text:
right at this very minute beat "Ch-Check It Out"? It reeks of Summer stereos and Hip-Hop that you can smile whilst listening to.
I find it slightly unsettling that with all the characters in all the movies I have seen, none has a taste in music more closely related to my own than Buffalo Bill from Silence of the Lambs. In the precious few moments the viewer has with Bill in his basement, he is treated to nothing but the highest '80s quality.
The absolute first song is unintelligible, but sounds like either the Cure or the Smiths (although neither band appears on IMDB's track listing), either way I'm sold. The follow-up, however, is as unmistakable as the scene it accompanies. Bill puts on his woman suit, and then puts on "Goodbye Horses". The only song released by German pop one-offers Q Lazzarus is an absolutely great piece of synth pop. The lead singer's deep voice is haunting and unforgettable (I thought she was a man until further research). The final song unleashed upon the audience is "Hip Priest", from my favorite era of the Fall. Perfect frantic music to disorient an FBI agent. . ."Hip Hip HIP HIP". So there you have it, 3 for 3, and if that weren't enough, he tried to kill some dumbass girl from Tennessee who was blasting Tom Petty! I mean, can Buffalo Bill do no wrong?
Now does this mean I have about T-minus 13 years before I go crazy and start skinning people because I can't get a sex change? Let's hope not.
Trap Muzik is an album about "The Trap" – a literal location where the dealers deal, where the crackheads seek crack and where T.I. "makes a million" – and it is also a metaphorical concept, a psychological prison of limited opportunity. The Trap is the world to a dealer, the beginning and end of life for a young man with no future. The Trap is possibility, money, drugs, and ultimately death or imprisonment – an idea which takes on added resonance with T.I.'s recent sentence.
It's really quite unfortunate that T.I.'s been sentenced to three years because Trap Muzik has become one of my favorite albums of 2003 – 16 tracks, nearly 70 minutes, but a surprisingly consistent album of funky southern hip-hop. Although David Banner, Kanye West and Jazze Pha show up for several joints, this album is really rooted in the vibrato-ringing organ and twanging-guitar sound of southern legends like UGK and Southernplayalistic-era Outkast. T.I.'s voice has this slurred, accented charisma that holds the album together; his lyrics are on point throughout. "Rubber Band Man," as everyone probably realizes by now, is a brilliant David Banner-produced pop single – the horns, the children singing, and T.I.'s chorus - "Rubba Band Man, wile like the Taliban!" I love his accent! Southern comfort. "24s" is pretty cool, some aggressive crunk shit, although I often find it hilarious when rappers brag about how they buy clothes – not specific clothes, just sort of generally, "Cars and clothes." (Like when the Big Tymers discussed how their cars had "head rests." My mom's volvo has head rests too.) Anyway, "Doin' My Job" has some great sax-driven Kanye production, and T.I.'s voice molds perfectly around the beat – "we ain't out here threatenin' your lives, rapin' your children/ we just out here stayin' alive, makin' a million." His voice on this track is comforting, and on "I Still Luv You" it's filled with empathic pangs of regret and inner-strength – "You prolly never knew, cuz hey I never said it/ But pops I'm jus like you, I'm stubborn and I'm hard-headed/ But now yer dead in the ground, don't need me tellin' you now, but all I wanted was for you to be proud."
The last three songs in particular stick with me – there are no superstar producers on these tracks, just some funky guitar-and-organ meat-and-potatoes soul. "Kingofdasouth" comes up first, and T.I. claims his place on top with a laconic verse - "I'll set the city on fire and you SEEN that shit." And you believe him. "I'm the best thang left blowing breath on the mic." Hot.
This is followed by the uplifting redemption of "Be Better than Me," a "do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do" track that is wonderfully motivating – "shorty them streets ain't the place to be/ I'm telling you cuz its too late for me / …So be BETTER than me!" "And don't be buyin' none of that bullshit that they sellin' you shorty!" "Don't be listenin' to them dope boys in the trap." And with this exclaimation, T.I. rejects the trap. He warns his charges to escape – there is no hope for them in the literal and psychological dead end dealing blow. "Cuz shorty its too late for me" – ominous words for a man on the verge of blowing up in hip-hop only to find himself imprisoned.
The final song on the album is the existential day-in-the-life drama of "Long Live Da Game." It begins with the opening squeal of an organ, and mere seconds later T.I. rips through the track; his voice speeds up and slows down along with the pace of the song. He is driven by pure adrenaline, slows down to rest, increases his speed as the tension builds - and he arrives in the Trap intent on selling his product, only to find it "swarming with cops." With a swift, echoing shot, the song ends abruptly. There is no hope for the future generations as on "Be Better than Me." T.I. meets his own end in the Trap, a metaphorical end that unfortunately took on real-life connotations with his recent arrest.
But hey, they signed Shyne for a couple mil, and he's in the clink til 2010. So there's always hope. Trap Muzik is a truly beautiful album.
Not since I discovered the Postal Service's "Such Great Heights" have I been this addicted to a song so far from perfection. Like "Such Great Heights", "Don't Say No" suffers from extremely trite lyrics — beginning with the lines "I used to say, "just follow your heart" / But my heart always led me in circles / I used to say, "just follow your dreams" / But my dreams always led me to murder" — but what it lacks in lyrical grace, it makes up for with the most compelling goth/electronic/folk arrangement of the year.
A simple guitar melody opens "Don't Say No", then a dark 4/4 beat transforms it into Depeche Mode-style dance, before "Where Is My Mind?"-esque vocals enter, the electronics become more complex, accordions join in, and the song enters distinct Patrick Wolf territory: urgent, unique, and stunning. Awkward lines like "If you're brave enough you'll just let it happen / If you're brave enough you'll just succumb" are soon redeemed by the commanding chorus of "Don't say no to it / (Can't say no to it)" and the listener is hooked.
Patrick Wolf is not the genius his press releases glorify him as — his romantic tales of escape, solitude, and lycanthropy (the title of his first full-length, which roughly means "the process of transforming from man to wolf") are often ridden with cliché — but he is a unique voice, joining his Irish blend of folk with a mix of 80s-style dance music and current laptop electronica to magnificent effect. "Don't Say No" merely suggests what Wolf has to offer.
And so, 7 years on, and the man himself returns. What he returns with is curious: commentary on the political/social status of the UK; our national identity, national pride (or lack of it) and the relationship between modern day politics and the politics of the 17th Century. Nothing curious about that, you might think (and you'd be right), Moz has been treating us to his staunch views on this stuff since "Still Ill", from the first Smiths record.
What I find most bizarre is Morrissey's Englishness. Here he is, passing comment on a country he hasn't lived in for years: Arthur Scargill representing the hopeless miners of Barnsley from his Communist mansion in the sky, trading his C&A suit for one bought with the money of his supporters - you have to look like the big boys before you can talk to them, you know.
I guess it's admirable, and typically quirky of Morrissey, to have maintained that same well-pronounced accent, the one he stole from the landed gentry and took all the way back to Ancoates all those years ago. You'd think he'd have developed that LA twang (Robbie Williams is slowly getting his, and I'm sure Tim Burgess will follow), but no, Morrissey retains at least some Englishness and as such this is his cultural passport, the one that gains him access to recording studios to make records like this.
And quite a record it is. Sure, spitting in the face of Oliver Cromwell, denouncing Labour and Conservative alike and urging people to reclaim the Union Flag is all in a day's work for our Steve, but never before with this much vigour. Sounding dangerously hard-rock, for a stocky, greying man in his 40s, he's certainly saying something.
To me his refusal to accept England's two major political parties strikes a note, and maybe this really is the "time" that Morrissey swears he's been dreaming about - maybe we will abandon them. Having just turned 18 myself, I sure as hell don't know who I support, I don't trust that Blair's even healthy enough to do his job anymore, and I certainly don't trust Michael For-The-Fourteenth-Time-Please-Answer-The-Question-Mr-Howard Howard.
Has Morrissey chosen to say all this, at this time, for my benefit? Almost certainly not. But he always had a habit of saying what other people were thinking, didn't he? He was never a voice for everyone, speaking on everybody's behalf, sure, but I think "Irish Blood, English Heart" and the album that follows could well restore him back to his former glory. Ad if it does, I'd like to be there to congratulate him.
Welcome back, Spokesman for the Disaffected.
I just saw Terry Gilliam's Brazil for the first time tonight. I am having the hardest time wrapping my head around it in terms of forming an opinion. First off, whoever the fuck says anything about its darkly comedic elements being like Dr. Strangelove is flat wrong. Brazil's humor falls largely into the category of, "Oh wow, how much Bureaucracy can poor Sam get mixed up in?!?" As a result, I found the comedic parts repetitive and predictable mostly. That said, DeNiro's character (approximate screentime 10 minutes) and performance was top notch and definitely funny.
I liked some aspects of the film, it was thought-provoking and put a rather interesting spin on the dystopian material I scarfed so hungrily in high school. I guess I'm just trying to come to grips with people calling it a classic. As I said it's thought-provoking but anything with as many disparate elements of fantasy and reality flying off the screen prompts one to use the ol' noggin just to figure out what the fuck is happening. And then comes the tiresome (because the direction was purposefully muddled in this respect) debate, "is it happening in reality or in his head. . .or maybe the whole thing is in his head!" I welcome a little ambiguity, but if discussions like that and a bleak vision of the future is what makes Brazil crack IMDB's top 200, I guess I didn't miss the boat. I don't mean to bash, because Brazil isn't a terrible film, but based on shared opinions (with other people on other films) I was supposed to love this movie. I'm just trying to understand where the disconnect occurred.
Why did no-one tell me that the video for "Bat Out Of Hell" is complete cinematic genius? I saw it this evening as part of BBC2's exciting 'let's continue to make Top of the Pops look rather bad' campaign (ie; Top of the Pops 2) and was, frankly, stunned.
At first I wondered if Dave Vanian had been at the pies (ho ho, do you see? because Meatloaf is fat!) but was fairly swiftly distracted by the noticeably horrendous tape quality. You know how desperately worn out the Star Trek theme tune sounds these days? "Nuuurrh… nuh… nuuurrrgghh nurrggh nuh.. nuhh nuuuhhh NNUUUH", it goes. Err… well, like that. Unless they were just using some kind of amazing tremolo piano for the shoot, of course. In which case I retract all my comments. Except for the impression of the Star Trek theme–I'm quite proud of that. Sadly.
Anyway, yes. The sound is wobbling all over the place, the sub-Thunderbirds set on the 'outside' cuts is wobbling all over the place, Meatloaf is wobbling all over the place (ha ha, because he's a big fat fatty you see! oh god, I'm so clever) and I'm starting to wonder if I can risk switching over to Channel 4 without catching a glimpse of "REALITY SHOW X: MORE IDIOTS TALK ABOUT NOTHING. FOREVER. UNTIL YOU DIE."
I can't, of course.
Gradually though, it starts to win me over. There's something about the way Meatloaf is waving his red hankie around the place like a gigantic fop (literally gigantic, because he's such a blob! am I right?!) and something about the way in which the mysterious woman in all-over white lycra slowly grows visibly concerned by Meat's increasingly manic antics as the track progresses. Something, even, in the way the track gamely manages to continue for fully nine hours.
So I salute you, "Bat Out Of Hell" video director person. I salute you for listening to the song and thinking "Hmm.. I think we can best depict this by sticking the band in a shed and having some bloke scoot past it a few times on a motorbike", I salute the props department for bravely spending an afternoon churning out some headstones with nothing more than a few sheets of cardboard and some magic markers, and I salute Meatloaf for giving an epic, larger than life performance (not much larger though, or he'd crush the band.. eh, EH? oh fine, fuck off).
Wait, wait… I've thought of a great one! "Fat Out Of Hell"!
Oh heavens, my sides.
