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If you're a regular reader of this blog, you would think that I spend a lot of time discussing autism spectrum disorders (ASD). But the goals of this blog is weed out and debunk pseudoscientific beliefs, especially some of the more popular ones. Probably the most ridiculous had been the fraudulently invented and eventually thoroughly debunked link between vaccines and autism. That belief is completely dead, right? Well, not really. Irrational and, frankly cult-like, groups like Age of Autism refuse to give up. Of course, the Age of Autism is so deluded by their illogical and unscientific beliefs, they oppose funding for genetic research into autism.
Not everyone in the world of ASD has that fanatical hold onto the "vaccines cause autism" trope. Most real scientists accept that the likely cause of ASD is some combination of genetics and environment. But that hasn't stopped people from claiming that everything, but the kitchen sink, causes ASD. About three years ago, Emily Willingham, Ph.D., whom I consider to be one of the leading ASD scientific experts on this planet, wrote a hysterical, but still appropriate, article about all the popular causes of ASD. Older mothers. Older fathers. Depressed mothers. Fingers. Facial features. Facial features?
Dr. Willingham wrote about around 50 different causes of ASD, including refrigerator mothers (but not kitchen sink mothers)–it has nothing to do with actual refrigerators. That article was very important to me, because it formed the basis of my skepticism about popular beliefs regarding correlation and causality. It's not just ASD, but other areas, like cancer causes and cures, which seem to attract the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink science.
Recently, I was pointed to an article that attempted to outline an epidemiological correlation between agricultural pesticides and neurodevelopmental disorders, published in the journal, Environmental Health Perspectives. Before examining the methods, data and analysis, it's important to ascertain the overall quality of the journal and the researchers. The journal itself, Environmental Health Perspectives, has an impact factor of 7.26, which is not low, but certainly is not in the upper tier of journals. In many academic environments, any article published in journals with an impact factor less than 10 may not be used in consideration of tenure (although this guideline is not universally accepted).
The authors of the article are mostly from the University of California-Davis, a top research university, with a lot of focus in agricultural sciences. The first author is Janie F Shelton, who has published three articles about environmental pesticides and autism, and that's all she's published (she's just beginning her research career, in that she was a graduate student at UC Davis). In one of her previous articles, Dr. Shelton appeared to indicate that because mothers in the US have a higher burden of pesticides in the blood, there is some causal link with the higher rate of ASD in the US. I am unconvinced that she actually showed causality with such a general relationship. But what worries me most is that Dr. Shelton has an inherent bias towards what she's going to find. Instead of seeing where data might lead her, she has a hypothesis, pesticides cause autism, and she's trying to find data that supports that hypothesis. This isn't what a scientist should do.
Nevertheless, I can't criticize the journal, nor the bonafides of the researchers.. But that, in of itself, isn't everything. It's time to take a closer look at what was written
The Cliff Notes version of this study is that it appears to be a kilometer wide and a few mm deep. There's a lot of data, but I'm dubious that it supports the conclusions that pesticide use is correlated to (or even causal to) autism spectrum disorders. Of course, the popular press and the anti-chemical crowd is all over this article. It's so frustrating that they accept this research without actually examining it carefully. But I'll try.
Before we look at this study, we have to understand the data behind the CHARGE study, which is the basis of Dr. Shelton's paper. Basically, the CHARGE study is a case-control study, which is a type of observational study in which two existing groups differing in outcome are identified and compared on the basis of some supposed causal attribute.
Case-control studies are important in epidemiological research, but, in the hierarchy of evidence, it is of a fairly low rank. Why? Because data from case-control studies tend to be observational rather than objective, like in double blind clinical trials. Furthermore, confounding factors can bias the results if they are not fully understood–sometimes it's impossible to even identify confounders. Case-control studies have been valuable, but usually only when there are huge numbers involved. Some case-c0ntrol studies with vaccines include over 1 million patients, so that statistical analysis has much lower error rates.
Because California carefully tracks type, amount and date pesticide applications, the authors could examine how close the mothers of the subjects lived to where pesticides were applied. So, the authors could then find subjects who lived in areas that were relatively close to farms that had pesticides applied on a particular date.
The study populations were: 486 with ASD, 168 with development delay (DD) and 316 neurotypical. Moreover, all of these study subjects were found in an small area within a two hour drive of the University of California, Davis. I know there are all kinds of jokes about California (and Californians themselves make a lot of jokes about that area of California), but it is difficult to accept an epidemiological study whose subjects represent a tiny segment of the general population. Not being an expert about environmental factors in that area, I still know enough to ask questions. Water quality. How about soil. Heavy metals in the environment from the gold rush (yes, we're still paying for that damage).
I'm being a bit flippant, but the fact is the authors didn't really consider many confounding factors. They state that:
Other potential confounders explored but found not to satisfy criteria for confounding based on inclusion in the DAG or the change in estimate criterion were: distance from a major freeway, maternal major metabolic disorders (diabetes, hypertension, and obesity), gestational age (days), latitude of residence, type of insurance used to pay for the delivery (public vs. private), maternal age, paternal age, and season of conception.
They seem to ignore all other environmental factors that would be important for this type of study. It's possible that such a study would become complex, but that's why it's hard–so that we know the results will stand up to scrutiny and in-depth analysis. Discussing and analyzing the full breadth of confounding factors is, for me, one of the most critical parts of a case-control study. And this study completely dismisses confounders with barely a sentence.
Unfortunately, that's not all. I actually remain unconvinced that data shows you anything, irrespective of confounding information. Here's my analysis:
- The study is missing evidence that the pesticides scattered beyond the target areas (according to wind patterns or whatever). As I stated above, agricultural operations despise wasting pesticides and attempt to be accurate in application. What convincing evidence did the authors present to make me, or any scientific reader, think that the pesticides actually landed near the subjects? That would be hardly anything at all.
- The study is lacking evidence of a dose-response effect–the only way to confirm a toxic effect is to establish the range of pesticide "dosage" (in this case applications or something quantifiable) that caused what level of ASD. If they had a large enough subject population, and they knew the actual pesticide burden of each mother, they could develop a dose (pesticides) response (ASD) graph.
- The results were based on such small numbers, which left us with huge statistical errors. If you looked at each result, it ranged from all the way from exposure reduced the risk of autism to exposure tripled the risk of autism. But in the end, given the size of error, the increased risk seemed to be clinically small–you might think that a 58% increased risk is high, but with such small subject numbers and lack of analysis of confounding factors, it becomes difficult to determine if that 58% is important. In other words, the relative risk was so tiny that it could be overwhelmed by any of the ignored confounding factors.
- The authors spent an inordinate amount of time discussing other animal studies, tying pesticides to neurodevelopmental disorders, as if they had to add some meat to their article because the actual case-control study was so thin.
- We have no evidence of blood levels of these pesticides in the mothers. Do we know if being closer to or farther from the site of application had any influence over the blood level of the pesticide? It is very possible that there was no difference in blood levels of these pesticides between the mothers of the control group and the ASD group–that would be key evidence for another factor in the those areas.
- Where is the causality? Even if this data made sense. Even if the size of the subject groups were 100X larger. Even if we could show blood levels. This study has done nothing to provide a physiologically plausible pathway between exposure and ASD, which would be the basis of causality.
Orac also did a review of this study, almost for the same reasons as I did–here comes ANOTHER cause of autism. His review of the data lead him to this observation:
The sine qua non of a good study demonstrating an association between an environmental exposure and a condition requires the actual verification and quantification of the environmental exposure under study in the cases. Sometimes this involves measuring the actual levels of the chemicals in question, either in the research subjects (ideally) to document exposure or in the places where they live and work.
Precisely. We have no idea, and the authors offered no insight into this issue, whether there actually was any additional exposure to pesticides. I could write a whole paper on the whole litany of factors that might make it impossible to determine if the mothers were exposed even within the 1.5 km of the pesticide application that was used as the cutoff for the study participants. Think about this–farms that apply pesticides do it with pinpoint precision in low wind days. Why? Because pesticides that land on a home 1.5 km away is a very expensive proposition. They want the pesticides on their crops, not on a rooftop in a residential area. If we had actual blood levels of the pesticides from the mother, we'd have some actual evidence that the agricultural based pesticides contaminated the mothers.
