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From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
Disclaimer: The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Acknowledgments: The authors thank Drs. Kevin Fenton and Tom Peterman for their critical review of the manuscript.
Potential Financial Conflicts of Interest: None disclosed.
Requests for Single Reprints: S. Deblina Datta, MD, Division of STD Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, MS E-02, Atlanta, GA 30333; e-mail, firstname.lastname@example.com.
Current Author Addresses: Drs. Datta, Sternberg, Johnson, Berman, Papp, and Weinstock: Division of STD Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, MS E-02, Atlanta, GA 30333.
Dr. McQuillan: National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HYAT Building IV, Room 4204, MS P08, Hyattsville, MD 20782.
Author Contributions: Conception and design: R.E. Johnson, J.R. Papp, G. McQuillan.
Analysis and interpretation of the data: S.D. Datta, M. Sternberg, R.E. Johnson, S. Berman, J.R. Papp, G. McQuillan, H. Weinstock.
Drafting of the article: S.D. Datta, M. Sternberg, J.R. Papp, G. McQuillan.
Critical revision of the article for important intellectual content: S.D. Datta, M. Sternberg, R.E. Johnson, S. Berman, J.R. Papp, G. McQuillan, H. Weinstock.
Final approval of the article: S.D. Datta, M. Sternberg, R.E. Johnson, S. Berman, J.R. Papp, G. McQuillan, H. Weinstock.
Provision of study materials or patients: G. McQuillan.
Statistical expertise: M. Sternberg, G. McQuillan.
Obtaining of funding: H. Weinstock.
Administrative, technical, or logistic support: G. McQuillan.
Collection and assembly of data: G. McQuillan.
Accurate information about the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases is essential to the development of screening programs that effectively reduce disease burden.
These data from the 1999–2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey estimate the prevalence of gonorrhea and chlamydia among the U.S. population age 14 to 39 years to be 0.24% and 2.2%, respectively. Chlamydia prevalence was highest among younger women and persons with a history of gonorrhea or chlamydia infection.
Although these are the most recently available data, they are more than 5 years old and did not permit estimation of prevalence by geographic region.
These data support current screening and treatment recommendations for chlamydia.
—The Editors
Genital infections with Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae are important causes of cervicitis and urethritis, as well as pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, chronic pelvic pain, and infertility, among women (1). In addition, nonulcerative sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including chlamydia and gonorrhea, induce anogenital inflammation and can facilitate HIV infection (2). Chesson and colleagues (3) estimated total direct medical costs of $248 million for chlamydia and $77 million for gonorrhea in 2000 among persons age 15 to 24 years.
Chlamydia trachomatis infection is the most commonly reported nationally notifiable disease in the United States, with more than 900 000 cases reported to state and local health departments in 2005. The second most commonly reported disease is N. gonorrhoeae, with more than 330 000 cases reported in 2005 (4). Reported cases represent a partial index of disease burden from chlamydial and gonorrheal infection because many cases are asymptomatic and are not detected.
On the basis of reported cases, persons 14 to 39 years of age account for more than 95% of chlamydial cases and more than 90% of gonorrheal cases in the United States (4). To our knowledge, the following report is the most comprehensive description of national disease burden from chlamydia and gonorrhea with results of C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae testing from a representative sample of the civilian noninstitutionalized U.S. population age 14 to 39 years in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 1999–2002.
The NHANES is a series of cross-sectional surveys designed to provide national statistics on the health and nutritional status of the general household population through household interviews, standardized physical examinations, and the collection of biological samples in special mobile examination centers. In 1999, NHANES became a continuous survey, with data released every 2 years. The sampling plan of the survey is a stratified, multistage, probability cluster design that selects a sample representative of the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population. Data presented in this paper are from the 1999–2002 survey years. (Additional years of data on gonorrhea and chlamydia were collected in the NHANES survey for the 2003–2004 cycle, but testing was performed by using a different laboratory test, the Becton Dickinson ProbeTec [Becton Dickinson, Franklin Lakes, New Jersey], owing to the discontinuation of the Abbott LCx [Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, Illinois]. Disclosure risks with the NHANES 2003–2004 gonorrhea data led the National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], to withhold the release of the gonorrhea data for public use. The chlamydia data did not demonstrate any disclosure risks, but because a different laboratory test was used, we felt it prudent to publish data through 2002 only. Once the 2005–2006 data are available for gonorrhea and chlamydia, the 2003–2004 data can be better assessed and a data update through 2006 can be published [2005–2006 data are anticipated to be released in mid- to late 2008 if no quality control issues arise].)
Our sample includes 6632 participants, age 14 to 39 years, who were sampled from randomly selected U.S. locations. Adolescents (age 14 to 17 years), African Americans, and Mexican Americans were oversampled to improve precision of estimates for these subgroups. Race or ethnic group was categorized on the basis of the participant's self-reported information as non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, or Mexican American. Participants who did not fit into 1 of these categories were classified as "other" and were analyzed with the total sample but not in race or ethnic subgroups. All participants provided written informed consent. For minors (age <18 years), parents gave written consent, accompanied by the minor's assent. An institutional review board at CDC reviewed and approved the study protocol.
Sexual behavior data were collected in the mobile examination center during a private, audio, computer-assisted, self-interview. Sex was defined as vaginal, oral, or anal intercourse. In our analyses, we defined "sexually experienced" as reporting ever having had sex. Questions about history of gonorrhea and chlamydia diagnoses were asked only of sexually experienced persons 18 to 39 years of age. All NHANES participants who were tested for C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae were given an opportunity to obtain their test results by telephone by using a confidential identification number. Reminder letters were sent to adults, and telephone calls were made to minors to encourage participants to call to learn about their test results.
Urine specimens collected from participants were processed in the mobile examination center and shipped to CDC for C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae testing by using a ligase chain reaction assay (LCx, Abbott Laboratories), according to the manufacturer's instructions. Although it is not recommended for routine clinical practice, specimens positive for C. trachomatis or N. gonorrhoeae were retested from the original urine specimen by using the same assay for detection for the purposes of this survey. No retests yielded discrepant results. Specimens with negative results were not retested. After completion of data collection, Abbott Laboratories issued a recall for certain lots of N. gonorrhoeae LCx assay kits in 2002 (5). No affected lots were used in our survey. Abbott Laboratories discontinued marketing of both the N. gonorrhoeae and C. trachomatis LCx assay kits in 2003. In a letter to its customers, dated 10 January 2003, the manufacturer stated that discontinuation of the product was "due to manufacturing issues."
We performed statistical analyses by using SAS for Windows software, version 9.1 (SAS Institute, Cary, North Carolina), and SAS-callable SUDAAN (RTI, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina). Analyses performed with SUDAAN accounted for the complex survey design by incorporating the survey weights and using a Taylor series linearization to calculate variance estimates (6). Data were weighted to account for the unequal probability of selection and nonresponse to the interview and examination.
We estimated the number of infections in the population by multiplying the 2000 U.S. Census figures for the noninstitutionalized civilian U.S. population (7) age 14 to 39 years by the weighted prevalence estimate. We calculated 95% CIs for the prevalence estimates by using a log transformation. We performed significance tests for the association between chlamydia and gonorrhea and other variables by using a chi-square statistic. The chi-square statistic was based on a test for no interaction in a log-linear model that was fit to the log of the estimated cell proportions (LLCHISQ test statistic in SUDAAN). We used logistic regression to test for the presence of a linear trend across the categories of an independent variable. We considered P values of 0.05 or less to be statistically significant. No adjustments were made for multiple comparisons. We computed the relative standard errors for each weighted estimate. The relative standard error summarizes how large the sampling variability is relative to the size of the point estimate—the higher the relative standard error, the less reliable the estimate. Relative standard errors greater than 30% are considered to be unstable and should be interpreted with caution.
We performed logistic regression to identify the variables that were associated with C. trachomatis infection (logistic regression was not performed with N. gonorrhoeae infection as the outcome because of the small number of infected respondents). Survey variables associated with infection in the medical literature were considered for entry into our model. We included interview and mobile examination center data in the model only if the question had been asked of all persons age 14 to 39 years in the survey (for example, questions of history of gonorrhea or chlamydia diagnosis were not included). We included sex, age, and number of lifetime sexual partners in the model regardless of statistical significance on the basis of well-established epidemiologic evidence that these are important factors associated with chlamydia. This was followed by adding variables in order of statistical significance by using a step-up approach to the baseline model. The criteria for the variable to remain in the model were based on a P value of 0.05 or less (by Satterwaithe adjusted F test). Once all variables added into the baseline model were statistically significant and no further variables met the entry criteria, we reassessed all variables excluded from the model for data-based confounding. We entered each excluded variable individually into the model and retained it if any variable estimate changed by more than 30%. Once a model with all relevant main effects was selected, we evaluated all pairwise interactions. Pairwise interactions between sex and each variable in the model allowed us to explore whether any of the main effects differed between males and females.
Funding, design, conduct, and analysis of the study were provided by CDC.
Among persons originally selected to participate in NHANES 1999–2002 (includes all age groups), 83% responded to the household interview. Among interviewed persons age 14 to 39 years (n = 7229) and age 14 to 17 years (n = 2459), 91.7% and 92.5%, respectively, had both chlamydia and gonorrhea test results.
