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Creating a living trust is probably much easier than you think. In fact our living trust forms are designed to be easy to use! We include estate planning attorney authorized guides that give you the instructions you need to simply, thoroughly, and effectively fill out and complete your living trust. We try to make the process easy so that every American can have a living trust to help protect their family and assets.
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A FOUR-year-old boy has missed out on his first choice primary school...despite his four siblings going there.
Harrison Simmonds, was turned down for a place at West Thurrock Academy after recent boundary changes meant the family home now fell out of the school catchment area.
Instead he has been offered a place at Harris Free School, meaning the youngster faces the prospect of being half-an-hour late for school each day while mum Vanessa drops off his brothers and sisters.
It also means the mum-of-five, who runs a small business from home, will have to spend an extra two hours a day on the school run.
Mrs Simmonds, 37, of Moore Avenue, Grays, said: "I can't be in two places at once, so, in the morning I will have to take the older four in first, which means Harrison will most likely be late each day.
"That is not fair as it stays on his permanent record and could affect his future prospects.
"Because he is only four, in the afternoon, I will have to pick him up first, meaning the other four will have to wait at the gates when school finishes.
"It means that while it used to take me 15 minutes to do the school run, it will now take two hours plus!"
Mrs Simmonds and husband Dave, 42, have appealed against the ruling, but will have to wait until July before discovering their son's fate.
The family currently have a boy in Year Five, twins in Year Four and a daughter in Year Two at West Thurrock Academy. Harrison is currently in the nursery school.
Mrs Simmonds added: "We haven't moved and the school hasn't moved so how can we now be out of the catchment area? It does not make any sense at all.
"Poor Harrison is devastated he won't get to go to school with his brother and sister or any of his friends."
A spokesman for Thurrock Council said: "There is an appeal in process, we wouldn't want to comment further."

subset: commoncrawl


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It's time for Easter baskets, Easter egg hunts, Easter bunny ears & Peter Cottontail! We've got hundreds of cool Easter toys, games & cool stuffers for your Easter gift baskets or to use as giveaways at your Easter party (great for Easter egg fillers for that Easter egg hunt!) - so relax & browse! New this year ... Easter Goody Bags!
You'll please every child on your list with our vast selection! You can start with the Easter-themed items, then move on to our Toys by theme page (check out our Keychains, Inflatables, Gliders, Stickers & Smiley Face!), then feel free to browse through our hand-picked Easter Basket Stuffer selection of toys, games & novelties that defy any category!


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Find Your Adventure
Travel Stories
Getting Crafty in Bavaria
by SHARON MCDONNELL
I stopped dead in front of the house painted with scenes from Little Red Riding Hood.
Houses painted with colorful murals of religious and rural scenes were a familiar and charming sight during my stay in Bavaria. But I was still surprised to encounter buildings decorated with the big bad wolf and Hansel and Gretel from Grimm's fairy tales in the delightfully angled streets of Oberammergau.
The custom of wall painting, called Lueftlmalerei, which applies colors to wet plaster for staying power, was first used to adorn Baroque facades in the foothills of the Alps, in both southern Germany and Italy. Richly painted facades became a popular way for 18th- century traders, craftsmen and farmers to display wealth and piety, and to keep up with the Schmidts.
A People Apart
Ask someone from Bayern - Bavaria - where he or she is from, and the answer won't be Germany. The state in Germany most intensely proud of its traditions, the region was a separate kingdom for centuries. It's also the part of Germany where traditional handicrafts, folklore, folk music, and festivals are most alive. Add the snow-topped Alps, jewel-like lakes, rushing rivers, onion-domed churches, and a storybook castle - Neuschwanstein - and you have an unbeatable choice for people seeking both beauty and culture.
Located near the Austrian border, the town of Oberammergau is best known for its "Passion Play," an all-day performance in which about 2,000 villagers act out the events that led up to Christ's crucifixion. The custom originated in 1632 with the town's promise to honor Christ's final days with this ritual, which they believe saved them from the Black Plague that was wiping out Bavarian villages.
Held every 10 years during the summer, productions draw some 500,000 spectators, about two-thirds of them from the U.S. Although the next "Passion Play" is not scheduled until 2010, you still can get a sense of this immense pageant by viewing the costumes, props and exhibits on display at the Passion Theater, located in the center of town.
Oberammergau is also Bavaria's major handicraft center, known for wood-carvings, wall-painting, Hinterglasmaleriei (painting on glass) and pottery. Visitors can watch some of the town's 120 wood sculptors in action, plus wall-painters and glass-painters, at the "live workshop" at Pilatushaus, whose decorated facade depicts Christ being judged by Pontius Pilate.
The town's Woodcarving School is another place to examine this ancient art, used for Madonnas, saints and cherubs, as well as animals, hunters and household furnishings. First mentioned in a 12th-century manuscript, which noted that monks brought this local art of wood carving to other towns, the practice became so trendy by the 18th century that distribution houses were established across Europe. In fact, traveling salesman known as Kraxentrager sold the carvings door-to-door.
Vintage Violins
The delicate art of violin-making is based in nearby Mittenwald. From the 17th century, the violins, called Mittenwalderinnen ("women from Mittenwald"), were re-vered in Europe from St. Petersburg to Constantinople. One of the master violin-makers was Matthias Klotz, who apprenticed in Italian cities like Parma. His grandson is believed to have created Mozart's concert violin.
A violin-making museum showcases many stringed instruments in a cozy old-fashioned setting with rural furnishings and household goods. (A modern touch is a video showing how the instruments are made.) There's a 140-year-old violin-making school here as well.
A dozen miles south of Oberammergau is Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria's best-known resort town. Germany's highest mountain, the Zugspitzse, towers 9,720 feet above streets lined with shops and wooden, chalet-style houses whose balconies overflow with geraniums. The town hosted the 1936 Winter Olympics and 1978 World Skiing Cham-pionships.
One of the quaintest streets, Fruehlingstrasse ("Spring Street"), offers awe-inspiring views of the Alps. Snow fell softly on the December day I drove by, tempted by the many picturesque B&B's renting rooms at modest rates (U.S. $15-$20 a night).
Holiday Traditions
Bavarians love festivals and fairs. The Christmas markets, held for three weeks in December, are picturesque places to shop. The top markets are held in Munich, the Bavarian capital (the biggest and most-visited), Nuremberg, and Bad Toelz, a 14th-century market town whoseMarktstrasse is lined with pink, blue, yellow and gray houses, many painted with murals. In the frosty air, I sipped gluhwein (hot mulled wine), munched cinnamon-roasted nuts, found the urge to hum "Stille Nachte" ("Si-lent Night") and "O Tannenbaum" ("O Christmas Tree") irresistible, and watched a bearded Saint Nicholas donate fruit to children who swore they were good all year.
As I prowled stalls and shops, I noted dozens of appealing gifts like wooden silhouettes of landscapes, nativity scenes, and houses lit by electric bulbs - for use as window decorations. Also captivating were old wooden armoires painted with flowers, and unusual glass tree ornaments that contained a candle and painted landscape. Enough toys were found to keep good children very happy, at least for a couple of weeks.
Dating to the 17th century, the Leonhardi Parade is one of the loveliest and most traditional horse pilgrimages in Germany. It takes place in Bad Toelz every year on November 6, the feast day of St. Leonard, the patron saint of horses and cattle. As church bells chime, 80 horse-drawn carts magnificently painted with scenery and flowers, hundreds of horses, and citizens in colorful native costumes parade down the sloping Marktsrasse.
The procession then crosses the bridge over the Isar river, and climbs steeply to Kalvarienberg (Calvary Mountain) to the Leonard Chapel. After a church service and parade around the chapel, the pilgrims and their horses are blessed by the priest. Next, a wild ride down the mountain brings everyone back to town, where they receive a second blessing. In other Upper Bavarian villages, similar parades with just one horseman honor the saint, a 6th-century nobleman, on different dates in November.
Bavaria's Carnival season, called Fasching or Fosnet, starts January 6 and ends at midnight Shrove Tuesday. Customs stem from the rites of spring of pagan Germanic tribes, as well as the Romans, who ran through streets striking people with branches during Saturnalia. There's also the overlay of Christian practices during the long weeks of Lent.
As part of the Bavarian celebrations, masked and costumed revelers parade noisily through the streets and dance at costume balls. Many people wear fierce-looking carved wooden masks (often inherited from ancestors) depicting witches, trolls, mythic characters, fools and bears. Other participants smack onlookers with tree branches - customs intended to chase away winter and welcome fertile spring.
In Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Mittenwald, masked men clad in embroidered lederhosen jump periodically during their parade so heavy cowbells hung from their belts ring. The "winter witch" is symbolically burned at the stake on the market square, while hundreds of witches howl and dance, in the town of Laningen. Other towns, like Stockach, carry a "Fools' Tree," similar to a Maypole, through the streets and hoist it in the town square.
Although I've seen white-steepled and turreted Neushwanstein Castle in winter and summer, it always astounds me as it rises like a vision from its mountain aerie. The castle was built by King Ludwig II, who was loved by his Bavarian citizens. Not so by his war-mongering court ministers, who had the romantic, artistic monarch declared insane and deposed at age 41.
He was found drowned in Lake Starnberg a few days later in 1886; Bavarians have wondered if it was murder or suicide ever since. Every year in Oberammergau on August 24, the night before his birthday, large fires are lit in the Alps in the shape of a crown, the letter "L" and a cross in his memory.
A more 21st-century way to honor "Mad Ludwig" is by attending Ludwig II: Longing for Paradise, a dramatic musical about his life. Suitably enough, the theater is located directly across Lake Forggen from Neuschwanstein, which glows in the distance.
I found the production enchanting, from the lush, operatic arias to the gorgeous sets, including two live horses pulling a sleigh with the lonely king under the starry sky; and a scene with Ludwig dancing with his soul-mate and cousin, Empress Elisabeth of Austria, in a crystal-mirrored ballroom. I couldn't blame the king at all for preferring to be a patron to Richard Wagner, building castles, and writing love poems to "Sissi," his
glamorous cousin, instead of listening to his stuffy court ministers blathering about Prussia.
Ludwig's life ended tragically, and he never attained his goal of building a special theater for Wagner's operas. How fitting that Fuessen's Musical Theater Neuschwanstein was built in his honor, adorned with his beloved swan motifs, from the staircases to the royal-blue stage curtain. Neuschwanstein, his masterpiece, shines in the distance.
For information on additional programs and tour operators, see our Geographical Index under "Germany."


