text: For those interested in Bitcoin on the lug, I have finally received my first Butterfly Labs Single. Here's a quick review: Well packaged during shipping, and was shipped USPS 2-day priorty mail with signature required. The build quality is fantastic. Really nice brushed aluminum black case that has rounded edges and corners, and a nice laster etched Butterfly Labs logo. The power supply brick was about 1.5 times larger than your typical Xbox 360 power brick for comparison. The power brick has a built in cooling fan which I thought was pretty slick. The ASIC miner uses PCI-e power connectors and the power brick is outfitted with PCI-e plugs as well. Overall its a very well designed and well built piece of hardware. I am really happy with it. Now, the good part. How well does it run? In a nutshell...like a dream. It has been a little over 24 hours, and it has already generated me just over .5 BTC (about $70). It has some really powerful fans that are a bit louder than I had hoped, but I honestly can't hear it in my datacloset. I used BFL's EasyMiner for the first 24 hours just to get the full experience. I am planning on swithching over to CGMiner in afew days. Here is a screenshot of Easyminer, and the performance: http://i.imgur.com/smdFgjD.jpg Another screen snippet of the asic running compared to one of my GPU's on EclipseMC mining pool: http://i.imgur.com/5ozLrQa.jpg EasyMiner has a cool "earnings" section that pulls the latest difficulty and latest exchange rates to give you an idea of your scheduled earnings. Right now, its looking like this 60GH/s rig should return about $2000 per month. This is pertty consistent with all of the other ROI calculators I have used. Financial analysis: At the current difficulty and exchanges, this rig should generate about .45 - .5 BTC per day, which is about $65 - $70 average per day. Most calculators I have used puts monthly revenue at around $1800 - $2000 per month. Here is my numbers plugged into TheGenesisBlock's calculator: http://mining.thegenesisblock.com/a/5f1c18143a I purchased my 60 GH/s unit for about $1375 back in June of last year, and I am figuring about a 3 to 5 week payoff period, and calculating a 75% increase in difficulty per month in my ROI estimation. This thing was well worth the wait. Butterfly labs may be horrible at meeting deadlines, but they are really good at designing a product. This thing runs great, looks awesome, and is generating an impresive ROI. After mining with it for a full day, I have already placed my pre-order for some Monarchs: https://products.butterflylabs.com/homepage-new-products/600-gh-bitcoin-mining-card.html Feel free to discuss, but please, lets keep this BTC thread civil and on topic :-) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://chugalug.org/pipermail/chugalug/attachments/20130901/b6a7d786/attachment.html>


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Staffed 24 hours a day, the Pittsburgh Poison Center (PPC) responds each year to more than 150,000 requests for poison information from the general public and medical professionals who reside in 44 Pennsylvania counties. There is no fee for this service.
To ensure treatment excellence, the PPC developed a network of hospital treatment centers throughout Pennsylvania, which provide medical consultation and follow-up for all cases of poison exposure that have been referred to those hospitals.
The Pittsburgh Poison Center is staffed by nurse specialists who have extensive training in clinical toxicology.
With the Mr. Yuk™ poison center awareness symbol as its focal point, the PPC conducts comprehensive, continuing poison prevention education programs with the belief that it is better to prevent an accidental poisoning than to treat one. The PPC also provides training programs and seminars for health care professionals who may be involved in the management of the poisoned patient.
For Mr. Yuk stickers, educational materials, or questions about the Mr. Yuk program, please visit the Mr. Yuk Online Store.
To request a free sheet of Mr. Yuk™ stickers, please send a self-addressed stamped business size envelope to:
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Supplemental content provided by Healthwise, Incorporated. To learn more, visit www.healthwise.org
For help in finding a doctor or health service that suits your needs, call the UPMC Referral Service at 412-647-UPMC (8762) or 1-800-533-UPMC (8762). Select option 1.
UPMC is an equal opportunity employer. UPMC policy prohibits discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, sex, genetics, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, familial status, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected group status. Further, UPMC will continue to support and promote equal employment opportunity, human dignity, and racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity. This policy applies to admissions, employment, and access to and treatment in UPMC programs and activities. This commitment is made by UPMC in accordance with federal, state, and/or local laws and regulations.
Medical information made available on UPMC.com is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. You should not rely entirely on this information for your health care needs. Ask your own doctor or health care provider any specific medical questions that you have. Further, UPMC.com is not a tool to be used in the case of an emergency. If an emergency arises, you should seek appropriate emergency medical services.
For UPMC Mercy Patients: As a Catholic hospital, UPMC Mercy abides by the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services, as determined by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. As such, UPMC Mercy neither endorses nor provides medical practices and/or procedures that contradict the moral teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.
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on December 23, 2012 - 1:00 AM
When I think of Christmas, I think of my grandmother. She was a woman with little money, but she had an abundance of talent, wisdom and unconditional love.
My memories of Christmas start with my grandmother's arrival at the Buffalo Central Terminal. Dad would drive us to the station, we would walk past the large bison and the four-sided clock, see the golden lights gleaming through the enormous arched windows and hear the welcoming whistles of the trains.
After all the kisses and hugs were exchanged, we would head home. For me, this signaled the beginning of our Christmas festivities. Over the next few days, I knew I would enjoy baking with my grandmother. We would make fudge and sea foam candy, and bake date-and-nut cookies. The family would decorate the tree, string popcorn and cranberries, drink eggnog and revel in the warmth of Christmas.
As Christmas Day approached, our small home was filled with family, friends and delicious food prepared by my mother and grandmother. We played games, went ice skating and sledding and sang Christmas carols.
One of my favorite memories was sharing my room with my grandmother. This was a special privilege, because I had her undivided attention. She would comb and fix my hair, tell me stories; we would laugh and plan our activities for the next day before she kissed me good night.
My absolute favorite memory of Christmas with my grandmother was the present I would receive from her. All of her gifts were homemade. She used her limited funds and tremendous talent to produce from her hands something special for each family member. Homemade hard candy, a hand-knitted wool scarf, gloves or socks, crocheted doilies and afghans. For me, I knew she would knit a pair of slipper socks and sew a long flannel nightgown. I looked forward to that gift each year. The present was always wrapped in blue tissue paper and a simple ribbon tied in a bow.
After opening presents and having a noisy breakfast, we dressed up in our limited finery and walked through the snow to attend Mass. On the way we talked again, and I soaked up her words of wisdom. On Christmas night, I felt like a princess as I twirled in my new flannel nightgown.
My grandmother died in October when I was 15. I was so sad that Christmas. Nothing would ever be the same. But when my family gathered to open presents, there, under the tree, was a present wrapped in blue tissue paper and a simple ribbon tied in a bow. The tag had my name on it, written in my grandmother's hand.
As I opened the gift, I could feel the yarn of the knitted slipper socks and the soft flannel of the nightgown. My mother explained that when she opened my grandmother's cedar chest, there was my gift, wrapped and tagged. I was elated. That night when I put on my nightgown, I felt like a loved granddaughter wrapped in my grandmother's arms.
My grandmother, who was born in the late 1800s and raised her children during the Great Depression, made each one of her gifts throughout the year as she could afford it. The gifts were special pieces of her. At this time of year, I always enjoy returning in my heart to my grandmother's Christmas.


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on February 13, 2013 - 8:22 PM
A Buffalo man has been charged Wednesday with setting a fire that caused more than $12,000 damage to a two-unit apartment house on Kamper Avenue nearly a month ago, police in the city reported.
Jay Speelberg, 35, of Abbott Road, was arrested shortly after noon by Officers Mark Slawek and Denise Casey in the first block of Elmwood Avenue. He was with charged with fourth-degree arson, reckless endangerment and criminal mischief, police said.
Speelberg is accused of starting a fire in a second-floor apartment kitchen about 9:35 p.m. Jan. 19, police said. No motive for the incident was disclosed in police documents, which accused Speelberg of creating "a grave risk of death to tenants and firefighters."


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The Sunrise Mall was evacuated on Saturday after a suspicious suitcase was found in the walkway in front of two stores.
Citrus Heights police received a report that a suitcase was left unattended at the Sunrise Mall on the 6000 block of Sunrise Boulevard just before 2:30 p.m.
Sunrise Mall Security said they evacuated the mall because it was their protocol to do so.
The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department Explosive Ordinance Disposal unit determined that the suitcase was empty and posed no danger to the community.
During the investigation, a 15-year-old girl claimed she owned the suitcase.
Officers determined the girl placed the empty suitcase in the middle of the walkway with the intent to scare people. She was arrested.


