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Karkal, Malini.: Norplant - A Long Acting Contraceptive Implant: A Critical Review. A Booklet published by Malini Karkal ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Norplant - A Long Acting Contraceptive Implant: A Critical Review Malini Karkal Stree Shakti Sanghatana (Hyderabad) Saheli (Delhi), Chingari (Ahmedabad) and several women, were co-petitioners in a case in the Supreme Court in 1986 which demanded a court ruling on introduction of contraceptive NET-EN. The petition demanded that the contraceptive should be introduced in Indian family planning program only after it was adequately tested in the country for short and long- term risks. It also demanded that there is an assurance that the women were given adequate and accurate information so that abuse in a target oriented program would be prevented. Conditions for adequate medical screening and follow- up were, demanded to be assured at peripheral health centers before potentially dangerous contraceptives' were introduced in the Indian family planning program. An additional affidavit was filed in December 1990, bringing other hazardous contraceptives, such as sub-dermal implants, vagina rings, anti-fertility vaccines, nasal sprays etc, into the ambit of the earlier case. On- 6-7 December 1990, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) had a close door meeting with 'Health Advocates' to discuss introduction of NORPLANT and other spacing methods, into the national family planning program. NORPLANT was presented as an ideal contraceptive, 100% safe, 100% effective and 100% return of fertility on discontinuation of its use. This was being presented even when the mandatory Phase III trials and post introduction trials were not undertaken. Trials were conducted with NORPLANT2, and on ICMR's admission 10% of the women were lost to follow-up. Council also admitted that it has not followed any of the women who were given NORPLANT2 and their number may be around 1500. Council explained that because of the financial constraints, the follow-up could not be taken. ICMR wanted the Health Advocate to spread a message around about NORPLANT6, newer version of NORPLANT, and to actively associate with the forthcoming trial of the implant by the Council. The Council explained the need to promote spacing methods since the terminal methods, which were currently being used, were having very little impact on the birth rate. In the opinion of the 1 Council it was therefore necessary to get younger women with fewer children to accept contraceptives. Phase IV trials with NET-EN had shown 41.21% women experienced menstrual abnormalities, pregnancy rate was 2.1%, ICMR had therefore recommended to the Drug Controller that NET-EN may be made available at the urban health centers where comprehensive medical care could be available, and a doctor present. Council had also recommended that targets for achievements should not be fixed for NET-EN. At the meeting the Council also reported that 1466 women were given NORPLANT2 during January 1986 and September 1991. Discontinuation after 36 months was 36 to 40%. The Council said that the method was safe and did not affect return of fertility. The trials of NORPLANT2 were discontinued because the Council could not get supplies since the production was stopped. It was found that the silicon content of the rods stopped. It was found that the Silicon Content of the rods was carcinogenic and terratogenic. The Council reported that in the new project, staff of 17 to 20 medical college hospitals in the country would implant about 200 women each with, NORPLANT. In the next 6 months another 50 medical college hospitals in India will recruit additional women. In total 100 college hospitals will introduce 20,000 implants. As per the instructions that the Council will give, contra- indications for recruiting the cases for NORPLANT will include, first 6 months of lactation, irregular menstrual cycles, genital and breast pathology, hypertension, and diabetes. A review of the cases will be undertaken after 2 years. The questions that need answers for the women's groups include the fact that in view of the pending case against introduction of implants and other contraceptives in the national family planning program, can ICMR introduce NORPLANT? Women also believe that all the women who were included in the trials of NORPLANT2 should be treated as the women who had accepted Dalkon Shield i.e. in view of the fact that the implant is known to cause serious side-effects the women who were implanted, must be located, necessary medical help provided and financially compensated. In view of the interest of the Council to implant a large number of women with NORPLANT, it is important that the legal position in the Experimentation on Human Beings is known. In this context P. M. Baxi, an eminent expert says, 2 "Interference with human body is illegal and in certain circumstances criminal, unless consented. Even if the consent is obtained without provision of essential facts, legal liability arises. He also adds that, even with consent, reasonable care at medical procedures is binding on the medical person. Somnath Roy, a medical person involved with medical research for the official agencies, while discussing about the introduction of contraceptives in the national family programs - especially injectables and implants, says that expectance gained from clinic based trials does not provide adequate guidelines and preparations for the program operations. He emphasized that this is particularly true with injectables and implants. In the light of the fact that Indians have experienced a highly coercive, government during Emergency and government promoted family planning program even the experience of the day to day functioning of the program shows that there is emphasis on increasing the number of acceptors and a review of some of the printed material is adequate to convince that the coercion continues and women are the major targets of the program. Such a review was undertaken and was published. (Karkal Malini 1991, Compulsion - Political Will and Family Planning) It is therefore necessary that the women's organizations equip themselves with all the information available on NORPLANT. Fortunately such information is available from several countries. An attempt is made here to present it. As will be seen from the experience with NORPLANT in other countries, as well as whatever is experimented in India, also the side effects that are listed by the Population Council and WHO, the health condition of Indian women and the facilities available to them, must be borne in mind. Among the side effects major one and suffered by a large proportion off the users, is menstrual irregularity and which includes, heavy and prolonged bleeding. It is known that anemia is widely prevalent in Indian women. Question therefore arises is can these women bear additional blood Loss? Other side effects include medical problems. Currently 70% of rural and 30% of urban women are delivered by untrained persons. And this is when the trained persons include trained Dais. What facilities will be available for this highly medicalized method? Experience from other country shows that careful training, to medically qualified persons is needed for implantation of the method. What plans has ICMR made for the selection and training? 3 More important is the training for removal of the implants. It is known that the removal is more difficult than the implantation. Also the women, who are implanted, are likely to migrate to areas away from the place where they got the implant. It is obvious therefore that there is a need for a wide network of trained medical persons for removal of the implants. What is being done to meet this need? NORPLANT is known to cause several side-effects such as headache diziness, nervousness, weight gain, breast tenderness, excessive facial hair growth and ovarian cysts. What is being done to tackle problems arising out of these possible changes? Are there provisions for training suitable staff to tackle problems among women who are already socially oppressed under prevailing conditions? Review of the Available Literature NORPLANT was developed at the Population Council (PC), New york. It is manufactured by Leiras Pharmaceuticals, which is required to provide it at a low price to developing country governments and family planning organisations. NORPLANT, is a package of six matchstick size hormonal contraceptive capsules, that is claimed to be effective for five years and reversible. The capsules are made of silicone, are non-biodegradable tubes and are filled with synthetic hormone - progestin. It is implanted, by surgery, under the skin of a woman's upper or lower arm. Each 34mm by 2.4mm tube contains 36mg of levanorgestrel, a synthetic progestin, used in combined oral contraceptive pill. The hormone was selected after conducting researches with levonorgestrel, norgestrienone and megestrol acetate implants. Though levonorgestrel showed higher bleeding disturbances, it was chosen because it was long acting, it was used in oral pills and was approved by FDA (Food and Drug Administration) of USA, and as an implant, removal rates within first three years were believed to be lower. The hormone is gradually released through the walls of the capsules in a continuous low dose. Exact working mechanism of the method is not known but it is believed that it inhibits ovulation in 50% of the menstrual cycles and thickens cervical mucus, making it difficult for sperm to fertilize the egg. The contraceptive effect of the capsules starts within hours of the insertion. The contraceptive effect of NORPLANT was initially based on the principle that microdose of progestins suppresses fertility, but does not suppress ovulation. The Population Council (PC) researchers expected less side effects than with the contraceptive pill due to continuous release of low doses of progestin. 4 Betsy Hartman says that NORPLANT must be removed after 5 years. Its presence in the arm past that period may increase the risk of life-threatening ectopic (outside the uterus) pregnancy. If a woman wants to continue using the method for a period longer than five years, she will have to get the earlier implanted rods removed by surgery and get new ones implanted. The research that led to the development of NORPLANT was initiated by the PC in 1967 and NORPLANT was researched from 1970 to 1975, to find the most effective combinations of capsules and hormones. The system was developed in 1974. The trials in Chile, Brazil and India had showed increased numbers of ectopic (outside the uterus) pregnancies among the failures and swelling in the ovaries. In 1975 therefore PC increased the dose of progestin thus reducing the chances of pregnancy as well as the risk of ectopic pregnancy. This dose however, is lower than that in the pill. In 1985 WHO gave its report declaring NORPLANT as an "effective and reversible method of fertility regulation particularly advantegious to women who wish an extended period of contraceptive protection" and is considered "suitable for use in family planning programmes along with other methods of fertility regulation." WHO had simulatenously reccommended: 1. A training and supervision of medical personnel, especially bearing in mind the side-effects listed below, the client selection needs a careful examination. 