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High Altitude Medical Advice forTravelers
The following information and guidelines will hopefully help the traveler prevent and treat AMS and its complications. All travelers planning to ascend to altitudes greater than 8,000 feet should read and understand these guidelines.
Types of High Altitude Travel:
People can be exposed to high altitude in different ways. Skiing or hiking in resort town in the mountains at altitudes ranging from 4,000 feet to 10,000 feet. Mountain climbers may sleep at higher altitudes at a climber's hut, and may go as high as 14,000 to 15,000 feet during a day's climb. However, the climbers generally return to a lower altitude to sleep.
Some travel destinations, such as La Paz, Bolivia, Lhasa, Tibet, or Cuzco, Peru allow one to travel to relatively high altitudes (11,000 to 12,500 feet) without hiking. It seems that being transported passively to high altitude is less likely to induce altitude illness as quickly as hiking to the same height. However, in many of these destinations descent can be impossible to arrange quickly, as the only way down may be a once daily flight.
Trekking in the Himalayas brings people to high altitude for longer periods of time than in most other situations, and the risk of dying from altitude sickness is consequently higher in this region.
Epidemiology of Altitude Illness
Mild altitude symptoms have been documented at the relatively low altitudes of 4,000 to 6,000 feet, although serious syndromes are rarely seen below 9,000 to 10,000 feet.
The problem of approaching certain high altitude cities gradually can present as a logistic problem. With some itineraries there is no way to approach the altitude gradually. Lhasa, Tibet (12,500 feet) can be reached by air only from airports that are at 4,300 feet. If one drives to Lhasa from Katmandu, one gets to a higher altitude even more quickly than flying.
Trekking in the Himalayas affords the opportunity to acclimatize gradually. However, airports and helipads in the high mountains have allowed people to go to altitude more quickly than before. Altitude illness affects up to 50% or more of trekkers on popular high altitude routes. The death rate from altitude sickness among trekkers in Nepal is about one in 30,000 trekkers, which results in 2-3 deaths per year from this cause.
Introduction to Altitude Illness
Human bodies have built-in adjustment mechanisms that can optimize performance at higher altitudes. This process is known as acclimatization. The power of acclimatization can be demonstrated by the following example. If a person were transported suddenly to the summit of Mt. Everest (29,128 feet; 8848 meters), the person would lose consciousness in a few minutes, and most likely die within an hour or two due to acute hypoxia. However, over 60 people have climbed to the summit of Mt. Everest without using supplemental oxygen after acclimatizing for many weeks. This fact demonstrates how profound the process of acclimatization can be.
The process of acclimatization is still poorly understood medically. Traditionally, researchers focused on the increase in erythropoietin, and the gradual increase in red blood cells as being crucial. However, it now recognized that this process plays only a small role, and that increases in respiration (minute ventilation), and other more subtle adaptations at the hormonal and cellular level may be more important. If a person ascends slowly enough, these adaptive processes can take place effectively, and no illness will occur. If the person ascends more rapidly than the body can adjust, however, symptoms occur that are referred to as altitude illness.
Altitude illness is generally divided into three syndromes:
- Acute mountain sickness (AMS),
- High altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE),
- High altitude cerebral edema (HACE).
Why cerebral symptoms predominate in some people and pulmonary symptoms predominate in others is not known.
AMS presents as headache, anorexia, and fatigue. The headache can progress from mild to excruciating, and lack of appetite can lead to nausea and vomiting. At some point, when the symptoms are severe enough, the syndrome becomes known as high altitude cerebral edema (HACE).
HACE is usually made when there are changes in consciousness and/or the presence of significant unsteadiness (ataxia) as elicited by the tandem gait test. HACE can progress rapidly to coma and death. HACE can present alone, or in combination with HAPE.
HAPE can present with or without cerebral symptoms. Symptoms are: ----Decreased exercise tolerance—increased difficulty walking up hill—to severe Breathlessness with exertion, l Chest fullness, Breathlessness at rest that can lead to the rapid development of pulmonary edema (fluid on the lung).
Some people at altitude develop peripheral swelling, affecting the face, hands, and feet. Although harmless by itself, it does mean that the person is not acclimatizing well, and can lead to other symptoms of altitude illness. As the person with peripheral swelling acclimatizes, they start to urinate frequently and symptoms improve.
Normal Adaptation to Altitude:
Acclimatization seems to be under genetic control. Some people adjust very easily to high altitude, and others cannot get above relatively moderate heights of 10,000 feet. The ease with which someone can acclimatize is fairly consistent from trip to trip. Currently, no reliable screening methods exist to determine who will be a good acclimatizer or not. Taking a past history in regard to previous trips to altitude is generally a good indicator, if the exposures are comparable. For example, someone who can ski successfully during the day at altitudes up to 10,000 feet, will not necessary do well if he or she flies to 10,000 feet and spends the night. However, someone who has flown into 10,000 feet in the past and done well, will likely do well the next time. Someone who flew into 10,000 feet and woke up with a headache the next day will probably have the same result the next time, and may be a candidate for Diamox (acetazolamide) prophylaxis. Both acclimatization and the onset of altitude illness take time, generally from 6-48 hours to occur. So, visiting a high altitude for a few hours will not necessarily predict what will happen once one spends the night at that altitude.
Virtually all people who sleep above 10,000 feet have an alteration in the control of their breathing during sleep. The result is a form of abnormal breathing in which increasingly deep breaths are followed by a brief (5-30 seconds) period of breath holding (apnea). The person may awaken suddenly with a profound sense of shortness of breath . Periodic breathing at altitude responds to acetazolamide 125mg taken before bed.
Altitude Advice for Travelers:
Travelers on prolonged trips to high altitude, such as trekkers in Nepal, Peru, or Tibet should be taught that sensible itineraries are only the first step in avoiding severe altitude illness. Most trekking itineraries are a middle-of-the-road approach, and do not guarantee that all clients will not get altitude illness. The main goal of altitude illness advice is not to avoid getting altitude symptoms at all, but to react appropriately if altitude symptoms do occur. In other words, it's okay to get altitude illness, but it's not okay to die from altitude illness.
The main safety points in regard to altitude illness can be summarized in the following three rules:
Three Rules to Avoid Dying of Altitude Illness
- Learn the early symptoms of altitude illness and be willing to recognize when you have them.
- Never ascend to sleep at a higher altitude with any symptoms of altitude illness.
- Descend if your symptoms are getting worse while resting at the same altitude.
When we review cases of fatal altitude illness, we almost invariably find that the person ascended with symptoms that could have been recognized as due to altitude illness. In most of these cases, the symptoms were either ignored, minimized, or attributed to another cause. In organized trekking groups, there is a great deal of pressure to keep up with the group schedule or be left behind. Since leaving a client behind is problematic logistically for a trekking group, even the leader can contribute to the denial of altitude symptoms. Trekkers who are traveling with an organized trekking group may have a false sense of security in regard to their risk of dying from altitude illness.
A 1991 study showed that trekkers in organized trekking groups had a statistically significant increased risk of dying compared to trekkers who were not in an organized group.
This fact emphasizes that group pressure and the reluctance to be left behind if one admits symptoms is a risk factor for dying from altitude illness. Thus, being willing to recognize altitude symptoms when they are present is a key point.
AMS symptoms will invariably worsen with ascent. Occasionally, however, it is necessary to ascend in order to get to a lower altitude, such as crossing a pass. If the symptomatic person appears to have the ability to make it over the pass, and will sleep at a lower altitude that night, this is a risk that can be taken. But no one with any symptoms of altitude illness should ascend to sleep at a higher altitude.
Most symptoms of altitude illness occur after spending the night at a higher altitude. If the rate of ascent has been reasonable, these symptoms usually resolve with a day's rest at the same altitude. However, if the person's symptoms continue to worsen during the day, descent is mandatory. Usually this decision should be made by around 3:00 p.m. in a trekking setting so that descent can be made during daylight.
However, descent should never be delayed because it is "too late" in the day.
Symptoms can either begin while ascending to a new camp, or after spending the night at the new height. In general, symptoms that begin in the morning after spending the night at a new altitude are more likely to clear up with rest at the same altitude than symptoms that began the day before while ascending to the camp.
Differential Diagnosis of Altitude Illness
The diagnosis of altitude illness at altitude requires a high index of suspicion. Trekkers have been advised for years that: "If you are not doing well at altitude, it's altitude illness until proven otherwise." This is sound advice, and was formulated to assure that altitude illness is considered in the differential diagnosis of any illness at altitude. However, other illnesses can occur at altitude that mimic altitude sickness, but may have significantly different implications. The key to differentiating between altitude illness and other medical conditions at altitude is the history of the present illness and the presenting symptoms.