The authors appear to be cautious about their study. They state that "this analysis serves as exploratory research to identify environmental risk factors for ASD and DD, and contributes to a broader understanding of the potential risks to neurodevelopment from agricultural pesticides in a diverse population of California residents." That's typical scientific verbiage that can be translated to "we need more data to confirm this."
Except in the press release from the University of California Davis, Janie Shelton claims:
This study validates the results of earlier research that has reported associations between having a child with autism and prenatal exposure to agricultural chemicals in California. While we still must investigate whether certain sub-groups are more vulnerable to exposures to these compounds than others, the message is very clear: Women who are pregnant should take special care to avoid contact with agricultural chemicals whenever possible.
Oh and there's this from the same press release:
Research from the CHARGE Study has emphasized the importance of maternal nutrition during pregnancy, particularly the use of prenatal vitamins to reduce the risk of having a child with autism. While it's impossible to entirely eliminate risks due to environmental exposures, Hertz-Picciotto said that finding ways to reduce exposures to chemical pesticides, particularly for the very young, is important.
I guess Shelton thinks it's some sort of hit-it-out-of-the-park home run of evidence. But scientifically, she's shown us very little, but this study may start a panic equivalent to what we say from the vaccines cause autism myth.
Let me close with Orac's observation about this study:
I would agree that pregnant women shouldn't be handling industrial strength pesticides, but if there's evidence that living within a mile or so of areas where pesticides are applied during pregnancy will cause a woman's child to develop autism, certainly neither Shelton nor Hertz-Piccioto has provided it, either in this paper or elsewhere. Sadly, that didn't stop the press from dutifully responding to the press release from the MIND Institute as though this study were slam-dunk evidence that pesticide exposure during pregnancy causes autism. It's not, not by a long shot. It barely qualifies as maybe hypothesis-generating evidence. Wait. Strike that. I don't think it qualifies even as that.
Key citations:
- Shelton JF, Geraghty EM, Tancredi DJ, Delwiche LD, Schmidt RJ, Ritz B, Hansen RL, Hertz-Picciotto I. Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Prenatal Residential Proximity to Agricultural Pesticides: The CHARGE Study. Environ Health Perspect. 2014 Jun 23. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 24954055.
- Shelton JF, Hertz-Picciotto I, Pessah IN. Tipping the balance of autism risk: potential mechanisms linking pesticides and autism. Environ Health Perspect. 2012 Jul;120(7):944-51. doi: 10.1289/ehp.1104553. Epub 2012 Apr 11. PubMed PMID: 22534084; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3404662.


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Posted 09 December 2012 - 22:38
You really think that's going to happen? The carriers (and phone manufacturers) want you to upgrade, and lock you in for another two years. It's all about the money. Plus, there's no incentive for cell phone manufacturers (Samsung, HTC, etc.) to work with cell phone carriers on updating 'older' phones. Yeah, this also applies for iPhones.
True of iPhones, but speaking about Android devices, you shouldn't have to resort to rooting and loading ROMS yourself within a contract period just to have an updated device. Carriers should butt out and let the owner update the device through the manufacturer directly.
Posted 09 December 2012 - 22:53
My laptop. I paid €1900 for it because I didn't want to compromise on anything.
It was mid 2011 and I wanted:
13", matte, high-res display (at least 1440x900).
Dedicated GPU.
Decent battery life.
As light as possible.
And all that on a student budget. Aside one machine it was impossible to find, so I loaned a little extra money and got this baby:
Sony Vaio VPCZ13M9E (from the legendary Vaio Z series that has been pushing boundaries since it existed):
13,3", matte, 1600x900 display with full sRGB and very near AdobeRGB coverage
nVidia Geforce GT 330M (and switchable Intel HD graphics) that actually handles Assassin's Creed 3 rather well
Intel Core i5-460M (hey, full-power, no ULV)
2x64GB SSD in RAID0 (blazing speed)
DVD+RW DL drive
5 hours of battery life surfing on Intel Graphics
2,4Ghz+5Ghz WiFi and an integrated HSPA modem.
A brilliant backlit keyboard and an exceptionally good (for a PC) multitouch touchpad. And a fingerprint sensor (and TPM) just for the lols.
All in a metal package that is really small and very light. One of the best-engineered laptops ever made. It's basically an ultrabook with a DVD drive, full-powered processor and dedicated graphics. But I paid for it
They also stopped making them or anything similar, so if this one breaks down I'll be in serious trouble unless I either go for a bigger one or one without dedicated graphics. Meh.
Downside: the hardware is so exotic (especially the graphics config) that it only runs Windows 7. Linux only works properly with a BIOS hack that disables dynamic graphics switching and Windows 8 totally freaks on the graphics drivers. OSX actually runs rather well but doesn't support the WiFi card from Intel
Posted 09 December 2012 - 23:36
Posted 09 December 2012 - 23:44
Posted 10 December 2012 - 00:39
I used to have this laptop for work, I worked wordwide and needed something small to travel but I was also the firms 3d model designer so it needed to be good enough to run inventor at a decent speed.
Sony Vaio VPCZ13M9E (from the legendary Vaio Z series that has been pushing boundaries since it existed):
Posted 10 December 2012 - 00:45
Yes but that is 15,6" and probably weighs a ton I drag mine around one-handed like a tablet, it fits right with my books in my regular bag and lasts me 5 hours (at least) on a charge when I'm just taking notes or doing some simple programming in class ^^
See my sig, I can beat your laptop quite easily (I don't meant to brag... but you did well into posting that it's indeed overpriced) bought it also mid 2011, 600€... Well, I'm going to admit, sony does have stunning designs, so I indeed envy you lol.
Oh yeah, you can run XP on it. Sony provided downgrade support for that. But this is indeed a fantastic machine that can handle any task. It's probably the most all-round laptop there is
I used to have this laptop for work, I worked wordwide and needed something small to travel but I was also the firms 3d model designer so it needed to be good enough to run inventor at a decent speed.
Was by far the best laptop i've ever had/used. When I left the job I actually missed the laptop lol!
Mine actually ran xp. (firms network was XP and the company owner downgraded before I got the laptop).
But due to graphic driver issues as you mentioned, you could no longer use the speed/performance switch (it switched between onboard/dedi graphics).
Posted 10 December 2012 - 00:47
Yeah I remember laughing that it actually needed an app from sony/modded drivers Etc. I remember thinking to myself, this laptop is so awesome it needs extra support! haha.
Oh yeah, you can run XP on it. Sony provided downgrade support for that. But this is indeed a fantastic machine that can handle any task. It's probably the most all-round laptop there is
Posted 10 December 2012 - 03:02
Personally i think for the most part you get what you pay for.
Yes some companies ask a premium price but usually they make very good products. Bose and Monster come to my mind about overpriced products. But at the same time they both make really good qiality product. Sennheiser is another one asking a premium price. But again really good quality for the most part.
The only thing i consider silly is those 200$ cables. That is just plain stupid. I've yet to see any difference between a speaker connected using a 200$ cable and a speaker connected with some lamp cable. And i did the test on a 3 grands CAD sound system ...
Posted 10 December 2012 - 03:14
Oh man I just can't agree with you on that one, sure in some cases you do but companies like apple are the posterchilds for the opposite!

subset: commoncrawl


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University of Illinois - Urbana/Champaign
Carle Cancer Center
Hematology Resource Page
Patient Resources
Antithrombin Deficiency
deficiency also referred to as antithrombin III in older literature is a
genetically acquired trait, although there are other diseases including
some forms of liver and kidney disease can also result in antithrombin deficiency.
It was first described in 1965 and was the first inherited trait associated
with thrombophilia.
Mechanism of Action of Antithrombin Deficiency:
Antithrombin acts as a relatively inefficient inhibitor on its own. However, when it is able to bind with heparin, the speed with which the reaction that causes inhibition occurs is greatly accelerated; this makes the antithrombin-heparin complex a vital component of coagulation. This interaction is also the basis for the use of heparin and low-molecular-weight heparins as medications to produce anticoagulation.
