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|March 27, 2014
|The Agitator #109: Medicaid and onions
|2 comments
|March 20, 2014
|The Agitator #108: What would Reagan do?
|no comments
|March 13, 2014
|The Agitator #107: Defense spending and more
|no comments
|March 04, 2014
|The Agitator #106: Tax change and other folly
|4 comments
|February 26, 2014
|The Agitator #105: Religious freedom bill that isn't
|4 comments
|February 20, 2014
|The Agitator #104: Cigarettes, Merry Christmas, price gouging
|3 comments
|February 14, 2014
|The Agitator #103: Taxes and campaign issues
|1 comments
|February 06, 2014
|The Agitator #102: Deja vu all over again
|4 comments
|January 31, 2014
|The Agitator #101: Snow and politicians
|3 comments
|January 22, 2014
|The Agitator #100: Corruption and reform
|3 comments
The General Assembly just passed a law that will take away the power of the governor to expand Medicaid into Georgia. It seems more like a gift to the incumbent in this campaign year allowing Nathan Deal to shift the blame to the legislature when it becomes a hot issue to see who gets to live on West Paces Ferry Road next January. A lot has already been written on this subject, so I will only add a couple of thoughts. First, it is remarkable that the taxpayers of this state aren't screaming outrage for declining the Medicaid expansion. Georgia will turn away one hundred percent of the funding for the next three years, and then a minimum of ninety percent in the ensuing years. That is our money that would have come back to our state, provided for countless jobs, tax revenue from those jobs, and given the down and out a chance at getting minimum health care. The money that we send to Washington on April 15th will go to other states.
The second point is that without that federal money to bring in more people, to include not only patients, but doctors, nurses, equipment providers, and other associated business in the medical field, hospitals, particularly in rural areas, will close. It is the smaller communities north and south of metropolitan Atlanta that will feel it the worst. Consider that there will be almost no incentive for medical school graduates to set up shop in these places because there won't be enough money to provide a living and to pay off their education debt, and they won't have hospitals nearby that provide them privileges. Makes you wonder why any business would possibly think about relocating or expanding where medical services are non-existent. Actually, they won't consider it, and we may see more small towns and communities disappear.
Then there is the controversy being litigated over Georgia Agricultural Commissioner Gary Black's decision dictating to growers the earliest date that they can ship their Vidalia onions to market. A judge ruled that Black did not have that authority, so Black is appealing. He argues, among other things, that in recent years some farmers have tried to be first in selling this trademark onion, and the lower quality from not having reached maturity has adversely affected the Vidalia's reputation. What is funny about Black's argument is that if I recall correctly, he ran on a Republican platform of fewer regulations and less government.
Now I'm all in favor of protecting the Vidalia onion and it's singular reputation. But as someone who believes in free markets, I thought that if a farmer sent a poor quality product to a store, that the consumer would make the decision on whether to buy from that source again. Apparently Black has decided when the Vidalias are ready to be shipped for all farmers. Yet I haven't heard any labels attached to Black like czar, dictator, fascist, socialist, or communist that the current occupant of the White House is accused of every day. I won't disagree that Black might have some meritorious arguments for his position, but it seems a tad hypocritical to campaign on fewer regulations, less government, free markets where the consumer decides, and then impose a pretty harsh regulation on the growers. Makes me wonder if there isn't a hidden agenda in there somewhere considering how much of the state's money he will spend appealing it. It also makes me wonder how Republicans pick and choose which regulations are in the public interest---at least in their opinion.
Georgia voters should know by now that the Republicans they elect aren't serious about reducing regulations or tax reform. Unless you are a big business that threatens to leave the state without tax breaks just for them (Gulfstream comes to mind), or a business that promises to come to Georgia and play Santa Claus to get a tax advantage, you will continue to pay the full freight and abide by all the rules and regulations. No waivers for you. Struggling small businesses will make up the difference. It's only during campaign season that the empty promises of reform are made, but once in office---as they say in New York---fuhgetaboutit!
Because Obama is so disliked by conservatives and most Republicans, the question frequently comes up how Ronald Reagan might have done things differently with the economy, Iraq, Afghanistan, our military, taxes, and everything else a president has to deal with. (I voted for Reagan both times.) This is a counterfactual, and with all counterfactuals, change one thing, let one of the moving parts fail, and there could be a very different outcome. I think it fair, though, within this limited space to try and sort through some of the issues and see if things would be a lot different. Certainly, many of the readers of this column will differ (most in Cobb for sure), but it makes for an interesting discussion.
Obama is being ridiculed for his fecklessness in Crimea, for not standing up to Vladimir Putin. Yet all of my conservative friends readily acknowledge that we should not do anything to provoke a war with Russia over it. Obama and European leaders are talking in unison about applying a number of financial sanctions, but the Russians have options too, and Putin is probably more willing to let his people suffer than any American president would if either side is to apply heat. Only John McCain and Lindsay Graham seem to think that we should consider some kind of military intervention.
While this is going on and still to be played out, the Pentagon is looking at huge cuts in size of our manpower levels for all the services. While many complain about the shrinking military, they don't want a tax hike to pay for one that they want. Considering the Great Recession and its ongoing aftermath with lower revenue, money is a more important factor than it was during better times.
Obama has been blistered for the death of our ambassador and four civilian security personnel in Benghazi. Yet I haven't heard a single word from the right about the failed security precautions that resulted in the deaths of over 240 marines in their barracks in Lebanon in October 1983 when a suicide bomber rammed his truck into it. There was active intelligence that such an attack could occur. Despite that, marine sentries were not permitted to have loaded magazines in their weapons. The bomber was subsequently identified as an Iranian national. Yet Reagan never retaliated against Iran, and he was never held to account for the security lapses. I personally wouldn't hold him accountable, but since Obama is somehow accountable for Benghazi, I would think that the same rules for where the buck stops should also apply to Reagan.
Reagan inherited a very bad economy, and several years into his presidency the high unemployment rate dropped very significantly. What is rarely discussed in connection with how Regan got unemployment under control is the record setting deficits he created. His deficits were off the chart compared to all of his predecessors with the exception of FDR, who had to deal with the Depression and WW II, and who Reagan considered one of America's best presidents. Reagan spent money that we didn't have to build up our military that had deteriorated after Vietnam for a lot of reasons. I don't have an argument with what Reagan did---it got results by pouring money into the economy---but when Obama suggests spending money to stimulate the economy, he is a "tax and spend" liberal. WW II and Reagan's deficits proved that there are times that government spending can work to prime the pump of the private sector.
People forget that Reagan substantially increased taxes when he was governor of California, and while he was successful in lowering taxes as president, he also raised them several times. But the right doesn't remember these inconvenient truths. Nor do they like to bring up the amnesty that Reagan got through for some three million illegal aliens. I think Reagan proved to be a sober president, a man who understood politics on a national and international level, who at first was considered a traitor by the right for negotiating arms limitations with the Soviets, and only later proving to have been bold and wise.
Reflecting on Reagan's historical record, I have a hard time thinking that he would have been so different than Obama today. I also don't believe that the same Ronald Reagan, using a pseudonym, could get very far in today's Republican Party based on his record. He would be considered a RINO and persona non grata. Reagan may have projected being a better leader than Obama, but his record doesn't support the mythical icon that he has become in far right quarters.
Republicans have complained about taxes since before Ronald Reagan lowered them before raising them again. Any Republican running on a platform of a needed tax hike, any Republican breaking his promise of no new taxes is doomed from the start. That's a fair political debate that the voters should hear before casting their ballot accordingly.
I am in Representative Tom Price's Sixth Congressional District. He wrote a letter to his constituents dated February 18, 2014. It was written on congressional stationary, and in small print at the bottom it said that "This mailing was prepared, published and mailed at taxpayer expense. It is provided as a service to constituents." Actually it was a highly partisan letter that to my way of thinking should have been paid for out of his campaign funds.
In the letter Price laments, as I do, the "millions of hours complying with the tax code while our businesses face the highest tax rates in the industrialized world." He continues that House Republicans have included tax reform as part of their budget plan in order to "simplify the system, eliminate special interest loopholes, and make America more competitive." All well and good and makes for a great campaign slogan. Too bad the reality is that it's more smoke and mirrors, more red meat show and tell with absolutely no substance.