2. More research on long-term side effects. 3. Research into the use of implants during lactation. 4. Post-marketing surveillance studies and continuation of studies on the acceptibility of the method. The PC established training centres in Dominican Republic, Indonesia and Egypt. Leiras, a pharmaceutical company, trained a number of clinicians in Finland. For training of physicians, nurses and counsellers, the PC prepared a five day NORPLANT curriculum, in collaboration with Family Health International (FHI), Association for Voluntary Surgical Contraception (AVSC), and Programme for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH) 5 For knowing about long-term side-effects, FHI, with assistance from WHO and the PC, has initiated a post marketing surveillance in the developing countries. The collaborative study will follow 7500 to 8000 NORPLANT users and the same number of controls, for five years. The study began in pilot projects in June 1987 in Chile, Sri Lanka and Thailand and in full surveillance projects in autumn of 1988 in Bangladesh, Chile, China, Egypt, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The findings were expected to point out rare and long-term side-effects. The PC, based on these researches, recommends that, steroids are not considered the contraceptives of first choice for breastfeeding women, though in the opinion of the PC, on significant effects, on infants, were noticed for mothers who used the method six weeks after the birth. User and programme studies are under way in, Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Ghana, Haiti, Kenya, Indonesia, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, Philippines, Senegal, Singapore, Thailand, United States and Zambia. On the failure or the pregnancy rate among the users, it is reported that the rate is 0.2% for the first year, 1.2, 1.6 and 0.4% for the subsequent three years. Cumulative pregnancy rate for 5 years is 3.9%. Correlation was observed between effectiveness and woman's weight. After the second year, heavier women, particularly those with weight 70kg, have proportionately higher probability of becoming pregnant than the lighter women. For women with weight 70kg the cumulative pregnancy rate, among the users, was 8.5%. Contra-indications for the acceptance of NORPLANT, according to the PC and WHO, are: pregnancy, presence of cardio-vascular disorders, women with undiognosed abnormal vaginal bleeding, women with benign or malignant liver tumors, women with known or suspected breast cancer. In addition, women suffering from anaemia, diabetes, and high blood pressure are advised regular check-up. NORPLANT is not to be a method of first choice for lactating women and it is not to be used before 6 weeks of a birth. Clinicians are also asked to look into women who smoke or are on any medication. In addition to irregularities in menstruation, heavy and irregular bleeding as well as amenorrhea, the PC and WHO list following method related side-effects: headaches nervousness vomitting dizziness inflamation of the skin acne change of appetite weight gain breast tenderness excessive facial hair growth or hair loss infection, pain or itching at the implant site and functional ovarian cyst Though WHO had advised careful study of 7500 to 800 women before approvaing use on large scale, according to the Population Council, more than 55,000 women in 46 countries have been involved in the clinical or pre- 6 introductory trials, and more than 500,000 women worldwide have used the method. In reply to the complaint by UBINIG in Bangladesh, against NORPLANT, USAID said the users to be nearly three-quarters of a million, around the world. Among the 17 countries that have approved marketing of NORPLANT are China, Finland, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Thailand and Tunisia and the U.S. In Latin America and the Caribbean, NORPLANT has been approved in Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Peru and Venezuela. It is important to note that the PC acknowledges most of the issues that women activists are raising. However it is observed that government family planning programmes in many Third World countries are in favour of rapid expansion of NORPLANT delivery services, without fully acknowledging the possible constraints. In reply to protest from UBINIG, regarding promotion of NORPLANT in Bangladesh, USAID insisted that the method was proved to be safe and effective. And this is said inspite of evidence to the contrary. USAID further added that the women in the developing countries have too few choices and NORPLANT offers women an additional contraceptive option that is safe, effective and long-acting. It offers women the freedom to control their own reproduction and fertility. In a letter, dated August 21, 1991 to the Medical Director of IPPF, in response to guidelines developed for medical and service delivery by the IPPF, USAID says, "..we are very concerned that the manual may unintentionally set up medical barriers to access to care for other potential recipients." "All too often, in our view, family planning programmes impose numerous medical barriers to service which we are convinced hinder program effectiveness and impact, especially for hormonal contraception. Common examples of what we mean by medical barriers include: 1. Unncessary laboratory tests; 2. Excessive physical exams (e.g. pelvic and breast) 3. Holding the oral contraceptive "hostage" to other reproductive medical care (e.g. pap smear and STD tests) 4. Restrictions on the number of OC cycles dispensed (e.g. providing only on cycle for a new client and only if menstruating, or only three cycles on subsequent visits.) 7 5. Excessive follow-up schedules (e.g. every three months, including counselling, weight, blood pressure, breast check etc.) 6. Conservation medical thinking (e.g. taking women off the pill for a while if she develops a headache just to play it "safe" or denying a postpartum woman with an enlarged thyroid the pill until the gland becomes smaller) 7. Excessive counselling and history taking in such a way as to include a lot of irrelevant information rather than the important things, the net effect being to increase waiting time and see few clients. 8. Categorical exclusion of clients (arbitrary age and parity criteria) 9. Categorical exclusion of methods (not providing IUDs because the STD rate is too high in the population) and 10. Categorical exclusion of who can provide methods (only OB/GYNs or only physicians) are allowed to perform surgical contraception, provide OCs etc." The letter further says, "With respect to contraindications, in our view, we prefer not to even use the term. It is a term which may have very negative connotations and major inhibitory effect, especially when transmitted downward through the system. A low level health worker needs a lot of confidence to go against even a `relative contraindication'" "Although the fact that the risk from pregnancy is relatively greater compared to risks from using methods even when contraindicated is mentioned, this point could be emphasized more. In addition, the benefits of contraception could be more fully explored and stressed, such as benefits of pills." On the one hand these population controller agencies have no hesitation in introducing methods that are known to have side-effects in significantly larger numbers of users, they advocate introducing these methods without any restrictions, on the grounds that they see population control as the most important agenda, even when it means sacrificing the health and well being of women. UBINIG, and NGO, working for women in Bangladesh reports that NORPLANT was introduced in that country, by a voluntary agency funded by international monies, Bangladesh Fertility Research Programme (BFRP), even when the Technical Advisory Committee had not approved the method. 8 The method was advertised, in 1981, through newspapers as a "wonderful innovation of modern science." These claims were however challenged by 151 doctors and pharmacists and BFRP stalled its trials. They however were undertaken from February 1985, with the financial assistance from PC and the Family Health International, both based in the USA. An argument supporting the introduction of NORPLANT was that, "contraceptive pills containing progestin and more commonly used other reversible methods neccessiate continous motivational involvement by the user. In a country like Bangladesh this fact is more true than in the developed world. It is, therefore necessary to introduce methods in Bangladesh which can continue to be effective for long periods without continuous motivation by family planning workers. NORPLANT is perhaps the most effective method which is likely to prove successful here". This is another way of emphasisng effectivity and superiority of the method in use for population control. It says nothing about the safety and women's ability to control their own fertility. It in reality points the ability of the family planning workers i.e. population controllers, to control the use of the method. BFRP, in keeping with the population control objective, started promoting NORPLANT, before the results of the trial were available. It is important to note that the above mentioned claims about the safety and effectivity were made inspite of findings from the research undertaken by WHO. It is also abserved that as the programme expanded rapidly, training became more informal and theoretical aspects, were dropped. Betsy Hartman reviewed the PC report on the experience with NORPLANT in Indonesia. She says in that country as many as half a million women have had NORPLANT and the method is on the list of the national family programme. The training in that country does not include training for removal. Experiance shows that as the programme expanded, women were not told about removal and they are informed that the method is effective for five years. If women ask for earlier removal they are reminded that they had asked for the implantation. It was observed that 30% women wanted removal but they did not dare to approach the clinic for fear of refusal. Women are also unaware as to what is involved. NORPLANT, the cost of which is high, is given free, in contrast