Of the 6632 samples tested, 36 were positive for gonorrheal infection. The estimated prevalence of gonorrhea in the noninstitutionalized civilian U.S. population age 14 to 39 years in 1999–2002 was 0.24% (95% CI, 0.16% to 0.38%), corresponding to approximately 247 000 (CI, 165 000 to 392 000) prevalent infections (Table 1). Non-Hispanic black persons had a significantly higher prevalence than did non-Hispanic white and Mexican-American persons (P < 0.01). Chlamydial co-infection among those with gonorrheal infection in the overall sample was 45.7% (CI, 24.1% to 86.8%).
Sexual experience was reported by 47% of participants age 14 to 19 years, 91% of those age 20 to 29 years, and 97% of those age 30 to 39 years. When we limited our analysis to only sexually experienced individuals, gonorrhea prevalence was 0.92% (CI, 0.50% to 1.69%), 0.25% (CI, 0.09% to 0.68%), and 0.08% (CI, 0.02% to 0.33%), respectively.
Six respondents who reported not being sexually experienced tested positive for gonorrheal infection. Prevalence of gonorrhea among all sexually inexperienced respondents was 0.11% (CI, 0.04% to 0.31%). The 6 respondents were 14 to 19 years of age. Three were non-Hispanic black, and the other 3 were Mexican American. Two of these 6 respondents also tested positive for chlamydial infection.
Of the 6632 samples tested, 241 were positive for chlamydial infection. The prevalence of chlamydia in the noninstitutionalized civilian U.S. population age 14 to 39 years in 1999–2002 was 2.2% (CI, 1.8% to 2.8%), corresponding to 2 291 000 (CI, 1 857 000 to 2 838 000) prevalent infections.
Overall prevalence was similar between females and males (Table 2) ; however, the distribution of infection differed by age between the sexes. Among females, prevalence was highest among those age 14 to 19 years. Prevalence was similar for females age 20 to 29 years and 30 to 39 years (P > 0.05). Among males, prevalence did not significantly differ between those age 14 to 19 years and those age 20 to 29 years (P > 0.05). Prevalence decreased in males age 30 to 39 years (Table 2). Prevalence among females who had a positive urine test for pregnancy was 2.0% (CI, 1.2% to 3.2%).
Non-Hispanic black persons had a higher prevalence than non-Hispanic white persons. This difference was significant for males (P < 0.01) and females (P < 0.01) (Table 2). Non-Hispanic black persons age 14 to 19 years had the highest prevalence of any other group, but not at a statistically significant level (Figure).
When we restricted the analysis to sexually experienced persons, the differences in prevalence between the 14- to 19-year age group and the 2 older age groups increased. Prevalence among sexually experienced persons age 14 to 19 years was 6.0% (CI, 4.8% to 7.6%), a significantly higher estimate than that among those age 20 to 29 years (2.6% [CI, 1.9% to 3.4%]) and age 30 to 39 years (1.2% [CI, 0.7% to 2.2%]).
Persons reporting age at first sex before age 14 years were more likely to be infected than those reporting first sex at age 14 years or older (P < 0.01) (Table 2). A test of trend revealed a statistically significant association between infection and increasing number of lifetime sexual partners (P < 0.01).
Respondents with a reported diagnosis of chlamydial or gonorrheal infection in the past 12 months were more likely than were those without this history to have chlamydial infection (Table 2). After further stratification by sex, this association was statistically significant for females (P < 0.01). Although the association was not statistically significant for males, we observed an increased prevalence among males who had a history of these diagnoses (Table 2).
Nineteen respondents who reported not being sexually experienced tested positive for chlamydial infection. Prevalence of chlamydia among all sexually inexperienced respondents was 1.1% (CI, 0.5% to 2.2%). Fourteen of the 19 respondents (74%) were 14 to 19 years of age. Nine were non-Hispanic black, 7 were Mexican American, and 3 were non-Hispanic white persons. Two of these 19 respondents also tested positive for gonorrheal infection.
A multivariate model (Table 3) examining independent factors associated with chlamydial infection (which included race or ethnicity, age, sex, education, annual household income, number of lifetime sexual partners, and a statistically significant interaction between age and sex), demonstrated that non-Hispanic black persons were more likely than non-Hispanic white persons to be infected (P < 0.01). Females age 14 to 19 years (P < 0.01), but not those age 20 to 29 years (P > 0.05), were more likely than females age 30 to 39 years to be infected. Males age 14 to 19 years (P ≤ 0.05) or 20 to 29 years (P < 0.01) were more likely than those age 30 to 39 years to be infected. Individuals with a high school or lower level of education (P ≤ 0.05) or an annual household income less than $20 000 (P ≤ 0.05) were also more likely to be infected. Persons with 0 to 2 lifetime sexual partners were less likely to be infected than were individuals with 3 to 5 (P < 0.01) or more than 5 lifetime sexual partners (P < 0.01) (Table 3).
The findings from NHANES 1999–2002 document the large number of persons age 14 to 39 years who are infected with chlamydia (2.2% prevalence; 2.3 million estimated infections) and the relatively low prevalence of gonorrhea (0.24% prevalence; 250 000 estimated infections) in the United States. The survey is the first nationally representative, population-based prevalence study of gonorrhea and chlamydia in the United States that includes adolescents and adults and both sexes.
A major strength of population-based prevalence studies of gonorrhea and chlamydia (such as NHANES) in measuring the actual burden of disease is the ability to detect infection, whether symptomatic or asymptomatic. Few studies have attempted to quantitate the proportion of gonorrheal or chlamydial infections that are asymptomatic; estimates from community screening sites in New Orleans, Louisiana, demonstrated that as many as 45% of gonorrheal infections and 77% of chlamydial infections were asymptomatic (8). In NHANES, no questions were asked about symptoms, and we could not distinguish symptomatic infections from asymptomatic infections. Measuring asymptomatic infection burden is important because asymptomatic infections are less likely to be treated. The duration of untreated chlamydial infection may be as long as 1 to 2 years, and the infection can be transmitted to partners—contributing to long-term sequelae among women (9).
The national disease burden from chlamydia among men has not been studied extensively, and 2 previous population-based studies on chlamydia showed a prevalence ranging from 3.1% to 5.7% among young men (age 15 to 26 years) (10–11). The NHANES findings document roughly equal prevalence of gonorrhea and chlamydia between males and females and decreasing prevalence of both infections with increasing age. However, the distribution of chlamydial infection across age groups was different for the 2 sexes: females age 20 to 29 years and 30 to 39 years had decreased prevalence, whereas decreased prevalence among males was limited to those 30 to 39 years of age. The NHANES 1999–2002 data are the first to document the decreased prevalence of chlamydia among men age 30 years or older. If male screening programs for chlamydia are being considered, screening men age 30 years or older seems difficult to justify. Similarly, limiting male screening to adolescents (age <20 years) would fail to detect the considerable burden among men 20 to 29 years of age, as demonstrated in NHANES.
Young women, who are targeted for chlamydia screening and are at risk for long-term sequelae, had an unacceptably high burden of chlamydial infection. Several professional health care agencies and organizations (such as CDC [12], the American College of Preventive Medicine [13], and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force [14]) have issued universal screening recommendations for sexually experienced females age 25 years or younger. Adherence to these recommendations, however, is incomplete. Levine and colleagues (15) estimated that only 60% of sexually active adolescent females were screened nationwide in 2000. The Health Employer Data Information Set (HEDIS) measure for coverage of chlamydia screening of sexually active females age 16 to 20 years at participating managed care organizations was 34.4% in 2005 (16).
Current guidelines for screening focus primarily on women and reflect a strategy that may require reconsideration, given the role of male infections in female infertility. Because of the roughly equal prevalence of chlamydia between men and women, male screening may be of public health benefit, especially if the correct age group is targeted. Other strategies, such as improved partner notification and expedited partner treatment (17), also need further exploration.
The NHANES also highlights the disproportionately high burden of chlamydial and gonorrheal infections among adolescents and non-Hispanic black persons. Although similar findings have been reported in surveillance data (18) and among subgroups of the U.S. population (10, 19–20), the NHANES data add further evidence that significant disparities exist at the national level in the general U.S. population.
Racial disparities in gonorrhea were particularly sizable. The prevalence point estimate among non-Hispanic black persons was 17 (CI, 4.5 to 50.0) times that among non-Hispanic white persons. The finding is probably related to differences in socioeconomic status, education level, access to health care services, sexual behavior, and sexual networks (21). Because data on some of these variables of interest (geography and urbanicity) were unavailable at the time of these analyses and because the number of positive test results for gonorrhea was small, we could not control for these factors in our analyses.
A multivariate model of chlamydial infection demonstrated that race or ethnicity was an independent predictor of infection after controlling for income, education, and number of lifetime sexual partners. More detailed demographic and socioeconomic data than those collected in NHANES, as well as dynamic transmission models (21–23) using NHANES data, are needed to examine this association.
Adolescents, a group with considerable disease burden from gonorrheal and chlamydial infection, account for a large proportion of the infections, especially since only 47% of adolescents were sexually experienced in our sample. Likely factors contributing to the higher gonorrhea and chlamydia prevalence among adolescents are more unprotected intercourse, increased substance use, and less frequent health care–seeking behavior (24). Adolescent females may be more susceptible to infection owing to increased ectopy of the adolescent cervix (1).