Juxtapose Price's comments with fellow Republican Dave Camp of Michigan. Only a few days after the release of Price's letter, Camp published the results of his research and hard work in proposing a new tax code. It would close the special tax breaks that wealthy hedge fund operators get, compress taxes into three categories, eliminate a lot of deductions that are antiquated and supported by special interests, and reduce the complexity of filing a return. The immediate reaction to Camp's honest proposal, one that deserves consideration, debate, argument, and perhaps a vote, came from House Speaker John Boehner, who when asked about it said, "Blah, blah, blah, blah."
If that doesn't tell you how serious Republicans are about streamlining the 70,000 page tax code, you are indeed a hard person to convince. I wondered where Tom Price's voice of support for Camp was when Camp first came out with his bill. After all, in light of Price's letter, Camp addressed the very concerns that Price raised. What we got from Price was the voice of silence. If Americans are watching this game being played out, they should know that they have no hope of tax reform. Republicans have a majority in the House and may even gain the senate in November. But don't expect change. They didn't do anything when Bush was president and they had both houses, and it won't happen if they once again have the chance.
In the meanwhile on the state level, the state House successfully passed some bills to provide tax breaks to help luxury jet owners and other business interests. The proponents defend this by saying that it keeps and creates jobs, and other states grant similar largess. I guess if every state did the same, eventually no business would pay taxes in order to remain "competitive." Delta was once given a fuel tax exemption when they were going through hard times. An argument can be made for it in such cases, but now that they are making nine figure profits, shouldn't that tax gift be reconsidered? The state stands to lose $150 million with the latest sweetheart presents, but if you follow the money and who gave to whom just before the General Assembly began, you can see how it played out.
And so my fellow readers and taxpayers, be prepared to continue to shell out more money for your tax accountant or lawyer. There is no relief in sight. Be comforted by Price's letter funded by your hard earned money, and trust him to lead the charge for tax reform as his letter promises. Then wait for his first word of support of the one Republican, Dave Camp, who at least did the work and came up with a proposal that deserves attention. Several tax cycles will pass and you still won't hear Price utter one peep as long as Boehner considers it blah, blah, blah, blah. That's the modern definition of leadership, and Price is the leader of it.
The General Assembly has joined with a handful of other states to ensure that all Georgians' religious freedom is protected, especially from the mean spirited Obama administration that has no regard for the Constitution. The two bills working their way through the legislative process are H.B. 1023 and S.B. 377. I wish I felt better and safer, but in fact I feel a lot worse.
The first question that comes to mind is whether there really is an attack on our religious freedom, which is part of our freedom of conscience. I am unaware of the government monitoring the sermons of clergymen. I know of no churches that the government has closed. I've never seen or read about army tanks surrounding a single house of worship in America. In fact, as I've written about before, religion is much favored in this country with special tax benefits that only clergymen can claim, property tax exemptions, and breaks from tax reporting exclusive to houses of worship. To be sure, and rightfully so to my way of thinking, some churches have come under IRS scrutiny for openly and blatantly endorsing political candidates, a violation of the tax code. Then again, any church is free to support a candidate of its choice if it decides that giving up the tax break is worth it. America has always been about choices, and this isn't an onerous one.
There have always been and always will be bigots when it comes to race, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, and other categories of people. The 1964 Civil Rights Bill outlawed outright discrimination based on race and most of the foregoing classifications. No law is going to be perfect, and proving discrimination is not easy. Most challenges go nowhere because it's hard to prove someone's real intent unless you have strong evidence. If Georgia were to allow a business to refuse service because of someone's sexual orientation based on the businessman's religious beliefs, the door will open for an affirmative defense for anyone to discriminate for any reason and to fall back on their "religious" convictions. Try proving that the person is lying.
On March 25th, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments concerning whether the government can mandate that birth control be included in the health insurance a corporation provides to its employees. The issue will include the question of whether or not corporations are people. Mitt Romney said they were, but he never addressed how a corporation could have a conscience, how it could serve time in prison for committing crimes, why it doesn't pay the same rate of taxes as individuals, or other things that constitute a living, breathing being. The court will have to decide if the Plaintiff in this case, Hobby Lobby, is merely the legal fiction that corporations are, or if they are more. Interesting side bar on Hobby Lobby is that while they profess that their religious freedom is being violated because they don't believe in certain forms of birth control, they purchase most of their wares from China, which has one of the highest abortion rates in the world. Makes me wonder about their sincerity.
If Georgia's religious freedom bill were to pass, all sorts of other defenses would be used to deny blood transfusions to patients undergoing surgery, medications could be eliminated from health insurance policies on religious grounds, and countless other consequences, many unforeseen. Imagine that such a bill was the model for a federal law. I wonder if soldiers could claim, as crazy as it sounds, that they didn't have to fight because it would violate their beliefs.
Lastly, one has to wonder about how such a law squares with all the hype from our elected representatives who tout the importance of creating good jobs and attracting business to Georgia. Can they really believe that this law promotes those objectives? Have they considered how many businesses have gay C-level executives? Some companies might publicly state that Georgia is off their lists, but many would probably just passively go elsewhere. It is sad to think that our state, which has come a very long way since the 1960s, that has built an international reputation for being progressive, could undermine all that with a law that smacks of something out of the 1950s. Have these elected officials no shame?
This week alone I heard two conservative radio talk show hosts blasting regulations in the marketplace for impeding business growth. I can't recall any conservative over the years defending any regulation as being good. Makes me wonder if zoning laws that protect a nice subdivision from having a box store move in next door would be an exception.
Recently CVS announced they would be discontinuing the sale of cigarettes in their chain of drugstores. I was surprised, but shouldn't have been, at the outcry of this decision. Among the arguments attacking the drug company was that cigarettes are a lawful product and therefore it is wrong to have a self-imposed ban on them.
Each December Bill O'Reilly becomes a "victim" of the secularists who he claims are trying to wipe out Christmas in the public sector. His favorite argument to prove his point is to highlight some businesses that don't allow employees to wish customers Merry Christmas. What he never mentions is that there is no government involvement in a company's decision to instruct employees that they are not to use this greeting. Again, it is strictly a business decision. If customers don't like it they are free to shop elsewhere. Just maybe if there is a noticeable drop in sales the company might change its policy. Amazing how the marketplace works when it's left alone to correct imbalances, especially those that don't really affect anyone's quality of life like the zoning example.
And then there is price gouging. It never fails that following some natural event that causes shortages, like the two recent snowstorms, some businesses will significantly jack up their prices. The screams I heard on the radio were deafening. Yet I wondered why. I thought the marketplace was all about supply and demand. And if folks don't want to pay the exorbitant price at the moment, they can do without for the time being or find another place to buy a product where the owner might see a business opportunity to gain new customers now and in the future. Free markets at work. Nary a word from the conservative complainers that just maybe gouging occurs because a business has to make up for lost sales during the emergency, his costs may have gone up, or other economic considerations.
I saw a Facebook posting of a Delta ticket that went up from a few hundred dollars to $8,000. I won't disagree that this is outrageous, but the person objecting is a very strong conservative. The solution is simple if you don't like the price: find another way home and perhaps discontinue your support of the airline. Same for baggage fees. Lots of complaining about them, but again, the solution for these conservatives is to leave the markets alone and take your business to an airline that doesn't charge them.
I am not suggesting for a minute that I support gouging or some of the business practices that conservatives object to. What I am saying is that the hypocrisy of the free-marketeers reeks. They are fine with free markets and no regulation as long as it doesn't impact them. Most don't live near a coalmine and never even saw one. So mining safety regulations don't really matter to them. All of us take our clean water for granted without giving a thought to the laws and regulations that ensure its safety. Same for the myriad of safety regulations when we fly, purchase food, the clean air we breathe today, and so much more. I grew up with the stench of polluted rivers and beaches in NYC, and air that was dangerous to your health. A WW II veteran on my first ship was from Manhattan. He told the story of swimming in the East River as a boy, but before anyone jumped in they decided whose turn it was to be the "sludge" breaker. The creation of the EPA in the early 1970s changed all that. The young today who object to the EPA wouldn't know what those days were like.