There are two primary types of antithrombin deficiency: type I and type II. Type I antithrombin deficiency is characterized by an inadequate amount of normal antithrombin present. In this case, there is simply not enough antithrombin present to inactivate the coagulation factors. In type II antithrombin deficiency, the amount of antithrombin present is normal, but it does not function properly and is thus unable to carry out its normal functions. In many cases, the antithrombin in type I deficiencies has a problem binding to heparin, although there have been multiple other changes to the antithrombin molecule described.
Epidemiology of Antithrombin Deficiency:
Risks of Antithrombin Deficiency:
In patients who are homozygous* (both copies of the antithrombin gene are abnormal) for type II antithrombin deficiency, severe venous thrombosis as well as arterial thrombotic disease has been reported.
The condition of being homozygous for type I antithrombin deficiency is thought to be incompatible with life, leading to death of the fetus prior to birth.
Although isolated reports exist of arterial disease in patients with heterozygous* (one copy of the antithrombin gene is abnormal, one copy of the antithrombin gene is normal) antithrombin deficiency, there is no clear evidence of increased arterial disease in antithrombin deficiency. Based on these data, for persons with the antithrombin deficiency mutation, the most important preventive steps for the purposes of arterial disease are controlling other risk factors including: smoking, hypertension (high blood pressure), hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol), obesity and a sedentary lifestyle (limited activity).
The role of the antithrombin deficiency and venous thromboembolic events is discussed in the table below. Relative risk is a numerical representation of the effects of a condition or treatment on an individual. If a condition or treatment has a relative risk of 1, patients with the condition have no additional risk or benefit from those without the condition. In the studies used below, a relative risk greater than 1 shows an increased risk. For the table below, a relative risk of 4 means that individuals with that condition are 4 times as likely as similar individuals without the same condition, to develop a venous thrombotic event. Despite the increased risk, it is important to remember that the relative risk is a statistical tool to help guide clinicians and scientists and that individual persons can have increased or decreased risks. Even with a very high relative risk, there is no guarantee that a venous thrombotic event will occur.
Treatment of Antithrombin Deficiency:
Patients that have had multiple thromboembolic episodes or are at high risk of further episodes (for example, multiple deficiencies) may be considered for long-term oral anticoagulation (warfarin). Because studies have demonstrated an increased risk of recurrent venous thromboembolic disease in patients with antithrombin deficiency, long-term oral anticoagulation is recommended.
The use of long-term anticoagulation has risks associated with it (approximately a 3% chance per year of having a major hemorrhage, of which approximately 1/5 are fatal). Beginning long-term anticoagulation is influenced by the patient's overall risk of recurrent thrombosis balanced against the risks associated with long-term anticoagulation on an individual basis.
In addition to anticoagulation, antithrombin concentrates are also available for the treatment of antithrombin deficiency. Use of the antithrombin concentrates is not done routinely unless certain conditions are present that prevent the use of oral anticoagulants (warfarin). The two most common situations would be prior to a major surgery, in which oral anticoagulation must be discontinued, and during pregnancy, in which oral anticoagulation with warfarin is contraindicated.
Pregnancy and Antithrombin Deficiency:
Further Information:
|*The terms heterozygous (hetero-different) and homozygous (homo-same) are terms used in genetics. The human genome contains to copies of the information. If the copies are the same, they are homozygous; if the copies are different, they are heterozygous. For example, take a protein called A. The normal genome would code for the protein as AA. This is homozygous for the normal protein. If there is a variation of the protein called a, there are two possible ways to get the a. The genome could be Aa, which is called heterozygous or the genome could be aa, which is called homozygous.


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Dr. Geoff Fenner's Ratings
If you want to save yourself trouble, do not see dr fenner. I truly do not know how he is as successful as he is, let alone allowed to practice medicine. He screwed up my breast reduction surgery, and then screwed it up AGAIN. I was stupid enough to pay to get it "fixed." Staff dismissed my dissatisfaction and said "it's just breasts." I can't look at myself in the mirror and there's not a day that goes by where I wish I went to another doctor in the first place. Please save yourself.
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The worst experience ever! I had a double mastectomy and reconstruction done by Dr. Fenner. He destroyed my breasts. I got a condition called symmastia because of him. I went to several other Dr.'s that said this should have never happened. I tried to let him repair it... he made it worse. I finally found a Dr. who is trained and able to fix symmastia. It turns out this new Dr. who is amazing (Dr. Christopher Pelletiere) has had to fix numerous patients who had botched surgeries by Dr. Fenner. Dr. Fenner truly destroyed my breasts and it took years before I had the courage and emotional strength to walk into another Dr.s office.
Was this rating useful? 2 [[ userState['ratings'][2690882].votes_count ]]
I am dismayed at the poor reviews given to Dr. Fenner. He has been so amazing, helping me through five surgeries with such a gentle, professional attitude. Yes he is quiet, and sometimes runs behind, but as one if those people that has needed a longer appointment than I thought, blame me for taking his time and not him for listening. He is the ultimate perfectionist and I can't imagine a better experience.
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If I could I would give Dr. Fenner 6 stars. I had a surgery with him not too long ago and him and his staff were monumental to the success of my surgery and recovery. In fact I wish I had used him for some of my other surgeries which were some what debatable. Hands down some of the greatest staff and wonderful doctor. Could not have been happier. I have recommended him to some of some of my friends and they are very happy with their results as well. Thank you for making my life better.
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Dr. Fenner and his staff are absolutely fabulous. Dr. Fenner performed an Abdominalplasty with posterior hip lipo on my 47 year old self, just 11 days ago. I can't begin to tell you how thrilled I am. Dr. Fenner is a true artist. I have found him to be a warm and friendly doctor that has an amazing eye for his talent. I would also like to share that 3 out of 3 doctors recommended Dr. Fenner to me. I did seek second opinions and I am so happy that I chose Dr. Fenner.
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Hands down the most amazing procedure I have been through the staff makes up for Dr. Fenners quiet personality but what it comes down to is do you care about his personality or about how well his work is? because he does amazing work I got rhinoplasty done by him and I am obsessed with my nose. It completely enhanced my look and my confidence level has gone from very low to extremely high thanks to Dr. Fenner this procedure changed my life. It was completely painless a headache hurt more than the recovery and I stopped taking pain killers after 3 days because I had no pain. My nose is sooo cute now and my friends are obsessed with it. My friends love my nose so much that they now want to get nose jobs. Thank you Dr. Fenner for boosting my confidence you changed my life!
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I highly suggest you do not have Dr. Fenner perform your surgery. I got a breast reduction in 2009. It has been almost 4 years, and I am disgusted when I look at my breasts. Yes, the size is much better, but my breasts look deformed. The scars are still there and it looks as if my nipples are pepperonis sewn on to my breasts by a sewing kit. He completely messed up my nipples and the scars are still there. When I got a 6 month check up this "surgeon" tells me that one breast is bigger than the other and that he can "fix" that for me. For such an expensive procedure and a well-known surgeon, you would think he would know what he is doing/saying. I have 4 other friends who have gotten a breast reduction from him and they feel the same way as me. It is too late to file a malpractice claim, but I am currently trying to get my scars removed in a procedure. His staff is giving me a hard time about it and are expecting me to pay for this procedure. DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY.
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I just want to say that I disagree with many of the reviews on this site and felt compelled to discuss my wonderful experience. I had a breast revision and breast lift done by Dr Fenner. It was my second breast surgery. My first surgery was done by another doctor; he put my implants in fine but his attempts to correct my saggy breasts and asymmetrical nipples was a complete fail. I was left with one nipple that would always peekaboo out of my bras. I did my homework and found Dr. Fenner. My first appointment was a long wait, but worth it. During this appointment he took precise measurements and was very detailed about my surgery. His easy going manner and professionalism put me at ease right away. (He seems like a nice quiet guy, so some other posters seem to misinterpret that!) It has been two months and I can barely see the scars. I think they're perfect and perky! Dr. Fenner is worth ANY wait!!