text:
Meet the Project Jasper Team
- Posted: May 08, 2007 at 12:17PM
- 8 comments
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Project Jasper is geared toward iterative and agile development. You can start interacting with the data in your database without having to create mapping files or define classes. You can build user interfaces by naming controls according to your model without worrying about binding code. In this interview Shyam Pather, Carl Perry, Andrew Conrad and Jeff Derstadt, go deep whiteboarding and demoing Jasper.
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Monday, January 14, 2013
The Summerville Police Department has released composite illustrations of a suspect in a sexual assault that occurred Wednesday afternoon on the Sawbranch Trail near the SCE&G power station near Bacons Bridge Road.
According to ta Summerville Police Department incident report, witnesses called 911 at about 1:45 p.m. Wednesday to report seeing a young white female running along the Sawbranch Trail naked, screaming, with blood running down her face. Officers arrived and spoke to the victim, a 17-year-old female, described in the report as having visible scratches, bruises, and a bloody lip. The victim told the officers that she was running on the trail when the suspect rode up to her on a bicycle. She said as he rode past her, he smacked her buttocks. She said that this incident upset her but she kept running.
However, the suspect reappeared and this time rammed her with his bike, then jumped off, ordered her to shut up, punched her several times in the face, then pulled a knife and tried to push her to the ground before dragging her into the woods and assaulting her, according to the report.
According to the report, a witness came upon the scene and asked if everything was all right. The suspect yelled at the witness, saying he was with his girlfriend and they were trying to have sex. At this point, the victim started screaming for help and the suspect fled the area on his bike. She then ran to her car then went home and told her father what had happened.
The victim said she runs the trail often and did not recognize her attacker.
The suspect is described as a 16-18 year-old white male approximately five feet seven inches tall 180 pounds with curly brown hair, according to a SPD Incident Report.
The case is under investigation. Anyone with any information should call the Summerville Police Department at 871-2463.
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The VFW publications staff writes and produces more than just the monthly magazine. The bimonthly Checkpoint newsletter and occasional books--including the most recent, Hitting the Military History Trail: VFW's Travel Guide to Battlefields, Museums & Historic Sites--are
part of the additional materials published. In addition, VFW
commemorates veterans through booklets on topics such as women vets and
Reserve forces. These booklets are available for download here.
Feel free to save, e-mail or print these documents to share with fellow
veterans. Many VFW members have found these publications useful in
membership recruiting as well.
Afghanistan War Special Reprint
To War and Back Special Edition
VFW Women at War Special Edition
National Guard Special Edition
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on December 4, 2012 - 12:29 AM
The Lancaster Town Board on Monday voted to fill a full-time clerk-typist position in the Town Clerk's Office, a job appointment made over the objections of Supervisor Dino J. Fudoli.
The vote came two weeks after Democrats on the Town Board overruled the Republican supervisor – who wanted to replace a retiring full-time worker with a part-timer – by restoring the full-time job to the town's 2013 budget.
Fudoli and a small number of residents who regularly speak at board meetings said that the Town Clerk's Office has enough staff already and that the town can't afford the salary and the benefits of another full-time worker.
"I should know what I'm paying for," resident Mike Fronczak said Monday, when he complained that the cost of those health and pension benefits wasn't outlined in the hiring resolution.
But Town Board Democrats and Town Clerk Johanna M. Coleman defended the restoration of the full-time position, saying the Town Clerk's Office takes on duties that its peers in other towns don't handle.
After intense debate two weeks ago, and modest follow-up questioning Monday, the Town Board voted, 4-1, to name Rose Ann Brunstad to fill the $41,117-per-year job.
"That job has been there before, and Johanna's office is very busy. To remove that position, it just creates a hardship," Marsha C. Cox, president of the union that represents most town white-collar employees, said after the meeting.
Brunstad, who has served since Aug. 27 as deputy receiver of taxes, was appointed to that non-union position by Coleman. Brunstad succeeded Kathleen M. Wehner, who retired a couple of months earlier.
Brunstad previously worked as clerk-typist in the town Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry, and she was granted a leave from this civil service position to take the job as deputy receiver of taxes.
Fudoli, in preparing his tentative 2013 budget, proposed replacing a retiring, full-time clerk-typist with a part-time employee. He argued at the Nov. 19 meeting that his research showed that the Town Clerk's Office was overstaffed, compared with the clerk's offices in other towns.
Fronczak and other residents objected that a full-time employee won't just make a higher salary, but also will cost more in health and pension benefits. Fronczak argued Monday that those benefit costs should be spelled out, but Fudoli, while agreeing in spirit, said it would be hard to do this because those costs can vary.
Democrats on the Town Board previously said Coleman made a compelling case for a full-time employee. Two weeks ago, the board voted to restore the job and Monday voted to appoint Brunstad.
The clerk-typist's job was posted internally, and Brunstad was the only qualified town employee who expressed interest in the new position, Coleman told The Buffalo News.
Brunstad will earn the same amount as a civil service clerk-typist as she did as deputy receiver of taxes.
Since Brunstad already is a town employee, the new hire is the person Coleman must appoint to the vacant job of deputy receiver of taxes.
Coleman said last week that she plans to fill the job by the end of the year, but she declined to name the person until she makes the appointment official.
email: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
I write here! Inside you'll find me as a contributing editor with my own Real Reviews page. These magazines will be distributed in thousands of local Times newspapers and also direct-mailed to families with children.
I will be blogging regularly on the NWIparent website at my blog Close To Home. So stop on by if you get the chance!
Edited to add: All this makes me very pleased, but I am now bursting with pride as Noah begged me to let him take my only copy to school this morning to show his teacher... and of course I let him. : )