to the other methods which are charged a fee. This has helped in increasing the acceptance of NORPLANT. The family planning programme in Indonesia is target oriented and emphases increase in contraceptive prevalence, including emphasis on long-acting contraceptives such as IUD, NORPLANT and sterilisation. Zimmerman reports that in Dominican Republic, Egypt, Indonesia, women are not given removals if they asked for them. If they reported irregular menstruation, they were advised to `wait and see'. Soon the women in these countries learnt to give false reasons 9 that the clinicians would accept e.g. spouse desiring to have a baby. Women were not told that NORPLANT had to be removed after 5 years. It is therefore not known as to how many women still carry them. In Indonesia NORPLANT programme is sponsored by the UNFPA and the Asian Development Bank and it is promoted by powerful social groups, including government, religious groups and military. The situation in the country is generally such that the pressures from such groups are generally effective in getting acceptance. In addition the method is given to the women who visit clinic and without any information about other methods. Information given about the NORPLANT is very limited. There is no surely about the woman being pregnant at the time of insertion. Generally the insertion is done within seven days of starting the menstruation and experience shows that 20% of the users had accepted NORPLANT during menstruation and 21% post-pregnancy or abortion. The managers of the programme indicate that NORPLANT should be used in strongly fundamentalist Muslim areas where IUD is not acceptable. The PC report from the evaluating team of the Indonesian programme says that the field workers uses techniques of "persuation" or "motivation" to assist the client in coming to a decision and these techniques are described as similar to pressurising or even coercing clients to accept the particular method. There are some problems about the technical aspects such as shortage of trocars, the instruments for the insertion of the capsules. It was observed that sterilisation standards were not met. There was 1 trocar for 25 insertions whereas the actual need is of atleast 3 for 25 insertions. In addition there is a need of staff that will wash and sterilise the instruments. WHO research had concluded that its findings were based on insufficient animal experiments, lack of knowledge regarding comparability of the findings on animals and human, insufficient clinical research, absence of research on effects on women with frequently found health conditions, and on the whole the claims of suitability for most women were made without support from facts, and the findings from experiances in the field were therefore very important. UBINIG's enqiry revealed that poor, illiterate, pregnant women who went for help were asked to give their written consent to MR(menstrual regualtion) without reading out to them the contents which stated, "I know about the problems such as infection, bleeding and perforation of uterus, and yet I request for the MR." After MR the women were implanted with NORPLANT without any information on the method, excepting that it was a simple and safe method that prevented pregnancy for five years. Information provided to other non- 10 pregnant women was the same. There were other details in the information provided to the women that were not supported by the facts available from WHO and other sources. Bangladesh Fertility Research Programme (BFRP) reported that continuation among the 600 women after 14 months of use was 31%. In Brazil, clinical trials were authorised by the Ministry of Health in 1984, but were suspended after two years. In Bangladesh official received long-acting NORPLANT with enthusism. A government report noted "With largely illiterate and conservative population, together with poor communication facilities, is unsuitable for short-term contraceptive techniques which demand continuous motivation on the part of the client and a continuous supply of material on the part of programme managers. NORPLANT, was therefore viewed not as a reversible contraceptive but as a drug with the potential for becoming nearly as effective as sterilization. Activists from UBINIG, a women's health network protested to the US FDA that, their research "uncovered gross violations of ethics and an inadequate research practice." UBINIG also pointed out that most of the developing countries do not have physical infrastructure and manpower to effectively manage the technology and ensure follow-up care. "Within the population control context, the `provider' is often a repressive government and `acceptor' are poor and malnourished women. This technology is open to widespread abuse." Soledad Diaz from Chile, participated from 1973, in the initial research for development of NORPLANT. About 4000 to 5000 women are currently using the method. Diaz says that about half the women continue using the method for 5 years and about 25% ask reinsertion. She mentions that close rapport between service provider and the clients as an essential component for these results. Among the criticisms of the feminists, of NORPLANT, is the fact that the method is provider controlled. Insertion as well as removal requires trained persons, direct medical supervision and highly sterile conditions. Experiance so far shows that the method is promoted by the population controllers and their main interest is increasing the number of users. It shows lack of training in identifying the cases with contra-indications and generally lack of entusiasm among the service-staff to reject cases. In such situations women with definite contra- indications are likely to be implanted with NORPLANT. The experiance also shows that there is unwillingness in removal of NORPLANT even if the women so desire. This is sure to result in larger numbers of women experiancing problems because of the implantation. 11 Wemos/HAI - international groups of women and pharmaceuticals, say that the side-effects noted by the PC/WHO, require high level training to ensure appropriate client selection. Also, the insertion and removal require hygienic conditions and the side-effects an appropriate refferal system, including specialised gynaecological care. Currently the NORPLANT delivery programmes are expanding too far and too soon. It must be remembered that WHO had advised close follow up of 7500 to 8000 cases. However according to the PC, more than 55,000 women in 46 countries have been involved in the clinical or pre-introductory trials, and more than 500,000 women worldwide have used the method. In reply to the complaint by UBINIG in Bangladesh, against NORPLANT, USAID said the users to be nearly three-quarters of a million, around the world. Among the 17 countries that have approved marketing of NORPLANT are China, Finland, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Thailand and Tunisia and the US. IN Latin America and the Caribbean, NORPLANT has been approved in Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Peru and Venezuela. The attitude of pushing the programme so fast, also generates doubts whether the conditions for safe use of NORPLANT will be ever met. In India, about 80% of the rural and 30% urban deliveries are conducted by utrained persons. Availability of trained services under these conditions, becomes suspect. Also women are expected to face problems in finding a trained person, if they wish the implant to be removed. Both, for implantation as well as for the removal, the user is dependent on the provider. This can create problems in countries that have strond anti-natalist policies. Experiance, reported from Bangladesh, and Indonesia shows that the women who experianced problems with the method, and who went back to the clinics, were either not able to go for removals because of the attitude of the providers or were refused the removals, even if they picked up the courage to go and ask for removals. Among the studies that are reported, from Indonesia, even in the closely controlled study, 238 (29%) women of the total 813 under study, were lost to follow up. Reports from other studies are no different. This raises doubts about the reliability of the findings of the studies and the possibility of undetected long-term effects on the health of the women. Coercion in family planning, and especially of women (and the poor), is widely experianced in countries with anti-natalist policies. Experiance about NORPLANT, not only in Bangladesh, Brazil, Equador, Indonesia and Thailand 12 but even in a developed country such as USA, shows that the method is used to oppress women. The reports from USA show that NORPLANT has become a method of choice for prosecutors, probation officers, a raft of law makers and policy makers and as indicated by recent opinion polls, a majority of the general public. Time magazine reported that "real progress was brought" when the FDA approved NORPLANT. It claimed that the method was as reliable as sterilisation, "and unlike sterilisation it is totally reversible. Reclaiming one's fertility was as simple as having the device removed". "It is what many women were waiting for." According to Time, "the most common complaint was the NORPLANT disrupts menstruation. Four out of five users reported menstrual disruption. Though only a third of those who experianced changes were bothered about them." Time also forecasted that if the family planning advocates would subsidise the price of NORPLANT and it would be available cheaper. "women's lives will never be the same". From the available information, it seems that the method is not used by the White American women but the others are pursuaded to use it. This is happening mainly in States Louisiana, Kansas and California. Women on welfare are offerred $500 to have NORPLANT inserted and $50 each year it remained in place. The women will however have to return the money received and pay $300 if for any reason they wish to remove the implant before 5 years. Thus even if the women has side effects, she has very little choice. Two weeks after NORPLANT received approval from FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in USA it was proposed that insertion of NORPLANT be made an acceptable condition of probation for women convicted of drug offences. In California Judge Broadman ordered thus, a woman on probation. Darlene Johnson, a 28 year old unwed mother on welfare was ordered to be implanted with NORPLANT or face four years in State prison. Darlene was pregnant at the time of the order. It is not known as to what was to happen to her pregnany, since the hormonal implant would certainly interfere with it. Judge Broadman says that his order is fair and constitutionally supportable since the State has compelling interest in protecting future children of the women involved. US columnist, Ellen Goodman, commented, "it took 24 years to develop, test and approve an implantable device that can prevent pregnancy for as long as five years. (But) It took less than two weeks for NORPLANT to be billed as a new method of coercion." 