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Dr Fenner recently revised a botched breast reconstruction for me. I never EVER thought I would be able to look in the mirror without disgust at my breasts. I am only 6 days out of surgery with Dr Fenner and I cannot believe what an artist he is! I went to almost a dozen reconstructive plastic surgeons(all over the country) and felt that Dr Fenner was the best choice. Now that I am post surgery, my hopes and thoughts have been confirmed. I cannot thank Dr Fenner enough for the incredible "fix it" job he did.
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I'm so surprised at the different ratings for Dr. Fenner. I can only talk about my experience and it was wonderful. I had breast reconstruction after having a masectomy. He did a wonderful job - I look great. My doctor recommended him, a family friend recommended him, and I found several others who had used him and loved the results. I've seen him every post-op appointment I've been to, and there have been many. His nurses are wonderful and treated me very well. I always felt very informed and comfortable with him and his staff.
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This file picture shows Walid Jumblatt speaking during a press conference. (The Daily Star/Mohammad Azakir)
BEIRUT: Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt said his party will make its position on the electoral law reform clear.
"The PSP will declare a clear stance on the electoral law and it is examining a number of electoral formulas for this purpose," said Jumblatt in his weekly stance published by PSP-affiliated Al-Anbaa website Monday.
Jumblatt's PSP has rejected an electoral proposal agreed upon by the country's four major Christian parties.
The Orthodox proposal, which stipulates each sect elects its own lawmakers under a system of proportional representation with Lebanon as a single district, was also rejected by former Prime Minister Saad Hariri's Future Movement, President Michel Sleiman, Prime Minister Najib Mikati and a number of independent Christians.
Jumblatt also said that the elections cannot be used as a means for rival parties to eliminate each other and that all parties will eventually have to resume communication among each other.
"Some sides are mistaken in believing that they can eliminate the other in the parliamentary elections," said the PSP leader.
"The elections are just a phase and we must return to Dialogue and the central principles proposed by President Michel Sleiman," said Jumblatt.
Efforts by Sleiman to resume National Dialogue have been met with rejection from the opposition which has set the resignation of Mikati as a precondition to resume the all-party-talks.
Their decision was reached following the assassination of a senior intelligence official in the country, Brig. Gen. Wissam al-Hasan.
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Joined: Aug 2013
Location: Portugal
Oddometer: 84
I kept the same gear from the previous 2 corners, so a downshift wasn't the cause. I remember being sitting agains the tank tho, and also being leaned to the inside front (helmet chin near my left hand).
I'm already almost good for another one, as they say around here. As for the trusty cbr, the bent shift lever is out, new one is ordered and I'm fighting the rear blinker to get it back on. This is a big thing for me, as I'm not mechanicaly inclined at all nor do I have any tool sets worthy of that name.
I can take a pic of the bike as is, if anyone wants.
Joined: Aug 2013
Location: Portugal
Oddometer: 84
So, shift pedal is ordered at Honda, got to take the bent one out.
The damage to the fairings is a bit more than the adrenaline let me initialy see. Here's she:
The bar end toke quite a hit.
Overall, not too bad considering the slide.
Footpeg assembly out
The shift pedal is held by a snap-ring. Had to buy a plier to remove it.
Could not use it as intended (to spread the ends of the snap-ring/clip), ended up grabing the round part of it and it pulled right out
Bent pedal
Trying to put the blinker back on:
Toke quite a fight, but it blinks. Let's see how long it holds there. The licence plate was already cracked.
Still to do before riding:
Latte riders FTW!
Joined: Feb 2007
Location: New Zealand
Oddometer: 1,502
Glad to hear you are ok and are getting on with repairing the CBR, it's a very good bike to learn on and very capable (also crashes well and is cheap / easy to repair).
My feedback as follows (remember I wasn't there and am only interpreting the info on this thread).
Bikes don't crash, riders crash. You somehow made this happen.
In your first post you mention the bike feeling twitchy, this is a symptom of something not being right, possibly tyre pressures (too high), cold weather / hard tyre lacking grip? or you feeling a bit too tense on the bike?
Looking at the pics of your rear tyre it appears you are a cautious rider, there is little apparent wear towards the edge of the tyre. That's fine, it's how we all start out learning but supports my comment about the crash, I suspect you had to much weight forward, the rear slid and unfortunately you did not recognise the start of the slide in time to correct it.
Something to remember next time!
A couple of suggestions:
Check your tyre pressures, maybe in colder weather set them a bit softer as this will keep the tyres hotter / more grip?
Check how good your tyres are, original equipment tyres can be a bit hard for long life but may lack grip, talk to the motorcycle shop guys and get a couple of opinions.
Make sure your suspension is set correctly (I don't know how adjustable the CBR is), too hard a suspension will result in losing traction / grip on uneven roads.
Training, get some, you can never have enough.
Practise slow speed car park manouvers, look up "Captain Crash" on Youtube, there is a lot to learn from him.
Last... the gear shift lever is mild steel, just bend it back into shape, hammer and vice is all you need, and buy some crash bungs to minimise damage!
Enjoy the next ride!
Orange...cause it makes me look like I know what I'm doing!
Joined: Aug 2013
Location: Portugal
Oddometer: 84
Thank you for your feedback. I try to learn as much as I can, I've only rode a motorcycle for the 1st time 5 months ago, when I bought the cbr.
Concerning the bike, the suspension is not adjustable, neither rear or front. The tires are not oem, they are 10mm wider than stock. Still narrow enough to keep the twitchyness (common complain with this bike, and adressed by Honda on the following model).
This wasn't a hot morning, but neither a very cold one. I had been riding for about one hour and not that slow. I have dificulty understanding how the tires could be too cold (these are basically scooter tires, not race tires), but may as well accept it.
The tire is still near-new. It has done 5.000km, and similar tires have been seen to do nearly 20.000km on these motorcycles. The middle part has plenty of thread, the grey-ish zone is not baldness, it's just white stone-dust from the entrance to the garage. I intend to replace them when budget allows, with something like metzeler M5s to slow the steering.
Bottom line is, I crashed it, I want to fix it as soon as possible and keep on learning.
For sure let's do it
Joined: Oct 2003
Location: South of the Border in MN
Oddometer: 852
I keep thinking, "something on the road". You were on a curvy road, and diesel fuel or some other similar product could have been in the asphalt. Reason for this speculation is I lost traction suddenly while exiting a curve. Looking back at it, there was some slippery stuff on the road. Luckily, I pulled out of it, despite both wheels sliding sideways for a second of a lifetime. It wasn't obvious as I entered and exited the curve - no roadway discoleration. I know another incident where two rider friends lost traction and did crash because of fuel oil on the roadway. A one time spill is not easy to spot.
It's hard to loose traction on a curve, unless you're really booking around the corners and dragging pegs.
R1150RT, F650GS thumper, KL250
BMW: "Beer, Motorcycles, Women"
Joined: Aug 2013
Location: Portugal
Oddometer: 84
The road where this happened is used by many trucks on work-days. Could have been diesel on the road, or oil, orr resin, or just my lack of experience.
I had a car crash 11 years ago which involved tree resin. But looking back to that one, I had time to react, even though I was a new driver at the time. With this one, as soon as I knew something was wrong, I was already on the ground, it was really fast.
Studly Adventurer
Joined: May 2007
Location: Barboursville, VA
Oddometer: 717
On corner entry there isn't much you can do to lose the rear end so suddenly unless you were adding throttle + lean angle (which you weren't) or using the rear brake to heavily (which you weren't doing either).
The seating position on your CBR doesn't give you enough space to move forward so far that it would unload the rear tire (unlike what you could do on a flat track bike). Unless you somehow got your head so far forward it was over the wind screen. And you said you were slightly on throttle to hold your speed steady so the front wasn't all that heavily loaded if you had at least some throttle applied.
Since you said you were riding at a pretty fast pace you were probably looking pretty far ahead. So it was probably something on the road that you didn't see.