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Conor Seabrook from Avalinx- Experience developing for Windows Phone
- Posted: Apr 29, 2011 at 7:35AM
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We've met with Conor Seabrook, Vice President from Avalinx, to talk about building and porting applications to Windows Phone 7. He shares their experience from developing on other phone platforms and talk through their Windows Phone 7 story.
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The year 2012 was one of criminal sentences for horrific crimes and tragic deaths resulting from those crimes.
It was a year of probing alleged coverups by city police as well as punishing coverups committed by a university.
And from scandal-ridden Penn State to to the financially distressed City of Altoona, it was a year that required plans for resilience.
Article Photos
Mirror photo by J.D. Cavrich
Commissioners Diane Meling, Terry Tomassetti and Ted Beam address Judy Roberts during a meeting to discuss the possible sale of Valley View.
Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
Terry Merrits voices his concerns during the public commentary section of the Act 47 recovery plan public hearing in the Devorris Downtown Center auditorium Nov. 28. Altoona City Council voted Dec. 19 to accept the plan created to pull the city out of its distressed municipalities program.
The following is a look at the most compelling stories of 2012, chosen by the Mirror news staff.
1. Sandusky sentenced
Once-revered Penn State University football defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky was sentenced on Oct. 9 to 30 to 60 years in state prison.
Sandusky, 68, has been placed at the State Correctional Institution at Greene, alone for 23 hours per day. He was tried and found guilty on June 22 in Centre County Court for sexually assaulting 10 young boys whom he met through his charity, The Second Mile, over a 15-year period.
Eight of the victims testified at his trial.
Sandusky maintains his innocence and plans to appeal his case, arguing his defense wasn't given enough time from his November 2011 arrest to his conviction.
The same month of Sandusky's sentencing, Graham Spanier, Penn State's former president, was charged with perjury, endangering the welfare of children, failure to report allegations of abuse, conspiracy and obstruction of justice.
More charges were also added against Athletic Director Tim Curley and Vice President for Business and Finance Gary Schultz. A grand jury charged them last year with perjury and failing to report abuse.
2. Geeseytown homicides shock region
The chain of events on Dec. 21 in Geeseytown ended in a triple homicide, the likes of which haven't been seen in Blair County for seven years.
Shots were fired on Juniata Valley Road around 9 a.m. that Friday, killing three people at three separate locations. State troopers killed the gunman, Jeffrey Lee Michael, 44, after a vehicle crash and shootout.
The victims were Kimberly A. Scott, 58, of Duncansville, who was killed while putting up decorations for a children's Christmas party at Juniata Valley Gospel Church; William Rhodes Jr., 38; and his father-in-law, Kenneth Lynn, 60, both of rural Hollidaysburg. The shooting rampage over a two-mile stretch also left three three troopers injured.
Bullet fragments and glass struck a trooper's face and eyes, while another was shot in the chest and wrist. The trooper's bulletproof vest likely saved his life, a state police official said hours after the shooting. Despite their wounds, the troopers swung their cars back to face the gunman while a third cruiser crashed into Michael's truck, injuring another officer.
With both vehicles disabled, Michael left his truck and fired on the troopers. Troopers returned fire, killing him. The state troopers were later released from Altoona Regional.
For more than a decade, Michael had an unhealthy fascination with apocalyptic themes, a family friend said.
Geeseytown community members and people from surrounding areas gathered at the Geeseytown Lutheran Church on Route 22 the next day for a prayer vigil and service to remember Scott, Lynn and Rhodes.
3. Horner sentenced to life
Iraq War veteran and Johnstown native Nicholas Horner was sentenced April 23 to two consecutive life terms without parole, plus 29 to 59 years, for the April 2009 murders of Scott Garlick, 19, a high school senior, and Raymond Williams, 64, a retiree, and the wounding of Subway employee Michele Petty.
Horner committed the murders during a robbery at the 58th Street Subway and his getaway attempt.
Horner's defense argued that he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, stemming from his Army service.
Attorney Thomas Dickey wanted to present an insanity defense, based on a report written by a Minnesota psychologist who concluded that Horner was suffering from drug-induced delirium, but Blair County President Judge Jolene G. Kopriva barred the insanity defense.
Dickey then asked the state Supreme Court to intervene, delaying the trial for two months. The court did not step in to overrule the judge, and the trial went forward.
Dickey began in May what is expected to be a long appeals process. He contends that Kopriva erred when she refused to permit an insanity defense and that she gave improper instructions to the jury.
The judge instructed the jury that it could presume Horner meant to kill his victims in 2009 if it found that he pointed a deadly weapon at a vital part of a victim's body.
Kopriva denied Horner's appeal, and Dickey said he would take his arguments to the state Superior Court.
4. Fire kills 3-year-old
Brandy Etchison was awakened by fire in her apartment in the early morning of Nov. 15 and jumped from a third-floor window with her 2-year-old daughter, but she was unable to get her 3-year-old, Darrel "DJ" Etchison Jr., out of the burning building.
Homicide charges were filed against Aaron Wilson Dishong, 62, of East Freedom, after DJ's death. Dishong allegedly set the blaze because he mistakenly believed that an ex-paramour was staying at 113 S. Second St., where the Etchisons lived, and he wanted her dead, Blair County Chief Deputy District Attorney Wade Kagarise said.
DJ's father, Darrel Etchison Sr., was at work when the fire broke out, Kagarise said.
District Attorney Richard Consiglio called the arson "horrific" and commended Altoona police, state police and the Altoona Fire Department for working together to quickly sort out the details of the crime, one that was initially thought to be a terrible accident.
Police listened in on phone conversations between Dishong and a witness, during which Dishong incriminated himself, Kagarise said.
That witness, according to court records, told police that Dishong admitted that he started the fire, and when he saw a news report that one person was killed, Dishong celebrated because he thought it was his ex-girlfriend, police said.
Dishong, 62, was found hanging from a vent in his suicide prevention county jail cell on Dec. 7. He reportedly used his bedding to hang himself.
5. Altoona goes Act 47
A new chapter began for the City of Altoona as council voted Dec. 19 to accept the recovery plan created to pull itself out of the state's distressed municipalities program, after a years-long battle against entering.
With an Act 47 plan adopted, Altoona City Council expects to begin 2013 with a fund balance of about $750,000 and end it with a fund balance of about $1.5 million, according to Finance Director Omar Strohm.
For years, the City of Altoona resisted the idea of seeking relief from its financial troubles in the state's distressed municipalities program. But the city would be insolvent by the end of next year without the four-year plan, officials said.
If the status quo continues, with its rising costs and flat revenues, the city will face a $10 million cumulative deficit by 2016, Altoona Act 47 financial recovery team member John Filan of DSI Civic said.
The plan includes breaking through the state's earned income and property tax barriers, freezing wages, shrinking benefits and laying out numerous strategies for saving or generating money.
Mike Haire was the only council member to vote against the four-year plan, saying he believed that the unions won't accept three years of a wage freeze, beginning in 2014.
Some unpopular strategies were scratched in December. Originally, it was suggested the fire department could take over city ambulance services, but that provoked an outcry from AMED and didn't win favor from the fire department.
Mayor Bill Schirf said he is thankful the plan doesn't call for major layoffs, but residents have expressed concern about raising taxes to generate revenue.
A total of 27 municipalities have entered the state's Act 47 distressed municipalities program; only six have escaped.
6. NCAA sanctions Penn State
In response to the child sex-abuse scandal that tarnished Penn State's reputation, the Board of Trustees hired former FBI director Louis Freeh to investigate the university. His report released on July 23 detailed 119 recommendations including strengthening safety and security policies, identifying and reporting misconduct, and university governance.
Of Freeh's recommendations, 44 are completed, 58 are in progress and 17 are ongoing, the university's progress website states.
The report's findings condemned university leaders. Former head football coach Joe Paterno's family has firmly denied the findings, which also have been questioned by many alumni.
Freeh's 267-page report was the result of interviewing more than 430 people and examining 3.5 million documents. It outlined the failure of former Penn State President Graham Spanier and Paterno to alert authorities or stop Sandusky, who held onto keys to Penn State facilities, after child abuse allegations emerged.
The NCAA based its landmark sanctions on the report's findings, levying the school with a four-year bowl ban, significant scholarship cuts and a $60 million fine. The NCAA also stripped the football program of 14 years of victories.
Many alumni and some trustees were incensed over the unprecedented NCAA penalty - which will cost Penn State tens of millions of dollars and could cripple its football team in years to come.
7. APD beating case heads
to trial
The Altoona police beating case from Memorial Day weekend 2010 moves forward as former officer Duane Eichenlaub, 30, of Altoona will stand trial in January in Blair County Court.
After a statewide grand jury investigation, Eichenlaub and fellow former officer Eric Kriner, 32, of Brockport, were charged in 2011 with entering a restroom at Pellegrine's Lounge to beat Herman "Bo" Lardieri, 40, who allegedly inappropriately touched Eichenlaub's wife. Earl Eshelman, 60, of East Freedom, who was also in the restroom, was beaten about the face, suffering severe injuries to an eye.
What followed next was allegedly an effort by the officers to get their colleagues, called to investigate the brawl, to cover up their involvement. One patrolman who responded to the incident resigned and another was fired last year.
Kriner and Eichenlaub were charged last year with conspiracy to hinder prosecution, tampering with public records, obstruction of the administration of justice and aggravated assault.
This September, Altoona police memos were found that allegedly indicate that an alleged cover-up of the brawl might have involved more than the four officers no longer with the department.
One of those memos, according to an opinion issued by Blair County Judge Timothy M. Sullivan, "references the withholding of information by Chief [Janice] Freehling." The memo, written by retired city detective Craig Zahradnik, does not elaborate about what may have been withheld.
The memos have been sealed until Eichenlaub's trial.
Freehling has said she and the Altoona Police Department brass never withheld any information from state police or tried to cover up the alleged incident.
Kriner pleaded guilty Dec. 20 to simple assault and conspiracy to obstruct a law enforcement investigation. He faces probation or a light jail sentence when he is sentenced in March.
8. Hospital merger talks heat up
Eight years after the creation of Altoona Regional Health System through the merger of Altoona and Bon Secours-Holy Family hospitals, Altoona Regional and Nason Hospital signed a nonbinding agreement in August to create a countywide health care system.
Altoona Regional has more than 300 physicians and 4,000 clinical and support staff; Nason has more than 50 physicians and 300 clinical and support staff.
The Nason board was unanimous in approving the memorandum of understanding to pursue the partnership, which followed nine months of discussion with Altoona Regional.
The agreement followed the consolidation of the Altoona Regional campuses. After 102 years, the Bon Secours hospital campus - first known as Mountain City, then Mercy, then Bon Secours-Holy Family Hospital and then Seventh Avenue Campus - closed forever in March.
Altoona Regional consolidated acute services at the Altoona Hospital campus on Howard Avenue.
To help Altoona Regional meet the challenges of health care reform, the hospital board is seeking affiliation with UPMC.
After almost a year of discussion with potential partners, in November it was clear that Altoona Regional decided to focus on UPMC to expand and enhance services and employment, spokesman Dave Cuzzolina said.
UPMC is a $20 billion organization with 55,000 employees, 20 hospitals, 400 doctors' offices and outpatient sites and a health insurance division, according to material provided by Altoona Regional.
At 380 beds, Altoona Regional would become the third largest UPMC affiliate in terms of bed size, after UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside, with 1,532 beds, and UPMC Mercy, with 487 beds, according to information supplied by UPMC spokesman Paul Wood.
9. McGinnis wins 79th District House race
This year, John McGinnis shocked Harrisburg when he beat incumbent Rick Geist, who served the 79th District for 34 years, in the spring primary race.
In November, McGinnis won Pennsylvania's 79th District, which includes Altoona and parts of Logan Township.
The Penn State Altoona finance professor ran on the platform of a less intrusive and more austere government. He promised to push for lower taxes, reduced spending and an end to lucrative pensions and per diems.
McGinnis won by a 955-vote margin over his opponent, Democrat Richard Flarend.
He will take a two-year leave of absence from his duties at the university, and Penn State will hold his job during that time. If he decides to continue as an elected official beyond that, the Penn State job will be "gone forever," he said.
Geist, meanwhile, is preparing for his new career as a transportation and project development consultant, an extension of his legislative career in which he chaired the House Transportation Committee and became a spokesman for highway and bridge improvements and transportation programs in general statewide.
10. Commissioners explore Valley View Home sale
As of December, Blair County commissioners were split on a proposal to sell Valley View Home, a facility that the county has operated for almost 60 years.
Blair County Commissioner Ted Beam Jr. took a stand against selling the nursing home, while fellow commissioners Diane Meling and Terry Tomassetti voted in favor of circulating a request for proposals from interested bidders.
The RFP also requires responders to submit a bid of no less than than $11.25 million.
The possibility of sale of the 240-bed nursing facility incensed employees, who say care quality would decline and they may lose their jobs in the transaction.
The possible sale also ignited protests from those involved with the American Youth Soccer Organization, which uses fields on the site for soccer.
Commissioners are asking bidders to accept the county's lease with AYSO through June 30, 2014.
How much money bidders are willing to pay for the home is a factor that will be a key component in the commissioners' decision to sell or not.
The successful bidder would be expected, through Dec. 31, 2023, to maintain a licensed skilled nursing facility on the grounds of the home. Current residents at Valley View would have the right to remain in the facility as long as they wish and as long as they are eligible to receive care at a skilled nursing facility.
Mirror Staff Writer Russ O'Reilly is at 946-7435.