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Claudia Schiffer Kicks Up Her German Heels
Start Slideshow
Claudia Schiffer Kicks Up Her German Heels
>> She may be the Fall 2008 face of Chanel, but yesterday, Claudia Schiffer traded in her fashion frocks for something a little more . . . traditional. She broke out a dirndl, gathered up some friends, and got back to her German roots at Oktoberfest in Munich. The new garb is only temporary, though — she's expected at Dolce & Gabbana in Milan on Thursday.
*image: source


text: The collective over at Leffot undoubtedly know a thing or two about leather as they represent one of the best leather shoe stockists in the U.S. Moving away from footwear, they have just released a NATO watch strap made of Horween Shell Cordovan leather. Available in several colors, the original NATO strap was worn by members of the British Ministry of Defense and was subsequently dubbed the G10 based on the name of the inventory form required to acquire the strap. However the NATO name was put into place based on the "NATO" stock number that identified the strap. The Leffot Horween Shell Cordovan NATO Watch Straps are available now at Leffot.


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Every day, consumers receive emails at an amazing rate, reacting only to those that truly engage and compel them. But how can your emails stand out among the rest? The solution: Craft an awe-inspiring, provocative email that engages your subscribers.
In this webinar, WhatCounts' Creative Manager Alex Bardoff will examine eleven core components of high-performing creative emails that nab results every time. Alex will use his experience in graphic design and art direction to help you get a better understanding of how to approach your own creative endeavors. Complete with advice for best creative practices, this is a resource that every email marketer can use to their advantage.
Through examples and dialogue, you will see the process our own Creative Manager goes through in order to set a brand apart from the rest in every subscriber's inbox. After this webinar, you will walk away with the knowledge to critique your own creative with a critical eye and be able to identify areas of improvement in your own email campaigns.


text: I first introduced these exquisite handcrafted cat products from Dutch designer Marly Gommans over three years ago. I had not seen them available for sale until recently when I came across them at Generate Design. If you've been patiently waiting for these to be available, the wait is over! Marly's gorgeous scratching tower, pillow bed, litter hider and pop-through door can all be purchased online now. They're quite pricey, ranging from $359 to $534, however Generate Design does offer free shipping to the US and Canada.