Headache, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, and profound fatigue can all be symptoms of AMS. Diarrhea is not associated with altitude illness. Fever can occur with HACE or HAPE, and can be a confusing finding.
The headache associated with AMS often starts at the back of the head and radiates forward, and is constant in nature. But a throbbing frontal headache can also be due to altitude. It is imperative that all headaches at altitude are treated as altitude headaches, and no further ascent is attempted until any headache has disappeared. The symptoms of altitude illness almost always have a gradual onset, and get worse slowly over several hours.
Loss of vision secondary to altitude is rare. Recently, reports have surfaced that people who have undergone corrective laser surgery have developed severe short-sightedness at altitude and become functionally blind. This condition reverses readily with descent, but could be a fatal obstacle for a high altitude mountaineer stranded blind on a Himalayan mountain ridge.
HAPE presents with unusual breathlessness upon exertion, and eventually at rest. Cough is usually present, but cough at high altitude is so common from other causes that it is rarely a useful clinical sign of HAPE. Descent is mandatory as soon as HAPE can be suspected, as the symptoms can progress rapidly, and death can occur within hours of recognizing clinical HAPE. Unfortunately, exertion considerably worsens HAPE.
In order for symptoms to be attributed to altitude illness, they must begin as the person is ascending. A person who has been asymptomatic at the high point of a trek cannot develop AMS while descending. Virtually all life-threatening altitude illness is due to ascending with recognizable symptoms.
Prevention and Treatment of Altitude Illness
Gingko Biloba
This natural product helps prevent AMS. Starting a week before ascent by taking 80-120mg twice a day will help prevent AMS. The mechanism is unknown by it may work on nitric oxide. It should not be used with blood thinners. One should buy a recognized brand.
Acetazolamide (Diamox ®)
Acetazolamide is the medication with the longest history of use for preventing and treating AMS. Initially it was given for three days before ascent, but it is now thought that starting the day before is adequate.
The recommended dose:
Prevention: 125 mg Twice a day. It should be started one day before crossing the 9,000 foot level and continued during ascent and for first 2 days at high altitude.
Treatment: 250mg Twice a day until symptoms improve. Pediatric dose: 5mg/kg/body weight in two divided doses.
Acetazolamide is a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor and its mechanism of action is thought to be to acidify the blood, causing an increase in respiration centrally and an increase in oxygenation . It works as a diuretic ( promotes urination), but this appears to be a side-effect at present, rather than a benefit. People taking acetazolamide invariably notice an increase in urination, and the presence of pins and needles sensation in their fingers and toes . Acetazolamide is distantly related to sulfa drugs, and people with a known sulfa allergy should not take acetazolamide. However, allergic reactions to acetazolamide are extremely rare. Acetazolamide is also a very effective tool for treating the periodic breathing and sleep apnea that occurs at altitude. Should be avoided in pregnancy and when breast feeding.
Pressurization and Oxygen
It was once written that altitude illness had three treatments: descent, descent, and descent. Descent remains the critical treatment of all altitude syndromes, but the availability of bottled oxygen, the invention of pressurization bags, and the recognition of the value of three medications—acetazolamide, nifedipine, and dexamethasone--have expanded the choices when confronted with altitude illness.
Descent invariably improves altitude illness. However, in severe cases, descent must continue either until clear signs of improvement are recognized, or the person is below the altitude at which his symptoms have started. As mentioned above, it is not necessary to descend until all symptoms are gone, as this can take up to 48-72 hours to take place. Any sign of improvement usually heralds the crossing of the acclimatization line, and further improvement can be expected.
Pressurization in a commercial pressurization bag effectively mimics descent. The first commercial pressurization bag was created by Igor Gamow in the late 1980's.
Approximately 24" by 80" in size, with an airtight zipper, the bags are inflated by a rafting foot pump. An automatic blow-off valve limits the inside pressure to 2 pounds per square inch, and the steady leaking of air through the valve requires continuous pumping, which assures a steady flow of fresh air inside (usually about 10-15 pumps per minute). The amount of descent achieved within the bag depends on the height at which the descent began, but the amount of descent is usually about 1/3 the current height (that is, the bag lowers someone from 14,000 to about 9000 feet). People generally tolerate being placed in the bag, but people with severe HAPE have difficulty lying flat, which is required in order to fit in the bag.
A treatment of one hour is usually enough to dramatically improve mild to moderate AMS. Relapse occasionally occurs, but often does not. In more severe cases, several hours in the bag may be necessary, and repeat treatments may also be necessary if symptoms relapse. However, treatment in the bag can effectively mimic descent, and a person can be maintained at altitude if descent is problematic due to darkness, cold, storm, or difficult terrain. Bottled oxygen is heavy to carry, and there is usually not enough oxygen available to use freely.
Dexamethasone (Decadron ®)
When HACE was thought to be due to diffuse hypoxic cerebral edema, dexamethasone was often tried to treat severely ill patients. The effects of treatment on comatose patients was not very dramatic, and dexamethasone did not appear to have a very strong role to play in the treatment of altitude illness. Then, a pressure chamber study demonstrated that dexamethasone given prophylactically was effective at preventing AMS. This led to field studies that demonstrated that dexamethasone was also effective at treating mild to moderate AMS, and even improving HACE prior to the onset of coma.
Since then, people have used dexamethasone prophylactically and therapeutically in the field.
Prevention: Decadron: 2mg every 6 hours or 4 mg every 12 hours
- AMS: 4mg every 6 hours by mouth or by injection.
- HACE: Initial dose of 8 mg followed by 4mg every 6 hours by mouth or injection
Mechanism of action unknown. Can be life saving in severe cases and when descent not immediately possible.
Currently, it is felt that dexamethasone can be safely used to facilitate the evacuation of someone with relatively severe AMS or HACE. Once dexamethasone is given, the person should not move up to sleep at a higher elevation until dexamethasone has been discontinued for 24 hours or more.
Nifedipine is a calcium channel blocker that effectively lowers pressure in the pulmonary artery. Initial studies in Italy showed a dramatic improvement of HAPE in a group of people who get HAPE easily and volunteered to climb rapidly to over 15,000 feet. Nifedipine has been added to the list of drugs known to be effective in treating altitude illness. However it should not be relied upon to be life-saving, in the absence of other therapy.
Treatment:10mg initial dose followed by 20-80 mg of extended release formulation every 12 hours.
Other Treatments
- Furosemide ( diuretic) in HAPE –
- Viagra in HAPE ( reduces pulmonary vascular pressure).
- Anti-vomiting medications.
- Anti-inflammatory medications for headaches.
Effect of High Altitude on Pre-Existing Medical Conditions
Hematological System
Even moderate altitudes, such as those encountered in airplane travel, can trigger a sickle cell crisis in a person with sickle cell anemia. High altitude is clearly contraindicated in this population. People with low red cell counts could experience difficulty adjusting to high altitude, as their oxygen-carrying capacity would already be low. They would need to proceed with caution. Patients with polycythemia could experience problems at altitude with greater risk of blood clots and embolism.
Endocrine System
Stable diabetics can travel safely to high altitude if they are comfortable with self-monitoring and are willing to pay closer attention than usual to their glucose balance. High altitude can be associated with severe ketoacidosis for reasons that are not yet clear. However, Shlim reported 5 cases of ketoacidosis associated with high altitude (above 16,000 feet), and 3 of these people died.
Risk factors for developing ketoacidosis at altitude include associated illness (gastroenteritis, respiratory infection, and altitude illness), and the possible adverse interplay of respiratory alkalosis which could mask a deepening metabolic acidosis. Acetazolamide was used in at least two of these cases, and may have further blocked the body's attempt to correct the acidosis. A further practical problem for diabetics is the need to keep their insulin supplies at close hand and unfrozen during a long, cold backcountry journey.
Pregnancy and High Altitude Travel
When pregnant women inquire about the risks of altitude on the fetus, there is no data to turn to. However, pregnancy is an emotional issue, and the question needs to be carefully addressed. There are no reported cases of high altitude exerting a negative outcome on pregnancy in a trekker or climber.
Oxygen saturation is fairly well maintained up to an altitude of 10,000-12,000 feet. After that, the person approaches the steep portion of the oxy-hemoglobin dissociation curve, and blood oxygen levels drop precipitously. A well acclimatized person at 14,000 feet altitude has a pO2 of 55 mm hg. A pregnant woman who presented to an emergency room at sea level with a pO2 of 55 would be immediately placed on oxygen! Because of the rapid drop-off in oxygenation above 12,000 feet or so, we generally recommend that pregnant women avoid exposures above that height. However, there are numerous anecdotal stories of women who have traveled higher while pregnant and gave birth to normal children.