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26525 Pine Ave. Rim Forest, California Send Donations to: Operation Provider, P.O. Box 26, Twin Peaks, CA 92391 (909) 337-8585 A Non-profit 501(c) (3) Corporation/Tax Deductible
Days open Tuesday and Thursday Office hours 9:00 to 2:00pm Food Distribution 12:00 to 2:00pm
26525 Pine Ave., Rim Forest, Californiaor send donations to:Operation ProviderP.O. Box 26, Twin Peaks, CA 92391(909) 337-8585 A Non-profit 501(c)(3)Corporation/Tax Deductible


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GoingOutGuide Movies
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Eastwood using the same pitch
By Ann Hornaday
Friday, September 21, 2012
The title of "Trouble With the Curve" refers to a baseball pitch, the kind that goes every which way until finally landing with a thump in the catcher's mitt. It turns out the movie itself follows the same winding course, taking viewers on a fitfully engaging journey through the depredations of aging, the fragile bonds between adult children and their parents, and the beginnings of a sweet romantic relationship.
"Trouble With the Curve" also offers yet more proof of the power of casting, both for good and for ill. There's no doubt that Clint Eastwood -- whose last appearance before a big audience was met with polarizing results -- is perfectly suited to play Gus Lobel, a scout for the Atlanta Braves who is beginning to feel the effects of his years, not only when he's trying to coax his body into cooperating with a morning bathroom ritual but when he's spotting young talent on the ball field. (Among other things, "Trouble With the Curve" is the Luddite's response to last year's scandalously underwatched " Moneyball .")
Gus has a strained relationship with his daughter, Mickey (Amy Adams), whose mother died when she was 6; glancing at Mickey's post-workout attire, he gruffly asks if she needs money for new clothes. When she tells him she's just come from yoga, he makes a snide comment about being "into that voodoo."
Gus isn't a warm-and-fuzzy dad, which makes it all the tougher for Mickey to join him on a scouting expedition to North Carolina -- purportedly to keep an eye on some health concerns, but also to make one more try at bonding with the father who keeps pushing her away.
Directed by Robert Lorenz from a script by Randy Brown, "Trouble With the Curve" can never quite decide what to make of the scowling, squinting Gus, whose old-coot asides about computer machines and kids today Eastwood delivers in his now trademark gruffer-than-thou whisper. (If this is the persona Eastwood has chosen to adopt permanently for his remaining days on screen, he at least needs to move away from the "get off my yard" cliches.) On the one hand, he's the same lovable, unsentimental loner we've come to associate with Eastwood, who has one genuinely tender moment in a scene filmed at Gus's wife's grave. On the other, he's a withholding, unfunny grouch capable of cutting emotional cruelty.
One look at Mickey's tear-filled eyes tells viewers all they need to know about Gus's limitations. But, as appealing as Adams is in the role (and as impressive a U-turn this represents from her performance in "The Master," also opening today), the audience may wonder whether "Trouble With the Curve" would have benefited from an actress of more tomboyish grit and mettle. Adams tries her best to bring her high, small voice into a tougher register, but the result is affectless rather than tempered or complex, and her Mickey never quite gives Gus the comeuppance he deserves and the audience is waiting for. In fact, what spark is to be found in "Trouble With the Curve" is provided by Justin Timberlake who, despite an accent that drifts as badly as one young player's batting grip, brings the proceedings to life every time he's in a scene.
By the time "Trouble With the Curve" reaches its dramatic -- and manipulatively contrived -- third-act reveal, it resembles the kind of bland, pictures-of-people talking that all too often pass for movies these days. "Trouble With the Curve" presents viewers with a frustrating change-up: What promised to be a modest, refreshingly unforced little comedy turns out to be low energy to a fault.


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that's a lot of children.
38 comments:
oh how amazing!ReplyDelete
well be adopting from foster care within Canada so our kids won't have that kind of connection to a kid from an orphanage (and neither will we have the parental connection) and I so value it and wish we would.
love how God's provided that family for you guys.
It's absolutely fantastic that you have had such a wonderful (and large!) support system through the adoption process. It is so good to have people around in your situation, with the same concerns and the same feelings. No judgment.ReplyDelete
They look like a wonderful group of ladies!
I absolutely love this! That second to last picture is my absolute favorite. Way way too sweet. I'm so happy your children are growing up in such a great environment. Hopefully you'll be able to visit often once you move!ReplyDelete
I love love these pictures!!! (:ReplyDelete
I don't remember the last day that passed without me thinking about adopting. Your posts always confirm my feelings. Right now finances stand in our way, but I know that eventually we will bring a new member of the family home with us. Your life is beautiful!ReplyDelete
Such a blessing to have people to walk through life with you! Looks like a super fun group!ReplyDelete
I remember some of those sweet faces in that orphanage last year when we picked up Ada! They look so grown up now!!ReplyDelete
em. that 4th picture up from the bottom is UNBELIEVABLE. the movement, the focal point, the little boy's dimple.....all of it! you captured such a great moment of childhood there! i LOVE that picture so much i almost want to frame it in my own house!! all that aside, i loved reading your heart in this post.... love you so much.ReplyDelete
what a sweet gift, emily. i love this post and the beautiful colors in it. praying that the Lord will provide this for you in your next stop along the way...ReplyDelete
What a blessing to have those women in your life! I hope I am blessed with a big family! <3ReplyDelete
Such a great post!!!ReplyDelete
AMAZING! And such great photos. Did you take all of these? You're really good.ReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks Susan! Yes, I took these photos :)Delete
This post encourages me so much! The pictures are fabulous! My husband and I are training now to be a Safe Families host home, and we will also begin training for our foster care license this year. Eventually we plan to adopt out of foster care as well.ReplyDelete
Seriously this post made me so happy I am sitting here crying big tears of joy. What a BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL post, seriously!!!ReplyDelete
your pictures and words have tapped into a part of my heart I never knew existed.ReplyDelete
thank you
What a lovely bunch. Hope you find a new group similar to it in Texas. I'm sure it so nice to be with people who understand. And all those kids are gorgeous. Lots of legacy there!ReplyDelete
This is such a wonderful post!ReplyDelete
Kudos to you on a successful group photo! I bet there were a few moms standing behind you acting like nuts while you were taking this. It's the only explanation for all the kids looking at your direction!ReplyDelete
if there weren't struggles, what would you be learning from this that Christ is trying to teach you? you are real about it... love what you ladies are doing... the picture of the girls from a side view with elsa in the middle... precious!ReplyDelete
<3 you girls and these pics of all the littles together! So excited for the great things that God is doing in and through each of your families!!ReplyDelete
You really are blessed to have such great friends. I pray that one day I have such a group of godly women to lean on :]ReplyDelete
Oh that is so awesome! I don't honestly know why but I started crying while reading this, it really touched me. Maybe its because my husband and I want to adopt for Ethiopia! the money part is stopping us right now, any advice/tips, or the real cost would be great to know! Where we have looked, it looks to be about $17,000 with my work covering $3500 of it.)ReplyDelete
So awesome that you guys are able to get together like that!! <3 you! :)Replies
Don't let the finances stop you! God provides, He truly does. Our adoption cost $30,000...and we managed to have what we needed, each time some was due.Delete
I've done a finance post before, I'll have to find it.
that's a beautiful sight!ReplyDelete
this is marvelous! what a blessing!!ReplyDelete
Beautiful post!ReplyDelete
i'm so proud of you, em. you are such a great mom and i'm so thankful for the support system you have found. elsa is not the only odd man out...have you looked at yourself in the mirror, like ever? lol. you, elsa and milo can stick out together. :)ReplyDelete
beautiful pics-oh, and i recognized the beautiful music that was playing on your blog and scrolled down and saw bon iver! the lead singer of the band grew up in my home town-eau claire, wi!!ReplyDelete
What beautiful children! Such an amazing support group you have there!!ReplyDelete
What a beautiful groups of kids!ReplyDelete
praise jesus for such an awesome community of heart friends. LOVE.ReplyDelete
and i can't take my eyes off of those beautiful sweeties!
what a picture of the kingdom, i adore it. and this post.
oh, and you, too, duh.
happy weekend!
What a group of beautiful kids.ReplyDelete
This post made me cry! So thankful for to see how you are raising our next generation :) Beautiful!ReplyDelete
((hugs)) And I happen to be partial to Jenny, myself! So glad you have those connections. It's important! Iron sharpens iron. And their encouragement is obviously a blessing!! "love knows no color" is my favorite line from this post. And the pictures rock my world. ((more hugs))ReplyDelete
i remember your post of elsa's homecoming last year. i remember sobbing from joy. that photo of all of your children is beautiful. your children's perspective is amazing. "we're all shades of brown." you are so blessed to have this in your life.ReplyDelete
this post made me tear up....with the photos and the music.ReplyDelete
i love true friendship.
what a beautiful group!
when do you move lady?
i can't recall....or was it texas?
That profile pic of Elsa is just stunning! She's so beautiful! They ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL are!ReplyDelete


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October 31, 2009
19 comments:
I wish I could stomach cleaning out the pumpkins, because fresh roasted seeds are so yummy.ReplyDelete
I'm impressed that you put down newspaper. You're clearly better at thinking ahead than I am, I just end up with pumpkin on my floor and stickiness that lasts for weeks!ReplyDelete
We baked our seeds too!ReplyDelete
We got the "bright" idea to carve ours o the living room floor this year.
Which basically means I'll be picking strands of pumpkin guts out of my carpet for weeks. :-)
Mmmmm ... love pumpkin seeds ... what do you put on yours? How long do you cook them for?ReplyDelete
Love love love pumpkin seeds! I've been munching on some all week :) Enjoy!ReplyDelete
mmm we did our seeds last week & they were soooooo tasty!ReplyDelete
Those look so tasty. We didn't end up getting our pumpkins carved this year. I don't know how you do it with four.ReplyDelete
I baked seeds last night too - aren't they just the best?ReplyDelete
Love it! I miss those days.ReplyDelete
Yummy! Pumpkin seeds! They look delicious.ReplyDelete
We love baking seeds too! We only did a small panful this year. I don't enjoy pulling each seed from all that slime ;)ReplyDelete
never tried them....but with everyone saying how tasty maybe i should ;)ReplyDelete
yum, love roasted pumpkin seeds. adore your blog too steph...so much goodnessReplyDelete
I haven't roasted pumpkin seeds in years. I'm too lazy to clean them all off, lol. I bet they were yummy ;DReplyDelete
yummy....I love pumpkin seeds!ReplyDelete
Mmmmm....i love pumpkin seeds!ReplyDelete
i am PISSED that i missed this part of halloween this year. By missing it I mean, being too drunk to partake. sads.ReplyDelete
Now I've got the munchies!ReplyDelete


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on December 18, 2012 - 10:47 AM
, updated December 18, 2012 at 10:48 AM
Genesee County sheriff's investigators have arrested an 18-year-old Oakfield man on two felony burglary charges, after accusing him of stealing three ATVs in a pair of incidents in the Town of Oakfield over the summer.
Jamie R. Bachorski stands accused of taking two ATVs from a storage shed on Batavia-Oakfield Townline Road and another one from a pole barn on Fisher Road, sheriff's officials said.
Following his arraignment, Bachorski was released on his own recognizance, before being sent to the Genesee County Jail on $10,000 bail for a probation violation, according to police reports.


