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Author Affiliations: Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, and the Cardiovascular Center of the University of Michigan Health System (Messrs Armstrong, Jani, and Goldman, Ms Kline-Rogers, and Drs Fang, Mukherjee, and Eagle), and Health Services Research and Development Center of Excellence (Dr Nallamothu), Ann Arbor.
Implementation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule has the potential to affect data collection in outcomes research.
To examine the extent to which data collection may be affected by the HIPAA Privacy Rule, we used a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest study design to assess participation rates with informed consent in 2 cohorts of patients eligible for the University of Michigan Acute Coronary Syndrome registry. The pre-HIPAA period included telephone interviews conducted at 6 months that sought verbal informed consent from patients. In the post-HIPAA period, informed consent forms were mailed to ask for permission to call to conduct a telephone interview. The primary outcome measure was the percentage of patients who provided consent. Incremental costs associated with the post-HIPAA period were also assessed.
The pre-HIPAA period included 1221 consecutive patients with acute coronary syndrome, and the post-HIPAA period included 967 patients. Consent for follow-up declined from 96.4% in the pre-HIPAA period to 34.0% in the post-HIPAA period (P<.01). In general, patients who returned written consent forms during the post-HIPAA period were older, were more likely to be married, and had lower mortality rates at 6 months. Incremental costs for complying with the HIPAA Privacy Rule were $8704.50 for the first year and $4558.50 annually thereafter.
The HIPAA Privacy Rule significantly decreases the number of patients available for outcomes research and introduces selection bias in data collection for patient registries.
On August 21, 1996, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was enacted. After several public comment periods and revisions, the US Department of Health and Human Services issued the Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information (ie, the Privacy Rule) that would be enacted under HIPAA.1 The deadline for compliance with the new privacy rule was set for April 14, 2003. The required changes have substantially affected every health plan, health care provider, and health care clearinghouse in the United States and have involved considerable human and financial resources.
The HIPAA Privacy Rule creates regulations for managing protected health information, which is defined by the HIPAA Privacy Rule as "individually identifiable health information" held or transmitted by a covered entity or its business associates in any form: electronic, paper, or oral. Before HIPAA, quality improvement (QI) projects were not generally viewed as research if the initial intent was to conduct a QI project for the institution. In some cases, the intent was QI and research, and investigators would use de-identified data to publish their experiences and findings.2 Under this paradigm, QI was generally concerned with improving care for patients, and the "Common Rule"— which governs research with human subjects and usually requires written informed consent from the subject—seldom applied.3
In the Common Rule and under the HIPAA Privacy Rule, research is defined as "a systematic investigation, including research development, testing, and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge." Under these guidelines, if the initial intent was to publish a report for general knowledge, institutional review boards (IRBs) may classify any QI projects as research. If so, it would require that a QI project obtain written informed consent before patient contact for any routine follow-up questionnaires and assessments. Quality improvement so classified may be severely biased if consent is selectively obtained from only a few patients. Moreover, compliance is likely to incur additional costs. We report how compliance with the HIPAA Privacy Rule has affected a large research consortium using the example of a specific QI-focused registry of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).
In anticipation of the HIPAA Privacy Rule enactment, we devised a protocol to compare our ability to obtain informed consent for patients to participate in a 6-month follow-up questionnaire for our ACS registry in pre- and post-HIPAA environments. The entire study period occurred before implementation of the HIPAA Privacy Rule so that we could compare outcomes between the approaches. The protocol, therefore, did not violate any contemporaneous privacy rules. We worked specifically with the University of Michigan IRB and its legal counsel on the creation of these protocols. In addition, the IRB annually reviews and approves data collection methods for our ACS registry, which itself is compliant with the HIPAA privacy regulations.
We compared patient information during 2 periods. From May 1, 1999, to August 30, 2001, or the pre-HIPAA period, patient follow-up proceeded using the following protocol: patients with a primary or secondary diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction or unstable angina and ischemic symptoms within 24 hours of hospital admission were identified retrospectively. Patients were then contacted by telephone 6 months after hospital discharge. Patients or their significant others were asked at the beginning of the call to provide verbal informed consent to discuss follow-up care. If the patient agreed, a standard questionnaire was implemented over the telephone. If the patient declined to give consent, follow-up was generally considered incomplete, but some self-evident information was collected (ie, mortality if the patient had answered the telephone). If the patient could not be reached by telephone, the medical record was examined for any subsequent hospitalizations at the University of Michigan during the 6 months. If the medical record was not available or was incomplete, the Social Security Death Registry was accessed for mortality information. Patients who could not be contacted and who did not have a recent medical record but who were not in the Social Security Death Registry were considered to be alive.
The second period of study, or the post-HIPAA period, was from September 1, 2001, to March 31, 2003. This period was actually before the HIPAA start date. For this period, we devised a protocol in anticipation of the changes mandated by the HIPAA Privacy Rule (Figure). This period allowed us a chance to follow a post-HIPAA protocol while continuing to collect data under the more flexible pre-HIPAA protocol. During the post-HIPAA period, all patients were sent a letter asking for written consent for our study team to conduct follow-up with a telephone call based on a strict interpretation of the HIPAA Privacy Rule.
Protocol during the pre–Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act period, which allowed for direct patient contact by telephone at 6-month follow-up with verbal consent obtained. ACS indicates acute coronary syndrome; MI, myocardial infarction.
Patients who did not return written consent forms were contacted by telephone and were asked whether the consent form had been received. If the consent form had been received and the patient had not yet returned it, verbal consent and follow-up were then performed during the same telephone call with the understanding that the consent form would be signed and mailed. If the consent form had not been received, a brief explanation of the database and the reason for the telephone call was provided. Patients then were asked whether a second consent form could be mailed. Follow-up was performed by a second telephone call when the second consent form was returned. If a second consent form was never returned, then the medical records and the Social Security Death Index were accessed as described previously in this subsection.
The primary outcome measure of interest was the percentage of patients who provided consent for performing the follow-up questionnaire. During the pre-HIPAA period, consent was considered complete if a patient agreed to complete the questionnaire at the time of telephone contact. Consent was considered complete in the post-HIPAA period when a written letter agreeing to participate was returned by the patient. For the main analysis, consent rates in the pre-HIPAA period were compared with those in the post-HIPAA period. We also compared characteristics and outcomes between patients in the post-HIPAA period who provided written consent and those who did not. Additional characteristics and outcomes used in these comparisons included routine data elements collected in the ACS registry: age, sex, ethnicity, marital status, comorbid conditions (eg, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension), and cardiovascular-related outcomes.
To estimate the incremental costs associated with obtaining consent for follow-up during the post-HIPAA period, we evaluated calculated costs in 2 categories: fixed "start-up" costs and ongoing costs. Fixed start-up costs included database setup and computer programming, time invested by the nurse project manager, training of employees, attorney fees, and additional IRB-related costs. Ongoing costs were estimated for each additional patient enrolled in the follow-up and included administrative assistance and materials (envelopes, stamps, and other mailing items). Ongoing costs also included the number of hours needed for additional programming necessary for the new follow-up system and the time required for a nurse project manager to obtain legal review, oversee training of all research personnel, and implement the protocol related to HIPAA.
Differences between categorical variables were analyzed using standard χ2 tests, and differences between continuous variables were analyzed using 2-sample t tests. All tests were 2-sided, with statistical significance set at α = .05. All analyses were performed using statistical software (SAS version 8.2; SAS Institute Inc, Cary, NC).
We identified 1221 patients during the pre-HIPAA period and 967 patients during the post-HIPPA period. Overall success in obtaining 6-month follow-up occurred in 1177 patients (96.4%) during the pre-HIPAA period and 329 (34.0%) in the post-HIPAA period (P<.01 for differences). Written consent forms were mailed to 855 patients (88.4%), whereas 112 patients (11.6%) were not mailed consent forms owing to administrative oversights associated with instituting several simultaneous requirements for the post-HIPAA period. Of 855 patients to whom written consent forms were mailed, 343 (40.1%) returned a completed form: 329 (95.9%) granted consent and 14 (4.1%) refused consent. Thus, we did not obtain written consent from 638 patients overall. Reasons for failing to obtain written consent included no response (n = 490), letter not sent out (n = 112), mail undeliverable (n = 22), and patient refusal (n = 14).
Table 1 displays the results of the analysis comparing patient characteristics and outcomes between patients in the post-HIPAA period who provided written consent and all others without written consent. Patients in the post-HIPAA period who provided written consent were statistically significantly more likely to be older, married, and white than those who refused to provide consent or who did not respond. In addition, we found statistically significantly lower mortality rates at 6 months in patients who provided written consent but no differences in myocardial infarction, stroke, or rehospitalization between the 2 groups.
The incremental costs associated with implementing protocol changes to comply with the HIPAA Privacy Rule are given in Table 2. Estimates of total start-up costs were $4146.00, and ongoing annual costs were $4558.50, resulting in $8704.50 in additional costs related specifically to compliance with the HIPAA Privacy Rule during the first year.