Practitioners who counsel pregnant women regarding high altitude exposure should take into account the following: the outcome of pregnancy is always somewhat uncertain. An adverse outcome could be due to any number of causes, but if the woman chooses to go to high altitude during the pregnancy, she may feel that the high altitude exposure was the cause. Therefore, the woman should carefully weigh the need to go on this particular high altitude trip at this time versus the potential for having regret should there be an adverse outcome of the pregnancy.
If the high altitude exposure is also coupled with traveling in a third world country, the woman should be further counseled regarding the risks of diarrhea and other infectious diseases, as well as the potential for trauma in third world conveyances. Remoteness from medical care could also be a problem if a miscarriage or early labor should occur.
Travelers planning to travel to high altitude can be re-assured that a slow itinerary and awareness of the symptoms of altitude illness can prevent any likelihood of dying of altitude illness. The acclimatization line concept is useful in presenting a more graphical illustration of planning itineraries and evaluating symptoms after they have occurred. Treatment options have expanded in recent years, but none of these options are superior to descent, which should always be the first choice in severe cases, if physically possible.
For more information you can visit this useful website


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Product Brochures V-Ray Brochure 2013
 V-Ray for Softimage Product Brochure
V-Ray for Softimage
1 V-Ray 3.0 Workstation license and 5 Render Node licenses and will be able to use V-Ray for Softimage concurrently with V-Ray 3.0 for 3ds Max or V-Ray 3.0 for Maya for six months.
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V-Ray for Softimage Key FeaturesV-Ray for Softimage offers a rich set of functionalities for fast and efficient rendering and an intuitive approach towards shading and lighting.
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Watch our General Overview video, and explore the major features in V-Ray for Softimage: ICE support, complex mesh support using V-Ray Proxy objects, versatile shaders with V-Ray materials, quick and accurate global illumination, and much more.
Here are some of the key features of the new V-Ray for Softimage. For an overview of the full set of features, please click here.
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text: IRS Issues Procedures for Pre-Approved 403(b) Plans By Mary K. Samsa, Todd A. Solomon and Joseph K. Urwitz, © McDermott Will & Emery LLP 4/26/2013 In April 2013, the Internal Revenue Service released Revenue Procedure 2013-22, which articulates procedures for vendors sponsoring pre-approved section 403(b) defined contribution plans to secure a pre-approved opinion or advisory letter. The IRS will start accepting applications for these favorable opinions on June 28, 2013. The revenue procedure will be used by section 403(b) plan vendors seeking to secure a favorable opinion letter on any "prototype" or "volume submitter" section 403(b) plan they offer to clients. Nonprofit organizations sponsoring section 403(b) plans will not seek their own opinion or advisory letter on their individually designed plans as that is not the purpose of this revenue procedure and the IRS has yet to issue procedures on how to secure a favorable determination letter for an individually designed Section 403(b) plan. Note that any section 403(b) plan in existence today is an individually designed plan. Nonprofit organizations that purchased "model" section 403(b) plans from vendors in the past still have individually designed plans because, prior to the revenue procedure, there was no legal mechanism under which a vendor could offer a prototype section 403(b) plan. Additionally, any service agreement that an organization has with a section 403(b) plan vendor more likely than not contains language stating that the organization needed to have the "model" plan reviewed by counsel for legal compliance. As such, responsibility for the legal upkeep of any section 403(b) plan has always been on the plan sponsor. Although most vendors have done a good job of keeping these "model" plans up to date for law changes, technically they were not responsible for "maintaining" these plans (since they were not true prototype plans) on an ongoing basis. However, because section 403(b) plan vendors can now submit their "model" section 403(b) plans to the IRS for favorable opinion letters on their compliance with final section 403(b) regulations, it's anticipated that any organizations currently using a "model" section 403(b) plan eventually will be approached by their vendor to migrate to any pre-approved section 403(b) plan on which it is successful in securing an opinion letter on from the IRS. Organizations are not required to change, but may want to explore this option (particularly if the pre-approved plan more or less mirrors their existing plan), because the organization can then shift responsibility for the legal upkeep of the section 403(b) plan to the vendor and have the added protection of being covered by a favorable IRS opinion. On the other hand, if the organization's section 403(b) plan is complex (e.g., has different matching contribution for different groups within the controlled group), it may not squarely fit within the pre-approved plan and may need to remain an individually designed plan. Retroactive Corrections The revenue procedure includes a remedial amendment provision that allows sponsors adopting the approved plan to retroactively correct any section 403(b) plan document failure by timely adopting the pre-approved plan. This particular provision meshes with the recent 403(b) Fix-It Guide on fixing section 403(b) plan failures released by the IRS on Feb. 21, 2013. As IRS procedures are refined for reviewing and approving section 403(b) plans, the IRS is providing multiple avenues for assisting 403(b) plan sponsors in meeting these new compliance objectives. The revenue procedure does not permit individually designed plans to obtain determination letters. However, the IRS may establish a program permitting this in the near future. 401(k) plan sponsors have long been able to receive IRS "blessing" for their individually designed plans, and 403(b) regulations and IRS guidance over the past half-decade has resulted in 403(b) plans becoming more similar to 401(k) plans. For example, beginning in 2009, 403(b) plans were required to written, as was (and is) true for 401(k)s—no written plan requirement existed beforehand for 403(b)s. In that year, 403(b) plans became subject to annual audit and IRS/DOL reporting requirements on Forms 5500 similar to those imposed on 401(k)s (requiring disclosure of plan assets, plan distributions and the number of plan participants, among other information). Earlier this year, the IRS instituted a program expanding the ability of 403(b) plan sponsors to "fix" plan mistakes, bringing the correction procedures for 403(b) plan sponsors more in line with those available for 401(k) plan sponsors. Because the IRS has been active in developing guidance under which 403(b) plans and 401(k) plans are subject to similar rules, a program allowing 403(b) plan sponsors to receive determination letters may not be far off. Mary K. Samsa and Todd A. Solomon are partners in the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery LLP and are based in the firm's Chicago office. Joseph K. Urwitz is an associate based in the firm's Boston office. © 2013 Dermott Will & Emery LLP. All rights reserved. Republished with permission. Related External Resources:Section 403(b) Pre-Approved Plans: Sample Plan Provisions and Information Package, IRS, April 2013 ASPPA Comments to IRS on Pre-Approved Defined Benefit and 403(b) Plans, American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries, April 2013 Related SHRM Articles: Is the 403(b) Catch-Up Election a 'Dinosaur'?, SHRM Online Benefits, October 2012 DOL Opinion: Certain 403(b) Plans No Longer Exempt from ERISA, SHRM Online Benefits, June 2012 Choice Is Critical to 403(b) Participation, SHRM Online Benefits Discipline, October 2011 403(b) Plan Sponsors Rising to the Challenge, SHRM Online Benefits Discipline, May 2011 Quick Links: SHRM Online Benefits page SHRM Online Retirement Plans Resource Page • Keep up with the latest news. Sign up for SHRM's free Compensation & Benefits e-newsletter ADVERTISING LINKS


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What's the WORST Video Game in Your Collection?
I think it's safe to assume that we all buy video games, other wise, why would we be here? But as we amass our collections every now and a again a game makes it through that isn't up to par. Some how it escapes being traded, sold or passed along to an unexpected "friend". These are the few, the frustrating, the bad. They are proof that not all games are created equal and yet for some reason we can't seem to get rid of them. They are bad games in our collections.
Personally I have more than just one but for the purposes of this thread I'll just choose the most recent thorn in my side, the racing game BLUR. The commercials promised an Adult Mario Kart but what I got was a crappy racer with poor controls and little to no thrills. I almost immeduately wanted to trade it in but it's street value wasn't worth the gas or postage to get rid of it, so now it just sits reminding me of the mistakes of my past...
So allow me to ask, What's the worst video game in your collection?


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In light of this information, I'm not sure we want to continue with the Goat part of our get together, but be that as it may....you the voters have spoken and in doing so you have chosen the date for our annual get together.
This is your official invitation to Save October 15th for our Second Annual DawgSports Sacrificial
Goat Animal Roast!
I will be in attendance and bringing at a minimum Brunswick Stew, brownies and, if I can sweet talk the amazing cake lady into it, another lovely red velvet cake for your noming pleasure.
Vandy will be the opponent, so bring yourselves, bring your friends, & bring your appetites.