The marketplace works just fine when businesses decide things for themselves like selling cigarettes or what holiday greetings are appropriate. As for government regulations, it's a fair political discussion to debate whether there are too many. What is absurd is the notion that agencies like the EPA should be abolished despite the measurable improvements in our healthier quality of life. Perhaps whenever such arguments are raised we should do as we were taught starting in high school: follow the money.
There are two very significant federal races for office underway right now. The U.S. Senate election could be decided in the May 20th primary, but it's still too early to know if Democrat Michelle Nunn could pull an upset. The winner of the primary for the congressional 11th District, currently occupied by Phil Gingrey, will almost certainly take office in Washington next January since no Democrat can overcome the Republican dominance for this seat.
Sadly none of the Republican candidates are talking about the real issues that affect our daily lives. We are being bombarded with why Obamacare is killing America, the assault on your Second Amendment rights, religious freedom and birth control (a thoroughly bogus argument in my opinion that I hope the Supreme Court will put to rest), gay marriages, and deficits among the higher profile arguments. All are fair game for political discussion, and I am all in favor of having that debate, but when you look at your paycheck, prepare your taxes, and otherwise try to figure out how to make ends meet, are you really thinking about any of the foregoing issues? Does it not bother enough taxpayers to scream out in protest against having to pay accountants and lawyers to figure out what they have to pay the government? This is not a pitch against taxes; we need taxes, and as Oliver Wendell Holmes said, taxes are the price we pay to live in a civilized society.
The tax code's complexity is outrageous. It is a full employment bill for CPA's, tax preparers, and tax lawyers. All we ever hear from our elected officials is that the code needs changing, but when has there been a meaningful effort by one party or the other to gather the necessary support and actually do something about it? Write to your representative to complain and you will get a nice response about how s/he supports change, is a sponsor to some bill, all of which is meaningless blather. The ones who write the tax code are the special interests seeking a credit, deduction, tariff, deferred payment, etc. And they get to write the code because they are the heavy contributors to our representatives' campaigns. The person benefiting from a credit due to insufficient income to pay taxes certainly didn't write that provision into the code. When you live hand to mouth you don't have money to give to politicians. But this credit is pennies on the dollar compared to the gimmees the tax writers of the tax code get. When you are a serious campaign contributor, you are on the "team."
We the voters are responsible for the mess we are in. We elect the masters of smoke and mirrors. They can denounce Obamacare all day and night, but it's very unlikely to be rescinded. Instead there should be bipartisan effort to make it work better. What you will hear, though, from Republicans is about all their healthcare reform bills in the House that they control. What they won't tell you is why none has even made it out of committee. Congressman Tom Price touts his bill as the panacea for reform, so why hasn't he even gotten so much as a hearing on it? Obamacare has become a red herring. It is and should be an issue for debate, but to run on repealing it, as Phil Gingrey's empty promise to do, is not going to make one difference in our daily lives. The likes of Gingrey love to throw out red meat and red herring to the voters, but neither is all that appetizing.
Republicans have traditionally been the party of business. Perhaps if some of the leaders put together a bipartisan team of professionals---accountants, lawyers, business executives, state and local government officials, and more, they could come up with a new tax code that would not only make the U.S. more attractive as a place to set up shop, but it would inure to all Americans. My best guess is that it won't happen, and the whipping boys of campaigns will continue to be Obamacare, guns, religious "persecution", and other issues de jour, issues that won't make one dime's worth of difference when you stroke your check to the IRS and try to meet all your other financial obligations.
The media has been all but silent about the upcoming debt ceiling issue that will become relevant on February 7th. Secretary of the Treasury, Jacob Lew, says that he can find money here and there to borrow in order to pay the nation's bills until about the end of the month. Contrast the national attention of last fall when we hit the debt ceiling and congress was unwilling to budge. I suspect that the voice of silence we are hearing this time may be a hint that a deal to raise the debt ceiling is in the works.
It is unlikely that the opponents to raising the debt ceiling in the Republican Party are going to submit quietly. What little I have already heard on the topic is that tea party Republicans are insisting on corresponding cuts in spending. That sounds good if you are trying to fool the American people into believing that raising the debt ceiling is like getting another credit card to go on a spending spree. In fact this Republican controlled House worked out a bipartisan budget agreement recently that increases spending, particularly for defense, over the next several years by restoring money that had been cut by the sequester. Raising the debt ceiling allows for the government to pay for the spending that has already been incurred, not future spending.
All of this makes for great political rhetoric, and you can be sure that you will hear a lot about Obama spending us into oblivion without one word of acceptance of responsibility by the responsible parties: our elected representatives. Obama can't spend what hasn't been authorized even if he wanted to. So as long as we keep unneeded military bases open, build weapons the Pentagon doesn't want or need, continue the social costs of defense at current levels, and tout how defense is the main priority at all costs, then we need to pay for it. If some of this amounts to a jobs program under the guise of defense, so be it, but the taxpayers ought to know that it doesn't come for free.
It was comforting to know that our two U.S. senators from Georgia voted for the latest farm bill that will cost over several years approximately a trillion dollars. Included in the bill are insurance subsidies and price supports for various crops. Farming has become largely a big business enterprise, and as such these businesses should bear the risks and rewards as any other business. But Johnny and Saxby don't want to tell their constituents that food prices may rise as a result, and conservative taxpayers who complain about government giveaways don't want to pay the real cost of farm products despite touting that free markets should be allowed to work their magic.
Another giveaway program is the subsidy that taxpayers provide for flood insurance to those who choose to live in a flood plain. Many, if not most of those that live along the beaches, rivers, and other waterways, have the money to pay for their spectacular views, but somehow they can rationalize that the rest of us should help them pay for it. If Republicans insist on government cuts, three ripe areas are wasteful defense spending, farm supports, and flood insurance subsidies. It won't happen, though. My preference would be to put some of that money into paying for the rehab programs funded by the private sector for our seriously injured war veterans. That too won't happen. The constituency isn't large enough.
On an unrelated topic, I tip my hat to the Cobb County police officer who was shot the other day while making a traffic stop. Few tasks are more dangerous for a cop than pulling someone over. There is no such thing as a routine traffic stop. These men and women who risk their lives daily without the public realizing it deserve a lot more than they get. I hope that when the economy improves our uniformed services will be first in line for a much deserved pay raise. It's long overdue and shameful that we aren't doing better by these loyal public servants.
One of my good friends recently said that Mayor Kasim Reed and Governor Nathan Deal looked like two Soviet bureaucrats while making their comments to the press about the snowstorm. As I spent 20 hours in my car (Peachtree Dunwoody Rd. and Hammond Drive to lower east Cobb), I felt better listening to Deal as he took full responsibility for the lack of preparedness while blaming the weather forecasters. Then Mayor Reed added to my level of comfort as he assured us that they learned from the January 2011 ice storm and all would be okay.
I thought it amusing to read comments and listen to interviews from people affected by the storm. Invariably they discussed how their elected officials and appointed bureaucrats failed, how they were unprepared, made bad decisions, and otherwise let the people down. Certainly there is some merit to the criticism. I just find it ironic that so many voters in Georgia who believe that government is the problem, that we need less government and fewer government workers, are the same ones that expect their government to work miracles in a time of crisis. I am sure many of the same people also think that the private sector could do a better job in these circumstances, yet I wonder how they would coordinate their efforts with all of the municipalities involved, and what the companies would do to stay profitable in between crises.
This storm, while bad, was nowhere near as bad as so many I have lived through. But it produced the single greatest mess impacting so many people, and you have to ask yourself why? As I see it the biggest problem is that we live in a state where the car is king. People generally don't like public transportation and prefer the freedom that their cars bring even if they are stuck in traffic all the time and have to plan their lives around traffic. Now some of the opponents to the TSPLOST are proposing to allow individual counties to work with a neighboring county to come up with transportation alternatives. TSPLOST would have focused on the region, and being that the latest storm hit a wide region, I'm not sure how more localized fixes would alleviate our traffic problems. Consider that there is strong opposition to bringing MARTA rail service just to the new Cobb stadium, while at the same time the biggest concern with the new home of the Braves is the additional traffic it will bring.
The whole world saw on CNN what a small snowstorm can do to Atlanta. If anyone thinks that it won't influence companies in whether to relocate to the Atlanta area, open a branch, or to start a business here, they are clueless. The world also watched how the governor handled it, and that too will factor into their thinking. Among the questions that will be asked are whether the Atlanta metropolitan area has a good, reliable transportation system, and whether Georgia produces the kinds of political leaders that makes things happen and solves problems. If this governor or any other candidate for public office thinks that just lowering taxes is going to draw businesses from all over the map, they are either drinking Kool-Aid or returning from a vacation in Colorado.