The high prevalence of chlamydia (16.7%) among women with a previous diagnosis of either chlamydia or gonorrhea in the past 12 months is consistent with findings from studies that examined retesting for chlamydia (25). The high prevalence likely represents reinfection (by infected sexual partners) or persistent infection and underscores the importance of current CDC guidelines where providers are "strongly encouraged to retest all women treated for chlamydial infection … within the following 3–12 months" (12).
We observed a high rate of chlamydial co-infection (45.7%) among persons infected with gonorrhea. This finding supports the current CDC recommendation to co-treat for chlamydia in all persons infected with gonorrheal infection (unless a diagnosis of chlamydial infection has been excluded) (12).
The NHANES estimates are similar to those reported in nationally representative surveys of chlamydial infection in Great Britain and China (26–27). A review of suggested articles and a search for articles in PubMed using the free text search terms "gonorrhea," "chlamydia," "nationally representative," "survey," and Medical Subject Heading terms "Neisseria gonorrhoeae," "Chlamydia trachomatis," "United States," and "prevalence" yielded 4 articles with population-based estimates of chlamydia that were based on complex survey methods similar to those used in NHANES. Estimates from NHANES 1999–2002 are consistent with results of the 4 population-based studies in the United States measuring gonorrhea and chlamydia prevalence. The 4 studies include a study of women age 18 to 29 years in northern California, which reported a 3.2% chlamydia prevalence (19); a study among men and women age 18 to 35 years living in Baltimore, Maryland, which reported a chlamydia prevalence of 3.0% (the study also reported a gonorrhea prevalence of 5.3%, which is not consistent with NHANES results) (20); a study of a nationally representative sample of young men age 18 to 26 years, which reported chlamydia prevalence of 3.1% to 4.5% (10); and a follow-up survey of a nationally representative sample of school-age children, which reported chlamydia prevalence of 4.2% and gonorrhea prevalence of 0.43% among men and women age 18 to 26 years (11).
In our survey, some respondents who reported not being sexually experienced were found to have gonorrheal or chlamydial infection. Possible explanations include respondents' misclassification of sexual experience status, lack of specificity of the LCx test, or both factors (28). The chlamydia LCx assay product insert reports (for asymptomatic infections) a test sensitivity of approximately 90% to 94% and specificity estimates of 95% to 98% (29). The gonorrhea LCx assay package insert reports a sensitivity of approximately 86% to 92% and specificity greater than 99% (30). On further examination of respondents from the entire NHANES 1999–2002 sample who reported never having sex, analysis of unweighted data revealed that 17 women tested positive for pregnancy, 41 were positive for herpes simplex virus 2, and 6 tested positive for Trichomonas vaginalis.
The findings from NHANES 1999–2002 highlight for the first time the considerable burden of disease of chlamydia and the relatively low prevalence of gonorrhea across a broad age range in the general U.S. population. Chlamydia and gonorrhea prevalence is similar among both females and males, but the age distribution is different, and sexually active adolescents, especially girls, carry a disproportionate burden of disease. Extant recommendations for screening must be widely and consistently implemented to achieve reductions in disease burden. Despite the considerable prevalence of chlamydia in males, the value of screening males needs to be better defined. The significant racial disparities that persist in the United States between black and white people underscore the need for improved access to testing and treatment for all segments of our population and efforts to increase screening coverage.
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Gonorrhea and Chlamydia in the United States among Persons 14 to 39 Years of Age
The summary below is from the full report titled "Gonorrhea and Chlamydia in the United States among Persons 14 to 39 Years of Age, 1999 to 2002." It is in the 17 July 2007 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine (volume 147, pages 89-96). The authors are S.D. Datta, M. Sternberg, R.E. Johnson, S. Berman, J.R. Papp, G. McQuillan, and H. Weinstock.
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Just went you thought there weren't enough social media platforms for communicators to pitch stories to, here comes yet another option.
On Monday, August 13, The Huffington Post unveiled HuffPostLive, a video streaming network with expectations of leveraging its online community and social platforms by having the option of engaging in an online conversation via webcam.
According to the report, HuffPostLive will have eight hours of live programming from New York and four from Los Angeles every weekday. Reporters, editors and bloggers from The Huffington Post will make regular appearances.
In a statement, Huffington Post editor-in-chief Arianna Huffington said: "We have reached a moment where – thanks to technology – millions of people have a seat at the table and can join what has become a global conversation."
Engagement. Engagement. Engagement.
As social media continues to become a main priority for communicators, organizations are realizing that the online conversation is of the utmost importance to the success or failure of their brand.
With the audience of the Huffington Post, the potential for ads and visibility for marketers could be limitless. The social-centric plan of HuffPostLive would not only open the door for discussion about the various topics on the show, but potential sponsors could have space to showcase their brands.
It's another outlet for PR pros to promote their clients and another sign that social media is the way to go for organizations.
Follow Jamar Hudson: @jamarhudson

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Pets want to rock their purple pride as much as everyone else. The Maryland SPCA shows off the gear that four-legged Ravens fans can sport throughout the season.
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NELSPRUIT, South Africa (AP) – Emmanuel Adebayor's already uneasy relationship with Togo coach Didier Six turned sour publicly on Monday after the striker said Six was ''not an advantage'' to the team at the African Cup of Nations.
Following Togo's elimination at the hands of Burkina Faso in the quarterfinals on Sunday, Adebayor told French radio RFI that Six ''didn't help us at all.''
''I'm disappointed, disgusted, crushed,'' said Adebayor, the Togo captain. ''We came here with the idea of winning this tournament, of getting to the final, but unfortunately we've been eliminated by Burkina Faso. Our disappointment is limitless.
''The coach was not an advantage. I was on the pitch so I couldn't do both (coach and play). I tried my best, but it's true that he (Six) didn't help us at all.''
Six appeared unhappy in his role in charge of Togo in South Africa, leaving a group-stage news conference early in the tournament after taking just one question and skipping another completely and sending an assistant instead.
But his reaction to the extra-time defeat to Burkina Faso in Nelspruit was to underline the positives of what he called an ''historic'' campaign for Togo, where it reached the quarterfinals for the first time.
''Overall this has been a good tournament for us. What we are going to do perhaps is to put this game behind us and look into the future,'' Six said on Sunday. ''As for the analysis, I will look into it later and I will be able to give a proper analysis of tonight's game at a later stage.''
Togo's camp was already surrounded by problems before the tournament as Adebayor threatened to pull out over what he called poor organization and was then forced on Six by the president of the Togolese federation along with goalkeeper Kossi Agassa when the coach had apparently left the pair out of his final squad.
Adebayor also insisted Monday that his international career was not over and with the federation clearly taking his side over Six's before, it could spell the end for the French coach.
Tottenham forward Adebayor was openly critical of Six's coaching ability and style in the RFI interview, while goalkeeper Agassa also reportedly joined in the criticism.
Ironically, Agassa was caught out of position for Burkina Faso's winning goal from Jonathan Pitroipa in the 1-0 loss in the quarters and Adebayor failed to convert Togo's two best chances in regulation.


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Featured Golf News
U.S. Open at Torrey Pines - Déjà vu all Over Again
At the 2005, 2006, and 2007 U.S. Opens, the chaotic twists and turns of the greens at Pinehurst, Winged Foot and Oakmont were Tiger Woods's undoing. "I had plenty of 8-10 foot putts, but they had three feet of break. You're not going to make those all the time," he said after his final putt at Oakmont veered away, sealing his defeat. At Southern Hills's PGA Championship, a mere two months later, Woods played to the flat places on the greens, where he had straight-in putts. "I rolled in the straighter putts even though they were a bit longer," he remarked after hoisting his fourth Wanamaker Trophy.
Cut to last week and, same as always, there is someone declaring the latest U.S. Open venue the "toughest ever." This time it was friendly Phil Mickelson, doing his best to throw the USGA a bone and steer "the buzz" in a media-friendly direction. Predictably, just like with Michelle Wie and with Tiger claiming the Grand Slam was reasonably attainable, everyone scrambled like rabbits to relay the benediction, not caring whether it might actually be wrong since it's such good copy.
No matter what Mickelson, USGA set-up chair Mike Davis, or any nasal tenor in the broadcast booth may stridently tell you, having Torrey Pines for a U.S. Open venue is déjà vu all over again. Taller rough and faster greens aside, at the end of the day, Torrey is still Torrey. There's a new tee here and there from Rees Jones. But as ESPN's Scott Van Pelt discussed with Andy North, "It's got flat lies in the fairway and flat greens," and the same holes as it had this February and every other February. While it may have a longer fang or talon here, Torrey's flat greens means lower scores. More guys will make more straight putts.
Normally, one of the draws of the U.S. Open is the venue itself. As I like to say, "During U.S. Open week, the golf course is the star." Shinnecock, Merion, Oakmont, Winged Foot, Baltusrol: these mighty, iconic courses are seen once a decade, and with their unique twists and turns architecturally, consistently prove to be the toughest golf puzzles a pro can tackle in his entire career. This year, for the first time since the plain yogurt Olympia Fields, the golf course will not be the star. We see Torrey all the time. There is no romantic notion of mystery, no mythic feeling of a course rematerializing out of the mists of time to torment the greatest heroes of the game before returning to sacred Olympus to await a re-emergence. Instead, Torrey, through this familiarity and its flat nature, proves a rather pedestrian choice as a U.S. Open course: it's a collection of average holes with the prettiest fountain in Open history.