The marketing of this film was inspired timing; it would've never got a quarter of the interest if not for being released a few weeks after the UK got to see the Dawn of the Dead remake. Horror movies are now being assailed by instant parody. even the total genius of Simon Pegg's Spaced TV series didn't make him a household name.
Mildly amusing with enough laugh out loud moments and lines to repeat all day to people at work which they do not find funny at all, but a times it hovered dodgily between black comedy and farce. More Bad Taste offal moments of gore would've been appreciated.
The most interesting scene to me, a musical fanatic, was when Shaun and Ed were discussing which piece of vinyl to use as anti-Zombie throwing star. I actually let out an audible "Oh No!" as he revealed the floppy disc sleeve of the recently smashed "Blue Monday".
As incredibly flawed as A Grand Don't Come for Free is, the last track on the album (the secret alternate resolution song) made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
Am I a big softy? Did I get sucked so far into the concept LP's story even though it was rubbish?
BBC Radio Devon (god save me from this godforesaken little patch of land that sticks into the sea and that I love so much APART FROM THE BLOODY PEOPLE) recently polled thier listeners via the internet (I know, crazy huh, that all these people who are waiting to die have net connections?!) to find out "Devon's Top 50 Albums" which is a bit like asking for "Alaska's Favourite Pig Farms" or "Zimbabwe's Favourite Dry Ski Slopes" only MORE INSANE.
Anyway, I can't actually bring myself to say anything about the contents, but here's the list anyway…
1 Simon & Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water
11 Carole King Tapestry
21 Beatles Hard Day's Night
31 Frank Sinatra Songs For Swinging Lovers
41 Rod Stewart Every Picture Tells A Story
Who the fuck are Show Of Hands??!!
I was digging through my albums the other day and I noticed the eclipse-of-the-sun cityscape album cover for Primal Scream's Vanishing Point. I hadn't listened to it for a while. I remember calling my local record store a couple of years ago and asking about. The clerk said, "Yeah, we've got a used copy. That's the one nobody wants." Literally. I still don't know whaddafuc he was talking about. Long considered one of their also-ran albums next to Screamadelica and XTRMNTR, I think it gets roughed up unnecessarily. There's more here than just "Trainspotting," though admittedly that is the landmark of the album. Between the bouncy opener "Burning Wheel" and the nails-on-the-blackboard of "Kowalski," it keeps moving without getting too rough or caustic. Sure, I can do without "Medication," but to finish off with two straight tracks as compelling as "Trainspotting" and "Long Life," for my money, it's more interesting than XTRMNTR. It lacks all of the keyword cache of the other albums, but it'll always manage just fine in my own private circulation.
(part 6 of a series that's starting to settle into a nice regular pattern now)
CAST - Beat Mama
Ah, Cast. When people go a-binting about how shit Britpop was, there is usually the concession that so-and-so had the odd decent tune. Not with Cast, though. The endless 'sad bits in football' montages that have featured John Power bleating "Gorreh wauk away, wauuk away, wauuuk awayyy… thass what they say-eee what they say-eee what they say-eee…" have done rather a lot of damage to most people's opinion of them, not that those opinions tended to be favourable in the first place. You never even hear 'Walkaway' (two separate words, is that too much to ask?) on those montages anymore, cos now we have Coldplay's songs that have pianos on.
This might be the bit where you'd expect me to say I actually really like Cast. Thing is, though, I don't. The Liverpewl accent has never, ever sounded quite so dreadful as when it comes out of John Power's mouth. Never, never, never. Then, dear lord, there's the songs. At the height of their fame, Cast had six top ten hits in a row. These were (gracias a Everyhit):
8 Sandstorm Jan 1996
All of these songs are godawful mawkish hippy-dippy bull-SHIT (I am aware that they turn the guitars up on Sandstorm and Free Me – THIS CHANGES NOTHING) wherein Power's mewl expresses sentiments along the lines of "You've got to flah-hahh, you need to flah-hahh" and "Somebody's after me, I can't pretend to be, something I know I'm not." To be fair to the rest of Cast, they might have been OK had they not had Power as a singer. Unfortunately, they did, so they were bloody dreadful…
… except, yes, for 'Beat Mama'. 'Beat Mama' is not just better than every other Cast song ever, it's actually quite good on its own. Cast, for no apparent reason, decided to put out a song that was actually a bit light, dear lord, maybe even a bit fun. The central riff sounds like a slightly dodgy ice-cream van in a slightly dodgy seaside town – definitely 'seaside town', by the way, not 'beach resort', in case you're in any confusion. When the sun is out, it just sounds bloody wonderful, this irritatingly perky "De-nee-der-nee-derneeder!" jangling about from around 1974 or sometime around then. Someone decides to make John Power's vocals sound like they've been lifted off some old vinyl too, and he doesn't sound that much like he usually does either – I mean, obviously it's still John Power singing and so on and so forth, but somehow he's a lot less irritating than usual.
Then the chorus, wherein Power gets swamped entirely by the rest of the band yelling his pseudo-mystic 'Toploader belongs to me'-isms along with him. You wonder why Cast never thought of this before, because their lyrics are far less irritating when sung/yelled this way. In fact, they're really very catchy indeed. "JUST! TURN IT ON! TURN IT ON DON'T TURN IT DOWN! AND YOU WANT! TO BELONG! TO BELONG FOR HIGHER GROUND! DO YOU BELONG FROM HIGHER GROUND! DO YOU BELONG FOR HIGHER GROUND!" They're still not any good, but coupled with the whole song's general chirpiness, they work fantastically.
I saw Cast do this live on the telly once. The chorus was stripped of the yelling, with just Power singing it. It sounded fucking awful. 'Beat Mama' would be their last dalliance with the top 10 (#9, May 1999). Their next single sounded like Starsailor and ended up at #28. Then, after attempting a 'new more dance-influenced direction' which made no impression on the charts at all, Cast fucked off for good. After 'Beat Mama', it's the second best thing they ever did.
So much of my listening habits these days start at the computer, with Soulseek or sample mp3s on websites, that I forget what a magical place the record store can sometimes be. The one I frequent, Music In Orbit, is small and doesn't have the greatest selection, but the guy who runs it will order anything for you if you've shown you'll buy it and most of my purchases are made there. Like all music stores, good or bad, there's always something playing when you go in.
Last time I was there, this song was playing. I was so intoxicated, listening to it rattle around the nearly empty store, that I bought the album immediately. It was one of those quasi-stereotypical moments, the listener at first affecting a level of cool appraisal, nodding head appreciatively. Eventually it's too much and they invariably gravitate to the counter to ask what's playing. I'd heard of The Unintended before a "supergroup"(?) consisting of Rick White from Eric's Trip and Elevator, Greg Keelor from Blue Rodeo and some of the guys from the Sadies, and so I bought it.
The record as a whole I'm still making my mind up about, but this song is a beauty, sinuous and smoky, White's quasi-whispered vocals brushing up against the foggy background. But unlike most of the songs here there's bunched muscles underneath, propelling the whole thing forward. The band ably handles the de rigeur section where everything goes chaotic for a while just so it can all come back together, and I could listen to "So Long Goodbye" on repeat for quite a while.
But, of course, it's never quite sounded as good as it did in the store.
No one would have believed, in the first few years of the 21th century, that gig goers in Newcastle Upon Tyne were being watched from the land of Shaolin, otherwise known as Staten Island.
No one could have dreamed that we were being scrutinized by members of the Wu (GZA and Masta Kill)a as someone with a microscope studies creatures that swarm and multiply around pints of cider. Few men even considered the possibility that they would come to play a show at Newcastle University Union on 11 May 2004 19:30.
And yet, across the gulf of space, minds immeasurably superior to ours regarded this place with reddened sleepy eyes, and slowly and surely, they drew their plans to totally rock the crowd.
I got my tickets.
A few weeks ago I was honored to be invited to a magazine launch party. Normally I shun these types of industy-esque type events, but in this case the magazine in question features Stylus writers and contributions from the site. Most notably, Nick Southall gets a shout-out in the table of contents for his takes on M83, Four Tet and Manitoba on the inside of the magazine. Other contributors included Gavin Mueller (Dizzee Rascal), Olav Bjortomt (Arab Strap), Clem Bastow (Warren Zevon), Lisa Oliver and Todd Hutlock (Top Ten Artists to Namedrop).
Measure Magazine impetus is described by its editor, Ben French, as such: "I basically wanted Measure to help nurture that same musical zeal I see through NATN's small collective of outspoken enthusiasts. I hoped that by connecting a number of NATN-minded publications to one another for solidarity's sake we might be able to bring some new blood, show folks there are other magazines to buy, other sites to visit, and most importantly, other bands to discuss."
Something on the order of 20-30 publications contributed to this compendium of music writing and it features some rather fascinating interviews, features and reviews that I would've never gotten the chance to get to otherwise. What I was perhaps most amazed at, though, was the way the magazine was put together. It's organized as a hefty zine with numerous pictures and stunning design. Ben and his designers did a great job with this essential aspect, especially since many of the items weren't written to conform to word-lengths.
Copies should be available at large record stores in major cities (Reckless, Other, Amoeba, Sonic) and online at insound.com.
So, yeah, I'll be up front about it. I'm the jagoff who paid over $30 including shipping to lay my hands on this thing, and I was drooling to have it. Ten tracks, including one previously available remix by Four Tet which is really the rallying point of my yelps and squeals this morning. I can put up with the fact that several tracks are simply live tracks of HTTT-era songs and earlier, and the fact that Fog (Again) removes the stuttering percussion and twisted atmospherics I liked so much from the version available on the Knives Out single. I can handle the naggingly mediocre Los Angeles version of I Will (what is it about that town that sucks the blood from the lives of outsiders?). What really pisses me off is the audacity to forcefeed clearly helpless fans such as myself with the noxious, screaming static on Four Tet's Scatterbrain remix. It only happens four times total, but each repetition carves out your eardrums and leaves a hollow ringing inside. For the dear price clearly paid by fans far outside Japan (and here's to betting the Japanese may not pay the lion's share of the booty for this album's take), could this not have been rereleased at a later date, with corrections made? I wanted to hear this, indeed needed to, but I could have waited. I'm sure we all could have, considering the availability of most of this material anyways. For shame, and a pox on all your houses, dearest Radiohead!
(part 5 of a suddenly not-so-occasional series)
BLACK BOX RECORDER - The Facts Of Life
Mark & Lard did their last show on Radio 1 a couple of weeks ago. This was the second song they played. I was beaming from ear to ear through every second of it. Cos, y'see, I was there (well, listening anyway) when they played it for the first time, too…
A-Level English Language Conference, Friends' Meeting House, Euston, London, England, sometime in early 2000. Probably February. It was a Monday, I can remember that much. Our school's group decided to get back a bit late from lunch, because the lecture after lunch had bugger all to do with what we were studying (something about creating believable characters for crime novels. Fuck that). We get back while the lecture's still going on and are sat outside being ordered not to talk. As such, I put my earphones in and listen to Mark & Lard for a bit. They announce that their new Record Of The Week is 'The Facts Of Life' by Black Box Recorder.
My previous knowledge of BBR was sketchy. I had half-remembered reading about them being the alter-ego of a miserable git called Luke, and they had a song called 'Child Psychology (Life Is Unfair, Kill Yourself Or Get Over It)'. For some reason I used to think it was Luke Sutherland out of Long Fin Killie and Bows as opposed to Luke "Pleased To Meet You Mr" Haines. They were a band that were always described as being 'depressing' and 'scary', and as such I tended to stay away from them, due to the fact that I really don't like being scared very much. I probably thought they were like The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown or someone.
Anyway, they played it… and I spent the next three and a bit minutes creasing up while trying to stay silent for fear of getting castigated by terrifying Quaker meeting house security men.