If anyone thinks that help may be on the way with alternatives to Governor Deal in the upcoming Republican primary, consider this. One opponent, David Pennington was quoted saying that Deal "failed miserably", but never offered a syllable about how he would deal with weather crises in the region. His only mantra is about taxes. The other candidate, John Barge, said that he would have "taken the heat" for closing the schools early, "especially when it involves safety. Yet Barge, the state school superintendant, said that he did not urge the schools to let students out early out of fear of "overreaching."
Nothing will change or improve until we solve our transportation problems. There isn't enough asphalt to hold all the cars in the Atlanta metropolitan area. So all we can do is sleep well knowing that the governor has arranged for more salt bins to be strategically placed around the state. I wish that had consoled me the other night, but it didn't. At least some consolation came from knowing that our underpaid uniformed public servants were out in full force doing the real work. To them I say, thank you!


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Tag Archives: NBA Lockout
Episode #13: Mime Travel
You thought there would be no paper-reading this week, what with all the Thanksgiving going down. I'm kinda disappointed in you for that. Don't worry, though. I'm totally the forgiving type. Here, have an episode of Jon Reads the Paper … Continue reading
Episode 13: Mime Travel [ 44:40 | 30.67 MB ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
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Women's Leisure Life Thermal Knit Dress
Velour Trim Adds a Touch Of Style To the Essential Thermal-Knit Dress
Women's Leisure Life Thermal Knit Dress
Velour Trim Adds a Touch Of Style To the Essential Thermal-Knit Dress
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Joan Didion
Sara Krulwich/The New York Times
News about Joan Didion, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.
Chronology of Coverage
Aug. 18, 2015
Michiko Kakutani reviews book The Last Love Song: A Biography of Joan Didion by Tracy Daugherty. MORE
Nov. 24, 2013
Essays in which writers bid farewell to New York City, genre popularized by Joan Didion in 1967, are finding renewed life as a new generation of writers works out its own love-hate relationship with city; several such works have been published in book Goodbye to All That: Writers on Loving and Leaving New York. MORE
Nov. 4, 2013
Media Decoder blog; Zola Books start-up announces it will sell e-book of Slouching Towards Bethlehem, as well as other digital books, by author Joan Didion in effort to persuade book buyers to flock to its website; Zola is hybrid that is designed to be bookseller, curator and social networking site all in one. MORE
Jul. 11, 2013
Pres Obama awards National Humanities Medal, nation's highest honors in arts and humanities, to two dozen people whose work represents 'a lasting contribution to American life'; recipients include Joan Didion, Tony Kushner, George Lucas and Elaine May. MORE
Jun. 24, 2012
Anita Gates reviews Westport County Playhouse production of Joan Didion play The Year of Magical Thinking, directed by Nicholas Martin and starring Maureen Anderman (Metropolitan/Connecticut). MORE
Nov. 6, 2011
John Banville reviews book Blue Nights by Joan Didion. MORE
Nov. 6, 2011
Nathan Heller Riff essay considers the Joan Didion book Blue Nights, her latest in more than five years. MORE
Nov. 1, 2011
Michiko Kakutani reviews book Blue Nights by Joan Didion. MORE
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Highlights from the Archives
Vanessa Redgrave and Joan Didion, Working on a Merger
Ms. Redgrave will star on Broadway next spring in a one-woman play based on Ms. Didion's autobiographical book, "The Year of Magical Thinking."May 26, 2006 theaterNews
After Life
For a woman left behind after her husband's death, life can become a labyrinth of questions.September 25, 2005 magazineNews
Joan Didion's New Book Faces Tragedy
Joan Didion's latest novel is a memoir of coping and grief that comes to terms with both the sudden death of her husband and the recent death of her daughter.August 29, 2005 booksNews
Magazine Desk
Didion & Dunne: The Rewards of a Literary Marriage
She's so thin that if you touch her back you can feel the ribs, like ridges on a roll-top desk. He has a paunch. She likes to sit on a stool, her back ramrod straight; he drapes his body across a couch, assuming a languid, informal pose.February 8, 1987 moviesNews
Joan Didion: Staking Out California
Joan Didion's California is a place defined not so much by what her unwavering eye observes, but by what her memory cannot let go.June 10, 1979 booksNews
No Slouch
A look back at reviews of Joan Didion's work.
September 13, 2015, Sunday
MORE ON JOAN DIDION AND: Books and Literature , Didion, Joan
'The Last Love Song,' a Biography of Joan Didion
A biography of Joan Didion — Californian, New Yorker, American.
September 13, 2015, Sunday
MORE ON JOAN DIDION AND: Books and Literature , Daugherty, Tracy (1955- ) , Didion, Joan , The Last Love Song (Book)
Review: 'The Last Love Song,' a Biography of Joan Didion
The Didion who emerges here is a frail, angst-ridden outsider and a shrewd Hollywood and New York insider, a vulnerable witness to history and a hardheaded survivor.
August 18, 2015, Tuesday
MORE ON JOAN DIDION AND: Books and Literature , Daugherty, Tracy (1955- ) , Didion, Joan , The Last Love Song (Book) , Writing and Writers
In Zurich, a Concept Shop That Promotes Graceful, Stylish Aging
Senior Design Project appeals to the city's aesthetically conscious elderly population (and the grandkids who love them).
March 23, 2015, Monday
MORE ON JOAN DIDION AND: Apfel, Iris , Didion, Joan , Kloss, Karlie , Lange, Jessica , Mitchell, Joni , Moser, Benjamin , Rampling, Charlotte , Zurich (Switzerland) , Elderly
Joan Didion: From the Face of Céline to the Subject of a New Photography Exhibition
This Thursday, Julian Wasser's images of the iconic American author will be on display at New York City's Danziger Gallery.
February 9, 2015, Monday
MORE ON JOAN DIDION AND: Didion, Joan , Chelsea (Manhattan, NY) , Photography
A Trove of Vintage Counterculture Photographs Sees the Light of Day
"The Family Acid," debuting at this weekend's L.A. Art Book Fair, compiles decades' worth of psychedelic shots and features such figures as Peter Tosh and Ron Kovic.
January 29, 2015, Thursday
MORE ON JOAN DIDION AND: Didion, Joan , Tosh, Peter , Gates, Bill , Hemingway, Ernest , Hopper, Dennis , King, Martin Luther Jr , Leary, Timothy , Marley, Bob , Page, Tim , Spector, Phil , Steffens, Roger , Big Sur (Calif) , Cambodia , Jamaica (West Indies) , Los Angeles (Calif) , Mendocino (Calif) , Racine (Wis) , Vietnam , Wisconsin , Acids , Art , Photography
Joan Didion's Céline Ad, Cara's Side-Shave and So Much Bieber
Plus, Jared Leto's fanny packs, the fashion dads of Instagram and more from the week in style.
January 9, 2015, Friday
MORE ON JOAN DIDION AND: Bieber, Justin , Stone, Lara (1983- ) , Chow, Dao-Yi , Delevingne, Cara , Didion, Joan , Leto, Jared , Mark, Marky , Mitchell, Joni , Obama, Malia , Osborne, Maxwell , Philo, Phoebe , C Wonder , Calvin Klein Inc , Celine (Fashion Label) , Public School (Fashion Label) , Fashion and Apparel
Fashion's Two-Faced Relationship With Age
Fashion is celebrating the older woman, but how much does it really love her?
January 8, 2015, Thursday
MORE ON JOAN DIDION AND: Fashion and Apparel , Age, Chronological , Women and Girls , Apfel, Iris , Didion, Joan , Wintour, Anna , Roitfeld, Carine
Joan Didion on the Céline Ad
The prolific writer voices her thoughts on the fashion brand's new campaign, which has sent the Internet into frenzied exuberance.
January 7, 2015, Wednesday
MORE ON JOAN DIDION AND: Fashion and Apparel , Didion, Joan , Celine (Fashion Label) , Advertising and Marketing
Taschen Revisits A Classic of New Journalism
Norman Mailer's 1960 paean to then-presidential candidate John F. Kennedy is the first in the publisher's series of special editions of iconic long-form nonfiction from the 1960s and '70s.