Still, there were plenty of good reasons to choose Torrey and, despite the course's already minimal strategy there is plenty to look forward to this week. Ironically, the flat greens, familiarity and lack of strategy may mean more birdies, more excitement and more roars from the gallery. The "restrictor plate" the USGA puts on a golf course is lessened this year, so this will be the true test of how good Davis is at set-up and whether he will avoid the mistakes of his predecessor, Tom Meeks.
The rough and greens at Oakmont and Winged Foot are the toughest in the world. You're naturally going to have higher U.S. Open scores there. Torrey is not in the same category of difficulty; there is no excuse for a plus-5 winning score here. But Davis is sharp. He's run excellent Opens at both Winged Foot and Oakmont. He's much better at identifying plus-5 than Meeks ever was because he does it with much less outcry. He also knows plus-5 at Torrey will be viewed as a more manufactured result than a plus-5 at Oakmont. He'll want to avoid making the tournament about himself. He also knows that lower scores will mean that the fans will get more bangs for their bucks. Instead of the normal pained groans as a putt veers aside, then polite golf claps for the tap-in par, we'll get roars for birdies.
The fans - there's another reason for the choice of Torrey. The success in marketing Bethpage as "The People's Open" created a dilemma for the USGA: now everybody wanted one.
The choice of public courses as major championship venues should have been a no-brainer long ago. Golf's soul is an egalitarian one. Its greatest virtue is that anyone - from ages 3 to 103, from peasant to president, from Denver to Durban, Oslo to Buenos Aires - can play. For years, the USGA took scathing criticism for being elitist - not just in choosing Open venues, but in many other policies. Recently, I made two personal observations.
First, they learn from their mistakes. They actually listened to criticism and changed policies and direction in an effort to improve not only themselves, but the game in general. Second, good men like Rand Jarris, Craig Smith, and Chris Wightman lead a solid core of leaders within the USGA that take the good of the game as their first goal, not merely as a shield behind which to merely claim a right to a lilywhite reputation by association.
In choosing Torrey, the association put aside pride and image and made an altruistic, pragmatic decision. The West Coast needed a "bookend" public Open venue as a rejoinder to Bethpage. Torrey is gorgeous, has room for all the fans and fanfare and is open to the public. Additionally, it will get everyone excited for Pebble in 2010 and Olympic Club in 2012, the next two California U.S. Opens.
It's been a tough road to get here, though. Where Bethpage was universally embraced by New Yorkers, the model didn't translate as smoothly here, mostly because Jones's "Rees-storation" made the locals' beloved muni a much more difficult slog. Californians are not New Yorkers, and while New Yorkers embrace how hard Bethpage is, Californians people want a fun, low-impact round. Being on high alert to a triple bogey on every shot is not their idea of a good time. They have every right to gripe when $35 million was poured into a course they love like the child of their loins - and that they love as much as NYCers love Bethpage - only to find out that, when they think they've sent their daughter to finishing school, she's come back with tattoos and a nose ring.
Now to be fair to Rees Jones, before he got to Bethpage it was a shipwreck: stones in every bunker, seaweed clinging to her hull, her greens misshapen, her sails torn and tattered, her fairways jungles, and her masts shattered. After Rees got through, New York City had a galleon in full sail.
To the contrary, before Jones got to Torrey she was already a well-equipped frigate: sleek, weathered and fast. What did the city get for $3.5 million? Not a much better golf course but a much tougher one for San Diego's many municipal players. Rees may have become a victim of the increased expectations that come with the title of "Open Doctor" and finally hit the chamber with the bullet in it.
Built by Billy Bell and son in 1957, Torrey is gorgeous, with holes clinging to clifftops overlooking the Pacific. But as one famous architecture critic wrote, "a fairly dull layout with a view . . . 3,6,7 of the north are the only [holes] bringing the ocean or ravines into play and they take a much more exciting picture than they play."
Some critics say the ravines were not used to maximize strategic angles, others say the bunkering is mundane - five o'clock, seven o'clock, lather, rinse, repeat. Others say there's no risk-reward golf, but Jones did improve some holes. Fourteen and 16 have the best changes as they embrace the canyon, one hugging it tightly, the other requiring a diagonal tee shot over it. Additionally, the false front green at 13 is so severe, careless players are pitching from exactly the same place from which they hit their last shot.
Nevertheless, Billy Bell didn't build greens like Alister MacKenzie or C.B. Macdonald. Further, all Rees did was install some ridges to segment the large greens into three small ones. But the Tour pros won't have any problem hitting the right section and even if they do, they can two-putt from 40 feet without as many histrionics as mere mortals require.
Lastly, one of the biggest issues this year will be the famous spongy but clingy kikuyu rough. It's more famous at Riviera, and rightfully so as the kikuyu at Riviera is slightly different from the kikuyu at Torrey Pines. According to one USGA official, who has the "kikuyu double" on his resume - he officiated at both courses - the kikuyu at Torrey is a different strain and was mostly one-and-a-half to two inches deep, with some patches reaching three inches. That's difficult, but not unfair. The kikuyu at Riviera is four to five inches deep. "The kikuyu just took away the skill of the players at that tournament."
In an effort to control the kikuyu, Davis ordered the greenside roughs over seeded with a blend of rye and kikuyu. The debate still rages over whether this will be effective. Some pundits believe the rye will prevail over the kikuyu and slow down the latter's growth. Others believe the kikuyu will hold sway over the rye since it's a warm season grass and the rye is a cool season grass. It gets hot in Palm Springs - 85 in April - and by high summer, it will exceed 90. Again, the success or failure of this decision will be more telling as to Davis's skill in tournament set-up than the always severe conditions of Oakmont and Winged Foot.
So there it is: at Oakmont you have 18 flat lies, one on every tee box, but at Torrey, you have the flattest greens in the last 20 years of U.S. Opens, which means almost every flag will be a green-light flag for Tiger Woods. He won't have to "play to a spot" and hope it filters to the pin. The pin point precision of the past three years is absent. He owns this place, winning a staggering number of tournaments here. Knee rehab or no knee rehab, he's a prohibitive favorite to end the "Southern Hemisphere streak" of four consecutive winners from below the Equator. In fact, Tiger may take three in a row since he already won at Bethpage and he owns Pebble Beach.
Still, it's Southern California, where the air is like wine, the days break clear and glorious, and the sun beams jubilantly. A scent of pine wafts over the course and television gets to broadcast four of those days you see advertised in breakfast cereal commercials where a sickeningly chirpy, overly-pretty family bounces around like cheery kangaroos while flakes of corrugated cardboard shower into a bowl, and where Dan Hicks nasally drones on for hours about Tiger like a doe-eyed gazelle. Royal Birkdale can't get here fast enough.
Since launching his first golf writing website in 2004, http://www.jayflemma.thegolfspace.com, Jay Flemma's comparative analysis of golf designs and knowledge of golf course architecture and golf travel have garnered wide industry respect. In researching his book on America's great public golf courses (and whether they're worth the money), Jay, an associate editor of Cybergolf, has played over 220 nationally ranked public golf courses in 37 different states. Jay has played about 1,649,000 yards of golf - or roughly 938 miles. His pieces on travel and architecture appear in Golf Observer (www.golfobserver.com), Cybergolf and other print magazines. When not researching golf courses for design, value and excitement, Jay is an entertainment, copyright, Internet and trademark lawyer and an Entertainment and Internet Law professor in Manhattan. His clients have been nominated for Grammy and Emmy awards, won a Sundance Film Festival Best Director award, performed on stage and screen, and designed pop art for museums and collectors. Jay lives in Forest Hills, N.Y., and is fiercely loyal to his alma maters, Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts and Trinity College in Connecticut.
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Pad Gardner, The Man Who Wants To Be A Maxi Pad, Alleges He Was Assaulted By MRAs
Remember Pad Gardner, the guy who is trying to become a pink, disposable maxi pad? Pad is obviously a unique individual and his desire to be something that is, according to his Facebook About Me section, "pressed against a soft vulva for a woman's period" seems fairly harmless. (Although maybe I just think that because I use tampons and/or a Diva Cup, and no pads of any kind ever go near my vulva.) But according to a Facebook status update posted last night, Pad has become a target of Men's Rights Activists (MRAs). Pad's post explains:
Today I went to my math class at the college, and upon leaving class I was being followed around by two guys. After leaving the college they continued to follow me downtown as I walked. I realized I was being followed, and hid inside a bathroom downtown. They came into the bathroom, and jumped me. They said I didn't belong in the Men's Room. They hit me in the stomach and ran.
I received an email a few hours ago from a men's rights activist telling to stay out of the Men's Bathroom, and to expect more violence if I continue to be referred to as a male. Well you know what you assholes can have your stupid gender. You know what I'm a pad, and I'm damn proud to be not a part of your violent gender.