13 There are already provision in 42 States in USA that have agreed to pay for NORPLANT under their Medicaid programmes. Many of the doctors and nurses who care for problem babies are pushing for the legislation. A physician even suggested that pimps be paid $100 for every prostitute implanted with NORPLANT. A poll conducted by Los Angeles Times found that 46% of the respondents strongly approved of making NORPLANT mandatory for drug-abusing women and another 15% said that they approved "somewhat", 67% approved of giving teen-agers access to NORPLANT. Glamour magazine reader poll indicated 60% approval of forced NORPLANT for female child abusers. Studies in Family Planning (Vol.21, No.3, May/June 1990) a publication of Population Council, an agency responsible for the development of NORPLANT, reports about the use of the method in San Francisco, in USA. It was found that 95% of the users (250 women) reported side-effects with 82% reporting changes in menstruation. In the interviews it was found that 57 (23%) of the women discontinued using the method and their average use was 10 months. Enquiry by the end of three years and four months, found that another 110 (44%) women had discontinued. Finally only 95 (38%) women continued with the method. Interestinlgy, the authors conclude, "Most of the women were pleased with the NORPLANT--- For the women enrolled in this clinical trial, NORPLANT appeared to be highly acceptable method of contraception, despite the frequent occurance of bothersome side effects." Another aspect of the study that would be interesting to the readers is the distribution of the NORPLANT users by their ethnicity. Hispanic (44%) Caucasian (37%), Black (13%), Others (either Asians or American Indian) 6%. It is clear that the heart of the matter is that who should control women's reproduction has clear racist, sexist bias. Aid to families with dependent children is 34.6% and is highly disproportionate to their representation of 6.35% in the population. There is no proposal to bribe men convicted for child abuse, with use birth control or agree to vasectomy. Experiance with the method shows that women who use it suffer from side effects such as, menstrual irregularities such as amenorrhoea and excessive and prolonged bleeding, dizziness, headaches, burning sensation, nervousness, tiredness, weight gain and ovarian cysts. Dr. Philip Darney, an Obstretrician- Gynaecologist from California, who reported from the follow up of 400 NORPLANT users, adds to the above side-effects, that the capsules can be seen on slender arms. He also reported that 40 to 60% women requested removal before five years. Long-term side effects on women as well as on fetuses of women who were pregnant at the time of insertion or after the implant is 14 removed, are not known but the above mentioned side effects are reported even by WHO and it therefore stresses the importance of the service delivery seting in the contraceptive's service record. Since NORPLANT does not contain estrogen, it is claimed that it does not carry the risk of heart attack, breast cancer or other problems that are known to be associate with pills. However this conclusion needs to be tested. Wemos/HAI the above mentioned International Groups on Women and Pharmaceuticals says, that though WHO had suggested a trials on about 7500 to 8000 women before introducing the method for large scale use, the studies so far offer information on the duration for which the women are willing to tolerate side-effects. There is no information from the "user-perspective" of safety and efficacy of NORPLANT. Though headache, diziness and nervousness are described as minor, they can affect women's lives considerably, and more so when they do not know that the cause is NORPLANT. In the absence of such knowledge there is likely to be further medication through the use of pain-killers and anti-depressants. Also it is important to know how menstrual irregularities are perceived. Amenorrhea with vomitting and other symptoms may be interpreted as the symptoms of pregnancy. Use of traditional methods of abortion are not unlikely or it may be inerpreted as infertility and may cause strained family relations. Removal is difficult if implant is deep and forms scar tissues around the rods. Cases where the implants were lost are also reported. Bibliography 1. A Birth-Control Breakthrough - The FDA finally approves a long-awaited implant, (1990) Time, December 24, p.68. 2. Alvarez-Samchez Francisco Vivian Brache and Anibal Faundes (1988) The Clinical Performance of NORPLANT Implants Over Time: A Comparision of Two Cohorts, Studies in Family Planning, Volume 19 Number 2, pp. 118-121. 3. Basanayake Sriani, Shyam Thapa and Sander A Baalogh (1988) Evaluation of Safety, Efficacy and Acceptability of NORPLANT Implants in Sri Lanka, Studies in Family Planning, Volume 19, Number 1, pp. 39-47. 4. Baxi P.M. (1992) The Experimentation on Human Beings: The Law, Lawyer's Collective, pp. 13-14. 15 5. Concern Over Safety, Coercion Greet US Approval of NORPLANT in Women's Health Journal, ISIS, Jan-Feb-Mar 1991, pp. 46-47. 6. Contraception Volume 38, Number 6, pp.650-673 (report on the NORPLANT 2 trials in India) 7. Diaz Solledad (1991) NORPLANT in Chile, ISIS, Jan-Feb-Mar, p.48 8. Hardon Anita and Lenny Achtuoven (1991) NORPLANT : A Critical Review. Women's Global Network for Reproductive Rights Newsletter 34, January-March pp. 17-21. 9. Hartman Betsy (1991) Pomltion Council Report on NORPLANT in Indonesia. Women's Global Network on Reproductive Rights Newsletter 34, pp 21-24. 10. Karkal Malini 1991, Compulsion-Politica Will and Family Planning. (available from the author) 11. Roy Somnath (1983) Introduction of Contraceptives in the National Programme-Injectables and Implants, Health and Population - Perspectives and Issues, Volume 6, Number 1, pp. 5-24. 12. Satyapan Suvane, Kanchanasinith and Somasak Varakamin (1983) Perceptions and Acceptability of NORPLANT Implants in Thailand, Studies in Family Planning Volume 14, Numbers 6-7, pp. 81-94. 13. Sivin I, Diaz Soledad, Pentti Holma Fransisco, Alvarez-Sanchez and Dale Robertson (1983) A Four Year Clinical Study of NORPLANT Implants, Studies in Family Planning, Volume 14, Numbers 6-7, pp.184-191. 14. UBINIG (1988) NORPLANT: The Five Year Needle, An Investigation of the Trial on NORPLANT from the User's Perspective pp.50. 15. The Population Council (1990) Approvals Rise to 15 Countries, NORPLANT Worldwide, May, p.14. 16. The Resistance Network Against Abuse of Contraception on Women's Bodies, Newsletter Research Centre Women's Studies, Summer Issue, Volume 12, Number 1, pp.9-10. 17. Segal S.J. (1983) The Development of NORPLANT implants, Studies in Family Planning, Volume 14, Numbers 6-7, pp.159-163. 16 18. WHO (1985) Facts About an Implantable Contraceptive, WHO Bulletin Volume 33, Number 3, pp. 485-494. 19. Zimmerman Margot. et al (1990) Assesing the Acceptability of NORPLANT Implants in Four Countries: Findings from Focus Group Research, Studies in Family Planning, Volume 21, Number 2, pp.92-103. 20. (Unnamed) (1991) Implanted Birth Control Devid Renews Debate Over Forced Contraception, WGNRR Newsletter 34, pp 24-25 17
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What are the Most Liberal and Most Conservative Elite Law Schools?
Summary: We have a list of the most liberal and most conservative elite law schools in today's post. In an effort to determine which elite law schools are conservative and which ones are liberal, FiveThirtyEight Politics used two sets of…>read moreNo Comment December 5, 2014
The 2015 Top 10 Best Law Schools for Career Prospects
Summary: The 2015 top 10 best law schools for career prospects list has been released by The Princeton Review and we have the list for you in this post. The Princeton Review recently released its list of the 2015 top 10…>read moreNo Comment October 10, 2014
Law Schools Receiving Full-Time Applications Drops
Last year, applications to American Bar Association-approved law schools dropped to 385,400 from half a million, according to InTheCapital. For the fall of 2013, there were 10 law schools that stood out from the rest in terms of receiving full-time…>read moreNo Comment July 25, 2014
America's Top Legal Recruiter Ranks and Analyzes Top American Law Schools
Click here to read the full article on LawCrossing for a more in-depth look at each of these law schools. While it may seem unorthodox, my observations of the top law schools in the country do not conform to…>read moreNo Comment July 25, 2014
The 2014 Top 25 Law Schools for Social Life Rankings Released
Law school is a great place for students to grow and learn the law, but it can also be an excellent place to enjoy a social life. Graduate Programs recently released its list of the Top 25 Law Schools for…>read moreNo Comment June 3, 2014
Probation Given to Law School Grad in Exotic Bird Death
On Monday, a law school graduate from the University of California, Berkeley was sentenced up to four years probation and 16 hours of animal shelter work per month for be-heading a chicken sized exotic bird, in a Las Vegas Strip…>read moreNo Comment May 13, 2014
Gillian Lester Appointed Dean of Columbia Law Effective January 1, 2015
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Two of the Berkeley Law Bird Beheaders Sentenced
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Recruiting Firms Rank Harvard Number One Law School in the Country
According to a recent survey conducted by U.S. News & World Report, Harvard has been ranked number one by legal recruiting firms across the country, receiving a score from recruiters of 4.9 out of 5 for its reputation. The survey…>read moreNo Comment March 10, 2011
Yale Once Again Tops U.S. News Law School Rankings
The U.S. News & World Report rankings for top U.S. law schools was released late Wednesday night and here's the top 20, which isn't much changed from a year ago. Yale continued its dominance atop the rankings and, in fact,…>read moreNo Comment April 14, 2010
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Cell Decks Riot part 2
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Chronicles of Riddick Guide
Cell Decks RiotThere are no bounty cards or extras in this chapter, but the sidequest offered by Miles back in the chapter Recycle is still active. If you didn't activate the sidequest and moved on, you will not be able to carry on this sidequest unless you restart the chapter Recycle and play to this one. Grab the letter from Mile's cell and deliver it using the comm stat near the maintenance fan.