Tires could have played a part in it, especially if that was the lowest you've ever gotten the bike leaned. The smooth surface of fresh rubber is slick until it gets scuffed in especially when cold. Cold weather will always reduce grip but a street tire should still have quite a bit of grip. Lowering tire pressure wouldn't do anything, you might get an extra 5 degrees F in the tire which wouldn't have much of an effect at all on the street. I ride in below freezing temps on my gsxr-600 with track day tires (Dunlop 211GP at 36psi) and have gotten to some very low lean angles without slipping.
I would take a VERY detailed look at your rear suspension for any sort of play in the bearings and that the rear shock is operating smoothly.
Joined: Aug 2013
Location: Portugal
Oddometer: 84
Correct on all accounts.
I was stable on the throttle as to avoid engine braking (which is strong on this bike, unlike the 13hp engine :) )
Is there such thing as too much counter-steering? I'm thinking if I could have upset the rear through it, like some micro-correction I may have unintentionally done?
Because apart from body placement, countersteer was the only input I was giving the CBR.
Studly Adventurer
Joined: May 2007
Location: Barboursville, VA
Oddometer: 717
You can counter-steer to quickly but only if the surface conditions are poor or when the tires are cold. It still makes the front end let go however, not the rear.
Joined: Jun 2012
Location: Maryland USA
Oddometer: 173
It seems a lot of these posted mishaps involve sweeping left hand turns on smooth roads. Maybe there's a natural tendency during the weight shift and extra g-force to push your left foot down and causing an unintended downshift? Just a thought.
Joined: Aug 2013
Location: Portugal
Oddometer: 84
I don't think that was the case, because I have a bad riding tecnique: I ride with the ball of my feet on the footpegs, instead of the center/heel of my feet. This means I have to move my feet forward on the footpegs to shift or (rear-)brake.
I also haven't felt anything upsetting the drivetrain or any difference in engine rpm/sound before the fall.
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CF Heroes in Action: Kathy Sabadosa
For nearly a decade, Kathy Sabadosa, M.P.H., Quality Improvement Project Manager at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, has been a champion in the fight against CF through her work and in her own life, too.
What first brought you to the CF cause?
I joined the fight against CF as a parent. When my 12-year-old son Jack was born, I had no idea what the disease was. I first turned to the CF Foundation for help finding the best physician, and the CF Foundation and Jack's care team were great resources for me to learn more.
How did you come to work for the CF Foundation?
My education and career are centered on public health, specifically in guidelines and standards for care. In 2003, I was hired by the CF Foundation to take on quality improvement work around the country. I am lucky that I can use my public health background to fulfill something I'm very passionate about – improving care for people with CF.
What is "quality improvement" and how is it implemented at a care center?
The CF Foundation's Quality Improvement Initiative is tasked with improving care for all people CF. The fundamental core of quality improvement is the relationship between CF healthcare professionals and the people with CF and their families who receive CF care. When that relationship is strengthened, and we apply evidence-based medicine, we see quality of care improve.
Can you share a real-life example of quality improvement in action at a care center?
Absolutely. One of the CF Foundation's quality improvement initiatives was to improve nutritional and body mass index (BMI) measures for people with CF, and we have seen steady improvement across the network over the past decade.
The CF Foundation developed standardized care guidelines which included routine visits with a dietician to make sure that patients were taking the correct amount of enzymes, following their supplemental feedings, and maintaining a high calorie diet. People with CF, working with their care teams and following these guidelines, can often achieve remarkable progress toward nutritional goals in less than a year.
How can someone with CF or their family participate in quality improvement?
CF care centers need feedback from their patients and families about what it's like to visit the center and what it's like to be treated there. Quality improvement relies heavily on the patient and family perspective. For example, patients and their families may be asked by the CF healthcare professionals to contribute to a "care plan" to be used to organize care for patients during inpatient stays.
After implementation, patients and families might complete a questionnaire that asks, "Did the care plan make your stay better? Were you able to get your meds on time? Were you able you able to do your therapies when you needed to?" The answers to these questions can really help care centers improve the quality of the care they deliver.
When your son Jack was born in 2000, you were new to motherhood, CF and CF care. How has CF care changed in the past 12 years?
The biggest change I have seen in the past 12 years is the focus on team care, specifically in the involvement of people with CF and their families. Today, CF care teams are actively engaging their patients during clinic visits to help improve the quality of care they receive.
When people with CF and their families take an active role in their treatment, caregivers are better equipped to make treatment decisions and recommendations. In the past 12 years, I've seen the partnership between care teams and their patients and families continue to blossom.
What are you most excited about in the field of CF?
I'm excited to see that we have more people with CF living into adulthood. These adults are coming to the table with the ability to make more decisions about their care, to really express what they value in their personal lives and how to make CF fit into that life for them.
In the past, CF was never considered an adult disease, but today, people with CF are living full and productive lives because of all the science and research. I'm just really excited about the possibilities going forward.
What is your dream for the future?
With all the new research and new therapies like KalydecoTM, I feel like we are making tremendous advances in the fight against CF. I see hope in a pill, and that makes me really excited to keep my son and all people with CF as healthy as they can be. My dream is that CF will no longer be such a heavy burden, and people with CF can live long, healthy lives.
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News Archive
September 7, 2006
Business school calls on students to pledge alligence to ethical standards. Will it make a difference?
September 7, 2006
The National Center for Fair and Open Testing on Wednesday released a letter it had sent to the College Board, calling into question the board's analysis of the drop in scores on the SAT this year.
September 6, 2006
A jury has ordered the St. Louis Community College District to pay $850,000 to a woman found to have been harassed by a former campus police officer while she was serving as a secretary in the district's police office. According to an account in the St.
September 6, 2006
Dozens of liberal arts presidents issue statement backing legislation to put federally sponsored research online, free.
September 6, 2006
Appeals panel clears way for lawsuit charging for-profit university with defrauding government of billions.
September 6, 2006
Study challenges medical education group's claims that doctors in training are abiding by limits on their hours.
September 6, 2006
Students start to post videos of professors -- shot secretly -- on popular site. Watch out for your dignity and intellectual property rights.
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Thread: getting your first job
October 12th, 2003 #1
getting your first job
hi everyone.
i was just wondering, how old everyone was when they got there first job in the "industry" (concept art, illustration etc).
what was the quality like. etc etc.
i've been looking at a few job possitions for game concept art (not that i was expecting to apply) and nearly all request 3-5 years experience in the industry. how are people just starting out supposed to get jobs?
also, as i'm in school (and will be for the next 4 years still) is there some sort of part-time option where i could work from home? does that type of job even exist in concept art jobs?
has anyone got experience working for game/film companies part-time while in school?
i know my questions are all over the place but any advice would be greatley appreciated.
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Hide this ad by registering as a memberOctober 12th, 2003 #2
I don't work in the industry yet, but I think I can help answer some of your questions. The best way to gain experience while in highschool and from home that'll be good for a resume would be working on a Mod for a game.... you most likely won't see any money from this, but'll it'll give you really good experience. You can probably find some of these listed in the Non-Paying Jobs forum here.
There are other ways to gain experience. Some school specializing in game design count as work experience. I know the school I went to for a year did that (Digipen Institute of Technology). You can also get a job at a game company doing something else other then concept art and that'll give you experience in the industry... like maybe being a texture artist or something. But if you have a damn good portfolio you may not even need prior experience... companies may still hire you, so don't not send your portfolio out if the company say "must have 3-5 industry experience" because you may still get the job.
Hope this helps ya.
October 12th, 2003 #3
hi, thanks for the advice.
i've been offered a few mod concept places, but i stupidly said no (because of no pay). i'll go around and look for some more. i realise now that it would be great experience (as i've only ever done work for myself, so no deadlines etc).
i very much dount my art work is even close to being "damn good" so i'll stick with the mod idea
thanks again for your advice, much appreciated.
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|This entry was posted by Joshua Taj Bozeman on February 28, 2006 at 10:43 am, and is filed under Breaking News, Culture, Issues, Politics, Society, Television. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.
Wow.. I've been reading yer site for about a month now, and I gotta say, I don't agree with you too often… but this time, you got it 100% correct.