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Top Definition
A man's private time spent masturbating. A term first used on the Showtime series "The United States of Tara".
I had blue balls after I didn't get laid last night, but I took some gentleman's time and felt much better.
dodane przez Jonny Read luty 25, 2009
Trending Now
Can you define these popular missing words?


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Uniquely celebrating volunteerism
22 December 2008
This year, one UNV volunteer found a truly unique way to celebrate volunteerism. For UNV volunteer Charles Nnoko Mbibi and his wife there was no better way to welcome the birth of their baby daughter on 5 December 2008 than by naming their beautiful daughter, "Caira Volontario". Charles and his wife are from Cameroon and he explained the Cameroonian tradition of giving a unique name to a child born on a special day. Baby naming traditions are a universal expression of joy that welcome newborn infants into a family and community.
Charles has served as a committed UNV volunteer since 2005 and is currently serving in the Côte d'Ivoire region of San Pedro and Bouake where he is an Electoral Advisor. When his second daughter was born on IVD this year, he and his wife agreed that the baby's name should be linked to the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme and a life-long celebration of the joy of volunteerism.


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Sources: DOE, Philips, Light Bulb Emporium [order]
quote: I'd consider these as they drop in price. CCFL, while cheap, seem to be less reliable than good 'ol incandescent bulbs, but are full of nasty stuff that makes me cringe when I have to throw them out.
quote: 1000bulbs has this one listed at $34.71 eachhttp://www.1000bulbs.com/product/58963/LED-409946....
quote: Jason,You compared cost savings to incandescent bulbs but that means very little when comparing green/energy efficient lighting. Why didn't you compare to typical cfl bulbs as well? wouldn't that have made more logical sense?
quote: But if electricity cost you 20cents/kwh, the LED would be the same at $108 LED vs $108 CFL.
quote: I have reasons to believe it will last much much longer than the rated figure.
quote: no minimum costs and the light output doesn't meet typical household needs.
quote: LED's themselves die hard, but they DO fade away.
quote: In total I have 92 light fixtures in the entire house


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A volunteer called Melenin
19 November 2007
by Paul H. Williams
Kingston, Jamaica: He's proud of his jet-black skin and his African heritage. He is a Rastafarian who embraces unity and oneness. But, this 24-year-old native of White Horses, St. Thomas, is more than that. He is a super volunteer who goes by the very unusual name, 'Melenin'. Such is Omar Ryan, a recent recipient of the Governor-General Youth Award for Excellence in Volunteerism.
But he is also known as 'African', a name that dates back to his afrocentricity of high school days. But, there was another artiste called 'African'.
"I didn't want to have the same name as another person and because I didn't want to lose the essence of who and what I truly represent, that is, black people and blackness, I said I want Melanin," he explained. Melanin is a dark brown or black pigment in the skin, hair, eyes, et cetera, and Omar Ryan has an abundance of it.
What was even more convincing is that the word starts with 'M', the same letter that begins the name of great men, such as Marcus, Marley and Mandela.
Proud of blackness
Ryan: "I think it goes along with my identity, not only the physical, but how I think as a person." He adopted it, changing the 'a' to 'e', and as the melanin in his skin, it has stuck. As he proudly spoke about his black heritage and his black skin he rubbed his palms together and said with a smile, ''Mi love it." But what he obviously doesn't love is the prevalence of skin bleaching among black youths in this country, in 2007.
He said, "First thing, you need to accept yourself, who you are, and you need to know the detriment of doing things like that. We need to know where we are coming from as a people, because I think it really is an identity crisis ... ramification from slavery ... it is still the perception in society that 'nutten black nuh good'." This negative perception, he said, could be eradicated if black-consciousness and black history are inserted into the primary school curriculum.
It's all about "being proud of your blackness, and being confident about it, speaking about it and flaunting it". Yet, his own awareness of self and heritage has not made him selfish and self-centred. He's using it for the benefit of the communities with which he's associated.
A community
Ryan: "We have to know how we live as a people, and things that are good for us. For example, communal living. That's a part of our (African) tradition ... which is missing, especially from the Western world, where we have got so individualistic, people just focus on (their) achievement. I think we need to focus more on the community and how we are going to develop as a community."
With this strong belief in community development, he has given his service to his district of White Horses, in St. Thomas, and to the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona campus, where he's a final-year student, residing in Taylor Hall.
The block on which he lives in Taylor Hall is named Roosters; but this 'Rooster', unlike the ones that go around with chest high, crowing loudly and flapping their wings, and do nothing, Melanin is quite involved as a volunteer. Ryan says: "It's out of the natural love for my people. I am driven by a lot of things, I am driven by poverty, and in St. Thomas, there is a lot of it."
In White Horses, he has participated in the Upliftment Jamaica programme in the capacity of assistant concert coordinator, and is now trying to revamp the Cottage Pen, St. Thomas, youth group. The August Town mentorship programme has benefited from his participation as mentor and then coordinator. Under his stewardship, it was extended to Mona Common, where he has spearheaded an adult community development programme, which will continue come January.
In summer this year, he had a programme for children living in the environs of the UWI. All of this involvement is preparing him for the bigger picture of serving the nation, and by extension the African diaspora in the Caribbean.
His contribution will come through lecturing, writing and politics. Already involved in student politics and leadership, he's the current chairman of Taylor Hall. Before that, he was the external affairs chairperson. Look out for him, perhaps the first dreadlocked parliamentarian.
Academia and politics, therefore, will give him a platform from which he can bring positive changes to the Caribbean "so that (he) can have a real knowledge of (his) people and as a 'Caribbeanist', study what is happening in the Caribbean, which is a part of the (African) diaspora".
He wants to create a sustainable development model because "when you look at sustainable development it would really have to be economical, political, technical, environmental, cultural, etc., not just the three factors that people normally focus on, social, political and economical.
So in order to be better informed and more effective, Melenin did not sit and depend on his layman philosophy of development. He has gone further.
"I want to establish myself as an authority in the field first, and that is why I am studying Africa and African Diaspora Studies ... For a people to be really developed they have to be grounded in their culture. And I think we are not grounded in our culture, because slavery and other things have diminished our culture ..."
But, there is nothing diminutive about his outlook on life. He has big dreams, with volunteerism being a major factor. It is not financially rewarding, but along the way he has picked up a few awards for his contribution to humanity. These include being named the 2006-7 Taylorite of the Year, the 2007 Governor-General Youth Award, a certificate for performance in service from the University of the West Indies, and numerous certificates of commendation.
Every aspect of Melenin's life seems to link one to the other, with the common thread being his commitment to service. This is how he summed it up: "I see myself with the ability to change; I am a part of the change, talking about make change. I see myself as part of that positive change, and I have this personal philosophy that says: 'You see it, you do it.' So, I do not wait on another person to get involved."


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Hockaday to activate 'remote learning plan' if ice and snow again halt classes
If the weather is as bad Wednesday morning as the meteorologists say it might be, schools may yet again have to cancel classes.
But that won't mean a day off for the girls of the Hockaday School.
The North Dallas school announced this afternoon that in the event of inclement weather, it's activating its "remote learning plan."
Students — and, yes, their parents — will get an e-mail containing a secure link to a password-protected Hockaday site. There, teachers will post the day's assignments and other instructions. Teachers will also let the girls know when and how faculty members will be available to help with those assignments.
If a closure lasts for more than one day, the students will be advised of that, as well. And assignments for subsequent days will be posted.
"All of our middle- and upper-school students are reminded to take home their laptops, text books and notes in order continue with their school work" in the event of a weather closure, said a notice from the school.
Participation in the remote learning plan is mandatory for students, said Andi Pickle, Hockaday's communications manager.