We found evidence that in patients with ACS at the University of Michigan, a strict interpretation of the HIPAA Privacy Rule significantly reduced our ability to obtain consent for a telephone-based follow-up questionnaire at 6 months. In addition, we found that compliance with the HIPAA Privacy Rule led to different rates of responses across various subgroups of patients—particularly those related to demographics such as age, marital status, and ethnicity. This may have led to a selection bias because patients who provided written consent had lower mortality rates at 6 months than those who did not give consent or who did not respond. We also estimated that compliance with the HIPAA Privacy Rule led to a nontrivial increase in overall costs. Although some of these costs may have been required regardless of the registry or may have been shared by other research programs, most were items directly related to managing the ACS registry.
We did not report specific reasons why patients were unlikely to return written consent forms through the mail. Although speculative, we have some potential explanations. First, the form itself and the accompanying letter are lengthy and confusing. The form mandated by our IRB was 8 pages long, and it was required that 2 copies be sent to each patient—1 for their records and 1 that was to be signed and returned. The size of these documents may have created an exaggerated sense of how involved the process truly was and could have been seen as daunting by patients. Second, the consent forms may be subject to administrative and logistical oversights, such as being mislabeled, inappropriately addressed, lost with other mail, or written off as junk mail by patients after delivery. Future research is needed to identify specific reasons for patients not returning written consent forms and methods to overcome these obstacles.
The ambiguity of the HIPAA Privacy Rule also presents a problem to outcomes researchers.4 Our IRB's interpretation of the HIPAA Privacy Rule is limited to our single institution. It may be different from the way in which other research centers may have interpreted the rule. However, we, and others, suspected that due to the harsh penalties for breaching HIPAA regulations, an incentive exists for research centers to conservatively interpret the HIPAA Privacy Rule.3 For this reason, we used a strict definition of consent in the post-HIPAA period. Owing to ongoing interpretation from the federal government, it has been possible to relax these rules somewhat since the HIPAA Privacy Rule was instituted on April 1, 2003. Also, because of the simultaneous QI nature of our work, we are permitted to contact patients by telephone if a written consent form is not returned to determine whether one had ever been received and potentially to arrange for a second letter to be delivered. Other institutions may also implement similar strategies to improve rates of consent in their own QI-focused patient registries.
Another potential option is to try to obtain consent for follow-up while the patient is in the hospital. This allows for the additional opportunity to enroll patients for research even outside of QI-focused projects. There are several limitations to this strategy. First, it has substantial cost implications because researchers and support staff would need to be available to obtain consent on the wards. Funding to support this strategy would be difficult for QI-focused projects and for many observational studies. In addition, even when resources are available, it may be difficult to obtain consent for several logistical reasons. Tu et al5 found that even with a full-time, dedicated research nurse on the floor, consent rates were low, and many patients either died or left the hospital before consent could be obtained in a registry of stroke patients in Canada. Similar to our study, Tu et al5 also noted that data on consenting patients were also potentially biased and that costs were substantial. Our study expands on the work of Tu et al5 by demonstrating that there continue to be challenges associated with obtaining written consent even after hospital discharge.
Finally, we believe that distinguishing between QI-focused projects and other forms of outcomes research deserves important mention. When a QI-focused project is undertaken with the intent to analyze and publish the data, it is research and should be submitted to an IRB for review and approval before data collection. This has been the policy in our ACS registry since its inception. On other occasions, projects that are not initially intended to produce data for publication may yield unexpected results that should be published. Under such circumstances, submission to the IRB at that point may be undertaken, and the IRB should be given the opportunity to determine whether publishing the results would produce harm that exceeds the benefits of having others see and learn from the unexpected results. In this way, the IRB may continue to serve as an independent assessor of the incremental value of a project under complex circumstances.
The present study should be evaluated in the context of the following limitations. As described previously herein, this study involved the experiences of a single institution. Other medical centers may have identified other ways of complying with the HIPAA Privacy Rule during their QI-focused and research projects. Various strategies may be associated with different response rates for obtaining consent and may lead to different fixed and ongoing costs. We assumed a conservative interpretation of the HIPAA Privacy Rule that required written consent to be obtained before contact for a telephone-based follow-up questionnaire. We believe that the harsh penalties mandated by the HIPAA Privacy Rule create a strong incentive for research centers to interpret it strictly.3 Despite this limitation, we believe that this study provides a real example of the potential implications of the HIPAA Privacy Rule on data collection in outcomes research, particularly after hospital discharge.
The implementation of the HIPAA Privacy Rule has led to widespread speculation regarding its ultimate impact.4,6- 8 Although everyone agrees that maintaining patient privacy is a laudable goal, the HIPAA Privacy Rule may create a substantial burden and prohibit the development of valuable research. We showed that a strict interpretation of the HIPAA Privacy Rule leads to a marked decrease in the ability to obtain consent and that this may result in less representative registries of patient populations, potentially biased outcomes, and increased costs. Further discussions need to be undertaken among researchers, the lay public, and government to establish better strategies for protecting patient privacy without discouraging or biasing QI-focused and outcomes research.
Correspondence: Kim A. Eagle, MD, Cardiovascular Center, University of Michigan, 300 N Ingalls, N18B02, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0477 (email@example.com).
Accepted for Publication: December 23, 2004.
Funding/Support: This study was supported by the Mardigian Foundation, Bloomfield, Mich.
Financial Disclosure: None.
Acknowledgment: We thank the University of Michigan IRB for their ongoing help in revising the data collection methods for this ACS registry.
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The mission of Volunteer Nepal National Group is to mobilize and sensitize women and youth on the issues affecting them and how to utilize the resources available in order to promote and support sustainable self-help projects focusing on advancement of women and youth initiatives, income generating activities, human development and environmental conservation efforts. We provides volunteer service opportunities for people who are genuinely interested in learning about a new and different community and culture while contributing their time and skills to benefit worthwhile community service throughout Nepal. Visit site
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Friday, February 22, 2013
The Sweetgrass Cultural Arts Festival, planned for May 31, June 1 and 2 at the Town of Mount Pleasant Waterfront Memorial Park, will celebrate and promote the history and culture of the Gullah Geechee people. It will also provide a wealth of useful information, delicious food and wonderful entertainment.
The festival will open on Friday, May 31 with the "Real Taste" of Gullah banquet from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Cooper River Room at the park which promises to be an evening to remember. The banquet will feature a variety of delicious Gullah Cuisine provided by the Culinary Institute of Charleston at Trident Technical College, Joe's Catering services, Café on Main and Cruncho Enterprise. Renowned local artist, Jonathan Green will present an illustrated talk with a look into the history of the Gullah Geechee people's rice culture, followed by the African Rice dance performed by students from Sanders Clyde Elementary School. Guests will be treated to a unique fashion show featuring sweetgrass hats and evening purses designed and made by local sweetgrass basket makers and modeled by the Charleston Hat Ladies. Witness the ceremonial "Passing on the Tradition" of sweetgrass basket making to the next generation. Entertainment will be provided by songstress Zandrina Dunning, saxophonist Devon Gary and the Secret Jazz Band. Tickets are $50 and may be purchased at: tasteofgullah.eventbrite.com – or by calling 856-9732.
On Saturday, June 1, The Gullah Geechee Group will host a seminar from 9 a.m. to noon at the Mount Pleasant Waterfront Memorial Park Visitors Center. Local scholars will provide information and engage participants in discussions concerning health, education and heirs property issues within the African-American communities along the Gullah Geechee Culture Heritage Corridor. Admission is free.
From 1 to 3 p.m. the Mount Pleasant Waterworks, Charleston County and the Town of Mount Pleasant will present a comprehensive side-by-side comparison on the pros and cons of annexation along with information about sewer and septic tank services.
The information will be presented by representatives to help property owners better understand the costs effects and impacts upon the delivery of police, fire, recreation, trash collection, as well as homeowner's insurance rates. Admission is free.
New this year, the Sweetgrass Cultural Arts Festival will feature the Imani Milele Children's Choir from Uganda, Africa, on June 1 from noon to 8 p.m. Their sound combined with African traditional dance and drum routines, comes together to create a performance that you will never forget.
The public is invited to participate in hands-on basket making demonstrations and techniques used to create the stunning works of art. Don't miss out on the drawings for a chance to win one of these beautiful baskets.
Browse the showcase of beautiful paintings, handmade quilts, arts and crafts that will be on display and available for purchase.
View the authentic slave artifacts exhibition and hear stories told by local basket makers in "Grass Roots" and "Bin Yah," two locally produced documentary films that give an inside look at the life and history of the local basket makers.
The festival is sponsored in part by The Town of Mount Pleasant; the Market at Oakland; Billy Swails, State Farm Agent; Berkeley Electric Coop; The Berry Company; Dr. Joan Wynn-Taylor; Roper St. Francis Healthcare; East Cooper Medical Center; SCANA/SCE&G; Charleston County; Coastal Community Foundation; Juniper Blue Water; Direct Marketers of Charleston; Stubbs Muldrow Herin architects; and Hughes Rental Company.
Visit: www.sweetgrassfestival.org or call (843)856-9732 for more info.
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JERUSALEM, Israel - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned to Israel on Thursday night in the midst of a growing crisis with the Obama administration. Some are warning the crisis could mean the end of the Netanyahu government.
Netanyahu met Friday with his inner security cabinet to discuss the demands made by the Obama administration.
The key issue is Jerusalem.