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This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).
Ten years after completion of the Human Genome Project, progress towards making "personalized medicine" a reality has been slower than expected. The reason is twofold. Firstly, the science is more difficult than expected. Secondly, limited progress has been made in aligning economic incentives to invest in diagnostics. This paper develops nine case studies of "success" where diagnostic tests are bringing personalized medicine into clinical practice with health and economic impact for patients, healthcare systems, and manufacturers. We focus on the availability of evidence for clinical utility, which is important not only for clinicians but also for payers and budget holders. We find that demonstrating diagnostic clinical utility and the development of economic evidence is currently feasible (i) through drug-diagnostic co-development, and (ii) when the research is sponsored by payers and public bodies. It is less clear whether the diagnostic industry can routinely undertake the work necessary to provide evidence as to the clinical utility and economic value of its products. It would be good public policy to increase the economic incentives to produce evidence of clinical utility: otherwise, opportunities to generate value from personalized medicine—in terms of both cost savings and health gains—may be lost.
Ten years after completion of the Human Genome Project, progress towards making "personalized medicine" a reality has been slower than expected [
Despite these challenges, the knowledge emerging from the Human Genome Project and its application through molecular diagnostic (MDx) technologies are producing some benefits for patients and health systems. However, understanding the conditions that favour the development of evidence is challenging. The objective of this paper was to identify how evidence has been generated by critically evaluating successful case studies, and, to the extent possible, identify any lessons from the case studies.
Through nine case studies we identified examples of "success" where diagnostic tests are bringing personalized medicine into clinical practice with positive health and economic impact for patients, healthcare systems, and manufacturers. We judged success according to the ability to deliver one or more of: information of value; targeting of treatment; improvement in health status; cost offset; and the avoidance of adverse reactions. These cases illustrate the diversity of MDx technology, and highlight both the potential for value and the key difficulties that have emerged. In particular, we focus on the nature of any associated evidence of clinical utility that might facilitate the decision-making process not only for clinicians but also for payers and budget holders. We believe the findings of this paper will be helpful for policy makers and MDx developers in ascertaining how the circumstances in which good evidence of clinical utility can be generated.
Based on a review of the literature and our knowledge of trends in the field we chose nine case studies to show the diversity of MDx, its potential value in personalized medicine, and the key difficulties that have emerged. There are a limited number of examples in the literature. Using our knowledge of the field we sought to focus on a manageable number of case studies chosen to reflect as much diversity as was feasible. They represent prominent examples of MDx covering a spectrum of clinical applications in the use of MDx and pharmacogenomics (PGx), ranging from targeting cancer treatment to diabetes risk testing.
The majority of the case studies are in oncology, which is the area with the most development activity and clinically available applications to date. The prominence of cancer diagnostics reflects the importance of genomic variation in the genesis of cancer and the role that specific variations play as therapeutic targets. The five are: (1) Oncotype Dx® and MammaPrint® gene expression testing for breast cancer recurrence; (2) human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2) in breast cancer (BrCa); (3) EGFR mutation testing in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); (4) KRAS mutation testing in colorectal cancer (CRC); and (5) BCR-ABL monitoring testing in chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). The remaining four cases are: testing for the CYP2C19 enzyme which reduces the effectiveness of the oral antiplatelet agent clopidogrel (Plavix®); testing for the HLA-B*5701 allele for HIV treatment with abacavir; testing for viral load monitoring (VLM) to manage the treatment of hepatitis C; use of the PreDx® Diabetes Risk Score (DRS) in Type-2 Diabetes.
We first describe the clinical use and evidence supporting each of the nine case studies, and then summarize the variations among them in terms of the evidence base.
Breast cancer (BrCa) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women. Traditionally, clinical, histological and molecular factors such as oestrogen receptor (ER) expression and HER2 overexpression are considered when assessing risk and recommending therapies [
Oncotype DX® and MammaPrint® are gene expression profiles used for prognosis and/or prediction in early stage BrCa treatment. Oncotype DX® measures the expression of 21 genes and generates an individualized "recurrence score" that predicts the risk of recurrence in women with lymph node negative, ER-positive early stage BrCa, and identifies those most likely to benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. The assay development was based on clinical samples from the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) B-20 clinical trial [
MammaPrint® is also a microarray-based test that measures the expression of 70 genes. The assay has been cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the prognosis of patients with stage 1 or 2, node-negative, invasive BrCa where tumours are less than 5 cm in size [
Multi-gene assays such as Oncotype DX® and MammaPrint® have changed the understanding and management of BrCa, and represent a step forward in personalized medicine. The prognostic evidence from Oncotype DX® has led to the test being incorporated in clinical guidelines [
HER2/neu is a single prognostic marker that determines suitability for trastuzumab (Herceptin®) therapy in BrCa. Overexpression of the gene encoding for HER2/neu can occur in 25%–30% of BrCa [
The first test for HER2/neu over expression was developed as a companion diagnostic (CDx). An immunohistochemical (IHC) assay to select HER2-positive patients was implemented in trastuzumab's phase III pivotal trial [
Concerns have been raised regarding HER2-testing's performance relative to the CTA [
Lung cancer remains the most common cancer diagnosis in the world and mortality rates make it the leading cause of cancer-related death [
Erlotinib (Tarceva®) and gefitinib (Iressa®) are two EGFR-TKIs used to treat patients with advanced NSCLC. Although gefitinib was first approved using phase II data, the subsequent phase III trial didn't demonstrate survival benefit over best supportive care (BSC), thus, limiting the indication to patients who have previously benefited from gefitinib therapy [
The identification of EGFR mutations and the association with outcomes for patients treated with gefitinib has in essence rescued gefitinib both clinically and commercially. Where once the prospects for gefitinib looked dire, it has now become a commonly used treatment in many markets. Though the prospects for erlotinib were never as bad as those for gefitinib, expanding its indication into first line, albeit in a small subset of NSCLC patients, could have substantial impact on its value to health systems and in global sales revenues. Additional drugs targeting tumors with
The pathogenesis of CRC is closely related to the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway [
KRAS mutational testing in metastatic CRC is currently used to predict which patients will benefit from treatment with anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies such as cetuximab and panitumumab. Through retrospective analyses of clinical trial data, the drug manufacturers established the clinical utility of KRAS mutational testing [
KRAS mutational testing in metastatic colorectal cancer is routinely used to identify patients unlikely to benefit from treatment with anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies. NCCN guidelines currently recommend evaluation of KRAS mutational status in CRC workups, and use of cetuximab and panitumumab is suggested for patients with wild-type KRAS tumors only. This example illustrates that given a convincing body of evidence even if generated
CML is a cancer of the blood that is diagnosed through the detection of the "Philadelphia Chromosome" [
Monitoring of disease status and treatment response is based on the level of the fusion gene BCR-ABL in the patient's peripheral blood. The clinically-significant level for suboptimal response (
The clinical utility data from the IRIS trial has facilitated clinical decision-making and the development and adoption of BCR-ABL monitoring test. However, inter- and intra-laboratory variability may jeopardize this progress. Current efforts to address this issue, notably through the establishment of an International Scale anchored to values established and tested in the IRIS trial, or the development of commercial standardized test kits that have lower test variability and meet higher regulatory standards, have the potential to reduce the problem.
CYP2C19 is an enzyme involved in the metabolism of the oral antiplatelet agent clopidogrel (Plavix®). Clopidogrel and aspirin are standard of care to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).
The importance of CYP2C19 genotyping in treatment using clopidogrel has been well documented. People who have inherited low CYP2C19 activity, which reduces the effectiveness of clopidogrel, will have an increase risk of MACE [
Although the predictive effect of CYP2C19 is clinically significant, testing is generally still not used clinically [
This is a potential case of how test manufacturers can fund the development of relevant clinical utility data, albeit with 200 patients. It remains to be seen, however, if clinicians and payers will react positively to these data and adopt testing in daily clinical practice.
ABC was developed for use as part of a multi-drug regimen to treat people infected with HIV-1. ABC is highly effective and generally well tolerated; however, initial exploratory retrospective studies described a genetic association between HLA-B*5701 and ABC hypersensitivity (ABC-HSR) that affects between 2%–9% of patients treated [
These exploratory studies were motivated by two primary concerns: first, only a handful of patients developed ABC-HSR; and second, early epidemiologic analyses of the clinical trial data found racial differences in the risk of developing ABC-HSR. Based on retrospective analyses of trial data, the drug manufacturer identified the association between the HLA-B*5701 allele and ABC-HSR. The clinical utility of the prospective HLA-B*5701 screening on the incidence of ABC-HSR was assessed later in a RCT (PREDICT-1). The study found that prospective screening significantly reduces the overall frequency of ABC-HSR [
It is now well accepted that prospective screening for HLA-B*5701 can reduce the risk of ABC-HSR. In Europe and the US, HIV treatment guidelines recommend ABC be used only if patients have tested negative for HLA-B*5701.
Standard treatment for patients infected with hepatitis C aims at clearing the virus with the combination of pegylated interferon and ribavirin. For some patients, however, sustained virological response (SVR) (
The clinical utility of VLM has been determined. For instance, a retrospective analysis on trial data [
The clinical utility of the ability to predict treatment outcome based on VLM, and its economic impact, has been demonstrated. VLM using qualitative and quantitative assays is thus important for identifying subgroups of patients and an important tool in the treatment of hepatitis C.
Type 2 diabetes has been associated with both genetic and environmental factors, and is believed to occur due to an interaction among these factors [
The PreDx™ DRS is based on a blood assay and algorithm designed to examine genetic and protein biomarkers. It generates a numerical result between 1 (lowest risk) and 10 (highest risk), and estimates the patient risk for developing diabetes over the next five years. It is designed as an adjunctive test to complement but not replace existing clinical factor diagnoses and procedures, and is performed on a fasting blood sample [
While the PreDX® DRS has been shown to be comparable to the gold standard (an oral glucose tolerance test), it remains to be validated in a large population and gain widespread acceptance. The Inter99 study included people from Denmark only; these results may not be representative of all populations and, thus, validation work in different populations may be required. In addition, a key issue will be provider willingness to use this test in addition to fasting glucose and payer willingness to provide reimbursement for this test.
Each of these nine case studies demonstrate that a companion MDx can:
provide information to patients and health care providers; allow for a targeting of treatments or other interventions to a subset of the population despite differences in whether they are prognostic, predictive, or used for monitoring; offer the potential for the health system to deliver more health gain to patients.
provide information to patients and health care providers;
allow for a targeting of treatments or other interventions to a subset of the population despite differences in whether they are prognostic, predictive, or used for monitoring;
offer the potential for the health system to deliver more health gain to patients.
In one of these case studies—HLA-B*5701 allele testing for the use of ABC for HIV—use of an MDx avoids adverse reactions in patients and thus reduces other health care costs on the health care system, by avoiding the costs associated with treating them. In the case of OncotypeDX® and MammaPrint® the treatment regimen can be refined to avoid unnecessary chemotherapy saving cost and improving patient quality of life [
The nine cases in this paper illustrate the potential for the effective use of MDx tests to deliver improvements in patient health and in the efficiency of health care delivery. They show the potential for well-designed studies to allow for the demonstration of clinical utility (and the subsequent development of economic evidence) such that the value of targeting therapy can be demonstrated to payers. However, the strength of the evidence has an important impact on acceptance and uptake of an MDx test.
The nine case studies address significant health problems with varying impact. In order to support health care decision-making, and stimulate innovation and new technology uptake, evidence of clinical utility needs to be present, albeit not necessarily via an RCT. Our cases suggest that decision-makers are willing to consider studies other than RCTs (e.g., retrospective cohort studies) if well designed. Eight of our nine case studies involve using tests to make decisions about the use of drugs. PreDx® DRS is about prevention more generally.
Sources of clinical utility evidence for decision-making in the nine case studies.
|Main Study Design
|Study size
|Decision-making Impact
|Breast cancer recurrence
|Retrospective RCT cohorts
688 [
Prognostic: 117 [
11248 [
6600 [
|Diagnostic manufacturer
|Generating clinical utility can yield inclusion in clinical guidelines and positive reimbursement decisions at a favourable price for test developers.
|469 [
|Drug developer
|EGFR mutations
|1217 [
|Drug developer
|Retrospective cohort analysis of an RCT
|1198 [
|Drug developer and Public research body
|BCR-ABL transcript
|1106 [
|Drug developer
|Retrospective RCT cohort+Healthy volunteers
|1477+162 [
|Public research body
|The clinically significant and validated predictive effect would allow for health care efficiencies in the treatment of ACS. New POC test could improve implementation in clinical practice.
|Retrospective case control
|408 [
|Drug developer
|Prospective screening for first-line treatment is cost-effective in specific
|Viral load
|Retrospective analyses of RCT data
|1016 [
|Drug developer
|PreDx® DRS
|Retrospective analysis of a sub-cohort of a lifestyle interventional trial
|6784 [
|Assay developer (trial funded by a public research body)
The development of the clinical utility evidence is feasible through either or both (i) drug developer or diagnostic manufacturer sponsored studies and (ii) research sponsored by payers and public bodies. Our case studies suggest it is less clear that the diagnostic industry can undertake the work necessary to provide evidence as to the clinical utility and economic value of its products. Oncotype DX® and MammaPrint® may be the best examples of diagnostic manufacturers engaged in the development of clinical utility and economic data to support use of their tests. Even here, further prospective generation of RCT data is being undertaken by public research bodies. In the case of CYP2C19 testing, a diagnostic manufacturer has funded a small proof-of-concept trial. However, it remains to be seen what impact this has on payers. There are examples of diagnostic manufacturers commissioning small observational studies (for example, in the case of a test for coronary artery disease) [
We would like to thank Greg Guzausk, Juan Carlos Rejon, Priya Sharma, and Rahber Thariani for additional research.
Research funded by Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland. Diego Ossa is an employee of Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland.


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5 Fast Fab Finds To Instantly Update Your Look For Fall!
November 1, 2010 by Elisa DiStefano
Filed under Fashion, Featured
Autumn has fully arrived, but for many of us our "look" hasn't. If you don't have the time or cash to fill your closet with a whole new fall wardrobe, get an instant autumn update with "it" items under $100. 1. Fur Faux is fab. Just add a short cape, jacket or vest for an […]
Fall Trends: 5 Must Haves for 2010
September 16, 2010 by Ashley Connell
Filed under Fashion, Featured
Fall is truly one of the best seasons… for clothes! It's the season of freedom and spontaneity where you can feel a little more open to play. Top off an outfit with a big wooly sweater, stock up on a multitude of scarves, and pull your favorite pair of boots out of the closet because […]
This Weekend: Race For the Cure In Central Park
September 9, 2010 by Vanessa Alfano
Filed under Events, Fitness
This Sunday, September 12th, Central Park will be overflowing with pink. The twentieth annual Susan G. Komen Greater NYC Race For the Cure is on, and women of all ages will come together to walk for breast cancer. I will be one of them. Susan G. Komen for the Cure is an organization dedicated to putting […]
Spring Trends: Must Haves This Season (VIDEO)
Spring is finally here. I bet you're ready… but is your closet? If you don't have the time or money to re-vamp your wardrobe, no worries…. Here are 5 easy ways to freshen up your look for spring and get on trend. 1. Stripes What's old is new again. Stripes are back. This time they […]