December 11, 2014, Thursday
MORE ON JOAN DIDION AND: News , Books and Literature , Nineteen Hundred Sixties , Esquire (Magazine) , Taschen Books , West Hollywood (Calif) , The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test (Book) , Baldwin, James (1924-87) , Didion, Joan , Kennedy, John Fitzgerald , Mailer, Norman , Sinatra, Frank , Talese, Gay , Thompson, Hunter S , Wolfe, Tom
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SOUTH COLTON Athletes braved the cold Sunday during Higley Hustle Ski Races, part of Winterfests final day of activities.
The 10k and 5k classic races were held in the morning and the 5k and 2.5k skate races started after 1 p.m.
Adam R. Terko, assistant ski coach for St. Lawrence University who said hes been skiing for nearly 20 years, took home first place in the 10k classic.
The trail was great. The new snow helped, he said. The really nice tracks and cold weather are nice to see.
Even though Sundays skiers enjoyed the trails, overall participation in the races was down compared to recent years. Races organizer Judy A. Fuhr said Decembers ice storm could be to blame.
We expected the numbers to be down, Mrs. Fuhr said. People havent had the opportunities to train like they normally would because the park was closed.
Mrs. Fuhr said the extreme cold hasnt helped with the number of skiers, either.
Ronald R. Gotham, South Colton, assistant timer for the morning races, said 11 racers took part in the 10k and two in the 5k. Normally there are 40 skiers in total.
They have the races every year, and I try to volunteer in one way or another, Mr. Gotham said. They werent sure if we were going to be able to reopen, so it wasnt publicized. This was just in the last week that things really came together with the snow and the state crews being able to clear trails.
Mrs. Fuhr said about half of the trail network is open for skiing.
The other half is still pretty buried, she said. The fact that we had 60 volunteers picking up branches last week helped considerably.
Ellie B. Menz, Colton, said shes one of those volunteers who also enjoys skiing the trails.
This is a tremendous resource thats used by a lot of people, but is basically maintained by Judy and her husband Ed and other people who help, she said. So its all volunteer.
Ms. Menz said although it would have been nice to have the Higley Trails Lodge open at the start of a great season, shes been noticing new families coming out to ski and enjoy the new building.
Theyre going out to ski, leaving their things here, coming in to have their lunch and going back out to ski some more, she said. Its just what we always wanted it to be and what we envisioned.
Mrs. Fuhr said this was really the first weekend that the lodge has been open.
It was built over the summer, but the ice storm prevented them from opening it on schedule.
Its definitely helping to bring families out because they can come in and let their kids warm up, she said.
Overall, Mrs. Fuhr said the rest of the Winterfest weekend was steady with over 200 at the craft fair and multiple vendors for the quilt show.
Sundays activities also included recreational snowshoeing and cross-country skiing at Catamount Lodge.
The concert last night was way up from previous attendance and it was just an excellent concert, she said.
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Here's a video of some drives I had today. I'd like to increase my distance to 300 feet and beyond and am wondering if my form can be improved to do so. Thanks for any insight!
Moderators: Timko, Solty, Frank Delicious, Blake_T, Fritz, Booter
JR wrote:Grr that video contains material from National Geographic and they have blocked it in my country. It is weird that somebody would punch from his ass when others push from the ground with the rear leg.
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[Five questions to SFMOMA visitors, artists, staff, or guests. Here's Timothy Buckwalter in the Koret Visitor Education Center.]
Name/Place of residence/Occupation/Hobby?
My name is Timothy Buckwalter. I live in Albany, California. I'm an artist and I've recently started curating and I also write about art. I have a blog about art. If I had... More


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We used to have a bit of an Eeyore complex when it came to makeup palettes-pessimistic and depressed (sigh). If a palette had a color we liked, it also came with 10 we weren't wild about, so really, what was the point in picking one up? Cosmetics companies must have heard our pitiful complaints and are now offering a range of palettes so varied that at least one will surely suit you.
In honor of the makeup palette's handy nature, we've matched each product up with a corresponding personality type. Fashion-forward, downtown gals will like the Lorac palette's back-story while less-is-more types will celebrate the simplicity and perfection of Stila's latest kits. Understated and chic uptown girls will enjoy the quality of Hourglass while Type As will enjoy the super-useful product set from Tarte. And finally, we've got the best more-is-more option from Sephora for our beauty enthusiasts...
Lorac Showstopper Palette ($35)
Carol Shaw (the Lorac founder) teamed up with Estee Stanley and Christina Ehrlich (the brains behind Miss Davenporte) to create this kit. Shadow shades include Sand/pale beige, Serenity/peach tan, Luxe/golden brown, Glamour/smoky black and a blush in Couture/golden pink rose.
Hourglass Color Link Palettes (from $55)
Once only available at Barneys, the luxury items from Hourglass are now conveniently available at Sephora and Vivre. The elegant Color Link palettes consist of six shadows and two blushes-all finely crafted-and are available five color sets. Vineyard/plums and pinks, Island/warm pink and bronze, and Landscape/warm neutrals, are shown above.
Tarte Ready-to-Wear/ Pret-a-Porter Dual Look Palette($44)
Busy bee types usually have standards as first-rate as their work ethic. With that multi-tasking, quality-loving personality in mind, we found Tarte's Fashion Week-inspired palette with two complete looks (a little day to night action perhaps?). In addition to the six shadows, two cream blushes, and four lipsticks, you also get a mini mascara, eyeliner, and both eye shadow and eyeliner brushes. It's sure to be an office lifesaver.
Stila Blanc & Noire Palettes ($32 each)
The latest palette offering from Stila might be our new favorite item. As always, the product colors are sensational, perfectly edited, and harmonious-we're confident that you'll use all four shades happily. Additionally, we're also quite fond of the low-key, thoughtful packaging (it's so sweet). Blanc, pictured above, contains three warm, golden shadows and a terra cotta blush, while Noire comes with various soft gray shadows and a mauve pink blush to boot.
Sephora Blockbuster Palette ($48)
Budding makeup artists and beauty devotees alike will adore this incredibly lavish, totally affordable palette from Sephora. The Blockbuster has three tiers of product-plus tools-and contains a mind-blowing 64 eye shadows and 32 lip colors. It's also tricked out with six blushes, two face powders, four shadow applicators, two blush brushes, and two lip brushes. The colors in the kit are comprised of Sephora's best-selling shades, so the utility of this monster palette is irrefutable!


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Greenland Glaciers — not so fast!
1) Glaciers in the northwest and southeast regions of the Greenland ice sheet, where ~80% of discharge occurs, sped up by ~30% from 2000 to 2010 (34% for the southeast, 28% for the northwest).
2) On a local scale, there is notable variability in glacier speeds, with even neighboring glaciers exhibiting different annual velocity patterns.
There are a few points on our research that may be easy to misinterpret, so we're taking this opportunity to provide some additional details and explanation.
Melt and Velocity
The Greenland ice sheet changes mass through two primary methods: 1) loss or gain of ice through melt or precipitation (surface mass balance) and 2) loss of ice through calving of icebergs (discharge) (Figure 1) [van den Broeke et al., 2009]. It is not uncommon for people to confuse discharge and melting. Our measurements from Greenland, which are often referred to in the context of "melt", are actually observations of velocity, and thus relate to discharge, not in situ melting.
Figure 1. Components of surface mass balance and discharge. Most components can change in both negative (e.g., thinning) and positive directions (e.g., thickening).
When glaciologists refer to "increased melt" they are usually referring to melt that occurs on the ice sheet's top surface (i.e., surface mass balance). Surface melt largely is confined to the lower-elevation edge of the ice sheet, where air temperature and solar radiation can melt up to several meters of ice each year during summer. Melt extent depends on air temperatures which tend to be greatest at more southerly latitudes. Meltwater pools in lakes and crevasses, often finding a path to drain through and under the ice sheet to the ocean. Glaciologists and oceanographers have found evidence for notable melt where the ice contacts ocean water [Straneo et al., 2010]. So, when you hear about ice sheet "melt", think surface lakes and streams and melting at the ends of the glaciers where they meet the ocean.