Some reports say the Obama administration is making the following demands:
One Israeli official said there was no shift in U.S. policy regarding Jerusalem, but former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations Dore Gold told CBN News he disagrees.
"By insisting that Israel cannot build for its Jewish communities in the eastern parts of Jerusalem, in Jewish neighborhoods of Jerusalem -- this does seem to be a sharp break from past U.S. policy," Gold said.
Obama's demands threaten Netanyahu's coalition. If he meets those demands, hia coalition could fall. Many suspect this has been the strategy of the Obama administration since the crisis began just over two weeks ago.
Jewish groups are calling the U.S. demands unprecedented in scope and intensity. The Obama administration's treatment of Netanyahu this week provoked Washington Post correspondent Jackson Diehl to observe, "Netanyahu is being treated as if he were an unsavory Third World dictator."
The Israeli press is reporting that "the U.S. is ready for battle."
Obama also held a conference call with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and England's Prime Minister Gordon Brown, allegedly to present a united front in their demands against the Netanyahu government.
But in an open letter to the prime minister published in the Israeli press on Friday, more than half the Knesset members from across the political spectrum backed "the right of the state of Israel to strengthen our hold on the Jewish neighborhoods in all parts of the city."
Yet Obama's strategy may backfire.
If the Netanyahu government falls and new elections are held, a new government may well be more right wing than the current government. An overwhelming majority of Israelis favor Jewish construction in Jerusalem, and polls indicate the next government would be even more conservative.
*Originally published March 25, 2010.
U.S. Jerusalem Policy 'Sharp Break' from PastWorld Opinion: Israel's Right to Exist on Trial
After Meeting, U.S.-Israel Relations Still Thorny
Obama, Netanyahu Meet Privately
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The Terrorists Funded by the WestBassam Tawil
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Op-Ed: There is no 'radical Islam' and there is no 'moderate Islam'Dr. Mordechai Kedar
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CALCUTTA - The Wellsville volleyball team has displayed dominance and speed throughout the season and that was again on display in its rematch with Beaver Local on Tuesday as the Tigers swept the Beavers 25-23, 25-18, 25-17.
"I keep telling them we need to play more consistently," Wellsville coach Dan McKinstry said.
The Tigers (14-4) continued to show their success with scoring spurts as nine and 10 point leads were established throughout the match. Inconsistencies, however, kept giving the Tigers trouble as their leads would diminish before being built up again.
McKinstry knew that Beaver Local would be tougher in the rematch.
"We controlled the first game, then we were fighting for our lives to win it," McKinstry said. "Third game, we figured our where we got to hit the ball."
The Beavers (6-12) displayed the same never-quit attitude that kept them alive throughout the season. They continued to keep the score very close, if not tied, but then found themselves fighting off unforced errors which opened up Wellsville's lead. By the third game, the team was tired, but still would not give up.
Beaver Local coach Sara Lowe had little to say in regards to the Beavers' loss.
"Wellsville played a good game," Lowe said. "We just need to work on our inconsistencies."
For the Beavers, Tanner Dolhun led with eight points and two kills, Bobbie Ann Theiss had six points and three aces, and Danna Talbott had six points, seven kills and 18 digs.
Angelica Scarabino, who had her best night serving for the Tigers with 11 points and six aces, showed pride in her team and admiration for Beaver Local.
"We kept the hammer down all three games as coach told us," Scarabino said. "I respect Beaver Local and coach Lowe, I have a lot of respect for her."
Along with Scarabino, Shayla Hamilton had a strong night for the Tigers with 18 points and 21 assists along with Johnna Stokes and Brittany Clendenning each with 10 kills.
The Tigers look to finish strong as the season closes, and Scarabino sets her sights on the top prize.
"We would like to continue into tournaments," Scarabino said. "We always like to keep our heads high to win a district title."
Wellsville won in varsity, but Beaver Local knocked the Tigers 25-5, 25-17, and improved their jayvee season to 14-2.
Connor McKenzie led the Beavers with 18 points while Brittany Hoschar led the Tigers with three kills.
The Tigers travel to Columbiana to take on the Clippers on Thursday. The Beavers host Youngstown East on Thursday.


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PHOENIX -- Southwest Supermarkets here, which operates all 25 of its stores in Arizona, is contemplating major unit expansion for next year that may include a move into El Paso, Texas, according to Jim Pack, president and chief executive officer. The company is considering opening at least 10 more stores next year, Pack said. Any expansion into El Paso would probably come through acquisition, although Pack wouldn't identify likely acquisition candidates. Given Southwest's heavy orientation ...
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Buccaneers And Rays Heading In Opposite Directions
Earlier today on The Charlie Bernstein Show, Andrew Astleford of FoxSportsFlorida.com joined the show to talk all things Rays and Buccaneers.
Why you should listen:?Andrew talked about the highs of ?Tampa Bay which include the Rays heading to the ALDS after their 3rd consecutive elimination victory. Andrew also talked about the lows of Tampa Bay which include none other than The Buccaneers and their drama with QB Josh Freeman who was finally released earlier today.
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The After School Camp began in 1998 as an outreach to the West Ouachita community for children with working parents. This ministry was born out of a burden expressed by local elementary school principals and their concern for children they were sending home on the bus with no supervision once they reached home.
Far from a typical daycare we provide: daily devotional time, tutoring, snacks, recreational time, events, and more.
We're open to all children K-8th grade.
From after school until 6:00 pm.
We Pick up from: Calhoun Elem., Central Elem., Woodlawn Elem., Calhoun Middle, and Woodlawn Middle
Cost is $55 per child per week/ discount for multiple children in the same family.
(plus a one time $25 registration fee).
After school camp is directed by Elizabeth McFarland with the assistance of college-age staff members.
On a typical day children are picked up from school at 3:00 and brought to Seeker Springs where they gather for a time of devotion and prayer. Then they enjoy a daily snack time, and the children have opportunities to complete homework with tutoring, followed by a variety of outdoor recreational activities, indoor games, crafts, themed parties and more.
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Results tagged ' Rockies '
11/2 Cubs claim Putnam
The Cubs added another arm to the bullpen mix on Friday when they claimed right-handed pitcher Zach Putnam off waivers from the Rockies. Putnam, 25, is 19-12 with 26 saves and a 3.90 ERA in 171 career Minor League games, all but 15 as a reliever. He has given up 18 home runs over 295 2/3 innings and walked 94 while striking out 270. Originally selected by the Indians in the fifth round of the 2008 Draft, Putnam was traded to the Rockies in January for pitcher Kevin Slowey. Putnam has appeared in 10 Major League games for a total of 9 1/3 innings, and has a 4.82 ERA. Last season, he posted two scoreless appearances for the Rockies in two stints.
The right-hander spent the majority of 2012 with Triple-A Colorado Springs, and was 3-4 with 12 saves and a 4.15 ERA in 49 relief appearances. He converted 12 of his first 15 save opportunities and struck out 49 with 27 walks over 60 2/3 innings pitched.
— Carrie Muskat
8/22 Probable pitchers
After an off day Thursday, the Cubs open a 10-game homestand against the Rockies on Friday. Here are the pitching matchups:
Friday: RHP Jeff Samardzija (8-11, 4.17) vs. LHP Drew Pomeranz (1-7, 4.87)
Saturday: LHP Brooks Raley (1-2, 7.63) vs. RHP Alex White (2-6, 5.55)
Sunday: RHP Chris Volstad (0-9, 6.88) vs. RHP Jhoulys Chacin (1-3, 6.16)
— Carrie Muskat
12/8 Cubs get Stewart, Weathers from Rockies
The Cubs acquired infielder Ian Stewart and right-handed pitcher Casey Weathers from the Rockies for outfielder Tyler Colvin and infielder DJ LeMahieu.
Stewart, 26, is a career .236 hitter with 61 doubles, 54 home runs and 187 RBIs in 432 games with the Rockies covering all or part of the last five seasons (2007-2011). A left-handed hitter who throws right, he has played 354 of his big league games at third and also has experience at second base and the outfield. Originally selected by Colorado in the first round (10th overall) of the 2003 Draft out of high school, Stewart reached the big leagues at the age of 22 in 2007 and completed his first full season in the big leagues by 2009, when he hit 25 home runs and recorded 70 RBI in 147 games for Colorado and helped the club to the postseason. He batted .256 with 18 home runs and 61 RBI in 122 games in 2010.
He split the 2011 campaign between the Rockies and Triple-A Colorado Springs, totaling two stints in each spot. He batted .156 with six doubles in 48 games with Colorado and hit .275 with 14 home runs and 42 RBIs in 45 games at Colorado Springs.
Weathers, 26, was selected by the Rockies in the first round (eighth overall) of the 2007 Draft out of Vanderbilt University, where he was a 2007 First-Team All American. By 2008, Weathers had advanced to Double-A Tulsa and earned a spot on Team USA at the Beijing Olympics before being sidelined by Tommy John surgery in October 2008, forcing him to miss the 2009 campaign.
The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Weathers returned to the mound in 2010 and pitched at Double-A Tulsa last season, going 2-2 with a 5.32 ERA (27 ER/45.2 IP) in 44 relief appearances. He struck out 48 in 45 2/3 innings, but also issued 48 walks. Weathers was added to Colorado's 40-man roster following the 2010 campaign.