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Study: Foreclosure, Debt Causes More Denials of Security Clearances
More government workers and contractors are being denied security clearances or having their clearances revoked due to their financial debt, according to a study by security clearance lawyer Sheldon Cohen [PDF].
According to his report, the number of Defense Department security clearance denials and revocations "has kept pace with the number of foreclosures, defaults, and short sales in the country." From the study:
Since the collapse of the housing market in 2008, debt resulting from job losses and home foreclosures have had a devastating effect on people holding national security clearances. That, more than any other factor today, is causing the revocation or denial of security clearances, resulting in the loss of good paying jobs, and putting skilled workers further and further behind in their effort to dig out of debt.
The government's decisions to grant security clearances to individual contractors or government workers take into consideration the individual's financial status—the idea being that people in tough financial positions are more likely to breach security when offered financial incentives. From the guidelines:
Failure or inability to live within one's means, satisfy debts, and meet financial obligations may indicate poor self-control, lack of judgment, or unwillingness to abide by rules and regulations, all of which can raise questions about an individual's reliability, trustworthiness and ability to protect classified information. An individual who is financially overextended is at risk of having to engage in illegal acts to generate funds. Compulsive gambling is a concern as it may lead to financial crimes including espionage. Affluence that cannot be explained by known sources of income is also a security concern. It may indicate proceeds from financially profitable criminal acts.
Given this rationale, it doesn't seem that the increase in denials or revocations of clearance are necessarily a bad thing, but it does seem that for government workers and contractors in tough financial straits, the hardship of losing a house, for instance, could be compounded by a denial or revocation of clearance—an aspect of the nation's financial crisis that we found interesting.
The new study examined security clearance cases at the Department of Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals, and found that between January 2006 and June 2010, 62 out of 71 cases hinging on an individual's financial position were decided against the applicant at the appeals stage. Clearance denials were affirmed more often than they were reversed, and initial clearances were more often reversed than affirmed.
"The Appeal Board has not affirmed a favorable decision that was appealed by the government in almost two and a half years to the time of the writing of this article," the report said.
The study noted that it only provides a limited view of what's happening with security clearances. That's because the Defense Department Office of Hearings and Appeals is one of 11 offices that rules on these security clearance cases, and according to Secrecy News, it's one of the few that actually publishes its decisions.
An estimated 3 million government workers and 1.5 million contractors have some level of security clearance, CBS News reported. The Washington Post, in a recent investigation of the U.S. national security system, estimated that about 854,000 people hold top-secret clearance.
9 comments
Understandable why heavy debt would disqualify someone for a security clearance.
Since WW2, virtually all American traitors have done it for money and most were in debt when they became "walk-ins" for the Soviets.
Since the whole system has become "predatory", why blame inidividuals? How much money did the banks, credit card companies, etc. make off these people? Did anyone blame "predatory" lending companies? Why does the US Government then give bailout money to companies who filed for bankruptcy (and change their names)? Doesn't that sound hypocritical? I could see a few hundred people living beyond their means, but millions and millions? We go back to the failed "model", survival of the fittest, dog-eat-dog CAPITALISM.
Protect the rich, and squeeze the poor…
It's rather scary that you believe we live in a world where individuals have zero responsibility for their actions. Banks may be greedy and did things that were crimes, but come on. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that having $20,000 of credit card debt, absolutely no savings in the bank, and a giant mortgage is a bad idea. It just takes a little common sense. You don't have to be a banker to live conservatively (not that they did!)
You can't believe millions could live beyond their means? Really? Is it that hard? Can you believe millions are overweight because they don't feel like managing their diet and exercising even if they will die faster? Or that millions around the world believe 9/11 was an inside job? Or that millions of people supported Hitler's attempt to exterminate the Jews? Come on. History has proven that humanity is prone to excesses all the time. Self-control, common sense, and sanity are not givens.
Capitalism may be tough, but there aren't really any success stories involving entirely state-controlled economies. You are argue about what is too important to leave to the market, but societies without rewards for taking risk are societies without progress.
I agree with Jean, it does seem hypocritical to leave these struggling workers who have already faced foreclosure only to then possibly lose their job.
If what you say is true then some of our elected officials should definitely be gone. I know the Congressman for my district here in Missouri had not paid his taxes for several years and was still elected anyway (and there are reasons why but thats another problem). That didn't stop him from becoming a Congressman, why not?
If these people have already lost their homes then chances are they are trying to move on, probably renting somewhere for less money and with fewer obligations of upkeep.
The hypocrisy is the who thing. The bankers who are on the first line offender lists aren't hurting, in fact reports are they had another highly profitable year.
So, yes, my reaction is this sucks big time.
The job of the defense department, CIA, military, etc. is to defend us. It is not to make sure everyone has a job. Its policies should reflect its primary goal. It does "suck" big time that someone could lose their job who is already in debt. But it would "suck" a lot more for someone to tell North Korea how to build a better nuclear bomb or tell Pakistan how to build a better missile.
Sounds like a clear case of discrimination to me. Jobs denied on the basis of credit on the assumption that someone will break the law. Absurd. Sue the rats!!!!!!!!!!
Ira—I think you need a refresher in your legal theory as it relates to discrimination. People with poor credit are not a protected class under the law last time I checked. Thus, employers can legally discriminate against them if they wish.
No one is saying that everyone with poor credit is a criminal or a potential bad apple. Just that, all other things equal, giving clearances to people with a lot of debt caused problems in the past so the government chooses to only provide security clearances for sensitive material to people with a lower chance of selling secrets to our enemies to pay off their loans. How is it so difficult to comprehend that this makes sense?
If you want a job that requires a high level of responsibility, show a high level of responsibility in managing your personal affairs. It's pretty simple.
I lost my job because of a clearance denial. Student loans im trying to pay off. But hey the DOD can give rich nut job doctors Secret clearance, who shoot up ft hood.
Paul, people are a protected class. You need the legal refresher. But we are based soley on guilty until you can prove beyond any shodow of a doubt your innocence. Unfortunately we've evolved to this and someday it will cause our demise.


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Scoop Hand knitted tunic sweater
Chunky, yet fashionable, this Scoop tunic is great for fall. It has some shape and style, but will keep you warm at the same time. Available in cream, grey, or brown.
low price, large sizes, hard to find
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I love the arms on this one, love the color and the shape... Can't you see this in a man's office? It's a club chair with a sense of humor... Probably way more comfortable than the one you bought from Staples...Added 9 Years Ago from Americanchairs


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Slide (62 of 125)
Signs are a means of traffic control. MSHA recommends that you use signs that can be interpreted by most people, and that are easily understood. For example, the sign in the upper left corner means "no left turn." The upper middle sign is "yield." It doesnt say yield but we know its a yield sign because of the triangular shape. The next one is a sign warning against "falling rocks." The lower left sign shows that they want people to travel from the right-hand side of the road and start driving on the left-hand side. They want to change to "left-hand traffic." The lower middle one is "stop ahead." And, of course, the lower right one is a "10% grade."


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SEO for Public Companies
SEO for Public Companies
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is not just a means to increase visibility for your website in the search engines, but it opens the doors to new customers, clients, higher sale volume, investors, and over all increased visitor flow to your business.
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When exploring or searching for products, services, or new business opportunities, 60% of the worlds population's first thought is to turn on their computer, open up their browser, and head straight to Google's homepage, where they enter what is referred to as "key words," to discover the information that they are seeking.
For example: Lets say "Dr. Forbes," is interested in new equipment for his medical practice, whether it be new computers, software, or specific medical devices, Google is the place he will most likely start his search for the above items by entering key words in the search engine's "search box," if you will. Key words such as "computers for medical practices," "buy computers in bulk," "new medical devices," "surgical instruments," "SAAS software," " best SAAS software." Without the help of search engine optimization both on-site and off, companies focused in those niche fields will go completely unnoticed by Dr. Forbes, and in some cases go completely unnoticed by the search engines all together.
Our aim is to assist clients with the leading edge. We do this through researching the best keywords with the most attainable rankings that are niche specific to their business. We then analyze the clients website and begin on-site optimization to rid the code itself of potential weaknesses that may penalize or hurt your rankings with the search engines. Off site optimization is the next step toward establishing our clients strong online foot hold. We utilize the latest cutting edge strategies to make sure your company is not effected by the constant algorithm changes that have been cancerous to many businesses online.
Most SEO firms use questionable "black hat," techniques that penalize websites 90% of the time causing them to lose their ranking all together and in some cases making their actual url itself permanently banned from the search engines.
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One response on "SEO for Public Companies"
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Muhammad Ali Jr., son of the late heavyweight fighter, said Friday he was "red flagged" and prevented from boarding a flight to Fort Lauderdale.
He said the incident happened as he was preparing to board a JetBlue flight from Washington, D.C., to Fort Lauderdale. He was returning from an appearance on Thursday in the nation's capital where he was describing a Feb. 7 incident during which he said he was detained when returning to the U.S. from Jamaica.
The latest incident was announced to the world on Twitter by U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston, who was returning to South Florida on the same flight Friday afternoon.
"I got harassed again," Ali said in a...