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6 Next-Level Summer Food Hacks
A Cognac-based punch made with fresh juices and a touch of old vine Zinfandel, a particularly rich, fruity style of red wine, topped with Grand Marnier-soaked berries.
1 oz Cognac
0.75 oz lemon juice
1 oz simple syrup*
0.5 oz cranberry juice
0.5 oz old vine Zinfandel
3 berries, soaked in Grand Marnier
*Simple syrup: Use one part sugar, one part water. Combine in a pitcher and stir until dissolved.
Wash berries and pat dry with a paper towel. Place in bowl. Soak berries in Grand Marnier (about 1/4 cup per pint). Cover and let soak for at least 30 minutes. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
Combine Cognac, lemon juice, simple syrup, cranberry juice and Zinfandel in a cocktail shaker. Top with ice and shake vigorously. Pour into stem glasses. Top with three soaked berries.
A rich cocktail made with Grand Marnier, fresh lemon and Riesling.
4 lemon chunks (half a lemon, quartered)
1 orange wheel, quartered
0.5 oz simple syrup*
2 cherries
1 oz Grand Marnier
1 oz Riesling
*Simple syrup: Use one part sugar, one part water. Combine in a pitcher and stir until dissolved.
In a mixing glass, muddle lemon quarters with simple syrup. Add Grand Marnier and Riesling. Top with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into ice-filled wine glass. Add orange wheel quarters and cherries.
22 Summer Cocktails Perfect for An All Day BBQ


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Racing headlines • Page 2
Is GRID: Autosport The last great old-gen racer?
Don't abandon your old consoles just yet, Codemasters' new GRID game is worth your attention, says John Robertson.
Mario Kart 8 reviews are go, get all the scores here
Mario Kart 8 reviews are screaming off the starting grid, and as always we're catching those juicy scores as they drift around the S-bend. Get them all here as they drop.
It's official: you can pay to unlock Driveclub content instead of earning it
Driveclub developer Evolution Studios has confirmed that the PS4 racer will have microtransaction options for those who want to unlock content early, instead of earning it through play.
UPDATE: DriveClub PS Plus upgrade will not expire if your sub runs out, Sony confirms
DriveClub publisher Sony has confirmed that its $44.99 PS Plus upgrade option will not expire should your subscription run out.
Need for Speed on break till 2015, new game "deep in development"
Need for Speed won't be producing a release this year, EA said in its post-earnings release conference call today, with Ghost Games general manager Marcus Nilsson posting an open letter to discuss the matter.
Driveclub: 1080p/30FPS is, "absolutely the best thing" for game, says director
Driveclub game director Paul Rustchynsky has confirmed to VG247 that Evolution Studios' PS4 racer will run at 1080p and 30 frames-per-second. He has explained why he feels this is the best fit for the game.
Driveclub release date and "full game details" coming soon, developer promises
Driveclub's release date and other details will be revealed "in the weeks to come".
Trials Fusion: PS4 runs at 1080p, Xbox One at 900p after day one patch, all platforms at 60FPS
Trials Fusion is nearing its release date and details of the game's final resolution and day one patch have been divulged.
Mario Kart 8 gets info & screen blow-out as new round of previews land
Mario Kart 8 hands-on previews are dropping all over the internet, so we've been hoovering up some of the more interesting facts for your convenience.
Need for Speed: 27 observations from Aaron Paul's new movie
Need for Speed opens in cinemas worldwide this week, but Brenna's already seen it, forgotten about it, remembered it again, written down her impressions and knocked off for the day.
UPDATE: Ghost Games hit with lay-offs, unannounced Need for Speed on hold - report
Ghost Games has suffered a round of lay-offs and its unannounced Need for Speed title has been put on hold according to a report on Polygon.
Total Drivin: how a PSOne racer sowed the seeds for future success
With Forza 5, Need for Speed: Rivals and Gran Turismo 6 lined up on her shelf, Brenna's been putting time into a 15 year old racer. Eutechnyx talks Total Drivin, the game that kicked off its love affair with racing.
Need for Speed: Rivals - get your motor running
Need For Speed: Rivals is hoping to capture the thrill of the chase and the buzz of illicit street racing. Stace Harman goes along for the ride and speaks to creative director Craig Sullivan.
The Crew is the biggest open world racer ever - video
Ubisoft's The Crew is the biggest open world racing game ever. It's the biggest racing RPG, too. Developer Ivory Tower speaks to VG247.
GRID 2: bringing the race and a narrative together
Codemasters is going hard on story in its GRID sequel, as Phil Owen discovered when he saw the racer in LA. New screens and video included.
Forza Horizon impressions: fast times at Forza high
Forza Horizon races off the grid this week. VG247's Dave Cook has been taking it for a spin to see if it lives up to the core series.
Need for Speed: Most Wanted keeps on climbing
Everything about Criterion's Need for Speed: Most Wanted is designed to keep players climbing over their friends to the top of the ladder. Brenna Hillier talks to producer Leanne Loombe.
Petrol festival: what is Forza Horizon?
As Forza Horizon gets set to roll out next month, Stace Harman speaks to Playground Games' design director Ralph Fulton to find out how the game fits into the wider Forza family.
Forza Horizon Rivals mode video: get competitive
Forza Horizon's rivals mode gets friends competitive about lap times. Watch VG247's Sam Clay as he gets to grips with it, and tries to shave precious seconds off his best times.
Studio Liverpool closed, WipEout dev's projects canned
WipEout developer Studio Liverpool has been closed and all of its projects cancelled, Sony has confirmed. Sony has also issued a statement explaining the outfit's closure, and has cancelled all of the studio's projects including – according to fresh rumours – a next-gen WipEout game for PS4.
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In first grade I remember having to go to the bathroom SO very bad it hurt- and I raised my hand to tell the teacher but she wouldn't call on me. I remember raising my hand with tears coming down my face as I tried to hold it in, and I ended up having an accident right there in my seat, in my new gray outfit with balloons on it, so utterly humiliating. Of course then I was sent to the bathroom (finally!) and then to the office to wait for my mom to bring me clean clothes.
One of the only things I clearly remember about second grade was being called out to the hall, and my mom was there, and she told me that my Gram had passed away. At that time I think I was closer to Gram than any other person in the world. I won't ever forget that hallway, the cold, dingy white-tiled floor and fluorescent lights on the ceiling. I missed a whole week of school and a neighbor made me a homemade Cabbage Patch Doll to make me feel better.
Oh, I do remember one other thing about second grade- my teacher Mrs. Gaddis had a fun way to get rid of your hiccups- when you didn't expect it she would yell, "BOO!" really loud and scare them out of you, but really she only did it for a kid once and thereafter every kid mysteriously always had the hiccups and wanted her to do it to them.
In the third grade, we moved and I went to one school the first semester and started a new school the second semester. That was a very rough year for me. My only friend for a while was my teacher, Mr. Green. No one else liked him because he was very strict, but since I didn't know anyone, I was very good at only concentrating on my schoolwork and would rather stay inside during recess to do my work or help the teacher. I think that was the grade I saw the plus of becoming a teacher's pet and I fit into that roll pretty much every grade after that.
In fourth grade I won the spelling bee (in my class) and had a really cool teacher who would let us have reading time and we could sit on the floor or on a couch in our room. She read us Where The Red Fern Grows. I found a writing exercise from this grade:
Hi. My name is Stephanie. I am eleven years old. I like to play the piano, sing, and act. I have one mom, one dad, two dogs, and one brother. When I grow up I want to be a singer or a secretary. But I really want to be an actress.
And from fifth grade, I found that I had big plans for the future-
The Year 2013
It's the year 2013. I'm living in a beautiful 4-story cabin in the Rocky Mountains. I married a brain surgeon who makes $64,000 a month. At the age of 23 I had twins: Rebecca & Kirstin. Every summer we visit my parents in Wyoming and my husband's parents in Washington. Our parents take us to Hawaii every spring break. We go the whole way by boat cruise. This summer we're moving to Hawaii because my husband is getting a better job for brain and cancer. Most surfers there hit their heads on surf boards and have brain damage. We already bought a 7-story mansion in Honolulu. I'm going to visit my friends Tanya & Erin in New York, New York when my husband works days.
By Stephanie, 5th grade, 1988.
originally published July 2006
Related: I can't believe I'm even saying this but I think we're sending Gray to all-day kindergarten this year! I wrote about it here- would love to hear how you do kindergarten.


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In-N-Out Burger
The long lines at the drive-through window are a telltale sign of a good burger - and a loyal customer base who voted the chain tops in value. In-N-Out Burger stands behind its quality ingredients. The chain serves only burgers, fries and drinks, so all of the heart and soul goes into this 100 percent beef, additive-free burger. The burgers are made by the company's own butchers based out of Baldwin Park, Calif.
Culver's, Valley-wide
Sonic, Valley-wide
Lenny's Burger, Phoenix and Glendale
Wendy's, Valley-wide
Burger King, Valley-wide
McDonald's, Valley-wide
Jack in the Box, Valley-wide
Carl's Jr., Valley-wide
Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, Gilbert
Lucky Boy Burger Shop, Phoenix
The exterior of In-N-Out Burger.