The genius of 'The Facts Of Life' lies in how it takes on the UK pop-soul 'temptresses' at their own game, subverts them, and then knocks them for six. The message at the heart of the song - "You are a teenager. You've never had any. You aren't getting any. And you never will." The joy of that first time was hearing this smooth, All Saints-style swingbeat-lite poppy number not telling you the many ways in which it is going to sex you this evening, or how great it thinks you are at sexing it, but rather:
When boys are just eleven
It's just the facts of life
A boy sits by the telephone
It's just the facts of life
Why do edited highlights when you've got that, hmm? (I'm aware the third verse is missing, though. That's cos it wasn't in the radio edit…)
Anyway – lyrics and production two parts. Third – Sarah Nixey. Sarah… Nixey. See, if Luke Haines were singing this song, it would just sound fucked. Ditto for John Moore. No, songs about how puberty screws y'up but-you-may-get-over-it-one-day require a woman's touch, and that woman is Sarah Nixey. I really ought to tread quite carefully here, cos whenever I write about Black Box Recorder it usually just turns into an elegy on how pretty she is. Well, maybe elegy's overstating it. She is pretty though.
But she's one of very few people that could get the Black Box Recorder canon right on, which she does here. Her voice is near monotone, but with enough flicks and fluctuations in it to set off the shivers. Is she cold? Is she warm? Dunno. But it hurt, somehow, hurt beautifully.
Those early months of the year 2000, presumably March & April, were commandeered by BBR. I can remember nearly skipping across the road to Brixton tube station on the way to school trying to remember how the chorus went. The mild outrage I felt at Nixey being voted only eighth in Melody Maker's poll of the sexiest women in rock, behind (and I might have misremembered some of these) Hillary Woods (out of JJ72), Cerys Matthews, Sophia Churney (from Ooberman), Charlotte Hatherley, Justine Frischmann, Shirley Manson, and Mew out of Elastica. (note however that five of the seven were in bands that have since gone south, and the other two are in Ash and Garbage, so, er, hah. No, let's not bring the question of how many people are aware that BBR are still together into this. No, let's NOT.) The way I began to think Alexis Petridis' attempt to relaunch Select magazine was really great if only due to the fact that every month was guaranteed to feature Black Box Recorder in some capacity, whether it be John Moore's interview with Daphne & Celeste or just another photo of Sarah Nixey included for no better reason than Sarah Nixey frigging rocks…
And then – the payoff. April 2000, 'The Facts Of Life' enters the UK top 40 at #20. A delirious Mr Swygart decides to tape the moment for posterity. He also decides to do it in a really clever manner, yeah, by taping the version Steve Lamacq played on the Evening Session, resplendent with third verse ("A family car, a disused coalmine, a rowing boat, or a shed") and then recording the ending off the top 40 version, just so he could get Scott Mills confirming that yes, "it's a new entry for BLACK-BOX-RECORDER, in at number twenty with THE-FACTS-OF-LIFE". The following Friday – Black Box Recorder got on Top Of The Pops. The performance was slightly odd, in that it became rather obvious that none of the band bar Nixey had ever planned on getting this far, which resulted in her wearing rather too much eyeliner and Haines & Moore looking like Very Seedy Old Men Indeed. At the end, Luke Haines broke into a fit of giggles.
And then… The follow-up single, 'The Art Of Driving', was the first single I ever bought, CD1, featuring 'The Facts Of Life' remixed by Jarvis Cocker and Steve Mackey from Pulp and an ultra-gorgeous cover of 'Rock & Roll Suicide' recorded for the Evening Session. It didn't make the top 40. The album went top 40, though, at #39, and it took bloody ages for me to save up enough money to buy it (tip: if you are the world's worst poker player, do not play poker. Ever). BBR played Glastonbury, and Nixey wore a white PVC catsuit. The BBC decided to show Moby's performance instead. Jesus probably wept.
Worse was to follow – BBR's label, Nude Records, went under the following year. Their next album, Passionoia, had been recorded, but suddenly they found themselves plunged unto development hell. It didn't come out until last year, on One Little Indian (the delightful Mr Murphy's opinion here), by which time the mainstream's focus had moved wayyy off them. Their one defender was Alexis Petridis, who by now had managed to run Select into the ground and moved his focus to the music section of The Guardian. He gave it three out of five. The first single, 'These Are The Things', got to #91. They then released a second single, 'The School Song', which didn't even make the top 100. My last encounter with Black Box Recorder would have been around this time last year, when they played the Birmingham Academy 2 (like the Birmingham Academy, but smaller and uglier). It was about half-to-three-quarters full. I would go on to write a rambling, wankful review of it for the uni newspaper and comprehensively blot my copybook with more or less anyone who ever knew me there.
And you know what the weird thing is? Somehow, none of that actually matters. Cos they were happy. Sarah Nixey & John Moore fell in love with each other and got married. They had a child. As for Luke Haines, he's probably still more famous for being the man behind The Auteurs. He's got his cult following, enough to release his own little 'Greatest Hits' record last year (only songs he wrote himself, so no BBR cos they were all co-written with Moore). Everyone loves the miserable old bugger, unless, of course, they hate him.
I interviewed John Moore before the gig in Birmingham. He's a lovely fellow - said he'd tried listening to Radio 1 to see if they were getting played, but turned off because he couldn't stand 'Pain Killer' by Turin Brakes.
And now, I've no idea what they're up to. BBR were always a band rather lacking in a target audience outside of, er, Alexis Petridis. No website has anything on them after June 2003 (don't visit the One Little Indian site, it is fugly and has sound files that you can't turn off). If anyone would care to make a slightly too-obsessive fansite about them, then please do. They really are worth it, y'know.
(N.B. as a starting point, try hunting down the B-Sides collection, The Worst Of Black Box Recorder. The other albums are all very good, but for some reason I like this best. The cover of 'Rock & Roll Suicide' really is very special)
Call me stodgy, but I almost don't even want to hear the guy. Oh I know he's a genius. And a fascinating character. And for that matter, I'm sure I'd be sold on him in a second were I to actually hear his music.
But the thing is: after 700 articles, blog posts, reviews and ILM threads on The World of Arthur Russell, I could care less. Enough already.
This new Prince album is stinkingly bad, the patter I'd heard so far was some sort of creative rebirth?! This is really averagely ugly. Song after song, I recoil like some Hammer Horror damsel from the sheer lack of anything resembling the vital spark that made Prince a bone fide genius.
Listen to "Cinnamon Girl"'s solo, ugh it's fucking dreadful! The lyrics are actually sniggeringly funny, not just crap. "What do u Want me 2 do?" brings to mind a dog scrabbling in the rain at the back door, paws slapping against the glass, claws sliding up down, as prince tries to desperatly put together the stripped elements that recall the feel of the Sign o the Times days.
Any song containing the line "that's when I'm going to lay her 'cross my piano stool and sing to her" ("The Marrying Kind") needs to be hammered and burnt. And by my beard, I would do it too, had this song not appeared countless times, in slightly different incarnations, across the last 3-4 Prince albums. And the guitar flourishes. Sweet Jesus NO!
D'Angelo!! Wake up and show him how its done.
The best thing about Greendale, Neil Young's concept album recently transformed into an arty feature film, is not the kick ass music (although the tunes do prove that Young continues to be THE man, even while becoming an old man). And it's not the grainy Super 8 in which the whole deal is shot (although the gritty, jittery look does leave in one's head a pleasantly off-balanced feeling when all is said and done). And it's certainly not the earnest, lefty yearnings of our storyteller (although the fact that Young, who is pushing 60, still maintains such a hopeful idealism does inspire).
No. The best thing about Greendale is its depiction of the devil: perhaps the most odd and, I would claim, wonderful image of evil to grace the screen in years. Introduced as Young sings "The Devil's Sidewalk," this devil is no more than a very ordinary looking man behaving like a nerd, moving like an awkward teen, and dressed like a clown. And I don't mean a Stephen King's It kind of evil clown. I mean faux suave. I mean black pants, black shirt, bright red jacket, a panama hat with red stripe, and even brighter shoes made of, I think, cheap red plastic. He dances and walks like a mime trying to evoke the essence of "strut." He carries on with the world's shit-eatingest shit-eating grin. As far as devils go, Greendale's is at once the least intimidating and most bewildering. Ultimately, I think that's a good thing.
The devil's role in the narrative is vague. He chills with a murderer wallowing in jail. He serves as the muse for a harmless middle-aged Winnebago-driving artiste. And I think he incites our young activist hero to move to Alaska. Of course, that last one is a noble pursuit, so I don't what the devil was thinking there.
The guiding lyrics leave it ambiguous and weird: "when the red light shines/ on the streets of hate/ where the devil dines/ who knows what he ate." Something spicy, perhaps.
It's hard to say what Young was going for. Maybe by making the devil intensely average, Young is commenting on the evil present in all of us: heart of darkness, yadda, yadda. Maybe, by dorkifying the devil, Young hopes to defang the myth of evil, and return to us ordinary humans, the ability and obligation to make things right in the world. Sure, the whole shtick shouts "metaphor." But metaphor for what?
Who knows? Maybe, Young was just hoping for a laugh.
So, I saw Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind for the second time Tuesday. I don't usually do this sort of thing. Given my post-graduate financial slump, that money could be better spent on a night of drinking (among other things). But something about it kept drawing me back.
I remember the first time I saw it I felt a bit depressed afterward (not that bad kind of depression, but a kind of introspective depression that feels oddly therapeutic). I recall feeling about the same after the first time I saw Lost in Translation which, considering my ultra-cynical attitude, I picked apart after the second viewing rendering it useless as a source of catharsis.
I expected the same thing to happen with Eternal Sunshine. I'd find problems with the characters or see how contrived the conversations really were when taken out of context. But miraculously that wasn't the case. In fact, I actually walked out of it in a really good mood… and then went to drink.
Now, I'm not sure why I had the opposite reaction this time but I have my suspicions. Maybe it was because the first time I saw it, I was fighting (yet again) with an ex-girlfriend and I was on the losing end of that argument (a position, I might add, that I've grown accustomed to). Regardless, seeing it again made me realize the futility of those actions. As sappy as it sounds, I learned something from the movie which I probably should've known already. I'm not going to bore you with the details because 1.) I don't know any of you personally and it would be quite foolish of me to reveal private stuff here and 2.) I really hate it when people discuss long-winded personal problems with me, so I would never think to subject anyone to the same (believe me, i've sat through enough of them, I know that disinterested look far too well).
Anyway, I seem to have strayed from my initial topic which I don't really recall anymore. I guess I was just sharing with you all the effect this film had and to urge anyone who hasn't seen it yet to see it as soon as possible. I know that kind of recommendation usually ruins the movie since it sets unreasonable expectations, but humor me and pretend you enjoyed it.
The only complaint here is that the ELO song Mr. Blue Sky featured so prominently in the trailer is absent from the film. Not that that matters really, but Out of the Blue is a totally underrated album!
Take four measures of good russian vodka and macerate with a handful of fresh mint leaves at the bottom of a coctail shaker. Add two tablespoons of honey, the juice of a fresh lemon, and enough ice to give the jitters to those scientists monitoring the polar caps.
Good? Aye, you bet. Now, another recipe:
Pre-heat your speakers to mark 11. Gently remove the hard, black innards of a Swervedriver's virgin album, 'Raise', discarding the thin paper outer. Place the congealed vinyl mass onto a round platter, gently rotating all the while at 33.3 rpm. Taking due care not to spoil the vinyl, gently apply a pre-boiled needle to the outermost groove; if unsure, ask your record-shop technician to prepare it for you. If you've got things right, you'll be greeted with a satisfying crackle of static - don't worry, this is a mark of organically-farmed rock.
Sit back.
Good? Does the Pope have Parkinson's?