I'm not the slightest bit shocked that MRAs aren't supportive of Pad's refusal to conform to typical male gender roles, or gender roles at all, and I think it's disgusting that he was the target of physical violence and threats. Let's be clear: here at The Frisky, We Stand With Pad. [Facebook: Pad]


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Sex, Sleep and Rock & Roll: 17 Musicians' Bedrooms
Keith Richards bedroom at Villa Nellcôte during the recording of Exile on Mainstreet. The essence of every teen's idea of what it is to be a rock star, right? Cool dude with guitar, beautiful ladies lounging about, a mansion, and some unmentionable goings on, just to keep it rock n' roll. 2. David Bowie and Iman. The master bedroom at their villa in Mustique, featuring 19th-century Egyptian inspired furniture. 3. Johnny and June Carter Cash in their bedroom at their Hendersonville, TN. home. 4. Tom Waits during his early years (1975). The bedroom was part of "a hovel" of a place he rented. 5. Rihanna. Rihanna's bedroom in her Beverly Hills home. Second Row: 6. Elton John. Elton John and David Furnish's 70's-inspired bedroom in their Los Angeles residence. 7. Charlotte Gainsbourg, the daughter of Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin, in her bedroom. 8. Craig Finn from The Hold Steady. Finn wrote the music for his solo album "Clear Heart Full Eyes" at his bedroom desk. 9. Erykah Badu in her bedroom. Badu considers her Brooklyn apartment her "museum." 10. Frank Sinatra. Sinatra's bedroom at his Palm Springs compound, features shades of his favorite color, orange, and some meaningful possessions, including a statue of Saint Francis and a train set (who knew Sinatra would have a train set in his bedroom?!). Third Row: 11. Kurt Cobain, photographed in his own bed. 12. Lady Gaga. Gaga's bedroom in her rented Bel Air villa. 13. Slash from Guns n' Roses. Slash's velvet-ensconced bedroom in his Beverly Hills Mansion. George Costanza would approve. 14. Tess Wiley, musician and songwriter formerly of Sixpence None the Richer. Wiley's bedroom at her flat in Germany. 15. Neko Case, solo performer and member of The New Pornographers. Case's bedroom in her Vermont home features an Ikea duvet and Eileen Fisher blanket. Bottom Row: 16. Michael Stipe and Thomas Dozol in their NYC apartment. 17. Beach House members Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally in Baltimore. (Images:1. The Guardian, 2. Top Celebrity Homes, 3. Morrison Hotel Gallery, 4. Dipity, 5. Capital FM, 6. Architectural Digest, 7. Angela Lee, 8. New York Post, 9. The New York Times, 10. Architectural Digest, 11. Top Celebrity Homes, 13. Celebrity Houses, 14. Tess Wiley, 15. MSN, 16. The Selby, 17. The Fader)


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If you're like us and find yourself glued to the computer at times searching for DIY tutorials, yummy recipes, styling trends, or simply beautiful images to add to your Pinterest board, you know how important an efficient search engine is. And now that you've taken the Bing vs Google challenge, you might have surprised yourself by picking Bing more often than you expected. If you're thinking about switching to Bing as we plan on doing, remember that you get rewarded simply by searching with Bing. All you have to do is sign in with Facebook and earn credits towards rewards by searching and taking advantage of daily offers, including Xbox LIVE and Hulu Plus subscriptions, Redbox movie rentals, Starbucks and Amazon gift cards and even donations to charities you choose. Happy searching!
And congratulations to Jordan Troublefield @JordanTroublefi for winning the Bing It On Challenge Sweepstakes!


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The theme of the conference is The Scholarship of Engagement: Dimensions of Reciprocal Partnerships. This conference will explore the variety of partnerships that flourish in educational institutions and their communities through service-learning courses, community-based research projects, and student-led multi-curricular activities. The contributions of a variety of research approaches in building and sustaining such partnerships will be emphasized. The conference brings together scholars and practitioners to discuss research topics in the study of service-learning and community engagement.
Conference information and Call for Proposal forms are available online at www.researchslce.org/2008conference.html. To be considered, all proposals must be received via electronic submission by 11:59 p.m. (Central Time) Wednesday, March 19, 2008. Incomplete proposal submission will not be reviewed. All proposals will be evaluated by at least two reviewers. Notifications of acceptance will be sent by May 30, 2008.
If you have any questions, please contact the conference staff at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Look forward to seeing you in New Orleans!
Tulane University's Center for Public Service
IRCSLCE 2008 Planning Committee


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For those of us who make a living partly by selling mobile applications in Apple's App Store, there's been a lot of concern expressed on blogs and amongst developers about whether or not the App Store is a dependable resource. With over 65,000 apps and more than 100,000 developers, the general consensus is that Apple isn't being as helpful as it could be in regard to both facilitating the app submission process and helping customers find apps.
With censorship and a recent refusal of a Google Voice app, the App Store hasn't been without its controversies. It seems that Apple has been wrestling with the demands of developers and bloggers on one hand and the maintenance of their highly valued brand and business strategy on the other.
To try and address some of the issues on censorship of content, Apple has set up mandatory application ratings that work together with the iPhone's restriction settings (Settings > General > Restrictions). They also have an unofficial approval process that includes the following:
- Applications must not duplicate the functions of the iPhone (such as another SMS interface or a home icon that looks too similar to a native app)
- Applications must comply with some iPhone UI standards (e.g. don't play with the phone's vibration function)
- Applications must not be obscene or offensive (in other words, no profanity or pornographic content)
- Applications must not violate copyright infringement (i.e. repurposing someone else's data)
The rejections of certain apps have caused the blogoshere to foam at the mouth and with the latest Google Voice rejection, some have even sworn to put down their iPhones until Apple changes its ways. While we would all like to see something as large as the App Store be as democratic as possible, Apple has no intention of letting go of the reins for a few rebel developers and for anyone following the Google-Apple marriage—the honeymoon is over. Unfortunately, in this case, Apple and AT&T's business goals had to take precedent over their users'.
You won't find a shortage of advice when it comes to App Store improvements. For the most part, it revolves around legitimate business concerns that effect developers and small businesses and can be summarized as follows:
1. "I have put countless hours and money into building an app for which Apple gives no guarantee if or when it will be published to the App Store."
2. "The App Store is a massive black hole where I throw in my app, never to be found again."
Issue #1 would be a concern for any entrepreneur. While most apps are approved in two weeks, building a product with no guarantee of entry into the only place where it can be sold, is risky business. This is even more critical for multi-person companies whose entire business depend on the success of their app. It also makes it extremely difficult for any PR planning. Not having a set launch date can hurt any much needed marketing efforts.
Apple provides developers an email for questions for their "App Review Team", but with over 100,000 developers I'm skeptical that developers are receiving the feedback they need. Some developers are reverting to workarounds where they submit a prototype of their app with a launch date set far into the future. By doing this, they're able to get a review of their app before spending more time and money on it. Nevertheless, they still end up waiting 2 weeks or more for feedback, putting a lull in their product schedule.
What's needed is a better way for developers to get feedback on their apps before submitting it for approval. At the very least, Apple should have an FAQ blog to keep developers up-to-date with evolving standards. Clearer communication and more honesty on the part of Apple would help both parties save time and money.
The App Store as a big black hole seems to be the biggest problem facing developers, users, and Apple right now. Actually, it's a black hole with a layer. The layer is the unbalanced promotion of gamer apps.
"Apple does not feature enough non-games in other categories in their "What's Hot" and "New and Noteworthy" front page sections to incentivize other applications other than dollar games. A quick look in iTunes or in the App Store on an iPhone or iPod Touch will leave users the impression that Apple is all about games and not much else. We have run into this feeling from our customers who say their bosses are reluctant to let them buy software for their iPhones because they view them as toys. We've made the bet that the App Store is a better option than BlackBerry or Palm's offerings but Apple needs to do more to demonstrate to professionals that it is for real."
At last glance, the App Store home page promoted the following number of gamer apps:
- 7 of 8 apps under "New and Noteworthy"
- 8 of 10 for "Top Paid Apps"
- 6 of 10 for "Top Free Apps"
- 6 of 8 for "What's Hot"
Everyone knows games are by far the most popular apps anywhere but unless you're a gamer, promoting them so heavily on the home page isn't useful and creates the perception that the App Store is mostly about games. The solution might be to create a separate "Game Store" (and possibly other stores for big categories such as books) that levels the playing field and provides more space for others to promote their apps at the home page level.
Another issue is the pricing structure. Charles Wolf of Needham & Company noted in his analysis of Apple's July earnings report, "In some respects, the App Store has taken its place alongside YouTube, where poor taste is the defining metric. More ominously, it has led to a deterioration of the entire pricing structure for iPhone applications. The risk is that developers who hope to build quality applications that have a long shelf life may be discouraged from doing so because prospective development costs exceed the revenues they expect to earn on the applications. In short, this race to the bottom has the potential to degrade the overall equality of the applications sold at the App Store."
Ge Wang of Smule Ocarina fame commented that he would "like to see a top app list that counted revenue instead of straight downloads, something he said would encourage more premium applications." In short, there needs to be some way in which quality apps can rise to the surface and be discovered despite the possibility of having a more expensive price tag. Apple is in danger of becoming a receptacle for bad apps that cheapen the Apple brand and cover up more valuable applications like Wang's Ocarina. Wang's suggestion is a good one and could be taken a step further by creating a "quality" list based on not only revenue but also on user ratings.