If I'm paying for something, I don't want government intervention telling me what I can or can not listen to, or watch.
The V-chip is out there. When I subscribed to Sirius Radio a few months ago, one of the questiosn they asked me was whether I wanted to block the "adult" type channels, Stern, uncensored comedy bits and stuff like that. I like all that, but I liked the fact that the option was there. If I had kids, I probably wouldn't let them listen to Stern, or other adult stuff similiar to that. Nice to know I had a choice.
With the President handing over control to this countries most important ports to a nation with direct ties to global terrorism and 9/11, you rant about meaningless things like your hampster and now this?
I'm starting to think you are ignoring this fiasco.
President Bush has all but destroyed this countries security.
I say he needs to go, and FAST! Put someone who cares about the security of this country, and it's people in charge. Things have got out of hand in the White House.
I forgot this was YOUR website Mark and I only need post things you find meaningful.
I've looked at the issue, and there's nothing to it. The supposed problems that Coast Guard had with it don't exist- they isolated one sentence of a much larger report in which the Coast Guard said that this poses no security risk. The company from UAE will not, in any way, control the security- this will still be left to the government agencies (coast guard, port authority, etc.) One of the top guys in this deal is an American who has dealt with security issues in this regard for years.
The port authority says there's no security risk- that the company won't be in charge of any aspect of security, etc.
This story has become a political issue thanks, mainly, to the media's distortion of the facts involved. Bush is facing opposition on both sides- even some Republicans are claiming the coast guard nonsense, isolating a tiny part of the report to gain political points. Clearly, Bush has no interest in damaging natl security, and most people admit that he beat Kerry, in part, due to his solid convictions, even in the face of strong opposition such as in this case, on keeping America safe.
You're in the same boat, in that he's not handing over ANY security measures over to anyone but the govt agencies already doing the security. The port authority has said that nothing will change in this regard- I've seen many interviews with top level PA officials echoing this statement.
Who cares about who controls security. This only means that people won't be able to get into the ports to do harm.
With a nation tied to 9/11 in control of these ports, there's no telling what kind of materials they might let into the country. Security has no control over this.
And no, it has become a national story NOT because of the media, but because Bush has put the countries security at risk for a few dollars.
Even a good chunk of the Republican party can see the security threats in this.
I have lost all confidence in this administration. He invades a country that had nothing to do with 9/11, and gives control of vital US ports to a country that did. It doesn't make sense.
As per Bush's "solid convictions"
It's good to see them tossed out the window for a few campaign dollars.
The important point is that security WAS ALREADY BAD at our ports. Bush has done nothing to address the issue of bad port security. And now the Republicans will lose the only thing they have left: the appearance that they can do a better job at national security than Democrats. Once they lose that, it's over for the Republican party.
Actually, according to the many port authority officers interviewed in the past 2 weeks, there have been siginificant changes in port security. The UAE company, as I said, will not deal with the security issues…those issues are dealt with the same way by the same people- the port authority.
There's no evidence Bush has anything to gain from this and much to lose in poll numbers- he doesn't seem to follow poll numbers or decide based on poll numbers. Many of those who came out against this, as I mentioned, incorrectly claimed the Coast Guard said this was a security risk- but as has been reported by many (including Rush yesterday and today)- this just isn't what the CG said. The report said this was looked into and there's not a security risk. The section was taken out of the whole text and out of context.
I'll trust the military over a politician in regards to if something is or isn't a threat.
And yes, Mark- we all know that the official Clinton policy of removing Hussein was evil and a bad idea and Hussein wasn't a threat, and all the reports of meetings with top al qeada members before 9/11 means nothing. A man who set up terrorist training camps surely could never have been connected to 9/11. Then you say a nation who WAS connected (2 of the hijackers were from that nation, which doesn't mean the nation was connected to 9/11- Hussein was obviously more connected with that logic)…on top of that, this company does NOT control the ports as you claim. It's still in the same hands. The company offloads containers…they don't control the port, what comes in and goes out, what's checked and isn't checked, etc.
Oh man, you have to get off of this Saddam has connections to al Queda thing. Not even this administration says that any more! Those reports have been debunked, it's old news, no one is still making those arguments. Get over it and move on. We were hoodwinked. The sooner you admit that to yourself the better.
Alright then Josh, explain why one nation with ties to terrorists gets invaded, and another nation with direct ties to 9/11 gets control of the ports.
And forget security. It's not security that I'm worried about.
I could care less who gets into these ports to cause mischeif. Its what might get into the country having a terror supporting nation in charge that worries me.
I am shocked it does not worry you too.
The company won't deal with the security, and you're not concerned about the security aspects of it, but you're concerned of what could get in with this company on charge? I've no idea what you're talking about.
Nations change their ways…this nation has started helping in the war on terror. Same thing with Pakistan when they were forced into changing their ways to help us in defeating terrorism. That was obvious when Musharraf went from the fatigues to the business suits.
Nations change their ways? That is a rather narrow way of putting things to defend Bush's retarded decision.
You mention Pakistan helping with the war on terror. Well, did you know that the majority of the Pakistani people don't agree with their leader, and would strike the US if they had the chance?
Do you also realize that it's not the UAE government running these ports? It's a company from the UAE. There is no telling how many people they have working for them who would help their terrorist pals smuggle a nuclear weapon into the country.
Lord only know they control the gate inside now.
Your bias in this matter is startling.
I wonder what your view would be if it was Kerry giving up major ports to a terrorist country.
You would be on here ranting about how the Democrats are destroying this countries security until your fingers fell off.
You're putting words into my mouth. From what I've read- I see no problem with it. I would feel the same with any president/congressional leader, etc.
The company isn't in charge of security, they're not in charge of what does and doesn't come in, what is and isn't allowed, etc.
So, it's not about this company allowing smuggled nukes in. They do NOT control what comes and doesn't come in or the security aspects. The port authority still owns and oversees the port, period.
I don't care what the Pakistani people want or don't want…I do know their leader has been forced into coming in line, and he and his govt have done a lot to aid us in the war on terror. If Pakistan or other nations capture terrorists, they're only going to turn them over or even worry about it if we're allied with them. Same goes for nations like UAE.
The company in question IS owned by the nation itself. It's a government owned company, not a private company.
[The company in question IS owned by the nation itself. It's a government owned company, not a private company.]
-Like I said. That doesn't matter. It's the people that work for said company that could be the risk. THe last thing needed is for a terrorist to infiltrate the company and use one of these ports for the next attack on US soil.
[The company isn't in charge of security, they're not in charge of what does and doesn't come in, what is and isn't allowed, etc.]
-No Josh. You have it wrong. The majority of the security is done by the Port Terminal Operations team.
The Coast Guard have the right to search containers they deem suspicious, but the majority of the security with regards to incoming shipments is done by the company itself.
Here is a pretty good link describing the security risks involved, as well as a background of the UAE. It is far from a bias article.
If Kerry had supported this during the election his campaign would have been over and Josh would have called Kerry "insane."
One thing I've learned is that Josh is not loyal to a cause, he's loyal to a man: George Bush. Whatever that man does, he will support. He is part of the republican base that will stay with them to the bitter end. I say fine, go down in flames with this disasterious administration.
Todd, you're putting words in my mouth now. I don't see a problem with it period. You can call me a liar all you want, but I'm fairly sure what I, MYSELF, believe.
I'm loyal to Bush? Hardly. From what I've seen of this issue, it's not an issue. That's based on the facts, not any sort of loyalty you think I might have.
Bush is now in charge of levees? You seem to think that ANYTHING that goes wrong you pin on Bush, and if something goes right, it had to have been someone else. You seem to be projecting your own feelings onto me.
Mark, your evidence that the company will be in charge of security is a quote from a competing firm that's in the same business? That's precious. No one said that port security in general was perfect. I surely never said that. I think it's fairly pointless to check 40% or whatever the exact number is of containers for radiation. The radioactive container could very easily be in the majority of containers NOT screened. I think that port security needs to be completely overhauled with a system where ALL containers are checked for radiation and even more than that basic step. With the system in place now, which I personally think is a disaster waiting to happen, this new company causes no new security risks in my view…nothing over the already evident risks I think are inherent in the current system.