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Practical Age–Roch Barbot steps into Filippa K's spring/summer 2012 collection. Creating a wardrobe for the modern nomad with garments, both tailored and deconstructed, a neutral color palette plays host to the season. Accented with olive-green, brown and blue, technical fabrics are cut for an array of pieces that span the spectrum, from casual to formal. Boasting classics like the light-weight trench or a slouchy cardigan, Filippa K delivers another ideal season.
Roch Barbot for Filippa K Spring/Summer 2012
Published on


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Archive Listing
May 30, 2012 - May 23, 2012
. Everything that's wrong with the mass
media. Laura Ingraham can be a killer, but with David Brooks, is she?
No. She's a respectful lamb. Forget his pomposities, his bigotry, his
self-contradictions. Why? He's employed by the NY Times, and it's never
good business to piss off the Times.
Just to remind you, here's what we've said about Brooks and other elitists in the past.
I'm gagging right now.
Come on in, Helk. I'm spoiling for a fight. Sick and tired of all you snobs. But be careful. I was raised by snobs. I know all your moves. Yes I do.
@#$%"&*. That was me, yakking.
. It's a slippery subject and I'm not surprised that your
answers were all over the map, ranging from black pessimism to deranged
fantasy (Trump?) to "I have no idea."
But the headline of the discussion is surely this: Given the worldwide obsession with America, what's most shocking is how little even our closest allies know about us. Almost as shocking is how willing we are, in our weak moments, to credit their criticisms as valid, as if they were based on something other than resentment, jealousy, and cultural blindspots a mile wide.
The real source of the abiding strength and resiliency of our nation is a hidden thing, not because it is a small secret squirrelled away in some recondite corner of history, but because it is too big for the most sophisticated, and therefore most specialized and myopic, perspectives to perceive.
I'm not making a subtle argument here. We're just plain bigger, more various, more elemental, basic, deep, and natively passionate and decent than all our naysayers, foreign and domestic, can comprehend.
Not a subtle argument but a huge one to frame. It can be posed in micro and macro terms, and it can be demonstrated anecdotally, statistically, and historically. My qualifications for posing it? I've been obsessed with the "Big Picture" all my life. The most important thing I've learned about the Big Picture is how few people are capable of seeing it. All our education and acculturation is designed to cut the Big Picture down to size, to reduce bigness to significant subsets about which useful generalizations can be made. In this way, we are induced to employ our own knowledge and intelligence against the possibility of clear perception. And, of course, every observer brings to bear his own selective blindness as a filter meant to distinguish between what is good and bad, important and unimportant, relevant and dismissible. What the observer fails to understand is that each of his judgments about these distinctions is also a judgment on the size and scope of his own mind.
I'm going to cite some examples. But I won't be giving you links. Look them up for yourselves. That's part of the challenge of thinking out of your own personal box and striving for the bigger perspective.
You'd think, wouldn't you, that our closest ally, the United Kingdom, would have a better take on who we are than any other nation on earth. The past few years, however, have shown that their view of us is clownishly wrong, far more a reflection of their own national neuroses than the superior intelligence our own intelligentsia routinely ascribes to them. What they choose to admire in us is only that part of our culture for which they can claim at least partial credit -- the snobbish mentality of the American northeast, whose mounting atheism and apocalyptic vision of western civilization is every bit as parochial as their own.
Trivial vignettes. The popular asshole comedian Russell Brand wears a Che Guevara tee shirt to an awards ceremony. Why? He's still fighting the Brit class war and hasn't bothered to inform himself that Che Guevara was a murdering thug. Simon Pegg -- the talented creative force behind "Shaun of the Dead" -- has a new movie designed to ridicule American protestant Christianity, about which he knows absolutely nothing, personally or geographically. The atheism that is killing the U.K. has to be projected somehow onto an American population as if our belief is sicker than a dead, increasingly nihilistic monarchy which has never been able to assimilate the "wogs" it depends on more and more to do all the heavy labor. Problem? The movie misses. It's just not accurate about who the non-Anglophile American Christians might be. Ricky Gervais of "Office" fame feels compelled to do a comedy about the "lies" all religion represents. Funny? No. "Top Gear's" asshole muckraker host invades New Orleans to piss on the American response to Hurricane Katrina and manages simultaneously to feign outrage about the government's neglect of Katrina victims and despise, finally, the poor black victims he so superiorly champions. One of the very best Brit TV series, "Wire in the Blood," is consistently intelligent, literate, and complex until it does a special "movie-length episode" set in the American southwest, at which point it turns into an avalanche of dumb stereotypes about American hicks. The Brit version of "Law & Order" is obsessed with homosexual rights and yet oddly revelatory in its dramatization of the open persistence of racial prejudice in an institutional fashion that is simply not tolerated here. Fact is, they're still sniping at one another about being Irish, Welsh, Scottish, English, Cornish, and Manx -- and panicking about the dangers lurking in the segregated muslim sharia ghettoes they've created for themselves. What chance could they possibly have to understand the far more successful American detente among a hundred different nationalities and all the world's races, with the lone exception of Australian aborigines?
Why focus on the Brits? Because the pipelines of the "special relationship" between our two nations in the broader cultural sense connect the U.K. with our two coasts, which reciprocate fawningly to the detriment of the rest of us. (Meryl Streep libelling Margaret Thatcher as a senile bitch? Please). The British Oscars, called BAFTA awards, are now indistinguishable from our own academy awards. Same movies, actors, and directors honored, for the same genuflections to political correctness. But we still look up to them -- those accents, don't you know. And on the east coast, there remains an incestuous, insufferable kinship between the New York Times and the Times of London and between the Ivy League and Oxford and Cambridge. What all the smartest people are thinking; you know, the ones who really count. Meaning the same intelligentsia who are still trying to steer the American ship of state toward the same rocky shoals that have long since turned the U.K. into a sunken disaster of a nation that has lost not only its youngsters but its cultural luminaries and its own legacy of law and civilization. Without learning thing one about the American genius for assimilating immigrants and combining their native strengths with the American traditions of freedom, upward mobility, and social equality as a fact, not a Hyde Park polemic.
And we're supposed to look up to them on the subject of national healthcare? Why?
Frankly, the Brits are the class of Europe, with the sole exception of Italy, who are too disorganized to express their affection for us in a way we can accept as a major vote of confidence. (Although we should.)
Point is, nobody knows us in our immense, effulgent glory. Our own media who presume to do it for us are every bit as parochial as the Brits -- who have a better bead on us than any other nation on earth. (No. Don't mention Canada. The bitter, weak, younger brother. Nothing more.)
Bigger point. All of you don't have a full comprehension of us either. You have blindspots, geographical prejudices, causes,� ignorant assumptions, flat dismissals that are based on nothing you can really prove. America is bigger than you too, bigger than all of us. Every negative generalization you make, or I make, is wrong at some level.
Closing thought. We are the people who came here looking for something better. The ones whose common trait by inheritance is a questing spirit, a refusal to submit, surrender, or settle for less than we might accomplish with our hands and minds and unremitting effort. We found it.
When you decide to give up, it's not a sign that America is done. It's a sign that you are done. Which means you have some work to do before you pass judgment on your fellow citizens.
Taking exception to things American is both our birthright and our obligation. But it's also an affirmation of American exceptionalism. Until you deny what is so evidently, obviously, blatantly unique in the history of human civilization. At which point, you're not worth much more than Russell Brand in his Che Guevara tee-shirt.


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Evolve dyno tuning day! e46 M3, e39 M5, e60 M5
Got three cars dyno tuned by Evolve on tuesday. I'm super excited with the results, the cars feel amazing. Mid range on the e46 is beginning to feel like it did stock on the e39 :screwy:
Equally impressive as the gains, to me, as how identical each pull was to the others of the same tune (pulls were done in groups of three). They lines were pretty much identically overlaid on top of each other every time. Super consistent! Everything also still feels like stock, or better. Completely smooth, flawless idle, perfect throttle response. :parrot:
The entire process was a joy, and actually a really fun day. Strap down to the dyno, do three pulls, send the data off to Sal, he'd review it, make some tweaks, and minutes later we'd have a revised file back to flash on the car. Rinse, cycle, repeat until the car was optimized. The e46 and e39 took 3-4 tunes to get it spot on perfect, the e60 took a couple more because we didn't realize going in that it had a bad MAF so it was returning bad data. Once that was sorted, 2 more tunes and it was perfect.
Gains shown are from the dyno tuning alone. No hardware changes were made and each car started out with an evolve tune (so total tune gains are greater than what's shown in the graphs).
Every car has over 100,000 miles on it. Some significantly over. :D
Total mod lists:
e46 M3:
Supersprint V1 Stepped headers
Supersprint HJS 200 Cell catted section 1
Supersprint resonated section 2
Supersprint Street muffler
Bimmerworld Intake elbow
Turner pulleys
Evolve AIT relocation
Evolve Tune
e39 M5:
Evolve Headers
Superspint HJS 200 Cell Cats
Supersprint X pipe
Supersprint Street muffler
Evolve carbon fiber intake
Evolve Alpha N tune
e60 M5:
Supersprint Headers
Dinan Muffler
Dinan 3.91 Diff
Evosport Pulleys
Intake scoops and blockoff plate
BMC Filter
Evolve Alpha N tune
Didn't you have a CSL intake?
I listen to your youtube videos as often as I can.
For now, however, I'm going to focus on making my car lighter (without compromising civility).
It's honestly one of the like 4 mods I actually want. That box.
Amazing numbers for all 3 cars.
Thumbs-up for a nice thread ...
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ChristinaElizabeth's Profile
- Location:
- North Bothell/Canyon Park, WA 98012 - United States of America
- About Me:
Looking to start a small (5-10) Mommy and Me group of new Mama's with babies born around 5/19/10 up in my area.
My daughter Christina was born 5/19 and we are looking for more to do. We live in the Bothell/Canyon Park area off of I-405 exit 26.
I am a Kirkland native graduating from Juanita Senior High school class of 1991.
I am looking for other mother's to keep each other company during the day like when my mother was home with me.
I remember neighbors coming over and having tea with my Mom while she folded laundry, or going grocery shopping together.
- Keywords:
- First time Mother, Mother group