Still to be announced are the t-shirt design contest & the location. Be thinking about where you want to go and start drafting your t-shirt designs. Suggestions and RSVP'ing may be done in the comments below.


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Do you think you have an eye for fashion? As the Fashion Coordinator intern you will be responsible for creating new and exciting ideas. If youre interested in the fashion world and play a major role …
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Our brand is an active beach lifestyle brand which includes swimwear, yoga, and apparel. We are looking for a fresh designer that has a strong background in social media and is strong with the Adobe S…
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Are you a college student looking to gain knowledge and experience in Fashion PR? We are a Boutique Fashion PR agency with a focus on VIP celebrity outreach seeking a self-motivated intern to assist i…
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Petition to stop kdmhmd from changing time!
Hey Every1. If U, like me, Want KDMHMD to stay in its slot/time, Sign my petition and lets send it to Etka. Why Dont they change the times of Raja ki aygi Barat or Ladlli Our show is the most viewed, top, has the best story and is the MOST interesting! It will stay in its slot! Come on and Join my Petition. KDMHMD will and is GONNA Stay where it IS!
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Alright so this could be a very interesting post, post a player that you think would be a great steal for the Bucs in rounds 5-7. Someone who could legit be there so please no LaMichael James, Jared Crick, Stephen Hill or anyone who will 98% certain not be there.
--Granted I'm cheating somewhat and stole three from my draft guide, but hey I'm done with all the player write ups and just editing now so it can't prejudice me anymore.
7. Shawn Loiseau ILB Merrimack(DIV-II) 6'1" 244lbs. [7.05][C-30][PV-30]
Up front, Shawn is not going to be on some team's boards because of the same incident that kept him from getting a Division I scholarship. At one point Shawn was a highly regarded prep recruit from Shrewsberry, MA. Then at 17 Loiseau was in a fight that nearly killed a man, well two actually, he struck one individual with a piece of pipe fracturing his skill and grinded another man's head into the ground so hard that it left him in a coma and on death's door. Originally charged with attempted murder, Loiseau would later plea bargain down, the two men he assaulted are indicated to have possibly started it. He spent some small time in jail and when he emerged found no takers at the division one level (was thinking of Boston College originally would have been an interesting crew him, Kuechly, and Mark Herzlich). Provoked or not taking a pipe to an unarmed man's head is simply unacceptable. I was tempted to leave him off the list as well except, he has not been in trouble once since then and at the end of the day this is America; everyone is entitled to redemption once they've paid their debt and earned another chance.
Speaking of redemption Shawn and Merrimack head coach John Perry teamed up to turn around Merrimack (formerly a laughing stock even in DIV-II) into a winner and playoff contender. Shawn was a man among boys at DIV-II, starting three years and in 30 games (DIV-II only plays 10 a season) he made 377 tackles(20.5TFL) , 11 sacks, 2 pass deflections, 1 interception, 4 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble recovery. When he got his chance at the East-West shrine game Losieau proved that he belong among that level of players and has more upside than the typical caliber of player invited to play there. Tough and physical in the trenches Shawn is a knockdown tackler with a hard driving shoulder and superlative instincts, on tape he seems never to take the wrong angle. Strictly a two down linebacker though, he has shorter arms and has been woefully underdeveloped in coverage. Even with the upside Losieau is going to need to make his mark on special teams but could turn into a starting linebacker in either a 4-3 or 3-4 set.
9) T.Y. Hilton WR/KR/PR Florida International 5'9" 183lbs[9][I-20]
He's placed up front here based on his return ability, and T.Y. Hilton will be the third best punt returner and second best kickoff returner in the NFL. That's behind only Devin Hester at both and Dexter Jackson as a punt returner. Hilton is that good. He suffered a quad injury in his final game at FIU and was unable to run at the combine, but absolutely lit up his pro day workout. With the wind whipping around a breezy Florida day, Hilton clocked a 4.28 40 yard dash time, then turned around ran facing the wind at 4.38. It wasn't just workout speed. Hilton is that fast on the field, and he's a dynamic player who, if he had a couple more inches in height, would be an elite NFL prospect. Hilton probably also saw the field more than any player in the country the past three seasons. He quarterbacked FIU's wildcat formation, and handled all returns while being the best WR in the Sun Belt Conference.
Just so this section doesn't become a page all on it's own, I'll give you Hilton's stats on a career basis: 37 Starts at WR, playing in 50 games; 229 receptions, 2 1,000+ yard seasons, 3,531 total receiving yards, 15.4 YPC (even while being double and triple teamed as a receiver) and 24 receiving TD's. As a runner: 69 carries for 498 yards (7.2YPC), and tack on another 7 touchdowns, two for two on passing attempts for 38 yards and a touchdown. 49 Punt Returns for 614 yards and an eye-popping 12.5 YPR with 2 touchdowns. On special teams: a workhorse as a kick returner, with 105 returns for 2,855 yards and an obnoxious 27.2 YPR, with four touchdowns. To make matters even more offensive, in two of his four years at FIU, the kick blocking wasn't even that good in front of him. He produced a grand total of 7,536 all-purpose yards during his FIU career. It's mind-boggling. He was a four-time all conference selection, the focus of every opposing Sun-Belt defense he faced, and even gives good effort blocking on the edge (he's a mighty mouse however, and he'll get bowled over at times). As a receiver who can ONLY work the slot in the NFL, he's going to need to work on his hands. They're not bad, but he's inconsistent. He's made some highlight-reel catches, but has also run without the ball at times. He does have a history of nagging injuries at FIU, but he played through them and, given the workload he was carrying, I would have expected him to have more of them. He's fast and agile enough to be violently good as a return man, while providing a team with a real deep weapon despite his size, but he's never going to be a starter. Hilton will be best used as a primary return man and third or fourth WR who can provide some occasional stretch plays. Throw in a reverse or two, and that earns a high grade, even for a player who will not start.
8) Quentin Salsburry C Mississippi St. 6'2" 304lbs [6.5] [PV-90]
Quentin Salsburry could make me look very bad at some point. He was a four-year starter at Mississippi St., where he played Center, Guard, and Right tackle. He is versatile, with decent (but not good power), but he is simply not consistent. That could be due to having constantly changed positions, but on game day it sometimes looks like disinterest. The best example of this was in 2010 when he played like a stud against defensive star Marcell Dareus for the entire game, but looked like a marginal player for most of the rest of the season. He does step his game up against elite competition, but for a position that's played largely between the ears, a guy with a questionable work ethic doesn't look to fair too well. If he could get his act together, his versatility and natural athletic ability would carry him far, but his four years at Mississippi St. didn't bring it, why should the next level?


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CES: Sony PSP to be launched in the US and Europe in March
By Wolfgang Gruener - Source: Tom's Hardware | 0 comment
The word came from Ken Kutaragi himself : "It will probably be March" (Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) president and CEO).
The Portable console is the hot gadget to have and Sony sold 200,000 units in a few days during the Japanese launch.
Read the complete story . (übergizmo)
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Friday, August 22, 2014
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More GSAT scholarships awarded this yearBy LUKE DOUGLAS
The list of scholarship winners from the Ministry of Education was published in the newspapers today.
Receiving the Scotiabank Foundation Shining Star Excellence Top Girl and Top Boy awards are Catherine Douse of St Catherine Preparatory and Chevaugn Campbell of Vaz Preparatory respectively.
In September Douse will attend St Jago High School while Campbell will go to Campion College.
As has been the norm in recent years, Campion was the school of choice for more scholarship winners than any other school. This year 41 students on the list will attend Campion, up from 33 last year.
Of the 25 government scholars announced, 19 will be going to Campion.
Although students from independent (preparatory) schools again dominated the government scholarships, the primary schools did better this year compared to last year. Six of the 25 government scholars are from primary schools, compared to only one out of 24 last year.
Schools receiving more than two scholarships included Hillel Academy (five) and St Catherine Prep, Vaz Prep, Stella Maris Prep, and St Richard's Primary (three each).
In addition to Scotiabank, scholarships were named for a number of companies and products including Jamaica National, Tang, Petrojam, Guardian Life, Horlicks (for PATH recipients), Gas Pro, Sagicor and Jamaica Energy Partners.