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National Apple Picking Days 2014Other / Amsterdam
September 06-13 2014, Various, differs per location
On September 6 and 13, orchards around the Netherlands will partake in National Apple Picking Days where the farmers will let visitors on their land to choose and "harvest" their own fruit!
Apple picking with the family
Apple picking is a timeless tradition whereby children (and those young at heart) can see first-hand what goes into growing and harvesting a fruit.
Along with wandering the orchards, the various farms will also be planning activities, recipe sampling and demonstrations of manufacturing techniques.
Have a look at the map of orchards, choose a destination and enjoy a classic autumn activity with family, friends and loved ones!
› The event is only on Sept 6 & 13.
› Access to the orchards is free, but you must pay for the fruit you pick.
› Find a map of orchards here.
› Take note that some orchards are only participating on one of the dates.

subset: commoncrawl


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Welcome DEA
This new website has been created
Inner Imaging for the Detectives' Endowment Association.
Please take the time to read this
introductory page and you will see how informative
this site can be.
Through the efforts of DEA President Michael J. Palladino and the Trustees of the DEAs Health and Welfare Fund, your union has agreed to subsidize in part clinical screening for the following body areas: the heart; the lungs; and the abdomen and pelvis (a full body" scan). Your contribution (what you must pay at the time of service) for this screening will be only
$175.00. (The retail price of this type of service is ordinarily $850.00, and in some locations often considerably more). This service will be available only at:
Imaging, P.C.
with the Heart Institute at
Beth Israel Medical Center
East 63rd St, Ground Floor
York, NY 10065
To take advantage of this offer you MUST
ENROLL in this program by calling
212-991-5445. Please read this information in
its entirety before enrolling as it outlines the program in
is this screening program being made available to DEA members?
artery disease kills more DEA members than firearms. Over the last
three years, the DEA has encouraged its members to become aware of this
disease and seek early screening in an effort to lower member mortality
at Inner Imaging have been witnessing more and more disease that may be
a result of the horrific toxic dust created by the World Trade
Centers destruction. Over the last fifteen months, we have followed
the saga of the ever-increasing number of first responders who have died
or are suffering from early cancers and other potentially terminal
illnesses. As many as 100,000 or more people exposed to 9/11
debris may become victims over the next decade.
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active DEA members responded to 9/11 and worked at either Ground Zero,
the Fresh Kills landfill site, or one of the morgue sites. The DEA
is concerned about exposure to toxic carcinogenic dust and debris that
was inhaled and handled. Because of the high risk associated with
this catastrophic event and its cleanup, the leadership of your union
has agreed that a pro-active
stance is necessary and has arranged to subsidize a full body
screening for DEA members in an effort to identify early stage diseases.
saves lives.
do DEA members enroll?
order to take advantage of the subsidized clinical screening, it will be
necessary to enroll in our program. This program is being made
available to all active members of the DEA. When you sign up by
calling 212-991-5445, the information you provide will be thoroughly secure so
that your identity and privacy are assured.
you read the rest of this Web section, simply call
212-991-5445 to enroll and be scheduled for an appointment.
We are your advocate and are here to help you.
What happens after
approximately 5,500 active members of the DEA, Inner Imaging cannot
possibly book everyones screening at once.
will be handling screenings on a first-come,
first-serve basis in the order that requests are received.
will be handling screenings on a first-come,
first-serve basis in the order that requests are received.
will be happy to answer any questions you may have! Simply contact us at 212-991-5445
and one of staff members will be glad to assist you any way they can.
WHAT happens during
the appointment?
to be at Inner Imaging for approximately 45 minutes. During your
appointment, we will conduct three tests: a heart scan; a lung scan; and
an abdomen and pelvic scan. A full description of each test can be
found on the Website
once you have enrolled.
WHEN and
how do you get results?
are generally available between 24 and 48 hours after you have been
Imaging will e-mail your test results to your e-mail address unless you
specify otherwise (you can specify prior to your exams).
If there are issues that we are concerned with, we will call
you and review them with you before we send your e-mail.
you would like us to communicate with your physician, we will do so. We will do our best to explain our medical findings to you in
a manner than you will comprehend.
WHAT if
we require follow-up testing?
Statistically, it is
inevitable that some people may require further testing for coronary
artery disease, possible lung disease, or suspicious abdominal findings.
Such clinical
recommendations will be determined by our cardiologists and/or
radiologists. If this applies to your test results, we will explain why
these recommendations have been made and schedule follow-up appointments
for you.
about Radiation?
Here to read about the latest radiation data!
WHAT if
I am planning to retire very soon?
212-991-5445 and we will accommodate your schedule.
If you require stress testing, we can also perform this
test and pre-certify you.
Let us know your particular needs and we will try to accommodate
Inner Imaging safeguard my firearm during testing?
Inner Imaging is
weapons friendly. There is a weapons lock box in the room where
you will be tested. You can lock up your weapon and retain the
key. The lock box can accommodate up to two hand guns.
you have other questions?
is possible that you may have personal questions that have not been
Please enroll now by calling 212-991-5445 and once we have
completed your enrollment, we will be happy to answer any questions you
may have.
look forward to seeing you at Inner Imaging, P.C.