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on January 30, 2013 - 12:25 AM
, updated January 30, 2013 at 12:55 AM
The Buffalo Bills will continue to call Rogers Centre their home away from home for the next five years.
The team and Canadian media giant Rogers Communications officially announced on Tuesday a five-year extension to their agreement, which calls for the Bills to play one regular-season game per year in the old SkyDome starting in 2013.
"This is a hallmark opportunity for our franchise to continue this operation that we started five years ago," Bills President Russ Brandon said in an afternoon news conference at Rogers Centre. "The one thing that we did learn that was paramount was the appetite for the NFL in southern Ontario."
Off the field, the Bills' first agreement with Rogers was a success. The team was paid $78 million to hold seven games up north, five in the regular season and two preseason contests (another preseason game in 2012 was shifted back to Orchard Park because of scheduling conflicts).
The impact has also been seen at Ralph Wilson Stadium, according to Brandon. Five years ago, the Bills drew about 11 percent of their season-ticket holders from the greater Toronto area. That number is now more than 20 percent, Brandon said.
Neither side divulged Tuesday how much the Bills will be paid for this extension, which includes only one preseason game, in 2015.
Where the series has fallen short, of course, is on the field. The Bills are just 1-4 in their regular-season games, including an embarrassing 50-17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in December.
"Our commitment is that we have to bring a winning product to the field. That's where we have fallen down in this series," Brandon said. "We talk about the atmosphere of last year, and it was not exactly conducive to what we want to build upon. But the reason for that was we didn't play good football, plain and simple."
Despite the on-field struggles, both sides said Tuesday the extension – which has been in the works for more than a year – was never close to falling apart.
"Negotiations always are easier when you both want to end at the same result," Rogers President Keith Pelley said. "We both wanted to continue this relationship, but we knew we needed to make some changes."
One of those was to hire a full-time executive director for the series in Greg Albrecht. He, along with Mary Owen, the Bills' executive vice president of strategic planning, were the key figures in negotiations for the extension.
Another change was a reduction in ticket prices, which when the series was established in the 2008 season were severely criticized for being too high. Last year, about 60 percent of the seats were available for less than $100.
Ticket prices will remain the same in 2013, Pelley said.
Rogers also ended its policy of giving away complimentary tickets – a practice Pelley admitted was commonplace in the first four years of the agreement – and announced the actual attendance of December's game at 40,770.
Pelley said he was "amazed" at that number considering the Bills' playoff chances were all but extinguished, and pointed to it as evidence of the "overwhelming appetite for the National Football League" in the Toronto area. Brandon again reiterated why the Bills need to tap into that market.
"It's very important to our organization moving forward in today's NFL that we regionalize our brand," he said. "Over 10 years ago we went east, moved our training camp to Rochester, and we've reaped the benefits of that. And this agreement is no different. ... We're like many other businesses in Buffalo, especially in the entertainment industry, in the tourism industry, that southern Ontario and Toronto are very important to their business. We are no different."
Brandon said the team is not trying to replicate the Ralph Wilson Stadium experience in Toronto.
"We have 55 years of tradition in Buffalo and in Orchard Park. We have five years of tradition here," he said. "We need a better on-field performance to turn people who are fans of the NFL, not particularly Bills fans, into Bills fans."
It's not just the fans the Bills have to win over, though. Support among players in the locker room is tepid at best. Center Eric Wood called the series "a joke" after the loss in December and said he hoped it wouldn't be renewed.
"We understand that emotions run high after games," Brandon said. "Our focus as an organization is to provide our fans and our players the best experiences possible. From that standpoint, I understand his frustration. I respect it."
The 10-year lease agreement announced last month between the Bills and Erie County allows the team to play one regular-season game per season in Toronto, as well as one other international game over its term.
email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Karen Shatz, PhD
Associate Professor
PhD, Family Therapy, Nova Southeastern University
MSW, Social Work, McGill University
BSW, Social Work, McGill University
BA, Psychology, Concordia University
Karen Shatz is an Associate Professor in the Counseling Program of the Adrian Dominican School of Education at Barry University. Dr. Shatz holds a BA in Psychology from Concordia University, a BSW and a MSW in Social Work from McGill University, and a PhD in Family Therapy from Nova Southeastern University. She is an AAMFT (American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy) Approved Supervisor. Her academic interests include postmodern theory, social constructionism, qualitative research and clinical supervision. Her clinical focus is centered on narrative practices and reflecting teams, and Bowen's Natural Family Systems. She has presented numerous professional workshops at state, national, and international conferences. Dr. Shatz's research interests include phenomenological experiences of loss, and postmodern supervision.
Selected Presentations
- Shatz, K. (2015). Patterns of violence in abusive men. XXXIVth Congress of the International Academy of Law and Mental Health. Vienna, Austria.
- Shatz, K. (2013). Relational Stories: Moving Away from the Embedded Victim Metaphor of Gender Violence. XXXIIIrd Congress of the International Academy of Law and Mental Health. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.


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SALEM - The Ohio Lottery said a Salem man claimed the $309,000 Rolling Cash Five jackpot for Dec. 30 at its Youngstown office on Monday.
John Mancuso of Depot Road chose his own numbers to win Sunday's game in which the numbers 2, 9, 12, 21 and 24 were drawn.
Players are given the choice of selecting their own numbers or using the auto-pick option that chooses the numbers at random.
Mancuso will receive the money after 31 percent in mandatory federal and state taxes are deducted and the retailer, the Circle K at 1827 South Lincoln Avenue, will receive a bonus for $500 for selling the winning jackpot ticket.
According to the Ohio Lottery, there are four ways to win the Rolling Cash Five game by matching all five, four of five, three of five and two of five.
The odds of hitting five of five are 1 in 575,757; four of five odds ($300) are 1 in 3,387, and three of five odds ($10) are one in 103 and two of five odds ($1) are one in 10.
Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at approximately 7:05 p.m.
Pools close at 7 p.m. and winning numbers are scrolled on local television stations (Youngstown's WFMJ/21, cable channel 3) soon after the draws.
Winning numbers are also displayed on the Ohio Lottery website after 8 p.m. and the drawings can be viewed from its daily drawings page at that time.
In November, John Cramer of Salem won the Ohio Lottery top prize drawing for $2 million on a $20 Lucky Millionaire instant ticket.
Last May, Charles F. Wehner of Alliance won $1 million after he matched all five numbers drawn and said yes to the Megaplier in the May 15, 2012 Mega Millions' drawing.
The Ohio Lottery said Wehner had won Ohio Lottery games before, and after mandatory federal and state taxes totaling 31 percent he received $690,000.
Wehner chose10-11-12-14-24. The mega ball was 24.
Wehner purchased the Mega Millions ticket from Korosy's Korner, 299 W. Main Street in Alliance which received a $1,000 bonus for selling a five of five Mega Millions ticket.
Larry Shields can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com


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Instax Mini 8 Blue
The new, compact INSTAX Mini 8 color models preserve the ease of use and attractive design elements of the existing INSTAX Mini series. At the same time, the Mini 8 cameras offer new features and enhancements. You will instantly notice a slimmer and lighter body. The INSTAX Mini 8 is approximately 10% smaller than the Mini 7S in volume ratio. It is now even easier for the consumer to carry around an INSTAX with them everywhere. The new INSTAX Mini 8 features automatic exposure measurement. The camera signals the recommended aperture setting with a flashing LED light and the user can manually adjust the dial to the recommended setting. This helps the user capture the perfect photo every time. A new High-Key mode is available on the INSTAX Mini 8 cameras. This mode enables consumers to take brighter pictures with a soft look - perfect for portraits. The viewfinder has also been improved for enhanced subject viewing. Framing a shot becomes easier for the user with even greater clarity and improved visibility.
*Uses Fujifilm INSTAX™ mini film, sold separatly.
- Instax Camera
- Strap
- 2 AA Batteries
- Instruction Manual
- 1 Year Limited Warranty
- Instant Eye-Candy: The Fuji Instax Mini 8 camera comes in a cheerful array of colors. Approximately 10% smaller than the Instax Mini 7S, this camera's compact construction makes it easy to bring along with you wherever you go.
- Brightness Adjustment Setting: The Fuji Instax Mini 8 automatically determines the best brightness for taking a photo.
- 5 lighting settings: Indoor, Cloudy, Sunny, Very Sunny, High-Key Mode
- High-Key Mode: Using this setting will give your portraits a softer impression.
- Easy Operation: All you have to do to get perfect shots is to adjust the exposure dial!
- Constant Firing Flash: This camera's flash always fires, with recycle time of 0.2 to 6 seconds depending on your batteries. Flash range is 0.6 to 2.7 meters.
- Improved Viewfinder: Frame your shots with ease with the Fuji Instax Mini 8's viewfinder, now with better visibility and clarity.
- Fujinon Lens: f=60mm, 1:12.7, 2 components, 2 elements
- Viewfinder: Real image finder 0.37x with target spot
- Shooting Range / Focusing Range: 0.6m – infinity
- Shutter Speed: 1/60 sec.
- Exposure Control: Auto exposure measurement. Manual switching system (flashing LED indicator signals recommended setting)
- Flash: Constant firing flash (automatic light adjustment)
- Effective Flash Range: 0.6 – 2.7m
- Power Supply: Two AA-size 1.5 alkaline batteries
- Picture Size: 2.13" x 3.4" (54mm x 86mm)
- Auto Power Off Time: 5 minutes
- Exposure counter (number of unexposed film sheets), film pack confirmation window
- Dimensions: 4.6" x 4.7" x 2.7" / 0.7 lbs without batteries, strap & film pack (116mm x 118.3mm x 68.2mm / 307 g)
- Uses Fujifilm INSTAX™ mini film


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The mood was mellow. These were people with a sense their time may have come.
A crowd of a few hundred filled the U.S. Customhouse steps Monday to rally in support of marriage equality, on the evening before the U.S. Supreme Court began hearing the two cases on the issue.
They took turns signing cards supporting the cause, to be delivered to Chief Justice John Roberts. The rally was one of 700 being staged across the country.
They were young and old, female and male, gay and straight. They brought their children and their dogs.
The people passing on East Bay Street were curious, not hostile. Nobody protested against the rally or the laws.
"Tonight we stand on the steps of the Customhouse to ask that all Americans be treated the same, to have the right to marry the person they love," Jeremy Rutledge, Circular Congregational Church minister, told the crowd to exuberant cheers.
Walking by on the street, Katherine and William Childers, on vacation from Salisbury, N.C., weren't disconcerted.
"To each his own," Katherine Childers said. William Childers said he did have questions whether it is completely fair to children to be raised in a same-sex marriage, but he wasn't concerned about marriage for same sex couples.
"They should be happy," he said.
On the steps, rally participants talked of an evolution of attitudes among friends and the community.
Sarah Ragsdale and Mina Familar, of Charleston, took turns holding Stella, a schnauzer-Shih tzu mix, who wore a sign saying "Stella has two mommies."
"We've been together since 1996, and we want to get married legally," Ragsdale said.
Not far away, Susan and Darrell Doane, of Summerton, came from attending a bitter child custody hearing that involved the couple's adult daughter; an issue is whether the daughter and her girlfriend qualify as a couple.
"We're here because everybody should have the same rights as me," Susan Doane said. "That's what we fought wars for."
A half-hour into the rally, people were still coming, hurrying across East Bay just to get there, some grabbing each other's hand.
Reach Bo Petersen at 937-5744, @bopete on twitter or Bo Petersen Reporting on Facebook.