So, why focus on velocity instead of melt? Velocity is more closely related to the discharge of ice to the ocean in the process of which icebergs break off, which float away to melt somewhere else potentially far removed from the ice sheet. You can picture outlet glaciers as large conveyor belts of ice, moving ice from the interior of the ice sheet out to the ocean. Our velocity measurements help indicate how quickly these conveyor belts are moving ice toward the ocean. Given climate change projections of continued warming for the Greenland ice sheet [IPCC, 2007], it's important to understand at what speeds Greenland glaciers flow and how they change. On the whole, the measurements thus far indicate overall speedup. It turns out that on any individual glacier, however, the flow may undergo large changes on an annual basis, including both speeding up and slowing down. With these detailed measurements of glacier velocity, we can continue to work toward a better understanding of what primary factors control glacier velocity. Answers to this latter question will ultimately help us predict the ice sheet's future behavior in a changing climate.
Sea Level Rise
Translating velocity change into changes in sea level rise is not a straightforward task. Sea level change reflects the total mass of ice lost (or gained) from the ice sheet. Determining this quantity requires measurements of velocity, thickness, width, advance/retreat (i.e., terminus position), and density – or, in some cases, an entirely different approach, such as measuring gravity changes.
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Ample rain received across Utah in September should make it easier for bull elk hunters to stalk animals when Utah's general bull elk season begins Oct. 5.
Good numbers of bull elk will be available to hunters on units across the state. Hunters are reminded that the Fishlake and Thousand Lake units in south-central Utah are closed to spike bull elk hunting this fall.
"We estimate that there were about 63,000 elk in Utah this past winter, which is only a few animals shy of our statewide, winter objective of 67,149," explained Steve Cranney, big game coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources. "Most units are at or near herd population objectives and should provide good hunting this fall."
Cranney says very few elk were lost statewide this past winter, but the number of elk calves born this spring will likely be down because of extreme drought conditions. "Hunters may notice fewer calves this year, but there will be good numbers of older animals," he stated. "The condition of animals taken on most of the southwestern and southeastern units won't be as good as usual, however, because of the lack of good feed."
Cranney also explains that the recent rainfall might lead to fall green-up on some of the annual and perennial grasses in the state. "That should help the elk going into the winter," he advised.
The rain received in September has also dampened the ground and should help hunters as they attempt to stalk elk this fall. "The rain has also provided some additional, scattered water sources, so elk will be spread out more than they would have been a few weeks ago," Cranney explained.
Cranney provides the following tips, advice and reminders for bull elk hunters heading afield during the season, which runs Oct. 5 through Oct. 17.
Hunt familiar areas. "Hunting an area year after year allows the hunter to really learn it and the habits of elk within the area," Cranney stated. "If a hunter just shows up in an area they're not familiar with, don't expect to do real well."
Fire restrictions. As of Sept. 18, campfires are allowed only in developed campgrounds and the high Uintas wilderness area. As the hunt nears, hunters should call the agency that manages the area they'll hunt, to learn if fire restrictions have changed.
Ethics. First, Cranney encourages hunters to make sure they're hunting the correct unit.
"Hunters with any bull permit cannot hunt a spike only unit, and those with a spike bull permit cannot hunt any bull unit. Also, make sure to know where the boundaries for limited entry and cooperative wildlife management units are within the general hunt area," he advises.
"Remember also that it's against the law to hunt on private property that's posted, unless written permission from the land owner has been granted. Make sure to secure that permission before hunting private land."
Next, hunters who see violations are encouraged to report them to the DWRs toll-free help stop poaching hotline. The number is 1-800-662-DEER (3337) and it's staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
"The people out in the field are our eyes and ears, and we need their help to catch wildlife violators," Cranney explains.
Cranney also encourages hunters to make sure of their target before they shoot. "Every year we have a few instances where hunters kill a moose or a species other than an elk," warns Cranney. "It usually happens because people are not being careful."
Travel restrictions. Finally, Cranney encourages hunters to know and obey vehicle travel restrictions for the areas they're hunting. "We have a lot of people who are complaining about hunters taking their trucks and all-terrain vehicles into areas that are closed to their use," he explains. "This is becoming a serious problem and could result in further travel restrictions in the future.
"I strongly encourage hunters to know and obey the travel restrictions for the areas they're hunting. Know where a vehicle can and cannot go. This will allow hunters to continue using their vehicles and will help everyone have a better hunting experience."


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North country residents can now find out if they were charged more or less for their hospital procedure than if it were done at a different hospital.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released data Wednesday on hospital charges for common Medicare patient stays. The data, from fiscal year 2011, has been released to provide more transparency.
The cost range of covered charges for a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease procedure at various local hospitals goes from $7,415 at Alice Hyde Medical Center, Malone, to $15,446 at Samaritan Medical Center.
Samaritan, however, charged the lowest cost for a major joint replacement or reattachment with lower extremities without major complications or diseases at $23,177. Massena Memorial Hospital had the highest cost for that at $37,357.
But, the message from some hospitals is the charges do not matter. Charges are also not necessarily what patients will have to pay.
Charges were much more relevant in the 1980s when reimbursement was based on our cost, said Krista A. Kittle, Samaritan spokeswoman. In the late 1980s, the DRG diagnosis related group or perspective payment, came into play and they had no bearing on what we get paid. We are reimbursed for that diagnosis versus our cost. It doesnt matter how much we charge. We always get paid the same rate.
Those rates, she said, are set by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. When commercial insurances come into play, Ms. Kittle said, there is an opportunity to negotiate higher reimbursement rates.
Then, there are the uninsured.
This whole process hurts them the most, she said. Theyre responsible for the whole bill. Financial assistance programs are very active here at Samaritan. Last year, we provided $3.9 million in charity care, and thats to help people who dont have insurance and the means to pay their bill.
Ms. Kittle said what hospitals are paid includes a base rate from Medicare, but that payment could increase slightly based on several adjustments. For Samaritan, one is its hospital classification. She said because the hospital is a regional provider and considered critical to the region, theres somewhat of a bump in our reimbursement.
Ben Moore III, chief executive officer of River Hospital, Alexandria Bay, said hospital charges will vary depending on their cost structure, volume of patients and amount of charity care. He also serves as the spokesman for a consortium of seven north country hospitals in a collaborative effort to help reduce the number of unnecessary repeat Medicaid admissions.
Carthage Area Hospital, Carthage, had few procedures listed in the report, and no information was available on the COPD or joint replacement surgeries. If hospitals performed 10 or fewer discharges for a particular procedure, that data was not included in the report.
River Hospital and Clifton-Fine Hospital, Star Lake, which are critical-access hospitals, were not on the comparative data list.
According to a CMS released statement, data was compiled from hospital claims. It looked at the top 100 inpatient stays frequently billed to Medicare by about 3,400 hospitals nationwide that receive payment for inpatient acute-care services under the Medicare Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System.
On Wednesday, the Health and Human Services Department also made about $87 million available to states for enhancement of their rate review programs. Data centers will collect, analyze and publish health pricing and medical claims reimbursement data, according to the departments statement.
The full list of charges may be seen on the CMS website, www.cms.gov.
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UCF police arrests two suspects, shortly after police say the duo robbed a deliveryman on campus.
A third suspect, who fled when stopped off-campus, has also been identified, according to police.
According to UCF Police, reports show that after the victim made his food delivery in the UCF Towers on the main campus, he returned to find one of the suspects going through his car. The victim told police that the suspects displayed a gun while robbing him.
An officer spotted the suspects' car and followed them until they stopped at an off-campus apartment complex. One suspect jumped out of the car and fled, while two other suspects were arrested, according to police.
The identities of the arrestees have not been released, but police say they have no known affiliation with UCF.


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More New and Used
from Private Sellers
East Tennessee State University Footballby Roberts, L. Thomas
Arcadia Pub
From the beginning, East Tennessee State University has placed great emphasis on creating a football program that would give their studentathletes training unlike any other for sportsmanship, leadership, and academic excellence. During its 80 years, the football program grew from barely fielding enough able-bodied students to going undefeated and winning its first bowl game. Although the program was discontinued after the 2003 season, there is a renewed commitment by the university to restore the program and its strong traditions with the help of the community and groups like the Buc Football and Friends Foundation.