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A Taste of Macadamia Magic
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Yeah, Times Square has the big party on New Year's Eve with the giant Crystal Ball dropping at midnight to ring in the new year, but Mt. Olive, North Carolina has the giant Pickle Drop. And Plymouth, Wisconsin has the giant Cheese Drop with an 80 pound decorated wedge of cheese falling from a ladder truck. And Flagstaff, Arizona drops a pine cone off of a hotel balcony. Pensecola, Florida drops a pelican. And Mobile, Alabama goes opposite and raises an giant electric Moon Pie. You can check out the whole list of stuff that gets dropped at midnight on New year's Eve here. Me? I'm gonna start a new tradition at my house and drop my pants at midnight! Happy New Year! See you all back on the air on Monday…
December 30, 2010 at 10:43 am | Drinking, Entertainment News, General Stupidity, KCAL Crew, KCAL Rocks, KCALFM.com, Lifestyle, National News, News, On Air | No comment


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I skipped the second base positional rankings because no Indians showed up there (though as they noted in the article, 2B prospect rankings are always thin since it seems that it mostly ends up being failed SS at 2B), but the rankings for third are up & they feature an Indian, though likely not one you would've expected about a year & a half ago:
7. Wes Hodges, Indians
Age: 22.9
Hitting: .299/.372/.465 at High-A (76 G)
A second-round pick last year who got first-round money (a cool million), Hodges has been impressive in his pro debut. He's a gifted hitter who should hit for a good batting average, but it will be the development of his secondary skills that defines his future value. Right now he draws an acceptable number of walks, and hits for a decent amount of power. If he can bring either of those pieces into the above-average range, he's far more dangerous. If he can improve both--and, according to scouts, the potential is there--look out.
Also (speaking of 3B prospects), I hadn't noticed this before, but Jared Goedert came back to Kinston on 7/19 after over a month on the DL. He was part of last night's 22-10 victory over Lynchburg with a 5 RBI evening, though he was outdone by Josh Rodriguez' 9 RBI.


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You Cannot Run a Public Service Like a Business, and Here's Why…
This article is unashamedly stolen from "Scriptonite Daily" and all credit must go to the author at that site.
One of the greatest myths of our time is that public services can be made more efficient if we run them as businesses. The commercialisation of our public services has been a manifest failure, and the response offered by the mainstream parties is that we simply haven't commercialised them enough. What they fail to understand is that a public service and a business are inherently different beasts and asking one to behave as the other is like asking a fish to ride a bicycle.
So farewell, Sweet Warwick …
It's not every day of the week that you blow a bass amp. So it was a bit of a shock when, towards the end of what had been a great gig at the Britannia in Southend-on-Sea with Collibosher, that there was suddenly no sound from my bass amp half way through the second encore! A later examination from Jeff's dad, somewhat of an expert in the field, revealed that the speakers had blown and short-circuited everything else, leading to a totally dead amp with a very uneconomic repair.
Modding my Bass Guitar part 2
Updated 23rd-24th June….
I wrote the other day about the modifications I made on my Fender Jazz Bass. Yesterday, I took my friend Robben to see it, for a more extended look. The first time I took it to the basement where Collibosher rehearses, I thought it was good but to be frank I was just relieved that it all worked after the money I'd spent. Let me digress on that one for a moment. The guitar has now cost:
- £150 to actually buy it.
- £26 for a set of Rotosound Tru-Bass Black Nylon Flatwound Strings
- £205 for the stuff from Audere after import duties and postage.
- £78 for the replacement pickups.
That's £459. So I guess the real test is: did the cost justify the result? Well, co-incidentally, £459 is a typical price of an Ibanez SR500 bass, and Robben has one. So her opinion is very valuable. And she fell in love with the strings so is thinking about adding them on hers! Though maybe at the next change….
Arise Sir Brendan!
Or: How even a Trade Union leader can get a knighthood under the Tories.
Just to prove that they're fair, our ConDem government has knighted a Trade Union leader. For looking after the needs of Trade Union members? Well, you judge:
Brendan Barber, former General Secretary of the TUC, is now Sir Brendan Barber. His lifetime of "services to employment relations" has been rewarded. As an ordinary Trade Union member, I was hard-pushed to know exactly what services these were.
Modding my Bass Guitar
I was getting increasingly frustrated with my bass guitar. Lovely Fender Jazz Bass though it is, beautifully resprayed in electric blue, there was a problem – despite the lovely bodywork, every so often it would sound out of tune even though it wasn't. You could hear how nice and clean the strings sounded when plucked, with no amp, in a quiet room, but not necessarily through the amp. It never went out of tune, though, unless I knocked a machine head, and the action is very nice.
One thing about my bass, is that it had once had an active unit in it. There was an unused battery box and an extra output socket (which was wired wrongly so couldn't be used). Hums, pops and clicks were the norm, and occasionally a very loud hum cured by fiddling around with the lead in the socket. Clearly, at some point, the owner had taken out the active stuff for another bass, and put in a passive unit and cheap, non-matching pickups. And didn't make a very good job of it.
A lot's been happening!
How do you sum up the last month or so? It's been crazy to say the least! Where to start?
After over 39 years in my job, I decided to take retirement, 8 months short of my retirement date. This was not an overnight decision, but one that I had been thinking about for a while. I'll be a free man come October. Obviously going early means that, instead of 8 months' wages, I get 8 months' pension, which is at a reduced rate (for life) because I took it early, but I can honestly say that I value my sanity above financial matters. And I think I'll be OK.
Vote Left Unity in PCS Elections!
PCS Members will be receiving a ballot paper for their union elections around now. Many members organised into groups (departments) will receive two ballot papers, the second for their group executive committee. My group is the DWP so I receive the following two:
I support the Left Unity group. There are, of course, other people standing. There is a group that says that the current Left Unity leadership is not hardline enough. There are others that say that it is too hardline! The "Independent Left" group bases itself on members who are impatient and aren't prepared for the less militant layers to catch up. I suspect that an IL leadership would be very militant on paper, but in practice, would lead very few struggles because the bulk of members would not follow them. They tend, as a group, to come in third in these elections. In my view they should throw in their lot with Left Unity, both groups want to fight back against what this Government are doing, and the differences are mainly over tactics, something that could be resolved.
The group who have been coming in second are the so-called "4TheMembers" group. In my view they should be called 4TheManagement. One of their leading lights has tried to undermine every action our union has taken over the last few years, circulating stuff criticising the union, with the tacit support of management. Their view is that members don't really want to fight back, and that the union should do its best to negotiate what little it can. The problem with that is, management won't give us anything. We have to take action to get any gains or concessions at all!
When 4TM are saying that, as a union, we are too militant, and IL are saying that we are not militant enough, I tend to conclude that Left Unity has got it about right. It's not about taking action as a knee jerk reaction, nor is it about rolling over and playing dead. It's about a leadership that picks and chooses our battles wisely, and in a way that takes members as far as they are willing to go, in order to get the best agreements possible.
It's a hard struggle. Vote for these candidates for a union that continues to fight for your interests!
Back Home, More Illness, and a more welcome Death
Back home from Malta, had a great weekend. Got a few songs in at the Karaoke and a huge applause for my first ever attempt at "Here Comes The Night". And after the long Easter Weekend returned refreshed to work on 2nd April. Had a quite easy, stress-free day at work which is unusual after such an absence, but still managed to wake up sick the following morning. I had all this around June last year, one thing after another, and here it was again. I felt better on Sunday but by Monday it was back to square one. Monday the 8th April 2013. A day that started badly until ….
Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead
I was chatting on line to a friend when she told me that Thatcher had died. I had to start checking every news source, and they were all confirming it. The woman that had led a huge change in British Society, where our communities had been replaced with individual greed, the whole culture of "I'm all right Jack, sod everyone else" had started. It had shamefully continued under the government of Tony Blair PM. An anagram of Tony Blair PM is "I'm Tory Plan B". And so it proved. Monetarism, privatisation, attacking the conditions of workers, putting people out of work, whilst all the time transferring huge amounts of money from the poor to the rich, it had all started with Thatcher.
Bronchitis, Holiday, and the Death of a friend.
I woke up Friday 1st March feeling very tired and groggy – I wasn't breathing properly, and decided to phone in sick. To be fair I thought I'd be back on Monday, and by the end of the day I was feeling much better. I even joined in the Karaoke at my local – a first! I had never been in there before, the place is supposed to be dead rough and nothing but trouble. But appearances can be deceptive. OK one bloke fell over drunk whilst trying to leave the pub, but actual trouble? Nope. OK the people there weren't exactly fashion victims, but then neither am I. The only thing that really bothered me is that, when I sang "Handbags and Gladrags" there was a slight feeling of discomfort in my throat.
Not posted for a while! Scattershot summary…
I was looking back at this site, something reminded me of the last thing I wrote in October and I realised that I hadn't posted anything here since! Oops! So, what's been happening?
Well loads really. Quite a few of my posts were about the relationship I was in at the time. I stopped writing about it. Although I kept her identity off this page, she asked me not to write about her any more. And I respected that. I will summarize that phase of my life to say that the problems kept recurring. There are times in your life when you realise that the easy way forward actually leads you onto a circular path and you end up back in the same place. Sometimes you have have to make harder decisions and I made one. That finished in November 2012.


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Fortune Brands Takes Another Step Toward Home & Security Business Spin-Off
Therma-Tru Doors, Simonton Windows and Fypon, with 2010 revenues of $601 million, will form the Advanced Material Window & Door Systems unit of the proposed Fortune Brands Home & Security business, according to a recent Securities & Exchange Commission filing. Fortune Brands Inc. submitted an initial Form 10 Registration Statement for the Home & Security business yesterday as part of its plan to separate its three main businesses.
Fortune Brands, based in Deerfield, Ill., also announced that it currently anticipates the proposed separation of its businesses to be completed early in the fourth quarter. As previously announced, Home & Security will become a new publicly-traded company in a tax-free transaction, the Acushnet golf business will be sold or spun off, and the remaining buiness will be "a pure-play spirits company" to be named Beam.
"Filing the Form 10 is another important milepost as we execute our proposed plan to separate our businesses in order to maximize long-term value for our shareholders," says Bruce Carbonari, Fortune Brands chairman and CEO. "The Form 10 details historical operating results for Home & Security, as well as the strategy and fundamentals that we believe position the business to create substantial value for shareholders as the home products market recovers."
In addition the the Advanced Material Windows & Door Systems business, the new Fortune Brands Home & Security company will also feature kitchen and bath cabinetry, plumbing and accessories, and security and storage businesses.
"As detailed in the Form 10, each of Home & Security's segments was solidly profitable in 2010 and is competitively well positioned with excellent prospects to leverage and drive growth and returns as the home products market recovers," reports Chris Klein, president and CEO of Fortune Brands Home & Security. "Our leading market positions, sustained strategic investments, business momentum, and lean and flexible supply chains position Home & Security well to outperform in the marketplace. In addition to our focus on strong organic growth, we believe we'll have the strong capital structure, cash flow and balance sheet to evaluate high-return opportunities to further enhance shareholder value. We believe shareholders will be enthusiastic about our prospects for continued outperformance, value creation and strong earnings growth and returns over the long term."
The separation remains subject to completion of detailed separation plans, customary regulatory approvals and final board approval, it is noted.


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United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ), the largest coalition of peace groups in the
If there is a day for mass action in the
This was the speech in which King powerfully opposed the U.S. war in Vietnam and argued that domestic problems in the United States, including poverty, could never be solved as long as we continued with such wars and with the investment of so many of our resources in militarism. It was a statement against the actions of Democratic President Lyndon Johnson and against the choices of all those advocates of social uplift who found it more convenient to maintain silence on the subject of war. It was a masterpiece of courage, clarity, and conviction, one of the best speeches our country has ever witnessed. And, of course, our government has not yet heard it.
While there are war profiteers on Wall Street, the reason Wall Street is in the news and the way in which it is seen as a target of protests relates to the massive inequality of wealth it enforces, sucking up public dollars by the trillions, on top of its trillions of private dollars, and trickling hardly a drop down to you or me. King's lesson needs an update. We will never address healthcare, housing, and education as long as we waste trillions on either war or bankers or both. We will never invent new pots of gold out of thin air to spend on human needs as we do for bankers. So, if we are to find actual funds, we have to block the funding of both bankers and wars.
When the U.S. House of Representatives first voted on a banker bailout bill last year, it responded to immense public pressure and voted No. Then forces heavily represented on Wall Street refused to take No for an answer. Kings' giant triplets of racism, materialism, and militarism were protected by the three enforcers of money, media, and party that control the people who are supposed to represent us.
Only by enlarging our own force can we hope to change the way things work. One way to do that is to bring together our concern for the people of
That should not be our message. "Give our money back" should be. And our message is not, ultimately, to the robber barons. The symbolism of our march is meant for
When King spoke against Johnson's war policies, he was daring to oppose a president widely considered good on domestic issues. By combining foreign and domestic issues today, nobody will be able to blur the fact that they are opposing the same White House that is attacking Pakistan, escalating war in Afghanistan, prolonging war in Iraq, proclaiming unconstitutional wartime powers, proposing an even larger military budget than Bush's last one, AND giving additional trillions of our dollars to those who least need it and are least likely to solve our problems with it. Of course, Congress is constitutionally responsible for all of these things but chooses to defer to the White House. The danger now is not that anyone will miss the fact that we are protesting Washington's policies, but rather that any protest on Wall Street will be seen as an act of Republican Party populism, through the absurd media calculus in which people must support one party or the other and the thing now being protested has been stamped with letters 12 feet high reading BARACK OBAMA.
But at some point we have to give up on trying to converse with the lunatics who control what is on our televisions and act as King did when he spoke out at Riverside Church because "my conscience leaves me no other choice." The
April 4th is an ideal time to speak out. Wall Street is an ideal place to do it. Being heard, just as we were for the first bailout vote in the House, is entirely possible … if we all get to
David Swanson is the author of the upcoming book "Daybreak: Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming a More Perfect Union" by Seven Stories Press and of the introduction to "The 35 Articles of Impeachment and the Case for Prosecuting George W. Bush" published by Feral House and available at Amazon.com. Swanson holds a master's degree in philosophy from the


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Led by the scoring of Eric Griffin and the passing of Ricky Ledo, the Mavericks easily handled the Suns.
The Summer League squad will not be winners in the 2014 Las Vegas Summer League Tournament, losing in their first game on a buzzer beater.
Mavericks fall to Knicks in first game of Las Vegas Summer League
After years of hard work, the Big German proved all his critics wrong.
After a grueling slough of a series, the Mavericks fall to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 7: Spurs 119, Mavs 96.
The Mavericks won't die. Thanks to Monta heroics and revenge mode DeJuan Blair, the two squads will play a Game 7 on Sunday.
After a devastating loss that put the Mavericks behind 3-2 in the series and facing elimination, all of the players and coaches had thoughts to share.
Dallas looked like regular season Dallas and San Antonio looked like regular season San Antonio. Typically, that would mean a blood bath. But the Mavericks battled all night and just fell short...
A heroic comeback effort stalled, and the Spurs made the last shots down the stretch.
The Mavericks even the series at 1-1, taking home court advantage from the top seeded Spurs in emphatic fashion.
This time in the playoffs!
In the regular season finale, the Mavs lost in overtime to the Grizz, thanks to a pair of Mike Conley free throws with 1.1 secons left.
The Mavericks win; here's all the reactions you need.
After missing last year, the Mavericks will have a post season thanks for Monta Ellis and Dirk Nowitzki.
The Parker-less Spurs handled the Mavs in Dallas, beating their state rival for the ninth straight time.
21 from Dirk puts him 10th all time on the scoring list, and gives Dallas win #48
Dallas didn't look great at really any point during a late-afternoon game against the Kings. Luckily, the Mavs held on to help tighten their playoff hold.
Dallas sweeps the Lake Show in the regular season for the first time ever.
Dirk Nowitzki led all scorers with 27 and Dallas avoided a nightmarish deja-vu to get a mega-important win.
Steph Curry beats the Mavs. Gosh, doesn't that feel familiar?
A much needed win that was far too close for comfort
An entertaining game turned ugly and the Mavericks fall to a fellow Western Conference foe.
32 points from Dirk Nowitzki including a big three in overtime gave Dallas a tough win at home against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Jose Calderon left the game early and the Mavericks offense slowly puttered away against the Nets on Sunday night. It didn't help that Dirk had one of the worst games in his career.
The Mavericks avoid being swept by Denver, finally getting a win over the Nuggets
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November 8th, 2011
The kingdom of paradoxARD Op-ed: Nieman Reports
Visiting Scholar Ahmed Benchemsi discusses the seemingly paradoxic relationship between the independent media and the Moroccan government in two pieces for Harvard's Nieman Reports. Read more »
October 17th, 2011
American Political DysfunctionCDDRL, FSI Stanford, Governance Project Op-ed: The American Interest
In an article for the November/December 2011 issue of The American Interest, Francis Fukuyama analyzes the roots of dysfunction that have led to the polarization of the American political system. From the design of the U.S. Constitution curbing the power of central government to the entrenchment of powerful interest groups, Fukuyama suggests that institutional changes will need to take place to break the paralysis that characterizes the U.S. political system. Read more »
September 2nd, 2011
Political repression 2.0CDDRL, FSI Stanford Op-ed: The New York Times on September 1, 2011
In a piece written for the New York Times on September 1, Evgeny Morozov a visiting scholar at the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law comments on the role Western technology firms play in enabling Internet surveillance through the sale of their sophisticated technology to authoritarian regimes. From Silicon Valley to Scandinavia, Western companies are undermining Internet freedom and putting activists at risk.