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New iPhone (5) Reviews Thread
View Single Post
Frequent Flier
Posts: 1,282
Karma: 2058993297
Join Date: Oct 2011
Device: KB kindle aboard, Galx Tab 7.0 Plus, trying out Droid 1 as mini-tab
Originally Posted by
In my understanding MR is a forum for ebooks and ebook reading. Now it's being inundated with threads about a phone. Relevance for ebooks? Nil.
It does seem rather pathetic to use terms like "hater" just because people are critical of the newest gadget produced by some multinational. To use such language indicates that some people do not look at this on a very rational level.
BTW, I am grateful to Apple for a very enjoyable Sunday morning, though. Looking at Apple maps on my wife's iPad was quite entertaining: seaside resorts moved inland, world heritage sites moved to other cities etc. It's amazing. There also has to be some awesome new app that manages to make recent satellite images look like WWII material.
My brother in law who has long had a love affair with all things Apple, back to the days of the IIe, says that people don't understand the new map system. The relocated sights and scenes aren't errors, they are features designed to make your vacation trips more exciting.
"Oh look, I sure didn't expect to see that lake where the city was supposed to be."
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Oscar Pistorius was asleep when the pranksters struck. They hid his legs and set fire to his bed frame.
They woke him to say the building was burning down, then ran away - leaving him stranded, briefly, without his prosthetic limbs.
Years later, when he became 'Blade Runner' and the superstar of Paralympian sport, he went for a ride in a speed boat and very nearly didn't come back.
The boat hit an underwater pier, his head smashed into the steering wheel and after doctors saved his life they had to rebuild his face.
Things have never come easy for Pistorius, who had both legs amputated below the knee before his first birthday.
But from the moment his boarding school 'friends' played their lighter fuel party trick - "the guys in South Africa don't have a conventional sense of humour!" - to now, he has rarely complained.
It is an extraordinary life journey which has led him to 2012 - and the prospect of achieving sporting greatness in London.
"I want to leave my mark on history," he said, as he prepared to race tomorrow in Manchester at the BT Paralympic World Cup. "I'd like people to remember my involvement in track and field."
Hailed as the 'fastest man on no legs' with three Paralympic gold medals in Beijing, he is targetting legendary status in London 100 days from now.
For Usain Bolt in able-bodied sport, read Pistorius - a 25-year-old poised to become the first track athlete to compete at both Olympics and Paralympics in the same year.
"I've been given a talent which I don't intend to waste," he added. "Just to be considered in the same sentence as Bolt is a blessing. Sometimes I have to pinch myself."
So fast is Pistorius now running that Olympic 400m champion LaShawn Merritt last week questioned his progress and urged athletics' chiefs to monitor his carbon-fibre blades.
"Technology gets better every day," said the American. "I just hope the federation (IAAF) keeps track of what is happening with him, so it is fair."
That is more than a bit rich coming from an athlete who has served a ban for doping, but Pistorius shrugs it off.
"You have to realise there will be days when you're built up and others when it's not going to go your way," he said.
"I've had precious little negativity from fellow athletes. The little I've had has come from people who have not been informed about all the facts."
Having given up his Olympic dream in 2008 to secure a landmark court ruling that he enjoys no net advantage over able-bodied athletes, he feels no need to reopen the debate.
Instead he is driven to push back the boundaries of sporting possibility - fuelled by the memory of dicing with death in that boating accident.
"That was definitely a turning point for me," said Pistorius, whose orbital socket disintegrated
and nasal cavity broke from his nose to the top of his jaw. "It made me realise how fragile life is and what an opportunity I have.
"That was a pure accident but at the time I was doing things like racing motor bikes at the weekend - living what I would call a risk-managed lifestyle.
"To take unnecessary risks when trying to get to the top of my sport was not a bright idea. The crash made me evaluate how I was approaching life.
"I decided I never wanted to look back and wonder if I could have done better or achieved greater things."
Armed with his new perspective, Pistorius made history at the able-bodied World Championships in Daegu last year by picking up a 400m relay silver medal.
"Sometimes I do have to pinch myself," he said. "But there's no ceiling on what I'd like to achieve."
Fasten your seatbelts. Shock and awe may not be the sole preserve of Bolt this summer.
Oscar Pistorius is a BT ambassador. The BT Paralympic World Cup takes place in Manchester from tomorrow to May 26. with elite international athletes competing in athletics, seven-a-side football and wheelchair basketball. For more details or tickets visit www.btparalympicworldcup.com


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Urban spelunking: Endangered old schoolhouses
Gallery: Former Fifth Street/Isaac Coggs School
When visiting a shuttered old schoolhouse, it's hard not to imagine the patter of little feet, the vibe of a classroom full of kids or a lunchroom bustling with activity and alive with chatter.
When visiting schools that are part of sets of twins or other "multiples," it's even harder to avoid comparisons.
Take, for example, 37th Street School, a couple blocks east of Washington Park, which was replaced with a new building nearly a decade ago – Mary McLeod Bethune Academy, around the corner on 35th Street.
Built in 1903 and designed by architect George Birnbach, 37th Street School is virtually identical to Auer Avenue and Siefert, which were constructed the same year (though, curiously, those buildings are credited to architect George Ehlers). Those schools are all riffs on Brown Street, which was put up about five years earlier and designed by the firm of Mollerus and Lotter.
Those schools are also still open. Inside, colorful examples of student art line the walls, coats hang on hooks in cloakrooms and voices and the rhythmic patter of dribbled balls echo around the third-floor gyms.
But not at 37th Street School, which wears a coat of baby blue paint. Most of the lower windows are protected with grates to prevent breakage and to prevent unlawful entry, which has been a problem.
What seems to be a bigger problem, when you go inside are foundation problems and water damage. But those problems aren't new, it seems, and the building's issues were a large part of why Bethune Academy was built as a replacement.
According to the Bethune website, most of the staff that arrived from 37th Street School is intact even now. So, the community really did simply move around the corner.
Maintenance doesn't account for problems at the old school. After all, Brown is older and Auer and Siefert are the same age and they seem to be holding up pretty well. And I've met some of the folks who maintain these closed buildings and they clearly take their work seriously and you can tell they feel ownership of these old places.
But, regardless, emptiness hasn't been friendly to 37th Street School – thanks to the constant attack of the elements, an empty and aging structure, and troublemakers who make upkeep difficult.
The problems are worst in the basement, where a sprawling old kindergarten room with an open-concept bathroom (the only one I can remember seeing anywhere) has a great tile floor to match gorgeous tile work in all the school's restrooms. In the kindergarten room – with its "Laverne and Shirley"-style sidewalk-level windows, you can see water damage along the lower parts of some walls and on the floor.
Part of the basement is painted in what might be described as almost Packers colors: bright yellow and green, although a somewhat more teal-ish version than you see at Lambeau. Fortunately, that garish scheme didn't make its way upstairs, which is in better shape than the lower level.
The third floor gym makes me want to do laps. Though you'd have to lots of laps in these so-called "German gyms" to get exercise. They're never very large (which explains, in part, why the district bought lots adjacent to schools in the 1920s to expand outdoor playgrounds).
As is the case with most closed schools, there are traces of occupancy that feel a little eerie; as if, on one Friday, everyone went home and simply forgot to return the following Monday.
A sign in the corridor welcomes parents. A chalkboard message advises, "sit tall, eyes on the book, answer on signal." An obsolete computer monitor serves as a doorstop.
Inside the old main entrance is a big sign celebrating the Neighborhood Schools Initiative that led to the construction of Bethune and signaled the demise of 37th Street. And posted above, in a glass encased bulletin board, are architectural drawings of the replacement building.
Even more prescient is the chalk-written note on another blackboard: "School is out: Any questions?"
To the northeast, just above Center Street, sits 5th Street School, which was last known as Isaac Coggs School. Built in 1888 on a design by Herman P. Schnetzky – one of the architects of the Germania Building – 5th Street was a larger version of Walnut Street School, built the same year and lost to fire in 1978.
This Romanesque school is, in my opinion, an unheralded treasure in the city, with its prominent peaked section on the south end counterbalanced by a long wing stretching north up 5th Street. There is some lovely brick detail and wonderful arched windows (that, like the painted bricks, are currently covered).
Though there is a buckled spot on the hardwood floor on the main level, 5th Street is actually mostly in good shape. That's because it's been in almost continuous use since it was erected almost 125 years ago, most recently as a public health clinic.
MPS transferred the building to the City for that use after Coggs closed in 2007 and the latter subdivided classrooms into smaller, carpeted offices, exam rooms, etc. Much of the building was similarly altered. So, while it's still plain to see that it was once a school, it would take a lot of work to rip out the changes and return it to a functioning school.
Now the neighborhood is served by the MLK Health Clinic on nearby King Drive, and the Coggs clinic has moved into new digs up on Silver Spring Drive. Recently, the City returned 5th Street to the MPS portfolio. We can speculate on the reasons they'd opt to do that, but I'd be digressing.
As always, I especially enjoyed visiting the attics of the two buildings. In these old schools, you can see the carpentry work up close – at 37th Street Street there's even a beam that bears a carpenter's pencil marks from a century ago. It really gives you a sense of the craftsmanship that made these buildings stand so solidly for so long.
Barring some unforeseen development, neither of these buildings will likely ever be home to a school again. And for that reason, I call them threatened.
While 5th Street is in good shape, and could potential be redeveloped as apartments, the explosion of new development all around it – on all sides, right across the street – feels ominous in terms of its future.
As Bethune was being built, there was talk of converting 37th Street into apartments – a la Mound Street and Jackie Robinson – but folks at MPS tell me almost no one even asks for tours of 37th Street anymore, which means interest in it has waned.
That, plus its condition, make me fear for its future, too.
Bobby Tanzilo | Jan. 14, 2013 at 8:47 a.m. (report)
Hi Paul, The district shows these and other vacant buildings to potential buyers, lessees, renters quite often. When I talk to the crew that oversees them, they talk about having given tours way more frequently than I'd expect. The problem with Fifth Street was that it was no longer an MPS building for a few years. When it became vacant again the city returned it to MPS, which doesn't appear to have much use for it, especially since it's no longer configured to house classrooms anymore (thanks to the city's conversion of it into a health center). Although I haven't investigated the return of the building to MPS, on the surface it sure appears that the city wanted to shift the cost and work of maintaining the building off its ledgers and onto MPS', but I'm not sure of that. I can't see why else they'd have done it, since it's only a school now in historical terms. MPS did recently sell off part of the school's playground to the folks building the homes all around it. I'd guess they'd entertain any serious offer for the entire thing. Same for 37th Street, which, because of its condition and location, is similarly unlikely to reopen as a school in the current economic climate. The district also recently sold the old Jackie Robinson Middle School to developers, who built apartments in it. It recently attempted to sell Garfield Avenue and Dover Street schools to community groups who wanted to open cultural/arts centers but those groups couldn't get funding and the deals fell through. MPS also apparently finally sold Lloyd Street and 38th Street Schools to MCP, to which it had been leasing the buildings with the plan to sell. There had been talk when Robinson was sold of selling the old Fulton/Malcolm X Middle School to developers for apartments, but I think the real estate market at the time was not conducive and I haven't heard anything about that recently. So the district does sell and is willing to sell more, it seems, but it is also cautious about selling off buildings without carefully analyzing demographic changes. Selling a building off now only to find the demand in the same neighborhood has boomed a few years later means expending a lot more money to build new. Happy Hill on the far NW side has been closed for a few years, for example, but is expected to reopen next year as home to a non-instrumentality MPS charter called Banner Prep. 38th Street had been closed before it was leased, and then sold, to Milwaukee College Prep. Long-winded answer, I know... Bobby
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PaulK | Jan. 12, 2013 at 3:44 p.m. (report)
Just wondering -- why aren't these buildings put up for sale? Anyone know?
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Art in Review
By ROBERTA SMITH
Published: November 26, 1993
'25 Years, Part I' Paula Cooper Gallery 155 Wooster Street (at Houston Street) SoHo Through tomorrow
This impressive group show celebrates the Paula Cooper Gallery's first quarter-century as a prominent showcase for new art. It offers a well-selected, sensitively installed, if random, survey of Minimalism and Post-Minimalism, the intertwining styles with which the gallery has especially been associated.
A sleek purple-and-red wall progression by Donald Judd is paralleled by an equally linear, but considerably more rough-hewn, floor piece by Robert Grosvenor. Dan Flavin's rectangle of colored fluorescent tubes plays off an understated white painting on nylon by Robert Huot, as well as the hazy squares of a wall drawing by Sol LeWitt. (The first such drawing that Mr. LeWitt ever exhibited publicly, it was originally executed for a group show at Mrs. Cooper's original SoHo gallery, on Prince Street, in 1968.)
The works in the back gallery by Jackie Winsor, Jonathan Borofsky, Brice Marden, Lynda Benglis, Joel Shapiro and Walter De Maria register some of the reactions to Minimalism. Especially intriguing are Mr. Shapiro's "Brass Forged Piece" of 1971, with its idiosyncratic balance of control and randomness, and two lozenge-shaped wax paintings by Ms. Benglis in which color and surface acquire both sculptural presence and breathtaking delicacy.
The second part of this exhibition, which opens on Dec. 4, will feature several of the gallery's more imagistically inclined artists, including Alan Shields, Elizabeth Murray, Jennifer Bartlett and Robert Gober. ROBERTA SMITH