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$3.95 to $7.49
Busy Buddy Gnawhide treat rings are designed as refills for select Busy Buddy dog toys. The rings allow the chewing rawhide experience to last up to 10 times longer than rawhide alone. Read More
The combination of toys plus treats motivates dogs to play longer, redirecting potentially destructive behavior into positive playtime.
Ingredients: Rawhide, Sorbitol, Potassium Sorbate (a preservative).
- Brand: Busy Buddy
- Type: Dental
- Size: Small - Size A,Medium - Size B,Large - Size C
Reviews (2)
Have this and the Bristle Bone. Both are heavy duty however this one is my older dogs favorite since it is easier to reach the gnawhides.
"Love these"
When one of our dogs was laid up after an injury, these helped keep her from being so bored. She loves the taste of the rings and it does take her awhile to chew them off. She's a 95 lb dog and can take down a rawhide bone like it's nothing, so this is fewer calories and a longer chewing time. We have the medium size and that seems to work fine. It's easier to find refills for than the other sizes too (I've even found them at wal-greens). Highly recommend.
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$7.99 to $17.49


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Dear IMF,
I am a 42-year-old woman who was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in September 1999. I had four VAD treatments, total body radiation and additional chemotherapy and then had an allogeneic bone marrow transplant from my HLA-matched brother in January 2000.
I started Aredia treatments the day after my diagnosis and received treatments every four weeks until June 2001. I had many ups and a few downs in my first year but was feeling well when I went in for my one-year post-transplant checkup. The only thing that was worrisome was that my creatinine level was not stable ? it changed every month and went as high as 1.7. My transplant doctor was not too concerned but encouraged me to continue drinking water in great quantities to try to bring down the level.
At my one-year checkup, my bone marrow biopsy showed no myeloma cells, which was great news. Only one test from that check-up was discouraging ? the 24-hour urine collection. The protein level was measured at 5.63 ? so high that my doctor thought something might have happened in the lab while processing the test. So I collected for another 24 hours and brought in the test. The results came back just as bad.
The kidney biopsy pathology report came back showing the diagnosis of ?Focal and Global Glomerular Sclerosis?. According to the report: ?Such changes have been described following bone marrow transplantation, though it is not certain whether so-called bone marrow transplant nephro-pathy is caused by radiation or chemotherapy.?
The nephrologist did not know how to treat a myeloma patient with this disease. She contacted my transplant doctor who referred her to the Medical College of Wisconsin. I was encouraged to see Dr. Eric Cohen, a nephrologist known for helping patients with kidney problems as a result of chemo and radiation.
When I saw Dr. Cohen in July, I had with me a list of questions and copies of all my tests since the transplant. Dr. Cohen said that he had a lot of reading to do to go through the paper work that I had brought, but that he had a very simple answer. That answer was ?Stop Aredia?!
My doctors had told me I needed to take Aredia to strengthen my bones. To find out it had caused irreparable damage to my kidneys left me speechless. Apparently this is a new discovery. Dr. Cohen is now treating several patients that this has happened to and knows of others.
I am concerned that other patients not go through what I will be living with for the rest of my life. When I received my latest Myeloma Today, I read the article by Dr. Brian Durie and that sparked a thought. I?m hoping that by getting my story to you I can prevent other people from getting this kidney disease from Aredia.
Patricia A. Smith
Response by Eric P. Cohen, M.D.
Professor of Medicine, Division of Nephrology
Froedtert Hospital, Medical College of Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
A flurry of recent cases and reports have appeared in which the use of pamidronate (Aredia®) has been linked with kidney damage, high levels of urinary protein, and loss of kidney function. There are 13 published cases, and several more that are unpublished. Some have occurred in patients with multiple myeloma who have undergone marrow transplant. Others have occurred during use of pamidronate as protocol treatment for multiple myeloma, in non-transplanted patients. The levels of urinary protein in these cases have been high, sometimes as much as 10 grams per day. Kidney biopsies have shown a form of focal glomerulosclerosis, in some cases of the so-called collapsing variant. At least four of these patients have lost all of their kidney function and progressed to the point of needing kidney dialysis. This information raises substantial questions regarding the use of pamidronate, and its potential toxicity to the kidneys.
In patients with multiple myeloma, there can be more than one possible cause of kidney damage (See Table I). Myeloma light chains cause kidney cell damage, and can cause light chain disease and kidney failure. Accumulation of the myeloma paraproteins can lead to amyloidosis, which can cause kidney failure. Hypercalcemia will cause kidney damage. In addition, both testing and treatment may involve nephrotoxic agents such as radiocontrast for x-rays or cis-platinum in chemotherapy protocols. Bone marrow transplant (BMT) poses additional risks, because of its time-concentrated use of chemotherapy and its use of radiation therapy. The initial several weeks after BMT are a time of low white cell counts, risk of infection, and treatments that may be nephro-toxic. Months or even years after total body irradiation, there is a well-documented risk of kidney damage, so-called radiation nephro-pathy. These various risks are a veritable minefield standing between diagnosis and remission.
When kidney disease occurs after BMT, its clinical features and its timing are important in making an accurate diagnosis. For example, high amounts of urinary protein, greater than three grams per day, are in the so-called nephrotic-range, and suggest that that there is substantial disease of the glomeruli, the filters of the kidneys. As an example,of the importance of timing, radiation injury is unlikely to be the culprit in the first several weeks after a BMT, but can be present six or more months afterwards. A kidney biopsy should enable an even better diagnosis. The microscopic appearance of light chain disease is quite different from that of radiation nephropathy, for instance. In the cases of kidney disease associated with pamidronate, the kidney biopsies have shown so-called focal glomerulosclerosis ("FGS"), of the collapsing variant. There is a single case report of interstitial nephritis associated with pamidronate, but this must be considered anecdotal. The appearance of FGS is non-specific, and can be found in kidney disease associated with many causes, including severe obesity and drug abuse, but often no specific cause is found. The collapsing variant of FGS has been found in cases of kidney disease associated with AIDS, but also is often without apparent specific cause. In both FGS and its collapsing variant there are high amounts of urinary protein, but the rate of loss of kidney function is generally much faster in the collapsing variant, in which there can be complete kidney failure within a year after diagnosis.
In the case of drugs that are associated with a complication, it is difficult to be certain that the drug is the definite cause of the complication. In the case of collapsing FGS, viral infections could be involved, and the association with pamidronate might then be fortuitous. Stopping the drug, in this case stopping pamidronate, may result in improvement, that is, reduction of urine protein or even improvement in the kidney function. Such an evolution helps to confirm the relationship of pamidronate to collapsing FGS, and such an evolution has been seen. There appears to be a dose-response relationship, as well. That is, when pamidronate is given more frequently than once a week, the complication of proteinuria is much more common. Higher doses, for instance 180 or 360 mg monthly, appear to be more likely to cause kidney damage than the more standard dose of 90 mg monthly. In addition, the newer bisphosphonate, zolendronate (Zometa®), has been associated with proteinuria and kidney damage in 10 to 15% of subjects that receive it. These facts do tend to confirm the association of pamidronate with collapsing FGS.
Treatment for this problem should include stopping pamidronate. In addition, measures directed at treatment of hypertension and proteinuria should be used, including dietary salt restriction, use of diuretics, and use of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin II blockers. Use of prednisone does not appear to be helpful. Substitution of zolendronate would probably cause the same type of kidney damage, and should not be used.
Table I: Kidney damage in multiple myeloma
from myeloma proteins
? light chain neuropathy
? myeloma kidney
? amyloidosis
from hypercalcemia
related to treatment
? chemotherapy-related
? after bone marrow transplant
? bisphosphonate-related
The following comments in response to Prof. Cohen?s article were made available by IMF Scientific Advisor Prof. Brian G.M. Durie:
As a nephrologist, Prof. Cohen focuses on the exact kidney pathology and possible causes of ?collapsing focal glomerulosclerosis? (FCS) associated with pamidronate. As a hematologist/oncologist, I would like to expand upon several points.
1. Most patients have had either:
2. With long-term use (such as > 3-5 years), especially with the above risk factors, there can be some effect on kidney function.
3. Therefore, close monitoring and follow-up are recommended to avoid problems. Periodic urine protein measurement is strongly recommended for all patients in addition to the routine chemistry panel analysis with serum creatinine measurement before each treatment. With these procedures in place, I have detected small increases in serum creatinine and/or increases in urine protein in occasional patients (albumin, not Bence Jones or myeloma light chains), which have reversed to baseline upon stopping pamidronate or with adjustment in pamidronate dosage and/or scheduling.
Hopefully, with close monitoring, any risk of serious kidney damage with pamidronate can become a thing of the past. Awareness is the most important tool for prevention. If patients or caregivers have any questions about this, please get in touch with the IMF.


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Do you want to win a GoPro HERO3 Black? AddCovers.com and Facecoverz.com are running a cover contest. Enter here and see some of the participants' covers here
Apple has today released new support documentation for the newly implemented Apple TV setup feature that was introduced last week in the Apple TV 6.0 software update.