As usual you are as perceptive as a log.
I didn't say Bush was "in charge" of the levees. What I AM saying is that he LIED when he said "no one could have anticipated the breach of the levees" when he was warned about the levees days earlier!
I'm saying that Bush was lying when he said we were "fully prepared" to send troops in immediately after the hurricane when we all know it took days.
I'm saying he is not a leader. He asked no questions during that meeting. He's not inquisitive. He's not a good manager. I don't even know what he's good at at this point. I deal with this everyday in my work environment. If I'm ultimately resonsible for something (in his case, the FEMA response) I probe the issue from every angle so I have some confidence that there won't be problems. He did none of that.
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Hotels in 81615 - Snowmass Village CO
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Hello readers and watchers of wrestling. My name again is Zachary Morales and I will be your humble host for this blog post. I want to thank everyone who read my first blog and if you haven't yet, I would suggest reading it. But if you don't, thats ok. Anyway, before we get on to why I'm here I want to talk about Raw last Monday. I thought it was a great show and the highlights for me were the beginning
Updated 03-05-2012 at 11:20 PM by Frank
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Sunday, September 30, 2012
The head of a leading Islamic organization Saturday called for a global ban on offending the character of the Prophet Muhammad, saying that it should be equated with hate speech.
Such a ban would demonstrate how an interconnected world respected different cultural sensitivities, said Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, secretary general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in an interview with The Associated Press.
"If the Western world fails to understand the sensitivity of the Muslim world, then we are in trouble," Ihsanoglu said. Such provocations pose "a threat to international peace and security and the sanctity of life."
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U2's 'Ordinary Love' lyric video pays tribute to Nelson Mandela - Watch
U2 has released a lyrics video for their new song, "Ordinary Love." The track, which appears on the soundtrack to "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom," is the band's first new song in over three years.
The band, who consider themselves friends of Nelson Mandela, agreed to write a song for the movie after being asked by Harvey Weinstein if they would be involved. A snippet of the track first appeared in the trailer for the film, which stars Idris Elba as Mandela.
In the video a painting of Mandela is created, paying further tribute to the former South African president. Keep your eyes peeled for a Bono cameo in there as well.
Photo/Video credit: Interscope


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IGNOU Assignments 2014- 15 BA BDP BEd BCA BCom BPP MBA Sem Solved- ignou.ac.in:
Indira Gandhi National Open University has been released the IGNOU Assignments 2014 Solved Last Dates Notification of First Year (FY), Second Year (SY), Third Year (TY) for Various UG and PG Degree such as B.A, B.Com, B.Sc, BBA, BCA, B.Ed, BPP, M.A, M.Com, M.Sc, MBA, MCA, MPhil, PhD, B.E/ B.Tech, M.E/ M.Tech, M.Ed, Polytechnic/ Diploma, Law of Semester examinations. We will update the latest news about IGNOU Assignments 2014 Application Form Download.
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Nearly a few thousands of students wanna apply for the IGNOU Assignments 2014- 2015 and they are all awaiting for their notification. Candidates who want to join in the IGNOU can download the application form online & offline from the links which is shown below.
Students should download the application form by degree wise and also the same for applying the admission form. We advise you to use the below link for the IGNOU Assignments 2014 & Application Form:
Students having any questions, then ask us through the comment box.


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text: Hi, this is mostly a question for the Austin guys. I need to find replacement screws for my A&K SPR body and gearbox. The screws holding the gearbox together, around the motor plate, and the ones on the body pins are made of an extremely soft metal and have begun to become deformed (the head of the screws are just falling apart when I try to unscrew them). I am sure I can get the screws out, but I would like to replace them after tuning the gearbox. My question is where would be a good place to find replacements screws around Austin? I plan to hit up places like Lowe's and the Austin Bolt Co, but I was just wondering where the Austin guys suggest I go.


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UniverSoul Circus: A Modern, Upbeat, International Extravaganza
* Additional fees apply. No coupon or promo codes necessary to enjoy the displayed discount price.
The last date listed for UniverSoul Circus was Sunday August 17, 2014 / 12:30pm.
Venue Details
Reviews & Ratings
Featured review from feliopy
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It was absolutely awesome. It was a bit late for the kiddo who fell asleep but me the adult continued to have a blast!
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I have supported Universoul Circus for years but this year didn't feel quite as good as previous years. I always loved the acts - our favorites were the contortionists and the strong men. However, for young kids, the energy seemed a bit low,...continued
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Absolutely marvelous!!!!
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Excellent performers. Very entertaining and exciting. However I really do not like the 3 elephants that are parade around and around in a tiny circle. Surely it is not necessary to have animals being treated like this anymore, the acrobatics and...continued
Visit event website for a list of performers. Performers subject to change.


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Seeking Game-Changing Solutions to Childhood Obesity
Yesterday the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy (OSTP) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture hosted a workshop to gather insight from leading experts in the fields of gaming and technology to inform the development of a nutrition game-design challenge. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services is preparing to launch the Innovations for Healthy Kids Challenge, a call to American entrepreneurs, software developers, and students to use a recently released USDA nutrition data set to create innovative, fun, and engaging web-based learning applications that motivate kids, especially "tweens" (aged 9-12) and their parents, to eat more healthfully and be more physically active.
Thirty-one experts joined the meeting—some via teleconference—to offer their knowledge and experience related to game design, entertainment technology, social media, and skill contests, in reaction to a previously circulated concept paper outlining key components of the contest.
Our intention here is to invite you to join this discussion. Here are some of the major design-related themes, that emerged from the Workshop, around which we'd like to get input from you:
- Goal: We discussed the potential for games – powered by nutrition data – to change behavior in our target segment ("tweens" between the ages of 9-12 and their parents). Design questions focused on whether the contest should result in a finished, high-impact game or one that continually evolves over time ("gaming as a service"). How would you recommend we address this question in the design of our contest?
- Incentives: We discussed government limitations on the size of the prize ($3,000 – a purse we've awarded in public service announcement contests as well). Design questions focused on the degree to which other stakeholders might supplement the prize with privately raised funds; develop new markets for educational games, including schools, parents, and after-school programs; and recognize finalists at the White House or other venues. What incentives would you recommend we deploy to maximize high quality participation?
- Final Product: We acknowledged a spectrum of potential final products– including "back of the envelope" ideas, game story boards, working prototypes, and market-ready "final" products. In addition, we discussed the possibility of multiple phases to capture the breadth and quality of potential submissions (perhaps an early round seeking top ideas/story boards to be developed into games in round two). How should we design the competition in a manner that inspires and empowers both professionals willing to volunteer hours to the competition and students willing to build a game that doubles as a semester class assignment? How do we address the myriad game product categories – from casual games to fully developed titles?
- Your Commitment: A great deal of the conversation focused on how individuals might complement the official competition with commitments they could offer from their respective positions – whether it would be incorporating nutrition data in already-developed games, faculty assigning class time towards building nutrition games, or organizations spreading the word about the contest. How might you be willing to help? Please post any commitments your firm, foundation, school or other organization might be willing to offer as we build a national movement to address childhood obesity.
Thank you in advance for your ideas on these important questions.
Aneesh Chopra is Chief Technology Officer of the United States
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The principal trading philosophy we teach here is hedge trading. It isn't always easy to wrap your mind around that sort of thing but the purpose of hedge trading is to try to make trading results more predictable (reduce risk / variances) while maintaining the same high level of returns. That's a nice way of saying that this philosophy wants to do what efficient markets theory tells us is impossible: to get a better return on investments with less risk than the market tells us we can acheive.
Is Hedge Trading Effective?
One has to ask if all the Wharton School MBAs and University of Chicago theorists like the great Eugene Fama and his disciples tell you it is not possible to make exceptional returns in efficient markets then hedge trading won't work, right? If that is the case then why do the wealthiest investors in the world pay 2 and 20 (2% fee on investment plus 20% of gains made) to hedge trading funds and gurus? If hedge trading funds stay in business and grow doesn't it stand to reason then that the philosophy must be working for at least *some* of them?