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The Desert Sun
AmDocs Film festival gala celebrates Peter Bogdanovich
The Desert Sun
The rapt attention of hundreds of filmmakers and enthusiasts alike was fixed to the screen of the Camelot Theatre Thursday evening as they celebrated the career of director Peter Bogdanovich and the opening night of Palm Springs' American Documentary ...
Village Voice (blog)
Why the Manhattan Cocktail Classic Opening Gala Is Worth Its Princely Sum
Village Voice (blog)
The Manhattan Cocktail Classic returns to the city this spring, from May 16 to 19. The annual event incorporates a series of parties, workshops, and dinner pairings designed to educate as well as entertain, and its kickoff is marked by the Opening Night Gala, ...
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Do You Have Your Tickets for the Focus on French Cinema Festival?
Only a few days left until the Focus on French Cinema Festival begins!!! Hurry up and get your tickets! Your Opening Night Gala will be hosted by New England Culinary Institute, L' Academie Culinaire de France and Le Wine Shop. The Concert will by "French ...
Calgary Herald
Bill Brooks: Vehicles and Violins a perfect combo.
Calgary Herald
Pictured at An Evening of Vehicles and Violins Gala 2015- the opening night gala pre-cursor to the Calgary Auto and Truck Show is CPO's Roxanne Young. Glorious music, libation, auction items and vehicles of all shapes, sizes-and price ranges- were front ...
India West
Scarlet Night Gala Raises $250K for South Asian Heart Center
India West
Ashish Mathur, Executive Director, South Asian Heart Center, announces Instant Mystery Prizes during the SAHC's Scarlet Night fundraiser in Santa Clara, Calif., Mar. 14, which raised awareness of the high risk of heart disease among Indian Americans.
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Star Wars: Force Unleashed concept art
Update: So um, there's these new concept art from Star Wars: Force Unleashed, um ... yeah. I'm 0-2 on old news today, folks. Anybody seen E.T. lately?
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Star Wars: X-Wing, TIE Fighter, and other LucasArts classics are joining GOG.com
7:00 PM on 10.27.2014


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Who will be the first woman to beat Ronda Rousey?
TPW's Twitter Feed
MikeSloan19 - Still working very hard and now listening to this all-time classic from the mighty @RealKingDiamond pic.twitter.com/tbsfB1COL6
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HTC has launched its flagship smartphone M8
Last update: Friday 27 March 2015 [810 news items]
WPC chairman visits Taiwan to promote Qi wireless charging
Mar 27, 14:55
Chairman of the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) Menno Treffers has visited Taiwan to promote its Qi wireless charging standard. He said that WPC has over 210 members worldwide and...
HTC appoints Cher Wang as new CEO
Mar 23, 11:54
The board of directors of HTC has named Cher Wang, chairperson and co-founder of HTC, as chief executive officer, effective immediately. Former CEO Peter Chou will transition to a...
Taiwan market: HTC delays delivery of HTC One M9, says paper
Newswatch - Mar 17, 11:54
HTC has delayed the delivery of its new flagship model, the HTC One M9, at its exclusive retail shops and online shop in the Taiwan market, citing the delay was caused by an upgrade...
Taiwan market: TWM to begin contract-bundled sale of HTC One M9
Mar 16, 21:59
Taiwan Mobile (TWM), one of the five 4G mobile telecom carriers in Taiwan, on March 16 announced the sale of HTC One M9, a flagship smartphone offered by Taiwan-based vendor HTC,...
Taiwan market: HTC expects M9 to be top-selling smartphone in flagship segment
Mar 13, 15:35
The HTC One M9 will continue to rank as the top-selling flagship model among its peers in the Taiwan smartphone market, as did its predecessor the One M8, according to Jack Tong,...
Taiwan market: HTC to launch HTC One M9
Mar 12, 22:39
HTC will launch its flagship smartphone, the HTC One M9, in the Taiwan market on March 16 at a recommended retail price of NT$21,900 (US$694) for 32GB and NT$23,900 for 64GB, according...
Taiwan market: Major smartphone brands to release new models soon
Mar 10, 22:33
Competition in Taiwan's smartphone market is set to heat up in the coming quarter as major vendors including Sony Mobile Communications, LG Electronics and HTC all plan to introduce...
HTC reports 27% on-year revenues increase for February
Stockwatch - Mar 3, 20:30
HTC has reported consolidated revenues of NT$9.226 billion (US$293.9 million) for February 2015, representing a 24.84% drop on month but 27.7% increase on year.
HTC unveils HTC M9 flagship, wearable devices HTC Grip, HTC Vive
Mar 2, 15:12
HTC has unveiled its new flagship smartphone the HTC One M9 along with its first smart sports bracelet the HTC Grip and a VR (virtual reality) device the HTC Vive during a pre-MWC...
Smartphone vendors to showcase new models at pre-MWC events
Feb 26, 14:24
Smartphone vendors including Samsung Electronics, HTC, LG Electronics and Sony Mobile Communications all plan to unveil new smartphones at pre-MWC 2015 events to be held on March...
HTC and other vendors to launch non-Android Wear smart devices
Feb 13, 11:16
Although Sony Mobile Communications, LG Electronics, Motorola Mobility and Asustek Computer have launched Android Wear-based smartwatches, Samsung Electronics, HTC and some China-based...
Feb 10, 22:10
HTC has appointed Idris Mootee, CEO of Idea Couture, a design firm based in Toronto, as its new CMO. Mootee's predecessor, Benjamin Ho, left the company in July, and company chairwoman...
Taiwan market: Samsung, HTC release 4G smartphones
Feb 10, 15:19
Samsung Electronics and HTC have both launched new smartphones targeting the entry-level to mid-range segments in the Taiwan market. The new models will compete with comparable models...
Digitimes Research: Taiwan handset shipments to drop nearly 30% on quarter in 1Q15
Feb 10, 14:59
Taiwan-based brand vendors and ODMs will ship a total of 18.05 million handsets in the first quarter of 2015, down 29.4% on quarter but up 11.2% on year, according to Digitimes Res...
HTC expects revenues, profits to fall in 1Q15
Newswatch - Feb 9, 10:55
HTC expects its revenues to drop 6-13% sequentially to NT$41.5-45 billion (US$1.31-1.42 billion) for the first quarter of 2015. On an annual term, the revenues will be up 25-36% from...
Tablet vendors taking new strategies to rekindle sales in 2015
Feb 6, 14:38
Tablet vendors are adopting measures to revive sales or reduce BOM (bill of materials) costs in 2015 in order to tide over their current difficulties caused by falling unit prices...
Digitimes Research: Handset shipments by Taiwan-based vendors and ODMs increase 50% on year in 4Q14
Feb 5, 15:42
Shipments of handsets by Taiwan-based ODMs and brand vendors totaled 25.56 million units in the fourth quarter of 2014, increasing 15% sequentially and over 50% from a year earlier,...
Taiwan market: Local brands to enhance presence in sub-NT$5,000 smartphone segment
Feb 4, 15:37
Taiwan-based smartphone vendors, including HTC, Acer, Asustek Computer, BenQ and Gigabyte Communications, all plan to enhance their presence in the sub-NT$5,000 (US$158) smartphone...