Colvin, 26, batted .215 with 26 home runs and 78 RBIs in 221 games with the Cubs covering all or part of the last three seasons. After a 2010 rookie campaign that featured a .254 batting average, 20 home runs and 56 RBIs in 135 contests, Colvin split last year between Chicago and Triple-A Iowa, batting .150 with six home runs and 20 RBI in 80 big league games. He was originally selected by Chicago in the first round (13th overall) of the 2006 Draft.
LeMahieu, 23, made his Major League debut with the Cubs last year and batted .250 (15-for-60) with zero home runs and four RBI in 37 games. LeMahieu was originally selected by the Cubs in the second round of the 2009 Draft.
— Carrie Muskat
12/6 Cubs, Rockies & Ian Stewart
The Cubs have reportedly backed away from trying to deal for Rockies third baseman Ian Stewart — at least for now. MLB.com's Thomas Harding reports talks have ended between the two teams. The Rockies have discussed infielder Blake DeWitt and outfielder Tyler Colvin in exchange for Stewart, and the Denver Post reported the Rockies asked about infielder DJ LeMahieu and lefty reliever Scott Maine. Stewart's name has come up in talks with various teams since last summer's non-waiver Trade Deadline.
— Carrie Muskat
2/5/10 Prickly issue in Cactus League
Cactus League teams want the Cubs to stay in Arizona. They just don't want to pay for the Cubs' new facility.
According to a story in the Phoenix Business Journal, the White Sox and Diamondbacks oppose a plan to have the entire Cactus League bankroll the $84 million stadium being built in Mesa for the Cubs. Arizona lawmakers are considering a plan to impose new ticket charges on all Cactus League games and raise rental car taxes in the Valley to help pay for the new complex.
Ticket surcharges have been used by specific cities to fund baseball stadiums within their jurisdictions, according to Cactus League president Robert Brinton. However, the latest proposal would mark the first time a league-wide fee would be imposed for one project.
White Sox president Jerry Reinsdorf told the Journal that other teams and their fans did not finance development of his team's stadium in Glendale. D-backs President Derrick Hall also is opposed to the idea of league-wide ticket surcharges to benefit the Cubs.
"We want the Cubs to stay here badly, but not at the expense of our fans," Hall told the Journal. "I've heard the argument that the other teams should be willing to because of the visiting crowds that the Cubs bring to their games. They do draw well, as do we, yet we were creative in our search for a new site to identify a partner willing to finance the entire project without public dollars."
The D-Backs and Rockies will move into a new facility in 2011 that the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community is building east of Scottsdale. The tribe is taking a $23 million loan backed by federal stimulus money to help fund the $100 million project. The tribe, which operates two casinos, is paying for the remainder of the new complex.
Arizona House Majority Leader John McComish is formulating a financing bill for the Cubs. He has said he's looking at options to pay for the new stadium, including ticket surcharges and increased taxes on hotels and car rentals. It has not been determined how much the surcharge would be. The Phoenix area already has high car rental taxes, with current rates totaling 18.53 percent.
Legislators may face criticism if they fast-track taxes for the Cubs as they cut education and social welfare programs in the face of a multibillion-dollar deficit.
Mesa City Manager Chris Brady said in addition to ticket surcharges and higher car rental taxes, Mesa voters will be asked to approve bond money as well as infrastructure and services spending for the new complex. Brady said tentative plans call for two-thirds of the $84 million to come from regional sources and one-third from the city. That translates into a split of $56 million to $28 million.
— Carrie Muskat
8/27 Harden, Heilman reportedly claimed
Cubs pitchers Rich Harden and Aaron Heilman have reportedly been claimed on waivers.
FOXSports.com cited Major League sources Thursday as saying a National League team was awarded the claim on Heilman. The claiming team on Harden was not known, but presumably he did not get through the National League, either. Players must pass through their own league first before being exposed on waivers to teams in the other league.
The Cubs will have until Monday to work out trades, allow Harden and Heilman to depart on claims, or pull them back them from waivers. Harden is 3-1 with a 1.80 ERA in eight starts since the All-Star break.
The Giants, Rockies and Dodgers all are interested in adding starting pitching, and Harden would be an attractive pickup. Harden is 8-7, 3.99 ERA overall in 22 starts, while Heilman is 2-3 with a 4.55 ERA.
— Carrie Muskat
8/19 Baker's dozen
Jeff Baker was a career .257 hitter in all or part of five Major League seasons with the Rockies when the Cubs acquired him July 2 for a Minor League pitcher. On Wednesday, he extended his hitting streak to nine games with a double in the second inning.
"You always like to believe in your abilities and your talents," Baker said. "You believe that whether you're hurt or not playing well, you believe you'll get the opportunity to show what you can do."
He was bothered earlier this year by a strained ligament in his hand that took the Rockies trainers a long time to diagnose. He doesn't blame that for his early struggles.
"I was really frustrated and wondering what was going to happen and how the year was going to end up," he said. "Personally, I"m ecstatic to be here and ecstatic to be playing well."
He entered Wednesday's game batting .343 in 30 games since he was acquired. That's the main reason Baker is starting at second over Mike Fontenot, who was hitting .225.
"Playing for the Chicago Cubs and the talent that's in here, that's what it's all about," Baker said. "That's when baseball is fun."
There is one adjustment Baker has had to make. When in Colorado, he played with shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who is much taller than Chicago's Ryan Theriot.
"That is one area I've got to get used to," Baker said, laughing, about the height difference.
— Carrie Muskat


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By John Haley
Being the tallest player on the floor at 6-foot-4, Nick Isola made sure he did something about it.
The senior center, who combines power with finesse, demanded the ball down low and delivered with 22 points on 8 of 9 shooting.
With Isola's strong play loosening up the perimeter, hot-shooting Monroe took advantage in posting a 59-53 victory over Sayreville in a Greater Middlesex Conference-White Division clash last night in Sayreville.
"I felt like I could dominate tonight," said Isola, who utilized a strong spin move to score the majority of his points. "Chris (Germano) was finding me and I was hot. Usually our outside shooting will open things up for us inside, but tonight it worked in reverse."
Senior guard Matt Siemons added 12 points and eight rebounds for Monroe, which has won three straight and four out of five since beginning the season 2-4. Germano, a Junior point guard, chipped in with nine points and six assists, while senior forward Ryan Stole and senior guard Zach Gorham had seven points and seven rebounds each.
Corey Taite, at 5-6, posted a team-high 12 points and a team-high seven rebounds for Sayreville, which had won three of four coming in.
Foul shooting was a big key as Monroe was 14 of 25, while Sayreville was just 2 of 4.
"We knew we had a big height advantage, so we wanted to exploit that,'' Monroe coach Nick Puleio said. "We also wanted to stop them from shooting 3's. Every time we play them, we seem to get a big lead, but just like their nickname says, they start bombing and hitting threes.''
After shooting just 4 of 12 in the first quarter, Monroe went on to shoot a sizzling 63 percent on 17 of 27 from the field the rest of the way.
Sayreville, which led 15-12 after one quarter, matched the hot shooting in the second quarter to claim a 32-30 lead at the break. But in the third quarter, when Monroe was lighting it up on 8 of 11 from the field, Sayreville was just 3 of 13 as Monroe was able to claim a 10-point lead by outscoring Sayreville, 19-7. Seimons and Isola scored six each in the decisive third quarter.
Monroe stretched its lead to 13 points with 7:31 left in the game, but Sayreville made things interesting when 3-pointers by Taite and Anthony Manning, making his season debut, cut the lead to 56-52 with 54 seconds left. But one foul shot by Siemons on successive trips down court sealed the game.
"We started the season 0-2 with close losses to Woodbridge (six points) and North Brunswick (one point),'' said Isola. "So me and Ryan (Stolte) came into practice the next day and told the team we could either fold or come back by continuing to work.''


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I've always had bad teeth. Have so many crowns I've told the kids to recover the gold before I'm cremated. Since going grain and sugar free have had no more problems. Only a year so far, but hopeful of a real turn around here
I'm new to paleo (been eating SAD my whole life) and want to know if there is some things I can do to improve my bones and teeth. I've had problems with cavities ever since I was like 9 or 10 yrs old and brush regularly. I've always been thin boned but never fractured easily until recently(caught a light knee swimming and an elbow during basketball both in the ribs).. I guess the years of SAD have finally caught up with me. I'd really like to believe I can reverse this damage or at least slow the deterioration down(I'm 31). I've also heard teeth can heal themselves! Wth I wish I'd have known about this primal stuff 20 yrs ago I'm actually pissed at the establishment.. this stuff should be taught in school.
Credit to John Durant with his spot on the Colbert Report for opening my eyes to this way of living. Also this forum looks to be a friggin goldmine to someone like me. I'll be reading it for weeks
* - Wanted to add that paleo eating has solved my lifelong problem of stomach problems with being bloated and sharp pains which as far as I know was grains getting stuck in my intestines. Again why aren't we taught this in school!!!!!!
Last edited by Unclepauly; 09-25-2010 at 10:36 PM.
I've always had bad teeth. Have so many crowns I've told the kids to recover the gold before I'm cremated. Since going grain and sugar free have had no more problems. Only a year so far, but hopeful of a real turn around here
Rami Nagel's plan combines AV's raw primal diet with WAP. It's not paleo as it contains dairy (butter and cream).
Also be sure to check out the work of Melvin Page DDS on body chemistry and bone/tooth health. I was a nutritional student of the DDS who ran Page's clinic. He (not Page) advocated a raw primal diet as laid out by AV as well with a few modifications depending on your particular body chemistry. Page was not an advocate of dairy except butter as he found it imbalancing to the system. Goat dairy was better and more alkaline.
His books are available from Price-Pottenger here:
Last edited by Primallady; 09-25-2010 at 11:40 PM.
Vitamin D is essential for the body to absorb calcium, and is absolutely essential for bone health, far better than osteoporosis drugs such as Boniva. Take 1,000 units per 25 lbs of body weight.
Also take 1 tablespoon a day of this vital nutrient:
We add this among other things to our daily smoothie.
Vitamin D
Gustofson on Health - " I eat bacon, a whole damn plate!"
Yup, optimal vitamin D, lots of veggies for acid/base balance, and possibly also magnesium depending on your food intake.
I was told as a child in the 50's that sugar was bad for the teeth. I think even modern CW agrees with this.
The important nutrients for building bone matrix are D, K, zinc, magnesium and calcium. Because optimal levels of D increase calcium absorption significantly, it seems that high calcium diets and calcium supplements may not be necessary.
On a paleo/primal diet, most will need to supplement magnesium. The following google bookmark 'list' is a compilation of relevant magnesium posts:
Vitamin K:
My linked vitamin d document (below), has some good information about vitamin d levels, dosing, testing and has some decent references.
While many will need 1000 IU per 25lbs body weight to maintain optimal D levels, this is not true across the board. Some will need much less; some will need much more. It's best to test. A home 'finger stick' test is available for $65. (see the doc in my sig line).
I'd be interested in reading any scientifically sound information on diatomaceous earth and the health benefits. So far, I haven't found any and am fairly turned off by the snake oil sales tactics on the websites selling it.
Good reading for the curious mind:
* indicates easier to read; less 'jargon'
American Society for Evolutionary Medicine
Cholesterol and Health - Chris Masterjohn Cooling Inflammation - Art Ayers, PhD
Entropy Production
Evolutionary Medicine Forums
*Evolutionary Psychiatry - Emily Deans, MD
*Healthy Skeptic - Challenging mainstream myths about nutrition, health and disease
*Heartscan - William Davis, MD (cardiologist)
Hyperlipid - Petro Dobromylskyj, DVM
*Michael Eades, MD - a critical look at nutritional science
*Paleo Nutrition - Kurt Harris, MD
*Perfect Health Diet - Paul Jaminet, PhD (astrophysics) andShou-Ching Shih, PhD (molecular biology)
*Whole Health Source - Stephan Guyenet, PhD
*Vitamin D Council - John Cannell, MD (worth signing up for his infrequent newsletters)
Fitness related:
*Conditioning Research
*Mobility Workout of the Day
Last edited by cillakat; 09-26-2010 at 06:25 AM.
Dr. Stephen Guyenet at Whole Health Source ( I see Cillakat linked several of his blog posts) did an entire essay on just this question.
i was told i wouldnt be able to walk without pain about 8 months ago due to osteoporosis... sardines, eggs, butter and sunlight... i understand supplementing vitamin D, but sunlight is your best bet.
i have no pain in my bones/joints anywhere, at all anymore, and it took all 8 months(good thing it was summer). also, swimming and weight bearing exercises helped build my bones back up. i can even to kettlebells now, walking lunges etc.... after injuring myself sprinting i am to scared to ever try it again but sticking to primal aspects....SLEEP SUN and good food has seriously performed a miracle on my body/bones!


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The busiest part of the 2014 hurricane season for South Louisiana kicks into gear in August, and as storms approach, it's good to know how to navigate the National Hurricane Center's web pages.
Here is a discussion of the items offered at the site, with links to examples and an explanation of what they do.
The first stop is the center's main web page, which includes both Atlantic and Pacific basin forecast links.
During active storms, individual storm page links will be placed in boxes below an initial map that identifies locations of all storms. I'm using Tropical Storm Bertha, active on Friday, Aug. 1, in these examples.
At the top of each box, forecasters likely will provide a headline-style sentence updating the storm.
Below that, there will be a paragraph giving the storm's location, direction of movement and speed, its central pressure and maximum sustained winds.
Next come links to written messages that are issued by NHC forecasters every six hours, or, in some cases, special statements between those six-hour periods. You'll note that the Public Advisory is listed along with the time it was released in the local time used at the location of the storm. A version of that message also is provided in Spanish.
That's followed by a more technical Forecast Advisory message, listed in UTC, which stands for Coordinated Universal Time and is the same as Greenwich Mean Time, the international standard time that is based in Greenwich, England. In New Orleans, you can convert UTC to Central Daylight Time by subtracting 5 hours. During Central Standard Time, you subtract 6 hours.
After that it's the Forecast Discussion message, which is written by the forecaster or forecasters who have prepared the most recent advisories. It includes their reasoning for various pieces of the forecast, including expected changes in intensity and the storm's path. Often, you'll find meteorological terms in this message that you're unfamiliar with.
You can look up those unfamiliar words in a glossary web site provided by the American Meteorological Society.
Next in the box is a separate message, Wind Probs, for wind speed probabilities, also provided in UTC time. The probabilities chart includes predictions of percent chance of different wind speeds expected be experienced at locations that are predicted to fall within the margin of error bubble along a storm's forecast path.
Don't worry. There are visual versions of this chart that we'll explain below.
Two more links to written messages will appear on the second line in the box. The first is to a page that lists NWS Local Statements, local forecast information provided by individual National Weather Service offices within the storm's path.
These local statements are generally released within an hour after the forecast messages are released. They provide a wider range of information for local areas, including addition information about storm surges, rainfall, and potential local hazards that the local forecasters are better able to explain.
Next is the US Watch/Warning link, which takes you to links to storm watches and warnings issued for local areas.
The next two lines in the block are for visual products issued by the NHC:
The first line deals with wind speeds, and includes visual depictions of Hurricane Wind Speed Probability, 50-Knot Wind Speed Probability, Tropical Storm Wind Speed Probability, and Wind History. This final one is a map with color-coded wind speeds, showing where hurricane, 50-knot and tropical storm winds have already been.
The second line includes maps outlining the forecast path of the storm. First is the Warnings/Cone Interactive Map, which shows the black forecast path surrounded by a blue cone outlining the potential forecast error, atop a Google Map image. A link on the page allows the same graphic to be shown in Google Earth. The map also includes color-coded watch and warning areas.
The next map is the one most people are familiar with, the Warnings/Cone Static Images map, which shows land in green, water in blue, the cone of error in white, and the forecast path in black. Watches and warnings also are identified, in yellow and blue, respectively. The map can be changed to show the forecast track for 3 or 5 days and with the black forecast path line on or off.
The Warnings and Surface Wind map includes only the present warnings and the surface wind field at the time of the forecast.
The final map on this line is the Mariners' 1-2-3 Rule map, which shows a larger error bubble of 100, 200 and 300 nautical miles at 24 hours, 48 hours and 72 hours, respectively.
Once a storm is within about 48 hours of a landfall, the National Hurricane Center also will begin issuing maps outlining storm surge risks. These color-coded maps will estimate how high surge flood water will be above ground level along the coast. There were no surge maps posted at mid-day on Friday.
The National Hurricane Center also has linked to a wealth of information for the public at its main web site. Browse through the list on the left side of the page for some of the more interesting ones.
Under Tools and Data, check out the Satellite link for a wide range of satellite images, both static and animated.
Under Outreach & Education, the center has a Resources link that includes a variety of videos of hurricane readiness presentations and explanations of forecasting and hurricane research.


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There are few things more intriguing than a mystery. In recent years, stories of people who've gone missing have garnered much public attention.
In our area, possibly the most-talked- about case is that of missing toddler Aliayah Lunsford. The child was last seen at her home in south Weston on Sept. 24. Local, state and federal law enforcement agencies have scoured the area, talked with various residents and gathered other information. While investigators believe the incident to be a crime, still there is no answer to the girl's disappearance.
Since the day little Aliayah was reported missing and her picture was released to the media and printed on posters, the 3-year-old has captured the hearts of people throughout the nation. Social networks and media outlets have received hundreds of postings. Charitable organizations have hosted fundraisers and paid tribute with displays.
On Tuesday, the child's mother, Lena Lunsford, appeared in U.S. District Court on an unrelated matter. Demonstrators displayed posters outside the courthouse in Elkins and throughout the downtown area. Some of them called out to the woman demanding to know the whereabouts of the child. The concern in their voices echoed that heard in many conversations throughout our communities.
Police continue their investigation, but have released no new information in several weeks. Meanwhile, the public is growing more anxious. Cases such as these are not often solved in a short time. For that, we must remain patient.
More importantly, we have to stand vigilant. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to the return of the child and the arrest and conviction of those involved in her disappearance. Even a small bit of information that may not seem relevant could be a big help to law enforcement. Anyone with information or who sees anything that may contribute to solving this mystery is urged to call 304-558-4831. Callers may remain anonymous.


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Baidu (NASDAQ: BIDU ) today signed its first global operator agreement with Orange to co-develop a mobile browser for smartphone customers in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia (AMEA).
Orange signed the exclusive deal with Baidu to serve the 80 million people across the AMEA region who have turned to Android smartphones -- a group that grew especially in the second half of 2012.
The browser gives AMEA customers an interface to access Web-based apps and Internet services unique to Baidu and Orange. Along with one-click access to preferred local and global services, the browser is said to be faster and more data-efficient, able to reduce data consumption by 30% to 90%, depending on the service.
The browser is now available on Mobinil – one of Egypt's three mobile phone operators – in Arabic and English. Baidu and Orange are working to launch a French version.


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Webisode Wednesday: Stuffed Shells with Homemade RicottaKelsey Banfield
Stuffed Shells with Homemade Ricotta is one of my all-time favorite family dinners. Many times people associate this dish with heavy cheese and loads of dense pasta, but I like to make a lighter version. I make a creamy homemade ricotta and a light tomato sauce, and always keep the amount of cheese on the manageable side. Best of all, this is a great make-ahead dish. I make it while my daughter is napping and leave it in the fridge for the afternoon. That way dinner is a snap to prepare in the evening. This can even made up to a day ahead of time which is great for working parents, too. And, don't worry, if you don't have time to make the homemade ricotta you can use store-bought as well!
For Recipe please visit The Naptime Chef.
Article Posted 6 years Ago


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Sorry to hear about the stomach upset.
I had heartburn a while back, which is extremely rare for me. Anyway, we had Mexican Coke in small glass bottles (I wouldn't touch our corn syrup stuff) and I drank almost the entire bottle at once. Not only it was delicious, it made me feel much better almost immediately.
Was it Zach or Derp who was drinking it regularly? IDK.
I like my white taters. I have them almost every day. I was VLC and then LC for a while. Since I added them I've never had binging episode, ever. So they have improved my quality of life greatly and being so inexpensive, it is a win-win thing.


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I would think that for someone in a weak state that stress is stress and being overly hot would result in stress hormones. When stress hormones are present there will be a drop in body temp as well, right? I mean think about when you get adrenalin/cortisol spikes, usually temp is low and extremities are freezing, most likely because adrenaline is a vasoconstrictor.
PM, i think what Stephan recommends and what YB is doing is pretty dang extreme and certainly not for everyone. YB and a few others with chronically low temps and set point problems (flushing of face) that the protocol might work well. For others with a pretty standard response to temp, it is probably detrimental to try and over heat the body.
Stick to the over-eating thing and listen to your body. If you feel some cold extremities or brain fog, take a hot shower/bath or eat a hot meal, no need to go to extremes.
I think you were on the right path before the heat experiment. Keep it going, keep it relaxed and remember what your working towards.


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Show #3728
Billy Crystal and The Wallflowers.
PLUS: Early Voting; Is a Time Machine Possible?; Results in the Latest Zogby Poll; a Top Ten List; and Weekend Late Show with Bruce and Linda.
" . . . . and now, with all your fantasy football sleepers . . . . . . . . David Letterman!"
- "The Yankees clinched the division. They can now focus on being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs."
- "Your choice this November is clear, between the guy who targets bin Laden, and the guy who targeted Big Bird."
Early voting is underway in several states. We go to CBS News Election Headquarters for the latest.
ANNOUNCE: "CBS News has preliminary results from states allowing early voting. At this time, President Barack Obama is leading challenger Mitt Romney, 51% to 49%.
Early voting in the 2016 Presidential election has Hillary Clinton ahead of Rick Santorum, 53% to 47%.
And in the 2020 Presidential election, commissar Zhang Yuan leads Commissar Wu Ping, 52% to 48%.
Sorry you had to find out like this, America.
We now return you to 'Moon Bitch.'"
The time-travel film "Looper" is now in theaters and it has a lot of people asking if time travel is possible. Dave saw this odd message earlier today that should hopefully clear this up. We watch.
ANNOUNCE: "If time travel was possible, wouldn't someone have come back from the future to stop this:"
Cut to a scene from Honey Boo Boo
ANNOUNCE: "This has been a message from a scientist."
It's Poll Season! Every day there is a new poll to take the temperature of the American public. We decided to take a look at the Results of the Latest Zogby Poll
* What surprised you the most about the debate?
- 57% - Mitt Romney's strong performance
- 31% - Barack Obama's weak performance
- 12% - Jim Lehrer is still alive
* Voters are most likely to vote for the candidate who can solve:
- 13% - the deficit problem
- 11% - the crisis in the Middle East
- 76% - the bacon shortage
* Are you more likely to vote for Romney after the debate?
- 25% - Yes
- 25% - No
- 50% - Dammit, I messed the debate! I was watching "Storage Wars: Texas"
* After watching Wednesday night's debate, viewers reported:
- 55% - increased confidence in Mitt Romney
- 11% - lingering questions about our economy
- 34% - erotic dreams featuring Jim Lehrer
Dave throws the blue card through the window. We hear a glass crash and then a long piece of music. Dave sitting there doing nothing while listening to the music that went on much too long reminded me of something from "Family Guy"
* Cookies?
- 100% - Yes
* What should Michelle Obama give Barack for their anniversary?
- 5% - something lovely from her garden
- 5% - a gift card to his favorite clothing store
- 90% - Red Bull
* Who do you think was most impressed by Mitt Romney's debate performance?
- 47% - the 1%
- 1% - the 47%
* Americans would most like to see:
- 6% - Mitt Romney's tax returns
- 5% - more evidence of Barack Obama's birthplace
- 89% - an end to this God-awful campaign
* How concerned are you that Europe's debt problems will worsen the United States economy?
- 86% - concerned
- 13% - unconcerned
- 1% - How did you get into my house?
TOP TEN: THINGS YOU DON'T EXPECT TO HEAR FROM A PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL PLAYER - NFL players are complaining that the new form-fitting uniforms make them look fat.
7. "Has anyone seen my yarmulke?"
3. "No steroids for me, thanks."
1. "I want to play for the Jets"
My Top Ten jokes I tossed into the mix. I usually get mine in after the first round. A Top Ten list is prepared and then some are crossed out. More are then called for. Mine are in that batch.
- "I don't work Sundays"
- "Stop touching me"
- "I feel like a jaded old school girl"
- "I want to play for the Jets" (DING!)
- "This Saturday I'm a guest on the Weekend Late show with Bruce and Linda"
- "Let's win one for Kelly Ripa."
BILLY CRYSTAL: dressed in all black. Remember when all our guests wore all black? Dave comments on how fantastic Billy is looking. Mr. Crystal explains the 3 Ages of Man:
1. Boyhood.
2. Manhood
3. "You look fantastic!"
Billy is in town to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of "The Princess Bride" at nearby Lincoln Center. It was a big reunion with all the living members of the cast. Billy says the movie wasn't so big at the time it was released but it has slowly become the "Wizard of Oz" to many people. Billy would watch it with his kids, and now he's watching it with his kids' kids. Billy talks about the making of the film and how he and the cast would often have to stay in costume and keep on the makeup during down time. It was hard not to stay in character. Billy demonstrates how he would order lunch as Miracle Max. And Billy talks a bit about Andre the Giant, who played Fezzik. Andre, the Eighth Wonder of the World, was a professional wrestling great. At the time of "The Princess Bride," Andre was going through an image change, from good guy to bad guy. Andre wasn't happy about this at all, but business is business.
What did Billy think of the Presidential campaign? Billy says Mitt reminds him of a guy in a Cialis commercial. Nice looking man with a sweater resting on his shoulders and tied around his neck. A good looking guy but not really that potent. Dave mentions his experience with Mitt Romney and recently with the head of the Mormons, Murray Sugarman. Billy had a good laugh at this as he was taken in by Dave's story, up to the point of the head of the Mormons being Murray Sugarman. Billy pointed out that this is how comedy works. People at home should take note.
What will be the hardest thing for Mitt about being President? Says Billy: "Moving into a smaller house."
Billy has an idea. He has a life-size head photo of Mitt Romney. The mouth is cut out. Billy puts the photo up to his face, sticks his lips through, and pretends to be Mitt Romney, ala Conan's Bill Clinton. Following this, a photo is taken of Dave and "Mitt." The photographer: Walter Kim. Did you see Walter milk his time on camera? I thought he was never going to take the picture! Goodness!
Yes, it's 25 years since the premiere of "The Princess Bride." Billy's next film opens not quite 25 years from now, but just about. "Parental Guidance" opens Christmas Day.
ANNOUNCE: "It's all happening here Monday as Dave welcomes Jack Hanna, and from 'New Girl' Max Greenfield. Visit cbs.com/lateshow to watch The Wallflowers Live on Letterman! The Wallflowers' exclusive online concert from the Ed Sullivan Theater can be streamed on demand. Put it on your bucket list, Myrtle."
Dave forgot to do this earlier. We take a look what's in store tomorrow on the "Weekend Late Show" with Bruce and Linda.
