if nothing moves the punters do, especially if accompanied by children.
Most punters only observe a layout for only a couple of minutes.
I have noticed some operators being diverted by visitors and everything stops.
I have also seen a layout run so prototypically very little happened as the signalmen were busy ringing their bells operating their signals, and eventually a train would arrive by which time half the punters had gone.
I've also seen a layout where nothing ran until the last hour of the show as they rebuilt the wiring under the layout, sadly it was not one of the most scenically capable layouts either.
My opinion is something has to move, that doesn't mean a train can't come in stop at a station for say 20 seconds and then move on.
Continuous hand of God moments break the illusion, I guest operated on a 4mm three link coupling shunting layout. A nightmare to operate and illusions destroyed..
My own project I hope to have four trains available each way, and run the trains in sequence at proper speeds. Also having the branch line shuttle or freight for available for operation or some shunting in the goods yard.
The total sequence should run for 5 to 10 minutes, long enough for any punter and not to much of a brain strain for the operator.
Now I've finally started a model railway...I've inherited another...
Full Member
My photos:
|Not living in the UK my experience of British Exhibitions is rather limited although my partner & I have been to all the major events & quite a few minors shows as well. We haven't been to the UK in a few years now but will eventually will again sometime.My main gripes with layouts are
(1) Dirty track. I know it can happen when a layout is running for several hours but not continuously. Stop using plastic wheels & that will help.
(2) Excessive Speed. I know expresses ran at a fair pace but most local & urban trains ran at a respectable speed & didn't look like they were been driven by Lewis Hamilton.
I've seen mixed good trains driven at the speed of the Flying Scotsman & it just looked plain wrong.
(3) Sound. I love sound & think it adds greatly to the experience but not sounding like world war three.
I remember being at a minor local show in the South of England a few years ago where one exhibitor had an American layout with full sound which was a bit loud.
The exhibitor next to him had had enough so he laid into the American layout owner in full voice & in full view of the public. Have to say it was worth the entrance fee alone.
"The only stupid question is the one you don't ask"
Full Member
My photos:
Not too fussy Barry. You make some good points, to which I would add:
a) trains running without lamps front and rear,
b) non-working signals, resulting in trains passing when at danger,
c) runaway trains, i.e. no crew in the cab - especially noticeable in O gauge.
d) shunting which is so slow that one gets the impression the operator is just trying to impress with his oh-so slow loco which only does three inches in an hour! Never mind that the crew want to get to the bothy for a mug of tea!
e) small oval layouts (usually in N gauge), which bear no resemblance in any way to prototypical railways. (Just glorified train sets.)
f) model railways instead of models of railways.
g) goods trains running without a brake van attached.
h) silly attempts at humour thereby destroying the illusion of reality, e.g. the plastic dinosaur peeping over a building, etc.
Terry (aka Victor Meldrew!)
Full Member
My photos:
It has just occurred to me that movement does not have to be restricted to trains. Yesterday, I saw an excellent 7mm scale industrial layout with radio controlled lorries supplementing the moving trains.
Barry Miltenburg
Full Member
My photos:
|Ah Terry - now you get to my big failing in life - my layouts are correctly signalled but I can't make the damned things work
I am currently experimenting with various "RTR" signals and bits of wire attached to some Ratio kits that I've bashed together and they seem to be OK so the situation may change but as for the present Yarslow layout, its SPAD after SPAD after SPAD . Its the one big thing I must change on the new layout.
I had forgotten about loco crews. Good spot. Even Pete Waterman's Leamington Spa has some driverless trains!!
Your Pendon comment is interesting - I wonder if we are attracted to it because it is not a model railway, its a model village with a railway in it??? Its bloody good, but its still a model village. Do I like it? Yes - I have been a Friend of Pendon over the years and only the long drive down keeps me away from regular visits.
Blast from the past - Borchester Market - either live or on YouTube, it's a good watch because it is designed for movement.
Spurno, your first reply hurts - a lot of people have put in a lot of time and, for me they have fallen at the last fence. For me, however good the modelling, it must run right. I'm sure other opinions are out there.
My photos:
|Barry Miltenburg wrote:
I thought that's what i said.
Born beside the mighty GWR.