HTC sponsors eSports teams Cloud 9, Team Liquid, Team SoloMid
Jan 28, 22:21
HTC has made an entrance into the eSports arena sponsoring three teams: Cloud 9, Team Liquid and Team SoloMid (TSM).
Taiwan market: iPhone 6 devices record largest market share in December
Jan 23, 11:49
Buoyed by continued strong sales of iPhone 6 devices, Apple ranked as the top smartphone vendor in the Taiwan market in December both in terms of sales value and volume, according...
Taiwan market: HTC to ramp up sales through retail channels
Jan 21, 21:56
HTC plans to strengthen its cooperation with open retail channels to promote sales of its smartphones in the Taiwan market, aiming to ramp up the ratio of channel sales to 35-40%...
HTC has China-based Shanghai Huaqin produce the Desire 526G dual sim
Newswatch - Jan 12, 23:04
HTC has had China-based Shanghai Huaqin Telecom Technology undertake OEM production of its entry-level 3G smartphone, the Desire 526G dual sim, which features a 4.7-inch 720p HD display,...
HTC ties up with Under Armour for product development
Jan 8, 07:43
HTC will team up with US-based sports gear brand Under Armour (UA) to launch a series of hardware devices that can connect with UA's sports community platform, UA Record, for access...
HTC 4Q14 performance beats guidance
Jan 6, 14:38
HTC has reported revenues of NT$15.1 billion (US$471.8 million) for December 2014, down 10% sequentially but up 22.1% on year. Revenues for the fourth quarter of 2014 reached NT$47.87...
Compal smartphone shipments reach 20 million in 2014, to double in 2015
Dec 29, 11:14
Buoyed by its integration with its handset subsidiary Compal Communications in February, Compal Electronics will ramp up its smartphone shipments to 20 million units in 2014, doubling...
HTC to launch more entry-level models in 1Q15
Dec 24, 22:54
HTC will enhance its product portfolio by launching more entry-level 4G smartphones in the first quarter of 2015 and expects its shipments to grow by a double-digit rate in the coming...
Taiwan market: Apple is top smartphone vendor in November
Dec 24, 14:54
Apple ranked as the number one smartphone vendor in the Taiwan market in November, in terms of both sales volume and sales value, according to data compiled by local retail channel...
Taiwan market: HTC launches mini camcorder
Dec 3, 15:42
Smartphone vendor HTC has started marketing its mini camcorder, the HTC Re, in the Taiwan market.
HTC expected to hit high-end of 4Q14 guidance
Dec 2, 22:02
HTC is expected to see its consolidated revenues for the fourth quarter of 2014 hit the high-end target of its guidance of NT$43-47 billion (US$1.38-1.51 billion) set for the quarter,...
Xiaomi to unveil new flagship model at CES 2015, says paper
Newswatch - Dec 2, 14:42
Xiaomi Technology is expected to unveil its next generation flagship smartphone, the Mi5, at the upcoming CES 2015 trade show, according to a Chinese-language Economic Daily News...
Smartphone vendors promoting mobile accessories
Dec 1, 15:19
Handset vendors are expanding their product lines for mobile accessories to enrich the user experience while promoting sales as their brand image.
India market: Local brands continue to make ground in smartphone segment
Nov 28, 15:10
Local handset brands in India have continued to gain ground in their home market, with Micromax taking a 20% share in the smartphone segment in the third quarter of 2014, trailing...
Commentary: Android smartphone vendors set to meet more challenges
Nov 25, 15:26
Sluggish demand for Android-based smartphones is taking its toll on vendors including Samsung Electronics, HTC and Sony Mobile Communications as evidenced by third-quarter reports...
China market: Local vendors to roll out ultra-thin smartphones
Nov 12, 12:21
China-based smartphone vendors, including Huawei, Oppo, Gionee and Vivo, are engaging in a race to roll out ultra-thin models, a job which has been played mainly by international...
Taiwan market: HTC to continue to be top Android smartphone vendor
Nov 4, 21:54
HTC's sales of smartphones in the Taiwan market in the fourth quarter of 2014 will be better than those recorded in the previous quarter, enabling HTC to continue to serve as the...
- Taiwan IC design houses gearing up to offer solutions for USB Type-C
- Prospects of IC backend service industry remain promising: Q&A with UTAC Holdings CEO William John Nelson
- Qualcomm, MediaTek shifting some 28nm chip orders away from TSMC
- Tablet vendors looking to tackle niche markets in 2015
- Getac chairman expects over 15% on-year growth in rugged PC shipments in 2015
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- Digitimes Research: Microsoft to push 2 inexpensive notebooks in mid-2015 to counter Chromebook penetration
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- Young Fast aims to reduce cash outflow and increase new solutions to improve performance in 2015
- Apple to release 3 iPhone models in 2H15
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- Taiwan International Lighting Show begins
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27-Mar-2015 markets closed
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|OTC electronic
- Lenovo realigns business following merger integration (Mar 19) - Company release
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HTC has launched its flagship smartphone M8
TD-LTE is the mainstream global choice for 4G asymmetric frequency spectrum networks
Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2015
Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2015, hosted from March 2-5 in Barcelona, Spain gathered mobile device vendors worldwide to showcase their latest mobile...
A portal for information about Taiwan's WiMAX industry.
Rising competition from China supply chain: Q&A with Compal president Ray Chen
Compal Electronics was one of the pioneers that relocated its major production base to China from Taiwan...
NFV solution market to emerge in 2015: Q&A with Aruba CEO Dominic Orr
The development of network functions virtualization (NFV) solutions will become mature in 2015 and...
Compatibility, efficiency crucial to wireless charging market: Q&A with Mark Hunsicker, senior director of wireless power solutions at Qualcomm
Despite years of enthusiasm for wireless charging technology, the market for wireless charging applications...
Karbonn looks to in-house handset production in India: Q&A with executive director
Karbonn, the second-largest India-based handset vendor, is looking into in-house production. Digitimes...
- Smartphone and tablet industry: The view from Taiwan - May 2012
Taiwan-based companies have a long and successful history of involvement in the supply chain for mobile devices, which for the purposes of this article consist...
- Taiwan handset overview - Jun 2010
The global handset market did not have a banner year in 2009, with overall shipments of 1.167 billion units representing a drop of 3.2% from the previous year,...
- Taiwan handset industry overview - Jun 2008
The use of handsets continues to grow around the world, both in mature and emerging markets, as the communication devices become ever more ingrained in people's...
- Taiwan handset overview - Jun 2007
Global handset shipments topped 977 million units in 2006, according to Digitimes Research, with Taiwan-based handset makers accounting for 14% of the market on...
- Wireless broadband developments in Southeast Asia markets
As of 2013, the 10 ASEAN nations had a total of over 700 million mobile subscriptions, with the CAGR from 2003-2013 reaching 24%. This Digitimes Research Special Report analyzes the various mobile broadband markets in ASEAN and looks at the respective trends in 4G LTE development for those markets.
- 2015 global tablet demand forecast
This Digitimes Research Special Report provides a 2015 forecast for the global tablet market and analyzes the strategies of key market players such as Google, Apple, Intel, and Microsoft.
- 2015 China smartphone panel trend forecast
This Digitimes Research Special Report analyzes the strategies of key China-based major panel makers BOE, Tianma and IVO for attacking the different market segments through technology and pricing, and their relationship to local vendors Huawei, Lenovo, ZTE, Xiaomi and Coolpad.


text:
Twenty Eleven Resolutions
Every year we publicly proclaim a few of our resolutions in the hope that it'll light a fire under our arse (arses?) and help us "get there." So without further ado (except for this gratuitous Clara picture) here they are…
Resolution #1. To be more bold with our decorating & renovating choices. We want to embrace color and contrast and just have fun without worrying that we'll mess up. Mistakes are always when we learn the most about a project or our style, so we're going to welcome them with open arms. And we hope to do our best to resist always going with the "safest" decisions in favor of taking a few chances and diving in with both feet. Wait that doesn't make sense. Jumping in with both feet? How about cannonballing? Sounds good to us. It probably means there will also be the occasional belly flop, but we're ok with that too.
Resolution #2. To find balance. We're going to try our darndest not to fall into the trap of putting all of our time, money, and energy into the house to the point that we have no life, no savings, and Clara is trapped in our casa for her entire childhood. We'd love to remember to plan family trips (we haven't been on a big vacation since our honeymoon three and a half years ago other than some low key road trips and family beach weeks) and just take time to enjoy visits to the park and the zoo and the occasional meal out. Since the internet is 24/7, sometimes it's hard to resist working nights, weekends, and even on vacation so we hope to get a handle on that. Now that we have a wee one, some healthy family-friendly balance seems like a good idea.