Some other suggestions for the App Store include:
- Adding a Genius sidebar to the user's Library Applications screen
- Making the App Store more similar to the Amazon.com experience with top reviewers, "Listmania!", save to wish list/bookmark and a personalized homepage based on search results and purchase history
- Stop the proliferation of "Lite" versions by allowing apps to run for a specified amount of time
- Allow sellers to integrate an App Store module for purchasing apps on their own web site so developers and companies can offer their customers a more customized experience and better promote their other products.
- Replace "Staff Favorites" on the App Store homepage with something more meaningful like "Killer Apps" or "Genius Just For You"
- Give users the ability to filter search results
- Provide developers a better method for demoing their apps from the App Store. For example many developers like to publish video of how their app works which usually results in dark, out-of-focus YouTube videos. Apple could come up with a method for easily creating animated demos, giving developers an opportunity to show user flows and specific screen details in a coherent and unified way.


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KARAYA GUM Overview Information
Karaya gum is a sap-like material taken from a tree that grows in India. People use it to make medicine.
Karaya gum is used as a bulk-forming laxative to relieve constipation. It is also used to increase sexual desire (as an aphrodisiac).
In manufacturing, karaya gum is used as a thickener in medications, cosmetics, and denture adhesives; and as a binder and stabilizer in foods and beverages.
How does it work?
Karaya gum swells in the intestine, which stimulates the digestive tract to push stool through.
KARAYA GUM Uses & Effectiveness
Possibly Effective for:
- Use as a bulk-forming laxative to treat constipation.
Insufficient Evidence for:
- Stimulating sexual desire (aphrodisiac).
- Other conditions.
KARAYA GUM Side Effects & Safety
Karaya gum seems safe for most people when taken with plenty of fluids. It can block the intestines if you do not drink enough fluid.
Special Precautions & Warnings:Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Not enough is known about the use of karaya gum during pregnancy and breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.
Blockage in the intestine (bowel obstruction): Don't use any bulk-laxative, including karaya gum, if you have a bowel obstruction.
KARAYA GUM Interactions
Moderate Interaction Be cautious with this combination
- Medications taken by mouth (Oral drugs) interacts with KARAYA GUM
Karaya contains a type of soft fiber called mucilage. Mucilage can decrease how much medicine the body absorbs. Taking karaya at the same time you take medications by mouth can decrease the effectiveness of your medication. To prevent this interaction take karaya at least one hour after medications you take by mouth.
KARAYA GUM Dosing
The appropriate dose of karaya gum depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for karaya gum. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.


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The goal of this training is to increase understanding of child development and child sexual abuse issues. Lucy Berliner will be presenting information on child development specific to youth ages 13-18, discussing how a deeper understanding of developmental stages will aid in providing quality advocacy services.
The training content is going to be tailored to your specific needs. Do you have a burning issue that you want discussed? Do you have a particular question or scenario you would like addressed? Please make sure to include this on your registration form!
For those that attended the previous webinar focused on youth 3 - 12, this will be a great follow-up to that discussion.
Date: March 11, 2010
Presenter: Lucy Berliner
Materials & Recordings


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A fire at an abandoned manufacturing complex forced the closure of a stretch of Peters Road in Harvey for more than an hour this morning.
The fire was reported at about 11:30 a.m. in a warehouse at the old Evans Industries Inc. facility at 1255 Peters Road, said Terry Thibodeaux, a spokesman for the Jefferson Parish Fire Department. Harvey Volunteer Fire Company No. 2 was the main department handling the blaze.
Thibodeaux said the facility is currently being demolished, and during that process crews reportedly that a fire started. Thibodeaux said it is unknown what caused the blaze, but he noted that sparks from the saws used to cut old pipes could have ignited combustible materials in the warehouse. He said this was the third time firefighters have responded to a fire at the facility since demolition began.
No injuries were reported, although firefighters did have to fight two different fires within the warehouse.
Traffic was diverted into an adjoining neighborhood.


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Gosh, I am exactly the same. I think though that my chances are slim given the spaces and the numbers of applicants.I wonder just how many were interviewed. I read on the forum that someone was notified of rejection the day after interview. That must have been bad!
social work at queens university belfast 2012
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I keep dreaming that I've accidentally deleted my course choices on UCAS!
To quote many no news is good news so im sticking to that until Im told otherwise lol Think it doesnt help when so many like me had their interviews early it makes the waiting so long!! But at least well deffo know by the end of next month lol
What were your choices I applied to QUB UU & BMC both the 2year and 3yr courses
I just applied for Uni Ulster in south west college campus dungannon, my careers advisor was an absolute heartbreaker and said if I apply all routes and fail the interview then I fail it for all of them, so I didnt want to use up all my UCAS choices onto something he made me feel I had zero chance of getting into.
Student finance is frustrating aswell, so were not finding out till maybe the 7th may, and the deadline for student finance is the 11th may, how fecked up.
Hi I had my interview end of Feb and the waiting is so hard I check my e mail everyday hoping that the offers'll be out soon but yeah as you say no news is good news. My friend applied last yr and offers came out Thurs before Easter but easter is alot earlier this yr so doubt we'll be hearing that soon . I do think we'll hear by the end of the month though so fingers crossed for us all. I applied for Magee, Queens and BMC but really really really want Magee.
All of your comments make me feel slightly more normal that I run for the post everyday and also have my emails linked to my phone lol, thought it was just me!!
Hi Andy, I have applied for both 2 and 3 year courses in QUB and UU, how do u know your interview was for the 2 year route did it specify that on your interview invitation?
I had just assumed the one interview would be for both routes, maybe I'm wrong!
A week today since interview at UU. I'm on tenderhooks
I've been checking this all the time. Its Easter holidays now neway, so we're definitely not going to hear anything until at least the 16th. Which is even worse for us Neards as we're barely out of the woods time wise, the no news is good news thing may take a back seat as the ones who has our futures in the palm of their hands are off for easter lol
I've soooo much work to do aswell, five assignments due in by the 26th of April and then studying my ass off for my exams at the end of May.
How you all getting on with the workload coming towards the end of the year? What are you all studying anyway? Access Course? A levels? BTEC's? Tell me the craic and let me procrastinate some more.
we dont have to apply for student finance for queens do we ???? is it not bursary based? and u apply via the university if you get a place?? gahh confused.com
haha xxo
I'm not waiting on results. I'm working full-time.So it will eith be an unconditional or rejection
I thought it was bursary based as well...Im the same as you Neards just waiting on that email lol
http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/825.aspx applications for 2012/2013 havent opened yet
Do u not still get a student loan regardless of bursarys?? Hmmmmmm, I really don't know much about the whole bursary thing to be honest.
I think theres a finance info morning in college on the 16th must go and get everything up to date.....
I dont think I can get another student loan as I already took one for my sociology degree a few years ago but a bursary covers you (as not 100% sure so dont quote me on this) so you dont pay any fees for bursary courses like nursing & Social work..
LC101- I only chose the 2 year route on UCAS (L501 was the 2year route course code as far as I remember). Don't think I could put myself through another 3 year course as I have already completed an undergrad and am now finishing up a Masters degree. So I assume I would not be considered for any of the others.
Mayerzzz- I am currently studying a part-time Masters in Social and Community Development at Queen's as well as working full-time so that's keeping me busy at the minute, though I'd be lying if I did not admit I am getting more nervous about the prospect of a decision on this course every day as it is what I really want to do. Finding the waiting very hard...(very impatient lot, aren't we).
I'm trying not to get ahead of myself, but I am also currently trying to get my head around the finance stuff too, like whether or not we would have to pay fees if we got on the course? So i'm currently trying to save as much as I can from work at the minute, just in case...
Thanks for the reply andy! That makes sense lol! I already have an undergrad degree too I have only applied for both because I really want to be a social worker, that and as there's literally no jobs I think it's a great time to be studying! 8)
Hi everyone!!!
Haven't been on in a while as I'm trying my best not to get psyched out and stressed about the wait! Lol.
Hoping some of this info helps everyone!! In regards to loans/fee's...social work is no longer a paid degree (the NHS is struggling after all!) so you have to apply for a tuition fee's loan or pay it yourself! The loan is available to everyone (dependent on your financial circumstance obvs!) in the same way it is for any other degree-this also applies to anyone who has already completed an undergraduate-it's available for 2 degrees because you dont get it paid anymore! You also qualify for your maintenance loan and NHS bursary! All this is applied for through student finance and the NHS bursary is applied through Uni once you enrol! All in all of you qualify for the maintenance loan and your other bursaries it's more than you get for any undergrad degree and more than enough to survive on! You also get £500 'placement fund' to help with travelling costs!
Hope this helps and hope everyone isn't stressing too much! Also, 10th may is the deadline for answers and QUb especially are always on the last day! Almost one month to go! Good luck everyone!
Hey everyone! Hows the Easter break going for ya's??
Cheers for the reply Catty, i'm getting emails about applying for student finance but I cant really do it when I dont know if i've got in or not.
Nursing is a highly competitive, interview based course and UU have gave their decisions on that so i'm just grinding away hoping the decisions are out soon.
Neards, did them ones you know have their interview yet???
Hey everyone! Hows the Easter break going for ya's??