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Com One BPHX001A Phoenix WiFi Radio
Looking for a new type of wake up call? How about an easier way to listen to things from the Internet or stored on your PC. The Phoenix radio uses your home wifi network to access Internet radio, subscription playback services, and your own locally stored music, podcasts, MP3's, etc, etc. You can use the built in speakers to listen or you can hook it up via inputs to a speaker system or via Bluetooth. And of course, it has an alarm clock.
This is a stylish HD radio with alarm clock. It can receive high-def radio signals and has inputs for your media players. Nice LCD display that can be easily viewed in the light and dark.Tags: radio, music, media player, alarms, high definition, hi-def, hd radio, dual alarmsAdded 9 Years Ago from Buy.com


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Pacific Poncho
The best rain protection for pooches on the go, the Pacific Poncho keeps your pooch dry and protected. This adorable, light-weight style has complete belly coverage, allowing your pup to enjoy the beautiful outdoors to the fullest. Equipped with the following great features:
- Waterproof, durable shell with breathable mesh lining
- Rain poncho packs into super compact portable pouch
- Frustration-free high quality zippers
- Size-adjustable toggle hood
- Full belly coverage
- Functional pocket for treat and bag storage
- Stainless steel clip attachment – "just in case" it rains
- Tags feature a 1-2-3 step guide to packing and unpacking poncho
We Also Recommend


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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 9/5/2014 (1175 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
I've always maintained that it is easier for women to adapt the latest fashion trends into our wardrobes than it is for men.
Part of this is the sheer number of boutiques available to us versus those for men, therefore making clothing more accessible. Women are also more willing to embrace new styles.
When it comes to fashion trends, men seem to be a bit reluctant to try something new, especially if the new involves colour or prints.
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of chatting with Sharp editor-in-chief Jeremy Freed about the latest fashion for men featured in the spring/summer edition of Sharp: The Book for Men and ways to incorporate the hottest new looks into your wardrobe repertoire.
His biggest tip -- don't be afraid to go a little out of your comfort zone.
"Try a bright-coloured pant on the weekend with a polo shirt and a pair of sneakers," advises Freed. "Keep the rest of the outfit pretty subdued and don't try to get too matchy-match, you only want to expand your style and up your game a bit."
Among the hottest trends in men's fashion for spring/summer are bold prints -- everything from fitted Hawaiian-inspired shirts to bold stripes and camo -- yes, camo.
"We are still seeing a lot of camo but if you wear it the right way it can look really good, like in a pocket square or a tie," says Freed.
Another hot seasonal trend is a suede bomber jacket. This reinterpreted version of the classic comes in bold hues such as deep blue, radiant red and vibrant yellow as opposed to more subtle tones of beige and brown.
And the secret to making it all work? According to Freed, it's all in the fit.
"The secret to being well-dressed is tailoring. Guys often think they are two sizes bigger than they actually are," says Freed. "If you tailor something to fit properly you will get compliments all the time."


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I wrote: > That is not the number of interest. The number of interest is that it's > 8 bytes added onto a struct that currently contains 11 of 'em; in other > words a 9% increase in the size of the stats file, and consequently > about a 9% increase in the cost of updating it. Wups, sorry, I was looking at the wrong struct. It's actually an addition of 1 doubleword to a struct of 21 of 'em, or about 5%. That's still an awful lot in comparison to the prospective usefulness of the information. regards, tom lane
Next: From: Itagaki Takahiro Date: 2010-12-20 00:03:56 Subject: Re: Extensions, patch v20 (bitrot fixes) Previous: From: Tom Lane Date: 2010-12-19 22:58:11 Subject: Re: keeping a timestamp of the last stats reset (for a db, table and function)


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The Chicago White Sox offense continued to impress in today's 10-8 loss to the Seattle Mariners. Unfortunately, Gavin Floyd could not bring his best stuff and the team eventually ended their nine-game winning streak in extra innings.
The game was a battle from the start. The Mariners managed to homer in each of the first four innings and the Sox continued to answer with runs of their own. Just like yesterday, Gordon Beckham left his mark on this game with a home run and four RBIs. A.J. Pierzynski, Alex Rios, and Dayan Viciedo added with home runs of their own.
Not known for his long ball, Ichiro hit two bombs off Floyd. The Mariners managed to knock Floyd out in the fifth inning after scoring five earned runs. Floyd has really been off his game as of late. In his last four games, he has allowed 26 runs total in just 19.2 innings. It can never be certain which side of him will show up when he takes the mound. He has the stuff to be a solid starter, but lacks anything even resembling consistency.
Another reason for today's loss was the lack of contribution from our two heaviest hitters. Adam Dunn and Paul Konerko each went 0-5, leaving five runners on base between them. It is hard to get on Konerko's case, though, since everyone knows he couldn't keep up his ridiculous offensive pace. Today's showing brought his BA closer to earth at .366.
No one should be too disheartened by today's loss. Winning streaks all come to an eventually and luckily, this streak catapulted the Sox into first place. The Cleveland Indians lost their game today as well which means the Sox are still 1 1/2 games up. Even better than all this, however, is the prolonged struggling of the Detroit Tigers. With a win tonight, they will still be five games back. Picked by many to be the hands-down favorite of the American League Central, it is important that the Sox establish a lead early and never look back.
The White Sox will try to take home the series tomorrow with Chris Sale on the mound. Sale is scorching hot right now and is coming off his near record-breaking 15 K game.


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As businesses across industries are learning, going green is all about the numbers. Hospitality and lodging is no different. If you're in the lodging biz, how would you like to increase your bookings by 7.5 percent in the next year? That's the jump in consumers who said they "researched and booked green accommodations" between 2009 and 2010. How about half a million travelers viewing your website? That's the average number of times the term "green hotel" was searched on Google through August of 2011.
As Americans continue to look for ways to be more environmentally friendly at home – from shopping for organic foods to buying energy efficient cars – they are also beginning to look outside the home for businesses that are embracing green as well. Hotels and other lodging establishments are rife with opportunities to both save money through sustainability and attract eco-savvy travelers with green branding.
Grab Your Guests' Attention
For hotels, inns and suites, reducing laundry can go a long way towards saving water and reducing the impact of harsh chemical detergents on the environment. One of the most successful initiatives undertaken by hotels today are the small signs in guest rooms and bathrooms requesting that guests hang towels that they intend to reuse in an effort to save water. The cost savings enjoyed with this program can be surprisingly substantial. In fact, when Marriott introduced its global linen reuse program in 2007, it reported a savings of 11 to 17 percent on hot water and sewer costs involved in laundering operations at each hotel.
Of course, programs like the linen reuse program can only succeed with guest participation. That's why it's important to build a green brand by letting your guests know about your sustainability efforts. In fact, according to J.D. Power, nearly 75 percent of all hotel guests are willing to participate in their hotel's environmentally friendly programs – they just have to know about them first.
Get Serious
Today's traveler is increasingly aware of the difference between true green and greenwashing — the practice of using advertising or PR to mislead consumers into believing your business is more environmentally friendly than it really is. Consumers are smart, so it's more important than ever that your green practices and policies go to the heart of your brand. While this may mean significant investment now, the payoff in terms of cost savings and consumer interest can be considerable.
One property that is putting its money where its mouth is the Hyatt Regency New Brunswick in New Jersey. The hotel recently garnered a lot of positive press when it installed a 32,000-square-foot, 421-kilowatt solar panel array over the top floor of the hotel's garage. According to the U.S. EPA, this project will result in the reduction of New Jersey's CO2 emissions by 10,000 tons over the next 30 years, and will lessen oil dependence by at least 749 barrels annually.
But, this isn't the hotel's first major sustainability project. It has built a credible green brand with projects that also include:
- Food composting and combined recycling of metals, plastic, glass, cardboard, and paper.
- Installation of a kitchen exhaust hood control system that is estimated to save 206,000 kWh in energy annually and $28,000 per year on reduced heating and air conditioning costs.
- Conversion to CFL, QL, and LED lights wherever possible, resulting in energy saving of more than 567,000 kWh per year.
Consumers seem to approve: Hyatt Regency New Brunswick averages between 4 and 4.5 out of 5 points on customer ratings on leading travel sites like Travelocity, Expedia, and Orbitz.
The growing awareness among American consumers about what green really means, and how they can incorporate more sustainability into their everyday lives – at home and away – has made it more important than ever for all businesses to adopt green practices that go to the core of their brand. By following suit, you can reap the benefits of cost savings while honing a green marketing edge.
Help Your Business Thrive
Get our Newsletter