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Note: The Hockey News Top Ten Rangers Prospects
In The Hockey News Future Watch Issue, the Rangers top ten prospects are ranked:
- Tim Erixon
- Chris Kreider
- JT Miller
- Dylan McIlrath
- Christian Thomas
- Jesper Fasth
- Steven Fogarty
- Scott Stajcer
- Michael St. Croix
- Shane McColgan
[jbutton color="red" link="http://www.snyrangersblog.com/category/prospects/prospect-rankings/" size="xsmall"]CLICK HERE[/jbutton] for a section dedicated to just prospect rankings.
On the list, Erixon is ranked 17th, Kreider is ranked 23rd and JT Miller is ranked 29th.
As an organization, the Rangers are ranked 13th.


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Heartsbreath Test for Heart Transplant Rejection
- Full Text View
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- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
The purpose of this study is to demonstrate and validate a breath test for detection of biomarkers of heart transplant rejection (Grade 2R heart transplant).
Heart Transplant Rejection
Device: BreathScanner 1.0
Device: BreathLink
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Observational Model: Case-Only
Time Perspective: Prospective
|Official Title:
|Validation of Heartsbreath Test for Heart Transplant Rejection
- To measure the sensitivity and specificity of the breath test as compared to the primary right ventricular endomyocardial biopsy for the development of an intrinsically safe, painless, and non-invasive detection technique. [ Time Frame: 60 days after completion ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]The current "gold standard" for heart transplant rejection diagnosis is a series of endomyocardial biopsies during the first twelve months after operation. This procedure is invasive, painful, and potentially hazardous. The Heartsbreath test is an intrinsically safe, painless, and non-invasive breath test for heart transplant rejection that employs volatile biomarkers of oxidative stress. The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved the Heartsbreath test for clinical use with a Humanitarian Device Exemption (HDE).
|Estimated Enrollment:
|Study Start Date:
|December 2010
|Estimated Study Completion Date:
|September 2016
|Primary Completion Date:
|December 2013 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Assigned Interventions
Subjects will comprise of patients who are the recipients of a heart transplant within the previous 12 months and are scheduled for a routine endomyocardial biopsy.
Subjects will provide breath samples for the Heartsbreath test using the BreathScanner 1.0. Optionally subjects will provide breath samples using the BreathLink point of care system.
Device: BreathScanner 1.0
For the HeartsBreath test, breath is collected using BreathScanner 1.0 and sent to central laboratory for analysis for markers of transplant rejection.Device: BreathLink
The BreathLink point-of-care system detects and quantifies the breath VOC's determined to be biomarkers during the development of the Heartsbreath test.
Detailed Description:
This is a 36 month multi-center, open label, unblinded and blinded study on subjects have had a heart transplant within the previous 12 months and are scheduled to undergo an endomyocardial biopsy. The breath test will be performed to identify and validate the predicative algorithms that identify breath biomarkers for heart transplant rejection.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years and older
|Genders Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
|Sampling Method:
|Probability Sample
Subject is the recipient of a heart transplant within the previous 12 months and is scheduled for a routine endomyocardial biopsy
Inclusion Criteria:
- Subject is willing and able to cooperate with study, understand the scope of the study, and gives signed informed consent to participate.
- Subject is the recipient of a heart transplant within the previous 12 months
- Subject is scheduled for a routine endomyocardial biopsy
- Subject is 18 years or older
Exclusion Criteria:
- Evidence of acute intercurrent disease other than rejection reaction
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01397812
|United States, California
|Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
|Beverly Hills, California, United States, 90211
|Stanford University School of Medicine
|Stanford, California, United States, 94305-5406
|United States, New Jersey
|Newark Beth Israel Medical Center
|Newark, New Jersey, United States, 07112
|United States, New York
|Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center
|New York, New York, United States, 10032
|United States, Pennsylvania
|Hahnemann University Hospital and the Drexel University College of Medicine
|Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 19102
|Principal Investigator:
|Michael Phillips, MD, FACP
|Menssana Research, Inc.
No publications provided
|Responsible Party:
|Menssana Research, Inc.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT01397812 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|June 23, 2011
|Last Updated:
|April 6, 2015
|Health Authority:
|United States: Food and Drug Administration
Keywords provided by Menssana Research, Inc.:
Rejection of the Heart Transplant
Heart Transplant Rejection, an immune-mediated allograft injury
Non-cellular or humoral rejection in cardiac transplant recipients
Right ventricular endomyocardial biopsy to detect Heart transplant rejection
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on October 09, 2015


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Best of News
Workers strike outside the Khomanani Mine on January 16, 2013 in... News PhotoAnglo American Platinum,Crisis,Demonstration,Downsizing,Horizontal,Mine,Miner,Mining,North-West Province - South Africa,Occupation,Rustenburg,South Africa,Strike - Industrial Action,UnemploymentPhotographer Gallo ImagesCollection: Getty Images News 2013 Gallo Images (PTY LTD)RUSTENBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - JANUARY 16: (SOUTH AFRICA OUT) Workers strike outside the Khomanani Mine on January 16, 2013 in Rustenburg, South Africa. Anglo American Platinum workers are refusing to work after the company announced that 14,000 jobs could be lost during a major restructuring of the company. (Photo by Sibusiso Msibi/Sowetan/Gallo Images/Getty Images)


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Friday, September 05, 2008The Lipscomb Bisons and Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC) finished tied in several categories except the most important one.
Both teams made eight shots with both teams taking three in the first half and five in the second. Both teams attempted three shots on goal.
But one of those three shots for UMBC found its way past freshman Lipscomb goalkeeper Patrick Walsh Friday night for a 1-0 win in the first round of the Adidas Kick-Off Classic in Baltimore, Md.
"Our guys aren't happy," said Lipscomb coach Charles Morrow. "They felt like they let one slip away."
Walsh made two saves. But at the 72:18 mark of the second half Dustin Dzwonkowski scored for UMBC with a shot from 22 feet out that went over Walsh's head.
"They finished their opportunity," Morrow said. "They are a good team."
Freshman forward Andrew Chamberlain led the Bisons in shots with two.
While the players might be upset Morrow was pleased with effort by his team despite the outcome.
"We lost, but after the game it was like `good job guys', "said Morrow. "We outplayed them, but we couldn't find the back of the net.
"We have continued to improve. We are showing some good things. I'm proud of the effort of our guys."
The Bisons will continue play in the tournament Sunday at 11 a.m. when they face the United States Naval Academy.
"I'm excited about the opportunity to play Navy," Morrow said. "They have a very physical team with very big and athletic guys. We will play our game and see what happens."
The Bisons are 1-2-0. UMBC raised its record to 2-1-0.
"We had a volley from six yards out and just couldn't score," Morrow said. "But I am really excited about the way they responded. We played a complete game. If we continue to play like this we will win a lot of games."
Men's Soccer Archives
2008-09 Men's Soccer


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Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Quilt-a-Long | Fabrics Selected
Inspired by Anina, I decided to use Full Moon Forest fabrics (designed by the fabulous Ms. Tula Pink who, by the way, reads my blog, thankyouverymuch!!!).
I love the colors of these fabrics and think they'll look great against a white background.
My (probably overly ambitious) plan is this:
Each week, I will make that week's block from both Quilt-a-Long I and Quilt-a-Long II. That way, at the end, I will either have two quilt tops, or I can combine all of the blocks from both rounds into one quilt top ... if it looks OK, of course. You see, this second round happens to have 12 setting blocks, which I think I will try to replace with the 12 blocks from last round (since the blocks from both rounds finish at 12.5").
That probably sounds more complicated than it needs to be, but I'll just cross that bridge when I get to it.
Think I can handle two blocks per week?
6 comments:
Two blocks a week? Cake. Trust me, I'm doing two Dear Jane blocks a week and for the most part it's very doable. Some of the blocks get very complicated (to me anyway) but AmandaJean's blocks are pretty straight-forward -- at least you can machine sew them all!ReplyDelete
And I like your idea of combining the two block sets. That'll look nice.
Absolutely you can. The first set is pretty easy like Jen said. Love the fabrics you chose. I need to get in gear!ReplyDelete
It's so funny that you found me off of AmandaJean's Quilt-A-Long post- because I found your blog yesterday the same way!ReplyDelete
I have a feeling that you'll be growing quite a readership, simply because you are a bit of an anomaly in the quilting world... but I've read through your blog (yes, I went all the way back to the beginning- it's only a couple of weeks!) and your quilts are beautiful! I love your fabric choices.