Barry Miltenburg
Full Member
My photos:
|Spurno - that is what you said and I am agreeing with you. It hurts that what you said was so true. These guys have given it their best and I'm not satisfied. That hurts.
Uncle Jeem
Full Member
My photos:
|At least you have a lot of shows to choose from. In New Zealand there are a much smaller number and usually based in the main centres. The layouts on display are the same old, same old in various states of function ability.
The most popular seem to be the O Gauge "Toy Train" layout and the Marklin Club presentation.
Attendance at the various shows this year has been dwindling. The hobby doesn't appear to attract the younger age group. Some of the retailers who offer trade stands are not willing to negotiate prices whereas the one I help out at our local shows is prepared to discount and usually gets the bulk of the sales.
The model railway press has waxed lyrical on the future of our hobby. I don't know what the answer is but if the trend continues the hobby probably will only last this generation.
Uncle Jeem
My photos:
|Hi Barry,
I've come to the conclusion that large shows bring out the worst (in) layouts. Big(ger) is not necessarily better. Give me a smaller layout with some semblance of operations and a realistic story line at the local club event in the church hall rather than a large racetrack with a gang of dozy operators behind the back scene.who communicate in grunts and hand gestures (as in talk to the hand...cos' we haven't a clue why it's not working and our electronix whizz-kid is looking at other layouts). I make it a point to complain to the organizers - I've paid good money to see trains running, not watch futile attempts to get electrickery to the track. .
Mind you, most layouts over here at big shows tend to be big, roundy-roundy affairs and noisy. Operations are for the home layout.
Think positively - that entrance money can go towards a new locomotive, or parts. I have attended Warley since 2006, but not this year.
©Nigel C. Phillips
Barry Miltenburg
Full Member
My photos:
I've got Warley pencilled in, mainly because I am expecting great things!!
The wife is up for a trip to Birmingham for the weekend but the list of traders signed up promises to cane the wallet
Uncle Jeem - I am planning on being in NZ next year so its sad to hear about the decline in the hobby over there. Is it because the islands don't have a rich railway history - or do they have a history that just doesn't attract people?
I guess we are really lucky in the UK with all the history, famous engineers, trains etc. We've also got Thomas The Tank and, say what you like, he has probably bought a lot of kids into Model Railways.
Casseroled Badger
My photos:
|Given the ability to simply produce laminated A4 cards, I'd like to see an 'explanation' for what is going on, perhaps a little easel with 'A setting back move to prepare the 1425 to Sometown followed by the yard being shunted for the afternoon mixed goods, watch the brake van being brought to the rear of the train....' .or similar.
More than once I have thought 'Hm, they are making it up or playing some arcane game that the viewing public have no need to understand. '
'You may share the labours of the great, but you will not share the spoil...' Aesop's Fables
"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" - Benjamin Franklin
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For Patients>Featured Physicians>Alison Cahill, MD, MSCI
Alison G. Cahill, MD, MSCI, specializes in maternal-fetal medicine and high risk obstetrics.
Her areas of clinical interest include maternal congenital heart disease, diabetes in pregnancy, critical care obstetrics, vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) and operative vaginal delivery.
Dr. Cahill sees patients at two locations:
Central West End
Center for Outpatient Health, 4901 Forest Park Ave., 7th Floor, Suite 710, St. Louis, MO 63108
West County
Missouri Baptist Medical Center, 3023 N. Ballas Rd., Building D, Suite 450, St. Louis, MO 63131
What happened in the course of schooling to influence you to choose your specialty?
It happened when I delivered my first baby during my obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) rotation in my third year of medical school. Students rotate through different specialties in training and I chose to do my OB/GYN rotation last -- because for some reason I thought it was not going to interest me. I was on call at night on my very first shift – and delivered my first baby. And that was the end of the story!
I kept waiting to discover aspects of OB/GYN that I might not like, but it never happened. It's a wonderful specialty. I am obviously completely biased; but it was a perfect fit for me. Taking care of women and their families is very gratifying.
It was only later in my residency training that I gravitated towards high risk obstetrics and became a maternal-fetal medicine specialist.
What was it about maternal-fetal medicine that drew you?
It's an exciting time in obstetrics because there has been much progress on so many fronts. Maternal-fetal medicine specialists take care of at-risk moms, and it's very rewarding to help a woman who has had a medical history of complicated pregnancies achieve a successful delivery.
What brought you to Washington University?
I came here because Washington University and its maternal-fetal medicine fellowship have a wonderful reputation. I'm from the Northeast and had never been to St. Louis. I planned to just stay for my fellowship, but quickly became attached to the school. I immediately felt comfortable and very much at home. It's a fantastic place to practice medicine, take care of patients and do research.
St. Louis really grew on me. I enjoy the quality of life here and I actually like the weather – you can play golf or run outside 10 months out of the year -- compared to the Northeast where you have fewer months to do things outdoors without being totally bundled up!
What research are you involved in right now?
I'm a perinatal epidemiologist, and have a lab that focuses on research in obstetrics and specifically, term-birth morbidity -- babies carried full-term that are not healthy when born.
Although some of my projects are associated with our new pre-term birth center here and the March of Dimes, our focus is what we do most often – delivering full term babies. We study the outcomes that we would like to prevent – full term babies born with complications.
Pregnancies that are complicated by metabolic abnormalities are also a focus of my lab. We have an ongoing trial to optimize weight gain for women who were overweight when they became pregnant.
Our management of labor and delivery, and what we know about the labor curve (cervical dilation and descent of the baby during active labor) has really changed. So in regard to general obstetrics, collaboration with colleagues in other specialties is just one of the great things about being at Washington University.
What new developments in your field are you most excited about?
The science to help us take better care of women during their pregnancies is continuing to evolve, and that's exciting. It wasn't too long ago when it was thought that women who had certain health conditions (such as heart defects), could not safely have pregnancies. That thinking has changed drastically.
The advances in genetics and perinatal medicine are also huge. Our ability to test for genetic abnormalities in babies before they are born is changing all the time. In just the past two years, we have been able to detect fetal genetic material in the mother's blood. This test can help answer questions about conditions such as Down syndrome, without bringing any risk to the pregnancy – which can happen with amniocentesis.
What part of the Northeast are you from?
I was born in Connecticut. I did all my schooling in Connecticut and my residency at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, before I came here.
Is there an award or achievement that is most gratifying?
The achievements of my mentees probably give me greater joy than anything else. I have the privilege to teach students, residents and fellows not just how to be a doctor, but how to do research for the first time. For some, it will just be an experience they'll have as part of their training. But hopefully for others, it will open a door to what they might be doing some day with their career. That's what happened to me.
What is the best advice you've received?
There is not just one piece of advice. Be patient. Work hard. Do the right thing.
If you weren't a doctor, what would you like to be doing?
I never really had a backup plan. I was one of those kids who didn't have any doctors in my family, but I just always wanted to be a doctor, and really didn't know why.
But if I wasn't a doctor, I would probably be a race car driver or have a bakery. I went to race car driving school – briefly -- and drove open top Indy cars.
I also love to cook, it's a great way to decompress and I find it extremely relaxing. My husband and I cook together, and we really enjoy it.
Washington University Physicians are the medical staff of Barnes-Jewish Hospital and St. Louis Children's Hospital


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Solera Home Improvement will help with your bathroom remodeling, when you live in an around Campbell,, CA
Bathroom Remodeling – Campbell – Natural stone showers
The lead article (the table of contents if you will) is titled Bathroom Remodeling.
There is something about the look and feel of natural stone for your shower.
Natural stone is unsurpassed for it's beauty and the way it feels when you touch up.
Slate, marble, granite, they all have an incredible charm other materials lack.
However, that natural beauty comes at a bit of a price.
Not only do natural stone tiles cost more than ceramic tiles, but as they are porous stone, they must be sealed after installation, and be resealed every 12 to 24 months.
This maintenance requirement is sometimes overlooked by homeowners who simply want the best in their shower.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying don't get natural stone.
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"Hey, Carl," says Lennie in mid-flight, "let's fly our usual route and--"
"Carl? C'mon, get up. Quit horsin' around. Um...Carl?"
A hard road to fly.
But there're a lotta birds flying the skies. Tons and tons and tons. The math doesn't add up. There should be bird bodies everywhere when their time is up. But...I don't see them. Anywhere.
Now, I know what happens to dogs and cats; their owners take care of them. And some varmints burrow underground to die. Cows and chickens? Best not to dwell on it, particularly for vegans.
But what happens to our feathered friends when their lives end? The earth can't swallow them up that fast. Is there some secret bird graveyard? Does a bird-God swoop 'em up? Is there a jump-suited guy advertising on Craig's List offering bird clean-up services?
Macabre, yes, but these are the sort of questions that keep me up at night.


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A new TV spot for Captain America: The Winter Soldier hit the airwaves today and the internet has been all in a tizzy as people are sure that Marvel, and the websites who are talking about the spot, have spoiled the movie. After the jump, I'll tell you why the trailer isn't a spoiler...and then spoil the movie for you...again...
We can't have this conversation until you've all watched the new spot, so check it out below:
Now that's out of the way, we can discuss the "supposed" spoiler. You heard, right about the 0:10 mark of the spot, "Fury's last words were..." The majority of the people who saw this today are up in arms over the fact that Nick Fury is going to die in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Of course, if you've been reading your daily dose of Comic Book Brain Splatter, you'd know that having the general audience believe that Fury is dead is ALL A PART OF THE PLAN!!! If it's the plan, it sure as hell isn't a spoiler, is it?
If you read the link above, you'll read the part where I explain that it's been a very deliberate move on the part of Marvel to make us all think Fury is dead. It's relatively upsetting that people are just today catching on to the fact that Fury's "death" is a part of the movie, but I guess that some people aren't very observant. Falcon and Rogers were standing in a cemetery for God's sake.
So just to be clear, the trailer is NOT SPOILING ANYTHING and neither are the sites who are running posts saying Fury dies in the trailer. It's clear that Marvel wants the general audience under the impression that Fury, the face they've seen in nearly every film in the MCU, will die. When was the last time a major movie spoiled itself in a TV spot? C'mon internet...
Now, the real spoiler, for those of you that are still here, is being set up by the trailer and TV spot. When you're sitting in the theater and watching the film, at some point you're going to see the following scene:
Check out Fury's face...his healing wounds after the accident which "killed" him. This is when Rogers, who clearly thinks Fury is dead, finds out that he is alive and has faked his death so he could get find out how deep HYDRA's influence over S.H.I.E.L.D. runs. This will likely also be when the audience finds out Fury is still alive too. The real spoiler, is that Fury is NOT dead. So, now, for the second time, I've spoiled that for you.
You can expect to start really feeling HYDRA's influence over the spy organization in the next month of episodes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and, if I'm on point, you may even find out a little about a program that has been developed by S.H.I.E.L.D. to help stop crimes before they happen...a program called Ultron.


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What to do when you can't write? Play with goats. Here is our first baby for the season.
INSERT Ohhhh and Ahhhh's
Couldn't resist sharing him with you. Here is where writing 101 will come in. Obviously to busy for writing. So lets think of a gazillion words for this babe. You know, just to keep the brain working. Wink,wink.
cute, adorable, fuzzy, kissable, darling, precious, charming, delightful, enchanting, handsome, sweet, gorgeous, delectable, hugging, engaging, charismatic, mesmerizing, spellbinding, alluring, amusing, enjoyable...
Okay, so that was really my way of bragging inconspicuously. I know, this has nothing to do with query's, agents, books and is totally not informative. Hey, half my posts aren't anyways. Can't help being random but hope you stopped by anyway to oogle the goatie babe! This is stop and smell the roses Thursday, lol!
Anyone want to have a go at some names? Huh, huh. I am horrible at naming but the kids are worse. He could end up being called brownie because he is brown. HELP!


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Are you a Super Lawyer? Should you be a Super Lawyer?
</div class=img_thumbleft>In this week's cover story, Super Lawyers Unmasked, writer Jonathan Kaminsky discusses the controversy surrounding the bestowing of "Super Lawyer" status on someone, and the ways in which this is achieved. An excerpt: "Even in Minnesota, where the list began, Super Lawyers has come under fire. Attorneys—some named to the list, others not—say that the methodology is suspect. They claim that big firms frequently pad their statistics by recruiting lawyers to nominate their colleagues, and that the list is more a measure of a lawyer's networking skills than of courtroom performance. Although Super Lawyers purports to identify the top 5 percent of attorneys in the state, the poll that is a key determinate of who makes the list counts the opinion of less than 10 percent of the state's legal professionals." Is it just a Brooks Brothers beauty pageant or a useful guide for those seeking legal counsel? Check out the story, then let's hear your thoughts.


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strapping pads around lampposts in order to keep walking texters safe, and sure enough, the whole shebang was more of a stunt and less of a bona fide trial. Reportedly, only a few pads were put in place and photographed for around 36 hours -- afterwards, the PR firm responsible for putting them up simply took them back down. It seems as if the scheme was meant to "test out [the idea] and gauge people's opinions," according to a 118 118 spokesman, and safe to say it certainly accomplished that.
[Via textually]


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Santiam Hospital is a Trauma Level IV serving pediatrics to adults and treating major and minor illness and injuries. Our hospital's emergency room is equipped to handle a wide array of emergency situations and is a point of entry into the health care system. From the moment you arrive to discharge, we are here for you every step of the way. Santiam Hospital's ER provides to you:
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Consider the Emergency Room Department of Santiam Hospital as your first entry point into meeting your healthcare needs.


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11.12.06 Eames Demetrios, 'Welcome to Kymaerica', UPstreet LONDON, 2007
12.12.13Motala & Vadstena Tidning Magazine features Helga Steppan October 2013
07.12.13Martin Jenner from 'A KIck Up The Arts' comments on Iain Andrews' first London solo exhibition, 'Il Teatro dei Leviatano'.
07.12.13Winsor & Newton comment on Iain Andrews 'Interpreting Old Masters with Acrylics'
07.12.13Fetish Form review Wieland Payer's solo exhibition at Man&Eve
"It's kind of like writing a novel and hiding each page in a different place," explains the affable Eames Demetrios of his ever-evolving cross-media project, Kymaerica. At dozens of sites across the US and Canada (and soon Australia, Mexico and the UK), perspectives are broadened and locals confounded by the appearance of permanent plaques commemorating the past events of a fictional parallel world. In formed by the imaginings of Demetrios, grandchild of celebrated product designers Ray and Charles Eames, the fictional Kymaerica is an ongoing large-scale work (or elaborate hoax) that has rapidly picked up momentum over the last five years. The name, a conflation of chimaera and America, plays upon of fantasy and geography.
The Kymaerica "immersive experience", as Demetrios, self-titled 'geographer–at large"
Describes it, has involved not only the construction of entire faux-historical sites, published literature and an extensive website, but numerous talks in museums over three continents, including London's ICA. "The talks slowly weave you into the Kymaerican world." Says Demetrios. "It is not exactly performance art, a lecture or theatre, but something that draws on all these to transport the audience. I invite dialogue and conversation so each talk is different, and as people want to know more, the rabbit hole gets deeper – and kind of pretty.
His first large-scale work was the "Krblin Jihn Cabin" in Joshua Tree: a derelict hut in the middle of the California desert with a complicated and completely fantastical back history. Revolving around the "Jihn Wranglikans", a sect of the "Church of the California Christ", the hut is the physical embodiment of a rambling, nonsensical tale that, when connected dot-to-dot with other sites, comes together as part of a greater (his-)story.
Though Kymaerica's plaques may combine to form a narrative fiction, their main focus is to examine our reality and question the "inevitable" quality of human history: Marty McFly-like, Kymaerica is a chance to view the world as it might have been. "People take for granted their personal history, and to a larger extent, the history of civilisation," explains Demetrios. "The brain is intimately woven into vision, and we tend to view our visual environment as inevitable when it is not."
Demetrios is the first to admit his work is a little wacky "Of course people wonder, "What is this guy on about?" he says. "There can be scepticism or confusion – I mean, the work is a little Crazy – but actually a lot od people enjoy the journey from the get-go. There is a serious element focusing on how we look at the world, but there is also a lot of humour."
Continuing on the Kymaerican path, Demetrios. A Harvard grad and Director of Eames Office, a company dedicated to the preservation of Ray and Charles' design and philosophy, is expanding his project from dozens to hundreds of plaques worldwide.
Two makers are being dedicated this month in the US, while three are being finalised internationally, and expensive "historical" sites in the Nevada Desert and Texas are currently under way. At the end of the day it's a small world – so explore a new one with the first comprehensive Kymaerica travel guide, available early 2007.