text:
Sorry, Sold Out FREE Shipping
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Sorry, Sold Out
Order over the phone: Call 1-800-918-6308 Product #: SE003140
Topped with dreamily silky, sexily plush silicone, Curiosity from the Sweet Obsession collection, is meant for precision clit stimulation, and has tons of other pleasure possibilities, too.
This user friendly, versatile vibe has a firm, yet deliciously supple head topped with a wide patch of tiny ticklers that fully surround your clitoris, nipples, or any other sweet spot that requires precise stimulation.
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An incredible 10 functions include straight vibration and varying patterns of vibration, escalation and pulsation, letting you pick the one that suits your pleasure purpose; an innovative memory chip saves your last used function so you won't have to go scrolling through to find your favorite.
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text:
Every day on various parenting groups and websites, I come across posts from pregnant women asking for advice on which model of breast pump to buy, where to find a secondhand home fetal heart monitor, if such and such designer car seat is available locally, what nursing bras are best, what gender neutral nursery decors other parents recommend or how many body pillows do they really need?
The answer to that last one, by the way, is zero. Body pillows are up there with thigh masters as one of the world's most ridiculous inventions. Yet, I remember being told during my first pregnancy that I needed one.
I remember spending money I could just barely afford and time that would've been better spent going for a nice walk, trying to find one that was affordable and then trying to select a removable, washable cover for it (because they don't come with the cover, of course, that would make too much sense).
My husband at the time tried to tell me I didn't need it. I decided to listen to the three or four pregnant women plus the multitude of articles and posts that told me I did instead. Turns out my ex was right.
The pillow that was bought so that I could sleep comfortably with my legs separated and my belly and back supported caused more sleepless nights than the back and hip pain I was experiencing. I imagine if I slept like an enchanted princess — utterly still — it might have worked better, but even then I found it too squishy to offer the supposed support.
It was soon after replaced with three cheap Wal-Mart pillows from the $5 bin which were also brought to the hospital to supplement the flat pillows and to sit on after birth, used as nursing pillows in the early days, placed around the baby as he learned to roll, bundled around the baby as he learned to sit up and used as guest pillows.
And they didn't require a special cover that didn't fit any other pillows either.
The thing that upsets me most about all these ridiculous things women are told they need during pregnancy is that they really do upset women and cause us to waste money that would be better spent on anything else ... like perhaps a RESP.
There's not a single woman in the world who needs a home fetal heart monitor. I can understand, especially for a woman who's experiencing a high-risk pregnancy or who has had a past miscarriage, why they may think it's necessary.
But this is definitely one of those times when you need to learn to listen to your body.
Most people don't know how to use one correctly — a large number of women are likely listening to their own pulse, not the baby's heart. And a large number of women are getting concerned when they can't find either.
Personally, my babies hated ultrasounds and home fetal heart monitors, getting stressed every time I had one at the doctor's office. Though mostly safe in terms of potential physical damage, many doctors do recognize that the ultrasound waves can stress a baby. And with overuse there is potential that actual physical damage can occur too — causing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to issue a warning against home use of the devices back in 2008.
The thing is, by buying a device that promises to do something concrete to keep your mind at ease and your child safe, you tend to let down your guard a little.
There have been many documented cases of women who felt something might be wrong with their pregnancy but reassured themselves with their fetal heart monitor who have later ended up in the emergency room with pregnancy complications or stillbirth. These women felt their body telling them something, sometimes days before their visit to the hospital, but relied on a device they likely weren't using properly but were told was safe and easy to use, to reassure them rather than visit their doctor.
I'm sure there are many women on the other side of the coin as well, who have used a home fetal heart monitor, been unable to find a heartbeat and put themselves into a frenzy of panic, rushing to the doctor to get their baby checked when there was nothing wrong. While this is a waste of healthcare dollars, in this scenario the home heart monitor is like the body pillow — a ridiculous waste of money, if not tragic.
From the inane to the insane, devices and products marketed to pregnant women are mostly useless, sometimes tragic and entirely unnecessary. The only things a pregnant woman needs are vitamins and clothes to accommodate the growing belly. And ice cream. Don't forget the ice cream.
You can comment on this column or access previous editions of Readily A Parent using the following short link: http://bit.ly/DaraSquires.


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Related Information
- NIAMS Health Information Page
- NIH National Resource Center
- Order a NIAMS Publication to be mailed
- NIAMS Health Partnership Program
Other Resources
NIAMS Scientists Diverse Backgrounds, Shared Goals
May 8, 2014
A Conversation with NIAMS Scientist Dr. Golnaz Vahedi
|Golnaz Vahedi, Ph.D.
Golnaz Vahedi, Ph.D., an electrical engineer by training, joined the NIAMS in September 2009 as a postdoctoral fellow in the Molecular Immunology and Inflammation Branch of the Intramural Research Program. She conducts research in genomics and immunology in the lab of NIAMS Scientific Director, Dr. John OShea. She completed her undergraduate studies at Sharif University of Technology in her native country of Iran. She received her masters degree from the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, and her doctorate from Texas A&M University, College Station, all in electrical engineering. In this interview, Dr. Vahedi discusses how she uses her unique expertise to decipher the regulatory elements of the genome and understand how gene alterations can contribute to human diseases.
What motivated you to come to the NIAMS?
I was familiar with Dr. OSheas important discoveries in describing epigenomic mechanisms underlying lineage commitment and plasticity of CD4+ T cell subsets. Epigenomics refers to the packaging of DNA. One can think of our genome as a thick instruction book. Each cell type reads only one chapter of this book. Epigenomics tries to address how this instruction book is read differently by the many cell types in our body. Dr. OSheas early adaptation of next-generation sequencing technology in the immune system made his lab very appealing to me, so I applied for a postdoctoral position in his lab.
What or who influenced you to pursue a career in research?
My parents and teachers were very influential. After I finished my masters degree, I was debating whether I should join industry like many of my classmates, or continue graduate school. My husband encouraged me to pursue my passion for research and apply for a Ph.D. During my doctoral studies, my advisers, Drs. Edward Dougherty and Jean-Francois Chamberland, encouraged me to follow my scientific dreams and tackle challenging problems. Ultimately, my postdoctoral training at Dr. OSheas lab convinced me to continue with a career in science.
How did your academic training influence your career path?
The research projects I conducted during my masters and doctorate programs sparked a genuine interest in academic research in me. At Texas A&M, I was inspired by an enthusiastic group of investigators, including my adviser Dr. Dougherty, to believe that systems biology approaches may hold great promise for understanding human diseases. During my studies, with the help of collaborators at the Translational Genomics Research Institute in Arizona, I developed new mathematical approaches for the reconstruction of regulatory networks and modules from genomic data.
What is the focus of your research? What is your area of expertise?
I am a computational biologist with an interest in epigenomics and immunology. I also have a strong background in mathematics. My doctoral research focused on systems biology approaches to model dynamics of gene regulation in healthy and diseased cells. At NIAMS, I became interested in the gene-free part of the genome in T lymphocytes, and I have charted the genomic enhancer elements in different T cell subsets using the chromatin signature of regulatory enhancers. These regulatory enhancers act as "switches," controlling the expression of key genes in T cells and consequently defining cellular identity. This work illustrates how the cellular environment helps determine cell identity. Specifically, we demonstrated that STAT proteins act as cellular environmental sensors that, by regulating enhancers residing in the "junk" region of the genome, determine what subtype a T cell becomes. This work, in which I was the lead author, was published in the journal Cell in November 2012.
What do you enjoy most about your career?
The incredible, and at the same time, challenging aspect of science is that there is always something new to learn. Discovery may be the reward, but I am constantly learning new skills and concepts to take my research to the next step. I believe that the joy of discovery at any stage of my career enhances my fascination with research in both engineering and immunology, and how they intersect.
What have been the most rewarding or fulfilling aspects of your career?
Technological advances have made the current state of genomic research incredibly fascinating. It is very rewarding for me to investigate genomic measurements such as gene expression using the skills I have learned throughout my training, and linking them to immune system disorders like rheumatoid arthritis. It is very exciting for me to be able to connect many seemingly irrelevant measurements and ultimately explain a biological phenomenon.
What have been the most challenging aspects of your career?
Coming from an engineering background to immunology was extremely rewarding, but at the same time very challenging. With different disciplines come different personalities, scientific cultures, and ways of thinking. These experiences helped me to become more assertive, but it is clearly a challenge. To have a productive dialogue, you need to be able to interpret the different scientific "languages" unique to each discipline.
What activities do you enjoy outside of work?
Like many people in the Washington, D.C. area, I enjoy running. It can become a bit obsessive, but the area and its many beautiful trails encourage this obsession.
Can you offer any advice for people who wish to pursue a career in science?
It is probably a cliché, but the real keys are perseverance and optimism. Pursuing a career in science is riddled with short-term setbacks and rejections. I believe that we shouldnt be discouraged and take these personally. The key is to develop a capacity to judge our own work, learn from our mistakes and adjust the course of our progress as needed.
Why is it important for people from diverse backgrounds to participate in research, both as investigators and as patients?
Many major scientific advances result from tackling a problem from different angles. Each of us possesses a set of unique talents and skills, and devises different approaches to address a scientific problem. Only by utilizing our collective potential can we fully benefit and give back to society. Patients from different backgrounds also are an essential component of medical research. They allow us to understand diseases resulting from genetic variations that stem from diverse backgrounds.


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Home and Property Owner Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How can I make sure that my central cooling system is functioning properly and safely?
A: Have the system cleaned and service annually by a licensed HVAC contractor.
Q: How can I avoid moisture problems under my home?
A: Make certain that drainage flows away from the foundation. Ensure that the crawl spaces are cleaned of debris and that proper ventilation is present. A TPREIA Inspector can be a great value to assist you with this concern.
Q: How can I find out if there is asbestos in my home?
A: You will need a licensed asbestos inspector to review your property and provided you with a written report. In the State of Texas, these individuals must be licensed through the State of Texas Health Department.