We come upon Bruce and Linda at the familiar desk of the Late Show. It is adorned with festive flowers and light-hearted decor of a weekend morning program
LINDA: "Thanks, Dave, and happy Columbus Day Weekend! We have a very special treat on tomorrow's show, when the Schenectady Masque and Gown Community Theater Troupe presents a re-enactment of Christopher Columbus arriving in the New World. They're performing the whole thing in our parking lot!
BRUCE: "Ahoy! It's also harvest season, and Don Swegle from the American Gourd Society will be here to judge your entries in our 'Gourd That Resembles My Pet' contest."
LINDA: "Someone's going to win a gym membership and a 3-month supply of pet food!"
BRUCE: "There are some amazing entries . . . ."
LINDA: "Now, is an iPhone in your budget? Because in our 'Technology Spotlight' this week, we're going to look at an alternative: walkie-talkies."
BRUCE: "10-4! All that, plus homemade chewing guy, donating blood plasma, and 'When is burning your trash the right thing to do?' Tomorrow on the Weekend Late Show."
A quick CBS promo and congratulations follows: "CBS Congratulates Bruce and Linda on their three Emmy wins!"
From the forthcoming album, "Glad All Over," The Wallflowers performed "Reboot The Mission"
And that was our show for Friday October 5, 2012.
I created a time-travel machine just like the one in "Looper." I can travel a week ahead in time, but it takes the machine 7 days to get me there.
I followed professional wrestling in the early 80s purely for fun. I really enjoyed some of the story lines. Professional wrestling would come on every Saturday morning and we would get to see the big names wrestle against nobodies. You rarely got a good match. If you wanted to see a good wrestler against a good wrestler you had to buy a ticket at an arena. Two wrestlers you NEVER saw were Andre the Giant and the current champion. That would cost you money. You weren't getting either of those two for free.
When wrestling was still kinda "new," not quite in the public's eye, a friend and I decided to take in a match at the Madison Square Garden. We made it into the big city for some goofy fun. We went to the box office for two tickets. We were told the night's wrestling card was sold out. What? Professional wrestling . . . at Madison Square Garden . . . room for 20,000 was sold out?! We couldn't believe it. Did professional wrestling really have this much of an audience? We went outside and were soon approached by a scalper. Did we want two? Yes, we did. Kidding around, we asked who was wrestling tonight. The guy had no idea. He checked the ticket impatiently and said, "Bob Backlund." My friend Jimmy and I started jumping up and down like little school girls who just saw Justin Bieber. "Bob Backlund is wrestling tonight! Bob Backlund is wrestling tonight!" The scalper saw his price quickly double. He then realized we were just being idiots. He got down to business. "You want two tickets or not?" We unenthusiastically worked out a deal, maybe costing $10 a ticket. We were in. We still couldn't believe the place was sold out. During the many matches, Jimmy and I played the part of wide-eyed excited guys in love with professional wrestling. We yelled, screamed, hollered, offered encouragement, booed the bad guys, and drank a lot of beer. Sitting next to Jimmy was a very pretty girl. Jimmy, an equally good-looking guy, tried to start up a conversation. Nothing doing. She had little time for Jimmy. Jimmy tried again, and then again a little later. He was getting nowhere. She then turned to Jimmy, fed up, and said, "Listen! I'm here with my grandfather because I didn't want him coming here by himself. YOU'RE here because you want to be here." Jimmy was stunned silent, then laughed in her face. All he could say was, "You're right. Good point." We still laugh about that 30 years later.
Uh oh, pitcher Kris Medlen of the Atlanta Braves . . . . . the Braves have won the last 23 games he has started. That's unheard of, unless you just said it out loud. Then it's heard of, but it's still pretty unbelievable. Medlin is scheduled to pitch against the Cardinals in a one-game National League playoff. So why do I say "Uh oh" that Kris Medlen is pitching. Isn't that a good thing? Of course it is, but I can't help but think of Rick Sutcliffe on the 1984 Chicago Cubs. He went on a 16-1 streak with the Cubs to finish the regular season but then lost the 5th and final game of the playoffs against the San Diego Padres. When I think of Kris Medlen, I think of Rick Sutcliffe, 1984.
I'll be rooting for the Braves, up until I hear the Tomahawk Chop chant from their fans. It's annoying, it's dull, it's tired . . . . and it doesn't work.
Is it Tebow Time? I didn't think the Jets would go with him this week against the Houston Texans who many think may be the best team in football. The Jets will let the Texans eat up on QB Mark Sanchez. Next week will be Tebow Time when the Jets play the Colts. Just my guess.
From Cornwall, New York and an Albertus Magnus alum, it's Michael Mulligan
This concludes another installment of CAMEO MENTION OF A WAHOO READER
Michael Z. McIntee
Twitter: @WahooMike


text: Good Day, RgoRTDH> Actually, I just tried it and got "Account for domain hexblog.com has been RgoRTDH> suspended." <standard disclaimer>As far as I know</standard disclaimer> server/bandwidth issue at a cheap ISP. NOT censorship. I've got a question about this and want to make a point very clear: at 1:40 GMT, Jan 4, 2005, NO censorship/pressure of any kind has been imposed on Ilfak. -- Best regards, Pierre mailto:pierre at datarescue.com


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Nov 1, 2013
The island's biggest and most profitable bank is looking across the Atlantic for growth
When you've spent 176 years in business,
chances are it means you've struck a winning
formula. So it is that Republic Bank, which has been in the
English-speaking Caribbean for that long, has notched up
another strong year. The bank grew assets to 55 billion
Trinidad dollars ($8.7 billion) in June 2013, up from 51
billion Trinidad dollars a year earlier, and maintained an
impressive capital adequacy ratio of 30%. Similarly it
performed well. In...
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Category Archives: adventure webcomic
WCO#239: Dresden Codak
Aaron Diaz's Dresden Codak is a strange creature. It debuted back in 2005, back when webcomics were developing a reputation as the sophisticated alternative to their comic strip brethren. xkcd launched in the same year, and A Lesson Is Learned But The Damage Is Irreversible not long before that. Perry Bible Fellowship was starting to gain a strong following. At the core of these comics as a brainy just-out-of-college mentality. The gags were still sometimes juvenile, but at its core were concepts and ideas that were smarter and more clever than ones on the Sunday Funnies. Except Marmaduke. That comic is pretty dang subversive.
And all of them, including xkcd sometimes, would surprise you by hitting you with some great looking art. It may be easy to forget, since a lot of art grads now know of webcomics as a great way to expand their portfolio, but aesthetically webcomic art was pretty dire. The medium, after all, was originally conceived as an amateur hobby where some folks got lucky despite the artistic merit, e.g. tons of pixel comics. As a result, comics like Dresden Codak were incredibly eye-catching in comparison.
Typical of early Dresden Codak is a comic like "Li'l Werner." It's a one-shot comic with no continuity baggage. Diaz is still experimenting with his art style: this time homaging the black-and-white cross-hatching of Edward Gorey. The strip hinges around a tongue-in-check parody of Aryan physics (the Nazi nationalist scientific movement to discredit Jewish scientists like Albert Einstein). There's a sharped-toothed Philip Lenard recalling anti-Semitic caricatures, a tiny Heisenberg, and something about "current momentum." I don't pretend to know what the heck any of this is about. But it sounds smart and the multiple tiny Heisenbergs is a cute visual gag. It's a lovely comic to introduce to your local Tesla fan.
WCO #236: Camp Weedonwantcha
I have a startling confession to make: I'm a pretty big fan of the probably cancelled NBC series Siberia. (I was also a fan of The Cape, so maybe I'm just attracted to failure.) Siberia starts off by fooling viewers into thinking that they're watching a reality show. Contestants are dropped off via helicopter into the forbidding wilderness of northern Russia. Like all reality shows, they start things off with a silly challenge. Race to the cabins! The last two get eliminated! The trappings are familiar to anyone who's watched TV in the last decade. There's filmed confessionals to flesh out character personalities, alliances being formed, and mugging for the unseen cameramen.
Show's true format and statement of intent reveals itself by the end of the first episode, though. One of the contestants is presumed dead. Brutally mutilated. It slowly dawns on the characters (and the viewers) that nothing on the show is as it seems. Slowly but surely, the safety net disappears. The characters arrived in Siberia with the assumption that, no matter what goes wrong, there's a support team hiding just out of view to deal with the really serious stuff. Like food rations, medical care, or keeping away dangerous animals or people. Scary moments are initially brushed off as just being part of the show. The real horror creeps in when the characters suddenly realize that nobody is in control, and they are all at the mercy of whatever dark, unspoken mysteries lurk just beyond the campgrounds.
The same sense of primal eeriness permeates Katie Rice's difficult to spell webcomic Camp Weedonwantcha. ("Weedonwantcha" is a play on words: it's both a parody of camps that takes on Native American names and what Avengers director Joss Whedon says when he wants to pick up chicks.) The encroaching sense of desperation isn't at the forefront, though. This is primarily a humorous comic about kids having adventures at camp. One that they seem to be unable to leave. And not because the crafts classes are super fun.
WCO #231: MS Paint Adventures: Homestuck (Act 6)
(For the rest of this multi-part review, check out my thoughts on Acts 1-4 and Act 5.)