The Hedge Trading Scam
If you've read any financial newspaper or journal or magazine in the last several years you will have come across headlines regarding hedge trading scams. You should be familiar with the story of Bernard Madoff, if not the name of Robert Allen Stanford. These men claimed to have a "special trading system" that allowed them to beat the market no matter how large a scale they operated on. It took years and billions in dollars of losses/fraud before the scams (a basic ponzi scheme in each case) was revealed.
Listen: Nobody can operate on a long term basis getting extraordinary returns on investment on an infinite scale. Exact returns are simply unpredictable on long time frames. On the other hand, short term and small scale returns can at least be narrowed, if not predicted, with simple unelaborate hedge trading.
Have You Subscribed to Our Free Easy Options Trading Newsletter?
Be Sure to Also Take Advantage of the Free Binary Options Trading Signals and Guide to Trading Binary Options
Following in the Footsteps of Graham and Buffett
It is this style of hedge trading philosophy we teach here. It has long been known that the best practice of investing (as best we know how) is to compare two or more assets which the market tells us are equal, and then discern differences between the two in order to make the best choice. Warren Buffett or his mentor, Benjamin Graham would tell you that. Hedge trading operates on a similar philosophy: it involves trading assets that ARE effectively equal in as many ways as possible but different in very specific select ways (such as price or payout structure) to create a controlled SET of possible outcomes from the COMBINED assets traded/purchased. One way to see the most elementary example of hedge trading) involves binary options. The simplicity and elegance makes binary options the ultimate teaching tool for this style of trading, and it is for that reason we strongly suggest that if you have an interest in hedge trading that you should start by taking our free intro binary options trading course. You'll learn the basics with real-life actual examples and basic strategies you can duplicate in your own binary options trading account.
You May Find These Other Books Helpful in Learning About Options Trading


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Absolutely love these curtains! They hung beautifully right out of the package. I have them in my bedroom.
I love these curtains. I ordered them for the bedroom. They are sheer and classic. All I did was hang them up and the wrinkles fell out, no need to iron them. Touch of Class is my new go to place to shop for the home.
The item visually looks like what I wanted but the size is all wrong. The description lists it as "wide" at 104 inches. It turns out that each panel is actually a standard width at 52 inches.
I needed some white curtains for my bedroom and found these online. I had never seen back tabs before and was unsure. They are great! Love them. Nice quality to these curtains!


text: White River Auto has been serving Elkins, AR and the surrounding area since 2002 and now has a new location in Gassville, AR. We offer professional automotive service specializing in complete auto repair and tire sales. We are ASE certified and use the latest tools and equipment when servicing your vehicle. Our mission is to provide quality service at the very best price.


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KYRGYZSTAN: Taking a Stand Against Early Marriage
12news.uz on 23 February reported that public organizations in Kyrgyzstan are working to prevent early marriages, which deprive girls of childhood, legal rights, and sometimes pose a threat to their health. The marriageable age in Kyrgyzstan is defined as 18 (17 years, if she is pregnant or had a baby), but 12.2% of women are married before that age, according to the United Nations Population Fund. Read in Russian: 12news.uz
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East is East & West is West
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Beastly Adventurer
Joined: Aug 2008
Location: Them Thar Hills WA Australia
Oddometer: 1,405
After a day in a motel to dry out (in more ways than 1) I headed off Eastward, Strezleki Hwy, Leongatha, where I finally succumbed and bought some better gloves, gets a bit nippy in S Gippsland, especially when it's raining as well.
By the time I got to Maffra and met up with Paul, things were warming up a bit, so we unloaded Gus and headed up the twisty road to Licola. With me leading it can't have been pretty sight for Paul, but WA has only about 3 25km/hr corners in the whole state, so we don't get much practice.
We got there anyway.
Fining the store closed Paul decided to test out the abilities of Gus as against his 640Adv. We came 2nd.
Thanks for showing me around your neck of the woods mate. Next time I might just have a more suitable bike, in which case I might have to blame my own ability (or lack of it).
After another long sleep in the pub in Maffra I headed off up the back way to Dargo - Freestone Creek Rd.
Awsome bit of country, but not a lot of water in the rivers.
Pretty reasonable dirt except for a few washed out bits, usually on the tight corners
Another portrait
Starting to get a bit of elevation here.
The Dargo Pub is famous so it had to be on my itinery.
My room was an honest to goodness log cabin with all the kitsch accoutrements.
I spent a lazy arvo chatting to Dargo Dan at the general store, plenty of advice on local roads, an all round good bloke is Dan. His missus as well but I can't remember her name coz it doesn't hook with Dargo, like Dan does.
Pretty little creek runs through Dargo.
In the morning I am awakened at 7am when Bozo next door starts up his 8.2litre F250 2 feet from my head and proceeds to warm it up for 45min.
I feel like going out and telling him that he is ruining 2 things, the motor, ang his relationship with his neighbour. However he looks like a right redneck so my brand of early morning sarcasm may move him to violence and I'm a lover, not a fighter, so I settle on grumbling to myself ,
We hit the High Plains Road about 9
and almost immediatly run into evidence of the fires that devastated the high country in the summer of 2006-7
These fires were only about 45min from Dargo when the wind changed.
A lot of this country is changed forever, as the fire was so hot it sterilized the soil and heavy rain fell in many areas shortly afterwards, washing away the topsoil. Quite surreal.
As we climb we start to see remnant snow on the peaks away in the distance.
After 70km or so of dirt we hit the Great Alpine Road about 10 ks from Hotham
I think the speed limit may have been exceeded a bit up this bit of road!
From Hotham down to Omeo and fuel for man & beast.
The road from Omeo to Tallangatta on the Murray goes down in my book as the best bit of motorcycling road in Australia (so far) the 30 odd ks of dirt means that in the 130ks of sweepers and twisties I did not meet another vehicle - Magic!
In fact I found Victoria's secondary roads to be, by and large, deserted.
This day however we only get as far as Anglers Rest, the Blue Duck Inn has cabins that sleep 6 for $120 a night, but for 1 this is too rich so I cross the bridge and free camp beside the river
Then Wander back over the bridge for drinks and dinner, top class tucker too.
How good is this?
This is magic country, to a boy from WA having a mountain to look at is a rare treat.
The friend who was to come on this trip but couldn't used to live in a little town on the Murray called Jinjellic so I had to go there.
What a find,
The Pub's a gem.
Free camping in front of the pub, right beside the river.
Top class meals.
And met up with a couple of ratbag bikers.
The one on the left is from the US and works under deep cover for the CIA. (just kidding I think) his name's Jim. The short arse on the right with the attitude problem is Fred, he will feature later in this tale.
In view of the big night I will pause here in memory of the hangover.
Armageddon Was Yesterday, Today We Have a Problem
East is East & West is West 2008
A Long Weekend 2009
All the Way to Nowhere & Back Again. 2010
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The Walking Dead
Will Rick Help Michonne? Sneak Peek of The Walking Dead Season 3 Episode 7 (VIDEO)
This sneak peek of The Walking Dead Season 3, Episode 7, "When the Dead Come Knocking," picks up from where Episode 6 left Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne (Danai Gurira). They silently stare each other down, he on the safe side of the prison fence, she with the walkers. The walkers seem to figure out that she's human (the blood smear trick doesn't last forever) and she's left to take care of them on her own.
Carl asks his dad "Should we help her?" Dad says nothing. Rick does not take too kindly to strangers, so she may have to solve this problem on her own. However, he walks away, and maybe he's walking toward a place where he can help. But this would be a good time for Michonne to actually say something, words to the effect of "Are you Rick? I know Andrea. I saw this guy abduct a couple you might know." That kind of thing.
Episode 7 airs on Sunday, Novemer 25 on AMC. Catch up on all kinds of nifty Walking Dead recaps, spoilers, news, videos and polls about Carol, Daryl and Andrea here at Wetpaint.com/the-walking-dead.