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Private Hospitals & Specialists >
Angus Don - Spine and Orthopaedic Surgeon
Private Service
Mr Angus Don
Spine Surgeon
Please contact the practice during office hours, Monday to Friday, to arrange an appointment at one of Mr Angus Don's consulting locations.
Ascot Office Park: Tuesday mornings weekly
Radius Medical Centre: Tuesday afternoons
Westgate Medical Centre: Monday morning/Thursday afternoon
Warkworth Medical Centre: Tuesday afternoons monthly
Referral Expectations
Please ensure your referrer has faxed through all necessary documentation prior to your appointment such as:
- Any letters or reports from your doctor or hospital.
- Any X-Rays, CT or MRI reports.
- A list of medicines you are taking including herbal and natural remedies.
- Your ACC number and date of injury.
Common Conditions / Procedures / Treatments
The division of a crooked or bent bone to improve alignment of the limb.… More
Arthroscopy (keyhole surgery)
Over the last 30 years a large number of orthopaedic procedures on joints have been performed using an arthroscope, where a fiber optic telescope is used to look inside the joint.… More
Soft Tissue (muscles, tendons and ligaments)
In many cases tendons will be lengthened to improve the muscle balance around a joint or tendons will be transferred to give overall better joint function.… More
Herniated Discs
Between the vertebrae in your spine are flat, round discs that act as shock absorbers for the spinal bones.… More
Spinal Tumours
Tumours may be found within the spinal cord itself, between the spinal cord and its tough outer covering, the dura, or outside the dura.… More
Document Downloads
Publications / Presentations
A list of journal articles, book chapters and presentations and posters published/presented by Mr Angus Don.
Public Transport
The Auckland Transport website is a good resource to plan your public transport options.
Free patient parking is provided at each consulting clinic.
For Ascot Office Park, parking is available in the basement to the left of the building. Please use parking spaces marked as ORTHOPAEDIC & RADIOLOGY only which are situated on the right wall of the car park in front of the 1st lift.
Please Note - parking can be limited and restrictions are strictly enforced. Additional parking is available across from the building which services Ascot Hospital. Normal parking fees apply.
Contact Details
Ascot Office Park, Ellerslie
Central Auckland
(09) 523 7053
(09) 522 0783
Westgate Medical Centre, Auckland
West Auckland
(09) 523 7053
(09) 522 0783
316 Ti Rakau Drive, Burswood, Auckland
South Auckland
(09) 523 7053
(09) 522 0783
Warkworth Medical Centre
North Auckland
(09) 523 7053
(09) 522 0783
Was this page helpful?
This page was last updated at 11:57AM on August 24, 2016. This information is reviewed and edited by Angus Don - Spine and Orthopaedic Surgeon.


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Nosler Defense ammunition is an excellent self-defense load featuring the new Bonded PERFORMANCE bullets. PERFORMANCE bullets were designed with the same technology as Nosler's trusted AccuBond bullet which eliminates the possibility of jacket/core seperation. The resulting bullet retains nearly 100% of its original weight. At the same time, a tapered jacket and lead alloy core produce reliable expansion. Nosler Defense ammunition is available with either a polymer tipped or jacketed hollow point bullet.
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Shailene Woodley Spotlighted on Dark Teaser Posters for 'Divergent'
by Ethan Anderton
September 23, 2013
Source: Yahoo
We've already seen the first teaser trailer and an introductory featurette showing us the world of the new young adult adaptation, Divergent. Hot on the heels of The Hunger Games, this hopeful new series gives Shailene Woodley the lead in a story set in a dystopian future Chicago where people are divided into distinct factions based on their personalities. Now Woodley gets the spotlight on a new teaser poster along with Theo James as the male lead. In addition, we've also included another featurette which explains a bit of the story following Tris Prior (Woodley) as she discovers an ongoing conspiracy in their world. Look now!
Here's the first teaser posters for Neil Burger's Divergent from Yahoo:
And here's the new featurette for Divergent, called "Taking a Stand," from YouTube:
Divergent is a thrilling adventure set in a dystopian future Chicago where people are divided into distinct factions based on their personalities. Tris Prior (Shailene Woodley) is warned she is Divergent and will never fit into any one group, and when she discovers a conspiracy to destroy all Divergents, she must find out what makes being Divergent so dangerous before it's too late. Kate Winslet, Ray Stevenson, Mekhi Phifer, Maggie Q, Jai Courtney, Miles Teller, Zoë Kravitz and more star in the film from director Neil Burger (Limitless), written by Evan Daugherty (Snow White and the Huntsman) and Vanessa Taylor ("Game of Thrones"), based on Veronica Roth's book of the same name. Divergent hits theaters on March 21st, 2014.
Follow Alex's main profile on :


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Marooned on a desert island once inhabited by Rene Descartes, students discover his notebook and gear and begin their journey through the island's tunnels, volcanoes, abandoned mines, and sunken ship. At each step, they solve increasingly difficult puzzles and math challenges that follow NCTM standards. As they master each math concept, they prepare to tackle the final quest to build a means to escape from the island.
Descartes' Cove adventures include:
Start the adventure now by playing the Descartes' Cove demo!


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Yannis has collaborated with other producers-DJ's such
as Dado (aka Deedrah,
Synthetic,…), Wizzy
Noise, or
Silicon Sound. He has remixed
famous artists like the French singer
Mylene Farmer - including her singles "C'est
Une Belle Journée" and "Pardonne-Moi" (Polydor/Universal) - with Blue Planet
Corporation together, the Moroccan singer Tyoussi (Fairway/SonyMusic),
Vibrasphere, or the French pop band Jpex (Wagram).
Jaia has also been remixed by Total
Eclipse, Minilogue or
Jimmy Van M for example...
Yannis is evolving in side projects too, like Even 11 with Silicon Sound, Altitudes with Blue Planet Corporation and Silicon Sound , or Kama & Mac Gregor. He is also part of the electro and house oriented label Pumpz Recordings.
He is
working as well with Extreme
Music a company making sound libraries for cinema and TV, and by the way his music is often played on TV in adverts and documentaries, in video games, and movies. He is also currently working on short-movies soundtracks.
Since 1997 Yannis has been
performing live in Europe, Japan, Israel, Russia, India, Brazil, Mexico, Canada and in the USA.
Jaia has actually played at several big gatherings like Return To the Source in London,
the Boom Festival
in Portugual, Solstice in Japan, the Gaian Mind Festival in the USA, the Samothraki Dance Festival in Greece, Universo Paralello in Brazil, Soncia Festival in Italy, Shambhala Music Festival in Canada , or the VooV Experience in Germany.
A brand new regular Jaia album is scheduled for


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Amory Lovins and the 2,000 Watt Society
"Julia Levitt: What do you think is the least amount of energy that could be used to deliver a comfortable American lifestyle? For example, is the 2,000-watt society proposed by the Swiss Council of the Federal Institute of Technology a realistic projection?
Amory Lovins: It is very realistic. The Swiss work on the 2000-watt Society is excellent. I actually think that, with integrated design and even newer technologies, 1,000 watts is probably realistic -- and it may even be cheaper. We [at RMI] haven't developed that in as much detail yet as they've developed their 2,000-watt scenario, so I'm just giving you my impression from looking at the numbers, but I think it'll be closer to 1,000 than to 2,000 watts. That's counting, of course, all forms of energy for all purposes.
JL: What would that society look like?
AL: It can look like whatever you want. Because so much can be done with just technical efficiency, there's a great deal of flexibility -- in how and where people live, what houses look like, how we get around, what our settlement patterns are."


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Great company! Thanks for the acknowledgment in this roundup! Just a point of clarification, though, I reviewed what Robert Rose wrote about and didn't get the chance to interview him...yet!
We look forward to Friday for the obvious reasons, but also love that it's time for us to compile our favorite reads of the week. So read on and enjoy! And point us to your faves of the week!
10, 862 Comments Later, I Realize Blog Comments are NOT a Business Model by @TheSalesLion
Marcus Sheridan brings us another a-ha moment with this post that is especially appropriate for B2B bloggers.
Six Ways to Challenge Best Practice Plus Measurement by @Soulati
Thought-provoking, kick-in-the-pants post from Jayme Soulati. In her interview with Robert Rose of Big Blue Moose, she gets down and dirty about the real value (and price) of adhering to best practices all the time.
6 Tips for More Effective Email Campaigns by AshleyZ on @toprank
Email is still a workhorse of B2B (and any other) marketing. Here are some great tips on how to get the most out of your next campaign.
3 Examples of Social Media Gone Bad by @GiniDietrich on @SpinSucks
Gini pulls no punches with this look at how otherwise good companies royally screw up their social PR efforts. Don't make these mistakes!
Deliver a Psychic Pizza with B2B Marketing - by @ardath421
How can you not love this title? The advice from Ardath Albee is spot on as well.
5 Key Roles for Content Marketing Success in 2012 - by @juntajoe via @toprank
I would check out this post for a look at Joe Pulizzi's orange shoes, but even better, he lays out the key people who should be a part of your content marketing organization.
If You're B2B, What Day You Tweet Doesn't Matter - by @jaybaer
The title here says it all, but it's interesting "non-advice" as Jay Baer so aptly states.
Cutting the Complexity of Content Marketing by @jaymethomason via @junta42
Jayme Thomason of DizzyHQ offers 5 ways – and 2 terrific graphics – to help simplify the content marketing process.
New B2B lead generation calculus by @dmscott
Still grappling with whether or not to require registration in exchange for downloads? David Meerman Scott suggests a hybrid model.
Your timing is impeccable! I had a conversation yesterday with a client about whether or not to require registration for downloads. I missed David's blog post so THANK YOU for linking to it.
And thanks for the Spin Sucks inclusion!
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|larry fletcher | Wed Mar 15, 2017 @ 09:34AM
Hey there,
Wish I had such list when I started out. I wouldn't have had to spend precious hours pulling and sorting information from the web.
for B2B email marketing tips, I personally recommend a post -
not only is it updated but also comprehensive.