You've got to hand it to Andrew Hussie. They guy seems to go out of his way to be as alienating as possible. Just when it seems like the story's gaining traction, he's all, "Nuts to that sh*t. Time to roll with something that makes even less sense." When MS Paint Adventures: Homestuck started, it bore a lot of similarities with its predecessor, Problem Sleuth, as a parody of an adventure game, complete with confusing inventory systems and glitchy controls. But then, all of the sudden, it became this complex world-building mythology, with multiple planets and a core system of light and darkness anchored by two planets with two moons.
And then Act 5 rolls around. Hussie introduces a bunch of abrasive new characters with orange horns that were so myriad that they seemed impossible to track. Oh yeah, and they've got their own alternative world and a complicated system of romance. Clearly, Hussie has disappeared straight up his own butt, right? Well, that maybe so… but the gamble paid off, and Homestuck became more popular than it ever had been before. At least with the costume stores supplying gray facepaint to all the troll cosplayers out there.
When we get to Act 6, then, the question isn't, "So, what's Hussie going to do to answer all these puzzles and mysteries?" It becomes more, "What sort of ridiculous bull is Hussie going to make up just to needlessly confuse and deliberately obfuscate the story even further?"
There are drawbacks to being this experimental, though. At some point, the mythology can get too top heavy, and the characters the readers learned to love over the course of the story get lost in the shuffle. Hey, Losties: remember Lost, Season 6? The experimental one that discarded the format, explored all new characters with a sideway universe where the cast had different adventures because they were living in a parallel world?
Me neither.
One Punch Reviews #87: Battlecroc
Battlin' animals seem all the rage these days. And the more inappropriate, the better. Pokemon probably started the rage, what with its rats and lizards and … um … mimes all bread for battlin'. The trend has spread to webcomics as well. 2012, for example, saw the Eisner Award go to Battlepug, which, as its title suggests, is about a pug that battles. That, of course, is part of its humor. Who expects a pug to battle? They look like sad little children, more likely to be begging for handouts than to be bathed in the blood of war.
And cuddle unassuming animals are once again at the forefront in Bryan Fleming's Battlecroc. That's right, thouse friendly long-snouted fellows that Steve Irwin used to pal around with (until his unfortunate demise at the end of the frightening tail of the stingray) are portrayed as unlikely warriors in a world that hoas gone to the birds.
(That's right. Again with the bird-bashing. Hasn't the Angry Birds franchise done enough damage by portraying these feathered hacky-sacks as being in a permanent state of utmost surliness?)
WCO #233: Little Guardians
Fantasy is rooted a little bit in actual history. Most of the time, this means the European Middle Ages. Knights in shining armor, kings and queens, towering castles, and legends of dragons and elves. King Arthur stuff. However, there are tons of challenges in setting things at a certain era. As fantasy writer Poul Anderson once elaborated in his essay "On Thud and Blunder," "Beneath the magic, derring-do, and other glamour, an imaginary world has to work right. In particular, a pre-industrial society, which is what virtually all hf uses for a setting, differs from ours today in countless ways."
One of the things that writers often do is just ignore the historical nuisances. Don't worry about people's hair not looking perfect; just assume that everyone has access to soap, mirrors, and plumbing. Pay no attention that there are no city lights; our heroes can travel by night just as easily as by day. One of the biggest historical running blocks are the roles of women. Joan of Arc aside, women in the Middle Ages were typically not trained to be warriors. It was dudes. But, since in these days it's not in the writer's or the reader's best interest that the adventurers be one big sausage party, fantasy authors tend to either ignore or minimize male chauvinism. Lady warriors just show up dressed in trousers made for men, and the townspeople rarely bat an eye.
The limited opportunities for women, though, is the driving narrative in Ed Cho and Lee Cherolis' Little Guardians. The story centers around two characters: Subira, an unassuming shopkeeper's daughter who has great potential, and Idem, an unlucky boy who's training to be the next Guardian.
One Punch Reviews #86: Girls of Monster Paradise
Welcome, boys and ghouls, to another frighteningly fun edition of the Deadcomic Overlook … um, Hotel! Ha ha ha ha ha! This is your ever fiendish host, El Satan, bringing you another chilling review of …
Is it November already?
Well, pilgrim, get ready to feast on another review. This time we'll be looking at a little giblet of a comic called Girls of Monster Paradise by Stephanie Gladden. Will this webcomic leave you feeling thankful, or will it be turkey terrible?
WCO #232: Olympus Overdrive
I think Homestuck is seeping into the most treasured crevasses of my brain. I had a generally busy October, which prevented me from updating this site too much. And while I can be a typical LiveJournal parody about how real life got in the way, and how I'm totally going to update and blah blah blah blah blah, but I won't. I'm a bigger man than that.
I'm going to blame Homestuck.
Darius3 made a humorous comment that clearly Homestuck was the reason for lack of updates, and honesty… it's not that far off. Not the way that you think, though. For one, typically I can catch up on webcomics by, say, pulling up my iPad or iPhone and reading on my free time. Homestuck is so heavily reliant on Flash that I pretty much have to wait until I get home… and honestly, that's where I have the least amount of free time. Second, it's very much a time investment. Someone mentioned it's longer than the Bible, which I will not doubt for a second. However, reading Homestuck means not reading other webcomics, which, in turn has caused this here webcomic review site to lie barren and fallow.
As a result, I have resolved to take a short break from Homestuck and browse around the other fine webcomics available for perusal. Time for something COMPLETELY DIFFERENT! One that caught my eye on a purely aesthetic level was submitted for my "Shilled" drive and still has a link on the right sidebar. It's a little thing called Olympus Overdrive. Created by Oskar Vega, it stars a guy … with the horns … and discolored skin….
Oh, boy.
WCO #231: MS Paint Adventures: Homestuck (Act 5)
(This is Part 2 of the massive Homestuck review. Click here for Part 1, covering Acts 1-4.)
I get it.
I totally get it. The appeal of the trolls, I mean.
When Andrew Hussie's MS Paint Adventures: Homestuck started out, the characters could be best described as perhaps being tied to one personality trait. John is nerdy, Rose is gothy, Dave is cool, and Jade is sunny. They're pleasant enough protagonists, but they're pretty much video game heroes. Whether you're Master Chief, the marine from Doom, Mario, Sonic, or the guy from BioShock, the main character is typically a stand-in for the player (or in this case, the reader). There has to be enough wiggle room for you to, in a way, become that character.
The trolls are different. I have a weird feeling that when Hussie started off Chapter 5, he was intentionally trying to tax the reader's patience. We've been following the same four characters for four whole acts, when all of the sudden they disappear and are replaced by twelve all new characters that we hadn't been invested in at all. Now, as an avid reader of fantasy novels, I'm pretty used to chapters where we abandon our main characters for long stretches to flesh out and establish new characters and communities. I have a feeling, though, that when this act came out, long time readers were throwing their hands up in disgust but about, say, the fifth troll introduction.
Yet, at the same time, the trolls ended up becoming the most visible symbol of Homestuck. I remember distinctly when the initial supporters (usually posting some variation of "Wake up, boy") gave way to the cavalcade of troll fan art and cosplayers. I'd read some Homestuck before, though I'd stopped before even the end of Act 1. And I remember scratching my head, thinking, "Wait. This is the same webcomic?"
All the same, I totally get it.
(NOTE: The following review will compare Homestuck to friggin' James Joyce and George Bernard Shaw. For readers with low tolerance for pompous malarkey, discretion is advised. Then again, PBS and Tor Books' Mordecai Knode made the same comparison, so nyeh!)


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Cooler air in the mid-level atmosphere combined with a patch of low pressure moving through the lower Mississippi Valley will hold clouds in place over southeastern Louisiana during much of Wednesday, and allow patches of light rain to develop, mostly closer to the coast, according to National Weather Service forecasters.
The cloud cover also will keep temperatures from getting any higher than the middle to upper 50s.
The wetter air will exit tonight, replaced by dry air accompanying high pressure replacing the cold front that's dominated the area's weather through the end of Mardi Gras. The result will be clear skies and temperatures that drop to the middle to upper 30s overnight in Baton Rouge and St. Tammany Parish, and the lower 40s in New Orleans and elsewhere south of Lake Pontchartrain.
Colder air will drop into the area on Friday and Saturday, with highs in the upper 50s north of the lake and lower 60s in New Orleans. Nighttime lows will be in the 30s north of the lake and in the low 40s to the south.
Sunny skies continue into Sunday as temperatures climb back into the mid-60s during the day and high 40s north of the lake and about 50 in New Orleans.
Washington's Birthday on Monday will see a 20 percent chance of showers, as temperatures climb into the lower 70s. The chance of rain increases to 30 percent on Tuesday morning, with highs reaching the lower 70s.


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It's a land in which we often impose our dreams. This notion of vastness, . . . this notion of unknown empty spaces in which you can project then all kinds of images, all kinds of dreams and aspirations onto the land.
~ Alex Sargoza, A Land Between Rivers, 2006
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Some new lighting has been added to Miller Park this spring.
The Milwaukee Brewers' grounds crews are using grow lights to help ensure the grass is ready for opening day.
Crews started using the lights March 10, and will use them throughout the growing season.
The lights are on nearly 24 hours per day right now.
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