Resolution #3. To save more money. We're already pretty frugal (ok, we're total tightwads) as you can see here, but we'd like to learn more ways to squirrel away cash for a rainy day (or retirement, or the college fund…). For example, we have no idea how to coupon. In fact we only recently learned that it could be used as a verb after watching this crazy show on TLC. But now we'd like to learn the act of couponing (but by no means will we take it as far as the people on that TLC special). Yesterday we gave it a whirl and ended up saving $19 at the grocery store. Not bad for two people who had no idea what they were doing. So we're ready to learn more. From virtually loading our Kroger card with online coupons to buying the Sunday paper for the insert and even printing out online coupons when they're something we actually buy, we'll give it a try. And we'll share how it goes if we happen to get the hang of it.
Resolution #4. To take the people-pleasing thing down a notch. As we mentioned during our blogiversary, "after three years we've learned that it's impossible to please 100% of the people 100% of the time." Gone are the days when we could write about whatever was happening at our house without someone (usually in the nicest way possible) telling us what to change. Like that we should post less or more, do bigger or smaller projects, share more or less family stuff, do more or fewer mood boards, etc. Basically, if we listened to everyone who told us how to alter YHL for the better, we'd pretty much have to scrap everything. And we might be crazy, but we like how we blog! It has gotten us to where we are today. Over two million hits a month is crazy (ok, mind-blowingly insane) to us.
We actually really enjoy sharing real-time diary-style entries about what's going on as it occurs (the good, the bad, the ugly, and the average day-in-the-life stuff) along with whatever inspires us – just like we did back in 2007 when this whole adventure started. One week we might be flying along and the next week we may be as slow as molasses – but hey, that's real life (with real budget constraints, snafus, & timeline challenges). There's always HGTV for those 30 minute makeovers, so we're all about the stuff in the middle. In the end, we know that as our blog continues to grow and evolve, some people will like it less while others may enjoy it more. Which is completely ok. It has to be! So this Bill
Compton Cosby gem is our new mantra: "I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody." Here's hoping we can trust ourselves to share our lives in a way that feels the most authentic to us.
Resolution #5. To teach Clara a few key home improvement and decorating terms. Like "phillips head screwdriver." And "cohesive." Can you image how cute a toddler who says things like "keep it cohesive" would be?
Or is that just my sick fantasy? My dad taught me the word "dehydrated" when I was a tiny tot and I'd walk around saying "I'm dehydrated" instead of requesting water or juice like the other kids in daycare. So dramatic. And I can just picture Clara pointing around the room and saying "drywall," "hardwoods," and "baseboard" instead of "wall" and "floor." Could be funny…
Pssst- Check out our weekly photo project featuring the beanette here.
Pssssst- Peep one more (kid related) resolution over on BabyCenter. Any good faux curse suggestions?
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241 Comments
You should check out – http://www.commonsensewithmoney.com/ – She has a great blog on saving, coupons, etc.
Happy New Year!
great resolutions :) I LOVE LOVE LOVE the color resolution! I love your style and I can't wait to see what you do with bold colors. I think I will be able to relate to your blog even more :) that, plus you have a little one running… errr… crawling? scooting? around the house. ;)
and good for you for just plain being you. I think that's what most people are interested in anyway…. not the "you" that wants more readers and more fame, the you who you are. :)
Couponing! At the bottom of your receipts check for percentage saved. This is the prize. At the grocery store I seem to hover around 30-50% but the drug stores if planned properly I've saved 80-90%. It's a total high for sure.
Thank you for being my favorite blog out there. I not only love your home improvements, but who you are as people. I love knowing there are other people in the world who are fun loving, creative, and kind!
I love your blog! I'm sure you get that a lot but thought it needed to be said :) Our house needs some DIY updates but we're completely inept at decorating (seriously, it's painful) so I'm checking out your archives and trying to figure out where to start!
Our new year's resolutions/goals are mainly house specific this year along with some family financial planning.
I saw your hardwood floor post from a while back when you redid the last house and saw that you did your 3 rooms and hallway in hardwood. We've thought about that but with a dog and two kiddos we were concerned about wear and tear. We've also recently come across the new tiles that look like hardwood floors – you can see some here: http://www.woodlooktiles.com/. Have you guys heard anything about these as far as durability and warmth? We were thinking about putting them in our dining room, office and main family room. I thought they'd be great for kids, dogs, and basic durability.
I consider you guys my resident go-to experts so I thought I'd ask :)
Can't wait to see what you guys do with this new house!
~ Dana from just north of Dallas, TX
Happy New Year to you and your family!! One of my New Years resolution comes from reading your blog….to love my house more. It may not be in great shape…yet But, I'm learning to realize that it is a work in progress and it's not going to be perfect for a while. But, I should still love it in the meantime because it's mine. So, thank you for showing me how much you love your current home and former home!
This is exactly how I thought Clara's weekly picture would look like, noise maker and all. Do you have something else planned for her?
Your blog is perfect just the way it is, very inspiring. I check twice a day to see your posts!
Regarding your decorating resolution–I'd love to hear some thoughts on decorating/color choices related to the climate one lives in. For example a beachy scheme wouldn't really feel appropriate in the mountains. What about color schemes in cold climates vs. warm climates?
I love your blog and even did my own version of your DIY Reed Diffuser for Christmas Dinner at my house. I like your New Year's Resolutions as well and am excited to hear all about them this upcoming year! God Bless!
I love reading your blog, and I don't care what you write about or if you do more projects or anything, cause it's YOUR blog! I haven't written in mine in months! :-( I enjoy reading everything you post, and I'm so excited to see all the changes you're making in your new house! Can't wait to see some bold colors and patterns here in the next few months… or years! :-)
As for couponing, I love to use coupons at the store, but I watched that show and I thought those people were crazy. I do wholeheartedly agree with saving money though! I like to use the Kroger site (or whatever Kroger store you have around there) and shortcuts.com to get coupons to load onto my store card. I get the Sunday paper to get coupons as well. It really does help save money if you can keep track of what you have and remember to bring them to the store. I keep my coupons in a binder with plastic sleeves that makes them easy to see and search through. My mom used to use a card box with the coupons divided by section of the store. I know you'll find a system that works for you!
I love you guys! In fact, I think I love y'all more since you bought your new house. It's made me realize that you guys were "real" and that your house wasn't going to be perfect and magazine ready over night. It's made me feel better about my whole house ranch renovation. By the way, check out http://www.southernsavers.com . This lady is the absolute best at couponing!
Ah, saving money…that's a tough one. Especially for our generation, methinks. Society is really geared toward a double income, and to make it work when one of you wants to care for the kids full-time (me) or works from home (also me), it can be really hard to have any extra cash to save. Hope you two are able to make it work!
When I was about 2, my dad replaced the paneling in their house with drywall. He tied a little tool belt (like the canvas painter ones) around my waist, handed me my wooden toy hammer, and I got to "help." That will be Clara!
(I don't know if it's a downside or and upside, but when you get your kids into DIY, you never get a break. When my water broke early and I was laid up in the hospital on bed rest, my whole family was at my house frantically finishing our flooring project! Now my 'rents have their projects, mine, and my bro's!)
great goals, youngsters! i teach coupon classes and my most favortist coupon blog is hip2save.com she does coupon match ups for all the drug stores and posts all sorts of great deals, both in brick and mortar stores and online. i've literally cut our grocery budget in half and i only spend about an hour a week to do so. i haven't seen the TLC show yet, but i've heard it highlights the dark underbelly of couponer hoarding tendencies. :) i'm still looking forward to watching it, though. anywho, good luck on the whole list!
I like how you blog too! Especially the diary style :-) It always was my favorite. Im excited that you let us share in your home improvement adventures! Happy New Year!
OMG wasn't the TLC show on couponing amazing! I could not believe the deals those people got! Very inspiring, much like your blog! keep it up, i love reading everyday! You give a poor-apartment-living-graduate-student like me ideas for decorating on a budget!
I'm sure Clara will pick up those terms naturally. My husband does neurobiology research and talks about work often. Our two year old recently came into the living room and said, "Mom, I have a hypothesis! I don't know where my pockets is!"