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Adams drops habit, picks up sponge for 'Sunshine Cleaning'
From a squeaky-clean nun to a single mom who cleans.
EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Watch a scene from the upcoming film 'Sunshine Cleaning'
Amy Adams follows her Oscar-nominated role in Doubt with Sunshine Cleaning, opening March 13. Her Rose teams up with her sister, Norah (Emily Blunt, The Devil Wears Prada), to make some money to help send Rose's son, Oscar, to private school. Their angle: cleaning up after grisly crimes, suicides and other unsettling events.
In this exclusive clip, we see how Norah's free-spirited tendencies dazzle young Oscar (played by Jason Spevack). Rose is clearly annoyed, but the desperate mom is also grateful to have the child-care help.
Adams is neither as dowdy as her Sister James nor as glitzed up as her Giselle in Enchanted. She's a normal single mom, with somewhat more expensive jeans.
"We went a couple of different ways with my character," Adams tells Blackbook magazine. "One was the 'mom jeans' way, and then there was the pseudo-prostitute version." She ended up wearing Lucky brand jeans, which start at about $100. "My justification was that if she could buy them at Ross, then it was okay for the character," she says.
She was determined to outfit her Rose in a real-world wardrobe of jeans and khaki pants: "That was a real battle. I said, I'm sticking by the khakis. They can be Dickies, but I am not wearing a dress."
Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more.


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An exquisite newly built duplex rental with terrace, and balcony and lovely sea view and village, very quiet street and peaceful location, well equipped and decorated, nice open kitchen, big bathroom witch . AIR CONDITIONING-. Newly built. In the ...
(Text automatically translated) Recent construction beginning in 2007, comfortable, tastefully decorated, special canal view
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, YOU CAN CALL ME AT 04 42 03 92 69, THANK YOU. The apartment is very good: you can do everything on foot, not need your car: 200 m beach / sea, shops, entertainment, downtown. The huge sandy beach 30 meters wide and sever...
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Far East GourmetChinese, Asian, Food
1965 Foothill Blvd
(909) 596-2029
Khim Y.
The food is quite tasty, considering that there is no MSG. But... 1. The sizzling rice soup did not sizzle 2. The mushu wrap felt like wheat tortilla that...read more
Anna I.
Far East Gourmet was one of my better experiences with Chinese food. Service was good, venue was clean and cozy, and the food tasted pretty good. I really...read more
Sarlyn P.
Woohoo another great Chinese Restaurant in La Verne! Lunch special $7: one entree, soup or roll, white or fried rice. Good amount of serving. Delicious...read more
Barbara C
better: i was not to thrilled with their food my family enjoyed it the service was good the place was clean prices are affordable it did take a while for our food to get to usread more


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TORY BURCH tunic
This tunic has become a wardrobe staple...get it in red this year!
Tory's traditional tunic is now all sequined up and ready to party ! Blended with wool and cashmere, this long-sleeved sweater provides a luxe anti-freeze fix for chilly holiday eves.
Serena wore this last night at the pool. This number is on sale for 110 dollars. Sweet deal!Tags: Clothes, apparel, tunics, dresses, Tory Burch, serena, gossip girl, serena van der woodsenAdded 9 Years Ago from Toryburch
This namesake tunic from Tory Burch has been spotted on endless celebrities - it is easy to see why. Available in bold colors and patterns, these tunics are timeless, interesting, and forever chic.
If your style is a bit more classic, this is a great top to subtly integrate this trend. Tory Burch will never compromise taste for trends, and you will be ever much a lady in this tunic.Added 10 Years Ago from Neiman Marcus Online


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LEBANON -- Funeral services will be conducted 2 p.m. Friday, April 15 at the Ligon & Bobo Funeral Home for Mrs. Clay, 90, of Hendersonville.
A native of Wilson County, she passed away Wednesday, April 13, 2011 at Hendersonville Hospital.
The daughter of the late William Arthur and Henrietta Cole Gray, she was a homemaker and a member of Hendersonville First Baptist Church.
Visitation is scheduled Friday between the hours of 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Ligon & Bobo.
Interment will follow at Wilson County Memorial Gardens.
Survivors include: daughter Brenda Clay (Elmo) Smith of Maryville; grandsons Kevin Clay Coward of Hendersonville, Randall Baker Coward of Maryville; great-grandchildren Cory Coward, Amanda Coward, Logan Stockman and great-great-grandson Brendan Stockman.
She was preceded in death by husband Charles R. Clay; sisters Pauline Dukowshi, Margaret Jackson and Nell Dillon; and brothers: Will Allen Gray and Edward Gray.


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Greener Flying: Alternatives to Flying (Part 3 of 3)
Rent a Fuel-Efficient Car (Under Certain Conditions)
If you aren't going too far and are traveling with other people, renting a fuel efficient car (or taking yours) can be a greener alternative to flying.
A 2004 Prius burns about 5.3 liters per 100 km on the highway (about 43 MPG US, a conservative estimate since many people easily get more, and the 2010 Prius should do even better), and a modern plane burns about 3.5 liters per 100 passenger kilometer. So how it compares will depend on how many passengers you have. If you drive a Prius with 4 people in it, using the numbers above that's about 1.3 liters per 100 passenger kilometer, or almost 3 times lower than even a modern plane (and that's not counting that the tailpipe emissions of the Prius are cleaner and not emitted at high altitude).
And if you know how to hypermile, you should be able to do better than the EPA MPG numbers.
Carbon Offsets
But if none of this works for you and you really can't avoid flying, we encourage you to have a look at our guide about carbon offsets.
Some people dislike offsets on principle, while others doubt they really work. But we think that if you deal with a reputable company that acts in a transparent way and gets third party certification to prove that they're really doing what they say they are doing, you can do some good. Investing a little money into wind power or reforestation can't hurt.
Go Back to:
- Part 1: Greener Flying: Not All Flights are Created Equal
- Part 2: Greener Flying: Top 20 Most Popular Airline Routes
More Green(er) Transportation
Mr. StreetsBlog Goes to Washington
Gas Prices Have Risen 41 Days in a Row: Is It Good for the Environment?
Retooling the Auto Industry for a Smaller (Yet Profitable) Future
Electric Bike Review: We Ride the Pacific E-Bike Terra 7-Speed


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|Specific References
|Related Products
|Human Cells transfected lysate in which Human FGFR1 / CD331 has been over-expressed. The whole cell lysate is provided in 1X Sample Buffer (1X modified RIPA buffer+1X SDS sample buffer).
|Cell lysate was prepared by homogenization in ice-cold modified RIPA Lysis Buffer with cocktail of protease inhibitors (Sigma). Cell debris was removed by centrifugation. Protein concentration was determined with Bradford assay (Bio-Rad protein assay, Microplate Standard assay). The cell lysate was boiled for 5 minutes in 1 x SDS sample buffer (50 mM Tris-HCl pH 6.8, 12.5% glycerol, 1% sodium dodecylsulfate, 0.01% bromophenol blue) containing 5% b-mercaptoethanol, and lyophilized.
|Modified RIPA Lysis Buffer: 50 mM Tris-HCl pH 7.4, 150 mM NaCl, 1mM EDTA, 1% Triton X-100, 0.1% SDS, 1% Sodium deoxycholate, 1mM PMSF
|12.5% SDS-PAGE Stained with Coomassie Blue
|Samples are stable for up to twelve months from date of receipt at -80℃
|1. Centrifuge the tube for a few seconds and ensure the pellet at the bottom of the tube. 2. Re-dissolve the pellet using 200μL pure water and boiled for 2-5 min. 3. Store it at -80℃. Recommend to aliquot the cell lysate into smaller quantities for optimal storage. Avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles. Notes:The lysate is ready to load on SDS-PAGE for Western blot application. If dissociating conditions are required, add reducing agent prior to heating.
|In modified RIPA Lysis Buffer
|Store at -80℃. Aliquot to avoid repeated freezing and thawing
|WB: Use at an assay dependent dilution.
Not yet tested in other applications.
Optimal dilutions/concentrations should be determined by the end user.
FGFR1, also known as CD331, belongs to the fibroblast growth factor receptor subfamily where amino acid sequence is highly conserved between members and throughout evolution. FGFR family members differ from one another in their ligand affinities and tissue distribution. Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) (FGF1 - 10 and 16 - 23) are mitogenic signaling molecules that have roles in angiogenesis, wound healing, cell migration, neural outgrowth and embryonic development. FGFs bind heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycans, which facilitates dimerization (activation) of FGF receptors. FGFR1 is a full-length representative protein consists of an extracellular region, composed of three immunoglobulin-like domains, a single hydrophobic membrane-spanning segment and a cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase domain. The extracellular portion of FGFR1 interacts with fibroblast growth factors, setting in motion a cascade of downstream signals, ultimately influencing mitogenesis and differentiation. This particular family member binds both acidic and basic fibroblast growth factors and is involved in limb induction. CD331 can be detected in astrocytoma, neuroblastoma and adrenal cortex cell lines. Some isoforms are detected in foreskin fibroblast cell lines, however isoform 17, isoform 18 and isoform 19 are not detected in these cells. Defects in FGFR1 are a cause of Pfeiffer syndrome ,idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, Kallmann syndrome type 2, osteoglophonic dysplasia and trigonocephaly non-syndromic.


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Kelly's Stupid Criminals of the week!
Featuring this week a bank robber whom after hitting three Michigan banks for a total of about $15,000, posted a selfie on his facebook brandishing the very gun he used for the robberies. Police matched the photo with surveillance shots from the scenes of the crimes and tracked him down to his newly purchased home.
Also a Texas man who has been arrested for stealing rebar piers and hurricane fencing from a construction site. He was easily identified by witnesses and quickly apprehended by police due to his poor choice in clothing. A cookie monster onesie. Very inconspicuous.