I've added you to my reader and I'll try to pop over and comment... I'm making an effort to comment more often and be less of a lurker.
it's going to look great with your selectionReplyDelete
2 blocks - no problem when you have such good fabric to play with
Darn right I read your blog! Love your fabric choices. Did you do that just for me? You shouldn't have.ReplyDelete
Hi! Thank you so much for the kind comments on my block.ReplyDelete
Two blocks a week will be easy. I know you can do it. I can't wait to see what your finished blocks.


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"The older you get," Barry Switzer was saying the other day, "the faster it goes."
Don't we know it. Wish your favorite coach a happy birthday on this fine October Friday. Barry Switzer turns 75.
"The older you get," Barry Switzer was saying the other day, "the faster it goes."
Don't we know it. Wish your favorite coach a happy birthday on this fine October Friday. Barry Switzer turns 75.
"I can't believe he's gonna be 75," said Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, who played for Switzer on the 1990s Dallas Cowboys. "Switzer ain't no 75. He's got to be about 55."
Believe it. Despite that same beaming smile and raspy voice that has charmed us for decades, the signs are there. Weathered face. Halting walk. Worst of all, so many near and dear already gone.
Switzer is right. The years pick up speed. "I promise you, they fly by now," Switzer said.
But living long and living large has its upside, too. The adoration and devotion from so many people.
For Switzer's 75th, we contacted 75 friends, family, former players, fans, asking them for a birthday tribute. Hope you enjoy it.
Alas, some of the most important people in Barry Switzer's life are gone. Just in recent years, Jack Mildren, Daryl Hunt and Lee Roy Selmon have passed. Some of his greatest players, dead too soon, all in their 50s.
"I've thought about that many times, losing players and friends," Switzer said. "It just shows you how life does move. We all have a spot. We don't know how much we've got left."
Hollywood is negotiating to turn Bootlegger's Boy, Switzer's autobiography, into a movie. Switzer wants it to be long on his Arkansas upbringing and short on Oklahoma football. The Sooner Switzer era, you can see via Brandon Meier's superb video series, the latest of which will be released later this year. Or even better, you can close your eyes and picture Steve Davis pitching to Joe Washington.
But there are things about Switzer we can only see through his stories. People we can meet only through his memories.
Switzer's parents, Frank Switzer and Mary Louis Wood Switzer, both tormented in their own way, and both slain by a bullet.
Switzer's and his daddy's nanny, Irma Reynolds, who later helped Frank Switzer run his bootlegging business and who died in 2000 at the age of 104. Switzer spoke at her funeral.
Switzer's mentor, Jim Mackenzie, who brought Switzer to Oklahoma 46 years ago. Mackenzie is the forgotten man of Sooner football. The coach who put together a staff of Switzer, Chuck Fairbanks, Galen Hall, Pat James, Homer Rice and Swede Lee. Mackenzie died of a heart attack in April 1967, at the age of 37. But Switzer hasn't forgotten. He is always quick to remind any who ask that Mackenzie would have achieved all that Fairbanks and Switzer built.
Continue reading this story on the...
Send birthday wishes
Want to wish Barry Switzer a happy birthday? Leave him a note here.


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Superfund Sites Where You Live
A Superfund site is an uncontrolled or abandoned place where hazardous waste is located, possibly affecting local ecosystems or people. Sites are listed on the National Priorities List (NPL) upon completion of Hazard Ranking System (HRS) screening, public solicitation of comments about the proposed site, and after all comments have been addressed.
Over the past 20+ years, Superfund has located and analyzed tens of thousands of hazardous waste sites, protected people and the environment from contamination at the worst sites, and involved states, local communities, and other partners in cleanup. Superfund measures its cleanup accomplishments through various criteria including construction and post construction completions of hazardous waste sites.
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Welcome to Smogon! Check out the Smogon Info Hub for everything you need to know about starting out in the community. Don't forget to introduce yourself in the Introduction Thread, too!
Welcome to Smogon Forums! Please take a minute to read the rules.
Welcome to Wi-Fi! Please remember to read the rules and do NOT create a new thread for simple trades or Friend Safari codes.
List of Released Dream World Pokemon Mark II
Discussion in 'Wi-Fi' started by Nexus, Sep 15, 2011.
Page 56 of 69
Page 56 of 69


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By Jon Campbell and Jessica Bakeman
Albany Bureau
ALBANY - A state budget bill introduced late Sunday indefinitely suspends a provision of New York's controversial gun-control law that prohibits the sale of 10-bullet magazines, a change that legislative leaders and Gov. Andrew Cuomo indicated recently that they would support.
The Education, Labor & Family Assistance portion of the budget makes clear that eight, nine or 10-bullet capacity magazines will still be available for purchase in New York after April 15, the effective date by which they were supposed to be banned. Owners, however, will only be able to load seven bullets into the 10-round magazines.
The New York Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act, which Cuomo signed Jan. 15, had been set to prohibit the sale of magazines that can hold more than seven bullets as of April 15. But manufacturers do not sell seven-bullet magazines, so the change is being made, lawmakers said last week.
The magazine-capacity provision "shall be suspended and not effective," according to the budget language.
Under the change, if magazines are loaded with more than seven bullets outside of a gun range or competition, they would be illegal. The punishments vary depending on if the magazine was within the owner's home and whether it's a first-time offense.
Lawmakers made other minor tweaks to the law, as well, including a clarification stating that the law cannot be "deemed to affect, impair or supersede" any local gun restriction or law.
Gun-rights supporters said the changes demonstrate that the bill was passed in haste.
Sen. Greg Ball, R-Patterson, Putnam County, said a full repeal is the "best-case scenario." He's been an outspoken opponent of the law.
"This is New York state. It's not Texas, unfortunately on some days," Ball said. "Any changes in a positive direction are good. I would like to see more comprehensive changes beyond what we see now."
Another Second Amendment rights supporter, Sen. Thomas Libous, R-Binghamton, said he's co-sponsoring a bill to repeal the law.
"I'll say it again, and I'll say it 100 times: The SAFE Act was done too quickly. It's really not a good piece of legislation, and that's why I voted no," Libous said.
Sen. Thomas O'Mara, R-Big Flats, Chemung County, said he worried that the Legislature and Cuomo will balk at other changes.
"My concerns is that these changes are going to be the final changes that are made to the SAFE Act by this Legislature," said O'Mara, who also wants a repeal.
Fifty-one county legislatures in New York have passed resolutions in opposition to the gun law, asking for a repeal or major changes. There are 62 counties in New York.
Upstate, all but three counties have passed resolutions in opposition to the law -- Tompkins, Broome and Albany counties. The rest are Westchester, New York City and Long Island.
Recent polls have shown that a majority of New Yorkers support gun control.
Cuomo argued Monday that the law is a necessary response to gun violence nationwide, like the Newtown, Conn., massacre in December. The law will keep New Yorkers safe, he said.
"It's not just the Second Amendment rights -- people have the right to be safe," Cuomo said on "The Capitol Pressroom," a public-radio show.
"People have the right to be protected from random violence. And criminals and the mentally ill do not have a right to a gun -- they don't," he said. "And you need a system and government regulation to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill."


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Long Sleeve Cowells Flannel (Men's) (out-of-stock)
Out of Stock Product Number: 30364
Warm up after a morning of staircase-to-beach nose riding with the men's Marmot Long Sleeve Cowells Flannel. COOLMAX? flannel manages moisture and is quick-wicking and drying; cotton fabric lends a soft touch. 30 UPF keeps you outside longer. Shirt tail hem and single chest pocket round out the details.
- Soft, Comfortable, Light-Weight Performance Woven Fabric with Twill Texture
- Coolmax™ for Moisture Management
- Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) 30
- Quick-Drying and Wicking
- Durable Flat Felled Seams with Contrast Interior Stitch
- Shirt Tail Hem and Single Chest Pocket
Gender: Men's
Weight: 11.55oz (327.4g)
Material: 52% Cotton, 48% Coolmax Flannel 3.8 oz/yd
Fit: Semi-Fitted
Season: F12
Vendor ProductId: 62800
Review ProductId: 30364