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While it is unfair to the nominees and an example of irresponsible governance, the political downside to the Democrats' reported strategy of delaying consideration of the governor's recommendations for the state Supreme Court is negligible.
A decision to wait until after the November election to act gives Gov. Chris Christie an opportunity to stamp his feet and rail about a do-nothing Democratic Legislature, but ultimately to no avail.
Senate President Steve Sweeney let some air out of the trial balloon when he said he hadn't established a timetable for committee hearings for the nominees and that published reports suggesting an eight-month delay came from anonymous sources in his party caucus. His lack of a definitive denial, however, lent credence to the speculation.
Disputes over gubernatorial nominees have never been galvanizing campaign issues. The level of taxpayer and voter interest in who has been nominated for what position has never been particularly high a history not lost on Senate Democrats.
Tax and spending issues will again dominate the gubernatorial and legislative campaigns, abetted by differing platforms on job creation and economic growth, education funding, health care, transportation and progress - or lack of progress - in rebuilding shore regions devastated by Hurricane Sandy last October.
Democratic legislative candidates have no reason to fear being the target of criticism for the strategy of delay, clearly understanding that voters are motivated by the worrisome kitchen-table issues that directly impact their daily lives. On the list of personal political priorities, Supreme Court nominees don't make the cut.
Adding to their comfort level is the legislative districts' composition, which tilts heavily toward incumbents. Absent a crushing landslide in the gubernatorial race, Democrats will likely retain control of the Legislature.
Middlesex County state Sen. Barbara Buono, the presumptive Democratic gubernatorial nominee, may make use of the impasse by blaming the governor for attempting to stack the Supreme Court with justices who share his political philosophy and agenda, particularly on the question of the constitutionality of the state's formula for allocating aid to local school districts.
Christie has been outspoken in his criticism of the court for its repeated rulings ordering increased aid to at-risk districts and has argued that the only method available to change the formula is to change the composition of the court.
While Buono will make the argument that the governor is undermining the tradition of judicial independence by imposing what appears to be a litmus test on his selections, it is an issue with limited resonance.
There is, though, a distinct lack of fairness in consigning the nominees, Superior Court Judge Robert Bauman, presiding judge in the civil division in Monmouth County, and Board of Public Utilities Commissioner Robert M. Hanna, to a sort of limbo land, forced to wait nearly eight more months before even securing an opportunity to make their case for a seat as an associate justice.
While neither nominee has commented publicly, they must be experiencing a keen frustration over becoming pawns in political combat between the governor and the Senate.
The court itself would not be particularly hampered by the delay; it will continue to hear cases and deliver opinions with its full complement of seven, reached by the participation of two acting justices temporarily re-assigned from the Appellate Division.
While it is not unusual for acting justices to sit on the court, temporary re-assignment is normally brief and usually results from a recusal by a justice. Filling in for eight months is, however, not common practice.
There is a risk of a public relations problem in the delay strategy, brought on by the perception that it is another petty political squabble between the governor and the Senate, with a non-political Supreme Court caught in the middle. It is a risk the Democrats appear willing to assume, convinced it will be a non-issue in the campaign.
As a practical matter, there is little Christie can do to force the Senate to act on Hanna and Bauman's nominations. Political accommodations are, of course, always possible, but Senate Democrats appear committed to a delay and reaching a resolution under which they'd back away from it appears remote.
The governor has already hammered the Senate leadership for its refusal to act, going so far as to suggest that Sweeney decline his legislative paycheck for failing to discharge his responsibility. Christie can be expected to step up his criticism as the campaign heats up.
In the interim, Bauman and Hanna can only wait patiently. They will find that in New Jersey politics, unfairness and irresponsibility are not always punishable acts.
Carl Golden is a senior contributing analyst with the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey.


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I chose my major based on what I felt would be most useful to me in my career. I decided finance was a good balance between art and science, so I went with it.
Advice for undeclared students: My advice for undeclared students is don't worry too much about it. Find something you like or find useful and study that. Chances are that whatever you do later in your career will have little to do with what you studied in college. Also, get involved with student organizations as much as possible.
Initial career dream: I wasn't sure what major I wanted, but I knew I wanted to study something in the business school.
Majors declared: I first declared corporate communications, then declared general finance, and finally changed to investment finance.
Influences: The decision making was mostly done on my own, but I couldn't have put all my requirements in order without Alexia Apollo , my advisor during my first few years.
Most rewarding class: I could say that my business communications class was part of what convinced me to quit smoking and saved my life, or that history of rock music invaluably deepened my appreciation of music, or that t
Best thing about your major: I don't mind the prestige that comes with being a student at McCombs, but most importantly I enjoy the experience of being a student there. I am taught by the top faculty in the country, I have top students as my peers, and I learn material that is at the forefront of the business world thanks to the high quality and quantity of research that goes on. This idea blows my mind.
Most surprising thing about your major: Every day I notice how much I look at things based on risk and reward. I think this is a direct result of all my finance classes.
One roadbump:
When I was accepted to the School of Undergraduate Studies, I was a little upset at first because I did not make it into my first choice, McCombs School of Business, but it gave me a lot of hope because I saw it as an opportunity to get to UT, explore, and later transfer to whatever school I chose.
I tried to transfer to McCombs my sophomore year, but my GPA was too low. Instead of looking elsewhere and changing my mind, I decided to work harder for it because I knew it was possible. So I worked harder for it and got in my junior year.
Clubs and organizations: I am currently financial director for the Undergraduate Studies Council and also the chair for the College Tuition and Budget Advisory Committee. I participate in the UT Student Senate as part of my responsibility of being a financial director.
Internships and research: I did two internships in El Salvador (my home country). One was with a local bank called Credomatic and another one with a distributor of baby products and other consumer goods called DALSE.