Cheers for the reply Catty, i'm getting emails about applying for student finance but I cant really do it when I dont know if i've got in or not.
Nursing is a highly competitive, interview based course and UU have gave their decisions on that so i'm just grinding away hoping the decisions are out soon.
Neards, did them ones you know have their interview yet???
Offline0ReputationRep:(Original post by edstark)
I dont think I can get another student loan as I already took one for my sociology degree a few years ago but a bursary covers you (as not 100% sure so dont quote me on this) so you dont pay any fees for bursary courses like nursing & Social work..
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The Very Hungry Caterpillar & Other Eric Carle Favorites at Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts
718-951-4500 www.brooklyncenteronline.org $9
This event has already taken place. Click here for the latest events.
The Little Caterpillar with the enormous appetite returns to Brooklyn! Back by popular demand, this triple-bill includes the wonderful story of The Very Hungry Caterpillar's metamorphosis into a beautiful butterfly, the fanciful account of Little Cloud's travels through the sky, and The Mixed-Up Chameleon's discovery of his unique nature. Mermaid Theatre draws upon the magic of black light to capture the whimsical charm of Eric Carle's classic stories.
Venue Description: Founded in 1954, Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College presents outstanding performing arts and arts education programs, reflective of Brooklyn's diverse communities, at affordable prices. Each season, Brooklyn Center welcomes over 65,000 people to the 2,400 seat Walt Whitman Theatre, including up to 45,000 schoolchildren from over 300 schools who attend their SchoolTime series, one of the largest arts-in-education programs in the borough. In 2014-2015, Brooklyn Center will celebrate its 60th anniversary season, which will correspond with the opening of the new Leonard and Claire Tow Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College.


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How do I change or cancel my order?
You may change or cancel an order on your orders page on our website. Click on the order you'd like to change. You can adjust the quantity of items or add items to your order by placing an additional order during the same delivery window. If you are unable to change your order, please contact our Customer Care Team and we'll do our best to assist you.
Our ready-to-eat dinners range from $8-$12. For dishes such as Shredded Beef Tacos or Artichoke Chickpea Stew and run up to about $18 for Steak au Poivre. Kids' meals range from $4-$6. Sides, salads, and desserts range from $4-$8.
Plaid Box deliveries start at $51.95 for two dinner kits serving two people each, with free shipping to your doorstep.
Where and when do you deliver?
We offer a variety of different delivery options and service areas. Head to our service areas page and enter your zip code to see what Munchery offers in your neighborhood.
Has my order been submitted successfully?
When you successfully place an order you'll see a page that says "Thank you for ordering" and receive a confirmation email. If you don't receive a confirmation email, please contact our Customer Care Team.
Do I have to be home for delivery?
We're happy to leave your order for you if you aren't home, we just ask for your expressed consent to do so. Please include delivery instructions on your order or check the "Drop-off" checkbox at on the checkout page if you'd like your order dropped off.
For Plaid Box Deliveries: Your Plaid Box will be delivered to the address you've provided, similar to how you might receive deliveries from UPS or Fedex.
For a fee of $8.95/month (or $85/year), Munchery Members get access to our varied menu of delicious dishes at prices that are significantly less than other delivery and take-out options. Members order what they want, as much or as little as they want, as often as they want.
You don't need to be a member to sign up for the Plaid Box.
When you're too busy to cook, don't have time to shop, and you're out of ideas about what to make for dinner, Munchery comes to the rescue.
Munchery chefs create fresh, delicious dishes of all sorts—from decadent mac & cheese and fall-apart tender smoked ribs to vibrant grain bowls and colorful salads. Our chef-designed cooking kits include choices such as Truffled Steak with Garlic Potatoes, Spiced Chicken on Minted Couscous, and Seared Ahi Soba Noodle Salad. Plus, there are always vegetarian options.
Visit the service areas page to view more information about delivery times in your area.
All of our meals—from homey classics and global favorites to kids' meals and our exclusive cooking kits—are chef-crafted. We offer several formats available in different areas.
What are ready-to-eat meals like?
For customers that have same-day delivery to their neighborhood, we offer freshly prepared and chilled main dishes, sides, kids' meals, desserts, and beverages. Some of our cities offer family-style meals and cooking kits. Check your local menu to see if these options are available.
In some cities, we offer cooking kits that come with all the ingredients you need to cook dinner in 15 to 20 minutes. Check your local menu for availability.
Meals are prepared and kept chilled until they're delivered to you. Chilling our meals allows us to offer a wide variety of dishes, keeps them fresh, and allows you to enjoy the meals at your convenience.
Are the meals organic, free-range, etc?
We care deeply about both the quality of our ingredients and keeping our meals affordable. When we have something special to call out about an ingredient, we always try to let our customers know.
Can I make special requests to my meal?
Sorry, we do not allow special requests at this time.
The Plaid Box contains dinner cooking kits shipped directly to you.
The Plaid Box contains dinner cooking kits shipped each week directly to you. Cooking kits come with partially prepared ingredients so you can cook dinner in about 15 minutes. The menu features a variety of options each week. Learn more about the Plaid Box.
How is The Plaid Box delivered?
The Plaid Box is shipped to your doorstep. We carefully pack The Plaid Box with food-grade ice packs to keep everything chilled and fresh until you unpack it (when you do, we recommend you put the cooking kits in the refrigerator).
What if I'm not home during delivery?
The Plaid Box will be left where your deliveries are normally left. You should receive your Plaid Box by 630pm on your delivery day. The ingredients will stay chilled and fresh even if you arrive home later that evening.
How long do my cooking kits stay fresh?
Our cooking kits are created to stay fresh for 3 to 4 days after you receive your box. We suggest cooking fish or seafood kits first.
Yes! We select meals based on the preferences you set. You can see what's coming in each weekly delivery up to three weeks out. If you don't like what we've selected for you, you can swap for different items you prefer.
What kitchen equipment will I need?
A basic kitchen equipped with pots, pans, bowls, and a sharp knife will do it. We typically provide you with everything you need except for salt, pepper, and oil. Every dish includes a recipe card (also available online) that shows what staples and specific cookware you'll need.
Skipping a delivery is easy: go to your Account Dashboard and click "Skip this order" on the delivery you'd like to skip.
Can I recycle my box and packaging?
Yes! All kit bags, ingredient bags, recipe cards, insulated liners, and shipping boxes can be recycled. The freezable gel packs are reusable; once emptied they are also recyclable.
The Plaid Box: 100% recyclable. Break down the box and add to your curbside bin.
Liner / Insulation: 100% recyclable PET #1. There are no adhesives, PVC papers or contaminants incorporated.
Gel Packs: Reusable and recyclable. The packs are water-soluble, non-toxic, and non-hazardous. If you'd like to recycle, clip the corner, discard the gel in the trash, and recycle the plastic pouch (plastic #4 accepted at many grocery stores, if not your curbside bin).
Our Plaid Bags and Ingredient Bags: Recyclable (plastic #4 accepted at many grocery stores, if not your curbside bin).
Deli-Style Containers: Reusable and recyclable.
Recipe Cards: Compostable and recyclable.
We're sad to see you go, but if you'd like to cancel your deliveries, please contact our Customer Care Team.
About your account and personal information.
Once you've placed your first order, we'll create an account for you. You'll be able to set a password and confirm your account then.
Is this site secure for my credit card?
Delivery address and payment information will be securely saved to that account and you won't need to re-enter that information to place orders going forward.
We take security seriously. Munchery is a Level I PCI Service Provider, backed by a top-tier credit card vendor, Braintree (used by leading companies such as Airbnb and Uber). Your credit card number is never stored on any of our servers.
Munchery is entirely a SSL-protected site. All transactions are processed using secure encryption (the same level of encryption used by leading banks).
Finally, our site security is also audited by SecurityMetrics, a third-party global auditor of PCI-DSS compliance.
How do I add an address or multiple addresses to my account?
When logged in to your Munchery account, go to your Address Book and you'll be able to add or remove addresses. If you have trouble saving an address, feel free to reach out to our Customer Care Team.
Can I order from my iPhone, iPad, or Android phone?
Absolutely! Download the Munchery app for iOS or Android and start ordering on the go.
Learn about what kind of meals we offer in your area, how food is prepared and more.
Where and when do you deliver?
We offer a variety of different delivery options, from same-day delivery, to chilled cooking kits shipped to your doorstep, to delivery within about 30 minutes. See what delivery options available in your neighborhood.
Ordering is completed via our website or mobile app. Once you've selected the items you'd like from our menu, click on the shopping cart icon at the top of the page to go to the checkout screen.
On the checkout page, you'll be be able to select a delivery window. You may add or select a delivery address and payment method. Click "Place Order" to complete your order. You'll be redirected to an order confirmation page and receive a confirmation email with your order invoice.
Delivery charges range between $3 and $5 for same-day deliveries. Delivery is free for shipped cooking kits (The Plaid Box). Find out how much delivery costs for your neighborhood.
On-Demand delivery is offered in select cities. You can check to see if we offer On-Demand delivery in your area by entering your zip code on the service areas page. On-Demand delivery starts in the late afternoon (specific times vary by city). Usually your meal will be delivered within 30 to 40 minutes from when you place your order. As you're placing your order, you'll see an estimated delivery time.
How do I change my delivery window?
For same-day deliveries you can change your delivery window up until 10am of the day of the delivery. Go to your orders page. Click on the order you'd like to change, click the "change" link next to the delivery window and select your desired delivery window. If you're unable to change your delivery window, please contact our Customer Care Team and we'll help you out.
Do I need to add gratuity or tip to my order?
Gratuity is completely optional. In fact, our delivery drivers do not expect a gratuity. However, if you would like to extend a tip, you can do so with either cash upon delivery, or specify an amount during the checkout process.
Plaid Box customers do not need to add a tip to their orders.
Same-day delivery: All Munchery meals are prepared and kept chilled until they're delivered to you. If you won't be home when we're scheduled to delivery your, you leave a cooler out and specify in your delivery instructions that you'd like your meals dropped off in the cooler.
Plaid Box: Meals are packed with frozen gel packs and insulated before being shipped through a third-party delivery company. For commonly asked questions, check out the Plaid Box frequent asked questions, above.
Do I need to provide a cooler?
If you won't be home when we're scheduled to delivery your, you leave a cooler out and specify in your delivery instructions that you'd like your meals dropped off in the cooler.
On the website, Visit your account page and scroll down "Today's Deliveries." Click on the "Track Your Delivery" button and you'll see a map of your delivery with your delivery driver's location noted with a car icon. You can only track your order during your selected delivery window.
If you're using our mobile app, log on to your account and you'll see an orange bar at the top of the menu. Tap this bar to view the status of your upcoming delivery.
Purchasing and redeeming gift cards, and using promo codes.
Promo codes may be applied on the checkout page on our website or mobile app. Click "Add a gift or promo code" to apply a promotional code to your order. This discount will be reflected automatically.
Can I combine two promo codes?
Our system will only accept one promotional code per order. Promotions can not be combined and restrictions may apply.
Go to the gift card and promo code redemption page and enter the gift card code. If you have a Munchery account, please log in before entering the code.
The gift card amount will be applied to the order; any remaining credit will be saved to your Munchery account and will be applied when placing future orders.
You may also redeem a gift card on the checkout page by clicking "Add a gift or promo code." The credit will automatically apply to your order.
Can I combine a promo code and gift card?
Yes. If this is your first order, you'll need to add a payment method when using a promo code for security purposes. After you apply your promo code at checkout, the gift card credit will apply and the remaining cost of your order will be noted in the total. You won't be charged if the total is $0.00.
Nope, Munchery gift cards and account credit do not expire!
How does the referral program work?
Our referral program is intended for you to share Munchery with your personal connections (friends, family and co-workers). Each individual that signs up with your personal referral code and places an order will receive $20 off his/her first order (applicable to food and beverages only). Their entire credit must be used in one transaction. As soon as the individual has placed his/her first order you will receive $20 in credit applied to your Munchery account. This credit does not expire and will automatically be applied to your next order.
Please review the full referral policy for more information.
Munchery Members get access to our varied menu of delicious dishes at prices that are significantly less than other delivery and take-out options.
For a fee of $8.95/month (or $85/year), Munchery Members get access to our varied menu of delicious dishes at prices that are significantly less than other delivery and take-out options. Members order what they want, as much or as little as they want, as often as they want.
You don't need to be a member to sign up for the Plaid Box.
Do I have to pay a membership fee?
If you're new to Munchery, yes! We're becoming a membership-only service, which will allow us to offer even better prices to our customers while still providing the great food and service we're known for.
If you've ordered from us before, you can keep your original Munchery experience (and even go back to it after they try a free month of Membership), or join Membership and save $2-4 per main dish and $1-$2 per kid's meal.
How much does Membership cost?
Membership costs $8.95/month or $85/year.
You may view your billing information and schedule by clicking on the link "Manage Membership" from your account settings page. You will be able to access past membership billing invoices from that page too.
How do I cancel my membership?
To cancel your membership, please send a cancellation request to our Customer Care Team.
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The Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute is the newest showpiece for Lancaster General Health.
40 exam rooms are set up so that physicians, nurses and other team members all go to the patient.
Patients can get Chemotheraphy in private or with a roommate.
Cancer patients were among those who gave input in the design of the $46 million facility.
The artwork by various local artists was hand picked by a healing arts commission.
There is a large garden and meditation center in the center of the curved building meant to create a soothing environment.
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best rate guarantee & privacy policy
La Pensione Hotel Best Rate & Privacy Policy
Best Rate Guarantee
La Pensione Hotel guarantees that our web site will have the lowest rate available to Internet consumers. If you find a lower rate - for the same room type, number of guests, currency and dates of stay – on another site, we will honor that rate.
Privacy Policy
La Pensione Hotel values your privacy. We want you to be confident while using this site to make your online reservations.
We have no desire or intent to infringe on your privacy and we will not provide your personal information to anyone else.
When you provide your personal information such as name, address, email address and telephone number, we will not give or sell this information to any outside company for any use. The information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to support your customer relationship with us. We have appropriate security measures in place to protect against the loss, misuse or alteration of information we have collected from you at our site.
All of the information contained in this website, including the site design, graphics, and text are the copyrighted property of La Pensione Hotel. Any other trademarks, company names, product names and/or logos set forth in this website are the property of their respective owners.


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- Price: $135.00
- Exclusive Price: $2500.00
Nutrishment Drugs Zen Cart Template 32899
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Our first port of call was Montego Bay, Jamaica. Our stop was Negril / Margaritaville. This excursion was a complete waste of time and money. From the moment my son and I stepped on the beach, we were hounded by someone selling "Cigarettes and Cigars" It was nice when he ran off when the Negril Marine Police showed up. The water trampoline was broken. The buffet was awful and it was hard to eat with the smell of someone smoking marijuana near the kitchen. We then drove 10 minutes up the road to spend another 20 minutes watching people dive off the cliffs into the water. Ohh Ahhh. I am glad Carnival reimbursed the money I spent for this excursion.
Next day was even more of a disaster. The cruise staff failed to mention ahead of time that the excursion tickets had TWO different departure times listed. We selected the Allure catamaran trip to Stingray Island. On the ticket it said under the departure location: Toulouse-Lautrec Lounge 7:30am. Under the departure time was listed: 8:15am. What they failed to tell us was the 7:30 am time was the departure from the ship and the 8:15am time was the departure from the dock. REALLY?????? So we missed out trip, but at least they set us up on a similar trip and refunded us the cost difference.
Third excursion was in Cozumel, Mexico. We traveled to the Playa Maya Resort. This was an all inclusive trip. It was AWSOME!!!! My only beef was the sand. It was clearly trucked in form somewhere to make a beach. Otherwise the two water trampolines and water pyramid were allot of fun. My son enjoyed them all. The resorts meal was fair and the included beer and drinks were flowing free. This resort even had a pool for those who did not want to venture to the beach. Overall it was wonderful.
The rest of the cruise went great. My son enjoyed the teen events and play area. The ship's food was decent. The pools were a bit small though. The casino was awesome.


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Only by working together to uncover the secrets behind the past, can they ever hope to have a future.
With two men chasing her, can she make the right choice before it�s too late?
Sparks fly when a rigid FBI agent and a patrol sergeant collide on the path to catch a killer.
"Sexy, tough, and deftly sprinkled with dark humor.��Larissa Ione
When an alpha meets his match...
Some cowboys are outta this world�
Only by working together to uncover the secrets behind the past, can they ever hope to have a future.
With two men chasing her, can she make the right choice before it�s too late?
Sparks fly when a rigid FBI agent and a patrol sergeant collide on the path to catch a killer.
"Sexy, tough, and deftly sprinkled with dark humor.��Larissa Ione
When an alpha meets his match...
Some cowboys are outta this world�
Jade LeeKatie RuggleMike LynchElaine Stock
Candy HavensNovember 10, 2011
It honestly feels like I�ve been waiting years to tell you about my
new release MODEL
MARINE. In actuality it�s only been one year, but I�m so excited about this
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the story comes in the way of fashion designer Hannah Harrington. She�s
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Love is most definitely in the air. I have tons of new books to tell you about
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Kristen Painter�s FLESH AND BLOOD is the second book in her new House of Comarre
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Susan Meier's newest is KISSES ON HER CHRISTMAS LIST. "The inspiration
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Virginia Kantra has a lovely Christmas tale to share with
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curling up with a Christmas story," she says. "Some of the first romances I
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I'd planned on expanding the world of my Children of the Sea to include more
about the fallen Children of Air. Christmas and angels? What could be more
perfect? But my love of those Regency romances, with their house parties and
kissing boughs and Christmas bells, snuck into my contemporary paranormal
world. The result is Upon a Midnight Clear, one of the sweetest stories
I think I've written.
I hope readers will agree! The story is a part of the TIED WITH A BOW Anthology
with Lora Leigh, Eileen Wilks and Kimberly Frost.
Gina Robinson has a new series of books beginning with THE SPY WHO LEFT
ME. "Emmett's the head of National Clandestine Services," says
Robinson, "the spying arm of the CIA. He masterminds of all the missions in my
books, and he's a matchmaker whose sole goal is national security. Well, he
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of the stories he could tell me, assuming he didn't have to kill me afterward.
I'd never have to plot another one of my spy books again, just record his
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