Yay for couponing! I refuse to spend even a dime on toothpaste anymore. Once you find out how easy it is to get things for free, it's hard to imagine paying someone to take them home. Best of luck!
Those seem like fantastic goals! I especially like the balance-finding goal; we worked on that last year with our child (ren, #2 showed up in Nov.), and we have had absolutely no regrets. I don't know anyone who reaches old age and says, "gee, I wish I had worked more." What a blessing to be home with your sweet girl!
Here's a cost-saving suggestion: Buying a zoo membership was the best $80 we spent this year since we only live about 10 minutes from the zoo, and the per-trip cost is something like $30 if we were to go without the membership… so going a couple times a week (for no additional cost to the membership) works out to pennies a visit! Woot!
I love that quote from Bill Cosby! I'm sure it's been said in the comments before, but just keep doing what you're doing. You're not twisting anyone's arm to stop in and visit YHL so trust your gut and create a blog that you love! You two have gotten it to where it is today and I think where it is today is pretty freaking awesome. Happy New Year's! See you in 2011.
Haha- #5 hits home because my hubs and I were just talking about the same thing last week, except he was talking about how he hopes our daughter DOESN'T pick up too much of my work lingo. When this came up I may or may not have been wandering around Target talking (too loudly, apparently)on my cell to a client on about the details of how we are going to get her horse preggo in the spring (I'm a horse vet). John seems to be concerned that our tot will have a very, um, clinical vocabulary unless I get my act together :-)
Thanks for sharing your resolutions, here is to a new year filled with peace, love and hilarity.
You are my favorite "blog that has been around for a while but I just got into" of 2010!
That largely happened when my attention span switched from food blogs to decorating and home blogs. No matter what kind of blog the personal touches are what keep me reading.
Can't wait to see what your new house looks like in 2012! (and I bet you can't too!)
HAPPY NEW YEAR to the whole YHL family!
Congrats on wanting to start couponing! I've been doing it almost a year and I can't even tell you how much moola I've saved. My favorite websites for couponing and other great deals are southernsavers.com and moneysavingmom.com
On Money Saving Mom, she usually features all kinds of sites you can go to to get free samples. Last week, for example, I got two 4lb bags of dog food in the mail, for free! I'm sure Burger is as frugal as you two and wouldn't mind some free samples :)
Best of luck and Happy New Year!
John & Sherry,
Great resolutions! #4 is my fave for sure but #3 is a close second and also on my list for 2011. It's a hoot to see how much you can save by doing all the couponing tricks.
I was going to write a couple sentences about what I like best about your blog, but I don't want to mess up your start to #4. ;-)
Happy New Year Petersik Family!!
I saw that TLC show… CRAzzzzzzzy!! My husband and I are going to try to "coupon" more now too lol. The people totally motivated us… although I don't think I am going to stock up on speed stick and toothbrushes for the next 100 years…
PS I love the blog just the way it is and I love watching it grow and change… trust your guts ;)
Happy New Year! Great ideas and I really can't believe how much couponing has exploded – suddenly I see it everywhere (which makes sense with the economy, etc.). For what it's worth / to the extent it's helpful, one of the many things my husband does is produce couponing videos with Coupon Queen Jill Caltaldo (yes, that's her official tag). Google her and/or search for her on youtube and you'll get A LOT of pretty excellent couponing info. Plus, she's incredibly nice and brings our 20-month old toys when she comes over, so I can vouch for her :)
(DISCLAIMER: My husband makes no money off of the link below! – I'm just forwarding to share). This is just a promo since they sell the content to media outlets, but there's a whole series that if you are intersted in, I could forward: http://www.contentthatworks.com/money/super_couponing_tips_videos.php
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Ameriana Jones (& Flash)
by B Daht
posted Mar 26 2014 7:29AM
One of the most creative things i've ever seen.
Kyle Santillian's 7 year old daughter wrote a script, he shot and edit it, and here is the 1st installment to what i'm sure will be a series of creativity: Ameriana Jones: the Great Adventure
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This was wonderful! Im smiling from ear to ear as if they were my kids!
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text:
"Quite Boring"
I kept waiting for something to happen. No themes were really developed. He's The Best, Most Talented Imager for some reason. (Actually, he does have to work really, really hard for at least two or three months before his astounding talent finally matures and he clearly emerges as The Best Imager ever.) People try to kill him and other people sometimes, but he is The Best Imager, so it is always easy for him to foil their plots. There is much explication of imagering and local and international politics singularly lacking in originality or complexity or interest. There are many "wise" sayings that are singularly flat and simple-minded.
And it doesn't help that the fantasy world the author constructs never coheres.
I chose this book because there seemed to be many people who liked it, and I love a good fantasy novel. This was not, in my opinion, a good fantasy novel.
"Almost didn't get this - Soooo glad I did!"
I saw that this book had over 4 stars, but after reading a succession of reviews by readers who felt this book was a complete waste of time - boring, slow, nothing but backstory on minor characters, all new characters, John Lee's terrible narration - I almost decided to skip this book, as a number of reviewers suggested.
But when I saw Book # 5 was out, I realized I just couldn't bring myself to miss out on what had happened in Book #4, so I gritted my teeth and prepared for a tedious slog-through.
My experience was very different from that of the readers who gave it such poor reviews though - from the first few minutes, I was gripped. Much as I loved Dotrice's narration, I had loved John Lee in Pillars of the Earth, and I instantly forgot Dotrice's voice as I was carried on Lee's voice through this wonderful story. (Yes, it was a bit disconcerting when Lee pronounced Pe-tahr as Peter ("who is Peter?") - but once I figured out who Peter was, I soon got used to it.) I'm puzzled at the number of listeners who felt Lee was overdramatic. A couple of times I could sort of get what they meant, but I probably only noticed those instances because so many people had complained. For my part, I thoroughly enjoyed the narrator.
There were a couple of new characters introduced, but they are closely tied to the main story arc, and the continuing stories of the familiar characters are very rich. Aria's story is particularly mysterious and full of intriguing surprises. (Of course, few of the surprises in this series are straightforwardly good!)
For me, the great arc of the story carries on with great momentum. I'm about a quarter way through the fourth download at this point, and can hardly stop reading! I'll be sorry to finish, and at the same time can't wait to see where this goes - which continues to be COMPLETELY unpredictable!
"From Great to Good"
This book was good, although it went a bit overboard in the the moral self-satisfaction department, and too much of the book seemed to be about methodically tying up loose ends. There are several spots in it with real suspense, but in most of it, it is much too clear that the good guys are way smarter than the bad guys. Also, I would have liked a lot more of Salander.
The best of the three - and the one with the most of Salander - was the second book, The Girl Who Played with Fire. The first was a great, genuinely quirky page-turner as well.
It would, however, be impossible to get to the end of the second book and not go onto the third! So go to it. You may be a bit disappointed, but you will nonetheless be entertained by our old friends Salander and Bloomquist.
"Another delicious read!"
Really puzzled at the 1-star reviews - except for that of the first-time Gabaldon reader - no wonder you didn't like it, my dear! You MUST start with "Outlander"! One of the deep pleasures of this wonderful series is developing a depth of knowledge both of the individual characters and their complex relationships to each other. Do note that each book is 30-40 hours - there's a HUGE amount of background to the 6th book. 30 full and eventful years have passed since Claire and Jamie first met! It could not possibly make any sense to you. These are not meant as independent reads, and you simply cannot start with the 6th book. As for the ending - yes, a lot happened quickly, but it didn't feel a bit manipulated to me - quite legitimately thrilling cliffhangers IMHO. Left me wanting to start over with Outlander so I can spend more time with the characters until the next book in the series comes out. I am SO glad I was not put off by the negative reviews. This was a delicious read!
"Thought I would love it, but..."
From reading both the positive and negative reviews, I thought I would love this book.
It seemed that those who did not like it wanted more "cut to the chase" action and explicit horror. I, on the other hand, love it when King's books are sprawling with background, local color, character and relationships.
However, after plodding through the first two downloads, I could not force myself to continue.
There were far too many "somehow he knews" - that is, there seemed little attempt to have a compelling underlying backstory.
The primary evil force just felt patched together and never took on real life for me.
This book was sprawling in a bad way - as if the author just kept writing in hopes that the shape of a compelling story would finally emerge. For me, it never did.
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