August 26th, 2011
Shaping public diplomacy in the Arab worldARD Op-ed: USC Public Diplomacy Blog on August 25, 2011
Lina Khatib head of the Program on Arab Reform at the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law, examines the role of public diplomacy in the Arab world in two new pieces. Commenting for Bloomberg.com, Khatib highlights Muammar Qaddafi's strategic partnership with Bashar al-Assad in Syria to perpetuate his propaganda machine. Turning attention to US public diplomacy efforts in the region in a blog post for the USC Center on Public Diplomacy, Khatib characterizes the Obama administration's approach as one where words and action do not equate.
- » Bloomberg.com: "Gaddafi turns to Syria to keep propaganda machine going"
- » USC Public Diplomacy Blog: "The Arab Spring Casts Obama as United States Public Diplomacy Messenger"
August 16th, 2011
Repressing the Internet, Western-StyleOp-ed: The Wall Street Journal on August 13, 2011
In a piece for the Wall Street Journal on August 13, visiting scholar Evgeny Morozov cautions Western nations to be mindful of the dangerous precedent they set to authoritarian regimes when monitoring Internet content. While recent events in Norway and London may compel governments to employ surveillance tools, Morozov argues that Beijing and Tehran will be vindicated by their own repressive policies. Read more »
August 1st, 2011
Political order in EgyptCDDRL, FSI Stanford, Governance Project Op-ed: The American Interest on July 29, 2011
In the May-June edition of The American Interest, Francis Fukuyama traces the contemporary history of U.S. development policy and its failure to incorporate Huntingtonian-style theory, which emphasizes the interconnectedness of economy, politics, and society. Using Egypt as an example, Fukuyama calls for policymakers to break down their silos to more holistically examine and support democratic transitions. Read more »
July 19th, 2011
Syrian doctors who torture must be bannedCDDRL, FSI Stanford, ARD Op-ed: Al Jazeera on July 19, 2011
In an opinion piece for Al Jazeera, Rajaie Batniji uncovers the role of medical professionals involved in acts of torture. With a lens to the unrest in Syria, Batniji calls for an international body to identify, monitor, and disqualify those complicit in torture and genocide. Read more »
June 30th, 2011
Morocco's monarchy: Destroying hope for democracy?CDDRL, FSI Stanford, ARD Op-ed: The Guardian on June 30, 2011
In anticipation of Morocco's constitutional referendum on July 1, Ahmed Benchemsi argues in a piece for the Guardian that the monarchy's overtures of reform are just a mask for retaining absolute rule. Read more »
June 27th, 2011
The IMF: Violating Women Since 1945Op-ed: Foreign Policy in Focus on May 19, 2011
In reaction to the arrest of Dominique Strauss-Khan for allegations of rape in May, Kavita Ramdas and Christine Ahn argue in a piece for Foreign Policy in Focus that gender bias is embedded in the global policies and practices at the IMF, which unfairly target women. Kavita Ramdas is the former president and CEO of the Global Fund for Women and a visiting scholar at the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law. Read more »
June 20th, 2011
Morocco: The king faces the temptation to repressCDDRL, FSI Stanford, ARD Op-ed: Libération on June 15, 2011
CDDRL consulting professor Hicham Ben Abdallah wrote a new piece for the French daily Libération on the state of the democratic movement in Morocco as it enters a defining period this summer. While the king has promised a revised constitution, Ben Abdallah argues that it is largely a superficial gesture holding no true intentions of reform. Ben Abdallah warns that the monarchy cannot continue to repress the forces of change unleashed by the February 20th movement but must meet these demands with concrete political change. Read more »
June 7th, 2011
Morocco's revolutionaries: the crazy kids have grown upCDDRL, FSI Stanford, ARD Op-ed: Time Magazine on June 13, 2011
After spending a month in Morocco interviewing leaders of the secular youth movement, CDDRL visiting scholar Ahmed Benchemsi authored an article for Time Magazine to capture his interactions with this new generation of revolutionaries. " For now democracy is our priority battle," one young leader says. Sooner or later Benchemsi predicts, "Morocco's authoritarian system will irrevocably change, for that is the direction of history." Read more »
May 23rd, 2011
A fourth wave or a false start?CDDRL, FSI Stanford Op-ed: Foreign Affairs on May 22, 2011
In a new piece published on the Foreign Affairs website, CDDRL Director Larry Diamond argues that the Arab Spring is witnessing a thawing and freezing across the region as anti-democratic forces threaten nascent democratic transformations. Diamond emphasizes the point that "even if the Arab spring comes in fits and starts, it will eventually bring fundamental political change. But whether democracy is the end result depends in part on how events unfold and how regimes and international actors engage the opposition forces." Diamond ends with some concrete suggestions to American policy-makers on how to more strategically engage the region to ensure that this unique democratic opening is not missed. Read more »
March 31st, 2011
How to Lose Friends and Alienate Your PeopleCDDRL, FSI Stanford, ARD Op-ed: Jadaliyya on March 26, 2011
In a piece for the blog Jadaliyya, Arab Reform and Democracy Program Manager Lina Khatib at the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law, makes the argument that Arab leaders have reacted in a similar fashion to the growing demands for reform at home. Highlighting eight common features employed by regimes from Morocco to Bahrain, which include ignoring protests and placing blame on al-Qaeda and the media, Arab autocrats have adopted similar strategies because they belong to "the same authoritarian club." However, Khatib emphasizes that while leaders continue to 'sing the same tune,' activists have become accustomed to their predictable behavior, giving them the competitive advantage of being one step ahead of the regime. Read more »
March 17th, 2011
Moroccan monarchy's sacredness: an obstacle to democracyARD Op-ed: Le Monde on March 16, 2011
In an opinion piece for Le Monde, Ahmed Benchemsi, Visiting Scholar to the Program on Arab Reform and Democracy at the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law, discusses the key obstacles to political reform in Morocco. Read more »
March 15th, 2011
Diamond on Obama's moment of truthCDDRL, FSI Stanford Op-ed: The New Republic on March 15, 2011
In a piece for The New Republic, Larry Diamond, Director of the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law, issues President Obama a call to action as the crisis unfolds in Libya, urging him to seize this pivotal moment that can define or discredit his presidential record. According to Diamond, "If Barack Obama cannot face down a modest thug who is hated by most of his people and by every neighboring government, who can he confront anywhere?" Read more »
March 14th, 2011
Fukuyama on China's potential for revolutionCDDRL, FSI Stanford Op-ed: The Wall Street Journal on March 12, 2011
Francis Fukuyama, resident fellow at the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law, comments on China's potential for popular uprising in a piece for The Wall Street Journal. In the article Is China Next? Fukuyama predicts whether the contagion sweeping through the Arab world will spread to China through a comparative analysis of the two regions. "The bottom line is that China will not catch the Middle Eastern contagion anytime soon. But it could easily face problems down the road." Read more »
February 24th, 2011
Ben Abdallah on Moroccan reform for "Le Monde"CDDRL, FSI Stanford Op-ed: Le Monde on February 22, 2011
CDDRL Visiting Scholar Hicham Ben Abdallah comments on Morocco's role in the democratic wave sweeping through the Arab world in an article published in the French newspaper Le Monde. "On Sunday February 20, Morocco experienced its first encounter with the wave of democratic change that has been sweeping across the Arab world. In each of several major cities, tens of thousands of Moroccans demonstrated for the same kinds of demands that we have seen elsewhere: to replace arbitrary and absolute uses of power with real, open democracy, to end the corruption and clientalism that stifles economic life, and to assert the rights of citizens to be treated with dignity and respect and to have a decent life for themselves and their families." Read more »
February 16th, 2011
Larry Diamond: Transition trapsCDDRL, FSI Stanford Op-ed: The New Republic on February 16, 2011
After the peaceful mass uprising that toppled one of the world's oldest autocracies, it is now possible to imagine the emergence of a genuine democracy in Egypt—the most important country in the Arab world, writes Larry Diamond, director of FSI's Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law, in The New Republic. The very possibility of it marks an historic turning point for the entire region. However, Diamond cautions, there is a long and often treacherous distance between the demise of an authoritarian regime and the rise of a democracy. Read more »
February 14th, 2011
Larry Diamond: Toppling of Egypt's regime will serve US., IsraelCDDRL, FSI Stanford Op-ed: San Francisco Chronicle
The toppling of Egypt's modern-day pharaoh though peaceful mass protests, aided by Facebook and Twitter, marks a watershed for Egypt and the entire Arab world, writes Larry Diamond, the director of FSI's Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law, and a prominent expert on democratic transitions, in the San Francisco Chronicle. Contrary to widespread anxieties in the U.S. foreign policy establishment, Diamond explains, Mubarak's ouster will also serve the long-term interests of the United States -- and Israel. Read more »
February 7th, 2011
Diamond provides recommendations for a post-Mubarak worldCDDRL, FSI Stanford, ARD Op-ed: The Washington Post on February 4, 2011
Two decades after the fall of Soviet-bloc dictatorships, popular movements for democracy are erupting in the last regional bastion of authoritarianism: the Arab world. So far, only Tunisia's dictator, Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, has been toppled, while Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak-who has ruled that ancient land longer than many pharaohs-announced Tuesday that he will step down in September. But other Arab autocrats are bound to go. From Algeria to Syria to Jordan, people are fed up with stagnation and injustice, and are mobilizing for democratic change. Read more »
February 2nd, 2011
Francis Fukuyama: Liberals had better get organizedCDDRL, FSI Stanford Op-ed: Wall Street Journal on February 2, 2011
"Recent events in Tunisia and now in Egypt demonstrate that there is no Arab cultural exception to the broad desire for freedom around the world," writes Francis Fukuyama in the Wall Street Journal. People want political rights because they want their governments to treat them with dignity, a wish that obviously reverts throughout the Arab world, he states. At present, the best organized forces in Egypt are the military and the Muslim Brotherhood. "Egyptians who want a free and democratic future," he says, "had better get busy organizing themselves."
February 1st, 2011
Larry Diamond: Prospects for Egypt's political transitionCDDRL, FSI Stanford Op-ed
After nearly 30 years on the throne, Egypt's modern-day pharaoh, Hosni Mubarak, will soon follow in the footsteps of Tunisia's dictator, Ben Ali. The question is not whether he will leave the presidency of Egypt, or even when, but how. In the face of persistent and growing mass protests—and a newfound sense of civic empowerment on the part of Egypt's long demoralized youthful masses—it is difficult to imagine Mubarak surviving in office for more than another week to ten days. The only question is whether he will see the inevitable and do one last service to his country—leave office gracefully—or whether he will have to be pushed out by the military or deepening chaos on the streets. Read more »
January 27th, 2011
Francis Fukuyama: US democracy has little to teach ChinaCDDRL, FSI Stanford Op-ed: Financial Times on January 17, 2011
The first decade of the 21st century has seen a dramatic reversal of fortune in the relative prestige of different political and economic models. Ten years ago, on the eve of the puncturing of the dotcom bubble, the U.S. held the high ground. Its democracy was widely emulated, if not always loved; its technology was sweeping the world; and lightly regulated "Anglo-Saxon" capitalism was seen as the wave of the future. The United States managed to fritter away that moral capital in remarkably short order: the Iraq war and the close association it created between military invasion and democracy promotion tarnished the latter, while the Wall Street financial crisis laid waste to the idea that markets could be trusted to regulate themselves. Read more »
How the Kremlin Harnesses the InternetOp-ed: New York Times on January 4, 2011
Hours before the judge in the latest Mikhail Khodorkovsky trial announced yet another guilty verdict last week, Russia's most prominent political prisoner was already being attacked in cyberspace. No, Khodorkovsky's Web site, the main source of news about the trial for many Russians, was not being censored. Rather, it had been targeted by so-called denial-of-service attacks, with most of the site's visitors receiving a "page cannot be found" message in their browsers. Read more »
January 18th, 2011
Larry Diamond on Tunisia's uncertain transitionOp-ed: CDDRL on January 18, 2011
The toppling of a brutal, corrupt, and long-ruling dictator, Zine el Abidine ben Ali, is an extraordinary achievement for the diverse elements of Tunisian society who came out into the streets in recent weeks to demand change. Ben Ali's startling fall is another reminder of how suddenly political change can come in authoritarian regimes that substitute force, fear, and fraud for legitimacy. Such regimes may appear stable for very long periods of time, but when the people lose their fear and the army refuses to fire on the people, they can unravel very quickly. Read more »


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Run, don't walk over to our SEMI-ANNUAL WAREHOUSE CLEARANCE SALE & check out Back to School Deals and Steals!
Fibonacci math fun wearing Fibonacci T-shirt
Funny Fibonacci T-shirt features Italian Fibonacci's series of integers in this clever Sidney Harris cartoon. Ash 100% cotton T-shirt. (#1955) Questions about sizes? A ComputerGear exclusive. Item in stock unless noted above.
This Fibonacci T-shirt is a tribute to Leonardo of Pisa -- Fibonacci -- known for his sequence of numbers called "the Fibonacci numbers" introduced to Western European mathematicians in 1202. The mathematical sequence begins with two predetermined numbers and each subsequent number is the sum of the two previous numbers -- 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34 and so on.
Geometrically, adjoining quadrant arcs with radii of each sequential Fibonacci number produce a beautiful spiral form common in nature such as the arrangement of seeds on sunflowers, the chambers of conch shells, pine cones and more.
Furthermore, adjacent Fibonacci numbers, when divided tend to the ratio known as the "golden mean", an irrational number representing proportion again common in nature and admired in art and music. Think of the proportions of the Parthenon and Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian man.
Fibonacci was also known for his popularization in the West of the so-called Arabic numerals we use today. A must have for any math, science or engineering buff. Almost as cool as the number pi itself, and you know how much we love our irrational numbers!
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The BI-PARTISAN BOURBON CAUCUS
When it comes to Bourbon and politics party lines seem to dissolve. US Representatives John Yarmuth and Brett Guthrie have formed the bipartisan Congressional Bourbon Caucus an officially recognized Congressional Member Organization. They will serve as co-chairs of the caucus. Yarmuth, Kentucky's Third District representative, and Guthrie, the state's Second District representative, formed the caucus to organize a group of representatives "dedicated to maintaining and strengthening the bourbon industry in the United States and educating other members on the legislative and regulatory issues impacting the industry," they said in a news release. To date, 17 members of Congress have joined the caucus and more are expected to join, according to the release. More than 95 percent of the world's bourbon is distilled and aged in Kentucky. The Bourbon industry provides more than 3OOO jobs in Kentucky and more than $3 billion in gross state revenue. "This caucus offers a solid base of bipartisan support for one of Kentucky's most important industries and largest employers," Yarmuth said. "Congressman Guthrie and I both agreed that it was important to create a working group that would advocate for this critical part of the Commonwealth's economy." In 2OO7, the US Senate resolution declared September as "National Bourbon Heritage Month". In 2OO8, Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear recognized September 2OO8 as "Bourbon Heritage Month" which celebrated Bourbon as "America's Native Spirit" and honored the family heritage and deep-rooted legacy of the Bourbon industry in the Commonwealth.


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SEYMOUR, IN (WAVE) – The evening rush hour in Seymour was anything but a rush.
"When I start to see ice on the windshield it's time to slow down," driver Mike Brown said about his commute from Columbus, IN to Sellersburg Tuesday evening.
"It's slick in some spots," said driver Rachael Murphy.
Drivers quickly noticed the rain turn to a snowy mix around 5 p.m.
"It's ready to start to ice up on the windshield. The temperature says it's about 33 degrees, and I get a little nervous when it sticks to the windshield," Brown said.
"It was rain in Columbus, and once I got closer to Seymour it got more icy and more condensation on the windows and ice on the roads," Murphy said. "I had to pull over for a little bit to let the ice melt on the windshield because I hadn't had time to let it get hot enough in the car yet so it could defrost."
By 8 p.m., the snow had blanketed the Seymour area, leaving a white dusting of snow on the grass and a slushy combination on the roads for drivers to deal with.
"I've been riding for the past five minutes. Came to the store to get some food," Dean Bigelow said. But for him, it was a wet drive in more ways than one.
"It's not a real good temperature to be riding around on a scooter," Bigelow said. "I ride the back roads and take it kind of slow. I don't go high speed. But it's kind of slushy out and dangerous."
Bigelow said a little snow won't scare him away. "It's my only transportation at the moment, and if I were to walk, it would probably take me three to four times it would compared to the scooter. And it saves money on gas."
Regardless of how you get around, it's a weather event in March that isn't a surprise to anyone.
"No, it's Indiana, so for us this is normal," Brown laughed.
"We'll be in shorts tomorrow, I'm sure," Murphy said.
Road crews will have extra workers out to keep the roads clear for the Wednesday morning commute.
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