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Dolce & Gabbana Trimmed Jacket & Ink Jeans
Nautical is always a perfect spring style. It's just one of those (like florals) that doesn't go away from year to year, it just keeps reinventing itself. Well, to be fair, designers keep reinventing it. And D & G does a great job this year reinventing nautical. The petite stripes on the shirt are made infinitely better by the little red bow at the back, but it's the jacket (oh the jacket!) that I really adore. White, navy and red (done nautical style) possibly may dethrone pink as my favorite color combination. This white trimmed jacket has double pockets and a cut that will keep you stylish and warm in the spring.
I'm such a sucker for bows and anything Dolce & Gabbana!Added 8 Years Ago from Dolcegabbana
workplace, night out... cute pink bow top for all occasions.Tags: pink, tops, black, chiffon, blouses, dolce & gabbana, satin, D&G, dolce & gabannaAdded 9 Years Ago from Revolve Clothing
Leopard is coming back, so they say. I say leopard print never really went away, in fact--leopard print never really goes away. Whether incarnated as a slinky little dress with black and red, as a flirty flouncy version with pin... Leopard is coming back, so they say. I say leopard print never really went away, in fact--leopard print never really goes away. Whether incarnated as a slinky little dress with black and red, as a flirty flouncy version with pink or turquoise or just as it's self--leopard stays. This dolce & gabbana dress has everything you could want in leopard print without being too...forward. Cute little cap sleeves and a conservative above the knee length are brought together with a black bow for a adorable little leopard print dress (almost as good as your favorite cute lbd).Tags: dresses, leopard, black, short sleeve, cute, animal prints, dolce & gabbana, bows, cap-sleevesAdded 10 Years Ago from eLuxury
BOW EVERYWHERE! Dolce & Gabbana naturally rocked this trend and I truly fancy it. For a special occasion, this dress is glorious. It's as if your presence is a present and you're all wrapped up in a bow.Tags: fashion, designer, dolceandgabbana, evening wear, trends, dolce & gabbana, fashion week, bows, fashion trendsAdded 10 Years Ago from Neiman Marcus Online


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Otley Lions recently organised a Safari Hunt around the town. No wild animals were endangered in the process: the "hunt" entailed following a set of clues to track down images of a lion in shop windows. The participation rate was very high and all the competitors had a lot of fun. As a valuable by-product, the shop windows of many Otley businesses received unprecedented attention.
Each competing team had to invent and register a name – a task often completed with some considerable imagination and originality. The winners were "Granny Wright," who won a gift voucher very kindly donated by "Toyland."
The photograph shows "Granny Wright," comprising Mrs. Joy Wright and her grandchildren Ceagan and Jack Wright, being presented with their prize by the proprietor of "Toyland," Mr. Gordon Walker. Looking on is the Lions' doughty mascot, Chip, and Lion Judy Pears who instigated and organised the Treasure Hunt.
The second prize, a selection of chocolates kindly donated by Patisserie Viennoise was won by team "Otley's Little Chance." The Lions also awarded a book-token prize to the team they adjudged to have come=up with the best name – "Grizzly Paws."
The Lions thank all participants and trust they enjoyed themselves, congratulate all winners, and – above all – thank the businesses that cooperated and provided prizes. The Lions Treasure hunt will be back next year.


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Tiger Hat Crochet Pattern
buy it now or visit pattern website
This hat is very simple to make and any advanced beginner can make one in a day.
The pattern is in American abbreviations and terms and uses the following stitches—chain, slip stitch, single crochet, half double crochet, double crochet, single crochet two together, half double crochet two together, and double crochet two together. Pattern is for worsted weight yarn and requires a J hook and a yarn needle. You receive a PDF pattern with pictures in each of the 6 sizes below:
Preemie: 12-13"
Newborn/0-3 Months: 13-15"
3-6 Months: 15-17"
6-12 Months: 17-18"
12-24 Months: 18-19"
You MAY sell any finished products made from these patterns with the mention of the following in your listing—"Pattern by saol.etsy.com". All patterns and pictures are copyright and property of saol. You may not copy, rewrite, redistribute or resell this pattern in any form. By purchasing this item, you are agreeing to these terms.
If you have any questions, please contact me!


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Gîtes are the ultimate visitor experience in Provence. A gîte is where you can indulge in the Provencal lifestyle, taking your leisure in the shade of olive trees or at poolside, and grazing on a fresh vegetable-garlic-olive oil-based cuisine. Neither an unstructured peripatetic tourist nor an agoraphobe, you are a transitory participant in a sensual mode of living. And you're lov'n it.
A gîte is a generic term for any kind of self-catering weekly or monthly rental, usually a standalone structure or an apartment in a Bastide. Gîtes are fully furnished and most have sheets and bedding. Most have a pool or access to a shared pool.
As you are renting space on a private property, your experience may be colored by the personality and tastes of your landlord-landowner. Some are gregarious and helpful, even generous with their time, while others hand you the key on Saturday and disappear for a week.
Luxury apartments and rooms can be found in a Bastide, a Provencal manor house. Here in the ambiance of a country hotel you are pampered, yet you may pay more for a week than the rental of a gîte where the bond to the countryside is palpable.
The amount of space (square footage) that owners can rent on their properties is established by each village / commune, thus there is usually only one gite per landowner.
Rental Periods
The gites are booked from Saturday to Saturday. Travelers from the U.S. prefer to arrive on a Friday with a booking at a local hotel to allow for a day to adjust to jet lag and to assure a timely arrival at their accommodations.
Reservations / Financials
Reserve early – January and February. Upon making a reservation, a deposit (called an "arrhes") is required. As most gîtes are the only rental on the owner's property you may be requested to pay the full amount within a month or two of arrival date. Additional charges may include a commune tax (taxe de séjour) of about 80 cents to 1 euro per day per person, and a cleaning fee.
Think Local in Your Search and Look at Exterior
In addition to the websites referenced below, the sites of some city halls (google "Mairie" + village) or of the tourist bureau (google 'bureau de tourisme + village) contain vacation rentals of gites, houses and apartments. The village of Gordes has numerous rural gites and numerous houses listed on its website.
If you connect with an owner by phone and wish to exchange emails for pictures and information, the term in french for @ is not 'at' but 'aerobase' (air-ro-bas).
When you are inspecting gîtes online, make sure to consider the exterior amenities such as a terrace or veranda, tables for dining, grill, lounge chairs, and a parasol.
Geography Matters
"Provence" has more efficacy as a brand than a place these days and you will rarely if ever hear any locals say that they live in "provence.' The word is heard frequently in its adjectival form: provencale.
As geography, the term "Provence" suffers abuse. The French consider contemporary 'Provence' to take in three administrative department: the Vaucluse, the Bouches-du-Rhône, and the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence.
Within the Vaucluse, there are three regions to conduct your search for a gîte:
– The Comtat Venaissin, referred to as the "Comtat," which is the western part of the Vaucluse stretching from the Durance river in the south to Mont Ventoux in the north, a wine-dominated region encompassing the AOC's of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Côtes du Rhône-Villages and Ventoux. The name derives from when the Comtat was an enclave under Papal control within the Kingdom of France. The towns of L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, Pernes-les-Fontaines, Saint-Didier and Venasque are in close proximity to the Luberon either via L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue or from Venasque through a mountain gorge to Gordes.
– The Luberon/ Calavon Valley: the 'heart of Provence," a farmland-park cradled by rugged low lying mountains and sprinkled with the perched villages of Gordes, Menerbes, Lacoste, Roussillon and Bonnieux.
– Lourmarin and eastern Vaucluse: part of the Luberon region without the renowned perched villages
Mind The Routes
The heart of the Luberon is accessed primarily by a two-lane highway D900, which has a center line unlike most roads in the Luberon that have lines on their edges, running from Coustellet to Apt, and connecting to roads to L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, Avignon and Cavaillon. The Avignon TGV or Marseille airport serve for arrivals and rental car pickups.
In the Comtat and the northern Vaucluse all roads lead to Avignon, with efficient access to the Avignon TGV station, or to the Marseille airport ranging in time from 50 to 90 minutes depending upon location. In addition to reaching the Luberon via L'Isle-sur-La-Sorgue, there is a road through a mountain gorge from Venasque to Gordes used mainly by visitors in the summer as people living in the Luberon seem to be psychologically blocked from using this route frequently, preferring to travel via D900.
Lourmarin and its environs are accessed from Aix-en-Provence and the 35-minute trip has made Lourmarin a favorite of the BOBO's of Aix. Avignon is 55 minutes in smooth traffic. Yet the AIX TGV station has no rental cars, therefore someone has to fetch you or you have to take the dedicated express bus service to Aix to rent a car, a time-burning excursion. There are rental facilities at the Avignon TGV and the Marseille airport. From Lourmarin, passage to the heart of the Luberon is through a mountain ravine to Bonnieux.
Restaurants / Wine
Inquire with your hosts about restaurants in the area. If you are planning on dining at a Michelin star establishment, book your table weeks in advance of your arrival. The local wine cooperatives offer good bargains on rose. Patronize the cellar of a winery near your gîte for dinner wines. At restaurants, try labels that you can not find at your wine shops or supermarkets in the U.K. or the U.S. such as those from the Ventoux and the Luberon.
Farmers Markets
The Vaucluse is a plentiful land, the soi-disant garden of France, and the most crowded space you will ever encounter there is in the aisle of a Farmers Market. Avoid visits to towns on market days unless you are going for the market. Local producers sell at "marchés paysans," whereas other "marchés" such as those at Carpentras and L'Ilse-sur-la-Sorge have diverse products as well as produce. The Velleron market (pictured above) is open six evenings a week, closed Sunday.
For luxury rentals, try Just Provence.
Websites mentioned in an informal survey of gîte owners in the Vaucluse:
This website focuses on the Comtat: